Of wild animals, such as bears, panthers, wolves, wildcats, etc., we neither saw nor heard any in the Adirondacks.  “A howling wilderness,” Thoreau says, “seldom ever howls.  The howling is chiefly done by the imagination of the traveler.”  Hunter said he often saw bear-tracks in the snow, but had never yet met Bruin.  Deer are more or less abundant everywhere, and one old sportsman declares there is yet a single moose in these mountains.  On our return, a pioneer settler, at whose house we stayed overnight, told us a long adventure he had had with a panther.  He related how it screamed, how it followed him in the brush, how he took to his boat, how its eyes gleamed from the shore, and how he fired his rifle at them with fatal effect.  His wife in the mean time took something from a drawer, and, as her husband finished his recital, she produced a toe-nail of the identical animal with marked dramatic effect.

But better than fish or game or grand scenery, or any adventure by night or day, is the wordless intercourse with rude Nature one has on these expeditions.  It is something to press the pulse of our old mother by mountain lakes and streams, and know what health and vigor are in her veins, and how regardless of observation she deports herself.

   1866.

IV

BIRDS’-NESTS

How alert and vigilant the birds are, even when absorbed in building their nests!  In an open space in the woods I see a pair of cedar-birds collecting moss from the top of a dead tree.  Following the direction in which they fly, I soon discover the nest placed in the fork of a small soft maple, which stands amid a thick growth of wild cherry-trees and young beeches.  Carefully concealing myself beneath it, without any fear that the workmen will hit me with a chip or let fall a tool, I await the return of the busy pair.  Presently I hear the well-known note, and the female sweeps down and settles unsuspectingly into the half-finished structure.  Hardly have her wings rested before her eye has penetrated my screen, and with a hurried movement of alarm she darts away.  In a moment the male, with a tuft of wool in his beak (for there is a sheep pasture near), joins her, and the two reconnoitre the premises from the surrounding bushes.  With their beaks still loaded, they move around with a frightened look, and refuse to approach the nest till I have moved off and lain down behind a log.  Then one of them ventures to alight upon the nest, but, still suspecting all is not right, quickly darts away again.  Then they both together come, and after much peeping and spying about, and apparently much anxious consultation, cautiously proceed to work.  In less than half an hour it would seem that wool enough has been brought to supply the whole family, real and prospective, with socks, if needles and fingers could be found fine enough to knit it up.  In less than a week the female has begun to deposit her eggs,—­four of them in as many days,—­white tinged with purple, with black spots on the larger end.  After two weeks of incubation the young are out.