/• '/r/V/v - Ssr. f : LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS ^-- v ^. I 1. Booted tarsus of a Robin. 2. Bill of a Robin. 3. Scutellate tarsus of the Brown Thrush. 4. Bill of the Brown Thrush. 5. Bill of a nuthatch. 6. Bill of a creeper. 7. Bill of a warbler; genus Helmintlwphaga ; 8, Dendrceca ; 9, Myiodioctes. 10. Wing-feather of the Cedar-bird, with horny appendage. 11. Head of a Cedar-bird, with crest raised. 12. Bill of the Goldfinch. 13. Bill of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 14. Bill of the Sharp- tailed Finch. 15. Tail-feathers of the same bird. 16. Bill of a crossbill. 17. Hind-toe and claw of the Snow Bunting. 18. Bill of the Red-winged Blackbird. 19. Bill of the Canada Ja*y. 20. Bill of the Great Crested Flycatcher; (21.) as seen from above. 22. " Mu- cronate" tail-feathers of the Chimney Swift. 23. Head of the Chimney Swift. 24. " Syn- dactyle " foot of the Kingfisher. 25. Bill of the Downy Woodpecker. 26. Raptorial bill (genus Accipiter). 27. Tip of bill, genus Falco. 28. Bill of a pigeon. 29. Tarsus of a pigeon. THE LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND WITH 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 forms, she speaks "A various language;" BRYANT'S THANATOPSIS. SALEM, MASS. NATUKALISTS' AGENCY. BOSTON: ESTES & LAURIAT. 1877. •>i>c/. \Vli Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HENRY DAVIS MINOT, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. PRINTED AT THE SALEM PRESS. F. W. PUTNAM & Co., Proprietors. 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. PAGE. Preface, vii Introduction, ........ 1 § A. Ornithology and Oology, .... 1 § § B-G. Collecting Eggs, 4 § H. Packing Eggs, 7 § I. Blowing Eggs, ...... 8 §J. Cleaning and Mending Eggs, ... 11 . §K. Arrangement of Eggs, . . . .11 §L. Cabinet, 12 §M. Nesting, 13 § N. Birds' Homes, 14 § O. Laying of Eggs, ..... 15 §P. Desertion, .16 § Q. Exigencies, 17 §R. Advice, 17 § S. The Study of Birds, 18 §T. Details of Structure ; Terms of Description, 19 § U. Measurements, . . . . . .21 § V, W. Classification ; Scientific Names, . . 21 Land-birds and Game-birds of New England, . . 25 Chapter I. Order Passeres, 27 § 1. Thrushes (Turdidce), . . 28 § 2. Bluebirds (Saxicolidce) , . . 50 § a Sylvias (Sylviidce), . . . 53 § 4. Titmice (Paridce), . 58 § 5. Nuthatches (Sittidce), . . 63 § 6. Creepers (Certhiidce) , . . 68 § 7. Wrens (Troglodytidce) , . . 70 § 8. Wagtails (Motacillida/) , . . 79 , § 9. Warblers (Sylvicolidce) , . . 80 §10. Tanagers (Tanagridce) , . . 133 §11. Waxwings (Ampelidce), . . 137 §12. Swallows (Hirundinidce), . . 140 (v) vi CONTENTS. Chapter I. §13. Vireos (Vireonidce) , . . .151 §14. Shrikes (Laniidce), . . . . 161 §15. Finches (Fringillidce), . . .166 §16. Larks (Alaudidce), . . . .237 §17. Starlings (Icteridce), . . . 240 §18. Crows and jays (Corvidce), . . 262 §19. Flycatchers (Tyrannidce) , . .272 Chapter II. Order Picarice, 293 §20. Goatsuckers (Caprimulgidce) , . . 294 §21. Swifts (Cypselidce), . . . .299 §22. Hummingbirds ( Trochilidce) , . . 301 §23. Kingfishers (Akedinidce) , . .305 §24. Cuckoos (Cuculidce), . . .307 §25. Woodpeckers (Picidce), , .. . 311 Chapter III. Order Raptor es, 326 §26. Owls (Strigidce), .... 327 §27. Hawks and eagles (Falconidce), . 345 §28. American vultures (Cathartidce), . 375 Chapter IV. Order Columbce, 377 § 29. Pigeons and doves (Columbidce)^ . 377 Chapter V. The Game-birds, 386 §30. Grouse (Tetraonidce), . . . 386 §31. Partridges (Perdicidce) , . . . .393 §32. Snipe, etc. (Scolopacidce) , . . 399 Appendix, 413 A. Ornithological Calendar for E. 'Massachusetts, 413 B. Distribution of the Birds of New England, . . 419 C. A Key to the Eggs of Massachusetts, . . 423 D. A Key to the Land-birds of New England, . 430 E. Colorations peculiar to Young Birds, . . 439 Or to Mature Birds in the Winter-season, . 439 F. Additions and Corrections, .... 443 G. Abstract of the Game-laws of Massachusetts, 444 Indices. 445 Index to English Names (with references), . . 445 Index to Scientific Names (with authorities and accent), 454 PKEFACE. THIS volume has been written to fill a place hitherto vacant in ornithological literature. The works of Wilson,1 Audubon,2 and Nuttall,3 are costly, and rjfrely offered for sale, having been in a gfeat measure superseded by modern authors. The recent and most complete work on American Ornithology,4 that of Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, is also costly. Mr. Samuels' book on the "Birds of New England and Adjacent States " 5 has been thought too expensive to be within the reach of all, and more or less inaccurate and incomplete. Dr. Coues' admirable " Key to North American Birds,"6 which is probably the best book of reference for collectors, and students of inani- mate birds, treats merely of structure, classification, and spe- cific descriptions. The same author's "Field Ornithology,"7 and Mr. Maynard's "Naturalist's Guide,"8 have also been i" American Ornithology." Wilson. 9 vols. Philadelphia, 1814. Brought down by Ord to 1827. Also 4 volumes by Bonaparte, of the Birds not given by Wilson. Philadelphia, 1833. 2 a. " Ornithological Biography." Audubon. 1838. b. Enlarged to "Birds of America" in 1841. » "A Manual of the Ornithology of the United States 'and Canada." Nuttall. 1832, 1840. 4 " North American Birds." Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway. Little, Brown, & Co., Boston, 1874. 6 "Birds," or "Ornithology and Oology," "of New England (and Adjacent States)." E. A. Samuels. 1887. « " Key to North American Birds," with a list of fossil birds. Coues. Natural- ists' Agency, Salem, Mass. * " Field Ornithology," with " a Check List of North American Birds."* Coues. Naturalists' Agency, Salem, Mass. *The check-list has been published separately. The older Smithsonian list may be obtained from the Naturalist's Agency, Salem, Mass. To the above-mentioned books of reference may be added various local catalogues, and the first volume, lately published, of " Life-histories of the Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania, by Thomas G. Gentry." 8 " The Naturalist's Guide," " with a complete catalogue of the birds of Eastern Massachusetts," and notes relative to their migrations, etc. C. J. Maynard. Fields, Osgood, & Co., Bo.-ton, 1870. Vlll PREFACE. •written for • collectors, being chiefly manuals of taxidermy. The former, so far as it extends, is the fuller of the two. The author of this ornithological biography has endeavored to make it inexpensive, trustworthy, original, and not a compilation. He is aware that it is incomplete, treating only of the land- birds and game-birds, which are, of all, however, the most accessible to a majority of persons, the most numerous, and certainly the most generally interesting. He hopes, however, that should this volume be*favorably received, some naturalist will undertake the biography of the wading antl swimming birds, which he himself is incapable of doing, not having had opportunities to make sufficient observations. This volume may be found further incomplete, and he hopes therefore that criticisms and corrections will be freely made, that into a second edition, should there be' one, he may incorporate ad- ditional facts. That he might not be, or seem guilty of pla- giarism, he has written his biographies before reading those of others, and has afterwards consulted Wilson, etc., for such inter- esting facts as were unmentioned by himself. These borrowed statements, or passages quoted for their intrinsic value, have been invariably attributed to their authors, or placed in quota- tion-marks.9 Sometimes, however, in spite of these precau- tions, he has employed much the same words as other writers, in describing the same facts. The biographies of the game- birds have been contributed by a friend, except those of the Canada and Pinnated Grouse. The author has endeavored to mention in detail the ordinary or minor notes of various birds, since these are often more satis- factorily characteristic than musical notes, which are usually heard during a limited portion of the year. He has, moreover, endeavored, when possible, to convey an idea of several songs 9 In the case of a few rare birds, the author has satisfied himself with corrobor- ating the statements of others, instead of making statements based entirely upon his own authority and experience. He has not hesitated, however, to state very general facts, which he cannot personally attest, such as that vultures feed chiefly on carrion, etc. These cases are principally confined to remarks on distribution and habitat. PREFACE. IX through the medium of words, but he has generally been obliged to employ other means, since it is difficult to do the former sat- isfactorily. It is probable that, were a dozen persons asked to express verbally any music of -this kind, they would each employ different S3Tllables. Many birds have two or three easily distinguishable combinations of musical sounds, or in different districts of the country have songs which are very distinct. The notes of many warblers, particularly those oc- curring in Massachusetts as migrants only, need to be learned and studied more than those of any other group of our avi- fauna. The author does not pretend to have treated these completely or satisfactorily, the less so that he has lost sev- eral memoranda. The warblers sing, however, during their migrations in spring, particularly in the early morning, more than many naturalists suppose. Mr. Allen, in the preface to his "Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," makes the following admirable and instructive remarks on the variation in birds' songs, distributions, etc. " Only by knowing thoroughly the fauna of a locality can the subsequent changes in it, induced by its becoming more densely settled, or by other causes, be traced. As is well known, the mammalian and bird faunae of all the older settled parts of the United States are vastly different from what they were two hundred years ago. These changes consist mainly in the great decrease in numbers of the representatives of all the larger species, not a few of which are already extirpated where they were formerly common ; a few of the smaller spe- cies of both classes have doubtless increased in numbers. Two causes operate unfavorably upon the larger ones ; the disfor- esting of the country and the sporting propensities of the people, everything large enough to be shot, whether useful or otherwise, being considered as legitimate game." "Many of the water-fowl that are now only transient visit- ors, as the Canada Goose, the several • species of Merganser, Teals, Black Duck and Mallard, undoubtedly once bred in this state, as did also .the Wild Turkey and the Prairie Hen." " In comparatively recent times, geologically speaking, prob- X PREFACE. ably other causes, as climatic, have been operating to effect a gradual northward migration, in certain species at least. These changes are of great interest, not only generally, but in a scientific point of view, and we shall be able to trace them and their causes only by comparing, from time to time, ex- haustive faunal records of the same localities. "In a district so little diversified as that portion of Massa- chusetts lying east of the Connecticut River, it is perhaps a little unexpected that marked discrepancies should occur in the observations made at adjoining localities by equally compe- tent naturalists, in respect to the relative abundance of certain species. As every experienced observer must have noticed that the birds of passage, as many of the Warblers especially, vary greatly in numbers in different years, and in the time occupied by them in passing a given locality, it is less surpris- ing .that at different points they should vary in abundance the same year. Among the birds that regularly breed in the dis- trict in question, there are some that -are not equally common .at all points." "Birds, as probably other animals, are not quite so invari- able in their habits as has been commonly supposed, nor in the precise character of their notes and songs, or the situation and materials of which they compose their nests. Hence one should not rashly question the accounts given by usually reliable au- thorities, because in particular instances they do not accord with their own observations. Neither should differences in habits, in song, etc., be taken as infallible evidence of a differ- ence of species." "How universally the Chipping Sparrow (Spizella socialis) breeds in trees, and generally at an elevation of several feet, is well known, but several authentic instances of this bird's nesting on the ground have 'corne to my knowledge, one of which I myself discovered. Variations of this character in other species are of occasional occurrence, examples of which have doubtless been met with by every experienced collector. "The materials which birds select in the construction of their nests are well known to vary in different localities ; the PREFACE. Xl gr'eater care exhibited by some species to secure a soft warm lining at the north that are much less precautions in this re- spect at the south, is already a recorded fact. Aside from this, the abundance of certain available materials occurring at only particular localities gives a marked character to the nests there built, which serves to distinguish them from those from other points. Some of the Thrushes, for instance, make use of a peculiar kind of moss at some localities that elsewhere, from its absence, are compelled to substitute for it fine grass or dry leaves. At Ipswich, on Cape Cod, and perhaps generally in the immediate vicinity of the sea, the Purple Grackles (Quis- calus versicolor) and Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelceus plioe,- niceus), and in fact numerous other species, in building their nests often use little else than dry eel-grass or « sea-wrack,' which results in nest-structures widely different in appearance from those of their relatives residing in the interior. Every egg-collector is aware of the wide variations eggs of the same set may present, not only in the markings and in the tint of the ground color, but in size and form, and especially how wide these differences sometimes are in eggs of different birds of the same species. Also how different the behavior of the bird is when its nest is approached, in some cases the parents appearing almost utterly regardless of- their own safety in their anxiety for their eggs or helpless young, while other parents of the same species quietly witness the robbing of their nest at a safe distance, and evince no extraordinary emotion. Those who have witnessed this, and have also watched the behavior of birds when undisturbed in their quiet retreats, will grant, I think, the same diversity of disposition and temperament to obtain among birds that is seen in man himself. " In respect to the songs of birds, who that has attentively listened to the singing of different Robins, Wood Thrushes or Purple Finchea, has not detected great differences in the vocal powers of rival songsters of the same species ? Different individuals of some species, especially among the Warblers, sing so differently* that the expert field ornithologist is often puzzled to recognize them ; especially is this so in the Black Xii PREFACE. and White Creeper (Mniotilta varia) and the Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroeca virens). But the strangest example of this sort I have noticed I think was the case of an Oriole (Icterus Baltimore) that I heard at Ipswich last season. So different were its notes from the common notes of the Balti- more that I failed entirely to refer them to that bird till I saw its author." "Aside from such unusual variations as this, which we may consider as accidental, birds of unquestionably the same spe- cies, as the Crow, the Blue Jay, the Towhe10 and others, at remote localities, as New England, Florida, Iowa, etc., often possess either general differences in their notes and song, easily recognizable, or certain notes at one of these localities never heard at the others, or an absence of some that are else- where familiar. This is perhaps not a strange fact, since it is now so well known that birds of the same species present cer- tain well marked variations in size according to the latitude and elevation above the sea of the locality at which they were born, and that they vary considerably, though doubtless within a certain range, in many structural points at one and the same locality. In other words, since it is known that all the differ- ent individuals of a species are not exactly alike, as though all were cast in the same die, as some naturalists appear to have believed. " Certain irregularities in the breeding range of birds have also come to light. It is perhaps not remarkable that a pair of birds of species that regularly breed in northern New Eng- land should now and then pass the summer and rear their young, in the southern part, as has been the case in certain known instances in the Snow Bird (Junco hy emails) , the Pine Finch (Chrysomitris pinus), and the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) ; but it is otherwise with the Snow Bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis) , "which rarely breeds south of Labrador, of which there is a single well authenticated instance « It is to be remarked that a variety of this bird has recently been found in Florida. PREFACE. Xtii of its breeding near Springfield. The casual visits of northern birds in winter, which we may suppose sometimes results from their being driven south by want of 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 by a scarcity of food. "Probably fewer birds are actually permanently resident at a given locality than is commonty 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 really essentially non-migratory, 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 any 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 Gull (Larus argentatus) and other species of that family, and several of the Tringse, linger on our coast daring, summer, while the adult all retire northward, is one of some interest. Mature and strong birds only, in species that breed far to the north, evidently seek very high latitudes. Birds of the first year also appear to roam less widely than the older. In different 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 young may 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 very appreciably larger, but brighter plum- aged and in every way evidently 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, especially among the Sylvicolidce, 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." n 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 point in the Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. i, Ft. iv, p. 488 (foot note)." 11 Several passages 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 ;lhas 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.12 The outlines of the Chickadee, Night " Hawk," and Golden-winged Wood- pecker, have been copied from Wilson's pictures ; thos'e 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 nearly 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 intov 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, scutellce, 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 biography of each species is divided into four parts : — (a) a description of the mature birds (but not of the young, 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 following system has been here adopted. Specific 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 family-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 contrary, established by long usage (e. g. Cat-bird, Blue Bird, but Swamp Blackbird). Finally, that this book may prove useful to students, inter- esting to lovers of nature, and acceptable 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, u 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 snooting 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) Z 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 complaints from sympathy, or because their own nests are near by.1 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 by keeping her too long from her nest), or I follow her with my eye, endeavoring not to lose sight of her 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, particularly the larger ones, at a glance, and to note readily the most characteristic markings ; but there is no objection to shooting hawks, which are less easily identified otherwise than smaller species. There 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 generally more easity 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 " variety," 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 Blackbird,2 and the Red-naped Woodpecker, of which the first-named has been sometimes ranked as a species, and * It may be added that Cow-birds never lay their eggs but in the nests of other birds. See §17, III. 2 " This bird is thought to build in holes, while the Crow Blackbird does not.'