Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-09
Gte 6ree Aress.
NOTES ON THE FAUNA or viR-
HsONT-XyIsI.
Egg Suckers.

When we consider the number of murder.
ous foes which constantly threaten and
ussnl the birds in the breeding season, it Is
often n wonder that many succeed with
their Lousckc, ping ut all. And theirs are
not imaginary enemies, for they must meet
them face to face, though studying never SC
hard to avoid them.
If life is a struggle for man and the higher
animals, what would you call that condition
for the birds who live In constant fear and
clers in country full of savage hordcs and
beasts OF prey. On their migrations, by
night and by day, there is no in,crmsslon.
The door is ever open. They have no .asy-
luns to flee to, and each as a rule must
watch its own safety. True, some dwell in
communities, like the swallows and black
birds, but the good they derive from such
customs is perhaps more imaginary than
real, for wien one suffers is not the whole
colony liable to be cut off? The gulls and
sea fowl take possession Of some island or
rocky cliff in the northern seas until the
place swarns with feathcrcd inhabitants, but
the nefarious crew of some egging craft
or the arctic fox or the weasel may discover
them and make sad havoc in their ranks.
Their foes are indeed legion, and with
most birds the first and last thought, OK
ccpting perhaps the food question, is that of
security. Not only must they look out for
themselves, but there Is the nest with its
precious freight Of eggs or fledglincs, and in
.l,a,c to, tpl,r lnI In, ooo noe
the only possible safety lies in elusion. Not
soul must know the site of our dwelling,
else the whole brute neighborhocd will be on
cur trail. The secret must be told to none,
rot even in our own ranks for here are
enemies also. There is the lazy cow-bird
sneakipg about, seeking TO crowd in an egg
here aud another there, and thus escape the
risk and burden of family. Then We must
hide our home from that black brisand of
The woods, the crow and from the mcrciless
jay, both noted robbers.
Where can the birds dwell securely AT
best it is generally choice between two
evils but some like the swift and swallow,
have materially bettered themselves by
choosing the lesser. The higher they build
in the tree the more exposed are the frail
eggs to the wind aud storm, but approach
the earth and you come within the clutches
of man and beast. The woods harbor many
an egg sucker and the birds which haunt
them must need ever be on the watch for
marauders. There lives the red-squlrrel
who is notorious egg-steaer, and where in
the trees may he not go with his 1.-the body
and fsh-book claws?
The ground-buiders in field and forest
NAV well stand in fear Of that arch and sub
Tie enemy, the black snake, who gliding
noiselessly through the grass by day, steals
,b,,I a ki otx,f,, M
strikes terror into the whole family. | shall
not soon forget the piercing shiieks of de-
spar which came from number OF sparrows
while one of these black ficnds was gorging
himself with their young. The snakes are
continually threading the fields and under
shrubbery for their various prey, including
chance birds and struggling frogs and
though frcqucntng the low, wet lands, do
not coninc themselves to these quarters, but
climb the hills and mountains even. The
striped or garter snake las been observed on
the summit of Mount Washington. The
black snake in his wanderings readily as
ccnds small tree or shrub, and will even
come TO the trclls of the porch for his COW
tits and blucbrls, which occupy their de-
serted quarters, dwelling in the trees thcart,
well fortified against ordinary danger, arc
sometimes horror-stricken at seeing this sable
monster lecring down at them through the
one entrance 10 their cabin.
Then there aic the nght-roamcrs, the
foxes, raccoons, kcdgehogs, skunks, weasels,
rats. and the whole army of mice AS
soon as the curtain of night is drawn
they sally forth aud take possession Of the
earth while man sleeps coming up to the
houses and into the barns, going their rounds
through the fields and along the fencc-rows
II Ito a 81
the day, but would not the farmer be sur
prised to learn the brute census of his lands
Those birds which leave their clearings ant
come TO the, dwellings of man for his
protection and companionship, find new
enemies awaiting them. Here are the rats ,bot
plundercrs, which roam everywhere about
the buildings at night, and the cats stealing
forth also by day, capturing many an limo
cent bird and unsuspcious fledgling aut
when once they have tasted this fare, they
become professional birdstalkers.
One NUT study tie birds in their nativ,
haunts TO fully appreciate the nature ant
extent of the pcrils they must undergo.
severe storm Of wind and rain coming in May
or carly June brings destruction to blrd-lifc
such MS a tornado may infict upon Tho
inhabitants of the West. The haf-bult mes
is torn down, or the tenement is carried
away and the eggs or inmates destroyed
The wicker trays of the swifts loosenci b,
the rain, 20 tumbng into the CRATE.
Birds of prey and bold and hardcr''spccie
may suffer little from all ordinary intruders
but the chances against the success of
family appear often as two to one in case
of the smaller birds. There is that song
sparrow's nest placed in thorn-bush in tn
pasture which yesterday had an egg in it bu
to-day is empty, and the two speckod ten
n,,tc -, hal eJn,,
ing and in another instance n new nest i
ripped up. Who was the plurdcrcr here
You may ask, for he has left no traces be
hind.
The cow-bird the indirect cause of mucl
loss not only of the eggs but also of lif
among the young. One June | came upo
nest of the Wilson's thrush containing on
blue cgg and two spccklcd ones. Ii wa
abandoned. A few yards off on the groun
was a sonC-sparrow's with six eggs, three q
which were parasitic. The parent bird wa
bravcy Matching the lot, but if no interior
cnce was made we could easily read til
condition of things in the near future. Will
in stones throw there was newly-bult ncs
egg and that cowbirds. This, too, We
deserted. The parasite had been on hand
day too soon, and thus blighted the prospect
of the family. found nest in the Woo
this season pitched in spray of the groun,
hcmlock, 1t was destitute both of eggs an
owncrs and we wondered what little TRACED
had been enacted here. Examining the lcav,
below the crinklcd shell of cow-brd's cg
told the story. The common instance of ii
cow-blaokbirti being reared at the expense
whole family was well illustrated in II
case of a pbcbc this year who had bui
carly in May and probably Matched h,
whole litter. AT any rate he foreign el
mcnt had survived ard by the end of Il
month the entire nest was occupied by
large, well-grown cow-bird which the phel
was yainly cndeavoring TO dislodgc He
one cow-biyd was raised and four Ayca,che
persisted The