TREASURE TROVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20076, 13 October 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

TREASURE TROVE.

Bi" ISABEL MARTIN

Nature, dear Mother of Out of Doors, is calling ah her boys and girls now—calling, softly calling. " Come, all be ready for tho Treasure Hunt—such a grand Treasure Hunt, and the longer you hunt the mora treasured vou will find! Spring is flinging you her daffodils and her violets, her bird-song and her breezes; she is unfurling her tiny leaf buds, she is kissing the earth with her raindrops. Yes, even her cunshnio is touching you with finger-tips like flowers. Come, all bo ready for the Treasure Hunt! When you have discovered all these ' big gifts ' you arc ready to seek the little treasures right at tho bottom of Spring's Treasure Trove. " Look out for the new, red shoots on the tea-tree, and watch tho woolly brown fern fronds of the punga unfolding. Look at tho delicate green baby buds on the mingi mingi. that small green shrub with leaves as crisp and tiny as tins tea-tree's, and notice the pretty goldbrown 'candles' on the pine tree. These are treasures indeed! And what fun if you are tlie first one to find them! T\hat fnn to write 'town all tho treasures you find in a little book! But don't forget to nut the date—then you can see the difference between Spring's Treasure Trove and Summer's, or Winter's. " How joyously happy arc our little feathered friends—everywhere birds, everywhere soup! Kven .Mr. Sparrow, in a dusty city road, has '•auglit that touch of Spring! Now is the time to try and imitato ~ e birds—tho fantail's chirp, the thrush's clear, sweet notes, but beware of Mr. Starling. He loves to trick you. He only owns a whistling note, so he thinks it finn fun to copy the notes of others. Just you watch him! " Mr. Starling is a splendid fellow to put into your Treasure Trove book. How spick and span lie looks now, with his glossy black coat, so sleek and fine, shot with blue and green. (Don't get mixed up with Mr. Blackbird and his orango beak.) Later you will see that Mr. Starling is not at all grand and neat—in fact he looks ouite a draggled, vullled, hungry thing. I wonder whv? Shall I tel! you? Mrs. Starling has hatched out her babes, and such a busy life the parents lead that they have no time to think of their appearance. Children do mako a great deal of work you know! When Autumn comes, just see what happens. Mr. Starling moults, and then he gets a fine new coat, but this time it is all mottled, or spotted with soft white. This is his winter coat arid each new feather has a creamy tip. Did you know that he had a spring coat and a winter coat ? " Yes. what fun you are going to have among all preen, growing things! Yes. can't you hear it—Nature's call, the call of the Mother of Out of Doors? Come, all be ready for the Treasure Hunt, tho Treasure Hunt!" Yes, iust peer) outside vonr door, and there is awaiting yon tho great. Treasure Trove of Spring!