COMMON BLUE-BIRD. 173 



the plantations that I visited. The species becomes rare in Maine, still more 

 so in Nova Scotia, and in Newfoundland and Labrador none were seen by 

 our exploring party. 



My excellent and learned friend Dr. Richard Harlan of Philadelphia, 

 told me that one day, while in the neighbourhood of that city, sitting in the 

 piazza of a friend's house, he observed that a pair of Blue-birds had taken 

 possession of a hole cut out expressly for them in the end of the cornice 

 above him. They had young, and were very solicitous for their safety, 

 insomuch that it was no uncommon thing to see the male especially, fly at a 

 person who happened to pass by. A hen with her brood in the yard came 

 within a few yards of the piazza. The wrath of the Blue-bird rose to such 

 a pitch that, notwithstanding its great disparity of strength, it flew at the 

 hen with violence, and continued to assail her, until she was at length 

 actually forced to retreat and seek refuge under a distant shrub, when the 

 little fellow returned exultingly to his nest, and there carolled his victory 

 with great animation. 



This species has often reminded me of the Robin Redbreast of Europe, to 

 which it bears a considerable resemblance in form and habits. Like the 

 Blue-bird the Redbreast has large eyes, in which the power of its passions 

 are at times seen to be expressed. Like it also, he alights on the lower 

 branches of a tree, where, standing in the same position, he peeps sidewise 

 at the objects beneath and around, until spying a grub or an insect, he 

 -launches lightly towards it, picks it up, and gazes around intent on discover- 

 ing more, then takes a few hops with a downward inclination of the body, 

 stops, erects himself, and should not another insect be near, returns to the 

 branch, and tunes his throat anew. Perhaps it may have been on account of 

 having observed something of this similarity of habits, that the first settlers 

 in Massachusetts named our bird the Blue Robin, a name which it still 

 retains in that state. 



I have not received any intimation of the occurrence of this interesting 

 bird to the west of the Rocky Mountains, although it was observed by Mr. 

 Townsend on the head waters of the Missouri. Dr. Richardson mentions 

 it as being found in summer to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains, up to 

 the 48th parallel of latitude, beyond which none were seen by the members 

 of the expedition. I found it abundant and breeding in the Texas. The 

 eggs measure seven and a half eighths of an inch in length, five-eighths and 

 three-fourths in breadth, and are rather more bulky than is usual in birds of 

 this family. In the United States, when in an uncultivated district, it forms 

 its nest in the hollow or hole of a tree. 



Blue-eird, Sylvia Sialis, Wils. Araer. Orn.. vol. i. p. 56. 

 Vol. II. 30 



