CORNELL LAB of ORNITHOLOGY LIBRARY
AT SAPSUCKER WOODS
Illustration of Snowy Owl by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
NN 3.1924 090 304 829
Cornell University
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.
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BIRD BANDING
Table of Contents
Bird Banding, the Telltale of Migratory Flight, by E. WT. Nelson
President Coolidge Bestows Lindbergh Award
Encouraging Birds Around the Home, by Frederick H. Kennard
Hunting with the Lens, by Howard H. Cleaves
Hunting Birds with a Camera, by William L. Finley
Hunting with a Microphone the Voices of Vanishing Birds, by Arthur A, Allen
Birds May Bring You More Happiness Than the Wealth of the Indies, by Frank il. Chapman
Parrots, Kingfishers, and Flycatchers, by Alexander Wetmore
Potent Personalities -- Wasps and Hornets, by Austin H. Clark
Man's Winged Ally, the Busy Honeybee, by James I. Hambleton
Marvels of Matamorphosis, by George Elwood Jenks
Canaries and Other Cage-Bird Friends, by Alexander Wetmore
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
A Modern Method of Learning the Flight-Ways and Habits of Birds
By E. W. Netson
Formerly Chief, Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture
Avuruor oF “THe Larcer Norru AMERICAN MAMMALS,”
“A Lanp oF DroucutT
AND Deserr—Lower CALIFORNIA,
“THE MamMarts of NortH America,”
"ETC, IN THE
SMALLER
Nationa GrocrapHic MAGAZINE
AN’S interest in birds began in those far-distant primitive days when an intimate knowledge of
all the wild life about him was often his only safeguard against starvation.
Long before the dawn of history the mystery in the great northerly and south- erly movements each spring and autumn of vast numbers of birds of many kinds keenly interested him and stimulated his imagination. Fantastic theories were built up to account for them and entered into myths and folklore, where some still sur- vive, even in civilized countries.
For a long period the flights of birds were considered serious portents in the affairs of men and even of nations, and priests and soothsayers used them to awe the multitude and to read the future. Literature abounds in references to bird migrations, and the poets of the sagas as well as those of more recent times have felt the mystery of these movements and have repeatedly woven them into their writings.
It has long been known that some of the smaller birds that breed in the north appear in middle latitudes on their re- turn in July. The number of these little voyagers increases in August and the movement is in full tide in September. The hosts of wild fowl linger mainly until October and November, when the frosts of approaching winter in the north send them southward.
The multitude of Warblers that went northward in spring so gaily bedecked in all the bravery of their nuptial colors come trooping back with their young, all clad in sober hues more fitting their pres- ent prosaic task of making a living off the
QI
country, and laying in a goodly supply of fat to help meet any privations winter may hold in store in the warm southern lands they seek.
ESKIMOS WELCOME THE COMING OF
THE BIRDS
In far northern lands, where untold millions of Ducks and Geese and other wild fowl go to rear their young, the ad- vent, during the last of April or early in May, of the first of these birds is the cause of exultant joy to the people. Con- tentment fills their hearts, for the coming of the birds marks the end of the long, cold period of scarcity and the beginning of that part of the year in which food is again plentiful.
In the old days fur traders in Canada and Alaska rewarded with tobacco the Indian or Eskimo who saw the first Goose winging its way overhead in spring. White men joined with the natives in the jubilant welcome to the newcomer. In four consecutive seasons the writer wit- nessed such arrivals among the Eskimos on the icebound shore of Bering Sea.
The first comer was always a single Goose. He circled high overhead, sur- veying the snow-mantled region where he and his kind would later rear their young. Each time this “scout” appeared to be as excited at seeing his breeding ground as the people were to see him, and the bird would fill the air with a continuous series of loud, clanging notes, sometimes heard long before he could be seen.
After viewing the snowy landscape the scout always turned back and disappeared toward the Yukon without alighting and
92 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photograph by Thomas Bleyler
SOME OF MAN’S MOST USEFUL FEATHERED FRIENDS
Gulls perform very real services as scavengers, keeping many a beach clear of dead fish and other refuse. They wander far up our rivers and even breed in large numbers on the lakes
of the interior.
his kind appeared no more until spots of bare ground became visible.
MILLIONS MIGRATE AS SEASONS CHANGE
The bird life of the United States is believed to total more than four billion in- dividuals. This means that many hundred millions of migrants move north and south with the changing seasons. Though many go by day and may be seen by all who take the trouble to observe, vast numbers also pass by night.
During the height of the spring migra- tion, those whose ears are attuned to Nature’s voices may hear mysterious notes overhead, many of which may be recognized. They mark the course of winged travelers exulting in springtime vigor and approaching nuptials in the haunts which they seek toward the top of the world. ‘Telescopes held on the moon at that time often reveal their silhouettes as they cross its face.
In autumn the throng moves southward over a longer period, and the travelers wear the soberer garb of everyday life.
Though it has been plain that migrat- ing species, in general, move north and
south—the movements of some covering nearly or quite the entire length of the continent—yet only vague information on the subject has been available, since it was impossible to determine the movements of individuals. Through bird banding a method is now developed that will not only tell us where individual birds wan- der, but will enable us to trace their routes and determine the exact areas where they go in the north to rear their young or in the south to winter.
We may also learn something concern- ing the strange, sporadic occurrence of birds in parts of the world far distant from their homes.
Such wandering individuals are prob- ably much more numerous than we sus- pect. This is indicated by the repeated occurrences of Robins, Bobolinks, and other American birds in England, and even on Helgoland, that insignificant islet in the North Sea where so many visitors from distant regions have been found. St. Paul Island, the largest of the small Pribi- lof Islands, in Bering Sea, appears to be another landing place for lost birds, judg- ing from the number of stragglers from
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 93
© E. H. Matern LIKE ALL GOOD SAILORS, THIS GULL HAS A CHOICE VOCABULARY
When there is no garbage about to be picked up, the Herring Gulls feed largely on small shellfish, sometimes breaking open the shells by carrying them well up into the air and then
dropping them on the rocks. the desired result is obtained.
eastern Asia and the Alaskan mainland that have been found there.
SYSTEMATIC BIRD BANDING IS A MODERN DEVELOPMENT
Systematic marking of birds, each prop- erly recorded for the purpose of studying movements and habits, has developed in Europe and the United States within the past 30 years. The greatest advance has been since 1920 and it is now becoming a well-recognized line of research.
This operation has frequently to be repeated several times before
Investigators familiar with the bird life of their districts capture the birds, alive and unharmed, with many ingenious traps, and place a numbered aluminum band or ring on the leg of each. Each band bears a central address, so that whenever the bird is retaken, alive or dead, the finder may forward either the band or the num- ber on it.
The use of birds as messengers by man began in the dim past. Perhaps the earli- est record is that of Noah, who is said to
94 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
A PAIR OF “HONKERS” TAKE THE AIR
After being banded, these two Geese took up their interrupted migra- tion none the worse for the markers they wore away with them.
have sent out the Raven and the Dove to prospect for land.
The first record of birds being marked to distinguish them after flight appears to be in the tenth book of Pliny’s Natural History, which states that a Roman sportsman took Swallows from Volaterr (Volterra), in Tuscany, to Rome. Dur- ing the chariot races the birds were marked with colors of the winners and then liberated to carry the news back home.
For a time prior to the development of systematic banding, students desirous of lifting the veil of mystery surrounding bird movements cut the feathers so they could readily be identified. Sometimes
they marked the birds with bright colors, or attached a small piece of parchment with a legend to a feather or to a leg. These crude and scattered efforts gave little information.
The first record of a bird banded appears to have been made in 1710. A Great Gray Heron, bearing several rings on one leg, was taken in Germany. One of the rings ap- parently had been placed on it in Turkey.
In 1899 Professor C. C. Mortensen, a school-teacher of Vi- borg, Denmark, began systematically to band and _ record Storks, Starlings, and other birds along the gen- eral lines which are still in use. Thus he became the pioneer in practical, — scientific methods of bird band- ing, and his success led to the work being taken up in various places, especially in Great Britain, Sweden, elsewhere in Europe, and also in the United States.
The two records of birds banded in Europe being taken on this side of the Atlantic appear to be both of Kittiwake Gulls. The first was a young bird banded June 28, 1923, on the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland. On Au- gust 12, 1924, it was killed in the District of St. Barbe, Newfoundland. The second was also banded on the Farne Islands, June 30, 1924, and was taken at Gross Water Bay, Labrador, in October, 1925.
AUDUBON WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN BIRD BANDER
No bird banded on this side has yet been taken in Europe, although many stray American birds have been recorded
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 95
there. One banded American bird, how- ever, has been recov- ered in Africa (see text, page 119).
In the United States Audubon made the first record of bird marking, about 1803, while he was living on Perkiomen Creek, near Philadelphia. He placed silver cords about the legs of a brood of Phcebes, two of which returned to
the same neighbor- hood the following year.
The pioneers in sys- tematic bird banding in this country were, first, Dr. Leon J. Cole, and later Mr. Howard H. Cleaves. Their en- thusiasm enabled them to keep bird banding in continuous opera- tion from the begin- ning of the century to the time when the work was taken over by the Biological Sur- vey in 1920.
No account of bird banding in the United States is complete without mention of Mr. S. Prentiss Bald- win. His able pioneer work from 1914 to 1919 in developing traps and methods for their use in the capture of small birds to be banded, and his continued investigations, merit full appreciation. His work has been done on Inwood Es- tate, near Thomasville, Georgia, and at Hillcrest, his summer home, near Cleve- land, Ohio.
To his successful methods of operation and delightful presentation of the results to the public, combined with the entry of the Biological Survey into the work, with Mr. F. C. Lincoln in charge of this activ- ity, may be credited much of the rapid development of this form of scientific re- search in America.
gical Survey
HE HAS BANDED MORE THAN 4,000 MALLARDS Mr. F. C. Lincoln is in charge of the bird-banding work of the United
States Biological Survey.
Extraordinary work has also been done by Mr. Jack Miner at Kingsville, Ontario, where for years he has carried on the banding of Ducks and Geese attracted to his refuge. He states that 40 per cent of the birds he tags in the autumn return the following spring. Geese bearing his bands have been taken in 23 States. His sanctuary is an unparalleled object lesson of the confidence which may be established between man and wild things when the approach is undertaken in the right spirit (see pages 96-97).
One demonstration of the keen interest in bird banding has been the formation of four regional bird-banding associations, among which has been divided all of the
96 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photograph by R. D. Sloane CANADA GEESE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FRIEND’S HOSPITALITY
By using corn instead of shot, Mr. Jack Miner has attracted many wild birds to his sanc- tuary. Once a professional hunter, he is now a conservationist. Each of his bands contains a verse of Scripture and he calls the birds on which he places them his missionaries.
Photograph from W. Oliver Wise BANDING FEATHERED ROYALTY It is not until their third year that the Bald Eagles acquire the characteristic white head
feathers that give them their name. They are nearly black the first year and quite gray the second. Even a young one is strong enough to require the services of three men to band it.
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 97
Photograph by R. D. Sloane FEATHERED CITIZENS OF THE AIR FIND SANCTUARY HERE
This bird refuge of Kingsville, Ontario, has become a favorite resort for Wild Geese and other migrating flocks (see text, page 95). They know where they are safe and fly up well out of reach of gunshot before venturing off the protected property of the sanctuary.
PLACING A BAND ON A STARLING
Hardy and pugnacious, the Starling is well fitted to care for itself in the struggle for existence. Although its ancestors came from Europe less than half a century ago, it has spread rapidly through the north and middle Atlantic sections and threatens to become a real pest.
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
THE FRIENDSHIP OF WILD GEESE BEING SUCCESSFULLY CULTIVATED
territory in North America north of Mexico. They have secretaries to keep in touch with the members and to promote their activities.
In addition, these organizations hold annual meetings and publish bulletins and other matter concerning the work. A mass of new information about our bird life is being built up, and the solution of many long-standing mysteries in their movements and habits appears to be near.
BIRD BANDING WILL APPEAL TO ALL BIRD LOVERS
As bird lovers, a host of members of the National Geographic Society will be interested in this new form of bird study. It has already yielded rich results and promises much for years to come. More people in the United States than in any other part of the world have a real in- terest in bird life, the numbers running into millions.
In the eastern United States number- less people are familiar with the swarms of graceful and beautifully colored War- blers and other small birds that move northward through our forests in the spring. Earlier in the season, over the en-
tire breadth of the continent, lovers of wild things have their pulses quickened by the thrilling sight of flocks of Cranes, Geese, and Ducks sweeping high across the sky, toward the waters in many a re- mote northern solitude.
By the human eye alone, it has been impossible to determine that the birds oc- curring in a locality at different periods are the same individuals that have resided there through the season. Neither has it been possible to distinguish the males from the females in Song Sparrows, House Wrens, and various other species in which the sexes are alike in color. Through banding, these questions can be answered, and also the relations of the individuals of the species to their environ- ment.
Do the representatives of a species that breed in a certain locality remain through- out the year, or is there a shifting of the bird population? At one place in Penn- sylvania, Song Sparrows resident there during the winter left in March or April and were replaced by the summer resi- dents, which in turn disappeared on the approach of autumn. No banded Song Sparrow captured there in midsummer
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
iit
Dintoeon from U. S, Biological Survey
THESE CAPTURED MALLARDS WILL RECEIVE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY BANDS
in midwinter, and no. mid- has ever been taken in
was taken winter bird summer.
There is good reason to believe that this shifting of individuals from one part of their range to take the place of birds that have moved farther south in autumn is a characteristic habit of many species. Within a few years the facts will be known in regard to this, both as to game and nongame birds, and this information will be of practical service in helping to solve problems of conservation.
TRAPPING IS ESSENTIAL TO BANDING
At the beginning, most of the birds banded in America were nestlings or par- ents taken at the nests. The first trap used was the Government Sparrow trap, devised by the Biological Survey to cap- ture English Sparrows. With the growth of bird banding a great variety of small traps, mainly of wire mesh, has been de- veloped through the ingenuity and experi- ments of those interested in the work.
Some of these traps are automatic; others are operated with drawstrings by a watcher concealed a short distance away.
One successful form of wire trap is at-
tached to a tree trunk. The upper and lower ends form hinged doors, which close when a long cord leading to a near- by place of concealment is pulled. These traps, baited with suet, are successful in capturing Nuthatches, Flickers, and nu- merous kinds of Woodpeckers.
In addition to the various traps needed for capturing birds of different habits, the matter of bait is important. The food requirements of birds vary greatly, and to take them successfully one must cater to the individual preferences of the different species, and sometimes to individuals of a species.
BIRD BANDING AIDS CONSERVATION
Experience in administering the Fed- eral Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the protection of migratory birds has forcibly impressed the writer with the urgent need of more definite information concerning movements of such wild fowl. Especially important are data about breeding places of Ducks, Geese, and other game birds which visit our water areas each autumn and winter. Adverse conditions affecting them on their. breeding grounds might seriously endanger the existence of these
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BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
species. This is becoming more and more important in view of man’s encroachment on the few remaining wild places of America, extending to include the ex- ploitation of Arctic lands.
In order that direct efforts might be made to supply information about our migratory bird life, the Biological Survey took over the activities of the American 3ird Banding Association and became a clearing house for information concerning this work.
As the majority of birds banded are migratory species protected by Federal law, it also is legally necessary that each cooperator obtain from the Department of Agriculture a permit to capture the birds. At present nearly 1,200 banding stations are in operation in all parts of the country.
The Biological Survey supplies the op- erator with instructions and several sizes of serially numbered aluminum bands. The operator sends the data regarding each individual bird banded to the Bureau, which has established an indexed card file of such records.
Widespread interest is expressed in re- ports of the capture of banded birds, of which 13,794, representing about 200 species, have been retaken, either alive or dead. When an American banded bird is taken, its band number and the date and locality in which it was found are com- municated to the Biological Survey. The Bureau informs the finder of the origin of the bird, and also notifies the bander of the circumstances of its capture. The notice of capture may come from a neigh- bor or it may come from an American consul in some remote corner of Spanish America.
TRAPPING AND BANDING FASCINATE INVESTIGATORS
Even on a town lot, trapping and band- ing such wild, elusive creatures as birds have the elements of romance and adven- ture. These are increased in relation to the remoteness and wilder aspects of the surroundings where the work is done.
The recapture, after a long absence, of birds where they were banded is a joyful event. Since last seen the little wanderer may have visited the desolate shore of the Arctic Ocean or may have sojourned in
103
the luxuriant tropical forests under the Iquator.
Bird banding opens the door to an inti- mate knowledge of wild birds in a manner and on a scale hitherto impossible. It fascinates all who engage in it. Not only may definite answers be found to prob- lems formerly unanswerable, but the in- vestigator has the added joy of pitting his wits against those of wild things in their capture. This gives an outlet to that spirit of the chase which has come down to most of us from our primitive ances- tors, and is one of its delightful but harm- less manifestations, to be classed with the sport of wild-life photography.
BANDING DOKFS NOT INJURE BIRDS
Endless opportunity is open for the im- provement of traps and methods of op- eration, and one of the strongest appeals of all in the work is the opportunity it affords to hold in hand and become inti- mately acquainted with our charming woodland friends.
Experience has proved that the trap- ping, handling, and banding of birds neither harms nor seriously alarms them. In fact, a bird-trapping and banding sta- tion may be beneficial to birds, and serve as the direct cause of a local increase in their numbers. The supply of food con- tinually renewed at the traps and the con- stant guard that is kept against the incur- sions of cats and other enemies render the vicinity of such stations an effective sanc- tuary.
Every bird bander becomes a zealous defender of his wards, and enemies soon learn that absence from his premises is the better part of valor, since trespassers often suffer death.
There is real danger to trapped birds if they are not well protected against prowling cats and dogs by a suitable guard fence or vigilant watch. Automatic traps are indiscriminate in their captures and at times take in undesirable visitors, such as red and gray squirrels, ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats, mice, house cats, small skunks, and snakes. A five-foot rattlesnake was found in a Quail trap in Georgia.
Trapping and handling creatures as delicate as birds for a time raised antag- onism in the minds of many bird lovers, but the experience of one woman who is
104 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photograph by P. Kuntz A MEDLEY OF BIRD POSES
The friendly confidence of birds about a banding station is well indi- cated by the Pine Grosbeak and Goldfinch feeding together on an operator’s hand. A Chimney Swift, like the one lying hypnotized in the center picture. returned to the station where it was first banded and was recaptured there for eight years. The bird in the lower illustra- tion is a Ruby-throated Humming Bird that has been banded, and is lying quietly in the open palm before taking flight.
an ardent protectionist is typical. At first she opposed banding as likely to be dangerous to the birds. As her in- terest increased, how- ever, she began trap- ping and banding, with the result that she is now convinced of the harmlessness of the operation.
During his bir d- banding operations Mr. Baldwin (see text, page 95) has handled trap- ped birds more than 40,000 times, and has had only four or five accidents.
The constant recap- ture of the same birds indicates that they do not consider the traps dangerous. In fact, the persistence with which certain individ- uals reénter traps in search of food might raise doubts in the minds of the moralists as to the dangers of pauperizing our feath- ered friends by the varied and appetizing banquets always to be had within the traps. Certainly life is made easy for a varied host of birds at nearly 1,200 places of entertain- ment in this country.
