72 NATURE'S CALENDAR 



April iS lows, catbirds, and more warblers, includ- 



ing familiar ones, such as the oven-bird 

 and Maryland yellow-throat. 



The last days of April begin to be 

 crowded with strangers from the South, 

 yet show us the most lingering of our 

 winter friends, reluctant to leave us for 

 their northern breeding -grounds. We 

 are likely before May-day to add to the 

 list the humming-bird, kingbird and his 

 small cousin, the chebec ; the eaveswal- 

 low, red -eyed, white -eyed, and other 

 vireos, the black-throated blue, yellow- 

 rumped and palm warblers, and those 

 glorious singers, the wood -thrush and 

 the veery. 



Fewer birds are nesting than will be 

 found in May, but nests of the eagles and 

 of duck-hawks may be had early in the 

 month, if they are to be had at all ; and 

 other very early nesters in April are the 

 three small owls and the crow, whose 

 eggs m-A.y> usually be found before the 

 15th. By that time, or a little later, also, 

 the robin, bluebird, chickadee, purple 

 grakle, and broad-winged hawks are lay- 

 ing eggs. 



Meanwhile other birds are arriving joy- 

 ously at their summer home, and display- 

 ing themselves to each other, with matri- 

 mony in view, singing loudly in rivalry 

 and out of pure delight of existence, so 

 that the summer of bird life is well ush- 

 ered in by the time the month draws to 

 its close. 



