THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



I have frequently heard the drum- 

 ming of the Logcock, with perfect dis- 

 tinctness at a distance of a half a mile 

 and believe that under favorable circum- 

 stances it might be heard still further. 



THREE COUSINS. 



W. II. M'XAIKN, TOllONTO. ONT. 



In the orchard; iinder the rafters of 

 the old barn; and in the thick woods, at 

 all times during the summer, one may 

 see the members of this trio the pewee, 

 the wood-pewee, and the kingbird. 

 What a pleasing sight it is to see the 

 familiar phoebe-bird,' sitting expectantly 

 on a harness peg waiting for flies, or 

 the wood-pewee on the same business 

 intent, sitting on the top of a dilapidated 

 fence post. And what an interesting 

 sight also, it is to see, high up in the 

 clear summer sky, the tyrant fly catcher 

 pouncing on some impudent crow or jay. 



The bee martin, or king bird ( Tyran- 

 hyranmus) is the personification of pug- 

 nacious bravery, although he is repre- 

 sented by many as a cruel tyrant. Wil- 

 son considers this a base libel on a 

 brave character. He says: 



" When the spek'd eggs within the nest appear, 

 Then glows affection, ardent and sincere, 



* * * * * * * -* 



He drives the plund'ring Jay, with honest scorn, 

 Back to his woods; the mocker to his thorn; 

 Sweeps round the Kuckoo. as the thief retreats 

 Attacks the crow: the diving hawk defeats." 



At any rate it is as well to see the 

 good qualities in a bird as in man. 



Arriving here in the early part of 

 May, he soon selects some tree, often an 

 oak, on one of whose speading branches 

 he erects his strongly built home; and 

 shortly after, the beautiful cream-colored 

 and spotted eggs appear, and sitting 



near on " the top of some tall neighbor- 

 ing tree," Macawber like, he waits " for 

 something to turn up." He has not 

 often long to wait, before something, a 

 passing fly ; a sparrow ; the lordly eagle 

 himself is a subject of discussion for 

 our hero; who, after satisfying himself 

 about the matter, returns to her perch 

 with a cherry chirp which seems to say 

 "next!" 



Early in the Spring, the pewee, or 

 phoebe (Sayo)'lnns phoebe), the Pewit 

 fly catcher of Wilson, by its cheery 

 warbliugs, tells us that winter is gone. 

 And in May one may see his beautiful, 

 mossy nest under a bridge or some like 

 place. In this cosy home are soon 

 placed five or six eggs, beautiful and 

 white; often with small red dots. A 

 nest in my collection contained six eggs, 

 five in the nest proper, and one under- 

 neath. This is the first time I ever 

 heard of this species' story-building 

 proclivities. 



It was on a delightful June afternoon 

 that I first found the nest of Cantopus 

 vireus, the wood-pewee. Par away to 

 the east, the great city extended; and 

 lying stretched on the grass under a 

 magnificent beech, I could see the spires 

 of the city, distinct in the clear June 

 sky. And wafted on the gentle breeze, 

 came the far off sound of bells, telling 

 in clear joyous tones, that the long day 

 of labor was over. To the west extend- 

 ed a deep green stretch of pine forest in 

 which the gentle breeze raised a low, 

 soft murmur. Was it any wonder then, 

 that it was some time before I roused 

 myself for the climb ? And then when 

 I reached the nest ! to say I was delight- 



