Bird bursts the shell. Another remarkable occurrence now takes place. The
eggs of the foster-bird are yet unhatched, and soon after disappear. In
every case the Cow Bird's egg is the first hatched, and herein also is
manifested the wisdom of Nature; for the parent-birds finding a helpless
object, for whose subsistence it behoves them to provide, fly off to
procure food for it. The other eggs are thus neglected, and the chicks
which they contain necessarily perish. Birds have probably the means of
knowing an addle egg, for, when any such remain after the hatching of
the others, they always remove them from the nest; and, in the present
case, the remaining eggs are soon removed, and may sometimes be seen
strewn about in the vicinity of the nest. In the case of the Cuckoo
matters are differently managed, for the young bird of that species very
ungratefully jostles out of the nest all his foster-brothers and sisters,
that he may have room enough for himself. If we are fond of admiring
the wisdom of Nature, we ought to mingle reason with our admiration; and
here we might be tempted to suspect her not so wise as we had imagined,
for why should the poor Yellow-throat have been put to the trouble of
laying all these eggs, if they are, after all, to produce nothing? This
is a mystery to me; nevertheless, my belief in the wisdom of Nature is
not staggered by it.
As the young Cow-Bird grows up, its foster-parents provide for it with
great assiduity, and manifest all the concern and uneasiness at the
intrusion of a stranger, that they would do were their own offspring under
their charge. When fully fledged, the young bird is of a sooty-brown
colour. Long after it has left the nest, it continues to be fed by its
affectionate guardians, until it is at length able to provide for itself.
Towards the end of September, the old and young Cow Birds congregate
in vast numbers, and are seen wending their way southward, sometimes by
themselves, more frequently intermingled with other species, such as the
Purple Grakles and the Redwings, which they join in their plundering
expeditions. They are to be seen in the Middle States until near the
end of October, although unusually severe weather sometimes forces them
southward at an earlier period.
This species derives its name from the circumstance of its frequenting
cow-pens. In this respect it greatly resembles the European Starling.
Like that bird it follows the cattle in the fields, often alights on
their backs, and may be seen diligently searching for worms and larvae
among their dung. In spring, the cattle in many parts of the United
States are much infested with intestinal worms, which they pass in great
quantities, and on these the Cow-bird frequently makes a delicious repast.
It has no song properly so called, but utters a low muttering sort of
chuckle, in performing which, it is seen to swell out its throat, and
move the feathers there in succession, in a manner very much resembling
that of the European Starling.
ICTERUS PECORIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 53.
STURNUS JUNCETI, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 326. Male.
FRINGILLA PECORIS, _Gmel._ Syst. vol. i. p. 910.—_Lath._ Ind.
Ornith. vol. i. p. 443.
COW-BUNTING, EMBERIZA PECORIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 145. Pl. 18. fig. 1. Male, fig. 2. Female, fig. 3. Young.
Adult Male. Plate XCIX. Fig. 1.
Bill conical, robust, very acute, compressed towards the end; upper
mandible obtuse above, rounded on the sides, encroaching a little on
the forehead with an angle, the margins acute and overlapping; lower
mandible with the sides inflected; gap-line much deflected at the base.
Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, covered above by a membrane. Head of
ordinary size. Neck rather short. Body rather robust. Feet of ordinary
length; tarsus compressed, acute behind, anteriorly covered with seven
longish scutella; toes free, scutellate, lateral ones nearly equal;
claws arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage blended, glossy. Wings longish, curved, somewhat rounded, the
second quill longest. Tail shortish, rounded, a little emarginate, of
twelve straight, rounded feathers.
Bill and feet brownish-black. Iris dark hazel. Head and neck sooty brown,
the general colour of the other parts is brownish-black, the fore part
of the breast glossed with blue, the upper parts with green and blue
reflections.
Length 7 inches, extent of wings 11½; bill along the ridge 7/12, along
the gap ⅚, tarsus 1-1/12, middle toe 1-1/12.
Adult Female. Plate XCIX. Fig. 2.
