The Boy Patrol Around the Council Fire
Page 7
CHAPTER VII -- Concerning Certain New England Birds
"One reason why I deferred our talk about birds," said Uncle Elk,addressing the troop of Boy Scouts who had gathered in the large room ofthe bungalow the next evening, "is that you might have more opportunityto brighten up your knowledge on the subject. Scout Master Hall tells methat when you learned you were to spend your vacation in southern Maine,you started in to inform yourselves about the birds which are to befound in New England. It is impossible under the circumstances that youshould see them all, for the season is not the most favorable and noteven a majority are to be found in this section. Instead of dealing outa lot of facts, I am going to ask you do it for me. Secretary Rothsteinhas given me a list of all the Boy Scouts who are present. There are toomany of you for me to identify separately, so I shall call upon you atrandom. I think," he added with a sly glance at the invalid on hisright, "that I shall except Jack, since he seems to know all about ourfeathered inhabitants and would be simply taking my place.
"Starting with Mr. Hall's Patrol I call upon his leader, Charles A.Chase, to name the first order as it is generally accepted."
The alert young man promptly arose and said:
"It is the raptores, which means robbers."
"What does it include?"
"The falcons proper, hawks, buzzard-hawks, eagles, horned owls, grayowls and day owls."
"Very good. Corporal George Robe will name the second order."
The plump little fellow blushed but did not hesitate.
"Scansores or climbers, which takes in cuckoos and woodpeckers."
"The third order is so numerous that I can hardly expect any one toremember the complete list. Will Kenneth Henke name the third order?"
"Insessores or perchers."
"I will ask Kenneth Mitchell, Robert Snow and Ernest Oberlander to helpyou in making out a complete catalogue."
While these boys did well, they would not have succeeded but for the aidof Colgate Craig and Robert Rice. Even then Uncle Elk had to supplyseveral names, for the long list included humming birds, goatsuckers,screamers, kingfishers, flycatchers, singers, thrushes, mocking birds,wrens, warblers, tanagers, swallows, shrikes, skylarks, sparrows,orioles, blackbirds, crows, jays and some others less known.
Alvin Landon had an easy task with the rasores or scratchers, whichembrace the doves, game birds such as the Canada grouse, sprucepartridge, pinnated grouse, ruffed grouse improperly called thepartridge, Virginia partridge, quail and Bob White.
Chester Haynes gave the fifth order as grallatores or waders, which withits herons, shore birds, plovers, snipes, sandpipers and others areknown to every one.
The sixth and last order as named by Hubert Wood was the natores orswimmers, with the principal of which every American boy is familiar.Hubert, with the assistance of Harold Hopkins, named swans, geese,several kinds of ducks, gulls, terns, divers, loons and grebes.
"That is a pretty full list," commented Uncle Elk, "but it may be thatMichael has some other waders in mind."
"That I hev," responded the Irish youth springing to his feet; "thefirst time Alvin and Chester tried to paddle a canoe it tipped over wid'em--they lacking the sense I showed--and the water not being deep thesame was waders for the time."
Mike did not smile as he resumed his seat on the floor, though every oneelse did.
"Let me remind you," added Uncle Elk, "that we have simply named the sixorders, without any attempt to particularize. To illustrate will youname a bird?"
Some one called:
"Let's talk about the thrush."
"Very well; its head is a clear cinnamon brown, the under parts white,sometimes tinged with buff on the breast and thickly marked beneathexcept on the chin and throat. The sides of the head are a dark brown,streaked with white, with maxillary streaks on each side of the throat.It is a trifle over eight inches long, the wings being a little morethan half of that, and the eggs are usually four in number, of a uniformlight-blue color, without spots and showing a slight tint of green.
"The song thrush is common in Rhode Island, Connecticut andMassachusetts, but is not often seen in the other New England States. Ihave had persons say they saw and heard them in this section, when itwas either the hermit or olive-backed thrush. You may look for theirreturn from the South about the tenth of May, the two sexes coming atthe same time.
