Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-17
The Migration Of Birds.

Going home from my office Just before
daybreak, these calm autumn mornings, !
sometimes hear, overhead, faint little calls,
so tender aud far away, that il the ear was
not trained to observe them, they would
never be noticed. These small cries are the
notes of delicate birds flying South It is
delightfully."- mysterious Where have they
come from, and where are they going thus
by night, and straight over forest aud farm
and city and sea II we go into the woods
we shall find them peopled by different folk
than crowded their arches six months or
three months ago, The thrushes, that
have made melody all summer long. have un-
strung their harps, aud are silently taking
their leave, The dainty, satin-slppered
ground warblsrs and wagtails have left
their fern-coverts. The scarlet tanagers,
that used to glow among the trees like fire.
brands, have kinded the naples and flown
away, taking with them titled orioles and
crazy chee.wlnks, In their place are strangers
fox, and whitethroated, and gray.crowned,
and tree-sparrows the northern pe-wee; the
tiny kinglets and little groups of warblers
chattering gaily IN subdued tones among
themselves. There Is quiet, serene salts
faction expressed in the demeanor of these
autumn visitors, altogether different from
the exultation and riotous singing Of the
fullplumaged hosts which return TO us in
spring. Yet they are-all except the young
birds of the year-the same that we saw
when the crisp oak-leaves under our feet
were unfolding from juicy buds. But in
some cases birds which were common in
spring are very rare now, and picsperyd f;
this has come to be a rule with some species
that we can count upon, since we have
] tl.,., !.
CRATE Northward by route west of the Ale
ghanies, and return along the coast, or just
the opposite.
II you ask why they 60 north at all, must
tell YOU that these sparrows and warblers
only differ from other birds in going farther.
Every bird moves more or less with the sea
sons. Crows, for example. are hero pretty
much all winter, bat not the same indiyidu-
ais those who built their nests in our woods
are now in Virginia, and the ones we soc to-
day are visitors from Canada. Our autumn
birds went north to find suitable places in
which to raise their young, A bird cannot
| live anywhere, although we have come to
think 1t as free as air. Even the eagle aud
the frlgate bird, roaming over continents
and oceans, must have home wherein to
hatch their eggs, The choice of this home
| depends on several things, but upon one con
sideration In partiouar--.the chance Of get.
| ting suitable food for its young. For what
ever be the chosen diet of the parents, the
chicks must have their tender worms and
| flies-and an astonishing quantity, too-til
they are strong enough TO gather their own
subsistence, and gradually adopt the rougher
fare of their parents. II the birds cannot
find the necessities OF their home life here
and only about one bird in three does-they
must go on TO the high Catskills or the
higher Adirondacks, to the plains about
Quebec, or the wilds of Labrador, 10 those
mysterious mountains south of Hudson.
Bay, even TO the reedy shores of lakes clos,
under the Arctic circle, that have scarcsl,
time to get free from ice before another
winter freezes them again. No explorer hal
been to such high latitudes that he has mo-
found birds yet nearer the pole in the sum
mer time. But the Arctic summer is a shor
one, and the adventurous waterfowl tina
have been Gnnsorting with the polar bear
are early chased out by Jack Frost, TheI
two or three families Join together for th'
journey, and some bright morning whir
away from the ice-clad shores, buoyed up b,
favoring wind. Soon they come upoI
other friends and warn them, and that strang'
longing to travel seizes upon all as this in
creasing army of messengers sweeps by ant
"Up aud away p is the cry, as every VIM
is stretched toward the south. After tim
they move more lesurely, and the hardie
winter birds who don't care for cold weathe
so long as the tall grasses are not snowe,
under, linger behind, while the old males O
all kinds gradually outstrip the females an'
weaker young, and reach us week or y
ahead of the rest. Thus the fugitives keel
Just in advance of winter as he, also, marche
southwark, flying most by night, and by da
picking up bountiful harvest Of berries
ripened seeds, larv@ and eggs Of spiders am
beetles and flies, and such insects as the
can capture.
by the last Of October about all the smal
short-winged birds are gone from our wood
some no farther than Cape May, some
the rice-felds OF Louisiana, some even TO tn
West Indies and Honduras. Then th
tardy robins collect IN noisy tlocks and d,
part as though they had done us great "a
vor in staying so long the few last bluebird
revive their spring notes for day, and a
night reluctantly drift away, twittering ger
tie farewslls as they goi cawing crows, lik
huge crsyons, draw black limos across th
skyl q solitary hawk wheels majesticall
athwart the lurid November sunset and W
are alone with the snow-birds and the gathel
ing storm Christian Union.
A YOUNG Southern lady objected TO tn
seeming mpropriety of carrying her petit
cares 10 the Almighty God, as advised b
her colored nanny" because they wer
so petty. "Bress ye, honey" was Aun
J Millys wise reply, $50 dey is; but dsy's a