Endurance Test; or, How Clear Grit Won the Day

by Captain Alan Douglas

THE BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES

The birds constitute a large group of the animal kingdom. Their chief distinguishing feature is their covering of feathers. Another characteristic is the production of their young enclosed in eggs.

The Vultures.

TURKEY BUZZARD.

The name "vulture" is applied to a family of birds of prey. The bill of the vulture is large and very strong; the head and neck are almost naked, being very lightly sprinkled with down. It is a carrion-devouring bird and does not attack living animals. It displays marvelous quickness in discovering a dead body. Vultures are generally protected in the countries where they are found because of their value in clearing away the putrid animal matter which would otherwise be injurious as well as disagreeable. The American vultures sometimes reach a large size and are very powerful in flight.

The Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow, both of which are vultures, are common in the temperate parts of America. The Carrion Crow is found as far North as Carolina. The Turkey Buzzard is not a true buzzard and is wrongly so called.

The Eagle.

Eagles are large and powerful birds. The flight of this magnificent bird is very beautiful and imposing, but its gait when on land is rather awkward. Its food is usually smaller birds and quadrupeds such as hares, rabbits, etc., but it does not hesitate to carry off young lambs or sometimes to destroy sickly sheep. It generally hunts in pairs, one eagle watching at some height while the other courses along the ground and scares the game from the bushes. It lays two eggs of a yellowish-white color with brownish spots on a nest composed of a great mass of sticks, brush and grass. The young are fledged about the end of July. While the young are in the nest it is very dangerous to approach it as the eagles are then extremely fierce and daring. Some instances have been related of children that have been carried off by an eagle, but these stories are very doubtful. Eagles have certainly been known to pounce upon children and carry them a little way, but there are no true accounts of children having been actually taken to the eagles' nest, although there are many stories founded on such a supposition. The beak of the eagle is curved from the face, having a sharp point. Its wings are long and large. They catch and kill their own prey, but unlike the vultures will not eat carrion. The eagle which is found in North America is usually the golden eagle, and inhabits the Western States. The Indians called it "the War Eagle." Its feathers are dark brown.

AMERICAN BALD EAGLE.

The Buzzards.

The family of Buzzards are distinguished by their short beaks, large rounded wings and squared tails. They live on small animals, reptiles and various insects.

COMMON BUZZARD.

The Common Buzzard, when searching for food, rests upon some high branch, keeping a keen watch on the ground, and waiting patiently until some small animal makes its appearance or some bit of carrion is scented. Its length is from twenty to twenty-two inches. In flight it is rather slow and heavy. The bird popularly known as a Hen Hawk is a buzzard.

The Falcons.

The falcons are also birds of prey. Hawks are members of this family. The Peregrine Falcon is an inhabitant of most parts of Europe, Asia, South America and North America. It builds its nest on cliffs and lays from two to four eggs which are spotted with dark red. It preys on other birds; its strength and swiftness are very great, enabling it to strike down its prey with great ease; indeed, it has been known to disable five partridges in succession. It changes the color of its plumage several times before it arrives at full maturity. Its length is from fifteen to eighteen inches.

The Sparrow Hawk feeds on mice, ground squirrels, insects, small birds. It displays great pertinacity in pursuit of its prey which it will chase for a long while, skimming along a few feet above the ground. When taken young it is easily tamed and will then associate with the most incongruous companions. Its length is from twelve to fifteen feet. It builds upon lofty trees.

The Owls.

The owls are nocturnal birds, pursuing their prey by night and sleeping by day. They have a large round head with enormous eyes looking forward. Many species possess two feathery tufts placed on the head greatly resembling horns. In order to enable them to see their prey their eyes are enormously large, capable of taking in every ray of light. To protect them from the cold they are furnished with a dense covering of downy feathers which also prevents the movements of the wing from being heard. The beak is short and horny, but very strong. They prey on small animals, fish, insects, reptiles. The cry of the owl is very peculiar and weird. This, coupled with their strange appearance, has made them objects of superstition. The ancients adopted them as symbols of wisdom. The owls of North America that are the best known are the Horned Owl, the Grayish-barred Owl and the Mottled Owl.

AN OWL.

