THE BARN OWL.

or of a hollow cavity of an old tree. The eggs are of a form approaching to globular, are of a glossy-white color, and are from three to six in number. This owl feeds upon mice, beetles, moths and grasshoppers.

THE BARN OWL.

Strix americana.-AUDUBON. DESCRIPTION.-Bill pale grayish yellow; claws and scales brownish yellow. General color of the upper parts grayish brown, with light yellowish-red interspersed,produced by very minute mottling,each feather having towards the end a central streak of deep brown terminated by a small oblong grayish-white spot; wings similarly colored; secondary coverts and outer edges of primary coverts with a large proportion of light brownish-red, fading anteriorly into white, each feather having a small dark brown spot at the tip. Length and spread, male 17, 42; female 18, 46.-Audubon.

THE MEADOW LARK.

Sturnus ludovicianus.-LINNÆUS. DESCRIPTION.-The color above is variegated with black, bright bay and ochreous; beneath and a line over the eye bright yellow; a black crescent on the breast; tail wedge-form, feathers pointed, and the four outer ones nearly all white; bill brown above, bluish white beneath, conical with deep rounded sinuses at the base; legs and feet large, reddish white. The sexes differ but little in color, but in the young the yellow is much fainter. Length of the specimen before me 10 inches; folded wing, 5.

HISTORY.-This owl, though very common in the southern states, is so rare at the north-east, that Audubon says that he has never seen it to the eastward of Pennsylvania, and yet I am assured by Dr. Brewer that it is not only found in Vermont, but breeds here. This owl is entirely nocturnal in its habits, and when disturbed in the day time flies about in a irregular, bewildered manner. Audubon supposes its food to consist entirely of small quadrupeds. This owl is said to bear a close resemblance to the Strix flam-cealed covered way, and hence they are mea, or White Barn Owl.

OMNIVOROUS BIRDS.

These have the bill robust, mediumsized, and sharp on the edges; upper mandible more or less convex, and notched at the point; feet with four toes, three before and one behind; wings of medium length; quill feathers terminating in a point. They live, for the most part, in companies or flocks and are monogamous. The greater part of them build their nests on trees, but some of the species occupy the crannies of old walls, and some build upon the ground. Their principal food consists of insects, worms and carrion, to which they often add grain and fruit.

GENUS STURNUS.-Linnæus. Generic Characters.-The bill in the form of a lengthened cone, depressed and somewhat blunt, with the edges vertical; above somewhat rounded. Nostrils partly closed by an arched membrane. The tongue narrowed, sharp, and cleft at the point; the hind nail longest and largest; the first quill short, the second and third longest.

HISTORY.-The Meadow Lark is a harmless bird, and is common in all parts of the United States, and particularly so in Vermont, where it breeds in large numbers. Their residence is chiefly in meadows and old fields. They build their nest in some thick tuft of dry grass. It is usually constructed of the coarse grass, lined with finer blades of the same, and approached by the bird through a con

not readily found. The eggs are large and white, with a bluish tint, and marked with brownish spots. They are usually 4 or 5 in number. The food of the Meadow Lark consists of the larvae of various kinds of insects, worms, beetles and grass seeds; but it does not meddle with fruits and berries. It is of a shy, timid and retiring disposition, usually spending the whole summer in the moist meadows, and only retiring from them on the approach of winter.

GENUS ICTERUS.-Brisson.

of an elongated sharp pointed cone, somewhat Generic Characters.-Bill in the form compressed, rounded above, and rarely somewhat curved; with the margins inflected. Nostrils oval, covered by a membrane. Tongue sharp and cleft at the tip. Tarsus longer than the middle toe; inner toe but little shorter than the outer, and nearly equal to the hind one; middle toe longest; hind nail twice as large as the others. Wings sharp; first and second primary, but little shorter than the third and fourth. which are longest. The female very different from the male, and the young resemble the female.

THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. Icterus Baltimore.-BONAPARTE. DESCRIPTION.-Color of the shoulders, rump, lateral tail feathers, breast and belly bright orange; head, back, wings, middle tail feathers and chin black; wing feathers and coverts slightly edged with white on their outer webs; bill bluish horn color; legs, feet and nails brownish; iris hazel. In the female and young the orange is pale, and the parts which are black in the male are grayish; tail even; hind toe and nail strongest; bill very acute; 2d and 3d primaries equal and longest. Length of the specimen before me 7 inches; folded wing, 4.

