Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1907 — FEATHERED SONGSTERS OF THE SUMMER TIME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FEATHERED SONGSTERS OF THE SUMMER TIME.

Of the many different kinds of birds, •ome are called perching birds. These ar» the robin, thrush- and bluebird. . Then there are the swimming birds, as <lucks, swans and geese, which lire on the water and swim around most- of the time. Wading birds are of still another X cries, and some of these are rails, vers, snipe, cranes, flamingoes and tnrnstones. Birds fitted neither for swimming nor wading are owls, hawks, vultures, grouse, turkeys, pigeons, kingfishers and humming birds. There are also creeping birds, noted for creeping Along trees. Some of them are the •chlcadeeß, white-breasted nuthatch and brown creeper. There are about 300 species of the thrush. They are generally large, hopping birds, noted for their song; are pl/iln in color (as a rule, brown) and usually hare spotted breasts. - Their tall Is nearly square-tipped, of wide, •oft feathers, and their bill rather long and slender. —— Among the best known to us Is the wood thrush, which is a large, common brownish-backed bird, with white heavily spotted underparts, Including the eyes. The crown is a bright cinnamon brown And the back gradually changes in shade to an ollvce brown on the tall. It is not only found In the woods, as one might suppose from Its name, but is often seen on lawns and in shrubbery. It Is a great singer,

being one of the finest of any bf the thkushes. Its nest la made on boughs of trees, out of grass, weeds, leaves and some mud. The American robin Is a common, large red or brown breasted slate-color-ed bird, with white on its throat, lower belly and tips of the outer (under) tail feathers. The head and tall are much blacker than the back. The breast is unspotted except In very young blrda The robin is not as great a songster as the other thrushes, but Its notes are always full of melody. At times, these notes are sweet and cheerful, and again are full of sadness and plaintiveness. Over all the northern parts of this continent, wherever there are people living, robins are numerous. When they are taken into homes and made pets of they are affectionate and Interestlng. They are very Intelligent, and some think they might be taught to sing anything when In cages. There are several different kinds of robins, among which are the golden ground, marsh and Oregon robins. Their nests are made of mud and grass, found in trees at any height from the ground or in odd places around houses; eggs bluish green. The blue bird, another one of the thrush family, Is one of the first birds to make Its appearance in the early spring and welcome in that season, with Its sweet singing. From Southern New York and Illinois southward It Is found

throughout the year. It Is a very common small, blue-backed, chestnutbreasted, white-bejlied bird. The female bird does not equal the robin as a songster, but the few notes It has are sweet and rever loud. There ming bird*- They belong to a family of small, bright-colored American birds that are known to be the swiftest'flying birds we have; in fact, their flight through the air is so swift (and their wings vibrate so rapidly), that tkey look like a tazlfflllt JThe liummlng bird lives mainly on insects asd nectar found in flowers, which it obtains while on the wing. It Is seen by most people only when It Is around flowers in search of food, and Is therefore thought to be always on the wing, but if you watch it carefully you will notice that it often rests on the twigs of tree tops. There are forty different species of American birds which live mainly in tlie woods and arouhd shrubbery. Their tails are as long as their wings, and In one of our common species much longer. Tlie bill is nearly as long as the head. The wren and catbird belong to this family. The mocking bird Is a large, nshy : colored, long-tailed bird, with much white on the center of its wing and outer tail feathers. It Is the most noted song bird of America, and the most wonderful mocker in the world. It can Imitate almost any sound in nature —In fact, has been

known to Imitate thirty-two different kinds of birds In less than a quarter of an hour. Many people have them for pets, and And them very delightful companions. The woodpecker belongs to a very large family of creeping or climbing birds, with stiff, sharp-pointed tall feathers, which they use to help support {heir bodies against the tree. Their toes are four In number, two going forward and two backward, so they can hold on to the tree more easily. They have cliisel-polnted bills, which they use to cut small holes In the wood when looking for Insects to eat, and also when they want to make a larger hole for a nesting place. The tongue of the woodpeclcer 1$ peculiarly long, with a spenrlike tip, which It can thrust out, bringing insects from their hiding places under the bark. 7 Woodpeckers are not singers. They only make a tattoo with their bills on the tree, which Is supposed to be their love song. Their eggs are always white. Among- the many different kinds are the ivory-billed woodpecker, the hairy woodpecker, the downy woodpecker, red-backed woodpecker and the redheaded woodpecker. The blue Jay belongs to the family of erows rand magpies It. Is a common, largd, noisy, crested, brightly marked blue bird with white throat, and tips of outer tail feathers. —Cincinnati Enquirer.