The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-10
Birds in Winter.

0hAo IN W ANVIL
GLOW do the birds manage at night and
in tempestuous weather.? Is @ question
often asked me. Time was when it was
believed that many Of them hibernated-
especially the swallows-burrying them
selves in the mud like frogs, or curling up
in holes in rocks like the bats; and the
common phenomenon of the appearance of
a few summer birds during "warm spells"
in winter was assumed to prove that they
had been torpid, but had been walked up
BY the genial warmth, as bats often are.
1t was not three months ago that saw in
an English newspaper letter from man
who claimed to have found hedge spar
row tl think torpid somewhere in the
mud. But the search for proofs Of this
theory discovered that the birds supposed
to hibernate migrated, while Of the birds
which remained in this latitude through
the cold months we saw more in warm
fine weather for the natural reason that
they then forsook the sheltered holows
aud cosey recesses of the woods where
they had retreated during the stormy days,
and came out into the sunlight. The
dense cedars and close branches of small
spruces and other eyergreens afford them
close shelter, and thickets Of brambles are
made use Of when these are not to 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 a "form,
or crawls under the hemlock and spruce
boughs which droop to the earth with the
weight Of snow, and allows the white man
tie to drift over it, subsistiDg the while on
the spruce buds; when the storm ceases it
can easily dig its way out, but sometimes
rain and hard frost follow which makes
such crust on the snow that it can not
break its way up through, and so starves
to death. The more domestic sparrows,
robins and flickers burrow into the hay
NOW, find warm roost in the barn near
the cattle, or, attracted by the warmth of
the furnace, creep under the caves or into
a chink next the chimney of the green
house or country dwelling. The meadow
lark and quail seek out sunny hooks in
the fields aud crouch down out Of the blast;
while the woodcock hides among the moss
and ferns of the damp woods where ouly
the seyerest cold chains the springs. Along
the coast many birds 60 to the seashore for
a milder climate.
1t nevertheless happens, in spite of their
high degree of warmth and vitality-pro-
badly not exceeded by any other animal
in spite of the fact that they can draw
themselves up into perfect ball Of feath-
ers, which are the best of clothing, and
that they can shelter themselves from the
driving storm-that birds often perish
from cold in large numbers Ordinarily,
birds seem able to foretell change of
weather, and prepare The reports Of the
United States Weather Bureau certainly
show that, during the fall and winter, the
ducks, geese, cranes crows, and other no
table species-and apparently generally
abandon their former haunts upon the
approach of cold wave or severe winter
storm for more southern localities, often
passing beyond the reach of the severity
of such storms, taking their departure
often only few hours before these unfa-
yorable changes. The resident species.
not caring or able to fun away to warmer
ATTITUDES, ought to know enough to hide
away from the fury of the gale; and they
do Rftt fhara IL.
unpresaged changes-cold, icy gales, which
charge down upon us after thawiug days,
converting the air, which was almost per-
suading the grass to revive, into an at
mosphere which cuts the skin like the
impinging of finnumerable particles of frost,
and shriyels every object with cold, or
baries it under dry and drifting snow.
Then it is that the small birds, caught un-
prepared, suffer, At first, such as are
overcome seem unusually active, running
about apparently in search of food, but tax
ing little notice ofon esapproach. "Should
it attempt to fly" writes a recent observer,
cit Immediately falls on its back as If shot.
The legs and toes are stretched out to their
farthest extent and are quite rigid; the
eyes protrude, are insensiblc to the touch,
and the whole body quivers slightly, 1t
remains in this state from one to two min
utes, when it recoVers suddenly, and seems
as active as before. If taken in the hand,
it will Immediately go into commissions,
even if it has been in a warm room for
several hours, and has been supplied pen-
tifully with food. Death usually puts an
end to its suffering in a day or two
Ernest IagersoH IN APpietons.