::W$S!*5!S*' ■'/,n{v^) FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY oy^yT^^-^ 1. Booted tarsus of a Robin. 2. Bill ol" a Robin. ?.. Scutcllate tarsus of tlic Brown Thrnsli. 4. Bill of the I'.rown Tliru.-li. T). JJill of a nuthatch. (1. Bill of a creciHT. 7. Bill of a Avavblev; genus IIelminih THE LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS NEW ENGLAND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGGS, THEIR HABITS AND NOTES. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. BY H. D. MINOT. " To him who in the love of Nature holds " Communion with her visible fonns, she speaks " A various language;" BRTANT'3 THANATOPSIS. SALEM, MASS. NATUEALISTS' AGENCY Boston : Estes & Lauriat. 1877. Entered according to ict of Coigress^in the year 1876, by HEXRY DAVIS MINOT, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Wasliington. ling to Act of CongresSjVin the year PRINTED AT THE SALEM PRES! F. W. PCTXAM & Co., Froprieton. This book has been written from a desire to interest, if not to instruct, young people in that most attractive branch of Natural History, the study of birds. If this purpose is ac- complished, I trust that its deficiencies may be pardoned. In my early study of ornithology, I felt great need of some similar book ; hence my attempt to supply it. I have made several quotations in my own name from occasional notes which I have already given to the public. This is in accordance with my original expectation of publishing the following pages anony- mously — a course, however, which has been thought inad- visable. H. D. MiNOT. Nov. 1st, 1876. CONTENTS. Terms of Descr Preface, ..... Introduction, .... § A. Ornithology and Oology, § § B-G. Collecting Eggs, . § H. Packing Eggs, . § I. Blowing Eggs, § J. Cleaning and Mending Eggs, § K. Arrangement of Eggs, §L. Cabinet, §M. Nesting, § N. Birds' Homes, § O. Laying of Eggs, § P. Desertion, . § Q. Exigencies, §-E. Advice, § S. The Study of Birds, § T. Details of Structure § U. Measurements, .... § V, W. Classification ; Scientific Names, Land-birds and Game-birds of New England, Chapter I. Order Passeres, § 1. Thrushes {Turdidce), § 2. Bluebirds (SaxIcolidcB), §'3. 8y\\\a.s {Sylviidce), . § 4. Titmice {Paridm), . § 5. Nuthatches {Sittidce)^ § 6. Creepers (Certhlidoi), § 7. Wrens (Tror/lodytidcB), § 8. Wagtails (ilotacillidce) ^ § 9. Warblers ISylvicolidoi) , §10. Tanagers {Tariagridce) , § 11. Waxwings (Ampelidce), §12. Swallows {Hirundinidai) , ptiou, YU 1 4 7 8 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 21 21 25 27 28 50 53 58 63 68 70 79 80 133 137 140 (V) CONTENTS. Chapter I. §13. Vireos (Vireonidce), . . .151 §14. Shrikes (Laniiclce), .... 161 §15. Finches (Fringillidce)^ . ... 166 §16. Jjarks (Alandkke), .... 237 §17. Starlings r/c^er/dcc), . . .240 §18. Crows and jays (Cort-idce), . . 262 § 19. Fly catchers {Tyrannidoe) , . .272 Chapter II. Oitler Picarice, 293 §20. Goatsuckers ((7oj9rmt(/^tdce), . . 294 § 21. Swifts {Cypselidce), . . . .299 §22. Hummingbirds (rroc7t?7idce), . . 301 §23. Kingfishers (-4?cerimKZce), . . 305 §24. Cuckoos (CMC?» It is to be remarked that a variety of Uiis bird has recently been found in Florida. PREFACE. Xlll of its breeding near Springfield. The casual visits of northern birds in winter, which we may suppose sometiraes results from their being driven south by want Qf food or the severity of the season, are also less remarkable, it appears to me, than the occurrence here of southern species, as of the two. Egrets, the Little Blue Heron {Florida Ccerulea) the Gallinules and other aquatic species, which never, so far as known (with one excep- tion perhaps), breed so far north. In'the latter case they are generally young birds that reach us towards fall in their chance wanderings. " It may here be added that the cause of the migration of our birds still offers an interesting field for investigation. Obser- vers are of late noting that in the case of some northern spe- cies that reach us only occasionally in their winter migrations, young birds only are at first seen, but if the migration contin- ues the older birds appear at a later date. But sometimes young birds only are seen. This frequently happens in the case of the Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola eneudeator) . The cause of their visits is not always, it is evident, severe weather ; the last named species appearing sometimes in November, — weeks before severe cold sets in — while at other times it is not seen at all during some of our severest winters. The probable cause is more frequently, doubtless, a short supply of food, as last winter was remarkable in this state for its mildness and for the great number of northern birds that then visited us. It has repeatedly been observed that on their first arrival these unusual visitors are generally very lean, but that they soon fatten ; an argument in favor of the theory that their migra- tion was compelled b}^ a scarcity of food. "Probably fewer birds are actually permanently resident at a given locality than is commonl}'^ supposed, for species seen the whole year at the same locality, as the Blue Jay, the Tit- mouse, the Brown Creeper, and the Hairy and Downy Wood- pecker, etc., in Massachusetts, are represented, not by the same, but by different sets of individuals, those seen here in summer being not those seen in winter, the species migrating north and south, en masse, with the change of season. We XIV PREFACE. are generally cognizant of a migration in a given species only "when the great "bird wave" sweeps entirely past us either to the north or south. Some species, however, seem actually fixed at all seasons, and are reall}^ essentiallj'' non-migrator}'', as the Spruce Partridge, and Quail {Ortyx Virginianus) are in New England. But only a small proportion, doubtless, of the so-called non-migratory birds at au}' given locality are really so.* "In connection with this topic of migration, the fact that some of the young or immature individuals of our marine birds, as the Herring Gnll {Larus argentatus) and other species of that family, and several of the Tringse, linger on our coast during summer, while the adult all retire northward, is one of some interest. Mature and strong birds onh', in species that breed far to the north, evidentlj^ seek very high latitudes. Birds of the first 3'ear also appear to roam less widel}^ than the older. In difl'erent species of the Gull family it is generally only the mature birds that in winter are seen far out at sea, though in the same latitudes the j'oung m:vy be numerous along the coast. All observant collectors are well aware of the fact that those birds that first reach us in the spring, of whatever species, are generally not only verj'' appreciably larger, but brighter plum- aged and in every way evident!}'' more perfect birds than those that arrive later ; and that in those species that go entirely to the north of us there is a much larger proportion of paler col- ored and immature birds, espeeiall}^ among the S>/hicoUdce, or warblers, towards the close of the migrating season than ear- lier. Hence the presence here of a few individuals in summer of species that usually go farther north is not always sufficient evidence that the species breeds with us." i^ Good illustrations are of great assistance to young students, teaching them, better than words, characteristic details of *" In respect to the proof whereon this proposition rests, see my remarks on this i)oii t in the Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. i, Pt. iv, p. 4H8 (foot note)." "Several xjassages or sentences have, for convenience, been omitted in this extract. • PREFACE. XV structure, and the general differences of appearance in the birds of various families or groups: The illustrations of this volume are woodcuts in outline, the only satisfactory form, not greatly increasing its cost, of which the author has bethought himself. He has drawn most of the figures from nature — he hopes with accuracy, though, since the scales vary, and (when fractional) are only approximate, they do not satisfactorily represent the relative size of the birds figured. ^^ The outlines of the Chickadee, Night "Hawk," and Golden-winged Wood- pecker, have been copied from Wilson's pictures ; those of the Winter Wren were suggested by a picture in Dr. Coues' " Key to North American Birds." The details of structure have all been drawn from nature by the author, though several hints have, been taken from the latter volume. The outlines of birds very well known, or nearlj' related to others figured, have been omitted. It may be here remarked that in the figure of the Traill's Flycatcher the tail is broader and more rounded than is observable in the living bird when at rest. -In some other figures, the notch of the bill is indistinct. This volume contains several facts, never before published, so far as the author knows, except a few, which have appeared in magazines or pamphlets. It also possesses new features, which will, it is hoped, facilitate the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of our birds, though it contains no more scientific details than necessary. The classification, with slight changes in sequence, is that used by Professor Baird and Dr. Coues. The introduction (which is divided into sections, marked by letters) relates chiefly to the formation of a collection of eggs, containing, however, a section on structural details, and an- other on classification. Each of the succeeding chapters treats of an ornithological order, though the last treats of the game- birds. Each chapter is divided into sections, which are con- tinuously numbered throughout (in Arabic figures), and which mark the various families (subfamilies being otherwise indi- 12 These have not been drawn so as to exhibit the longest primary, spurious feathers, scutelke, or the like, unless in the plate. XVI PREFACE. cated). The genera of each section are marked by Roman numerals, and the species belonging to them by capital letters in parenthesis. The biogi'aphy of each species is divided into four parts : — (a) a description of the mature birds (but not of the 3'oung, for which see the Appendix E) ; (b) a description of their nest and eggs ; (c) a description of their habits, and (d) of their notes. In the first part, various minute details are frequently omitted, which it has been thought unnecessary to introduce. In spelling the English names of birds, the followiug system has been here adopted. S]}edfic names are begun with capital letters to distinguish them from similar names of groups (e. g. the Crow Blackbirds) ; when they are composed partly of a familj'-name, such as "thrush," that name is never compounded with another (e. g. "Wood Thrush) ; when they are compounds of "bird," that word is united by a hyphen to a noun immediately preceding, but not to an adjec- tive, except in cases to the contrar}'', established by long usage (e. g. Cat-bird, Blue Bird, but Swamp Blackbird). Finally, that this book ma}^ prove useful to students, inter- esting to lovers of nature, and acce^Jtable to the public, is the hope and wish of its 1876. Author. INTRODUCTION § A. Ornithology is the science of birds, and oology that of eggs, or, in a common but limited sense, that of birds' eggs. The two are intimately connected, and often form a joint study, one embracing the other. They are useful, because, when properly pursued, they cultivate observation and a love of nature, and necessitate healthful exercise. " Ornithology," says an enthusiastic but anonymous writer, " has two departments, which are more or less incompatible, namely : Natural History, and Science, or the study of animate birds, and of those inanimate. The former, especially as opposed to an extreme of the latter, I recommend to all young students as the higher and better pursuit of the two. I fur- ther advise them, when not shooting at targets or legitimate game, never to fire a gun. My own experience has proved that, when science is so far advanced as at present, one can obtain an accurate knowledge of our birds, and a good collec- tion of their eggs, by following the above rule, and having proper books of reference, or a like resource. Egg-collecting can be conducted under humane principles. A parent-bird should never be shot, except in cases of extreme necessity, it being often preferable even then to snare the female by placing a slip-noose of horse-hair around the inner edge of her 2 (1) 2 INTRODUCTION. nest and attaching it to some neighboring object. I myself, from as near a standpoint as possible, and often aided by an opera-glass, observe, if I can, the female when actually upon her nest, since other birds may be about it, and may even make compliiints from sympathy, or because their own nests are near by.^ Should she fly too soon, I either return after a few moments' absence or concealment (as I often do in prefer- ence to doing mischief b}'' keeping her too long from her nest), or I follow her with my eye, endeavoring not to lose sight of lier nor to confuse her with any other species, and note, so far as possible, all her markings, which, until I became an expert, I always noted down on the spot, to compare with full descrip- tions at home. Practice enables one to recognize many birds, particular!}' the larger ones, at a glance, and to note readily the most characteristic mai'kings ; but there is no objection to shooting hawks, which are less easily identified otherwise than smaller species. Tliere are some persons who are too inaccu- rate to follow this method, and with such, or with those per- sonally' unknown to you, it is well never to exchange. Males are generall}' more easily identified than females, and fre- quently sit upon their nests, though most often appearing when their mates are disturbed. Confusion may easily arise from two varieties of one species, but both forms rarely occur in the same district, and, according to a strict definition of the word " A'ariety," can never normally do so. The only varie- ties (not belonging to original types) which occur in New England among land-birds, are the Gray-cheeked Thrush, the Bronzed Bluckbird,^ and the Red-naped Woodpecker, of which the first-named has been sometimes ranked as a species, and ' It may be addi'd that Cow-birds never lay their eggs but in the nests of other birds. See §17, in. » " Tliis bird i.- tliought to build in lioles, while the Crow Blackbird docs not." ■INTRODUCTION. 6 at least has not been known to breed in the eastern United States.3 "Bird-collecting, on the other hand, unavoidably leads to more or less cruelt}', in many cases to absolute barbarity, and is at present carried to an alarming excess. Slaughter by hundreds should be permitted among only a few eminent and competent naturalists, such as Messrs. Allen and Coues. Otherwise, it becomes an outrage upon nature, a positive in- jury to science, and a mere source of self-gratification. Young collectors, who are not to become scientists, sliould form their collections for the sake of beauty in nature, and might well be satisfied with two good specimens, well-mounted, of each kind, namely: the mature male and female. In the case of a scientific collection this would be wholly inadmissible, and collectors should certainly shoot any specimen of a kind never before taken in that district where they may chance to meet it, or those birds which they find in a country new to them- selves, or perhaps to all ornithologists. Otherwise, may I venture to ask what new facts one can make known from own- ing the skins of several hundred unfortunate robins ? All our rarer birds, or tliose of market-value, are in danger of being altogether exterminated, through a foolish sense of glory on man's part, or through his reckless destruction of other than human life. It is also to be regretted that so many birds are shot, before laying their eggs, owing to the condition of their plumage and their abundance, during or immediately after their spring migrations. Nature's resources should be drawn upon onl}' in cases of necessity, or in contribution to the ad- vancement of mankind. Violation of nature, as of the natural ' See farther § 13, 1, D and E, for the very slight distinction between the War- bling and Philadelphia Vireo. 4 INTRODUCTION. laws, must entail misery, and finally cause us bitterlj' to regret our present thoughtlessness and inhumanity ; errors which will probablj' continue until stricter and efficient laws, con- sequently more general and simple laws are passed." The above remarks may need modification, but they express a spirit worthy of serious reflection. § B.^ In forming a collection of eggs the chief requisites are : — (1) Boxes of various size. Those of a cylindrical shape and made of tin are the best, as they take up least room in the pocket, and are easily slipped in and out. A box, which can- not be carried in the pocket, is comparatively worthless. (2) A supply of cotton-wool, a cheap material and the most satisfactory for packing on account of its elasticity. (3) A cabinet. (4) A knife to cut small branches or the like. To these may be added climbing-irons, egg-drills, blow-pipes, etc., though not absolutely necessary. § C. In winter, or as spring approaches, study the descrip- tions of various birds, nests, eggs, and the nature of the local- ities as well as the position in which the latter are usually found. Find in advance suitable spots for the search of any desired nest, especially if you do not live in the country. § D. If in 3'our rambles you should see a nest (not an old one), approach it carefully to see the bird ; this being generally indispensable, as eggs are often to be identified through the par- ent onl}'. If the female, who usually sits upon the nest much . * The following remarks are addressed to the inexperienced ouly. IKTRODUCTION. O oftener than tlie male, flies too soon, retire and return in a few minutes. Adopt the same plan for a bird, whom you have flushed from the ground, and do not at once recognize. If you fail to find the nest (granted that there be one there, and that the bird was not merely feeding^), on returning, note the exact spot from which she rises. If you think to recognize her, make yourself positive of facts. If not, note with the utmost accuracy her size, markings, and the shape of the bill, and identify her as soon as possible.^ To determine her size, re- member that the Humming bird is about 3^ inches long, the Song Sparrow or Snow-bird 6 or more, the Robin about 9^, and the Crow nearly 20. Also observe the comparative length of her tail. § E. If you have an opportunity, study the works of Wilson and Audubon. The former's figures are very life-like, and their coloring generally true, though often too high-toned or otherwise incorrect. It is still more worth j'our while to examine the collection of the Boston Society of Natural His- tory.''' If this is inaccessible to you, another is probably more worthy of your attention than descriptions, or even accurate paintings. § F. A nest containing sound eggs, but without the parent- birds, generally indicates that all the eggs have not been laid, or that the parents are temporarily absent. Should you find 5 Many birds, when frightened from their nests on the ground, feign lameness or the lilvB. 6 Shooting the parents when collecting for yourself is optional. See quoted remarks in § A. ' The building of this Society is on Berkeley street (near Boylston) in Boston. It is at present open to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 A. M, to 5 P. M. The birds of New England are not separated from those belonging to other parts of the world. b .INTRODUCTION. an incomplete nest, 5'ou must judge for yourself how soon it will be finished. A pair of our smaller birds, in the latter part of May or in June, ordinarily spend from five to ten da3's in building one, and sometimes end their work snfficienti}^ in ad- vance to allow the female vacation for a day or even two. Earlier in the season, other birds are generall}'^ occupied two or three weeks. Woodpeckers are very uncertain in this respect, and it is often difficult to decide when their nests should be broken into to obtain the eggs, unless one can watch them closel}' at their work (carried on chiefly in the morning) and observe the final cessation of chips. The creepers, nuthatches, Chickadees, and certain wrens customarily lay their eggs in de- serted woodpeckers' holes or other cavities, which they line with warm materials, though the Chickadees occasionally exca- vate for themselves with great and long-continued labor. After the first egg has been laid, one is generally added on each succeeding day (apparent!}^ most often in the morning) until the complement is made,^ before which time the nest should not be visited, except in cases of necessity. Most birds lay four or five eggs (occasionally three or six) in a set, commonl}^ fewer in that of a second brood than before. Many wrens, titmice, and kingfishers often lay more ; the former even ten, or very rarely twelve. Gallinaceous birds are also prolific, and two or three hen-birds are said sometimes to lay in the same nest. Humming-birds, eagles, and pigeons, usually 'lay two eggs in a set, as do also old birds of other species, partic- ularly among the hawks and owls. Many sea-birds have only one. If a nest be found with the same number of eggs for two *• To this law the chief exceptions are the birds of prey, and the cuckoos, but among the smaller land-birds the average rate of laying is one a day. Thus among different species the time for layingfour eggs varies from three to even seven days, generally being four. INTRODUCTION. 7 or three days, the proper inference generally is that no more will be laid. If the egg of a Cow-bird (§ 17, III) be discov- ered, it should be taken home, or destroyed (at a distance from the nest), unless observations are to be made upon the young when hatched. § G. A method of finding nests, which may often be prac- tised with success, is that of " tracking " birds, when seen with food for their mates or material for building. It is gen- erally a wearisome and patience-exhausting process, and fre- quently causes disappointment. It may often be facilitated by the scattering of feathers, horse-hairs, string, cotton-wool, straw, etc., in places where they will attract the attention of the architects, in whose work you are interested. The nests of woodpeckers may often be found, by tracing to their source the loud rapping of the builders, or by observing on the ground the chips, which are usually fresh (unless, as is rarely the case, the excavation be made in an unsound tree). § H. "When you take eggs, pack them at once, bearing in mind that the smaller ones are very delicate, and even the larger ones easily broken.^ If they are of the former class, having taken from the box most of the cotton-wool, leave a layer on the bottom, in which make a slight depression with the finger, and lay the first egg. The following rules shouhl be observed : — (1) An egg must not come in contact with an- other, with the bottom, sides, or cover of the box. (2) The cotton-wool must be tightly packed. To pack it loosely is a » Much danger will be obviated by blowing the eggs first, wlien practicable. If fresh eggs are allowed to grow cold, or to remain long unblown tlie contents are less easily removed. The reverse is said to be the case, when eggs containing em- bryos are left unblown for two or even three days. See § I and note. 8 • INTRODUCTION'. mistake frequentl}^ made, and attended by consequent acci- dents. (^Yith larger eggs less care is required, and those of hawks or owls may often be carried safely in a handkerchief.) When all the eggs have been safely stowed awa}^, the box should be put in the pocket in such a way that the}'^ shall not be violently jarred, when a fence is clambered over, or the body otherwise ungently moved. A small nest, if either rare or curious, should be taken with au}' small branches, to which it may be attached, and brought home in a suitable box or basket, and not squeezed in the hand or pocket ; a bulky one may be safely carried in the hands. A nest on the ground must be taken up with peculiar care, as it may otherwise fall apart, and should afterwards, if necessary, be stitched to- gether. Nests, to be properly preserved, must be placed in some receptacle, where they will be free from dust, and, if composed of woolly materials or of feathers, constantl}- sup- plied with benzine or cr^'stallized camphor, to prevent the ravages of moths. Eggs, to be sent b}'^ mail or express, should not be packed so tightly as for ordinary transportation, and may be first sur- rounded by tissue-paper. "• Single eggs," says Dr. Coues, " may be safel}- mailed to any distance in auger-holes bored in "wood." Boxes may be sent b}' mail at a trifling cost, when not sealed. Tin boxes, such as are used for tobacco,, with tightly fitting covers, are the best. § I. On reaching home, the eggs must not be left in places where they are likely to be broken or lost, but at once blown and placed in your cabinet. The following are directions for blowing an egg in the old-fashioned way, which possesses two or three advantages over the modern process (among others, INTRODUCTION. 9 that of not requiring expense, to manj' persons an important consideration) : — Holding tlie egg lightly between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, with a sharp pin in the right hand, make a small hole at or near the smaller end, and at the greater, or on the same side, a large one in accordance with the size of the egg, which is next placed between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Then place your mouth at the smaller hole and breathe out gently but steadily, and the contents, if fresh, run out at the other. Be sure that none are left, and even remove, if possible, the lining of the shell, though no risk should be run of breaking the latter. When any difficulty occurs, shake the egg, or give a quick puff if safe to do so ; otherwise, inject a little water from the mouth. In certain cases, shaking is even preferable to blowing. During the process of incubation, the contents of an egg thicken, and the young is gradually formed, until the blowing finally becomes impossible. When the egg is not fresh, enlarge the larger hole (but never the other), and blow persistently and patiently, taking care that the yolk or young does not, by suddenly slipping out, allow the egg to collapse between your fingers, or break it by being forced through too narrow an exit. If the contents are too thick to blow easily, they should be carefully cut off with small scissors, whenever protruding beyond the shell. If it is im- possible to blow the egg, enlarge the holes so as to allow the gas to escape freely, but surround them with camphor-gum or the like, as otherwise the odor is extremely disgusting and the egg, after losing its original colors, gradually drops to pieces. I have seen eggs successfully preserved in this manner, decom- position being quickened by the occasional injection of water. The modern and very general manner of blowing eggs 10 INTRODUCTION. necessitates the use of several instruments ; the blow-pipe and egg-drill, 10 which are the most important, the S3Tinge, forceps, dissecting-scissors, etc. To follow this method, drill with a light twirling motion a small hole on one side of the egg, re- move from the opening the inner membrane, which often (as in the larger of two holes) interferes with further action, and in- sert the blow-pipe. Then breathe gently, not forcibly, and the contents, if fresh, will flow out about the pipe, but, if not, a little water should be injected, and the egg gently shaken. Should there be further difficulty, inject warm water, put the egg in a dark, warm place, with the hole turned upward, and at the end of a few hours, after shaking it, remove as much as possible of the yolk, etc., which must finally be altogether dis- posed of, particularly in the case of white eggs. Then inject more water, and again leave it. Young may be cut up by slender scissors, having delicate blades at an angle Avith their handles, and removed b}' a fine wire, slightly hooked, or by small forceps. Fresh eggs, if not too lai^e, may be "blown" or rather sucked by means of a suction-tube with a bulb. Specimens, when thoroughly rinsed and ready for the cabinet, should be placed on blotting paper to dry (with the opening turned downward), where not exposed to a strong light. Car- bonate of soda is said to render a hardened yolk soluble in water, but it must not come in contact with the outer shell. There are various other details, too numerous to mention, connected with the blowing of eggs by instruments, such as gumming a series of very thin i)aper-wafers about an opening made in a delicate shell, such as that of a very small specimen, of one cracked, or of one nearly hatched. ^^ 10 These may be obtained at the Naturalist's Agency, Salem, Mass. Tlie present address is Mr. S. E. Cassino. 11 Several ideas expressed in the preceding paragi-aph, have been borrowed from various articles on this same eubiect. INTRODUCTION. 11 Note. — Take care in making a hole not to injure any mark- ings ; and, when blowing, place beneath a pail or basin contain- ing a few inches of water to catch the egg, should it slip. An egg when full is very easily broken, but when blown may often be dropped without injury on to a carpet or the like. One with the contents entirely removed floats in water with only about a third or less of the shell beneath the level of the surface. A thin-shelled egg may be held to the light to ensure emptiness. § J. Eggs may be cleaned with a soft, wet rag, dipped in tooth-powder, or by the careful use of an ink-eraser (with a flat, pointed, steel blade), though the latter may injure the surface. Certain eggs (but none of those described in this volume) are calcareous, and their chalky shells cannot be safely cleaned. Others, however, have a certain ''bloom," like that of a grape, which can be washed off. To mend an egg, if broken into bits of manageable size, take one a little smaller and of no value, wet it, or coat it with a very delicate varnish, and place on it the bits of shell in their proper positions, so that they shall fit together. For large eggs, a mould of putty, if carefully shaped, may be used instead. Cracks may be brushed with collodion. The common method of glueing bits together with mucilage and thin paper is often clumsy or dangerous, and, even if successful, generally ruins the fair appearance of any specimen. § K. Place your eggs, when blown, promptly in your cabinet, and have some means of identifying them afterwards. Labels should be altogether avoided, as they greatly mar the beauty of a collection, and an^' writing on the shell should be condensed and placed on the under side, where it will be in- 12 INTRODUCTION. conspicuous (oi' near the " drill-bole," if there be one). There are various methods of marking, bu*t whichever be followed should be uniformly observed. Perhaps the best is to write^^ on each egg a number of the Smithsonian or Dr. Cones' Check- list (followed by S. or C. to indicate which) ; for instance on a Wood Thrush's egg either 148 S. or 3 C. To this may be added another number, referring to your note-book, which should be a blank-book, with long but wide pages ruled by lines forming several columns of suitable width. In these columns (with proper headings) should be written first the number of reference, and then the name of the bird, its number on the check-lists ; the number of eggs originally in the nest, by whom collected or from whom obtained, the place and date of collection ; also, when desirable, remarks as to the size, incubation, or peculiarities of the eggs, the position and structure of the nest. It is often well to avoid mention of the place where the eggs of hawks, herons, etc., were found, as these birds frequently build conspicuous nests in restricted localities, to which, if not too much disturbed, the}^ return 3'ear after year. Secrecy is often as desirable for an ornitholo- gist as for a sportsman. Eggs should be arranged in the proper sequence of families, etc., and those of each species should be kept distinct from others. All of one kind may be grouped together, or duplicates may be separated from better and representative specimens. § L. A cabinet may be strictly a cabinet, consisting of pigeon-holes or shelves, and screwed to the wall, or a box, a 12 Purple ink will be fouud to flow more freely than ordinary black ink. Fig- * urcs should be fine and made with care. They may be written on a bit of paper pumnied over tlie '• drill-hole." though it is better to write ou the shell itself, unless too delicate, or unless the egg be very small. INTRODUCTION. 13 long and rather flat one being the best, or a chest of drawers, which is the most convenient. The latter may be fitted with a series of small, shallow trays, made of paper or paste-board, though these diminish the attractiveness of a collection, and are more or less dangerous. I have found a rather deep layer of fine sea-sand, such as may be obtained at almost every grocer's store, much more satisfactory, since it forms a pleasing background for the eggs, which can be fixed in it firmly, and is always exempt from moths or other insects : fine saw-dust is the best substitute. All cabinets should be dark when closed, as many eggs fade when exposed to the light, particularly those which are blue or green. § M. Having now followed the eggs from the time when the mother was scared from her nest, until they were placed in a cabinet, I shall return to speak of the difficulty in frightening certain birds when incubating, chiefly the hawks. Individuals, ratlier than species, vary in this respect, though the smaller are undoubtedly more often timid than others. One hawk glides silently from her nest as you approach ; another flies when you rap the tree energetically with a stick ; whereas a third remains until the crackling of branches, as you ascend, causes her to seek safety in flight. Hawks, moreover, are often obliged to leave the nest, after the eggs are laid, if their mates either die or fail to supply them with sufficient food. As about ninety per cent, or more of the nests found in a large "hawkery" are old, except a few nests belonging to crows and squirrels, and as hawks and owls, moreover, often inhabit such, not always rebuilding them, one naturally is doubtful about climbing far, on finding a large nest of sticks, which is likely to contain 14 IXTKODCCTION. eggs only ouce out of ten times. A hawk cannot often be seen when sitting on her nest, and the only signs, which rarely deceive, are the small feathers, which usually cling to the nest, or to a branch near it. Dead leaves inside of a nest indi- cate further emptiness, or occupation by squirrels, who usually, in building, heap together hay, straw, and pine-needles, or the like. In the absence of all the above-mentioned signs, judg- ment is I'equired, but no further rules can be safel}' laid down. It may be remarked that smaller birds are also often brave or even bold in protecting their nests. In climbing, never leave one hold before testing and secur- ing another ; remember that pine-limbs are less to be trusted than those of hard-wood trees ; place j'our feet, if possible, next to the trunk, and, if inclined to dizziness, do not look down. Gloves, old clothes, a soft hat (and climbing-irons, when convenient) form the necessary outfit, as large eggs ma}'^ be safely brought down in a cloth cap, grasped firral}' b^' the teeth. Never take one egg from a set in a hawk's nest, if 3-ou wish for the rest, as these latter will often disappear myster- iously before your return. None of the hawks {i.e. Falconidce), with the exception of the Ospreys and eagles, show a disposi- tion to attack. These latter have been known to inflict dan- gerous wounds, and at the same time are, I believe, the only species generally' occup3'ing the same nest year after year, with the exception of the Duck Hawk ( ?) and Sparrow Hawk. I do not recall many other birds who do so, with the marked ex- ception of the swallows and Pewees, who sometimes rebuild their old homes. § N. All birds have an afl!ection for some haunt, whither, if left undisturbed, they return every spring. These haunts are INTKODUCTION. 15 often extensive, enabling them to change their residence annu- ally, until they are finally driven away. Cat-birds frequently return every 3'ear to the same thicket, and I have known the Red-eyed Vireo to build his nest in the same tree where it was built and robbed the year before. Likewise Pewees very often choose successively two or three building-sites very close to one another. The less familiar species are not so attached to particular spots, but generally build their nests each summer in the same tract of land (a tree-warbler in the same woods, etc.). Hawks (and occasionally even crows) become attached to a certain grove or pine-wood, and build near the same place several years in succession, sometimes though repeatedly robbed. Woodpeckers (who always lay their eggs in holes) do not usually, so far as my observations have extended, occupy the same holes twice, but leave them to be used by Chickadees, or other birds. Feelings of attachment are much stronger in some species than in others, being often nearly ex- tinct. They are more marked in civilized districts, where there is less range of country than in other parts of the State. Many birds forsake their haunts, if disturbed, but apparently return sometimes after a long absence. The evidence of identical birds returning to the same spot is very strong, par- ticularly in the case of individuals peculiarly marked. § O. There are not many birds, who, in a temperate climate, do not habitually raise a second brood ; and there are probably very few, who do not do so, if the first is broken up or de- stroyed. They rarely raise the second in the same nest as the first, but generally build another (often hurriedly) near the site of the former, particularly if that has been disturbed or removed. The principal exceptions to this latter statement 16 INTRODUCTIOX. are the Pewees, swallows, and those birds who lay their eggs in holes. The second set of eggs usually' appears from four to six weeks after the first, if that has not met with serious mis- baps ; otherwise, sooner. If a hawk's nest be robbed, i3 the parents commonly repair an old nest near by, often hastily lining it with evergreen or the like, and at the end of about a fortnight two or three eggs are laid. The Sharp-shinned Hawks, Kingfishers, Golden-winged Woodpeckers, and very probably other species, are said to continue sometimes for several daj's to lay eggs almost daily, after the first sets have been taken, though continually robbed. Smaller birds have been known to build a second, and even a third nest, within a few feet of the previous ones, when these were removed. They have also been known to cover the eggs of a Cow-bird, by building a second story, or even a third, wliich became their own nursery. Such cases are, however, exceptional, and lead me to speak of desertion. § P. Birds differ widely in respect to desertion, the wood- peckers, especially the Golden-winged, being in case of disturb- ance uncertain in their movements. Tlie latter often leave forever the excavation, on whicli they are at work, if they imagine that they are w^atched, though occasionally regardless of those passing by. If their eggs be disturbed, they some- times " desert," and at other times the female continues to lay eggs in the manner already described. Slie often deepens her nest, and lays a second set. A general rule is that birds will not desert their nests (if not injured) when one egg is taken from three or four, two from five or six, and three from more than six. Never handle a nest or eggs, not to be at once 13 Unless that of a Marsh (or Sparrow ?) Hawk. INTRODUCTION. 17 taken ; the bird does not perceive your " touch," as many- persons suppose, but one's hand very often so disturbs the nest, and the exact position of the eggs, that the intrusion be- comes very marked. As a rule, a nest should never be visited from the time of its discovery until all the eggs are laid, and an egg should never be taken except from a complete set. § Q. Should you find a nest of value, when you have not a box, mark the spot by observing some conspicuous landmark, unless it be necessary to take the nest at once. Otherwise, carry large eggs, and those taken from a hole or a frail nest, wrapped in a handkerchief, and carr^' small eggs in their nests, placed upright, with a handkerchief tied tightly over the whole. Packing in either case is desirable, soft, clean moss being generally the best material to be found in the woods. When a hole is enlarged with a hatchet or knife in order to reach any eggs, the parent almost invariably " deserts," and it is therefore necessary to break it open at the proper time, since all or no eggs should be taken from such a nest. In at least one of the cases before cited, relating to the Pigeon Wood- peckers, the hole was large enough to allow the insertion of the hand and fore-arm. This species, however, as has already been remarked, frequently deepens the hole to lay again ; so do other woodpeckers. § E. Health, energetic perseverance, honesty, experience, and moderation, are the necessary qualities or cardinal virtues of a wise and successful collector. It is for young oologists an excellent rule, which has, however, many exceptions, never to take more than one egg from a nest, nor to have more than two or three of one species, except when (verj^) rare, peculiarly marked, or suitable for an advantageous exchange. 18 INTRODUCTION. If inexperienced, do not make exchanges with another inex- perienced person, who may unintentionally cheat you, or with one unknown to you, who may purposely cheat j'ou. Remember that eggs often var}' greatly in value in different parts of the country, and do not accept any price-list as a basis for ex- change. Endeavor by energy to arrive at approximate comple- tion, have some definite object in view, such as a cabinet comprising all the eggs of Massachusetts, and do not unwisely form a miscellaneous collection everywhere incomplete. § S. To know the notes of all our birds is a great assistance in finding their nests, and in finding, distinguishing, or study- ing the birds themselves, who sing chiefly on or soon after their arrival from the South, during their migrations, and the mating-season in spring, or early summer. It is best to study their music at sunrise, or in the early morning (particularly in the case of species migrating), and also at evening. Even families may (to a limited extent) be classified by their notes. To study birds, in relation to their habits or notes, walk in their haunts, continuall}' pausing to catch the slightest sound, which, if not recognized, should be traced to its source, or to allow the birds to gather about or approach you. If necessary, follow them silently and persistently, but remember that stealthiness sometimes alarms them more than an open approach. If several species be together, do not be misled by the confusion of their songs, and do not hastily attribute the note of one kind to another bird immediately near. Both squirrels and "chipmonks" frequently produce notes, which might excusably distract the attention of an unpractised orni- thologist. By looking up, especially on very clear days, you may often see hawks, or other birds, flying over silently. INTRODUCTION. 19 An opera-glass, if a sufficiently strong magnifier, or occasion- ally a telescope, will be found very useful, as it enables one to recognize a bird without disturbing it, and to distinguish colors, when the object is distant, or at a great height among branches. It is more difficult to distinguish colors just before or after sunset than at other times of the day, particularly if they be ex- posed to the sunlight. Tliat hour should therefore be avoided. § T. Of anatomy and details of structure I shall not here speak at length, since they are not referred to in this volume more often than convenience requires. !•* The bill consists of two mandibles, the line between which is called the gajse or often the commissure. The true cere, which belongs only to the parrots and birds of prey, is a thick skin which covers the upper mandible at its base, and in which are the nostrils, though often concealed by feathers. The principal wing-feathers are the primaries, which (with perhaps exceptions) are alwa3's nine or ten, except in flight- less birds, and which form the end or "point" of the wing. They are the long outer feathers, of which the shafts (if the wing be spread) are more or less parallel, forming an evi- dent angle with those of the adjoining secondaries. A so- called ^^ spurious" primary is usually the first or outermost, when very much shorter than the rest. (It diflTers from the " bastard wing" or " spurious quills " in being a single feather and beneath the second primary.) The '■'■ shoulder" of the wing is the " heyid " near its connection with the body. The tail is even or square, rounded or forked, as viewed when half-closed ; if slightly forked, emarginate, if very deeply " The reader is referred for a full treatise to the introduction of Dr. Coues' "Key toN. A. Birds." 20 INTRODUCTION. forked, forjicate. A cuneate tail is the exact opposite to one forficate. The tarsus, often called the " leg," extends from the base of the toes to the first joint above, and in a majority of birds is unfeathered. If without scales in front (unless near the bot- tom) it is " booted," or if with scales, scutellate. (If covered with very small scales which do not overlap one another, it is reticulate; or it may be granulated as in the Fish Hawk.) The following is a vocabulary of several other descriptive terms. Auriculars (or ear-patch), the feathers behind, but a little below the level of the eye. Circumocidar, about the eye. Crown, top of the head (usually above the eye). Eye-patch, a tract of color enclosing the eye. Eye-stripe, a line running through the eye (so to speak). Interscapidars, feathers on the back between the wnng-shoulders, or between the head and rump. 7m, (pi. irides), a colored circle enclosing the pupil of the eye. Lore, the feathers about the base of the bill, or between the bill and the eye. Maxillary line, one running backward from the gape, and bordering the throat. Median line, one dividing the crown. Nape (or nuchcd patch), the hind-head (properly above the cervix, or hind-neck). Super- ciliary line, a stripe immediately above the eye. Verniicula- tion, very fine "waves." ^ s\gmG.es the male, $ the female; = signifies " equal to," ^ " more than," and <^ " less than." "Inch" or "inches" is abbreviated to in., and decimal num- bers (written with a dot before) generally indicate hundredths of an inch. Except where there are indications to the contrary, the "upper parts " generall}^ include the upper surface of tlie wings and tail, though the "under parts" frequently refer to the body only. The " crown" includes the forehead (or even INTRODUCTION. 21 the nape). The "rump" (or lower back) often includes the upper tail-coverts, the " belly " the under tail-coverts, etc. The " sides " invariably refer to those of the breast and belly. §U. Measurements of both birds and eggs are made in straight lines between two points. To measure the -length of a bird, lay it on its back, and make the tip of the bill (so far as reasonable), and the end of the longest tail-feather, touch the ruler or paper on which they are laid ; then measure the distance between these points. Measure (with compasses) the tarsus in front, and the bill from the tip of the upper mandible to the feathers actually or apparentl}"- belonging to the forehead. ^^ The "depth" of a bill is its vertical width near the base, when closed. Eggs may be measured by dividers, or by a ruler with a slide. For accurate measurements a ruler marked deci- mally (or even with hundredths) is best. -^^ of an inch equals about -06. § V. Birds form a class of the Animal Kingdom. They are composed of three (or more?) distinct subclasses; the Aves Aereoe, Insessores, or typical "perchers;" the Aves Terrestres, Cursores, or gallinaceous birds and "waders;" and the Aves Aquaticce, Natatores, or "swimmers." These are grouped into several orders (such as the Raptores or "birds of prey"), which are divided into families (as the Raptores into Strigi- dce, Falconidce, etc., or the hawks, including eagles, the owls, and vultures). The orders are sometimes more primarily di- vided into suborders, and families into subfamilies. Thus the Passeres consist of the Oscines or singing passerines, and the 1^ There are other methods of making this measurement. 22 INTRODUCTION. Clamcitores or non-singers ;^^ likewise the Turdidce consists of the Txirdince, or typical thrushes, who have a "booted" tarsus, and the Miminm^ or mocking-thrushes, who do not possess this feature. Combinations of less important distinctions in struct- ural detail characterize the genera; and therefore birds be- longing to the same genus have exactlj"- the same structure. The difference between sjjecies is marked by coloration, and often size. To illustrate the foregoing, take as a subject the common Song Sparrow. He belongs to the Insessorian group, the order of Passeres, and the suboixler Oscines. His family is that of the FringillidcB^ or finches, and his genus Melospiza. His specific name is melodia, but there is also a variety, M. fallax. " Extremely similar ; wings and tails slightly longer ; paler, grayer ; the streaks not so obviously blackish in the centre. "Whole of the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin ; scarcely distinguishable." (Coues.) § W. The classification of birds (or other objects in nature) necessarily entails certain absurdities, being more or less artifi- cial. The method of modern classification is that of descend- ing from the higher to the lower groups, but sequence is too often insisted on among groups, which diverge (so to speak) from a common centre. The division of families, genera, etc., is more or less arbitrary, a certain degree of difference being necessary to separate them, whereas minor (or fractional) differences cause intermediate groups. Let X I'epresent tlie degree of dissimilarity between two genera; then ^ represents the difference between two subgenera (of the same genus) ; 1 -|- -^ between subfamilies, 2 X between families, 2-{- - be- ><* A rather technical distiuction. INTRODUCTION. 23 tween suborders, and 3 X between orders. Forms in nature are everywhere so delicately blended that theoretically it is almost impossible to " draw any lines." A species (even though exhibiting much individual variation) is constituted by all those birds, who, since the present organization of birds has existed, might be the descendants of a single pair. [The phenomena of albinism and melanism can here be only briefly referred to. In the latter, which is very rare, birds are abnormally dark or black. In albinism, which is not uncom- mon, birds are partially or wholly abnormally white (or even 3'ellow) ; sometimes they are partly bleached. Such condi- tions of plumage need cause confusion only among birds of the same genus, and rarely then, being seldom complete.] There are often varieties, geographical races, or forms rendered appreciably distinct by the effects of climate, etc. By a strict definition of the term, varieties must have different distribu- tions (at least during the breeding-season), though accidental stragglers may occur far from their usual habitat. A specific tyjye is usually the variety first named. Hybrids, or " crosses," are the joint offspring of two species, but they do not often occur among birds in a natural state. A bird's scientific name consists of a generic (subgeneric) and specific, or also subspeciSc, title, e. g., Turclus (Hylocichla) Swainsoni, Var. Alicice, or simply Turclus Alicioi^'' Family- names end in idm, those of subfamilies in ince. Scientific names are usually begun with a capital, are italicized, and, when following English names, put in parenthesis. Specific names, however, are ordinarily spelt without a capital, unless derived from proper names. It is best to form no Latin " Turdus Alicia is often ranked as a species. 24 INTRODTJCTION. Genitives in ii, a single one being more correct. (See Messrs. Allen and Greenough's " Latin Grammar," Part 1, § 10, 4, b.) Note. — Many still existing scientific names are unworthy of retention, but they have not been altered in this volume on account of the established rule of priority, which necessitates, however, many incongruities. The authorities for these names are given in the second index. Great care has been bestowed upon the orthography of English names, since gi'eat latitude exists in this respect, no system being yet established. Certain rules have here been followed, with the exceptions produced by general or the best usage. LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS NEW ENGLAND. Aves, or birds, form a class of the Animal Kingdom, and have, in their classification, been primarily divided by eminent ornithologists into three subclasses (lately dispensed with, ^ however, in " North American Birds") : Aves Aerece or In- sessores (aerial birds or " perchers"), Aves Terrestres or Cur- sores (terrestrial birds or "■ runners"), and Aves Aquaticce or Natatores (aquatic birds or " swimmers "). The general rule of division is this : hind-toe' on a level with the other toes, "perchers" ; hind-toe not insistent' and feet not fully webbed, " runners " ; hind-toe elevated,' but feet fully webbed, " swim- mers." This rule is applicable only to typical forms, with which other forms are ranked through evident affinity. It is to be remarked that, in a great measure, aesthetic or intuitive perception is the best means of determining position. By modern classification birds are arranged on the descending method, by which the highest and most refined types occupy the highest position. Thus, the Cursores include those birds who scratch for their food (turkeys, grouse, etc.), and the wad- ers (such as snipe, plover, herons, rails, etc.). These two suborders {Gallince and Grallatores) represent ^ (in the ap- proximate proportion of one to four) about two- elevenths of 1 In certain cases wanting, or apparently Avanting. 