The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-11-07
From The .Ns,O England Magazine.
OUR BIRDS.

} OUR BIRDS.
TALK IN THE WAY OF ORNITHoLoGY.
The War5ling Fly catcher. The song q
this bird is, perhaps, the sweetest and mos
! agreeable of all the ,uneful choir. He is nurl
less common than the Red Eyed Fly catch
er, and do not recoiiect everto have he 4
him within the precincts of the city but ii
a woody spot in the country or on an elm
or chestnut near your farm house, whenever
you hear from out the leaves sweet, melt
ing, continuous MARBLE, in a low, gentle
strain, yet clear and distinct; tender an,
approaching TO languid, yet not deficient il
fulness or effect; never harsh, sharp, alb.
rupt or strong, hut ever liquid, clear, and
soolhing, you may discover the bird have
been describing. His nest is built in the
common way, IN the high branches of a
tree. generally an elm. He shows con-
siderable tondness for the society of man
ny nesting near his dwellings, and his coz
h'enre and familiarity should be returned
with hospitable protection. as a reauiial nc
less merted hy his sociable disposition, than
the surprising sweetness of his voice.
VI the Fly -catcher tribe, we have vari-
Gus other individuals, more or less eminent
for song. as the White-eye, the Rel, start,
and others, SO little known as to have no
popular name. These binds, as their appel
latlon signifies, live solely on flies. mos
chetoes, bugs, &c, so that The services thew
perform are not limited to the sphere of their
musical capacities. Some of them are hardly
ever seen out of the thickest woods, as these
parts abound generally in insects. The
hed start, must lie looked for in the tleepes,
and darkest recesses of the forest THIS IS
handsome little bird. of dark brown col
or. with beautiful orange on the shodld-
ers, ana white at the breast. His nyte is
much like that of the Goldfnch. or Yellow
bird, and among the thick foliage of the
pines or walnu;s, you may observe hm dart
ing round and round from one liub to an
other in pursuit of his game, shipping up
flies and moschetoes, one after alother, to
the tune of fifty or hundred permeal the
havoc, indeed, made by all of them among
insects is prodigious. 1t is fotunate and
wise provision of nature that sch ii check
should be provided to the multi licatlon of
these insignificant, but tioabhsome crea.
lures. All animated species lave their IT.
remarkable grievances and b he gobbled
up Ivy birds seems to be one of the ills that
fly flesh is heir to.
"Speaklng of every thingp says Caleb.
Quotem, reminds me OF nothng" Speak
ing of catching flies reminds ne of political
economy. Mr.. Nautilus, and his acuytes,
might draw an argument from analogy from
the preceding fact, and ulhers of Kindred
nature, which mark the whole srheme OF ami
mated existence-in favor of his doctrine OF
superfecundity, and the necessity OF the pre-
ventive check. There is very manifest
superfecundty in the production of birds,
and very evident and operative preventive
check in the way of this increase Most of
those, familiar TO US, lay four or five, and
sometimes more, eggs; the Marsh Wren
lays seven or eight; and many of these
birds breed twice or thrice in season; vet
do we find that any species is more numer-
Gus now than ii was at any preceding peri
| oil? The geometrlcal ratio in which they
ought to Increase, according TO calculation,
is enormous; but for all this, 1t does not appear
that any increase takes place from year to
year, even IN those species not moles.ed by
man. An attentive observation will explain
this phenomenon. The system of animated
nature Is one great round of destruction !;
hardly an inhabltant of the forest lives 9th
erwlse than Ivy destroying some other spe-
cies OF animal. Both the eggs and young
| of birds are exposed to such series of
hazards, that, after considering their num-
her and degree, we see cause rather for
surprise, that whole species are not exter-
minated, than for wonder at their not in
rrensing out Of measure.
The Cow Bunting destroys a vast num-
Der; perhaps one third of the small BIRDS
nests will be found upon examination to
have Cow Bunting's egg in them but this
is nothing TO the ravages committed Among
the eggs ard young, by Cuckoos. Squirrels,
Pole-cats, Snakes, Owls, Rats, Foxes, &C.,
who are continually prowling about in
search of nests. When full grown. their
hazards are far from heiug at an enh The
Hawks, Owls, and Foxes, with host of
other enemies, are ready to dart upon them
at every favorable opportunity by this
means a proper balance is kept up in their
number. and no species is suffered to multi
ply beyond certain limit. The philosopher,
as is remarked by the great French natur-
allst, contemplates with pain a system so
apparently cruel, yet he admires the sklfUl
adaptation Of parts. and the efficiency with
which the means are fitted to the end. The
"ho oiC HOitiohS WI giCut
scheme, may rest satisfied that their private
loss is public gain, and thus to fall person
nj sacrifice to the proper operation of the
system, would he, rs Lord Byron said of be-
ing drowned in the Lake of Geneva, "clas-
slcal, but not ngreeaber
Secluded spots and deep recesses are the
fdvorite haunts of the WoOd Thrush, bird
whose note is possessed of singular melody
and compass he IS very rarely to be met
with. hut his song, if it but once strike the
ear, cannot fail to arrest your attention IN
simultaneously, and remain impressed upon
the memory ever afterwards-so very maj k
ed and peculiar are both his tone and exc
cutiun. He sings seldom, generally towards
evening, and is very shy. About sunset you
may, by II happy chance, hear his note from
the thlckest part of deep grove, and by
making your way carefully through the
trees, find him perched IN the centre of an
enormous white pine, so dark as to shut out
the light of day here in total solitude, and
unsuspiclous of any intruding listener, he
will chant few slow, solemn and singular :
y varied tones, mole like those of flute
or church organ, than any melody Of the
woods. These tones are musical in very
high degree, clear, deliberate, and iegulat.
ed by pauses of considerable l. myth.
know not any songster of our groves, whose
performances are more striking or effective
than the singular chants Of this bird; thei
full, deep, and impressive sounds, the sol
emn slowness with which they are uttered
the dark solitude of the spot, still darker
from the gathering shades of evening, pl
combine in producing al effect similar II