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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Bird Portraits - -Author: Ernest Seton-Thompson - -Commentator: Ralph Hoffmann - -Release Date: July 18, 2016 [EBook #52600] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRD PORTRAITS *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - BIRD PORTRAITS - - -[Illustration: THE SONG SPARROW] - - - - - BIRD PORTRAITS - - - _By_ Ernest Seton-Thompson - - - WITH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - - _By_ Ralph Hoffmann - - - BOSTON - Ginn & Company - The Athenæum Press - 1901 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1901 - BY GINN & COMPANY - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - THE SONG SPARROW 1 - - THE FLICKER 3 - - THE BROWN THRASHER 5 - - THE BARN SWALLOW 7 - - THE CHIMNEY SWIFT 9 - - THE KINGBIRD 11 - - THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE 13 - - THE WOOD THRUSH 15 - - THE SCARLET TANAGER 17 - - THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 19 - - THE REDSTART 21 - - THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD 23 - - BOB-WHITE 25 - - THE GOLDFINCH 27 - - THE BLUE JAY 29 - - THE BROWN CREEPER 31 - - THE BUTCHER BIRD 33 - - THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET 35 - - THE HERRING GULL 37 - - THE CHICKADEE 39 - - - - - _INTRODUCTION_ - - -_This book is called "Bird Portraits" because Mr. Seton-Thompson's -pictures are always faithful and charming portraits of the birds which -he draws. But since a bird's portrait, no matter how accurate, can show -its subject in only one position, singing, feeding, flying, or sitting, -a short account of some of the main events of the bird's life has been -added to each picture._ - -_Any one who learns from such books as Mr. Seton-Thompson's how beset -with perils is the life of every wild creature will take the greatest -pains at all times, and especially in the nesting season, not only not -to injure or persecute such defenseless little creatures as our song -birds, but also to protect them in every way. Whoever seeks their -acquaintance, in the spirit of friendship, will always be grateful for -the interest and pleasure to be gained from such friends._ - -_Of the twenty birds whose portraits are here presented, a majority are -only summer residents in the Northern States; some visit us only in -winter; a few spend the whole year near the same spot. The birds which -are first described are those that are most closely associated with the -return of spring; then follow those whose gay colors and bright songs -give much of its charm to early summer; last come those that brave, even -in the North, the tempests of winter._ - - R. H. - - - - - BIRD PORTRAITS - - - - - THE SONG SPARROW - - -After a severe winter, while snow and ice still remind us of the past, -the Song Sparrow, mounting to the top of some bush or small tree, -repeats his cheerful tinkling song, "helping," as Thoreau says, "to -crack the ice" in the ponds. Few people are so unobservant as not to -notice this bright strain, after the silence of winter. A peculiarity of -the song is the amount of variation shown by different individuals and -often by the same bird. At almost regular distances along the bushy -roadside, or over the hedge-intersected fields, one will meet on the -early spring mornings one Song Sparrow after another, each restricted to -his part of the road or field. If one notices the songs of each, it is -evident that, though the songs have the same general character, there -are almost as many ways of beginning a strain as there are singers. -Moreover, the same bird has been observed to alter his song in a short -space of time to two or three different variations. Probably, if one's -ear were acute enough, all birds of one species would be found to sing -with slight differences, but few show in so marked a degree as the Song -Sparrow the tendency to variation which characterizes a species. - -In early April, the Song Sparrow builds a nest of grass, either on the -ground beneath a tuft of grass, or under some brambles, or less -frequently a few feet above the ground, in a bush or on the lower limbs -of a tree. In the latter situation, twigs are of course necessary for -the support of the structure. Here again the bird shows a tendency to -vary in its habits. The eggs are from four to five in number, greenish -white, thickly marked with shades of brown, lavender, or purple. -Sometimes an egg is found in the nest much larger than the others; this -has been laid by the lazy Cowbird. As the large egg receives most warmth -and hatches first, the young Cowbird soon crowds out the rightful -occupants of the nest, and the parent Song Sparrows will be seen later, -working busily to feed a great homely youngster as large as themselves, -who will afterwards go off to join a flock of his own kind. Probably -every Cowbird has been reared at the expense of a brood of some small -bird, Sparrow, Warbler, or Vireo. - -In June, the young Song Sparrows are able to take care of themselves, -and the energetic parents build another nest and rear another brood. The -brooding time is the chief period of song, so that birds that breed -twice sing later in the summer than others. The Song Sparrow's little -strain may be heard well into August; but toward the end of that month -we hear from the cornfields and gardens a curious, husky warble, unlike -the bright spring carol of the Song Sparrow, but nevertheless made by -that bird. In the fall, and even during the winter, a warm bright day -will occasionally induce a Song Sparrow to sing his lively spring song, -so that where the Song Sparrow winters, the strain may be heard every -month of the year. - -In the late summer and fall, the neglected corners of gardens and -fields, where the seeds of weeds and grasses offer an abundance of food, -are the favorite resort of the sparrows. The Song Sparrow may be -distinguished from most of its relatives by its streaked breast, in the -middle of which the spots generally form a conspicuous blotch, and by -its long tail, which it constantly jerks as it flies. The Song Sparrow -is very retiring, and when alarmed, slips into brush heaps or bushes, -where it hides as skillfully as a mouse. - -[Illustration: THE FLICKER] - - - - - THE FLICKER - - -The Flicker is most beloved in March, when his hearty shout is one of -the characteristic sounds of the first warm days of early spring. The -same week which brings the Bluebird and the Blackbird hears the cheerful -song of the Song Sparrow and the loud call of the Flicker. - -Though a woodpecker, the Flicker has departed somewhat from the habits -of its relatives, spending considerable time on the ground, and -depending largely for its food on berries and ants. It is often startled -from lawns and hillsides, where it has been thrusting its long tongue -into colonies of black ants, seizing them on the moist, brushy tip. When -so engaged, the bird may sometimes be closely approached, and a sight of -its plumage is then a revelation to one who has seen from a distance -only its dark brown body and white rump. The ashy gray nape sets off a -bright red patch; there is a handsome black crescent across the breast, -and the male wears black mustaches. The breast is handsomely spotted, -and the quills and undersides of the wing and tail feathers are golden -yellow. Unless one can steal up close to a bird, few of these marks -show; but the Flicker may always be distinguished by his size (he is the -largest of our common birds except the Crow), by the white rump, and the -gleam of yellow which has given him the name Golden-winged Woodpecker. -The flight, too, like that of all the woodpeckers, is characteristic; -the wing strokes are slow, and between them the bird drops a little, so -that its progress is in waves instead of in a straight line. - -All the woodpeckers nest in holes, which they chisel out of decayed or -even live wood. A circular entrance leads to a vertical passage, and -this to a wide chamber some distance below. No lining of moss or -feathers is put in; the pure white, nearly round eggs are laid directly -on the chips at the bottom of the cavity, and the young birds after a -few days hang by their claws to the side of the hole. Young Flickers, -like young Humming-birds, are fed by their parents with a liquid food, -which is pumped into their wide-opened mouths, the parent's bill being -thrust far into the young one's. - -The Flicker is one of the few birds that frequently return to the old -nest. Most birds, contrary to the common notion, instead of refurnishing -the weather-beaten and insecure structure into which their last year's -home has been converted by snow, rain, and wind, prefer to build a new -one. The material is everywhere at hand, and time is not so precious -before the young are hatched. The Flicker, however, having built in a -stout limb, can safely return for several seasons to the same cavity, -or, if this becomes insecure, can cut another in the same trunk. -Branches are often seen where three or four round openings show the -tenements of several generations of these noisy birds. South of -Massachusetts, Flickers generally spend the whole year in one spot, and -in winter live largely on berries; a