Show SWEET SONGBIRDS FOUND IN UTAH DESCRIBED BYNA BY B Y NA I y j 4 e Western Oriole Sage I I. I Thrasher and M Mocking MockingBird MockingBird Bird Aid Farmers by Destroy Dett De De- tt stroy ing Harmful Insects Delight the Ear With Melodious Songs the Brilliant Gott Colf Colors Col Got 1 Eye Ege by t f ors rg of Their Vestments Catbird Amuses With His Antics 1 BY DR DE J. J H. H PAUL PAUI of ot Nature Study University l of Utah ri next week school chUrl children ren in of the tho public schools of t this is slater state slate r 1 e set et t aside one oDe da day upon which they jr I obserVe bird bud day On that thaL Jay day dayh h fitting fittin exerciseR exercise th thc children will Wi lessons of nature study f r tho V J. ha have hav learned durin during the year car and nd f 1 tell their friends in song o 1 and story i. i the to mankind performed 4 t the tb birds of tho forest and field tho tho mountains and valleys of tho I it r- r b rhe he te textbooks from which wInch the chil- chil J f t-t t q D n will have havo learned the these fe les ons tribe eribe the traits and habits of many manyx x these birds that do BO so much more moro i c n they are generally credited with the tie welfare of mankind lut tit there four varieties of oi songbirds that e 0 pot not been n fully treated in these k he be bi birds bird common in this state Jc- Jc 0 f fe special and for Jor tb that t ion on ion some Bomo little is told herewith l of oh ofa r 4 a T t lives Jives and h habits bits their heir peculiar and aud their points paints of value Thoy They j L-be L the he western oriole tie 6 nape tle ae th thrash thrash- the he catbird and tho tIm mocking bird bud t dem ern Oriole Is BeautifuL k celebrated t brt and b beautiful Baltimore L v of the east ut conies comes no further vest than thail Colorado hut but Its western Sher her tho the Bullock Bollock oriole occupies 6 the b ry Y mountain region and aDd IA Is of the great value to western fruit grow grow- i the the Baltimore Is 18 to eastern ori or- or i Your Tour first t good rood view of oC the tIle thein tm in beauty auty may be ba In lr 1 a 1 high poplar Te b be occasionally U perches In full fun tho the brilliant orange of his 1113 under 1 making a a. striking picture against f j rk green en foliage A black narrow In hand tie goes coes s ee from his thin chin down r his yellow vest vent for about an Inch jas u he turns a black blek crown patch i-i i and 1 back bark with white patches 8 on I and tall are plainly visible and andi i showy se seen n through the bird blid glass when a pair were considerate jh h Jq fly ny ly down in front of me a e 8 1 I Iid 1 id d half hal concealed near a hedge their 11 and chattering courtship r em i a. family quarrel Tho The ln male le was rous In manner and his showy shoW and oM broad tan fan tall tail of black edged white were displayed to advantage scolded and chattered at his gre green green- n- n live andl audi yellow mate It It was walt waa a It piece of good fortune to have them enl thI stormy comedy right before my and only two rods rode distant f I Ts Is a Cradle M as birds are much huch In fn trees tree where ri fi they hang th their r wonderful Ing 8 from Mn some IJ branch sK six to forty feet feat t the iTo ground occasionally taking a no aw 5 w for this uso use The nest neat en of f horsehair h and vegetable tit fl- fl t g and nd un with horsehair down and andi i The Strong sharp melodious whis- whis which the bird occasionally gives ng rig into a short theme Ulem convinces con that the Bullock is as 85 proficient In Inae inI I ae Sa he Is 18 a attractive in plumage h the note most rr frequently heard Si him Is Js a a. loud chatter 4 i Is Is- said sald to be characteristic of ot the I r. r 5 oriole family oe to Insects Inject j s Bullock oriole Is shy taking every I j to his finery he keeps 1 In the trees and behind the bushes burbe ant nt as the western oriole Is It I Is IsI Is I 1 Iby by some lome though th this Is la disputed by bye e e. e that hn he Is less lesa bC beautiful than thun the thc thern thern r rn n form torm though similar in all ways of ot It its Ita gT great at value aa as an Insect O oyer er no one can begrudge tb the few tow borneo and cherries It may take a J seen Bun In berr berry patches It ft Is usually Jug Insects especially the smaller i caterpillars that that- do so- so much dam- dam ind nd are so hard to remove No great are made against this bird government rove experts who examined ed edity Ity ty stomachs found that 7 75 per cent centi i food consists of tn insect Insects mostly of oC dons coos character Caterpillars formed r I. cent and wasps ap bugs bugi Including the small entail black olive ollye scale and a a. few Df 11 make up the As Its consists largely of Insects that live I to t- A foliage of trees Its IUs arrival In the j 1 13 is delayed until th these theae have bave become I ln In May It begins begin to move ward early In Augusta August and Is rarely In September r. r ng zig nest neat golden goldon robin and fire bird ther names name of this radiant 13 tant creature 4 i of ot th the starling grout group that group that that displays Ingenuity In building Its It hanging st t nest This fine bird of or the orchard black head bead ba back k and wings the parts of or golden orange and is b by eans eons rare rare