THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID f loreace 8U Jflerrtam, BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. In Riverside Library for Young People. Illustra- ted. i6mo, 75 cents. MY SUMMER IN A MORMON VILLAGE. With an Illustration. i6mo, $1.00. A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. Illustrated. - i6mo, $1.25. BIRDS OF VILLAGE AND FIELD. A Bird Book for Beginners. Fully illustrated. i2mo, $2.00. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. BOSTON AND NEW YORK. PLATE I. — GOLDFINCH (Page 145) BIRDS OF VILLAGE AND FIELD # )15trD Book for Beginner* BY FLORENCE A. MERRJAM ILLUSTRATED BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY Copyright, 1898, BY FLORENCE A. MERRIAM. All rights reserved. PREFATORY NOTE IN this day of outdoor and nature interest, we are coming to realize that to the birds as well as the flowers we owe much of the beauty and charm of country life ; and if it could be accomplished within the narrow margins of 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 in villages and cities as well as in the fields. In a shrubby back yard in Chicago, 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- nine kinds of birds to nest (see Appendix, p. 388). 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 w iv PREFATORY NOTE Prospect Park, Brooklyn ; while Mr. H. E. Park- hurst has himself seen ninety-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, giving untechnical descriptions, and illustrated keys based on such colors and markings as any one can note in the field ; for I have 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 Appendix, p. 380), hoping that the friendship thus acquired by seeing the songsters PREFATORY NOTE V in their homes may urge the student to go on and gain for himself the delights of a deeper study of birds. In the preparation of the Keys for this book, I have been largely helped by my brother, Dr. C. Hart Merriam ; and at other points have been kindly assisted by Miss Isabel Eaton, Mrs. G. C. Maynard, Mr. Robert Ridgway, Mr. Frank M. Chapman, Mr. John H. 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, with 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 migration 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. Ridgway. For the use of drawings vi PEEFATOEY 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, Chief 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. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION. How to find a Bird's Name xiii Where to find Birds xiv How to watch Birds xv How Birds affect Village Trees, Gardens, and Farms xv How to keep Birds about our Houses . . . xxiv General Key to Birds mentioned in Book (Illustrated) xxix HUMMINGBIRD 1 CATBIRD 6 AMERICAN CROW 11 FISH CROW 16 ROBIN 17 WOOD THRUSH 22 CHIMNEY SWIFT 23 MOURNING DOVE 29 GROUND DOVE 31 RUFFED GROUSE 32 BOB-WHITE .37 Key to Grouse and Quail 40 BLUEBIRD 41 HOUSE WREN 44 PURPLE MARTIN 48 BARN SWALLOW <; 49 EAVE SWALLOW 52 BANK SWALLOW 54 BALTIMORE ORIOLE 56 ORCHARD ORIOLE 61 MOCKINGBIRD , . .63 CARDINAL 65 CHICKADEE ... 67 CAROLINA CHICKADEE . 71 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH . . 73 Vlll CONTENTS RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 76 PASSENGER PIGEON . . . ' . . . . . 78 Key to Pigeons and Doves ...... 80 LEAST FLYCATCHER 80 KINGBIRD , , . . 83 PHOEBE . . 87 WOOD PEWEE 90 CROW BLACKBIRD 93 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 96 COWBIRD 98 RUSTY BLACKBIRD 101 BOBOLINK 103 MEADOWLARK 106 Key to Blackbirds and Orioles Ill CHIPPING SPARROW 113 SONG SPARROW . 116 VESPER SPARROW 119 RED-EYED VIREO . 120 WARBLING VIREO . 126 FLICKER 127 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER . . . . - . . 131 HAIRY WOODPECKER 135 DOWNY WOODPECKER 137 WAXWING 141 GOLDFINCH . . . 145 PURPLE FINCH 148 INDIGO BUNTING . 149 TUFTED TITMOUSE 151 Key to Nuthatches and Tits .. . ..',..',. 152 BLUE JAY 154 BELTED KINGFISHER . . . \ . . . . 157 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO . . . . . . .160 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. , ,» . . ;v • . 163 Key to Cuckoos and Kingfishers . ... . 165 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK . . . . . . 166 SCARLET TANAGER .. . . ; ... . . 170 SUMMER TANAGER , . • . . . . 173 Key to Tanagers ..'...... 174 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW » 174 CONTENTS ix WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 176 BROWN THRASHER 177 CHEWINK 181 FIELD SPARROW 183 WHIP-POOR-WILL . . . . . . . . 185 NlGHTHAWK ]88 Key to Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds, Swifts . . 193 WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW 194 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 195 Key to Swallows 196 WINTER WREN 197 CAROLINA WREN 199 BEWICK'S WREN . 201 LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN 202 Key to Thrashers and "Wrens ..„..- 205 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER 208 RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER 210 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 211 PILEATED WOODPECKER 212 Key to Woodpeckers 216 CANADA JAY 217 Key to Crows and Jays 220 JUNCO 221 SNOWFLAKE 223 DICKCISSEL 224 SAVANNA SPARROW 225 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 226 TREE SPARROW 227 SWAMP SPARROW . 229 Fox SPARROW 280 PINE GROSBEAK 231 PINE FINCH 233 AMERICAN CROSSBILL 234 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL • 235 REDPOLL 236 LARK SPARROW 237 SHARP-TAILED SPARROW 239 SEASIDE SPARROW . 240 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW .... . 241 X CONTENTS BACHMAN'S SPARROW . . ... . . . 242 Key to Finches and Sparrows . . . . 246 ACADIAN FLYCATCHER . . ... . . . 254 GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER . ' . . . . 255 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER . . . . . 257 ALDER FLYCATCHER . . . . . . / . 258 Key to Flycatchers . . ... . . 260 HORNED LARK 261 TURKEY VULTURE . . . ' . . . . 263 BLACK VULTURE . . 265 Key to Vultures 266 GOSHAWK 266 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 268 COOPER'S HAWK 269 RED-TAILED HAWK 271 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 273 BROAD-WINGED HAWK . . . . - . . 275 SPARROW HAWK . . . . ... .276 MARSH HAWK . . . .... . 278 FISH HAWK . . . 280 BALD EAGLE ". . 282 SWALLOW-TAILED KITE 283 Key to Falcons, Hawks, and Eagles .... 285 SCREECH OWL 287 LONG-EARED OWL 288 SHORT-EARED OWL 290 BARRED OWL • . 291 GREAT HORNED OWL 292 BARN OWL . . . . - . . . - 293 SNOWY OWL . . . » 294 Key to Owls . . . 296 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE . . . . . . . 298 BUTCHERBIRD . . . . . . . . 300 Key to Shrikes . . . . . . , , . . - 300 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO . . / . . . . 301 WHITE-EYED VIREO . . ... » . . . 302 KeytoVireos . . '_•. ; . -. . . 304 YELLOW WARBLER . . . . * . . . . 307 REDSTART . . . » .- '. . . 309 CONTENTS XI YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 310 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER . . . . 311 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER .... 312 BLACK AND WHITE CREEPING WARBLER . . . 314 MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT 315 RED-POLL WARBLER ....... 316 PARULA WARBLER 317 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 318 BLACK-POLL WARBLER 321 CANADIAN WARBLER 322 NASHVILLE WARBLER 322 BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER 324 PRAIRIE WARBLER 325 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 326 HOODED WARBLER 327 KENTUCKY WARBLER . . . . . . . 329 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 331 OVEN-BIRD 333 NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH 335 LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH 336 WORM-EATING WARBLER 337 WILSON'S WARBLER 339 Key to Warblers 342 PIPIT OR TITLARK 348 BROWN CREEPER 349 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET . . . . . 354 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET ....... 356 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 357 Key to Kinglets and Gnatcatchers .... 357 VEERY THRUSH 358 OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH 359 HERMIT THRUSH 360 Key to Thrushes . . . . . . . . 360 APPENDIX. Migration 367 Winter Birds 376 Field Observations 380 Observing in Towns and Villages . • . . 388 Books of Reference . . . . . . . 390 Index to Illustrations . . . » . . . 395 Index 399 INTKODUCTION i How TO FIND A BIRD'S NAME. — As this book is intended for beginners, scientific classification has been disregarded, and the birds which read- ers are most likely to know and see are placed first, the rarer ones left until later. For the bene- fit of those who have a definite bird to name, a color key based on markings visible in the field has been made to all the birds taken up (see pp. xxix-xlix) ; this, when run down, will lead by page reference to the description and picture of the bird in the body of the book. If the family to which the bird belongs is known, the species will be found more quickly by turning to the key of the family, referred to in the index. If no definite bird is to be looked up, and one goes to the field unembarrassed by knowledge, with the whole bird world freshly opening for conquest, the matter of naming the birds and learning their ways is not a difficult one. Four things only are necessary — a scrupulous con- science, unlimited patience, a notebook, and an opera-glass. The notebook enables one to put down the points which the opera-glass has brought within sight, and by means of which the bird may xiv INTBODUCTION be found in the key; patience leads to trained ears and eyes, and conscience prevents hasty con- clusions and doubtful records. Two notebooks should be kept, one for permanent records and a pocket one for field use, as elaborations from memory are of little value to one's self, and still less to posterity. One of the best forms of per- manent notebook is a pad, punched and fastened in an adjustable cover. The notes on each bird should be written on separate pages, and as they accumulate, the pages slipped out of the cover and arranged alphabetically for easy reference. Suggestions for field notes will be found in the observation outline, Appendix, p. 380. WHERE TO FIND BIRDS. — 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 places to look for birds. Such places 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 most of the wood-loving species go to nest. INTRODUCTION XV How TO WATCH BIRDS. — In looking for birds be careful not to frighten them away. As shyer kinds are almost sure to fly before you in any case, the best way is to go quietly to a good spot and sit down and wait for them to return and proceed with their business unconscious of spec- tators. Do not look toward the sun, as colors will not show against the light. In nesting time, birds may be found at home at any hour, as the nestling's meal-time comes with- out regard for callers ; but during migration, birds are moving, and best seen from 4.30 to 8.30 A. M. and 4 to 8 P. M. If you begin watching birds in the spring, when they are coming back from a winter in the south, you will be kept busy looking up the names of the new arrivals ; but even when intent on the dis- tinguishing marks of the birds, you may make a great many interesting discoveries as to their ways of life. It is one of the pleasures of the season to keep a dated list of the migrants as they come north. The first year this will be exciting from the daily surprises of new arrivals ; and as the years go by it will be of increasing interest from anticipations based on old dates, and the changes that occur with variations of season. (See Appendix, p. 367.) How BIRDS AFFECT VILLAGE TREES, GAR- DENS, AND FARMS. — Village improvement so- xvi INTRODUCTION cieties are doing a great deal to better and beautify our towns ; but in their attempts to pre- serve the trees against the plagues of insects that in late years have descended upon them, they sometimes seem to be baffled by the magnitude of their task. Their best allies in this work have hardly been recognized, and it is most important to understand the nature and extent of the help that may be obtained. The relation of birds to insects is only just becoming known. It is said that two hundred millions of dollars that should go to the farmer, the gardener, and the fruit-grower in the United States are lost every year by the ravages of insects — that is to say, one tenth of our agricultural products is actually destroyed by them. The ravages of the gypsy moth in sections of three counties in Massachu- setts for several years cost the State, annually, $100,000. Now, as rain is the natural check to drought, so birds are the natural check to insects, for what are pests to the farmer are necessities of life to the bird. It is calculated that an average insectivorous bird destroys 100,000 insects in a year ; and when it is remembered that there are over 100,000 kinds of insects in the United States, the majority of which are injurious, and that in some cases a single individual in a year may become the progenitor of several billion descendants, it is seen how much good birds do ordinarily by simple prevention. INTRODUCTION xvil The good they do in cases of insect plagues, like that of the grasshopper scourge in Nebraska and Kansas, is still more marked. Then, as self- constituted militia, they fly to the scene of action and make way with the rioters. An interesting case of this kind was seen in an old orchard in Illinois. The cankerworm had so taken posses- sion that the orchard looked almost as if burned over. Forty different kinds of birds assem- bled in the place to feed upon the worms. One hundred and forty-one of the birds were shot and the contents of their stomachs examined, and more than one third of their food was found to be canker worms ; the feathered army was simply wiping out the horde of worms. A similar case occurred in Massachusetts, and after the visit of the birds a good crop of apples was raised in the orchard which had been devastated. It is well known that, of the various groups of birds, the majority live upon insects ; and while most insectivorous birds probably take some use- ful insects, as far as they have been studied but few eat enough to weigh against the large num- ber of harmful insects they live on throughout the year. Among the insect-eaters are the Fly- catchers, Warblers, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Ori- oles, Goatsuckers, Humrningbirds,Tanagers, Wax- wings, Gnatcatchers, Kinglets, Vireos, Thrushes, Wrens, Titmice, Cuckoos, Swallows, Shrikes, Thrashers, Creepers, and Bluebirds. xvill INTRODUCTION It is not generally known, however, that the so-called seed-eaters both feed their young largely upon insects and eat many themselves ; nor is it realized how much good they do by eating weed seeds. Prof. F. E. L. Beal has calculated that the little Tree Sparrow in Iowa alone destroys 1,720,000 Ibs. of noxious weed seeds every year. Moreover, in summer seed-eaters eat blueberries, huckleberries, 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 protected and encouraged, ex- cept in 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 igno- rant sacrifice of useful birds, constituted the Division of Ornithology, now a part of the Biolo- gical Survey, a court of appeal where accusations against the birds could 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 kinds of seeds and 1,000 species of insects has been brought together for coinpari- INTRODUCTION xix son in determining the character of food-remains found. After the examination of about eighty birds, the only one actually sentenced to death is the Eng- lish Sparrow. Of all the accused Hawks, only three have been found guilty of the charges made against them, — the Goshawk, Cooper's, and the Sharp-shinned, — while the rest are numbered among the best friends of the fruit-grower and farmer. Of the Woodpeckers, the Sapsucker and Red-head may be beneficial or injurious, according to circumstances, as is the Crow Blackbird, but the rest of the family are highly beneficial. The Crow probably does more good than harm in thickly settled parts of the country. To most of the remaining birds tried, the evi- dence is decidedly creditable. The Cherry Bird or Cedar-bird is acquitted as doing more good than harm ; and it is proved that agriculturists owe especial protection and friendship to the Robin, Bluebird, Phoebe, Kingbird, Catbird, Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Rose-breasted Gros- beak, House Wren, Vireos, Cuckoos, Orioles, Shore Lark, Loggerhead Shrike, Wood Thrush, Red- wing, and Meadowlark. So far as it has gone, the examination of the stomach contents of birds has proved that, ex- cept in rare cases where individuals attack culti- vated fruits and grains, our native birds preserve the balance of nature by destroying weeds that xx INTRODUCTION plague the farmer, and by checking the insects that destroy the produce of the agriculturist. The great value of birds is demonstrated. The questions are, how to attract them where they have 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 presence." 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 strung 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 cultivated 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 particularly to note the fact that the mul- berry-trees, which ripen their berries in June, proved 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 INTEODUCTION xxi ripen somewhat earlier; " and he adds: "I believe it would be wise for the farmer to plant rows of these trees near his orchard, and it is possible that the early June berry or shadberry might also be useful in this respect." Professor Beal, who has charge of the stomach examinations in the Biological Survey, suggests planting berry bushes along the roads and fences and between grain fields. To protect strawberries and cherries (May and June), plant Russian mulberry and June berry or shadberry. To protect raspberries and blackberries (July and August), plant mulberry, buckthorn, elder, and choke-cherry. To -protect apples, peaches* grapes (September and October), plant choke-cherries, elder, wild black cherry, and Virginia creeper. To protect winter fruits, plant Virginia creeper, dogwood, mountain ash, bittersweet, viburnum, hackberry, bay berry, and pokeberry. Mulberries are eaten by the Flycatchers, War- blers, Vireos, Cuckoos, Blackbirds, Orioles, Finches, Sparrows, Tanagers, Waxwings, Catbirds, Blue- birds, and Thrushes. Potato beetles are eaten by the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Cuckoo, Quail, Hairy Woodpecker, Che wink, and Whip-poor-will. Tent-caterpillars (which do most harm to apple and cherry trees) are eaten by the Crow, xxn INTRODUCTION Chickadee, Oriole, Red-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 Robin, Crow, Catbird, Loggerhead Shrike, House Wren,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. Scale 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, Bluebird, 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, Woodpeckers. Wood Thrush, Alice's Thrush, and Scarlet Tanager. INTRODUCTION xxill The chinch bug (which eats grain and wheat) is eaten by the Brown Thrasher, Meadowlark, Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Robin, and Bob-white. The wire worm (which causes heavy losses in the cornfield) is eaten by the Red-winged Black- bird, Crow Blackbird, Crow, Woodpeckers, Brown Thrasher, Scarlet Tanager, Robin, Catbird, Balti- more Oriole, Meadowlark, and Cowbird. Crane flies (which eat grass roots in the hay fields) are eaten by the Robin, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Crow, Crow Blackbird, and Red-winged Blackbird. Cotton worms are eaten by the Bluebird, Blue Jay, Red-winded Blackbird, Thrushes, Prairie Chicken, Quail, Kildeer, Bobolink, Mockingbird, Cardinal, Cuckoos, and Swallow-tailed Kite. Gypsy Moth. — Mr. Forbush, ornithologist of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, gives the following list of birds seen to feed on the gypsy moth: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pigeon Woodpecker, Kingbird, Great-crested Fly- catcher, Phoebe, Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Blue Jay, Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Purple Grackle or Crow Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, Chewink, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo-bird, Scarlet Tan- ager, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Yel- low Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black- xxiv IN TE OD UCTION throated Green Warbler, Oven-bird, Maryland Yellow-throated Warbler, American Redstart, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, White- breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Bluebird, and English Sparrow. Grasshoppers and crickets are eaten by the Mockingbird, Thrasher, Bluebird, Wrens, Shore Lark, Goldfinch, Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Junco, Lark Sparrow, Dickcissel, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Cardinal, Chewink, Bobolink, Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Meadowlark, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Crow, Blue Jay, Kingbird, Crow Blackbird, Whip-poor- will, Nighthawk, Swift, Cuckoo, Red-headed Wood- pecker, Flicker, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Marsh Hawk, Sparrow Hawk, Gulls, Swainson's Hawk, Quail, Shrikes, Swallows, Vireos, Robin, Catbird, Screech Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, and Prairie Hen. Army Worm. — In the Massachusetts Crop Re- port for July, 1896, Mr. William R. Sessions gives a list of the birds he has seen feeding on the army worm during the summer : Kingbird, Phoebe, Bobolink, Cowbird, Red-winged Black- bird, Baltimore Oriole, Crow Blackbird, Chip- ping Sparrow, and Robin. How TO KEEP BIRDS ABOUT OUR HOUSES. — 'Protection from enemies, food to live on, and INTRODUCTION XXV suitable nesting sites are the three considerations that determine a bird's place of residence. As insects are most numerous on cultivated land, about houses, gardens, and fields where crops are grown, most birds, if not molested, prefer to live where man does. Their worst enemies are gun- ners and cats. Gunners may be kept away by posting one's woods with signs forbidding shoot- ing, and one's yard may be kept free from cats by fencing. Mr. William Brewster, president of the American Ornithologists' Union, has found after many experiments that the best fence for the pur- pose is tarred fish net or seine, six feet high, at- tached at the top to flexible poles ; at the bottom threaded by rods pinned to the ground by tent pegs. When a cat jumps against this fence, the poles bend toward her so that she falls backwards unable to recover herself or spring over. When we have protected our birds from their enemies, the next thing is to provide them with suitable nesting places. They are particularly fond of tangles of shrubbery ; and by planting a corner of the yard with sunflowers and wild berry- bearing bushes we can at once supply them with food and with good shelter for their nests. Pans of water add greatly to the comfort of birds and attract them to drink and bathe. Birds like Martins, Bluebirds, Wrens, and Chickadees will usually occupy artificial nesting places provided for them — such as cans, gourds, and bird houses. xxvi IN TE OD UCTION In the summer it is a very simple matter to keep the birds about us by supplying the neces- sary conditions; but people who live in the coun- try can get more pleasure from the companionship of birds in winter than summer, and the ques- tion is how to draw the winter ones from the woods. It can be done very easily by taking a little pains to feed them. Bones and a few pieces of suet or the fat of fresh pork nailed to a tree are enough to attract Chickadees, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers, and Blue Jays ; and a rind of salt pork will draw the salt- eating Crossbills when they are in the neighbor- hood. For food that can be blown away or snowed under — such as grain, or crumbs from the table — it is well to nail up boxes with open fronts, placing them with the back to the prevail- ing wind. As some birds prefer to feed on the ground, it is a good thing to keep a space clear of snow under a window, from which food can be thrown without disturbing them : shy birds like Grouse will come more freely to corn or buck- wheat scattered on a barrel under the cover of an evergreen. A window shelf protected by awning is also an admirable thing. Most of these devices have been employed with great success by Mrs. Davenport, in Brattleboro', Vermont. She has fed the birds hemp seed, sun- flower seed, nuts, fine-cracked corn, and bread. As wheat bread freezes quickly, in very cold INTRODUCTION xxvii weather she uses bread made* from one third wheat and two thirds Indian meal. Her flock, during the winter of 1895-96, in- cluded, as daily visitors, seven to ten Blue Jays, more than twenty Chickadees, three Downy Wood- peckers, one Hairy Woodpecker, three Nuthatches, more than forty Tree Sparrows, and one Junco. After the first of February new recruits joined her band — more Juncos, Song Sparrows, Fox Spar- rows, a Redpoll Linnet, and two Red-breasted Nut- hatches ; and in March a Swamp Sparrow came. A flock of Siskins were so tame that when the seed she threw to them' rattled on their backs, they merely shook themselves. In March a flock of Tree Sparrows sang so cheerfully their chorus ' made the March morning like June.' Before the snow had gone, Purple Finches came, and they remained all summer. On June 15, 1896, the birds that came were Purple Finches, Downy Wood- peckers, Nuthatches, Robins, Orioles, Blue Jays, Chipping Sparrows, and sometimes a Scarlet Tanager or a Thrush. Then followed the interest of the nesting season, when the old birds brought their broods to the house to drink and bathe. Alto- gether the response to the hospitality offered the birds was so eager that throughout the year the family almost never had a meal by daylight with- out the presence of birds on the window shelf. The pleasure Mrs. Davenport gets from her flock is particularly worthy of record, because xxviii INTRODUCTION it is open to such a large number of bird-lovers at the cost of a little trouble, and, as she her- self tells us, "however much one may do for the birds, that which comes in the doing is a revelation of sources of happiness not before sus- pected." FIELD COLOR KEY TO ADULT SPRING MALES MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK. I. BRIGHT OR STRIKINGLY-COLORED BIRDS. PAGB A. BLUE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE . . . xxix B. RED CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE . . . xxxi C. YELLOW OR ORANGE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE xxxiii D. BLACK OR BLACK AND WHITE CONSPIC- UOUS IN PLUMAGE xxxviii II. DULL-COLORED BIRDS. A. OLIVE-GREEN OR OLIVE-BROWN . . . xlii B. GRAY OR BLUISH xliii C. BROWN OR BROWNISH xlv [For special keys to Hawks and Owls, see pp. 285, 296.] I. BRIGHT OR STRIKINGLY-COLORED BIRDS. A. BLUE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 1. LARGE ; HEAD CRESTED. 2. Upper parts and band across the white under parts bluish gray ; white ring around head and neck. Found by water. Call, a loud rattle. Plunges into water for fish. p. 157. BELTED KINGFISHER. FIELD COLOR KEY 2'. Upper parts purplish blue, black ring around head and neck ; wings and tail bright blue, barred with black and marked with white. Imitates cries of Hawks. p. 154. BLUE JAY. 1'. SMALL ; HEAD NOT CRESTED. 3- Body wholly blue or blue-black. 4. Shining blue-black ... p. 48. PURPLE MARTIN. 4'. Ultramarine to cerulean blue and green. p. 149. INDIGO BUNTING. 3'. Body not wholly blue or blue-black. 5. Under parts reddish brown. 6. Upper parts steel-blue ; tail deeply forked ; forehead chest- nut. Often seen skimming low over meadows for insects. p. 49. BARN SWALLOW. 6'. Upper parts intense blue ; tail not forked ; forehead blue like back. p. 41. BLUEBIRD. 5'. Under parts not reddish brown. 7. Under parts white throughout ; back steel-blue. Nests in trees or in bird- boxes. p. 194. TREE SWALLOW. 7'. Under parts not white throughout ; back grayish blue. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxi 8. Throat and sides of breast black ; back uniform, or with black markings in mid- dle ; small white spot on wing, which also identifies the dull, buffy olive female. p. 312. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. 8'. Throat and breast yellow, dark band on breast; back with yellowish patch ; two white wing bars. p. 317. PARULA WARBLER. B. RED CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 1. Body mainly brownish. Cap, rump, and under parts pinkish red. Seen in flocks in winter .... p. 236. REDPOLL. V. Body not mainly brownish. 2. GENERAL COLOR GREEN OR RED. 3. Body mainly green or greenish. 4. Scarlet crown patch. Migrant. p. 354. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 4'. No crown patch ; throat glancing ruby- red. p. 1. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 3'. Body mainly red. 5. Bill crossed. Winter visitors that come in flocks with yellowish green females. Gen- erally seen on coniferous trees, p. 234. CROSSBILLS. 5'. Bill not crossed. 6. Wings 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 p. 65. CARDINAL. XXX11 FIELD COLOR KEY T. Head without crest ; bill not thick or red ; no black around base of bill. Female olive-green and yel- lowish p. 173. SUMMER TANAGER. 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. 231. PINE GROSBEAK. &. Small ; summer residents. p. 148. PURPLE FINCH. 2'. GENERAL COLOR BLACK OR BLACK AND WHITE. 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 ; nearly as large as Crow. Found in forests. p. 212. PILEATED WOODPECKER. 10'. Body black and white. 12. Head wholly black or red. 13. Head wholly red; throat red ; belly white ; back and wings black and white in large patches. Often seen on fence posts. p. 131. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxm 13'. Head wholly black. 14. Rose patch on breast ; back black ; rump and belly white ; tail marked with white. Female sparrow-like. p. 166. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 14'. Salmon-red patches on breast ; tail marked with salmon p. 309. REDSTART. 12'. Head not wholly black or red. .15. Top of head red ; throat red or reddish. 16. Breast black, belly yellow. Found from Massa- chusetts northward in summer. p. 208. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 16'. No black on breast ; under parts whitish, washed with red. Common in southern states. p. 211. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 15'. Top of head not wholly red ; throat white. 17. Crown of head black ; a small red spot on each side of back of head; back barred with white. p. 210. RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 17'. Crown of head with scarlet band behind ; back streaked with white. 18. Length 9 to 10 inches. p. 135. HAIRY WOODPECKER. 