The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-13
xME BENEDEcK IN BLACK.
nsw ne rsuna Mate AHev Years sS Soil
tmle IN Capltol Park.

To ruE EDIToR or THE SuN- Sir. For
the last ave or six years a solitary blAch
bird. q crow blackbiFd or purple graSkla.
with q scientific name thai is too long 10
mention here. has appeared upon tha
grounds of the State Capitol al harrisbur
Pa. Evidently he Was n misanthrope o.
had been hani.hed by his tribe. becau~e b -
plumage was always dtshevelled. shown.
q careleasness Of dress which II rare la
bird that has really such snowy DlumSs,
a. the black bird in question. To the ORD
nary observer he h simply q blackbiTd. bu.
10 q careful student Of ornithOloRy no bir.
has more brilliant plumage, because on D..
feathers h an iride-ceace like that wis.
comes from the tempeTing of steel. Thls
particular bird had at least one Viii
feather. whBoh may possibly account for
his leaving the flock. on the principle tha
any one who shows the white feather - no,
waited.
While the black bird lived for Two or three
years ON the Capitol grounds a. a lOnesOnn
Individual. he seemed TO yearn for
ctsty. and on q number OF occasions
tndueed him To come no and indulge In ~"
viands furnished him and =: :as same time
10 make In black bird language ordinarv
remarks abOnt the weather and the condi.
ton Of the mark To the average citizen
the remarks % the bird conveyed nothing
and the derision OF tho crowd was excited
when attempted to interpret theFu.
Last year the blackbird appeared aRaia
with his plumage dressed In a way thar
seemed to show that he intended once mors
to minEle in female society. The black bird.
as any one who haA studied him knows. has
a white iris which in contrast to his sable
dress makes his eve very conspicuous
when he cocks his head to one sid e and
shows the white of his eve he can rive
points In acting TO any player Who has the
part Of McpAisiO Dhcics, because nothing
could be more devhish than that cock Of
the head and the turn Of his eye. week
or two later another bird appeared whose
somewhat duskv dress Indicated that she wAs
. female. and when the summer days came
there was q family of youthful black birds,
the exact counterpart % der birdN
and a. much Ike them as a little elephant
The proud father valued around the
grounds with his wife with those curious
antics that some birds Affect. and he taught
than the Capitol HILL. and they could con
verse with his friend Of several years stand
would not be diyulged 10 the squirrels and
own the park aud who have driven every
sp" S and T nv TREND he bIacRsird'
When the frosts OF the fall came Mr.. Black
hat so%,hsTm CLINE Rssrr an p SlsSESIrs
wealth who seek tOrida Ia avoid steam heat
in their rooms and snow outdoors
With the ope9ing ~ spring this year came
the robins and ths bluebirds. not 10 the
Capitol Park however. for these birds are
promptly dispossessed Of their nests by the
SQUIRRELS. u y TO be noted that the SPUR
rels apparently stood tOo much in Of our
friend the blackbtrd In tauper with his nesi
last year. with the -econdweek In Marrh came
sunshine and sppa rcntly spring weathsr 80
the park Was delighted TO hear the -omew hat
harsh call 81 my Old friend the hlaC kbird
and looking saw him DsTyhed on y
limb 81 q neighborinR tree. II vas apparent
that the black bird recognized hi- friend
hut was a little doubtful as 10 " neither he
would have q gracious reception. II took
several minutes tn Tesrsure the bird. bur
finally he came down and the compliments
af thu sea son were exchanged. nS white
feather was stui IN evidence. =hSp ing that
V vas the same bird. but owing IN tho fa"r
that he declined tn he confidential " was
impossible To learn from him whether h.
intended TO rear family again this ycai
From the well kept apes rance 81 h.
feathers ! should nudge that he will 10
his beet In propose 10 another lady To
spend the summer With ham. v y. v.
HAREIsBI no. Pa. March ~