Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-11-29
MORNING AMONG THE ALPINE, BIRDS.


among the Alpine birds is by Dr. Frederick Tschudi,
member of the Swiss Society of Natiuralists, and
author of many interesting works. The translation
is by writer for Backwood:
"The greater number, especially of the smaller
birds, alternate between the hill and the mountain
regions and in the winter gladly seek the fields for
ests, and bushes of the lowlands and of the mild
valleys. But their sweetest song, their summer joys
their merricst time, are in the mountains. There
they live like rich gentlemen, who, in the fine
son. repair to their country houses. Their table is
ever spread and perch ready; their friends are
ever at hand to sport and rejoice with them. There
is peculiarly about their ubation in their noun
tain forests. No nightingale pipes her melodous
notes. seldom lnnet is heard, rarely that capital
singer, the black headed titmouse-and yet wood
and rock resound again with the joyous concert
True it is that goodwill, and joyous, gushing vita-
ty often atone for the absence of natural harmony
and artistic skill Before the rosy miss of morning
have announced the SUMS approach-often before
even light tint in the east has indicated its point
of rising and whilst the stars still getter brightly in
the dark blue sky-a low rumbling noise is heard,
issuing from tall old fir; then follow chattering
capping notes, growing quicker and quicker; and
finally long string of Kissing sounds, like the whet-
ting or sharpening of blade. 1t is the heathcocks
coupling time. With distorted eyes he trips and
dances about upon his bouSh, whilst in tho bushes
below the hens quietly repose and respectfully be-
hold the foolish capers of their lord and master He
not long left to enlivcn the forest alone. Some marsh
birds in the ncighbouring reeds have been piping
ever since midnight, and become jealous in their
song, now that the sun approaches Then the black
bird awakes, shakes the dew from the glossy sable
of his plumage, whets his bill against the bough,
and hops higher up in the maple-tree, almost Won
dcring to find that twilight is becoming daylight
and that the forest still sleeps Twice, thrice he
sends summons, the tree tops, across to the
opposite mountain, and down into the valley, on
hi, h,pl- of
puts forth, with might and fire, his magnificent
notes. alternately gay and plaintive and rouses the
whole woodland region into life The cuckoos mus
ical call resounds afar in the forest. Thin blue COL
umns of smoke issue from the cattage chnneys in
the valley there is barking of dogs in the farnyards
and the tnkling of cow-be; the birds rise from
bushes grass, and rocks, and soar upon the wing,
to the sun, and to praise kind Mother Nature,
who has more sent them the cheerful light Many
apoor little uttcrer reoces that the anxious, danger
night is past. He sat upon twig, his head
buried in his feathers when by the starlight he
forest owl fly noscessy through the trees in search
of prey. The ock-martcn came from the valley,
the ermine from the cliff the pinc-martin descended
from his squirrels nest the fox prowled amongst the
bushes. All these the bird had seen. On the tree
in the air, the ground-destruction all around
him. Many weary hours had he sat out, not daring
to stir, protected and concealed by few young
bcech-leaves. How gladly he now leaps forth, and
extols the safety of life and the protection of flight
The chaffinch sounds his clear and powerful notes.
the redbreast sings the summit of the larch the
grecnfinch in the alder -bush the yellow hammer and
redfinch in the underwood. The f1axfnch, the tit
mouse, the golden-crested and the common wren,
exert their various notes. the ringdove COOS the wood
peckcr taps at his tree But above all these cheer
full sounds heard the potent voice of the misteoe
bird the melodous notes of the tree-lark, and the
inimitable chant ofthe trlsh. What morning con-
cert in those green g!ades!"
Tha ,rrfor in Rlockbood refnrred tn aES fhDs
of this "prctty bit" of description:
"And what pretty bit of sylvan description is
this, showing hearty love OF nature, and close OBJ
servation of her ways! DR.. Tschudi has invited
himself to pass the day with the Birds and he avails
himself of the opportunity to observe and note down
the details of their domestic life, like some mperti-
ncnt foreigner whom hospitable country gentleman
has invited to pass a week at "The Grange" and
who requites the courtesy by printing the mnutest
particulars ofhs hosts housekeeping. But the most
susceptible bird could find nothing offensive in the
doctors revelations. 1t is hard to say how he man
aged to observe, without alarming, his feathered en-
| tertainers. He must have covered himself with
leaves or lain for hours perdu beneath bush, sup
pressing his breath till his presence was forgotten
or till he taken for part of the landscape for
| log OF fossiI-for he had to do with timorous
race, easily panic-strcken and silcnccd. Suddenly
chirping and piping, singing, cooling and hammering
all ceased at once. They were replaced by the hoarst
and hungry cry of the pigeon n-hawk, hovering omi
nously over the wo d, whose melodious denizens
buried themselves, mute and trembling, in its deep
est foliage The peril past they again emerged, re
commenced rouadcs and trills that Grsi nigh
envy, and industrously sought their breakfast
berries, insects, seeds. Thus passes the morning
in song and banqucting hot noon is the silent time
in the forest when its denizens take their siesta
with the exception of few indeiatigable warblers
whom nothing will silence. Towards evering the
choir is again active, but the concert lacks some
what of the vgour and freshness of the mornings
performance 1t is farewell to light-whch th'
other, welcomed. Night falls, and once more thu
stiffness is only broken by the hootng of OWLS
the heavy circng of the bat"