The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-03

Oi' dlIcI administering a mOrSel or
two, took his fight just over the rush
ing and foamiEg waters of the brook,
the deserted beggar plunged into the
stream and foraged for himself.
A red-headed woodpecker l was
once watching, brought his quaint
brown baby to a fence beside the
raspberry bushes, gathered and fed
to him berry or two, apparently to
show how it was done, and then left
him there alone for an hour or more,
where he must pick for himself, or go
hungry. His awkward attempts to
reach the fruit, his evident fears that
he should fall, his final success, and
his delight in it, were most interest
ing to see.
Lessons in Flying.
Teaching the younglings to fly in
flock, at signal, saw distinctly
done many times, by pair of king
birds whose nursery life I once
studied. 1t was after the young had
left the nest and could fly well,
though they were still being fed.
Many times during the day, the old
birds would begin flying about in a
circle above the tops of the trees,
uttering a strange and peculiar cry,
unlike any other / had heard from
them in a close watch of several
weeks. Instantly the young, as
though struck by panic, would rise
on wing and join in the circling flight.
AS long as the cry was kept up they
few around as fast as they could, and
when it ceased they dropped to trees
wherever they happened to be. Then
in moment they began calling to
each other in their sweet baby voices,
for they were affectionate little fell
lows and could not bear to be separ-
ated. AS they called, each hoped
and few toward the others, and in
minute or two all three would be sit
ting side by side on twig, happy
and contented again.
Teaching Young Crows.
The instruction of young crows in
the same thing is amusing to see.
The big babies are SO clumsyin move
ment that they hardly know how to
mount on wing in the first place, and
when they attempt to alight they
clutch at the perch with their feet,
but their heavy bodies not being
easily arrested, go on, and sometimes
young one actually turns a somer-
sault before he can bring himself to
rest. On one occasion while l was
from behind my blind studying with
great entertainment crow nursery
tactics, one baby neglected to re-
spond to the call. l think he was the
youngest; at any rate he was the
most clumsy in getting about. But
disobedience is not tolerated in the
crow family, and discipline is salu-
tary, if severe. On the return of the
party from their wing exercise over
the pasture, one of the elders, with
out alighting, took bee line for the
recreant infant sitting on a low
boulder, and calmly knocked him
clean off his perch. The next time l
observed that he did not linger, but
took his constitutional with the rest.
A Bluebird Family.
A most interesting bit of instruction
l once saw in bluebird family. The
young were not more than day out
of the nest, and disinclined to fly
much. But it was growing dusk, and
the parents evidently wished to get
them together for the night. l first
noticed little one on low tree close
to the piazza where I sat. He was
calling for food, and while / looked
blue fash from behind him passed
close by, almost touching him, and
alighted on the next tree in advance,
when | saw it was the father. Pass
ing SO very near the youngster seemed
to startle him into fight, for he fol-
lowed at once, alighted beside his
parent, and was fed. Soon l noticed
that the elder had disappeared and
the youngling stood alone. Then he
began again to chirrup, and as before
his instructor few past from behind,
almost touching him, and alighted a
little further on, and again the young
ster took the short flight between him
and his supper. So it went on till
the two reached a larger tree on the
place, where / saw that the other
young bluebirds had been assembled,
and there am sure they passed the
night.
Music Lessons.
Music lessons are among the most
charming things to hear in the bird
world. The young singer begins
quite early to initiate the song of his
parent, and twice | have heard this