The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-04
MAKING LOVE IN MID-AIR.
ANIssICHUsErTsNA TURALISrS NOTES
or A BIRD COURTyAlP.
ylssSsss witt Eesthers-A sasApspsr's 1sss
"A Dsra shas Flare sAs 0sssls ose-csss.
sss HsSsss Or Sparrow ESD Warbssrs.


svs n sSsss sf Sparrow SD Wsrbssss.
NOMINATION., May IL saw . beautiful
sight IN the meadows tho other morning-cne
Of the very few bright genial days that this
cold spring has vouchsafed 10. was stfolling
about. armed with gun In case anything rare
appeared, but doing most Of my shooting with
my eyes, which are snaturalists most enective
weapons. whom saw two marsh hawks coming
up the valley. joyously bresstinR the quiet
wind which blew from the northward. One
was OF uniform ashy blue color. which gasb
among this species 10 confined TO TIE older
males. and the other was OF rich choeoseee.
black and red. with markings Of white about
tho tail. decorous and beautiful female. Low.
ers they evidently were. perhaps enjoying their
honeymoon, or perhaps just preparing for It
and full OF the rapture which comes both 70
birds and mon during that ross.colored period.
At any rate. the male was full OF gallantry. and
his mate full Of responsivensss. and their
amiabls counting IN mid-air was the most a.
ga RI. sss shown sSas
The male would rise high In the air above he
female sweeping n broad ana srscssri ~. ~.
Wom nan |sn. and tSsp With scsSe w,sss ss:
r rat xe again SH besSs Ter ~: a.S long md
Ing. motion, The female msanwhile eySded
W h% as S.ss away s
with the male in hot pursuit and loud 10 hls
Would so% d
rising and falling. flying straightforward end
a: :a %beS
asN close 81 me as lay on ths srs:. Il !. ii!,ls
iiSes 81 men and animals Into very close rsis.
Rs. ho ohappO ncss Il n: d e
perience. I was walking through sandy
ST Of ground near the riysr. hoping
sndes the bank when up lso% NJ :y;sy isss
Jumped :andeiper bird 90 dreadtuliI Grip:
its once. having sv!dsntly 6een broken q The
ssa s's ..e1s STOOD essa
every WAY, and, altnesther. more miserable
AZ oSs rs% ande! s ss
fore fore me-. sa%Sled ana rosa sSou, n AZ.
patty and . fuii DISCRIMINATION 70 run and catch
Il. Animated BY these emotions. and particp-
dToSp sRs % fe @ = o1fs AID io9
reason h, that Wy hereafter spGssr After step s
cred little strength and feebly svaded
my grasp: I followed and again essay;
result. Was repeated dozen times. until. At
rods a pued II .osssSsrp s.sSstsS
'.peet-week" in q hooking tone. number Of
b4 s
easily efe sHSf have s raid sssH
P efG assss 4 da .1's
fully about the ground. and. As expected.
oIivs.cclossd. notified eggs in Il. 10 e com.
a 0y taking ne 10 sfss VEL snowIe
and and vent away. piuminS myself that t6s sod Old
trick had grown too threadbare 10 take me In 81
IN Nesrs all ali our e.rth.euildIps birds arc &C.
anainted with this artliloe. and have had
them all attempt to play It ON me-sandpipers.
oysp.bird. This isissr species. Sewsysr. acts S
IN 10 the %.ssS. AZ L above
and viii not iiutssr and sSrssS about on Il:
ground as his less scrupulous eousins do. When
ne ssss ySS eominF he he
distance away from his treasures; then DO %:
pfc shoulder. and inviting ycu 70 conS up and
found US. for bis wings. .S and 70 whom he SOL
nots sslss III S.. a sSSs e
and q you LOOK careially. YOU Win md u. most
for gentemsniy dsportn,snt, hoWessr. you y vii
.ssG S es sss Fl this
T %,s e iSs and ns
preparing to spend the summer With With u.s. Others
ing on TO homes further north. This an
thing. land, continually presents new. points iof
study and Pessnlexity Herr one day, ne
day there are thousands Of them. and the same
%h Swallows me Is Ss .an
down In the evening. and the next morning. II
s p.s. ;ou ssSan T0 ad sSsl q .nS
and going fall upon almost exsctiy ths ssme
studied birds longer. than have says That he he
never needs u calendar to tell when the 18th Of
OUT and listening for the boboink s. which. a. 10
on that date and On no
Quite e curious IS she srriy.i and departure
nsd aS1s and
ana ws the s'st
sparrows. fox colorsd sparrows. tree sparroWs.
sase Ssasss e. 81 Ssa S Ind sTa
ard breed sSa az well here = e vfi@Cns IA
ack.throated green wsrblsrs find ecmiorisSis
summer homes here, why, do not also the blue.
throatsd blue vnrietiesI Now and then w.
riety takes a strange within and strikes ont for
ltseif. AS when, some years ago white throat
cd SPARROW built nest and laid its eggs in .
very rare.
Another very queer thing Is tho growing tu-
crease or diminutlon which the collector con.
staG2tly notices among the different yarieties Of
my own experience. may mention the bar.
breasted warbler which. np to 1870, was 4 bird
almost unknown among collectors heresbouts,
That year shot two: and was much envIsd by
ny associates In ornithology for my luck. In
line specimens in one afternoon. and In 1877.
In swamp near Amherst. I found the epocies
50 plsnt,f%@I that could hardly shoot anything
that season and The next they fairly swarmed
everywhere. and came to pass them BY 81 too
common for notice. but In 1874 they began TO
By scarce again. and are now very rarely moi
warbler was considered very rare bird ia
Massachusetts,. but now their numbers have
practically no limit. Thoy seem to me. how
ever eve not to be quite 90 common e they were
rare again Tue causes Of these thinss A.
seemingly beyond human research and for
that '-ason men will doubtless always continue
to inquire into them.