Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-19
NO. ll9.


The male is gay, careless, happy song
ster, and seems to lure his mate into the
same thriitlcss habits, so that house-build-
ing is often postponed until within few
hours of actual need, when haste and rapid
work are very manifest.
All through May l noticed pair of
brown thrushes fitting about the grove.
The male was splendid performer, fair
ly enhancing me with his song. Seated
upon the topmost branch of some swaying
tree, he seemed to drown all the other
ehoristers of the grove; in fact, they too
seemed entranced, and soon were silent
listeners. All the other feathered inhabi-
tants of the grove had already commenced
housekeeping, or were making active
preparations, while this lord of song
seemed to have no care or thought of the
future. 1t was June. The bird was tril-
ling his loudest note, when right in the
midst OF his song was a pause. His mate
had stopped the grand performance. He
flew with her to the shrubbery, where
they fitted about from bush to bush few
moments, finally selecting place tor
building in rose-bush, which was sup
ported by a trellis. The foundation ofthe
nest was laid partly upon the trellis.
took garden chair, drew my hat pret-
ty well over my face-birds are good OBJ
servers, and we must manage with care
or we shall alarm them-and watched
their proceedings. The female was evi.
IDENTIFY the masterworkman, and kept
watchful eye upon the mate. who came
every few moments with such crooked,
branched twigs that she often could do
nothing with them but to throw them
down in spiteful way; her own selec-
tions were much better, and almost inva-
riably used. If she was away when the
mate arrived, he at once proceeded to
place his crooked stick; he evidently did
not believe in wasting material in such a
reckless way; but this hindered the COM
pletion of the domicile, tor when the fair
partner arrived she was obliged to lay
down her stick and try to arrange his in
some sort of shape failing in this, down
it went to the ground, when, turning to
her own, it was soon arranged to her sat
istaction.
Several times the mate attempted to
shirk, flew to tree, and commenced his
song, but this the energetic housewife
would not allow; she always brought him
back and set him to work. even if he did
hinder more than help. His partner was
probably an experienced architectress, and
the mate may have been an apprentice.
for certainly some of the males of this
species seem to be as good architects as
the females.
The nest was completed during the day.
and on the following morning an egg was
left in it, The mate now relieved from
work, resumed his joyous song, but he al
ways ceased the moment l entered the
shrubbery. and gave quick note of alarm,
when she would fly from the nest; but in
a few days she became so tame that she
would allow me to cut roses from the bush
without leaving her place. Of course
great care was necessary; | always drew
my hat down so that she could not catch
my eye, and apparently paid no attention
to her.
A few years ago was acquainted with
pair of brown thrushes, much more
thriftless than the pair above mentioned,
who did not even attempt to build domi-
cile in the usual way, but simply scratched
up kind of nest on the ground, in a
strawberry bed, much after the fashion of
domestic hen, where they reared their
young without any accident. When near
ly hedged they sprawled about on the
ground, all semblaEcc of nest having
disappeared.
Only a few rods from this careless, i'm
provident family, lived another family OF
thrushes i'll quite an elaborately designed
structure. A peck measure would hardly
have contained the sticks used in the con-
structon of this domicile. 1t was built
upon rail fence adjoining gate, through
which cows were driven every morning
and evening to and from pastures. Horses
were also kept in this field, so that the
gate was used more or less during every
day, yet the family were reared in perfect
safety. and yet became quite tame.
Were these poor. hastily constructed
domciles the work of experienced archi-
tects. or the work of thriftless, improvi-
dent individuals? In either case it looks
as if birds were capable of improving in
architecture, or the nests of the same
species would all be of one pattern.-MRs.
MARY TREAT, in Harper's Magazine for
,IIue