The Red Cloud chief., 1895-11-22

Regulus. the Ruby-crowncd wren. and
the Golden-crcstcd wren.
Another family. the Wood Warblers,
Sylvicolidac. in the Genus Sciurus, con-
tains what is known as the Golden
crowned thrush. and the Water thrush.
This family contains n great many
genera, including the ~wcll-known
American Rcdstart. and the Scarlet
Tanager. Another family ubiothrichi-
dae) includes the, Genus Harporchyncus
containing the Brown thrush, also three
genera OF wrens. The representative
genus Of this family Is Minus, and con-
talns the Mocking bird. and the Cat
bird. All the genera ! have mentioned
are summer residents OF the North tenn
perate zone. with possibly the Winter
wren. The Wood thrush, the Hermit
thrush, the live-backed thrush, the
Robin and the Brown thrush. are not
rare.
The Mockirg bird Is incident to
Southern Illinois In summer. and more
rarely In a few localities Of Western
Central Illinois. A considerable number
OF the wrens also are summer residents
OF this state. Among the most familiar
birds Of the families mentioned are the
robin, the blue bird. the cat bird, and
the brown thrush. When | was a young
man on the farm, all these birds were
very common, and for several years q
pair of hooking birds made their nest
somewhere in a wooded ravine. Hawks,
wis and crows were numerous. and for
many years a pair of bald eagles nested
In a great burr-oak near the north
western end OF Lake Calumet. Ad-
vancing civilization has rendered all
the singing birds comparatively rare
in Cook county. Within the limits of
Chicago they are confined to the parks
principally, though In some residence
districts the robin. the brown thrush,
some wrens. and our only variety of the
humming bird may be found. As a con-
sequence OF the indiscriminate killing
of insectivorous birds on the farms. in
sect life has become so numerous as
seriously to Interfere with the produc-
ton of annual crops, some seasons, es-
peclally grass, the small grains, Indian
corn, garden crops and fruit.
Stringent laws have been passed to
protect the farmers. and game wardens
are appointed to look after the enforce
ment. They cannot protect against the
pernicious small boy with stones and
the indiarubber sling, nor can they avail
against parents who allow their chill
dren to destroy the nests OF the singing
birds. There are localities where
humane and wide-awake farmers do
protect singing birds. but pot-hunters
and bird-haters are Of the majority
against birds.
Our best song birds are more birds
of the orchard and garden than OF the
forest. Their food Is obtained from the
open grounds. meadows. gardens
and orchards; away from civilization
in the openings, and natural meadows
near. Many OF them build neal the
ground, and even on the ground, rather
than high mp In trees, and for the rea-
son that their most dreaded enemies
are predatory birds. Tickets and
hedges are especially sought, and they
eagerly seek the homes ana the orch
ards, where not disturbed. Hence thew
are generally found In villages and
towns. and In suburban localities. and
they delight to sing on low trees and
shrubs. The robin and the brown
thrush in the early morning, however.
delights to sing from the upper
branches of taller trees, where they
may be found. To the robin undoubt-
eddy belongs the need of being the
philomela OF American birds, his So
prano voicings extending from April
TO the last OF July. He is not n mimic.
his song In Its variation being all his
own, and reared In confinement he is
n Of the most cheerful and best of
u feathered vocalists. The brown
thrush Is also a persistent singer, often
as soon as daylight appears, and then
again delights us at the decline OF day
with his vesper song, and on still moon
light nights often continues his SONG
until Vespertilio, the comon bat, comes
silently tapping hitler and thither in
the pursuit OF nocturnal insects. But the
brown thrush Is partially a mimic, and
really belongs. and Is placed among
this class with the hooking bird and
the cat bird. IL Is also more pleasing.
because less liable to be broken up with
harsh. abrupt sounds: though, like the
hooking bird, is often a night singer,
the moon Is bright and the air
Is still. There used to be a charming
that yearly made their nest near
my home in Englewood. From the
top of a tall cottonwood, across the
street from my home, before the u
rose, and during the after part of the
day and into the twilight. the soft flute
like notes were heard until July. and
again In the early autumn. l fear that
he family were captured or scared
away by vacation boys. who at that
lime seem ferocious for blood.
The Wood thrush and the Hermit
are among the sweetest Of our
singers, Of original song, but they are
rare, shy. and denizens Of the woods
than the haunts OF men. l used
10 hear them forty and more years ago