152 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA- GLASS. 



could I see. A flock of warblers came just then 

 to take my attention, and it was some time before 

 I got across the patch. When I did, what was 

 my surprise and delight to find a brown thrasher 

 sitting near the ground on a drooping bass-wood 

 branch in the midst of a noisy company of white- 

 throats. He had evidently seen me, for his long 

 tail was perked up, his short wings hung at his 

 sides, and he looked up half appealingly, -as much 

 as to say: "Oh dear, what did you come here 

 for ? I wish you would n't hurt me ! I sup- 

 pose I 'd better hide," and so he hopped off to 

 another branch, looked back, saw me still staring, 

 and disappeared. 



After breakfast I came back to the spot. Lis- 

 tening closely I heard the squirrel-like scold that 

 I had noticed before on the opposite side of the 

 patch, and something moving on the leaves under 

 the bushes by my side. What was this mysterious 

 creature ? Silently I turned toward it and gazed 

 through my glass, almost holding my breath to 

 hear. Again came the noise, and, between the 

 leaves, every few seconds I could catch sight of a 

 brown tail wagging up and down. Suddenly, 

 there it stood in full view, the thrasher ! I could 

 see even his yellow eyes ! He was only three or 

 four feet away, but hopped about quite uncon- 

 cernedly until I made myself too conspicuous; 

 then he vanished, and I hunted the patch over for 

 another glimpse of him. When I did find him, 