BUTCHER BIRDS MO- LEST TRAPS
With the possible ex- ception of the house cat, the Shrike, or Butcher Bird, is per- haps the most danger- ous enemy of birds in and about traps at handing stations. The Common Shrike in the United States is a beautiful bird, with
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
gray back, white underparts, and black wings, which, when spread, show a large white patch in the middle (see page 109).
These markings, together with size, give the Shrike so much general resem- blance to Mocking Birds that it is some- times mistaken for this songster. ‘There the resemblance ends, however, for the broad, black band on each side of the head, the hooked, raptorial beak, strong claws, and fierce courage characterize this little buccaneer.
It is unquestionably a far greater de- stroyer of small birds than is commonly appreciated. When in the neighborhood of a banding station it quickly notices the concentration of birds there and promptly proceeds to take advantage of its oppor- tunity.
Sometimes a Shrike even enters the trap to get at the captives. More com- monly it alights on or hovers about the wire meshes of the cage, until the birds within develop an uncontrollable panic and thrust their heads against the meshes to try to escape. "Then it seizes a head in its claws and promptly pulls it off or lets the bird fall back dead. Needless to say, when found about a banding station Shrikes usually have short shrift.
NUMEROUS SPECIES ENTER THE TRAPS
By establishing a series of automatic traps at the same station, which may be visited at frequent intervals, the number of birds captured in a day may vary from a few individuals to more than 200. Such captures may include a considerable va- riety of species. At the station near Thomasville, Georgia (see, also, text, page 95), 37 were taken one year between January and April, including such diverse kinds as the Sparrow Hawk, Mourning Dove, several kinds of Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, several kinds of Sparrows, Cedar Birds, several different Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Mocking Bird, and others.
Occasionally recaptures of banded birds occur under circumstances which add the zest of amusing unexpectedness to ordi- nary routine. A banded bird is recap- tured, its number recorded, and upon re- lease it almost immediately reénters the trap! Or the observer may find it a short time later awaiting him in a neighboring trap.
Say
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin A GROUP OF CAPTIVE CIIIPPING SPARROWS
These little birds are well loved in eastern North America. They exhibit a strong confi- dence in the friendliness of man and seem to prefer to be around or near his habitations.
As a result of the abundance of food and protection from harm, many small birds get the trap habit. Brown Thrashers usually dash about trying to escape, but one of these birds which was captured at intervals during five different years at the Thomasville station became so trapwise that eventually he came to consider one trap as his headquarters Sometimes he took his noon siesta in it, with his head turned back on his shoulders, and had learned to find his way out of the Sparrow traps when he had satisfied his hunger.
On one occasion this bird was taken two miles away to be photographed, and then liberated. Eight days later he was back at the trap. His sense of ownership was so great that he persistently drove other birds away, and finally had to be removed so the trap might function. He was car- ried off and liberated so far away that he did not return.
TRAPS USED AS SUMMER RESORTS
One Chipping Sparrow at Thomasville was caught in the same trap 54 times dur- ing one season. A Fox Sparrow has a record of being caught 165 times during one winter. At Crystal Bay, Minnesota, a Song Sparrow entered and was taken from the trap 55 times between April 14 and 30; in May it was caught 106 times;
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin
HOUSE WRENS ARE WELCOME NEIGHBORS
Cheery and friendly, these sprightly little songsters will nest near a human habitation
whenever given any encouragement.
A wooden box or an old tin can with a hole small enough
to exclude English Sparrows will serve as a home for Mr. and Mrs. Wren.
during the first four days of July, 14 times. After an absence it returned July 8 and in the following ten days it was caught 47 times. On July 17 it was car- ried half a mile away and in 20 minutes was back in the trap from which it had been taken. The following day it repeated this performance six times and twice on the 19th, after being carried off and re- leased at a distance of two miles.
At Thomasville a pair of Myrtle War- blers developed the trap habit and were retaken 30 times during each of two sea- sons, both birds usually being in the trap together.
Sparrows and most other seed eaters are ground feeders. Traps placed in spots they frequent are usually successful, but even Sparrows may discriminate and not enter a trap placed in a seemingly proper spot, although they will enter it readily when it has been moved to a loca- tion only a short distance away. At other times one of a pair will freely enter the trap, while its mate persistently avoids it.
The capture of various Woodpeckers and other tree-climbing birds presents a different problem, and traps for them
must be attached to the tree trunk and baited with a different kind of food. Varying food preferences of birds call for all the knowledge of the operator on the subject. In one instance much effort was spent in unsuccessful attempts to capture Cedar Birds until pieces of apple were tried for bait and the problem was solved.
RESULTS SURPRISE BIRD BANDERS
The variety of species that may be trapped explains much of the interest in bird banding. An operator at Sault Ste. Marie in 1925 trapped and banded more than 2,000 birds, representing 32 species, 13 of which were Warblers. All were captured within 50 feet of his dining- room window.
At a station in Pasadena, California, 1,984 birds of 38 different kinds were trapped. Surprising numbers of species of Warblers, with most diverse habits, have been captured and banded, includ- ing the lovely Prothonotary, the Black- throated Blue, the Nashville, and the ex- quisite Blackburnian. Several species of Vireos have also yielded to the call of the
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin
BORN INTO “BANDAGE”
These baby House Wrens were banded before they were ten days old. There appear to be
no set rules governing family relations among Wrens.
Sometimes the male remains and assists
his mate in feeding and caring for the young; at other times he promptly deserts his family.
bait in traps and have departed carrying their identification bands.
THE HOUSE WREN IS INCONSTANT
It has been the common belief of nu- merous bird lovers that many, if not most, birds mate for life. When an observer notes the arrival of a nest-hunting pair about a box or other breeding place that was occupied by birds of the same species during the previous season, he usually as- sumes that these are the identical birds of the previous year, and thus the marital fidelity of our feathered friends comes in for commendation.
So far as the House Wren is concerned, Mr. Baldwin’s observations of banded birds wreck this beautiful myth. He proves that not only do these birds com- monly change their mates at different sea- sons, but that the female Wren may di- vorce the mate with whom she raised one brood in spring and rear another brood the same season with a different mate. The male in such case promptly consoles himself with another charmer and rears his second brood, frequently in a closely neighboring nesting place. At other times
the male is the unfaithful one and departs with a new mate.
These observations are based on the re- peated recapture of banded birds on their nests, with records of their numbers made each time. In one case a mated male ap- parently became interested in another fe- male, but before the affair reached the serious work of actually rearing a second brood, he returned and resumed his duties with the mate with whom he had reared the first brood that season.
Owing to rematings among Wren fam- ilies, it is a complicated process to keep track of their relationships. An accurate record of three generations of House Wrens in one limited locality needs the services of a skilled genealogist.
WRENS DO NOT OPPOSE DIVORCE
No evidence of polygamy has been found among House Wrens, but they ap- pear to have a modern conception of di- vorce. Sometimes they remate a second season, but not often. More frequently they remain mated for a second brood the same season. Apparently still more fre- quently a new mating takes place after the first brood is reared.
108 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
r Pee Photograph from Francis H. Herrick “JOVE’S BIRD” NESTLES NEAR THI SUN Perched high in the top of an old tree or on a ledge of some precipitous crag, the Bald Eagle builds his eyrie. It is his castle, to which he adds year after year, and where successive generations of Eaglets are reared.
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 109
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin THIS MASKED MARAUDER IS A FIERCE DESTROYER OF SMALL, BIRDS
The Shrikes are, perhaps, better known as “Butcher Birds,” and they well deserve the name. Voracious feeders, they live on small birds, mice, small snakes, lizards, and insects. They fre- quently kill more than they can eat and hang the surplus on a convenient thorn bush.
TWO WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS AWAIT THEIR BANDS
Although among the sweetest and most plaintive of singers, the “White-throat” is not too well known, for his favorite summer haunts are in northern forests. His voice is not his only claim to distinction, however, since he is also one of the handsomest of the Sparrows.
110 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photographs by S. Prentiss Baldwin
ILYPNOTIZED, OR JUST “PILLAYIN’ POSSUM’?
When held in the hand for a short time and then turned over on their backs, birds appear to be affected hypnotically. Practically all species react similarly, but some are slower than others in becoming quiescent. They remain quite rigid for from a few seconds to several minutes and then dart away. From top to bottom, the birds shown here are a Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Cardinal, and Brown Thrasher (see text, page 116).
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
The detailed ac- counts of the family affairs of the House Wrens at Hillcrest, Ohio, give a good idea of the information that can be gathered through bird banding. Similar methods can be used with other species, although not usually to so great ad- vantage, owing to the number of pairs of Wrens that nest in this limited area.
At Hillcrest, the male Wrens usually arrive in advance of the females in spring and each locates what he considers a satis- factory nesting box, in which he places the foundation for a nest. He then guards the premises, singing at intervals while await- ing the arrival of the females. They appear soon after, and seem to give more weight to choice of location and character of the nest- ing boxes than to choice of husband. This was shown con- clusively in one series of observations.
For two or three weeks a male occupied a nesting box, No. 53, on the outside wall of the library at Hill- crest. One morning he sang with unusual vigor and showed great excitement. A female was examining his nest box. At 7 a.m. the trapdoor of the box was closed and the band on the leg of the captured female was read.
Four hours later, when the observer was passing nest box No. 47, attached to the walls of the garage, its male proprietor showed similar excitement over a female that was going in and out of the box and otherwise indicating that she was inspect- ing the premises. She was trapped and
111
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin THIS CARDINAL IS HOLDING MORE THAN HIS OWN
Trapped Cardinals often squeal shrilly when they are approached and if taken in hand fight vindictively. the bird was so absorbed in punishing its captor that after being banded and freed it hung on to the finger it was biting for sometime without any effort to escape (see text, page 116).
In the instance photographed
her band proved her to be the same bird noted earlier in the morning at box 53.
At 4 p.m. the same day she was caught at nest box 49, halfway between the other boxes, where she was examining the prem- ises held by a third male. By the next morning she had settled down contentedly and begun her honeymoon with male number four at box 26, attached to the outer walls of the sugar house. This was the final choice and ‘there she raised her family.
There appears to be no set rule govern- ing family relations among Wrens. Some-
112 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
ie.
Photograph from U. S. Biological Survey A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY SHELTER FOR BANDING YOUNG HERRING GULLS
As a result of the bands placed on Gulls in northern Lake Michigan, their wanderings have been traced to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, down the Atlantic coast, the Mississippi Valley, and into central Mexico.
ERR
ee Ee ‘Photograph from §. Prentiss Baldwin A BIRD IN THE HAND
Experience in bird banding has developed a technique of handling that is easy for the bird. The method shown here was developed by an operator who has handled birds more than 40,000 times. The bird is a Towhee.
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 115
ee a iid) Ka i Photograph from S. Prentiss Baldwin AN AUTOMATIC TRAP THAT WORKS
Mr. S. Prentiss Baldwin (see text, page 95) is driving the birds into a small “gathering cage,” which enables the bander to take the birds in hand without the difficulty and danger to them that are attendant on their seizure in the traps.
Photograph from U. S. Biological Survey GIVING BOBWHITE A FREE BRACELET
This trap, which was designed especially for taking Bobwhites, has a layer of cloth placed several inches below the wire top in order to prevent the birds injuring themselves in their efforts to escape. Mr. Herbert L. Stoddard is shown banding one of his cheery little neighbors.
114 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
© W. J. Jaycock TREADING WATER, MALLARD FASHION Occasionally, after swimming about on the surface of the water for a considerable time,
these Ducks stand erect for a moment and fan their wings rapidly, apparently for the same reason that people yawn and stretch after sitting long in one position.
a SS Photograph from U. S. Biological Survey
MALLARDS AND PINTAILS IN A WIRE-MESH TRAP SET ON THE ICE
Pintails are trimmer than most other Ducks, with longer, slimmer necks and a more elegant and dignified carriage. They are extremely shy and quick to take alarm and, not possessing any great degree of curiosity, they are not easily fooled by decoys. This baited trap was about 100 feet long and in one day caught 414 Ducks.
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
115
Photograph by W. J. Jaycock
A HAPPY FAMILY OF MALLARDS
Probable ancestor of the common barnyard Duck and most numerous and popular of our American “quackers” is the Mallard. Feeding almost entirely on vegetable matter and with a special penchant for wild rice when available, it constitutes food par excellence.
times the same pair remain united and raise two or three broods in a season. Again, they remate indiscriminately. Or- dinarily, only two sets of eggs are laid and two broods raised, but if one set is de- stroyed a third may be laid. Sometimes the male remains and assists the female in feeding and caring for the young; at other times he promptly deserts the family.
One remarkable outcome of these stud- ies of Wrens during a period of years is that not in a single instance has any mating between parents and their banded young occurred. Father and son occa- sionally take the same wife at different times, but apparently there is no mixing of close blood relatives. This is an unex- pected situation, in view of the general mixing up of the individuals of the species in areas where they are as plentiful as at Hillcrest.
What becomes of the surplus young hatched in a locality is still an unsolved problem. Comparatively few of the young Wrens banded at Hillcrest are retaken in succeeding years, Observations of the
banded birds indicate that, as soon as they leave the nest, the mother leads them off to a considerable distance instead of keeping them about the vicinity where they were hatched.
This may be Nature’s method of insur- ing the dispersal of the increase and pre- venting undue accumulation of individuals in one locality. The abundance of birds in any area commonly depends upon the food supply, and if the young were all to return to the vicinity of their birthplace the evils of overpopulation would soon arise. The fact that most birds appear merely to hold their own year by year, while they rear each season broods totaling from 6 to 12 among the Wrens, gives an idea of the heavy mortality suffered by them.
BANDING ALARMS BIRDS VERY LITTLE
Among the interesting results of bird banding is the light that intensive work has thrown, not only on the mentality of dif- ferent species, but also on differences among individual members of the species.
116
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
160 150 140 130 120
Ho
are confined. They
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1000
"STATUTE MILES
*% Districts where Geese and other migratory waterfowl
were banded uv the summer of 1924.
Localities where banded Cackling Geese were killed the following hunting season. — Probable route of birds iw
their southward migration.
1
sop.
ajis Beach
fight viciously, pecking
\ and biting the fingers that hold them. One Cardinal was so en- grossed in the fray that,
\ when the hand _ was
opened to free him, he gave a last and especially vigorous bite to one of the fingers, then flew to a small tree a few yards away and broke into lusty song, evidently rejoicing at having defeated and escaped the enemy (see page II1).
Occasionally, however, one remains perfectly quiet and passive, and when released appears undisturbed by the ex- perience. At times even such seed eaters as Chip- ping and White-throated Sparrows are belligerent
180 LONGITUDE WEST 140 OF GREENWICH
130
and peck at the hand
PROBABLE SUMMER MIGRATION ROUTE OF ALASKA GEESE
The birds’ reaction to being caught and held in the hand and often having a band fastened to one leg shows that they are little alarmed. When released they fre- quently fly to the nearest branch, where they sometimes preen their disarranged plumage or break into song.
In one instance a Wren flew to a branch a few yards away, where it quickly spied, caught, and ate two small caterpillars. Chipping Sparrows are usually silent, but some utter a fine shrill squeal when taken in the hands, and others keep up a talka- tive series of chattering notes. A Towhee caught 30 times at Thomasville had the amazing habit of bursting into full song whenever taken in hand and continuing until released. One Myrtle Warbler that was trapped six times invariably squealed from the moment it was caught, although not one of the 200 others of its kind taken in the same way made the slightest outcry.
Cardinals usually squeal when the ob- server approaches the trap in which they
holding them.
The individual bird that shows unusual men- tal characteristics of any kind always gives the same reaction when caught at other times, even when a year has elapsed. Woodpeckers and Blue Jays fight vi- ciously, but, like other small birds when released, show little alarm and commonly alight near by, resuming their affairs as usual.
BANDED BIRDS “PLAY POSSUM”
One mental trait appears common to practically all species of birds being trapped. When held in the hand for a short time and then turned on their backs, they usually lie quietly with closed eyes, often for several minutes, on the open palm. Then like a flash they turn and fly off. The various species show a marked difference in the readiness with which they yield to this apparently hypnotic state, and a dissimilarity in this also appears between individuals of the same species.
Chipping Sparrows are probably the most willing to take this pose. Not only will a single bird lie in this manner, but
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
117
Photograph from U. S. Biological Survey
THE BIRD BANDER’S TOOL KIT
Equipment for banding birds includes one of two forms of pliers, a small awl to thrust into and open a band when needed, and a set of serially numbered bands to fit the legs of birds of
different sizes.
A strong wire, bent into the form of a long, slender safety pin, is very useful
for stringing the bands in their numbered sequence, so the next in the series is always available. These bands bear on the outside the words “Notify Biol. Surv.,” below which is the number. On the inside of the band are the abbreviations ‘“‘Wash., D. C.”
also two (see illustration, page 118). An instance is recorded in which four Chim- ney Swifts being banded were laid out side by side on their backs on a board until a gust of wind disturbed them and they were gone.
Wild Ducks remain quiescent in the same way. On one occasion a Duck was laid on its back, with its head hanging down the side of a box, while another was being banded. Afterward it was picked up and also banded.
In holding birds in my hand to induce this pose, I found that at first there was a tendency to struggle, especially at the time the bird was turned on its back. Its eves opened and closed rapidly, then more slowly until’they remained almost shut as the bird yielded. Suddenly they opened wide and immediately it darted away. Whether this is the regular course in such cases remains to be proved by further ob- servations.
It has been suggested that the reason for this pose is that the birds’ sense of bal- ance is upset in turning them over. This does not appear to be a satisfactory ex- planation. Not infrequently a bird, after being held firmly in a sitting position in the hand, remains immovable with its eyes partly closed for some time after the hand is opened and it rests on the flat palm.
HOW LONG DO BIRDS LIVE?
Bird banding is yielding some vital sta- tistics as to the life terms of the various species. The accumulation of this infor- mation will unquestionably clarify a num- ber of points of great interest, one of which concerns the enormous mortality among birds. The vast proportion of the local birds banded are never retaken. The reappearance of only a small percentage of such birds indicates that probably a large number of those missing fell victims to the innumerable dangers that beset them.
118
A YOUNG CHARMER
The two Chipping Sparrows have succumbed to the hypnotism of being placed on their backs, but will depart very suddenly when they They are among the When taken in the hands, most of
come out of their trance (see text, page 116). easiest species to be thus charmed. these birds remain silent; others squeal shrilly.
At Thomasville a Brown Thrasher was banded and recaptured for eight successive years. A Blue Jay was taken there six different years, and Wrens four years in succession. At Hillcrest a Chimney Swift has been caught in the same chimney for eight years. A Black-crowned Night Heron was taken six years after it was banded.
A Pintail Duck, helplessly sick from alkaline poisoning in the Bear River Marshes of Utah, was cured and banded by Dr. Alexander Wetmore during the autumn of 1914. Twelve years later it
Photograph by S. Prentiss Baldwin
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
was killed in south- eastern California, having escaped the perils confronting its kind for a longer pe- riod than is on record for any other banded bird.
BANDING THROWS
LIGIIT ON BIRDS AS TRAVELERS
The returns of bands from points where the birds wear- ing them have been captured or killed are illuminating as to the travels of individuals of the different spe- cies.
