S3'2 



B L U E - B I II D. 



plumage of which is skirted with light brown, and by 

 the red on the breast being much fainter, and not 

 descending nearly so low as in the male ; the young 

 are brownish on the upper parts, and not very much 

 mottled. A curious tact has been noticed by the 

 honourable and Rev. W. Herbert, of the plumage of 

 this species ; we believe, in individuals kept by him 

 in confinement, in this country, he says " the Ame- 

 rican blue-bird produces brown feathers in its summer 

 moult, which are very suddenly turned to blue." It 

 is most probable that this change also takes place in 

 a state of nature, though the fact has not hitherto 

 been noticed by those who have described the bird. 



This species is found over the whole United 

 States ; as also in the Bahama islands, where many 

 of them winter ; and in Mexico, Brazil, and Guiana ; 

 though probably another and closely allied species, 

 the S. Mexicana, has often been confounded with it 

 in these latter countries. 



The third species, Sialia arctica, inhabits the far 

 countries, and was discovered by the naturalists who 

 accompanied the last overland expedition. This also 

 is a beautiful bird ; the upper parts are rich ultra- 

 marine blue, and the under parts greenish blue, 

 inclining on the abdomen to greyish ; the vent- 

 feathers, and under tail-coverts, white. The bill is 

 narrower at the base, but larger and more strongly 

 formed than that of S. IVilsonii, which species the 

 bird much resembles in size and general appearance. 



In describing the common species of the United 

 States ( S. Wilsonii), Wilson eloquently observes, 

 that " the pleasing manners and sociable disposition 

 of this little bird, entitle him to particular notice. 

 As one of the first messengers of spring, bringing 

 the charming tidings to our very doors, he bears his 

 own recommendation always along with him, and 

 meets with a hearty welcome from every body. 



" Though generally accounted a bird of passage, 

 yet, so early as in the middle of February, if the 

 weather be open, he usually makes his appearance 

 about his old haunts, the barn, orchard, and fence 

 posts. Storms arid deep snows sometimes succeeding, 

 he disappears for a time ; but about the middle of 

 March is again seen, accompanied by his mate, 

 visiting the box in the garden, or the hole in the 

 old apple tree, the cradle of some generations of his 

 ancestors. ' When he first begins his amours,' says 

 a curious and correct observer*, ' it is pleasing to 

 behold his courtship, his solicitude to please and to 

 secure the favour of his beloved female. He uses 

 the tenderest expressions, sits close by her, caresses 

 and sings to her his most endearing warblings. When 

 seated together, if he espies an insect delicious to 

 her taste, he takes it up, flies with it to her, spreads 

 his wing over her, and puts it in her mouth.' If a 

 rival makes his appearance, for they are ardent in 

 their loves, he quits her in a moment, attacks and 

 pursues the intruder as he shifts from place to place, 

 in tones that bespeak the jealousy of his affection, 

 conducts him with many reproofs beyond the extre- 

 mities of his territory, and returns to warble out his 

 transports of triumph beside his beloved mate. The 

 preliminaries being thus settled, and the spot fixed 

 on, they begin to clear out the old nest, and the rub- 

 bish of the former year, and to prepare for the recep- 

 tion of their future offspring. Soon after this, another 

 sociable little pilgrim, the house wren, Troglodytes 



* Mr. W. Bartram, the venerable friend of Wilson. 



(Edon, also arrives from the south, and finding such 

 a snug berth preoccupied, sho\vs his spite by watching 

 a convenient opportunity, and, in the absence of the 

 owner, popping in and pulling out sticks ; but takes 

 special care to make off as fast as possible. 



" The female lays five, and sometimes six eggs, of 

 a pale blue colour, and raises two, and sometimes 

 three broods in a season ; the male taking the 

 youngest under his particular care while the female 

 is again sitting * * * *. Their spring and summer 

 song is a soft, agreeable, and oft-repeated warble, 

 uttered with open quivering wings, and is extremely 

 pleasing. In his motions and general character, 

 he has a great resemblance to the robin-redbreast of 

 Britain ; and. had he the brown olive of that bird, 

 ^instead of his own blue, could scarcely be distin- 

 guished from him. Like him, he is known to almost 

 every child ; and shows as much confidence in man 

 by associating with him in summer, as the other by 

 his familiarity in winter. He is also of a mild and 

 peaceful disposition, seldom fighting or quarrelling 

 with other birds. His society is courted by the 

 inhabitants of the country, and few farmers neglect 

 to provide for him, in some suitable situation, a snug 

 little summer-house, ready fitted and rent free. For 

 this he more than sufficiently repays them by the 

 cheerfulness of his song, and the multitude of inju- 

 rious insects which he daily destroys. Towards fall, 

 that is, in the month of October, his song changes to 

 a single plaintive note, as he passes over the yellow ' 

 many coloured woods ; and its melancholy air recals 

 to our minds the approaching decay of the face of 

 nature. Even after the trees are stripped of their 

 leaves, he still lingers over his native fields, as if 

 loth to leave them. About the middle of Novem- 

 ber, few or none of them are seen ; but, with every 

 return of mild and open weather, we hear his plain- 

 tive note amidst the fields, or in the air, seeming to 

 deplore the devastation of winter. Indeed, he ap- 

 pears scarcely ever totally to forsake us, but to 

 follow fair weather through all its journeyings till 

 the return of spring. 



* * * " The blue-bird, in summer and fall, is fond 

 of frequenting open pasture fields ; and there perch- 

 ing on the stalks of the great mullein, to look out for 

 passing insects. A whole family of them are often 

 seen thus situated, as if receiving lessons of dexte- 

 rity from their more expert parents, who can espy a 

 beetle crawling among the grass at a considerable 

 distance ; and, after feeding on it, instantly resume 

 their former position." 



We see, in this last passage (as Sir W. Jardine 

 observes, in his note to Wilson), the exact habits of 

 the European chats portrayed. " They invariably 

 select the summit of some elevation, a hillock, a 

 stone, bush, or some of the taller wild plants, and if 

 occasionally on a tree, the topmost branch is always 

 preferred ; there they perch, uttering their mono- 

 tonous call, which increases in anxiety and frequency 

 as we approach the nest, or the young before they 

 are able to fly ; or they alight at intervals, run" (or 

 rather hop about like a robin) " for some distance, 

 and again remount to a fresh station. When not 

 annoyed, they retain the same elevated situations, 

 looking out for food, taking the insects seldom on the 

 wing, but generally by a sudden spring, or by leaping 

 down, and returning immediately with the prey in their 

 bill, where it is retained for a few minutes, while they 

 repeat their uniform note. The young, as soon as 



