The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-07
| BIT OF noosrER WOODS IN APRIL.

upon mankind. 1t is manifest in all AMI
NAL life and has descended TO man from
his monkey ancestors of g~eoloaic times
lived among the tr ees and threw
cocoanuts at the megstherium. Man has
inherited something OF the monkeys love
OF the woods. There comes to most OF rs q
desire for the groves and fields. where the
restraints OF society may be thrown OH.
and where we may give ourselves MP to our
own thoughts aud ~fancies. and live for the
tim 9 the wild. free life of primitive man.
We are penned MP during the long winter
and engage ourselves only with social
pleasures and business. bat as the SLOWS of
winter fade from the hills. and the sun.
climbing northward. gains in power day
by day. there comes to Us anticipation OF
the delights of June. The hummlng OF
bees. and the fragrance of orchard and
meadow seem delightfully."- near. and We
turn our steps toward the April woods. We
know we shall not find June roses. nor
grassy banks" whereon TO lie and dream
the hours away" but we will find some in
teresting things suggestive of the coming
months
There is q tinge of green about the trees
in early April, and yet you cannot say
just what It is. The trees have not yet put
out their leaves. and any particular twig
is as brown as 1t was in December. yet the
woods, as a whole, seems q living thing.
and you almost see the leaves as they Will
be q month later. IL 10 an anticipatlon-a
getting ready for May. The sap has started
upward and is creeping to the end of each
tiny twig and bud, swelling the bark on
the tender shoots. making them glossy. lie
is this glossy appearance OF the spray that
reminds Us of the green foliage to come. 1t
does not make the trees show more green;
il simply makes them seem alive, and mag
ination does the rest. 1T we lived In n
world where oil the foliage was red, the
glossy appearance of twlgs IN April would
suggest red.
Will you come with me into the woods
this sun bright day in priR We Will
look for April lowers. and We Will IND
them, too, many more than you think, and
We will hear birds sing. and will watch
them as they dart from tree to tree. rest
less. nervous and excited as we. We Will
follow the road out of town. across the
river. and up q long steep hill. then To the
left into the heavy forest that still covers
it. covers 1t because IL is so steep and so
broken bv ravines aud gullies as TO be I'M
fit for farm purposes. and unsafe for the
wagon of che logger. Take q bite of this
soice bush first. The wood fairies will re-
joice TO see you pleased with their spices
and myrrh. and when they see that you
are anxious to taste of whatever Is within
their domain they will exert themselves
to place before you the choicest flowers.
and to delight you with the sweetest OF
wood music.
Chewinkl chewink. a fiutter of wings.
swhisk of q tail. q glimpse of white and
reddish brown and into a bush near by
goes the ground robin, or towhee bunting.
He does not remain long in one place. but
darts here and there, keeping all the time
at o safe distance aud frequently uttering
his alarm note, chewink! That is the name
~ a RIM hnua IL han nv In fhlo tntI.
tnde northern indiana be usually make
his appearance about April J.. Last year
il vas the 9Th. this year il was March IS
lie freqnents thlckets and the tops offallen
trees. but spends much of his time on tho
ground. scratching amonglast years leaves.
He has a sprightly SOM. CHEEKY. but not
very musical. He is about nine inches In
length, black. with n white belly and
chestnut sides. and with patches of white
on the tail. 1t is pleasant now to think
that In q very short time, two or three
weeks at best. the nest. with it's speckled
eggs. may be at the foot of the beech
stump and that We may be strolllng here
in the dense shade OF maple leaves. now
slumbering in their brown topcoats.
There Is something at the foot of that
stump-bunohes of lowers. white. pink
and delicate blue. They have been in a
hurry TO show their pretty coiOrs. and have
come out before the new leaves Of the plant
have appeared. Nature seems to have in
tended that leaves and flowers should be to-
R6bDcf, anu To preserve that COnultIDH III the
hepaties. the leaves of last summer are kent
alive all wipter under the snow IN order to
keep the towers com oany In early April.
Then as soon as the flower leaves fall. the
old leaves die and the new ones appear,
bright and fresh. For years l have suo-
ceeded In beng on hand ut the birth of
these first spring flowers, and have stood
godfather TO them. and so l am always first
TO bring q nosegay of them FROM the woods.
They are not very fragrant. but they are
very pretty. and bright. and fresh, and
bring promise of a bright future.
That hollow beech. on the side of the
ravine. with q hole at the root and another
on q level with your face. Is the resort OF a
little scIeecb-OwL. bling through the
bushes. "a week ago. 1 started him up anG
folio ed him with my eyes INTO the hole in
the beech. / wanted IA closer acquaintance,
so L stopped. the hole at the bottom with
my coat. and. with q stout stuck. / gen tly
push ed him dow TO the root. when l
reached in my ham and drew him ont. lie
was a docile fellow, and made bur little
attempt TO get away. i carried him home
to the children. bnt be refused 10 eat. and
the next day we let him 20. / was here
Yesterday, and the little fellow Tor n
double) stared at me from the same hole.
He ID not there to-day. he likely has
more than one tree whore he secretes him
self during the day. How singular that
birds will find their way back TO their
homes. There Is no doubt that many birds
return each year TO the same locality. if
permitted 60 return at all.
There are q lumber of tiny birds in the
top of that elm tree industriously examin-
ing the bark of the branches for insects.
We Will whistle a few strains. They hear
Us, and are slyly working downward to u
nearer view. They are full OF curiosity.
We repeat the whistling, and they APP
preach 50 near that We get a close view of
some az them. They are not much
larger than humming birds. but there is
q fash of flame color from the head, as
If they wore all the jeweled crowns
of Europe's kings. They are indeed little
kings. known by all bird lovers as the
golden-crowned kinglets. They are hardy
little fellows. aud great travellers. spending
their winters in the South among the mag
Dolias. and going to Canada for the sum-
mer. where they breed. They pass through
here during the first ten days of April. when
one seldom fails to see them in fiocks
among the branches of tall trees. They are
fearless little fellows, and have often como
within a few feet of ME. 1t Is likely that
they breed in the solitudes OF the northern
forests, where they seldom see man, and
are never shot at. Their dimInutive size is
q protection from the gun of the savage
small boy. After birds are shot at a few
times they become wild and keep at q dis
tance from man.
This little four-parted flower with mar
row. torn leaves is the t~oothwort. IL is a
crucifer. and like all OF that family of
plants. has q pungent taste. No Hoosier
woods Is without it In April. Among the
roots are little slender tubers which we
schOol children used TO call "crow's-foot."
and we dug them up and ate them. You
pucker your lips and make Il wry face.