WINTER WEEN 363 



wall thickly beset with shrub oaks and birches, mak- 

 ing an opening through them with axe and knife, while 

 the hillside seemed to quiver or pulsate with the sud- 

 den melody. Again, it is with the side of the ear that 

 yon hear. The music or the beauty belong not to 

 your work itself but some of its accompaniments. 

 You would fain devote yourself to the melody, but 

 you will hear more of it if you devote yourself to your 

 work. 



May 4, 1859. We hear a thrasher sing for half an 

 hour steadily, — a very rich singer and heard a quarter 

 of a mile off very distinctly. This is first heard com- 

 monly at planting-time. He sings as if conscious of his 

 power. 



June 19, 1860. Observe a nest crowded full with four 

 young brown thrashers half fledged. You would think 

 they would die of heat, so densely packed and over- 

 flowing. Three head one way, and the other lies across. 

 How quickly a fox would gobble them up! 



VY1NTKB WBEf 



July 10, 1858. The Fringilla hyemalis was most 

 common in the upper part of the ravine, 1 and I saw a 

 large bird of prey, perhaps an eagle, sailing over the 

 head of the ravine. The wood thrush and veery* sang 

 regularly, especially morning and evening. But, above 

 all, the peculiar and memorable songster was that 



1 [Tnckerman's Ravine on the side of lit. Washington.] 



s [Doubtless the olive-backed thrash and Bicknell's thrash, which 



are the only thrashes found on the upper slopes of i£t Washington. 



See note on wood thrnah, p. 377.] 



