THE BEGINNINGS OF SPRING 131 



seen as many as ten such beauties, I think. Their 

 feeding habits and their movements, as well as 

 their black and white stripes, are surprisingly 

 like those of the black-and-white creeper, to 

 which they ought to be more nearly related than 

 the systematists allow, while their song is in 

 the manner of the indigo-bird. 



Now, if the nonpareil buntings would only fall 

 into line ! Thus far they have not favored me 

 with a note, and indifferent musicians as I know 

 them to be, I believe there is no other bird in 

 Miami that I am so desirous of hearing. Such 

 feathers as they wear ! Once in a while, of late, 

 a male has been good enough to take a some- 

 what lofty perch and display himself. If there 

 is a more gorgeous bird in the United States I 

 should like to see him. Just now there are at 

 least three enthusiasts in Miami a Kentucky 

 lady, a Rhode Island man, and a Massachusetts 

 man who are doing their best daily to get their 

 fill of his loveliness. 



Pho3bes have sung much less of late than they 

 did in January. Then they seemed to find exist- 

 ence a perpetual jubilee. Red-bellied woodpeck- 

 ers, too, are far less talkative than they were a 

 month ago. Most likely they are busier. And 

 by the by, the Kentucky enthusiast above men- 

 tioned pleased me by calling this woodpecker the 



