450 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



when we thought him securely asleep on his perch, some one 

 opened for a small space the outer door of his room, which led into 

 an old-fashioned Virginia llower g-arden filled with shrubbery. 

 Then there was a sudden whirr of the little wings, and he had left 

 us. I never saw him again. That night there came a chilly rain, 

 after days of drouth. I covild scarcely sleep as I heard it, for it 

 seemed to me there was a baby out in the rain. 



Our Minnesota people are not backward in appreciating the beau- 

 tiful summers of their dear state, and the birds evidentlj^ enjoj^ 

 them, too. How full and glorious a list we have of not only tempo- 

 rarj' visitants, but the many who raise their broods here — and what 

 Southern state could boast more richlj^-hued plumage, except in 

 the humming bird family. 



After the dainty spring warblers comes that imperial red tanager, 

 doublj^ gifted in dress and song, with his inspiring lilt, " Be cheery, 

 be cheerj^ be t^ery merry." For weeks of one hard and trying sum- 

 mer, that cheery cry acted like a bugle call on the flagging spirits. 

 And the orioles, both Baltimore and the orchard, how they fill the 

 tree-tops around with social and melodious calls! For three sum- 

 mers the orioles hung their nest over ovxr kitchen door, until the 

 heavy snow of last spring broke down the convenient branch. 



But equal to any of our feathered pets is the cat bird. Perhaps, 

 his greatest charm is his versatilitj^; he is forever preparing one 

 surprises. His song is so varied that often j^ou would think it 

 another bird. One day last spring, while the leaves were scarcelj- 

 unfolded upon the trees, a young- citj'^ friend went with us boating 

 along the shore of upper Minnetonka. Suddenlj^ from a thick cedar 

 tree, growing close to the water's edge, there came the softest, most 

 melodious warble, almost under the bird's breath, as it were, and 

 continued for at least ten minutes, while we sat and listened. 



"There is the cat bird," I said. "What," exclaimed our friend, 

 ('That a cat bird! I thought they only gave a harsh, disagreeable 

 cry like a cat, while this is the softest, sweetest melodj' imaginable. 

 I shall never forget it." 



Later in the summer, while visiting the World's Fair, two of us 

 staid for several weeks at that vast and peculiar female caravansar}', 

 the "Woman's Dormitory." The verj^ first morning I was awakened 

 by an extremely varied, loud and brilliant bird song. I thought I 

 could distinguish so many notes of different birds among them, 

 unmistakably the whipperwill. I said, "what a fine mocking bird 

 some one living- near here must possess!" And next day we looked to 

 see if, perchance, his cage hung in sight. But on a morning- soon 

 after, the same song came from a tree-top under our very walls, and. 

 behold, it was a cat bird! And so daj'^ afier day, botli morning and 

 evening, the cat bird gave us his beautiful song for the rest of our 

 stay. Such a varied and gifted singer of his famil}', I never heard 

 elsewhere. We said, perhaps the birds, too, had heard of the won- 

 derful fair, and he had been chosen as delegate for his tuneful 

 powers. 



The blackbird is another interesting bird, capable of forming 

 strong attachments and of fine imitative powers. If trained while 



