tinguish them at all, from the familiar 

 household "chippy'' to the siskins, lin- 

 nets and longspurs who frequent our lati- 

 tudes only as erratic winter visitors, is 

 truly to be envied. With March comes 

 that steadfast commoner the robin and 

 his warmer breasted thrush cousin, the 

 bluebird. The former, with his matter- 

 of-fact twitter of greeting, soon supple- 

 ments it with a bar of his hearty if some- 

 what unpolished song. But the less in- 

 trepid bluebird will wait for a south 

 wind's caress ere his gurgle of delight 

 will float earward as airily as his hover- 

 ing flight. 



Now come two black-coated cousins, 

 the purple grackle and shoulder-strapped 

 redwing of the blackbird family. Field 

 hunters like the robin, but unlike the 

 thrushes, when on the ground they are 

 staid walkers instead of hoppers. These 

 dusky beauties no sooner announce their 

 arrival with songless cackling notes than 

 they hurry away to inspect their last 

 year's nesting haunts, where scrambling 

 clamor ensues for the most desirable lo- 

 cations. Like the crow they lose but 

 little time in awaiting fine weather before 

 preparing for housekeeping. Even be- 

 fore April's soft showers commence fall- 

 ing, their bristling stick nests are in read- 

 iness, as are the crows', jays' and hawks', 

 while the owls' wide-eyed nestlings are 

 even then becoming fluffy balls of feath- 

 ers in their better sheltered hollow-tree 

 nests. But we m/ust pass with but a 

 word of greeting to the arrivals, would 

 we keep pace with their increasing num- 

 bers. Now listen to the purple finch as 

 he perches on highest twig, proclaiming 

 his arrival with no uncertain sound. A 

 very torrent of bubbling melody is he, 

 though his breakfast may still be snow- 

 enshrouded below. While he rests may 

 be heard the meadowlark's tremulous, 

 plaintive diminuendo, as he alights from 

 his halting, uncertain flight. Soon will 

 follow the phoebe's name-calling, tail- 

 wagging cry and the barn swallow's 

 muml^ling, mietallic squeaking. His cliff 

 or eaves-nesting cousin will a little later 

 add his rasping notes as he repairs his 

 ])lastcrcd nest. Tn contrast to the swal- 

 low's rhythmic chatter comes the oriole's 

 bugle call and flute-like whistle, which 

 at evening was silent, but morning finds 

 vocal. With incrcasinjx numlicrs, as the 



Mayflowers appear, come the crow-chas- 

 ing kingbird and his twin-named fish- 

 catcher. The first, with happy tinkling 

 notes, the second with bill-chattering rat- 

 tle. Again, morning hears the bobolink's 

 ecstatic songburst of tumultuous mel- 

 ody. Like ships he ''passes in the night" 

 and heralds his coming as no other can. 

 Now the whippoorwill proclaims his apt 

 naming, as evening closes in, while his 

 nighthawk cousin booms an accompani- 

 ment as he wheels through the air above. 

 The wood pigeon's lament comes throb- 

 bing through the warm morning air, con- 

 firming his right to his other and better 

 known ''mourning dove" title. To drown 

 the pigeon's dirge-like plaint may now 

 be heard the rollicking song of the gold- 

 finch, his song and flight dipping in uni- 

 son as he goes his careless way. With 

 still another contrast comes the clucking 

 cuckoo's grumble as if in excuse for his 

 tardy arrival. Now listen, for the chorus 

 is complete ! Though but few have been 

 named, they are best known and with the 

 unnamed larger half compose nature's 

 magnificent if sometimes inharmonious 

 symphony. Ampng those unnamed are to 

 be found many fully the equals of those 

 so imperfectly represented in the pre- 

 ceding pen pictures. In fact, the wood 

 thrushes and warblers unmentioned are 

 as finished vocal performers as any of 

 those heard in the open. Also in beauty 

 and brilliancy of coloring some of the 

 shyer and more silent wood residents 

 eclipse their brethren of the fields. But 

 birds are not learned in a day. Later on 

 the student's eye and ear will begin to 

 recognize such flashy men of color as 

 Messrs. Tanager, Towhee, Redstart, 

 Waxwings, Redpoll and scores of others 

 making up the lengthy list of warblers, 

 thrushes, wrens, flycatchers and others 

 less well known, especially by voice, 

 which is often discordant in proportion 

 to attractiveness of plumage. These 

 fragmientary glimpses and sound pictures 

 of our flitting friends have been attempt- 

 ed with the intention of introducing them 

 to the ear rather than to the eye. Too 

 nmch importance is often attached to the 

 appearance to the neglect of aural attrac- 

 tions. Nothing can exceed the pleasure 

 afforded the enthusiast in ornithology 

 when able to readily distinguish his 

 foalhcrod friends by songs, notes, trills, 