The Snowy Owl also is found in North America; it is a good fisher, snatching its prey from the water by a sudden grasp of the foot; it also preys on small animals, chasing and striking at them with its foot. It makes its nest on the ground and lays three or four white eggs. Its length is from twenty-two to twenty-seven inches. It extends its wings four feet. There are some species of owl found in America that burrow, living in the same hole with prairie dogs, making their nest in the mouth of the prairie dog's burrow.

Cousins to the owls are the Nightjars, for example, the night hawk and whip-poor-will. They feed on moths and insects which they catch as they fly. Their eggs are laid on the ground without a nest.

The Swallows.

Swallows are remarkable for their great power of wing, their wide mouths, their short legs and weak feet. Their wing feathers are long, stiff and pointed, and their tails are long and forked. Nine species of swallow are found north of Mexico. They spend most of their time on the wing and live almost entirely upon insects which they capture as they fly; their large mouths particularly adapt them for this manner of feeding. They nest frequently in colonies; they migrate in large flocks and can often be seen in great quantities at roosting places. They show skill in the construction of their nests. The purple martin belongs to this family; it is common in the South but rare in the Northern States. The tree swallow builds its nest, of grasses and feathers in the hollow of a tree. The bank swallow nests in a sand-bank.

The Swifts.

The swifts are often confused with swallows owing to the similarity of their flight and the manner in which they feed. A Chimney Swift, commonly but erroneously called the Chimney Swallow, in construction is more like the humming-bird than the swallow; they nest in chimneys about ten feet from the top.

The Kingfisher.

These birds are chiefly tropical, the Belted Kingfisher being the only one of the family that is found north of Texas. They feed on fishes and frequent the land near the water and nest in holes which they make in a bank. They perch on some limb overhanging the water and watchfully wait for their dinner.

KINGFISHER.

The Humming-bird.

HUMMING-BIRD.

Eighteen species of these have been found in the United States, but only one of these is found east of the Mississippi. They feed on insects and also on the juices of flowers. The humming-bird has no song, but the beauty of its plumage makes up for this deficiency. It darts through the air almost as quickly as thought; now it is within a yard of your path—in an instant gone—now it flutters from flower to flower to sip the dew—it is now a ruby—now a topaz—now an emerald—now burnished gold. Its tongue is almost like that of the woodpecker, being curled around the head under the skin, and is thus capable of being darted to a considerable distance; like many other little creatures, it is remarkable for its assurance and impudence; it is easily tamed for that very reason and has been known to domesticate itself in an hour from the time it is captured, and often when released has returned again to partake of the dainties which it has tasted during its captivity. It seems to have no fear and will attack any bird, irrespective of size. The nest of the humming-bird is as dainty as the bird itself.

The Wrens.

The American House Wren is larger than the European wren, being about five inches long. It is of a reddish-brown color. The nest of the wren is built in any convenient cranny: an ivy-covered tree, the thatch of a barn or a warm scarecrow are all used by this featherless little bird. It is a good fighter and will attack bluebirds and swallows. The nest is usually of an oval shape, always covered on the outside with some material resembling the color of the objects around it, such as green moss, if built among ivy, or brown lichen, if built on a rock or in the fork of a withered branch. The eggs are six or eight in number—white, specked with reddish-brown.

The Carolina Wren frequents the undergrowth in thickets; he is the most nervously active of all the wrens.

The Bewick's Wren is often found in the barnyard.

The Winter Wren builds its nest usually in the tree-roots and heaps of brush.

The Marsh Wrens build their nests of a globular shape with the entrance at the side, either attached to weeds or tall grass, near or on the ground.

The Warblers.

This is a very large family; they feed almost entirely upon insects. They are the first to leave upon the approach of winter and the last to come in the spring. They migrate at night and thousands are killed annually by dashing against lighthouses.

The black and white warbler is streaked with black and white and can be readily identified; it can be often seen creeping under branches in search of its insect food.

The yellow warbler. What boy has not seen a "wild canary"? It likes to inspect the gardens and shrubbery around our houses, and consequently may be frequently noticed. There are a great many more in this numerous family.

The Thrushes.

This is another large bird family. In it are the bluebird and the friendly robin; their song is very sweet.