18'. Length 6 to 7 inches. p. 137. DOWNY WOODPECKER. C. YELLOW OR ORANGE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 1. Whole head, throat, and most of back black. 2. Large ; under parts orange ; no salmon on wings or tail. Builds gray hanging nest, preferably in elms p. 56. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. xxxiv FIELD COLOE KEY 2'. Small ; under parts white, with salmon-red patches on sides of breast, wings, and tail. Tail, when open, fan-shaped, showing sal- mon patches. p. 309. REDSTART. I'. Whole head not black. 3. CROWN BLACK. 4. Throat and breast black ; forehead and cheeks yellow. p. 327. HOODED WARBLER. 4'. Throat -and breast yellow. 5. 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. 5'. Back olive ; sides of throat black. Hunts near ground. Song, a loud ringing klur- weey Tdur-wee, klur-wee. p. 329. KENTUCKY WARBLER. 3'. 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 conspicuously white or yellow. 9. Rump white, breast with black crescent. Large. p. 127. FLICKER. FIELD COLOE KEY xxxv 9'. Rump yellow. Small. 10. Crown with yellow patch ; under parts black, yellow, and white ; white wing bars and white on ends of tail feathers. First Warbler seen in spring and last in fall. p. 310. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. 10'. Crown bluish gray ; under parts yellow, heavily streaked with black ; large blotches of white on wings and middle of tail. p. 324. BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER. 8'. Rump not white or yellow. 11. Throat and sides of breast black; back olive-green, sometimes spotted with black ; cheeks bright yellow ; tail showing white. p. 311. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 11'. Throat yellow. 12. Breast with solid black crescent ; upper parts brown, streaked. White outer tail feathers seen in flight. p. 106. MEADOWLARK. 12'. Breast without solid black crescent. 13. Throat with black spots or blotches forming necklace ; sides 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 WARBLER. xxxvi FIELD COLOR KEY 13'. Throat without necklace. 14. Sides of face and throat black, forming mask. Song, tuitch-ery, witch-ery, witch-ery. p. 315. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 14'. Sides of face and throat without black mask. 15. Entire bird yellow ; under parts streaked with reddish brown. Common in gardens, orchards, and shrubbery and along streams. p. 307. YELLOW WARBLER. 15'. Entire bird not yellow. 16. Back olive-green. 17. Crown with patch of different color. 18. Crown patch orange and yellow, , bordered by black. p. 356. 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. 316. YELLOW RED-POLL. 17'. Crown without color patch. 20. Throat and breast yellow ; belly white or whitish. 21. Wing crossed by two white bars ; eye- ring yellow. p. 301. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxvii 21'. Wing without bars ; eye- ring and line to bill white ; size large ; song loud and varied. p. 331. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 16'. Back not olive- green. 22. Back marked by distinct color patch be- tween wings. 23. Back patch chestnut ; cheeks marked with black; bird mainly yellow, Found in juniper thickets and bushy fields. p. 325. PRAIRIE WARBLER. 23'. Back patch yellow ; bird mainly bluish ; throat 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. Sings in clover and grain fields. p. 224. DICKCISSEL. 24'. Throat without black patch ; crown with patch of yellow or orange. 25. Crown patch orange ; back mainly black ; throat rich orange. p. 326. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. xxxvill FIELD COLOE KEY 25'. Crown patch yellow ; sides chestnut. Back streaked with black ; throat white. p. 318. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. D. BLACK OR BLACK AND WHITE CON- SPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 1. MAINLY OR WHOLLY BLACK OR BLACK- ISH. 2. Wholly black or blackish. 3. Head and neck naked. 4. Skin of head and neck red. Tips of wing feathers conspicuously separated in flight. p. 263. TURKEY VULTURE. 4'. Skin of head and neck black. p. 265. BLACK VULTURE. 3'. Head and neck not naked. 5. Large ; plumage always black, pp. 11, 16. CROWS. 5'. Small ; plumage rusty in fall. p. 101. RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 2'. Not wholly black or blackish. 6. Head and neck brown or purplish. 7. Head and neck brown . . . . p. 98. COWBIRD. 7'. Head and neck purplish. p. 93. CROW BLACKBIRDS. 6'. Head and neck not brown or purplish. 8. Red patches on shoulders. p. 96. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 8'. No red patches on shoulders. 9. Back 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. FIELD COLOR KEY xxxix 10'. Under parts not wholly black ; throat black ; rose patch on breast ; belly and rump white. p. 166. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 9'. Back not marked with white. 11. Throat black, belly white. 12. Sides brown; tail showing white. Seen scratching among dead leaves on ground. p. 181. CHEWINK. 12'. Sides salmon ; tail showing salmon blotches. Seen flitting about undergrowth. p. 309. REDSTART. 1'. NOT MAINLY OR WHOLLY BLACK. 2. Wholly black and white. 3. Striped ; head and under parts not clear white. 4. Cap solid black. p. 321. BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 4'. Cap striped black and white. Seen on tree trunks. p. 314. BLACK AND WHITE CREEPING WARBLER. 3'. Not striped ; head and under parts clear white. 5. Size large ; tail deeply forked. A southern bird of the air. Casual in Massachusetts. p. 283. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 5'. Size small ; tail not forked ; seen in flocks in winter, at which season its back is brownish. p. 223. SNOWFLAKE. xl FIELD COLOR KEY 2'. Not wholly black and white. 6. UNDER PARTS MAINLY YELLOW OR ORANGE. 7. Throat black. 8. Rest of under parts orange ; upper parts black and orange p. 56. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 8'. Rest of under parts yellow ; head yellow and black, back olive .... p. 327. HOODED WARBLER. 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 cheeks. 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. 15. 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. 106. MEADOWLARK. FIELD COLOR KEY xli 16'. Size small ; breast with necklace of black spots ; upper parts gray. p. 322. CANADIAN WARBLER. 6'. UNDER PARTS NOT MAINLY YELLOW OR ORANGE. 17. Top of head red. 18. Back uniformly barred with black and white; under parts whitish, washed with red. p. 211. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 18'. Back divided into black and white areas ; whole head and throat red ; belly white. p. 131. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. IT. Top of head not red. 19. Breast and belly chestnut ; whole head, throat, and most of back black . . p. 61. ORCHARD ORIOLE. 19'. Breast and belly not chestnut ; whole head not black. 20. Front of head and throat white ; back of head and neck blackish ; rest of body mainly grayish ; plu- mage soft and fluffy. Northern birds. 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. 312. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. 21'. Upper parts not blue. 23. Throat white, sides of breast and rump yellow ; breast black. p. 310. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. xlii FIELD COLOR KEY 23'. Throat and sides of breast black ; sides of head yellow, p. 311. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. II. DULL-COLORED BIRDS. PAGE A. OLIVE-GREEN OR OLIVE-BROWN. . . . xlii B. GRAY OR BLUISH xliii C. BROWN OR BROWNISH xlv A. OLIVE-GREEN OR OLIVE-BROWN. 1. UNDER PARTS SPOTTED. . 2. Crown with cap of different color. Crown golden, bordered by black lines. Common in dry woodlands. Song, a cres- cendo teach, or teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher. p. 333. OVEN-BIRD. 2'. Crown without cap of different color. 3. White line over • eye ; under parts streaked with black, except on throat and middle of belly. Wild, shy bird, difficult to approach. p. 336. LOUISIANA WATER- THRUSH. 3'. Buffy line over eye ; under parts — *- in- cluding throat — streaked with black. Comparatively tame and unsuspicious. p. 335. WATER-THRUSH. 1'. UNDER PARTS NOT SPOTTED. 4. Head striped ; top of head with four black lines alternating with yellowish lines. Found in dry, open woodland, near the ground .... p. 337. WORM-EATING WARBLER. 4'. Head not striped. 5. Crown with red or orange patch. p. 357. KINGLETS. FIELD COLOR KEY xliii 5'. Crown without red or orange patch. 6. With wing bars. 7. Conspicuous yellow ring around eye ; eye white. Found in undergrowth. Song emphatic : " Who are you, eh?". . . p. 302. WHITE-EYED VIREO. 7'. No yellow ring around eye ; eye dark. Found by streams in woods. Call, pe-ah-yuk'. p. 254. ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, 6'. Without wing bars. 8. White line over eye. Cap gray, bordered by blackish. Song broken and in triplets. Common everywhere in trees. p. 120. RED-EYED VIREO. 8'. No white line over eye. Head and back uniform olive-gray. Song a sweet flowing warble. Found high in village elms. p. 126. WARBLING VIREO. B. GRAY OR BLUISH GRAY. 1. PLUMAGE DISTINCTLY MARKED WITH BLACK. 2. Throat black. Cap black, back gray. Call, cUck-a-dee. pp. 67, 71. CHICKADEES. 2'. Throat not black. 3. Back bluish. 4. Top of head black ; seen on tree trunks. 5. Under parts white ; no line on side of head. Common resident from Gulf states to Canada. p. 73. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. xliv FIELD COLOR KEY 5'. Under parts brown ; black line on side of head. Winter visitor ; nests mainly in mountains, or north of United States. p. 76. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 4'. Top of head bluish ; not seen on tree trunks. Tail black ; outer feathers white. Flits about actively, catching insects. p. 357. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 3'. Back gray or slate. 6. Crown gray like back ; black bar on side of face ; sides of tail white. Perches in exposed positions. p. 300. SHRIKES. 6'. Crown black ; no black on face ; no white on tail ; under parts slate ; under tail patch reddish brown. Fre- quents thickets. p. 6. [.' PLUMAGE NOT DISTINCTLY MARKED WITH BLACK. 7. Outer tail feathers white ; head not crested. 8. Back and breast slate gray ; belly abruptly white. Common, familiar Snowbird. p. 221. CATBIRD. JUNCO. 8'. Back 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. FIELD COLOE KEY xlv C. BROWN OR BROWNISH. 1. SIZE RATHER LARGE. 2. Conspicuous white patches on wings, tail, or rump. 3. Wings long and pointed. 4. Wings marked with white bar ; no white on rump ; tail forked ; throat white ; no bristles at base of bill. Call, peent, heard as bird flies high in air. 188. NIGHTHAWK. 4'. Wings not marked with white bar ; rump white ; tail not forked . . . .p. 278. MARSH HAWK. 3'. Wings rather short and rounded, not marked with white ; tail not forked. 5. Rump white ; under side of wings and tail yellow ; black crescent on breast ... p. 127. FLICKER. 5'. Rump not white ; under side of wings and tail not yellow. 6. Throat blackish, 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. Top of head not same color as back. Forehead brownish ; back of head bluish slate; tail gradu- ated and showing white bor- ^ dering in flight. p. 29. MOURNING DOVE. xlvi FIELD COLOE KEY T. Top of head same color as back. 8. Head and back bluish slate ; breast pinkish. Outer tail feathers, only, showing grayish white in flight . . . . p. 78. PASSENGER PIGEON. 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. 160. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 9'. Lower half of bill black ; outer tail feathers brown, very narrowly •=-, tipped with white ; wings without rufous ; ring around eye red. p. 163. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 2'. No 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 with- out ruff ; end of tail not barred. p. 37. BOB-WHITE ; QUAIL. RUFFED GROUSE. FIELD COLOR KEY xlvii 1'. SIZE MEDIUM OR SMALL. 2. Breast reddish brown or pinkish. 3. Breast reddish brown ; top of head blackish. p. 17. ROBIN. 3'. Breast and forehead pinkish, p. 31. GROUND DOVE. 2'. Breast not reddish brown or pinkish. 4. Tail ending in needle-like spines ; wings - long, narrow, an£ curved. p. 23. CHIMNEY SWIFT. 4'. Tail not ending in needle-like spines. 5. Head with high crest ; end of tail with yellow band. p. 141. WAX WING. 5'. Head without high crest ; end of tail without yellow band. 6. Forehead and throat yellow ; a slen- der tuft of black feathers over each eye ; a black bar across front of head, and black crescent on breast. p. 261. HORNED LARK. 6'. Forehead and throat not yellow ; no tuft of fea- thers over eyes ; no black bar across head. 7. Tail with white bar across end ; crown with con- cealed orange patch ; under parts whitish. p. 83. KINGBIRD. 7'. Tail without white bar; crown without color patch. 8. Tail showing reddish in flight ; throat pearl gray ; belly yellow ; head moderately crested. p. 255. GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. xlviii FIELD COLOR KEY 8'. Tail not showing reddish in flight ; throat not gray ; belly 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 air for insects, returning to the same perch or another convenient one. p. 260. FLYCATCHERS. 9'. Upper parts not uniform brownish or brownish olive ; body more or less marked. 10. Wings long and powerful ; feet small and weak ; usually seen on the wing. p. 196. SWALLOWS. 107. 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. BROWN CREEPER. 11'. Tail not stiff and pointed, and not used as a prop in climbing. 12. Bill conical for cracking seeds ; color variable ; most-' 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 ; upper parts and tail not barred or streaked ; breast spotted p. 360. THRUSHES. 14'. Size relatively small ; upper parts or tail barred or streaked ; breast not^spotted .... p. 205. WRENS. BIRDS OF yiLLAGE AND FIELD I J: It FIG. 1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird : Trochilus colubris. Adult male, upper parts, bright green; throat, metallic ruby red. Female and young, similar, but without red on throat. Length, about 3| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Florida to Labrador ; winters from southern Florida to Central America. What tantalizing little sprites these airy dart- ers are ! Quietly feeding before the trumpet-vine 2 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD over the piazza one moment, gone with a whirr the next, where, how far, who can say? As the mother bird vanishes and reappears, 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 of 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 EUBY-THEOATED HUMMINGBIRD 3 becomes so great that her nerves quite get the better of her. One mother bird Mr. Torrey was watching at such a time went so far as to leave her tree and 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 shown by a most re- markable exhibition of 'maternal ecstasy.' She came intending to feed a nestling perched on a branch, but then, as a human mother unexpect- edly stops to caress her little one, she opened her wings and circled around her little bird's head. Lighting beside him, her feelings again overcame her, 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 watch- ings thrice over, and even now I feel my heart growing warm at the recollection of it." " Strange thoughtlessness, is it not," he asks pertinently, " which allows mothers capable of such passionate devotion — tiny, defenseless things — to be slaugh- tered by the million for the enhancement of woman's charms ! " While the mother is so devotedly caring for her little ones, what is the father doing ? That seems to be the 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 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD reports, only two were favored by the presence of the male, as far as the evidence went. On the other hand, Mr. Torrey himself watched one male who, whether a householder or a bachelor, devoted 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 worth clearing up. Such conduct must 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 Hum- 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 4 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- RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 5 velous ends of the great mother Nature ; for while the plants supply them with food, they in turn leave the flowers laden with rich pollen, carrying it on their rounds, and leaving it where it will give new life to other blossoms. How perfectly the little feathered messenger is fitted for his task ! See the long bill that enables him to probe the flower tubes. Watch him as he feeds before a honeysuckle. There he stands as steadily as though perched on a branch, held up by the whirring mill fan-wings whose rapid motion renders them almost invisible. What power is lodged in those inch-long feathers ! In autumn they will bear him away over rivers, over mountains, far from the snow-covered north, to the land of the orange and palm. In nature the race is to the swift, and surely these little Hummingbirds are well fitted to com- pete with their fellows. Even their dress is per- fectly adapted to the conditions of their lives. To attract the favor of his lady, the Hummingbird wooer has a throat of flaming ruby ; while she, to whom a flashing gorget would bring danger at the nest, is clad in quiet green ; and the young, untaught in the ways and dangers of the great world, are dressed in the inconspicuous tints of their mother. CATBIRD FIG. 2. Catbird : Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Body, slate gray ; cap and tail, black ; patch under base of tail, reddish brown. Length, about 9 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeds from the northern por- tion of the Gulf states to New Brunswick ; west to the Rocky Mountains and Saskatchewan ; winters from Florida southward to Panama. To any one who really knows him, it seems almost incredible that this much loved bird of our gardens and homes, this Mockingbird of the north, should be the subject of persecution, but so it often is ; for however much the birds trust us, and whatever pleasure they give us, if they chance to help themselves to ever so little of our fruit — material creatures that we are — all the rest is CATBIED 1 forgotten, and they are at once doomed. Ordi- narily the Catbirds take such a small fraction of the growing fruit that we should be glad to share with them, and even when they take more, a third of their diet for the year is still made up of inju- rious insects. Putting aside all sentiment, how- ever, as a simple matter of economics it is bad policy to destroy any bird, except as a last resort. As has been said by Mr. Judd, one of the govern- ment examiners of their food, " by killing the birds their services as insect-destroyers would be lost, so the problem is to keep both the birds and the fruit." The study of this problem has led to a most important discovery, that some birds, the Catbird among the number, actually prefer wild fruit to cultivated. Most of the complaints of depredations come from parts of the country where there is little wild fruit. From this it will be seen that by planting berry-bearing bushes and trees it may be possible to prevent losses to cultivated fruits, and at the same time attract more birds, and so secure their much-needed help in destroying insect pests. A slight idea of the good the Catbird does in destroying pests may be had from the fact that 30 grasshoppers have been found in each of 5 Catbird stomachs, while one third of the bird's food is made up of in- sects. Experiments have shown that he prefers the red mulberry to cherries and strawberries ; and stomach examinations show that he eats twice 8 CATBIRD as much wild fruit as cultivated. He is reported to do much more harm in the central United States, where wild fruits are scarce, than near the coast, where they are abundant. Mr. Judd suggests that where he does damage to cherries and strawberries, such crops can be protected by planting the prolific Russian mulberry, which also affords good food for domestic fowls. In speak- ing of the Catbird's diet, Mr. Nehrling, who has made a special study of the food of birds, assures us that the Catbird's " usefulness as a destroyer of innumerable noxious insects cannot be estimated too highly," that " it is a service compared with which the small allowance of fruit it steals is of little importance ; " for " from early morning to sunset it watches over the fruit-trees and kills the insects that would destroy them or their fruit." " Of course it takes its share, especially of cherries, but for every one it takes, it eats thousands of insects ; " and the economist con- cludes wisely, " Where there are no small birds there will be little fruit." When feeding their young, the Catbirds are continually bringing them numbers of caterpillars, grasshoppers, moths, bee- tles, spiders, and other insects, and in the south the numbers are doubled, as the birds raise two broods. The old birds often begin preparing for the second family a few days after the first has left the nest; but, while the female is engaged, the CATBIRD 9 male takes care of the first brood, warning, feed- ing, and guiding them till, by the time the second brood claim the father's attention, the first know how to care for themselves. " That the parents love their young exceedingly," as Mr. Nehrling says, " is evident on approaching the nest. With anxious cries, with ruffled plumage, and drooping wings they flutter about the intruder." If re- assured by kindness, though, they become very trustful, and discriminate only against those they do not know. One pair which the ornithologist watched " 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 cackled, 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 such a commotion they warn other birds and 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 CATBIRD blue, and might well excite the pride of any mother bird. While the Catbird's reputed power of mimicry is very great, some consider its song almost entirely original. Besides the song, and the mew- ing call that has given the bird its name, Mr. Bicknell, in his valuable paper on ' The Singing of our Birds,' calls attention to another " charac- teristic vocal accomplishment — a short, sharp, crackling sound, like the snapping of small fag- ots" — which, 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. For several summers 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, whose rose-covered trellises and rich masses of fragrant blooming lilacs, flowering shrubs, and encircling trees made a favorite resting-place for feathered travelers in spring and fall, and the chosen home of many birds in summer. Of all those that built in the garden, the Catbird was the pet and comrade of the garden's hospitable owner. When she threw open her blinds in the morning, he would fly up and call till she came out and answered him ; then he would seat himself con- tentedly and pour out his morning song. During the day he would often call her to the window or AMERICAN CROW 11 door in the same way, never resting till she whistled back to him. His nest was in a tangle beside the garden fence, which ran under a cover of bushes ; and after he had promenaded back and forth on it all day, attending to his domestic duties, at sunset he would fly to his favorite branch in the garden to sing before his sympa- thetic friend. And so, through the soft twilight, as she sat alone looking out upon the flaming poppies, opening yellow primroses, and tall stately lilies, cheered and enraptured she would listen to his impassioned sunset song. That the friendly bird was really attracted to the garden by his love of human companionship was shown pre- sumably one spring, for his gentle mistress was away from home when he came north, and though the garden was blooming, it apparently seemed deserted to him, for he went elsewhere to build his nest. When the old lady returned she missed him sadly, but later she was satisfied that it was he who sometimes appeared in the garden at sun- set and sang to her in the home trees. American Crow : Corvus americanus. Entirely black, with steel-blue or purplish reflections. Length, about 19j inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, from the fur countries to Mexico ; winters from the northern United States southward. Crows are known to every one, and most of us have seen long lines of them straggling across the 12 AMERICAN CROW sky at sunset, and have watched the black proces- sions, more scattered and flying low, as the birds 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 ; fory if they do not gather to talk things over, it is surely the social instinct that moves them. In some places, as many as 300,000 gather at these nightly roosts, scattering to their feeding grounds 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 country, for the farmers are much troubled by the sight of the birds in the corn- fields. Professor Beal 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 may compensate for it by eating noxious species at another. When the Crows are actually eating- corn, however, the dangling, dejected-looking effigies 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 quarts of corn used in this way will protect a field of eight to ten acres. Professor Seal's conclusions regarding this much-discussed bird are, that " in the 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 planted with no provision against possible ma- rauders, if hens and turkeys are allowed to nest and to roam FlG- 3- ..,.,. , T Grasshopper, eaten extensively by with their broods at ' Crowg a distance from farm buildings, losses must be expected." It cer- tainly seems worth while to take a little trouble to make the Crows harmless, for they eat so many 14 AMERICAN CROW grasshoppers, tent-caterpillars, May beetles, and other pests that their service in destroying inju- rious insects can hardly be overestimated. When gypsy moths are stripping the woods of their foliage, the old Crows often take their young to feed on them ; besides this, they kill so many 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 this, and, when not tarring the corn, take the trouble to feed the birds old corn during the time when they 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 in peculiar pursuits. Doctor Mearns found him FIG. 4. Footprint of Crow. AMERICAN CROW 15 fishing through the ice on the Hudson, watching at the fissures in the ice alongshore, at low tide, pulling out whatever fish were passing. And we are told by Mr. A. M. Frazer of an original pet Crow who had a way of his own to rid himself of parasites. He would " deliberately take his stand upon an ant mound and permit the ants to crawl over him and carry away the troublesome vermin." The intelligence of the Crow is also seen at O the nest, where his domestic virtues shine out brightly. To cradle his heavy young, he picks out strong twigs and carries them high up in a treetop, and, when the nest is done, stands guard over his handsome green eggs, and later his young, by keenly scrutinizing all passing gunners and boys of evil intent. Nuttall ascribes strong family affection to the Crows. He thinks they remain mated through life, and says that, not only does the male feed his mate on the nest and brood the eggs in her absence, but when the young have left the nest, both old birds "con- tinue the whole succeeding summer to succor and accompany their offspring in all their undertak- ings and excursions." 16 FISH CROW Fish Crow : Corvus ossifragus. Entirely black, more glossy than the common Crow, and usually much smaller. Length, 16 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Gulf and Atlantic coast as far north as southern Connecticut ; resident except at the extreme northern part of its range. In Washington the Fish Crows are very com- mon, and the black figures may often be seen on the towers of the Smithsonian, when their raven- like croak may be plainly heard and interpreted as a solemn ' never more ' by jocose ornithologists discussing their stuffed brothers inside. In the National Zoological Park they are more common than the ordinary Crow, and may be seen wading in the shallows of Rock Creek. When the other Crows are with them, they may still be readily known, if not by their smaller size, by their hoarse, guttural car, which Mr. Burroughs de- scribes as less masculine than the clear, strong caw of the American Crow. ROBIN 17 FIG. 5. Robin : Merula migratoria. Adults, upper parts blackish brown ; under parts bright red- dish brown ; throat striped black and white ; corners of tail white. Young in nesting plumage, spotted with black. Length, 10 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeds from the mountains of the Carolinas and Virginia westward to the Great Plains, and northward to the arctic coast ; winters from southern Canada and the northern states (irregularly) southward. Though the Eobin is a common bird, he is un- commonly interesting, because he is an old friend, and so secure of our friendship that he lets us share his home life as few birds will. Great 18 ROBIN intelligence was shown by a Robin family of my acquaintance, 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 disciplining the greedy, carefully feeding the weak ; and finally, when the tremulous nestlings were launched on their own wings, in teaching them caution, and driving off their enemies sometimes, in cases of extraordinary danger, by rousing the neighbor- hood against the threatening monsters. What human tenderness the old birds show in their family relations, not only in caring for their little ones, but in the 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 his 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 Robin, 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 song 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 O renewed interest. Mr. William Brewster has EOBIN 19 announced that, as the Crow resorts to roosts in winter and after the nesting season, the Robin betakes him to similar roosts before and dur- ing the nesting season, sometimes as many as 25,000 birds being found together.1 Most com- monly, the male Robin seems to go to the nightly roosts with his first brood of big spotted young while his mate is on the nest with her second set of eggs or young. At first this seems too much like the club habit which affects family men of larger growth, but 011 closer examination it proves very harmless. Mr. Walter Faxon, a close ob- server of a roosting father bird, found him a most exemplary Robin. He did not leave home till nearly sunset, after he had fed his little family of young for the night. Then he flew to the top of a spruce-tree, and, "after singing a good-night to his wife and babies, took a direct flight for the roost." Then next morning the " model husband and father returned to his fam- ily at 3.40 (sunrise, 4.29), his arrival being an- nounced by his glad call and morning song." Indeed, far from interfering with family life, the summer Robin roosts have an important office to fulfill, for in going to them the young birds are taught to follow the lead of their parents, and so prepared for the migration that is before them. On their way south, near St. Louis, Mr. Otto Widmann has found the Robins roosting in winter 1 The Auk, vol. vil. No. iv. p. 360; The Footpath Way, p. 153. 