about and crushing it, even dropping from a branch with 
their weight upon the selected berry to pull it off. These 
trees seem at times a circus where one may study the 
peculiar ways of different species, and of individual birds, 
as they go through their performances. The heavy slow 
movements of the grosbeak remind one of the fat per- 
formers in the show; the robin is the ring master; the 
tanager is the brilliant dancer; the finch is constantly sing- 
ing his “Digger, digger, digger, dirt, dirt, dirt; the wren 
is the acrobat; while the long-tailed chat is the clown. 
‘Oregon—Taken by ‘Mrs. C. E. Forsyth 
A ChutCenae 
This chat, as I write, is out in the thicket, running over 
and over the calls and song's of all the birds in the neighbor- 
hood. He can even whistle for the dog, using the notes of 
invitation that every dog has learned from boy masters 
starting out for fun or game, and sometimes the chat 
almosts barks. Many of his tones may be imitated and, with 
his inquiring disposition, the bird will usually nine the author 
of any new sound. | 
Esma says that he is as full of bounce as a rubber ball. | 
He knows so well how to keep a leaf between you and his 
handsome body that you may get no glimpse of him, 
183 