The wood thrush is less shy than the veery or hermit thrush. It can be distinguished from the others by its larger size and its ruddy color and the large black spots covering its underparts. The veery's upper parts are cinnamon color; its dress is finely marked and its sides almost white; it inhabits the dense woods and does not frequent the habitation of man as does the wood thrush.

The Hermit Thrush is distinguished by its red tail, which is much brighter in color than its back; it comes early in the spring and lingers long in the autumn.

There are probably few boys who do not know a robin when they see one, nor does the bluebird need to be introduced.

The Blackbirds and Orioles.

The Red-winged Blackbird has bright scarlet shoulders; the rest of the feathers are mainly black; they frequent marshes.

Orchard Orioles are to be found in the orchards, the elms, the maples, and other trees of our lawns. This bird is remarkable for the complete change he makes in his plumage, from a dull yellow to a deep orange and black, the bird in the summer presenting an entirely different aspect from that in the winter. He builds his nest very near the end of a tall limb where it will swing in the wind like a hammock.

The Bobolink is another one of this family that changes its clothes each year. It goes North as the bobolink and goes South as the reedbird or ricebird.

The Purple Grackle comes to us early in the spring; its plumage is an iridescent purplish and greenish black.

The Cowbirds build no nests; they deposit their eggs in the nests of smaller birds. These eggs are hatched with the others in the nest and the young birds clamor constantly for food and often starve or crowd out the rightful bird babies.

The Thrashers, Mocking-birds, etc.,

frequent the borders or the edges of the woods and have considerable singing ability; possibly the best known of this family is the catbird, so called because his most familiar cry is similar to the plaintive "meow" of the cat. Although very few seem to know it, the catbird is also a fine songster.

The mocking-bird is a great singer, sometimes singing throughout a particularly bright moonlight night as well as all day long. While sitting on its eggs it is an exceedingly courageous bird, attacking without discrimination men, dogs, or any animal that may approach too near the nest. The black snake is the special object of its vengeance. The snake, which has perhaps just arrived at the vicinity of the nest, and is contemplating a pleasant breakfast on the young or eggs, is violently attacked by the enraged mocking-bird, which, by repeated blows on the head, generally destroys its enemy, and then, mounting on a bush, pours forth a triumphant song of victory. The nest is made generally in a bush or fruit tree, frequently close to houses, as the bird is protected by the inhabitants. The mocking-bird is often kept tame, in which case, so far from its imitative powers showing any decrease, the variety of domestic sounds heard about the house is often very perplexing.

MOCKING-BIRD.

The thrasher is also a vocalist of some quality; he likes to sit where he can be seen when he is singing, generally high up in the tree.

The Flycatchers.

The flycatchers are songless; they are found all over the United States. They remain on their perch, waiting for a passing insect; when their prey is within sight they dart after it and then return to their station.

The kingbird is grayish in color and bears a crest which, when raised, reveals reddish feathers. He perches quietly at his station, but is alert to every movement near him, and rarely does a passing insect escape his keen eye.

The phœbe is very fond of building its nest under an old bridge. His call is a monotonous, plaintive reiteration. It sounds as though he were saying, "phœbe"; hence his name.

Very common flycatchers are the Arcadian Flycatcher, the Wood Peewee and the Least Flycatcher: the latter being called the Least Flycatcher on account of its being the smallest in size.

The Shrikes.

The color of this bird is gray, black and white. It causes fright at once among sparrows, on which it preys as well as upon mice and insects. He has a characteristic flight, flying steadily and in a straight line close to the ground, flapping his wings. When he gets near his destination he reaches it by a sudden upward movement. The shrikes are often called "butcher birds"; they well deserve their name; they transfix their prey upon a thorn preparatory to devouring it, having darted on it from some place of concealment after the same manner as the flycatchers.

The Crows and Jays.

It will probably surprise you to know that the gaily colored blue jay belongs to the same family as the dusky crow. All of this family are great feeders, taking fruits, seeds, insects, eggs and refuse; all of them possess great intelligence. The blue jay seems to take positive pleasure in teasing other birds; he is noisy and reckless; he nests usually in the crotch of a tree from ten to twenty feet high.