2 In number of species (according to Coues' list), (25) 26 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRD3 North American birds. The Natatores incUide various sea- birds, the swans, geese, ducks, terns, gulls, pelicans, petrels, and cormorants, and form about one-fourth of our fauna. The Insessores include all the typical land-birds, 377 of the 635 North American species admitted in Dr. Coues check-list, and more than one-half of about 300 species, known to have oc- curred in Massachusetts. In this volume I have, with the exception of the game-birds, treated the typical land-birds only. The Insessores contain five orders, described in the following chapters. OF NEW ENGLAND. 27 CHAPTER I. FIRST ORDER. Passeres. These birds "are the typical Insessores, as such representing the highest grade of development, and the most complex or- ganization, of the class. Their high physical irritability is coordinate with the rapidity of their respiration and circula- tion ; they consume the most oxygen, and live the fastest, of all birds." ^ All our forms, at least, are characterized as fol- lows : bill without a cere, or a soft basal membrane ; front-toes never only two, or united throughout {i. e. two of them), hind toe never wanting ; tail-feathers twelve. This group may be characterized, as a whole, as the only order of birds, of which all the species invariably build a nest in which to lay their eggs. Among the birds breeding in Massachusetts there is no exception to this rule, except the parasitic Cow-bird. " Passeres, corresponding to the Insessores proper of most ornithologists, and comprising the great majority of birds, are divisible into two grofips, commonly called suborders, mainly according to the structure of the lower larynx. In one, this organ is a complex muscular vocal apparatus ; in the other the singing parts are less developed, rudimentary, or wanting. In the first, likewise, the tarsus is normally covered on either side with two entire horny plates, that meet behind in a sharp ridge ; in the other, these plates are subdivided, or otherwise differ- ently arranged. This latter is about the only external feature that can be pointed out as of extensive applicability ; and even this does not always hold good. For example, among our birds, the larks {Alaudidoi) , held to be Oscine, and certainly to be called songsters, have the tarsus perfectly scutellate be- hind."! The Oscines, or singing Passeres, technically considered the 1 Dr. Cones ; " Key to North American Birds." 28 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS only musical birds, form about one-third of our ornithological fauna, and in Massachusetts are represented by eighteen fami- lies. The Clamatores, or non-singing Passeres, are represented by the flycatchers (§ 19). § 1. The TurdidSB, or thrushes, now considered the high- est group among birds, and ranlied accordingly, are 6^-12 inches long. Bill not conical (which term in ornithology ne- cessitates rather straight outlines, and a depth approaching the length) but at least twice as long as high ; with the upper mandible usually hooked and slightly notched ; also bristled and with open nostrils (pi. 1, fig. 2). Average length of the tarsus about 1*15 inch ; middle toe nearly or quite equal ; other toes considerably shorter, and approximately* equal. Primaries ten, the first being more or less spurious. Tail never forked, but often rounded, and of twelve feathers as in all our other oscine birds. The Saxicolidce (§ 2) and Sylviidce (§ 3) differ but lit- tle in structure or plumage : their coloration is, however, very much brighter, and their tails (at least in the genera Sialia and Regulus) are more or less forked,. Our bluebirds are, moreover, seven inches long or less, and our " Sylvias" all less than five. The typical groups of these three families (including the subfamilies Turdince and Regidinae) are characterized by hooted tarsi (pi. 1, fig. 1). The other subfamilies, Mimince and PoliojJtilinai (the mocking-thrushes andgnatcatchers), have scut ellate tarsi (pi. 1, fig. 3), and rather long, rounded tails. I am inclined to think that the Harporhynchi (Gen. Ill) are entitled to the rank of a subfamily. Their bills are unnotched, unhooked, and frequently curved (pi. 1, fig. 4). Their eggs, moreover, are markedly different from those of all other thrushes. The common Blue Bird may be considered a repre- sentative of the Saxicolidce, while the Sylviidoi are closel}* re- lated to the titmice and warblers. The Wood Thrush and Cat- bird are good types of their i-espective groups, though several thrushes nest upon the ground, or have spotted eggs. OF NEW ENGLAND. The subfamilies of the thrushes are : TURDiN^, Genus Turdus, I. (Highly musical). Subgenus Hylociclila (A-E.~ fig. 1). (Moderately musical). Subgenus Planesticus (F). MIMING, Genera II and III. I. TURDUS (A) MUSTELiNDS. Woocl TlirusJi. " Song Thnish." (A common summer-resident in Massachusetts.) 29 Fig. 1. Wood Thrush (^). (a). About eight inches long. Above, soft but bright red' dish-broivn (or ' ' tawny ") , gradually becoming soft " olive-dusky" on the rum}), tail, and end of the icings. Beneath, white, with a very slight buff tinge upon the breast ; spotted on the breast and sides with dark brown (or "dusky"). (&). The nest sometimes closely resembles that of the Robin, but it is often composed outwardly of moss and even twigs, though subject to considerable variation in composition and structure. It is built, never very far from the ground, in a bush or tree, in the woods (especially those of low growth), and often in a swampy place. The eggs of each set are four i^The -wood thrushes. The robins (F) are ■well-known; (G) has been separated from them, and placed in subgenus Hesperocichla. i 80 LAXD-BIRDS AND OAME-BIRDS or five, and like those of the Robin, but smaller, measuring 1-10 — 1'00X'70 of an inch. Those of the first set are usually- laid near Boston in the last week of Maj' — those of the second, if any, in the early part of Jal3\ (c). The Wood Thrushes probably represent the highest type among birds ; excelling all others, except their immediate relatives, in details of structure, in the quiet beauty of their coloration, and in the refinement of their habits ; and they are certainly to be ranked among the finest singers of the world. Though possessed of comparatively little power of flight, yet the Wood Thrushes, like most other birds, migrate very far (more than a thousand miles), — about the tenth of May reaching Massachusetts, to the northward of which, in New England, they rarely go. But the}' are common in southern New England from the time of their arrival until that of their departure in September or October ; during the summer-months inhabiting groves and woods of various kinds, oftenest, per- haps, those which are swampy or of low growth. In such places they build their nest and rear their j'oung, and there obtain the necessary suppl}'^ of insect-food, either from the ground, over which they can run with some rapidity, or from the bushes and trees, among which they move with such leisure and dignified grace as would become a prince. The most con- spicuous feature in the Natural Histor}^ of these birds is the apparent modest}^ and the actual love of privacj' or solitude, which the}' generally, though not invariably possess. These lend a charm to the study of their habits and their music, but they also cause difficult}' in acquiring an intimacy with them, — a difficulty, however, which can be overcome. Though the Wood Thrushes are so fond of individuality and retirement, that they are never properly gregarious, and that they prefer retreats in woodland, where they are unlikely to be disturbed, to all other suitable haunts, yet they often build their nests in quite conspicuous places, and frequent the immediate neigh- borhood of man. Nor are they then more shy than under other circumstances, — in fact, the female is generally prompted by instinctive motherliness to sit as bravely on her nest, when OF NEW ENGLAND. 81 built upon a roadside, as when in a swamp of alders. The Wood Thrushes usually sing from a high branch, whereas they find their food on or near the ground ; but, wherever they are, they generally preserve, except when running, a rather erect attitude, observable also in the Robin and the other (typical) thrushes. If I have forgotten to speak of other habits, let the reader go to the haunts already described, or to cool woods on the banks of some rapid-running brook, and there learn them. (d). In the cool of the morning, or at evening, from the time when the sun sets until dusk becomes dark, the Wood Thrush, having mounted to a perch so high that his outbursts of heavenly music shall not be confined to earth or lost in the surrounding shrubbery, pours out such a melody, that he seems at every utterance "to be endeavoring to recall his very soul, that fled to heaven on the winged notes of his last liquid mel- ody." At other times of the day, if it is cloudy, or if he is in dark, cool woods, he sings while he is busied in providing for himself or his family, and as he moves through the bushes. This song is rarely one continuous strain, but consists of many detached variations, a series of liquid, metallic, rich, powerful, and expressive notes, which are so exquisite that the all-ab- sorbed and unobtrusive musician seldom if ever fails to charm whoever hears him. Yet, it ought to be remembered that, though some Wood Thrushes can produce such music as per- haps no other birds can rival, others of them are greatly infe- rior to their fellows. The ordinary notes of the Wood Thrush are a mellow chirp, more metallic and less melancholy in tone than that of the Wilson's Thrush, a chuck (sometimes combined with it), and a simple cliip^ such as belongs to a large majority of all the birds described in this volume. All, who wish to have an insight into the charms, which attend the study of animated birds, should observe the Wood Thrush in his native haunts, and faithfully attend the delightful concerts, which he so often repeats in the cooler hours of the day, in June, July, and even August. 32 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (B) FCCESCENS. Wilso7i's Thrush. Tatuny Thrush. Com- mon Thrush. '•'-Cheeury." "Fee?-?/." {'•'■Nightingale.") (In Massachusetts the most common of the wood thrushes, A-E.) (a). 7-7| inches long. Above, soft, bright reddish-brown (or "tawny"). Beneath, white; breast strongly tinged with fulvous (or a pinkish brown), and, together with the sides of the throat, spargel}' — sometimes almost imperceptibly — streaked with small dusky spots. (&). The nest is usuallj'- placed on the ground, and rarely in a bush or low tree. It is generall}'^ composed of grasses and dead leaves, to which grape-vine bark is sometimes added, and it is often lined with finer grasses and roots, or even horse-hairs. I have commonly, but not always, found it in tussocks of grass or hillocks of moss, in swamps or near them. The eggs average '85 X "GO of an inch, and are light blue, green-tinted. In Massachusetts, the first annual set (of four or five) generally appears in the last week of ^lay, or the first of June ; a second set (of three or four) is sometimes laid in July. (c) . The Wilson's Thrushes are in Massachusetts the most common of the so-called " wood thrushes," but in northern New England are rare, being generally much less common than the Hermit or Swainson's Thrush in New Hampshire and Maine. They reach the neighborhood of Boston, in their an- nual spring-migrations, almost invariably on or about the eighth day of May, and very often before pear-trees have blos- somed, — a fact which I mention, because the blossoming of those trees has frequently been spoken of as coincident with the arrival of these birds from their winter-homes in the South. Their first appearance is in those haunts where they pass the summer ; and in the swamps three or four sometimes collect and engage in the quarrels entailed by courtship, previous to mating. The Wilson's Thrushes, though not so fond of soli- tude as the Wood Thrush, are rather shy, and yet they often wander in quest of food to the orchard, garden, and the im- mediate neighborhood of man or his dwellings. They prefer. OF NEW ENGLAND. 33 however, to remain in the swamps and the adjacent woods, during a great part of the day. Tliey can run over the ground with rapidity, but in the woods tliey usually poke about quietly among the pine-needles and dead leaves, where they can find the insects on which they feed, and in the swamps walk over the decaj^ed vegetation, which has become matted on the ground, or has accumulated on the stagnant pools of water. When disturbed, while thus busied, they generally fly to a bush near the spot, and sit there quite motionless, occa- sionally uttering their chirp, until it seems to them safe to return to their interrupted occupation. They also obtain much of their food from trees, and are particularly fond of pine- groves, where they may often be seen, generally on the broader- backed limbs. They seem, when perching, to prefer these to the smaller branches, as they also do a post to a fence-rail, apparently liking a broad surface to stand upon rather than one which they must grasp. Thej'^ are rarely seen far from the ground, and seldom protract their flight for more than a hun- dred 3'ards, except occasionally when conveying food to their young from a comparatively remote orchard, garden, or swamp. They deserve to be regarded on a cultivated estate not only as sources of pleasure, but also as extremely useful. Mr. Samuels, in an article on the Eobin iahis book entitled "Birds of New England and Adjacent States," says : " In fact, the Thrushes seem designed by nature to rid the surface of the soil of noxious insects not often pursued b}^ most other birds. The warblers capture the insects that prey on the foliage of the trees ; the flycatchers seize these insects as they fly from the trees ; the swallows capture those which have escaped all these ; the woodpeckers destroy them when in the larva state in the wood ; the wrens, nuthatches, titmice and creepers, eat the eggs and young that live on and beneath the bark; but the thrushes subsist on those that destroy the vegetation on the surface of the earth. "^ 3 Many thrushes obtain much of their food from trees; the Swainson's Thrushes most of it. Many sparrows feed as tlirushes do. 4 34 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (d). The voice of the Wilson's Thrushes is not so fine as that of the "Wood Thrush, and, when heard from a near stand- point, sounds peculiarly muffled, though, ■when heard at a greater distance, it becomes mellow and much clearer. From the first of June until the time of their departure (the first of September) draws near, one may often hear in the daj'-time the simple song of these birds, '■'■ cheeury, cheeury, dieeury"^ which they give' utterance to, generally from some bough in the pine-groves, or the other woods which thej'^ frequent. It is in the summer-evenings that this song is somewhat pro- longed, becoming "more glorious"; and the male, when his mate is on her nest, sometimes repeats it at night, whence he is among the birds, upon whom the epithet " Nightingale " has been bestowed. The ordinarj^ note of the " Veeries " is a characteristic and peculiar chirp, a liquid sound, often uttered in a seemingly petulant and melancholy tone ; besides which the}' often give utterance to chips, chicJis, " lisps" like those of the Cedar-bird, and a harsh " grating " sound, much like that of other birds and peculiar to the raating-season. The two thrushes already described are summer-residents in Massachusetts. The other (typical) thrushes, whom I am about to describe, only pass through this State, spending their summers in a more northern climate. (C) PALLASi. Hermit Thrush. '•'■Swamp Thrush." '■'■Sioamp Robin." (Common near Boston in April and October.) (a). About seven inches long. Above, soft dusky-olive, becoming rufous on the rump and tail. Under parts white ; breast buff-tinged and darkly spotted ; sides olive-shaded. (b). The nest of the Hermit Thrush, which has rarely been found in Massachusetts, is placed almost invariably upon the rE-BIRD3 stood upon the top of a corner-pillar, adjoining the house, and, having stared at me for a moment, tucked his head under his wing,^^ and apparently leaned against the wall. I think that he went to sleep almost immediately, for, on my stepping from the piazza, he started (as if from sleep) and turned to look at me ; but he soon composed himself once more to his slumbers." "Feb. 12th, 1875. I found my friend, the Chick- adee, fast asleep to-day at 5.35 p. m." "Feb. 18th. I have continued to find the Chickadee retiring to rest in the nest on the piazza. Another retires as regularly at sunset, and sleeps in a hole of a white birch, evidently once a Chickadee's nest, perhaps his own." "March 13th. At five minutes after six this morning a Chickadee suddenly uttered his '■ chick-a-dee-dee- dee' from a pine, and then for five minutes repeated his whistle of pe-ioee. Two companions then came, and the small flock, thus formed, moved off." In spring the Titmice gradually disperse, many to seek more northern homes, and some, after mating, to prepare homes for their ofispring here. In summer they are shyer than in win- ter and often retire to secluded spots to rear their young, for whom the}' exhibit a tender afiection, which sometimes prompts them, if robbed of their eggs, to follow boldly the intruder, uttering plaintive cries and whistles, which almost force one to repent of having disturbed the peace of such loving parents. In autumn, when family-cares are over, the Chickadees gather in companies and resume a merry life. (d) . They have a great variety of simple or quaint notes, all of which seem to be expressive of perpetual happiness, for many of them are constantly repeated throughout the year, and none are restricted to one season. Besides their well- known chant '■'■ chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee" which has given them their name, they have an exquisite whistle of two notes (nearly represented by high G and F, upon the piano), which is very 1=1 have here emphasized this fact, because I have lately read, where I do not now remember, that it was "a ridiculous supposition that wild birds ever put their bills under their wings when sleeping. " 1 OF NEW ENGLAND. 63 sweet and clear, and various minor but equally expressive notes (among them a simple tsip), as well as certain guttural cries, one of which sounds like a rapid utterance of the French phrase "tout de suite," and is indicative, 'S.s it were, of the restless disposition of these birds. The Chickadees are universal favorites, and no birds have a better right to be than these social and happy pygmies. I have invariably found them to be very amiable, rarely disputing one with another, but Wilson considered them quarrelsome, and speaks of having followed one, the singularity of whose notes surprised him. Having shot it, he found its skull fractured (as he supposed by a companion) but afterwards healed. One passed the winter in my neighborhood whose chant may be tolerably well expressed by the syllables " cJiiclc-a-jm-jm-pii" the latter notes being somewhat like those of a Canary-bird, but there is no reason to believe that his cranium was cracked. (B) HUDSONius. Hudsonian Chickadee. Hudson Bay Chick- adee. (o). About five inches long. "Pale olive-brown; crown similar, but browner ; below on sides, and behind, pale chest- nut." "Chin and throat brownish-black." (c). The Hudson Bay Titmice pass the summer in Arctic countries (and in north-eastern Maine?) usually penetrating northern New England in cold weather only. Their habits resemble those of the common Chickadees. "Mr. Brewster took a single specimen at Concord, Massachusetts, on October 29th, 1870," the only recorded instance of their capture in this State. (d). Their song-note is harsher and "more quickly given" than that of our Chickadees. i^ §5. Sittinse. Nuthatches. (See § 4.) I. SITTA (A) CAKOLiNENSis. WhUe-hreasted Nuthatch. White-bellied Nuthatch. i^Maynard. 64 LAND-BIRDS AXD GAME-BIRDS (Common here, in spring and autumn, in certain localities. In Massachusetts a few pass the summer, and a few the winter.) (a). About six inches long. Above, ashy blue. Outer tail- feathers, black witn white patches. Wings marked with the same colors. Under tail-coverts tinged with " rusty." Other under parts and sides of the head (even above the eyes), white. Croicn and nope, black (in young and $ s, impure, restricted, or wanting). (6). The nest and eggs correspond closely to those of the chickadee (§ 4, 1, A, b), but the latter are larger, averaging '80 X "60 of an inch, and are rather coarsely spotted with (reddish-) brown and purplish. Four or five are said to constitute the usual set, but at what time they are laid in Massachusetts I am uncertain. (c). The White-bellied Nuthatches are abundant in but a few parts of New England. In Eastern Massachusetts they are less rare in spring and autumn tlian in the other seasons ; but onl}' a few breed or pass the winter here. As it seems to be advisable to quote from Wilson a full description of some bird's habits, to show the usual style of that author, I shall here repeat his remarks about these birds. After describing their appearance, their non-identity with the European Nut- hatch, and their nest and eggs, he writes as follows : — " The male is exti'emely. attentive to the female while sitting, supplying her regularly with sustenance, stopping frequently at the mouth of tlie hole, calling and offering her what he has brought, in the most endearing manner. Sometimes he seems to stop merely to enquire how she is, and to lighten the tedious moments with his soothing chatter. He seldom rambles far from the spot, and when danger appears, regardless of his own safety, he flies instantly to alarm her. When both are feeding on the trunk of the same tree, or of adjoining ones, he is per- petuall}'^ calling on her ; and from the momentary pause he makes it is plain that he feels pleased to hear her reply. " The White-breasted Nuthatch is common almost every where in the woods of North America ; and may be known at a distance by the notes quank, quank, frequentlj' repeated, as OF NEW ENGLAND. 65 be moves upward and down, in spiral circles, around the body and larger branches of the tree, probing behind the thin scaly bark of the white oak, and shelling off considerable pieces of it in his search after spiders, ants, insects and their larvae. He rests and ' roosts with his head downwards ; and ai)pears to possess a degree of curiosity not cominon in many birds ; fre- quently descending, very silently, within a few feet of tlie root of the tree where you happen to stand, stopping, head downward, stretching out his neck in a horizontal position, as if to reconnoitre your appearance, and after several minutes of silent observation, wheeling around, he again mounts, with fresh activity, piping his unisons as before. Strongly attached to his native forests he seldom forsakes them ; and amidst the rigors of the severest winter weather, his note is still lieard in the bleak and leafless woods, and among the howling branches. Sometimes the rain, freezing as it falls, encloses every twig, and even the trunk of the tree, in a hard trans- parent coat or shell of ice. On these occasions I have ob- served his anxiety and dissatisfaction, at being with difficulty able to make his way along the smooth surface ; at these times generally abandoning the trees, gleaning about the stables, around the house, mixing among the fowls, entering the barn, and examining the beams and rafters, and every place where he may pick up a subsistence. "The name Nuthatch has been bestowed on this family of birds from their supposed practice of breaking nuts by repeated hatchings, or hammerings with their bills. Soft shelled nuts, such as chestnuts, chinkapins, and hazel nuts, they ma\' prob- ably be able to demolish, though I have never 3'et seen them so engaged ; but it must be ratlier in search of maggots that sometimes breed there, than for the kernel. It is, however, said that they lay up a large store of nuts for winter ; but as I have never either found any of their magazines, or seen them col- lecting them, I am inclined to doubt the fact. From the great numbers I have opened at all seasons of the 3'ear, I have every reason to believe that ants, bugs, small seeds, insects and their larvae, form their chief subsistence, such matters alone being 6 66 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS uniformly found in their stomachs. Neither can I see what necessity they could have to circumambulate the trunks of trees with such indefatigable and restless diligence, while bushels of nuts la}'^ scattered round their roots. As to the circumstance mentioned by Dr. Plott, of the European Nuthatch ' putting its bill into a crack in the bough of a tree, and making such a violent sound, as if it was rending assunder,' this, if true, would be sufQcient to distinguish it from the species we have just been describing, which possesses no such faculty. The female differs little from the male in color, chiefly in the black being less deep on the head and wings." To the above extract I have only to add that it should be remembered that Wilson wrote this account in Pennsylvania, in the first years of this century, and that further knowledge of this bird's habits may be obtained by studying those of the Red-bellied Nuthatch, who leads a very similar life. (cl). The note of the White-bellied Nuthatch is monotonous, unmusical, and yet striking ; it differs from that of the next species in usually being pitched on a somewhat lower key. There is also another note, properly distinct, which is rather more subdued, though shriller. This scarcely differs in tone from the ordinary cry of the Red-bellied Nuthatch. Both sounds are sure to attract the attention of a person who may hear them for the first time, and to remain firmly fixed in his memory. (B) CANADENSIS. Red-bellied Nuthatch. (In Eastern Massachusetts, common in October, and less so in winter and spring.) (a). 4i-5 inches long. Above, bright ashy or leaden blue. Outer tail-feathers black, white-spotted. Beneath, (pale) rusty- colored, except on the chin, which is white. In J* crown, and broad stripe through the eye, black. Intermediate space (and forehead), white. In 9 no black cap, and eye-stripe dusky. (6). The eggs are exactly like those of the Chickadee (§4, I, A) ; and moreover the nest is in many respects like the nest of that bird, though sometimes placed in a horizontal limb of OF NEW ENGLAND. 67 a decayed tree, a situation in which I have never found the home of a titmouse. In northern New England the female lays about June first, and occasionally again in July. (c). The Red-bellied Nuthatches habitually spend the sum- mer in the woods and forests of northern New England and other rather cold countries, though a few may occasionally breed in this State, particularly in the western and well- wooded portions. They appear in Massachusetts about the first of October, and I have invariably found them quite com- mon during that month in the neighborhood of Boston. Many retire to the South in November ; and those who pass the win- ter here may easily escape observation, for they are generally silent, often frequent the large tracts of woods which are but little penetrated by man in midwinter, and not unfrequently almost lose their individuality, so to speak, by joining troops of Chickadees. They are by no means rare in April or the earl}'^ part of May, when many pass through in their annual spring-migrations. As I have intimated, they are so sociable as to associate somewhat with other birds, but they are not often gregarious in Massachusetts, and usually are seen singly or in pairs, and not in flocks, as they are further north. They are more fond of pines than other trees, feeding upon their seeds, as well as on the insects about them, and among them are to be found, busied in almost every conceivable attitude, sometimes moving up and down the trunk, as often with the head pointing downward as upward, and at other times scram- bling about the branches or the cones. They are not confined, however, to trees, for they sometimes climb about fences or old buildings, and occasionally descend to the ground, where they pick up fallen seeds. In comparing this species with the White-breasted, Wilson says that " its voice is sharper, and its motions much quicker than those of the other, being so rapid, restless and small, as to make it a difllcult point to shoot one of them. When the two species are in the woods together, they are easily distinguished by their voices, the note of the least being nearly an octave sharper than that of its companion, and repeated more hurriedly." 68 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (d). The only note of the Red-bellied Nuthatch is an un- mnsical sound, like the word "ank," which, saj's Mr. Maynard, is repeated more deliberately and less querulousl}' in the breed- ing-season than at other times ; a fact, which I also have noticed. It is, however, varied considerably in pitch at all times of the year. § G. Certhiidae. Creepers. (See § 4.) I. CERTHIA (A) FAMiLiARis.i''' Broivn Creeper. (In Eastern Massachusetts xevy rare in summer, but common in winter.) (a). About 5 J- inches long. Bill slender and decurved ; tail- feathers rigid and acuminate (as in other Certhiince). Below, white. Tail unmarked. Other upper parts curiously and finely marked with several browns and wlutish. {b). Wilson says that "the Brown Creeper builds his nest in the hollovv trunk or branch of a tree, where the tree has been shivered, or a limb broken off, or where squirrels or Woodpeckers have wrought out an entrance, for nature has not provided him with the means of excavating one for himself." Mr. Gregg (in a Catalogue of the Birds of Chemung County, New York) sa3's that " the nest of this species is built of dry twigs attached to the sides of some perpendicular object ;" and that he " discovered one on the attic of a deserted log house ; the nest rested upon the inner projection of the gable clap- board, and was cemented together with a gumm}^ or gelatinous substance." The onl}' nest that I have found in the neighbor- hood of Boston was a few feet from the ground, placed in the cavity formed by the rending of a tree by lightning. The eggs, which were fresh on the twentieth day of Ma}^ were grayish-white, speckled with reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end, and measured about "GOX'SO of an inch. A nest, containing 3'oung, found in a New Hampshire forest, was much like one found "in a large elm in Court Square, Springfield, "Once called Americana and ''American Creeper." OF NEW ENGLAND. 69 about ten feet from the ground, and built behind a strip of thick bark, that projected in such a way, as to leave a protected cavity behind it." Dr, Brewer has described the eggs as " nearly oval in shape, with a grayish-white ground, sparingly sprinkled with small, fine, red and reddish-brown spots. Tliey measure •55X'43 of an inch." (c). In Eastern Massachusetts the Brown Creepers are in winter common, less so, however, than in March, April, and October, when migrating from South to North or vice versa; on the milder winter-days they may often be seen, as in spring and fall, about open woodland, near houses, and " even in vil- lage streets ; " whereas during the colder weather they frequent thicker and more sheltered woods. Only a ver}^ few pass the summer in this State, a much larger number inhabiting the ex- tensive forests of northern New England, during that season. Like the titmice and nuthatches (with whom they often as- sociate, not being themselves gregarious), they are habitually among trees ; but, unlike those birds, they rarely if ever de- scend to the ground, and never hang with the head downwards. They are constantly in pursuit of insects ; hunting for them somewhat in the manner of woodpeckers, by clinging to the trunk or larger branches of the trees, on which they have alighted, propping themselves with their stiff tail-feathers, and moving about as securely as on a flat surface. Their pro- gress is generally systematic, for they usually alight near the foot of the tree, and climb up toward the top ; but they are often induced, perhaps by a lack of insects, to desert one tree for another, before they have examined it thoroughly. More- over, they often ascend in spirals, particularly on the trunks of the pine, one of their favorite trees, and thus confuse the observer, as they are soon lost to sight. Often, when I have awaited their appearance on one side, they have flown off to a neighboring tree, or, when I have run round to their side, they have climbed I'ound to mine. But they are not shy, and it is not difficult, when aided by even a very little experience, to " keep track" of their movements, and to watch their motions. (d). The ordinary notes of the Brown Creepers are a feeble lisp, a ohip which they generally repeat when flying, and a 70 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS peculiar cry of cree-cree-cree-cree, which is much less often heard than the others. Their indescribable song is a very pleasant one, being somewhat like the far finer music of the Winter Wren, and is varied, some of the notes being loud and sweet, while others are much feebler and less full in tone. It is repeated both in spring and summer, but never, I think, be- fore March. The Creepers are harmless birds, and as well as their allies, the titmice and nuthatches, should be considered extremely useful, since they help largely to preserve our trees and to pro- tect forest-growth. While men continue unwisely to destroy large woods in this State, thus exposing others and leaving no provision for the future, these birds will be more and more needed to remove those prominent causes of vegetable decay, injurious insects. Therefore they should be preserved. § 7. The TroglodytidaD, or ivrejis, form a distinct group, though quite closely allied to several families. . They are insec- tivorous, and pass their time near the ground. Though not climbers, they are eminently creepers. They are migratory but not gregarious. They are for the most part (possibly in all cases) musical. They lay several or many eggs in one set ; these are small, white, reddish, or brown, and generally finely marked. The Troglodytes inhabit shrubbery or woodland, and build their nest in some cavity, such as the hole of a tree ; but the Cistothori frequent marshes or meadows, and build a globular nest, which is suspended among the reeds, or in the grass. The Troglodytidce are characterized as follows : colors plain ; general size less than six inches (though in one North American species eight) ; bill rather long and slender, unbris- tled and unnotched ; nostrils exposed, but overhung by a scale ; tarsi scutellate ; toes partly united ; primaries ten, but the first very short; tail-feathers not acuminate (fig. 3). The Motacillidai (§ 8) are in New England represented by one species only (belonging to the subfamily Anthinm). They possess the following features : average length, about six inches ( ?) ; bill slender, somewhat notched, scarcely bristled, but above "slightl}"- concave at base ;" nostrils exposed ; tarsus OF NEW ENGLAND. 71 scutellate ; " bind toe considerably longer than the middle one ;" primaries nine. The wagtails are virtually terrestrial warblers, closely allied to the Seiuri. It may be observed that our land-birds, as at present arranged, form a series, which may be artificially classified hy food. Thus the higher Oscines are chieflj^ insectivorous, the shrikes partly insectivorous, but otherwise carnivorous, while the subsequent families are chiefly granivorous. The Clamatores and Picarice, the Baptores, and the Columhce, form a very similar sequence, the pigeons being, so to speak, vegetarians. I. TROGLODYTES (A) HYEMALis.i^ Winter Wren. Wood Wren. (Quite common in Massachusetts, during the migrations, in April and October.) Fig. 3. Winter Wren. (a). About four inches long. Tail rather short. Essen- tially like the next species in coloration ; but superciliary line, 1^ This species has been placed by Baird in this genus (subgenus Anorthura), by other authors in the genus Anorthura, with the specific name hyemalis or troglo- dytes. Prof. Baird has recently called it a variety of the European T. parvulus. I have here called it the AVood Wren, because Audubon's so-called '"Wood Wren " (T. Americanus) is now known to be the same as the House Wren (T". cedon), and because the Winter Wrens inhabit woods, almost exclusively, whereas our other wrens do not. The name is tlierefore extremely appropriate. For the Great Carolina Wren ( Thryothorus Ludovicianus) see a note at the end of this biography. 72 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS and (generally) markings on the wing, whitish. Habits very clifTereut. {b). "Five eggs, not quite fresh, which I took from a nest in the "White Mountains on the 23rd of July (probably those of a second set), were pure crystal-white, thinly and minutely speckled with bright reddish-brown, and averaging about '70 X •55 of an inch. The nest, thickl}' lined with feathers of the Ruffed Grouse, was in a low moss-covered stump, about a foot high, in a dark swampy forest, filled with tangled piles of fallen trees and branches. The entrance to the nest, on one side, was very narrow, its diameter being less than an inch, and was covered with an overhanging bit of moss, which the bird was obliged to push up on going in." (H. D. Minot.) Dr. Brewer describes other eggs as measuring 'GoX'iS of an inch, and "spotted with a bright reddish-brown and a few pale markings of purplish-slate, on a pure white ground." The nest contain- ing these eggs, which were six in number, " was built in an occupied log-hut, among the fir-leaves and mosses in a crev- ice between the logs." It was found by Mr. William F. Hall "at Camp Sebois, in the central eastern portion of Maine." (c). The Winter Wrens are not very common in this State, and are generally seen here only in April and October, when migrating. They spend their summers in the most northern parts of New England and the cold countries bej^ond, and their winters to the southward of Massachusetts. ^^ They are so little social as to generally travel singly, and to avoid the neighborhood of man, usually frequenting, when journeying, woods, or roadsides bordered by them, though I have also seen them in woodpiles near houses or barns. In such places they busy themselves about the piles of brush and logs ; when frightened often taking refuge in stone walls, if any be near, where, on account of their small size and great activity, they are as much at home as squirrels. When they have once taken to such a retreat, it is impossible to keep sight of them for any great length of time. Wilson says that in winter they are " I liave lieard of but few instances of their being seen in this State in winter. OF NEW ENGLAND. 73 "quite at home, even in the 3'ards, gardens, and outhouses of the cit^','"-'^ and also speaks of their singing while in Pennsyl- vania. I have several times seen them in the forests of the White Mountains, both in valleys and on hill-sides, — in those grand, dark, and cool forests, which have been left undisturbed by man for j-ears, if not forever, where the ground is covered with fallen trees, with logs piled upon one another and covered with rich moss, and where the damp soil, unparched b3' the sun, in summer gives birth to innumerable ferns, of great variety and extraordinary beauty. In such spots, their natural haunts, the Wood Wrens seemed to be less shy than they com- monly are during their migrations (which is not the case with most birds), and I have there often watched them, creeping agilely about with their long legs and constantl}'- "ducking" their bodies in their peculiar manner, or singing from the top of some brush-heap or some pile of tangled limbs. (d). When traveling they are silent, but they have an ex- quisite song, M'hich I have often heard in their summer-homes. It is one which cannot fail to attract the attention of an obser- vant person, though it may lead to a long search for the musi- cian, before he is found. It is very lively and hurried, and the notes seem to tumble over one another in the energy with which they are poured out. They are full of power, though many are shrill, and are garnished with many a gay trill ; in some passages reminding one of the Canarv-bird's song, though infinitel}' finer. Their tone and spirit are wonderful and alone render them quite characteristic. Dr. Brewer speaks of the "querulous note" of these birds, which I do not remember to have ever heard. One of the prettiest little scenes that I have ever seen in nature was partly enacted by a Winter Wren, who, in nimbly scrambling about a stone wall, nearly ran into a "chipmonk," basking in the sun on the top of it. The surprise and pertness 2" Wilson wrote these words nearly seventy years ago, when Philadelphia was a city of about 80,000 inhabitants. 74 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of both creatures, at this unexpected meeting, were very ludi- crous and yet very charming. Note. — TJiryothorus Ludovicianus. Great Carolina Wren. (Said to have occurred in Connecticut.) (a). Nearly six inches long. Above, reddish-brown; be- neath, chiefly tawny. Superciliary stripe, white or buffy. Wings, tail (and under tail-coverts?), black-barred. Wings often somewhat white-spotted. (b). "The nest is composed of various warm materials, placed in a cavity, such as the hole of a tree, or some hole in a building." An egg in my collection measures about '75 X •55 of an inch, and is dull white, spotted somewhat coarsely with obscure lilac and several rather quiet browns, which are chiefly collected at the crown. (c). "The Great Carolina Wrens (TJiryothorus Ludovici- anus), so far as I know, have not previously been reported as visitors to Massachusetts, but there are at present two appar- ently passing the summer in a small wooded swamp near Boston. It is believed that they have arrived since the fourth of July, soon after which my attention was attracted by their loud notes, which T immediately recognized through their gen- eral likeness to the notes of other wrens, and the descriptions of Wilson and Audubon. It is further believed that they are now building or have recently built their nest, the female being rarely seen, though the male often visits the shrubber}^ about the house. Though unwilling that the}' should be shot, I have no doubt as to their identity, parti}' on account of their music, which I have never before heard, though familiar with our birds. Moreover the description of the birds which I wrote on the spot, where I first obtained a good view of the male, corre- sponds in every important particular to the descriptions given by standard authors. To facilitate the detection of these birds elsewhere in Massachusetts, I off'er a slight sketch of their habits and notes, as just observed. "The Carolina Wrens, being shy, are not easily studied, for, on man's approach, they often discontinue their song, and hide themselves .in the surrounding shrubber}^, or in a neighboring OF NEW ENGLAND. 75 wall. They sometimes betray their presence, however, by their quarrelsome disposition, and their noisy anger at the supposed intrusion of other birds. They remain near the ground, flying a little way with a rather loud fluttering, actively hopping from twig to twig somewhat impetuously, and with the tail often cocked in the air, or pausing to sing, when they assume a more upright posture, accompanied by a depression of the tail. " Their notes, except their chatter, which is much like that of the House Wren, are generally loud, musical whistles, which exhibit great variation. Sometimes they form a series of trip- lets, all of which may individually be on a descending or an ascending scale ; sometimes they resemble the word chirrup^ the first syllable being much dwelt upon, and at other times may be well represented by the syllables we'-u, we'-u, we'-u, we'-u. This music is often delivered with volubility, but it is alwa3's characterized, apart from any similar notes to be heard near Boston, by a remarkable clearness or openness. Such is the biography of the Carolina Wrens in Massachusetts." "H. D. MiNOT." '^July loth, 1876." To this account it may be added that the Carolina Wrens are not always shy, that they are ventriloquists, and that they pos- sess a greater variety of sweet musical notes than has been indicated in the foregoing account. It is now believed, after further observations, that they arrived before July, and chose for their home a drier and sunnier place than the above-men- tioned swamp, to which, however, they have frequently wan- dered, at least the male. (B) ^DON. House Wren. (A very common summer-resident in southern New Eng- land, though local I}' distributed.) (a). 41-5^ inches long. Above, rather dark ivren-hrown. Below, light creamy or grayish brown (rarely rusty-brown). Everywhere finely " waved " with darker brown, but not con- spicuously on the crown. Coloration variable. Superciliary line sometimes whitish. Tail 1^-2 inches long. 76 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (&). The nest, generally a heap of twigs lined with warmer materials, is usually built iu a bird-box, or in a hole of a post or tree ; but it is also often built in very extraordinary situa- tions, such as the sleeve of a coat (Wilson), a claj' pot, a dis- used spout, or other equall}' odd place. The eggs of each set are six to nine ; like those of the Long-billed Marsh Wren (II, B, b), but much lighter and more reddish ; they average about •60X'48 of an inch. In Eastern Massacliusetts two sets are occasionally laid in the summer, one usually appearing iu the first week of June. (c). The House Wrens, though rare in the northern part of New England, and so locally distributed in the southern por- tion as never to be seen in certain parts of it, are yd common in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and even ver}' abundant in some parts of these States. They usually reach the neighborhood of Boston in the first week of May, and leave it in September, when the frost has rendered it difficult for them to obtain their ordinary food, which consists entirely of spiders, other insects, and their eggs. The House Wrens frequent exclusively cultivated grounds, and the immediate neighborhood of man, so much so as to be " very numerous in the gardens of Cambridge," and other like cities. Thej^ are so feai'less as to have built in occupied houses, and so impertinent and quarrelsome as sometimes to seize upon the nests of other birds for their own convenience, regardless of riglits of proi> erty or ownership, and they invariably drive away from their own homes other wrens who may have intruded. They are, moreover, so brave as to often attack cats, generally with suc- cess. When not engaged in quarrels or robbery, in building or incubation, they arc busy in hunting for insects, particularly spiders, in shrubbery, gardens, and orchards ; and they do not ramble about in the gloomy recesses of wood-piles as the Win- ter Wrens do. But in winter, when far away from their summer homes, and yet enjoying warm weather, their habits are differ- ent from those with which we are here familiar. Mr. Allen, in speaking of their habits in Florida, in winter, says that they keep "so closely concealed that it is difficult to shoot" them OP NEW ENGLAND. 77 "except when on tlie win^.^i Both this and the Carolina wren are exceedingly quick in their nioveraonts, and if thej' are watch- ing the collector when he is about to shoot at them, they are pretty sure to dodge the charge ; although he finds the bushes and foliage where the bird sat riddled by the shot, he usually searches in vain for the specimen he is sure he ought to have killed. When approached in old grassy fields or pine openings, they will allow one to almost tread on them before attempting to get away, and then, instead of taking to wing, often seek to escape by running off like a mouse beneath the grass. The term "house" wren, usually applied to this bird, is decidedly a misnomer, since it frequents the fields, the thickets, and even the forest, as much as the vicinity of houses. In the wilds of Florida, where human habitations are few, there is nothing whatever in its habits to suggest this name." Other instances might be cited to show how very injudic- iously names have often been bestowed upon birds, more so than in the present case, with which there is but little fault to find. Particularly should be condemned the practice of naming species after the place where they were first captured, for the title may afterwards become utterly inappropriate. (d). The House Wrens have a chirp not unlike that of an insect, a peculiar chatter, and a charming song, which cannot be satisfactorily described, as is the case with the music of most other birds. This song consists of a few loud and sprightly notes, followed by a loud and very characteristic trill, which is its most prominent feature. It may often be heard in the summer and in Ma}-. II. CISTOTHORUS (A) STELLARis. JSJiort-biUed Marsh Wren. Meadoio Wren. (In New England, a rather rare summer-resident, found only in the warmer parts.) (o). About 4^ inches long. Below, white. Breast and sides 21 1 have here taken the liberty of very slightly altering the text, without chang- ing its meaning, that it might better accord with my own. 78 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of a light warm brown. Wings and tail barred. Like C. jmhcstris above, but streaked with white on the back, ncqye, and rump. (&). The nest is essentially like that of the next species; but, no mud is used in its composition, it is generally placed in fresh-water marshes or meadows (being sometimes built in long grass), and the hole is usually on the under side. The eggs are generally six, sometimes more, very frail, white, and about '55 X "43 of an inch. The first and commonly the only set is laid, in Eastern Massachusetts, in the early part of June. (c). I must confess to not being so very familiar with the Meadow "Wrens as I should like to be before writing their Nat- ural History, for in the southern parts of New England they are very generally rare, and in the northern parts are not to be found at all. The}' come to Eastern Massachusetts about the middle of Maj', and inhabit the fresh-water marshes and mead- ows, in certain localities, until the latter part of August, when they retire to the South. On their arrival, they busy themselves in building their peculiar nests, and it has been observed that the}' generally build several near together, every year, perhaps for the sake of pi'otection. They are generally occupied in hunting for insects among reeds, rushes, or tall grass, but it is not easy to assure one's self of this fact, since they are shy, and, to use a sportsman's expression, "lie very close." They can also creep about and through the reeds as silently and actively as a mouse. (d). The Meadow Wrens have a harsh unpleasant chatter, but also a simple and yet very pleasant song, which reminds one of the songs of certain sparrows, though often character- ized by a peculiar wren-trill. (B) PALUSTRis.22 Marsh Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren. (Less common in Massachusetts than the preceding species.) (a). 5-5^ inches long. Above, brown. Below, white ; sides shaded with brown. Tail dusky-barred. Wings and under 22 By some authors placed ia the genus Telmatodytes (considered by Balrd a Bubgeuue;. OF NEW ENGLAND. 79 tail-coverts slightly marked. Interscapulars and crown, quite or nearly black ; the former white-streaked. Superciliary line, white. (&). The nest is suspended among the reeds or long grass, or is built in a bush in marshes. It " is formed outwardl}' of wet rushes mixed with mud, well intertwisted, and fashioned into the form of a cocoa nut. A small hole is left two-thirds up, for entrance, the upper edge of which projects * * *. The inside is lined with flue soft grass, and sometimes feathers ; * * *." (Wilson.) The eggs are usually six, and are laid in early June. They are light (reddish?) chocolate- brown, so finely marked with a darker shade, as to appear, from a distance, uniformly dark, and average about "58 X "45 of au inch. (c). The Marsh Wrens are not to be found in northern New England, and in Massachusetts are even less common than the Meadow Wrens, to whom they are very closely allied in their habits. They frequent a few of both the salt-water and fresh-water marshes in this State, from the middle of May until the latter part of August. They spend their time in pro- curing the insects, on which they habitually feed, from the reeds and grasses, among which they move with great agility. Being rather less shy than the Short-billed Marsh Wrens, they can more often be seen, frequently in their favorite attitude, with their tail cocked in the air. (d). They have a harsh chatter, if it can properly be so called, a peculiar sound ; but, I have never heard them sing, nor have I ever heard a well-authenticated case of another person doing so. There are, I regret to say, no pretty traditional tales to be told about our wrens, nor is there any hereditary affection for them, such as is felt for "Jenny Wren" in England. § 8. Motacillid8D. Wagtails. (See § 7.) I. ANTHUS (A) LDDOviciANDS. Bvown Lark. " Titlark." " Pipit." " Wagtail." 