20 ROBIN in a tract of reeds.1 In ordinary win- ters they probably remain till spring, he thinks, but when severe weather comes presumably go on to roosts still farther south. As the Robin is particularly fond of wild fruit, he can winter comfortably wherever wild berries still cling to the bushes. This diet seems to agree with him, though nearly half his food for the year is animal. He not only eats wasps, bugs, spiders, angle-worms, and a large number of grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars, but destroys the March fly larvae that injure the grass in the hay- field. He also ate the army worm that invaded the country in 1896 (Fig. 6). The Eobin has been accused of taking cultivated fruit, but examinations show that less than 5 per cent, of his food is grown by man. As Professor Bruner, the author of ' Birds of Nebraska,' and one of the close students of bird econ- omy, pertinently remarks : " He is a poor business man who pays ten dollars for that which he knows must later be sold for fifteen cents or even less. Yet I have known of instances where a Robin that had saved from ten to fif- 1 The Auk, vol. xii. No. i. p. 1. BOBIN 21 teen bushels of apples that were worth a dollar per bushel, by clearing the trees from canker- worms in the spring, was shot when he simply pecked one of the apples that he had saved for the grateful or ungrateful fruit-grower." Professor Beal, who has made a study of the Robin question, suggests that as the Russian mulberry ripens at the same time as the cherry, if those who complain that the Robin eats their cherries will only plant a few mulberry bushes around their gardens or orchards, they will probably protect the more val- uable fruit. The wild fruits the Robin eats are of interest to most bird-lovers as showing what can be planted not only to prevent the bird from doing harm, but to attract him about our homes. The wild fruits found in his stomach are dogwood, wild grapes, wild black cherry, choke-cherry, bird cherry, mulberry, greenbrier berry, cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, holly berry, elderberry, hackberry, service berry, spice berry, hawthorn, bittersweet, Virginia creeper, moonseed, mountain ash, black haw, barberry, pokeberry, strawberry bush, juniper, persimmon, saw palmetto, Califor- nia mistletoe, and bayberry. Many of these berries remain on the bushes till winter, and so keep the birds from going south for food, for the Robin will linger if he can find anything to live on. Doubtless it was imagina- tion, for others report differently, but the Robins I saw in Florida sat around in the orange groves 22 WOOD THRUSH with a homesick air, as if they were only waiting till time to start home again. When they do come back, what good cheer they bring with them ! I remember one long winter spent in the country when it seemed that spring would never come. At last one day the call of a Robin rang out, and on one of the few bare spots made by the melting snow there stood the first redbreasts ! It was a sight I can never forget, for the intense delight of such moments make bright spots in a lifetime. Wood Thrush : Turdus mustelinus. (See Fig. 220, p. 361.) Upper parts warm brown, brightest on head ; under parts white, heavily spotted with black. Length, about 83- inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; breeds as far north as Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Ontario ; win- ters in Central America. The Wood Thrush is probably the best known and the most familiar of the thrushes. In Nor- wich, Connecticut, I have seen it nesting close by the sidewalk of a village street. Its large size, heavily spotted breast, and the rich golden brown of its back, brightest on its head, distinguish it from the other thrushes. Its nest is sometimes near the ground, but usually fifteen to twenty-five feet above it. The nest is made largely of leaves, and has an inner wall of mud, like that of its cousin the Robin, and its eggs are similar to the Robin's. CHIMNEY SWIFT 23 The call note of the Wood Thrush is a rapid pit-pit ; his song a calm, rich melody which, heard beside the chorus of spring songs, chattering Wrens, loquacious Yireos, and jovial Catbirds, Thrashers and Chats, sets vibrating chords that none of the others touch. As a young woman told me once, after first hearing the Thrush : " I don't know what it is, but," putting her hand on her heart, " it makes me feel queer." Indeed, the song is so distinct one does not need to build up associations in order to appreciate it, as is the case with so many songs, but can at once feel the quieting touch of its hymn-like melody. Chimney Swift : Chcetura pelagica. (Plate II. p. 24.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeds from Florida to Labra- dor ; west to the Great Plains ; winters in Mexico and Central America. Among the commonest birds seen in the sky over a New England village are the Swifts. They are dark little birds, who row through the air like racers, twittering socially as they go. Sometimes as you watch them on a village street you will see them suddenly stop short and pitch down the black mouth of a chimney, for it is now only the most old-fashioned ones who nest in hollow trees. In many inland towns, attention is attracted to the Swifts by their habit of roosting at night in 24 CHIMNEY SWIFT the large chimneys of church or court-house. In Wooster, Ohio, Mr. Oberholser has seen as many as a thousand about the court-house, and large numbers have been noted in Norwich, Conn. It is interesting to watch their movements. As Nuttall says, when the birds go to roost, " before descending, they fly in large flocks, making many ample and circuitous sweeps in the air ; and as the point of the vortex falls, individuals drop into the chimney by degrees, until the whole have descended." However much we believe in change of scene, it seems odd for a balloonist to live in a cellar, to be coursing about among the stars one moment, hung up on the wall of a dark sooty flue the next; but the Swifts are quite put to it, for it would be very bad form, in fact do outrage to all the 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 in a hollow tree or chimney. They even gather their nesting materials on the wing, break- ing off bits of twig in their feet and, it is said, with their bills, literally, in passing. Accord- ingly, as by our deeds the world knows us, their wings are developed till they look like strips of cardboard more than bunches of feathers, out- doing those of their Hummingbird connections, who transact their business as they go. On the other hand, their feet, like those of Chinese ladies, PLATE II. — CHIMNEY SWIFT Sooty, throat whitish ; wings long and slender ; tail tipped with spines. Length, about 5| inches. CHIMNEY SWIFT 25 FIG. 7. Weak foot of Chimney Swift. are so little used that they are small and weak (Fig. 7). They serve mainly as pic- ture-hooks, for the birds hook them over the edge of the nest or into a crack in the chimney, and proceed to go to sleep hanging like pictures on a wall. Even when thus employed, the feet do not have to do the 4 whole duty of man ' ; for the tail comes in to act as a prop, being bent under the bird to brace against the wall. Doubtless, by this habit, the end of the tail has gradually lost its feathery 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 good enough to eat mainly what are to us either disagreeable or positively injurious insects — they have wide gaping mouths and tiny bills, in marked contrast to the Hummingbirds, which, though in the same order, have with different food habits developed in the opposite direction, and have long probe-like bills to suit their needs (Figs. 9 and 10). Another phase of this wonderful adaptation of form to habit is shown when the Swift comes to FIG. 8. Tail feather of Chimney Swift, used to brace against wall. 26 CHIMNEY SWIFT FIG. 9. Short, widely gap- ing bill of Swift. FIG. 10. Long, probe-like bill of Hummingbird. build its nest. It would be quite impossible for an ordinary bird to fasten a wall-pocket of twigs to a .perpendicular chimney, but the Swift is pro- vided with a sali- vary glue that de- fies anything but heavy rain, actu- ally having been known to hold firm when the brick to which it had glued the nest was broken away. Nature selects beneficial qualities rigorously, or rather the struggle for life is so intense that only the best fitted survive to hand down their charac- ters to their race ; but Nature makes no meaning- less display. Eggs are colored because they are exposed to enemies, and those whose colors best disguise 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. There is no force 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 would 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- CHIMNEY SWIFT 27 plished it by building a miniature chimney, a wooden shaft eighteen inches square and six feet high, on top of a flat tower where he could look down on the birds at will. It is encouraging to read that it was occupied the day after it was completed. In studying his tenants, Mr. Wid- mann found that the birds cannot build in damp weather, as the glue must have dry air to harden in. As only a small amount of this glue is secreted daily, nest-building, with the interrup- tions of rainy days, sometimes takes nearly three weeks. One pair of Mr. Widmann's birds spent two days in laying their foundation, besmearing the wall and fastening the first sticks to it. When the first egg was laid, ten days later, the nest was only half done, and from that time, curiously enough, building and laying went on together. When the young were two weeks old, Mr. Wid- mann could not find them when he went to the chimney ; but while wondering what had become of them, one of the parents came with food, and he discovered that " all four were huddling side by side, hanging on the wall immediately below the nest and entirely hidden from view above." The next week, Mr. Widmann says, " I was still more surprised when, bending my head over the shaft, the youngsters jumped right against my face with a strong, hissing noise, which I believe must be a very effective means of frightening unsuspecting visitors." When the brood actually 28 CHIMNEY SWIFT left the chimney for several nights they were brought back by the parents. Doctor Brewer notes that Swifts often feed their young quite late into the night, and this can readily be believed by those who have heard the rumbling and roaring in chimneys where they live. Mr. Chamberlain, in his notes on Canadian birds, tells us that the first flight 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 of bird life which bring these children of the air* very close to the 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 recorded where the parent was seen to enter a chimney in a burn- ing house, even after the entire roof was a mass of flames, preferring to perish with its offspring rather than forsake them. A most remarkable case of devotion is cited in the Life Histories from Forest and Stream. A full month after the other Swifts had gone south for the winter, an old bird was discovered bringing food to one of its young which had fallen from the nest, and had MOURNING DOVE 29 become so entangled in a hair that it could not get out of the chimney. The note says : " His anxious mother who had cast in her lot with him, to remain and to die with him, for the time of insects was about gone, came into the chimney and actually waited beside me while I snipped the strong hair and released him." As Major Bendire comments, from his sympathetic know- ledge of bird life : " This instance certainly shows a tender side of bird nature, and such instances are far more common than they appear to be, if we could only see them." Mourning Dove : Zenaidura macroura. General coloring fawn ; under parts pinkish ; sides of the neck with metallic pink reflections ; a small black mark below the ear ; tail showing a bordering of black and white in flight. Young, feathers tipped with whitish. Length, about 12 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, breeding from Cuba north to southern Canada and New England, and win- tering from southern Illinois and New York to the Greater Antilles and Panama. It is pleasant to know that this beauti- ful Dove is a familiar resident of most of the United States, for it is one of our most attrac- tive birds. Sometimes we see the soft fawn- colored creature look- FIG. 11. Mourning Dove. 30 MOURNING DOVE ing out at us from the foliage of a tree, turning its head from side to side to inspect us, while its mate calls solicitously, " cooo-o, ah-coo-o-o — coo- o-o — coo-o-o ; " again, we see it walking along the ground, moving its head back and forth with the peculiar motion of the Doves ; then we hear a musical whirr as it passes swiftly through the air beside us, and on looking up catch sight of the FIG. 12. Tail of Mourning1 Dove. white circlet of its long vanishing tail (Fig. 12) ; or perhaps watch it soar low over the bushes with wings stiffly spread till it gets near the nest, when it alights with a wabbling motion of wings and tail. But the pleasantest part of this acquaintance comes when we visit the bird at its nest. To be sure it does not always build where there are peo- ple. In the dry part of Arizona, Major Bendire found it nesting a long distance from water, so far that it could only go to drink twice a day,-but GROUND DOVE 31 its habit was so well known that old mountaineers followed it when in search of water. In the east, however, when sure of protection the Dove will make its home in our gardens. In southern California one gentle brooding bird let me come close under her loose twig nest to talk to her, though her mate was troubled at first, for he is a watchful and devoted guardian. Major Bendire thinks the pairs remain mated through the year, as they are seen together summer and winter. Indeed, the name ' Turtle Dove ' which has become synonymous with tenderness and affec- tion is more appropriate than the name Mourning Dove, for with long familiarity the low cooing, which at first seems mournful, sounds more tender and soothing than sad. At times the bird seems almost to speak its own Latin name, ma-crou-ra; but at all events its sweet musical call bespeaks the gentle nature of the Dove. Ground Dove : ColumUgallina passerina terrestris. Adult male, forehead and under parts pinkish ; top of head gray ; back brownish ; wings showing reddish brown in flight ; tail blackish. Adult female, similar, but forehead and under parts almost without pink. Length, 6| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — South Atlantic and Gulf states; north to North Carolina ; west to Texas ; more common near the coast than inland. In the south, this little Dove makes a pretty picture of trustfulness as it walks down the streets of the towns. But the tourists, who should 32 EUFFED GROUSE be most anxious to preserve the beautiful objects of the countries they visit, have done their best to destroy it ; and as the friendly birds are also victims of the millinery craze, they are fast being killed off. In Florida they are particularly fond of the orange groves, but in Bermuda they may be found almost anywhere. Near the shore one day I stopped under a small red cedar, when to my astonishment one of the Doves came tumbling down almost upon my head. When it fluttered off trailing, I looked up in the cedar and was delighted to discover a nest among the branches. The birds are noted for their devotion to their young, and this was only another touching in- stance of the way they will endanger their own lives to save those of their little ones. In feeding their nestlings, these as well as other Doves regurgitate the food they have taken into their crops, and when it is mixed with the milky fluid which softens it give it to the tender young in a form that makes appropriate the fabled name of 'Pigeon's milk.' Ruffed Grouse : Bonasa umbellus and races. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Northern North America ; north in the eastern states to British Provinces ; south to middle states, and in the mountains to northern Georgia ; resident. Walk through the market and you will recog- nize pathetic strings of game hanging by their BUFFED GEOUSE 33 necks in the shambles. The beauty and life of the poor birds being gone, they seem without in- terest. But walk through a Partridge woods and the presence of the living birds in the shadowy forest lends it charm and new delight. You are startled by a loud whirr, and a covey of birds, before invisible, rises from almost un- der your feet, whirling away through the bushes so fast your eye can scarcely follow their flight. As they disappear you berate your dull- ness, for they look so large it seems inexcusable that you have not discovered them. They are almost the size of the domestic fowls, to which they are related ; but though they walk about on the ground like hens, their soft wood-colors tone in with the colors of the sunlit brown leaves, and neutralize the light so perfectly that it is a diffi- cult matter to see them. They are protectively colored, we have been accustomed to say, meaning •that they approach the colors of their surround- FIG. 13. Ruffed Grouse. 34 BUFFED GROUSE ings, being ground-color to match the ground, as the Hummingbird is green to match the green leaves on the trees he frequents, and as the desert birds are sand-color and the arctic ones white to match the snow. But Mr. Abbott H. Thayer, the artist, has shown that there is something more than mere color likeness in protective coloration, a marvelous gradation of tint to counteract the effects of light and shade. As he states the law : " Animals are painted by nature, darkest on those parts which tend to be most lighted by the sky's light, and vice versa" 1 that is, darker above and lighter below. He demonstrates this most conclusively by means of pictures of birds as they are in nature, in contrast to those in which he has painted the under parts uniform with the dark up- per parts, or, as he says, " extended the protective coloration all over them." As we look at the pic- tures, the natural birds are almost invisible, seem scarcely to exist; while the painted ones stand out boldly, unmasked, before us (Plate III.). The Grouse is one of the best examples of this wonderful law of adaptation, of the gradation of tints ; and it is also a wonderful example of pure color correspondence to surroundings, and the use of color pattern to disguise form. When the brooding bird sits on her buffy eggs at the foot of a tree, the white that is mixed with the dark brown of her back matches the effect of sunlight 1 The Auk, vol. xiii. No. ii. p. 125. I Is $ tf PL, «< li H ^£ w ,_ §a o o Q^ i. §1 o P p I 05 & ^ s h pO O t>, S 3 -a il § II £W t3 « O t> 05 H Og S ^ ns cS s g P § S^5 -s HUFFED GROUSE 35 on the brown leaves so well that it is hard to tell where the leaves end and the bird begins. Then the dark band crossing the end of her tail breaks the tail form. The Grouse is well adapted to the needs of its life in matters of form as well as coloration. As it spends its time on the ground, it has a strong foot, like that of the hen and pheasant, its con- geners, in contrast to the weak perching foot of the air-dwelling Swift. (See Fig. 7, p. 25.) In 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 fringed so that they serve admirably for snowshoes. The 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 formed for musical instruments. The domestic rooster claps his as he crows; but the Grouse when moved to song instead of crowing beats the air with his wings till it resounds with his 36 RUFFED GEOUSE resonant drumming. He often does this at night in spring and fall, and has been known to drum by moonlight when the snow was on the ground and the mercury near zero. He usually has one special drumming 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 preserves ; but it can easily be accomplished. Protect your woods with signs forbidding hunting, and in winter when 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 pretty footprints in 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, stroll- ing along the wooded edge of a meadow, daintily picking wild strawberries under the eye of their mother. She clucks to them, and when they have had their fill squats on the ground and takes them under her protecting wings like a devoted hen. The Partridge is an anxious parent, decoy- BOB- WHITE 37 ing the observer away from her young with signs of great distress. Wilson, of the classic trium- virate, Audubon, Wilson, and Nuttall, gives a most interesting experience of his with a Par- tridge who had only one young bird, and on being overtaken, after fluttering before him for a mo- ment, " suddenly darting toward the young one, seized it in her bill and flew off." Bob-white : Colinus virginianus. Adult male, upper parts wood-brown ; throat and line from bill to neck white ; black patch on breast ; rest of under parts whitish barred with black. Adult female, similar, but throat buff y , and black of breast less or absent. Length, 1.0 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States from southern Maine and the Dakotas southward to the Gulf of Mexico ; resident wherever 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 F it has been practi- BoWhite. cally exterminated, attempts have recently been made to reestablish it. 38 BOB-WHITE It eats the potato beetle — seventy-five potato bugs were found in one Quail stomach — and it is par- ticularly fond of the moth that lays the egg that produces the injurious, omnivorous cutworm. As each moth lays multitudes of eggs, the destruction of a few thousands of moths at the right time FIG. 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 Quail, 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 BOB-WHITE 39 relatives the Grouse they do not migrate, and in severe storms often huddle together and are buried, when, if a crust forms over them, they are unable to get out, and die in large numbers. Those who know the Quail in the field are familiar with his delightful call of Sob-white, a loud clear whistle that locates him at a long dis- tance. It is such a striking note that once, when a single Quail strayed beyond his usual limits in northern New York, he was fairly driven back by the excited dogs of the neighborhood, for at sound of his whistle they would go bounding over the fields toward him, as if in answer to the call of their masters. The result of this reception of the stranger was a sore disappointment to the observers of the locality, for Bob-white is one of the most delightful birds to study. There are few prettier sights than a family of old Quail with their young walking about fear- lessly in a woodland meadow. The bird's domes- tic life is particularly interesting from the part the male plays in the family, helping to build the nest, feeding his mate on the eggs, and, in case of her death, brooding in her place. Doctor Brewer, in his biographies of North American birds, gives a graphic account of meeting with a male engaged in the care of his brood. " They did not see me until I was close upon them," he says, " when the old bird, a fine old male, flew directly towards me, and tumbled at my feet as if in a 40 KEY TO GROUSE AND QUAIL dying condition, giving at the same time a shrill whistle, expressive of intense alarm. I stooped and put my hand upon his extended wings, and could easily have caught him. The young birds, at the cry of the parent, flew in all directions, and their devoted father soon followed them, and began calling to them in a low cluck." The Bob-white like the Partridge readily re- sponds to protection, and when not shot at will become very tame, even nesting about houses and gardens. For three successive years Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright had broods raised in a tangle in her garden, old and young ranging in the neigh- borhood during the summer, but in the shooting season returning to hide under a protecting hem- lock hedge. The Ruffed Grouse and Bob-white are the only members of their family we are likely to meet, and there is no question of confusing such hen-like birds with those of any other family, while there is little danger of mistaking one for the other. Key to Male Grouse and Quail. Common Characters. — Hen-like birds that live on the ground. 1. Large (length about 17 inches). Ruffs on shoulders ; dark bands on tail . . p. 32. RUFFED GROUSE. 1'. Small (length about 10 inches). No ruffs on shoulders or bands on tail. p. 37. BOB-WHITE. BLUEBIRD 41 FIG. 16. Bluebird : Sialia sialis. Adult male, upper parts deep blue ; throat and breast reddish brown; belly white. Adult female, upper parts grayish blue ; under parts duller. Young, in nestling1 plumage, spotted with whitish. Length, about 7 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; breeds from the Gulf states to Manitoba and Nova Scotia ; winters from southern Illinois and southern New York southward. Although the Bluebird did not come over in the Mayflower, it is said that when the Pilgrim Fathers came to New England this bird was one of the first whose gentle warblings attracted their notice, and, from its resemblance to the beloved Kobin Eedbreast 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 BLUEBIED in the affections of the people. The bird houses that were put up for it insured its presence in villages and city parks until the introduction of the House Sparrow, but since that time the old familiar friend has had to give way before the quarrelsome stranger. Mr. Nehrling, however, gives us the grateful information that by a simple device the Bluebird boxes may be protected from the Sparrow. It seems that the Sparrow, being no aeronaut, — not to say of earthly mind, — finds difficulty in entering a hole unless there is a perch beside it where, as it were, he can have his feet on the ground. The Bluebird, on the con- trary, aside from his mental 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, which 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 cypress 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 BLUEBIBD 43 and capped at each end to keep out the rain. It should then be fastened securely to a branch or tree trunk with strong wire. Bird houses of some sort are especially necessary on the prairie and in other regions where few natural nesting sites are to be found. One of the most effective ways to attract the Bluebird, however, is by planting wild berry- bearing bushes, particularly in the west, where such bushes do not grow naturally. For while three quarters of the Bluebird's food consists of grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and similar insects, and it is " exceedingly useful to the horti- culturist and farmer, destroying myriads of larvae and insects which would otherwise increase and multiply to the great injury of vegetation," the Bluebird is not a bird of one idea, but extends his dietary to wild fruits, and by means of them may be brought about our houses. A variety of bushes can be planted, for he has been found to eat bird cherry, chokeberry, dogwood, bush cran- berry, huckleberry, greenbrier, Virginia creeper, strawberry-bush, juniperberry, bittersweet, poke- berry, false spikenard, partridgeberry, holly, rose haws, sumac, and wild sarsaparilla. Wilson, in speaking of the Bluebird engaged in courting his mate, says in his delightful way : " If a rival makes his appearance, ... he quits her in a moment, attacks and pursues the in- truder as he shifts from place to place, in tones 44 HOUSE WEEN that bespeak the jealousy of his affection, con- ducts him, with many reproofs, beyond the ex- tremities of his territory, 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 him, 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-ly, tru-al-ly. Ignoring our presence, he seems preoccupied with unfath- omable thoughts of field and sky. House %Wr en : Troglodytes addon. Upper parts, wings, and tail brown, finely barred with black ; • under parts whitish. Length, 5 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds as far north as Manitoba and Maine ; and winters from South Carolina southward. Crows, Doves, Hummingbirds, 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 HOUSE WEEN 45 the modest Grouse and Quail, very different from the long ones of the more aspiring Doves, Hummingbirds and Swifts (see Fig. 19 and Fig. 100, p. 190). They are jolly little tots, always full of business, but still more full of song. The Crow, the Quail, and the Dove talk, and the Humming- bird and Swift sing ac- cording 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. 18. Short, round wing of Wren. FIG. 19. Long, slender wing of Swift. songsters. The House Wren is one of the most tireless of his family, fairly bubbling over with happiness and music all the day long. In north- ern New York he is not often seen, but on a visit to Vassar I remember coming 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 make love and discuss nest- 46 HOUSE WEEN ing materials with his mate while the tennis balls of Miss Porter's girls are flying through the air. In building, Wrens abhor a vacuum. One pair were so possessed to fill a space they had chosen that their eggs actually addled while they were stuffing in twigs ! The eggs are rather novel in color, being uniformly marked with fine pinkish spots. Tin fruit cans, though not highly decorative, make good nests for the wrenkins, who also like olive jars and other structures not wholly modern in matters of plumbing and ventilation. When a tin can is used, it is well to turn back the lid and put in a cap of wood with a hole just large enough to admit the Wren and just small enough to keep out the House Sparrow; for, like the Bluebird, the Wren is greatly pestered by this grasping monopolist. One little bird who lived at Sing Sing, New York, was fairly besieged by the Sparrows. Fortu- nately it built near the house of a special cham- pion of birds, Dr. A. K. Fisher, and whenever the doctor heard a commotion he would go to its assistance, shooting down the Sparrows 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 WEEN 47 shot was fired, and as the Sparrow fell turned his head over and watched his neighbor go to the ground with unconcealed satisfaction. Wrens nest in all sorts of odd nooks and corners. A pair of Washingtonians one year started to build in Mr. Gardiner Hubbard's greenhouse, 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 could not spare his coat. He compromised, however, by substituting an old one which suited the Wrens just as well, and in a short time there was a set of little brown eggs snugly ensconced in the bottom of his pocket. 