Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-21

eS>~see1 sssDS sNssS ~
however. as when crossing 1arl,.
bodies Of water or regions. scantily
supplied with food. they are sometimes
obliged to travel partly, or perhaps
oven exclusively, by night. Excellent
examples are the robin (Merula),
horned lark (Octocoris) and most lc-
tefidae (bobolinks, blackbirds and orr
oles).
BIRDS Of easy. tireless wing. which
habitually feed in the air or over very
extensive areas, migrate exclusively
by day, because being able either to
obtain their usual supply OF food as
they fly or to accomplish the longest
journeys 80 rapidly that they do not
require to feed on the way, they are
under no necessity OF changing their
usual habits. The best examples are
swallows, swifts, and hawks"
II you who read this article on the
migration wish to have an experience
that will appeal to you as being little
short Of startling, take field glass
with two-inch lens ana focus it upon
the full moon, and then take up a
nightly vigil. II conditions b favor
able you will see clearly the forms
Of the southwark flying birds - they
pass across the moons face.
There is no experience known to the
bird student, perhaps, which has the
interest that is held by this midnight
study ts ~ oo,,~oA hn$kav "a AsSvr
for observing purposes d telescope of
power, 80 arranged that the arm OF the
observer need not tire at its task 1T
follows necessarily that the larger and
more powerful the glass the moro sat
isfactory will be the results For one
fairly familiar with the form and
flight of birds 1t is possible, with
nights shadows falling all about, to
distinguish and to call by name the
songsters as they scurry aeross' the
face Of the moon.
II the place OF observation DO elsvat
cd. the interest Is heightened BY the
fact that while the Images Of the birds
fall upon the eye their nosss - they
call to one another through tho semi
darkness drop tinklins down upon the
ear. Though you may zee them not,
because their pathway does not hap
pom to cross that u your line Of vision,
vt you may recognize the call q the
srosbsak. The twlttse q the swallow
Of the "oAink" Of the blaekbird % zif
nASkihs The tinAs for eaeA Successive ,
wine tsfoks.
One observer more lucky thar his
follows saw . sparrow hawk stop sud
denly In its flight seemingly in the
very heart Of the moon, ana there
hover fully minute. while Its wings
beat with ughtning-like ,rapidity to
keep 1t at its chosen lowering point.
The sparrow hawk thus poises before
striking. and what little strageler OF
the great bird army fell victim to
that hawks rapacity can only be .
matter of conjecture. 80
Thousands upon thousands Of birds
are killed every year by striking
against tho panes Of the lighthouses
which line the coasts of lakes and
seas. The birds become bewildered by
fog and rain and are attracted BY the
light which Is meant to be. q beacon
of safety for the travellers ~ sea, but
which proves to be the lure to destruc-
ton Of the wanderer Of the cir. OBJ.
servations have been made systemat.
ically at nearly all the lighthouses
under government control, and the NJ.
ures Of bird mortality are startling.
Tho student OF tho birds Ands himself
wondering when he oontemplates the
slaughter In the bird ranks due to the
shotgun, and the killings due to fog
and storm. that the question OF the
migration Of the birds does not cease
to be Of interest because there are no
birds left to migrate.
Just . word ON the good that the
warblers do. In government report
prepared by r. e. L. Real Of the bio.
logical surrey this appears: Although
warblers are individually small their
numbers are great, and the quantity ef
insects they destroy In the aggregate
must be large. In the month Of May
when the apple trees have expanded
roset&es Of small leaves. and doMer
buds, multitude Of warblers Of rev.
eral species were seen going through
IN orchard examining these these ::Ss..ss...>= .
and apparently picking somsthing
from each. An Investigation Of the
trees not yet reached BY the warbl4rs
showed that each rosetto containe6
from one to dozen large plant lice.
while . similar Investigation Of the
trees explored BY. the birds revealed
few ~ these inaActos . ~,