Chapter 3

I saw such a sorrowful sight, my dears, Such a sad and sorrowful sight, As I lingered under the swaying vines, In the silvery morning light. The skies were so blue and the day was so fair With beautiful things untold, You would think no sad and sorrowful thing Could enter its heart of gold.

A fairy-like cage was hanging there, So gay with turret and dome. You'd be sure a birdie would gladly make Such a beautiful place its home. But a wee little yellow-bird sadly chirped As it fluttered to and fro; I know it was longing with all its heart To its wild-wood home to go.

I heard a whir of swift-rushing wings, And an answering gladsome note; As close to its nestlings' prison bars, I saw the poor mother bird float. I saw her flutter and strive in vain To open the prison door. Then sadly cling with drooping wing As if all her hopes were o'er.

But ere I could reach the prison house And let its sweet captive free, She was gone like a yellow flash of light, To her home in a distant tree. "Poor birdie," I thought, "you shall surely go, When mamma comes back again;" For it hurt me so that so small a thing Should suffer so much of pain.

And back in a moment she came again And close to her darling's side With a bitter-sweet drop of honey dew, Which she dropped in its mouth so wide. Then away, with a strange wild mournful note Of sorrow, which seemed to say "Goodbye, my darling, my birdie dear, Goodbye for many a day."

A quick wild flutter of tiny wings, A faint low chirp of pain, A throb of the little aching heart And birdie was free again. Oh sorrowful anguished mother-heart, 'Twas all that she could do, She had set it free from a captive's life In the only way she knew.

Poor little birdie! it never will fly On tiny and tireless wing. Through the pearly blue of the summer sky, Or sing the sweet songs of spring. And I think, little dears, if you had seen The same sad sorrowful sight, You never would cage a free wild bird To suffer a captive's plight. --MARY MORRISON.

THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Nearly every one readily recognizes this species as it runs up and down and around the branches and trunks of trees in search of insect food, now and then uttering its curious _Quauk, quauk, quauk_. The White-breasted Nuthatch is often improperly called "Sapsucker," a name commonly applied to the Downy Woodpecker and others. It is a common breeding bird and usually begins nesting early in April, and two broods are frequently reared in a season. For its nesting place it usually selects the decayed trunk of a tree or stub, ranging all the way from two to sixty feet above the ground. The entrance may be a knot hole, a small opening, or a small round hole with a larger cavity at the end of it. Often the old excavation of the Downy Woodpecker is made use of. Chicken feathers, hair, and a few dry leaves loosely thrown together compose the nest.

This Nuthatch is abundant throughout the State of Illinois, and is a permanent resident everywhere except perhaps of the extreme northern counties. It seems to migrate in spring and return in autumn, but, in reality, as is well known, only retreats to the woodlands to breed, emerging again when the food supply grows scant in the autumn.

The Nuthatches associate familiarly with the Kinglets and Titmice, and often travel with them. Though regarded as shy birds they are not really so. Their habits of restlessness render them difficult of examination. "Tree-mice" is the local name given them by the farmers, and would be very appropriate could they sometimes remain as motionless as that diminutive animal.

Careful observation has disclosed that the Nuthatches do not suck the sap from trees, but that they knock off bits of decayed or loose bark with the beak to obtain the grubs or larvae beneath. They are beneficial to vegetation. Ignorance is responsible for the misapplied names given to many of our well disposed and useful birds, and it would be well if teachers were to discourage the use of inappropriate names and familiarize the children with those recognized by the best authorities.

Referring to the Nuthatches Mr. Baskett says: "They are little bluish gray birds, with white undervests--sometimes a little soiled. Their tails are ridiculously short, and never touch the tree; neither does the body, unless they are suddenly affrighted, when they crouch and look, with their beaks extended, much like a knot with a broken twig on it. I have sometimes put the bird into this attitude by clapping my hands loudly near the window. It is an impulse that seems to come to the bird before flight, especially if the head should be downward. His arrival is sudden, and seems often to be distinguished by turning a somersault before alighting, head downward, on the tree trunk, as if he had changed his mind so suddenly about alighting that it unbalanced him.

