Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-04-10
THE BIRDS Of THE SWAMP.
A. K. Fisher Explores the Dis
NAL Swamp and tells what
he saw.

A. X. Fisher, of the United
States Department Of Agricul-
ture, who has recently explored
the Dismal Swamp for the Gov>
ernment, publishes a lengthy
article i'll the New York .To.sual
describing what he saw. In it
he says that the arnithologist
who visits the Dismal Swamp in
summer will be disappointed at
the comparatively few birds
breeding there. About for:y-fve
kinds were found i'll June, and of
these not over ten species were
uncommon enough to be at all
noticeable. The handsome pro-
thonotary warbler, i'll its plumage
of orange and white, enlivens
the cane everywhere, and its
sweet song is Il ard throughout
the day, as CHEEKY when coming
from the dark and sombre wastes
beyond as from the bright and
sunny openings. Scarcely does
the naturalist push his way into
the canebrake before q metallic |
chirp is heard, and almost inns
mediately yellowebreasted bird |
with black head markings ap,
pea1s fitting about with half,
spread tail. This is the hooded |
warbler, another common inhab-
liant of the swamp. The rare
Swainson's warbler, heretofore |
not known SO far North, was
seen on several occasions.
Diurnal birds of prey are not
very common, but owls are abun-
dant, and their weird and varied |
calls are among the common
sounds that break the stiffness of
the night and the quiet slumbers
of the sleeper. Herons are scarce,
and during the sumnfer season
the wood duck is the only water
fowl found there. In the fall. !
however, ducks, geese and occa-
sionally swans come in at early |
morn from the outside, where
they are harassed by gunners, to
rest in security OH the lake
throughout the day. At this
season the thickcts, brakes and |
forests also swarm with the mi
grating horde of small birds, and |
the numerous sparrows, thrushes
and others find a variety Of food |
among the ripening berries.
Of the large mammals found
in the swamp, bear, deer, wild
cats, raccoons, offers, opossums,
mink, rabbits and squirrels are
more or less abundant. Years |
ago stock strayed from domesti-
cation into this wilderness, null
tiplied, and finally formed con-
siderable herds of cattle as wild |
as any native denizen of the for>
est. Oflate years they have been
hunted agood deal for their flesh,
and consequently are wilder and
much less numerous.
The bears sometimes attack
and kill cattle by springing on
their backs and biting the liga-
ments of their neck until they
are severed. We saw the skele
ton of COW that had been eaten
by bears, and the ground in the
vicinity was beaten down by
their tracks, showing that they
returned to the carcass until it
was completely devoured. The
bears are very common and num-
bers are killed every year. One
hunter secured eleven in a month
year or two ago. During the
summer they feed on various
kinds IF roots and berries and
when fall comes live almost ex-
clusively OIL those of the sour
gum.
It is wonderful to see how
bears tear the limbs of the giant
gum trees, in their efforts to
reach the fruit. They climb to
the top of the trees among the
smaller branches and bend and
break them so as to secure the
berries. Often after one of their
visitations a tree looks as if its
limbs had been struck by light
ming, and it takes years for them
to fully recover from the effects
of the rough treatment. The
stomach of a large bear we kill
ed contained several quarts of
these berries, and nothing else.
Although deer are quite common,
it is difficult to shoot them, un-
less they are driven into the lake
by the dogs. Wildcats are COM
mon and fine old one was shot