Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-05-27
Thrushes as Architects.

The male is a gay, careless songster
and seems to lure his mate into the same
thriftless habits, so that house.building
is often postponed until within few
hours of actual need, when haste and
rapid work are very manifest.
All through May noticed pair Of
brown thrushes fitting about the grove.
The male was splendid performer,
fairly enhancing me with his song.
Seated upon the topmost branch of some
swaying tree, he seemed to drown all the
other choristers of the grove; in fact
they too seemed entranced, and soon
were silent listeners. All the other
feathered inhabi 1nts 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. II was June.
The bird was trilling his loudest note
when right in the midst of his song was
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 final
ly selecting place for building in a rose
bush, which was supported by trellis.
The foundation of the nest was laid part
ly upon the trellis.
took garden chair, drew my hat
pretty well over my face--birds are good
observers, and we must manage with
care or we shall alarm them-and
watched their proceedings. The female
was evidently the master workman, 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
selections were much better. and almost
invariably used. III 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 q
reckless way but this hindered the COM
pletion of the domicile, for 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 1t went TO the ground, when, turn
ing TO her own, IL was soon arranged to
her satisfaction.
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 II
he did hinder more than help. His part
ner was probably an experienced archi-
tectress, 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 re-
lieved from work, resumed his joyous
song, but he always ceased the momentl
entered the shrubbery, and gave quick
note of alarm, when she would fly from
the nest; but in 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 neces-
sary; always drew my hat down SO that
she could not catch my eye, and appar-
emily paid no attention to her.
A few years ago was acquainted with
pair of brown thrushes, much more
tbrftless than the pair above mentioned,
who did not even attempt to build DOM
icile in the usual way, but simply
scratched up kind of nest on the
ground, in strawberry bed, much after
the fashion or domestic hen, where they
reared their young without any accident.
When nearly full fledged theyssprawled
about on the ground, all semblance OF a
nest having disappeared
Only few rods from this careless, i'm
provident family resided another family
of thrushes in quite an deliberately de-
signed structure. A peek measure would
hardly have contained the sticks used in
the construction of this doDiicile. IL was
built upon rail fence adjoining gate,
through which cows were driven every
morning and evening to and from past
ure. Horses were also kept In this field,
80 that the gate was used more or less
during every day, yet the family were
reared in perfect safety, and became
quite tame.
Were these poor, hastily-constructed
domicies the work of inexperienced
architects, or the work of thriftless, i'm
proyident individuelsS In either case 1t
looks as II birds were capable OF improv
ing in architecture, or the nests OF the
same species would all be OF one pattern
HRS Mary Treat, in Haper's Maaazine