238 A TASTE OF KENTUCKY BLUE-GRASS 



is curious enough. From the semi- domestica- 

 tion of so many of the English birds, when 

 compared with our own, we infer that the older 

 the country, the more the birds are changed in 

 this respect; yet the birds of the Mississippi 

 Valley are less afraid of man than those of the 

 valley of the Hudson or the Connecticut. Is it 

 because the homestead, with its trees and build- 

 ings, affords the birds on the great treeless prai- 

 ries their first and almost only covert ? Where 

 could the perchers perch till trees and fences 

 and buildings offered? For this reason they 

 would at once seek the vicinity of man and be- 

 come familiar with him. 



In Kentucky the summer redbird everywhere 

 attracted my attention. Its song is much like 

 that of its relative the tanager, and its general 

 habits and manners are nearly the same. 



The oriole is as common in Kentucky as in 

 New York or New England. One day we saw 

 one weave into her nest unusual material. 

 As we sat upon the lawn in front of the cot- 

 tage, we had noticed the bird just beginning 

 her structure, suspending it from a long, low 

 branch of the Kentucky coffee- tree that grew 

 but a few feet away. I suggested to my host 

 that if he would take some brilliant yarn and 

 scatter it about upon the shrubbery, the fence, 

 and the walks, the bird would probably avail 

 herself of it, and weave a novel nest. I had 

 heard of it being done, but had never tried it 

 myself. The suggestion was at once acted upon 

 and in a few moments a handful of zephyr yarn, 



