The Arizona sentinel., 1885-11-07
READING FOR THE YOUNG.
INTELLIGENCE OF BIRDS.

Reason and Ingenuity Displayed by Swal-
Iows-Adopting Special Means to Accom-
plish Particular Ends.
What tiny little bird the swallow is!
How impossible it seems that so tiny a
creature should possess the gift of in
telligence! Mr.. Ernest Menault in his
book on Intelligence of Animals,
tells the following stories about swal-
lows, that prove that these little birds
can give us lessons in helpfulness, as
well as to increase our respect for the
little creatures that we sometimes abuse
in a spirit of selfish fun, or because we
think them too small TO have any feel
ing:
Numerous, indeed, are the cases in
which swallows show "A sympathy for
the welfare of their race. A nest, con-
tanning young, had been beaten down
by long-cont nued rains, and the brood
was thus exposed to the pelting storm.
Some members of the family innabiting
the house threw cloth covering over
the ruined nest, and thus saved the
newly-fledged birds from perishing.
But now loud outcries arose from the
parents, and from other swallows which
Instantly focked to the place. When
the storm had passed the covering was
removed, and then an extraordinary
scene was witnessed. The old birds
fed the Young, and Immediately all the
assembled swallows set to work in rails
ing an arched earthwork over the nest
lings, and thus effectually protected the
young family. What could a colony of
human settlers have done more for a
neighbor whose house had been de-
stroyed? No theory of mere instinct
viii explain such proceeding. The
emergency was sudden, the remedy
novel and the means efectual.
something like reason is seen in the
following case: An American wren
took possession of martin nest. from
which the invader could not be expelled.
The martins, however, kept watch over
the intruder, and no sooner did the
wren leave the nest in search for food
than the martins re-entered, and I'M
mediately planned a scheme for keep
ing out the foe. They made the en-
trance so much narrower, and so
blocked up the passage, that 1t would
be impossible for the wren to get in
while the owners kept at home. The
enemy soon returned, and at first tried
force, but the strength and arrange
ment of the defences baffle1 her. The
foe now established siege, watching
near the entrance for two days. But
the martins bravely held out in spite of
hunger, and at last, the patience OF the
wren giving way. she left the skillful
defenders of the fortress in peace.
Here again we find birds adopting
eraciai means to accomplish p2rticu-
'Jr a.
"lf-. Jesse mentions .te following as
ILLUSTRATING the .uteliE. of .le swat
lows i1 8aau ny even Jl- materials Of
their rests 60 special situations. 4 pair
ID taes. birds built agai the wall Of
:. -.I4eAI.A chimney. Inc heat as 50
great as to make the nest crumble to
pieces; a second and even a third shar-
ing the same fate. Some scheme Of
making or collecting a new kind of
material, capable of bearing the heat,
must then have been devised, for the
fourth nest stood. For two succeeding
years the nests were built in the same
place, and always endured the heat
Between the fist unsuccessful and the
last improved works of the little archi-
tects, some progress must have been
made in the composition or working up
of the material for the nest. These
swallows were inventors in some way,
as clearly as Wedgwood was in his
pottery improvements.
Another incident, mentioned by the
same gentleman, supports similar con-
clusion. A swallow had selected a
place for her nest in corner formed by
two walls, but the surface of these be-
ing smooth, the bird could not easily
find any projection on which the foun-
dation of the nest might rest She,
however, manag at to fix a bit of clay
on each wall, and then laid a piece OF
light wood on the two clay supports.
This gave her good foundation, and
the work was securely finished. Is a
builder who overcomes a structural
difficulty to be counted clever work
man, while similar triumphs over OBJ
stacles by bird are all explained by
the vague word instinct?
Zone can well understand from these
facts the energy, union, subordination
and social spirit employed in common
defense and the general interest
when about to migrate, the swal-
lows assemble at some place apparently
agreed upon beforehand, and. after a
long discussion, which occupies whole
days, they set out in fiocks. 1t is said
that the principal s'gn which warns
them of the necessity of leaving a
country is the slight elevation of the
sun in autumn. Birds are, in fact, very
sensitive to light. Christian Union.