182



Mr. Hubert D. Astley,



“ wooed is won—the home is made. Should we force our un-

“ welcome presence upon the bird who is brooding her newly-

“ found treasures with the teuderest solicitude, she will nestle

“ closer still, in the hope of our passing by, till we might almost

“ touch her ; when, without a word of remonstrance or reproach,

“ she takes a little flight, and settles a few yards away, in silent

“ appeal. If the time, the place, the scene, suffice not for our

“ forbearance, with what poor words of hers may we then be

“ moved ?


“ The nest will be at our feet, most likely beneath some

“ bush, resting upon a bed of leaves, or supported in the forks

“ of some stems which spring directly from the ground. It

“ seems large for the size of the bird, and perhaps not so neat

“ and finished as we might expect ; for the Veery, though a

“ patient and faithful housekeeper, cares little for appearances*


“.The nest may contain four, perhaps five eggs,


“ like those of the Hermit-Thrush, greenish-blue, without

“ marking, except in rare instances, when a few specks appear,

“ specially about the larger end.


“ Varying estimates have been made of the Veery’s powers

“ of song. For myself, I rate this bird as one of the sweetest of

“ our songsters, of whose clear bell-like notes, resonant, distinct,

“ yet soft and of indescribable sadness, I have spoken on a'former

“ occasion.”


I nearly lost one of my Veerys on board the “ Lusitania,”

in spite of the great kindness of the purser, who gave over to me,

key and all, a pantry in which to keep my birds. The delicately-

made and aristocratic little Thrushes were unused to being

huddled together in a stuffy travelling cage along with Cat Birds,

Blue Birds, etc. ; besides which if my poor Veery was anything

like oneself, that horrible slow and determined roll of the huge

ship deprived him of his appetite. Anyhow he sat huddled in a

corner, so that surreptitiously I contrived to convey him to my

cabin where his wants could be attended to, and where he could

rest in peace. Undoubtedly had I not done so he would have

succumbed, and I realised how difficult it must be to bring home

birds which have to be caged up on board ship for several weeks



