Wild Birds in City Parks 



Lydia Stearns 



Mankind could scarcely hope for greater joy on earth, than 

 that experienced by the writer, during the past summer, when a 

 quest for raspberries led us into the native haunts of the white- 

 throated sparrows. The surrounding pine woods seemed filled 

 with them, singing — not one, but hundreds of them — their plain- 

 tive, unselfish, peaceful, 



"Oh, come dwell with us, dwell with us, dwell with us'" 



One did, indeed, long to dwell with them, in their cool, wooded 

 haunts; but those who may not have that privilege may at least 

 become acquainted with the songster tribe. There is simply 

 no excuse for not knowing the birds. Here are some we met in 

 a two-hours' stroll, in Lincoln Park, Chicago, one April morning : 



It was just the day for birds — ^and for people who love to hie 

 them away from city noise and be "made new" in the ecstacy 

 of a frolic with these most bewitching of God's creatures. The 

 sun was warm., the air clear and, being morning, the people not 

 too many. 



Scarcely had we stepped over the threshold of the park, from 

 Dearborn Avenue, before a soft, repeated note caught the ear. 



"Sh ! Not a sparrow," and the glasses were pointed aloft. There 

 he was, a sentinel of the gate — and a warbler, surely, with flashing 

 of olive-yellow wings and yellow breast, but the tree was so very 

 high and birdie so very lively we could not see his markings well 

 enough to be sure, except that he was there and a warbler as we 

 knew by his few notes and his color. 



If we are to know the names of these beautiful wild song-birds, 

 there are certain points we must notice, in order to identify them 

 from the book descriptions and the museum specimens. We 

 must notice the size and shape of bill and tail; we must try to see 

 any peculiar markings over the top of the head and around or 

 across the eye and the ear; we must notice the wings, looking 

 for bars of color across them or patches of color upon them, and 

 look for any difference in the color of the tail feathers ; we must 

 carefully observe the breast, its colors and marks; also, very care- 

 fully, the back. 



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