178 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



Among these are the house wren, the indigo bunting, 

 and the red-e^^ed vireo. One may hear these brave singers 

 on the hottest days of the year. 



In a paper of this length dealing with a subject so inex- 

 haustible, of necessity more must be left out than can be 

 put in, and many delightful singers cannot even be men- 

 tioned. But if I have been enabled to unlock my world of 

 enchantment to one other, my object will be attained. My 

 own studies have been pursued, for the most part, during 

 my walks to and from school. Of course there have been 

 occasional excursions to the woods and fields, and certain 

 red-letter days of discovery never to be forgotten. 



There will scarcely be a day in the whole year when one 

 may not hear a bird note. The nature lover can never be 

 lonely out of doors with the loved voices of his brothers, 

 the birds, greeting him b}^ day and the faces of the friendly 

 stars looking down at him by night. No day comes amiss. 

 The wind is his brother and the rain his sister; and all 

 about him are loveliness and wonder. 



A goodly number of birds do not exhaust their musical 

 enthusiasm during the love season, but save a few strains 

 to stir up happy memories later in the year. I will close 

 with a few lines about these, 



Spring Echo. 



Sometimes in August birds begin to sing- 

 As though a second spring- 

 Were come to bless the year. 



For weeks perhaps we've heard but plaintive calls 

 And hungry fledglings' squalls 

 To tell us they were here. 



Then suddenly some morning ripples out, 



Amid the blue jay's shout, 



The dear song sparrow's lay : 

 And straightway we forget midsummer's gone, 



And nesting cares are done, 



Remembering- some cold day 



