Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08

the trees are nearly bare. to study such bird
friends as those that summer in the deep
woods and winter In the tropics The days
are precious, indeed, and with a pair of
opera glasses and outfit suitable for
tramping over fields and boys many new &C.
quaintanees are formed before one bids
them goodbye or ''auf weidershee."
The beloved and brave robin. however,
may be seen throughout his range. which
IS from the Atlantic to the Rockies and
from Manitoba to Mexico. He is the bird
or the morning and rests from the arduous
ton OF the summer of providing worms for
the three or four broods of hungry babies.
He has also the responsibility of sounding
the revetile in the morning and OF awaken
Ing all the other birds to their daily mathis
The robins and bluebirds winter in the mid
die states to the gulf states, and In New
Mexico the robins have been seen covering
an area several hundred feet square two
and three feet deep On this occasion It
was late In the winter, when there seemed
to be an unusual stir among them. Evil
IDENTIFY preparations were going on for the
spring migration.
Robins Are Content.
Where berries are plentiful in the winter
the robins are content to stay, but the
insect-loving birds fly to the West Indies
and Central and South America. The oriole
loses his gay color and in s1lbdued shades
of brown he wings his way to Central
America to find winter home, and the gay
bobolink, now In dull yellow brown, all
streaked with black. flies to the rice fields
of the south, If he Is spared the sportsman's
gun for 1t is the bobolinks which are killed
by the thousands and served reedbirds
in restaurants at 80 cents and 81 a plate
Think of eating bobolinkl
Those who are familiar with the rollick-
ing songster, in his stylish summer clothes,
all black and white and buff, would hardly
recognize him in the SOUTH in his suit so
like his Oltaf Itfla ha ir5 hat
sings over the meadows Of buttercups and
daisies, "Phew, shew, Wadolincon; listen to
me, BobolinCon!'
Following the silence of the birds which
prevails In August and part of September
comes the call of the robin, coming back to
the scene of its meeting place. Song spar
rows and gold finches are also heard calling
to their mates, and 1t seems like touch Of
June, but they are the goodbye songs,
which will live In remembrance until the
spring returns. The meadow larks remain
late In the vicinity of their resting places
and harmonic well with the russell leaves
and golden stubble field.
1t is with some hesitation that one admits
love of the catbird, fearing that one who
is not on familiar terms with that lively
member of the hooking bird family might
doubt If ones soul were really attuned to
nature Unfortunately this dapper fellow
has discordant call note which sounds
like the twang of a loose banjo string,
which has given him his name To the real
bird lover he is the black-capped thrush and
nothing less. He is attractive indeed, in
his coat of gray satin, with a beautiful
sheen upon it, and he wears with jaunty
air a black cap. He has long slender tail
which serves him in his flight and also
helps to express his exuberance of feel
ings. This tuneful songster is called the
Beau Brummell among birds, and really he
deserves it. However, this merry Jester
does not conf1ne himself to cat calls, for
when he rings out his clear f1ute-like, but
vigorous, roundelay it is easy to accord him
n rN1o faI,
must be confessed that the birds curiosity
and the desire to be heard is so obvious
that the pleasure is trif1e less enjoyable.
In the midst of his high, clear song he
stops suddenly and gives discordant
'tchay' and then continues his solo where
he left off. 1t is as if a violinist had
broken his string while playing beautiful
melody. The thrush of the black cap has
join his kinfolk. for 1t Is said that the cat
bird was a hooking bird before he fell from
grace"
Busting About.
There is an unusual stir in the bird world
just before the autumn migration; there
seems to be the usual hustle and suppress
ed excitement observed IN families when
about to take journey One wonders
what 1t is all about, for there were no
trunks to pack, or luncheon to prepare,
cabs to engage or time tables to consult
Possibly 1t may be due to the very idea of
the long, perilous trip through wind and
rain, with the eye Of the man with the gun
ever seeking them out.
The migration to the south for food sup
ply does not seem so strange, but why the
birds should make the long journey at the
very time when insects and berries are to
be found where they are has not been fully
explained. Neither is 1t known why the
male birds go north a week or ten days in
advance of the females, or why the order
is reversed in the southern migration.
Some ornthologiStS believe it is the re-
turn of the nesting season which takes
them on their long journey, and F. c. Chap
man, that authority on birds, says that 1t
Is paralleled by the migration of shad and
salmon and other fishes to their spawning
grounds"
In those localities where the thermometer
drops far below freezing the brave, cheerful
chickadee who can be depended upon, be
the weather foul or fair, lisps out his