Michigan Ornithological Club 35 



Whenever my thoughts wander back to days in the big woods during 

 those charming months of wild flowers and bird song — May and June — I 

 hear again the silvery chimes of the Wood Thrush, the echoing melody of 

 the Ovenbird, the prolonged warbles of the Grosbeak and above them all, 

 because more constant, the loud trilling music of the Redstart. It matters 

 not how dense and gloomy is the woods the pleasing notes pour in upon 

 you from every side and ring in your ears for many days to relieve the 

 routine of office work, like the eternal piping of the Black Tern and voluble 

 outpourings of the Marsh Wren in the land of reeds and rushes. Cheerful, 

 noisy and musical is this busy little fellow and always in evidence to welcome 

 you with his company, and I, for one, wish him a long and happy existence 

 and rejoice that his enemies are few, and look forward in pleasant antici- 

 pation, to our next meeting at his sylvan home. 



Detroit, Michigan. 



BIRDS IN DECORATION. 



A. H. GRIFFITH. 



The grace of form, the many changing attitudes, the glory of color 

 would all suggest themselves to the decorator and it is not to be wondered 

 that very early use was made of bird life in the many schemes of decoration. 

 The stone cutter who must rely entirely on form found birds either copied 

 direct from nature or conventionalized of the greatest use, particularly in that 

 age of Gothic work when so many forms borrowed from nature entered into 

 the decoration of churches. The dove, of course, came in among the first, 

 perhaps because of its association with Biblical lore. In the most ancient 



mosaics, notably that known as Pliny's doves, found at Pompeii, are found 

 splendid examples of the use made of birds. Raphael introduced them innum- 

 erable times in his frescoes as may be still seen in the faded ornamentation 

 of the loggia at the Vatican. 



But one must turn to Japan and to the Japanese artist and artisan to 

 find the greatest work in this line. Everywhere, on embroideries, inlays, 

 lacquers, and kakamonies, may be found the numerous varieties of birds 

 which must be a part of their natural history. Indeed they seem never to 

 tire of giving a representation of the feathered tribe in some form. The 

 sacred Ho bird, with its immense tail feathers, ofttimes comprises the sole 

 ornament of some splendid box or plate. All their themes drawn from 

 nature would naturally form a part, or background, one might say, for their 

 bird life. The bronze castings will show with what loving care they repre- 

 sent every feather, and all with such marvelous grace and lightness as to 

 cause one to question the material. 



Going further round the world one finds in India a constant use of birds 

 for decorative purposes. The brass work of Benares is generously loaded 

 with birds, oftentimes with the peacock, which might not perhaps be termed 

 a bird, but belongs to the tribe. The peacock throne of India was one of 

 the wonders of the world, the body formed of gold, it glittered in a wealth 



