Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-27
lancastcr fn:clNQenrer.
R1DAY EVENING, JAN. 81. 1882.
6 Our Winged Friends"
An Essay Read Before tho PennsylVania
Fruit Growers Society at Harrisburg,
January Is, 1882, by Simon
p. Eby.

An Essay Read Before the Pennsylvania
Fruit Growers Society 1t Harrisourg'
r. Eby.
[ConclusiOn.l
. The wood -pecker family have been voted
great scamps-fruit-ste sap-sucking
rascals-a proper target for every idle boy,
who could handle an old rusty gun, to
blaze away at.
OF late years their usefulness has be-
como better understood and law enacted
to save them from total determination.
They are the police Of the trunk and
scoodu part Of our timber, fruit and SHADE
trees. In fact. to us, the red-headed wood
pecker does not seem unlike a liScried
policeman patrolling his beat, up and down
and a, onnd the trunk, and out along the
limbs of some old tree, tapping and rat
tlng for concealed marauding insects, and
dragging them from their hiding places
without mercy when discovered
We have frequently noticed the trunks
of old apple trees punctured in D regular
succession of circles or have seen spots as
large as hand where the bark seemed
dead riddled like the bottom of cOlander,
all the work of this Or a smaller speckled
wood -pecker, known as the sap sucker, in
the bark.
Shall these faithful servants be denied a
few of the fruit of the trees they help TO
save?
A few years ago we observed several
Scotch pines in one of our cemeteries
treated in this manner, and the resinOus
sap exuding and filling the punctured cir
cles. Surely, we thought, this time the
bird could have been after no honest pur-
pose, and deserved the bad name it bore.
Behold, in the following spring cne of the
pines was dead and taking friend with
us, We examined into the cause and found
the inner bark of the upper part of the
trunk and of some of the larger limbs re-
duced to the condition of fine sawdust,
having been entirely eaten by worms.
Here the borers had been too numerous or
the tree too far gone. The other pines
were no doubt saved by the timely inter
ference of this much-slandered bird.
Closely allied in habits Of life to the
wood-pecker are the titmice and chickadees,
Of which OrnithOlogists report three as
visitants to this country They feed on
insects and the eggs of moths deposited on
and in the crevices of the bark and in the
buds of trees and shrubs.
During breeding season they are busy
through the whole day in capturing vast
quantities of catcrpillers, flies and grubs.
- 1t has been calculated says Mr.. Sam
uels, " that a pair of these birds destroy
Oh the average not less than five hundred
of these pests daily"
"The chickadee trips along the
branches, trips under every leaf, swings
round upon his perch, spies out every in
sect and secured it with peck SO rapid
that it is hardly Oercentihle
Last but not least in our list come some
of our best known and most reliable
friends. Prominent among which are the
brown thrush, or mOcking bird, robin, cat
bird, black bird, meadOw.lark, chipping
sparrow, song sparrow and indigo bird.
These feed on small fruit, seeds and ber-
ries, as we'll as on insects, grubs and
worms. They help themselves to some OF
our early fruit, and in that way some
times annoy us. Still if an account could
be made up of what they take, and the
good they do, the balance would show
largely in their favor.
They compensate us in still another way
they cheer us with their presence and
songs for amongst them are some Of the
most talented musicians. Unlike the
oriole and VIRGO, which carol while they
labor, this class lay aside other duties
when they address themselves to song. As
cending some elevated perch and concen
trating all their vocal powers, they poul
forth their strains Of melody, As if it wcrt
to listening audience.
Mounted on the tOpmOst spray of ;
neighbOring tree OF bush, the brown
thrush welcomes the farmer planting seed
at early morning with cries OF "drop it,
drop it, cover 1t up, cover it up. Pull il
n there
have it, thore you have it; work away
work away cover it up
This bird, although often seen in the
orchard and pasture field, generally builds
his nest in the neighborins thickct and
seems partial to sprout land, or wood:
having underground,
A few years ago, We considered our
selves highly favored when a pair selected
a small evergreen upon the lawn for Their
nesting place, and We gave strict order:
for no one to 60 near while the work was
progressing, but unfortunately some un
known enemy must have discoverd them
Tor one day we found the eggs broken ant
the nest deserted.
OF tho robin L writer in the Atlantis
Monthly says 81 shall not ask pardon fo
assigning to him the highest rank as :
singing bird, while others may surpas
him in some particular qualities til,
notes of the robin arc all melodiOus, al
delightful-loud without vOciferation mel
low without mOnOtOny, fervcnt without
ecstasy, and combining more mellOwncss
of tone, plaintiveness, cheerfulness and
prOpricty Of execution than those of any
other bird. Without his sweet notes the
mornings would be like vcrnal landscape
without flowers, or a summer evening SIX ,
without tints.''
After the MONDAY heat has silenceJ
the early performers, the song sparrow,
chipping sparrow and indigo bird continue
to sing at intervals during the greater part
of the day.
The song sparrow has been assigned
high place among singing birds. His sons
is certainly very soft and sweet, without
harsh note in it. We hear it mostly from
the hedge rows, and along the edges o
grain or pasture fields.
The sprightly little indigo bird, select:
the highest twig Of some tall tree in the
vicinity of his nest to pour out his noon
day song.
Last and least is the chipping sparrow
greeting us from the fence posts, along
the highways and country lanes, with its
peculiar but pleasant little song not un
like that of summer locust.
Having thus spoken in behalf of some oi
our winged friends rs time would allow,
leaving. however, many of them unmen-
toned, and many of the good things
which might be said in their favor unsaid
the next question naturally suggests it,
self: How can we best preserve these