80 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (A common migrant, in spring and autumn, along the coast of New England.) (o). About 6^ inches long. Above, pure dark brown (" olive-shaded " ? ), slightly streaked. Under-parts and super- ciliar3' line, light buffj^-brown. Breast and sides dusky-streaked. Tail dark ; outer tail-feathers partl}'^ white. (&). The Titlarks breed chiefly in Arctic countries, and never in New England. (c). The}' pass through Massachusetts in spring and autumn, when traveling to and from their summer-homes, and are then common on the sea-shore, "in the Fresh Pond marshes of Cambridge," and sometimes in old fields. They usually collect in loose flocks, and feed on seeds and insects, which they pick up on the ground, where the}' can run with ease and rapidity. They have a singular habit of jerking their tails, which is very noticeable. When disturbed, they generally fly away to quite_ a distance and high in the air, resuming their labors, if they may be so called, when they alight. They retire in summer to breed in Labrador and other cold countries, where the}^ are said to sing. (d). When with us their only note is a feeble one, a simple chirp, which is often repeated. § 9. The SylviCOlidSS, or American tvarbkrs, form a group, which may perhaps be best defined negatively. By the omission, however, of the Icterincn (or chats), who probably should be ranked as a family intermediate between the warblers and tanagers, their characteristics may be considered the follow- ing. Length, 4-6J inches ; bill twice as long as high ; commis- sure entirely straight or slightly curved, unless interrupted by a terminal notch ; nostrils exposed ; tarsus scutellate ; " hind toe shorter than the middle ;" primaries nine (fig. 4). It is doubt- ful how many subfamilies there should be, but the following well-defined groups exist. Seiurince, or lai'k-warblers (I). Bill notched, scarcely bris- tled. Birds sti'eaked beneath. Tail not marked or forked. Oeothlypince, or thicJcet-warblers (II, III). Bill notched, OF NEW ENGLAND. 81 scarcely bristled. Birds wholly unstreaked. Tail not marked or forked. In Geothlypis, the icings are approximately equal in length to the tail.-^ HelmirithophagincB, or worm-eating icarblers (IV, V, VI). Bill acute, itnbristled, and unnotched-"^ (pi. 1, fig. 7). Mniotiltince, or cree^iiig warblers (VII, VIII). Bill scarcely bristled, and never (very) distinctly notched : hind-toe much longer than its claw. (Except in structure, however, the Parulae and Mniotiltse are widel}' different.) Sylvicolinoe, or ivood-vjarblers (IX, X). Bill notched, and with short bristles (pi. 1, fig. 8). Tail not unmarked, unless in mstiva, where it is slightly forked. In other cases white- blotched. Perissoglossm are characterized by the tongue. Seto]}haginai, ox fly -catching icarblers (XI, XII). Bill notice- ably broader than high, also notched, usucdly hooked, and always loith long bristles ^^ (pi. 1, fig. 9). This last group is ranked as a subfamily, the others being united by Dr. Coues as Sylvicolinai, though Prof. Baird further sets apart the Geothlypinm. (For remarks on Icterince, see §10.) The warblers are, no doubt, to many persons the most charm- ing of our birds. They are eminently peaceful, and prettily colored, brightly, sometimes brilliantly. Musically, however, they are generall}' surpassed by the thrushes, vireos, and finches. They are insectivorous, migratory, and in some cases gregarious, except in summer. Among their nests are some of the neatest and prettiest specimens of bird-architecture. The eggs are, for the most part, four or five, white, spotted with brown and lilac. I. SEIURUS (A) NOVEBORACENsis. Wcitcr ^^Thrush." Water ''^ Wagtail." (Common, perhaps locally so, during their migrations through Massachusetts, where, however, a few breed.) (a). 5^-6 inches long. Dark brown above (tinged with olive). Superciliary line and under pax'ts white, tinged with *3 Characteristics underscored do not belong to otlier warblers. 7 82 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS yellow. Throat and breast thickly spotted with very dark brown. " Feet dark." (6). The nest is usually built on or near the ground, in a swamp or at least the neighborhood of water. The eggs of each set are usuall}' four, average 'SoX'G? of an inch, though variable in size, and in coloration closel}' resemble those of the Golden-crowned "Thrush" (C, b). A nest, which I found near Boston, contained fresh eggs in the first week of June. (c). The Water "Thrushes" are to be found in northern New England as summer-residents, but, though a ver}'- few pass the summer in Massachusetts, they are common in this State, or at least parts of it, onlj'^ during their migrations — in the third and fourth weeks of May, and the first or second of September. While in the neighborhood of Boston, they remain near streams and bodies of water or in wet woodland, and pick up the little insects, and other things upon which thej^ feed, almost exclusively from the ground, often wading, however, in shallow water. When sojourning here, they are not ver}'^ shy, and it is easy to approach them so as to watch their peculiar motions, which recall those of the sandpiper, and are yet partially characterized by a constant jerking of the tail — a habit which belongs to several other common birds, such as the Pewee, who depresses the tail, however, instead of jerking it upwards. The Water " Thrushes " are, on the other hand, very shy in their delightful summer-homes, and would almost escape notice, but for their verj'^ charming song. As it is, they are rarely seen, for the}^ are very nimble on the ground, and on man's approach leave their paddling in the mountain-brooks, and their pleasant labors on the banks, to hide in thickets or underbrush. Imagine a forest, which man has never invaded, and through it flowing a cool, clear stream, whose course is broken b}' the rocks, round which it bends," or over which it falls into some foaming pool, and you will know the haunts of these birds ; imagine music, which can hardly be excelled, and you can faintly realize the charms of such places, if you do not already know them. (d). "The Water 'Thrushes' song is loud, clear, and ex- OF N£W ENGLAND. 8S 'qtiisitely sweet, and begins with a Inu-st of melody, whicli be- comes softer and more delicate until the last note dies away, lost in the ripple of tlie stream, above which the birds are gen- lerally perched. It is probably someiimes repeated at night, as is the song of the "Wood ' Wagtail,' and how enchanted should I be to hear it in the coolness of the woods and stillness of the night." It may quite often be heard in spring, during the migrations and the season of courtship, as well as the ordinary note of these birds, a sharp chick, which usually expresses alarm.. As I have heard it, however, it is a simple song, merely characterized by unusual loudness and clearness. It is gi-eatly to be regretted that not more persons are familiar with the pleasing music of the Water "Thrushes,'* whose love of retirement has unfortunately allowed few others than natural- ists to know them. (B) LCDOviciANtJS. Large-billed Water " Thrush." Water Warbler. (So far as I know, the only instances known of this bird coming to Massachusetts and northern New England, are those recorded by Mr. Allen, who shot one "April 28, 1869, on Mount Tom," and by Mr. Irving Frost, who shot another " at Norway, Maine, in May, 1865.") (a). About six inches long. Like the last species, but be- low buffy, chiefly behind, with fewer and less prominent streaks •(none on the throat), and with " legs pale." (5). The nest and eggs are like those of the common Water Thrush, but the lattea* are a little larger, averaging 'DOX'TO of Bn inch. (c). The Large-billed Water Thrushes have a very different fiabitat from their immediate relations, and very rarely occur in New England. They are closely allied to the Water Wag- tails in habits ; like those birds, frequenting woodland and the neighborhood of water, and being addicted to wading and to jerking their tails. (d) . Their ordinar}' note is probabl}" the same chuck, but their song is said to be more glorious than that of the other species, 84 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS which I have just described. It begins with loud, clear, and ringing notes, and ends with the softer notes, which die away almost imperceptibly. It was this song that Wilson described as having heard the Water Thrush utter in the vast cane-brakes of the South, where these birds find a home during a part of the year. (C) AUROCAPiLLUS. Golclen-crownecl " Thrush." " Oven- bird." " Wagtail." (In Massachusetts a common summer-resident.) (a). 6-6] inches long. Olive above. Below white. Breast and sides (darkly or) black-streaked. Crotvn orange, bordered by black stripes. (Details omitted.) (&). The nest is placed on the ground, in the woods. It is usually lined with hairs, and is generally but not invariably roofed. The eggs of each set — only one being commonly laid in Massachusetts, and that about June first, or perhaps earlier — are usually four, averaging between -90 X "70 and 'SO X '62 of an inch. They are subject to considerable variation, but are generally (creamy) white, with either minute lilac markings about the crown, or mai-kings of reddish-brown and faint lilac scattered (not very thickl}') chiefly in blotches, either all over the egg, or only about the greater end. (c). The birds, of whom I am about to write, are variously called Golden-crowned " Thrushes," having formerly been classed with the thrushes-'* (and their crown being dull orange), " Oven-birds," because of the usual construction of their nests, and " Wagtails," because of their habit of flirting their tails, by which name I shall refer to them. They are common summer-residents throughout New England ; much less so, how- ever, in the northern, parts, though known to breed in Arctic countries. They generally reach Massachusetts in the first week of May and leave it in September, sometimes lingering almost until October, quite unobserved, because of their rarely broken silence at that season. They frequent woodland of *< Mr. Mayuard adheres to this an-angement. OF NEW ENGLAND. 85 various kinds, but pine-groves are perhaps their favorite haunts. In such places they are usually to be seen on the ground, walk- ing about quietly, silently, and with an amusing deliberateness, and picking up their food from among the fallen leaves ; but they betake themselves to trees (rather than to bushes), when frightened, when engaged in their pretended or real quarrels during courtship, or when they wish to utter their peculiar chant. They are endowed with strong parental affection, and, when the nest is approached, both male and female exhibit great concern, or the latter, if disturbed whilst sitting on her nest, feigns lameness, as many other ground-nesting birds do, and flutters nimbly away, until, having led the unwary pursuer to a distance, she "takes to wing." (f?). The Wagtails' loud monotony — wee-chee, wee-chee, loee-chee, ivee-cJiee, ivee-chee, loee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, ivee-chee, — which is repeated rapidly with a steadily increasing volume, is heard, at intervals, throughout the day. Their ordinary notes are a chuck of alarm, and a sharp chick, em- ployed chiefly during the period of mating. At night I have often heard the male sing very sweetly, his chatter being followed by a low musical warble, such as I have rarely heard him utter during the da}', except sometimes at dusk. He gen- erally pours out this music while descending through the air from a height to which he has just mounted ; but these per- formances are almost exclusively confined to the season when his mate is sitting on her eggs or young. The "Wagtails are much oftener heard than seen, the more so that they are never gregarious ; but the oddity of their familiar chant, the quaintness of their habits, and their strong conjugal and parental affection, must ever endear them to the appreciative naturalist. II. GEOTHLYPIS (A) TRicHAs. Maryland " Yelloio-throat." Black-masked Ground Warbler. (A common summer-resident throughout New England.) (a). About five inches long. ^ olive-green above. Fore- 86 LAND-BIRDS AKD GAME-BIRDS head, and a broad bar through the eye, black, bordered above by grayish. Belly white. Other under parts, yellow. 9 with no black or graj'ish. More olive above. Head browner. Beneath, white, j-ellow less and paler. (b). The nest is usually placed on the gromid — almost in- variably beside a brook or in a swamp — but occasionall}'' in a thicket or briar, It is composed of (leaves) fine gi-asses, etc., is often lined with hairs, and is sometimes roofed. The eggs average '70 X *o5 of an inch, and are white, sometimes with no markings, but commonly with a few reddish-brown blotches about the greater end, or with a ring about the crown oi fine reddish-brown and lilac markings, or with numerous spots and blotches of the same colors distributed over the entire sur- face. They vary greatly in coloration, but the ground-color is always ( ?) white, and is not usually m\icli marked. In all parts of New England two sets of these eggs are laid annually,, as a rule, in Massachusetts the Ilrst generally appearing in the last week of May. (c). The "Maryland Yellow- throats " are probably (on an average, throughout New England) the most abundant of our warblers in summer, and in certain parts of Maine and New Hampshire are neai'ly the most common birds. They come to Massachusetts, from their southern winter-homes, in the first or second week of May, and do not altogether leave it before October. On their arrival, before retiring to the places where they build theii* nests, they spend much of their time in trees, often those on cultivated estates ; but, later in the season, they betake themselves to swamps, thickets, and bushes along the roadsides, and are then seen chiefly on or near the ground. They constantly move their tails, both when on the ground, and when hopping from twig to twig, for they rarely take other than short flights. In their haunts, which cannot be well defined or enumerated, they are ever busy, when not interrupted, in catching the insects and caterpillars, upon which they feed ; and yet, though not shy, they are continually watchful, and mindful of intruders. (d). Besides a sharp cliuch, which is loud enough to attro-ct OF NEW ENGLAND. 87 the attention of every passer-by, a simple clack, less often heard, and a chatter, much finer and less harsh than that of the Cat-bird, the "Maryland Yellow-throats" have a charac- teristic set of notes, which resemble the syllables loee-cJiee-cJiee, repeated several times, with a marked emphasis on the ivee. This is varied to ivee-chee-chee-tvee, which is repeated in the same manner, and again to a song, which is not unlike that of the Yellow Warbler, though sufficiently distinct. The "Maryland Yellow-throats" are among our most bene- ficial birds, and cannot in any way do injury to man or his property. Whoever is unfamiliar with them can easily make their acquaintance, and a charming acquaintance it will prove to be. In a certain place, where I took manj^ walks, these birds seemed to be traveling companions, whenever I followed the highways, so constantly did I see them along the road- sides. (B) PHILADELPHIA. Mouming Warbler. (Quite common (locall}') .in certain parts of northern New England as a summer-resident, but a very rare migrant through Massachusetts, where none pass the summer, so far as I know.) (a). Five inches or more long. Olive above. Beneath, bright 3'-ellow. Head, warm (ashy-) gray. Throat black, often waved with gray. (5). The eggs and nest correspond closely to those of the Maryland Yellow-throat in every respect, but the former, so far as I know, are never either plain white or coarsely marked. (c). The Mourning Warblers are among the birds who are extremely rare in Massachusetts, even during the migrations, though they breed quite commonly in certain parts of northern New England, and also in places much further to the south- ward. During their occasional brief sojourn in this State, in the latter part of May, and still more rarely in September, they usually frequent the haunts of the Maryland Yellow- throats, but are also sometimes seen examining the foliage of tall trees (up the trunks of which, for a little way, I. have strong reason to. believe that they sometimes scramble). I 88 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS invariably see in spring a few pairs in tlae " scrub," especially ■where swampy. In their summer-homes they inhabit copses and thickets in open spots, finding their food in piles of brush, on the ground, etc., never, however, jei'king their tails in the manner of their relations. (cl). The Mourning Warblers have a sharp chirp, a feeble tsip, and a warbled, liquid song (likened to that of the House Wren, Water Thrush, and Maryland Yellow-throat), which is generally delivered from a high perch. III. OPORORNIS (A) AGILIS.25 Connecticut Warbler. (A migrant in New England. Extremely rare in spring, and generally rare in autumn, though more than a hundred specimens were taken at Cambridge in two years, when these birds were extraordinarily abundant in fall.) (a). About 5^ inches long. Above, olive-green, becoming ashy-tinted on the head. Eye-ring whitish. Throat (and up- per breast), ashy or brownish. Other under parts, yellow. Crown, olive in autumn. (5). I believe that the nest and eggs of these birds have never been discovered by any ornithologist. (c). The Connecticut Warblers have hitherto, with two re- markable exceptions, been very rare migrants through Mas- sachusetts ; but the}'' may become more common hereafter. I have seen them but once in spring (then only an individual on the tenth of May), and but a few times in September. The following observations were made at the Fresh Pond Marshes of Cambridge, in the autumns of 1870 and 1871, and illustrate the habits of these birds. "INIr. Henshaw found them almost constantly engaged in seeking their food on the ground. When startled they would fly up to the nearest bush, upon which they would sit perfectly 26 The Kentucky Warbler (O. formosus) may stray to New England, though I know no instance of its so doing. It has been known to breed in Eastern New York. OF NEW ENGLAND. 89 motionless, in a manner closely resembling the ThriTshes. If not farther disturbed they immediately returned to the ground, * * *. If greatly startled they took a long flight among the bushes, and could rarely be found again." (d). I have heard them utter only tsijys and cJdrps whilst in their usual haunts, namely, swampy thickets, and shrubbery near them. I have never heard their song, nor read any de- scription of it. IV. HELMITHERUS (A) VERMivoRus. Worm-eating Warbler.^^ (Though found in Maine, this species very rarely comes so far to the north-eastern part of the United States as to reach New England.) (a). About 5j inches long. Greenish-olive above. Head and under parts, buff. The head is marked with two dark stripes bordering the crown, and two running from the eyes to the back. (&). The nest is placed on or near the ground. The eggs are described as averaging about -70 X *55 of an inch, and being pure white, minutel}^ spotted with reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end, where lilac is intermixed. (c). The Worm-eating Warblers so seldom come to this State, that, I regret to say, I have never seen them here. The various accounts of their habits and notes which I have read are more or less conflicting and unsatisfactory ; but from them I have gathered that the Worm-eating Warblers inhabit both woodland and shrubbery, and usually feed on caterpillars and spiders, which they find on the ground, or "among the dead leaves of a broken branch," being very nimble in secur- ing their prey. They are never gregarious, but, even during their migrations, travel alone or in pairs, sometimes, however, with their young in autumn. (d). Their notes are "a feeble chirp," a "complaining call" 2« The closely allied Swainson's Warbler (H. Swainsoni) has been erroneously reported from Massachusetts. 90 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of '•Hsee-dee-dee" aud a song which has been variously de- scribed, but which, from all accounts, does not seem to be a very pleasing one. I regret that I am obliged to write brief, and on that account less interesting biographies (if I may so far flatter myself) of some of the warblers, about whom, because of their general rarity here, I know little and cannot obtain much information. V. PROTONOTARIA (A) ciTR.EA. Protlionotary Warbler. (So far as I know, there is but one authentic instance of this bird being captured in New England — then at Calais, Maine, on October 30th!). (o). About 5j inches long. Golden-yellow. Back oliva- ceous. Rump, light ashy-blue ; wings and tail darker. Tail- feathers marked with white. (6). Dr. Brewer speaks of three nests. One of these " was built within a Woodpecker's hole in a stump of a tree, not more than three feet high ; " another " was built within a brace-hole in a mill ;" and a third " in a hollow snag, about five feet from the ground, in the river bottom." The eggs average '08 X "55 of an inch, and are cream-white with lilac, purplish-brown (and black) markings. (c) . The Prothonotary "Warbler have little or no right to be included in the list of the birds of Massachusetts, and I have never seen them here (unless perhaps once a pair, at dark in October). They prefer the borders of streams, and neighboi- hood of water, to drier ground, and swampy thickets to the woods and forests. Otherwise their habits are essentially like those of the Worm-eating Warbler, and other allied species. ((?). Their ordinar}^ note is said to be like the feeble tsip of the White-throated Sparrow, but of more characteristic notes I know nothing. The " Prothonotaries " strongly resemble the Blue-winged Yellow Warblers, who are much more likely to oc- cur in southern New England, and therefore should an inex- perienced student meet either in his rambles through this State, let him carefully note which it is. OP NEW ENGLAND. 91 VI. HELMINTHOPHAGA (A) piNus. Blue-ioinged Yelloio Warhler, (No one, I believe, has reported the presence of this bird in New England, except Mr. Samuels.) (a). About five inches long. Like the Prothonotary War- bler ; hut rump (like the back) olive, wing-bars and tail-blotches white (or nearly so), and eye-stripe, or lore, black. (6). The nest is placed on the ground, in wooded land. The eggs average about -70 X '55 of an inch, and are white, with a few reddish-brown spots about the greater end. (c). The Blue-winged Yellow Warblers, being foreigners to New England, I can only describe through others. Wilson says of this species that it " haunts thickets and shrubberies, searching the branches for insects ; is fond of visiting gardens, orchards, and willow trees, of gleaning among blossoms, and currant bushes ; and is frequently found in very sequestered woods, where it generally builds its nest." Mr. Samuels, whose account has been rejected by some ornithologists, says: "In 1857, in the month of May, about the 12th or 15th, I found a small flock in a swamp in Dedham, Mass. They were actively employed in catching flying insects, and were so little mistrust- ful, that they permitted me to approach quite near, and observe their motions. I noticed nothing peculiar in them ; but they had all the activity and industry of the true arboreal Warblers." {d). Dr. Brewer says that "in regard to the song of this bird, Mr. Trippe states that its notes are very forcible and characteristic. He describes them as a rapid chirrup resem- bling chuuchich, k'-a-re-r' r' r' r' r' ( !). According to Mr. Ridgwa}'- they are wonderfully like the lisping chirrup of the Coturnicidus Passerinus" (or Yellow-winged Sparrow). (B) CHRTSOPTERA. Golden-wh7iged Warbler. (A rather uncommon, or even rare, summer-resident in Mas- sachusetts.) (a). About five inches long. Above, slaty-blue. Whole crown and broad wing-bars, rich yellow. Below, white. Throat, 92 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS and stripe through eye, black. Tail-feathers white-blotched. 9 with less pure colors than $ . (b). The nest is placed on the ground, in woodland, gener- ally near swamps, and is variously lined. Four eggs taken bj'' me from a nest found near Boston average about •68X'55 of an inch, and are white, marked, chiefly at the great end, with reddish-brown^ They were taken on the 8th of June and cor- respond with those found by Mr. Maynard on June 12th, 1869. (c) . The Golden-winged Warblers have at last been recog- nized as summer-residents in Massachusetts of no very great rarity, and are not so largely migrant through this State, as was once supposed, for indeed it probably forms nearly their most northern limit. They reach the neighborhood of Boston about the 10th of Ma}^, and do not retire to the South until September. During the summer they inhabit woodland, par- ticularly that which is swampy, but soon after their an-ival I have several times met theul among the trees on cultivated estates, where I have noticed, contrary to the observations of some other persons, that they remain chiefly on or near the ground (not infrequently, however, among the higher branches), and rarely catch insects on the wing. On the contrary, they often recall the titmice. The}' have a habit, observable in their relations, of occasionally hopping from the ground to snap an insect from the foliage above. (cZ). Their notes are a tsijy, a louder c7i?j), and a sharp alarm- note. They als'o have a brief and rather unattractive song of four or five peculiar syllables, uttered in a characteristic, rather harsh tone, and resembling clsee-dsee-dsee-dsee. BB. LEUcoBRONCHiALis. WhUe-throcUed {Golden-ivinged) Warbler. The following is an extract from the " Quarterly Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club," for April, 1876 (Vol. I, No. 1). ^^Description of a New Species of Helminthophaga ; by William ^^ Brewster. Helminthophaga leucobronchialis. PL I. " Adult male : summer plumage. Crown, bright yellow. OF NE"W ENGLAND. 93 slightly tinged with olive on the occiput. Greater and middle wing-coverts, yellow, not so bright as the crown. Superciliary line, cheeks, throat and entire under parts ; silky-white, with a slight tinge of pale yellow on the breast. Dorsal surface — exclusive of nape which is clear ashy — washed with yellow, as are also the outer margins of the secondaries. A narrow line of clear black passes from the base of the upper mandible, through and to a short distance behind the eye, interrupted however by the lower eyelid, which is distinctly white. No traces of black upon the cheeks or throat, even upon raising the feathers. Bill black. Feet, dark brown. Dimensions — length, 5-19 ; extent, 7-88 ; wing, 2-45 ; tarsus, -71 ; tail, 1-86 ; culmen, '53. "It will be seen from the above description that this bird resembles most closely the Golden-winged Warbler {Helmin- tJiojKtga chrysoptera.) "The entire absence of black or ashy on the cheeks and throat, the peculiar character of the superciliary line, and the white lower ej-elid, present however differences not to be recon- ciled with any known seasonal or accidental variation of that species. The restricted line of black through the eye gives the head a remarkable similarity to that of Helminthophaga pimts, but the semblance goes no farther. " The specimen above described was shot by the writer in Newtonville, Mass., May 18, 1870. It was in full song when taken and was flitting about in a thicket of birches near a swampy piece of oak and maple woods. As nearly as can be remembered it did not differ much in either voice or actions from H. chrysojjtera. The first notice of this specimen ap- peared in the ' American Sportsman,' vol. v, p. 33. * * * * "As previously remarked the diflTerences in coloration in the present bird from any of its allies are so great, and of such a nature, as to render any theory of accidental variation exceed- ingly unlikely, while hybrids — at least among the smaller spe- cies of undomesticated birds — are of such shadowy and prob- lematical existence that their probable bearing upon the pres- ent case is hardly worthy of consideration." 94 tAND-filRl>S AKD GAME-BtRt>3 (C) RUFiCAPiLLA. N'asJiviUe Warbler. (Quite common as a, migrant through this State, where a very few regularly breed.) (a). About 4i inches long. Above, dull olive. Beneath, yellow. Back of head, slate. Crown more or less marked with chestnut-red. In 9 , head-markings indistinct, and crown patch often Wanting. (6). The nest is placed on the ground, either in some open part of the woods, or amongst the shrubbery of some southerly- facing bank. It is commonly composed of dead leaves, strips of thin bark^ grasses, etc., and is often lined with hairs. The eggs of each set are four, averaging about -GS X '50 of an inchj and are here laid about the first of June. The eggs are white, and vary between the extremes of being finely and thickly marked about the crown with lilac, and being thinly and coarsely blotched at the greater end with reddish-brown ; these markings being sometimes combined. (c). The Nashville Warblers are summer-residents through- out New England, but they are apparently more numerous in the northern than in the southern portions. In Massachusetts they are rare during summer, but are common at the time of their migrations, which here occur about the middle of May^^ and of September. In spring and autumn, whilst traveling, they habitually frequent lightl_y-timbered woodland, and some- whatj also, shrubber3'^ about houses, but where they are resi* dent in summer they chiefly affect dry scrub-land, often that which is partially wooded. Their constant activity and indus- try, combined with their general adherence, while traveling, to the higher branches of the pines, chestnuts, oaks, and maples, which they usually prefer to other trees, often renders it difficult to detect their presence, even when quite abundant. They travel singly or in pairs and remain long in one tree or cluster, not being easily frightened. The two great difficulties in studying the habits of our warblers, are the almost nonde* *' I have seen tliem from the 5th until the 20th. OF NEW ENGLAND. 95 ecHpt coloration of some species in autumn, and the fact that many kinds, even in spring, can only be identified by most nat- uralists upon a close examination, to obtain which it is nec- essary to shoot the birds, when of course their habits can no longer be studied. It is for these reasons that it is important to know the minor notes of various species, for by these one can often easily distinguish two species otherwise closely alike, especially if such notes are associated with other more marked characteristics. Thus one can in this way always distinguish "Yellow-rumps" at a great distance, for though their ordinary, "chuck" is very much like that. of the "Black-polls" (who are here in autumn at the same time), yet their manner of flight is different. (cl). The ordinary notes of the Nashville "Warblers are a simple chip, a loud chink, and a peculiar alarm-note ( ?) entirely characteristic, which is hardly, I think, as Wilson says, much like "the breaking of small dry twigs, or the striking of small pebbles of different sizes smartly against each other for six or seven times," though it may be recognized by that description. It is "loud enough," as that author says, "to be heard at the distance of thirty or forty yards." Their song is simple but pretty, more resembling that of the common Summer Yellow-bird {D. cestiva) or Chestnut-sided Warbler than that of any other species. It may be represented by the syllables ivee'-see'ivee'-see, ivit'-a-wit'-ci'-ivit'. (D) CELATA. Orange-crowned Warbler. (This species was reported from Maine by Audubon, and a specimen was shot by Mr. Allen at Springfield on the fifteenth Of May, 1863.) (a). Essentially like the Nashville Warbler (C) ; hut with the slate of the latter wanting, the chestnut supplied by orange- brown, and the yellow green- tinged. (&), Nest and eggs probably like those of the last species. (c). The Orange-crowned Warblers are unknown to me personal!}', but probably there is little or no difference between their habits and those of the Nashville Warblers, to whom they 96 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS are very closely related. They probabl}' frequent open wood- land and orchards, and display a like agility in capturing their prey among the higher branches. (d). Their song Dr. Gambel "describes as commencing in a low, sweet trill, and ending in tshe-np.'" "Their usual note is a sharp chip." Dr. Brewer, thinks that Audubon's account of this bird is incorrect, but whether that is the case or not I do not know. Bonaparte, in his continuation of Wilson's Ornithology, says : " During winter, the Orange-crowned Warbler is one of the most common birds in the neighbourhood of St. Angus- tin, Florida, almost exclusively frequenting the orange trees. Their manners resemble those of the kindred species, though they have a remarkable habit of constantly inflecting the tail like the Pewee. The note consists of a chuck, and a faint squeak, but little louder than that of a mouse." (E) PEREGKiNA. Tcnnessee Warbler. (A very rare migrant through Massachusetts, though a sum- mer-resident in northern New England.) (a). About 4f inches long. Above, yellow-tinted olive- green, with modifications. Superciliary line and under parts, white (or yellowish). $ duller above. (See synopsis, p. 81.) (&). The nest and eggs are essentially like those of the Nashville Warbler, though the eggs vary, and exhibit certain peculiar forms, and though the nest is "often placed in woods." (c). The Tennessee Warblers are extremely rare in Eastern Massachusetts, and are nowhere common in New England, except in a few northern localities, such as Lake Umbagog, where they are summer-residents. They journey through this State in the latter part of Maj', and again about the middle of September. I have met them here twice in open woodland ; Mr, Maynard shot four males, on apple-ti'ees in Newtonville, between the 18th and 24th of May, 1869 ; a pair Avere shot by Mr. William Brewster, near Mt. Auburn on high oak trees ; and Mr. Allen has "taken it repeatedl}' at Springfield, where he has always esteemed it rare." Audubon considered these OF NEW ENGLAND. 97 birds active, and also expert fly-catchers, and speaks of their mellow hceet, uttered when they are on wing, or Avlien fluttering before clusters of leaves. Wilson has written of the first specimen that he obtained that "it was hunting nimbly among the young leaves, and like all the rest of the family of Worm- eaters, seemed to partake a good deal of the habits of the Titmouse." (f?). "Its notes were few and weak." "Its song bears a resemblance to that of H. riificajyilla, only the notes of the first part are more divided, and the latter part is shriller. The male, while singing, is generally perched on some high dead branch. In this habit it resembles the H. ruficapilla and H. chrysojytera." (Maj'nard.) "Its notes resemble the low, sub- dued whistle of the common summer Yellow-bird." (Board- man.) VII. MNIOTILTA (A) VARiA. Black and White " Creeper." (A common summer-resident in southern New England, though rarer further to the northward.) (a). Five or more inches long. Belly white. Otherwise black. Wings barred, tail spotted, and other parts streaked, with white. But 9 white beneath (obsoletely) streaked on the sides. (Details omitted.) (&). The nest is built in woods and groves, and is placed on the ground (rarely, in the hole of a tree). The eggs average •65X*55 of an inch; are elliptical; and are white (cream- tinted), covered with small and rather dark brown blotches and spots, chiefly at the great end, or evenly sprinkled with small light reddish-brown markings. One set of four or five is here laid in the last week of May (sometimes earlier or later),, and occasionally a second when the season is more advanced. (c). The Black and AVhite "Creepers" are very common summer-residents throughout southern New England, though rare in the more northern portions, where in many large tracts even of wooded laud they are not to be found at all. They reach Eastern Massachusetts, sometimes as early as the last 98» LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS week of April, sometimes not until the second week of May, and remain here until September, during a part of which month migrants of this species continue to pass through from the Korth on their way t;^ the South. The warblers generally in- habit woodland of various kinds, but occasionally visit orchards and like places near the habitations of man, toward whom they exhibit no shj'ness, and also seek their food among the bushes of the " scrub," where they find the caterpillars, small insects, and insect-eggs, upon which they habitually feed. They differ from all our other warblers in their method of obtaining their food, which is to a certain extent entirely distinctive, though much like that of the true creepers (Certhiidce) , from whom the}' principally differ in being much less systematic in their researches, and in occasionally busjdng themselves upon the ground. They pass most of their time in scrambling about the trunks and larger limbs of trees, rarely perching, and also in running over old fences, such as contain rotten and moss-grown or lichen-covered wood. While thus engaged, they almost invariably keep their head pointed toward the direction in which they are moving. They rarely take other than short flights, when not traveling, but after remaining for a moment on the trunk of one tree, seldom longer, fly to a neighboring one. They are never strictly gregarious, but they possess such conjugal and parental affection that they are often seen in pairs (or family-groups). When the female is frightened from her nest on the ground, which is often partially concealed, she usually feigns lameness, and flutters away with trailing wings and tail, in the hope of distracting the intruder. (Dr. Cones speaks of these birds building in the holes of trees, which, says Dr. Brewer, " is probably an error, or, if ever known to occur, an entirel}^ exceptional case." I have found two of their nests near Boston thus situated, of which the first was in a pine-grove in the cavity of a tree rent by lightning, and about five feet from the ground, and the other on the top of a low birch stump, which stood in a grove of white oaks. These facts show how erratic birds frequently are in changing their habits, and how much corroborative testimony is needed to establish a single fact in Natural History.) OF NEW ENGLAND. 99 (d). The Black and White "Creepers" have a very great variety of notes, and perhaps utter more distinct sounds, exclu- sive of song, than any other of our birds, though it is very possible that other warblers, with whom I am less familiar, possess the same power. The notes of the so-called "Creep- ers" are a weak but pure tsip, a harsher tsip, much like that of the Chestnut-sided Warbler, a loud cJiick, which sometimes becomes a chinJc, an alarm-note, cJiick-a-chick, chick-chick, a chant, if it can properly be so-called, of tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee, which is uttered in another tone so as to sound more like chee-chee- chee-chee, and their rather feeble and unmusical refrain of wee- see, wee-see, wee-see, wee-see, loee-see. To the last and most frequently repeated chant a few sweet and musical notes are generally added in May and June, and these combined form their only song. There are hardly any birds more familiar to the ornithologist in the woods than the Black and White "Creepers," since they are common, are free from shyness, and usually remain near the ground, with their boldly marked plumage in conspicuous contrast with the bark of the wliite oaks and chestnuts, to which they so often turn their attention. They are eminently useful, and few creatures do more good in protecting the growth and life of our forest-trees, and the trees of woodland freshly sprung up to supply the place of a former growth. VIII. PARULA (A) AMERICANA. BlueYelloio-hackedWarhler. '■'■ BlueYellow- back." (A summer-resident in northern New England, and usually a common migrant through Massachusetts, where a very few breed.) (a). About 4J inches long. Above, blue, ashy-tinted, with a 3'ellowish patch on the back. Lore black. Throat and xmrt of the breast, yellow, with a rich, dark brownish patch. Upper throat immaculate. Other under parts, wing-bars, and tail- spots, white. $ rather duller, with less distinct markings. (Details omitted.) 100 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (b). The nest is globular, with an entrance on the side, and is composed principally of hanging mosses. It is usuall}^ placed in the woods, twenty or more feet from the ground, at the end of a bough of some hard-wood tree or evergreen. It usually contains four or five freshly laid eggs in early June, which average about -62 X '48 of an inch, and are white (or cream-tinted) w-ith spots and confluent blotches of reddish- brown and lilac, chiefly about the crown. (c) . The ' ' Blue Yellow-backs" are summer-residents through- rig. 4. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler (^) . out the eastern United States, more commonly in Northern Maine and New Hampshire than in Massachusetts, where onl}'- a few breed, chiefly, probably, in the valleys of the Connecticut and Nashua Rivers. Near Boston they are ex- tremely rare in summer, but are generally common in the sec- ond and third weeks of May and September, during their migrations, being, however, sometimes rare, and sometimes extremely abundant. I can in no way, I believe, better de- scribe their habits than by detailing the observations which I made upon them this spring (1875), when they were very nu- merous in my immediate neighborhood. They came on the elev- enth of May, and did not wholly disappear until the twenty- second of that month, after which I saw none, except a few in OF NEW ENGLAND. • 101 autumn. They cbiefly frequented the budding maples, the orchard-trees, and the shrubs and bushes which were just push- ing forth their young leaves ; sometimes alone, more often in pairs, and less commonly in small parties of three and four. They constantly skipped from twig to twig, much as a Chicka- dee does, often turning their heads in peculiar attitudes so as to reach the crannies behind the buds, and occasionally^ even lianging head downwards, the better to effect their purposes through their constant activity. They would often take short flights into the air in order to seize some passing insect, and then would immediately return to their former avocations, usually on the same tree. A great charm in the disposition of these prett}^ and graceful little birds was their entire fearless- ness of man, which was so absolute, that I many times was within two or three feet of them, even when I was not motion- less. The "Blue Yellow-backs," whilst migrating, may also be found in the more open and lightly timbered woodland, but seldom among the pines. In their summer-homes they inhabit both the evergreens and hard-wood trees, wherever grouped in abundance, and very generally prefer the higher branches, where they build their nests (for they never, so far as I know, descend to the ground). These nests are beautiful objects, and very admirable architectural works, which distinguish their builders from all the other members, at least the American members, of their large family, the warblers ; for though nearly all of them build neat and pretty nests, none ever construct nests so striking in appearance as these, which are globular, with an entrance on one side. They are often suspended from the bough of a hemlock, and are usually composed of rather long Spanish moss, which is a very pretty material for nest- building. Wonderful must that instinct be which enables the little warblers to weave the long threads together with security and compactness, and finally to arrange them in the desired form that the globular shape may be so nearly perfected. From cases of which I have known, I have strong reason to believe that these nests in Massachusetts are sometimes, perhaps acci- dentally, not entirely rounded, but are left largely uncovered, 102 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS which I at one time supposed to be due to the warmer climate, but I have since learned that specimens from the Southern States are like those from Maine, and perfect in shape. (d). The ordinary notes of the "Blue Yellow-backs" are a tshi}:), a chick, often loud, a cry of chick-a-cJiick-chicJc, and occasionally a trill, which approaches a chatter. Their song, which I have often heard in May, as well as June, though rather weak and unmusical, is yet quite loud, more so, I think, than some other authors have represented. It begins with a trill of rising inflection and marked accent, which is followed either by twitters, or by notes which remind me of those of the "Black-throated Greens," or b};- still others like them. In this song I have sometimes recognized a peculiar hoarse tone, which seemed to characterize it strougl3^ IX. PERISSOGLOSSA (A) TiGRiNA. Cape May Warbler. (In Massachusetts generally extremely rare, especially in autumn. In summei', "common at Umbagog," Maine.) (a). 5-5 j^ inches long. Above, yellowish-olive ; back dark- streaked. Crown dark. Lores black. Beneath, bright yellow. Breast and sides black-streaked. Throat strongly tinged with the bright orange-brown of the ear-coverts. Rump yellow. Wing-bars and tail-spots, white ; former often fused. (h). A nest found in the neighborhood of Boston, closely resembled that of the Yellow Bird (§ X, A) in every respect. The five eggs, which were fresh in the first week of June, also were like those of that species, and probably unlike the usual form, described by Dr. Brewer as measuring " -70 X *55 of an inch," and having " a pinkish-white ground, blotched with pur- ple and brown of various shades and tints. They are disposed chiefl}^ about the larger end, usually in a ring." (c) . The Cape May "Warblers are very rare in Massachusetts, more so, however, during some j-ears than during others, and are so veiy seldom to be seen near Boston that I have veiy little information to offer to my readers in regard to their habits. Mr. Ma3'uard has never seen them in the eastern part of this OF NE^y ENGLAND. 103 State, M'bere, however, some -were shot from (blossoming ?) apple-trees by Dr. Bryant, but he found them common at Umbagog, Maine, where they spent their time in the tops of the taller evergreens. In northern New England they are summer-residents, but in the southern parts can hardly be con- sidered as other than very rare migrants. I have occasionally seen them in May, but only once in September, which is partly due to their frequenting so much the higher branches, where they are not easily detected. X. DENDRCECA (A) ESTIVA. (Summer) Telloto Bird.'^^ {Blue-eyed) Yellow Warbler. Golden Warbler. (In southern New England a very common summer-resident.) (a). About five inches long. Yellow with modifications. Breast, and even the back, streaked (often indistinctly) with orange-brown. Tail-feathers not blotched ivith white as in all other Dendroecm. (&). I shall describe the nest at length, as it is essentially like those of several other species. It is composed outwardly of very fine grasses, interwoven with woolly or cottony mate- rials, which form a substantial wall. This is often covered with caterpillar's silk, and is lined with wool, down from plants (particularly a dun-colored kind), horse-hairs, and rarely feath- ers. Nuttall aptly calls this structure " neat and durable." It is to be found on cultivated grounds and in gardens, as well as in pastures and swamps, though even a different situation is sometimes chosen ; it is generally placed in a low bush, such as the barberry or currant-bush, but occasionally in the branches of a shade-tree at a considerable height above the ground. The eggs average "67 X "50 of an inch, and are usually either grayish-white, green-tinted, with spots and blotches of lilac (which is often obscure) and various browns chiefly about the larger end, or (more rarely) white, with lilac (obscured) and sandy or yellowish-brown markings grouped principall}'^ about 28 The Goldfinch {Chrysomitris tristris, § 15, IV, A), is also called Uie Yellow Bird. 104 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the crown. The alDOve colorations are the extremes, between which there are various intermediate forms. It is remarliable that the eggs, though so variable, are very generally character- istic of the birds, and unlike those of other warblers. In Eastern Massachusetts four or five eggs are laid about the first of June, but no second brood is raised unless some accident befalls the first. (c). The Yellow Birds are the most common and familiar of all our warblers ; and who is there that does not, or who ought not to know these beneficial and charming little birds, who are so pleasantly associated with the arrival here of actual spring, since generally in the first week of May they come from the 8outh? Throughout the summer they are to be found about us, but when autumn comes they leave us, and generall^^ before the first week of September has passed away, they have gone. Yet they are very hardy, and stray to the Arctic shores, though hardl}^ anywhere common to the northward of Massachusetts, where they are, in most parts of the State, abundant. They inhabit pasture-land and cultivated grounds, being not infre- quently seen near houses, and never retiring to the woods. They are not sufiicientl}' social to gather in flocks, but, on the contrary, though of a pleasant-tempered and atfectionate dis- position, seem always to be absorbed in the search of insects, through our orchard-trees, shade-trees, and shrubbery. They never seek for these insects on the ground, or in the higher tree-tops, and rarely seize them in the air, but whilst pursuing them continually move among the lower branches, occasionally taking short flights from one place to another. (rf). The Yellow Bird's song is simple, j'ct very pleasing, and one does not become tired of it, though repeated often, as it has several variations. It nearly resembles the syllables tvee-chee-ioee-chee-wee-i-ii, but is like the song of several other warblers. The loud chirj) of the Yellow Birds is often heard from the branches, among which they are busy, and often is repeated plaintively, when their nest is disturbed. Though probably less familiar toward man than many people suppose, the Yellow Birds do not repel his advances, and cer- OF NEW ENGLAND. 