-' INTRODUCTION. 3 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 cruelty, 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, should 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 those 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 only 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 bitterly to regret our present thoughtlessness and inhumanity ; errors which will probably 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.4 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 your 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 only. If the female, who usually sits upon the nest much * The following remarks are addressed to the inexperienced only. INTRODUCTION. 5 oftener than the 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 feeding5), 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.6 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 your while to examine the collection of the Boston Society of Natural His- tory.7 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 » Many birds, when frightened from their nests on the ground, feign lameness or the like. 6 Shooting the parents when collecting for yourself is optional. See quoted remarks in § A. 7 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. 0 INTRODUCTION. an incomplete nest, you 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 days in building one, and sometimes end their work sufficiently in ad- vance to allow the female vacation for a clay or even two. Earlier in the season, other birds are generally 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 closely at their work (carried on chiefly in the morning) and observe the final cessation of chips. The creepers, nuthatches, Chickadees, and certain wrens customarily la}' 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 (apparently most often in the morning) until the complement is made,8 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, commonly 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 8 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 laying four 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.9 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 should 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 ° Muc.h danger will be obviated by blowing the eggs first, when practicable. If fresh eggs are allowed to grow cold, or to remain long unblown the 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 frequently made, and attended by consequent acci- dents. (With larger eggs less care is required, and those of hawks or owls may often be carried safety in a handkerchief.) When all the eggs have been safely stowed away, the box should be put in the pocket in such a way that they 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 any 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, constantly sup- plied with benzine or crystallized camphor, to prevent the ravages of moths. Eggs, to be sent by 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 safely mailed to any distance in auger-holes bored in wood." Boxes may be seait by 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 the}1" 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 many persons an important consideration) : — Holding the 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 syringe, 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 with their handles, and removed by a fine wire, slightly hooked, or by small forceps. Fresh eggs, if not too large, 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 paper-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.11 10 These may be obtained at the Naturalist's Agency, Salem, Mass. The present address is Mr. S. E. Cassino. 11 Several ideas expressed in the preceding paragraph, have been borrowed from various articles on this same subject. 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 u 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 any writing on the shell should be condensed and placed on the under side, where it will be in- 12 INTRODUCTION. conspicuous (or near the " drill-hole," if there be one). There are various methods of marking, but whichever be followed should be uniformly observed. Perhaps the best is to write12 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 b.e 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, they return year 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 foirad to flow more freely than ordinary black ink. Fig- ures should be fine and made with care. They may be written on a bit of paper gummed over the u drill-hole," though it is better to write on 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, rather 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 INTRODUCTION. eggs only once 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 required, but no further rules can be safely 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 your 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 may be safely brought down in a cloth cap, grasped firmly by the teeth. Never take one egg from a set in a hawk's nest, if yon 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 occupying 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 affection for some haunt, whither, if left undisturbed, they return every spring. These .haunts are INTRODUCTION. 15 often extensive, enabling them to change their residence annu- ally, until they are finally driven away. Cat-birds frequently return every year 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 choqse 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 INTRODUCTION. 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- haps ; otherwise, sooner. If a hawk's nest be robbed,1? 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 da}*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, which 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. The latter often leave forever the excavation, on which they are at work, if they imagine that they are watched, 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. She 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 I8 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 carry 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. § R. 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 (very) 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 you. Remember that eggs often vary greatly in value in different parts of the country, .and do not accept any price-list as a basis for ex- change. Endeavor $y 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 bisds 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, continually 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. That 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.14 The bill consists of two mandibles, the line between which is called the gape 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 always 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 differs from the " bastard wing" or " spurious quills " in being a single feather and beneath the second primary.) The "shoulder" of the wing is the " bend " 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 14 The reader is referred for a full treatise to the introduction of Dr. Coues' 'Key to N. A. Birds." 20 INTRODUCTION. forked, forficate. 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. Circumocular, about the eye. Crown, top of the head (usually above the eye). Eye-patch, a tract of color enclosing the e}7e. Eye-stripe, a line running through the eye (so to speak). Inter scapulars, feathers on the back between the wing-shoulders, or between the head and rump. Iris, (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 nuchal patch), the hind-head (properly above the cervix, or hind-neck). Super- ciliary line, a stripe immediately above the eye. Vermicula- tion, very fine " waves." $ signifies 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" generally include the upper surface of the 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 urump" (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 apparently belonging to the forehead.15 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 Aerece, 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 " There are other methods of making this measurement. 22 INTRODUCTION. Clamatores or non-singers ;16 likewise the Turdidce consists of the Turdince, or typical thrushes, who have a "booted" tarsus, and the Mimince, 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 exactly the same structure. The difference between species 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 suborder Oscines. His family is that of the Fringillidce, 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 represent the vy degree of dissimilarity between two genera; then ^ represents the difference between two subgenera (of the same genus) ; 1 + IT Between subfamilies, 2 X between families, 2 + •£ be- 16 A rather technical distinction. 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 yellow) ; 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 type 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 subspecific, title, e. g., Turdus (Hylocichla) Swainsoni, Var. Alicice, or simply Turdus Alicice.11 Family- names end in idee, 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 Alicice is often ranked as a species. 24 INTRODUCTION. Genitives in u, 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 great 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 OP 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 u North American Birds") : Aves Aerece or In- sessores (aerial birds or " perchers"), Aves Terrestres or Cur- sores (terrestrial birds or u runners"), and Aves Aquaticce or Natatores (aquatic birds or " swimmers "). The general rule of division is this : hind-toe1 on a level with the other toes, 4 'perchers" ; hind-toe not insistent1 and feet not fully webbed, " runners " ; hind-toe elevated,1 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) represent2 (in the ap- proximate proportion of one to four) about two- elevenths of 1 In certain cases wanting, or apparently wanting. 8 In number of species (according to Cones' list). (25) 26 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS North American birds. The Natatores include various sea- birds, the swans, geese, ducks, terns, gulls, pelicafhs, 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." 1 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 groups, 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 difl^r- 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 (Alaudidce) , held to be Oscine, and certainly to be called songsters, have the tarsus perfectly scutellate be- hind."1 The Oscines, or singing Passeres, technically considered the 1 Dr. Coues ; " 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 Turdid.se, or thrushes, now considered the high- est group among birds, and ranked 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 "s37lvias" all less than five. The typical groups of these three families (including the subfamilies Turdince and Hegulince) are characterized by booted tarsi (pi. 1, fig. 1). The other subfamilies, Mimince and PolioptilincK (the mocking-thrushes andgnatcatchers), have scutellate 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 Sylviidce are closely re- lated to the titmice and warblers. The Wood Thrush and Cat- bird are good types of their respective groups, though several thrushes nest upon the ground, or have spotted eggs. OF NEW ENGLAND. 29 The subfamilies of the thrushes are : TURDIN^E, Genus Turdus, I. (Highly musical). Subgenus Hylociclila (A-E.2 fig. 1). (Moderately musical). Subgenus Planesticus (F). MIMING, Genera II and III. I. TURDUS (A) MUSTELINUS. Wood Tlirusli. " Song Thrush" (A common summer-resident in Massachusetts.) Fig. 1. Wood Thrush ($). (a). About eight inches long. Above, soft but bright red- dish-brown (or "tawny"), gradually becoming soft "olive-dusky" on the rump, tail, and end of the wings. Beneath, white, with a very slight buff tinge upon the breast ; spotted on the breast and sides with dark brown (or "dusky"). (b). 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 3 The wood thrushes. The robins (F) are well-known; (G) has been separated from them, and placed in subgenus Heeperocichla. 30 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS or five, and like those of the Robin, but smaller, measuring 1-10— l-OOX'70 of an inch. Those of the first set are usually laid near Boston in the last week of May — those Of the second, if any, in the early part of July. (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 they 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 young, and there obtain the necessary supply 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 History of these birds is the apparent modesty and the actual love of privacy or solitude, which they generally, though not invariably possess. These lend a charm to the study of their habits and their music, but they also cause difficulty 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 chip, 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 S (B) FUCESCENS. Wilson's Thrush. Tawny Thrush. Com- mon Thrush. "Cheeury." "Veery." ("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, sparsely — sometimes almost imperceptibly — streaked with small dusky spots. (6). The nest is usually placed on the ground, and rarely in a bush or low tree. It is generally 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 '60 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 May, 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. They can run over the ground with rapidity, but in the woods they 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 arc 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 mus-t grasp. They are rarely seen far from the ground, and seldom protract their flight for more than a hun- dred yards, 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 Robin in his book entitled "Birds of New England and Adjacent States," says : u In fact, the Thrushes seem designed by nature to rid the surface of the soil of noxious insects not often pursued by 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 3 Many thrushes obtain much of their food from trees; the Swainson's Thrushes most of it. Many sparrows feed as thrushes 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 day-time the simple song of these birds, " cheeury, cheeury, cheeury ,"4 which they give utterance to, generally from some bough in the pine-groves, or the other woods which they 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 ordinary note of the " Veeries " is a characteristic and peculiar chirp, a liquid sound, often uttered in a seemingly petulant and melancholy tone ; besides which they often give utterance to chips, chicks, u lisps" like those of the Cedar-bird, and a harsh " grating " sound, much like that of other birds and peculiar to the mating-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." "Sivamp 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. (&). The nest of the Hermit Thrush, which has rarely been found in Massachusetts, is placed almost invariably upon the 4 This chant, which is not unlike some of the Wood Thrush's music, consists of three or four triplets on a descending scale, in each triplet the first note being the highest. OF NEW ENGLAND. 35 ground, occasionally in swamps, but more often on sunny, sloping, and shrubby banks near them. It is much like that of the Wilson's Thrush (B), though usually rather larger, coarser, and more loosely constructed. The Hermit Thrushes often lay two sets of three or four eggs, one in the first week of June, and one about a month later. Their eggs are very much like those of the " Veeries" (B), but are larger, averag ing -90 X "65 of an inch. They are light greenish blue, never spotted. (c). In the woods about Boston (and of course in other woods), whether swampy or dry, and also along the wooded roadsides, from the middle of April until the first of May, one may see a great number of Hermit Thrushes. During their stay here, these birds, often in pairs, and sometimes in small parties (a fact, which shows that their name is not altogether an appropriate one), spend their time, for the most part in silence, busied among the dead leaves and underbrush, occas- ionally resting on a low perch, and rarely ftying far when dis- turbed. They are quiet birds, and, though often easily ap- proached, prefer those places where they are not likely to be intruded upon. On leaving this State in the spring, they pass on to northern New England and to Canada, where they spend the summer and rear their young, being in some localities the most common thrushes. In October, they return to Massachu- setts in the course of their journey to their winter-homes in the South, and a few linger until November is well advanced.5 During their sojourn here in autumn, they frequent the ground much less than in spring, and feed largely on various kinds of berries, many of which they find in swamps. These birds are to be associated with October, when the roads, hardened by frost, are neither muddy nor dusty, when the paths through the woods are strewn with the soft fallen 8 Mr. Maynard, writing of the Hermit Thrush in the " Naturalist's Guide," says that he has " taken it in Coos County, New Hampshire, on October 31st, al- though the ground was covered with snow, six inches deep at the time; also in Oxford County, Maine, as late as November 6th." He adds that "a few undoubt- edly breed here." 36 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS leaves, which rustle pleasantly beneath one's feet, when the clear, cold, exhilarating weather is well adapted to exercise, when the maples are in the utmost splendor of their brilliant coloring, and finally when the hills, covered with the oaks of low growth, where once forests stood, glow with the rich crim- son, which at last becomes a dull brown, showing winter to be near at hand. (d). The Hermit Thrushes very rarely sing except in the summer-season, and generally, while with us, their only notes are a mellow chirp, a loud chuck, rarely uttered (especially in spring?), and a single low whistle, which seems to come from a more distant point than that which the bird occupies. When frightened from their nests they often utter a very character- istic dissyllabic note, expressive of their sorrow. Their song is strikingty fine, and recalls the melody of the Wood Thrush to one familiar with that melody, though lacking the power and full music of the latter, being, as Mr. Burroughs has said, silvery rather than golden. It usually begins with a few low, rich notes, which are followed by the higher and more ringing ones. Though the Hermit Thrushes bear a strong general resem- blance to the two other " wood thrushes," whom an inexperi- enced observer is likely to see in any part of this State (A and B), yet they are rarely seen in the company of those birds, preceding them in the spring-migrations, and returning to the South later. They sometimes are found daring their annual journeys in company with the Gray-cheeked or Swain- son's Thrush, but the former is rare, and seldom has any red- dish-brown tinting on the upper parts, and the latter has both rather distinct habits and notes. Let the young student, who wishes to distinguish several closely allied species, mark the points of difference, and not the similar characteristics of each, and let him avoid employing only one means of distinction, such as coloration. (D) SWAINSONI. Swainson's Thrush. Olive-backed Thrush. "Swamp Robin"? OF NEW ENGLAND. 37 (A rather rare migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). 