Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-09-27
A Bird Anecdote.

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Olive Thorn, st. Nicholas.
A Bird Anecdote,
Have you ever sat for hours watch
ing the birds and their Ways with the
aid of powerful opera-glass? If not,
take the first opportunity which offers
of doing so, aad you will find new
source of interest and delight.
The island of Arran, in the Firth of
Clyde, the most romantic island in the
Queens dominion, being closely pre-
serve by its proprietor, the Duke of
Hamilton, affords one of the finest fields
for such observation. The opera-glass
brings one as it were, quite near tosthe
birds, whether perched or followed on
the wing, and thus many things are
distinctly seen which otherwise would
not be noted To leave the birds for a
moment to realize what good opera
glass can do, let anyone who wishes
new sensation look into the heart of an
apple tree in full blossom, and he will
behold vision of beauty fairer than
all the rose gardens Of Persia
Several years ago, in the month of
August, [ used to go out in the early
sunny mornings, on purpose to watch
two broods Of plump little swallows,
sitting all In row on the roof-ridge of
the farm cottage at High Glencloy,
which was our home for the time be-
ing. The young swallows were as yet
unable to fly, and, with white breasts,
looked pretty much like so many NINA
ture puffins, as I have seen these birds,
when sitting, ranged on lodges of rock
in the Farce islands.
Then the old swallows, ever on the
wing, kept Swimming and darting about
with graceful rapid flight, assiduously
feeding the young birds, and always in
rotation. The whole brood kept up a
constant twittering chatter, either of
expectation or Of satisfaction. Through
my opera glass followed the flights of
the parent birds, noting motion and
plumage-the forked tail, the chestnut,
silken, glossy throat and forehead, the
back and upper part of the breast vel
vety black, with reflections of steel blue
and purple, and the under surface
white, with slight waah of reddish
brown.
Som etimas the loud twittering and
shriil chirpings would awaken my little
ones, who slept just under the roof,
and forthwith they, knowing that it
was the swallows, would appear at the
skylight windows-four little boys at
the one, and two little girls with rosy
cheeks and faxen curls" at the other;
both groups looking intently up at the
row Of swallows sitting on the ridge,
with beaks towards them, and being
fed by the parent birds only a few feet
above them. They were delighted that
the birds did not fly away; and sisters
and brothers, enjoying each other from
the roof across the intervening states,
would laugh, express their surprise,
and continue to gaze in joyous wonder
ment till called in to Dress The birds
did not seem at all to regard this ap-
partition of little heads as an intrusion
upon their domain, and to me, gazing
through the branches of a mountain
ash laden with bright scarlet berries, it
Was pretty sight to see not only the
swallows, but the dear little happy
"unfeathered bipeds," with night gear
white as snow" cleaning in the warm
sunshine.
The roof of the cottage has lately
been raised, and instead of skylights
there are now two attic storm win
dows at High-Glencoy. Although there
is a conservative principle within us
which resents change, I miss the sky
lights.
One forenoon, when sitting on the
hillside behind the house, by the tor
rent, near the pine wood, deep among
the purple heather and fragrant bog
myrtle, and with the children all
around me, my attention was attracted
by sparrow hawk lowering right over
the cottage. On the roof-ridge sat the
row of young helpless swallows. and
they seemed instinctively to apprehend
the danger to which they were exposed.
To my great ent, a single swal-
low suddenly started out to the rescue
and boldly attacked the larger bird. 1t
skinned, rising, above the sparrow
hawk, and cleaving the air backwards
and forwards in its flight, kept ever
dipping down and striking the enemy
as it passed, manifestly and effectually
discomfting it. Soon another swallow
came to the aid of the first, and the
hawk was compelled to take itself off.
By this time several other swallows had
joined in the pursuit, which had sue
cessfully continued, till the hawk was
chased far away, quite to the other
side of the glen, where the swallows
left it to its own meditations, and re-
turned, twittering joyously, to their
young broods sitting on the roof OF the
dear little cottage in High Glencloy =
ANDREW james Symin9ton IN the " Animal
World
A PACKAGE was lately deposited to the
archives of the National Library, at
Paris, by the heirs of the late Madame
Cornu, that is supposed to DE Of great
historicle interests. 1t contains I'll the
letters of Napoleon LII. to her, begin
ming when he was but ten years old and