Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
KEEPING THEIR NESTS SAFE.
Great Ingenuity Displayed by Some Birds
in Dcceiving Man and Beast.

In Dcce1v1ng Man and Beast.
Birds building on high trees are not SO wary
about the concealment Of their nests as hedge
builders and those that seek the springing corn
or grass land for the shelter Of their homes,
trusting to the loftiness OF situation for Sc
curity, says London It'd Bits. A nest placed
upon the ground is in constant danger of ex-
posure. A browsing animal might destroy it;
then the scythe with one sweep occasionally
laws bare one or more nests, thereby endanger-
ing the eggs or callow nestlings. This renders
the parent bird very wary, and Causes them to
practice great ingenuity in their efforts to
protect the young birds. The skylark has been
known to carry its eggs or offspring to place
Of safety after exposure Of the nest.and 1t has
been said its long hind claw-the use Of which
has puzzled many naturalsts-is specially
adapted by nature for more easily grasping and
transporting its treasures from the source of
danger. When the young birds are too bulky
to be thus removed the parent carries them on
its back, though this mode OF removal is a
somewhat difficult one. Nesting upon the
ground the partridge IL likewise likely to be dis
turbed. A bird OF this species was once startled
by pillow passing within yard or so OF its
nest. Destruction was almost . certainty, as
the pillow must pass entirely over it in the next
round. and the laborer wondered how the
partridge would act. The time necessary for
going around the field about twenty
minutes, yet in that almost incredible period
the parent birds had effected the removal Of
| some twenty-one eggs to a safe spot. Careful
search led to the discovery Of the bird calmly
seated upon her treasures in the bottom Of the
| hedge, out of the reach of the pillow. Nineteen
partridge chicks were eventually Matched and
| duly escaped unmolested.
Some birds will forsake their nests IL so much
rs a finger is placed within, but others. suspi-
| cio rat heir has Iiscnvere1 sack
to hide them more efficaciously by admirably
| ingenious plans. Among the thick fern growth
! of a bank wood warbler had woven nest.
| The bird mad evidently selected this bank be-
cause of the quantity Of dead leaves scattered
| and heaped thereon, the tawny crispness OF
these corresponding nicely with the domed
edifice. thereby rendering discovery almost i'm
possible. But the fine quality OF the ferns led
to its detection. Tugging at the fraii fronds. a
kindly disposed lady scared the sitting warbler,
which flew. with plaintive call, to an adjacent
bough. and there exhibited signs of distress.
The lover Of nature could not resist a peep al
the cozy home. which at glance appeared like
q shapeless mass OF dead leaves and grasses
Some few days after, walking through the same
wood. she was again tempted to pay the little
wood bird q visit. Puzzled and surprised, she
could not find its whereabouts. but few min
utes' search revealed an alteration from the
original mode. The cunning bird had blocked
up the old entrance and covered that side of the
nest WITH DEAD leaves, breaking u doorway
through on the opposite side.
The maybe is nothing if not ingenious. HI
always barricades his bulky nest with thorl
branches. so that to plunder it is by no mean
an easy matter; but when circumstances oblig
, the ''pie' to build in a low bush or hedge-aI
absence OF lofty trees being marked feature
some northern localities-he not only inter
, laces his home. but also the entire bush, in
, | most formidable manner. Nor does he stol
here. To make assurance doubly sure" b.
, fashions q means of exit as well a. entrance 4
the castle SO that il disturbed he can slip on
by his back door, rs it we're. tree sparrow
on one occasion built its nest in tall elm, jus
beneath the more bulky erection OF a crow
Not only did the large nest screen the smaller
but it afforded a means Of protection from tn
vagaries of the weather. Some time after tn
crows nest was plundered OF its contents
while that Of the tree sparrow escaped un
touched greenfirch once built its nest in
side the deserted home of missel-thrush. Thi
deserted nest was well known to the bird-nes'
ing boy forsaken. i. being several season
. old and much battered by the storms OF pas
winters so none ventured to climb the tree
, after it. The enterprising fncLes succeeded
> bringing off brood of five successfully, an
this in spite of the fact that the tree was almoi
! in the village street and stood quite alone. A
, ii aware of its publicity, the old birds wer
, very cautious in their journeys to and from til
| nest and did not display the marked restless
I ness of parent birds in general-otherwise thei
q secret must have been betrayed.
4 The Young birds practice deception for thei
ultimate safety especially those Of the partride
i and lapwing species. At given signal frol
the parent they squat close to the ground. hol
n ing by such means to escape the eve Of the il
a | truder. In such cases their coloring assis
q Them the feathers of the helpless hedglin:
II partaking of the hues of their general surroun,
ings. Nestings taken by surprise feign hell
=" lessness and encourage the notion that the
At have not yet power to use their wings. But I
n sooner is the means of escape evident than aw,
they futter, awkwardly it ia true, but sufficient
'. well to accomplish their purpose.