Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-18

school was the first to report these varieties this winter, recording a abunch of twenty before the holidays. They have since appeared in force in East Woodstock, and later we are glad to know that groups are working towards the south and have been seen at the Wequonnoc school in Taftviiie. The absence of the pure grosbeak is more than made up by tine unlocked for ap- pearance of its very rare cong gener, and dicate that it mty be a large invasion of evening grosbeaks.
 Crow-tracks arc not prstty on the human face, and on the face of Nature make tlnrob of sympathy for the search for food. Crossing our upper cornffeid, I saw among the siouchy crow-tracks the delicate tracery of three punches of northern f1nches. long spurs being most readily selected. Continuing the walk to the swoodlet, quite detour WAS made to avoid flushing the covey of quail that were busy picking up their scanty dinner. Other birds had had lunch, for under an old cider apple-tree at the edge of the woods was q lot of rotten apples torn into bits and only the seeds miss ing, indicating the presence of a largo company of grosbeaks. I had seen a pair of evening grosbeaks before this sight picking out the seeds of rotten crabapples.
 could not make out all the hiero- glyrhies under our f1emlock. pines and decdduous trees, and especially dn ths open bar-ways, from stone wall to stone wall, the may blending of species was confusing. In every case foxes jumped across the opening. but all other spe- cies, including squirrels. used the we'll xfez~ 1.<.1 were the only places with signs of weasel and rats. But elsewhere all impressions were clean cut and as easy to read as if the night walkers had kindly left their p. p. c.'s. Useless to trail deer, fox, and bob-cat. but rab- bits could be traced to their day houses and burrows, squirrels to their aerial homes. and, if in the market with skunk skins, I think holed up seven or eight prime bobcats
 Bunny's three balls were evsryvytsrs, singly, in pairs. straightaway and zig gag, rarely as if digging for greens, and twice mated as if rolling or wrest : ling in play. Though small dog -lika tracks showed that Reynard had stoier, along some of the triangles, there was no blood or fur anywhere or other sign of recent tragedy. But, now and then, CottontaiPs modest 6-inch jumps J leaps, showing that Bunny feared a prowler behind, or, on the moonlit snow, had seen the shadow of Bubo's noiseless wings. Owls pellets were seen in the swamp and in the heart O. the woods. Northern hare in full win ter and parti-colored peltage are shot here, but we do not see their easily distinguished tracks every year in our range of woods. The plain signet O. Biddy Grouse is a familiar one, and after nearly every snow -sqHa1l quick ly look them up. I find them roasting in thick hemlocks, but have never seen their chamber in deep snow.
 In tEe quaiis cover outside the woods, two of the grouse were flushed. Leaving the woodlot and it's partly told story, I spent a long hour in trRc- ing poor sketches of bobWhite's eight hours run. In our attempts to feed quail we are careful not to startle the birds. fearing that frequent flushing naisht drive them of otir land. Fol : lowing the back track, at first glance there seemed to be nine birds, but when all the parallel lines came to gether, it was easy as print to read exactly thirteen. Then back tracked aQ sightk Y A xssila ta A1aaix CA 1aaelA