Bird lore (1910) (14755488445) - Public domain zoological illustration

Identifier: birdlore121910nati (find matches)

Title: Bird lore

Year: 1899 (1890s)

Authors: National Committee of the Audubon Societies of America National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals National Audubon Society

Subjects: Birds Birds Ornithology

Publisher: New York City : Macmillan Co.

Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

Text Appearing Before Image:

ull or,as the earlier ornithologists called it, the Franklins Rosy Gull, so named in honorof the arctic explorer, Sir John Franklin. In Audubons time few white men had penetrated the Great AmericanDesert, or seen this handsome Gull which Dr. Richardson had discoveredin the fur countries. Audubon himself had never met with it alive, and hasno picture of it in his great work, in which he described it from the only twostuffed skins available, brought from the Saskatchewan country, probably bysome explorer or fur-trader. Indeed, little has been known or written about ittill within quite recent years. Accounts of its habits in the standard works havebeen very meager and unsatisfactory. It is distinctively a bird of the prairies,ranging over both dry land and marshy lakes throughout the region of the greatplains, mostly west of the Mississippi valley, to the Rocky mountains. Its rangeextends north to the northern parts of the continent, and south in winter toCentral and South America. (124)

Text Appearing After Image:

FRAJIKTiTNS GULL,Ordei^-LosTGiPENNES Family—Larid.*) Genus—Labus Species—Feanklioti Franklins Gull 125 Now that these billowy western prairies are teeming with settlers, there arethousands of farmers who know well this beautiful bird. No wonder that itis popular. Its tameness and familiarity are delightful, especially to those wholive remote from neighbors of their own kind. Its abundance, too, in some places,is picturesque and spectacular. In the cold days of a Dakota spring, I haveseen the air alive with them, as they settled like a snowy blanket upon the darkplowing. Another fact which should mark it as one of our notably valuable speciesis that it is largely insectivorous. When in flocks they follow the plow, they areeagerly eating the grubs and cutworms exposed to view. Or, alighting on theprairie sward, they are busy devouring grasshoppers, locusts, and whateverinsects come in their way. I have often watched them chasing and catchinginsects awing, darting about like swallo

bird lore 1910 works by louis agassiz fuertes book illustrations ornithology birds zoological illustration rocky mountains bird lore zoology natural history images from internet archive saskatchewan canada

1910

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