48 IN THE HEMLOCK'S. 



watching all intruders with a suspicious eye. He has 

 a very pert, almost comical look. His tail stands more 

 than perpendicular: it points straight toward his head. 

 He is the least ostentatious singer I know of. He does 

 not strike an attitude, and lift up his head in prepara- 

 tion, and, as it were, clear his throat ; but sits there on 

 a log and pours out his music, looking straight before 

 him, or even down at the ground. As a songster, he 

 has but few superiors. I do not hear him after the 

 first week in July. 



While sitting on this soft-cushioned log, tasting the 

 pungent acidulous wood-sorrel (Oxalis acdellosa), the 

 blossoms of which, large and pink-veined, rise every- 

 where above the moss, a rufous-colored bird flies quickly 

 past, and, alighting on a low limb a few rods off, salutes 

 me with " Whew ! Whew ! " or " Whoit ! Whoit ! " al- 

 most as you would whistle for your dog. I see by his 

 impulsive, graceful movements, and his dimly speckled 

 breast, that it is a thrush. Presently he utters a few 

 soft, mellow, flute-like notes, one of the most simple 

 expressions of melody to be heard, and scuds away, 

 and I see it is the veery, or Wilson's thrush. He is 

 the least of the thrushes in size, being about that of 

 the common bluebird, and he may be distinguished 

 from his relatives by the dimness of the spots upon 

 his breast. The wood-thrush has very clear, distinct 

 oval spots on a white ground ; in the hermit, the spots 

 run more into lines, on a ground of a faint bluish- 

 white ; in the veery, the marks are almost obsolete, 



