OUR FAMILIAR BIRDS. 17 



where it sits quietly while I stand immediately beneath 

 it, and it looks down upon me with its large, lustrous 

 eyes in a sweet, confiding way, or warbles its low, ten- 

 der, whispering strain in the branches above my head. 



In Coues's " North American Birds," where we find 

 only the most rigid and exact scientific descriptions of 

 birds, the author seems, for once, to have forgotten him- 

 self, and allows this charming little songster to betray 

 him into expressing the following beautiful sentiment: 



" The warbling vireo forsakes the depth of the wood- 

 land for the park and orchard and shady street, where 

 it glides through the foliage of the tallest trees, the 

 unseen messenger of rest and peace to the busy, dusty 

 haunts of men. Its voice is not strong, and many birds 

 excel it in brilliancy and execution ; but not one of 

 them all can rival the tenderness and softness of the 

 liquid strain of this modest vocalist." 



The elegant scarlet tanager (Pyramgea rubra), with 

 its more soberly attired mate, constructed their frail 

 tenement in the most retired part of the orchard, on 

 the forked branch of a plum-tree. The eggs were four 

 in number, of a dull greenish color, spotted with brown. 

 This graceful and brilliant bird is quiet and unobtru- 

 sive, and more shy than most of the other inhabitants 

 of the grove, yet his attachment to his mate and young 

 made him at times quite bold and fearless. While the 

 mate was sitting, he seemed to be ever on the alert. 

 However quietly I approached the nest, he was there 

 before me, and for the first few days made frantic 

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