"THE LEAFY MONTH OF JUNE" 



look forward to — something to come back for — 

 even along the road side. 



June divides with May the honors of the song 

 and nesting season. If we admit that June has 

 fewer nests, we are inclined to claim for her more Song and 

 songs. Almost any early morning in June the ^ason 

 neighborhood of a garden, orchard, or field will 

 supply us with a bird concert of great beauty 

 and variety. Of course, the quality of the indi- 

 vidual singers is largely governed by the latitude. 

 In the neighborhood of Albany, for example, be- 

 sides those birds already mentioned, I expect to 

 hear the warbling of yellow-throated vireos, of the 

 grosbeak, scarlet tanager, indigo-bird, gold-finch, 

 and redstart, of the black-throated green, yellow, 

 and other warblers. In the mountains and far- 

 ther north (I am thinking especially of the Maine 

 coast) two of the thrushes, the olive-backed and 

 the hermit, are noticeable. The song of the olive- Oiive- 

 backed thrush varies greatly. At times it is really t ^ u e sh 

 melodious, but it has a throaty quality which 

 detracts from its charm. It lacks the purity and 

 sweetness so striking in the songs of the wood 

 and hermit thrushes. It is longer, less interrupted, 

 and less definite in its phrasing than these other 

 songs. Indeed, it hardly seems to me a song at 

 all ; more actually a fairly melodious outburst of 

 emotion. The bird is usually a trifle smaller than 



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