The female is somewhat less than the male. Bill, eyes, and feet of the
same colour as the male. The general colour of the plumage is dusky
brown, resembling that of the head and neck of the male, the under parts
somewhat lighter, as are the tips of the quills and larger wing-coverts.
THE MARSH WREN.
_TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS_, CH. BONAP.
PLATE C. MALE, FEMALE, AND NEST.
The haunts of this interesting little bird are, in the Middle Districts,
the margins of rivers at their confluence with the sea, and the adjoining
marshes of our Atlantic shores. In such places, the Marsh Wren is found
in great numbers, from the beginning of April to the middle of October,
when it retires southward, many individuals wintering on the south-western
shores of the Floridas, and along the mouths of the Mississippi.
It is a homely little bird, and is seldom noticed, unless by the
naturalist, when searching for other species, or by children, who in
all countries are fond of birds. It lives entirely amongst the sedges,
flags, and other rank plants that cover the margins of the rivers, and
the inlets of the sea. Its flight is very low and short, and is performed
by a continued flirting of the wings, but without the motions of the tail
employed by the Great Carolina Wren. Its song, if song I can call it, is
composed of several quickly repeated notes, resembling the grating of
a rusty hinge, and is uttered almost continuously during the fore part
of the day, the performer standing perched on the top of a tall weed,
from which, on the appearance of an intruder, it instantly dives into
the thickest part of the herbage, but to which it returns the moment it
thinks the danger over, and renews its merry little song.
The males are extremely pugnacious, and chase each other with great
animosity, until one or other has been forced to give way. This
disposition is the more remarkable, as these birds build their nests
quite close to each other. I have seen several dozens of these nests in
the course of a morning ramble, in a piece of marsh not exceeding forty
or fifty acres.
The nest is nearly of the size and shape of a cocoa-nut, and is formed
of dried grasses, entwined in a circular manner, so as to include in
its mass several of the stems and leaves of the sedges or other plants,
among which it is placed. A small aperture, just large enough to admit
the birds, is left, generally on the south-west side of the nest. The
interior is composed of small dry grasses, and is nearly of the depth
and width of a common bottle. The eggs, which are from six to eight, are
of a regular oval form, and deep chocolate colour, and, from their small
size, resemble so many beads. The Marsh Wren raises two broods in the
season, and on each occasion forms a new nest. In consequence of this
practice, the deserted nests of the year, and those remaining since the
preceding season, may be seen in the marshes in every direction, there
being scarcely a tuft of tall weeds that is not adorned with one of them.
The food of the Marsh Wren principally consists of minute aquatic insects,
and equally diminutive mollusca, which it procures by moving along the
blades of the grasses, or the twigs of other plants, which it does with
great activity. Indeed, so rapid are its movements among the weeds, that
one might easily mistake it for a mouse, did he not observe its tail now
and then raised over its back, so as to allow the white under-coverts
of the former to become conspicuous.
Although I have shot and examined many birds of this species, I have
not found any remarkable differences in the plumage of the sexes.
The young birds assume their full colouring so soon after they leave their
nest, that by the time the species departs from the Middle Districts on
its way southward, it is hardly possible to distinguish them from the
old birds.
In the plate, the last of my first volume of the BIRDS OF AMERICA, you
have, _kind_ reader (as I hope I may now with confidence call you),
three figures of this little inhabitant of our marshy shores, together
with the representation of its nest.
TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 93.
MARSH WREN, TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. iii.
p. 58. Pl. 12. fig. 4.
Adult Male. Plate C. Fig. 1.
Bill longish, slightly arched, slender, acute, subtrigonal at the base,
compressed towards the tip; upper mandible with the ridge obtuse, the
sides convex towards the end, concave at the base, the edges acute and
overlapping; under mandible with the sides and back convex. Nostrils
oblong, direct, basal, with a cartilaginous lid above, open and bare.
Head ovate, eyes rather large, neck of ordinary length, body short
and full. Legs of ordinary length; tarsus longer than the middle toe,
compressed, covered anteriorly with six scutella, posteriorly with a
long plate, forming an acute edge; toes scutellate above, the second and
fourth nearly equal, the hind toe almost equal to the middle one, the
third and fourth united as far as the second joint; claws rather long,
slender, acute, arched, much compressed.
