460 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



ing the speed of the song), absolute 

 sincerity of purpose and a tireless 

 enthusiasm that will qualify him to 

 remain practically motionless by the 

 hour occasionally to secure a single 

 song. Yet by way of encouragement 

 1 would add that week by week, month , 

 by month and season by season the v v\ 

 collection of material will steadily grow 

 and. as with all collections, will con- 

 tain some prizes that will be ample 

 reward for all the time and pains given 

 to the pursuit. 



SPRING BIRDS. 



BY EDMUND J. SAWYER, SCHENECTADY, 

 NEW YORK. 



ft is about time or even a little too late, 

 according to the locality north or 

 south, to look for the first "spring" 

 bird. Though he may come before 

 winter is over we do well in thinking 

 of him as a sign of spring. Who can 

 believe winter is not to all intents and 

 purposes quite past when once he has 

 heard the first bluebird? The storms 



MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT IN FULL 

 SONG. 



"Bring it here-er; bring it here-er; bring it 

 here-er; bring it." 



BLACK-THROATED WARBLER. 

 A watchful pose while descending a tree. 



which may yet come hold no terrors. 

 Nothing could be more fierce than 

 some of the "sugar snow" storms of 

 March and yet being associated in our 

 minds with the first bluebirds and 

 blackbirds they are little more dreaded 

 than an April shower. 



The subject of spring birds is by no 

 means altogether a new one. But I 

 have often wondered why certain 

 species are so much neglected in this 

 connection. Those who write on this 

 subject have need to bear in mind that 

 one bluebird (plus one robin) does not 

 make a springtime. It requires 

 phoebes, cowbirds and a few others. 

 In fact I have so repeatedly seen the 

 two last named before the earliest of 

 the other birds that to me they are 

 above all others the heralds of spring. 

 The bluebirds do not go far south any- 

 way and I have seen a robin in mid- 

 winter in Michigan. The phoebe is a 

 fly-catcher and her coming is a pretty 

 sure sign that mild weather will 

 thenceforth be the rule though ice may 



