THE BLUEBIRD. 



227 



well some tricky Zephyr of 

 the South, who whispers 

 not of what he knows, but 

 what he hopes, and is cru- 

 elly deceived. But Spring 

 does come, and if her most 

 impetuous herald dies in the 

 performance of his duty, we 

 love and honor him most 

 because his task was hard- 

 est. 



The year 1895 marked 

 a sad chapter in Bluebird's 

 experience, and proved to 

 be a turning point in the his- 

 tory of his race. That spring 

 an unusually severe cold wave 

 o-f long duration swept over 

 the Middle and Gulf States. 

 The cold wrought fearful 

 havoc to all bird life, but the 

 blow seemed to fall most 

 heavily upon the Bluebirds. 

 Their ranks were not merely 

 decimated ; they were al- 

 most exterminated. Observ- 

 ers in Ohio saw only single birds where before they had seen scores and hun- 

 dreds. Thus, at Oberlin, I saw only five birds up to May i, 1895. It is very 

 gratifving, however, to note that their numbers are materially increasing of late. 

 In some localities they appear to have almost regained their former status. 



It goes without saying that from that dreadful winter only the fittest sur- 

 vived. Evidence is not lacking to show that the Bluebird of today is hardier 

 than the Bluebird of ten years ago. In Lorain County for instance, there 

 were no authentic records of Bluebirds wintering until the season of '98-'99. 

 Then and every season since a few have been seen. If this be a correct infer- 

 ence, then the massacre of '95 will not have been without its influence for good 

 in preparing the species against similar and more severe attacks in the future. 



The Bluebird is pre-eminently domestic in his tastes, and he lacks none of 

 the qualities essential to the model husband and father. If not already mated 

 upon arrival in early spring, the business is not long delayed. The birds take 

 a leisurely honeymoon, and the first nesting is not undertaken before the last 

 week in April or the first in May. Nothing can exceed the gallantry, or per- 

 haps I would better say the courtesy of Bluebirds en fauiiUc. They almost 



Taken in Knox County. Photo by J. B. Parker 



FEMALE BLUEBIRD ABOUT TO ENTER NEST. 



NOTE THE WOODPECKER-LIKE ATTITUDE AND ESPECIALLY THE USE 

 OF THE TAIL AS A PROP. 