favorite food at this season is the -berry of the poison ivy. In the fall, the rum cherry becomes a resort -for all fruit-loving species. - -The Flicker, though not known to raise a second brood, has a second -period of song, so that we hear again in June the shout, or mating call, -of the early spring days. Besides this high-pitched _wick, wick, wick_, -the Flicker utters, when startled, a curious note like _worroo_; a sharp -_ti'ou_ is the call to its kind, and the syllables _yucker, yucker_, -often accompanied by ludicrous bowing with wings and tail outspread, are -used to show affection. - -[Illustration: THE BROWN THRASHER] - - - - - THE BROWN THRASHER - - -The Thrasher is the first great musician of the year; he arrives in the -last week of April, so that his song forms the prelude of the chorus -which is given in May by the true Thrushes, the Bobolink, and the -Oriole. There is a spirit, a brilliancy of execution, and a power in his -song which is perhaps more appropriate to early spring than the rich, -sweet tone of the birds who take up the strain in warmer days. He sings -when spring, though assured, is not everywhere manifest, and the vigor -of his ringing phrases serves to dispel any lingering doubt that the -faint-hearted may yet entertain. - -The trees are yet leafless, and the singer can be seen afar off on the -very topmost twig of some hillside tree; his long tail is held straight -below him, his head is up-lifted, and from his full throat comes phrase -after phrase, a succession of the most varied and apparently extremely -difficult notes, executed with an ease and full-hearted joy which, to -the ears of many, place the Thrasher in the class with the true -Thrushes. Like the song of all male birds, the performance is not only -an offering or an invitation to the female, but also an answer to some -rival whose fainter notes reach the ear from the neighboring grove. - -This last week of April is often one of the most delightful seasons of -the year, and particularly attractive to a beginner in bird study. There -are only a few bushes in leaf, and those of a delicate green; the dried -leaves under them are starred with white bloodroot; on the hillsides, -the purple violet and yellow five-finger are wide open in the warm sun, -and in the woods, the mayflower and the hepatica surprise the visitor in -spots where the late snow still lingers. The birds are easy to find; -there is no dense foliage to hide them, and the number of species is -still so few that their songs and figures are not difficult to -distinguish. - -The Thrasher's song ceases as you approach him. He slips down like a -wren to the undergrowth, where, if you listen, you hear him rustling and -scratching in the dry leaves. If you sit down near by, you will see him -as he mounts again from one twig to the next. His white breast is -heavily spotted with black, his head, back, and tail are of a bright -rufous shade, and his yellow eye glitters like a snake's. When he is -alarmed, he puffs like a turtle, or utters a note curiously like a loud -smack. The whole air of the bird is one of vigor and intelligence. The -sexes are alike in size and color. By watching patiently near the spot -where the male sings, it is often possible to surprise the pair bringing -bark and roots to the bush among whose roots or stems the nest is woven. - -It is one of the most delightful experiences in the study of birds thus -to watch a pair of birds building their nest, to note later the laying -of each egg, to see the female brooding till the nestlings are hatched -and finally leave the nest. One always heaves a sigh of relief at the -last moment, for so many tragedies may put an end to the story. The -female Thrasher is very bold when on the nest, and sits close till the -visitor, if he approach quietly, is within a few feet of her. She gazes -fixedly at him with her bright eye, but let him draw a step nearer and -she slips off into the bushes. The eggs are four or five, whitish, -covered with many light brown markings. - -The food of the Thrasher consists of insects and fruit. Many linger in -the North till the end of October, and spend the winter in the Southern -States, where the ground is generally free from snow. - -[Illustration: THE BARN SWALLOW] - - - - - THE BARN SWALLOW - - -There is no pleasanter sight among birds than a family of young reared -in the neighborhood of man and often on some part of his house itself. -Visit an old farmhouse; look about and see how many welcome guests the -farmer shelters without thought of pecuniary profit. Under the woodshed, -on a beam, the Phœbe has built a nest of moss, from which she flies to -the barnyard to pursue the insects that swarm there. In the vines on the -piazza, Robins and Chipping Sparrows have reared their young. In the old -elm over the door, an Oriole has woven a nest with thread twitched from -the clothesline or perhaps purposely laid out for her, and the orchard -shelters numbers of species—Bluebirds, Woodpeckers, Kingbirds, and -Chebecs. Of all these tenants, however, none seem so completely at home -as the swallows; none show so little concern at man's presence; none -take possession so coolly of the boxes, the eaves, or the rafters where -they build. Their kindred lived with man, ages ago, in Greece and Rome; -they have been welcomed each spring as heralds of a joyful season; their -departure has been watched with regret. Though they have but few notes -which are musical, yet their grace, agility, and swiftness have passed -into proverb and song. - -There are several species of swallow, or martin, which take advantage of -man's structures in or on which to place their nests, but the most -numerous, the most familiar to people in general, and perhaps the most -attractive, is the Barn Swallow. This is the only species whose outer -tail feathers are long and pointed, and form with the rest of the tail -the peculiar figure known as "swallow-tail." The head, back, wings, and -tail are all of a beautiful lustrous blue, and the tail, when spread, -shows large white spots in the inner feathers. The under parts vary from -whitish in immature birds to a rich chestnut in fully mature ones, who -have also the throat and forehead of a darker reddish brown. The bill -opens far back, so that there is a wide cavity to engulf any insect -which may be met in the ceaseless flight backward and forward over grass -and water. - -The nest of the Barn Swallow is familiar to all who have enjoyed life on -a farm. It is made of straws and grass, plastered together with mud, and -is placed on a beam or rafter in the barn. One hospitable farmer drove a -horseshoe into a beam, and on this ledge a swallow built each year. -Through the open door or window of the barn the swallows fly in and out, -and up into the gloom above, where twittering sounds tell of young that -are being fed. As soon as the young are old enough, the parents urge -them to fly, and in a few days they become skillful enough to take food -on the wing. This is an extremely pretty spectacle; the parent and the -young meet, and then fly upward for an instant, their breasts apparently -touching, while the food is passed from one bill to the other. One July -afternoon the writer watched a row of six young swallows clinging to the -shingles on a barn roof, every mouth gaping for food whenever the -parents approached. When the father brought the food, the bird sitting -nearest him got the mouthful, and in an instant later another from the -mother. Five times in succession this favored youngster was fed, while -the other five seemed neglected. But when the little fellow had all that -he could hold, he went to sleep, and the next wide-open mouth received -the food. What seemed at first an unfair arrangement was after all the -surest way to feed all alike. - -[Illustration: THE CHIMNEY SWIFT] - - - - - THE CHIMNEY SWIFT - - -The Swift is universally known as the Chimney Swallow, from a belief -that it belongs to the swallow family. It is, in fact, no relative of -the swallows, but very nearly related to the Whippoorwill and -Night-hawk. Swifts and swallows both have long, powerful wings, which -enable them to remain for long periods on the wing in a restless search -for insects. Scientists themselves were for a long time misled by the -resemblance in the appearance and habits of the two families, but a -close examination of the skeleton of the two birds has convinced -naturalists that the two families descended from different ancestors, -but have arrived at similar solutions of the problem presented to them -in their search for food. - -The Swift builds, as is well known, in the flues of chimneys. It is -often seen in May, dashing past the dead twigs of some tree, and then -off to the chimney, where the twigs are glued together and to the bricks -by the help of saliva secreted by the bird. A common and distressing -experience after a storm in summer is the discovery of the young Chimney -Swifts at the wrong end of the chimney,—on the hearth, in other words. -Even in their proper place in the chimney, the young birds can make -their presence very well known by beginning, as soon as it is light, an -incessant clamor for food. - -The long narrow wings, the powerful chest muscles, the cut of the bird's -body, and the way the keel is ballasted, so to speak, enable the bird to -remain for hours in constant flight without apparently experiencing the -least fatigue. Swallows are often seen resting on telegraph wires, but I -have never seen a Swift perch on any support outside a chimney. At night -and during such part of the day as is given up to rest, the bird -supports itself in chimneys by clinging to projections or crevices. The -stiff, sharp-pointed tail feathers aid greatly in supporting it. Before -the coming of the white man, hollow trees served as the roosting and -nesting places of the Swifts. - -There is no better practice for the eye than distinguishing swallows -from Swifts, when both species are mingled in the air. The Swift's -flight, though very powerful, suggests that of the bat, on account of -the frequency of the wing strokes; the rapid beating of the wings ceases -at intervals and the bird glides through the air or turns on set wings. -Then the twinkling flight begins again. There are none of those long -sweeping strokes with which the Barn Swallow cleaves the air. The tail -of the Swift, when the bird is flying, generally appears short and -cigar-shaped, or, if spread, it is fan-shaped, not forked like the tails -of all the swallows. - -The ordinary note of the Swift is a single sharp cry, slowly or rapidly -repeated; it is characteristic of warm summer evenings when the birds -fly about the houses in twos or threes, pursuing each other and uttering -this note _staccato_. A pretty sight at this time is the Swift sailing -with wings raised above the body, in the position of our common pigeon -just before alighting; the Swift assumes the same attitude above the -chimney, poising a moment before he drops into the flue. - -Early in September the Swifts leave the North, and may be seen high -overhead flying southward; unlike many of our small birds, they migrate -by day, their powers of flight protecting them from the birds of prey -which are such a menace to the smaller birds. - -[Illustration: THE KINGBIRD] - - - - - THE KINGBIRD - - -The swallows and swifts spend hours on the wing, turning to the right or -to the left, upward or back, in pursuit of winged insects. Many other -birds, notably the warbler family, take occasional flights after some -insect which they have startled from the leaves. The habits of another -large family of birds, the Flycatchers, are a compromise between these -two methods of obtaining food. Selecting some post of observation, such -as a dead limb, a fence, or the stalk of a stout weed, they wait -patiently, keeping a sharp watch of the air about them. At sight of an -insect flying near, they fly out in pursuit. If one is near enough to -the bird, a click of its bill will announce the fate of the insect. The -Flycatchers then return to the same or a neighboring perch. - -The family is not, on the whole, very good-humored; in fact, they might -justly be accused of irritability and pugnacity. The Kingbird, in -particular, the head of the house, is noted for his constant attacks on -any winged creature that approaches his nest. It must be admitted, -however, that when nesting time is over, he lives very peaceably with -his neighbors; but while the female is brooding the eggs or young, the -excited cry of the male is constantly heard, and every Crow that comes -in sight is pursued, sometimes for a mile. The Kingbird gets above his -victim and darts down at its head; the Crow can be seen wincing at each -vicious jab of the bill. One or two observers have actually seen the -Kingbird ride on the Crow's back for some distance. The Kingbird has a -patch of red concealed under the black feathers of his crown; when he is -angry or excited, these red feathers blaze out. They are very rarely -seen by men, but I imagine the Crows see them oftener than they like. - -Apple trees in old orchards are favorite nesting places of the Kingbird, -and no pains are taken to conceal the nest. It is composed of twigs -loosely laid together, and often festooned with white strings or the -dry, woolly heads of the mouse-ear everlasting. The inside of the nest -is neatly lined with feathers, horsehair, or roots, and contains from -three to five white eggs spotted with brown. The Kingbird is here from -the first of May to the first of September, but like all strictly -insectivorous birds, it must spend the winter far to the southward. The -bird's only notes are the shrill cries, _kipper, kipper_, given singly -or quickly repeated. In spring the birds often mount to a considerable -height, uttering this cry continually, and apparently attempting, by -this exhibition, to express the emotion common to all creatures at this -period of the year. - -The Kingbird is a very satisfactory bird to beginners; the color pattern -is so marked and the bird is so fond of exposed situations that it is -seen and recognized without difficulty. Except the Cedarbird, whose tail -is tipped with yellow, I know no other small bird of the eastern United -States whose tail feathers are all tipped with a regular edge of light -color. The Kingbird is the bird most commonly seen from a car window; in -almost every field, the mullein stalks or wire fences will display one -or more individuals, their white breasts or black and white tails -showing conspicuously in the landscape. - -The Kingbird has often been accused of destroying honeybees. Even -allowing that individuals occasionally do some damage in this way, the -good services of the race in destroying harmful insects far outweigh -these injuries, and the remedy is to drive the bird away from the hives, -not to kill it. - -[Illustration: THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE] - - - - - THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE - - -The arrival of the Orioles in the first week of May marks for many -people the return of spring. The males come first and take possession at -once of our streets and gardens, calling from the elms, or dashing into -the cherry trees white with blossoms. The females arrive a day or two -later, and the work of house-hunting begins soon after. In the selection -of a nesting site, the judgment of the female alone is naturally allowed -to have entire weight. The male is politely anxious, flying from twig to -twig, as if recommending them; but the female knows that she must sit -for days over her precious eggs, and be swung by all manner of storms, -in whatever situation she finally selects; she means, therefore, to be -sure before she builds. - -The number of trees on which hang two nests, one evidently older than -the other, is very noticeable, and probably means that the same pair -return to the same tree to build. Many people have an idea that birds -use the same nest in successive years, but it does not seem likely that -such a skillful architect as the Oriole would patch up the old nest, -when with a few days' labor she can build a new one, clean and strong, -and very likely improved by her former experience. The materials used -for the construction of the nest are tough, fibrous strips for the -framework, and softer materials for the lining. The female often comes -to the clothesline and twitches out some threads, and she is very -thankful for twine or similar material hung out where she can find it. -Lowell, who loved the Oriole next after the Bobolink, hung out -gay-colored threads for his birds, and was rewarded with the sight of a -brilliant nest. - -The female builds at first a framework of strong material, which is -attached to the several twigs on which the nest hangs. She actually ties -knots of this material with her long sharp bill, thrusting the end of -the thread through a loop, then reaching over and pulling it tight. -Tragedies sometimes occur during this process, the bird becoming -entangled in her own thread and choking or starving to death. A bit of -comedy is sometimes seen when the Oriole, returning to her half-finished -nest, catches a Summer Yellow-bird in the act of stealing some of the -material. After the frame is completed, the Oriole works from inside, -weaving the web from side to side. - -By June, the young hatch, and now the male, who has hitherto had an easy -time, becomes very busy bringing food to the young. In a few days, they -become old enough to cry for it very vigorously, and this they do so -incessantly that their _peet-teet_ becomes one of the characteristic -sounds of early summer. By the middle of July, the young leave the nest, -and then for a week or two the whole family are met with in the country -lanes, the children resembling their mother in color, but easily -distinguished by their short tails and the general downy look about the -head. - -The male suffers an eclipse during midsummer; his cheerful whistle is no -longer heard, and we should think that he had already left for the -South, did he not resume his strain in August. In fact, he has been -moulting; but, unlike the Tanager, he replaces his bright feathers by -others as gay, and before he leaves us, he is as bright as when he came. -The wild cherry trees are now a favorite resort for the whole family; -but by the first of September, they leave the Northern States and return -to Central and South America, where they lead a careless life till the -approach of spring reminds them of the village elms a thousand miles -away. - -[Illustration: THE WOOD THRUSH] - - - - - THE WOOD THRUSH - - -It is difficult to speak without enthusiasm of the song of a Thrush. He -seems wholly to outclass all other birds. When a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, -no mean singer as our birds go, has finished his song, let a Wood Thrush -utter but a phrase of his strain, and the Grosbeak's warble seems -commonplace. Except the Thrushes, we have few birds whose song appeals -to the imagination as human music does. We listen curiously to the songs -of the others, criticise them or comment on them, as we do on a -landscape; but let a Thrush sing and we fall into a reverie, recalling -sad, tender, or solemn ideas and associations. - -The Wood Thrush and the Veery, or Wilson's Thrush, are the common -Thrushes of all but the northern part of the Northern States. In the -mountains, the Hermit Thrush is found. This bird is generally considered -superior even to the Wood Thrush in the purity and solemnity of its -cadences. It has one great advantage over its rival; it sings on -mountain sides in clear, still air, so that the finest vibrations of its -voice come to the ear with perfect distinctness. The song of the two -Thrushes is readily distinguished by listening for the phrase -_ee-o-lee'_, with which the Wood Thrush regularly opens his chant. The -Veery has received its name in imitation of its song, which resembles -the syllables _ve[(e-u]ry, ve[(e-u]ry, ve[(e-u]ry_, each phrase lower in -the scale than the preceding. - -The Wood Thrush arrives in the Northern States in May, and unlike the -Veery, which is strangely silent on its first arrival, the male Wood -Thrush announces his presence on the morning of his arrival, by chanting -from some low limb his beautiful flute-like notes. In the Middle States, -it is a common and almost familiar bird, building in the gardens even of -large towns; but in wilder regions, it prefers copses, groves of young -trees, and rocky glens, particularly if there is a stream near by. By -the end of May the pair have finished their nest, which resembles that -of the Robin, but is often composed of less coarse material and is -generally placed in the fork of a sapling. The birds often take little -trouble to conceal it, sometimes placing it close to a woodland path, -and the passer-by becomes aware of its nearness by hearing the harsh, -anxious chatter of the parents. The four eggs are blue like the Robin's. -The Robin is, in fact, a near relative of the Thrushes, and the -relationship is shown not only by the shape of the body and the bill, -but by the spotted breast which the young Robins assume with their first -plumage. In the Middle States, this relationship seems to have been -recognized, as the Wood Thrush is there commonly called the Wood Robin. - -While the female is brooding the eggs, the male may be heard day after -day from some favorite perch, not too near the nest. The early morning -and the late afternoon are the favorite times for all the Thrushes, but -on cloudy days or in the cool shades of deep woods, they sing all day. -Occasionally the song ceases for several days. Some calamity has -befallen the nest; a squirrel or some other marauder has robbed the -pair, and there are no more outpourings of joy, till with renewed -courage they select some safer spot and build again. In midsummer, the -Thrushes become very silent. Occasionally we come upon a group feeding -in the cherry or viburnum bushes, but few are seen after August, and by -November they are in the tropics. Only the nest filled with snow reminds -us of the pair, whose return in May we await with impatience. - -[Illustration: THE SCARLET TANAGER] - - - - - THE SCARLET TANAGER - - -In South America, the Tanagers form a large family, but they send to the -more northern of our Eastern States only one representative, the -well-known Scarlet Tanager. A sight of this splendid bird properly, -therefore, suggests the tropics. The Tanager is considered a rare bird, -but it can always be found in suitable situations, and in certain parts -of the country is really a common bird. Oak groves are the favorite -resort of the bird, and since it does not often visit our dooryards, -even in migration, and since we, as a people, do not often visit oak -groves, the sight of a Tanager remains for most people a rare and -exhilarating experience. The bird, too, is of a rather sluggish -disposition, so that even if we visit the spot where a pair are nesting, -they display only a rather languid curiosity. The call-note used by both -sexes is well worth learning, for by its means our attention is often -attracted to a pair which we should otherwise overlook; it consists of -two syllables, resembling the syllables _tschip, tschurr_, uttered in a -hoarse voice. The song of the male is such as a Robin with a cold might -produce. - -Either because the Tanager breeds generally at some distance from man, -or because he considers that his brilliant coloring will make up for -other deficiencies, the bird has never, as far as I know, done much to -win the affection of bird lovers. They have enthusiastic praise for his -coat, but little to say of his manners. A story which Wilson tells of a -male Tanager is, however, a worthy exception to this statement. Wilson -found a young bird which had fallen out of the nest and, having brought -it home, put it into a cage with some Orioles. They altogether neglected -the orphan, and as it refused to be fed by Wilson, the latter was about -to return it to the woods, when a male appeared and tried to enter the -cage. Finding this impossible, he went off, but returned with food and -fed the young one for three or four days. At last, he showed so -unmistakably his desire for the release of the young one that the owner -set it free, and the two flew off rejoicing. If this Tanager was a type -of his kind, the species need not fear the application of the proverb, -"Handsome is that handsome does." - -Tanagers arrive early in May, and may then be easily observed, as the -trees are not yet in full leaf. Occasionally, in cold storms, all birds -seem to keep near the ground, and on such occasions Tanagers are -sometimes seen feeding on the ground itself, their splendid colors -showing to wonderful advantage. The female is a very plain personage. -Olive green above and greenish yellow below, with dull brownish wings, -is a combination of color that serves very well to keep her concealed -among the leaves. The nest is sometimes placed in orchard trees or even -in low bushes, but frequently in tall oaks. It is loosely built of straw -and twigs, and contains, by the end of May, from three to four eggs of a -light greenish blue, marked with brown and lilac. The young are fed on -insects gathered from the leaves. By the end of the summer, the male -moults his bright red feathers and comes out in a suit resembling that -of the female, but he keeps his black wings and tail. The whole family, -clothed in these inconspicuous colors, migrate southward and remain in -the tropics till the following spring. - -[Illustration: THE ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK] - - - - - THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK - - -To see a Grosbeak for the first time gives a student of birds almost the -same feeling of exaltation as the first sight of a Scarlet Tanager. If -one should hear, in the shade trees about the house, a Robin singing -much faster and with a richer voice than ever before, and, after patient -search, find the twig where the bird was singing, one's first thought -would probably be, "Some escaped cage bird from the tropics." The head -of the male Grosbeak is black, the tail and wings black and white, but -in the center of the white breast is a triangle of pure rose, carried in -some individuals far down the breast. When the bird flies, the white -patches in the wings have a peculiar effect, like a circle of white. The -large, almost monstrous bill, not only accounts for the bird's name, but -explains why he is put into the same family with the sparrows. His -nature, too, is eminently practical, as a sparrow's should be; a -favorite food is the potato bug. - -His mate lacks the black and rose, but her beak betrays her. She is not -a particularly interesting bird, and does not even have the credit of -excellence in household matters, at any rate as far as building her nest -is concerned. It is made of a few coarse twigs loosely laid together,—a -little platform through which the eggs sometimes show from below, and -from which one would think they must certainly fall off. The nest is -placed in a bush or low tree, and contains three or four greenish blue -eggs, thickly marked with red. The young are out in July, and though a -few Grosbeaks are occasionally seen in September, most of them have -already left for the tropics by the end of the summer. The same joyous -week of May which brings the Thrushes, Bobolinks, and Orioles brings -them back again. - -Just as a knowledge of the hoarse note of the Tanager will often betray -the presence of that splendid bird, so an acquaintance with the sharp -_click_, like that of a pair of shears, which the Grosbeaks make, will -often attract