Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-03-18

is sealed beck. You go up to Contra
Park some day ia late winter, and theirs
you hear an early arrival whistling III the
trees, but when he or whence he is going,
or indeed his very name, Is alike I'M
known.
The grst bird to brave the ice and snow
of the northern ATTITUDES Is the robin red
breast. Often the hardy pilgrim puts In
an appearance along towards the close OF
January or in the early part of February,
when the snow lies thick upon the ground,
and when, it wouli seem, the world offers
nothing for the robin to eat.
Close after the robin comes that ever
welcome little stranger, Wilson's blue
bird. The bird may be seen often in the
earliest part of February, when all nature
is wrapped in o deep mantle of ice and
snow, and when not bud has burst or a
pod is to be seen upon which the homeless
wanderer insight make a supper. Yet In
this bitter season the blue bird is In It's
richest plumage, the deep azure of its
back and wing dazzling in their contrast
with the frosty Wilderness of the woods
and fields
The silver throated song sparrow is
generally the next bird to put in an ap-
| pearaLce. The bird is not snowy beau
ty. Its coat is generally aShy, with no
startling colors anywhere by way of relief
| \ ct its note is sweet and plaintive us its
name might imply The bird stays with
us all the year, and by midsummer Is
! heard and seen in every grove.
The companion in the migratory jour
noy north of the siver-throat Is tho
familiar meadow lark. Many naturalists
object to the name clark, contending
that starting" or. better still, Large
starting would be more appropriate. The
meadow lark is Il bird of rich yet subdued
plumage, its general aspect being brown,
with oshy streaks on its crown and a dash
of yellow on its chin. 1t makes its nest of
dried grasses, usually placed on the
ground, and laAS from four to SIX crystal
white eggs. The nest is generally placed
flat on the ground.
A flashing beauty of bird-life and an
early spring visitor is the Sprightly red
winged blackbird, so called from the dash
of scarlet or flame on It's lesser wing
covertS, contrasting so sharply with the
blue-b black plumage of the body. This
bird is an Unsuitable feeder. Eating so
much, 1t loses It's voice, its best effort at
song being feeble chuck ''chuck" re-
peated pt irregular intervals.
ring home the old familiar cat-bird, a
feathered beauty standing in family-rela-
tion midway between the famour hooking
bird and the silver throated brown thrush.
| The cat bird dresses in coat of sombre
gray. The haunt of the cat bird Is in the
tangle or thlcket that borders the country
road in the orchard or park and in the
hedge rows, crab trees and cOpse of the
rural district.
"Towhee!" "Chewinck!" sings the
towhee bunting, dashing upon us early in
February and enIivening the brakes and
tangles along the roadside with Its glad
note 1t is not fine singer, nor yet n
dainty dresser; rather plain, rather stout
and clumsy, glossy black, with dash of
chestnut at its sides, but very awkward
and stilted In movement aIthaugh ons of
springs earliest birds.
Along with the towhee come the white
| throated, white crowned sparrows, head
ing for the frozen north. They stay here
only few days, being bound for Nova
Scotia and Labrador.
OF all springs visitors the daintiest,
after all, and among the earliest, are the
golden clouds of wsrIers. The warbler
J Is the name of Il whole army of song birds
! the term being the title for the class.
/ They are a superb race. They are 80
| delicate that the pressure of a finger
can crush them, yet their song is so
sweet and tuneful 4hU6 all the world
wonders.
The San Domingo yellow throat of
which there are over Jueuty-tbree species,
generally comes first of all the wood war
Beers. This bird is unusually handsome,
among other royal Colors wearing upon its
beck a flaming yellow shield. Vt As
about like dash OF sunlight.
The next arrival is the Maryland yellow
throat, a ground war5'er whose cain,
throat and breast are light yellow, while
on each side of its head it wears a Jet
black mask. 1t is a sprightly singer. It's
nest is made OF rubbish and is generally
on the ground.
Finally, some bright morning, as the
peach blossoms and the cherries open to
theskias, that prince of Dir beauties the
BALTIMORE oriCls whis les in the trees.
The name Of tne bird is often traced er
roneousIy to the city of Baltimore; on the
nand, the bird derives lis name from the
title of Sir George Calvert, the first b ron
of Baltimore, who chose the C0l0rs OF this
songster for his official livery. The Ori0le
is enc of natures clever,st weavers, and
makes along pouch like home, deftly aus-
pended on the trPe-tOp in such way that
the nest is famed by every passing breeze
the nest rocking and dancing IN the ira
grant summer winds like the cradle lula
by of the old, familiar song.
| Boomers Rush to the Cheyenne Lands
GUTHRIE, Ok. T., March 14.-ManY
boomers passing through here bound
for the Cheyenne and Arapahoc Indian
lands, which it is thought will soon DO
opened to settlement. Others who
were unsuccessful in obtaining homes
during the recent rush for the Iowa and
other Indian lands, and who have been
camping about the city are leaving for
the new lands. 1t is estimated that
500 people are now gathered around
Cheyenne lands waiting for the procla-
nation opening them to general settle
ment. Prominent among the
boomers are large numbers of
negroes.
! Fly Wheel Bursts in Cincinnati.
i CINCINNATI, March 14.-Shortly be-
fore 1 o'clock this morning, the gigan-
tic fy-wheel at the Cincinnati Electric
Light works, at Hunt and Broadway,