LESSON XXX.
TREE, GROUND, AND WATER BIRDS.
In old times they told fables of birds which had no feet, and lived always on the wing. There are no such birds. All birds have feet, all rest from flying. But the motion of flying is so beautiful and easy, that it is no wonder that birds of strong flight are much upon the wing.
AT THE POND.
AT THE POND.
The eagle and hawk families are very swift offlight, and spend most of their time mounting and wheeling. They are keen of sight, and from great heights will see their prey, and swoop down upon it.
The swallow family seems never tired of flying. They feed upon the wing. The tiny humming-birds move their wings so quickly, you cannot see them. They hover with this motion while they drink honey from flowers. They are very seldom seen resting.
Pigeons are among our swiftest birds. Have you noticed how thirsty pigeons are? That is because they are very hot blooded. They need much hot blood to warm up in their lungs the air which they drive through their hollow bones. Thus they make a kind of balloon of their bodies. The pigeon’s body helps to keep it up in the air.
Many of the birds that live much on the wing build their nests on or in trees. I shall tell you a little of nests in another lesson. Now we will speak of one or two tree-living birds.
The butcher bird, or shrike, is about the size of a robin. It is a pretty bird, gray or brown in color. Its food is living things, as beetles, bees, mice, and young birds. It has a very curious habit. It brings home part of its food, and hangs it on a thorn near its nest.
The butcher bird chooses trees with thorns or sharp twigs, and makes its nest among them. Then on the thorns, all about the nest, it hangs insects and little animals. I saw one of these nests once, about which hung a young bluebird, a beetle, three bees, and a big spider.
I have thought it may hang up little dead animals partly as a trap for big blue-bottle flies. For these flies cluster about the dead bodies, and the shrike, keeping guard near his nest, picks them up at his ease.
A much nicer bird, one which I wish lived in our country, is the bower bird. This bird makes its nest in a tree, but fashions a little arbor for itself, among the grasses. Into its grass palace it brings all the pretty things it can find. Shells, bright stones, bits of cloth, glass, bones, flowers, are all brought to its little play-house. Would you not love a bird which had such pretty ways?
Of all the birds in our own land, none is more splendid than the cardinal bird of the South. He has a crimson beak and plumes. His song is very sweet. He is a brave bird, and very kind and polite to his mate. It is very cruel to kill such a creature for its feathers.
In the North, we have the blue jay, nearly as fine abird as the cardinal. He has a jet-black collar, a bright coat of shaded blue, and a white neck-tie. Indeed, he is a fine, gay, saucy, cheerful bird. But he has a very naughty way of breaking up the nests of other birds, and stealing their eggs.
The jay likes to have his home near the water, and when you go near it, he comes out and scolds loudly.
But now we will turn from birds which make their homes in trees, and look a little at birds that live on the ground. You will at once think of the barn-yard fowls, and their many cousins.
Have you seen a barn-yard full of these birds? It is a fine sight. There are the spotted guinea fowls with their fretful cry, and the great peacocks spreading their splendid trains. There are the black, white, yellow, spotted, red, and green-breasted cocks and hens, and there are pheasants which seem to be dressed in rainbows.
Among these fowls the turkey struts, spreading his tail like a wheel, and scraping the tips of his wings on the ground, as he walks high on his toes. Far out in the Western woods, you may see the wild turkey, which is nearly as fine a bird as a pheasant or a peacock.
Turkey hens are very good mothers. They seem veryfond of their little ones, and are always on the watch to guard them. By nature they are shy birds, and like to run away, and hide their nests. One will go off and hide a nest, and seem very proud to come back with a train of fifteen or more little ones.
Grouse, partridges, and quails, are ground-living birds, related to our common fowls. So are the pretty prairie-hens of the West. The quail is a dear little bird. Sometimes in the winter, when the snow is deep, and it cannot find food, it will come to the barn-yard or the door-step, and feed with the fowls. Once, in the woods, I came softly to an opening, and there were about twenty quails feeding on a bed of squaw-berries. They ran about picking up berries and making happy little sounds, like a band of children enjoying a holiday.
One day I was going through a pine-wood path, when a mother quail and ten little ones ran across the roadway. She hid in the brush, and began to call, “Come! Come! Come!” and from the other side of the path, little squeaks replied, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Soon three more brown, fluffy balls ran across the road. Then out ran the little brown mother in great distress. Her neck feathers stood out in a collar.“Come! come! come!” she called. “Wee! wee! wee!” said a little faint voice, and tumbling along the foot path, went one more small bird. “Now she has them all,” I thought.
But still, out of the brush, the anxious mother cried, “Come! come!” and at last, dropping into ruts, rolling in the dust, too new and weak even to say, “Wee,” hardly able to keep on his legs, went the tiniest little bird! He followed his mother’s voice, and slipped in among the brush and pine needles.
When the little brown mother had all her brood, she made a sweet, low, glad note in her hiding place. “O Mrs. Quail!” I cried; “can you count? Can you count fifteen?” She never told me whether she could or not. But she had counted fifteen that time, that was sure.
Now, let us take a peep at the birds which live mostly on the water; you will think first of the great, solemn white swans. Then of the snowy geese and of the parti-colored ducks. What splendid colors ducks have!
If you live by the sea, you will often watch the gulls and gannets with their wide white wings. All these birds build their nests in reeds and grass along the bank, or in ledges of rock in a cliff.
One day I was sitting behind some rocks on a littleisland. All at once I heard a hearty laugh. I rose up softly, and looked over the rocks. There on the water sat, all alone, a water-fowl. I hid my head and gave a loud “ha! ha! ha!”
Then the bird threw back his head, and gave a laugh with all its might. It made me think of what my grandfather used to say to the boys, if they were too loud in their mirth for his taste. “Do not laugh like a loon,” he would say.
Is it news to you that a bird can laugh? The water-fowl and I laughed at each other for a long time. Then I rose and stood in plain sight. Down he went under the water, and I saw him no more. I wish you would read a lovely poem written by the poet Bryant, about “The Water-fowl.”
Once I was out on the sea in a boat. We saw lying on the water the tail of a fish. We rowed near. Well! Here was a sight! A large duck, called an alwife,[25]had tried to swallow a fish. But the fish was too big for her throat. Having got part of it in, she could get the fish neither in nor out. So she and the fish had both choked to death, and were floating around in the water.
A very famous man once said, that he thought a gullmust be the most happy of birds. It can swim, fly, walk, almost equally well. It is at home on earth, water, or air.
I have seen a bird called “The Diver.” It goes down under water for its food. It uses its wings under water to swim with, and will stay there a long time. Most ducks will dive, and come up a long way from where they went down.
The water birds all have close, thick plumage. Most of the down which we use, comes from the water birds of the far North. The down not only keeps them warm, but keeps air in its meshes, and helps them to float. It is like a cork jacket for them.
Water birds live chiefly on fish, crabs, and little water animals. But many of them eat seeds and berries of plants growing along the coast. They will readily pick up any kind of food thrown upon the water. Gulls follow ships for days to get the scraps thrown overboard by the sailors.
FOOTNOTES:[25]Alwife is probably a short form of “Old Wife.” This duck is often called the “Old Squaw” on the Cape Cod coast.
[25]Alwife is probably a short form of “Old Wife.” This duck is often called the “Old Squaw” on the Cape Cod coast.
[25]Alwife is probably a short form of “Old Wife.” This duck is often called the “Old Squaw” on the Cape Cod coast.