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I o'clock ^"^ "^ •^'^ch wenk at three days ennh snoh book whil' in°htaT,'"' ""*" ""' ■•'"P™'»iMe f„r . b.f,k t''h?S™v''ed:''I""^ nr ™r„,<.,„. .„„„, pny for „r ropUc^^M Z„'kLT,''r '"V"'"' "^ lines »» ,„„y, in the „Di„i„„ T /l? ""7 """^ "'her Cnnol,,,,., he deemed Te™,T.;;'. ""' '^l"--"!,™, or 6 In borrowiTi" h hnrit PlainlT(T)the date r„^ r„„n \ ''"P;^ "'^'^^' ^^'•**« hH name on a .m p p"nv X h. h' "V?" ^^""'^- ("i) Hhall place this s1ipT7fit -^ '^^ J'^^rahan, and initlpJ:;,^^!:^"-;:,;;^;;;!;!^;-^ niHoeit 'tnd deliver It to th« r.n.!.j 1^ ''•'P ^'""'" ^^e Ale Jan. 15, 1911. W. G, BEATON ]- riM. .• ♦ Plate I. _ GOLDFINCH (Page 145) BIRDS OF VILLAGE AND FIELD a »ro Boon for »gj„„,« BY FLORENCE A. MERRIAM ILLUSTRATED MCCLELLAND & GOODCHILD TORONTO G CopyriRht, iSgS, Bv FLORENCE A. MERRIAM. All rights rese>i>ed. PREFATORY NOTE In tins ,lay of outdoor and nature interest, we are coming to realize tl.at to the birds as well as the flowers we owe nuu-h of the beauty and ehanu of country life ; and if it conld be accomplished withm the narrow margins oi our busy lives, we would gladly know more of the songsters. Their prevalence, though often unsuspected, helps render this possible ; for they are to be found m villages and cities as well as in the fields In a shrubby back yard in Chi<.tgo, close to one of the main thoroughfares, Mrs. Sara Hubbard has seen fifty-seven species in a year, and her re- cord for ten years was a hundred species. In an orchard in Brattleboro', Vermont, Mrs E B Davenport has noted seventy-nine species in a year. And within the limits of Portland, Con- necticut, Mr. John H. Sage has known ninety- nme kinds of birds to nest (see Appendix, p. rf«S). In the larger cities, cemeteries and parks offer rare opportunities for bird study. Dr W C. Braislin gives a list of seventy-six species for *^ PREFATOMY NOTE Prospect Park, Brooklyn ; while Mr. II. E. Park- hurst has himself seen uinety-four species in Central Park, and as many as a hundred and forty-two have been recorded altogether. The question, then, is not one of finding birds, but of knowing their names when they are^found ;' and here the way of the beginner is hard. Years' of experience with field classes of such beginners has made me appreciate the peculiar disadvan- tages under which they labor, and I have written this book to make it possible for them to know the birds without shooting them. I have done this by borrowing only necessary statistics from the ornithologies, givin- untechnical descriptions, and illustrated keys l)ased on such colors and markings as any one can note in the field ; for I Jiave written for those who do not know a Crow or a Robin as well as for boys who would get a start in bird-work, and teachers who would pre- pare themselves for this increasingly popular branch of nature study. To open the way for more intimate acquaint- ance after the formalities of introduction are over, I have offered suggestions on how to observe in the field (see Ajjpendix, p. 380), hoping that the friendship thus acquired by seeing the songsters PliEFATORY NOTE y in their homes may urge the student to go on and gain for himself tlie delights of a deeper study of birds. In the preparation of the Keys for this book 1 have been largely helped by my brother, Dr. C. Hart Merriam : and at other points have been kindly assisted by Miss Isabel F on, Mrs G C Maynard, Mr. Kobert Ridgway, Mr. Frank m" Chapman, Mr. John II. Sage, Dr. A. K. Fisher Dr. T. S. Palmer, Prof. F. E. L. Beal, and Mr.' Sylvester Judd. The ranges given are from Chapman's Handbook, -^ith additional notes by Dr. A. K. Fisher; the measurements are taken from the Handbook, but are given in round num- bers of quarter inches. Of the nngration and winter bird lists (see Appendix, pp. 369-379), the Washington ones have been kindly made by Mr. William Palmer; the St. Louis migration list has been compiled from notes by Mr. Otto Wid mann in the files of the Biological Survey ; and the Portland lists, together with that of birds known to nest in Portland, have been kindly supplied by Mr. John H. Sage. The pictures of birds are from drawings by Ernest Seton Thompson, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and John L. Kidgway. For the use of drawings' If- ^* PREFATORY NOTE of birds, insects, and plants which have previously appeared in the publications of the Department of Agriculture and the National Museum, I am indebted to the courtesy of Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the Division of Entomology; Mr. F v' Coville, Clnef of the Division of Botany ; and Dr C. Hart Merriam, Chief of the Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture ; and to Mr. F. A. Lucas, Curator of Comparative Anatomy in the National Museum. For the use of cuts previously published in the 'Auk,' the 'Os- prey,' and a report of the Illinois State Labora- tory of Natural History, I am indebted to the courtesy of Dr. J. A. Allen, Mr. Walter A. John- son, and Prof. S. A. Forbes. Florence A. Merriam. Washington, D. C, June 1, 1897. )usly uent am ^arcl, \ V. Dr. fvey Mr. amy BUtS Os- ora- tiie hn- CONTENTS Introditction. ^*°" How to find a Bird's Name . Wlieie to find Birds . _ ' " ' * " *|" How to watch Birds . . . ' ' ' *'^ How Birds affect Village Trees, (hardens, and Farms xv How to keep Birds about our Houses General Key to Birds mentioned in Book"(Illustrated ) xxix Catuikd ... • • • • 1 Amekican Chow • . . . * ' 11 Fish Crow ... }. KoKiN . . ^^ '■"••• 17 Wood Thrush "99 Chimney Swift MouRNiNo Dove ' ' oo Ground Dove Ruffed Grouse 40 Bob-white Key to Grouse and Quail . . ... * * 40 Bluebird House Wren Purple Martin * . * 4a Barn Swallow * * 40 Eave Swallow . . .'.".*.".'. gg Bank Swallow -. B,.LTiMORE Oriole * ^o Orchard Oriole " "!, MocKIN(}BIRI) Cardinal ' ' * at Chickadee Carolina Chickadke ' * 71 Whitk-breasted Nuthatch . . .'.*.* 73 • •• VIU CONTENTS Red-hrkastkd Nuthatch PAHSKNfiKK I'IGKON . Key to Pigeons and Doves Lkast Flycatcheu . KiNOBIKD r'H(KKE Wood Pewee Crow Blaokiukd . REI)-H'IN(iKU liLACKHIKD COWHIKD . Rl'HTY Bl^ACKBIUD RonoLINK ... Mkadowlark Key to Blackbirds and Orioles Chipi'inu Spaukow JSONO SJ'AKKOW . . . _ VkmI'KK Si-akkow . Rkd-kvkd Vikko VVAKRLmo ViKKO . Flicker Rkd-headkd Woodpec; ki« . Haiuy Woodpkckkk Downy Woodpecker . Waxwing .... "^goldfiimch • . . . Purple Finch . iNDKiC BUNTIN(5 . Tukted Titmouhe . Key to Nuthatches and Tits Blvk Jay . Belted Kingfisher . Yellow-billkd Cuckoo Black-hilled Cuckoo . Key to Cuckoos and Kingfishers Rose-hreasted Gkosbeak . Scarlet Tanager , Summer Tana(jer Key to Tanagers Wr'TB.TI.".UATKD .SpAKBOVV 76 78 80 80 83 87 90 93 98 101 . 108 106 . Ill 113 . 110 119 . 120 120 . 127 131 . 135 137 141 145 148 149 151 152 154 157 100 103 105 100 170 173 174 174 70 . 78 80 80 83 87 90 {):] m 98 101 103 10(5 111 113 110 119 120 126 127 131 CONTENTS Whitk-crowned Spaukov Bkown Thkahhkk Chewink . P'iKLD NfAKHOW . Whip-poor-will NiOHTHAWK . . Key to Goatsuckers. Hummingbirds Whitk-helliki) Swallow liouoH-wiNOKD Swallow Key to Swallows , Winter Wren . Carolina Wren . Hewick's Wren Long-billed Marsh Wren Key to Thrashers and Wrens Yellow-bellied Woodpeck er Rkd-oockaded Woodpec'keb Reu-bellikd Woodpecker . Pileated Woodpecker Key to Woodpeckers . Canada Jay Key to Crows and Jays JUNCO Snowflake . UlCKCISSEL Savanna Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Tree Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Fox Sparrow Pine Grosbeak Pine Finch . American Crossbill White-winged Crossbill Redpoll . Lark Sparrow Sharp-tailed Sparrow Seaside Sparrow . Clay-colored Sparrow IX • . 17G • • • • . 177 • • • . . 181 • 183 • . 185 gbirds, Swifts 188 . 193 • 194 • . 195 • • • 196 • . . 197 • 199 • . 201 • 202 • . 205 ' • 208 • . 210 ' 211 • . 212 • 216 . . 217 • 220 • . 221 • 223 • • • . 224 ' • • 225 * • • . 226 • • • 227 • . 229 * " • 1 230 * • • . 231 * * • • 233 " • • • 234 • 236 • . 236 * * • • . 237 • . 239 • 240 * • • . 241 CONTENTS Bachman's Sparrow . Key to Finches and Sparrows ACAUIAN FlYOATCHKR . Gkkat-ckested Flvcatohkr Olivk-.sided Flycatcher Aldeh Flycatcher . Key to Flycatchers Horned Lark Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Key to ViUtures Goshawk . Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winoed Hawk . Spabrow PIawk Marsh Hawk Fish Hawk Bald Eagle . Swallow-tailed Kite Key to Falcons, Hawks, and Eagles Screech Owl . Long-eared Owl . Short-eared Owl Barred Owl Great Horned Owl Barn Owl , • Snowy Owl Key to Owls . Loggerhead Shrike Butcherbird Key to Shrikes . Yellow-throated Vireo White-eyed Vireo . Key to Vireos Yellow Warbler . Redstart • 242 • . 240 . 254 • . 255 . 257 • . 258 . 200 • . 2G1 . 2a{ • . 205 . 200 • • . 2(J0 • 208 • . 209 • 271 • . 273 ■ 275 . . 270 . 278 . . 280 • 282 ■ . 283 . 285 •, . 287 • 288 • . 290 • 291 • • 292 • 293 . 294 • 21M3 298 • 300 . 800 • 301 • 302 • 304 • 307 . 309 CONTENTS 242 240 2r)4 255 257 258 200 261 20;j 205 200 200 208 209 271 273 rELLOW-RtTMPKD WaRBLEK . Black-tmuoaikd Green Warbler . * liLACK-THROATED JiLi„; Warhlkr Black and Writk Creei-.n., Warkleb JMarvland Yellow-thkoat Ued-i'oll Warkleb . . . ' ' Parula AVarhlkb . Chkstmtt-sjdeu Warrler .".'.' liLACK-i-oLL Warbler CIanadian Warbler . Nashville Warbler Black and Yellow Warbler . * . ' I'rairie Warbleb . . ' Blackbirnian Warbler . Hooded Warbler . . _ ' ' Kentucky Warbler . . " . ' Yellow-breasted Chat . . * ' Oven-bird . . ^ Northern Water-Thrish . ' . ' Louisiana Water-Thrush ^VoRM-EATiNG Warbler. Wilson's Warbler Key to Warblers Pipit ok Titlark Brown Creeper Ki'by-crowned Kinglet GOLDEN-CROWNKD KlN(;LET Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Key to Kinglets and Gnatcatchers Veery Thrush . Olive-backed Thrush Hermit Thrc.sh Key to Thrushes Appendix. Migration Winter Birds Field Observations Observing- in Towns and Villages Books of Reference . Index to Illustrations . Index XI . 310 311 . 312 314 . 315 310 . 317 318 . 321 322 . 322 324 . 325 320 327 329 331 333 335 336 337 339 342 348 349 354 350 357 357 358 359 300 300 307 376 380 388 390 395 399 INTRODUCTION How TO FIND A Bird's Namf —A«fi- i i n- XXIX xlix); tJns, when nm down wHl i i goes : 'f Lr'" "^ r '•" '»'""=" '■!'• "■»' - leamiug theii' ways is not ■, ,l;ffi u '"'■»"<■ t'"ng.s only are ne 1.1 f T ^°" science, JiMmZT ^°™Pnlous con. oper^g a r The L H' " '""'^^' "'' » -t.»4.anaCt:n^;S':^; t "'^ fyTRonucTroy be f.M.n.l i„ tho key : |«itien,u« leads to trainod ears and (.yes, aiul eonscicnec pievimts hasty con- c us.ons and doubtful i-eeor.ls. Two notebooks should be kept, one for peimanent reeoids and H pocket one, for Held use, as elaborations from nioniory are of little value to one's self, and still less to jmsterity. One of the best forms of per- nuuK.nt not.'book is a pad, punched and fastened m an adjustable eover. Tho notes on eaeh bird should be written on sei)arate i)ages, and as they' accumulate, the pji-es slii)pcd out of the cover and arranged alphal)etically for easy refenmee Suggestions for fiehl notes will be found in the observation outline, Ai)pendix, p. 380. WiFKUE TO FIND BuwH. — Shrubby village door-yards, the trees of village streets and or- chards, roadside fences, overgrown pastures, and the borders of brooks and rivers are among the best i)laces to look for birds. Such jJaces afford food and protection, for there are more insects and fewer enemies in villages and about country houses than in forests ; while brooks and river banks, though without the protection afforded by man, give water and abundant insect life. Very few birds care for deep woods. The heart of the dark, coniferous Adirondack forest is silent — hardly a bird is to be found there. It IS along the edges of sunny, open woodland that uiost of the wood-loving species go to nest. to trained s liii.sty con- > notebooks lot'ords and itions from li", and still iins of pov. 1(1 fastened 1 each bird ind jis they the cover refer(!nee. ind in the by village bs and or- tnre.s, and imon^- the ices afford re insects t country and river afforded isect life. Che heart forest is here. It land that it. ISTRODICTION ^V How TO WAT(.„H,K,)s.- In looking for birds 1.0 careful not to fri,.hten then. away. As shyer k nds are ahnost sure to Hy before you in any ctse, the best way ,s to ^o ^luietly to a ^.>o 1 ARMS, -Village improvement m. i> I fVI isriioin'crmif c..'t...,s ,„•.. <|n,, tl.-.v sonH.t„n.>s soon, to ho l,ufflonc.r, and tho fr.nt-/4r.»wor in tho Unitod Statos aro lost ovory year by tho rava-os of insoots ^- - that is to say ono tenth of onr ag.i<.nltnral pmdnots is aotnally o,ne the progenitoi- of several billion descend, -;., M is soon lu)w much good birds do ordinal i»;, ? mp'c prevention. ■.,,,1 k • ",'■ I'l"^' «'•'""■«'■ in Nohnwlia "'"' '^■'"■""'- '« »"l V n,a,l<,..|. Tlu.„ as „.|f .•o,,,t,t„w ,„iiitb, n„,y ,iy to t,„. .„,,„. ,;, „,.j. „; mu m„,,,, „a, wui. t,,,, ,i,,t,,,,. ^ ,,,,,^^, ; III.." s |,„ ,.„„l<,.,w,„.„, l„u| „„ t,.|„,, ,„ :;r^v':''T':''' '""'''■'' ^'' ''-if',,.,.,;, •«■ . ",ty ,i,fi,,,,.„t ki,„i» „t i,i,,,» ^,„,„. ■i"i »■"■" I-.- t„ fc,,| „,,„„ t|,„ „.„,„, o,, '""'''"'' "»>' '"'■'>•> f t ,•,■,!» wo,„ .,l,„t . ' •<'■•< t .a„ „,„. tl,i,,l .,f t,,„i, f,„„, ,,., f„„;,,"^ '.o c.a„k.rw„,.„„; the feal,o„.,l u,„,y wu, ,i,„,,,^ ".I....S o..t tl„. l„„.,|e of »,.,.,„,. A „i,„i,a . a e .-...■.■0,1 ,„ M,,,s.,„.,,„»„«„, ,,„, ,f,„^ ^,„^ -»« Ik l„,-cl, a«o„.l ..,o,, „f „,,,,,„, „,„ ' °' "";''■"■'' "'""I' '■■•.eo„ .lc.vaKtate,l. It ,» woll k„„w„ that, „f tho various oto„„s of f..l ...8 .ct», as fa,- a« tl„.y have boc, st„,lio,l l.„t few eat e,„.„gl, ,„ .,,«!, Hgai„.,t the ,a,-g, ,„ b of l,a,^„,f„l i„»eet., they live on tl„.:„,Z, t tl.0 yea.- A„,o„g ti,e i„,,e,-t-eaters a,-e th^Flv eache,-sWa,-,,l.-,-,VV,„,,,,,e..ko,-s,N,,t|,atcI,e,',^; oH («,,,ts„ekc,-.,, I l.....„.i„ghir.I»,Ta.,af;or» Wax mXjr""'' ^""'T- ''""<'"^- Shrike, Jli.asheu, Ci-eepei-s, ami Bluebirds. xviii INTRODUCTION It IS not generally known, however, that the so-called seed-eaters both feed their young larc^ely iq^on insects and eat many themselves; „or is It realized how nauch good they do by eating weed seeds Prof. F. E. L. Beal has calculated 1,720,000 lbs. of noxious weed seeds every year Moreover, in sun.mer seed-eaters eat blueberries,* Iiucklebernes, strawberries, and raspberries, and distribute their seeds unharmed over thousands of acres which would not otherwise support such growth. ^^ These facts show how important it is that the birds should be pro^^ected and encouraged, ex- cept m the exceedingly few cases where for a short time they eat some one cultivated crop to such excess that the loss is not compensated by the good they do in destroying pests the rest of the year. The Department of Agriculture, real- izing the losses that often result from the inno- rant sacrifice of useful birds, constituted the Division of Ornithology, now a part of the Biolo- gu-al Survey a court of appeal where accusations against the birds cc Jd be received and investi- gated. The method used by the division is the final one -the examination of stomach contents to prove the actual food of the birds. A reference collection of 800 kin.ls of seeds and 1,000 species of insects has been brought together for compari- xix INTRODUCTION son in deterodnin, t,,„ „,.a,.aote.. of too,-reJZ After the examination of abotit eio-l.tv hi„u ,l. only one actually senteneed to dea h f t % lisl. !Si,arrow. Of all tl,„ , "'' ^'«- tIu-eeiaveI,eenfo,„^^tr';T' V""'''' "'''y against then, _ " (jf ' ^ / '' "'"■"'*■" '"'«'« si;a,.p.,,,i„„ed, -whi'r':; ?"•'''■•'"• ""'> «- among tl.o he t f™ ds o tl T ■"""'^"<' favn,e,.. Of the M^Jj «„! ' tl 's^''°7'' '■""' Ked-head may he henefohl ^ •' ^"P^""'""- »'"' to cire„n,sta,L as I , T,'"'"™-'' """"'-"'« «.e.-e3t„ftl.et-V::LXS"'r Crow probably does more ^oL /l ,* tl"c;kl, settled pa.ts of the c^ ^^" ^^^^ '" To most of the remainino- birds tried fT, • eak, House VV^renV,;. ^^"'^*^-^»'«^«ted Gros- ' " '^ ^^^^»' ^""^os, Cuckoos, Orioles S],^,.o , ^u^^eriiead feiirike. Wood Tbi-r d. p i wing, and Meadowlark '' ^^^^ —■rnLt^fiSd:'!^ oi nature by destroying weeds that XX INTRODUCTION plague the farmer, and by cheeking the insects that destroy the i)roduce of tlie agrieultui'ist. The great value of birds is demonstrated. The questions are, how to attract them where they liave disappeared, and then how to protect the crops from their occasional depredations. Mr. Forbush, who has experimented in the matter in Massachusetts, both fed the birds and planted bushes to attract them. He says : " It is evi- dent that a diversity of plants, which encourages diversified insect life and assures an abundance of fruits and seeds as an attraction to birds, will insure their })resence." The cultivated crops can be protected in two ways — either by mechanical devices that frighten the birds away from the fruit or grain fields, or by the substitution of wild or cultivated foods. To frighten the birds away, white twine can be strun^g across berry beds ; string, hung with bits of glittering waste tin, over fields ; while stuffed Hawks and cats can be kept in orchards. To attract the birds from cidtivated fruit, it is well to plant some wild fruit that will bear during the weeks when the birds eat the garden or orchard crops. In this connection Mr. Forbush says: "I wish i)articularly to note the fact that the mul- berry-trees, which rii)en their berries in June, l)roved to be a protection to the cultivated cher- ries, as the fruit-eating birds seem to prefer them to the cultivated cherries, perhaps because they INTEODUVTWN xxi ripen somewlmt earlier; " and he adds: "I believe it won d be wise for the farn.er to plant rows of these trees near his orchard, and it is possible hat the early June berry or shadberry might also be useful m this respect." Professor lieal, who has charge of the stomach exanimafons m the Biological Survey, suo-ests planting berry bi.shes along the roads and fences and l)etween gi'ain fields. Toprota-t strawberries and cherries (May and J.uie) plant Russian nmlberry and June berry or shadberry. ^ Toproteet raspberries and bhekberrles rjulv and August), plant nuxlberry, buckthorn, elder and choke-ciierry. ' and October), plant choke-cherries, elder, wild black cheriy, an.l Virginia creeper. Toproteet >dr,ter fruits, phuit Vix-ginia creeper, dogwood, numntam ash, bittersweet, viburnum iKickberry, bayberry, and pokeberry. Mulberries are eaten by the Flycatchers, War- bers,Vueos,(^,ckoos,Blackbirds,Orioles,Finches, Sparrows Tanagers, \raxwings. Catbirds, Blue- birds, and Thrushes. Gro^f? t''^? '"''" ''''''' '^^ '^'' Rose-breasted G osbeak, Cuckoo, Quail, Hairy Woodpecker Chewink, and Whip-poor-will ^^'P^^ker, J^'-<'ff liars (whic.h do most harm to apple and cherry trees) are eaten by the Crow XXII INTRODUCTION Chickadee, Oriole, Keel-eyed Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo, Chipping- Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler. ^ Cutworms (which cut off corn, etc., before it IS fairly started in the spring, and are very de- structive to grass) are eaten by the Kobin, Crow, Catbird,Log8erheadShrike,HouseWien,Meadow. lark, Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, Brown Thrasher and Red-winged Blackbird. ' Ants (which spread plant-lice, destroy timber, and infest houses) are the favorite food of the Catbird, Thrasher, House Wren, and Wood- peckers, and are eaten by almost all land birds except birds of prey. ^cale insects (which are a fruit-tree pest, in- juring oranges, olives, etc.) are eaten by the Bush- tit, Woodpeckers, and Cedar-bird. The May beetle (which ravages forest trees, and also injures grain and grass lands) is eaten by the Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Robin Meadowlark, Brown Thrasher, l^luebird. Catbird' Blue Jay, Crow Blackbird, Crow, Loggerhead Shrike, Mockingbird, and Gray-cheeked Thrush. Weevils (which injure grain, forage, and mar- ket gardens) are eaten by the Crow, Crow Black- bird, Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Meadow-' lark, Cowbird, Bluebird, Robin, Swallows, Flycatch- ers, Mockingbird, \Yoodpeckers, Wood Thrush, Alice's Thrush, and Scarlet Tanao-er. INTRODUCTION xxiii . ^''' '^f'^' ^'^'tf C^vlacli eats grain an.l wlieat) IS eaten by t],e Brown Thrasher, Meadowlark, Catbn-a, Ued-eyed Vireo, Kobin, and Bob-white Ihewtrcu^orm (wliich causes heavy losses in he cornhehl) is eaten by the Ked-win^^ed IJh.ck- bml, Crow Blackbird, Crow, Woodpeek:rs, Brown llu-asher, bear ot Tanager, Kobin, Catbird, Jialti- iiiore Onole, Meadowhirk, and Cowbird Cra,^ flio. (which eat grass roots in the hay hedds) ai-e eaten by the Robin, Catbird, Wood Thrnsh, Gray-cheeked Thrnsh, Olive-backed Cot^n -worms are eaten by the Bhiebird, Blue Jay, Red-w,nged Blackbird, Thrushes, Prairie Chicken Quad, Kihieer, Bobolink, Mockingbird, Cardnial, Cuckoos, and Swallow-tailed Kite Gm^Mot/>.- Mr. Forbusl, ornithologist of the Massachusetts State Board of A-ricitlti re gives the folk wing list of birds seen to f^ed on ihe' Sym moth : Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Ilairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pigeon Woodpecker, Kitigbird, Great-crested Fly. catcher, Pu^be, Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Blue J=ty, Crow Baltimore Oriole, Purple Crackle or C.W Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, Chewink, liose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo-bird, Scarlet Tan- ager Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Yel' low AVarbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black- xxiv jyriwnicrio.Y tluoated Green Warblta-, Oven-l,,'.-,! M i ^ Ye,,,,. „,, eo„ w..,.,e.: 7i::.t K s I-custcl N„tJ„.tc,,, CIn,.ln-• "SJO. Rkdi'oll. 1'. Bi»lii not mnhilii brownish. 2. (JknKKAL COLOK (iUKKN OU RED. 3. Bodii main/// f/rccn or ;/rrf'nish. ' 4. Scarlet crown patch. Migrant. p. 354. UUHY-CROWNEI) KiNGLET. 4'. No crown patch ; throat glancing rnby. --^^ p. 1. Ruby-throated lIuMMimjami,. 3'. Bofiy mainlij red o. IJill crossed. Winter visitors that come in flocks with yellowish green females. Gen- '^ ^^^ erally seen on coniferous trees, p. 234. Croshhiu.s. 5'. Bill not crossed. 6. Winffs and tail red. 7. Head with high crest ; bill thick and red ; black ring around base of bill Female brownish ; wings and tail dull red . . . ^ (>- r, • • • • p. bu. Cardinal. xxxu FIELD COLOR KEY \ Ifil It 7'. Head without crest ; bill not thick or red ; no black around base of bill. Female olive-green and yel- 'owish p. 173. Summer Tanagkr. 6'. Wings and tail not red. 8. Wings and tail black, body scarlet. Female yellowish green. Found in northern woods . . p. 170. Scarlet Tanager. 8', Wings and tail brownish, body pink- ish red ; bill short and thick. 9. Large ; winter visitors. p. iiSl. Pine Grosbeak. IK. Small ; summer residents. p. 148. Purple Finch. 2'. General color black or black and wfiite. 10. Body black. 11. With red epaulettes. Bill long and' pointed like an Oriole's. Song, o-ka- lee. Found in marshes. p. 96. Red-winged Blackbird. 11'. Without red epaulettes. Whole top of head red and crested j nearly as large as Crow. Found in forests. p. 212. Pileated Woodpecker. 10'. Body Mack and white. 12. Head wholly black ^ or red. <' ^ 13. Head wholly red ; Vji throat red ; belly white ; back and wings black and white in large \f^ patches. Often seen ^ on fence posts. p. 131. Red-headed Woodpecker. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxiii 13'. Head wholly black. 14. Rose patch on breast ; back black ; rump and belly wliite ; tail marked with white. Female' sparrow-like. Pl66. RosE-BKEASTED Grosbeak ' '''■ s'allZr' '''''" °" '"^^* ' '^" --'^ed with 1^ . Head not wholly black or red 16. Breas black belly yellow. Found from Massa chusetts northward in summer. P- 208. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker '''■ ^thtf Vr'' '. ""'^'' P'^^^^ -'"*-''. washed with red. Common m southern states. iK> rr ^'^^^' ^''"-^'=^"'=» Woodpecker. 17 cff 'Tl "1 "^""^ ^^^ '• '^'--' white. J R'^O-raCKADED WOODPECKE,. 18. Length 9 to 10 inches. IS, T .v.. ^' ^^' ^^^^^ Woodpecker. 18 . Length 6 to 7 inches. P- 137. Downy Woodpecker C. ^^OVr OR OHANO^ CONSPICUOUS IH 1- JFAo/e A.«rf, throat, and most of back black. 2. Large ; under parts orange ; no salmon on wings or tail. Builds gray hanging nest, preferably i„ elms „ K« t, • . . P. 66. Baltimore Oriole. f xxxiv FIELD COLOB KEY 2'. Small ; under parts white, with salmon-red patches on sides of breast, win^s, and tail. Tail, when open, fan-shaped, showing sal- mon patches. p. 309. Redstart. It v. Whole head not Hack. 3. Crown rlack. 4. Throat and breast black ; forehead and cheeks yellow. p. 327. Hooded Warbler. 4'. Throat and breast yellow. 6. Back and under parts yellow. 6. Wings and tail black ('Wild Canary'). p. 145. Goldfinch. 6'. Wings and tail not black. Migrant. p. 339. Wilson's Warbler, 6'. Back olive ; sides of throat blae^ Hunts ,_^hi^ near ground. Song, a loud ringing klur- ^^IM^ wee, klur-wee, klur-wee. |^^^ p. 329. Kentucky Warbler. 8'. Crown not black. 7. Crown and throat red, breast black, belly yellow. p. 208. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 7'. Crown and throat not red. 8. Rump compimoiisly while or yellow. 9. Rump white, breast with black crescent. Large. p. 127. Flicker XXXV ^ FIELD COLOR KEY 9'. Rump yellow. Small. 10. Crown witl. yellow patch ; „„cler parts black, yellow, and white; white wmg bars and white on ends of tail feathers. First Warbler seen iu spring and last in fall. P-310. Yellow-rumped Warbler. 10'. Crown blnish gray ; „„der parts yellow, heavily streaked with black; large blotches of vl e on wings and middle of tail. p. 324. Black and yellow Warbler. 8'. Rump not white or yelUm. 11. Throat and sides of breast black; back oive-green, sometimes spotted with' l> ack ; cheeks bright yellow ; tail showing white. _ p. 311. Black-throated Green Warbler. 11'. Throat yellow or white. 12. Breast with solid black crescent ; upper parts brown, streaked. White outer tail feathers seen in flight. ^^ p. 106. Meadowlark. 12\ Breast withont solid black orescent. ^ckT* ""•\'''^'^' ''''''' "^ '^'"^^''- forming necklace ; s.des not streaked: back wings, and tail grayish, without white patches. Song, rup-it-che, rup-it-che, rup-it-chitt-it-lit. _-,. P- 322. Canadian Wa'rbler. xxxvi Mr FIELD COLOR KEY 13'. Throat without necklace. 14. Sides of face and throat black, formang mask. Song, wilch-ery, wttch-ery, witch-enj. p. 315. Maryland Yellow-throat. 14'. Sides of face and throat withont black mask. 15. Entire bird yellow ; nnder parts streaked with reddish brown. Common in gardens, orchards, and shrubbery and along streams. . ^. p. 307. Yellow WarbTer. 16'. Entire bird not yellow. 10. Back olive-green. 17. Crown with patch of different color. 18. Crown patch orange and yellow, bordered by black. p. 350. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 18'. Crown patch chestnut ; under parts bright yellow. ° 19. Head bluish gray ; under parts un- streaked. p. 322. Nashville Warbler. 19'. Head not bluish gray ; sides of throat and breast streaked. p. 310. Yellow Red-poll. 17'. Crown without color patch. 20. Throat and breast yellow j belly white or whitish. 21. Wing crossed by two white bars ; eve- riiig yellow. '' p. 301. Yellow-throated Vireo. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxvii un- 21'. Wing without bars ; eye- ring and line to bill white ; size large ; song loud and varied. P- 331. Yellow-breasted Chat. 10'. Back 7wt olive-green. 22. liack marked by distinct color patch be- tween wings. 23. Back patch chestnut ; cheeks marked with black ; bird niaiidy yellow. -^^ Found in juniper thickets and ^"^IL bushy acids. Y^!^ p. 325. Prairie Warbler. 23'. Back patch yellow; bird mainly bluish ; tliroat yellow ; a bluish black or rufous band across breast ; belly white. Nests in gray moss. p. 317. Parula Warbler. 22'. Back without color patch. 24. Throat with black patch; chin white ; breast, yellow ; back brownish. Common in Mis- sissippi valley. Si„gs i„ clover and grain fields. p. 224. DiCKCISSEL. 24'. Throat without black patch; crown with patcli of yellow or orange. 26. Crown patch orange ; back ^-3- mainly black; throat rich ^ orange. fm^ p. 32G. Blackburnian Warbler. xxxviii FIELD COLOR KEY m 25'. Crown patcli yellow ; sides cJiestimt. Back streaked with Wack ; tlu'oat white. p. :U8. CllKSTNUT-SIDKI) WaKHLKH. D. BLACK OR BLACK AND WHITE CON SPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 1. Mainly OR wholly i,lack oh ulack- I8H. 2. Wholh) black or blackish. ''i. Head and neck naked. 4. Skin of Iiead and neck red. Tips of wing feathers conspicuously separated in HigJit. P- 2G3. TURKKT VULTUUK. 4'. Skin of head and neck black. p. 2G5. Black Vulture. 3'. Head and neck not naked. 5. Large ; plumage always black, pp. H, ic. Crows. G'. Small ; plumage rusty in fall. p. 101. Rusty Blackbird. 2'. Not tvholli/ black or blackish. C. Head and neck brown or purplish. 7. Head and neck brown .... p. 98. Cowbird. 7'. Head and neck purplish. P- 93. Crow Blackhirds . Head and neck not brown or purplish. 8- Bed patches ou shoulders. p. 96. llKD-Vt'iNGED Blackbird. 8'. No red patches on shoulders. 9. Jhck marked with white. 10. Under parts and top of head wholly black ; back of neck with cream- buff patch ; back largely whitish. p. 103. Bobolink. S :l: <\ I FIELD COLOU KEY " 10'. Under parts not wl.olly l,l,u.k • tl.ro.f 1 1 , -ep.t..on.,roust;J„,.J;:;;;:;^,;:!-^^ V- 100. llOHK.UHKAHTKD GjiOSIiKAK. 9'. Dark 7wt marked with white. 11. Tin-out black, holly white. 1^^ «"le« lm>wn; tail showino- white. _ heen Hcmtchin«- ainong --"^ -hnon blotches. iJten Ihttinir about undergrowth. ,, „ p. 309. Redstakt. • ^,'!; ''^^^^'^ «« ^VHOU.V m.ACK. •i. J^/ Warrler. 7'. Throat not black. 9. Under parts without markings. 10. Head with black cap. 11. Wings and tail black . . p. 145. Goldfinch. 11'. Wings and tail olive-green. 12. No black on throat. p. 339. Wilson's Warbler. 12'. Black lines on sides of throat. p. 329. Kentucky Warbler. 10'. Head without black cap ; a black band across fore- head and cher'-s. p. 315. Maryland Yellow-throat. 9'. Under parts with markings ; head without black cap. 13. Throat and crown red ; breast black, belly yel- low, .p. 208. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 13'. Throat and crown not red. 14 Back black; wings and tail showing white. lo. Throat and crown-patch orange. p. 326. Blackburnian Warbler. 15'. Throat yellow ; crown bluish gray. p. 324. Black and Yellow Warbler 14'. Back not black. 16. Size large ; black crescent on breast ; upper parts brownish . . . p. lOG. Meadowlark. FIELD COLOR KEY ^li IC. Size small ; breast vvitl. necklace of black snots • upper parts gray. ' "^'^ ' p. 322. Canadian Warbler 18. Back uniformly barred with black and wl,-f under pdrts whitish, washed with red ''"'' V- 211. Red-belukd Woodpkckkr. 18'. Back divided into black -uid «,l,;fo head and tlu.oat red ;be,i;wi:tr p. 131. Rkd-headed Woodpecker. 17'. Top of head not red. Dack black . . p. 01. Orchard Oriole. lO'.Breast and belly not chestnut; whole head not ''■ ne:rbHct"f "^"' *'"'^' "'"*^ '• '^-'^ °f '-ad and neck blackish ; rest of body mainly grayish • nlu -nage soft and fluffy. Northern bfrls. ' ^ P-217. Canada Jay. 20'. Front of head and throat not white ; back of head and neck not blackish. 21. Upper parts blue. 22. Head crested ; throat gray with black collar. ' p. 154. Blue Jay. 22'. Head not crested ; throat and sides black. P- ^12. Black-throated Blue Warbler. 21'. Upper parts not blue. p. 310. Yellow-rumped Warbler. m 1 I ' ^^" FIELD COLOli IvEY 23'. Throat and sides of breast l>lacl< ; sides of head yellow. p. 311. Ulack-th KOATKD Gkeen Warbler. II. DULL-COLORED. lilllDS. A. Omve-(,reen or Olive-Hrown. . . . xlii B. (in\Y OR HlUISII jlijj C. Brown or Brownish xlv A. OLIVE-GREEN OR OT.IVE-BROWN. 1. Under parts spotted. 2. Crown with cap of different color. Crown gohlen, bordered by black l.nes. ConiKion ill dry woodlands. Song, a cres- cendo leach, or teacher, teacher, teacher, ''""'''''■ p. 333. Oven-rird. 2'. Crown without cap of different color. 3. White line over eye ; niider parts streaked with black, except on throat and middle of helhj. Wild, shy bird, difficult to approach. p. 336. Louisiana Water-Thrush. 3'. Buffy line over eye; under parts — in- cludbuj //(?•««< — streaked with black. Couijiaratively tame and unsuspicious. p. 335. Water-Thrush. 1'. Under parts not spotted. 4. Head striped ; top of ]iead with four black lines alternating with yellowish lines. Found in dry, open woodland, near the ground .... p. 337. Worm-eating Warrler. 4'. Head not striped. 6. Ctomi toith red or orange patch. p. 357. Kinglets, FIELD COLOR KEY diii 5'. Crnini wilhout ml or onin,je patch. C. Witli wiiifT bill's. 7. C..,.s,m..,ous yolh.w rin^. arou„,I oyo ; oyo wl.ito. areyou,chr\ . . p. yo.'. W.u.Lvko V.kko. 7'. No yellow ri..fr ,u„,„„l eyo ; oyo dark. Fo,„kI by streams m woods. Call, pcah-nulc' . p. 254. Acadian Flycatchkk. C)'. Without wing bars. 8. Wliih) line over eye Caj) g.ay, bordered by blackish. Soi.ff broke., ai.d ii. triplets. Com.no., everywhere in trees. \ p. liiO. Ukd-kykd Vikeo. 8'. No white line over eye. Head and back ..niforn. olive-gray. _„^^, «o.ig a sweet flowi..g warble. Found X^"^' high in village elius. \ ' p. 12G. Warbling Vireo, B. GRAY OR BLUISH GRAY. 1. ri.UMA(iE inSTINCTLYMARKKDWITirmACK 2. Throat black. ^• Cap black, back gray. Call, cMck-n-dee. pp. 07, 71. ClIICKAi.EES. 2'. Throat not black. 3. Back bluish. 4. Top of head black ; seen on tree trunks. 5. Under parts white ; no line (,.. side of head. Com.non resident from Gulf states to Canada. p. 73. White-breasted Nuthatch, xliv FIELD COLOR KEY S11RIKE8. C. UiultM- parts hiovvii ; Muck 1iii<> on sido '^^l^^. of lu-ad. Winter visitor ; nosts mainly V'^fl^ in motintains, or north of United States. \- 1». 70. RkI) HUKAHTKD NuTHATCH. 4'. Top of head hhiish ; not seen on tree trunks. 'Jail lihiek ; onter feathers white. Flits ,.^^^ about actively, catching insects. "^^i^ p. 357. ULUE-tiRAY (Jnatcatcukk. 3'. limk grnii or slate, C. ('rown gray like hack ; blac^k bar on side of face ; sides of tail white. Perches in exposed positions. p. 3()0. 6'. Crown black ; no black on face ; no white on tail ; under parts slate ; under tail patch reddish brown. Fre- quents thickets. p. 6. 1.' Plumaok not dlstinctly marked WITH lU.ACK. 7. Outer tail feathers white ; head not crested. 8. Back and breast slate gray ; belly abruptly white. Common, familiar Snowbird. p. 221. JuNco. 8'. Rack lighter gray ; breast and belly white ; size large. A well-known bird of the southern states, p- 63. Mockingbird. 7'. Outer tail feathers not white ; head with high crest ; size small. Song, pe-to, pe-to, ' pe-to. p. 151. Tufted Titmouse. Catbird. mSism^iJff'^ ■■'*'^- lTCII. HKK. KES. IRD. ^ fCO. k RD. k 9E. FTELD COLOIi KEY xlv C. BROWN OR BROWNISH. 1- SiZK KATIIKK I.AIUii;. 2 ('myirunns widtr ,mlrhc. on wwr,s, „nt, or rnmp. J. Wind's Utujr iind pointed. 4. Win^s .„a.k,.d with white bur ; un white „„ r„,„p . ai forked ; throat white ; no bristles at base of bill, (all, prmt, heard as bird flies high i„ air. p. 188. NKiJITIlAWK. 4'. Wings not n,arked with white bar; run,, white; tad not forked .... ,, l'78. Mahs.. IIa>vk. 3'. Wings mther short . ,unded, not marked with white ; tad not forkid. C. Kmnp white; n.uler side of wings and tail yellow, black crescent ..„ breast ... p. j^y. j^^^,^^,,^' 6'. Rump not white ; under side of wings jiimI (ail not yellow. 6. Throi. ulackisli, bordered by $■ white bar ; whole outer side of tail white ; conspicuous bristles at base of bill. p. 185. Whip-poor-will. 6'. Throat not blackish ; white of tail limited. 7. 7oy; of head not same color as back. Forehead brownish ; back of head bluish slate; tail gradu- ated and showing white bor- M dering in Hight. p- 29. MouKNiNG Dove. 11 xlvi FIELD COLOR KEY 7'. Top of head same color as back. 8. J lead and back bluish slate ; breast pinkish. Outer tail feathers, only, showing grayish white i» Hight .... p. 78. Passkngkh 1'igeon. 8'. Head and back brownish ; under parts whitish. 9. Lower half of bill yellow ; outer tail feathers black, broadly tipped with white ; wings largely ru- fous ; ring around eye yellow. p. IGO. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 9'. Lower half of bill black ; outer tail feathers brown, very narrowly tipped with white ; wings ^ vvitliout rufous ; ring- around eye red. p. 1G3. Black-billed Cuckoo. 2'. iW> white patches on wings, tail, or rump. 10. Form slender ; tail long ; upper parts rich reddish brown ; under parts white, heavily streaked with black. Song long and varied p. 177. Brown Thrasher. 10'. Form stout, hen-like ; tail not long ; body covered with markings. 11. Neck with conspicuous black ruff ; end of tail barred, p. 32. Ruffed Grouse. 11'. Neck wilh- out ruff ; end of tail not barred. p. 37. Bob-white ; Quail Ruffed Grousk. FIELD COLOR KEY xlvii 1'. Size mkdium or small. 2. Breast reddish brown or pinkish 3. Breaafc reddish brown ; top of head blackish. P- 17. Robin. 3'. Breast and forehead pinkish, p. 31. Ground Dovk. 2'. Breast not reddish brown or pinkish. 4. rad ending i„ needle-like spines j wings -.^> long, narrow, and curved. "^ p. 23, Chimney Swift. *; ™ "°*^ *""''"ff >» "eedle-Iike spines. o. Ue.a wxth high crest ; end of tail with yellow band. p. 141. Waxwincx. 5'. Head without high crest ; end of tail without yellow band. 6. Forehead and throat yellow ; a slen- tier tuft of black feathers over each eye; a black bar across front of head, and blatk crescent on breast. P- 2G1. HoRNKD Lark. 6'. Forehead and throat not yellow ; no tuft of fea thers over eyes ; no black bar across head 7. Tad w.th wlute bar across end ; crown with con cealed orange patch ; under parts whitisl! P- 83. Kingbird. 7'^ Tail without white bar; erown without color patch 8. Tail showing reddish in flight- thro.fi P- ~oo. GRKAT-CRK8TKD FlYCATCHKR "■^ W. I n ■Hi xlviii FIELD COLOli KEY 8'. Tail not showing reddish in flight ; throat not gray ; helly not yellow. 9. Upper parts uniform brownish or olive-brown ; no spots, streaks, or bars above or below ; usually seen making short sallies into the I air for insects, returning to the same perch or another convenient one. p. 2G0. Flycatchers. Upper parts not uniform brownish or brownish olive ; body more or less marked. 9'. 10. Wings long and powerful ; feet small and weak ; usually seen on the wing. p. 196. Swallows. 10'. Wings not long and powerful ; feet not small and weak ; not usually seen on the wing. 11. Tail stiff and pointed, used as a prop in climbing. Seen on tree trunks . . p. 349. Hrown Creeper. 11'. Tail not stiff and pointed, and not used as a prop in climbing. 12. Bill conical for cracking ^^' -— ==^-) seeds ; color variable ; most-^-c ^•^'^——^ ly ground and bush-haunting birds. p. 246. Finches and Sparrows. 12'. Bill slender for catching insects. 13. Wagtails ; tails constantly wagged ; usually seen in flocks on ground. Hind toe-nail elongated p. 348 Pipit. FIELD COLOR KEY xlix 13'. Not Wagtails. 14. Size relatively large ; „pper parts and tail not barred or streaked; breast 'P°""'* p. 360. Thrushes. 14'. Size relatively small ; upper parts or tail barred or streaked ; breast '^^ "ot spotted .... p. 205. Wrens. .S ( I! f BIRDS OF VILLAGE AND FIELD Fig. 1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird : Trockllus eolubris red. ternale ami .vo««^, .si.nilar, but without red «„ throat Length, about 3^ inches. "»oat. What tantalizing. Httle .sprites ti.e.se airy dart- ei. .re ! Quietly feeding before the trumpet-vine i 2 BUSY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD over tlie piazza one moment, gone with a whirr the next, where, how far, who can say ? As the mother bird vanishes and reai)pears, reappears and vanishes, it becomes plain that she is carry- ing food to her young. Her nest is the most exquisite of all the beautiful structures of winged architects, her domestic life and ways of caring for her young among the most original and curi- ous. Surely the patience of the bird-lover should be equal to the task of discovering her home. When found, it proves to be, like its builder, the smallest of its kind, a thimble oi plant-down coated with delicate green lichen, formed and decorated with wonderful skill, and saddled so dextrously to a bough that it would seem but a part of the tree itself. When the eggs are first laid, their white shells are so thin as to be almost transparent, and when the young come out of the little white pearls it seems a seven days' marvel that such mites can ever become birds. It takes three full weeks for them to reach man's estate and leave the nest. During that time the care of the mother is most interesting. She is certainly kept busy, for sixteen young spiders have been found in the stomach of a nest- ling only two days old. The Hummer feeds the young by regurgitation, plunging her needle-like bill into their tiny throats — ' a frightful-look- ing act,' as Mr, Torrey says. When she finds the brood ready to leave the nest, her anxiety 1:3 RUliY-TllUOATED IIUMMINGBIRl) 3 be(H)raes so great that her nerves quite get the better of her. One niotlier bird Mr. Torrey was watching at such a time went so far as to leave her tree a .d fly tempestuously at an innocent Sparrow, driving him well out of the tomato patch. When her young were fairly launched upon the world, her happiness was sliown by a most re- markable exhibition of 'maternal ecstasy.' She came intending to feed a nestling perched on a branch, but tlien, as a human mother unexpect- edly stops to c.-,..ess her little one, she opened her wnigs and circled around her little bird's liead Lighting beside him, her feelings again overcame iier, and she rose and flew around him once more. As Mr. Torrey writes, " It was a beautiful act, . . beautiful beyond the power of any words of mine to set forth ; . . . the sight repaid all my wateh- mgs thnce over, and even now I feel my heart growing warm at the recollection of it." " StranVe thoughtlessness, is it not," he asks pertinently, which allows mothers capable of such passionate devotion -tiny, defenseless things -to be slauo-h- tered by the million for the enhancement "of woman's charms I " While the mother is so devotedly caring for her httle ones, what is the father doing? That seems to be tlie question. Mr. Torrey has been look- ing up the matter, and in ' The Footpath Way ' tells us that out of fifty nests of which he has had 4 HUliY-TlIROATEl) HUMMING BIItD reports, (,„ly two were favored by tire presence ot tlie male, as far as the evidenee went On - the other hand, IVIr. Torrey himself watched one male who, whether a householder o/ a bachelor, tlevoted himself most assiduously to doing- no- thing. Hour after hour, day after day, and week after week, he was found perching in the same tree, apparently scarcely allowing himself time for three meals a day. Here certainly are mysteries wortn clcarmg „p. Such conduct nuist not pass unchallenged. Let each field student hie forth with glass and book, and wrest from these un- natural Benedicts full accounts of themselves. It is not in its home life alone that the Ilum- mingbird is interesting. We can hardly see one without being filled with wonder. While stand- ing in the garden watching the ' burly dozing humblebee ' wandering in ' waving lines ' from flower to flower, who has not been startled by the sudden vision of a whizzing Hummer darting- past straight to some favorite blossom ? How do these little flower-lovers work together- does the world hold blooms enough for bee and bird, or can the bee glean when the Hummingbird has done *? This much we know: while, as Emerson says, the bee IS 'sipping only what is sweet,' the Hummer is probing for tiny gauzy wings hidden in the sweet. And, whatever their own wants, both little crea- tures are at work helping to carry out the mar- velons ends <,f th. great .nctlier Nature : for wl.ile tiie plants su,,p]y then with food, they in t,un leavo th. flowers laden with rich pollen, earryin<. it on then- rounds, an• Tliaf the parents lovo their youn^r exceed i n- v,' as A .-. Nchrling says, " is evident on a|)i)roaclu'. - H,n iient. With unxious eries, with ruffl,.! ,,l,„M.f?e, and drooping - wm-s they Hutter about the intruder." If .e- assure.l by kindness, though, th.'y become very trustful, and discriminate only against those they not know. One pair which the ornithologi.st watche.1 - would allow even the children to look at their eggs and young without becoming in the least uneasy and frightened. They certainly knew that they were protected and that the children too loved them. But as soon as a stranger ap- proached the structure they screamed so loudly and evinced such noisy distress that the chick- ens in the barnyard cackhul, and old hens hurried to get their broods in safety." In protecting their young against cats and snakes in the woods and thickets, the birds make sm-li a commotion they warn other birds aiul even quadrupeds of impending danger. The nest which the Catbird defends with so much courage is a bulky mass of twigs, grasses, and dead leaves, and is lined with rootlets ; a very different type from the compact, delicate little cup of the Hummingbird. But if there is any lack of beauty in the nest itself, it is made up by the eggs, which are a rich greenish 10 CATJiIRD blue, iiml miglit well excite the i)ncle of any motJior bird. Wliilc the Catbird's reputed power of mimicry is very great, some consider its song almost entiiely oi-iginal. Jk^sides the song, and the mew- ing call that has given the bird its name, Mr. ' Bicknell, in his valuable i)aper on ' The Singing of our Jiirds,' calls attention to another " charac- teristic vocal accomplishment — a shoi't, sharp, crackling sound, like the snapping of small fag- ots" — whicOi, he adds, is heard in the dog days, and is generally given hurriedly as the bird seeks the security of some bushy patch, or darts into the thick cover along the road. t'or seveial sunnners one of these friendly birds was the chorister and companion of a gentle old lady, a lover of birds and flowers, who lived alone in a cottage hidden behind an old-fashioned gar- den, whost! rose-covered trellises and rich masses of fragrant blooming lilacs, flowering shrubs, and encircling trees made a favorite resting-i)lace for feathered travelers in si)ving and fall, and the chosen home of many blrls in summer. Of all those that built in the garden, the Catbird was the pet and comrade of the garden's hosintable owner. When she thr-^'v open her blinds in the morning, he would fly up and call till she came out and answered liim : then he would seat himself con- tentedly and pour out his morning song. During the day he would of 'on call her to the window or AMEItWAN enow 11 ■loor ;„ tl,c same way, never resting till ,I„. wn,lo,n„ektoW insnosuva.,;;,,,.,;^ bo ule the sanl,.,, fence, whiel, .an „„,ler a eover l"t.o>, at sunset l,e w„„l,l Hy t„ ,,i., f^^„,. pneh ,„ the garden to .,i„,, ,„,,.., ,,, ;™ _;;^ thet,c £..„.n,l. An.l „„, th,,,ngh the s„ft twLS - she .at ah,ne looking „„t „^„„ ,,,^ „ J 'j pop,>,e,,op,.„n,g,yenow prinn..., an.I tall stately" 1 es, cheere,! an,l en,a,,tu,e,l .she would listen to . inpass,one,l sunset song. That the friemlly bn-,l was .^.ally attra-.ted to the garden by his o.e „f Innuan eo, „,ion,l,ip was .shown pr" sun,ably one spring, for l,i, ge„t,„ „. ' ^ «ay fron, hon.e wi.en he ean,e north, and thcTg dt eS ;: r "";""'• " '"''""■^"^ -- '-• [ :,;::; yr; «- ->'-' >••% -tumed .she n^isT hnn a.lly, hut later she was satisfied that it was IH who s„nu.tnnes appeared in the g,arden at si set and .sang ti, her in the home tre^s. American Crow : Corm, america„m. CWs are known to every one, .and most of us have seen long lines of then, .straggling across th" 12 AMEIilCAN CROW sky -it sunset, and have watclied the black proces- sions, more scattered and flying low, as the birda returned looking for food the following morn- ing. The country people tell us they are going to a Crow caucus, and perhaps that is as near the truth as we can guess ; for, if they do not gather to talk things over, it is surely the social instinct that njovcs them. In some i)laces, as many as 300,000 gather at these nightly roosts, scattering to their feeding gi-ounds when morning comes. One of the winter roosts is on historic ground at Arlington, the old home of General Lee. This roost covers fifteen acres of land, and all winter, from the middle of the afternoon till twilight, the birds may be seen from Washington crossing over the Potomac to the heights beyond. Some years ago Staten Island was visited by birds from three New Jersey roosts in winter, and in summer there were two roosts on the Island itself. When the Crows scatter to nest, scarecrows appear in the coimtry, for the farmers are much troubled by the sight of the birds in the corn- fields. Professor ioal acknowledges that when Crows and Blackbirds gather in great numbers about cornfields, or Woodpeckers are noticed at work in an orchard, it is perhaps not surprising that they are accused of doing harm. But he adds that careful investigation will often show that they are actually destroying noxious Insects, and that even those which do harm at one season AMERICAN CROW 13 .nay com,)ensate for it by eating- noxious .species at another. When the Crows are actually eatino- corn, however, the dangling-, dejected-lookin^ eftgies put out to scare them have little effect" but cords strung across a field, and hung with' bits of tin that swing and glitter in the sun, seem to suggest a trap, and so keep the wary birds away. A still surer method of crop protection is to soak some corn in tar and scatter it on the borders of the field subject to their attacks. A " few qiutrts of corn used in this way will protect a field of eight to ten acres. Professor Beal's conelus'^ns regarding this much-chscussed bird are, that in tiie more thickly settled parts of the country the Crow probably does more good than harm, at least when ordi- nary precautions are taken to protect newly planted corn and young poultry against his de- predations. If, how- ever, corn is i)lanted with no provision against iwssible ma- rauders, if hens and turkeys are allowed to nest and to roam with their broods at a distance from farm buildings, losses must be expected." It eer- tamly seems worthwhile to take a little trouble to make the Crows harmless, for they eat so many Fig. 3. Grasshopper, eaten extensively by Crows. 14 AMEBICAX CliO]]' I I: gmsshoppers, tenUaterpillars, May beetles, and other pests that their service in destroy inn- iniu nous insects can hardly be overestimated. When gym i"oths are stripping the woods of their tohage, the old Crows often take their youno- to feed on them ; besides tins, they kill so mlny field-mice, rabbits, and other harmful rodents that, apart from their good offices as scavengers they prove themselves most valuable farm hands Some farmers appreciate tliis, and, when not tarring the corn, take the trouble to feed the birds old corn during tlie time when tliey would be pulling up the young sprouts, for they realize that the work man is worthy of his hire, and would no more think of shoot- ing Crows than horses and cows because they demand grain in in return for their work„ Though the Crow is of espe- cial interest to the farmer, he is of still greater interest to the bird student ; for he is one of the drollest, most intelligent, and individual of birds. His sedate walk, his gestures and conversation, proclaim him a bird of originality and reflection, who will repay our closest study. He is sure to be discovered m peculiar pursuits. Doctor Mearns found him Fig. 4. Footprint of Crow. i . i ..4(»*,f.-.'^ >>" '■^\ A^fEEICAN CHOW 15 aro told l,y Mr. A. M. Fra.er of • "" C.w„hoWaw„,„frolTo nt'e^^ . ""'"'' "P™ an ant mound and pernnt L w crawl over hi,., a„d earry awri ' \ l? vermin." '' ^^ ™ 'TOiiblesome Tl,o intelligence of the Crow i., also seen »f «..r 2ng Li:r' Li : '-t^zr"'- ■'» '-•''^ a t-eto,,,°a„rthe" « V '"• '"«'' "'' "' aTh,:^„?::;f:rtftt..,,rT^ I:. a 10 FISH CROW Fish Crow : C«mv,.,„;/m//,«. Entirely black, more glossy than the conmion Crow, and u- nallv ^ n.uch smaller. L,;,ytli, Kl i„,hes. '^ n .,.*!. .1 ^ '■""' ^^tJantio coast as f.ir "u"' -<- I ish Lrovvs are very com- nioi), and tJie !