4:0 TWENTIETH CENTURY CLASSICS 



resident in the western portion of tlie State. Begin lay- 

 ing the last of April. 



Habitat. Eastern United States; north to l^ova 

 Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba; west to the base of the 

 Rocky Mountains; breeding throughout their range; 

 wintering from the Middle States southward to Cuba. 



Iris brown; bill, legs, feet and claws blackish. 



The habits of this well-known species are so familiar 

 to all that no description is needed. I cannot, however, 

 refrain from presenting the following, written by Wilson 

 riagg, in so happy and pleasing a style: 



" ^KTot one of our songsters is so intimately associated 

 with the early spring as the Bluebird. Upon his arrival 

 from his winter residence, he never fails to make known 

 his presence by a few melodious notes uttered from some 

 roof or fence in the field or garden. On the earliest 

 morning in April, when we first open our windows to wel- 

 come the soft vernal gales, they bear on their wings the 

 sweet strains of the Bluebird. These few, notes are asso- 

 ciated with all the happy scenes and incidents that attend 

 the opening of the year. 



" The Bluebird is said to bear a strong resemblance to 

 the English Robin-Redbreast, similar in form and style, 

 having a red breast and short tail feathers, with only this 

 manifest difference : that one is olive colored above where 

 the other is blue. But the Bluebird does not equal the 

 Redbreast as a songster. His notes are few and not 

 greatly varied, though sweetly and plaintively modulated, 

 and never loud. On account of their want of variety, 

 they do not enchain the listener; but they constitute an 

 important part of the melody of morn. 



