Читать книгу Nests and Eggs of Birds of the United States - Thomas G. Gentry - Страница 19

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The Kingbird, or Bee Martin, has an extensive range, being found during the summer throughout the continent of North America, from Texas and Florida in the south, as far as the 57th parallel of north latitude. Westward, north of the 44th parallel, it ranges from the Atlantic seaboard to Oregon and Washington on the shores of the Pacific.

Its arrival in the United States from Mexico, Central and South America, and tropical Cuba, where it winters, generally occurs during the early part of April. Having taken the step, the birds are not long in spreading themselves over their immense breeding-grounds, which have been found to be co-extensive with the whole territory over which they range. They reach the Middle Atlantic States from the 20th of April to the first of May; the New England, from the first to the 10th of the latter month, and their more northern habitats, not later than the 15th.

Careful observations, carried through a series of years, have convinced us that the appearance of the males always antedates that of the females by a week or ten days. Their advent is unheralded by song, or noisy demonstration, and is as mysterious as their departure. Our knowledge of the fact is mainly furnished by the eye, and not by the ear, which is ordinarily the first organ that apprises us thereof.

Like most of its kin, the Kingbird is not gifted with a fine voice. When it does essay a madrigal, its shrill, unmusical syllables are anything but pleasing and welcome to the cultivated ear. It may be otherwise with beings of its own special class. At all events, his song, if such it can be truly called, has the anticipated effect—namely, that of calling from her wanderings, the partner, whose presence he is anxiously awaiting in his shady retreat.

Unblessed with the talent of producing sweet and soul-inspiring music, Nature has made amends for her seeming neglect by endowing him with certain mental and spiritual qualities which amply compensate for the want of a melodious voice. A noble, self-sacrificing nature, and a courageous but affectionate disposition, are traits of character which our little friend possesses in a remarkable degree.

Aware of these high qualities, the female, never unduly coy, but innocent, arch and simple, seeks rather than shuns the society of her suitor, almost as soon as she has reached his whereabouts, and proudly but courteously receives his attentions, which, without any show or pretension, she generously reciprocates by consenting to become his companion and helpmeet. Consequently, the season of courtship is comparatively brief.

Mating being accomplished, the newly-made couple, without much ado, and with but little waste of time, start off in quest of a suitable spot for a nest. This appears to be a difficult matter to settle. The pasture-grounds and waste places for which they have all along manifested a strong predilection, are deserted for the more congenial situations to be found about the home of man. Orchards of pear- and apple-trees, or an isolated pear-tree in close proximity to a human dwelling, are now visited. When the former, tree after tree is examined, and the particular advantages of each discussed, before one is found which answers all the requirements. These examinations often continue for a fortnight. The female seems to be the controlling spirit in these transactions.

The nest is generally placed between the forked branches of a pear-tree, although the apple, cherry, osage orange, oak, cottonwood and tulip-tree are sometimes employed for this purpose. Why the pear should be preferred in certain localities above all other trees, it is difficult to divine, unless the density of its foliage, and the short spine-like twigs with which it is armed, afford security from the attacks of rapacious birds and mischief-loving boys. Mostly the birds select for building purposes the topmost boughs where the densest foliage abounds, although instances are known to us, through actual observation, where such structures have been found but five feet from the ground. Again, nests have been met with on the borders of deep forests, in situations remote from man, which fact seems to point to the conclusion that the habit of building in orchards has been acquired since the peopling of this country by human beings. The fondness of the Kingbird for the little honey-bee, whose hives are generally placed contiguous to human dwellings, has, doubtless, through the desire to be near such articles of luxury, prompted the change of habitat. This species, like one of its near congeners, occasionally builds upon the timbers of a bridge. Dr. Brewer mentions a case which came under his observation in the summer of 1851. While the doctor was passing over a bridge near the village of Aylesford, N. S., he was startled to see an individual of this species fly from a nest which was built on the projecting end of one of the planks of which the bridge was composed. "So remarkably exposed a position, open to view and on a level with and within a few feet of the highway," says he, "must be quite unusual." One fact which the same distinguished writer mentions, showing that the Kingbird, during the breeding-season, is not always the same ugly, pugnacious little creature which is claimed for him, must not be omitted in this connection. The circumstance to which we refer, occurred in the summer of 1871. A pair of these birds had built a nest in an apple-tree, near the doctor's residence and within four feet of the nest of the Baltimore Oriole, and not more than eight or ten feet from the abode of a couple of Robins, all in the same tree. These three pairs were on evident terms of friendship and good-will. The male Kingbird, from the topmost bough, kept a vigilant lookout for danger, and seemed to have all under his special care, but manifested not the slightest disposition to molest or annoy.