A Chimney Swift banded near Thomas- ville, Georgia, in Oc- tober, 1924, was taken at East Kingston, New Hampshire, June 15.
A Purple Finch banded at Pasadena, California, in March, was captured far to the north, at Porter, Washington, in June of the same year. Be- fore this it was be- lieved that the Purple Finches frequenting the lower elevations of southern California in winter were those liv- ing during the sum- mer in the higher ele- vations of the neighborhood mountains. The travels of this bird may be an indi- cation that all the southern Purple Finches move southward each winter and are re- placed by those from farther north.
A Robin banded in July at Crystal Bay, Minnesota, was taken more than a year later at Pachuca, on the southern border of the Mexican tableland. A Double- crested Cormorant banded in July on an island in Quebec was shot the following December ten miles from Lake Okeecho- bee, Florida, and proved to be the first record of this species in that State.
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
One return is of ex- traordinary interest. A Common Tern and 100 unfledged young of its kind were banded in 1913 on Muscongus Bay, Maine. Four years later a negro paddling a canoe on a branch of the Niger River, on the West Coast of Af- rica, found a strange white bird floating dead in the water, with a metal band on one of its legs. He took it to a mission- ary, and thus the band and the record came back to the Biological Survey.
Two Caspian Terns banded at a bird col- ony on Lake Michi- gan in 1923 were cap- tured a year later in Nova Scotia. No doubt they had gone to the South Atlantic or Gulf coast for the winter and then joined their fellows moving up the Atlantic coast to new haunts, instead of returning up the Mississippi Valley to their birthplace. Three others banded at the same colony were re- covered in Colombia, South America.
A Great Blue Heron banded at Waseca, Minnesota, was killed near Gatun Lake, in the Canal Zone. A Snowy Egret banded on the Bear River Marshes of Utah was taken more than six years later in cen- tral-western Mexico. A White Pelican banded in the Yellowstone National Park was killed in the State of Vera Cruz, Mexico.
The Biological Survey has banded mi- grating wild fowl on a considerable scale in the famous Bear River Marshes of Utah, during September and October
119
Photograph from W. I. Lyon
BEING BANDED DOESN'T SEEM TO ANNOY THIS YOUNG
HERRING GULL
All Gulls fight when picked up. Grown ones continue their resist- ance until released, but the young ones soon cease to struggle and take their temporary captivity philosophically. Mr. W. I. Lyon, the operator, is secretary of a large bird-banding organization.
from 1914 to 1916. Nearly 1,000 Ducks belonging to mine species were thus marked. Of these 174, or about 17 per cent of the number banded, were recov- ered at points as far east as Kansas, south into Mexico, west to California, and north into Canada.
Such dispersal proves that these marshes serve as congregating places for migratory wild fowl journeying down from far- northern breeding grounds, and that on the approach of winter they move on to warmer regions, including California. Ap-
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120
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
parently, they reverse the movements in the spring.
SOME BIRDS MIGRATE AT A TANGENT
The startling fact developed by the flight of the banded Ducks from the Bear River Marshes was that many of them go west- erly over the deserts of Nevada and across the Sierra Nevada to winter in California ; others move east or southeast across the Rocky Mountains.
The recovery of banded birds in Cali- fornia in the winter, following their band- ing on the Bear River Marshes, proved that a considerable percentage of the Green-winged Teal, Shovelers, and Pin- tails gathering in the Utah marshes in autumn cross to California to spend the winter. Such cross-country flights to the east and west were previously unsus- pected, and prove that the migrations of many waterfowl do not always follow the more or less definite northerly and south- erly routes.
The autumn flight of banded birds breeding in these marshes appears to be similar to that of the visiting migrants.
More than 19,000 Ducks have been banded at various points in the Missis- sipp1 Valley, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, and elsewhere. Of these some 4,000 have been taken subsequently at many widely scattered localities. It is worthy of note that the returns of banded Ducks vary from about 15 to nearly 20 per cent of the number banded at the different localities.
A Pintail banded at Ellinwood, Kansas, in March, 1925, was shot in Butte County, California, in December of the same year. A Blue-winged Teal banded at Lake Scugog, Ontario, in September, was shot at Port of Spain, Trinidad Island, off the coast of South America, 67 days later.
These returns, combined with those from the Ducks banded on the Bear River Marshes, indicate that each of the impor- tant areas to which wild fowl resort in large numbers in the United States is vitally important to the maintenance of our local supply of these birds, as these central areas serve as distributing reser- voirs for the surrounding States.
That a single migratory game bird may, as its fancy dictates, sojourn parts of each year in widely separated States makes it evident that State laws alone for the con-
121
servation of such species are fruitless and that the Nation must act in the matter. This emphasizes the wisdom of the Mi- gratory Bird Treaty and the Federal laws for the protection of migratory birds.
BREEDING PLACES OF MIGRATORY WILD FOWL SHOULD BE SAFEGUARDED
Migrating, however, is only one of the doings of birds. ‘They frequently need a meal; like other creatures, they occa- sionally wish to rest, and unless there is to be race suicide, they must find nesting places. These facts make it clear that the important water areas to which they resort in large numbers must be conserved and perpetuated. Efforts to protect the birds are of little avail 1f we do not at the same time save sufficient water areas for their present and future welfare.
Migratory wild fowl are known to breed all across the northern part of the con- tinent and on adjacent islands from Ber- ing Sea to Baffin Bay. Since any adverse conditions affecting them on their breed- ing ground will decrease the numbers that visit us in winter, they must be prop- erly safeguarded there, as well as on their wintering grounds, in order that we may be successful in perpetuating our wild fowl. The banding of wild fowl on their nesting grounds is the only method by which the breeding places of those winter- ing in the different parts of the United States and Mexico can be determined.
It is a practical certainty that about two- thirds of the wild Ducks and Geese of North America winter in the southern half of the United States and on the Pacific coast. The maintenance of our supply of these birds is dependent upon the practi- cal and effective nature of the measures taken for their conservation.
BANDING EXPEDITIONS SENT TO BREEDING GROUNDS
Several years ago the Biological Survey developed a program of sending expedi- tions to important breeding grounds of wild fowl all across the northern part of the continent. It planned to provide, through banding, the knowledge needed as to the origin of the supply of our mi- gratory wild fowl and their dispersal from these points. This information will not only be of the greatest interest to sports-
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122
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
men and conservationists, but will form the basis for far more intelligent work for conserving these birds than now is pos- sible.
The first expedition was a codperative one organized by the Biological Survey in 1924 to visit the tundra about the head of Hooper Bay, Alaska, immediately south of the delta of the Yukon River. The ex- pedition was led by O. J. Murie, a field naturalist of the Biological Survey. The party included two other naturalists, H. W. Brandt, of Cleveland, and H. B. Con- over, of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and was joined in the field by Frank Dufresne, of the Biologi- cal Survey. They reached Fairbanks on March 18 and soon after, with three sleds and dog teams, traveled to their destina- tion across 700 miles of snow-covered country. This trip required hard work, but was accomplished without other mis- haps than a temporary attack of snow- blindness suffered by two of the members.
ARCTIC BANDINGS YIELD SIGNIFICANT RETURNS
The party assembled May 1 at Hooper Bay, on the broad, treeless tundra border- ing the coast of Bering Sea, to await ar- rival of the wild fowl. At first a belt of shore ice lay along the coast, but as it broke up the northward migration of vast numbers of wild fowl passing near the mouth of the bay was the expedition’s most thrilling experience. This district had never been visited before by natural- ists during the breeding season, although it was first explored and mapped by the writer during the winter of 1879 (see page 127).
As anticipated, it proved to be a mar- velous gathering place for breeding wild fowl in great variety. Cackling and Em- peror Geese abounded, but the White- fronted species was found sparingly. Whistling Swans, several species of Eider and other Ducks, with many kinds of waders, including Golden Plover, Pacific Godwits, Long-billed Dowitchers, and too many others to mention, kept the party at high tension amid the amazing number and variety of songs and maneuvers which endow these northern breeding places with the most intense interest through the mat- ing season.
123
The banding of the Ducks and Geese by this party was the first attempt of the kind on one of the great northern breed- ing grounds, and the percentage of these birds taken on their southward journey during the following autumn and winter exceeded all expectations. Of three spe- cies of Geese, 213 were caught and banded, in addition to nearly 50 Ducks, and vari- ous other birds.
Of these, 153 were Cackling Geese. This is a very small geographic race of the well-known “Honker” (Canada, or Wild Goose), whose clanging notes, as their V- shaped flocks pass high overhead in the migrations, are so familiar to many in the eastern United States. Thirty-nine were killed within a few months and the bands sent to the Biological Survey.
Their capture clearly indicates their line of flight and wintering grounds. The first was reported from the Ugashik River, emptying into Bristol Bay, Alaska. The next came from more than 1,200 miles away across the open sea on one of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Colum- bia. Another was taken on the Copalis Beach in Washington, others in Oregon, and then a considerable number in Cali- fornia, where most of these birds appear to winter in the marshes of the Sacra- mento and San Joaquin Valleys. A White-fronted Goose banded on July 15 was taken January I at Sutter, California. Banded Pintails were also taken in central California.
Such gratifying returns from this first bird-banding expedition in the north gave strong encouragement to further efforts of the kind.
EXPEDITION SENT TO YUKON BOUNDARY
Many years ago, when Thomas Riggs, later Governor of Alaska, was in charge of the International Boundary Survey be- tween Canada and Alaska, he found many Geese breeding in the flat valley of the Old Crow River, near where it crosses the boundary, about halfway between the Arctic Circle and the Arctic coast. This area, never visited by a naturalist, afforded another opportunity for work in practi- cally new country, where bird banding on a considerable scale might be done.
In the spring of 1926, the Biological Survey detailed Mr. Murie to visit the
ROYAL TERNS ARE GREGARIOUS BIRDS
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
—
ograph by Herbert K. Job
ae!
Phot
Breeding in great colonies off the South Atlantic coast and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, these birds nest so close together that it is diffcult to walk through their breeding grounds
without treading on the eggs.
breeding grounds there and to band as many wild fowl as practicable. At the same time he was to secure specimens of the wild life of this unknown area.
He proceeded early in the spring from Washington to Fairbanks, Alaska. Im- mediately after the ice broke up on the rivers he went to Fort Yukon and en- gaged an assistant with a motor boat. Taking in tow a small barge loaded with gasoline and other necessary supplies, they set forth on the long trip into an un- inhabited and little-known wilderness.
The expedition was successful. In ad- dition to gaining a great store of infor- mation concerning the wild life of the region, Mr. Murie placed bands on a number of Geese and other birds. During the succeeding autumn, three of the Geese were taken in western Alberta, Idaho, and Nevada, indicating a strong probability that the wild fowl on the eastern border of Alaska also winter west of the 1ooth meridian.
Records from the banding of Ducks on their breeding grounds and at their other
great gathering places are yielding a har- vest of valuable information.
MIGRATORY WILD FOWL OF THE UNITED STATES FORM TWO DISTINCT GROUPS
The returns demonstrate that migra-
,tory wild fowl in the United States, both
those breeding here and those which visit us during the migration and winter, are separated into two well-marked groups: those of the region extending from the western Dakotas, western Kansas, and western Texas to the Pacific, and those which occur from the eastern Dakotas, eastern Kansas, and eastern Texas to the Atlantic.
The two areas occupied by these sepa- rate groups correspond to the arid west- ern region and to the more humid east- ern part of the continent. The tooth meridian of longitude, a commonly ac- cepted dividing line between the arid West and the more humid East, appears to be well located for marking the bound- ary between these areas.
The accompanying map (see page 116)
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 1k
YOUNG CASPIAN
This “haul” netted more than 700 birds.
wo Or
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Photograph from U. S. Biological Survey
TERNS CORRALED FOR BANDING
Returns from birds banded at this station in
northern Lake Michigan have been received from as far south as Colombia and as far north as
Nova Scotia.
shows in a diagrammatic way a few of the points where thousands of Ducks of various species have been banded and some of the points at which they have been sub- sequently taken. This evidence and addi- tional facts of the same character ob- tained in this way strongly indicate that the birds of either the western or the eastern area might be practically extermi- nated without seriously interfering with the supply of birds in the other regions. This discovery is of the utmost impor- tance in the development of the necessary conservation measures for perpetuating our wild fowl.
The number of returns of bands on birds found dead indicates the perilous existence of these habitants of field and forest. ‘To the casual observer the birds’ active movements, their songs and cheer- ful call notes, give the impression of a joyous life; yet birds live in the midst of deadly perils coming from many sources, and the mortality among them is enor- mous. In spite of many widespread dis- asters, however, the survivors appear to
repopulate the stricken areas within a few seasons with their normal quota of bird life.
STORMS DESTROY MANY BIRDS
Unseasonably cold storms during mi- grations probably destroy more individ- uals than any cther single cause. Oppor- tunity is occasionally presented for ob- serving their effects on bird life. Dr. T. S. Roberts made a careful survey follow- ing a spring snowstorm in Minnesota and North Dakota, and found that vast num- bers of Lapland Longspurs had perished there on their northern migration. Se- vere blizzards in the Middle East some- times catch a host of Bluebirds and other small species on their way north.
Following such storms, holes in trees and nesting boxes are sometimes found full of the dead bodies of the little victims that have tried to get shelter and have perished from the cold.
Telegraph and telephone wires and other obstacles kill great numbers of birds, which fly into them not only at night but
126 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
THE SNOWY OWL AT HOME
In grace and speed of flight this bird is more like a Hawk than an Owl. So swiftly does it
navigate the air that it can capture a Duck on the wing or a hare afoot.
{
Photograph by Paul W. eres BLACK TERNS NEST IN THIS MID-WESTERN, FRESH-WATER MARSH
This is one of the comparatively few long-winged swimmers in the United States that
commonly nest far away from the sea. It prefers the reedy fresh-water sloughs and marshes
of the Middle Western States. Note the adult Tern perching on the operator’s head. It did this repeatedly during one visit to this breeding place, apparently considering the operator a
part of the scenery,
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 127
ESKIMOS DRIVING WILD GEESE TO A BANDING CORRAL
The white-cheeked Cackling Geese are the smallest of North American Geese. The individuals showing white heads are the little-known Emperor Geese.
Photographs from U. S. Biological Survey
EIDER DUCKS SUPPLY WARM CLOTHING FOR THE ESKIMOS THAT LIVE HERE
The inhabitants of this semisubterranean village near Hooper Bay are among the most primitive of the native Alaskans. During spring and summer migratory wild fowl are one of their main sources of food supply, and the skins of Eider Ducks furnish material for much of their clothing. A bird-banding expedition from the Biological Survey made its headquarters in
this vicinity in 1924 (see text, page 123).
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130
BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT
often in broad daylight. Formerly, when lighthouses cast steady beams of dazzling light athwart the sky, migrating birds dashed against the glass of the lights and perished in large numbers. ‘This source of mortality seems largely to have disap- peared in recent years, since the continu- ous light has been replaced in many in- stances by a series of temporary flashes.
To these dangers may be added the recurring periods of scanty food supply and the never-ending depredations of their bird and mammal foes, including man in the case of game species. Pollu- tion of waters by various means and other man-made death traps also take their toll. With the multiplication of swiftly moving automobiles, enormous numbers of small birds haunting the highways in some dis- tricts are stricken down and their pitiful bodies lie flattened in the dust.
CIVILIZATION AFFECTS THE BIRD POPULATION
It is comforting to know, however, that civilized man is appreciating bird life as never before and is throwing about the harmless or useful species the protection of the law. Furthermore, in the United States, Canada, and some other countries refuges, which already cover many mil- lions of acres of forest and other lands, are being established in increasing num- bers. In winter food and shelter are be- ing provided, especially in times of stress, on a growing scale.
As a consequence of the changed con- ditions of the country through the clear- ing of primeval forests and the modern protection afforded birds in the United
131
States, it is safe to say that there are now more small birds in North America than at any previous time in our history. On the other hand, our migratory wild fowl will never again equal the vast swarms that existed in the early days before enor- mous areas of water and marshlands were drained.
With so many opportunities to have little aluminum records carried by winged messengers to distant places, bird banding should invite the attention of all expedi- tions to the Far North and of research stations in regions where wild fowl, espe- cially Ducks, Geese, and waders, breed in large numbers.
Capturing and banding of such of the breeding waterfowl and their young as winter in southern latitudes should also offer an interesting variation to the fre- quently monotonous everyday routine. Some of the banded birds would undoubt- edly be taken later in lower latitudes, thus bringing word to the public of those in remote northern climes and adding valu- able facts to our knowledge of the travels of feathered wanderers.
The Biological Survey will take pleas- ure in cooperating with sportsmen or future northern travelers who may be in- terested in this work. It will see that they are provided with necessary instruc- tions, numbered aluminum bands, and other small equipment. If bird banding had been developed years ago, we might now have many precious records brought by birds from places in the Arctic regions visited by Greely, Peary, and other ex- plorers.
Notice of change of address of your NaTIoNAL GrocRAPHIC MacazineE should be received in the office of the National Geographic Society by the first of the month to affect the following month’s issue. For instance, if you desire the address changed for your March number, the Society should be notified of your new address
not later than February first.
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE BESTOWS LINDBERGH AWARD The National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal Is Presented to Aviator Before the Most Notable
Gathering in the History of Washington
ROM the hands of President Cool- Bi Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, first to fly the Atlantic alone, re- ceived America’s highest award to explor- ers, the Hubbard Gold Medal of the Na- tional Geographic Society, in Washing- ton’s largest auditorium, before the most distinguished audience ever gathered for such an occasion in the National Capital, on the evening of November 14, 1927. The eminent jurists of the United States Supreme Court, virtually all the members of the President’s Cabinet, and all the United States Senators and Representa- tives then in Washington; members of the Diplomatic Corps from all over the world in their full-dress regalia; ranking officers of the Army and Navy; the Director of the Budget; members of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and many other Government officials and noted scientists and private citizens formed the brilliant gathering which did honor to the 25-year- old hero, youngest man to receive the Hubbard Medal or any comparable honor.
FAMOUS TRANSOCEANIC FLYERS PRESENT
With the modest young flyer on the platform, besides the President of the United States, were Mrs. Coolidge, Mrs. Lindbergh, Dr. Gilbert Grosvenor, Presi- dent of the National Geographic Society, and Dr. John Oliver La Gorce, Vice Presi- dent of the National Geographic Society. With them were the Hon. William P. MacCracken, Assistant Secretary of Com- merce for Aéronautics, and the Hon. Everett Sanders, Secretary to the Presi- dent.
Flanking this group were famous trans- oceanic flyers who had contributed epochal achievements to the aerial conquests of the oceans. And with the aviators sat Dr. Orville Wright, whom many of those present remembered meeting when that pioneer of the air was in Washington with
his brother conducting the experiments which culminated in launching an airplane from a creaky rail at Fort Myer, Virginia, and thus inaugurating the science which thrilled the world when Colonel Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris.
Every seat in the Washington Audi- torium was taken, police guards had to be thrown around the building to keep those from entering who did not have tickets, and six thousand members of The Society saw the historic ceremonies which were broadcast to millions of other Americans. For weeks the offices of the National Geo- graphic Society were besieged for admis- sion to the exercises, and a clerical force had been kept busy explaining to per- sonal applicants, and answering thousands of letters from others, that the ticket sup- ply had been exhausted when the 6,oooth fortunate member of The Society had claimed the last available seat coupon.
