Midsummer Memoranda 



clothes; and their deserted homes (woven 

 of dry grasses on the outside and horse- 

 hair within and just as neat as ever) do 

 not disconcert them in the least, though 

 they may be easily discerned in the larger 

 bushes or the lower branches of small 

 trees. 



One of the special signs of the year 

 is that Goldfinches and Indigo Bunt- 

 ings are evidently increasing in number 

 in my locality, a circumstance rendered 

 very pleasant by the fact that both these 

 httle birds are of brilliant plumage and sing 

 a great deal, even on days when almost 

 all the others are silent. Their music 

 will become famihar when once you notice, 

 as I have hereinbefore hinted, that the 

 Indigo Bunting's strain is simply the Gold- 

 finch's rattled off in double-quick time. 

 I hear him doing it this moment as I 

 write — ^like a boy with a piece of cake, 

 hurrying as hard as he can to get through 

 with what he has in hand, that he may 

 instantly begin all over again on a new 

 effort. 



[157] 



