The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-05
Birds And The Part They Play
All Over the Country Bird Day Is Ceebrated-The Public
Schools and Women's Clubs Largely Interested-Clev-
er Dissertation By Well Known Women
NY DOLLY DALRYMPLE,

NY DOLLY
The celebration of Bird Day by the
schools throughout the country yesterday
as we'll as by the various Women's clubs.
AIDES another important chapter to the
fact that this day is becoming of great
significance everywhere.
The little feathered songsters are max
ins5 a place for themselves in the annals
of history and the tribute that is paid
them by setting apart a day in their
honor, shows distinctly that they play
an important part in our civilization.
Among the clever articles on the sub
ject of bird lore is an essay from the
clever pen of Mrs. Manning S. Burbank
of Florida, and which was read before
the clubs of that state, attracting wide
attention. That others may profit by it,
am appending it as part of my Dolly
story for today, which I am sure every
body will enjoy cleaning from It's senti-
ment many valuable thoughts
Mrs. Burbank says:
Il wonder If we realize what the sig
nificance is of our having Bird day in
more than half the clubs in all the states
where there are womens clubs 1t means
that more and more thinking men and
women are realizing what birds are to us
not only aesthetically but economically.
1t means that greater appreciation of
their beauty, more scientific knowledge
OF their habits and better realization
of their true worth is being spread
through the land. 1t means that not only
4 1rix-a de- 70
ture and listens for the first note of the
robin, knows birds, but it means that the
children in the cities with no out-of-dooT
advantages are taught to know the birds
from charts and in a measure to appre-
ciate their worth.
1--WE can hardly say that birds play a
more important part in our lives now than
heretofore, for all down the ages birds
have been symbolic of higher things. We
all know the story of the phoenix, the
bird that for the Egyptians and even for
the early Christians, signifed immortali-
ty In old Greek mythology the flight of
the birds intimated in some way the will
of the gods and by this Jupiter taught
men how to act under given circum-
stances. In Roman times all momentous
que stions were decided by the auspices,
which were determined by the fight of
the birds 1t was the dove that was sent
from the art. the dove that stands for a
messenger of peace.
but this is not the part that birds play
today, though there are few supersti-
lions left as the belief that a bird flying
to the window or fitting through the
porch predicts the arrival of friend
But what the more generally awakened
interest does signify Is that larger num-
Der of people appreciate the birds aesthet-
icalIy. and that economically their value
to agriculture is more and more estimated
at it's true worth.
One of the agreeable features of bird
study. as in truth it Is of life in gem
eral. is that so many of the pleasantest
experiences have not to be sought after
but befall us by the way. The BIRDS
are ever with us, and IL we but run
across to a neighbours we may be thrill
ed by the glimpse of a cadinal amid the
gray moss of live oak, or thrilling IN
the top of an orange tree. Or II we go
for a short walk, we hear the jays scoid-
ing about in the trees, or the twit-tWit
of a warbler Or as we drive past the
open fields the meadow-lark bursts into
flight and song.
.And singing still dost soar, ana soar
ing ever sngest."
All these and how much more we may
see II we but will, for the birds belong
not alone to scientist and poet, but are
ours for the choosing And though we
NAV not find the treasures that John
Burroughs and Bradford Torrey unfold
for us in their intercourse with the BIRDS,
vet we shall find ample reward In the
delight that will come from our own &C
ouaintance and companionship with the
feathered tribe For it is as John Bur-
roughs tells us, 1t is the relation OF the
bird to human life, to our own lives and
what it is to the landscape and season
that makes the bird real and not Ia
beled specimen in a book And That re-
minds me of an exquisite bit OF writing
that came out in the Outlook TWO OF
three years ago or more. 1t was the oe-
scription of pair of birds that TOOK up
their abode in the shack of man IN the
Philippines. He describes their life In
most charming way, and one very clever
and human touch with a bit of subtle
humor. was the depletion of jealousy
on the part of the male bird The little
mother bird had discovered a mirror in
the room and seemed much fascinated in
bebolding her own image therein. a pos
sible weakness in the gentler sex. Her
curious spouse flew one day to see what
so interested his better half, and as he
looked in the glass and saw fine look
ing gentleman bird besides his little wife
he was at once fired with the fiercest
jealousy. The fascination of his wife for
the mirror and the little bird that he
always found beside her when he looked
in nearly broke up the happy family.
There Is no doubt that it is the human
attributes more than the beauty of the
birds. more than the loneliness of their
song that appeals to US. And this Is why
we find our literature teeming with the
inspiration of the birds, and why they
are symbolic of different human char
acteristics. The poets have taken the
songsters for their own. and have be-
come famous by the enthusiasm inspired
by their song, you know Shelly said to
the sky-lark:
Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow,
The world would listen then