44 THE BABES IN THE WOOD. 



and passing objects drew his attention. On the 

 third day, too, he uttered his first genuine wood- 

 pecker cry of "pe-auk! " He had not the least 

 embarrassment before me. I think he regarded 

 me as a part of the landscape, the eccentric 

 development of a tree trunk, perhaps ; for while 

 he never looked at me nor put the smallest re- 

 straint upon his infant passions, let another per- 

 son come into the wood, and he was at once 

 silent and on his guard. All this time he had 

 become more and more fascinated with the view 

 without his door ; one could fairly see the love of 

 the world grow upon him. He picked at the 

 bark about him; he began to get ideas about 

 ants, and ran out a long tongue and helped him- 

 self to many a tidbit. 



When the young golden -wing had passed four 

 days in this manner, he grew impatient. The 

 hour -long intervals between meals were not 

 to his mind, and he began to express himself 

 fluently. He leaned far out, and delivered the 

 adult cry with great vigor and new pathos; he 

 then bowed violently many times, moved his 

 mouth as if eating, and struggled farther and 

 still farther out, until it seemed that he could not 

 keep within another minute. When one of the 

 parents came he forgot his grown-up manner, 

 and returned to the baby cry, loud and urgent, 

 as if he were starved. 



