Indigo Bird. Indigo Bunting 



The "glowing indigo" of this tropical-looking visitor 

 often seems the more intense by comparison with the 

 blue sky, against which it stands out in relief as the bird 



perches singing in a tree-top The noon-day heat 



of an August day that silences nearly every other voice, 

 seems to give to the indigo-bird's only fresh animation. 



NELTJE BLANCHAN. Bird Neighbors. 23 



JAY, BLUE 



No bird of finer color or presence sojourns with us the 

 year round than the blue jay. In a peculiar sense his 

 is a case of " beauty covering a multitude of sins." .... 

 Dishonest, cruel, inquisitive, murderous, voracious, villain- 

 ous, are some of the epithets applied to this bird of exquisite 

 plumage. Emerson, however, has said in his defence he 

 does "more good than harm," alluding, no doubt, to his 

 habit of burying nuts and hard seeds in the ground, so 

 that many a waste place is clothed with trees and shrubs, 

 thanks to his propensity and industry. 



NELTJE BLANCHAN. Bird Neighbors. 23 



What a handsome bird! .... Not a hint of winter 

 in his coloring! Note his purplish back as he bends over, 

 the exquisite cobalt blue, touched off with black and 

 white on his wings, and the black barring on the tightly 

 closed tail he is bracing himself by. How distinguished 

 his dark necklace and handsome blue crest make him 

 look! 



FLORENCE A. MEERIAM. Birds Through an Opera Glass. 2 



79 



