, 1874-03-29
OUR BIRDS.

"o'SA@%'oAse tniousnouE the entire breadth Cf
the Continent. It came up from the Sonth two
Or thzeo weeks ago. reaching the g7ore-]ands in
and around Chicago about tha 18th inst It is
always just in the rear OF the Blue-Bird and
Robin, only DAY OF tao behind and, imme-
diately after their curt chirps OF salutation it
certain to be heard singing Away Justify near .h&
borders OF sor1e stream or sheet Of wateS vhict
| offers atuatlon in harmony with its instincts
| l: d2as not, like mauy other uewIy-azrired sone
sters, lurk about for days in 4 doubtful, uncon
Portable manner. waiting for pleasant weather,
| or wonted home feeling, before it takes up th&
! merry psalms Of life. It. ia sure from the very
first that it has not come IN hour too Roon. and
that it it in the very p1sce in a!l the universe
whare it should ba and confirms the fact BY
! going directly sbont its business, and singing
over it, Ut the top Of its rolce, in the
Jol1Esr MAo1>ABLE FASHION.
It Is as good AZ sermon to hear it. No mat
ter whether it SHOWS shines, vhether tho frost
alps or the air Is bland, The Bong-Sparrov ia
brave and hearty, doing It's work sud rhyZnicg ita
thanks. glad OF life. and bent upon making every
moment as good and grateful ss possible. What can
n,an or bird do more? The little Song-Spa1ros
is abumble. homely bird, aud lts voice il no. epe-
cially sweet, OF its song highly finished vet there.
is not living thing that more fully carries out
its Creators purpose. by making the best Of the
present and borrowing no trouble fo- the future.
Toe Sparrows ara so u1ac., alike, Is We have
remarked before, it il hard matter to dis.ia-
g11isn them bV bVtbeirplumags. The Song Sparrow
wears the characteristic dress Of grny and brown,
with hstlo diHereuc9 iu tue tints to mark old
from young, or male from female. Its gong il
! much like single melody Of the Canary Bird
which, by the way Is q relative, = member OF thu
same family, the F'ringi(!idr-repeated ia
ccarsor voice aud more hurl, manner. It is as
| IT fine opsra- ar wers caught by some rustic
maiden aud triled out whllo washing up tie
nllk-pans and doing the work Of the farmhouse.
every way, it ii tavorlte with every one whu
knows it, because Of it'd simple and hearty good
nature.
Early ia tie 70. often bs'or' tho last
BUILDS IT'S NEST
On the ground, not tar from the water. / have
found its ilttlo domiclia, maize OF hay aud Iucd
with hair, and holding five dark, thick!y-speck'ed
would seem inevitable that the 1,edslings must
tumble out and be drowned But the bird has
strong aquatic inatlucts, and, Wbon wouadcd,
hns been known to take to the Eater aud swlm
like dnci1. It usually raises three btoods in
season, and has busy time Of it, for it is doal
Of work to bring up yoaag tanily to habits Of
independence. 4 new house has TO be bull: fc1
each brood; and, while the young are growing.
they are enormous Gators. Another time shall
tell how mach food bird will couHume from tho
tmo 1t chips It's stsel: until i: is heAsed But, as
already hintod, the 6opg-Sparrcw il neither
nope nor shirk, aud sings and TIorks with ua-
trips courage, from end TO end Of the surnmcr.
LII ths fall toward the close Of October, it unites
in parties, after tie habit OF the Soar1ows,
and fits off Southwark. wnere the climate Is
mjlder sud seed-gleaning easier than it IL in QUE
patalals.
The Fi1ngi1'iitzz (seed- F:aters) is the largest
group Of ITS Crude il ornstholossy. II comprises
500 different species, which arc DISTRIBUTED
an,orS 100 genera. They arc diEused oTor au
parts Of tho world, saVo Australia, where III
representatives Of the trihe are to ba found
They are most abunGanl On the Ccntipout ot
North America,
sEvEvrr.oSE SPECIES
being native to The United Suites. It is esti~
mated tLat, in any one average iocatit: in cur
country, the bird-farna will embrace upward u
200 species. Away frum tha sea-coast, where
Waterfowl are in the ascendant, above one
giaide.