Plumage soft, tufty, slightly glossed. No bristly feathers about the
bill. Wings short, broad, rounded: first quill half the length of the
second, which is very little shorter than the third and fourth. Tail of
ordinary length, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill dark brown above, yellow beneath. Iris hazel. Feet light brown.
The general colour of the upper parts is dark brown, the sides of the
head deeper, the fore part of the back brownish-black, longitudinally
streaked with white, the quills externally margined with lighter brown,
the tail barred with dark brown. A white line over the eye, extending
down the neck; the sides of the latter mottled with light brown and grey;
the under parts of a silvery greyish-white; the abdominal feathers and
under tail-coverts tipped with brown.
Length 5 inches, extent of wings 6¼; bill along the ridge nearly 7/12,
along the gap ¾; tarsus ⅚, middle toe nearly ¾.
Adult Female, Plate C. Fig. 2, 3.
The female differs very little in external appearance from the male. The
black of the back is less deep, and the white lines are less conspicuous;
the under parts, also, are of a duller white.
COLONEL BOON.
DANIEL BOON, or, as he was usually called in the Western Country, COLONEL
BOON, happened to spend a night with me under the same roof, more than
twenty years ago. We had returned from a shooting excursion, in the
course of which his extraordinary skill in the management of the rifle
had been fully displayed. On retiring to the room appropriated to that
remarkable individual and myself for the night, I felt anxious to know
more of his exploits and adventures than I did, and accordingly took
the liberty of proposing numerous questions to him. The stature and
general appearance of this wanderer of the western forests approached
the gigantic. His chest was broad and prominent; his muscular powers
displayed themselves in every limb; his countenance gave indication of
his great courage, enterprise, and perseverance; and when he spoke, the
very motion of his lips brought the impression that whatever he uttered
could not be otherwise than strictly true. I undressed, whilst he merely
took off his hunting shirt, and arranged a few folds of blankets on
the floor, choosing rather to lie there, as he observed, than on the
softest bed. When we had both disposed of ourselves, each after his own
fashion, he related to me the following account of his powers of memory,
which I lay before you, kind reader, in his own words, hoping that the
simplicity of his style may prove interesting to you.
"I was once," said he, "on a hunting expedition on the banks of the
Green River, when the lower parts of this State (Kentucky) were still
in the hands of nature, and none but the sons of the soil were looked
upon as its lawful proprietors. We Virginians had for some time been
waging a war of intrusion upon them, and I, amongst the rest, rambled
through the woods in pursuit of their race, as I now would follow the
tracks of any ravenous animal. The Indians outwitted me one dark night,
and I was as unexpectedly as suddenly made a prisoner by them. The trick
had been managed with great skill; for no sooner had I extinguished the
fire of my camp, and laid down to rest, in full security, as I thought,
than I felt myself seized by an indistinguishable number of hands, and
was immediately pinioned, as if about, to be led to the scaffold for
execution. To have attempted to be refractory, would have proved useless
and dangerous to my life; and I suffered myself to be removed from my
camp to theirs, a few miles distant, without uttering even a word of
complaint. You are aware, I dare say, that to act in this manner was
the best policy, as you understand that by so doing, I proved to the
Indians at once, that I was born and bred as fearless of death as any
of themselves.