The U.S. Army Band began playing at 8 o'clock and at 8:35 Colonel Lindbergh en- tered, accompanied by his mother and Dr. LaGorce. Ten minutes later, the Presi- dent of the United States and Mrs. Cool- idge came on the stage with Dr. Grosvenor. Dr. Grosvenor, in presenting the Presi- dent, congratulated him, as Commander- in-Chief of all our air forces, on the amaz- ing contributions of the Government’s air- men.
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE INTRODUCES COLONEL LINDBERGH
President Coolidge complimented Colo- nel Lindbergh’s achievement in an address which was continually interrupted by ap- plause, especially when he said that Colo- nel Lindbergh, after his flight, “deter- mined to capitalize his fame, not for self- ish aggrandizement, but for the promo- tion of the art he loves,” and again when he referred to him as “this courageous, clear-headed, sure-handed youth, whose
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE BESTOWS LINDBERGH AWARD
133
bin tae ‘ VG igs A LOE, es, b
Photograph by Benjamin A. Stewart
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ARRIVING TO RECEIVE TICKETS FOR THE LINDBERGH RECEPTION
Long before the announced hour for the distribution of tickets, members of The Society
began to gather before the doors of the headquarters on Sixteenth Street.
Requests for more
than 30,000 tickets were received. Disappointment of many was regrettable, but inevitable.
character had withstood the glare of pub- licity and the acid test of hero-worship- ing adulation.”
The President concluded by handing to Colonel Lindbergh the medal which has been bestowed on only seven other men in the 4o years of the National Geo- graphic Society’s existence and saying, “To-night I have the utmost gratification in awarding you this further recognition of achievement, the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society.”
Then occurred an incident which is vir- tually without precedent, when the Pres- ident, in addition to presenting the Hub-
bard Medal on behalf of the National Geographic Society, paid the young ex- plorer the gracious personal tribute of introducing him to the audience.
The applause which greeted the two figures on the platform, America’s fore: most hero and America’s foremost citi- zen, persisted for several minutes before Colonel Lindbergh was able to make his acknowledgment. Meanwhile a battery of motion-picture cameras and news pho- tographers added a picturesque touch by snapping photographs at high speed with a clicking that sounded like a miniature Battle of the Marne. The stage was illu-
154
minated by great flares, so that the his- toric scene might be recorded.
When Colonel Lindbergh was able to make himself heard he accepted the honor in a brief, graceful speech, and mingled laughter and applause greeted him when, after uttering only a few sentences, he said: “Insclosing, 95 2 37
Following Colonel Lindbergh’s address, Assistant Secretary MacCracken sum- marized America’s achievements in the air.
DR. GROSVENOR PRESENTS THE PRESIDENT
Dr. Grosvenor, in presenting President Coolidge, said:
“Mr. President, Mrs. Coolidge, members of the National Geographic Society: “During the last four years American
navigators of the air, with bewildering
rapidity, have made voyage after voyage of amazing importance.
“The first round-the-world flight, the first North Polar flight, the first circum- navigation by air of Central and South America, the first flights to Hawaii, the first flight from New York to Tokyo via Europe, the first, second, and third trans- atlantic flights from New York to Europe in one summer! And world records for altitude attained in a plane and for mil- lions of miles flown with air mail without accident !
“To the greatest of these achievements the National Geographic Society has now assembled to pay tribute.
“In order that the acknowledgment to our dauntless young navigator may be truly national, our warm-hearted Chief Magistrate has generously honored us by his presence.
“In every one of these outstanding voy- ages, so fruitful in scientific knowledge, the aviators were men trained, developed, inspired in the Government Service.
“And so to you, Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief of all of our air forces, whose clear, practical, construc- tive program has guided, encouraged, and stimulated an air conquest that is phe- nomenal, the members of the National Geographic Society throughout the Nation extend most earnest and respectful con- gratulations.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.”
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE LAUDS THE AIR HERO President Coolidge spoke as follows:
“Fellow Countrymen:
“Transportation and communication are essential to civilization. Within the year an encouragement has been given to their development that has few parallels in his- tory. The principles of aviation were demonstrated first by Americans at the turn of the last century. In the interven- ing years their science progressed, both here and abroad. Important flights were made.
“Tt remained for one of our own citi- zens in May, 1927, to arouse universal in- terest in the practical possibilities of travel through the air. His flight, alone and un- aided, from New York to Paris thrilled the world. It appealed to the imagination of humanity. How the hero of this ex- ploit was revealed, not as a reckless ad- venturer, but as an able, sober-minded, modest young man of high and unselfish purpose, has now passed into history. What he did to strengthen the cordial re- lations between our people and Europe is well known. The wonderful and sincere welcome he received abroad, the acclaim that greeted him at home, are still fresh in the public mind.
“But that was not all. With a clear conception of public service, he determined to capitalize his fame, not for selfish aggrandizement, but for the promotion of the art he loves. He was unmoved by the many opportunities for private gain. The flight to Europe was spectacular. It stirred the heart of the people. But foremost in his mind was the permanent good that might come from thus having directed public thought to human flight. This courageous, clear-headed, sure-handed youth, whose character had withstood the glare of publicity and the acid test of hero-worshiping adulation, became an apostle of aéronautics. He dedicated him- self to advancing the science and practice of aviation.
“Taking little time to recover from the strain of his experiences, he started on a missionary tour of over 22,000 miles. Fly- ing in his Spirit of St. Louis, the ‘Spirit of America’ visited 82 cities in our 48 States. Only once did he fail to arrive on
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE BESTOWS LINDBERGH AWARD 13!
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PRESIDENT COOLIDGE ADDRESSING THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ON COLONEL LINDBERGH'S ACHIEVEMENTS
Seated on the platform, front row (left to right), are: Dr. John Oliver La Gorce, the Hon. Everett Sanders, Secretary to the President; Mrs. Evangeline Lindbergh, Mrs. Coolidge,
Dr. Gilbert Grosvenor, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, and the Hon. William P. MacCracken.
In the
second row were Dr. Orville Wright, Mr. Harry F. Guggenheim, and the transoceanic flyers: Mr. William S. Brock, Mr. Emory Bronte, Miss Ruth Elder, Mr. Arthur C. Goebel, Mr. George Haldeman, Lieut. Albert F. Hegenberger, Lieut. Lester J. Maitland, Mr. Edward F. Schlee, Mr. Paul Schlueter, Lieut. Ernest L. Smith, Miss Thea Rasche, and Mrs. Clarence Chamberlin,
representing her husband.
scheduled time, establishing a record for reliability. He spoke not about himself, but for airways and airports in 147 speeches and 192 messages dropped from the clouds. Because of what he has said and done we are told aéronautic plans for 1928 indicate an activity far beyond any dreams of six months ago.
“Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, it has been the privilege of few to do as much for a cause in so short a period of time. You have richly merited the many honors al- ready bestowed. To-night I have the ut- most gratification in awarding you this further recognition of achievement, the Hubbard Medal of the National Geo- graphic Society.”
COLONEL LINDBERGH’S REPLY
Colonel Lindbergh spoke briefly in ac- knowledgment of the President’s address.
In accepting the medal he said:
“Mr. President and Members of the Na- tional Geographic Society:
“First, I want to thank you all for the great favor which has been bestowed on me to-night. The National Geographic Society has aided greatly in the advance- ment of civilization and in the discovery of many parts of the world and in the up- ward trend of this country.
“Tt has been first in the field of explora- tion and has aided greatly in the develop- ment of aviation. In the past, in explo- ration especially, it required years for achievements that may be made now in hours. In the future it is the hope of the a€ronautical industry that the airplane will do its part in discovery and in bringing together and uniting more closely the na- tions.
“Tn closing, I want again to thank you. I hope and believe that in the near future we will be flying over practically every corner of the world, and that the airplane
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136
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE BESTOWS LINDBERGH AWARD
will unite more closely the nations than they are to-day.”
DR. GROSVENOR PRESENTS SECRETARY MAC CRACKEN
Introducing the Hon. William P. Mac- Cracken, Assistant Secretary of Com- merce for Aéronautics, Dr. Grosvenor said:
“Colonel Lindbergh’s travels by air have done so much for ‘the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge’—the purposes for which the National Geo- graphic Society was founded—that he will, we think, be interested to know that participating in the presentation of this medal are members of this Society resid- ing in 169 countries and mandatories.
“Its membership reaches to the utter- most corners of the globe and even to its most isolated and remote islands.
“For instance, sharing in the pleasure of this award to him are 11,000 members in Australia and New Zealand, 200 in the Fiji Islands, 450 in Java and Sumatra, 10,000 in Central and South America, 28,000 in Europe, 50,000 in Canada, and more than one million members in the United States.
“Many thousands of members are lis- tening in to-night, and to them The So- ciety sends greetings (see text, page 139).
“T now have the honor to present the distinguished Assistant Secretary of Com- merce for Aéronautics, the Honorable William P. MacCracken.”
“SINNER AND SAINT PRAYED FOR HIS SUCCESS”
Mr. MacCracken said:
“We have just been privileged to wit- ness the conferring of the highest award which the National Geographic Society bestows upon explorers.
“The President had previously ex- pressed the Nation’s regard for its recipi- ent and his great achievement, when he welcomed Colonel Lindbergh upon his re- turn from France.
“An unknown civilian aviator, working for an air-mail contractor, he took leave to fly from New York to Paris. For 33 hours and 29 minutes he held the atten- tion of the entire civilized world. Irre- spective of nationality, creed, or occupa- tion, sinner and saint prayed for his
137
success. When at the end of their vigil he was acclaimed the victor, nations were brought to a clearer realization of the brotherhood of man, and the cause of civilian aviation was advanced to an ex- tent which gold alone could never pur- chase.
“Great as his achievement was and deep as it endeared him in the hearts of his fel- low countrymen, the conduct of Colonel Lindbergh since landing at Le Bourget has done more to inspire admiration for him and faith in the youth of to-day than did his flight itself.
“We in aviation recognize in the Presi- dent one of the great men who has served this Nation as its Chief Executive. His keen interest in all phases of aéronautics has been in a large measure responsible for the progress made during the past few years. His recognition of these trans- oceanic flyers and their deeds is appreci- ated not only by them, but by all the aéro- nautic fraternity.
AVIATION’S GIFT TO GEOGRAPHY
“We have foregathered here as mem- bers of one of the world’s greatest socie- ties. Its primary purpose, inspired by altruistic motives, is to collect and diffuse geographic knowledge. All forms of transportation have proven valuable ad- juncts toward accomplishing these aims; but none has ever presented possibilities as great as those offered by aéronautics.
“Exploration and travel are indispensa- ble to geographic education. Expeditions which heretofore cost months in time and much in human hardships and sacrifice can now be accomplished in a matter of hours, with less exposure of personnel, by means of aircraft. Hazards there will always be in pioneering, but these are but an item in the sum total of the price of progress. Every achievement takes its toll, and we, who are the beneficiaries of what has gone before, do well to pay tribute to our con- temporaries who have made their contri- bution to the well-being of posterity.
“In an era teeming with invention and its resulting application to commerce and industry, it is difficult to ascribe to each its true value. The use of aircraft con- serves time—the stuff that life is made of—facilitates travel, bringing together in closer relationships and better understand-
138
ing peoples of all nations; expedites com- merce, with resulting prosperity ; provides more effective means for exterminating crop- and life-destroying insects, and as- sists beyond measure man’s battle against the destructive forces of fire and flood.
“There is not a man, woman, or child in this Nation to-day who is not more secure in, and better able to enjoy, all that life holds dear by reason of the pioneering that has been done in civil aéronautics. Comparatively few in number are they that realize this, and still fewer fully com- prehend its future possibilities. ‘Truth is not always obvious, but faith sustains when vision fails.
“May I recount briefly something of what our Nation has contributed to the development of aviation. It includes the invention and first flight in an airplane, the first transatlantic flight, the only flight around the world, and the first flight to the North Pole.
“During this year alone American pilots, using aircraft and engines designed and built in the United States, completed a series of world-renowned transoceanic flights, spanning time and again the At- lantic, and the Pacific from the mainland to the Hawaiian Islands. These expedi- tions are frequently referred to as ‘Amer- ican stunt aviators,’ but their real signifi- cance is far greater than that designation implies. They have done much to pro- mote international good will, as well as to stimulate interest in aviation. All the participants in these great undertakings are worthy of our unstinted praise.
NIGHT FLYING PROVED PRACTICABLE BY POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
“Our Post Office Department first dem- onstrated to the world the practicability of night operations of aircraft for com- mercial purposes when it established regu- lar night service between Chicago, Illinois, and Cheyenne, Wyoming—a distance of about goo miles. This original service, which has not as yet been equaled else- where in the world, in a little over three years’ time has increased nearly fivefold. The operation, wholly in the hands of pri- vate enterprise, is now self-supporting, while every European air line is heavily subsidized.
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
“Our supremacy in air-mail volume, mileage, and profitable enterprise is gen- erally conceded. While our passenger and express traffic on scheduled lines is not comparable to our air-mail record, it 1s greatly underestimated, Air-mail contrac- tors are now directing their attention to this branch of service, with every indica- tion of equal success.
“Activities in all other branches of civil- ian aviation in the United States exceed the combined similar activities of the en- tire world. his includes the number of planes produced and in operation, miles flown, goods and passengers carried on other than regular schedules, photographs taken, areas patrolled, acreage dusted, and money earned. With these achievements, no longer should an inferiority complex impede our aéronautical progress.
“The Army and Navy have participated in and contributed much to the pioneering success of civilian aviation. It is but logi- cal that there should always be the closest cooperation between civil and military aéronautics, for they are indispensable to each other. We may all take pride in these accomplishments and should render our whole-hearted support individually and collectively toward making and keep- ing America first in the air.
HOW THE PUBLIC CAN AID CIVIL AVIATION
“The prosperity and political success of our Nation is in no small measure due to its highly developed systems of transpor- tation and communication. That form of transportation which exceeds all others in speed and flexibility is bound to play an important part in this Nation’s future. Whatever else may be said about aircraft, certainly it provides the swiftest and most elastic means of transportation that ever has been or probably ever will be devel- oped.
“We are still in the initial stage of its application to the needs of industry and commerce, as well as its service to the general well-being of mankind. Fach and all of us may cooperate in one or more capacities, by using the air mail and ex- press, traveling by air, fostering com- munity airport development, keeping in- formed about aéronautics, and applying our ability toward solving technical and economic problems.
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE BESTOWS LINDBERGH AWARD
“Those who partici- pate in making aerial operations more gen- eral, economic, and reliable will find them- selves engaged in a task of national im- portance and absorb- ing interest. Let it never truthfully be said of any of us that we failed to give our utmost support to civil aeronautics — truly a harbinger of geo- graphic knowledge, good will, prosperity, and national security.”
MILLIONS HEAR CERE- MONIES OVER THE RADIO
In addition to the 6,000 persons in the Auditorium, millions of Americans heard the foregoing ad- dresses and were thrilled by the ap- plause over the radio, the National Broad- casting Company hav- ing arranged to broad- cast the proceedings over a chain of fifteen stations, including WRC, Washington ; WBZA, Boston; WBAL, Baltimore; KSD, St. Louis; WMC, Memphis; WJZ, New York;
WHAM, Rochester; KDKA, Pittsburgh; WHAS, Louisville;
WSB, Atlanta; WBA, Springfield; WJR, Detroit; KYW, Chicago; WSM, Nash- ville, and WBT, Charlotte.
At the conclusion of the addresses, the speakers, flyers, and other participants in the ceremonies left the platform and took seats in the Auditorium, where for an hour they saw, in motion pictures,* a
*“Feroes of the Air,” a film record especially assembled for the National Geographic Society through the courtesy of Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation.
International Newsreel
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE PRESENTS THE HUBBARD MEDAL TO
COLONEL LINDBERGH
The presentation of the National Geographic Society’s highest award was made in the presence of 6,000 members assembled in the Washing- ton Auditorium. The medal bears the following inscription: “Awarded by the National Geographic Society to Charles A. Lindbergh for his heroic service to the science of aviation by his solitary flight from New York to Paris, May 20-21, 1927.” NationaL GrocraPHic Macazineé for August, 1927.)
(See “Air Conquest,” in the
historical pageant of the outstanding achievements in aviation since those early days, nearly two decades ago, when the Wright Brothers gave their first demon- stration flights for the United States Gov- ernment.
Motion-picture archives throughout the world were requisitioned in order to show the early flights of Dr. Orville Wright, the first flight made by a woman (Miss Harriet Quimby, of Massachusetts ) across the English Channel, Commander
140
Albert C. Read, U. S. N., and his NC-4 upon the completion of the first trans- atlantic flight in 1919; the reception ac- corded the intrepid British flyers, Alcock and Brown, upon the completion of the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic ; the greeting given the U.S. Army Around- the-World Flyers by President Coolidge at Bolling Field; also the President’s re- ception of the Army’s Pan American Good Will Flyers ;* the reception accorded Com- mander Richard E. Byrd, conqueror of the North Pole by air, and his associates upon their arrival in France after one of the most dramatic transoceanic flights of history ;f the take-off of the Detroit-to- Tokyo flyers; the picturesque floral re- ception accorded the San Francisco-to- Hawaii flyers in Honolulu; the milling throngs which in their enthusiasm almost mobbed Miss Ruth Elder and her pilot, Mr. Haldeman, upon their arrival in Paris, and, finally the thrilling story in pictures of Colonel Lindbergh’s flight in the Spirit of St. Lowis and his reception both abroad and at home.
NOTED AUDIENCE AT HISTORIC CEREMONY
Among the members of The Society and their invited guests present in the flag- decked Washington Auditorium for the presentation were: The Chief Justice of the United States and Mrs. William How- ard Taft, Mr. Justice and Mrs. Edward Terry Sanford, Mr. Justice and Mrs. Har- lan F. Stone, Mr. Justice and Mrs. Pierce Butler, and Mr. Justice James Clark Mc- Reynolds, of the U. S. Supreme Court.
The Secretary of State and Mrs. Kel- logg; the Secretary of War and Mrs. Davis; the Attorney General and Mrs. Sargent; the Postmaster General and Mrs. New; the Secretary of the Navy and Mrs. Wilbur; the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Work; the Secretary of Agriculture and Mrs. Jardine; the Sec- retary of Labor and Mrs. Davis.
The Speaker of the House of Repre-
* See “How Latin America Looks from the Air,” by Maj. Herbert A. Dargue, in the Nationa, GreocRrAPpHIc Macazine for October, 1927.
+See “The First Flight to the North Pole,” and “Our Transatlantic Flight,” by Commander Richard E. Byrd, in the Nationa, GrocraAPHIC Macazrne for September, 1926, and September, 1927, respectively.
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
sentatives and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth ; Senator and Mrs. Bayard; Senator and Mrs. Broussard; Senator and Mrs. Cam- eron; Senator and Mrs. Copeland; Sena- tor Curtis; Senator and Mrs. Dale; Sena- tor du Pont; Senator and Mrs. Edge; Senator and Mrs. Fletcher; Senator and Mrs. Gillett; Senator and Mrs. Glass; Senator Hale; Senator and Mrs. Howell; Senator and Mrs. Andrieus A. Jones; Senator and Mrs. Norbeck; Senator and Mrs. Overman; Senator and Mrs. Phipps; Senator and Mrs. Shortridge; Senator and Mrs. Simmons; Senator and Mrs. Ashurst; Senator and Mrs. Caraway; Senator and Mrs. Harris; Senator and Mrs. Kendrick; Senator and Mrs. David A. Reed; Senator and Mrs. Sackett; Sen- ator Steiner; Senator and Mrs. Tyson.
