Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-06-24
ON THE MEANS OF MULTIPLYING THE
SMALLER BIRDS AROUND OUR
DWELLINGS.

! On this subject, the last number Of Horey's
! Magazine contains an excellent article from the
pen Of Wilson Flagg. 1t is rather long for our
purpose or we would give it entire. We can, in
brief give his points, but not the poetry and beau
/ ty with which he invests them. Few realize how
much birds, as companions of our residences, add
to our happiness. TO those pent up in the city,
q walk one of these bright mornings TO where the
merry birds are laughing in the fullness of their
JOY is ecstacy; and as all pleasant impressions 60
toward forming our character and life, the more
numerous We can make them the better. Birds,
like the flowers, green fields and singing brooks,
are part Of the poetry of the world-banish them,
and how gladness would give place to gloom, and
music to mourning. Birds, too, apart from the
happpiness they give us, are real friends to the
farmer; they rid him Ui thousands Of insects that
would destroy his crops
Mr.. FLAGG gives two plain methods Of preserv-
ing birds - The first consists in omitting to des-
troy them the second in promoting the growth of
certain trees, and other piants on which they de-
pend for shelter and subsistence. The birds, con-
sidered in relation to trees and shrubbcry may be
divided into two classes. First the familiar birds
that live in orchards and gardens, and increase
in numbers in proportion the woods are cleared
and the lands devoted TO tillage. To this class
belong several Of our sparrows, the wrcn the blue
bird the American robin, the bobolnk the linnet
the yellow-bird and some others. The second are
the less familiar birds that frequent the woods and
wild pastures, and which would probably be extcr.
minated by reducing the whole forest to park or
tillage. Among these may be named the little
wood-sparrow, one Of the sweetest Of American
sonasters, nearly all the towee finch, and many of
the syirias, aud wood.peckers.
To preserve the first Of these species, little is
necessary to be done except to avoid destroying
them; but TO insure the multiplication of the sec.
ond. we must study their haunts, the substances
provided by nature for their food, the plants that
afford them shelter, and to a certain extent labor
to preserve all these for their use. The little
brown sparrow is never heard in the heart of our
villages, unless they closely surrounded by
woods. Yet this bird does not live in the woods
He frequents the pastures which are Overgrown
with wild shrubs, and their underground of vines,
MOSES, and ferns that unite them imperceptibly
with the green sward by which they are surround
ed. He is always found in the whortleberry past
ures, and probably makes his repast on those sim
pie fruits in their season. lie builds his nest on
the ground, on mossy knoll, under the protection
Of thicket-
In all well cultivated farms md country resi-.
denees the familiar birds will be plenty, but the
others will frequent those places only, where wild
shrubbery, thickets, &c, abound Every one by
watching the habits Of birds can tell what is nee
essary to induce them to be friendly. BY remov-
ing all underbrush, you cffectually bauish the
cat-brd, red thrush, &C., as you would eKtermi-
nate the squirrel by destroying all nut bearing
trees.
A fence-row near the house grown up with all
sOrts oi Wild plants, viii become an ayiary Of
many singing birds Study the habits If the blue
bird, martin and swallow, and you may have them
about you by thousands.
From the earliest period of our history, it has
been customary among our people to encourage
the multiplication OF swallows, by the erection Of
bird-houses in their gardens and enclosures. This
custom was probably derived from the Aborigines,
who were in the habit Of Furnishing a hospitable
retreat for the purple martin, by fixing hollow
gourds OF cllabashes upon the branches Of trees
near their cabins. 1t is generally believed that
these little birds serve by their unceasing annoy
anees, to drive away the hawks and crows from
their vicinity, performing thereby an essential
service to the farmer. This pleasing and useful
custom has of late years grown unaecountably into
disuse- The chatterIng of swallows is one Of the
delightful accompaniments Of vernal morning
and that Of the martin, in particular, is tire most
enliyening Of all sounds from animated nature.
AZ the birds Of the swallow tribe subsist upon
Insects that inhabit the atmosphere il is not in our