AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 197 



old, they decided to leave home and try their fortunes in the wide, wide 

 world. They perched awhile on the edge of the nest, then, late in the 

 afternoon one tlew up and lighted on one of the small feathery branches 

 of the larch just above him. Here he remained for nearly half an hour; 

 apparently very much frightened to find that the world was so large, es- 

 pecially when his resting place was swayed by a passing breeze. Then 

 back he flew to his home; settled down in a satisfied way, and doubtless 

 told in bird language marvelous tales of his adventures to his brother who 

 had not yet plucked up courage to venture forth. At nightfall when the 

 nest was visited, but one little bird was found. Startled by the investiga- 

 tion, he bravely flew out to a dead branch on a magnolia tree, he was nut 

 going to be left behind all alone, not he. Here he clung in terror until 

 dark, when his mother coaxed him away to a safer place. The next 

 afternoon he was seen in an apple tree not far away, where the mother 

 fed him in her own peculiar way, pumping the partly digested food into 

 his throat. The next night the little wanderers camped out in a maple 

 next the larch. Until the coming of cooler nights which warned them to 

 begin their long journey to the South country, the little family sported 

 about their summer home. When it became certain that the little house 

 in the larch would be occupied no more by its owners the branch v\ hich 

 held it was cut off, and treasured as a beautiful memento of the charming 

 little hummer friends who had beguiled away so happily the summer hours. 



Mary Hazen Arnold, Waterbury, Conn. 



HEATH HEN (Hethen). 



A. O, 1/. f^o. 30&. (Tympantichuj ctipido.) 



RANGE. 



Island of Martha's Vineyard, Massaciuisetts. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 16 to 18 in.; extent, 27 to 29 in.; tail 4 to 5 in. Bill, horn 

 brown; feet yellow; eye, hazel. Male and female, above, variegated with 

 brown and tawny. Below barred regularly with dark brown, but in 

 some cases almost pure white on the abdomen. The chief differences be- 

 tween this bird and the Western prairie chicken are as follows: — The 

 pinnated feathers of the male are much smaller, quite sharply pointed and 

 fewer in number. The general color is much darker and browner. The 

 markings under the wings are much stronger. The tarsus somewhat 

 shorter. The bird averages smaller than the Western bird and does not 

 bring so much into the market on that account. Marketmen who have 

 handled this bird tell me it is not so desirable for that reason. 



