The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-09-21
miscellaneous.
INDIGNATION MEETING OF BIRDS
A True Story.

mails. OF the fact there can be no doubt of its
nature too little is known. But think less
still is known of the emotions of animals.
Take an affectionate dog; how he suffers
from jealousy Our little Prince was com
pletely miserable when his mistress would
take the neighbours baby on her lap.
Several times l have been eye witness
to an emotion of a high order among the
birds, namely, sympathy with other birds in
distress. Yes, and though it may challenge
belief, did once, 10 my own grief, see Il
gathering of birds for sympathy and indigna-
ton.
But if it is to be credited must narrate
the particulars.
When college student was taken very
i'll in my Sophomore year, and gai1Nng my
strength but slowly after the crisis had pass
ed the doctor ordered me into the country,
away from my books.
boarded at farm house, and gave myself
up to the woods and fields in a word, de-
voted myself entirely to the books of nature.
Through the entire summer | studied low
ingly the ways of the birds. even deter
mined 10 raise some young thrushes and take
them with me to my city home in the fall.
My selection was nest of brown fellows.
II was in thick mass of bushes In q swamp.
1t was an ENHANCEMENT of wild growth, and
almost impenetrable
Every day l watched from the eggs to the
callow young. resolved to allow the old
birds two weeks then would assume the
raising Of the young birds.
At last the day came and all my prepare
tons were made. Taking with me a cage |
worked my way through the dense under
growth Very carefully removed the nest,
and was trying to get tinto the cage when the
female bird arrived. She uttered cry, almost
a shrek, and disappeared, but returned i'm
mediately with her mate.
The two birds made wild effort to drive
me away, even flying at me with every dem
onstration of rage and distress. Then, to my
surprise, they both left.
Inow felt 30 mean and bad that at once
set about putting the nest back in the bush
but it gave me good deal of trouble, as l
could not make it stay in its former place.
What now? The two old birds are back,
accompanied by whole bevy of wild birds.
The entire coppice is alive with them. They
seem bent on picking my eyes out. l have
to screen my face by keeping the cage before
ii.
AS to those birds, their number and variety
and conduct, all together, it was an extraordi-
nary scene. do not think my imagination
was at fault, but it seems to me there were at
least fifty of these indignant little bodies, and
perhaps dozen species, some flying at me
and all making angry demonstrations.
There were brown thrushes, song birds,
cat birds and several of the warbers. Such
an uproar, mewing, shreking, twittering
and other cries, a babel of bird sounds 1t
all meant distress and rage. But such mix
ture! All taken at once. The one keynote
of the discord was distress and Indignation.
got out of that swamp wiser and better
youth. My conscience smote me, and my
only solace lay in the thought that had done
my best TO undo the mischief had wrought.
The next morning l again went to the
swamp to see how matters stood. How soft
ly worked my way through the thick
bushes! How deathly still everything was.
know how the old birds had managed mat
tiers, and how it Jared with the little ones.
heindignation meeting of the birds &C.
Cured great many years ago, but the scene
is still vivid to my mind.
Among the higher birds, the thrushes and
the warblers, occasionally occurs au inter-
esting exhibition of sympathy for another in
trouble.
One winter, just after a snow storm, a bevy
of snow birds appeared near my house. fed
them crumbs and they staid with us for sew
cra days. They got little bold, even COM
ing up to the kitchen steps to get their ra-
tions. There was, however, one exception.
A fence separated the old apple orchard
from the house lot, and observed that one
bird kept on the fence rail, never venturing
nearer to the feeding place. To my surprise
and delight the reason of it was soon made
plain.
The poor little fellow was lame in one wing.
So he must not be too bold, as in the event
of danger he must have vantage of escape.
So an old bird took him some crumbs at every
feeding time.
But The most remarkable act in my know
ledge of a bird in sympathy with another in
distress was performed by robin not two
hundred yards from my house. 1t was a
deed of daring, and in the highest degree
heroic.
A sparrow hawk had bounced on poor
sparrow In the street, and was bearing II
away A robin from his maple tree witness
ed the act and instantly started in pursuit.
High in the air the noble little fellow caught
up with the buccaneer, and one could hear
the short, jerky cries of the old hawk as the
robin was "peggiug in" and making the
feathers fly.
The hawk dropped his prey and the robin
returned to his maple tree, where he had left
his mate. The sparrow made the best OF
time to get back to his kind.
Was not that nobly done for the robin, SO
brave and magnanimous, too Youths Com
pant0n.