Hon. John Q. Tilson, Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives, and Mrs. Tilson; Hon. Fred A. Britten, of the Naval Affairs Committee, and Mrs. Britten; Hon. Bertrand H. Snell, Chairman of the Rules Committee, and Mrs. Snell; Hon. Frederick N. Zihlman, Chairman of the District of Columbia Committee, and Mrs. Zihlman; Hon. Allen T. Treadway, of the Ways and Means Committee, and Mrs. Treadway ; Hon. Theodore E. Burton, Representative Mary T. Norton, and others.
The Ambassador of Great Britain and Lady Isabella Howard; the Ambassador of Japan and Madame Matsudaira; the Ambassador of Peru, Dr. Hernan Ve- larde; the Ambassador of Spain and Senora Padilla; and the Ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Nica- ragua, Panama, Persia, Poland, Rumania, Salvador, Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Siam, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society; Hon. Theodore Douglas Robinson, Assistant Secretary of Navy; Hon. Edward P. Warner, Assist- ant Secretary of Navy for Aéronautics; Hon. F. Trubee Davison, Assistant Secre- tary of War for Aéronautics.
Representatives of the learned profes- sions, and correspondents for the fore- most periodicals and daily newspapers of America and of the foreign press.
ENCOURAGING BIRDS
By FREDERICK
OW that our country has really
awakened to the importance of
bird life to the citizens, and at last enacted some very wise legislation, forbidding the killing of migratory and insectivorous birds, putting migratory game birds under Federal control, and forbidding the importation of plumage from abroad, public interest in birds and their great economic value seems to have been stirred as never before.*
Spring will soon be here, and those of us who are thinking of doing our little toward attracting the birds must be get- ting ready for the early arrivals from the South.
Birds come north for the very special purpose of finding a proper place for the rearing of their young, and, this task ac- complished, as autumn approaches, soon depart in search of areas where there will be throughout the winter plenty of food and cover and a more congenial cli- mate.
If we want to make our homes at- tractive to birds, we must always keep the above facts in mind. If in summer we want to attract the migrants from the South, as well as the permanent resi- dents, we must furnish them with proper places for the rearing of their young, which should include not only nesting sites, but cover, food, and water; and if in winter we want to keep some of the permanent residents about our homes and attract migrants from the North, we must remember that they are again in search of food and cover.
Once having attracted the birds, a sharp lookout must be kept in order to protect them from their enemies—cats, bird-hunting dogs, red squirrels, skunks, foxes, and other predatory animals, not
* Numerous reports on the economical value of birds have been issued by the United States Department of Agriculture. One of the best books on the subject is entitled “Birds in Their Relation to Man,’ by Weed and Dearborn, published by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Phila- delphia, Pa.
315
AkKOUND THE HOME H. Kennarp
forgetting the small boy that used to be ubiquitous; English sparrows, horned owls, and sometimes crows and jays, cooper and sharp-shinned hawks, and last, but not least, the black snake.
HOW TO ATTRACT THE BIRDS
To sum up, if we are to attract birds in summer, we must furnish them with proper nesting sites, cover, food, and also water; and if we want to keep them in winter, we must again furnish them with cover and food, and always protect them from their enemies.
The most important factor in attract- ing birds is the supplying of cover suit- able for their wants. With this properly done, except in the case of birds that nest about buildings or in holes, nature will supply the nesting sites, as well as take care of the food supply, except in winter.
At “The Pines,” my place in Newton Center, Mass., we have had for eight years under close observation about 44 acres, comprising three acres of lawn dotted with a few old apple trees, six acres of wet meadow, which are allowed to grow up with tussocks of grass, cedars, alders, wild roses, and the like, and the remaining 35 acres divided in two areas of about equal size. The first of these areas, that about the house, is covered with a growth of pines, hemlocks, ce- dars, birches and various other deciduous trees, among which we have taken pains to cultivate suitable coppice and under- growth, while the second area, covered with deciduous woods, is, on account of a fire that ran through it a number of years ago, almost devoid of the smaller evergreens or protecting coppice and undergrowth (see pages 319 and 320).
In the first of these areas (page 319) some thirty different species of birds
+A useful book that every one should read who is interested in birds is “Methods of At- tracting Birds,’ by Gilbert H. Trafton, pub- lished by the Houghton-Mifflin Co. of Boston, Mass.
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A BIRD PARADISE Photo by Thomas I. Marr and Son
A woodland path within a few feet of the residence at The Pines, flanked by under- growth, ferns, blueberries, huckleberries, dogwoods, ete. Along this path a ruffed grouse builds its nest, as do also chewinks, black and white creepers, and oven birds, while in the trees pine and black-throated green warblers, bluejays, and robins also build their nests.
318
Photo by Thomas E. Marr and Son.
ANOTHER PLACE WHERE BIRDS LIKE TO NEST
A wood road at The Pines. In the thickets along its sides the catbird, cuckoo, golden- winged warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, bluejay, brown thrush, chewink, purple finch, tanager, and other birds find attractive nesting sites. This wood road runs through that portion of Mr. Kennard’s place on which the undergrowth has been encouraged, and on which over thirty varieties of birds breed each year (see page 315). Contrast with the scene on page 320.
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320
A BIRD-LOVER’S GARDEN
Photo by Joseph H. Doason
_ The garden of Mr. Dodson, at Evanston, IIl., showing the various devices used by him in attracting birds: bath, weathercock food-house, houses for great-crested flycatchers, blue- birds, tree-swallows, and martins, from left to right in the order named.
breed nearly every year, while in the sec- ond area only from three to five different species build their nests.
Almost every one who lives in the country can do something in the way of attractive planting about his house and grounds, and even in the more closely settled suburbs almost every place, no matter how small, can by judicious plant- ing be made attractive to birds. Even a back yard may in its limited way, with proper treatment, be made a regular ren- dezvous for birds in the vicinity.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERGRIEENS
On suburban places and in the country the use of evergreens, large plantations when possible, is of prime importance as a protection from the elements, as a source of natural food supply, and on account also of the nesting sites they in- variably offer. Nothing is finer than a plantation of white pine or hemlock.
Spruce and balsam are beautiful and offer tempting nesting sites, while the native red cedar seems a favorite tree for the nest-builders and also contributes its berries toward the winter supply of food.
There is a huge hill at the edge of the sand dunes at Ipswich, Mass., swept by all the storms that come in from over the ocean, that years ago was as bare as a billiard ball, but upon one side of which the enterprising owner set out a large plantation of evergreens. Today that hillside is a Mecca for the birds from miles around, and noted among the bird lovers of the region for its varying bicd life both winter and summer.
From an artistic standpoint, also, the use of evergreens is to be recommended. In these days, when there seems to be such an exodus from city to country, why shouldn't our country homes be made to look as attractive in winter as in sum- mer? While we of the North may not in
A\ SCREECH-OWL S FAVORITE NEST-BOX Photo by George R. King
“Of bird-houses, to be supplied for those birds that nest about buildings or in holes of trees, there seems to be an almost infinite variety; tree stumps, real or artificial, boxes, cot- tages, houses, large and elaborate mansions, barrel-houses, gourds, flower-pots, tin-cans, shelves, and all kinds of contraptions” (see page 339). The nest-boxes “on my place have been occupied by secreech-owls, bluebir chickadees, tree-swallows, flickers, white-breasted nuthatches, and great-crested flycatchers” (see page 341).
winter be surrounded by the verdure of than a pine wood or group of evergreens summer, we need not content ourselves after a snow-storm?
with the bare poles of deciduous growth. Those of us who possess farms, while Evergreens protect us and delight our naturally jealous of every encroachment eyes with their color and varying lights on our fields, can always find some place and shadows, and what is more beautiful which may be planted. The immediate
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By Y Wy Photo by Ernest Ilarold Baynes
FLICKERS USING A BERLEPSCH BIRD-BOX
_ “T have used the Berlepsch type of vertical boxes with considerable success. These are simply sections of logs, hollowed out by special machinery in a very particular manner to represent woodpeckers’ cavities, with entrance hole in side of desired diameter, and covered by a wooden cap or roof that may be lifted for purposes of investigation or in order that the nests may be cleaned out from time to time, the whole bolted to an oaken batten, by which they may be fastened to trees” (see page 339).
surroundings of our farm buildings are better than if left to stand out cold and in many cases much too bare and bleak. hard and with base-line unbroken. Wind
The average house wheu surrounded by breaks may almost always be planted proper planting almost invariably looks somewhere, both with benefit to the farm
323
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Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes BLUEJAYS FEEDING IN WHATHERCOCK FOOD-HOUSE
“The same man builds also a sheltered food-house that turns with the wind like a
weather vane, so as to present always a lee side for the better protection of the birds” (see page 332).
326
Photo by Thomas E. Marr and Son
A JUNCO VISITING AN AUDUBON FOOD-HOUSE
“The Audubon food-house has been much used on this side of the water and is most
satisfactory.
It consists of a square hip roof, with vertical glass sides suspended beneath
and open at the bottom, the whole supported on a central rustic cedar post, encircled with
food trays beneath the roof.
at the same time admit light and allow of easy observation.
The glass sides protect the food trays from the weather and
These, when placed among the
shrubbery about one’s house, prove most attractive” (see pages 331 and 332).
as well as to the birds, while lanes may be bordered with trees and shrubbery and walls covered with vines without any possible encroachment on the fields. An old pasture planted with savin and white pine, hawthorns, elders, barberries, cor- nels, viburnums, and the like, may easily be metamorphosed into a bird reserva- tion and still be useful as a pasture.
For deciduous growth to be used for cover, choose those berry-bearing trees and shrubs whose berries are most popu- lar with the birds; and, when possible, choose also those that may offer most convenient sites for nest-building.
SOME USEFUL FOOD PLANTS
Care must also be taken in the choice of species, so as to get, if possible, a con-
tinuous supply of food, using such plants as the cherry, mulberry, raspberry, blue- berry, huckleberry, etc., for the summer supply; elder and the various kinds of dogwood and viburnum, etc., for autumn ; while for winter choose those plants which hold their fruit longest, such as the hawthorn, buckthorn, mountain ash, barberry, bayberry, sumach, wild rose, and the like.
Hedges, particularly if they are ever- green, are favorite resorts for birds, both in winter and summer, and an arbor-vite hedge is the best of them all. I remem- ber such a hedge about one side of my father’s old-fashioned garden that in summer invariably held its quota of rob- ins’, song sparrows’, and chipping spar- rows’ nests, while in winter it was the
327
PAYING A MID
Photo by Wilbur F. Smith
WINTER VISIT
This shows a bird visitor attracted by the lump of’ suet fastened to the old pear tree. A lump of suet set in some convenient place is perhaps the surest way of securing bird visitors in midwinter, for it is a food supply they greatly appreciate.
protected resort of such birds as stayed with us.
In the Year Book of the Department of Agriculture for 1¢09 there is a most interesting article on “Plants Useful to Attract Birds and Protect Fruit,” by W. L. McAtee. In this there is a list, on page 186, of the best trees and shrubs for attracting birds, given in the order of their attractiveness, as follows: Elders, raspberries and blackberries, mulberries, dogwood fruits, sumachs, wild cherries, blueberries, wild grapes, pokeberries, Vir- ginia creeper berries, bayberries, juniper berries, service berries, holly berries, strawberries, the fruits of viburnums, hackberries, huckleberries, haws, spice- bush berries, rose hips, sarsaparilla, sour gum, gooseberries, currants, and snow- berry.
To the above list is added the follow- ing supplementary list of some other plants known to be attractive to birds,
and to this the names of other species doubtless might be added: Manzanita, barberry, buffalo berry, silverberry, buck- thorn, mountain ash, China berry, Cali- fornia Christmas berry, pepper tree, mag- nolia, nockaway, lote bush, and bluewood.
With the above very comprehensive lists to choose from, it is not a difficult matter to make out a list of trees and shrubs for almost any place, no matter how small, that will supply its quota of birds’ food from early summer to the following spring, while if the place is a large one, or the problem at all difficult, it may be the best policy, as well as in the end the most economical, to consult some competent landscape architect as to the proper disposition of the proposed plantations. What is worth doing at all is always worth doing well.
Besides the trees and shrubs in the above lists, there are many herbaceous plants whose seeds are attractive to birds.
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Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes FLOCK OF QUAIL AT A FOOD STATION
“In bad weather, however, particularly in the North, where we are so apt to be covered up with snow, more artificial means of feeding should be resorted to, and food stations, food-houses, and food shelters of various sorts should be established in proper places. If quail or grouse are to be fed, inconspicuous bough shelters may be built in protected places among the fields or woods most frequented by them” (see page 331).
Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes PINE SISKINS AND RED POLLS FEEDING ABOUT A HOUSE: NEW HAMPSHIRE
The pine siskin is a lover of evergreens and spends the winter wandering from copse to copse in search of seeds and pine cones. The red poll is a winter visitor from the far North, and with its rich crimson head and breast makes a pretty picture in the snow.
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330
Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
THE FOOD BELL
“Baron von Berlepsch has invented a food bell that supplies grain, etc.,
automatically
from a receptacle above, and which may be suspended from a tree or piazza roof or any
other place that seems best” (see page 332).
Sunflowers may be planted in groups about the flower garden or in lines among the rows of vegetables; wild sarsaparilla and pokeberry along the boundary walls; while if you have a corner somewhere in the fields that can be planted with buck- wheat and Japanese millet, it will prove a great attraction, particularly in winter.
FOOD-HOUSES AND SHELTERS
In bad weather, however, particularly in the North, where we are so apt to be covered up with snow, more artificial means of feeding should be resorted to, and food stations, food-houses, and food shelters of various sorts should be estab- lished in proper places. If quail or grouse
31
are to be fed, inconspicuous bough shel- ters may be built in protected places among the fields or woods most fre- quented by them, while about the house or among the neighboring plantations all sorts of devices may be resorted to. Baron von Berlepsch, in Germany, has invented a food-house, an adaptation of which, called the Audubon food-house, has been much used on this side of the water, and is most satisfactory (see page 327). It consists of a square hip roof, with vertical glass sides suspended be- neath and open at the bottom, the whole supported on a central rustic cedar post, encircled with food trays beneath the roof. The glass sides protect the food
Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
A BLUEJAY FEEDING ON SUET
“Perhaps the simplest scheme of feeding,
the least trouble, and the most attractive to
numbers of birds, is the tying of a piece of suet to a convenient limb, or perhaps to the balustrade of one’s piazza, preferably in a protected spot and one that can at the same time be easily watched from some window” (see page 333)
trays from the weather and at the same time admit light and allow of easy ob- servation. These, when placed among the shrubbery about one’s house, prove most attractive.
Baron von Berlepsch has invented also a food bell that supplies grain, etc., auto- matically from a receptacle above, and which may be suspended from a tree or piazza roof, or any other convenient place (see page 331).
Window boxes are a_never-ceasing source of enjoyment. Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes built the first | ever saw at his home in Meriden, N. H., a particularly attractive one, which has helped him to become intimate with an astonishing va- riety of birds (see page 336).
Food shelves may be put up in all sorts of protected places—about houses, against tree trunks, etc.; and a food car, a sort of moving free-lunch counter, which may be run conveniently on a wire from window to neighboring tree, is actually
33
manufactured by one enterprising gentle- man; and the same man builds also a sheltered food-house that turns with the wind like a weather vane, so as to present always a lee side for the better protec- tion of the birds (see page 326).
Baron von Berlepsch originated also what he calls a food tree, a freshly cut evergreen, preferably spruce or fir, or perhaps a discarded Christmas tree, set up in some convenient place, over which has been poured hot, and then allowed to cool, a mixture of food that is attractive to both insectivorous and graminivorous birds, the receipt for which is given in the little book, “How to Attract and Pro- tect Wild Birds” :*
“White bread (dried and ground), 414 oz.; meat (dried and ground), 3 0z.; hemp, 6 0z.; crushed hemp, 3 0z.; maw, 3 02Z.; poppy flour, 11% oz. +; millet (white)
*For sale by the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1074 Broadway, New York City, N. Y. Price, 40 cents.
BOL sOats, lo. OZ.
dried elderberries, 114
oz.; suntlower seeds,
1f2 02.; ants’ eggs,
Te OZiy
A SIMPLE AND AT- TRACTIVE FOOD
SUPPLY
Perhaps the simplest scheme of feeding, the least trouble and the most attractive to numbers of birds, is the tying of a piece of suet to a convenient limb, or perhaps to the balustrade of one’s piazza, preferably ina protected spot and one that can at the same time be easily watched from some window (see page 332).
In all these food- houses various kinds of food should be sup- plied — suet, crumbs, millet, hemp, rape- seed, canary-seed, and the like. On my place the birds have such a wealth of natural food that it is only during the winter storms and when the ground is covered with snow that they visit the food-houses ; but on many other places— as, for instance, in Meriden, N. H., where Mr. Baynes and the Meriden Bird Club are doing such good work—there have been food-houses erected on places along the main street, entirely apart from any protecting shrubbery or natural food sup- ply, and many of these food-houses seem to be well patronized both winter and summer.
Water, particularly during the sum- mer months or times of drought, is, of course, necessary for the birds. If they can’t get it on your place, they will be forced to look elsewhere. The proper installment of a drinking fountain or bird bath is a simple affair, and one that is almost sure to prove a great attraction to the birds, as well as a never-failing source of entertainment to the owner.
Drinking fountains may be purchased ready made or manufactured at home.
manner.
Photo by B. S. Bowdish
ON INTIMATE TERMS
This jolly little white-breasted nuthatch has just taken a dainty morsel from the lips of its friend. climbers and can run up and down tree trunks in the most agile
These little birds are very clever
Almost any shallow receptacle will do when placed in some quiet spot not too far from protecting shrubbery, but out of reach of skulking cats. Where the cats have not all been eliminated, it is sometimes safer to place the bath on a pedestal.
A pool with foundation of concrete sunken in the ground, partially filled with earth and stones and planted with cat- tails, Japanese iris, or other moisture- loving plants, or perhaps with water- lilies and inhabited by a few goldfish, can be made a very interesting feature of any garden, to say nothing of its at- tractiveness to birds. It is essenvial, how- ever, that the slope of the sides should be gradual and the water at the edges shallow (see pages 338 and 339).
If one has a brook or natural pond on the place, much can be done, particularly if the bottom of the pond is suitable for: the planting of food for ducks. If the: lay of the ground is such that a meadow
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A SANDWICH FOR TWO
Having accepted the invitation, the bird settles down to enjoy his meal.
Photo by Louise Birt Baynes
The fact that
he must share a sandwich with his host does not disturb him, for, like all birds, he is quick to recognize and trust a human friend (see picture, page 334).
or woodland glade may be flooded and a pond thereby installed, there is hardly any limit to the enjoyment that may be derived from a pond of this sort.