>!•..']. im-iu-ps ni-,v nft.., i , ''o"i*-'S iii.iy otteii be seen or. the tower, of tn. .S,„i,l,.oma„, when their raven- hke eroak .nay he jJainly heard an.l interpreted as a so]e„,n -never n.ore ' hy j„e„se ornithologists d,sev,ss,„g then, staffed brothers inside. I„%he ha,, the o,d,na,y Crow, .and n.ay be seen wading n tl,e shallows „t Koek Creek. When the othef Crows .are w,th then,, they ,„.ay still be readily known, ,f not by their sn.aller size, by their hoarse, g„ tnral cur, whieh Mr. Bnrronghs de- senbes as less nraseuline than the clear,%tr„ng caw of the American Crow. *" soBm 17 Fig. 5. Robin : Memla migratoria. GkOGKAPHIC DlSTHnU'Tinv 7} 1 i. the c„o„„„ „„„ v;;:: - f- ; ,^2 trr,"-"'™ 1 northward to the arctic coast • wJnf / ""^' ''"'' Though the Kobin is a com.non bird he is „„ eo,„,„„,.,, i„te,. «„g, K.o„„se ho is a,: ', "f L " an-l so secure „f ,„„. frienclship that he lets „ «ha..e h,s bo„,e life as few bJ.-ds ,vill. G L wStL ■ 'Ml ill ■ il 1 il t ~^^^| 18 lioniN intelligence was shown l,y a Robin family of my acquanitance, not only in the construction of the strong adobe frame for their nest, but — after the hatching of the blue eggs — in methods of family government and parental care ; in discij.linino- the greedy, carefully feeding the weak ; and findly, when the tremulous nestlings were launched on tlieir own wings, in teaching them caution, and dnvmg oif their enemies sometimes, in cases of extraordniary danger, by rousing the neighbor- hood aganist the threateiving monsters. What human tenderness the old birds show in their family relations, not only in caring for their little ones, but in tlie small offices of daily happy com- panionship ! how grateful is the gentle song, how tender the watchful solicitude of the male, and how trustful the quiet home affection of lus mate as they work together for their brood ! Other delights of discovery await the patient unobtrusive observer as he listens to the song of the liobin, with its individual variations — the cries of warning, anxiety, and simple good cheer • the joyous daybreak chorus ; the tender carol at the nest, and the low, meditative evening son^r rising from the dewy lawn. " But, beside the sympathy and affection which the Robin rouses by his love and song, the bird has a habit which in recent years has called the attention of the ornithological world to him with renewed interest. Mr. William Brewster has ^ G (Fig. (j). The Kobin has Leon acct- .hI of tal'ing cultivated i , .dt, but examinations show that less tlian 5 i)er cent, of his food is grown by mr.- . As Professor Brunei the author of ' Birds of Nebiask:!/ and one of the close students of ' .id econ- omy, pertinently renv ks : He is a poor business man who ,y, „ j^llars for that which he kno mu... later be sold for fifteen cents or even less. Yet I have known of instances where a Kobin that had saved from ten to fif- ^ The Auk, vol. xii. No. i. p. 1. lioiii.y 21 per bushel, by clearino- tlie trees horn ounker- wonns ,n the spring, w.,s shot when he si.nplv pecked one of the apples that he hud saved for Ihe «Tatefn or ungrateful fruit-g .wer." l>.ofessor iieal, who has made a study of the Hobin .question, «M,aests that as the Kussian nadberry ripens at that the Ixobni eats their eherries will only plant a few mulberry bushes around their ga^fens or orc.hai.ls, they will probably p.otec-t the more val- - >le fru.t. The wild fruits the Kobin eats are ot interest .o nmst bird-lovers as showing- what ean planted not only to prevent the bird fron. do.n. harn but to attraet bin. about our hon.es. Thewdd i. s found in his stonuaeh are dogwood, wiM grupes wild Wack cherry, c-hoke-eherr^, bird cherry, nm berry, greenbrier berry, eranberry, ueberx-y, huekleberry, holly beny, elderberry b to , sweet, Vn.g„„a ereeper, n.oonseed, n.ountain a^ , blaek haw, barberry, pokeberry, strawberry bush, juniper, persinnnon, saw palmetto, Califo;' ma nustletoe, and bayberry. Many of these berries ren.ain on the bushes till wm er, and so keep the birds fron. going .outh for food, or the K^^^^^^^^ anytlnng to hve on. Doubtless it was in.agina- saw HI Honda sat around in the orange groves 22 W()(H) Tiinusii -,i m with a homesick air, us if tlioy were only waiting till time to start horne again. When they do come back, what good cheer they bring with them! I remember one long winter sjient in the country when it seemed that Hi)ring would never com... At last one day the call of a Robin ran- out, and on one of th*. fc-w bare spots made by the melting snow th.re st..o20, j>. .'JOl.) Upper parts w.rn. brown. lrnM.t ,.u l.,uh under parts white, l..'av.ly sp..tt..l with l,la..k. L.-uylh. about Sj inches. GKO,mA..Hi,. l)is..M,UT.,.N-.- Eastern United Stat.-s; breeds as tar north as Minnesota, Mas-saehusetts, and Ontario; lin- tel's in Cntral Anieriea. The Wood Thrush is i)robal.ly the best known and the most familiar of the thrushes. In Nor- w.eh, Conneetient, 1 have seen it nesting elose . by the sidewalk of a village street. Its large size, heavily sjujtted breast, and the rich golden brown of its back, brightest on its iiead, distinguish it from the other thru.shos. Its nest is sometimes near the ground, but usually fifteen to twenty-five feet aljbve it. The nest IS made largely of leaves, and has an inner wall of mud, like that of its cousin the Kobin. -ind Its eggs are similar to the Kobin s. CHIMNKY SWIFT 23 The call note of the \Vo<.,| Thrush is a rani.l l>it-,nt; his s.,.,o- a eal.n, HH, melody whi,.h, heard besulo the .-horus of sprino- son^s, chatt.nini? V rens, lo,,uaclous Vin-os, and jovial (^ithirds^ Ilinishers an.l Chats, sets vibrating chords that none of th. others toueh. As a yonng vvonutn ^ ru. on.o. n^U., first hearino- the Thrush : I feel d the song is so distiiu-t one do<.s not need to build up asso..,ations in order to appreciate it, as is the case with so many songs, but can at once feel the quieting toueh of its hymn-like melody. _Chimiiey-Swift: Ch<,tura pdagk-a. (Pluto II. p. 24.) A„,eric.». '•"""■ """•" '" .■>l««i»«..d o,nt of the vortex falls, in.livi.luals drop into U.^ .umney by decrees, until the whole have However much we believe in chang-e of scene Jt seems odd or a balloonist to live i.: a cellar, tc; be coursmg. about an.ong the stars one moment h^J up on the wall of a dark sooty flue the nex ; but the Swifts are quite put to it, for it would be very bad forn, in fact do outrage to all he traditions of the race, if one of them were to perch on a tree for a moment. There is actually no record of their alighting anywhere except m a holhnv tree or chimney. ^ They even gather their nesting materials on the wing,break- u| oft bits <^ twi, in their feet and, i^s .dd, with then- bills, hterally, in passing-. Accord^ "igl.V, as by our deeds the world knows us, tlu^ir wnigs-ai-e deveh,ped till they look like strips of oardboard more than ])unches of feathers, out- ^lonig those of their irummingbird connections, who transact their business as they go. On the other hand, their feet, like those of Chinese lad ■«•■■ ■'■&i4*SMi«^si«&'f*''^'*'''**'#**'''"* ^e. In s many I lai'ge 111. It ■i. As before liS^i^SijiJWy Plate II. _ CHLM\EV SWIFT j;;j ml Fkj. CHIMNEY SWIFT 25 ril"'7l""Tr"' "■'" ""^ ""■ ™^'" "■«' *«* (.A Iff- /;. IJiey serve mainly as i)ic- ture-liooks, for the birds hook them over the edge of the nest or into a crack ni the chinmey, and proceed to go to sleep hanging like pictures on Fu-.. 7. a wall. Even when thus employed, Weak foot of tJie feet do not have to do the ' whole ^"''"""ey duty of man ' ; for the tail comes in to '^"^*' act as a prop, being ben^ under the bii^l to brace agamst the wall. Doubtless, by this habit, the end of the tail has gradually lost its featl'.ry character, the webbing being worn off, till now only the stiff, bone-like quills of the feathers remain. These he uses like little awls, to stick into the bricks (Fig. 8). As the Swifts get their meals on the wing -they are exclusively insectivorous and are goo,l enoi.gh to eat mainly what are to t,s either disagreeable or positively injurious insects -they have wide gaping mouths and tiny l,ills m marked contrast to the Humnnngbirds, which,' though m the same order, have with different food habits developed in the opposite .direction, and X oir^t""'^ ""^ '' '''' ''-'' "-^^ Another phase of this wonderful adaptation of form to habit is shown when the Swift comes to Fig. S. Tiiil featlii!!' of CliimiieyfSwift. ,ised to brace against wall. "• I t -. . if M 26 ^^ ■M CHIMNEY SWIFT Fiii. !). Short, widely j-iip- iiiff bill of Swift. Fif!. 10. Lonp, probe-like bill of lluminiiifrbiid. hiuld Its ne.st. It vvotdd be quite i.r.pos.sihle for an ordinary hivd to fasten a wall-pocket of twi^s to a perpendiimlar chimney, but the Swift is pro- /^ vided with a sali- d^: X. vary glue tiiat de- fie.s anything but heavy rain, actu- ally having })een known to hold firm when the brick to which it had glued ^he nest was broken away. Nature selects beneficial qualities rigorously, or rather the struggle for life is .so intense that ;,ly the bes fitted survive to hand down their charac- ters to their race ; but Nature makes no meaning- less display. Logs are colored because thev ait exposed to enemies, and tho.se whose colors^)est ^hsguise them are most likely to escape the eyes of enemies ; but let the eggs be laid in a tree trunk, a hole in the ground, or otherwise out of sight, and as a general rule they will be white, ihere is no .orce at work to eliminate the white ones. So we see this negative adaptation in the eggs which the Swift secretes in a chimney - they are pure white. It wonld be exceedingly interesting to watch the Swifts at the nest; and while their habits or- dinarily render this impracticable, Mr. Otto Wid mann, the original and philosophical student of birds, has shown how it may be done. He accom pro- CHIMSEY HM-ITT 27 V^>M it y ,,„irji„„ ., „i„i . voodon „,«ft eightc,.,, i„d,e« .s,,„a,.e a,u i Lt S;: 2 ;ir::r;;t" ''--''•'- read fl.nf ,V '^ encouragino- to 11- As only a small amount of thi« ,,1,., ■ -ctert daily, „„.,t.,,„il,,in8, »itl t e inf we 1, O ■' •^'' """""•""^ *"■'- ■■"'•% «„■ oe twolnvs^'V'"'" "?'■■ ''■''''"^■"- '"'•'•-.' only half ^c::.::'''i;,r:;;;r'"^^;'T o^^h .nil..,, .„, ,4'- -- «™;.% When the yonng were two weeks oW Mr wZ' "'em, one of the jwrents eaino with t„o,r a,.,l he discovered that " »n t , ' *'"' bv sl,I„ I, ■ ""■ """'° hnddli.ig side »y side, nano'inn* on tho 11...11 ■ i- , the nest and enti,elv hi n '""""'"""'^ '*'"" , The next weekM « '" ''''"" "™ '''""'•" weeK, Ml. \i .dniann says, "I was «t;il more surin- sod when !,»,,! •., , ,' ""'^ *■''" shaft, the vo„„. ' ■ ! "•■','"'"' "™'' "'" face wifi. J'T^"*" .'"■^'Pe,l r.ght against my -»us,Jcti::: itot. ' wr";r f '"^''*""'" o visitors. When the brood actually II hi' W' 28 CHIMNEY SWIFT left the eln.nney £<„• several m^t, they were IJi'ought back by the parents. Doctor Brewer notes that Swifts often feed their young (luite late into the nio-ht, and this can readily be believed by those who have heard the runiblino- and roaring in chimneys where they Mr. Chand)erlain, i„ his notes on Canadian birds, tells ns that the first fiioht of the Swifts is most interesting to witness. - The solicitude of the ' parents and their coaxing ways ; the timid hesita- tion of the young birds, and their evident desire to emulate their seniors ; the final plunge into mid air, and the first few awkward efforts to mas- ter the wingstroke, make this one of the episodes ot bird life which bring these ehihlren of the air veiy close to tlu> hearts of their human brethren." Major Bendire, in his monumental work, 'Life Histories of North American Birds,' says that few birds are more devoted to their young than the Chimney Swift, cases being Vecorded where tJie parent was seen to enter a chimney in a burn- nig house, even after the entire roof was a mass ot Hames, preferring to perish with its offspring rather than forsake them. A most remarkable ease of devotion is cited in tlie Life Histories from forest annsc..ts was about g-ono, came into the chimney and actually waited beside me wlule I snipped be strong, hair and released hinu" As Major Benr 1.0 ,s a watd,f„l an,l ,lev„te,l sna,,Iia / Ma,;; r :■ '"■''"■''• "'» ■'■™"' 'T...-tlc Dove- whi.,, "" ■» """■« »l>P-i™te than the „a,„e m" ,.","" rt Liicin sad. At tunes the birf] sopma almost to sDeak h< nw„ t *• "^ but at all events its sweet musical call bespeak the o-enMe nature of the Dove. ^^^Pe^ks Adult male, forphp-irl .. i .rny; b;ek t 1;:^ ^ :;''^" ^7^^ l'>'"viis. isut the tourists, wiic knould h j\ ^;a%* 82 nVFFED a ROUSE i I Hi M ^p H be in.»st anxious to ])r('s,.,v(. tlie beautiful objects of the countiies tiiey visit, have done their 'best to destroy it; and as th(^ friendly birds are also vietinis of the niilliiiery craze, tliey are fast bein- killed oft. '' In Florida they are particularly fo,id of the oranjre o-rovcs, but in Bernuula they may be found almost anywhere. Near tlie shore one day I .stoi)i)ed mi(h,'r a small red cedar, when to my astonishment one of the Doves came tumbling , tl.ey stH-n, without torest. I{„t walk Ihionoh a J^irtriclue woods uud tho presence of the living birds in the shadowy forest lends it charm and new delight. You are startled by SI loud whirr, and a covey of birds, before invisible, rises from almost un- der your feet, whirlln 25 ) I„ winter this is still more remarkably modified to suit Its habits. The bird does not go south in winter, but has to wade through the snow for its food; and to meet this necessity its toes, which in summer are bare and slender, in winter are f rino-ed so that they serve admirably for snowshoes. " I he short, rounded, hen-like wings of the Grouse also suit its short, rapid flights; for the bird does not migrate, and when startled in the woods does little more than shoot out like a bomb and then gradually curve back to earth again contrasting markedly both in form and habit with the long, slender-winged Swift (see Fig. 19 p. 45), who lives in air and winters in Central America. Though the wings of the Grouse are not suited to long flights, they are admirably forined for musical instruments. The domestic rooster claps his as he crows; but the Grouse when inoycMl to song instead of crowing beats the air with his wings till ^:t resounds with his :•> III: I- I 36 BUFFED a HOUSE resonant drununing-. He often does this at night in spring and fall, and has been known to drnm by nioonliglit when the snow was on the ground and the n^ereury v^av zero. He usually has one speeial drunnning log, and the roll of his tattoo coming through the woods is one of the best- loved sounds in nature, calling one's thoughts to the quiet shaded depths of the forest. As the Grouse is a shy woods bird, it is a rare pleasure to have him live on your i)reservts; but it can easily be accomplished. Protect your woods with signs forbidding hunting, and in winter wl.on he can no longer find maple-leaf worms, and the buds of the trees are small, scatter corn and buckwheat between the house and the woods, and soon you will find his i)retty footprints m the snow beside the tracks of the squirrels. Then some winter morning, as you look through your blinds, perchance you will be rewarded by the sight of the handsome bird himself, with ruffs and tail spread out, strutting turkey-cock fashion before his mate. In summer you may have the added pleasure of coming on a brood of young Partridges, soft and downy as little chickens, strolf- ing along the wooded edge of a meadow, daintily picking wild strawberries mider the eve of their mother. She clucks to th, - • ^ when they have had their fill squats on Liio <, -ound and takes them under her protecting gs like a devoted hen. The Partridge is an anxious parent, decoy- BOB-WHITE 37 ing the observer away from her youn.- witli si»ns of great distress. Wilson, of the elassic trium- virate, Audubon, Wilson, and Nuttall, gives a most interesting experiencje of his with ti Par- tridge wlu) had only one youn- bird,an,l on bein- overtaken, after fluttering before him for a uZ niont '' suddenly darting toward the youn^. one, seized It in her bill and flew off." Bob-white: Colinus oirffinianus. Adult jnaleuin^ev parts wocl-brown ; tl.mtt .,..1 li,... f.-on. b^l to neck w ute ; black patch on l.-east ; .est, of nn.ler parts Gko(.a.-„h. IhsTH.HUT.OK. _ Eastern rnited States fVon. southern Man.e an.l the Dakotas soutlnvanl to the Gulf of Mexico ; resident wlierever found. This beautiful bird is known mainly as ' Quail on toast,' but in use- fulness and interest of habit it holds a high place among our birds. As a weed-seed and in- sect destroyer it is of such economic importance that in Wisconsin, where it has been practi- cally exterminated, attempts have recently been made to reestablish it Fj<;. 14. Bob-whito 38 BOB- WHITE It eats tlie potato beetle — seventy-five potato bugs were found in one Quail stoniaeh — and it is par- tieularly fond of the moth that lays the egg that produces the injurious, onniivorous cutworm As eaeh moth lays nndtitudes of c-gs, the destruction ot a few thousands of moths at the right time Fio. 15. Cutworm, eaten by Quail. would prevent the hatching of an army of worms able to destroy large fields of corn and grain ; so that in a field where there were a few old (>ail, as the birds raise two to three broods of from ten to thirty young each, but few moths would lay their eggs. It would be wise for other states to follow the example of Wisconsin and introduce fresh Quail in -the old haunts where they have been thoughtlessly exterminated. Aside from the use of the Quails as game birds, their numbers suffer great loss by winter snows; for like their iion-»iiirE 39 relatives the G,ou»„ they ,h. not ,„ig,.„te, and in bnncl when, ,f a e™.st io,n,» over then,, tliev are unable to g.t out, and die in lar,. nu,;,beZ Those who know the Qnail in the Held are fannhav w.th his delightful eall of /hi.„./^ul on elear whistle that Wate» hin. at a Ion ;r tanee. I t,s s„d, „ striking note that onee, when a sM,gh,. Qua,I strayed beyond his nsnallin ^ . . orthen, New York, he was fairly driven baek s'n, r n , -''r "' "" ™'='1.W1„K„I, for at sound of h,s winstle they wo.dd go bound! ... over the fie ds toward him, as it i„ answer to the eTl of the,r masters. The result of this reeeptl „ the stranger was a sore dis.ai,p„int,„ent to tl^ observers o the loeality, for Bob-white is one „f the most delightful birds to stu.ly There are few prettier sights than a fan.ily o. -ri,n Fathers came to New England thi,s bird was'one of the fir.st who.se gentle warbling.s attracted their notice, and from its resemblance to the beloved Robin Redbreast of their native land, they called It the Blue Robin. From that time on, this beautiful bird has shown itself so responsive to friendly treatment that it has won a deep place 42 ItLUEniUl) in the affoctions (»f thr proplo. Tl,,. l,inl liouHeH that wore put up iov it insured its presence in villa^r,,s and city parks until the intr.uhiction of th(^ House Sparrow, hut since that time the ohl farndiar friend has had to oivo way l„.fore the quarrelsome stran-er. Mr. Xehrling, however gives us the grateful information that hy a simplJ device the Hluehird boxes nuiy he ]n-ote<.ted from the Sparrow. It seems that the Sparrow, being im aeronaut, — not to say of earthly mind,— finds difficulty in entering a hole unless there is a pcieh beside it where, as it were, he can have his feet on the ground. Tlu> Hluebird, on the con- trary, aside from his nuMital cast, is so used to building in old Woodpecker holes, none of which are blessed with piazzas or front-door steps, that he has no trouble in flying directly into a nest hole. So, by making the Bluebird houses without perches, the Sparrows may be kept away. Mr Nehrling urges that cigar boxes should never be used for bird houses, wliich is surely wise, for we would neither offend the nostrils of feathered parents nor contaminate the feathered youth. In the south, he tells us, the cyjjress knees furnish excellent materials for them. He suggests, more- over, that sections of hollow branches and hollow tree trunks can be used in addition to the usual board houses. When this is done, the section of the branch should be sawed in two, bored out for the nest cavity, and then nailed or glued together IILVRIIIIII) 48 OP tree t .,„,1< „,tl, .st,.„„^. wi,.c,. Hi,,, |„,„„„ „f ..ml in „t|,e,. r,.g,„„, „!„,,.„ f„„ „,,j , «itos arc to U- f„„ii(l, "iMiiig I'-'-K .nsl,,.,, p,„,i,.„|,.,|y i„ „: ,™t, J, ;^ tlu-eo „„art,.,.s of t:,„ ,„,„,,,,,,.„ f„^,| ^ ' «,■»,,« ,o,,,,e,, .,.iekut», oat,.,,,ilb,.„, a,„l j, h. "sect, an,. ,t i, " exo..,..,ing,„„,,,| „ ,,„ " ™Uun,t and lanncs .lestn.vin.. „,v,-i..,U „f I an., insect, w,,iehw™Mi,j;rt:'::: mu.t,|,ly to ti,o «,.oat inju.-y of vogota :.• J Wry, fa.,c ,,,,kc„a,.,., |,artn,.so.,e„.y, .,„.,,' ,.„,e haws s„n,a<-, a„,l wil.l sarsaparilla. ^' W,..,on, in speaking „f tl,e KI„e.>i,,I engaged If a .ival makes l,is appearance, . . he „,i ' her.m a moment, attacks and p us e the t '.nder .03 he shifts f.om place to' placeTin tone"' li:, 'i ■fi 1 Hi 1* 44 noUSE WEEN that bespeak the jealousy of his affection, eon- ducts him, with many rei)r()of"s, beyond the ex- tremities of liis territoiy, and returns to warble out his transports of triumph beside his beloved mate." As we watch the Bluebird, one of the most noticeable things about hhn, in spite of his famil- iar friendliness, is a certain untamable spirit of the woods and fields. As he sits on a branch lifting his wings, there is an elusive charm about his sad quavering tru-al-hj, tru-al-I)j. Ignoring our presence, he seems preoccupied with unfath- omable thoughts of field and sky. House Wren : Trogloilytes acdon. Upper parts, wiiif;s, and tail brown, finely barred with black ; iiiidiM' pait.s wliitisli. Lniijth, 5 inches. Gkookai'HIC DisTKiHUTiON. — Hastern North America ; breeds as far nortii as Manitol)a and Maine ; and winters from .South Carolina southward. Crows, Doves, Ilnnnningbirds, Swifts, and Quail are all birds of strongly marked family characters, but Wrens are no less so. They are small brown birds that match the color of the earth, and creep about in odd nooks and cran- nies searching diligently for insects. As their daily round is not disturbed by soaring ambition, the Wrens have short, round wings like Fio. 17. House Wren. [i a ;. m I HOUSE WREN 45 the modest Grouse and (^nail, very different from the long ones of the more aspiring- Doves, Ilununinghirds and Swifts (see Fig. 19 and Y'J 100, p. lUO). They are jolly little tots, always futl of business, but still more full of song. The Crow, the Quail, and the Dov talk, and the llununinj'- bird and Swift sing ae- eording to their light and vocal anatomy, but the Wrens and Catbirds are the only birds we have mentioned thus far who are on the list of noted Fig. is. Slioit, round winp- of Wren. Lon{3:, slundor wins' "f Swift. songsters. The House Wren is one of the most tindess of his family, fairly bubbling over with happiness and nuisio all the day long. In north- ern New York he is not often seen, })ut on a visit to Vassar I remember eoming face to face with a preoccupied bit of a Wren perched on a fence post, singing away with more gusto than if delivering an oration. At Farmington, Connecticut, the Wren is an established villager, so used to worldly amusements he will .nake love and discuss nest- }y\ V; ! u \\ 46 HOUSE WEEN ing materials with liis inati; wliilo the toniiis balls of Miss T'orter's giils are Hying through the air. In huihling, Wrens abhor a vaeuuni. One ])air were so possessed to fill a si)aee they had ehoseu that their eggs aetually addled while they were stuffing in twigs I The eggs are rather novel in eolor, being uniforndy marked with fine pinkish S2)()ts. Tin fruit eans, though not highly dettorative, make good nests for tlu; wrenkins, who also like olive jars and other struetur(>s not wliolly modern in matters of idunibing and ventilation. When a tin ean is used, it is well to turn baek the lid and put in a eap of wood with a hole just large enough to admit the Wren and just small enough to keep out the 1 louse Sj^u'row ; for, like the Bluebird, the Wren is greatly pestered by this gras])ing monopolist. One little bird who lived at Sing Sing, New Yoi'k, was fairly besieged by the Sjiarrows. Fortu- nately it built near the house of a speeial eham- pion of birds, J)r. A. K. Fisher, and whenever the doctor heard a connnotion he would go to its assistance, shooting down the Si)arrows that were tormenting it. One day, when the familiar note of alarm came and he hurried to the window, the Sparrow was so near the Wren that the doctor had to shoot with great care not to hit his little friend. The Wren was not at all disturbed, how- ever, but sat on his branch unmoved while the HOUSE WREN 47 shot was f5ro(I, u.ul as tl.e Sparrow foil turned his head over an to the ground with unconcealed satisfaction. Wrens nest in all sorts of <„ld „o,.ks and corners. A pan- of AJashinotonians one year started to buUd m Mr. Gardiner Hubbard's oreenhouse, in the , pocket of the gardener's coat. At night, when the man came for his coat, he would find sticks in his pocket, but it was not for some days that he realized who was playing this very practical joke upon him. Then the kind-hearted attendant was greatly perplexed, for he .-onld not spare his coat He eompromise,!, however, by substituting an old one which suitettom of his poektt When showing them to me, the gardener got down a tall glass jar from a shelf in which was another Wren's nest, and told me that a pair had also built on the knot of a loop of rope that had hung in the greenhouse. Mr. Nehrling speaks of a i>air of AV^rens which built their nest in an old wooden shoe in which a gardener kept his strings, the orthodox couple calmly aceepting the strings as a special gift of Providence. Another practical pair actually crept mside a human skull Doctor Fisher was bleaching in an apple-tree, and raised their brood there, untroubled by ghosts. The doctor was so impressed by their adaptability that he waived '11 48 PUIiPLE MAKTIN all claini to his skull, and the Wrens' nest is now on exhihition in the National Musenni. Original and entertaining as the wrenUins are, they are woithy of respeetfid consideration for another reason : they hi-ing up their large fanii lies — sometimes they raise from twelve to sixteen yonng in a season — on a diet of worms; so, whether they api)roi)riate onr shoes or our skulls, they should be welcomed to our gardens, because they reduce the insects and increase the family sj)irits. S i Purple Martin : rrofjnc snhis. Aifn/l iiiiih , shining- IjIuo blacfk. Fcniali mid i/mouj, upper parts flullor; under i)arts {•■rayisli. /w »;///(, !S inches. GKOcHAniic DiSTHim riON. — North America; hreeds from Fh)ri(la and tlie tal)le hinds of Mexico nortli to Newfound- land and tlie tSaskatchewan ; winters in Central and South America. As long ago as when Audubon was traveling through the middle staies, he rejiorted that " almost every conr.try tavern had a Martin-box on the ui)})er part of its signboard, " and com- mented characteristically : " I have observed that the handsomer the box, the better does the inn generally prove to be." I le also found that the Indians hung up calabashes for the Martins, so they would keep the vultures from the deerskins and venison that were drying. Calabashes are used extensively in the south, and Mr. Nehrling assures us " that the Martin liAIlN SWALLOW 49 18 as well satisfi,.,! with the shnph- holh.^v o,>„.,| attached to a pole near a negro Jn.t, as with the most ornamental and hest arranged Martin-honse »n the beautifnl gardens and parks of ..i.-h pj-mt ers and opnient merchants. Where no ncstino. boxes are provided," he says, " onr Martin will "ot hreed, and ii hardly ever accepts nesting- boxes attached to trees, preferring lo.-ations whe.v the chance is given to dart in aiul ont nninter- riipted by any obstacle." The strnggle between the Martins and Spar rows ,s so bitter that one pair of Martins Mr VVunuann watched, intelligently ach.pted the strategieal plan of never leaving the nest alone taking turns in going for food, because as hi explau.s, ",t is comparatively easy to keep a Sl>arrow out of a box, but it is in.possible for a Martm to dislodge him after he has built a nest." ^^^^ ^^S'llow '. CheVuhnerythroyaxter. (Plati, IV. p. 50.) GKOoKAwno J),.sTHnuT.ON. - Nortl. A„u.nca. north „> (}.ve„ a.ul a„,l Alaska; breeds throughout the g.-.t.... paH is range ; ^vInters ,« far south ius southern Br.-wil. Next to the Martin, the Barn Swallow is the most easily known of his family. He is usually tonnd beating low over a meadow for insects As he sweeps near us, the rich metallic sheen of his back IS well seen ; and as he Hies up to a telegraph wn-e, Ins long forked tail and deep chocolate breast if i ■U i ' ^M !^ ■ 1 :| PI 1 m Hi H 1 j,^^i irl i« ■ 1 11 i r m I; (r n \l''\ f, \u m il 60 liAliN SWALLOW Fi(!. 20. AVeak foot of Hiirii Swallow. identify him beyond qnestion. Like the Swift (see Fig. 7, j). 25) and Iluniniingbird, the Swal- lows live in air and feed when flying, and so have undeveloped perching feet (compare Figs. 20, 21), unfitted for walking ; nevertheless they sometimes condescend to visit the eartli for nesting materials and the lime which they need to harden their egg- shells. Their eggs, lik(> those of the Eave Swallow, are white, heavily spot- ted with brown. If you watch a row of Swallows j)»'rchcd on a telcgrajjh wire, you will hear the bright, ha})i)y warble which adds so much to their attractiveness. In addition to this twittering song, their call note is said to be a "soft and affectionate toltt, vitf, and the cry given in time of danger a harsh trrr); tvt'vr.'" The homely old proverb, " One Swallow does not make a sununer," shows how intimately these birds are associated with the close of winter. As Mr. Nehrling puts it, in his enthusiastii; way : " We welcome their first ai)pearance with de- light, as the faithful harbingers of flowery spring and ruddy sunnner ; and when, after a long- frost-bound and boiserous winter, we hear it an- nounced that ' the Swallows have come,' what a train of charming ideas are associated with the simple tidings ! " Fi(!. 21. Strong- foot of Song' Sparrow. does hose As I'LATE IV. -HAUN SWALLOW Upper parts steel-blue; tail deeply forked, .ith . lute spots „„ outer feathers ; throat chocolate. Lemjth, about T inches. ii! I JiAli.y SWALLOW 51 But as it is a ])Ioa,snr(' to liavo tlio birds ooino l)a(!k in Hpring, it is always with a fedin\ iuclies. GEo«jtAi.,„c Di.T.um T.oN. - \o,.,b An.eri,.a, north to Labra- aiHi . biski ; breeds locally Iron, the middle United States '"'';•■' -t^d throuKhout its range; winters as far south as in going- through carriage or railroad cuts in sandy banks, one is often struck by the nund)er of JiA\i{ .sir.i/j.oir elliptical h„l..H iu tl.o ..lifts. If yo„ g„ up to tl,.-.n iiiHl nip „„ th(, wjiHm tl... .stiirtlr.1 Hift'-dwrll.Ts re- sponsiMo for these tmiral (Iceorutions will often fly out in a whirl ahout your head. The; excavations vary in depth from twelve inches to four feet, and are made with acarefid avoidance of stones that mij-ht f;dl from the roof upon the helpless heads of the hahcs in the bank. The e^-s, i,,,;,,^. ,.o,uH.aled, ar(> white. ^ J he Swall.)w's habit of nesting in ndonies is an interestm- example of the ' sociability of hirds ' which Mr. ^Vidn,ann says can best be indul-iHl by long-winged l,i,,ls like Swallows, as they can more (.isily s,,read over the extent of territory necessary for con.missary reasons. Fio. 24. Hunk Swallow. I 5ey nALTTMOUE ORTOLE Fkj. 25. Baltimore Oriole : Icterus galhula. Adult male, entire head and noek black; most of the body bright orange; wings and tail n.ai.dy black. Adult femuh ..pp.'r parts brown and black; nnder parts theivs who brood the nests and protect tlie little ones are well concealed by a dnll orano,. dress, and the color pattern of the nudes must dFs- ginse their form at a distance. Then, perhaps, as Mr. ^ ucrtes has suggested, it is well that attention be called from the female and young by the gaudy plumage of the male. However that may be, the Onoles are strong and swift of wing, and in time <)t danger seek safety in flight ; while the W,-ens an.l Quad with short wings (see Fig 18, p. 45) find their greatest safety in standing motionless against their natural background. Jiesides having- strong wings, the Oriole has a sharp-pointed bill, which makes a good weapon and a good fork ; being especially adapted to holding the long worms and large insects on which the bird feeds. While eating a great many bugs, grasshoppers, and beetles that injure the locust, apple, and elm trees, the Oriole has a weakness for caterpil- lars, and, most fortunately for the farmers, for the click bee- tles (Fig. 20), the adults of the wire worm, among the most insidious of iiests mining at the roots of turnips, potatoes, and corn.' J^ew birds like the hairy caterpiUars, but Doctor Fig. 26. Click Beetle (,'irliilf of wire worm), eaten by Oriole. :i M I 58 liALTlMORE OIUOLE !■ f < Fisher has seen the Oriole go up before a cater- pillar's nest and, after puncturing it with his bill, stand and wait for the caterpillars to come out. As each one appeared he seized it and after sucking the juices of its body threw away the hairy skin covering. The doctor also reports that the young Orioles are very fond of nuil- berries, and says he has seen "a whole brood canii)ing in a niulbeny-tree." As a relish in lieu of olives, the Oriole sometimes takes a few grapes and peas, though peas have been found in only 2 out of the 113 stomachs examined. As for the grapes, Mr. Lawrence Jiruner suggests in his 'Notes on Nebraska Birds,' if "especially in dry sections we take pains to water our birds during the dry season, they will be much less apt to seek this supply from the juices of fruits that are so temptingly near at hand. Place little pans of water in the orchard and vineyard where the birds can visit them without fear of being seized by the house cat or knocked over by a missile fi-om the alert ' small boy,' and I am sure that the in- jury to fruit to a great extent at least will cease." Si)eaking of the Baltimore Oriole, he adds : " As insect destroyers, both this bird and the Orchard Oriole have had an undisputed reputation for many years ; and tlie kind of insects destroyed by both are of such a class as count in their favor." One far-sighted man, who reports that the Oriole eats hig grapes, nevertheless adds that the bird BALTIMOIiK OIUOLE 59 is worth its weight in g„i,l as an insec-t .lestroyer. New Lnolanders are tc he congratuhite.l that in he towns where they are having sueh a serious ti.ne witli the inseet pests the Orioles are eonnnon enong^, to give them material help. I„ Fav.„in,... ton, C onnectieut, with a very incon.plete census of the village, I onee found nine or ten pairs of nest- mg Orioles. When the birds are sueh eonnnon villagers one has a good opportunity to watch then, make, their nests, and it is then that the full perfec-tion of their long, slender bill is seen (see Fig. 112, p. 192) for they are weavers with ready-ma.le weaving needles for sew.ng the hairs an.l delicate fibres in and out. The Oriole bill is as efficient an instru- ment for weaving as the short bill of the Swallow The taste of the Oriole leads it to hang its nest to the most flexible swaying branch it can find while the Swallow's taste leads it to build against an immovable rafter, and the Bluebird's to hide away insi.le a wooden house; for individuality and adaptability are almost as strong in birds as in men. Though the long pocket of the Oriole moving with every breeze, seems a frail cradle' for a bvood of heavy nestlings, in reality it is so ski Ifully attached to its supporting branches tnat It has been known to hold firm durino- a cyclone which swept down most of the other nests m a neighborhood. Oriole eggs like others hidden ■ I J' li.; 60 BALTIMORE ORIOLE in cavities are wljite, but singularly scrawled and spotted. The males usually reach the nestiu"' ground two or three days before the females. The same nest is sometimes used for several sea- sons, Orioles like nuiny other aristocrats bein'>- somewliat conservative as to building-sites and be- coming particularly attacfhed to localities. Major ]5endire thinks few birds are more devoted to each other than these, and believes that mey remain mated through life. The young are very active, and for a day or two before they leave the nest, Audubon says, creep in and out of it like young Wood])eckers. Since the Oriole likes to hang his cradle to our elm-trees, he accepts our friendly advances, aiul as he is bound by no preju- dices is quite ready to take the bright-colored worsteds put out for his nest, weaving them in with as much complacency as the sober grays of his own providing. The Oriole is one of the most companionable of birds, for his bright coat is seen constantly flash- ing back and forth around our houses ; and when he is at work his cheery, exuberant song comes back to us with such a joyful ring it must raise the most lugubrious si)irits. Until too much engrossed with family duties, the beautiful birds sing a great deal, and the variations in the song make it always grateful. There is a bright , iva- cious song, an equally hearty scold, a high shrill whistle, and a richly nu>dulated love song, one of OliCIlARD OlilOLK (51 the most exquisitely finished and tender of hjrd songs. Indeed, the Oriole is a prinee among birds, with character as positive as his dress and with such winnhig ways and so melodious a voice that he is sure of the affection of all who study him. '^ Orchard Oriole Icterus spiiriits. Adult n,ak ,nUve heu.l a.ul neck black ; wiu^s, fail, and Lack mainly black; rest of body cln-sfnut. A,lu/t f.nu.l, „p,,or parts ohve-green; under parts dnll yellow. Youu<, mulr in second year, .si.nilar to the fen.ale, but with the throat black and patches of chestnut on the under parts. Len,jlh, about 7|-' inches. f GKoaK..u.„,cDisTiUH.TiON.- Eastern North An.erica ; bree.Is r<,m the Gulf states to Massachusetts, Ontario, an.l North Dakota, and winters in Central and northern South America. " The Orchard Oriole, though far less bril- liantly colored than its eastern congener the l^il- tnnore Oriole, is equally well known though not quite as conspicuous. It is a restless, impulsive but well-dispositioned bird, and, though not par' ticularly shy, it is nevertheless difficult to observe closely, as it generally conceals itself in the densest foliage while at rest, or else flits quickly about from twig to twig in search of insects, oli winch it lives almost exclusively throughout the summer months. . . . " Few birds do more good and less harm than oiir Orchard Oriole, especially to the fruit-grower. Ihe bulk of its food consists of small beetles, V'\ ■ V m 62 oncllAlil) ON [OLE plant lice, flics, liuirloss fiiteipillars, cal)bage worms, grasshopptM-H, rose hugs, and larvjL' of all kinds, while the few berries it nuiy help itself to during the short time they last „"e many times paid for by the great number of noxious inseets destroyed, and it certainly deserves the fullest pro- tection." ( Bendire. ) Locust leaf-mining beetles are also on the Oriole's list, and it is interesting to note that, in a case wlieie it had a choice be- tween cherries and mulberries, it took nudberries. Major Bendire notes: ''The Orchard Oriole is a very sociable bii-d, and does not object to other species nesting in the same tree with it ; it seems to be on esi)ccially good terms with the Kingbird." Its nest is cup-shaped and less jien- sile than the Baltimore's, not so deep, and usually made of grasses plucked green, which gives the structure the fragrance of new hay. The eggs are bluish white and spotted, but less irregularly streaked than those of the Baltimore. MOCKINoiilUi) 03 Mockingbird: yI//,„,«^„^,^^^„,,^^^ ^ w.M. white. X,„yM, m inch.!;. ''''''■''''• ""^•''^'"l Now J,.„„y, ,„„1 ,,,,„,„ . , ., ""'I'l'" lllillOlH ;i„,l l,„ft|,,„, ot tlie t.,1 l„„|. H,, „, 1,^^ _,^ -l.nu,„„ . bettor, ,u„, „,„„ ,„„„„, , ; ' l..,y 1 e,.o,„es a wo,ulo.. „f ecstatic ,„el„,lv " D.^ ..-«os „., the „•.,,„„, „i,„t'':!S; ; ,• .■■;,:;:; ■; voed ,,„„e.., ,„„M„g tl,e whole neig bo Z«< ""g with his inimitable moilley " ="'"»''<'"'' Southerner, feel about the Moeheras northern- 64 MocKmaiiiiiD ers do about tlic K„l,i„, and tlu' bird becomos very tame wlien kindly treatcnl. Nevortludess, tliongl. It i.s so responsive to man's compani'Mishii), de- stroys so many noxious insoets, and has a voice of sm-li famous quality, it is being -raibially exter- minated. Mr. Nehrling (juotcs from IMr. Carl Diinzer: "We hear eonqdaints frmn Louisiana of tlio disa])i)earance of the Mockingbird. There as elsewhere the birds are shot, year in and year ' out, by villainous boys, both old and young-, and as the bird loves to settle near human dwellings, its veVy trustfulness leads to its own destruction.' Then there is the unfortunate circumstance that the bird is adapted to cage-life and brings a high price : this is the cause of the nests being eagedy sought and robbed of their half-fledged ()ecui)lnts. Carloads of Mockingbirds are sent annually from the south to the north. . . . Should nuitters con- tinue as heretofore, all the American birds of attractive plumage or voice will be exterminated, at least in the neighborhood of our larger cities.' Only the most severe laws, enforced by the most vigilant public sentiment, can be of any service. . . . The transportation of birds'-skins, hundreds of thousands of which are sent even to foreign coun- tries for millinery purposes, should be forbidden under penalty of heavy punishment. Only the severest laws, enforced without compunction, can effectually stoj) the deihoralizing, shameful love of destruction, which threatens to rob our landscapes '"lasi CAKDIXAL US of their „„«t cl,a,„,i„g hinMifc." To this Uv «an ,lo „,fi,„t.. g,„„l i„ this „u>tl.r (.',,,.,.' Cardinal: Cardinali. cnr..s. '"''' ^^"'^y brownisl.. Length, Si ^ Like the Mocki„gbi,..l, the Ca,,Ii„„i is k„„„„ Jaik visitors are soine- tinies surprised by its familiar wliistle, and on ; booking nj) are delio],tod ' i>y a glimpse of one of tliese higlLcrested red beauties, as he flies to cover, giving a flash of rich color to the land- scape. In Ohio, Mr. II. C. Oberholser says it is found along the shaded .. ,, streets of tlie towns and Ca^^;! 66 CARDINAL !l .^^1) !-! ;l I in (loor-yiinls wlu'iv it can indulo-c. its foiulni'SH for rose bu-s. In the Washington Zoo Cardinals are connnon, and after February tlieir song „fton rings tlirough the bare woods. A\'hen spiltig conies they may be heard there every thiy, and they are so used to park visitc.rs that you er.n •stand ahnost under the tree in which one is sing- ing and watch him as, with head thrown bad Jind tail hanging, lie brings out liis long-drawn liquid note — CMC, cue, cur. Even when you do not hear the song or see the bird, vou may guess Its i)resonce from the thin ' chlj, ' w)uch resembles that of its relative tlie Kose-breasted Grosbeak. In the matter of food, it is said that the Cardi- nal eats the seeds of rank weeds. Though these birds usually live oidy in i)airs, Nuttall, when in South Carolina during severe weather, once saw a Hoek passing to a roost at sunset. The floek was so large that it took twenty minutes to pass over. The naturalist exclaims : " The beau- tiful procession, illumined by the last rays of the setting sun, was incomparably splendid as the shifting shadowy light at quick intervals flashed ujjon their brilliant livery." -"**"' ■'ffif ^^y^k (^IIir'KADKK G7 Chickadee : rum, utriropi/fus. Top of head, „,„„., a,„| ti,,^,^^ ^, ^ . ' OKO()UAI'HlcI),STmHrTION.-F,sf<>,.„ V *I 1 e , ■"»'■ i^iistcrii Aoi'tli Aiiici-ii"! ■ 1..,.. 1 ":::.:::::::;;::::;:;;r.;r::rr'-'''^^^^ an o.ma >lo person, for ].. l.as still before l.i.n tJie inituil i)Ieasm-e.s of one of the djoieest of all bird friendships. When seen in a clearino- as the pi-etty l)ir(l flits from one tree to another, In's short win^s and long tail give hin^a bobby flight by which we can recognise hin, at a distanc-e. H„t when he clmgs to 1. g,,y branehes, his soft grayish su the httlo AVren protects him when hunting in the ^laik crev.ces of the brown earth. In ntu.v spects the Wren -md (lu.h. i ]? fi, • 1- r^ '-iiic'kadoe are as nn ke as heir hvery. This is especially trne of their sonos for wlnle the Wren lives np to his fan.ily <.onn:c- T 7m ,"^ ''^'*'^^ **^ ^^'' ^'^t^^"'^l ^-^"J Mocker - the Chickadee is no musician. Still every note he utters ,s dear to his friends, and he has a varied Flo. 2\K Chickadee. 1! i li .'Iff > : I !: ^® CIIWKADKE re])ertoir('. Tlu-ro aio the swcot Cliickadco call which ^Mvo.H him his nanus the soft si.nny f/„y. (hn/.(hnj he cons over to himself, the sweet sad phm-hv whistle of spring and snmmer, an.l the I)leasant (conversational vir,vk.a.(l„y.„h-il,n,.H'i«k— is admirably suited to ^\ tliis work of excavating for eggs and grubs hidden under the bark. It also makes a good cari)enter's tool, and one that is much needed ; for when the Chickadee cannot find an old AV^)odpecker's hole to rent, he has to go to work to tunnel out a nest for himself. Maynard says that in excavating the birds cany the pieces of wood some distance away before droi)ping them, and that when they build in decayed wood " they are often obliged to abandon a nearly finished domicile on account of damjiness whicli is caused by the water that is absorbed by the punky wood during wet weather." On the Hudson, Doctor Mearns has found them lining their nests with cottony fuzz from the stems of tall ferns in a swamp. He says they began at the bot- tom of the fern stems and climbed up, "gleaning to the very tops, which often bent down under their weight until they touched the water, when they flew to another plant." In this way they gleaned among the ferns until they had accunudated bun- dles of fern-down as large as hickory nuts. ^«S»!i**J. CAROLINA CHICKADEE 71 the „ ita„al shown by the Chiok.cle..., : A li ack-CMi, was .seen to fly i„t„ a rotten sl„„,p "ear the roa,ki,le in lirookline. The stunn, was so ■„,.„. ,„eaye,l that its to,, was readily b „", off and the nest exposed. The n.other refnscd to eave nntil foreibly taken off by the hand id twu-e retnrnod to the nest when thus ren.oved and ,t was only by holding her in the hand that '"' "l'l"»'"'""y was given to ascertain that there were seven yonng l,ir,ls in her nest. She nnde no eo,nplaints, nttered no onteries, bnt resol J ;.'"' '"""""';">' ">"'»' ''«»c.lf between her „est^ gs a„,I the seennng danger. When released «...ler her sheltern.g wings, and looked n,, in the aces of her fn-.nentors with a ,,niet and esol te courage that oonld not be surpassed " Carolina Chickadee Pania caniUiientsk. faiiiiitir to tile iiort hern (' iifkiit»,. i...t n f,....i. . . . ^""''-' '"'tt'iiiiUer: whirrs ami t.ii1 tfiitliL'i^ not eiireil with wliit,. I ., . ' ""»-^ '"'" t'lU .«ii t„ ..utile, I ;:?,:;- 1:;';;'''''"' "■"'"■' •"'■*' ^ One spring , lay, on first eo,„i„g to Washing-' ton when on „, the ZoiJlogieal Park with a field Class, 1 heard a song that was new to me. Creen- ■ug «p eantion.,ly, we were able to get under the very ree on whiel, the bird was^nnting and the class stood with notebooks raised, twng ' ' I 72 CAliOLINA CHICKADEE ; i J' M! i ! ' down his song- as solemnly as if the unconscious songster had been disconrsing to them in the lec- ture-room, lie was a Carolina Chickadee, and his notes resend)led irhcc-dle-laJi'^ whec-dle-Iee', and seemed a very definite as well as pretty wood- land tnue. In Missouri, Mr. Nehrling put uj) nesting- boxes for these little southerners, and was re- warded by having several pairs build about his house, lie became much interested in watchino- them feed their young. '' "Without interruption from early morning till late in the afternoon," he observes, " the parents keep bringing minute insects, worms, larvie and insect eggs, which they collect from the boughs, bark, and leaves of the trees and shrubs ; " and he concludes, " like all our Titmice, and the rest of our small birds, tlie Carolina Chickadee is a very usefid creature, and shoidd enjoy to its fullest extent man's friendship and protection." Mr. Nehrling calls attention to the Chickadees' timidity and flight. They are terrified by the sudden i)assage of any bird that may be mistaken for a Hawk, he says, " for they know only too well that their powers of flight arc sadly deficient, and that escape from an enemy in the open air is almost impossible." He adds that when a flock is about to start across a treeless space, they can be stopped by making a buzzing sound and throw- ing a hat in the air, they are so much in fear of enemies. re- Iiis WniTE-niiEASTEI) N UTIIAWIf 73 White-breasted Nuthatch : Siiia cnrolincmi^. (Fi{r. ;J2, ,,. 74; .i,„i pij,,. ;;4^ J, 77) Males, top of head black ; back bliiisli gray ; wiiips and tail marked with black and wiiitu ; under parts white. Females, similar, but black of head duller. Lenijlh, about (5 iuche.s. Gkookai'Hk; Dihtjuiution. — Eastern North Anusrica ; breeds from the Gulf states to Minnesota and New Brunswick ; gen- erally resident throughout its range. In the north a special debt of gratitude is due the birds that accei)t our winter hospitality, and the Nuthatcb is one of our main dependences, coniino- with the Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and Blue Jays to visit our suet. In the south it is also found during cold weather in company with the Tufted Titmice and Kinglets, and in spring and fall with flocks of migrating Warblers ; 1 it the Chickadee and Nuthatch are most frequently seen together, and in summer both retire to the woods and build their nests in tree trunks. The Nut- hatch is as quaint and droll as the Black-cap is plump and friendly, but the two agree in being very nuich preoccupied with their own matters. The Nuthatch spends most of his time moving about, head down, on tree trunks, or suspended under a branch like a fly on the ceiling, and it is said that he even sleeps hanging head down. Once, when watching a family of youngsters, I fell to wondering whether they were born with acro- batic skill or whether age steadied their heads, and just at that moment one of the brood started ( ( ii i 'I r" i! 'H^^l' - ^Hl9Hi i ■^■■^■i 1 i :? i.:* ¥ 74 WniTE-IiREASTED N UTIIA TCIf ' 'if y^ ^, ^\ I over the edge of ii limb. It hesitated an instant, but then circled around the branch as naturally and easily as a boy would run dovn hill. The family of six to which this adventuiesonie youngster belonged was constantly on the move. The old ones hunted over the rosettes of lichen on the tree trunks in a busi- ness-like way, when they had finished one tree start- ing briskly for the next '■ great bole,' calling yak^ ak-ah, for the little ones to follow ; and the young- sters, although they had been running around hither and yon hunting with most independent airs, seemed quite ready to go where meals were sure, so all six went trailing off together in pretty family fashion. While watching them, I saw some quaint per- Fig. 32. Nuthatch and Chickadet WUlTE-liliEASTEl) NUTHATCH 7r> formancos. Oiico i liffi-. i . ,. ■>„ up „t a tree trunk ,na,lo a c,>,,„,,.tti»l,"bol,!,v 1 ow ami scra,,o to l,is „,at„(9) I,,,,,,; ' , '^ '•own facing ,.:,„, ,„,., ,,.o(V , wi ';" 1, ^ Jiut just at that mo,„o„t a ehi|„„„„k, .„ rival utter, appeared at the foot „£ the t ee I, o„ the eo,p,ett,ug Nuthateh, whereupon he h> ,™ f ;;::' -n "™" ■" r^- -'• '- i'"" a iet,e..t. fhey were playful, jolly littl,. l,i,,i, an,l when alone wouhl often «„ el„»»,.i„„ „„ ^J trees, einrruping softly to then.selve, lu sp.te of the ingennon, ways of those eharn,. .ng foresters, there is a ,„,.j,„,,.,.