Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-11-24

80 Cn6I b great many
soon lay about on the ground,
and were blown by the wind into
all sorts Of places. One of
the chief attractions on the pro-
gramme was tabteau viuant entitled
:. Our Darlings,' and these two words
were of course printed conspicuously
on the handbili.
months after the date of the enter
n New York family came to
pass the summer in that country place.
One day, the little boy of the family
came running into the house excited and
delighted, and calling:
TMamma! Mamma! See what l
have found. aud he held up birds
nest.
Now, the little boy was real lover
of birds, SO his mother knew he would
not have taken the nest from its place
il it had not been deserted. And when
she looked at it closely. she saw that
the little builders had woven in among
the twigs and straw u piece of one OF
the old handbilis; and this piece act
ually bore the words, Our Darlilgs!
That was why the boy was excited
about the nest, and, indeed, everybody
thinks it so pretty and curious thing,
that it is kept with great care, and
looked upon as a treasure"
And now you shall hear OF the
wonderful ingenuity which bird show
ed in keeping its house from falling.
What architect could have done betterp
Read this, from H. Z. d., of Spiceland,
Indiana. a.
.'This curious little nest. think, was
built by an orchard oriole, but l cannot
say certainly, as the owner had left it
before found it.
ut is made of the long bast fiber
from various plants, white cotton lap
ping-twine, long horse hairs and sew
ing thread The bast tibers form the
larger part of the nest, the twine being
interviewer with it in way that
strengthens the fabric. Around several
twigs there are loops of twine, the ends
having been carried down and woven
into the walls OF the nest.
"It was built in the top of q small
swamp-maple that stood near dwell
ing. The nest was placed between a
small twig and the main stem; the loops
of twine, before referred to, fastened it
to some twigs higher up. Two sides of
lIC uCSG WClC oCWCN w NhO VI AAAutCec,
| the fiber, twine and hair passing over
the branch and through the edge Of the
nest, in stitches close together.
"But the strangest and most curious
part in its construction is this: The
twigs to which it is sewed, diverge from
each other and leave space SO broad
that without additional support that side
of the nest would have sagged.
To meet this difficulty, the bird has
taken piece of No. 8 sewing thread
and firmly woven one end of it into the
body of the nest, while the other end
she has carried to projecting twig,
some distance above, and there secured
it by winding it tive times around the
stem and then tying it with u pertec'
single knot"
This incident of H. E. DIS shows
plainly enough that birds know how to
benefit themselves in nest-building by
using articles manufactured by man, in
place of the poor substitutes which the
woods and fields afford them. And, a
another proof of this, letter in {.
Nicholas of last year. but which will be
fresh to our new subscribers. is reprint.
ed here:
"One day not long ago [ washed a
number of pieces of very line lace, and
left them spread out on the lawn.
Presently went to look at them, SC
as to be sure they were all right, foi
they were valuable. One, two, three
pieces were gone. Yet there were nc
fresh tracks on the lawn and paths,
and when l asked in the house was
told that no one there had gone near
the lace. or seen any body else near it,
during the whole morning.
"This was puzzling, as we'll as disa-
greeable; and SO went to look again.
Another piece vanished! Then put q
chair near the porch and sat down and
sewed, watching the lace carefully. But
once bent my eyes to my work fol
about half minute and when l looked
up again still another treasure was
gone! This time l knew that no one
but myself could have been near the
lace. How, then, could it have disap
pearedp put away my sewing, and
for five minutes steadily gazed at the
pieces left. Somebody in the house
called out. and I glanced around. Al
turned my eyes forward again, what
should see, sailing away in the air g
few yards from me, but piece Of the
precious lace, trailing from the beak ol
a robin! l soon found that it was the
same saucy fellow who had taken al
the pieces, and that he had tried tc
make his little home beautiful with
them.
1.-THE lace was spoiled when We
weaving it in with twigs; but the nest
looked so pretty that l let my ruined
treasures stay.
Last Of ali, here is an anecdoie show.
ing that birds not only know enough tt
help themselves by such material a.
thread, twine, lace. WOOL ETC., but thai
they are even 80 wise as to select goods
burg, Pa. writes:
i Last summer, just when the tree!
were at the greenest, an oriole and hi.
mate came to our yard and began t
build their nest in dropping bough o
the old sycamore, where the foliage wa
very thick. Both birds went busily t
work to ind materials for q nest, ant
soon they began to examine whatever
household articles were left within saf,
distance from the house. They woull
pull and pucker the linens and lace tha
were spread on the lawn, and at last
to stop their mischief. we concluded K
furnish all the material they needed
ready for use. So we got togethe,
some thread and strings, and q variety
Of other scraps. rags of various colors
some red and gray yarn, etc., and
spread them about here and there
wherever we thought they would bt
just in the way of the little builders
We had not long to wait, and they soor
accepted good portion Of what we hat
laid out for them. But after awhile We
noticed that only the gray or dull-col
ored things we're taken. The red va,
| . puzzle; they evidently admired II, bu
decided, at last, that Il would hardly
do; for their acfs plainly said 1t 4
pretty. Uery prstty. but then, its 30 gay
We're sfraad it would made too much
show
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