"The great charm of the thrush is its wonderful voice. Hardly has itarrived when you hear the sweet notes of the male at early dawn or whentwilight is coming on. Very rarely is it heard in the middle of the day,unless the sky is overcast. The best description of that which cannot bedescribed is by Nuttall, which so impressed me when I first read it thatI have never forgotten the words. He says:
"'The prelude to this song resembles almost the double-tonguing of theflute, blended with a tinkling, shrill, and solemn warble, whichre-echoes from his solitary retreat like the dirge of some recluse, whoshuns the busy haunts of life. The whole air consists usually of fourparts, or bars, which succeed in deliberate tune, finally blendingtogether in impressive and soothing harmony, becoming more mellow andsweet at every repetition. Rival performers seem to challenge each otherfrom various parts of the wood, vying for the favor of their mates withsympathetic responses and softer tones. And some, waging a jealousstrife, terminate the warm dispute by an appeal to combat and violence.Like the robin and the thresher, in dark and gloomy weather when otherbirds are sheltered and silent, the clear notes of the wood thrush areheard through the dripping woods from dawn to dusk; so that the sweeterand more constant is his song. His clear and interrupted whistle islikewise often nearly the only voice of melody heard by the traveler tomidday, in the heat of summer, as he traverses the silent, dark andwooded wilderness, remote from the haunts of men.'
"You have all been charmed by the music of this bird and will agree thatthis description, while it falls short of the reality, cannot beexcelled. Now, in your rambles you have seen birds with gorgeousplumage; which one do you consider the most beautiful of all?"
After some discussion, the majority pronounced in favor of the scarlettanager.
"Most persons will agree with you, but my preference is for what ispopularly known as the wood duck, which builds its nests in trees and insize and habits resembles the common duck. The colors shown in thefeathers of this bird to my mind are simply bewildering in their beauty.
"But to return to the tanager. He is found in all parts of New Englandbut more frequently in the southern portions. A noticeable fact aboutthis tanager is that it seems to be extending its range. I hear that ithas been seen for the first time in sections where those familiar withits habits never expected to find it. Will Arthur Mitchell tell me whenit arrives from the South and about its nesting?"
The lad appealed to rose and replied:
"It comes north about the middle of May, looks around for two weeks orso and then begins building its nest. It prefers oak groves situatednear swamps. The nest is placed on the horizontal limb of a tree notmore than twenty feet above ground."
"What of the eggs?"
"They vary from three to five in number, and are of a light greenishblue with spatters of purplish brown. It belongs to the order ofperehers."
"Is the tanager a useful bird?"
"It is; the males destroy thousands of insects and though the song isn'tnoteworthy, it is pleasant to hear."
"Will Gordon Calhoun give a general description of this bird?"
"The wings and tail of the male are like black silk velvet, but the maincolor is a brilliant blood red. The female wears a more sober dress."
When the rambling talk had continued for some time longer, Scout MasterHall asked Uncle Elk to tell them something about bird migration.
"That is an interesting subject over which I with thousands havespeculated and theorized without learning much. It is easy to understandwhy the geese from the extreme north hike south with the approach of thearctic winter, and why many others in more temperate latitudes do thesame, coming
north with the return of spring, but some of the migrationsare beyond explanation. I should like to ask what birds make the longestflights?"
Scout Master Hall and Jack Crandall expressed their views, but the oldman shook his head.
"Since all of you did no more than guess, it was a waste of time. Nowfollow me closely. We have no large maps here to place on the wall foryou to study, but you have a fair knowledge of geography and can draw amental map that will serve. Picture a map of the western hemisphere.Have you done so?"
A general nodding of heads.
"You didn't nod, Mr. Hall."
"I have the map before my mind's eye," replied the Scout Master; "I amfollowing you."
