THE SECRET OF APPRECIATION. 221 



from every eyelash, ask you what you are about, 

 what you do when you are at home, whether you 

 have just come from the hospital that you look so 

 pale, and, having decided that you are a harmless 

 monomaniac, to say the worst, go about their play- 

 ful toil of capturing insects, apparently unmindful 

 of your presence. But when your heart is jolly and 

 full of nature love, all these simple facts, proving the 

 large diversity of temperament in bird-land's deni- 

 zens, are a source of joy to you ; you note them, are 

 glad on account of them, though you scarcely know 

 why. 



In a quiet retreat just beyond a steep-graded rail- 

 way-track the black-throated green warblers were 

 very abundant and unusually roUicksome. It was 

 strange how they could dash about in the thorn-trees 

 without impaling themselves on the terrible spears. 

 One little fellow swung out of a tree after a miller, 

 which dropped upon a fence-post near by. Why 

 did the natty bird act so queerly? He danced about 

 on the top of the post, tried to pick up something, 

 but was baffled in all his efforts ; then he scudded 

 around the post a few inches below the top like a 

 nuthatch, uttering his harsh little chirp. At length 

 I stepped up, determined to solve the enigma. 

 There was the solution ; the miller had wriggled into 

 a deep hole in the post, so that the bird could not 

 reach it. With a slender stick I drew it out of its 

 hiding-place, and placed it on the top of the post ; 

 but whether the bird ever went back and profited by 

 my well-meant helpfulness I do not know. Begging 



