The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-05
OUR BIRDS.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.

and their cousins. the catbirds, waken the
morning. This is curious habit Tho
song always comes from the east. Down
In the valley you hear note. followed
by another, and another, nearer and near
CT, until volume of song like great
wave comes in just ahead of the dawn,
rolling over the house and moving west
ward. ! think II must be that II starts at
the Atlantic, and does not stop short of
the Pacific 1t rolls on and on, more and
more voMble. rich and joyous, for an
hour. At last catbird right at my win
dow whistles in at me some notes that
have taught him the day before, and then
whistle back at him. While the thrushcs
lead the music. 1t is easy to distinguish
as undernotes those of the wren, the song
sparrow aud tho grosbeaks.
AS rule we find that the economic
value of birds is measured largely ny their
capacity of destroying Objectionable in
sects. But believe that this advantage
great as it is, is secondary to their power
to add brightness and good cheer to coun-
try life. Where they feel secure from all
intrusion. birds VIII multiply and keep up
almost incessant song for about three
months of the year, BY the first of Au
gust and a little earlier in the Southern
States, they have finished their nest
building and brood IA Using, and most OF
them sing much less freely. The catbird,
who liz the hooking bird OF the North.
shuts off his voluble Song SO suddenly as
TO quite startle us with the silence. But
during the previous three months there
is no stint TO his song. Cousins of the
robins, their habits are entirely unlike
In "A
and sunset the catblrd sings all day.
robin piasters mud anywhere-always IN
sig'ht-iays eggs, and runs "A chance OF
beng picked off by a cat or crow. i have
seen black crow sitting on the edge OF
a robins nest. with the air of an eplouro
selecting his dinner. But n catbIrd is
adept at hiding, You rarely see nest
fallen away from It, even II you know II
to be close by. This bird reaches us In
the North about the first of May. and the
whole of the first day after he arrives
is given to welcome TO us who are their
hosts. One who always nests under an
English elm which overhangs my library
balcony sings and whistles TO me all day
long, hopping as near to me as possible.
and trying 10 tell his gladness. The well
come. i assure you, is mutual, At last
his mate tired OF calling him. chascs him
into the domestic labor of helping to build
their first nest. But for two or three
months we are constant companions. Two
or three times each day we cail to each
OLNeF, ana whistle ana sing An "A most
delightful ccmpanionship
have other birds In my trees, and not
few of them are great favorltes. The
robins, OF course, are always TO be found
West. about 1860. | was told that robins
were just ahead of me, while they had not
yet reached the frontier settlement. II Is
for this reason that they are the most
loved--beng the most domest!catcd OF all
the birds | lind that those who shoot all
other birds nave no stomach Tor kiiling
robins. They hold 1t to be sort of sin.
The indigo bird. most intense blue In color.
has of late been quite common with us. 1t
seems to be fleeing from accustomed re-
sorts to homes like my own, where the
Quite in contrast with this brilliant blue
is the equally brilliant scarlet of the tam
ager. Not long since / saw one of these
birds altght in my elm. and the cathirds
hoped about him quite in alarm. from the
fiery color of his coat. The wood thrush
as well as the hermit thrush is drawing
nearer year by year In part, ] think be,
away. The wood thrush is the flute OF
nature, It's notes are generally Interpret
ed as Come to me-" Come 10 me-" Mr..
nit thrush as 80 spheral, spReral. o holy
holy" He thinks there is about IT the
significance which is expressed in these
words. THE spirit OF heavenly peace.
Spring is associated throughout all the
Northern States with the bluebrd but
here. and think generally this bird Is be
coming quite rare. owing TO its excessive
slaughter for ornamentation
Winter birds are on the increase. in
closely inhabited sections. This is prob
ably due to the fact that their favoritc
pend. IS destroyed by the cutting away OF
the forest The pine grosbeak. one Of the
most beautiful OF birds. with red throat,
drops down upon us on winter day, and
with us 10 dine off the fruit OF the high
bush cranberry The hooking bird rel
alive of the catb,rd, although not common
with us, sometimes strays as far north as
Massachusetts, New York and Michigan.
Its habits are also something Ike the cat
bird both Of nesting and OF singing.
Bird music II made subject OF study,
will be found TO he very far from that
fixed fact ard form that some suppose /
do not know any family OF birds so capa-
lie of wide modulation and articulation
while crossing one OF my lawns. | heard
call from a tree not far away Ike this
Hear this birdie hear this little birdie"
and occasionally with an added note
which sounded like "Heai this dear little
birdev' Trying to hunt out any songster.
l found him to he apparently common
robin. Writing TO Mr.. burroughs about
probably a robin that had been reared In
cage AMI taught to sing new notes. But
all summer long I heard thas most de-
Hehtful singer all about my house. I'm
like the other robins. who rarely sing ex-
cept at daylight and sunset. this one sang
all day long. az ~ overtoyed with his new
powers OF speech. ] think this 20 be a
fact that all creatures love the art OF
expression, and are overtoyed at the ac-
QUESTION OF a new power. This peculiar
bird has certainly handed It's art down TO
It's nestlings. and now the new notes may
be heard almost anywhere about this sec
ton. hut with varying completeness.
The catbird shows this JOY OF Sseech.
Walking along my driveway 0ne morning.
I heard a guinea hen raspng his torturlng
voice on any lawn about as pleasant as a
saueaklng saw ! turned 10 drive him
away. when laughed down az me from the
tree overhead my happy catbird. lie did
II to perfociion and he was evidently
pleased to find that he had cheated me.
on another lawn another catbird equally
deceived me with his imltsrson Of a red
squirrel. Whistle what you will, from
Yankee Doodle" to 'Old Hundred" these
rogues will undertake after awhile to pick
IN your note- and repeat them. The fun
niest failure ever heard was IN a rafting
attempt of one OF them TO sing Yankee
Docdle." when / pity their lack OF speech
/ suspect hat ! really have a range OF
power that would add largely TO my own
pleasure II posseated IL myself. This re-
mipds me that human folks sang before
hey talked and Ihat primitive human be-
ings had M other art OF expression than
GESTURE, and finally a chant. The Amos OF