The strange, retiring winter wren is equally a lover of dead leaves. He plays with them in a less boisterous manner, but none the less delights in tossing them to and fro. It is at such a time that a few notes of his marvellous summer song occasionally escape him. The white-throated sparrows fairly dance among or upon the heaped-up leaves, and play bo-peep with the clouds of them they send aloft; and in February the foxie sparrows play the same pranks. Squirrels and mice are equally at home, and abandon all prudence when they frolic among the windrows. The more clatter and cackle, the better they are pleased. When freed from the restraint of fear, wild life is fun-loving to the very brim. Dead leaves are never deserted unless the weather is extremely cold or a storm has prevailed until they are a sodden mat. Even from such a wetting they soon recover and respond to the passing breeze’s gentlest touch. Dead leaves are the matured fruit of summer, and what an important part they really play as the year closes! They are not now of the air, airy, but of the earth, earthy. Dead, it is true, yet living. Passive, yet how active! They are whispering good cheer now to the sleeping buds that await the coming of a new year, and faithfully guard them when the storm rages. For such deeds we owe them our kindliest thoughts. In the golden sunshine of this dreamy day the leaves have yet another visitor that makes merry with them. The little whirlwind, without a herald, springs laughingly upon them, even when the profoundest quiet reigns throughout the wood. Touched by this fairy’s wand, the leaves rise in a whirling pillar and dance down the narrow path into some even more secluded nook. Dead leaves, indeed! Never did the wildest madcap of a courting bird play livelier pranks. Time was when I would have searched the woods for winter-green and worn it gayly. I am content to-day to carry a withered leaf. INDEX A. _Allium_, 77. _Amelanchier_, 140. _Andromeda_, 57. _Ants_, 14, 36. _Arbutus_, 51, 57, 62. _Arrow-point_, 156. _Azalea_, 141. B. _Bear_, 54. _Beaver_, 66. _Beech_, 43. _Birch_, 54. _Bittern_, 73, 180. _least_, 42. _Bittersweet_, 142. _Blackbird_, 32, 41, 67, 75, 189. _Blueberry_, 64. _Bluebird_, 18, 67, 143, 197. _Boneset_, 155. _Butterflies_, 20, 156. _Buzzards_, 67. C. _Cardinal bird_, 23, 59, 75, 80, 87, 111, 144. _Cat-bird_, 32, 59, 87, 137, 146. _Caterpillar_, 133. _Catlinite_, 150, 158. _Cat-tail_, 42. _Cedar_, 64. _Celastrus_, 142. _Centaury_, 155 _Centipede_, 57. _Chat_, 32, 83. _Cherry, wild_, 43. _Chewink_, 59, 80, 206. _Chickadee_, 204. _Chimney-swift_, 20. _Clay_, 35. _Clethra_, 141. _Cougars_, 65. _Cow-bird_, 93. _Crayfish_, 187, 190. _Crocus_, 145. _Crow_, 11, 32, 47, 76, 86, 189, 200. _Cyperus_, 77.