The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-02
BIRDS LOVE COLORS.
THEY KEEP A COLLECTION Or
vARlEGATED CURlOSlTIES.


species is an obvious and direct appeal Is
by no means limited to the knowledge SO
naively shown by respondent husbands
and adoring wives that fine feathers make
fine birds. So common and varied IS the
pleasure derived from this sense, that in
many kinds it extends TO the conscious
search for and appliance of beautiful OBJ
jects in the decoration Of nests, of pleas
ure houses and the enrichment of collec-
lions.
This taste for ornament is By no means
limited 10 birds kept in captivity, in which
they often learn tricks and habits foreign
TO their nature from ennui and idleness.
In the freedom of English woods or
Papuan jungIes they show the keenest
pleasure in the strange or beautiful shapes
and colors of flowers, of feathers, of fruits,
of gay shells and insects, of woven fabrics,
of metal, glass and gems. and similar tastes
shown in captivity are often but the sur
vival and manned reproduction OF their
natural love for surrounding themselves
with what pleases the eye. II appears in
species where it might be less expected,
and is developed to point at which it be-
comes an artistic passion identical in mo-
tive and the means taken to crafty it with
lUt SAINT tdSNG dL4 AtS PAC-SAOh ~ NAh~~
lied man.
IL is not without reason that the Papusn,
who lives naked under tree, calls the
gardner bird ''the master" which can
build not only nest, but lovely pleasure
house besides, and adorns this with hun
dred beautiful objects TO crafty aesthetic
wants which the savage is not yet developed
enough to feel or understand.
THE SENSE OF BEAUTY.
But these tastes appear in birds which
are quite low in the scale of mental deyel-
opment, even among the hawks, which are
among the least keen witted Of the birds.
The kite, for instance, has great liking
for pretty things, or what are considered
such In two of the rare instances in which
the kites nest has been recently found in
this country the cock bird had carried
home long, trailing spray of woodblne IN
flower and left it by the side OF its mate.
In kites nest found not long ago in
this country the collection" was enriched
by pieces of newspaper and leaves of Brad
shaw's Railway Guide" and on the few es-
tates in England where these birds are still
protected the keepers are said TO be quite
aware of their mania for collecting linen
when laid out to dry, and carrying off socks
and bright cotton handkerchiefst to the nest.
The sense of beauty naturally appears IN
the rudest and most elementary form IN
such uncouth robbers as the kites. In the
far cleverer crows, ravens, magpies and
laws it is a marked and hereditary passion.
From the jackdaw of Rheims to the old
raven at the Tower of London, who amassed
a unique and valuable collection at the
bottom of one of the venerable cannon in
side the barbican, there can hardly have
| existed a tame member of the tribe which
has not at times asserted its own right 10
a share in the enjoyment OF what we re-
member to have seen described IN the
| pompous advertisement Of modern art
| furnisher as ''those products of the minor
| arts which contribute TO the dignity and
refinement of domestic life"
| They have a wide and catholic sense OF
/ feeling for what may contribute TO thell
! happiness in this way, and do not always
! distinguish between what is beautiful and
| what is merely curious.
| WHAT A MAGPIE STOLE.
/ At the same time they do often distln
/ guish and keep apart what they collect OF
| steal for food, and their art collections
/ which are hidden separately, are far more
carefully concealed. The writer has seen
! this in the case of tame jays and lackdaws
and has known it practiced by a raven and
maybe.
The latter always hid the crusts, and IS
pecially the small squares Of toast made
ready for soup, which he stole or had gIyeT
him in the kitchen, between the layers Of
| household linen in the drying room OF {
large house in Northumberland. But hi'
collections were buried in the straw OF ;
! disused clubhouse. The loss OF several small
| cups and saucers out of a bright coloret
set belonging TO the children led TO the dis
/ coverv of this hoard. as the bird was seer
to enter the shed, and was there founC
| pulling away the straw which covered tn
china.
So far we have traced the development o
! this sense of beauty from the kites, which
merely pick up and carry TO their nest
what they consider to be pretty and inter
. esting. to the crow tribe, which have
separate hiding place for keeping and en-
joying their treasures.
The conscious search for and application
of ornament TO the decoration OF the faorl
OF the nest. even az the risk Of its DANCE
and discovery through the qualification
their feeling for beauty, Is d further an
most remarkable evidence Of the pleasur
which they derive from that sense; for on
Of the strongest impulses Of the NESTING
bird is to su coordinate the color and textur
OF the outside OF the nest 10 the tint OF II
natural surroundings. and none but
strong and tempting bias TO the induigenc
OF a contrary instinct could con- pete wit
their natural solicitude for the safety g
their young.
TWO REMARKABLE TNsTASCEs
Yet two undoubced instances Of the ad
dition Of ornament By English birds 20 tn
outside Of nest have come under IN
writer's notice, where its use clearly er
tailed some danger from the enemy. IN
first was the nest OF a cuiI-chsf, found
a plantation near Rosamond's bower, o
the Isis. near Godstow. Il was dome
nest Of the usual kind, made Of dry, co4Ol
less grass, with an entrance IN the side.
But on the outside and around the er
trance 70 the chamber we're stuck seveT'
of the brilliant blue feathers % the klnl
fisher The position OF these bright pateEs
of color on the outside Of tse nest . stron
evidence that beauty, not utility, was =
object az their insertion
The other case was the nest Of goldfinei
which wac built on high branch Of 81
amore. near the window ot house a 81
mouth. in Devonshirc. When the faoTIc (
the nest was completed the oi-Jls--or. rat
er. one bird. for the other was Constant y
employed IN building- brought ln-ng piec'
CT the blue forget nae-nots from the nsl
garden. assd a. adjusted the sprays that e
J flowers hung ali round the Sop Of the hes
Spectator
Banana flour.
4 uroceSs has been discovered for IA