CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I BEYOND THE PASTURE BARS 3 II THE CRAZY FLICKER 13 III THE WILD GEESE 25 IV THE WOOD-PUSSY .......... 37 V A HOUSE OF MANY DOORS . . 47 VI WILD LIFE IN THE FARM-YARD 57 VII A SONG OF THE WINTER WOODS 71 VIII ON THE POSSUMS TRAIL 83 IX THE DANCE IN THE ALDER SWALE ... . 99 X CHICKAREE THE SCOLD . . . . . . . .111 XI A LESSON IN NATURAL HISTORY ..... 125 XII CALICO AND THE KITTENS 137 SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHER AND PUPILS . . 149 ILLUSTRATIONS Beyond the pasture bars .... Frontispiece PAGE Robin 3 Folk in scales 4 Folk in bare skins 4 Folk in fur 5 Folk in shells 6 Squirrel Bumble-bee 10 What a glorious hole for a nest there must be in there, He found himself inside an empty barn ... 19 Housekeeping for the geese is a particularly serious business 29 There . . . was a family of seven young skunks . 39 all followed her . . .41 They Tall black cormorants, great foam-white gulls . . 51 The tame turkey-hen is notorious for stealing her nest 62 The frozen winter fields 73 Upland and lowland, - . 9 16 field and wood-lot ... 75