Though not in sight, the bird was quite near, so that we heard every note, so enchanting! so inimitable! For ten or fifteen minutes he poured out the melody, while our hearts fairly stood still. Then he stopped, and we heard the thrush "chuck" and the hermit call, which is different from other thrushes, being something between a squawk and a mew. Whether this were his conversation with his mate we could only guess, for we dared not move, hardly indeed to breathe. After a pause the bird began again, and for one perfect hour we sat there motionless, entranced, and took our fill of his matchless rhapsody. I longed inexpressibly to see the enchanter, though I dared not stir for fear of startling him. Perhaps my urgent desire drew him; at any rate he came at last within sight, stood a few minutes on the low branch of a tree and looked at me, lifting and dropping his expressive tail as he did so. Two or three low, rich notes bubbled out, as if he had half a mind to sing to me; but he thought better of it and dived off the branch into the bushes. We rose to go. "This only was lacking," I said. "This crowns my summer. I ask no more, and tomorrow I go." INDEX. American Goldfinch: bewitching manners, 253. devotion of the male, 255, 256. difficulty of watching, 253. nervous sitter, a, 256. nest, a second, 252. neat building, 248, 249, 251, 253. nesting ways, 244, 254. queer scenes, 245, 246, 247. song, 257. talk with me, a, 257. tragedy again, 250. wooing, 244, 247. Black and White creeper, 110. Black-throated Blue Warbler: delight in nest, 166. hard to study, 164. nest and mate, 165. song, 163. studies me, 168. vain search for, 169. young, 170. Bluejay, the young, 77. appearance of, 89. description of, 91. food as bait, 93. interest of neighbors, 95. not afraid, 92. old birds to the rescue, 94. stray youngster, a, 93. Bobolink, 139. attack, 152. cries, strange, 139, 140. disturbed, 151. manners, 139. musical call, 153. song, 141, 144. wiles, 150. Cedar Birds, 143. Chestnut-sided Warbler, 184, 187. adopted infant, 230. Chipping Sparrow, 173. Crow, the parents, 240, 242. two sides to the question, 242. the young, 236. alighting, 238. coaxing ways, 238. cry, a strange, 237. efforts to learn, 239. experimenting in food, 240. object lesson, an, 241. Cuckoo, the Black Billed, 190. curious performance, 194. male, the, 192. mother tactics, the, 199. nest, 191. nest deserted, 198. relieving the sitter, 192. sitting bird, the, 191. struck dumb, 196. ventriloquism, 192. young, 194. Curiosity of Birds, 4.