146 KAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



heard is still in sight on the same locust-tree, flitting care- 

 lessly about and apparently silent. Curious to hear the 

 new-comer, I passed on, when the sounds were heard in 

 the opposite direction. I retraced my steps, and now the 

 strange medley came from the low bushes about me, and, 

 while looking carefully for the unseen chat that seemed 

 so near, there came floating down to me from the tall 

 locust's topmost branch the same series of odd sounds and 

 sweet warblings. The truth was now clear : the one bird 

 had uttered every sound I had heard, and by his ventrilo- 

 quism had for the time completely deceived me. My 

 study of this habit and its use now commenced, and for 

 long weeks I watched him, to test in every way his ability 

 to mislead one by the exercise of this peculiar power. 

 On the 13th of the month, a second chat appeared, and the 

 two for the new-comer was a female quickly selected 

 a suitable spot in a tangled mass of blackberry briers at 

 the foot of the locust-tree, and built a commodious but 

 roughly constructed nest. While his mate was sitting, the 

 male chat seemed more animated than ever, and, jealous 

 of every intruder, he " threw his voice " in eveiy direction 

 other than toward the nest whenever any one came too 

 near. On concealing myself and getting very close, I 

 found, by watching for an hour or more at a time, that 

 when undisturbed they uttered fewer cries of other crea- 

 tures, and seldom exercised their ventriloquial powers. 

 Their song was varied and at times grand, but usually 

 the cheerful notes were so intermingled with hollow, se- 

 pulchral tones, not of an imitative character, as to render 

 the entire utterance far from pleasing. I never could so 

 startle the bird that it would simply give a quick chirp 

 of alarm and fly off. However suddenly I appeared from 

 my concealment, there was an equally quick uttering of 

 notes of distress such as I have described, coming from, 



