THE BLUEBIRD. 



{Sialia sialis.) 



Sing strong and clear, O Bluebird dear ! 



While all the land with splendor fills, 

 While maples gladden in the vales, 



And plum-trees blossom on the hills: 

 Float down the wind on shining wings, 



And do thy will by grove and stream, 

 While through my life spring's freshness runs 



Like music through a poet's dream. 



— Maurice Thompson, "The Bluebird." 



One of the first birds to arrive in the 

 spring migration is the Bluebird. One 

 may wander through the woods in the 

 early part of March, when the icy chill of 

 winter and the warmth of the coming 

 spring seem struggling for the mastery, 

 and hear the clear, sweet warble of this 

 beautiful bird. What wonder is it that 

 the early New England settlers called 

 him the Blue Robin and hailed his coming 

 with delight. 



The colors of the Bluebird are strik- 

 ing, especially in spring when they are 

 at their best. The male's bright, ultra- 

 marine blue back contrasts markedly with 

 the chestnut and white of the sides, throat 

 and under parts. The female is not so 

 distinctly marked as the male, the upper 

 parts being tinged with grayish, giving 

 the plumage a rather mixed appearance. 

 The males arrive first, the females follow- 

 ing several weeks later. About the mid- 

 dle of April courtship begins and the 

 ardor with which the male pleads his suit 

 is most interesting to behold. He will 

 sit beside her on a branch or on a fence 

 and raise his wings with a trembling mo- 

 tion, all the while edging toward her, and 

 uttering his soft, clear warble. Not in- 

 frequently two males will pay attention 

 to the same female, which will cause a 

 keen and spirited rivalry between them. 



After mating the pair build their nest 

 in the holes of trees, in deserted wood- 

 peckers' holes, in holes or cavities in fence 

 posts, in boxes about dwellings and in 

 bird houses built for them fry man. The 



old trees of an orchard are frequently 

 chosen as nesting places. The nest is 

 built O'f dried grasses, hairs or any soft 

 material which may be obtainable. From 

 four to six pale blue eggs are laid, which 

 measure a little less than an inch in 

 length. It is a curious fact that as soon 

 as the young are ready to fly they are 

 taken care of by the male, while the 

 female raises another family. It is said 

 that a third brood is sometimes started. 



The Bluebirds are of incalculable value 

 to the farmer as they devour vast num- 

 bers of insects especially during the nest- 

 ing season when the young must be fed. 

 For this reason it is highly desirable that 

 the farmer should encourage the nesting 

 of the Bluebird on his farm, and espe- 

 cially in his orchard, by erecting bird 

 houses. The birds will pay rent for these 

 houses many times over by destroying 

 myriads of injurious insects. While a 

 large part of the diet of the Bluebird con- 

 sists of insects, they also* eat seeds and 

 berries. 



The English sparrows as a rule prevent 

 the Bluebird from nesting near cities or 

 villages, driving it away when it en- 

 deavors to> nest on or near a house. Dur- 

 ing the month of August the Bluebirds 

 may be. seen in large flocks, scouring the 

 fields and the cleared woodlands after 

 food. Although a summer resident in the 

 northern part of the United States, the 

 Bluebird is occasionally seen in winter in 

 the Northern States. 



In October or November the Bluebirds 



