Books by Mr. Torrey. NATURE’S INVITATION. 16mo, $1.10, _net._ Postage extra. THE CLERK OF THE WOODS. 16mo, $1.10, _net._ Postpaid, $1.20. FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA. 16mo, $1.10, _net._ Postpaid, $1.19. EVERYDAY BIRDS. Elementary Studies. With twelve colored Illustrations reproduced from Audubon. Square 12mo, $1.00. BIRDS IN THE BUSH. 16mo, $1.25. A RAMBLER’S LEASE. 16mo, $1.25. THE FOOT-PATH WAY. 16mo, gilt top, $1.25. A FLORIDA SKETCH-BOOK. 16mo, $1.25. SPRING NOTES FROM TENNESSEE. 16mo, $1.25. A WORLD OF GREEN HILLS. 16mo, $1.25. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. BOSTON AND NEW YORK. NATURE’S INVITATION NATURE’S INVITATION NOTES OF A BIRD-GAZER NORTH AND SOUTH BY BRADFORD TORREY “On Nature’s invitation do I come.”--WORDSWORTH. [Illustration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1904 COPYRIGHT 1904 BY BRADFORD TORREY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Published October 1904_ PREFATORY NOTE Of the chapters here brought together the two longest, the first and the last, are reprinted from the “Atlantic Monthly.” The others were originally contributed, by way of weekly letters, to three newspapers,--the “Evening Transcript” of Boston, and the “Mail and Express” and the “Evening Post” of New York. CONTENTS NEW HAMPSHIRE PAGE A MAY VISIT TO MOOSILAUKE 3 A WEEK ON MOUNT WASHINGTON 32 ABOVE THE BIRDS 41 MOUNTAIN-TOP AND VALLEY 50 IN THE MOUNT LAFAYETTE FOREST 57 ON BALD MOUNTAIN 65 BIRDS AND BRIGHT LEAVES 72 FLORIDA FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MIAMI 83 A FROSTY MORNING 89 BEWILDERMENT 96 WAITING FOR THE MUSIC 104 PERIPATETIC BOTANY 111 A PEEP AT THE EVERGLADES 120 THE BEGINNINGS OF SPRING 128 FAIR ORMOND 136 A DAY IN THE WOODS 142 PICTURE AND SONG 151 TEXAS AND ARIZONA IN OLD SAN ANTONIO 161 A BIRD-GAZER’S PUZZLES 171 LUCK ON THE PRAIRIE 179 OVER THE BORDER 188 FIRST DAYS IN TUCSON 196 MOBBED IN ARIZONA 205 AN IDLE AFTERNOON 215 SHY LIFE IN THE DESERT 224 A NEW ACQUAINTANCE 233 THE DESERT REJOICES 242 NESTS AND OTHER MATTERS 251 A FLYCATCHER AND A SPARROW 259 A BUNCH OF BRIGHT BIRDS 266 INDEX 295 NEW HAMPSHIRE A MAY VISIT TO MOOSILAUKE When a man sets forth on an out-of-door pleasure jaunt, his prayer is for weather. If he is going to the mountains, let him double his urgency. In the mountains, if nowhere else, weather is three fifths of life.