The record-union., 1893-02-18

and much in the country in FOREIGN
lands, have come to regard their birds
as my most charming chance acuuaint-
ances. can recall no place where their
companlonship has seemed so enlivening
and precious to me as in the almost ster-
lie Island of Malta.
Absolutely without trees, save those
transplanted and nurtured like exotic
flowers, Malta would hardly be regarded
as the haunt of birds. And vet | have
seen or heard here in midwinter nearly
every one OF the loved and humble sort
well-known in summer time in northern
climes.
Along the stony roads I have kept ex-
ultant pace with the hopping stonechat
and redstart, and chirped back a CHEEKY
greeting to focks of chaffinches among
the white and gold of the orange trees:
Climbing the clitfs, or pothering among
the ruins, the melodies of thrush or lin
net have flooded the sky from the olive
trees IN the valleys below. Crossing the
walled fields l have often come upon
marshaled hosts of titlarks. Rocks.
wrens, crossbills and tieldiares all well
coined me Ill homeland language |
knew. The call notes Of the reed-spar-
row peopled the famous island of the
sword and cowl with olden forms and
faces, and as the balmy evenings came
the stIllicidic, murmurous songs of the
bIack birds thrilled me with half-forgot-
ten voices of ever-haunting youthtide
! days and ways.
This recalls the exquisite pleasure [
nave enjoyed from my acquaintance with
the birds, and especially .the song birds
OF Cuba. Their variety and melody
roundabout the grounds of old planta-
tlons are raviShing. 1t has been written
that what tropical birds gain in brilliancy
OF plumage they loose in variety and
I lFFa
1he birds seem numberless. Their voices
and singing are startlingly beyond any
thing possible for one TO come upon at any
one time in the States.
On one occasion, when riding from
Trinidad but short distance into The
Vale del Aguacate, l saw eighteen dis
tinct species of birds-the crow, the par
rot, the indigo bird, the paroquet, the
lapwlng, the oriole, the tiamingo, the
robin, the brown pelican, the pigeon, the
mockingbird, the canary, the golden
winged Woodpecker, the English lady
bird, the blue bird, the ibis, the cat-bird
and the humming-bird, of which there
are said to be sixty varieties in Cuba! All
of these birds are to be seen or heard
about country homes, and, besides, have
passed charming hours in the acquaint-
ance OF as many more, all of which re-
garded the plantation trees, shrubs and
hedges theirs as surely as their human
owners.
Among these were the following: The
solviros, which live by sucking honey
from the flowers. They have brilliant
green jackets with yellow vests. AS large
as our robin, they live in gourd-shaped,
nests attached to the
under side of large .tropic leaves. The
malels rumlnatlve, but It's mate is full of
joyous song. The mayitos are as large as
our Southern mocking-b bird, and in form
and action resemble them. Their backs
are blue-black, and they have gorgeous
yellow breasts and yellow slashing
along each wing. Their songs are pre-
cisely like those OF the canary, but bolder
and stronger.
The negritos are here called the black
canary birds. Their wings have a few
dainty White feathers and their singing is
marvellous. The saVaneros are delightful
inhabitants of the shorter Cuban grasses,
and have the form of our thrush, with
dark puce- brown feathers, delicately mot
tied, clinging close to the frame, and
their CHEEKY chatter is endless. Other
frequenters of the ground and grasses
about plantation houses are the totises
and the chinchinguacos.
They are alike black, and in their re-
semblance to The American black bird IN
form and movement. Both are melodi-
Gus but noisy. They flock in great num-
bers and cry, "Kl-ee-ing. kl-ee-ing, XII
ee-lngW with the Tythmic modulations
of silver bells. First, the totises sound
their triple notes, with rising scale, as if
questioning. Then from hundreds OF
hidden places answer is made in descend
ing scale by the chinchinguacos. The
notes are almost identical, simply re-
versed. A singular fact is that when the
former sing their tails spread laterally,
and the latter perpendicularly. Inou-
sands at one time will flock about these
home-spots, ringing these bird-voice
chimes until the din Is often startling.
The cabreroS are between the mock
ing bird and canary ia size, and are very
beautiful. They are a mottled black,
yellow and red in color. one of their in-
tereSting characteristics is to eat so freely
as to barely enable them TO remain upon
branch of shrub, when they twitter and
sing with wondrous and plaintive sweet
ness. Two dainty species are the tome
grimes del pinar and the pioreras. Both
are much smaller than the smallest cana
ry, and but a tritle larger than the hum
ming bird. For its size the former has
the most striking plumage Of all Cuban
birds. With Robin hood Jacket of
brightest green, its breast is set with a
silver crescent, while cleaning black,
plume-like comb surmountS its tinv
head. Its notes are similar to those of
the American robin, but with more of
the piccolo in them than the flute.
The piorera Is smaller with black and
white back, white breast and red neck.
He is an incessant singer, with a pretty
variety of trilled notes. But the zorales
are the buffoons of these plantation CHOIR
listers. They ARE the size of our wreus.
of ash color, mottled with black and vel
low, with yellow bills and feet. Their
impish activity is astounding. Differing
from the crow, magpie and moclling
bi I'd, they possess many of the qualities
OF each, though their gibes, taunts and
teasings seem directed against other
birds rather than humans. Their imita-
tive powers are marvellous. They will
mock the notes OF all song birds to
nicely of tone and modulation, and their
range of mlmicry reaches TO fair imita-
ton of the whinnying of Il horse, while
their saucy pranks are supported by
more than bravado, for while each is q
confirmed barrator in bird strife the ras-
calls are without exception undaunted
fighters.
A curious incident of great industry
having almost its origin, and certainly
deriving its necessary physical support
from children's game, came to my no.
tice recently in Labrador. This game is
called copy" 1t is similar, under its
peculiar conditions, to that OF your own
children when they boisterously follow
your leader"
1t is indeed wild and dangerous pas
time, but is heartily encouraged by par
ents as being at the basis of all success
in seal hunting. When the ice begins
breaking up in March all Labrador and
Newfoundland children hail the arrival
OF their annual play-spell with joyous de-
light. Copying" consists in leaping
from one floating slab, or pan, of ice to
another. The most daring of leaders are
selected, and the sport is followed with
tremendous vigor so long as the floating
ice remains. lis utility lies in its educa-