14 Bird-Life in Lubnu^or. 



sion or of triumph, and tlie little flllow luid npjj.ared raiddis- 

 anpi'arcd without uiv even haviii;!: (!au<j:ht a sicrht oF him. 

 Tl)eir tlivdrite r> stiii^' plaee was du tin- r(.ots of" houses. The 

 ])eople of the eoa^ are very ioud o( tliem and ealltheni wood- 

 peckers. They would fre(|Uently caution me with " now 

 don't you go and slio )t my little W()(»dpeekers." I found them 

 all al)out the islands among- the low, stunted growths ot" fir 

 and spruce. If I pretended to watch them thev would hi(!e in 

 the evei'green, not even chirping, and remain there som. times 

 for nearly an hour, while I walked about softly and j>eered 

 around to se : them — they running or creeping out of sight 

 or remaining perfectly still behind scuiie bough until forced 

 to fly. Sometimes they would give me the sliji entirely, and 

 often the most successfully when there was apparently the 

 least chance of their escape without detection. They were on 

 the mainland in low growths, and in the woods when no. other 

 apparent living creature was about ; in nndday ; at early morn 

 or late evening. They w^ere everywhere, where yuu least ex- 

 pected to see them, and when you were looking for them not 

 one could be found, search high or low. Veritable " Brown- 

 ies," always around, when lo ! in a second, the ])laces that 

 teemed wdth them were as silent and deserted as the grave. 

 In my residence on the coast 1 grew very fond of these little 

 fellows. If at times they were shy and retreating, they as of- 

 ten displayed the inquisitive side of their nature. In wander- 

 ing listlessly about, with no apparent object but to kill time, 

 w^e have passed most delightful hours together. If in the heat 

 of midday or the cool of the evening I have sought me out a 

 convenient and sheltered retreat, I had not long to wait be- 

 fore several would appear. We will remain si ill for a mo- 

 meiit and see what they will do. At length one, bolder than 

 the rest, jumps upon a sprig of spruce within five feet of my 

 body. As the bough bends and tilts the little fellow to and 

 fro, which operation he appears to love amazingly, he balances 

 himself deftly, peers up and down and around cautiously, then 

 launches into a most furious tirade of dee-dee-dee's that wake 