the student and reward him with a sight of the beautiful -rosy breast. Grosbeaks sing for a long time on one perch,—not on the -uppermost spray of the tree, as that other tropical sparrow, the Indigo -bird, loves to do, but, like the Tanager, on some branch well inside the -canopy of leaves. In the first weeks of May, when birds of many species -are mating, two and sometimes three male Grosbeaks may occasionally be -seen pursuing each other, their white wing bars and spots making a showy -contrast to the black. The victor in the struggle then returns to the -tree near the female, and pours out a song of unusual vigor and -sweetness. In May, the Grosbeak visits the blossoming fruit trees, -snipping off the petals and the undeveloped fruit. Suspicion has -therefore fallen on him, but it is now believed by the best authorities -that this "budding" is not severe enough to injure the tree or the crop -of fruit. Nor must we forget to throw into the other balance the result -of his labors in the potato field. - -When the adult male Grosbeak moults in summer, the rose on the breast -becomes duller, and the black on the head and back is almost entirely -replaced by brown. Like the Tanager, however, he retains his black wings -and tail, and may thus be distinguished from the brown-winged young -males. - -[Illustration: THE REDSTART] - - - - - THE REDSTART - - -Almost a fourth of the birds usually seen by a good observer in a -morning's walk in May or June, belong to a family known as Warblers. If -they were really as musical as their name suggests, people might know -them better; but even as it is, their colors are often so bright that -the birds well repay one who takes the trouble to make their -acquaintance. Perhaps the best known of the family is the Yellow -Warbler, not to be confused with the Goldfinch, from which the absence -of the latter's black cap, wings, and tail will distinguish it. The -Oven-bird, whose loud _teach-er, teach-er, teach-er_ is so common a -sound in dry woods in summer, is another member of the Warbler family. -The gayest of them all, however, in most parts of our country, is the -Redstart. His coal black head, with bright orange patches at the -shoulders, and yellowish bands across the wings and tail, suggest a -miniature Oriole. - -The Redstart is a splendid bit of color; in Cuba he is known, according -to Mr. Chapman, as "Candelita," the little torch. Black and orange is a -not uncommon combination of color among birds, and never fails to be -effective. The Redstart, moreover, makes the most of his color by -keeping both wings and tail spread, so that the yellow and orange is -constantly displayed. He flits from one twig to another, spreading his -little black-and-yellow fan, flying out, turning his black head and -glowing shoulders toward one, and continually uttering a little song, -not much in itself, and only full of meaning and association to the -bird's friends, to whom it suggests leafy shade near brooks in the -summer heat. - -The name of the family to which the Redstart belongs needs, perhaps, a -word of explanation. It simply means that our Warblers are related to a -family of European birds which have well earned their name, since the -family includes the Nightingale and one or two other birds almost as -musical. The name Redstart, too, is English,—_start_ coming from the -Anglo-Saxon word for tail. It was applied in England to a bird with a -red tail, and since our bird has bright color in the tail, the name was -transferred to it by the English settlers. - -Many of the Warblers frequent the thick woods and are little noticed; -the Redstart, however, often builds in the trees or shrubbery about the -house, particularly if a brook or pool afford an abundance of insects. -In the crotch of a sapling or on a limb, the female places a pretty nest -built of bark and soft materials. The female resembles the male in the -pattern of color, but the black is replaced by gray, and the orange by a -faint yellowish shade. Males only one year old resemble the female so -closely that the sharp little song often seems to proceed from the bill -of a female; in reality it is a young male that is singing, one not yet -arrived at the full splendor of his future gay plumage. - -The Redstart is often victimized by the Cowbird, and one feels the -imposition more keenly in its case than in that of almost any other -bird, for we know that the big clumsy Cowbird is being reared at the -expense of a whole family of these pretty warblers. - -The Redstart comes early in May and stays through the summer. Some are -seen even as late as October, but these are, very likely, birds which -have bred far North, where the late summer did not permit them to rear -their young so early as our own birds. - -[Illustration: THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD] - - - - - THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD - - -The restless activity and general appearance of the Humming-bird make -one almost hesitate to believe that it is really a bird and not a -brilliant tropical insect. It possesses no song; few people see it -except on the wing, and its nest is so rarely found that to most people -the bird is merely a sudden apparition, seen hovering over a flower, its -ruby throat sparkling in the sun. When the Humming-bird's nest is -discovered, it turns out to be a structure as delicate and rare as its -little architect. It is often fixed on a lichen-covered twig, frequently -in orchards, but as often on tall forest trees. To the outside of the -nest, bits of gray lichen are fastened, so that at a distance the nest -is mistaken for a knob of the twig itself. The eggs are always two, -ridiculously small, like pea beans. - -The Humming-bird is not a good father. He neglects all the domestic -duties, being rarely seen near the nest after it is completed. The -female brings up the two young birds unaided, feeding them by thrusting -her long bill into their gaping mouths and pumping food into their -throats. The process has been described as "a frightful-looking act." -The food thus administered to the young consists, probably, of -soft-bodied insects, for when Humming-birds visit flowers, it is not -only to gather honey, but also to capture the smaller honey-gatherers. - -Many charming stories have been told of the fearlessness of the -Humming-bird. It had often been observed that birds fed from flowers -held in the hand, but it remained for Mrs. Soule to make artificial -trumpet-vine flowers, and by filling them with sugar water, to provide a -daily feast for her Humming-bird neighbors. Though the birds are very -irritable and pugnacious when wild, frequently attacking each other with -the shrill squeaks which are their only notes, yet, in captivity, they -prove very gentle and almost affectionate. The Humming-bird has -discovered another method of obtaining the sweet liquor which it loves. -The Sapsucker, or Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, is in the habit of drilling -rows of small holes into the maples of the northern forests, and sucking -out the sap which fills these little wells. Many insects are attracted -to the sweet fluid, and the Humming-birds also come as uninvited guests -to the feast; so that while the Woodpecker is drinking on one side of -the tree, butterflies, bees, wasps, and Humming-birds are fluttering -about the other. - -By the end of September, the season for honey gatherers is about over in -the North, and the wings which can support the little body for so many -seconds in front of a flower, now take it southward to the tropics, -where there are always flowers. It is not until May, not until the red -blossoms of the Japan quince are open, that the Humming-birds return. - -The Ruby-throated Humming-bird is the only species found on the Atlantic -coast; the female, however, lacks the ruby throat, and is sometimes -taken for another species. Humming-birds seen at dusk, if caught, will -prove to be, not birds but clear-winged or Humming-bird moths. In South -America, however, there are over four hundred different species of -Humming-birds. A museum case full of these is a marvel of beauty and -interest; the iridescent colors of their gorgets, or throat-pieces, the -variety of shapes which their bills assume, the development of their -throat and tail feathers, give one the impression of a show case full of -fantastic jewels. - -[Illustration: BOB-WHITE] - - - - - BOB-WHITE - - -Bob-white, unlike the majority of our birds, does not migrate southward -in winter; the whole covey, unless they are killed, spend the whole year -near the spot where they were born, feeding on the fallen grain, seeds, -and various kinds of fruit. In hard winters, they become very tame, and -if fed regularly, come to the barnyard almost like poultry. Most people -are only too familiar with this bird, but not as he looks in life. Then -he is full of energy and spirit; his pure white throat shows against the -black of his head, and his rich reddish brown wings are ready to carry -him off with a whirr that startles one. For one that we see alive, we -see a thousand hanging, bloody and bedraggled, in the markets. Few -people who become really acquainted with Bob-white, who see him sitting -on a stone wall calling his name, or