Music of the Wild 



ter would permit me to handle their young, and 

 even l•emo^'e them from the nest for a half hoiu- 

 at a time, pro^-e.s they know enough to distinguish 

 friends from foes. It shows that even tlie wildest 

 creatures can be tamed to your will Ijy persistent 

 kindness and unlimited patience in approaching 

 them. 



These birds are never more beautiful and in- 

 teresting than A\'hen on '\'\'ing', food-huntino-. The 

 waving grass of the orcliard is one ground for 

 them; the shrulxs covering the fence, another. 

 Other writers have expatiated at length on the 

 wild rose, alder, and goldenrod that grow along 

 these old fences; I wish to call attention to the 

 bloom of the scarlet haw. The kingbirds taught 

 me to notice it. I followed them to learn what 

 insect they hunted there. I found several differ- 

 ing' flies and gnats, and sometimes a bee was 

 snapped u]). 



The scarlet haw does not l)loom in crowded clus- 

 ters, as does its cousin, the red haw. I have found 

 The Scarlet eight blooms to a cluster, again four or five, and 

 Haw Choir ^^j^ times as often six, thus establishing an average 

 and preserving detail. Eacli blossom has five ex- 

 quisitely cut and cupped petals, dainty stamens 

 and pistil, and long enough stem to display the full 

 beauty of the flower without pushing it into the 

 others. Neither are these clusters croAvded on tlie 

 bush so closely as to lose their individuality, and 



266 