„ against ar.s,ng from their being conf„se.l w?th the «■ ' suekers, .a,„l they are ,,erseeutea l,y those Z owe them the most gratitu.Ie, for, ,as a n.atte of faet, „,seets n,ost .lestruetive to the fruit-. , we "s crop, are an.ong their favorite foods, fhe N, t Lateh ,s as Doctor Mearns ,le„on,inates hin^ .. ^ KO(;KAi'inc DisTiUHiTioN. — Eastern North America, north- ward in the interior to Hudson Hay, breeding locally throu};h- out the more northern part of its ranj^e. 01(1 inluibitant.s still recount tlit^ great flights of the wild Pigeon in the days when the sun used to be darkened by their nmltitudes, and Wilson tells of a floek that was four hours in passing, its line covering two hundred and forty miles and the movement of its column being like the " wind- ings of a vast and nuijestic river." At that time the birds nested in roosts sometimes forty miles long, and the people would come from all ])arts of the country, with " wagons, axes, beds, and cooking utensils," camping on the grt)und with their families for days where they could plunder the roosts. " The noise in the woods was so great as to terrify their horses," Wilson says, " and . . . it was difficult for one person to hear another speak without bawling in his ear. The ground was strewed with broken limbs of trees, eggs, and young squab Pigeons ... on which herds of hogs were fattening . . . the woods presented a per- petual tumult of crowding and fluttering multi- tudes of Pigeons, their wings roaring like thunde?, mingled with the frequent crash of falling tim- ber." Now, like the buffalo, hardly any Pigeons are >fe. riGEONS AND DOVES 79 left to boar tostiniony to this dcstrnetion whicli American thoughtlessness lias wrought, and the sight of a single luigrant sto])i>in<.- iu one's woods IS cause for nuicli ('ongratulation ! The Passenger Pigeon, the Mourning Dove, and ,tlie Ground Dove are the three; l,est known of the family, and stand by themselves distinct from all other eastern birds. As a family, the Doves are not gift^'d with song, but their soft voices, delicate tints, and gentle ways render them among the most attractive of our birds. They are encouraging to the beginner, for they help him realize that birds are not all alike, and really may be easily classified As the Doves belong to the family of the domestic Pigeons, the Quails and Grouse to the family of the domestic fowls, other birds may be quickly separated off from the number of confusino- „n- known songsters. The Crow and Hummingbird stand apart, ami the Chimney Swift and Swallows are easily distinguished, while the brilliantly col- ored Caidinal and Oriole are not to be confounded with the little brown Wrens of the ground or the gvay-blue Chickadees and Nuthatches of the trees. The Bluebird and Robin every one recognizes • and the two melodious cousins, the Catbird and Mock- ingbird, speak for themselves. By grouping the birds you know and then eliminating them from those you do not know, identification of the un- known ones becomes much simplified. If you know that a bird is neither a Wren, Nuthatch, f ■■ l!< 80 KEY TO riaSONS AND DOVES Chickiuloe, Jliiii.iuinohird, ('row, Swallow, Quail, or Dove, you will not have to hunt throuoh those families for it, when h)okiii^' for its name. 7i7/m- inatioH is the shoi-t eut to hlonfijinition. If you know what a bird is y-o/, you will soon know what it is. Key to Adult Male Doves. 1. Small (length about 7 iiidii's) ; tail liinost 8qiiare ; wings allowing reddish brown in flight. Southern. p. 31. CJuouNi) Dove. 1'. Large (length 12 to 10 inches); tail long and pointed. 2. Top of head same color as back — bluish slate; no black spot on side of neck. p. ,5. Passknger Piokon. 2'. Top of head not same color as back ; forehead brownish ; back of head blu- ish slate ; back brownish ; a small black spot on side of neck below eye. p. 29. Mourning Dovk. Least Flycatcher ; Chebec : Empidonax minimus. (Plate V.) Geooraphk! DisTRiBt^TioN. — Eastern Uniterl States, west to the Great Plains; breeds from Pennsylvania and Nebraska northward ; winters in Central America. Through the ojien windows in a New England village come many bird songs, but none strike the ear with more distinctness than the frequently reiterated call of c7ie-beck'. It has no poetic sug- gestions, but after one has traced it to the fluffy little white-breasted Flycatcher up in the trees, no I'LATE V.-LKAST FLYCATCHER Upper parfs brownish olive ; .uuhv parts f^rayish, darker on brastands.des; w„.g bazvs asl.y white; lower n.andible hom-color. Length, about 5i inches. 1 „t 1 I!' iii the voi( regular versiiti( as ' s'-l] ' vvliit-w nesting times oi nj) in a tail I toy Like al catches enii)liasi The ] (luiekly tells of for cotto and neai suckles i Hardy a friondliiii pair bnil seemed i When hf and fly d( he distnv) A still fr'endshij Connectio whose sh Almost e^ I,,»,«»l**).l I 1^'-^ LEAST FLYCATCIlEli 81 the voicr will leciill a pleasant picture. Besides its regular call of ,'lu--h,'rh\ the Least has several con- versational notes, a call that Major Hendire oives as ' s'-liek, s'-liek,' and a low, twittering wad>le, ' whit-we-we.' If you watch tin; i)retty bird in nesting time you will see it fly to its nest, some- tunes on a horizontal lind), but more often high lip in a crotch wheio you can just see its owner's tail beyond the .-dge of the compact round cu]). Like all its family, it snaps its bill when it catches a fly, and shakes if^ ^.gs and tail to emi)hasize its remarks. The Least is a mo4 friendly little bird who quickly responds to kiutlness. Doctor Brewer tells of a pair that began by coming to a house for cotton for their nest, and finally drew nearer and nearer till they built in a clump of honey- suckles in a unier of the piazza. Mr. Manly. Hardy also gives an interesting instance of the friendliness of these attractive little folks. A pair built regularly near or in his garden, and seemed to romend)er him from year to year. When he was hoeing, they would perch near by and fly down beside him to catch the insects that he disturbed. A still more remarkable case of confident fi- endship came to my knowledge in Farmin-ton, Connecticut. The Chebec was the pet of alady vvhose shrubby yard had many nesting birds. Almost every day through the summer, when she 82 LEAST FLYCATCHEB. would go out to water her garden at five o'clock the Chebee would come Hying in to have her give him a shower-bath. While waiting for her to get out the hose, he would " fly down on the fence and begin his talk ; " then she would come up within five or six feet of him and turn the hose upon him gently. In describing it she said : " Of course he does n't like a very strong shower. lie says che-heck' in between, and when he has had enough he flies into the bushes and i)reens himself beautifully. I wish you could see him shake himself ! " On the days when the fountain spray was set on the grass, when it made an arch high enough, the little Flycatcher would dart througli it back and forth almost in a circle, rest- ing occasionally on the fence, as his friend in- terpreted it, " to think about it probably, and say che-beck!, thanks." At times, when he tired of these methods of bathing, he would drop down on the ground and shake himself in the wet grass blades, as a Canary does in a bath-tub. After tell- ing about all the attractive ways of the friendly bird, the little lady concluded : " Now you do not wonder that I called him the darling little fellow, for I really have an affection for him ; " and then she went on to say that, although she lived by herself in her cottage, she found so nuicli com- ])anionshii) in her birds and flowers and trees that she could never be lonely. KTNGBTTiT) 83 Fi(}. 3-). Kingbird : Tyrannm ti^rannus. Upper parts blackish ; under parts white, waslied witli gray on breast; head with a eonceah'd red patch; tail tippctl trilh a white hand. Lpiii/tli, about .S.} inches. (iKoouaphk; DisTiUHiTio.v. — Nortli America, north to New IJrunswick and >ranitoba ; rave west of the llocky Mountains; winter in Central and South America. The sight of a Crow being chased by a bird i Ill i '!. ! 84 KINGBIRD less than half its size is a very familiar one in the country, and an equally connnon one is that of a gray bird with a wliite breast sitting on a ro-'xlside fence, occasionally darting up witli a loud, twittering cry. By watching him a little he will often be seen hovering over a weed in a meadow, his fluttering wings supporting him so well that he seems to be hanging in air. At otlier times we may see him start uj) from an apple-tree top and fly obliquely into the air as energetically as if bound for the zenith ; then suddenly whirl and sail back on outspread wings, the white band on his fan-shaped tail showing^'to tlie best advantage. Now what are we to infer from all these per- formances ? That he is a doughty warrior, ready to cross lances with tlie black giants of the land, is plain to see; but what mean all his curious aerial evolutions ? The answer is simple, — he is moved by no occult impulses, but is merely pursuing the prosaic occupation common to all mortal men, — getting his dinner ! To be sure, he does it with many unnecessary flourishes and -nuch superfluous show of enjoyment, exciting our admiration, not only by his grace of wing, but by his power of sight. Indeed, one careful observer has seen a Kingbird start from a tele- graph pole one hundred and seventy-five feet away, and fly up to within twenty-five feet of him for an insect which was invisible to the man, It I'i' i- u. KINGBIRD 85 though the bird had seen it one hundred and fifty feet away ! - In fact, he has been so loudly accused of eatincr , honey-bees that the examiners of bird stomacht ^ m the Department of Agriculture have made a special stiuly of his food. Of 218 stomachs ex- n'r.med, only 14 contained any trace of honey- i>'io., and nearly all those were drones ; so, to say .ne least, the habit is much less prevalent than supposed. In addition to this negative evidence, It has been found that 90 per cent, of his food is' insects, mostly injurious kinds. Among them are the gadfly, so terrifying to horses and cat- tle ; the destructive clover-leaf weevil, rose chafer, ants, and grasshop- pers. Several as- paragus beetles were found in one stom- ach, and 40 rose chaf- ers in another. The King is especially an orchard bird, thoudi in addition to fruit beetles he eats many grain destroyers when he hunts in the meadows. Indeed, the conclusion reached by the ornithologists is that the Kino-. bird is one of the best helps the farmer has hi the destruction of harmful insects. One corre- spondent exclaims fervently, "I honor and esteem Fi(3. ;](5. Rose Chafer, eaten by Kingbird. 86 KIXGliIRD of ruinous vermin he this bird for the millions rids us of ! " In the matter of fruit the Kingbird is most ex- emplary, eating only three or four kinds of culti- vated fruit. If he were to harm any one kind, it j would be a simple matter to attract his attention to some wild fruit, since he feeds on wild red and black cherries, choke-cherries, elderberries, mul- berries, wild grapes, spice bush, sassafras, cornel, red and ground cedar, buckthorn, magnolia, and pokeberry. His vegetable foods are almost en- tii-ely wild fruits of no economic value. As a Fly- catcher, the Kingbird is a good rei)resentative of the family, having the big head, large shoulders, and Quaker dress. The bill is also the typical Flycatcher bill — flat and broad, with a clasp at the end, and stiff, bristly hairs at the base, both of which hel]) to hold the insects that have been seized. (See Fig. 38, p. 92.) Besides being such an important citizen in his public capacity, the Kingbird is most interesting in his domestic life, as Mrs. Miller demonstrates in her valuable study of a nest in ' Little Bro- thers of the Air.' She shows that he is no tyrant, but merely a watchful guardian of the nest, axid she calls attention to the little-known song with which he shows his domestic happiness. The Kingl)ird will amply repay close watching, and his large, low orchard nest offers one of the best opportunities for careful study of bird ohar- t.i PIKEBE 87 acter. A curious case of nest guardianship is told me by Mrs. G. C. Maynard, whose son one day clhnbed a Kingbird's tree to look at the eggs. The old birds flew at his head so angrily that he had to get his hat to protect himself. When he appeared a second time, after the birds thouglit they liad driven him off, and coming shielded by a hat which rendered tlieir attacks futile, the Kingbirds were overwrought; and although tlie boy did nothing but look at their eggs, liom that time on they could not bear the sight of that hat. Whenever the lad passed with it on, they would fly at him ; and one day, when his mother snatched it up as she hurried to the orchard, although tliey were quite accustomed to her visits to their tree, they swooped down and actually struck thj offending head-covering with their wings. Phoebe : Saiiornis phoebe- Upper parts g:rayish brown ; under parts white, washed with yellowish. Lenyth, about 7 inches. Geogkaphic DiSTKiBtrrioN.- Eastern North America; bree.Is from South Carolina to Newfoundland and Manitoba, and wmters from North Carolina to Cuba and Mexico. The Phoebe, like the Kobin, is one of the homely, confiding birds for whom we have a peculiar att'ec tion. Like the Robin, she often comes about our houses and builds her nest in a crotch of the piazza, as if putting her brood under our protec- tion. Though she may not be as neat a house- keeper as some, her presence is such a valuable J' . i H'l 1 ! n.'t Uli If f! 88 PHCEBE nature-lesson for our children that she should be eagerly welcomed for that reason alone. Beauti- ful indeed is the sympathy that grows up between Fig. ;J7. the family in the big mossy nest in the piazza and the little folks that watch below. How fear- less the old birds become as the days go by ! And how anxiously all their enemies are^lriven off for them ; how eagerly their nestlings are watched ; and finally, with what mingled feelino-s of pride and regret the first flights of the depaH- ing brood are witnessed ! When the Phoebe does not nest under the shel- termg roof of a house, it often builds on a rafter of an old shed or barn, where it may be seen PHCEIiE 89 be iti- en a perching on the ridgepole with crest raised and ^^ng8 and tail hanging. It may also be found nesting under bridges and on rocks or cliffs. When seen, now and then it cries out hip\ hip\ or with a jerk of the tail' calls j^hm'-he, i^hce'-be. It sits turning its head and looking over its shoulder this way and that till, spying an insect, It suddenly darts into the air, snaps its bill con- clusively, and then settles back on a perch. In Florida the Phoebe is said to vary this practice by lighting on the backs of cattle, taking a ride with the laudable excuse of catching flies. For like the Kingbird it is a Flycatcher and makes Its living from our insect pests. Few fish are rejected that visit the Phoebe's net. Not only does it help dear the air of the flies and wasps that annoy cattle, but it eats May beetles and click beetles, both of which injure the crops ; and also helps free the trees of elm leaf-beetles,' and the vegetable gardens of squash beetles, bugs, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and the bean and pea weevils. When it is seen perched on mullein stalks after its arrival in the spring, it is lying in wait for the moth of the cutworm. In fact, as Professor Beal says, " it is evident that a pair of Phoebes must materially reduce the number of insects near a garden or field, as the birds often, if not always, raise two broods a year, and each brood numbers from four to six young." He con- cludes: "There is hardly a more useful species I \\ I 90 WOOD PEWEE 1 1 |f^ ( ! f! about the farm and it should receive every en- couragement and be protected from cats and other marauders, for it will repay such care a hundred fold." Wood Pewee : Contnpus virens. Upper parts ])liu!kisli brown ; under p.irts wliitisli, washed with olive ; winjf bai-s wliitisli ; lo« v mandible pab^ brown or yel- lowisli. Lent/t/i, about Oi inches. GKOciUAPinr I )iSTKi.utTiON. — Eastern North Anieriea ; breeds fron. Florida to Newfoundland ; winters in Central and South America. In Ohio it is almost exceptional to find an orchard without its pair of Wood Peweos, Mr. H. C. Oberholser says ; and in Farmington, Connec- ticut, on the grounds of Miss Porter's school and also on the village streets, one of the commonest bird notes is the clear, plaintive pee'-ah-ime of the sweet-voiced Flycatcher. Once lua i d and listened to, the note will never be forgotten. Some birds' songs, like the ordinary one of the Mockingbird, impress you as matters of execution and at times of gossip, but the minor call of the Wood Pewee seems tlie simi)le, sincere utterance of the heart. Of course the Pewee, being mortal, is not always in poetic mood, and in its commonplace moments it has a rapid, twittering twit'-ter-rah, given with quivering wings and tail. Mrs. Miller says it has also a low, pleasing song. The voice of the Wood Pewee is recognized quickly, but the bird itself is a little hard to find WOOD PEWEE 91 in u treotop, and wlii'ii not .sin<,niio- may bo con- fused with the Pluijbe. Two thinf.-s help one, however, for to the patient ol).sorver the I'ewee's Jiabit of flying out after insects will l)etray his whereabouts ; and his distinct whitish wincr bars will sei)arate hini from his cousin, the Pluebe. Then, too, he is smaller and sits more upright than the plump, flnffy Phoebe. When watching- ;, Pewee in Farmington one day, I was much i)nzzled by her actions. Again and again she crossed a wide open space and flew against the side of a tree trunk. What food could she be finding there? Putting up my opera-glass, I was delighted to discover a round patch of light green lichen on the spot to which she went, and following her flight saw her go straight as an arrow to a crotch in a treetop, where she sat down and went to nioulding a little knot in the crotch. She had been gathering lichen for her nest ! It seems a simple mattei^ but after years of delight in the exquisite lichen- covered nest of the W^ood Pewee ~ a nest excelled by none but the Hummingbird's — it is enough to start one's pulses to see the dainty builder act^'u- • ally putting on her decorations. To the true bird- lover life cannot be altogether blank while such pleasures are to be had for the looking. Grouped together, the four commonest Flycatch- ers can easily be distinguished from each other. In size they grade down from the Kingbird to 92 wont) J'EWEE I ■¥.l Sf 'if I. . 4l 'if ' KiiiB-i.ir.i the Ticast, and each one has dis- ..woo.1 1'ewee tinctivc cliavacters. The Kingbird can 1)0 told at a glance by his large size and the white band on the end of his tail ; the Wood J'cwee may be distingnished from the Pha)be by its white wing bars; while the Least may be known by its small size, its wing bars, and call of chc-hcck'. (See Plate XIII. p. 258.) The Kingbird is the one seen chasing Crows and Hawks ; the Pho-be, the honse, barn, and bridge bird ; and the Wood Pevvee, the pensive, Doetic architect of the lichen-covered nest. Looked at as a gronp, all fonr birds have the prominent Flycatcher characters — the gray ))ln- mage, large heads and shoulders, and broad, flat, slightly hooked, bristling bills (Fig. 38). As flycatching birds, the Fly- catrhers' methods of hunting dif- fer markedly from those of the Swifts and Swallows, who simply go through the air devouring all they meet ; for the Flycatchers He in wait for passing insects, flying out from a perch and dropping back again to wait for more. Grouped by song, the Flycatchers rank with the songless Grouse and Doves, or the minor songsters, such as Swal- lows, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Hummingbirds ; rather than with the Mockingbirds, Catbirds, Wrens, and Orioles. Like some other birds, they Fig. 38. Bill of Flycatcher. CROW liLACKliini) 03 liav(! the useful power of regurgitating indigestible portions of their food. r//:Xf ■ «'■-*. Fig. 39. Crow Blackbird : Quiscalus quisada and allies. Adult male, head, neck, and breast metallic iridescent pur- plish ; rest of body bronzy, purple, or gveeu. Adult ft male, duller, but back with traces of iridescence. Length, 12i inches. Geographic Distkibition. — United States east of the Rocky Mountains ; north to X.wfoundland and Great Slave Lake ; breeds throughout most of its range ; winters from North Carolina and southern Illinois to Texas. Before the chill of melting snow is out of the air, while spring is still vacillating in her advance upon March, bustling troops of Crow Blackbirds 04 f'fiOW JilACKIillil) 'J appeur on tlio hrown grass and in tlie bare trees, inakinj;- such a merry elatter and looking so big and jjositive that all uneert; inty seems over, and we ean no long«'r u u. lent,' "I thougr:r the big bird was the ,, ■&^.. ' And well she L \.:it, for when the fat n.-?;ing towered above its foster parent, insistently AiuVmg its wings, the poor, hard-worked little SiArrryv, with her own wings tight at her sides and - -.general harried air of hurry, looked thinner amc InaUer RUSTY BLACKIilRI) 101 and meeker than ever before. It was pathetic. Close at her heels pressed the big, impatient Cow- bird, whose existence had probably cost the lives of her own brood, not one of whom was left alive to follow the little mother. Rusty Blackbird : Scolecopkagus caroUnm. Adult male in nesUny plumaye, uniform glossy bluisl, black. Adultjemale in spriny, slate color, glossy above, duller below. Adults m full and winter, upi.er parts tipi)e(l with brown or rusty; under parts tipped with bufty. Length, about l)^ inches. Geookaphic DisTKUUTiON. - Breeds fron, the Adirondacks and Northern Minnesota, northward to Labrador and Alaska ; winters from Virginia southward. In spring, when large flocks of Blackbirds are roannng over the country, one may perhaps be confused by them, but with a little care they will easily be distinguished. The Crow Blackbirds may be known by their large size and long tails. The male Cowbird may be told at a glance by his chocolate-colored head, the Red-wing by his epau- lettes, and the liusty by his miiform glossiness. The female Red-wing, on the other hand, may be recognized by her streakedness : while the female Cowbird can be distinguished from the Rusty by the larger sizp of the Rusty, and the fact that it is slaty in spring and rust-color in fall and winter. The bill of the Cowbird (Fig. 42) is distinctive in all plumages, being short and thick, as is seen from comparison with that of the Meadowlark (Fig. 43), which the Red-wing's resembles in t' pe. In . H in ill I 102 RUSTY BLACKBIRD the nesting season identification is simple, for the female Ked-vvings are with their gorgeously epau- letted mates in the marshes; the Cowbirds are Fio. 42. Bill of Cowbird. Fk). 4:5. Bill of Meiulowlaik. wandering about the pastures with the cows ; and the liusty Blackbirds have disappeared to their northern homes. Major Bendire says that the Rusty Grackle " is much more of a forest-loving sjiecies than the other Blackbirds, and during the breeding season it ai)i)ears to be far less gregarious. Its favorite haunts in the Adirondacks are the swampy and heavily wooded shores of the many little moun- tain lakes and ponds found everywhere in this region, and here it spends the season of repro- duction in comparative solitude." In winter, the Major says, the liusty Blackbirds may be seen occasionally about barns and stock- yards, usually by themselves, but sometimes in company with other Blackbirds. He observes that their mode of flight resembles that of the Red-wing, and that " when feeding, while moving along, the rearmost fly over the others and alight again in the front ranks. Their notes are much • ) BOliOLINK 103 .1 more musical than those of the Grackles or otlier Blackbirds. The ordinary call note sounds like ^ tchilck, tchiick,' several times repeated ; another is like 'turulee, turulee, turulee,' uttered in a clear tone, and varied occasionally to ' trallahee, trallahee.'" M ^ 4^-- Pia. 44. Bobolink : DoUchonyx oryzivonts. (Plate VII. p. 104.) GEO(iKA..Hir DisTRiHUT.oN. - Bree.ls from southern New Jer- f^ey and cmtral Illinois northward to Nova Seotia. and west- ward to Utah and Montana: leaves tlie United (States by way of Florida, and winters in South America. The return of the birds is a record of daily increasiiig pleasure, but it is only a quickening and a promise until the glad day in May when we go to the h.^adows and find that the Bobolinks have come. Then the cup of summer gladness seems full. The Bobolinks like a field adjoining an orchard, so that they can fly up and make a sing- mg -allery of the apple-tree tops, but the high noda ug weeds of a meadow also please them very well. Just on the edge of lie beautiful old J:! fli f ) *l 304 ""age of Fa,„,;„„t„„ ,. , ?" • fleW wi,ere tl,„ U,J „^ I •'•■"e,„b.r ,„,„■, a-'d eroded a„ watching „ ,i ',,, , „ ■"pressed hy .:„? „ V^" "J I^oboli,,!,,, one i, 'r* <"'■<■■>■ 1.-. f t ' -^ "' ■''•''»»• While fl-ovo, the B,, .,i„, . ' Si""'- -adcTneath thai? "■»«»«'! of being a"\ ' '"'' ""^ o,, ..i^,. '^^ five eoJo,.ati:n hi :r"V'' "'^ ^^^ »* P™ from the weasek an, oU.T '"' '" P"*'^* Wm ' * -"-me on hi„, w^en t^le """'""'»' «"^»»e J''^>'' too, the Bobolin,,., I*? "" "- g™„„d. '■•"-''oveM.ebves^tiir:;:^^--^.™ '''^^ in an open, • tJio meadows ''"^t3r passing '« «J>ots on tlie ' other black ^ss nearer by ^ "> intersect. ««'"e of tJiem •■'■''sed to the i;Jit iistening ''»ds seemed ose of freer edJey neetl- fu^^ St out- ' sJ^Jit; a 1 ill's wings ' set sails, <= as if to »'f's often ^as they ^' one is While th tiiuii e. Jiut of pro- set him 'neniies fi'ound. ee him open, 1'I.ATE VII. BOBOLINK A^alt mde u, spr,ny, I„.ad, under parts, ^vi„g■s, and tail black; back of „e..k V ith l,ufFy patoh ; back largely grayish wl.ite ; tail feathers pointed. FemaU. i/ouug. and adult mule in falL upper parts brownish, streaked with black ; under parts buffy. i-e/ii^M, about 7i iuuhes. f pi I I > it lit; (ui ifj: ■.-*4**«- ~1 nOTiOLIXK 105 exposed ineudow. If he worn black above, ho would be a target for all passing Hawks and other gunners. At all events ho is light above : his top colors approximate to the meadow tints, but his breast, invisible when ho is on the ground by his nost, is a glossy, handsome Idack which may well please the eye of his lady. When he rises from the friendly cover of tlu; meadow to wing his way . to the south, he shows another wonderful example of nature's work in eliminating dangerous charac- ters and fostering the bonefieial ones. He moults, and the whole Lincoln family j)roceed on their travels, like so many demurely dressed Sparrows. When the liobolinks go south they stop on the way, first in the marshes, where they are known as ' Keed-birds,' and then in the ricefields of South Carolina and Georgia, where they are known as 'Rice-birds.' Here they do great harm, and are killed in such numbers that our northern mead- ows are fast losing their choruses ; for it is a lamentable fact tlinfc the intelligence which leads a bird to adopt as food the crops which man has planted must in many cases prove its own de- struction. Most of the devices that have been tried to protect the rice have failed, but in the neighborhood of St. Louis a number of planters have adopted a helpful measure. When feeding on the rice in its milky state, the birds need to wash their bills frequently to free them from the gummy matter that comes from the rice, so the ! I( !!f 11! iih. 106 MEADOWLARK planters draw off the water from the fields, obli- ging the birds to take time to go a long distance for water. In the north it is hard for us to realize how much harm the Bobolink does, and without a personal knowledge of the losses of our southern planters we must deplore the exter- mination of our northern favorite, for it is the bird which, since our childhood, has been the joy of our meadows. " "I'rii riittHmi Fig. 45. Meadowlark : Stumella magna. AdulU in summir, upper parts streaked brownish ; under parts briglit yellow, breast with black crescent. Iti winter, plumage duller. Length, 10] inches. Geogkaphic Distribution. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the Gulf of Slexico to New Brunswick and Minnesota ; winters from Massachusetts and Illinois southward. The Bobolink and Meadowlark are the two >».a. rt. ^-'^^Rm MEADOlriAKK 107 s^ng«ta,, „f „„, eastern mea-lovvs, b„t 1,„„ they . Ldce the Bobohnk, he shows his beauty only to 1"» ...a te. lis back is dull, streaked b«„vn fand wlnte but ln.s breast is a golden yellow hungw |-.ecklaee of richest .jet. Ordh.arily the hi knows very weU how to n.akc use of his dull coat, m son,etnues he presents j.roblen.s for bird as well as beast. A n.ost perplexing n.oment once came to a Lark. He found hin.self on a fence be! tween a Hawk .and a collector ! To which should he expose Ins brilliant breast? His brothers in «.e loeahty, at s.gbt of this same collector, had 1 il I I t iff'- 108 MEADOWLARK i ^ promptly turned their backs to liim, looking back at him only over their shoulders, but this bird kept his back to the Hawk and stood facing the man. As the collector was a naturalist, the bird's trust was not misplaced, and he lived to again sing his joy to his mate. Incredible as it seems to the nature-lover, the Meadowlark is often shot for food, although on purely economic grounds, as Professor Beal per- tinently remarks, it is "entitled to all possible protection, and to slaughter it for game is the least profitable way to utilize a valuable species." It has been said that the Meadowlark eats clo- ver-seed, but in looking for it in stomach contents it was found in only 6 out of 238 stomachs, and 99 per cent, of the food at clover time was found to be insects, mainly grasshoppers, insects whose ravages have been no- torious from the ear- liest times. Professor Beal says: "The num- ber eaten is so enor- mous as to entitle the Meadowlark to rank among the most effi- cient of our native birds as a grasshopper destroyer." It is estimated that the value of the grass crop saved by the Meadowlarks on a township of thirty-six square miles, each month during the grasshopper season. Fio. 4r>. Grasshopper. j.;^«».,.**aa*ia«i* BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES 109 is about tNventy-foiu- dollars. " Nor are the other components of the insect food less important ex- cept m quantity. Some of the most injurious beetles form a considerable percentage of the stomach contents." Among the other insects eaten by the Meadowlark are May beetles, ants, bugs, caterpdiars, curculios, and leaf-beetles. In conclusion. Professor Beal says : " Far from being injurious, it is one of the most useful allies to agriculture, standing almost without a peer as a destroyer of noxious insects." With the Meadowlark we come to the last of trr:^ Blackbird and Oriole family that we shall take up As a group they are strongly marked birds, of striking colors, of good size — when compared with the smaller Chick- adees, Wrens, and Humming- birds — having strong bills and feet as compared with the Swal- lows and Swifts. (See Figs. 47, 48.) Among themselves theydif' fer widely. The brilliant Orioles are birds of the tree- toi)s ; the Black- birds, Bobolink, and Meadowlark, largely birds of the ground. Of the two eastern Orioles, the male Baltimore is always moix) or less yellow and black, while the adult male Orchard Oriole is chestnut and black I Fig. 47. Weak foot of Swallow. Fkj. 48. Strong toot of Blackbird. I sill i •< I I I 110 BLACKniRDS AND ORIOLES IH :■ i t. l! i I'lf' Fin. 4a Bill of Oriol.^ The Orchard Oriole is also smaller and builds a shallower nest of grass. The Blackbirds are alike in general characteristics. They all walk — the Orioles hop — and they get most of their food on the ground. The Crow Blackbird, lied-wing, and Rusty are most nearly alike, and as their food habits are similar, they have similar bills. (See Fig. 121, p. 193.) The Cow- bird and Bobolink are less ex- clusively insectivorous, and so their bills apjiroach more to the seed-eater conical type of bill (see Figs. 42, p. 102 • 50, p. 110, and 119, p. 193), contrasting quite sharply with the long, pointed bills of the Orioles (Fig. 49), Meadowlark (see Fig. 43, p. 102), and Black- birds (Fig. 121, p. 193). The Blackbiid and Oriole types of bill contrast well with the fly- traps of the ^' vallows, the })robes of the Hummingbitds, and the bills of the Doves, Wrens, and Flycatchers. (See Figs. 120, 118, p. 193; 106, 107, p. 192.) In the same way, the tails of the i^obolink and Meadow- lark, wliich live among the grasses, have become s})ecialized, being quite sharp and pointed, as if worn by friction (see Fig. 51) ; while those of the Fig. 50. Bill of Bobolink. Fi(i. 51. Tail of Boholink. KEY TO BLACKBIEDS AND OIUOLES 111 troetop Orioles, or tlic Blackhirds that frequent Hhort^roppecl pasture land or mown fields, have tlieirs unmodified. The Waekhirds and T^obolinks, like the Crows fewifts, and Swallows, are euun-ntly social birds' spending most of their time in floeks. ""birds fnTorlf ""'^' °' ^^"" ^^^^ ^'--^^ Dirds and Orioles mentioned in this Book. 1. Small (lo„sth about 7 to 7^ inel.cs). - Phunage mainly black and wlute ; n.ulor parts black • bael.blj^a„awbite,.i^^^ . p. lOy. BOMOMXK. nnt. Head and throat black. 3. Rest of under parts yellow or orange. p. 50. Baltimork Oriole. 3'. Rest of under parts chestnut. p. 01. Orchard Oriole. 1'. Large (length 8 to 13 inches). 4. Plumage nutM,, ,,rou,n and ,,eUo,n . ,,,ek brownish- •"»!- parts yellow, with black crescent on iZ't '• outer tail feathers white. Lives i. ...eadows! ' .. n, !'■ ^^- MkaOOWLARK. 4 . I'htmafje m.nn.'ii black. 5. Shou^dors wich red epaulettes ; rest of pluu.age black iounc in svamps and marshes. ^■' P- ^'- RKD.WINGKO BLACKniRD. o^ Shoulders without red epaulettes. 6. Head and neck brown ; rest of body glossy bla<-k Hund .„ pastures wUh cattle , p. 08^ c^'iru.' I 'IH 112 KEY TO liLACKUIRDS AXD ORIOLES 0'. llciul and neck not brown. 7. Tail noiinal ; body uni/orml// fjlossy bbiish black ; migrant, riiunafj^c rusty in fall migration. p. 101. ll( ^; Y Mi.ACKniRi). 7'. Tail long and fan-sliapcd ; body not uniformly bluish black; head, neck, and breast metallic pur- j)lc or bluish ; rest of body metallic with iriiiescent bars p. !);?. Ckow Blackhiro. I'-l j, lie: I' Fkj. 52. Meadowlark. Fig. 5.3. ISobolink. VUt. 'i-i. Red-wing. REl'RESKXTATIVKS OK IL VCKUIRD AND ORIOLE FAMILY. :. .£;^n,WuiwU»&ui^»> ..W«««*«i6i»i ,^-,«*.>«<««««'*«-«iga ack ; lURI). iiiily pur- scent IIIRO. i^^ cmrpixa spAniio]v Chipping Sparrow : Sphrlh, sncMis. 113 Fk;. 55. Cliippiiig- Sparrow. Top of lu.a.l ml.Iisl. brown; uu,W parts plain ^ray ; Lack brown streaked with black; bill black. Len,j>/,, about 5| ni(;hes. * Gko,>ha,.„k. l).STHnnrTrox._E.-,st..r„ North An.nrioa; br.eds tron. the (,„lf states t<. Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake • winters iu the Gulf states and Mexico. Mr. Torrey says if lie eoiild liavo Jiis way this little bird shouW be known as the 'door-step Sparrow,' and certainly no name eould be more ai)proi)ri- ate. Many delio-litfnl instances are on record concerning j)ar- ticularly tame Chippino-^ Spar- rows, bnt none is more interest- ing than that given by Mr. liobert B. Lawrence, a nepliew of the distinguished ornithologist, George N Lawrence, wlio tells l,ow a ' Chippy ' actpiaint- ance of his father\s became a confidential friend. Mr. Lawrence says i,i a note in ' Forest and Stream : ' " For years at our i)lace in Flushing, L. L, my father has fed some half dozen of tiu-re Chii)ping Si)arrows, and the young birds have taken bread or seed from his hand when it was held near the ground, but the old birds would never allow any such familiarity. One of the adult birds, however, seemed more inclined to ao so than his companions, and at last, in the sununer of 1879, nmstered courage enough to fol- low the example of the young birds, and, finding f :i fir 114 CIIirriNG SPARROW li '-i m II- i no i]l effects, jum])e(l onto my father's finger, and, sitting there, ate liis hreakfast. The ice once broken, ' Dick,' as we cliristened him, seemed to lose all fear, and from that time always ate his breakfast from my father's hand. . . . This con- tinued all the summer, but when fall came, with the first cold blasts Dick took his departure for the summer regions of the south. The next April, however, he re- turned and without any hesitation came one morning to my father's call and in his old accus- tomed way ate his break- fast from my father's hand. Dick and his mate built their nest in the vines which clambered over our })iazza and spent the summer with us. . . . This year he has gone farther, as he has several times, while sit- ting on my father's hand, ceased eating and poured forth his song of thanks. ... It has long been known that birdb would return to the same locality year after year, but that a wild bird should remember a person's voice and come back after his long wandering as Fxo. ;■)(). Crab Gr.oss, eaten by Chip- ping Sparrow. •t CHIP PING SPA liliO W 115 Fig. 57. Currant Worm. tame and confiding as when he went away is, I think, very remarkable." Since tlie Chippy is the first of tlie Sparrows to be studied, it will be well to look at him closely in ordev to see what are his family traits. He has the cone-shaped, seed-cracking Fincii bill, — the type we saw api)roached by those of tlie Cowbird and Bobolink, but like most Sparrows is not ex- clusively gTanivorous. As a seed-eater he destroys the foxtail and crab grass that disfigure our lawns, and he helps, too, to free our premises from pigweed, duckweed, and knotweed ; while as an insect-eater he does us a goo;^ turn by eating cab- bage-worms, tent-caterpillars, cankerworms, and |i'- 1 ^ - i^fcrr^' ii 1 1 116 SONG SPAIUiOW gypsy-moth caterpillars, and i)articularly affects cutworms ami army worms, two of our worst in- sect pests. Combiiiinfif insect with vej^etable food in this way, the Chippy does not find it necessary to go as far south for his winter supplies as exclu- sively insectivorous birds, and so we find him, in company with other short-winged seed-eaters, win- tering in the Gulf states and Mexico, while the Swift and many of the Flycatchers go on to Cen- tral America. As a family, the Sparrows are very niu.,i;< ;il ; and though the Chippy is not a gift<'d meitnbor of the choir, when he sits on a tree in the smu, with his soft feathers fluffed up about him, eve« his monotonous little trill has a cheery sum- mer sound. Song Sparrow : Melospiza fmciata. Upper parts brown, streaked with Llauk ; under parts whita, streaked with black, and with a dark central blotch on breast. Length, about (i| inches. Qeogkaphic DiHTHiBU'i ion. — Eastern North America ; breeds from northern Illinois and Virginia north to Quebec and Manitoba ; wintei-s from southern Illinois and Massachusetts to the Gulf states. No considerable .area of the United States is witiiout one of the geographic races of the Song Sparrow. The Song Sparrow is another of our common- est birds. It is larger than Chippy, and its clan instead of wearing red caps usually wear black but- tons on their white-striped vests (Figs. 55, 58). Being vegetarians in winter, they are able to abide in the north ; and even in Illinois and Mas- SONG SPAniiOW 117 Fi(}. .OS. Sony Sparrow. saeliusetts, where tlio winds l)low lustily over the snow, the cheering winter birds oeeusion- ally fjivor ns with a summer song. Indeed, in nuiny places the wel come voice of the Spar- row lias been heard in every month of the year except Dec(>mber. Like the Chippy and other philosophers, the Song makes the most of tlie table that is spread for it, changing with oood grace from the seeds that winter offers to the in- sects that summer brings. Mr. Nehrling considers it one of our most useful birds from the eagerness with which it sets upon injurious cateri)il- lars, grasshoppers, and leaf-eat- ing beetles, to say nothing about cabbage worms and moths ; while the persistency of its search for rose bugs, cutworms, and all kinds of beetles rivals that of the most ardent entomologist. While we have need of every pair of these useful birds, Mr. Nehrling believes that many of their garden nests are destroyed Fig. .59. Pigweed, eaten by Song' Sparrow. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe // / / .<'' 4: .V iP y. K ^ y. ^ 1.0 I.I [if ij^ ^ tiS, Li 11:25 ill 1.4 12.5 |M 1.8 1.6 V <^ /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 V qv ■^ <> .v^ 1> % ^ ( : 118 ii.f. SONG SPARROW by strolling cats, and many of the birds both young and old killed by the prowlers. "Cats should never be tolerated in garden or field," he exclaims emphatically. " They do more harm to our familiar garden birds than all other enemies combined." This testimony is borne out by Mr. Brewster, who says that stray grimalkins have even penetrated the forests of Maine, their tracks actually being commoner there than those of any wild animal. As a matter of humanity to the cats as well as to the birds, Mr. Brewster urges that all city and village oats should be licensed just as much as the dogs, and no unfed vagrants allowed at large, where to keep from starving they will prey upon our song-birds. When not prematurely killed by feline marau- ders, in some localities the Song Sparrow is said to rear three broods in a season. It builds on or near the ground, and iti eggs are bluish white heavily marked with brown. The Song Sparrows are among the gentlest and most winning birds we are blessed with, and when they nest near the house may easily be in- duced to come to the doorstep for crumbs. Their song bears the test of every day ; for while it is not brilliant, it has all the sweetness of the gentle bird's own simple nature, and heard far from home stirs cliords that the more brilliant strangers do not touch. Even its chirp his a contented quality that it does one good to hear. I H' rsspsn spAitiiow 119 Furthermore, the st,Kle„t who i, interested in not- ... ''"7' fo'- 't varies remarkably. Fifteen ™™ .es of its „„ng have been noted in one w 1 »<1 tl,e sa„,e ludividnal often has a number oi tunes m his reper^^ire. Vesper Sparrow; Grass Finch : P^.,„„ ^„„^„,, r;;;s,:x'':;;,;: jr:,; t- rr ""-■ -- Gko,.„»,.,„, n,«,.„n,„;,„;"l™'":, '^"■9"'; "l""" « "ul.... M«<.,„.i. .„„„,.,,, I iC^fv '■.'*'''•"'>•■■ '■"•«'» '~m toW .™d Nova &„H ' " '" '""■""•""I to Ma„i. Virginia ,„,,Zat,' "'""" "" "'" ^"»""« '«« '™» row',!;:rheT' "" ^-"".""-'^"'^ f™-. «..•» spar. row's, in conneeticn ivith the wliite feathers that flash from tlie sides of "ts tail as it goes. As its name indieates, its rao.st interesting character is its evening song. One of its twilight recital- is especially marked in iny memory.' The cliorl societ;. was an E.asthampto„ oiu/and oJe , husiastic bird-Iovers in the beautiful old uL sachnset^s tmvn invited me to attend its vespe , A brilliant Blucbircl led „s f,.„„, the long, shadld village street into • Green Lane,' an old ."i^v way bordered by rail fences leading west tZ Fif!. (10. Tail of Vesper Sparrow. II ;■ 11 1 If r-^^H \ 1 ^|H it i^^l > m k'H 120 BED-EYED VIBEO [1 ft ' golden sunset, and the bird's sweet, quavering call had hardly died away when we were greeted by the voice of one of the Sjjarrows we had come to hear. He was perched on a stake in the meadow beside the lane, and as we stojiped to listen poured out his beautiful vesper hymn. It had scarcely ceased when it was taken up by an- other of the rich-voiced choristers, and soon was being sung by glad, sweet voices scattered far througli the meadows. In the stillness of the hour, with the level fields reaching to the golden horizon, the peaceful evening song seemed full of new beauty, and we listened in silence to its calm, melodious notes till the sunset afterglow faded from the sky and the twilight shadows gathered around us. Red-eyed Vireo : Vireo oUvaceus. (Fig. 03, p. 120.) Crown gray, bordered by black ; a conspicuous ivhite line over the eye; upper parts olive-green; under parts wbite. Length, about 0| iiicbes. Geookaphic Distkibution. — Eastern North Ameriia; west- ward to British Columbia; breeds from tlve Gulf states to Labrador and Manitoba ; winters in Central an i South America. If you listen carefully to the bird songs in vil- lages, about country houses, or even in open wood- lands, it will not be long before you distinguish the voice of the Red-eye. His song is a monoto- nous but cheerful monologue made up of short ■^— ^. RED-EYED VIREO 121 Fig. (11. Red-eyed Vireo. broken sentences, in triplets, given as lie hunts over ^he branches for food. 'Where's a worm? Where 's a cater- pillar? Where's a worm?' he queries as he goes, answer- 4.' „ "^S his own nups- .on very comfortably to himself! There is „' hrngeestatie about his so,,^. It seems merely the aeeompa„.ment of his occupation. He si„.^ as a contented man whistles at his work. Hi e,1 note .s qu,te a .liffcrcnt matter. From »e o«,f/A. It IS only fair to say, thou-vh that nff<.„ when he gives it he has caufe' for ct^ 1 f^ at such t,mes you frequently find some feath red bugaboo abroad in the land eatnered If it were not for the Vireo's .song y„„ would '■ '. t !; * 122 BED-EYED VIKEO P easily pass him unnoticed, for as the Sparrows are brown to match the weeds and fields, the lit- tle fjreenlet is dressed to tone in with the green leaves and the light in the woods, being greenish above and white below. But if you once set eyes on him you can easily identify him, for over his eye he has a white border to his gray cap. A bird's cap is not usually easy to see, if he lives in the trees ; but the lled-eye has a trick of turning his head over as he looks critically at the leaves, which is of great service to the inquisitive ground- ling below. Like the Orioles, Vireos are public benefactors, practical foresters, voikiug out their self-ap- pointed commission to preserve our village and forest trees. They are, first and foremost, cater- pillar-eaters, but they also do great good by their fondness for bugs and weevils, May beetles, inch- worms, and leaf-eating beetles. Like other epi- cures, tliey understand that fruit sauce gives zest to a meat diet. Doctor Fisher says they are extravagantly fond of the aromatic fruits of the benzoin bush, sassafras, and magnolia. Indeed, when the Red-eyes are gathered along the Gulf coast in the fall, he says they feed almost exclu- sively on the berries of the magnolia, and become exceedingly fat. It is thought that the magnolia imparts a delicate flavor to the flesh, bi ' jver this may be, the sad fact remains tl :'t inn '^nse numbers of the little songsters are siau^ itered --^ RED-EYEI) VliiEO 123 the w,l,l fruit, ,, « „„ ^,,_, ^ ; -■ '•'y "g low ".terest,„g subject. TI.o .liff™„c, :; j,' ' hcT The f,u,t.eatc.,., want tl.o ,„ft puln-t ' ^v — ami ether eieet tl,Pl,..,.l •. ' '""•'■""*> whole, ,„ me,^ ; ," „t" ' '"> r;"™""" '•'^■» for the fruit ,,t„L . tl tl '"-t"hut,„g agents the seeds themselves, ! 1 .Jft ''""•"^■"r"' killing the ger,„s „f C "«' .r"^;:"'' ^ proportion of the Viroo's f„n 1 ,' *^ '""^™'' it neeessitates no T:: ea "7 .^frr tb''' slender iuseetivorons type (see Fi! mT]^^: as It IS only for crir.k;„„ l . ■ "' ' ■ ' ^^2)' Sparrows need the.^ * '"'' f ^^tanees that the (See Firm p 193 T r^"'" '^l* "' '>^^- ;.otasreiia:ra^::tt;s':r'^^^^^^^ tral Ameiif'T wJfi, v • -^^^iis, and Cen- 'WerthefiStiirirArtV"^-"'" the birds nnVrate ,„„1„. *^ !' ' *" "'"'""«■'• some n,or„i„fg JtVdlr ,t^ "'«'"'=""' filling with L; a 1™ f ' ^r" ''y untenanted the ^ht bZe " "'^"' "■"" In the woods, the Vireos' nests are ,uu„„g th. 124 RED-EYED VIREO coininoncst unci most beautiful. They arc ex- quisite little bircih-bark hanging baskets, often with i)ieces of was]) nest and bits of paper tucked in. Aside from their beauty, the Vireos' nests are particularly infieresting- to watch, as the confidence of the birds is easily won, and if it is not abused they will admit you to most intinuite relations. A delightful episode occurred one si)ring in Easthampton, Massachusetts. In an api)le-tree close beside a house, a pretty Ited-eye quietly hung her basket nest and had laid two eggs be- fore she was observed by any of her human neigh- bors. Then the motherly owner of the house discovered her and was so pleased to find her there that, as she went and came at her work in- side, she would talk to the little creature brooding her nest on the apple bough by the window. In this way the two became such good comrades that the woman soon thought she would like to feed her pet. First she offered her a large cracker, but this was so alarmingly big that the Yireo flew away at sight of it ; when a small piece was handed up to her at the end of a stick, however, she took it gladly, and from that time on her friend fed her every day. As the food would slip off the stick, the woman nailed a mucilage-bottle cover to the end of it for a cup, and in this way was able to serve boiled egg and other dainties in the apple-tree. A glass m KED-ErED viiao 125 oup was hung up beside the nost, but the hi,,! „a, never seen to drink from it, although when water was pnt ,n her own tin she would fit on t™ and .drn,k ike a ehieken,' whi..h is intere tW damtly w.th dew or rain-drops on the leaves. Ti.e people of the viUage flocked to see their t us f„ htele ueighhor, and when the good wo,!: of the house wanted to show her friends the Vi- reos eggs she ha, and on sides of tbroat. L.^U.^^ ^'''''" ^'^'^"^ ^^'-'^^ GKo,,..Ar„,c I).sT«„UT,ON. - No.'tA • and the eastern slope of tl.e Hock v M ;"•'"' '"''' *" ^'^'''^« -t it. ran,., and winter, f^!^' i^!;''*""^ V'^"'^ ^''^""»-''- southward. ^ ^""""« «»'J Miissaehusetts . ^^^,^"8^'» t^^e FlicLer is to be fou„- '-ay »i.uuic. i natttied hy s-icli adulation. Wi.e,. it ..(.n.es to hou.sokt.oping, the Flicker -tnestoanoM.tul,o.t..etli:,najl^^p^^^^^ cee.ln.gs n..y be watehcHl if he iseonvinel of your good intentions. The si..ht of fl i I.ou,su.„,., ,s a el,a,.,..te,. w.uth «tu,lyi„g. M, .•ew»to.. l,a. g.vc., „., a .uo»t i„tc...,.ti4 JexeH p.' . o„ .,f a „ost he watchcl,. and M, Manky lla ' ho ha., also studicl th„ l,i,.,l, fannliavlyf to » fat ho ha, bee, pevoitted to fee.I the y„ ,„. wi strawberne., while they were »till i/the°„e ' h.st b, t afterward., the «e,tling., would eo.ue „„ " the hole and look out when they heard h ou„„„. aetn,,, he Mattered hiu.self: 'ju.t aa f the old birds were feeding them.' ' ^^^ '*"^'. vol. X. pp. i>;ij-2ac. ' 130 FLICKER The parents feed the young by regurgitation, which is very fortunate, as bringing food by the billful to such hirge broods Would be a good deal like feeding a giant with a teaspoon. Audubon once found a nest containing eighteen young birds and three eggs. Though the Flicker young have the good taste to like strawberries, the family lood is ants. In times of grassho])per plagues, the Wood- peckers very philanthropically turn to and help kill off the pests ; but at ordinary times they work more for the housewife and florist, destroying the ants that invade the pantry and foster insect lice. Al- most half of the total food of the Flicker is ants, 3,000 of which were found in each of two stomachs — stonuichs whose owners appar- ently were not greatly in need of a tonic ! This explains what the birds are do- ing when they are seen on the ground, and scared up from ant-hills in old pastures. The ground hab^t of the Flicker is so dominant that his dress conforms to the color of the eiu'th ; his tongue, too, is unusiially long and has a rough surface to which his sticky saliva glues the ants which he picks up \>v probes out of the ant-hills. Like many innocent birds, the Flicker has been Fi(}. »i5. Ant, eaten by Flieker. Fio. ()(). Fliekei", showing long toifgue extended. •^ ' "^ EEU-HEAUEi, WOOIjpjlCKlill 131 of 230 i.l,„ker »to„,acI,., contained any, and the bn-d .» one of the n,„st n.eful we have. I. ",■■/' Fif}. G7. Red-headed Woodpeekpr- \r i "ui^ecKer. Melanerpes erythro- cep/uilus. He^l neck, and breast uniform .leep red • reof ..f , ^vhite; upper pa.t „f ,,,,k ],,!?' "'" ""'''"• ?