7-7 J inches long. Above, soft, dusky olive (occas- ionally with a reddish-brown tinge). Sides of the head buff, and breast strongly tinged with the same color. The latter and the sides of the throat, thickly spotted with dusky. Eye- ring buff. (b). The nest is a rather bulky structure, usually composed of twigs, mosses, grasses, leaves, etc., with no mud, and sometimes lined with the coal-black hairs of a certain moss. It is placed in a spruce, low tree, or perhaps a bush, from three to ten feet above the ground. It is often built beside a road or wood-path. The first set, of three or four eggs, is usually laid in the first, or perhaps more often the second week of June ; the second set is laid four or five weeks later. The eggs are much like those of the Scarlet Tanager, being about *95 X "70 of an inch, and light blue, olive-tinged, either finely marked with indistinct brown, or coarsely spotted (with a few fine markings beside), chiefly at the great end, with obscure lilac, and two shades of brown. (c). Though the Swainson's Thrushes are by no means very common migrants through Eastern Massachusetts, yet a vigi- lant and energetic ornithologist can hardly fail to meet with them in the spring. Groves of tall hemlocks are among the places, where, about the middle of May, I have seen these birds, not on the ground, but among the branches of the trees, from which they occasionally dart into the air and catch insects in the manner of flycatchers. I have also met them in swampy roads, or even in orchards, and have observed them on the ground, often moving quite rapidly, or pausing in a rather erect attitude. Probably, it is partly because of their usual shy- ness while migrating, partly because they often frequent the higher branches, and partly because two of their ordinary notes are very much like those of the Snow-birds (of whom a few linger in May), that they are often considered rarer than they are. Before June all the Olive-backed Thrushes pass beyond the limits of this State, and of these many spend the summer in northern Vermont or New Hampshire, and in Maine, some 38 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of them revisiting the neighborhood of Boston about the first of October, when the wonderful instinct of migration prompts them to return to Florida or still further to the South. In a certain township among the White Mountains I have studied the habits of these birds, who there inhabit various kinds of woodland, particularly those which 'have swamps or brooks in them, but keep nearer the ground, and exhibit much less shy- ness in those wild woods than they habitually do, when travel- ing. In autumn, however, they are much less shy and active than they are in spring ; and, during the fall-migrations, they may be found in woods and copses. There they pick up food from the ground and the lower branches of bushes or trees, since at that season there are few winged insects, of a size acceptable to them, to be caught in the air, and since before the severer frosts of autumn have come, and before the Hermit Thrushes are abundant, a large supply of food suitable to them can be found among the dead leaves, many of which have then al- ready fallen. To resume the remarks just interrupted, — in the woods of the White Mountains, they sing almost throughout the sum- mer, and often throughout the day, for the old forests of New Hampshire are always cool and shady. They more often sing, however, in the early morning, or at sunset, as does the Wood Thrush, and, t like that bird, they frequently perch on a high and prominent bough when about to sing. They usually stay on their nests rather more boldly than the Hermit Thrushes are wont to do, and watch over their young, when they have left the nest, with great care, showing as warm an interest in their offspring, as I have ever seen displayed in birds. (d). The ordinary note of the Swainson's Thrushes, espec- ially when in their summer-homes, is an attractive one, exactly resembling the word "whit" brusquely whistled in a tolerably low tone, and very quickly. Their song-notes exhibit less variation than those of any of their immediate relations, being all nearly on the same pitch, and reminding one forcibly of the less brilliant singers among the Wood Thrushes, and bearing OF NEW ENGLAND. 39 more resemblance to the notes of that bird than to those of any other. Though, as I have said, less varied than those of the other "wood thrushes," they are sweet, clear, and liquid, and possess great charm. The other notes of the Olive-backed Thrushes, are a chuck of alarm, a feeble tsip quite uncharacteristic, and a cry of chick, chick-a-sit, etc., like that of the Snow-bird, to which I have heard them give utterance in spring, when chasing one another through the branches, or when slightly alarmed. They have also a feebly whistled peep, heard chiefly in autumn. The "New Hampshire Thrushes," though they correspond to the Wood Thrush of Massachusetts, are yet inferior to that bird. How then would they be ranked by Buffon, who wrote of the latter, says Wilson, " that the Song Thrush of Europe had, at some time after the creation, rambled round by the Northern ocean, and made its way to America ; that advancing to the. south it had there (of consequence) become degenerated by change of food and climate, so that its cry is now harsh and unpleasant, ' as are the cries of all birds that live in wild coun- tries inhabited by savages.' " ? (E) ALICIA. Gray-cheeked Thrush. Alice's Thrush. Arctic Thrush. (In New England a rare migrant.) (a). 7£-8 inches long. Above soft, subdued olive-green. Sides of the head gray. Beneath white, with little or no buff; breast and sides of the throat spotted with dark brown. It is said that specimens of this species grade inseparably into others of Stvainsoni (D) . But distinctions are not to be based wholly on coloration. (b). The Gray-cheeked Thrushes build their nests in Arctic countries, most often on the ground. The only egg of this species in my collection is like that of the Swainson's Thrush, but more thickly and minutely marked. (See Z), b.) (c). The Graj'-cheeked Thrush is thought by some ornithol- ogists not to be a valid species, bat, if not a species distinct from the Swainson's Thrush, it is a very distinct variety or 40 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS geographical race.6 It differs from that bird, slightly in color- ation, and markedly as to distribution, habits (song), and notes. The Arctic Thrushes are the rarest of those who migrate through Massachusetts, particularly that part which borders upon the sea, since they generally prefer a more inland route to the North than this State affords. I have occasionally seen them in the latter part of April or in May, but they are shy and very timid, so that it is difficult to approach them closely, as, when startled, they fly about restlessly. Perhaps, on this account, they have escaped general observation. They are eminently terrestrial birds, and spend nearly all their time on the ground, picking up their food among the fallen leaves in such places as the Hermit Thrush frequents ; often preferring, however, dry land and solitary spots, where they run but little risk of being disturbed. They stand rather more erectly than the "Swamp Robins" so called (T. Pallasi), but it must be remembered that erectness of bearing is a general character- istic of all " wood thrushes." They pass the summer in the Arctic region, and, on their return to the South, pass through the neighborhood of Boston about the first of October, but are then extremely rare, since " in the fall-migrations they follow for the most part a route far from the sea-shore." (d). Their ordinary note is a single low, and perhaps to some ears rather melancholy whistle — "when." As to their other notes I am uncertain, and I have never heard their song, but Dr. Brewer, in " North American Birds," says that it is totally different " from that of (all our other Wood Thrushes. It most resembles the song of T. Pallasi, but differs from it in being its exact inverse, for whereas the latter begins with its lowest and proceeds on an ascending scale, the former begins with its highest, and concludes with its lowest note. The song of the T. Swainsoni on the other hand, exhibits much less variation in the scale, all the notes being of nearly the same altitude." 6 If a variety, Swainson's Thrush is the other variety, and the Olive-backed Thrush the species including both. OF NEW ENGLAND. 41 (F) MIGRATORIUS. (American) Robin. (An extremely common summer-resident in Massachusetts, where a few pass the winter.) (a). 9-10 inches long. Above, dark (olive) gray; head and tail almost black, both with white spots. Breast of a peculiar ruddy red or orange-brown, in pale specimens merely dun-colored. Chin, under tail-coverts, etc., white, more or less black-streaked. Bill generally }rellow. (6). The Robins build their nests in bushes, vines, the larger garden-shrubs, or most often in trees ; evergreens, particu- larly pines and spruces, being preferred to all others. Where these latter are wanting, they often build their nests in orchard- trees, or in those which shade the streets ; occasional!}7, how- ever, placing them about some building. The nest is " sad- dled " to a bough or placed in a fork, from three to fifty feet above the ground, and is a very firm though rather rude struc- ture, consisting chiefly of mud, and of dry grass or its equiv- alent. The eggs of each set are four or five, delicate greenish blue, and about 1-15 X '80 of an inch. I have found freshly laid eggs of this species from May first until the twentieth of July ; two or even three broods being usually raised, if the parents are undisturbed. (c). The Robins are undoubtedly in summer the most abun- dant of all the birds in Massachusetts, and to most country- residents in this State are probably the most familiar ; but in northern New England they are much less common than in most other parts of the eastern states. Dr. Brewer, however, has written that " in the valleys amongst the White Moun- tains, where snow covers the ground from October to June, and where the cold reaches the freezing-point of mercury, flocks of Robins remain during the entire winter, attracted by the abundance of berries." A few certainly spend the winter about us, in the swamps, and also in cedar-woods ; for, though these latter contain but few berries, or none, yet the thick foli- age of many of the trees affords safe shelter from heavy 42 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS storms of snow, when protection is so much needed. Though I have seen companies of Robins in February, it is not usually until the early part of March that they come from the South ; on their arrival, collecting in flocks and feeding on barberries, small fruits of the same kind, and such other suitable food as they can find. They retire, at this season, a few minutes before the hour of sunset, generally passing the night in spruces ; and, in the early morning, arising before the sun, the}T gen- erally betake themselves to the southern slope of some hill, where the snow has melted, thus offering to them the comfort of a little bare ground, and there they pass the day. It is very wonderful that birds employed in active exercise throughout the day, perhaps a bright one, when the heat of the sun is strong, can pass the night in sleep and inactivity, when but little shielded from the bitterness of the weather in March, that month, which in New England is with ghastly inappro- priateness called the first month of spring. It is also wonder- ful that, whereas in midwinter most birds sleep fourteen or fif- teen hours out of twenty-four, and pass only nine or ten in ex- ercise, in the latter part of June, when the longest days of the year occur, they require little more than half that amount of rest to counterbalance the fatigue of at least sixteen hours' labor. I have known Robins to awake and to begin their daily duties before half-past three o'clock in the morning, and to be still moving about after eight in the evening ; at that season of the year, moreover, when the male must provide for his young as well .as for himself. In the case of many birds, either the male or the female sits on the nest, whilst the other forages, but I have known instances in which the male never sat on his nest, so that all the active duties in the care of his family devolved upon him. The Robins continue to come from the South until the first of April, and during the greater part of that month are in- clined to be gregarious, but they finally separate, and many begin to build ; many waiting, however, until May, or even June. As is well known, in the cultivated parts of the country they do not often retire to the woods (except in winter), pre- OF NEW ENGLAND. 48 ferring to remain in open lands, in the neighborhood of man, and about cultivated estates, and are so little wild as to inhabit Boston Common and other equally frequented places. In the country, the}'' pass the summer in villages and such other haunts as I have described, gathering into flocks in the latter part of August, and journe3ring to warmer climates in Septem- ber or October. Robins are in some parts of the State so plentiful, that in May sixty of their nests, containing eggs, were found in an area of fifteen acres. Had Massachusetts then been populated by these thrushes in that proportion of parent-birds to an acre, it would have contained nearly 40,- 000,000 of them, whereas I suppose that it actually contained less than 1,000,000. To those who consider Robins either useless or injurious to man the following remarks on the nature of their food may be of interest. In winter and in the early part of spring, they feed chiefly upon berries, such as those of the barberry, poison- ous "ivy," etc., but as soon as the frost is expelled from the ground, they begin their attacks upon the earthworms, and con- stantly renew them throughout the summer and in September, wherever earthworms are abundant. One may often see Robins gathered on a lawn, particularly after hard showers, eagerly engaged in unearthing their prey, now running along so quickly that it is almost impossible to detect the motion of their feet (which, in fact, is not hopping, but walking), now stopping, and, having cocked their heads to one side that their ears may be near the ground, listening intently, then passing on, or perhaps stopping, and with two or three vigorous strokes of their bills, pulling out the worms, which are soon disposed of. When they fail to secure their prey, after a few bold " digs," they generally move on and do not make any further attempt to obtain it. They make extensive raids upon cherries " and strawberries," when ripe, and feed upon ripe pears and apples, especially in autumn, generally meddling with these latter fruits when fallen to the ground, and not when on the trees. In re- turn for these robberies, they destroy innumerable " cut-worms " and other injurious creatures of the same kind, and confer, in 44 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS this way, great benefits upon farmers and fruit-growers, for they are much more dependent upon the flesh of insects than upon other food. I think that there is no doubt that between fifty and a hundred Robins eat a million worms and injurious caterpillars, if not more, during their annual sojourn in the neighborhood of Boston. Professor Treadwell has recorded the instance of a young Robin in confinement, who ate in twelve hours 140 pe?* cent. of his own weight, and consumed fourteen feet of earthworms. The Robins possess greater powers of flight than do the other thrushes, and can fly far and rapidly, often moving through the air at a considerable height above the ground, particularly when migrating. They have a habit of jerking their tail, which the " wood thrushes " do not possess, and which is particularly noticeable when they utter-their notes of alarm. They are not brave, with individual exceptions, but are easily frightened, particularly when sitting on their nests, and yet they are by no means shy, and frequent familiarly the neighborhood of man. (d). The Robins have besides their song, and a very faint whistle like the Cedar-bird's lisp, but one note, which is con- stantly varied, usually being in the winter, early spring, and fall, more dreary than in the summer, when it is sometimes merely a chirp, though at other times it is uttered in a tone of excite- ment or vehemence and rapidly repeated. The cry of the young is somewhat harsher than that of the mature birds, who are very pleasant singers, and often warble a cheerful, ener- getic song, consisting of a few monotonous notes, which are repeated with some little variation, chiefly in the morning and at dusk, in spring or summer. It is to be hoped that eventually the American people will become as fond of the American Robins, as the English are of their smaller "Robin Red-breasts," whose name our Pilgrim Fathers bestowed upon the Thrushes of this country, now so common and familiar to us. (G) NVEVIUS. Varied Thrush. Oregon Robin. (One specimen of this bird, whose proper habitat is the Pacific Slope, has been taken at Ipswich, Mass., in December.) OF NEW ENGLAND. 45 (a). 9-10 inches long ; slate-color. Beneath, orange-brown. Band across the breast, black. Under tail-coverts, white. 9 duller. (6). The eggs of this species measure about 1/15 X '80 of an inch, and are greenish blue, darkly spotted. (c). Its habits are presumabty much like those of our Robin. (d). "From this bird it may be readily distinguished by the difference of its notes, which are louder, sharper, and de- livered with greater rapidity." Dr. Cooper "describes the song as consisting of five or six notes in a minor key, and in a scale regularly descending." II. MIMUS i (A) POLYG;OTTUS. Mocking Bird. (A very rare, or almost accidental summer-visitor to south- ern New England.) (a). 9-10 inches long. Above, rather light ashy gray. Beneath, white. Wings, and tail dark, with conspicuous white patches. (6). The nest is built near the ground, often in a conspic- uous situation. Audubon describes it as " coarsely construct- ed on the outside, being there composed of dried sticks of briars, withered leaves of trees, and grasses, mixed with wool. Internally it is finished with fibrous roots disposed in a circu- lar form, but carelessly arranged." An egg before me measures I'OO X '75 of an inch, and is of a very light dull blue, rather coarsely spotted with lilac and rather faint purplish or reddish umber. (c). So many Mocking Birds have recently been captured in New England and Massachusetts itself, that they cannot longer be well considered escaped cage-birds. They must therefore be ranked here as very rare summer-residents. Since, however, their presence is almost exceptional, since their hab- its are much like those of the common Cat-bird, since their powers of mimicry and song are well-known, and finally, since I am personally unacquainted with their natural mode of 46 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS life, I have thought it best not to attempt their biography in this volume. For an enthusiastic and splendid description, I refer my readers to the second volume of Wilson's Ornithology. (B) CAROLINENSIS. Cat-bird. (A common summer-resident.) (a). 8J-9 inches long. Slate-colored. Crown and tail, black. Under tail-coverts, chestnut-red. (6). The nest of the Cat-bird, which in Massachusetts is usually finished in the last week of May, is generally placed in a bush, thicket, or briar, and is composed outwardly of sticks (and sometimes one or two rags intermixed), being lined with strips of bark from the grape-vine or cedar, dead leaves, rootlets, and other things of the same sort. The eggs of each set are 3-5, usually four, of a fine dark green, bluish- tinted, and measure about -95 X '70 of an inch. Two broods are sometimes raised in the summer. (c). The Cat-birds are in summer very common in the old "Bay State," and are familiar to many of its inhabitants, usual- ly appearing in their haunts here in the first week of May, some returning to the South in September, others waiting until the middle of October. Though very numerous in the culti- vated districts of Massachusetts, they are rather rare in the northern parts of New England ; and yet u they have been met with in Arctic countries," as have Robins also. They for the most part prefer the neighborhood of man and of culti- vated soil, though one may often find their nests in wild spots, far from any house, since they roam over all the open country. Though never properly gregarious, individuals do the work of a host in destroying injurious insects ; eating the caterpillars, which they find in orchards, shrubbery, bushes, and thickets, and feeding upon " cut- worms," which they obtain in ploughed lands. This fare they vary by occasionally catching winged insects, as they fly through the air, but more often by eating berries of various kinds, chiefly such as grow in swamps. From the nature of their usual employment, they rarely have occasion to perch very far above the ground, or to take other OF NEW ENGLAND. 