206 INDIGO BUNTING. 



Some "birds, sncli as the Red-eyed Vireo, can sing just 

 as well while hunting food as at any otlier time ; in fact, 

 I do not rememher ever seeing a Red-eye pause long 

 in its search for insects — song and search go on together. 

 But w'th the Chewink singing is a serious matter, not to 

 he associated witli the material question of food ; so, when 

 singing, he aliandons the dead leaves he has lieen tossing 

 ahout so vigorously, and, mounting a perch, l)ecomes an 

 inspired if not gifted musician. Hweet hii'd, siiig, a friend 

 -n-rites it, the " sing" being higher, sustained, and viljrant. 

 To this there is often a refrain which suggests an an- 

 swering, tremulous lUl trij. 



Matins or vespers o\-er, the Chewink returns to 

 the ground and resumes his occupation of scratching 

 among the leaves for Ijreakfast or supper, as the case 

 may he. 



The Chewink's nest is placed on the ground, often in 

 dried grass, beneath a tangle of running Mold blackberry. 

 The eggs, four or five in number, are white, finely and 

 evenly speckled with reddish brown. 



There are three birds who sing not only through the 



heat of midsummer Ijut are undaunted Ijy the warmth of 



a midday sun. They are the Wood 



^n ig u 1 g, Pe^eg the Red-eyed Vireo, and the In- 



digo-bird or Bunting. The Pewee and 



Yireo, singing dreamily from the shady depths of a tree, 



cai-ry the air to the hummed accompaniment of insects ; 



but the Bunting, mounting to an upper branch, gives 



voice to a tinkling warl)le, more in keeping with the 



freshness of early morning than the languor of noon. 



Jnl[/, JuJif, summci'-stimmerK here ; vun'riiiKj, nooiif/eJe, 



eveiting, list to me, he sings so rapidly that human tongue 



can scarce enumerate the wortls fast enough to keep pace 



with him. The Indigo-bird is in song when he comes to 



us from the South early in May, but it is not until other 



