118 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 



him as lie scratches among the leaves, crouch 

 motionless close to the ground till I ain as full of 

 cramps as Caliban. Once, seeing him on the 

 fence, I stand close to a tree and take an old dry 

 golden-rod curious freak it is too, with axillary 

 flowers all the way up the stem and hang it 

 from a twig in front of me as a screen and in that 

 way get a good look at him through my glass. 



Off his guard, he loses the alert nervous manner 

 noticed at first, and seems winningly peaceful and 

 social but just as I am allowing him all the 

 virtues of the decalogue, he flies at a white-throat 

 that presumes to light on the fence, and drives it 

 off in a temper ! 



I next find both Mr. and Mrs. Chewink by the 

 corner of the fence where grain and water are 

 kept for the birds, and when Mr. Chewink is not 

 chasing after white-throats, they busy themselves 

 hunting among the leaves. Near by a partridge 

 sits motionless on a limb, so close to a tree she 

 seems part of it. So much for being in the land- 

 scape! I take Madam Partridge's hint, and 

 perch myself on the fence with my back to a tree 

 that stands by it ; and, thanks to the device, when 

 Mr. Chewink comes, after hopping about uncon- 

 sciously just in range of my glass, he flies up on 

 an arching blackberry stem only a few feet from 

 me and sings softly to himself for several minutes 

 without ever noticing me ! 



After about a week a storm came that drove 



