EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 51 
snow-balls, and from time to time I heard a 
low, soft, rippling note from them. I could see 
no features, but only the general outline of 
plump birds in white. It was a very spectral 
sight, and after I had watched them for several 
minutes I can hardly say that I was prepared 
to see them fly away like ordinary buntings 
when I advanced further. At first they were 
almost concealed by being the same color with 
the cloudy sky. 
How imperceptibly the first springing takes 
place! In some still, muddy springs whose 
temperature is more equable than that of the 
brooks, while brooks and ditches generally are 
thickly frozen and concealed, and the earth is 
covered with snow, and it is even cold, hard, 
and nipping winter weather, some fine grass 
which fills the water begins to lift its tiny 
spears or blades above the surface which di¬ 
rectly fall flat for half an inch or an inch along 
the surface, and on these (though many are 
frost-bitten) you may measure the length to 
which the spring had advanced (has sprung) ; 
very few indeed, even of botanists, are aware 
of this growth. Some of it appears to go on 
even under ice and snow. Or, in such a place 
as I have described, if it is sheltered by alders 
or the like you may see (as March 2d) a little 
green crescent of caltha leaves raised an inch 
