Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-12-02
Friendship OF Birds.

5,
The best account of this know of is
contained in DR.. Emil Holub's ''Seven
Years in South Afrca," and Is as fol-
ows: "When the birds have found 8
suitable branch the whole flock sets &c
work with the industry of bees to make
common erection that may shelter
them all. Each par of birds really
builds its own nest of dry grass and GOV
ers il in; but so closely are the nests
fitted together that when fitted the en-
tire fabric has the appearance OF on,
huge nest, covered IN by a single COM.
cal roof, the whole being often not Jess
than three feet high and from two tc
ive feet in diameter. The boughs
which project beyond the structure are
not unfrequently known to break under
the ac;um llated load. The entrances
%. all the seoarate nests are from below.
IN arran cement by which they might
De presumed to be sheltered. not merely
from the rain, but from attacks of any
Kind; this, however, Is by no means tue
Ease, and they are liable to be evaded
by the larger kinds of snakes, such as
COBRA"
The tree ordinarily chosen by these
sociable weaver birds is the camel thorn
acacia. Some highly fauciful acc UNITS
were written ahout them by the early
travellers, especially by Paterson, who
imagined that he could trace regular
'streets" running from the edge, or
caves, of the canopy TO the interior. 1t
appears, however, that each year the
''aerial city" is enlarged by an extension
of the roof to cover a new circle of out
side nests while the inner ranks of
nests, built pre- iously, are now mainly
anoccupled. Every naturalist knows
that certain birds may be looked for in
company, willie certain Others are rarely
seen together. OIe or more LIplaDd
longspurs are pretty sure 10 be nUIc d
in each flock of SNOW buntIngs. Our
garden hair bird, or chipPy, Is never
molested by the English sparrow. which
bulles all other small birds, sud can
conquer most ot them. The crIole max, :
10 o lection TO a TouIn LIVING IN the
eame tree with itself, thO0gn almost any
piher bird would be driven away al
2rce. Wilson gives a charming picture
2f that little society to be met by the
2rnithologlst IN the winter woods, where
the brown creepsr, the nuihatch, the
small spotted YOCdpecker aud the chick
adee keep each other company, none
straying far from the nest. all CailiI 2
out now aud then in rambling conveT-
sation and following the lead Of bold or
lucky ones, who move hither ani
thither in the woods III search of fo1i.
Many sea birds OF different kinds nestle
close together on the cliffs and lave sla
by size very amlcaOiv, as l mentioned
in the earlier part of the article.
The European robin redhresst "a
cousin of our gentle bluebird) Is one If
the most familiar visitors 10 EngiIsh
gardens and hedgerows. No bird has
been watched by more eyes, or had its
way more effeciualiy recorded. One Of
its strongest characteristics, however. Is
its pugnacity; yet Nauman tells us that
he once dared to put an unheOged lin
net into cage with . redbreast. NJ
sooner did the hungry nesting begin to
cIamOr for food than the parental feel
ings and sympathy of the roDin were
awakened. 1t at once hoped TO pro-
cure dainty mo1thful, winch II placed
tenderly In the youngster's gaping beak.
repeating the performance until the
calls OF hunger were completely salts
fled. Even IN its native woods, and
surrounded by Its own kind, the red
breast VIII occasionally contract close
friendship with bird OF another species
Sin a wood near kothen, " TO quote ole
instance, "a redbTesst was found to
have actually deposited SIX eggs in the
same nest with SIX eggs laid by lInpet,
and the two mothers bTooding side by
side until the nestlIngs made their ap-
peaTance." Instances OF the same sort
of double housekeeping might be cited
IN the history OF several OF our American
birds. Our two cuckoos, Tor example,
seem almost Invariably 10 mlng!e eggs
IN each others nest, while many
family of qusils Is raised 10y the two
wives of one proud Bob White, who st
cl sely side by side, breeding under
careful wings the double set OF eggs,
too numerous for one quail to cover.
More remarkable yet Is the way in
which certain birds hive been known TO
make their home IN close proximity to
IN enemy, or one that might Easily be-
come one. Thus it seems to be habit
Of the purple grakies, SO abundant IN
Southern New Jersey, to become the
guests of the fish hR Hk. In the wide
and sha low lagoons that Indent that fat
coast, live large numbers of these hawks
bullding their huge nests.one of which.
sometimes, wou d make fair cart load
In the tops of the half.dead trees that
take root upon the islands IN the salt
marsh or around tie shores. "The
grakies, or crow blackbirds, are per-
lr-f hn sSl ten- L 70
nests among the Interstlces of the sticks
of which his own Is constructed, several
pairs of grakies taking up their abode
there, like vassals around the castle Of
their chief, LAYING, Matching their
young, and living together il mutual
harmony. have found no less than
four OF these nests clustered around tue
sides of former, aud fifth fixed Gu the
nearest branch Of the adjoining tree, as
Il the proprietor of this last, unable to
find an unOccupied corner on the prem-
ises, had been anxOls to share, as much
IS possible, the company and protection
Of this generous bird" The same thing
bas been noticed occasionally since in
that neighborhOod, but have lot heard
that 1t happened elsewhere in the Uui-
ted States. 4 gentleman not long ago
wrote to an English newspaper If high
standing that he had found pheasaut's
nest oa the top OF an cid drain, III which /
iox was rearing a family of Eve cabs,
each of which would have thoue ht phe- !
saDts, and young pheasants, or even
their eggs, particularly fine eating. The /.
editor OF the journal said that he knew .
of kestrel hawk and dove 4estling i'll I
the same tree. Thl, brought out further .
Instances OF kestrel and tltmouzc, .
ard icy and a titmouse. living within .
few feet OF each other; and of a night /
Jar which had laid lis eggs at themouth
of fox's ''earth."
These (and many additional ones f.
might be cojlected) are remarkable ex-
amples of how birds of entirely different .
characters, which might have Become
enemies and even desfrovers OF one an
other, may live IL perfect harmony to.