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

A New England Newspaper Man Relates
His Experiences While Hunting Eggs
Tine Grow and His kidnapping Pro.
pensities--How Two Robins Displayed
Reasoning Powers.
Some years ago was presented with
copy Of Samuers birds Of New Eng.
land" writes O correspondent of the
Lewiston journal" It contains CON-
plete descriptions of every bird that
ever even visits New England. The
nests, eggs, habits, plumage are so ac-
curately described that it is nearly I'M
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
tlence to stuff birds, but to collect their
eggs was an easier matter, robins
egg and two or three varieties of SPAR
rows eggs were quite easily obtained.
To preserve them glued them to thin
piece OF board 8 by 18 inches. This
| board was afterward knocked down and
every egg was shattered.
The first egg got nearly proved to
be the last. A golden-winged 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 it larger. Two eggs
were transferred to my pocket, and
while celebrating whether TO take more
there were six of them-my impro-
vised ladder suddenly fell down.
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
throbbing or humping in my hand, and
on examining the eggs / found that
they 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. 1 think the robin, oftener
than any other bird detects the fraud of
the cuckoo, for once since then l have
found cuckoo's egg on the ground
under robins nest where the birds
had evidently thrown 1t. The cuckoo
often builds nests for itself Of loose
u.
visit to the Egg Rocks. near Frank
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 Matched by the heat
of the sun. The sand piper lays an egg
very large in proportion to the size Of the
bird. 1t seems almost incredible that so
small q bird can lay so large an egg.
Probably no nest Is so hard to find as
the bobolink's. Often l have searched a
field over in vain, and during 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. 1 have seen
enough of the crows per ormances to
condemn him. l have known him to
come within four feet of the house and
kldnap 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 l could
interfere and a happy home was desc.
lated by the wrecked outlaw.
Bluejays are really as mischievous as
crows. AS for the English sparrow, it is
pity he cannot be sent back to England
together with the criminals and luna.
tics 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 forethoupht | once
found nest of q golden winged wood
pecker dug into the east side Of dead
tree. There were six eggs in it. On an.
other visit L found it nearly full OF water.
The rain had beaten in and the bird had
to leave. On the opposite side OF the
tree no such trouble would have oc-
CURED. In the same hole | afterward
found four egg shaped bodies covered
with q dark skinlike substance. They
withered and dried up. At another time
found robins nest built between two
small spruces. After the eggs were laid |
and hatched u heavier breeze than usual |
brought the trees together and crushed |
nest and birds. On the other hand Il |
pair of robins on very windy day un-
dertook to build on an exposed proiec- |
tiOn of my house. The wind blew awav |
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 ii down until |
they had erected breastwork behind |
which they easily erected their home. !
That showed reasoning powers on the |
part Of the birds and an ability to provide |
against present emergency, which is, |
after all, as much as man himself can do. |