THE DEAD TREE'S DAY. 107 
migrants might not keep their tryst; but I 
wronged them, for just at seven o’clock I heard 
a sharp “cheep” behind me, and, turning slowly, 
found a blackcap gazing at me nervously. No 
sooner had my eyes met his than he darted away. 
Between seven and eight the trees were oc¬ 
cupied by a flock of twelve cedar-birds, one or 
two flickers, several young robins, a pewee, a 
humming-bird, and some of the small flycatch¬ 
ers. The humming-bird is a tyrannical and 
blustering little bird, giving himself many airs. 
His wife is quite as much of a virago as he is 
of a bully. In this instance she was determined 
to drive away the flycatchers. Sitting in the 
big tree, and looking smaller than a well-fed 
dragonfly, she darted, every now and then, at 
one of the chebecs, and put him to flight. They 
tired her out, however, and after a while she 
gave up the struggle and departed. About 
7.30 a flock of small birds, including several 
chickadees, appeared in the edge of the woods 
and scattered over the meadow. Few of them 
came near enough to me for identification, but 
there seemed to be vireos and warblers among 
them. Their coming aroused other birds, and 
a goldfinch, a catbird chasing a veery, one or 
two Maryland yellow-throats, and a swift were 
in sight at one time. 
Thirst overtook me at eight, after four hours 
