LEARNING A NEW TRADE. 217 



sun bath. He sprawled and spread himself, 

 every feather standing independent of its neigh- 

 bor, till he looked as if he had been smashed 

 flat, and more like some of the feather monstros- 

 ities with which milliners disfigure their hats 

 than a living bird. 



Another curious habit of my versatile guest 

 was his fly-catching. It is already notorious 

 that the golden-wing is giving up the profession 

 of woodpecker and becoming a ground bird ; it 

 is equally patent to one who observes him that 

 the red-head is learning the trade of fly-catch- 

 ing. Frequently, during the weeks that I had 

 him under observation, I saw him fly up in the 

 air and return to the fence, exactly like the king- 

 bird. 



All the time I had been making this pleasing 

 acquaintance I had longed in vain to find the 

 red-head's nest. It was probably in the pasture 

 in which we had first met him, where the some- 

 what spirited cattle in possession prevented my 

 explorations. I hoped at least to see his young 

 family; but July days passed away, and though 

 the bonny couple spent much time among the 

 raspberries, they always carried off the nest- 

 lings' share. 



In the very last hours of my stay, after trunks 

 were packed, fate relented, and I spent nearly 

 the whole day studying the "tricks and man- 



