Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-13
NOTES ON THE FAUNA OF VER-
MONT NNNIIy.

WONT-NANIb,
tWtincn Tor int Free Press by Francis II. TIerrick
The members of the fcathtred race are
.CDtyenJ9nuy GlL,scd acc)rdir Z 10 teir ]brb-
hs, ss iaHd ard ,rdter bird7 but nature did
n evidently draw the line here, as some
S uc'cs Nr. both terrestrial and aquatic.
The water birds are quite varied in form
and character, such as the duck, loon, heron
aud snirc. They are classified as leaders and
| aciR,mC,s. The latter, as the duck and
lpoo, are provided with thick, boat-shaped
bodies nhi well adapted paddles, while
snipe aud heron, belonging to the wading
frat ruitv, have long bills and legs which
| enable thom to conduct their Investigations
on the sandy beaches aud rlvcr-banks.
Waing birds seem to occupy the middle
gtouud between the strictly aquatic and
| hand species. Among the latter VIC notice the
swift and swallow love to ue constantly on
| The wing So also %. the strong winged
guls. Gvrlting above the water and flying
o. The surface seems to be their chief en-
| p Yment. Though essentially sea-rovtrs
The GuIIs
| come inland in some numbers to large,
water courses to breed. They remain on
Like Champlain as long as there is open
water, being absent only two or three
months in the year.
The gull forms an important feature In the
storm, when the white surf lines the shores
aud winds setter spray from The waves.
Their white fprms and wild screams are in
! kccpi"g "ilh the rest of the scene. They
| follow lccklCssly along the shoals, now ia
| the trough of the sea, now skimming the
crest OF a wave, ready to seize the helpless
| fish drivcu IN to the beach. Ju spring, when
| he shore is rugged with the churnping ice
aud drift wood, these persistent fishers are
still following their favorite bent. AS the y
alilht on the cakes of floating ice they seem
| tp become a part of the ice ITSELF their stiff
forms and whtish plumage offering but little
contrast.
The herring gull, the common species in
Vermont. is white, blush backed bird, about
two feet in length, with large, yellowish bill,
| the coorng of the plumage varying with the
brown, streaked and notified with black
add look like different species beside theil
hoavy parente. Numbers Of these birde arc
sad to breed regularly or the -Four brothers
| islands, Opposite Burlington.
But ~ see the gulls to best advantage, one
must 20 the salt water, where they are d
constant feature If the hsrbDr 1T all seasons.
| They hover OVER the DOCKS now and then
settling on the water 20 pick up some obi eel
which has fipated out Nobody aeems tc
notice them as they sail TO and fro, amid the
shipping. When one finds an attractive
object, AL the guls ia the nelghhorhood
true to their nature, gather around the
b loty, each one seeking tn get the lions
share.
OF the snipe family, none arc more famil
lar than
The Peet-weei,
or pectolal sandpipcr (rringa macnlsrius), 6
delicate little wadcr to be found in summer
| time frcquening almost every brook ant
water C urse in the country. We hear
| mellow 'pect.lr6d, peet-Ueet! and see
the dainty little creatures running along
the borders f the stream, probing the sahc
| here aud lhele for their rey. Now one
alights on a stone which projects a few
inches from the water, continuously nodding
aud haWing with its tail, a, if its slender legs
formed a delicate pivot TO the body which
At every step is tctown out Of balance, 6
mode of proceeding which has won it the
common name of "tp-up" Examining thi!
little bid more closely, WI see what a-sleek
| lighttitting coat Of feathers it wears. TIL,
uudc, puts ar white sprinkled with dusky
brown spots; mpn,lc, rich olive ash; white
cdajn9s 10 tn. narrow wings and tho
tail
The nest is sometimes close hy the water
some iuge UP in the daisy-spauglod feC
n'Goy rod from lie favorte stream. The
low sandy shores OF Lake Champlain are moi
ne-locied ~ these sand pipcrs A neat from
tn town Of .Ferrishurgh IS n good example
Of their lake dwellinas, which | noticed OF
The 24'h OF June The flight of the birt
fro.a rear at hand first calls attention tC
the spot. Here is the nes', At the foot oil
q Sub - rev Yards from The water, II very
simple nif ia indeed, merely slight de
preston in the sand with a meagrc lining Of
pilC needles ana grass. The three eggs
| large for. ih.. her dilninutivc size OF The
bird, Of the Characteristic pyriform shape
| are of creamy buff color, spattered ant
sIia-hed with rich lumber and lavender
They are quite striking objects apart from
their surroundings, but evidently wei
adapted for concoalment in their natura
setting Of saudi. AMI dry leaves.