THE BLUEBIRD 



183 



States is a country of such vast extent it is a 

 physical mosaic of different elevations, soils, and 

 climates. Roughly speaking, these are its physi- 

 cal divisions: 



1. The eastern half, of ideal rainfall, boun- 

 tiful harvests, and abundant shade. 



2. The Great Plains, fine for grazing, but mostly 

 too dry for agriculture. 



3. The Rocky Mountain region, embracing a 

 perfect medley of physical conditions, mostly 

 high, rugged, and rather lacking in insect-life. 



4. The arid regions, of the country between 

 the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, extending from 

 southern Washington to the City of Mexico, and 

 including southern California. 



5. The region of great rainfall, on the north- 

 western Pacific coast (northern California, Ore- 

 gon and Washington). 



It is not strange, therefore, that we find typi- 

 cal species of eastern animals developing west- 

 ward into different colors, and also different 

 pelage, and designated scientifically by different 

 names. Take these examples by way of illus- 

 tration : 



In the East we have the Common Bluebird. 



In the Rockies we have the Chestnut-Backed 

 Bluebird, and also the Mountain Bluebird. 



In Arizona we have the Azure Bluebird. 



In the Pacific states we have the Western 

 Bluebird, 



And in Lower California, the San Pedro Blue- 

 bird. 



Is it at all necessary that the general student 

 should know about all these different species in 

 order to not be accounted ignorant? Let us see. 



Any sensible civilized person knows a cow at 

 sight, also something of its place in Nature, and 

 its habits. No one, however, save the special 

 student of domestic cattle, is expected to be able 

 to say, without "looking it up," whether a par- 

 ticular cow is an Alderney, a Jersey, a Short- 

 Horn, a Hereford, or a Durham. 



The case of the Bluebird is quite similar. He 

 who knows one Bluebird well, may justly claim 

 a bowing acquaintance with all the others, and 

 feel at home when in their company. 



Here in the East, the Bluebird is a thing of 

 beauty, and a joy until the abominable English 

 sparrows drive it away. It comes with the robin, 

 to help chase winter away; and though we have 

 heard it a hundred times, it is always welcome 



news, late in February or early in March, to 

 hear some one say triumphantly, "I saw a Blue- 

 bird to-day!" It is as needless to describe this 

 feathered beauty, with the brown breast, and 

 back of heaven's bluest sky-tint, as it would be 

 to describe a rainbow. 



Unfortunately, the Bluebirds are not good 

 fighters, and the English sparrows harry them 

 shamefully. They are timid, and easily driven 

 away. Worse than this, they are easily killed 

 by cold weather. The cold wave which visited 

 the South in 1895 killed so many thousands of 

 Bluebirds, especially in North Carolina and Ar- 

 kansas, that for some time afterward the number 

 visible in the North was alarmingly small. If 

 not molested by the English sparrow, the Blue- 



BLUEBIKD. 



bird takes readily to boxes erected on poles near 

 farm-houses, similar to those frequently erected 

 by the farmer boys to attract the purple marten. 

 A good way to encourage robins and Bluebirds is 

 to kill the English sparrows. 



THE KINGLET FAMILY. 



Sylvidae. 

 The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet 1 is one of our 



smallest birds, and it is easily recognized by the 



tiny tuft of ruby-red feathers on the crown of its 



1 Reg'u-lus cal-en-du'la. Length, 4.25 inches. 



