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VU^. I 



GARLANL\ME DEC. 1S90. 



AO. .Y 



The Blue Eird. i 



( I. VI VI \ SlAt.IS.) F.V KUliKl.T K. 8COKS(^ ' 



Tl t' liliu' Bird, Biur Rod-breast. Blue' 

 "WAiblvr or Blue l^obiM, or acconliii!:' 

 t') tlie most recent ornitIioh)2i("il sys- 

 tt'm;< . Krvtliaca or Sialis Wil.soiii : is 

 iHio <»1" tiii' mo-t pleasiniz; birds of oiii" 

 I'liioii, ilie fonl'i- 

 dt':!<T :ind (aiiiilta- 

 rity it disjil^ys in 

 hjrpriHdiin;^ theluib- 

 iiutioii ot man. and 

 tVoni Its ;^en oral 

 ]ii.uiii'*r, i> sncli a 

 \\\\()\ itc w itli a 1 1 

 rl;i>s»'s ol' people ia the U'iited States; 

 as is tl'c Hecl-brea.-t in Bi iton. As they 

 are thr t'aNoriies (»!" rn'rUi thi'y are gen- 

 ♦•raly fonnd near him. Ail the gieat 

 birds (lrea<l his vicinity ai d keep the 

 ihirhot.- and the d.iil.est part of the 

 l<'rt'st ; bnl these sehlom resoit to tne 

 thichf.st pfirt ol the woods : they l.eej) 

 near e 'ge..-' in the viciuily of'cnltivated 

 iudd«, in the hedge row, and even in 

 tlif door-vard. 



Thoiijr}, \i liijiy le trnly sr.id. their liv- 

 ing near man is not aflecti'.n .)r f'( r 

 -.icietyon iluir j;art, tln-y a)-j-roeah tin- 

 habitation ot man simply because their 

 twod is to be found th»re 



Karly in the spring the B'ne Bird 

 may be seen ] erche<l npc-i some lofty 

 tree tlutterinu- its wings "with great eata 



and urace aiviniiout a soft and most 

 airreeable warble, a few davs later it 

 is seen visiting thcj box in the garden, 

 the hole in the old apple or pear ti-ee, 



perhaps the old 

 homestead of some of 

 its ancestors, he'e it 

 builds its nest, whi( h 

 is composed of straw 

 lined with soft feath- 

 ers. 1'Iie Blue 

 Bird lays live or six 

 |)ale-blne it)!'^^^ and lias two or three 

 broods in a season. 



The male is remarkably attractive 

 during the time he is courting the fe- 

 male, he flcat:' gracefully through the 

 air giving out a clear sweet :^. aible ,she 

 generally utteisa few low u'^'tes in re- 

 turn. 



The upper j)art of the male Blue 

 Bir«l aie ofa I'ieh sky-blue color, the 

 throat and breast are ol a reddish chest- 

 nut, the abdomen and under tail cov- 

 erts white : beak black and Iftdlan iioli 

 ill length, legs black eyes daiki.-h blue- 

 hazel nearlv bhick. The total lengtli 

 of ihe JiliU' Biiil is about .h\ inches and 



