SIALIA SIALIS, EASTERN BLUEBIRD. 13 



and youug. One of the first things that attracted my attention was its 

 manner of diving down into the water and then darting back and perching 

 itself on the summit of its mound-like dwelling, where it would shake the 

 water from its feathers and distribute it over the nest, apparently for 

 the purpose of keeping the moss moist and in a growing condition, 

 thereby increasing its strength and dimensions. The entrance to its 

 little house was also carefully arranged ; the archway was quite perfect, 

 and the moss around it was so directed in its growth as not to obstruct 

 the entrance, which was situated on one side, near the bottom of the nest. 

 The operation of sprinkling the nest was repeated daily. . An examina- 

 tion of the nest, which is in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 together with the preceding facts, would induce one to believe that the 

 performances of this little bird were for the purpose of keeping the outer 

 lining of its nest green and growing, that it might keep its miniature 

 dwelling in repair, while rearing its family, without the aid of a brick- 

 layer, plasterer, or carpenter, showing that among the feathered tribe 

 there are mechanics as well as musicians." 



A model piece of bird-biography is the account given by Audubon, 

 from the pen of William Macgillivray, who writes fascinatingly, as well 

 as instructively, of the European Dipper, with the habits of which ours 

 accords in all essentials. An excellent and thoroughly reliable mono- 

 graph of the family has been published by Mr. Osbert Salvin in the Ibis, 

 1867, pp. 109-122, pi. 2 ; also pp. 382, 383. 



Family SAXICOLID^ : Stone Chats. 



Chiefly an Old World group, closely allied to if really. separable from 

 the Turdidw, represented in North America by stragglers of the typical 

 genus Saxioola, and by the characteristic American genus Sialia. 



9 X '^ SIALIA SIALIS, (Linn.) Hald. (*- ^'" 



Eastern Bluebird. 



MoiaciUa sialis, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 336. 



Sylvia sialis, Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, .522. — Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. ii, 1807, 40, pis. 101, 

 102, 103.— WiLS., Am. Orn. i, 1808, 56, pi. 3. 



Saxicola sialis, Bp., Syn. 1828, 39. 



Ampelis sialis, Nutt., Man. 1, 1832, 444. 



Sialia sialis, Hald., Trego's Geog. of Pa. 1843, 77 ; Am. Nat. 1869, iii, 159— Bd., B. N. A. 

 1858, 222; Rev. 1864, 62.— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 159.— Coop., Am. Nat. iii, 1869, 32 

 (Milk River and Fort Laramie).— CoiJES, Key, 1872, 76.— Allen, Bull. M. 

 C. Z. iii, 1872, 174 (to Fort Hays, Kans.).- Hold., Pr. Best. Soc. xv, 1872, 194 

 (Fountain, Col.). — Mayn., B. Fla. 1872, 23. — And of most late authors. 



Sialia unlsoni, Sw., Zool. Journ. iii, 1827, 173.— AuD., P.. Am. ii, 1841, 171, pi. 134. 



Eryihaca (Sialia) wilsoni, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 210 (to latitude 48° north). 



0) Sialia azurea, Sw., Phil. Mag. 1. 1827, 369.— Bd., Rev. 1864, 62 (var. (?) from Mexico 

 and Central America). — Somich., Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1869, 544 (Vera Cruz). 



Hah, — ^Eastern faunal area of temperate North America ; north to 48° ; west to West- 

 ern Kansas (to Colorado, Holden.) and Lower Missouri region. Bermuda. Cuba. 



Not obtained by Captain Raynolds' Expedition, which passed beyond its known 

 western range, nor by either of the later expeditions. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 4723, Bald Island ; 5288, 5290, Fort Lookout ; 5289, 

 mouth of Powder River ; 4722, Nebraska ; 4658, White River; 8884, Platte River ; 8880," 

 Loup Fork ; 8882, near Loup Fork. X 



Specimens of the Eastern Bluebird are occasionally found with part of the reddish- 

 brown of the throat replaced by rich blue, thus showing an approach to the characters • 

 of 8. mexicana. ^ ^' 



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