14 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



cattle scattered about over the prairie, and two or three neat farm 

 houses, with their attendant orchards and cultivated ground, made 

 us realize that we were yet within the bounds of comfortable civil- 

 ization ; otherwise, the landscape presented much of its primitive 

 aspect. The day was a delightful one; for, although the heat 

 ranged above 80, the fresh prairie breeze tempered it to a delight- 

 ful mildness. Resting upon the cool, green-sward in the shade of a 

 large elm in the hollow, our ears were delighted by such a chorus 

 of bird-songs as we have heard nowhere else. Among the leafy 

 arches overhead the Baltimore Orioles whistled their mellow flute- 

 like notes, accompanied by soft, contented warble and joyous carol 

 of the Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos ; the birds of the meadow were 

 chanting on every hand their several ditties, while the breeze wafted 

 to us the songs of various woodland species. In the scrubby jungle 

 a Mocking-bird fairly filled the air with his rich medly of varied 

 notes, the singer leaping in restless ecstacy from branch to branch, 

 with drooping wings and spread tail, or flitting from tree to tree as 

 he sang. A Brown Thrasher poured forth a ceaseless accompani- 

 ment as he sat perched sedately upon the summit of a small vine- 

 canopied tree a contrast in bearing to the restive, sportive Mimus, 

 his rival in vigor, and superior in sweetness, of song. Several 

 Yellow-breasted Chats interpolated their loud cat-calls, vehement 

 whistlings, and croaking notes. These three, loudest of the song- 

 sters, well nigh drowned the voices of the smaller birds ; but in the 

 brief intervals "between the acts" were heard the fine and sweet, 

 though plaintive, song of the little Field Sparrow, the pleasant notes 

 of the Chewink, the rich whistlings of the Cardinal, and the clear, 

 proud call of Bob White. Upon proceeding to the thickets and 

 thus interrupting the louder songsters, the wondrously strong and 

 vehement notes of the "Chickty-beaver Bird" or White-eyed Vireo 

 greeted us from the tangled copse, and soon a song we had never 

 heard before the gabbling, sputtering harangue of Bell's Vireo 

 attracted our attention and, of course, our interest. In the more 

 open woods marking the border of the timber the several woodland 

 species were noticed ; there the Vermilion Tanager or Summer Red- 

 bird warbled his Robin-like but fine and well-sustained song, the 

 Blue-jays chuckled and screamed as they prowled among the 

 branches, and gaudy Red- headed Woodpeckers flaunted their tri- 

 colored livery as they sported about the trunks or occasional dead 

 tree-tops. 



