1898] A Little Bird Exi-euition. 107 



Maine) the whole country was spread out like a carpet under 

 foot, the Citadel of Quebec itself seeming little higher than a 

 footstool though forty miles away, and here with the eye 

 delighted by the silent ships passing over the great blue floor of 

 the St. Lawrence, and the ear greeted by a chorus of Olive- 

 backed Thrushes and White-throated Sparrows, a very memor- 

 able hour was spent. The descent, though the good path deprived 

 one of the pleasure of pioneering one's own way through un- 

 known forests, proved interesting on account of the birds. Here 

 were met mixed flocks of both kinds of Kinglets (the Golden- 

 crested much the commoner of the two however) with the usual 

 accompaniment of Nuthatches and Chickadees, and at one 

 point an uncanny black-eyed owl fluttered clumsily from one 

 branch to another, peering with much curiosity and a very human 

 expression at the strange field-glass-eyed creature that con- 

 fronted him, and the interest on the other side was even greater, 

 as he proved to be a Barred Owl, a rarity almost anywhere, and 

 like most owls very seldom met with in broad daylight. When 

 his feelings became too much for an owl to bear, he relieved 

 them with a yell not unlike the unearthly whining that greets 

 the ear morning and evening from a siren-whistle in Hull, but 

 with a human quality that made it seem the voice of some 

 wild departed spirit, — a sound quite capable of making the chill 

 run up a strong man's back, if he heard it at night and alone, 

 not knowing its source. According to the books this is but one 

 of the many calls of this owl, but neither my derisive imitation 

 (though he eventually had the grace to answer it) nor any other 

 noise I was capable of producing could induce him to express 

 himself otherwise, nor could any jests change the expression of 

 pained self-importance on the bird's face. 



On the following day the writer tramped to Bay St. Paul 

 over the road used dail}' by the mail wagon. This road goes 

 up-hill for nearly seven miles from St. Joachim until, on turning 

 around the shoulder of a high cultivated hill, a wide view is 

 obtained both forward and behind, the latter being almost as fine 

 as that from Cap Tourmente m the same direction. Then after 

 crossing a great valley we plunge into unbroken forest from 

 which we emerge after ten or twelve miles in a nearly straight 

 line, up hill and down dale, and then travelling about as far 



