78 IN THE HEMLOCKS. 



the event of my last visit to the mountain 

 was meeting one of these brilliant creatures 

 near the summit, in full song. The breeze 

 carried the notes far and wide. He seemed 

 to enjoy the elevation, and I imagined his 

 song had more scope and freedom than 

 usual. When he had flown far down the 

 mountain-side, the breeze still brought me 

 his finest notes. In plumage he is the most 

 brilliant bird we have. The bluebird is not 

 entirely blue ; nor will the indigo-bird bear 

 a close inspection, nor the goldfinch, nor the 

 summer redbird. But the tanager loses 

 nothing by a near view ; the deep scarlet of 

 his body and the black of his wings and 

 tail are quite perfect. This is his holiday 

 suit ; in the fall he becomes a dull yellowish- 

 green, the color of the female the whole 

 season. 



One of the leading songsters in this choir 

 of the old Bark-peeling is the purple finch 

 or linnet. He sits somewhat apart, usually 

 on a dead hemlock, and warbles most exqui- 

 sitely. He is one of our finest songsters, and 

 stands at the head of the finches, as the her- 

 mit at the head of the thrushes. His song 

 approaches an ecstasy, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the winter-wren's, is the most rapid 



