152 INDIGO BUNTING. 



Some birds, such as the Red-ejed Yireo, can sing just 

 as well while hunting food as at any other time ; in fact, 

 I do not remember ever seeing a Ked-eje pause long 

 in its search, for insects — song and search go on together. 

 But with the Che wink singing is a serious matter, not to 

 be associated with the material question of food ; so, when 

 singing, he abandons the dead leaves he has been tossing 

 about so vigorously, and, mounting a perch, becomes an 

 inspired if not gifted musician. Sweet hird, sing, a friend 

 writes it, the " sing " being higher, sustained, and vibrant. 

 To this there is often a refrain which suggests an an- 

 swering, tremulous I^ll try. 



Matins or vespers over, the Chewink returns to 

 the ground and resumes his occupation of scratching 

 among the leaves for breakfast or supper, as the case 

 may be. 



The Chewink's nest is placed on the ground, often in 

 dried grass, beneath a tangle of running wild blackberry. 

 The eggs, four or five in number, are white, finely and 

 evenly speckled with reddish brown. 



There are three birds who sing not only through the 

 heat of midsummer but are undaunted by the warmth of 

 a midday sun. They are the Wood 

 flTin^y^^^ea. P^woe, the Ecd-eyed Vireo, and the In- 

 digo-bird or Bunting. The Pewee and 

 Vireo, singing dreamily from the shady depths of a tree, 

 carry the air to the hummed accompaniment of insects; 

 but the Bunting, mounting to an upper branch, gives 

 voice to a tinkhng warble, more in keeping with the 

 freshness of early morning than the languor of noon. 

 July, July, sum^ner-s^imme?'' s here; morning, noontide, 

 evening, list to me^ he sings so rapidly that human tongue 

 can scarce enumerate the words fast enough to keep pace 

 with him. The Indigo-bird is in song when he comes to 

 Us from the South early in May, but it is not until other 



