In some old, neglected hedge or low tree about the country-place a flat, grassy nest, lined with horsehair, contains four or five green eggs in June, and the old birds are devotion itself to each other, and soon to their young, sparrowy brood.

But when parental duties are over, the finches leave our lawns and gardens to join flocks of their own kind in more remote orchards or woods, their favorite haunts. Their subdued warble may be heard during October and later, as if the birds were humming to themselves.

Much is said of their fondness for fruit blossoms and tree buds, but the truth is that noxious insects and seeds of grain 224

ROBIN. Life-size.

Conspicuously Red of any Shade

constitute their food in summer, the berries of evergreens in winter. To a bird so gay of color, charming of voice, social, and trustful.of disposition, surely a few blossoms might be spared without grudging.

The American Robin (Merula migratoria) Thrush family Called also: RED-BREASTED OR MIGRATORY THRUSH;

ROBIN- REDBREAST

Length— io inches. Male—Dull brownish olive-gray above. Head black; tail brownish black, with exterior feathers white at inner tip. Wings dark brownish. Throat streaked with black and white.

White eyelids. Entire breast bright rusty red; whitish below Female—Dullerthe tail. and with paler breast, resembling the male in autumn. Range—North America, from Mexico to arctic regions. Migrations—March. October or November. Often resident throughout the year.

It seems almost superfluous to write a line of description about a bird that is as familiar as a chicken; yet how can this nearest of our bird neighbors be passed without a reference? Probably he was the very first bird we learned to call by name.

The early English colonists, who had doubtless been brought up, like the rest of us, on “The Babes in the Wood,” named the bird after the only heroes in that melancholy tale; but in reality the American robin is a much larger bird than the English robin-redbreast and less brilliantly colored. John Burroughs calls him, of all our birds, “the most native and democratic.”

How the robin dominates birddom with his strong, aggressive personality! His voice rings out strong and clear in the early morning chorus, and, more tenderly subdued at twilight, it still rises above all the sleepy notes about him. Whether lightly tripping over the lawn after the “early worm,” or rising with his sharp, quick cry of alarm, when startled, to his nest near by, every motion is decided, alert, and free. No pensive hermit of the woods, like his cousins, the thrushes, is this joyous, vigorous “ bird of the morning.” Such a presence is inspiriting.

225

Conspicuously Red of any Shade

Does any bird excel the robin in the great variety of his vocal expressions? Mr. Parkhurst, in his charming “ Birds’ Calendar,” says he knows of “no other bird that is able to give so many shades of meaning to a single note, running through the entire gamut of its possible feelings. From the soft and mellow quality, almost as coaxing as a dove’s note, with which it encourages its young when just out of the nest, the tone, with minute grada-tions, becomes more vehement, and then harsh and with quick-ened reiteration, until it expresses the greatest intensity of a bird’s emotions. Love, contentment, anxiety, exultation, rage—what other bird can throw such multifarious meaning into its tone? And herein the robin seems more nearly human than any of its kind.” There is no one thing that attracts more birds about the house that a drinking-dish—large enough for a bathtub as well; and certainly no bird delights in sprinkling the water over his back more than a robin, often aided in his ablutions by the spattering of the sparrows. But see to it that this drinking-dish is well raised above the reach of lurking cats.

While the robin is a famous splasher, his neatness stops there. A robin’s nest is notoriously dirty within, and so carelessly constructed of weed-stalks, grass, and mud, that a heavy summer shower brings more robins’ nests to the ground than we like to contemplate. The color of the eggs, as every one knows, has given their name to the tint. Four is the number of eggs laid, and two broods are often reared in the same nest.

Too much stress is laid on the mischief done by the robins in the cherry trees and strawberry patches, and too little upon the quantity of worms and insects they devour. Professor Tread-well, who experimented upon some young robins kept in captivity, learned that they ate sixty-eight earthworms daily—“that is, each bird ate forty-one per cent, more than its own weight in twelve hours! The length of these worms, if laid end to end, would be about fourteen feet. Man, at this rate, would eat about seventy pounds of flesh a day, and drink five or six gallons of water.”

226

ORCHARD ORIOLE.

V& Life-size.

Conspicuously Red of any Shade

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) Blackbird and Oriole family Called also: ORCHARD STARLING; ORCHARD HANG-NEST Length—7 to 7.3 inches. About one-fourth smaller than the Male—Head,robin. throat, upper back, tail, and part of wings black.

