A BIRD-LOVER’S APRIL. 233 
vigorous rubadub, varying the programme with 
an occasional halloo. How long this would have 
lasted there is no telling, but he caught sight of 
me, skulking behind a tree-trunk, and flew back 
to his lofty perch, where he was still shouting 
when I came away. It was observable that, 
even in his greatest excitement, he paused once 
in a while to dress his feathers. At first I was 
inclined to take this as betraying a want of 
earnestness; but further reflection led me to a 
different conclusion. For I imagine that the 
human lover,.no matter how consuming his pas- 
sion, is seldom carried so far beyond himself as 
not to be able to spare now and then a thought 
to the parting of his hair and the tie of his cra- 
vat. 
Seeing the great delight which this wood- 
pecker took in his precious tin pan, it seemed 
to me not at all improbable that he had selected 
his summer residence with a view to being near 
it, just as I had chosen mine for its convenience 
of access to the woods on the one hand, and to 
the city on the other. I shall watch with in- 
terest to see whether he returns to the same 
pasture another year. 
A few field sparrows and chippers showed 
themselves punctually on the 15th; but they 
were only scouts, and the great body of their 
followers were more than a week behind them. 
