Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-08-11
Birds.

pSiioA ~ tLOSC ucllNcIctt ny ul;tn. heVe
lation being hid from them. wha. NOR,
natural prophets could man have chosen
Their great length and strength of vision
the purity of the aerial element in whicl
they lived. their power Of ascending int
heaven. and perhaps above all, the covete,
gift OF wings, seemed to point them out as
the natural messengers between heaven ant
earth.
Even in modern times many great mcr
have believed in the spirituality of birds
Montaignc gave to them not only intelli
gence and affections, but souls Percire
and his disciples maintained that they
were superior to man. LeibnitZ, after
carefully weighing all arguments, admit.
the superiority of man, but believes in the
Immortality of the bird; and the natural
ist Bonnet. in order to give it to them III
tionally. gives them conscience, knowledge
and responsibility.
| Compelled as we are, however reluc-
tantly. to admit the identity of mans low
er instincts with those of the brute crea-
tiOn. is there any reasonable canse to DENY
the analogy in moral sentiments? Or
while we are SO ignorant of the very nature
of that faculty we call instinct, shall we
assume to measure its amount of inteli-
gence?
What i, this mIs hty breath We sages saw
That IN powerful language, felt not heard,
Instiucts the fowls OF heaven ? What but God
inspiring God. who, boundless spirit, all
ADJUSTS, sustains, and agita es the " ho le."
What but God indeed teaches them
not the exact date; that would be autonaa-
tism. but the erdct ami ft time of ecery dJ-
tere,A season Birds arrive in their for
eigns homes just when the sunshine and
the fruits are as they desire them. They
are never-no migratory bird ever is-de-
ceived by Il late Season. If the season is
late they arrive late. How can they know
what kind of weather they are having in
India, Greece, or the West Indies. hun
dreds of miles away?
The stOrk. from its affection for man.
kind and its residence for thousands of
years among men is better known in its
natural habits than iny other bird. Where
shall we find a more beautiful example of
all domestic piety? Its very name in He
brew means mercy. and its presence in all
ancient nations 81 signitied peace. On the
contrary, its departure Cat unusual times)
was presage of misfortune. Thus it is
related Of Attilla. that when about to raise
the seige Of Aquieia, he changed his
plan and continued it. because he observed
the storks flying away from the doomed
city. bearing their young with them
Their paternal atfecti on is provcrbial,
nav. often heroic. In l536a fire broke out
in Delft, and a stork whose nest was on
one of the burning buildings. after making
every effort TO save her young without
avail laid down and perished beside them.
Another pair at Kelbra. Russia. in 1920,
being threatened with fire, saved both their
nests and young ones by keeping them wet
with water which they brought in their
capaciOus beaks.
They are model wives rs well rs good
mothers. Strong as the impulse to migra-
tion is. one in the Tyrol, whose mate had
4 wound in the wing. refused for several
winters to 90 away alone. | must admit,
however. that when the mate is really dead,
lady storks do console themselves too read
lily for husbands who ought to be subjects
of eternal regret; for Sprungli notes the
case of one who only mourned two days.
But their paternal and conjugal virtues
having ut the bottom Il taint of selfishness
are less honorable TO them than their filial
piety. which leads them not only 10 feed
and tenderly cherish their aged parents,
but. even when weary, to bear them up on
their own wings. 1t was in allusion to
this characteristic that the law in Greece
compelling children TO support their aged
parents was called through the stork
Though long settled in Holland and
Northern Europe, they make their annual
visits to the sunny lands where the first
nests of their race was built In the be-
ginning of August they assemble from all
surrounding districts. chatttcring and con-
graduating ench other on their tledged
young. When the time of departure has
been arranged. they arise nj once, with
the utmost order and in perfect silence,
sailing high up amid the clouds and
-"w with mutual wing
Easing their flight"
Many 90 to Egypt and the marshes of
Northern Africa. but some wander still
further. rs is proved from ;he following
incident vonched for in the .4tlas, December
2l>t. 1884. In the year 1888 Il Polish
gentleman caught Il stork upon his estate
and put a thin collar of iron, bearing the
inscription in Latin. This Stork comes
from Poland. and then set him at liberty
The next year the bird-following that
powerful instinct which prompts it to re-
turn TO places where itha> been entertained
returned to tile same spot and was again
caught. 1t had acquired rich collar Of
pure gold on which was engraved India
sends back 10 the Poland stork with gifts >"
To them indeed we may fancy migration
is delight; they 60 in great companies,
and the power of their wings has given
Zechariah one of his grandr>t images;
The wind was in their wings; for they
had wings like the wings of Il stork;" but
how many small and feeble birds make
even longer passages? The nightingale,
she who is but voice, who will break her
heart to sing, travels all alone. crosses snowy
mountains and vast continents in her pas
Sionate longing for those spicy gardens
where the roses burst into bloom to greet
her
But above all the swallow is to us 1.-The
bird of rtturn.' She not only comes back
to our grassy meadows, but to cur homes,
and to our hearts. The first snowdrops are
very dear, yet they may deceive Us, but
the swallow in spite of proverbs, is the
welcome guest of spring.
Just at sunset when 'hrushes sing,
We see her q sh with rapid wing,
And ha her as she passes;
for she has not come on speculation; the
times and seasons are not hid from her
l confess that the purple martins. which
in my Texas home had unlimited quarters,
are, to my thinking, even more interesting
birds. They had no fear, they loved the
whole family. and was beloved by them
and built with a delightful impudence
wherever it seemed good in their own
eyes to do so. What a rejoicing there was
on that happy morning when they first
came back in spring! How they twittered
and chattercd, and flew round our heads in
coquettish circles as they revisited their
OLD npStSi and how sorry wo were tho day
they went away; their empty nests looked
like the empty chair of an absen. friend
And for these charming birds. by what
ever name we call them, let us at least
love and he merciful to them; nay, let us
"d.smi our pride and acknowledge a
kindred in which there is nothing to make
devout mind ashamed" They are full
of mysteries which God has received for
himself; 1.-The little children of nature, the
nurslings of Providence, aspiring toward
the light in order to act and think" was
it not IA prophecy that endowed Pysche
with wings. and discovered in aspiration