Putnam patriot., 1909-07-09
Birds of Connecticut.
BY \. W uruAN. -ssi-s----a-si-sss
 | oarsh Article
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with faint hrownish wash on wings, back and tail; female brown above, yellowish on throat, white underneath, wings and tail somewhat darker. The Indigo Bunting reaches here about the twelfth of May. Not espee tally abundant. and rather shy. he K rarely seen for bird of such unusual color. His fsvorite places seem to be mowings or bushy pastures, If near woods. Although these birds do not travel in fiocks, they seem to like each others company, and several are apt to be residents of the same field where their homes may be found placed In a elump of small bushes three or four feet from the ground. The nest may be found quite easily by using the same method as that employed in Ind ing the home of the Ghestnut,sided Warbler. It Is rather bulky, made of grass and weeds, sometimes grape vine bark, and lined with horsehair. The eggs are long and white, with blush tinge.
 The song, which the bird may sing for half an hour at stretch over and over, from the top of tree, or occa- sionally from the fence rail, k rather anmusical, lazy attempt, but the lack of equality is made up in quantity, "Twee-twea twee.twea tweet tweet zee Is what the song sounds like to me, repeated laxily over and over, with hardly breathing place between. THE PURPLE FINCH The Purple Finch consider our most brilliant songster. The loud live iy cheerful prolonged melody may be heard In spring and early summer from the tops of our village elms and naples, but later than that the song is not so common.
 He ts occasionally . winter resident. The nest Is said to be placed generally in pine trees.
 This finch is not % well known on account of hla preference for the tops of high trees.
 Length about six inches; adult male raspberry red, back brown, no wing bars; female ana young, upper parts streaked brown snd gray, underneath white streaked with brown. rHE aosE-BnKAsrEb oRosnRAK Length about eight inches; male, head, throat and buck, black; rump, white; breast, red; underneath, white. Female, upper parts brownish and yell lowish; white line over eye; under parts puffy, streaked with brown. A rich, rather loud and melodious up and down wsrblc, resembling In tone the robin's song, but lesssbroken, de- notes the near presence of this beauti- ful bird, who is probably caroling from the top Of large tree nearby, where, if one carefully searches, the singer may be seen, and the rosy red on hls breast discloses his identity. If a bird song is heard which sounds almost, but not quite, like the Robins, ten to one, the singer k the Rose breasted Grosbeak. He Is not at all plenty here, still fairly common in our wooded, bushy fields, and not extremely rare in the village. The nest is placed from four to twen- | ty feet from the ground In white birch. es Of sapiings generally, and k very loosely made. The eggs are blue, spot ted. fyou venture too near, a sharp metallic "cheenkn warns you to leave. This alarm note is characteristic, and resembles, 1 believe, the note of no other bird. The time for arrival is May 9th.
 THE TowaEg The Towhee or Chewink Is an abun- dant resident of scfuhby woods and pastures. When passing along wood- fringed roads you are pretty sure to hear The Towhce busiiy scratching In the underbrush by tue wall, scattering the dead leaves in a search for his food, and making disturbance enough for bird ten times his size. If startled, he flies to the wall, uttering his musical alarm note, ito vince, then drops over the other side, where he resumes his scratching.
 The song generally consists Of three notes, rather rapidly sung. The seeend note lower than the first, the last high CT, prolonged, and slightly trilied. ssTweet to whee ee.n It Is sweet and rather powerful, usually sung quite . distance from the ground.
 The nest k placed upon the ground, and lis made Of leaves. wced-stalks, ferns, grass. etc. The eggs are bluish or grsyish white, specked with light brown and blotched with purpiish and brow aish.
 The Towhee Is due by the last of April and remains late tn the Faii. The male bird k black with brown sides and white underneath. The fe male has the black replaced by brown. Length oser eight inches. THE WOOD rHRrsH
 Clear and fiute-like, the calm and beautiful song Of the Wood Thrush rings out through the woodland air from the top Of some large tree where she invisible singer E.
 Groups of three of four notes sung