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

for the south will sometimes remain during the
winter if by any means they may find food; some
species of the same family remain while others so
southward, and finally resident birds will some
times make irregular grations if they can obtain
more abundant supplies.
Swallows and bobolinks, for instance, make their
appearance in the upper valley OF the Hudson
about the last of april, and leave late in August.
mber-perhaps October-is milder than
May, and We cannot attribute their departure 10
the cold. And representatives of various species
which leave early for the south, especially roblns,
may be found at any time during the winter un-
der the dense cover OF eyergreens, where they
grow protected hll-sides, and the ground
thckly laid with fallen tresses OF white pine and
hemlock, while the shing gle-lke boughs shut out
the seyerest storms. ! have known laIks, which
are among the very widest OF our summe bircs,
TO remain all winter about yards, when the
cattle not stalled now, and the feeding
ground was more extended On one occasion,
when We were improving a hne hax-day II teb-
ruary an old lark with neaTt upon the breast
almost as perfect as hat within, while scratching
and bnrrowipg in a heap OF chaf was p0unced
upon by large hen-hawk but the prey heing
somewhat ocscured the aim was not fatal. A
lively scufie followed in the chaffheap, ana for
time II tseemed the old adage would be ialsied but
the old lark tough and vigorous, and finally
slipped away, and then, mounting up only
freed lark can, she struck oil Ia d straight Ane,
looking back over either SHOULDER alternately,
giving IN indignant and fled " yirp, .'yiIp'
with every successive jerk OF her wings
This hawk-the nobiest bird of our woods now
that the forests and eagles gone-does not
leave at the approach OF winter. You may see
him on OF those clear, still mornings which
usually follow snoW-storm, peIched on the hor-
izoutal limb of oak, and, If you gun,
you may come near enough TO ca ich his expression
as he turns his clear grey eye dow1 upon you. /
once shot one OF them after long snow-storm in
mid ME Nylt sSe1 nv biIr
ger, he VAS feeding on a carcass placed as ba
for the crows. Inc otter species, down to tn e
lite spare hawk which builds in the holloW Of
! trees, though having much endurance a. lie,
and h4DIla-ion somewhat suited to inter, Ill
hndlng thelr prey among migratory birds, vi h
them. ROW the tIme Of JOB, " stretch their
! wings toward the south.
som species Of the naNk family migrate rreg-
I u.4rly IN hockS, or rather c0l.,cuoas | saw
remarkable instance Of this .ast October A cus-
Ter Of about sixty, hlga that they appeared
like swallows were wheeling ID grac -fuI lines
and owing through and through among one an
/ other, but stI moving in one direction toward
! the northwest. nave seen other instances when
they passec over mC!e directly and cOnsecutlye.y,
but also al great heigAt. Other instances of
much larger numbers nave been mentioned, but
such no: frequent. Old hunters used to re-
gard them As " sgus," and talked cf a vast host
before the var Of 1912. There IS Indeed some
thing omnous in their silence and unusual man
ner and We may remember that, from having
seen SIX vultur-s Rol.u.GS took heart and built
city. Inc whistle Of the hawk when sailing IN
/ the upper air always comes down 10 Us plainly,
/ though from great height, because OF it, clear
/ ness, but On these occasions they are ALWAYS 81
lent. Birds OF the hewk family follow the MI
5rat.ors Of birds which they prey, and when
! ,hey appeared IN these collections Wild pigeons
had been numerous II the adj 4ceat woods. In
1 The instance mentioned of .4st au'umn pigeons
I IA m M 1nere 0 Is
attracted, no by the acorus, Of " tloh they are 80
/ fond, but by species u! caterpillar which sheared
| oil every leaf leayl' whole forests as if pissed
over by fire. But the caterpillars had dsap-
peared, and with them the pigeons and the hawks
were hunting party IN pun suit.
| The pigeon flies much more swiftly than the
hawk, and is safe unless the latter comes unseen
and gets above, and then in open flying, it
can easily get out Of danger But IN such cases
! fear often fails to lend wings. | have seen
hawk get above a pigeon by coming suddenly
/ upon him, and the poor bird, lowering gradually
/ 10 avoid the clutch, pressed TO the very
ground and caught, in a lfe-struggle of FIVE hun
| dred yards. A sparrow awk pourcGg upon a
! flock OF blackoirds may have his pick if his aim
is sure; but II be misses the whole 1ck are in the
air above him, and find it pastme TO keep the var
tage. 50 with the doves and their traditional en-
emy. The hawk can more overtake his prey
! in fair fight than lion can catch an antelope.
prey in their flight bold and silent rather than
swift, and depend upon strategy than speed.
Ihe rearing OF their young Is the great mission
| OF migratory birds IN their summer home and
to this fact we must look for explanation OF
the phenomena of migration and solourn. This
Is the only they make of our summer They
come and build when food for their Young is
ready, and leave II when it is no longer suitable
for that special purpose. That food ccnsists al
most entirely OF worms and nsects-the tender
worms which feed on the juice of the rly leaves.
The putting forth of getable life is very rapid
and the sole work OF early spring The long
warm summer adds nothing to the length of the
stem or TO the number or size of the leaves. Its
work is to mature. The spring bough resists the
wind by its softness and pliancy; the autumn
branches by maturity aud sturdy strength And
during the Intermediate summer, while sap is
fluid passing into the pulp, the leaf is sucked
oy arvR, for which ii is once birthplace she'll
ter. and sustenance. The Juice is the food for
the Larvae, which the food Tor bros IN the sea-
son of the young. When this food fails the birds
cease to breed, and they leave for the south when
their summer mission I5 ended.
As say of the birds, so of the insects they
grate from the leaf when it no longer furnishes
suitable food for their young. And, still farther,
in neither case Is the cold the necessary cause.
We are accustomed to say that the leaves
stripped by the cold the truth is, they fall, be-
cause they are ripe, and warm weather would
move tntul dS tHeCluaIIy All THESE tnIDgs Worh
together, but the cold il concomitant rather
than a If the frost should come earlier,
the leaves would only wither and cling to the
bsughs il later, they would be already fallen
through ripeness. The white oak seems to be
growing here on its northen limit; certainly is
the last to put forth It's leaves. "Pant corn
when white-oak leaves big squirrels
foot the IGdian rule The October iross fud
them yet green and growing, consequently they
do not fall at once, but often only wither upon
the branch where they cling and hutter through
all the winter gales until the tender power Of the
spring bud pushes them away.
Worms aud insects the almost exclusive
food OF all birds during the breeding season.
Even if any other were suitable, 1t is produced
early enough for the purpose All the fly catch
ers, of course, limit themselves to these. You
may watch swallows from May until September,
and have them constantly in sight, and yet never
find them alightlng any more than the petrel,
cept at their nests, perhaps in giving their