47 than short flights, since they pass most of their time in shrub- bery,— when frightened, generally taking refuge in a thicket, or a clump of bushes, so as to be effectually lost to sight. Though not habitually bold, they are often brave in resenting intrusions on their nests, giving a " warm" reception to cats, driving away or killing snakes, and occasionally flying at man. Two things are easily observable in the habits of these thrushes, namely : When on the ground, they can move about with agil- ity, and when perched, they often flirt their tails, or, when singing, depress them in a peculiar manner, which renders their attitude rather ludicrous. In autumn, before their departure, the Cat-birds become rather reserved and shy, and I have sometimes been able to detect their presence only by occasion- ally hearing their characteristic cry, or seeing them fly into " scrub " or other shrubbery, with their broad tails expanded to their fullest extent, as they crossed some road or path and dove into a thicket beyond. Their habits in the fall of the year illustrate the fact, that in spring most birds can easily be detected, if even carelessly sought for at the proper season, because of their song, their comparatively little shyness, and those bright tints, which, in the case of many birds, are exchanged for duller tints, when the summer either is over or draws near to its end ; whereas in autumn, on the other hand, many birds quietly, and in silence seldom broken, con- tinue to spend their days about us, and to migrate through those places where they were conspicuous in spring, escaping our observation through their greater shyness and retirement. There are two other partial explanations of the actually and apparently greater abundance of certain birds, when passing to the North through Eastern Massachusetts than when re- turning,— which are, that in the autumnal migrations many species for the most part choose a more inland route, and that in spring, the warblers, for instance, are prompted to their long journeys by a sudden outburst or a gradual ap- proach of genuine warmth, such as gives life to the insects on which they feed ; whereas in fall, unless startled by a sud- den visitation of cold, they gradually leave their summer- •48 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS homes, and by degrees straggle {if I may use the expression) to their winter-haunts.7 (d). The song of the Cat-birds, which is very much like that of the Brown Thrush, is in some respects a striking one, for the tone and accent are very marked ; and, though some of the notes are rather harsh or uncouth, others are very mellow. This song is not a definite or limited one, but is repeated for several minutes together, from the time of their arrival until the summer is nearly over, especially at evening ; but it is not unfrequently marred or interrupted by the mimicry of others' notes, for, though the Cat-birds do not possess the wonderful powers of the Mocking Birds, yet they are clever mimics, imi- tating Quail, Pewees, Least Flycatchers, and even hens, with great exactness. I have been more than once deluded by these musicians into the belief that I distinctly heard birds, whose presence I justly but little expected in the places, where I have thus been momentarily deceived. The Cat-birds have a mellow chuck, a chattered alarm-note, which I am inclined to think that they seldom use, and a familiar harsh ciy, which resembles the "mew" of a cat, whence their common name, and also, prob- ably, that' instinctive but irrational antipathy, which many boys entertain for this bird. III. HARPORHYNCHUS (A) RUFUS. Brown Thrush. " Song Thrush" "Thrasher" " Mavis." (A common summer-resident in southern New England.) (a). About eleven inches long. Above, bright reddish- brown ; below, white (or tinged), streaked with dark brown, but throat unmarked. Wings with white bars. Tail very long. (6). The nest is placed in a bush (occasionally in a tree, such as the cedar) or on the ground ; never far from it. When placed in a bush, sticks are generally used in its construction ; in all situations the nest being usually composed, wholly or 7 It is hoped that the author will be excused for these digressive remarks by those persons who are well acquainted with the facts mentioned. OF NEW ENGLAND. 49 partly, of strips of cedar-bark and the like, together with dead leaves and similar substances. The eggs are dirty white, cov- ered with very numerous and minute light brown markings, and average 1'05 X '80 of an inch, or more. One specimen is slightly tinged with green. In Eastern Massachusetts, two sets of these eggs (containing four or five) are laid every year, the first of which commonly appears in the last week of May, though sometimes exceptionally in the second week. (c). Not only do the notes of the Brown Thrush bear a strong resemblance to those of the Cat-bird, but their habits also correspond closely to those of that bird. The " Song Thrushes" reach the neighborhood of Boston, more often in the first than in the second week of May, or perhaps most often in the last week of April,, and are common summer-residents throughout southern New England, many not withdrawing until October. They are rare, however, in Northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Though on their arrival one may often see them on cultivated estates and near houses, yet they almost invariably, so far as I know, pass their summers in that species of shrubbery known as u scrub," or in low cedar- woods, where underbrush abounds, and are much less familiar toward man than are their relations the Cat-birds. They feed upon berries, caterpillars, wasps, or beetles, and, while en- gaged in procuring them, may often be seen moving from bush to bush, with a characteristic flight, and with their long tails so outspread as to be very conspicuous. When they perch, the " Thrashers " flirt or depress their tails in the manner of the last species, to whom I have already referred ; and they like- wise are very bold in the defence of their nest, often hissing with the vehemence of a pugnacious goose. They frequently have refused to leave their nests on my approach, unless to fly at me in a way, which used to frighten me heartily, when young. They are so brave and at the same time so unsociable as rarely or never to congregate, either for the sake of mutual protection or of companionship. They may be seen, however, in pairs, rustling loudly among the dead leaves, or hopping along the ground with remarkable agility. I have called them 5 50 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS "brave," and yet, when their young are reared, they resume their natural shyness, avoid man, and on his approach disap- pear in the surrounding shrubbery ; but the instinct of mother- hood can inspire bravery in those habitually timid, when emergencies occur which require courage. (d). The loud chuck of the Brown Thrushes, their indescrib- able note of alarm or displeasure, and their song are all, as has been intimated, much like those of the Cat-bird. Their song is very pleasing, being loud, emphatic, and wonderfully varied ; so much so that it is sometimes well-nigh impossible to believe that one bird can produce such widely different notes, but, though called "mockers," the "Thrashers" never mimic other creatures, so far as I have observed. Often, if interrupted, when singing, they softly repeat the syllables " tu- whit, tu-whit," and immediately resume their song. In May, at evening, I have often listened to them, when, having chosen a high perch, they have sung sweetly and loudly ; and it was when thinking of such singing that Wilson wrote : " The human being, who, amidst such scenes, and in such seasons of rural serenity and delight, can pass them with cold indifference, and even contempt, I sincerely pity ; for abject must that heart be, and callous those feelings, and depraved that taste, which neither the charms of nature, nor the melody of innocence, nor the voice of devotion of gratitude or devotion reach." §2. Saxicolidse. Stone-chats and bluebirds. (See §1.) I. SIALIA (A) SIALIS. (Eastern) Blue Bird. (Very common in Massachusetts during the warmer half of the year.) (a). 6£-7 inches long. Above, bright blue (in females, im- mature specimens, and specimens in winter-plumage, often in- terrupted by dull-colored patches) . Belly white ; other under parts bright, ruddy brown or chestnut. 9 usually much duller or paler than $ . (6). The nest is generally placed in the hole of a tree or post, or in a bird-box. The eggs, which measure about -85 X OF NEW ENGLAND. 51 •62 of an inch, are light blue (very rarely white). Two sets of 4-6 are usually laid each year in this State, of which the first commonly appears about the first of May. (c). The familiar Blue Birds are the first birds to come from their winter-homes to the Eastern States ; for they reach the neighborhood of Boston, invariably no later than March, and sometimes in February. They have once reached it, ac- cording to Dr. Brewer, on the twenty-eighth day of January, though never known to pass the winter here. In summer they are very common and generally well-known throughout south- ern New England, though comparatively rare to the northward, as in the case with many other of our common birds. Whilst migrating, they usually fly very high, and one may often be apprised of their coming, before seeing them, by hearing their warbled note, which they frequently utter when on wing. By the middle of March they become quite common, and may be seen in small companies, perched on telegraph-wires, or ridge- poles of barns, on fences or trees, occasionally calling to one another, or moving from place to place. Cheerless as the season then is, they contrive to exist, though naturally insec- tivorous, until warmer weather causes an abundance of insects ; and they even mate during the cold weather, with which spring is inaugurated in this part of the world. In April, they gather various warm materials, and build their nests by placing them in a bird-box, or at the bottom of a hole in some tree ; and in these nests their eggs are laid about the first of May, when but few other of our birds have begun incubation. The haunts of the Blue Birds are well-known, and few naturalists can pass through farms, orchards, gardens, or fields, or travel over roads through cultivated lands and villages, without associating with them these companions of every student of nature. The Blue Birds are not only pleasant friends, but are also useful laborers in behalf of agriculturists, as is proved by the nature of their food, and the manner in which they obtain it. Though in the early spring, and more so in fall, various berries afford them nourishment, yet in May, and throughout the summer, they feed quite exclusively upon insects, chiefly upon beetles, many 52 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of which are injurious. As they often rear two or even three broods of young during their annual sojourn in Massachusetts, they necessarily destroy an incalculable number of pests (at the rate of between fifty and a hundred thousand to a pair in four months) . So soon as the young of the first brood are old enough to leave the nest, the female soon begins again to lay, while the male takes charge of the young, teaching them how to catch their prey. He may often be seen to perch in some open spot, and, flying into the air (much in the manner of fty- catchers), to seize some passing insect, or, pausing with rapidly quivering wings, to snap up some grasshopper or beetle from the grass, immediately returning to his perch. Though the Blue Birds have been known to take long flights, when traveling, yet they rarely fly far at other times, and, though when journeying they move through the air at a con- siderable height, at other times they usually remain rather near the ground, but they never, as a rule, stand on it, except occa- sionally when collecting bits of straw or the like, with which to build their nests. In autumn they gather in small flocks, and in October generally depart from this State, though a few linger until November. (d). The only song of the Blue Birds is a repetition of a " sadly-pleasing " but cheerful warble of two or three notes, tinged (so to speak) by a mournful tone. This they often give utterance to when on wing, as well as when perched. In autumn, and when with their young, their usual note is a single sad whistle, but they occasionally use a peculiar chatter as a call-note to their young, whose notes differ from those of their parents. I shall here close my account of these birds, deservedly popular as forerunners of spring, companions of man, and cheerful, beneficial laborers, by quoting a few lines from one of Alexander Wilson's poems. la Autumn "The BJue-bird, forsaken, yet true to his home, " Still lingers, and looks for a milder to-morrow, " Till forc'd by the horrors of winter to roam, "He sings his adieu in a lone note of sorrow. OF NEW ENGLAND. 53 " While spring's lovely season, serene, dewy, warm, "The green face of earth, and the pure blue of heav'n, " Or love's native music have influence to charm, "Or sympathy's glow to our feelings is8 giv'n, •' Still dear to each bosom the Blue-bird shall be; " His voice, like the thrillings of hope, is a treasure; "For, thro' bleakest storms if a calm he but see, "He comes to remind us of sunshine and pleasure I " NOTE. The European Stone-chat or " Wheat-ear" (Saxicola cenanthe) occurs in Northern North America as a wanderer, and is included by Dr. Coues in his " List of the Birds of New England." In his "Key" he describes it as follows (the length being 5-6 inches?): "Adult: — ashy gray; forehead, superciliary line and under parts white, latter often brownish- tinted ; upper tail coverts white, wings and tail black, latter with most of the feathers white for half their length ; line from nostril to eye, and broad band on side of head, black ; bill and feet, black ; young everywhere cinnamon-brown, paler below ; §3. Sylviidse. (See §1.) • I. REGULUS (A) CALENDULUS. Ruby-crowned " Wren" Ruby-crowned " Kinglet."* (Common in Massachusetts in April and October.) (a). 4-4£ inches long. Above, greenish olive ; below, white, impure and yellow-tinged. Wings with two white bars, and (like the tail) with light edgings. Eye-ring, impure white. Crown in mature specimens with a scarlet patch, wanting in immature birds (and females ? 10) ; moreover, in some speci- mens, small and orange-colored. (6). I believe that there is no record of the nest and eggs 8 In the original "are," evidently through inadrertance. 9 These birds have been called " Kinglets " from their scientific name (Regulus), meaning "little king." 10 1 have seen in spring pairs of these birds, highly colored, and apparently fully matured, of whom the males had a brilliant carmine patch, and the females no patch at all, or none evident. 54 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS having ever been discovered. They are probably like those of allied British species, and of the Golden-crowned "Wren" (B, b). (c). The little Ruby-crowned " Wrens," almost the smallest of North American birds, with the exception of the humming- birds, habitually pass the summer in the countries, which lie to the northward of New England.11 They reach the neighbor- hood of Boston, when traveling from the North, in the first or second week of October, and are quite common throughout that month, a few lingering until the middle of November, and still fewer occasionally passing the winter here. In autumn, regardless of the cold frosts, they always seem to be happily employed, either in pairs or singly, in ransacking trees in woods or orchards and elsewhere, for the small insects and eggs, which lie concealed beneath the bark, and in its crevices. They can but rarely be detected here in winter, since they com- monly spend that season in the indefinite " South." In spring they generally return to us about the middle of April, and are very common until the middle of May or earlier, when they totally disappear. They may be found in orchards or wood- land, and about cultivated estates, everywhere leading the same busy, restless life, which they never for a moment for- sake, while daylight lasts. They may be seen now clinging to some cluster of opening leaves or budding flowers, perhaps head downwards, now hopping to a neighboring twig, now fly- ing into the air to dexterously seize a passing insect, then calling to their mates if they be near, or uttering their sweet and joyous song. Though not gregarious, they are of a soci- able disposition toward other birds, and in fall often associate with Chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, " Gold-crests," and Downy Woodpeckers, and in spring with various migrating warblers, if there be any to join, whose habits are at 'all like 11 Wilson, however, says : " From the circumstance of having found them here in summer, I am persuaded that they occasionally breed in Pennsylvania." Mr. Charles C. Abbott, in speaking of their breeding in New Jersey, says that " at least we have as evidence of this their presence in June, and also that of their young in August." OF NEW ENGLAND. 55 their own. They are not usually shy or suspicious, but are so engrossed in their important occupations that they are easily approached, and are not disturbed, when closely watched. They have but little time to think of danger, and continue their career of constant activity (interrupted only by darkness and incubation), apparently regarding all living things as creatures innocent as they themselves. (d). In autumn and winter their only note is a feeble lisp. In spring, besides occasionally uttering an indescribable queru- lous sound, and a harsh " grating " note, which belongs exclu- sively to that season, the Ruby-crowned " Wrens " sing ex- tremely well, and louder than such small birds seem capable of singing. Their song commonly begins with a few clear whistles^ followed by a short, very sweet, and complicated warble, and ending with notes like the syllables tii-we-we, tu-we- we, tu-we-we. These latter are often repeated separately, as if the birds had no time for the prelude, or are sometimes merely prefaced by a few rather shrill notes with a rising inflection. It is astonishing, under existing circumstances, that neither nest nor egg of the Ruby-crowned "Wrens " has been discov- ered, or at least described. It is probable, and on their ac- count it is to be hoped, that they may long continue to rear their young in happiness and peace, undisturbed by naturalists, in the immense forests of the North. (B) SATRAPA. Golden-crowned " Wren." Golden-crowned " Kinglet." " Gold-crest." (Moderately common from October until April or May.) (a). Like calendulus (A), except on the head. Crown with a yellow patch (enclosing in ^ a scarlet one), bordered in front and on the sides by a continuous black line. (6). The nest of these birds has never, so far as I know, been discovered by any naturalist, previously to this year (1875). Wilson, indeed, thinking that the English "gold- crest " was identical with ours, which is not the case, quoted a description of the nest and eggs of that bird from Dr. 56 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS Latham.12 I therefore have the honor of recording the discov- ery of the nest of the Golden-crowned "Wren," which I made this summer, on the sixteenth day of July, in a forest of the White Mountains, which consisted chiefly of evergreens and white birches. Having several times observed the bird there, I at last detected them in the act of conveying food to their young, and soon tracked them to their nest. This hung four feet above the ground, from a spreading hemlock-bough, to the twigs of which it was firmly fastened ; it was globular, with an entrance in the upper part, and was composed of hanging moss, ornamented with bits of dead leaves, and lined chiefly with feathers. It contained six young birds, but much to my regret no eggs. (c). The Golden-crowned "Wrens" come to Massachusetts from their summer-homes in the latter part of October or in November, and, though a majority of them move on to the South, many pass the winter here, and continue their residence in this State until April or even the second week of May. During the winter they are for the most part gregarious, and may often be seen in small flocks, moving about among trees ; more often among those (such as birches) which spring up be- side wood-paths than those growing elsewhere. But they also visit cultivated lands and orchards, generally avoiding ever- greens (so far as I have observed), probably, because they do not readily find among them, in cold weather, the small insects and their eggs, which infest the bark of other trees, and upon which they chiefly depend for food.13 I have always found them more abundant on the edges of lanes through our woods than in other places, and there one may watch them scrambling about from twig to twig and from tree to tree, so busily engaged as to almost ignore one's immediate presence. They are not quite so restless as the Ruby-crowned " Wrens," but are equally so- « " American Ornithology," Vol. I, p. 127. 13 The nuthatches, creepers, and titmice, all affect the pines in winter, and there- fore I am at a loss to explain the apparent dislike of these birds to those trees in that season. About the fact I do not think myself mistaken. They share the Chickadee's partiality for white birches. OF NEW ENGLAND. 