LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 43 



sings, in corkscrew fashion. Now and then 

 I caught some of the louder phrases of a 

 distant brown thrush, and once, when every 

 one else fell silent, a catbird burst out spas- 

 modically with a few halting, disjointed ec- 

 centricities, highly characteristic of a bird 

 who can sing like a master when he will, 

 but who seems oftener to enjoy talking to 

 himself. Lizards rustled into sight with 

 startling suddenness ; and one big fellow 

 disappeared so instantaneously — in "less 

 than no time," as the Yankee phrase is — 

 that I thought " quick as a lizard " might 

 well enough become an adage. Here and 

 there I remarked a chestnut-tree, the burs 

 of last year still hanging; and chestnut 

 oaks were among the largest and handsom- 

 est trees of the wood, as they were among 

 the commonest. The temperature was per- 

 fect, — so says my penciled note. Let the 

 confession not be overlooked, after all my 

 railins: at the fierce Tennessee sun. It 

 made all the pleasure of the hour, too, that 

 there were no troublesome insects. I had 

 been in that country for ten days, the mer- 

 cury had been much of the time above 90°, 

 and I had not seen ten mosquitoes. 



