The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-04-17
An American Sonester.

One # the most familiar Of the trul,
forest songs u our country IL the pecUl-
lar crercendo chant Of the oveublrd. or
golden crowned thrush. II sounds like q
repetition Of the word teacher" eight or
ten times In succession. begun In a biz.
per, but with added emphasis al each
repetition. Til he nnal car is rung out
with extraordinary force aud volume
This Ia the chsracteristc song of the
bird 1t u,ters 1t with untrirg zeal
throughout he mating season, and II il
TO be heard daily 10 every woodland Of
eastern North America.
Until lately this was supyosed u be IT,
only song; but, about fourteen years ago.
TWO na,urallst- announced independently
the fact that the teacher song il nntn.
ing more than mere call-Dote, aud that
at certain seasons the bird rises into the
air far above The top of the forest trees
and there, as he hpat- on quiyeripg wing
pours forth a loud, sweet lark ike song
The first time that remember hearing
the song, 1t was uttered as hymu Of
graft ude. | had often heard the teach
FL" note from pair of Ovenbirds in wood
where daily walked. OF course knew
they had a nest somewhere near, but
failed 10 find 1t until early 10 June. when
the Young should have been hatched
was walking along the path 10 this wood
one afternoon, when suddenly at my feet
appeared an ovenbird, trailing her bright
plumes In the dust and crawling about me
In silent agony | stood perfectly still
not little surprised; for usually this bird
is noisy when It's nest Is approached. 10
another instant | perceived the other
parent-hird, behaving 10 much the same
way. But, though his voice was hushed
and his feathers bristling with terror, he
be was yet making repeated thru,ts with
his beak at something. second glance
and made out long, siuuous form that
was lying zigzag over the leaves-the
glistenlng form Of q serpent; but its head
was hidden under dome shaped mass OF
twigs that, until now, had escaped my
notice; and then the browning touch Of
horror was added, for this WAS the nest,
and the snake was about to devour the
young. | never saw a more pitiful sight
than these poor parent birds In their com
plete abandon Of grief Their strength
seemed entirely spent. They CONTINUED
silent as before, but again and again as
sailed the reptile. 1t could easily have
caught them, as they were reduced to
heplessness by their terror, but it was
iuttht III us 1tuuStI prey, duu paiu no
heed to the feeble attack of the parent
birds | reached down and touched the
loathsome creature, but 1t did not move,
SO took it by the tail and dragged it out.
The change In its demeau3r was won
derful, when 1t found that 1t now had
foeman who could harm it. 1t dropped
young ovenblrd, and wriggled and
squirmed to free itself. 1t struck at me
sqvagely, but held it so 1t could not
reach me, and presently changed my hold
to its neck, and SC bore it away. The
ovenbirds seemed hardly to realize their
escape, being too deeply stricken to re-
cover at once. But, before long, they
were caring for their chilled and terrified
brood.
Next evening | returned TO the place.
and as | drew near | heard above the
trees, in the quiet purple of the twilight,
the wild, ecstatic air-sopg of the oven
bird the wierd mysterious bird-voice the
origin of which was so long a puzzle to
naturalists. When this vesper-hymu WAS
over aud the musician sailed downward,
knew that had heard the thanksgiving
Of the grateful bird whose home nv time
ly coming had saved from the ravages of
the sci pent.-,S. Nicholas.