The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-05-15
THE STORY or THE NEST.
Wooing, Mating, Matching and Teaching
tho Young Birds to Fly.


wooing, Mating, Matching and Teaching
tho loung. Birds to Fly.
From the humming bird to tho
eagle the daily existence Of every
bird is a remote and bewitching
mystery. Tho bird is our little broth
er, and it is only during the nesting
period that we can study his domss:
tic life and keep the married couple
nndcr close investigation. The nest
differs from our homo in the fact
that it is sololy nursery, for tho
moment the nesting can fly tho
world is his home, any comfortable
twig is bedroom and d spray of
leaves shelter. He lunches whcr-
ever le meets his prey and when
ever he feels hungry and thus needs
no dining room with its accompany
ing kitchen and storefoom. In bird
life at nesting time, which Is the
eourting time of our bird friends;
they are in great contradistinction
to ourselves. 1t is tho male that
plumes himself out in his most gor-
geous plumage, while the bride, as
rule, wears dingy dress. But
there are fights among the birds for
their brides, often alienation of afs
lection and sometimes murder.
There are too in birds the spinsters
and bachelors, who look on witt
cold contempt at the quarrels of the
youngsters, many of whom to charm
Or win a bride sing their sweetest
songs and dance or drum with their
wings. AS /, rule, the female bird
selects the site for the nest, and i'll
many cases she is alone the architect,
while the male bird simply aids her
with his song and brings her food.
That many birds return to the
same nesting place year after year
is undoubted. This is true of the
swallow, building its small earthen
home under our caves, and most
particularly noticeable With tho
rocks, who are most conservative.
An authentic story is told of fami.
ly of rocks who had for centuries
built their nests in cathedral close
in England when pair had the rad:
ical tcmcrity' to select a tree in the
neighboring barrack yard. The
whole parliament of rocks of that
colony wcro called together, and
with many caws discussed the SUBJ
iect On the cathedral green. An al
most gray headed rock took tho
floor, and it was evidently decided
that tho burrack tree should be look
ed upon as colony, for the birds
were allowed to build there in peace.
In Matching the brood there is
great difference among birds. The
| ruby throatel hunfming bird never
comes near the nest, Just caroling
away in tho near vicinity. The song
sparrows, however, take turn and
turn about on tho most, and this Is
true about many other birds. It Is
generally said that birds give up all
care of their young as soon as they
are 1cdgod. This IS absolutely in-
correct. The parent bird gives the
first lessons in flying as carefully as
do we in seeing our children todllo
across the floor.
When rhc young bird has miscal.
culated tho distance from bough to
bough and iluttercd to tho ground,
| the parents are as solicitous over tho
! fall as any mother over the tumble
of her babe, and with encouraging
bird talk make tho youngster jump
to somo perch and not infrequentl"
actually carry him there Young
birds, like young children, are often
indiscrect, and the young hooking
bird is one Of the most obstreperous
of fedgelings, causing his parents an
infnity of trouble. They climb out
of their nests days before they can
fly and arc an easy prey to their
many enemies, especially man, but
are guarded and fed to the utmost
by their parents.
In the nesting time, especially
when the young arc Matched, birds
use the str;ttgest ways to keep an
enemy away from the homo Of the
brood.
There has been and is still CRU.
SADIE against almost every bird by
the farmer and fruitgrower, and
their nests are ruthlessly destroyed
or robbed If these people would
: really lear, that it is the bird that
saves their crops and their orchards
!, by killing hundreds Of thousands OF
insects that would eat up everything,
, our little brothers would be far more
plentiful and crops of all sorts far
more Observation-Disclosures by Mrs;
: Olive Thorne Miller.
: Mexican Courtshfp.
A Mexican girl is courted by
unique process. Her would be love-
walks up and down the street on tn
r 4 4 Z