﻿FAUNA. 
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  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  back 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  vivid 
  green 
  and 
  

   gold, 
  and 
  the 
  throat 
  a 
  brilliant 
  ruby. 
  In 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  

   flowers, 
  they 
  are 
  seen 
  by 
  the 
  dozen 
  humming 
  over 
  our 
  

   shrubberies, 
  darting 
  with 
  the 
  speed 
  of 
  light 
  from 
  flower 
  

   to 
  flower, 
  and 
  sipping 
  the 
  honeyed 
  sweets, 
  sustained 
  on 
  

   wings 
  vibrating 
  with 
  a 
  velocity 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  almost 
  to 
  

   elude 
  the 
  eye. 
  

  

  ^ 
  The 
  Cedar-bird 
  appears 
  in 
  flocks 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  and 
  

   lingers 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  It 
  seems 
  to 
  delight 
  in 
  the 
  

   pearl-like 
  berries 
  of 
  the 
  mistletoe, 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  very 
  fond 
  

   of 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  lauria 
  mundi. 
  

  

  The 
  Robin 
  arrives 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  late 
  in 
  

   winter. 
  In 
  our 
  coldest 
  weather 
  it 
  appears 
  suddenly, 
  and 
  

   is 
  then 
  quite 
  fat. 
  It 
  feeds 
  ravenously 
  whilst 
  with 
  us, 
  

   on 
  the 
  China 
  berry, 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  trees 
  are 
  then 
  loaded, 
  

   which 
  occasions 
  it 
  frequently 
  to 
  fall 
  from 
  the 
  trees 
  appa- 
  

   rently 
  stupefied, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  easily 
  caught. 
  Whether 
  this 
  

   is 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  narcotic 
  or 
  intoxicating 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  

   berry, 
  or 
  is 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  temporary 
  strangulation, 
  is 
  not 
  

   known. 
  

  

  In 
  form, 
  attitude, 
  and 
  motion, 
  nothing 
  exceeds 
  the 
  

   grace 
  of 
  our 
  matchless 
  "Orpheus," 
  the 
  Mocking-bird. 
  

   In 
  music 
  and 
  mimicry 
  unrivalled, 
  proud 
  of 
  his 
  gift 
  of 
  

   song, 
  he 
  is 
  not 
  content 
  with 
  its 
  daily 
  exhibition, 
  but 
  for 
  

   hours 
  in 
  the 
  "stilly 
  night" 
  pours 
  forth 
  a 
  flood 
  of 
  melody. 
  

   The 
  delicate 
  Blue-bird, 
  the 
  noisy 
  garrulous 
  Jay, 
  the 
  

   Cardinal, 
  Red-bird, 
  and 
  the 
  resplendent 
  Oriole, 
  or 
  Balti- 
  

   more-bird, 
  are 
  conspicuous 
  among 
  the 
  less 
  brilliant 
  deni- 
  

   zens 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  that 
  hover 
  about 
  our 
  houses, 
  and 
  animate 
  

   our 
  groves. 
  

  

  Chief 
  of 
  his 
  tribe, 
  the 
  majestic 
  ivory-bill 
  Woodpecker 
  

   cleaves 
  his 
  way 
  through 
  the 
  air, 
  in 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  peculiar 
  

   and 
  singularly 
  graceful 
  undulations, 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  

   regularly 
  intermitting 
  strokes 
  of 
  his 
  muscular 
  wings. 
  

  

  