186 IN A COLORADO NOOK. 



most shy, the most elusive of birds, living in the 

 toj^s of the tallest trees, and flitting from one to 

 another like a sunbeam, showing only a glint of 

 a golden breast as he goes. One is maddened 

 by the medley of calls and scraps of song, the 

 trills and tremolos in the sweetest and most en- 

 ticing tones, while not able to catch so much as 

 a glimpse of the bonny bird who utters them. 

 His love-song is utterly captivating, as raptur- 

 ous as that of the American goldfinch, with a 

 touch of plaintiveness that makes it wonderfully 

 thrilling. It is mostly in tremolo, a sort of in- 

 describable vocal " shake " that is enchanting 

 beyond the power of words to express. When 

 he is not singing, one may often hear his low, 

 earnest chatter and talk with his mate, in the 

 same plaintive and winsome tones. 



Ah, how little we can see of what goes on 

 about us, though we are closely watching, and 

 every sense is alert ! On one side is a flash of 

 wings, and somebody disappears before he is 

 seen ; from the other comes an unfamiliar note, 

 and a rustle of leaves, behind which the author 

 is hidden. Here two bird voices are heard in 

 excited talk, but your hasty glance falls only 

 on the swaying twig that proclaims their flight ; 

 and in the tops of tall trees is a whole w^orld of 

 life and action entirely beyond your vision. 



Early in the study of bird-life one must learn 



