opportunity, built their nests and reared their 
young. 
A like group of birds having the habit of build- 
ing their nests near or on the ground in bush or 
tall grass occupied the meadow and ravine east 
of North Allen street between Western avenue 
and State street. The sweet-singing, sweet- 
natured songsparrow was of this group. 
The Boulevard Pines, at one time a haven for 
some of our rarer birds, have been so encroached 
upon by recently erected villas they can hardly be 
considered such now. However, the trees remain- 
ing, with numerous others along this favorite 
avenue, will still make a resort for many of the 
helpful and some of the rarer singing birds. The 
wood thrush, for many years spirit of the grove, 
filling its dark recesses with weird song, may still 
sing there, but not as of old, for the song of the 
wood thrush is an adjunct of the cool retreat of 
wood or grove, where 
“Enraptured by the ecstacy of song 
Trilled and trembled the myriad leaves, 
Till the white wood-nymph, as she silent stood, 
Leaned forward her sweet neck a-listening long.” 
Since the removal of many grand old pines 
Oak Ridge has been more a trysting than a breed- 
ing place for birds. Then, too, the accession of 
a row of numerous houses and others in close 
proximity is suggestive of the birds’ bete-nozr, 
the cat. 
Previous to these changes there were, with 
other birds, several families of the golden wood- 
54 
