IN A PALACE OF REEDS. 123 



river in our shooting, sketching and fishing 

 excursions. We endeavored to make pencil 

 studies of all the wild-birds in their natural at 

 titudes, drawing them in water-colors after 

 wards from specimens held captive. These 

 models we took in springes, traps, and snares 

 of various sorts, the horse-hair slip-noose be 

 ing the best for many birds. When the mul 

 berries are ripening you may capture wood 

 peckers readily by erecting a smooth, slender 

 pole projecting somewhat above the tree-top 

 and having horse-hair slip-nooses, thickly set 

 along its sides, for entangling their feet. The 

 same capillary arrangement on the branches 

 of trees especially haunted by any other bird 

 will prove a pretty certain means of ensnar 

 ing it. We took great pains not to hurt our 

 captive models and freed them as soon as pos 

 sible. 



Sketching a wild bird in the freedom of the 

 woods and brakes is the utmost shorthand 

 known to the artist. It must be done with 

 all the dash and hurry of phonographic report 

 ing. Five seconds cover a very long stop in a 

 bird s movements, and some of them are never 

 still for even that short period of time. I have 

 followed one bird, a species of warbler (Sylvia 

 vermivora,) for a full hour before I could get a 

 passable outline sketch. In and out among 

 the leaves, over and under and round and 

 round, it went flitting, peering, prying, a very 

 embodiment of restlessness. Such a chase has 

 in it a smack of excitement, and after it is all 

 over a leisurely survey of your sketch-book, leaf 

 by leaf, will be both amusing and instructive. 

 There is something of inspiration often found 

 lurking in lines dashed down upon the paper 