Breast, rump, shoulders, under wing and tail coverts, and under parts bright reddish brown. Whitish-yellow markings on a few tail and wing feathers. Female—Head and upper parts olive, shading into brown; brighter on head and near tail. Back and wings dusky brown, with pale-buff shoulder-bars and edges of coverts. Throat black.

Under parts olive, shading into yellow. Range—Canada to Central America. Common in temperate latitudes of the United States. Migrations—Early May. Middle of September. Common summer resident.

With a more southerly range than the Baltimore oriole and less conspicuous coloring, the orchard oriole is not so familiar a bird in many Northern States, where, nevertheless, it is quite common enough to be classed among our would-be intimates. The orchard is not always as close to the house as this bird cares to venture; he will pursue an insect even to the piazza vines.

His song, says John Burroughs, is like scarlet, “strong, intense, emphatic,” but it is sweet and is more rapidly uttered than that of others of the family. It is ended for the season early in July. This oriole, too, builds a beautiful nest, not often pendent like the Baltimore’s, but securely placed in the fork of a sturdy fruit tree, at a moderate height, and woven with skill and precision, like a basket. When the dried grasses from one of these nests were stretched and measured, all were found to be very nearly the same length, showing to what pains the little weaver had gone to make the nest neat and pliable, yet strong. Four cloudy-white eggs with dark-brown spots are usually found in the nest in June.

227

INDEX

The figures in black-faced type indicate the page upon which the biography of the bird is given.

Accentor, Golden-crowned (see Oven-! Bunting, Lapland Lark (see Lapland bird), 180. Longspur), 148. Savanna (see Savanna Sparrow), 155. Bellbird (see Wood Thrush), 123. Snow (see Snowflake), 59. Bird, Blue (see Bluebird), 99. Towhee (see Chewink), 58. Butcher (see Northern Shrike), 87. Tree (see Tree Sparrow), 161. Butter (see Bobolink), 61. Buntings, the, 7. Cardinal (see Cardinal Grosbeak), 215. Camp Robber (see Canada Jay), 79. Cedar, 9, 19, 20, 21, 27, 29, 36, 144. Canary, Wild (see American Goldfinch), Cow-pen (see Cowbird), 49. 190. Grass (see Vesper Sparrow), 162. Cardinal (see Cardinal Grosbeak), 215. Grease (see Canada Jay), 79. Carrion-bird, Canadian (see Canada Jay), Meadow (see Bobolink), 61. 79- Meat (see Canada Jay), 79. Catbird, 12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30, 31, Moose (see Canada Jay), 79. 36, 80. Myrtle (see Myrtle Warbler), 92. Catbirds, the, 12. Peabody (see Vesper Sparrow), 165. Cedar Bird (see Bird, Cedar), 144. Potato Bug (see Rose-breasted Gros- Chat, Polyglot (see Yellow-breasted Chat), beak), 60. 206. Thistle (see American Goldfinch), Yellow-breasted, 12, 19, 21, 22, 29, 190. 30, 31, 36, 206. Blackbird (see Rusty Blackbird), 46. Chebec (see Least Flycatcher), 75. and Oriole family, 6. Cherry-bird (see Cedar Bird), 144. Cow (see Cowbird), 49. Chewink, 8, 21, 29, 30, 32, 36, 58. Crow (see Purple Grackle), 44. Chickadee, 14, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, Red-winged, 6, 21, 22, 23, 28, 30, 3L 35, 76- 32, 36, 47- family (see Titmouse family), 13. Rusty, 6, 22, 28, 30, 32, 36, 46. Chip-bird (see Chipping Sparrow), 149. Skunk (see Bobolink), 61. Chipper, Arctic (see Tree Sparrow), 161. Swamp (see Red-winged Blackbird), Chippy (see Chipping Sparrow), 149. 47- Meadow (see Seaside Sparrow), 156. Thrush (see Rusty Blackbird), 46. Winter (see Tree Sparrow), 161. Blackcap (see Wilson’s Warbler), 202. Clape (see Flicker), 130. Bluebird, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, Corn Thief (see Common Crow), 41. 30, 36, 99. Cowbird, 7, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30, 31, 36, Bobolink, 7, 22, 23, 28, 30, 31, 36, 61. 49- Bull-bat (see Nighthawk), 138. Creeper, Brown, 13, 20, 21, 28, 35, 145. Bullfinch, Pine (see Pine Grosbeak), 219. family, 13. Bunting, Bay-winged (see Vesper Spar- Crossbill, American, 8, 19, 20, 28, 220. row), 162. Red (see American Crossbill), 220. Cow (see Cowbird), 49. White-winged Red, 8, 19, 20, 28, Field (see Field Sparrow), 152. 221. Indigo, 8, 21, 22, 23, 29, 30, Crossbills, the, 7, 21, 35. 35, 101. Crow and Jay family, 6. 229

