bird neighbors-第29节

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ay；　gone　to…morrow　　and；　like　the　Arabs；　they　〃silently　steal　away。〃　It　is　surprising　how　very　little　noise　so　great　a　company　of　these　birds　make　at　any　time。　That　is　because　they　are　singularly　gentle　and　refined；　soft　of　voice；　as　they　are　of　color；　their　plumage　suggesting　a　fine　Japanese　water…color　painting　on　silk；　with　its　beautiful　sheen　and　exquisitely　blended　tints。

One　listens　in　vain　for　a　song；　only　a　lisping　〃Twee…twee…ze；〃　or　〃a　dreary　whisper；〃　as　Minot　calls　their　low…toned　communications　with　each　other；　reaches　our　ears　from　their　high　perches　in　the　cedar　trees；　where　they　sit；　almost　motionless　hours　at　a　time；　digesting　the　enormous　quantities　of　juniper　and　whortleberries；　wild　cherries；　worms；　and　insects　upon　which　they　have　gormandized。

Nuttall　gives　the　cedar　birds　credit　for　excessive　politeness　to　each　other。　He　says　he　has　often　seen　them　passing　a　worm　from　one　to　another　down　a　whole　row　of　beaks　and　back　again　before　it　was　finally　eaten。

When　nesting　time　arrives　　that　is　to　say；　towards　the　end　of　the　summer　　they　give　up　their　gregarious　habits　and　live　in　pairs；　billing　and　kissing　like　turtle…doves　in　the　orchard　or　wild　crabtrees；　where　a　flat；　bulky　nest　is　rather　carelessly　built　of　twigs；　grasses；　feathers；　strings　　any　odds　and　ends　that　may　be　lying　about。　The　eggs　are　usually　four；　white　tinged　with　purple　and　spotted　with　black。

Apparently　they　have　no　moulting　season；　their　plumage　is　always　the　same；　beautifully　neat　and　full…feathered。　Nothing　ever　hurries　or　flusters　them；　their　greatest　concern　apparently　being；　when　they　alight；　to　settle　themselves　comfortably　between　their　over…polite　friends；　who　are　never　guilty　of　jolting　or　crowding。　Few　birds　care　to　take　life　so　easily；　not　to　say　indolently。

Among　the　French　Canadians　they　are　called　Recollet；　from　the　color　of　their　crest　resembling　the　hood　of　the　religious　order　of　that　name。　Every　region　the　birds　pass　through；　local　names　appear　to　be　applied　to　them；　a　few　of　the　most　common　of　which　are　given　above。

Of　the　three　waxwings　known　to　scientists；　two　are　found　in　America；　and　the　third　in　Japan；


BROWN　CREEPER　（Certhia　familiaris　americana）　Creeper　family

Length　　5　to　5。75　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Brown　above；　varied　with　ashy…gray　stripes　and　　　small；　lozenge…shaped　gray　mottles。　Color　lightest　on　head；　　　increasing　in　shade　to　reddish　brown　near　tail。　Tail　paler　　　brown　and　long；　wings　brown　and　barred　with　whitish。　Beneath　　　grayish　white。　Slender；　curving　bill。　Range　　United　States　and　Canada；　east　of　Rocky　Mountains。　Migrations　　April。　September。　Winter　resident

This　little　brown　wood　sprite；　the　very　embodiment　of　virtuous　diligence；　is　never　found　far　from　the　nuthatches；　titmice；　and　kinglets；　though　not　strictly　in　their　company；　for　he　is　a　rather　solitary　bird。　Possibly　he　repels　them　by　being　too　exasperatingly　conscientious。

Beginning　at　the　bottom　of　a　rough…barked　tree　（for　a　smooth　bark　conceals　no　larvae；　the　creeper　silently　climbs　upward　in　a　sort　of　spiral；　now　lost　to　sight　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　tree；　then　reappearing　just　where　he　is　expected　to；　flitting　back　a　foot　or　two；　perhaps；　lest　he　overlooked　a　single　spider　egg；　but　never　by　any　chance　leaving　a　tree　until　conscience　approves　of　his　thoroughness。　And　yet　with　all　this　painstaking　workman's　care；　it　takes　him　just　about　fifty　seconds　to　finish　a　tree。　Then　off　he　flits　to　the　base　of　another；　to　repeat　the　spiral　process。　Only　rarely　does　he　adopt　the　woodpecker　process　of　partly　flitting；　partly　rocking　his　way　with　the　help　of　his　tail　straight　up　one　side　of　the　tree。

Yet　this　little　bird　is　not　altogether　the　soulless　drudge　he　appears。　In　the　midst　of　his　work；　uncheered　by　summer　sunshine；　and　clinging　with　numb　toes　to　the　tree…trunk　some　bitter　cold　day；　he　still　finds　some　tender　emotion　within　him　to　voice　in　a　〃wild；　sweet　song〃　that　is　positively　enchanting　at　such　a　time。　But　it　is　not　often　this　song　is　heard　south　of　his　nesting　grounds。

The　brown　creeper's　plumage　is　one　of　Nature's　most　successful　feats　of　mimicry　　an　exact　counterfeit　in　feathers　of　the　brown…gray　bark　on　which　the　bird　lives。　And　the　protective　coloring　is　carried　out　in　the　nest　carefully　tucked　under　a　piece　of　loosened　bark　in　the　very　heart　of　the　tree。


