176 
SAXXCOLA SIALIS. 
bird perched on the top of a peach or apple tree ; or 
among the branches of those reverend broad-armed 
chestnut trees, that stand alone in the middle of our 
fields, bleached by the rains and blasts of ages ? 
The bluebird is six inches and three quarters in 
length, the wings remarkably full and broad ; the 
whole upper parts are of a rich sky blue, with purple 
reflections ; the bill and legs are black ; inside of the 
mouth and soles of the feet, yellow, resembling the 
colour of a ripe persimmon ; the shafts of all the wing 
and tail-feathers are black; throat, neck, breast, and 
sides, partially under the wings, chestnut ; wings, dusky 
black at the tips ; belly and vent, white ; sometimes 
the secondaries are exteriorly light brown, but the 
bird has in that case not arrived at his full colour. 
The female is easily distinguished by the duller cast of 
the back, the plumage of which is skirted with light 
brown, and by the red on the breast being much fainter, 
and not descending near so low as in the male ; the 
secondaries also more dusky. This species is found 
over the whole United States ; in the Bahama Islands, 
where many of them winter ; as also in Mexico, Brazil, 
and Guinea. 
Mr Edwards mentions, that the specimen of this bird 
which he was favoured with, was sent from the Bermu- 
das ; and, as these islands abound w ith the cedar, it is 
highly probable that many of those birds pass from 
our continent thither, at the commencement of winter, 
to enjoy the mildness of that climate as well as u their 
favourite food. 
As the bluebird is so regularly seen in winter, after 
the continuance of a few days of mild and open weather, 
it has given rise to various conjectures as to the place 
of his retreat. Some supposing it to be in close, 
sheltered thickets, lying to the sun ; others the neigh- 
bourhood of the sea, where the air is supposed to be 
more temperate, and where the matters thrown up by 
the waves furnish him with a constant and plentiful 
supply of food. Others trace him to the dark recesses 
of hollow trees, and subterraneous caverns, where they 
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