The Hawkeye Okstithologist and Ooi.ogist. 



OifaflTHO^OGfY. 



F: a The Hawkeye O. .ixd O. 



THE WOOD THRUSH. 



COMPOSED BY JAMES B. Pl'RDY. 



The wood thrush is singing from the depth of 

 the glen. 

 His clear, bell-!ike music, so pleasing to me 

 In the fair month of May. when all nature 

 looks gay; 

 They vie with each other from briar and 

 tree. 

 In a deep shaded nook, where the woodbine 

 twine. 

 And the dark gloomy forest conceals them 

 from view; 

 By a clear, winding brooklet, o'er tangled 

 with vines. 

 His dear mate is guarding her treasures of 

 hlue. 



Though dark be the weather and gloomy the 

 morn. 



And all other birds in the forest are still. 

 And the sad face of Nature, all dreary, for- 

 lorn. 

 His clear, mellow notes through the drip- 

 ping woods tin ill. 

 In the evening, when nature is seeking repose. 

 And his dear little mate has repaired to her 

 nest. 

 And the last golden sunbeams are kis?ing the 

 T-ose, 

 It is then that bis song is the sweetest and 

 best. 

 Oh. then man why repine, be downcast on 

 your way. 

 As through the long years you are jour- 

 neying on; 

 For the sadder Che morning and gloomier the 

 day. 

 The happier and sweeter is the wood 

 thrushe's song. 



F03 The Hawkeye O. ax'D O. 



CANADIAN FLYCATCHERS. 



BY W1I. L. KELLS.LISTOWKL. ONTARIO. 

 TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER. 



{Empidonax pusillus Trailli.) 



In size and general appearance. 

 this species closely resembles the 

 wood pewee; but its habitat and 

 mode of nesting are much different. It 

 does not frequent the back-woods 



nor the high timbered places; and 

 not until a thick second-growth of 

 low underwood succeeds the original 

 forest in low swampy places does it 

 make its appearance in the central 

 districts of Ontario. Then it is so shy 

 and wary, darting off into the deep- 

 est concealment whenever its haunts 

 are invaded by the presence of hu- 

 man kind, that were it not for its 

 noisy notes, it would scarcely be 

 known to exist. 



It arrives in this vicinity toward 

 the end of May, when its haunts are 

 being clothed with the emerald fol- 

 iage of summer, and when it can the 

 more easily conceal itself from ob- 

 servation, which it appears to dread. 

 Then, however, the rapidly repeated 

 "wick-we-o" of the male, as he 

 perches on some elevated, but shady 

 branch, intimate its presence, and 

 that his mate has probably chosen 

 the neighboring thicket for her sum- 

 mer home. while should this be pene- 

 trated, her sharp "twick," repeated 

 in a repellant tone, gives the intruder 

 to understand that she is there, and 

 that his presence is not welcome. 



It is very active in its movements, 

 and darts through the shrubbery 

 with the rapidity of a flash. It ap- 

 pears to subsist chiefly on insects, 

 many of which it captures on the 

 wing after the manner of its family. 

 It is only in recent years that this 

 species has become a summer resi- 

 dent of this vicinity; and in the par- 

 ticular places where it chooses to re- 

 side, it seems yearly to be more 

 common. In the manner and posi- 

 tion of its nest, it differs from all the 

 other Canadian flycatchers. This is 

 placed in deep concealment among 

 the thick foliage of the particular 

 shrub, bush or underwood in which 

 it is built, and if the first efforts at 

 brood raising are successful, it does 

 not appear to nest again that season, 

 but if otherwise, it will try again. 

 Its first nest may be found the early 



