70 DATS OUT OF DOORS. 



experiences had learned that it was perfectly safe to do so. 

 The Carolina wren that allowed me to stroke it while on 

 its nest was suspicious of every other human being that it 

 saw, yet several tried by every means to accomplish that 

 which I could do. 



We must not, however, base too much upon such ex- 

 treme cases as this. Probably there are in existence an ex- 

 ceedingly small number of birds so constituted mentally 

 that they can acquire such a degree of confidence, and far 

 fewer human beings that can win it. And I am reminded 

 here of a really amiable man who says he dare not 

 walk near the curbstone when in town, as every horse he 

 passes tries to bite him. When confiding birds and men 

 who truly love them do happen to meet, the result is 

 interesting. Think of Bradford Torrey playing with a 

 vireo as it sat upon its nest ! And what language can be 

 found adequate to describe the villainy of the fiend who 

 stole the nest ; for stolen it was ! 



All things considered, it is fortunate for the wild birds 

 and for the non-collecting naturalist that the birds are 

 wild ; but in most cases, with a little tact, one can inspire 

 a lesser but sufficient degree of confidence, and so be en- 

 abled to witness much that would otherwise be hidden. 

 I can well recall one instance bearing upon this. On the 

 edge of a hill-side path, a pair of cat-birds had their nest. 

 Twice daily, a long row of cows filed singly by, and then 

 the more dangerous small boy. But the latter proved 

 humane, and while he looked, he never handled either 

 the nest or eggs. The result was that the birds, long be- 

 fore their young were old enough to leave the nest, paid 

 no more attention to the boy than to the cows, and never 

 stirred, although often they were feeding the brood, as he 

 passed by. As he put it : " If I could not have picked them 

 up, I could have put salt on their tails." The interesting 

 feature of this case lies in the fact that neither I nor my 



