Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-06-28
ouick-wiTrEo BIRDS.
A scotch Naturalist watehe. Them Open
sh~il-Fish.

sh~il-fish.
In studyinQ the habits OF birds one /
can not but be struck with the fact that
In proportion 10 their many dangers, eX- /
perienc, and pleasures. they become
warm hearted. quick -witted, bold or
timid. ferocious or cunning, passionate
rs the falcon ar deliberate as the rock
according to the life they have to lead.
And. more than this, We find that they
display in many ways remarkably
high degree Of Intelligence.
The water hen, for instance which Is
found from Siberia TO the Cape has
kind Of human facility. as Mr. Ruskin
observes, in adapting itself to climate,
as well as almost human domcstictty OF
temper. with curious tincness OF sagac-
ity and symspathies in taste. A family
OF them. much petted by lady. were
constantly adding materials 10 their
nests. and made real havoc In the flower
garden; for though straw aud leaves
are their chief ingredients. they seem
TO have an eye for beauty, and the old
hen has been seen surrounded with a
brilliant wreath of scarlet anemones.
This aesthetic water hen, with her
mate. lived At Chcadle. in Staiiordshiro,
in the rectory moat, for several seasons,
always. however leaving IL in tho
spring. Being constantly fed, the pair
became quite tame, built their nest in a
thorn bush covered with ivy, which had
1 fallen into the water and, when the
| young were few days old. the parent.
/ brought them up close 10 the drawing
room window, whore they were regu
| larly fed with wheat, And, as the lady
OF the house paid them the & .test at
tention. they learned 10 look -pon he
| as their natural protectrsss and friend
40 much 80 that one bird in particular
which was much prosecuted by the rest
would, when attacked. fly TO her 70
refuge; and. whenever she called. tn,
whole flock. as tame a. barn door fowls
quilted the water and assembled round
10 the number Of seventeen. They ais
made other friends In the dogs belong
ing to tine family approaching then
withotS fear. though hurrying OF wit
great alarm on the appearance of
strange dog.
Frank Buchland gives several curiou
instances Of the special habits Of som
birds in procuring their food. Tn
blacibirds, thrushes. etc, carry snail
considerable distances for the purpose Q
breaking their shells against some roc
or stone. Thomas Edward the Scottis
naturalist, describes gulls and raven
, flying to great height with crab Q
other shcll-flsh, and letting them fall o
stones in order 70 smash the shells; anC
il they do not break on the first attemp
he says they pick them up again an
, carry them up yet higher, repeating th
. operation again and again till the She
Is broken. Ravens often resort to tn
, eontriyance. Darwin tells of a bird ha'
! ing been repeatedly seon to hop on
} poppy stem, and shake the head wit
D his bill till many seeds We're scattere,
0 when 1t sprang to the ground and ate u
. the seeds
q Some birds are gifted with sense
! observation approaching TO some thir
/, very like reasoning faculties, as the 70
b lowing aneedote proves: At gentl
!. mans house in StaIordshire, the phea
Q ants are fed out OF one Of those boxc
The lid Of which rises with the pre-
sure of the pheasant standing {
the rail in front OF the box. A wat
!. hen, observing this. wentand stood up,
the rail as soon as the pheasant hi
n quilted it: but the weight OF the bi
n being insufficient 10 raise the lid Of Il
box. so as TO enable II to get atthe cor
! the water hen kept jumping on the ra
Il To give additional impetus TO It's weigh
i This partially succeed, but not to q
, satisfaction OF the sagacious bird whic
!. therefore went of: and. soon returnil
: with a bird Of It's own species. he unit
weight of the two had the desired etfet
n and the successful pair enjoyed the be
a etit of their ingenuity. Month.