124 IN THE MIDDLE COUNTRY. 



a hold on a twig. Both parents flew to his 

 assistance, but he did not fall, and soon after 

 he flew to a grape trellis, and, with a little 

 clambering, to a stem of the vine, where he 

 seemed pleased to stay, perhaps because this 

 overlooked the garden whence came all his food. 



I stayed two or three hours with the little 

 family, and then left them ; and when I ap- 

 peared the next morning all were gone from 

 the nest. I heard the gentle cries of young red- 

 birds all around, but did not try to look them 

 up, both because I did not want to worry the 

 parents, and because I had already made ac- 

 quaintance with young cardinals in my four 

 o'clock studies. 



The place this discerning pair of birds had 

 selected in which to establish themselves was 

 one of the most charming nooks in the vicinity. 

 Kept free from English sparrows (by persist- 

 ently destroying their nests), and having but 

 a small and quiet family, it was the delight of 

 cardinals and catbirds. Without taking pains 

 to look for them, one might see the nests of two 

 catbirds, two wood doves, a robin or two, and 

 others ; and there were beside, thickets, the de- 

 light of many birds, and a row of spruces 

 so close that a whole flock might have nested 

 there in security. In that spot " the quaintly 

 discontinuous lays " of the catbird were in per- 



