THE COLU]\IBIAN RED-WING. 55 



as willow and the like; lining of fine grasses of uniform size. Eggs: 4-7, usually 

 4. light blue to dull grayish blue, scrawled, blotched or clouded with dark purple, 

 purplish brown or black, chiefly about the large end. Av. size 1.04X.70 (26.4X 

 17.8). Season: last week in April, June; two broods. 



General Range. — Western United States in the interior north to eastern 

 British Columbia, restricted by Rocky Mountains and Cascades in northern por- 

 tion of range but reaching coast in San Diego and Los Angeles Counties in 

 California and breeding as far east as western Texas, southward to northern 

 Chihuahua and northern Lower California ; displaced in Lower Colorado \'alley 

 and southern Arizona by .i. p. sonoriensis ; south in winter to southern Texas, etc. 



Range in Washington. — Found in all suitable localities east of the Cascades. 



Migrations. — Irregular!)- resident but numbers always greatly augmented 

 about ]\Iarch ist. 



Authorities. — Agclaius pha^niceus \'ieil.. Cooper and Suckley, Rep. Pac. 

 R. R. Surv. XIL pt. IL i860, 207. Allen, Bull. Xutt. Orn. Club, \l. 1881, 128. 

 D = . D-'. Ss'. Ss^ J. 



Specimens.— U. of W. C. P. 



A MEADOWLARK may pipe from a sunny pasture slope in early 

 February, and a Merrill Song Sparrow may rehearse his cheerful message 

 in midwinter, but it takes the chorus of returning Blackbirds to bring boister- 

 ous tidings of awakening spring. What a world of jubilation there is in 

 their voluble whistlings and chirpings and gurglings, a wild medle}- of 

 ^Larch which strikes terror to the faltering heart of winter. A sudden 

 hush falls uiiun the company as the bird-man draws near the tree in which 

 they are swarming; but a dusky maiden pouts, "Who cares?" and thev all 

 fall to again, hammer and tongs, timbrel, pipes, and hautboy. Brewer's 

 Blackbirds and CoAvbirds occasionally make common cause with Red-wings 

 in the northern migrations, but it is always the last-named who preponderate, 

 and it is they who are most vivacious, most resplendent, and most nearly 

 musical. The Red-wing's mellow koiigqucrcc or occasional tips\- ■wlioop-er- 

 ivay-up is the life of the party. 



Almost before we know it our friends, to the number of a dozen pairs 

 or more, have taken up their residence in a cat-tail swamp' — n(5where else, 

 if you please, unless driven to it — and here, about the third week in April, 

 a dozen baskets of matchless weave are swung, or lodged midwav i:>f the 

 growing plants. Your distant approach is commented upon from the tops 

 of bordering willows by keyrings and other notes. At close range the lordly 

 male, he of the brilliant epaulets and the proper militar\- swagger, shakes 

 out his fine clothes and says. Koiigqucrcc. in a voice wdierein anxietv is quite 

 outweighed by \'anity and proffered good-fellowship withal. But if you 

 push roughly thru the nutlying sedges, anxiety obtains the mastery. There 

 is a hubbub in the marsh. Bustling, frowsy females appear and scold you 

 roundlv. The lazv gallants are all fathers now, and thev join direful threats 



