THE OSPREY. 



Ao Illustrfiteci Nlagazine of F*opu.lar Ornithology. 



Puhlisherl [Vlonthly. 



VOLUMK IV. 



MAY, 1900. 



NUMBKK 9. 



Original and Selected Articles. 



BIRDS OF THE ROAD.— V. HIGH SPRING. 

 Bv Paui, Baktsch, Washing-ton, D. C. 



Another month has passed since we lianded 

 our last manuscript to the printer and wonderful 

 are the changes which nature has wrought since 

 then. The bleak and dreary- aspect of the cla^'e^' 

 soil of freshU- plowed fields has given way 

 to most luxurious verdure. The trees no longer 

 stretch appealingly their barren arms toward 

 heaven, but droop their branches 'neath a loveU' 

 burden of green. The marsh ag-ain is g-reen 

 with water loving- species and Zizania fast sends 

 up her shoots from the mirey beds beneath. 



Late, very late, came the change, much more 

 so than usual, but this very fact g-ave us the un- 

 usual commingling- of flowers which are wont to 

 bloom a UKuith or more apart. The warm rains 

 which fell for .-everal days sent the sap awhirl- 

 ing- through the plants and methought I heard 

 the whir of a million factories at work within 

 each field, converting the energy of the falling 

 rain into countless protoplasmic cells. Scarcely 

 could I have been mistaken, for bit by bit, each 

 single blade pushed higher and higher, each leaf 

 stretched farther and farther till all creation was 

 decked in virgin green. Even the cedars and 

 pines imbibed the spirit of the times and 

 changed the color of their steady garb by adding 

 newer, livelier cf)lored. needles and shoots. 

 What a busy workshop each little plant repre- 

 sented at this time and how the^- worked; there 

 seemed to be no end of g-rowing", until the rain 

 ceased and a lack of water power put a brake to 

 many a mill, whose flour had as yet not half 

 lieen g"n>und, and this was 



Tlie Sparrow's Time. 



For now the White-throats raised their voices 

 and many and many a morn and eve we heard 

 their plantive notes petitioning"! 



"Hear me. O, Theresea, Thereseal 



Sweetly in silver toned notes. 



Sad as the wail of a lost soul, 



The prayer on the atmosphere floats," 



and felt a closer friendship, a nearer kinship 

 toward thein, than we had, when their plain peep 

 greeted us from tangle and hedge. Cardinals and 

 Koxies wex-e both full of song, and the Towhee 



Bunting stopped at tinres his kicking- to unravel 

 a few strains from some sapling top. Most 

 cheerful of all were the little Goldfinches; the 

 V)udding- elms had provided a feast for them and 

 they fairly reveled in their summits. They were 

 gay, frivolous little fellows at this time, for this 

 was the season when they exchanged their hum- 

 ble overcoat for a suit of purest gold and black. 

 The Purple Finches too were budding amongst 

 the elms and mingling their notes, which are 

 indeed of excellent quality, with those of the 

 Goldfinch. While in the field the Meadow 

 Lark's pleasing- notes were augmented by the 

 whirring song of the aptly called Grasshopper 

 Sparrow. Our Juncos were getting- very rest- 

 less; ni> doubt thev found that the3' could not 

 compete with the Field Sparrow as vocalists and 

 were getting ready to depart for their mountain 

 home where the pleasing le-a, le-a, le-a. lil. lil, 

 lil. lil. lil, of pusilla will not be heard. 



Rains, gently falling rains, just such as plants 

 wish for growing-, followed and with the new 

 leaves and flowers came other more brilliant 

 colored birds frotn the south. Our woods were 

 alive with feathered forms and song and 



Warbler time had come. 



We knew it was coming-, for the White-eyed 

 Vireo long since disclosed the seci^et; babblingU' 

 confiding it to the brook. He came and told of 

 the Yellow-throats coming- and scarcely had the 

 brook-side vegetation had time sufficient to send 

 out shoots and blades to soften the turbulent 

 murmur of the rill to peaceful lispings and the 

 brierA' border to don its coat of green before 

 he came with his white boots, his golden breast 

 and his helmet of black and ash to announce 

 with, whit-che-te. whit-che-te. whit-che-te. whit- 

 che-te, wit. that he had come and was glad to be 

 with us and that more were coming-. 



Our social House Wren soon did follow as did 

 the Thrasher and our faithful Catbird. On the 

 2Sth the pleasing why-che-whit-che, whj'-che- 

 whit-che, why-che-whit-che-waj', caused us to 

 leave the breakfast table to bid Dcndroica aesiiva 

 a welcome home again, but we were just in time 



