File:The birds of America - from drawings made in the United States and their territories (1840) (14563457128).jpg

Identifier: birdsofamericafr02audu (find matches)
Title: The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories
Year: 1840 (1840s)
Authors: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 Bowen, John T., ca. 1801-1856?, lithographer
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Published by J.J. Audubon Philadelphia : J.B. Chevalier
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
closely allied to Sialia Wilsoni, is as follows: Sialia arctica. Ultramarine Blue-bird. About fifty or sixty milesnorth-west of the usual crossing place of that branch of the Platte calledLarimies Fork, in the early part of June, this species of Sialia is notuncommon. The female utters a low plaint when her nest is approached,the place for which is indifferently chosen in a hole in a clay cliff, or in thatof the trunk of a decayed cedar. At this time the young were hatched.The nest is made of the usual material of dry grass in very insignificantquantity. They are more shy than the common species, and have the samemode of feeding by watching on some low bush or plant, and descending foran insect. We afterwards saw a nest of this species on a cliff of the Sandyriver, a branch of the Colorado of the West. The female and male wereboth feeding their brood. The former chirped and appeared uneasy at myapproach, and at intervals uttered a plaintive yeow. The male sings more N?£8. ■* PI 135
Text Appearing After Image:
\,y .I.J \t. ;.„,FR>FiS, ;„;;, H 1,,,,1,-a l.yF.oJlcoll NewWk ARCTIC BLUE-BIRD. 179 quaintly and monotonously than the common kind, but in the same generaltone and manner. To this Mr. Townsend adds that it is found in the Forests on the banksof the Platte river, in the vicinity of the Black Hills, and in the samesituations on the banks of the Columbia. This species, he continues, wasobserved in the winter at Fort Vancouver, associating with S. occidentalis.They confine themselves chiefly to the fences in the neighbourhood of theFort, occasionally flying to the ground, and scratching in the earth forminute insects, the fragments of which were found in their stomachs. Afterprocuring an insect, the male usually returned to the fence, and warbled fora minute most delightfully. Its note, although like that of our commonSialia, is still so different as to be easily recognised. It is equally sweet andclear, but of so little power (at least at this season) as to be heard only at ashort

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