bird neighbors-第12章

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se　far　above　the　ground　their　plumage　so　admirably　imitates。

At　the　far　north；　travellers　have　mentioned　their　inspiriting　song；　but　in　the　United　States　we　hear　only　their　cheerful　twitter。　Nansen　tells　of　seeing　an　occasional　snow　bunting　in　that　desolation　of　arctic　ice　where　the　Fram　drifted　so　long。


ROSE…BREASTED　GROSBEAK　（Habia　ludoviciana）　Finch　family

Length　　7。75　to　8。5　inches。　About　one…fifth　smaller　than　the　　　robin。　Male　　Head　and　upper　parts　black。　Breast　has　rose…carmine　　　shield…shaped　patch；　often　extending　downward　to　the　centre　of　　　the　abdomen。　Underneath；　tail　quills；　and　two　spots　on　wings　　　white。　Conspicuous　yellow；　blunt　beak。　Female　　Brownish；　with　dark　streakings；　like　a　sparrow。　No　　　rose…color。　Light　sulphur　yellow　under　wings。　Dark　brown；　heavy　　　beak。　Range　　Eastern　North　America；　from　southern　Canada　to　Panama。　Migrations　　Early　May。　September。　Summer　resident。

A　certain　ornithologist　tells　with　complacent　pride　of　having　shot　over　fifty…eight　rose…breasted　grosbeaks　in　less　than　three　weeks　（during　the　breeding　season）　to　learn　what　kind　of　food　they　had　in　their　crops。　This　kind　of　devotion　to　science　may　have　quite　as　much　to　do　with　the　growing　scarcity　of　this　bird　in　some　localities　as　the　demands　of　the　milliners；　who；　however；　receive　all　of　the　blame　for　the　slaughter　of　our　beautiful　songsters。　The　farmers　in　Pennsylvania；　who；　with　more　truth　than　poetry；　call　this　the　potato…bug　bird；　are　taking　active　measures；　however；　to　protect　the　neighbor　that　is　more　useful　to　their　crop　than　all　the　insecticides　known。　It　also　eats　flies；　wasps；　and　grubs。

Seen　upon　the　ground；　the　dark　bird　is　scarcely　attractive　with　his　clumsy　beak　overbalancing　a　head　that　protrudes　with　stupid…looking　awkwardness；　but　as　he　rises　into　the　trees　his　lovely　rose…colored　breast　and　under…wing　feathers　are　seen；　and　before　he　has　had　time　to　repeat　his　delicious；　rich…voiced　warble　you　are　already　in　love　with　him。　Vibrating　his　wings　after　the　manner　of　the　mocking…bird；　he　pours　forth　a　marvellously　sweet；　clear；　mellow　song　（with　something　of　the　quality　of　the　oriole's；　robin's；　and　thrush's　notes）；　making　the　day　on　which　you　first　hear　it　memorable。　This　is　one　of　the　few　birds　that　sing　at　night。　A　soft；　sweet；　rolling　warble；　heard　when　the　moon　is　at　its　full　on　a　midsummer　night；　is　more　than　likely　to　come　from　the　rose…breasted　grosbeak。

It　is　not　that　his　quiet　little　sparrow…like　wife　has　advanced　notions　of　feminine　independence　that　he　takes　his　turn　at　sitting　upon　the　nest；　but　that　he　is　one　of　the　most　unselfish　and　devoted　of　mates。　With　their　combined　efforts　they　construct　only　a　coarse；　unlovely　cradle　in　a　thorn…bush　or　low　tree　near　an　old；　overgrown　pasture　lot。　The　father　may　be　the　poorest　of　architects；　but　as　he　patiently　sits　brooding　over　the　green；　speckled　eggs；　his　beautiful　rosy　breast　just　showing　above　the　grassy　rim；　he　is　a　succulent　adornment　for　any　bird's　home。


BOBOLINK　（Dolichonyx　oryzivorus）　Blackbird　family

Called　also：REEDBIRD；　MAYBIRD；　MEADOW…BIRD；　AMERICAN　ORTOLAN；　　　BUTTER…BIRD；　SKUNK　BLACKBIRD

Length　　7　inches。　A　trifle　larger　than　the　English　sparrow。　Male　　In　spring　plumage：　black；　with　light…yellow　patch　on　　　upper　neck；　also　on　edges　of　wings　and　tail　feathers。　Rump　and　　　upper　wings　splashed　with　white。　Middle　of　back　streaked　with　　　pale　buff。　Tail　feathers　have　pointed　tips。　In　autumn　plumage；　　　resembles　female。　Female　　Dull　yellow…brown；　with　light　and　dark　dashes　on　back。　　　wings；　and　tail。　Two　decided　dark　stripes　on　top　of　head。　Range　　North　America；　from　eastern　coast　to　western　prairies。　　　Migrates　in　early　autumn　to　Southern　States；　and　in　winter　to　　　South　America　and　West　Indies。　Migrations　　Early　May。　From　August　to　October。　Common　summer　　　resident。

