Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-25
For The Freeman.
Concerning Birds.

The value of birds to the agriculturist
can hardly be estimated, but so important
a part do they occupy that | believe that if
birds should be entirely eXterminated
destructive insects would multiply 50 rap
idly as to destroy in Il few years all fruit
and nearly all kinds of vegetation.
The quantity of bugs, grubs and spiders
destroyed by pair of bluebirds or robins
that have nest full OF hungry little birds
to provide for is truly wonderful. Even
birds of those families whose food CON
ssts of grain, fruit and berries feed their
young upon insects. The white grub, So
destructive to corn and grass, is the ia
vorite food OF the robin and bluebird
while rearing their young. | have often
seen an old robin carrying to her nest
from three to five at IA time.
The swallow, it is said by the best of
authority, will devour its own weight of
insects in Il day. Some other birds are
more voracious than the swallow. These
swift flying birds require II good deal OF
food and air to keep their wing muscles up
to the pitch of doing their necessary
work. 1t is well known that the bones OF
all flying birds are hollow. The bones in
birds are much stronger than the same
weight of bones in animals, but there is
another interesting fact connected with
this. The air passes not only into the
lungs of birds, but through them into the
general cavity of the body, even into the
interior Of the hollow bones, SO that the
warm blood is exposed on all sides to the
invigorating oxygen of The air. Owing
TO the fact that these bony cavities are
connected with the breathing apparatus
the bird can either fill these bones with all
or exhaust the air from them at pleasure,
assisting materially in raising or lowering
itself in the air.
The wings of birds are worthy of close
attention and study. The shape of wings
varies with the power of flight, and are
classed in two great groups-the pointed
wings and the round wings. The pointed
wing is the possession of the high flyers
and the round wing the property of the
ground flyers. The round wing is some
times possessed by birds like the partridge
that fly quickly. When this is the cast
they make whirring sound in passing
through the mir. But the pointed wing il
peculiar TO birds of lofty flight.
The swallow has the typical wing of th,
"5h hJol, 1ho niPlInhWh anu Lne Wiloi'
family of hawks are splendid flyers, ant
the rapidity with which some of thes,
birds fly is truly wonderful. The hawk il
estimated TO be able to make one hundred
and fifty miles per hour. Our smalle
birds in migrating are said TO fly at thu
rate OF mile a minute.
Sometimes special provision is seen in
the wings of birds, as in the case of tn,
owl, which beneath the wing possesses
cover of down, so that in the night it cal
pursue its prey noiselessly and pounc'
upon mouse OF smaller bird without thu
risk Of disturbing them. as it would if it
wings were like those of the partridge.
The cedar bird, or cherry bird us it i.
sometimes called, has its wings Tipped
with hard, red, waxy casing to prolec
it from injury in flying through thickets.
The general form of wing is that of 8
triangle, the base attached to the body Of
the bird Suppose we reverse this wing
attach the apex to the body and leave the