On Getting Acquainted 



Better than roaming noisily through the woods 

 in search of game is to sit still and let the game come 

 to you an arrangement which puts you at your 

 ease, and at the same time encourages the animal 

 to indulge his curiosity without alarm. You may 

 not see so many birds or beasts in this way, but 

 some of them you shall see much more intimately; 

 and a single inquisitive jay may teach you more 

 of nature than all the bird books in the world, 

 as I have learned more of Latin humanity from 

 Angelo, who polishes my shoes, than from Gib- 

 bon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 

 Very often, if you hold perfectly still, a wild 

 animal will pass down the runway close at hand 

 without even seeing you, and you must draw his 

 attention by a chirp or a slight motion. Then, 

 when he whirls upon you in astonishment, his eyes 

 saying that he was never so surprised in his life, 

 observe him casually as it were, veiling your in- 

 terest and never staring at him as if he were a 

 wild or strange beast, but greeting him rather as 

 one you have long known. 



At such a moment quietness is the best medicine 

 quietness and friendly eyes. If the animal 

 wavers, a low song or a whistled tune may or may 

 not be helpful; it depends entirely on the tune. 

 You are to keep physically quiet, because any 

 sudden motion will alarm the sensitive creature, 



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