SPRING ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS. 13 



They may easily be recognized by the strong mark- 

 ings, particularly about the head, a black crescent under 

 the eye and a peculiar tuft of lengthened feathers on 

 each ear resembling horns — from which one of their 

 common names, ''horned larks." The color of the back 

 is a pale brown, the under parts being white, with a 

 darker shading towards the upper breast, where it is 

 met by a crescent of black. The throat and chin are 

 yellow, and the tail black, with the outer edges tipped 

 with white. 



Of our three well-known favorites, the robin, bluebird 

 and song sparrow, it is a question which we will see 

 first, as it is sometimes one and sometimes another. In 

 favorable localities, individual robins make their appear- 

 ance in the advance, but the two other species generally 

 arrive in force a little the earlier. On his first arrival 

 the robin, in most cases, has only a call or a scold, and 

 the bluebird only a gentle twitter ; but the song spar- 

 row conies with his sweet song in his throat ready to 

 break out in clearest cadence almost as soon as he 

 alights. The first mellow call of the robin, like that of 

 the high hole, is as sweet as a song, and one of the most 

 pleasing sounds of spring. When he has been here a 

 day or two he will more than make amends for his first 

 silence, and all through the spring and summer, early 

 and late, he ivill fill the land with more rich melody 

 than any other living being. He is a companionable 

 bird, seeking the haunts of civilization, and may oftener 

 be heard in orchards, lawns and along shady highwaj^s 

 than in the forests. 



