:::::::.»x TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO M^i^ 



a strange, unreal air to his whole appearance. Calmly 

 he eyed me, never moving* until I reached out my hand 

 toward him. 



A certain wide-branching tree, covered with berries, 

 was never wholly deserted by birds, and generally its 

 foliage was in constant motion, as its feathered visitors 

 climbed among the leaves and fruit. Our hearts were 

 gladdened by the sight of a flock of robins, but a 

 second glance showed them to be strange birds, garbed 

 in familiar dress and with the blood-mark of our robin 

 in every action. But the hue of the breast of our 

 robin covered the back as well, in these birds, giving 

 us a Red-backed Robin, a very distinct species. From 

 its scientific name we should call it the Yellow-billed. 

 In every flock of twenty or more, there were several 

 large, sombre-hued individuals, of varying shades from 

 head to tail — veritable ghosts of giant robins. But 

 whether a robin's plumage be faded to very ashes, or 

 dyed a flaming scarlet, the sidewise cock of the head, 

 the upright carriage, the well-known chirp penetrate 

 all diso'uises. In a British volume this sombre bird 

 is catalogued as the "Sorry Thrush," — truly a literal 

 translation of Menda tristls, but surely Gray-breasted 

 Robin is preferable ! 



These races of Gray-breasts and Red-backs may be, 

 speaking from an evolutionary point of view, fore- 

 fatliers, cousins, or descendants of our Red-breasts. To 

 us, they seemed unreal copies, mingling the familiar w ith 



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