178 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



feeling sure that bird curiosity would bring the 

 Thrush, sooner or later, to find out which of his 

 cousins was calling. 



The wood was rich in birds. Two or three kinds 

 of Warblers came and looked at him, chirping to 

 one another. A Brown Thrasher, who is devoured 

 with inquisitiveness, flew from bush to bush in 

 his vicinity, settling on the lower branches and 

 peering at him from every angle. A friendly 

 Bobolink passed by and paused for a look, then 

 went on calmly about her business. A rollicking 

 Chat, clowm of birds, barked like a puppy, then 

 mewed like a cat, close to his ear. A Chickadee 

 perched within six feet of the boy, and, chummy 

 little fellow that he is, made overtures of friend- 

 ship, entertaining his visitor meanwhile by run- 

 ning along a twig upside dowTi, twisting over, 

 swinging over and under a leaf and performing 

 feats of which a professional gymnast might be 

 proud. A Carolina Wren became almost hyster- 

 ical with excitement, gesticulating madly with his 

 tail. A White-eyed Vireo became most indignant, 

 asking, ''"VNTio are you, eh?" over and over again. 

 A Fish-Crow ' * crak 'ed ' ' over his head. And pres- 

 ently, in response to the lad's whistling imitation 

 of his call, the AVood Thrush came. 