*«•*« flight. Vo,n>,Ll replao d b ; """' f ""'"^ "'"'« '" fmu Florida to nortl.eru New Y.!,^ 7 vr '''■''■"' ^'''^' from Viroinia uxl ; ^"^^ Ym^k and Manitoba; winter New Yorr::;,;:;';;' "^"' '"^""'-^ ^*'-' f-- -t^^-" As we drive through the country we are some- i i, '^^^1 1 1 1 s ■ ill i^H f ■ i iH f! ^^1 1 '■1 i 1 132 im liED-HEADED WOODPECKER times surprised by the siglit of a strikingly bril- liant bird with a red head and patches of white on its wings flying ahead of us. It is such a dazzling beauty that, wi.ile we fear for its life if it linger along the public highway, we must wisli for a closer acquaintance. Fence posts are among its favorite hunting places, and while it clings to them it is much less conspicuous than one would imagine so brilliant a creature could be ; but it ■ can sit very still on occasion, and its black back might easily })ass for a fence-post shadow, wliile its red head seen against the green loses its color. It is interesting to watch the Ked-head hunt from a fence, for he combines the ways of the Flycatchers and more conservative tree-trunk Woodpeckers. First, perhaps, he makes short elliptical sallies into the air for insects, returning to his post with his prey ; then he flies down to the ground for a grasshopper, and again shoots up straight in the air for perhaps a rod, coming down almost as straight ; and finally, as if tired of such flycatcher-like antics, falls to hammer- ing on his 'rail. The Ked-head is particularly fond of the injti- rious big white grub in its adult stage of June bug, the prionus form, and eats more grasshop- pers than any other Woodpecker. It nlso eats wasps and weevils. To be sure, it does harm by eating some useful insects and a little grain and fruit, but the fruit does not amount to much. As BED-HEADED WOODPECKEIt 133 it eats a large .quantity of wild fruit, it could probably be diverted from the cultivated var" by plantin- wild ones where they do not exist. The best of these would i^robably be tloa,„l 1, „f beeehm, s have been take., from a single k, „t .0 e, an, have been found in eraoks in g^te "o 1 ,. 1 • 1 -^ ^J '"6 the onlv afents oreta,^ partly of frnit trees, and for this rea- son ,f for no other they should be protected in every jwssible way." Fm. 08. Prionus Beetle, eaten by Ked-heatled Woodpecker. 134 BED-HEADED WOODPECKER If It is a rare pleasure to have a pair of Red- heads nest on one's premises. At Rockford, Illinois, on the grounds of Rockford College, the handsome birds are so tame that the college girls can watch them without danger of worrying them ; but in most places they have been so much annoyed that they are chary of their fiiendship, and when you go to their neighborhood hide behind a t'-ee trunk and look out at you suspi- ciously from the corner of one eye, scolding with a loud rattling Irit-tar-ruh which, if you apjjroach too near, Mr. Widmann says is indistinguishable from that of the tree-frog. Major Bendire says that some of their nesting- holes show remarkably neat workmanship, the edges of the entrance-hole being beautifully beveled off, and finished inside as smoothly as with a fine rasp. On the treeless prairies he has found them obliged to nest in telegraph poles and similar places provided by man. Unlike the Flickers, the Major says the Red-heads do not feed their young by regurgitation, but bring them their grasshoppers '- au uatureL'' I I IIAIRY WOODPECKER 135 i IW ',11 i Fig. 0!), Hairy Woodpecker: Dr>^ohates villosus. Male, upper parts black, spotted and ,frH>e- his orchard of innumerable injurious insects, their eggs and larvre, and few of our native birds de- serve our good will more than the little Downy Woodpecker. The most stringent protection is none too good for it." Besides the accusation of being a Sapsucker, Downy is accused of eating fruit. The falsity of this charge is shown by the fact that, of 140 stomachs examined by the experts of the Biologi- cal Survey in the Department of Agriculture, only 3 contained fruit; apple being found in 2 and strawberries in 1. On the other hand, almost 75 per cent, of the bird's food is insects. Eleven Woodpecker!? taken in Kansas in winter con- tained 10 per cent, of grasshopper eggs. The little 139 m nOWXV WOODPECKER Im^hdHo cl.st.^^s May heotlos, plant liee, and unK A mgle wood-horor will often kill an c>ntire troe and one fifth of the Downy's aninud food cd' «i«ts of eatorpilhirs, many of which bore into wood and live on stems -nd leaves. Indeed, the Downy is the most beneficial of all the useful Woodi)eeker family. Its bill is a oood excavating tool, and its barbed tongue also bears witness to ''its effective search for insects (Fig. 71). Downy's song is a thin i-attle, his call note a sharj) pcvhpeel', a most grateful sound when it breaks the winter still- ness. Seeing the birds about dnrino- snowstorms, we wonder what becomes of them in the still colder nights, but the Downy takes good care of himself Doctor Mearns says, in his interestino^ account of the bird's habits : " At night he IS comfortably housed in a hole, which he digs expressly for that purpose. Always so far a^my experience goes, he places tlfe entWn One little "7 " T *" ?^^ '''' ^"^^ -"^h." Une ii tie chap whom the Doctor visited one mght shortly after sunset was '^ snugly .llZl Fio. 70. Wood-bor- ing Larv.!. Tip of Tongue of Downy Wood- pecker, for spear- ing In- sects and their Lar- vae. : 1 ' 1 ; . 140 nOWNY WOODPECKFAi within tlio cavity, with his bill warmly tiuiked away amongst the feathers, which were ruffed up so as to look like a black and white ball, with a red-naped head tucked in the middle. While sleepinfi', his whole frame heaved at every breath, so profound was his slumber." Glancing back over the four Woodpeckers we have taken up — the four counuonest of the fam- ily, the Flicker, Hed-head, Downy, and Hairy (Fig. G4, p. 127 ; Fig. G7, p. 131 ; Fig. G9, p. 135), — we find it easy to discriminate between them. The Hairy and Downy are the most typical Wood- peckers, living almost exclusively on tree trunks, whoso colors thej' match. The lied-head has more of the Flycatcher habit of hunting, and descends to fences ; while the Flicker is still less of a true Woodpecker, spending most of his time on the ground looking for ants, so having the ground browns on his back in place of the conventional Woodpecker black and white. All four birds nest in tree trunks, as do the Bluebirds, Chicka- dees, and Nuthatches. Like those of the Swifts, the Woodpeckers' tails are stiff and pointed for bracing (see Figs. 212 and 213, p. 353), but the Flicker's is less stiff than those of the other Woodpeckers. Its bill is also modified from the Woodpecker type : and its tongue, which is one of the longest (see Fig. QQ^ p. 130), is provided with large salivary glands and sharp points on the surface, to which the mucilaginous saliva holds the ants for which it probes. WAXWIXG 141 Waxwing; Codar-bird: A,„peUs c.lrornm. (Plat.) VIII. p. 1 12.) rfKOdKAr-KK; l)lSTI{I|U|i,,v _ V ,.1 A north fa r.l.. , '^ '■'. •""' ""' '"«l'ian.l.sof Soutl, Carolina If you were to ask a dozen persons which were the.r favorite bu,l,s you wouhl probably got whlelv vary.no. answers, it is so largely a nnitter of per- «ona ussoe.at.ons. But there are eertain birds to who,n every one is attracted, and the gentle, smootl.c.ated,fawn.^^^^^^^ In the fall, one may sometimes be fortunate enough to see one <,f their large bands, several hnmlred, the majority of which are young birds • and HI wmter one may have the rare pleasure of chscovenng a httle bare tree filled with apple-like for,ns, winch on closer view prove to be the gently lispnig beauties, the sight of which always arouses pleasant memories. In the early summer, when o her bmls havegone to nesting, small con.panies, often of five, seven, nine, or eleven, will still be seen together ; but by J.,ly they may be found in pairs, building m the orchards. Although it is always a pleasure to see them, they are particu- arly well worth watehing at the nest. They are birds of i^markable afifeetion and intelligence; and their habits are peculiarly interesting. By raising and lowering their crests they gain great variet^ m Ut rp: i 'I m WAX ii'iyo of expie>*»<>t">ti, und wlu'ii alxmt tlu' nest ofk'ii a»- suine protective jittitudes, drawing tliemselvcH up to look like lon;;-neeke(l bottles or sticks of wood, uiid sittinj;' absolutely motionless till one would iinaj^ino longer endurance impossible. Bird lit- erature contains many anecdotes of their alTI'ec- tion and phenomenal conjugal devotion. Doctor Brewer tells of one which, when its mate was entrajjped, became so preoccupied with anxiety it allowed itself to be taken in the hand, and wlieu set at liberty would not leave till its companion was freed to go with it. In caring for the young, the Waxwings show great watchfulness. They feed by regurgitation. Their food has been mucli discussed. In some places they are known as Cherry-birds, but culti- vated cherries have been found in only 9 out of 152 stomachs examined, which, as Professor Beal says, "hardly justifies the rei)utatiou which the bird has gained as a destroyer of cherries." He adds that this supposed chci-ry habit, "to the care- less . )id unobservant, would condenni the bird to destruction, but the closer observer looks further." Investigation shows that more than half of the whole food of the Cedar-bird consists of wild fruit which has no value, and that one eighth of its food consists of insects, among which are some of the worst pests of the country. Furthermore, since the ?S't]ings are fed largely on insects, the greatest n.>. •■;v oL iii&ects are eaten when fruit Plate Via. — WAXWINU Crest and whole body soft fawn-color ; area around bill velvety black ; tail tipped with yellow band ; wings often tipped with flecks of red, like sealing-wax. Length, about 7^ inches. if ; '■] I" l!v I>i'lar.s spi.lore ■„,,1 „,■""', ^''''•■>'-'"«l eats cater. Mrs. Maly T,, J S •" '" ""^ "™« of loaves. «>■"» I.a,I boen i,: t ' °'" f""" '" "'"•* «■« P-ativC, free , I ' *: "^ "•'''"■-.•.l c„„.. i'O". it is .show,, tl,at so P . ;".'" '""' ""'""'■•i- ^'.■oy 9,000 wo,.,„ t..f,l''lt"'*'"''r "°"'" "- -lw„,.,n ,,c,,,i„a,. i,";:;,^ "•»"«' W'on t,,e ti.e o„,.„„o„ b„J,c, , ' 7 ■'•' ■;» ™» to plant -'«'■ a.s Mackbo,.; , '"r ''"™^ " '«'=<'s, «o,.,- g,„„, H„„,.,,.,f; ;"''' '^ '«"y, el.ok0K,her,y, bony, ,,,aek |,aw, black e Z' h "m'T"'^' '"'*■ g'-'pe, ba,'be,Ty, mirtlctn/ '"'',''l<'''0,Ty, frost -mo,,. „„.,,,„ 1 •;:"'"" '""ly ''y tl,e„,sel.es 'ovvs a,,„I t),c Shrikt; T ° *™" "'« «™l- N...th A,„erica„ bi,.,l,'i„ I, • ""^ ™'''l™ "-"ong "SOS on ,|,e tii« „ t '•"'■? T-''"^" ""P""'! *e .00 bow tbo CcclL-bMs ,iff" r' ''"*' ''"'' goneval cba,.acter,. I,' ,„ '''!"'• '">'» «'em i„ "■0 oartb, leaf, a„,l ,t 1,1 , """■ "* "°'°™"on, «>on,, for they approach § liii 144 WAX WING more nearly the soft tints of tlie Doves, whose gentle ways they also share. Like the Ked-headed Woodpeckers, they are erratic, wandering birds, here one year, somewhere else the next. As they travel in flocks they may be classed with the Swallows, Swifts, Blackbirds, and Bobolinks, Fjg. 72. Wing of Waxwing, showing wax-like tips. rather than the solitary Flycatchers, Vireos, and Woodpeckers. Ordinarily the Waxwings are put with the songless birds, and credited only with two low calls, a short whistle and the ' beady note' of Thoreau; but Mr. Nehrling says that both male and female sing. Careful notes on this point would be of value, and any study given the birds will be more than repaid, as they are unusually individual. GOLDFINCH 145 Goldfinch; Yellow-bird; Thistle-bird: Spinus tristis. (See Frontispiece.) Athdt male, bright yellow; cap, wiiifr.s. and tail black, marked with white. Adult female, brownish, thiged with yellow ■ without black cap ; wings and tail blackish. Adult 'male in winter, similar to female. Z,m///,, aljout 5 inches. GKOfiKAPHic DJSTKIKUTION.- United states northward into Labrador. Manitoba, and British ('olnmbia; breeds from Vir- f,nma, Kentucky, and (California northward ; winters mainly within the United States. Like the Waxwing.s, the Gohlfinches are late buiklers, and when other birtis are going about silently, preoccupied with nesting cares, it is a peculiar pleasure to hear the light-hearted per- chic-o-ree of a band of wandering Yellow-birds as they come undulating through the sky. Few songs have the sweetness of their calls, or can awaken tlie same resi)<)nse in our hearts. For, like the Chickadee, the Goldfinch is one of the gentle, trustful birds that hold a place of their own in our affections. When going about in wandering bands they brighten our days, and when nest-building claim still more our sympathetic attention. They are on the lookout for soft lining materials, and will frankly accept any l)its of colored worsted or string that we may offer, repaying us by letting us enjoy their sweet family life. When the blue egg^ are laid upon their thistle-down bed in the 'I.. .^-.s ' i|; ; 1 * Li' ]■■; \ i i 146 GOLDFINCH compact round nest in the apple-tree, the father bird wrtches us anxiously till he knows that he can trust us near his mate, but when once sure of our good faith, will feed her in our presence. IIow tenderly he calls out as he comes to her ! The quality of his note has changed entirely since spring. Instead of the per-chk-o-ree that told only of his delight in his free life in the air, his call is now a rich, tender dear, dear, dear-ie, and a gentle, homelike dear, dear, dear. Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright gives us a hint worth taking in the matter of attracting the Goldfinches. She says : " If you wish them to live with you and honor your trees with their nests, plant sunflowers in your garden, zinnias, and coreopsis ; leave a bit of wild grass somewhere about with its mass of compositaj. Coax the wild clematis everywhere that it call gain footing: and in winter, when these joyous birds, gathered in flocks, are roving, hard-pressed for food, scatter some sweepings of bird-seed about their haunts, repaying in this their silent season their summer melody." When nesting-time is over, the dainty birds again gather in bands, the males changing their canary-colored coats for the safer but dingy garb of their mates, and so go about through falllind winter doing public service by eating the seeds of the brown weeds that stand above the snow. In one place a flock of a thousand has been seen feed- ing on the seeds of ragweed, effectually limiting GOLDFINCH 147 its sjireatl there for another year. As every one knows, tho ' thistle birds ' are esi)ecially fond of tliistle seeds. They also eat the seeds of the common ' beo-- gar's tick ' which is so tronblesome in bottom lands, and the larvte of the destruc- tive wheat midge. In summer the Gold- finches feed their Fk;. 7;;. young mainly on in- Thistle, seeds eaten by Goldfinch. sects, such as beetles, plant lice, larvie, flies, and small grasshoppers. But though we owe them gratitude for material benefits, m winter we think more of the o-ood cheer they bring us. On a c-old November day, when the bare trees are outlined against a gray sky, the sudden calls of a Hock of those little Goldfinches will be like a burst of sunshine bnnging back all the gladness of sununer. But with a twcHii-tweeAii-twoi'tii they start up and fly on the gray clouds settle back, and the rain tails agaui on the black and dripping branches m b! i' 148 PURPLE FINCH Purple Pinch: Carjmhcus purjmreus. (Plate IX.) Gkouraphic DiSTRintTiON. - Eastern North America ; breeds •on. M„„u.,sota a.ul .southern New York northward ; winter troni tiie northern states to the Gulf. Purple this tuneful little Finch assuredly is not, but rather a warm old rose as if he had been dipped in pokeberiy juice, as Mr. Burrou-hs so aptly suggests. The Finch part of the name is less deceptive and bears out the evidence of the cone shaped bill ; for the Purple Finch belongs to the bparrow and Finch family of seed-eaters, whose partial vegetarianism enables them to winter north of the Gulf and who, like the Goldfinch, wander about in flocks looking for food. Doctor Mearns says of tlieir flocks : " On some occasions they are quite wild, and, on being approached, all rise at once on wing- with a loud, rushing noise accompanied by certain ])eculiar wild notes, whicli produce quite a startling- effect. . . . When feed- ing in flocks, the rustle of their wings is constant, and their united chirping produces a singular ettect. ... I have found immense flocks in March, eating the seeds of hemlock and spruce. . . . Like the Blue Jay and some other birds they appear to be unusually lively during a rain- storm; and in winter, at the commencement of a snowstorm, they sometimes hie to the loftiest tree- top, and begin to sing, as if from pleasure or excitement." ia;ii^ijfehiai*sa«»^^ ■'tmSJMi^-f---'"^'"''' — ^ •• i 'rpureus. I America ; bieeda jrtliward ; winters 1 assuredly is f lie had been Burrouo'lis f^^ 10 name is less 13 of the eone- elongs to the •eaters, whose > winter north finch, wander octor Mearns Jcasions they preached, all ashing- noise, notes, which When feed- 3 is constant, a singiilar e flocks in and sj)ruce. other birds, u'ing a rain- icenient of a loftiest tree- pleasure or Plate IX. - PURl'LE FINCH Adult mule, dull rose-rpd \,l„lt /■ , ; i ,1 L , "*""" /"«"''', brown Ls h. streaked above a,.d elow. Resen.bles the .parrows, but ha. a not h d tail. Ltnyth. about Oj inches. !: ■I 111 ("I INDIGO HUNTING 149 ^ In siuuinei- the .song of tins pretty, rosy Finch 1^ one of the eonimcn village sounds, but may easily be mistaken for that of the Warbling . V.reo, until the two are heard together, when it proves to be mueh louder and of richer quality than that of the Vireo. The call note of the Fmch IS a metallic kinip, khnp, unlike any of tlie Vireo s notes. The Purple Finch is one of the birds that should be watched closely during courtship. Its songs and dances are - apparently - of more interest to beholders than to its prospective mate ! Indigo Bunting: Passerm cyanea. Adidt male whole body blue. Adult female, plain oliv.-brovvn above dusky below; win,, and tail black.' Youny, sin.i " to the female but darker. Length, about .'i^ inches. GKoaRA..HicDisTK,HUT,ON.- Eastern United States; breeds ^f.no^..Minuesotaand Nova Scotia; wint.;inc:n! In early June one of the predominating eastern songs IS that of the Indigo-bird, — Chrit-ty - chrit-ty - chrit-ty chrit, chrit, chrit, chree. , C hnt-ty — ch-it-ty chrit, chrit, chrit, ta, tee. Chnt-ty - chrit-ty - chrit, chrit, chrit, chrit, chree. It seems commonplace enough when other birds are suiging, but when the hot weather has silenced the main choir the Indigo's solo rings out with great good cheer. He often takes a solitary tree and as if mounting a ladder flies higher and higher up its branches as he sings. ' If 150 IN man hunting I H' Wlien he stops in tJie middle of his son<- to attend to (h)niesti(; dntios, you may be jihle to surprise liini in Jiis ciisth' in some busljy fence corner, where ],is brown mate will meet you with «t" inhospitable, anxious air, erying- rheep, and tw.te uuf,. her tail as nervously as if an innoeent ornitholooist could be a nn.rderer. Have a eare though, if you would look at her i)retty ego-.s, for a famt i)athway through the bushes is ''eno'u.-h to betray the poor bird's secret to her enemies and the nest is so low and so easily upset that, as 1 know to my sorrow, with the best intentions one may do great harm while examining it A sight of the eggs will repay the greatest care, however, for they are exquisitely delicate, shading tion. pure white to faint green or blue. Though birds of such beautiful eggs, color, and song, as all men are mortal, the Indigos nuist needs attend the homely affairs of the inner man- but after descending to grasshoi)pers, caterpillars,' and cankerworms, they again mount to the tree- tops and sing to the passing clouds their sono- of summer. * PETO lilUiJ 151 I'arus bicdor. • Poto Bird ; ' Tuftod Titmouse (Sue ?!«■. 77, p. I-j.J.) Like tl,e (;a.,l;,,al tl„,, Tit„„.„.s„ i, to l,e f„„„.l " the National ^oolo.!,,,! I'ark i„ W,«|,i„„to„ tlu-oug .„„t tl„, year, an.l the songs of the two may oa»,ly ,e „„„taken, although the /„-,„ whistle of t .0 l,tn,ouse ,s .listinetive and its ,A,y-,7,W„„. ''"yfljf'Uff l«;oclai„,s it a Chieka,Iee. Like t t™ ;, ' • ""■J"""'"- '-« '"Si. c,,.st,b„t ' "T, ;■':*"'"•"■'■'-• ««I«. for the Tit„,o„.so a small b,rd roI,e,l i„ Q„ak„r gray, an.l the Urchnal a large hirj deeked out in ear,linal 1'l.M.es. Then, too, the bill of the Titn.onse is small and blaek like the Chiekadee's, while the <-aulnials rs swollen and red (Kig. 28 p 05) In the southern part of Illinois, M'r. i{i,ig,™„ says, no b„, ,s n,oro abundant at all seasons of the year, lie says they are "roving in restless ' no.sy troops through the woods, .seoldiug at everJ tour-'' n n'""=" '" ""° ='■"'"'•■■•■■'■ ■■•'"■»^ to es. lie adds tluat in winter " they become veiy famihar, appro.iching with eonfldenee the ..mned.ate vieinity of dwellings _ and, in com- pa.>y w,th Snowbinls, Carolina Chiekadees. Nut- 162 KEY TO NUTHATCHES AND TITMICE liatclies, Bhio Jays, ami (.tlior familiar species, glean their iwrtion from tlie refuse of the table." As the Titmice, like other Chickadees, nest in cavities in trees, they can readily be inducted to live in hird-housoH provided for thenj. They iind i)lenty of food in winter, as they live not only on acorns, which they take under their claws and hammer open, but also find a store of food in the eggs, larvae, and chrysalids of insects that live on bark and branches. I A I.Mi. Key to Nuthatches and Titmice. 1. Back bluish gray ; tail short. Fouiid on tree trunks. 2. Under parts reddish brown ; crown black ; side of head with black and white lines from bill to nape. Migrant ... p. 7G. Ukd-hheastki) Nuthatch. 2'. Under parts white ; crown black ; sides of heail with- out lines . . p. 73. Whitk-ukeastkd Nuthatch. l^ Back dull gray ; tail long. Found on branches. 3. Head crested ; crown and tliroat not black. Song, pe-to, pe-to, pe-to ... p. 151. Tuftkd Titmousk! 3'. Head not crested ; crown and throat black. 4. Wings and tail edged with white. Northern. p. 67. Chickadee. 4'. Wings and tail not edged with white. p. 71. Cakolina Chickadee. •> U C--.44... SVTlIATniES AND TITMICK 153 Fia. 7;-,. Red-breaated Nuthatch. Fid. 74. ("hickadet'. Fio. 70. White-breasted Nulliiach. Fig. 77. Tufted Titmouse. REPRESENTATIVE.S OF THK FAMILY OF NUTHATCHES AND TITS. 154 HLVE JAY J '! y;, t Fig. 7«. Blue Jay : CyannciHn a-islafa. Crest and upper pints jHirplisli ; win^s and tail 1)1 tie, marked with • black and white ; nnder parts ^ray, with black collar extending np across the back of the head. Lengt/i, about 1 1,^ inches. GKOfiKAi-Hic DisTUiHUTiON. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Florida to Newfoundland ; westward to Texas and Man- itoba ; generally resident throughout its range. The Blue Jay, one of our lianclsomest and most vivacious birds, like the Nuthatches and Cliicka- dees, may be attracted in winter by suet hung on tlie trees. Some New England farmers make beds of chaff on whicJi they throw out corn for the Jays, and the birds come for the corn while the snow lasts, but as soon as bare ground appears they are off to find food they like better — mast, the large seeds of trees and shrubs, including acorns, chestnuts, and beechnuts. This preference for mast, though depriving us of the Jay's society, is a good thing for the bird, ^^g^0fl(ii,^ii,,m^mm*-miii>»Sii,i^*e-'-'-"^ ■ BLUE JAY 155 as It proves tl.at lie only takes eor., wj.en notl,in.. «>ettei- offers. Stutisties bear tliis out. In Oc- tober and November, vvJien most corn is to be bad, tbe Jay stomachs tliat have been examined show only 1 per cent, of corn against 04 per Fig. 7!). Spliynx Moth, eatfi, by Blue Jay. cent, of ,nast, while 19 per cent, of the bird's total food IS noxions insects, snch as grasshoppers and caterpdlars. Figures clear his name in other mat- ters, tor It has b«>en noised abroad that he robs birds -nests, but remains of birds' e^<^s were found n only 3 out of 280 stomachs, and young birds in only 2, winch, to say the least, proves that he il.i 41' ' II: ii^ i: .? 156 BLUE JAY is not as black as lie has been painted. Cats do nuu'li more harm than Jays in this respect ; but we do not even license our cats, nuich less shoot our vagrants. In sunnning up the Jay's economic status, it is seen that he does little harm to agri- culture, since all but a small part of the corn he eats is taken in winter, and is only waste grain, while he more than makes up for this by the large liu-ml a..d diu), who was beiuo- ,,,oteeted aud cared for by his co.upanious. Some of the..i we.-c always uear to war., hiu. of dauber, a.ul besides tlus t he faithful ba.id wo.ild brh.o- hh„ food and ^•a.;ef,.lly lead the- old blind bird to a spring for a daily bath. ('vXuk,' vol. v. p. 434.) Fkj. so. Belted Kingfisher: Ceryle alcyori. A.lnlinudc, crest an.l nppor ,,,„,« l.luish ^ray ; u.kUm- parts but sides and band „„ belly bn.wn. Z.„,,/,, ,,„ont I;! indu-s GKoonmno I),sTH.mn<>x.-X„,„. America. i„ the c.s", breed-ns' fn.m Florida t„ Labra.lor, and wintering from Vir- ginia to bouth America. Not the least of the pleasures of living beside a river or lake is the chance of seeing one of these original birds on his way back and forth to Ins fishnig grounds. Sometimes he flies so low \iiU 158 BELTED KINaFIsriEIi 1 I Fig. 81. Belted Kiiip^fislier. you can see lii.s reflection in the water : but asain goes high above, cleaving the air so swiftly that, before you have had time to rejoice at his loud, stirring rattle and made up your mind to follow hini, ho has left you far behind. Mr. Burroughs says that if you do " follow his rattle, ... he will show you the source of every trout and salmon stream on the continent," add- ing that he always fishes alone, ''true angler that he is his fellow keei)ing far ahead or behind, or taking the other branch." This is in line with Mr. Widmann's theory of li 1 i t,< i »i « M 'Wf>ii A ««»>«' 159 liELTET) KTNGFrsiIER the inability of sonu' birds to iiululj.e the social instiiH't, for the Kingfisher's feeding habits may well necessitate private preserves. What(!ver sea- birds may do, trout-stream fishermen can ill afford to go in flocks. To be sure, though the kinjr of fishermen, this sensible bird does not always restrict himself to a diet of fish. In the east, if opportunity offers, he eats crustaceans, grasshop- pers, crickets, and beetles of the June bug- family ; and in Arizona, where rivers are scarce and deserts plenty, he lives mainly on beetles, grass. hop])ers, and lizards. Like the Viivos, Flycatc^hers, and Hawks and Owls, the Kingfishers have the power of ejecting pellets of the indigestible bones and scales which they have swal- ^ lowed whole. Those are found around the burrows where they nest. Like the Bank Swallows, though U.ulevelopt"(i foot their feet are undeveloped (Fig, "^ Kins-fisher. 82), they use them as trowels for excavating holes in sandbank's. Major Bendire says that while it may take a pair three weeks to excavate their nest he has known them to make a tunnel five feet lono^ m a little over three days. He says the male sometimes burrows a second hole over three feet deep, in which to sleep. By flashing a mirror into one of the burrows, xMr. Fuertes has seen one of the brooding birds on her nest. The young i 160 YELLOW-HILLED CUCh'OO m ' 'ii I, H are liatclied without fcatliers, and romain in the nest several weeks. Audubon says that wlien tliey are in the nest tlie mother, if disturbed, will sometimes fall on the water as if severely wounded, while her mate on a branch above shows his perturbation by jerking his tail, rais- ing his crest, rattling, and flying anxiously back and forth. Though shy at the nest, the Kingfisher, if treated with respect, becomes used to the genus homo. At Lake Placid, when moored in a boat alongshore, I have had one perch almost over me, and dive so near that the water spattered my paddle. Yellow-billed Cuckoo : Coccyzus americanus. (Fifv. 8;}, p. 101.) Upper parts brownish gray, witli a sliglit greenish gloss ; v/mpn and outer tail featlicrs hlad\ conspiciio.ualy tipped with white (tliunib-niarks) ; muler parts wliite ; under maiuliblo yellow. Length, about 12,{ inches. Gkogkaphic Distkihi:tion. — North America; breeds from Florida to New Brunswick, and winters in the West Indies and Central America. The cry of the ' Rain Crow ' is a familiar coun- try sound, but the bird who makes it is less well known. It is a bird that keeps closely hidden, flying out of one tree or bush only to cross to other cover, and moving so silently and swuftly that it might well escape detection. But it is a bird that every student and lover of the curious tiya%:ii i»m um;-ix^ ;Mi/^M .i i!mmm ^^^S«»^t^d]i«iKv -M8»«W#^jMI^L YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 161 should hunt out and study patiently, for like the Waxwing it is an original character. As Mr. Burroughs says, "something remote seems ever weighing upon his mind." In ' Little Brothers of the Air,' Mrs. Olive Thorno Miller gives an Fig. 83. Yellow-billed ('uekoo. account of the performances of a pair of Cuckoos I which she watched nesting, and who tried by the most remarkable but characteristic posturing and ventriloqual calling to intimidate, mystify^ and lure her away from the brood. Great care nuis'; l)e taken in watching Cuckoo nests, as the birds are very ajjt to desert them when discovered. The Yellow-bill is one of the poorest nest-builders ; and while the young often do fall out of the nest, the wonder is that any are ever able to stay on top of the loose mat of twio-s f'l 162 YELLO W'-lilLLEl) CUCKOO . ! 'I'li Fig. 84. Teiit-cateii)illar, eaten by Cuckoo. prepared so carelessly for them. The eggs of botli Yellow and Black-billed are greenish blue. ^ The Cuckoos might well be called caterpillar birds, for they are so given to a diet of the hairy caterpillars that the walls of their stomachs are actually permeated with the hairs, and a section of stomach looks like the smoothly brushed top of a gentleman's beaver (Fig. 85, p. 163). BLACK- HILLED CUCKOO 1G3 Tho Yellow-hilled is espeeially foiul of the de- structive caterpillars that make the large web nests in our fruit-trees. lie- mains of 4;5 of these eateri)il- lars were found iu the stomach of one l)ird shot at six o'clock in the morning. lint it was not only this early bird that got the worm, for in 21 stom- achs examined there were 855 caterpillars and 23 grasshop- pers, in addition to a collection of saw-flies, po- tato bugs, and otlnu- insects. One stomach con- tained 217 fall web-worms ! Fio. s.->. Section of Cuckoo .Stomach. of Ik lar iry are ion top Black-billed Cuckoo : Cocnjzus cnithrophthalmm. Upper parts grayish biowii, witli slif,'ht ^reen rIoss ; wings and tail tlie sani.', only Hlightly tipped with white ; nnder parts V hite; bill black. Lrnijth, about 11.^ inches. Gkookai'hk; Disthiiu tiOxV. — North America east of the Rocky Mountains ; breeds as far north as Lal)rador and Aa- siuiboia, and winters in Central and South America. The Black-billed Cuckoo is very much like the Yellow-billed, but lacks the reddish brown wings, black tail, yellow mandible, and the heavy thumb- marks on the tail of the Yellow-billed (Figs. 8G, 87, p. 1G4). The call of the Yellow-billed is given as tut-tut, tut-tut, cl-uck-cl-vck-d-uck-cl-uck-rl-uck- cl-nck, cow, COILS cow, coio, cow, cow; while the Black-billed, it is said, has the cow notes con- nected, and has altogether a much softer voice. il ! i 1G4 liLACK-nTLLED CrCKOO Fio. ,S0. Tail of Black-billed (Juckoo. Fig. 87. Tlumib-marks on tail of Yellow-billed Cuck-jo. The Hosts un,l oggs arc shnihir, though the Black-biUed's nest is not quite so loosely ,)ut together. '' ^ The Cuckoos are among the first birds on Ifr. Forbush's list of those that eat the caterpillars of the gypsy moth, which for some years back has been ravag- ing New i:ng- land trees. Of the Black-billed 's stomaclis exam- , . 1 o H^ inedby the Bio- logical Survey, IG contained 328 caterpillars, and m addition 15 grasshoj.pers and some spiders. Ihe Cuckoos and Kingfishers are in the same Fig. 88. Gypsy Moth, eaten by Cuckoo. t." KEY TO CUCKOOS AND KINGFTSUEUS 1G5 order, juid although ho uiiliko exc«!i)t in auiitoiny, stand apart from all other birds. Wy rnnnin<,' over the orders of hirds we have had, their un- likenesses will easily be seen. ' Land Birds, — Order I. Grouse, (^uail, ete. Order II. Pioeons and Doves. Older III. Birds of Prey. Order IV. Cuckoos and KinyHshers. Order V. Woodpeckers. Order VI. Ihunniino- birds. Swifts, ete. Order VII. Perchino- BirdiT: 1. Flycatchers ; 2. Crows and riays ; 8. Black- birds and Orioles ; 4. Finches, Sparrows, ete. Key to Adult Male Cuckoos and Kingfishers. 1. Crested. Hiiek bluish. Under parts wliite with bhie belt. Found by water. p. 157. Beltkd KiN(iKisnKR. 2. Not crested. Back not bhiish. Upi)er parts brownish ; under parts plain white. Found in nndergrowtli. n. Tail black, with distinct white thumb-marks on under side. Under manible yellow. p. KiO. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. u'. Tail brown, without distinct thumb-marks ; bill black. p. 10;j. Ulack-billei) Cuckoo. m : i i 1G(J nnsK^iti:i':.\sTi:i) annsnEA k tv i!!h I I'll ,X'.^ Fi(i. Si). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: ;^rn»./.,//„ hulorhiam. Male, hea.l, throat, and ba.k l.l;u,k ; .....Kt ,.,„.,s, n.n.p. an.l murks on wngH a„,l tail wlutc ; breast an.l un,Ie.. wi„«- eovorts withpatehesof rose-recl. F>:,n„le, brownisl., .parrowy-look- >..S b.r.1, witl, wl.ite line through erown and o^er eye. .Saffron yellow under winj-s. L,;,;,!/,, abont S inuhes (}Ko<;KA,.H.r D.STKUUTION. - Eastern North America ; breeds h-on. Kasten. Kansas and the higher altitudes of Virginia and North tarohna nort^huard to Maine an a Sparrow, — by the white line over her eye, ni.,1 by her abnor- mally large beak, for the (uosbeak bill gives the bird its name and is an exaggeration of the Finch type. This powerful crusher is put to most excellent use in the potato field for killing the Colorado potato beetles, of , the birds are particidarly fond. The (Jrosbeaks have been accused of eat- ing peas, but the stomachs of those killed while about the vines contained but few peas, and enough potato bugs and other harmful insects to pay for all the ])eas taken in a whole season. The garden where these Grosbeaks were found adjoined a potato patch, which was so infested with bugs that the vines were completely riddled. 168 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK +-¥:- The Grosbeaks visited tlie field every day, and when their young were old enougli to travel the whole family appeared on the scene, where their proceedings were watched and chronicled by Pro- fessor Beal. The young birds stood in an ex- Fkj. !)(). Colorado Potato Beetles, eaten by Rose-breasted Grosbeak. pectant row on the topmost rail of the fence, and their parents flew briskly back and forth bring- ing them beetles. A few days later Professor Beal revisited tlie scene of the massacre, and " not a beetle was to be found, either old or young ; the birds had swept them from the field and saved the potatoes." But while we appreciate his services, our affec- -«--§^ ROSE-nREASTEI) GROSJiEAK 160 tioii for the Grosbeak is not based on his fond- ness for i)otato bugs. lie is a striking and beau- tiful creature and his song is a delight ; moreover, aside from his beauty and song, he is a most lov- able bird. One of the pleasantest nesting epi- sodes I have ever known was ihvt of a Grosbeak family. The pretty, pale blue eggs with their' brown markings were laid in a nest of twigs in a pear-tree, close beside a carriage drive, and the ' trustful birds seemed to realize that they were among friends. The father was most devoted, brooding the nest and feeding the young. All his thoughts seemed to centre about the pear- tree ; the little home there was clearly the point around which everything in his world revolved. When he came to the nest, it was with a low, sweet greeting ; when he left, it was with a soft fare- well ; if danger threatened he was on the spot, and his anxious cries filled the air ; when all was quiet again and he had flown away, his cheering song came back to his mate on the nest, as if to assure her that he was near. The rich music that was always ringing about the home, the ten- der watchfulness and affection of the old birds, and the quiet happiness of the mother of the family on lier nest under the green leaves, all seemed suited to the cheery orchard with its mel- low sunshine and its ripening fruit. iiiiJ 170 SCARLET TANAGER Scarlet Tanager : Pimmja erythromelas. Adnlt male, y^hole body bright scarlet; bill, winps, and tail black; ,mder ^ings white. Adult fimui,, upper parts light ol.ve; w.nffs a.ul tail brownish; under parts greenish yellow Young male and adult male in winter, similar to female but wuigs and tail black. Lemith, 7j inches GKoa..- Eastern North America; breeds from southern llhnois and V--rginia to Manitoba and New Brunswick ; winter in Central and northern Soutli America. Wlienever wo hear a thin cek m a treetop, though Its maker i.s invisible, we can say with assurance that a Grosbeak is there ; and so, when we hear a call of ch'qi-chnrr in the green leafy woods, we know that we 1 • . ■ Fia. 91. Bill of Tanager. are listening to that most brilliant of North American birds, the Scarlet Tanager. It may or may not be an easy matter to find him,* for, though on the migrations he is often seen in' low bushes, hi.s choice is usually for the massive green treetops. His song is the best clue, for It is a loud, swinging-i)endulum song, — like the Grosbeak's, only less smoothly rounded, — and by getting its direction, as the bird moves about, you can catch at least a passing glimpse of his glow- ing coat and glossy black wings and tail. "And there are moments when a glimpse is enough. It is all very well if alone in a leafy vale, with nothmg to do but dream under the enchanter's SCARLET TANAGER 171 lay, but alas for the unhappy leader of a bird class endeavoring to concentrate attention upon invisible and fleeting Warblers! At sight of the first red feather all other biids are forgotten, and one may as well l)id farev^ell to Warblers and fol- low ineekly where the beauty calls. Rest assured, no other bird will be wortli looking at wliile he is by ! In Washington, where both Scarlet Tana- gers and Cardinals are seen, especially when the Tanagers are on their way north, the two red birds are sometimes confn d, though in reality they are very unlik. Hie Cardinal may always be told by his \n- .est (see Fig. 28, p. G5), and the Tanager by his black wings and tail, while, in addition, the Cardinal is much the larger of the two, and his red coat a cardinal rather than a scarlet shade. ^ As the Tanager lives inside the woods and hunts mainly in dense foliage, he is much less exposed to enemies than birds which live out in open fields or even in village trees, so can well aft'ord to wear colors that would be fatal to Spar- rows and such conunoners who pitch their tents on the plain. The Tanagers build low, however, and the mother bird could not be scarlet with- out greatly endangering the nest. Accordingly nature has provided her with a leaf-colored suit that is a perfect disguise. If danger threatens she flies into the leaves, and you may hunt a merry hour before discovering her, unless she moves in unleaf-like style. !]f. m m. 172 i ■ ft .1 !!■ SCAIiLET TANAGEIi Tanagers , a^ as good actors as liobolinks, and will lead you a dance if you are looking for thoir nest. The only one I ever found belonged to an aBsthetic pair who built on the leafy arch of a slender sapling which had been bowed to earth by a falling tree. It was mnde of fine twigs, but we never saw the pale greenish blue eggs that should have been laid in it, for at an unlucky moment my big dog gave a sneeze that betrayed our presence, ; nd the nest was promptly deserted. The devotion of the old birds to their young is" spoken of by Wilson, and he gives a touching instance of it. A nestling was taken and carried half a mile, where it was caged and hung out in a tree. The distressed father followed it all the way and stayed by to feed it in the cage, con- stantly uttering " cries of entreaty to its offspring to come out of its prison," cries so sad that the kind-hearted man who had captured the bird "took out the prisoner, and restored it to its parent, who accompanied it in its flight to the • woods with notes of great exultation." SUMMER TANAGER 173 Ir Summer Tanager : Pirnnga rubra. Male, body and tail rose-red ; ^vin^■s brownisli. Adult female and ijoutKj, upper jjarts greenish yellow ; under parts yel- lowish. Lfugth, 1\ inches. GKOcaiAPHK' DisTKiBUTiON. — Eiistern United States to the Plains ; breeds from Florida to southern New Jersey, wander- ing casually to Nova Scotia ; winters from West Indies and Mexico to South America. " 111 at least the southern half of Illinois the Summer Kedbird is an abundant species in dry upland woods. It is moreover a very familiar species, nesting habitually in trees along the road- side and even in the midst of towns. For this reason it is much more frequently seen than the Scarlet Tanager. . . . Besides being a more abun- dant and familiar species, its notes are much louder. The ordinary one sounds — as Wilson ex- l)resses it, chicki/-chiichj-chuck. . . . The nest is a thin and shallow but very firm structure. . . . The eggs are usually three in number, and are similar in color and markings to those of the Scarlet Tanager, but somewhat larger." (Kidg- way.) These two birds are the only eastern members of the family in North America. They are our most brilliant birds, and, as their colors might suggest, belong to a troj^ical family. The two species are easily distinguished by the shade of red. : ( 174 KEY TO TAN AGE US l< ' \- I ! ii ' r- 'fi Key to Adult Spring Male Tanagers. Common Characters. — Entire body red. 1. Bill, winjrs, and tail black; body bright scarlet. Found in northern woodlands. Call '"'^'>-"'^"'-'* P-170. SCARLKT TaNAGKU. r. Hill, wings, and tail not black ; body and tail rose-red • bil and wings brownish. Fonnd in sonthern woodlands.' ^^\\,ckicky.fuck!j-tuck . . p. 173. Summer Tanager. White-throated Sparrow : Zonotrichia albicollis. (See Fig. <)i', p. 170.) Adult., upper parts brown, streaked with black; chin with a sqmnsh rvhne patch; breast g-ray ; belly whitish; central white crown stripe nurrower than inclosing bs ck stripes. Young, .\ut, of throat duller; black and white stripes re- placed by B:ray and brown. Length, about (!] iuches Geographic DiSTmnuxiON. - Eastern North America west to the Ihinis; breeds from Montana, northern Micl,if,^an, and occasionally ALvssachnsetts, northward to Labrador; winters from Massachusetts to Florida. Accidental on Pacific coa^t. Associated with the crisp, fresh mornings of early spring is the sound of the clear, rino-ing whistle of the White-throated Sparrow. /, T.^yca- hod-y, pea-hod-y the birds call so loudly that the dogs sometimes look up in the evergreens to see who is whistling. If they could recognize the whistler they would see an attractive sight, for the ^Miite-throat is a bird of distinction. He is as much larger than the Song Sparrow as the Son- is larger than the Chipping Sj^arrow. (See Fig" 58, p. 117, and Fig. 55, p. 113.) Like the Chippy, •■"-s|^ WHITE-TIIRO. I TED SPAERO W 175 >nig he has a i)iaiii gray breast, hut in acUlition to this has a haiulsoiue mark in the form of a snow-white throat patch. (See Fig. 92, j). 17G.) Instead of the reddisli brown cap of tlie Chippy, the White- throat, when arrayed in his best has a handsome black and white st'iped crown, but in a flock one often sees many crowns that an; brown and dincv white nistead of black and white. Unlike the domestic Chii)})y and Song Spar- rows, the White-throat nests in the north or in mountain districts, so that, while his whistle may be heard by Adirondack and White Mountain tourists during the summer, it is only a semi-an- nual ideasure to most of ns in the United States. In this way we know the handsomely crowned birds collectively rather than individually, for on their migrations they always travel in Hocks. As they go about in fall and winter, they do a great deal of good by destroying weed seed, such as ragweed, smartweed, and pigweed. In sum- mer they also do good by eating ants, weevils, currant worms, and leaf-eating beetles. But it is hard to think of them in purely economic con- nection, they are so associated with the pleasures of early spring and early autumn when the gold- enrod and asters brighten the dreamy Indian Summer days. 176 I i ■ . i 't WniTE-CHO ]VNED SPARimW White-crowned Sparrow : ;io„otrlrhin leucophrys. AduJ,. l.u.k hrownish s:ra,y ; bn-ast clear pray ; c-rown conspicu- ously stnpcd black au.l white, three u.i.l.lle stripes of ' ual w.dth. Unno sinnlar. but crowu dull ,.ray iordered by brown. Le,„jth, about d-' indues. ' Gkooha,.„k. I),sra.Hr-r„>N. - JireeHius- fmn. higher n.ouut^in •Hnf,es of western Uuite.l States, .Sierra Nevada Hocky Mo.„" tains, and eastward, north of the Great J.akes, to Labrador • jRi^Cy.r"' "' '""'^' ''''^'"' "" ■""^'' •"'" *^-'-' ThousaiulH of Wliite-crowns may bo seen in the MissKssippi valley, but they are rare in the Fig. 02. White-throated Sparrow. Fio. n;j. White-crowned Sparrow. east. Sonietinies one of the (listinguished looking bn-ds will be discovered in a flock of White- throats. You can tell him from his cousin, at a glance, because he has not the white patch under the chin, being, uniformly gray from his bill to his tail. His crown serves still further to distin- guish him. It is as striking as a soldier's cap Moreover, he attracts attention by his general bearing, which is unmistakably that of an aristo- crat. His song has much greater variety of note iaiimoSBBBtSm ,j..«i, ,„***mM,«»».*«.J¥*^«-> liROWN TIIKASllEIi 177 than the White-throat's, thougii in quality the clear whistle of the White-throat ean hardly be surpassed. Mr. Burroughs is enthusiastic over the White- crown, and says: "He is the rarest and most beautiful of the Sparrow kind. He is crowned as some hero or victor in the games." /:' A Brown Thrasher : Harporhynchus rttfus. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts white, heavily streaked witli black. Length, about 11} inches. GEOdKAPHic DisTKiiuTiON. — North America east of the Rocky Mountains ; breeds from the Gulf states to Manitoba, Maine, and Ontario ; winters from Virginia southward. The beginner often confuses the Cuckoo and Thrasher, for when seen on the wing both appear to be long, slender, brown birds with white under parts and long tails. When seen from in front, 1 178 niiowN TmiAsiiKU 'M however, they nmy ho g for the wild, free side of nature, he will clear the fences and cut across lots to the nearest old junii)er i)asture or brushy thicket. There he will find the prince of Bohemians, the Brown Thrasher, and if he listen quietly, may hear the scratching of the Chewink among the dead leaves, and presently its quaint, simple song, as the un- suspecting bird mounts to a low branch to sin-. Though totally unlike the tempestuous torrents of the Thrasher in range and delivery, the two songs have a common quality, a certain wild fla- vor that goes well with the old, neglected pas- tures and brushy tangles, and is as grateful to the nature-lover as the spring taste of the wild sorrel or ginger-root dug from the earth. To be exact, the Chewink has two songs, one much shorter than the other, but both have a peculiar quality. The call notes are even more characteristic, a toivhee and a more nasal lohank or cheioink. Like the Thrasher, the Chewirk gets his food on the ground, and while he belongs to the Finch and Sparrow family, is said Lo do incalculable good by unearthing wire worms, beetles, and larvie which have gone into winter quarters. ^' The death of a sj gle insect at this time, before It has had an opportunity to deposit its eggs, is ■:.^*i,i^*^«**titerf*«*«^*»**^-* FIELD SPARROW 183 equivalent to the destruction of a host later in the year," we are told. The Chewink eats some unusual insects, having a liking for both hairy caterpillars and potato bugs. From its habits one would naturally infer that the Towhee nested on the ground, and this ground nest, with its dead-leaf walls and its white eggs dulled by their uniform brown dotting, corre- sponds so closely with the surroundings and the lights and shades of the woods, that one may hunt a long time for the pleasure of watching the pro- ceedings of a family of nestlings and their anx- ious guardians. Field Sparrow : Spizella pusilla. Bill reddish ; crown and back reddish brown ; breast buffy, un- spotted. Length, about 53 inches. Geogkai'hic Distribution. — Eastern North America; breeds from Kan.sas, southern Illinois, and .South Carolina to Quebec and Manitoba ; winters from Illinois and Virginia southward. There is a third bird which frequents the haunts of the Thrasher and Chewink, which to me seems to surpass them both in the wild flavor of its song. Mr. Burroughs describes it as being " ut- tered at first high and leisurely, but running very rapidly toward the close, which is low and soft," and he gives it as /e-o, /e-o, fe-o, few, /ew, few, fee, fee, fee. Though perfectly unpretentious and simple as far as note goes, there is a certain sad, ringing quality to the song which makes it haunt J ' II '1; ! 3) k Hi 184 FIELD SPARROW the inemory ; and in a country where it is seldom lieard, it is a sono- tliat I personally would walk inilcs to hear. While the ./ho song- is the con- ventional one of the Field Sparrow, it is said to have many variations. I„ a field in Maryland I have heard the usual song on one side and a totally different one on the other, one curiously like a tune, with three definite sets of four notes each, or rather the same note repeated four times, the three sets given in descend- ing- scale, and the tune completed by a fourth set of varied notes thrown up higher on the scale. Living- in fields, the Field Sparrow does good by destroying tlie seeds of amaranth, chick weed,, pigweed, knotgrass, and fox- tail, besides eating a large number of grass- .,, , ^ M'Pers, injurious cat- erpillars, leaf-eating beetles, and the saw-fly that produces the currant worm. Its nest is of coarse grasses and rootlets put near the ground. The Fio. 90. Amaranth, eaten by Field Sparrow. li ? ^jf^ipidi^^^it^ WHIP-POOR-WILL 185 eggs are white or bluish white, soniotiines marked around the larger end, at others uniformly dotted with liglit brown sjwts. The bird itself can al- ways be distinguished by its reddish brown color and its reddish bill, for its cousin the Chippy, whom it resembles in general, has a clear gray breast and a black bill. Whip-poor-will: Antrnstomux vnciferus. (See Fig. !)8, p. 18S.) Male, woofl-brown. lighter below; pateh on throat and outer tail feutliers white. Female, similar, hut tiiroat huffy in- stead of white, and no white on tail. LpikjIIu !t'J inches. Geographu! DiSTKiiuTiON. — i:astern North Anieriea, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba ; winters from Florida and the lower Mississippi valley southward. The evening note of the Whip-p. .or-will is well known, but in the daytime the bird is seldom seen. When surprised on a branch it looks like a short stick of wood, for it sits low and horizon- tally ; and the white lino of its throat absolutely destroys the head form (see Fig. 08, p. 188), so that one has to puzzle to make out that it is a head, though knowing that it is attached to the body of a bird. If one is familiar with the twi- light hunting-grounds of the Whip-poor-will, many interesting things may be observed. Major Ben- dire gives a delightful account of what he has seen at such times. He says that, when picking up its food from the roads which it frequents for dust- ill:! 