Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24

have learned to initiate to perfection.
It lives in the secluded recesses of
the cat.tail jungles and only occa.
sionally ventures into the air. Like
the red-winged bi1ckbird, its nest has
q small opening. DR.. Bartsch found
one nest Friday morning with two or
three newly Matched birds which could
be felt pecking at a finger thrust
inside. In or 8 days they will be
sufficiently matured to fly away. The
nursery days of wild birds are soon
over and they must fend for them.
selves in the prolific swamp.
Only about one in six marsh wren
nests contain eggs or young. TIE
nests are built by the male bird, who
shares with the female the task of
watching over them solicitously. But
he builds five or six houses in the cat
tails. All but one of these nests are
finely woven with plenty of green
leaves and grass blades in the struc-
ture. The last is constructed rather
crudely Of dry leaves and grass. This
Is the home. All the other nests, with
their brand-new appearance, are only
blinds to divert the attention of nat
ur3l enemies who hardly would seek
house" of all, looking for all the
world like an abandoned nest of two
or three years ago. Even the dry
nests are skillfully camoufaged and
rather difficult to locate.
Another of the class is making a
special study of the killdeer, men,
Der Of the plover family, which is
quite abundant flying over the marsh,
although it Is almost impossible to dis.
cover one of it's nests. The least bit.
terms also are the subject of special
study. One interesting point also
about these birds, DIR. Bartsch told his
class, Is the splendid example they at.
ford OF the two auxiliary methods OF
flight used, to some extent, by all
birds. They combine the principles
Of the balloon and the flying machine.
They are equipped with air sacks be-
tween the skin and the body. These
fill up with air which is heated by con,
tact with the body, forming q natural
balloon which will remain in the air
for a long time without forcing the
bird to resort very much to the air.
plane principle use Of the wings. DR..
Bartsch, on collecting trip, once shot
one Of these birds and was astounded
to see it drop very slowly, but the mys-
terry was solved by an examination of
the body, which showed the filled air
sacks.
Master Of Camoufiage.
The least bittern Is a master of
camoufiage-especially the young
birds. They are almost the color of
the brown cat-tail stems and will
stand perfectly still with their long
necks stretched straight in the air so
that they appear like a part of the
plant beside which they are, placed.
Very few persons, 1t is likely. ever
have seen % young bittern. The birds
are so confident of this camouf1age,
however, that 1t sometimes gets them
into trouble. A few weeks ago DIR.
Bartsch observed one OF them in the
Roachs Run marsh and walked
straight towards it. The bird was
cocksure that it had not been seen and
did not move when. human hand
was reached out for it. DIR. Bartsch
captured it. took it to his home to
have its picture taken, and then re-
leased it. If it is capable of learning
anything from experience, this par
ticular bird will not be so confident
again of the defensive value of it's
camouflage.
The bird life, as we'll as the floral
life, of the swamp changes from week
to week. Some mornings rare birds
are observed through the field glasses
and then are not seen again. Star
lings. mourning doves with their pc
cuiiarly plaintive cry, gallinels and
rails are common habitants. Now and
then a spotted sandpiper flies over.
The little green heron Is seen occa.
sionally.
But the swamp is not only uni.
versitys classroom for these, nature
study teachers. 1t is a book-page
after page of dried clay tablets writ
ten by the birds themselves, the worm
| and che swarming muskrats.. The
| language is somewhat difficult to read
but the girls are anaking good prog
| ress under the direction Of DR.
Bartsch.
There is no new process in nature. ;
says DR.. Bartsch. millions and mil
| lions Of years ago strange reptiles
walked across the mud flats. leaving
the Smithsonian Institution are find
ing these footprints in the Crane
| Canyon and elsewhere and recon
structing from them a picture of the
life OF the period. The mud long since
dried and turned into rock, leaving ar
imperishable record of a distant age
"Since then we have had a new
deal In respect to animal .hfe. but the
process has not changed. Every nigh
on the edge of this marsh birds ant
animals are leaving their footprint:
| in the mud. In a few weeks another
layer of mud will cover them up bu
not obliterate them. Eventually thi:
mud will become rock. Millions o
wears hence scientists will be able Il
reconstruct something Of the story o