s drawn far down on the
lawn by a peculiar cry of his. It began with a singular performance
which I have already described, a loud, rapid "chit-it-it-it-it,"
increasing in volume and rising in pitch, as though he were working
himself up to some deed of desperation. In a few minutes, however, he
appeared to get his feelings under control, and dropped to a single-note
cry, often repeated. It differed widely from his loud call, "wok! wok!
wok!" still more from the husky tones of his conversation with others of
his kind; neither was it like the war-cries with which he intimated to
another bird that he was not invited to breakfast. I thought there must
be trouble brewing, especially as mingled with it was an occasional
excited "pe-auk!" of a flicker. When I reached the spot, I found a
curious party, consisting of two doves and three flickers, assembled on
one small tree, with the woodpecker on an upper branch, as though
addressing his remarks to them.

As I drew near the scene of the excitement, the doves flew, and then the
golden-wings; but the red-head held his ground, though he stopped his
cries when he saw help coming. In vain I looked about for the cause of
the row; everything was serene. It was a beautiful quiet evening, and
not a child, nor a dog, nor anything in sight to make trouble. The tree
stood quite by itself, in the midst of grass that knew not the clatter
of the lawn-mower.

I stood still and waited; and I had my reward, for after a few minutes'
silence I saw a pair of ears, and then a head, cautiously lifted above
the grass, about fifteen feet from the tree. The mystery was solved; it
was a cat, whom all birds know as a creature who will bear watching when
prowling around the haunts of bird families. I am fond of pussy, but I
deprecate her taste for game, as I do that of some other hunters, wiser
if not better than she. I invited her to leave this place, where she
plainly was unwelcome, by an emphatic "scat!" and a stick tossed her
way. She instantly dropped into the grass and was lost to view; and as
the woodpecker, whose eyes were sharper and his position better than
mine, said no more, I concluded she had taken the hint and departed.

IX.

THE LITTLE REDBIRDS.

When the little redbirds began to visit the lawn there were exciting
times. At first they ventured only to the trees overlooking it; and the
gayly dressed father who had them in charge reminded me of nothing so
much as a fussy young m