Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-11-30
VARIOUS ANIMALS
RESTING PLACES
WHERE the FOX LAYS HIS HEAD
AND THE BIRD ALlGATs,
WHAT CATSAND D0GSL0VE
Woes Pigeons Preference the Smooth
Branches Of Dead Trees-So, Toe,
the suszard and the Eagle Rot.
ting Trunks That Become Sort
Of Bird Club,

In the dream ot .,ehuohadueaaar
The terrible doom pronounced ON the
mighty tree affected altkc notn birds
and beasts, Tho beasts of the told
were 10 lose for a time the benefit of
It's shadow, and the fowls Of the ar
their hahitation in it's branches.
There Is NO doubt that the feeling
of m ancient tree, even after its life
has ended, ana only the bare branch
O. remain, is 10 pass sentence OF re.
moval- n kind OF eviction ON a great
number at the race or birds, ut an
seasons of the yoar Lake most other
animals, birds haVc three forms Of
more or less permanent abiding place
Their nests arc their homes IN the
spring and curly summer. ON which all
their energies are concentrated. Their
sleeping homes vary during the year,
except those of The clif.auuling hawks
and falcons, the seatuwl, Including
the gulls and Cormorants, and me two
species Of villa pigeon. which prefer
70 roosI A. we'll as to nest IN holes
and Caverns. Lastly, Hike very many
mammals, and some even Of our most
beautiful butterflies, they have their
resting places, taking the place Of out
door parlors or assembly rooms, or
serving them, If they want quiet. as u
sort Of club library (Which scoffers
have been known to speak of slight
ingy MS "lhe dormitory1, whore they
can slt all alone and think
As a resting place Ivy day nearly nll
birds prefer, not close thiCkct cul
hewcred in trees. but AZ a rule the
most exposed top or dead branch,
such a rock Is called the Horse, .
Rest Of all Is dead tree every part
of which Is withtrcd perhaps as the
result of lightning On most English
lakes, whether In parks or embowerod
in woods there l. some Cavorlte tree
cf this kind ON which heron, or u
large hawk, or oven a sea eagle. IN the
visits which these birds occasionally
nay to such places, always sits, II II
be IN the nctghborhood, This Is the
case of one of the fine ESSEX lakes,
which was haunted by pnir OF os.
preyS for several weeks last year. and
near which the heron, the bu22ard and
the eagle have all been seen sitting on
the same tall and withcred branch,
projecting above the surrounding
wood, ana just At the lalichoad, 1t
does not matter what the tree u.s. II
only II Is dead, or has dead branch
convenient for pcrChlng upon. one
reason may he that these branches
are devoid Of bark. and therefore
pleasant to tho touch of the bird +
feet On Scotch moor the buzz0rds
always by preference sit on such q
tree and in English woodlands the
wood.pgocns do tho same person
skilled In the art Of decoyInR wild pig.
cons within shot will always fasten
his dummy birds to the top branches
Of dead tree, not to those with liv-
ing branches.
The present writer has for some
years kept, In spite Of remonstranco
an absolutely dead weeping willow Of
some size In front Of the house, on a
lawn by the river. II consists now
only Of a trunk, the mere framework
Of n graceful tree, q kind Of monu.
ment In memory Of what II once was,
But the place Of leaves ana branch,
lots Is taken by another form of life,
The birds use II as their favorte rest.
ing place, and have made II kind of
avian club In the early morning the
thrushcs aud hedge sparrows sing
there to the sunrise In the evenings
especially in the late summer and
early autumn II is the place whore
migrating birds gather to bid the sun
goodnight Sometimes az many rs
forty waEfails assemble there on their
migratons up or down the Thames,
and iwitter till they 20 10 roost In the
or bed near Swallows and martins
take their young br0Ods thcrc 10 feed
them. and perhaps teach them 10 fiy
from The easy vantage ground Of the
bare dead boughs The swallow tribe
have a very great HIKING for dead
branches as resting places often
they may be heard uttering their 1T
tie whitening song, apparently from
The thick foliage Of chestnut Or elm.
But II the exact place Is sought, It
viii be sccn that they arc occupying
a dead brarchlet, even II IL be only a
few feet from the ground Since tele-
graph wires were invented they hay"
realized that man Is indeed a bene.
factor, for he not only erects houses
expressly for mathis to build nests
against, but also sets up thousands Of
miles Of perches exactly Of the size
which suit their tiny feet and claws,
This fact has been appreciated also
by the board school children, who
after being sent into the country for
holidays are told 10 write about what
they saw. The swallows which live
on telegraph wires. figure largely In
these "reminiscences.
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