The crow's harsh voice, large size and black plumage make this bird well known. Every boy who lives in the country knows how fond the crow is of corn, and who has not seen the scarecrows flapping their empty sleeves in the winds of the cornfield.

The Finches and Sparrows.

BLUE JAY.

This is the largest bird family. They possess stout bills fitted to crush the seeds on which they feed. The House, or English sparrow, was first introduced into the United States in 1851. The Crossbill derives its name from having the tips of its bill crossed. They frequent pine forests and the structure of their bills helps them in forcing the cones open to get at the seeds within.

The Goldfinches are canary-yellow and black; they travel usually in small flocks; in song they become at times so ecstatic that it seems as if they would burst their little bodies.

The Junco is a small, plump bird. When the summer birds have left for the South the Junco comes from the North.

The Cardinal is one of the gayest of our feathered friends; its plumage is a rosy-red with a little black patch at the throat and the crest; it nests in bushes, the nest being composed of twigs, rootlets and lined with grasses.

The Indigo Bunting is blue as his name. You will find him in old pastures among bushes and clearings. The female of this bird is like a sparrow in marking, except for the tinge of blue which you may discover in her plumage.

The Tanagers

are closely related to the finches; all of them have pretty clothes, especially the Scarlet Tanager, who is bright scarlet with black wings and tail. It is well worth a day's tramp to see one.

The Waxwings.

The Cedar Waxwings arrive late in the spring. They have a black line which runs through the eye; their upper parts are brown, their head is greenish, their tails gray. You will often find them among fruit and shady trees; they like old orchards where they hunt for cankerworms. They have red spots on their wings that look like drops of sealing-wax.

The Vireos.

Small insect-eating birds; they do not catch their prey on the wing as do the flycatchers, but search for their food on bark and leaves; they are pleasant songsters and their nests are neat and well-rounded, suspended from the fork of a branch.

The Woodpeckers.

WOODPECKERS.

The claw of the woodpecker is constructed of two toes forward and two toes backward, which assist them in climbing the tree-trunks; their tail feathers are pointed and stiff and serve as a prop; the bill is adapted for chiseling out the homes of grubs, insects, etc., in the bark.

The Downy Woodpecker. Its upper parts are black, scarlet band on the neck, the middle of the back is white, while the wing feathers are specked with white. You can often see him in an orchard or in the trees on the lawn, picking out the grubs as he climbs the tree-trunks and branches.

The Sapsucker has a scarlet cap; its back is black and yellow, tail black; it feeds largely on tree juices.

Red-headed Woodpecker. Head, neck, throat and principal parts red; back black and white; nests generally in a dead tree.

The Flicker. The top of the head gray; red band across back of the neck; back brownish with black bars; they are frequently called "high-holes."

The Pigeons and Doves.

The passenger pigeon is now practically extinct. Captain Bendire, writing twenty years ago, says: "It looks now as if their total extermination might be accomplished within the present century. The only thing which retards their complete extinction is that it no longer pays to net these birds, they being too scarce for this now, at least in the more settled portions of the country, and also, perhaps, that from constant and unremitting prosecution on their breeding-grounds they have changed their habits somewhat, the majority no longer breeding in colonies, but scattering all over the country and breeding in isolated pairs." They used to be seen in enormous flocks, which, as they migrated, really hid the sun, destroyed forests miles wide, breaking down branches with their weight and wasting the crops far and wide. This bird moves with extraordinary speed and goes enormous distances. Many have been killed in New York State with their crops full of rice that they must have eaten in Georgia. That means that they flew three hundred miles in six hours. In 1813, Audubon says the air was literally filled with pigeons, and the midday sun darkened as in an eclipse, and the flocks flew over him in countless numbers for three whole days.

The Mourning Dove is similar to the Passenger Pigeon, but not as large.

Grouse.

The Grouse are as a rule ground birds and trust to their ability to hide to escape detection, their color being such as to make them difficult to detect against a background of dead leaves. The Ruffed Grouse can easily be detected by the drumming sound which it makes. This drumming begins gradually and gradually dies away. The sound is made by the male bird beating its wings in the air. The young birds run about like small chickens. They feed on insects, berries and seeds.

Quail.

