The Birds of the Gabdex. 207 



The voiceless Humming birds always come among us as wel- 

 come visitors. We have but two varieties in this state, as they 

 properly belong to the sunny south. The one most frequently 

 seen is the ruby throated. They are sby, and when startled fly 

 as swift, or swifter, than the wind. 



The American Shrike, or Butcher Bird, ought to be better known 

 throughout the length and breadth of the land. Horticultural 

 people should mark it and make a special effort to destroy it, for 

 it is the great destroyer of our birds. " It is said to possess the fac- 

 ulty of imitating the notes of other birds, especially such as are 

 indicative of distress, which it does no doubt for the purpose of 

 decoying them within its reach, then dart suddenly into the 

 thicket and bear off the body of some deluded victim." They ap- 

 pear in small flocks, many remaining, others going north. They 

 are birds of good size, color mostly gray or maltese, with wings 

 and head coal black, breast maltese color and white. 



The Blue Jay is one of our best known garden birds. It be- 

 longs exclusively to North America. It is a beautiful bird of 

 azure blue, relieved by black, white and cinnamon color. Its 

 brilliant plumage, large size, attractive form, shrill cry and rest- 

 less activity renders it prominent over the northern states. The 

 Blue Jay is not usually a sweet singer, but during June and July 

 some of its notes are delightfully sweet. The song that it most 

 delights in is a sharp, shrill cry, which it utters from morning 

 until night both summer and winter. We admire the beauty of 

 the Blue Jay and love to see it in the garden in winter when the 

 other birds are away, for it gives a bit of color and life to the 

 winter landscape that is refreshing; but we must with candor say 

 that he ought to be nearly or wholly exterminated, for he, like his 

 cousin, the Butcher Bird, is a pirate and marauder. He breaks the 

 eggs of other birds, and destroys all the young ones he can find. I 

 have often seen him on the trees picking the bones of young spar- 

 rows and other birds. In summer we often hear a great clamor 

 among the birds as they defend themselves and young ones from 

 the murderous claws of the Blue Jay. He often hovers near his 

 victims for several days, when at last he springs upon them un- 

 awares. The severity of our winters seem to be but little felt by 



