Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06

the feathered tribes. It's graceful form, mag
nlhcent carriage and beautiful tints of plum
age delight the beholder. but there is very
little in its character to admire. On the con-
trary there is much to detest 1t robs other
birds nests and sucks the eggs, often devour-
ing the birds themselves. 1t is cunning, sly
and cowardly, and is often beaten by birds OF
feebler physique. 1t has the habit Of soaring
other birds by initiating the cry Of the sparrow
hawk.
The ruby-crowned kinglet Cor wren) is here
all through the month of April and is recog-
nized by the rich vermillion spot on the head.
As it passes from bush to bush or hops from
twig to twig it emits q feeble chirp at every
motion.
The house wren is the most prolific and
abundant of it's family, and it is pleasantly
familiar. 1t is seen In the orchard. i'm the
garden and about the houses. and is always
sprightly and active. Although diminutive in
size, it makes war on other birds, notably on
the bluebirds, Of whose vocal powers it seems
Jealous. 1t has an aversion for cats, and is in
the habit Of scolding them In its short flights
during love season it sings constantly.
The winter wren is a charming little singer
and one OF the most interesting of birds. Its
song is most melodious and powerful for a
bird of its size. Its chirp resembles tshick,
tshick.
THE NUTHATCH
is distinguished from all other birds by its
habit OF moving downward on trees in it's search
for food.
THE YELLOW BIRD.
The yellow-crowned wood warbler Cor sum-
mer yellow bird) Is one of the commonest.
1t appears In large numbers about the middle
OF April, and remains all through the summer
and into the winter. 1t is comparatively tame.
Its haunts are the fields. gardens and nurseries.
In winter its simple tweet is familiar music.
THE THRUsHEs.
The thrush family consists of seven species
the robin. varied thrush wood thrush. tawn v
thrush, hermit thrush. dwarf thrush and brown
thrush. The last named is sometimes called
brown mocking bird and also thrasher. All OF
these except the varied thrush are seen here.
some OF them in great abundance. The
thrushes stand first among woodland yocalists,
and they are also very handsome. graceful
birds. They first appear here about the end of
March.
The brown thrush Cor thrasher or mocking
blrd), bird of pronounced charac teristics is
quite common in the spring and summer ana is
also often seen here during the winter months.
IL Is cultivated artist and its song is full of
the sweetest melody. OF fair morning ii
mounts the topmost twig of detached tree.
from which 1t pours forth its loud and richly
varied song. 1t is generally silent after the
breeding season. During the period of incuba-
ton the male is heard from the top of a neigh
boring tree, singing for hours at time. 1t
becomes very domestic under restraint. In the
cage it sings well and moves somewhat after
the style OF the mocking bird
lhe thrasher Is classed by some naturalists
with the subiamily of the knocking bird and
catbird.
In springtime he mingles on the green
swards OF the parks with the robins and black
birds and wood thrushes.
lhe wood thrush, on account of his early
morning and evening songs, Is called the thar
blnger OF day, as well as the "vesper thrush. ~
1t makes its appearance here in the early spring
and remains until July. 1t is often seen In the
clearing and in the skirts of woods, and some
times In the public parks with the robins, but
the darkest and densest forests. by the side of
streamlets, appear to please it best. 1t nests in
the dogwood tree.
The song OF this bird although composed of
few notes, is powerful, distinct, clear and
mellow. Several of the species seem to chal-
lenge each other from different parts of the
forest, particularly toward evening. 1t also
has chuckllng and clucking notes peculiar to
itself, which are uttered with much force.
The wood thrush is regarded by many as the
first OF feathered songsters. He is plain in ap-
parel, a little larger than the bluebird and
considerably smaller than tine robin The
general color is rufus brown above, pure white
below, with numerous blackish spots on the
breast and Sides
The hermit thrush is never abundant in the
Dlstrict, put he spends the winter with US. 1t
Will be found in sheltered woodlands, about
warm springs, during any time between the
fall and spring migrations 1t occasionally
lisps faint echo of its vernal song while with
u.s. 1t is recognized at once by its single
plaintlve note, heard from the boughs Of low
trees.
The charming robin Of sweet, melodious
voice is too well known and too universally ad-
mired to require either eulogy or description.
lie is seen in our parks and fields very early in
the spring, and as summer nears the species
becomes numerous. Many are seen in the
woods during the winter. The joyous song of
this orange-breasted favorite is early echoed
through our fields and parks. He is one of the
very first of the sOngsters to tune for the grand
chorus. He is social bird and seeks the abode
Of man. Robin frequents the parks and
thor oughfares and when vocally inclined seeks
the tops of the highest trees.
Writers who have great deal to say about
the evening hymn" of the robin are generally
silent regarding his morning vocal habits This
doubtless misleads many into believing that
his vocal efforts are confined to the hours of
the waning day. Nothing could be more erro-
neous. On the contrary he is famous as a
morning singer, and nothing in bird music is
more pleasant to my ears than the rich, vigor-
GUS and melOdious notes of the robins early
morning song. He breakfasts early on our
green lawns, and if the morning is at all bright
or cheerful he forthwith takes his elevated po-
sition on a tree and MARBLES the sweetest of
strains. GEORGE SIMMONS