The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-10

this year, and OF course no Wafbiers, except
IN a very few cases the yellow tailed men,
Der OF the family.
ONE OF, THE UNsCiTHED.
One Of the only birds to stand out I'M
scitbed has been the great northern shrike,
commonly known as the butcher bird, which
preys on smaller birds, although not hawk,
and usually impales them on thorns, taking
his meals In courses. He is solitary bird,
smaller than. robin, Of brownish gray.
Some OF the fnches are 10 be found frozen.
The song sparrows, too, which remain all the
year round, have suffered. So with the quail
among game-birds. Samuel Cooper, day
or two ago. saw fox digging hole IN the
snow on John James's farm, near Jrfiries
Bridge. Chester county. Samuel scared
the fox and finished the hole himself. ana
found seven quail which had been frozen
stiff. The chipping and ield-spaIrows all
went south early. All the tnches. inclu-
ding the little wee fellow, the iree-finch,
nav be found mixed up with the snow
birds. Tue cross.blls are among the few
survivors. having suffered but very little.
The American eoldfnch, or common yell
lowbird sometimes mistaken for the ca
nary), has often been found dead in the
neighborhood Of the city. The pine-innet
Standing the hardships. The crows
have had huctualng fortunes. but have
generally survived, crossing the city daily
TO roost overnight in jersey. They may
he seen feeding IN thousands along the Della
ware. Strange to say, the little downy wood
pecker is the only one Of his family heard
making the tap.tap Of his drum-beating this
winter The flicker has not been seen.
Even the hawks have been nearly all driven
south, but two grim.yisaged old yagabonds,
the snowy owl and hi, Acadlan brother,
popularity known by his language as the
saw-whei, have been here all the while. The
big herring-gull, too. may be seen daily on
the Delaware, but the ducks OF every sort
have almost entirely d, serted the Susquc-
hanna and all the waters Of this region and
gone south TO SinepuXent and Albcmarlc.
NOTHING FOR THE DOGS TO Do.
1t is said 10y the game dealers, OF which,
By the way, there aic = Scoic in Philadel-
phia dong large business. that in the
height Of tie season there are thousand
pairs Of canvas. backs alone sold in TIL, city
daily. To-day there i scarcely pair 10 be
had. Pressing orders which cannot be tiled
are coming in every day from New York,
where they are almost n scarce y white
bI1ckbirds. 4 great many young onc> were
brought down early IN the season. but the
fine whitc.fl cked "Stogics" have been
shyer this season than ever before. TIE
p1rtridees have suffered extremely and The
phea.ants have had q hard time, and many
of both have died Sportsmen say there has
been substantially no shooting since No.
vcmbcr 18th. The dogs are spelling for
something TO DO, and the gun-barrcl> are
ruStlng.
A. for the English sparrOws IN the city,
they are an cfempltcaiOn Of the law laid
down by Darwin, that wherever foreigner
Is introduced be thrlvcS At thc expense %
the natives. Although other birds have
been DYING The sparrow has been making
out very well. With the sympathy Of
the most OF the feminine population
they have been well cared for from
windows and back doors with crumbs
and other dainty mOr>clS. Every one
has seen them in The cleared spaces Of
the streets between the clr.tracks picking
up free lunches, and although growing
more and more unpopular a he grows pro-
life. somehow or other there j. something
about the sIucy, hardy, noisy. fr0lic'omc,
uud neighborv EngllSh sparrow, strong Of
wing aud bold Of spirit, winch wins The
sympathy against the VIII.