OUR COUNTRY HO M E 



lected one and try to bring it up by hand. We saw in the nest a 

 curious seed and hunted high and low for this food. We tried the 

 wild grape and the woodbine berries, and the dogwoods and vibur- 

 nums, at least four species of each; but this seed had a different 

 shape. At last we experimented with the sweet berries of the 

 spikenard and the astringent wild grape. Master Waxwing oblig- 

 ingly swallowed these, but the Concord grapes he devoured with 

 exceeding relish. He was very cunning, and without a particle of 

 fear. He curled his small toes around my finger and looked at his 

 new home in the dog-trot with quite an air of proprietorship, and 

 it was such fun to feed him. We could keep him quiet only by 

 covering him with a tiny cotton quilt. After his nap he would 

 fairly shout for food. Even the Constant Improver was pressed 

 into the service, and Cherry, as we named him, had plenty of atten- 

 tion. The Bird-Lady was to take him to her home where she had 

 other bird babies, and in the spring he was to come back to be freed 

 on the island, there to find his kinsfolk. Alas and alack for human 

 plans! Poor Cherry met with a sad end. In some way, he fell 

 on the azalea bush while helping himself to the aralia berries near, 

 and a twig pierced his eye. 



Oct. 12 The nuthatches fearlessly dart quite near to the 

 squirrel or alight on the terrace, just below the bench. I wonder 

 if these birds store away food. It does not seem as if they could 

 eat the amount I have seen them take away in an hour. Seven- 

 teen times, at intervals of from one and a half to three minutes, 



230 



