File:Birds - illustrated by color photography - a monthly serial (1897) (14563550989).jpg

Identifier: birdsillus131897chic (find matches)
Title: Birds : illustrated by color photography : a monthly serial ..
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Nature Study Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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d tail feathers,which are a mark of maturity alone.His food is composed entirely of in-sects. Swallows are on the wing fullysixteen hours, and the greater part ofthe time making terrible havocamongst the millions of insects whichinfest the air. It is said that whenthe Swallow is seen flying high in theheavens, it is a never failing indica-tion of fine weather. A pair of Swallows on arriving attheir nesting place of the precedingSummer found their nest occupied bya Sparrow, who kept the poor birds ata distance by pecking at them withhis strong beak whenever they at-tempted to dislodge him. Weariedand hopeless of regaining possessionof their property, they at last hit upona plan which effectually punished theintruder. One morning they appearedwith a few more Swallows—theirmouths filled with a supply of tem-pered clay—and, by their joint effortsin a short time actually plastered upthe entrance to the hole, thus barringthe Sparrow from the home which hehad stolen from the Swallows. 79
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THE BROWN THRUSH. • However the world goes ill, The Thrushes still sing in it. (5 HE Mocking-bird of the North,as the Brown Thrush hasbeen called, arrives in theEastern and Middle Statesabout the 10th of May, at whichseason he may be seen, perched on thehighest twig of a hedge, or on thetopmost branch of a tree, singing hisloud and welcome song, that may beheard a distance of half a mile. Thefavorite haunt of the Brown Thrush,however, is amongst the bright andglossy foliage of the evergreens. There they delight to hide, althoughnot so shy and retiring as the Black-bird ; there they build their nests ingreatest numbers, amongst the peren-nial foliage, and there they draw atnightfall to repose in warmth andsafety. The Brown Thrasher singschiefly just after sunrise and beforesunset, but may be heard singing atintervals during the day. His foodconsists of wild fruits, such as black-berries and raspberries, snails, worms,slugs and grubs. He also obtains much of his food amongst the with-

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