THE DEAD TREE'S DAY . 101 
The Maryland yellow-throats, in moving 
about the bushes, discovered me, and began 
scolding at my intrusion. They came so near 
to me that they seemed within reach of my 
hands. I kept perfectly still, and half closed 
my eyes. Their inspection seemed to convince 
them that I was harmless, for they went away, 
and presently the male sang his u rig-a-jig , rig - 
a-jig, rig-a-jig,” close behind me. I am con¬ 
vinced that closing the eyes does a great deal 
to reassure a timid bird. Owls entirely cloak 
their evil appearance by simply drawing their 
eyelids down, and closing their feathers tightly 
about them. On discovering a man, birds 
watch, not his legs or his body, but his face, and 
his eyes are the most conspicuous part of his 
face and fullest of menace. I have sometimes 
fancied that nervous birds knew when they were 
watched, even though they could not see the 
observer. 
At 4.48 a kingbird came sailing and fluttering 
over the meadow, its chattering cries giving 
ample warning of its approach. It lighted in 
the big tree, and scanned sky, water, and grass, 
searching for something with which to quarrel. 
A flicker passed silently, coming, as the king¬ 
bird had, from the woods, and going to a tree 
near the lake shore. Small birds, possibly war¬ 
blers, flew by, westward. A blue jay screamed 
