10 ON THE COAST OF MAINE 



ful grove of very tall trees, which differed 

 from every other bit of woods in the vicinity 

 in having no undergrowth whatever. Sundry 

 outcropping rocks and roadside banks made 

 convenient seats for resting-places, and down 

 this road I passed nearly every day. 



One evening while lingering upon one of 

 the rocky seats, as was my habit, I was star- 

 tled by a new song, a wonderful, trilling 

 strain, entirely unfamiliar to me, though I 

 thought I knew all the birds of the vicinity. 

 I started up, eager to see the singer, but the 

 most careful search was fruitless. By the 

 sound I knew that the bird moved about, but 

 I could not get a glimpse of him, and I went 

 home greatly disturbed. 



Although the voice of the unknown was of 

 a different quality, the song resembled that 

 of a canary in being long-continued, not in 

 short clauses like a robin song. There were 

 long bewitching tremolos varied by a raptur- 

 ous " sweet ! sweet ! " and now and then a 

 slurred couplet of thrilling effect, or a long- 

 drawn single note of rich musical quality, or 

 again a rapid succession of sharp staccato 

 notes. Altogether it was enchanting, and it 



