128 FIELD SPARROW. 



large apple, pear, and peach orchards and the extensive vine-yards of this region yield 

 a large revenue to their owners. 



In speaking of this region, we must not forget to mention the many cool springs 

 with which the whole district is supplied, each the centre of some wild nook, the very 

 paradise of Cardinal Redbirds, Chats, Catbirds, Thrashers, Water Thrushes, Hooded 

 Warblers, and others. Through the thickets one catches a glimpse or hears the voice of 

 the rushing brook into which these springs empty. 



It is not until the beginning of May that the wild flowers in all their beauty and 

 wealth are to be found, although we may cull several species in bloom early in April. 

 The Carolina and wood anemone^ the houstonia, the rue-anemone^ shooting-star, 

 spring-beauty, and other vernal species are exceedingly abundant. Groups of man- 

 drakes' grow luxuriantly in rich shady spots. The bird's foot violet* flourishes in every 

 fence comer, in half-cleared pastures, and on the woodland border, calling forth raptur- 

 ous admiration from the real friend of Nature who happens to see it for the first time. 

 It is the most showy of all our violets, and its true home seems to be here. The com- 

 mon blue violet ° and the arrow-leaved species^ are also very plentifial. On the prairies 

 and in pastures the shooting-star or American cowslip' opens its white or purple 

 fragrant blossoms early in May in such abundance, that large tracts of land are covered 

 by it. The spring beauty^ is also a very characteristic flower of this region, growing in 

 such a profusion on the borders of woods, that it is impossible to set down the foot 

 without crushing the delicate blossoms. Along woods and in half-cleared pastures the 

 hustonias or bluets* overleap all bounds, and many localities are clouded by them. 

 "They become visible by the highway across wide fields, and look like little pufls of 

 smoke clinging to the ground." By this time the apple and pear trees are in full 

 bloom, and wood^ and orchards literally swarm with Warblers. Near my house, 

 situated on the edge of a fine piece of woodland and on the northside of a large 

 orchard, these sprightly and beautifully colored birds explored every branch firom the 

 tallest hickory to the low dense snowberry, the bush honey-suckle", the forsythia, mock- 

 orange, and spice-bush", so urgent is the demand for food during their long journeys. 

 Usually they are seen early in the morning and all day long, searching every leaf and 

 flower for small insects. At night they are up and away. 



Bird-life is exceedingly abundant in this region. The Blue Jays roam around in 

 large bands in the woods, and the harsh jay jay of these beautiful robbers is heard 

 throughout the day. They breed near the houses, being more sagacious and cunning than 

 the House Sparrows. Robins, Thrashers, Catbirds, Bewick's Wrens, Tufted Tit-mice, 

 Yellow Warblers, Red-starts, Chats, White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Bell's Vireos, Cardinal 

 Red-birds, Great-crested Flycatchers, Bluebirds, Orchard Orioles, Kingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, 

 Indigobirds, Traill's and Acadian Flycatchers, all had their nests in my immediate vicinity, 

 partly in the orchard, partly in the woods, partly in the many bird-houses I had fastened 

 in the orchard and shade trees, and partly in the dense thickets of snowberry bushes 

 in half-wild pastures and on the woodland border. This was the most favorable place 

 for me to observe birds, to study their habits, and to make myself familiar with them. 



1 Anemone Caroliniana and A. nemorosa. 2 Thaiictrum ancmonoides. s Podophyllum peltatam. 1 Viola pedata. 

 5 Viola cucuUata. « Viola sagittata. ' Dodecatheon Meadia. » Claytonia Virginica. » Houstonia minima. 10 L,oni- 

 cera Tartarica. 11 Calycantbus Boridus. 



