Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-31
Bird-Gazing i'll the White Mountains.

Bird-Gazing i'll the White Mountains.
Whichever way | walked, / was sure
of the society of the snow birds. They
hoped Familiarity across the railroad
track in front of the Crawford House,
and on the summit Of Mount Washing
ton they were scurrying about among
the rocks, opening and shutting their
pretty white ordcred fans. Halfway
up Mount Willard | sat down to rest
on stone, and after a minute or two
out dropped a snoW-bird at my feet,
and ran across the road, trailing her
wings. | looked under the bank for
her nest, but to my surprise. could find
nothing of it. SO | made sure of know
inc the place again, and continued my
tramp. Returning two hours later, J.
sat down upon the same bowlder, and
watched for the bird to appear as be-
fore; but she had gathered courage
from my former faiiure,-or SO it
seemed, and | waited in vain till |
raped upon the ground over her head.
Then she scrambled out and limped
away, repeating her innocent but hack
neyed ruse. This time | was resolved
not to be baffled. The nest was there,
and / could find it. So down on my
knees ] got, and scrutinized the whole
place most carefully. But though l
had marked the precise spot, there was
no sign of nest. | was about giving
over the search ANONYMOUSLY, when [
deserted a slight opening between the
oYerhanging roof of the bank and q
layer of earth which some roots held
in place close under it. Into this slit
| inserted my fingers, and there, en-
tirely out of sight, was the nest full of
eggs. No man could ever have found
it, had the bird been brave and wise
enough to keep her seat. However, |
had before this noticed that the snow
bird, while often extremely clever in
choosing a site for his nest, is seldom
very skillful in keeping secret. | saw
him one day standing on the side of
the same Mount Willard road, gesticu-
lating and scolding with all his might,
as much as to say. please don't stop
here! Go straight along, / beg of you!
My nest is right under this banki''
And one glance under the bank showed
that | had not misinterpreted his de-
monstrations. For all of that, | do
not feel like taking lofty tone in pass
ing judgment upon Jat1ec0. He is not
the only one whose wisdom is mixed
with -foolishness. There is at least one
other person of whom the same is true,
"a person of whom / have .neverthe-
less 4 very good opinion, and with
whom [ am, or ought TO be, better &C
quainted than l am with any animal
that wears feathers.
The prettiest snow-bird's nest | ever
saw was built beside the Crawford
bride path, on Mount Clinton, just be-
fore the path comes out of the woods
at the top. 1t was lined with hair
moss Ca species of P0lytrichufa) OF
bright orange color, and with its four
Or five white, lilac-spotted eggs made
so attractive picture that | was COM
PEELED to pause q moment to look at it,
even though | had three miles of q
steep, rough footpath to descend, with
shower threatening to overtake me
before | could reach the bottom. [
wondered whether the architects really
possessed an eye for color, or ha0 only
stunt led upon this elegant bit of dec
Grafton. On the whole, it seemed more
charitable to conclude the former; and
not only more charitable, but more
scientific as we'll. For, if l understand
the matter Alright, Mr.. Darwin and his
followers have settled upon the opin-
ion that birds do display an unmistak-
able fon09ess for bright tints; that, in
deed the males of many species wear
brilliant plumage for 10 other reason
| than that their mates prefer them in
that dress. Moreover, if bird in
New South Wales adorns her bower
with shells and other ornaments, why
may not our little Northern darling
beautify her nest with such humber
materials rs her surroundings offer?
On reflection, / am more and more con-
WINGED that the birds knew what they
were doing; probably the female, the
moment she discovered the moss, called
10 her mate, ''Oh, look, how lovely!
Do. my dear, let's line our nest with
bradford Ioarey in July atlantic.
.