. Bird-land echoes; . s later, when a downy woodpecker pecked vigor-ously on the dead limb of a near-by oak, thistownsman remarked, **That makes what I said moretrue than ever ; one squeaks and the other bangs,—a sort of broken fife and cracked drum affair; andhe laughed, thinking that he had said something veryfunny. This is not a mere matter of taste ; the fellow wasa fool to talk as he did. Can any healthy sound—one that has all the elements of unmarred naturebehind it—be harsh and out of tune to those whoreally appreciate wild life? Can mans extremeartificiality so completely wean him from
. Bird-land echoes; . s later, when a downy woodpecker pecked vigor-ously on the dead limb of a near-by oak, thistownsman remarked, **That makes what I said moretrue than ever ; one squeaks and the other bangs,—a sort of broken fife and cracked drum affair; andhe laughed, thinking that he had said something veryfunny. This is not a mere matter of taste ; the fellow wasa fool to talk as he did. Can any healthy sound—one that has all the elements of unmarred naturebehind it—be harsh and out of tune to those whoreally appreciate wild life? Can mans extremeartificiality so completely wean him from the lessfavored forms of life that their mere presence seemssomething to be shunned ?176 More Noise than Music. 77 I love to loiter. In the leafless woods, if thesouth wind is gently stealing through them, thereis sufficient inducement to ramble and, while stroll-ing in the forest by-paths, to pry into every pettycavern at an old trees root, hoping to find at leastan opossum and possibly scaring a mouse ; or to. Golden-winged Woodpecker. gaze up into the interlacing branches of clusteredoaks, or to wonder what may be hidden in theshadows of the impenetrable cedars. There is evermore than sufficient to warrant a walk in the woods,even in winter; and when frost withholds its chillytouch for the day, it is pleasant to loiter there, to 178 Bird-Land Echoes. stand still in the sunshine that revives our sluggishsenses. Even though no squirrel complain, no shrewthreaten ill luck by crossing our path ; ay, even ifno birds be there, it is well to linger in the leaflesswoods. Trees are far better company than thathypercritical townsman. But I have seldom foundmyself alone in the woods ; I have only lacked com-pany in town. The truth is, there is always a birdat hand, though we are often too blind to see through my note-books occurs the expression abird-less day. I doubt if any such ever hap-pened. Usually birds will follow you, but at timesyou must search them out. Why ? Th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1896
