66 THE QUEST OF A THRUSH 



if one may call them so, with their rich 

 brown lining, all expanded in exquisite ruf- 

 fle-like convolutions. 



Spruce trunks had also another peculiar- 

 ity. As they had grown they had shed their 

 youthful branches. One young tree, not more 

 than ten feet high, had already dropped off 

 twenty-seven branchlets, retaining only a few 

 at the top, and bending all its energies to 

 the task of reaching and penetrating the 

 thick green roof to the sunlight above. Each 

 limb, as it broke off, left a part, a few inches 

 or a foot long, standing straight out from 

 the trunk, the whole forming a sort of circu- 

 lar ladder, by which it seemed one might 

 mount to the upper regions, and, better yet, 

 offering convenient perches for the feathered 

 woodlanders. 



While I was absorbed in admiration of 

 my surroundings a bird-note fell upon my 

 ear, a low " quit " in an unmistakable thrush 

 tone. Turning my eyes quickly, I saw the 

 speaker, standing on a round of the ladder 

 encircling a tall old spruce-tree at the outer 

 edge of the little clearing, pioneer of that bit 

 of woods. Very slowly I brought my glass 