Index Crow, Common, 6, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 36, 41. Fish, 6, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 36, 42. Rain (see Black-billed Cuckoo) 139; also Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 147. Rusty (see Rusty Blackbird), 46. Cuckoo family, 3. Black-billed, 3, 19, 20, 21, 28, 30, 31, 36, 139: Yellow-billed, 3, 19, 20, 21, 31, 36, 141. 28, 30, Devil Downhead (sce White-breasted Nuthatch), 84. Dove, Carolina (sce Mourning Dove), 108. family (see Pigeon and Dove family), 15. Mourning, 15, 21, 22, 28, 36, 108, Turtle (see Mourning Dove), 108, Finch family, 7. Ferruginous (see Fox Sparrow), 153. Foxy (see Fox Sparrow), 153. Gold (see Goldfinch), 190. Grass (see Vesper Sparrow), 162. Pine (see Pine Siskin), 146. Purple, 8, 19, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, 32, 35, 223. Seaside (sce Seaside Sparrow), 156. Swamp (see Swamp Song Sparrow), 160. Towhee Ground (see Chewink), 58. Firebird (see Scarlet Tanager), 218. Flicker, 4, 19, 21, 22, 27, 28, 30, 32, 36, 130. Flycatcher, Acadian, 5,19, 22, 28, 31, 35, 182. Canadian (see Canadian Warbler), 194. Crested (see Great catcher), 72. Dusky (see Phoebe), 71. family, 5, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Great Crested, 5, 19, 20, 22, 28, 30, 31, 35, 72+ Least, 5, 19, 20, 22, 28, 30, 31, 35, Crested Fly- 75. Olive-sided, 5, 19, 28, 31, 36, 74+ Say’s, 5, 19, 22, 28, 72. Small Green-crested (see Flycatcher), 182. Sylvan (see Blue-gray Gnateatcher), 110. Tyrant (see Kingbird), 68. Wilson’s (see Wilson's Warbler), 202. Yellow-bellied, 5, 19, 22, 28, 31, 35, 183. Acadian Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 14, 19, 20, 22, 29, 35, 110. Gnatcatcher family, 14. Goatsucker family, 4. Long-winged (see Nighthawk), 138. Golderest, Golden-crowned (see Golden-crowned Kinglet), 174. Goldfinch, 8, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35. 190. European, 191. Grackle, Bronzed, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30, 32, 36, 46. Keel-tailed (see Purple Grackle), 44. Purple, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30, 32, 30, 44. Rusty (see Rusty Blackbird), 46. Grasel (see Chewink), 58. Grass-bird, Red (see Swamp Song Sparrow), 160. Greenlet family (see Vireo family), 10. Grosbeak, Blue, 8, 28, 36, 105. Cardinal, 8, 21, 27, 28, 29, 36, 215. vening, 8, 28, 36, 192. Pine, 8, 20, 27, 36, 279. Rose-breasted, 8, 21, 28, 30, 31, 36, 60. Grosbeaks, the, 7, 19, 20, 21. Hair-bird (see Chipping Sparrow), 149. Halcyon (see Belted Kingfisher), 102. Hang-nest (see Baltimore Oriole), 211. Orchard (see Orchard Oriole), 227. Hawk, Mosquito (see Nighthawk), 138. Heron, Venison (see Canada Jay), 79. High-hole or High-holder (see Flicker), 130. Humming-bird family, 5 Ruby-throated, 5, 19, 21, 28, 30, 31, 35, 170. Indigo Bird (see Indigo Bunting), 101. Jay, Blue, 6, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 36, 104. Canada, 6, 20, 21, 22, 28, 36, 79. family (see Crow and Jay family), 6. Junco, 8, 21, 22, 27, 31, 35, 83. Kingbird, 5, 19, 20, 22, 23, 28, 30, 31, 35, 08. Kingfisher, Belted, 3, 20, 21, 23, 28, 30, 36, 102. family, 3 Kinglet family, 14, Golden-crowned, 14, 20, 21, 28, 32, 35. 174. Ruby-crowned, 14, 20, 21, 28, 30, 32, 35, 172. Lark, Brown or Red (see American Pipit), 135. family, Field (cee Meadowlark), 132. Horned, 6, 21, 22, 23, 27, 31, 36 134. 230

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