Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-28
FOWLER, SPARE THAT BIRD!


ofthe very best manure.
FOWLER, SPARE THAT BIRD!
MEssRs. GAYLORD g. TuCKER-I know
of few things more calculated to disturb the
equanamity of mind, and ruflle the feelings
Of humane man, one who lives among an
imals and birds, and feels as if they were all
personal friends, than to see shock-headed
straddlng thing, calling itself man, with
rusty musket or rifle, creeping about our
highways, woodlands, or orchards, and pop
ping away at the harmless little creatures,
that give to the landscape half its charms,
and to the eye and the ear half their pleas.
ureS.
l know these men cannot look upon
birds as do, or they would not have to be
guilty of homicide, to know what the sensa-
tons of murderer are, when they wantonly
destroy these creatures Of the air. Ipead
not for the hawk or crow; but for the beauti-
fnl songsters, that greet the morn with a
hymn, futter over and through our meadows
and orchards, and exhibit an instructive hap
piness that would reconcile the most morbid
misanthropist to life and its cares. l never
hear the song sparrow, that with us is usually
the first harbinger of spring, without feel
ing of gladness "that the winter is over and
gone and the time ofthe singing of birds is
Gomez" and this feeling is increased, as day
after day, the blue bird, robin, tree sparrow,
yellow bird, bob-a-lnk, brown thrush, oriole
and swallow successfully arrive, and enlven
the woods and fields with their presence,
and fill the air with their music.
Tell me not that these birds have not
memories; that when the mysterious instinct
compels their migration from US, they never
return to their loved haunts, or again build
in the same grove, but go whittier accident
or chance may direct. Only few days
since, was standing in the field, and sud-
denly heard the far off twitters of the barn
swallow, Of which not one mad yet appeared.
Away upln the blue sky, at last deserted
him, as he slowly and on weary wing de-
scended from his long flight, and with song
which could not De mistaken but for one of
Joy that his journey was over, he resumed
his accustomed place on the ridge of the
barn. In few minutes he was Joined by
his mate, and during the hour in which they
were resting from their weary way, many
were the congratulations that passed between
them. On the spot where for years they
have built their nest, and reared their young.
they are now building, and their absence is
like the absence of friends.
And what is the crime charged upon these
beautiful birds, they are doomed to death by
every hoy or man, who is disposed to show
his proves in shedding their blood! Why
) they eat our cherries, or perhaps OCCASION
ally peck our trees or our sweet apples
This charge is true; but only very small
part are guilty, il guilt there is about it; and
must all the acknowledged harmless species
suffer for the act of one or two? Where is
the man who can accuse the sparrow, yellow
bird, blue bird, swallow, thrush, bob-a-lnk,
lark, and multitude of others, of prey ing
Oh his crops or his fruits Yet these are
sought after and destroyed with as much
) avidity and hot haste, as the most predatory
ones. The urchin or the ragamuf1in raises
, his weapon, and the half-warblcd song, re-
mains unfinished forever. l have admitted
, the charge, but if true in its fullest extent,
: would it Justify determination! Is there no
t good deed performed-no services rendered
to the gardener or the cultivator, which NAV
be plead in extenuaton or mitigation ? I
think there are many, and the good they do
of profit or loss, the trifing injuries they
&, produce. The robin, the cedar bird, and the
= wood-pecker, are the three Of the small birds
G most destructive to fruit, but these arc
n far from being useless. this morning saw
i in my garden, robin, hopping along on
n the ground; soon saw it seize black grub
or cut worm land in few moments another.
S Those two worms among my melons or Gu
@ cumbers, would have done me more injury
y than dozen robins in my cherry trees, and
; and yet those two formed but a small part OF
: the worms Of various kinds this single bird
n would devour in a day. OF all birds, the ce,
: dar bird is to me, perhaps, the only one pos
G lively disagreeable; yet owe to flock Of
: these birds, that made my orchard their home
: last year, many bushel of beautiful apples,
= as they fed continuity on the cankerworm
IS that at one time ,hreated the total desructicn
j. of some Of my choicest fruit and trees. And
It the wood-pecker, while you think he is only
IS amusing himself, by hammeripg away on
n your trees, will, if you observe him closely
,r be seen ever and anon to thrust his long barb
d cd tongue into hole, and extract grub tina,
e was periorating and destroying inch by inch
your tree.
Before You destroy bird on your premi-
SEES, or permit any one else to do it, be cer-
n tam that you are not about to destroy one Of
a your most faithful friends. Carefully weigl,
II the good and evil they occasion against each
C other; think of the pleasure and instruction
y they afford; rise on one of our beautiful
n mornings before the sun, and hear from COPS,
o and orchard, and grove, the thousand voice
is of joy and melody that are rising and ming
6 ling, and if you have single feeling that be
n longed to man in Paradise, it will no, b,
p necessary to repeat to you-Fowler. spar
Q that bird! A FRIEND TO BIRDS.