, 1874-02-22
FEBRUARY BIRDS.
The Snow-Buntine.

> It is in the February skies that we 1nay alvar
L discern tho first prenonition Of Spring. Thar,
is soft, moist. warm tone in their blue. which
- is peculiarly characteristic Of the yernal months
8 The sensitive student Of Nature recognizes th,
tint 1t glance. and feels his soul stir With,
: him at the beautiful prospect it foretokens
Such dome Of tender azure bends oycr III,
3 opening buds and greening turf in April .ni
l May, and, looking up ct it nov, from behipi
closed windows, it is easy to forget that the
earth is still lying cold md stiff in the s"4p Of
, Winter, with nhroud Of anon folda3 o.>; it.
, bosom.
!, The air, too. as February passes on, is rife
With sounds :; feeble, fugitive, uncertain, but
vocaGzing message not to be mistaken. There
il
STIR OF LITE,
like the unfolding OF wings preparatory to flight:
3 mysterious unrest, AZ in the prelude to day
break. The ear involunsarily strains to catch
the iull outburst Of yoice and movement with
which the Flowery Queen announces her COM
ing. Only these indislinct aud broken mur-
murings-like the thrills along the railway
irous, which betray the passage OF a train-in-
| dcate that abe is moving nor.hward~
The hsrn-yard fowls, feeling the subtle incita-
ton, give vent to it through the day in many
cheery, homeIy crow and cack1e. Tho birds that
| have sought food and shelter in the depths OF
| the forests through the severest weather, come
| out into the heds serows aud fit about in the
vicinity Of dwellings. Their low, quick, sseet
! chirps sta1tle the iatenef every now aud then
with their likeness to the first faint tones OF tho
blue-bird and robin. Towards the close OF Feb
| 1unry, these scattered notes multiply, and grad-
ually link themselves in brief sentences OF song
| They are part Of the general nro,ni.e of tho
1oASe' -"o eon11s 1'oui oaos sn"' ne'1f "at-
| oie 1oeU nn'snso st1a1us IN 1oeae lower lati"
| tides, show that . wave ct the
| APPROACHING 1oyE-r1nE
/ !. ara,,;nr, their barnr ha,r+s h o-axao,.;
sl5 ~, -
| 80 - 'aso ~ "0A.n ~ 1'aso5e "isn glac
expectation, when the last month OF winter
waning; and it is I peculiarly favorable period
for beginning to take notes in ornithoIoev-
7, +ha or,ros s1n,, ~, 11,n..ho-. -
-;.o,a -, 9,t;., ~ ..s,s ~ N4fo en-
snon7o' en1'@so tneio aooaoos'as AZ SEASONS OF
the year, remarkable variety OF the fea hered
tribe The combination Of land md water, tha
eoualiziu1 effect of tha fatter unon tha ta,,ns,.
tn1a and tha intarn;nc nc,;,9 - ,o-s.t>'.-F
-.1s -.' a.'ao SH1 ..s ~aN, ~ ees,o"'a
Will op7n epaees' AAoSo advantages suited to
great Diversity OF the bird species, and render
this d superior locality for their study. In mid.
Winter. when. tn thu c.ra,esa oha.rvar ,ha..
'oA' 'ne4o
neoa1' ~ 70 az "A'oa oeattn ~ "Ankeo creatures
they really are scarcely ever absent from tbs
&C enc. SingIy or in focks. they arc lurking in
secluded spots, or boldly ranging in e1nosad
r,a roo infant ,,no,, ,,ror;d,,,, - +h.;.
-. 80 -ors "+. 11on P1''+o1As 'o' A1elr o1np3e
o0euo A41 pie2sotss'
Among those which en1iven this drealy term,
th ere is none more conspicuous because ofprettv +
plunase, ltc habit Of aesociating in large com
panies, sndits restless activity, than
THE ssow-suSrna
(Plctrophanes Niuuts Aeyer). It must not be
,nolis) from tho similarity in the names for the
two spec,ea are quita remote from each other
althonch belonging to tbs same rreat fsuil7 o{
the FringilIdB. or Seed-Eate1B
4 curious interest attaches to the Snoy-Bunt.
ing from its being distant FOREIGNER in a tom
perate zone. It comns from far-away county.
almost as remote and inaccessible As though it
were on smother plsne.. Its home is within
Polar Sea, on tho gloomy heights Of spitzborFeu
and adjacent regions, In t6ose deseft-wastea
Of perpetual snow 1t WAS born, and there it reg
u1ariy returns to pass the summer It 1oos It's
mate, builds its nest, cradles it's young, and
chants its lul4bies, in dreary solitudes, where
the reindeer, the Polar bear, the Arctic fo1. the
small feId-nouse, and the sea-foyI On the
coasts it sole companions.
It is literally tho
sosa-gmD or TIE POLE:
the single species Of its race to carry voice OF
melody to the very verge Of the Arctic Ocean.
What strange temperament and constitution fits
the little creature for happiness IN such sn lev
desolation2 Through tie entire round Of is
Ife it dweus amid SNOW aud chilly atmos-
phere. It will endure confinement Bectste1n
tells Of having kept pair for SIX Years, But it
must be in cool Temperature. In tts native
habitat, IN Bpitzbergen, Nova Zen1bla, and tho
northern limits of Scandinavia, during the sum
mer months, the temperature averages 94k deg,
In warm situations reaching. at it's greatest
height, IS deg. With its thick cont Of fat anil
provided for comfort in this frigid eli
mase, the Snow-Bunsing would swelter exposed
to . much mlder temperature
1t constantly keeps
WITHIN TIE CONFINES or WINTER,
hoveEins on the edge OF the bitterest storms,
aud hy1ug IN their van when they threaten to
bury its food out Of sight. With its swift, strong
wing, it rapidly cleave its uay from one die-
tant point 10 another, and to-day may be hera
and tomorrow hundreds OF miles away wherever
ta instinct warns it the conditions will be bess.
Il needs no p1 ediction from Old Probabilities"
1t Is q prophet unto itself, foreseeinr lonc
9nough beforehand to provide for its safety,
fhetner there will be fair or foul weather And
10 1t has como to be harbinger to us, and ne
1la sure Of 4 AaYare EDet xFf}euarar it xrtrearH