BEWITCHING WAYS. 145 



was a charming surveillance. He did not, like 

 the robin on similar duty, stand on some con- 

 sjDicuous perch like a statue of horror or dismay, 

 uttering his loudest " peep ! peep ! " in warning 

 to the whole feathered world ; nor did he, after 

 the fasliion of the song sparrow, fill the air 

 with distressed " pips " that seemed to hint of 

 mischief dire ; neither did he, as does the red 

 squirrel, resent an intrusion into preserves that 

 he considered his own, with a maddening series 

 of choking cries, coughs, and "snickers," till 

 one was almost ready to turn a gun upon him ; 

 still less did he, in veery style, utter wails so 

 despairing that one felt herself a monster for 

 remaining. The yellow-throat's guardianship 

 was a pleasure. He remained in sight, not 

 fifteen feet away from me, and did not flinch 

 from the terrible field-glass. Sometimes he 

 stood quite still, uttering his soft and inoffen- 

 sive " chic ; " again he scrambled about in the 

 bushes, collected a mouthful, and disappeared 

 for a moment, — a constant baby call from the 

 bushes reminding him of his duty as provider. 

 Evidently he had succeeded in impressing upon 

 that obstinate offspring of his that he must keep 

 out of sight. I wonder what sort of a bugaboo 

 he made me out to be ? 



Much of the time the tiny custodian passed 

 away in calling and singing, throwing his head 



