WHAT OTHERS SAY. 471 



A little later on other birds fully as beautiful and with quite as good 

 voices, though these receive the gladdest welcome because the earliest 

 visitors. Among them is the Biltimore oriole whom some one has pret- 

 tily called a "glance of summer fire." With his brilliant plumage, agree- 

 able song and active habits he soon makes himself at home in our 

 hearts as well as in our orchards. He was christened Baltimore, we are 

 told, from the resemblance of his plumage to livery of Lord Baltimore. 



The lark, for many years a great favorite in Europe, has endeared 

 himself to us since he has taken out his naturalization papers here. He 

 has a habit of sending forth his sweetest song while ascending to a great 

 height in clear weather. It is this habit which has caused the poet 

 always to speak of him as singing at " Heaven's gate." 



The blue-jay with all his vaunted beauty has hardly a friend among 

 us all. The farmer denounces him as a plunderer and murderer. Those 

 not acquainted with his domestic habits find the keynote to his character 

 in his sharp, screaming voice. Few, indeed, are the rhymers who sing 

 his praises. 



The cat bird and his cousin, the mocking bird, are said to be among 

 the best singers in America, especially the latter, whose reputation is 

 world wide. 



The cuckoo, the "merry brown thrush," the brave little chickadee 

 and the Quaker wren are all modest, well behaved, sprightly birds, going 

 about their daily tasks with such a cheerful, contented mien which many 

 of their human friends would do well to copy. 



The crow, the blackbird and even the despised hawk have their 

 friends among human kind. The latter is defended by Mr. Warner who 

 mentions only two varieties out of eight which he considers detrimental 

 to the farmer's interests, the others feeding mostly on insects and small 

 rodents. 



The blackbird takes it upon himself to assist the crow in superin- 

 tending the farmer's corn fields, but both birds, it is thought, eat very 

 little grain till it has ripened in the fall when they have earned a share 

 by protecting it from insects and worms through the long summer 

 months. 



Jim Crow derives his surname from his cry of "caw," though just 

 how it has been so perverted we can hardly tell. However, his voice 

 is less harsh here than across the Atlantic, vvherc he was named years 

 ago, and this undoubtedly makes a difference. 



Hated and persecuted for his unappreciated services in the corn 

 field, he has the further misfortune to be the emblem of contention. 



