IN THE HEMLOCKS 



dimly speckled breast, that it is a thrush. Presently 

 he utters a few soft, mellow, flute-like notes, one of 

 the most simple expressions of melody to be heard, 

 and scuds away, and I see it is the veery, or Wil- 

 son's thrush. He is the least of the thrushes in 

 size, being about that of the common bluebird, and 

 he may be distinguished from his relatives by the 

 dimness of the spots upon his breast. The wood 

 thrush has very clear, distinct oval spots on a white 

 ground ; in the hermit, the spots run more into 

 lines, on a ground of a faint bluish white; in the 

 veery, the marks are almost obsolete, and a few 

 rods off his breast presents only a dull yellowish 

 appearance. To get a good view of him you have 

 only to sit down in his haunts, as in such cases he 

 seems equally anxious to get a good view of you. 



From those tall hemlocks proceeds a very fine 

 insect-like warble, and occasionally I see a spray 

 tremble, or catch the flit of a wing. I watch and 

 watch till my head grows dizzy and my neck is in 

 danger of permanent displacement, and still do not 

 get a good view. Presently the bird darts, or, as 

 it seems, falls down a few feet in pursuit of a fly 

 or a moth, and I see the whole of it, but in the 

 dim light am undecided. It is for such emergen- 

 cies that I have brought my gun. A bird in the 

 hand is worth half a dozen in the bush, even for 

 ornithological purposes ; and no sure and rapid pro- 

 gress can be made in the study without taking life, 

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