The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-06
LicHTNlNGLlKE BIRDS.


6M&nsas D@TSs @m0 DF0ps Wonderful Eva
Their Accuracy and swiftnees.
I have often wondered at the casa
with which great big hen hawk drops
from ON high, like q falling shot, hit
ting 30 accurately its quarry ON the
ground. for at the moment Of beginning
its descent it closes its wings almost
tight against its sides and goes as true
as plumb line Before IL reaches the
ground it's speed becomes 30 rapid that
you hear the air fairly shrek through
its feathers, and the heavy thud Of the
blow at the last is Of deadly suggestion.
/ have seem full grown hare snatched
up into the air limp and dead after
such Q performance and borne away
dangling In grip Of fate
An expert trapeze man does many
wonderful things, but his EXTREMIST
cleverness cannot equal that of hawk
which saw dart under flying king
fisher. turn back downward and catch
the bird in the breast
Hawks, however, are not more expert
than Engfshars themselves. The belted
halcyon makes an unerring missile of
himself when he sees minnow shining
in o pool of the brook, and from 90
feet distance goes, like o blue fash, to
the silvery point Chucki Up leap q
thousand shining drops and FALL around
Lire rain, while that animated and
winged Ash spear comes forth from its
plunge with the minnow safely held.
Well may Halcyon giggle raucoua
clattering strain OF Joy He has done
what no man or us can learn TO do.
The drowsy looking little pewee fly
catcher Of our woods does almost impos-
sible feats Of agility in taking ON the
wing some species OF dancing insects. ]
have seen one Of these birds turn three
or four complete somersanlts in the air
before finally he caught his gnat, which,
like Galatea in the idyl, skipped hither
and yon and up and down after the
manner Of harl Of dry thistle down.
A kinsman Of the pewee, the tyrant fly
catcher, shows how light and plucky
tilter In the fields of air can outdo his
most savage foe, by dint Of superior
cleverness, at lofty tumbling. Many q
time have seen him bobbing MP and
down above q worried and disheveled
hawk 30 high In the air that he looked
like bee harassing the wide winged
thing, mounting and hurrying through
the hyacinth spaces OF summer sky.
Our black capped titmouse is inimita-
BILE as trapeze performer when he gets
good hold of twig's end He can swing
head downward. sidewise, curved till
beak and tail touch, swing by one foot,
and the wind may blow as hard as Ii
can, he never loses his grip No wonder
Emerson loved him for his pluck and
nerve. Some years ago 10 created stir
In old London when an athlete climbed
to, temples arch and hung head down
ward from beam. but what is q feat
like that when compared with what you
may see any June morning when tit |
mouse hangs by one claw TO the topmost
leaf Of some tall forest tree and the |
wind blowing boisterously?
Have you never seen two cock blue |
jays fighting In midair? There Is q ioust
Of brilliance. They whirl over and over
30 fast that they look like blur Of |
amethyst smoke. shot with CLEANS Of /
white fire. and how their wings clash |
and their bills clacki
The mocking bird, greatest Of all the
wildwood singers, has his own way OF |
showing on his athletic nimbleness and
grace. He somersaults backward In the
midst of Q stacoato strain and never
loses note. Let some tenor Try IL I'm the
opera one OF these fine evenings. -Mau.
rice Thompson In Independent.