Part 21

Nature, the language of, 118; various forms of the love of, 203, 204; the real lover of, 205, 206; the passion for Nature not a mere curiosity about her, 207, 208; the creative touch of the imagination needed in descriptions of, 213, 215; fresh impressions of, 215-220; many dramas played at once on her stage, 268; all things to all men, 269, 270; the gradations in, 307-309.

Neversink, the, 34.

Newt, water, 162.

Night, Jefferies on, 213; Whitman on, 213, 214; in Senancour's _Obermann_, 214, 215.

Nightingale, song of, 308.

Oaks, English, 212.

_Obermann_, by Étienne Pivert de Senancour, quotation from, 214, 215.

Observation, the gift of, 90; alertness of mind necessary in, 118, 286; a translation of nature's language into human speech necessary in, 118; on the part of wild creatures, 119; selective and detective, 208, 211; an unbiased mind necessary in, 252; specialized, 252, 253; all possible sources of error to be taken into account in, 253; a steady and patient as well as sharp eye necessary in, 262-269, 286; love of nature the first step in, 283; the critical habit of mind necessary in, 291.

Oriole, Baltimore (_Icterus galbula_), 236-238, 286; nest and eggs of, 65, 66, 124, 237, 238.

Osmunda fern, royal, 16.

Osprey, American, _or_ fish hawk (_Pandion haliaëtus carolinensis_), regular habits of an osprey, 172, 173, 257.

Ostrich, 86.

Otter, American (_Lutra hudsonica_), tracks of, 303, 304; habits of, 304.

Oven-bird. _See_ Thrush, golden-crowned.

Owl, great horned (_Bubo virginianus_), 197; nest of, 61.

Owl, screech (_Megascops asio_), a brood of young, 294; notes of, 220; nest of, 61.

Owl, snowy (_Nyctea nyctea_), 197.

Owls, the eggs of, 62, 198.

Oxen, 99, 100.

Panther Mountain, 43, 56, 57.

Partridge. _See_ Grouse, ruffed.

Peak-o'-Moose, 43.

Peeper. _See_ Hyla.

Perch, 16, 212.

Phœbe-bird (_Sayornis phœbe_), 286, 293, 294; nest and eggs of, 62-64, 70, 249, 260, 297.

Pickerel, 16.

Pigeon, passenger (_Ectopistes migratorius_), 101; nest of, 62.

Pike, barred, 212.

Pink, prairie, 98.

Pitcher plant, 6.

Polygala, fringed, 20, 21.

Pond-lily, 15-18.

Porcupine, Canada (_Erethizon dorsatus_), 36, 37, 47, 53, 58, 309.

Prairie, the, notes from, 87-109; like the ocean, 88; life in the fifties on, 97-107; game on, 101-107; a _dead_ level, 224.

Prairie hen. _See_ Grouse, pinnated.

Primrose. _See_ Evening primrose.

Proctor, Professor, 224.

Pussy-willows, 220.

Quail, _or_ bob-white (_Colinus virginianus_), 101; setting, 136; young of, 137; answering a call, 175, 176; hatching of the young, 291, 292; notes of, 175, 176; nest and eggs of, 75, 135-137, 291, 292.

Rabbit, 48.

Rabbit, gray (_Lepus sylvaticus_), 176; a captive, 182, 183; timidity and witlessness of, 197, 198.

Raccoon (_Procyon lotor_), 163; a captive, 178, 179; courage of, 196, 197.

Rain, in camp, 48.

Rat, pet squirrel and, 96, 104.

Red-bird, summer, _or_ summer tanager (_Piranga rubra_), 236; song of, 236.

Rhexia. _See_ Meadow-beauty.

Roads, in Kentucky, 232.

Robin, American (_Merula migratoria_), 72; courtship of, 78, 79; duels of, 78, 79, 142, 190; singing a brown thrasher's song, 267; mobbing a blue jay, 289, 290; a brood of young fed by a wren, 314, 315; notes of, 57, 159, 163, 166, 167, 267; nest of, 15, 91, 124, 300, 314.

Robin redbreast, song of, 308.

Rocks, of the Catskills, 34, 46, 47.

Rondout Creek, 34, 49.

Rose, wild, 11, 98.

Rudbeckia. _See_ Cone-flower.

Sapsucker, yellow-bellied. _See_ Woodpecker, yellow-bellied.

Scorpion, 251.

Senancour, Étienne Pivert de, quotation from his _Obermann_, 214, 215.

Shad, 15.

Shad-bush, low, 42.

Shakespeare, quotation from, 316.

Shelby, Colonel, his form, 225.

Shrike (_Lanius_ sp.), and chipmunk, 147, 304-306; song of, 303, 306.

Sink-holes, 229, 230.