11 18G WHIP-POOR- WILL ': { w. baths to free itself from vermin, its movements on the ground aie awkward, its feet being weak and short ; but its aerial movements are most grace- ful. Uii says : " I have seen one touch the back of its wings together as it swept by me, arrest its noiseless flight instantly, droj) to the gronnd al- most perjiendicularly, pick up some insect, and dash away as suddenly as it halted. At such times it occasionally utters a low, purring or grunting noise like ' diick-dack,' and another sounding like ' zue-see, zue-see,' which cannot be heard unless one is close by." When the Major was in northern New York a pair of the birds were in the habit of coming about the house where he was staying, and one evening, by watch- ing them from inside a building, he was fortu- nate enough to see their curious love-making. " I saw one of the birds waddling about in a very excited manner," he tells us. " Its head appeared to be all mouth, and its notes were uttered so rapidly that, close as I was to the bird, they sounded like one long, continuous roll. A fev/ seconds after his first effort (it was the male) he was joined by his mate, and she at once com- menced to respond with a peculiar, low, buzzing or grunting note, like ' gaw-gaw-gaw,' undoubt- edly a note of approval or endearment. This evidently cost her considerable effort ; her head almost touched the ground while uttering it, her plumage was relaxed, and her whole body seemed « ! WHIP-rOOR-WILL 187 to be in a violent tremble. The male in the mean time had sitUed uj) to her and touched her bill with his, nliich made her move slightly to one side : . . . the female acted as timid and bashful as many young- maidens would when receiving the first declarations of their would-be lovers, while the lowering of her head might easily be interpreted as being done to hide her blushes." The Whip-poor-will lays its eggs on the ground or leaves. The mother bird shows great distress if disturbed when young are in the nest. A cor- respondent of Major Bendire's says that she " flies or rather flops about the intruder in a circle, often alighting to tumble about upon the ground among the leaves, spreading the tail and opening the mouth, at the same time emitting a sound something like the cry or whine of a very young puppy, and also other guttural, imcouth sounds, wholly indescribable, the young th >.selves, in their scanty dress of dark yellow fuzz, apparently all mouth, adding to the general efPect." Besides being very interesting birds. Doctor Fisher says that they are most useful, eating ants, grasshop. pars, June bugs, and potato^dbugs. > '1 T i ) \i 1. 188 NinilTHAiVK n I ! f f fr Nighthawk : C/ionldli.- rirf/ininnm. Mnlr. iippcr p'lvts blackisli, niarkod wnl. 1)rowii ; nn<\cr j)aHa wJiitisli. liarivd witli l)Iafk ; Ihmat ir/,it. • irin(js n.i>l ' .•./ «■///; cniispiriioiiK ir/iilr haw/s. FoiKt/r, no w!iiH on tail, and iliroat bii*Tv. Lfiigl/i. 10 int'Iii's. Gi-ociHAi'Mic Di.'iiiuHiTioN. — Pastern Noitli America; l.r.'efli^ frcia the Gulf states to LabiJuior ; winters in South America. ijiko th(i Wliip-poor-wiil, tlie Niglitliawk is cre- pusi'u'ar, flying mainly in the dusky margins of tho (jay. Tho two l)ir(ls look much alike, but the Nighthawk has a white throat instead of a nar- row white line on a black throat, and in the sky shows white bands on its Fig. 07. Nighthawk. ereseent-like wincrs. On warm summer evenings you may often see one or more coursing over the meadows, getting their food on the wing. They live largely on flies, mosquitoes, grass- liopjiers, and crickets : and one bird was found with 573 large-winged ant." in its stomach, in addition to parts of 72 small-winged ants and pm. . 117. Bill L 'I'OHbeak. Fio. 121. Bill of Crow Blackbird. Key to A • lit Male Goatsuckers, Swifts, and Hummingbirds. 1. Bill long, with 1 ape. Upper j.arts green ; -^.--r^ throat uietallii' reu. ^V^ p. 1. RUBY-TIIROATKD HUMMINGBIRD. r. Bill short, with wide gape. 2. Small ; needle-like spines on end of tail. Un- ^_. marked, sooty brown. Diurnal. Nests in chim- '^ ^ "^^^ p. 23. Chimnky SWIKT. 2'. Large ; no spines on end of tail. Mottled wood-brown. Crepuscular. Nests on the ground. 3. White spot on wing ; tail deeply forked, with white crescent. Seen hunting for insects high in air. Call, ^,^'"'\. P-188. Nighthawk! .5 . iNo white spot on wing ; tail rounded ; outer tail fea- tliers mostly white. Seen hunting nearer the ground. tall, Whip-poor-will . . p. 185. Whip-pook-will. iMI 194 THEE SWALLOW U I I II Tree Swallow; White-bellied Swallow: Tnchif. cincta hicolnr. Ailutls, uppt'i' parts .stui'l-liliu! or stfcl-nreon ; uiultT parts i)iin' white, tininnrkud. Voiiiiij, upjM'r partw liiowiiisli yray ; under parts wliitc. Liiii/lli, about ti inclicH. Gk.oiiuai'IIIc DisTKimii'ioN. — North Aiuerica, noitli to I-abra- (lor and Ahiska ; breeds hieally throiit;hoiit its rann'c ; winters fruin South Carolina and tlie (lulf states southward. The Tree Swallow may be known l)y its .shin- ing white brea.st. It has not yet «'ntii'ely given over the habits of its an- cestors, and still nests largely in hollow tree.s, thongh in some places it will accept proffers of nesting-boxes. When it does accept man's hospi- tality it does so without reserve, even taking np its residence in candle-boxes prepared only by having a hole made in one end, sometimes almost taking from the hand the feathers that are offered for its nest. It builds a soft nest of leaves and hay, lined with down and feathers. The eggs are pure white, unspotted. Unlike most Swallows, the Trees vary their insect diet with berries, being especially fond of bay-berries. They form large roosts, and begin to gather in Fia. 122. Tree Swallow. ►... BOUGH- WINUKTt H WALK) W 196 the lujirslios near New York l»y tlu' first of July. Mr. Cniapmaii says tliat tlu-y sail about iu circles more tluin other Swallows. Rough-wingod Swallow : Sulyidopteryx xerripennis. Sooty hiowii above ; bivtwt uniform litfht wooty. Ltuyth, :>;« inelies. GKodKAi'iiir DiMTUih.Tio.v. — Noifli Aiufiicii ; hieeds »w fiir north iiH iJiitisli Columbia, Minnesota, and Comiectifut ; win- tern in the tropicH. The Hough-wiii<;(Ml Swallow gets its name from the small, recurved hooklets set like the teeth of a saw along the edge of the outside feathers of the wing in the male. It may he mistaken for the Hank Swallow, unless it is remembered that tlie Bank Swallow has a dark band across the breast (Fig. 24, p. 55). The nesting luib- its of the two also differ. The Rough-winged does not build in colonies like the Bank, but usually nests in isolated pairs in holes in sand-bjinks, stone ruins, culverts, and abutments. Near Washington, in the stone walls of the canal, it is particularly abr.ndant. When made in sand, the entrance to the burrow is said to be round rather than elliptical, as the Bank Swallow's is, and the burrow itself is there gen- Hough-winged Swallow. 'id 1 '1 1 I 1 i'll !•; :(» 1, ' ? d\ 196 KEY TO SWALLOWS erally a deserted Kingfisher hole or other suitable cavity. An interesting article on the liough- winged's nesting habits, by Walter Van Fleet, ia to Le found in the ' liulletin of the Nuttall Orni- thological Club,' vol. i. No. i. p. 9. Looking back over the Swallows we have spoken of, it becomes an easy matter to distin- guish them. The Barn is known by its long- forked tail (see Plate IV. p. 50) ; the Cliff or Eave by its light, buffy rump and its gourd- shai)ed nest (see Fig. 22, p. 52) ; the Puri)le Martin by its uniformly blue-black body ; the Tree or White-bellied by its shining white breast (see Fig. 122, p. 194) ; the Bank by the dark band across its breast (see Fig. 24, p. 55) ; and the liough-wing by its sooty back and lack of distinguishing breast-marks. Key to Adult Male Swallows. Common Characters. — Birds of tlie air, wliieh catch their insect prey on the v.'ing in their widely gaping bills. 1. Tail conspicuously forked. Upper parts steel-blue ; under parts choco- late. Beats over meadows for in- sects. p. 49. r. Tail not conspicuously forked. 2. Back with metallic lustre. 3. Under parts shining blue-black. p. 48. PuRPLF. Martin, Barn Swallow. ■HMi WINTER WHEN 3'. Under parts not shiiiiiij; blue-black. 4. Under parts pure white. 197 p. 194. WllITK-BKLLIED SwALLOW. 4'. Under parts washed with brownish, riimj) lighl p. ryj. Eave Swallow, 2'. Back without metallic lustre. 5. Dark band across breast . p. 54. Bank Swallow. 5'. No distinct band across breast. p. 195. KoL(;n-wiNGED Swallow. I Winter Wren : TrogMi/tes hiemaUs. U^ppor parts reddisli brown, finely barrect ; under parts washed with brownisli. Tail very short, carried over b.-ick. Length, about 4 inches. QKO(!KAi'Hn; OisTHiHUTioN. — Eiustem North America ; l)reeds from the northern states northward, and southward along- the higher Alle-.hanies to North Carolina ; winters from Massa- chusetts and Illinois to Florida. During the migrations this mite of a Wren may- be met ahnost anywhere. Sometimes it surprises you by bobbing u}) from a jjile of boards with its bit of a tail cocked over its back ; again it peers on*^ from a goldenrod thicket, or faces i 'i ii. ill 198 WINTER WEEN !i' i 111 Fic}.' 124. Winter Wren. you on top of a stump in the woods. It is such a friendly, jolly little bird that yoii are won by its confidence ; but when you come to hear it sing, you are stirred by deeper emotions. The song is a marvel from such a little bird, for it is loud, rich, and melo- dious. iVlong the banks of the Hud- son, Doctor Mearns has found the Wrens running about under the ice when the water had settled away, "creeping into every nook and crevice in search of food, some- times remaining out of sight for many minutes together," for their food is well hidden, insects and larvai being the chief of their diet. The Wrens nest mainly in the northern forests, so may be seen and heard by favored Adirondack tourists. Tlieir nest is an interesting mossy one lined with featliers, those of the liuffed Grouse among the number, Mr. Burroughs tells us. Their eggs are white, dotted with reddish brown, and the nestlings tliat come out of them become be- witching, bobby little scraps. I't i' f^iiii J^ gi A^'m f CAROLINA WHEN 199 Carolina Wren : Thryothorm ludovidanus. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts bnffy ; wings and tail barred witli black ; a conspicuous white line over the eye. Length, 'lA^ inches. GKO(iKAi'Hif J)iSTUiiuJTiON. — Eastern United Ntates ; breeds from the Gulf states to southern Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Connecticut ; resident, except at the northern limit of its range. On tlie wooded liills of tlie NalionaJ ZoiUogical Park at Washington, there are three birds vvliose songs perplex the brains of the beginner by tlieir similarity — the Cardinal, Crested Titmouse, and Carolina Wren. Each of the birds, hcvever, has one song that i^; distinct and easily recognized — the two-syllabled pe-to of the Titmouse ; the three-syllabled tea-ket-th' of the Wren ; and the smooth, one-syllabled, long-drawn cue or quoit of the Cardinal, The Cardinal's, though one-syllabled, is often repeated rapidly as nuich as eleven times. The resemblance of the three songs is not fancied. The Wren is known as the Mocking Wren, and is suj)p()sed to delib- erately mimic the Titmouse, and the Cardinal is also supposed to imitate its fellows ; so it is well to listen carefully before naming the songsters, unless they are singing where you can see their Fig. 125. Carolina Wren. '■■]'•■ . ■ 1 iV'' ' '", ■ ■ V ' . I. 1' f !-■ k§'> 200 CAROLINA WREN bills move as the sound pours out. Indeed, this IS a wise i)recaution to observe wherever there is any doubt, for there is sometimes more than one biid in a tree ! The Cardinal and Titmouse begin to sing in February, but the Wren sings through- out tlie year, except when moulting, even in the stormiest and coldest weather, for he is a brave- spirited little fellow. Though he sings so freely, the Carolina is not always easily seen. He looks over at you quite frankly from the opposite bank of a stream, but when you liave crossed he has vanished. In some places he is less shy, and builds with- out hesitation in nesting-boxes provided for him. Mr. Oberholser records an interesting case in which a pair built inside a barn, entering throu«h a knothole. Though the birds were disturbed at visitors, when the nest was taken outside the barn and put on the ground they did not forsake their young, but bravely kept on feeding them as before. When left to provide for themselves, the Carolinas often build in old Woodpecker holes. The eggs are white, marked with lavender. 11 'I 1: i I BEWICK'S WliEy 201 Bewick's Wren Thri/nfkomn hewickii. Uppor parts .krk brown ; under parts grayish ; wings and tail barred ;_ outer tail feathe.. black ; white line over ey Length, a inches. •' GKOcajAPHz. DiSTiUHUTiON.- Eastern United States; rare and ocal east of Alleghanies and north of 40- west to edge of e:Zl^'''"^ '• '''-'' ^''"*'^-" '^•^^--^ ^«-'^- to In southern Illinois Mr. Riagway found this the common Wren. It lived around the houses and sang its fine, clear song from the roofs Mr Nehrling describes the bird's notes as "liquid* sweet, and finely modulated." He says that in' lexas the Wren has become a perfect house-bird frequenting the log-cabin of the poor settler as' well as the villa of the rich merchant. When neither nesting-boxes nor natural cavities are to be found, it will build on beams in log-houses and stables, m smoke-houses and wood-sheds Mr Nehrling has also found nests in stove-pipes that ay on the ground, in the pocket of an overcoat tJiat hung on the piazza, in tool-boxes and book- cases in inhabited rooms. The nest is bulky, and IS sometimes arched over, with the entrance on one Side. The eggs are white, speckled with brown. 202 I^ONG-niLLED MAnsil ,yj,^^^ I-ong-bilied Marsh Wren • r- . . wren. Cistothorus palustris. ^ (I'late X.) f -» ^;.e Oulf spates U. tnit^tl ^"^^" f-'- ^ -ds Bea intern^ptod only 1,. it, „''f ~~~^^hrU greei^ ti-eetoj,.s meet tJie s„nIJ vn ,",^'^"''^«" vvhere ''- -ft June heav:;'L^ ::; ^ ^^'^ '-^-". solitude of tlie c.,e,t ' , ^^'' ^^P'-^'^^e and are infinite]^ restfui. " ^ ''" ""^''^' ^^^« «ky I^wt, aside from fln'^ *i apart, offe,,,,^ k e;"?, '"•■'" ' ''^ •■' '""« -o-M -"i^ yo„ wade «,«2^ 'T 'r'V''"""-"^™- •"•*e pleasant „„«;' J^ ' "" '""« '''-'- 'Ley bow l,ef„,e " ^ " ^°'"; '^•"■». ■■'eotl.iug a, the .«ex„e,,e/, .:"t r, '"'""' ^""- Even I'laee along wit) tU."l" .^P7"''' *''''' "^ 'he n,o„,ont „l,e„ yon 1, U ,"' .T^'^S ""d ';- 'low., the n,a..sir A t^ , ^, '' T P'*'' »* "'e margins „f the plain a„,, Zf-!^^' ''f™''^ moment yon are re ,„„.=. I f^ "• ^' »"ie i'e!low.tln.oat», «:,; r !,7'" !""' hy Maryland "ndontof tl,;.ee ' ,,ee r""' '"'* >^''" "hip i„ ''"<""'8"P at yon anxiously tarn tarn rus palustris. mej'pa; breeds 'iisetts ; winters ', soutliward to tJicir relish, I will seem ?''eat level (lark green (ling- river, 'Oil where boi'dering ^'"iiise and ■1' the sky ttle World to those ar forms. ? blades ;hing as • Kven akes its "^"g and sitch of l^ervade At one "yiand 'liip in 'iiously A. FuL'rtus. l-LATE X.- LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN Crown Clark brow... black on the sides; line over eve white Back , k, streaked with white; wi..,s and tarb.: "i under ixufe white; sides marked with brownish Lemtl about oiu.ches. (By courtesy of n. 0.;,re,.) ' 'I il / LONG-lilLLED MAIiS/i n'liEIf 203 to make out if you would really hann their brood ; at the next you are eneircled by excited Kecl- vings, who fancy their fledo-lings in danger; and then overhead, the Bobolinks, absorbed in their own happiness, " • . . meet and frolic in tJie air Ilulf prattlinj-- and lialf .sinking." ' But l,owev,.r much you are prqiaml f,„- it by the other .„o„,W of the .hoir, the first „„tb„,.,t of he Marsh VV.eus is ahuost ,,aralyzi„g.. Y„„ clattonujj „„ all .„,lo.s. ].„,,.hi„g atilt of the .;eel»»> « l im -» A-^r TO THRASHERS, WREXS, ETC. 205 voices of th. wrenkins for.n no ...an pa.t of ho fam.Iy ch.,..ns. They seen, to live to sin. letT'^'"' '^"^^-1— %itwonMar,; Most of the Wren and Thrasher fa.nily we;u Wn hnt some wear ,n-ay. They all ...ateh well with the earth and bnshes they fre.|..e,.t. As hoy have sho.t, ronn.l wings (see Fig. 18, p. 45) hey ehoose to n.igrate by night, when L two bird.catchn.g Hawks are soundly slumbering. Key to Thrashers, Wrens, etc. 1. Back gray. 2. Uadc.. pa.,, „hi.i,,„ ; „„w„ gray ; „,„„ ,,;, f,,j,„, P- 63. Mockingbird. 2'. U.Kler parts slate-gray ; crown and tail black. P- 6. Catbird. 1'. Back brown. 3. Large. Wings amltail not barrerl ; upper parts rod Iw. • • • P- 177. Brown Thrasher. 3'. Small ; wings and tail barred. 4. No white line over eye. ^' lltlT'^M"™'' *"' "^^y «hort. usnally held over back. Nests in northern forests. p. 197. Winter Wrkn 6'. Under pa^-ts whitish ; tail of ...edium length not held over back. Nests conunonly about ho-fses! P- 44. House Wren. ,.|,i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 M 2.2 Uj us 10 Ji U ill 1.6 Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 m \ O ^<2)^ ^\ ^^\ .^. ^ >^ S^4i ,v ; 4'. Whito line over eye. 6. Back with black piit"li. Found in marshes. p. 202. LONG-HILLKI> MaKSH WrEN. 6'. Back without black patch. 7. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts bufPy. Commonest song, a three-syllabled ten-kc.l-lle, tea- Jcet-tle P- 199- Carolina WriEN. 7'. Upper parts dark brown ; under parts wliitish. Found west of AUeghanies. p. 201. Bewick's Wren. 't I ? ■■'— |is^ I Wren. s buffy. '-tie, ten- L When. whitisli. (5 Wren. iVRRX .I.V7, THRASHER FAMILY 207 Fi(;. 120. Krowii Thrasher. Fio. 127. Carolina Wren. Fio. 129. Winter Wren. Fkj. 1;J0. House Wren. Fia. 131. Marsh Wren. Fi(}. 1']8. Mockmffbird. ^^^^.^^ MEMBERS OP WREX AND THKASHER KAM, LV, / 208 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER Yellow-bellied Woodpecker ; Sapsucker : Sphyrapicus varius. (Plate XI.) Geooraprio Distkibution. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Massachusetts northward, and winters from Virginia to Central America. Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers are often called Sapsucker.s, but the Yellow-bellied Wood- pecker, the one with the red crown and throat, is the only bird that deserves the name. The Sapsucker has the habit of drilling holes in the bark of trees, and, as his name Indicates, sucks the sap that exudes from the tree. But this is not all, nor does it doom him to disfavor. Now and then an individual Sapsucker may gir- dle and kill an ornamental birch on a lawn ; but for one which does that, numbers are at work destroying the insects that gather at the sap on the hardy forest trees which the Woodpecker will not harm. An observer of his performance says : " As the sap exudes from the newly-made punc- tures, thousands of flies, yellow jackets, and other insects congregate about the place, till the hum of their wings suggests a swarm of bees. If now the tree be watched, the Woodpecker will soon be seen to return and alight over the part of the girdle which he has most recently punctured. Here he remains with motionless body and feeds upon the choicest species from a host of insects within easy reach." -:&»tiB!!»»Jfei ' ' ' '^119^ ,,'uf-firr Vi, '0 I- erf. \ f' f r , . ,C'0 ^'" Platr XI. — SAPSUCKER ^ l^/ j< male crown and throat deep red ; breast • lack ; belly ellow ; back bla.k marked with white and yellow. uJt J^male, s.nnlar but throat white and crown so.Ltin.es bla k 1 ouny crown dull blackish ; br.u.st brownish ; throat wh d.h Length, about 8^ inchea. "'"tisn. * YELLO W-BELLIED WOOnPECKER 209 Some Sapsuckers have been experimented with to find out if they could live principally on syrup, but in each instance have died from the diet. Stomach examinations bear out this testimony. The Sapsucker is largely an insect-eater. He ranks next to the Flicker as an ant-eater, 30 per cent, of his solid food consisting of ants. He also destroys wasps, beetles, bugs, flies, grasshop- pers, and crickets. He eats more flies than any other Woodpecker, and Professor Beal says that he probably fully compensates for whatever harm he does by the number of insects he consumes. To keep him from ornamental trees it might be well to plant the dogwood, black alder, Virginia creeper, wild black cherry, and juniper. In some places, Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright tells us, the farmers cover the trunks of their orchard trees with fine wire netting, in this way getting protection without depriving themselves of the good offices of the bird. Aside from his food the Sapsucker is one of the most interesting of Woodpecker characters, a splendid, spirited bird whose rollicking cries call our attention and whose gay humors excite our admiration. These martial spirits lead the drum corps of the forest. In a posted woods I have known two of them to take up positions on signs forbidding shooting, and proceed to beat their tattoos as loudly as if calling attention to the inscriptions ■PIM 210 liED-COCKADED WOODPECKElt beneath them. Wlien living near honses they are jjartienhirly given to drununing on tin, eave- troughs offering great attraetions to them. Some- times, wlien the mah; is drumming to call his mate, Mr. Brewster says a rival appears instead, and a battle ends the jjerformanee. Mr. Brewster has also given us many interesting facts about the nesting habits of the Sapsu(!k virs. He says both birds work on the nest, " the bird not employed usually clinging near the hole and encouraging its toiling mate by an occasional low ciy. Part of the finer chips are left at the bot- tom of the hole for a soft bed for the eggs. The labor of incubation, like all other duties, is shared equally by the two sexes, . . . the birds relieving each other at intervals averaging about half an hour each. . . . The bird not employed . . . has also a peculiar habit of clinging to the trunk just below the hole, in a perfectly motionless and strik- ingly pensive attitude." ^ 1 Bed-cockaded Woodpecker : Dnjohates horealis. Adult malf, crown black ; a scarlet spot on each aide of the nape ; bdck barmi with black ; under parts white ; sides marked with black. Adtdt femiile,^\m\\ixv, but without scarlet on the head. Length, about S.< inches. Gkookai'Hic DisTHiBiTioN. — Southern United States, west- ward to Texas and Indian Territory, and northward to Ten- nessee and North Carolina. The Ked-cockaded \\'oodpe('ker is commonly 1 Bulletin Nuttall Ornitholuyical Club, vol. i. No. 13, pp. 03-70, UEn-liELLlEl) WOonPECKER 21] seen i„ the pine woods of Kl,>rula and otl,er parts of the south. Amlnhon says that wh.n on a hid, u-ee It looks as if entirely Mack. Ho also savs that It "glides upward and sidewise along the trunks and branches on the lower as well as the upper side-nu,ving- with astonishing alertness, ami at every moment emitting a short, shrill, and eJear nc. which can be heard at a distance." Mr Chapnuan compares its call note to the ,,anl', yank of the Nuthatch, but says it is louder, hoarser, and not so distinctly enunciated. The bir of l,.,ul caul hark of uerk srarl.t ; back bhek p.tl. scuje . Adult f.^nul., si.nil.r, but with tbe ero v.. «■ ay f.on H..n,Ia to Marylan.l. an.l i„ M.e i„teri„,. to Ontario Jd southe.... I^^kota; ......asionally sfays to Massacbuse ^ X^ ters f..o.u Virsinia a.ul .outb..„. Ohio south wan'. Mr. Kidgway pronounces the Red-bellied one of the cojnmonest and tamest Woodpeckers of southern Illmois. In contests with the Red-headed lie has invariably seen it vanquished. Audubon M-ave Its call as chow.c/>ov^, and Major Bendire calls attention to its low, mournful cooing note winch resembles that of the Mourning Dove and IS made in the nesting season. Ii 'I ■Ii 212 riLKA TED WOODrECKEH II 'iP In the soutli the bird is eoinmon and lias been seen eating oranges, but as it confines itself to decayed or very rii)e fruit it only harms the grow- ers who keep their oranges for the late market ; and Major Bendire says that the little harm it does is fully atoned for by the great number of lurvie and insects which it eats at the same time. He unquestioningly i)uts it on the list of birds that deserve protection. In Texas it is said to nest in telegraj)]! i)olos. Pileated Woodpecker ; Cock-of-the-Woods : CeojMoeus pileatus. Head and crest scarlet ; a wliitisli stripe on each side of face and neck; body blackish brown. Ltngt/i, 17 inches. GKOdKAi'Hic OlstkIkution. — "Formerly whole wooded rejrion of North America south of latitude (!;}=" ; now rare or extir- pated in the more thickly settled parts of the eastern states." When a child I visited the Adirondacks with some enthusiastic young ornithologists, and I shall never forget the excitement of the moment when a loud rapping on a high tree near the lake an- nounced the presence of this noble Cock-of-the- woods. Our boat was si)eedily put ashore, and the young naturalists vanished in search of the magnificent bird. Since then, when rowing on Lake Placid, I have caught a glimpse of his splen- did figure on the wooded border of the lake, but the sight is becoming rarer with the settlement of the region. In the hummocks and cypress swamps of Florida, however, Mr. Chapman tells us the PILEATED WOODPECKKH 21,'] Pileated is still .luite (.o.,nn„n u.ul not wild. In descnb.n^. it h. notes ti.at its flight is slow and cliree rather than nndulatino-, ,s is that of n.ost , Woodpeckers ; and says that its call note is a so- norous coio-ro^v-coir. ■' '\'; ^^'''I'y "^"-^ly «'Hls the Woo,lpeekers in he Manie forests, where, if not disturbed, they become accuston.ed to man. He so won the con- science of one pair that they wonld let hin) pnt us hand on their tree when they were only ten reet above. '' Major Bendire gives the Pileated 's food as ants ami d.tterent species of boring beetles and larva, which infest tin.bered tracts; and, in addition, wild berries and nuts. He says the bird does tar more good than harm, and only attacks decay- nig and fallen timber." ^ This is the testimony i„ regard to one species of Woodpecker ; but Professor Beal assures ns, at er the examination of large numbers of stom- achs, that while farmers look on the family with suspicion because they see them on th bark of tru.t-trees, it is rare that any but the Sapsucker leaves an important mark on a healthy tree ; but on the contrary, when a tree is infested with wood- boring larvae the birds dislodge and devour them. Wood-bonng beetles, tree-burrowing caterpillars and timber ants begin their excavations in a small spot of decay and eat in until they honeycomb tlie trees. They are inaccessible to other birds I i \* lit: ^^H filn ; '^:i !; •«! :. ^^■^ il ('■ I I ■ I 214 woonrh'cixKiis l)ut the i'liistl-liko bills and lon<«' barluul tonj'ues of till! \\'uo(l|HH!kers uro ospceially adupted to the work of oxtraction. So Wood peckers iiatiwally l)e(!ome the yreat coiiS(!rvers of forests. As Pro- fessor lieal says, ''To them, more than to any otlusr ageney, we owt; tlu^ prest'rvation of timber from hordes of di'struetive insects." The llairyaiid Downy are the most henefieial of the Woodpeekers, fioni two thirds to three fojirfhs of their food eonsistiny of inseets, most of whieh are noxious. The Flicker, as we have seen, is the great ant-eater, nearly half of his food being ants ; while the Ked-headed is the grass- hopper-eater, and the Sapsucker feeds on both ants and grasshoppers. The Woodpeekers are easily distinguished. The Hairy and Downy are the two bhu'k and white ones, each having a white stripe down the back, and in the ease of the male a scarlet band on the nape. They usually live on tree trunks in the woods, but the Downy s(nnetimes nests about houses. The 'Micker is the ground-eolon;d ant- eater, and the Ked-head the tricolored — red, white, and black — - grassht)pper-hunter. The Sap- sucker is the only one with red crown, red throat, and black breast, the only one to which the name Sapsucker can be rightfully applied. The Plic- ated lives in remote forests, is one of the "iants of the family, and may be known by his scarlet head and crest and plain, blackish brown body« both WOOIU'h'ClxKlts 2 If) Tlu- l{.. a two Mexican name for themis K\ar- ^''""''' pentaros'- their feet in n.ost cases have two toes belnnd instead of one as in ordinary birds (.see i^.gH. 202, and 204, p. 351), which .seems to better support their weight in dind.ing and hangino' on Fi(i. i;!;j. Foot of Woo.l- i 216 KEY TO WOODPECKERS tree trunks, though many birds of similar habits have ordinary feet; while their tails with stiff quills and pointed feathers hel]) them brace against tree trunks (see Fig. 212, j). 353), as do the bristly tails of the Swifts (see Fig. 213, p. 353). Though they have loud calls and are drummers, they are songless birds, and so from the standpoint of music may be classed with the Grouse, Doves, Crows, Jays, Flycatchers, Cuckoos, Kingfishers, (joatsuckers, and Waxwings, rather than with the Orioles, Finches, Si)arrows, Wrens, Thrashers, Catbird, and Mockingbird. Fu;. i:34. Red-headed Woodpecker. \m nw Key to Adult Male ' Woodpeckers. 1. Whole head and neck bright red. Back black ; belly white ; wings and rump showing white in flight . p. 131. Ked-headed Woodpecker. 1'. Whole head and neck not red. 2. Plumage mainly brownish ; rump conspicuously white ; breast with black crescent; under side of wings and tail yellow ; white rump seen in flight, p. 127. Flicker. 1 The female Red-head is like the male ; in all the other spe- cies the females diifer from the males in having the red less extensive or absent. •ffiS j«*».«i<«iA-M '. CANADA JAY 217 2^ Pluniago mainly hlack and white ; rnmp not white. 3. Under parts mainly black ; size nearly as large as Crow ; top of head red and crested ; throat and stripe on side of face and neck white ; underside of winffs white and black j rest of body black. Found in for- ^^^^ P- '-^l^- PiLKATKD Woodpecker. 3'. Underparts not mainly black; size of Robin or smaller 4. Large black patch on breast ; throat red (white in female) ; belly yellow ... p. 208. Sai-sucker. 4'. No black patch on breast. 5. Underparts ash-gray, washed with red ; back red black and white ; top of head red. Comr.ion mthe south . . p. 211. Red-bellied Woodpecker. 5'. Under parts white, never washed or tinged with ted- back mainly black. * 6. Crown black ; back harred with white ; a small red spot on each side of back of head. Found in pme woods in south. p. 210. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. 6'. Crown with a scarlet band ; back streaked with white. 7. Length 9 to 10 inches. Common in northern wood- lands .... p. 135. Hairy Wool. ..jker. 7'. Length 6 to 7 inches. Familiar orchard and door- yard bird . . p. 137. Downy Woodpecker. Canada Jay; Koose Bird: Perisoretcs canadensis. (Plate XII. p. 218.) Geoohaphic DisTR.KrriON. - Nova Scotia, northern New Eng- land and northern New York ; west to northern Minnesota; north in the interior to the arctic regions. Tourists in the Adirondacks, White Mountains, 218 IK i|(,( CANADA JAY ti'a})pers, and hunters along the Canadian border. Jn nortliern Maine Mr. Man- h^y Hardy repoi-ts that " *^"'y ^vill enter tents and often alio-Jit on tJie bow of a canoe w],ere tlie i)addle in ei«l,teo„ inches of th™: -"Vll'f ™'"'":""- t-ng eatable about ea,„,. Tbey a ' TiCj^" Fio. 1 ;!;-). Ji'll of IJlue Jay. --4^^ Pio. 136. Bill of Crow. attractive binis, and give b'fe an.I interest to the dark^eve.^,,, ,„,,,, „„,,, ,, J^^ »» the L'ke the ordinary Jay they are hoarfers. ^MtiiHAi^lCltiaM^ ■'^^i^ ' [•mis^ 'late enough y are known ne, \\'i,s.s-ka- piiig' out one tlie constant lumbermen, iinters alonjr Jorder. Jn 'i Mr. Man- 'ports that 1" tents and tJie bow of tljo i)a(l(lle monies witli- !in witliout 'ly to any- ?markably St to the t. oarders. VPE XII. -CAXAl).! Fcieliea.l white ; baek of Lead mainly gray. Ltnyth, !:> ind V .(AV and nape blackish le.s. rest of body HI I 1 f CliOU's AXJ) JAYS 219 Ami,. ,„„ says they store awuy bernes and nuts in hollow trees, or l.etweon the layers of l.ark on < ecaying- branches, the provision eeured onablin-.- them to pass the winter in comfort and rear their young before the snow is off the -round. With the Canada Jay wo finish the family of Crows and Jays. The two Crows can be told apai't by the smaller size of the Fish Crow and Its harsh guttural note, while the Blue Jay will never be confused with its gray Canadian cousin. As a group they are powerful bii-ds of marked characters ami striking plumage, with heavy bills and strong feet. (See Figs. 135, 13G, p. 218.) They walk rather than hop, and use their feet to hold their nuts as they drill them open. It will be a help to run over the birds that we have already spoken of, for we have filled several gaps since the last enumeration. Land Birds: I. Grouse and Quail. 1 1. Pigeons and Doves. III. Birds of Prey. IV. Cuckoos anc Kingfishers. V. Woodpeckers. VI. Goat- siickers, Hummingbirds, Swifts. VII. Perchin- Bu. s : 1. Flycat<.hers ; 2. Crows and Jays ; 3. Blackbirds and Orioles; 4. Finches and Spar- rows; 5. Tanagers; 6. Swallows; 7. Waxwings ' t 220 KEY TO CROWS AND JAYS ■I I f . 5' •' ' ! Fig. l;!7. Blue Jay. Key to Crows and Jays. 1. Plumage black. 2. Lustrous, witli purple and green reflections. Voice hoarse {car). Fouud by water, or not far inland. p. 16. Fish Crow. 2'. Larger, loss lustrous, sometimes dingy. Voice clear (caw). Found everywhere. p. 11. American Crow. 1'. Plumage blue or gray. 3. Head crested ; upper parts purplish ; a black band around head and throat ; wings and tail blue, marked with black and white .... p. 154. 'Blue Jay. 3': Head not crested ; upper parts gray ; top of head white ; nape blackish. Found in northern coniferous forests P- '-^l^. Canada Jay. ' t -TSa;^ V/> JAYS id Jays. reeii reflections. Voice , or not far inland, p. 16. F18H Crow. nes dingy. Voice clear 11. American Crow. lurplisli ; a black band ■s and tail blue, marked . p. 154. *Bi,UE Jay. rts gray ; top of head I in northern coniferous p. 217. Canada Jay. J UNCO 221 Junco ; Slate-colored Snowbird ■fuiifo /i>/nna/it). Adult male upper parts, throat, and bre.ust slat.-ffray ; belly and outer ta leathers whitn \H„It / / • ■, . ^ imrs wnite. Adult Jmaili; similar, but duller ffray. /.^«(////, about (Ij i„d,es. "-uuii.r Gkoukaphh, I).STm.u:T.ON: E.usteru North America; breeds hom M.,.„es„,, ,,.,, „H. mountains of New York a..,, NvJ England northward, and southward aloiif, the summits of the Allef,^hames to Virginia; winters .southward to the (J.df states. About Thank.soivi„g time, in northern New york, flocks of wandering Cro.sshills sometimes drop \n upon us, and then, too, as we are shut indoors, we think more of the companies of gray and white Snowbirds tliat come to our door- steps for their share of our feast. They shoukl receive it from generous hands, for as winter comes on they are not the least of the blessrngs for wliichwe have to l,e tliankful. Like the White-throated Sparrows, they are num- bered witl, the birds whose feeding habits enable them to go in sociable flocks, for they are birds of catholic taste. In addition to their insect diet which covers a large supply of ants, cutworms, weevils, leaf-eating beetles, and grasshoppers, they also eat the seeds of such weeds as pigweed, chick- weed, knot-grass and foxtail, besides a great deal Fi(i. i;38. Junco. If ^i 222 jvsco \h •.y ;!' l!»l v 1*^0^ wlui'l», while nuts to them, of ragweed (Vtg. l^^^^^' /^ ^,„,er. Mr. Nehv- is a brow-knittmg pest to ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ over the Junco's catalogue, says that he is " lil^e all our native Sparrows . • • a very useful bird to the farmer and horticulturist;" and the ornithologist adds, "1 cannot refrain from repeat- ing that in treating the birds with kind- ness we exhibit the greatest kindness to ourselves. We can appreci- ate all Mr. Nehrling Kagweeu, .»...--. says of the Junco, for the little Snowbird is an^^-^^S ,i„ter Mends ^^l^.e,. for pro«ered and coming to om je y ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^, food. Even their tsip l ^^^^.^^^ ^^^^, pluming themselves - f ^.f J„,,,, i„ a gently warbled chorus that is mosT. b Fig. 139. Ragweed, eaten by Junco. ML m . -^^jii-Stimyi^i*irmJtn&t:U ^^gg^ them, Nehr- nning imco's ffi that ill ouv )WS . . . il bird er and t;"and liologist cannot I repeat- treating Lth kind- hibit the kinuness appreci- Nehrling lie Junco, ost cheery advances proffered as they sit warm svin- in a gently to the ear. >iyon'FLAKE 223 Snowflake; Snow Bunting: Piee,rop,.na. nivalis. hen..,.,....., ,..,.x ;;rL .J::^:zr: t:;rr'^^"^" Georg.a, soutl.em Illinois, Kansan, a...i (k.^Z7 ' My only ,nen,orios of these white northern vis- Ihe'llT -"1T':-'^ "^'^ ^"^^^-^'^^^ ^-'ks over the helds m blinding snow- storms, when flocks of the white binis wouhl ajipear and alight on the ground for a moment, then with a wild r/ieep go whirling on to disappear in the cloud of wind-blown snowflakes. One " "'"!^ ^>'^^^ been bred in the north," Mr. Cham berlani says, " to enjoy a snowstorm as the Bunt- jngs do, to find witJi them exhilaration in the b, ing an-, and delight in the swish and swirl of he dnftmg flakes. These birds seem to be at hejr happiest m a stonn, and whenever one comes heir way they join in its whirl and scurry ju for the ftm of its fierce revelry, birds and flakes mingling m the same wild dance." Fio. 140. Snowflake. i- 224 DICKCISSEL Dickciasel; Black-throatod Bunting : Spi.a amcrivunit. ...'." '"■>'■ "-»""»'r !'T;,,'-"v;,;t.*":::i;:'. south lociill ami rarely. As the Snovvl,ive. '- : >p ^f a tall weed-stalk, or as it ». TUEK sr.iniiow 227 Hits upon tl.o summit of a liaycock in thf memlow. The i-ieiiUT |.oit;„u „f its time is passed In thu gmsa, in whiol. it runs from tli." iutrutler, unseen, like a mouse; or. if prcssuil too closely, rises sud- denly jind t^ies u ;4reiitor or less distiinee in a zijr- za..; manner; • Mr. Chapnmn gives its song us ^lit'tnck, zee-c-e-a-c-e-e-e-e. In Maryland 1 j.avo watehed the Cirasshopper while it sang undisturbed on a fenee rail only a few rods away ; but when it wanted to tiy down to its nest it would craui' its n.'ck and jet its (piuint short, pointed tail nervously. Spar- \'4 Tree Sparrov; Winter Chippy : s,>hr//„ niontieola. Top of h«tto! on ,;„lr. of Lr.„,l ■ biiek Hti..uke.l witli ivhlisli brown ; bn-ast, wasb.-.l witb biownl isli ; upper Iwilf of bill bkek, low.-r halt y.-llow. /..„,///, about, Oj iuclit'M. ' Gko(.kai-iiic DiSTKiBiiTiON.-Kistern North Anieriea; breeds in r.abra,lor un.l tin- n-iou about Hudson Hay ; soutl. in win- ter throuBli eastern United .States ; west to tlie edue of the Great Plains. There are two birds with whieh th«; 1 ree Sjiar- row might possibly be confused — the Chipi.ing and Field Sparrows, although it is much larger tl HU jither. If one knows what to look for, how- ever, the Field can easily be distinguished by its reddish bill, and the (Miippy and Tree told apart by the indistinct black spot on the centre of tlie breast of the Tree. Of course none of the three can be confused with the Song Sparrow, because 228 THEE SPAREOW its breast is heavily streaked, while theirs are plain. In the fall, when most of the other Inrds have left northern New York, the Tree Sparrow ap- pears in the woodland pastures ; and in Illinois it is one of the commonest and most friendly winter residents, as Mr. Kidgway says, coining " famil- iarly about the door-yards and gardens, gleaning from the snow in company with Snowbirds {Jiinco hyemalifi) and other win- ter residents. During the warmer days of winter, or even if the weather be cold though clear, the rich medley of soft jingling notes uttered by a num- ber of individuals of this species is not ex(!elled for sweetness by any bird notes." Mr. Bicknell gives two of its call notes, the customary chip and " a low double note, which is uttered mainly while the birds are feeding." He says that "' this simple and slightly nuisical sound from many birds busily feeding together produces a low conversational chirping, so pleasantly modulated as to seem an Fkj. 142. Foxtail Grass, eaten by Tree tSparrow. sn'Aup sPAiiRon- 229 nnconsoious exi„.e»s,„„ of contented con-paniou- tl,o^i'„T'r ^T'''"'" " " '"•''"■■« '""^'ration of he good done by s,.d-eati„s W.d.s, for Professor I .1 hasoaknhtod tl.at in Iowa alone tl.i, little bad destroys 87. tons of noxious weed seeds every year. ngling Swamp Sparrow; Melospiza georgiann. Crown and wing's diestinif • >..i,.l^ i: i i^ i ,.;n 11 , ^\' "'''*""'i > ""'^^'^ ''«l't brown heavvHtre-ikp.l I k^: ;,:;r r''^' ^^''' ''■■" ^^^^^^^^^^^^ «KO.H.P„,,. „.st.u,u:t:ok. - Eastern North An.eri..a ; breeds .on. nortbern Illn.ois and Pennsylvania northward to 12. aor ; winters from southern Illinois and Massachusetts t' l^ " While winterinc. I„ tlie south, Swamp Spar- rows -cptently belie their na.ne, and I ,Lve often found mnnbers of them in dry 'old fields' of broom sedge ; but at the north they are more consistent and one rarely sees then, beyond the confines of a wet nu-adow, or, n.ore preferably, a lai-ge grassy marsh with reed-bordered streams. ^ Swamp Si,arrows ,nay be distinguished from hen- cousins, the Song Sparrows, by their un- stroaked breasts and totally different notes. Their usual ca note is a sharp cheep^ not tudike that of the Wlnte-throated Sparrow, and quite D.sTK,Hc.„o.. _ Northern portions of the north- ern hemisphere, breed!..,, in North An.erica fron. the Z t^^S^T'"^ "' ^'"''- '-'^^-'y - ^'- -the™ One of the rare pleasures of a winter among the snow-field.s of the north is the visit of a flock of Pme Grosbeaks. The handson.e, rosy-coated birds are not common visitors, and tlie sight of a red flock of them clustering around the cones of an evei^reen is a picture to brighten many a dull day. They wander about the country in winter, and when a flock suddenly appears in a neighbor ! 232 PINE GliOSliEAK hood it creates general interest and curiosity, fur the birds are so hir<;e and richly colored that they are hard to overlook. Indeed, queries often appear in the country ne\vs})apers as to what tho remarkable strangers nuiy be. Coining in this way, we naturally want to show them sonic hos])itality, and Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright tells us that we can please them by offer- ino- them cracked corn that has been soaked in boiling water. They are gentle birds, whose knowledge of man is so limited that they have no fear of him, and will often let themselves be taken in the hand. One such trustful bird that came to us in north- ern New York was caged, but although he made a gentle \)et, I can never thiid< of him without r(!gret for he had a wild woodland way of lifting his wings and uttering a low, ])laintive, haunting call that told of his yearning for his free life of winter wandering, and his longing for a sight of the oreat forests and snow-fields of his northern home. ]^r. Chamberlain has had the good fortune to hear the Grosbeak's love-song near St. John in June, and describes it as " an ex(juisitely sweet and tender strain — sung in such soft tones it must be intended for one ear alone, for it cannot be heard a dozen yards away. The bird does not sing thus because he lacks strength of voice, for his winter song is loud and vigorous, . . . just ^BS mm ' iiamsm«>miU'«»&mis>*^Mkiy^^,.,. ^„.y».,.. ti*'*i^(f„.,.i3J . I MEUICAN CliOSSH ILL 235 its seods y„„ ,va]ize tliut tlie l.ill is most wo.uler- tnlly adapted, fr,„n the simple Finch type, to suit their peculiar needs. In tlie c(,hl winter of 1875-7r), M,-. Nchrh'.iff tells us, the parks of (^hieago and the suburbs of the city swarmed with Crossbills and other north- orn birds. They came into his garden and to the windows of his house in Oak J>ark, picking up crumbs, pieces of fat and tallow, hemp, millet, canary-seed, cuttle-fish bone, and salt. Indeed the Crossbills are particularly fon.l of salt, a salt pork rind furnishing- them a veritable, feast. The Crossbills nest irreg.darly, but usually in Bobruary, when the cold of winter is most intense and the snows the deepest. As Mr. Nehrlin- says, one would think it impossible, not only that the eggs could be kei)t from freezing, but that the callow young could endure the rigors of the season. There is a white-winged species of Crossbill that goes farther north than the American, but It IS sometimes seen in flocks with the American, and the two species are similar in habits. The white-winged is said to eat eankerworms. • ^Ja-jJIiiaaiBii. ' Mii a 280 UEDI'OLL UNSET t''' I ■I li ■ll" ! h ' n Redpoll Linnet: Acnnthis imuria. Adult iiKilr. cap l)riKht if'l ; viimp and breiiHt piiilsisli ; back l.rowiiish ; cliiii black. Adult J'emnlr, red confined to cap. Youiuj, similar to female but without red cap. Length, about T)! inches. (iKOdKAiiin' DisTKinuTiON. — Hreeds in the northern part of the nortlicni hcniisi)licrc ; in winter mifjrateH irret,nilarly southward, in America, to Vir(,nuia, Illinois, Kansas, and Ore- At the time when tlie Crossbills visited Chi- cago, the Kedpolls were also abundant there, and Mr. Nehrling descaihes them as cliinl)ing- like titmice, " head downward, along the branches of shrubs and weed-stalks, always uttering a peculiar t7ic'^^ or chctt- cherretty He says that these " exceedingly lively and beau- tiful birds are especially strik- ing objects among the snow-laden branches of firs, spruces, and pines, and imbue such a cold and dreary winter landscape with joy and happi- ness." But their very beauty and trustfulness prove their destruction. Together with number- less Warblers, Finches, Creepers, and Nuthatches, when they confidingly enter the villages and cities, the street boys rush out and kill them mercilessly with stones and sling-shots, with air-guns and sticks. Mr. Nehrling exclaims against this thoughtless cruelty of children, whom, he well says, should be taught to carefully preserve the beauti- ful in nature. Fio. 140. Redpoll Linnet. I..IIIK ar.initoir 237 ^ lio «.gl,t of t|,„ I{„,„,„l|s is „„t very l.i^l, ar.l - "ts t,,ey „ ,,,, ,„ ,.^„^,„,,^ ^,^^^ - j' L.ko t]„. ot ,., „i„te,, pi„„|,^ ^,, »ce.l and M... OI,„,.|,„l»„r I.a., sec, flocks of I^" ■•agweod, one of tl,e wc-st of ,,esb ' Lark Sparrow; C/tondestcs grammacux. "^:;;:"i:;;:':t;r'i;:ii!^;r";:'r"'«^ '"'""-'■• ^^'".'/'/', Of i„,I.,s ^^' ''^'''-•'^ '*1'»^ «'' •"■east. Texas nortlnvard to Minit 2. '^ "'"S'"' ! l>'ee,l.s from Colu.ul.ia, Flori.Ia). ' ^ '^'"''y' ^'^t"'"'* of In Ohio tlie Lark Sparrow is found in " sparsely low ti ocs, Doctor Wlieaton tells us, and he considers its song unrivaled in the Si)ar- row choir. He calls atten- tion to its habit of walking, rather than hopping as the other Sparrows do, and says that in parts of Illi,u,is it IS known as the ' (^uail Head,' from a superficial resemblance in color and Quail-hke habit of running after its fellows with lowered nead, drooping wings, and expanded Fig. 147. Lark Sparrow. iM'ii.i : n i I 1^38 LAiiK ,s/M /;/,'() ir tail. In other plactis this Spaiiow is known as thv ' Koad I5ii(l,' I'roni its liahit of iiinnin' ■"""' <" "akota >'kusIh.s of our coast, vvJ.ore it .uav bo it I'lins alxMit ainono- tlio m'ds an< I grasses witlitlu! oeltM-ity of a mouse., a^Ml is not apt to take wing "lUoss closely pressed! Mix(>(l flocks of the ^i>x. ^e isule Sparrow o,,ther in the fall an.onj. the -Hlges, and may he observed hiding i„ the S.^ -;I;n.n., to the tall stalks of threat-t.:if1: pr fe" ' l-^"''"" "' ''''' •^•^"- ---J' ^ ''"t it -^"i:ti:;t:""^^"---- staled"- T" ''' '' '""'^^^"^^^ ^^' '-^ — ient stake Its mfreqnent song nuay be heard morning railofShiui,-t;iih,,l.S,,ariow. I 240 ly " i <\i SEASIDE Sl'AIiliOW aiid rvcnin;,^ It is short, and ^aspiii;;, and only less linsky than tht* somewhat shnihir pcifoiin- ancc of the Sfuside Sparrow." (Dr. .lonathan Dwight, di, ) The Sharp-taihid Sparrow is one of the birds whoso tails nuist liave been modified by tlieir hab- its. The Swift, as we hav(! seen, is an extreme oxamide of the speeiali/.ed tail (see Kig. 214, p. 358), and the Woodpecdcers' tails are ])ointed for l)raeing. (See Fig. 213, j). 358.) lint the pointed ty])e is found in Meadow larks, IJobo- liidis (see Fig. 211, p. 353), and some of the Sparrows that live among the grasses. (See Fig. 148, 1). 239.) Whyotheis, like the Vesper Spar- row, whose lives are spent in the same meadows, have the nnmodified scpiare form (seo Fig. (50, p. 110) is one of the many interesting (piestions for field students to gather statistics on. Is the habit of steadying the body l)y pressing the tail against grass-stalks or reeds conliued to birds with pointed tails ? Seaside Sparrow : A mmndmmus maritimns and races. Hill loiifT iiiid pointed ; above, j^iayish olive ; below, biifFy streaked willi {jiay ; throat white, iiicIoHcd by gray and dusky lines; yellow line oyer eye and on bend of winfr. L(tigth,() inches. Gkoouai'HIc DiSTKinuTiON. — (Salt niarslies of Atlantic and (}iilf coast ; breedinfj as far north as Massachusetts, and win- tering from Virj-inia southward. " Like most marsh-loving birds, Seaside Si)ar- <'LAV~('()U)HKI) Si'MiliOW '2A\ -^VH;^•os.,.,nsis^,.„ti„,|,,|, H^^^^^^^^ tiMt .t w„„M Im. ,jnit.> „s..|.ss t„ look for tl.e.n ^tnywhen. iM.t in a ,n.r,s|^ MM.I tlw.t n salt om. ..,,,- ;^;-%willnnsonn.lora(, l..astsi.htof tlu.:^^^^^ ilH'y pass .nuc.h of their ti.no on tl.o ^unnuX Hn.ono. tl... ,.e..,ls and o,,.s.seH, l.ut ,„<,unt I stalk to sn.^r tl,,...- short, unattraetivo song of fonr or ■vo notes Son.eti s they Hutter into the air u low feet a ,ov.> the reeds an.l deliver their song whih; on the wing. ** "The al,sen(.e (,f distinet streaks on tho l.reast, ••":iri-ow as being very simple, but ])ossessing "all the exquisite tenderness and pathos of the melody of the Her- mit Thrush." Ikchman's Sparrow completes the number of the Finches and Si)arr()ws that we shall take up. The family, being the largest of our bird families, is greatly varied, but its nu'mbers as a rule have the conical seed-eater bill (see Fig. 119, p. 108), and, by combining an insect and vegetable diet. FINCHES ANT) SPAliUOWS 243 are able to winter in the United States, livin. upon the seeds of the weeds that p.otn.d Zl he snow; w ile exdnsively insectivorous bin^ such as^Cuekoos, Goatsuckers, Ilun.ningbirds Swi ts, Flyeatehors,and Swallows, must go to the troines to find their winter food. As a f.unily the Finches and Sparrows are ">".sical bn-e of then, such .vmarkabll sono..sters that they rank with the Orioles, W^^^^^^^^^ li.rashers, and Moekingbird. The Sparrows live for the most part in open fields where then, dull brown streaked coats j ro- tect them; wlule the Finc-hes, largely bright col- ored b.ds, such as the Indigo-bi^famUWc^na ive .n the cover of trees, where their conspicuous coats are less noticeable. As the Sparrow s'nd much of then, tune on the ground, thly are bird o strong feet (see Fig. 21, p. 50) and short round wings (Fig. 140), in sharp contrast to the birds that get their food on the wino- (%.s. 99,p. 189; 100 and 102"! p. 190). The connnonest S\m\v- rows are easily distinguished. ... ^.^ Sparrow (see F.g. r.r,^ p. 113), ,„^i ,^^^ ^^^^ ^ ore.l, Its cousin of the plains, are the two dooL-d Sparrows, as Mr. Torrey would call then.,^uKl rank w.th the sn.allest of the fann-ly. The Song Sparrow,^ a size larger; its breast is streaked, and has usunlly a black spot in the centre (Ficr IG4 Fkj. 149. Wins' of Song Sj)arrow. The Chipj)i!ig 244 FL\CIIES AND SPAIiliOWS ( I ^'u ii ; ■ i p. 252), It ooiuos next to the Cliii)py in friend- liness. The \'e.si)er is seen on roadside fences, and when it flies may be recognized by its white onter tail feathers. (See Fig. GO, p. 119.) Its lond, sweet song is also a striking eharaciter. The White - til roated and White -crowned Sparrows stand by themselves, and the two may be known apart by the white chin patch of the White- throat, though both have handsome strii)ed black and white crowns (Figs. 150 and 152, p. 252). The Tree and Field Sparrows are the less domes- tic cousins of the Chippy and Clay-colored. The Field may be known by its reddish bill and its plaintive song, which generally runs down the scale ; while the Tree may be recognized by its larger size, the small, indistinct black spot on its breast, and the fact that it is only a winter visitor going to Labrador and the Hudson Bay country to nest. The Savanna, Grasshopper, Sharp-tailed, and Seashore Sparrows l)elong to the same genus, and are birds of the open meadows, or, in the case of the Sharp-tailed and Seashore, of salt marshes. Their tails are worn and i)ointed (see Fig. 148, p. 239), i)resumably because they use them to brace against the reeds and grasses, steadying themselves as they perch. A fine, insect-like song characterizes the Grasshopi)er Sparrow, together with the fact that its under parts are unstreaked, while those of the Savanna are heavily streaked.' In the north, the Grasshopper is found in old daisy FixcitEs ,uvi) fir.uiitonii ».■ .sorrel fijcb. Tl,„ Ser,si,I<, a,„l SI,a,.