Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-29
BIRDS AND TuEIR MUSIC.
Tho Catbird aud tho small Roy Who stons.
Him.


oSE on TuE WV BIRDS rH.r WILL ,xswru
RACK WHY RTrLEp-YKr IT CAN sISa vrHr
sWErrrr AND n CLOSELY RELATED TO TEN
NocKISs BIRD.
Io THE PERFECT BEAUTY OF A HOME
trees. shrubs and flowers are ..sentisl In,
II NE home be In the country or in IN. suburh.
there Is another element uee.-..,y ,o CIV.
grHce and finish 20 its SURROUNDINGS "a .aa 10.
and motion TO form and color aud crox, On.
whole with the charm Of song The b,rs. ana
'hef music are as much part Of real rural IN.
as 'he sunshine aud flowers. In ones rcminis-
ecnoes Of childhood's home nothing hoIa. /.
more permanent place than the familiar note.
OF TIE birds. and when Ear removed from the
cid homestead the ear bv chance ca,che. ,h.
well-remembercd note Of some favori,e f.a,h-
cred friend II thrills the homesick breast with
a pleasure second only TO some loved one,
voice
In various latitudes the birds also vary, aud
those that are most common in one section NAV
be wholly wanting in another. bun IN, rb,la
eastern portion Of the United States has a num-
Der OF Characteristic sougst.rs whose note. an.
a. familiar as household words from the gua
on Tie south 10 the -. Lawrence on the north.
Inn SCHOOL Roy sToNrs KIN.
There Is nothing. unless II be the ubiauitou.
orch. more closely associated With sri,nl ,la,,
IN the rccollections 81 the New England conn
Try boy Than the catbirl Tie aluayz da,iar...
that he hates catblrd. but tier. are f.w .
his surroundings with which IL would NOR.
unwilllnSly part. Tue fun OF stouiuC one %
These birds 10 JOY not 60 be highly given M,
and the best part n tits the bird seems To en-
JOY II as well ~ the boy. and n d certain th,t
there results no harm 20 the former. Will. IA,
latter has all the fatigue. Down m Ia. alder
ulcket by the brookSldr when the boy goes 10
euta stick of elder e. make apoT-gun Nth when
TO enlivcn she drsary h1ursof school. Che r,t-
bard meets him and taunts him Ntth a long,
drawn m-i-a-u. Fired With rage at thi. iu.ut
u" hut.s stone after stone. with no other eject
tuan 10 put himself In heat aud waste IA.
hour OF uoooug, until at ltst he t. late az
hChp" Tor which he is punished. then Nhila
attempting 10 make his pop-guu during school
une :he Is detected. has elder aud his dearly bc-
loved lackAulfe both coniiscat,d and he sent in
Iisgface u 1t among tue girls for the rest q
tle an noon. and al because Of the catblrd,
upon whom he yoNs revenge
FovSp ~ EHi. VICINITY.
Bat catbirds and school bows are the same
the world over. and here IN the besutiful
suburbs of our own Washington, m the clump
Of grape vines and smilaN down l,v the cr,..k
AAisiN sun br NaiNff'l tN Tue familiar api
catch GlimpScs ~ the we'll known form ms n,
Hits through the tangle - bushes k.,cri,y inst
out OF reach OF the stone winch he f,ldently
expects. Dr. Coues has ent,avorra % ,.ytlai,
the reason for the vulgar prejudice sr.in.s
thls bird. iorgc ting. apparently that the verv
essential element Of a vulgar pre- adice Is that
10 should have no foundation. Tn, fact 40 tbs
catoiri Is one Of the few birds that will answer
back when reyiled and will follos the human
intruder in 1pon ms hnun:- aud upbraid him foe
mus invading the sauctiiy Of his home. Other
blrds retreat IN silence when a-sailet by stoues
or other missiles. but lac only lodges tho t,r.,-
lecnlc. gives a saury filrt 10 his tai ard sends
forth a more spIteiul m-i-a-u. IL hi- nest he
fobbed he viii almost fly IN She face of the
spoller and follow him as he bears away ~.
treasures. loading him With reproarhes and ahus..
such traits do not please the uuuhilneol,hir,l
scho9lboy, who's" conscience IL not alwNNs
iree from some lingering qualrns on the sub
lect a. birds nesting. to which the voice Of thu
eatbird may lend an additional sting. while the
cry i too suggestive ot dCrisioR aud coutcmpt
not Co awaken an emotion of rcscutuen, ana
rethllation. His manncrs. too, are objection
able. The boy beng naturally frank aud out
spoken himself dislikes "A bird that '-aIways
sn1ah7 throngn the bushes and doesn't give .
fellow a chance To hit hun"
hts PLUN,GE COMMONPLACE.
The catbird's piumage Is decidedly commons
place and a. little calculated To please tine eve
as that Of any bird We know DR. Coues savs
of him: His dress is positively ridiculous. Who
couid nope TO ilse IN life wearing pcpper-aud-
salt Jacket, black velvet skull cap and a large
red patch on the seat of his pantaloona," This
IL rather severe. and IL must be remembered
that the bird does very well ia spita of this at-
tire, and, If he does not rise in life at Leaf
holds his own and raises a respectable family
every year.
As a rule he prefers to establish his home on
the edge OF tho woodland near the creek or
rlNer, for nearncss to water seems 10 be a r,rirns
necessity with HIM. though "A spring will serve
has purposes II the other surroundings be suit
able. Occasionally h. may be found among IA.
currant bushes and plum trees on the far .ids
of the garden, and if the grapevine arbor lie not
too Industriously pruned will condescenA to
build his nest there. having an eve upon tho
cherry trees and the strawberry patch for he
confesses to weakness for nice fruit an is
season.
OWN coUsIS TO THE MocKrNG BIRD.
Let no one suppose that the note that gives
the catbird his name is his only one. it must be
borne in mind that he is own cousin 10 that
famous songster the mocking bird and j. no
mean rival either. IN fact. far from being .
poor relation in this respect. But 60 hear him
at his best requires some care, and the hour
must be We'll chosen, for our bird never sings
for the vulgar crowd like his more celebrated
but less exclusive relative. Let the time be q
The nest has been built and now contains ito
treasures Of four Creenish blue eggs, upon
which the mother bird Is patiently sitting Is
her lord ana master away flirting with other
fair ones while she bears the burdens of the
household al homey Not so: he will be found.
near his faithful mate. perched upon some
point from which he can command a view ~
the nest aud it, approaches. and pouring forth
has soul In song. Sep softly and keep well
concealed for lac Is not singing for YOU and
has not invited your attendance. In YOU know
him only by the notes Of derision with which
he has salated YOU at former interviews Won
will now fail to recognize the voice and NAV
press forward too eagerly TO discover the
brilliant performer. The cracking of dry
stick betrays you; the song ceases: YOU catch a
glimpse OF something plnngIng into the thicket
from which, a moment later you hear long.
drawn, speering, contemptuous m-i-a-u.
WHERE Ir BUILDs ITS NEST
In selecting site for a nest this bird ALWAYS
chooses the most impenetrable tange Of vines
and bushes winch the neighborhood affords, 80
that the nest is often found IN close proximity.
10 that Of the purple grackie and some other
birds that affect such localities. There II MOTH
ing very remarkable about the nest itself: il is
built Of sticks and roots and finished inside with
fine rootets, lining which Is far from being
soft and hlp though the Vounr one.