The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-04
THE BIRD ORCHESTRA.
Robins Already Here, but the Shyer Woot
Birds Still to Be Heard.

Robins Already Here. but the shyer Wood
Birds Still to Bo Heard.
It yet lacks some days OF the time when the
suburban bird orchestra will be in full chorus.
The reckless little song sparrow. who mates
early In contempt Of the weather. begins the
preliminary tuning up for the orchestra as
early as 81. Valentines Day. but the robins.
who come nearly q month later. reserve their
music until the days begin to warm and to ex-
coed the nights In length. BY the middle of
April the seml-domestic birds are here and
singing. But the shyer wood birds postpone
their coming for two or three weeks. Doubt
less they wait until the thiekening leaves OF
the suburban woodlands may hide their nests.
for numerous as birds nests are In the wood
lands. and low as most Of them are set. the Or
binary observer discovers few save when the
disappearance Of the leaves has laid them bare.
Whatever the cause. whether canton or the
scarcity Of. fitting food. the wood .birds-the
sSng thrIsh; the ySSery and a lew s 9tners % Gi
early sprine; and thus the ORCHESTRA 10 not in
the song sparrow pipes up. until the first week
OF August. when the veery sounds his last fresh
woodnote. the season ofsonR i. twenty-two'or
twsnty-three weeks. say three weeks less than
hal. the year. but the period Of full song is
hardly moro than eight or nine. weeks, The
puGDOm0uH VI human Suuk NilnOSJ pdI hilcll liDoo
Ct Do slrd Sy. e 4 s : D ssd .S sfis5iSal e f sS:t
continue psrhaps 2 dozen years and Is fol-
pouring seldom lasts more than two decades.
struments bird, activities are not at their
height. After the third week. OF April there is
Q great hutter In orchards and gardens, and At
which The high lifting measure OF the robin
p~redominates. But the woodland comedy has
s sSs sis 1e xsoodla nds IL sAs rsWsrd Gsie By none On 'e of
those sudden sensational scenes Of bird his
s sI,on iSiiow wafP 81 se ,Se S sREFs sH ssi' sl in the e. 'R Mi f
open through the full foliage Of June.
coming ming busy tine Of the Wood birds, The
S5STn Tot thra sIiss ersSsrs S ~ our To shFGsa tr Mss
heard. a few days ago up In. tho northern
suburbs for the hrst time this senson. A
SUBURBAN resident is waiting impatiently for
pee how q certain old friend Of that particular
barns f s6at His %iavos fGec sonr P R,%isl 4 STsaa .oa r.
tree. has been cut down. For years the bird
sang sanSo Jus. It, after iSs o sSsns set from IT, The S,t t9pm SsI, dead
could come to a formal RELIGIOUS service.
sscseTndlnis sun sun some time after Il had sci for the
neighboring jewellers on firm earth. There In
the gathering gloon, sat the bird. his small
liili tkutuoL viz III n
and poured forth his marvel Of music. q song
OF constant repetition., but not, Of monotony,
because It was so pelpably a seeking after per
lection. 1t may seem a trifling matter whether
or not q single song bird shall perform his
vespers within sight and earshot or shall bury
himself In the neighboring woodland. but O
whole family Il. interested In the question.
1t is chiefly the absence OF the wood thrush
It's final perfection. Next to the veery and the
hermit thrust, he 10 the shyest OF the thrush
family. The former never sings outside the
thick woodlands OF these parts; the latter 10
seldom II ever heard in this latitude, though
bis music, floating over miles OF woodland and
melancholy to the Adirondack summer. No
body ever heard the wood thrush In. Madison
terror for him. He Is heard In Central Park,
but only in the most retired spots. especially
upper west side, HI eschews all villages and
rarely nests or. sings within o hundred Yard
OF Q human habitation. unless IL be surround.
cd by woodland or thicket. but he is the chic
glory OF the suburban summer.