105 tainly greatly benefit him by their constant industry in de- stroj'ing insects, particularly small caterpillars and canker- worms, of which they are very fond. (B) DiscoLon. Prairie Warhler. (In Eastern Massachusetts, a summer-resident of no great (a). About 4 J inches long. Olive above, with brick-red spots on the back. Under parts, bright yellow. A peculiar mark on the side of the head, and side-streaks on the throat and breast, black. (Details omitted.) (6). The nest of the Prairie Warbler differs from that of the Yellow Bird (A) in being usually lined thickly with horse- hairs (whereas the other is often lined with a dun-colored plant-down), and in being almost invariably semi-pensile. It is usually placed within a few feet of the ground, in a bush or low tree, in a rocky pasture or the " scrub." The eggs average •6.5 X "52 of an inch, and are pure white, generally either with delicate lilac (and a few inconspicuous light brown) markings, which form a ring about the crown (such being those which I have found near Boston), or with lilac, purplish, and umber- brown markings. Near Boston one set of three or four eggs is laid in the first week of June. (c). The Prairie Warblers are among the smallest and most retired of their family. They are summer-residents in the eastern United States so far to the northward as Massachu- setts, in which State they are rather rare in the western part, but quite common in some other portions. In certain localities near Boston they are quite abundant from the second or third week of May until the latter part of August. They frequent almost exclusively rocky pasture-lands and the " scrub," and I have but once seen or heard them elsewhere, in that case hav- ing heard their song in some shrubbery on a cultivated estate, far from their usual haunts. Though perhaps, as Wilson re- marks, easily approached and not shy, yet they almost invaria- bly shun the neighborhood of man, and live quite solitarily in pairs among the pastures where they build their nests. There, 106 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS when household duties do not interfere, they are busied, not with such marked activity as some, otlier warblers, from dawn until evening, in searching among the branches of low bushes and saplings for the small caterpillars and insects upon which they feed. They do not usually make any demonstrations if their nest is examined, but remain quietly in the neighbor- hood of it until they can safely return. They do not attempt to lead off the intruder by feigning lameness, as many other warblers do, especially those who habitually build their nests on or very near the ground. (d) . Their song cannot fail to attract the attention of every person who hears it, and who takes an interest in birds. Its notes, resembling the syllables zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee, are uttered in a very peculiar tone, and each note is a little higher and louder than the preceding. The birds, on uttering it, frequently depress their tail. The ordinary note of the often silent Prairie Warblers is a cJm-r. , (C) PENNSYLVANiCA. CJiestnut-sicled Warhler. (In southern New England, a common summer-resident.) (a). About 5] inches long. Back, light ash3'-yellow, black- streaked. Under parts, white. Wing-bars the same, generally forming one patch. Crown, yellow, bordered by white. Lore, continuously with a line through the e3'e and one down to a chestnxd-red patch on the side of the breast, black. (&). The nest is usually coarser than that of the Yellow Bird (A), and contains fewer woolly materials. It is often composed outwardly of narrow strips of thin bark or dried grasses, mixed with a few bits of plant-down, and inwardlj'^ of very fine straw, which is lined with hairs. Such is the descrip- tion of two nests before me. The nests are commonly placed from two to eight feet above the ground in a low bush, shrub, or sapling, and are either built in a fork or otherwise secured (but are' never pensile). The situations generally chosen ai*e the " scrub-lands," or open woods in low grounds which contain bushes, vines, etc. Near Boston the}^ are usuall}^ finished, and contain four or five fresh eggs, about the first of June. The OF NEW ENGLAND. 107 eggs average '68 X *50 of an inch, and are generall}^ white with purplish- or redclish-brown spots and blotches, which are sometimes confluent. These markings are either scattered over the egg, more thickly at the larger end than the other, or are grouped in a ring about the crown. An egg of this species in my collection is buflT (darker than that of the Wood Pewee) with a few lilac markings, but I have seen no others like it. (c). The Chestnut-sided Warblers are summer-residents throughout New England, but are much more abundant in the southern parts than further to the northward. They reach the neighborhood of Boston in the second week of May, and pass the entire summer here. They are never gregarious, but usually they are particularly common at the time of their spring-migrations, when they frequent considerablj^ the shrub- bery and trees of cultivated estates, before retiring to their summer-haunts. Their habits at this time have often reminded me of those of the " Yellow-rumps," for they are often much in the air, taking flights from one place to another at quite a height from the ground, that is, from thirty to sixty feet above it. At other times they glean quietly among the foliage of the maples, and other budding trees, generally among the lower branches. Occasionally they perform a rapid and graceful movement through the air to seize some passing insect, or stand like a flycatcher to watch the flies and gnats, which they now and then secure by darting after them. They never seek their food upon the ground, so far as I know, and only descend to it when picking up materials for their nests. Their haunts in summer are chiefly pasture-lands, "scrub," and open, moist woodlands, such as contain oaks, chestnuts, and maples, and an undergrowth of bushes, vines, and saplings. I have never met these birds in thick or dark woods, and have but once seen their nest placed in an evergreen, it being in that instance in a low spruce by a brookside. It is to be remembered, however, that in different sections of the country birds show preference for different kinds of land, and often vary their habits to an extent that is surprising, and even confusing. Finally come those variations in coloration, caused by climate, which have 108 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS caused so much discussion as to species and varieties. All this shows that properly one man ought not to write the Nat- ural History of other than a small tract of country, and that, before the habits of our birds can be thoroughly known, it ■will be necessary to station competent naturalists, who can devote their whole time to making observations and accurately noting them, at various points in the regions of the different faunce, all of whom shall work under a sj'stem and a superin- tendence. This plan is not at present a feasible one, but the advantages of it would be numerous, for the flights of birds (particularly should ornithologists be stationed near meteoro- logical observation-posts) could be foretold with considerable accuracy to sportsmen and other ornithologists, who are al- ready, however, b}' far too destructive. (d). The ordinar}^ notes of the Chestnut-sided Warbler are a soft tsij), a louder and harsher tsip, uttered in a peculiar tone, and much like that of the Black and White "Creeper," and a rather loud chijJ. Mr. Samuels speaks of their having "at times, a rattling cry something like the alarm-note of the Maryland Yellow-throat." Their song is attractive and mus- ical, though containing but a few simple notes. One variation resembles the syllables wee-see-ivee-see-ivee-see (each of which is higher than the preceding, except the sixth, which is lower than the fifth). The otlier common variation is almost exactly like the song of the little Yellow Bird (A), and consequently like that of various other warblers. (D) CASTANEA. Bciy-bveasted Warbler. (Autumnal War- bler?) (Through Eastern Massachusetts a rare migrant.) (a). About ol inches long. Back, light ashy-yellow, black- streaked. Under parts, white. Wing-bars white, (generally) forming one patch. Forehead and sides of head, black. Crown, thi'oat, and breast, chestnut (or deep chestnut-red). Belly and ear-patch usually buff-tinged, but sometimes white. 9 ^vith paler chestnut than the ^ . (&). The nest is rather coarsely built, and is placed in the OF NEW ENGLAND. 109 bough of an evergreen (usually the liemlock) from ten to twenty feet above the ground. Four or five eggs (in one case reported by Mr. Maynard, six) are laid in Northern New Hampshire and Maine in the second week of June. These eggs average -GSX'SO of an inch, and are bluish-green, with markings of brown and lilac, generally gathered in a ring about the crown. (c). The Bay-breasted Warblers are among the many species who appear in Massachusetts as migrants only, and who pass the sunnner in a colder climate.-^ They are, as a rule, very rare throughout the State in spring, and in autumn are never seen here. Mr. Allen, however, in speaking of this species, says that "in the Connecticut vallej' it is generally more or less common and sometimes very abundant." The Bay-breasted "Warblers arrive here, after leaving their winter-homes in the South, in the third or fourth week of May, and frequent the woods and trees in open lands. I have gen- erally seen them among budding niaples, which like willows possess great attractions for the migrant warblers, but I have also seen them among pines. The}' are extremely active, and busil}' seek for their food among the branches, occasionally fluttering before the clusters of foliage, but they are not very shy, and usually permit a near approach. They are rare among the White Mountains, but Mr. Maynard speaks of them as being the *•' most abundant of the SylvicoUdce at Umbagog," and adds that "these birds are found in all the wooded sections of this region where they frequent the tops of tall trees." He thinks that they are " confined during the breeding season to the region just north of the White Moun- tains range," and makes the following interesting remarks on their travels. "This species," says he, " together with Geo- tlilypis 2:)liilaclelplua and Hehnintlwpliarja j^^t'egrina^ seems to pursue a very eccentric course during the migrations. Avoid- ing the eastern and middle States, the majority pass along the =" I have since learned that specimens have been taken here in both Jime and July. 110 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS borders of the Great Lakes, through Ohio, southern Illinois (Ridgway), down the Mississippi Valle}', across into Texas and so on into Mexico and Central America where the}' winter. Returning in spring they (at least D. castanea) pursue a more southern route, keeping along the coast as far as the New England States, where they ascend the Connecticut Valley, generally avoiding eastern Massachusetts." (d). " The first part of the song is like that of the Black- poll Warbler, but it has a terminal warble similar to that of the Redstart to which it bears a striking resemblance, with the exception that it is given with less energy." The Bay-breasted Warblers are usually' silent during their migrations. Note. — The above quotations from Mr. Maj'iiard are from his pamphlet, entitled "A Catalogue of the Birds of Coos Co., N. H., and Oxford Co., Me., with Annotations, etc." (E) STRIATA. '•'•Black-poIV Warbler. Autumnal Warbler {?) . (Common migrants through Massachusetts both in spring and autumn.) (a). About 5^ inches lotig. - $. Back streaked with olivace- ous (-ash? ) and black. Croion clown to the eyes black. Sides of the head and under parts, white. Sides of the breast marked "with black streaks which crowd into a fine chain running to the bill. Wing-bars and tail-blotches, white. 9 . Dusky olive- green above, black-streaked. Under parts not (usually) pure white, or very markedly streaked. (6). The nest is essentially like that of the " Black-throated Green," though coarser. It is usually placed near the ground, in an evergreen, and always in the thick woods. It has never been found in Massachusetts, but in northern New England it is generally finished in the latter part of June. The eggs of each set, usually four, average about •GSX'iiO of an inch, and are commonly (grayish-?) white with spots and blotches of purplish and different browns. The blotches predominate, and are scattered over the whole egg. Other forms occur. (c). The Black-poll Warblers are usually among the most common migrants through this State to northern New England OF NEW ENGLAND. Ill and the countries beyond ; but, like other migrants, they vary greatl}^ in abundance from year to year in certain places, and are occasionally quite rare in spring near Boston. They usu- ally make their appearance here late in the season, and though I have seen them in the middle of May, they generally do not arrive before the last week of that month, and then remain here, or continue to pass by, throughout the first few days of June. They at that time frequent evergreen and hard-wood trees indifferently, hunting for insects among both the lower and higher branches, and occasionally seizing them in the air. They are less gregarious than in the fall of the year, and one often sees pairs or individuals, much more often than when they are returning, probably because at the time of their spring migrations they are mated for the summer. But a very small proportion of them pass the summer in Northern New Hamp- shire, a larger number being then resident in Northern Maine and the majority in Canada and Labrador. They affect exclu- sively the woods and forests which contain a great many ever- greens, and rarely visit the lightly timbered and more open woodland. They return to Eastern Massachusetts in the last week of September, and are commonly plentiful during a greater part of October. They often frequent pines in prefer- ence to all other trees, generally remain among the upper branches or in the very tree-tops, and spend most of their time in snapping up passing insects, which they sometimes take an opportunity to do, whilst moving from one tree to another. (d). The "Black-polls" have soft and loud chips, an un- musical trill, shorter than that of the " Chipper," and three or four notes, suggestive of knocking pebbles together. Their song is monotonous, weak, and unmusical. It resembles the syllables tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi, repeated in a nearly unvarying tone. [EE. Autumnal Warbler. (See Appendix E, family Sylvi- colidce. ) I do not propose to occupy much space in discussing the question : — are the Autumnal Warblers mentioned by Wilson, Audubon, and Nuttall, the young of "Black-poll" or of the 112 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS Bay-breasted Warblers? I have on!}' "Wilson's Ornithology" at hand, and unfortunately no specimen of the bird in question. But the weight of evidence seems to show that the bird as col- ored and described by Wilson represents the young of the latter ; and yet is it not possible that he may have accidentally obtained a young Ba3'-breasted AVarbler from among a com- panj^ of " Black-polls "? 30 Coues admits that the young of the two species are so much alike as often to be indistinguish- able. It is certain that the small warblers seen here in Octo- ber, which resemble the Autumnal Warblers, are young "Black- polls," as is indicated by the fact of their abundance and by their habits. Mr. Maynard states it as a positive fact. Their note is a feeble Cedar-lnrd-like lisp; but Wilson speaks of the males warbling in autumn " low, but very sweet notes," which perhaps is a mistake. (See D, d, E, d.) ] (F) BLACKBURNi^. Blackbumian Warbler. HemlocJc War- bler. (Generally not a common migrant through Massachusetts, where this species occasionally breeds.) (a). About 4] inches long. J' dark above. Wing-patch, white. Head, throat, and breast, brilliant orange, with a border to the crown and a broad stripe through the eye black. Sides black-streaked, and belly nearly white. 9 essentially like 9 striata (E) above. Superciliary line, throat and breast, yellow. Otherwise like ^ . (6). A nest of this species, containing young, which I found in Northern New Hampshire, was placed about twenty feet from the ground in a pine. Another, which I was so fortunate as to find in a thick hemlock-wood near Boston, was also about twenty feet above the ground. It contained three young and a yet unhatched egg, which measures -GoX'^O, and resembles the egg of the Chestnut-sided Warbler (D), being white, with lilac and principally reddish-brown markings, grouped at the '" The legs in Wilson's picture nre, however, colored like those of the " Black- poll," and uot like those of the "Bay-breast." OF NEW ENGLAND. 113 larger end. Mr. Ma3-nard thought that the " Blackburnians " built in the highest branches of the spruces and hemlocks, and such is very probably their custom. (c). The male Blackburnian Warblers are the handsomest of all their large family, for the combination of delicacy and brilliancy in the orange of their throat is unsurpassed. It is a curious fact that they are apparently much more numerous than the females during the migrations, which is the case with several other birds. This phenomenon has never been satisfac- torily explained, and cannot be accounted for merely by the superior gaiety of the male's coloration. It has also been ob- served that when traveling the males of many birds precede the females, and that in winter they occasionally remain in somewhat colder climates. ^^ The Blackburnian Warblers usually reach Eastern Massa- chusetts about the tenth of Ma}', though I have seen them as early as the twenty-first of April, when I observed a pair feed- ing upon ivy-berries, the insects upon which they generally feed not then being common. They are usually rather rare here, and make but a brief stay among our woods and trees, showing a fondness for pines and other evergreens. I have seen as many as three males together, though they more often travel singly. They do not often catch insects in the air, but usually remain in trees at a moderate height. Mr. Allen, in his " Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," says that in "some seasons they are extremely abundant at some localities, and commonly are not rare, except in particular situations. Mr. Scott observes that for several weeks in May, in 1866, he could remain at a single place in the woods and shoot ten to twenty per hour." This statement has been severely but amusingly criticised : " several weeks must indi- cate at least three, and had he shot ten houi's a day, as he well might have, he would in that time have shot three thousand or more from a single place in the tooocls." =1 The fact stated in relation to their wintering has not, I believe, been well de- termined. 9 114 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS An interesting anecdote, relative to tliese birds, has been communicated to me by a student in the Institute of Tech- nology. On the eleventh of Ma^', 1875, a male of this species fell stunned through the ventilator, on to the floor of the draw- ing room in the topmost story. He was finally placed on the sill of an open window, from which, when revived by the fresh air and sun, he afterward took fliglit. In summer the Black- burnian Wjirblers are common in northern New England, where they inhabit woodland, particularly evergreen-swamps, but in Massachusetts are extremely rare, or rather accidental. (d). When together in family-parties, they twitter con- stantly. Their ordinary note is a cliij), or weak syllables like those uttered b}^ the Golden-crowned "Wrens," as tsee-tsee or tsee-tsee-tsee. Their song is not very musical, thougli simple and pleasing. As I have heard it in their summer-homes, it resembles the syllables tvee-see-icee-see-wee-see (wee-see-icJc) , As heard in spring I may liken it to tvee-see-tvee-see, tsee-tsee- tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee. The latter syllables are on an as- cending scale ; the veiy last is shrill and fine. (G) c^RULEA. Ccendean Warbler. Blue Warbler. (It is possible and probable that this species may occasion- ally stray to Massachusetts, but I know no instance of its having done so.) (a), i-ii inches long. ^ of an exquisite blue, black- streaked. Under parts white, with sides streaked. Wing-bars white. In the (unstreaked ? ) 9 the blue is greenish, and the white yellowish. Superciliary line also yellowish. {b). Audubon says: "The nest is placed in the forks of a low tree or bush, more frequentlj'' on a dog-wood tree. It is partly pensile, * * *. The fibres of vines and of the stalks of rank herbaceous plants, together with slender roots, com- pose the outer part, being arranged in a circular manner. The lining consists entirely of the dry fibres of the Spanish moss. The female lays four or five eggs, of a pure white colour, with a few reddish spots at the larger end." (c). I have never seen the Caerulean Warblers, and I have OF NEW ENGLAND. 115 never known them to stray so far to the northward as Massa- chusetts, though, indeed, reported from Nova Scotia. Tliey are said to prefer the deep woods, where they inhabit the tree-tops. (d). Audubon speaks of their song as "extremely sweet and mellow," but Mr. Ridgway says that they possess "only the most feeble notes" (Dr. Brewer). This is one instance among man}^, and a simple one, of disagreement between two authorities (in this case, the former probably being the less trustworthy). I have seen no less than six wholly different descriptions of the song of one species, the name of which I do not now remember, none of which seemed to me reliable or satisfactory', and ^-et they were all written by men whom one would naturally regard as good authorities. Moreover, it was very evident that not more than one or two were descriptive of the same notes, though the bird in question had but one song. It is, therefore, certain that some of these authors attributed to this bird music that it never uttered. In most cases of the kind it is to be remembered that many birds have two songs, many variations of one song, or a simple unmusical chant, to which a terminal warble is added in May or June. (H) c^RULESCENS. BlacJc-tJirocUed Blue Warhler. Canada Wa)-bler. (Generally not very common during their migrations through Massachusetts.) (a). Five inches or more long. ^ , slaty-blue above, white beneath. Sides of head and whole throat, continuous!}' jet- black. "Wings and tail dark ; the former with a large tvhite spot on the edge of the tving (at the base of the primaries) and no bars. $ , above dull olive-green, blue-tinged. Below, white or yellowish. Wing-spot characteristic but sometimes incon- spicuous. (6). The nest is probably alwaj's built near the ground, and most often in an evergreen. An egg found by Mr. Bur- roughs and described by Dr. Brewer is grayish white, "marked around the larger end with a wreath, chiefly of a bright umber- brown with lighter markings of reddish-brown and obscure 116 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS purple. A few smaller clottings of the same are sparingly distributed over the rest of the egg. Its measurements are •70 by -50 of an inch." (c). The Black-throated Blue Warblers are not only summer- residents in the more northern New England States, but also in Massachusetts, where, however, they are very rare as such, unless in the western and more mountainous portions. They reach the neighborhood of Boston in the third week of May, and are more common here from that date until the first of June than at any other period of the year. They return to the South in September, and I have seen them as late as the last day of that month. An instance has been reported of a pair passing the winter in Boston, which was a most extraor- dinarj'^ circumstance, since their usual habitat at that season is, I believe, be3^ond the United States. Birds, however, often wander, so far as direct evidence goes, more than a thousand miles from their usual homes, sometimes perhaps intention- ally, but more often, probably, because forced to do so in search of food, or by adverse weather. It is generally diffi- cult to understand their eccentric movements on land, whereas it is easy to understand why birds, who have ventured out to sea, should be compelled by winds to deviate from their course. When with us in spring, the "Black-throated Blues" are to be seen generally in pairs or singly, but occasionally in small companies of three or four, in which latter case quarrels fre- quently arise between the males. They are very dexterous in obtaining their insect-prey ; sometimes seizing it in the air, with the skill of a true flycatcher, and at other times finding it among the branches of the various trees which they frequent. Now they twist their heads into seemingly painful postures, the better to search the crannies in the bark or blossoms, now spring from a twig to snap up an insect in the foliage above their heads, instantly returning, and now flutter before a cluster of opening leaves, with the grace of a hummingbird. Oc- casionally they descend to the ground, and are so very tame that once, when I was standing motionless, observing some war- blers near me, one hopped between my feet to pick up some OP NEW ENGLAND. 117 morsel of food. I have often been able to make close observa- tions upon birds, by remaining entirely motionless and allow- ing them to gather about me, and thus have accurately learned their habits, without disturbing their happiness. (ri). The ordinary note of the "Black-throated Blues" is a simple chip, which is sometimes closely repeated, after the manner of the Chipping Sparrow. The}' have also a chatter, employed chiefly as a battle-cry, and a loud alarm-note, resem- bling the clmck of the Snow-bird. The males have an unmu- sical song, the tone of which resembles somewhat that of the Blue Yellow-back's song, or that of the Night Hawk's note, being peculiar, and rather harsh or guttural. It usually con- sists of three (rarely four) syllables, of w-hicli the last two are the highest in tone and the most emphatic, and sounds like '■'• zioee-zwee-zivee." It is sometimes varied and lengthened so as to resemble the syllables [che-tvee] che-ivee [see] wee-see zivee. It is characteristic in tone, and is wholly unlike the music of our other warblers, with the exception of one form of the song of the "Black-throated Green." (I) viRENS. Black-throated Green Warbler. ^'■Black-throated Green." (In New England a common summer-resident, but "rather confined to certain districts.") (a). About five inches long. (^ , olive-green above. Wings and tail dark, with white-edged feathers ; former white-barred. WJiole side of head, rich yellow (with occasional indistinct mark- ings). Throat and breast, black. 9 (and $ in autumn) with the black restricted or wanting. Other under parts, wliite or yellowish. Outer tail-feathers, largely white. (h). The nest is usually placed in a pine, in a horizontal fork near the end of a bough, from twenty to fifty feet above the ground (but sometimes lower). It is finished in June, sometimes in the first week, sometimes not until the last. It is composed outwardly of narrow strips of thin bark, bits of twigs from vines, dried grasses, and such odds and ends as the birds have found convenient to employ, and inwardly of bits of 118 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS wool, feathers, and plant-down, but it is generally lined with hairs and fine shreds of vegetable substance. It is usually small, neat, and veiy pretty. The eggs of each set are three or four, and average -67 X '55 of an inch. They are commonly (creamy) white, with reddish or umber-brown, and purplish markings, grouped principally about the crown. These mark- ings are for .the most part either clear and delicate, or a little coarse and rather obscure ; but the eggs are better character- ized by their shape, being rather broad in proportion to their length. (c). I owe much to the charming little "Black-throated Greens " for the pleasure which they have many times afforded me, but I know no means of requiting them, unless by writing their biography with peculiar care. They are summer-residents throughout New England, but are particularl}' common in certain parts of Eastern Massachu- setts. They prefer pines to all other trees, but in the regions of the Nashua and Connecticut Valleys, in the North, and whilst migrating, ihey are to be found in "mixed" woods, iu the former cases especially those which contain other ever- greens. They reach Boston (which now .comprises tracts of genuine countiy) about the fifth of May, sometimes earlier, but rarely much later, and generally, for a day or two before the middle of that month, are ver^' abundant, owing to the migrants bound for homes in a colder climate. After these passengers have disappeared, the "Black-throated Greens" here confine themselves almost exclusively to groves of pine or cedar, chiefly those in high land, and only occasionally stray to orchards or other places, though so tame as sometimes to visit vines growing on the piazza, where I have known them to build their nests. They remain here throughout the summer, and do not altogether disappear until the first week of October. The}' do not often catch insects in the air, except in spring, and rarel}' descend to the ground, except for the sake of taking a bath, which they do so prettily that an appreciative spectator cannot fail to enjoy it as much as the birds themselves. They find their food principally among the branches of the ever- OF NEW ENGLAND. 119 greens whicli they frequent, are constantlj' active -whilst in search of it, and never rest in the manner of the Pine War- blers, who are much lazier. They generally remain in one spot for several minutes, and then % to another at quite a dis- tance, seldom staying long in one group of trees. Though active, they are not restless, as many of their kindred are, but rather are comparatively deliberate in their motions. There is to me a fascination in watching these birds, as they move among the tree-tops, and a charm in listening to their drowsy notes, which (without poetical exaggeration) seem to invite one, on a warm day, to lie down and slumber on the pine- needles that are strewn over the ground — though to persons too practically minded, the mosquitoes at that season permit no such repose. ((Z). The ordinary notes of the "Black-throated Greens" are numerous, being a tsip, a chick, which is sometimes soft and sometimes loud, a check, a chuck, which is used chiefly as a note of alarm, and a sharp chink, which is generally indica- tive of distress. Their song has several variations, of which the two most often heard are ivee-see-tvee-see-wee-see (in which the middle notes are the highest) and ivee-see-tvee-see-see (in which the second note is higher than the rest, the second coup- let uttered in a lively way, and the other notes drawled out in a manner peculiar to this species). To these simple chants a few terminal notes are not Infrequently added, which some- times consist of a repetition, and, rarel}', resemble those of the "Black-throated Blue's" music. These songs are very char- acteristic ; and, if one has once heard them, he cannot often confound them with those of other birds. The "Black-throated Greens" are, to me, with perhaps the exception of the Pine Warblers, the most attractive members of their famil}^, on account, I think, of their pleasing, familiar, and oft-repeated songs, which are heard from the time of their arrival nearly throughout the summer, which form so fitting an accompaniment to the whisperings of the pines, and to which I am never weary of listening. Another reason, however, is that they show a fondness for the pines as great as my own. 120 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME BIRDS tbougli, 110 doubt, from very different motives. The majesty of those trees, their gracefulness, their freshness throughout the year, their beaulf^ in summer, when, after a hard shower, the light of the setting sun breaks upon them, their beauty in winter, when their branches are loaded, many to the ground, with snow, or when they are covered with glittering ice, their whisperings in the breezes of spring and summer, their sighing and whistling in the southern gales, and finall}' their odor, combine to render them the finest, I think, of all our forest trees. (J) piNus. Pine Warbler. {Pine-tree Warbler.) Pine-creep- ing Warbler. {^'■Pine Creeper.") (A common summer-resident in the pine-tracts of Massa- chusetts.) (a). 5^-6 inches long. Upper parts, olive. Belly and two wing-bars, white. Superciliary line, throat, and breast, bright yellow. 9 duller, often with little yellow below. In both sexes "tail-blotches confined to tioo outer pairs of tail feathers, large., obliq^ie." (6). The nest is usually to be found in the same situation, and is otherwise essentially like that of the "Black-throated Green" (I). Though generally finished in the last week of May it has been found in the earlier part of the month. The eggs of each set are usually four, and average "67 X '52 of an inch. The}^ are white, with purplish and brown markings, or fine markings of three shades of brown, sprinkled chiefly at the "great end." (c). The Pine "Warblers have a very extensive breeding- range, and are probably to be found in summer throughout New England, in the pine-wooded districts. They are the first of their family to reach the Eastern States in spring, and I have seen them near Boston on the first of April. They usu- all)', however, arrive here in the first or second week of that month, and return to the South in the latter part of September, occasionally lingering until the middle of October. Except in the summer-season, they are often more or less gregarious, OF NEW ENGLAND. 121 and associate with the "Red-polls" (D. pahnarum) and "Yel- low-rumps." Moreover, in winter, spring, and fall, they find much of their food upon the ground, as do the other warblers that I have just raentioned, particularly the former. They derive their name of "Pine-creepers" from the fact that they occasionally cling to the trunks of trees, and that they can move along the horizontal limbs with ease and activity ; but I have never known them to progress iu the manner of the creepers or woodpeckers. Their habits in summer do not differ very essentially from those of the "Black-throated Greens." At that season, and more particularly at the time of their migrations in April, they may be found in woods of various kinds, but the}^ have a most marked preference for pine-woods and groves, from which they occasionally' ramble to near orchards. They do not often catch insects in the air, but generally seek them among the higher branches ; and it is often difficult to discover their whereabouts — the more so that seemingly they are capital ventriloquists. They have always seemed to me quiet and rather indolent, and remarkably attentive to their dress. I have sometimes seen them pause, for at least fifteen minutes, to smooth their feath- ers or to rest, every minute "drawling out" their sweet note quite mechanically. At other times they are very active, and it is then impossible to keep sight of them for any great length of time. As I have observed males, both in spring and sum- mer, who apparently had neither mates nor nests, I think it quite certain that there are bachelors among birds. ^"-^ The Pine Warblers are not only extremely useful in protecting our evergreens, but are also very charming, partly, no doubt, because there is a spice of "something" in their character which we cannot altogether sanction from a moral point of view. {d). Their note is as deliciously drowsy as that of the "Black-throated Green," but is not so often repeated, though 32 There is other evidence that sucli is undonbteflly the case. An interesting article on the subject has been written by Mi-. Abbott of New Jersey. 122 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS heard both earlier and later in the 3'ear. It is apparentl}* a delicately trilled whistle, but really a series of fine notes, as is proved by the fact that the birds open and shut their bills, whilst emitting the sound. It closely' resembles one of the Snow-bird's whistles, and also the trill of the Swamp Sparrow. The Pine Warblers have also a chip, and a few weak notes, such as cJup-a-see, and we-chee-ive-chee-ice-chee, which are not ver}'^ expressfve, and are not often heard. (K) PALMARUM. '■^Red-poll" ^Varhler. Palm Warbler. '■'' Yel- low Red-poll." (A common migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). About five inches long. Dull olive above, (obsoletely) streaked. Crown, reddish-crimson (or "chestnut"). Beneath, yellow, inconspicuously streaked on the breast with bright reddish-brown. Tail-feathers with a few white blotches. (De- tails omitted.) (&). The nest is said to be placed on the ground, usuall}' in a swampy locality. The eggs of each set are four ( ?) ; average about '70 X "55 of an inch ; and are (cream}') white, with pur- plish, faint lilac, and reddish-brown markings, chiefly at the larger end. (c). The Yellow "Red-polls" pass the summer in the North, almost entirely beyond the limits of New England, and the winter in the South, and consequently appear in Massachusetts as migrants only. They are usually common near Boston in the latter part of April, and the first week of May, as well as in the latter part of September, and sometimes the earlier part of October. Their favorite haunts are swamps and their neighborhoods, but they also frequent "scrub," hedge- rows, ploughed lands, gardens, and orchards. They almost invariably gatlier in loose flocks, and often associate with other warblers, and with various sparrows. Tliey are much more terrestrial in their habits than any of their immediate relations (i. e., the Dendroecce) and alwa^-s are on or not very far from the ground. They Qy quite gracefully, and are nimble when on the ground or when moving from branch to branch in OF NEW ENGLAND. 123 a bush or tree. Their most noticeable habit, and the one which best distinguishes them from the rest of their family, is that of flirting their tails, almost exactly as the common Pewee does. They do this particularly when on their perches, from which they often fly directly to the ground to seize some small insect or seed which they have spied in the grass, or perhaps on the bare earth, while perched above. As I have mentioned the food of this species, perhaps it will not be amiss to speak of that of* this large family in gen- eral, the warblers, and of their usefulness to man. Though certain kinds often eat seeds (generally those of the pine or of weeds), and others partake of small berries in spring and au- tumn, a majority feed exclusively upon insects. These insects -include the smaller caterpillars, various small winged insects, in one case particularly those insects which infest the bark of trees, and which the nuthatches do so much to exterminate, and, more generally, those which frequent the foliage and blos- soms, especially at the time of the spring-migrations. They often include, moreover, spiders, but rarely the beetles ; in the destruction of the latter, larger birds being more efficacious. Thus, though many warblers are neutral in regard to the agri- cultural, and what are often considered the most important,, interests of man, none, so far as I know, do him any injury, whereas many greatly benefit him in the preservation of our orchard-trees, our shade-trees, our evergreens, and even our shrubbery and garden-plants. Though not, I trust, altogether useless, the above remarks seem almost unnecessarj^, as ver}' fortunately the warblers have never, I believe, been perse- cuted. (d). The ordinary notes of the Yellow "Red-polls" are a chip, which sometimes is closely repeated several times, and a oliuck, which is less loud than that of the Snow-birds, but much more mellow. The}' have also in spring a few expressive twit- ters, a few rather weak musical notes, and their true song-note, which is a whistled trill, less sweet and smooth than that of the Pine Warbler. It is possible that in their summer-homes these birds produce a fuller song, but I have no evidence of 124 I,AND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS such being the ease. I am, moreover, inclined to think that Ihey never sing verj^ agreeably. (L) CORONATA. Yellow-rumped Warbler. " Yelloio-rump." " Myrtle Bird." " Willow Warbler." (A very common migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). About 5 J- inches long. $, in spring and summer, slaty ; black-streaked. Wings browner, and concealing the rump, when closed. Throat and belly, white. Croion, ruvip, and a patch on the side of the breast, bright yellow. "Wing-bars, etc., white. ^ , in fall and winter, and 9 generally browner, "with less pure colors. Young, brown above, and white below, with a few slender side-streaks sometimes extending across the breast ; rump yellow. Various intermediate stages of color- ation also exist. (6). "The nest is usually placed in a bush, is constructed of various soft materials, and is lined with horse-hairs, down, or some other suitable material." Mr. Maynard speaks of nests found in Northern Maine in early June, all of which " contained four fresh eggs," as being built in low spruces about four feet from the ground, and constructed of hemlock twigs, lined with feathers. A nest which I found in Northern New Hampshire was somewhat different, but contained three eggs, which were white, marked with purplish and brown, and averaged -68 X "50 of an inch. Dr. Brewer describes others as measuring about '75 X '55 of an inch, and being white, or often bluish, "blotched and spotted with reddish-bi'own, purple, and darker shades of brown." (c). The " Yellow-rumps" are among the most abundant of all the migrants who travel through Massachusetts, being always very common here at times between the twentieth of April and the last of Ma}', and again in the latter part of Sep- tember and in October. They pass the summer principally in Labrador and Canada, and also to a certain extent in the White Mountain Region, and Nortliern Maine; but I know no well authenticated instance of their so doing in this State. I have, however, known them to pass the winter here, though I OF NEW ENGLAND. 125 usually at that season they inhabit the most southern United States and even warmer climates. I have several times, in December and January, found them near Boston, in swamps, where they were feeding upon the berries, and also among cedars.^^ Whilst here in spring, they are to be found on the road- sides, in swamps, in pastures, in "scrub-land," and amongst the trees and shrubbery of cultivated estates, but rarely in woods, though in northern New England such are their summer-haunts. They generally move about in flocks, often very loose ones, inclusive of immature specimens in various stages of colora- tion. They prefer the orchard and hard-wood trees to the pines, and usually take their perch among the latter to look out for passing insects. They more generally frequent the higher than the lower branches, and from these fly to snap up insects in the air, usually at some distance, afterwards often alighting in another tree. At other times, unlike the flycatch- ers, they glean among the branches and look for insects among the foliage and blossoms. In autumn their habits are essen- tially the same, except that they are more upon the ground, feed more upon berries, sometimes those of house-vines, and show a greater liking for hedge-rows and like places, where they often associate with the "Yellow Red-polls" or with the sparrows. They may generally be distinguished at a distance by their habit of being much in the air, and of taking long flights (as compared with those of other warblers) at quite a height above the ground. (d). The " Yellow-rumps " have a soft chip, and a loud checJc or chuck (which sometimes is softened to chup). I have often heard them sing in May, throughout the day, much like the Purple Finch, but without the richness, fulness, continuity, or melodiousness of that bird's music, especially if heard from a near standpoint. This song is often varied, and sometimes has reminded me of certain of the " Maryland Yellow-throats' " 82 Mr. Charles C. Abbott states that they pass the winter ia New Jersey. 126 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS notes. In October I have once or twice heard the " Yellow- rumps " utter a warble, which was soft, sweet, and very rich. (M) MACULOSA. Black and Yellow Warbler. '■'■ 3[agnoUa Warbler." (A rather rare migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). About five inches long. Dark above. Rump, yellow. Croion ashy (-blue?). Forehead and a broad bar through the e^^e, black. Under parts 3'ellow ; breast black-streaked. Whig- patch, etc., white. 9 ? ^'i^h head-markings and streaks less distinct. (b). The nest is usually built in a low spruce, often near a path through the woods, three or four feet from the ground, and is finished in the first week of June. (A second is some- times built about the first of July.) It is composed outwardly of pine-needles, hemlock-twigs, or the like, and is lined with horse-hairs or the black fibres of a certain moss. The eggs average '6d X "50 of an inch, and are white with lilac and brown, or umber-brown, markings, often forming a ring about the crown. Some eggs of this species which I found in North- ern New Hampshire are clouded at the larger end with obscure lilac and three shades of a beautiful, bright, but peculiar brown. (c). The Black and Yellow "Warblers are perhaps, with the exception of the Blackburnian Warblers, the handsomest of their family, and therefore it is to be regretted that they are in Massachusetts only for a short time in the latter part of May, being even then not common. They arrive here about the middle or twentieth of that month, and linger for a few da\'s, but, after having passed the summer in the woods of Canada, Northern New Hamj^shire, and Maine, return to the South by an inland route, avoiding this State, or at least the eastern part of it. Whilst here, they frequent woods, trees, and shrubbery of various kinds, particularly spruces, generally in pairs or singly. They do not exhibit so many traits of the flycatchers as several other warblers do, but usually catch in- sects in the air, only as they move from one tree to another. OF NEW ENGLAND. 127 The}' generall}' alight among the lower branches, to which chiefly they confine themselves, and among which, as well as about the blossoms, they industriously search for insects and their eggs. (d). The song of the Bhick and Yellow Warblers is sweet and musical. It is sometimes rather soft, vividly recalling the song of the Yellow Bird (and allied songs), and less so that of the "Yellow-rump," being to a certain extent like both. At other times, it is louder, and again like that of the Yel- low Bird (D. cestiva), with additional musical notes. The or- dinary notes of these birds are a tsij), a cry of isip-tsip-isij), a soft and loud chl}), a cJu'cJc or cJiinJc like that of the Rose- breasted Grosbeak, and an ank, which recalls the similar note of the "Golden Robin." Unfortunately of all these numerous sounds not one is distinctively characteristic of these warblers, who are somewhat shy ; but fortunately, on the other hand, bright colors cannot always be concealed. This species is the last of the twelve Dendroecoe, who inva- riably visit Massachusetts every year, and five of whom com- monly breed here. The birds of this genus (Dendroeca) are iu many ways the most charming members of the feathered crea- tion, being prettily and brightly colored, and extremely grace- ful and dexterous in their motions. Their songs, though never very striking or brilliant, are simple, pleasing, and musical, and their nests and eggs are models of beauty. In addition to these charms, these birds are extremely useful, and do much to protect our trees and slirubs from the injuries of caterpillars and the numerous winged insects that infest them. XI. MYIODIOCTES (A) CANADENSIS. Canada '•'■ Fly catcher." Canada Flycatch- ing Warbler. (A summer-resident in northern New England, but rare in Massachusetts, except as a migrant.) (a). 5-5^ inches long. In general appearance like the Black and Yellow Warbler (X, M), but with no white on the wings and tail. ^ , ashy -blue above of a curious tint, and bright 128 LAND-BIRDS AXD GAME-BIRDS 3'ellow beneath. Crown almost streaked with black. Super- ciliary' line, j-ellow. Throat bordered b^^ a black line, ft-om the bottom of which black streaks (often wholly inconspicuous) run down the breast. $ , with the blue impure and black restricted. (b). The nest is usually placed on the ground, in swampy woodland. In Eastern Massachusetts four or five eggs are laid about the first of June. These eggs average "68 X "50 of an inch, and are white, generally clouded delicately at the larger end with brown and lilac. (c). The Canada "Flycatchers" are common summer-resi- dents in the w-oods of northern New England, but in Mas- sachusetts, though their nests have been found, for instance, at Ljam, they are rare except as migrants. 'The}' arrive at Boston on the twentieth of Ma}-, or even later, and I have observed them here traveling as late as the fifth of June. Daring their visits, which are individually brief, they frequent woodland, often that which is swampy, though also dry pines, and the shrubbeiy in or near it. Occasionally the}' venture to gardens and shrubbeiy near houses, but they are naturally fond of re- tired or even secluded spots. They journey singly or in pairs, and are never gregarious, nor often very numerous in any one place. Among the White Mountains they frequent those for- ests where the undergrowth of ferns and living plants, and the entanglement of moss-covered logs and stumps, are both so rich. The Canada Warblers are very active, occasionally alighting on the ground, and almost invariably keeping near it, and move among the shrubbery from one low branch to another, continually catching insects in the air. They occasionally run over fences or walls with great ease, and, in fact, in all their motions exhibit grace and agilit}'. They are not very shy, and suffer a near approach to inquisitive persons. When, however, their nest is approached, they become vigilant and anxious, particularly the males, who plainly show their distress. These latter, in such cases, often fly about among the branches above one's head at quite a distance from the ground, emitting their OF NEW ENGLAND. 129 notes of complaint, but .it other times, *minclfnl of household cares, continue to collect insects among the bushes and lower limbs of the surrounding trees. I remember watching one, who in fifteen minutes, during my presence, collected as many moths and caterpillars, continually uttering his loud chuck, and yet I could not find his nest, so well did he avoid indicat- ing its immediate whereabouts. I have known Cat-birds, in a like way, to sing even whilst holding in their bills a worm, or perhaps material for their nests, though it certainly seems a difficult performance. id). The Canada "Flycatchers" have a very sweet and agreeable song, which unfortunately, is not often to be heard here. It is simple, like those of the other warblers, but is rather more pleasing than those of the Yellow Bird or Red- start, which it usually resembles. Their ordinary notes are a soft and loud chip, and a chtcclc, which is almost exactly like that of the Maryland "Yellow-throat." (B) pusiLLUS.2^ Green Black-cap2'>ed (Flycatching Warbler or) ''Flycatcher" (Wilson's) ''Black-cap." (A migrant through Eastern Massachusetts in spring.) (a). Five inches long, or less. Olive above. Bright yellow beneath. Crown, black ; but in $ obscure, or simply olive. Forehead, yellow. (b). The nest is built in a bush or shrub, and near the ground. The eggs average •63X'48 of an inch, and are white, marked with reddish-brown at the larger end. (c). Dr. Brewer says that the "Wilson's Black-cap is found throughout the United States from ocean to ocean, and as far north as Alaska and the Arctic shores, where, however, it is not common." I know no instance of these birds passing the 2* The Hooded Warbler (3/. mitratus) never, so far as I know, strays to Mas- sachusetts or any part of New England, though vaguely reported to do so. I have, therefore, omitted it. Description : — 5 or more inches long. Olive above, and bright yellow beneath. Tall-feathers with a few white blotches. Male with head black, except on the sides and forehead, which are golden-yellow. The Small- headed Flycatcher (Musciccipa minuta) is an entirely apocryphal species. 10 130 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS summer so far to the Southward as N"ew England, though they may occasionally do so. The}'' are quite common in Eastern Massachusetts between the tenth and the last of May, but I have never seen them at other times of the j-ear. They fre- quent singly, or in pairs, woods, thickets, and the neighbor- hood of streams and water. They usually, but not always, remain near the ground among the bushes and shrubbery, often snapping up insects in the air, and even seeming to turn sum- mersaults. They are constantly active, and are among the busiest of our transient visitors. (d). Their song is much like an extension of the Redstart's notes, and not unlike the song of the common Yellow Bird {D. cestiva), though rather less pretty. They have also a c/«?)) (a chuck?) and some harsh notes, resembling the syllables zee-zee- zee-zee, of which the latter are the lower in tone. XII. SETOPHAGA (A) RUTiciLLA. Redstart. (In a greater part of New England a common summer-resi- dent.) (a). About 5| inches long. (J , lustrous black. Sides of the breast, patches on the wing, and basal half of the tail- feathers, except the middle pair, flame-color, or in some places nearly vermilion. Belly, white. $ , greenish above, and w^hite beneath. Vermilion of the male simply yellowish. Wings and tail elsewhere dark (the latter from below seeming almost black-tipped, but otherwise j'ellowish). The female is rather a nondescript in appearance. (b). The iiest is placed in a fork, sometimes next to the trunk, in a low tree or shrub, from five to t^^enty feet above the ground. It is composed of thin strips of bark, dried grasses, caterpillar's silk and other soft materials, and is some- limes lined with horse-hairs. The four or five eggs of each set usually average '65 X '50 of an inch, and are white, with purple or lilac, and brown (not very dark), scattered quite thickly at the larger end and thinly at the other. Tiic}' can generally be easily distinguished. OF KEW ENGLAND. 