1 82 BIRCH BROWSINGS. 



in full song in .ill parts of the woods. I thought I 

 had never before heard them sing so sweetly. Such a 

 leisurely, golden chant! — it consoled us for all we 

 had undergone. It was the first thing in order, — 

 the worms were safe till after this morning chorus. I 

 judged that the birds roosted but a few feet from the 

 ground. In fact, a bird in all cases roosts where it 

 builds, and the wood-thrush occupies, as it were, the 

 first story of the woods. 



There is something singular about the distribution 

 of the wood-thrushes. At an earlier stage of my 

 observations I should have been much surprised at 

 finding it in these woods. Indeed, I had stated in 

 print on two occasions that the wood-thrush was not 

 found in the higher lands of the Catskills, but that the 

 hermit-thrush and the veery, or Wilson's thrush, were 

 common. It turns out that this statement is only half 

 true. The wood-thrush is found also, but is much 

 more rare and secluded in its habits than either of the 

 others, being seen only during the breeding season on 

 remote mountains, and then only on their eastern and 

 southern slopes. I have never yet in this region found 

 the bird spending the season in the near and familiar 

 woods, which is directly contrary to observations I 

 have made in other parts of the State. So different 

 are the habits of birds in different localities. 



As soon as it was fairly light we were up and ready 

 to resume our march. A small bit of bread-and-butter 

 and a swallow or two of whiskey was all we had for 



