A First Glance at the Birds, 



between the typical home of each 

 species. Our robin is, therefore, merely 

 a variety of the American robin and 

 can only be distinguished from that 

 bird by the critical examination of an 

 expert. The western bluebird, on the 

 contrary, although similar to the eastern 

 bluebird in general color, size and hab- 

 its, has a patch of blue upon the breast 

 where its eastern congener is colored a 

 uniform earthy red, and, since this differ- 

 ence is constant, the two birds are con- 

 sidered distinct species. Many of our 

 swallows are identical on both sides of 

 the Rocky Mountains, although one 

 species, and this the most beautiful of 

 them all, is confined to the Pacific Coast. 

 There is but one humming-bird found 

 in the Eastern States, a species which is 

 absent here but replaced by six other re- 

 presentatives of the group. Our meadow- 

 lark, although commonly held to be but 

 a variety of the eastern bird, is a shade 

 lighter in color and has a very distinct 

 song. The far-famed scarlet tanager 

 8 



