The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
PERCHING BIRDS.


Some of the most attractive birds be-
long among the "perchers." Here are
placed the sparrows, thrushes, robins,
wrens, humming birds and other favor
ties of our fields and gardens. Birds of
this class live in pairs, and mostly build
their nests in trees, displaying great skill
in their construction. Their slender,
flexible toes, with long claws, are we'll
suited to these delicate labors, and their
legs are SO weak that these dainty, grace
full birds have habit of hopping instead
of walking.
| The pretty little song sparrows are
among the commonest of our summer
visitors. Their CHEEKY, melodious note
is repeated over and over through the
long spring days from early in the morn
ing until nearly dark. Their snug little
nests are generally hidden away in a
grassy bank, or placed on some low vine
or bush, the male carrying the materials
for building it, while the female weaves
the nest. He is attentive to his mate,
and when their home is completed, and
she sits contentedly on 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 wealth
er, and staying with us through the win
ter, 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 sheltering
tree.
Our pretty yellow birds, or goldfnches,
also stay with us through the cold wealth
er, but their appearance at this season is
SO altered by their plain winter garb that
they are scarcely recognized 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 tufts to obtain them.
The peculiar, crooked beak of the cross
formity, but an acquaintance with the
habits of the bird shows that it's bill is
we'll suited to tear in pieces pine cones in
order to reach the seeds which form its
food. Clinging to a twig of the pine
tree with one foot, it grasps a cone
with the other, then inserting its bill I'M
derneath the scales, it prizes them apart
by sideways motion of the mandibles,
and scoops out the seeds with its tongue.
Gross bills are bright, happy birds. They
fly in small hocks, often visiting our gar
dens and fitting among the evergreens;
but their movements are very quick, and
they will dart off as unexpectedly as they
came.
The nest-building habits of the two
horned hornbill are exceedingly odd.
Having selected hollow tree, the female
takes her place within the hole, and
makes nest of her own feathers, while
the male from the outside plasters up
the hole with mud, leaving small open
ing for the beak of the imprisoned fe-
male. Through this hole she is fed by
her mate until her young family is fully
fedged, and she requires so much food
that it is no slight task to keep her sup
piled.
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 destroyed for
the plumes of downy golden feathers
growing beneath their wings. The ma
tives who capture them usually cut off
their legs; hence the mistaken notion was
formerly held that these birds had no
legs, that they suspended themselves by
their long feathers, and that they never
touched the earth while alive.
Another interesting bird of the East
ern hemisphere is the bower bird in
Australia. Its chief popularity consists
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 appar-
entity 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 long distance.
Our Baltimore oriole is 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
form handsome ornament to a lawn.
The males arrive first from the South,
and are not joined by the females until
week later. The males are then full of
song, and devote themselves to wooing
and trying to secure a 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 a sort Of coarse cloth
into the form of a pouch, and inside is
placed the true nest of fine grass or hair.
--Harper's Young People. !