SUMMER RED-BIRD— BROWN THRUSH— SANDY MOCKING BIRD. 



109 



common fern lining the whole. The two eggs are pure white, and 

 of equal thickness at both ends. 



"No sooner," says Audubon, " does the returning sun again 

 introduce the vernal season, and cause millions of plants to expand 

 their leaves and blossoms to his genial beams, than this Humming 

 Bird is seen advancing on fairy wings, carefully visiting every flower- 

 cup, and, like a curious florist, removing from each the injurious 

 insects that would, otherwise, ere long, cause their beauteous petals 

 to droop and decay. Poised in the air, it is observed peeping cau- 

 tiously and with sparkling eye into their innermost recesses, whilst 

 the ethereal motion of the pinions, so rapid and so light, appears 

 to fan and cool the flowers without injury to their fragile texture, 

 and produces a delightful murmuring sound. Its long delicate 

 beak enters the cup of the flower, and the protruded double tongue, 

 delicate, sensitive, and imbued with a glutinous saliva, touches 

 each insect in succession, and draws it from its lurking-place to be 

 instantly swallowed. All this is done in a moment, and the bird, 

 as it leaves the flower, sips so small a portion of its liquid, honey 

 that the theft, we may suppose, is but a benefit to the flower,' which 

 is thus relieved from the attacks of its destroyers. The prairie, 

 the fields, the orchards, and the gardens,~-nay, the deepest shades 

 of the forests, are all visited in their turn, and everywhere the little 

 bird meets with pleasure and with food. Its gorgeous throat in 

 beauty and brilliancy baffles all description. Now it glows with a 

 fiery hue, and again it changes to the deepest velvet-black. The 

 upper parts of its body are of resplendent changing green, and it 

 throws itself through the air with a swiftness and vivacity hardly 

 conceivable. It moves from flower to flower like a gleam of light, 

 upward and downward, to the right and to the left. During their 

 migrations they pass through the air in long undulations, raising 

 themselves for some distance at an angle of about 40 , and then 

 falling in a curve ; but the smallness of their size precludes the 

 possibility of following them further than fifty or sixty yards with- 

 out great difficulty, even with a good glass. They do not alight 

 on the ground, but settle on twigs and branches, where they move 

 sideways in prettily-measured steps, frequently opening and closing 

 their wings, pluming, shaking, and arranging the whole of their 

 apparel with the utmost neatness and activity. They are particu- 

 larly fond of spreading one wing at a time, and passing each of 

 the quill-feathers through their bill in its full length, when, if the sun 

 be shining, the wing thus plumed is rendered extremely transparent 

 and light. They quit the twig without the slightest difficulty in an 

 instant, and appear to be possessed of superior powers of vision, 

 making directly toward a Marten or Blue Bird when fifty or sixty 

 yards before them, before it seems aware of their approach. 



*' Where is the person who, on seeing this lovely little creature 

 moving on humming winglets through the air, suspended as if by 

 magic, flitting from one flower to another with motions as graceful 

 as they are light and airy, pursuing its course and yielding new 

 delight wherever it is seen — where is the person who, on ob- 

 serving its glittering fragment of a rainbow, w r ould not pause, ad- 

 mire, and turn his mind with reverence toward the Almighty Cre- 

 ator, the wonders of whose hand we at every step discover, and of 

 whose sublime conceptions we everywhere observe the manifesta- 

 tions in His admirable system of creation?" 



" When morning dawns, and the blest sun again 

 Lifts his red glories o'er the eastern main, 

 Then through our woodbines, wet with glittering dews,. 

 The flower-fed Humming Bird his way pursues, 

 Sips with inserted tube the honied blumes, 

 And chirps his gratitude as round he roams ; 

 While richest roses, though in crimson drest, 

 Shrink from the splendor of his gorgeous breast. 

 What heavenly tints in mingling radiance fly 1 

 Each rapid movement gives a different dye — 

 Like scales of burnished gold, they dazzling show ; 

 Now sink to shade, now like a furnace glow." 



Summer Red-bird. (Pyranga cesttva.) 

 Fig. 7. 



This species derives its name from the fact that it is only seen in 

 the United States from May to September. Though far from nu- 

 merous, it is well known all over the country. It is an inhabitant 

 of the extensive forests, where it is found in pairs, living a very 

 quiet and retired life, and generally is seen perched upon the top- 

 most branches of trees. It also frequently makes its appearance 

 in the gardens and plantations, where it does considerable damage 

 to fruit and flax. The Summer Red-bird makes his migrations at 

 night. Its habits are quiet and monotonous, and it is deficient as 

 a singing bird. The beauty of its red plumage affords quite a 

 striking contrast to the surrounding trees. Its flight is smooth and 

 gliding, and it seldom descends to seek its food upon the ground. 

 Its movements among the branches are slow, and the trifling 

 amount of animation of which it appears capable is expressed by 

 occasionally flapping its wings or uttering its call, which consists 

 of only two notes. It lives principally upon insects, catching 

 them when upon the wing. The nest, which is clumsy in its 

 construction, is usually built upon a forked branch, no care being 

 taken for its concealment ; dry roots and straw generally form the 

 outer wall ; the interior is lined with fine grass. The eggs, four 

 or five in number, are light blue or dark greenish-blue. Both 

 sexes unite in the duties of incubation, sitting upon the brood for 

 the space of a fortnight, and feeding the nestlings principally upon 

 insects. 



By the beginning of June the young birds are strong enough to 

 fly about the country, accompanying their parents, until the season 

 for migration arrives. 



Brown Thrush, Thrasher, Sandy Mocking Bird, Brown Thrasher. {Har- 



porhynchus rufus.') 



Fig. 8. 



This is one of our well-known and favorite summer visitors. Its 

 beautiful song may be heard in the early morning, from the tops of 

 the trees, and is peculiar to this bird. It is described by Gentry, 

 in his " Life-Histories of Birds," with the following syllables : 

 " Twe-twit-1'weet, ti-weet-tur, kiiii, l'chikiiiii, tua-tur, kaw-kaw, 

 kaw-kwa, tchku-ku-ku, twiiiii-twit, keah-ki, kwer-ku-oo, ker-ker- 

 tsi, che-che-che, te-te-wa, pee-pee-pee, tse-tse-tse, kee-wa-ka-ti-oo- 

 ti-oo, ka-wa, keou, koo-koo, t'vva-weet, ta-kare-ki-wa, pee-wee-te- 

 te-wah-te, te-wah-te, tweet, etc." The same author further says : 

 "It is mere imitation, and can be easily recognized when once 

 heard. It is a steady performer, and sings for hours at a time, 

 without changing its posture. 



Nuttall says : " This large and well-known songster is found in 

 all parts of America, from Hudson's Bay to the shores of the Mex- 

 ican Gulf, breeding everywhere, though most abundantly in the 

 northern portions. 



" Early in October, these birds retire to the south, and, probably, 

 extend their migrations, at that season, through the warmer regions 

 toward the borders of the tropics. From the fifteenth of April till 

 early in May, they begin to revisit the Middle and Southern States, 

 keeping pace, in some measure, with the progress of vegetation. 

 They appear always to come in pairs, so that their mutual attachment 

 is probably more durable than the season of incubation. Stationed 

 near the top of some tall orchard or forest tree, the gay and ani- 

 mated male salutes the morn with his loud and charming song. 

 His voice, resembling that of the Thrush of Europe, but far more 

 powerful and varied, rises pre-eminent amidst all the choir of the 

 forests. His music has all the full charm of originality ; he takes 

 no delight in mimicry, and, therefore, really has no right to the 

 name of Mocking Bird. 



