Peete AsU.DeU B-OIN (BIULL G bein 13 
Coincidence or Habit? 
What does it mean to one who has stalked through the woods 
of New Hampshire in the summer time hoping to see a Hermit 
Thrush to be able to hold one of these rare songsters in the hand? 
If the latter is a privilege unusual, is not the repetition of the 
opportunity more than doubly such? 
In September 1919, on 
driving into the garage in 
my garden, I was_ sur- 
prised at the sight of a 
bird flying against the 
window. Noting ‘that it 
was a Hermit Thrush I 
closed the doors and called 
Mrs. Burch, thinking it a 
fine opportunity to study 
the migrant at close range. 
As the bird settled down 
upon the bench, however, 
the slowly approaching hand 
did not startle the bird, 
even when the hand closed 
about its little body. It was 
the obvious conclusion 
that some injury had 
occurred to wing or 
limb, but inspection showed otherwise. When the camera was 
brought and the Thrush held loosely he seemed to accept the 
pitiless publicity with nonchalance, at length flying to and 
alighting upon the camera. So contented was our Hermit in our 
possession that we wondered whether the projected trip for that 
day must be abandoned in order to keep watch over the visitor. 
But just when that seemed inevitable, a sudden impulse ex- 
pressed itself in a flight which took our little friend into the 
nearby oak. 
The next September, when the incident had been almost 
forgotten, a Hermit Thrush was encountered in almost exactly 
the same way, but in my attempt to emulate the example set 
me by my fellow-bird-enthusiast I found that I was not such a 
bird-charmer and the Thrush fled the garage leaving me the only 
witness to his visit of 1920. 
In September 1921, while the Fall migration was at its 
height, I found again, just alongside the wheel of my car, as I 
stepped out of it, a Hermit Thrush. Even then I did not dare say 
the Hermit Thrush, for one would need to have a leg band for 
evidence. But it was just such a Hermit Thrush as before. The 
picture submitted is the evidence of the repetition of the privi- 
lege of holding the rare deep-wood songster in the hand, for 


Photo by E. W. Burch 
