A BOYS' BIRD EVENING. 16Y 



building, and found there an excellent collec- 

 tion of mounted birds. A scientific young 

 Costa Rican, who was in some way connected 

 with a nati()nal museum and whom I found to 

 be very scholar^, told me some interesting facts 

 about the avian life of his native country. The 

 collection contained many of the members of 

 our own avi-fauna. 



" These birds," he said, in reply to my ques- 

 tion, " are winter residents in my country. 

 When spring comes they leave us, and fly 

 across the gulf to this land." 



^^'How do they spend their time in your 

 country ? " I inquired. 



" Oh, they flit about in the w^oods and fields, 

 feeding and chirping," he replied, with a smile. 

 ^' No, they do not sing — or at least they sing 

 very little — nor do they breed. Our native 

 birds, however, sing and breed in the pi'oper 

 seasons." 



Among our northern species that make 

 Costa Rica their winter quarters I noted the 

 cardinal grossbeak, the scarlet tanager, the 

 cedar waxwing, the Baltimore oriole, and the 

 robin. 



Having talked to the boys aw^hile and plied 

 them with numerous questions, I in turn gave 

 them a chance to catechize me, little think- 



