The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
FROM WOOD AND STREAM.
STORIES FOL THE NATURALIsT,
HUNTER, AND ANGLER.

Change in the ways OF BIRD study-Tbo
Forest aad the Armchair Observer
Foxes that riay Possum- Cleveland
as n Dock Hunter-Au About the bait
and Tackle for Black Bnss-A spot
where Fiat Locks Arc still Used.
There Is 30 little to be learned by the use OF
the scalpcl In the study Of natural history now
adays that the naturalists are turning to the
study OF the habits of the animals, and In con-
sequence the results Of their work are far
more interesting to the ordinary reader. They
have learned the forms Of creatures, and now
they are finding out how the forms are uti-
li2ed. The field naturalist goes day after day
into the woods or clearing to observe the birds.
He sees n cntbird jerking It's tail and staring
ssucily," as one notebook says, and then
he tells all about the actions of tho bird, not
Ing every particular, from date TO hour or min
ute. from tile angie Of the birds bill to the
number Of hops 1t takes. II he 10 fortunate,
he sees the Lird protecting its nest from n
blacksnake. ana may even be led by the bird
itself to the nest to kill a red squirrel. At
home he arranges his notes and sends them TO
N sportsmen's newspaper, and they are pub.
lishcd. The armchair naturalist puts these
observations In books and rcpublishes them.
After n while the birds history is learned.
But the regular naturalist does not always
record the most interesting actions of birds.
1t was an old hunter who saw cormorants
round up fish in n bayou to catch them more
easily. 1t was the unicarned Arabs who first
told of small birds that rode on the storks'
backs across the Mediterranean Sea. y H.
year-old boy told of being led to n catbird's
nest by the mother catbird. 1t took a savage
TO catch the electric eel unframed by driving
horses into the pool in which they were. 1t
WINS the ire nuprs WIN first told of the dances
of the sand hill cranes.
There are more than 12, 900 kinds of birds,
and DR.. Selster, President Of the British Orni-
biologists Club, proposed that a complete cata-
logue of them be made. With such a work at
his elbow the armchair student OF birds could
tell instantly the physical peculiarities Of the
bird, together with its actions. For instance,
which accounts for the crooked bill is ex:
South Africa is, different from his American
cousin, as is told by the naturalist of this day,
not only as regards physical structure. but also
IN habits. the customs differing as much as those
o, the Indians from those Of the Caucasian's.
A much-neGlected part of bird study con
Germs the individuality of birds. II, birds were
s miShf h. as so ts5aT IA th Gsing Is f rs m nSma6 di Seisn.y
There are tricks in their gait which might
be recognized easily If birds about ones own
neighborhood were observed. There are differ
ences In size and shades and In actions.
Taken AS q whole. bird songs are alike in the
crows. &C., have their cries, but Jim Crows
voice il enough different from Jack Crows,
to the discriminating ear, to be recognized.
The London tl,'t notes that certain rocks
have voices entirely different from those OF
other ROCKS, as il their tlroats had been injured
in some way. These rocks are evidently birds
whose voices have been cracked by great age.
There are one or two of these birds to q rock
cry. and they, come year after year. and when
they iinally disappear their places are taken
10y others. Had these birds been carefully
watched it might have been seen that they were
venerated AS leaders, or generals; possibly as
Judges, for birds of this family are known to
ntete out n kind OF Justice to their own. a
crow, for instance. has been seen in the custody
OF two others by trustworthy observers. but
or wisdom.