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

nave always believed him to be nearly related
to the catbird, whom he also closely resem-
bles in general external appearance and man
| ners Both have the same call, the cat new,
put 1t is more pronounced in the chat He is
easily distinguished from the cat, though, by
his bright yellow throat and breast
The chat rarely enters the forest, being usu-
ally found in shrubby thickets, where it nests
and In the parks and gardens He is q vigor-
Gus songster. singing all hours in the day as
| well as at night when the moon shines brightly
The chat though sly and apparently shy, is
| social at times, even intrusive. II seated in
| the vicinity of a tree shrub one is almost
| sure to have him for O companion and il must
be acknowledged that his notes, though loud
| and somewhat unrefned, are not ungrateful to
the ear. Though we may regard him as
Paul Pry and scold. yet we are 10th to leave
MIN for all that. / can't help thinking that he
| is roguish carricaturist. When least expected
his vigorous notes greet one from a concealed
position in an adjacent tree or bush, but his
eyes are intently fastened on you. He fire.
| quently changes his position, viewing his sub
| ject from different directions. and l imagine
that the occasional deep quaver in his n otes is
expressive Of satisfaction with his work.
chuckle over some master stroke Of his pers.L
ACHAT's PRACTICAL JOKE
One warm June afternoon some years ago.
while sauntering along the bottom land of the
Potomac in the vicinity of Gusts spring, my
| attention was attracted by an unusual bird call
coming from adjacent thicket In those
t%.t Nv was novice ~ pro Iore ana imagined
| from wounded bird or from a helpless young
| fedgling deserted by its parents. / at once re-
paired to the coppice, which WAS composed of a
Ssha n"Hs Uua,Insooa, via rose and alder
| IS g., 80. iatei twiheo. Peered In
ton sltbonob 1hs caI, 'ne oo}ecs OF my soiicita
walls A SHAKING of the hne s up ~ in'e
| hatta- rasni.a 0l the pushes yleloeo no
Detter results. Being determined to see
| awav nd raoi;n;u, .I' niovea lew PAGES
| veIcnmants 80. IL eio~iIu e""iteu ue
| for presently hid dautaa go m"i.i no .H':st
and alighted in q bnsb nsar hr TO-, ,xhanoo
,,aS No CO. WIN enaracterisuc meuley. IL
comfture immenseIv 0'A'o' AZ! "''
| He ia easily distingnisbed hv hi. .h.., .,,;,,.
| NEW and by the manner IN ub;nh 10 piara1as
his tail and onens h;s w;,as ~ nat.; e oio'a'es
The chat visits nc towarS ~
in large numbers and rema;r. d,' VI ". a.
summer. ' N"e 'A0
THE FINcHEs
The finch family is exceedingly numerous
1t consists Of eighteen genera or sub-families
embracing soma sixtv d;s.;no. .,,o,;.o m,
bnrt;nos sno,-,,;-s Ano
'mo" DfuS' nnhe's' crossoliis, gros-
peaks, redblrds or tanagers, canaries and
sp Ti belong to this family.
lhey are with US from early June until fall
and many OF them winter here. Some species
are eAcellent songsfers, notably the song spar
Io"s, tIe 9oidnnch and the purple finch and
grosbeaks. Pugnacitv and petulancy are char
var;ed 49,, ,.na s iay: IN. lneir Piumage Is
The bay-winged bunting ia one ~ onr Inter
birds, and sings sweetlv from the roadside
fences. Inc nest is sunk il the ground in the
90 a's - iono ol nesulng and wallowlng In
The field snarrnr taIoa ,eiHoie uisP1snion.
ia constant rasGsnt os tS Saneu Geia o1nung)
bia. Its song tbonnb no ,te rt;s.; Q, Solum-
and CHEEKY. and is Uttered with till me-. n
like vonno canarv IT, VIII .riii n9t ., IN
poet of the nastnre snS IT, e"neu .ne
HYMN has afso sarn.a so ~. pain'Ne evening
ner bird " " 'Ae H"no Va 'es-
Its habit ~
skulking as Won sluannas ~ az. ron a o. you anu
with it's two 80 o'el !ne neia, Iogetner
Identities This intsr.S,;, aii iea'nefs' easily
Tba CO... . es'ins piro.
fsvoriteS TIL ;'t 40 oHe "a my particular
spring van He Il ,5a hsra, le 81 tenoM leaas me
CHEEKY. vioorons nntoa nao az, VI spains anu his
fields gardens and boJoas Oui Ieanely
his appearance abon, H. m srat ne MAKES axe
ruarv md ;r,,oa5;Dtoi 'e urst "eek o. rep
GRAND chnr,,a IT, Deelns 10 tune LOT the
Ing the whole season r ~ .n renl.ll our-
with us. Altbouob its Coz, IL ,Iain .ha un,as
of This hid 90 .t. 10 Ioa' ~ pam the n0tes
bird Of ito snao;os .n"H muse vi any otner
spring and Later in n. tsu .hS eainel ~ .ue
and ffs SONG 10 narfovas . ny olner Diro,
day. II often s;pos 60, ~ o. no.' VI lue
of a tree Its swaa9sst 80 VIC 'oposs DraHcn
love time ~ "Ae u''eieo oufins
This bird il Lno,r, -.
mower. 7, hoe 49," p17ye's ,en"noquia,
by an annroacbino nh;so. ~ ..". "nsn a.alnea
after ,oroan,,s 49,. ps singing anu
note wbioh 60, ., io''n 'ails
dist,nce or,ox IT, 40 .niEuen ne was great
row,s sora ;s-a.e !uai'y OF the song spar
ness ~ The d. e,ay innuenceo py the prlght-
a ferca 80 nnu ne s ehtire!y silent during
in tbe troaa - neo's oo.u On 'ne ground ana
ra;s;n, SO '. "nu 40 remarkapiy promo, pair
Thae ' 90 many as WE'VE curing season.
amono tG. 81. y. an, tne Noou or push sparrow are
anS 90 ,aii Una. srees Tue ear In early spring
on ha aa. usually atteIed from bnshy roadsides
~. - - neius i's song, WHICH ID the sweet
ts " 81 o'ealest, SOUNDS IKE leo feo, leo. few,
Lam of Tho ba1;as 49,
servation, that of ali the mipratorv hirds ~.
dear little fellow is our first visitor in spring
MS arrival antedating the song sparrows by
sIona eaSs In Ine early season ne Is usually
saen IN ~ WI. nis mate 1hese Dirds are rarely
Tha ~ $1,000; vi groups.
-, ne smoWDlrd Is ABOUT the size and shape
tw ~ n1 b spa ITO with siate-colored back and
smo "n.e "ti aeatners, the latter being con-
Sp,uuous az ne ni1s from bush to bush before
.Odr aPproaSn. me roadside trees and hedges
.II are MS resorts during the winter
iontls, ret1rihs INTO holes In haystacks in cold
s sea.nel Ihese birds move about in small
nocAs u twenty or more, and are always ready
nj fQath s,,H.