Who has not heard the quail call across the fields "bobwhite, poor bobwhite"? They like the fields of corn in the fall; in the winter they journey to the deep woods; like the grouse, they rely upon their coloration for protection and will only take flight as a last resort.

The Plovers.

In habit they are like the snipes; but their tails are shorter and thicker. The Golden Plover may be found in marshes and sand-flats; they can run very rapidly; they may be seen as the tide goes out feeding on sand-flats or sand-bars. After running a few yards they stop suddenly and seem to take their bearings. It is well known by its plaintive cry and the stratagems it employs to decoy intruders away from its nest, or rather eggs.

The Killdeer is so called on account of the cry which it utters; it resembles "kill-dee, kill-dee." It is found usually in flocks and nests on the ground in a hollow.

The Cranes

frequent marshes and are fond of frogs, field mice, snakes, etc. They have a loud cry. When in flight the neck is not bent like the Heron's. They nest on the ground.

The Herons and Bitterns.

HERON.

The Herons nest in flocks; the bitterns are not as sociable. The latter inhabit grassy marshes, while Herons like the shores of lakes and rivers. The Herons fly with their neck bent in between their shoulders. The American Bittern lives in large grassy meadows; it makes a peculiar booming sound which can be heard for a long distance. The Great White Heron is found along the Gulf of Mexico and in Florida. The Great Blue Heron is found further north; its nest is usually in tall trees and is made up of sticks and twigs. The Egrets belong to this family.

The Spoonbills.

The Roseate Spoonbill is found only in the very Southern parts of the United States and in small quantities; their bill is large and flat, shaped at the end like a large spoon.

THE SPOONBILLS.

The Ibises.

The Ibises find their food on mud-flats along the shores of lakes and rivers. It consists of frogs, small fish, etc.

The Snipes and Sandpipers.

The birds are also found near the water; they have long bills which they force into the mud in search of their food.

The Wilson Snipe nests in meadows and swamps. It builds its nest on the ground and is a game bird popular with the sportsman. The Snipe in its habits much resembles the Woodcock; its flight is very singular, rendering it a difficult mark.

The American Woodcock.

The presence of Woodcock can always be determined by the holes which they make in the earth in search of worms; these are known as woodcock borings. When the bird is found near its nest or young birds it will feign an injury and will endeavor in this way to lead you away from them. The Woodcock frequents dense thickets during the day and at night it leaves for swamps and meadows in search of worms and insects.

Avocets and Stilts.

Called "The Wading Snipe"; they wade in shallow water and can swim when necessary. The bill of this bird is curved like that of the Curlew, but the curve is upward instead of downward.

The Rails, Gallinules and Coots.

The Rails live in marshes. The Gallinules live on marshy banks of rivers, lakes, etc. The Coots are still more aquatic, and are very noisy; all of this family lay their eggs on the ground.

FLAMINGOES.

The Flamingoes.

The Flamingoes formerly visited Southern Florida every winter. Now their appearance is rare. The singularly shaped beak of this splendid bird is peculiarly adapted to its long and flexible neck. When the bird wishes to feed it merely stoops its head into the water; the upper mandible is then lowest and is well fitted to receive the nutritive substances which are entangled in a filter placed on the edges of the beak.

The color of its plumage is a deep brilliant scarlet, except the quill feathers, which are black. When a number of these birds stand ranged in a line, according to their custom, they present the appearance of a small and well-drilled body of soldiers.

The Swans.

Wild Swans are now rare birds in the United States. They feed as they swim by putting their long necks and heads under the water. They swim with great rapidity.

SWAN.

Geese.

Watch the skies in the spring and when you see a V-shaped flock of birds flying northward, the wild geese are flying. It is said that the apex of the V is always an old gander. They feed on vegetable matter, both in the water and on shore.

The White-fronted Goose is common in the Mississippi Valley and on the Pacific Coast.

The Canada Goose travels many thousand miles each year in its migrations.

Geese nest on the ground, the nest being made of grasses and twigs and thickly lined with down.

Ducks.

The Mallard is the origin of our domestic bird, and is widely spread over the northern parts of Europe, Asia and America. In the winter it migrates in countless flocks to the warmer States.

WILD DUCK.

