LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 43 



sings, in corkscrew fashion. Now and then 

 I caught some of the louder phrases of a 

 distant brown thrush, and once, when every 

 one else fell silent, a catbird burst out spas- 

 modically with a few halting, disjointed ec- 

 centricities, highly characteristic of a bird 

 who can sing like a master when he will, 

 but who seems oftener to enjoy talking to 

 himseK. Lizards rustled into sight with 

 startling suddenness; and one big fellow 

 disappeared so instantaneously — in " less 

 than no time," as the Yankee phrase is — 

 that I thought " quick as a lizard " might 

 well enough become an adage. Here and 

 there I remarked a chestnut-tree, the burs 

 of last year still hanging; and chestnut 

 oaks were among the largest and handsom- 

 est trees of the wood, as they were among 

 the commonest. The temperature was per- 

 fect, — so says my pemsiled note. Let the 

 confession not be overlooked, after all my 

 railing at the fierce Tennessee sun. It 

 made all the pleasure of the hour, too, that 

 there were no troublesome insects. I had 

 been in that country for ten days, the mer- 

 cury had been much of the time above 90°, 

 and I had not seen ten mosquitoes. 



