Evening star., 1901-10-05
THE OCTOBER BIRDS
The Annual Migration From This
Section Soon Over.
THOSE LEFT ARE VERY RETIRING
1t is a Good Time to Cultivate
Their Acquaintance.
WORD FOR OFFENDERS

Written for The Evening Star by Olive Thorne
Miller.
In the month of October the most inter-
esting phase of nature is her show of color,
the exhibition Of what she can do in the
way of brilliant hues with bare leaves,
which all summer have been simply green.
The result is wonder and a delight The
most gorgeous array of flowers pales be-
side the glory of October trees. At this
time railway trip through the Allegheny
or any of the eastern mountain ranges is
something never to be forgotten. Each
mountain is huge bouquet of red and yell
low, of all shades and every sort of COM
bination, toned down and harmonized by
the dark green of scattering evergreens.
And, as if to round out the season with a
blaze of glory, this wonderful color ex-
hibit is usually accompanied by some Of
the most enjoyable weather of the year
crisp, not cold, airy, but not windy, fresh,
but not wet.
In this month migration may be said to
be over, though a few birds linger in the
eastern and middle states. But they are
silent and retiring, so that only those who
seek them are aware of their presence. OF
those who have been around our houses
during the summer, the field and vesper
sparrow may be found by searching; the
purple finch and the hermit thrush have not
entirely deserted, and the red-winged
b-ackbird and purple grackle still linger in
not too severe some of the seed eaters will
see the year out before leaving u.s. but we
cannot count on this good fortune
1t is a good time now to make the ac-
quaintance of a class we have neglected
during the bird-full days of summer: some
of the silent ones who do not come about
us nor make themselves obvious by song
yet VINO are as worthy of study as any of
Thnc 49,
and owls, unfortunately under the ban of
popular prejudice, simply because they are
not known. Owls especially are most inter-
estlng, and show to these who win their
confidence not only great individuality of
character, but unusual Intelligence per-
feet fearlessness and an affectfonate dispo-
Sition.
Birds of Prey.
The writer who signs himself "a Son of
the Marshes" has studied birds of prey
from his boyhood, and is moved to remon-
strate against the injustice of the common
notions and the usual treatment of those
birds. rs 1t not possible" he says, for
the beings that have been created with
man as his companions, to have fair play
in Gods world?' 1t appears at present it
is not if they happen to be ciassed as
birds Of prey. 1t seems impossible to
awaken any interest or secure any mercy
for them. Notwithstanding the work of the
Department Of Agriculture of the United
States, and the published proofs Of the
great usefulness of this class of BIRDS it
seems utterly hopeless to attempt to con-
vince farmers and cultivators that the oc-
casional chicken that falls into their talons
is amply paid for by the mice and other
destructive rodents which preceded it. Il
always shoot hawks and OWLS said a
farmer: we are never troubled by mice or
any small animals.'' ".
Yes l said. simply because the birds
you are killing have served you so well.
Go on and kill your hawks and owls, and
see how long you will be able to say that"
This mans attitude was the more discour-
aging because he had been bright enough
to find out for himself the usefulness of
another misunderstood bird-the common
crow.
Values the Crow.
Il learned he said at another time, "in
one lesson to respect and even value the
crow, and now 1 never allow one to be
shot, and he went on to tell me the story.
He had one year a plague of cutworms,
which got into a cornfield and threatened
to destroy it. Some one wise in those mat
ters told him the only remedy was to go
through the fields every morning and
where he saw stalk of corn cut off to dig
out the worm and kill it. In desperation he
began on his big cornfield this almost hope
less undertaking. He worked one day at It,
tired himself completely out and nearly
broke his back, as he said The next morn
ing the worms were as plentiful as ever.
He began to think he would abandon the
corn to them, when he noticed some crows
walking around among the young plants.
Of course he thought they belonged to the
army of destroyers-as if the worms were
not enough to finish the crop. For a Won
der, he did not at once proceed to shoot
them, but in an unusual "spasm Of sense
he resolved to find out positively what they
were about. To his surprise he discovered
that they were doing just what he had been
at tnY iY,O OF cItnh Afv n ,v,1
temper-dgging out and killing cutworms.
He instantly decided to leave the field and
let the crows work for him. He did, and
the birds cleared the ground completely.
will probably need similar lesson to teach
him the value of the birds of prey.
The writer above mentioned tells many
interesting things characteristic Of owls
among the rest of their control Of their
plumage. The breast feathers of one of his
pets, he says, seemed to grow In long
stripes, and he could throw them back
each side, as man throws open his coat.
particularly Frank Bol.es, who
says that his owls would, tuck back their
feathers when taking food as lady lifts
her dress out of the dirt. Also, that for
look like his surroundings. an owl can
make himself, by control of his plumage,
tall and slim when he is among spiinters
of broken stump or wide and flat If he
Responsive to Affection.
'The Son of the Marshes" dweIIs par
ticularly upon the affectionate disposition
of those birds. and especially their attach
ment to people. He says-what will seem
absurd to persons who have decided that
birds are machines, governed entirely by
instinct and incapable of any of the
emotions of humanity, but will not surprise
those who have closely studied living birds
that lit is quite an easy matter to break
the heart of bird" and he gives some in
stances which could easily be matched on
this side of the water. r. lFs
The absence Of fear in these wise men
of the woods is remarkable and interest,"
ing trait. 1t has often been observed by
persons who have captured owls that they
are never wild; though they are sometimes
savage, they show no fear.
Both hawks and owls are birds OF dignity.
They are always ready to defend them
selves, and they never allow indigntties,
but they do not go into panics and lose
their head" The popular saying. stupid
as an OWL" arises, no doubt, from the
birds manner, and proves only the stupid
ity of the originator of the saying. Audubon
speaks Indignantly of the outrage of brand
ing bird as stupid simply because he Is
He says. When | read or
hear Of stupid animal in a wild state,
cannot help wishing that the stupid animal
who SDpakS fhnS uaS halt wise