Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-21
ARE WINGED PROPHETS
Things Which May Be Learned From the
Flight of Birds.
A Distinction Between Superstition
and observation - Some Birds
which Winter In the North.


Birds have been favorite subjects for the
amateur weather prophet. since prehistoric
times, but some Of the predictions based
upon them are as foolish as were the
oracles derived from the entratls or feeding
OF tn, sacred chickens in the Roman College
of Augurs. For example, ii was held that
the whiteness of a gOose's breastbon indi-
Gated the amount Ct snow to be expected:
that If a goose walked east but flew west,
or stood on one leg. cold weather would
follow; or .ha' partridges did not drum in
the fall preceding a bad winter. In the
south old farmers used to have saying
that when the ivory-biIled woodpecker, be-
ginning at the base of tree and working
gradually to the top. removed all the bark,
one must be prepared for a hard winter
with deep snow The logic of this has
never, to my knowledge, been explained.
and fear it never will be. for the splendid
iVory-bill Is now almost extinct
We can well afford to smile a. these
quaint conceits, but there are sayings pop
uIar among spertsmen and farmers, which
are DaSe1up0A more reasonable ObSerVa-
ton Of the migratory habits of birds. They
will tell you that when the waterfowl ar
rive from the north at unusually early
Date and with a rush, and when the wild
geese and other noticeable migrants pass
Us, southwark bound. In high straight
night, as If eager to get on. cold weather
may be expected to follow, and probably
the winter Will be exceptionally hard"
they have been forced by unusually early
and severe weather to leave their summer
home in the far north ahead of the proper
time, and migrate in haste, and, as it Is
known that our winters proceed from the
north, the deduction is fair that by and by
we shall get our full share of the excessive
rigor.
1t was a message of this nature that led
me to think last winter was to be more
than usually snowy. for l learned, as early
as the middle of November, 1898, that snow
named fla aS in
mon SPECIFY and Lapiand Iong-spurs had
been observed on the south shore of Long
Island and elsewhere near New York where
several winters may pass in succession
without their being seen at all. This meant
TO my mind. that although up to that time
We were having one of the most beautiful
of autumns, the arctic regions were already
In the grasp of extraordinary cold, and the
great plains about Hudson bay and in the
NORTHWESTERN interior of British America
were deeply buried in early SHOWS 1t was
especially interesting. therefore, to hear
soon afterward, that the bad season on the
Yukon had begun surprisingly early
The effect of this condition of things me-
teoroios1cal in the north would naturally
De TO hasten the departure of the migra tory
birds who resort In summer to those distant
coasts to breed. and in addition to this II
would force farther south than usual those
otner birds which do not seem to fear cold
greatly. but are obliged to retreat south Of
the area of deep snow In order to find food
certain hardy land birds are able to main
tam themselves all winter In arctic eli
mate one such is the crow which (al-
tnough by no means confined to that in
clement regfon), Is to be found in winter
IN most OF the northerly parts of the con-
unent, where II haunts the coast to secure
anything that may be cast up by the sea
and fingers about the settlements of the
Eskiulos and the posts of the fur traders IN
sslze upon garbage and scraps that may be
ehroNn out or searches with keen sasacfty
Tor the hunters traps in order to steal the
Dalt or rob them of their spoil 1t accom-
panleS with gruesome zeal the wandering
bands OF musk oxen and carbon ae,ar re
seize upon the weaklings that fall and
freeze OF becomes a camp follower a.
~oiVes' martens and other fierce bandits of
.Le Gark and snowy wilderness. hoping i'm
partially either to share in their bIoody
quarry. or to pick the bones of any ali.
that dies # hunger or quarreIing, or may
De shot for its pelt or killed in some fatal
charge upon buffalo OF deer Such carrion
exec out with spruce buds. birch and viii
row tW!gs- berries, etc. gives the crow a
pitcdIlous hold on life until spring releases
q more ample larder. His sable form and
shadow are as Ominous to the haIf-starvinr
exiieS OF that dreadful region as is the WI
ture to the nOmads of the desert.
Inc crow does not turn white in winter
even on the shore of the Arctic sea as do
other birds that remain there or near tbera
ana there Is no reason why he should
since. so long as he Is in health he ia in no
uanser from any other foe in need of
his prey. ''t UPON
Inc great snowy owl, on the contrary,
nnlch aiso Is an arctic winterer profits by
being white. since he is not srsvaneer
put must subsist for the most part ON what
ne can capture among creatures ALWAYS on
the Lookout for him. When famine and
cold nave sent into their bibernacula an
the small mammals he would dare To at
tack. when fishes are sealed from his grasn
oy Ice and most of the birds have gone
south he Is compelled in high Iatttudes 10
depend almost wholly upon the arctic
snow grouse or ptarrnigans which they
hunt IN the willow glades that border the
VA courses or seek along the edges of
the spruce woods Ptarmigans too are
snow white In winter exC+nt mai ,bs
short tail Is black and betrays them 10 the
owl, whose deadly pounce. by day as well
as Dy night, Is often avoided only by the
grouse diving into the snow and scrambIing
away beneath it. This rnaneryer FREE
quentiy foils the owl, but is not so eff
fective against foxes, who will either fol-
low me fugitive or. calculating nicely when
The bird will burst out. wait to seize n as
II energies from the drift
Now. the snowflake is one of this small
ana desperate company. but IL has not
quite the endurance nor the food-getrfng
ability of its larger fellows The snow
makes are inches. and eat all sorts of seeds
ana fruits. with such small ground-k
ing insects as fall to their lot In summer
Like the longsprus. which are their cous-
ms. nut less white they wander in flOcks
eae tonafas and shore plains. always
preierrlng the coast to the interior From
such places the ice. frightfuI winds and
Deepening SHOWS OF November gradually
orlVe mem away. but they go no farther
thdn they are compelled to go and sorna
umeS are uncommon in midwinter even
at Lake Superior. while it is only ar are
intervals that they appear In any consfd-
eraDle numbers in the central United States
Tnls may mean. to be sure. that the crop
OF seeds in the north is small; but all kinds
or seeds are not apt to fall the same wear
so that the better explanation is that M
such times an extraordinary SNOWFALL has
buried their lariers along the Saskatcbe-
wan. IN keewaydin or Labrador. and forced
them TO flee beyond the storms limit
Knowing these facts IL is a fair nrs5Io
ton when we see northern birds thronrfne
far beyond their ordinary southern range
and az a surprisingly early date that the
United States will feel the chill influence
from beyond It's borders and that We - n