254 



LAND BIRDS 



his best efforts. Then from high in an oak or pine 

 he will whistle a rhapsody, so tender, so pure, so full 

 of joy that it seems a floodtide of 

 love let loose in music. But alas for 

 sentiment ! No sooner is one round fin- 

 the singer turns his atten- 

 tion to feeding on the 

 young buds nearest to him, 

 sometimes even interrupt- 

 ing his song to seize an 

 especially tempting morsel. 

 .^ And so it is through- 

 x /: % • out the long bright 

 day, — he stops eat- 

 ing to break into singing, and pauses 

 in his finest carol to finish a meal, flit- 

 ting from tree to tree and daintily feasting 

 upon the tender terminal buds. No doubt 

 this may be a disadvantage to the tree, but 

 when we see him industriously clearing a 

 potato field of the pest known as " potato 

 bug," and singing gayly as he works, we 

 forgive him all the harm he has done to 

 our pet fruit tree. It is impossible to 

 watch him for one hour without becoming 

 his loyal defender. Although a rather 

 clumsy looking bird, his attitudes are always 

 pleasing. He leans forward to reach 

 ,,..,., , a sprig beneath him much as a cross- 



" Hu htlte brown throat L ° 



wetting with mmic." j>ill f eec j s ou a conej or jj e gtands erect 



596 



Black-headed 

 Gkosbeak. 



