Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-11-28

Jne northern and middle States, replacing
the summer quota of those localities, which
has gone to winter resorts in the far South.
The nest is mere hollow scratched in the
sandy border of a salt-marsh or of q fresh
water. lake, or perhaps quite away in a
corn field or old pasture; and it contains
four top-shaped eggs, clay-colored, and
blotched with sienna brown
To protect these eggs, or the ridiculous
little puffs of gray down mounted on stills,
which she proudly calls her babies, the
solicitous mother screaming peet-weetl In
agonized tones, will throw herself before
the enemy, one wing apparently broken
and useless and leg disabled, and will
roll and flutter in a way to deceive the
elect. You think she is wounded, and
| give chase; but she is able to Just elude
your grasp, and thus leads you to a safe
distance from her treasures, when sud-
denly she gets well, and goes away like q
shot.
In color the pretty little sand piper is
bronZed or brownish green, the wings
crossed by a narrow bow of white which
also tips the outer feathers Of the tall the
underparts are white, with many circular
and oval spots of brown.
The wood duck is the most beautiful Of
our waterfowl, rivaling the birds of the
tropics in the splendor of his attire. This
is his description: The head is crested,
and is iridescent green and purple, with
parallel curved lines of white at the side
of the head, and a broad forked white
throat patch; the upper parts of the body
are dark reddish brown, with bronze and
purplish reflections; the breast and abdo.
man are grayish white, while the sides and
lower part of the neck are reddish purple,
each feather with a white tip; the feet are
dull orange, and the bill red and black
The most interesting thing about the
wood-duck, apart from its Dress is its
domestic life. AS a rule, ducks nestle
among the rushes or ON rocky cliffs, and
are very chary about attempting to alight
upon trees, as might be inferred from an
examination of their feet, which are i'll
adapted TO perching. But a few in vari-
iUus parts of the world are exceptions, and
among them our subject is conspicuous
The pair. seek out early in the spring a
blasted tree as near to the water as possi-
BILE, and If they can finu in it a place
where limb has been torn out, or a hole
has rotted, or some excavation has been
made by woodpecker or squirrel into
which they can manage to squeeze their
bodies, there they set up their home. The
furnishing consists of a bed of sticks,
dried weeds, and straw. covered with
a thick layer of downy feathers, q large
part Of which is plucked from the mother
birds breast. The twelve eggs are buff
green and polished; and while the duck
lays and broods upon them, the drake
joins band of other Benedicts, and takes
n gay vacation until the young are able
to fly, when he rejoins his family. This
looks IKE very unuxorious pro-
ceeding on his part; but mo-
ment's thought will relieve him of the
charge, since it is plain that so brilliant
chap lowering about his doorway would
but serve as sign to oil marauders that
there was plunder in toothsome eggs and
ducslings to be had for the trouble of get.
ting them, since the duck has small fight.
ing ability. The best interests of his de-
fenceless wife and family, therefore, are
served by his keeping far away from the
maternal hiding place.
How tho young are got down to the
water from their lofty tenement was for
long time puzzle but at last DR.. c. c.
Abbott supplied the information. The
nest in the instance he observed was fully
fifty feet above the water of a creek near
Trenton, New Jersey. He climbed a tree
near the nest while the mother bird was
absent and patiently waited. In tie course
OF nall an hour the old duck appeared,
and after few moments rest squatted
closely down upon the nest whereupon a
duckling quietly climbed upon her back
and nestled closely between her shoulders.
changing limb. and with