"When we reached the camp, great rejoicings were exhibited. Two squaws
and a few papooses appeared particularly delighted at the sight of me,
and I was assured, by very unequivocal gestures and words, that, on the
morrow, the mortal enemy of the Red-skins would cease to live. I never
opened my lips, but was busy contriving some scheme which might enable
me to give the rascals the slip before dawn. The women immediately
fell a searching about my hunting-shirt for whatever they might think
valuable, and, fortunately for me, soon found my flask filled with
_monongahela_ (that is, reader, strong whisky). A terrific grin was
exhibited on their murderous countenances, while my heart throbbed with
joy at the anticipation of their intoxication. The crew immediately
began to beat their bellies and sing, as they passed the bottle from
mouth to mouth. How often did I wish the flask ten times its size, and
filled with aqua-fortis! I observed that the squaws drank more freely
than the warriors, and again my spirits were about to be depressed, when
the report of a gun was heard at a distance. The Indians all jumped on
their feet. The singing and drinking were both brought to a stand, and I
saw, with inexpressible joy, the men walk off to some distance and talk
to the squaws. I knew that they were consulting about me, and I foresaw
that in a few moments the warriors would go to discover the cause of the
gun having been fired so near their camp. I expected that the squaws
would be left to guard me. Well, Sir, it was just so. They returned;
the men took up their guns, and walked away. The squaws sat down again,
and in less than five minutes had my bottle up to their dirty mouths,
gurgling down their throats the remains of the whisky.
"With what pleasure did I see them becoming more and more drunk, until
the liquor took such hold of them that it was quite impossible for
these women to be of any service. They tumbled down, rolled about, and
began to snore: when I, having no other chance of freeing myself from
the cords that fastened me, rolled over and over towards the fire, and,
after a short time, burned them asunder. I rose on my feet, stretched my
stiffened sinews, snatched up my rifle, and, for once in my life, spared
that of Indians. I now recollect how desirous I once or twice felt to
lay open the skulls of the wretches with my tomahawk; but when I again
thought upon killing beings unprepared and unable to defend themselves,
it looked like murder without need, and I gave up the idea.
"But, Sir, I felt determined to mark the spot, and walking to a thrifty
ash sapling, I cut out of it three large chips, and ran off. I soon
reached the river, soon crossed it, and threw myself deep into the
cane-brakes, imitating the tracks of an Indian with my feet, so that no
chance might be left for those from whom I had escaped to overtake me.
"It is now nearly twenty years since this happened, and more than five
since I left the Whites' settlements, which I might probably never have
visited again, had I not been called on as a witness in a law-suit that
was pending in Kentucky, and which I really believe would never have
been settled, had I not come forward, and established the beginning of
a certain boundary line. This is the story, Sir.
"Mr —— moved from Old Virginia into Kentucky, and having a large tract
granted to him in the new State, laid claim to a certain parcel of land
adjoining Green River, and as chance would have it, took for one of his
corners the very Ash tree on which I had made my mark, and finished his
survey of some thousands of acres, beginning, as it is expressed in the
deed, 'at an Ash marked by three distinct notches of the tomahawk of a
white man.'
"The tree had grown much, and the bark had covered the marks; but somehow
or other, Mr —— heard from some one all that I have already said to you,
and thinking that I might remember the spot alluded to in the deed, but
which was no longer discoverable, wrote for me to come and try at least
to find the place or the tree. His letter mentioned that all my expenses
should be paid, and not caring much about once more about going back to
Kentucky, I started and met Mr ——. After some conversation, the affair
with the Indians came to my recollection. I considered for a while, and
began to think that after all I could find the very spot, as well as
the tree, if it was yet standing.
"Mr —— and I mounted our horses, and off we went to the Green River
Bottoms. After some difficulties, for you must be aware, Sir, that great
changes have taken place in those woods, I found at last the spot where
I had crossed the river, and waiting for the moon to rise, made for the
course in which I thought the Ash tree grew. On approaching the place,
I felt as if the Indians were there still, and as if I was still a
prisoner among them. Mr —— and I camped near what I conceived the spot,
and waited until the return of day.
"At the rising of the sun, I was on foot, and after a good deal of
musing, thought that an Ash tree then in sight must be the very one on
which I had made my mark. I felt as if there could be no doubt of it,
and mentioned my thought to Mr ——. "Well, Colonel BOON," said he, "if you
think so, I hope it may prove true, but we must have some witnesses; do
you stay here about, and I will go and bring some of the settlers whom
I know." I agreed. Mr —— trotted off, and I, to pass the time, rambled
about to see if a deer was still living in the land. But ah! Sir, what
a wonderful difference thirty years makes in the country! Why, at the
time when I was caught by the Indians, you would not have walked out in
any direction for more than a mile without shooting a buck or a bear.