57 ciable, and often join the merry Chickadees and their follow- ers, in pursuit of their common prey. In spring, when the cold of winter has become somewhat modified, they are rather less social, roam more freely, and finally move northward, their place being immediately supplied by others, who have been living in a warmer climate. These possess habits more nearly akin to the habits of the Ruby-crowned " Wrens " than those of their predecessors, and frequently catch insects in the air, or obtain them by fluttering before some opening cluster of leaves, while so doing, causing their wings to quiver rapidly, 1 ' and often exposing the golden feathers of their head, which are opened and shut with great adroitness," which they also more frequently do when skipping about from bough to bough. Many pass the summer in Northern Maine, and in certain parts of the White Mountains, but none breed in a more southern country, unless in New Jersey, as Dr. Abbott thinks is the case. They are " quite common at Umbagog in June ;" " and judging from the condition of female specimens taken, lay their eggs about June 1st." Messrs. Maynard and Brewster " found several pairs in the thick hemlock woods, that evidently had nests in the immediate vicinity." (d). Beyond an occasional weak note, or a cry of tsee-tsee- tsee, the Golden-crowned " Wrens " are usually silent, whilst staying in their winter-homes, except on the approach or arri- val of spring, when they sometimes give utterance to a twit- tered warble, which resembles the weaker song-notes of the Chickadees. In their summer-homes they have a song, which Mr. Maynard has described as " a series of low, shrill chirps, terminating in a lisping warble ; " and, when with their young, they twitter constantly, as do also many other birds. NOTE. — Cuvier's "Kinglet" (liegulus Cuvieri) is a source of conjecture to all modern ornithologists. It was obtained by Audubon near the banks of the Schuylkill River, in June, 1812. Only one specimen was taken, which differed from sat- rapa in having the crown-patch entirely vermilion and two black stripes on each side of the head. I have suspicions of having seen this species in New England, but they are too vague to render the supposed circumstance probable. 58 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS II. POLIOPTILA (A) CLERULEA. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. (A very rare or exceptional summer-resident in New England.) (a). 4-4£ inches long. "Clear ashy blue, bluer on head; forehead, and line over eye, black (wanting in 9 ) : outer tail feather white." Bill, feet, and rest of the tail, black. Under parts (bluish) white. (6). "The nest is placed on a tree, from ten to fifty feet above the ground, and is cup-shaped, firm, but small and neat." An egg in my collection measures -60X*48 of an inch, and is pale greenish blue, dotted with reddish-brown and a little obscure lilac. (c) (d) . The Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are said to have wan- dered to Massachusetts, but their usual habitat is further to the southward. They are insectivorous, and dart " about from one part of the tree to another with hanging wings and erected tail, making a feeble chirping, tsee, tsee, no louder than a mouse." (Wilson.) They generally hunt "on the highest branches." Mr. Burroughs says of this bird in "Wake- Robin : " " Its song is a lisping, chattering, incoherent warble, now faintly reminding one of the goldfinch, now of a miniature cat- bird, then of a tiny yellow-hammer, having much variety, but no unity, and little cadence." He previously remarks, in his charming sketches, that " in form and manner it seems almost a duplicate of the cat-bird, on a small scale. It mews like a young kitten, erects its tail, flirts, droops its wings, goes through a variety of motions when disturbed by your presence, and in many ways recalls its dusky prototype." § 4. The ParidSD, or titmice, together with the two next fam- ilies, the nuthatches and creepers, form a natural, plainly col- ored group, and might appropriately be called "tree-gleaners." They all lead an active life, scrambling about among trees in search of insects and their eggs, but never flying far, though partially migrant. The chickadees not unfrequently alight on the ground, and often hang head downwards, but they never OF NEW ENGLAND. 59 habitually cling to the trunk. The creepers, on the other hand, climb much like woodpeckers, confining themselves to the trunks or larger upright limbs, and never touch the earth ; while the nuthatches in their habits are intermediate between the two. As regards music, however, the chickadees are in- termediate, for the nuthatches are wholly unmusical, while the creepers have a warbled song. They all, however, agree in building a nest in some cavity, usually the hole of a tree, and in laying small, white, spotted eggs, but the titmice are the most prolific, laying in one set always more than five eggs, and sometimes more than ten. They are all unsuspicious and soci- able, though, in Massachusetts, only the chickadees are strictly gregarious. The three families are all partially characterized as follows : length less than seven inches ; bill neither hooked nor notched ; tarsi scutellate ; toes not completely cleft ; pri- maries ten, the first short or spurious ; tail-feathers twelve. In the Paridce the bill is short, stout, pointed, and with convex outlines, the nostrils are concealed, the tarsus is "longer than the middle toe and claw," the tail is long, and about equal to the wings. In the Sittidw the nostrils are likewise concealed, but the bill is long, rather slender, acute, and with a convex outline beneath only; the tail is short (pi. 1, fig. 5). In the Certhiidce the bill is slender and decurved, the nostrils are ex- posed, and the tail-feathers are stiff and pointed (pi. 1, fig. 6). All the creepers and titmice of North America belong to the typical groups or subfamilies, Certhunce and Parince. L PARUS (A) ATRICAPILLUS. Black-capped Titmouse. Chickadee. (Common in Massachusetts throughout the year, but much less abundant in summer than in the other seasons.) (a). 5-5£ inches long. (Tail and wings 2£.) Above, ashy, variously tinted. Beneath, white, in winter often tinted with "rusty" or buff. Crown, nape, and throat black; intervening space (nearly) white. (b). The Chickadees either select a natural cavity or a de- serted woodpecker's home, or with great labor excavate a hole 60 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS for themselves, in a post or a tree. They rarely select a sound tree, but much prefer a decayed one, particularly a white birch, in which from one to thirty feet above the ground, on the side (or often on the top of a trunk, if a broken one) , they make an excavation, from three inches to a foot deep, with a narrow entrance, if possi- ble. At the bottom they place warm and soft materials, such as hairs, moss, feathers, and wool ; and the female, usually in the last week of May (near Boston), lays six or sometimes more eggs — often again laying, later in the season. The eggs average *63 X '50 of an inch ; and are white, either spotted with reddish-brown, or finely freckled with a rather paler shade, which ap- proaches flesh-color. (c). The Chickadees are so abun- dantly distributed, or well represented by closely allied species, throughout the greater part of North America, that probably to a majority of its inhabitants they are, on the whole, more familiar than any other birds. They are common residents in all the New England States, but in many parts of Massachusetts are much less common in summer than in winter, when many have come from the North. At the be- ginning of every new year, they may be found in abun- dance in the neighborhood of Boston, more often in small flocks than otherwise. One may then wratch them closely, for they are not shy, as they move about among the higher branches, and the lower branches, or even on the ground, where they peck at fallen cones, or at such refuse as can afford them any nourishment. When on the trees, their motions are characterized by constant energy ; and the better to obtain their minute prey (small insects and eggs, such as infest bark) they assume many peculiar attitudes, to maintain which great (comparative) muscular strength is required — such attitudes Fig. 2. Chickadee OF NEW ENGLAND. 61 as hanging by the claws, or clinging to cones with the head downwards. They are so merry, genial, and sociable, that their society is sought for, as it were, by other birds, such as creepers, nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers and " kinglets," whose habits are much like their own, and who frequently join them in their pleasant rambles and active scrambles. They roam wherever there are trees, be they near houses, or in the depths of the forests, in valleys or on hill-sides ;14 but ever- greens, particularly pines, and white birches, are their favorites. They never take other than short flights, and often, as Wilson says, " traverse the woods in regular progression from tree to tree," in this manner traveling several miles every day. They are very unsuspicious, and allow one to approach closely, so that by remaining motionless I have often induced them to surround my person. Mr. Samuels mentions an instance of one perching on the toe of his boot as he sat in the woods ; and a young man of Northern New Hampshire once told me that they were so tame in cold weather as to feed from his hand, but his friends were possibly young and inexperienced birds, or at least were probably those who had passed the summer in some country uninhabited by man. In regard to the manner in which the hardy little Titmice pass the night, I have some interesting information to offer for the perusal of my readers and I shall here quote from my ornithological diary. "February 10th. This afternoon, just before sunset, I noticed two Chickadees, feeding on the ground, and pecking at a bone, to which a remnant of meat was at- tached. After saving one of them from a cat, who was steal- ing towards and was about to catch them, I remained there fifteen minutes. They scarcely left the ground during that time, except to take a low perch, until half-past five, when one flew away over the house-top and disappeared. The other continued to hop about on the ground ; and then, without any intimation of his purpose, abruptly flew to the piazza, whither I followed him. He took possession of a Pewee's nest, which " Among the White Mountains to an elevation of 4,000 feet ( ?) 62 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 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,15 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 ' cliick-a-dee-dee- dee* from a pine, and then for five minutes repeated his whistle of pe-wee. 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 offspring here. In summer they are shyer than in win- ter and often retire to secluded spots to rear their young, for whom they exhibit a tender affection, 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 18 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. " I 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, as 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 " chick-a-pu-pu-pu" 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. (a). 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.16 / ' , ti^l §5. Sittinse. Nuthatches. (See § 4.) I. SITTA (A) CAROLINENSIS. White-breasted Nuthatch. White-bellied Nuthatch. "Maynard. 64 LAND-BIRDS AND 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 with 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. Crown and nape, black (in young and 9 s, impure, restricted, or wanting). (6). The nest and eggs correspond closely to those of the chickadee (§ 4, 1, A, 6), 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 than in the other seasons ; but only 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 extremely attentive to the female while sitting, supplying her regularly with sustenance, stopping frequently at the mouth of the 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 alartn her. When both are feeding on the trunk of the same tree, or of adjoining ones, he is per- petually 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, quarik, frequently repeated, as OF NEW ENGLAND. 65 he 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 appears to possess a degree of curiosity not common in many birds ; fre- quently descending, very silently, within a few feet of the 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 heard 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, catering 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 may prob- abl}' be able to demolish, though I have never yet seen them so engaged ; but it must be rather 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 an}T 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 year, I have every reason to believe that ants, bugs, small seeds, insects and their larvae, form their chief subsistence, such matters alone being 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}r scattered round their roots. As to the circumstance mentioned by Dr. Plott, of the European Nuthatch c 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 sufficient 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. (d) . 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). 4^-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 $ 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 early 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 tp 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 difficult 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- musical sound, like the word "ank," which, says Mr. Maynard, is repeated more deliberately and less querulously 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. § 6. Certhiidse. Creepers. (See § 4.) I. CERTHIA (A) FAMiLiARis.17 Brown Creeper. (In Eastern Massachusetts very rare in summer, but common in winter.) (a). About 5£ 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 whitish. (&). Wilson says that " the Brown Creeper builds his nest in the hollow 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) says that u 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 gummy or gelatinous substance." The only 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 May, were grayish-white, speckled with reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end, and measured about -60X*50 of an inch. A nest, containing young, found in a New Hampshire forest, was much like one found " in a large elm in Court Square, Springfield, 17 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. They 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-daj^s 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 very 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 round 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 chip 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 TrOglodytidSB, or wrens, 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 MotacillidcB (§ 8) are in New England represented by one species only (belonging to the subfamily Anthince). They possess the following features : average length, about six inches ( ?) ; bill slender, somewhat notched, scarcely bristled, but above "slightly concave at base ;" nostrils exposed ; tarsus OF NEW ENGLAND. 71 scutellate ; " hind 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 by food. Thus the higher Oscines are chiefly insectivorous, the shrikes partly insectivorous, but otherwise carnivorous, while the subsequent families are chiefly granivorous. The Clamatores and Picarice, the Raptores, and the Columbce, form a very similar sequence, the pigeons being, so to speak, vegetarians. I. TROGLODYTES (A) HYEMALis.18 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, 18 This species has been placed by Baird in this genus (subgenus Anorthura"), by other authors in the genus Anorthura, with the specific name hy emails or troglo- dytes. Prof. Baird has recently called it a variety of the European T. parvulus. I have here called it the Wood Wren, because Audubon's so-called "Wood Wren " (T. Americanus} is now known to be the same as the House Wren (T. a^don"), and because the Winter Wrens inhabit woods, almost exclusively, whereas our other wrens do not. The name is therefore extremely appropriate. For the Great Carolina Wven.(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 different. (6). "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, thickly lined with feathers of the Buffed 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 '65X*48 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 beyond, and their winters to the southward of Massachusetts.19 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 19 1 have heard of but few instances of their being seen in this State in winter. OF NEW ENGLAND. 73 "quite at home, even in the yards, gardens, and outhouses of the city,"20 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 years, 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 by 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 constantly "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, which 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 Canary-bird's song, though infinitely 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 20 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. — Thryothorus 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. (&). " 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 (Thryothorus 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 I 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 shrubbery about the house. Though unwilling that they should be shot, I have no doubt as to their identity, partly 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 offer 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 shrubbery, 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 always 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 locally distributed.) (a). 4J~5£ inches long. Above, rather dark wren-brown. 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 (6). The nest, generally a heap of twigs lined with warmer materials, is usually built in 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 clay pot, a dis- used spout, or other equalty 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 Massachusetts two sets are occasionally laid in the summer, one usually appearing in 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 yet common in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and even very 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. They are so fearless 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 rights of prop- 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 are 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 OF NEW ENGLAND. 77 " except when on the wing.21 Both this and the Carolina wren are exceedingly quick in their movements, and if they 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 sprightty 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 May. II. CISTOTHORUS (A) STELLARIS. Short-billed Marsh Wren. Meadow Wren. (In New England, a rather rare summer-resident, found only in the warmer parts.) (a). About 4^ inches long. Below, white. Breast and sides 21 1 have hero 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. palustris above, but streaked with white on the back, nape, and rump. (6). 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. They come to Eastern Massachusetts about the middle of May, 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 they generally build several near together, every year, perhaps for the sake of protection. 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 in the genus Telmatodytes (considered by Baird a subgenusj. OF NEW ENGLAND. 79 tail-coverts slightly marked. Inter scapulars and crown, quite or nearly black ; the former 'white-streaked. Superciliary line, white. (6). The nest is suspended among the reeds or long grass, or is built in a bush in marshes. It "is formed outwardly 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 fine 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 an 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. MotacillidSD. Wagtails. (See § 7.) I. ANTHUS (A) LUDOVICIANUS. Brown Lark. " Titlark." " Pipit." li Wagtail.'' 