|Htaik,l W1..1C oeonrrin. togothor, ,„ay bo t„l,l IZt t absonco of .li,ti,„.t .troak on tl,o ,„ul r I'l o ho 8oa.i,,,.. T1.0 Lark Sparrow, tho I,i <,£" o t he U„, 0,1 States; a„,l ,|,o Lark is know,, by the heavy d,„stn„t „,arki,„s on the side., of d oad (see l-.g. U7, ,,. 237) a.„l the white mark- so ,gster, „,ay be known by its blaek tl,r„at an,l yellow breast (see Fig. 159, ,,. 253), wkieh s„" gos ts,,,,, ar n,a,.ks in the MeadowhCk (see F fe :,t • "">'"■""'■ "'"cl' it is „iek„an,e- 145. (iOLDFINcH. C I}, VCK OK SI.ATK-OHAY CONSPICUOUS IN Pi u MACK 1. Mmnly black and white, large. '''■ 2. L>per parts black ; sides riissef ■ l.„7i i tai whif.. ^ / . ' ''"^ ^"'' corners of talwute. i'cratches among leaves on g,ou,„l. Fe- inale brown „. pla.e of black . p. 181.'^ Chkwink 2. Upper ,Karts washed with brown. Seen in Hocks o.^e snow, November to March, p. 2,3. SnO^k' P. Not malnh, black aud white ; small Slate-gray, belly and onter tail feathers white. -, „ P-221. JuNCO. IJ. Ked CONSPICUOUS in Plumage. 1. Bill crossed. Small winter visitants. Seen in flocks with greenish yel ^oay dull led ; „o black or white on back or wings. !•• 2^. American Ckosshill. l'-'^^- ^^I"">^VINGED CkoSSUILL. 1 . Bdl not crossed. 3. liody inaiidy red. 4. Body bright cardinal ; head with high crest. Female '^^^"'^ '^^«^'-" P 05. CABniN!l % sS^""',f "'*'"'"" '"^^-^^''' ''-d withont crest. fi- S.e «uiaU; resident. Female sparrowy, streak. P- 1-18. Purple Finch. 248 KEY TO STAIiROWS U I Ff :,i ,1 ; t II O 5'. Size large ; winter visitors. Come in flocks with gray females ami young. p. 231. Pink Gkosueak. 3'. Body not mainly red. G. Upper parts black (head, throat, and back black). Size large ; bright crimson patches on breast and under wings. Females si)arrow-like. p. IGO. KOSE-HHEASTED GrOSHEAK. G'. Upper parts brown (finely streaked). Size small ; cap bright crimson, chin blackish ; rump and under parts dull crimson. Seen in flocks in winter p. 23(>. Redpoll. II. DULL-COLORED STREAKED BIRDS. A. Uniformly streaked above and below ; yel- low on base of wing and tail feathers ; size small. An erratic winter visitor. Usually in flocks about evergreens. p. 233. Pine Finch. B. Not uniformly streaked above and below ; no yellow on base of wing and tail feathers. Rrownish birds. Length 5 to 10 inches Spaukows. f Key to Sparrows. 1. Crown cofispiruoush/ striped. 2. Chin with square white patch. Song a loud, clear whistle, /, /, pea-hody, pea-body. p. 174. WllITE-THKOATED SpARROW 2'. Chin without white patch. Crown with conspicuoiis black and white stripes. mc^- p. 176. White-crowned Sparrow, ■ \ ■lit-ljjA- KEY TO SPAJiHOWs 249 1'. Cm no/ compiruomi,, strip,>,l. \ ^'7'' """"'^ '-'l^'i^l' 'Town or cl.ostnut. 4. Corners of tail conspicuously nut.kcl with white • ^-.n.str.^ec>butwit,.s„.,,hh.ck: :;: of M:...s.ss,>,.. valley .e,,o., ,, ,,,_ ,^^^^ \^^^>- 4 . Corners of tail not white 5. A conspicuous reddish brown patch on win. • • . p- -^9. bWAMI' Si'ARKOW. 5'. No red.lish brown patch on win^. 6. lorehead black anteriorly .- white win. bars^o^conspicuous; bill black. Conunou doorstep Sparrow . p. 113. CnzPrrxa S...kow. 6'. Fo^head without black; white win, bars conspicu- 7. Breast with indistinct l,lack spot ; upper half of '"" P--'^7. T«KK SPARROW. 7'. Breast without spot ; entire bill reddish brown Song, a nunor whistle, p. 183. Fikld Sparrow.' 3'. Crown not nuainly reddish brown or chestnut 8. lender parts not streaked 0. Outer tail feathers white ; back and breast shte ^■ay ;^belly abruptly white. Con.n.n in ^^^^ ■•■••••• Pi^^'l. JUNCO. 9'. Outer tail feathers not white 10. Upper parts reddish brown ; breast and sides brownish, unstreaked. Found i„ Af • • valley and the south. "> Mississippi P- 242. Bachman's Sparrow. 250 KEY TO SPARItOWS 10'. Upper parts not rcddisli brown; under parts whit- ish. Bird of tho plains. p. '241. Clay-colorkd Sp.xrhow. 8'. Under parts streaked. 11. Upper parts bright reddish brown ; size hirge; breast heavily streaked. Migrant. p. 230. Fox ISi'ARuow. 11'. Upper parts not reddish brown ; size smaller. 12. Onter tail feathers white; upper parts brownisli gray, streaketl ; shoulders reddish brown. Seen couHuonly on roadside fences. p. 119. Vespkr Sparrow 12'. Outer tail feathers not white. 13. No yellow on bend of wing ; sides of throat blackish ; breast and sides heavily streaked; an indistinct blotch in middle of breast. One of the commonest, most familiar Sparrows . . . p. IIC. Song Sparrow. 13'. Yellow on bend of wing. 14. Under parts white and heavily streaked ; up- per parts blackish brown, streaked. Bird of northern meadows. p. 225. Savanna Sparrow. 14'. Underparts not white and not heavily streaked. 15. Crown blackish (a bnffy line through centre); nape rufous brown ; back blackish. Bird of dry fields, especially in the south. p. 22G. Grasshopper Sparrow. li i Js^alLt^^ -^^^ KEY TO S/'Aiijiofy^ Hiilt iiiiirslics. 251 l>oiiited. Bird of !«• iireast and sides ./isfinrfh, stroa'ccl ■ ;"ar!cedvvitl.buffy yellow and ^ • :?"' "'^^ r';'^'^ -''«'-e//, streaked ; upper parts grayisli olive. ^' !>• -'40. JJKASIDt SI'AKKOW, Si 252 FTSCH AM) srAintow famid 'k l> t i p'i(i. ir)(). Wliite-tliroafed Sparrow. Fio. 151. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Fio. 152. Wliite-crowncd Sparrow. Fig. !.-»;!. Cbewiiik. Fi(i. 154. Song' Sp.'irrow. MEMBERS OF THE FINCH AND SPARROW FAMILY. FlScn AND SPAIUion' FAMILY 253 Flo. l.w. ('aidiiijil. Ficj. 1,-ilJ. -v^Jimco. Fi,(. I,-,7. Fir,. IW. Suowflake. Fig l.J9. Dickciasel. MEMBERS OF THE FINCH AND Sl'AKHOVV FAMILY. ■ (1 y ' ipr J A 1 1 i, I 4 , l< 254 ACADIAN FLYCATCIIEU Acadian Flycatcher : /'Jmpithnnx vircscens. rpp.r pints „lir>' ;„;,n; tliioat whit.. ; vvHiof ntuU'V piirts wliit,., wjishfrl witli yi'liowwh and ni'.H'iii.sIi ; two coiiHi>i(Mi(.us yellow- isli wliito wiiin' l)ai-s. l.,ii;illi, "i^' iiiclu's. (}KO(ii{Ai-iii.; DisTiuii, iK.N. — Kaslcrii rnii,,,l .StateH; breuilH i'rimi Kloiidiiaud LoiiiHiaiia to.soiitluTriCoimccticiit and soulli- .'in Mifhisan ; winturs in Wi'Ht Indies and ('cutial Am.iica. What (listliu'tion and Havor the discovciy of a now bird gives to a day in tlie woods, and liow the event is .staniixd in the memory ! I can recall the very honr and s])ot wlicn J saw my first Acadian Flycatcher. It was in a deliglitfnl open woods with strai','ht, higli, ar(!hing trees border- ing a quietly sauntering stream in the Hudson River valley. We were idly enjoying tlie May beauty of the woods, when suddenly there •<«, 1ms .no.nonts of j.nvat. .ne,1itati,.„ ami -I. o-J.) ''S^!^'';;^^ '7T"^ '''' ''^^'^' -*- ^-thers marked restot uiHlei parts whitish. L,>,^t/>, l^} inches tjKO(il{AI'HIC DlSTlunirTinv I> i • So„„.ti,no,, as yo„ .Irivo „]„„„. tl,„ „„„„t ^.^,, c„l„ «1 b„.,I w,th e,„.,„„» bhu*, l,„,.„.]il'■ interior and S,mdv II.wl « ' "" ^"'~t»» in Ae ser'n^dT''' '"■™-'"''" '^^"""S "' '— -' wlieie tliey occur, is no sinecure. In New Orleans and other southern cities north- r„ ^unstssee the novel sight of Buzzards sitt „g •n rows on the fences, and i„ ,„any places may II i! 264 Triih'EY VULTURE Fig. 102. Powerful bill of Hawk. observe them vvulking along the streets or roosting on Iumset()])8. In both west juid soutli they are one of the commonest birds in the sky and may bo recognized from be- low by the black body figure set in a bordering of gray wing. The wing tii)s are separated like the teotli of a comb. Tlie shad- ows of the birds often cross your patli as tliey cir- cle silently around ° ^ and around in the sky with heads tnined down to scan the earth for carrion. On ac- count of the char- a(!ter of the food of the Buzzards, their bills and feet are modified from m, , .„ . , *^^® Hawk tyi)es. 1 he bill 18 less sharj)ly pointed and powerful; while the feet, instead of having curved talons, have an elongated middle toe well adapted to walking on the ground, or steadying the large body as the bird stands on the carrion it Is devouring. Fio. 103. Modified bill of Vulture. BLACK rULTUHE 2«;5 Doctor I{ali)l. frivcs a grot.'.s(|ne pic^tuii. of tlu- Vultures he has seen in the south " floating down Fic. KU. Walking' Foot of Vulture. Fio. 105. Gra-spiiifr Foot of Hawk. a stream on a dead alligator, cow, or other large annual, crowded so closely together that they could hardly keep their balance, and followed by a number on the wing." i Black Vulture : Catharista atrata. Head and neck naked; the skin bhtekinh; plumage blaokish ; tail rather short, and square at eu„ ,> .. '"■'"■■0 It .•.•,„ ,.,•«.. TLfir fli„ " . "'' '""K '"•■""'■r "■•« wit,, „.n1„^' , tr7- :' '"■'""• ""- I"""-"'" i>.Tondti 'wi'rr' •'""' """■'• f""' v-y not,-„.ab,„, ....... ^;,;r,7:;,^'" ;- ''■■••'» - (lirc'wur.) ^ '^ "*^ si)et'ie,s. Key to Vultures. Common a«rac/m. - Head an,l K'o«.sy black. ''' "'"' "'^^•^ "^ked ; ph.o,.,^, l-«km of head and neck bright red. ^'- Sfcinof headand neck biackisr ^'"'^ '''^"^'«^- P-265. Black Vulture. Goshawk: ^e«>V..„,./eo,.V/., (PJate XIV.) GeOGKAPHIC DiSTRIBtTTION — R ^ . eoptmfaUa«dw,„ter,foritfathe„,„„ ES ^ "loiv ]ab,„.e,J, ''<'il times, iiltor- «tanco. TJi,.ir «'in<| their foot ^- ^n all tJieso P two birds are • tJ»ti s])et'ies.'" iJfed ; plumage rthern United irffiiiifi. tlie United s the most Plate MY. - liuSHAWK AJults, upper parts bluisl. gray ; under parts finely barred with wavy gray and white. Younff, upper parts brownish, tail burred with b aek ; under parts whitish, streaked with black. ■Ltuyt/i, 22 inches. ti i 'I 1 i| II J Jii} J! r h '1 1 i ' ' 1 .*J , '■I GOSIIA WK 267 destructive of the American birds of prov • its size strengtl, and daring, together with its rlpid flight, making ,t most dangerous to game-birds and poultry It will actually dart down at the very foot of the farmer and carry off a fowl. Maior Bendire denounces it as " savage and bloodthirsty |n disposition, a veritable terror to all smaller- birds and more than a match for others consider- ably larger than itself," and he declares that it loves to destroy life for the sake of killino- In his 'Hawk and Owl Bulletin,' DoctoTFisher gives an interesting account of its habits. «In the fall, he says, "this Hawk is common along the smaller watercourses, where it is very de structive to wild ducks and other water-fowl, and IS able to strike down a bird as large as a full- grown Malbrd. If its prey is a bird of tliis size It rarely cats more than the flesh from the breast, leaving the rest of the carcass untouched " Of the upland game-birds the Ptarmigan* in te north and the Huffed Grouse in the middle districts suffer severely from the attacks of thi« tiy the Goshawk hunts the Ituffed Grouse so P-sistently that it is known by the name of lartridge Hawk,' and this bird probably has no worse enemy except man." 268 * 'I' I ! . ''''''^''-'^^^^y^^niiAwj, Sharp-shinned Hawk -a ■ ■ „ (riate XV.) '^ «o «..all that it ,l„e jittLV'^- .^^''-''^oly it yj^'^ e»ept in carry L Iff l""'"' "' "■" l'«'"V Doeto,. Fisher says' ttt Its 7 T'" "'"■*-'• a^nost entirely of ;„,, ,!*;«' « .ua.Ie up 96 !'«• cent, of the cont^nf T/°""ff Poultry ; -"■.■«l eonsiste,, .AoT^^ ^ ^'"""""'■^ «' 'loctor says, when a pair o .I n™™'' ■■"' "'« form where y„un. eh et """'« «"'" a ■*> «» foniily left, or ttev « i*""'^ ""«' ""^■'e '■•agio death. ^ "■'^mselves ,„eet with a Doctor Rsher tells t, . . ""'"" S""™*- .'owns antained, "til there et with a Sharp- parrows. en visits common Wash- lie not ffawks, of the nients, hoy do Plate XV. -SHAUI'-SIIIXXKD HAWK Adults, end of tail square ; upper parts an.l tail slaty ; tail banded with black ; throat white, streaked with blackish : rest of under parts barred w.th white and reddish brown. Young, sin.ilar but under parts white, streaked with brown or black. Length male, 1 1. ^ inches; female, 1.)^ inches. ' ill COOPEIVS HAWK 269 not, he says, circle tlirough the „ o^c«cii i food, but skulk urouncl in thick trees anc?bi^he air in search of and their pounce u,i uieir prey wiien least expected. When they seize a bird or mammal, no matter how small It maybe, they always fly at once to the ground with it. When they wish to carry their prey to any distance, they do it by shoit Hi8;lits just above the ground. They have a pe- culiar habit of stretching out their legs as far as they can, as soon as they seize their quarry, as if they were afraid of what they had caught " The nests of the Shari)-shinned are very lar-e for the size of the bird, and are in trees, from hfteen to forty feet from tiie ground. The e-gs vary from bluish white to cream buff heavllv spotted with brown. Cooper's Hawk: Acdpiter cooperi. (Fiff. 106, p. 270.) End of tail deMly rounded; crown blackish; rest of upper parts dark brown ; under parts barred with reddish brown and white. L,mjth, male, 15* inches ; female, 10 inches rrr f''"'«;«7«^--I^--ds from thoGulfof Mex- Mexico. ' '"^ ""'"^ ^'"""^ Massachusetts to Doctor Fisher has found :hat the food of Cooper's Hawk, like that of the little Sharp- shmned, consists almost entirely of wild birds and poultry, and as Cooper's is larger and stronger. It does much more harm in the dove-cote and hen-yard. Indeed, its devastations amount to it] 270 COOPEIVS HAWK more tl.an all other Hawks too-ether. It fully merits the name of Chicken Hawk, and its name should be written in black. Colonel Goss, in his 'Birds of Kansa^ ives Hh\^ h ^^ m r- 1/ /;■ ■ ■' Fia. 106. Cooper's Hawk. a hint for the identification of these Hawks, and an interesting- experience of his own with them, liieir ordinary flight is a quick .flapping of the wings, ' he says, "relieved occasionally by sailing It fully its namt! •as, ^'^ives liED-TAILED HA WK 271 Ics, and them. of the lailing. ^^heir slender build and Ion., rudder-liko tail enables then, to swiftly wind their way through the trees and to snateh a squirrel or a lizard fro^n the branches with as mueh apparent ease as they swoop down upon their prey in the open lands^ Ivabhts, n)ice,snuill birds, Bob-whites, and Dueks he p to inake up their bill of fare. They often boldly en er the door-yard, where I saw one of the birds strike a hen, while in defense of her brood, with a foree that killed her, and then grasp in Its claws a half-grown chicken and triumphantly carry it away." ^ ^ This is the last of the three brigands of the family,and after following their gory records it is pleasant to turn to the citizens of better repute. Red.tailed Hawk : Buteo borealis. (Plate XVI. p. 272.) Geogkaphic Distkibution. — Eastern IVn-fi. a • , in^ throughout n.ost of its rangT ™'"''' ''^^'*- It is important to discriminate between the slen der, long-tailed, darting Accipiters - the three black sheep of the Hawk family, the Goshawk, Sharp-shinned, and Cooper's Hawks -and the large heavily-built, shorter-tailed, and slow-fly. 2 Buzzard Hawks or Buteos, which number among them the Ked-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks; for the larger and most useful Hawks have been confused with the small, injurious ones, and the name Hen Hawk and Chicken Hawk 272 liED-TAILED HAWK api)lietl ignonmtly to tl.o members of the benefi- cial genus. Doctor Fisher says that tlie njime Hen Hawk is responsible for mucli of the false opinion regarding- the Ked-tail, an.l states tluit " while fully GG per cent, of the Ued-tail's food consists of injurious mammals, not more than 7 per cent, consists of poultry, and it is probable that a large proportion of the poultry and game captured by it and the otlier Buzzard Hawks is made up of old, diseased, or otherwise disabled fowls, so preventing their interbreeding with the sound stock and hindering the spread of fatal epidemics." Among other things, the Red-tail oats ground-squirrels, rabbits, mice, and rats. This splendid bird is one of our commonest Hawks, and, when circling in the sky, can often be recognized by its fan-shaped reddish tail. Though these Hawks are known less familiarly than the small birds, there is always something virile and interesting about them, and it is a never- failing interest to watch them soar, and to specu- late over the unsolved problem as to how they do it. Nuttall notes that they sometimes amuse themselves by asc^ending to a vast elevation like the aspiring Eagle, and says that this predilection for the cooler regions of th(> atmosphere is shared by most rapacious birds, apart from any survey for prey. In his delightful way, the old orni- thologist describes one such flight. " On a fine evening, about the middle of January, in South ;lie benefi- tlie naiue the talse ates that, ail's food lore than l)i'obable iiul game Hawks is disabled with the of fatal Ked-tail rats. mmoncst jan often ail. iniiliarly >niething a never- to speeu- ow they 3 amuse ion like liloction i shared ^ survey d orni- 1 a fine South I Plate XVI. Adult RED-TAILKI) HAWK ^«//., upper parfs dark brown; under parts white, streaked vithbrow-n; ] 1 i II ■ Carol 1 liKn-suoirinEiiim iuuk 273 ma. lie s, «avo Its witlicie,! lys, " I observed one of tliose h'mh I , — "•" "1 iiu'.se Dirds the wil,l Ia„; !,r, '"'"''• ""• «"■•"■'"« -'"ft over littl.timo l.vciL' •""'"'T ">»to,.<.n.l in a vcns; and tli^ngh I wiit,.,l . ""-' ''™- half an l,o,„. « ' It' "■'"' '-""I'l'^ai'eo Bed- =ho„Mored Hawk ..B*„ ,,„„,„, m':l,"s L;„r. iz^,*'-*" ™"" '■'-" ■■ with re,M.l, b„„ :, I ""?;'"'"' • "<'■'■•' !««« bn,™,, «'«"-b.»M ., J „ i,,, '""".». tail wiU.o,.t ,,i.M„o. no* a .Ve fXX?^;;/ tlL''^^^^^^ «ton,achs oxamincl by Dooto . S,e Tl "^ ... -h,eh a pai,. of t,,e Ko,^i„,,la 7 'al , T'' young for two years in a .,,,,11 ""'"'" ">«.• woods abont flL , / ' "'"'""Py 1"«<-'" of }eai. were never seen attemi)ting to liv' 274 liKIh-SIIOVLnKIlEh HA WK catch one of the. fowls. (See ^ Hawk and Owl Bulletin,' p. (53.) As for birds, Doctor Fisher says that this Hawk flics t<.o slowly to bo able to catch them, instead, it eats, anmng other thinos, jnicc, snakes, grasshoppers, earthworms, snails, spiders, and '•ontipedes. Indeed, 00 per cent, of its food is composed of injurious mammals and insects. In view of these facts, it seems strange that the bird's go(,d work should be interfered with, but, as Mr. Chapman explains, -The farmer sees a Hawk sailing in wide lurcles above him, uttering Its fierce, screaming cry. . . . While he is watch- Hig It a sly, low-flying Accipiter slips by him and makes a sudden dash into the poultry-yiud. The farmer does not discriminate ; u Hawk is a Hawk and, shaking his fist at the bird in the air, hJ vows vengeance at the first opportunity." Aside from the economic interc'st attaching to the Ked-shoulders, their domestic relations are worth study. Nuttall, who saw i)airs of the birds in the south in winter, tells us that they call affectionately for each other, and that the male, when discovering his mate, caresses her much in the manner of the Dove. and Owl tliJit this t<'h them. !o, snukoH, Ifrs, und H food is 'CtS. ) that the witli, but, Br sees a uttering is wutcii- hini and I'd. Tl>o a Hawk, 5 air, he ihing to ons are ho birds liey call le male, nuch in UROAIi-WWrtEl) HAWK Broad-winged Hawk : /i,um buu 276 ssimtts. /!'/«//«, upper,, arts .lurk l.rown ; tail witl, two lij.|,t I.hph ; „n,M.vu No,.l. A,„„.i..a, H..,.th to n..rtl,..n, Som.I, A,,,..,!,.,, ; b.vn.ls tl„„„«h„ut ,.aHt«rn North A„H.,„.u l,.o„. N',.„. I!n„,swi..k a,ul NaHkatrh-wa,. southward to t lorida and 1 uxas. This is another of tlu! beneficial liuteo family, and its food (;onsistH i)rincii)ally of insects, small mammals, reptiles, batiachians, and occasionally a young or disabled bird. It is a quiet bird, and during the early sum- mer, Doctor Fisher notes, it " often may be seen sittmg for hom-s on the dead top of some high tr.>e. At other times it is found on the smaller trees in the deep woods, along streams, or on the ground, where its food is more often procured. Although sluggish and unusually heavy in its fliglit, it is capable of rapid motion, and some- times soars high in the air." The Broad-wing is the common Hawk of the Adirondacks, and nests about small lakes, where It can find the mice, shrews, and squirrels upon winch it lives. Its call note is said to resemble that of the Kildeer Plover. 276 ^PAiiiion' HAWK V < rl M Sparrow Hawk : Faleo sparverim. . . , (Fign. I(i7, p. 277.) btk -t'l'^n 'T"'^ reddish brown and b,„i,s,, barred with what sp tt d i^hi,!^"^" ""f ?T "'''^'' '"•"^^"' ^°-"- GeogkaphIC DlSTRIHtTTrnw TJ i .. South A J^a! ' •'"'"^ ■"'"""""■'' '" "°«l."» This little striped-faced Hawk is often found the Iv,„gb,rd, hovering in „,id air over a field fo, it! r " ''°".''"" " '" l"*"''y -atchi,:. fo. rts dmner wa.bng to ponnee on some nnsus! c .„g grasshopper or erieket, for they supply ts table ,n s„„,n,er. In wiuter it may somet mes be seen on poles about haystaeks, lying i„ wait fo a more substantial meal of mice • as the'inr'n'",""^'"™" "•''~* '•' known Curiously enough, while the other Hawks bnihl arge w,g nests high in trees, the Sparrow Hawk udes ,ts bro« inside a hollow br.aneh, or even a M oodpeckcr's ,Ieserte,l nest, sometimes .mtting >.pw.th a hole too small for it, one which' it Z nmch ado to get in and out of. In watching the aerhal performances of the SrAIiROW HAWK ''i 277 Sparrow Plavyk, one understands how the flight of b,rds ,s „.odmed by their feeding habits. TI^ spiings fion. under your feet and goes whirring Fig. 107. Sparrow Hawk. away, ,, merely seeking new eovcr, whieh it easily ■eaehes after a .hort (light by ,le,cen,Ii„g in I em-ve tot- earth. The Kingfisher wi„l L! 278 SI ■ ' 'J j' ;h MAMSII HAWK way with the level ranwi «• i . . fl«'l on a distant ,..„al fv . ,"" " '°'"' """>' ''"' rows a,ul Wren., „,ake .short 1 1 .^i J,"-' ^^I""- one clump „f weeds ,„• ' ' **'8''«sfrom 'hoir wings n.eX to t . '" •''""""'■•• "^"'e ing feeding-, ^1'°'' 7- "'"" '" "««'''«'- ,i^ut the srviVrkX'^i % t »■■■•• I'ave business in th» „' , N.ghthawk series of eurves .i" „!"' "' ""'''• "''s'" » » «-y l.unt baeh ;, SS' Z,:''"' "™'""™-^' - «.ata.ei„ the skies Tl'f "''"'" ""'"^'^ ~w Hawk also ha t h„. ' L^'.lt""' •-;" ''^"»^- »»e it. not as a -linh.g-tal 1 b , " ••"'■' '"," "'^^ ering on wing while thevl- " ''"'■'■''' '"'^- beneath for their food^ ^ ""'"^ "'^ «''°-"' MmshHawk:«„,,,„„„^,.^ (Plate XVir.) to Pa„an>a. '^"'^*'' ^'"'"''ic--' "' general, so„tl. The female and yo„„;v Af ....,,, .r i always he known as lar^o d-n^ , 7 ^'''" '•'" '-^t the hase of the ta I ?o: i '^' ^^*^' ^^^"'^^ -n he seen .ods aJ^l VTT' i^''^' ''''' over tlie face of thT '^' '^^^"^>^ ^^^ats -ee. The 'Ll tie t :;V" '^ ^^'^^'^'^^ ^^ '•^^e IS still more strihhigjy I I ! » f one vvlio has whose miiul is ^s, Waxwing-.s, lie other Jiand, '• perc]ies only • Tlie Spar- '1 flights fi-om nother, usino- I to iieioJihor- ■ Jn the air. i Niglitiiavvk »' flight is a i'ohitions, as !> the inseets I and Sjiar- lii", but tliey Jiei-ch, Jiov- t]ie ground ?PnoraJ, south awks can vitli white ''hite spot vvly beats earcli for iti'ikingly I'L.viK XVU. -JIAKSH HAWK l*lK.i parr.-, uia> , uiKler jjaits pear yiiivor wliite • *«- ./ ta>l >r,ute. . Uiult f.nal... upper '.a..t.;..a;.k l.n •' ^|ue. , , am reddM. ,..,.... streaked; \n.. .f Uul Z:. !<> ,/.s.nular to tV.nale. /..,„, .uale. l. inches: fen.a.e. A 1 ■1 Tf 1 t r 1 li i ' f 1 ' MARSH HAWK 279 marked ami unless you have been warned, you will find It hard to believe him a Hawk, for he is a most distinguished-looking beauty, as pearly gray as a Sea Gulh ^ ^ In his 'Hawk and Owl Bulletin,' Doctor Jisher deplores the fact that for its occasional poultry dn^ner tlie Marsh Hawk is shot, as he says at sight, quite "regardless or ignorant of tlie fac that it preserves an immense quantity of gram, thousands of fruit-trees, and innumerable nests of game birds by destroying the vermin which eat the gram, girdle the trees, and devour the eggs and young of the birds." It is " unquestionably one of the most benefi- cial as ,t IS one of our most abundant Hawks," the doctor states, "and its presence and increase should be encouraged in every way possible, not only by protecting it by law, but by disseminat- ing a knowledge of the benefits it confers. It ;» probably the most active and determined foe of meadow mice and ground squirrels, destroying greater numbers of these pests than any other species, and this fact alone should entitle it to Although the Marsh Hawk is usually seen flv- mg low over the ground, in the spring he imi- tates the Nighthawk, doiiio hi, ,,ooing in the sky wit 1 many most remarkab*. flourishes, presumably adapted to the taste of the ladies of the marshes 280 OSrREY i . n Sometimes ho mounts aloft for tlie express pur- pose of dropping to the earth in a series of som- ersaults ; at others, as Mr. Thompson describes It, " he flies across the marsh in a course which would outline a gigantic saw,, each of tiie de- scending parts being done in a somersault and accompanied by the screeching notes which form the only love-song within the range of his lim- ited vocal powers." He is not only an ardent wooer but a devoted mate, carrying food to the brooding bird, who flies out to meet him and dexterously seizes tlie morsel which he drops in her talons. Osprey; Pish Hawk : Pamlion haliactus camlinensi,. (Plate XVIII.) GEOGKAPnir Distribution.- Norih Amorica; breeds fronx Florula to Ihuhon liay and Alaska ; winters from South Caro- lina to northern South America. "This species lives in colonies, and also in pairs, along our coasts, returning year after year to the same nesting ground. Its food consists solely of fish, which as a rule it captures alive. Winging its way slowly over the water, it keeps a keen watch for fish which may ap])oar near the surface. When one is observed it pauses, hovers a moment, and then closing its wings, descends with a speed and directness of aim that generally insure success. It strikes the water with great force, making a loud sjjlo.sh, and frequently dis- Plate XVIII. - FISH HAWK Upper parts brown; head, nape, and und about 2;3 incites. er parts white. Lengtli, i 1 ' 1 ff 1 OS PREY 281 appears for a moment before rising with its prey grasped ni its powerful talons. As a rule, it carries is food to some favorite pereli, there to devour It. It ,s said that Fish Hawks have been known to strike fish so large that, unable to re- lease their hold, they were drawn under water and drowned. "When protected, Fish Hawks, like many other birds to a large degree lose their fear of man. In the 'Auk,' for October, 1892, will be found a valuable article by Dr. C. S. Allen, on « e habits of this species, as observed by him on Plum Is ajHl,N.Y., where for forty yLs the lanu. (CJiapman.) In the Adirondacks, on an inlet between two of the lakes of the 'Fulton Chain,' a pair of Fish Hawks had a nest for many years, and though sportsmen's boats passed under their very tree on the way up the lakes, the hirds, protected by the chivalry of the guif^ ^, were so tame they would perch beside the nest un- moved while the gunners looked up at them. It is said that the Fish Fig. 108. Grasping foot of Fish Hawk. 282 ff^iLD EAULE t . ''''- foot of \Ct^u T'».'^- "•I'll'tcl t„l,„I,|i„„ it, ,i;l ' '" '■'■""'■•kaWy "« i.a.i.. will, .„;'„''"■'' '".T ""■ ""^» '- BaldEagIo://„fc„,„„„„^^^^^^^ (I'late XIX,) »"lil,r«„B„. ■ ""^'"•'■"».l'Me>"} inches ; female, 3oi inches. I A it ■*! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ///y. /, {/ "W M :a % j'%^ .^i^^ 9 s- ti % ^^ u. ■m fA V <^ /: 1.0 111 M ?.2 I.I |50 "'"== ^ 1^ 12.0 1:25 i 1.4 — 6" Photographic Sciences Corporation 1.6 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 # iV Is \ :\ %^.^^^\ >> r o u. /^ ^ I It: I SWALLO ]V-T IILED KITE 283 / be ..llowed to become too abundant. Swollow-tailod Kite : m„„ui„ f.,rj,,„,u. (I'lato XX. p. 284.) As Its name suggests, ti.e Swallow-tailed Kite has a forked tailliko that of the Ba.„ sJaUol The Bam Swallow, the Nighthawk, and the the Short-taded Sparrows, Wren.,, and Swi^- an.1 as the Kite has long, .sleudev w ugs, it i ena' Wed to hve almost exelnsively in air.° f„s w,nt part the tail plays in the flight of birfs i a To ;nterest„,g question. Though n.any of its J'.^ ■ar deveiopments seem to be of purely a,sLtic value, merely sexual characters, otlL. tils appear to h.avo weight in the more ordinary affS e - s,,eh as steering for a fly. Caref nl okserva- it I!l1 ^^"-^ ™^ "■■''°' '" " '™^' "•"■""ant. As ■t fl.es ,t wdl actually reach down and eat the 1 . p. 270), destroys both ire so many 'er of those ■iJiat We future, and 'et us Jook mce more, 'der, Jong-. PI.ATB XX. -SWALLOW-TAILED KITE Head an,l ..nder parts white ; upper parts and Jong, forked taU black, w.th „.etallie reflections. Length, 24 inches. J^EV TO FALCOS., srAn-S. ANI> EAGLES 285 ta,le,l and swift-flying („ee Plato XIV „ 268 flyinl f rP.7 V#?' ^'™'«-*-'«Uu,l slow, iiying (^see Jr'Jate XVI. r 279 ^ „„ i seen soaring l.igh in the sky Of tl ' "" ,'"' eimg ovo,. the meadows (see Fig. 107 „ ott-, -I..I0 the Marsh Hawk is\he large, wlL^Ij luuiies aie the two scaveno-ers • Imfl, o, marily southern birds, and thf MaeU Vu Ire";: rarely seen north o( the Carolinas The f"/ • tl.e Jlawk Swallow (see Plate VY o«,f " the Fish Hawk (see^PhrxVHI- 1," 80 L "f over 11'vm.a loi , , "• '^^^) "wnts Eagle. (SerCxTx."!: ^82^ *" "'^ ^'^ Key to Falcons. Hawks, and Eagles. 1- Head and nock iraii.Iv „liiio '■ ^tia'cl,:,:"."""'"^""""' --7"'-»* ^'-.or 9, T, ., , . ••••?. 282. Bald Eagle. 2. Tail not wlnte; under parts white. P- 283. Swallow-tailed Kite. { 1 I ■ i 5. 5'. 28(> KEV TO FALCONS, //. „7.s, AND EAGLES 3'. Tail ..ot forked ; sides u.ul hack of J.ead n.arked with blackish ; hack hrow... ro,.,,., „,,, ,,^^^^^ ^^'"' ,, „ P- -80. Fish Hawk. 1 . Head and neck not inainJy white 4. Small (length 10 to i;{ Jm-hes) ' ''tStS'l "r''l "' '""'' "".lorparts sparsely spotted ; hack and tail n.ainly reddish hrow.f r:.:\^^— "--'-^^vsio.,..,,,:: • • • . p. J70. hi'Auuow Hawk No hlack stripes on hack of head ; under parts every- wLero harred with re.ldish hrown and white,. up.I parts slaty gray. Darts after sn.all hirds. p. 2(J8. SnAKi'-siiiNNKD Hawk. 4'. Larger (length 15 to 25 inches). C. Uase of tail conspicuously white Upper parts dark hrown; under parts hrownish iemale and young. . p. ,73. Maks„ Hawk 0\ Base of tail not conspicnously white. 7. Tad strikingly reddish ; upper parts dark hrown • under parts white, streaked with hrown. ConZo' mousing over meadows. ' p. 271. Rkd-tailed Hawk. 7'. Tail not reddish. 8^ Upper parts ashy gray or hluish gray 9. Upper parts hh.ish gray ; under parts finely harred With gray and white. Winter visitant. p. 2GC. Goshawk. Adult male .... p. 278. Marsh Hawk 8'. Upper parts dark hrown; under parts harred with reddish hrown and white 10. Shoulders reddish hrown." Common in woods. p. 273. ItED-SHOULDEREI) HawK .,'i>..»^^. ^'\ AND EAGLES Jf Jiead niiuked with iit'jir water. -«0. Fisii Hawk. iiulcr parts s])arsely 'y reddish brown. vn for grasslioj)j)ers Si'AKKow Hawk. under parts every- ' and wJiitc ; upper lall birds. f-BuiNNED Hawk. 31' parts brownish. • Maksii IJawk. D. iii'ts dark brown ; brown. Conunon, d-tailed Hawk. ray. arts finely barred visitant. -t>0. Goshawk. r parts wliitisli. Marsh Hawk, irts barred witli aon in woods. LDKREi> Hawk I'l.ATE XXI.-SCUKKl'li OWL a.ul white. Length, about Ui h.ehes. ' '^"'' ^'■"^^'" ?" i>-\ ill f r- 'i SCREECH OWL 287 10'. SliDiiMcrH not reddish brown. 11. 'i'ail l(.njr, with thm; light hands; nn(h>r piirts lifflitly and uniforndy hiiiicd. Destroys lioidtiy ... p. 'JGU. Cooi'KK's JIawk. 11'. Tail slioit, with two lijrht bands; breast heav- ily barred with brown ; under parts lightly barred. Found in woods. p. 27.".. UuoAij-\viN({Ei> Hawk. Screech Owl : Mtyascops mio. (Plate XXI.) Okoorai-hio DiHTUiiU'TioN.-Eastiun North An.orica, north- ward to Now IJrunswick and Minnesota ; generally resident throughout its range. Various forn.s are found tlironghout the wooded portions of tlie United States and Mexieo. Of the snijill Owls, the Screech Owl is tlie only one with large ear-tufts, and so may l)e easily knovyn, although its color varies, being sometimes reddish brown and sometimes gray. We are for- tunate enougli to have this little Owl as a familiar neighbor in our orchards and about our farm- houses, where it comes out at night and inspects corn-cribs and grain-stacks for mo.., devouring in its time many thousands of the little l)ests^ Doctor Fisher speaks of the pretty footi)rints of mice which mark the snow after a winter's night, and says that when a track stops abruptly, if "the faint impression of a pair of wing-tips is visible beside it, one can guess what has happened. Be- sides ridding us of mice, the Screech Owl also does good by destroying House Sparrows. 7' ', Us 288 LOSa-EAUKl) OWL p )\ Major IVm, ,rc l.-lic-vos tluit these Owls remah, .nate,| thn.„ijh life, u.ul ,,„otes a„ interoHti... aeeount of the.r eotutsl.ip f.-on. Mr. Ly.uls Jones li'e fenutlo was peivlu-.I i„ ,, dark leafy tree," l«is iiifonnant writes, - apparently oblivious of the Pn'senee of her n.ate, who „.a,le frantie efforts tl.ion;;h a ser,os of bowings, wing-raisings, and H"api..ngs to attract her attention. These antics were cont.nne.l for son.e tin.e, varied hy hops ro.n branch t<> branc-h near her, accon.panied by ut forlorn almost despairing wink peeuliar to tins Inrd Qnee or twiee I thought I detected sounds ot nnvard groanings, as he, beside hin.self -tl.J^ unsuccessful approaches, sat in utter The Screech Owl's nesting site is ahnost always a hoi ow „. a tree, often a Woodpecker's hole, am ,t bas been known t(, accept a bird-box for Its home. It ,s interesting to hear that both lit- tle parent Owls sometimes sit on the (..nrs ut the sarne tin.e. The eggs, like those of all Owls, are wnit.. ' Long-eared Owl: Am wihonianus. (Plate XXII.) TSTnva ^ *• , Vr ^"i"' America; breeds from In the Long-eared Owl we have one of the interestn,g cases where unconscious protective 1 wIh roiiiaiii eafy troo," ioiiH of tlio »tic efforts sinjrs, and lesi' unties I by hops il)anu'(l by •eeuliar to I ilc'tectcd le hinisolf ' iu utter )Ht always ev's hole, (l-box for both lit- ffc^s at the Jwls, are reeds from stiites and ) of the roteetive »''.A.K.\XlI,_ujN,j.KAKKU OWL '""«■ ; "PiMT parfs dark I,r, Kai-tufts an inel, ,„. ,„o,,„ ,, «ifi' yellowish, „„.i,,. ,,ai.^";;^;i;''":""""''^">"^^>'-'"arked ^vith brown; facial ,lisk T l,''*^^- '""S'^"'"""ny streaked f . i LONG-EARED OWL 289 coloration Is combined with conscious protective attitudes. When the Owl is frightened, it rises up, "draws the feathers close to the body, and erects the ear-tufts, resembling in appearance a piece of weather-beaten bark more than a bird." ^ When not able to employ this device effectively, the Owl resorts to another. Major IJendire sur- prised one while she was killing a ground squir- rel, and was startled by the sudden transformation that took place in her. " All at once she iraed to expand to several times her normal size," he says, " every feather raised and standing at a right angle from the body ; the wings were fully spread, thrown up and obliquely backward, their outer edges touching each other over and behind the head, which likewise looked abnormally large." This was accompanied by a hissing noise. But in spite of this bravado, the bird found herself afraid to stand her ground, and, " collapsing to her normal size, flew off, leaving her quarry behind." I Doctor Fisher proclaims the Long-eared Owl one of our most beneficial species, for it destroys vast numbers of injurious rodents and seldom touches insectivorous birds. It is preeminently a mouser. 1 Hawk and Owl Bulletin, p. 143, U. S. Department of Agri- culture. ill IP 290 SIIORT-EAEEI) OWL Short-eared Owl: Asia accipiirinus. (Plate XXIII.) GKoaHAPmc DrsTKiB.r.ON. - Nearly co.sn,„p„lita„, breeding m the U„.ted htate. locally from Virginia an.l Illinois north This Owl differs widely from its relatives. It IS much less nocturnal, and rarely even alights on a tree. It is a bird of the marshes and flies near the ground, like the Marsh Hawk. It lives mainly on meadow mice, gophers, grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects, and deserves the fullest protec- tion. ^ ^ A strong piece of evidence in its favor is found m Yarrell's ' British liirds.' " Undouhtedly field mice and especially those of the short-tailed group or voles, are their chief objects of prey, and when tliese mnmals increase in an extraordinary and unaccountable way, as they sometimes do, so as to become extremely mischievous. Owls, particularly of this species, flock to devour them. Thus there are records of a ' sore jdague of strange mice ' in Kent and Essex in the year 1580 or 1581, and again in the county last mentioned in 1048 In 1754 the same thing is said to have occurred at ildgay, near Downham Market, in Norfolk : while withm tlie present century the Forest of Dean, in Orloucestershire, and some parts of .^V3otland have been similarly infested. In all these cases, Owls are mentioned as thronging to the spot, and ren- lUS. an, breeding' llinois noith- itives. It ilights on flies near es mainly , crickets, st protec- 1' is found edly field led group md when lary and , so as to ticularly uis there mice ' in 581, and 148. In Lined at k ; while 3ean, in lid have Js, Owls ud ren- PtATE XXIII. - SHOUT-EARED OWL Wtufts short ; upper p,„,s brown. „,arke,l with buff parts st.aked with dark brown. Le.^l^^t^ ' ""'''' i h *i Plate XXIV.-BAKRED OWL Upi^r parts grayish brown, n.arked with white; breast barrel, and belly and sules str.ahd with brown and white ; bill yel- low. ie«^rt, 20 inches. ^ ;ilii liAIiRED OWL 291 denng the grea est service in extirpating the pests. Ihe hke has also been observed in Scandinavia during the wonderful irruptions of lemmings and other small rodents to which some districts are liable, and it would appear that the Short-eared Owl IS the species which plays a principal part in getting rid of the destructive horde." Barred Owl; Hoot Owl: Symium nehulosum. (Plate XXIV.) Gkoouapuxc DrsTHHurriox. -Eastern North An.erica, west to the P au..s ; northward to Nova .Scotia .and Manitoba ; res dent except at the northern limit of its range. The larger part of the food of the Barred Owl consists of mammals, including among them the most destructive rodents with which the farmer has to contend. Heavily wooded swamps and hemlock forests are the favorite haunts of this retiring Owl. It is one of the noisiest of its family, and probably oftener heard than any other. Adirondack campers are often startled by Its cry at night, although, as Major Bendire re- marks, "a rapidly passing shadow distinctly cast on the snow-covered ground is often the sole cause of Its presence being betrayed as it glides silently by the luinter s camp-fire in the still hours of a moonlight night." Its hoot is given .s whoo-.,koo. whoo, toho-,ohoo-to-ivhoo-ah, uttered in an interro- gatory tone. Doctor Fisher tells us that " it is the common- 1'. A m I ) Vi 292 aitEAT iiohnei) owl est species of rapacious bird tinoughout tlie ex- tensive swamps covered by cypress an.l otl.er growths wliicli abound in tlie coast region of the south, wliere as many as fifteen or twenty may be seen in a day's tramp. Although not usually seen near habitations, it sometimes wanders into large towns, either in search of food or the shelter afforded by some attractive clump of evergreens." Great Horned Owl : Bubo virginianus. (Plate XXV.) GEOOHAPHir Distribution. -Eastern North America, north- ward to Labrador and southward to Costa Uica ; resident tliroiigliout Its rang'e. Where wild game is scarce and poultry plenty, the Great Horned Owl ranks with the three brig- and Hawks, and should be studied closely, that Its sms may not be laid at the door of the deserv- ing members of the family. But where wild game is plenty the Owl's record is better, for it turns its attention to rabbits and other 'small dere ' that make sad havoc with the crops. So each case should be judged on its own mer- Its. As Doctor Fisher says, ...» a bird so pow- erful and voracious may at times be a source of great benefit, while at other times it may be the cause of great damage. Now, the serious inroads It makes on the tenants of the poultry-yard, as well as the uestruction of many game and song birds, would sc-^m to call for the total suppression of lit tlie ex- uid otlier ion of the ty may be ually seen into lar^e le shelter rgreens." us. rica, north- a ; resident y plenty, ree brig- lely, that 3 deserv- Bre wihl r, for it f 'small 3. wn mer- so pow- ource of Y be the inroads , as well g birds, 5sion of I'LATK XXV. -GREAT HOKNED OWL Ear tnf,, ,,y two i.K-l.es ]on. ,• upper pa.,.s mottled with I te^^; rz ■■'"' """'' ''^'''' ''''' ^■'^""-•^'' »>— .• ^aek T 7> IT: '"'' "' "'"'"• '^^^^^ '^"ff>' '^-■-1 with blauk. Lenyt/i. 22 inches. pi i /MAW OWL 293 the species. A,.uin, when en^.age.1 chiefly i„ the < 'iptuie <,f ,„j,„,o„,s n..lent,s whidi threaten the . .ul, e ally, and consequently sh,.nhl be most carefully protected." The Great Ih.rned Owl lives mainly in heavy X^p/. ^^^ «f^- J--1 it i" the ni,^ Lake Placul „. tlu, Adirondacks, and its lond, pleasant rennnder of the unspoiled depths of the Barn Owl; Monkey-faced Owl : Strir pratlncola. (I'liite XXVI. p. 294.) GkOORAPHIO DiaTUim rrnv « *i s....,, ™ca.i.„; ' :;,~r" I':;,;:' 7'™, "•""■" rapaccus ln.U, it, fo«I co„.si»ti„g „f ,.o,lents t at arc a crse to tl,o country they inhabit- the gopher and ground „,i„irr„l ;„ the wort, the cotton rat n, the south, and various species of rats and mice m the north. An interesting .account of a family of B,arn Owls ,s g,ve„ in the ' Cincinnati .lonrn.al of N.at„ral H.story,' by Ch.arles Dnry. They lived m the tower of the Town lUII in 01on,l.ale Two natnra ,sts climbed the tower and r.-,ising the tr.ap- door at the top. s.aw a curious sight. The floor and ledges were covered with the cast-up pellets ill 204 8,\n\VY OUTi of tlu> s.nuUer rodents, .naudy nuc.. H.t ^^ lit have been the Aohns of soveval c^ mice and rats," Mr. Dury aHsun s uh. IWt . s anij;eonH' nestn, 1 prcsmne the I • ! h.ul letuallv nested anil reared young :;alnu>st exeh.sively n.iee and rats, and pvoves Uo l>e a species of the greatest eeononue v.ue. ' Itisintlnvstingtoluunvthatainuvottheso l>i.as have fo. years nest.n.intjM.va^mo^^^ other of the towers ..f the bmithsonum Inst.tu tion at Washington. Snowy Owl : Niirtea ivirlea. (I'late XXV II.) n.«T,.navnoN. - Norihern part of nortliern l>em- .sph.nv , buH.ls non ^....^..viir.l in winter roKuluvly to Arctic Ocean, au.l wan.b.s *'"" "^ " „ ,„ Tc.as and to tho northern llnl-.l States, and occasiu.,,ai> California. A ,vcat ,lcal of interest i» oxctol by ti,e ajv „olm.e of a Snowy Owl in tl,o „a,gl. .o-W h wi 1. for it is a lavge binl, .Uessd .n tbe ; ,il fea;iH., tl,at enable it to eo"- — , „n„ it, nvev in its avetic lion.e. Andnlion gives ICs^-resting aeeount of the way he sawthese 10 hair aiul Ixhios ily mice. "There I several thousand iv( s us. " I^iit Uh> hahitation was the t were livinj;- sccui- he Ov/ls, ami, judj,'- ests, 1 presume the and reared youns he food of this Owl and rats, and proves est econonuc value, tliat a pair of these it intervals in one or Smithsonian Institu- ctea ni/rtea. n\.) tlu^rn part of northern liom- orthwHi-a. in North Amtaica ithwind in winter re^iihirly docciwiouullv.'. T. as and is exeiteil by the ap- in the noighhorhood e bird, dressed in the ; it to come unawares homo. Audidxm gives of the way he saw these I'lATE XAVi. -BARN OWL ''x.'":;,-.?':;;'' ,"7"- T"""""" ''"■■ """» p"» ite washed «,th h.iffy and Hnely spotted with hlLk • brown.h nng around facial disk, L.J, J, L-hls "' ' 1 Plate XXVIl. — SNOWV OWL White, more or less burred witli bi'owii. Ltnylli, li'i inches. (Hy courtesy of Tlie O^prn/.) ! asK .i^iBiliaiJUHMi . --«BSWII»*h»«»»: Jill, HI u 1 f' tI 4 ' f ' 4 'ill. i ( i*> 'ii I' OWLS 295 Owls catch fish. They would lie clown flat on the looks besule a pot-hole, as if asleep, but the n.o- nicnt a fish rose to the surface, would thrust out he foot next the water, and with the ARN Owl. VII ; barred vise of the IRED Owl. reast with NED Owl. reast witli - Ear-tufts es. tED Owl. nnws OF PREY 297 G'. Under parts whitish, streaked with brown. Kar-tufts conspicuous. Wiiolly nocturnal. p. 288. Long-eared Owl. As an Order the birds of prey are peculiarly well adapted to their work of keeping down the harm- ful insects and nianunals. Their talons are shar,) and cnrved, for seizing and holding their prey (seeFig. 207, p. 351); their bills sharp and hooked, to tear it apart (Figs. 199, 200, p. 350) • their eyesight is extraordinarily acute, their wings strong and enduring, and their digestion so rapid that they can eat great quantities of tood. They save time by swallowing their food bones and all^ having, like the Vireos, Flycatchers, Ci-ows, and Kingfisher, power to regurgitate such n^^gestible parts as bones, feathers: fur, and hail, their stomachs - after the absorption of the softer parts of their food - working the hard parts up into round balls or 'pellets,' in which he sharp materials that might injure the mucous membrane are coated with soft fur or hair. With all these special adaptations, the birds of prey do more good than almost any other birds and fact.s regarding their food habits should be noised abroad, as they are most unjustly perse- cuted by those who should be their best friends tinl. fh r''''' "^ '^'' ^'''''^' °^ p^-^^ -« «« ^^i- t net that every one must know them. Witl^ them we fill the la,st gap in the Orders we have examined, up to that of the Perching Birds, and m mm m m im S 298 LOGGElillEAD SUUIKE it will be well to glance over the list once more before leaving tJiein. Order I. Grouse, (^lail, Pheasants. Order II 1 igx^ons and Doves. Order III. Birds of Prev Order IV. Cuckoos and Kingfishers. Order V W oodpeckers, etc. Order VI. Goatsuckers, Ilum- nungbirds, Swifts. Order \lh Perchin, Birds Fig. 109, Loggerhead Shrike : Lanius huhoidanus and race. Upper parts gray ; wings and tail and line from bill to ear black • Gko(,ua,.„,c DisTUiiuiTiON. - Eastern North America west to the ed,e of the Plains; breeds east of the Alleghanies "f.^ u.rt^. as \„.«jn.a; west of the Alleghanies breeds northward o U.e Great Lakes, and eastward through central New York to Vermont and Maine. The Butcherbird is often started from a road side tree in driving along the country, and in places where the Mockingbird also occurs, the two may be confused, although they are really quite distinct. The Shrike is a lighter, clearer gray, and has black instead of brownish wings and tail once more Order II. s of l^rey. Order V. I^ers, IIuiu- iiij. Birds. ■i>mm- :iv and race. ;o ear black ; |)art3 white. irica west to laiiies as far i iiortJiward ■ New York 1 a road , and in , the two lly quite er gray, and tail LOaaKIUIEAD SIIIillxE ;«mrkoad and qui^t, .rooceu' IHod n.anner are also totally diffeL.t C t e m:i^' ^^"' -^^^- -^-^ the taikitil:- Where the honey loonst or the sniny thorn roes g.w the Shrike is fonnd; for ifotZ ndes .is nest in thorn hnshes, but uses the h :^I for unpahng ,ts prey. What the reason f^ thi a phase of the stornig uistinet seen in Jays and Woodpeckers. The birds take what thf provide at the moment and r.„f ,> ^""^^ •11 ,. "'"»-"i>, and put it away a^aiiKsf^ seen the Loggori.oad occupy it.df f„,, ^i„,lZ •ng up sumll fisl, tl,o fl.,herm«„ J,,,. T ^' ?,:,!; .rr ■"'""■"'"' '"■• ■" «■« '""-nt li" was probably plcuty „f f,,.,,, fo„j ^^ ^^ rc.seu,ble the Hawks, as they iNTlUBLT10N. — Eastern M,>wl. \ ?::;:'"—«- ' --MS^":;;::;t:r Vil! '7" "'"''"=" "' "■« K-'-oy^'lan.! Warbling Viioos, the ,.„,„„,„„est Orecileto of villam liul of the KecLoye on the village streets, or more fre° quontly ...the wood,, yo„ will hear the rieh cot t,a to warlJe of the Ydlow-throat. It is as .Z. n<-l.er a, the colors of the bird are .Iccp • Z hose of the Ued-cyc. I., ad,litio„ to to,.™ UonalV.rco triplet, the Yellow-throat has a™! « al frag„,e„t of one note repeated four time, ol owed bya s hort,rapid >•„„ down the scale. To .l«t.»g...sh .t from both the Warbling and Ked eye, yon have but to remember the yellow „„ i 1 breast ami ,ts two strongly marked Jing bars. M,. Chapman gives its song as " Sec n.e ; I 'm qm 1 ,11 wlneh suggests the wonderful song of tlie Kuby Ivmglet, but which unfortuuatclv is :r;"Si::™"'^'''"^"*^-- The nest of this Vireo is particularly p,.ettv i i^ii •'SI 302 WHITE- EYED VIliEO Whito-eyod Viroo ; Whip-Tom-Kelly : Virro n(ir( liontirnsis. (Sff Fi^;. 171, p. ;;(»:,.) Upi)er partH l.tipl.t <.liv« ^rffii ; H...l..r paitn wliito ; hro.iHt u.ul 8i(lus w;«,he.l witl. yoll„w ; two yellowish win^r b.irs. L,„at/> Jibout, .){ int'lics. ' ' CKor.UAvmv Distunution. - hiiHt.irn Unitt-d .StuLs; I„,.e,l« hmn Fl.„.„la (.. Oouuectieut ai.d MinnuHota; winters from I'lorida south ward. Ill Rormiulii this bird jiboiiiids and iseallod tlie 'CJiiek of tlie Villa-ts' tlic i^'oplc iMterprcting its soiig^ an '' (Jiri(k.n.(l'i"ivu t\t the ,Ie,Ml tree, and liaro twi.^s „, t|„. v;. ° ^ t>.ecol,.r., of ti,eir environ ^f.^''-'^ 1 loy are not green all over, however l.nt !„ .Z' ;m. gradi„^„-X'',:;r;tr:;r;:: -Sv^r- "■"• -'■ -"- *:: :;;: Doves ITawVc I'lr i , "® iJi'ouse, wa,4:t; iS'':;i^';;rr- "- -hat they laek in qLity! * l«--oranes i -J ^il ,1 i^ ;J04 1. r lii-i i i II t- 1 j 1 ¥ 1; r i ■ L%!; li AA>' TO Vl/iEOS ncsules iM-in. ,,|,,,siMo. l,i,,iH from thoir roadv •osponso t.. our frioncllinoss, tlie Viroos are of grout vahu, to our trees. Thry n.ay l,o found tr..iu nioruingtill ni-l.tsoarohin- anion^- tho leafv treotops for inHec-ts bot]. iu our forests and iu our vdlagos and towns. They prol.ahly rank next to ti.e Cuekoo ,n the .h-struotion of caterpilLirM, and are also of ^.-(^at valu,. from their fondness for bugs and weevils, May beetles, inch-worms, and leat-eating- beetles. With the Vireos we finish the tenth family ot l*erehin<,' liirds. I. Flyejttchers. II. Larks. III. Crows and Jays. IV. HIaekbirds ami Orioles. V. Finches mul^Simrrows. VI. Tanagers. VII. Swallows. I^- yiirikes. X. Vireos. VIII. Waxwinirs Key to Vireos. 1 With wins bars ; „p,,or parts bright olivc-grcen. 2. Ihroat bright yellow. p. 'Ml. Ykllow-tiihoated Virko. 2'. Throat white or whitish. Song, ^^ Now, who are you', '" P-302. WlUTE-KYKD ViRKO. \\ Without wing bars ; upper parts dull olivi-green. 3. Head with gray cap, borderc.l l.y blaek and white lines f5ong, broken triplets. . p. 1^0. Rkd-kyed Vireo. 3'. Head witho..t gray cap. -Song, a continuous flowing warble, heard from elm-tops. p. liiG. Warbling Vireo, n tlusir roady ^iioos aro of »ay l)c' found lon^- tlu; loufy ^ts and ill our rank next to erpillars, and fondness for li-worins, and tenth family . Crows and V. Finclies f. Swallows. C. Vireos. vgreen. OATED ViRKO. , who arc you', fi-KYKn ViRKO. lul wliito lines. >-KYED ViREO. inuous flowing 3LING ViREO. VIliKOS Fid. 170. Yellow-tJiio.itud Virco. Fid. 171. Wliite-cyed Vin-o. Fm. 172. Warbling Vireo. Pio. I7.'J. Ked-eyed Vireo, 305 MKMBERS OK THK VTRIX) KAMIIA'. 306 WABIiLERS Warblers. Warblers are at once the most fascinating and the most exasperating of birds. Tliey come with a rush in the spring, but though the woods are full of them, nothing but a faint lisp from the pme-tops suggests their presence, and if, intent on other songs with which the air is ringing, you Ignore this, your opportunity is lost. But if you close your ears with determination to all else, reso- lutely concluding to devote yourself to Warblers, the sight of a diminutive figure disappearing in a high treetop will often be your only reward. But this is generalization — one of the most dangerous kinds of all subtle forms of false wit- ness. Some of the Warblers, it is true, lisp faintly from the treetops, but others lift up loud- ringing voices from the ground at your feet. In- deed, they are a family of contradictions. With most, ' motley is surely the only wear,' for their coats are i)atched with many colors ; but some among them are as Quakerish as Vireos, with never a spot on rectrix or primary to hint of their station in life. Some of them dash about among the leaves as if life depended on one particular passing gnat; others hunt soberly over the branches, like Vireos. Though most of them hop gayly on the few occasions when they descend to earth, some staid members of the family walk sedately over the ground, bobbing their heads or YELLOW WARBLER ?07 scinating and ley come with ;he woods are lisp from the md if, intent i ringing, you But if you all else, reso- to Warblers, ppearing in a •eward. of the most of false wit- is true, lisp lift up loud- ur feet. In- ons. only wear,' ' colors ; but Vireos, with liint of their bout among B particular f over the )f them hop descend to amily walk }ir heads or tilting their tails like veritable ' tip-ups.' Part of the tribe, after thoroughly confusing our brains, fly north to nest in coniferous forests ; but a few settle down and build in our parks, gardens, and slirubbery, wliere we can study them at our lei- sure tln-oughout the summer. In the matter of food they are more consistent, tor they are all insect-eaters ; destroying ants flies, cateijillars, larv.e, plant-lice, cankerworms! and May-flies. ' Yellow Warbler: Dendwica (estiva. (See Fig. 101, p. ;547.) ^/«/e upper parts greenisli yellow ; n.uler parts yellow streaked w.th re^d sh brow... Fe.ale un.l you!y, dull., I'd u i ', ' unstreaked. Lenyth, about '> i.iches. ^ Geoghaphic DisTiuHUT.ox.