The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-08-08
SALTWATER, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, AU(
These birds seem to habitually prefer

These birds seem to habitually prefer |
the plunge baths.
Walking home through the woods |
one day received the worst scolding
of my life. I was berated most un-
mercifully and seemed to be called
every ugly name that could be thought
of; followed and fairly peppered with
a vocal gatling gun. Going quietly
along the path, intending harm to no
creature, it was some moments before
1 realized that the attack was aimed at
me, so void of offence was my heart.
She who thus emptied innumerable
vials of seething wrath upon my inno-
cent head was a pretty little yellow
throated vireo-yirago, I would be
tempted to rechristen her, were she
not so amiable when not crazed with
maternal sOlicitute. Bless the tiny
dear! Nothing could have been more
foreign to my intentions than to injure
either her or her babies, somewhere
near, doubtless, in beautiful nest
artistically succeed with lichen. As a
vigorous scolder she ranks high, but
she commanded respect and admiration
for the valiant defence of her home
She did not dart about frantically and
gesticulate wildly like an angry French
man, the verbal invectives came in a
sushing sluice, like escaping steam,
while her body was comparatively
motionless-so much so, indeed, that
had difficulty in locating her, though
she was right over my head. The sound
seemed to issue from all parts of the
large tree, and really there was enough
OF it TO give tongue to every branch.
A dozen birds-several species of vireos,
chicadees, catbirds, a summer redbird
and others, attracted by the outcry,
came up hastily, as though to learn the
cause, looked at me curiously for a
moment, and then went quietly away
A few days later the little dame was
placed under obligations to me and
certainly owed me an apology for her
former unwarranted abuse of so good
a friend.
AS approached this time, l heard
her scolding vehemently, and saw two
barefooted boys. younger than myself,
with stones in their hands, peering up
through the foliage. "There she is
boys" l said, ga pretty little yellow
throated vireo. would not throw at
her, for see, she has caterpillar in her
beak and if you kill her, her babies
might die" They dropped their stones
rather reluctantly and passed on. After
ward l found the nest thirty feet above
the ground, swung beneath an oak
limb. Capacious, rather bulky for the
size of the bird, it was composed chiefly
of gray lichens, with some bark strips,
all bound together and supported by
spiders webs, aud sparsely lined with
grass. Clinging to leaf that was
fastened to the nest was the grotesque
pupa shell of a periodical cicade-an
early break fast, probably for the green
let.
Referring to the Interpretation of
bird language John Burroughs says:
81 only know the birds all have a
language which is very expressive, and
which is easily translatable into the
human tongue" l have heard many
mornings the sprightly call of the
Maryland yellow-throat over the fence,
in dense growth of sprouts, and
weeds where the nest was placed on
the ground. The song of this warbler
is thus verbalized by one eminent
ornithologist: "Whit-ti-ti, whit-ti-ti,
whi-ti-ti;" by another thus: "Whee-
chee-tee, whee- -chee-tee, whee-chee-tee."
One bird-loving naturalist hears him
say, "what pity, what pity, what a
pity" another, "which way sir? which
way sir? which way sir?" Now who
is correct? AS walk beside the brier-
hidden fence-row his strong notes often
greet me. To me he. seems to say:
Secrecy, secrecy, secrecy;;" and secrecy |
it is, for, when / press up close to the
briers, or stoop and peer into the tangle,
instead of seeing the songster, he calls
to me, in playful mockery: SECRECY,