THE EXCITEMENT OF DISCOVERY. 79 



winter wren is not known to nest here. We 

 mnst find it." 



Silence again, while a tanager called his agi- 

 tated " chip-chur ! " in the tops of the tall beech- 

 trees, a downy woodpecker knocked vigorously 

 at the door of some ill-fated grub in a maple 

 trunk, and the wren burst into his maddest mel- 

 ody afar off. We were not to be lured this 

 morning. We were enjoying the excitement of 

 discoverers. Where a bird is carrying food 

 must be a nest with birdlings, and nothing could 

 draw us from that. 



We waited. In a few minutes the bird ap- 

 peared again with her mate. Was he the singer? 

 Breathless hush on our part, with eyes fixed on 

 the two restless parents, who were anxious to 

 pass us. In a moment one of them became 

 aggressive. He — or she — flew to a twig eight 

 or ten feet from us, jerked himself up in a ter- 

 rifying way, as though about to annihilate us, 

 and then bowed violently ; not intending a polite 

 salutation, as might be supposed, but defiance, 

 threat, or insult. We held our ground, refus- 

 ing to be frightened away, and at last parental 

 love conquered fear ; both of them flew past us 

 at the same instant, went to one spot under the 

 upturned roots of a fallen tree, and in a moment 

 departed together. 



My fellow - student hurried eagerly to the 



