114 ADIRONDAC. 



and lakes, to divert himself with the more 

 exciting pursuits of the chase. From the 

 tops of the dead trees along the border of 

 the lake, he would sally out in all directions, 

 sweeping through long curves, alternately 

 mounting and descending, now reaching up 

 for a fly, high in air, now sinking low for one 

 near the surface, and returning to his perch 

 in a few moments for a fresh start. 



The pine finch was also here, though, as 

 usual, never appearing at home, but with a 

 waiting, expectant air. Here, also, I met my 

 beautiful singer, the hermit-thrush, but with 

 no song in his throat now. A week or two 

 later, and he was on his journey southward. 

 This was the only species of thrush I saw 

 in the Adirondac. Near Lake Sandford, 

 where were large tracts of raspberry and 

 wild cherry, I saw numbers of them. A boy 

 whom we met, driving home some stray 

 cows, said it was the " partridge-bird," no 

 doubt from the resemblance of its note, when 

 disturbed, to the cluck of the partridge. 



Nate's Pond contained perch and sun-fish, 

 but no trout. Its water was not pure enough 

 for trout. Was there ever any other fish so 

 fastidious as this, requiring such sweet har- 

 mony and perfection of the elements for 



