The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-05
SOME OF OUR BIRDS.
Blue-Bird, Mocking-Bird, Chickadee, Wren,
Bobolink, Cow-Bird and VForbIer.


Written for the indianapolis journal.
Indiana has over 300 native birds, nearly
half the native species of the United States.
L propose from time to time to give notes on
some of the more interesting species in such
way as to make them of interest to the gen
eral reader.
~ The common Blue-bird Sialia stalls;
(iterally the "plump-p bright blue
above, the female duller, as with most gaily
colored species. THE bluebird carries the
sky on his back" said Thorehu, to which
Burroughs added, "and the earth on his
breast" IL is useless to say anything of this
well-known bird. The children. even, can
tell you all about it.
HIS first note in early spring. as he goes
shifting his light load of song from post to
post along the cherries fence" is as positive
and welcome to the ear as the first dandelion
to the eye: Some stay all winter, if mild, in
parties of five to ten. They pair as early as
February, and bring forth two or three
oroods during the spring and summer--the
male taking care of the first brood, while the
female is busy with the second Bluebrds
nest. unlike the thrushes, in holes, and lay
unl-colored eggs; they are readily semi
domesticated, like the swallows, house wren
and house sparrow, living in boxes and
gourds. pair in my yard drove the house
sparrows from box and were themselves
dlspossessed by the purple martin. Their
melodious warbling song, sweet and charm
ing, is inseparable from the spring-tme
Like the sunshine of the days when the
year is young, and Nature seems to pause to
gather strength for her intended trlumphs
TINS melting music of the bluebird is full of
delicious languor and dreamy voluptuous-
ness, suggesting the possibilities OF all things
and expressing the realities of none. 1t is a
promise and pledge of the future, like the
unconscious yearning of maiden for what
she knows mott
The hooking bird; minus polyglattus
Ashy brown; wings with white bars. As with
other thrushes the sexes are similar. Often
the common shrike is mistaken for this bird:
the colors and fight are quite similar, but
the short-hooked bill of the butcher bird is
distinctive at glance.
A very rare summer resident in Indiana
DIR. Hoy records six nests from the vicinity
of Racine, Wis. The bird is a world-re-
nowned songster-the nightingale of Ameri-
ca. 1t is common bird in towns South as
free and familiar as the robin is with us, and
In state of freedom has a song of its own
INFINITELY rich and various, and even more
notable than its wonderful power of mimicry;
when its love passion is upon it the serious
and even grand side of its character comes
out"
Both sides of its nature-the garrulous
butfoon and serious lover-are portrayed in
UAAAo SOuuels
TO THE MocKING-BIRD.
Winged mimic of the woods! thou motley fool,
VINO shall thy gay butfoonery described
rhine eVer-ready notes of ridicule
Pursue thy fellows still with jest and gibe.
-sOngster-Garrick of thy tribe,
Thou sportive satrist of Natures school,
To thee the palm of soothing we ascribe,
Arch scoffer, and mad Abbot of Mlsrule!
For such thou art by day-but all night long
Thou pourst soft, sweet, pensive, solemn
strain,
AS if thou didst in this thy moonlight song,
Like to the melancholy jacques, complain,
Muslng on falsehood, violence and wrong,
And signing for thy motley coat again.
Mr. Edward Palmer, of Indianapolis re-
in 1876
49, Parus Atricapillus, Titmouse. Black
capped chickadee. Grayish ash; wings and
tail plain, with whitish edgings; crown, neck,
nape, chin and throat black. Resident
north, but more abundant in winter and
during the migrations, when it may reach
even to the south of the State.
Roaming in fiocks of dozen or so, with
the tufted titmouse they form notable fea-
ture of our avia fauna.
They are hardy, active, social birds-in
winter no less than in summer "merrily
singing their chicka-a-dee-dee, - ''defiers both
Of frost and heat" and continues Burroughs
"dilligent searchers after truth in the shape
of eggs and larvae of insects" Emerson's
poem, THE Titmouse," shows the points of
this bird both as hero and philosopher, and
must be acceptable to poet and naturalist, as
also to the horticulturalist, whose business
brings him into such immediate relations
with the birds, and SO introduce part of it
here:
up, and away for life! be feet
The frost-king ties my fumbling feet,
Sings in my ears my hands are stones,
Curdles the blood to the marble bones
Tugs az the heart-strings, numbs the sense,
And hens in life with narrowing fence.
Well in this broad bed lie and sleep,
The punctual stars will vigil keep;
Embamed By purifying cold,
The winds shall sing their dead march old;
The snow Is no ignoble shr0ud,
The moon thy mourner, and the cloud.
''Softy-but this way fate was pointing,
Twas coming fast to such amounting
When piped tiny voice hard by,
Gay and polite, cheerful cry
Observation-Disclosures saucy note,
Out of sound heart and merry throat,
AS If 1t said. Good day, good sir,
Fine afternoon, old passenger
Happy to meet you in these places,
Where January brings few faces
"Here was this atom in full breath,
Hurting defiance at vast death;
This scrap of valor just for play,
Fronts the north wind in waistcoat gray,
As il to shame my weak behavior;
l greeted loud nv little savior,
You petl what dost here2 and what for2
At this pinch, wee San Salvador!
What fire burns In that little chest,
30 froltc, stout and self-possessedP
Henceforth wear no stripes but thine;
Ashes and jet all hues outshne.
| Why are not diamonds black and gay2
And affirm the spacious north
Exists to draw thy virtues forth.
/ think virtue goes with size;
The reason of all cowardice
Is, that men are overgrown,
And to be valiant, must como down
To the titmOnse dimension.
al think old Caesar must have heard
In Northern Gaul my dauntess bird,