History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

274

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

intends to make the county his home. In the following list many
birds never hitherto mentioned as belonging to this portion of the
State, are named and placed in the class to which they belong.
BIRDS.
Family Sylviadae.-Poiloptila cerulea.-Blue-gray gnatcatcher,
a common summer resident. Requlus calendula, or ruby-crowned
kinglet, is a spring and fall visitor, which spends the winter in the
Southern States. Regulus satrapa, or the golden-crowned kinglet,
is found everywhere during the spring and autumn months.
These being woodland birds, seek a home here and create the
envv of the other families by the beautiful structures, or nests,
which they build in the hemlock, oak or elm forests of the land.
The eggs are three-eighths of an inch long, white in color, speckled,
and dashed with umber and lilac.
Family Turdidae.-The robin, or Turdus migratorius, is a resident during spring and autumn, and even throughout mild winters.
The wood thrush, or hurdus mustelinus, is a common summer bird.
The hermit thrush, or Turdus pallasi, has been found breeding during the spring and fall. The olive-backed thrush, or Turdas
swainsoni, is very common during the spring and fall. Wilson's
thrush, or Turdusfuscescens, visits the county during spring, and
in some instances builds its nest here. The brown thrush or
thrasher, IHarporhynchus ruffus, resides here during the summer
months. The catbird, or ifgmus carolinensis, come in large numbers during the summer. The first and last mentioned may be
seen in orchards and around barn-yards; the others in willow thickets, berry bushes, and round brush-heaps, where they build temporary nests.
Fanmily Saxicolidae. —The blue bird, or Sialia sialis, is found
everywhere during spring, summer and autumn. It nests in decaying trees, fence-posts, and feeds upon worms, grasshoppers,
spiders and berries.
Family Sittidae.-White-bellied muthatch, orSitta carolinensis,
is a common resident. The red-bellied hatch, or Sitta canadensis,
comes here to spend the spring, summer and fall. It nests in
holes in trees, and feeds upon spiders, ants, insects' eggs and
seeds.
Family Paridae.-The titmouse, or black-capped chickadee, the
Parus atricap ilus of the Europeans, nests in the woods during fine
weather, and comes into the city or village to spend the winter.
It thankfilly receives all the crumbs which fall trom the tables ot
the people.
Fam'ly Certhiadae.-The brown creeper is the only representative here. It dwells here all the year round, finding a storehouse
in the forest to lay up animal and vegetable food, in the shape of
insects and seeds.
Family Troglodytidae has six representatives here. The Carolina wren, though a straggler, is well known. He comes from the
south, where he is khown as Titryothorus ludovicianus.