131 (c). The Redstarts ai-e familiar to all tbe ornithologists of New England, though much less common in many northern and western localities than in other parts, where they are the most common of the woodland-warblers. They are summer-residents throughout the north-eastern United States, but they pass the winter in a warmer climate. They reach Massachusetts be- tween the fifth and tenth of May, and leave it in the early pait of September, but, except in spring, when I have seen three or four together on their arrival, I have never observed them to be at all gregarious. They frequent woods and groves of vari- ous sorts, but generally avoid isolated trees and shrubber3^ Occasionally, however, they approach the ground, ^^ though they usually remain at some distance from it, often at a great height. Daring their residence here, they never wander far, and never take other than very short flights. They are, how- ever, continually catching small flies, gnats, and mosquitoes in the air. They also search for them among the branches, in the manner of the vireos, and their handsome tail, outspread, then shows to great advantage. They are more wonderfully active and dexterous than most other warblers, renowned as they all are for their industry and skill. The male Redstarts, inclusive of the 3'oung in various stages, who, for a long time, much resemble the females, are more abundant than those of the opposite sex, and consequently they often have occasion in May to quarrel for the possession of the females, though otherwise peaceful. Though easily caused to desert their nests, they possess great conjugal and parental affection, as do nearly all the more highly organized birds. Inclination to desertion varies with individuals more than with species, but is widelj^ different among the several families and orders. (d). The song of the Redstarts is simple and pleasing, but constantly varied. Sometimes it is merely a rather shrill che- icee-o or che-tcee-o-ioee-o, at other times it is che-it'ee-see-icee-see- s^i have since observed that the female obtains much of the food for her youug from the ground. 132 LAXD-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS wee, or a soft icee-see-ivee-see-wee, much like the song of the Yellow Bird (D. cestiva), and again a series or repetition of a few gentle notes, which form an indefinite song. The Redstarts have also a soft chip, which is often repeated in the manner of the Snow-bird, a loud chijy, a cJiicJc, and a few minor notes of no importance. This species- is the last of our numerous warblers (unless the chats), and I regret having already finished the biographies of these useful and charming birds. XIII. ICTERIA (A) viRENS. Yelloiv-breasted Chat. Chat. (In New England of rare occurrence, and in the three south- ern States on I}'.) (a). Seven inches long. Above, bright olive-gi*een. Throat and breast, rich 3'ellow. Bell}', and superciliary line, white. Lore, black. (6). The nest is composed of leaves, grasses, strips of- bark, etc., and is placed in a thicket, bush, or briar. The eggs aver- age about !• X '80 of an inch, and are white, sometimes with reddish-brown and obscure lilac spots sprinkled over the sur- face (often more thickly about the crown), and sometimes with rather faint lilac blotches only (which are occasionally confined almost entirely to the smaller end), these being the two ex- tremes of coloration. (c). Of the remarkable Yellow-breasted Chats I shall here make but brief mention, since they have never fallen under my personal observation, and because of their very rare occur- rence in New England. I have never seen them near Boston, and I know but two instances of their capture here. They reach Pennsylvania "about the first week in Majr," and inhabit "close thickets of hazel, brambles, vines and thick under- wood." During the mating-season they perform the most ex- traordinary antics in the air, and often at night. (d). While so doing, and at other times, they utter a great variety of extraordinary sounds, some of which are musical whistles, and others "like the barking of young puppies," "the OP NEW ENGLAND. 133 mewing of a cat," or equally peculiar noises. Wilson, from whom I have alreadj' quoted, saj-s that " all these are uttered with great vehemence, in such different keys, and with such peculiar modulations of voice, as sometimes to seem at a con- siderable distance and instantly as if just beside you ; now on this hand, now on that." Wilson's biography of this bird is extremely interesting, but unfortunately too long for transcrip- tion. § 10. The Tanagridse, or tanagers, form a brilliant group, intermediate between the finches and warblers (see fig. 5). They have nine primaries, and scutellate tarsi. All the North American species are characterized more or less plainly by a tooth in the middle of the commissure. The Scarlet Tanager may be considered a type. They have been called "dentiros- tral finches," but, on the other hand, are closely allied to the warblers through the chats. The Icteriince, however, are distinguished by the following features from the tanagers and all other warblers, except GeoMypes. Wings about equal in length' to the tail. They differ from Geotlilypes in having an unnotched, unbristled bill, which is not more than twice as long as high, if as much ; also in size, being larger than any of the true warblers. "They are represented in the United States, virtually by one species only." The Ampelidce (§ 11) are in New England represented only by the Ampelince or waxwings. This subfamily should, per- haps, stand near the Glamatores (to whom the Corvidce bear no direct aflftnity), but their true position has not yet been de- termined. They are usually placed next to tlie swallows, whom they resemble in the scutellate tarsi, and in the bill, which is broad, and only about half as long as the commissure. (See § § T, U, of the Introduction.) They have, however, ten prima- ries, of which the first is spurious, and a notch in the bill. They are also crested, and in full plumage have curious wax- like appendages to certain quills, "and sometimes the tail- feathers" (pi. 1, figs. 10 and 11). They show an afliuity to 134 LAND-BIRDS AJTD GAME-BIRDS the flycatchers, in their eminent skill in fly-catching,^^ as oc- casionally displayed, and in their want of musical powers, for, though absurdly called "chatterers," they are notabl}' silent birds. Moreover, "their tarsus is not strictlj'- oscine." They are, however, gregarious. The common Cedar-bird may be taken as a tj'pe. I. PYRANGA (A) RUBRA. Scarlet Tanager. (Though locally distributed, a generally common summer- resident in southern New England.) Fig. 5. Scarlet Tanager (J). (a). About 7} inches long. (J , scarlet ; wings and tail black. 9 , olive-green above. Below, (greenish) yellow. (6). Tlie nest is loosely constructed of straws, twigs, etc., and is usually placed from ten to thirty feet above the ground, generally in an oak-wood, but sometimes in an orchard or other place and in evergreens. Three or four eggs are here laid about the first of June, averaging -OOX'GS of an inch 2" It is to be remembered, however, that the birds of many families are very skilful in preying upon insects in the air, scarcely less so than the true flycatch- ers. OF NEW ENGLAND. 135 (though I have a specimen measuring 1-10X"70 of an inch). They are strongly like the eggs of the Swainson's Thrv;sh ( §1, I, D), being light greenish-blue, with usually rather faint (but sometimes thick and strong) markings of umber-brown, which is sometimes replaced by purplish. (c). The gaudy Scarlet Tanagers are summer-residents throughout the eastern United States, but are rare in northern New England and Canada, beyond which they never (?) go. They reach Eastern Massachusetts in the second or third week of May, and leave it in September, but during their stay here are rather confined to localities. They frequent orchards, and groves of chestnuts, oaks, and nut-trees, often showing a pref- erence for swampy woods if not too thick. They feed upon the larger winged insects, upon caterpillars, upon seeds and berries, and so never have occasion to be much on the ground. They often arrive in pairs, but at other times they appear in small parties of three or four, mating subsequently, after the males have fought the quarrels incident to the period of court- ship. In the latter part of May they build their loosely con- structed nests, and the females lay their eggs, the incubation of which occupies them about thirteen days, the usual period of incubation among a majority of the Insessorian birds. In this stage of their household duties, the wonderful wisdom everywhere displayed in nature is peculiarly noticeable. The brilliantly colored males carefully avoid the nest, and approach it, when necessary, with caution and stealth, fearful of be- traying its presence ; whereas the females, with their plain coloration assimilated to the surrounding foliage, sit upon it with safety, and care for their young. If, however, the nest is actually invaded or hostilely approached, the males show themselves, with their plumage in bold and rich contrast to the green leaves ; and I have known them to carry off the eggs, how, I cannot positively say. I have known several instances of birds removing even their young, though in many cases it seemed almost impossible for them to do so. In the case of the Scarlet Tanagers, to which I have just referred, one could plainly see their eggs from the ground through the bottom of V 136 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the nest, which was frailly composed of straw. During my ascent of the tree, without disturbing the branch in which the nest was placed, I observed the parents several times returning to the tree, and, upon my arrival at a point, from which I could look into the nest, I found it empty. A careful search dis- closed no pieces of broken shell or traces of the yolk on the lower branches, or on the ground, directly below. The eggs were nndoubtedl}' conve3'ed to a place of safety, but whether ever returned or successfull}' hatched, I do not know. (d). The Scarlet Tanagers have an agreeable song or whistle, which reminds one of the Robin's music, or the finer and delicious music of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, but it dif- fers from both in having a certain harshness. Their ordinary note is a pensively uttered cldp-clmrr^ which is often introduced so as to interrupt their warble. Such other notes as they may have, I do not now recall. (B) ESTIVA. Summer Red Bird. (Of very rare occurrence in Massachusetts, being for the most part an inhabitant of the Southern States.) (a). 7 J— 8 inches long. ^ , A'ermilion. 9 i lik^ 9 rubra (A), but duller, and with •brownish rather than greenish shades (Coues). {h). "The nest is usually built on one of the lower limbs of a post-oak, or in a pine sapling, at a height of from six to twenty feet above the ground." 2''' The eggs average about "90 X "65 of an inch, and are of " a bright light shade of emerald- green, spotted, marbled, dotted and blotched with various shades of lilac, brownish-purple, and dark brown." (Dr. Brewer.) (c). The Summer Red Birds have been taken in Massachu- setts but a very few times, though they have wandered so far to the North as Nova Scotia. Wilson describes their habits as follows, and says of this species that " its manners * * * partake very much of those of the Flycatcher ; for I have fre- 8' This statement is made on the authority of the late Dr. Gerhardt. OF NEW ENGLAND. 137 quently observed both male and female, a little before sunset, in parts of the forest clear of underwood, darting after winged insects, and continuing thus engaged till it was almost dusk." "The food of these birds consists of various kinds of bugs, and large black beetles. In several instances I have found the stomach entirely' filled with the broken remains of humble bees. During the season of whortle-berries they seem to sub- sist almost entirely on these berries ; but in the early part of the season on insects of the above description." (d). "The note of the male is a strong and sonorous whis- tle, resembling a loose trill or shake on the notes of a fife, frequently repeated ; that of the female is rather a kind of chattering, approaching nearly to the nqnd pronunciation of chicJcy-tucky-tuck, chicky-tucky-tucJc, when she sees any person approaching the neighbourhood of her nest. She is, however, rarely seen, and usually mute, and scarcely to be distinguished from the color of the foliage at a distance." Having never seen the Red Birds alive, I have no further remarks to make upon their habits. §11. Ampelidae. Waxwings. (See§10.)38 I. AMPELIS (A) CEDRORUM. Cedar-bird. Cherry-bird. (Carolina) Wax- wing. " Canada Robin." (A common resident in New England, but nomadic and irregular in appearance.) (a). 6-7 inches long. Of a peculiar warm brown (or creamy chocolate?). Chin, black. Forehead, and a broad stripe through the eye, continuously the same. Belly, j^ellow (or 3-ellowish). Under tail-coverts, and some fine markings on the head, white (or whitish). Tail, yellow-tipped. Strange appendages, resembling bits of red sealing-wax, are found, often upon the wings, and sometimes upon the tail, of full- plumaged specimens. s' This family should more properly stand between the vireos and swallows as §12, 138 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (6). The nest is rather bulky, and is composed of fine grasses, weeds, roots, fibres, leaves, strips of bark, etc., being sometimes lined with finer grasses or hairs. It is usually placed in an orchard-tree or in a cedar, but sometimes in other situa- tions — such as the tops of birches or pasture-trees, commonly from eight to twenty feet above the ground. Four or five eggs are laid in the latter part of June or in July. They average about '80 X "60 of an inch ; and are of a dirty bluish-white, with black and a few dark purplish spots. (c). The Cedar-birds, to a certain extent, spend the winters' in Eastern Massachusetts, but otherwise arrive from the South in the first or second week of Marcli. They are found, in summer, throughout New England, and are in most places common during that season. Through winter they remain in flocks — usually in retired parts of the country — and feed upon berries until spring, when they venture into more open districts. At this time their demeanor is not such as to inspire cheerful- ness to the person observing them, for they usually sit motion- "less upon the tops of bare trees, and there occasionally give utterance to their dreary whispers, until they fly away. They move through the air rapidly, steadily, and as if under military discipline, so unbroken are their ranks. They commonly dis- appear, like several other birds, at uncertain times of the year, and undoubtedl}' go to some place where their favorite food is abundant during the time that they are absent from one's own neighborhood. In May they usually become common, and ap- pear in smaller companies in almost all parts of the open country. These flocks finally become divided into pairs, who build their nests when nearly all our other birds have hatched the eggs of their first or even second broods. The Cherry- birds, in summer, sometimes imitate the habits of the fly- catchers (to whom they are, perhaps, more closely allied than is now admitted), and I have seen them perform graceful evo- lutions in the air, in the manner of the King-birds. As their name indicates, they sometimes eat cherries, but much less often than is commonly supposed by certain farmers, who are but too ready to discharge their guns at these birds, in spite of their usefulness in destroying caterpillars. OF NEW ENGLAND. 139 Nuttall in speaking of the Cedar-birds says : — " an eye-wit- ness assures me be has seen one among a row of these birds seated upon a branch dart after an insect, and offer it to his associate wlien caught, who very disinterestedly passed it to the next ; and, each delicately declining the offer, the morsel has proceeded backwards and forwards before it was appropri- ated." (d). The " wheezy" lisp of the Cedar-birds seems to be the only sound which they emit, throughout the year, and they often utter it when on wing. Dr. Brewer says of a young cage-bird that " besides its low lisping call, this bird had a reg- ular faint attempt at a song of several low notes, uttered in so inaudible a tone that it would be almost inaudible at even a short distance." The Cherry-birds are certainly handsome, particularly if their crest be raised, though they possess but little bright color- ing ; and there are probably few birds who find a readier sale at the country taxidermist's than these. In regard to their habits, they are perhaps uninteresting ; but their manner of flight, when in parties, is nearly unsurpassed. (B) GARRULUs. Bohemian Waxioing. Northern Waxwing. (A Northern bird, of which, so far as I know, no specimen has ever been obtained in this State.) (o). 7-8 inches long. Like (A), except as follows. Brown, partly orange-tinted. With white on the wings, but little on the head ; and with no yellow on the belly. Under tail-coverts, chestnut-red. (h). These birds never breed in the United States, or at least the southern portions. The eggs are described by Dr. Brewer as measuring about 1*00 X '70, or less. They are of a color varying " from a light slate to a yellowish stone-color," and are much spotted, chiefly with some dark purplish shade. They are considered very rare. (c). The Waxwings are of very rare occurrence in the east- ern United States, being habitual residents of the North and West, but they have occasionally wandered so far to the south- 140 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS ward as Massachusetts and even Connecticut. I have never seen them, but I suppose their habits to be in every wa}' like those of the Cedar-birds. They are said to be shy and watch- ful, but very affectionate. Having forgotten to do so before, I ma}^ here remark that the Cedar-birds often show a fondness for some one tree, to which they persistently return, even if disturbed several times. One Sunday I remarked six in a bare maple, and, again passing the place on the following Sunday, I was surprised to observe them perched in the same tree, as if they had not moved for a week. § 12. The HirundinidaB, or sivalloivs, may be distin- guished from all our other birds b}^ the following combined features. Tail-feathers twelve ; primaries nine ; tarsi short and scutellate ; bill broad, low, short, and with the culmen (or upper outline) only half as long as the gape, which extends to the longitude of the eye. They have remarkably long wings, conformably to their mode of life and "constant aerial ac- tivity." Most of our species have a highly metallic lustre (in certain parts), which, except in the martins, is similar in the two sexes. This feature is not, so far as I know, observable in an}' other famil}'^, unless among the ducks. Our insessorian birds may, in regard to color, be classified as follows : (1). Partly metallic ; sexes alike. Certain swallows. (2). Partly metallic ; sexes unlike. Certain hummingbirds (Troch.). (3). Partly metallic in male only. Certain pigeons. (4). Lustrous or brightly colored ; sexes alike. Crows, certain jays and warblers. (5). Lustrous or brightly colored; sexes unlike; females duller, etc. Bluebirds, martins, certain warblers, finches, and starlings ; also one flycatcher (S. W. of U. S. etc.) (and the Blue Crow?) (6). No metallic tints; sexes much alike; male character- ized by a color-patch, wanting or much restricted in the female. "Wrens "or kinglets, nuthatches, woodpeckers, certain war- blers (and finches?). OF NEW ENGLAND. 141 (7). Male brigbUy, female plainly colored. ^^ Tanagers ; certain warblers, finches, and starlings. [(8). Plainly colored j^^ with bright crown-patch in both sexes, certain flycatchers : with tail brightly tipped, the wax- wings.] (9). Plainly or dully colored.^^ Sexes alike. Thrushes, gnatcatchers, titmice, creepers, wrens, wagtails, A'ireos, shrikes, flycatchers, swifts, cncRoos, owls, most of the hawks, certain warblers, swallows, finches, starlings, jays, and pigeons. (10). Plainly or dully colored. ^9 Sexes unlike. ' Goat- suckers," kingfishers, harriers, and smaller falcons. Perhaps also certain finches, the Bobolink, and Blue Crow. The swallows are preeminently insectivorous (perching less often than any other oscine birds), and consequently migratory. They are also preerainentl}^ social and consequently' gregarious, at least very often. Most of them breed in communities or in colonies, to which the}' return each spring in greater numbers than before. These settlements, as I have once or twice ob- served among the Bank Swallows, are formed by a very few pairs, whose number is often slowly increased from year to year. It is probably in this manner that the Cliff Swallows have gradually become dispersed over eastern North America, where i^ossibly they were once unknown. There are probably no birds whose past history would be more interesting than that of the swallows. No birds better or more curiously exhibit the modifying influence of civilization than these. Those kinds who formerly built on cliffs, or in the hollows of ti'ces, now build their nests, almost exclusively in Massachu- setts, in situations about the buildings of man. It is said by Dr. Cones, who quotes from Dr. Rufus Haymond, in "The American Naturalist," for June, 1876, that an instance of the Bank Swallow using an artificial nest, so to speak, has already occurred. Dr. Haymond says : " The White Water Valley 33 Black and white, the various browns and grays, are eminently the plain col- ors. In this synopsis, however, grayish-blue, olive, olive-green, and even yellow, especially in connection willi grecu, are often considered plain colors (chiefly in contrast). 142 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS Railway, in Brookville, Indiana, is built upon stone piers, and spans the hjxlraulic canal, some five or six feet above the water. ' While at the depot during the past summer I saw a bank swallow fl}' under the building with several blades of grass in her bill ; and being curious to see what she would do with them, I watched her, and saw her carry them through a two- inch auger hole, which had been bored through a pine board. The spot was inaccessible, owing to the water ; but I know from the droppings about the hole that this was her nest." It is almost needless to add that this species usuallj' burrows in sand. The swallows lay four or five eggs, which are white, unmarked, or spotted with brown and purplish. I. HIRUNDO (A) HORREORU3I. Bcim Sivcilloio. (A very common summer-resident in most inhabited parts of New England.) (a). About 4^ inches long from bill to fork of the tail. Above, a dark lustrous steel-blue. An imperfect collar, the same. Under parts and forehead, chestnut-red. Belly and lower breast, paler. Tail forficate. Outer feathers much longer than the others (from J- -2 inches), and all, except the middle pair, with a white spot. {h). The nest is placed on the beams or rafters of a barn or similar building, and usually is finished here b}' the middle of May. A set of four or five eggs is then laid, and often another in June, vr even the early part of July. The eggs average •75 X '55 of an inch, and are white, sprinkled tolerably thickly with purplish and brown. (c). The Barn Swallows are to be found almost throughout New England. They reach the neighl)orhood of Boston gener- ally in the last week of April, but sometimes earlier, and re- turn to the South in the first week of September. They are usually very common in those places Avhere they are found, since they are almost invariably more or less colonial. They are particularly abundant in old country-villages, and about farms, where most of the barns, on account of their liberal OF NEW ENGLAND. 143 size, afford them, among cobwebbecl rafters, plenty of suitable nesting-places. I shall sketch the habits of these birds by con- sidering their manner of life, through the latter's various stages. The Barn Swallows, when young, are constantly supplied with food by their parents, until they are able to take short flights from beam to beam in the barns. Later, they venture from these buildings, but are obliged to be at rest much of the time and still to be fed by their parents. As they become more accustomed to the exercise of their wings, they fly more boldl}^ procure much or all of their own food, and are by the first of September strong enough to bear the fatigue of their long migratory flights to the South. On their return in the spring, they are capable of remaining on wing through at least fifteen hours of the twenty- four. Their manner of flight is rapid and graceful, and so interesting as to well repay close at- tention. They rarely fly far near the ground, nor do they reach such a height as some other species. They prefer telegraph- wires to other perches, and on these long rows of them may often be seen ; and in fact these wires seem almost to influ- ence these birds in their choice of a summer-home. It was formerly believed that the Barn Swallows, and others, passed the winter torpid in mud at the bottom of lakes, and in caves. Much astounding evidence has been produced to prove the correctness of this absurd theory, which is, however, too unnatural to long exist under the regime of modern sci- ence. Wilson is eloquent -in his condemnation of this belief, and considers it too ridiculous to be worthy of serious refuta- tion, which is, in fact, the case. (d). The young Barn Swallows often utter a series of twit- ters, which resemble the laugh of a tickled child, and the older birds also have various twitters, some of which are sprightly and musical. (e). I shall not describe at length the twitters and guttural cries of the various swallows, both because they are more easily learned than described, and because when described can hardly aid one in distinguishing the different species. 144 LAND-BIKDS AND GAME-BIRDS The Barn Swallows are so well known, that I have men- tioned no details in their habits. Their colonizations, their constantly uttered notes, and their flights, are familiar to nearly all, and the latter have long since been made the theme of many an author. II. PETROCHELIDON (A) LUNiFRONS. Cliff Sivalloic. Eave Suxdloiv. '■'■ Repxibli- can." (Locally very abundant in New England, but much less so, probably, than they will be ten years hence.) (a). About five inches long. Tail scarcely forked. Upper parts, and a spot on the breast, steel-blue. Rump, sides of the head, and throat, cJiestnut-red. Breast, paler, belly, white. Forehead, brownish. (&). The nest is generally somewhat bottle-shaped, is com- posed chiefly of a delicate mud-plaster, often intermixed with bits of straw, and is naturall}- brittle. It is placed under the outside eaves of barns or outhouses, and never (?) in Massa- chusetts on cliffs, as is usual in wilder parts of the country, in accordance with the original habits of these swallows. Several of these nests, sometimes as man}^ as a hundred, are generally placed in a row. The eggs are essentially like those of the Barn Swallow (I, A, b), so much so as often to be indistin- guishable, and are laid about the same time. (c). The CliflT Swallows, who in many ways closely resem- ble the Barn Swallows, are resident in Eastern Massachusetts from the first week of May until September. Tliey are very abundant in certain localities in New England ; but, as they are eminentlj' colonial, they are not to be found scattered through every township. They have essentially the same habits as the Barn Swallows, except that they alight much more frequently, often upon the ground to pick up mud for their nests. Their flight is not very noticeably diff'erent from that of their relatives, and their notes also bear much the same character, being, however, more like those of the White-bellied than those of the Barn Swallow. It is difficult, as well as OF NEW ENGLAND. 145 almost unnecessary for me to describe these minor distinctions, and I shall therefore make no further mention of tliem. The most interesting remarks to be made upon the Eave Swallows are those which relate to their immigration from the western United States to New England and other parts of the country. An accurate account of their movements within the last century could hardly fall to be interesting, but I doubt if a sufficient number of notes and dates can now be obtained to effect this purpose. Indeed, the history of the so-called " Re- publicans " would probably be far more interesting than an account of tlaeir habits could be (partly because the latter are well known, and the former is not) ; but T regret that I am unable to present it to the public. " AVhen or where" the Cliff Swallows " first appeared in Massachusetts," says Dr. Brewer, "is not known. I first observed a large colony of them in Attleboro' in 1842. Its size indicated the existence of these birds in that place for several years. The same year they also appeared, apparentlj^ for the first time, in Boston, Hingham, and in other places in the neighborhood." The Eave Swallows are still increasing throughout the Eastern States, and are constantl}'^ making their appearance* in places where they have not been observed before. An excellent place to study them, particularly for summer-tourists, is Mount Desert, where the birds were, and still are, I suppose, very abundant (at least at Bar Harbor). Their habits are easily learned, as they are constantly 1^ the open air, and about the village-streets, where all, who wish to, may gaze upon them. One agreeable trait in the character of the "Republicans" is their general amiability. In spite of their gregariousness and crowded dwellings, they never become confused, and rarely quarrel. Could a map be drawn indicating the position of their communities, all their colonies might well be named Philadelphia. {d). See I, A, (e). Note. — Bonaparte, in his continuation of "Wilson's Orni- tholog}'," says of the Cliff Swallow: "Avery singular trait distinguishes the migrations of this bird. "While the European 11 146 LAND-BIRDS AND GAUIE-BIRDS or white variety of the human race is rapidly spreading over this continent, from its eastern borders to the remotest plains bej'ond the Mississippi, the Cliff Swallow advances from the extreme western regions, annually invading a new territory farther to the eastward, and induces us to conclude, that a few more summers will find it sporting in this immediate vicinit}', and familiarly established along the Atlantic shores." "Within ten or twelve years [date of writing, 1825], they have become familiar in different localities of Ohio, Kentucky, &c., whence they are extending very rapidly, and have recently appeared in the western part of New-York. In order to show the rapid progress of this little stranger, we quote the follow- ing passage from Mr. Clinton's interesting paper. "The Fulvous S.wallow 'first made its appearance at Win- chell's tavern, on the high road, about five miles south of Whitehall, near Lake Champlain, and erected its nest under the eaves of an outhouse, where it was covered by the projec- tion of a roof. This was in 1817, and in this year there was but one nest ; the second year seven ; the third tweutj'-eight ; the fourth forty ; and in 1822 there wei-e seventy, and the number has since continued to increase.' ' It appeared in 1822 at Whitehall, on the fifth of June, and departed on the twenty-fifth of July, and these are the usual times of its arrival and disappearance.' " Audubon states, but where I do not now remember, that the Cliff Swallows were somewhere found in New England on its first settlement at that place, many years ago. III. TACHYCINETA (A) liicoLOR. White-breasted Sioallow. White-bellied Swal- loio. (A common summer-resident nearly throughout New Eng- land.) (a). About six inches long. Lustrous steel-green above. White beneath. (6). The nest is usually built in a martin-box or other like receptacle, and, in Massachusetts, very rarely in the hole of a OF NETV ENGLAND. 147 tree, as is not unfrequently the case in many other States. The eggs of each set are four or five, average *75 X "55 of an inch, and are white, unmarked. Two broods are generally raised. (c). The White-bellied Swallows usually announce spring to the people of Boston and the vicinity in the first week of April ; but after their arrival they are sometimes obliged, when dis- couraged by the cold, to retreat temporarily southward to a warmer latitude. As our ancestors long since discovered this fact in relation to their swallows, the}^ have handed down to us the wise proverb that " one swallow does not make a summer." The White-bellied Swallows return to their winter-homes about the middle of September,' when all the other swallows have gone (and I have seen them here as late as the twent3'-third). They congregate "upon the salt marshes during the latter part of August and first of September, literally by millions ; the air is so completely filled with them that it is almost impossible to discharge a gun without killing some" (Maynard). They may also be seen at that season perched in long lines on fences, ridge-poles, and wires, or slowly moving through the air at a considerable height, generally in large flocks, catching insects as they fly. In spring they travel more often singly, and fly rather indirectly but with great rapid it}^, no doubt occasionally deviating from their course to seize a passing gnat or fly. In summer they are to be found in nearly all the cultivated districts of Massachusetts, and in many of the wild as well as other districts of more northern lands, where, in many places, they retain their primitive habit of nesting in hollow trees, which, says Mr. Maynard, they have also done lately at Ips- wich, in this State. As, however, they are now rather depend- ent upon the nesting-places provided by man, they are perhaps as common in Boston and other cities as in the country, if not more so. They are less locally distributed than other species, and on this account are probably better known. They are, I think, quicker in their motions than the other swallows, and also diff'er from them in not being colonial, except in their primitive state, though several sometimes occupy apartments 148 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS in the same box, and thus show the social spirit of their family. The^' often skim over fields, ponds, or rivers, with an exquisite grace, but at other times mount to a great height — so far as to be wellnigh lost to sight. The}^ are less peaceable than the Barn Swallows, and often quarrel in the air at the period of mating ; but this species is justly regarded, among all our birds, as one of man's most pleasing companions. The White-bellied Swallows are fond of wandering, more so than their relatives, and often may be seen two or three miles from their homes, now flying across the valleys, now dashing above the hills, and now gliding over the water, as if actually on its surface. Embodiments of grace, activity, and power, they sweep through the air, and show us by their ever varied flight how many things have been created to give us pleasure from variety alone, as well as from intrinsic beauty, {(l). Their notes are rather more eccentric and guttural than those which I have already mentioned, but are equally full of animation. IV. COTYLE (A) RiPARiA. Bank Sioalloio. Sand Martin. (Locallj^ common throughout New England.) (a). About five inches long. Upper parts, and a band across the breast, dull brown. Under parts, white. (&). The nest is constructed of a few loose materials, and is placed at the bottom of burrows dug out by the bii'ds. These excavations are from fifteen to twent3'-four inches deep, and are made in sand-banks, asually those on the sea-shore or near other bodies of water, but sometimes those on the roadsides or in other situations. The eggs average -GS X "50 of an inch, and are white ; being almost exactly like those of the White- bellied Swallow, though smaller. Two sets of four or five are generally laid in the course of the season, of which the first appears here in the latter part of May. (c). The Bank Swallows are in New England the most plainly colored of their family, and the only ones who retain here their former habits of nesting. They migrate at the same OF NEW ENGLAND. 149 time as the Cliff Swallows, but I liaAe never observed them in company with those birds. They may be seen in their sum- mer-haunts flying either over the surface of land and water, or at some height in the air, though rarely very far above the ground. They fly much lilie the other swallows, though per- haps less steadily and with less sailing, but they seldom wan- der far from the banks in which their nests are placed. They are found throughout New England, and much further to the northward, but are much confined to localities, both because of their disposition to colonize, and the necessity of their se- lecting a place where the earth is of a character suitable to their purposes. Their choice of a summer-home is undoubtedly influenced very considerably by the nature oi the soil, as it is impossible for them to burrow in all kinds of earth. Extremely inter- esting details may be learned through the study of their exca- vations, as these latter vary greatly in size, depth, and the angle at which they run, in accordance with the variation of the soil. The Bank Swallows invariably select a bank, the sand of which will not "caA'e in," and then burrow to a sti'atum where the pebbles, which might fall down upon their eggs or young, are not found. Their colonies sometimes in- crease from year to year with rapidity, and, if not disturbed, in the course of a few seasons consist of a large number of excavations. How wonderful is that instinct which enables these swallows to find out the best places for their homes, and how wonderful their skill in making these secure ! When a small part3' boldly advance to a country, hitherto unknown to them, who can de- fine that sense which enables them to discover and select the most fitting bank for their purposes, or even the best part of it? AVhat, indeed, prompts them to part from their fellows and to become pioneers in new settlements? Instinct can never be fulfy understood b^^ man, nor its workings. Wilson, speaking of the " Sand Martins," says : — "We have sometimes several days of cold rain and severe weather af- ter their arrival in spring, from which they take refuge in 150 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS their holes, clustering together for -warmth, and have been fre- quently found at such times in ahiiost a lifeless state with the cold, which circumstance has conti'ibuted to the belief that they lie torpid all winter in these recesses." (d). The Bank Swallows are usuall}'^ more silent than the other species, though one might not gather this impression from a flock ; and their notes are less musical. V. PROGNE (A) PURPUREA.'*'' Purple Martin. ^'•Black Martin." Martin. '•'■Cape Cod Stvallow." (The Martins, though formerly abundant, are now very gen- erally rare in New England, being confined to a few tracts of country and to localities.) (o). 7-8 inches long. "Lustrous blue-black; no purple anywhere. The 9 and young are much duller above, and more or less white below, streaked with gray." (Coues.) (5). The nest and eggs are essentially like those of the White-bellied Swallow (III) in every respect, except that the latter are larger than the eggs of that bird, averaging •95X"70 of an inch. (c). The Purple INIartins reach Eastern Massachusetts on the first of May, or earlier, and leave it about the first of Sep- tember. They are very locally distributed, and in many places are at present never seen. They are " very abundant upon Cape Cod," and are perhaps as common in Boston and other cities as in the country. They are allied in many ways to the "White-bellied Swallows — particularly so in their habits. The latter, however, become more common every year ; but the former have deserted many pltices, where they were once well known, though they are probably multiplj'ing in their present homes. "The Martin" says Wilson "difiers from all the rest of our Swallows in the particular prey which he selects. Wasps, <° Various scientific names have been bestowed upon this bird, but the present seems to me the most satisfactory. OF NEW ENGLAND. 151 bees, large beetles, particularly those called by the boys gold- smiths, seem his favorite game. I have taken four of these large beetles from the stomach of a Purple Martin, each of ■which seemed entire and even unbruised." "The flight of the Purple Martin unites in it all the swift- ness, ease, rapidity of turning and gracefulness of motion of its tribe. Like the Swift of Europe, he sails much with little action of the wings. * * *." (d). "His usual note peuo peno 2)euo, is loud and musical; but it is frequently succeeded by others more low and guttural." To the above extract I have nothing of interest to add. § 13. The VireonidSB, or vireos (sometimes called "green- lets" ), possess the following features in common with the Lani' idee, or shrikes (§ 14), at least with our subfamily, Laniince,. Bill rather short and stout, distinctly notched and hooked, also well furnished with bristles ; tarsus scutellate ; primaries ten, but with the first in the Vireonidce often spurious, or seemingly absent. (Fig. 6.) The Laniidce differ distinctly in being more than seven inches long, in having the " sides of the tarsi scutellate behind," and in having long, rounded tails. The bill, moreover, is large and stout (not so broad as high, and scarcely twice as long), while the feet are comparatively weak. The shrikes might well be called "raptorial passeres," being notorious for their boldness and mode of slaughter among others birds, etc. They are unsocial and unmusical, though perhaps mimics. Like the vireos, normally they are never seen on the ground, but they possess a much stronger flight than their small relatives. They build rather bulky nests in the woods, and lay eggs, rather coarsely marked, and never ( ?) with a pure white ground. The Butcher-bird is a type (fig, 7). The vireos, on the other hand, are small, insectivorous birds, allied in habits to many of the warblers. ' They frequent, for the most part, woodland, and are rarely if ever seen upon the ground. They usually flutter among the branches in search of their prey, though they occa- sionally snap it up in passing from tree to tree. They are 152 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS not gregarious, but are extremely affectionate toward one an- other, and peaceable in their relations to other birds. They are very musical, and warble cheerfull}^, energeticall}^ and often very sweetly. They build small, cup-shaped, pensile nests, which are rarely softly lined. The eggs are four or five, and pure white, with a few small spots near the larger end, of some shade of brown. Our species have been divided into several subgenera, but I have here followed Dr. Coues in uniting them under one genus. I. VIREO (A) soLiTARius. Solitary Vireo. Blue-headed Vireo. (Rather rare in Massachusetts, especially as a summer-resi- dent.) (a). About 5-j inches long. Olive-green above, and white beneath. Head, bluish-ash ; eye-ring, and line to bill, white. Sides olive-shaded. AVing- and tail-feathers white-edged, and wings white-barred. (6). The nest of the Solitai-y Vireo is open and pensile, like those of the other vireos. It is placed, never far from the ground, in the fork of a horizontal branch, always in the woods, and sometimes in swampy ones. It is usually larger, and more loosely constructed of somewhat finer materials, than that of the "Red-eye" (c). One, now lying before me, is composed chiefly of thin strips of pliable bark, is lined with fine grasses and a very few roots, and is somewhat ornamented outwardly with plant-down, lichens, and bits of dead leaves. Audubon speaks of others as being lined with hairs, which I have never known to be the case. In Massachusetts, three or four eggs are laid in the first week in June. They average '11 X *58 of an inch, and are pure white, with a very few minute and gener- ally reddish-brown spots principally at the larger end. (c). The Solitary Vireos are less well known than our other vireos, since they are more given to solitude, and never fre- quent the immediate neighborhood of man. In this respect they resemble the White-eyed Vireos, but are much Ics!^ com- mon here, for in the breeding-season the southern limit of OF NEAV ENGLAND. 153 their range is about the northern limit of the latter's range. They are common summer-residents throughout northern New England, inhabiting there the woods strictly, but as such are A-er}' rare in Massachusetts. Indeed, some ornithologists have expressed doubt as to their actually breeding here, but I have found their nest near Boston, and have seen, with the bird on it, a nest in the Nashua Valley (below Lancaster) which a com- panion found. I have heard of other instances, which establish the fact be_yond doubt. The Solitary Vireos are in Massachusetts to be found as mi- grants in the last week of April and again in September, but are not at either time abundant. They inhabit throughout the year both the dry and swampy woods of oaks, maples, and nut trees, avoiding the evergreens, and among the branches search for their insect-food. Though fond of retirement, they are not shy or timid, especially when moved by parental affection. I have known the females to stay on their nests until I could almost lay my hand upon them, and then to remain immedi- ately about my person, often approaching within a foot of me, and constantly uttering their plaintive cries. These notes generally bring the males to the scene, who are, however, as is the case with many birds, less willing to expose themselves. {d). The music of the Solitary Vireos is delicious, but is particularly agreeable in an otherwise still, and cool forest, being peculiarly harmonious with those two charms of Nature, woodland stillness and woodland coolness. Their song, like that of the Red-eyed Vireos, is a continuous warble, but is more musical, mellow, and tender, and is uttered in another tone. It is particularly sweet at the mating- season, which comes in the early part of May. These birds, who are unfor- tunately almost silent during their migrations, have a few low whistles also, and a querulous note (like the syllable anA'), much like that of the "■Red-eye," but yet distinct. (B) FLAviFRONS. Yellow-tliToated Vireo. (Not a common summer-resident in Massachusetts, except locally.) 154 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (a). Nearly six inches long. Olive-green above, becoming bluish-ash on the rump. Throat and breast, bright j-ellow ; belly, white. E3^e-ring, etc., ^'ellow. AVings and tail generally dark ; former with two white bars. (b). The nest of this species is pensile, but rather larger and deeper than those of the other vireos, being between 3 and 3j inches wide, and nearly as deep. It is placed in the fork of a horizontal branch, from three to fifteen feet above the ground, as often in the orchard as in the woods, though I have found it in pines. It is composed of ilarrow strips of thin bark, such as that of the cedar or large vines, is lined with pine-needles or grasses, and is usually' ornamented on the outside with caterpillar's silk and large pieces of lichen. The four eggs, which are generally laid here in the first week of June, average '80 X '60 of an inch, and are white, with black and either purplish or brownish spots, which are sometimes, but not usuall}^ quite numerous (about the crown). (c). The Yellow-throated Vireos reach Eastern Massachu- setts in the second week of May, and leave it in September. Thej'' are locally distributed through our State, and are rare in certain neighborhoods. They are (perhaps) our handsomest vireos, and certainly possess great charms as singers. They excel all their relations in architectural taste and skill, and construct a beautiful nest, ornamented outwardly with lichens, plant-down, and caterpillar's silk, but plainly or even roughly finished inside — thus differing from that of the hummingbird, which it otherwise resembles very much, cxcei^t in being pen- sile. It is altogether one of the prettiest nests to be found among our specimens of bird-architecture. It is extremely interesting to watch it in the progress of its construction. The birds are occupied about a week in that process, beginning by firmly twining dry grasses around the twigs from which it is to be suspended, and always working downwards until the frame is completed. It is almost impossible, even on watching them closely, to tell exactly how they weave the grasses to- gether, or how they attach many of their ornamentations. Wonderful is that innate skill which enables them, with their OF KEW ENGLAND. 155 simply constructed bill alone, to fashion a home for themselves, pf which man with his complicatedly organized fingers, and the aid of all his inventions, cannot (probably) make the like ! It seems probable that instinct rather than any acquired skill insures perfection (and yet it is perhaps true that many birds have improved in architecture from generation to genera- tion"^^). On the last day, the female is chiefly occupied in smoothing and shaping the nest by turning round and round inside, and then on the following day, or the next, begins to lay her eggs. The Yellow-throated Vireos frequent the woods which are lightly timbered with oaks, chestnuts, and maples, or even pines, and also orchards. Among the branches of the trees in these places they are almost continually moving in search of caterpillars and other insect-food. (d). Their song lacks the expression of the Solitary, the volubility of the Red-e3'ed, the quaintness of the "White-eyed, and the tenderness of the Warbling Vireo's song, and yet, with all these wants, is very charming. It is difficult to describe it exactl}', but it consists of two or three warbled notes on an ascending scale, and then, after a pause, others with a falling accent, all being repeated disjointedly in a characteristic voice. Their ordinary querulous note is distinct from that of the "Red-eye," being somewhat harsher, and is often rapidly re- peated. I may finally say of these birds whose biography I have just written, that they are useful to the farmer and agriculturist, and deserve on all accounts to be protected. (C) OLiVACEUS. Red-eyed Vireo. (A common summer-resident throughout New England.) (a). About six inches long. Olive-green above (often of quite an indescribable shade), becoming ashy on the crown, which is bordered by a narrow black line. Superciliary line ••lit is to be coiisiderecl that such improvement as is here refeiTCcI to arises from adaptation to circumstances rather than from efforts to realize an ideal. 156 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS white ; eye-stripe dusky. Under parts, white ; sides olive- shaded. Wings and tail, generally dusky. Iris red. ^ (&). The nest is hung from a fork, usuallj^ near the end of a limb, between four and twenty feet above the ground, in the woods, in a shade-tree, in an orchard-tree, or occasionally in a pine. It is small, and cup-shaped ; but, though very service- able, is rarely very neatly made. It is constructed of strips of thin bark, occasionally of that of the white birch, is lined almost invariably with pine-needles, where pines exist, and is sometimes ornamented, if I may say so, with chips, bits of newspaper or wasps' nests, and caterpillar's sill<:. It is finished here about the first of June ; and in the first week of that month four or five eggs are laid. These eggs average -83 X '62 of an inch, and are white, with a few brownish-black spots at the larger end. A second set is sometimes laid in July. (c) . When I announce that I am going to write about the habits of one of our most familiar birds and the most voluble songster that we possess, who all through the day, when nearly ever}' other bird is quiet, prolongs his cheerful Avarble in almost ever}'^ grove — sometimes even among the trees of our cities, though such haunts he usually avoids — many will know that I refer to the Red-eyed Vireo. These vireos may be found throughout New England, in the latter part, if not nearly the whole, of May, in the summer-months, and in September. Thej' inhabit many kinds of woods, also groves, and clumps or rows of trees about houses, particularly those near wooded land. They show more familiarity to man than the other species, except the Warbling Vireos, and are almost everywhere common and well-known. They rarely pursue insects in the air in the manner of the flycatchers, but seize them as they themselves flutter among the branches of the trees, in which they usually remain at no very great height from the ground. I have noticed that the males, while the females are upon their nests, generally select a spot at some distance from them, which they make their haunt and concert-grove. They have never struck me as very active insect-hunters, since they devote so much of their time to music. They evidently, however, never suffer from OF NEW ENGLAND. 