THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



13 



Coincidence or rlabit? 



What does it mean to one who has stalked through the woods 

 of New Hampshire in the summer time hoping to see a Hermit 

 Thrush to be able to hold one of these rare songsters in the hand? 

 If the latter is a privilege unusual, is not the repetition of the 

 opportunity more than doubly such? 



In September 1919, on 

 driving into the garage in 

 my garden, I was sur- 

 prised at the sight of a 

 bird flying against the 

 window. Noting that it 

 was a Hermit Thrush I 

 closed the doors and called 

 Mrs. Burch, thinking it a 

 fine opportunity to study 

 the migrant at close range. 

 As the bird settled down 

 upon the bench, however, 

 the slowly approaching hand 

 did not startle the bird, 

 even when the hand closed 

 about its little body. It was 

 the obvious conclusion 

 that some injury had 

 occurred to wing or 

 limb, but inspection showed otherwise. When the camera was 

 brought and the Thrush held loosely he seemed to accept the 

 pitiless publicity with nonchalance, at length flying to and 

 alighting upon the camera. So contented was our Hermit in our 

 possession that we wondered whether the projected trip for that 

 day must be abandoned in order to keep watch over the visitor. 

 But just when that seemed inevitable, a sudden impulse ex- 

 pressed itself in a flight which took our little friend into the 

 nearby oak. 



The next September, when the incident had been almost 

 forgotten, a Hermit Thrush was encountered in almost exactly 

 the same way, but in my attempt to emulate the example set 

 me by my fellow-bird-enthusiast I found that I was not such a 

 bird-charmer and the Thrush fled the garage leaving me the only 

 witness to his visit of 1920. 



In September 1921, while the Fall migration was at its 

 height, I found again, just alongside the wheel of my car, as I 

 stepped out of it, a Hermit Thrush. Even then I did not dare say 

 the Hermit Thrush, for one would need to have a leg band for 

 evidence. But it was just such a Hermit Thrush as before. The 

 picture submitted is the evidence of the repetition of the privi- 

 lege of holding the rare deep-wood songster in the hand, for 



Photo by E. W. Burch 



