320 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



common, and all are singularly beautiful with iri- 

 descent color. 



On the stretches of grass land, anis followed 

 the cows and sheep, and in the trees just about 

 the house mocking-birds, honey-creepers, tanagers 

 of several kinds, cotton-tree sparrows, and white- 

 winged orioles were always flitting about. 



A large swift, locally known as the "ringed 

 gowrie," was often present in great numbers late in 

 the afternoon. They are fully three times the size 

 of our chimney-swift, gray in color, relieved by 

 a pure white collar about the neck. Generally 

 they flew high in the air, but now and then I saw 

 them skimming low over the meadows. Their 

 flight is of great velocity, and the rapid evolutions 

 characteristic of swifts, are emphasized. In con- 

 trast is the diminutive palm-swift, much smaller, 

 but in color like a chimney-swift, which I never 

 saw far from its favorite cocoanut trees. The 

 " gowrie " was never seen at rest, but the palm- 

 swifts often alighted. Barn-owls flew like silent 

 white ghosts low over the meadows in the moon- 

 light, or perched in a tree near the house, crying 

 like some lost soul. Nor have I named a tithe of 

 the birds at " Boston " ; for the ducks and grebes 

 of the ponds in the pasture, for the denizens of 

 the garden, and the songsters of the woodland a 

 separate book is needed. A resume of the birds 

 may be found cited in the bibliography. 



