BLUE-BIRD. 163 



exteriorly light brown, but the bird has in that case not arrived at his 

 full color. The female is easily distinguished by the duller cast of the 

 back, the plumage of which is skirted with light brown, and by the red 

 on the breast being much fainter, and not descending near so low as in 

 the male ; the secondaries are also more dusky. This species is found 

 over the whole United States ; in the Bahama Islands where many of 

 them winter ; as also in Mexico, Brazil, and Guiana. 



Mr. Edwards mentions that the specimen of this bird which he was 

 favored with, was sent from the Bermudas ; and as these islands abound 

 with the cedar, it is highly probable that many of those birds pass from 

 our continent thence, at the commencement of winter, to enjoy the 

 mildness of that climate as well as their favorite food. 



As the Blue-bird is so regularly seen in winter, after the continuance 

 of a few days of mild and open weather, it has given rise to various 

 conjectures as to the place of his retreat. Some supposing it to be in 

 close sheltered thickets, lying to the sun ; others the neighborhood of 

 the sea, where the air is supposed to be more temperate, and where the 

 matters thrown up by the waves furnish him with a constant and plenti- 

 ful supply of food. Others trace him to the dark recesses of hollow 

 trees, and subterraneous caverns, where they suppose he dozes away the 

 winter, making, like Robinson Crusoe, occasional reconnoitering excur- 

 sions from his castle, whenever the weather happens to be favorable. 

 But amidst the snows and severities of winter I have sought for him in 

 vain in the most favorable sheltered situations of the Middle States ; 

 and not only in the neighborhood of the sea, but on both sides of the 

 mountains.* I have never, indeed, explored the depths of caverns in 

 search of him, because I would as soon expect to meet with tulips and 

 butterflies there, as Blue-birds, but among hundreds of woodmen, who 

 have cut down trees of all sorts, and at all seasons, I have never heard 

 one instance of these birds being found so immured in winter ; while in 

 the whole of the Middle and Eastern States, the same general observa- 

 tion seems to prevail that the Blue-bird always makes his appearance in 

 winter after a few days of mild and open weather. On the other hand, 

 I have myself found them numerous in the woods of North and South 

 Carolina, in the depth of winter, and I have also been assured by 

 diiferent gentlemen of respectability, who have resided in the islands of 

 Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas and Bermudas, that this very bird is 

 common there in winter. We also find, from the works of Hernandes 

 Piso and others, that it is well known in Mexico, Guiana and Brazil ; 

 and if so, the place of its winter retreat is easily ascertained, without 



* I speak of the species here generally. Solitary individuals are found, particu- 

 larly among our cedar trees, sometimes in the very depth of winter. 



