CHAPTER XVI 

 THE ORDER OF PERCHERS AND SINGERS 



PASSERES 



This Order is the highest in the scale of birds, and it is by far the largest of the whole nineteen 

 Orders. In the zone of agriculture it contains the birds which are of the greatest importance 

 to mankind, the insect-eaters. It also contains all the real song-birds of the world, and its North 

 American Families are as shown below: 



ORDER 

 PASSERES. 



Thkushes, . . 

 Kinglets, . . 

 Nuthatches, . 

 Tkee-Creepers, 

 Dippers, . 

 Wrens, . 

 Wagtails, 

 Warblers, 



ViREOS, . 



Shrikes, . 

 Waxwings, 

 Swallows, 

 Tanagers, 



Finches, 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES. 



TUR'DI-DAE. . . 

 SYL-Vri-DAE, . . 

 PA'RI-DAE, . . . 

 CER-THI'I-DAE, 

 CIN'CLI-DAE, 

 TRO-GLO-DY'TI-DAE. 

 MOT-A-CIL'LI-DAE, 

 MNI-0- TIL' Tl-DA E, 

 VI-RE-ON'I-DAE, . 

 LAN-ri-DAE, 

 AM-PEL'I-DAE, . . 

 HI'R VN-DIN'I-DAE, 

 TAN-A-GRI'DAE, 



FRIN-GIL'LI-DAE, 



Blackbirds, . ic-ter'i-dab. . 



Crows, . . . cor'VI-dae, 



Horned Larks, a-lau'di-dae, 



Flycatchers, . ty-ran'ni-dae. 



EXAMPLES. 



. Robin, Thrush, Bluebird. 



. Kinglet and Gnatcatcher. 



. Nuthatch, Chickadee, Titmouse. 



. Brown Creeper. 



, Water-Ouzel. 



Wren, Cat-Bird, Mocking-Bird, Thrasher. 



. Wagtail and Pipit. 



. Warbler, Water-Thrush, Redstart, Chat. 



. Red-Eyed Vireo. 



. Butcher-Bird and Loggerhead Shrike. 



Bohemian Waxwing, Cedar-Bird. 



. Swallow and Martin. 



. Scarlet Tanager. 



( Sparrow, Finch, Grosbeak, Cardinal, 



■ ( Snow-Bunting, Redpoll. 



j Blackbird, Oriole, Meadow-Lark, Bobo- 



■ ) link. 



. Crow, Raven, Jay, Nut-Cracker. 



. Horned Lark. 



. Flycatcher, Pewee, Phoebe, Kingbird, 



The majority of perchers are birds of plain 

 feather, quite as if Nature had intended that 

 these, the best friends of the farmer and fruit- 

 grower, should be the last to be destroyed by 

 the merciless Man-With-a-Gun. 



It will be a sad day for the American farmer 

 when the last insect-eating bird of our country 

 is brought fluttering and lifeless to the ground. 

 When the armies of destroying insects begin to 

 multiply unchecked, and send forth their mill- 

 ions and tens of millions, then will the husband- 

 man reaUze the value of the allies he has lost, 

 and vainly wish to exchange any number of 

 grapes and cherries for the once-despised robin, 

 thrush and blackbird. 



179 



Quite apart from their cash value to the agri- 

 culturist, it is the song-birds that appeal most 

 strongly to the ear and heart of man. Even the 

 exquisite plumage of the resplendent trogon, 

 most beautiful of all American birds, does not 

 thrill the soul as does the song of the robin, the 

 brown thrasher and the mocking-bird. Next to 

 sunshine and green verdure, the most cheering 

 thing in Nature is the song of a bird. At this 

 moment (early spring) a robin, in the big ma- 

 ple in front of my windows, is pouring forth a 

 song that is at once restful and inspiring. It re- 

 minds me that we who live in the temperate zone 

 are greatly favored by the presence in our bird- 

 life of the sweetest singers in the world. Shall 