There were then thousands of buffaloes on the hills in Kentucky; the land
looked as if it never would become poor; and to hunt in those days was
a pleasure indeed. But when I was left to myself on the banks of Green
River, I dare say for the last time in my life, a few _signs_ only of
deer were to be seen, and, as to a deer itself, I saw none.
"Mr —— returned, accompanied by three gentlemen. They looked upon me
as if I had been WASHINGTON himself, and walked to the Ash tree, which
I now called my own, as if in quest of a long lost treasure. I took an
axe from one of them, and cut a few chips off the bark. Still no signs
were to be seen. So I cut, again until I thought it was time to be
cautious, and I scraped and worked away with my butcher knife, until I
_did_ come to where my tomahawk had left an impression in the wood. We
now went regularly to work, and scraped at the tree with care, until
three hacks as plain as any three notches ever were, could be seen. Mr
—— and the other gentlemen were astonished, and, I must allow, I was as
much surprised as pleased myself. I made affidavit of this remarkable
occurrence in presence of these gentlemen. Mr —— gained his cause. I
left Green River for ever, and came to where we now are; and, Sir, I
wish you a good night."
I trust, kind reader, that when I again make my appearance with another
volume of Ornithological Biography, I shall not have to search in vain
for the impression which I have made, but shall have the satisfaction
of finding its traces still unobliterated. I now withdraw, and, in the
words of the noted wanderer of the western wilds, "WISH YOU A GOOD NIGHT."
INDEX.
Page
Acer rubrum, 287, 352
Adonis autumnalis, 48
Æsculus Pavia, 402
Alcedo Alcyon, 394
American Bear, 479
—— Cane, 149
—— Goldfinch, 172
—— Hare, 272
—— Pokeweed, 179
—— Redstart, 202
Anthus pipiens, 408
—— Spinoletta, 49
Autumnal Warbler, 447
Azure Warbler, 255
Baltimore Oriole, 66
Barred Owl, 242
Bay-breasted Warbler, 358
Bay-winged Bunting, 473
Bead-tree, 330
Bear, Black, 479
Bear-berry, 257
Belted Kingsfisher, 394
Betula papyracea, 449
Bewick's Wren, 96
Bignonia capreolata, 334
—— radicans, 254
Birch, Paper, 449
Bird of Washington, 58
Bitterwood, 123
Blackberry, 152
Black-billed Cuckoo, 170
Black-and-white Creeper, 452
—— Warbler, 290
Black Oak, 426
Black Walnut, 433
Black Warrior, 441
Blue-grey Fly-catcher, 431
Blue Tangles, 129
Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, 102
Blue-green Warbler, 258
Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, 78
Bombycilla carolinensis, 227
Bonaparte's Fly-catcher, 27
Boon, Colonel, 503
Broad-winged Hawk, 461
Brown Titlark, 49
Buck-eye, Dwarf, 402
Bull-frog, 367
Bunting, Henslow's, 360
—— Towhe, 150
Cactus opuntia, 475
Callicarpa americana, 592
Cane, American, 149, 458
Cane-brake, 458
Caprimulgus carolinensis, 273
—— vociferus, 422
Carolina Parrot, 135
Carolina Rose, 472
Carbonated Warbler, 308
Castanea pumila, 436
Cassia occidentalis, 181
Cedar Bird, 227
Cedar, Red, 230
Certhia varia, 452
Chestnut-sided Warbler, 306
Chicasaw Plum, 282
Children's Warbler, 180
Chinquapin, 436
Chuck-will's-widow, 273
Cinereous Eagle, 64
