60 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



had been entirely wearied out by its indomitable caution and 

 cunning, that the inhospitable thought of murder came into 

 my mind. The relentless curiosity of the naturalist had been 

 aroused; the passion of the dissecting knife, that is glad 

 among the heart-strings and rejoices with Death. I would 

 have wooed the lovely stranger to let me know it while it 

 lived ; but, it would not be won now it should die, for I 

 must know! 



I vowed I would have the body of that creature be it 

 from dream-land or " farthest Ind" if I had to follow it a 

 week. But the one day proved enough for me. This was 

 a sultry twelfth of June, I recollect well, and I had spent 

 the hours of the forenoon in creeping from tree to tree ; 

 from fence-corner to fence-corner ; from stump to stump, in 

 the pacific endeavor to get near enough to distinguish the 

 predominating color of the back for, all that I could yet 

 distinguish was that it was dark and could not make out the 

 form of the bill, both of which things were necessary for me to 

 know before I would have any substantial data of investigation 

 to commence with in the books. All had been in vain ; and 

 sweltering with heat and excitement, I ran back to where I 

 had left my gun muttering many a direful threat, as I ex- 

 amined the locks carefully. 



Now that I might make sure of my victim, I crawled on 

 my hands and knees for nearly two hundred yards, and found 

 myself, at last, within what, it must be confessed, was long 

 range; but, within which, I flattered myself, I had seldom 

 missed. My gun was laid with trembling eagerness upon the 

 top of the old stump which formed my blind. I cannot tell 

 how much I trembled but I fired ! The bird merely flut- 

 tered lightly up and then floated down again upon the pin- 

 nacle bough where it before sat. It had never left the tops 

 of the trees during the morning ; and I gritted my teeth in 

 disappointment while aiming again with iron firmness. The 

 bird rose at the second shot, and with a slow and graceful 

 flight, passed over me high in the air. I watched it until I 



