PLEASANT OUTINGS 273 



and there, hovered in the air, dropped to the ground, 

 visiting every bush and grass-tuft but the right one, 

 and finally the worms held in their bills disappeared, 

 whether into their own gullets or those of their fledge- 

 lings, I could not tell. If the latter, the rascals were 

 unconscionably wary, for my eyes were bent on them 

 every moment at least, I thought so. Again and 

 again they flew off some distance, never more than a 

 stone's throw, strutted about for a few minutes among 

 the tufts of grass and sod, then came back with loud 

 objurgations to the place where I sat. They seemed to 

 be aware of my inspection the moment my field-glass 

 was turned upon them, for they would at once cease 

 their pretended search for insects in the grass and 

 fly toward me with a clamorous berating giving me 

 -a big piece of their mind. At length my patience 

 was worn out ; I began to hunt for nests, and found 

 the three empty abodes to which allusion has been 

 made. 



For the most part the female cried, " Chack ! chack ! " 

 but occasionally she tried to screech like her ebon con- 

 sort, her voice breaking ludicrously in the unfeminine 

 effort. The evening before, I had flushed a youngster 

 about which a great hubbub was being made, but on 

 the day of my long vigil in the meadow, I could not, by 

 the most careful search, find a single bantling, either in 

 or out of a nest. It is odd how effectually the young 



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