A NATURAL HISTORY TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA. 399 



This morning, May the 6th, I heard a great screaming and scolding noise in 

 the garden, and some of the oddest noises that bird ever made. I went to try- 

 to make it out, and found it was a Pipra polyglotta of Wilson, Icteria viridis of 

 Bonaparte. But of all noises I ever heard made by birds I must confess that 

 of the Blue Jays to be the worst ; there are a good many round about here, but 

 I have only seen one, which came into the garden to-day. The mewing of the 

 Cat-bird (Orpheus felivox. — Ed.) I also heard to-day, for the first time: a pair 

 of them allowed me to get within ten yards ; the birds here are all as tame as 

 possible. The beautiful little summer yellow birds (Sylvia citrinella) are very 

 numerous, and come so close that you can see the colour of every feather. There 

 are also plenty of Flycatchers, and several Sparrows, which I cannot yet make 

 out : one has a note like a Yellow Hammer ; another, with a very pleasing note, 

 I at first took to be a Sylvia, but have since made it out to be Fringilla melodia. 

 There are also Wrens and Blackheaded Tits in plenty ; the note of the last is 

 nearly like that of our Blue-headed Tit. The day before yesterday, walking 

 from Hudson, I saw three Meadow Larks at play in the air ; they alighted on a 

 tree just by, and then crossed the road with their wings about two thirds ex- 

 panded, and scarcely moving : they passed so near that I could see every mark 

 on their breasts. Of Crows there are plenty, in flight and note as different as 

 can be from ours ; no one need mistake them. Not so the Swallows, between 

 which and our own in flight and note I cannot discover any difference. Besides 

 plenty of Swallows, there are to-day a great many Swifts, here called Chimney 

 Swallows (Cypselus pelasgia); and one, if not two, species of Hirundo, which I 

 cannot make out. The first Woodpecker I have seen in the garden came to-day ; 

 he staid so short a time that I could not make him out. A pair of Turdus 

 rufus seem to have a nest somewhere near ; they are as tame as the poultry. 

 I have seen one or two Grackles, and a bird which I take to be Wilson's Alauda 

 rufa, Bonaparte's Anthus spinoletta ; also a Sandpiper, a Partridge, Tetrao 

 umbelluS) some wild Ducks, and one Hawk I could not make out. 



I find that there are in this neighbourhood Grey and Red Squirrels, Ground 

 Squirrels, Musk Rats, &c. ; but as yet I have only seen one Ground Squirrel. 

 We walked yesterday to a hill covered with Fir, Arbor-vitee, Cedar, Cypress, 

 &c. ; here we found two Box Tortoises, those which close their shells ; and saw 

 the Tetrao umbellus. Among the clefts of the rocks the little Hepaticas were 

 flowering more beautifully than I have ever seen them in England ; they are 

 bright blue, pale blue, and white ; I have seen no pink ones. Aquilegia Cana- 

 densis was also in plenty, just coming into flower. The sides of the creek and 

 the meadows are yellow for yards together with the yellow Dog's-tooth Violet, 

 and in other places white with the beautiful Sanguinaria Canadensis. 



3g2 



