March 



about over the ground, and in a louder but 

 simple and pleasing strain when perching on a 

 branch. Actual contact with the earth seems 

 to make it impossible for a bird to sing. Its 

 heart is in an upper realm when in song, although 

 the lowest edge of that realm may be a twig not 

 a foot distant from the ground. 



Late in the month, outside the Park, was 

 found a flock of those handsome, but villainous 

 birds, the blue jays. Their blue wings gleam- 

 ing among the trees suggested a heavenly tem- 

 per ; but they were transformed quickly enough 

 into spirits of evil by the malignant yell with 

 which they disappeared. 



Near the jays in the adjoining swamps were 

 the earliest red-winged blackbirds. One need 

 never look for these in the Park, for their resort 

 is the marsh, or low and wet open fields. This 

 is a rather fine-looking bird, the male being 

 about as large as a robin, and lustrous black, 

 with the shoulder bright scarlet. 



Although these birds are sometimes very in- 

 jurious to crops, they partially atone for the 

 fault by being also insectivorous, and are inno- 

 cent of the murderous disposition of the blue jay. 

 The great ornithologist, Wilson, championed 

 their cause by estimating that in his day they 



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