190 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



So they make home under the violet and pansy 

 leaves, and among the ferns we brought down 

 from the canons and planted under the north 

 window. Hermit knows their habits, and hunts 

 confidently. Why should he or other birds be 

 afraid in our grounds? They have learned that 

 we allow no cats or dogs on the place. We would 

 rather have one hermit thrush in winter under 

 our bedroom windows than the pick of all the 

 cats in the country. 



You will notice that the beak of the thrushes 

 is unlike that of the sparrows. The thrush has a 

 long, pointed beak, but not so pointed as the 

 oriole's. It is exactly the proper shape to pick up 

 small insects, but it would be unable to crack 

 seeds or sew stitches of palm-fiber. We feed 

 crumbs to the hermit on the garden-table, and he 

 appears to enjoy them, especially if they be cookie 

 crumbs. He also likes berries which have been 

 left on the stems on purpose for our winter visi- 

 tors. 



The hermit hides away in dark places by day- 

 time. It nests in the far mountains and forests of 

 the North, where it sings its best songs to the 

 deep, dark woods. 



The russet-backed thrush so nearly resembles 

 the hermit, that it takes a keen eye to tell which 



