The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1873-05-14
Bird housekeeping.

ted Review.
Bird Housekeeping.
Some birds are very particular about
their housekeeping, and they like
grand houses, too. The bower-birds
are not content with a bit of a nest Just
large enough to 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 I tell you how they build
their houses? In the first place, the
young married, couple select q spot
where there are plenty of sun and
heat then they make q 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 contrive
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 a
covering over their heads as 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 3 chance for the young
sters to play hide-and-seek in the cor
ners. These bower-birds have, too, an
eye for beauty as well as comfort, and
when the house is built they at once
set themselves about emhellishing it.
The young couple go in search Of the
most brilliant objects that can be found !;
such as cleaning mother-of-pearl shells,
| gay feathers, "rd any bright brinkess
they can lay their bills on. I fear they
are not very scrupulous about the
rights of property, for I 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. 1 am sorry to say they have
such naughty tricks, but we will have
to excuse them, because they don't
know any better. Some birds are very
particular to have plenty of water about
their houses. I don't know whether it
is because they have more scrubbing
and cleaning than other birds, and
want to have the waterhandy, or wheth-
er it is because they like a fine view
and the privilege of taking q little sail
now and then. There is q 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 a raft. that she can float
about at her pleasure, using her foot
for a paddle. AS she builds her house
in some lonely spot where tall rushes
grow, l think she must be very retiring
in her disposition, and not very fond of
company. Very likely when she sees a
neighbor coming with whom she does
not wish to be intimate, she just pad
dies herself off into some quiet nook
which would be a very modest way of
"Not at home |" There is an
other bird that belongs to the swallow
that lives in China and the
neighboring islands. She must be a
8 heather Chinee," at least she has
some heathenish ways of doing things.
For instance, this is the untidy way she
prepares for house-building She gath
ars the material from saltwater plants.
gulps it down her throat, makes a sort
Of paste of it in her stomach, then
throws it up again In the form of a dirty
white substance that looks something
ike isinglass. This she contrives to
fashion into a house which she fastens
10 a high rock, or hides in some lonely
This bird must be kept in the
building business most of the time, as
her houses are 10 often destroyed. They
IRE in great demand among dainty rich
people, who can afford to pay a good
price to have them served up in their
'oup. Ridiculous, heathenish bust
less you say, eating up b~ird-houses
it is. And If this bird were at all
ensible, like a keen Yankee bird, she
would build her house of some unpala-
able stuff that would put such a puck ,
in the mouth of the plunderer as
7ould oon make an end to such whole
ale robbery But no, the silly thing
eeps on building with the same mate !
al, only To be plundered again and .
and her houses are sold as deli =
acies il the city of Canton. They !.
from SIS to $40 a pound. Pretty :
ear seasoning for q mess of soup The 2
lnte of this queer bird is sa1angane, or 3
swallow. Il
Madame NILSSON, whose success in s
ussia since her performance of Y
0pheiia' iii Hamlet has made her one
the greatest favorites with the aris- IA
craey there, has been re-engaged Ell y
e rate of 6,200E. an evening, the sum s