-Nortl. An.erica, except south- western states where a closely allied race occurs; b ed. no..thward to the arctic regio..s ; wi..ters as far south L ..or h- em bouth Aiueiica. This little bird is closely associated in my mind with the first spring days in Central Park when the trees are veiled in varied shades of tender green, richly clustered lavender wistaria drapes the walls and arbors, and the great pleasure ground IS pervaded with spring happiness. Then as you rest on the benches, enjoying the soft air, fragrant with tlie breath of freshly mown grass, Idly watching the happy children bravely ridino- the donkeys up and down the paths, or resting your eyes on the bench where the workman is tak- '■MoimiitmmMaai 111 If ^08 YELLOn' WARBLER ing his noonday meal with his wife and cliild beside him - suddenly from out the blooming shrubbery close by there rings out the loud, cheery wee^hee, chee-chee, cher-wee of the friendly little • yellow bird. What a bright, sunny song it is ! How summery it sounds! The little Warbler smgs as he works, and his song seems the natural outpouring of hai)piness akin to the opening of leaves and flowers until you pass on and his mate starts from her nest in a bush, when you realize that the ecstatic quality of his lay is due to something more than the unfolding of the sea- son. And as you stop to examine the beautiful little home the pretty pair have worked together to prepare for their brood, the songster becomes transformed into a home-maker whose anxieties and happiness seem almost human. And the poor little yellow birds have more than their share of anxieties, for they of all birds are chosen for the impositions of the Cowbird. They probably suffer more than many birds under it, too, for instead of accepting their fate calmly, they build a new nest over the old, or rather a second story over the eggs of the intruder. Some- times the shameless Cowbird lays eggs in this second nest, when the undaunted Warblers actu- ally build a third story and start again. fe and cliild tlie blooming 2 loud, cheery 'liendly little ' song it is ! tie Warbler s the natural 3 opening of on and his h, when you is lay is due ^ of the sea- he beautiful :ed together ter becomes se anxieties have more of all birds e Cowbird. birds under Pate cahnly, 3r rather a ler. Some- ;gs in this •biers actu- liEDSTAliT 309 Eedstart ; Selophar/a ruticilla. (See Fig. l'J5, p. ;J48.) , u,„t' e„::t:7^ ::;,n.r ::;;:'' ■«■;?■ '■■"-' -' „;" « '■■" .«.. w:, aw "r!L;:j"'"" '»" ■» Ka,,,,., .,.1 N„«u r„,„u,,,u,„,,l, ,„ L.,b,,,W :,„! i.-; , S ° son ; Wiutore ill tlie tnipira. ' The Redstart is the Warbler you are perhaps most hkely to see on a walk in the woods. It can never be mistaken for any of its family, which IS a great and shining virtue to be possessed by a Warbler ! The jet-black upper parts and the salmon patches on the breast and tail of the male, and also the soft yellow that veplaces them in the female, show clearly as the birds flit about the branches, or suddenly drop down through the air in pui-suit of some hapless insect. Another good field character is the long tail of the restless lit- tle bi«l, for It is constantly opened and shut, like a gaudy fan. The Redstart has two songs, one that hurries to Its accented close, and a simpler one that suo-. gests the sce-see-see-sec of the Black and Whi^e <-^reeper. It is interesting to hear that in Cuba, where the VVarblers are called 'mariposas,' -butterflies, - this one, from its brilliant colors, is called by the pretty name of ' Candelita,' meaning the little 310 YELLOW-RUMPETJ WAHBLER torch which flashes in the .shaded depths of the troi^ical forest. Yellow-rumped Warbler; Myrtle Warbler: Dendruica coronata. (See Fig. 194, p. .'348.) Adult male, ye>no^ on crown, rump, and breast; under parts with patches of black and wlute. Adult female, sin.ilais b„t xvith black streaks instead of patches on under parts. f)ld and young, in fall and winter, dull ; upper part, streaked with black ; rump brij,.ht yellow. LeHyth, about r.i inches Gkogkai-hic Dlstuihution.- Eastern North America; breeds from northern Minnesota and northern New England north- ward ; winters from the mid(Ue states southward. On the spring migration the Yellow-rnmp un- furls his colors and stands proclaimed, but in fall when flocks of old and young appear together, the' colors of the old birds are so much duller that it IS hard to know them until you remember the combmation of black back-streakings and yellow rump as belonging to the little friends who for- merly faced you with a shield of black and gold. The call note of the Myrtle is rather distinct, benig a loud and unmusical tchlp, uttered with emphasis as the birds chase about the trees, but their song is a nondescript warble that might be attributed to a dozen of their kindred. In southern Illinois, Mr. Ridgway tells us, the Yellow-rump is often seen in midwinter in the door-yards, together with Juncos and Tree Spar- " rows, picking up bread-crumbs from the doorstep or hunting for spiders in odd nooks and crevices. ■•^iWf^*«»t*'m*; BLACK-TIIROATED (UtEEN WARBLER 311 Black-throated Green Warbler: Dendroica virens. (See Fig. 102, p. ;J47.) black cheeks b„j,ht y.//,.r ; ,„il strikingly n.arked with »7..V.. Femae and youny, si.nilar, b„t with black obscured. L,u,j,h about 5 inches. ^'">J<'<, Geo«ka,.„„,. DisTiUHiTiON. - Eastern North America ; breeds ron. northern Illinois and Connecticut northward to riu.lson liay and southward along the Alleghanies to South Carolina • winters in the tropics. ' In migration this is one of the most welcome birds to tlio wonld-be ornitholooist, because it is so easily recognized. The black inverted V of its under parts (A), the yellow cheeks and hu-e areas of white on the tail, are unmistakable. "^ ^ But in the nesting-season we are glad to meet It for other reasons. At sound of its leisurely winch Mr. Torrey hears trees, trees, vmrmnrhu; trees, the forest grows more silent, the solitude becomes more protected, and the worl.l with its hurry and care fades away far behind the ' aisles of the forest dim;' for with such small, wood- land voices Mother Nature soothes her tired children to rest. m 312 niACK-TirnOATED liLUE W.UiJiLER Black-throated Blue Warbler : Denrlntr spn, on ,rhu, 1 Tm ;}''''" -^'"""'"^ ""1-- l.-isolive.^ree„; „„,h^ ..ts so. ..< b„f y ; ,,.,.,, ,,„i., lik. a.Iult ...ale ; ,o„n,j fe,nale, l.ke aa.ilt, f(u.ialo. /.*';(v///, about, 51 iiu-hes (JKO,ntA..H>r I),sTK..urnoN. Easter.. No.-tl. A...eriea ; breeds f.on. ..orther.. Mi..,.esota a..,l (•o,.„eetie,.t (.arelv) ..ortl.ward to Labrador, a.id south alo..fr M.o crest of the Aile«l.a..ies to (juorgia; w.nters i.i !!.»■ tropiea. Be on your guard. VVJien you first see tlie female Blue you will be tempted to jimip to a con- clusion. But don't say that she is a female lied- start until you have looked closely at her wing, and then— you won't say it at all. The smaU white spot is her mark, and by its presence you may surely know her. Iler mate has it, too, but with him it seems redundant, for he wears a blue coat, his head and throat are jet-black, and his under ])arts pure snowy white. Then, too, when he is on a branch with his side turned toward you so that his other points are not so plainly to be seen, you can tell him by the black line that runs along his side under his wing, like the tug on a hoi-se in harness. Like the Black-throated (ireen, this is one of the loveliest of all the Warblers of the woodlands. Its song has the same z-y leisurely quality as the f. !l liliLEB oka ccerulescem ; rest of under itc sj)ot oil iriiii/ 3-jfrefn ; iiiid,.!- ; //oiiny female, iiu'riea ; breeds L'lv) iKirfliward ^Hej-liiinies to i-st see the ij) to a con- smale Red- ; lier wing, Tlie small ^sence you it, too, but ai's a blue ^, and his too, when 3ward you Linly to be that runs tug- on a is one of oodlands. Ity as the nLACK-TIIROATEn liLVE WAIUiLEH JU3 Green's, but differs fron, it iu note, Ixmho- „,ade up of three phrases in deseending- scale Hour after hour I have followed this lovely l>n:ova This little Warbler is so uniformly striped with b ack and wlnte that beginners often dub him the httle zebra bird,' taking great satisfaction m his unique characters. His habits are as foreign to Warbler circles as his dress, for he spends his time clambering about tree trunks and branches like a Nuthatch. There is a difference even here, however ; for while a Nuthatch creeps upa reewith at least some show of regularity, the Black and White, showing his Warbler blood zigzags back an.' forth and hops about, turning to peck at every bit of loose bark, promising crotdi, or dead tip of a broken branch. Ills song too, is a family matter; j„st a simple little Warbler see.sccsee.see, repeated a varying number o times. Sometimes it is given loudly^ , ~ as the buzz of some flies is loud, - but at oth- ers, as when he sits in a sunny crotch and plumes ' inmself, he cons over the four little syllables in a low, soft voice, as if talking to himself about pleasant matters. r; WAUHLEIi 3i : Mniolilta I! MAliYLAyD lELWW-TlIUoAT 815 Maryland Yellow-throat : GeotU.jpis trlehas. (>SeB Fit;. li»;;, p. ;J47.) ru,l.t dlow bd„w; I,row„i.s|.pree„ above. .L/^Zi/ I.»l..,.,l.,r, „„„„, (,,„„ .„„ „„„■ „„,„, „,„i,,„„7"'''" •""' There arc Warbler, a„,I Warblers, a.,,1 the IfcIIow-throat m one of them ! What „leasant ...emonos his „a,„e calls np !_ visions of l,„sl,y « ekets, „ch ,wan,ps. or winding river banks, w.tl. au nui,„s,tive httle blaek-naskd bir,l.faee peering ..i. at you out of the cover, while its ...ate a „„„ Htt,„ „„ndeseri„t bir,l, whisks ba k " "t of s,gl,t just as you have n,aje a mental note ot her for you wouhl never have known her had she^not taken her stand on the bush beside her _ But it is not ouly pleasant sights that are assc cated w,th the Maryland; for at his name hi, ^ong agam rings in your ears, always new and mt ..st,ng ,„-fe/...y, „,„-te/,„.y, ,,Uchery; ^rec chMy, „„cchcay, rorecchMy ,- or choe-,oce-oh, c....««-o/,. Which is it? Few bird-folks say always the same thing in the same way, and the Maryland ■„ M^ashington judged by the Maryland .n New York may well show a southern accent. Ihe bird ,s so identified with his three sylla- 1!' t i 31(] JiED-I'OLL WAliliLEU Me. oHt-chv-nj that it is u surprise vvlicn he sud- (Ion y vaults int.» mid .ir with an ecstatic love-sonjr. It breaks away from Ids stereotyped notes .^o ('onipletely that it comes as an outpourino- of lo„rr. pent-up feelin-, and raises him from the rank of a prosaut hunter after worms to tliat of an im- passioned nn.sieian and lover. In domestic rela- tions, few birds are more affectionate than the fellow-throat, Mr. Chamberlain tells us. The niale carries food most assiduously to his mate at ' the nest, caressing- her, sinoi„o. for l,er diversion, and guarding- her from disturbance. If the nest IS ar,i)roaclK>d, he " alternately scolds and pleads with^ marked emphasis of disi,leasure and anx- lety." The nest is a bulky but comfortable abode made of loosely woven strips of bark, grasses, and dead leaves, sometimes roofing tlu top; and the eggs are white, speckled thinly at the larger end. Ead-poll Warbler: Dendroica palmar um hypochrysea. Crown d.est„ut; back brownish green; under v^H^ entirely br.g ht yellow. 1 ouu,, and adult, in winter, cap concealed or wanting. Lvwjlh, about ')l inches GKooKA,.„,cI),,sTU.m:r,ON.- Eastern North America east of he mountains; breey Its clu.stnnt c-rown, line chip, and habit of wao-. ftino. it« tail as it works. This tiltino- motion is so marked tliat it has earned it the name of ' Wa- tail Warlder.' *' In Illinois Mr. AV. E. Henderson has se<>n fioeks of several hnndreds feedin- in a field .a-own u,, with ragweed. ' Parula Warbler :' Comp.othlypk americana. (Su« Fig-. 1S!», p. ;J47.) Add, w„fr, ropprr.ro/ornl or hiarkish hand on rhrst ; back bl,.ish «i"iy, with a ,irllo,r patrh hetwrm should, rs. Fmndr and z:^^^2^:'' "" -''-' '"'-' '•""-- --^"^- ^'"^'^. Gko«ka,.„,c I).STH„un-iON. -Ep...tcrn North AnuMica; l.ree.ls ocallyfrom tho (}ulf states northward to Anticosti ; winter. from Fh)ri(Ia southward. wuicers It is always a pleasure to diseover this exquisite little \\ arbler on the migrations. Other mend,ers ot the family arc more gorgeous, l,ut it is a pecul- iarly dainty little bird, and its manner of hunting IS quiet and attractive. Sometimes it will hang liead down from a hemlock bough as easily as a " Chickadee. Mr. Bicknell accords it two sono-s • "m one the notes coalesce into a fine insect-lTke trill ; in the other four similar notes are followed by four others." The nest of the Parula is unique, being made iiabitually in the gray hanging moss. One nest 31H CIIKSTN 1 1 T-SIDKI) ir. I /.' n L Eli mm i !;; in the colh'ction of Major ncndiic i.s a round {Jfray l)all midway in a streamer ol" Florida nioHS piohahly ten feet lon«,^ No lu'ttor case of pro- teetivo nesting coidd In; found. In Illinois tlio Parula ueats in swampy forests. Chostnut-sidod Warbler : Ihndroica pensi/lvanica. (St'u Fi(f. i8;j, p. ;m(;.) Adult mafr, cmwn i/ellow nwl sidis rluslnut. . Idnlt. femah\ siiiii- lar, l.ut (lull.T. Ynnnij, iippcr pait.s l.iinlit, yilLiwisli f.i.,.,.ii ; under parts pun- white, will. Homeliiiiua a little chestmit on sides. LctKjlh, about ."> inclies. GKOdUAi'Hit; DiHTiJiHiTioN. — Kastern Xortli America; breeds from central Illinois and northern New Jersey north to Mani- toba and Newfoundland, and southward along thu Allef-hanies to South Carolina ; winters in the tropics. Tho friendly Chestnut-sided Warl)lcr nests with us, and is easily known by its combination of yellow crown and dark brown sides. It lives low in the bushes, and hunts with wings hangin'j and tail up. Its nest is not fai from the gioiuid, and is a delicate structure, olten made witli birch bark, like a Vireo's. The eggs are white, with a wreath of brown about the larger cud. The Chestnut has two songs, both of which resemble that of the Yellow Warbler. In watching this Warlder I have had many delightful surprises ; but the most interesting of all was the day when Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller and I happened on a Redstart's nest, the youno- of which were being fed by the mother Redstart li of which ann,e other philanthropists that nMde no difference to hin, ! When she saw hin. -nun. wjth food, before he was unvwlu-re near the tree, she dashed at hint with spread tail and • osentnient n. every feather. His lono-snfferin.. meekness was philosophi. ■ j,., Hew l.efore 1.,.^ -ted tdl she had spent he. an,e. and gone off or down m the bnshes for an insect, when he sl.piHd np to the nost and fed his char-^os. It seenuHl as ,f she eonld not bear the si oh t of hini Again an.I a^ain she drove him ont of the tree, feometnnes s unost tmn bled her youngsters ont of the nest, flouncing at hini over their heads when he was in the act of feeding them. Once or twice he came to a twig behind the nest, leaned over, and stretched the food across to the bir.ls as If to make sure of getting off before she caught him. But he was no coward, and took a good elaw-to-claw tumble with her when she had snapped he; bill at him once too often. Except tl m 320 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER for this, he seemed Ccahn and self-possessed through all her persecution, hopping from twig to twig, running along the branches, clambering up the stalks of the bushes, and occasionally giving a thin low call; while she flashed around madly, under leaves and over branches, flying up against one tree trunk only to dart off to another. At first she made no noise, except when she snapped hev bill ; but later on she sang a few notes now and then while at her work. The next day the young flew ; but though the Chestnut watched where the Redstart went and tried to follow her, after he had been driven back a number of times he apparently gave up ; at all events he disappeared. Whether he finally succeeded in following the family, or went away discouraged in well-doing, we did not determine. We saw the Redstart hunting about in the vicinity of the dead treetop where she took her young, the day after they left the nest, but saw no more of the Chestnut with her. BLACK-POLL WARBLER 321 Black-poll Warbler : Dendroica striata. (See Fig. 187, p. ;]4(i.) Dlack and white. .!,/„/< fo„^,Ue, upper parts olive-green dis tmctly streaked with black; unde- parti tinged with "iw Hock. Mountains! =^^:rS^^^ Ln^Ia^d northward; south in winter to northern South Black and White Creeper (Fig. 190r p. 347) • but instead of a striped head, has a black cL It hnnts m both bushes and treetops, and Wilson says It IS partial to woods in the neighborhood ot creeks, swamps, and morasses. In Ohio Mr Oberholser finds it the commonest of the tran- sient town Warblers, where it goes about in companies of six or seven. Mr. Torrey has m"f M °" '^'""' Washington, and in the White Mountains generally. In Washington it IS common during the spring migration, the little pme groves sometimes being filled with its faint Ri i' ^X.T^ ^' ''^'^ "'"'"^^^ *« that of the Black and White Creeper, but by careful listen- ing you can see what Mr. Torrey means by saying that It has a crescendo and decrescendo. Some- times the decrescendo consists of only one or two notes dropped down the scale, but again the two ;iil Ml HI III! I 322 i NASHVILLE WARBLER parts of the song are more nearly balanced. The performance varies greatly toward the end. The Black-poll is said to be one of the most beneficial of Warblers, fairly gorging itself on cankerworms. Canadian Warbler : W'dsonia canadensis. (See Fig. 184, p. 34(J.) Upper parts pray ; a tiirilarc of Hack itpots on yellow of throat. (}koiove the one on which identification hangs, that when one con)<>s upon a ancetl. The e end. of tlie most ig itself on ladensis. illow of throat. Liiierica ; breeds ifork and soutli- , and winters in , inches. satisfactory I at sight by 5 found low V wet woods, nest Thonij)- hitt-it lit." 'uhricapilla. i«k olive-green ; Lenytli, about nieriea; breeds rd to Labrador for a mnlti- •e that any 10 on which uies upon a NASHVILLE WARBLER 323 member of the family with no marks on wings or tail and a general uniformity of coloring, it seems as if there were nothing to identify him by, and a mental st-ite of helpless peri)lexity results. But many matters in life are best treated by elimina- tion, and the plain Warblers are not so confusing when one realizes that they are a handful to be studied apart, and free from the mass of their confusingly marked, streaked, and spotted breth- ren. Those wc can be rid of, which is certainly something ^~, be thankful for. Looked at by himself, r ashville is not so bad. To )egln with, his i.ead is bluish gray, which is a merey, for that IS unusual in combination with the olive and yellow of his body. Then he has a concealed chestnut i)atch in this gray crown, if we can but see It. Furthermore, he hunts close to the ground, which at once distinguishes him from the little' wretches which hunt so high in the treetops it is impossible to say what they wear on head or lieels. It is also something to know that his ground is usually in "open woodland, young second growth, or tree-bordered fiehls," and tha't his song, '' wce-see-iocc-see, wit-u-vHt-a-wU;' su"-- gests in its first half the song of the Black and White Creeper, and in tlu; last half that of the Chipping Sparrow. Wlu«n narrowed down in this way, he ought to be easily identified, and though ho has no marks it is, after all, a satisfac- tion to know that some Warblers are plum/ ii 1^3 i ^W' 324 BLACK AND YELLOW WAR BLEU Black and Yellow Warbler ; Magnolia Warbler ; Dendroica maculosa. Under parts yellow, with a necklace and lontr pendants of black. Head bluish fjray ; large white patch on wind's ; ends of tail feathers black ; middle, white. Lnujth, about 5 inches. GKO(!UArnu; J )iSTKim'TiON. — Eastern Ncntli America ; breeds from northern Micliigan and northern New Enj-land to Ilnd- 8on Bay, and southward aloufr the crests of the Allef-hanies to Per.«sylvania ; winters in Central America and AVest Indies. The Magnolia does not suffer from dearth of maikino-s. Identifying him is like t.iking count of each stone in a mosaic passed rap- idly before your bewildered eyes. But he usually alights in a low busli, — the gods be praised ! — and two impi'essions will generally re- main after even a hurried glimpse — large white wing patches and heavy black breast blotches. The one point to note, though, if we could but know it beforehand, is the white on the middle of the tail feathers, as most Warblers wear their polka dots at the tips of the feathers. In any case the Black and Yellow is a most striking and handsome bird, and one feels greatly elated over discovering him. Fi(i. 174. Black and Yellov Warbler. lia Warbler : PR Aim E W Aim LEU Hi lis song is given as u rapidly i.ttercd and tallnig c/we-to, chec-to, chee-tcc-cc. Prairie Warbler : Dendmica discolor. (See Fig. 181, p. ;J4r..) l.Ko««A,.H.cl)i.sTK..UTiON.- Eastern TInite.l States; l„.„e,is from Hornl. to Mi,.Inf;an an.l Massaehusetts ; wiute.. in soutlieii. Florida and West Indies. Hillside pastures and old, overgrown inni,)er fields, whose little evergreens give character to the landscape and afford cover qnite to the mind of Chewinks and Field Sparrows, prove also the bast places to look for the attractive little Prairie Warbler. It may be known by the dark marks on the side of its head and the recidish j.atch on Its back -points which can be .seen when the bird IS perched on a low bmnch. The song of the Prairie is one of the most rest- ful of bird songs. It is only a simple ascendino- scale, as far as note goes ; but when listened to on a quiet juniper hillside, its delicious z-y nuality and the reposeful, leisurely way in which ea4' note of the upward scale falls on the ear, make it, to me, one of the choicest of all songs. N^ hint of the work-a-day hurry and toil is to be found Jicre ; for a moment you step aside from the care- worn world procession and sto], to listen to the ..n.. ,„s,.u,H.noN.- K„«tern ir..it...l ^ut..; bre-.N :.^:;:;t:: a::;:;: f '-'-"''^ ^'-^^ <; The Chat is sucJi u socretivo roy.ste.vr one --ely s b^.t the .o.,«7 of Inn, but one day when I had b(!en callin.s.- " the attention of jny bird class to the song of the invisible beauty, and telling- them that they would probably never see him — in verification he flew up on a tele- graph wire and sang be- fore the whole row as if giving the ehiss notes in his own proper person, unwilling to have nny uneertain records on sueh an important matter ! V\ hen the questions of yellow breast, white eye- nag and throat line were thus settled he fell baek into the bush and gave the elass n,>tes hey are hkely to remember on his manner of ife. It was not his fault if they did not tear heir hair as- well as rend their garments as he led them through the thicket; for he skulked ahead, singing in the baek of a bush when they Fi(!. 17.-.. Yollow-breiisted Chat. 33:J VELLO ]V-n HE. 1 S TED CIL I T lU' wen) in front, and wliistlinj-- in loud, iij^f-ravatinf,' tones from the reeosHcs of the next hush when they had fenced a way throMo:h the briars for a si^ht of hint in the first. To tlio exeitcd imagi- nations of his foUowers las two h)nd whistles and the tut-tut-tut-tnt-tul-tut-tut that followed were as taunting as if he were conseionsly jjoking fun at liis would-he observers. Washington, where tliis occurred, is blessed with an abuuihince of the jovial musicians, and the Zoiilogical Park is as good a jdaee to hear them as the banks of the Potomae. When not whistling, chuckling, or otherwise performing, the Chat barks like a dog. " It is only fair, however, to say that in sober moments he has notes of rare richness and li(iuidity. Indeed, his repertoire is so varied that he is well called the ' Yellow Mock- ingbird.' He sings at night; serenades? Per- haps. One of his daylight amusements has been described by Mr. Torrey. " I caught the fellow," he says, "in the midst of a brilliant display of his clownish tricks, ridiculous, indescribable. At a little distance, it is hard to believe that it can be a bird, that dancing, shapeless thing, balancing itself in the air with dangling legs, and prancing, swaying motions. Well, that is the Chat's way. What more need be said ? Every creature must express himself, and birds, no less than other poets, are entitled to an occasional 'fine frenzy.' " The birds, it can well be imagined, are shy at OVEN-Iiini) JJ.33 the Most. No oi'diimry inoitalH must 1m, \vt into the [.ersoiuil conceni,s of the fiiinily. If one caie to listen to a sohjist at a resj.e(;tful distance, that IS one matter, bnt ! If one eannot watch the birds at the nest, it is so.ne satisfaetiou to examine it when they are away, for it [y low t ^ tlie ground, and a b.dky affaii- of leaves, jri.ss, anJ bark, and' the egos are hii-ge, wliite, anu ov.niy trotted with brown. When attending to si >u,; matters, the Chat IS said to eat tcnt-eaterpillars. OvOU-bird : Seinrux aurnaipillus. Crown P..I.1.'., I.rown, i,u-l„.st.(l l.y two dark linos ; r,..st of upper parts oI.v.-Kreen; un.ler parts wl.itr, streake.l with black L>ii;/t/i, aljoiitdj inches. Gko„ka,.,„,. D.sTiMHir.oK- Eastern North An.erica ; breeds Iron. Kansfus and Virginia northward to Manitoba and Labra- d..r, southward alons^ tlu= AlLghanius to «outh ('arolina ; win- tors from Florida southward. In Washington, New England, and New York, one of the commonest and most pervading wood- land songs is that of the Oven-bird. It is a repeti- tion of the word trnch-cr, or teach, rising from an ordi- nary tone to a very loud one, so marked has been apt] ' Crescendo Chicken the bird called the chicken i)art of the comes from the fact that The name instead of hopping, the f 334 OVEN-BIRD bird walks on the ground, quite in the manner of a chicken. Mr. Burroughs dubs it ' by far the prettiest pedestrian in tlie woods.' As it walks, the Oven-bird bobs its head much like a Dove! Although the word 'teacher' is a very good re- presentation of one of the commonest forms of its song, there is often only one syllable instead of two — ' teach ' instead of ' teach-er.' The song seems to come from under your very feet, but you may watch for a long time without getting sight of the singer. When you do he will probably be on a branch, down which he walks primly. On stop- ping, he throws up his head and sings. Look well at his crown as he throws it back, for if the light is right you can get a glint of the golden V^'set in between two dark bands, the decoration which gives him the name of Golden-crowned Thrush. When he flies to the ground, you will very likely lose sight of him again and have a good opportunity to meditate upon the perfection of his protective coloration and gradation of tint. The thin smack which is his call note seems quite out of character, but once heard will be easily recog- nized. Though you think you know*the Golden- crown, you have not realized what manner of bird he is until you ii«,ve heard his famous love song. It is as if a musician who had been playing scales had suddenly changed to an impassioned rhapsody. His e -jtacy carries him off his feet and he flies higher and higher into the air, pouring out his the manner of it ' by far the As it walks, I like a Dove, very good re- nest forms of yllable instead 3r.' The song J feet, but you getting sight of Jrobably be on tnly. On stop- ;s. Look well or if the light golden V set 3oration which med Thrush, i^ou will very have a good rfection of his of tint. The ems quite out easily recog- v*the Golden- anner of bird )us love-song. )laying scales lied rhapsody. and he flies iring out his NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH Z!roTtr"""^" ' '^^^ *" ^--d ^ «ents of tins song m the stillness of the nioht when It .s peculiarly poetic, as if the bird " ioy.' ous dreams had ar«nised him ^^ The nest of the Oven-bird is placed on the ground and, though made only oJ dead leaves -ght be a structure of stone, so skillfully a e tie leaves- placed to make its don.ed roof and the se entrance, which suggest the open oven. It rare pleasure to see the birds at work i.pon it and a coveted one to watch them through Ll^l^;' The eggs are thickly spotted with brown, andTlfe nestings feathered with warm brown. In Le^ -g the young, the Oven-bird can choose from 1 own diet of earthworms, crickets, flies, and larv^! Northern Water-Thrush : Seiurus nooeboraeensis. (Fig. 177, p. -m.) Upper parts dull gravish oHvp ■ /,»//;, r Tins Northern Water-Thrnsh is seen in „nW along the muddy banks of rivers, brooks and I-onds, and nsnally under cover ; while i s Irg^ -at,ve the Large-billed or Loni.iana Water Thr„,h does not care for cover, and prefers dear n-.o«nta,n streams with pebbly bottoms. TI e Tal 336 LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH note is a sharp, metallic cheep, similar to the call note of the Maryland Yellow-throat, though it is louder and more i)iercing. The Water-Thrushes have the characteristic motions of the Wagtails, which are suggested by their relative the Oven-bird, with his tilting tail and bobbing head. As one watches them tilt up and down, it seems as if it must be exceedingly uncomfortable to be attached to such spring boards. Louisiana Water-Thrush ; Large-billed Water- Thrush : Seiurus motacilla. Upper parts dull grayish olive ; conspicuous white line over the eye ; under parts streaked except on the throat. Length, about 6;[ inches. Geographic Distuirution. — Eastern United States; breeds as far north as Minnesota and Connecticut. The Louisiana or Large-billed Water-Thrush is Fkj. 177. Northern Water-Thrush. Fig, 178. Louisiana Water-Thrush. to be told by the lack of streaks on its throat. As its name suggests, it is the more southern of tUSH lilar to the call it, though it is characteristic e suggested by his tilting tail 3S them tilt up be exceedingly such spring billed Water- la. white, line over the >at. Length, about ;ed States; breeds ater-Thrush is 'iG. 178. . Water-Tlirush. )n its throat. 3 southern of WOmi-EATING WARBLER 337 the two and so the common one in the southern United States. Doctor Mearns gives a very sympathetic descri],- ion of this interesting bird in his notes on the Hudson Highlands. " Even a casual allusion to this httle bn-d," lie says, "recalls, to the mind of the collector, a bright picture of clear mountain streams, with their falls and eddies, their dams of rocks and fallen tree trunks, their level stretches flowing over bright, pebbly bottoms, with mossy banks and rocky ferneries, and their darting min- nows and dace ; for only i„ such wild localities IS the Water Wagtail at home. There you will see It sitting upon the stones, close beside the foaming water, expressing its pleasure at its sur- roundings by constantly repe , •. hig its single chick. it runs about (never hopping) over the stones and moss, gleaning along the sandy margin of the stream." ^ The song of the Water-Thrush is famous for the wild quality of its ringing notes. Worm-eating Warbler : Helmitherus vermivorous. Pour black stripes on head; upper parts olive; under parts buffy. Length, about U inelies. ^ from tl e Gulf states north to southern Illinois and southern Connecticut ; winters in the tropics. In a diy open woods near Portland, Connecti- cut the Worm-eating Warbler is almost sure to nest. When going to see the bird there with Mr :!wi'''' 338 WOUM-EATING WAIiBLEIi Fig. 179. Worm-eating Warbler. John II. Sage, we heard its song some rods away. At first it sounded like an insect ; then, on nearer approach, it had the metallic quality of a rattle- snake's rattle ; and when within sight of the bird its song assumed the ring of the Pine-creeping War- bler and the Chipping Sparrow, though distinct- ly different from both. My first impression of the bird was that he was brown, then that he was very plump, and finally, as he turned over his head to look for a worm, that his black-striped crown was strikingly handsome — all of which points were a surprise after the picture, in the books. lie sang with his head thrown back anu his bill wide open, his drooping tail sluiking with the energy of the performance. For some time he sang regularly every ten seconds. Ho had a definite beat, singing up and down the length of a shal- low ravine. As he sang he hunted quietly, hoj}- ping down the branches of a tree in ladder fashion, dropping from the tree to the ground ; flying up to another tree, and again down to the ground. But though we followed him closely, and thoup-ht we examined every one of the spots he visit- the ground, we were unable to discover the ra- bird's nest and spotted eggs, and had to leavt ith mmmm k anu his bill ir/i.SUV'.S WAIiliLER 339 himself' '"'"''''^ ''^ ^''' ^lelightful little songster Wilson's Warbler: Wllsonla pusiUa. (See Fig. 182, p. .340.) th^ Si -r r j!'''^"/"";;'"- - ^-^'^ A„.e,.iea ; breeds fro.a he S..rra Nevada, Minnesota, and Nova Scotia northward- winters in Mexico and Central America. ' Piquant and jaunty, this little black-capped yellow Warble, hunts low in the bushes, Ld comes out to peer at you, twitching its tail from SK e to sule ,u pretty, half shy, half trustful and mterested fashion. For a song, it has a surprisingly harsh chatter, and Its call is rather a nasal note. As this is the last of the ' ^arblers we will examine, it will be well to glai.ce back over the family, to make sure of their distinguishing char- The Yellow Warbler may be known by its alniost uniformly yellow plumage, and the red- dish brown streaks on ^ts yellow breast (Fig. 191 ; the Kedstart by its salmon and black, and its long fan-shaped tail (Fig. 195) ; the Black- throated Green by an inverted V of black under- neath yellow cheeks, with white in its tail (Fio-. 192) ; the Black-throated Blue by the colors that 1 For Figs. 180-195 see pp. 340-848. 340 WAIiBLEIiS give it its name, ivnd tlie wliite spot on its vino- (Fig. 188) ; the Biiick and Wl.ite by it,, zebra-i-ke stripes (Fig.. 190) ,; the Mnrrland by ifcs half mask (Fig. 193) ; th, Ked-poll i>v its red cap and wagging tail ; the Parula, or Bhu Yc Uow-baclced, by Its small size, yellow patch on the- b.u-k, and dark band across the throat (Fig. 18;>) ; the Cl.-,ttuit-sided by its yellow cap and" brown 'sides (Fig. im} : the B!ack-poll bv its black cap and black I,. J wiute stripes (Fig. 187) ; the(^anadian by Its gi'*3 back, yellow nnder parts, and W^c/ij necklace without pendants (Fig. 184) ; tbr Prai- rie by its general yellow color and black >heek marks in connection with the reddish pateli be- tween its shoulders (Fig. 181) ; the Blackburnian by Its gorgeous orange throat (Fig. 185); the Hooded by its black hood (Fig. 180) ; the Chat by its large size, Mockingbird-like song and bril- liant yellow breast (Fig. 175, p. 331) ; the brown Worm-eatmg by its four black head stripes (Fig. 179, p. 338) ; the Kentucky by the black lines bordering its yellow throat (Fig. 186) ; and the Nashville by its gray head, yellow under parts, and reddish crown patch. The Yellow-rump and Magnolia may be distinguished by the large white patch on the wings of the Magnolia, added to the white patclies on the middle of its tail feathers (Figs. 194, and 174, p. 324). The Oven-birr n-ul Water-Thrushes may be told ai)art by their hi . and by the stvnjes inclosing the oranr- cr. i of >t on its 'viiifr y iti zebra-i;ke I l)y ifcs half ts red cap ana ^c flow-backed, Ik- b.if'k, and ?. U;0; tii*' brown sides laclt cap and the Canadian I'ts, and hlack ; tbr Prai- bhiek >'heek isli patcii be- Blackburidan ?. 185); the )) ; the Chat )iig and bril- ) ; the brown stripes (Fig. ! black lines G) ; and the under parts, >w-rump and » large white added to the tail feathers ^en-birr nud heirh;. yVAltHLEIiS 341 g"^ cr. iOf I he Oven-bird (Figs. 170, p. 333; 177, and 178, p. 330) ; wlnle the Large-billed Water-Thrush may be known froni the Northern Small-billed by the fac that the Large-billed or Louisiana has a Ijlmn throat and the Snutll-billed has the throat V ^ntl.. ..y u,. to tX.. l^m-, also by the f.tet that the northern birlumage II. No Bright Yellow, Orange, or Salmon in Plu- mage. I. Bright Yellow, Orange, or Salmon in Plumage. 1. Under parts cliiefly yellow. 2. Under parts without markings. Upper parts olive-green ; wings and tail unmarked. Seen near the ground. 3. Top of head black. 4. A broad black stripe on each side of face and ne(ik; black cap reaching bill. Song, a loud, clear whistle,' klur-wee, klur-wee, klur-tvee. p. 329. Kentucky Warbler A'/;!' TO ^'AltliLEliS IN Plumage, 1 unmarked. 343 4'. No black stripo ca side of face or neck • bkcl. . separated fron, bill by yellow sduoF; ^' erally without black cfp' ' " ' '^'"''^'^ S^"' „, ^, , '•• ^^^- '^^'ii'SON's Warulkr. 'i- 1 op of head not black. G. Head and neer j,nay, strongly contrasted with color of back ; cap reddish brown. !•■ ^--- NASFrviLLE Warklkr. G. Jl.black n.ask over bill ,u.d on checks. Son. a i-eniale duller and without mask. !>■ 31o. Maryland Yellow-throat G'. No black on face or chocks. Largest of the War ^^^.|gth about 7i inches). L.g mi^'Il^; wnistles, chucks, and calls. p. 331. Yellow-ureasted Chat. 2'. Under parts with markings. 7. Throat black. Face yellow, hooded in black. Found in damp woods. !'• ^27. Hooded Warhler. 7 . Throat not black. 8^ A ring of black, or black spots on throat or breast feIZs •'''" '''''-' "" ''''"'' -'' --'^'''^ "tail n, vr , . ^' ^^^- ^''^^'^ ^^"^ ^"'^«w Warbler. ' J . No white patches on wings or tail. p. 322. Canadian Warbler. 'lo'^Un? "' '!"' " "'^^' ^P'^*^ «" *'"•-* or breast, "'"bile of back chestnut. Found in old Hclds and jumper pa -f. , es. Female sometin.es without chest- nut patcJ. ... p. 32o. Prairik Warbler. I ^ it r [ ' , 'i 344 /TAi' iO WARIiLEliS 10'. I aer parts streaked witl. nddiah brown. 11. Streaking inconspicuous ; top of head yellow or yrango ; back olive-yclIow. Found in shrubbery in parks and gardens p. 307. Yellow Warbler. 11'. Streakinj,. conspicuous; top of head chestnut, back brown. Twitches tail. p. 31o. Ked-1'oll Warulkk. J '. Under parts not chiefly yellow. 12. Throat black. 13. Upper parts black ; orange patches on breast, wings und tad. Common in northern woodland. Female' without black, and orange replaced by dull yellow. p. 309. Redstart. 13'. Upper parts olive-groen ; cheeks yellow ; whiti- patches on tail. p. 311. Black-thkoatei) Green Warbler. 12'. Throat not black. 14. Throat und breast yellow or orange. 15. Throat and breast yellow, interrupted by ,|,,rk band across breast ; upper parts bluish gray ; yellow patch between shoulders. Female sometimes with- out dark band on tJiroat. p. 31 , . Parula Warbler. 15'. Throat and breast orange, not interrupted by band- crown patch orange ; back black ; wing^ and tail with large vhito blotches. p. 320. Blackburnian Warble, t. 14'. Throat and breast not yellow or. -iuige. 16. Under parts white, wit'' 'hestnut on sides ; crown yellow. . p. 318. . ■,T> r-siDED Warblkr. Ki . Under parts white, h, :, a.a. ,ellow; crown and rump yellow. One of the first Warblers to cor,,, north in spring, and last to go south in fall. p. 310. Yellow-rumped Warbler. L: KEY TO W A RULE lis 345 LL WaRULKK. N Wakblkr. II. N<. |{„,OMT Y.U.OW, (JRANUK, OH SALMON IN I'ku- MAGE. 1. '[;;;• "f";-lw'';''« -f l-ck „..ifo„n dark slate, blue. Iroat and sules of h.oast I.laek ; rest o' under parts wlute ; conspicuous wl.ito s,,ot ou wing. Feu.a e ohve above, dulJ yellowish below. p. 31Si. Black-throatko Blue Wakhler. r. Top o" bead and back not blue. 2. Plumage mainly black and white. 3. Cap black, rest of body streaked hhvck and white. I>. 321. |{LACK-roM. VVaki.lkk. 3'. Cap not black ; whole body streaked black and white oeen on tree trunks. p. 314. IJlack and White Creeping Warbler. ". Plumage mainly brownish. 1. Under larts not streaked. ilead with four black stripes; back olive-green. Found i" clenso woodland. Song suggests Chipping Sparrow p. 337. Worm-eating Warbler. 4'. Under parts streaked. 5. Crown dull orange, inclosed by two black lines. Found rmlhny ,„ dry woo.Uand. Song, a loud cres- cendo, .'eacAe/-, teacher, teacher, or tench, teach, teach. p. 333. Oven-bird. 5\ C^rown olive-brown, like back. Found by water. b. Throat as well as breast streaked. A northern bird. p. 335. Water-Thrush. 6'. Throat not streaked. A southern bird, coming north to southern New P]ngland. p. 336. Louisiana WATER-TriRusH. It ' .i 340 Fiii. ISO. Hooded Warbler, Fia. 181. Pniirio Warbler. Fju. 182. Wilson's Warbhr. Fig. 183. Chestnut-sided Warbler. WAKliLEHS Fi(i. [SA. <'aiia(lian Warl)l(r Flu. l,-..). Hlafikbiuniaii Warbbr. Fiu. 180. Kentucky Warbler. WARBLERS. Fig. 187. Black-i)oll Warbler. WARliLEUs 1. LSI. n Warldcr. a. l.V). ni.ni Waiblir. 180. f Warbler. 187. Warbler. 847 Fia. 188. Hlack-throatiHl Uliiu \Varbler. Via. 189. Parula Warbler. Fks. I!i0. Black and White Creep, er. -^^ Fi(!. i!)l. Vfllow W.irbl.T. Black-ill lojited Orocii AVarbler. Via. mi Maryland YeUow-thioat WAJtULEBS n\ m ^w 348 AMERICAN PIPIT Fig. I!i4. Ki(}. !!).■>. Yellow-ninjped Warbler. Kedstart WARBLERS. American Pipit ; Titlark : Atukus pensilvanicus. Upper parts brownish ^ray ; a whiti.sli line over the eye ; under parts buffy, streaked with black ; outer tail feathers white ; hind toe-nail elongated. Length, about (ij inches. Gkogkaphic Di.sTKiBimoN.— North America at large, breed- ing in the higher parts of the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward, and wintering in the Gulf states, Mexico, and Central America. Ill passing plowed fiekls in October, be on the lookout for a flock of these curious birds. They are invisible until you startle them, when a few rise at a time, showing white tail feathers as they go. When the whole flock is in air, if you keep quiet they may light again after circling around with their wild cJicejh chee2h and then, although you see where they stop, it will be necessary to heai- on hard with your eyes to distinguish them from the brown earth. When found they will surprise you by their peculiar walk, for they bob their heads as the Doves do, and wag their tails some- what like Water-Thrushes. insilvanicus. the eye ; under eathers white ; s. it larg-e, breed- is and from the iiiff in the Gulf , be on the irtls. They vhen a few lers as they if you keej) ing around ^thougli you ary to heai' them from ill surjirise bob their tails some- imoWN CHEEP EH 349 Their business on the plowed ground is to piek up msects and larva., but they are often ruthlessly shot for sport or gun praiiee. I saw a wretched case of this sort one day when drivin! n the country. The report of a'gun was fof- owed by smoke rising over a plowed Held, and then a flock of the poor little creatures rose cry ing mo the air. The gunner can.e up, ,az „' vacantly over the field, and a farmer who was plowmg there held up his horses out of idle curi- osity to see what luck the sportsman had had, and wotxld doubtless have been amazed if told that Brown Creeper : Ccrthla Janulians arnerlcana. frr..v. \f . »r ^■'''tern iNorth America: breedn trom Mmnesota, New York nnri Ar • , "'ttns -n. „o„„„„ „.,« ,-„:;:, ^ n^-:;;:::™ This ,s one of the u.,ui„o litUo bird, „],osc ways are all h,, own To be sure, the N„thatohes am Biaek and Wh,te C,-cepe.. affeet fee tn.nks, bu not so exeU,.vely that their .Ire^s and tool ,lo- elare heu- trade. The Brown Creeper i,s bark eolor to bepn w,th, and then hi., bill iscrved to better reach the .nsects and egg, „„der the bark oi tree trunks (compare Figs. 196-200, p. 350) ■ ins ,..ad toe-nail is elongated, to better bear his' iiii 350 Fig. 190. Curved bill of Brown Creeper. Fig. 1<)7. Stmig'ht bill of Wren. \ Fig. 198. Hooked bill of Shrike. ilooked bill of Owl Fig. 200. Hooked bill of Hawk. BROWN CREEPER weiglit (compare Fig.s. 201-207); while his tail is so sharply pointed for bracino- at his work that it places him with the Woodpeckers and the other sharp-tailed birds. (Compare Figs. 208-210, pp. 352, 353.) The Creejjer's way of hunting differs essentially from that of the other tree trunk birds. The Woodpeckers hop up a trunk and may back down if they wish to re- trace their steps ; the Nut- hatch goes head down ; tlie Black and White Creei)er zigzags up a trunk,ho])j)inggayly along, branching off as his fancy dic- tates ; but the Brown Creeper rocks se- dately up the bole, getting its insect and larvne dinner in formal fashion as it ,7.-y,!>~rr-fff^e'-—- imOWN CliEEl'EU 351 o Fig. 1!>7. Straiglit bill of Wren. iV^oodpeckcrs ■ sli:ir2>tailed inpure Figs. . 352, 353.) Jer's way of I'S essentially f the other >ir(Is. The s hoj) up a may back wish to re- ps ; the Nut- lead down ; md WJiite sags up a j)pinogayly •anehing off fancy die- t the Brown rocks se- p tlie bole, its insect e dinner in Lshion as it Fkj. 201. Fr7"--^— -North A,n..nca, south to Guate- ul. , breeds fro.u the Siena Nevada, lioeky Mountain.s, and ,trt. f V""""*"'" *'* ^'"""^ '""^ ^"^*-" United States north to the arctic. If you have thorn-apple or fruit trees on your premises, keep close watch of them during the migrations, and some morning you will find a tree alive with a Hock of plump little olive-green bir.ls tliat lift their wings like the Bluebird and J^ine Grosbeak. They are too short and plump to bo either Warblers or Vireos, and when one of them IS moved by love or war, he will lift the green feathers of his cap and disclose his mark — a concealed scarlet patch - by which all men may know him to b.- a Kuby-crowned Kinglet. If you (>ome too near, he may favor you with a little chattering scold, but will pay little more attention t> you, as Kinglets have small fear of liuny-ciiOwyE/, IxLyglet 35r> man, and are too husy about their own affairs to be curious about their neiolibors llie song of the Ruby is one of the most re- markable ot binl sono-s, being- eon.parable with tl.a of the Winter Wren. My first experience with . was when Mr. Hurrouohs took out a party of gn-lsat Snuth (\, liege, and pointed out the d.nunutive songster in the pines. Several years later, when the Ruby was in Central Park on its way north Mrs. Qli.e Thorne Miller came over from Brooklyn expressly to iiear it, .nd we spent a morning m the liamble listening to it, marvel- ing at the volume and the ringing quality of the notes. The following Oc-tober 1 hear,! the Xinc et again, but this time the song was a low, sweet, iquid warble, smooth and rounded, but without the force or ecstaey of spring. Jt seemed a fitting Indian Summer meditation, though without the languor of the season, being full of the freshness ot the breeze that teinpers the heat of the autumn sun. i' i >i 1 350 OOLDEy-GROlVNED KINGLET Golden-crowned Kinglet : Hegulus sairapa ''trZ "f ''"" "™"'"' '"^''''^«'' •^^ '^'-'^ -'I yellow lines re t f „ppe,. p,„.tH olive-green; un.ler parts whitish W. scalar, but centre of crown ,ellow. luy^^ -;:orU.rn..jJJ---S:^^^^^ he Koek.es ...to Mexico, an.l i.. the Allegl.anies to North Car" Tlie Ruby-crownea Kinglets are the first on the ground HI the fall, but some morning you will discover some beautiful Golden- crowns with the Rubies. The song of the Golden is a l»gh, thin ti-ti, very different from the chatter of the Ruby. Its song is described by Mr Brewster in 'The Auk ' as be- ginning with shrill, high-pitched, faltering notes, and ending with a short, rapid, and rather ex- plosive warble. In winter the Kinglets may be seen in the Washington Zoo, and other places in the south,' m company with Carolina Chick- Fkj. 217. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Fig. 1>18. Kuby-crowned Kinglet. "• ^""ijjctiiy wirn ^^arolu adees. Nuthatches, and Tufted Titmice. A'^r TO KINGLET. AND GNATCATCIlEIiS 357 Blue-grayQnatcatcher: PoUoptila c.rulea. die ones hla.k A^/t I ""^'-"V'"' ^*^"*'"""^ ^^'"'« - '"«>- andNewJeJv .Iw "'; "'*"""' ^""*'""-" ""♦'-". winte. ..r;^:;:^ :;:t:r ^ " ^'-'-"^^ -^' '''- ■• Tins is one of the most piquant and oriolnd of birds and will well repay close study U. goes about with wings hanging, ' whipping his tail as he flirts from branch to branch, and «ips out into the air after the small winged insects, remindino- «ne of a Kedstart. His call note IS as distinctive as every- thing else about him -a nasal Uang. He war- bles an inconsequent little song as he Works! Key to Adult Male Kinglets and Gnatcatchers. 1- Uj.per parts bluish gray ; sun.ner residents. ■Black hue on forehpi . f,.;i 1 1 i lorelie.-' .; tail black, outer feathers white P-3^7. i^LUK-GRAY GnaTCATCHEB. 1^ Upper parts olive-green; winter visitors. ^. Crown reddish orange bordered by black and yellow P- *^^«- GOLDEN-CROWNED KlNGLET ^ . Crown with concealed scarlet patch. p. 364. KUBY-CROWNED KiNGLET. Via. 219. Blue-gray Gnat- catclier. H I >!• 358 VEEltY TllUUsH Thrushes. The Thnislies are tlio (luiet, brown, woodland ehoristers, the most famous of American songsters. They are named with the Skylark and Night- ingale, hut it is said their sungs have more rich- ness and spirituality than either of the far-famed Europeans. Thrushes are easily recognized, for, barring the Kobin, they all have plain, brown backs and white, spotted breasts. Like the Kobin they are often seen on the ground, where they feed ,.n grubs, worms, and beetles f....i.d by turning up the leaves ; but in fall tlM:v -is'f. found on the elder bushes, and it is well to take the hint and plant the berries for them. .Hbi ) 1-1 Veery Thrush ; Tawny Thrush ; Wilson's Thrush : Turdm fuscescens. (See Fig. 220, 2, p. 3(il.) Upper parts uniformli, warm brown ; breast, tawny, slightly marked with small dark spots. Lewjth, about Ih inches. Geookaphic DKSTRiHUTiON.-Ea.stern North America ; breeds from northern Illinois and Pennsylvania to Manitoba and Newfoundland, and southward along- the Alleghanies to North Carolina ; winters in Central America. The Veery is a peculiarly companionable bird to those who live near its haunts. It will become so tame as to nest cbse to a house if not dis- turbed, and when sought in its natural woodland ouvK-nACKEn Tiiiii-sn 359 liomo will meet voni- fil,.n,lJ„ .. 1 swo„t wave,.;,,, zd.Z ^ ^ ' ;,',; ""•> gladly loturn. HoJ,! ., «.;„• i ,;",>•*'' 'i fo- it i., one of „.y be»t:iv::, ;:rt;,:. '"""""'■• OUve-backed Thrush =7V„„ „..„„„„„ „„.„„., (See Fiff. 220, 4, p. ;],i|.) tapper parts iiniformlv olive • fl,r„of 1 «• , , ^-'- /^-./M, about 71 ilhel ' •■ '"'"* '''^''''y «P«*- GKOOKAI-Hlf. DlSTHlHl'TlOV — ?> i r an.l southward alon, the AlleJ h^^'; ' t;;.""' ^^•""•""-' ters 111 the tropics. •''""^.vlv.inia ; win- This northern Thrush n.ay bo hoard .si„.i„. «„ Its >n„o. nu..rati<.„, and its sono- is .^^l: " forcibly delivered and rinoino- ^^.^^^ . jww/t. « «'■ ^"^' t^all note is IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 2.8 1^ I1J5 I U 1 2.5 122 M 1.6 <^ /: om^. W Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 n7 \ qv \ :\ ^ o^ %^ "2 (^'OMl'AinsON OF GROUPS OF nilWS of uU the birds wu l.avo spoken of in tl.e order in whu,h tluy belong. The l,en-like (Ironse and (^lail, the Pigeons and Doves, anre that of the Perching Birds. Of these the Gray Flycatchers match the bare twigs on which they he in wait f •• their prey; the Horned Larks have curious black horns ; the Crows and Jays are powerful birds of strong bills and feet; the Blackbirds and Orioles, strikingly-colored birds most of which spend their days devouring insects;' and the finches and Sparrows, a family which does equal public service by making way with vast amounts of weed seed. The Tanagers are our most brilliantly plumaged birds, our truly tropica] visitors ; the Swallows, the birds of the uir; the Waxwings, the fawn-colored, crested,' silent, cankerworm-eaters ; the Shrikes, the im- palers of grasshoppers, birds, and mice; the Vireos, the green caterpillar-birds, t' ■ \ .