The Masters of Melody. 89 



an opposite emotion is felt. In this most interesting 

 feature of bird-life there is yet much to be learned, 

 and an excellent field is open to the enthusiastic 

 out-door naturalist who happily may be blest also 

 with the patience of Job. 



With the close of the nesting season — and this 

 extends well into the summer — much of the attrac- 

 tiveness of this bird disappears. As individual mem- 

 bers of great loose flocks that fret the upper air with 

 an incessant chirping, they offer little to entertain us 

 even when the less hardy minstrels of the summer 

 have sought their southern homes. It is true that 

 they add something to the picture of a dreamy Oc- 

 tober afternoon when the mellow sunlight tips the 

 wilted grasses with dull gold. They restore for the 

 time the summer-tide activity of the meadows when 

 with golden-winged woodpeckers they chase the 

 crickets in the close-cropped pastures, but they are 

 soon forgotten if a song-sparrow sings or a wary hawk 

 screams among the clouds. Robins are always wel- 

 come, but never more so than when they chatter, on 

 an April morning, of the near future with its buds 

 and blossoms. 



To refer again to the taming of wild birds, probably 

 the first to accept our invitation, if it felt that it was 

 sincere, would be the much maligned cat-bird. As 

 it is, this thrush has such a fancy for garden life and 

 looks with such favor on the shrubbery near our 

 houses, that, notwithstanding much persecution, it is 

 willing to run endless risks that it may dwell within 

 the shadow of our daily rounds ; nor does it appear to 



8* 



