A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



proved to be a leopard frog. He was prepar- 

 ing to swallow the frog by crushing the bones 

 of the legs and joints. He did not see me, 

 or, if he did, he ignored my presence, and 

 continued leisurely to prepare and swallow his 

 breakfast. Afterward he spent several min- 

 utes preening his feathers before settling down 

 for a Sunday nap. A pair of saucy chick- 

 adees, scouring the woods for a Sunday break- 

 fast, discovered the owl and gave the alarm. 

 Inside of two minutes I counted thirty-six 

 birds, all called together by the cries of the 

 chickadees. These birds included cuckoos, 

 warblers, blue jays, thrushes, vireos, flycatch- 

 ers, and buntings. How they did jeer and 

 abuse the owl, but all were careful to keep at 

 a safe distance. The blue jays seemed to be 

 filled with fury, and if birds can swear, doubt- 

 less that owl listened to some very emphatic 

 language. 



For twenty minutes that patch of young 

 hemlocks contained noise and life enough to 

 stock a first-class aviary. The owl seemed 

 bored, but was apparently fearless. 

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