SCRAPING ACQUAINTANCE. 151 
sought red-headed woodpecker. How appro- 
priately patriotic he looked, at the home of 
Washington, wearing the national colors, — red, 
white, and‘blue! After this he became abun- 
dant about the capital, so that I saw him often, 
and took much pleasure in his frolicsome ways ; 
and, some years later, he suddenly appeared in 
force in the vicinity of Boston, where he re- 
mained through the winter months. To my 
thought, none the less, he will always suggest 
Mount Vernon. Indeed, although he is cer- 
tainly rather jovial, and even giddy, he is to me 
the bird of Washington much more truly than 
is the solemn, stupid-seeming eagle, who com- 
monly bears that name. 
To go away from home, even if the journey 
be no longer than from Massachusetts to the 
District of Columbia, is sure to prove an event 
of no small interest to a young naturalist ; and 
this visit of mine to the national capital was no 
exception. On the afternoon of my arrival, 
walking up Seventh Street, I heard a series of 
loud, clear, monotonous whistles, which I had 
then no leisure to investigate, but the author 
of which I promised myself the satisfaction of 
meeting at another time. In fact, I think it 
was at least a fortnight before I learned that 
these whistles came from the tufted titmouse. 
I had been seeing him almost daily, but till 