80 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (A common migrant, in spring and autumn, along the coast of New England.) (a). About 6^ inches long. Above, pure dark brown (" olive-shaded " ? ), slightly streaked. Under-parts and super- ciliary line, light buffy-brown. Breast and sides dusky-streaked. Tail dark ; outer tail-feathers partly white. (b). The Titlarks breed chiefly in Arctic countries, and never in New England. (c) . They 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 they 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 they are said to sing. (c?). When with us. their only note is a feeble one, a simple chirp, which is often repeated. § 9. The SylviCOlid.se, or American warblers, form a group, which may perhaps be best defined negatively. By the omission, however, of the Icterince (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, 4-6^ 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 lark-warblers (I). Bill notched, scarcely bris- tled. Birds streaked beneath. Tail not marked or forked. Geothtypince, or thicket -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.123 Helminthophagince, or worm-eating warblers (IV, V, VI). Bill acute, unbristled, and unnotched23 (pi. 1, fig. 7). Mniotiltince, or creeping warblers (VII, VIII). Bill scarcely bristled, and never (very) distinctly notched ; hind-toe much longer than its claw. (Except in structure, however, the Parulse and Mniotiltse are widely different.) SylvicolincE, or wood-warblers (IX, X). Bill notched, and with short bristles (pi. 1, fig. 8). Tail not unmarked, unless in cestiva, where it is slightly forked. In other cases white- blotched. Perissoglossce are characterized by the tongue. Setophagince, or fly-catching warblers (XI, XII). Bill notice- ably broader than high, also notched, usually hooked, and always with long bristles23 (pi. 1, fig. 9). This last group is ranked as a subfamily, the others being united by Dr. Cones as Sylvicolince, though Prof. Baird further sets apart the Geothlypince. (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 generally 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. Water " Thrush." Water " Wagtail." (Common, perhaps locally so, during their migrations through Massachusetts, where, however, a few breed.) (a). o£-6 inches long. Dark brown above (tinged with olive). Superciliary line and under parts white, tinged with 23 Characteristics underscored do not belong to other warblers. 7 82 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS yellow. Throat and breast thickly spotted with very dark brown. " Feet dark." (&). 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 usually four, average -85 X '6 7 of an inch, though variable in size, and in coloration closely 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 very few pass the summer in Massachusetts, they are common in this State, or at least parts of it, onty 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 they feed, almost exclusively from the ground, often wading, however, in shallow water. When sojourning here, they are not veiy 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 very charming song. As it is, they are rarely seen, for they 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 by 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 NEW ENGLAND. 83 quisitely sweet, and begins with a burst of melody, which be- comes softer and more delicate until the last note dies away, lost in the ripple of the stream, above which the birds are gen- erally perched. It is probably sometimes 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 greatly 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) LUDOVICIANUS. 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." (fr). The nest and eggs are like those of the common Water Thrush, but the latter are a little larger, averaging -90X'70 of an inch. (c) . The Large-billed Water Thrushes have a very different habitat 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 ordinary note is probably the same chuck, but their song is said to be more glorious than that of the other species, 84 LAND-BIRDS AKD GA&E-B1RD9 which I have just described. It begins with loud, clear, and* tinging 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. Golden-crowned " Thrusli." « Oven- bird." " Wagtail." (In Massachusetts a common summer-resident.) (a). 6-6 J inches long* Olive above. Below white. Breast and sides (darkly or) black-streaked. Crown orange, bordered by black stripes. (Details omitted.) (-6). 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 -80 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 markings of reddish-brown and faint lilac scattered (not very thickly) 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 thrushes24 (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 a*e 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* Maynard adheres to this arrangement. OP -HEW ENGLAND. 8S •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 ohant. 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." (d). The Wagtails' loud monotony — wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee^wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-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 day, 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 Ms 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 "Yellow-throat" Black-masked Ground Warbler. (A common summer-resident throughout New England.) ^a). About five inches long. $ olive-green above. Fere- 8& LAND-BIRDS AND 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 grayish. More olive above. Head browner* Beneath, white, yellow less and paler. (&). The nest is usually placed on the ground — almost in- variably beside a brook or in a swamp — but occasionally in a thicket or briar. It is composed of (leaves) fine grasses, etc., is often lined with hairs, and is sometimes roofed. The eggs average -70 X *55 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 of 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 much marked. In all parts of New England two sets of these eggs are laid annually, as a rule, in Massachusetts the first 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 nearly the most common birds. They eome 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 their 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. (cf),. Besides a sharp cliucky which is loud enough to attract. OF NEW ENGLAND. 87 the attention of every passer-by, a simple chick, less often heard, and a chatter, much finer and less harsh ^han that of the Cat-bird, the "Maryland Yellow-throats" have a charac- teristic set of notes, which resemble the syllables wee-chee-chee, repeated several times, with a marked emphasis on the wee. This is varied to wee-chee-chee-wee, 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 many 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. Mourning Warbler. (Quite common (locally) 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 yellow. Head, warm (ashy-) gray. Throat black, often waved with gray. (b). 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 the " 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, jerking their tails in the manner of their relations. (d). 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. (6). 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 they 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. "Mr. 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 35 The Kentucky Warbler (0. 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 Thrushes. 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 tsips and chirps 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.126 (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 5] 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. (b). 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, minutely 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" 28 The closely allied Swainson's Warbler (H. Swainaoni) has been erroneously reported from Massachusetts. 90 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS of "tsee-dee-dee," and 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!). (a). 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 *68 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 neighbor- 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. (d). Their ordinary 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. OF NEW ENGLAND. 91 VI. HELMINTHOPHAGA (A) PINUS. Blue-winged Yellow Warbler. (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 ; but rump (like the back) olive, wing-bars and tail-blotches white (or nearly so), and eye-stripe, or lore, black. (b). 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. Tripp'e states that its notes are very forcible and characteristic. He describes them as a rapid chirrup resem- bling chuuchicli, k'-Orre-r' r' r' r1 r' ( !). According to Mr. Ridgway they are wonderfully like the lisping chirrup of the Coturniculus Passerinus" (or Yellow- winged Sparrow). (B) CHRTSOPTERA. Golden-winged 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, $2 'LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS and stripe through eye, black. Tail-feathers white-blotched. ^ 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 by me from a nest found near Boston average about 468X'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 May, 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 arrival I have several times met them 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. They 'have a habit, observable in their relations, of occasionally hopping from the ground to snap an insect from the foliage above. (d). Their notes are a tsip, a louder chip, and a sharp alarm- mote. They also have a brief and rather unattractive song •of four or five peculiar syllables, uttered in a characteristic, rather harsh tone, and resembling dsee-dsee-dsee-dsee. BB. LEUCOBRONCHIALIS. Wliite-tliroated {Golden-winged) 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 Helmintliopliaga ; by William "Brewster. Helminthophaga leucobronchialis. PL 1. <" Adult male ; summer plumage. Crown, bright yellowy sl'ightly tinged with olive on the occiput. Greater and middle wing-coverts, yellow, not so bright as the crown. Superciliary Mne, 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 j tarsus, -71 \ tail, 1'86 ; eulmen, '53. " It will be seen from the above description that this bird resembles most closely the Golden-winged Warbler {Helmin* thopaga ch rysoptera . } "The entire absence of black or ashy on the cheeks and throat, the peculiar character of the superciliary line, and the white lower eyelid, 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 pinus, 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. cJirysoptera. The first notice of this specimen ap* peared in the ' American Sportsman/ vol. v, p. 33. * * * * " As previously remarked the differences 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 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (C) RUFICAPILLA. Nashville Warbler. (Quite common as a migrant through this State, where few regularly breed.) (a). About 4^ inches long. Above, dull olive. Beneath, yellow. Back of Jiead, slate. Crown more or less marked with chestnut-red. In 9 ? head-markings indistinct, and crown patch often wanting. (&). 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 *63 X '50 of an inch, 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 May27 and of September. In spring and autumn, whilst traveling, they habitually frequent lightly- timbered woodland, and some- what, also, shrubbery 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- 87 1 have seen them from the 5th until the 20th. OF NEW ENGLAND. 95 script 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. (cZ). 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-wee' -see, ivit'-a-wU'-a-iuit'. (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.) /^jt.wl. (a). Essentially like the Nashville Warbler (C) ; but with the slate of the latter wanting, the chestnut supplied by orange- brown, and the yellow green- tinged. (6). Nest and eggs probably like Ihose of the last species. (c). The Orange-crowned Warblers are unknown to me personally, 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 probably 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-up." "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. Augus- 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) PEREGRIN A. Tennessee 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). 9 duller above. (See synopsis, p. 81.) (6). 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 tlmbagog, where they are summer-residents. They journey through this State in the latter part of May, and again about the middle of September. I have met them here twice in open woodland ; Mr. Maynard shot four males, on apple-trees in Newtonville, between the 18th and 24th of Ma}^, 1869 ; a pair were shot by Mr. William Brewster, near Mt. Auburn on high oak trees ; and Mr. Allen has "taken it repeatedly 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 tweet, uttered when they are on wing, or when 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." (d). "Its notes were few and weak." "Its song bears a resemblance to that of H. ruficapilla, 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. cJirysoptera." (Maynard.) "Its notes resemble the low, sub- dued whistle of the common summer Yellow-bird." (Board- man.) v 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.) (6). 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 White "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 land the}' are not to be found at all. They reach Eastern Massachusetts, sometimes as early as the last 8 y» 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 North on their way to 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 shyness, 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 (Certhiidoe) , from whom they principally differ in being much less S}Tstematic in their researches, and in occasionally busying 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. Coues 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 entirely 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 tsfp, a harsher tsip, much like that of the Chestnut-sided Warbler, a loud chick, which sometimes becomes a chink, an alarm-note, chick-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, icee-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 white 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. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler. "BlueYelloiv- (A summer-resident in northern New England, and usually a common migrant through Massachusetts, where a very few breed.) (a). About 4^ inches long. Above, blue, ashy- tin ted, with a yellowish patch on the back. Lore black. Throat and part of the breast, yellow, with a rich, dark brownish patch. Upper throat immaculate. Other under parts, wing-bars, and tail- spots, white. 9 rather duller, with less distinct markings. (Details omitted.) 100 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (6). The nest is globular, with an entrance on the side, and is composed principally of hanging mosses. It is usually 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) with spots and confluent blotches of reddish- brown and lilac, chiefly about the crown. (c) . The ' ' Blue Yellow-backs" are summer-residents through- Fig. 4. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler out the eastern United States, more commonly in Northern Maine and New Hampshire than in Massachusetts, where only 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 chiefly 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 hanging 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 pretty 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 tsliip, a chick, often loud, a cry of cliick-a-cliick-chick, 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 by still others like them. In this song I have sometimes recognized a peculiar hoarse tone, which seemed to characterize it strongly. IX. PERISSOGLOSSA (A) TIGRINA. Cape May Warbler. (In Massachusetts generally extremely rare, especially in autumn. In summer, "common at Umba^og," 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. (6). 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 chiefly about the larger end, usually in a ring." (c). The Cape May Warblers are very rare in Massachusetts, more so, however, during some }Tears than during others, and are so very seldom to be seen near Boston that I have very little information to offer to my readers in regard to their habits. Mr. Maynard has never seen them in the eastern part of this OF NEW ENGLAND. 103 State, where, 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) Yellow Bird?8 (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 with white as in all other Dendro2cce. (b). 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 sand}7 or yellowish-brown markings grouped principally about *« The Goldfinch (Chrysomitris tristris, § 15, IV, A), is also called the Yellow Bird. 104 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the crown. The above colorations are the extremes, between which there are various intermediate forms. It' is remarkable 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 South ? Throughout the summer they are to be found about us, but when autumn comes they leave us, and generally, before the first week of September has passed away, the}'' have gone. Yet they are very hardy, and stray to the Arctic shores, though hardly 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 sufficiently social to gather in flocks, but, on the contrary, though of a pleasant-tempered and affectionate 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. (d). The Yellow Bird's song is simple, yet very pleasing, and one does not become tired of it, though repeated often, as it has several variations. It nearly resembles the syllables wee-chee-wee-chee-wee-i-u, but is like the song of several other warblers. The loud chirp 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- stroying insects, particularly small caterpillars and canker- worms, of which they are very fond. (B) DISCOLOR. Prairie Warbler. (In Eastern Massachusetts, a summer-resident of no great rarity.) (a). About 4 1 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.) (b). 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 •65X'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, ^-f- • 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 other warblers, from dawn until evening, in searching among the branches of low bushes and saplings for the small caterpillars and insects upon whicji 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 chirr. (C) PENNSYLVANICA. Chestnut-sided Warbler. (In southern New England, a common summer-resident.) (a). About 5-] inches long. Back, light ashy-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 eye and one down to a chestnut-red patch on the side of the breast, black. (6). 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 inwardly 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 are the " scrub-lands," or open woods in low grounds which contain bushes, vines, etc. Near Boston they are usually 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 generally white with purplish- or reddish-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 buff (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 considerably 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, "tscrub," 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 system 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, by far too destructive. (d). The ordinary notes of the Chestnut-sided Warbler are a soft tsip, a louder and harsher tsip, uttered in a peculiar tone, and much like that of the Black and White "Creeper," and a rather loud chip. 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-wee-see-wee-see (each of which is higher than the preceding, except the sixth, which is lower than the fifth). The other common variation is almost exactly like the song of the little Yellow Bird (A) , and consequently like that of various other warblers. (D) CASTANEA. Bay-breasted Warbler. (Autumnal War- bler?) (Through Eastern Massachusetts a rare migrant.) (a). About 5 1 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, throat, and breast, chestnut (or deep chestnut-red). Belly and ear-patch usually buff-tinged, but sometimes white. $ with paler chestnut than the $ . (b). The nest is rather coarsely built, and is placed in the OF NEW ENGLAND. 