Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-05

"'N''' "a ~" Itltl On Tic SUM-
mt of y hill CT owned with huge derrick
which stretches ont its long iron guys in
innuy objections. This was a good landmark
To them Birds in flight lolG down at the
fuprilicies "hllc We glance over it, and with
thelr iar-leicbing vision, observe the trend
oil the hills and mountains the c)urs, of the
rivers and the margins Of The sea The
Martins collect 10 rows along the wire ropes.
and cover the igging about the head vi the
mast uBi boom, swarming like bees over a
hive, their breasts shining in the muruin.,
sim. Here they take their sun bath,
prcening the nselvcs before resuming the
march. Nov they are disturbed by the
wOrkmcn and all prepare for the start. a
portion take suddenly 10 flipht but are not
joined by the Others and Immediately return
Then all, as by prcconccitcd signal, launch
INTO the air and sweep Off to the south.
of the
American Stnrlings,
or IcteTdde, eight species are common to
New England, which is also true of Vermont.
including some of our familiar birds, as the
Orioe and the. Bobolink, already cmbalmcl
in the literature Of the New World. When
viewed together they exhibit diversity
which is uncommon aud seemingly unwar-
',
yet common traits, though often obscure, urc
not wanting. The backbirds openly ar
Knowledge their relationship, aud Tue field
lark is also O pedestrian.
The seed eating fbobDlnk seems TO stand
apart by himself, yet the latter and the
orole produce the scrawled AMI marLlcd
cggs. The
Hoboiipk Doiichonyx oryzivorus.
Sw.',
appears carly in May and seeks the low
lying fields where the 7halict, nm will soon
he queen of the meadows" and the crop
of ox-cye and butiercup exceeds tia, Of
grass and clover. Here they plss the glad
days OF May and Juue, now clad in their
sleek and striking drcss and full to overflow
ing with their lively music
To start these volublc songstors you need
only TO approach their haunls when they
WILL chase and sing as il conscious of spec
tator, pouring out their curious medley
a they hover in quivtring flight from spray
to spray, cuticing you on. Doubt not there
is some personal object to he gained by all
this hiarity, for Madame O'Lncoln is nest
ing down there in the sward ana the male
bird will do his b. St to draw you from the
spot.
None Of the ground builders are more
securely domcled than this. There is moth
Ing TO mark the site OF their dwelling, and
the birds will give you no clue rising from
every point but the nest. Accident may lead
You past their door and the bird be taken by
surprise, but to conduct business-lkc search
would be well-nigh hopeless unless perchance
you adopt the tactics OF the English poachor,
setting your cane up in the grass and circinr
. ,.pfullv about IL binp,I opnu1,y l.,
the sod is Bob O'Lincoln's nest, containinr
in May the greenish umber-scrolled and
clonded eggs.
by the inst of August change has come
over the family and you will miss their
sprghtly music from their accustomed mead
| ows. The characteristic black ami ashy-
white coat of the male, is stripped off and an
an inferior one of yellowish brown capp,d
on, hardly distinguishable from the dress OF
the other sex. The old and yonut thus
clad alike begin TO flock toward the last of
the month and leaving New England run u
fiery gauntlet to their municipalities IN the
tropics. Who would think of shooting down
this genius of our spring fields and mead
ows! But the Bobolink soon after leaving
us changes both his name and character.
SoDgless and obscurely dressed, Professionally
it might seem under the name Of rice or
rced-bird, they become great deprcdators
among the southern rice-iields and play the
role OF game birds in consequence.
The Oriole (Icterus gaIbula, ~ Coue,l,
in his flaming suit of orangc-red is hardly
less noticeable than the Tanager who wears
the Tyrian purple, and much better known
than the latter from greater familiarity and
abundance. The Scarlet Tanager hides his
color amid the shrubbery of the woodland
and thickets, while the Oriole iuunts his
gay dress in the trees of the orchard and
| lawn.
The Baltimore Oriolc comes in carly May
and returns at thesclosc of summer. He was
first seen this season at Burlington on the
14,h of the latter month, but much earlier
the preceding year, April 18Th, when
only few Robins and Bluebirds held the
| field.
The loud, clearly accented notes of the
| Orioles are noticeable In spring when We sec
| these trUpc travellers flashing from tree 70
| tree, but seem harsh and monotOnous ere
| midsummer arrives, when We are chiefly
| attracted to Their gray nests swinging in the
| trees. The extremity Of dropping elm
branch forms favoritc point Of
attachment, bat the site is subject to
changc,-now on the tip of the bough within
reach from the ground but concealed
by the clustering leaves, and as often hung
at some inaccessible spot high UP in the tree.
Again it is attached to the plant branches
of the birch, to the stiff twigs of the apple,
or it is secured amid the dense foliage OF the
maple or seen huggng the gray bole OF the
poplar.
This particular nest is from an elm over
| hanging the road. 1t clearly counterfeis the
| bark of the tree-a pouch OF large purse knit
| of vegetable fibre six inches deep by four In
diameter. A hempen cord which the bird
| picked up in the street Is the cable which
gives chief support, but several other threads
pass over the branch to make the fastening
sure. This string passes down and is skill
fully coiled and knotted into the nests side,
| then up again and around the other the Of
| the fork. A small withe is secured TO the
| latter and to the nest completing tho points
of attachment. The strands pass up and
down and across, in and out making Il
loop here and knot there. Thus is the
frame OF the dwelling made, loose ham
mock work, by this tailoress bird. Her
| loom is primitive indeed-threc elm twgs,
her shuttle is her bill, and the warp and
wool the tough fibre OF plsnts beaten and
bleached by wind and rain. The weathertd
stalks OF the milkweeds (dsclepids) swing ed
duringssthe winter and spring, furnish long,
| stout strands Of ahempen material which are
undoubtedly .employed.by these and many
other birds in weaving their nests. Attempt
to pick this fabric apart and you will see at
at once it's compact network and the inter-
lacing Of the threads. There is no shoddy
here but each fibre is strong and long enough
often to pass thrice around the nest. A few
fine straws enter into the construction and
the regular shape Is secured by layer of
coarse hairs at the bottom, which are covered
by the soft down CT the cotton grass. Few
birds are more secure from brute neighbors
than the. Oriole in her pouch. In this in,
stance neither the crow nor the owl would