The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-05-08
Bird housekeeping.

Jnelr housekeeping ana thcy IKE
grand houses, too. The bowcr-birds
are not content with n bit Of a nest Just
large enough 10 squeeze their dump
ling bodies into they must have, be-
sides a nest a promenade, and they like
TO have the affair well ornamented be
sides. Shall / tell you how they build
their houses? In the first place, the
young married couple select n spot
where there are plenty Of sun and
heat then they make n pavement Of
rounded she'll think they must have
city notions-then they plant a little
avenue Of branches, and this is the way
they do it: They bring fine shoots Of
trees, and thrust the thick ends Of
them between the pebbles. But if they
should leave them standing upright
they wouldn't get much shade or shell
ter-these little carpenters are wise
enough to know that, and they contriyc
a fine roof for their habitatIOn- You
see the branches are arranged in oppO-
site rows, and they just bend abe tops
OF the twigs together, make them fast,
and they have as good and as pretty II
covering over their heads AZ any bird
need ask for. Their houses are about
three feet in length, and roomy enough
for a whole picnic party Of small feath-
ered-folk, with n chance for the young
Bters to play hide-and-seek in the cor
ners. These bowcr-birds have, too, an
eye for beauty as well ~ comfort, and
when the house is built they Mt once
set themselves about embellishing it.
The young couple go in search of the
most brilliant objects that can be found
such as cleaning mother-of-pear shells,
gay feathers, and any bright trinkcts
they can lay their bills on. fear they
are not very scrupulous about the
rights Of property, for | have heard
they would take watches, rings, knives,
and anything they think looks pretty.
Some travellers have been robbed Of gold
watches by these audacious little crea-
lures. | am sorry to say they have
such naughty tricks, but we will have
to xcu them, because they don't
know any better. Some birds are very
particular to have plenty Of water about
their houses. ! don't know whether it
is because they have more scrubbing
and cleaning than other birds, and
want to have the waterhandy, or wheth-
or it is because they like n fine view
and the privilege Of taking n little sail
now and then. There is n bird by the
name Of grebe, that sails about in her
house. OF course it is built very diff
ferent from other bird houses, or it
would very soon sink to the bottom.
The cunning little creature fastens to-
gether strong stems of water plants in
the form of u raft, that she can hont
about at her pleasure, using her foot
for q paddle. Az she builds her house
in some lonely spot where tall PUSHES
grow, l think she must be very retiring
in her disposition, and not very fond of
company. Very likely when She sees Il
neighbor coming with whom she does
not wish to be intimate, she lust pnd-
dies herself off into some quiet nook
which would be n very modest way of
saying, "Not at home !" There is an
other bird hat belongs 10 the swallow
family, that lives in China and tn.
~neighboring islands. She must be Il
"heathen Chinee," at least she hns
some heathenish ways Of doing things.
For instance, this is the untidy way she
prepares for house-building She gath
ers the material from salt water plants,
gulps 1t down her throat, makes q sort
OF paste of it in her stomach. then
throws it up again in the form of "A dirty
white substance that looks something
like isinglass. This she contrives TO
fashion into "A house which she fastens
to n high rock, or hides in some lonely
cavern. This bird must be kept in the
building business most of the time, as
her houses are so often destroyed. They
are In great demand among dainty rich
people, who can afford to pay n good
price to have them served up in their
soup. Ridiculous, heathenish bust
ness you say, eating up bird-houses
80 1T is. And if this bird were at all
sensiole, like a keen Yankee bird, she
would build her house of some unpala.
.A''e stun that would put such a puck
81 m the mouth of the plunderer ms
would soon make an end to snoh -
sale robbery. But no, the silly thing
keeps on building with the same ma,f
rial, only to be p~lundered again on,
again, and her houses are sold as deli.
cacies in the city of Canton. They
bring from s25 to $40 a pound. Pretty
dear seasoning for a mess of soup The
name of this queer bird is s~alangane, or
esculent swallow.
p~popvaaoR E%RrpDpIuu ono of thu