314 



FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



Jiemarh. — Tlie femule of this species is rather a puzzlirijg: bird, and may he 

 mistiikeii for a Sparrow. Its uiistri'al<od haeii and tlie sliirht tinjie of blue 

 geiierully present on the outer web of the wing- and tail-featiiers sliould serve 

 to distinguish it. 



lidiige. — Eastern United States ; breeds as far north as Minnesota and 

 Nova Scotia; winters in Central America. 



Washington, coninion S. R., Apl. 28 to Oct. 15. Sing Sing, common S. K., 

 May 4 to Oct. 17. Cambridge, rather common S. R., May 15 to Sept. 25. 



yist^ of grasses, bits of dead leaves, and strips of bark, lined with tine 

 grasses, rootlets, aiul long hairs, generally in the crotch of u bush near the 

 ground. Eggs^ tliree to four, pale bluish wliite, '73 x -57. 



In walking among clumps of bushes in clearings or old pastures, 

 look sharp if a small brown bird flies before you, especially if she calls 

 cheep and twitches her tail nervously from side to side. Though she 

 be a sparrowy-lookiiig bird, look well to her shoulders and tail. If you 

 discover a glint of blue and her cries call her mate, yon will ever after 

 be a more trustworthy observer — for his brilliant coat is uinnistakable. 



Having nuidc sure of your birds, watch them to their nest — a com- 

 pactly made cup — too cleverly hidden in the dense green thicket to be 

 easily discoveretl. The color of the eggs will again test your accuracy 

 of observation ; in varying lights they look green, blue, and white. 



The female Indigo is so suspicious that it is hard not to be vexed 

 with her, but the primary virtues of an observer are conscientiousness 

 and patience ; so take your hanl cases as a means of grace. 



However distrustful tlie poor mother bird is, her mate's cheery song 

 makes up for it all. After most birds liave stopped singing for the 

 year, his merry voice still gladdens the long August days. 



I well remember watching one Indigo-bird who, day after day, used 

 to fly to the lowest limb of a iiigh tree and sing his way U}) from 

 branch to branch, bursting into jubilant song when he reached tho 

 topmost bough. I watched iiim climb as high iwiu the air as he could, 

 when, against a background of blue sky and rolling white clouds, the 

 blessed little songster broke out into the blithest round that ever l)ub- 

 bled up fixnn a glad heart. FloricniI': A. Mkrkiam. 



The Vauiki) Hcntino {€00. Panaerina r<r>)ifnlar).i'A species of our Mexican 

 border, has been once recorded from Michigan. 



601* PaJSSerina ciris (Litm,). I'mxteo Rintiko; Nonpai!Kii.. 

 Ad. S. — Head and sides of the neck indigo-blue; back golden green ; rumj) 

 dull red ; under parts bright red ; wings and tail tinged with dull red ; greater 



wing-coverts green. .!(/, 9 . — Upper parts bright olive-green ; under parts 

 white, washed with grcenisli yellow; wings and tail fuscous, margined with 

 olive-green. L., 5-25 ; W., 2-70; T., 2-15; B., -42. 



/i'(»«(/*'.— Breeds from tlie llulf States northward to Kan.sos, southern Illi- 

 nois, and North ( "arolina ; winters in the tropics. 



