66 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 
for the first is still in sight in the same locust tree, flit- 
ting carelessly about and apparently silent. Curious to 
hear the new-comer I passed on, when the sounds were 
heard in the opposite direction. I retraced my steps, 
and now the strange medley came from the low bushes 
about me, and while looking carefully for the unseen 
chat that seemed so near, there came floating down to 
me from the tall locust’s topmost branch the same series 
of odd sounds and sweet warblings. The truth was now 
clear; the one bird had uttered every sound I had heard, 
and by his ventriloquism had: for the time completely 
deceived me. My study of this habit and of its use 
now commenced, and for long weeks I watched him to 
test in every way his ability to mislead one by the exer- 
cise of this peculiar power. A little later the female 
appeared, and the two quickly selected a suitable spot in 
a tangled mass of blackberry briers at the foot of the 
locust tree, and built a commodious but roughly con- 
structed nest. While the mate was sitting, the male 
chat seemed more animated than ever, and jealous of 
any intruder, he threw his voice in every direction other 
than towards the nest, whenever anyone came too near. 
By watching from a concealment, I found that when 
not disturbed they uttered fewer strange cries of imita- 
tion, and seldom exercised their ventriloquial powers, 
but however suddenly I appeared from my concealment, 
there was an equally quick uttering of notes of distress, 
coming as it seemed from a point several yards distant. 
Vary my experiment as I would, it mattered not; the 
bird was thoroughly conscious of its ventriloquial 
