Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-18
Mems Eyes. and Better Ones.

from "Locus.s and Wild Honey" by John Bur
The whip poor-wil walks as awkwardly as q
swallow, which is as awkward as a man In q
bag, and yet she manages TO lead her young
about the woods. The latter, think, move by
leaps and sudden spurts, their protective color
ing shielding them most effectively. Wilson
once came upon the mother-bird and her brood
in the woods, and, though they were at his very
feet, was so bafiied by the concealment OF the
young that he was about TO give up the search,
much disappointed, when he perceived some-
thing like slight modineSs among the with
cred leaves and, on STOPPING down, discovered
III TO pe young whip poor-will, seemingly
asleep" Wilson's description OF the young Is
very accurate, as its downy covering does look
precisely like a ''slight moldineSs.r Returning
few moments afterwards TO the spot to get
perch he had forgotten, he could ind neither
old nor young.
1t takes an eye to see partridge In the
woods, motionless upon the leaves this sense
needs TO be as sharp rs that OF smell ia hounds
and pointers. and yet know an unlempt youth
that seldom falls 10 see the bird and shoot &c
before II takes wing. think he sees it as soon
as IL sees him and before it suspects itself seen
What training TO the eye is hunting. TO pick
out the game from its surroundings the grouse
from The leaves, the gray squirrel from the
messy oak-limb ii hugs so closely, the red fox
from the rudy or brown or gray field the rab-
DIT from the stubble. or the white hare from the
snow, requires the best powers OF this sense
Wood-chuck, motionless In the fields or upop a
rock, looks very much like large stone or BOWL
der, yet keen eye knows the difference at a
glance, quarter OF a mile away.
man has a sharper eye than dog or a fox
or than any OF the wild creatures, but not so
sharp an ear or nose. But IN the birds he finds
his match. How quickly the Old turkey dis
covers the hawk, a mere speck against the sky
and how quickly the hawk discovers you II YOU
happen to be secreted In the bushes or behind
the fence near which he alights. One advantage
the bird surely has, and that is, owing to the
form. structure and position OF the eye, IL has q
much larger field or vislon-indeed, can prob
ably see In nearly every direction at the same
instant, behind as well as before. Mans field
OF vision embraces less than half circle hori-
zontally and stu less vertically; his brow and
brain prevent him from seeing within many
degrees OF the zenith without a movement OF
the head; the bird, on the other hand takes In
nearly the whole sphere at glance.
i find 4 see, almost without effort, nearly
every bird within sight in the field or wood L
pass through "a fit OF the wing flirt OF the
tail are enough, though the Pickering leaves do
all conspire to hide them), and that with like
ease the birds see me, though unquestionably
the chances are immensely 10 their favor. The
eye sees what IL has the means OF seeing, truly
You must have the bird In your heart before
you can find IL In the bush. The eye must have
purpose and aim. No one ever yet found the
walking fern who did not have the walking
fern in bis mind. A person whose eye is full Of
Indian relics picks them up In every field he
walks through.