Music of the Wild 



finds in his dooryard or orchard is worth five dol- 

 lars to him above all the birds possibly can destroy, 

 and the music they make, especially the song they 

 sing in the rain, should be above price. Robins are 

 the alarm clocks of the fields, for almost without 

 exception they wake the morning and all birds 

 with their glad cry, "Cheer up!" 



These old orchards home many big night moths, 

 one that reminds me of the robin. The caterpillar 

 An feeds on apple leaves, and its cocoons frequently 

 Orchard are S p un on o ] ( i trees either on a water sprout at 

 the base or high among the branches. The pre- 

 dominant color of this moth is the steel-gray of 

 the robin, shading darker and lighter, and it has 

 prominent markings, half-moon shaped, on its 

 wings, almost the color of the robin's breast. It is 

 more gaudy than the bird, however, for it also has 

 lines of white, faint lines of black, wider ones of 

 tan, and dark-blue circles. It is the commonest of 

 all large moths, and is around almost every coun- 

 try home at night, and frequents cities as well; 

 but because it is a creature of darkness, many peo- 

 ple live a lifetime where it is oftenest found and 

 never make its acquaintance. 



Of all the birds that frequent orchards near 

 Majesty homes, and those rarer ones that settle in my de- 

 serte ^ orc hards, the kingbird is most appropriately 

 named; for he is king, and his mate is queen, and 

 the apple tree they select is a palace, and the nest 

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