Few species are more careless in the selection of nesting materials. Almost anything of the proper length and requisite degree of flexibility is utilized. Herbaceous stems, leaves of deciduous trees, strips of the inner bark of the flax, lichens, weeds, wrapping string, carpet rags, patches of cotton or wool, are a few of the many articles which are found on the outside; while slender grasses, fibres of bark, fine rootlets and horse-hairs constitute the inner arrangement.

A typical structure before us is rather loosely built exteriorly, but increases in compactness towards the interior, where the materials are more closely intermingled. The frame-work of this nest is composed of herbaceous stems, chiefly of the wheat and pigweed, large quantities of fibrous bark of a white, satiny lustre, and leaves of the oak, apple, pear, etc. The inside is formed of fine grasses, quite artistically and intricately laid in position. The cavity is beautifully symmetrical, and measures three inches in width, and two and a half in depth. The outside is five inches at the base, but contracts to four and a half at the mouth. The height is about four inches. This nest was obtained in the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, Pa., June 15th, 1872.

Another structure which the writer obtained in the same locality, only a few yards distant from the foregoing, differs slightly from it in form, but largely in composition. It is built of compressed stems of wheat, numerous and rather large scraps of printed paper, a few herbaceous plants, all closely compacted and curiously intermingled. Within, there is an inner fabric, secured to the former in a neat and substantial manner, and composed of dark stems and leaves of various species of grass, besides a small quantity of fine roots. The cavity is less regular than that of the other, and conspicuously shallow. It measures three inches in diameter and two in depth. The basal diameter is five inches, which is nearly the width at the mouth. The vertical thickness is three and a half inches.

The Plate represents a very beautiful nest which was obtained in Southern New Jersey, in the summer of 1879. It was placed upon a cherry-branch, as shown in the drawing, at an elevation of fifteen feet from the ground. The outside consists of fine lichens, stems of grasses, wrapping string, roots, tassels of the oak and chestnut, and some mosses; the inside, of fine lichens, dried catkins of the oak, but largely of slender stems and rootlets. The external diameter is four and a half inches, and the thickness about one and three-fourths. The cavity is three inches wide, and one and a half inches deep. In the engraving it is shown the natural size.

Before drawing this part of our subject to a close, we cannot permit the occasion to pass without giving a brief description of one more nest which was obtained in June, 1880. It was placed upon the horizontal limb of an apple-tree, at an elevation of about ten feet from the ground. The peculiarity of this structure is the large number of carpet rags which depend therefrom. In most cases they extend from ten to fourteen inches beyond its lower border, thus contrasting very markedly with the dark stems and rootlets that make up the bulk of the exterior. Was this arrangement the result of blind chance, or were the rags placed there for some special purpose?

The building of a home occupies the birds from four to five days. Did the builders work continuously at it from sunrise to sunset, the period of nidification would be considerably shortened. But such is not the ease. They seem to have no regular hours for labor, but only work as it suits their convenience. The duty of the male is to collect the materials; that of the female, to arrange them in suitable places. The nest being completed, scarcely a day passes before the first deposit is made. Subsequent deposits are made on consecutive days until the full complement is reached, when the female on the day following the last extrusion, takes the nest, and continues thereon, with brief intervals of intermission, for a period of thirteen or fourteen days, when her labors are repaid by the appearance of a nest-full of tiny fledglings. While she is thus occupied, the male acts the part of a dutiful and faithful husband, guarding her from danger, and supplying her with the choicest and most savory articles of food. When not foraging, he may be seen upon the topmost bough of the tree upon which the nest is placed, directly above his mate, on the constant lookout for danger. Should an enemy approach, he immediately gives vent to his displeasure by a few shrill twitterings, elevates his crest, and then gives chase to the intruder, whom he pursues for a considerable distance, all the while darting at him from different positions, and inflicting the severest punishment, in order to teach him the folly of trespassing. Owls, Eagles, Crows, Grakles, Jays, and even the common barnyard Hen, are made to feel the force of his vengeance; but his most implacable enemy is the Purple Martin.

The young are objects of more than ordinary parental solicitude. The most endearing attentions are lavished upon them, and no efforts are spared to render them comfortable and happy. Caterpillars, flies, and other equally tender insects, are brought in great quantities, during the first few days of their existence, to satisfy the demands of their greedy appetites; but as they become larger, beetles and grasshoppers are added to their dietary. When fourteen days old, they quit the nest, but still remain under home influences for a fortnight later, when they are allowed to shift for themselves.

In many particulars the eggs of this species resemble those of the Arkansas Flycatcher, but differ mainly in their somewhat larger size, and more pointed form. They are oval in shape, white in ground-color—except when fresh, when they show a roseate tinge—and beautifully spotted with brown and reddish-brown blotches and markings, which are confluent about the larger extremity in some, and irregularly scattered over the surface in others. They measure from 1.02 to .87 of an inch in length, and from .75 to .72 in width. Specimens from different parts of the country have been examined, and all, without exception, bear a very close resemblance to each other, scarcely differing more than do eggs of the same clutch.