The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-23
THESE The DAYS
WHEN BIRDS SING
Just Beyond the City, Con-
certs continuous-Ti lis
Wooing Time.
BEST WARBLERs MODEST
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SONGS
or THE DIFFERENT MEMBERS
or THE FEATHER FAMILY
KNOWN IN THIS VICINITY.

NNVVN w tV1SS SsSssss
These are the days when the birds
who can sing are singing, and those
who cant are making noises which
must be pleasing to themselves at
least, judging from the righteousness
with which the noises are made.
In addition to the birds song
whether it conforms to our ideas OF
music or not, there is a chipnote,
which is conversational in character,
meaning, Look out, here comes some
one or. Here / am with nice fat
worm" or, Come on. lets go over in
to another BUSH" To the bird watch
ers the chipnote means as much as
the song; it first indicates the pres
ence of bird. and secondly tells what
bird it is, or at least to what family it
belongs. Then in addition to the chip
note and the song proper there are
various notes and calls, each one
meaning something to the bird, II not
to us, such as the "meaou' Of the cat
bird. in the flightnotes of the gold
finch, which mark the time of his un-
dulating flight by a musical "per-chip-
i-tee, per-chip-i-tee" The robin also
has a flight song.
Some bird writer who has set the
birds songs to musical rotations de-
votes chapter in his book to why
Birds Sing" After some arguing and
quoting from various learned German
sources as to whether singing is a
part of the wooing, or exultation over
having won, or even announcement
for the chosen lady in her arduous
task of nest-making and incubation,
the author comes to the sage conclu-
sion that birds sing because they
cant help it; which is pretty salts
flying conclusion to us ALL
Best Singers Modestiy Clad.
Our finest singers are among the
more plainly colored birds, though
there are many and notable excep-
tions to this rule. The cardinal gros-
beak, the "redbird' of our city trees,
has rich whistle familiar to us all.
The "redbird" of the northern parts
of our country, the scarlet tanager,
who sets off his brilliant red with
pair of jet black wings and black tail.
has more varied song than our red
bird" though no richer or fuller. The
song of the rose-breasted grosbeak.
whose brilliancy of plumage Mr.. Daw-
son considers tropical, is robin-like in
character, though uttered more
smoothly and deliberately. Another
brilliantly-hued songster is the Balti-
more oriole in orange and black.
The warblers are mostly bright col
ored, and, while from the name of the
family one is led to expect much from
them in the way of song, their sing
ing is not noticeable excepting to the
trained ear of the bird watcher Some
scarcely sing at all; others, like the
yellow warbler or summer yellow
bird, have set tune. but they are
pitched high and hurried through
None of the warblers has song COM
parable to that of the sparrows. wrens
Tor thrushes. OF the sparrows the
song of the song sparrow is probably
better known, and can be heard any
where in the country where there are
bushes or wayside weeds. The song
commences with three 0ccented notes
(rarely four), then a succession of
rapidly uttered notes, though not re-
lsembling a trill. Mr.. Burroughs says
the people of New England translate
1.-THE song sparrow's song thus. Maids,
maids. maids. put on your tea kettle.
lettle, ettle, ettle." and Mr.. Dawson
hn
unto you, my children" but better
lpretty. pretty, pretty, sweet" The
vesper sparrow's song has been much
praised. It greatly resembles that of
1.-THE song sparrow, but commences
with long. drawn-out ..he-ho," in
lstead of the three accented notes of
1.-THE song sparrow. One of the most
beautiful of bird songs is that of the
field sparrow. beautiful in tone and
depression. Mr.. Schuyler Matthews
says, The field sparrow Is natures
best exponent OF the principal of the
chant," and I'VE do not care whether
he sings tune or not. he may keep
straight along on one note or not, as
he chooses; we are satisfied to know
THAT he sings with depth OF express
Ision unsurpassed by any Of natures
lgreatest songsters."
! Songs Of the Wren.
Il All the wrens can sing and al are
Imodestly clad in browns and grays.
THE songs of the wrens are rapidly
uttered, almost explosive. and, in the
lease of the house wren. Of some dura-
Ition. Near relatives Of the wrens are
the catbird. the thrasher and the
lmockingbird. These songs have been
described often. and are familiar to
many The catbird and the thrasher
lean be heard at any time for the price
LOT street car fare to the banks Of
Alum creek or the OIentangy river.
. s.-----.--.s
Land Erosion.
TIE United Seatss y wearing down
ct the aveeaee -rake Of enc inch IN TOO
lyeAr1. This res1at = computed from
twenty pears e stream oaug1ag and
water analysts by til geological sur-
! vey. NJ engineer crops q ths army
anA the weather bureau. s1ppasaAantea
BY seane sl1to and Mnn1o1pal work.
Tho OeEoA0o coaYy - oneA yeaH n