THE BLUEBIRD. 227 
well some tricky Zephyr of 
the South, who whispers 
not of what he knows, but 
what he hopes, and is cru- 
elly deceived. But Spring 
does come, and if her most 
impetuous herald dies in the 
performance of his duty, we 
love and honor him most 
because his task was hard- 
est. 
The year 1895 marked 
a sad chapter in Bluebird’s 
experience, and proved to 
be a turning point in the his- 
tory of his race. That spring 
an unusually severe cold wave 
of long duration swept over 
the Middle and Gulf States. 
The cold wrought fearful 
havoc to all bird life, but the 
blow seemed to fall most 
heavily upon the Bluebirds. Te ‘ounty. Photo by J. B. Varker 
Their ranks were not merely FEMALE BLUEBIRD ABOUT TO ENTER NEST. 
. , NOTE THE WOODPECKER-LIKE ATTITUDE AND ESPECIALLY THE USE 
decimated: they were al- OF THE TAIL AS A PROP. 
most exterminated. Obsery- 
ers in Ohio saw only single birds where before they had seen scores and hun- 
dreds. Thus, at Oberlin, I saw only five birds up to May 1, 1895. It is very 
eratifying, however, to note that their numbers are materially increasing of late. 
In some localities they appear to have almost regained their former status. 
It goes without saying that from that dreadful winter only the fittest sur- 
vived. Evidence is not lacking to show that the Bluebird of today is hardier 
than the Bluebird of ten years ago. In Lorain County for instance, there 
were no authentic records of Bluebirds wintering until the season of ’98-’99. 
Then and every season since a few have been seen. If this be a correct infer- 
ence, then the massacre of ’95 will not have been without its influence for go rd 
in preparing the species against similar and more severe attacks in the future. 
The Bluebird is pre-eminently domestic in his tastes, and he lacks none of 
the qualities essential to the model husband and father. Ii not already mated 
upon arrival in early spring, the business is not long delayed. The birds take 
a leisurely honeymoon, and the first nesting is not undertaken before the last 
week in April or the first in May. Nothing can exceed the gallantry, or per- 
haps I would better say the courtesy of Bluebirds en fainille. They almost 
