up from a tree ahead, and fly away. What a languid, cumbersome and at the same time, powerful flight as theirs - a slowly steady fanning of the wings. Presently, at my approach another flew up, following the first.
     I began to notice that the snow here was soiled by something black, as soot does in town. The ground here too was intensely black and looked very rich. The black on the snow increased until, the drifts made no pretention whatever of being white,but were jet black. On the other side of the fence the soil was very black. Evidently it had sifted from there thru the fence during a high wind. Stopping, I picked up a handful of the stuff. It was very light and soft, and did not stick to the hand like mud. This caused in to finally decide that it was some kind of ash. A closer examination showed that the field west of here had been burnt over at some time which accounted for the ashes.
     Just beyond, to one side, was an old windmill, which I must examine. At its base I saw a dried weed the like of which I had never before seen. I wrote down in my mind that I was to come her again during the summer to find it in bloom. North of here, beyond a muddy cornfield