A MYSTERIOUS PERFORMANCE 7 



known, and no stated dates for traveling ; 

 coming no one knows whence, and going no 

 one knows whither ; one season making glad 

 the bird-student in one place and the next 

 driving him to despair by their absence, they 

 totally defy classification and exasperate the 

 classifier. 



The opinions of man did not, however, 

 dampen the boisterous spirits of my new 

 neighbors, to whom I gave my days and al- 

 most my nights from that moment. They 

 were the most joyous of feathered creatures, 

 noisy and talkative, clambering over the 

 trees like a party of parrots, all chattering 

 at once, voluble as a flock of chimney swifts, 

 or a squad of school-children just released, 

 and then suddenly on a loud call from 

 one of their number starting off, bounding 

 over the tree-tops in a sort of mad frenzy, 

 all shouting at the top of their voices, leav- 

 ing the baffled student to guess what it all 

 meant. 



A mysterious performance of these birds 

 was a sort of medley. It was executed by a 

 small flock settled together in one tree, all 

 uttering the call which I have called the 



