The black-cap visits England about the middle of April, and retires in September; it is common in Italy, but in England it is rather a rare bird. It frequents gardens, and its nest, which it builds near the ground, is composed of dried grass, moss, and wool, and lined with hair and feathers. The female lays five eggs, of a pale reddish brown, sprinkled with darker colored spots. During the time of incubation the male attends the female, and sits by turns; he likewise procures her food, such as flies, worms and insects. This bird sings sweetly, and so like the nightingale, that in Norfolk it is called the mock-nightingale. Black-caps feed chiefly on flies and insects, and not unfrequently on ivy, and other berries.

THE REDBREAST.1

THOUGH the redbreast is generally admired for his song, he is still more admired for his attachment to, and confidence in, mankind. In all countries, he is a favorite, and has what may be called a pet name. The inhabitants of Bornholm call him Tommi Liden, the Norwegians, Peter Ronsmed, the Germans, Thomas Gierdet, and in England he is known as Robin Redbreast, or by the still more familiar appellation of Bob. Buffon describes, with his usual elegance, the winter manners of this bird. "In that season," says he, they visit our dwellings, and seek the warmest and most sheltered situations; and if any one happens still to continue in the woods, it becomes the companion of the faggot maker, cherishes itself at his fire, pecks at his bread, and flutters the whole day round him, chirping its slender pip. But when the cold grows more severe, and thick snow covers the ground, it approaches our houses, and taps at the windows with its bill, as if to entreat an asylum, which is cheerfully granted; and it repays the favor by the most amiable familiarity, gathering the crumbs from the table, distinguishing affectionately the people of the house, and assuming a warble, not indeed so rich as that in the spring, but more delicate. This it retains through all the rigors of the season, to hail each day the kindness of its host, and the sweetness of its retreat." The bill of the robin is slender and delicate; its eyes are large, dark, and expressive, and its aspect mild; its head and all the upper parts of its body are brown, tinged with a greenish olive; the neck and breast are of a fine deep reddish orange; a spot of the same color marks its forehead; its belly is whitish, and the legs and feet of a dusky black. It is near six inches in length, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail; the former being about half an inch, and the latter two inches and a half.

This bird, in England, has the sweetest song of all the feathered tribe: the notes of other birds are, indeed, louder, and their inflections more capricious; but the redbreast's voice is soft, tender, and well supported; and the more to be valued, as we enjoy it the greatest part of the winter.

1 Sylvia rubecola, LATH.

During the spring, the robin haunts the wood, the grove, and the gardenand retires to the thickest and shadiest hedge-rows to breed in, where its nest is usually placed among the roots of trees, in some concealed spot near the ground. In winter it endeavors to support itself, by chirping round the warm habitations of mankind, and by coming into those shelters where the rigor of the season is artificially expelled, and where insects are found in the greatest numbers, attracted by the same cause. The female lays from five to seven eggs, of a dull white color, diversified with reddish streaks. Insects and worms are the principal food of the redbreast. The latter it very dexterously renders fit to be eaten, by taking hold of the extremity of one in its beak, and beating it against the ground till the inside comes away, and then repeating the operation with the other end, till the outer part is entirely cleansed.

THIS bird measures rather more than five inches in length. Its bill and eyes are black; its forehead is white; the cheeks, throat, fore part, and sides of the neck, are black, which color extends over each eye; the crown of the head, hinder part of the neck, and the back, are of a deep blue gray; in some subjects, probably old ones, this gray is almost black; its breast, rump, and sides are of a fine glowing red, inclining to orange color, which extends to all the feathers of the tail, excepting the two middle ones, which are brown; the belly is white; the feet and claws are black. The female differs considerably from the male; her colors are not so vivid; the top of her head and back are of a gray ash color, and the chin is white.

The redstart is migratory; it appears about the middle of April, and departs in the latter end of September, or beginning of October; to what country it retires is not known; it frequents old walls and ruinous edifices, where it makes its nest, composed chiefly of moss, lined with hair and feathers. It is distinguished by a peculiar quick shake of its tail from side to side, on its alighting on a wall or other place. Though a wild and timorous bird, it is frequently found in the midst of cities, always choosing the

1 Sylvia phoenicurus, LATH.

most difficult and inaccessible places for its residence; it likewise builds in forests, in holes of trees, or in high and dangerous precipices. The female lays four or five eggs, not much unlike those of the hedge-sparrow, but somewhat longer. Should she discover that they have been touched, she immediately forsakes them. These birds feed on flies, spiders, the eggs of ants, small berries, soft fruits, and such like. If taken when old, it is impossible to tame the redstart, but if caught young, and kept warm during the winter, it may be domesticated, and will pour forth its song, by night as well as by day, with great sweetness and freedom.

THE BLUE-BIRD.1

THE blue-bird is one of the first messengers of spring, and meets with a hearty welcome from every body. He appears as early as February, and is seen with his mate reconnoitering the leaf in the garden, and the hole in the apple tree, the cradles of some generations of his ancestors. They then begin to clear out the old nest, and to prepare for the reception of their future offspring. Soon after this, another sociable little pilgrim arrives from the south, and finding such a snug birth pre-occupied, shows his spite, by watching a convenient opportunity, and, in the absence of the owner, pops in and pulls out the sticks; but takes especial care to make off as fast as possible.

