BIRD INTIIMACIES 



When with his mate he leads their brood about 

 the August thistles, the young call in a similar tone. 

 When in July the nesting has begun, the female 

 talks the prettiest *'baby talk" to her mate as he 

 feeds her. The nest-building rarely begins till 

 thistledown can be had — so literally are all the 

 ways of this darling bird ways of softness and 

 gentleness. The nest is a thick, soft, warm struc- 

 ture, securely fastened in the fork of a maple or 

 an apple-tree. 



None of our familiar birds endear themselves to 

 us more than does the bluebird. The first blue- 

 bird in the spring is as welcome as the blue sky 

 itself. The season seems softened and tempered 

 as soon as we hear his note and see his warm breast 

 and azure wing. His gentle manners, his soft, ap- 

 pealing voice, not less than his pleasing hues, seem 

 born of the bright and genial skies. He is the spirit 

 of the April days incarnated in a bird. He has 

 the quality of winsomeness, like the violet and the 

 speedwell among the flowers. Not strictly a song- 

 ster, yet his every note and call is from out the 

 soul of harmony. The bluebird is evidently an off- 

 shoot from the thrush family, and without th( 

 thrush's gift of song; still his voice affords us much 

 of the same pleasure. 



How readily the bluebirds become our friends 

 and neighbors when we offer them suitable nesting- 

 retreats! Bring them something from nature, 



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