IMusic of the Wild 



ter Avoiild permit nie to handle their young, and 

 even remove tliem from the nest for a half hour 

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

 friends from foes. It shows that even the wildest 

 ereatures can he tamed to your 's^'ill hy persistent 

 kindness and unlimited patience in approaching 

 them. 



These ])irds are never more heautiful and in- 

 teresting than ^yheu on wing, food-hunting. The 

 A\'a\'ing grass of the orchard is one ground for 

 them ; the shridjs covering the fence, another. 

 Other M'riters 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 tlie scarlet haw. The kingl)irds taught 

 me to notice it. I followed tliem to learn what 

 insect they hunted tliere. I found several differ- 

 ing flies and gnats, and sometimes a bee was 

 snapped up. 



The scarlet haw does not bloom 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 estal)lishing an average 

 and i^reserving detail. Each 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 

 otliers. Xeither are tliese clusters crowded on the 

 bush so closely as to lose their individuality, and 



266 



