[1] For December, 1858.
[2] A recent English writer upon this subject presents an array of facts and considerations that do not support this view. He says that, with very few exceptions, it is the rule that, when both sexes are of strikingly gay and conspicuous colors, the nest is such as to conceal the sitting bird; while, whenever there is a striking contrast of colors, the male being gay and conspicuous, the female dull and obscure, the nest is open and the sitting bird exposed to view. The exceptions to this rule among European birds appear to be very few. Among our own birds, the cuckoos and blue jays build open nests, without presenting any noticeable difference in the coloring of the two sexes. The same is true of the pewees, the king-bird, and the sparrows, while the common bluebird, the oriole, and orchard starling afford examples the other way.
[3] I am aware that the redstart is generally classed among the fly-catchers, but its song, its form, and its habits are in every respect those of a warbler. Its main fly-catcher mark is its beak, but to the muscicapa proper it presents little or no resemblance to the general observer.
| PAGE | |
| Audubon, | 231 , 241 |
| Birds, as to nesting, classified, | 143 |
| songs of various, | 17 , 18 , 52 , 53 , 67 |
| distribution of, in a locality, | 29 |
| geographically, | 50 |
| instinct of cleanliness in, | 116 |
| propagation in, | 119 |
| relations of the sexes of, | 118 |
| Blackbird, Crow, | 157 |
| Bluebird, | 12 , 13 , 211–224 |
| Bobolink, | 163 |
| Bunting, Black-throated, | 164 |
| Cow, | 18 , 70 |
| Buzzard, Turkey, | 152 |
| Cat-bird, | 36 |
| Cedar-bird, | 100 , 111 , 160 |
| Chat, Yellow-breasted, | 172 |
| Chickadee, | 122 |
| Creeper, Black and White, | 80 |
| Crow, | 152 |
| Cuckoo, Black-billed, | 23 , 24 |
| Yellow-billed, | 23 |
| Dakota Skylark, | 243 , 244 |
| Eagles, The, | 141 |
| Finch, Pine, | 86 , 100 |
| Purple, | 69 , 86 |
| Finches, The, | 238 |
| Fly-catchers, The, | 236 |
| Gnatcatcher. | 134 |
| Goldfinch, American, | 112 |
| Blue, | 129 |
| Cardinal, | 174 |
| Grossbeak, Rose-breasted, | 67 |
| Grouse, Canada, | 107 , 206 |
| Hawk, Hen, | 43 |
| Pigeon, | 42 |
| Red-tailed, | 132 |
| Heron, Great Blue, | 90 |
| Humming-bird, | 67 , 101 , 133 |
| Indigo-bird, | 126 |
| Jay, Canada, | 250 |
| King-bird, | 62 |
| Kinglets, The, | 240 |
| Lark, Shore, | 155 |
| Larks, The, | 244 |
| Oriole, Baltimore, | 126 , 135 |
| Orchard, | 162 |
| Owl, Screech, | 63 |
| Partridge, | 75 |
| Pewees, The, | 62 , 140 |
| Phœbe-bird, | 16 , 63 , 139 |
| Redbird, | 174 |
| Robin, | 14 , 126 |
| Skylark, Dakota, | 243 , 244 |
| Snow-bird, | 55 , 86 , 127 |
| Sparrow, Canada, | 157 |
| Chipping, | 18 , 41 , 124 |
| Field, | 24 , 238 |
| Fox, | 163 |
| White-throated, | 86 |
| Wood, or Bush, | 26 , 126 |
| Sparrows, The, | 238 |
| Swallows, The, | 117 , 124 , 161 |
| Tanager, Scarlet, | 68 |
| Tern, Sooty, | 250 |
| Thrush, Golden-crowned, | 64 |
| Gray-cheeked, | 242 |
| Hermit, | 33 , 57 , 59 , 100 |
| Louisiana Water, | 171 |
| New York Water, | 203 , 243 |
| Wilson’s, | 35 , 56 , 161 |
| Wood, | 31 , 34 , 57 , 187 , 190 |
| Thrushes, The, | 237 |
| Titlark, American, | 244 |
| Vireo, Red-eyed, | 54 , 132 , 235 |
| Solitary, | 130 |
| Warbling, | 80 |
| White-eyed, | 28 , 234 |
| Vireos, The, | 234 |
| Veery, | 35 , 56 , 161 |
| Wren, Winter, | 12 , 28 , 55 |
| Wrens, The, | 240 |
| Wagtails, The, | 245 |
| Warbler, Audubon’s, | 87 |
| Blackburnian, | 58 |
| Black-throated Blue-back, | 79 |
| Black-throated Green-back, | 79 |
| Blue-Gray (or Gnatcatcher), | 134 , 171 |
| Blue, Yellow-back, | 58 |
| Chestnut-sided, | 78 |
| Kentucky, | 170 |
| Mourning Ground, | 77 , 131 |
| Speckled Canada, | 70 , 73 , 87 |
| Varied Creeping, | 80 , 130 |
| Warblers, The, | 171 , 232 |
| Woodpecker, Downy, | 19 , 115 |
| Golden-winged, | 17 , 20 |
| Red-headed, | 113 , 174 |
| Yellow-bellied, | 115 , 204 |