Perhaps　none　of　our　birds　have　so　fitted　into　song　and　story　as　the　bobolink。　Unlike　a　good　child；　who　should　〃be　seen　and　not　heard；〃　he　is　heard　more　frequently　than　seen。　Very　shy；　of　peering　eyes；　he　keeps　well　out　of　sight　in　the　meadow　grass　before　entrancing　our　listening　ears。　The　bobolink　never　soars　like　the　lark；　as　the　poets　would　have　us　believe；　but　generally　sings　on　the　wing；　flying　with　a　peculiar　self…conscious　flight　horizontally　thirty　or　forty　feet　above　the　meadow　grass。　He　also　sings　perched　upon　the　fence　or　tuft　of　grass。　He　is　one　of　the　greatest　poseurs　among　the　birds。

In　spring　and　early　summer　the　bobolinks　respond　to　every　poet's　effort　to　imitate　their　notes。　〃Dignified　'Robert　of　Lincoln'　is　telling　his　name；〃　says　one；　〃Spink；　spank；　spink；〃　another　hears　him　say。　But　best　of　all　are　Wilson　Flagg's　lines：

　　　　　　　　　　　〃。　。　。Now　they　rise　and　now　they　fly；　　　　They　cross　and　turn；　and　in　and　out；　and　down　the　middle　and　　　　　　wheel　about；　　　　With　a　'Phew；　shew；　Wadolincon；　listen　to　me　Bobolincon！〃

After　midsummer　the　cares　of　the　family　have　so　worn　upon　the　jollity　of　our　dashing；　rollicking　friend　that　his　song　is　seldom　heard。　The　colors　of　his　coat　fade　into　a　dull　yellowish　brown　like　that　of　his　faithful　mate；　who　has　borne　the　greater　burden　of　the　season；　for　he　has　two　complete　moults　each　year。

The　bobolinks　build　their　nest　on　the　ground　in　high　grass。　The　eggs　are　of　a　bluish　white。　Their　food　is　largely　insectivorous：　grasshoppers；　crickets；　beetles；　spiders；　with　seeds　of　grass　especially　for　variety。

In　August　they　begin　their　journey　southward；　flying　mainly　by　night。　Arriving　in　the　Southern　States；　they　become　the　　sad…colored；　low…voiced　rice　or　reed　bird；　feeding　on　the　rice　fields；　where　they　descend　to　the　ignominious　fate　of　being　dressed　for　the　plate　of　the　epicure。

Could　there　be　a　more　tragic　ending　to　the　glorious　note　of　the　gay　songster　of　the　north？


BLACKPOLL　WARBLER　（Dendroica　striata）　Wood　Warbler　family

Length　　5。5　to　6　inches。　About　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Black　cap；　cheeks　and　beneath　grayish　white；　forming　a　　　sort　of　collar；　more　or　less　distinct。　Upper　parts　striped　　　gray；　black；　and　olive。　Breast　and　under　parts　white；　with　　　black　streaks。　Tail　olive…brown；　with　yellow…white　spots。　Female　　Without　cap。　Greenish…olive　above；　faintly　streaked　　　with　black。　Paler　than　male。　Bands　on　wings；　yellowish。　Range　　North　America；　to　Greenland　and　Alaska。　In　winter；　to　　　northern　part　of　South　America。　Migrations　　Last　of　May。　Late　October。

A　faint　〃screep；　screep；〃　like　〃the　noise　made　by　striking　two　pebbles　together；〃　Audubon　says；　is　often　the　only　indication　of　the　blackpoll's　presence；　but　surely　that　tireless　bird…student　had　heard　its　more　characteristic　notes；　which；　rapidly　uttered；　increasing　in　the　middle　of　the　strain　and　diminishing　toward　the　end；　suggest　the　shrill；　wiry　burn　of　some　midsummer　insect。　After　the　opera…glass　has　searched　him　out　we　find　him　by　no　means　an　inconspicuous　bird。　A　dainty　little　fellow；　with　a　glossy　black　cap　pulled　over　his　eyes；　he　is　almost　hidden　by　the　dense　foliage　on　the　trees　by　the　time　he　returns　to　us　at　the　very　end　of　spring。　Giraud　says　that　he　is　the　very　last　of　his　tribe　to　come　north；　though　the　bay…breasted　warbler　has　usually　been　thought　the　bird　to　wind　up　the　spring　procession。

The　blackpoll　has　a　certain　characteristic　motion　that　distinguishes　him　from　the　black…and…white　creeper；　for　which　a　hasty　glance　might　mistake　him；　and　from　the　jolly　little　chickadee　with　his　black　cap。　Apparently　he　runs　about　the　tree…trunk；　but　in　reality　he　so　flits　his　wings　that　his　feet　do　not　touch　the　bark　at　all；　yet　so　rapidly　does　he　go　that　the　flipping　wing…motion　is　not　observed。　He　is　most　often　seen　in　May　in　the　apple　trees；　peeping　into　the　opening　blossoms　for　insects；　uttering　now　and　then　his　slender；　lisping；　brief　song。

Vivacious；　a　busy　hunter；　often　catching　insects　on　the　wing　like　the　flycatchers；　he　is　a　cheerful；　useful　neighbor　the　short　time　he　spends　with　us　before　travelling　to　the　far　north；　where　he　mates　and　nests。　A　nest　has　been　found　on　Slide　Mountain；　in　the　Catskills；　but　the　hardy　evergreens　of　Canada；　and　sometimes　those　of　northern　New　England；　are　the　chosen　home　of　this　little　bird　that　builds　a　nest　of　bits　of　root；　lichens；　and　sedges；　amply　large　for　a　famil