102 BIRD-SONGS ABOUT WORCESTER. 



pouring forth most lavishly his beautiful 

 lisping ditty, as might naturally be ex- 

 pected in a high, breezy country like that 

 of Princeton. While in Worcester we hear 

 him only on the more distant hills about 

 the city, here he is heard on the town 

 common itself, where he actually takes the 

 place of the obnoxious English sparrow, — 

 a bird which, I omitted to mention, is not 

 included in the avifauna of this town. In 

 Worcester the purple-finch and bluebird 

 are occasionally heard, but here we hear 

 these delicious songsters along the village 

 street on every side. I use the word " de- 

 licious " in speaking of the song of the 

 bluebird advisedly, for though I had never 

 known it before, I have now discovered that 

 he is a singer of no mean ability. His 

 singing is almost as profuse as the robin's, 

 and he will sometimes continue singing 

 from the same perch half an hour at 

 a time in the most impassioned manner. 

 Though I miss here the pretty warble of 

 the warbling-vireo, his place is easily sup- 

 plied by the purple-finch, whose song, 