The Finsaes, Sparovs, Buutinga, I.iaaeta,
Grosbeaks, ana Crossbil1s are all united in this
gronp. Almost the entire number posaess raelo-
diou= Eolces- and many OF them nS with great
skill and effectiveness The Tcllo Bird In-
digo-Dird, Carlinal-l.osbeak, Rose-Dreasted
Grosbeak, Bay-Wiuged Bunting, and several ot
The spa1rows may be cited "a attractive vocas.a,
-sone Of them, Indeed, ranking among the best
that 1nhabit our wild woods. The niajurity Of
the FringiiIGg quietly clad. iat to thi.
there are few brilliant exceptions like tha
Yellow-Bird, arrayed in lemon aud black tla
Carainal-G1 osbeak, belisht i9 relmuoa; tae
the Roso-B -Bleaated Gzosbeax, Ill hiack, white,
aud cardilae.
The varioua species Of Seed Eaters nay be
TAIED At ANT AGE,
and tbs uature Of tho,r food renders it easy to
Sustain them in confinement. 4 CarAnalGros-
bezk is OF record which lived twenty-ono roars III
cage. The Canary Bird and Java-Spa4row .:o
notable examples OF the facility With wh1ch tia
Fy1agil!idg adapt themselves to IN existence
within prisou-Walls.
On every one OF shesa bright days in late
March, however chilly the winds may blos. tie
SparrowB which have spent tha winter With
gather in 1uulatudes among the bra,eches, aud
slt and sing by the hout III twltterlng chorus.
Their little gray coats arc in color SO ike tbs
bonghs against which they ress, that 1t is impos-
sD.e to discern them at sllort distance; and
one listening might easily imagine thst the treea
had found tongues, and were telling IN rapture
OF tue coming ep7ng-tide, Most OF these Spar
rows will go North sono tine in Aprit--it de-
ponds on the weathor-to summer in highar lat
ituk!es, The Saow-Ban!lng has departed slteal;.
Not wing ct ont has been seen s1nca the SHOWS
melted in February. But, i'll tue place OF the
Sparrovs which so, otAera will come, and are
even now On the way.
THE CHIPPING sP4EEow
{Spizeud Soclalis) Gin be hero spou. 9o1ao noft
mu1nlug eGfly IN Apsil, We shall hear its shril
rattle, which Is scarcely more musical than ths
roll Of castane1s; sa,d still is aplireni1.g, ca
dence OF lore and joy that blends harmoniously
with the symphony OF the season. Tlis is one
Of the nost friendly OF the feathered lace. 1t
hops conddingly about our grounds and ciose mp
to onr doprs, in reach OF seeds an.t crumbs
With . Winning trust in the kindly spirit Of man.
1t will oTen build its nest in shruh nrae: tie
window, Or by ths footpAsh along which va paas
At every hour OF tha day. AL the boys knos the
bird, and call it the Chippy, or Gronpd- Bird
but it il iu no particular seuse q Rround-blrd,
for il f1es its pcs: Of bsif-lined grass 10 basa
OF low tree, and never on the ground, as 80
many Of the Sparross do
IT'S EGGS
aro among tbs love.ess objects that eyo aver
looked upon. They are very small, and pointed,
BLUSH green in color, and have cinHler, or
sometimes circle, of brown dots at tbs larger
eud. Tlesa arc the jewels Of <he humbls Ch1p-
ping-Spa1rou- l. does not wear them IN ths
vulgar gaze Of she woEa, bat hides them 10
erass-woyen casket under mother's broodlng
winss. In process Of time, each 81 entlra aud
perfect IYsolite " is transformodlntn miracle
Of life. and breathcs, and moves, AID feals.
gplrit-whg not ?-incatnate.
tbs Chinpy IL engrosaed with family carea
most OF tha summer but, when these are dla-
possd OF, and the last brood IL "eancd, it fetireA