ioo Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



blue-gray gnatcatcher and the great and little blue herons, and 

 perhaps others. 



The adult male bluebird above, including the wings and 

 tail is of a bright blue color; throat, neck, breast and sides, 

 partially under the wings, chestnut; belly and vent, white; bill 

 and legs are black. The upper parts of the female are grayish ; 

 the other parts are like those of the male, but duller. The 

 bluebird is said to bear a strong resemblance to the English 

 robin redbreast, being similar in form, having a red breast 

 and short tail-feathers, and with only this difference, that the 

 one is blue above where the other is olive colored. Because 

 of this resemblance the Pilgrim Fathers called it the Blue 

 Robin. The legend of its creation is that, 



"When God had made a host of them, 

 One little flower still lacked a stem 



To hold the blossom blue; 

 So into it he breathed a song 

 And suddenly with petals strong 



As wings, away it flew." 



The bluebird is a bird of North America whose range ex- 

 tends north from the Gulf of Mexico through the eastern part 

 of the United States to Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba 

 and west to the Rocky Mountains. There are two sub-species 

 of it namely, the western bluebird, sialis mexicanus oci- 

 dentalis, found on the Pacific coast, and the mountain blue- 

 bird, sialis artica, found in the western United States. In the 

 southern part of its range the bluebird, silia sialis, is a resident; 

 in the northern a migrant. It comes north very early and re- 

 turns south very late. It is called the harbinger of spring. 

 I have seen them in February, before the snow had dis- 

 appeared. 



"In the spring, 

 Nay in the bluster of March, or haply before, 



The bluebird comes, and a-wing 



Or alight, seems evermore 



For song that is swift and soft. 

 His footprints oft 



Make fretwork along the snow, 



When the weather is bleak ablow, 

 When his hardihood by cold is pinched full sore." 



