The Press., 1885-05-28
Issued Every Thursday Evening.
[coNTRIBUTED.l LITTLE NEIGHBORS.
BY J. l.. B.

keys
 Sweeter than instrument of man e'er caught, Whose habitations in the tree-tops, even, Are halfway houses on the way to Heaven,'' are building where their movements are easily watched from my window. These birds, martins, robins, fly catchers, purple inches and cat-birds are all old friends. The martins have built here for eight or ten seasons. This year their first appear ance was in April. but the cold drove them away, and we were beginning to fear that we should see them no more, when. one bright morning, they again returned, and immediately began building in their box.
 Mir. Martin is lazy sort of fellow, much more fond of sitting on a neighbor- ing tree-top and glinting his glossy wings in the sun, than of helping his industrious partner in new-filling the house. I fancy he thought himself overseeing the work, for he sometimes peered in at one of the entrances and talked a great deal. Per haps wronged him. He may have been trying to persuade Mrs. M not to over work. This did appear to be the case at one time, for, as she came up with several large straws, he stationed himself exactly i'll the front doorway, tinttered his wings, chattered friendly, and kept her flying about for long time, and she only got in at last by going to the back entrance. The patience of the little lady seemed pretty nearly exhausted, and when, having ,emptled her mouth of straws, she again appeared, the indolent gentleman on the front steps received little wholesome in- strnction at least judged it to be whole some, for afterward, beside keeping care fully out of madam's way, he actually car ried up few small straws. A fluffy white feather, which was blowing slowly along, attracted his attention, and he flew down near but did not venture to touch it. He looked very ridiculous sitting there and screaming for Mrs. M. to hurry up, but I've no doubt she thought him very sweet creature, as, sweeping gracefully over his head, she caught up the prize and bore 1t away in triumph. The martins have been busy for about seven days, and the nest is nearly or quite completed Presently there will be four or five little beaks peeping up over the edge of the nest, and MT. Martin will have to go to work in good earnest, for every one of them will open more than fifty times a day, for bug or fly, or one of those little caterpillars that make such fine work of the apple leaves.
 In the fork of an apple tree few yards from the martin box pair of robins are already housekeeping The robin is one of our earliest and best-known birds, and favorite with nearly every one. Says H. w. Beecher: '"Hhe man that would shoo! robin, except in the fall, and then consci- entiously for food, has in him the blood of cannibal, and would, if born in Otaheite, have eaten ministers, and digested them, toO.'
 The fy-catcher is building in small fork of young butternut. She builds carefully. The neat, dainty nest is com posed of soft, fine grass, bits of twine, and some soft silky material like cobweb.
 Three or four seasons ago pair of pur- pie fnches built in the evergreens in the yard, and second pair have since estab- lished themselves One of the new corners is, apparently, given to dreaming pretty dreams, for at intervals during the night he warbles out snatches of quaint little melodies, much finer than any of his day time productions. The nests of the finch es are made of small roots and grasses, and lined with horse hairs, hogs bristles, etc. The eggs are d beautiful bluish green color, marked with spots and streaks of black. Their form is sharply pointed oval
 1uO oOiIOL OullSNO1o UuhU oSC dlC CttU- birds. These last are the most amusing and provoking of all. Gan anything com. pare with the roIlicking improviso of a cat-bird? ? and can anything compare with his impudent rasping cry if you chance tc pass near his nest? This pair of birds have taken possession of the garden, and delight us with wonderful music, and in- suit us whenever we chance to look over the wall. The foundation of their nest is of twigs and sticks; the body is composed of strips of grapevine bark, leaves and straws, and the lining is of fine roots, hairs and grass. The caf-bird lays four or five eggs of a bright, deep, emerald green.
 A brown thrush, or brown thrasher, has a home in the old hedge below the house, and sometimes challenges our cat bird to Il trial of musical skill. The thrush has Il beautiful song, and were he little more social would become great favOrite. These, and all our birds, destroy great numbers of harmful insects. Swallows feed upon flies, grasshoppers, butterflies and beetles. Belon says that swift swallow can see a fly six hundred yards away. Fly-catchers hunt their prey jays crows, night-hawks and whip-poor- wills destroy vast quantities of beetles. The robin and red-wing black -bi,d obtain near ly all their food from the ground Wilson says black-bird will daily destroy fifty grubs. A golden robin has been seen to eat seventeen caterpillars in minute. h a single forenoon this season the writel counted nine species of birds destroying insects on a frnit-tree, yet should they chance to take few cherries or plums by and by, what revilings will follow. Nc laborers work so cheaply as birds, yet their pittance is grudged them.
 In New England within the century birds have been killed in such quantities as to be sold by the cart-load as fertilizers.
 Farmers in foreign lands have employed children to gather cut-worms by hand The birds destroy them for us, and are in deed fortunate if they are not obliged to work as did the re-builders of the walls oi Jerusalem, the half standing guard while the other half wrought. Like the farmers of Krillingworth,
 'sYou slay them all and wherefore? Fol
 the gain
 Of scant handful, more or less, of wheat,
 Or rye, or barley, or some other grain, Scratched up at random by industrious feet,
 Searching for worm or weevil, after rain {! Or few cherries, that are not so sweet
 As are the songs these uninvited guests Sing at their feasts with comfortable breasts
 Then follows :-
 'sIn the orchards fed
 Myriads of caterpillars, and around
 The cultivated feds and garden beds