THE BLUEBIRD’S REPAST 
“Thou first sky-dipped spring-bud of song, 
Whose heavenly ecstasy 
Foretells the May, while yet March winds are strong, 
Fresh faith appears with thee!” 
Maurice Thompson. 
O FTEN before King Winter has lifted his icy breath from 
our northern fields and streams, the bluebird, with his 
sweet song, “trualy, trualy,” is proclaiming that Spring 
is at hand, and rarely is he mistaken in his prophecy. 
A very domestic bird is this hardy little creature. He ap- 
propriates for his nest, old stumps, deserted woodpecker holes, 
or boxes that are placed for his use.v He rears his young, of 
which there are often three or four broods, about houses and 
orchards, and is not at all interested in their safety as far as 
man is concerned. 
Not only for his sweet song and happy nature is the blue¬ 
bird cherished by all mankind, but he is one of the chief allies 
of man in his warfare upon destructive insects. During the 
Spring, Summer and early Fall,the bluebird lives almost entirely 
upon insects. A single pair of these birds on one farm will do 
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