OUR BEST SINGERS 101 



The Robin is ten inches long. The upper 

 parts are grayish slate-color, the head black 

 with a whitish spot over the eye. The wings are 

 dark brown, the tail black. The breast is brick- 

 red, lighter in the female, fading in summer to 

 tan. The throat is streaked with black and 

 white, and the bill is yellow. They range over 

 eastern North America to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, including eastern Mexico and Canada. 



Bluebirds. Another herald of the spring 

 whose presence pleases the eye and gladdens 

 the ear is the Bluebird, one of the very first to 

 put in an appearance in early March. Their 

 winter homes being in the near South, the migra- 

 tion journey is not long. When the feel of spring 

 first touches their hearts they respond by taking 

 up the northward flight, and in a few days 

 we are made happier by their presence. The 

 male appears about a week earlier than his 

 mate, and "with the sky tinge on his back and 

 the earth tinge on his breast," as Mr. Bur- 

 roughs so perfectly describes his colors, is the 

 only bit of bright plumage we have, until Red- 

 wing arrives with his gaudy epaulets. 



His happy warble about the orchard and farm 

 buildings seems to forecast the summer's 

 pleasure he anticipates. No sooner does the 

 female arrive than the mating takes place, and 

 the happy pair immediately look for a suitable 

 tenement. A hollow fence post, stump root, 

 abandoned Woodpecker's hole or bird box are 

 all regarded as likely situations, and no sooner 

 is the choice made than the nest building begins. 

 They are not experts in this direction and they 