see his mate hurrying her little -ones over the road into the blackberry vines, will care to make another -meal off his little body. We must consider not only the wrong, if we -acknowledge it to be one, done to the individual quail whose life has -been taken, but the danger that threatens his whole race. The cheerful -_Bob-white_ is already a much rarer sound than it used to be, and the -bird has many other dangers to contend against besides the pot-hunter's -gun. - -The greatest peril that besets quail in the North is the occasional -midwinter blizzard, followed by intense cold. The quail at night huddle -close together on the ground, their tails touching and their heads -pointing out in a circle. After a great storm in a recent winter, the -melting snow exposed a circle of quail, surprised and buried by the -snow, like the people of Pompeii buried under the falling ashes. - -In May, the male begins to whistle the two or three clear notes which -have been translated into "Bob-white," or "More wet." This call is not -only a summons to the female, but also a challenge to other males; if -one hides near by and imitates the whistle accurately enough, a sudden -flight will sometimes bring the angry bird directly to the spot. The -surprise of the visitor is then amusing enough. Stone walls, fences, the -low limbs of trees are favorite perches for the male, and his cheerful -call has long been a familiar sound in farming country, from -Massachusetts southward. - -The nest is placed in some tangle of blackberry vines, along the edge of -a field, and is a sight worth a long journey to see. The pure white -eggs, often as many as fifteen, are laid close together in such a manner -that the little body of the female may cover and warm them all. When the -young are hatched, they are covered with down, and run at once, like -chickens, and unlike the little blind naked young which we see in the -nests of song birds. They follow their mother through the tangled grass -or low bushes, feeding on fruit and insects, and later on the grain in -the stubble fields. The whole family keep together, even when the young -are able to care for themselves. When they hear any danger approaching, -they keep close to the ground, relying on their brown coloring to -conceal them. If the danger comes too near, they are off in half a dozen -directions, over walls and bushes, coming quickly to earth again when -they see some sheltering covert. Then, after an interval, one hears a -note something like a guinea hen's, issuing from different parts of the -field. Guided by these sounds, the whole covey reassemble. - -[Illustration: THE GOLDFINCH] - - - - - THE GOLDFINCH - - -Not the most sullen sky nor the bitterest cold seems to discourage -Goldfinches. They are always cheerful and affectionate, keeping together -for the greater part of the year in larger or smaller flocks, which call -to each other, if separated, by notes as sweet as those of a Canary. In -summer, Goldfinches find an abundance of food in the seeds of many -species of plants, but in winter also many remain even in the Northern -States, searching cheerfully among the dry weeds and grasses, and -uttering their sweet notes. Many people, however, do not notice them at -this season, for when winter comes the head and body of the males of -this species, as of many others, lose the bright black and yellow which -marks them so distinctly in summer, and are clothed in dull brownish -shades. About the first of April, one notices here and there in a flock -a male that shows a few bright yellow feathers, and by another month, -they have moulted their winter dress and are as gay as ever. - -In the spring and early summer, the Goldfinches are extremely musical, -spending hours in uttering a simple but pleasing song. Several males now -engage in what seems to be a musical contest, flying out from a tree and -circling about with set wings, all the time keeping up a continual -strain. When flying through the air at a considerable height, they go in -long curves, and utter during each undulation three or four simple -notes. As they seem constantly to have business in one part or other of -the country, the wave-like flight and characteristic notes become a -common feature of the summer landscape. - -Though the Goldfinches are here all winter, they delay nesting till very -much later than the other resident birds; the Chickadees have their -first brood already out in the world by the time the Goldfinches -determine on building. The female is a modest-colored little body, as is -often the case where the male is bright. The pair generally build in -July, and choose some thick leafy tree, often a maple or poplar, and -there, on a limb at a considerable height from the ground, construct a -very neat nest, deep and cup-shaped, built of fine materials and lined -with down from plants like the thistle. Here five or six bluish white -eggs are laid, and when in another month the young Goldfinches begin to -fly, it is at once evident from their sharp, insistent crying. As the -calling of the young Orioles is a mark of late June, so the notes of the -young Goldfinches become associated with August. - -Goldfinches are very fond of the seeds of many kinds of composite -flowers; they bite holes in unripe dandelion heads and take out the -seeds; thistles are another favorite food, and a row of sunflowers -planted in the garden will not fail to attract them. In winter, besides -the seeds of weeds, they feed on birch seeds, scattering the scales over -the snow, and they even pull out the seeds of the pitch pine, when the -scales begin to loosen toward spring. - -No bird has livelier, more cheerful ways than our Goldfinch, and none -becomes a greater favorite. People are often at considerable pains to -remove the dandelion plants from their lawns; if the gay flowers -themselves do not repay one for their presence, many would certainly -allow them to remain in order to have the pleasant spectacle, in summer, -of a flock of yellow Goldfinches scattered about the grass and feeding -on the seeds. - -[Illustration: THE BLUE JAY] - - - - - THE BLUE JAY - - -Most people are surprised when they first learn that the Blue Jay is a -near relative of the Crow. The difference in color is certainly marked, -but in other ways the resemblance is striking. Neither bird can utter -its most characteristic note without gesticulation. Watch a Crow from a -car window when the _caw_ is inaudible, and the bowing and opening of -the wings are all the more noticeable. The motions which the Jay makes -when screaming are not so well known, as the sound generally comes from -a screen of leaves. Both birds are thieves and seem to relish their -thieving life; both can live on almost any food; both are heartily hated -by their neighbors in bird world. The Jay is more bitterly detested by -the other birds than the Crow. He is himself suspicious, and at the -approach of a hawk, owl, or man, warns the woods by his cries. Besides -the ordinary _djay, djay_, the loud scream so familiar in the autumn -woods, the Jay has other cries; a note like a wheelbarrow turning on an -ungreased axle, a high scream exactly like the Red-shouldered Hawk's, -and such a variety of lesser notes that one never is surprised to find -that any unusual sound heard in the woods is produced by the Blue Jay. - -Though one of the noisiest of birds when pursuing an intruder, the Jay -has learned to slip through the trees without a sound, and conceals its -bright blue and white in a remarkable way. A pair of Jays may be nesting -in some evergreen in our very garden, and unless we happen to see the -female slip into the tree, we may remain entirely unaware of their -presence. The nest is roughly constructed of twigs and roots, and is -placed in a tree from six to twenty feet from the ground. On a lining of -finer roots are laid four or five brownish or greenish eggs, spotted -with yellowish brown. The young are hatched by the middle or end of -June. - -The Jay in spring is undoubtedly a reprobate. He cannot resist the -temptation to sneak through the trees and bushes, and when he finds a -nest of eggs temporarily left by its owner, to thrust his sharp bill -through the shells; even young birds are devoured. In the autumn, -however, the Jay is a hearty, open fellow, noisy and intent on acorns -and chestnuts. The woods ring with his loud screams, as he travels -through them with his companions. It is amusing at this season to -observe them obtaining chestnuts, a favorite food. They drive their -powerful bills into a nut and wrench it out of the burr, then fly off -with it to a convenient limb and hammer it open. Many Jays spend the -entire winter in the northern woods, subsisting on nuts, but the large -numbers observed in the fall are evidence that many others are moving -southward, where food is more plenty. - -Jays and squirrels are curiously associated; both live in the autumn and -winter, innocently enough, on nuts and acorns; both, in spring, poach on -the eggs and young of birds. One becomes fond of each of these rascals -in spite of his undoubted villanies, and is glad that though neither -Squirrel nor Jay is protected by law, and in some states both are -constantly persecuted, neither seems to be diminishing in