Middletown transcript., 1897-06-12
BIRDS.
FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

Birds have always attracted greater at
| tention than any other group of animals
| Therefore, there has grown up concerning
them literature.of the widest range, varying
from the thoughtful and laborious investi
cations of the scientist to the casual obser'
Yations of the sportsman and schoolboy
They have furnished thoughts for poets
since the time of David, and received the
notice ofthe wisest philosophers. Like other
animals, they vary immensely in size, color
and nature. Condors, the largest of flying
birds, have been found in the Andes, with
wings which spread twenty-five feet, and
the smallest bird, the Brazilian Humming
bird, weighs but five grains and is only a
little larger than the common honey bee.
The sparrow hawk has been known to>fy
one hundred miles an hour, although the
Albatross is most noted for endurance,
having been known to follow a ship for
sixty-four days without being seen to rest
once on the water.
In the plumage of birds, nearly every
color, known to the eye, is presented. Birds
also present many mysteries. First of these
is the tremendous contrast in voice. The
chirp of the sparrow, the song of the night
ingaIe, the scream ofthe eagle, the croak
Of the crow,-alI form deep mystery not
yet solved by scientists. Migration is an
other mystery surrounding birds. Year af-
ter year the Wagtail builds her nest in the
accustomed spot. and year after the Cuckoo
deposits her eggs in that nest though, in that
interval of time, the former may have spent
some months on the shores of the Mediter-
ranean, and the latter have wandered into
the heart of Africa. One writer attributes
the correct fight of the homing pigeon to
its knowledge of landmarks. This, however,
cannot apply to other birds, as they are
known to pass over large seas where there
is nothing to distinguish any route. Other
writers attribute this quality to instinct
Whether instinct or not. it is a wonderful
sense which enables them to know when to
attack cherry tree or to strip a berry
bush.
The nests of birds form another very in
teresting subject, and it is. observed that
the members Of the feathered race practice
more shrewdness and foresight in selecting
and building their homes than their hu-
man friends. the lYellowhammer is one
of the wisest of these architects, often Sc
lecting stump that seems perfectly sound,
and soon following out home for her
young right in the warm heart of an old
apple tree. These nes are sometimes two
feet below the opening. Crows also take much
care and trouble in building their nests
selecting generally tree of thick branches
where the nests are hard to find. These
birds belong to the class that cleans house,
using it again many times. They also have
their tribulations, their eggs being often
stolen by other species of birds. The Eng
lish Sparrow sticks closest to human habi-
tation, and its nest IS familiar to everyone.
The Robin can hardly be called a scientific |
builder.
Wild birds are often domesticated. DIR. |
Banks, the great pulpit orator, says that he
does not remember season in his boy
hood that he did not raise brood of NAL
lards from wild ducks eggs. One old hen
brought up three broods and finally died
from an attack of rheumatism brought on
by wading in the water in her anxiety for
her curious focks.
The last question in regard to birds is
their use to mankind. While their damage
to growing crops is tremendous, the good
they do IN destroying insects cannot be es-
timated. The use of eggs of domestic fowls
is enormous, and birds, both domestic and
wild, form the finest table delicacies. Laws
protecting birds are found nearly every
where. The Buzzard is Of especial use as
sanitary agent. The great numbers of
birds killed for ornament and sport is to be
regretted, although it probably prohibits
them from becoming pest They delight
alike the millionaire and "the barefoot
boy" and on the whole may be consid-
cred as great benefit to mankind.
WILLIEL CHANDLER,
Townsend, Del.