Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-13
qm 9'rFr ATEss,
NOTE, ON s4rl It7ttt4 YER:
MONTY.

Kuby-CrOwn htn2iet, thkexuiaS VS.
enduln, Light
tWriuen for the Free Press by Francis n. HerrIck
In the northern movements of the birds in
April the Kinglets become conspicuous ny
their general abundance and by the melody
of their clear characteristic notes. For two
or three weeks the ceders and henlocks are
alive with these little insect hunters. Then
they gradually disappear with their asso-
ciat,s, the warblers and resume their jour.
ney to their home In the Canadian fauna oil
the north. Again you see them for short
interval in tue fall when they reappeal
accompanied by their Young and hosts OIL
other birds, all retreating southwark, admon'
shed Of the approach of the cold.
1t is 10 easy matter to resolve these mi.
mute, dlsky-green objects from the foliage
through which they roam necessarily, Hitting
about with the rcstlerss activity OF bees. Sc
unsuspccting are they, you may readily
approach within few feet and observe them
ut leisure, as they CLEAN tho insects AND the
branches over your head. About four
inches in lcugtb, of grayish-olive plumage ;
at this distance you eau detect the parity
concealed crimson patch upon the crown
which determines the bird al once.
Slsmll creatures YOU would hardly sus-
poet capablc OF such un extensive inusi-
cal performance, but their singing Is highly
crcditahe. Their principal SON., consists OF
rapid succession OF short, very sweet notes,
introduced by few clear whistles. Re-
naming quiet n short time after this out
burst they sometimes favor you with their
other scale, harsh grating chatter.
Among the early arrivals to our latitude
We SHOULD not forget the Social or ....u.f
Chippins-sparrow, lsrizclia sociaiis
Bonnp9
Tie Chipping sparrows hold their reunions
and rear their families under our very eyes,
coming TO the door in their daily search for
food where they usually find their wants
supplied. Abundant, social, accustomed TO
the presence of man from long acquaintance,
the t0cidhs moves about unuoticcd by the
majority and unmplested unless by some
prowling puss, who, watching the game
from the grass, suddenly appears in the
midst and makes II meal OF the unsusptctlns
bird. ... ..ft...t .....I.
In the spring their sharp, monotonious notes
fall incesslntly upon the car, going off like
alarms in the trees. Mounting bush with
head erect, chippy delivers his insect chant,
a succession of sounds like those made by
knocking two nnts together. They have
besides this, a more musical song, and a
twitcr expressive of their happn, IS, which
they are said to indulge in when disturbed in
the night
The nest Of this familiar little sparrow is
readily distinguished from those oil all other
birds, being essentially delcately wrought
circuar-Cup Of Ii rse hair (whence the CoLn-
mon name of "llair-biId,") surrounded by
an envelope Of tiuc grasses, often having its
walls so thin as to reveal the four blush,
speckled eggs within. This is usually
built III busn or low tree, yet recall one in
stance Of seeing II placed in Il field upon the
ground, which only illustrates the peculiar
freaks which all birds, and animals us well,
are subject to.
Though generally peaceable and harmon
ious among themselves, you sometimes
detect little ouicropping OF that bad blood
which is 50 pred Jmnunt in their ill-inannercd
allies which have come to us from over the
sea All their love-issues they seem TO carry
to the court Of personal combat, and many
and frequent are the encounters which thus
insue between the males. They will some
times meet in mid-air, beak to leak and
falling to the ground, roll over aud fghl
like two dogs, while the female, who is The
bone Of all this contention, is standing by
wholly indifferent, apparently, 10 tue re
suit.
But an carly-comer and a more noted
musician than the iOImer, is the
Purple grO.beak, tCarpOdacus purpur.
Gus, O.
OF the whole seed-eating family o
Finches which is 50 largely represented il
New England, including the Sparrows, TIL
Grosbeaks, the Buniings and the Goldiinches
this bird, known as the "Linnct,' an,
enormously called purple grosbeak or fincl
from faulty coored plate in an old work
deserves very high rank for the compass ant
melody of his voice.
While the snow yet fills the crcvicc ant
winter reigns as Justify rs ever you may
hear tins crimson. manted bird cheerlly war
bling from tue elm or iir-tree by the house
or calling Tor his mate, whose arrival he hi
for many days anticipated. Who told thi
blitbe singer that spring was at hand
What sort of an almanac does he consult
1t seems indeed a hard matter to deceive tn
birds They generally read the signs Alright
apparently knowing when March an'
April comes and when giant cold mus
depart, no matter what may he the outwar
appearances.
A few weeks later you uay see him hol
ing about the yard, with head erect, widt
awake looking bird with Il military air, I'll
rose-red or crimson being most intense upO
the head, and shading of to the feathers
the breast and wings, where the color b.
comes obscure, but the female shows none
this bright dye, being clothed in a somb
dress OF brownish, cast
Absent from Vermont in the whit
months, they appear at Burlington arly
April, where they become quite abundan
nesting chiefly in evergreen trees, prcfcrab
the arbor-vilae, in the vicinity OF man aI
often beside his dwellings. A nest, -four
early in June, contained five normal cg
with one of the lazy cow-bird's. Like mo
members OF the family they build the
dwellings hastily and loosely, making exte
sive use of grasses, weeds, and the fine de-
twigs of evergrceus. Their eggs green's
blue in color, with few spots or penciin
of dark pigment cncircling tine larg
end, are n large edition of the Chippiu
sparrows from which they are hard
dlstinguislabc except in size
On the 25th Of May first saw anotl
visitant from the far south, the trop
colored
Indigo-bird, (Cyamospiza cyania, HI
singing from the top of small oak, spt
of deeper blue against the sky BY
agreeable song and manners, and his r
irrldesccut plumage, the lndigo-brl deser'
to be well known and to occupy C
spicuous place in the bird-life of New Il
land While moi so familiar as many of
allies it is yet frequently found nesting by
road or in the shrubbery Of gardens, lhougl
generally prefers the open woodlands for
hauuts. There under the July sun, at no
day when other birds are silent, you may Ii
this vivacious little minstrel Offering
simple chant, from tic top OF high tree
his mate occupied with domestic dutie
the shrubbcry below-meet, meet, I'll n
L.. IL.