ATTRACTING THE WILD DUCK
There is a little woodland glade, con- taining an acre or so, on my place, an opening in the woods surrounded by red maples, birches, alders, poison sumach, white azalea, high-bush blueberries, etc., which I flooded one winter merely as a
335
safe skating pond for the children in the neighborhood.
Imagine my surprise and delight when one spring day, after the ice had gone out, I discovered there a whole flock of wild wood-ducks, and later during the summer was able to watch a flock of little “flappers,” the progeny of a pair of wild black ducks that had bred there. Herons came there, too, and red wings fre- quented the edge of the pond. From an uninteresting swamp the place had been
TH HOSTESS Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
“Window boxes are a never-ceasing source of enjoyment. Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes built the frst | ever saw, at his home in Meriden, N. H., a particularly attractive one, which has helped him to become intimate with an astonishing variety of birds” (see page 332).
TAKING THE CAKE Pnoto by Louise Birt Baynes
This photo shows how responsive birds are to a little attention and how tame they may become. This wild chickadee will enter the house, perch upon his favorite delicacy, and enjoy a meal in no way affrighted hy the presence of his human entertainers.
330
a Ciliss, y Yip TL
Photo by Joseph H. Dodson
WHAT BIRDS CAN DO
A great-crested flycatcher house, with bluebird, suspended from a pear tree, from which Mr. Dodson last year picked eight bushels of pears with not a worm hole in one, and that notwithstanding the fact that the tree had never been sprayed. A flycatcher is certainly a cheaper investment than a spraying-machine.
“About houses and buildings, particularly those on our farms, the ordinary type of bird- house rather than the hollow log is perhaps more appropriate. Bluebirds, tree-swallows, and house-wrens take to them readily, and if you have a large house on a high pole you may be lucky enough to attract a colony of martins” (see text, page 341).
completely metamorphosed into a very Mr. Herbert K. Job, State Ornitholo- attractive and interesting spot, replete gist of Connecticut, is having some very with bird life. interesting experiences on a game pre-
If wild rice can be made to grow, serve in Connecticut, where low-lying ducks will be sure to come in greater areas have been flooded and the wild numbers each year, while regular feeding ducks attracted in increasing numbers with corn at proper times may prove an each year from miles around (see picture, additional attraction to whole flocks of page 338). ducks during the migration. ‘Tame call- I know of one man in Canada who ducks may be introduced, and if there are several years ago fed a small flock of near-by woods nest boxes for the attrac- wild geese that chanced to alight in a tion of the wood-ducks should be put up. pond close beside his house. ‘The geese
One may even go into the raising of appreciated the treatment so much that ducks, though this is often both bother- they later returned with friends, and some and expensive, while the simple have kept it up from year to year until flooding of a meadow and intelligent now I believe that he has had at one time planting of its shores is comparatively several hundred wild geese virtually in little trouble. his front yard, and in a very exposed
w ios) N
A FLOCK OF MALLARDS AS VISITORS MEAL Melee sillips
“If wild rice can be made to grow, ducks will be sure to come in greater numbers each year, while regular feeding with corn at proper times may prove an additional attraction to whole flocks of ducks during the migration. Tame call-ducks may be introduced, and if there are near-by woods, nest-boxes for the attraction of the wood-ducks should be put up” (see page 337)
WILD BLACK DUCK ON A GAME PRESERVE Photo by Herbert K. Job
“Mr. Herbert K. Job, State Ornithologist of Connecticut, is having some very interesting experiences on a game preserve in Connecticut, where low-lying areas have been flooded and the wild ducks attracted in increasing numbers each year from miles around” (see page 337).
338
SONG-SPARROWS TAKING A BATH
_ “A pool with foundation of concrete sunken in the ground interesting feature of any garden, to say nothing of its attractiveness to birds.
Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
can be made a very It is essen-
tial, however, that the slope of the sides should be gradual and the water at the edges
shallow” (see page 333).
position at that. They seem absolutely fearless, come and go at will, though only a short distance away are gunners who are waiting to take a crack at them.
Only a few of us have ponds to which geese may be attracted, but the above ex- periment shows what can be and has been done in the way of attracting and taming locally the shy wild geese.
HOUSES FOR THE BIRDS
Of bird-houses, to be supplied for those birds that nest about buildings or in holes of trees, there seems to be an al- most infinite variety; tree stumps, real or artificial, boxes, cottages, houses, large and elaborate mansions, barrel-houses, gourds, flower-pots, tin-cans, shelves, and all kinds of contraptions.
Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton went so far as to construct on his place in Con- necticut a huge artificial stump, filled with imitation woodpeckers’ holes, etc.
He attracted numbers of different kinds of birds and animals, and he seems to have had no end of fun with it. It is not allowed to all of us, however, to be given either the opportunity or the enthusiasm possessed by Mr. Seton.
Of the various kinds of houses space will allow but brief mention. On my own place, which is covered largely with woods, I have used the Berlepsch type of vertical boxes with considerable success. These are simply sections of logs, hol- lowed out by special machinery in a very particular manner to represent wood- pecker cavities, with entrance hole in side of desired diameter, and covered by a wooden cap or roof that may be lifted for purposes of investigation or in order that the nests may be cleaned out from time to time, the whole bolted to an oaken batten, by which they may be fas- tened to trees (see pages 323 and 325).
These may be obtained in Germany,
339
A BALTIMORE ORIOLE AFTER A BATH Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
The Baltimore oriole is remarkable for its bright colors, and to these it owes its name,
as the livery of the Lords Baltimore, who founded Maryland, was orange and black of just those tones that the bird exhibits. Cats have been eliminated on this place.
Photo by Louise Birt Baynes
A BROWN THRASHER BATHING
“Water, particularly during the summer months or times of drought, is necessary for the birds. If they can’t get it on your place, they will be forced to look elsewhere. The proper installment of a drinking fountain or bird bath is a simple affair, and one that is almost sure to prove a great attraction to the birds, as well as a never-failing source of entertainment to the owner” (see text, page 333). i
OQ
340
\ COLONY OF
EAVE SWALLOWS
This colony of swallows built their nests beneath the eaves of a barn at Luenburg,
Vt. Note the partial support given by the narrow molding.
These eave swallows become
much attached to their homes, and if undisturbed will return year after year with unfailing
regularity.
but are now manufactured by at least two people in this country. Those on my place have been occupied by screech- owls, bluebirds, chickadees, tree-swal- lows, flickers, white-breasted nuthatches, and great-crested flycatchers. | House- wrens, which are very local in our part of the country, have so far avoided them, and I have failed ignominiously to at- tract either the downy or the hairy wood-
peckers, both of which frequent my woods. One firm makes bird-houses out of
natural hollow logs or limbs, a hole bored in the side, and with wooden cap and bottom, while another makes an imita- tion woodpecker’s nest of pottery. The Berlepsch type are, however, in my opin- ion, far and away ahead of these others.
BIRDS THAT WILL NEST IN PREPARED TIOUSES
About houses and buildings, particu- larly those on our farms, the ordinary type of bird-house rather than the hollow log is perhaps more appropriate. Blue- birds, tree-swallows, and house-wrens take to them readily, and if you have a large house on a high pole you may be lucky enough to attract a colony of martins. Chickadees, great-crested fly- catchers, and screech-owls may use these boxes, and the following is a list of birds recorded as having bred in nest boxes of one sort or another:
Wood-duck, sparrow-hawk, screech- owl, flicker, red-headed woodpecker, great-crested flycatcher, starling, Eng-
Photo by Fred B. MeKeehnie
lish sparrow, house-finch, tree and violet green swallow, purple martin, house- wren, Parkman's wren, Bewick’s wren, Vigor’s wren, and Texas Bewick’s wren, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadee, Oregon chicka- dee, Carolina chickadee, robin, and three varieties of bluebirds—eastern, western, and mountain. To this list the Carolina wren ought probably to be added; though while I do not know personally of any record of its actually building in a bird- box, it builds about houses and in the ( most unheard of and crazy places.
x Robins and phcebes may be encour-
\ aged by shelves conveniently placed be- neath the roofs of porches, piazzas, and sheds, while the insect-eating barn and eave swallows may often be helped in their choice of nesting sites by a support- ing shelf. Vines on trellises or about the piazza posts are attractive nesting sites for chipping sparrows, as well as robins, and I once knew of a bluejay that built in a wistaria vine overhanging a friend’s front porch.
One can never tell just what birds are going to do. Crows are reported to have nested in one of the squares in the city of Philadelphia and on Beacon Hill in Boston, while a pair of sparrow-hawks have bred beneath the eaves of the Law-
Photo by Louise Birt Baynes ence Scientific School in Cambridge,
THE DAINTIEST GUEST Mass. ; A picture of an inquisitive and very puzzled le tanksp erits Snel alsolbe Goeean humming-bird probing an artificial flower aged, and when possible the chimneys
a Nici
SLIDE Hie:
4 4
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes
This is a photo of a wild chickadee feeding her young in June. She does not fear in summer the hand that feeds her in winter
342
THE BEST KIND OF
left open at the top, and so constructed as to admit of their ready occupancy.”
THE ENEMIES OF THE BIRDS
Of bird enemies, cats are undoubtedly the worst, and maudlin sentiment should not be wasted upon them, for they are incorrigible. The plain, ordinary alley cat should be eliminated when possible, and they make fine fertilizers when planted about the roots of one’s favorite grape-vine. Cat - possessing neighbors
* One of the most absorbing and interesting books of the present day, replete with infor- mation on the above subject, called “Useful Birds and Their Protection,” by Edward Howe Forbush, State Ornithologist of Massachusetts, has been published by the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture and may be obtained from them for the sum of $1.00.
Photo by Ernest Harold Baynes A HAT
A BIRD ON
should be warned that if their cats are caught trespassing they will be turned into fertilizer.
Red squirrels are next on the list and should be shot on sight, but I have never found the depredations of the gray squir- rel to warrant similar treatment. Bird- chasing dogs are a nuisance and should be restrained during the breeding season.
Skunks and foxes should both be dis- couraged, and the wily raccoon and elu- sive weasel also, if perchance they are found to lurk about.
Of the hawks, the cooper and sharp- shinned hawks should both be shot at sight, while of the owls, the great horned is incapable of reform. The little screech- owl is almost always beneficial on ac- count of the numbers of mice it often de-
343
544
stroys, but individual screech-owls are often destructive to bird life.
Crows and jays will bear watching. There seem to be good crows and jays, and then again individuals among them of exceeding bad habits, as many a long- suffering bird fz unily knows to its sorrow.
In many places the English sparrows are pests and should be shot and trapped relentlessly. They are pretty canny birds, and if once they learn you are af- ter them with a gun they quickly desert
THE NATIONAL GE¢
YGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
the premises. If owing to surrounding conditions gunning for them seems un- desirable, traps may be used with telling effect. ‘Nhere are several kinds in use in this country.
Last, but not least, the black snake should be killed whenever found; its large size, great activity, tree-climbing propensities, and taste for eggs and small birds have fairly won for it the reputa- tion of being one of the birds’ deadhest enemies.
REDEEMING THE TROPICS
By WirirAm JosepH SHOWALTER
Author of “ ( “The Panama Canal,” in the N THESE days when medical science has been recording one triumph after another over germ-produced diseases, when the germ-hunter in his laboratory has been ascertaining the causes of so many mysterious afflictions and laying the foundations for one preventive measure after another, people all but lose sight of the tremendous debt humanity owes to the expert in experimental medicine and the sanitarian. Indeed, he would be a prescient mathematician who could calcu- late what the vast amount of this debt is. It is only when we look back over the records of the past, when civilization was young and humanity without knowledge of the causes of the great epidemic dis- eases, that we can have a faint appreci- ation of what the patient man of the microscope has wrought in humanity’s behalf \When we see Naples, in the seven- teenth century, as helpless as a new-born babe in the grip of a plague during which 380,000 souls perished in six months; when we see Constantinople, in 1812, with 144,000 deaths; when we see London, in the days of the great plague, with 70,000 of its population carried off ; when we go back to China and behold'a few short years in the fourteenth century with a “black death” mortality record of 13 mil- lion souls, and to Europe, in the great
Battling with the Panama Slides, National Geographic \lagazine
°“The Countries of the Caribbean,”
scourge of 1347-1350, ond see 25 million people dying; when we come on down the years and see the untold millions who have died from the numerous pestilences which have inflicted death upon mankind ; then, and not till then, can we begin to appreciate what it all means.
Even then our appraisal will fall far short of the truth, for in those times the world was, in a sense, larger, the seas were broader, and the distances on land much greater than in these days of highly developed transportation and commerce. How can the mind conceive of the terri- ble toll epidemic diseases would take to- day, with our world-wide commerce, with our metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities, and with the constant commingling of the peoples of all lands, were it not for preventive measures
MAP-CHANGING MEDICINE
Throughout the history of the ages one may read of great changes in the maps of the earth that have resulted on the one hand from the ravages of disease and on the other from the discovery of meth- ods of combatting it.
We see the “glory that was Greece” depart because of the terrible toll exacted by malaria; we see a Panama Canal made possible because of the knowledge of the causation of yellow fever that came to
REDEEMING THE TROPICS
us through the patient and heroic work of a group of army surgeons; we see eities ke Havana and Rio de Janeiro transformed from pest-holes into munici- palities where epidemic diseases are under control.
Today thousands, nay millions, of hu- man souls living between Cancer and Capricorn are being freed from the thrall- dom of those terrible visitations that came periodically only a few years ago. Africa is rising up against the terrible sleeping sickness and the insidious malaria that have made it the “Dark Continent” for generations without number.
\Vherever we turn we find places where once a man gambled with death when he visited them being converted into regions where good health conditions exist. Pre- ventive medicine everywhere, and in the tropics in particular, is writing a new geography of inhabitable territory and of commercial opportunity.
Where yesterday the barriers of dis- ease were up against the peaceful and resource-developing invasion of capital and enterprise, there today is found health and happiness and_ prosperity. Where yesterday a man going to the tropics, even for a short stay, was bid- den good-bye by his friends as one who stood an even chance of never returning, today men and women go there for long periods; and in some places are quite as safe as at home, and in hundreds of others only a little less so.
HOW IT ALL HAPPENED
Truly the story of how all this has been brought about is the world’s most splendid exemplification of the proverb that truth is stranger than fiction. For hundreds of years man stood helpless and appalled in the face of the onset of great epidemics. He saw millions of his fel- low-beings visited with deaths more hor- rible than ever torture chamber could invent, but not knowing whence the af- fliction came or whither it went. He sur- mised and guessed, and finally saw a cer- tain relation between dirt and disease, and gradually the elimination of dirt checked the ravages of some epidemic diseases.
Then came the microscope with its dis- covery of infinitesimal worlds, and with
B45
it Pasteur and his discovery of the rela- tion between bacteria and disease. One by one new germs were discovered, and soon medical men came to understand the methods of the transmission of most of the epidemic diseases of temperate climates.
Still no one knew the cause of the epidemic diseases most characteristic of the tropics, and without this knowledge no satisfactory superstructure of prevent- ive tropical medicine could be reared. ‘Tropical humanity was attacked by myr- iads of enemies so subtle that men did not know even that they existed, and yet so terrible that the carnage of the world’s battlefields paled in comparison.
For centuries on end men had been seeking after the truth of the causation of yellow fever, bubonic plague, sleeping sickness, and allied diseases. Some of them had aearly guessed it. Sir Henry Blake tells of having seen a medical work in Ceylon, some 1,400 years old, which charged the mosquito with being a carrier of malaria. ‘The word canopy itself was brought into the language from a Greek word meaning gnat.
WHY THE CAT WAS WORSHIPED There were many strangely close guesses at the cause of disease in the early history of the human race. Far back in Egyptian history the people came so near to guessing the cause of plague that they made the cat a sacred animal. ‘They noticed that where there were cats there was no bubonic plague, and if they had only stopped to think a little further they might have seen that where there were cats the rats were scarce. But this relation did not strike them, so they went on worshipping the cat, and thinking that it was the animal’s supernatural power that saved them from contracting plague. The honor of having written the first modern work charging the mosquito with being a responsible agent in the spread of yellow and malarial fevers belongs to an American, Dr. Nott, of Mobile, Ala- bama. In 1848 he published a treatise upon yellow fever in which he charged the mosquito with the crime of spread- ing these diseases. A little later Dr. Louis Beauperthuy, studying an epidemic of yellow fever in Venezuela, also laid the
FIGHTING THE PANAMA MOSQUITO
WITH OIL
These sanitary drip-barrels automatically spread oil, drop by drop, over pools, streams,
and marshy places, thereby preventing the mosquito from breeding in the water.
“He (Ross)
proved beyond any peradventure that the Anopheles mosquito is the intermediate host, and
that no one can contract malaria except he be bitten by a mosquito which has previously bitten a person suffering from that disease” (see page 347).
blame upon the mosquito, and charged that it introduced a poison similar to snake venom into the human system through the biting process.
Step by step a closer approach to the truth was made, and in 1883 Sir Patrick Manson demonstrated that the mosquito was the intermediate host of the blood parasite filaria.
But it was not until Sir Ronald Ross arrived upon the scene with his investi- gations that the real truth of the prin- ciple of insect-borne diseases came to be understood. Prior to this Laveran had succeeded in isolating the germ of ma- laria; and, building upon this foundation, Ross labored to ascertain the exact rela- tion between man and the mosquito.
346
VOU LaNO we
WASHINGTON
JuLy, 1914
[- r
aie
WIV
WATIONAIL GEOGIRAIPIEMC MAGA ZTINIE
HUNTING WITH THE LENS
By Howarp H. CiLeaves
With Photographs by the Author
OT long ago one of our foremost N ornithologists surprised me by re-
marking that, in his opinion, the work of bird protection in this country had been carried to an extreme! He pointed out that every great bird student, to his knowledge, had received his start by collecting eggs and making up study skins, but that the doing of these things lies beyond the reach of the present-day lad by reason of the strictness of the law.
I ventured to suggest that most of the famous ornithologists had made their be- gimnings before the era of the camera and the inexpensive field-glass, and that through these instruments as mediums the youth of the twentieth century can de- velop and maintain as deep an interest in bird life as his counterpart of a hundred years ago was led to do as a result of collecting.
As a matter of fact, this is an age of popular interest, and is getting to be one of conservation as well. The scientific specialist will ever be with us, and it will always be possible for him to secure nec- essary material for his intensive studies ; but to open the way for every one in the land to destroy such quantities of wild creatures as might be deemed essential to develop within him the foundation for a scientific career would be a decided mis- take. It were better to have fewer scien- tists and more birds.
Not, after all, that those truly inter- ested in research have made any appreci-
able inroads on the bird population—al- though Audubon himself, in telling of his Florida episodes, says: “Each of us, pro- vided with a gun, posted himself behind a bush, and no sooner had the water forced the winged creatures to approach the shore than the work of destruction commenced. When it at length ceased the collected mass of birds of different kinds looked not unlike a small hay- cock”—but laws which are left loose for a worthy purpose are certain to be taken advantage of by the greedy and unscrupu- lous.
