THE CHEWINK 



The chewink is a shy bird, but not stealthy. 

 It is very inquisitive, and sets up a great scratch- 

 ing among the leaves, apparently to attract your 

 attention. The male is perhaps the most con- 

 spicuously marked of all the ground-birds except 

 the bobolink, being black above, bay on the 

 sides, and white beneath. The bay is in compli- 

 ment to the leaves he is forever scratching among, 

 — they have rustled against his breast and sides 

 so long that these parts have taken their color; 

 but whence come the white and the black ? The 

 bird seems to be aware that his color betrays him, 

 for there are few birds in the woods so careful 

 about keeping themselves screened from view. 

 When in song, its favorite perch is the top of 

 some high bush near to cover. On being dis- 

 turbed at such times, it pitches down into the 

 brush and is instantly lost to view. 



This is the bird that Thomas Jefferson wrote 

 to Wilson about, greatly exciting the latter's cu- 

 riosity. Wilson was just then upon the thresh- 

 old of his career as an ornithologist, and had 

 made a drawing of the Canada jay which he sent 

 to the President. It was a new bird, and in re- 



