Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-06
RURAL NGLANDINMAY
TIRELEss BIRDS, swIRLINo BUT
TERFLIES AN DTHE WIND.
Feathered Denixens of the Woods and
Fields at Their Busiest Season
Of the Year.



A sky OF steely blue. hot sun and a
cutting northeasterly wind that searches
out the body through any thickness OF
clothing is not the blend OF weather ono
would wish for in mid-May.
OF course the brusqueness Of II In prob
ably felt far less in most places than on
the open waters OF the Norfolk Breads.
where, at the mouth Of the Thurne. have
been moored for q day and a night with
the wind roaring dead ahead. None but
the oldest hands would hoist a sail under
these conditions. for to tack in a narrow
and somewhat shallow river with a Ave-
tonner is to invite too many risks.
1t is wonder to me how the atom Of
muscular power in the body OF a butterfly
is able to combat such wind. There are
dozens Of whites out today, and, far from
choosing the Gains OF the sunny. sheltered
lanes. they seem to delight in futtering
over the angry river swell full In the
teeth Of the wind. Now and then one will
alight on a tall reed. which. In fierce
gust, will be bent almost to the water. and
yet the insect. with wings folded, Will re-
tain it's hold
1t is almost as great a wonder that the
butterfly, loving warmth, and meeting its
death as a rule through cold. is not bitten
to death In such keen blast as this. But
there is no languor Of stupefaction
through cold about their flight today. 1t
is because the sun is hot and has greater
influence on their tiny bodies than the
wind.
Yet is not the infinitesimal spark of life
in the butterfy's body as marvellous as the
atom of muscular power? For soon, In the
burning days of July and August when
the fierce sun will fire the vegetation In
some places. the tiny drop OF moisture In
the butterfy's body will not be consumed
away, but the butterfly will fit gayer than
ever through the blaze of sunbeams.
An Aerial Cutter.
The ceaseless flight of the swallows up
and down the water is not one whit sur
prising. Their strong wings are well aoie
to take them scarcely less fast against
the wind with It, even II the ardor Oh
hunting did not urge them on the wing.
No cutter could be better built for sailing
the water than a swallows body Is punt
for sailing the air, and many yachtsman
must have wished he could make quick
turn to avoid obstacle with the same
speed and certainty that swallow dis
plays.
A glance of blue along the wayelets, a dip
and tiny splash in the water as luckless
fly is gathered, and the ripple ring
where the dip was made has Wldened TO a
foot, the bird has SKINNED far ahead, shot
straight upward for a few feet, and hung
itself down to the water again. all In one
easy movement and is glancing past you
like a flash.
If the swallow is treless on the wing.
the CUCKOO Is even more SO III llb NONd'
efforts. For only about three hours in the
twenty-four does the cuckoo seem to sleep.
l have heard the twin notes as late as
9:55 at night, and as early as l O'Clock In
the morning during this week, and II
strikes strangely on the ears in the moon
light when, the wind having dropped, there
is not even the low whisper of the reeos,
but only an occasional ''plop' of fish or
weird cry of a marsh bird to break the ST.
lence.
Feeding a Family.
Every other bird one sees in these May
days has grub or insect in its beak, and
is hurrying about the fields and lanes with
business-like dispatch. OF course, there are
hundreds of little broods on the country
side now. and it would seem that the nor
easter had given an extra sharp edge to
their appetites.
1t is a pretty strenuous life the parent
birds lead from the moment their young
sters are Matched until they. can shift for
themselves There is less time for singing,
less for everything but that long search
for food which. If the birds have any sort
Of conscience at all, must receive great
impetus every time they return with an in
sect, and see five or six babies which seem
all mouth chirpingly anxious to receive II.
The market gardeners hereabout are com
planning that the long-continued strong
northerly wind is drying up the soil and
damaging their crops
This district Is great in fruit culture, as
those who know Yarmouth market are well
aware. In the raspberry season the finest
berries in England brought into mar
ket from Rollesby village and It's neigh
borhood. The canes are looking splendid
now; but the currants even better, the
bushes being heavily laden with fruit.
Some of these old Norfolk gardens are
veritable studies in disorderly order, and IL
pansies, wallflowers, sweet-smelling stocks.
honesty and many other old-time favorites
do blossom round about and under the cab
bages. lettuce and fruit bushes, none seems
to do aught but flourish the harder for its
company.