Skunk (_Mephitis mephitica_), a narrow escape, 179; fearlessness of, 196.

Skunk cabbage, 162, 219.

Skylark, on the Hudson, 210; song of, 210.

Slide Mountain, location and description of, 33, 34, 35; ascent of, 37-42; on the summit, 33-54; descent of, 54-56.

Snake, black, fight with a pair, 128-130; rifling nests, 128, 130; swallowing a garter snake, 131, 146, 195, 256; as a rattler, 309.

Snake, garter, 131; as a rattler, 309.

Snake, glass, _or_ joint-snake, 263, 264.

Snake, green, 131; protective coloring of, 260, 261.

Snakes, spring awakening of, 163; their so-called power of charming, 255-257. _See_ Hair-snake.

Snow, on Slide Mt., 54; damage to peach buds caused by, 160; tracks in, 302-304.

Snowbird, _or_ slate-colored junco (_Junco hyemalis_), 159.

Snowflake. _See_ Bunting, snow.

Sparrow, bush _or_ russet _or_ field (_Spizella pusilla_), 119; song of, 165, 167.

Sparrow, Canada _or_ tree (_Spizella monticola_), 159.

Sparrow, English (_Passer domesticus_), 62, 77, 118, 119, 272, 275; a female assists a chippie in feeding a young cowbird, 315.

Sparrow, fox (_Passerella iliaca_), song of, 308.

Sparrow, Henslow's (_Ammodramus henslowii_), 296.

Sparrow, lark. _See_ Finch, lark.

Sparrow, savanna (_Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna_), 296.

Sparrow, social. _See_ Chippie.

Sparrow, song (_Melospiza fasciata_), 64; building on an insecure foundation, 123, 124, 159; an interesting couple, 187-189; song of, 169, 170, 187, 189; nest and eggs of, 15, 63, 64, 123, 124, 135, 187-189.

Sparrow, swamp (_Melospiza georgiana_), 17; nest of, 17.

Sparrow, yellow-winged _or_ grasshopper (_Ammodramus savannarum passerinus_), 295-297; notes of, 295, 296; nest and eggs of, 296.

Spider, a Javan, 309.

Spider, flying, 220.

Spring, first days of, 158-160, 218-220.

Spring beauty. _See_ Claytonia.

Springs, in Kentucky, 232.

Spruce, 6; a grove on Slide Mountain, 41, 42, 43.

Spruce, Norway, 285.

Squirrel, flying (_Sciuropterus volans_), 116; habits of, 307.

Squirrel, gray (_Sciurus carolinensis_, var. _leucotis_), five tame squirrels, 93-96, 177.

Squirrel, red (_Sciurus hudsonicus_), 95, 145, 184; cautious habits of, 193, 194; not so provident as the chipmunk, 194; caught by cats and snakes, 194, 195, 256; a race with a dog, 198, 199; as a parachute, 306, 307.

Squirrel corn (_Dicentra canadensis_), 5, 6.

Starling, red-shouldered, _or_ red-winged blackbird (_Agelaius phœniceus_), notes of, 218.

Stars, the, 215, 216.

Steeple-bush, _or_ hardhack, 11.

Strawberries, wild, 42, 43, 57.

Streams, in Kentucky, 231.

Sunflower, wild, 19.

Swallow, bank (_Clivicola riparia_), eggs of, 65.

Swallow, barn (_Chelidon erythrogaster_), 166, 260; nest and eggs of, 65, 69, 70, 260.

Swallow, chimney, _or_ chimney swift (_Chætura pelagica_), flight of, 69; nest and eggs of, 65, 68, 69.

Swallow, cliff (_Petrochelidon lunifrons_), eggs of, 65.

Swallow, white-bellied _or_ tree (_Tachycineta bicolor_), eggs of, 65.

Swallows, hibernating of, 251, 252.

Swift, chimney. _See_ Swallow, chimney.

Swift, European, eggs of, 65.

Table Mountain, 43.

Tanager, scarlet (_Piranga erythromelas_), eggs of, 64.

Tanager, summer. _See_ Red-bird, summer.

Terrapin, _or_ land turtle, 196.

Thoreau, Henry David, a woman's view of, 107, 156, 204; his _Walden_, 208; his Journals, 208-210; as an observer, 208-210, 253; quotation from, 208, 209.

Thrasher, brown (_Harporhynchus rufus_), an unfortunate pair, 185-187, 236; its song sung by a robin, 267; song of, 168, 306; nest and eggs of, 185-187.

Thrush, Bicknell's (_Turdus aliciæ bicknelli_), 46, 45; visiting a garden, 300; song of, 46, 48, 49, 54, 300.

Thrush, golden-crowned, _or_ golden-crowned accentor, _or_ oven-bird (_Seiurus aurocapillus_), 70, 71; song of, 71; nest and eggs of, 70, 71.