THE RED-WINGED BLACK-BIRD.

berries, but do not often commit depredations upon these fruits in our gardens. They are thought to possess an extraor dinary relish for green peas, as they sometimes attack those growing in our gar dens. They split open the pod without detaching it from the vine, and, as is generally supposed, for the purpose of obtaining the young and tender peas. But Mr. Peabody informs us that it has been as certained by Dr. Harris, that the Oriole opens the pods not for the sake of the peas, but for the grub of the pea-bug; and that instead of mischief, he is performing a service, for which he is more deserving of gratitude than reproach. AL though we have several birds which oc casionally do a little mischief in our fields and gardens, it is at least doubtful whether we have any which would not be found to be beneficial rather than otherwise, were their history fully known. From its manner of building, this bird is often called he Hang Bird, or Hang Nest.

HISTORY.-The Baltimore Oriole, or Golden Robin, as he is here more commonly called, is one of our most gay and lively birds. It arrives in Vermont in the early part of May, and about the beginning of June may be seen busily engaged in the construction of its nest. For this THE purpose they usually select a flexible branch of a tree standing on the side of a gentle declivity. The nest is suspended from this by strings or threads in the form of a pendulous cylindrical pouch 5 or 6 inches in depth. The exterior is formed of strings, strips of bark and other fibrous substances, and the interior lined with grass, moss, wool, hair or downy substances. The eggs are usually 4 or 5 in number. They are white with a faint tinge of blue, and are usually marked at the large end with irregular brownish lines and spots. The period of incubation, according to Audubon, is 14 days, and the same pair frequently rear two broods in a season. Though shy and suspicious, they seem to prefer building their nests upon the high trees in the open land by the side of roads and about farm-houses. They feed their young principally with soft caterpillars, and the male and female HISTORY.-This singularly marked bird both unite in this labor. The food of the usually arrives in Vermont early in April, old birds consists mostly of caterpillars and takes up its residence in flocks in the and insects of different kinds. They are marshes and swamps. Here they comalso fond of cherries, currants and straw-mence building their nests about the mid

THE COW BLACK-BIRD.

dle of May. These are usually construct-rives its name from its habit of being ed in a thicket of alders, or other bushes, much among the cattle as they are feedat the height only of a few feet from the ing in the pastures. Its food consists alground, and are made of the leaves of most entirely of insects, and it might be flags, swamp-grass, &c., something in the regarded as a public benefactor were it form of that of the Golden Robin. The not for certain habits which render it deeggs, varying from 3 to 5 in number, are testable and prevent its receiving the bluish white, with irregular faint purple credit to which its good qualities would markings on the larger end. About the otherwise entitle it. Being strangers to beginning of September they begin to col- the joys which spring from conjugal filect in flocks, and sometimes do consid-delity and having a strong aversion to doerable damage to the unripe corn. But mestic cares, this bird contrives to escape it is believed that the advantage derived them by laying its eggs in the nests of from these birds in the destruction of other birds. This it does in the absence larvæ and insects in the spring of the of the owners of the nest, and when the year vastly more than compensates for all owners return they usually manifest much the damage they do. It is stated by uneasiness and make strong efforts to Kalm, that after a great destruction of throw out the intruded egg. When they these and the common Black-Birds for do not succeed in this, they often build the legal reward of 3d. per dozen, in 1748, a flooring over the strange egg and elethe worms and grubs multiplied so ex- vate the sides so as to form a new nest ceedingly as to destroy a great part of the within the old. But in many cases cirgrass in New England.* cumstances will not allow them time for this labor, and then they are obliged patiently to submit to the imposition. The egg of the Cow-Bird is always hatched first, and the young by its superior size often smothers the lawful heirs. The proprietors of the nest, however, feed the foundling and treat it with the same kindness as if it were their own offspring.

THE COW BLACK-BIRD.

A case of this intrusion of the Cow Black-Bird occurred in Burlington in 1840, in the garden of my friend R. G. Cole, Esq. Cashier of the Burlington Bank. He had noticed a pair of common yellow birds, Fringilla tristis, busily engaged for several days in building a nest Icterus pecoris.—TEM. upon one of his trees. A day or two afDESCRIPTION.-Color glossy black with ter he had supposed it complete, he noviolet reflections from the back and breast; ticed that it had suddenly undergone a head and neck above and below dusky very considerable enlargement, so much cinamon brown; bill robust, conical,acute, so that his curiosity was excited, and slightly compressed towards the end, and upon examining it he found that it consisof a glossy black color; upper mandible ted of two nests, one within the other,and rounded and encroaching a little upon the Cow Black-Bird. The upper nest was that the lower nest contained an egg of the forehead, sides of the lower mandable inflected; nostrils basal and partly cov- entirely of cotton, and upon the circumered; neck short, body robust; tarsus stance being known, it was found that compressed, acute behind and covered my friend Mr.S.E. Howard, whose yard is anteriorly with seven longish scutella; adjacent to the garden containing the toes free, lateral ones nearly equal; legs, searching his premises for building matenest, had observed two birds eagerly feet, and claws brownish black. Tail rials, and that he had, with his accustomrather short and slightly forked. Wings ed liberality, purposely thrown out sevlongish, curved, slightly rounded and the 2d and 3d quills longest. Length of the eral handfuls of cotton, all of which disspecimen before me 7 inches; folded appeared in the course of a few hours, wing 44, spread of the wings 12, tail reach- and were found neatly wrought into the es 1 inch beyond the folded wing. Female less than the male, and of a dusky HISTORY.-The Cow Black-Bird de

