The Washington herald., 1913-12-28
AMERICAN BIRDS
FIRST RAGTIMERS
Henry 0ldys, Biological Ex-
pert, Gives Reasons for
His Opinion.
HAS STUDIED SUBJECT
Armed with Stop Watch, Paper, and
Pencil, He Takes Down Songs
of Feathered Creatures.

American BlFuS are Tue VI
American ragtime. This is the opinion
of Henry Oldys, biological expert of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture and lecturer for the Audubon soci-
cites throughout the country.
The correct way to state the PROPOSE
tion, however, Oldys says, is that Ameri-
can ragtime, as well as most primitive
songs, is taken from the trills. MARBLES,
and whistling of the birds. He declares
that often he has heard the birds, par
ticularly the Baltimore 0riole, sing
snatches of some popular ragtime air.
Oldys cites illustrations from the music
of the barbaric nations and tribes, and
compares them with the bird songs in a
manner which shows a striking resem-
blance between them. And, as everyone
knows, the principles of American rag
time were taken from the music of the
negroes and the American Indian. The
peculiar syncopation of this type OF
music is found in the rudest kind of folk
songs, which are the closest to nature.
Oldys, if anyone, ought 10 know.
Twenty years ago, for the sake of his
health, for recreation. and because OF
his love of birds, he began to go out IN
the fields and woods and study their
habits. As he learned more about the
feathered creatures his interest grew un-
til finally it became all absorbing.
He would sit up all night to watch for
some peculiar habit of a bird. He had
studied wild birds all over the United
States and knows every phase of their
lives. And with his study and the grow
ing familiarity with their music came
the idea that their songs could be trans
lated into the notes, chords, and scales
of mankind.
Hns Taken Down Songs.
,-, ..t . .o,, x,atcb oaDer and
pencil. he set about to take down the
songs. Sometimes it would take him
weeks to get the correct notes for one
bird. but he never gave up until he knew
his translation was accurate, even TO the
eighth notes and rests. In this manner
he has collected thousands of bird songs
some of which are heard but seldom He
talks with equal facility upon the bio
logical facts concerning birds, their ar
tistic and their economic values.
Yes, he says that birds have an econom-
ic value. that is all but the English
sparrow, whose very name is to MIN
anathema.
The interest in birds is spreading,
declares Oldys, "and l do not doubt but
that in a few years we will have every
thinking citizen of the United states
aroused to the necessity of preserving
the songsters, at least.
Mrs Russell Sage recently aroused
great interest by her dedication of an
island off the coast of Louisiana to the
birds. The island and It's equipment cost
her SI5NOOO. William McIlhenny's Avery
Island, in the same place, is already
famous for there may be found a large
percentage of the rapidly disappearing
white herons, immune from hunters. IL
is from these birds that aigrettes are
taken. The worst feature of the aigrette
hunting is that the plumes must be taken
from the mother birds while they are
caring for their young, thus not only
killing the old bird, but letting her brood
starve to death or exposing 1t to the
attacks of the wild animals that prey on
birds nests.
Henry Ford. in Detroit, has set aside
4.ra acres for a bird park. which is OF
tremendous aid in beautifying the city.
Every device to attract birds is empolyed,
Ford even going 20 so far as to install
an electric heater TO keep pond open
in the winter time so that the birds may
have fresh drinking water and a place
to battle.
Birds Economic Value.
An example of the economic value
Of birds to the country was revealed not
long ago by an examination by the De-
partment of Agriculture chemists of the
stomachs of a brood of young wrens.
1t was found that in period of fourteen
days in the nest they had eaten 5000
pernicious insects. among which were 600
cut worms. And every farmer knows
that the cut worm IS one of his worst
enemies and the hardest with which to
deal.
1t is very easy to attract wrens to
the home. All that IS necessary is to
build house for them, but care should
Il nalEA hn mi frnW1 a
small. or the English sparrows. or
plundering animals, will destroy them.
Attracting birds to the cities means
an added means for the education of the
children. The girls love them, as every
one knows, and, strange though it may
seem, there is nothing more interesting
to the average boy than birds. 1t is an
axiom that every boy is a born saw
age. but it is also true that every boy
is a born naturalist, and once the lat
ter instinct is awakened in him it will
far Overshadow the savagery.
How many people know that birds
hold regular dances, just the same as
human beings? How many people know
that they 90 through set forms of figure
movements, much in the manner. of the
uncivilized tribes, and even the folk
dances OF cultured nations? They do.
Some Famous Dancers.
For example, take the albatross. They
are famous dancers. Two birds will ap-
proach and bow. Then they will circle
round one another and nod. Coming
close, they fence with their bills Then
one tuoks his bill under his wing and the
other snaps his, bill. The first bird then
rises on his toes, lifts his bill in the air,
and groans, while number two either
keeps on swapping his bill or joins in the
groaning They both then bow and end
the, dance.
Within ten years, If we do not stop
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