A PUZZLING HABIT 13 



and like all other birds that I have studied 

 there was great variety and many degrees of 

 excellence in their songs. 



The habits of the white-wings were in gen- 

 eral the same as those of the American, but 

 they indulged in one eccentricity I could 

 never explain. They paid mysterious visits 

 to the shore, going down in little parties far 

 out of my sight among the rocks, and staying 

 a half hour at a time. There was no beach 

 on which food might be found, and they did 

 not select low tide for the excursions. Nei- 

 ther did it seem to be bathing which at- 

 tracted them, for there was never any ap- 

 pearance of dressing plumage, and when I 

 started them up in my efforts to see what 

 they were doing they were always ready to 

 fly, and never one was in the water or ap- 

 peared to have been bathing. 



Another favorite retreat of that July was 

 a nook near the house, yet apparently undis- 

 covered by people, and as secluded as if it 

 had been miles away. It was merely a hol- 

 low like a little valley among the rocks, per- 

 haps ten feet in extent, inclosed and shel- 

 tered by close-growing spruce and maple 



