The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-09-11
Birds as Architects.
BY MRS. G. HALL.

tiludlCly lHC lllC duu HdDllS vi OuI llllIC
feathered songster, they undoubtedly
could show us how they not only build,
but improve upon their dwellings, and
we might see, too, in the bringing up
and management oftheir offspring, some
example that it would be well to follow.
As men of the same country vary in
styles of architecture, so do birds in the
form and material used in building as
well as time.
A case in point is the little brown
thrush. The male bird, a gay, happy
songster, lures his mate into the same
idle habits, SO that the preparations for
housekeeping are often delayed within
few hours of actual need. Then their
work must be rapid and, of necessity,
gaS g2orEy bgr34}as Ra}ds They are splendid pusi;
with their beautiful notes, as seated on
the topmost bough, they seem to drown
all the choristers of the grove; and
while the others, perhaps, are nearly
ready for housekeeping, or making ac-
tive preparations, this lord of song seems
to have no care for the future, and when
Tune comes, while the bird is trilling its
loudest note there comes pause In the
song, his mate stopping the grand per-
formance by peremptory demand that
he should fly with her to the shrubbery
near by, and in few minutes place is
selected for building in the very heart
of a rose bush, resting against trellls
or other framework.
The female thrush is evidently the
master workman in this instance, keep
ing watchful eye on her mate as every
few minutes he comes with such crook
ed branched twigs that she can do moth
ing with them and is obliged to throw
spitefully away. She could select better,
which she does, not using them, how
ever, until courteously she has tried his
and found that they would not answer
the purpose, while he, lazy fellow, flies
off to a tree in the neighborhood on
purpose to shirk the work that she is SO
zealously at, and commences to sing his
sweetest notes until ordered back to
work by his little partner.
During the day the nest is completed,
and the next day an egg is laid therein,
when, asifoverjoyed at the performance,
he sings louder than ever before.
Other thrush nests have been builded
much more carefully, showing that some
do improve upon others, and that they
are not all after one pattern. .
Every form of architecture you will
find with the robin, from the rude mud
nest to the elaborate domicile. These
mud nests seem much like the log cab
ins of our early settlers. AS far as car
be ascertained the male robin never as
sists his mate in building. She seems
to look upon him as altogether incapa
BILE of so great undertaking! She is the
ed subordinate, even in the matter o
building a mud cabin, yet he is con
stantly overseeing that everything
should be done right; and when the
young are hatched he is unwearied ir
his efforts for their support, and wher
they leave the nest she throws all the
responsibility of providing upon him
While he is thus employed, she, busy
body as she is, goes to work to build
another domicile or even fit up the old
one. In this way Mrs. Robin succeeds
in raising three broods, instead of two,
as other birds.
lust imagine the poor male robin with
this household thrust upon him with
their gaping, ever-open mouths all
around him! Great, greedy children,
scarcely giving their parents a chance
to swallow anything themselvesP
Did you ever see male robin bring
his young family from their nest and try
them at a raspberry bush, or some other
Perhaps two of them would help them
selves, while third would stand with
gaping mouth % determinsd to be still
provoked that he would give the young
robin sharp tap on the head and cool
ly attempt to regale himself with the
| fruit, the youngster, as if understanding
the reprimand, shutting his mouth for
little, but soon gaping again; then the
old robin, growing more severe, gives
another good drubbing, as much as te
saw, now help yourself, and stop tha
nonsense All this discipline was in
ficted for the young birds good, ne
doubt. Can we not see reason and tore
thought exercised in this management
| And the little wrens, plain brown
creatures, smaller even than the chlppin!
sparrow; if you could peer into the blr'
house in the honeysuckle, or on tn
limb of small tree you would be as
tonished at their style of architecture
The entrance of these small houses
made so very small that not even tn
little blue-bird could claim them.
they were any bigger, the wrens woul'
have to work great deal harder, 10
they fill up all the space they do no
need with sticks, which they carry Il
the interval of their music, for In tn
beginning this singing is the main bus
ness. The male bird MARBLES to attrao
a mate; at last one comes, and his raj
ture knows no bounds when she goes
to inspect the house. But he is doom
, ed to disappointment. Perhaps 81
,, didn't like the box; perhaps she didn
, like him, though one would have thougii
she would have been pleased with botl
So off she goes, and another is advertl
, ed for. Three separate times he brinl
: a mate by his charming song. II
i, third stayed, and the building proce
.. went on but she was very particul
: body, for she took out every twig a
; ; ready in, and brought new ones,
: helping betimes; but it was an ca
matter to see that he trusted to h
! housekeeping. Many of the twigs we
i too long, but she, with great judgme
\ and patience, moved them with her b
= until she could use them endwise. The
is plenty of song while all this is goll
:, on; but when the housekeeping cal
: grow greater, the song changes, or ceas
4 altogether.
- And so we might go on with
houces of the birds in trees, in the or