18t) 31lssissippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



A pair of cat-binls have built nests in our garden for several years. A 

 dead limb in the upper part of the tree has been the chosen spot for song. 

 When our minstrel returns in the spring and sings again from his own fa- 

 vorite spot, we feel that the absent member of the family has returned, and 

 we greet him with great joy, which I hope he returns. He often sings with 

 such rapture and abandon that the song continues as he takes flight from 

 one tree to another. Many parts of the cat-bird's song are wonderfully sweet 

 and melodious, for he imitates many other birds, besides singing his own 

 sweet song. But alas I alas! for the imperfect life of bird and flower; the 

 thorn must appear with the rose, and discord with meloily, for he often gives 

 in place of his sunny song, only the cry of the cat, and the flilng of the saw, 

 when the love making is over. 



The brown thrush, or mavis, is a bird occasionally seen in our garden, hut 

 he takes most naturally to fields and woods. He is related to the robin. 

 When he sings he flies upon the highest limb of a tree and then pours forth 

 a strong, sweet, rich, intricate warble, that not uncommonly lasts an hour- ^ 

 His notes — 



" They melt upon the ear, they float away, 

 They rise, they sink, they hasten thy delay, 

 And hold the listener with bewitching song 

 Like sounds from heaven," 



For he ranks as singer first among our northern birds. 



The bobolink is the great song bird of the east, where it is heard constantly 

 in orchard and field. With us he seams to take naturally to low lands. His 

 song is very musical and merry. He is the great solo singer among birds. 

 He has no relatives in this country. Washington Irving addresses him in 

 the words of Logan : 



" Sweet bird ; thy bower is ever green, 

 Thy sky is ever clear ; 

 Thou hast no sorrow in thy note. 

 No winter in thy year. 



" Oh ! could I fly, I'd fly with thee ; 

 We'd make, on joyful wing, 

 Our annual visit round the globe-^ 

 Companions of the spring. 



The red-eyed vireo and warbling vireo are small, interesting birds. They 

 are to be found over the entire North in summer. The sweet little warbling 

 song begins with the dawn and continues through the day. I scarcely re- 

 member a day or an hour last summer that I did not hear that song under 

 my window. Many times these birds pursued flies so eagerly and so near 

 that we would feel the rustle of their wings as they passed by. The nests are 

 beautifully constructed. The white-eyed vireo is called the politician, be- 

 cause in the texture of its nest it uses pieces of newspaper. A nest in my 

 possession has a penny postage stamp on one side. 



