THE DOVE'S HEADQUARTERS. 199 



and found a favorite retreat of the silent family. 

 This was a grove away down in the southeast 

 corner of the grounds, little visited by people, 

 and beloved by birds of several kinds. Till 

 June was half over, the high grass, that I could 

 not bear to trample, prevented exploration in 

 that direction, but as soon as it was cut I made 

 a trip to the little grove, and found it a sort of 

 doves' headquarters, and there, in many hours 

 of daily study, I learned to know him a little, 

 and respect him a good deal. 



It was a delightful spot the doves had chosen 

 to live in, and so frequented by birds that 

 whichever way I turned my face, in two minutes 

 I wished I had turned if the other, or that I had 

 eyes in the back of my head. With reason, too, 

 for the residents skipped around behind me, and 

 all the interesting things went on at my back. 

 I could hear the flit of wings, low, mysterious 

 sounds, whispering, gentle complaints and hush- 

 ings, but if I turned lo ! the scene shifted, 

 and the drama of life was still enacted out of 

 my sight. Yet I managed, in spite of this diffi- 

 culty, to learn several things I did not know 

 before. 



No one attends to his own business more 

 strictly than the dove. On the ground, where 

 he came for corn, he seemed to see no other 

 bird, and paid not the slightest heed to me in 



