Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-15
MISCELL A N Y.
From the Boston Journal.
The Loves of the Birds.

Poets have sung the loves OF men and OF an
gels, but they have never been known to sing OF
the loves of birds They have been very neg
lectful in this respect The loves of the birds
form as fruitful a theme as those of the poets
themselves. In their attachments they are gen.
orally faithful and atfectionate-and it must be
confessed they are, like men, little jealous
sometimes. Audubon gives beautiful descrip-
ton of the loves of the humming-birds lie
saws that in their courtShip, the male, dancing
airily upon the wing, swels his plumage and
throat, and whirls lightly around the female
then diving towards flower, he returns with
loaded bill which he protfers her. He seems
full of ecstacy when his caresseS are kindly re-
ceived His little wings fan her as they fan the
flowers, and he transfers to her bill the insect
which he has procured If his addresses are re-
eeived with favor, his courage and care
are redoubled He dares even to chase the ty-
rant fly catcher, and hurries the blue bird and
martin to their nests; and then, on sounding
pinions, he joyouSly returns to his lovely mate
Who would not be a humming birdf Audubon
says:
''Could you, kind reader, cast momentary
glance at the nest of humming bird, and see,
as have seen, the newly hatched pair of young,
little larger than humble bees, Naked blind, and
so feeble as scarcely to be able to raise their lit
tie bills to receive food from their parents, full
of anxiety and fear, passing and repassing with
in few inches of your face, alghting on twig
not more than yard from your body, awaiting
the result of your unwelcome visit IN state oi
utmost despair-you could not fail to be i'm
pressed with the deepest pangs which parental
affection feels on the unexpected death OF child.
Then how pleasing it is, on your leaving the
spot, to see the returning hope OF the parents
when, after examining the nest, they ind their
nurselings untouched!
We have remarked above that birds, as well
rs men, are sometimes, jealous IN love. AN
exception however may be found to this general
rule in the golden-winged woodpecker, fire.
uuent and we'll known inhabtant OF the Amer
lean forests. Among the bright beaux and
bellies of this interesting tribe no Jealousles seem
to exist, and no quarrels ever occur Oheerlly
they hop through life attended by the good
wishes of ali their acquaintainces, and of each
other. No sooner does spring call them to the
pleasant duty of selecting mates and pairing OIL
than their voices may be heard from the tops OF
high, decayed trees, proclaiming with delight
the opening of the welcome season. Their note
of, this period is merriment ITSELF and when
heard at q little distance resembles prolonged
and oval laugh. These golden-winged wood
peckers are the darlings of Audubon. In des-
cribing their manner of mating, he says that sew
eral males surround q female, and to prove the
truth and earnestness of their love, bow their
heads. spread their tails and move sideways,
backwards and forwards, performing such an-
tics as would induce any one witnessing them
to ioin his laugh to theirs. The female Joytuliy
flies to another tree, where she Is closely follow
ed by her suitors, and where again the same GER
emonies are gone through with until marked
preference is indicated for some individual.
In this way, all the golden-winged woodpeck-
ers are soon happily mated, and each pair pro-
ceeds to excavate d hole in tree for nest
They work alternately, with industry and appa
rent pleasure. When the nest is finished they
earess each other on the tree top, rattle their
bills against the dead branches, ''chase their
cousins the red head, defy the purple grakles
70 enter their nest, and feed plenttully on ants,
beetles, and larve. BY and by the female lays
four or six eggs, the whteness and transparency
of which are doubtless the delight of her heart.
These woodpeckers raise numerous progeny,
having two broods every season.
The loves of the turtle-dove and mocking-
bird are graphically described by Audubon, as
are also those OF the wild turkey, who is said to
he even more ridiculous in his motions, and
more absurd in his demonstrations of affection
than is our common tame gapder. The curious
eyolutions in the air of the great horned owl,
or his motions when he has alghted near his be-
loved. Audubon confesses himself unable to des-
cribe. He says the bowings and snappings oi
his hill are extremely ludicrous; and no sooner
is the female assured that the attentions paid
her by her lover are the result OF sincere atfec-
tons than she joins in the motions OF her fu-
ture mate.
So much for the love of birds. In many res
meets they resemble those of men. We have a
mong us in society our humming bird lovers,
our golden-winged wood peckers, our turtle
doves, our turkeys, and ganders and OCCASION
ally we find pair who remind us of horned
owls.
RY-GoNE CRlsEs.-At various times in the