and thence southward to Guatemala. A somewhat larger variety, M. mexicanus tnagister 

 RiDGW., is a summer sojourner of southern Arizona. Another species, the Ash-throated 

 Flycatcher, M. cinerascens Lawr., is found from the eastern base of the Rocky 

 Mountains west to California, south to the highlands of Mexico. It does not differ in 

 its habits from the common eastern species. Lawrence's Flycatcher, M. lawrencei 

 Baird, is found in the lower Rio Grande vallfey, south to Guatemala, and a variety, 

 M. lawrencei olivasceas Ridgw., in southern Arizona. This genus is particularly abun- 

 dant in tropical America ; in Mexico alone six or seven species are found. 



PHCEBE. 



Sayornis pboebe StkjneGER. 



Plate V. Fig. 3. 



Hark, near by a bird is singluig; 

 Look, a flower is in bloom ; 

 New hope in my heart is ringing: 

 Spring will soon break winter's gloom. 



Can it be that spring is coming 

 Owing to the bird's sweet lay? 

 Does a single fto-wer blooming 

 Haste the snow and ice away ? 



Winter's fetters are -unbroken, 



Chill the air and sunbeams few ; * 



Yet the flower is a token 



And the bird a herald true. 



From the German of Fr. Riickert, translated by Prank S11.1.BR. 



OST of our familiar northern birds are exceedingly shy and retired in their 

 southern winter home. Robin, Bluebird, and Goldfinch rarely visit gardens, 

 and the Catbird, Thrasher, House Wren, and Song Sparrow do not leave the underwood 

 of the forest without urgent cause. The friend of Nature, who for the first time spends 

 the winter in Florida, is surprised to find his favorites from the North so timid and retired. 

 They scarcely dare to show themselves, being always very suspicious. Although the 

 dense thickets swarm with northern birds, most of them avoid the immediate vicinity 

 of man. There is only one of the familiar northern birds, who does not loose its con- 

 fidence in man. This is the Phcebe, also known as the Pewee, Pewit, Pewee Flycatcher, 

 Phoebe-bird, and Bridge-bird, a very abundant visitor of the gardens of the Gulf region. 

 The breeding range of this Flycatcher extends over the eastern part of North 

 America, west to the Rocky Mountains, and from South Carolina northward to the 

 British Provinces. It is much more frequent and conspicuous, however, in the gardens 

 of the Gulf region in winter, than it is in its northern home during summer. While in 

 its breeding range one pair is confined to a certain locality, quite a number of individuals 

 may be found in one garden in winter. Being very unsuspicious and uttering its peculiar 

 notes for hours, it can scarcely be overlooked by even the casual observer. This holds 

 true especially of the semi-tropical gardens of Florida and south-eastern Texas, where 

 the Phoebes make their appearance late in October or early in November, remaining 

 until the first days of March, when they depart again for their northern home. No 

 other inhabitant of these localities makes itself so conspicuous by its notes as this 



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