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 pair of Wrens which built their nest in an old wooden shoe in which a gardener kept his strings, the orthodox couple calmly accepting the strings as a special gift of Providence. Another practical pair actually crept inside 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 48 PUEPLE MAETIN all claim to his skull, and the Wrens' nest is now on exhibition in the National Museum. Original and entertaining as the wrenkins are, they are worthy of respectful consideration for another reason : they bring up their large fami- lies — sometimes they raise from twelve to sixteen young in a season — on a diet of worms; so, whether they appropriate our shoes or our skulls, they should be welcomed to our gardens, because they reduce the insects and increase the family spirits. Purple Martin : Progne subis. Adult male, shining blue black. Female and young, upper parts duller; under parts grayish. Length, 8 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America ; breeds from Florida and the table lands of Mexico north to Newfound- land and the Saskatchewan; winters in Central and South America. As long ago as when Audubon was traveling through the middle states, he reported that " almost every country tavern had a Martin-box on the upper 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." He 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. Nelniing assures us " that the Martin BAEN SWALLOW 49 is as well satisfied with the simple hollow gourd attached to a pole near a negro hut, as with the most ornamental and best arranged Martin-house in the beautiful gardens and parks of rich plant- ers and opulent merchants. Where no nesting- boxes are provided," he says, " our Martin will not breed, and it hardly ever accepts nesting- boxes attached to trees, preferring locations where the chance is given to dart in and out uninter- rupted by any obstacle." The struggle between the Martins and Spar- rows is so bitter that one pair of Martins Mr. Widmann watched, intelligently adopted the strategical plan of never leaving the nest alone, taking turns in going for food, because as he explains, " it is comparatively easy to keep a Sparrow out of a box, but it is impossible for a Martin to dislodge him after he has built a nest." Barn Swallow : Chelidon erythrogaster. (Plate IV. p. 50.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, north to Green- land and Alaska ; breeds throughout the greater part of its range ; winters as far south as southern Brazil. Next to the Martin, the Barn Swallow is the most easily known of his family. He is usually found 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 flies up to a telegraph wire, his long forked tail and deep chocolate breast 50 BAEN SWALLOW identify him beyond question. Like the Swift (see Fig. 7, p. 25) and Hummingbird, 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 earth for nesting materials and the lime FIG. 20. which they need to harden their egg- Weak foot shells. Their eggs, like those of the of Bam Eave Swallow, are white, heavily spot- Swallow. , , .,, , ted with brown. If you watch a row of Swallows perched on a telegraph wire, you will hear the bright, happy warble which FIG. 21. adds so much to their attractiveness. Strong foot jn addition to this twittering song, Sparrow their call note is said to be a " soft and affectionate witt, witt, and the cry given in time of danger a harsh trrrr, trrrr" The homely old proverb, " One Swallow does not make a summer," shows how intimately these birds are associated with the close of winter. As Mr. Nehrling puts it, in his enthusiastic way : " We welcome their first appearance with de- light, as the faithful harbingers of flowery spring and ruddy summer ; and when, after a long frost-bound and boisterous winter, we hear it an- nounced that ' the Swallows have come,' what a train of charming ideas are associated with the simple tidings ! " PLATE IV. — BARN SWALLOW Upper parts steel-blue ; tail deeply forked, with white spots on outer feathers ; throat chocolate. Length, about 7 inches. BAEN SWALLOW 51 But as it is a pleasure to have the birds come back in spring, it is always with a feeling of re- gret that we see them gather for their southward flight in fall ; for the silence of the deserted barns and telegraph wires suggests the coming winter. Before beginning their southward journey, the Swallows gather in large flocks. Sometimes they can be followed from farm to farm. They go so slowly and stop so often on the way that the young birds gradually get used to following the old ones. Then they make prolonged stops at definite roosts, sometimes in trees and sometimes in marshes along river banks. It is a most inter- esting sight to watch them then. In an article in ' The Auk,' Mrs. Bates gives a graphic account of a roost in the willows along the Kennebec River, in Maine, at which the movements of the birds are most remarkable. At sunset, she says, they begin pouring in, and " at intervals clouds of Swallows will evolve something like order out of their numbers and perform en masse . . . fantastic curves, spirals, counter-marches, snake-like twists and turns, with the sky for a background." 1 Mr. Chamberlain once happened on a curious meeting-place of the Swallows. A flock several thousand strong actually flew down the chimney of a deserted house and settled themselves for the night on the floors of the rooms, like so many wayfaring tramps.2 1 The Auk, vol. xii. No. i. p. 48. 2 Some Canadian Birds, p. 5. 52 EAVE SWALLOW Eave Swallow ; Cliff Swallow : Petrochelidon lunifrons. Forehead whitish ; crown steel-blue ; throat brown ; steel-blue patch on brown breast ; tail almost square, with a light spot on rump. Length, about 6 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, north to the limit of trees ; breeds throughout its range in the United States and Canada, except the south Atlantic and Gulf states ; winters from Central to South America. If the number and variety of Swallows seem confusing, go to an old barn around which the birds are flying, and ex- amine their adobe domi- ciles. Under the eaves you will find a row of queer gourd-shaped mud nests, hanging mouth down ; and as you watch you may see one of the house-owners disappear in a nest, disclosing as he does so the light rump which distinguishes the Eave from all other Swal- lows. The nest is interesting in itself, for it is made of pellets of mud, rolled till they are almost round ; but the most surprising thing about it is the way its retort form is changed by the intelli- gent builders according to the slant of the rafter against which it is supported, the weight of the bulge being adjusted with marvelous skill. FIG. 22. Eave Swallow. EAVE SWALLOW 53 If, while you are watching Eave Swallows, a fork-tailed Barn (see Plate IV. p. 50) disappears through the barn-door and you follow it to its nest, you will be surprised at the difference in the two structures. At first sight, the nest of the Barn seems a simple cup lined with hay and feathers. On close inspection it proves less simple than it looks ; for, Doctor Brewer says, it is made up of ten or twelve distinct layers of rolled pellets separated by layers of fine grass, possibly glued together with saliva. Sometimes the ingenious birds build out an extra platform beside the nest that they may rest on the doorstep at night, and when the young fill the house in the daytime. Audubori says that when building they often stop at intervals to let the mud dry and harden. As Mr. Nehrling suggests, Swallows prefer barns with openings in the gables, so that they can fly freely in and out; and he gives us a valu- able hint, telling us that as the nests will not adhere to smooth boards-, he has often helped the birds by nailing pieces of rough board across the rafters of the peak. Some countrymen are prejudiced against Swal- lows or Phoebes building in their barns, as they think the parasites of the birds will infest the cattle ; but it should be remembered that bird parasites will not live on animals, and that, on the other hand, Swallows, especially the Barn, live largely upon the flies that torment stock. The 54 BANK SWALLOW Eave Swallow, which builds about houses as well as barns, is a blessing to man in another way, for it eats enormous quantities of winged ants, mos- quitoes, injurious wheat midgets, spotted squash FIG. 2->. Mosquito, eaten J?y Eave Swallow. beetles, and beetles that work under the bark of trees. As Doctor Brewer says of the Barn Swal- lows : " There is no evil blended with the many benefits they confer on man ; they destroy the in- sects that annoy his cattle, injure his fruit-trees, sting his fruit, or molest his person." Bank Swallow : Clivicola riparia. Adults, dark above, light below, with a dark band across the breast. Length, about o£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, north to Labra- dor and Alaska ; breeds locally from the middle United States northward throughout its range ; winters as far south as Brazil. In going through carriage or railroad cuts in sandy banks, one is often struck by the number of BANK SWALLOW 55 elliptical holes in the cliffs. If you go up to them and rap on the walls the startled cliff-dwellers re- sponsible for these mural decorations will often fly out in a whirl about your head. The excavations vary in depth from twelve inches to four feet, and are made with a careful avoidance of stones that might fall from the roof upon the helpless heads of the babes in the bank. The eggs, being concealed, are white. The Swallow's habit of nesting in colonies is an interesting example of the ' sociability of birds,' which Mr. Widmann says can best be indulged by long-winged birds like Swallows, as they can more easily spread over the extent of territory necessary for commissary reasons. FIG. 24. Bank Swallow. 56 BALTIMORE ORIOLE FIG. 25. Baltimore Oriole : Icterus galbula. Adult male, entire head and neck black; most of the body bright orange ; wings and tail mainly black. Adult female, upper parts brown and black ; under parts dull orange ; throat sometimes spotted with black. Length, about 7-£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba, west to the Great Plains ; breeds from the Potomac and Ohio valleys northward ; win- ters in Mexico and Central America. In the temperate regions of the United States there are few brilliantly colored birds, as gaudy coats are found mostly in tropical regions, where they match the brilliancy of the flowering tree- tops. We can best appreciate how rich the tints of the Orioles are when we compare them with the gray Catbird, the sooty Chimney Swift, the fawn-colored Doves, and the brown Wrens and Grouse. It would seem that the Oriole race was BALTIMORE ORIOLE 57 endangered by the striking orange and black, but the mothers who brood the nests and protect the little ones are well concealed by a dull orange dress, and the color pattern of the males must dis- guise their form at a distance. Then, perhaps, as Mr. Fuertes 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 Orioles are strong and swift of wing, and in time of danger seek safety in flight ; while the Wrens and Quail with short wings (see Fig 18, p. 45) find their greatest safety in standing motionless against their natural background. Besides 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. 26), the adults of the wire worm, among the most insidious of pests, mining at the roots of turnips, potatoes, and corn. Few birds like the hairy caterpillars, but Doctor FIG. 26. Click Beetle (adult of wire worm), eaten by Oriole. 58 BALTIMORE ORIOLE 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 mul- berries, and says he has seen " a whole brood camping in a mulberry-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 Bruner 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 from the alert ' small boy,' and I am sure that the in- jury to fruit to a great extent at least will cease." Speaking 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 the 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 his grapes, nevertheless adds that the bird BALTIMOEE OEIOLE 59 is worth its weight in gold as an insect destroyer. New Englanders are to be congratulated that in the towns where they are having such a serious time with the insect pests the Orioles are common enough to give them material help. In Farming- ton, Connecticut, with a very incomplete census of the village, I once found nine or ten pairs of nest- ing Orioles. When the birds are such common villagers one has a good opportunity to watch them make their nests, and it is then that the full perfection of their long, slender bill is seen (see Fig. 112, p. 192), for they are weavers with ready-made weaving needles for sewing the hairs and delicate fibres in and out. The Oriole bill is as efficient an instru- ment for weaving as the short bill of the Swallow (see Fig. 120, p. 193) is for rolling mud pellets. 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 inside 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 brood of heavy nestlings, in reality it is so skillfully attached to its supporting branches that it has been known to hold firm during a cyclone which swept down most of the other nests in a neighborhood. Oriole eggs like others hidden 60 BALTIMORE ORIOLE in cavities are white, but singularly scrawled and spotted. The males usually reach the nesting ground two or three days before the females. The same nest is sometimes used for several sea- sons, Orioles like many other aristocrats being somewhat conservative as to building-sites and be- coming particularly attached to localities. Major Bendire thinks few birds are more devoted to each other than these, and believes that they 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 Woodpeckers. Since the Oriole likes to hang his cradle to our elm-trees, he accepts our friendly advances, and 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 spirits. 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 viva- cious song, an equally hearty scold, a high shrill whistle, and a richly modulated love song, one of OBCHAED ORIOLE 61 the most exquisitely finished and tender of bird songs. Indeed, the Oriole is a prince among birds, with character as positive as his dress and with such winning ways and so melodious a voice that he is sure of the affection of all who study him. Orchard Oriole : Icterus spurius. Adult male, entire head and neck black ; wings, tail, and back mainly black ; rest of body chestnut. Adult female, upper parts olive-green ; under parts dull yellow. Young male in second year, similar to the female, but with the throat black, and patches of chestnut on the under parts. Length, about 7j inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the Gulf states to Massachusetts, Ontario, and North Dakota, and winters in Central and northern South America. " The Orchard Oriole, though far less bril- liantly colored than its eastern congener the Bal- timore Oriole, is equally well known though not quite as conspicuous. It is a restless, impidsive, 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, on which it lives almost exclusively throughout the summer months. . . . " Few birds do more good and less harm than our Orchard Oriole, especially to the fruit-grower. The bulk of its food consists of small beetles, 62 ORCHARD ORIOLE plant lice, flies, hairless caterpillars, cabbage worms, grasshoppers, rose bugs, and larvae of all kinds, while the few berries it may help itself to during the short time they last are many times paid for by the great number of noxious insects 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 where it had a choice be- tween cherries and mulberries, it took mulberries. Major Bendire notes : " The Orchard Oriole is a very sociable bird, and does not object to other species nesting in the same tree with it ; it seems to be on especially good terms with the Kingbird." Its nest is cup-shaped and less pen- 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. MOCKINGBIBD 63 FIG. 27. Mockingbird : Mimus polyglottos. Body gray, lighter below ; wings and tail blackish, marked with white. Length, 10-£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeds from the Bahamas, Mex- ico, and southern California to southern Illinois and northern New Jersey, and rarely to Massachusetts ; winters from Vir- ginia southward. The Mockingbird is a more accomplished cousin of the Catbird. His song has more finish, his technique is better, and when moved by love his lay becomes a wonder of ecstatic melody. " Dur- ing the solemn stillness of the night," Wilson tells us, " as soon as the moon rises in silent majesty, he begins his delightful solo ; and sere- nades us the livelong night with a full display of his vocal powers, making the whole neighborhood ring with his inimitable medley." Southerners feel about the Mocker as northern- 64 MOCKINGBIED ers do about the Robin, and the bird becomes very tame when kindly treated. Nevertheless, though it is so responsive to man's companionship, de- stroys so many noxious insects, and has a voice of such famous quality, it is being gradually exter- minated. Mr. Nehrling quotes from Mr. Carl Danzer : " We hear complaints from Louisiana of the disappearance 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 very 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 eagerly sought and robbed of their half -fledged occupants. Carloads of Mockingbirds are sent annually from the south to the north. . . . Should matters 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 stop the demoralizing, shameful love of destruction, which threatens to rob our landscapes CARDINAL 65 of their most charming bird-life." To this Mr. Nehrling adds a plea for the schools and press to take up the work of bird protection, concluding : " Parents and teachers, divines and newspapers can do infinite good in this matter. . . . Cruelty must vanish and yield to a nobler, kinder mode of thinking." Cardinal : Cardinalis cardinalis. Adult male, entire body, wings, and tail red ; chin and ring round base of bill black ; head with high crest. Adult female, bill, wings, and tail red ; body brownish. Length, 85- inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; breeds from Florida and Texas to Iowa and southern New York ; resident throughout its range. Like the Mockingbird, the Cardinal is known to most northerners as a cage bird, but in Central Park visitors are some- times surprised by its familiar whistle, and on looking up are delighted by a glimpse of one of these high-crested red beauties, as he flies to cover, giving a flash of rich color to the land- scape. In Ohio, Mr. H. C. Oberholser says it is found along the shaded FIG. 28. streets of the towns and Cardinal 66 CARDINAL in door-yards where it can indulge its fondness for rose bugs. In the Washington Zoo Cardinals are common, and after February their song often rings through the bare woods. When spring comes they may be heard there every day, and they are so used to park visitors that you can stand almost under the tree in which one is sing- ing and watch him as, with head thrown back and tail hanging, he brings out his long-drawn liquid note — ewe, cue, cue. Even when you do not hear the song or see the bird, you may guess its presence from the thin ' chip ' which resembles that of its relative the Rose-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 only in pairs, Nuttall, when in South Carolina during severe weather, once -saw a flock passing to a roost at sunset. The flock 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 upon their brilliant livery." CHICKADEE 67 Chickadee : Parus atricapillus. Top of head, nape, and throat black ; rest of body gray ; under parts lighter ; wing and tail feathers edged with white. Length, about 5j inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from southern Illinois and Pennsylvania northward to Labra- dor, and southward along the Alleghanies to Korth Carolina ; in winter migrates a short distance below the southern limit of its breeding range. He who knows the Chickadee only by name is an enviable person, for he has still before him the initial pleasures of one of the choicest of all bird friendships. When seen in a clearing as the pretty bird flits from one tree to another, his short wings and long tail give him a IG' ' 111 n- ^ ± i i • i Chickadee. bobby night by which we can recognize him at a distance. But when he clings to the gray branches, his soft grayish suit with its black cap and the trimmings that cut the bird form hide him as well as the brown suit of the little Wren protects him when hunting in the dark crevices of the brown earth. In many re- spects the Wren and Chickadee are as unlike as their livery. This is especially true of their songs, for while the Wren lives up to his family connec- tions — being related to the Catbird and Mocker — the Chickadee is no musician. Still every note he utters is dear to his friends, and he has a varied 68 CHICKADEE repertoire. There are the sweet Chickadee call which gives him his name, the soft sunny day- day-day he cons over to himself, the sweet sad phoe-be whistle of spring and summer, and the pleasant conversational chiclc-a-day-ah-day-day- day -day-day-day. Both Wren and Chickadee are cheering, trustful little tots, eminently good for the blues, evoking every bird-lover's gratitude and affection. In the spring, when the feathered tourists are coming back and the excitement of nest-building is absorbing our attention, we do not think much about the Chickadee except to notice its clearly whistled phoe-be occasionally coming from the woods ; but some day we are given a thrill of pleasure by the appearance of -a pair of the fluffy Black-caps leading around a family of young, grown almost as big as themselves, quite unbe- known to us. From that time on until the following spring we can have the society of the friendly Chickadees if we but offer them a little food when cold weather comes, and their good cheer is so grateful that we are glad to do anything to keep them about us. A piece of suet nailed to a tree pleases them very well, but they also like the fat of fresh pork ; and it is a good idea to fasten bits of pork at inter- vals along a clothes-line, for the cord is strong enough to make a steady perch for the birds as they peck at the meat. In northern New York a CHICKADEE 69 Chickadee who came to us for foocl used to get so preoccupied eating that he would let me walk close under him on snowshoes. But though the birds are glad of the dainties we may offer them, they are quite capable of finding food for themselves, even in the bleakest winter weather, for they live on grubs, and on the eggs of moths hidden under the bark of trees. They are particularly fond of the eggs of the cankerworm moth (Fig. 30). Mr. Forbush of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture calculated that one Chickadee in one day would destroy 5,550 eggs, and in the twenty-five days in which the FIG. 30. cankerworm moths , Cankerworm moth, much eaten by run or crawl up Chickadee, the trees, 138,750 eggs. He was so impressed with the value of the birds' services that he attracted them to an infested orchard by feeding them there during the winter ; and the following summer " it was noticed that while trees in neighboring orchards were seriously infested with cankerworms and to a less degree with tent-caterpillars (Fig. 84, p. 162), those in the orchard which had been fre- quented by the Chickadees during the winter and spring were not seriously infested, and that com- 70 CHICKADEE paratively few. of the worms and caterpillars were to be found there." Mr. Forbush concludes that birds that eat insect eggs are most valuable to the farmer, as they feed almost entirely on inju- rious insects and their eggs, and are present all winter when other birds are absent. The bill of the Chickadee — a sharply pointed ^—/^ o little pick — is admirably suited to 1^ this work of excavating for eggs and FIG. 31. grubs hidden under the bark. It also Bill of makes a good carpenter's tool, and one Chickadee. ^ jg much needed . for when the Chickadee cannot find an old Woodpecker's hole to rent, he has to go to work to tunnel out a nest for himself. Maynard says that in excavating the birds carry the pieces of wood some distance away before dropping them, and that when they build in decayed wood " they are often obliged to abandon a nearly finished domicile on account of dampness which 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 accumulated bun- dles of fern-down as large as hickory nuts. CAROLINA CHICKADEE 71 Doctor Brewer gives a remarkable instance of the maternal devotion shown by the Chickadees : " A Black-cap was seen to fly into a rotten stump near the roadside in Brookline. The stump was so much decayed that its top was readily broken off and the nest exposed. The mother refused to leave until forcibly taken off by the hand, and twice returned to the nest when thus removed, and it was only by holding her in the hand that an opportunity was given to ascertain that there were seven young birds in her nest. She made no complaints, uttered no outcries, but resolutely and devotedly thrust herself between her nest- lings and the seeming danger. When released she immediately flew back to them, covered them under her sheltering wings, and looked up in the faces of her tormentors with a quiet and resolute courage that could not be surpassed." Carolina Chickadee : Parus carolinensis. Similar to the northern Chickadee, but smaller ; wings and tail feathers not edged with white. Length, about 4£ inches. GEOGBAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Southeastern United States ; north to southern New Jersey and Illinois ; west to Missouri and Texas ; resident from southern New Jersey southward. One spring day, on first coming to Washing- ton, when out in the Zoological Park with a field class, I heard a song that was new to me. Creep- ing up cautiously, we were able to get under the very tree on which the bird was hunting, and the class stood with notebooks raised, taking 72 CAEOLINA CHICKADEE down his song as solemnly as if the unconscious songster had been discoursing to them in the lec- ture-room. He was a Carolina Chickadee, and his notes resembled whee-dle-lah^ whee-dle-lee1 , and seemed a very definite as well as pretty wood- land tune. In Missouri, Mr. Nehrling put up nesting- boxes for these little southerners, and was re- warded by having several pairs build about his house. He became much interested in watching them feed their young. " Without interruption from early morning till late in the afternoon," he observes, " the parents keep bringing minute insects, worms, larvae 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, the Carolina Chickadee is a very useful creature, and should 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 passage of any bird that may be mistaken for a Hawk, he says, " for they know only too well that their powers of flight are 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. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 73 White-breasted Nuthatch : Sitta- carolinensis. (Fig. 32, p. 74 ; and Fig. 34, p. 77.) Males, top of head black ; back bluish gray ; wings and tail marked with black and white ; under parts white. Females, similar, but black of head duller. Length, about 0 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; 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 accept our winter hospitality, and the Nuthatch is one of our main dependences, coming 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 ; but 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 much 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 thev were born with aero- O •> batic skill or whether age steadied their heads, and just at that moment one of the brood started 74 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH over the edge of a limb. It hesitated an instant, but then circled around the branch as naturally and easily as a boy would run down hill. The family of six to which this adventuresome 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 Nuthatch and Chickadee, 'great bole,' calling yak, yak, yak, yak-ah, ak-ah, ak-aJi, 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. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 75 formances. Once a little chap standing, look- ing up at a tree trunk made a coquettish, bobby bow and scrape to his mate(?) hanging head down facing him, and she(?), with a superior air, promptly flew around to the back of the tree. But just at that moment a chipmunk, ' a rival nutter,' appeared at the foot of the tree below the coquetting Nuthatch, whereupon he in turn gave a quick spread of wings and tail and beat a retreat. They were playful, jolly little birds, and when alone would often go chasseing up the trees, chirruping softly to themselves. In spite of the ingenuous ways of these charm- ing foresters, there is a prejudice against them, arising from their being confused with the Sap- suckers, and they are persecuted by those who owe them the most gratitude, for, as a matter of fact, insects most destructive to the fruit-grower's crops are among their favorite foods. The Nut- hatch is, as Doctor Mearns denominates him, " an eminently useful and industrious bird," for " he devotes his entire existence to the occupation of scrambling about upon the tree trunks, grubbing out insects from their hiding-places under the bark. At this commendable employment ... he spends his days ; and when night comes, he betakes himself to a hole in some tree, where, weary with his day's toil, he sleeps the sleep of the just till daybreak." Audubon observes that he sleeps hanging head down. In describing the 76 EED-BEEASTED NUTHATCH nesting habits of the Nuthatches he notes that both birds work together, " all the time congratu- lating each other in the tenderest manner. The male, ever conspicuous on such occasions, works some, and carries off the slender chips chiseled by the female. He struts around her, peeps into the hole, cherups at intervals, or hovers about her on the wing. While she is sitting on her eggs, he seldom absents himself many moments ; now with a full bill he feeds her, now returns, to be assured that her time is pleasantly spent." The Nuthatches nest as they mainly live, in the woods, and their notes are among the softest, most pleasing sounds in nature. They have a peculiar woodland quality which, like the drumming of the Grouse, has the power of transporting one to the quiet, leafy forest. Red-breasted Nuthatch : Sitta canadensis. (Fig. 33, p. 77.) Male, top of head and line through the eye black ; line over eye white ; upper parts bluish gray ; under parts reddish brown. Female, similar, but black replaced by bluish gray. Length, about 4-J inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America ; breeds from Manitoba and Maine northward, and southward along the Alleghanies to the mountains of North Carolina; winters from about the southern limit of its breeding range to the Gulf states. The Nuthatch is a bird who always seems self- possessed and full of business. Even the one that RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 11 FIG. Audubon saw blown on shipboard in a gale three hundred miles from shore was no exception, for the instant it lit on the rigging it set to work to look for food as calmly as if it had been on the side of a tree trunk in the woods. Except in the north, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is not often seen in the nesting season, so when it appears on its migrations the day is Red-breasted Nuthatch, distinguished. The bird is smaller than the White-breast, and can be recog- nized at a glance by the stripes on its head and the reddish brown of its breast. Its voice also is quite different from that of the common Nut- hatch. The Adiron- dack forest is a good place to see this bird. One day, when rock- ing in a boat under the overhanging trees of Lake Placid, I was given a thrill of pleasure by the sight of one of the beautiful little creatures creep- ing down a branch almost to my very paddle. FIG. 34. White-breasted Nuthatch. 