414 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[July 



that killed the most was the best fellow. For 

 many years past we have supposed that the 

 birds were rapidly decreasing, for their 

 numbers in the fields and groves were few. 

 A few years ago we moved on to Springside, 

 our present habitation, where the cottage is 

 surrounded with beautiful trees, and we soon 

 found the birds made it their home, as they 

 arrived from their southern journey. They 

 were not allowed to be disturbed, and they 

 built their nests and reared their young in 

 the immediate vicinity of the cottage. In 

 the month of June more than twenty varie- 

 ties of birds made their homes on the prem- 

 ises, to whose songs we could listen in the 

 lawn and surrounding fields. No birds are 

 allowed to be killed on the place, not even 

 the saucy and impudent Cherry-bird that 

 steals our fruit, or the Sparrow that robs us 

 of our strawberries; the consequence is, 

 their numbers have greatly increased. 



Treat the birds kindly, and they will be- 

 come almost domesticated — follow the plow! 

 and pick up every straggling worm or grub 

 that is turned up from his dark dwelling. — 

 For doing so they deserve well of the f:irm-' 

 er, and no honest man will cheat them out of 

 their part of the crop, much less kill them 

 for trying to get it. I 



There is no reason to believe, that al- 

 though most birds live on a variety of food, 

 yet each particular species of birds has a 

 greater partiality or fondness for some par- 1 

 ticular Idnds of insects or reptiles. This! 

 ew'mces a plan. Many species of birds fol-j 

 low civilization. The same may be said of; 

 several kinds of insects; or, at least, they I 

 multiply under its influence. Hence the! 

 birds follow, in order to reduce the nuiiberl 

 of insects. This also evinces a plan. Let| 

 us then study and observe. No man can i 

 study " Nature's works and ways,'^ without 

 becoming wiser and better. 



Birds," says an elegant writer, " are the 

 best of entomologists. No ornithologist ever 

 hunted specimen birds with more industry 

 and perseverance than is exhibited by birds 

 themselves in their researches. They dis- 

 port in the air, penetrate every nook and 

 corner of thicket, hedge and shrubbery; 

 they search the bark, pierce the dead wood, 

 glean the surface of the soil, watch for the 

 spade-trench, and follow the plowman after 

 worms and larvae. A single bird in one sea- 

 son destroys millions of insects for its own 

 food and for that of its own nest. No com- 



putation can be made of the insects which 

 birds devour. 



Birds are the best of scavengers, the nim- 

 blest hunters and adroitest butchers. They 

 have no G-rahamite scruples to agitate this 

 worm and bug-loving tribe. They do not 

 show their teeth to prove that they were ever 

 designed for meat. They eat what they like, 

 wipe their mouth on a limb, return thanks 

 in a song, and wing their way to a quiet 

 nook to dose or meditate, snug from the 

 hawk that sails about in the air above. To 

 be sure, birds, like men, have a relish for 

 variety. They are the best of poraologists. 

 We charge every man and boy with positive 

 cruelty and dishonesty who drives the birds 

 from the garden in fruit time. On investi- 

 gation it has been discovered that they never 

 disturb sound cherries, and none but those 

 that have worms in them." (?) We say, there- 

 fore, spare (he birds, and they will destroy 

 millions of your worst enemies — the worms. 



We are not writing the history of birds; 

 we are not writing methodically ; we aim at 

 no order. Ours is the humble task of re- 

 cording a few observations called forth by 

 the phases of the months ; we may therefore 

 be- pardoned for introducing the little birds, 

 our favorites, whose visits to our section ap- 

 pear to be irregular. 



Look up into that branch whose beaute- 

 ous spray sweeps to and fro, responsive to 

 every breathing of the wind. See you that 

 merry, lively little Chick-a-dce, hopping 

 about from branch to branch in the ecstasy 

 of joyous freedom — now pecking pertly at 

 the dun-colored cuticle of the tree ; now 

 seizing coyly in its beak some grub or ap- 

 hide ? Most varied are the attitudes which 

 they now assume ; not an instant of repose 

 do they know; restless, creeping, calling, 

 pendent, but ever in progress, advancing 

 with the cautious watcher. Beautiful birds 

 are the Chiek-a-dees, whose actions we now 

 stop for a moment to contemplate, and who 

 are now displaying their characteristic rest- 

 lessness and vivacity in rose bush and fruit- 

 tree, to obtain a supply of hibernating in- 

 sects. Most graceful and easy are their ac- 

 tions. Hovering on the wing, ever and 

 anon lightly darting away and as lightly re- 

 turning. 



Oh ! it is not the deed of a noble heart 

 which can ruthlessly slaughter the little 

 feathered songsters of our lawns and groves 

 — those brilliant Psalmists of Nature, who 

 are ever reiterating their jubilant songs of 



