Ellsworth American., 1911-10-11
WHEN THE SWALLOWS HoMrwAaD FLY
From the Lssossson Journal. /

Once more the autumn leaves are fall
ing and the birds are turning towards the
South. Already the robins are winging
their fight towards a SUMMER cline, and
the most popular song downthe sawanee
river il the old refrain, .sSHhsn the
Swallows Homeward Fly.n From this
time forward we shall hear but, little OF
the song birds save the occasional twitter
Of the little junco and the cheerful call OF
the snow bunting. Possibly in some SEC
tions the chippery notes Of the grosbeak
may now and then be heard, but for the
most part the cold blasts Of winter will
rarely be varied by the sweet songs Of the
birds that we love so well. This is one of
the deep regrets that always come to mind
when the first frosts strike down the
flowers in their bloom and the golden
leaves are huttering in the breeze. True,
the English sparrow is ever with US, but
with his filthy habits and quarrelsome
disposition we should hardly care to
mourn his absence.
, There is one bird that is almost univer-
sally unpopular, but yet he deserves a
kindly word. With US in Maine the crow
is the last to leave and the first to greet US
in the spring. His migratory instinct is
not sufficiently developed to take him
long distance, and although he may leave
the farm he rarely leaves the State. All
up and down the coast of Maine great
fiocks OF these birds may be seen through
the winter months, and when the tide is
low they gather to their feast of she'll fish
and amonites as tribute from the sea.
With the first sign Of spring they return
to their summer haunts, and, long before
the robin appears the familiar "caw" Of
the crow may be heard. And who can say
that it il not joyful sound? After the
weary drag Of the winter months the crow
comes as a harbinger Of kindlier days and
more sunny skies, and as such is entitled
to warmer reception than he usually re-
ceives.
The crow is sociable bird, and when
given fair chance is by no means so wild
and cautious as he usually appears. No
bird is easier to tame, and when domesti-
Gated is OF decidedly affectionate nature.
Hunted, and haunted with the perpetual
fear Of death, they have learned that eter-
nal vigilance is the price OF life, and hence
a sentry may always be found on guard
when they are obtaining their frugal
meal. While the robins go in pairs, the
crow may usually be found in hocks; and
does this hold true when they
roost at night.
The crow has long been the bette noir Of
the farmer, and all this because Of his per-
sistency in pulling up the young and
sprouting corn. This besetting sin has
won for the bird an enrnity which follows
him even after death, as too often the life
less body is swung from pole as solemn
warning to his kind. It is great ques-
tion if the reputation of the crow as corn
robber is deserved. It certainly is not il
the experiments Of the agricultural di-
vision Of ornithology are to be accepted as
final in their results.
Out Of the one Thousand crows whose
stomachs were inspected, less than three
per cent. Of the food examined consisted
Of corn in any form, and yet this test
was made during the spring sad GUNNER
season. To Offset even this small amount
of corn, nearly one-half OF the contents
consisted of Insect life that is most de-
structive to the growing crops. Equally
valuable is the crow in destroying mice
and moles, and were it not for this de-
structive propensity the fields OF the
farmer would soon be at the mercy of
those rodents. In summing up the vir-
tues as we'll as the vices of the crow due
credit should be given his services to
agriculture, and when these are carefully
weighed, he will be found the best friend
that the farmer has among the feathered
race.
We can but mourn the practical dis
appearance of many of our most beau
tiful song birds, and among these the
bobolink is the most conspicuous. But q
few years ago the sweet notes OF this
songster could be heard in every field
and his first appearances in the spring
was the signal that complaining time
had come. To-day his song is no longel
heard save now and then in some secluded
spot. Whittier he has fed we do no
kuOWs Uub QuAto AAoAy uAo O1AAAAut
plumage has been too great temptation
to the pot hunter anxious to pander te
some perverted feminine mind. Thel
there is the martin. A sweet warbler il
he, and fortunately not entirely disap
peared, but no longer do they appear il
the numbers Of former years.
Who has not heard the sad notes Of TIL
whip poor-will and wondered il the oil
superstition il true that this bird 10 tn
wandering shade Of some lost soul from
the Plutonian shore7 There are thos
among NJ who still believe this nurser.
tale, and this Is largely due to the fac
that they are so rarely seen. They ~
only heard In the stiffness of the night
and the song, or sentence, as it may b
called, always comes from some dens
covert of woods. The nighthawk is salt
| to belong to the same family, but evel
this familiar form is now but rarely seen
whirling through the evening air.
And there are others. The barn swallow
of our youth is now but rarely seen, an,
even this almost domestic bird will sOo]