194 B[RDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 



little object fluttering through the branches of a 

 sapling three or four rods away; making your 

 neck ache looking for the vexatious flitters that 

 hunt in the tops of the highest trees ; following 

 the hint of a faint chip here, while you keep your 

 eye on half a dozen of the rarer warblers that 

 have just come in sight over there ; losing track 

 of the whole flock as you stop to study the habits 

 of one ; and then having to trudge the woods 

 over, straining your ears till convinced that you 

 are deaf, as you try in vain to catch the chick- 

 a-dee-dee of the titmouse, or the yang, yang of 

 the nuthatch, which would give a clue to the 

 whereabouts of their companions, the runaways 

 after a morning spent in this way, you will 

 come back to the thrushes with a feeling of pos- 

 itive relief. 



In the first place, they are large enough to be 

 seen, and give you the full benefit of their size 

 by keeping near the ground. Then, if you find 

 one, he is likely to stay and let you inspect him. 

 Moreover, it is possible to identify him without 

 knowing about each individual tail feather and 

 wing marking. Besides all this, you gain self- 

 respect in associating with the thrushes. When 

 you have chased after a flock of warblers half a 

 day, only to find, on comparing your notes with 

 descriptions in the books, that what you saw 

 applies equally well to three or four widely dif- 

 fering species, your opinion of yourself dwindles 



