Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03

Perhaps, too, near the end Of the month
the dittany, whose month is rightfully Sep
TENDER, will greet with a few of those
minute purple blossoms whose feathery
habit and minty fragrance are so grateful
to the loiterer in the shades of the woods
of early autumn. These and many other
autumnal hints are observable. But when
as We wade through low meadows or damp
Turks cap lilies, with their numerous red
flowers held up at arms length above the
HOOD of foliage, we are brought to an
abrupt realization of the fact that summer
IS blazing upon the earth, and We shall
have to pass through the hottest of the
hre before We reach the milder cline this
side the confines of winter. For these are
blooms OF July, and are associated fully
H. however, our ears are open as well as
our eyes we need not penetrate the tangled
Jungle of the marshy mead to be remind
cd OF the season. For throughout July, or
filled with a sound that, more than any
other l know, is bound by association to
the heated term. The summer will not
wane while the strident call of the locust
rasping, how it dominates the air. Ali
other summer sounds are heard as through
telephone during its continuance.
IL 49, perhaps, for this reason that the
songs OF the birds have less interest for us
at this time. Yet there are many intervals
When they may be listened to without their
having to pass through this medium par
ticularly as evening is drawing nigh. and
thCugh household and parental cares abb
serb much of the time and attention of
Our feathered friends, yet the morning and
evening deVottons are strictly attended to
oy most OF them. and many blithe and
cheery utterances greet us as we pass
among them during the daytime.
Ihe catbird. particularly, never loses an
opportunity to mount the rostrum and ex-
hibit his accomplishments when he has a
ayrnY thrN-, y, = 30
as at those Wagnerian operas rendered be-
1ore crazy king, composed of only one
Oftentimes he manifests ludicrous indie
c1sion' anxiety and vanity. by turns upper
most. causing an alienation between
alarm notes and snatches of song. He has
a listener. but does not know just what
that listeners quest may be in thS neigh
borhood of his home and brood The cat
bird Is well-dressed Individual, his sleek,
trim gray suit and darker cap of the same
material being modest yet modish; but
from the time of his arrival in the spring
until we see the tip of his tail disappearing
in the southern distance he manages to
make himself the most conspicuous of the
birds of the locality where he abides.
The field sparrow, on the other hand,
though one of the most indefatigable of the
july singers, is never obtrusive. His brief,
disconnected phrases do not interrupt OBJ
servation of other birds; and, notwithstand-
ing his fervor, his voice has not that dis
agreeable quality of filling all intermed:a tie
spaces Nor does he insist upon your at
tention by moving about from point to
point, as is the habit of the catbird. He is
quiet and gentle in demeanor, and most
charming musician. When the golden light
of the western sky pours it's mellow floods
upon meadow and pasture land his clear
little f1ageolet is thoroughly in harmony
with time and scene. A film of sentiment
falls upon the heart with the descending
shadows, and the notes of this tender little
Song echo pleasantly through the half
opened doors of chambers that are tightly
sealed during the busy day. AS twilight
deepens, and the hills and valleys blend
into one deep shadow. the peaceful devo-
tional hymn ceases. But often during the
still watches of the night the field sparrow,
momentarily disturbed in his slum5er, will
utter drowsy repetition of the strain and
sink again to sleep.
Not alone with this soothing lay does the
night air tremble The monosyllables ard
me asured tones of the yelowbreasted chat
are also frequently to be heard. But The
chats utterances partake rather of the
character of the roysterers disturbance of
the peace than of anything of religious
nature. His regular round of Il few choice
phrases-choice, at least, from the chat
standpoint of criticism-will be repeated,
without break, perhaps throughout the
entire night, to the great annoyance 10
doubt, of his immediate neighbors. But
what does he care for the general opinion?
He Is stiSmatiZed as one of the cranks and
he intends to utilize his reputation to the
full. So, if it amuses him to sing by night
DIS well DIS udy, why SnOul1 ne refrain be-
cause the rest of the day birds are Sleep
ing? If they do not enjoy midnight reyeis,
but are content to follow the beaten track
and do just as their fellows do and their
ancestors nave done, th2y do not deserve
consideration at the hands of one who is
original enough to abandon old ways and
strike out for himself. And thus does he
assert his genius-or something else. Still
the chat is not above imitation A few
days ago, as the cool gray light of lie
dawn was just stealing over the earth,
heard the vigorous call of partridge 1t
was the first note of the morning concert
OF the birds, for l did not count The jerky
dialogue Of some chats which had begun
before midnight. 1t was repeated at in
tervals, and with each repetition | notjce,l
with growing ciearness, false ring 10 it,
until, at length. found that The partridge
was not entitled to the honor | had NJ
corded him, as the ringing whistle was the
production of one of the chats The chat
also admires the futtering descent 20 the
accompaniment of song that tho indigo
bird so delights in of an evening Eut o.
his heavy, unwieldy body slowly tunbles
eSrtbWard while his grotescue song fiIIs
me air with comical sounds, the effect of
the performance on the observer is scarce
ly that produced by the graceful n,oya-
ments CT the indigo bird.
AS we pass near some tangled thtcket we
may hear quaint song that, while If does
not resemble that of the chat yet recalls
II, because of the ludicrous emphasis of ito
utterance. Sylables are usually very in
adequate as means of conveying an idea
OF the character of bird song Rut in
some cases they tell more than would the
printed notes; and the white-eyed ytrios
phrases are of this class. "Ip-se-tickity-
wee-o-st,' 1 have heard him cry with
Crawling out of the zip" and wee" and a
pause before the final st as though il
were an afterthought The song of his
cousin, the red-eyed vrio, is as common
place and unnoticeable as his is original
and striking All through the long summer
DAY fed-eye Is busy in the woods; and his
monotonous tones fall upon the ear with
such regularity and constancy that they
impress the attention as little as the chirp-
ing OF the crickets in the deep grass of the
heids. His persistency is possibly the
cause of his early retirement from the
scene. at about o'clock in the afternoon.
His voice may be so worn out that he finds
1t impossible to join the other birds in their
evening songs. But he Is not missed. AS
the shadows of evening gather many and
varied voices are blended. In the woods
the wood thrushes pour out their LIQUID
notes; over the pasture rolls the rich
whistle of the cardinal calling to his an
sWering mate; from the stub of a mullen
stalk comes the somniferous buzz of he
grasshopper sparrow; out of the blackberry
tangle nearby rise the tinklings of the
chew1nk; the chat on his high perch drops
single notes or sometimes string Of them
down to the earth below; catbirds scatter
their har