XVIII. 



A RARE BIRD. 



We may say that we care naught for the world 

 and its ways, but most of us are more or less 

 tricked by the high-sounding titles of the mighty. 

 Even plain-thinking observers come under the 

 same curse of Adam, and, like the snobs who turn 

 scornfully from Mr. Jones to hang upon the words 

 of Lord Higginbottom, will pass by a plain brown 

 chijrpie to study with enthusiasm the ways of a 

 phainopeplaf Sometimes, however, in ornithol- 

 ogy as in the world, a name does cover more 

 than its letters, and we are duped into making 

 some interesting discoveries as well as learning 

 some of the important lessons in life. In the case 

 of the phainopepla, no hopes that could be raised 

 by his cognomen would equal the rare pleasure 

 afforded by a study of his unusual ways. 



On my first visit to Twin Oaks I caught but 

 brief glimpses of this distinguished bird. Some- 

 times for a moment he lit on a bare limb and 

 I had a chance to admire his high black crest 

 and glossy blue-black coat, which with one more 

 touch of color would become iridescent. He was 

 so slenderly formed, and his shining coat was so 



