Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-04
BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS.
RECULL<nTrEEs OF THE HOMES OF
WINGED CREATURES.

q Few England Newspaper Han Relates
HIS Experiences while Hunting Eggs.
Tine Crow and His kidnapping Pro-
Dszsftes-HoSy Two Robins Displayed
Reasoning Powers.
Some years ago was presented with
q copy OF Samuers "Birds OF New Eng
land" writes a correspondent of the
Lewiston journal" It contains COM
plete descriptions of every bird that
ever even visits New England. The
nests, eggs, habits, plumage are so ac-
curately described that 1t is nearly Inn
possible TO mistake any specimen. /
was at once introduced to many birds in
our midst Of whose very names had
been ignorant before. A desire seized
me to make collection of birds and
eggs. / had neither the skill nor the pa
tience to stuff birds, but to collect their
eggs was an easier matter. A robins
egg and two or three varieties Of spar
rows eggs we're quite easily obtained.
To preserve them glued them to thin
piece of board by Is inches. This
board was afterward knocked down and
every egg was shattered.
The first egg got nearly proved to
be the last. A golden-wlnged wood
pecker had nest in the top Of high
smooth stub. A rough and scratchy
top rider from fence formed conve-
nient ladder to the nest. Tho hole was
too small to admit my hand. but my
knife soon made 1t larger. Two eggs
we're transferred to my pocket, and
while celebrating whether to take more
there were six of them-my impro-
lnI 81
hugged the tree fondly and slid to the
ground. Sundry knots sought to arrest
my progress, but only succeeded in stop
ping portions Of my clothing and cuticle.
With the eggs in my hand limped off
toward home. There seemed to be a
throbbing or humping in my hand, and
on examining the eggs l found that
thoy were Matching in my hand. The
eggs of the golden winged woodpecker
are white until their contents are re-
moved.
A cuckoo's eggs were found in a
robins nest. The robins had abandoned
nest and all. / think the robin, oftener
than any other bird detects the fraud of
the cuckoo, for once since then / have
found a cuckoo's egg on the ground
under a robins nest where the birds
had evidently thrown It. The cuckoo
often builds nests for itself of loose
sticks, not very far from the ground.
A visit to the Egg Rocks. near Frank
lin Island, yielded nearly a bushel OF
gulls' eggs of all shapes and markings.
The fresh ones were very similar TO hens
eggs for cooking purposes. They lay on
the bare ledge to be hatched by the heat
of the sun. The sand piper lays an egg
very large proportion to the size of the
bird. 1t seems almost incredible that so
small a bird can lay so large an egg.
Probably no nest is so hard to find as
the bobolinks. Often have searched a
field over in vain, and during a few
weeks of the haying the field would be
alive with young bobolinks.
The nest of the loud-mouthed crow is
extremely easy to locate either before
the eggs are Matched or after the young
begin their dismal crying. have seen
enough of the crows per ormances to
condemn him. / have known him TO
come within four feet of the house and
kidnap nest Of young robins who would
have destroyed more noxious insects in
a week than hundred crows in year
Recently l saw crow plunge into an
elm pursued by pair of robins. The
murder was committed before 1 could
interfere and happy home was desc.
lated by the wrecked outlaw.
Bluejays are really as mischievous as
crows. As for the English sparrow, it is
a pity he cannot be sent back TO England
together with the criminals and luna
ties she sends to our shore. 1t is hoped
that our farmers will be converted to an
English sparrow destroying faith at our
next legi stature.
1t is commonly supposed that birds
have great forethought. Wonderful skill
they have but no forethought. / once
found nest of a golden-winged wood
pecker dug into the east side of a dead
tree. There were six eggs in it. On an.
other visit found it nearly full OF water.
The rain had beaten in and tine bird had
10 leave. On the opposite side of the
tree no such trouble would have oc-
Cured. In the same hole l afterward
found four egg shaped bodies covered
with dark skinlike substance. They
withered and dried up. At another time
/ found a robins nest built between two
small spruces. After the eggs were laid
and hatched a heavier breeze than usual
brought the trees together and crushed
nest and birds. on the other hand
pair of robins on a very windy day IN
dertcok to build on an exposed proiec-
tiun OF my house. The wind blew away
the sticks and straw as fast as they were
brought here. They at last retired, and
! supposed they had given it up. But
NO, after consultation they began to
bring clay and plastered it down until
they had erected a hreastwork, behind
which they easily erected their home
That showed reasoning powers on the
part of the birds and an ability 10 provide
against present emergency, which Is,
after all. as much as man himself can do
A Ss-Gutnea Pack of Cards.
EifiN-snNan srninnas is not a Ind 1nr.ice