Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-02

But not the class of Hy-catchers alone, but ais
| birds which gramlnivorous most OF the yea
are examples OF the same fact The bobollnk
| the reed bird of the Delaware, and the rice brC
of the low fats of the Mexican Gulf, feed thei
Young and subsist themselves upon worms and IN
sects during the breeding season, like the roblr
and lark and even the crow and hawk at tha
time are further instances. There ls, therefore
no excuse for the wanton destruction OF birds
even if man who would wanionly shoot bird
were conscientious about excuses 1nose insect:
which pass the winter in a state OF torpldl'y are
revived very early; indeed, a very fine dey II
winter will give you the sight of buzzing flies anu
spiders as lively as in summer anywhere along
the sunny slopes of mossy rocks But lnsects are
also hatched early. AS soon as the twelfth q
April | noticed swarm OF young mosquitoes OF a
large kind bursting the swaddling bands ana
rising from the surface Of pond, a southeast
storm of wind and rain, and By no means gentle
one, prevailing az the time.
When the breeding season is over, and the
young grown, most species begin TO ass@mb!e
in tocks, and then become gremlnlvoTous- lnese
hJcks are mostly young BIRDS, the old one
having lett earlier. That birds guide then
young in their southward journeys Is pleasant
fancy, and nothing more. Almost all our birds
breed twice season, and the oldest children a.
ways receive early and sometimes rough instruc-
ito 10 the art of self-re lance, and the parents
most expeditiousy from family care. You viii
tnd very few old redbreass among September
robins, AID not even the faded Summer plumage
of an cid bobo.ink among many tlocks. II Is q
common belief that they charge their color thus
suddenly. The truth is, the h5cks all OF
young birds. Wild pigeons are sad never to
pick up the beach-nuts in the woods near heir
breeding place.. but TO leave them for theiI young;
and this desertion of other birds may be only the
same kindness Certain it is, they seen e.se-
where the same kind of food which is ready here,
and by which their young sustained.
This assembling il f )cks for the southern Jour
ney-ior they generally come in the spring by
pars-m'rke change IN HABITS, piece and food.
Those which have passed the summer IL dcnse
swamps and thickets now come lnto the open
fields, and the shy acquaintance Of your summer
walks in remote, stil woods, viii now re Lurn your
visits, aud husk out your lettuce heals AID stea.
flower seeds from your very door.
There are two mountain ash trees under my
window, and the fruit proved very attractive to d
flock If wax-Blngs. An old gentleman, an inva-
liz, who lived opposite wished it TO be preserved,
for the red berries were pleasant TO see, bright
ened Y winters sky and snow, and relieved eyes
weary ot the same prospect. So one morning,
when the trees were full Of birds Is berries, /
raised the window and thrust out q COuble-barfe.
loaded with powder onN-ihe little pllierers
eyeing meanwhile with good natured Impl-
deuce. When fred they disappeared over tn
trre-tops IN terrible frIgn. and c5niGslon but
having held ro!.-cail a maple grove, and
finding none missing, they al once returned enu
, esumed breakfast with the greatest zest and
cheerfulness; and though fired several times
into the tree, and occs so near that one was
stunned by the waddIng, they slway> back
again and ready for another snot. Oi course, no
Derry was left on the tree uuder
Birds d. not remain long when thus assem-
bing together. In fact, they already on
their Jour. ey, most ot the flock beng made u y
ot those winch have passed the summer ttgt!e
taTthe, nuIth.
They move southwark by short flights and d.
layed journeys, lingering perhaps ior Gays abou;
secluded gram fields, their numbers constantly
increasing by fresh accessioDs. Sometimes these
hJcks, those OF the blackbird, become very
large, numbering thousands, even at TINS point
OF their Journey, and alight sowed fields, scat
terlng over large space, every bird Ia eager
motion, those IN the rear nst.ntly flying over
the heads OF those IN front, NOV ng IN III ; man
ner that all may have an equal chance for in
sects and grain. The wild pigeons iced IN this
manner, hunting tor beech-nuts IN the woods,
snalls on the barrens and hats, producing &
steady roar that fills the forest In the morn
ing recbreast will be in the flock ; IN tn
afternoon 1t will be composed entirely OF male
birds. During mlgratlons familiar species ap
pea- 10 much greater numbers, and also q few
new or rare ones, which breed farther nor;h, ana
are seen only at tins time.
About the last Of August you may obseTy1
the colonies OF swallows much enlarged by ar
rivals of their nor thern cousins, the whole com
pany evidently preparing for journey without
mped ments, and as full OF lie and lOQuacity
as company OF Spectators inventing an OIL
city. Thus 1T will be in the morning, in the
evening not swallow can be seen. This dis
position to aggreg ate, and also 10 change hauns,
Is seen also resident birds. he quail
and partridge pass the winter IN small iocks
and crows, which now, as in Homer 8 day, may
be Cal led - lone flyers" will desert some sec
tIons during the winter months and collect IL
other iayorIte localities IN great numbers. They
would be numerous ID the valleys OF the PassaIc,
Naugatuck, and Mohawk rivers during the sum
mer, but IN winter scarce one could be seen
while In the valley of the Hodson their numbers
would be increased fourfold. The great num-
Der of these oIrds during winter is one peculaic
feature OF this valley, and whoever sketches "a
winter twilight along the Hudson mast nos
leave out
The blsckening trains o crows to their reposs-'
Towards evening they begin to pass to their
roostlng- places, flying from one wooded hill-tap
to another in long struggling lines, which are
constantly filling up IS they proceed. They
roost In the pines which grow on the steep hill
sides of the western bank, and on the trees Of
low islands, difficult of access from their sur
of deep mud and shallow water and
in the morning they will be returning in the
same manner, flying very high If the morning
be quiet and cloudy, but scudding along under
shelter of fences and forests ii the wind be hIgh
and cold. Every corn-fed entiee5 deserJers
until all are scattered over the wide country
during the day. Sometimes along the N4uga-
tuck, where tall hill thrusts up It's head into tn
region ot pines, the crows would find d resting
place until late autumn, but when winter set III
they always deserted the wind-swept peaks.
But along the Hudson they found better picking
IN the fnel y-cultivated cornf fields OF the east
ern valley, and, what is probably more rare,
secure roosting places.
The crow makes no regular migrations south
ward, but stays with us and takes the chances
sorry chances though they may appear to one
looking over winter landscape. 1t would
seem a wonder that he should subsist but the
same problem is presented in the case of the
wolf and vulture, and indeed, at times, of most
Of the birds and beasts of prey. They all suf-
fer much from hunger, if a natural condition
may be termed suffering, or if their necessary
supplies were any thing more than small part
of what they would consume. " Half a pound