78 PASSENGER PIGEON Passenger Pigeon : Ectopistes migratonus. Upper parts bluish ; back and sides of neck with metallic re- flections ; under parts deep pink. Length, about 16£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America, north- ward in the interior to Hudson Bay, breeding locally through- out the more northern part of its range. Old inhabitants still recount the great flights of the wild Pigeon in the days when the sun used to be darkened by their multitudes, and Wilson tells of a flock 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 majestic river." At that time the birds nested in roosts sometimes forty miles long, and the people would come from all parts of the country, with " wagons, axes, beds, and cooking utensils," camping on the ground 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 th uncle?, mingled with the frequent crash of falling tim- ber." Now, like the buffalo, hardly any Pigeons are PIGEONS AND DOVES 79 left to bear testimony to the destruction which American thoughtlessness has wrought, and the sight of a single migrant stopping in one's woods is cause for much congratulation ! The Passenger Pigeon, the Mourning Dove, and the Ground Dove are the three best known of the family, and stand by themselves distinct from all other eastern birds. As a family, the Doves are not gifted 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 confusing, un- known songsters. The Crow and Hummingbird stand apart, and the Chimney Swift and Swallows are easily distinguished, while the brilliantly col- ored Cardinal and Oriole are not to be confounded with the little brown Wrens of the ground or the gray-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, 80 KEY TO PIGEONS AND DOVES Chickadee, Hummingbird, Crow, Swallow, Quail, or Dove, you will not have to hunt through those families for it, when looking for its name. Elim- ination is the short cut to identification. If you know what a bird is not, you will soon know what it is. Key to Adult Male Doves. 1. Small (length about 7 inches) ; tail almost square ; wings showing reddish brown in flight. Southern. p. 31. GROUND DOVE. 1'. Large (length 12 to 16 inches) ; tail long and pointed. 2. Top of head same color as back — bluish slate ; no black spot on side of neck. p. 78. PASSENGER PIGEON. 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 DOVE. Least Flycatcher ; Chebec : Empidonax minimus. (Plate V.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States, west to the Great Plains ; breeds from Pennsylvania and Nebraska northward ; winters in Central America. Through the open windows in a New England village come many bird songs, but none strike the ear with more distinctness than the frequently reiterated call of che-beck'. It has no poetic sug- gestions, but after one has traced it to the fluffy little white-breasted Flycatcher up in the trees, PLATE V. — LEAST FLYCATCHER Upper parts brownish olive ; under parts grayish, darker on breast and sides ; wing bars ashy white ; lower mandible horn-color. Length, about 5-J inches. LEAST FLYCATCHER 81 the voice will recall a pleasant picture. Besides its regular call of che-beck', the Least has several con- versational notes, a call that Major Bendire gives as c s'-lick, s'-lick,' and a low, twittering warble, 4 whit-we-we.' If you watch the pretty bird in nesting time you will see it fly to its nest, some- times on a horizontal limb, but more often high up in a crotch where you can just see its owner's tail beyond the edge of the compact round cup. Like all its family, it snaps its bill when it- catches a fly, and shakes its wings and tail to emphasize its remarks. The Least is a most friendly little bird who quickly responds to kindness. 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 corner 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 remember 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 friendship came to my knowledge in Farmington, Connecticut. The Chebec was the pet of a lady whose shrubby yard had many nesting birds. Almost every day through the summer, when she 82 LEAST FLYCATCHER would go out to water her garden at five o'clock the Chebec would come flying 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. He says che-beck' in between, and when he has had enough he flies into the bushes and preens 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 through 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 much com- panionship in her birds and flowers and trees that she could never be lonely. KINGBIRD 83 FIG. 35. Kingbird : Tyrannus tyrannus. Upper parts blackish ; under parts white, washed with gray on breast ; head with a concealed red patch ; tail tipped with a white band. Length, about 8-$- inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba ; rare west of the Rocky Mountains ; winters in Central and South America. The sight of a Crow being chased by a bird 84 KINGBIRD less than half its size is a very familiar one in the country, and an equally common one is that of a gray bird with a white breast sitting on a roadside fence, occasionally darting up with 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 other times we may see him start up 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 the best advantage. Now what are we to infer from all these per- formances ? That he is a doughty warrior, ready to cross lances with the 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 much 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, KINGBIBD 85 though the bird had seen it one hundred and fifty feet away ! In fact, he has been so loudly accused of eating honey-bees that the examiners of bird stomachs in the Department of Agriculture have made a special study of his food. Of 218 stomachs ex- amined, only 14 contained any trace of honey- bees, and nearly all those were drones ; so, to say the 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, though 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 King- bird is one of the best helps the farmer has in the destruction of harmful insects. One corre- spondent exclaims fervently, " I honor and esteem FIG. 36. Rose Chafer, eaten by Kingbird. 86 KINGBIRD this bird for the millions of ruinous vermin he 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 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- tirely wild fruits of no economic value. As a Fly- catcher, the Kingbird is a good representative 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 help 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, and she calls attention to the little-known song with which he shows his domestic happiness. The Kingbird will amply repay close watching, and his large, low orchard nest offers one of the best opportunities for careful study of bird' char- PHCEBE 87 acter. A curious case of nest guardianship is told me by Mrs. G. C. Maynard, whose son one day climbed 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 thought they had driven him off, and coming shielded by a hat which rendered their attacks futile, the Kingbirds were overwrought; and although the boy did nothing but look at their eggs, from 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 they were quite accustomed to her visits to their tree, they swooped down and actually struck the offending head-covering with their wings. Phoebe : Sayornis phcebe. Upper parts grayish brown ; under parts white, washed with yellowish. Length, about 7 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from South Carolina to Newfoundland and Manitoba, and winters from North Carolina to Cuba and Mexico. The Phoebe, like the Robin, is one of the homely, confiding birds for whom we have a peculiar affec- 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 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 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 driven off for them ; how eagerly their nestlings are watched ; and finally, with what mingled feelings of pride and regret the first flights of the depart- ing brood are witnessed ! When the Phoebe does not nest under the shel- tering roof of a house, it often builds on a rafter of an old shed or barn, where it may be seen PHCEBE 89 perching on the ridgepole with crest raised and wings and tail hanging. It may also be found nesting under bridges and on rocks or cliffs. When seen, now and then it cries out hip1, hip', or with a jerk of the tail calls pho8r-be, phoe'-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 Phrebe 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 Phrebe's net. Not only does it help clear 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 Phosbes 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 90 WOOD PEWEE 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 : Contopus virens. Upper parts blackish brown ; under parts whitish, washed with olive ; wing1 bars whitish ; lower mandible pale brown or yel- lowish. Length, about 6| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Florida to Newfoundland ; winters in Central and South America. In Ohio it is almost exceptional to find an orchard without its pair of Wood Pewees, 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-wee of the sweet-voiced Flycatcher. Once heard 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 the simple, 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 a treetop, and when not singing may be con- fused with the Phoebe. Two things help one, however, for to the patient observer the Pe wee's habit of flying out after insects will betray his whereabouts ; and his distinct whitish wing bars will separate him from his cousin, the Phoebe. Then, too, he is smaller and sits more upright than the plump, fluffy Phoebe. When watching a Pewee in Farmington one day, I was much puzzled 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 moulding a little knot in the crotch. She had been gathering lichen for her nest ! It seems a simple matter, but after years of delight in the exquisite lichen- covered nest of the Wood Pewee — a nest excelled by none but the Hummingbird's — it is enough to start one's pulses to see the dainty builder actu- 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 WOOD PEWEE I -Kingbird the Least, and each one has dis- 1 1 j"w FIG. 78. Blue Jay : Cyanocitta cristata. Crest and tipper parts purplish ; wings and tail blue, marked with black and white ; under parts gray, with black collar extending up across the back of the head. Length, about llf inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — 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 handsomest and most vivacious birds, like the Nuthatches and Chicka- dees, may be attracted in winter by suet hung on the trees. Some New England farmers make beds of chaff on which 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, BLUE JAY 155 as it proves that he only takes corn when nothing better offers. Statistics bear this out. In Oc- tober and November, when most corn is to be had, the Jay stomachs that have been examined show only 1 per cent, of corn against 64 per FIG. 79. Sphynx Moth, eaten by Blue Jay. cent, of mast, while 19 per cent, of the bird's total food is noxious insects, such as grasshoppers and caterpillars. Figures clear his name in other mat- ters, for it has been noised abroad that he robs birds'-nests, but remains of birds' eggs were found in only 3 out of 280 stomachs, and young birds in only 2, which, to say the least, proves that he 156 BLUE JAY is not as black as he has been painted. Cats do much more harm than Jays in this respect ; but we do not even license our cats, much less shoot our vagrants. In summing 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 quantity of insects of which he rids us. He is particularly fond of the sphynx moth family, not- ably the member that is destructive to grapes. Mrs. Olive Thome Miller has always befriended the abused Jay, and in ' A Bird-Lover in the West' gives some delightful chapters on a nest that she watched. This was in the top of a pine- tree, though the birds build ordinarily lower. In Ohio Mr. H. C. Oberholser has found the nests in thorny bushes. The eggs are olive or brown- ish, thickly marked with brown spots. The Jay's power as a mimic is well known, and mice may well tremble at his hawk-like cries. The Jay belongs to the family of Crows and Jays, and has the powerful bill and feet of the family. (See Figs. 135 and 136, p. 218.) He uses his feet as the Crow does — to hold his food while he hammers it with his bill. Like the Crows, the Jays are social birds, and live in flocks when not nesting. An extreme and most remarkable instance of their devotion to each other is given in ' The Auk ' by Mr. Frithof BELTED KINGFISHER 157 Kumlien. He found an old feeble Jay, with feathers faded, claws worn, bill dulled, and eyes blurred and dim, who was being protected and cared for by his companions. Some of them were always near to warn him of danger, and besides this, the faithful band would bring him food and carefully lead the old blind bird to a spring for a daily bath. (« Auk,' vol. v. p. 434.) FIG. 80. Belted Kingfisher : Ceryle alcyon. Adult male, crest and upper parts bluish gray ; under parts white ; breast with bluish gray band. Adult female, similar, but sides and band on belly brown. Length, about 13 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, in the east breeding from Florida to Labrador, and wintering from Vir- ginia to South 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 his fishing grounds. Sometimes he flies so low 158 BELTED KINGFISHER FIG. 81. Belted Kingfisher. you can see his reflection in the water ; but again 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 him, he 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 keeping far ahead or behind, or taking the other branch." This is in line with Mr. Widmann's theory of BELTED KINGFISHER 159 the inability of some birds to indulge the social instinct, for the Kingfisher's feeding habits may well necessitate private preserves. Whatever sea- birds may do, trout-stream fishermen can ill afford to go in flocks. To be sure, though the king 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- hoppers, and lizards. Like the Yireos, Flycatchers, and Hawks and Owls, the Kingfishers have the power of ejecting pellets of the indigestible bones and scales which they have swal- lowed whole. These are found around the burrows where they nest. Fio. 82. Like the Bank Swallows, though Undeveloped foot their feet are undeveloped (Fig. of Kin£fi*her- 82), they use them as trowels for excavating holes in sandbanks. 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 long in 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, Mr. Fuertes has seen one of the brooding birds on her nest. The young 160 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO are hatched without feathers, and remain in the nest several weeks. Audubon says that when they are in the nest the 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. (Fig. 83, p. 161.) Upper parts brownish gray, with a slight greenish gloss ; wings and outer tail feathers black, conspicuously tipped with white (thumb-marks) ; under parts white ; under mandible yellow. Length, about 12| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — 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 swiftly that it might well escape detection. But it is a bird that every student and lover of the curious 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 Thome Miller gives an FIG. 83. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. account of the performances of a pair of Cuckoos 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 must be taken in watching Cuckoo nests, as the birds are very apt 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 twigs 162 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO FIG. 84. Tent-caterpillar, eaten by Cuckoo. prepared so carelessly for them. The eggs of both 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-BILLED CUCKOO 168 The Yellow-billed is especially fond of the de- structive caterpillars that make the large web nests in our fruit-trees. Re- mains of 43 of these caterpil- lars were found in the stomach of one bird shot at six o'clock in the morning. But it was not only this early bird that got the worm, for in 21 stom- FIG. 85. achs examined there were 355 Section of Cucko° caterpillars and 23 grasshop- pers, in addition to a collection of saw-flies, po- tato bugs, and other insects. One stomach con- tained 217 fall web-worms ! Black-billed Cuckoo : Coccyzus eryihrophfhalmus. Upper parts grayish brown, with slight green gloss ; wings and tail the same, only slightly tipped with white ; under parts white ; bill black. Length, about llf inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America east of the Rocky Mountains ; breeds as far north as Labrador and As- siniboia, 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. 86, 87, p. 164). The call of the Yellow-billed is given as tut-tut, tut-tut, cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uclc,- cl-uck, cow, cow, cow, cow, cow, cow ; while the Black-billed, it is said, has the- cow notes con- nected, and has altogether a much softer voice. 164 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO FIG. 86. Tail of Black-billed Cuckoo. FIG. 87. Thumb-marks on tail of Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The nests and eggs are similar, though the Black-billed's nest is not quite so loosely put together. The Cuckoos are among the first birds on Mr. Forbush's list of those that eat the caterpillars of the gypsy moth, which for some years back gMMEp^H! •fff3*' nas been ravag- ing New Eng- land trees. Of FlG88 the Black-billed's Gypsy Moth, eaten by Cuckoo. stomachs exam- ined by the Bio- logical Survey, 16 contained 328 caterpillars, and in addition 15 grasshoppers and some spiders. The Cuckoos and Kingfishers are in the same %, KEY TO CUCKOOS AND KINGFISHERS 165 order, and although so unlike except in anatomy, stand apart from all other birds. By running over the orders of birds we have had, their un- likenesses will easily be seen. Land Birds, — Order I. Grouse, Quail, etc. Order II. Pigeons and Doves. Order III. Birds of Prey. Order IV. Cuckoos and Kingfishers. Order V. Woodpeckers. Order VI. Humming- birds, Swifts, etc. Order VII. Perching Birds : 1. Flycatchers ; 2. Crows and Jays ; 3. Black- birds and Orioles ; 4. Finches, Sparrows, etc. Key to Adult Male Cuckoos and Kingfishers. 1. Crested. Back bluish. Under parts white with blue belt. Found by water. p. 157. BELTED KINGFISHER. 2. Not crested. Back not bluish. Upper parts brownish ; under parts plain white. Found in undergrowth, a. Tail black, with distinct white thumb-marks on under side. Under manible yellow. p. 160. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. a'. Tail brown, without distinct thumb-marks ; bill black, p. 163. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 166 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK FIG. 89. . Rose-breasted Grosbeak : Zamelodia ludoviciana. Male, head, throat, and back black ; under parts, rump, and marks on wings and tail white ; breast and under wing1 coverts with patches of rose-red. Female, brownish, sparrowy-look- ing bird, with white line through crown and over eye. Saffron yellow under wings. Length, about 8 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Eastern Kansas and the higher altitudes of Virginia and North Carolina northward to Maine and Manitoba ; winters in Central and South America. In June the New England villages ring with the songs of birds — the merry bubbling of Wrens, the monotonous short sentences of the Red-eye, the smooth-flowing roundelay of the Warbling Vireo, the che-beck of the Least Fly- EOSE-BEEASTED GEOSBEAK 167 catcher, the trill of the Chipping Sparrow, the shrill twittering of passing Swifts, the pipe of the flashing Oriole, and the rich rounded pendu- lum song of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Except perhaps the Oriole's, it is the loudest and most musical of all the many songs, and may be easily traced to its source — often in the dense green of an apple-tree top. If the song stops before you have sighted your bird, he may be found by the odd thin ick, eek, or peek which is his character- istic call. The first glimpse of his black head and the rose-colored patch on his breast is enough to identify him ; while the large, streaked brown bird who flies away with him may be recognized by her size, — she is too large for a Sparrow, — by the white line over her eye, and by her abnor- mally large beak, for the Grosbeak 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 which the birds are particularly fond. The Grosbeaks 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 peas 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 the field every day, and when their young were old enough 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- FIG. 90. 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 the 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-BREASTED GROSBEAK 169 tion for the Grosbeak is not based on his fond- ness for potato bugs. He 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 that 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 her nest under the green leaves, all seemed suited to the cheery orchard with its mel- low sunshine and its ripening fruit. 170 SCAELET TANAGER Scarlet Tanager : Piranga eryihromelas. Adult male, whole body bright scarlet ; bill, wings, and tail black ; under wings white. Adult female, upper parts light olive ; wings and tail brownish ; under parts greenish yellow. Young male and adult male in winter, similar to female, but wings and tail black. Length, 7g- inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from southern Illinois and Virginia to Manitoba and New Brunswick ; winters in Central and northern South America. Whenever we hear a thin eek in a treetop, though its maker is invisible, we can say with assurance that a Grosbeak is there ; and so, when we hear a call of chip-churr in the green leafy woods, we know that we are listening to that most Bill ofTanager. 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, his choice is usually for the massive green treetops. His song is the best clue, for it is a loud, swinging-pendulum 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 nothing to do but dream under the enchanter's SCAELET 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 birds are forgotten, and one may as well bid farewell to Warblers and fol- low meekly where the beauty calls. Rest assured, no other bird will be worth looking at while 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 confused, though in reality they are very unlike. The Cardinal may always be told by his high crest (see Fig. 28, p. 65), 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 afford to wear colors that would be fatal to Spar- rows and such commoners 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. 172 SCARLET TANAGEE Tanagers are as good actors as Bobolinks, and will lead you a dance if you are looking for their 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 made 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, and 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 Summer Tanager : Piranga rubra. Male, body and tail rose-red ; wings brownish. Adult female and young, upper parts greenish yellow ; under parts yel- lowish. Length, 7£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern 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. "In at least the southern half of Illinois the Summer Redbird 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- presses it, cldcky-chucky-chuclc. . . . 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." (Ridg- 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 tropical family. The two species are easily distinguished by the shade of red. 174 KEY TO TANAGERS Key to Adult Spring Male Tanagers. Common Characters. — Entire body red. 1. Bill, wings, and tail black ; body bright scarlet. Found in northern woodlands. Call, chip-churr p. 170. SCARLET TANAGER. 1'. Bill, wings, and tail not black ; body and tail rose-red ; bill and wings brownish. Found in southern woodlands. Call, chicky-tucky-tuck . . p. 173. SUMMER TANAGER. White-throated Sparrow : Zonotrichia albicollis. (See Fig. 92, p. 176.) Adults, upper parts brown, streaked with black ; chin with a squarish white patch ; breast gray ; belly whitish ; central white crown stripe narrower than inclosing black stripes. Young, white of throat duller ; black and white stripes re- placed by gray and brown. Length, about Of inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America west to the Plains ; breeds from Montana, northern Michigan, and occasionally Massachusetts, northward to Labrador ; winters from Massachusetts to Florida. Accidental on Pacific coast. Associated with the crisp, fresh mornings of early spring is the sound of the clear, ringing whistle of the White-throated Sparrow. /, I,pea- bod-y, pea-bod-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 White-throat is a bird of distinction. He is as much larger than the Song Sparrow as the Song is larger than the Chipping Sparrow. (See Fig. 58, p. 117, and Fig. 55, p. 113.) Like the Chippy, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 175 he has a plain gray breast, but in addition to this has a handsome mark in the form of a snow-white throat patch. (See Fig. 92, p. 176.) Instead of the reddish brown cap of the Chippy, the White- throat, when arrayed in his best has a handsome black and white striped crown, but in a flock one often sees many crowns that are brown and dingy white instead of black and white. Unlike the domestic Chippy 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 pleasure to most of us 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 flocks. As they go about in fall and winter, they do a great deal of good by destroying weed seed, such as ragweed, smart weed, 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 WHITE-CEO WN ED SPARROW White-crowned Sparrow : Zonotrichia leucophrys. Adults, back brownish gray ; breast clear gray ; crown conspicu- ously striped black and white, three middle stripes of equal width. Young, similar, but crown dull gray bordered by brown. Length, about 6f inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeding from higher mountain ranges of western United States, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Moun- tains, and eastward, north of the Great Lakes, to Labrador ; in winter, over whole of United States, and south into Mexico. (Ridgway.) Thousands of White-crowns may be seen in the Mississippi valley, but they are rare in the FIG. 92. FIG. 93. White-throated Sparrow. White-crowned Sparrow. east. Sometimes one of the distinguished looking birds will be discovered in a flock of White- throats. You can tell him from his cousins 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 BROWN THRASHER 177 than the White-throat's, though in quality the clear whistle of the White-throat can 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." FIG. 94. Brown Thrasher : Harporhynchus rufus. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts white, heavily streaked with black. Length, about Hi inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — 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^ 178 BROWN THRASHER however, they may be distinguished at a glance ; for the breast of the Thrasher is heavily spotted, while that of the Cuckoo is pure sheeny white. (See Fig. 83, p. 161.) The backs of the two are also dissimilar when seen close at hand ; for the Thrasher's is reddish brown, while the Cuckoo's is brownish gray, with a silky greenish gloss. The tail of the Thrasher is plain brown ; that of the Cuckoo marked with white spots, more or less prominent according to the species. The flight and habits of the two birds are still less alike. The Thrasher has the tilting, uneven flight of the short-winged Wrens, to whom he is allied; but the Cuckoo, when he has to cross an open space, cuts the air like a projectile from a long-distance gun. The Cuckoo goes from one cover to another, where he hunts silently for caterpillars, only occa- sionally giving vent to his mysterious cuck-cuck- cuch The Thrasher, on the other hand, goes flaunting and flapping over the top of the bushy tangle where he lives, alights on a topmost branch, and dropping his tail and throwing up his head, shouts out at the top of his lungs. The Cuckoo is mysterious and interesting, meriting the grave attention of the psychologist and economic orni- thologist ; but the Thrasher is just an outspoken, jolly good fellow in whom we take a personal and affectionate interest. How can you help feeling flattered when he sits up and pours out his rol- licking song to you ? And such a song as it is ! BROWN THRASHER 179 Though it may be and doubtless is rank heresy to say so, I must confess that I prefer it to that of his distinguished cousin the Mockingbird ; but we all need champions. In one way the Thrasher is particularly in need of friends. Splendid bird that he is, some Jere- miahs inveigh against him with solemnly wagging heads. He is a criminal to be destroyed off the face of the earth. It is hard to believe such evil of your feathered fellows, but — he has been known to taste both grain and fruit ! What con- siderations of song or good fellowship can weigh against such reprehensible conduct ? But hold ! granting that it is a sin to eat a strawberry, — if you happen to be clad in feathers, — let us look up the records and lay bare his crimes in their full enormity. Taking both grain and fruit, they amount to eleven one hundredths of his food ! Moreover, we are assured that the slight loss this entails is more than compensated by the destruc- tion of an equal bulk of May beetles, which, as pointed out, if left alive would not only have done more initial harm than the Thrashers, but would have left ' a multitudinous progeny ' to attack the next year's crop. The Thrasher usu- ally works in brushy places, but it is said that " he probably does as much good there as he would in the garden, for the swamps and groves are no doubt breeding-grounds for many insects that migrate thence to attack the farmer's crops." 