This account and the accompanying pictures are submitted to the reader with the special purpose of emphasizing the truth of the already oft-repeated con- tention that it is more glorious and profit- able to shoot birds through a lens than through the bore of a gun. The photo- graphs are all of birds to be found in eastern North America, and might have been secured by any person with standard photographic equipment and a fair supply of energy and patience
DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENT IN DIFFERENT BIRDS
The infinite variety of problems that must be met and overcome in securing photographs of wild birds under natural conditions should appeal to any one who has even a spark of ingenuity. The mode of procedure applied successfully to one subject may fail completely in the case
A “TURTLE CRAWL”:
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves RACCOON KEY, BULLS BAY, 3S. C.
The female turtle drags herself up the beach above high-water mark after dark and digs a nest, where, according to the age and size of the turtle, from 75 to 200 eggs are
deposited at a single laying.
of another. In this event a new course must be devised, and if this fails a third must be resorted to. It keeps one’s wits on the move and compels a close study of the habits and idiosyncrasies of the numerous birds which one meets; and this, after all, is the true end to be gained and desired.
The difference of temperament in dif- ferent birds and, moreover, in different individuals of the same species can best be illustrated, perhaps, by the following incidents :
The first was furnished by a yellow- billed cuckoo. She had her nest in a dense piece of woodland and placed near the top of a seven-foot bush, beneath a canopy of leaves, which, together with the shade of the forest, produced wretched light conditions for photography.
The time was late afternoon, and be- fore the old bird came back to the nest, with the corpulent caterpillar of a hawk moth for the two young cuckoos, an electrical storm had obscured the sun en- tirely, and the rumblings of thunder made it apparent that camera, tripod, and all
would soon have to be withdrawn or be drenched. But the young cuckoos were so far developed that they would be out of the nest by the following morning; so, if a plate were to be secured of the old bird beside her young, it was plain that it must be exposed within the next five minutes or not at all.
As this crisis was reached there oc- curred a movement at the far side of the bush and in an instant the old yellow-bill was standing at the edge of the nest, her tail drooping and head turned to one side. The shutter had been set for a time ex- posure and the thread leading to it was given a cautious pull.
At the opening click the old bird’s head turned slightly; but from that moment until the remarkable exposure of 57 sec- onds (made necessary by the light condi- tions) was brought to an end by a second snap of the shutter spring, the cuckoo re- mained like a statue, and the resulting photograph was fairly satisfactory. Such a course could not have been followed with a less passive and apparently stupid bird than the cuckoo.
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
GATHERING THE EGGS OF THE TURTLE
The turtle usually comes ashore in late May or early June and deposits her eggs in a hole she digs in the sand. She lays an enormous number, ranging from fifty to a thousand, according to her size, scoops back the sand, and returns to the sea, never again bothering
about her eggs.
If these are undisturbed, they hatch in from six to eight weeks.
The baby
turtles have to shift for themselves, and as soon as they are hatched they seek the water; but they are not willing to risk themselves in the open sea until they have developed their
powers of navigation in some shallow inlet.
In gathering the eggs, the exact location is first
determined with a stick; then the egger digs through two feet of moist sand to the top layer
of eggs.
My friend and fellow bird photogra- pher, Mr. Clinton G. Abbott, had an ex- perience with a cedar waxwing which illustrates this point. The nest was lo- cated in a shady place, necessitating the taking of time-exposures only. But the bird was nervous and turned her head each time at the click of the shutter, pro- ducing only a blur where her head should have been and spoiling plate after plate. The clever photographer over- came the difficulty by hanging an alarm clock beneath his camera. The waxwing
The sand is allowed to cling to the shell until the egg is about to be cooked.
soon became accustomed to the sound of this instrument and a perfect photograph was secured, for when the thread was pulled to make the exposure the “clicks of the shutter intermingled perfectly with the ticks and tocks of the clock.” One soon discovers that there is a vast variation in the dispositions of different individuals of the same species. In work- ing with the fish-hawks on Gardiners Island we found that some returned to their eggs or young almost as soon as one had disappeared within his umbrella
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A PIPING PLOVER AND YOUNG “PERMITTED A SURPRISING DEGREE OF FAMILIARITY”: MARTHAS VINEYARD, MASS. “By simply holding the camera in my hands and standing in the open, without conceal-
ment of any kind, I was able to photograph the bird as she approached her nest and brooded her newly hatched young” (see text, page 8)
PIPING PLOVER Photos by Howard H. Cleaves
“Proved herself to be the most devoted shore-bird mother that I had ever met. . . . I put my hat over the nest in the absence of the old plover, and was nearly convulsed by watching the ‘circus’ when she returned. ._. . To hear her offspring and yet not be able to find or see them was quite inexplicable. Round and round the hat she ran, piping away in the meantime and now and again stopping to listen—a peep from a youngster being sufficient to start her off again” (see text, page 10).
A YOUNG GREEN HERON REGAINING HIS BALANCE ON A PERCH
The dark patches at either side of his head are not the eyes, but the inside of the mouth, illustrating the spring-like character of the lower mandible
fe a = —
ood
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves ONE OF THE “BEACH PATROL’: SPOTTED SANDPIPER
A bird easily photographed near home—a common nester in the eastern United States
COMING IN SWIFTLY FOR A STRIKE FROM THE REAR, TALONS LOWERED READY FOR INSTANT ACTION
“Tt is only necessary, then, to secure a stuffed owl and place it on a perch in some open
site in order to ‘start something’ in the bird world. And by concealing one’s self near by
in a blind, either of the umbrella variety or of some natural objects, such as corn-stalks, cat- tails, etc., the onslaught may be witnessed and photographed to advantage” (see text, page I2).
|
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves A VICIOUS JAB, DEMONSTRATING THE REACH OF A HAWK'S LEGS
Here. as in most of the photos in this series, the owl happens to be in a horizontal position, into which shape he was knocked by the hawk
Bee aay 7
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
THE RED-SHOULDER TEARING AWAY THE SIDE OF THE DECOY
The hawk’s wings far forward at the “top” of a stroke and tail spread like a fan.
Several
crows show in the distance on the wing (see text, page 13)
blind, while others, under precisely the same conditions, proved to be decidedly skeptical and required an hour or more to become reconciled. And now and then a hawk would be accommodating for a time, but would suddenly, without ap- parent reason, go off and refuse to return so long as the blind was near.
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS WITH
PLOVER
A PIPING-
I recall working the better part of an afternoon trying to photograph an old piping-plover at her nest without suc- cess; but a couple of years later, on a different portion of the coast, I came upon a breeding piping-plover that went
n
to the other extreme and permitted a sur- prising degree of familiarity. By simply holding the camera in my hands and standing in the open, without concealment of any kind, I was able to photograph the bird as she approached her nest and brooded her newly hatched young.
Not being content with this, I put my hat over the nest in the absence of the old plover, and was nearly convulsed by watching the “circus” when she returned.
She came unerringly back to the nest- site, which perhaps she recognized by the two familiar tufts of beach grass, one of which stood on either side of the nest; but here between them was a peculiar hillock that had grown up during the
AN ATTACK FROM THE SIDE
y 4 z,
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves THE MOUNTED BARRED OWL AFTER THE FRAY
Showing one eye hanging by shred of cotton, hole over the eye, and large rent in bird’s side where excelsior is exposed
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
BELLOWING OVER THE LAKE TO HIS MATE
brief time that she had been away. She came to a dead stop three inches from the brim of the hat and fluffed out her feathers indignantly, at the same time uttering a series of plaintive, piping whistles. This brought forth a muffled response from the young, and instantly the old bird became highly excited.
To hear her offspring and yet not be able to find or see them was quite inex- plicable. Round and round the hat she ran, piping away in the meantime and now and again stopping to listen—a peep from a youngster being sufficient to start her off again.
At length the limit of patience seemed to be reached, for instead of circling longer about the obstruction the mother plover headed straight for it, pushing against the upturned brim with her breast and pecking at the material in the crown as if to remove the frightful object. Had there been any purpose in further extend- ing the experiment I should not have had the heart to do it; but there was none, and the hat was removed from the nest
sae)
and put in its proper place. The little piper had proved herself to be the most solicitous shore-bird mother that 1 had ever met.
USING AN OWL FOR BAIT
In seeking to procure bird photographs one should mark carefully the several factors which go to mate up the bird’s life—his food habits, time and manner of nesting, habitat in winter, and even his roosting place by night, his favorite perch by day (if he has one), and any peculiar whims, likes or dislikes, which happen to characterize his kind. Being possessed of an understanding of these things is identical with having success within one’s grasp, if bird photography is the aim.
The simple knowledge, for instance, that hawks, crows, jays, and many other of the land birds are the sworn enemies of the owls is sufficient to put one in a position to conduct a highly entertaining experiment and one which is likely to produce a series of striking photographs. The reason that so many birds display
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Photo by Howard H. Cleaves THE “STAMPING GROUND” ON NESTING ISLAND IN LAK GEORGE
Here the gulls preen, feed their young, play, and sleep; also a trail (open space in
bushes) where birds walk to and from the shore of the lake.
The grass has been torn up
by the roots and trampled under foot to keep the space clear.
this deep antipathy toward owls 1s prob- ably that the nests of the former are oc- casionally rifled during the night by the latter, and at times the owl actually cap- tures roosting adult birds, as their feath- ers found in the owl’s nest-cavity or day- time retreat would testify.
It is no wonder, then, whenever an owl is so unfortunate as to be driven into a conspicuous position during the hours of light that some jay or crow or catbird should break loose with a series of ter- rible curses at the top of his lungs, and thus call together a bevy of irate confed- erates, who proceed to mob the poor bird of the night.
It is only necessary, then, to secure a stuffed owl and place it on a perch in some open site in order to “start some- thing” in the bird world. And by con- cealing one’s self near by in a blind, either of the umbrella variety or of some nat- ural objects, such as corn-stalks, cat-tails, etc., the onslaught may be witnessed and photographed to advantage. An account
of one or two of the writer’s experiences with a mounted owl may be of interest.
I had been rambling through some marshes near the quaint old village of Keyport, New Jersey, and chanced to fall into conversation with an old fisherman who practiced taxidermy as an avocation. It is always well to look over the mounted specimens in possession of these isolated naturalists, for an Eskimo curlew, pas- senger-pigeon, or some other rarity may be found perched on a bureau, sideboard, or mantelpiece. There was just one bird in the fisherman’s collection that inter- ested me, and this was a barred owl which gazed out over the room from his position on top of the grandfather’s clock. I wanted, that owl. My host protested, saying that the specimen was falling apart, due to age, and asked if I wouldn’t care for some other mount. But I insisted that I cared only for the owl, and at last its owner wrapped up the shabby-looking bird and apologetically accepted a dollar for it.
ADMIRING THEIR OWN FEET
This was a failing among the black-backs.
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
It was often done after the preening was
completed
With new eyes and a change in posture, the owl looked like the real, living thing; indeed, it worked almost too well when put out for the experiment. The dummy was perched prominently on a side hill, and with a companion I crawled beneath a canopy of pine boughs and gave a few scolding crow-calls to bring on the van- guard of the mob.
SAVAGE ATTACKS BY A HAWK
Like magic, fish-crows and common crows appeared on the scene, seeming to come from every point of the compass. They formed themselves into a croaking, cawing, swirling spiral and heaped their wrath upon the immovable barred owl on the side hill below.
Soon a red-shouldered hawk sailed smoothly out from a woodland to investi- gate the row. On sighting the owl he broke into rapid flight and went scream- ing at the head of the poor wretch.
The uproar had reached its height and one photograph had been made when sud- denly the hawk left the scene, and the crows, with a few sharp caws, faded into
13
the distance. Looking from the blind, we perceived a bare-headed woman and her son racing toward us through thickets and brambles, and when we stepped forth and the woman came up to where we stood she demanded to know what we were doing to the birds. It was a strik- ing demonstration of the spirit of bird protection, even though our sport had been spoiled for the day.
The next time the owl was put up in a spot more remote from human habita- tion and with uninterrupted success. A fish-crow was the first to give the alarm, and presently there were fully 75 crows in the air and in trees close by. Care had been taken to put the dummy only a hundred yards from the nest of a red- shouldered hawk, and the male bird, who had been noted scouting about the vicin- ity, was not long in being attracted by the rumpus.
Strangely enough, this very hawk a few minutes before had been harassed by the crows, but in the presence of the new enemy the black raiders forgot these for- mer differences; in fact, they were quite willing to resign in favor of the red-
Apparently possessing a fondness for play, the old black-backs now and then pick up a cast feather, a dead fern, or other object and carry it about. Note bird on left. A downy voungster is following at the right (foreground), begging for food.
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves THE LONG-DELAYED MEAL IS AT LAST SERVED
Half-digested fish, captured in the Bay of Fundy or the ocean, are disgorged before the young gulls on the breeding islands in Lake George, several miles from the coast
i a CL OOM rts
THE OLD BIRDS ARE EXCEEDINGLY CLEANLY
They often wash their bills in the margin of the lake after delivering a meal. (Immature gull in foreground enjoying the remnants of a dainty morsel)
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves BLACK-BACK PREENING RUMP FEATHERS, OR POSSIBLY REACHING FOR OIL SAC
15
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SOABITD “FT premoyy Aq ooYg
16
KILLDEER: THE SPOT SELECTED FOR THE NEST WAS IN
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves CENTER OF A POTATO
THE
FIELD
The photographer may be dimly seen under the tree in the background, where he was pulling the thread
shoulder and remained perched about on dead trees, looking on at the assault.
The whole thing was strikingly like an arena battle, with the crows cawing and croaking approval and encouragement from their points of vantage while the furious and screaming red - shoulder dashed in at the non-resisting owl in the pit below. First the dummy got a whack on the back of the head and then in the face, and at each blow the air was full of feathers (see pages 8 and 9).
The hawk selected two perches—one
17
to the east and the other to the west of the owl—and back and forth between these he flew, striking viciously at the enemy each time as he passed, occasion- ally wheeling and delivering a double- barreled blow before going on to his lookout. The owl was now knocked into an almost horizontal position by a strike from the rear, and now bent into a nor- mal, upright attitude by an attack from the front; and there he would sit, solemn and erect, ready for the next rush. Whenever the hawk lagged the least
bit in his attack he was instantly spurred on by a hooting which to him apparently seemed to come from the owl, but which really came from within the umbrella blind near at hand.
During the siege, which lasted for many minutes, eight photographs were secured and the dummy was the recipient of 19 head and body blows.
The poor owl was a sight when taken from the perch and cannot even be re- paired for future use. Great tufts of ex- celsior protrude from his back and sides, one eye hangs an inch out of its socket by a mere shred of cotton, and the back of his head is entirely torn away, expos- ing wire framework and areas of stuffing. But he has furnished more than a dollar’s worth of fun (see page 9)!
AN ARTIFICIAL GOLDFISH USED FOR BAIT
Perhaps the most carefully thought-out and “highly organized” bird photographic experiment on record (according to the assurances of friends) 1s that which the writer brought to a successful conclusion near his home on Staten Island, New
ip 2)
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves A “SEA-SWALLOW,” OR COMMON TERN, MAKING A QUICK TURN: MUSKEGET ISLE, MASS.
York, on the 12th of April of the present year, when a fish-hawk, or osprey, was induced to plunge for an artificial gold- fish. The details are presented herewith to the readers of the Nationa, GEo- GRAPHIC MAGAZINE.
First of all it might be well to have an understanding of the movements and feeding habits of the osprey, for these have a direct bearing on the case. This large hawk, having a wing-spread of about 514 feet and being one of the com- monest birds of prey in the coastal re- gion, spends the winter in Florida, on the Gulf coast and southward, working up the Atlantic seaboard at the approach of open weather and reaching the vicinity of New York about the last week in March or the first week in April—very shortly after the ice has left our ponds, lakes, and rivers.
At this time the menhaden, or “moss bunker,” the chief food of the fish-hawk and a fish which is familiar to all who have lived or visited near the ocean, has not yet migrated up the coast, and flound- ers and other salt-water fishes are not yet
BLACK DUCh, OK DUSKY DUCK, IN BREEDING GROUNDS, MARTHAS VINEYARD, MASS.
An anxious mother circling about us as we held her young
THE SAME “NIGGER” DUCK PRETENDING TO BE TERRIBLY WOUNDED
We were holding her young and whistling in imitation of their cry
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves
YOUNG BLACK DUCK “HYDROPLANING” ON BEING RELEASED Mother, fully “recovered,” in flight in upper left-hand portion of photo
19
LAUGHING GULL ALIGHTING ON MARSH NEST: COBBS ISLAND, VA.
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves LAUGHING GULL WHEELING: COBBS ISLAND, VA.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE BANDING OR RINGING OF WILD BIRDS?
This now wide movement is throwing light on the problems of migration, and especially on the movements of individual wild birds. (The author banding young black-backed gulls at Lake George, Nova Scotia. Note the camera and binoculars.)
Photos by Howard IH. Cleaves. THE BABY ROYAL TERN WITH RING ADJUSTED: VESSEL REEF, S. C.
“Notify Am. Museum, N. Y,,” is inscribed on each band, and there is also a serial number
21
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NEWLY HATCHED YOUNG OF COMMON TERN, OR SEA-SWALLOW : GARDINERS ISLAND, N. Y.
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves
A SCENE IN THE HOME LIFE OF THE COMMON TERN, OR SEA-SWALLOW: FEEDING YOUNG WITH A SAND EEL, MUSKEGET, MASS.
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25
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
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A PORTION OF ROYAL TERN COLONY:
VESSEL REEF, BULLS B
The two birds in center with heads lowered are quarreling over “boundary rights
”
wholly available. The invaria- ble result is that the hawks, for at least three weeks after their arrival from the South, hunt almost exclusively in fresh water —chiefly ponds, where golden carp, German carp, and perch are taken. The first named of these three 1s most often secured, probably because of his orange - yellow color, which renders him more con- spicuous in the muddy waters after the spring freshets.
The fish-hawk’s manner of securing his prey is highly spec- tacular. If hunting over a pond he drifts along the lee shore a hundred feet or so above the surface of the water, facing into the wind and keep- ing his eyes fixed on the pond below. When a fish is sighted, the bird checks himself directly above the quarry on wings that beat horizontally, and should the prospects be good—if the fish is of proper size and at a suitable distance from the sur- face of the water—down goes the bird at reckless speed, with wings folded and talons wide open. There is a great splash as the hawk strikes the water and seizes the fish by the back.
Year after year I longed to get an osprey at his fishing game on a photographic plate; but who could tell where a hawk might plunge, and how could one be close enough with a camera to catch the bird at it? The matter was given much thought. It was at first planned to capture live goldfish and tether them out as bait, but the probable difficulty of securing them when wanted and of mak- ing them “stay put’ was too great.
So I went to my friend, Dwight Franklin, expert mod- eler in the American Museum of Natural History, and in- duced him to make for me an artificial goldfish, to measure 10 or 12 inches in length. This
decoy was carved of wood, equipped with glass eyes and celluloid fins, and was given a coat of yellow paint above and silver beneath. When anchored six inches below the surface of the water a short distance off- shore, the keenest-eyed fish- hawk could hardly avoid being misled.
The day chosen for the trial was fortunately a bright one, making possible exposures of exceeding rapidity. The wind was in the southwest, so the west or leeward shore of the pond was selected and the um- brella blind put up at the wa- ters edge. With the aid of boots, my companion and helper was able to place the de- coy 10 feet offshore, a distance which for several reasons was deemed suitable. The fish was held below the surface by an T8-ounce rock (the decoy weighing nine), which was tied by a thread to a couple of screws in the belly of the fish.