157 hunger, and they are certainly diligent in the care of their young. They are very affectionate toward one another, and are fond of returning to the same spot year after year. It is pleasant to observe this attachment to their summer-homes, and to know where to welcome them as old friends, when the}' return in the spring. (d). Their song consists of a few notes, which are warbled again and again with little intermission or variety (and which are sometimes interrupted now and then by a low whistle). This music would be monotonous, were it not for its wonderful cheerfulness, energ}', and animation, in these qualities resem- bling the Robin's song. The "Red-e3'es" have also a chqy, a chatter like a miniature of the Oriole's scold (and to be heard in the season of courtship), and a peculiarly characteristic querulous note, which, like others, cannot be described accur- ately, whence the advantage of studying birds through nature, and not through books. The Red-eyed Vireos are deservedly popular on account of their cheerful disposition, and enlivening song, which is kept up (less steadily, however, in the latter part of the season) from the time of their arrival until they leave us for the South, when the autumnal frosts become too severe, and the weather too cold, to admit of a sufficiency of the insect-food upon which they depend. (D) GiLVUS. Warbling Vireo. (A 'common sumirier-resident in Massachusetts, but very much less abundant than the "Red-eye.") (a). About five inches long. Above, a dull olive-green, which approaches mouse-color. Crown, ashy-tinged. Rump, brighter ; wings darker and browner ; and sides of the head paler. Superciliary line, dull white. Under parts, white — dis- tinctly shaded on the sides (but feebly on the breast) with the color of the back, or light olive-green. (h). The nest is usually placed at a considerable height above the ground (from twenty to sixty feet), and rarely else- where than in an elm, poplar, or button-wood tree. It is 158 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS always pensile, but Audubon speaks of one fastened to the trunk of a tree, in which situation I have never found it, so far as I remember. The eggs of the Warbling Vireo are white, with a few "reddish-black" or brown spots at the larger end, and average about •TYX'-'iS of an inch. A set of four or five is laid near Boston in the first week of June. (c). The Warbling Vireos reach Eastern Massachusetts in .the second week of May, and leave it in the same week of September. They are common in many parts of our State, and I have seen them in Northern New Hampshire, but in Fig. 6. Warbliug Vireo (|). some localities they are very rare. Though they do not, I think, show quite so much familiarity towards man (at least here), as some authors have represented, j'et they are certainly to be found, to some extent, in cities, towns, villages, and. thickly populated neighborhoods — for instance among the elms of Boston Common. Though occasionally seen in the haunts of the Yellow-throated Vireos (B), they seem to be particularly fond of rows of, or solitary, elms, poplars, and basswood trees — particularly those beside roads or near houses. They usu- ally remain among the higher branches as they search for insects ; and, on account of their size and quiet colors, they might easily be overlooked, were it not for their music. (cl). Their ordinary notes are like those of the Red-eyed Vireos, but less loud and querulous. Their song is exquisitely sweet, and, though quite distinct, recalls vividly that of the Purple Finch (§ 15, III). Dr. Coues, in speaking of the War- OF NEW ENGLAND. 159 bling Vireo, says that " its voice is not strong, and many birds excel it in brilliancy of execution ; but not one of them all can rival the tenderness and softness of the liquid strains of this modest vocalist. Not born ' to waste its sweetness on the desert air,' the warbling vireo forsakes the depths of the wood- land for the park and orchard and shady street, where it glides through the foliage of the tallest trees, the unseen messenger of rest and peace to the busy, dusty haunts of men." (E) PHiLADELPHicus. {BrotJierly-love Vireo.) Philadel- phia Vireo. (a). This vireo, if a distinct species, differs from Vireo gil- vus (d) in a doubtful technicality only. Dr. Cones pronounces it "almost indistinguishable from gilvus, except by absence of spurious quill," and saj's that the colors of the latter species are "precisely" the same. Is it not doubtful if one feather among hundreds (though, perhaps, an important one) can characterize a bird as more than a variety ? (b). (d). I suppose that the nest, eggs, and song of this bird are essentially the same as those of the Warbling Vireo. (c). The Philadelphia Vireo is probably a migrant through Massachusetts, having been obtained at Philadelphia, also in Maine, and at Moose Factory (to the southward of Hudson's Bay and James Bay). I have never seen it here, so far as I know, nor have I seen any specimens shot here. I have no observations to make upon its habits, which I suppose to cor- respond closely to those of its immediate relations. I have since learned that this bird has been obtained in this State. Mr. Brewster, in the "Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club," says: "On Sept. 7th, 1875, I shot a female of this beautiful little species in Cambridge, Mass. It was feeding in company with several individuals of Vireo olivaceus, in a low willow tree." In a more recent number, Mr. Ruthven Deane says that several specimens have been obtained in Maine, both in June and September, and that the Philadelphia Vireos may be con- sidered summer-residents about Lake Umbagog. IGO LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (F) NovEBORACENsis. Wkite-eyecl Vireo. ^'■Politician" (111 southern New England a rather common summer-resi- dent, though A'ery locally distributed.) (a). About five inches long. Above, bright olive-green; below, white. Sides of the body, eye-ring, wing-bars, etc., (bright) yellow. Iris white. {b). The nest is almost invariably placed in a low tree, bush, or vine, two or three feet from the ground, generall}', but not alwaj's, in the woods, whether dry or wet. It is pensile, and es- sentially like that of the "Red-eye," though prettier and often characterized by being largely' composed of newspaper, or paper from wasps' and hornets' nests. The eggs, moreover, are strongly like those of the Red-eyed Vireo, but are gener- ally a little smaller, and longer in shape. The}' are laid, near Boston, about the first of June. (c). The White-eyed Vireos differ from their relatives in several respects. They are summer-residents in Eastern Mas- sachusetts, but are so locally distributed as to be extremely rare or wanting in some places, thougli quite common in others. To the westward of the Connecticut River, in New England, the}' are so uncommon that the few specimens obtained may almost be considered stragglers. The}- reach the neighborhood of Boston, at least those who breed here, in the second week of May ; but as to their general distribution and migrations I have not clearly made up my mind. Massachusetts has been generally considered their northern limit, but I feel quite con- fident of having seen them, in past years, apparently migrating through this State, in April and October. I have once or twice seen the Solitary Vireos in the latter month, when they were obliged to feed upon berries, as the " Red-eyes" do in Septem- ber, and I find in my note-book that I observed a "White-eye" (or a species, hitherto undescribed, much resembling it) on the IStltof October, traveling with many other birds in a "wave." These "bird-waves" are extremely interesting, and, to show their nature, I shall quote from my Journal : "Nov. 15th, 1873. This morning, while wandering about OF NEW ENGLAND. IGl the place under the delusion that the passage-birds (or most of them) had fairl}' gone, an immense flock of birds suddenly appeared, evidentl}'' traveling from the North soutlnvard, and were soon scattered over the place. Among them were many- Snow-birds, White-throated, Fox-colored, Tree, and Song Spar- rows, Ruby-crowned ' Wrens,' Golden-crowned ' Wrens,' Nut- hatches, Brown Creepers, and Chickadees. Never have I seen an assemblage of birds exhibiting such a variety of species. At noon most of them had disappeared." The White-e^'ed Vireos frequent lightl}'- timbered woods, par- ticularly those which are in low land and contain a second growth about the taller trees, and also swamps, thickets, and the " scrub." They have a habit of moving their tails, much like the Shrikes. They keep nearer to the ground than our other vireos, and are so shy, that, if they were silent, they would rarely be seen as they busy themselves in the common pursuit of their family, that of insects. (d). When, however, their nest is approached, they display themselves, and are usually very vehement in their expressions of anger (unlilve their relations, particularly the Solitary Vi- reos), and utter a harsh scold or chatter, and sometimes a peculiar mewing, or other querulous cry. Their song is very peculiar or even eccentric, and is very loud for such small birds. It is full of character, energy, and vehemence, though some of the lower whistles are sweet and quite different in tone. It partakes of the owners' nature, much as the human voice does, and indicates the almost fiery temperament of these little vi- reos, which is so markedly in contrast with the cheerfulness, gentleness, and calmness, of other members of their family. Their music is constantly varied, and in it one may occasion- ally hear the apparently mimicked notes of other birds. § 14. Laniidae. Shrikes. (See § 13.) I. COLLURIO (A) BOREALis. {Great Northern) ShriJce. '■'•Butclier-hird." (A winter-visitant to Massachusetts, but never ver}^ common.) (a). 9-10 inches long. Above, light bluish-ash, very light 12 162 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS on the rump. Below, white, very finel}' waved with black (often almost imperceptibly). Edging of crowD, eye-ring and mid- dle of the forehead, white. Rest of forehead, continuously with broad stripes through the eye, black. Wings and tail black, with white markings. Fig. 7. Butcher-bird (i). (6). The nest is placed in the woods, in the fork of a bush, not far from the ground. It is composed of leaves, grasses, and roots, is often lined with feathers, and is finished early in the season. One set of eggs contains from four to six, aver- aging 1-10X*80 of an inch. A specimen before me is blotched and spotted, most thickly about the crown, with faint lilac, and light sandy and yellowish brown ; others are darker. (c). The shrikes possess the cruelty of the hawks, but not the stateliness of some, nor the gracefulness of others. Neither do they possess the charms of many passerine birds, for they are wild, and, moreover, incapable of uttering musical sounds. Yet, there is attached to them that interest, which is naturally attached to birds who differ so distinctly from others, and about whom much is 3'et to be learned. The Great Northern Shrikes, or the well-known " Butcher- birds," are virtually the sole representatives of their family in New England. They breed in the forests of Northern Maine, but in other parts occur principally as winter-visitants, re- OF NEAV ENGLAND. 1G3 mainiiig near Boston from the first of October until April " or even May." They vary greatly in abundance from year to year, following, to a great extent, the migrations of our very irregular visitors, the "Red-polls" and Pine Finches. While with us, they are usually to be seen singly or in pairs about farms, orchards, fields, and meadows, though so ex- tremely bold as to take up their abode in the Public Garden and Common of Boston, where they prey upon the English Sparrows and have several times been shot. "When on the watch for their pre}', they take a perch not far from the ground, and may be observed to flirt their tails much like the Pewees, now and then taking low and rapid flights from bush to bush, or tree to tree, particularly if pursued. On detecting what they wish to seize, the}' pounce upon it, if upon the ground, or pursue it through the air, if a bird, with force, great rapidity, and an almost infallible certainty of aim. As their bills are particularly powerful, the muscles about their head highly de- veloped, and their feet naturally weak, they use the latter solely for perching. They use their bills, on the other hand, to seize the birds which they pursue, generally by the neck, thus suffocating them, and afterwards to tear their flesh. Their food consists of grasshoppers, mice, and principally our smaller winter-birds of the finch-tribe who associate in flocks, — the Snow-birds, Snow Buntings, Tree Sparrows, "Red- polls," and Pine Finches. I have seen one dart after a flock of Goldfinches, who escaped by flying upwards. The Shrike followed with effort and a rather laborious flight, until, despair- ing of success, he turned and dropped with the speed of an arrow, arresting himself instantaneousl}^ on approaching the earth. He afterwards dashed into a company of Tree Spar- rows, who showed much less address in escaping his clutches. They separated and fled to the bushes, whilst he followed one through a thicket and seized him on the other side. The Shrikes have several times been known in their boldness to enter cages, and to kill the inmates, though sometimes fortu- nately trapped themselves afterwards, and made captive. The "Butcher-birds" are best known by their notorious 164 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS practice of impaling their food upon tliorns or the lilce, thus securing, according to an European superstition, nine victims every daj', wlience tliey are in some places called "■nine-kill- ers." There are three theories often advanced to explain this extraordinary and characteristic cruelty, which are as follows : That the shrikes are fond of tainted meat ; that they are nat- urally provident for the future ; and that they employ their food, to a certain extent, as bait. The former of these theo- ries may be refuted by the evidence, which has, I believe, been generally given, even from observations upon specimens in confinement, that the "Butcher-birds" never feed upon these stores. The last -theory is absurd, as Wilson has already de- monstrated, since the}' can at any time, by swiftness and dex- terity of flight, seize a small bird who ventures near them, and need never resort to guile or deceit, and since, if grass- hoppers be the creatures impaled, our winter-birds, upon whom the shrikes prey, are all granivorous or seed-eating, never touching insects (except, perhaps, in summer), and since in many cases the victims impaled are birds, who certainly would not serve satisfactorily as bait to attract their friends. I re- gret very much that I have not had enough opportunities for studying thoroughly the habits of the "Butcher-birds" to de- cide this question, but, in want of evidence, I am inclined to suppose that they keep up this murderous practice solely from instincts of cruelty, and perhaps other instincts, allied to the thieving and hiding propensities of the magpies and their relations, though, indeed, their acts are murder in the first degree and without secrecy. In brief, is it not probable that they exercise this barbarity and ferocity simpl}' in sport, and for their amusement? I cannot, at present, present to the public any more satisfactoiy explanation. (d). Audubon and Nuttall both state that the Great North- ern Shrikes imitate the notes of other birds to attract their attention and to allure them into danger, but I have known no modern ornithologists to confirm these statements, which at present need corroboration. Whilst here in winter, the Shrikes are usually silent, and I have but once heard them uttering OF NEW ENGLAND. 165 any sounds. About the middle of March I observed a pair in a field overrun with mice, and heard their extraordinary note, brief and often repeated, which resembled the buzz of a small insect (with somewhat of a squeal intermixed?). I at first, in my haste and ignorance, attributed this sound to the field mice, but afterwards supposed that it was probably a cry confined exclusively to the mating-season of the birds, to whom it certainly belonged. I shall close this biography by inserting a very entertaining passage from an old English book on Falconr}^, which I find quoted in Mr. Wood's interesting book, " Homes without Hands." " Sometimes upon certain birds she doth use to prey, whome she doth entrappe and deceive by flight, for this is her desire. She will stand at pearch upon some tree or poste, and there make an exceeding lamentable crye and exclamation, such as birds are wonte to do, being wronged or in hazard of mischiefe, and all to make other fowles believe and thinke that she is very much distressed and stands in need of aj'de ; whereupon the credulous sellie birds do flocke together presently at her call and voice, at what time if any happen to approach neare her she out of hand ceazeth on them, and devoureth them (un- grateful subtill fowle !) in requital for their simplicity and pains. "Heere I end of this hawke, because I neither accompte her worthy the name of a hawke, in whom there resteth no valor or hardiness, nor yet deserving to have any more written upon her propertie and nature. For truly it is not the property of any other hawke, by such devise and cowardly will to come by their prey, but they love to winne it by main force of wings at random, as the round winged hawkes doe, or by free stooping, as the hawkes of the Tower doe most commonly use, as the falcon, gerfalcon, sacre, merlyn, and such like." (B) LUDOviciANUs. Loggerliecicl Shrike. (But rarely obtained so far to the northward as Massachu- setts.) 166 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (a). 8-9 inches long. Like the Butcher-binl (A), but more slaty above, and generall}' with no white on the head (except on the throat), the e3'e-stripcs meeting on the forehead. (b). Tlie nest is said to be much less elaborate than that of the "Butcher-bird," though the eggs are very similar to those of that bird. Dr. Brewer says : "The spots are usuall}- larger and more scattered than in the eggs of C. horealis" (c). The Loggerhead Shrike is chiefly an inhabitant of the Southern States, and I have heard of but few instances of its capture in New England or the State of Massachusetts. It is, however, says Mr. Allen, in his "Notes on the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," a summer-resident at Hamilton, in Canada "West, on the Northern Shore of Lake Ontario (Mcll wraith), and has been known to breed at Buffalo, New York. Wilson says that "this species inhabits the rice plantations of Carolina and Georgia, where it is protected for its usefulness in dcstro}'- ing mice. It sits, for hours together, on the fence, beside the stacks of rice, watching like a cat ; and as soon -as it perceives a mouse, darts on it like a Hawk. It also feeds on crickets and grasshoppers." {d). He adds that "its note, in March, resembled the clear creaking of a sign board in windy weather." § 15. The Fringillid3D, or finches, form our largest fam- ily (the warblers being second in size), and include the spar- rows, buntings, linnets, grosbeaks, and crossbills. They are chiefl}' granivorous (or at least vegetarians), and consequently are loss migratory tlian insectivorous birds. They are very sociable among themselves, and in some cases gregarious. They are clad both plainly and brilliantly, sometimes with crests, but are in nearly all cases musical, sometimes very highl}' so. Some of them are eminentl}^ field-birds, and on this account are easily observed in the countr}'. As architects they are not to be ranked high, though their nests are often very neatl}' built. Their eggs exhibit great variety in colors and markings, and two (or even three) sets of four or five are laid by several species in one season, even so far to the northward as Massachusetts. OP NEW ENGLAND. 1G7 They (or at least our species) are characterized as follows. Bill, for the most part, not twice as long as high, but stout, more or less conical, with the mandibles generally meeting at their tips ; commissure usually with a more or less evident angle ; bristles often wanting ; tarsi scutellate ; primaries nine. They may be divided into three groups : (Gen. I-VI and VII ?) Wings long ; feet not strong ; sexes generally unlike ; males brightly colored. Birds of rather boreal distribution, of comparatively strong flight, and largely ai'boreal (except in genus VII). (Gen. VII?-XVIII.) Birds chiefly terrestrial ; also plainly colored, and sexes generally alike ; commissure frequently with the angle feebly marked. (Gen. XVIII?- XXIII.) Birds chiefly arboreal, and handsomely or bril- liantly colored ; sexes unlike. Distribution rather southern. Bill stout, somewhat curved above ; angle well marked. (Gen. XXIV, XXV, are placed at the end, because not properly parts of our fauna.) (Figs. 8, 9, 10.) Possibly the starlings should be united with the finches, and ranked as a subfamily. (See § 17.) The following genera require special notice : — Curvirostra. Bill, with the mandibles crossed (pi. 1, fig. 16). Pinicola. Bill stout, Jiooked, and with curved outlines. Chrysomitris and JEgiothus. Bill conical, and pointed. Up- per mandible often growing beyond the lower, as sometimes seen in other finches and blackbirds (pi. 1, fig. 12). Plectrophanes. Hind-claw very long (pi. 1, fig. 17). In sub- genus Centrophanes (including Lapponicus but not nivalis) hind-claw straightish ; bill unruffed. Ammodromus. Bill comparatively slender. Tail-feathers narrow and pointed. (PL 1, figs. 14, 15.) Coturnicidus closely related. Passerella. Birds partially rasorial, as also in certain allied species. Hydemeles. Bill deep, stout, and 'bristled ; upper outline much curved, commissure strongly angulated (pi. 1, fig. 13). The details of structure vary with ever}' group or genus, but the finches in general are easily recognized by their coloring. 168 LAND-BIRDS AKD GAME-BIRDS I have arranged the geuera (represented in New England) in what seemed the best sequence. The position of the larJcs (Alaudidc^, § 16) is apparently doubtful. Though the tj'pical Sky Lark of Europe {Alauda arvensis) has been introduced into this country, yet the true American larks belong to the subfamily, Cakuidritince (fig. 11). The}' are characterized as follows: Bill (in Er&inophila) twice as long as high, pointed, and with the upper outline convex ; nostrils concealed ; pi-imaries nine ; tarsi " scutellate and blunt behind as in front, with a deep groove along the inner side, and a slight one, or none, on the outer face ; " ^^ hind-claw very long. The common Shore Lark is the type. I. CURVIROSTRA (A) RUBRA. Red Crossbill. Common Crossbill. (To be found in Massachusetts as an extremely irregular visitor from the North.) (a). 3fandibles crossed (as in B). About six inches long. ^ , chiefly of an almost brick-red, with wings and tail dusky or nearly black. $ , often with a strong yellowish suffusion. Wings and tail, dark. Above, of a shade varying from brown- ish to olive, with dusky streaks. Eump, almost yellow. Be- neath, paler, more or less streaked. (&). The nest is built in the early part of spring, or even, it is said, in winter. Mr. Paine found one in a leafless elm, in East Randolph, Vermont, early in the month of March. The parents were so tame that it was necessary to remove them for- cibl}' from their eggs, which " were four in number, and meas- ured '85 X "53 of an inch. They have a greenish-white ground and are beautifully blotched, marbled, and dotted with various shades of lilac and purplish-brown." (c). The Crossbill, on account of his many peculiarities, is an interesting subject for stud}'. His most marked oddity is *- lu the Oscines, " the tarsus is normally covered on either side witli two entire horny plates, that meet behind in a sharp ridge." (Coues.) OF NEW ENGLAND. 169 that which Wilson has spoken of in admirable language. That author says : — "On first glancing at the bill of this extraordi- nary bird one is apt to pronounce it deformed and monstrous ; but on attentively observing the use to which it is applied by the owner, and the dexterity with which he detaches tlie seeds of the pine tree from the cone, and from the husks that enclose them, we are obliged to confess on this as on many other occa- sions where we have judged too hastily of the operations of nature, that no other conformation could have been .so excel- lently adapted to the purpose ;" etc. (wilson, vol. iv, p. 44). The exact distribution, the regular breeding-habits, and the migrations of the Crossbills are not, at present, perfectly understood. These birds migrate (it is supposed and well- nigh proved), in accordance with the abundance of food in their usual habitat (northward of the 44th parallel of latitude). Hence they are sometimes not seen at all in Massachusetts during the year, and at other times appear as early as August, and remain until June (whence it has been assumed that they breed here). Though often here in autumn and spring, they are commonly driven to our latitudes in the winter-months ; then, usually in flocks varying in number from three or four to hundreds, they are to be seen busily engaged in extracting seeds from the cones of our evergreens. They are good climbers, moving much like parrots, but with more agility. They occasionally eat berries ; and they also descend to the ground, having a fondness, it is said, for saline substances. It is somewhere stated that in Arctic countries they often become so engrossed in their feeding, when on the ground, that they can easily be caught with a net, or knocked over with a club. "Whilst near Boston in winter, they exhibit neither shyness nor stupidity, but, when started from a tree, often return to it, after ma- noeuvring in the air in the manner of the " Red-polls." They generally fly at a considerable height, and sometimes at a very great elevation, at least gi-eat relativel}^ to the powers of flight "which belong to this family of birds. In spring, the Crossbills do mischief in attacking the buds of various trees ; and Mr. 170 LAND-BIRDS AXD GAME-BIRDS Maynard speaks of their eating the tops of oats in autumn, at Alban3', Maine.^ The}- are said to build their nests often in February or March, and therefore their presence in summer may not properly indicate the districts in which they breed, though such immature specimens were obtained by Mr. Horace Mann, at Weston, Massachusetts, in May, 1862, that Mr. Allen thinks it "hardly possible" that they were born far from that pla.ce.44 xhe nest of the Crossbills has been found at Milltown, Maine, by Mr. Boardman,42 and these birds may, therefore, breed quite extensively in that State and North-east- ern New Hampshire, having been "common at Umbagog, according to Mr. Deaue, during the summer of 1870," and according to Mr. Brewster, being " very common at Franconia in summer."4'^ Their habitat in the breeding-season, may be generally considered as the vast hemlock and spruce-forests of the North. (d). As Wilson says, they "have a loud, sharp, and not unmusical note" and "chatter as they fly." They sometimes utter in spring quite a sweet song, which has the character of their ordinary cries, as is noticeable in the music of the birds nearly related to them, the Pine Grosbeaks, "Red-polls," Gold- finches, etc. (B) LEUCOPTERA. Wlute-imnged Crossbill. (Much less common in Massachusetts than even the preced- ing species.) (a). Mandibles crossed (as in A). About six inches long. Essentially like rubra, but with ivhite icing-bars, and a much rosier hue in the male. (b). An egg described by Dr. Brewer "is pale blue, the large end rather thickly spattered with fine dots of black and " " Tlie Naturalist's Giiiile," p. 111. ^*'' Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," in pamphlet [pp. 30, 31, 32], and in "American Naturalist" Vol. Ill, pp. 505-519; 5G8-5&"); C31-G48; and numbers for Nov., Dec., and Jan.. 1809-70. « C. J. Maynard, "A Catalogue of the birds of Coos Co., N. H., and Oxford Co., Me.," etc., 51th species, p. 10, pamphlet. or NEW ENGLAND. 171 ashy-lilac ; is regularly or rather slightly elongate-oval, the small end rather obtuse. It measures '80 of an inch in length by -56 in breadth." (c). The White-winged Crossbills are much rarer here than the Red Crossbills, since they habitually reside in more northern countries, though, indeed, on the authority of Mr. Deane and Mr. Brewster said to be " common at Umbagog in June, 1870, and at Franconia in summer." '*" They are seldom seen in Massachusetts, though occasionally common in winter, and known to migrate much further to the southward. So far as I have had opportunities to observe, they resemble closely in their habits the other species, feeding chiefly upon the seeds of our evergreens, both obtaining these and climbing dexterously, and sometimes seeking food upon the ground, having a par- tiality for saline matter. Mr. Maynard says that they feed " upon the seeds of beach-grass," "at Ipswich, Massachusetts," and that he "obtained a specimen on June 13, 1866, which was shot on an apple-tree in Newtonville," and was "filled with canker- woi'ms." ^''' This, says Mr. Allen, was " a male in fine breeding plumage," and therefore it is possible that these birds may occasionally breed in this State, though at the same time it is possible that the specimen in question may have wandered from the North, having previously reared his young in April or May. Instances of equally strange freaks among birds have been known to occur, such as wandering more than a thousand miles from a regular habitat. It is to be remarked that these instances take place almost wholly at the time of the migrations in autumn or early winter.^s (cZ). The song of the White-winged Crossbills, says Dr. Brewer, is " irregular and varied, but sweet and musical." These birds have a plaintive cry, distinct from the notes of the Red Crossbill. ^^ C. J. Maynarrl, 5otli species (p. 16, pamphlet), " Birds of Coos Co., N. H.," etc. 4' "The Naturalist's Guide," pp. 111-3. ^^For example, the occun-euce iu M'assachusetts of the Varied Thrush, Lark Finch, and Gray King-bird. 172 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS II. PINICOLA (A) ENUCLEATOR. Pine Grosbeak. (In Massachusetts a winter-visitant of veiy irregular appear- ance.) (a). 8-9 inches long. (J , carmine. Back dusky-streaked. Belly, almost white. Wings and tail, duskj^ (or black) ; former with much white. $ , "ashy-gray above and streaked. Paler below, and not streaked." Crown (and rump) marked with rustj'^-yellow. (6). Dr. Brewer says: "No positively Identified eggs of the American Pine Grosbeak are as yet known in collections." A European specimen measures about 1-00 X "75 of an inch, and is greenish, blotched and spotted with brown and purplish, chiefly dark tints. Mr. Boardman found near Calais, Maine, "in an alder-bush, in a wet meadow," a nest and two eggs, referable to this species. (c). The Pine Grosbeaks spend the summer-season in the cold regions which lie to the northward of New England, and though, I believe, common winter-residents in Maine and New Hampshire, are rather rare, or at least irregular, in their ap- pearance about Boston, and other parts of this State. They are sometimes common here throughout the winter, wandering in large flocks from place to place, but at other times are wholly absent during the year, or at the most arc seen but once or twice after a cold " snap " or a heavy storm. I have seen them from the first of November until the latter part of March, though their departure usually occurs earlier in the season, since they habitually breed in March and April. It is to be remarked that among our winter-birds of this family, the young almost invariably predominate, and often are unaccom- panied by mature specimens. This interesting fact has not, so far as I know, been satisfactorily explained, though it may possibly be due simply to an inabilitj' of the .young to with- stand the cold so well as their parents. Yet these birds are supposed to be regulated in their migrations almost entirely by supplies of food, and not to be affected by cold, since in OF NEW ENGLAND. 173 severe winters they are often much less abundant here than in mild seasons. To determine questions of this sort, much philosophical study, technical knowledge, comparison of notes, and cooperation of different sciences, is greatly needed. The Pine Grosbeaks frequent the pines and other evergreens almost exclusively, feeding largely upon their seeds, but also upon buds and berries. Mr. Maynard speaks of their being so unsuspicious that they can be easily captured by a noose attached to a pole, but I myself have never observed any like indiscretion on their part. In general appearance thej' bear a strong resemblance to the Robin, but possess powers of flight even superior to those of that bird. Large flocks often travel many miles, from time to time, in the course of a day, moving at some height, and the individuals rising and falling in their flight. The Pine Grosbeaks are also very much at ease among the trees, though not such clever climbers as the crossbills. They seem, whilst here, to remember those long winter-nights of the North, which " become less and less separated by day- light, the farther to the northward that they occur, until at the pole they become fused into a period of darkness which lasts for six months." I have observed that they generall}^ retire before sunset, whilst other birds are still occupied in feed- ing, and collect among the branches of some thickly foliaged evergreen. The " Red-polls," on the other hand, are given to late hours, so that their respective habits are probably to be accounted for solely by a difference of taste, since both species inhabit much the same regions. Certainly nature has created much for the sake of pleasing man by variety alone. (cZ). The Pine Grosbeaks have a characteristic single note, a loud, clear, but somewhat plaintive whistle, which is often repeated several times, and also a few subdued whistles, not audible at any great distance. I here quote briefly from my journal. "March 13, 1875. This morning I arose at 5.15, and went out at 5.40, when crows were beginning to fly over. At 5.55 a Red-poll, who was among some pines, awoke and gave his call, which was answered by two or three of his com- panions, who were near him, likewise in pines. * * * * 174 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS He finally woke up a solitary Pine Grosbeak, who uttered his call-note several times, and remained in the neighborhood until 6.15, when he perched on the top of a pine, and sang for sev- eral minutes. His song was sweet and veiy much like that of the Purple Finch, but was now and then interrupted by his ordinary cries." Fig. 8. Purple Fiuch (^). III. CARPODACUS (A) PURPCREUS. Purple Finch. " Linnet" (In New England, a common resident in summer, but only occasional in winter.) (a). About six inches long. Crown-feathers erectile. $ , carmine, of very different shades and intensities in different speci- mens. Back duskj'-streaked ; bell}'', almost white. Edgings of the wings, reddish. 9 , oli- vaceous-brown, and streaked, except on the bellj^, which as well as a superciliary line is white. Wings and tail like those of the male, but with no reddish. (&). The nest is usually composed of fine rootlets, weed- stalks, and grasses, being lined with hairs, but its materials var}' greatly in some cases. It is placed in a pine, cedar, or- chard-tree, or occasionally a bush or hedge, from five to twenty feet above the ground. The eggs of each set are four or five, and average -ToX'OO of an inch or more. Thej^ are of a light greenish blue, marked rather thinly and chiefly at the larger end, with specks, blotches, and scrawls, of very faint lilac, and of blackish. The first set is laid about the first of June or earlier, and a second one often appears in July. (c). The Purple Finches are well known on account of their charming song, and the gay or brilliant coloring in summer of the males, who attract, especially if in flocks, the attention of many a person who is habitually inobservant. A few pass the OF NEW ENGLAND. 175 less severe winters in Eastern Massaebusetts, but in doing so usually frequent swamps of cedar-trees, or retired places wliere seeds and berries are sufficiently abundant. The "Linnets" generally arrive here from the South on the first of April or earlier, but sometimes not until May, and then appear in the open country, when the males and females often congregate in small flocks, usually feeding upon the buds of various trees. The males are not at this time of the year in full dress, and perhaps on this account, if these birds may be supposed to have human vanities, are often alone or apart from the females. They are, however, in full song, and, perched on some high branch, sing loudly, as if under the delusion that winter dis- appears in April. AVhen much startled, the " Linnets " usually fly for some di"stance at a considerable height. In May they usually be- come very abundant, and also mischievous, since they " feed on the stamina of various fruit-blossoms." They also gather in large flocks on the ground, where, not unfrequently in com- pany with the Goldfinches or other members of their family, they pick up various seeds and perhaps other food. Thej^ are summer-residents throughout New England, though less com- mon to the northward, and frequent principally cultivated or open lauds, though occasionally to be met with in woods. Their song may not unfrequently be heard in September, when most other birds do not sing. In October they become quite rare, and finally, usually before November, forsake their sum- mer-haunts. Those seen here in the former month are very possibly migrants from the North. (d). The music of the Purple Finch is a warbled song, which would be monotonous, were it not sweet, mellow, and full- toned. Both sexes sing. In autumn they often give utter- ance to a few notes, which recall those of the Blue Bird. Be- sides their customary " chink," which they utter particularly when on wing, they have a variety of less important notes. The most pleasing of these is their " pewee," which is often softly repeated by the females, and the most striking a single whistle, to be heard chiefly or wholly in autumn, and which recalls that of the Great-crested Flycatcher. 176 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS The " Linnets " are much more common and generally dis- tributed through this State tlian formerly, and are gradually becoming quite fearless of man. They are now so tame as often to build their nests in hedges, and on account of their several attractions should be allowed to increase, in spite of the injuries that the}^ may do us in spring. They resemble in habits the Pine Grosbeaks, from the irregularity of both their appearance and abundance from year to year. In studying the Purple Finches, one must not confuse their song with that of the Warbling Vireo,^^ or even with those of the Robin and some other birds, nor the notes already mentioned with those of the Great Crested Flycatcher ^^ and Blue Bird.^^ IV. CHRYSOMITRIS (A) TRisTis. {American) Goldjinch. " Yelloio Bird."-^^ ''Thistle-bird." (Common in New England throughout the j'ear, but more abundant in summer than in winter. Like the Cedar-birds, they breed very late in the season.) (a). About 4f inches long. ^ (from April 1st, until Sep- tember 20th?), bright 3'cllow, "inclusive of lesser wing-cov- erts." Crown, wings, and tail, black. Upper tail-coverts, whit- ish ; but wing-markings and tail-spots entirely white. 9 » dusk}' olivaceous yellow above ; paler or yellowish beneath. Wings and tail less purely colored than in the male, who in winter resembles the female, though much browner. (6). The nest is usually composed of fine grasses (or strips of bark) , and is lined with down from thistles and other plants, but sometimes with hairs. It is quite deep or cup-shaped, but is substantial, neat, and compact. It is placed in a pasture- bush, a shade-tree (especially on roadsides), perhaps an apple- tree, or a like situation, commonly between five and twenty feet above the ground, and almost invariably in a crotch. I have known it to be just completed as early as the twelfth of «§13,I,D. 'ic§19,II,A. "§-2. « There is a warbler (§ 9. X, A) also called the Yellow Bird. OF KEW ENGLAND. 177 June, and as late as the first week in August. The eggs of each set are five or six, average about -GSX'SO of an inch, and are faint bluish-white (rarely with a few faint markings?). (c). The Goldfinches, perhaps the most graceful members of their large family, are very common and well-known, and one could hardly select from all the finches, or from all birds, more charming objects of study. They are summer-residents throughout a greater part of the eastern United States, are counnon in Massachusetts, and are very abundant in (certain parts of) Northern New Hampshire, and probably the whole of northern New England. They are very hard}^, and remain in the neighborhood of Boston throughout the yeav. Ornithologists very generally have advanced the theory that those birds who pass the summer in a locality, where the spe- cies which they represent are resident throughout the year, retire in winter to the Soutli, leaving their place to be supplied by others of the same kind from the North. Mr. Maynard, however, ingeniously argues that this is not the case, at least with the Hairy Woodpecker.^^ However the case may be, it is certain that many Goldfinches pass the winter near Boston. In those months during which snow generally covers the earth, they wander, usually in small flocks, feeding, as at other times of the year, upon the seeds of pines or weeds, and such suitable things as they can find upon the ground. The males are then in their winter-dress, and do not assume their gay summer-livery until April. In March the "Yellow Birds" be- come rather common, and in April abundant. ^About the first of May, or even later, they often associate in lai-ge companies with the Purple Finches and other members of their family, and frequent orchards and various places where they can pro- cure food from the ground. The song of the male (for the female does not sing) may often be heard at this time, pre- vious to and during which they ramble over open country and cultivated lands, rendered noticeable by the jet black and bright yellow of the gayer sex. These flocks are gradually M " The Naturalist's Guide," p. 129. 13 178 LAXD-BIRDS AKD GAME-BIRDS broken up, but at all seasons of the year the so-called "Yellow Birds" show a social spirit, whence, even in summer, two or three often enjoy one another's society and fly about together. The following observations on their habits in summer were made among the White Mountains, where, in certain districts, they were very numerous. The Goldfinches there inhabited the pasture-land, in which they often built their nests, over which they wandered, and from which chiefly they obtained their food. There were in the place but few trees on the roadsides, except such as formed the part of some wood (and in woods these birds never build their nests), but the large bushes, which in many places supplied this want, answered the Gold- finches' purpose as well. On these bushes, or the telegraph- wires and posts, males and females, or when the latter were on their nests, a solitar}^ male or several often perched. They occasionally alighted in the road to pick up food, but not very commonly. The daintiness and evident enjoyment of their bath was very charming. They usually waded into a gently flowing brook, which rolled over clean sand, and 'then showered them- seh-es with the water tossed up by the splashing of their wings, bobbed their heads into the clear stream, next dressed their featliers, and finally' flew away, twittering expressions of their pleasure. In the early part of the summer they often appeared in the gardens and fruit-trees of the village, but in September congregated where thistles were abundant. On the heads of these weeds they perched, until the stalks swayed to the ground ; and, wh|pn this brief ride was finished, they bent over to feed upon the seeds. In the same way do they often ti-eat the garden-iris in summer, when the rich blue or purple of that flower forms, a most gorgeous conti*ast with their plumage. Whilst assembled, the Goldfinches are alwaj's extremely har- monious, and seem to express their happiness by their delight- ful cries. Their flight, as every one who knows them must have observed, consists of a series of marked undulations, and occasionally of great circles in the air. If pursued by any bird of prey, they mount in circles often to a great height, knowing well that they are safe only when above their ene- OF KE\y ENGLAND. 179 mies ; and, though their powers of flight are not great, I have never seen a lia\\k or shrike who was sufficiently persistent to exhaust them, and tlnis to secure his prey. To return to those "Yellow Birds" who have passed the summer in Massachusetts, they (or latterly substitutes from the North) are tolerably abundant in September, but less so in October. Sometimes at this season they associate with the sparrows, and feed in asparagus-beds, old vegetable-gardens, and like places. Before October has passed away, they become quite uncommon, and assume many of their winter-habits. Their haunts are much tlie same throughout the year, and include the whole country, with the exception of the woods, meadows, and swamps. (d). The male Goldfinch has a lively and sweet, but not full-toned song, characterized by his ordinary notes, and re- sembling that of the "Canary," his near relation. In listening to it, one may hear harsh notes, and then a sweet cJie-ive or che- we-ive. I have heard it in April, October, and the intervening time, most often in 'the first-named month and in May. He has also a very sweet and almost pathetic cry, which to me has a singular fascination, but it is not easily to be distinguished from the corresponding notes of the '" Red-poll," Siskin, or Ca- nary-bird. Both sexes own a low whistle, heard chiefly in summer, and rarely then, and their characteristic twitters, which these birds commonly utter at every undulation of their flight, and often when perched. Such other sounds as they occasionally produce are less noticeable, and are among those details regarded only by one intimate with birds and with their Individual traits. In writing this volume, I have been struck with the thought that the biographer of birds has, at least in one respect, a pl^asanter task than the biographer of a human friend, for he has never to speak of death ; for, since we regard all of a spe- cies as virtually one being, and rarely regard distinctions be- tween individuals, we are necessarily led to consider them as a perpetual being, though, indeed, instances are known to modern history of the apparent extinction of a race, such as that of 180 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the Great Auk, owing to persecution, and the comparative helplessness of this creature in escaping his enemies, particu- larly man. Should the Goldfinches ever cease to exist, let this be their eulogy. The Goldfinches were peculiarly attractive on account of their apparently happ}' disposition, and their sprightly, ex- pressive twitters, which were never exchanged for the weak and almost, mournful notes which many other birds adopt in autumn and winter. What more could have been reasonably asked than that these birds should be finely colored, sing sweetly, have a variety of charming notes, possess a pecujiar flight and attractive habits, be common and resident through- out the year, and frequent the neighborhood of man? (B) piNUS. Pine Finch. '■'■ Sisldn." (An irregular winter-visitor to Massachusetts, occasionally lingering here until June, and having been known to breed at Cambridge.) (a). About 4f inches long. Flaxen; paler below. Thickly streaked with darker, rather finely so on the head and under parts. AVings and tail, black, with much 3'ellow, Vhich, in the breeding-season, is more or less suflfiised throughout the plum- age. {h). Dr. Brewer says : " Early in May, 1859, a pair of these birds built their nest in the garden of Professor Benjamin Pierce, in Cambridge, Mass., near the colleges. It Avas found on the 9th by Mr. Frederick AYare, and already contained its full complement of four eggs, partly incubated." " The eggs are of an oblong-oval shape, of a light green ground-color, spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with markings of a light rusty-brown. They measure '71 by -50 of an inch." (c). So irregular are the habits of the American " Siskins," that I have never clearly understood their distribution and annual movements. Though these birds have been known to breed exceptional!}' at Cambridge, in Massachusetts, they usually breed in New England, only to the northward of that State, such as in certain places among the White Mountains OF NEW ENGLAND. 181 and about Lake Uinbagog. They are sometimes common in Massachusetts during the winter, and at other times are alto- getlier absent then, presumably in tlie latter case, not passing to the southward of their summer-range. And jet they are said by Wilson to have been common in Penns^dvania for a number of successive winters, and are known to occur occasion- ally on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The most interest- ing fact in their Natural History is their frequent appearance near Boston in April and May, or even June and July, even when not observed in the preceding winter. Mr. Maynard supposes that their journeys are chiefly governed by the snow, but my own observations do not altogether confirm this theory, whicih I do not think supported by the facts relative to the feeding of these birds, or to their appearance here, for the Pine Finches occasionally reach Boston in autumn, before the snow, and even as soon as the 3'oung are able to travel, though indeed these latter are rarely hatched before August. The Siskins may be observed in winter to wander in flocks from place to place, being, like their various near relations, en- tirely nomadic at that season. They fly in undulations like those of the Goldfinches, to whom they bear a very strong re- semblance in other ways.^^ They live upon the seeds of weeds, and those of the several evergreens, feeding both upon the ground and in trees. They may often be seen clustered at the top of some tall pine, busied in extracting the seeds, or cling- ing to the cones of a spruce, with an ease which clearly indi- cates their habits. They are also fond of birch-seeds, which are highly esteemed by many of our winter-birds, particularly the Ruffed Grouse. They are graceful in their movements, and their attitudes, when feeding, are always pretty, but they are not such climbers as the "■Red-polls." (d). The Pine Finches are closely allied to the Yellow Birds and "Red-polls" by their notes, and their sweet call is almost '*Mr. Allen, in his "Winter Notes of an Ornitliologist," published in the " American Naturalist," considers the Siskins swifter in flight, their notes ''wilder and more wiry." 182 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS indistinguishable from the call-notes of those birds. Their song and their twitters, though distinct from those of the Goldfinch, are 3^et much like them, but their twitters, most often uttered as the3^ fly, are much louder and less musical. They have also a A'ery characteristic note, resembling the word wee, uttered in a peculiar tone with a rising inflection, and, moreover, if I remember correctly- , a loud and rather unmusical trill. V. ^GIOTHUS (A) LiNARius. '"'■Red-poll." Red-poll Linnet. Lesser '■'■ Red- poll:' (Another irregular visitant to New England, in the winter- season only, being in some j^ears very common and in others altogether absent, at least in Massachusetts.) (a). About 5^ inches long. Upper parts, flaxen, dark- streaked. Beneath, whitish, more or less dusky-streaked. Wings and tail dusky, with white edgings ; the former with two narrow whitish bars. Croivn carmine; "rump white or rosy, always streaked with dusky." In the mature ^ the breast is bright rosy, and the under tail-coverts paler and streaked. [Dr. Coues has endeavored to establish one or two varie- ties of this species, which it is perhaps necessary to accept. Thc}^ are var. fucescens, Dusky Red-poll, a darker form ; with "rump scarcely lighter," and "sides heavily streaked," which Dr. Coues supposes may occur from the wearing of the feathers, and VAK. exihpes, American Mealy Red-jjoll, with flaxen paled to whitish, and rump unstreaked in adults, "representing," says Dr. Coues, "the true Mealy Redpoll, A. canescens, of Greenland."] (6). The "Red-polls" breed in Arctic Countries on the ground, and lay four or five eggs, which are light greenish-blue, with a few brown spots, and which average about 'Go X '50 of an inch. (c). The "Red-polls" are occasionally the most abundant of our winter-birds, but, on the other hand, several successive winters often pass, without their occurrence in Massachusetts. OF NEW ENGLAND. 