TRANSACTIONS OF ALTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 305 



liberty in which they were created. It is a warm, bright summer 

 morning; the air teems with the fragrant odors of the hay fields. The 

 early riser has listened with delight to the music of the birds, who invari- 

 ably hold their concerts of a pleasant morning, just at break of day ; but 

 now, at this mid-day hour, these sweet singers have retired to the deep and 

 cooling shelter of grove and orchard. Let us seek the shade of this 

 beautiful apple tree, near that thrifty belt of maples and cedars, where we 

 may sit down and observe what is passing around us. Yonder we notice, 

 in that cedar, a deserted blackbird's nest, of this season. These birds 

 early built their nest, unmolested by man ; early followed our plow, and 

 eagerly helped themselves to the grubs and worms turned up by the pU)w, 

 with which to feed their young, which have long since left the nest built 

 so nicely by the parent birds. 



But that wren is scolding us. That fruit-can just over our heads is 

 her home. But look ! In her beak we see the worm designed for the 

 young birds. 



Let us retire to the next tree and watch her motions. How active 

 in her labors ! See, she has fed her young and now is off for other 

 insects, while the male bird cheers her by his presence and songs. That 

 pair will yet rear another family before the season is past. In yonder 

 fruit tree can you notice the material, of which the nest therein was built, 

 is of a fine material ? That is the bluebird's nest. They reared their 

 young and did their share in catching millers and other insects in early 

 spring. On yonder fence you notice the family composed of Mr. and 

 Mrs. Bluebird and six hopeful young bluebirds, the old birds still 

 watching for insects for their young. But let us walk further out into 

 the orchard. So you see that chickadee go in and out of that hole in 

 yonder apple tree, which injury to the tree was caused by an oversight of 

 our own, in letting in a traveling, irresponsible tree-pruner ; but we are 

 half inclined to forgive him for his unskillful pruning, when we see the 

 chickadee finds a home in our orchard in consequence. Last spring we 

 saw the chickadee active in destroying the early apple-tree plant-louse. 

 You now notice he is busy searching every limb for insects with whicli to 

 feed the young. 



But what a gaudy-plumaged bird is this within a few feet of us, so 

 earnest after that katy-did that he does not notice us ! It is the blue-jay. 

 They are insect-eating birds, and worthy a place on the farm. 



But yonder is the king-bird, vigilant and happy, master of the 

 situation, constantly seeking insects on the wing. l^ut time will fail us 

 to notice and speak of all of the birds of these grounds. Let us walk 

 home, where we see those quails on the wing. What a flock presents 

 itself ! They are our friends ; let no one molest them ; they are the 

 frrends of the farmer and horticulturist. But see that red-headed wood- 

 pecker, pecking away on that apple tree. One pupa of the codling-moth 

 the less ! Going home by the pond, we notice the swallows and martins, 

 are busy seeking food among the numerous insect-life there found. The 

 birds ! Do they not display the wisdom of Him who is "wondrous alike 

 in all He does?" 



21 



