PERCHING BIRDS. 149 



the clear airs, the sweet descents, the natural rising and 

 falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might 

 well be lifted above earth, and say, Lord, what music 

 hast thou provided for the saints in heaven, when thou 

 affordest bad men such music on earth !" Mf . Wood re- 

 marks of the song of this bird, " It must be borne in 

 mind that not only in this bird, but in other singing 

 birds, the male is the vocalist, so that Milton's address 

 to the ' sweet songstress 1 is, unfortunately, not quite so 

 correct as poetical ; a misfortune of frequent occurrence." 

 247. The Warblers are spread over almost the entire 

 globe. Audubon reckons forty-four species on the Amer- 

 can continent. Their great office seems to be to prevent 

 the too great increase of the insects which are found on 

 twigs and leaves, in buds and flowers, and in the crevices 

 of trees, their bills being well adapted for their capture. 

 They are generally migratory birds, going south in the 

 autumn, when the insects disappear, and coming north 

 again in spring, when their natural prey, awakened to 

 activity, come forth from their winter-quarters. 



Questions. What does the order of Insessores include? What 

 are the characteristics and habits of birds of this order? Give the 

 three groups of Perchers, and their chief characteristics. What is 

 the food of the Cone-billed group? What families does it include? 

 What birds does the Finch family contain ? What are their charac- 

 teristics and habits? What is said of the Grosbeaks? Of the Yel- 

 low-bird ? Of the Sparrows ? What other birds are mentioned as 

 belonging to this family ? What are the characteristics of the Crow 

 family ? What is said of the Blue Jay ? What of the Starling fam- 

 ily? What of the Baltimore Oriole? Of the Bower-bird r Of the 

 Birds of Paradise ? What is said of the Cross-bill family ? What 

 of the Horn-bill family ? What are the families in the division of 

 Dentirostrs ? What is said of the notched bill as a distinguishing 

 characteristic? What birds form the typical family of this group? 

 What are their habits ? What is said of the American Shrike ? How 

 are the Warblers characterized ? Mention some of them. What is 

 said of the Nightingale ? What is said of the distribution of the 

 Warblers ? What of their office ? 



