The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-31
PERCHlNG BIRDS.


Some of the most attractive birds
belong among the ''perchers. Here
are placed the sparrows, thrushes, rob-
ms, wrens, humming- birds and other
favorites of our fields and gardens.
Birds of this class live in pairs, and
mostly build their nests in trees, dis
playing great skill in their construc-
ton. Their slender, flexible toes, with
long claws, are well suited to these
delicate labors, and their legs are so
weak that these dainty, graceful birds
have habit of hopping instead OF
walking.
The pretty little song-sparrows are
among the commonest of our summer
visitors. There CHEEKY, melodious
note Is repeated over and over through
the long spring days from early in the
morning until nearly dark. Their
snug little nests are generally hidden
away IN grassy bank, or placed ON
some low vine or bush, the male carry
ing the materials for building it, while
the female weaves the nest He is at
tentive to his mate, and when their
home is completed, and she sits con-
tentedly upon her eggs, he brings her
food, and fingers near by to cheer her
with his song.
The snow-bird is also one of the SPAR
rows. Coming with the first cold
weather, and staying with us through
the winter, when most other birds have
left us, it is a general favorite. Snow
birds mostly go to Canada and other
Northern countries in summer to raise
their young ones. Their nests are
made on the ground, near the root of a
sheltering tree.
Our pretty yellow birds, or gold
finches, also stay with Us through the
cold weather, but their appearance at
this season is SO altered by their plain
winter garb that they are scarcely rec
ognized as the same bird, and we
might easily fancy that the yellow
birds had all left us. With the early
spring flowers they again assume their
gay coats Of yellow and black, cheering
the landscape with their bright color
and delighting us with their sweet
songs. These birds are fond of thistle
seeds, and they quickly tear to pieces
the downy turfts to obtain them. The
peculiar, crooked beak of the cross-bill
was formerly looked upon as deform-
ity, but an acquaintance with the hab-
its of the bird shows that its bill is well
suited to tear to pieces pine cones in
order to reach the seeds which form its
food. Clinging to twig of the pine
tree with one foot, it grasps cone
with the other, then inserting its bill
underneath the scales, it prizes them
apart by sideways motion of the
mandibles, and scoops out the seeds
with its tongue. Cross-bills are bright,
happy birds. They fly i'll small tlocks,
often visiting our gardens and fitting
among the evergreens, but their move
ments are very quick, and they will
dart off as Unexpectedly as they came
The nest-building habits of the two
horned hornbill are exceeding odd.
Having selected hollow tree, the fe-
male takes her place within the hole,
and makes a nest of her own feathers,
while the male from the outside plas-
tiers up the hole with mud. leaving a
small opening for the beak of the i'm
prisoned female. Through this hole
she is fed by her mate until her young
family is fully fledged, and she requires
so much food that it is no Slight task to
keep her supplied.
Birds-of-paradise live only in New
Guinea and neighboring islands, and
there twenty different species are
found. The ordinary birds-of- Paradise
most familiar to us are largely de-
stroycd for the plumcs of downy golden
feathers beneath their wings. The
natives who capture them usually cut
off their legs; hence the mistaken no.
ton was formerly held that these birds
had no legs, that they suspended them
selves by their long feathers, and that
they never touched the earth while
alive.
Another interesting bird of the
eastern hemisphere is the bower-bird
in Australia. Its chief popularity con-
sists in the curious bowers which it
builds of branches and twigs closely
interviewer. The bowers are entirely
separate from their nests, and are used
only as play grounds, where these
birds meet apparently to display their
charms to the birds whose affections
they wish to win. The entrance is
brushed perfectly clean, and decorated
with bright pebbles, shells, feathers,
little bleached skeletons, and other
ornamental articles, which must often
have been carried for long distance.
Our Baltimore oriole is u gay bird
with rich orange and black colors. The
female bird has the same markings as
the male. in duller tints, and pair OF
these birds forms handsome orna-
ment to lawn. The males arrive
first from the South, and are not joined
by the females until week later. The
males are then fun of song, and devote
themselves to wooing and trying to Sc
cure mate.
The nest of the Baltimore oriole, like
the robins nest, is placed near the
house, and is suspended from two or
more twigs by strings and threads
Through these threads is woven sort
of coarse cloth into the form of
pouch, and inside is placed the true
nest of fine grass or hair.-Harper's
Young People.