PINE　SISKIN　（Spinus　pinus）　Finch　family

Called　also：　PINE　FINCH；　PINE　LINNET

Length　　4。75　to　5　inches。　Over　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Olive…brown　and　gray　above；　much　streaked　and　　　striped　with　very　dark　brown　everywhere。　Darkest　on　head　and　　　back。　Lower　back；　base　of　tail；　and　wing　feathers　pale　　　sulphur…yellow。　Under　parts　very　light　buff　brown；　heavily　　　streaked。　Range　　North　America　generally。　Most　common　in　north　latitudes。　　　Winters　south　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　Migrations　　Erratic　winter　visitor　from　October　to　April。　　　Uncommon　in　summer。

A　small　grayish…brown　brindle　bird；　relieved　with　touches　of　yellow　on　its　back；　wings；　and　tail；　may　be　seen　some　winter　morning　roving　on　the　lawn　from　one　evergreen　tree　to　another；　clinging　to　the　pine　cones　and　peering　attentively　between　the　scales　before　extracting　the　kernels。　It　utters　a　call…note　so　like　the　English　sparrow's　that　you　are　surprised　when　you　look　up　into　the　tree　to　find　it　comes　from　a　stranger。　The　pine　siskin　is　an　erratic　visitor；　and　there　is　always　the　charm　of　the　unexpected　about　its　coming　near　our　houses　that　heightens　our　enjoyment　of　its　brief　stay。

As　it　flies　downward　from　the　top　of　the　spruce　tree　to　feed　upon　the　brown　seeds　still　clinging　to　the　pigweed　and　goldenrod　stalks　sticking　out　above　the　snow　by　the　roadside；　it　dips　and　floats　through　the　air　like　its　charming　little　cousin；　the　goldfinch。　They　have　several　characteristics　in　common　besides　their　flight　and　their　fondness　for　thistles。　Far　at　the　north；　where　the　pine　siskin　nests　in　the　top　of　the　evergreens；　his　sweet…warbled　　love…song　is　said　to　be　like　that　of　our　〃wild　canary's；〃　only　with　a　suggestion　of　fretfulness　in　the　tone。

Occasionally　some　one　living　in　an　Adirondack　or　other　mountain　camp　reports　finding　the　nest　and　hearing　the　siskin　sing　even　in　midsummer；　but　it　is；　nevertheless；　considered　a　northern　species；　however　its　erratic　habits　may　sometimes　break　through　the　ornithologist's　traditions。


SMITH'S　PAINTED　LONGSPUR　（Calcarius　pictus）　Finch　family

＇Called　also：　SMITH'S　LONGSPUR；　AOU　1998＇

Length　　6。5　inches。　About　the　size　of　a　large　English　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Upper　parts　marked　with　black；　brown；　and　　　white；　like　a　sparrow；　brown　predominant。　Male　bird　with　more　　　black　about　head；　shoulders；　and　tail　feathers；　and　a　whitish　　　patch；　edged　with　black；　under　the　eye。　Underneath　pale　brown；　　　shading　to　buff。　Hind　claw　or　spur　conspicuous。　Range　　Interior　of　North　America；　from　the　arctic　coast　to　　　Illinois　and　and　Texas；　Migrations　　Winter　visitor。　Without　　　fixed　season。

Confined　to　a　narrower　range　than　the　Lapland　longspur；　this　bird；　quite　commonly　found　on　the　open　prairie　districts　of　the　middle　West　in　winter；　is；　nevertheless；　so　very　like　its　cousin　that　the　same　description　of　their　habits　might　very　well　answer　for　both。　Indeed；　both　these　birds　are　often　seen　in　the　same　flock。　Larks　and　the　ubiquitous　sparrows；　too；　intermingle　with　them　with　the　familiarity　that　only　the　starvation　rations　of　midwinter；　and　not　true　sociability；　can　effect；　and；　looking　out　upon　such　a　heterogeneous　flock　of　brown　birds　as　they　are　feeding　together　on　the　frozen　ground；　only　the　trained　field　ornithologist　would　find　it　easy　to　point　out　the　painted　longspurs。

Certain　peculiarities　are　noticeable；　however。　Longspurs　squat　while　resting；　then；　when　flushed；　they　run　quickly　and　lightly；　and　〃rise　with　a　sharp　click；　repeated　several　times　in　quick　succession；　and　move　with　an　easy；　undulating　motion　for　a　short　distance；　when　they　alight　very　suddenly；　seeming　to　fall　perpendicularly　several　feet　to　the　ground。〃　Another　peculiarity　of　their　flight　is　their　habit　of　flying　about　in　circles；　to　and　fro；　keeping　up　a　constant　chirping　or　call。　It　is　only　in　the　mating　season；　when　we　rarely　hear　them；　that　the　longspurs　have　the　angelic　manner　of　singing　as　they　fly；　like　the　skylark。　The　colors　of　the　males；　among　the　several　longspurs；　may　differ　widely；　but　the　indistinctly　marked　females　are　so　like　each　other　that　only　their　mates；　perhaps；　could　tell　them　apart。


LAPLAND　LONGSPUR　（Calcarius　lapponicus）　Finch　family

Called　also：　LAPLAND　SNOWBIRD；　LAPLAND　LARK　BUNTING

Length　　6。5　to　7　inches。　trifle　larger　than　the　English　sparrow。　Male　　Color　varies　with　season。　Winter　plumage：　Top　of　head　　　black；　with　rusty　markings；　all　feathers　being　tipped　with　　　white。　Behind　and　below　the　eye　rusty　black。　Breast　and　　　underneath　grayish　white　faintly　streaked　with　black。　Above　　　reddish　brown　with　black　markings。　Feet；　which　are　black；　have　　　conspicuous；　long　hind　claws　or　spur。　Female　　Rusty　gray　above；　less　conspicuously　marked。　Whitish　　　below。　Range　　Circumpolar　regions；　northern　United　States；　occasional　　　in　Middle　States；　abundant　in　winter　as　far　as　Kansas　and　th