The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-15
MUSIC FROM EUROPE.
Nightingales Lull the People of
Portland to Sleep.
IMPORTATION OF SONG BIRDS.
skyiarks FIJI the Air with Melody-The
Immigrants Thrive, and More Will
be Brought Over.
From Letter by C. F. pauser.


In the month of May, 1850, the Society
for the introduction of Useful Singing
Birds into Oregon imported from Claus
thai, in Germany. under contract with
German bird dealer, the following birds in
pairs of males and females, viz:
Ten pairs black-headed nightingales, S
pairs of grey song thrushes, Is pairs of
black song thrushes, - pairs skylarks, 4
pairs of singing quail, 20 pairs black star
lings, 10 bullhnches, 3 of which were fe-
males and Is males; the rest of the females
had died on the way; 10 pairs of gold
fnches, 40 pairs of chafinches, S. pairs of
hnnets, 40 pairs of ziskins (greenfinches),
20 pairs crossbeaks, / pair real nightin-
gales (the rest had died on the way) and
several pairs of red-breasted English rob-
ms, the European wren specie, forest
fnches, yellow hammers, greenfinches.
When these birds arrived here, each
specie was put into a large wooden cage 6
feet high, 8 feet long and feet deep, with
wire net front, with plenty of water and
their favorite food, thus giving them a
good opportunity to rest and exercise
their wings before they were turned loose.
All these birds, with their cages, were
placed on exhibition four days to the public.
Thousands of people went to see them,
and the society realized about $500 by this
show, which went toward paying the ex-
pense of bringing them here At the close
of the exhibition all the birds were turned
loose under the direction of Frank Dekum,
president of the society, in the suburbs of
Portland, and large number in other
counties here.
The larks were let loose outside of the
city near clover meadows.
The birds have done well ever since they
were let loose; we watched them all
through the summer of 1859. Some nested
in Portland and some in the suburbs,
while others went far off into the state.
We have had very nattering reports of
these birds from ali parts of the state.
The birds left here in the fall of 1859 and
returned in the spring of 1890 except the
black thrush and the skylark-they did not
migrate.
The society has received reports from
numerous places in this vicinity, which
show that the birds brought here and
turned loose a year ago last spring have
prospered, and that the scheme has been a
grand success.
dock of twenty to thirty skylarks was
seen back of Milwaukee, Or, about a
month ago. 4 couple of German immi-
grants who went out into Washington
county in August saw several skylarks as
cending into the air and singing beauti-
fully, and on coming back to the city here
reported the fact.
At the city park here goldfnches, lin
nets and greenhnches have made their
home here all this summer, as reported by
the park keeper Myers.
AT Fulton, adjacent to Portland, num-
Der of goldhnches were seen by Mr. REG
elmann, and there is no doubt but that
they were breeding there. Goldnnches
were also seen at Mount Tabor, in East
Portland, and flock was seen near No
lala. In Clackamas county, where they
have been breeding. Frank Dekum also
saw some goldnDches on his lawn this
summer. Some were also seen on the
county poor farm, near Portland, with
their young. AT II. Dosch's place, back
of this city, black thrushes, song thrushes,
goldnnches and black-headed nightingales
have made their home and reared their
young ones this summer as well as last
summer. Mr.. Bosch has large orchard
and an abundance of water on his place.
which makes it sought by the birds. Lin
nets have remained in and around the
city, and their sweet songs have been heard
all over the city and in East Portland.
4 pair of black headed nightingales
nested near Silverton, forty miles south of
Portland, this summer, and a pair were
seen near Forest Grove, fifty miles from
Portland, by Mr.. Washer, of this city.
Mr.. Maher, of North Portland, reports a
nightingale singing near his place after
dark during all summer. At Mr.. Munk's
place. back of the city. a pair of song
thrushes made their nest and raised FIVE
young ones this summer. Frank Dekum
found pair of song thTushes nesting back
of the exposition building this season
Several bultinches. were. seen by. II. d.
Mcdonald short time since. back of the
city. Mr.. Stuhr, the Portland bird dealer,
saw a flock of greenhnehes in South Port
land not long ago. Several pairs of chat
tinches were seen by Mr.. Weisgerber near
Ilwaco this summer, also large numbers of
the same were seen by different parties in
and about the city.
The black starlings were breeding this
last summer on a little island in the Viii
lamette river, three miles south of Port
land.
Skylarks were seen in different parts of
the state ascending into the air singing.
These and other reports received BY me
prove that the birds are doing well. and
the society Is so we'll pleased with the sue
cess of its scheme that another subscription
was started here about six weeks ago for
the purpose of bringing some more of the
insectivorous birds here. 1t Is also the in
tention TO import q number of hooking
birds from the South. The birds Will ar
rive mere about the ISt OF March, 1891. BY
the introduction of such birds the orchards
are protected against Insects and cater
pillars.
The following is the list of useful Euro
pean and South American singing birds
which the society has ordered BY Mr..
Stuhr, the Portland birddealer. and To be
delivered here in Portland. Or, in good
order and condition not later than March
|. 1891: Twenty-four pairs skvlarks at IS
per pair, "a pairs American mocking-birds
at $50 per pair, "a pairs bullfnches at 81
per pair, Il pairs black song thrushes at
$50 per pair. II pairs gray song thrushes
at $50 per pair, Is pairs red-breasted Eng
lish robins at $3.50 per pair. n pairs black-
headed nightIngales ut $50 per pair. Some
special orders FOR different parties were of
gold-1nches at $50 per pair. black starting
at $3.50 per pair, chaifinches at s.. 30 per
pair, linnets at $3.50 per PAIR, ziskins
tsveen-nnchesl $3.50 per pair.
The aforesaid birds have 10 be delivered
here IN ilTst-clssS order and healthy con-
dition by Mr.. Stubr the bird dealer. and
npon such delivery ne viii be paid for the
same ~ the aforesaid prices
Our flrst importation of birds in 1SS9 has
cost the society very nearly $3.50 for 275
pairs, hut orr importation for 1891 will be
considerably cheaper. owing to the fact
that we have aroused the competition of