20 



THE OSPKEY. 



way; a manner, though not common, yet fre- 

 quently observed in their larger fellow co-laborer, 



the White-bellied Nuthatch, who was similarly 

 engaged, but seemed more partial (as a rule) to 

 the more elevated portions of the tree. 



Little Downy in his spotted garb was also 

 present and jerked his head from side to side, 

 while his body was neatly pressed against a 

 limb, which he deftly managed to keep between 

 us. These birds, together with the Kinglets 

 flitting about in the pines, have the care 

 taking of the trees and shrubs of the Park. 

 They are the forester's best assistants and are 

 ever busily engaged with their duties, even 

 though they do occasionally join in a meal with 

 their caged fellow creatures to add variety to 

 their diet. 



Each one of them has his special line of pur- 

 suit for which he is best adapted. The little 

 busy ever joyous Kinglet gleans from the pines 

 and evergreens that which to him is food and 

 an imp of destruction to the tree. In his quick 

 nervous manner he traverses many and many a 

 tree within his beat each day and picks that 

 which he passed the day before. The Creeper 

 seeks the many little vermins that have estab- 

 lished themselves upon, or within the crevices 

 of the bark, well protected by their subdued colo- 

 ration, but his sharp eyes enable him to detect 

 them, and his long slender curved bill aids in 

 their extraction. And what a glorious appetite 

 he has. ever busy eating! His working hours 

 seem but one continuous feast; from dawn till 

 dark he is hungry and devours the luckless 

 beasts which, but for his close scrutiny, would 

 escape to prey upon their host. 



The Downy, of a much more dignified bearing 

 and slower motion, on the other hand goes 

 deeper in the business, and even seeks the larva 

 which are beneath the bark, and adds them to 

 his bill of fare while the Nuthatch occupies an 

 intermediate position among these winter 

 laborers. He works the trees in every part, fre- 

 quently he stops his upward course, turns about 

 and jerks downward for a pace. The tree is his 

 domain and he seems more at home in it than 

 any ether bird, for no other can surpass him in 

 his ambles in this field. Note! the Woodpecker 

 or the Creeper, if they wish to rehearse some 

 portion of the field just trespassed, must and 

 do back down. With them it is always a 

 question of right-side up with care, while the 

 acrobatic Nuthatch feels just as free moving 

 head forward down a tree as up. 



The Chickadee and Titmouse encroach upon 



the field of Creeper, Nuthatch and W dpecker, 



but their sphere is more properly that of the 

 branches. Each one therefore has some portion, 

 it would seem, in which he is more at home than 

 his co-worker. 



These birds all love companionship and you 

 will usually see a mixed band move about visit- 



ing the different portions of their range in com- 

 pany, each one announcing his presence to 

 his fellow journeymen by his characteristic 

 note. 



These and a pair of brilliant Cardinals, a noisy 

 Jay. and a small Hock of Juncos and a few White- 

 throat s com prised the goodly company assembled 

 about the Condor's cage, which we left, after 

 petting this huge fellow for a while and scratch- 

 ing that ever willing head of his in return ask- 

 ing for a photo. For which he willingly posed. 

 We next turned our steps to some of the other 

 captives, most of which had been transported to 

 their comfortable winter quarters in the build- 

 ing just completed for that purpose. A few 

 still remained out door among them the pretty, 

 sullen; Night Heron and his kin the Green 

 Heron. A whole cage full of the beautiful 

 proud Mandarin Duck from China. The two 

 mischievous Sand Hill Cranes ever on the look- 

 out for plunder and not in the least opposed to 

 stealing- anything upon which they might be 

 able to place their bill. Right next to these the 

 cage with a goodly company of Great Blue 

 Herons whose suspiciousness seems never to 

 waver for an instance, etc.. etc. 



We next entered the aviary proper, where we 

 admired the unsurpassable beauty and royal ■ 

 bearing of the Harpy Eagle and the stately 

 grace of the Whooping Crane whose plumage 

 rivaled the purity of virgin snow. We also 

 admired the play of the quarrelsome Pelicans, 

 who not so long ago enjoyed, together with the 

 Crane. Swans. Gaunets and Loon, the spacious 

 pond, their summer home, where one had a 

 chance to study their characteristics more freely 

 than in their present somewhat nam iw quarters. 



One of the most interesting recent improve- 

 ments in this house are the water basins in the 

 Anhinga and Cormorant cages which are pro- 

 vided with a large plate-glass front, so that the 

 public may enjoy the motion of these birds 

 under water: unfortunately both the Anhingas 

 and Cormorants were still engaged in slumbers 

 sweet, when we visited them, the hour for exhi- 

 bition having not yet arrived. 



One of the Anhinga's bill was pointed sky 

 ward, while the other, like the Cormorant, had 

 his bill and part of his head neatly tucked away 

 beneath the scapulars between his shoulders. 

 We left them undisturbed and paid a visit to 

 the Flamingos, Roseate Spoonbills, and Ibises; 

 then left the room to bestow a passing glance 

 upon the Hawks, Eagles and Owls, and also the 

 Swans. Geese, and Ducks as we crossed the 

 bridge on our way to the Fourteenth street cars. 

 The hour announcing office time had approached 

 and we had to bid farewell to the Park and its 

 collections, as well as to the Song Sparrow who 

 barked a "good morning sir" from the brush 

 near the creek. 