183 They breed in the Arctic countries, and when obliged to travel to the southward, as they sometimes are, it is supposed, by lack of food, occur in the United States in November, April, and more often the intervening months. They move in flocks, which vary in size, but sometimes consist of two hundred or even more, and which are frequently augmented by the compan- ionship of Goldfinches and other birds. These flocks always seem, however, to consist of more than one species, since the individuals, among whom the young predominate, represent various colorations at the diflferent periods of their growth. The "Red-polls" wander continually during their visits, and hence are very irregular in appearance at different localities. I have never observed them to feed from the evergreens, but they have a marked fondness for the seeds of white birches and of alders, and according to Brehm, the German ornitholo- gist, pass the summer among the former trees in the most northern part of Europe. They often gather where the coarse field-weeds project above the snow, on banks or roadsides, and also feed upon the ground. They allow quite a near approach, and when finally so startled as to take flight, often return to the spot just left, after circling in the air. Though not alarmed by man's approach, they are often shy of venturing near to buildings, though I remember to have seen two staying for a moment to feed with Snow-birds on some grain scattered be- fore the window of a dining-room. The following extracts from my Journal will illustrate the habits of these birds. " March 4th. Sunrise in Boston at 6.30 a. m., sunset at 5.55 p. m. * * * At twenty minutes before six this afternoon, whilst I was exercising the dogs, a ' Redpoll' alighted near me in a small apple-tree. He paid almost no attention to me or my companions, though we were noisy, and I was at one time within five feet of him. The dogs I finally sent away. The bird at first uttered his sweet call-note, in order, I suppose, that he might obtain the companionship of his mates, if any were near, and occasionally other sounds to express his satisfaction, as he obtained from the bark bits of food so minute as to be invisible to my eye. He displayed 184 LAXD-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS thoroughly his great skill in climbing, and often, in searching the crannies of the bark, hung with his head downwards. He soon became silent, and I remained motionless until five min- utes after six. I then observed another ' Red-poll,' who flew over at some distance, and at a considerable height from the ground, apparently about to 'take perch' in a neighboring pine-grove. My friend, a moment later, took to flight and seemed (it was then dusk) to alight in a pine." "March 13th. This morning I went out at twenty minutes before six, when Crows were already beginning to fly over. Quarter of an hour later, a 'Red-poll,' who was in the pines which border street, awoke and gave his call, which was answered by two or three of his companions, who were near him, likewise in the pines. These birds then warbled for about flve minutes and afterwards flew away." "March 22d. This morning * * * * the ' Red-polls ' awoke at quarter of six among the pines, but not those in which they were before, and at once sang. I next observed a solitary one, who flew over at a great height, but the rest gathered into flocks and set about the business of the day, flying to a distance. The Goldflnches showed much the same habits. At six I found one in a pine, singing very sweetly, but he soon flew away, after uttering a few twitters." "March 28th. This morning I left the house at half-past five, but spring has made the birds rise very earl}', for on going out, I saw the Crows and 'Red-polls' flying over. At six two of the latter, who have lately been very common, alighted near me, to rest in their early rambles." "April 6th. A few 'Red-polls' flew over to-day, but they are becoming scarce." "April 24th. This afternoon a 'Red-poll' (u^giothus Lin- arius), who shows no wounds, nor as yet any signs of decom- position, was picked up in the barn-cellar, the doors of which were shut." (d). The "Red-polls" have a sweet call-note, like that of the Goldfinch or Siskin, and a simple "chit," often so repeated, especially by a flock, as to resemble the twitterings of the OF NEW ENGLAND. 185 former bird, or even those of the latter. Their song is quite like the Yellow Bird's (C. tristis), but is distinct, since all their oi'dinary notes are introduced. The winters when these happy, pretty little birds are com- mon are always mnch enlivened by their presence, and those years are richer for the naturalist, which bring us visits from the Arctic birds. VI. LINOTA (A) BREwsTERi^^ Breivstev's Linnet. (One specimen, not clearly referable to any known species or variety, was obtained by Mr. William Brewster, at Waltham, Mass., from a flock of common "red-polls.") (a). It is described as follows in Messrs. Baird, Brewer, & Ridgway's " North American Birds." " General appearance somewhat that of ^^. Unarms, but no red on the crown, and the sides and rump tinged with sulphur- yellow ; no black gular spot. 9 ad. Ground-color above light umber, becoming sulphur yellow on the rump, each feather, even on the crown, with a distinct medial stripe of dusky. Beneath white, tinged with fulvous yellow anteriorly and along the sides ; sides and crissum streaked with dusky. Wings and tail dusk}' ; the former with two pale fulvous bands ; the secondaries, primaries, and tail-feathers narrowly skirted with whitish sulphur-yellow. A dusky loral spot, and a rather dis- tinct lighter superciliary stripe. Wing 3-00 ; tail 2*50 ; tarsus •50 ; middle toe, -30. Wing formula, 1, 2, 3, etc." VII. PLECTROPHANES (A) NIVALIS. Snoiu Bunting. ^^ " Snoio-Jlake." (An inhabitant of the " far North," visiting New England in winter, in large assemblies.) (a). 6^-7 inches long. In the breeding-season, pure white '^ Since named ^t/iothii.i flavirostris var. Brewsteri. ^^ Sometimes called ''White Snow-bird," in distinction to the so-called Black or Blue Snow-bird. 186 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS with black variegations, and a black bill, /n winter, bill brown, and the plumage endlessly varied. A specimen before me, a very fair type, is chiefl}" white, with a rich dark brown on the crown, becoming lighter and warmer on the back of the neck and on the rump. The interscapulars are vaguely streaked with white, black, and brown, these colors extending to the scapulars. Wings and tail, chiefly black and white. Under parts,, snowy-white, with a light warm brown patch on each side of the breast. Specimens have been obtained pure white, and unmarked. (6). Mr. Macfarlane found on the Arctic coast a "nest sit- uated in a cave in a sand-bank." " The eggs, five in number, are of a dull white, with perhaps a faint bluish cast, sprinkled and spattered with dilute yellowish-rufous, the markings most numerous toward the larger end ; thej'' measure -do of an inch in length by -64 in breadth." (c). The Snow Buntings are quite regular as winter-visitors to New England, appearing in November, April, and the inter- vening months. They are very restless, and roam over the country in flocks, which sometimes contain thousands of indi- viduals. They have ver}' good powers of flight, and hence can take long flights whenever their wishes or instincts prompt them to do so. They generall}^ move to the northward when long-continued fine weather occurs, and to the southward on the advent of heavy snow-storms, and therefore have acquired, in. their winter-haunts, the name of " bad-weather birds," a title which originated in Europe, where they are well known. The Snow Buntings for the most part breed in Arctic countries, but a pair have been known to build their nest near Springfield, Massachusetts, and, says Mr. Maynard,^''' " this species may breed on the tops of some of the ranges of Maine and New Hampshire. I have a note of a well authenticated instance of a large flock being seen on Mount Katahdin, in early August, 1869." None, however, have ever been reported in summer M " A Catalogiie of the Birds of Coos Co., N. U., aud Oxford Co., Maine," etc.; 57th species, p. 17 of pamphlet. OF NEW ENGLAND. 187 from Mt. Wasliington, the highest peak iu New England, and I saw none on walking up Mount Lafayette, another prominent peak, in the early part of September, though it was very cold at the summit, and the true Snow-birds {Junco liyemalis) were •very abundant at comparatively great altitudes, where the veg- etation was stunted. Audubon speaks, however, of a nest found among the AYhite Mountains, in July, 1831, and seen by Wm. M. Boott, Esq., of Boston. It is probable that the Snow Bunt- ings normally belong to the United States as winter-visitors only, and as such occur so far to the southward as Kentucky, if not still further. They are not so sh^^ as one might reason- ably suppose them to be from their habits in summer, but near Boston frequent the "Back Bay lands," the roads, and road- sides. They often obtain seeds from the weeds in fields and ploughed lands, but they are most common on and near the sea-shore, where they feed much upon small shell-fish. Wilson sa^'s : — "In passing down the Seneca river towards lake Ontario, late in the month of October, I was surprised by the appearance of a large flock of these birds feeding on the sur- face of the water, supported on the tops of a growth of weeds that rose from the bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with great difficulty make its way through them. They were running about with great activity ; and those I shot and examined were filled, not only with the seeds of this plant, but with a minute kind of shell fish that adheres to the leaves. In these * * * aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted by the length of their hind heel and claws. I also observed a few on Table rock, above the falls of Niagara, seemingly in search of the same kind of food." Mr. Maynard speaks of thousands feeding on the seeds of beach-grass, at the Ipswich Sand-hills. ^^ The Snow Buntings run with ease and rapidit}^ like the larks, and fly Avith considerable swift- ness, when in flocks often whirling like a flurry of snow before alighting on the ground. They are the most picturesque of our winter-birds, and often enliven an otherwise dreary scene, B8 "The Naturalist's Guide," p. 112. 188 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS especially when %ing, for they then seem almost like an ani- mated storm, driven before a gust}'- wind. (d). Their principal notes are a clear! 3^ piped whistle, and a peculiar chirr, which they often utter when on wing. Their song, rarel}' to be heard in Massachusetts, is short and simple,v but quite sweet. (B) LAPpoNicus. Lapland Longsjmr. Lapland Bunting. (Rare in Massachusetts, where it is present in the winter- season only ; "common on the Ipswich Sand-hills.") (a). 6-6^ inches long. ^ , in the breeding-season, with the crown, forehead, sides of the head, throat, and upper breast, continuously black. Superciliary line, whitish, continuing down the side of the chestnut-red patch on the back of the neck. Interscapulars^ dark brown or blackish, with lighter edges. Lower breast and bell}', whitish ; the former more or less, streaked. Wings and tail dusky ; the former marked with bay (and white), the latter with conspicuous white patches. (? , in winter, with the black interrupted and the chestnut-red less pure. 9 , with the throat much like the breast, crown like the back, and the chestnut almost wanting. (6). In eggs from Anderson River, " where distinctly visible, the ground-color appears to be of yellowish-gra}^, * * *. The blotches are of various shades of brown, with shadings of olive, purple, or red, and at times almost black." "They measure •80 X -60 of an inch." (c). The "Longspurs," as their name indicates, have re- markably long hind-claws, such as also belong to the Snow Buntings, to whom they are as closely allied by habits and notes as otherwise. They are still more northern in their range than those birds, and pass the summer in Arctic countries only. Brehm says, from his own observations at this season in the extreme North of Europe, that they may be found among the birch-woods there, where they often perch upon the trees, feed much upon the gnats which swarm in the toondras, and sing only when on the wing, often hovering like the Lark when doing so, whereas the Snow Buntings usually perch on OF NEW ENGLAND. 189 rocks, and are not naturally shy. They occur in Massachu- setts as rare winter-visitors only, and as occasional stragglers in large flocks of Snow Buntings or Shore Larks, though, says Mr. Maynard, "common on the Ipswich Sand-hills." They frequent almost exclusively the coast or the lands near it, feeding on seeds and small shell-fish. They run nimbly, fly swiftl}'', and chiefly affect the ground, but occasionally perch in trees. (cZ). They have a shrill cliirr, and a rather melancholy call of two syllables. Their song is said to be simple but sweet, with their call-notes often introduced. VIII. CHONDESTES (A) GRAMMACA.. LcirTc FlncJi. (An inhabitant of the western United States, one, however, being "taken in Gloucester, in 1845, by S. Jillson."^^) (a). About 61 inches long. "Crown chestnut blackening on forehead, divided b}^ a median stripe, and bounded by superciliary stripes, of white ; a black line through eye, and another below eye, enclosing a white streak under the eye and the chestnut auriculars ; next, a sharp black maxillary stripe not quite reaching the bill, cutting oflT a white stripe from the white chin and throat. A black blotch on middle of breast. Und^r parts white, faintly shaded with grayish-brown ; upper parts grayish-brown, the middle of the back with fine black streaks. Tail very long, its central feathers like the back, the rest jet-black, broadly tipped with pure white in diminishing amount from the lateral pair inward, and the outer web of the outer pair entirely white." (Dr. Coues.) (&). The nest of these birds is most often built upon the ground. "The maximum number of their eggs" says Dr. Brewer "is five. Their average measurement is -85 by '65 of an inch. The ground-color is usually a graj'ish-white, rarely a light brown, marbled and streaked with waving lines, and a few dots of black or a blackish-brown." B9 Maynard, Naturalist's Guide, p. 112. Gloucester is on tlie coast of Massachu- setts, north of Boston. , 190 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (c). The Lark Finches, since bnt one specimen has been taken in this State, namely, at Gloucester, in 1845, have no more claim to be considered or treated as birds of Massachu- setts, than a Turk who passes a da}^ and night at Paris to be called a Frenchman ; but, in conformity to the strict but not unreasonable demands of modern science, I shall give a brief account of its habits, formed from the observations of other naturalists. The Lark Finches feed principally upon seeds which they obtain upon the ground. They are most abundant in prairies and other open lands, though they also visit trees, or resort to their immediate neighborhood. In general habits, they resemble the "White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichice, next to whom they should properl}^ stand). Mr. Ridgway considered their delightful song, which is usually delivered from a perch, as the finest belonging to the finches. IX. AMMODROMUS (A) MARiTiMus. Seaside Finch. (Almost wholly absent from Massachusetts, though said by Dr. Coues to be, or to have been, abundant in New Hamp- shire.) (a). About six inches long. Tail-feathers narrow and pointed, as also in caudacutus. Superciliary line from bill to eye, and edge of the wing, yellow. Upper parts, and side- shading below, brown or gray, olive-tinted, the former more or less streaked. Under parts, white ; breast tinted with brown, and faintly or obsoletcly streaked. Wings and tail, plain, scarcely marked. Side-markings on the head, vague. (&). "The nest is usually placed in a tussock of grass, in the fresh water marshes, or on the sea-shore beyond the reach of high-tide." The eggs measure about -80 X '57 of an inch, and are white, gray-tinged, thickly, finely, and most often evenly marked with brown, which is sometimes confluent or predominant at the crown. (c). I regret that I know nothing of the habits of the Sea- side Finches, and that I cannot add to what has appeared in the various meagre accounts of these birds already published. OF NEW ENGLAND. 191 Dr. Coues considered this species abundant on the coast of New Hampshire, but " Mr. Brewster * * * * has looked for it in vain at R3'e Beach." Mr. Maynard doubts the occurrence of these birds on the coast of Massachusetts, but, says Mr. Allen, in his "Notes on the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," " they were formerly known to breed in the Chelsea marshes, and probably do still." Wilson speaks of the Sea-side Finch as " keeping almost continually within the boundaries of tide water," and adds that " amidst the recesses of these wet sea marshes it seeks the rankest growth of grass, and sea weed, and climbs along the stalks of the rushes with as much dex- terity as it runs along the ground, which is rather a singular circumstance, most of our climbers being rather awkward at running." ^'^ (d) . Their notes are said to be a cliirp, and a song, hardly worthy of the name, which is somewhat like that of the Yel- low-winged Sparrow. (B) CAUDACUTUS. Sharp-tailed Finch. (A summer-resident in Massachusetts, but rare, being con- fined to a few mai'shes and other places.) (a). About 5J inches long. Tail-feathers more sharply pointed than in maritimus. (Edge of the wing, yellowish.) Crown, brownish, black-streaked, and with a median line. Sujyerciliary line, and sides of the head, orange-hroivn. Ear- patch, and back, brown or gray, olive-tinted ; the latter dark- streaked (with feathers pale-edged). Beneath, white; breast, brownish-yellow, black-streaked. (6). The nest and eggs resemble very exactly those of the Sea-side Finch, being found in marshes and on the sea-shore. The eggs measure about -TTX'SS of an inch, and are white, gray-tinted, thickl}', finely, and usually evenly marked with brown, which sometimes predominates about the crown, or is confluent. Mr. Brewster says that they are not laid here until the first week of July, but these may belong to a second set. (c). With the Sharp-tailed Finches I can claim no intimate '"Vol.IV, p. 68. 192 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS acquaintance. The.y probably do not occur to the northward of Massachusetts, where they are chiefly confined to a few lo- calities, such as the salt-water marshes of Charles River, and those at Ipswich. These places they reach in April, and do not leave until October, or even the latter part of that month. Thej' sometimes frequent the fresh-water marshes, but gener- all3' prefer the sea-coast and its neighborhood. Thej"^ run very nimbly, and make their way so cleverly among the rushes and tall grass that one cannot easil}' see them except by "flushing" them, when they take a short flight and immediately drop to conceal themselves. -They are already verj' rare in this State, and, I fear, will be soon exterminated here, as, from their scarcit}', they are unwisely persecuted every year b}^ enter- prising naturalists. Their extermination is facilitated hj their confinement to a few places, where they may be considered, iu a broad sense of the term, colonial. Dr. Brewer says that their flight '' is quite different from that of any other bird," and as I have m^-self observed, that " in flying they drop their tails very low," (d). Their single ordinary' note is "rather more mellow than that of the Sea-side Finch," but their song has little or no merit, and consists of but a few notes. X. COTURNICULUS (A) PASSERiNus. YeUow-ioinged Sparrow. (A summer-resident in Massachusetts, but in many parts rare.) (a). About five inches long. Crown, very dark, with a broAvnish-yellow median line, and a lighter superciliary line. Interscapulars, dull bay, black-streaked, and edged with brown- ish-yellow. Rump, brown and gray intermixed. Beneath, brownish-yellow or buff (obsoletely streaked) ; bell}'', almost white. Wings edged with bright yellow, and with a patch (the lesser covert) j^ellowish ; otherwise corresponding to the back and tail. {h). The nest is usuall}^ placed on the ground, in a field or pasture, is often lined with hairs, and is here finished in the OF NEW ENGLAND. 193 last week of May. Four or five eggs are then laid, averaging •78X'60 of an inch, and normally are white, with a wreath of blended reddish-brown and obscure lilac spots about the greater end, and a few scattered spots of the former color elsewhere. In some cases the markings cover the greater end, so that there is no distinct ring. (c). My own observations have shown me that the Yellow- winged Sparrows are rare, at least in some parts of Eastern Massachusetts, though common in others, during their com- paratively brief residence here through May and the summer- months. Mr. Maynard, however, considers them as " not un- common" throughout this district, being "very numerous on Nantucket Island ;" but Mr. Allen is, I think, right in believ- ing them to be more abundant in the western than in the other portions of the State, as, for instance, near Springfield. To the northward of Massachusetts they perhaps do not occur. They frequent almost exclusivel}^ dry fields, particularly such as are sand}'^ or do not contain a luxuriant vegetation, and feed upon seeds and insects. They are rather shy, and often nimbly escape a near approach. They run with ease, and never leave the ground, except to take a short, low flight, or to perch upon the top of some weed, or on some fence. Though often more or less collective, they are never strictly gregarious. (d). Their ordinary notes are a chirr, much like the note of some insect, and an occasional chick. Their song is so pecul- iar as to be quite characteristic, and may be represented by the syllables ^^ chick', chick-a-see," with the chief accent on the last and highest of these. Wilson speaks of their "short, weak, interrupted chirrup." (B) HENsLOwr. Henslow's Bunting. Hensloi&s Sparroio. (A summer-resident in Massachusetts of rarity.) (a). Five inches long (or less). JAlie, passerimis (A, a) but "more yellowish above, and with sharp maxillary, pectoral and lateral black streaks below." (Coues.) (&). The nest, which is somewhat coarse, is built upon the 14 191 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS ground. " The eggs," sa3's Dr. Brewer, " five or six in number, somewhat resemble those of the C. j^cisserinus. Their ground- color is a clear bright white, and they are spotted with well- defined reddish-brown markings and more subdued tints of purple. The markings, so far as I have seen their eggs, are finer and fewer than those of C. passerinus, and are distriljuted more exclusively around the larger end. The eggs measure •78X"G0 of an inch, and are of a more oblong oval than those of the common Yellow-wing." (c). The Henslow's Buntings are very rare in Massachu- setts, though said by Mr. Maynard^i to seem "more common at some localities in the State than" their immediate relations, the Yellow-winged Sparrows. Like these latter birds they fre- quent fields (and chiefly, so far as my observations prove, those which are dr}^ or sandj'), and are always on or near the ground. Thej' feed on seeds and insects, and easily secure the smaller beetles, etc., from the facility -with which 4;hey run and make their way among the weeds and grass. Mr. Maynard*^- has recorded that he "took two males in a wet meadow on May 10, 18G7," whose " song-note" was " like the syllables 'see-icicA;,' with the first prolongedly and the second quickly given." I have seen the Henslow's Sparrows here only in May and the warmer part of summer ; but, though Massachusetts is consid- ered as their northern limit, I have suspicions, upon which I shall not here enlarge, that they occur in at least one spot among the White Mountains. I ma}^ add that this species was at first recorded in this State as Bachman's Finch (Peuccea cestivalis), an error afterwards corrected. (cl). Mr, Ridgway, as quoted by Dr. Brewer, speaks of "the tail being depressed, and the head thrown back at each utterance" of their notes. "lAs quoted by Mr. Allen in his "Notes on Some of tlie Rarer Birds of Mas- sachusetts." »2ln liis "Naturalist's Guide," p. 117. OF NEW ENGLAND. 195 XI. PASSERCULUS (A) PRiNCEPS. Ipsioicli Sparroiv. (A northern species, but lately discovered, reaching New England in winter.) (a). Mr. Maynard describes as follows the first specimen obtained (though the italicizing is my own) : "Back grayish ; the middle of the feathers having a black centre edged with rufous. Top of head streaked with dusk}'' and pale rufous, divided by a broad stripe of pale yelloivish white. There is also a whitish superciliary stripe extending from the base of the bill to the back of the head. Ear-coverts grayish, with a rufous tinge." (Description of wings here omitted.) White wing-bars "rather indistinct." "2'cw7 brownish, with the tips of the feathers and terminal half of the outer iveb of the outer tail- feathers pale yelloicish tvhite; the rest of the tail-feathers nar- rowly edged with the same. Under parts, including under tail-coverts, pure white. Feathers of the sides of the throat, with a broad band across the breast and sides, streaked with rufous, with dusky centres. The throat is indistinctly spotted with dusky. A triangular spot on the sides of the neck, below the ear-coverts, pale buff; ears dusky. Bill dark brown, with the base of the under mandible paler; Ej-es and feet brown." Length, six inches (or more) . (c). That I may do full honor to Mr. Ma^-nard, as the dis- coverer of a bird, not before described, in a country well popu- lated by naturalists of all sorts, I shall here transcribe at length his own remarks about the Ipswich Sparrow, which he at first erroneously supposed to be the Baird's SparroWj^^^ Pro- fessor Baird having pronounced it to be that species. This mistake, however excusable on the part of the latter gentle- man, who is ranked as the foremost of American naturalists. "3 Until within the last two or three years this latter bird, a species couflnecl to the western United States, was known to ornithologists by one specimen only, one of those shot by Audubon " upon the banks of the Yellowstone Kiver, July 26, 1813." Lately others have been shot, and their habits studied in northern Dakota. 196 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS sbows the necessity of strict accuracj'^ and the utmost care in scientific investigation. Mr. Ma3-narcl says : " The Ipswich Sand-hills, where the specimen was procured, is a most peculiar place. I never have met with its equal anywhere. Years ago these Sand-hills, which are three miles long by three-fourths of a mile across, and contain about one thousand acres, were covered with a thick growth of pine-trees. Protected by these trees, and among them, dwelt a tribe of Indians, whose earlier presence is indicated, not only by tradition, but b}'^ numerous shell heaps scattered over the Sand-hills at irregular intervals. Indeed, even now the ashes of camp-fires may be seen, apparently fresh. Upon the advent of the white man, the usual event transpired, namely, the disappearance of the trees ; and to- da}', with the exception of a few scattering ones at the south- easterl}' corner, near the house of the proprietor of the Sand- hills, Mr. George "Woodbury, not a tree is to be seen. All is bleak and barren. The surface of the ground, once covered with a slight deposit of soil, has become a mass of shifting sands. Many times has the present owner had cause to regret the want of foresight in his ancestors in removing the trees, as the several acres of arable land around the house are now cov- ered with sand, including a valuable apple-orchard. Upon this orchard the sand has drifted to the depth of thirty feet. Some of the trees present the curious phenomenon of apples growing upon limbs that protrude a few feet onl}' above the sand, while the trunk and lower branches are buried ! The Sand-hills, in places, are covered with a sparse growth of coarse grass, upon the seeds of which, as I have remarked elsewhere, thousands of Snow Buntings feed. There are, in some places, sinks or depressions with the level of the sea. In these sinks, which, except during the summer months, are filled with fresh water, a more luxuriant growth of grass appears. Walking, on De- cember 4, 1868, near one of these places, in search of Lapland Longspurs, I started a sparrow from out the tall grass, which flew wildly, and alighted again a few rods away. I approached the spot, surprised at seeing a sparrow at this late da}' so far OF NEW ENGLAND. 197 north, especially in so bleak a place. After some trouble I again started it. It flew wildly as before, when I fired, and was fortunate enough to secure it. It proved to be Baird's Sparrow. When I found I had taken a specimen which I had never seen before, — although at that time I did not know its name or the interest attached to it, — I instantly went in search of more. After a time I succeeded in starting another. This one, however, rose too far off for gunshot, and I did not secure it. It flew away to a great distance, when I lost sight of it. After this I thought that among the myriads of Snow Buntings that continually rose a short distance from me I again detected it, but I was perhaps mistaken. I am confident of having seen it in previous j'ears at this place, earlier in the season." ■^ ^ ^ ^ ¥^ ^ '^ u * * * ^s might be expected, I heard no song-note at this season, but simply a short chirp of alarm." The Ipswich Sparrows are now known to be regular winter- visitants from the North along the coast of New England. They also occur inland, as I observed two, who were extremely shy, in a sandy field at the distance of several miles from the sea. (B) SAVANNA. Savannah Sparroic. (A rather colonial species, locally common in the summer- season throughout New England.) (a). About 5 J- inches long. With no bright tints (espec- ially about the interscapulars), and rarely a prominent pectoral blotch, as in the Song Sparrow (XIII, A, who sometimes, however, lacks the latter feature), and never with a chestnut patch on the wing, or conspicuous white on the tail as in the Grass Finch (XII, A). Feathers above, brownish-gray, on the tail scarcely marked, but elsewhere pale-edged, and darkly streaked, most finely upon the crown. Superciliary line and edge of the wing, yellowish ; a faint line dividing the crown, whitish. Beneath Avhite (or huffish), with dark streaks, brown- edged. A little bay is to be found on the wings, and among the interscapulars. 198 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (5). The nest is built on the ground, in the various summer- haunts of this bird. It is composed chiefly of diy grasses, and in Eastern Massachusetts is finished in the second week of May. Four or five eggs are then laid, averaging -75 X '55 of an inch, exhibiting great variation, and often approaching those of other sparrows. Some are dull white, faintly and minutely marked, most thickly at the crown. Dr. Brewer says : " In some the ground-color, which is of a greenish-white, is plainly visible, being only partially covered with blotches of brown, shaded with red and purple. These blotches are more numerous about the larger end, becoming confluent and forming a corona. In others the ground-color is entirely con- cealed by confluent ferruginous fine dots, over which are darker markings of brown and purple and a still darker ring of the same about the larger end." (c). The Savannah Sparrows show a marked preference for the sea-coast, and the islands near it, and are to be found much farther ^o the northward along the coast-line than in the inte- rior, where, however, they frequently occur to the southward of the mountain-chains in northern New England. To the inland, rather than along the shore, they are locally distributed, being the most colonial of all our sparrows. Though collective, they do not cluster as the swallov,-s do, but many often pass the summer in one place, and several pairs frequent the same field, or the same strip of shore. They reach Eastern Massachu- setts, where they are particularly "abundant in the salt-water marshes and their neighborhood," in the second or third week of April, but many soon pass to the northward. They have a settlement, if I may so call it, at a place in the White Mountains, where I made the following observations. They there inhabited the fields and pasture-lands. In the earlier part of July they were seen in small flocks, or families, to visit gardens in the search of food ; and, even so late as the twenty-third of that month, a nest was found containing freshly laid eggs. As well-grown young were also then observed, they doubtless reared two broods ; and certainly until the latter part of August they remained in the fields where they had OF NEW ENGLAND. 199 built their nests. Although the}- were eminently terrestrial in habits, and fed and nested on the ground, yet they not unfre- quently alighted on the fences between the pastures, and by the roadsides, or rarely on the telegraph-wires. They were very nimble on the ground, often chasing the insects, which consti- tuted their chief food ; and usnally, when frightened from their nests, they feigned lameness, and endeavored to lead one from the spot, — whereas the Bay-winged Buntings generally flew at once to some near fence. Unlike these latter, they did not often venture to the roads, except when,. autumn drawing near, they associated with the " Grass Finches," and followed their habits more closely than during the breeding-season. In Sep tember they seemed less numerous than in Jul}', but wandered much more freely over tlie country. In Massachusetts, a few stay until November, but a majority pass to the southward earlier, and I have never known any to spend the winter in New England. There is nothing very characteristic in their flight, which is usually short and low. They are often shy, and can never be closely approached when on the ground, and though they sometimes feed in gardens near houses or barns, they commonly prefer the more remote fields, where civilization is not bus3^ (d). Their notes are interesting, as distinct from those of other birds, and so far as I know, are appreciably like only those of the Yellow-winged Sparrows. Besides a low cJiip (?) they have a peculiar chirp, which one might reasonably attrib- ute to some loud-voiced cricket or beetle, and which also bears resemblance to the Night "Hawk's" ordinaiy cr}-. Their song-notes are very characteristic, and are drawly but musical. They nearly resemble the syllables chip-chirr^ sometimes ex- tended to chip-chee, chee-chee-chirr, or so varied as to be a song. In describing three common birds, frequently confused by the ignorant or inexperienced, namely : — the Savannah Finch, the Bay-winged Bunting, and the Song Sparrow, I have en- deavored to mark the characteristic differences so as to render their identification a matter of no difficulty. These streaked species, as well as their ground-nesting relations, are often 200 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS inrliscriminately called " Ground Sparrows ;" and likewise a sparrow's nest found in a bush is referred to the equally vague " Bush Sparrow." One may often hear it said that " the Ground Sparrow sings charmingly," but whether this refers to the Field, Song, or Bay-winged Sparrow, it is impossible to say, though doubts are lessened if the bird is described as streaked beneath. It is to be observed that the Savannah Sparrows (with generally dull tints) are most common near the sea, often frequenting marshes, and, like the Yellow-winged Sparrows (unstreaked beneath) who have a preference for dry and sandy fields, are quaintly but not sweetly musical. The Song Sparrows (with generally bright tints) to a certain extent, as the Swamp Sparrows (unstreaked beneath) do exclusivel}', pass their time in swamps and meadows, and are both sweet musicians, as the Baj'-winged Buntings, characterized by their conspicuously white outer tail-feathers, also are. Tiie little " Chippers " and Field Sparrows (unlike the above mentioned "Yellow-wings") are brightly tinted above, and (like them) unstreaked below, the former having the breast light gray, the other pale brown or buff. The former' is often found in the immediate neighborhood of man, and is unmusical, but the latter sings most charmingly from the fields, pastures, and bush}' " scrub," which he is ever in. The little strealced female of the Purple Finch, a mellow warbler, should be ke2)t distinct, as should the Lincoln's and the Henslow's Sparrows, who are, however, very rare in Massachusetts, especially the Lincoln's Finch. XII. POOCETES (A) GUAMiNEus. '■^ Grass Finch." Bay-imnged Bunting. Bay- winged Sparroiu. Vesjyer Sparroio. (A common resident in New England, except in the winter- season.) (a). About six inches long. A 2)ci'tcli on the wing {i\\Q \q^sqv covert), chestnut. The outer tail-feathers, ivhite. Above, gray- ish-brown, darkly streaked, most finely on the crown, which is OF NEW ENGLAND. 201 not divitled. Below, white (often buff-tinged) ; breast and sides streaked with brown or black. Wings marked with bay. Eye-ring white. (&). The nest is invariably placed on the ground, generally in a pasture or field. It is lined with fine roots, dried grasses, or horse-hairs. In Massachusetts two sets of eggs are laid, one in the last week of May or earlier, and the other a month or more later, each containing four or five. These average '80 X '60 of an inch, but exhibit several variations in coloration. One specimen before me is white, irregularly spotted and blotched with a rather light reddish-brown and extremely faint lilac, and measures *87 X *65 of an inch. Another is dull livid white, with fine but almost invisible markings scattered over the egg, and a few large umber-brown spots, some of which are surmounted with black. These forms are almost two ex- tremes. A third has scrawls and vermiculations on it, and there are still others entirely distinct in character. (c). The Baj'-winged Buntings, with the exception of the Song Sparrows and "Chippers," and perhaps the Goldfinches, are the most abundant members of their family to be found in New England, during summer. Though they sometimes reach Eastern Massachusetts in March, they more commonly appear in the second or third week of April, and become plent}' before May. Usuall}^ a few only can be found here in November, the majority returning to the South in the preceding month. A very few may possibly spend the winter in this State, but I have never known such to be the case. In earlj' spring, they are to be found in fields, pastures, vegetable-gardens, and ploughed lands, often in association with other species, or gathered by themselves. They are not so persistent in remain- ing on or near the ground as the Savannah Sparrows (being rather less nimble), are not so much confined as those birds are to certain localities, and are not, I think, usually so com- mon near the sea- shore as in the interior. Tliey have, how- ever, a much more limited distribution, being found in summer neither so far to the northward or southward. The so-called Grass Finches, though they spend much of their 202 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS time on the ground, often alight on the ridge-poles of barns, and on fences, or on telegraph-wires, — generally those by the roadside, where fields are near at hand. Thej'^ often venture to the roads, where the}' pick up food, and sometimes dust themseh'es, general!}' being undisturbed by a near approach. When approached in the fields, they often run ahead, if a per- son walks behind, occasionally "squatting," so to speak, as if to rest. The whole or partial whiteness of their outer tail- feathers, noticeable as the birds fly, renders the Bay-winged Buntings easily recognizable. These finches build their nests in fields and pasture-lands, usually produce their first set of eggs in the early part of May, and raise two or even three broods in the course of one summer, so that their duties to their young are often not completed until August. In the lat- ter part of that month, and later in the season, they are chiefly gregarious, and, perhaps associated Avith Song or Savannah Sparrows, frequent in large flocks the roadsides, and their other feeding-grounds. Their flights are less confined than those of the Savannah Finches, though they are not much on the wing. They are, however, bolder than those birds, though like them they avoid to a certain extent the neigliborhood of houses. (d). The song of the Bay-winged Buntings is quite loud and clear, and resembles that of the Song Sparrow, but is en- tirely distinct, and rather sweeter though less lively. It often may be heard in the heat of a summer-noon, but is more often repeated towards dusk, whence the name of "Vesper Sparrow." It is my impression that I have heard it once or twice at night, and I have certainly heard it in October. Their ordinary note, a chijJ, is in no way characteristic. XIII. MELOSPIZA (A) MELODiA. Song Sparroio. (A resident in Massachusetts throughout the year. In sum- mer very abundant in all the New England States.) (a), of— 6^ inches long. (Head-markings, never prominent, are as follows: — crown bay, finely streaked with black; me- OF NEW ENGLAND. 203 dian and snpevciliary stripes, impure white ; side-markings often vague). Interscajndars, h'riijlit reddish-broicn (or "bay"), pale-edged, and blacJc-strecd-ed. Tail brown, sometimes faintly barred. (Rump, brown with a few markings.) Under parts, white (shaded with brown behind), with black streaks, brown- edged, on the breast and sides, general!}' coalescing into a conspicuous blotch on the former (and into maxillary stripes). Wings in no contrast to the back. (b). The nest is composed of dried leaves, stalks, grasses and the like, and is often bulk}'. The lining consists of finer materials of the same sort, or of horse-hairs. The nest is most often placed upon the ground in fields and pastures, fre- quently under shelter of a bush or tussock ; less commonly in bushes and thickets on or near meadows, or in shrubbery and hedges near houses. Wilson speaks of one found in a cedar- tree, five or six feet from the ground ; and I have seen or heard of several peculiar specimens, such as one built in a broken jar. The eggs vary considerably in size, and greatly in colora- tion, often resembling those of other species. In Eastern Massachusetts two or three sets of four or five (rarely six) are usually laid in the course of the season, tlie first appearing about the first of May, or even earlier, when snow is on the ground. Several ditferent specimens are now before me. The first measures '85 X '60 of an inch, and is dull white (perhaps green-tinged), faintly but thickly blotched with a purple-tinged brown. The second is elliptical, measuring "78 X 'GO of an inch, and is dull white, thickly but irregularly marked with the same purple-tinged brown of a somewhat darker shade, and with traces of lilac. The third is almost elliptical, measures '80 X '58 of an inch, and is marked thickly but finely with brown and lilac. The fourth measures *78 X *55 of an inch, and is white, tinged Avith greenish gray, and minutely marked with sandy brown, a little lilac, and one or two black scrawls near the crown. The fifth is light blue, greenish-tinged, finely marked and also irregularly blotched, chiefly at the crown, with Vandyke-brown and a little lilac, and measures '78 X '58 , of an inch. The sixth measures '77 X "55 of an inch, and is 204 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of a liglit but bright greenish blue, chiefly marked b}' cloudings of Vand3-ke-brown (in some plfvces umber) and lilac, grouped in an irregular ring about the larger end. A seventh resem- bles strongl}^ the ordinary egg of the Swamp Sparrow, and another is dull white, with markings so feeble as to be almost invisible. Still other forms exist, with various combinations, to detail all of which would be impossible. (c). On winter-days one may sometimes see certain small birds, skulking from thicket to thicket in the swamps, or other cheerless places, occasionally hopping on the ground to pick up the seeds which have fallen from the weeds upon the snow, now and then emitting a rather melanchol}* note ; and these are the Song Sparrows, for a few always pass the winter in Eastern Massachusetts, though strange to say much less common, at least in one township, during the past ver3' mild winter than in the preceding one, an extraordinarily severe season. This was also the case with the Robins. Besides having seen the Song Sparrows, I have also heard their song near Boston, in every month of the year,^-* but in winter the}'' are rare. About the middle of March the}' first practise their spring carols ; and those who have passed the colder weather in the South then return to their spring-haunts. During the latter part of March and earl}' April they are extremely abundant, particularly in swamps and about vegetable-gardens, and in those places associate with other species, especially the Fox- colored Sparrows. They also become less shy than they are in winter, and some, to a certain extent, frequent shrubbery about houses, where, however, I have known one to remain throughout the year. Wherever they may be, at this season, they are in full song, and their haunts resound with the confu- sion of a hundred melodies poured out by these birds and their associates. Though the Song Sparrows cannot properly be called gregarious, yet in spring they often collect in large '■'^Mr. Maynard also says (in "The Natiiralist's Guide," p. 118):— "Mr. Brewster informs me that he has taken it (i. e. the Soug Sparrow) every month iu the year; has even heard it sing in January." OF NEW ENGLAND. 205 numbers at their feeding-grounds ; but gradually many leave us to pass the summer in a more northern country, and others begin to build their nests here. During the breeding-season they occupy the neighborhood of these nests, the various situ- ations of which have already been mentioned. In many locali- ties, other than those in which I have made my own observa- tions, such as the fields and pasture'-lands of the interior, and those of New Hampshire or Maine, they perhaps pass the spring as they do the summer, in those fields and their imme- diate surroundings. In such places they are probabl}' in the former season less common and less gregarious than in the country previously described. As they raise two or three broods every 3'ear, it is not until August (or a little earlier) that they are freed from their household cares. Like several other birds, they divide the labors of rearing their young, and the males, while their mates rear one brood, often build the nest for another, and are busied until summer is well advanced. Later in the 3'ear they collect at their feeding-grounds, but not so abundantly as in the spring, since the fall-migrations of this species extend through a greater length of time than the oth- ers. During the former the Song Sparrows are most common throughout a part of September and October, and associate with various other finches, rather preferring, at this season, dry grounds to the swamps. It is impossible, however, to exactly define the nature of the places in which they may then be usually found. After the middle of October, they appear and disappear until only those are left who pass the winter with us. At all times of the year, except during the mating-season, they are rather shy, and, when startled, almost invariably dive into some near brush-heap or thicket, where they are well concealed. They commonly prefer the neighborhood of the ground, running quite nimbly on it, but much more often perch in trees, even at a considerable height, than is commonly sup- posed. They have a gently undulating flight, flying low and never very far. In summer they are to be found throughout a greater part of northern North America, even so far to the southward as 206 LAND-BIRDS AXD GAME-BIRDS the Gulf of Mexico (though in the "West represented by several varieties), being abundant and well known in almost all parts of New England ; and, indeed, in a majorit}' of places the}' are, with the exception of the Chipping Sparrows, the most com- mon of all the finches. It is impossible to define accurately all their haunts, since these vai'y according to the nature of the country, and somewhat according to the seasons ; but their haunts, and moreover all those minor habits which have not been fully detailed, may easily be learned by the ornithological experience of one or two 3'ears. (c?). The song of the Song Sparrow is sweet, lively, and poured out with an energ}"^ which doubles its charm. It has several variations, which might excusably be attributed to two or three species ; but the one most often heard is that which they give utterance to in the spring. This is an indescribable song, characteristic of itself. It usually begins with a thrice repeated note, followed by the sprightly part of the music, concluding with another note, which, like the first, is often tripled.^^ The Song Sparrows have also eccentric music, pecu- liar to the mating-season, and in autumn often soliloquize. In the earlier part of spring thej^ sing most loudl}^ in summer they are much less often heard ; in fall they sing unfrequently, and in winter seldom. Occasionally they pour out their music, when dropping to the ground from some perch above the fields, with wings outstretched. Their ordinary notes are a charac- teristic, sharp chuck, or " hoarse cheep" as it variously sounds, and a chip, less often heard, which resembles that of several other sparrows. The Song Sparrows, regarding man's so-called " interests," are neutral, feeding principally upon seeds or small berries, but with those who know them are justly favorites, particularly on account of their sprightly song, which, if we except the Blue Birds' note, is the first to be heard in spring. '=Sec account of the Ked-winged Blackbird's notes (§14, IV, A, d). OF NEW ENGLAND. 207 (B) LiNCOLNi. Lincoln's Finch. Lincoln's Sj)a.rrmv. (Of great rarity in Massachusetts, occurring as a summer- resident.) (n). 5^ inches long. Below, white ; dusky-streaked, except on the belly. Breast hand (and side-shading), broivnish-yelloiv. Above, graj'ish-brown ; crown and back streaked with blackish, brownish, and paler ; tail scarcely' marked. Wings with some bay and white. (Abridged from Coues.) (V). The nests hitherto found have all been placed upon the ground. An egg in my collection measures about 'ToX "55 of an inch, and is light green, finely blotched all over with a medium brown, which is purple-tinged. Dr. Brewer describes others, having "a pale greenish-white ground," "thickly marked with dots and small blotches of a ferruginous-brovyn," etc. (c). The Lincoln's Finches are very rare in Massachusetts, a few specimens only having been hitherto obtained in this State. Their summer-habitat is an extensive one, — "the United States from Atlantic to Pacific," — including the North, for they were "first met with by Mr. Audubon in Labrador." As I have seen them but once, my brief description of their habits is gathered from Dr. Brewer's account of them.'^'^ The Lincoln's Finch is allied in habits to the Song Sparrow, singing "for whole hours at a time" from the top of some shrub, often diving into thickets, and, when frightened, flying "low and rapidly to a considerable distance" (as the Song Sparrow does not) "jerking its tail* as it proceeds, and throwing itself into the thickest bush it meets." Audubon found the Lincoln's Sparrows chiefly near streams ; and apparently these birds are often gregarious, at least during the migrations. (d). Their song is said to be a fine one, and is described "as composed of the notes of a Canary and a Woodlark of Europe." They have also a "chuck." ecjMy biography of this species was -written before I had access to the works of Audubon. 208 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (C) PALUSTRis. Siciwijj Sparroiv. (In Massachusetts, on the whole, a common summer-resi- dent.) (o). 5i-6 inches long. Crown, ba^' (in ^ in autumn and $ , black-streaked, and divided by a light line). Forehead ("and nuchal patch"?), often black. (Side-markings on the head not prominent.) Side of head, and the breast, warm gray or " ash." Latter sometimes marked with obsolete streaks, which become more distinct on the sides (which are often brown-washed). Chin and belly, almost white. Interscapulars, bay, boldly black-streaked (and pale-edged). Rump the same. Tail not strongly marked ; wings much edged with bay. (&). The nest is placed in swamps, and on or near meadows, usually in a tussock of grass, but sometimes in a low bush. It is much like that of the Song Sparrow, and is finished about the middle of May. The eggs of each set, two sets being often laid in the season, are four or five, and average about '80 X "CO of an inch. They are white, tinged with gra}-, green, or blue, finelj- marked with brown (and lilac), and irregularly blotched or even splashed, usually more thickly about the crown than elsewhere, with two or three shades of a brown, varying in tint from sandy-brown to umber. I have seen eggs, both of the Song and Tree Sparrows, very closely resembling them. (c). There are few things more charming in Nature than her first music in spring ; and the simple chant of the Song Sparrow in March makes the heart gladder than the melody of the Wood Thrush in June. Yet the cheerful song of the former, when first heard to ring through the meadows, inspires but delusive hopes of spring, and it is therefore tliat the sweet but more modest notes of the Swamp Sparrow, heard later, may aflbrd to those who hear them a more lasting pleasure. But this bird is unfortunately almost unknown except to the student of birds, owing to his continual residence in swamps, meadow-thickets, or even marshes, his rareness in man}' places, and above all his shyness. It is, therefore, with pleasure that OF NEW ENGLAND. 