109 bough of an evergreen (usually the hemlock) 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 P68X'50 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 summer in a colder climate.29 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 valle}' 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 maples, which like willows possess great attractions for the migrant warblers, but I have also seen them among pines. They are extremely active, and busily 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 kt most abundant of the Sylvtcolidce 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- tldypis Philadelphia and Helminthophaga peregrina, seems to pursue a very eccentric course during the migrations. Avoid- ing the eastern and middle States, the majority pass along the 29 1 have since learned that specimens have been taken here in both June and July. 110 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS borders of the Great Lakes, through Ohio, southern Illinois (Ridgway), down the Mississippi Valley, across into Texas and so on into Mexico and Central America where they 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. Maynard 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-poll" Warbler. Autumnal Warbler (?). (Common migrants through Massachusetts both in spring and autumn.) (a). About 5J inches long. g. Back streaked with olivace- ous (-ash ? ) and black. Crown down 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 *68X'50 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 greatly 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. (cZ). 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 only "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 Bay-breasted Warbler from among a com- pany 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-bird-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^E. Blackbumian Warbler. Hemlock War- bler. (Generally not a common migrant through Massachusetts, where this species occasionally breeds.) (a). About 4j inches long. £ 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, 3Tellow. 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 '65X'50, and resembles the egg of the Chestnut-sided Warbler (D), being white, with lilac and principally reddish-brown markings, grouped at the 80 The legs in Wilson's picture are. however, colored like those of the " Black- poll," and not like those of the " Bay-breast." .OF NEW ENGLAND. 113 larger end. Mr. Maynard 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.31 The Blackburnian Warblers usually reach Eastern Massa- chusetts about the tenth of May, 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 r 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 hours a day, as he well might have, he would in that time have shot three thousand or more from a single place in the woods" 31 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 these birds, has been communicated to me by a student in the Institute of Tech- nology. On the eleventh of May, 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 flight. In summer the Black- burnian Warblers 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 c/i(p, or weak syllables like those uttered by the Golden-crowned " Wrens," as tsee-tsee or tsee-tsee-tsee. Their song is not very musical, though simple and pleasing. As I have heard it in their summer-homes, it resembles the syllables wee-see-wee-see-wee-see (wee-see-ick) . As heard in spring I may liken it to wee-see-wee-see, tsee-tsee- tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee. The latter syllables are on an as- cending scale ; the very last is shrill and fine. (G) C^ERULEA. Ccerulean 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). 4-4£ 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 j^ellowish. (6). Audubon says: "The nest is placed in the forks of a low tree or bush, more frequently 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 Cserulean 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. They 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 many, 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 yet 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^ERULESCENS. BlacJc-tJiroated Blue Warbler. Canada Warbler. (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, continuously jet- black. Wings and tail dark ; the former with a large white, spot on the edge of the wing (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. (b). The nest is probably always 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- dinary circumstance, since their usual habitat at that season is, I believe, beyond 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 OF 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. (d). The ordinary note of the "Black-throated Blues" is a simple chip, which is sometimes closely repeated, after the manner of the Chipping Sparrow. They have also a chatter, employed chiefly as a battle-cry, and a loud alarm-note, resem- bling the chuck 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 which the last two are ' the highest in tone and the most emphatic, and sounds like "zwee-zwee-zwee." It is sometimes varied and lengthened so as to resemble the syllables [che-wee] che-wee [see] wee-see zwee. 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. Wlwle side of head, rich yellow (with occasional indistinct mark- ings) . Throat and breast, black. ? (and $ in autumn) with the black restricted or wanting. Other under parts, white or yellowish. Outer tail-feathers, largely white. (b). 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 very 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 particularly 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, they are to be found in "mixed" woods, in the former cases especially those which contain other ever- greens. They reach Boston (which now comprises tracts of genuine country) 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 very 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. They do not often catch insects in the air, except in spring, and rarely descend to the ground, except for the sake of taking a bath, which they do so prettily that an appreciative spectator qannot fail to enjoy it as much as the birds themselves. They find their food principal!}7" among the branches of the ever- OF NEW ENGLAND. 119 greens which they frequent, are constantly 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 fly 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. (d). 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 wee-see-wee-see-wee-see (in which the middle notes are the highest) and wee-see-ivee-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, rarely, 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 family, 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 though, no doubt, from very different motives. The majesty of those trees, their gracefulness, their freshness throughout the year, their beauty 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 finally 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 two outer pairs of tail feathers, large, oblique" (b). 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. They 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- ally, 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 mentioned, 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 in 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 they 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.32 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 82 There is other evidence that such is undoubtedly the case. An interesting article on the subject has been written by Mr. Abbott of New Jersey. 122 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS heard both earlier and later in the year. It is apparently 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 cliip-a-see, and we-cliee-we-cliee-we-cliee, which are not very expressive, and are not often heard. (K) PALMARUM. "Red-poll" Warbler. 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.) (6). The nest is said to be placed on the ground, usually in a swampy locality. The eggs of each set are four ( ?) ; average about -70 X "55 of an inch ; and are (creamy) 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 gather in loose flocks, and often associate with other warblers, and with various sparrows. They are much more terrestrial in their habits than any of their immediate relations (i. e., the Dendroecce) and always are on or not very far from the ground. They fly 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 unnecessary, as very 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 chuck, which is less loud than that of the Snow-birds, but much more mellow. They 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 Fine Warbler. It is possible that in their summer-homes these birds produce a fuller song, but I have no evidence of 124 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS such being the case. I am, moreover, inclined to think that they never sing very agreeably. (L) CORONATA. Yelloiv-rumped .Warbler. " Yellow-rump" " Myrtle Bird." " Willow Warbler." (A very common migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). About 5^ inches long. $ , in spring and summer, slaty ; black-streaked. Wings browner, and concealing the rump, when closed. Throat and belly, white. Crown, rump, 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. (&). "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-brown, 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 May, 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 Northern 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 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.33 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 check or chuck (which sometimes is softened to clmp). 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' " M Mr. Charles C. Abbott states that they pass the winter in 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. " Magnolia Warbler." (A rather rare migrant through Massachusetts.) (a). About five inches long. Dark above. Rump, yellow. Crown ashy (-blue ?) . Forehead and a broad bar through the eye, black. Under parts yellow ; breast black-streaked. Wing- patch, etc., white. 9 , with 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 -63 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 days, but, after having passed the summer in the woods of Canadaj Northern New Hampshire, 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 They generally 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 Black 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 tsip, a cry of Isip-tsip-tsip, a soft and loud chip, a cluck or chink like that of the Hose- breasted Grosbeak, and an ank, whiclrrecalls 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 Dendroecce, who inva- riably visit Massachusetts every year, and five of whom com- monly breed here. The birds of this genus (Dendro&ca) are in 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 shrubs from the injuries of caterpillars and the numerous winged insects that infest them. XI. MY1ODIOCTES (A) CANADENSIS. Canada "Flycatcher" Canada Flycatch- incj 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 AND GAME-BIRDS yellow beneath. Crown almost streaked with black. Super- ciliary line, yellow. Throat bordered by a black line, from 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 woods of northern New England, but in Mas- sachusetts, though their nests have been found, for instance, at Lynn, they are rare except as migrants. They arrive at Boston on the twentieth of May, or even later, and I have observed them here traveling as late as the fifth of June. During their visits, which are individually brief, they frequent woodland, often that which is swampy, though also dry pines, and the shrubbery in or near it. Occasionally they venture to gardens and shrubbery 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 agility. 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 at other times, mindful 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. (d). 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 c/i(p, and a chuck, which is almost exactly like that of the Maryland "Yellow-throat." (B) pusiLLUS.34 Green Black-capped (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 9 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 lot common." I know no instance of these birds passing the 34 The Hooded Warbler (AT. mitratus) never, so far as I know, strays to Mas- JL sachu-setts 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. Tail-feathers with a few white blotches. Male with head blai-k, except on the sides and forehead, which are golden-yellow. The Small- . Flycatcher (Musdcapa minuta) is an entirely apocryphal species. 10 130 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS summer so far to the southward as New England, though they may occasionally do so. They 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 year. 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 chip (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 1 inches long. £ , 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. <j> , greenish above, and white beneath. Vermilion of the male simply yellowish. Wings and tail elsewhere dark (the latter from below seeming almost black-tipped, but otherwise yellowish). The female is rather a nondescript in appearance. (b). The nest is placed in a fork, sometimes next to the trunk, in a low tree or shrub, from five to twenty feet above the ground. It is composed of thin strips of bark, dried grasses, caterpillar's silk and other soft materials, and is some- times 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. They can generally be easily distinguished. OP NEW ENGLAND. 131 (c). The Redstarts are familiar to all the 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 part 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 shrubbery. Occasionally, however, they approach the ground,35 though they usually remain at some distance from it, often at a great height. During 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 young 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 widely 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 die- icee-o or che-wee-o-wee-o, at other times it is che-wee-see-wee-see- 85 1 have since observed that the female obtains much of the food for her young from the ground. 132 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS wee, or a soft wee-see-wee-see-wee, much like the song of the Yellow Bird (D. cestivd), 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 chip, a chick, 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. Yellow-breasted Chat. Chat. (In New England of rare occurrence, and in the three south- ern States only.) (a). Seven inches long. Above, bright olive-green. Throat and breast, rich yellow. Belly, 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 1* 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 May," 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 OF NEW ENGLAND. 133 mewing of a cat," or equally peculiar noises. Wilson, from whom I have already quoted, says 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 Tanagridae, 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 Geothlypes. Wings about equal in length to the tail. They differ from Geothlypes 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 Clamatores (to whom the Corvidce bear no direct affinity), but their true position has not yet been de- termined. They are usually placed next to the 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 affinity to 134 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS the flycatchers, in their eminent skill in fly-catching,36 as oc- casionally displayed, and in their want of musical powers, for, though absurdly called "chatterers," they are notably silent birds. Moreover, "their tarsus is not strictly oscine." They are, however, gregarious. The common Cedar-bird may be taken as a type. I. PYRANGA (A) RUBRA. Scarlet Tanager. (Though locally distributed, a generally common summer- resident in southern New England.) Fig. 5. Scarlet Tanager (|). (a). About 7^ inches long. ^, scarlet; wings and tail black. 9 , oliv.e-green above. Below, (greenish) yellow. (&). The 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 '90X'65 of an inch 36 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 Thrush ( §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 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 undoubtedly conveyed to a place of safety, but whether ever returned or successfully 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 chip-churr, 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). 7fj— 8 inches long. $ , vermilion. $, like <? rubra (A) , but duller, and with brownish rather than greenish shades (Coues). (&). "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."37 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- 87 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 rapid pronunciation of cliicky-tucky-tuck, clilcky-tucky-tuck, 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. AmpelidaD. Waxwings. (See§10.)38 I. AMPELIS (A) CEDRORUM. Cedar-bird. Cherry-bird. (Carolina) Wax- icing. u 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, yellow (or yellowish). 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. 38 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 March. 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 undoubtedly 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 he has seen one among a row of these birds seated upon a branch dart after an insect, and offer it to his associate when 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 Waxwing. Northern Waxwing. (A Northern bird, of which, so far as I know, no specimen has ever been obtained in this State.) (a). 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. (b). 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 way 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 may 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 Hirundinid.89, or swallows, may be distin- guished from all our other birds by 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 any other family, 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 brightly, female plainly colored.39 Tanagers ; certain warblers, finches, and starlings. [(8). Plainly colored;39 with bright crown-patch in both sexes, certain flycatchers ; with tail brightjy tipped, the wax- wings.] (9). Plainly or dully colored.39 Sexes alike. Thrushes, gnatcatchers, titmice, creepers, wrens, wagtails, vireos, shrikes, flycatchers, swifts, cuckoos, owls, most of the hawks, certain warblers, swallows, finches, starlings, jays, and pigeons. (10). Plainly or dully colored.39 Sexes unlike. ' Goat- suckers," kingfishers, harriers, and smaller falcons. Perhaps so 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 preeminently social and consequently gregarious, at least very often. Most of them breed in communities or in colonies, to which they 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 possibly 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 trees, now build their nests, almost exclusively in Massachu- setts, in situations about the buildings of man. It is said by Dr. Coues, 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 89 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 with green, 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 hydraulic canal, some five or six feet above the water. While at the depot during the past summer I saw a bank swallow fly 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." 3' It is almost needless to add that this species usually burrows in sand. The swallows lay four or five eggs, which are white, unmarked, or spotted with brown and purplish. I. HIRUNDO (A) HORREORUM. Barn Swallow. (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 £-2 inches), and all, except the middle pair, with a white spot. (6). The nest is placed on the beams or rafters of a barn or similar building, and usually is finished here by the middle of May. A set of four or five eggs is then laid, and often another in June, or 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 neighborhood of Boston ge'ner- 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 where 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 cob webbed 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 boldly, 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-BIRDS 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 Swallow. Eave Sivallow. "Republi- 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, chestnut-red. Breast, paler, belly, white. Forehead, brownish. (b). The nest is generally somewhat bottle-shaped, is com- posed chiefly of a delicate mud-plaster, often intermixed with bits of straw, and is naturally 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 many as a hundred, are generally placed in a row. The eggs are essentially like those of the Bam Swallow (I, A, 6), so much so as often to be indistin- guishable, and are laid about the same time. (c). The Cliff Swallows, who in many ways closely resem- ble the Barn Swallows, are resident in Eastern Massachusetts from the first week of May until September. They are very abundant in certain localities in New England ; but, as they are eminently 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 different 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 them. 