X FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



to Dr. B. L. Robinson and his assistants, Mr. Fernald 

 and Mr. Greenman, who gave me convenient access 

 to many specimens of the Harvard herbarium; to 

 Mr. Samuel Henshaw of the Agassiz Museum, who 

 provided me with many of the entomological speci- 

 mens which I have sketched ; and to Mr. W. Faxon, 

 without whose advice my bird sketches would have 

 lacked certain important points. I should also ex- 

 plain that the unusual employment of capitals in the 

 specific names of birds, a proceeding contrary to orni- 

 thological rule, is due to an effort to maintain consist- 

 ency throughout the book ; as there are more flowers 

 than birds mentioned, it seemed to me advisable to 

 adopt the botanist's principle with reference to 

 names. 



But after all, "What's in a name?" If the 

 flower and the bird are unmistakably identified, all is 

 properly put. The best thing about the hermit 

 thrush is his inimitable, silvery song ; the worst thing 

 about him is his ponderous Latin name ! If I could 

 illuminate his music as it deserved, the notes would 

 be of burnished gold set in bars of silver ! 



F. SCHUYLEE MATHEWS. 



EL FUREIDIS, BLAIR, CAMPTON, N. H. 



