File:Birds and nature (1904) (14728718636).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature161904chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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ntly it is obtained by scratch-ing among the fallen leaves. The song of the Mountain Bluebird islike its own nature, simple and sweet.Dr. Ridgway says: The common noteof this Bluebird would, from its charac-ter, be at once recognized as that of abluebird. Its autumnal note, however,lacks entirely the peculiar plaintivenessso characteristic of that of our easternspecies, and is much more feeble, consist-ing of a single weak chirp. The Sialiaarctica was also never heard to give utter-ance to anything resembling the lovelyspring warbling of the Sialia sialis/ Of this beautiful bird, Mrs. Wheelockhas written: No words can describe hisbrilliancy in the breeding season, as heflies through the sunny clearings of thehigher Sierra Nevada, or sits like abright blue flower against the dark greenof the pines. Lo, the last clusters! pluck them, every one,And let us sup with summer, ere the gleamOf autumn sets the years pent sorrow free,And the woods wail like echoes from the sea. —Rosetti. I 111
Text Appearing After Image:
PROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD.(Sialia arctica).3/b Life-size. COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHCAGO. MY FARMER FRIENDS. (IN NORTHERN INDIANA.)PART I. Until a few years ago, most peoplethought that all song-birds were prettyand could sing, sweetly. That is true ofmost birds, but recent investigations havedisclosed some startling facts. The partthat our common birds play in the econ-omy of nature is of great importance.When it comes to a bird destroying sev-eral thousand noxious insects in a singleseason, even the most obtuse willacknowledge that they are of some valueaside from the generally accepted idea. To begin with, there is the robin, prob-ably the best known of our native birds.He builds his nest in the apple or cherrytree or, may be, right under the eavesof the porch. Through the days of court-ship and while the patient mother broods,they do not consume so much food, butwhen four little robins make an appear-ance then the demand for food is greatlyincreased

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