THE PHCEBE 



ANOTHER April bird whose memory I fondly 

 cherish is the phcebe-bird, the pioneer of the fly- 

 catchers. In the inland farming districts, I used 

 to notice him, on some bright morning about 

 Easter Day, proclaiming his arrival, with much 

 variety of motion and attitude, from the peak of 

 the barn or hay-shed. As yet, you may have 

 heard only the plaintive, homesick note of the 

 bluebird, or the faint trill of the song sparrow ; 

 and the phcebe's clear, vivacious assurance of his 

 veritable bodily presence among us again is wel- 

 comed by all ears. At agreeable intervals in his 

 lay he describes a circle or an ellipse in the air, 

 ostensibly prospecting for insects, but really, I 

 suspect, as an artistic flourish, thrown in to make 

 up in some way for the deficiency of his musi- 

 cal performance. If plainness of dress indicates 

 powers of song, as it usually does, the phoebe 

 ought to be unrivaled in musical ability, for 

 surely that ashen-gray suit is the superlative of 

 plainness ; and that form, likewise, would hardly 

 pass for a " perfect figure " of a bird. The season- 

 ableness of his coming, however, and his civil, 

 neighborly ways, shall make up for all deficien- 

 cies in song and plumage. 



