GLOSSARY
apartment, room, living quarters.
Audubon, John James Audubon, noted student of bird life.
authority, one who has commanding knowledge of a subject.
berating, scolding.
Berlepsch, family name of a nobleman who was noted for his kindness to birds.
bewildered, confused.
birdling, a baby bird.
blending, mixing.
bluster, play the bully.
bungalow, a one-story house.
chickfeed, a mixture of cracked grain.
clamber, climb awkwardly.
commotion, disturbance.
conjecture, guess, suppose.
convenient, suitable, handy.
cornice, the fancy topmost part of a wall, usually overhanging.
courageous, full of courage, brave.
craw, the crop; part of a bird’s throat through which his food passes.
crouching, lying flat or very close to the ground.
delving, making holes by digging; working hard.
demonstration, a show.
distinguished, notable, unusually fine.
distressed, troubled.
entice, coax, persuade.
evidently, plainly, clearly.
fetch, go and bring back.
fledge, (a bird) to reach the age when its feathers are grown, so that it can fly; to care for a bird until it reaches that age.
fledgling, young bird, just out of the nest.
forage, seek for food.
frantic, wild with fear or alarm, or even with joy.
genial, friendly, kindly.
gingerly, cautiously, carefully.
goal, the place one is going to.
guttural, throaty, hoarse.
hepatica, a spring flower, also called liverwort.
inflection, change in the pitch of the voice.
insanitary, unhealthful.
inspect, examine, look into.
intruder, a meddler, outsider, stranger.
larvæ, caterpillars, grubs.
lore, knowledge.
mandible, a jaw, upper or lower, especially of a beak or bill.
manicure stick, a small smooth stick of orange wood, used in caring for the finger nails.
matins, morning songs.
menace, danger.
minor tone, low, soft, sad tone.
minstrel, a traveling musician.
monopolize, to own, to possess alone.
monotonous, tiresome.
morsel, a mouthful, a bit of food.
Neufchâtel, a city in Switzerland famed for the manufacture of cheeses.
nimble, active.
notional, full of notions, whimsical, “cranky.”
obedient, willing to obey, dutiful.
odious, disagreeable, unpopular, offensive.
opportunity, chance.
ornithology, the scientific study of birds.
pastime, amusement, play.
pergola, garden house.
persecution, pursuit with the object of punishing or hurting.
pilfering, thieving.
pleading, begging.
plumage, feathers.
preen, smooth down feathers with the beak.
premises, piece of land belonging to somebody.
primitive, old-fashioned.
prospect, view, outlook, scene.
provisions, food.
rasping, harsh, grating.
ravine, small valley made by running water.
relent, yield, give in, forgive.
revenge, return of evil for evil.
revive, bring back to life.
rippling, moving up and down or back and forth, like water.
rung, step (of a ladder).
sanctuary, refuge, shelter, place of protection.
serene, quiet, calm.
sibilant, high, piercing, hissing notes.
soot, a fine black powder left by smoke on the inside of chimneys.
stealthily, secretly.
subdued, overcome, quieted.
subsist, live on.
suet, beef fat.
syringa bush, an ornamental shrub with very sweet white blossoms.
tapering, narrowing to a point.
temporary, for a short time.
tenants, dwellers, occupants.
tethered, tied, leashed, hitched to a post or weight.
tinker, work at anything in an unskilled way.
tin-sheathed, enclosed in tin sheeting.
tolerate, put up with, endure.
transfer, remove.
trellis, lattice work for vines to grow on.
trilling, quavering (said of singing).
underbrush, small trees and bushes growing under large trees in a wood.
ventilation, letting in fresh air.
venture, risk, attempt.
vespers, evening songs.
vigilant, watchful.
vise, clamp.
winsome, charming, pleasing.
yodeling, warbling, singing with frequent changes from high to low and low to high.