THE SPARROW KIND. 145 



ginning of winter, from blue becomes black, which changes to its 

 original hue on the first approaches of spring. It makes its nest in 

 deep holes, in very high and inaccessible solitudes, and removes it not 

 only from the accesses of man, but also hides it with surprising cun- 

 ning from the chammoisand other wild beasts that might annoy its 

 young. 



The manner of taking this beautiful bird is said to be this : The 

 fowlers, either by chance or by lying in wait, having found out the 

 place where it builds, take with them a strong stilt or stake, such as 

 the climbers of rocks make use of to assist them in their descent 

 With the assistance of this, they mount where an indifferent specta- 

 tor would think it impossible to ascend, covering their heads at the 

 same time to ward off any danger of the falling of pebbles or stones 

 from above. At length, with extreme toil and danger, having arrived 

 a. the nest, they draw it up from the hole in which it is usually buri- 

 ed, and cherish the young with an assiduity equal to the pains they 

 took to obtain them. It produces for the most part five young, and 

 never more ; it seldom descends into the plain country, flies swiftei 

 than a blackbird, and uses the same food. 



The Fieldfare and the Redwing make but a short stay in this coun- 

 try. With us they are insipid tuneless birds, flying in flocks, and 

 excessively watchful to preserve the general safety. All their season 

 of music and pleasure is employed in the more northern climates, where 

 they sing most delightfully, perched among the forests of maples, with 

 which those countries abound. They build their nests in hedges 

 and lay six bluish-green eggs spotted with black. 



The Stare, distinguishable from the rest of this tribe by the glossy 

 green of its feathers, in some lights, and the purple in others, breeds 

 in hollow trees, eaves of houses, towers, ruins, cliffs, and often in 

 high rocks over the sea. It lays four or five eggs of a pale greenish 

 ash-colour, and makes its nest of straw, small fibres of roots, and such 

 like. Its voice is rougher than the rest of this kind ; but what it 

 wants in the melody of its note, it compensates by the facility with 

 which it is taught to speak. In winter these bi'rds assemble in vast 

 flocks, and feed upon worms and insects. At the approach of spring 

 they assemble in fields, as if in consultation together, and for three 

 or four days seem to take no nourishment : the greater part leave the 

 country, the rest breed here and bring up their young. 



To this tribe might be added above a hundred other birds of nearly 

 the thrush size, and living like them upon fruit and berries. Words 

 could not afford variety enough to describe all the beautiful tints that 

 adorn the foreign birds of the thrush kind. The brilliant green of 

 the emerald, the flaming red of the ruby, the purple of the amethyst, 

 or the bright blue of the sapphire, could not, by the most artful com- 

 bination, show any thing so truly lively or delightful to the sight as the 

 feathers of the chilcoqui or the tautotol. Passing therefore over these 

 beautiful, but little known birds, I will only mention the American 

 mock-bird, the favourite songster of a region where the birds excel 

 rather in the beauty of their plumage than the sweetness of their 

 Totes. 



This ^aluable bird does not seem to vie with the feathered inhabitants 

 >f that country in the beauty of its plumage, content with qualifier 



