78 



OUR SOUTHERN BIRDS 



tolerated and supported, because they main- 

 tained the public roads. 



BLUEBIRD 



To the New England states, where the ma- 

 jority of American natural histories are written, 

 the Bluebird is a summer visitor, hence it has 

 become well known over the United States as the 



harbinger of spring ; 

 but throughout the 

 southern winter home 

 its soft contralto 

 "dearie, dearie" may 

 be heard in mild 

 weather at any time of 

 year. A wintry road- 

 side may be suddenly 

 illumined by the de- 

 scent of a dozen Blue- 

 bird s on a sumach 

 bush, or a pokeweed in 

 late summer may be laid flat under the weight of 

 a flock coming to eat the purple berries. 



A gentler, more amiable deportment than 

 that of the Bluebird can not be found. Their 

 pretty sky-colored eggs are often laid in the hol- 

 lows of old gate-posts or appletrees, for they keep 

 up some sort of companionship with man and 

 prefer to nest on farms or near dwellings. 



BLUEBIRD 



Length 7 inches 