numbers. - -In Europe, the Crow and the Jay have several relatives, many of whom, -such as the Magpie, Rook, and Jackdaw, share the family characteristics. -They are all thieves, clowns, and impudent fellows, and yet win, if not -affection, yet a certain degree of good-humored toleration. - -[Illustration: THE BROWN CREEPER] - - - - - THE BROWN CREEPER - - -In the bands of little birds which in winter visit the trees about the -houses, there are often three different species, all of which find their -food on the trunks or large limbs of trees, but by such different -methods that a study of their habits is not only interesting but also -extremely instructive. The little Downy Woodpecker, like all its tribe, -hitches up the trunk or along the upper side of the limb, using its -stiff tail feathers as a support, and holding on to the bark by its two -pairs of sharp claws. The Nuthatch, with a short weak tail, and toes -arranged as in all song birds, three in front and one behind, has the -toes, however, spread so wide that it can climb head downward, over, -under, or around the limb. Least known of the three is the Brown -Creeper. It, too, has three toes in front and one behind, but although -not related to the Woodpeckers, it has developed stiff and pointed tail -feathers. It therefore clings to the bark in an upright position, and it -commonly begins at the bottom of the tree and works steadily upward, -often in a spiral. - -During the winter months, the Brown Creeper probably visits every -village street and every city park in the Northern States, but as it is -just the color of the weathered bark and moves close to it, it escapes -the notice of nearly every one. If one learns to distinguish the fine -wiry note, and watches the tree from which it proceeds, one sees the -bird flutter to the base of a neighboring tree and begin again its -steady ascent. When two birds are together, they sometimes indulge in a -very pretty flight, and tumble in the air like pigeons. As a rule, -however, the Creeper is solitary, and, in this respect, offers a marked -contrast to its companions and relatives, the sociable Chickadees and -Kinglets. - -The eyes of a Creeper are so near the bark which it is inspecting, that -it is not strange that it finds food where we should look in vain. It -has, besides, a very long curved bill which will reach into crevices in -the bark, and before the end of the winter, it has undoubtedly stripped -the trees of a large proportion of the dormant insects and their eggs, -especially as, like the other winter birds, it seems to have a very -regular beat, visiting the same groups or rows of trees every day. Few -birds are so strictly arboreal as the Creepers. The writer has only once -seen one alight on the ground, when the bird flew to a little stream to -bathe. In the ice storms which occasionally clothe every trunk and limb -with a glassy covering, the Creeper has to confine itself to the leeward -side of the trees. Occasionally the Creeper, on account of its practice -of beginning at the bottom of the trunk, flies to a spot on the tree -below the band of tarred paper, which protects the shade trees from the -visits of the canker-worm moth. On reaching the band, the bird makes a -circuit of the trunk, in a vain attempt to find a passage. It is better -provided, however, than the wingless moths, and when the circuit has -been made, a short flight carries it over. - -In April, the Creeper leaves its winter quarters for the North, and -joins many other species in the great spruce forests of northern New -England and Canada. Occasionally, on warm mornings before its departure, -the male indulges in a little song, of the thinnest quality imaginable. -When the pair reach their northern home, they hunt for a crevice under -some great flake of loose bark, and there construct their nest. The bark -of trees, therefore, furnishes the Creeper with a cradle at birth and a -home for the rest of its life. - -[Illustration: THE BUTCHER BIRD] - - - - - THE BUTCHER BIRD - - -Every one who observes the habits of birds soon notices with -astonishment the regularity with which they return each summer to the -same spots to breed. This is perhaps not so strange in the case of -breeding birds; they may be so fastidious in their selection of food or -of a nesting site that only a few places suit them, or the spot where -they bred one year may appeal to their affection and so be selected -again. It is no less evident and more remarkable that birds that spend -only the winter in our neighborhood often have as well defined a home as -those that spend the summer. Every autumn, about the first of November, -if one looks carefully at the topmost twigs of the small trees that are -scattered about the edges of some marsh, the eye may finally catch, -perched on the very top, the figure of a plump gray bird, with black -wings and tail, about the size of a Robin. Its tail often moves as if -the bird were balancing itself. A nearer view would show that its bill -was stout and slightly hooked, like a hawk's. Among song birds, it is -our largest regular winter visitor, and will remain near the same spot -till the end of March, when it retires northward to breed. The same -trees serve year after year as look-out posts; no doubt the bird -remembers where to find the fattest mice and grasshoppers. - -The Butcher Bird, or Shrike, is one of the few birds that seem to have -developed a sense of humor. I have seen it attack and drive off birds -far larger than itself, apparently out of simple mischief. It often -indulges in a succession of strange noises, some of which resemble the -song of the Catbird, but the whole performance is interspersed with -chuckles, squeaks, and harsh sounds, or interrupted by a grating cry, so -that it can make no pretense to be called melodious. It seems sometimes -as if the bird were simply amusing itself. - -For a while you will regard the Butcher Bird as a good-natured, -good-looking fellow; it is not till you find, near its post of -observation, mice or birds jammed into the crotches of twigs, or -discover a thornbush decorated with grasshoppers and caterpillars, that -you recall certain unpleasant reports about its character. When you -finally see it dash into a flock of sparrows and hear their screech of -terror, or see it tear out its victim's brains with that hooked bill, -you will understand its hawk-like habit of sitting where it can survey -its whole domain. The Hawks clutch their prey in their curved talons, -and then tear it with their beak. The Shrike's claws are neither curved -nor powerful, so that it is evident that it wedges its victims into -forked twigs or impales them on thorns, so that it can then tear off -portions to devour. But why it so often leaves them uneaten (the -practice of thus displaying its wares has earned the bird its name) has -never been satisfactorily explained. Perhaps the bird means to return to -them in times of scarcity, but they are so often left uneaten that it -seems probable that it has formed the habit of hunting and hanging up -its game, often with no thought of eating it. - -The Butcher Bird has often been persecuted for the destruction of -smaller birds; it seems far wiser to protect it, not only in order to -preserve so interesting a bird, but because birds form so small a per -cent of its food. In the spring and fall, it lives very largely on -insects, and throughout the winter, mice form a large part of its diet. -There is always danger of blundering when man interferes in the concerns -of nature, and if he once exterminates any creature, it is beyond his -power to re-create it. - -[Illustration: THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET AND BROWN CREEPER] - - - - - THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET - - -The Golden-crowned Kinglet is, next to the Humming-bird, almost our -smallest bird, and it frequents thick evergreens so continually that it -is rarely seen. There is little in its voice and habits to attract -attention, and its activity and restlessness are so constant that we -rarely catch sight of the bit of color which it possesses,—the crown -which the little king carries. But if we train our ear so that it -catches every fine natural sound, no matter how trifling, we become -aware some crisp winter day of a thin _see, see, see_, often repeated -from some hedge, or group of orchard trees. If we watch, our eye will -catch sight of one or two tiny creatures, flitting restlessly among the -twigs, keeping their wings in almost constant motion, even when not -actually flying. The general color of the bird is a shade known in the -books as olivaceous, but the effect outdoors and at a distance is a dark -gray; across the wings there are little whitish bars, and over the head -dark lines enclose the little crown,—yellow in the female, orange in the -male. - -If we succeed in attracting the Chickadees to our trees, by tying up -bones, the Kinglets often come in their company, but their little bills -are too weak to pick at the frozen gristle, and they merely glean from -the twigs and buds. The little scale insects, the eggs of moths and -spiders, all manner of minute objects, are detected by their sharp eyes -and seized by their skillful little bills and tongues. At