222 THE BLUE-BIRD. 



they begin to clean out the old nest, and the rubbish of 

 the former year, and to prepare for the reception of their 

 future offspring. 



The usual spring and summer song of the Blue-bird 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 great resemblance 

 to the Robin Red-breast of Britain ; and had he the brown 

 olive of that bird instead of his own blue, could scarcely 

 be distinguished from nim. 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 peace- 

 ful 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 place, a snug little summer house, ready fit- 

 ted -and rent free. For this he more than sufficiently re- 

 pays them by the cheerfulness of his song, and the multi- 

 tude of injurious insects which he daily destroys. To- 

 wards fall, that is, in the month of October, his song chan- 

 ges to a single plaintive note, as he passes over the yellow, 

 many-colored woods ; and its melancholy air recalls to our 

 minds the approaching decay of the face of nature. Even 

 after the trees are stript of their leaves, he still lingers 

 over his native fields, as if loath to leave them. About the 

 middle or end of November, few or none of them are seen ; 

 but with every return of mild and open weather, we hear 

 his plaintive note amid the fields, or in the air, seeming to 

 deplore the devastations of winter. Indeed he appears 

 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 frequent- 

 ing open pasture fields, and there perching on the stalks 

 of the great mullen, to look out for passing insects. A 



