The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-08-07

are the most interesting Of all croaioics.
IL one were to go up in Central Park on
clear sunshiny day at this season and
listen to tho countless little throats
singing among the trees, he would feel
a natural desire to know more about
their habits and natures II
he is of an observing nature
he can easily do this without
going sutside of the city limits In Cen
tral and Riverside parks at least twen-
| ty-iivc different species of birds build
their nests annually and raise their little
broods. BY watching the birds during
! the time of their notification u good ide,.
, of their dispositions and combative quail
| ities can be obtained.
1.-THE thrushcs are usually the first
ones in spring to prepare their nests.
| They begin Just as soon MS the cold
weather is gone, and often before OF
I'LL birds they are probably the LATEST,
and they do not attempt to construct u
new nest oftencr than once in two or
three years. have watched u nest in
Central Park for the last three summers,
and have found that cat-birt has util-
lied it each successive season ior raising
her brood of young ones. The first
summer she built it out of sticks and
leaves in q small tree, about four feet
from the ground. Ibid not disturb her,
but allowed her to enjoy her new home
in peace. The next season [ noticed her
lowering around the same place long
before the time to build nests had ar
rived, and / made up my mind that she
had come to take possession of her old
home before it was occupied by
some other fcathered couple. was
right, too, in my supposition.
She soon began to patch up the
In month it was completed and four
small blue eggs laid in it. For the sake
of experiment took two of the eggs
out and started for home. Returning
three weeks later / found three small
cat-birds in the nest crying for food.
The mother had not become discour-
aged at her loss of two eggs, but had
gone to work and had finished laying
her litter and then Matched the remain
ing ones out.
"a king-bird, gold-finch. woodpecker.
or, in fact, almost any other kind of bird
would have deserted its nest ut once.
These birds are sensitive in this respect,
and many will leave nest forever il
you merely touch one of their eggs.
The gold-finch will hop around from
branch to branch in a nervous manner
when you approach the nest, but she
will make little or no noise. The king
bird, on the contrary, will fly around
in most determined manner, uttering
her displeasure in loud cries, and even
aff In ,f,r,r fp Ht, II, fooo WIo,
another bird flies by accident too near
this little tyrant's nest most severe
punishment awaits the offender. No
matter how small or how large the VIC
tim is the king-bird will attempt to
chastise him. Crows are their especial
victims, and it is no uncommon sight
to see small king-bird chase large,
clumsy crow for miles at time, peck
ing him at every circle. The crow is
too clumsy to attempt to return the
fight but seeks safety in flight.
"Woodpeckers' nests are seldom
found in the parks, on account of the
condition of the trees. These birds
want old rotten trunks to build their
nests in, and the parks contain few of
these. Anumber of years ago noticed
several old trees in Riverside Park, near
the upper end, which had been drilled
by woodpecker for the evident pur-
pose of building nest, but the Park
Department has taken good care to cut
down all such trees lately. 1t seems u
pity, too, for these birds are their best
friends. All the poisonous compost
tions that they might put on the trees in
two years would not keep the shrubs
and trees so clear of worms and insects
as dozen woodpeckers would. With
their sharp, drill-like bills these birds
penetrate every worm hole in the bark
and extract the offender in an instant.
In the country farmers regard birds as
their best projectors of young trees and
shrubs, and they encourage their pres
ence as much as possible in their
orchards. ~. Y. 7ribMne