The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-09

during her long and tedious days of brood
ing, but when the children appear and she
steps off the nest his playtime is over and
be must bestir himself to feed those gaping
mouths. The cock-sparrow is, moreover, al
though always domestic tyrant, an excel
lent provider, as rule, so / wondered all
the more that the head of this particular
house should absent himself at this most
critical and interesting time. But the lit
tie hen evidently did not expect him. She
was really calling to her babies, who chung
for dear life to their twig and seemed afraid
to stir. She fiuttered over them, calling
and encouraging them, all the time keep
ing an eye upon me, and was manlfestly
trying to coax them to another branch q
little further off.
But the birdlings were afraid. The
world was blythe branch was long way
off-they did not believe the queer crea-
ture down on the ground was going to
hurt them-at any rate they couldn't help
it il they died for it. And they lifted up
their voices and wept, making the early
morning air vociferous with their clamor-
ing. Still mamma was determined, and
gently approaching the one who was
shrieking the loudest she gave him soft
little boost with her bill that tumbled him
from his perch. He spread his wings and
scrambled desperately in the air. / expect
he thought his last moment had come.
But the little mother was close beside him
with an encouraging chirp, and an instant
later he was on the further branch. Then
his cry of dismay changed to one of tri-
umph. He stretched his little neck as
though to be quite sure it was safe and
then he set up howl to be fed. Poor
Mother Bunch was at her wits ends. She
wanted to reward one youngster for his
effort, but there was the other, alone on
the lower branch and wailing dolefully.
Why did not that father bird come and
attend to his business2 Was it election
ing, or was he only loafng around the
corner?
I watched for two hours, but he never
came. and I fear he had met with some
tragic fate. Perhaps he had been gone
| for some time-the bereaved mate did not
seem to be looking for his coming. All
her energies were now bent toward coax
ing that other baby to Join his brother,
and finally, with last little squeak he
huttered his wings and made quite re-
spectacle flight to the upper Dough. Then
the mother flew away and they settled
down. They were good babies, and devoted
the time in her absence to preening their
ruffied plumage. Then they Struggled
close together with many little chirps, ex-
pressive, | haven't doubt, OF their poor
opinion of the world in general and OF me
in particular who had caused them SO
much unnecessary exertion. When their
mother returned they at once renewed
their clamor until both were appeased by
the administration of something, could
not see what, from the mothers bill to
their gaping mouths.
How that little sparrow did work. Seven
teen times in one half hour did she leave the
tree and return, each time bringing some
thing for one or the other of those shrek
ing birdlings. She looked as though she
were having a hard time of it. The feath-
ers were gone from the top of her head and
her tail was draggled and broken. She had
no time to make her toilet-she must be
father and mother at once to those young
sters, who, save for lacking tails, were
eyery bit as big as she. do not know
when 1 have felt more genuine sympathy
for any small creature. She did seem such
a widow, indeed"
A baby bird in trouble is spectacle cal
culated to wiring the hardest heart. Some
time ago l saw young robin that had
fallen to the ground and lay in the grass
crying pitifully. The parent birds were
nowhere about-the wind was quite strong
and probably the baby had been blown
quite distance. While was wondering
how could help the youngsters tiny wren
came hopping along. He stopped opposite
the robin and contemplated him, appar-
emily in the greatest surprise. watched
to see what was coming. The robin was
quite as large again as the wren, who
looked mere morsel beside the shrieking
infant.
Finally Troglodytus rushed away, only
to return an instant later with tiny NOR