70 



THE OOLOGIST. 



bottom of the dell; where the sunshines 

 bright and where glides the murmur- 

 ring stream from its crystal fountain. 



Do you wish to learn of him? 



Then go out where the "greentields 

 wait for thee" and the air perfumed by 

 the breath of tlowers is mnde melodious 

 by the birds in their entreaty to induce 

 you to come out where the fragrant 

 breeze brings rest and cools the toil 

 worn brow ur l)y the waters "bickening 

 down th(^ vale," wandering by shade of 

 high rocks, girted with moss, ivy and 

 fern, anon to emerge into lields of liovv- 

 ers rertecting the sunshine from a my- 

 riad gems of dazzling beauty. Every 

 turn and beud resounding to the sing- 

 ing w^aters murmuring in a ceaseless 

 and endless refrain, '■men may come 

 and men may go but I go on forever." 



Do you seek the home of Mis. Chaf.' 



Simply found but not so it.s noi.sy 

 mistres.'^. Almost any thicket will with 

 careful search reveal at least one of the 

 rough yet cosy structures Consisting 

 usually of a conglomerated mass of 

 straw, sticks, leaves, grass, newspaper, 

 etc., etc. Compared with the Red 

 Bird's [Cardinalis cardinalis) nest it is 

 rather similar; of about the same width 

 but much deeper and as a general rule 

 coarser. Found usually in blackberry 

 brambles or thickets of small saplings. 



If you are rude enough to disturb the 

 domain of Mrs Chat she leaves her 

 home with a noiseless gliding motion 

 which the observer seldom is fortunate 

 enough to see. Flying to a short dis- 

 tance she is met by her husband. Then 

 begins the .scoldings, both birds pour- 

 ing out the tiercest maledictions on the 

 marauder, interspersed with the wild- 

 est grief and deep concern. All the 

 while the birds are closely hid and it 

 would puzzle the keenest observer to 

 tell from what direction emenate those 

 wild bursts of song. 



If our little friends are in the mood 

 to show themselves we are treated to 

 some marvellous aerial evolutions. The 

 favorite movement is to ai'ise steadily 



then with llutleriug wings, lowered tail 

 and feet, to drop as if lifeless; all the 

 while chattering in a senseless and 

 noisy fashion. Falling for sums dis- 

 tance another idea possesses our hero 

 and with a quick dart and change of 

 song Hits rapidly to some leafy retreat, 

 at times darting out in quick, short 

 flights. 



In fact the Yellow-breasted Chat is 

 the most erratic and lively of our birds 

 iluriug the mating and nest building 

 seascni. 



The uc^t is as a rule not higher than 

 seven feet nor lower than three feet 

 and usually between three and four 

 feet. The eggs extremely various both 

 iu size and markings. It is a very com- 

 mon thing to find runt eggs in a nest 

 with normal sized ones or large "over- 

 grown" ones with smaller ones. The 

 eggs vary from plain to very beautiful 

 iu markings and general finish. The 

 ground is usually of an ivory whiteness 

 with :i good luster with variations of 

 greenish and yellowish cast. The mark- 

 ings are almost any shade between 

 brown and red, sometimes black. 



A close study of Icteria will richly 

 repay you and I would like to say more 

 but space forbids and besides I wish be- 

 fore I close to mention another of our 

 common birds though by no means un- 

 interesting. 



Quite different from nois}^ Chat is the 

 little lithsome Indigo Bird [Passerina 

 cyanea). We admire him but in a much 

 different way from Icteria. Although 

 the deep blue of Mr. Indigo strikes us 

 as rather gaudy we could not expect 

 that heart thrilling and joyous song to 

 be clothed in less. That voice goes out 

 in praise of its maker. 



When we hear that voice out among 

 the beautiful things of nature's fields 

 one can not but be impi'essed that He 

 made nothing in vain, that 

 —each iiios.s, each shell, each crawling insect,. 

 Holds a rank, important, in the plan of Him 

 Who framed this scale of beings; 

 Holds a rank. which lost, would break the chain 

 And leave a gap that nat^ire's self would rue."^ 



