The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-30
Ynr roorusOME BIRD.
a,otber Of virrinia's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
lions Regarding the Magnificent Bir

notice by correspondent OF one OF
vonr city papers the revival OF the tradl-
iional supersiitions In regard 10 the sora.
We all lean towards the mysterious and
wonderful when considering the work
inrs OF the natural world, animate and
inanimale Snake stories ind their
origin In this tendency. On The sea the
sea serpent is the deity Of the magma.
ton, and On the land stories oil the
hoped and horned snake, the Jointed
snake, and various notifications OF this
mystical snake lore afford material ioi
the fancy of the credulous. In regard 10
the bird so long known and so well ap-
preciated as a delicacy 10 our Eastern
waters. III re is no ground for the slight
est mystery. Nature recognizes and Is
guided by certain laws. which she obeys
with almost divine implicitly. This rule
IL universally applicable and In
variable In all her infinite manifestations.
In the inanmate domain, as well as In
animal life, the principle is the same.
When the time comes Ter the budding OF
the trees or the fading Of the leaves both
phenomenas occur irrespective II wealth
er or any other condition, seemingly cap
able of Interfering with the memorable
law. Occasionally an unnatural heat
will prove an exception 10 the rule, by
forcing out the tender bloom Of the yege-
table world, only to effect its destruction
instead OF rs normal development. This
is violation of the principle just re-
ferred to- In the animal kingdom also
when the time comes for the manifesto
iion of It's peculiar phenomena the i'm
perious fiat goes forth and 1t is done. So
long have mankind been learned TO OBJ
serve these phenomena, that from the
earliest times. and even among our own
savages certain signs were so habitually
noticed as TO become prOverbial. AS
early as the colonial times the in'lians
persuaded their white brethren that the
time for planting corn was when the
Young leaves of the white oak or the
hickory were the size OF a squirrels ear
or when the flowers of the lockwood had
fully bloomed The coming OF the swal-
low augurs the approach of summer and
all the delightful anticpations OF relief
from the hardships o. winter.
The sight of the first humming bird,
who generally arrives almost at the same
date, exciies the most delightful emotions.
And so with the movements of all the
fealhered tribe who return successfully
t. their TO- mer habitats, but not until
these have teen made ready for their re-
cepiion.
But now TO our SOFA. This curious
bird is gifted with uncommon powers OF
flight ! know this is not the popular
belief, because when found in the marsh
Is Of Virginia he is rapidly getting fat,
and is so charmed with the food he finds
that he is very unwilling to leave his feed
ing grounds until he feels the necessity
of so doing He has just made a sudden
and prolonged flight from lie banks OF
the Delaware, the Susquehanna and all
other waters Of the middle States. He is
tired and hungry, and because he does
not make a long flight when disturbed
by the hunter, the latter supposes he IS
incapable Of such an eifOIt This l., how
ever. a great mistake When the time
arrives for migration southwark the sOra
gather themselves up in great ilOcks. and
the sound of their nocturnal flight fills
the midnight air Almost all birds mi
CRATE at night. have never read Of or
heard Of any explanation OF this. Orni-
biologists do not cOndescend 10 inform
ms on this subject But it may be ex-
planned upon the suppOsition that they
know they would be exposed to the de-
siructiOn OF their enemies were they TO
depart ia such numbers during the hours
of daylight II is well known that the
martin, whose cheerful note was once so
common In Virginia, anticipates his time
for leaving by exercising his young on
10 I.f 10 A.r Of
shall arrive ! well remember when
boy how the caves OF the Capitol at Rich
mOad swarmed with these birds, and how
late in August they were 10 be seen prac-
ticing their young, by sallying forth in
large Aocks from their resting places,
and careening through the air for hours
at time This would continue for per
hgps a week or two when suddenly
day would come when not a martin was
to be seen They had all gone ia one
night. and by the time the fact was no
tced they were doubtless a thousand
miles on their way to the tropics.
SO with the sOra. He does not prac-
tice his young as does the martin, be
cause bis children have already been
raised farther north. But upon the first
advent of such cold snap as may serve
as a warning 10 him lie takes to wing at
once, well supplied with muscle and fat,
and does not halt until he reaches the
congcnial warmth of the far Southern
swamps individuals are often left be-
hind, and sometimes if the winter should
prove a mild one, few are tempted to
linger until the following spring. More
than this, old birds have now and then
been seen in the month of March with
their young around them. These had
evidently been halcted on the spot, be-
cause they were too young TO have come
from distance on the wing.
Ii may not be generally known, but |
have il from good authority that there
are two varieties Of SOra found in Viz
ginia. The bird so common in the east
ern part of the State differs from the in
diyidual specimens often found in the
valleys and wet places Of West Virginia.
The latter are much smaller and seem
incapable of as vigorous and prolonged
flight as the former. They are some
times picked up on the roadside or near
some moist retreat, thoroughly worn out
by fatigue 1t may be they are exhaust
ed for want of proper food, having In
fbeir fi0bt coufhWsrd taken fOO short