The Black Duck is sometimes called the Black Mallard. The Red-head Duck along the Atlantic Coast feeds in salt water. The Canvasback is in great demand on account of the superior quality of its flesh as food. Both the Red-head and Canvasback are fond of feeding on wild celery, and it is said that it is this that gives their flesh the fine flavor.

The Pelicans.

These birds nest in colonies. Their flight is strong. The White Pelican and the Brown Pelican are found in Florida. It is a very conspicuous bird, its singular membranous pouch offering a distinction perfectly unmistakable. The pouch, when distended, holds two gallons of water, but the bird has the power of contracting it so that it can scarcely be discerned.

PELICAN.

The pouch serves as a net in which to scoop up the fish on which the Pelican feeds.

Another most important use of the pouch is to convey food to the young. The parent Pelican presses the pouch against its breast, in order to enable the young to obtain the fish, which action in all probability gave rise to the fable of the Pelican feeding its own blood. Although web-footed, it can perch on trees, although it prefers sitting on rocks.

The Cormorants.

Cormorants like the sea, but sometimes may be seen inland. They, too, are colony birds. Their nests are made of sticks and seaweed.

CORMORANT.

The Cormorant is exceedingly voracious, and devours an almost incredible amount of fish. It is an excellent diver, and chases the fish actually under the water, seldom if ever returning without having secured its prey. Like the otter, when engaged in chase, it occasionally rises to take breath, and then resumes the pursuit with renewed vigor. It has the power of perching on trees, an accomplishment which we should hardly suspect a web-footed bird of possessing.

The Cormorant is easily tamed, and its fishing propensities can be turned to good account. The Chinese, at the present day, employ a kind of Cormorant for that purpose, having previously placed a ring round the bird's neck to prevent it from swallowing the fish. Its length is about three feet.

The Petrels.

The Stormy Petrel is, under the name of Mother Carey's Chicken, the terror of the sailor, who always considers the bird as the precursor of a storm. It is the smallest of the web-footed birds. Few storms are violent enough to keep this curious little bird from wandering over the waves in search of the food that the disturbed water casts to the surface.

The Albatrosses.

The Albatrosses are relatives of the Petrels, but much larger birds.

The Wandering Albatross, the largest of the genus, is a well-known bird in the southern seas, following ships for many miles. The flight of this bird is peculiarly majestic. Its extreme length of wing prevents it from rising at once from the ground, but when once launched into the air it seems to float and direct its course without effort.

ALBATROSS.

The Terns.

The Terns, or Sea Swallows, are possessed of great power and endurance of flight, their long forked tails and pointed wings indicating strength and swiftness.

It preys on fish, which it snatches from the surface with unerring aim as it skims over the waves with astonishing velocity.

They inhabit the seashore and, unlike gulls, make distant journeys from the coast.

The Gulls.

The Gulls are larger birds than the Terns. As the vultures are the scavengers of the land, these birds are the scavengers of the sea. They are frequently seen at great distance from land, resting on the water. Their nests are found in colonies.

GULL.

Puffins.

The Puffin is an excellent diver, plunging fearlessly from a lofty cliff into the sea, and speedily returning with its beak full of fish, which are secured by their heads, and lie in a row along the bill of the Puffin, forming a kind of piscatorial fringe. Its enormous and sharp-edged bill renders it a formidable antagonist to intruders. It is often called the "Sea Parrot."

Loons.

Inhabit fresh water lakes during the summer and the sea during the winter. They can swim considerable distances under water. Their nest is near the shore.

Grebes.

The foot of the Grebes is not webbed like that of most water birds, but each toe is separated and flattened, so as to serve as a separate paddle.

Common Red Birds.

Scarlet Tanager.

Cardinal.

Rose-breasted Grossbeak.

Redstart.

Common Blue Birds.

Blue Jay.

Bluebird.

Common Yellow and Orange Birds.

Yellow Warbler.

Flicker.

Baltimore Oriole.

Common Black Birds.

Crow.

Purple Grackle.

Red-winged Blackbird.

Cowbird.

Common Black and White Birds.

Black and White Warbler.

Bobolink.

Downy Woodpecker.

Common Brown Birds.

Thrushes.

Sparrows.

---