The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-08-23
4 BIRD COHB4T.

That Trim, geutle-look5uE. drab- col0red
bird. eEr1laguSIv called -urrle-10ve by
dwelsrs ia the United states aDG generally
deemed So utterly innocent and pure, that
70 Kill i I-E The able OF any other Ese Is
branded as criminal IN The extreme. Is not
so innocent after att It's moaning. sa0-
sounding voice Is a mocksry and 4 cheat ;
Is soft dark eyes are a sham ; lis sober
Quaker Earb Is calculated TO deceive ; its
t.-lId movements are not % be trusted -
y hen once L has been Iusulted or injured
b. one Of is kind, tie dove becomes a.
cruel aud OuJTageously hear5less as any
murderer can Es- some years ago I y wiu-
messed a fight bel wsen two meaning doves.
which for utter baT51r0uSneSs CDuid not be
exceeded ! was angling n a brook for
sun perch, half prone OF . grassy bank,
lost ia a brown study, with a cigar between
my lips, when I happened 20 see 2 dove
alighV ou a gnarled Oough Of . plane tree a
few yards distant. Imue0iateIy il began
To COO in sbas dolefuliT plaintIve strain 50
well kn0wu % every lover Of nature, and
vas soon Joined bv = male, who percaed
himself within . foot or 50 Of her. l sspied
their nest, uCt vet finished. IL tie fork OF
Al iron wood tee near by. TIE birds
made very expressive signs 70 each o-heT
with theiI heads By a series Of bows mods
and sidewise motions. Of which : under
stood enough 10 know that some intruder
was EeaT-peThaps they meant me. The
Ssh were not biting any too wei, but the
shade vas pleasant and the graSs fragrant.
the sUand of the water very southIug. and
the 1Ow Of tue wind steady and cooling, 50
/ did not care 70 move Just 30 AumoT the
whimE 9f : pair OF billing doves II proved
hoEerer, after ali. that | was not the cause
Of alarm Another female dove presently
dropped ike hawk from a dark, dense
mass Of leaves above tie pair, and stTuCk
the first on the back with 6eaE and wings.
a Eght ensEeG witnessed with calm ia
tsrest By myself and the male G0Ts.
a first the eoEbatanJs struggled des-
peTatelv together on the bOlgh, nercsly
beating each other with their wings aud
pIucking ont the feathers from breast and
neck, al the time utteTIng low. q1eruIOus
notes, different from anything I had ever
before heard Pretty soOB they fell of
the bough ana came whining down upon
the ground. where they continued he bat
tie EIth constantly increasing fairy, their
eyes flashing fire. ana eut.iug and thrust
ing with their beaks Ike sv0rdsuaen.-
Blood began 70 show itself about their
heads, and IN places their necks we're cutie
bare Of feathers when at last one 0f them
became 50 exhausted that further struggle
was impossible, the other proceeded 70
"a ake rs stand upon Is helpless opponent.
and would have quickly have made Al end
0f II had [ not in1erfere6- The vanQuished
bI-c vas miaus an ere, and was unable TO
~ for some minutes. The secret Of the
battle was jealousy The male sat BY and
watched IN Eouchalaut Eay until II vas
al over. zheD he very lovingly str9tted M
70 tie vietori0ls bird. and bean cooinr in
a low, soothing tone. From that day 70
this l have lspudiared the 8-ure innocent
IS a dove. and whenever opportunity Of
fsrea, haze sped tEo-0uuce arroz fCH At
tie breast Of be bird. y Widow Or no widow
When properly evoked By parboiling, stuff
ing zud bakl-E dove Is q choice bit for
the table While OF this sGg.5ect, NAV
add that IN the Southern .a1es doves often
coUgreEsSe iu suuuuerstbis EEarms Ike
pigeons. aHd DO great damage - gBe peaE8ut
ie-cs- 80 there he FFe5sldIls against KIM
lag them - 50 great tha- yog rarely see a
tlap 1r spring So foI taeul, ~ . gun luyelled
Al tlzw