Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-11-05
INTELLIGENCE OF BIRDS.

Reason and Ingenuity Displayed by Swa!-
iows-Adoptin. 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 spirit Of selfish fun, or because we
think them to 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
newiy-hedged birds from perishing.
But now loud outcries arose from the
parents, and from other swallows which
instantly tlOcked 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 eflectually protected the
young family. What could a colony of
human settlers have done more for q
neighbor whose house had been de-
stroyed? No theory of mere instinct
will explain such q proceeding. The
emergency was sudden, the remedy
novel and the means effectuaL
Something like reason is seen in the
following case: An American wren
took possession of a 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 inn
mediately planned scheme for keep
ing out the foe. They made the en-
trance so much narrower, and SO
blocked up the passage, that it would
be impossible for the wren to get in
while the owners kept at home. The
enemy soon returned, and ut first tried
force. but the strength and arrange
ment of the defences bafiied her. 1he
foe now established siege. watching
near the entrance for two days. But
hunger, AM at last. the patience of the
wren giving way. she left the shillful
defenders of the fortress in PEACE
Here, again, we find birds adopting
special means 10 accomplish a particu-
lar end.
''Mr. Jesse mentions the following as
illustrating the Intelligence of the swal-
lows in adapt ne even the materials of
their nests to special situations. \ pair
of these birds built against the wall of
a limekiln chimney. The heat WAS so
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 n 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 st unsuccessful and the
last improved works of the little arch-
.tects, some progress must have been
made in the composition or working up
OF the material for the nest. These
swallows We're inventors in some way,
as clearly as Wed wood was in his
pottery Improvements.
Another inc dent, mentioned BIZ the
same gentleman, supports similar con-
,clusion. A swallow had selected a
place for her nest in a corner formedby
two walls, but the surface of these be-
ing smooth, the bird could not easily
find any pro, ection on which tie toun-
,dation of the nest might rest She.
however, managed to fix bit of clay
on each wall and then laid piece o.
light wood on the two clay supports.
This gave her good foundation, and
the work was securely finished. Is a
builder vino overcomeS a structural
difficulty TO be counted clever work
man. while similar ,triumphs over OBJ
.stacleS by a bird are all explained by
the vague word instinct?
Zone can well understand from these
facts the emery. union, subordination
and social spirit employed in common
defense and the general interest
when about to migrate. the swal-
lows Assem- BILE at some place apparently
agreed upon beforehand. and. after Il
long discussion. which occupies whole
days. they set out in fiocks. 1t is said
that the prin ipal S On which warns
then of tie necessity of Leaving a
country is the slight elevation of TIE
sun in autumn Birds are. in fact. very
sensit We to light - Christias Union.