rare-a. a fact that will surprise of our readers Why Wl-iy these theo beau beau- birds shot ahot at so tiO much by boys bos with ra rs and persist In living g us is a mystery The bird Is L Its s weight In gold as as' asan an Insect dei de dc- il i jar a. a The stomach examinations ns show t. t 4 it destroys Immense numbers of pillars pillars mars grasshoppers bugs and nox nox- I beetles and does d. d 8 not prey to a 1 noite no no- le ite extent on predaceous or useful a. a Added to these good qualities l r- r plumage uprightly sprightly manners r trig ng song and skill In nest building p our admiration r t by Dr Moonlight I I recent field trips with my nature naturA ps wo we have observed a large robin robin- eray ray bird of ot the sagebrush plains Known as the tinge sage thrasher and ande r e C western form that corresponds I e brown thrasher of the east ast The t. t ed ted ed breast long bill white tall 1311 and lId irs rs re and grayish ra coloring coloring In In some somo someI I I e with a good deal of brown broun broune e were ero the points most noticeable Id observation of oC this large und and In- In f I lug ng g species It seems to bo be fairly on in lu the great Kreal basin and it is said saIdi i come more abundant southward ia C tile the yuccas and cacti I zona and Texas In Bear Lake LakeIt I 1 r It was a darker brown almost rk In color as 6 the brown thrasher I i it rn might ht have been tho latter Jatter epo- epo I I 1 ince it comes abundantly a as far ta-ri ta f aus as the Ule Colorado plains I l thrasher belongs to the tho bird group Ito I includes the tile m mocking bird ills td 4 and Ih the wrens and like a most of ot i i her ther r m members of the I is family t Is called It ft is hs u a fine Inc singer Bird often orten tings slugs long aft att after r r dark i t all ally Ay on on- moonlight nights The song ions I J varied and the tho main mam melt mel mel- melI I f t f considerable length but Is Is' not He Ho eing from th the lop top of ot a a. sago ago 0 or r nce pol poll pok- when whence co he darts to I round at intervals to capture In- In InI I returning to his hlll perch and a again I tg out tut hilS sparkling P ditty Once I near flaar Ml Jolt w ct et cv I wt 4 IT Kf gros gf t the lne thrasher as a Alas AIRS H ing n The Thoy kept changed 1 u. u his 4 tic a junco a a. white whiter I r she wanted to sparrow while sparrow while ho I ind nd tremulous m mel mel- l. l n r A n Edwin Do De Cou In m capturing inThis in in- I This was a bad hl be thrasher 1 has hns hase I Le La e similar to tImE I bird hird I Is I t thrasher bel being ns I Ies es in length i It I which Is shorter I length of or the tal I m lf Inches Is no not I vIng In which may I Igray ray tray gray bird of ot the I lot hi I T 11 S f j r l 5 b 11 4 S a I S rl 5 S 4 4 l 1 to 1 S. S Y Yr r S a S 6 5 S S pV 2 S S1 1 c y f 4 Sage Thrasher which sings b melodies by moonlight we west t has upper parts dull dul grayish brown Indistinctly streaked wings 1 with ith two narrow larrow white bars tall tail W with th inner web seb of two to four tour outer feathers I tipped with white which f show how as white tall corners comers j a-j he disappears with long undulating flight light ov over r the tIle taco face ace of tim Ih tho sage 1 C plain The he under parts puts arc whitish huffy buffy on flanks and under tall tail coverts breast and sIdes sIdeR heavily lly marked with black spots spot A bulky nest Is Ie built bunt In fn sagebrush containIng containing con con- taming from three thre to five o greenish blue l eggs ggs spotted spoiled with clove brown sherIs la Useful I From tho the by Beal 1 condense condense con con- dense the following account Tho Thu brown biown thrasher r of or the east Is darker and Licks lacks the white hile tall tail edgings of oC the sago sage thrasher Otherwise It t is similar in tn form Corm habits and general coloring to th lighter colored G bird blid Ild ot of ot ho tho West The sage thrasher thresher occasionally visits the tho garden but makes its nest e l among tlc the sages aCS 8 or in low groves es Its rOOd food consists of or Insects 61 per cent and vegetable matter 46 per cent cent cent-a a little grain and fruit but mo mostly tI wild berries and seeds Thus the thrasher r is 11 a useful bird ird doing as much good food b by destroying the he Insects in their greater breeding breedin places among the sagebrush and wil wild grov groves as in the cultivated 01 orchard chard for tor forthe the he Insects migrate from front tho the open country country coun- coun try ry to attack attach the crops of tho the farmer I 1 once heard a a thrasher perched upon a R. fence ence- ence In Rich county utter a R. prolonged and silvery cry melody t that at would have nave done credit to a mocking bird Every fe few Tew minutes 8 it would stop singing and fly to o the ground to gather Kather in an insect with its IUs ts louSe long curved bill Catbird Is 15 Nervous As 8 We wo we walk along lanes lined with shrubbery Just outside of any western elt city we see a dark restless noisy bird almost t as 88 large Jarge as a a. robin but more slender lender and with a no long loni active tail taU dartInG dart- dart lug InG ng In and out of tho the brushes and ut- ut several calls one of oC which sounds like Ike the mewing of ot a 1 cat ThIs dark nervous