Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-12-22
Winter Bird Life.


On a winter morning when one has
been vainly listening for some sign of
life, what welcome sound is the tap
ping Of woodpecker! Doubtless It is a
downy excavating his breakfast of
larvae, and we follow his tap-tapping
just, for the satisfaction Of seeing the
black and white fellow at work; or he
may be repairing his winter quarters, for
he fashions home in which to pass the
colder months as well as one in which to
nest. The male has red band across
the nape; in the female this mark is
white.
The hairy woodpecker is as a rule less
common than the downy in the Eastern
states. He may be known chiefly by
his larger size, the downy measuring 634
inches in length, while the hairy is about
IA inches longer.
With the downy we may often find as
ISOLATED in the winter, another climbing
bird, the white-breasted nuthatch. Seen
creeping over tree trunks, he has at first
glance the appearance of a woodpecker,
bus closer observation will show that he
differs in many points, the most strik-
ing of which is that he climbs down
ward as we'll as upward and that he does
not use his tail as a support. The tail
feathers, therefore, instead of being
stiffened and pointed at the end, are
soft and rounded. The white breasts
mode of progression, black cap, blue
lstics note of yank yank combine to
render his Identification both easy and
certain.
If one finds the downy and white
breast in partnership it is quite probable
that a third member of the firm is the
chlckadee. During the winter these
three birds seem to have something in
common which draws them together.
Perhaps it may be a feeling of loneli-
ness which prompts them to seek each
others companionship. However, they
seem to be on the best of terms. and one
OF. the pleasant experiences Of a mid
winter stroll is to encounter this trio.
The chickadee will doubtless announce
himself in perfectly ineligible English,
and to the usual chick-a-dee notes.
Frank NJ. Chapman in the Chautauquan.
Animals Fright is Short.
A question that has often been asked is,
How long does fris-.t last in a wild
creature? The close observer will be sur
prised at its brief duration. They are
not subject to nerves" like human be-
ings A partridge after running (or rath-
er flying the gantlet of half a dozen
guns-if we may be allowed a mixed
metaphor drops on the other side of
hedge and begins calmly to peck as if
nothing had happened. You would think
a rabbit, after hearing a charge of shot
whistling about its launches and just
managing to escape from a yelping span
iel would keep indoors for week, but
out it pops quite merrily as soon as the
coast is clear. A fox pursued by hounds
has been known to halt and kill fowl
in its flight, though we may assume that
his enemies were not close to Reynard
at the time. We have been led into think
ing about the matter by noting what took
place at a cover after being shot over
Pail Mall Gazette.
Fun Hoam the Wonderful.
What a splendid subject for the Rein
carnationists was Fun Hoam. the Chi
nese hero who restored Malek- al Salem
to the throne of Georgia. In the story Of
his life which he relates to the credulous
daughter of the King, he claims to have
passed through many changes. First he
was that Piurash, who killed the usurper
Siamak. Then he was flea; little dog;
then Indian maiden Massouma; bee; a
cricket; mouse; then Abzenderoud, the
imaum; then the daughter of a rich In
dian merchant; then Jezdad of Iolcos, a
Grecian beauty; then a founding in a
box; Dugme, Queen of Persia; young
woman; an ape; a pretty girl; son of
the Sultan of Agra; an Arabian physi-
clan: wild man. a slave; son of a Cadi
of Erzeroum; dervish; an Indian Prince
and finally Fun HOam.