Music of the Wild 



The bloom, sometimes an inch across, is a head of 

 fine petals, and reminds one of a painter's brush, 

 filled Avith exquisite color. Each little flower is 

 folded separately, and at maturity oj^ens, one at 

 a time, around the outer rim until tlie whole is a 

 mass of shaggy, delicately colored petals. The 

 seed slightly resembles larch fruit or Norwegian 

 pine cones, on account of being similar in shape 

 and covered with scales, but these are purplish-red. 



One of these plants beai-s stamens, and another 

 pistils, so that they are unalile to reproduce them- 

 selves: and were it not for the work of the bees 

 and butterflies in cross-fertilizing, they would 

 become extinct. They have enough stamens and 

 pollen to give a golden gloAv to the base of the 

 petals, and are of sufficient perfume to attract bees 

 and butterflies. Archippus, Coenia, and Troilus do 

 the M'ork necessary in carrying pollen back and 

 forth between plants. 



The most exquisite roadside bird of which I 



ever have succeeded in making a series of studies 



The is the goldfinch, commonly known in the country 



Gold- as the "wild canarv," the ""lettuce" and "seed bird." 



Finch • . . ., 



Ihese are almost our latest migrants, wait until 



July to build, and bring off but one brood in a sea- 

 son. The nest is a dainty affair of intricate con- 

 struction, and takes longer to complete than that of 

 any other bird I know. I have seen a pair of orioles 

 build their nest in three days: but the goldfinches 



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