color.

• Travels in North America, 1–372.

nest above-mentioned.

little larger than that of the Blue bird, The egg of the Cow Black-Bird is a oval, whitish tinged with green and spotted with brown. Its notes are affected and unpleasant.

THE BOB-O-LINK.

THE CROW BLACK BIRD.

nuptial dress,and assume thegray,unostem tatious garb of the female and the young, and by the middle of August they begin to collect in flocks in the swamps and wet meadows, and soon after leave for a more southern climate.

GENUS QUISCALUS.-Vieillot.

Generic Characters.--Bill bare, compressed from the base, entire, with sharp edges bent inwards; upper mandible forming an acute angle with the feathers of the head, curved from the middle, projecting beyond the lower, and provided with a long heel within. Nostrils oval, half Icterus agripennis.-BONAP. closed by a membrane. Tongue cartilaginous, DESCRIPTION. The spring dress of the flattened, torn at the sides and cleft at the point male-the top of the head, wings, tail, Tarsus a little longer than the middle toe; inner sides of the neck, and whole under plu- toe free, outer one united at the base to the middle mage, black, with the feathers frequently one Wings moderate in length; 1st primary skirted with brownish yellow; back of equal to the 5th, and but little shorter than the 24, the head yellowish white; scapulars, 3d, and 4th, which are longest. Tail of 12 feathrump, and tail coverts white, tinged with ers, more or less rounded. ash; extremities of the tail feathers similar to those of the woodpeckers; bill bluish black; legs dark brown. Color of the female, the young, and the male, in autumn and winter, varied with brownish black and brownish yellow above, dull yellow beneath. Length of the specimen before me 7 inches; spread of the wings 11 inches.

HISTORY.-This is a common bird in the summer throughout the United States. In many parts it is called the Rice Bird, or Rice Bunting, from the circumstance of its feeding much upon wild rice. It is also sometimes called the Skunk Black Bird, from the resemblance of its black and white markings to those of the skunk. But Bob-o-link is its most common designation. This bird does not usually make its appearance in Vermont till the latter part of May, and the males are generally seen a few days earlier than the females. They take up their residence in the low meadows, and upon these and the neighboring ploughed fields they destroy vast numbers of insects and larvæ; and this kind of food being abundant, they seldom leave it for the purpose of doing injury by feeding upon grain or fruits. Hence they are rather regarded as benefactors, and being of an animated, jovial turn, though somewhat boisterous, they are received on their return in the spring with a hearty welcome. The Bob-o-link builds its nest on the ground, among the grass. It is placed in a slight depression and constructed of grass, coarse on the outside and lined with that which is finer. The female lays from 4 to 6 eggs, which are of a dull yellowish white color, spotted with brown. About the last of July the males put off their black and white

COMMON CROW BLACK-BIRD.

Quiscalus versicolor.-VIEILLOT. DESCRIPTION.-Color of the head, neck, and breast, deep violet, with greenish and purplish reflections; back, belly, and scanulars dark bronze color; wings and tail reflecting various shades of purple, with green blue and coppery tints. Bill and legs black. Upper mandible longer, but not so stout as the lower, and the keel within large. Feet and claws strong. Iris bright gamboge yellow. Tail of 12 feathers, rounded or wedge form, and reaching 3 inches beyond the folded wings. Length of the specimen before me 12 inches; tail 54; folded wings 5.7; bill above 1.2, to the angle of the mouth 1.4. Length of the female usually 11 inches.

HISTORY.-The Crow Black Bird is an active and sociable bird, which warns us by his loud, clanking note, late in the spring, that he is once more in our fields and gardens, apparently unconscious that there can be any objection. He is one of those creatures concerning which it is dif ficult to say whether they are friends or foes; sometimes they are the one and