XXII. 



FROM MY WINDOW. 



The best place I have found for spying upon 

 the habits of birds is behind a blind. If one 

 can command a window with outside blinds, 

 looking upon a spot attractive to the feathered 

 world, he will be sure, sooner or later, to see 

 every bird of the vicinity. If he will keep the 

 blinds closed and look only through the opened 

 slats, he will witness more of their unconstrained 

 free ways than can possibly be seen by a person 

 within their sight, though he assume the atti- 

 tude and the stolidity of a wooden figure. Says 

 our nature-poet, Emerson : — 



" You often thread the woods in vain 

 To see what singer piped the strain. 

 Seek not, and the little eremite 

 Flies forth and gayly sings in sight." 



And the bird student can testify to the truth of 

 the verse. 



Many times, after having spent the morning 

 in wandering about in the bird haunts of a neigh- 

 borhood, I have returned to my room to write 

 up my note-book, and have seen more of birds 