Cliff Swallow, 353
Cnicus lanceolatus, 176
Cockle-bur, 140
Coccyzus americanus, 18
—— erythrophthalmus, 170
Columba carolinensis, 91
—— migratoria, 319
Columbia Jay, 483
Common Crow Blackbird, 35
Cornus florida, 45, 376
Corvus Bullockii, 483
Corvus floridanus, 444
Cotton, Highland, 359
Cotton-wood, 407
Cotton-rose, 140
Cougar, 205
Cow-pen Bird, 492
Creeper, Black-and-White, 452
Crested Titmouse, 199
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 170
—— Yellow-billed, 18
Cuvier's Regulus, 288
Deer Hunting, 335
Diosporos virginiana, 446
Dogwood, 45, 376
Driving, 335
Earthquake, 239
Eagle, White-headed, 160
—— Washington, 58
Emberiza Henslowii, 360
—— erythrophthalma, 150
Falco Albicilla, 64
—— borealis, 265
—— columbarius, 466
—— Haliaetos, 415
—— Harlani, 441
—— hyemalis, 364
—— furcatus, 368
—— leucocephalus, 160
—— lineatus, 296
—— pennsylvanicus, 461
—— peregrinus, 85
—— Stanleii, 186
—— temerarius, 381
—— Washingtonii, 38
Falls of Niagara, 362
Finch, Painted, 279
—— Purple, 24
—— Sea-side, 470
Fire-light Hunting, 337
Fish Hawk, 415
Flood of the Ohio and Mississippi, 156
Flos Adonis, 48
Florida Jay, 444
—— Jessamine, 114
Fly-catcher, Bonaparte's, 27
—— Blue-grey, 431
—— Selby's, 46
—— Solitary, 147
—— Traill's, 236
—— Tyrant, 403
—— White-eyed, 328
Fringilla ciris, 279
—— cyanea, 377
—— erythrophthalma, 150
—— graminea, 473
—— hyemalis, 72
—— maritima, 470
—— melodia, 126
—— palustris, 331
—— pennsylvanica, 42
—— purpurea, 24
—— tristis, 172
Frolic, 55
Garter Snake, 371
Gleditschia triacanthos, 226
Goldfinch, American, 172
Golden-winged Woodpecker, 191
Gossipium herbaceum, 359
Grakle, Purple, 35
Grass Finch, 473
Great Carolina Wren, 399
—— Horned Owl, 313
—— footed Hawk, 85
—— Magnolia, 28
—— Pine Swamp, 52
Grouse, Ruffed, 211
Green Briar, 302
Halesia tetraptera, 123
Hare, American, 272
Harlequin Snake, 278
Hawk, Broad-winged, 461
—— Great-footed, 85
—— Pigeon, 466
—— Red-shouldered, 296
—— Red-tailed, 265
—— Stanley, 186
—— Swallow-tailed, 368
—— Winter, 364
Henslow's Bunting, 360
Hermit Thrush, 303
Hibiscus grandiflorus, 104
Hickory Pig-nut, 465
Hirundo bicolor, 490
—— fulva, 353
—— purpurea, 115
Honey Locust, 226
Hornbeam, Virginian, 204
Hospitality, 383
House Wren, 427
Huckleberry, 129
Humming Bird, 248
Hurricane, 262
Icterus agripennis, 233
—— Baltimore, 66
—— pecoris, 492
—— phœniceus, 348
—— spurius, 221
Ilex Dahoon, 257
—— Prinoides, 451
Indian Corn, 41
Indigo Bird, 377
Iris, Coppery, 80
Iron-wood Tree, 204
Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 341
Jay, Florida, 444
—— Columbia, 483
Jersey Pine, 489
Jessamine, Florida, 114
Juglans nigra, 433
—— porcina, 485
Juniperus virginiana, 230
Kalmia latifolia, 289
Kentucky Sports, 290
—— Warbler, 196
Kingsfisher, Belted, 394
Larch, Black, 454
Larix americana, 26
Lanius ludovicianus, 300
Laurel, 289
Lehigh River, 54
Le Petit Caporal, 381
Lepus americana, 278
Liquidambar styraciflua, 232
Liriodendron tulipifera, 71
Little Screech Owl, 485
Loggerhead Shrike, 300
Louisiana Flag, 80
—— Water Thrush, 99
Louisville in Kentucky, 437
Magnolia auriculata, 198
—— grandiflora, 28, 171
Maize, 41
Maple, Red, 287, 352
Marsh Blackbird, 348