A SDMMEK DEIVE IN THE LAKE COUNTRY. 207 



a great liking for the roadsides where he can see travel 

 and still have his fields for refuge if molested. He 

 often sings from a fence stake until you are opposite 

 him, when he will fly ahead three or four lengths of the 

 fence, and sing again. If observed too closely, he will 

 drop into the grass, and the song will he taken up by 

 another a little distance away. The house wrens are 

 very musical just now, as it is their nesting season. We 

 make many a halt to listen to their rapid, rippling songs. 

 In a wild cherry tree by the roadside one was singing 

 and scolding by turns. The scolding part indicated 

 family relations. He was on a dry limb within reach 

 of one standing on the fence. A little examination re- 

 vealed a small, smooth hole in the dead branch just 

 above him, and a smart rap brought out the female 

 from her nest in this cavity. Immediately both birds 

 let fall upon us such a shower of epithets — probably all 

 uncomplimentary — that we hurridly left them alone 

 with their household cares. The pleasantest episode of 

 the morning drive was the performance of a cat-bird. 

 Several times this season, as we have passed a thicket 

 by a ravine, this cat-bird has made his appearance and 

 sung for us as long as we v^ould listen. On this occa- 

 sion he failed to " show up " when we stopped opposite 

 the thicket, so I tried the usual successful method of 

 calling him out. A few coaxing words, and I heard his 

 cat call ; then he suddenly appeared on a brush heap 

 by the road and commenced to sing. He fairly excelled 

 himself. He whistled, warbled, trilled and talked, ex- 

 celling any mocking bird that I ever heard, and as I 



