A BIRD'S-NEST HUNTER. 85 



The wood thrush has the name of a re- 

 cluse, and, as compared with the omnipres- 

 ent robin, he may deserve the title ; but 

 he is seldom very difficult of approach, if 

 one only knows how to go about it, while 

 his nest is peculiarly easy of detection. I 

 remember one which was close by an un- 

 fenced road, just outside the city of Wash- 

 ington ; and two or three years ago I found 

 another in a barberry bush, not more than 

 fifteen feet from a horse-car track, and so 

 near the fence as to be almost within arm's- 

 length of passers-by. This latter was in 

 full view from the street, and withal was so 

 feebly supported that some kind-hearted 

 neighbor had taken pains to tie up the bush 

 (which stood by itself) with a piece of dan- 

 gerously new-looking rope. And even as I 

 write I recall still a third, which also was 

 close by the roadside, though at the very 

 exceptional elevation of twenty-five or thirty 

 feet. 



It is one of the capital advantages of the 

 ornithologist's condition that he is rarely 

 called upon to spend his time and strength 

 for naught. If he fails of the particular 

 object of his search, he is all but sure to 



