The Cliorus of tlic Forest 



W'liilc 1 |)l)ot()^raplie(l it u iiistliii<)- uiiiono- the 

 deep leuves called my attention to tlie typical l)ii"(l 

 oi' tlie forest fiooi', hut this was not our Hivst meet- A Ground 

 in^-; in fact, we A\ere old ac(inaintances, and one Musician 

 hox of ne^ati\es in my closet at home i-ecordcd all 

 of its nestin<^' histoi'y that I could secui'e with a 

 camera. Studies of this hii'd are unusual, at least 

 J am faii'ly well infoi'ined alon<>' this line, and 1 

 Jievei' ha\'e seen any ]juhlished. It is ty|)ical of 

 the foi'est llooi'. Jt not only huilds and I'aises its 

 youn^' on earth, hut finds food there, scratching 

 like an exemplary hen, with feet A\orkin^- alter- 

 nately, and also sm'])assing her hy usin^^' hoth 

 feet at once, in a manner she ne\'er leai'ned. It 

 has sci'atched and scratched until fi'om much 

 scTatchin<4' its len<)th of toe and nail has developed 

 into its most conspicuous ])art. On the same ])rin- 

 ciplc, hut in different memhers, the hei'on 1ms 

 e\'()lved its lon^' le^s hy \\'adino' amon<4' the reeds. 

 ]iecause constant lli<.>lit keeps them useless, two of 

 a kinf^hsher's to(.'s are yet <;ro\\ti to<>etlier and do 

 not separate as do those of ])ei'chin^' hirds. Y^ou 

 only have to notice the feet of this family i)roup 

 to ohsei'se the extraoi'dinary len<4th of toe and nail, 

 even in the youn<r. 



T suspect you ai'c wonderino' \\hy I do not tell 

 their name. 'I'hcre is no necessity, 'llie hird ])i'e- 

 fcrs to introduce itself. Indeed, there is every 

 ])r()hahility you have heard it do so many times, 



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