SPRING ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS. 18 
They may easily be recognized by the strong mark- 
ings, particularly about the head, a black crescent under 
the eye and a peculiar tuft of lengthened feathers on 
each ear resembling horns—from which one of their 
common names, “horned larks.” The color of the back 
is a-pale brown, the under parts being white, with a 
darker shading towards the upper breast, where it is 
met by a crescent of black. The throat and chin are 
yellow, and the tail black, with the outer edges tipped 
with white. 
Of our three well-known favorites, the robin, bluebird 
and song sparrow, it is a question which we will see 
first, as it is sometimes one and sometimes another. In 
favorable localities, individual robins make their appear- 
ance in the advance, but the two other species generally 
arrive in force a little the earlier. On his first arrival 
the robin, in most cases, has only a call or a scold, and 
the bluebird only a gentle twitter; but the song spar- 
row comes with his sweet song in his throat ready to 
break out in clearest cadence almost as soon as he 
alights. The first mellow call of the robin, like that of 
the high hole, is as sweet as a song, and one of the most 
pleasing sounds of spring. When he has been here a 
day or two he will more than make amends for his first 
silence, and all through the spring and summer, early 
and late, he will fill the land with more rich melody 
than any other living being. He is a companionable 
bird, seeking the haunts of civilization, and may oftener 
be heard in orchards, lawns and along shady highways 
than in the forests. 
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