The Birds' Calendar 



have chosen the least — a rather (lubioiis com])h- 

 ment. An instance of this sort is narrated by 

 an eminent authority, who relates that on en- 

 tering his room one day he was startled to see 

 a quail sitting on his bed, having taken refuge 

 there, as he supposed, in fleeing from a hawk. 

 The argument loses its edge by the additional 

 remark, that upon the writer's entering the 

 room *'the affrighted and bewildered bird 

 instantly started for the window ! " A most 

 unreasonable and ungrateful fowl ! 



The American goldfinch in his summer dress 

 of brilliant yellow, with a black cap and black 

 wings barred with white, is one of the most 

 showy of the finches, and easily mistaken for a 

 warbler. When singing he prefers the upper- 

 most part of a tree, whence often streams down 

 such a voluble, gushing, and incoherent melody 

 that it seems the outpour of two or three throats 

 instead of one. The song is sweet, but formless, 

 like that of the thrasher, and with a delicious 

 languishment that is sometimes rather cloying. 

 A more fresh and breezy quality sweeps through 

 the warble of the European species. 



A most striking combination of colors was 



216 