"I once saw two Nuthatches at what I then supposed was a new habit. One spring day some gnats were engaged in their little crazy love waltzes in the air, forming small whirling clouds, and the birds left off bark-probing and began capturing insects on the wing. They were awkward about it with their short wings, and had to alight frequently to rest. I went out to them, and so absorbed were they that they allowed me to approach within a yard of a limb that they came to rest upon, where they would sit and pant till they caught their breath, when they went at it again. They seemed fairly to revel in a new diet and a new exercise."

SUMMARY

Page 83.

#YELLOW WARBLER.#--_Dendroica æstiva._ Other names: "Summer Yellow-bird," "Wild Canary," "Yellow-poll Warbler."

RANGE--The whole of North America; breeding throughout its range. In winter, the whole of middle America and northern South America.

NEST--Built in an apple tree, cup-shaped, neat and compact, composed of plant fibres, bark, etc.

EGGS--Four or five; greenish-white, spotted.

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Page 88.

#HERMIT THRUSH.#--_Turdus aonalaschkæ pallasii._ Other names: "Swamp Angel," "Ground Swamp Robin."

RANGE--Eastern North America, breeding from northern United States northward; wintering from about latitude 40° to the Gulf coast.

NEST--On the ground, in some low, secluded spot, beneath shelter of deep shrubbery. Bulky and loosely made of leaves, bark, grasses, mosses, lined with similar finer material.

EGGS--Three or four; of greenish blue, unspotted.

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Page 91.

#SONG SPARROW.#--_Melospiza fasciata._

RANGE--Eastern United States and British Provinces, west to the Plains, breeding chiefly north of 40°, except east of the Alleghenies.

NEST--On the ground, or in low bushes, of grasses, weeds, and leaves, lined with fine grass stems, roots, and, in some cases, hair.

EGGS--Four to seven; varying in color from greenish or pinkish white to light bluish green, spotted with dark reddish brown.

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Page 95.

#YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.#--_Coccyzus americanus._ Other names: "Rain Crow," "Rain Dove," and "Chow-Chow."

RANGE--Eastern North America to British Provinces, west to Great Plains, south in winter, West Indies and Costa Rica.

NEST--In low tree or bush, of dried sticks, bark strips and catkins.

EGGS--Two to four; of glaucous green which fades on exposure to the light.

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Page 100.

#RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD.#--_Trochilus colubris._

RANGE--Eastern North America to the Plains north to the fur countries, and south in winter to Cuba and Veragua.

NEST--A circle an inch and a half in diameter, made of fern wool, etc., shingled with lichens to match the color of the branch on which it is saddled.

EGGS--Two; pure white, the size of soup beans.

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Page 101.

#HOUSE WREN.#--_Troglodytes aedon._

RANGE--Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the Mississippi Valley; winters in southern portions.

NEST--Miscellaneous rubbish, sticks, grasses, hay, and the like.

EGGS--Usually seven; white, dotted with reddish brown.

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Page 106.

#PHOEBE.#--_Sayornis phoebe._ Other names: "Pewit," "Pewee."

RANGE--Eastern North America; in winter south to Mexico and Cuba.

NEST--Compactly and neatly made of mud and vegetable substances, with lining of grass and feathers.

EGGS--Four or five; pure white, sometimes sparsely spotted with reddish brown dots at larger end.

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Page 110.

#RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.#--_Regulus calendula._

RANGE--Entire North America, wintering in the South and in northern Central America.

NEST--Very rare, only six known; of hair, feathers, moss, etc., bulky, globular, and partly pensile.

EGGS--Five to nine; dull whitish or pale puffy, speckled.

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Page 113.

#MOURNING DOVE.#--_Zenaidura macrura._ Other names: "Carolina Dove," "Turtle Dove."

RANGE--Whole of temperate North America, south to Panama and the West Indies.

NEST--Rim of twigs sufficient to retain the eggs.

EGGS--Usually two; white.

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Page 118.

#WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.#--_Sitta carolinensis._ Other name: "Sapsucker," improperly called.

RANGE--Eastern United States and British Provinces.

NEST--Decayed trunk of tree or stub, from two to six feet from ground, composed of chicken feathers, hair, and dry leaves.

EGGS--Five to eight; white with a roseate tinge, speckled with reddish brown and a slight tinge of purple.