Thrush, gray-cheeked (_Turdus aliciæ_), 14.

Thrush, hermit (_Turdus aonalaschkæ pallasii_), 14; song of, 17, 46.

Thrush, wood (_Turdus mustelinus_), struggles with a piece of paper, 125, 126; a domestic tragedy, 184, 185; song of, 184, 185; nest and eggs of, 125, 126, 184, 185.

Thyme, wild, 30.

Toad, 168; the young after a shower, 254.

Toad-flax, 29.

Torrey, John, 253.

Tortoise, box, 309.

Towhee. _See_ Chewink.

Tree-frog, _or_ tree-toad, 254, 261.

Trees, succession of forest, 91.

Trillium, painted, 43.

Trout, brook, 57, 58.

Trout streams, beauty and purity of, 39, 40.

Turkey, domestic, 86.

Turkey, wild (_Meleagris gallopavo_), 101.

Turtle, land. _See_ Terrapin.

Turtle, spotted, 196.

Turtle-head. _See_ Chelone.

Turtles, 163, 196, 210.

Vervain, 29.

Violet, Canada, 20.

Violet, common, 20.

Violet, dog's-tooth. _See_ Adder's-tongue.

Violet, small white, 20.

Violet, spurred, 20.

Vireo (_Vireo_ sp.), a brood of young fed by a bluebird, 313, 314.

Vireo, red-eyed (_Vireo olivaceus_), 289, 297; notes of, 297; nest and eggs of, 8, 290, 291.

Virginia, journey through, 221, 222.

Warbler, black-poll (_Dendroica striata_), on Slide Mountain, 46; song of, 46.

Warbler, hedge, song of, 308.

Wasps, stingless, 269.

Water-lily. _See_ Pond-lily.

Waxwing, cedar. _See_ Cedar-bird.

Weasel (_Putorius_ sp.), and his den, 111-117; pursuing a chipmunk, 152-154, 309.

Wheat, chess grass and, 262, 263.

Whip-poor-will (_Antrostomus vociferus_), 71, 72; protective coloring of, 261; eggs of, 71, 261.

White, Gilbert, 266.

Whitman, Walt, quotations from, 213, 214, 247.

Wild animal, a mythical, 174, 175.

Willow-herb, 16.

Witch-hazel, 27.

Wittenberg, the, 35, 38, 56, 57.

Wolf, gray (_Canis lupus_), 102, 103.

Wolf, prairie (_Canis latrans_), 102.

Woman, observations of an invalid, 87-109.

Women, about the best lovers of nature, 88.

Woodchuck (_Arctomys monax_), friendly calls, 179; mother and young, 180, 181; a pet, 181, 182.

Woodcock, American (_Philohela minor_), 219, 220.

Woodland Valley, 37.

Woodpecker, downy (_Dryobates pubescens_), 66; drumming of, 83, 145, 166; winter retreats of, 271-273; attacked by a bluebird, 272.

Woodpecker, hairy (_Dryobates villosus_), 273.

Woodpecker, red-headed (_Melanerpes erythrocephalus_), 238.

Woodpecker, yellow-bellied (_Sphyrapicus varius_), sapsucking habits of, 258, 259.

Woodpeckers, eggs of, 64, 65; drumming of, 83-85; courtship of, 83-85.

Woods, traveling through pathless, 50, 51; in Kentucky, 227-231.

Wordsworth, William, his love of nature, 204-207; quotations from, 19, 204, 205.

Wren, Carolina (_Thryothorus ludovicianus_), on the Hudson, 300-302; a performer, 301; song of, 301, 302; nest of, 68.

Wren, European, nest of, 68.

Wren, house (_Troglodytes aëdon_), occupying orioles' nests, 65, 66; war with a bluebird, 66-68, 92; feeding a brood of young robins, 314, 315; overflowing with life and activity, 315; "cock-nests" built by the male, 315; notes of, 67, 68, 314; nest and eggs of, 65, 66, 68, 70, 92, 314, 315.

Wren, long-billed marsh (_Cistothorus palustris_), "cock-nests" built by the male, 315; nest of, 68, 315.

Wren, short-billed marsh (_Cistothorus stellaris_), nest of, 68.

Wren, winter (_Troglodytes hiemalis_), 41; song of, 41; nest of, 68, 70.

Wryneck, eggs of, 65.

Yellowbird. _See_ Goldfinch.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:

Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the original.

The following corrections have been made to the original text:

Page 21: contrasting[original has "constrasting"] it with the fresh green

Page 99: an aristocrat and despised accordingly.[period missing in original]

Page 316: That it had its[original has "it"] head bit off

Page 318: Catbird (_Galeoscoptes carolinensis_)[original has "carolinenis"], 142

Punctuation has been standardized in the index.