140 BRILLIANTS IN PLUMES. 



of course — in a green, sparsely -wooded hollow, 

 when I chanced to come to the foot of what was 

 once a sand or gravel bank, but Avhich is now over- 

 grown in most places with saplings, bushes, briers 

 and vines. It curves around in a semicircle, 

 somewhat irregular in outline, the radius being 

 scarcely more than ten or twelve yards. Standing 

 in the level area below, I saw at least fourteen 

 species of bright-hued birds, most of them warblers, 

 and was able to note their markings with little 

 difficulty. I do not mean to say that all of them 

 appeared in sight at the same moment, but within 

 half an hour, or perhaps less, I observed every 

 member of this brilliant galaxy. To say that I was 

 excited, elated, thrilled, is to put the fact very 

 mildly. If I ever wished myself an artist I did 

 during that half-hour. That sylvan scene, studded 

 here and there with bright jewels in feathers, 

 would be worthy the efforts of a genius. They 

 shifted about before me like the changing colors of 

 a kaleidoscope. 



One of the warblers that flitted in the bushes at 

 the right and tlien flew to a sapling, was the male 

 redstart, a real woodland exquisite. Nothing 

 could be more neat and natty than his lustrous 

 black suit, with its flame-colored patches on the 



