Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-11-09

QyEMBERs. 1876 s..s ..',,., :
Sls alass.d, 1,sss.-Foraslv
J6rssn leaznsd fseAehnan, NJ. Durrss
|dsh Mslle. took speeisl ro,iees Of the
which vsrioas birds left their
~. began, tbeu songs, OF bstook
1heasaDxes n ths Aea;es of tho 1days&
eAisty yssrsathls geAtiemsapwasih n
= b1bis, daring Z eo6d Paft Of the
PEiaf And sanner. Of going, p bed 1.
1laek N the evening. in order that
tah4iyt fi-e again a nidAishs and Be
91dy % watch the very earliest move
fnts Amongst his festhered. friends.
~ pntfornlE tseatiag ahe ,birds Who
tuilt N his eusjsn ssndl grounds with
dnsss. riising them 'fo6d and protect
ing them from harm. N. de n -aisiIe
had made the birds. INTO real friends.
and he could move about quietly among
the trees and shrubs without exciting any
alarm on the part Of those who would
otherwise have been quick to notice
his approach and fly beyond his reach.
The most common birds whose hab-
its were noted by the gentleman in
question, appear to have 'turned out''
in the morning Of May'and June at the
following hours: --..
The greenfnch from one to half-past
one.
The linnet from two to three.
The quail from half-past two to
three.
The blackbird from hal!-past three to
four.
The red-headed linnet from three to
half-past three.
The sparrow from FIVE to halfpast
FIVE.
The tomtit from FIVE to half-past
FIVE.
II will be seen that the greenfnch
was the earliest and the sparrow one OF
the latest risers among the birds OBJ
served. Who would have thought that
the sparrow would be the most mis-
chievous and the most lazy of birds =
] am afraid other thieves are. lazy as
well.
OF course the rule which NJ. de la
Male laid down as above mentioned,
was subject to exceptions. Sometimes
the birds rose even earlier, and the rea-
son is thus suggested in an interesting
extract from the naturalist's statement
"On the fourth of June the red-headcd
linnet and the blackbird commenced
their song at half-past two in the morn.
ing. Struck with the anomaly we mt tc
inspect their nests, and found thei,
broods. ! thought at first that it was a
m manifestation ofparentai JOY; but soon
became convinced of my error. The
necessity of laboring more hours to feed
the increasing family had fastened the;I
rising by an hour and half; and could
see by the moonlight, the parents con.
stantly occupied in seeking on the grass
- a1-n- - L. Al :..aox. ,,-k:.l ...
to serve as nourishment for their of:
spring"
Sometimes the birds are deceived in
the hour. Thus lnnet awoke at half
past IL, and began to sing on a tree
close to a window at which the natural.
ist had placed his lamp. 1t had mista.
ken the light of the lamp for that of the
sun: but very soon perceived his error
and, confused and ashamed, went 4
sleep again.
j A tame blacab:rd. which was in tbs
habit of returning every evening to it.
cage LETT hanging in the court was for.
gotten one evening, and the cage wa:
not taken indoors. At midnight. when
NJ. de la Males lamp was lighted. the
bla. kbird woke up and began to sing the
airs he had been taught Immediatel,
the wild blackbirds in the garden anc
shrubbery answered the songs, ane
from midnight until morning both wilt
and tame birds sang away as If in emu
lation.--.ssrark Daily .adrerfiser.