38 



BIRDS AND FLOWERS. 



with his blue-gray head and jet necklace hanging 

 about his bright yellow throat was much in evidence, 

 and on May 23 I saw the parula warbler preening his 

 feathers in our hedge and suffering me to come so 

 near that I could behold his minutest markings. I 

 have seen all the vireos this spring with the exception 

 of the white-eyed. The yellow-throated flew into our 

 hedge May 27. The red-eyed is one of the latest 

 birds to arrive, but you know when he gets here. For 

 the last two weeks he has been reiterating, "I see it! 

 I know it ! Do you hear me ? Do you believe itV with 

 a persistency which has won for him the title of the 

 preacher bird. 



For those who are never interested in a subject un- 

 less some practical good comes out of it, I will say 

 that there ought not to be a bug, worm or caterpillar 

 left in Concord this summer. Our apple crop and 

 every other crop should be enormous, for every one 

 of the beautiful little winged jewels that I have seen 

 has been working incessantly, as if he had on his 

 mind the contract for destroying the whole insect life 

 of North America. What a comfort it would be if 

 we could hire human helpers who would display a 

 tithe of their industry and ambition. 



June 5, 1900. 



