182 CHE WINK 



of the Bobolink ; when in thoughtful mood, he 

 will retire to the green shade of the forest to 

 be thrilled and uplifted by the hymns of the 

 Thrushes ; when tired of lawn Sparrows and hun- 

 gering for the wild, free side of nature, he will 

 clear the fences and cut across lots to the nearest 

 old juniper pasture or brushy thicket. There he 

 wdll find the prince of Bohemians, the Brown 

 Thrasher, and if he listen quietly, may hear the 

 scratching of the Chewink among the dead leaves, 

 and presently its quaint, simple song, as the un- 

 suspecting bird mounts to a low branch to sing. 

 Though totally unlike the tempestuous torrents 

 of the Thrasher in range and delivery, the two 

 songs have a common quality, a certain wild fla- 

 vor that goes well with the old, neglected pas- 

 tures and brushy tangles, and is as grateful to the 

 nature-lover as the spring taste of the wild sorrel 

 or ginger-root dug from the earth. To be exact, 

 the Chewink has two songs, one much shorter 

 than the other, but both have a j^eculiar quality. 

 The call notes are even more characteristic, a 

 toichee and a more nasal lohanh or cheioinh. 



Like the Thrasher, the Chewink gets his food 

 on the ground, and while he belongs to the Finch 

 and Sparrow family, is said to do incalculable 

 good by unearthing wire worms, beetles, and 

 larvae which have gone into winter quarters. 

 " The death of a single insect at this time, before 

 it has had an opportunity to dej)osit its eggs, is 



