136 BIRD NOTES 



May 5, 1878. 







Birds are very delightful, but I have almost 

 blinded myself to-day watching flocks of fly- 

 catchers and golden-crested wrens, &c., in the trees 

 by the river ; the leaves being scanty at present, it 

 was almost like looking at the sky, which was 

 bright, but more white than blue. But O, the 

 pretty little dears ! they seemed more in the air 

 than on the trees ; sometimes quite dangling in 

 it from nothing at all. And I believe I saw an 

 instance of another kind of imitation. I had been 

 just watching a yellow wagtail wagging away on 

 the stones in the river, when I saw something 

 wagging on the tree above. Strange, I thought, 

 for they never seem to settle on trees ; so I looked 

 nearer, and it was, I believe, a flycatcher vigor- 

 ously wagging as the yellow wagtails do. Children 

 and monkeys are imitative ; why should not bifds 

 be ? I have heard a robin give a capital singing 

 lesson to another. It was most interesting to 

 watch the pains the old bird took to set its copy, 

 and the young to copy each little stave. They did 

 not mind me, so intent were they. 



December 29, 1881. 



Did I tell you what a very clever starling there 

 is here ? I think not, though he has been per- 

 forming all the autumn ; now and then he adds 



