AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



297 



All his movements are stately and graceful, and his jet black with 

 snow-white markings and rose on the breast render him a strikingly- 

 beautiful object among the bright young foliage of early spring; but so 

 shy and retiring is he at nearly all times, as to be much more frequent- 

 ly heard than seen. Indeed it often requires careful observation to ob- 

 tain a glimpse of him. He has been in favor as a cage bird and is said 

 by some to sing freely in the night. The male seems quite attentive 

 to the duties of incubation. I have seen him more frequently on the 

 nest than the female. 



In early autumn as the young males go south, they resemble the fe- 

 males in color and markings, only they are much darker and richer in 

 tints and are tinged with rose on the throat, crown and under the wings. 

 A family well represented at this time of year would make a truly 

 beautiful group. Though closely related to the Sparrows and Finches, 

 and therefore a seed eating bird in structure, he nevertheless devours 

 multitudes of insects. rev. j. h. langille. 



A FEW OF MY FRIENDS, 



OW pleasant it is to recall the delight- 

 ful experiences of our summer ramble! 

 While walking through a pine forest 

 one morning in the latter part of June, 

 it was my fortune to come upon the 

 nest of an Ovenbird, placed in a hollow 

 stump. There it was most deftly con- 

 cealed and I never should have found it 

 had the little mother remained in the 

 nest. When one comes upon this bird 

 by surprise as she is sitting in her little 

 home, she will suddenly dart out and 

 try to lead you away from the treasures 

 that she loves so well. This nest con- 

 tained four eggs and a few days later, 

 four young birds that were as helpless as any living creatures could be. 

 It was not long before they began to feather and I must say that I 

 never saw so good a case of what ornithologists call protective color- 

 ation. 



But alas. This nest as well as too many others that I found came to 

 a sad end. One day I went to pay them my usual visit and found noth- 

 ing there, neither nest or birds. Something had torn the nest to atoms 