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 countrjr. An accurate account of their movements within the last century could hardly fail 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 their 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. "When 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, apparently 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 constantly 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 in 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- thology," says of the Cliff Swallow: " A very singular trait distinguishes the migrations of this bird. While the European 11 146 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS or white variety of the human race is rapidly spreading over this continent, from its eastern borders to the remotest plains beyond 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 vicinity, 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 Swallow ' 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 sec6nd year seven ; the third twenty-eight ; the fourth forty; and in 1822 there were 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) BICOLOR. White-breasted Swallow. White-bellied Swal- low. (A common summer-resident nearly throughout New Eng- land.) (a). About six inches long. Lustrous steel-green above. White beneath. (&). The nest is usually built in a martin-box or other like receptacle, and, in Massachusetts, very rarely in the hole of a OF NEW 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 /ire 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, they 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 twenty-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 rapidity, 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 latety 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 differ 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. They 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. They 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. (d). 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 Swallow. Sand Martin. (Locally common throughout New England.) (a). About five inches long. Upper parts, and a band across the breast, dull brown. Under parts, white. (6). The nest is constructed of a few loose materials, and is placed at the bottom of burrows dug out by the birds. These excavations are from fifteen to twenty-four inches deep, and are made in sand-banks, usually those on the sea-shore or near other bodies of water, but sometimes those on the roadsides or in other situations. The eggs average *68 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 have 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 like 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 of 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 "cave in," and then burrow to a stratum 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 party 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? What, indeed, prompts them to part from theif fellows and to become pioneers in new settlements? Instinct can never be fully understood by 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 almost a lifeless state with the cold, which circumstance has contributed to the belief that they lie torpid all winter in these recesses." (d). The Bank Swallows are usually 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.40 Purple Martin. "Black Martin." Martin. "Cape Cod Swallow." (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.) (a). 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.) (&). The nest arid 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 Martins 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 places, where they were once well known, though they are probably multiplying in their present homes. "The Martin" says Wilson "differs from all the rest of our Swallows in the particular prey which he selects. Wasps, 40 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 peuo peuo, 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 Vireonid.88, or vireos (sometimes called "green- lets" ), possess the following features in common with the Lani- idce, 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 cheerfully, energetically, 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^ inches long. Olive-green above, and white beneath. Head, bluish-ash ; eye-ring, and line to bill, white. Sides olive-shaded. Wing- and tail-feathers white-edged, and wings white-barred. (b). The nest of the Solitary 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 *77 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 less com- mon here, for in the breeding-season the southern limit of OF NEW ENGLAND. 153 their range is about the northern limit of the latter's range. They are common summer-residents throughout northern New England, inhabiting the-re the woods strictly, but as such are very 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 beyond 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 anfc), much like that of the " Red-eye," but yet distinct. (B) FLAVIFRONS. Yellow-throated 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 yellow ; belly, white. Eye-ring, etc., yellow. Wings and tail generally dark ; former with two white bars. (6). 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 narrow 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 usually, 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. They 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, except 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 NEW ENGLAND. 155 simply constructed bill alone, to fashion a home for themselves, of 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- tion41). 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-eyed, 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 exactly, 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 « It is to be considered that such improvement as is here referred 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. (6). The nest is hung from a fork, usually 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 silk. 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 eveiy other bird is quiet, prolongs his cheerful warble in almost eveiy 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. They 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 they 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, energy, and animation, in these qualities resem- bling the Robin's song. The "Red-eyes" have also a chip* 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, Ao admit of a sufficiency of the insect-food upon which they depend. (D) GILVUS. Warbling Vireo. (A common summer-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. (b). 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 -77X'58 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. Warbling 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, yet 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. (d). 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. (Brotherly-love Vireo.) Philadel- phia Vireo. (a). This vireo, if a distinct species, differs from Vireo gil- vus (D) in a doubtful .technicality only. Dr. Coues pronounces it "almost indistinguishable from gilvus, except by absence of spurious quill," and says 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 ? (6). (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. Rnthven 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 Uinbagog. 160 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS (F) NOVEBORACENSIS. White-eyed Vireo. "Politician" (In southern New England a rather common summer-resi- dent, though very 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. (6). The nest is almost invariably placed in a low tree, bush, or vine, two or three feet from the ground, generally, but not always, 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. They 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, though quite common in others. To the westward of the Connecticut River, in New England, they are so uncommon that the few specimens obtained may almost be considered stragglers. They 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 18th of 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. 161 the place under the delusion that the passage-birds (or most of them) had fairly gone, an immense flock of birds suddenly appeared, evidently traveling from the North southward, 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-eyed Vireos frequent lightly 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 (unlike 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. Shrikesl (See §13.) I. COLLURIO (A) BOREALIS. (Great Northern) Shrike. "Butcher-bird" (A winter-visitant to Massachusetts, but never very 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 finely waved with black (often almost imperceptibly). Edging of crown, 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 (£). (5). 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 I-IOX'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 yet 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 NEW ENGLAND. 163 maining 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 prey, 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, they 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 instantaneously 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 thorns or the like, thus securing, according to an European superstition, nine victims every day, whence they are in some places called u 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 they 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 simply in sport, and for their amusement? I cannot, at present, present to the public any more satisfactory explanation. (c?). 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 Falconry, 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 ayde ; 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, mertyn, and such like." (B) LUDOVICIANUS. Loggerhead 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-bird (A), but more slaty above, and generally with no white on the head (except on the throat), the eye-stripes meeting on the forehead. (b). The 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 usually larger and more scattered than in the eggs of C. borealis." (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 (Mcllwraith), 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 destroy- 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 FringillidaD, 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 chiefly granivorous (or at least vegetarians) , and consequently are less migratory than 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 highly so. Some of them are eminently field-birds, and on this account are easily observed in the country. As architects they are not to be ranked high, though their nests are often very neatry 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. OF NEW ENGLAND. 167 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 arboreal (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, hooked, 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). Plectroplianes. 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. (PI. 1, figs. 14, 15.) Cotwniculus 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 every group or genus, but the finches in general are easily recognized by their coloring. 168 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS I have arranged the genera (represented in New England) in what seemed the best sequence. The position of the larks (Alaudidce, § 16) is apparently doubtful. Though the typical Sky Lark of Europe (Alauda arvensis) has been introduced into this country, yet the true American larks belong to the subfamily, Calandritmoe (fig. 11). They are characterized as follows: Bill (in Eremopliila) twice as long as high, pointed, and with the upper outline convex ; nostrils concealed ; primaries 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 ; " 42 hind-claw very Iqng. 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). Mandibles crossed (as in B). About six inches long. $ , chiefly of an almost brick-red, with wings and tail dusky or nearly black. 9 , often with a strong yellowish suffusion. Wings and tail, dark. Above, of a shade varying from brown- ish to olive, with dusky streaks. Rump, almost yellow. Be- neath, paler, more or less streaked. (6). 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- cibly 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 studj^. His most marked oddity is 42 In the Oscines, "the tarsus is normally covered on either side with two entire horny plates, that meet behind in a sharp ridge." (Coues.) OF NEW ENGLAND. I 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 the 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 great relatively 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 AND GAME-BIRDS Maynard speaks of their eating the tops of oats in autumn, at Albany, Maine.43 They 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 place.44 The 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. Deane, during the summer of 1870," and according to Mr. Brewster, being " very common at Franconia in summer."45 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. White-winged 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 white wing-bars, and a much rosier hue in the male. (&). An egg described by Dr. Brewer "is pale blue, the large end rather thickly spattered with fine dots of black and *s « The Naturalist's Guide," p. 111. 44 "Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," in pamphlet [pp. 30, 31, 82], and in "American Naturalist" Vol. Ill, pp. 505-519; 568-585; 631-648; and numbers for Nov., Dec., and Jan., 1869-70. 43 C. J. Maynard, "A Catalogue of the birds of Coos Co., N. H., and Oxford Co., Me.," etc., 54th species, p. 16, pamphlet. OF 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."46 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," uat 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-worms."47 This, says Mr. Allen, was " a male in fine breeding plumage," and therefore it is possible that these birds may occasionally br.eed 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.48 (d). 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. 48 C. J. Maynard, 55th species (p. 16, pamphlet), " Birds of Coos Co.,N.H.,"etc. 47 " The Naturalist's Guide," pp. 111-2. 48 For example, the occurrence in Massachusetts 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 very irregular appear- ance.) (a). 8-9 inches long. #, carmine. Back dusky-streaked. Belly, almost white. Wings and tail, dusky (or black) ; former with much white. 9 » " ashy-gray above and streaked. Paler below, and not streaked." Crown (and rump) marked with rusty-yellow. (b). Dr. Brewer says: "No positively identified eggs of the American Pine Grosbeak are as yet known in collections." A European specimen measures about I'OO 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 are 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 inability 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 stud}r, 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 they 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 u 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 generally 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. (d). 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 very much like that of the Purple Finch, but was now and then interrupted by his ordinary cries." III. CARPODACUS (A) PDRPUREUS. 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 dusky-streaked ; belly, almost white. Edgings of the wings, reddish. 9 i oli- vaceous-brown, and streaked, except on the belly, which as Fig. 8. Purple Finch (i). wej| as a SUperciliary line is white. Wings and tail like those of the male, but with no reddish. (6). The nest is usually composed of fine rootlets, weed- stalks, and grasses, being lined with hairs, but its materials vary 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 *75X'55 of an inch or more. They 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 Massachusetts, but in doing so usually frequent swamps of cedar-trees, or retired places where 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. When much startled, the " Linnets " usually fly for some distance 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. They are summer-residents throughout New England, though less com- mon to the northward, and frequent principally cultivated or open lands, 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 than 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 they 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,49 or even with those of the Robin and some other birds, nor the notes already mentioned with those of the Great Crested Flycatcher 50 and Blue Bird.51 IV. CHRYSOMITRIS (A) TRISTIS. (American) Goldfinch. "Yellow Bird:'5'2 "Thistle-bird." (Common in New England throughout the year, but more abundant in summer than in winter. Like the Cedar-birds, they breed very late in the season.) (a). About 4| inches long. # (from April 1st, until Sep- tember 20th?), bright yellow, "inclusive of lesser wing-cov- erts." Crown, wings, and tail, black. Upper tail-coverts, whit- ish ; but wing-markings • and tail-spots entirely white. $ , 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. (b). 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. 60§19, II, A. 61§2. w There is a warbler (§ 9, X, A) also called the Yellow Bird. OF NEW ENGLAND. 177 June, and as late as the first week in August. The eggs of each set are five or six, average about -63X*50 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 common in Massachusetts, and are very abundant in (certain parts of) Northern New Hampshire, and probably the whole of northern New England. They are very hardy, and remain in the neighborhood of Boston throughout the year. 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 South, 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.53 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 large 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 » " The Naturalist's Guide," p. 129. 13 178 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS broken up, but at all seasons of the year the so-called "Yellow- Birds" show a social spirit j 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 solitary 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 usuall}71 waded into a gently flowing brook, which rolled over clean sand, and then showered them- selves with the water tossed up by the splashing of their wings, bobbed their heads into the clear stream, next dressed their feathers, 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, when this brief ride was finished, they bent over to feed upon the seeds. In the same way do they often treat the garden-iris in summer, when the rich blue or purple of that flower forms a most gorgeous contrast with their plumage. Whilst assembled, the goldfinches are always 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 NEW ENGLAND. 179 mies ; and, though their powers of flight are not great, I have never seen a hawk or shrike who was sufficiently persistent to exhaust them, and thus 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 the 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 che-ive or che- we-we. 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 pleasanter 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 happy 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 peculiar flight and attractive habits, be common and resident through- out the year, and frequent the neighborhood of man? % (B) PINUS. Pine Finch. " Siskin." (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. Wings and tail, black, with much yellow, which, in the breeding-season, is more or less suffused throughout the plum- age. (6). 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 was found on the 9th by Mr. Frederick Ware, 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 exceptionally 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 Umbagog. They are sometimes common in Massachusetts during the winter,. and at other times are alto- gether absent then, presumably in the latter case, not passing to the southward of their summer-range. And yet they are said by Wilson to have been common in Pennsylvania 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, which 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 young 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.54 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