346 



UNITED STATES. 



in the course of one day. This calculation proceeds 

 upon the supposition, that the two birds took each 

 only a single insect each time. But it is highly pro- 

 bable they often took several at a time.**' 



Blue bird (motacilla sialis J, The head, neck, 

 back, wings and tail, are of a sky-blue colour; breast 

 of a red or brick colour ; the bill short, the upper 

 mandible bending downwards a little at the point. 



The blue bird is of a friendly social nature. The 

 attachment of the male to the female, is remarkable 

 and pleasing. He seldom permits her to be out of 

 his sight, and eagerly darts upon a favourite morsel, 

 and carries it to her. They pair in March, and the 

 female lays two or three eggs in a season. The male 

 takes care of the former broods as soon as fledged, 

 whilst the female sits on the eggs of ihe succeeding 

 ones. 



The notes of the blue bird are invariably the tid- 

 ings of fine weather, for although he is not strictly a 

 bird of passage, yet in severely cold weather, he dis-^ 

 appears for a short time, returning to the sea-coast, 

 where the air is milder, or a few days' journey south, 

 but is sure to return with a southerly wind or milder 

 air, when he approaches his accustomed place of re- 

 sidence. ' 



Their food consists of all kinds of insects, beetles? 

 and grasshoppers ; they seldom feed on fruit or ve^ 

 getable substances. 



This innocent bird is highly worthy of our protec- 

 tion. 



* Bartoa'« Fragments. 



