60 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 
had been entirely wearied out by its indomitable caution and 
cunning, tbat the inhospitable thought of murder came into 
my mind. The relentless curiosity of the naturalist had been 
aroused; the passion of the dissecting knife, that is glad 
among the heart-strings and rejoices with Death. I would 
have wooed the lovely stranger to let me know it while it 
lived ; but, it would not be won — now it should die, for I 
must hnow! 
I vowed I would have the body of that creature — ^be it 
from dream-land or farthest Ind" — if I had to follow it a 
week. But the one day proved enough for me. This was 
a sultry twelfth of June, I recollect well, and I had spent 
the hours of the forenoon in creeping from tree to tree ; 
from fence-corner to fence-corner ; from stump to stump, in 
the pacific endeavor to get near enough to distinguish the 
predominating color of the back — for, all that I could yet 
distinguish was that it was dark' — and could not make out the 
form of the bill, both of which things were necessary for me to 
know before I would have any substantial data of investigation 
to commence with in the books. All had been in vain ; and 
sweltering with heat and excitement, I ran back to where I 
had left my gun — muttering many a direful threat, as I ex- 
amined the locks carefully. 
Now that I might make sure of my victim, I crawled on 
my hands and knees for nearly two hundred yards, and found 
myself, at last, within what, it rnust be confessed, was long 
range; but, within which, I flattered myself, I had seldom 
missed. My gun was laid with trembling eagerness upon the 
top of the old stump which formed my blind. I cannot tell 
how much I trembled — ^but I fired ! The bird merely flut- 
tered lightly up and then floated down again upon the pin- 
nacle bough where it before sat. It had never left the tops 
of the trees during the morning ; and I gritted my teeth in 
disappointment while aiming again with iron firmness. The 
bird rose at the second shot, and with a slow and graceful 
flight, passed over me high in the air. I watched it until I 
