222 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



of which it alights, and there clings, motionless. 

 Shortly afterwards, the other comes flying in, perhaps 

 with the wild laugh, but, instead of settling on the 

 same tree, it chooses one close beside it, and there, 

 side by side, and each on its own, the two hang 

 motionless for a quarter of an hour, perhaps, or 

 twenty minutes. Then, suddenly, there is a green 

 and scarlet flash, as one flies off. The other stays, still 

 motionless, as though she cared not. " Let him e'en 

 go " — but, all at once, there is another flash, and 

 she is gone, too, with equal suddenness — the dark 

 trees darker without them. I have, more than once, 

 seen a pair resting, like this, on two small birches, or 

 firs, near each other, each about the same height 

 from the ground, quite still, and seeming to doze. 

 It seems, therefore, to be their regular habit, as 

 though they did not care to sleep on the same tree, 

 but preferred adjoining rooms, so to speak. The 

 birds' tails, when thus resting, are not fanned out, 

 and although they are, sometimes, pressed against the 

 tree, at other times they will not be touching it at 

 all, so that the whole weight is supported by the 

 claws, evidently with the greatest ease. I have 

 taken particular notice of this, and from the length 

 of time that a bird has sometimes remained, thus 

 hanging, and the restful state that it was, all the while, 

 in, I cannot think that the tail is of very much 

 value as a support, though stress is often laid upon 

 its being so. I do not know how it is, but a little 

 close observation in natural history will give the lie to 

 most of what one hears or reads, and has hitherto 

 taken for granted. It all looks very plausible in 

 books, but one book, when you ever do get hold of 



