240 BESIDE THE GEE AT SALT LAKE. 



approached the top of a shrub, but invariably 

 perched a foot or more below it, and his move- 

 ments, though quick, were silence itself. No 

 rustle of leaves proclaimed his presence ; indeed, 

 he seemed to avoid leaves, using the outside 

 twigs near the main stalk or trunk, where they 

 are usually quite bare, and no flit of wing or 

 tail gave warning of his change of position. 

 There was a seemingly natural wariness and 

 cautiousness in every movement and attitude, 

 that I never saw equaled in feathers. 



Then, too, the clever fellow was so constantly 

 on his guard and so alert that the least stir at- 

 tracted his attention. Though inside the house, 

 as I said, not near the window, and further 

 veiled by screens, I had to remain as nearly 

 motionless as possible, and use my glass with 

 utmost caution. The smallest movement sent 

 him into the bushes like a shot, or rather, 

 like a shadow, for the passage was always noise- 

 less. Suspicion once aroused, the bird simply 

 disappeared. One could not say of him, as of 

 others, that he flew, for whether he used his 

 wings, or melted away, or sank into the earth, it 

 would be hard to tell. All I can be positive 

 about is, that whereas one moment he was there, 

 the next he was gone. 



After this exhibition of the character of the 

 chat, his constant watchfulness, his distrust, his 