noisy nolay bird Is the catbird and ands is s essentially tho the same bird In the wc as IJ In the east coat though less lens domestic In n Its habits here than there The catbird Is amusing and an enter enter- taming character It is not III always ways a cat at but one ono of ot our sweetest singers before daybreak singing by preference before It t la 18 light I He sings sInS's as he lie moves mo and andries tries ries with partial success to Imitate the notes of ot other birds Again In the hush of or evening this bird renders a a. more sweetened meJo melody h- h thrush like and mellow mellown In n drowsy cadences A folklore legend Is that this bird was one once a gray cat and made mode a living U by devouring tho the oung young of birds that nest In n low Jow bushes Tho birds held a conven- conven lion ion and he besought ought tho thic gods goods to remove this his enemy the cat was changed Into a abird I bird doomed to mew mow and scream like a kitten In trouble It Is la now a good friend to other birds everywhere CI playing the detective and warning Its nelc neighbors bors of ot th the approach ch of intruders bv by making a great cat outcry This bird will nest only In n very dense shrubbery and man many a boy oy knows and loves to watch this comIcal com com- Ical cal bird chuckling at nt its screams and gestures restores and wondering wh why It a cat Is Kind of Mocking Bird The Thc catbird Is the northern representative tive of or the mocking bird It is of or the same family and an imitator of or other bird notes aa as well as ns of or various sounds from the creak of or a cartwheel to the son song of a a. thrush The catbird is of somber color top of head lead and taU tall rooty black general colorIng coloring color color- Ing slate late gray graj under tall co erts dark durk rufous eyes brown Tho The bird is eight or nine Inch inches long It sings sIngs' in a lawless manner and quotes from thrush h. h song sparrow wren oriole and other birds The yowl 0 of the cat Is thrown In fn any any- where also the croak of the tho frog and the tile harsh squawk of ot the tho lien hen Yet the catbirds catbird's cat cat- bird birds bird's s music Is all nil his own he merely sU suggests the songs of oC other birds always delivering them In his own way His Hissong Hissong Hissong song IB It refined sprightly and interesting although Jointed Jumbled and lacking In melody Ho lie is a bird blid with an uneasy disposition disposition dis die position shifting his porch perch dodging be between between be- be tween leaves lea bobbing his Ills tan tall up and anti down raising bis uta crest puffing out his his' feathers whenever you ou approach His only note at such a time Is the harsh and nasal so suggestive of the cat catS catS' Mathews says MYS The Tho C eggs gs g's of or the catbird arc aro three thre to tome e me five in the nest of ofa a plain deep bluish green een Sometimes Forced to Steal Like th the thrasher it Is a lover loer of swamps and delights delight tt tl to make its homo home in iii 0 a tangle of wild grapevines green green- briers and shrubs where here it I Is safe cafe from attack and can find Us its favorite fa food In abundance It Is found throughout hout the United Statu ates west to the Rocky y and occurs also adso In lii Washington ton Idaho and Utah and ind extends northward Into bite the British provinces pro It win In Inthe tho the southern rn tate tat Cuba Mexico and Central America Occasionally th rat cat bird takes fruit freely because of tho the r re removal removal re- re moval of the wild shrubs and anil the substitution U- U of or small mall fruit ar The fhe remedy Is 18 obvious cultivated fruits can b be b protected 1 by the simple exp expedient ent nt of planting the wild species which are preferred b by the birds Some Borne ex experiments lX cx- with Ith catbirds in In hi captivity show that the Russian n mulberry rr ls is s preferred d to any cultivated fruit lh that it can be offered Mocking Bird Is 18 Refined Closely related to th the catbird and nd the thrasher 1 is f. the celebrated mocking bird It hilt hat grayish drab upper parts wings tJ and tail blackish wings with large white tipped ed wing quills aulUs- and with whitish edgings nod whitish washed with clay day color Unfortunately for tor us Americas America's most famous singer is ft found only in fn tha the ex extreme cx- cx x southern parts of our plateau re ye- ye gion This bird is the favorite f among the new world singers gingers not atone alono because cause o of his beautiful song tiong his powers of imitation imi Imi- tation his pretty wa ways s 's s and ele elegant ant f rm but also I o because beaule he lie loves lo to come conic to haman human human hu hu- man society Ar and li to build his nest neit neal to the habitations of men Ur TIP imitates perfectly the tha songs of or other birds and nd has huch liuch beautiful songs of hl hN own as to equal the world renowned nightingale ale of ot l Europe as a n musician II J Like the la latter Hor birds he hr hi tings far fKr into illio the night but alfo at fit all 11 othor hours hOUN I 1 have seen thin species b beyond on the southern rim rim of or the great r t basin and also alo aloon on this of or it in tn the Modena na desert What a b beautiful and attractive fellow he Is IIi HI HH lon |