XI. 



THE TAWNY THRUSH'S BROOD. 



"HE found the tawny thrush's brood," says 

 Emerson, in enumerating the special gifts of 

 the nature-lover whose praise he celebrates. 

 Whether the reference were to Thoreau or to 

 another " forest-seer," it was certainly to a for- 

 tunate and happy man, whom I have always 

 envied till I learned to find the shy brood my- 

 self. 



I shall never forget the exciting and blissful 

 moment when I discovered my first tawny-thrush 

 nest. It was the crowning event of a long 

 search. 



It was not until the fourth year that I had 

 looked for him, that I came really to know the 

 bird, to see his family, and last of all his nest. 

 My summer abiding-place in the Black River 

 country was very near a bit of woods where 

 veeries were plentiful, and I saw them at all 

 hours, and under nearly all conditions. 



My favorite seat was at the foot of a low- 

 growing tree in the edge of the woods, where the 

 branches hung over and almost hid me. From 



