The Jasper news., 1908-07-16
TREE SWALLOWS TENACITY IN
HOME DuTiES-MALE vlREo
SITS ON EGGS.
CUCKOO is NOT A BUILDER
Lays In Other Birds Nests--lnstances
Of courase-Partridge Attacks In.
truder In Fierce Manner, Usu.
ally Driving Off Opponent.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.
associate Member American Ornithol-
ogists' Union)


starch box with hole in 1t on your
roof and get tree swallow for
neighbor The bird is equally at home
above the city streets and above the
country streams. All he asks is
place to nest and welcome.
The Indian held the tree swallow
with the purple martin, mascot of
mascots. In the olden days every
tepee pole had gourd at its top for
the use of either species, and the
brave who had no summer bird twit-
tering above his door looked for evil
happenings.
The tree swallow (Tachycineta BIZ
color) originally dwelt in hollow trees
along the water course. The custom
is followed largely to-day, but the bird
has found that among men there is
protection from its natural enemies.
and so it is gradually forsaking old
ways and seeking civilization. This
swallow is a beautiful bird. 1t has
pure white underparts, while Its back
and shoulders, when the sun strikes
them. are shimmering green.
An experimenting friend of mine
put box on the roof of his city resi-
dence. A pair of tree swallows came
and dwelt there. The mother bird de-
posted five pearly white eggs. The
experimenter took the eggs. The birds
we're loath to leave. In a few days
there were five more eggs in the box.
While his heart snote him, the ex-
perimenter took these treasures also.
The birds still remained about the
box. Four more eggs were laid, and
were taken. The tree swallows would
not give up. The female laid three
more eggs, and the hand of the de-
spoiler was stayed. The birds raised
their young, and the next season they
returned and were not molested.
Not long ago a Georgia man wrote
to me and suggested that gourds be
hung up for the purpose of determin-
ing If purple martins would use them
tor homes in the north as they do in
the south. A gourd was swung from
a pole in the yard of friend. The
purple martins overlooked it. but a
pair of tree swallows pre-empted It,
and in the swinging home raised a
family.
There were several feet of cord at
tached to the little home, and when
the wind blew the gourd was thrashed
about alarmingly. The mother bird,
however, saved the eggs from destruc-
tion with the close, soft feathers of
her breast, and before long four little
tree swallows peeped out of the en-
trance hole ready for their first flight
One of our most abundant wood.
peckers, the flicker (colaptes aura
tus), like the tree swallow, Is loath
to leave the place 1t has chosen for a
summer home. The flicker nests in a
hole which it hollows out of a decayed
tree.
Persons with callous consciences
have taken set after set of the eggs
of the flicker, the bird keeping up the
laying and the attempt to raise a fam.
lily until nature was we'll nigh ex.
hausted.
The flicker has nearly 10 names.
1t is known in different parts of the
country as high. yellow hammer,
pigeon woodpecker. yarrlp, yellow
shafted flicker, and so on to the end
of the list 1t is abun liant every.
where, and In recent Yeas 1t has be-
come bird of the lawus, where 1t
eats thousands upon thousands of de.
structive ants. An Investigator con.
nected with the biological survey
found 1900 ants in ore flicker stom.
ach. The bird needs protection, for
everywhere 1t meets with the persecu-
ton of the thoughtless.
The warbling vireos is bird with
lesson to teach man. The husband
vireo shares al. household duties with
bis wife. He is on the nest cuddling
far from entering complaint. he sings
joyfully at his task. Find a warbling
vireos nest, and II master vireo is in
charge he will be found Singing at
his sitting" He finds Joy in drudgery
and is not ashamed to let the world
know it.
The warbling vireo (vireo gilvus)
has olive gray upper parts. with wings
and tail of dusky brown. The under
parts are white shaded, with greenish
yellow at the sides. A white streak
runs through the eye. The birds
nest Is hung in the fork of tree. and
is compactly made of inner bark, veg
etable fiber and dead leaves. The
lining occasionally is made Of pine
needles. 1t is one of the prettiest
summer homes fashioned by bird