Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-23
FIELD AND KENNEL

A recent note i'm this column stated
that there was much mystery connected
with both the abits and habiiats OF tina.
delicious little bird, the ortolan. Several
communications were received throwing
various shades of light on the subject
bu; there were contradictory statements
in them knowing that hundreds of Local
.srortsmen always look forward to Sep
tember 1. which is the opening of the
season on these delicious little birds d ::
that few of these hunters know Il grea;
deal about the birds. Field and Kennel
journeNed down to the biological survey
In search of more light. The ever oblig-
ing officials furnished reference WORKS
and maps, and it was soon learned thai
very little mystery attached 10 them
and that contrary TO the tidewater legend
il never changed into frog at any Sc :
son of the year. but remained a delicious
little morsel at all stages Of it's existence
Down there when scientists at times for
get themselves and quote Latin To 4
pink sheet writer they call it the Par
zana Carolina. To thousands of Wash
instUnians it is THE Orto.an. While in tide
water Virginia and Maryland ii Is Oftene1
the sora.
Further south still. it is the rail. which
a former resident OF the gulf coast OF
Louisiana when he first saw one in
Washington remarked, Why, it's just d
little rail-" 1t is beyond doubt entitled to
a place under the provisions Of the &C.
Lean migratory game bill, for if the dlch
be excepted none of our game birds s
more widely distributed over this CONT
nent. If its peculiar little whistle as il
rises and while on its long journeys could
be put into words it might easily DE
translated into:
No pent up Utica contracts our flight.
For go where you will. we're always in
sight.
Briefly stated it may be said thai its
range is frcn the northern shores OF
Hudson bay to Peru and from the At
lantic to the Pacific. Further still. in
fact. for it's fights take sin the west
Indies.
To spor,smen who have only seen them
in the short fights they make on the
marshes it would seem almost beyond
belief that in their fall and spring mgra-
tons these awkward little flyers travel
from o5OO to 5000 miles each season. or
the distance from the Mckenzie river Sec
ton of Canada to the Mexican gulf. 1t
seems more astonishing still that they can
make fights OF 500 miles over the ocean.
but each wear they travel from this CONT
nent to the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
In one instance during a terrific gale
count less numbers of them were driven
to the marshes of Bermuda. They reach
ed there October 9, and October - they
disappeared. as suddenly as they came.
Their breeding grounds may be said to
be anywhere where marshes are found
north OF an imaginary line running from
about the latitude of Pittsburgh. Pa. to
the Pacific ocean. Thus many breed in
PENNSYLVANIA, but only in rare instances
in Maryland or West Virginia, and
while the marshes of Illinois and
Indiana are favorite nesting places they
seldom breed across the Ohio in Ken
lucky. The ..Sora map shows that in
every state north of this imaginary lati-
t,eiinal line and in pll of the Canadian
provinces west of Hudson bay. they breed
in countless numbers. Their nests are
usually found on the. borders Of marshes
and consist of. matted platform of
grass with ofteil high grasses bent over
them. which forms a kind of roof 20 hide
the eggs from sight. They deposit from
eight to fourteen eggs. which are of a light
drab color, as contrasted with the cream
white eggs of the Virginia rail This
description, given as briefly as possible
proves conclusively that the ortolan is at
no season of the year and at no period
of it's existence a mud turtle. What it
really is. is most delicious little bird
found at it's best and i'm the greatest num-
bers ION the marshes of the Potomac
and other tributaries Of Chesapeake bay