The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-08-19

w WIS uOt lOuu3sSOuBsI Dut very n1u-
sical and attractive. and the bird siss
said to sing practically all through tho
year. The song OF the wren inter:
ested me much. because At was not In (
the least ilike that Of our house wrensi
but. on the contrary. IKE that Of our
winter wren. The theme Is the same
as the winter wren,s. but the song did 4
not seem to me IL, be SO brilliantly mn.
tsical as that Of the tiny singer Of the /
north woods. The sedge warbler sang
in the thick reeds q mocking yentrilo-s
quial lay, which reminded me at times
of the less pronounced; parts Of our
yellow breasted chats song, The
.cu:koo's cry was singularlyS attractive
and musical, far more SO than the
rolling. many times repeated. note OF 3
our rain.crow.
Ten days later, at Sycamore Hill, Z
was among my own birds, and waas
much interested as j listened 10 and
looked at them in remembering the
notes and actions OF the birds | had
seen in England. On Intervening Of
the first day sat In my rocking
chair on the broad verandn, looking
across the sound towards the glory OF
the sunset. The thickly grassed hill,
side sloped down in front Of me TO d
belt Of forest from which rose the
golden, leisurely Ginning Of the wood
thrushes, chanting their vespers:
Through the still air came the MARBLE
ot vireo and tanager; and after night.
} fall We heard the flight song Of an
oven bird from the same belt OF tim,
Der. Overhead an, orloie sang In the
weeping elm, now and then breaking
bis song to scold like an orergrown
wren. Song sparrows and cat birds
sang in the shrubbery; one robin had
built Its nest over the front, and one
over the back door, and there was q
chippy's nest In the wisteria vine by
the porch. During the next "a hoursf
saw and heard, either right around the
house or while walking down to battle
through the woods. the following AZ
birds: X 5;5s
Little Green Heron, Quail, Red Tail;
ed Hawk, Yellow Billed Cuckoo.
Kingfsher. Flicker. Hummingbird,
Swift, Meadow Lark, Red Winged
Blackplrd ,asharp Tailed Finch. Song
Sparrow Chipping Sparrow, Bush
Sparrow, Purple Finch. Baltimore
oriole. Cowbunting, Robin, Scarlet
Thrush, Thrasher, Cat Bird, Scarlet,
Tanager. Red.Eyed Vlreo. Yellow War.
bier. Black.Throated Green Warbler.
King Bird, Wood Pewee, Crow, Blue
Jay, Cedar Bird, Maryland Yellow
Throat. Chlckadee. Black and White
Creeper, Barn Swallow. White Breasted!
Swallow. Oven Bird, Thlstlefnch, Yes.
perfnch,. Indigo Bunting, Towhee,
Grasshopper Sparrow and screech
Owl. +
j. l.sent the companion OF my English
walk John Burroughs BIRDS and
Poets" John Burroughs life work isS
beginning to have its full eifect In
many different lines. When he first
wrote there were few men Of letters
In our country who knew nature at
first hand. Now there are many who
delight in our birds, who know their
songs, who keenly love all that belongsS :
TO outot-doors life. For instance, Mad.
ison Cawein and Ernest McGaffy have
for a number Of years written Of our
woods and fields. OF the birds and the
flowers, as only those can write who
Join to love Of nature the gift OF OBJ.
servaton and the. gift Of description
Mr.. Cawein Is a Kentuckian; and an,
other Kentuckian. Miss Julia Stockton
Dinsmore, in the little volume ofs
poems which she has just published,
includes many which describe ) With
beauty and charm the sights and
sounds SO dear to all OF us who
know American country life. Miss
Dinsmore knows Kentucky, and stbas
gulf coast OF Louisiana, and the great
plains OF North Dakota; and she knows
also the regions that lie outside OF
what can be seen with material yisioii.
For years in our family we have had
some OF her poems In the scrap book
cut from newspapers when we knew
nothing about her except the Initials
signed in the verses. Only one vino
sees with the eyes Of the spirit as well
- the eyes Of the body could have
written the .Threnody." curiousiy at.
tractiye In its simplicity and nafhos (
with which the little book opens. n
contains many poems that make q aim.
liar appeal. The writer knows 5blne.,
bird and robin. redbird and field lark
and whippoorwill. Just as she know
southern rivers and western plains: S
she knows rushing winds and running
waters and the sights and sounds Of
lonely places; and moreover. shel
knows and almost tells those hidden
things Of the heart which never Ana
complete utterance.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
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