Their principal food is insects and beetles, and sometimes spiders. In the fall they feed on berries, fruits, and seeds. The usual spring and summer song of this bird, is a soft, agreeable and oft-repeated warble, uttered with open quivering wings, and is extremely pleasing. In his motions and character he resembles the redbreast of Britain, and like him he is known to almost every child. He is of a mild and peaceful disposition, seldom quarrelling with other birds. His society is courted in the country, and few farmers neglect to provide for him, in some suitable place, a snug little summer-house, ready fitted and rent free. For this he more than sufficiently repays them by the cheerfulness of his song and the multitude of injurious insects which he destroys. Towards fall, his song changes to a single plaintive note, as he passes over the yellow and many-colored woods; and its melancholy air recalls to our minds the approaching decay of the face of nature. Even after the trees are stripped of their leaves, he still lingers over his native fields, as if loth to leave them. Indeed he appears scarcely ever totally to forsake us, as with every return of mild and open weather, we hear his plaintive note amidst the fields, or in the air, seeming to deplore the devastation of winter.

The blue-bird is six inches and three quarters long; the wings are remar

1 Sylvia sialis, WILSON.

kably full and broad, and dusky black at the tips; the whole upper parts are rich sky-blue, with purple reflections; under parts chesnut color and white.

THE BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLERI VISITS us from the south; haunts thickets and shrubberies, searching the branches for insects; is fond of visiting gardens, orchards, and willow trees, of gleaning among blossoms and currant bushes; and is frequently found in very sequestered woods, where it generally builds its nest. It is in the form of an inverted cone, the bottom thickly bedded with dry beach leaves; the sides formed of the dry bark of weeds, and lined with grass. This species is five inches and a half long; back is rich green olive; crown and front orange yellow; whole lower parts yellow.

THE BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER2

Is a very common bird, and appears almost always actively employed among the leaves and blossoms of the willows, snowballs and poplars, searching after small green caterpillars, which are its principal food. It has a few shrill emphatic notes, not deserving the name of song. It is a very sprightly, unsuspicious, and familiar bird; is often seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms and fruit trees; and, on account of its color, is very noticeable. Its nest is built with great neatness in the fork of a small shrub. It is composed of flax or tow, strongly twisted round the twigs, and lined with hair and the down of fern. This interesting little bird will feign lameness to draw you from its nest, fluttering feebly along, and looking back to see if you follow him. It is five inches long. The upper parts are greenish yellow; crown, front, and whole lower parts, rich golden yellow; breast and sides streaked with dark red.

THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER3

Is another spring passenger through the United States. Its habits partake very much of those of the titmouse, and in their language and actions very much resemble them. It darts actively among the young leaves and opening buds, and is rather a scarce species. It is five inches long; the crown is golden yellow; the wings yellow; the rest of the upper parts ash or slate color.

1 Sylvia solitaria, WILSON.

2 Sylvia cæstiva, LATH. 3 Sylvia chrysoptera, LATH.

THE GOLDEN CRESTED WREN.1

THIS is the smallest of all British birds, is very beautiful, and has an extremely delicate and pleasing note, somewhat less loud than that of the common wren. In winter it may be distinguished by its shrill squeak, which somewhat resembles the cricking of a grasshopper. It is very agile, and is almost constantly in motion, either fluttering from branch to branch, creeping on all sides of the trees, clinging to them in all ways, and often hanging with its back downward, like a titmouse. Insects and their eggs, small worms, and various kinds of seeds, constitute its food. The female lays from ten to eighteen eggs, which are scarcely larger than peas; and the nest is frequently formed amongst the leaves at the top of the branch of a fir tree, where, in high winds, it swings like a pendulum.

Of this wren the head and upper part are of a deep reddish brown; the back, and the coverts of the wings and tail, are marked with slender transverse black lines; the quill feathers are barred with black and red; the belly and sides are crossed with narrow, dusky and pale reddish brown lines; the tail is crossed with dusky bars; the throat is a yellowish white; and there is a stroke of white above each eye.

THE EUROPEAN WREN.2

THIS lilliputian songster is a native of every part of Europe. It weighs only three drachms, is but four inches in length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, and is admired for the loudness of its note, compared with the little body whence it issues. It will carol forth its strains unconcerned during a fall of snow. Even when confined in a cage, it has sometimes been known to sing as strong as when in its native fields, and with equal freedom and mellowness of song. It commonly creeps about hedges or trees, in the vicinity of farmyards, and sings very late in the evening, though not, like the nightingale, after the landscape is enveloped with darkness. The female lays from ten to eighteen eggs, which are very small, white, and sprinkled with red spots.

The wren constructs its nest in a very curious manner. Unlike other birds, it does not begin first at the bottom. If the nest be placed against a bank, it commences the fabric at the top; if against a tree, it at the outset

'Regulus auricapillus, SELBY. The genus Regulus has the bill straight, slender, deeper than broad, compressed, the edges bending inwards; nostrils basal, with bristles directed forwards; wings with the first quill short, the second shorter than the third, which is the longest; tarsus longer than the middle toe.

2 Troglodytes Europaus, Cuv. The genus Troglodytes has the bill slender, and lightly compressed, curved, emanginated; nostrils basal, half covered by a naked membrane; wings short and rounded; fourth and fifth feathers of equal length and longest; tail short, rounded, erect; tarsus the length of the middle toe.