116 SEARCHING THE WOODS. 



some time, pluming themselves and evidently 

 looking with interest and astonishment at human 

 intruders into what had no doubt been a favorite 

 haunt of their own. I watched them for sev- 

 eral minutes, till a sudden noise startled the 

 shy creatures and they were off in an instant. 



After that I saw them often at the bottom 

 of the orchard. They always flew over the 

 place with rather a heavy business-like flight, 

 alighted on a low branch of the farthest apple- 

 tree, and in a moment dropped to the ground 

 where the long grass hid them. There they 

 remained five minutes or more before returning 

 to the tree. Unfortunately it was a little far- 

 ther than I could readily see with my glass, and 

 the most cautious approach alarmed them. I 

 heard them call nearly every day in loud, 

 strong voice, " Pe-auk ! pe-auk ! " 



Being thus baffled in my plan of following 

 them home, I resolved upon a regular search in 

 the small piece of woods where they always 

 disappeared, and every morning I spent two or 

 three hours in that lovely spot looking for any 

 birds, but especially for the Golden-wing. In 

 all my search, however, I found but one nest, 

 which may have been his, where apparently a 

 tragedy had occurred ; for from the edge of the 

 opening the bark was torn off down the trunk, 

 and in two or three places holes were picked 