180 BEOWN THEASHEE The thickets where the Thrasher is usually seen are also his nesting sites. His nest is a coarse, bulky affair of twigs, rootlets, and leaves ; and the eggs are bluish or grayish white, mi- nutely and evenly dotted with brown. At the nest the bird is more interesting than elsewhere. Audubon has watched his courtship, and says that he struts before the female with his tail trailing on the ground. Mr. Torrey calls him a bird of passion, " ecstatic in song, furious in anger, irre- sistibly pitiful in lamentation," and exclaims, " How any man can rob a Thrasher's nest with that heart-broken whistle in his ears is more than I can imagine." Doctor Brewer gives a strik- ing instance of the passionate nature of the bird, which is also valuable testimony on the point sometimes raised as to whether a bird has intelli- gence to recognize the difference between its own eggs and those of others. A set of Robin's eggs were put in a Thrasher's nest and the premises watched. Presently the female returned, looked in the nest, and flew off. In a moment she was back with her mate, and both flew at the nest in a rage. They actually took the strange eggs in their claws and dashed them on the ground, venting their anger by tossing about the broken shells. CHE WINK 181 FIG. 95. Chewink ; Towhee : Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Adult male, head, breast, and back black ; sides chestnut ; belly and corners of tail white. Adult female, brown replacing the black. Young, in first plumage, streaked. Length, about 83- inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the lower Mississippi Valley and Georgia northward to Maine, Ontario, and Manitoba ; winters from Virginia and southern Illinois to the Gulf. One of the choicest delights of the book-lover is to know his authors so well that he can at any moment go to his shelves and take down the vol- ume that corresponds to his mood, and the same thing is true in knowing birds. The true bird- lover knows his birds so thoroughly that he can choose his walks with the certainty of finding the friend who will respond to his thoughts. When moved by the gladness of spring, he will turn to the daisy fields to listen to the joyful medley 182 CHE WINK of the Bobolink ; when in thoughtful mood, he will retire to the green shade of the forest to be thrilled and uplifted by the hymns of the Thrushes ; when tired of lawn Sparrows and hun- gering for the wild, free side of nature, he will clear the fences and cut across lots to the nearest old juniper pasture 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 sing. 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 towhee and a more nasal whank or chewink. Like the Thrasher, the Chewink gets his food on the ground, and while he belongs to the Finch and Sparrow family, is said to do incalculable good by unearthing wire worms, beetles, and larvae which have gone into winter quarters. " The death of a single insect at this time, before it has had an opportunity to deposit its eggs, is 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 5| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Kansas, 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 fe-o, fe-o, fe-o, few, few, 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 184 FIELD SPAEEOW the memory ; and in a country where it is seldom heard, it is a song that I personally would walk miles to hear. While the feo song is the con- ventional one of the Field Sparrow, it is said to have many variations. In 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 the seeds of amaranth, chickweed, pigweed, knotgrass, and fox- tail, besides eating a large number of grass- hoppers, 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 FIG. 96. Amaranth, eaten by Field Sparrow. WHIP-POOR-WILL 185 eggs are white or bluish white, sometimes marked around the larger end, at others uniformly dotted with light brown spots. 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 : Antrostomus vociferus. (See Fig. 98, p. 188.) Male, wood-brown, lighter below; patch on throat and outer tail feathers white. Female, similar, but throat buffy in- stead of white, and no white on tail. Length, 9| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba ; winters from Florida and the lower Mississippi valley southward. The evening note of the Whip-poor-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 line of its throat absolutely destroys the head form (see Fig. 98, 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- 186 WHIP-POOR-WILL baths to free itself from vermin, its movements on the ground are awkward, its feet being weak and short ; but its aerial movements are most grace- ful. He says : " I have seen one touch the back of its wings together as it sw.ept by me, arrest its noiseless flight instantly, drop to the ground al- most perpendicularly, 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 ' dtick-clack,' and another sounding like 4 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 few 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-POOR-WILL 187 to be in a violent tremble. The male in the mean time had sidled up to her and touched her bill with his, which 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, uncouth sounds, wholly indescribable, the young themselves, in their scanty dress of dark yellow fuzz, apparently all mouth, adding to the general effect." Besides being very interesting birds, Doctor Fisher says that they are most useful, eating ants, grasshop- pers, June bugs, and potato bugs. 188 NIGHTHAWK Nighthawk : Chordeiles virginianus. Male, upper parts blackish, marked with brown ; under parts whitish, barred with black ; throat white ; ivings and tail with conspicuous white bands. Female, no white on tail, and throat buffy. Length, 10 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the Gulf states to Labrador ; winters in South America. Like the Whip-poor-will, the Nighthawk is cre- puscular, flying mainly in the dusky margins of the day. The two birds 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 crescent-like wings. 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- hoppers, and crickets ; and one bird was found with 573 large-winged ants in its stomach, in addition to parts of 72 small-winged ants and FIG. 98. 16 grasshoppers. A Whip-poor-will. FIG. 97. Nighthawk. NIGHTHAWK 189 flock of several thousand Nighthawks may some- times be seen in the sky in the fall migrations, and if they all are blessed with such healthy ap- petites it can be imagined how effectively they FIG. 99. Wing of Nighthawk. thin the ranks of the unhappy insects that lie in their path. The aerial evolutions of the Nighthawk are re- markable. It soars and it flaps, it twists and it turns, it mounts perpendicularly into the air — all with graceful ease ; and in the nesting season its performances are a seven days' wonder for all beholders. When high in air it shoots down almost to -the earth, and then, turning abruptly, ascends to the same heights. In diving, the air is forced through its wings, making a booming sound. Its usual note is a sharp eek or peent, and may be heard of an evening in Washington, New York, or other of the cities, for the birds find good nesting-places on the flat roofs of city houses. The Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will belong to the same family, and their tints suggest the 190 GOATSUCKEBS, SWIFTS, ETC. Grouse, wood-colors being the most effective dis- guise for birds that nest on the ground. As a family the Goatsuckers are perhaps more crepuscular than any birds except Owls. FIG. 100. They are in the game order Slender wing of Hum- • ,1 ,r o • «•, /• -r»i ^ . . . , with the Swifts (see Plate mingbird. II. p. 24), and like them have peculiarly small bills and wide, gaping throats, whose doors they throw wide open as, like de- vouring monsters, they mow their way through a cloud of insects. The Whip-poor- FlG- 101- wills, in addition Short, thick wing of Sparrow. to ^^ enormous mouths, have long, stiff bristles at the base of the bill, that may be effective aids in holding squirming June bugs and such uneasy prey. FIG. 102. Long, slender wing of Swallow. The Swallows are our only birds that approach the Goatsuckers and Swifts in form of bill and GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, ETC. 191 FIG. 103. Strong foot of Sparrow. in feeding habits. (See Fig. 120, p. 193 and 113, p. 192.) Though the Hummingbird has branched off so far from the Swifts and Goat- suckers in form of bill (see Figs. 9 and 10, p. 26), it resembles them in its extreme development of wing (Figs. 19, p. 45, 99, p. 189, and 100, p. 190), and the undeveloped character of its feet (see Figs. 7, p. 25, and 104, p. 191), reminding us again of the dissimilarity of the whole order to the short-winged, strong- footed Grouse, Sparrows (Figs. 101, p. 190, and 103, p. 191), Wrens, and Thrashers. We have now a number of new types of bill to add to those of the Hummingbird, Quail, Dove, Flycatcher, Crow, and Oriole types already noticed, for we have the sword of the Kingfisher, the fly - traps of the Goatsucker and Swallow, the seed-crackers of the Gros- beak and Sparrow, the curious nippers of the Crossbill, and the heavy drill of the Wood- pecker, each in turn especially adapted to the birds' food habits. FIG. 104. Weak foot of Nighthawk. FIG. 105. Footprint of Crow. 192 GOATSUCKEES, SWIFTS, ETC. FIG. 106. Bill of Dove. O FIG. 109. Upper side of bill of Vireo. FIG. 107. Bill of Flycatcher. FIG. 110. Upper side of bill of Flycatcher. O FIG. 108. Bill of Woodpecker. FIG. 114. Bill of Kingfisher. FIG. 111. Bill of Grouse. FIG. 112. Bill of Oriole. FIG. 113. Bill of Goatsucker. KEY TO GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, ETC. 193 FIG. 115. FIG. 118. FIG. 119. Bill of Chickadee. Bill of Hummingbird. Bill of Sparrow. FIG. 116. Bill of Crossbill. FIG. 120. Bill of Swallow. FIG. 117. Bill of Grosbeak. FIG. 121. Bill of Crow Blackbird. Key to Adult Male Goatsuckers, Swifts, and Hummingbirds. 1. Bill long, with little gape. Upper parts green ; throat metallic red. p. 1. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 1'. Bill short, with wide gape. 2. Small ; needle-like spines on end of tail. Un- marked, sooty brown. Diurnal. Nests in chim- ueys p. 23. CHIMNEY SWIFT. 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, peent p. 188. NIGHTHAWK. 3'. No white spot on wing ; tail rounded ; outer tail fea- thers mostly white. Seen hunting nearer the ground. Call, Whip-poor-will . . p. 185. WHIP-POOR-WILL. 194 TEEE SWALLOW Tree Swallow; White-bellied Swallow: Tachy- cineta bicolor. Adults, upper parts steel-blue or steel-green ; under parts pure white, unmarked. Young, upper parts brownish gray; under parts white. Length, about 6 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, north to Labra- dor and Alaska ; breeds locally throughout its range ; winters from South Carolina and the Gulf states southward. The Tree Swallow may be known by its shin- ing white breast. It has not yet entirely given over the habits of its an- cestors, and still nests largely in hollow trees, though 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 up its FIG. 122. residence in candle-boxes Tree Swallow. , ,11- 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 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 195 the marshes near New York by the first of July. Mr. Chapman says that they sail about in circles more -than other Swallows. Rough-winged Swallow : Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Sooty brown above ; breast uniform light sooty. Length, 5j inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America ; breeds as far north as British Columbia, Minnesota, and Connecticut ; win- ters in the tropics. The Rough-winged Swallow gets its name from the small, recurved booklets set like the teeth of a saw along the edge of the outside feathers of the wing in the male. It may be mistaken for the Bank Swallow, unless it is remembered that the Bank Swallow has a dark band across the breast (Fig. 24, p. FJG 55). The nesting hab- Rough-winged Swallow, 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-banks, stone ruins, culverts, and abutments. Near Washington, in the stone walls of the canal, it is particularly abundant. 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- 196 KEY TO SWALLOWS erally a deserted Kingfisher hole or other suitable cavity. An interesting article on the Rough- winged's nesting habits, by Walter Van Fleet, is to be found in the 4 Bulletin 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- shaped nest (see Fig. 22, p. 52) ; the Purple 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 Rough-wing by its sooty back and lack of distinguishing breast-marks. Key to Adult Male Swallows. Common Characters. — Birds of the air, which catch their insect prey on the wing 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. BARN SWALLOW. V. Tail not conspicuously forked. 2. Back with metallic lustre. 3. Under parts shining blue-black. p. 48. PURPLE MARTIN. WINTER WEEN 197 3'. Under parts not shining blue-black. 4. Under parts pure white. p. 194. WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 4'. Under parts washed with brownish, rump light p. 52. EAVE SWALLOW. 2'. Back without metallic lustre. 5. Dark band across breast . p. 54. BANK SWALLOW. 5'. No distinct baud across breast. p. 195. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. Winter Wren : Troglodytes hiemalis. Upper parts reddish brown, finely barred ; under parts washed with brownish. Tail very short, carried over back. Length, about 4 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the northern states northward, and southward along1 the higher Alleghanies to North Carolina ; winters from Massa- chusetts and Illinois to Florida. During the migrations this mite of a Wren may be met almost anywhere. Sometimes it surprises you by bobbing up from a pile of boards with its bit of a tail cocked over its back; again it peers out from a goldenrod thicket, or faces 198 WINTER WEEN you on top of a stump in the woods. It is such a friendly, jolly little bird that you 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. Along the banks of the Hud- son, Doctor Mearns has found the Wrens running about under FIG. 124. tlie ice when the water had Winter Wren. . 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 larvae being the chief of their diet. The Wrens nest mainly in the northern forests, so may be seen and heard by favored Adirondack tourists. Their nest is an interesting mossy one lined with feathers, those of the Ruffed Grouse among the number, Mr. Burroughs tells us. Their eggs are white, dotted with reddish brown, and the nestlings that come out of them become be- witching, bobby little scraps. CAROLINA WEEN 199 Carolina Wren : Thryothorus ludovidanus. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts buffy ; wings and tail barred with black ; a conspicuous white line over the »ye. Length, 5£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; breeds from the Gulf states to southern Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Connecticut ; resident, except at the northern limit of its range. On the wooded hills of the National Zoological Park at Washington, there are three birds whose songs perplex the brains of the beginner by their similarity — the Cardinal, Crested Titmouse, and Carolina Wren. Each of the birds, however, has one song that is distinct and •i • j XT. Fl<*. 125. easily recognized — the J __ _ . ^ Carolina Wren. two-syllabled pe-to of the Titmouse ; the three-syllabled tea-Jcet-tle 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 much as eleven times. The resemblance of the three songs is not fancied. The Wren is known as the Mocking Wren, and is supposed 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 200 CAROLINA WEEN bills move as the sound pours out. Indeed, this is a wise precaution to observe wherever there is any doubt, for there is sometimes more than one bird in a tree ! The Cardinal and Titmouse begin to sing in February, but the Wren sings through- out the 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 have 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 through 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. BEWICKS WEEN 201 Bewick's Wren : Thryothorus bewicJdi. Upper parts dark brown ; under parts grayish ; wings and tail barred ; outer tail feathers black ; white line over eye. Length, 5 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; rare and local east of Alleghanies and north of 40° ; west to edge of Great Plains ; winters in more southern districts (Georgia to eastern Texas). In southern Illinois Mr. Ridgway 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 Texas 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, in smoke-houses and wood-sheds. Mr. Nehrling has also found nests in stove-pipes that lay on the ground, in the pocket of an overcoat that 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 LONG-BILLED MARSH WEEN Long-billed Marsh Wren : Cistothorus palustris. (Plate X.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from the Gulf states to Manitoba and Massachusetts ; winters from the Gulf states, and locally farther north, southward to Mexico. When woods and fields have lost their relish, spend a day in a marsh and the world will seem young again. The expanse of the great level stretch, ' its range and its sweep ' — a dark green sea interrupted only by its narrow winding river, seemingly bounded only by the horizon where treetops meet the small round clouds bordering the soft June heavens — both the expanse and solitude of the great green plain under the sky are infinitely restful. But, aside from this, the marsh is a little world apart, offering keen, peculiar pleasures to those who know nature only in her more familiar forms. As you wade through the reeds, the long blades make pleasant music in your ears, seething as they bow before you and rise behind you. Even the unexpected plunge into deep water takes its place along with the first taste of sweet-flag and the moment when you sight the blue patch of iris down the marsh. As for birds, they pervade the margins of the plain and give it life. At one moment you are remonstrated with by Maryland Yellow-throats, small yellow birds who whip in and out of the reeds, peering up at you anxiously PLATE X. — LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN Crown dark brown, black on the sides ; line over eye white. Back black, streaked with white ; wings and tail barred ; under parts white ; sides marked with brownish. Length about 5j inches. LONG-BILLED MAESH WEEN 203 to make out if you would really harm their brood ; at the next you are encircled by excited Red- wings, who fancy their fledglings in danger ; and then, overhead, the Bobolinks, absorbed in their own happiness, "... meet and frolic in the air Half prattling1 and half singing." But however much you are prepared for it by the other members of the choir, the first outburst of the Marsh Wrens is almost paralyzing. You feel as if you had entered a factory with machines clattering on all sides. Perching atilt of the reeds, with tails over their backs, the excited little music-boxes run on chattering and scolding almost in your very face, diving out of sight in the cat-tails only to reappear near your hand as you search for their nests. Search for their nests? Yes, but only with gentle thoughts. The stilt-houses of these little lake-dwellers surely merit the attention of orni- thological tourists. As you examine the round green balls of nests high up on the reed-stalks, what marvelous workmen the little builders seem ! They bend down the tips of the long blades and weave them in together as if basket-making were an easy matter to them. Difficult work it seems to us to be done for the pure joy of doing, but nest after nest is made around the one which is actually to hold the chocolate eggs. One covets the pleasure of seeing the Wrens at work on 204 WEENS AND THRASHERS these stilt-houses, and the added pleasure of see- ing them bring out a brood of chattering brown mites upon the world of marsh. If all their nine eggs hatch, surely they will be kept busy hunting food for the hungry little folk ! But they are quite equal to the task. Along the southern coasts where the rice grows, they take the oppor- tunity to pick up the destructive weevils that feed upon it, and wherever they are they busy themselves hunting out the small worms of the earth that cumber the ground ; for that is a trait of the Wren family. This particular Wren will never be mistaken for any of his kin, for the black diamond on his back labels him as well as if he were marked with indelible ink. The rest of the family stand pretty much by their own colors, too. The Caro- lina and Winter Wrens are mainly birds of the woods — the Carolina of the south, the Winter of the north. The Carolina Wren has a heavy white line over the eye ; the Winter Wren lacks this, but is easily distinguished by its abbreviated tail, bent at an angle over its back. The House Wren and Bewick's are more similar in habit, being familiar door-yard birds ; but Bewick's, the more southern of the two, has longer wings and tail, and a diagnostic white line over the eye. As a family (see Figs. 126-132, p. 207) the Wrens belong with the three songful cousins, the Catbird, Thrasher, and Mockingbird, and the KEY TO THRASHERS, WRENS, ETC. 205 voices of the wrenkins form no mean part of the family chorus. They seem to live to sing, and sing to live. To the passer-by it would ap- pear the most important part of their business in life. Most of the Wren and Thrasher family wear brown, but some wear gray. They all match well with the earth and bushes they frequent. As they have short, round wings (see Fig. 18, p. 45), they choose to migrate by night, when the two bird-catching Hawks are soundly slumbering. Key to Thrashers, Wrens, etc. 1. Back gray. 2. Under parts whitish ; crown gray ; outer tail feathers white p. 63. MOCKINGBIRD. 2'. Under parts slate-gray ; crown and tail black. p. 6. CATBIRD. 1'. Back brown. 3. Large. Wings and tail not barred ; upper parts reddish brown ; under parts white, streaked with black. Found in thickets p. 177. BROWN THRASHER. 3'. Small ; wings and tail barred. 4. No white line over eye. 5. Under parts brownish ; tail very short, usually held over back. Nests in northern forests. p. 197. WINTER WREN. 5'. Under parts whitish ; tail of medium length, not held over back. Nests commonly about houses. p. 44. HOUSE WREN. 206 KEY TO THRASHERS, WRENS, ETC. 4'. White line over eye. 6. Back with black patch. Found in marshes. p. 202. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 6'. Back without black patch. 7. Upper parts reddish brown ; under parts buffy. Commonest song, a three-syllabled tea-ket-tle, tea- ket-ile p. 199. CAROLINA WREN. 7'. Upper parts dark brown ; under parts whitish. Found west of Alleghanies. p. 201. BEWICK'S WREN. WEEN AND THRASHER FAMILY FIG. 126. Brown Thrasher FIG. 127. Carolina Wren. FIG. 130. House Wren. FIG. 131. Marsh Wren. FIG. 128. Mockingbird. FIG. 132. Catbird. MEMBERS OF WREN AND THRASHER FAMILY. 208 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKEE Yellow-bellied Woodpecker ; Sapsucker : Sphyrapicus varius. (Plate XI.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America ; breeds from Massachusetts northward, and winters from Virginia to Central America. Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers are often called Sapsuckers, 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." '-'•L;l!nr €C e'#\'d-fX. 216. feather. Fan-shaped tail of Ruffed Grouse. 354 BUBY-CROWNED KINGLET tails. The list stands now: 1. Flycatchers. 2. Larks. 3. Crows and Jays. 4. Blackbirds and Orioles. 5. Finches and Sparrows. 6. Tanagers. 7. Swallows. 8. Waxwings. 9. Shrikes. 10. Vireos. 11. Wood Warblers. 12. Pipits. 13. Thrashers, Wrens, Catbirds. 14. Creepers. 15. Nuthatches and Titmice. Ruby-crowned Kinglet : Regulus calendula. (See Fig. 218, p. 356.) Adult male, crown with concealed scarlet patch ; upper parts olive-green ; under parts whitish. Female and young, similar but without scarlet patch. Length, about 4£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America, south to Guate- mala ; breeds from the Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, and the high mountains of Arizona and eastern 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 flock of plump little olive-green birds that lift their wings like the Bluebird and Pine Grosbeak. They are too short and plump to be 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 be a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. If you come too near, he may favor you with a little chattering scold, but will pay little more attention to you, as Kinglets have small fear of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 355 man, and are too busy about their own affairs to be curious about their neighbors. The song of the Ruby is one of the most re- markable of bird songs, being comparable with that of the Winter Wren. My first experience with it was when Mr. Burroughs took out a party of girls at Smith College, and pointed out the diminutive songster in the pines. Several years later, when the Ruby was in Central Park on its way north, Mrs. Olive Thome Miller came over from Brooklyn expressly to hear it, and we spent a morning in the Ramble listening to it, marvel- ing at the volume and the ringing quality of the notes. The following October I heard the King- let again, but this time the song was a low, sweet, liquid warble, smooth and rounded, but without the force or ecstacy of spring. It seemed a fitting Indian Summer meditation, though without the languor of the season, being full of the freshness of the breeze that tempers the heat of the autumn sun. 356 GOLDEN-GEOWNED KINGLET Golden-crowned Kinglet : Regulus satrapa. Male, centre of crown orange, bordered by black and yellow lines ; rest of upper parts olive-green ; under parts whitish. Female, similar, but centre of crown yellow. Length, about 4 inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — North America; breeds from the northern United States northward, and southward along the Rockies into Mexico, and in the Alleghanies to North Caro- lina ; winters from the southern limit of its breeding1 range to the Gulf states. The Kuby-crowned Kinglets are the first on the ground in the fall, but some morning you will discover some beautiful Golden- crowns with the Rubies. The song of the Golden is a high, thin ti-ti9 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, in company with Carolina Chick- adees, Nuthatches, and Tufted Titmice, FIG. 217. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Fig. 218. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. KEY TO KINGLETS AND GNATCATCHERS 357 Blue -gray Gnat catcher : Polioptila ccerulea. Adult male, upper parts bluish gray ; under parts whitish ; fore- head and line over bill black ; outer tail feathers white ; mid- dle ones black. Adult female, similar, but without the black on the head. Length, 4i inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern United States ; breeds from the Gulf states to northern Illinois, southern Ontario, and New Jersey, and wanders rarely to Minnesota and Maine ; winters from Florida southward. This is one of the most piquant and original of birds and will well repay close study. He goes about with wings hanging, whipping his tail as he flirts from branch to branch, and flips out into the air after the small winged insects, reminding one of a Redstart. His call Blue-gray Gnat- note is as distinctive as every- thing else about him — a nasal tsang. He war- bles an inconsequent little song as he works. Key to Adult Male Kinglets and Gnatcatchers. 1. Upper parts bluish gray ; summer residents. Black line on forehead; tail black, outer feathers white. p. 357. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. V. Upper parts olive-green ; winter visitors. 2. Crown reddish orange bordered by black and yellow, p. 356. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLKT. 2'. Crown with concealed scarlet patch. p. 354. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 358 VEERY THRUSH Thrushes. The Thrushes are the quiet, brown, woodland choristers, the most famous of American songsters. They are named with the Skylark and Night- ingale, but it is said their songs have more rich- ness and spirituality than either of the far-famed Europeans. Thrushes are easily recognized, for, barring the Robin, they all have plain, brown backs and white, spotted breasts. Like the Robin they are often seen on the ground, where they feed on grubs, worms, and beetles found by turning up the leaves ; but in fall they are found on the elder bushes, and it is well to take the hint and plant the berries for them. Veery Thrush ; Tawny Thrush ; Wilson's Thrush : Turdus fuscescens. (See Fig. 220, 2, p. 361.) Upper parts uniformly warm brown ; breast tawny, slightly marked with small dark spots. Length, about 7| inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern 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 close to a house if not dis- turbed, and when sought in its natural woodland OLIVE-BACKED THEUSH 359 home will meet your friendly advances with con- fidence, answering your whistle with its own sweet wavering whee-u, till you feel that the woods hold gentle friends to whom you will gladly return. Hold a stiff beech-leaf at right angles to your lips, and whistle softly a series of descending whee-u, whee-u, whee-whee-u's, and you will get a little of the reed-like quality and phras- ing of the Veery's song. To me it has all the restfulness of the sunny beech woods in summer, for it is one of my best-loved home-birds. Olive-backed Thrush : Turdus ustulatus swainsonii. (See Fig. 220, 4, p. 361.) Upper parts uniformly olive ; throat buff y ; breast lightly spot- ted. Length, about 7£ inches. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Breeds from Manitoba, northern New England, and New Brunswick to Alaska and Labrador, and southward along the Alleghanies to Pennsylvania ; win- ters in the tropics. This northern Thrush may be heard singing on its spring migration, and its song is said to be forcibly delivered and ringing. The call note is puk. 360 KEY TO THRUSHES AND BLUEBIRDS Hermit Thrush : Turdus aonalaschkce pallasii. (Plate XXVIII.) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern North America, breed- ing from the northern Alleghanies, the mountainous parts of southern New England, southern New York, and northern Michigan, etc., northward, and wintering from the northern states southward. The Hermit has a distinguishing reddish tail, which it raises and lowers as it gives its charac- teristic call of chuck. The song of the Hermit has the leisurely quality which that of the Olive-backed lacks, and it fades away while the Olive's 4 bubbles on ' to the end. The songs of the Wood Thrush and Hermit resemble each other in their spiritual quality; but the Hermit has a more chant-like utterance, and its first high strain arouses emotions which its regularly falling cadences carry to a perfect close. The song is one for which many of na- ture's devotees make long pilgrimages ; and to my mind it excels that of any bird I have ever heard, being, above all others, serene and uplifting. Key to Thrushes and Bluebirds. 