^lers speaking broadly, the parti-colore . '-.A^ flies' tlie Pipits, the ground-colored wagtails; the' Thrashers and Wrens, the bririant musicians ; OF liinns in tlie order in ie (f roust) and und tlie mice- y their pictures lar-cating, lono- ting blue King- -preservers, the Woodpeckers, nd tlie gaping. — Nighthawks last order be- Of these the wigs on which Horned Larks ows and Jays and feet; the colored birds, uring insects ; family which :ng way with Tanagers are Is, our truly birds of the >red, crested/ ikes, the im- l mice; the . -biers, ■>-i»l;< flies; agtails ; the i musicians ; COM r A lif. so.V (),, ft'ni',... r >vi"te.- t,.i„,„l.,: tluUCi, 1 '7' "''r-^ stiiml ill tlio ii|.|,.,. ,.f ,1 liliK'l.mIs, wlio of biid.. ' ' "' ""= "'"'' '"SWJ' .lovcl„,,o.l ^A\.0 lUKDs.l ^>-}^r I. G..OUS.. an., Q„,n, p. ,0. IV. ...koos an., Kin«.fi.s,....,, ,,,,;,; '^ V- ^^ "o.IpLM.kei's, pp. :.'|(; •>i-j i- Fly,;atcliure, pp. I'OQ, 21)1. -• Larks,]). L'(!l. •5- Ciows an., Jay.s. p. 020 4. HIaekl.m,.sa„.,()n^:,;:pp.^,,n2. •;-t.ncl.es an.. Sparrows, pp. ,>.Ki-v,-,i. <^. lanag-i-rs, p. 174. 7. Swallows, pp. iik;^ iq-j 8. Waxwinf;.s, p. |41. !•• Nlirikes, p. ;J00. 10. Vircos. p. ;!()4. 11. W.KK, ^\^arl,k.rs, pp. ■.IVj-.nr, 12. Pipits, p. 34S. Jf Wrens and Tl.rasJiere, 205, 200. 14. Creeijcrs, j). ;i4<». l'">. ^^"M'Htehes and Titmice, p. I. ",9 1(!. Kins-lets and (inat..at,.hers, p. ;r.7. 1'. Thrushes and Wuebirds, pp. ;!(J0,:]ni <( (1 Birds. '"""'' ''"''«°»'-«°'»'"ed from the list of Land ■'■ r ii APPENDIX I J- » I M I 1 « fi MIGRATION MuillATION Hl.ANKH — f^ ■■^■""•"l I.V tl,o Hiolo,n-..al S . r''"'",^ ^^^>(^vral region, il til ." '"""' "'^^ "'* ^''« «'">•« ^^'.■•- Jolm II. Sage ; and one for S ' ^"•"'««tuM.t. by ""ffnttion list .f Mr 01^X^1 """' '"'"'•'^"'' f"-"'" Hiolugical Survey ' ^^"'"mn... ... the lik,s of the flI'KINd MIORATION Feh. 15-Murch W:^ Turkey Uuzzard. Flicker, Covvbird. Ked-wijiged Blackbird. Meadov/lark. Crow Ulackbird. Field Sparrow. Chewiuk. AT 8T. I.OUI8, MO. Brown Creeper. Colde...erowi.ed Kinglet. March 10-20, Red-shouldered llawk. Sparrow Hawk. Kingfisher. Sapsucker. PhcBbe. Husty Grackle. Purple Finch, Goldfinch. Swamp Sparrow. Purple Martin. Tree Swallow, Loggerhead Shrike. Yellow-runiped Warbler. Bewick's Wren. ' These lists include only ' Dates of arrival. Mnrch 20-31. Marsh Hawk, Chipjii.ig Sparrow. Waxwing. Kuby-erowned Kinglet. April 1-10. Mourning Dove. Swift. Barn Swallow. Rough-winged Swallow. Mockingbird, iirown Thrasher. Winter Wren, G.iatcatcher. Hermit Thrush. April 10-20. Red-headed Woodpecker. Kingbird, Vesper Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow. Lark Sparrow, laud birds. I l\ f I li ' \ 370 THE SPIiLXa MIGHATION White-crowned Sparrow. White-throated Sparrow. Lincoln's Sparrow. Cliff Swallow. Barn Swallow. Yellow-throated Vireo. White-eyed Vireo. Parula Warbler. Sycamore Warbler. Oven-bird. Louisiana Water-Thrush. Maryland Yellow-throat. House Wren. April 20-30. Nighthawk. Great-crested Flycatcher. Wood Pewee. Acadian Flycatcher. Least Flycatcher. Orchard Oriole. Baltimore Oriole. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Indigo Bunting. Dickcissel. Scarlet Tanager. Summer Tanager. Bank Swallow. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. Black and White Warbler. Worm-eating Warbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Nashville Warbler. Tennessee Warbler. Yellow Wiirbler. Cerulean Warbler. Black-poll Warbler. Yellow Redpoll. Grinnell's Water-Thrush. Kentucky Warbler. Yellow-breasted Chat. Hooded Warbler. Canadian Warbler. Redstart. Catbird. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Wood Thrush. Gray-cheeked Thrush. Swainson's Thrush. May 1-10. Black-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Hummingbird. Alder Flycatcher. Bobolink. Bell's Vireo. Black-throated Blue Warbler. Magnolia Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Black-throated Green Warbler. Wilson's Warbler. Wilson's Thrush. May 10-30. Olive-sided Flycatcher. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Blackburnian Warbler. Connecticut Warbler. Mourning Warbler. i. ^Varbler. poll. i^ater-Thrush. l^arbler. sted Chat, rbler. arbler. I Nuthatch, h. 1 Tlirusli. hrush. ). Cuckoo. Cuckoo. 1. iher. THE SPIiLYG MIGIUTION 371 1 Blue 'bier. I Warbler. I Green >ler. !h. catcher. Flycatcher. Varbler. irbler. bier. SPRING MIGRATION March l-irj.i Cowbird. Red-wiuged Blackbird. Riisty Blackbird. Crow Blackbird. March irt-21. Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow. April 1-7, Phoebe. Vesper Sparrow. Savanna Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow. Rough-winged Swallow. Passenger Pigeon, a April r-l/f. Mourning Dove. Sapsucker. Chipping Sparrow. Field Sparrow. Tree Swallow. Yellow-ruinped Warbler. Yellow Palm Warbler. Brown Thrasher. Ruby Kinglet. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. April 14-21. Whip-poor-will, Nighthawk. •Dates of arrival in numbers. ' Nearly extinct. AT WASHINGTON, D. c. Swift. Kingbird. Bachman's Sparrow.^ Chewink. Pui'ple IVIartiu. Barn Swallow. Yellow-throated -eo. ^lue-headed Vireo. Black and White Creeper Panda Warbler. Yellow Warbler. Prairie Warbler. Oven-bird. Louisiana Water-Thrnsh. Maryland Yellow-throat. Bewick's Wren.8 House Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren Wood TJirush. April 21-28. Hummingbird. Great-crested Flycatcher. Ohve-sided Flycatcher.8 Least Flycatcher. Orchard Oriole. Purple Finch. Scarlet Tanager. Summer Tanager. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. White-eyed Vireo. Nashville Warbler. " Very rare. !-! 372 BJack-throated Blue Warbler Black and Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Black-throated Green Warbler. Water-Thrush. Wilson's Warbler. Kedstart. Catbird. THE SPRING MIGRATION • Bank Swallow. Worm-eating Warbler. Bliie-winged Warbler. Colden-winged Warbler. Blackburnian Warbler. Kentucky Warbler. Yellow-breasted Chat. Hooded Warbler, i May 1-7. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Black-billed Cuckoo. Bobolink. Baltimore Oriole. Wliite-crowned Sparrow. Kose-breasted Grosbeak. Cliff Swallow. May 7-14. Wood Pewee. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Acadian Flycatcher. Alder Flycatcher Black-poll Warbler. Wilson's Warbler. Canadian Warbler, Olive-backed Thrush. SPRING MIGRATION AT PORTLAND, CONN. T)ate ofarrioal. Feb. 15- Phcebe of departure. Mar. 10. Red-winged Blackbird. ""*" ^"^*- Purple Grackle. Purple Finch. Song Sparrow Fox Sparrow. Robin. Bluebird. Mar. 10-20. xVIourning Dove. Cooper's Hawk. Meadowlark. Mar. 20-31. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Bed-headed Woodpecker. Horned Lark. ■ Very rare. Oct. 22-Nov. 1. Oct. 25-Nov. 8. Oct. 21-Dec. 16. Oct. 21-Nov. 2. Apr. 3-26. Nov. 3-Dec. 9, Oct. 26-Dec. 30. Nov. 13-30. Oct 0-15. Oct. 26-Dec. 7. Oct. 10-29. Sept. 14-Oct. 14. Mar. 25. ON r Warbler. Warbler, ed Warbler. I Warbler, arbler. ted Ciiat. bler.i 1 Flycatcher. itcher. her irbler. bier, bier, fhrush. CONN. ■te of departure. 3t. G-14. 3t. 22-Nov. 1. it. 25-Nov. 8. t. 21-Dec. 16. t. 21-Nov. 2. r. 3-26. V. 3-Dec. 9. t. 26-Dec. 30. V. 13-30. G-15. ■ 26-Dec. 7. . 10-29. t. 14-Oet. 14. -.25, TH^ SPHma MIGRATION Apr. 1-10. Cowbird, l^"sty Blackbird. Marsli Hawk. Fish Hawk. Yellow.belhect. 4. May 4-19. 374 THE SPUING MWUATION i^lack-tJiroated Green Warbler. Titlark. Brown Thrasher. House Wren. May 1-10. Pigeon Hawk. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Black-billed Cuckoo. Hummingbird. Crested Flycatcher. Wood Pewee. Bobolink. Baltimore Oriole. Orchard OrioL-. Grasshopper Sparrow. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Iiuligo-bird. Scarlet Tanager, White-eyer', Vireo. Worm-eating Warbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Golden-winged Warbler Nashville Warbler. Parula Warbler. Yellow Warbler. Black-throated Blue Warbler Black and Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Black-poll Warbler. Blackbiiniian Warbler. Prairie Warbler. Oven- bird. Water-Thrush. Maryland Yellow-throat. Vellow-breasted Chat. Redstart. Sept. 29-Oct. 21. May 1-15. Oct. 5-20. Sept. 2G-0ct. 15. May 4-9. Sept. 13-Oet. 17. Sept. 4. Sept. 17. Aug.-Sept. Sept. 21-Oct. 3. Oct. 3-15. Sept. 8. Augu.st. Oct. 20. Sept. 1-28, Oct. 4-16. Sept. 24-Oct. 7. Sept. 15-20. August. August. August. Sept. 27. Sept. 2G-0ct. 6. Sept. 14-23. May 12-26. May 16-26. Sept. 5. May 25-June 3. May 13-30. Sept. 21. Sept. 10-26. May 18-27. Oct. G-16, August. Sept. 11-26. »iV •ept. 29-Oct. 21. lay 1-15. )ct. 5-20. ept. 26-Oct. 15. lay 4-9. ept. 13-Oct. 17. jpt. 4. jpt. 17. ug.-Sept. pt. 21-Oct. 3. it. 3-15. pt. 8. igust. t. 20. )t. 1-28. t. 4-16. >t. 24-Oct. 7. 't. 15-20. ?iist. just. fust. b. 27. ■'■ 26-Oct. 6. ;. 14-23. 12-26. 16-26. .5. 25-June 3. 13-30. 21. 10-26. 18-27. J-16. , St. 11-26. THE .sriiiJiG MIGRA Catbird. Wood Thrush. Wilson's Thrush Cape May Warbler. Bay-breasted Warbler. Wilson's Warbler. Canadian Warbler. Gray-cheeked Thrush Mav Sn--^ $'7«-l>acked Thrush. May 20-30. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Mourning Waibler. TION Oct. 6-14. Sept. 18. Ai'g.-Sept. May 12-22. Ang.-Sept. May 13-16. May 18-27. May 22-30. May 21-30. May 11-27. May 17-29. May 20-25. May 26. 375 if II I I 376 WINTER BIRDS WINTER BIRDS , !i r Every one knows that tlie countrv is full nf ) ■ a . • the nngrations ; but we do not ZreJf\ ''"""^ are to be seen i„ winter " ''"^ '"^">' ^'^'^^ Pal.e.. ; and tbat fro. St. Louis, b/Mp'. oL Widlalr HKSIDENTS Bob-white. Ituffed Grouse. Mourning Dove.^ Sharp-shinned Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shou!dered Hawk. Sparrow Hawk. Barred Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Belted Kingfisher. 2 Hairy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpecker. Ked-headed Woodpecker. Flicker. Blue Jay. Crow. Meadowlark. Purple Finch. ' These lists include only land birds. WINTKU VISITANTS. Goshawk. Rough-legged Hawk.2 Pigeon Hawk.2 Long-eared Owl. Acadian Owl, Snowy Owl.2 Pine Grosbeak. American Crossbill. White-winged Crossbill.2 Redpoll. Pine Finch. Snowflake. Lapland Longspur.2 White-throated Sparrow. Tree Sparrow. Junco. Butcherbird. Yellow-rumped Warbler a Winter Wren '' Very rare. of birds during low many birds lecticut, Wash- rgest what we I. Pplied by Mr. Mr. William to Widmaun.' «., in Winter. VISITANTS. lawk. 2 )ill. i"ossbiJ1.2 ir.2 iparrow. Warbler." ery rare. Goldfinch, field Sparrow.' Song Sparrow. Waxwing-. White-breasted Nuthatch Chickadee. Robin. Bluebird. WINTER BIRDS iirown Creeper. Red-breasted Nuthatch. ('olden-crowned Kinglet, ircrimt Thrush.i 377 ' Very rare. Bob-white. Turkey Vulture. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered llawk. Screech Owl. Downy Woodpecker. Flicker.' Phoebe.i Blue Jay.l Crow. Fish Crow. Meadowlark.' Goldfinch." Song Sparrow. Cardinal. Wax wing. 2 Carolina Wren. White-breasted Nuthatch. Tufted Titmouse Carolina Chickadee. Robin.' Bluebird. Most abundant in ,u,„^^^ Of erratic occurrence. Marsli Hawk. Pigeon Hawk. Short-eared Owl. Horned Lark. Prairie Horned Lark. Purple Finch. 1 American Crossbill.'' Piue Finch.8 White-throated Sparrow. Aree Sparrow. Juneo. Fox Sparrow. Loggerhead Shrike Pipit.i Winter Wren. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush, i fl, i li I 378 WINTER BIRDS Not of ordinary Riiifed Grouse. Mourning Dove. Sliarp-sliinned Hawk.' Cooper's Ilawk.i Uroad-winged Ilawk.i (Jolden Kagle.3 Hald Kagle. tJparrow Hawk." Barn Owl. Long-eared Owl. iiarred Owl. (Jreut Horned Owl. Kingfisher.! Hairy Woodpecker. Tileated Woodpecker.s Red-headed Woodpecker.^ Red-bellied Woodpecker. Cowbird.* Red-winged Blackbird.* Vesper Sparrow.' Field Sparrow.! Chewink.'^ Mockingbird.8 Birds that may he seen in Winter in St. Louh and iii. Charles Counties, Missouri. u , , . Generally distributed. rsob-white. , n ».T , J unco. Downy Woodpecker. Cardinal. tJlue Jay. ^ ,. Crow Carolina Wren. Tree Sparrow. r^"?'"^:'*'*^^ ^"thatcL lufted Titmouse. Chickadee. Carolina Chickadee. occurrence or abundance. Goshawk.8 American Rough Leg.^ Acadian Owl. Snowy Owl.'* Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.i Pine Grosbeak.* White-winged Crossbill.* Redpoll.8 SnowHake.s Savanna Sparrow.^ Swamp Sparrow.' Butcherbird.'' Yellow-rumped Warbler.* Brown Creeper.* Chickadee,* Ruby Kinglet.' » Most abundant in migrations. ' Most abundant in summer. ' Very rare. * Of erratic occurrence. lance, Jgh Leg."* ' Sapsucker.i Crossbill.* )w.^ Warbler. J '■lui and I NuthatcL se. adee. wiNTEn Hinns Locally distrilntUil.i Lapland L(.iig.spur. .370 Mourning Dove. Marsh Hawk. ^ -„..,,.„. Kcd-tail,.,I H.-iwk ^ceciite's Sj.arrow.s «ed-shouldert.,l 11,,^^ VVhitt-orowncI Sparn.vv. An.eriea„ Uo,.«l..le^,,.ed Hawk s„'""::""""''''' ^^''•''"•"^• Oolden Kagle.ii Bald Eagle. Sparrow Hawk. Loiig-uarod Owl. Short-eared Owl. liarreil Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Hairy VVoodi)ecker Yellow-bellied Saps„cker. Red-headed Woodpecker. Red-bellied Woodpecker, r iicker. Prairie Horned Lark. Cowbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Meadowlark. R"sty Blackbird. Crow Blackbird. P"rple Finch. Redpoll. 8 Goldfinch. ' Of uncertain occurrence. Swamp Sparrow. l''<»x Sparrow. Che wink. Wax wing. ButeJierbird.'' i-oggerJiead Shrike Yellow-r..n,pe(I \Varbler. Mockingbird.s Bewick's Wrcn.3 Brown Creeper.8 Red-breasted Nuthatch 3 Go den-crowned Kinglet.^ Kiiby Kinglet.'' Robin. Bluebird. I! ' |i i oce. 380 OnSEUVATlON OUTLINE OUTLINE FOR FIELD OBSERVATIONS OhsKKVATIOV OiT'ir ivL- r . 1 . /'o/nAv ?o note to assist in identi/ication. bright (exs. Oriole, Fiff. 25 ., rws . r„. ,• , „. p. G5). ^ ' ^ " ' <^ardiual, Fig. 28, Dull (ex. Sparrow, Fig. 68, p. 117). III. Markings. Top^oMiead (ex. White-erownecl Sparrow, Fig. 93, «aek (ex. Ked-headed Woodpecker, Fig. G7 n 13n Breast (ex. Meadowhuk, Fig. 4o, p.'lj). '' ^^ '''^• VV ings (ex. N.ghthawk. Fig. m, p. 189). rail (ex. Kingbird, Fig. 35, p. 83). IV. Shape. 1. Body. Long and slender (ex. Cuckoo, Fig. 83, p 161) 2. Bill """^ '^"'''^ ^'''" ^^"^°""^' ^'^^*" ^"- P- lO*)- ' m, rlolr '" ''"^'"'^ "^^^ (-• Sparrow, Fig. L^^and^ender for holding wor^s (ex. Oriole, Fig. Long and heavy for drilling holes in trees or holding hsli (exs. Woodpecker, Fiff. 108 n 10'> • Ki « u I'iff- 114, p. 192). ^* ' ^^"gfi-'^er, E 'VATIONS rds ill the nest- ? in mind — in ttories of birds. IS accuiuny, are • been studied nts niiiy prove uld-work : — on. inal, Fig. 28, 3W, Fig. 93, , p. 131;. 161). p. 104), larrow, Fig. Oriole, Fig. or iiolding Kiugfieher, onsEHVATioy orruxE ggj ^Wt, with wide gape for /nJ- ' • '-S, Fig. i,of T 193 "'!"^, '--*« (-«. Nwal- p. 102). ^ ' (goatsuckers, Fig. 113 •!• \VlNO. ■'' Sbort and tipped with spines f or L ■ f"' '' ^^^>- Swift, Fig. 214, p. 353 ^'*''"fi^ («*• ^i"'n"ey 5. Foot. ' Strong. *>f * J OnsEIiVATloy (Hn^mE V- '<». 202, p. .«! ; Hrown ('ro.'per, Fig. liOI. p. ;jr,l). L«f(l lor |,„|,li„g ,i„j t^.,^^i %'■ '.'07, p. 351). ** ' ^ (tx. llasvks. V. Appearance. Wind's and tail drooping. Crest laised, wings close at sides. "I. Movements. II'»J> (ex. Sparrow); walk (ex. Hia.kbird). ^■•tH'p up trees (ex. Brown Creeper) Twltl'hf ^f ""''•*,"' ^*'"- ^'^t-''''.n.sl.esa„d Pipits). 1. Fast. Direct (ex. Robin). Abrupt and zigzag (ex. Chimney Swift). Smooth and circling (ex. Swallows). 2. Slow. Flapping (exs. Crow and Heron) ^tilllnnir""^ ^'''' ^^"^"*""''* "^^'^ «"^ Turkey Flai)ping and sailing alternately. Oblique flight (ex. Meadowlark). Undulating flight (ex. Goldfinch). Point, to note to add to knowledge of /;/:■ histories. I. Localities frequented. Gardens and orchards (exs. Ilumnungbird and Catbird), KoadsKle fences (exs. Kingbir.1 and Vesper Sparrow). ^ Meado vs (exs. Bobolink and Meadowlark) TncVot. '^.xs. Brown Thrasher and Chat). Woods (e:.. ? ^e.. it Thrush and Oven-bird). KiversanrM.. j (ex. K ngfisher). Marshes (o^*. L' :ica and Mars! OTren). Turkey Vul- cerH, Vig. 202, p. 361). ' (ex. Hawks, s and Pipits), (l). and Turkey •tones. I Catbird), )aiTow). W Food. ^'/^•sAva-'jr/o.v of/r/.AVf; 38a !• KrVLH OK Koo;,. ^'i'- -s,u!to;' ' ::"^;^;;--). ors). ^'-*'*- t>waJluw.s an.l (Joatsuck.. ')"t.s (ox. Flicker). C'dtcrpilljus r«>xs r„ I f:i'.n;.„f.,.J.:";,,t *;-"■'''•• -'■"■'■)• „ ''■"■'> 'i-., ,•;■:':;"""'" ^""- ^''"■"■•■i-., Mi«! and rajs ,., , ^^'0 "• wait tW ,,roy o-xs Klv * . <.'ve call of waniiiur. ^ Take food on win,r .,.,, v, „ ers). "^ «--«• i'wallows, Swifts, Goatsuck- J" tJ.e night (ex. Mockir.gbi,,,) ^- I^HAIMCTKU OF Sow ' laint.ve (exs. Wood Pewee 'iml M i . J^>py (ex. HoboJink) ^i'^adowJurk). .'^•V.„J:rof^^;';'-''C''-tadee). IV. Habits ^'' ^•'"^^'^- ^m^^: 384 OBSER VA TION O UTLINE 3. Form Roosts (dates, number of birds in roost, dis- tanee birds go to roost). Winter roosts (ex. Crow). Summer roosts (ex. Robin). Migration roosts (ex. Swallows). 4. Perform curious Actions. Dances (ex. Prairie Hen). Aerial evolutions (ex. Nigbthawk) 1. Location of Nest. W on the ground (exs. Bank Swallows and Oven- In tree-trunks (ex. Woodpeckers). On branches. In crotch. On horizontal limb (ex. Robin). 2 ZT^^V""""". ''''""''' <^'^-''- ^^'"^^^ --^"^J Vireos). 3 rr L^^sr ""^^^''^ ^«^- -^ ^-). Cup-shaped (ex. Robin). Pocket-shaped (ex. Oriole). Basket-shaped (ex. Vireo). Wall-pocket-shaped (ex. Swift). Dome-shaped (ex. Oven-bird). Retort-shaped (ex. Cliff Swallow). 4. Materials of Nest. Clay (ex. Eave Swallow). "^cir' ''^'"''^ '''''-'" '-'-" '^-^^' <-• Hair (ex. Hairbird, or Chipping Sparrow). Fur or feathers (ex. Chickadee). 5. Length of Time Nest is usej. Abandoned after first brood (ex. Vireos). Used for successive years (ex. Fish Hawk). E Js in roost, dis- or alone, ex. ws and Oven- Vireos). 11, and Crow), twigs (ex. OBSERVATION OUTLLYE V"I. Building. 1- Mkthod or Construction Jjxcavat.ng (exs. Woodpecker, n.. i i.- Weaving (ex. Oriole) "^ I^inglisher). Plastering (ex. Swallow). «j- Habits of Min.. . Wort, >viu' f!!,t:il "" '''»-'"'^-™. ^orks alone. Sings while female works, ^""gs material to fen.ale. Number. Color. Markings. VIII. Incubation. J^ength of incnbation. Habits of male during time. Takes place of female on nest. Feeds female on nest. ■i-X. Young. 1. CONDITIOX AT flATCHmo. feathered (ex. Q„aih. 2. CoNniTxoNs ncHiNo Gkowth. Position of feather ti-acts. ^ady increase in weight respiration. Heart beats. Time when eyes open, i'nie spent in nest. 3. CONWTION ON LKAVING Nkst. 385 386 OBSER VA TION O UTLINE 4. Cared for by Parents. Fed in nest. Food brought in bill (ex. Sparrows). Food regurgitated (ex. Hummingbird). Rapidity in feeding, and interval between meals. Care of young shared by male and fen.ale. All the yoting kept together on leaving nest, or family separated, each parent feeding its squad. Young taught to sing. Notes and actions of young Nestling plumage. X. Problems. 1. Color and Markings. Protective coloration (exs. Sparrows and Vireos) Gradation of tints to counteract light and shade (ex. Grouse). Markings to disguise form (exs. Whip-poor-will and tiunco). Sexual coloration (exs. Oriole and Scarlet Tanager). Kelation of color to food. Manner of seasonal change in plumage. Moulting. Wearing off of edge of feathers. Change in color of feather. Recognition marks (exs. Junco and Chewink). Color of eggs. 2. Individual Variation. In song. In habits. 3. Intelligence, as shown by Caution. Curiosity. Action towards enenn"es. Change of habits as result of danger. Building. Choice of sites. f TE •d). tween meals. lale. f nest, or family Had. i Vireos). Qflit and shade i-poor-will and 3t Tanager). OBSEHVATION OUTLINE 387 Choice of materials. Workmanship. Protection of young. ^ discipline of yo«„g. Food obtained by work of r.fl. i • , and Eagle). ''^''''' '^"'^^ («^- Fish Hawk 4. Emotion kxpkesskd by ^«e of erest, wings, tail. Attitudes. Movements. Voice. 6. Range OK CoMMumcATioN. J^alls of signal and warni„„ f ""^' "^ ''appuiess and love JJ'«play of recognition marks. ' / I k'ink). i\ f : -fe. Af^'flfl 388 OBSERVING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES OBSERVING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES In studying birds closely in the field, their confidence n.»st be won. but in villages and towns they are used a t e presence of .nan, and being less afraidTobs rve may be watched to peculiar advantaee T\ST I variety of birds nest in our .idst for Zo ^X i^ ^^ by the following hst from a typical New England town BIRDS KXOWX TO NKST IN PORTLANO, CONNKCTICUT. Bob-white. Ruffed Grouse. Mourning Dove.^ Marsh Hawk. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper's Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Rroad-winged Hawk. Sparrow Hawk. Barred Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Black-billed Cuckoo. Kingfisher. Hairy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpecker. Red-headed Woodpecker. Flicker. Whip-poor-will. Nighthawk. Swift. Huinniiugbird, Kingbird. Great-crested Flycatcher. Phcebe. Wood Pewee. Least Flycatcher. Blue Jay. Crow. Bobolink. Cowbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Meadowlark. Orchard Oriole. Baltimore Oriole. Crow Blackbird. Purple Finch. Goldfinch. Vesper Sparrow. Savanna Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow. Chipping Sparrow. Field Sparrow. Song Sparrow. Swamp Sparrow. Chewink. •^ i"*^ Tf I HIV, The Passenger Pigeon formerly bred in Portland VILLAGES VILLAGES lieir confidence ley are used to d of observers TJiat a great study is shown ?land town. JNNECTICUT. Flycatcher. Iier. lackbird. >Ie. i. V. l\V. arrow, ow. OBSEIiVIXG IN TO Rose-breasted Grosbeak indirro Bunting. Scarlet Tanager. i^'irj)le Martin. Cliff Swallow, i^arn Swallow. Tree Swallow. liank Swallow. Rough-winged Swallow. ** ax wing. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. Yellow-throated Vireo. White-eyed Vireo Black and White Creeper. Worm-eating AVarbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Golden-winged Warbler. Nashville Warbler. I'arula Warbler. 'f'XV AND VILLAGES 389 Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler Rlack-throated Green " Warbler. Prairie Warbler. Oven-bird. Louisiana Water-Thrush ^luryland Yellow-throat. rellow-breasted CJiat. Redstart. Catbird. Thrasher. House Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren White-breasted Nuthatch »^hickadee. Wood Thrush. Veery Thrush. Robin. Bluebird. Wood Duck. American Bittern. Least Bittern. Green Heron. Black -crowned Niglit Heron. Water Jiirds. Virginia Rail. Sora. American A\^oodcock. WiLson's Snipe, spotted Sandpiper, l^illdeer. i i i fi 'J * BlWk**t 390 JiOOKii OF ItEFEJiENCE BOOKS OF REFERENCE ilZni^ Govenunc.^ publications apply to Superin- temU, t of Doc.„no„ts, Washington, D. C. For seeoncl- l'.tn,l books, separatos, and books that are ont of prin. look m second-hand bookstores. ' ' KEYS rOR IDENTIFICATION Chapman, Frank M. U,uu\h,,^, ..f Birds of Eastern North America. L>. Appleton & Co., New York. $3. Pocket edition. «!3.50. xocKet Coues, Elliott. Key to North American Eirds. Estes & Lauriat, liostoii. )#7.50. Ridgway, Robert. Manual of North American Birds. J- «. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. $7.50. STANDARD WORKS OF REFERENCE. ^'2^ ^;. ^J'^^^List of North American Jiirds (1895).« lS"i. Abridged edition. 25 cents. ^tg::;';'" '"""• ^^'^'^ ^^ ^menca- Ornithological ""'of'N h' ^r"'' ^- ""•' "'' ^"'S^^^^' ^' A History of North American Birds ; Land and Water Birds ovols. Little, Brown & Co., Boston. $48. Bendire, Charles E. Life Histories of North Anaerican turds. Smithsonian Institution. 2 vols $15 Cones Elliott. Birds of the Colorado Valley.'^ $o 50 liirds of the Northwest.^ $2 50 Nehrling, Henry Onr Native Birds of Song and Beauty. George Brumder, Milwaukee. 2 vols. Unbound .$1G • bound, .fl8-$22. "ouiiu, ,>io, ^T7 ^ll'rn ^^^^'""•'^^y "f lairds. Macmillan, New lork. $7.50. ' For sale by L. S. Foster, 33 Pine Street, New York. ' Out of print. CE :nce .apply to Siiperin- C. For secoiid- out of print, look ION. of Kastern North rk. $3. Pocket Birds. Estes & '^^merican Birds. . $7.50. RENCE. I Birds (1895).' ^ Ornithological R. A History Water Birds. 18. orth American «15. alley.2 $2.50. ig and Beauty. Unbound, $1G ; acmillan, New V York. BOOKS OF HEFEUEXCE ogi Nuttall Tho.„as. A Mannal of the (> h , Lmtcd .States and of Canad-. ^ ! ^^ •'"t''"logy of the A Popular Handbook .7th Or >;;""'''"' ''^''*^"'"' North America. Little L r"''''"^«S:y "f Kastern "-.ton, Alex„„„„, A,„o™a„,),.„i„,„,„gy. ri;BLICATION.S ON SPECIA,. su„,,e,v, r> !!• . FOOD OF nrwna r^uJ!T^ Of Agricnltnre Mass. Crop Kept, for Au. iL T/" ^^'^«««^''"'«etts, Publications of the U S dT f ' ^'^^ ^'*-^^- ^aekbirds and ^^^Z^'^f-f'-^r'-^ Woodpeckers, Beal, F. E L v J ^^ ^'"°'' "f the Farm and Garden T„rl.l' « t!"" '^""""o" Birds of (Bulletin, No. 3),"it ll A K r ""^'^ ^""' ^-1« the Standpoint of t," F. J^'^'^'' '''"^ ^vvls from Con^monfildsinthei Ret;^^^^ 'f'^^'^ ^' '- W Bulletin, No. H, Beal, F El *;;'^"'^"'^'-' ^'-"•er's «;e United States, «arr;ws', W. «„,,";";"" ^'''"^^ "^ ^be English Sparrow in An.eric-r M ""''"'' ^^ '^■ Barrows, W n ti tit '^"^eric.i, Merriani, C. If n,,,] Blue Jay and its Food, Ueal, F. E. L. Bird Mig; Bird Mijr l>ept. of Agric. ■ration, igration B MTGRATION OF niRDS, «>■, Will ississipj S0.50. ^lley. Cooke, W. W. I SS'Lt"'""'". =3 «»»»»., ' Out of print New Vork. W) 5 892 JiOOKS OF REFERENCE LOCAL LISTS. Birds of Connecticut. Merrian,, C. Hart ' Birds of Minnesota. Hatch P T Or. ^ • i .. ■Mt- "ttioH, 1 . ij. ueolocfieal Survpv of Minnesota, 1892. ^ 't* ouivey ot Birds of Ohio. Wheaton T M p„ i • i o Ohio.' ''""eaton, j. m. Geological Survey of Birds of Ontario. Mcllwraith, Thomas. $2. B-rds of Pennsylvania. Warren, IJ. H. State Board of Agriculture.! $5. ^ N.? h''! I^'^";'"'- ^^'''' ^^- ^- Tl'e Newport (R. I.) Nat. Hist. Soc. (1890). $0.60. ^ List of Birds ascertained to inhabit the District of Colum- bia : Coues, Elliott, and Prentiss, D. W.-^ Bull "0 TT ^ Natl. Mus. (1883). $0.75. ^u"- ^0, U. S. ^'y1 r-f'^' ^T'' *" °"""' ^•""" *^'% Miles of New xorkLity. Chapman, Frank M. $0.15.2 SONGS OF BIRDS. A Study of the Singing of our Birds. Bicknell, E. P Es- tes & Lauriat, Boston. (The Auk, 1884, 1885 2) Chfrr''t\"V'"/"''"'^- '^''''''''' C- A' Adam & Charles Black, London. '''tom ""$1" '^'''- '''""^' '• ^- ^^« "^ Shepard, Bos- ' Out of print. » For sale by L. S. Foster, 33 Pine Street, N<=w York. 1 ' Jersey. Stone, A. Bull. Essex li- W. Kokker, >rane & Co., To- eetliiigs National gical Survey of ?ical Survey of State Board of Newport (K. I.) riot of Colum- BuU. 2G, U. S. Miles of New Bll.E.P. Es- 885.2) A., Adam & ^llepa^d, Bos- ork. HOOKS OF ItEFEH,:^^^ 393 Bolles, Frank. Land oF fi. r- Houghton, Mifilin & Co,, B^si; t ^'^""'""'' ^^'"'cr. «"'-rongl,s, John. vVake I / '. ^^^^ "''^^'•- NowKi.gi,,,,,, •'■"«. Birfs „,„! Seasons 0, Merriiuii, Florence ,\ n- . , »»-ra. A-1H„|,W „„7* "■■o-el. »» Opera -Glass MJler, Olive Tl.erne Bir,l W tit"o Br„«,ers of the Ar Tlw /" """'« ^ime ; Ipoii Hie Tree-ToDs II ,. "'"'-'"»■«■• i" the West 81.2S eael,. '^'^ """f'"™. Mifflin & Co., Col' Muiot, IJenrv D T i , Kobinson, Rowland E r m t H».."h...n, Mifflin & c:.,^i:,!;;«'-"";'f^'*»'"' ^^"»*- and Wate*;, ^.^'^::^J^^f , Son,Bi,,,s TJiornpson, U ■"I'^ice. John B --.-Wa.san;SS- 'Ij'ier, New York. Alclon «„,„. s^^^^^^ ,; s M fl «0'W. Songs of Fait' 394 liOOhs OF REFEliENCE ToiTcy, Bradford Birds in the B„sl. • A R.n H . Lease; The Foot-1'atl. W-iv • A F.' ' c '^ '"''''«••« VVrleox, MA. Land liirds of Now England. I.ee & ' SJiopard, Boston. .'iJSO.O.'J. ^ Wriglit, Mabol Osgood. Birdcraft %'> nn T Wright, Mabel Osgood, and Dr. Elliott Couos. Citizen Bad. Macnullan Company. n.lJO. E ; A Riunblor's a Skf'tcli-Hook ; )»,WittHn&Co., Fords, Howard Cflaiid. I,ee & Tommy-Anne. >ouos. Citizen INBEX TO /LLUSTOATIONS 'Ivi.'nf.nlii.. 1.1! .-. Baltiiiioro Oriol,. i-i' .',r' -t"' Hank .Swallow,' K,-,, „, .. ^r «arii o,vl, I'la't,, ^J'v-J; I'- ^>^■ Ba^r^S^r ^^^'.^-^i^^'^^- Blackbird n -j n- Chimney Swift VuL i r ' r J 39n iyi>KX T(t ILLl'sriiATin.Ws CreoptT, llroHii, Ki((. l:ii;, ., xy). ,|ji«- '-'"". !•• yoij KiK. 'jij, ,,: CroHHi.iil, Fiff. 110,,,. 103. Crow Itlurkhird, Fig. 30, p. 93 j Fig. Ciick(>(), Ki({. UTi. p. If^i. Itlack-lMllc.l, KIk. hi;. |i UA yHlo«-l.ill,.,l,FiK. K3. ,,. lOl'jFlg. ''I, p. KM. " DickciHHcl, Kiif. l.in, p, '.ThJ Dov.'. M..uiiiin(f, Ki({. if, ,,'. 29; Flo <•-'. p. :io ; FiK. km;, p. |0'.>. "^ Vowuy Wo(Hlp«tkcr, Fig. 71, p. 130. KiiRlo, Hiild, I'lntn XIX, p. 28a Kiivi) Swallow, Fin. 22, p. 52. Feet of "'T'^o/,""'' (liod-wliiged), Fig. 48, Cljiiiiiiny Swift, Pig. 7, p. 20 Creeper (Hrowii), Kig. 201, p. 351. Hawk (K,Hh), Kig. 207, p. 3^,1. KiiigHHher, Kig. 82, p. ir>'» Niglitliawk. Kig. 20,1, p. 351. I'lpit, Kig. 20.'-., p. .'Dl. Sparrow (Song), Kig. 204, p. ,T.l. Bwnllow (Hani), Kig. 47, p. Kii). V.Uture (Turkey), Fig. ' 20(i, p. Woodpecker (Hairy), Fig. 202, p. FiHii Hawk, I'lnte XVIII, p. 280- ViK- !<;«, p. 281. * ' 1130' *"''''' "^' ''■ '"^ ' ^'2- ^' P- Flyeatcliers, Mate XIII, p. 258. Acadian, Fig. no, p. ij)2. Gn;at-ereHted Flycatcher, Plate AlII, p. 2.">8. ^ vi'J'l''''" .?r'5- ^' »'• «3 ; Plato All!, ]>. 258. LeaNt Klycatciier, Plato V, p. 80- Plate XIII, p. 2,'-)8. ' ' PlKi'lie, Kig. ;!7, p. 88 ; Plato XIII, p. 2.'58; K.g. 100, p. 200. Wood Pewee, Kig. 107, n 10'' ■ Plate XIII, p. 258. ' ' Fox Sparrow, Fig. 143, p. 230. Giiateatclier, Blue-gray, Pig. 210, p. Golde_ii-crowiH>d Kinglet, Fig. 217, p. noldfiiieli, Frontispiece. Goshawk, Plate XIV, p. 2CC Great -crested Flycatcher, Plate XIII, p. 208. P. t3S; 133, p. ""'"' ,""■'""'' "wl. I'lnte XXV, p. ()ronH;,K,,fr,,,|, Ki^. ,., 3,T p, III, p. .'Il; Kig. Ill, ,,. i!,2. OroHlH-ak, Pine, Fig. II7, p. l-t;i. UoHe.breiu.ted, Fig, 81); p. I(iC : Fig, 101, p. 262. " Hairy Woodpecker, Fig. f,() KiR- 108, p. licj; Fig. HijwkH, Cooper'H, Fig. 10(1, p. 270. FiHh,PlateXVIIirp.28oI OoHhawk, Plate XIV, p "fifi Marsh, Plate XVII, p. 278 Ked-taileil, Plate XVI, p. 27" Hharp-Hhiniied, Plate XV, p. 2()8 Sparrow, Kig. 1(!7, p. 277. Hermit Thrush, Plato XXVIII, p. Hooded Warbler, Fig. 180, p. ^fi Horned Lark, Kig. 1(11, p. 202. 'ia.,V"j;,'7."''''' "■ "•"^' '"f- Hummingbird, Kig. 1, p, 1 j Fig. 100. p. lOO; Fig. 118, p. 103. '^ ' Insects, Ant, Fig. CO, p. 130, Army worm. Fig. 0, p. 20. Cankerworm, Fig. 30, p. 09. Click beetle, Kig. 20, p. ,'-,7 Clover leaf-l)cetle. Fig. 4 1, p. 97. Currant worm. Fig. 57, p. 115. Cutworm, Fig. 15, p. 38. Griwsliopper, Fig. 3, p. 13; Fig. 40, p. 108. " Oypsv moth. Fig. 88, p. 104. May liei'tle. Fig. 40, p. 05, MoHcpiito, Fig. 23, p. 54 Potato beetle. Fig. 00, p. ](;8, I rionus beetle. Fig. 08, p. 133, Uose chafer. Fig. 3(!, p. 85. Sphynx moth. Fig. 70, p. l.-iO. Tent-caterpillar, Fig. 84, p. lf,2, Wood-boriiig larva. Fig. 70, p. 1.39 Jay, Blue, Fig. 78, p, 1,'VI; Fiir. 135. I). '-'18; Fig 1,17, p. 220. ' Canada, Plate Xll, p. 218 Junco, Pig. 15G, p. 253, Kentucky Warbler, Pig. 180, p. 340. Kingbird, Fig. 35, p. 83. Kingfisher, Fig. 80, p. 157 ; Fig. 81, p. 158; F.g. 82, p, 150; Fig 114; Kinglet, Golden-crowned, Fiir. 217 p. 350, " ' HuI)y-crowned, Pig. 218, p, 350, '^'"^,' J'wallow-tailed, Plate XX, p. ll L'i I lO.WS id Owl, I'late XXV, p. o.l,Ki(r. 13, p. rut J Plate '; I' IK. Ml, p. nvi. •If, Via. 117, |i. id;). t«''l, FiK. Nl»; p. I(» ; FIff. i2, lorker, Fi((. f,!), p. 135. . !'■ "!»•-'; FIk. 133, p. it'h, FIk. Klfi, p. 270. XVIII, ,,, .jKol 'liitfXiV, p. •M). ;<> xvii, p, 'JTH. riiito XVI, p. 27'.'. K'll, VUiU, XV, p. 'J(ifl. «. 1 I Si'''"'"''' "'"'<'«• '■'«---'i«,i.. l^'i'Kiiolia Wnrlilni. vt ... MarHl. in,,rk ■'/;;/ 'tf- 171, p. ;,..4 Marylu,,,! vJiL.'V: -^V"- !'■ -'7H. Kii(l..,I broiiHu, Ki„ .•, . ,,„ . AX Ml '-'^> p. -III. ' '*'(*• "iiarp-Miiiriii,.,! II , .'•!' -'^i. W<""-Mi.iK I.ov„, KiR. „ „ „„. », W '""^ ""^''. '■'«. XV, p. M./^tt.,Fi:,.;::;"N7^;r''--- Ki, ^ NiKlitl„uvk, FiR. 07 „ ,S8 .. ' '""•^Ji;;""'' <>'vl, n„t. XXIII. „ -^•.-...a«t.,KlR.7,, -^^^ :'^^^?;rI;;^^'-.I...jS¥S^^^^^^ 8;i<'«<'h, Plato XXI, p ..'s^- -*"*• Sliiiit-t.ar..(|, I'lutH \yi7f Snowy, Piat'e XXVII p.'2\,$:-»''' Tanilft Wiirblcr ITfn. tcr> n....i,„,KiR.'!,'7'p^'^i.'8».i'-w. I "Ml Find,, FiR. 144 ■ .„,, I ipi.t, FiR. 2(15, p. S P- ^• I nina, Warbler KiR ,81 „ .,,,. I'"'l>le Find,, piftt/i;^.'!';- !;-';»<'• Qiiail, Fig. 14, p. 37 Red-braaated N..t.,atoh. Fig. 75, p. Redpoll, K,„^-j^^; I „^>. Redstart, Fi,,. l>)h ,. -it Be^^-ed &..;;; '^i!^ ^^^_ _^ Red-Winged Blackbird, Plate VI, p. ,."^^Xl54'p'^.^''•f•'»3.^ hwainson's Thr„Mi J. ' ' • -•'-• K....11 . ^'ll^liHli, Fir ■"'(! ,, qr« "''Ill, Plat.. IV, f ■-:;;';;,.■-'•„ Kav,s Fi^,, 22, 'p. rlL;. im »" '-".p. IW; Kijr, 122, p. Wl.itc-hdiied, Fig ion „ ,,.., S"alIow.tailed Kite, Plate XX, p. ^w,«,C.,nnneya>.at.„p.24,, "•'*°;^iK.^4;'V:;5^'^'«-l''. Tails of Robolink, Ki^. 51, p. „o Brown Cr..4r, Pi| 2,.' n V* Mourning I)!,ve Kk. p."',ri."^- lWFa,d,,Fig2&;r3S2."^- 398 rXDEX TO flLrSTTiATIONS ni.tlml (;,„us(., Vin 21(1, p. 353. SapMick..,-, KiK. 'Ji;;, ,,. 353. Swift, KiK. •JI4, ,,, ;ir,3 VcHpur Sparrow, Fig. CO, ,,. u<) ^''jyow-billed Cuckoo, Fij». S7, p. TjM.agfir, Srarlet, Fig. 91,p. 170. ^''"'•,'"'A'''*'.P'«""it. i'l'ite XXVIII, p. .!(-<); JiK. L".'0, p. ;!()1. " HwaiiiHoirs, Fig. L'L'O, p 3(;i Veery, Fig. l.'L'0, p. 3(il. Wood, Fig. 2'_'0, p. ;i(;i. TrteSvya^low^Fig. IL'O, p. 193; Fig. Tufted Tit.noime, Fig. 77, p. 753. Turkey Vulture, Fig. KB, ,, .,(54. Fig. 1(J4, p. 2(15. ' Veery Thrush, Fig. 2'20, p. 3(11. Vesper Sparrow, Fig. CO, p. ]].) Vireo Ked-eyed, Fig. (il,p. ]21 -'Fig Warhling. Fig. 172, p. 305. ^IvK'Sk'''^- '""'"•'''- '^'«- Vellow-tluoated, Fig. 170 ., ■Jor. Vulture, Turkey, Fig.^joi; p.'2(ii Warmers. nh»,k_a^d White Creeper, Blaekaud Yellow, Fig. 174, p. 324. B aekhurmau. Fig. 1,S5_ 3'^^ B ack-poll. Fig. IS-, p. ;i-l(i. J>lack-thruated Ulue, Fig. 188 p, 347. * Black-throated Green, Fig. 192 n 347. ' * ' ^347 ^•'"''"'■'''»"-"'^«<'' ^''K- 18!>, p. Ciuiadi.au. Fig. 184, p. ;j4(i. Uiestuut-Nided, Fig. IS3, j,. 340. Hooded, Fig. 180, p. 340 Kentucky, Fig. ]8f,, p. :»(], t.oniniaiia Water-Tlirusli, Fig 178 p. 3.'igr.a«8,Fig.50, p. 114'. I I'p.xtad, Fig. 112, p. 228. J iRWeed, Fig. ,'-,9, p. 11 7. Kiigweed, Fig. 139 p o.w Tliistle, Fig. 73, p. 147""' WlMp-poor-will, Fiir. 98 n ISs ^''"t«-j|"-ea8ted Nuthatch, Pig. 70, p. White^crowned Sparrow, Pig. 152, p ^'"'iS^i^;;;-?^^'^-ni,p.305- White-thrQated Sparrow, Fig. 150, p. W'ings of Barn Swallow, Pig. 102, p. loO. Cliiumey Swift, Fig. 19, p. 45. House Wren, Fig. I8, p. 45. Humniingbird, Fig. 100, p. 190 Wighth.iwk, Pig. 99, p. 189 Song Sparrow, Fig, lo'i p/,90 \> ax wing. Fig. 72, p. 144I Woodpeckers, Downy, Fig. 71. p ,30 FI.ckei^Fig. C4,^p.l^7;F|g.c,;; Re.Uliea,led, Fig. G7, p. 131 ; Fig. Yello;v|ji,ij;,^,ate XI, p. 208, Wood Thrush, Pig. 22(1, p. 301 Wrens, Ciuolina, Fig. 127, p. 207. House,P,g.l8,p.45;p/g. I30,p. '"0"R-'''"«'J Marsh, Pig. 13] „ 207; PlateX, p. 202 ' ^ Winter, Fig. 129, p. 207. lellow-belled Woodpecker, Plat^ Yellow-billed Cuckoo, F L. 83 d ^,iGi;Fig.87,p. i4 ^ ^' "• Yellow-bird, Froiitispieci^ Yellow-breasted Chat, Fig. 175, p Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fig. 194, p ^<^":^,^;:""-oated Vireo, Fig. 170, p Yellow Warbler, Fig. 191, p. 347. eil (Jliiit, KiK. 175, p, INDEX 'lato Xr, 1). 20)^. A. Ii04, ',,■>, iiiiicilaKiiioiis saliva, %• l-u, ,,(. tail, J,-., 110, 140, L'40 '»SJ •i.r,, "'"K. •"'. ■-'■*, .T,, lr-45 tKloi-'Fu"'":',"''""'"' "''-»«• -llilin I lyrat,.||,.,. .j,-,,s, 'iiantiiiins, •'.(,, .,j| "'"' ->>•'--'■«). A n,.s |H.n.silva.M,;,.s, ;i4s ' A. tro.st,„m,,s vo..il„n .s. l^b-lsT Am.) a,Tii,it,i,|,|.s, ._,!)0-"i)i '' wilsoiiiaims, 2SS-2,si).~ ' i.l I Ka^l,., L'.SI, 2,SL'-2S;j liini Oivl, 2l»;jl').)4 ' ■ ' '•'''■ ';"■" «wal|„„., 4j,.,-,|. -,;, . Ifl^vick'.s \Vi-,.„, 201" ■ B.nI^boxe«,xxv,42-43,4.;,4S-,y,72, ''"'1i?;:";;:!;r'"'^^''"'-^^' '"--!<«, 255, muIation, ; 2, : ;Mo nr ,". expression <,f ,.„„.,„;'.."'''.' - U2!2sr';!;;;'"^^r'''';'^='. ui "'•»an,i„«;4o';^, ;■':;:;'■' -'•^'11. '"ll'Vlilll.Uitv, III II n ir -,> ;''";';!i-f, .-,2, .V,, |;i,; •IK. 1 • ""-' >'!' yoM, .,, ,;;.;:■'•,'';■.'"«- 'N "i-47, 157 ..;;.'"''"'•"'"". fiiocl,",s- •"n. ,"'^1' ''^"J Ki'Uiii- ^.«J^n„g„a,.it; ,33, 21.-211,, 21... '''^nf^-i:;a„^;::-t?';-f''""ai„. ^'"«;';l'it,.salm,u, |07-',(,;,'|4.. ,--. !---'iMi.i.vi;:!oo";;;";],-;^^''- l-'4 125 V'' ■vV. A "'^ "■■"', »■;< tr,ii,l,..s to water, .'io 31 "'"ia,S„.r'-^vi,i,l „, (,,, .,_ .' -«■', -t_ J4(. ■>.>: .»-(, .,-.. '-'i^"usj"or'^'""^ ''''■' ''-•-. uy uso of crests, attituaes. "7" •":-"-"*''' -•''"'--'51', 271- ^Ntnietioii of, ;;" 3 ^i.' '.,:""'•., •>. I-, Ih, lU, 2S-2U, 32, 3(3-37,' 400 IXDEX Ji!>-10, 71, '.IS-O-t, 1(1(1, 17L-, ;5is- ^•-'0; (niii|]iiiii(iii.slii|, „(• iiiatiw, IN .'il, 7(;, 112, lie, Ici) ;j|,; (■.mrtshii,, i;;-^.i, i -si ■_.;,, ,,s(i, 11, l,s(i, l,s,;..i,s7, L-Ki, 'iV,, J7!J- -Nl, •-,^.^; .Ifffiisi. of ut-nt and yoiiiif,', i», ;;■-', :i(;-37, ;!i)-4(i, 71, ^1, 1<;0, ICl, 1,S7 ; family goverii- iiieiit, 1,S; haliit.s of male at lU'St, — absnit from, ;i4; lielp.s bmlil, nil, 7(;, mi, LM(»; inateil tliroiiKli lif,., 15, (10, i;j,;^ .j.SM. «'" "'■■ «tatmj ol (seo Economic .status), eyesight of, S4-S,l. HiKht of, 72, ,S4, I7S, 1,S(!, 189, I'.la, 2iM, ^\l\), Hoeka of, 19, 24, 51, r.5, m, 73, 78, 111, 141, 114, 145, MS, 17r,,l,S9 ,94, 221, 231, 233, 234, 317, 339, 3S4. fooil of (sei) Food of binls). how and what to observe about ■xiv-xv, 4, 12, 14, 1,S-2(I, 23->'4 •Jl-27, 141-142, 144, 149, ICO- l(.l, 199-200, 352, 3(;7-3GS, 380- how to find name of, xiii, 79 wi Iiow to protect, attract, and feed, xx-xxi, xxiv-xxviii, 30, 40. 4"- I?.'. fj'. t'^-*"' ■'•^^ '""' •■'■S Xi, U.i, 124-125, 140, 154, 194, 235, liow to protect crops from, xx- >jxi, 7, 8, 13, 21, 58, 105, 143, Inmiaii eompanionsliip sought bv 10-11,218. •" keys to (see Keys), migration of (see Migration), sloping places of, 28, 51, 75, 139- songs (see Songs and calls of birds). winter, xxvi-xx\iii. 370-379. young (.see Voinig birds). Itlaek and White Creeper, 314. Jilacl.- and Vellow WarlUcr, 324-3"5 Blaekliirds, 12, 101-102, 109-111 144. Cowbird, 98-101, 102, 110. Crow, 93-9(1, 101, llo. Key to, 111-112. Ked-wing. 90-98, 101, 102, 110 Kii.sty, 1(1! lo;i, 110. lilackbirds and Orioles, 109-111 Key to, 111-112. | Klackljiirni.in Warbler, 320. • Klack-poU Warbler, 321-322. Black-throated Ijlue Warbler, 312- 313, 3U'0. I lilaik-thro.iteil rtnnting, 224. Biaek-lliroated (ireen Wurblor, 3il, Jihiebird, 41-44, 59, 140. jiliic-gray Gnatcatcher, 357. Bhie .lay, 1,''.4-157. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, 317- 318. Bobolink, 103-100, 107, 110. Bob-wliite, 37-40, 57, SO. Bonasa umbellu.s, 32-37. Bruad-winged Hawk, 275. Bnjwn Creeper, 349-;;.")2. Brown XJirasljer, 177-lSO, 182. Bubo virginiaims, 292 293. Butelierbird, 'Ml. Buteo borealis, 271-273. latissimus, 275. lineatus, 27.3-274. Buzzard, Turkey, 203-205, 2GG. Canada Jay, 217-219. Canadian Warbler, 322. Cardinal, 05 CO, 151, 171, 199, 200. Cardinalia cardinalis. OS-CO. Carolina Chickadee, 71-72, 151. Carolina Wren, 199-200. CariiodaciiK purpureus, 148-149. Catbird, 0-11, 92. Cathartes aura, 203-205. Cats, XXV, 11,8. Cedar-bird, 141-144. CeophI1. -'9, 45, 92. 113-11(1. ieii.M, 2;{7-238. IU8, 188-190. r8-280. s. 202-204. »•, 241. 1-54. s, l(i0-103. 103-104. 212-213. r-131. 37-40. Bi'ina terrestris, ricaiia, 317-318. Cfiitopii.s horonU 't, '-'57. C"<)i.ei'«'ji,i,;): Corvii.s , . -'>■■> ■271. "1*'I' ('Hljlls II 1 r C'wb.rd, :W-)oi, „,, ,,() ^ Key to, 220. ' ' lila.k-hill,,,,, „..._«• ,, Key to, 165. ' ^• '^■'•'ocitta on.stata, I.i4-l,r,7. '-■•■(■I'dle.sceiis, 31" 'ii'} '•'>'-"ii.'it!i, 3I(» " di«(^<>l<)i-, 325 ;!•>(; "lacdlosa, .T'l-"!-'-, striata, ;i-'| ■/•..> ' • vireiis, 311. ""' "i''KciM.s(>|, 224 '><>Iic'll()!| I'livcs, l.i tfrixiipd, ,'i|-3 Key to, 80" ^'■"iiiid. ;!l •!■>' I).) I>rv(il)-it "iiriiiiifj, 29 31 is.seiiir,.|- |>i„,,' i.yW ■ 79. piilu' 'I'i'i'kiT, i;j7_'.] "M-culis, 2I0-"I I 10. vill xn-UH, i;i7-i.(i,. "SIIS, l;;j^i;; ■■'vc ,S»all K<'oi, •'»•, 50, ,'-,■>_ ""me .stiiMis of jiarii HHiillou, "irrcil Oul, •" Wack-poil \Vi -'8,3. Iil([..l Hide. I. iid, 43 irlile I! >li()l v. l51-I-,0 (Ilk, lO.VlDd. ih-\vl]if,. -.liid- ••-'293. I3'i 137 ,""!"■'■ ■■^ Hank. 2(!lJ;-,' t;'>'nv lil.ukl'iird, I- .,-. ,,, ^-'O't^oys, l(;2-Io'4. ' '' J^w:x";r"'"'rk.-, 138 ^ eld .Sparrow, 184. ••"Idlliicl,, H,;_,j7 (^(wliaivk, 2(;(;-'.,;7 {''■'•.It flon.ed (")„)• ""■••led I.,„.k, 2(;2-.'.,;, Jidieo. 221 •>•'■> " 'V"K'"''-d, 8,V,S(; |ViiiKfisi],.,-, 1,-,;) I;""K-eare,I (,„!, ''s'l ^le;i,ioH|,„k, KiS-'loo ^!'Kl(tliawk, 188 ^iitliateli, 75 ■ Oriole.s, .'-,7-,'-,!,, rn^K '',''l're.\,2.S(l. ■ 'iielie, 8|l-;)o '{<'d-l)|.|l]|.,I llr ■ , {[;:;S:;rH-3-t;-;Ti^- 401 10. i;i9. i;i.! Ke.l- Uol W/l '^''•'I lilaekhini. R( nil. 20-21 '•(i 97 iise-liri >aii.siick(. ■•^avadi ■"-iereceli () ii.sf.vlfJi 20N- .'09, beak, l(;7_i( Sill '•|i-.sli, Short S'liiH- H| parnnv, 'j^r. "■>(• vvl, 2,S7. lied Ha»k, 208. ' 190-291. iced ()„) larrou-, n; Parron- Hank, SumII -vaii.nv-tail,.,] Kite "SJ iliriis i,.v -'rv. ' -^4. Ti '''dfteil Tit "ireo.s, 122 parroH-, 229. Warble Wl r.s, :!07 iiioiise 304. 15 xttMitf, MJ-K.-i. iip-l liatcl •-'atbird " riirasher, 170' "'I'liird, ;!(Hi W'liite-tl W '""r-»ill, I,s7 iroatcl .S| "0(),(|„,,,|i,,,, ,„■ '''I'toiiist,.., ...:....„, ""•.' iirivnv, lif;. topist, I'^iipiil. '■« •iiiffrato,-i,|„ 7, ;i;i "(I'jdes forficat CI lewiiik, l82-l,s,-j. tr.iilii al .'.'"(jv iiiiniiuiis, ,so i.s-79. iiH, 28,3-2x4. .'14. t'liiekad, Chi i '19-70. imiey S\vift, 23 vire.s<7 '^ll.ulisji iioriiMi, 258. ■«2. Sjia Kale ''■"»■. fix, 42, 40, 49. . Hawk. «.«iidKagle.s, 284-285 402 INDEX Key to, 285-287. Kalco KiKu-vuriiiH, 'JT'l 'JT,s. Ficlil S|wn-ii\v, Is;; Is,"). Kincli, I'imi, .\xvii, ■j:i;i. _ I'lirpUi, xxvii, 14,-; Hi). FiiiihcH 1111(1 Spill row.s. LMli-"4G Key to, 24G-251. Fi'hIi l!ii\vk, 'JSd-iiS'J Kli;ira.M;ii,s hcetlcH, K>. I5i!i't cati'iiiillar.H, \r,. CnbliaKu worms. II,'',, 117, Caiikdiwoiiiis, xvii, GO. CatcijiiJlarH, 57, 122, 1i;2, 1(!,'5. *;iiiiicli liiiHH, xxiii. (.'oHdii worms, xxiii. Klin Icaf-licctlcs. 14;!. Kii'ld inifc anil rats, 14, 070 >i-^ 'lin, 271', 2,S7, 2S1I, 2ilO, 21»;i " ' (JraHKlioppcrs, xxiv, 7, 13, 108, 1.52, li)i), 27(!. Oyiwy moth, xvi, xxiii, xxiv, 14, Insects, xvii. May ^ beetles, xxii. 05, i;!2, 133, Mos(|iiitoi'H, 54, 18S I'otato bcctliw, xxi, ,'!,S, 1(17-108. Hose cliati'i's, .S",. Sralc insects, xxii. Spliyiix moths, 1,55. I5(;. Si|iiasli beetles, .54, ,Si). 'rent-caterpillars, xxi, 14, 102. Tliistle sc^eils, 147. Weed seeds, xviii, !)0, i»7, 115 12;i, 140, 175, l,s'4, 221, 22!! 2(;2 Weevils, xxii, ,si). ' Wire worms, xxiii, .5". Wdod-borers, ' 7, l;!!». Food of yoiiiit; birds, 2, ,S, 14, 4,s 72 Fox .Sparrow, 2;!0-2,'iI. (ii-'eo.scoptea candinensis, Oil. (ieotlilypis fiirmosa, ;;2i) 330. trichiu), 315-310. Onatcatcher, Uliie-prny, ,3,57. (ioatsuekers and Swifts, lOO-UH. Key to, 103. Crolden-crowned KiiiKlet, 300. (iohltinch, 145-147. Goshawk, 200-2(17. Grackle, I'liiiile, l)3-i)0, 101, 110. Grass Finch, lli)-120. Grasshopper Sjiarrow, 22(5-227. Great-crested Flycatclier, 25,5-250. Great Honii-d Owl, 202-2il3 Grosbeak, Pine, 231-2;«. Ko.se-breasted, 100-101). Grouse, Kiitfed, 32-;i7, ;i!), 40, 92. Grouse and Quail, 45. Key to, 40. Hairy Woodpecker, 1,3.5-137, 140. HaliaetiiK leiieocephalns, 2S2 283 Harporhynchns nifiis, 177-1,S0. Hawks, 2,S4-2.S5, 297. liroad-wiiiKed, 275. Cooper's, 2(;i)-271. Fish, 2,S0-2,S2. (Joshawk, 2(i(i 207. Key to, 285-287. Marsh, 278-2S0. Hed-shoiildered, 273-274 Ued-tailed, 271-27;!. Sharp-shinned, 2(;,S-2G9. Sparrow. 270-27.^. Swallow-tailed Kite, 2,^3-284. Ha«ks and Owls, 203-297. Heliiiiiithophila rubricaiiilla, 322- ;!2;{. Hclmit herns vermivorus, 337-,3;i9. Hermit Thrush, ;!00. HiKh-hole, 127-l:il, 140. Hooded Warbler, 327-328. Horned Lark, 201 203. House Wren, 44-4S. HuiiiniiiiKbird, Kiiby-tliroatpd, 1-5 Icteria virens, ,331 -,333. Icterus galbiilu, ,'',0-01. spni'iiis, 01-02. Indigo lirintinjf, 149-1,50. Jay, Bine, xxvii, 1.54-1,57. Caii.ida, 217-219. tJnnco, Slate-colored, xxvii, 221- .TiMino liyem.aliB, 221-222. Kentucky Warbler, 329-330. Keys to All birds mentioned in book, xxix-xlix. lihickbirds and Orioles, 11l-ll> ■Ri'ny, 357. wiftH, I1)0-1S)1. iiiRlet, 350. !-'.)(!, 101, 110. JO. )\v, 22G-227. tti'lu'i-, 2r)5-25(>. 21t2-2!l3. i-2;w. .'iT, 33, 40, 92. :5. 135-137, 140. linliiH, 2S2 2S3. iH, 177-1.S((. 87. 73-274. 3. ■i-201). te, 283-284. ;i-2!17. aricaiiilla, 322- iriis, 3;J7 33'j. 40. r~328. 3. ^-throateil, l-.l 1 ,'-.(). 157. , xxvii 221- i22. 20-330. led in bnok, )les, 111 112. INDEX Cro\v.s and ,T,iv8 ""0 K^W^-Ms, Huwk,s,;jui Eagles, 2.S,'5- Hy<'.-itclu.r.s, 2i;i)-2(ll (;oatHiuk(;r.s and Swifts, 103 ;!OMs.. an.I Qnail, 40. ' ' Nn'f'i; .V". ■""' 'V""''''it,.lu.rs, ,357 o;:i^5nl!!:2.iL"'''"""^'"'^^-- Slirike.s, ,'!(io. 'S>vallo\vH, I!l(;-I07 TanaKei-H, 174. J na,sl,er.s and Wrons. 205-000 ! T'.njHl...s an LoirgcrliHad Sl.iik.., 2!),s"-'>0') Long-I.dled Marsl, Wr,.n"-'(l'> ["•nisiana Wat..,-Tl,r„;i; ' :y.Mu. Lox,,icurvi.-,,.strannn,.r,234..j Mntrnolia Warl.ler, .3'4-3'>r, Marsh Hawk, 27.S--,so njai'tin, Purple, 4.s_4()' .Vlaiyland Yellow-tludat, 315 -3I(! M.'adoHlark, Idl, 1(),;_,„ , '' ■'"'• Jlt'casfops a.sio, 2S7-",s,s ' Melaner|.e.sc,arolinn,s'-|) ..|., Hrytliroc,.pl,al„s, I31-l;!4" ]"44 B'-loi JMoose Bird, 217-"1') Munriiing Dovh, 2;iVj1 Myiarclnis crinitii.f, 255-%,; Myrtle Wail,l,,r, 310. >f.isliville Warbler, 32'>-'!0'j Al'Sts, " ■ "";tbods of buiMiM(f, 24 ^•'•5>0!.,CO,70,7o;oi,V types of, r,<). Bank Swallow, ,55 liarn Swallow, ,53 liewick'H Wren, 201. Isluebird, 140. Catbird, !). Cliickadee, 140. Chimney Swift, 20. Cuekoo, I CI. Kave .Swalloiv, 52. HinnminKbird, 2. Kinpflsher, 1,5!). Orioles, 50, (12 Ove:i-bird, a3,5. I'arula Warbl..r, 317. Ke"iiisii.al .site.s, 47-4,S 7'' .., ' • J;'>flith,awk, 1,SS-1!10 ''-'-•"'• Notebooks, xiii, xiv.' Nuthatches, 02. Ked-breasted, .xxvii, 70-77. vVhite-bre.isted, xxvii 73 70 Niaii,atehes and fit's, 52 • Key to, 152. Nyctea uyctea, 204-205. OIive.b.icked Thrnsh, ,T,0. 1 VH.s,ae,l Klyeafher, 257. ()ivhaid Oriole. ,5,s,(;i:,;.. wiole.s, xxvii, lOO-lli !"'•> lialtniiore, ,5l)-(;| (;■'' """ Orchard, ,5,s,(;i-,y.- Osprey, 2.S0-2,S2. Otocori,s alpestris, 201-'>(i'i ven-bird, ;!,33-,335. •*• Owls, 205, 207. I5arii, 203 204. liarred, 21M-202 '»ieat Horned, 20''-i9,'5 Key to, 296-297." Loiif{-eared, 2.s,S-'>,so f^crecch, 2,S7-i.>,s,s. ^liort-eared, 20O-201 onowy, 204-205. Pandion Jialiaetus carolinensis, 28a I'anila"warbrer,317-31,S ' anis .■itric.apillus, (17-71' bH'olor, 151-152. carolii, .||f,i„^ -(_-., I aa.serella iliaca, 23ol231. 403 27, 4fi. iO, 159. .'12. 404 PnH«prina cynnfin, 14n-ir.O. I I'liNoiviis Ciiimilfiisis, 2il-"V} I ''trocliflid,,,, lunifroiiH, r,2-rA' 1 eiK'u.ii icHtivaliH bncliiiiaiiii, -'h. VHwee, Wood, IK) !i;j ' I'liu'be, Wi, H7-1H), !)|^ 9^, I'iKfon, Pii88eiiK(ii-, 78-79. 1 iRooiis mid Doves, 7!l-«0. 1 iloiited Woodp,.,.ker, 'J12-213 I'liiu Fiiicli, L'a'i. (troHbeak, 231-L'3;i. Piiiicola eniicleator, 231-''3'{ Pipilo erytliroptlialimiH, fsi-lss "pit, American, 3-18. • ii-aiiKn erytliroinelaH, 170-170 1 Icctropbeiiax nivalin, L'"3 I oli(,ptila citrnlen, 357. J'oiM'ietes Kraniiii(Mi.H, 110-1'>0 Prill ii« Warbler, 3J,->-32r> ProKiio sul)i8, 4.S-4!) Purple Fincli, H,S-l'4!) Grackle, 93-y(i, loi, 110. Martin, 48-49. Quail, 37-40, 57, 80. Qui8calii8 fiuisciila, 93-9C, Red-bellied Woodpecker, 211-"] -cockaded Woodp(.cker,~210-"> -fyed Vireo, 120-12,'; l'>(i „ -''«-i''e0 Red-tailed Hawk, 271-'>73 ' -wiiiRed Blac'kbird, 9C-98, JQl, Reed Bird, 103-lOC. ReKiilus calei.Jula, 354-355. Kvtrapa, 35(!. Re^urRitation °^14?,'"^ ^or yomijf, 2, 32, 1,30, of iiidiRestible food, 93, 159. Rice Birds, 103-lon. Robin, xxvii, 17-22 Roosts, 19-20, 24, 51, CO, 78, ]04- Rose-_brea8te(l Grosbeak, l()(i- 1 (0. Riiby-oi-owned KingJet, ,3,'->4-355, !;" . T^''"'"'''' ^--•'". •■*!', -«•, !»2. Rusty Blackbird, 101-103, 110. Sapsucker, 208-210. Savanna Sparrow, 22.5-22C. Siiyornis plia-be, iS7-!)0. Scarlet Taiiager, 170-172. Scoleoopli,i(;iis carolimis, 101-103 Screecli Owl, 2.S7-2.S,s. Seaside Sparrow, 2,39, 240-241 Seiurua aurocapillup, 333-335. II. 102, 13G, -195. -1(!9, .351;. IN^DEY Seiiirus motacilla, ,3.3(1,3,37. noveboraceiisis, 3;i5-:i;!(;.' Setoplia^ta niticilln. ,'!(lll-310 .Slwirp-shiiined Hawk, 2i;,S-2(;9. -tailed Sparrow, 239-240. .Miore Lark, 2(;i-2(h3. Short-eared Owl, 2!HJ-291 Slirikes. Butcherbird, ,300. Key to, 300. LoBKerhcad. 29.S-299 Sialia Hialis, 41-44 Siskin, 233. Sitta canadensis, 7(;-"7. caroliiieiisis, 73-7G. Snowbird, 22,3. Slate-colored, 221-222. Snow li.mtiiiK, 22.;. Snowtlake, 223. Snowy Owl, 294 295. Soiij; Sparrow, 1(10. IKMlo SoiiKsandcallNof Birds, 9.S,'l,3() ICC 1(!7, 1X2, ,358, ,3(;o. ' ' ' alarm notes, 4(», ,50. (iomparisonsiimoiips, 23,45 90 O' nigiit songs, 104, ;!!(!, ;«•> ;!';(| se.Tsonal calls, 10. Md, "' v.ariations in souk, 18, CO-Ol, i|!». 315, ,3.i2, ,334. Sparrow Hawk, 27(>~278. Sparrows, 99, 110, loo^ 24'>-'>4(i Bachman's, 242. Chippinjj, 11,3-1 10. Cl.ay-colored, 241. Kufirlish, 42, 40, 49. Field, 18.3-1,S5. Fox, xxvii, 230-231. Grasslio))per, 225-22G. House, 42, 40, 49. Key to, 248-251. Lark, 2,37-23,s. Savanna, 225-220. .Se.aside, 239, 240-241. Sharp-tailed, 2,39~24o'. Song, xxvii, 100, 110-119. owanii>, 229-2,30. Tree, xxvii, 227-229. VesjKT, 119-120. White-crowned, 170-177. -tliro.ated, 174-175. SpIiyrajjicUH variiis, 208-210 Splniis pinus, 2,33. tristiH, 145-147. Spiza ainericana, 224. Spizella nionticola, •">7_oo() I).illida, 241. pusilla, 1,S3-1K.5. ^ socialis, 113-110. Stelgidopteryx serripeimis, 195-19C, Sternella magna, 100 ion. Strix pratiucola, 293-294. I. .".(Ill ;iin. vk, 'jt;,s L'do. 2;ill-140. !H)-'.'1I1. 29!). 1 1. I^VDEX lie. 11!). rds, !),S, 130, KU; ip.s, 2;!..ir). !l(i. !i" UCk , i«, aim, Mil. 2, 242-240. 1. (t. 1-119. -177. S-210. -22!). nis, 10,'j-ll)(i, l!l. 4. S«. ,s„„ .s TiM.Ml,, ;i,v.i. f'^.iliow,.,, .,;;, I,,,, ,,, . ^'f^.Mk.W.V,, 15!.. • ' il'„!''--'"-''''i- r,:i, 5-1. Ul«, .-,(1, ,r,o^-,4 ' Kav.., ,-,(1, -,2-.r,4. Key to, 106-107 liii|>l(! Miiiiiii, (s -1')' ^^"''uii-;^;;''' '•'^-'"•■■ VVliit..-l,elli,.,I, 1!U_1„,-, hwall„«-tail,.,l Kite, '.s.^-h. hvvatnp Sparrow, •22!l-'>;;(.'*' »wilt, C'liiiiiiicy, 'jy-l.'!), 4r <)•' syriuum niibulosuin, 2'Jl<'i)2';" .T.tol.ycineta bicolor, 194-ior, Key to, 174. Si'ailet, 17(1-172 SiiMiincr, 17;j. iln.stle-bird, u,5.,47 i na« her, i{,.o,v„, m^iso lo., iit'niiit, y(;o. Key to, 360-361. Ohve-kick..,!, ;j59. hwaiiLson-s, ;j5u. Vnery, 358-3,19. WilHon'H, 3.'5S-35». Wood, 22-23 Titlark, 34,s. I'itiiiii'c, 72. T.iltwl, 151-152 199 '>0n Traill'., Fly,.afl,;.r, '.'.-..s Sivalhnv, I!I4-195. ' 1 >•')<: ulii.s coliibris, 1-5 i>;"Klo.l>tesi,.,loii, 44-4.S li>(Miiali,s, I!I7-19,S. ' iliryotlioru« beHickii, "dl iiiiist(»liiiii.s, 22-23 iLstuIatiis swal.iNoi'ii, ;;5n Tiirkey Hiuzar.l, 2(;3--( 5 .■.,■,• ^ Viiltin-e, 2(13-2(15 •'(I, ' ■''''■ Tiirti,, Oo;o, 2!)-3i: '■I'yiaiiinia tyraiiiiiLsj ,S3-S7. Voi-ry Thrush, ;i5,S-35a \t'sper Sparrow, II!)-l''>o » iroo flavifroiiM, 301 R'lvii,. 1 2(1. 'lovoboracen.siK, 30" oIivaceiLs, 120-]"5 Vireo.s, 122, 144, m, 302-304. 405 Key to, 304 K.Ml-,.y,..I, 12(1125, I2f;. WarhluiK, 12(1, 11;,, Whit.).(.v(.,|, ;j().> V..l|„;v.f|„.„.,j^.-,- ,jl V'Utiires, Jiiack, 2(H5-2(i>; I?'>"^Vol.ow.baJ^er;^,^li^f=-" <-aiia(Iiaii, 322. Cliest.mt-Hidej, 318-320 Hooded, 327-3",S Kentucky, 32!)-33(l. Key to, 342-345 I'oui.siaiia Water-Thru..ih ■!■?('. fi- J^IaRiiolia, 324-325 "' '^•^•'-337. Miiryhiud Yellow-throat; ■it'; 'ii,. Myrtle, 310. """'". JlJ-Jl(j. Nashville, 322-3''3 Oven-bird, 333-33i5. J aru.'a, 317-318. I rairie, 325-32(1. jtH -poll, 31(1-317. w.itei -Thrush, ;i3,>.33(l. Wilson's, 339. Worni-eatiutf, .'J37-33!). ielow, 3()7-.308. -breasted Clii.t, 331-^33 ->;uu,,.ed, 310. •^"• "arbhnjr Vireo, 12(1 14., Water-Tluush, 33,5:3;iU ■ Louisiana, 3,i(l-;j37 ' VVaxwinjf, 141-144. Whip poo,..„.il|, 185^187, ,,><« Wlnte-bellie,] Swallow, 194 19.-. -•■■owned Sparrow, 17(Ai7|'"- •< Ji!U Virco, 30" -throated SparroV 174-175 IT Wilsonia oanadeiLsis 3'"' ' '"' iiiitrata, 327-3"8 ' ""' I'li.silla, 3;i!). Wilson's Thrush, 3.58-359. Wilson's Warbler, 3;i9. \V inter \\ren, 197-198. ^\oodpo,,ker.s, 12, 13,i, 140 "14 ..,„ J>owny, 137-140. ' •■'*--l» Hieker, 127-131, 140. Key to, 2i«-:2i7. I'lleiitud, 212-213. 400 Woo(l|),.(.kr.r, UciMiWIi,.,! •>||."l' -cockmlt'cl, 'JIO-'.'ll. -liciulcd, i;i|-i;i4, J44, SnpHiickf-r, 'J(W 210. YDlInw-balliod, 'J(I.S-210. Wood I'ewee, W)