A PERSON OF IDEAS 179 



catcher, and nothing more to be said about 

 him, but I found, on closer acquaintance, that, 

 as usual, the books do not tell everything. 



My small neighbor proved to be a charac- 

 ter, a person of ideas, with individuality as 

 pronounced as if his measure had been in 

 feet instead of inches. It was evident that 

 in his estimation the epithet " least " did not 

 apply to anything about him, not even his 

 size, for are there not kinglets and humming- 

 birds ? Moreover, does not our Concord phi- 

 losopher distinctly say " no virtue goes with 

 size " ? 



My study of this plucky little fellow was 

 most entertaining. Many hours daily I spent 

 listening to his various calls and cries, for 

 the " chebec ! " is merely his public perform- 

 ance, "his official utterance. He is by no 

 means confined to it. Indeed, no bird I know 

 is limited to one expression, any more than 

 are we of the human race. His squealing 

 cries as he flung himself with fury upon an 

 intruder, and his low muttering to himself 

 on his return, were most comical, while his 

 gentle conversation with his mate as they sat 

 together on the tree was totally unlike either. 



