Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/168

 12,2 Bird - Lore manner of indescribable sounds. He laughs dryly, gurgles derisively, whistles triumphantly, chatters provokingly, and chuckles complacently, all in one breath. He throws himself about through the bush regardless of con- sequences, never still, scrutinizing the intruder in all attitudes. Viewing him now from under a branch, and then from over it, talking always excitedly, rather incoherently and usually indelicately. In fact, one throat is not sufficient to relieve the pressure of his feelings, and he presses into service his long tail, and with it wig-wags things such as even he, irre- sponsible little sprite that he is, dare not say out loud. Should I stop here, however, in my description, an entirely inadequate and one-sided impression would be made of a very complex and many- sided individual. It is only the presence of man that brings these evil characters to the surface, and arouses the worst in him. When alone in his own solitudes the better side of his nature is exhibited, and he shows himself in other colors, a happy roisterer, a fervid lover, a solicitous parent. As a husband, however, I should judge the Chat to be somewhat of a brag- gadocio, and should suspect him of bulldozing his wife if it were not for the reflec- tion that she is a Chat also, and is, therefore, perfectly able to take care of herself. As it is, they seem to be a happy pair, and get along together fully as well as other couples that promise better as examples of domestic felicity. His love-song is a woodland idyl and makes up for much of his shortcomings. From some elevated perch from which he can survey the surrounding waste for a considerable distance, he flings himself into the air — straight up he goes on fluttering wings — legs dangling, head raised, his whole being tense and spasmodic with ecstasy. As 'he rises he pours forth a flood of musical gurgles, and whistles that drop from him in silvery cas- cades to the ground, like sounds of fairy chimes. As he reaches the apex of his flight his wings redouble their beatings, working straight up and down, while the legs hanging limply down remind the observer of those drawings we sometimes see from the brushes of Japanese artists. He holds his hover- ing position for an instant, then the music gradually dies away; and, as he sinks toward the ground, he regains his natural poise, and c eeks another THE SONG FLIGHT Drawn by P. A. Taverner