The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1910-09-15

bros ana DOCKS, j Know 9ooo oesi
about English birds as they appear in
books. know the lark Of Shake
speare and Shelley and the Ettrtck
Shepherd; know the nightingale OF
Milton and Keats; I know Words
worth's cuckoo: know mavis and !
MERLE singing In the merry green wood
of the old ballads; I know Jenny Wren
and Cock Robin OF the nursery books.
Therefore have always much desired
to hear the birds in real life; apd the
opportunity offered last June. As l
could snatch but few hours from a
very exacting round Of pleasures and
duties, It was necessary for mo to be
with some companion who could tden-
tify both song and singer. In Sir
Edward Grey, keen lover Of outdoor
life in all its phases, and a delight
full companion. who knows the songs
and ways Of English birds an very few
do know them. found the best pos
sible guide.
We left London on the morning OF
June 8, "a hours before l sailed from
Southampton. Getting of the train at
Basingstoke, we drove to the pretty.
smiling valley of the Itchen. Here
we tramped for three or four hours.
then again drove. this time to the edge
of the New Forest, where We first
took tea at an inn, and then tramped
through the forest to an inn on its 9th.
er side. at Brockenhurst. At the con-
clusion of our walk my companion
made list of the birds we had seen,
putting an asterisk opposite those
which we had heard sing. There were
II OF the former and % Of the latter.
as follows:
'Thrush. 'Blackbird, Lark. sYellow
Hammer, sRobin, 'Wren, sGolden
Crested Wren. 'Goidfnch. "Greenhnch.
Pied Wagtail. Sparrow. 'Dunnock
(Hedge Accentor). Missel Thrush.
Startling, Rook. Jackdaw. sBlack Cap.
'Garden Warbler, 'Willow Warbler.
sChin Chan, wood Warbler. sTroe
Creeper. sRsed Bunting, sSedge War.
bier. Coot, Water Hen. Little Grebe
(Dabchick), Tufted Duck, Wood RI.
geon. Stock Dove, sTurtls Dove. Pee
wit, Tit (7Coal Tit). sCuckoo. sNight-
jar, 'swallow. Martin, Swift. Pheasant.
Partridge.
The bird that most impressed me
on my walk was the blackbird. had
already heard nightingales In abun-
dance near Lake Como. and had also
listened to isrks. but had never heard
either the blackbird. the song thrush.
or the black cap warbler; and while
knew all three were good singeTs.
did not know what really beau.
tiful singers they were. Blackblrds
were very abundant. and they played q
prominent part IN the chorus which We
heard throughout the day on every
hand. though perhaps loudeSt the fol
lowing morning at dawn. In tts habits
ana manners, the blackbird strikin9iy
| resembles our American robin, and IN
deed looks exactly like q robin. viii
Q yellow bill and coal-black plumage
It hops everywhere over the lawns
Just a. our robin doeA. and It lives IL
nests in the gardens IN the same fasl,
ion. Its song has Q general resem
blance to that of our robin, but MANI
Of the notes are far more musical
; moro like those Of our wood thrash
Indeed there were individuals amonl
: those We heard certain Of whose note
a seemed 70 me almost to equal in poin
e Of melody the chimes of the woo,
! thrush; and the highest possible prais.
t for any song bird is to liken its som
to that OF the wood thrush or hermi
thrush. certainly do not think tina
the blackbird has received full justic
In the books. Iyknew that II was
singer, but really had no idea hoy
fne singer he was. Isuppose one Q
his troubles has been his name, jus
J, as with our own cat bird. When b
appears In the ballads as the merle
bracketed with his cousin. the maviI
the song thrush, It is far easier to re,
ignize him as the master singer tha
he Is. II is a fine thing for Englan
'' to have such an asset Of the countr!
side, bird so common. so much In ev
dence, 80 fearless. and such reall
d beautiful singer.
The most musical singer we hear
g was the black cap warbler. To m
my ear its song seemed more nusici
than that of the nightingale. It wa
astonishingly powerful for 30 small
bird; In volume and continuity It DO,
not come up toathe songs OF u
i thrushes and Of certain other bird
but in quality. as an isolated bit
melody, It can hardly be surpassed.
Among the minor singers the rob
was noticeable. We all know tn
pretty little bird from the books, a.
was prepared to fnd him a. friend
and atfra cfiva aa ha nravaA IN h. n