WILD PASTURES [Illustration: He was still sitting on his perch greeting the gold of the morning sun with melodious uproar [_Page 31_] WILD PASTURES BY WINTHROP PACKARD ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES COPELAND [Illustration] BOSTON SMALL, MAYNARD AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT, 1909 By Small, Maynard & Company (INCORPORATED) _Entered at Stationers’ Hall_ THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. TO MY WIFE AND THE WEE BOY WHO HAVE MADE AND SHARED THE PASTURE SUNSHINE CONTENTS PAGE WAYLAYING THE DAWN 1 STALKING THE WILD GRAPE 25 THE FROG RENDEZVOUS 47 A BUTTERFLY CHASE 69 DOWN STREAM 89 BROOK MAGIC 109 IN THE PONKAPOAG BOGS 131 SOME BUTTERFLY FRIENDS 151 THE RESTING TIME OF THE BIRDS 173 THE POND AT LOW TIDE 193 HOW THE RAIN CAME 215 ILLUSTRATIONS He was still sitting on his perch greeting the gold of the morning sun with melodious uproar _Frontispiece_ OPPOSITE PAGE The fox may slink for an hour unscared, waiting with watchful eye on the neighboring chicken coop 6 The mother bird, dancing and mincing along 38 Out from among the birches she sails gracefully, a veritable queen of the fairies 64 There was the swish of wings, the snip-snap of a bird’s beak, and it was all over 86 The way of the “kiver” is this. There is a single, snappy, business-like bob, then another, then three in quick succession 96 That such things are not seen oftener is simply because people are dull and go to bed instead of sitting out under the witch-hazel at midnight of a full moon 114 Of a clear midsummer evening you may hear the muskrat grubbing roots there ... and hear his snort and splash when he dives at sudden sight of you 142 Every boy who knows the country in summer knows him by his rich, red coloration, his strong, black-bordered wings with their black veins 160 The English sparrow has the true instincts of the browbeating coward 180 The skunk doesn’t know where he is going and he isn’t even on his way 198 My lone quail sat on a rock in the pasture, tipped his head back a little, swelled his white throat, and whistled 222 WAYLAYING THE DAWN