night, the -band retires to some thick evergreen hedge or grove, ready the next -morning to resume their busy rounds. In April, the male is moved to -utter a simple little song, and by the end of the month the whole -company move to the spruce forests of the North, not to return to us -until the next September. - -In the Northern States, the Golden-crowned Kinglet is the only species -that remains all winter, but from Virginia southward its cousin, the -Ruby-crowned Kinglet, is associated with it; in summer, strange to say, -the more Southern winter species goes farther North than the -Golden-crowned, breeding from northern Maine to the frigid zone. A few -years ago, no eggs or nest of either Kinglet had been described, but -when they were at last discovered, they proved as dainty as the little -builders themselves. The nest is globular, with an entrance in the upper -part; it is placed in a thick mass of spruce twigs and composed of -hanging moss, ornamented with bits of dead leaves, and lined chiefly -with feathers. In such a nest, as many as nine eggs are often laid; -imagine the little Golden-crown brooding in this bower. - -Like some of the Warbler family, the Kinglet does not let an insect -escape, though it should take wing before it could be seized. The bird, -too, has wings, and darts out after its prey. In winter, it often hovers -under the piazza roofs, or the lintels of the barn door, and while in -the air, picks off the eggs or chrysalids that have been hidden in the -crevices. Occasionally one of the birds, in its eagerness to seize some -attractive morsel, flies sharply against a windowpane. No doubt it is -the part of a thrifty householder to sweep out the insects from his -piazza roof, but there are some, like Lowell, wise enough to leave a few -decayed limbs on their apple trees for the Woodpeckers, a patch or so of -weeds for the Snowbirds, and a chrysalis or two for the hungry Kinglets -in winter. - -[Illustration: THE HERRING GULL] - - - - - THE HERRING GULL - - -All winter, a traveler along the seashore sees the great gray gulls -wheeling gracefully through the air with outstretched wings, floating -lightly on the water, or sitting in long lines or compact masses on the -bars or flats which are exposed at low tide. The harbors of all the -northern seacoast cities are visited in winter by numbers of these -birds, constantly on the watch for any bits of refuse which may be -thrown from the wharfs or vessels, or brought down by the tides or -currents. Their long and powerful wings make the flight of even so heavy -a bird a sight beautiful to watch, and the water looks deserted when the -motion and color which the gulls furnish is absent. But it is not to the -eye alone that the birds appeal. - -The ceaseless activity of the gulls in pursuit of floating refuse and -their inordinate appetite make them invaluable scavengers; without them, -the refuse dumped into the water would return at each tide to pollute -the shore. No idea can be formed of the value of the service performed -by the gulls, till one sees the countless throngs which hover over the -dumping grounds in the lower New York Bay, awaiting the arrival of the -scows with the refuse from that city. As the buzzards and vultures are -protected in all warm countries for their services in devouring carrion, -so ought these scavengers of the northern seas to be guarded from -persecution. - -The adult Herring Gull in full plumage has pure white underparts, head -and tail, but a gray mantle, as it is termed, is spread over the wings. -Young birds, however, show many shades of brown, and attain the white -only after a year or two. The small, elegantly built birds, known along -the seacoast as Mackerel Gulls, are not strictly gulls, but terns. They -may be known by their forked tails and by their black caps. It is they -that hover screaming over the water, constantly darting down to strike -at fish. - -Gulls breed commonly along the coast of Maine and far northward. Great -colonies occupy a small area, and a visit to their breeding places is a -marvelous experience. At the approach of an intruder, the parents rise -from their nests and circle about overhead, uttering hoarse cries, till -the air is full of their wheeling forms. The downy young squat in the -grass or bushes till the danger is past. - -Both gulls and terns have long been persecuted for their soft white and -gray plumage, which is coveted for the adornment of women's hats. As the -destruction of the birds on the islands where they are breeding would -soon destroy the whole race, efforts are being made by the lovers of -birds to protect the birds on all the sandy points or rocky islands -where they rear their young. - -Gulls have wonderful powers of flight, and some species often follow -ocean steamers for days, flying constantly about the vessel's stern, -watching for bits of food which may be thrown overboard. When an object -is spied the whole flock dart upon it, and it soon disappears among the -crowd of struggling birds. - -In the Eastern States gulls are always associated with the sea, but in -the Mississippi valley certain species are found on the prairies, where -they follow the plough to seize the upturned insects. - -[Illustration: THE CHICKADEE] - - - - - THE CHICKADEE - - -Throughout the winter, bands of small birds visit the orchards and -ornamental trees of every village and farm, gleaning dormant insects and -their eggs from the twigs and boughs. The best known member and the -leader, apparently, of the company is the Chickadee. There are generally -about half a dozen of these birds together, possibly the parents and -young of the preceding summer. The whole company are rarely in sight at -any one time; some are in one tree, some are flying to the next, one -perhaps is on the ground. There is a constant interchange of lisping -call-notes, which break into excited gurgles, and the familiar _tee, -dee, dee, dee_, when something excites their alarm or curiosity. It is -not hard to disturb their composure; they come more easily than almost -any other bird to the squeaking sound that bird students make to attract -the attention of birds. One fluffy head after another pitches into the -tree nearest the performer; then, by short stages, the boldest comes -nearer to the strange sight and sound, often within arm's length. When -their curiosity is appeased, they return to their examination of the -twigs and branches, or, if startled by a sudden movement, they dive into -the nearest cover. - -Their positions when feeding on slender twigs are extremely graceful, -and their agility surprising. When gathering sunflower seeds, of which -they are extremely fond, they cling to the under surface of the drooping -head and pick till they loosen the seed. Then they fly with it to a -branch and hammer it open. A favorite winter food is the berry of the -poison ivy. By tying a bone or a piece of suet to the branches of trees -near the house, not only Chickadees but other birds as well will be -attracted to the spot, and will become regular winter visitors. They are -by no means confined, however, to villages and farms. Often as we push -through the deep snows of the winter forests, the only sound will be the -distant lisp of this hardy bird. - -Besides the notes heard so commonly in winter, the Chickadee has a -pensive and extremely gentle whistle, which it utters while sitting -motionless, and oftener in spring than at other seasons, though it may -be heard in every month of the year. It consists of two notes, an exact -interval apart, and each accented. It is often mistaken, especially in -early spring, for the song of the Phœbe, but it may be distinguished by -its purity and sweetness. It is easily imitated by whistling, and the -bird will often answer, or even fly toward the person whistling, and -survey him with astonishment. - -It is generally believed by people who see the bird only in winter that -the Chickadees retire northward in spring; it is true that they then no -longer frequent the yards and gardens, but in the woods and retired -orchards many a pair have excavated some decaying birch or apple stump, -and after lining it warmly with moss and feathers, provided amply for -the continuance of their race; sometimes as many as nine eggs are laid. -In winter, the birds spend the night in holes, not necessarily the same -in which they were bred. - -Several writers have mentioned instances of the extreme boldness of this -bird; Mr. Chapman has had a Chickadee perch on his hand. One can easily -imagine it, but we do not need such a mark of confidence to feel strong -affection for this companionable and winter-loving bird. - - - - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical - errors. - 2. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - 4. The term [(e-u]denotes an "e-u" with a Triple Inverted Breve over - the characters. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bird Portraits, by Ernest Seton-Thompson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRD PORTRAITS *** - -***** This file should be named 52600-0.txt or 52600-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/6/0/52600/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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