Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-21

resemble the female, or the winter plum
age of the male, and not until the
second or third year do the young males
attain the splendor of their fathers.
The body of bird is admirably |
adapted to its life in the air; stripped OF |
feathers, it resembles somewhat two
cones placed base to base, giving easy
cleavage in its passage through the air |
and the least possible drag.
The centre of gravity is maintained |
by the weight being underneath, all the |
muscles of the wing being below ON the |
| breast, even those which serve to raise
the wing are on the breast, lifting 1t
from underneath over sort of pulley.
| OF tho many beautiful adaptations in
nature of structure to requirements, the
bill Of the bird is one notable example.
Being, as 1t is, both hand and mouth,
| Its construction varies as does the food
| and mode of life Of the Individual.
The hard and horny bill of the tinches;
the same bill bristled, and widened at
the base for the convenience of the fly
catchers, which live on both grain and
insects. Ths broad, short and wide
cape bill of swallows and night hawks;
the long sensitive bill of the snipe, the
fiat broad bill of the duck, and the
strong, deep and hooked bill of birds OF
prey, are all suited we'll TO the peculiari-
ties of the different classes and fashioned
in the best possible way for their con-
venient use.
In the wing we have specialized form
of the arm of man and of the foreleg of
quadrupeds, the bones corresponding
with same. The humerus or upper wing
bone, the ulna and radius in the second
1t. ,t,1
ing to the wrist bones in man, the meta
cnrpal bones, three in number and three
digital bones.
| The feathers of the wing are Of two
kinds, the longer, stiff, flight feathers
and the wing coverts, which grow in
three rows both on top and underneath
the wing at the base of the flight feathers.
The fight feathers vary in number in
different birds, from 10 in the humming
bird to over 90 in the albatross.
They are divided into primaries,
which grow on the hand and finger
bones, and are generally nine or 10 in
number. The secondaries grow ON the
forearm and vary in number in different
birds from six to 40.
The tertiaries grow on the upper arm
, bone and vary greatly in number and
! shape.
The tail feathers are arranged in a
manner similar to the blades Of fan,
: and are in pairs. The majority of birds
/ have twelve tail feathers, a few ten.
t A bird in reality walks on its toes with
its heels in the air.
The birds foot is most interesting
. and extended study, In Its details and
a variations it is wide field for the In.
i vestigation and study of the ornitholo.
!. gist. Its special adaptations to the life
a and habits Of the different species are
most striking and instructive. Some Of
4 the plans are hard to explain or to &C
h count for, without attempting to 60 int
q close description.
, Those uninterested in bird life ant
d unobservant of the many varieties o
n birds around us, do not realize nor ap
d preciate how beautifully the vicinity i
"a supplied. OF the 10 orders OF Nortl
a America all save one are represented b,
N greater or less number Of species. Elk
ar cept the order Psittace or parrots ever,
o. order is represented either by residen
or by migrant. Many an interesting
IL Sunday afternoon have | spentin M
ia lawn en- the edge of town, watching tn
q birds that came there, noting thei
W variety and beauty. One afternoon las
as May counted 80 different species in
to short two hours, all within a space @
he about one-half an acre. Many of tn
he common birds, which every one see
Nv were there, the robin, catbird, blackbir
gn and flicker. There were many Their
al too, which would not have been see
,st except that shey were closely watche
for.
ly The warblers were we'll represented
or The bright and lively little redstart, I'll
W beautiful Blackburnian warbler and IL
ur summer warbler with its delicate lit
a. song. Several vireos stopped for
wv moment to lunch on the insects, abul
* iant on the new foliage. The black an
of white creeper and the brown creep,
sh travelled their spiral journeys. up an
down the trunks of the trees finding
rk good meal ON the invisible insects on u
lis bark. The yellow-breasted woodpeck
Dr. or sapsucker found mis- lunch by BORN
no into the bark, not on the sap OF the tn
We but on the eggs and grubs which he
well knew were there.
nd Two silent hermit thrushes were the
lie as long as was, apparently tindir
IN their enjoyment in chasing and fifth
ne through the enclosure, seemingly tt
10 much interested in each other to thir
IN. VI dNdtlluB lhSluoclNOS ~ VIZ aORSe 9
adj out for them by nature. SO the tin
eli passed away, two hours of intense i
sre terest, enjoyed by the birds and doub
or enjoyed by myself.
,rv lne.pleasant month of May, of all t
ile. year, is the birds month. Anywhe
~. and everywhere will they be found, II
~ in the country only but many also in 7
the | city. In the trees, on the Sidewalk
tn among the flowers in your gardens.
But look for them quietly US you pt
are along aud without doubt you will {
,av some individual which to the uninitiat
al. will be revelation of beauty, a wont
The and pleasure.
at Boys don't kill them; there is now
lin necessity for it, Let them live. You C
, of enjoy and study them alive. If you
o.. wish to study them closely y
aid will find almost any of them in the C
,vs. lection here.
In. canuot recommend any of you
no make private collections, for, except
{ as rare instances, judged hest by one W
sch versed in science, is it not justiiable
take the life of one of them. Wa
its them closely, study their habits, lea
,ent to know them and their songs.
red how much pleasure they are havi
moi and don't kill them.
,acn A dead bird will have little of intel
ver- to you. A live bird is one Of the m
moi wondrous and beauteous works of
ven, Creator. The collection here is, as
the as know, the only one in the Statt
odv. Delaware showing our own birds.
/ ~ | though obtained MANY of them