The Birds' Calendar 



repertoire of short songs, which from some 

 conspicuous point of a tree it pours forth, not 

 in a spirit of vanity, but because it is too full of 

 melody to be restrained. One of its melodies 

 has a distinctly martial accent. With the ex- 

 ception of the thrushes, and perhaps of the pur- 

 ple finch, it is probably the most enjoyable 

 songster one can hear in this latitude. It has 

 an equally engaging manner, carrying no lofty 

 airs like the cardinal grosbeak, but coming down 

 to the honest, democratic basis of the robin. 

 Neither timid nor bold, it has the demeanor of 

 modest frankness, and seems possessed of a good 

 stock of that indefinable quality which in the 

 human race is called ' ' common sense, ' ' whose 

 existence cannot be controverted by the fact 

 that it is generally difficult to designate the 

 specific act that betrays it. 



With perhaps no sins of omission charged 

 against him, his only transgression is a some- 

 what pardonable fondness for fruit blossoms, al- 

 though in the act of robbery he unquestion- 

 ably forms a picture that is worth the price of 

 the fruit, as in flaming plumage he sits on the 

 bough of some tree that is white with bloom, 

 and gracefully drawing blossom after blossom 

 toward him, deftly holds it with his foot while 



