Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-02-22

How do the birds manage at night
and in tempestuous weather !? is aues-
tion often asked me. Time was when
II was believed thatmany Of THEM hiber-
nated-especially the swallows-bur-
rying themselves in the mud like frogs,
or curling up in holes in rocks like the
bats; and the common phenomenon Of
the appearance Of few summer birds
during warm spells" iH winter was
assumed to prove that they had been
torpid. but had been walked up by the
genial warmth. as bats, often are. II
was not three months ago that saw in
an English newspaper letter from q
man who claimed TO have found hedge
sparrow Il think torpid somewhere in
the mud. But the search for proofs of
this theory discovered that the birds
supposed to hibernate migrated. while
oi the birds which remained in this lat
itude through the cold months we saw
more in warm, fne weather for the
natural reason that they then forsook
the sheltered hollows and cosey recess
ses of woods where they had retreated
during the stormy days, and came out
into the sunlight. The dense cedaIs
and close branches of small spruces and
other evergreens afford them close shell
ter, and thickets of brambles are made
use OF when these are not 10 be found;
hollow trees are natural houses in which
large numbers huddle, and the cave-like
holes under the roots OF trees growing
on steep banks are favorite hospices.-
The grouse plunges through the snow
down to the ground, where it scrapes
bare "iorm," or crawls under the hem
lcck and spruce boughs which droop
to the earth with the weight OF snow, I,
and allows the white mantle to DRIFT
over it, subsisting the while on the
spruce buds; when the storm ceases it
can easily dig its way out. but some
times rain and hard frost follow which
makes such crust on the snow that it
can not break its way up through, and
90 starves to death. The more domes-
tic sparrows, robins and fickers borrow
into the hay-mow, find warm roost in
the barn near the cattle, or attracted by
the warmth Of the furnace, creep under
the caves or into q chink next the chin
ney Of the greenhouse or country dwell
ling. The met sdow lark and quail seek
out sunny hooks in the fields aud crouch
down out Of the blast; while the wood
cock hides among TIE moss and ferns
OF the damp woods where only the
severest could chains the springs
Along the coast many birds go TO the
seashore for a milder climate.
1t nevertheless happens. in spite of
their high degree Of warmth and vital
i'y-probably not exceeded by any 9TH
er animal--in spite of the fact that they
can draw themselves up into a perfect
ball of feathers, which are the best OF
clothing, and that they can shelter them
selves from the driving storm-that
birds often perish from cold in large
numbers. Ordinarily, birds seem able
to ioretth q change of W Gather, and pre-
pare. The reports OF the United States
Weather Bureau certainly show that,
during the fall and winter. the ducks,
geese, cranes, crows. and other notable
sPecies-and apparently generally
abandon their former haunts upon the
approach OF cold wave or severe win
ter storm tor more southern localities,
often passing beyond the reach OF the
severity of such storms. taking their de.
partures often only few hours before
these unfavorable changes. The resi-
deat species, not caring or able to run
away TO warmer attitudes, ought to
know enough to hide away. from the
fury Of the gale; and they do. But
sometimes there come sudden, unpre-
saged chanses--cold, icy, gales, which
charge down upon US after thawing
days, converting the air which was al
most persuading the grass to revive,
into an atmosphere which cuts the skin
like the impinging of innumerable par
ticies OF frost, aad shsivels every object
with cold, or haries il uader,dry and
drifting snow. Then IL is that the small
birds, caught unprepared. suffer. At
INST. such as are overcome seem unus-
uslly active, running about apparenily
in search ef food, but taking little notice
of ones approach. Should il attempt
TO hy." writes a recent observer. ..it
Immediately falls on il, back as if shot.
The iegs and toes are stretched out 10
their farthess exte u. . and ore quite rigid;
the eyes protrude, are insensible to the
touch. and the whole bedyr qsisers
slightly. II remains in this stale trom
one tostwo. minutes. waen il ,rscoSass
ssadeely. and seems q active q before.
ntAkaa in the hand. il will immeaiatee
lSgc into eoasalsioEs, even u il hss
been 10 wsrn room for several kc0.v,