AN HOUR AFIELD. 



Bird lovers and bird students are said that when it was heard at all the singer 

 to be endowed with certain fancies. One was not far away. I wanted a clear 

 of our most charming writers on bird view of the little bird that I might deter- 

 topics says, "It is a sign of success when mine to a certainty its identity. They 

 starting on an investigation of bird life are so diminutive and restless, and keep 

 to meet with some bird at the very start.'' so in the tree tops, that it is hard to get 

 Sc I thought one morning as, with note a certain view to distinguish color and 

 book and field glass, I opened the door markings. Seen in the shade they look a 

 to take a stroll through fields and woods little grayish brown bird, but seen in the 

 that it was to be a successful walk, for sunlight they shimmer and glow in a 

 I had my hand yet on the door handle— dress of greenish, yellowish gray, bur- 

 no, it was not a door knob, but an old- nished and bright as armor. After a long 

 time cast iron door handle such as farm- time one so turned his head that the ruby 

 ers used to have on their doors fifty years in its crown came into distinct view and 

 ago — when I saw a jay alight on the corn there was no longer any doubt as to the 

 crib, the thief. But for all his thievish bird's identity. Only a few rods farther 

 ways and unmannerly conduct I like the on another of them posed on a low shrub 

 bird, and he would be greatly missed for but a few feet away and regaled my ears 

 his striking colors and audacious ways, with its song and ruffled and preened its 

 With the most of birds one can form feathers and flaunted its ruby crown 

 some sort of an idea as to what their next before me, as much as to say, "Well, you 

 move will be, but the only move probable have found us out, so now we have noth- 

 with the jay is that of something unex- ing farther to conceal from you." This 

 pected. Of course the English sparrows was an incident, corroborating a theory 

 were very much in evidence, for they I had before held, that when searching 

 always are. I had not yet reached the for a distinguishing mark of a bird 

 woods, but thirty rods away, before nu- through difficulties, after I had found 

 merous juncos rose from among the weed them to a certainty, there was thereafter 

 stalks and sought the greater seclusion no difficulty in meeting opportunities to 

 of the evergreens, while from a tree bor- corroborate them. The various black- 

 dering the wood a tree sparrow was sing- birds were clucking and k-wa-ker-ee-ing 

 ing its morning song. Deeper in the through all the variations of blackbird 

 wood a red-bellied woodpecker was ut- song in the tops of the oaks, while way 

 tering its shrill call in a regular monot- off in the wood the nuthatch was sending 

 ony. This is the shrillest, harshest cry forth its challenge, but was steadily com- 

 of any of our woodpeckers. I knew ing nearer, and soon alighted on a near- 

 where I would find him, down by the by ash tree and peered down at me in 

 wood road in a dead hickory, his head out its mouse-like attitude ; while the chicka- 

 of the doorway. Sure enough, there he dees, in their usual fearless manner, were 

 was, announcing to all comers that he flitting about entirely undisturbed by that 

 was at home, and if any one wished to monster man who, with leveled glass, 

 see him they knew where to find him. was watching them. A phoebe sat silent 

 The pleasing notes of the kinglets were to on a dead branch, only making occasion- 

 be heard from the tops of the elm trees, al dashes out into space, then returning 

 where these little sprites were busy ex- to its perch. A hairy woodpecker was 

 amining each twig and branch while flitting hither and yon from tree to tree 

 their song seemed far away, I had learned in its restlessness, and a yellow-bellied 



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