152 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 
could I see. <A flock of warblers came just then 
to take my attention, and it was some time before 
I got across the patch. When I did, what was 
my surprise and delight to find a brown thrasher 
sitting near the ground on a drooping bass-wood 
branch in the midst of a noisy company of white- 
throats. He had evidently seen me, for his long 
tail was perked up, his short wings hung at his 
sides, and he looked up half appealingly, as much 
as to say: “Oh dear, what did you come here 
for? —I wish you wouldn’t hurt me! —TI sup- 
pose I’d better hide,” and so he hopped off to 
another branch, looked back, saw me still staring, 
and disappeared. 
After breakfast I came back to the spot. Lis- 
tening closely I heard the squirrel-like scold that 
I had noticed before on the opposite side of the 
patch, and something moving on the leaves under 
the bushes by my side. What was this mysterious 
creature ? Silently I turned toward it and gazed 
through my glass, almost holdmg my breath to 
hear. Again came the noise, and, between the 
leaves, every few seconds I could catch sight of a 
brown tail wagging up and down. Suddenly, 
there it stood in full view, the thrasher! I could 
see even his yellow eyes! He was only three or 
four feet away, but hopped about quite uncon- 
cernedly until I made myself too conspicuous ; 
then he vanished, and I hunted the patch over for 
another glimpse of him. When I did find him, 
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