"Since the discovery of the North Pole, you have all become familiarwith the contour of the polar regions. Locate the Arctic Islands in, sayseventy-five degrees north latitude; then draw an imaginary line fromthose islands down along the coast of Labrador, across to Newfoundland,and down to Nova Scotia, then over the Atlantic to the Lesser Antillesin the West Indies, from there to Brazil and across Argentina and endyour line in Patagonia at the extremity of South America.
"You have mentally swept over a tremendous stretch of country and water,but are not yet through. Push on westward to the Pacific, northward upthe coast, then across Central America and up the Mississippi Valley,through central Canada and back to the Arctic Islands from which youstarted. Truly a long journey and yet it is the yearly itinerary of theAmerican golden plover, which, measured in miles, is three-fifths of thedistance round the world."
"You have mentioned one of the most remarkable facts in naturalhistory," commented Mr. Hall, who, like every listener, was deeplyimpressed.
"Quite true," replied Uncle Elk, "though there are many equallyinexplicable. I have sometimes fancied that birds resemble men in theirlonging for travel. With means of locomotion at their command still farbeyond the skill of our best aviators, what wonder that our littlebrothers of the air are impelled to gather the best that can be secured?
"This, however, is a fanciful theory which the naturalists will notaccept. It must be remembered that the majority of golden plovers whostart on this long journey never complete it, for almost every mile isattended with danger. They are dazzled by the vivid electric lights ofthe cities, and confused by the tall buildings, telephone and telegraphwires, especially on dark nights when the birds fly low. Thousands arethus killed, besides which adverse gales blow many out to sea, andblizzards and snowstorms destroy myriads.
"Perhaps we have talked enough about birds," said Uncle Elk, "but Ishall be glad to answer any questions that may occur to you."
After a moment's silence, Mike Murphy rose to his feet. His face, asusual, was serious even when about to indulge in some of his waggeries,but this time he was in earnest.
"Maybe it's mesilf that knows mighty little about birds excipt them asis met with in Ireland, which isn't many. There is one that I once heerdof that belongs to anither counthry."
"Describe it, Michael," remarked the old man indulgently.
"It has the bill of a duck, webbed feet, lays eggs, has a furry body andI belave is what is called a mammal. It's a mighty qu'ar bird that I'dlike to know the name of."
In answer to the general smiles Uncle Elk asked:
"Have you ever seen one of the creatures, Michael?"
"Not that I know of, though I have often made search for 'em."
"Michael has described no fancy creation. Such a thing exists. Can anyone tell me its name?"
Isaac Rothstein replied:
"It is the ornithorhynchus or water mole of Australia, but it is notclassed as a bird."
"No, although there seems to be some reason why it should be. You seewhat a limitless field opens before you when you leave the Americancontinent to make investigations elsewhere. For a long time to come weshall find our hands full in our own country."
"What about the birds that are called _Indians_?" gravely asked Mike.
"There are some facts regarding Maine Indians which are worthremembering. In 1612, they numbered 38,000. At the close of the Frenchand Indian War this number had been reduced to a thousand, which is theaboriginal population to-day. The decrease was due to the fierce warswhich the tribes waged among themselves. The Indians in Maine were fourtimes as numerous as those in Massachusetts. The Pine Tree State was the'dark and bloody ground' of colonial days.
"In a general way the tribes bore the same names as rivers. Those westof the Penobscot were of the Abnaki group, and those to the east intoNew Brunswick called themselves Etechemins. All belonged to theAlgonquin nation. When King Philip's War broke out in 1675, the MaineIndians numbered about 12,000. This was twice the white population andsufficient to wipe out the settlements nearly to the New Hampshireborder. Finally, in 1759, the Indians in Maine did not number more thana thousand. They were mainly Penobscots and Passamaquoddies. Theyremained faithful to the Americans throughout the Revolution. It is acurious fact that while the Passamaquoddies have decreased in numberduring the last ninety years, the Penobscots have increased to theextent of seven, the former being slightly more numerous. Both keep uptheir tribal conditions, and the Penobscots live in the same villagesite that their forefathers occupied before the white men set foot onthe continent."