[Illustration: SPRING OF THE YEAR--SHADBUSH (CHAPTER I)] The Dallas Lore Sharp Nature Series THE SPRING OF THE YEAR BY DALLAS LORE SHARP AUTHOR OF “THE LAY OF THE LAND,” “THE FACE OF THE FIELDS,” “THE FALL OF THE YEAR,” “WINTER,” ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT BRUCE HORSFALL BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge COPYRIGHT, 1904, 1905, AND 1906, BY THE CHAPPLE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS BOOK COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1908, 1911, AND 1912, BY DALLAS LORE SHARP COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS U . S . A TO MY SISTER JENNIE THE BEST OF COMPANIONS IN THE WOODS AND FIELDS THROUGH WHICH WE WENT TO SCHOOL CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ix I. SPRING! SPRING! SPRING! 1 II. THE SPRING RUNNING 7 III. AN OLD APPLE TREE 13 IV. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO SEE THIS SPRING 26 V. IF YOU HAD WINGS 33 VI. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO DO THIS SPRING 41 VII. THE PALACE IN THE PIG-PEN 48 VIII. IS IT A LIFE OF FEAR? 60 IX. THE BUZZARD OF THE BEAR SWAMP 76 X. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO HEAR THIS SPRING 86 XI. TURTLE EGGS FOR AGASSIZ 94 XII. AN ACCOUNT WITH NATURE 115 XIII. WOODS MEDICINE 127 NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS 137 ILLUSTRATIONS