209 I shall endeavor, so far as possible, to introduce him to my readers. The Swamp Sparrows are locally common thifonghout New England, but most so to the southward and eastward. They reach the neighborhood of Boston in tlie earlier part of April, and remain there until October or even November. They inhabit exclusively wet lands, chiefly those which are rather secluded, or which contain bushes and the like. They are shy, and it is almost impossible to study their habits except by penetrating their haunts and resting there motionless. Tiiey may be there observed to move from bush to bush, but not "jerking their tails as they fly," or to run quite nimbly on the ground, where they find much of their food, which consists of seeds, berries, and insects. They are not so collective as the Song Sparrows often are, nor have I often seen them perched in trees. On the contrary, they are very terrestrial, often scratching like the Fox Sparrows, or wading in shallow water. (d). The Swamp Sparrows excel all our other finches in the variety of their distinct notes, and on this score are perhaps to be ranked as the first musicians of their family. Of these notes their mellow chuck, their harsh scold, and their song, bear a strong resemblance to the corresponding notes of the Cat- bird. This song is much less pleasing than the sweet, clear trill, much like that of the Pine Warbler or Snow-bird, which generally replaces it in spring, or their low warble occasionally to be heard in autumn. They have also a soft chip^ a queru- lous note, and certain expressive twitters. Like the Song Spar- rows, who sing chiefl}' in the early morning and at dusk, they keep comparatively late hours, and often do not retire until it is almost dark. I remember to have seen one at evening in the eccentric expression of his passion during the season of love, dart from a thicket, mount in the air, and take quite a rapid, circuitous flight, continually uttering a fine, steady trill, until, having returned to the thicket, he dived into it, ejacula- ting a few broken musical notes, after which all was still. Song with birds is often a passion, or the effect of one, and the chaf- finches in France are said, when caged, and placed as rivals 15 210 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS near one another, to sing until one finally succumbs, often falling dead on the floor of his cage ! XIV. SPIZELLA (A) sociALis. Chipping Sparroio. '■'' Chipper.'" Etc. '•'■Hair- hir'd" (A very common summer-resident in Massachusetts, and almost throughout the United States.) (a). About 5^ inches long. Crown, chestnut; forehead, black (former in 9 often black- streaked). Interscapulars, red- dish-brown, edged with paler and black-streaked. Rump, ashy (slightly streaked ?). Tail forked, and dusky with pale edgings. Superciliary line, light ; e3'e-stripe, dark. Under parts, white ; lower throat and breast, very light warm gray (r= "pale ash"). Two narrow white bars on the wings, which otherwise accord with the back and tail. (Bill black, occasionally paler ; never reddish as in pusiUus.) (b). The nest is almost invariably composed of fine rootlets (occasionally — in pastures — of straw, and therefore compara- tively bulky), and is lined with horse-hairs, whence the name " Hair-bird." I have one made entirely of white hairs, and strikingly different from all other specimens of bird-architec- ture. The nest is usually placed, not far from the ground, '5''' in shrubbery near houses, in piazza-vines, or in cedar-trees — particularly those in pastures ; also not infrequently in pines or orchard-trees, and less often in shade-trees. The eggs aver- age -08 X "48 of an inch, and are light but bright bluish-green, with dark purplish and black markings, which form a ring about the large end (and are rarely like the scrawls on the eggs of the blackbirds, § 17, IV). In Massachusetts, two sets of four or five are usually laid every year, the first of which commonl}' appears about the first of June. (c). The Chipping Sparrows are the most familiar and abun- dant summer-residents in Massachusetts, of all the numerous finches. They reach the neighborhood of Boston about the " In a few exceptional cases it has been found upon it. OF NEW ENGLAND. 211 twentieth of April, but are not at that season gregarious, and about the first of May become abundant, soon afterwards be- ginning to build their nests. They inhabit more or less pas- ture-land, but particularly affect the neighborhood of man — to such a degree that they Avere formerly abundant on Boston Common, though they have lately been somewhat supplanted by the English sparrows. They frequent lawns, orchards, gardens, the neighborhood of houses, and public ways. They often obtain on the roadsides the small seeds which constitute a part of their food, and, when so doing, are rarely disturbed by the approach of man. They feed also very largely in sum- mer upon small caterpillars, inclusive of the dreaded canker- worms, and are thus beneficial to man. Towaixls one another they are rather pugnacious, but perhaps pla^^fully so. Their flight, never a long one, is in no way peculiar. They often perch upon fences, and sometimes between two narrowly sep- arated pickets, which well illustrates their littleness. They rarely perch or fly at anj'- great height from the ground, and indeed are not commonly to be seen in tall trees, unless in the lower branches, for instance of the pines, in which the}' often build their nests. There is hardly a populated district of Massachusetts where they are not common, but to the north- ward of that State they gradually become rarer, though in sum- mer found in Arctic. countries. In Northern New Hampshire, they are not very numerous, and they there collect in small flocks so early as August. In Massachusetts they congregate in September, sometimes to the number of a hundred, but do not associate much with other species. They disappear in the early part of October, and retire to pass the winter in the South. Before their departure they frequent the roadsides, or vegetable-gardens, where they can obtain abundant food, and may often be seen to pursue one another, uttering their rather weak battle-cries. (d)- Their ordinary note is a single cliip, like that of the Tree Sparrow. But the "Chippers" also possess a variety of combined chips, and a series of querulous twitters, which they employ as a battle-cry. Their nearest approach to a song is 212 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS a long, dry-toned, unmusical trill, which, from their perch on fence or tree, they often repeat during the breeding-season and summer. These trills have several variations, which are some- times combined, one with a rising inflection being followed by a more open one with a reverse inflection. It is said that in- dividuals have actual!}' been known to sing, and very sweetly, but such cases are wholly exceptional, " et lusus naturae." The Chi[7iDing Sparrows are " so tame as to be fed with crumbs from the table," so fearless of man as to be much fa- vored by him, and so common that they may eventually become as intimate in our households as certain birds of Europe are in those of their country. ^ (B) MONTicoLA. Tree Sparrow.^^ ^'■Arctic Chipiyer." (In Massachusetts, a winter-resident, generally quite com- mon and regular in appearance.) (a). About six inches long. (" Bill black above, yellow below.") Crown, chestnut, in winter slightly marked. Super- ciliary line, dull white; eye-stripe (and maxillary line), dark. Interscapulars, bright ba}-, pale-edged, and black-streaked. Rump unmarked; tail, dusky ("black") with white edgings. Under parts, white. Sides of head, lower throat, and upper breast, 2i&\\y-tinted ; the latter with a dark central blotch. Sides, however, and rarely the whole under pants, brown-washed or butfy. Two conspicuous wing-bars, white ; part of the wing black. Wings otherwise as in socialis, " in keeping with" the back. {b). The Tree Sparrows breed in Arctic countries only. Their eggs are strikingly like those of the Swamp Sparrow and allied species (XIII, C), exhibiting some variation. A specimen before me measures about '77 X *5o of an inch, and is of a faint and vague blue or green, finely marked with brown all over, , clouded with umber-brown about the crown, and splashed in one or two places with a pale and peculiar tint of the same color. Dr. Brewer says that the eggs 88 Not to be confused with the English Tree Sparrow (XXV). OF NEW ENGLAND. 213 •85 X '65 of au inch." "Their ground-color is a light green," " freclded with minute markings of a foxy brown." (c). With the exception of the Snow-birds, tlie Tree Spar- rows are the most regular in appearance of all the finches who visit us in winter, but who pass the summer in a colder climate. They are, moreover, more or less common during their spring (and fall) migrations. They first malvc their appearance in Eastern Massachusetts in the last week of October, or the first of November, but many are then on their way to the South. In the last part of the latter month they become com- mon, and continue to reside here throughout the winter. They usually go about in small flocks, sometimes, however, in pairs or singly, but, when such is the case, several may usually be found in the same immediate neighborhood. They feed en- tirely (?) upon various seeds, and consequently spend their time mostly in fields where the weeds are not entirely covered by the snow, — in vegetable-gardens where the stubble of the summer's crop, or the withered asparagus-stalks, furnish them with food, — or in the roads and on the roadsides. When on the ground, the Tree Sparrows are quite nimble, which is highly consistent with their mode of life, since they generally feed when on the ground itself, though they sometimes perch upon the tops of weeds, and still more often may be seen in trees, frequently collecting in apple-trees. They prefer open grounds, and rather avoid the neighborhood of houses, though I have known one to join Snow-birds who were feeding on a piazza. They are not usually shy, and, indeed, I have seen them in village- streets, and have at other times approached within five yards of them, when occupied in picking up their food. When frightened, they do not dive into thickets or bushes as some other sparrows do. Their flight when short is low., when long is high, but at all times is rapid. The Tree Sparrows do not mingle much with other species, but seem to prefer one anoth- er's society, generally living in peace, though occasionally an unpleasantness takes place, when a brief combat ensues. In April they return to the North, but those who have passed the winter further to the southward than Massachusetts return at 214 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS this season, sometimes lingering here until the second week of May.'59 These sjiring-migrants associate solne^Yhat with other birds, and are, moreover, rather more shy than those who have been winter-visitors in the same neighborhood. I have occa- sionally seen them in the " scrub," when they were quite wild and quickly took to flight on a near approach. (d). The ordinary note of the Tree Sparrows is a chi2), which is more or less characteristic, and yet resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow. When they fight, these birds utter queru- lous but still musical twitters, which recall their own song, rather than any of the Chipper's notes. The following passage is a quotation from Dr. Brewer's account of the Tree Spar- rows, and describes their music as fully as it would be possible for me to do : " * * * during November, the marshes of Fresh Pondj'^'o are filled with them, when their wailing autumnal chant is in marked contrast with the sweet and lively song, with which they enliven the spring, just before they are about to depart for their summer homes." " In regard to their song, Mr. William Brewster informs me that they usually commence singing about the 25th of March. Their song is a loud, clear, and powerful chant, starting with two high notes, then falling rapidly and ending with a low, sweet warble. He has heard a few singing with their full vigor in November and December, but this is rare." " During the love-season, the Tree Sparrow is quite a fine musician, its song resembling that of the Canary, but finer, sweeter, and not so loud. In their migrations, Mr. Audubon states, a flock of twenty or more will perch upon the same tree, and join in a delightful chorus. Their flight is ele- vated and graceful, and in waving undulations," Just before their departure the Tree Sparrows, when in flocks and feeding on the ground, often produce an agreeable chorus, though at other times simply twitters. Occasionally in winter an indi- vidual emits a few musical notes. From my acquaintance with the Tree Sparrows, I have almost ""They must not then be confused with the Chipping Sparrows. (A.) '"At CambriJge. OF NEW ENGLAND. 215 involuntarily learned to associate them with a winter's after- noon drawing to its close, a clear sunset, with perhaps dark clouds above, and a rising north-west wind, which sweeps across the fields, to warn us of to-morrow's cold. The almost mournful chip of these birds, as the}^ fly to their nightly rest, has alwaj^s seemed to me a fitting accompaniment for such a scene. (C) PUSiLLUS. Field Sparroio. (A common summer-resident in Massachusetts, frequenting p'asture-lnnds and the "scrub.") (a). 5^- inches long. (" Bill pale reddish.") Crown, rufous- red. Sides of the head vaguely marked. Interscapulars, bright bay, black-streaked, with pale edging (or rarely none). Rump, median, unmarked. Tail, dusky-black ; feathers pale-edged. Wings (as in horealis, and) with two inconspicuous white wing- bars. Beneath, white ; breast and sides distinctly washed with brown. (Line dividing the crown, and nuchal patch, both faintly ashy, or wanting.) (6). The nest is placed on the gi'ound or in a low bush, in my own neighborhood generally the latter, and in a field, a pasture, or the scrub-land. When placed in a bush, it is us- ually composed of fine straws, and sometimes fine twigs also, and is occasionally lined with horse-hairs, which is nearly always the case when it is on the ground. Each set of eggs, two sets being often laid in a season, of which the first appears here in the last week of May, consists of four or five eggs, which average about 'TOX'SO of an inch, and are white (gray- tinged), with scattered spots of light, almost flesh-colored, red- dish-brown, which are rarel}' so confluent as nearlj' to conceal the ground-color. (c). The Field Sparrows, though quite common here in sum- mer, are not so generally well known as they deserve to be. Though found in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, yet Massachusetts is the most northern of the New England States in which they are common. In spring they come to the neighborhood of Boston in the latter part of April, at about 216 LAXD-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the same time as do the Chipping Sparrows, like them not col- lecting In flocks at this season ; and about the middle of May they begin to build their nests. Their usual haunts, in sum- mer, are pastures, fields (rather seldom those near swamps), and the "scrub." In these places they feed upon seeds and caterpillars, and occasionally, to obtain the former, venture to the roads and roadsides. But they are habitually much less familiar towards man than their near relations, the well kuown Chipping Sparrows, and lead a more retired life. In Sep- tember they collect in flocks, and leave us before October is far advanced. At this time they are bolder than before, and associate somewhat with other species — especially the "Chip- pers" ; feeding on the roadsides, and in pastures, stubble-fields, and vegetable-gardens. Their powers of flight are not great, though they are quite nimble on the ground, and they do not ordinarily perch at a greater height than on fences or bushes.' When frightened, they often disappear among the latter, but the female, when on her nest, is often courageous, and permits a near approach. (d). As has just been said, the Field Sparrows occasionally remain on their nests (particularly when these are in bushes), until one can see them looking up with an anxious, appealing expression, which is very charming. Sometimes, however, al- most always when the nest is on the ground, they take to flight, when one intrudes too boldly, though they at once return to the immediate neighborhood, and express their feelings by the utterance of repeated cidps. Wilson speaks of their cliir- ruping, by which he probably refers to their occasional twitters, but he says that they have no song. But the Field Sparrows do sing, and very sweetly, most often in the early morning and towards evening, though also at other times of the day. Their notes are sweet and very clear, and have been likened to the tinkling of a bell. They open with a few exquisitely modu- lated whistles, each higher and a very little louder than the preceding, and close with a sweet trill. But they are often varied; and, says Mr. Allen, "the songs of the males" in Florida " were so different from those of the northern bird that OP NEW ENGLAND. 217 the species was almost unrecognizable by me from its notes." The little Field Sparrows, however, are always charming sing- ers, and no sounds are more refreshing, on a warm afternoon of early summer, than those which they produce. XV. ZONOTRICIIIA (A) ALBicoLLis. White-throated Sx>arroio. ^'■Peabody-bird." " White-throat." (A common migrant through Massachusetts, many breeding in northern New England.) Fig. 9. White-throated Sparrow (^). (a). 6-7 inches long. Crown, to just below the e^'es, black, with a median line and superciliary line white, the latter, how-' ever, bright 3'ellow from the bill to the eye. Sides of the head, ash, or warm gray ; breast and sides, lighter. Throat and belly, white (the latter being separated from the ash of the head by a narrow black maxillary line). Back, reddish-brown, black- streaked, and feathers pale-edged. Rump and tail unmarked ; latter of a vague grayish brown, former ashy-tinted. AVings with two white bars, which are not prominent, and a yellow edge. 9 , with less pure and defined colors than the male. (&). The nest is built on or near the ground, in woodland, or sometimes pastures, and generally resembles that of the Snow-bird or Song Sparrow. The first set of four or five eggs \ 218 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS is laid in New Hampshire about the first of June, a second often coming later. The eggs average '85 X '65 of an inch, and are gra^'ish-white, finely marked and clouded with a dark brown. Paler t3'pes also exist, resembling some eggs of the Song Sparrow. ' (c). The "White-throated Sparrow is one of the largest, hand- somest, and most charmingly musical, of all the New England sparrows.'''' These birds habitually pass the winter in that coiuitry which is so often indefinitely referred to as " the South ;" and I have heard of but one supposed instance of their remaining in Massachusetts throughout the winter, which instance came to my notice (from an insufficient authoritj-) in the year 1874, when another specimen was reported from a town near Boston, in the latter part of July. The White- throated Sparrows usually come to that neighborhood, when on their way to their summer-homes, about the twentieth of April or a few da3's later, but in severe seasons not until May. During their stay here, which is commonl}' of between one and three weeks' duration, they spend their time in stubble-fields, roadsides, cultivated estates, and like places (also rarely in swamps) ; associating somewhat with other finches, particu- larly with those who are migrating at the same time ; generally '1 Since I have begun this article with the use of the singular number, I will here quote an explanation of why, in ornithological writings, it has been objected to, in reference to birds. "It necessitates the general use of either the pronoun she (which is not customary, except in sometimes speaking of a bird of prey), or the pronoun /je (which hardly generalizes to a sufficient extent one's remarks when applied to a species, and which sometimes causes an unintentional apparent dis- tinction between the male and female or their habits), or the pronoun it, which is the worst of all. For to speak of animated birds as its and tvhiches, to any one who has studied them and regards them as friends, is as uni)leasant as it would be to hear an acquaintance referred to by the neuter. By tlie use of the singular better expressions can sometimes be formed than by that of the plural, and the use of the pronouns he and she is sometimes efl"ective or necessary, but. in general, the plural is preferable for obvious reasons. The following exaggerated examides require no explanation. ' The Crow is black. lie builds his nest in pines, and lays four eggs in May.' 'The Robin is a common bird, and she is well known.' 'The Goldfinch, which is abundant here, is resident throughout the year. It sings in Way, and lays its eggs in June, etc' Though strictly incorrect, it is allowable by custom even to say: — 'they lay their eggs in June,' but the plural sometimes is certainly undesirable." OF NEW ENGLAND. 219 being themselves in small flocks, though separate individuals may now and then be seen. They feed almost entirely upon seeds, which they pick up from the ground, but they are not very quick in their movements. They are rather sliy, and, when frightened, usually fly to trees, not often perching at a greater height than thirty feet above the ground. They are not, however, so shy as never to come near houses, if they find the precincts attractive,.but they seem to be most bashful when they sing. Unfortunately they do not sing very much in spring, and, indeed, some naturalists have told me that they have heard them utter here only their ordinary notes. In summer, the "White-throats" inhabit northern New England (or the countries bej'ond), as for instance Mount Desert or the White Mountains. In both these places they frequent the woodland, especially that of " light growth," or the spruce- trees, and I have often heard them there near the tops of high wooded hills. I say " heard them," for one rarely sees them, because of their shyness. If I remember rightly, it is about the first of August that they almost cease to sing ; and, as autumn approaches, they show less attachment to their sum- mer-haunts. It is in September that they again make their appearance in Massachusetts, and, from the middle of that month until the latter part of October, they are tolerably com- mon, though a little irregularly so. In the autumn their habits are much the same as in the spring, but they are rather less gregarious. I have seen a solitary individual so late as the fourteenth of November, and I have, moreover, occasionally heard these birds sing during their fall-migrations. (d). The ordinar}' note of the White-throated Sparrows is a rather feeble " tseep" much like that of the Fox-colored Spar- rows, and indeed of other birds. Their song is sweet, clear, and exquisitely delicate, consisting of whistled notes, which have been likened to the words : — " Old Sam Peabody, peabody, peabody, peabody." '^^ This song is often somewhat varied, "It usually begins with a note pitched at about D on the piano, followed by one higher, which is succeeded by several triplets (2-5), each of which is pitched a little lower than the preceding. It is sometimes prefaced by a few low twitters. 220 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS and again snatches or parts of it are sometimes sung. It is more often whistled in tlie morning and at evening than any other times of the daj', and it may be sometimes heard at night. How often have I listened to its almost plaintive tones in the stillness and cool of the New Hampshire woods, and how charmed have I been to hear it sung at night, as one may some- times hear it in the summer-homes of these attractive birds. (B) LEUCOPHRYS. Wklte-croivned SiKirroiv. (A generally rare migrant through New England, breeding in the North.) (o). About seven inches long. Crown like that of albicollis (A), but with the median and superciliary lines much broader, and meeting behind. Rump and tail, and the under parts also, as in albicollis, but with the colors beneath less distinct. Nape and sides of head, light-colored. Back streaked with brown (=: "purplish-bay" ) and ashy-white. Wings with two white bars. (6). "Eggs of this species, from "Wj'oming Territory, meas- ure from -90 to -95 of an inch in length by -70 in breadth, and are of an oblong-oval shape. The ground-color is a light greenish-white, thickly marked with reddish-brown and lighter markings of an obscure purplish-brown. The intensity, depth of coloring, and size of the darker brown markings, vary. The}' are principally disposed about the larger end." (c). I shall not here give a detailed account of the White- crowned Sparrows, since they are closely allied to the White- throated Sparrows, of whose habits and notes a full description has been given in the preceding pages. They are very rare in Eastern but not so in Western Massachusetts, through which State they pass about the middle of May, and again in Sep- tember or early October. It is in spring, when traveling to the land north of the United States, that they are most com- mon. ^ They do not often mingle with the " White-throats," but often reach the neighborhood of Boston rather later, and, instead of gathering in flocks, usually go about individually or paired. They feed on the seeds, and perhaps the insects, which OF NEW ENGLAND. 221 they can obtain in swamps, stubble-fields, or on the roadsides ; but they also frequent woodland. They are so shy as to escape general notice, the more so from their strong resemblance to the "Peabody-birds" {Z. alhicollis). (d). I have heard them sing during their brief stay here but once or twice. Their song, and their " tseep," are almost exactly like those of the White-throated Sparrow, already described. XVI. PASSERELLA (A) iLiACA. Fox-colored Sparroiu. Fox Sparrow. (A common migrant through New England, but never resi- dent there.) (a). About seven inches long. Above, bright rusty-red or fox-color ; back with large, and crown with small, ashy streaks. Wings, rusty, with two slender white bars. Below, white ; marked, except on the belly, with chains of rusty or fox-colored blotches, which are here and there confluent. (&). The nests and eggs, as is the case with many others which are not to be found in New England, I must describe through other writers. Dr. Brewer says : -'Their eggs measure from -92 to an inch in length, and -70 in breadth. They are oblong in shape. Their ground-color is a light bluish-white, thickly spotted with a rusty-brown, often so fully as to conceal the ground." (c). The Fox-colored Sparrows are the largest and most strikingly handsome of all our sparrows, and as musicians are unsurpassed by any birds of that group. They are among the few land-birds that are known to occur in New England as migrants only, passing the summer in Labrador and other cold countries. While journeying to the South, thc}'^ are in Massa- chusetts during the latter part of October, as well as through- out the following month, and I have seen them here so late as the ninth of December. Though the}^ are then less often found in swamps, and do not sing, their habits are otherwise the same as in the spring. At that season, on their return to the North, they usually reach Boston about the middle of March, 222 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS and are common for a month or so, a few even lingering until May. They frequent for the most part swampy woodland, unless the water be frozen, though also gardens, stubble-fields, the roadsides, and occasionally the immediate neighborhood of houses (usually, in the last case, onl}' as individuals). They generally gather in parties of from five to twenty, and often associate with other birds, such as the Song Sparrows or Snow- birds, particularly the former. In the early morning their songs, when blended with those of these sparrows, form a loud and ver^^ striking, but confusing and misleading chorus. The Fox Sparrows are rather shy, when frightened taking flight to trees (especially the pines), but they pass most of their time upon the ground, where they feed principally upon seeds, and such morsels as they find beneatli the fallen leaves. They have a peculiar habit of scratching much like hens, and thus turn over the pine-needles, etc., or rake the grass. (cl). Their most pleasing characteristic is their song, which is rich, full, loud, clear, and ringing, though tinged with a slightly mournful tone. It can be well imitated by the liuman whistle, but cannot be well described, owing to its several variations. It may often be heard here, chiefly in the cooler hours of the day, in March or April. It is sometimes abridged to a sweet warble, to which twitters are occasionally added. The Fox- colored Sparrows have also a rather dreary lisp or " tseej)" and a loud chuck, which is more rarely heard. In my Journal is tlie following anecdote of a young bird of this species. " Nov. 24th. * * * * Observing him on a branch above me, I whis- tled the spring-song of this sparrow, being curious to observe his conduct. Whereupon the youngster swelled his throat, opened his bill, and apparently tried to sing, producing, how- ever, only a few weak hisses. This he repeated several times, as often as I whistled. Finding, however, none of his com- panions about, as I had probably led him to suppose, he soon returned to the asparagus-bed near by." His instinct of song, and his futile efforts to answer m}^ deceptive notes, afford much food for interesting thought. If anything can add freshness to the freshness of a bright OF NEW ENGLAND. 223 morning in spring, it is the nuisic which the Fox Sparrows produce at that season, and it is well worth the effort of early rising. XVII. JUNCO (A) HYEMALis. Snow-hirdJ'^ (In Massachusetts, common from September until May ; in winter, for the most part, only present with the snow, or just before storms.) (a). 6-64 inclies long. Outer tail-feathers, always pure white. In full plumage, slaty-black, with the breast and belly abruptly white. Often, especially in winter-specimens or the females, the black and white of the under parts are shaded into one another, and all the black is less pure, with brown edg- ings on the wings (and back), or is even replaced by a rich, warm, dark brown, which also tints the breast and sides. (&). The nest is built on the ground (often near roadsides), sometimes on a stump or log, and rarely in a bush or low ever- green. Four or five eggs are laid about the first of June among the White Mountains, and often others in July. These average -SOX "60 of an inch, and vary from pale grayish-white, marked thickly and delicately, but very faintly, with lilac, to bluish or greenish-white, spotted and blotched, chiefl}^ about the crown, with reddish-brown, umber, and often purplish. The nest may be found both in woods and pasture-land, differ- ing from those of the various warblers in being much larger and sometimes coarser. (c). The Snow-birds spend the summer in the woodland of the White Mountains, and other parts of northern New Eng- land (occasionally in the highlands of Western Massachus- etts?), but in the autumn pass with regularity to the southward of their summer-range. They are common in winter from New Hampshire to Florida, and near Boston occur so early as the latter part of September, and so late as the middle of May. '3 Often called the Black or Blue Suow-bird in distinction from the Snow Bunt- ing, or " White Snow-bird." 224 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS They frequent, while here, the woods, roadsides, stnbble-fields, etc., for the most part in small flocks, and often accompanied by sparrows. They are so tame as fearlessl}' to approach our houses and barns in the country, and they may be attracted to piazzas, particularly those with shrubbery near, by the scat- tering of cracked-wheat or oats. In spite of their familiaritj'', they are easil}^ startled, and fly immediately, at the presence of real or imaginary danger, to ti'ces or shrubbery. They hop quite nimbly on the ground, and while so doing constantly open and shut their tails with rapidity. They occasionally scratch like the Fox-colored Sparrows, or b}- a quick backward motion toss up the snow. I have seen them make passage- ways in this manner to reach the wheat placed for them on a stand, and such long ones that they disappeared in the re- cesses. The}' are quarrelsome, and in them we may see feebly reflected many of the human passions. They have, I believe, a topographical instinct, as is indicated by the prompt collec- tion of apparently the same individuals on the above-men- tioned stand, after the first fall of snow, at the beginning of two or three successive winters. They follow quite strictly, except in autumn and spring, the snow-line, often rather disap- pearing from Boston during the heavy thaws, and returning just before or with the storms. The}' are said to be common about Pl^-mouth, New Hampshire, during the warm "spells," though absent in cold weather. In March and April they be- come rather shy, and arc much among trees, such as the pines, from the branches of which the}^ utter a great variety of musi- cal notes. As soon as the milder weather comes, they migrate to the northward, and they are often scarce here in spi'lng. They are sometimes aflTected b}'^ a faintness or dizziness, which may apparently cause death, as I have several times found them lying dead, without a feather ruffled, or without a perceptible wound, and yet food was abundant at the time. Once, in walking througli the woods, m}' attention was attracted by the sound of some object falling, and, upon turning, I saw upon the ground a Snow-bird lying on his back. When I gently picked him up, he fluttered away to a branch, from OF NEW ENGLAND. 225 which he soon afterwards reeled and again fell. After a brief chase, daring which he flew feebly, iisnally alighting on the ground, I again captured him. On being taken to my room, he was for some while listless, but afterwards picked up a few of the grains spread for him on the floor, though he refused water. He soon began to fly about the room, most often against the window-panes, and was finally allowed to escape, when he perched in a bush, where half an hour later he was found, looking rather forlorn, though sufficiently active to es- cape a recapture. The Snow-birds, as I have discovered from several observa- tions made in March, though earl}^ risers, are very drowsy at sunrise. They at that season usually passed the night in evergreens, and before six o'clock in the morning gathered at some lilacs and other bushes, where many slept or rather napped, for several minutes, near the ground, though others were actively employed. So great was their drowsiness that I could approach them closely before they made the effort to rouse themselves. Other birds, observed at the same time, such as the "Red-polls," Crows, and Robins, seemed to awake with a desire for immediate activity, except those who sang before leaving their roosts. (d). The Snow-birds have a loud cJmck^ and cries of chit, chit-a-sit, or the like, which they utter particularly as they take to flight.*''' They have also in spring a great variety of twitters, trills, and even tinkling sounds, which are often so combined as to form a lively song. The notes which they employ when excited or quarreling strongly resemble the sound produced by the shying of a stone across the ice. Their trills are often so like those of the Pine Warblers, though more open and more like twitters, that it is difficult to distinguish them when the birds are together in the pines. These notes also differ but little from those of the Swamp Sparrow, in whose haunts, however, the Snow-birds rarel}^ occur. As the most common and regular of our winter-visitors, and 6'See§l, I,D. 16 226 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS almost the only ones who ever seek the neighborhood of man, the Snow-birds are certainly entitled to onr affections ; and their liveliness cannot but afford pleasure, when brought di- rectly in contrast at our very doors, so to speak, with the cold and storms of midwinter. Note. — According to Mr. William Brewster (Bulletin, Nutt- all Ornithological Club, April, 1876, Vol. I, No. 1) a female Oregon Snow-bird (Junco Oregonus) was " shot in Watertown, Mass., March 2oth, 1874." $ black ; ? browner. Lower breast, etc., white. Back and wing-edgings, " dull reddish- brown ;" sides paler. XVIII. PIPILO (A) ERYTHROPTHALMus. Towliee Buntbig . ^^Towhee." '■''Che- wbik." ^'•Ground Rohin." '■'•Marsh Rohin." ^'- Swamp Rohin."^^ (A common summer-resident in Massachusetts, but not com- mon to the northward of this State.) Fig. 10. Towhee Bunting (^). (a). 8-8^ inches long. (Iris, in the summer-season red, except in tlie young ; otherwise, white or nearly so.) $ , black ; lower breast, belly, and nearly the whole of the outermost tail- feathers, white. A conspicuous patch on the side of the breast, chestnut (with paler traces of it behind). Wings and tail "This name has been applied indiecriminately to several different birds. OF NEW ENGLAKD. 227 with some white, besides that mentioned. 9 , of a deep^ warm brown wliere tlie male is black. (6). The nest, which near Boston is generally finished in the last week of May, is to be found in the "scrub" and low wet woods. It is placed on the ground, or near it in a pile of underbrush, and is composed of twigs, dead leaves, grasses, and roots. The eggs of each set are usually four, averaging 1-00 X "75 of an inch ; and their ground-color is white, often tinged with brown or gray. The markings are usually very fine, rarely in blotches, and never coarse. They are sometimes most prominent about the crown, and sometimes are scattered evenly over the egg, often being very minute and numerous. Their colors are various browns, and occasionally lilac also. (c). The Towhee Buntings are common almost throughout the eastern United States, though rare to the northward of Massachusetts, and not known to occur beyond the White Mountains. In other parts of the country they are repre- ' sented by numerous closely allied species and varieties, as are other of our common birds, such as the Song Sparrow, of whom there are said to be no less than six distinct races in the West and North-west. 69 The " Towhees " usually reach Boston (which now includes much countiy within its limits) in the first week of May, sometimes earlier, sometimes later, and leave it in September or early October. On their arrival they sometimes appear in the copses and shrubbery of cultivated estates, but they usually desert these later in the season, and frequent almost exclusively swampy woodland, and the "scrub," often that growing on hillsides. The "scrub" is a low or bushy "growth" of trees, consisting chiefly of oaks and birches, which occurs for the most part in dry and hilly lands, particu- larly such as once contained pines. Here among the under- brush the "Chewinks" busy themselves, always on or near the ground, except when the males mount some low perch to sing. They search for seeds and insects underneath the leaves and decayed vegetation, which they turn over by scratching much 68 Dr. Coues. 228 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS like hens ; when disturbed, leaving the ground to e^^e the in- truder, but, unless pursued, immediately returning to their for- mer occupation. They may often be seen flying across the road or paths, with their broad, white-edged tail wide-spread. Thej' never are gregarious, except so far as to gather in family- parties during the autumn and their migrations at that season. It is not always easy to catch sight of them, particularly when they are near their nests, which the}^ conceal with extraordi- nary care, and often with much success. Though shy, they often seem saucy ; and, while one person complains of their chirruping to and starting his horse, another says that, on the discovery of their nest, they express their sorrow so impu- dently as to rouse his indignation. (d). Their most characteristic note is a '■'■ toio-hee" of which the last syllable resembles in tone the chirp of the Wilson's Thrush, though sometimes much more petulant. They have also a whistled " whit'-a-whit'-a-whit','' often repeated in the fall, when it sounds quite melancholy, and a loud chuclt.' The males have a simple but sweet song, often poured out in the early summer from some dilapidated fence or brush-heap, which may be represented by the w^ords "che we we we, wee," the last being an indefinite trill. This chant is frequently pro- longed by the addition of other notes, and, says Mr. Allen, in bis "List of the Winter Birds of East Florida," "as is well known, the song of" this bird "at the north consists of two parts, nearly equal in length but otherwise quite difierent," though in that of "the Florida bird the last half is almost entirely omitted." Mr. Samuels speaks of their having more- over " a quavering warble diflicult of description." XIX. EUSPIZA (A) AMERICANA. Blaclc-throcitpA Bunting. (Very rare in Massachusetts, where it has occasionally been found in the summer-season.) (a). About GJ inches long. $. Crown, yellow, rendered olive by an admixture of black, which here and there api)ear3 in streaks. Back of the neck, and side of the head, ashy. OF NEW ENGLAND. 229 Superciliary line, and edge of the wing, bright yellow ; breast paler. Other under parts, white ; lower throat with a broad black patch, forming a cross-bar. Upper parts, dull brown ; interscapulars black-streaked. Wings with bright chestnut, wanting in the 9 , who has less j'ellow, and no black beneath except in streaks. (&). The nest is usually built upon the ground in dr^' fields, and the eggs are bright, light blue, green-tinged, averaging •75 X "55 of an inch. (c). The Black-throated Buntings are extremel}' rare so far to the northward as Massachusetts, where, says Dr. Brewer, only two of their nests have been found, to which may now be added a third, which I myself found with fresh eggs, in the early part of June, at Canton. It was in a dry grassy field, near cultivated land, and such a place as these birds are said usually to inhabit. The female left her nest on my approach, and, after running through the grass, perched on a low fence, from which she, together with the male, watched me silently. These were the only living specimens that I have ever seen. The Black-throated Buntings, says Wilson, " arrive in Penn- sylvania from the south about the middle of May ; abound in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and seem to prefer level fields covered with rye-grass, timothy, or clover, * * *." They are " never gregarious ; but " are " almost always seen singly, or in pairs, or, at most, the individuals of one family together." " Their whole song consists of five notes, or, more properly, of two notes ; the first repeated twice and slowly, the second thrice, and rapidly, resembling chip, chip, che che che. Of this ditty, such as it is, they are by no means parsimonious," and like " the Yellow-Hammer of Britain * * * they are fond of mounting to the top of some half-grown tree, and there chir- ruping for half an hour at a time." Wilson's description of their eggs is wholly incorrect. XX. CYANOSPIZA (A) CYANEA. Indigo Bird. (A common summer-resident in southern New England, but less so to the northward.) 230 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (a). About 5^ inches long. (^ , bright indigo-blue, darker on the head, reflecting green in the light. Wings and tail, darker, with much blackish. ? , above, a peculiar shade of warm brown ; below, lighter, flaxen-tinted, sometimes strcak3\ {b). The nest is built in bushes or open shrubbery, not in- frequently near a house. It is composed outwardly of dead leaves, dry weed-stalks, grasses, etc. ; and is lined with flner materials of the same sort, or with hairs ; often being quite bulky. In Eastern Massachusetts four or Qve eggs are laid in the last week of Ma}^ or later. They average 'ToX-So of an inch, and are , white, often blue-tinged, and perhaps occasion- ally marked. (c). The Indigo Birds are common in New England as sum- mer-residents, occurring so far to the northward as Bethle- hem among the White Mountains, "^^ though, according to Dr. Brewer, locally distributed through Eastern Massachusetts. They arrive at Boston in the second week of May, and, during their residence here of about four months, frequent not only the pastures, woodland of low growth, and the " scrub," but shrubbery near houses, where they frequently build their nests, one of which, says Dr. Brewer, was occupied by a pair for five successive summers. They feed both upon insects and seeds, but principally the latter, which they often search for on the ground, even on the roadsides. They can fly quite rapidly, and in summer, even when there is no necessity for such wan- dering, often fly more than a mile at a considerable height, moving from one pasture to another. They are rather shy, and sometimes flnd this a convenient manner of escaping the an- noyance of intrusion. In autumn they are gregarious, and associate in small flocks with other finches. The females are insignificant little birds, occupied, during their stay here, chiefly with household cares, but the males, from their bright plumage, glistening with the reflections of the varying lights, and from their music, so persistently repeated, except near '"Mr. Wm. Couper says that they bi-eed near Quebec, iu Canada, where, how- ever, they are not common. OP NEW ENGLAND. 231 their nests, are alwa3'S conspicuous, and ever insist on making their presence known. (d). The song of the males is of varying length, sweet and lively, but rather weak, forcibly reminding one of the warblers. The Indigo Birds have also a diip and a loud chuck. Wilson, in speaking of this species, saj^s : — "It mounts to the highest tops of a large tree and chants for half an hour at a time. Its song is not one continued strain, but a repetition of short notes, commencing loud and rapid, and falling by almost im- perceptible gradations for six or eight seconds, till they seem hardly articulate, as if the little minstrel were quite exhausted ; and after a pause of half a minute or less, commences again as before. Some of our birds sing only in spring, and then chiefly in the morning, being comparatively mute during the heat of noon ; but the Indigo-bird chants with as much anima- tion under the meridian sun, in the month of July, as in the month of May ; and continues his song, occasionally, to the middle or end of August." XXI. GUIRACA (A) c^RULEA.'''^ Blue Grosbeak. (I know no instance of this bird's capture in Massachusetts, but it has been shot on Grand Menan Island.) (a). About 61- inches long. ^ . Above, dark blue, almost indigo, with no reflections. Wings and tail, black ; the former with a few brown markings. 9 , warm brown above, lighter and flaxen-tinted below. Wings with light bars. (6). The nest is built in a tree or bush; and the eggs are light blue, averaging about -95 X '''^0 of an inch. (c). The Blue Grosbeaks, so far as I know, cannot be prop- erly considered as birds of New England, though they have oc- curred both in New York and New Brunswick. Mr. Herrick, in his " Partial Catalogue of the Birds of Grand Menan," an '^ I am strongly inclined to place this species in the genus Cyanospiza, or at least a genus intermediate between that and the one in whicli it now is, but I have not ventured to do so. Guiraca may stand, if the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, etc., be called Hydemeles, as is now generally done. 232 LAXD-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS I island off the coast of the latter country, says that " in the spring of 1861, Mr. Cheney shot a fine $ specimen and sent it to G. A. Board man, Esq., in whose cabinet it now is." This specimen has been spoken of as having been obtained in Maine, which I suppose to be an error.'''^ The Blue Grosbeaks are probably closely allied to the Indigo Birds otherwise than merely bj' their coloration and structure, but I can ascertain but little about their habits. "Thej' are" says Wilson "timid birds, watchful, silent and active," feeding " on hemp seed, millet, and the kernels of several kinds of berries." (d). "Their most common note is a loud chuck; they have also at times a few low sweet toned notes." Their song is elsewhere described " as a rapid, intricate warble, like that of the Indigo Bird, though stronger and louder." They also sing at night. XXli. HYDEMELES (A) LUDOviciANA.'''^ Bose-breastecl GrosheaTc. (A common summer-resident in Massachusetts, though still scarce in many places.) (a). About eight inches long. ^, with the upper parts, whole head and neck, black. Rump and under parts, white. A large patch on the breast, and also the fore-part of the wing inside, bright carmine. Wings and tail, black, marked conspic- uously with white. $ , with no white on the rump or tail, and but little on the wings, and with none of the male's carmine, that on the wings being replaced by saffron, which sometimes tints the breast. Upper parts, flaxen-brown, and under parts, white, dark-streaked, most thickly above, and most finely upon the crown. Eye-stripe, dark ; line below, superciliary stripe, and median line, dull white. Wings and tail, plain. '2 1 have since learned that I am probably mistaken about the occuvrcnce of this bird in New Englaiid, since Mr. Uoanhnan (I'roc. B. S. N. H., IX, p. 127) speaks of it as " very uncertain" at Calais, Maine, tliougli " common in the spring of 1801." '3 This species, having been placed ia various genera, at last stands in Ilydem- eles. OF NEW ENGLAND. 233 (b). The nest, a rather frail structure, is composed of straws, leaves, or twigs, and is sometimes lined with hairs. It is often built in the shrubbery or trees of cultivated estates, but is also to be found in barberry-bushes in pasture-land, or oaks, etc, in the woods, especially' damp woods. An instance is known of its being found in a pine, fifty feet from the ground, though usually not placed very high. The eggs, which are here laid generally in the first week of June, are three or four, and average l* 00 X '75 of an inch. They are marked quite thickly but coarsely, usually with rather dull reddish or pur- plish umber. Their ground-color varies from greenish-blue to dull olive-green. They strongly resemble several other eggs. (See the Key-) (c). The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak possesses, combined in such a degree as few other birds do, gay beauty of plumage, and fine powers of song, though the female is plain, incon- spicuous, and for the most part silent. He, therefore, absents himself from the immediate neighborhood of his nest, except when obliged to approach it, or when relieving his mate from the fatigue of incubation, as he occasionally does. He is rare to the northward of Massachusetts, where he is common in many places, though still locally distributed. He reaches Boston in the second week of May, and returns to the South in September, not being sufficiently hardy to withstand the cold accompanying a hard frost. He frequents not only lightly timbered or swampy woods, but orchards, groves, and shrub- bery on cultivated estates. He feeds chiefl}' upon berries and seeds, and obtains the latter from various trees, such as the birches and alders. He also eats buds, often committing depredations on our fruit-trees, and he must be considered as injurious to agriculture. He frequently plucks blossoms, and, dexterously- cutting off the petals, etc., lets them fall, while he retains the ovary which contains the seeds. He occasionally seeks for morsels on the ground, and may be seen rustling among the fallen leaves and decayed vegetation. He usually, however, remains at some height above the ground, and rarely flies near it. He is rather shy and watchful, there being noth- ing in his habits to render him noticeable. 234 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (d). He is not alwaj's silent during tlie day, when feeding, but it is at evening in May or June that he sings most loudly and sweetly. Then, perclijng near the top of some low tree, he pours out an extremely mellow warble, like that of the Robin, but very much finer. Sometimes, in the love-season, he sings at night, and with an ardor which adds to the beauty of his song. There is a peculiar charm in hearing birds sing at night, for their music is more distinct and impressive in the general silence which there then is, and awakes the imagina- tion. The cries of the owls would not seem so unearthly, were they heard only in the day, nor would they inspire such terror to the superstitious, a terror which the darkness naturally in- creases or partl}^ creates. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have as an ordinary note a sharp chink, which bears some resemblance to the cry of the little spotted or Downy Woodpecker, but is more like a certain note of the Black and- Yellow Warbler. They are never gre- garious, but occur here for the most part in isolated pairs, who in autumn are sometimes followed by their young. They are said sometimes to sing well in confinement, " though," says a correspondent, "one, which I had for several months, was for a long while silent, until one morning he burst into song, and sang gloriously for almost an hour, when he fell dead on the floor of his cage ! " The males sometimes warble when on wing, and they probably mount in the air, as they sing at night. Their merits as musicians will, it is sincerely to be hoped, ever protect them from persecution as occasional depredators on our shrubs and trees. XXIII. CARDINALIS (A) viRGiNiANUs. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red Bird. Cardinal-bird. ''Cardinal." Red Bird."^"^ ''Virginia Night- ingale." (Accidental in Massachusetts, and rare so far to the north- ward.) '