A NATURAL HISTORY TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA. 
399 
This morning, May the Gth, I heard a great screaming and scolding noise in 
the garden, and some of the oddest noises that bird ever made. I went to try 
to make it out, and found it was a Pipra polyglotta of Wilson, Icteria viridis of 
Bonaparte. But of all noises I ever heard made by birds I must confess that 
of the Blue Jays to be the worst; there are a good many round about here, but 
I have only seen one, which came into the garden toMay. The mewing of the 
Cat-bird {Orpheusfelwox. — Ed.) I also heard to-day, for the first time: a pair 
of them allowed me to get within ten yards ; the birds here are all as tame as 
possible. The beautiful little summer yellow birds {Sylvia citrinella) are very 
numerous, and come so close that you can see the colour of every feather. There 
are also plenty of Flycatchers, and several Sparrows, which I cannot yet make 
,eut: one has a note like a Yellow Hammer; another, with a very pleasing note, 
I at first took to be a Sylvia, but have since made it out to be Fringilla melodia. 
There are also Wrens and Blackheaded Tits in plenty; the note of the last is 
nearly like that of our Blue-headed Tit. The day before yesterday, walking 
from Hudson, I saw three Meadow Larks at play in the air; they alighted on a 
tree just by, and then crossed the road with their wings about two thirds ex¬ 
panded, and scarcely moving: they passed so near that I could see every mark 
on their breasts* Of Crows there are plenty, in flight and note as different as 
can be from ours; no one need mistake them. Not so the Swallows, between 
which and our own in flight and note I cannot discover any difference. Besides 
plenty of Swallows, there are to-day a great many Swifts, here called Chimney 
Swallows (Cypselus pelasgia ); and one, if not two, species of Hirundo, which I 
cannot make out. The first Woodpecker I have seen in the garden came to-day; 
he staid so short a time that I could not make him out. A pair of Turdus 
rufas seem to have a nest somewhere near; they are as tame as the poultry. 
I have seen one or two Crackles, and a bird which I take to be W ilson’s Alauda 
rufa, Bonaparte’s Anthus spinoletta; also a Sandpiper, a Partridge, Tetrao 
umbellus, some wild Ducks, and one Hawk I could not make out. 
I find that there are in this neighbourhood Grey and Red Squirrels, Ground 
Squirrels, Musk Rats, &c.; but as yet I have only seen one Ground Squirrel. 
We walked yesterday to a hill covered tvith Fir, Arbor-vitce, Cedar, Cypress, 
&c.; here we found two Box Tortoises, those which close their shells; and saw 
the Tetrao umbellus. Among the clefts of the rocks the little Hepaticas were 
flowering more beautifully than I have ever seen them in England; they are 
bright blue, pale blue, and white ; I have seen no pink ones. Aquilegia Cana¬ 
densis was also in plenty, just coming into flower. The sides of the creek and 
the meadows are yellow for yards together with the yellow Dog’s-tooth Yiolet, 
and in other places white with the beautiful Sanguinaria Canadensis. 
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