Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-17
THE GOWNSMAN
Our Aoaualntances. the Birds

Our Acqualntances, the Birds
| TT Is where the country is open and there
L is an cbb in the occupancy of men that
we find the land Of the birds, for here they
are unmolestcd except by the enemies which
1 preserve the nicely adjusted balances OF
| nature. The Gownsman is no ornithologst
nor a naturalist of any kind, and he cares
| less for knowledge on some subjects than
| for the joys of the senses. But deeply in
| teresting are his homy, kindly vocal neigh
| bors. the birds who, unconventional In their
comings and goings, leave not day un-
eventful If we will but enter sympathetically
| into their lives. There is twitter of swal-
lows in our barn and the futter of swifts
| in the chimney. Even a fire on cool eve
! nings seems not to worry them or their
| young who must have a strange first view OF
| life in mingled smoke and twilight. Every
| young chimney swift must apparently per
form an acrobatiC feat the first time he
leaves the nest How otherwise could he
| rise out of the chimney?
The other day family of bluebirds came
| ioyOusy upon u.s. They sat on our apple
| trees on our roofs, on our neighboring stone
walls and they examined our caves with
| circumspcction and repetition. A gorgeous
| gentleman. in deep blue coat and ruddy
waistcoat. took a fancy to corner beneath
| the porch raftcrs. Again and again he
| hustled in and out of it, returning to his
| shycr spouse and vouby explaining its ex-
| ccllcnce as n place of nesting AT last he
| prevailed upon her to look at the nook for
| herself. Plainly however, she said 'Why,
| John. this will never do" for soon they were
following the rest of the happy flock, who
had already clapped wing to some new
visitation.
THE lawn-if we may so dignity the ex-
pnnse of clipped grass which surrounds
the housc--is daily patrollcd. as every
properly conducted lawn should b" patrolled'
by those corpuent fowls which YOU Amerl-
cans arc pleased to call robins as jorular
English friend puts it. They take their
toll of carthwormS and chirrup about me
house as Familiarity as barnyard fowls our
little friends the Sparrows. three or four
closely allied American brethren. dwell IN
tho hedges. their busy lives undisturoed by
association with their cOckney cousins from
over the seas. whose behavior toward other
birds is so unneighborly that we are taln
TO believe them not English sparrows but
some species of cousin german Inc II!
| Catchcrs are fewer here than further south
| ovcent for the pewce whose sentimental note
| wo hear in the woods. and tho ubiquitous
| kinCbird who pl9S on great airs for one so
| plainly dressed and strident OF voice as
! hc darts from some place of vantage IN crisp
| fOravs upon his winged prey or nursuos some
| bird Of alien species which has dared 70 ap
| nronch the sacred precincts of his nest
! mir Of hummingbirds arc constant vistants'
| 1ovino esnociallv our lnnines and now the
foyCIovcs. moving up and down tall stalK:
! with wing invisibly whiring. roking head
| in ench blossom for n sip Of honey and dart
ing off TO complete the carouse on plepelan
| milkweed.
DAY begins early for the birds Indeed
~ II Is questionable if the day can be
| snokcn ~ ms beginning for many or tnem
| for they are m before the sun and there
| Is often stray twitter in tho night Inc
! morning concert usually begins with the
| deliberate long notes of the whltc-throated
| enarrow. very numerous hereabouts. who
| frequently sings in an isolated. reminiscent
| manner a sweetly sad recollection of tn"
| long ago Of Yesterday. Occasionally his
| choerfuler cousin. the song sparrow. opens
tho dav with a gush Of joy. Then comes
| tho robins-chirrup designates too deli
| cntnly the vigorous sound of their morning
cry. which has the rhythm Of Hurry up!
| hurry up come away, wont YOU! And
soon the fields and woods are vocal with n
concert in which each sings ns he will and
the sum total is beautiful. We had almost
forgotten the crows. who begin early their
off. Crows are apt TO go about in groups
of five or more. for they are individually
| towards They post a sentinel on some tall
| tree to warn of any approaching danger;
| for the crows are sad robbers and marauders
| and thov behave like outlaws. fearful Of
the hand Of the law. 1t is cynical joke
that nature should have attired the crows
in a garb which men have selected be-
fitting the clergy But look at your crow
near at hand and you will find his coat
iridesccnt with steel blue and violet.
AND now the full choir Of the morning
| "A bursts forth. To enumerate them all.
these sounds would be to catalogue the
seventy odd birds of this countryside with
which We have calling acquaintance.
Prince among them is the hermit thrush.
who sings with a perfection in tone and
phrase beyond all praise; delightful is the
conversatonal jocular bobolink and the
oven bird whose clear reiterated whistle
musically true fourth rung down, has been
unimagnatively translated teacher, teacher
toaCher,' In June and early July in this
latitude Of the north there is scarcely an
hour in the day which is not vocal with bird
music. Silence a moment. and you may
count n dozen varieties of birds BY their
notes enhanced in beauty by difference of
distance and direction. At this moment
there are three kinds of sparrows audible.
the whtethroat the song sparrow and the
chipping sparrow. busy on the lawn; the
vesper seldom visits us. The apple tree
holds. from its high lisp of a song. it is
difficult TO tell just what kind of a warbler
, In the woods back are thrushes with an
, occasional teacher" and swifts are twitter
ing on the telegraph wire, with the sharr
cry of jay or hawk away off Strangest OF
our musical bird sounds is the metallic click
| of the cuckoo, which sounds like tap on the
xylOphone. twice on the same bar with \
drop Of the stick on it afterward. Bit
any day may bring us a joyous flight o.
thistle fnches, whose bounding fight is ms
. charming as their care free song: or a nois,
l raid of jays admonishing the countrysid