The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-07
The Reasoning Power OF Birds

the actions of birds, L am convinced that
it is not instinct alone that controls their
actions, but clearly reasoning power is
brought into play, the same that | see
every day practiced by my constant com
panions and faithful friends, my Bay
Shore dogs, whose affection and devotion
to their master and his visitors are worthy
of imitation by higher order of ami
mails. A few lines will, think, draw a
distinction between instinct and reason.
For some time l have declared war
against the English sparrows, and from
the standpoint of close watch kept
upon them / am free to say think them
the greatest bird-enemy to the farmer
ever introduced, and the misfortune is.
they are rapidly increasing, and will soon
be found all over the country. Around
my house ample provision is made for
bluebirds, martins and wrens to find
summer home 10 rear their young in;
but when they appear, struggle for
possession takes place, they finding an
obstinate tenant in possession, and with
out some assistance they would have to
abandon all hope of securing their old
homes. The sparrows, deeming possess
sion many points in their favor, fight
desperately, first, with the bluebirds.
then with the martins, and lastly with
my little friend, the wren, who ar
rives later than the others. With
the bluebirds | let them have it out,
and the battle is soon won by
the sparrows' driving them away.
When the martins arrive the sparrows
have commenced building, and then
they are more savage than ever, and
would soon be masters of the position,
but shotgun soon convinces a martin
that mean no harm to him; the crack
of the gun produces not the slightest
alarm-they find no damage done. Not
so with the sparrow. Generally each
crack means the missing of a mate, es-
pecially the one that darts at the martin.
The sparrow, finding a powerful combi-
nation against him, SurrenderS and per-
mitS the martin to take possession, but
build his own nest, and both rear their
young within a few inches of each other,
apparently in perfect harmony. Within
a few feet of my present position count
over fifty nests of the three, sparrow,
wren and martin, and no fighting. The
full, and the reasoning power of the spar
row warns him of the danger; the mo-
ment | open the door, or step on the
porch, they are off in every direction,
and, strange to say, they keep away,
even when the young are crying for food,
as long as remain near, while the mar
tins and wrens almost seem to say: al
thank you sir" At first, quite num-
Der were killed, and my cats had good
time, but now it is almost impossible to
find a single bird, except on Sunday,
when all is quiet and man and beast are
at rest. Then they seem to know there
is no danger, and meet in gangs around
their boxes.
Among the birds that are found along
the waters OF the Chesapeake, none have
so many friends as the osprey or fish
hawk. Old and young watch his coming
with great interest, and | am sure his
arrival meets welcome from all, for all
know he means no harm to bird or living
thing out of the water, With the writer
it has been a rule for years to try and be
on the place to meet him, and note the
date of his coming, for then | know that
WIZ oilCCIliE lCofCo StlNl OlJVLllil2 plOS-
SONS will soon be in view. Within the
space of six days his arrival may be caI-
culated upon to Il certainty; not earlier
than the 10Th of March, and not later
than the 2lst, but generally on st. Pat
rick's day he can be seen for the first
time, unless the winter has been long
and severe one; then he is delayed as late
as the 2lst. Soon they are seen repair
ing and putting in order their old nest,
which is almost always in the top of some
tall tree, usually dead one, which it is
thought was killed by the salt from the
food conveyed to their young. When
breeding time is on hand, one or the
other can always be seen watching the
nest and protecting it from the thieving
crow. When other birds arrive and seek
some safe place to build, finding the fish
hawk always on guard, and Offering no
objection to their intrusion, they quickly
select the hawks nest to build in, and
often a number of nests can be found
safely built where they raise their young,
protected by the fish hawk, and here is
my point, that this is not instinct, but
reason.
On neighbOring farm, few weeks
ago, prowling cat undertook to reach
nest, no doubt thinking there was
something good to eat there. The
watching hawk soon made battle, and
driving the cat to the ground, the real
fight took place, which ended in the
death of the cat, which was badly in
jured in the side, near the heart, with
the sharp claws that enable the hawks
to hold fish nearly as heavy as them
selves, as well as slippery eel. Sew
eral persons witnessed the fight and
think the hawk knew the tender point
of cat, as they were sure the heart was
punctured, from the flow of blood.
Reason taught there was no harm in the
blackbird and robin as companions, but
a cat was another thing am assured
by friend that one morning some years
ago he passed tree from which a heavy
storm the night before had blown fish
hawks nest down, and on his return he
found large number of hawks busy at
work rebuilding, and by night had it
completed.
The following incident occurred sew.
eral years ago within short distance of
this spot: A white cat watching on the