1. Back blue. Breast reddish brown p. 41. BLUEBIRD. 1'. Back brown or brownish. 2. Under parts bright reddish brown . p. 17. ROBIN. 2'. Under parts white, more or less spotted. 3. Tail reddish brown. Breast thickly spotted. Found in deep woods. Call, chuck p. 360. HERMIT THRUSH. PLATE XXVIli. — HERMIT THRUSH Upper parts olive-brown ; tail reddish brown; throat and breast spotted. Length, about 7j inches. KEY TO THRUSHES AND BLUEBIRDS 361 3'. Tail not reddish brown. 4. Under parts heavily spotted ; breast white ; upper parts golden brown, brightest on head. Call, pit- a-pit. Most familiar of Thrushes. p. 22. WOOD THRUSH. 4'. Under parts not heavily spotted ; breast tawny. 5. Back uniformly cinnamon brown ; breast spots very small and brown ; sides whitish. Call whee-u. p. 358. WILSON'S THRUSH. 5'. Back uniformly olive; breast spots larger and black ; sides brownish gray. Migrant. p. 359. OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. FIG. 220. THRUSHES. 1. Hermit Thrush. 2. Wilson's Thrush. 3. Wood Thrush. 4. Olive-backed Thrush. With the Thrushes we finish the list of Perch- ing Birds, and will do well to take a final review 362 COMPARISON OF GEOUPS OF BIRDS of all the birds we have spoken of in the order in which they belong. The hen -like Grouse and Quail, the Pigeons and Doves, and the mice- destroying Hawks and Owls, carry their pictures with their names. The caterpillar-eating, long brown Cuckoos and the water-haunting blue King- fishers are followed by the forest-preservers, the black and white tree-trunk-loving Woodpeckers. The slender-billed Hummingbird and the gaping- mouthed Swifts and Goatsuckers — Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills — make the last order be- fore that of the Perching Birds. Of these the Gray Flycatchers match the bare twigs on which they lie in wait for 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 tropical visitors ; the Swallows, the birds of the air ; the Waxwings, the fawn -colored, crested, silent, cankerworm-eaters ; the Shrikes, the im- palers of grasshoppers, birds, and mice ; the Yireos, the green caterpillar-birds ; the Warblers, speaking broadly, the parti-colored butterflies ; the Pipits, the ground-colored wagtails ; the Thrashers and Wrens, the brilliant musicians ; COMPABISON OF GROUPS OF BIRDS 363 the Creepers, the demure, systematic, tree trunk birds ; the Nuthatches and Titmice, the cheery winter friends ; the Kinglets and Gnatcatchers, the restless little birds that are good opposites of the quiet, dignified Thrushes and Bluebirds, who stand in the place of the most highly developed of birds. LAND BIRDS.1 Order I. Grouse and Quail, p. 40. " II. Pigeons and Doves, p. 80. " III. Birds of Prey, pp. 285-287; 296, 297. " IV. Cuckoos and Kingfishers, p. 165. " V. Woodpeckers, pp. 216, 217. " VI. Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds, Swifts, p. 193. " VII. Perching Birds. 1. Flycatchers, pp. 260, 261. 2. Larks, p. 261. 3. Crows and Jays, p. 220. 4. Blackbirds and Orioles, pp. Ill, 112. 5. Finches and Sparrows, pp. 246-251. 6. Tanagers, p. 174. 7. Swallows, pp. 196, 197. 8. Waxwings, p. 141. 9. Shrikes, p. 300. 10. Vireos, p. 304. 11. Wood Warblers, pp. 342-345. 12. Pipits, p. 348. 13. Wrens and Thrashers, 205, 206. 14. Creepers, p. 349. 15. Nuthatches and Titmice, p. 152. 16. Kinglets and Gnatcatchers, p. 357. 17. Thrushes and Bluebirds, pp. 360, 361. 1 The Order of Parrots, Macaws, and Paroquets and the Family of Star- lings are not taken up in this book, and so are omitted from the list of Land Birds. APPENDIX MIGRATION MIGRATION BLANKS. — Convenient migration blanks are issued by the Biological Survey, and may be had on appli- cation to the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The form of the blanks will be helpful for individual notebook records. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE OF BLANK (p. 368). In the first column should be stated the exact date when each kind of bird was first seen. This entry should be made on the day the bird arrives — not from memory afterwards (general statements such as ' late in March,' ' early in April,' etc., are of no value). In the second column should be stated, with as much exactness as possible, the number of each kind of bird observed during the day it was first seen. In the third column should be stated the date when the same kind of bird was next seen — whether this happens on the very next day, the next week, or not till a month later. In the fourth column should be stated the date when the bird becomes common. Some birds come in a body and are common from the day of their first arrival, while others straggle along and are not common for a month or more ; and others still are never common. In the fifth column should be stated the last date when the bird was observed. In the SPRING MIGRATION this column will remain vacant in those species which breed in the neighborhood, as it can be filled only when all the individuals go north. In the FALL MIGRATION it should be filled in those species which pass farther south, but must remain vacant in those which spend the winter in the vicinity of the station. In the sixth column should be stated whether the species is abundant, common, tolerably common, or rare. 368 MIGRATION BLANK ^ go i Q i i 3 fl o 11 "M ll s\\ ii .3 ^ oT 1 i-H i tJ i fg P? S 03 ^ a £'~* 1 ? 0) J9 3 %~5 *-1 1 ill o § ^ Q) Q) £ P« • rt P g 8 "^ §3 •S a> ] i lit III •jS "^H — 1 c || O O Illll | J3 O "*** ^v "*"* ^u 1 I 1-= ll J§ £ d * a s "® « "a %*% ^ J "1 ^: ** [® T3 S O . ^ 1 A< "Q 1 | t <, S • l| ) THE SPEING MIGRATION 369 MIGRATION LISTS. — When beginning to keep migration records, it will be a help to consult a local list of the same general region. For this purpose three are given here, one of the latitude of Washington, D. C., made by Mr. William Palmer ; one for the latitude of Portland, Connecticut, by Mr. John H. Sage ; and one for St. Louis, compiled from migration lists of Mr. Otto Widmann, in the files of the Biological Survey.1 SPRING MIGRATION AT ST. LOUIS, MO. Feb. 15-March 10? Turkey Buzzard. Flicker. Cowbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Meadowlark. Crow Blackbird. Field Sparrow. Che wink. March 10-20. Red-shouldered Hawk. Sparrow Hawk. Kingfisher. Sap sucker. Phcebe. Rusty Grackle. Purple Finch. Goldfinch. Swamp Sparrow. Purple Martin. Tree Swallow. Loggerhead Shrike. Yellow-rumped Warbler. Bewick's Wren. Brown Creeper. Golden-crowned Kinglet. March 20-31. Marsh Hawk. Chipping Sparrow. Waxwing. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. April 1-10. Mourning Dove. Swift. Barn Swallow. Rough-winged Swallow. Mockingbird. Brown Thrasher. Winter Wren. Gnatcatcher. Hermit Thrush. April 10-20. Red-headed Woodpecker. Kingbird. Vesper Sparrow. Savanna Sparrow. Lark Sparrow. 1 These lists include only land birds. 2 Dates of arrival. 370 THE SPRING MIGRATION 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 Warbler. Cerulean Warbler. Black-poll Warbler. Yellow Redpoll. GrinnelFs 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 10-20. Olive-sided Flycatcher. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Blackburnian Warbler. Connecticut Warbler. Mourning Warbler. THE SPEING MIGRATION 371 SPRING MIGRATION AT WASHINGTON, D. C. March 1-15.1 Cowbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Rusty Blackbird. Crow Blackbird. March 15-21. Song Sparrow. Swamp Sparrow. April 1-7. Phoebe. Vesper Sparrow. Savanna Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow. Rough-winged Swallow. Passenger Pigeon.2 April 7-14. Mourning Dove. Sapsucker. Chipping Sparrow. Field Sparrow. Tree Swallow. Yellow-rumped Warbler. Yellow Palm Warbler. Brown Thrasher. Ruby Kinglet. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. April 14-21. Whip-poor-will. Nighthawk. 1 Dates of arrival in numbers. 2 Nearly extinct. Swift. Kingbird. • Bachman's Sparrow.3 Chewink. Purple Martin. Barn Swallow. Yellow-throated Vireo. Blue-headed Vireo. Black and White Creeper. Parula Warbler. Yellow Warbler. Prairie Warbler. Oven-bird. Louisiana Water-Thrush. Maryland Yellow-throat. Bewick's Wren.8 House Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren. Wood Thrush. April 21-28. Hummingbird. Great-crested Flycatcher. Olive-sided Flycatcher.8 Least Flycatcher. Orchard Oriole. Purple Finch. Scarlet Tanager. Summer Tanager. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. White-eyed Vireo. Nashville Warbler. 3 Very rare. 372 THE SPRING MIGRATION Black-throated Blue Warbler. Black and Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Black-throated Green • Warbler. Water-Thrush. Wilson's Warbler. Redstart. Catbird. May 1-7. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Black-billed Cuckoo. Bobolink. Baltimore Oriole. White-crowned Sparrow. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Cliff Swallow. Bank Swallow. Worm-eating Warbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Golden-winged Warbler. Blackburniau Warbler. Kentucky Warbler. Yellow-breasted Chat. Hooded Warbler.1 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. Date of arrival. Date of departure. Feb. 15- Phoebe. Oct. 6-14. Mar. 10. Red-winged Blackbird. Oct. 22-Nov. 1. Purple Grackle. Oct. 25-Nov. 8. Purple Finch. Oct. 21-Dec. 16. Song Sparrow Oct. 21-Nov. 2. Fox Sparrow. Apr. 3-26. Robin. Nov. 3-Dec. 9. Bluebird. Oct. 26-Dec. 30. Mar. 10-20. Mourning Dove. Nov. 13-30. Cooper's Hawk. Oct. 6-15. Meadowlark. Oct. 26-Dec. 7. Mar. 20-31. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Oct. 10-29. Red-headed Woodpecker. Sept. 14-Oct. 14 Horned Lark. Mar. 25. 1 Very rare. THE SPRING MIGRATION 373 Cowbird. Nov. 6-Dec. 13. Rusty Blackbird. Apr. 16. Apr. 1-10. Marsh Hawk. Oct. 21-Nov. 2. Fish Hawk. May 1-20. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. Apr. 20-May 10. Kingfisher. Oct. 24-Nov. 22. Vesper Sparrow. Oct. 15-21. Savanna Sparrow. Oct. 21-26. Chipping Sparrow. Sept. 28-Oct. 23. Field Sparrow. Oct. 9-26. Tree Swallow. Oct. 13-26. Pine Warbler. Apr. 16-25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Apr. 25-May 6. Hermit Thrush. Apr. 25-May 3. Apr. 10-20. Broad-winged Hawk. Sept. 17-Oct. 21. Swamp Sparrow. Oct. 21-Nov. 2. Purple Martin. Sept. 12. Barn Swallow. Sept. 27-Oct. 19. Bank Swallow. Sept. 25. Yellow Palm Warbler. Apr. 23-May 17. Louisiana Water-Thrush. August. Apr. 20-30. Short-eared Owl. April. Whip-poor-will. Sept. 21-25. Nighthawk. Sept. 29-Oct. 3. Chimney Swift. Sept. 23-30. Kingbird. Sept. 4-10. Least Flycatcher. Sept. 4. White-throated Sparrow. May 7-21. Chewink. Oct. 5-24. Red-eyed Vireo. Sept. 10-Oct. 8. Warbling Vireo. Sept. 4-17. Yellow-throated Vireo. Sept. 10-21. Blue-headed Vireo. May 5-9. Black and White Warbler. Sept. 25-Oct. 4. Myrtle Warbler. May 4-19. 374 THE SPRING MIGRATION Black-throated Green Warbler. Sept. 29-Oct. 21. Titlark. May 1-15. Brown Thrasher. Oct. 5-20. House Wren. Sept. 26-Oct. 15. May 1-10. Pigeon Hawk. May 4-9. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Sept. 13-Oct. 17. Black-billed Cuckoo. Sept. 4. Hummingbird. Sept. 17. Crested Flycatcher. Aug.-Sept. Wood Pewee. Sept. 21-Oct. 3. Bobolink. Oct. 3-15. Baltimore Oriole. Sept. 8. Orchard Oriole. August. Grasshopper Sparrow. Oct. 20. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Sept. 1-28. Indigo-bird. Oct. 4-16. Scarlet Tanager. Sept. 24-Oct. 7. White-eyed Vireo. Sept. 15-20. Worm-eating Warbler. August. Blue-winged Warbler. August. Golden-winged Warbler August. Nashville Warbler. Sept. 27. Parula Warbler. Sept. 26-Oct. 6. Yellow Warbler. Sept. 14-23. Black-throated Blue Warbler. May 12-26. Black and Yellow Warbler. May 16-26. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Sept. 5. Black-poll Warbler. May 25-June 3. Blackburnian Warbler. May 13-30. Prairie Warbler. Sept. 21. Oven-bird. Sept. 10-26. Water-Thrush. May 18-27. Maryland Yellow-throat. Oct. 6-16. Yellow-breasted Chat. August. Redstart. Sept. 11-26. THE SPRING MIGRATION 375 Catbird. Oct. 6-14. Wood Thrush. Sept. 18. Wilson's Thrush. Aug.-Sept. May 10-20. White-crowned Sparrow. May 12-22. Cliff Swallow. Aug.-Sept. Cape May Warbler. May 13-16. Bay-breasted Warbler. May 18-27. Wilson's Warbler. May 22-30. Canadian Warbler. May 21-30. Gray-cheeked Thrush. May 11-27. Olive-backed Thrush. May 17-29. May 20-30. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. May 20-25. Mourning Warbler. May 26. 376 WINTER BIRDS WINTER BIRDS Every one knows that the country is full of birds during the migrations ; but we do not all realize how many birds are to be seen in winter. The following lists from Portland, Connecticut, Wash- ington, D. C., and St. Louis, Missouri, suggest what we may expect to find in our own neighborhoods. The list from Portland has been kindly supplied by Mr. John H. Sage ; that from Washington, by Mr. William Palmer ; and that from St. Louis, by Mr. Otto Widmann.1 Birds that may be seen about Portland, Conn., in Winter. RESIDENTS. Bob- white. Ruffed Grouse. Mourning Dove.2 Sharp-shinned Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Sparrow Hawk. Barred Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Belted Kingfisher.2 Hairy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpecker. Red-headed Woodpecker. Flicker. Blue Jay. Crow. Meadowlark. Purple Finch. WINTER 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.2 Winter Wren. 1 These lists include only land birds. Very rare. WINTER BIRDS 377 Goldfinch. Field Sparrow.1 Song Sparrow. Waxwing. White-breasted Nuthatch. Chickadee. Robin. Bluebird. Brown Creeper. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Hermit Thrush.1 Very rare. Birds that may be seen about Washington in Winter. RESIDENTS. WINTER VISITANTS. Of ordinary occurrence and abundance. Bob- white. Turkey Vulture. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Screech Owl. Downy Woodpecker. Flicker.1 PtKBbe.1 Blue Jay.1 Crow. Fish Crow. Meadowlark.1 Goldfinch.1 Song Sparrow. Cardinal. Waxwing.2 Carolina Wren. White-breasted Nuthatch. Tufted Titmouse. Carolina Chickadee. Robin.1 Bluebird. 1 Most abundant in migrations. 2 Most abundant in summer. 3 Of erratic occurrence. Marsh Hawk. Pigeon Hawk. Short-eared Owl. Horned Lark. Prairie Horned Lark. Purple Finch.1 American Crossbill.3 Pine Finch.8 White-throated Sparrow. Tree Sparrow. Junco. Fox Sparrow. Loggerhead Shrike. Pipit.1 Winter Wren. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Hermit Thrush.1 378 WINTER BIRDS Not of ordinary occurrence or abundance. Goshawk.3 American Rough Leg.3 Acadian Owl. Snowy Owl.4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.1 Pine Grosbeak.4 White-winged Crossbill.4 Redpoll.3 Snowflake.3 Savanna Sparrow.1 Swamp Sparrow.1 Butcherbird.3 Yellow-rumped Warbler.1 Brown Creeper.1 Chickadee.4 Ruby Kinglet.1 Ruffed Grouse. Mourning Dove. Sharp-shinned Hawk.1 Cooper's Hawk.1 Broad-winged Hawk.1 Golden Eagle.3 Bald Eagle. Sparrow Hawk.1 Barn Owl. Long-eared Owl. Barred Owl. Great Horned Owl. Kingfisher.1 Hairy Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpecker.3 Red-headed Woodpecker.2 Red-bellied Woodpecker. Cowbird.4 Red-winged Blackbird.4 Vesper Sparrow.1 Field Sparrow.1 Chewink.2 Mockingbird.3 Birds that may be seen in Winter in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties, Missouri. Generally distributed. Bob-white. Junco. Downy Woodpecker. Cardinal. Blue Jay. Carolina Wrren. Crow. " . White-breasted Nuthatch. Tree Sparrow. Tufted Titmouse. Chickadee. Carolina Chickadee. 1 Most abundant in migrations. 2 Most abundant in summer. Very rare. Of erratic occurrence. WINTER BIRDS 379 Locally distributed.1 Mourning Dove. Marsh Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. America*! Rough-legged Hawk. Golden Eagle.2 Bald Eagle. Sparrow Hawk. Long-eared Owl. Short-eared Owl. Barred Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Hairy Woodpecker. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Red-headed Woodpecker. Red-bellied Woodpecker. Flicker. Prairie Horned Lark. Cowbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Meadowlark. Rusty Blackbird. Crow Blackbird. Purple Finch. Redpoll.* Goldfinch. 1 The majority are found in the heavily-timbered bottom-lands along the large rivers. 2 Very rare. 3 Of uncertain occurrence. Lapland Longspur. Leconte's Sparrow.3 White-crowned Sparrow. White-throated Sparrow. Song Sparrow. Swamp Sparrow. Fox Sparrow. Che wink. Waxwing. Butcherbird.3 Loggerhead Shrike. Yellow-rumped Warbler. Mockingbird.3 Bewick's Wren.3 Brown Creeper.3 Red-breasted Nuthatch.3 Golden-crowned Kinglet.3 Ruby Kinglet.3 Robin. Bluebird. 380 OBSERVATION OUTLINE OUTLINE FOR FIELD OBSERVATIONS OBSERVATION OUTLINE. — In studying birds in the nest- ing season, there are many points to keep in mind — in fact, all the questions involved in the life-histories' of birds. Observations here, if made with conscientious accuracy, are especially valuable, as few birds have ever been studied exhaustively in the field. The following hints may prove suggestive to the student who is beginning field-work : — Points to note to assist in identification. I. Size (compared with Robin, Fig. 5, p. 17). II. Colors. Bright (exs. Oriole, Fig. 25, p. 56 ; Cardinal, Fig. 28, p. 65). Dull (ex. Sparrow, Fig. 58, p. 117). III. Markings. Top of head (ex. White-crowned Sparrow, Fig. 93, p. 176). Back (ex. Red-headed Woodpecker, Fig. 67, p. 131). Breast (ex. Meadowlark, Fig. 45, p. 106). Wings (ex. Nighthawk, Fig. 99, p. 189). Tail (ex. Kingbird, Fig. 35, p. 83). IV. Shape. 1. BODY. Long and slender (ex. Cuckoo, Fig. 83, p. 161). Short and stocky (ex. Bobolink, Plate VII. p. 104). 2. BILL. Short and stout for cracking seeds (ex. Sparrow, Fig. 119, p. 193). Long and slender for holding worms (ex. Oriole, Fig. 112, p. 192). Long and heavy for drilling holes in trees or holding fish (exs. Woodpecker, Fig. 108, p. 192 ; Kingfisher, Fig. 114, p. 192). OBSERVATION OUTLINE 381 Slender and delicate for probing flower tubes (ex. Hummingbird, Fig. 118, p. 193). Short, with wide gape for taking insects (exs. Swal- lows, Fig. 120, p. 193 ; Goatsuckers, Fig. 113, p. 192). Hooked for tearing prey (exs. Hawks, Fig. 200, p. 350 ; Owls, Fig. 199, p. 350). Crossed for extracting seeds from cones (ex. Crossbill, Fig. 116, p. 193). Curved for getting insects from tree trunks (ex. Brown Creeper, Fig. 196, p. 350). 3. WING. Short and round for short flights (exs. Ruffed Grouse and Wren, Fig. 18, p. 45). Long and slender for sustained flight (exs. Swift, Fig. 19, p. 45 ; Swallow, Fig. 102, p. 190). 4. TAIL. Square (ex. White-eyed Vireo, Fig. 208, p. 352). Notched (ex. Pine Finch, Fig. 209, p. 352). Fan-shaped (ex. Ruffed Grouse, Fig. 216, p. 353). Graduated (ex. Mourning Dove, Fig. 12, p. 30). Pointed for bracing (exs. Brown Creeper, Fig. 212, p. 353; Woodpecker, Fig. 213, p. 353). Long and forked for steering (exs. Barn Swallow, Fig. 210, p. 352 ; Swallow-tailed Kite, Fig. 215, p. 353). Short and tipped with spines for bracing (ex. Chimney Swift, Fig. 214, p. 353). 5. FOOT. Weak (exs. Kingfisher, Fig. 81, p. 158 ; Swallow, Fig. 20, p. 50). Used only for perching and clinging to walls (ex. Chimney Swift, Fig. 7, p. 25). Middle toe greatly elongated (ex. Nighthawk, Fig. 104, p. 191). Strong. Used for walking (exs. Crow Blackbird, Fig. 48, 382 OBSERVATION OUTLINE p. 109 ; Pipit, Fig. 205, p. 351 ; Turkey Vul- ture, Fig. 206, p. 351). Used for climbing (exs. Woodpeckers, Fig. 202, p. 351 ; Brown Creeper, Fig. 201, p. 351). Used for holding and tearing prey (ex. Hawks, Fig. 207, p. 351). V. Appearance. Wings and tail drooping. Crest raised, wings close at sides. VI. Movements. Hop (ex. Sparrow) ; walk (ex. Blackbird). Creep up trees (ex. Brown Creeper). Bob head and wag tail (exs. Water-Thrushes and Pipits). Twitch tail from side to side (ex. Indigo-bird). VII. Flight. 1. FAST. Direct (ex. Robin). Abrupt and zigzag (ex. Chimney Swift). Smooth and circling (ex. Swallows). 2. SLOW. Flapping (exs. Crow and Heron). Sailing or soaring (exs. Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Buzzard). Flapping and sailing alternately. Oblique flight (ex. Meadowlark). Undulating flight (ex. Goldfinch). Points to note to add to knowledge of life histories. I. Localities frequented. Gardens and orchards (exs. Hummingbird and Catbird). Roadside fences (exs. Kingbird and Vesper Sparrow). Meadows (exs. Bobolink and Meadowlark). Thickets (exs. Brown Thrasher and Chat). Woods (exs. Hermit Thrush and Oven-bird). Rivers and lakes (ex. Kingfisher). Marshes (exs. Heron and Marsh Wren). OBSERVATION OUTLINE 383 II. Food. 1. KINDS OF FOOD. Weed seeds (exs. Finches and Sparrows). Flies, mosquitoes, etc. (exs. Swallows and Goatsuck- ers). Ants (ex. Flicker). Caterpillars (exs. Cuckoos and Cedar-bird). Elm leaf -beetles and cankerworms (ex. Cedar-bird). Eggs and larvae of cankerworms (exs. Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and Creepers). Grasshoppers and crickets (exs. Meadowlark and Crow). Mice and rats, etc. (exs. Hawks and Owls). 2. MANNER OF OBTAINING FOOD. Lie in wait for prey (exs. Flycatchers and Hawks). Fall on prey without warning. Give call of warning. Take food on wing (exs. Swallows, Swifts, Goatsuck- ers). III. Song (by male only, or by female also). 1. MANNER AND TIME OF SINGING. From a perch (ex. Song Sparrow). In the air (ex. Bobolink). In the night (ex. Mockingbird). Time of joining daybreak chorus. 2. CHARACTER OF SONG. Plaintive (exs. Wood Pewee and Meadowlark). Happy (ex. Bobolink). Long (exs. Mockingbird and Catbird). Short (exs. Bluebird and Chickadee). 3. VARIETY OF CALL NOTES. IV. Habits. 1. USE WINGS IN SPECIAL WAYS. As weapons (ex. Doves). As musical instruments (ex. Ruffed Grouse). 2. Go IN FLOCKS (exs. Waxwings and Blackbirds). 384 OBSERVATION OUTLINE 3. FORM ROOSTS (dates, number of birds in roost, dis- tance 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. Nighthawk). V. Nest (in colonies, ex. Swallows — or alone, ex. Thrushes). 1. LOCATION OF NEST. In or on the ground (exs. Bank Swallows and Oven- bird). In tree-trunks (ex. Woodpeckers). On branches. In crotch. On horizontal limb (ex. Robin). Pendent from branch (exs. Orioles and Vireos). 2. SIZE OF NEST (exs. Hummingbird, Robin, and Crow). 3. FORM OF NEST. 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). Vegetable fibres, grasses, rootlets, leaves, twigs (ex. Sparrows). Hair (ex. Hairbird, or Chipping Sparrow). Fur or feathers (ex. Chickadee). 5. LENGTH OF TIME NEST is USED. Abandoned after first brood (ex. Vireos). Used for successive years (ex. Fish Hawk). OBSERVATION OUTLINE 385 VI. Bunding. 1. METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION. Excavating (exs. Woodpeckers and Kingfisher). Weaving (ex. Oriole). Plastering (ex. Swallow). 2. NUMBER OF DAYS REQUIRED. 3. HABITS OF MALE DURING NEST-BUILDING. Works with female. Works alone. Sings while female works. Brings material to female. Absents himself from nest. VII. Eggs. Number. Color. Markings. VIII. Incubation. Interval between completion of nest and beginning of sitting. Length of incubation. Habits of male during time. Takes place of female on nest. Feeds female on nest. IX. Young. 1. CONDITION AT HATCHING. Feathered (ex. Quail). Naked (exs. Robin and Oriole). 2. CONDITIONS DURING GROWTH. Position of feather tracts. Daily increase in weight. Respiration. Heart beats. Time when eyes open. Time spent in nest. 3. CONDITION ON LEAVING NEST, 386 OBSERVATION OUTLINE 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 female. All the young 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 Junco). Sexual coloration (exs. Oriole and Scarlet Tauager). Relation 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 Chewmk). Color of eggs. 2. INDIVIDUAL VARIATION. In song. In habits. 3. INTELLIGENCE, AS SHOWN BY Caution. Curiosity. Action towards enemies. Change of habits as result of danger. Building. Choice of sites. OBSERVATION OUTLINE 387 Choice of materials. Workmanship. Shape, color, and position to protect from enemies. Knowledge of number and color of eggs. Actions toward Cowbird's eggs. Protection of young. Discipline of young. Food obtained by work of other birds (ex. Fish Hawk and Eagle). 4. EMOTION EXPRESSED BY Use of crest, wings, tail. Attitudes. Movements. Voice. 5. RANGE OF COMMUNICATION. Calls of signal and warning. Cries of anger, fear, pain, protest. Songs of happiness and love. Display of recognition marks,, 388 OBSERVING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES OBSERVING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES In studying birds closely in the field, their confidence must be won, but in villages and towns they are used to' the presence of man, and being less afraid of observers may be watched to peculiar advantage. That a great variety of birds nest in our midst for us to study is shown by the following list from a typical New England town. BIRDS KNOWN TO NEST IN Bob- white. Ruffed Grouse. Mourning Dove. Marsh Hawk. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper's Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Broad-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. Hummingbird. Kingbird. PORTLAND, CONNECTICUT. 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. Che wink. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Indigo Bunting. OBSERVING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES 389 Scarlet Tanager. Purple Martin. Cliff Swallow. Barn Swallow. Tree Swallow. Bank Swallow. Rough-winged Swallow. Waxwirig. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. Yellow-throated Vireo. White-eyed Vireo. Black and White Creeper. Worm-eating Warbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Golden-winged Warbler. Nashville Warbler. Parula Warbler. Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Black-throated Green Warbler. Prairie Warbler. Oven-bird. Louisiana Water-Thrush. Maryland Yellow-throat. Yellow-breasted Chat. Redstart. Catbird. Thrasher. House Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren. White-breasted Nuthatch. Chickadee. Wood Thrush. Veery Thrush. Robin. Bluebird. 390 BOOKS OF EEFEEENCE BOOKS OF REFERENCE For current Government publications apply to Superin- tendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. For second- hand books, separates, and books that are out of print, look in second-hand bookstores. KEYS FOR IDENTIFICATION. Chapman, Frank M. Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America. D. Appleton & Co., New York. $3. Pocket edition. $3.50. Coues, Elliott. Key to North American Birds. Estes & Lauriat, Boston. $7.50. Ridgway, Robert. Manual of North American Birds. J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. $7.50. STANDARD WORKS OF REFERENCE. A. O. U. Check-List of North American Birds (1895). 1 $2. Abridged edition. 25 cents. Audubon, John James. Birds of America ; 2 Ornithological Biography.2 Baird, S. F., Brewer, T. M., and Ridgway, R. A History of North American Birds ; Land and Water Birds. 5 vols. Little, Brown & Co., Boston. $54. Bendire, Charles E. Life Histories of North American Birds. Smithsonian Institution. 2 vols. $15. Coues, Elliott. Birds of the Colorado Valley.2 $2.50. Birds of the Northwest.2 $2.50. Nehrling, Henry. Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty. George Brumder, Milwaukee. 2 vols. Unbound, $16 ; bound, $18-$22. Newton, Alfred. Dictionary of Birds. Macmillan, New York. $7.50. 1 For sale by L. S. Foster, 33 Pine Street, New York. 2 Out of print. BOOKS OF EEFERENCE 391 Nuttall, Thomas. A Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada.2 Chamberlain's Edition, A Popular Handbook of the Ornithology of Eastern North America. Little, Brown & Co. 2 vols. $8. Ridgway, Robert. Nomenclature of Colors. Little, Brown & Co., Boston. $4. Trumbull, Gurdon. 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Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. $1.25. Parkhurst, H. E. The Birds' Calendar. $1.50. Song Birds and Waterfowl. $1.50. Scribner, New York. Thompson, Maurice. John B. Alden. Sylvan Secrets, $0.60. By- Ways and Bird Notes, $0.75. Songs of Fair Weather. 394 BOOKS OF EEFEEENCE Torrey, Bradford. Birds in* the Bush ; A Rambler's Lease ; The Foot-Path Way ; A Florida Sketch-Book ; Spring Notes in Tennessee. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. $1.25 each. Van Dyke, T. S. Game Birds at Home. Fords, Howard & Hulbert, New York. $1.50. Wilcox, M. A. Land Birds of New England. Lee & Shepard, Boston. $0.65. Wright, Mabel Osgood. Birdcraft. $2.50. Tommy-Anne. $1.50. Macmillan Company. Wright, Mabel Osgood, and Dr. Elliott Coues. Citizen Bird. Macmillan Company. $1.50. INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS Acadian Flycatcher, Fig. 110, p. 192. Bald Eagle, Plate XIX, p. 282. Baltimore Oriole, Fig. 25, p. 56 ; Fig. 112, p. 192. Bank Swallow, Fig. 24, p. 55. Barn Owl, Plate XXVI, p. 294. Barn Swallow, Plate IV, p. 50 ; Fig. 47, p. 109 ; Fig. 102, p. 190. Barred Owl, Plate XXIV, p. 290. Bills of Blackbird (Crow), Fig. 121, p. 193. Blue Jay, Fig. 135, p. 218. Bobolink, Fig. 50, p. 110. Brown Creeper, Fig. 19G, p. 350. Chickadee, Fig. 115, p. 193. Cowbird, Fig. 42, p. 102. Crossbill, Fig. 116, p. 193. Crow, Fig. 136, p. 218. Dove (Mourning), Fig. 106, p. 192. Flycatchers (Acadian), Fig. 110, p. 192. (Wood Pewee), Fig. 107, p. 192. Goatsucker (Nighthawk), Fig. 113, p. 192. Grosbeak (Pine), Fig. 117, p. 193. Grouse (Ruffed), Fig. Ill, p. 192. Hawk (Sparrow), Fig. 200, p. 350. Hummingbird, Fig. 118, p. 193. Kingfisher, Fig. 114, p. 192. Meadowlark, Fig. 43, p. 102. Oriole (Baltimore), Fig. 112, p. 192. Owl (Screech), Fig. 199, p. 350. Shrike (Loggerhead), Fig. 198, p. 350. Sparrow (Song), Fig. 119, p. 193. Swallow (White-bellied), Fig. 120, p. 193. Swift (Chimney), Fig. 9, p. 26. Tanager (Scarlet), Fig. 91, p. 170. Vireo (White-eyed), Fig. 109, p. 192. Vulture (Turkey), Fig. 163, p. 264. Woodpecker (Hairy), Fig. 108, p. 192. Wren (House), Fig. 197, p. 350. Black and White Creeper, Fig. 190, p. 347. Black and Yellow Warbler, Fig. 174, p. 324. Black-billed Cuckoo, Fig. 86, p. 164. Blackbirds, Cowbird, Fig. 42, p. 102. Crow, Fig. 39, p. 93 ; Fig. 121, p. 193. Red-wing, Plate VI, p. 96 ; Fig. 48, p. 109 ; Fig. 54, p. 112. Blackburnian Warbler, Fig. 185, p. 346. Black-poll Warbler, Fig. 187, p. 346. Black-throated Blue Warbler, Fig. 188, p. 347. Black-throated Green Warbler, Fig. 192, p. 347. Bluebird, Fig. 16, p. 41. Blue Jay, Fig. 78, p. 154; Fig. 135, p. 218 ; Fig. 137, p. 220. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, Fig. 189, p. 347. Bobolink, Fig. 44, p. 103 ; Plate VII, p. 104 ; Fig. 50, p. 110 ; Fig. 51, p. 110 ; Fig. 53, p. 112. Bob-white, Fig. 14, p. 37. Brown Creeper, Fig. 196, p. 350; Fig. 201, p. 351 ; Fig. 212, p. 353. Brown Thrasher, Fig. 94, p. 177 ; Fig. 126, p. 207. Canada Jay, Plate XII, p. 218. Canadian Warbler, Fig. 184, p. 346. Cardinal, Fig. 155, p. 253. Carolina Wren, Fig. 127, p. 207. Catbirl, Fig. 2, p. 6; Fig. 132, p. 207. Chat, Yellow-breasted, Fig. 175, p. 331. Chestnut-sided Warbler, Fig. 183, p. 346. Chewink, Fig. 95, p. 181 ; Fig. 153, p. 252. Chickadee, Fig. 32, p. 74 ; Fig. 74, p. 153 ; Fig. 115, p. 193. Chimney Swift, Plate II, p. 24 ; Fig. 7, p. 25 ; Fig. 9, p. 26 ; Fig. 19, p. 45 ; Fig. 214, p. 353. Chipping Sparrow, Fig. 55, p. 113. Cliff Swallow, Fig. 22, p. 52. Cooper's Hawk, Fig. 166, p. 270. Cowbird, Fig. 42, p. 102. Creeper, Black and White, Fig. 190, p. 347. 396 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS Creeper, Brown, Fig. 196, p. 350 ; Fig. 201, p. 351 ; Fig. 212, p. 353. Crossbill, Fig. 116, p. 193. Crow. Fig. 4, p. 14; Fig. 136, p. 218. Crow Blackbird, Fig. 39, p. 93 ; Fig. 121, p. 193. Cuckoo, Fig. 85, p. 163. Black-billed, Fig. 86, p. 164. Yellow-billed, Fig. 83, p. 161 : Fig. 87, p. 164. Dickcissel, Fig. 159, p. 253. Dove, Mourning, Fig. 11, p. 29; Fig. 12, p. 30 ; Fig. 106, p. 192. Downy Woodpecker, Fig. 71, p. 139. Eagle, Bald, Plate XIX, p. 282. Eave Swallow, Fig. 22, p. 52. Feet of Blackbird (Red-winged), Fig. 48, p. 109. Chimney Swift, Fig. 7, p. 25. Creeper (Brown), Fig. 201, p. 351. Hawk (Fish), Fig. 207, p. 351. Kingfisher, Fig. 82, p. 159. Nighthawk, Fig. 203, p. 351. Pipit, Fig. 205, p. 351. Sparrow (Song), Fig. 204, p. 351. Swallow (Barn), Fig. 47, p. 109. •Vulture (Turkey), Fig. 206, p. 351. Woodpecker (Hairy), Fig. 202, p. 351. Fish Hawk, Plate XVIII, p. 280; Fig. 168, p. 281. Flicker, Fig. 64, p. 127 ; Fig. 66, p. 130. Flycatchers, Plate XIII, p. 258. Acadian, Fig. 110, p. 192. Great-crested Flycatcher, Plate XIII, p. 258. Kingbird. Fig. 35, p. 83 ; Plate XIII, p. 258. Least Flycatcher, Plate V, p. 80 ; Plate XIII, p. 258. Phoebe, Fig. 37, p. 88 ; Plate XIII, p. 258 ; Fig. 160, p. 260. Wood Pewee, Fig. 107, p. 192; Plate XIII, p. 258. Fox Sparrow, Fig. 143, p. 230. Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, Fig. 219, p. 357. Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fig. 217, p. 356. Goldfinch, Frontispiece. Goshawk, Plate XIV, p. 266. Great - crested Flycatcher, Plate XIII, p. 258. Great Horned Owl, Plate XXV, p. 292. Grouse, Ruffed, Fig. 13, p. 33 ; Plate III, p. 34; Fig. Ill, p. 192. Grosbeak, Pine, Fig. 117, p. 193. Rose- breasted, Fig. 89, p. 166 ; Fig. 151, p. 252. Hairy Woodpecker, Fig. 69, p. 135; Fig. 108, p. 192; Fig. 133, p. 215. Hawks, Cooper's, Fig. 166, p. 270. Fish, Plate XVIII, p. 280. Goshawk, Plate XIV, p. 266. Marsh, Plate XVII, p. 278. Red-tailed, Plate XVI, p. 272. Sharp-shinned, Plate XV, p. 268. Sparrow, Fig. 167, p. 277. Hermit Thrush, Plate XXVIII, p. 360. Hooded Warbler, Fig. 180, p. 346. Horned Lark, Fig. 161, p. 262. House Wren, Fig. 18, p. 45 ; Fig. 130, p. 207. Hummingbird, Fig. 1, p. 1 ; Fig. 100, p. 190; Fig. 118, p. 193. Insects. Ant, Fig. 65, p. 130. Army worm, Fig. 6, p. 20. Cankerworm, Fig. 30, p. 69. Click beetle, Fig. 26, p. 57. Clover leaf-beetle, Fig. 41, p. 97. Currant worm, Fig. 57, p. 115. Cutworm, Fig. 15, p. 38. Grasshopper, Fig. 3, p. 13; Fig. 46, p. 108. Gypsy moth, Fig. 88, p. 164. May beetle, Fig. 40, p. 95. Mosquito, Fig. 23, p. 54. Potato beetle, Fig. 90, p. 168. Prionus beetle, Fig. 68, p. 133. Rose chafer, Fig. 36, p. 85. Sphynx moth, Fig. 79, p. 155. Tent-caterpillar, Fig. 84, p. 162. Wood-boring larva, Fig. 70, p. 139. Jay, Blue, Fig. 78, p. 154; Fig. 135, p. 218 ; Fig. 137, p. 220. Canada, Plate XII, p. 218. Junco, Fig. 156, p. 253. Kentucky Warbler, Fig. 186, p. 346. Kingbird, Fie. 35, p. 83. Kingfisher, Fig. 80, p. 157 ; Fig. 81, p. 158 ; Fig. 82, p. 159 ; Fig. 114, p. 192. Kinglet, Golden-crowned, Fig. 217, p. 356. Ruby-crowned, Fig. 218, p. 356. Kite, Swallow-tailed, Plate XX, p. 284. INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 397 Lark, Horned, Fig. 161, p. 262. Lark Sparrow, Fig. 147, p. 237. Least Flycatcher, Plate V, p. 80. Loggerhead Shrike, Fig. 169, p. 298. Long-billed Marsh Wren, Plate X, p. 202; Fig. 131, p. 207. Long-eared Owl, Plate XXII, p. 288. Louisiana Water-Thrush, Fig. 178, p. Magnolia Warbler, Fig. 174, p. 324. Marsh Hawk, Plate XVII, p. 278. Maryland Yellow-throat, Fig. 193, p. 347. Meadowlark, Fig. 43, p. 102 ; Fig. ! 45, p. 106 ; Fig. 52, p. 112. Mockingbird, Fig. 27, p. 63; Fig. 128, p. 207. Mourning Dove, Fig. 11, p. 29 ; Fig. 12, p. 30. Myrtle Warbler, Fig. 194, p. 348. Nighthawk, Fig. 97, p. 188 ; Fig. 99, p. 189 ; Fig. 104, p. 191 ; Fig. 113, p. 192. Nuthatch, Red-breasted, Fig. 75, p. 153. White-breasted, Fig. 32, p. 74 ; Fig. 76, p. 153. Oriole, Baltimore, Fig. 25, p. 56; Fig. 112, p. 192. Osprey, Plate XVIII, p. 280. Oven-bird, Fig. 176, p. 333. Owls, Barn, Plate XXVI, p. 294. Barred, Plate XXIV, p. 290. Great Horned, Plate XXV, p. 292. Long-eared, Plate XXII, p. 288. Screech, Plate XXI, p. 287. Short-eared, Plate XXIII, p. 290. Snowy, Plate XXVII, p. 294. Parula Warbler, Fig. 189, p. 347. Phoebe, Fig. 37, p. 88. Pine Finch, Fig. 144, p. 233. Pipit, Fig. 205, p. 351. Prairie Warbler, Fig. 181, p. 346. Purple Finch, Plate IX, p. 148. Quail, Fig. 14, p. 37. Red-breasted Nuthatch, Fig. 75, p. 153. Red-eyed Vireo, Fig. 61, p. 121 ; Fig. 173, p. 305. Red-headed Woodpecker, Fig. 67, p. 131 ; Fig. 134, p. 216. Redpoll, Fig. 157, p. 253. Redstart, Fig. 195, p. 348. Red-tailed Hawk, Plate XVI, p. 272 Red-winged Blackbird, Plate VI, p. 96 ; Fig. 48, p. 109 ; Fig. 54, p. 112. Robin, Fig. 5, p. 17. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Fig. 89, p. 166 ; Fig. 151, p. 252. Rough-winged Swallow, Fig. 123, p. 195. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Fig. 218, p. 356. Ruffed Grouse, Fig. 13, p. 33 ; Plate III, p. 34 ; Fig. Ill, p. 192. Sapsucker, Plate XI, p. 208; 'Fig. 213, p. 353. Scarlet Tanager, Fig. 91, p. 170. Screech Owl, Plate XXI, p. 287. Sharp-shinned Hawk, Plate XV, p. 268. Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Fig. 148, p. 239. Short-eared Owl, Plate XXIII, p. 290. Shrike, Loggerhead, Fig. 169, p. 298. Snowbird, Fig. 158, p. 253. Slate-colored, Fig. 156, p. 253. Suowflake, Fig. 158, p. 253. Snowy Owl, Plate XXVII, p. 294. Sparrow Hawk, Fig. 167, p. 277. Sparrows, Chipping, Fig. 55, p. 113. Fox, Fig. 143, p. 230. Lark, Fig. 147, p. 237. Sharp-tailed, Fig. 148, p. 239. Song, Fig. 101, p. 190; Fig. 103, p. 191 ; Fig. 154, p. 252. Vesper, Fig. 60, p. 119. White-crowned, Fig. 152, p. 252. White-throat, Fig. 150, p. 252. Swainson's Thrush, Fig. 220, p. 361. Swallows, Bank, Fig. 24, p. 55. Barn, Plate IV, p. 50 ; Fig. 47, p 109 ; Fig. 102, p. 190. Cliff , Fig. 22, p. 52. Eave, Fig. 22, p. 52. Rough-winged, Fig. 123, p. 195. Tree, Fig. 120, p. 193 ; Fig. 122, p. 194. White-bellied, Fig. 120, p. 193; Fig. 122, p. 194. Swallow-tailed Kite, Plate XX, p. 284. Swift, Chimney, Plate II, p. 24 ; Fig. 7, p. 25 ; Fig. 9, p. 26 ; Fig. 19, p. 45 ; Fig. 214, p. 353. Tails of Barn Swallow, Fig. 210, p. 352. Black-billed Cuckoo, Fig. 86, p. Bobolink, Fig. 51, p. 110. Brown Creeper, Fig. 212, p. 353. Mourning Dove, Fig. 12, p. 30. Pine Finch, Fig. 209, p. 352. 398 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS Ruffed Grouse, Fig 216, p. 353. Sapsucker, Fig. 213, p. 353. Swallow-tailed Kite, Fig. 215, p. 353. Swift, Fig. 214, p. 353. Vesper Sparrow, Fig. 60, p. 119. Vireo, White-eyed, Fig. 208, p. 352. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Fig. 87, p. 164. Tanager, Scarlet, Fig. 91, p. 170. Thrasher, Brown, Fig. 94, p. 177 ; Fig. 126, p. 207. Thrushes, Hermit, Plate XXVIII, p. 360 ; Fig. 220, p. 361. Swainson's, Fig. 220, p. 361. Veery, Fig. 220, p. 361. Wood, Fig. 220, p. 361. Tree Swallow, Fig. 120, p. 193 ; Fig. 122, p. 194. Tufted Titmouse, Fig. 77, p. 153. Turkey Vulture, Fig. 163, p. 264; Fig. 164, p. 265. Veery Thrush, Fig. 220, p. 361. Vesper Sparrow, Fig. 60, p. 119. Vireo, Red-ey.ed, Fig. 61, p. 121 ; Fig. Warbling, Fig. 172, p. 305. White-eyed, Fig. 109, p. 192 ; Fig. 171, p. 305. Yellow-throated, Fig. 170, p. 305. Vulture, Turkey, Fig. 163, p. 264. Warblers, Black and White Creeper, Fig. 190, p. 347. Black and Yellow, Fig. 174, p. 324. Blackburnian, Fig. 185, p. 346. Black-poll, Fig. 187, p. 346. Black-throated Blue, Fig. 188, p. 347. Black-throated Green, Fig. 192, p. 347. Blue Yellow-backed, Fig. 189, p. 347. Canadian, Fig. 184, p. 346. Chestnut-sided, Fig. 183, p. 346. Hooded, Fig. 180, p. 346. Kentucky, Fig. 186, p. 346. Louisiana Water-Thrush, Fig. 178, p. 336. Magnolia, Fig. 174, p. 324. Maryland Yellow-throat, Fig. 193, p. 347. Myrtle, Fig. 194, p. 348. Oven-bird, Fig. 176, p. 333. Parula, Fig. 189, p. 347. Prairie, Fig. 181, p. 346. Redstart, Fig. 195, p. 348. Water-Thrush, Fig. 177, p. 336. Wilson's, Fig. 182, p. 346. Worm-eating, Fig. 179, p. 338. Yellow, Fig. 191, p. 347. Yellow-breasted Chat, Fig. 175, p. 331. Yellow-rumped, Fig. 194, p. 348. Warbling Vireo, Fig. 172, p. 305. Waxwing, Plate VIII, p. 142; Fig. 72, p. 144. Weeds, Amaranth, Fig. 96, p. 184. Crab grass, Fig. 56, p. 114. Foxtail, Fig. 142, p. 228. Pigweed, Fig. 59, p. 117. Ragweed, Fig. 139, p. 222. Thistle, Fig. 73, p. 147. Whip-poor-will, Fig. 98, p. 188. White-bellied Swallow, Fig. 120, p. 193 ; Fig. 122, p. 194. White-breasted Nuthatch, Fig. 76, p. 153. White-crowned Sparrow, Fig. 152, p. White-eyed Vireo, Fig. 171, p. 305 ; Fig. 109, p. 192. White-throated Sparrow, Fig. 150. p. 252. Wings of Barn Swallow, Fig. 102, p. 190. Chimney Swift, Fig. 19, p. 45. House Wren, Fig. 18, p. 45. Hummingbird, Fig. 100, p. 190. Nighthawk, Fig. 99, p. 189. Song Sparrow, Fig. 101, p. 190. Waxwing, Fig. 72, p. 144. Woodpeckers, Downy, Fig. 71. p. 139. Flicker, Fig. 64, p. 127 ; Fig. 66, p. 130. Hairy, Fig. 69, p. 135 ; Fig. 108, p. 192 ; Fig. 133, p. 215. Red-headed, Fig. 67, p. 131 ; Fig. 134, p. 216. Yellow-bellied, Plate XI, p. 208; Fig. 213, p. 353. Wood Pewee, Fig. 107, p. 192. Wood Thrush, Fig. 220, p. 361. Wrens, Carolina, Fig. 127, p. 207. House, Fig. 18, p. 45 ; Fig. 130, p. 207. Long-billed Marsh, Fig. 131, p. 207 ; Plate X, p. 202. Winter, Fig. 129, p. 207. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, Plate XI, p. 208 ; Fig. 213, p. 353. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Fig. 83, p. 161 ; Fig. 87, p. 164. Yellow-bird, Frontispiece. Yellow-breasted Chat, Fig. 175, p 331. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fig. 194, p 348. Yellow-throated Vireo, Fig. 170, p 305. Yellow Warbler, Fig. 191, p. 347. INDEX Acadian Flycatcher, 254. Acanthis linaria, 236-237. Accipiter atricapillus, 266-267. cooperi, 269-271. velox, 268-269. Adaptation, shown by bill, 5, 25, 57, 59, 70, 86, 110-111, 123, 139, 190, 191, 214, 234-235, 264, 349. foot, 24-25, 35, 50, 159, 264, 282, 349. mucilaginous saliva, 26, 130, 140. power of regurgitation (see Regur- gitation). protective coloration, 5, 26,^3-35, 44, 56, 67, 104-105, 107-108, 122, 130, 146, 171, 183, 185, 190, 262, 294, 318, 348, 349. tail, 25, 110, 140, 240, 283, 350. tongue, 139, 140, 214. wing, 5, 24, 35, 44^5. Agelaius phoeniceus, 96-98. Alder Flycatcher, 258. Ammodramus caudacutus, 239-240. maritimus, 240-241. sandwichensis savanna, 225-226. savannarum passerinus, 226-227. Ampelis cedrorum, 141-144. Anthus pensilvanicus, 348. Antrostomus vociferus, 185-187. Asio accipitrinus, 290-291. wilsonianus, 288-289. Bachman's Sparrow, 242. Bald Eagle, 281, 282-283. Baltimore Oriole, 56-61, 62. Bank Swallow, 54-55, 159, 195. Barn Owl, 293-294. Barn Swallow, 49-51, 53, 54. Barred Owl, 291-292. Bewick's Wren, 201. Bird boxes, xxv, 42-43, 46, 48-49, 72, 288. ' Bird psychology, 46-47, 107-108, 255, 318-320. association of ideas, 72, 87. courage, 28, 29, 32, 71, 200, 267. dissimulation, 32, 39-40, 160, 172. expression of emotions and ideas, — by use of crests, attitudes, and movements, 3, 9, 129, 141- 142, 288, 332. By voice, — calls of warning, 40, 50 ; cries of an- fer, distress fear, pain, 9, 121, 50, 172, 180 ; scoldings, 60, 316 ; songs, 18, 99, 104, 169, 232, 238, 316, 332, 334. individuality, 10-11, 14-15, 59, 201, 255, 302, 318-320. inherited instincts, 27. intelligence shown in building, 52, 55, 136, 318 ; bring- ing up young, 18 ; cooperation, 18, 46-47, 157, 281 ; discrimina- tion between eggs, 180 ; getting food, 282, 295 ; protecting young, 39-40, 99; protective attitudes, devices, and movements, 27, 142, 161, 255-256, 289 ; strategy, 39- 40, 49, 160, 161, 255, 269 ; turning to man for help, 46, 81-82, 238. play impulse, 75. storing habit, 133, 218-219, 299. Birds, agents in cross-fertilization and fruit-planting, 4-5, 123. anecdotes about, 107-108, 142, 157 ; appealing to man for help, 46- 47, 238 ; defense of nest, 87 ; de- votion to young, 28-29, 36-37, 39-40, 71, 172; feeding neigh- bor's children, 100-101, 318-320 ; friendliness when well treated, 9, 10-11, 46-47, 81-82, 113-115, 124-125, 129, 302 ; originality of Crow, 14-15. as guides to water, 30-31. bills, feet, tails, wings of (see Adaptation). comparisons of groups of, 40, 79, 91-92, 109-111, 143-144, 173, 181- 182, 190-191, 196, 204-205, 214- 216, 219, 242-246, 258-259, 271- 272, 284-285, 295, 297, 302-303, 306-307, 339-342, 350, 361-363. destruction of, 3, 31-32, 37, 64- 65, 78-79, 117-118, 122-123, 137, 138, 236. domestic life of, as parents, 2-3, 8-9, 15, 18, 19, 28-29, 32, 36-37, 400 INDEX 39^0, 71, 98-99, 100, 172, 318- 320; companionship of mates, 18, 31, 76, 142, 146, 169, 316; courtship, 43-44, 128-129, 136, 149, 180, 186-187, 210, 255, 279- 280, 288; defense of nest and young, 9, 32, 36-37, 39-40, 71, 87, 160, 161, 187 ; family govern- ment, 18 ; habits of male at nest, — absent from, 3-4; helps build, 39, 76, 136, 210; mated through life, 15, 60, 136, 288. economic status of (see Economic status). eyesight of, 84-85. flight of, 72, 84, 178, 186, 189, 195, 213,272-273, 276-278, 280, 283- 284, 299. flocks of, 19, 24, 51, 55, 66, 73, 78, 111, 141, 144, 145, 148, 175, 189, 194, 221, 231, 233, 234, 317, 339, 354. food of (see Food of birds). how and what to observe about, xiv-xv, 4, 12, 14, 18-20, 23-24, 26-27, 141-142, 144, 149, 160- 161, 199-200, 352, 367-368, 380- 388. how to find name of, xiii, 79-80. how to protect, attract, and feed, xx-xxi, xxiv-xxviii, 36, 40, 42- 43, 46, 48-49, 53, 58, 68, 81, 113, 124-125, 146, 154, 194, 235, 281. how to protect crops from, xx- xxi, 7, 8, 13, 21, 58, 105, 143, 209. human companionship sought by, 10-11, 218. keys to (see Keys). migration of (see Migration). sleeping places of, 28, 51, 75, 139- 140. songs (see Songs and calls of birds). winter, xxvi-xxviii, 376-379. young (see Young birds). Black and White Creeper, 314. Black and Yellow Warbler, 324-325. Blackbirds, 12, 101-102, 109-111, 144. Gowbird, 98-101, 102, 110. Crow, 93-96, 101, 110. Key to, 111-112. Red-whig, 96-98, 101, 102, 110. Rusty, 101-103, 110. Blackbirds and Orioles, 109-111. Key to, 111-112. Blackburnian Warbler, 326. Black-poll Warbler, 321-322. Black-throated Blue Warbler, 312- 313, 326. Black-throated Bunting, 224. Black-throated Green Warbler, 311, 326. Bluebird, 41-44, 59, 140. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 357. Blue Jay, 154-157. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, 317- 318. Bobolink, 103-106, 107, 110. Bob-white, 37-40, 57, 80. Bonasa umbellus. 32-37. Broad-winged Hawk, 275. Brown Creeper, 349-352. Brown Thrasher, 177-180, 182. Bubo virginianus, 292-293. Butcherbird, 300. Buteo borealis, 271-273. latissimus, 275. lineatus, 273-274. Buzzard, Turkey, 263-265, 266. Canada Jay, 217-219. Canadian Warbler, 322. Cardinal, 65-66, 151, 171, 199, 200. Cardinalis cardinalis, 65-66. Carolina Chickadee, 71-72, 151. CarolinfrWren, 199-200. Carpodacus purpureus, 148-149. Catbird, 6-11, 92. Cathartes aura, 263-265. Cats, xxv, 118. Cedar-bird, 141-144. Ceophloeus pileatus, 212-213. Certhia familiaris americana, 349- 352. Ceryle alcyon, 157-160. Chaetura pelagica, 23-29. Chat, Yellow-breasted, 331-333. Chebeck, 80-82, 92. Chelidon erythrogaster, 49-51. Cherry-bird", 141-144. Chestnut-sided Warbler, 318-320. Chewink, 181-183. Chickadee, 67-71, 79, 95, 138, 152. Carolina, 71-72, 151. Chimney Swift, 23-29, 45, 92. Chipping Sparrow, 11 3-1 16. Chondestes grammacus, 237-238. Chordeiles virgiuianus, 188-190. Circus hudsonius, 278-280. Cistothorus palustris, 202-204. Clay-colored Sparrow, 241. Cliff Swallow, 50, 52-54. Clivicola riparia, 54-55. Coccyzus americanuf , 160-163. erythropthalinus, 163-164. Cock-of-the-Woods, 212-213. Colaptes auratus, 127-131. Colinus virginianus, 37-40. Columbigallina passeriua terrestris, 31-32. Compsothlypsis americana, 317-318. INDEX 401 Contopus borealis, 257. virens, 90-93. Cooper's Hawk, 269-271. Corvus americanus, 11-15. ossifragus, 1C. Cowbird, 98-101, 102, 110. Creeper, Brown, 349-352. Crossbill, American, 234-235. Crow, American, 11-15. Fish, 16. Crow Blackbird, 93-96, 101, 110. Crows and Jays, 156, 219. Key to, 220. Cuckoos, 162, 177-178. Black-billed, 163-164. Yellow-billed, 160-163. Cuckoos and Kingfishers, 164. Key to, 165. Cyanocitta cristata, 154-157. Dendroica aestiva, 307-308. Blackburniae, 326. caerulescens, 312-313. coronata, 310. discolor, 325-326. maculosa, 324-325. palmarum hypochrysea, 316-317. pensylvanica, 318-320. striata, 321-322. virens, 311. Dickcissel, 224. Dolichonyx oryzivorus, 103-106. Doves, 45, 79-80, 94. Ground, 31-32. Key to, 80. Mourning, 29-31. Passenger Pigeon, 78-79. Downy Woodpecker, 137-140. Dryobates borealis, 210-211. pubescens, 137-140. villosus, 135-137. Eave Swallow, 50, 52-54. Economic status of Bald Eagle, 282-283. Barn Owl, 293-294. Barn Swallow, 53, 54. Barred Owl, 291. Black-poll Warbler, 322. Bluebird, 43. Blue Jay, 154-156. Bobolink, 105-106. Bob-white, 37-38. Broad-winged Hawk, 275. . Brown Thrasher, 179. Butcherbird, 300. Catbird, 7-8. Chewink, 182-183. Chickadee, 69-70. Chimney Swift, 25. Chipping Sparrow, 115-116. Cooper's Hawk, 269-271. Crow, 12-14. Crow Blackbird, 12, 95-96. Cuckoos, 162-164. Dickcissel, 224. Downy Woodpecker, 138-139. Eave Swallow, 54. Field Sparrow, 184. Flicker, 130-131. Goldfinch, 146-147. Goshawk, 266-267. Great Horned Owl, 292-293. Hairy Woodpecker, 136-137. Horned Lark, 262-263. Junco, 221-222. Kingbird, 85-86. Kingfisher, 159. Loggerhead Shrike, 299. Long-eared Owl, 289. Marsh Hawk, 279. ' Meadowlark, 108-109. Nighthawk, 188. Nuthatch, 75. Orioles, 57-59, 61-62. Osprey, 280. Phoebe, 89-90. Pileated Woodpecker, 213. Pine Finch, 233. Red-bellied Woodpecker, 212. Red-headed Woodpecker, 132-133. Redpoll, 237. Red-shouldered Hawk, 273-274. Red-tailed Hawk, 272. Red-winged Blackbird, 96-97. Robin, 20-21. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 167-168. Sapsucker, 208-209. Savanna Sparrow, 225-226. Screech Owl, 287. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 268. Short-eared Owl, 290-291. Song Sparrow, 117. Sparrow Hawk, 276. Swallow-tailed Kite, 284. Thrushes, 358. Tree Sparrow, 229. Tufted Titmouse, 152. Vireos, 122, 304. Warblers, 307. Waxwing, 142-143. Whip-poor-will, 187. White-throated Sparrow, 175. Woodpeckers, 12, 133, 213-214. Ectopistes migratorius, 78-79. Elanpides forficatus, 283-284. Einpidonax minimus, 80-82. trailii alnorum, 258. virescens, 254. English Sparrow, xix, 42, 46, 49. Falcons, Hawks, and Eagles, 284-285. 402 INDEX Key to, 285-287. Falco sparverius, 276-278. Field Sparrow, 183-185. Finch, Pine, xxvii, 233. Purple, xxvii, 148-149. Finches and Sparrows, 242-246. Key to, 246-251. Fish Hawk, 280-282. Flicker, 127-131, 140. Flycatchers, 91-93, 116, 258-259. Acadian, 254. Alder, 258. Great-crested, 255-256. Key to, 260-261. Kingbird, 83-87. Least, 80-82, 92. Olive-sided, 257. Phoebe, 53, 87-90, 91. Train's, 258. Wood Pewee, 90-93. Food of birds, xv-xxiv, 6-8, 12-13 (see Economic status). Ants, xxii, 130, 209. Army worms, xxiv, 20, 116. Asparagus beetles, 85. Beet caterpillars, 97. Cabbage worms, 115, 117. Cankerworms, xvii, 69. Caterpillars, 57, 122, 162, 163. Chinch bugs, xxiii. Cotton worms, xxiii. Elm leaf-beetles, 143. Field mice and rats, 14, 272, 274, 275, 279, 287, 289, 290, 293. Grasshoppers, xxiv, 7, 13, 108, 132, 155, 276. Gypsy moth, xvi, xxiii, xxiv, 14, 164. Insects, xvii. May beetles, xxii, 95, 132, 133, 179. Mosquitoes, 54, 188. Potato beetles, xxi, 38, 167-168. Rose chafers, 85. Scale insects, xxii. Sphynx moths, 155, 156. Squash beetles, 54, 89. Tent-caterpillars, xxi, 14, 162. Thistle seeds, 147. Weed seeds, xviii, 96, 97, 115, 123, 146, 175, 184, 221, 229, 262. Weevils, xxii, 89. Wire worms, xxiii, 57. Wood-borers, 137, 139. Food of young birds, 2, 8, 14, 48, 72, 142, 147. Fox Sparrow, 230-231. Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 6-11. Geothlypis formosa, 329-330. trichas, 315-316. Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 357. Goatsuckers and Swifts, 190-191. Key to, 193. Golden-crowned Kinglet, 356. Goldfinch, 145-147. Goshawk, 266-267. Grackle, Purple, 93-96, 101, 110. Grass Finch, 119-120. Grasshopper Sparrow, 226-227. Great-crested Flycatcher, 255-256. Great Horned Owl, 292-293. Grosbeak, Pine, 231-233. Rose-breasted, 166-169. Grouse, Ruffed, 32-37, 39, 40, 92. Grouse and Quail, 45. Key to, 40. Hairy Woodpecker, 135-137, 140. Haliaeetus leucocephalus, 282-283. Harporhynchus rufus, 177-180. Hawks, 284-285, 297. Broad-winged, 275. Cooper's, 269-271. Fish, 280-282. Goshawk, 266-267. Key to, 285-287. Marsh, 278-280. Red-shouldered, 273-274. Red-tailed, 271-273. Sharp-shinned, 268-269. Sparrow, 276-278. Swallow-tailed Kite, 283-284. Hawks and Owls, 263-297. Helminthophila rubricapilla, 322- 323. Hehuitherus vermivorus, 337-339. Hermit Thrush, 360. High-hole, 127-131, 140. Hooded Warbler, 327-328. Horned Lark, 261-263. House Wren, 44-48. Hummingbird, Ruby- throated, 1-5, 25,50. Icteria virens, 331-333. Icterus galbula, 56-61. spurius, 61-62. Indigo Bunting, 149-150. Jay, Blue, xxvii, 154-157. Canada, 217-219. Junco, Slate-colored, xxvii, 221- 222. Junco hyemalis, 221-222. Kentucky Warbler, 329-330. Keys to All birds mentioned in book, xxix-xlix. Blackbirds and Orioles, 111-112. INDEX 403 Crows and Jays, 220. Falcons, Hawks, and Eagles, 285- 287. Finches and Sparrows, 246-251. Flycatchers, 260-261. Goatsuckers and Swifts, 193. Grouse and Quail, 40. Kinglets and Gnatcatchers, 357. Nuthatches and Titmice, 152. Owls, 296-297. Shrikes, 300. Swallows, 196-197. Tanagers, 174. Thrashers and Wrens, 205-206. Thrushes and Bluebirds, 360- 361. Vireos, 304. Warblers, 342-345. Woodpeckers, 216-217. Kingbird, 83-87. Kingfisher, Belted, 157-160. Kinglets, Golden-crowned, 356. Key to, 357. Ruby-crowned, 354-355. Kinglets and Gnatcatchers. Key to, 357. Kite, Swallow-tailed, 283-284. Lanius borealis, 300. ludovicianus, 298-299. Lark, Horned, 261-263. Shore, 261-263. Lark Sparrow, 237-238. Least Flycatcher, 80-82. Loggerhead Shrike, 298-299. Long-billed Marsh Wren, 202-204. Long-eared Owl, 288-289. Louisiana Water-Thrush, 336-337. Loxia curvirostra minor, 234-235. Magnolia Warbler, 324-325. Marsh Hawk, 278-280. Martin, Purple, 48-49. Maryland Yellow-throat, 315-316. .Meadowlark, 101, 106-109. Megascops asio, 287-288. Melanerpes carolinus, 211-212. erythrocephalus, 131-134, 144. Melospiza fasciata, 116-119. georgiana, 229-230. Merula migratoria, 17-22. Migration, xv, 116, 123, 148, 342, 367-376. Mimus polyglottos, 63-65. Mniotilta varia, 314. Mockingbird, 63-65, 298-299. Molothrus ater, 98-101. Moose Bird, 217-219. Mourning Dove, 29-31. Myiarchus crinitus, 255-256. Myrtle Warbler, 310. Nashville Warbler, 322-323. methods of building, 24, 27, 46, 52, 53, 59, 60, 70, 76, 91, 136, 159, 255. types of, 59. Bank Swallow, 55. Barn Swallow, 53. Bewick's Wren, 201. Bluebird, 140. Catbird, 9. Chickadee, 140. Chimney Swift, 26. Cuckoo, 161. Eave Swallow, 52. Hummingbird, 2. Kingfisher, 159. Orioles, 59, 62. Oven-bird, 335. Parula Warbler, 317. Red-eyed Vireo, 124. Winter Wren, 198. Wood Pewee, 91. Wood Thrush, 22. Yellow-throated Vireo, 301. unusual sites, 47-48, 172, 201, 212. Nighthawk, 188-190. Notebooks, xiii, xiv. Nuthatches, 92. Red-breasted, xxvii, 76-77. White-breasted, xxvii, 73-76. Nuthatches and Titmice, 152. Key to, 152. Nyctea nyctea, 294-295. Olive-backed Thrush, 359. Olive-sided Flycatcher, 257. Orchard Oriole, 58, 61-62. Orioles, xxvii, 109-111, 122. Baltimore, 56-61, 62. Orchard, 58, 61-62. Osprey, 280-282. Otocoris alpestris, 261-263. Oven-bird, 333-335. Owls, 295, 297. Barn, 293-294. Barred, 291-292. Great Horned. 292-293. Key to, 296-297. Long-eared, 288-289. Screech, 287-288. Short-eared, 290-291. Snowy, 294-295. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis, 280- 282. Parula Warbler, 317-318. Parus atricapillus, 67-71. bicolor, 151-152. carolinensis, 71-72. Passerella iliaca, 230-231. 404 INDEX Passerina cyanea, 149-150. Perisoreus canadensis, 217-219. Petrochelidon lunifrons, 52-54. Peucaea aestivalis bachmanii, 242. Pewee, Wood, 90-93. Phoebe, 53, 87-90, 91, 92. Pigeon, Passenger, 78-79. Pigeons and Doves, 79-80. Pileated Woodpecker, 212-213. Pine Finch, 233. Grosbeak, 231-233. Pinicola enucleator, 231-233. Pipilo erythropthalmus, 181-183. Pipit, American, 348. Piranga erythromelas, 170-172. Plectrophenax nivalis, 223. Polioptila caerulea, 357. Poocsetes gramineus, 119-120. Prairie Warbler, 325-326. Progne subis, 48-49. Purple Finch, 148-149. Grackle, 93-96, 101, 110. Martin, 48-49. Quail, 37-40, 57, 80. Quiscalus quiscula, 93-96. Red-bellied Woodpecker, 211-212. -cockaded Woodpecker, 210-211. -eyed Vireo, 120-125, 126. -headed Woodpecker, 131-134. Redpoll, xxvii, 236-237. Warbler, 316-317. Red-shouldered Hawk, 273-274. Redstart, 309-310, 318-320. Red-tailed Hawk, 271-273. -winged Blackbird, 96-98, 101, 102, 110. Reed Bird, 103-106. . Regulus calendula, 354-355. satrapa, 356. Regurgitation of food for young, 2, 32, 130, 136, 142. of indigestible food, 93, 159. Rice Birds, 103-106. Robin, xxvii, 17-22. Roosts, 19-20, 24, 51, 66, 78, 194-195. Rose - breasted Grosbeak, 166-169, 170. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 354-355, 356. Ruffed Grouse, 32-37, 39, 40, 92. Rusty Blackbird, 101-103, 110. Sapsucker, 208-210. Savanna Sparrow, 225-226. Sayornis phoebe, 87-90. Scarlet Tanager, 170-172. Scolecophagus carolinus, 101-103. Screech Owl, 287-288. Seaside Sparrow, 239, 240-241. Ssiurus aurocapillus, 333-335. Seiurus motacilla, 336-337. noveboracensis, 335-336. Setophaga ruticilla, 309-310. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 268-269. -tailed Sparrow, 239-240. Shore Lark, 261-263. Short-eared Owl, 290-291. Shrikes. Butcherbird, 300. Key to, 300. Loggerhead, 298-299. Sialia sialis, 41-44. Siskin, 233. Sitta canadensis, 76-77. carolinensis, 73-76. Snowbird, 223. Slate-colored, 221-222. Snow Bunting, 223. Snowflake, 223. Snowy Owl, 294-295. Song Sparrow, 100, 116-119. Songs and calls of Birds, 98, 136, 166- 167, 182, 358, 360. alarm notes, 40, 50. comparisons in songs, 23, 45, 90, 92. flight songs, 104, 316, 332, 334. seasonal calls, 10, 146. variations in song, 18, 60-61, 119, 315, 332, 334. Sparrow Hawk, 276-278. Sparrows, 99, 116, 122, 242-246. Bachman's, 242. Chipping, 113-116. Clay-colored, 241. English, 42, 46, 49. Field, 183-185. Fox, xxvii, 230-231. Grasshopper, 225-226. House, 42, 46, 49. Key to, 248-251. Lark, 237-238. Savanna, 225-226. Seaside, 239, 240-241. Sharp-tailed, 239-240. Song, xxvii, 100, 116-119. Swamp, 229-230. Tree, xxvii, 227-229. Vesper, 119-120. White-crowned, 176-177. -throated, 174-175. Sphyrapicus varius, 208-210. Spinus pinus, 233. tristis, 145-147. Spiza americana, 224. Spizella monticola, 227-229. pallida, 241. pusilla, 183-185. socialis, 113-116. Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 195-196. Sternella magna, 106-109. Strix pratincola, 293-294. INDEX 405 Swainson's Thrush, 359. Swallows, 53, 109, 196. Bank, 54-55, 159. Barn, 49-51, 53, 54. Cliff, 50, 52-54. Eave, 50, 52-54. Key to, 196-197. Purple Martin, 48-49. Rough-winged, 195-196. Tree, 194-195. White-bellied, 194-195. Swallow-tailed Kite, 283-284. Swamp Sparrow, 229-230. Swift, Chimney, 23-29, 45, 92. Syrnium nebulosum, 291-292. Tachycineta bicolor, 194-195. Tanagers, Key to, 174. Scarlet, 170-172. Summer, 173. Thistle-bird, 145-147. Thrasher, Brown, 177-180, 182. Thrushes, xxvii, 358. Hermit, 360. Key to, 360-361. Olive-backed, 359. Swainson's, 359. Veery, 358-359. Wilson's, 358-359. Wood, 22-23. Titlark, 348. Titmice, 72. Tufted, 151-152, 199, 200. Towhee, 181-183. Traill's Flycatcher, 258. Tree Sparrow, xviii, 227-229. Swallow, 194-195. Trochilus colubris, 1-5. Troglodytes sedon, 44-48. hyemalis, 197-198. Thryothorus bewickii, 201. ludovicianus, 199-200. Tufted Titmouse, 151-152, 199. Turdus aonalaschkse pallasi, 360. fuscescens, 358. mustelinus, 22-23. ustulatus swainsoni, 359. Turkey Buzzard, 263-265, 266. Vulture, 263-265, 266. Turtle Dove, 29-31. Tyrannus tyrannus, 83-87. Veery Thrush, 358-359. Vesper Sparrow, 119-120. Vireo flavifrons, 301. gilvus, 126. • noveboracensis, 302. olivaceus, 120-125. Vireos, 122, 144, 159, 302-304. Key to, 304. Red-eyed, 120-125, 126. Warbling, 126, 149. White-eyed, 302. Yellow-throated, 301. Vultures, Black, 265-266. Key to, 266. Turkey, 263-265, 266. Warblers, 306-307, 339-342. Black and White Creeper, 314. Black and Yellow, 324-325. Blackburnian, 326. Black-poll, 321-322. Black-throated Blue, 312-313, 326. Green, 311, 326. Blue Yellow-backed, 317-318. Canadian, 322. Chestnut-sided, 318-320. Hooded, 327-328. Kentucky, 329-330. Key to, 342-345. Louisiana Water-Thrush, 336-337. Magnolia, 324-325. Maryland Yellow-throat, 315-316. Myrtle, 310. Nashville, 322-323. Oven-bird, 333-335. Parula, 317-318. Prairie, 325-326. Red-poll, 316-317. Redstart, 309-310, 318-320. Water-Thrush, 335-336. Wilson's, 339. Worm-eating, 337-339. Yellow, 307-308. -breasted Chat, 331-333. -rumped, 310. Warbling Vireo, 126, 149. Water-Thrush, 335-336. Louisiana, 336-337. Waxwing, 141-144. Whip-poor-will, 185-187, 188. Whiskey Jack, 217-219. White-bellied Swallow, 194-195. -crowned Sparrow, 176-177. -eyed Vireo, 302. -throated Sparrow, 174-175, 176. Wilsonia canadensis, 322. mitrata, 327-328. pusilla, 339. Wilson's Thrush, 358-359. Wilson's Warbler, 339. Winter Wren, 197-198. Woodpeckers, 12, 133, 140, 214-216- Downy, 137-140. Hairy, xxvii, 135-137, 140. Flicker, 127-131, 140. Key to, 216-217. Pileated, 212-213. 406 INDEX Woodpecker, Red-bellied, 211-212. -cockaded, 210-211. -headed, 131-134, 144. Sapsucker, 208-210. Yellow-bellied, 208-210. Wood Pewee, 90-93. Thrush, 22-23. Worm-eating Warbler, 337-339. Wrens, 57, 67-68, 92, 204-205. Bewick's, 201. Carolina, 199-200. House, 44-48. Key to, 205-206. Long-billed Marsh, 202-204. Winter, 197-198. Wrens and Thrashers, 204-205. Key to, 205-206. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, 208-210. -bird, 145-147. -breasted Chat, 331-333. -hammer, 127-130. Palm Warbler, 316-317. Red-poll Warbler, 316-317. -rumped Warbler, 310. -shafted Woodpecker, 127-131, 140. -throated Vireo, 301. Warbler, 307-308. -winged Sparrow, 226-227. Young birds — brought back to nest at night, 27-28; fed by regurgi- tation, 2 ; first flights, 28 ; length of time spent in nest, 2, 27, 160 ; taught to follow parents, 19, 51. Zamelodia ludoviciana, 166-169. Zenaidura macroura, 29-31. Zonotrichia albicollis, 174-17-5. leucophrys, 176-177. CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U. S. A. ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY H. O. HOUGHTON AND CO. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED BIOLOGY LIBRARY TEL NO. 642-2531 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 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