brown, russet, chocolate, and purple, 

 are in size .97 by .75 inches. 



The male is extremely attentive 

 to his mate, and manifests extraor- 

 dinary courage in driving away 

 enemies from the nest. 



Two or three broods are produced 

 in a year. 



The food of the mocking bird 

 consist chiefly of berries and insects. 



12. GALEOSCOPTES CAROLINEISTSIS. 



The catbird which resembles the 

 mocking bird in vocal powers, is ex- 

 ceedingly abundant in its favorite 

 resorts, the willow and osier thick- 

 ets, where woods slope into marshes, 

 the brush piles about old clearings, 

 the hazel patches fringing groves, 

 and the tangled hedges that often 

 grow along old fences. In such 

 situations it places a large nest of 

 dry twigs, weeds, &c, without any 

 attempt at concealment, in a low 

 bush, or tree, and there deposits 

 four or five bluish green eggs vary- 

 ing considerably in size being about 

 .97 by .69 inches. 



The catbird feeds on fruit, and 

 berries of all kinds, worms and in- 

 sects. 



22. SIALIA SIALIS. 



The return of the blue bird, from 

 the southern states, "as the harbin- 

 ger of spring" is greeted with pleas- 

 ure, and the "soft agreeable" warble 

 seems to awaken the farmer to a 

 realization that spring work must 

 soon commence. 



The confidence and familiarity 

 displayed by the blue bird, in ap- 

 proaching dwellings, makes him a 

 favorite with all. 



The upper parts of the blue bird 

 are of a rich sky blue color, the 

 throat and breast are redish chestnut 

 and the belly white. The nest is 

 placed in hollow stumps, holes in 

 trees, or bird houses; the eggs four 

 or five in number are a uniform pale 

 blue, in color, and .80 by .62 inches 

 in size. 



The male is very attentive to his 

 mate and both are exceedingly 

 courageous in driving enemies from 

 the vicinity of their nest. Two or 

 three broods are produced each sea- 

 son. 



It feeds chiefly on insects, espec- 

 ially on grasshoppers, which it cap- 

 tures upon the wing or upon the 

 ground. 



A few Words for the Egg Collector. 



The following extract taken from 

 an article by J. M. W., of Norwich, 

 in an old "Ornithologist & Oologist" 

 will answer the queries of many 

 correspondents: 



Why do you collect eggs? Do 

 you live in the heart of one of our 

 great cities, with few chances afield, 

 and collect through the mails by 

 purchase and exchange? Do you 

 heap eggs together as curiosities or 

 ornaments to show to friends, or to 

 equal and eclipse the collections of 

 A and B? If you are influenced by 

 these motives, or situated as above 

 indicated, stop where you are! 

 Trouble the birds no longer and 

 turn your attention to bric-a-brac. 

 You are on a lower plane than the 

 crows, grackles and jays who des- 

 troy eggs through inherited instinct 

 and appetite. But if you take the 

 field yourself, in search of ruddy 

 health, with a passionate love for 

 your pursuit, with no love of notori- 

 ety and without ever a thought of 

 rivalry, then we may not condemn 

 you. Furthermore, if you, hope by 

 comparison of sets and by observa- 

 tions on obscure breeding habits to 

 add a few grains of information to 

 our humble science, go on, yours is 

 no unholy work. — Young Oologist. 

 «•-•-». 



American Goldfinch. 



This bird is known by several 

 names, among which might be men- 

 tioned the wild canary, yellowbird. 