Another thread was attached to a peg in the snout and run to the inside of the blind, the object being to lend a lifelike appearance to the dummy by pulling the thread and moving the fish about at its moorings when the hawk arrived over- head.
All was now in perfect readi- ness except that not a hawk was anywhere to be seen! We deemed it best, however, to do our waiting out of sight, and accordingly I entered my blind and my companion hid himself away in an old pig-pen a short way up the shore. Inasmuch as a wider view could be had through a crack in the wall of the pig’s shelter than from the peep-hole in the blind, my ac- complice agreed to give a signal the moment a hawk was sighted in the distance.
For nearly an hour things were dull—the passing of a kingfisher, with his loud, sput-
“SSAA a
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
Cc.
8.
TERNS:
ROYAL
VESSEL REEF,
brooding activities.
sment district of New York, these sea birds carry on their incubating and
The bird in the foreground is giving her baby a minnow
ether as humans in the tei
Q° 5
Crowded as closely to
THE EXCITEMENT OF TOUCHING THE
ECCENTRIC WOODCOCK
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
ON THE BACK (SEE
PAGE 29)
tering call, the cheery tune of a song- sparrow close by, and the sparkle of the sun on the ruffled surface of the pond being the only things to hold our interest.
THE OSPREY APPEARS
Presently there came a low whistle from the pig-pen, and putting my eye to the observation window I could see a hawk sailing toward the pond from the direction of the Atlantic highlands. Soon he was searching the western border of the pond to the south, all the time work- ing in our direction, arriving almost over-
head in a very few minutes. Now was the time to act! The thread leading to the fish’s snout was given two or three pulls and the camera pushed into place.
But even before I could get my hand to the shutter release there appeared a shadow over the water, and then there was a splash. The hawk was grappling with the decoy and in a few seconds had raised fish and anchor above the water and was making off with them. I feared for my precious decoy, but at that mo- ment the hawk’s talons slipped and his burden (equaling half his own weight)
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
WOODCOCK’'S EGGS UNCOVERED
dropped back into the pond (see illustra- tion).
The osprey, however, was not to be de- prived of his breakfast so easily; he was hungry and had met with but poor luck in fishing activities the whole morning. So, instead of going away, he simply cir- cled out over the pond and came up wind looking for the fish again; and the fish, quite unlike any that the hawk had ever met, was there awaiting him.
Seven times the osprey fastened his mighty talons onto the back of the stub- born victim, and toward the last became so exhausted that he lay on the surface of the water for a time with wings out- spread, while his claws remained closed on the fish below. The hawk’s final act was to drag the fish into shallow water near the shore and stand beside it while he leaned over from time to time and tried to bite into the head of the dummy as it floated on its side.
How long he would have remained standing there cannot be known, for he was frightened away by the noise of the focal-plane shutter in the blind, eight feet away. The bird had not noticed this sound when the previous exposures were made, for he himself had caused so much commotion thrashing about in the water that all minor noises were quite lost.
Although experiences such as the one
just described are unusual and not often enjoyed, even by those who follow the birds closely, yet there are many out-of- the-ordinary experiments which one may devise ; but, on the other hand, much last- ing joy is to be derived from doing and seeing just the “ordinary” things.
THE KILDEER
Who, for example, can recall with any- thing but pleasure the thrill of finding his first woodcock’s nest and the excitement of touching the eccentric bird on the back before she would leave her eggs? And the killdeer! How lasting an impression these vociferous and highly patterned plovers make on a person's mind!
Several years ago a pair decided to stop and nest in a cultivated field near the pasture pond, and it was the best possible fun to watch and photograph them. The spot selected for the nest was in the center of a potato field, and it seemed certain that the eggs would be destroyed when the plants were next cul- tivated (see page 17).
And yet, were I to disclose the where- abouts of the nest, how could I be sure that human hands would not prove as destructive as horses’ feet. The head gardener of the estates where the kill- deers lived was a diminutive, tanned in- dividual—a man accustomed to being
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves
SCENE OF THE OSPREY EXPERIMENT
Umbrella blind on shore and Leland Wincapaw, the author’s companion, re-anchoring the decoy after it had been dragged ashore by the hawk
much in the open, and who ought, there- fore, to be familiar with birds; but whether he was keen on their protection or not, who could tell?
I approached him, however; told him of the nest and pointed it out to him. He had never seen anything like it and was much impressed. Would he cultivate around it? Indeed, yes; in fact, the whole row of potatoes where the nest was lo- cated should not be touched till the young plovers were safely gone; and, to make certain that the site could be easily told, a couple of large stones were placed a few feet at either side of the nest.
It was delightful to discover this spirit hidden away beneath the bronzed ex- terior of the old gardener. He talked of the birds of his native lakes in Switzer- land and remarked how the killdeers re- minded him of a bird he had seen at home. And each year since our first meeting the gardener has greeted me warmly and told me how long the “ring- lets” had been back, for the killdeers have come each spring to the big gardens and reared their four young under the pro-
30
tecting care of the little tanned man and his helpers.
SHOOTING WITH THE LENS
One of the great beauties of bird study and photography is that the subjects are without limit. Should one exhaust the possibilities near home (which is well nigh impossible) or desire to expand his circle of feathered acquaintances, there are always awaiting him the wonderful colonies both inland and on the coast. Or if one is not set on having the spec- tacular, he may go to the north woods, where the brilliant and shy warblers and other birds of passage make their homes.
But at some time, be it soon or late, one is almost dead certain to come under the spell of the sea-bird. There is some- thing overpowering and enthralling about standing beneath screaming, gyrating myriads of sea-swallows and watching them settle on their nests as lightly as giant snowflakes. And then there are the gulls, petrels, guillemots, puffins, ete., of the islands along the north Atlantic coast, while on the sun-baked dunes and
Photos by Howard H. Cleaves
THE FISH WING-STROKE, AFTER THE HAWK’S TALONS BECAME FASTENED TO THE BACK OF THE DECOY AND THE BIRD WAS STRUGGLING TO RISE WITH HIS BURDEN
marshes of the southern seaboard are the herons, skimmers, oyster-catchers, the giant royal terns, and countless others— all possessing their individualities and making their separate impressions.
A person should not content himself with being told about these bird cities. They are as marvelous in their way as the wonders of the Yellowstone region, and many of them are under the protec- tion and care of the Federal government as are the animals of the National Park. These birds are, therefore, recognized as a part of the nation’s resources, and are available for inspection to any well-in-
tentioned citizen on application. ‘There are at this moment 64 of these wild- life reservations throughout the United States and possessions.
SIXTY-FOUR BIRD RESERVATIONS IN THE
UNITED STATES AND TERRITORIES
The names and locations of the bird reservations are as follows:
. Pelican Island, Fla. 3reton Island, La.
Stump Lake, N. Dak.
Huron Islands, Mich.
. Siskiwit Islands, Mich.
Passage Key, Fla.
. Indian Key, Fla.
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Photo by Howard H. Cleaves
“How long he would have remained standing there cannot be known, for he was fright ened away by the noise of the focal-plane shutter in the blind, eight feet away. The bird had not noticed this sound when the previous exposures were made, for he himself had caused so much commotion thrashing about in the water that all minor noises were quite lost” (see text, page 29).
. Tern Islands, La.
Shell Keys, La.
. Three Arch Rocks, Ore. . Flattery Rocks, Wash. . Quillayute Needles, Wash.
Copalis Rock, Wash.
. East Timbalier, La. . Mosquito Inlet, Fla. . Tortugas Keys, Fla.
Key West, Fla. Klamath Lake, Ore.
10. 20.
Lake Malheur, Ore. Chase Lake, N. Dak. Pine Island, Fla.
Palma Sola, Fla. Matlacha Pass, Fla. Island Bay, Fla. Loch-Katrine, Wyo. Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii Salt River, Ariz.
webase Park: Cal. . Deer Flat, Idaho
SHOWING THE GOLDFISH WITH “FULL RIG’
. Willow Creek, Mont.
. Carlsbad, N. Mex.
. Rio Grande, N. Mex.
. Cold Springs, Ore.
. Belle Fourche, S. Dak. . Strawberry Valley, Utah. . Keechelus, Wash.
. Kachess, Wash.
. Clealum, Wash. 3umping Lake, Wash.
. Conconully, Wash.
. Pathfinder, Wyo.
. Shoshone, Wyo.
. Minidoka, Idaho. Bering Sea, Alaska.
. Tuxedni, Alaska.
. St. Lazaria, Alaska.
. Yukon Delta, Alaska.
. Cluebra, P. R.
. Farallon, Cal.
. Pribilof, Alaska.*
. Bogoslof, Alaska.
. Clear Lake, Cal.
. Forester Island, Alaska. . Hazy Islands, Alaska.
. Niobrara, Nebr.
. Green Bay, Wis.
. Chamisso Island, Alaska. . Pishkun, Montana.
* Transferred to Bureau of Fisheries by act of April 21, 1910.
34
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves ’ OF FINS BEFORE BEING ANCHORED OUT FOR THE EXPERIMENT
59. Desecheo Island, P. R.
60. Gravel Island, Wis. (Lake Michigan). 61. Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
62. Walker Lake, Ark.
63. Petit Bois Island, Ala.
64. Anaho Island, Nev.
What could constitute a more ideal va- cation trip than packing off in May or June, the height of the birds’ breeding period, and traversing a portion of the coast with a view to stopping here and there at the most populous and fascinat- ing bird rookeries? If the writer were to be stricken in the next 24 hours with some malady which would confine him to his bed for the balance of his days, the most highly cherished memories that could come to him would be of his ex- periences in the big bird colonies of the Atlantic coast. Most of these spots are islands, for there are few enemies on these places such as the land birds have to contend with, and an abundant and constant food supply is always at hand in the ocean near by.
From personal, first-hand experience
of the fish.
the writer can recommend the following specific localities and general regions:
Seal Island, Nova Scotia, for the her- ring gull, black guillemot, Leach’s petrel, eider duck, Bicknell’s thrush, blackpoll warbler, and yellow-billed flycatcher.
Lake George, Nova Scotia, for the great black-backed or minister gull.
Muskeget Isle and Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, for the Wilson’s or com- mon tern, least tern, piping-plover, black duck, and laughing gull.
Gardiners Island, New York, for the fish-hawk, black-crowned night heron, common and roseate terns, piping-plover, short-eared owl, parula warbler, and Bar- tramian sandpiper.
Cobbs, Wreck, and Little Isaacs isl- ands, Cape Charles, Virginia, for the black skimmer, or flood gull, laughing gull, clapper rail, and common tern.
And the coast of South Carolina for a
35
Photo by Howard H. Cleaves THE DECOY GOLDFISH AFTER THE EXPERIMENT
Showing how fins were all torn away by hawk’s talons, and scratches and scars on the back
The anchor stone, thread, and nose-string are also to be seen
distance of 60 or 70 miles north of Charleston for the willet, Wilson's plover, oyster-catcher, royal tern, least tern, snowy and American egrets, Louisiana, little blue, black-crowned night, and little green herons, brown pelican, black skim- mer, anhinga, or snakebird, etc., and many, many land birds, including the in- comparable painted bunting.
To even begin going into a detailed de- scription of the home life of one of these wonderful creatures would require more space than could be allowed in a general magazine article. The writer can there- fore but urge the reader to spurn the summer hotel, with its pomp and artifi- ciality, charter for himself a modest sloop or power-boat, and make his way through lagoons and tide-rips to these isolated islands, and follow the picturesque chan- nels of the salt marsh in quest of the bird-inhabited bars and reefs.
YOUNG JAPAN
By Exiza R. ScipMoRE
HE children of the streets and the
children who play in the homes
and gardens of the rich are equally the joy of the Empire, the delight of the stranger in Japan, and the distraction of the amateur photographer. All of them seem happy save the unhappy mites doomed to ugly, clumsy European dresses and shoes and hats by their over-ambi- tious parents. In their own dresses of rainbow crape or blue cotton, they are the drollest, quaintest little images of their grandfathers, and the funny little caps and bibs of the babies make them strange travesties of solemn temple im- ages.
Five hundred thousand little Japanese arrive each year, according to the census records, and all these small additions to the populace for 10 years back seem al- ways to be on view in the streets.
Despite the fable that Japanese babies never cry, they often do lift their voices in pain ot wrath; but they seem to have less cause for crying than the babies of the Western World, where so much theorizing has been done about them and great conventions of mothers discuss their needs. Babies are petted and played with here almost more than with us, and no learned young mothers ever lay their babies away in dark rooms alone to sleep.
The little one of the people is never left behind when the mother or the fam- ily go abroad. It sleeps and wakes as it rides around on mother’s or elder sister’s warm back; or, in colder weather, en- folded in the one great matted coat that converts the bearer into an astonishing humpback. It goes to the markets, the shops, and the temples, and holds its place securely while the mother draws water, sweeps, or washes, and then participates in games of marbles or hop scotch and turns pin-wheels and somersaults with elder brother.
The boy or girl big enough to carry a baby on its back usually has one bound there. Several millions of the abundant population are to be classed as the “‘two- storied,” and yet the streets seem crowded
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with children. Sometimes the fat, lob- lolly baby seems too nearly the same size as the small brother or sister carrying it, and once I saw a man, trying to comfort one of these weeping little mothers, mount the two on his back, and the three- story group walked away on two feet.
Schools begin early in the morning in Japan, as in Switzerland, and as school- houses are well-windowed, draughty and costly to heat, children have their longest vacations in midwinter. In every city one is struck by the numbers of boys in military caps and girls in red hakamas (divided skirts, a school uniform) trudg- ing the streets in the early morning and afternoon, and it impresses one as evi- dence of great thirst for knowledge or the thorough administration of the law for compulsory education. At recess time one easily finds the school play- ground by the shouts of the square acre of frolicking children, and from the streets and country roads one sees lines of children doing drills or calisthenics.
In the kindergartens boys and girls drill and play much alike, but after that diverting period the small boy blooms into knickerbockers and a peaked cap, and carries his books in a knapsack on his back. Gymnastic drills become military drills, and at the higher middle school, which is preparatory to the university, the boys get training in jiu-jutsu and in fencing with bamboo swords.
In some schools—notably the Peeress School and others in Tokyo—the girls are also taught the naganata, or fencing with bamboo spears; and they, too, can march and perform evolutions like little soldiers, and render first-aid services according to Red Cross rules.
As a people, the Japanese are great walkers, and their sensible foot-gear con- tributes to the enjoyment of such exer- cise. Flatfoot, the great and universal American disease, is unknown in Japan, and army surgeons laugh when asked for their records of fallen arches. As their ancestors walked in the train of the daimios up to Yeddo and back again every
OUR HERITAGE OF THE FRESH WATERS
nually in the Aquarium, where the process of incubation in glass jars always attracts the at- tention of visitors. As handled in the fish hatcheries, a large specimen may yield 300,000 eggs.
The Pike-perch belongs to the family of Perches, although its form is suggestive of the Pikes.
While it is regarded in the markets as one of the best of our food-fishes and great numbers are taken in the net fisheries, it is highly ap- preciated as a game fish. The angler does not find it a difficult fish to catch and a large one will resist like a good-sized Pickerel.
The Sauger, also called Sand Pike, is a little brother to the Pike-perch, resembling it in general appearance, but in size does not aver- age more than a quarter of its weight. It has a smaller eye, a more pointed head, and a lighter coloration. It has much the same geographic distribution.
The Sauger is a good food and game fish, taken in trolling and casting both with bait and lure. In some localities great numbers are taken with seines.
COMMON EEL (Anguilla rostrata) (For illustration sce Color Plate XV1)
The annual catch of Eels for market along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida ex- ceeds 3,000,000 pounds and is worth $250,000.
Recently three barges, each more than 100 feet long and 12 feet wide, arrived at New York from Quebec with 165,000 pounds of live Eels. They were towed by way of the St. Lawrence River, Lake Champlain, and Hudson River and were 13 days in transit. The barges are virtu- ally well-boats, or live cars, the bottoms con- sisting of heavy slats, with narrow spaces be- tween to provide abundant circulation of water.
The catch is made when Eels are working to- ward salt water and is heaviest during the dark of the moon. ‘The season is from July to October, inclusive.
Large as is the catch of Eels in America, it is vastly more so in Europe.
Science knows more to-day about the Eel than it did some years ago, and the missing chapters in the Eel’s life history have been supplied through modern deep-sea investigations rather than in the study of fresh or coastal waters, where Eels are more in evidence.
Unlike Salmon, Shad, and other fishes which enter fresh waters to spawn, the Eel descends streams at maturity to spawn far at sea. The young Eels—three inches or so in length, called Elvers—that enter fresh waters in the spring in large numbers, and are continually working up- stream, have always been known, but the stages of growth between the egg and the Elver were not.
These stages in which the baby Eel does not exceed three inches in length are of compara- tively recent discovery. We here find it a thin, flattened creature, so transparent that ordinary print may be clearly read through its body. When first described in this stage it was called Leptocephalus and was not known to be the Common Eel.
These transparent larval Eels found at sea
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in the winter months grow rapidly, and by the end of the year are more than two inches long, when they begin to transform. By the time they are a year old they begin to appear in fresh-water streams as Elvers or young Eels about three inches long.
Investigations by the Danish vessel Dana in 1920 and 1921 have shown that the early larval stages of both the American and the European Eel are found only in the western Atlantic, at depths of 600 to goo feet. The former spawns to the south and southwest of the Bermuda Islands, the latter to the south and southeast.
While the American Kel begins to enter fresh water at the age of a year, the European species remains three years in the larval stages before it appears as the Elver in European streams. The latter, like the American Eel, goes far in- land, even passing within the borders of Swit- zerland.
Females with ripe eggs are unknown, the millions of undeveloped eggs carried by each female not developing while the Eels linger in fresh or coastal waters.
The Eels found far inland are always females and remain in fresh water for several years. It is only when tending toward reproductive ma- turity that they seek the sea. Male Eels remain in tidal waters and are smaller and less in evi- dence. Like females, they do not reach breed- ing maturity until they have passed to sea.
The great bulk of the Eel catch everywhere consists of females. It is said that all the Eels captured in the great Quebec fishery are females moving downstream.
The Eel catch in the St. Lawrence River is derived from Eels belonging to that river and its tributaries, including Lake Ontario. The Lake Ontario catch of Eels in 1899 exceeded 123,000 pounds. The annual yield of all the other Great Lakes combined seldom exceeds 2,000 pounds, the Falls of Niagara constituting an impassable barrier to all kinds of fishes.
Enormous numbers of young Eels gather be- low Niagara in spring and summer, but there is no evidence that they ever pass farther by that route.
The Eels of the upper Lakes may pass up by way of the Erie and Welland canals. It may be that limited numbers of Eels in the Mississippi River find means of passing into the Great Lakes. Whether Eels inhabited these lakes be- fore the construction of canals, the writer is not informed. ‘The fishery statistics at hand contain no records of Eels in Lake Superior.
Eels enter all American streams from the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico. It is only the young Eels that move upstream. Adults move downstream and do not return. Both males and females die at sea after the first and only breeding season in their lives. The Eel is very prolific, each female producing from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 eggs.
Fels are taken in other ways than with nets. “Bobbing for Eels” is done with worms strung on thread, which looped in a