The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-29
RUNNING nnRD nARIrs.
Tiny Creatures About tho Stse Of Z
NOury Iler,

3
Tiny Crenturrs Abcut tho stse Of y
Honey Be~.
Upon the Tree Tops" Olive Thornc MIL
Ter.
Truly falryllka dwelling was hat n nest
nut wtih enc leaf for q shelter. An inch
IN depth and the same IN breadth furnish
"a ample quarters FOR the twin husnnins
bird babies whose homo y was.
vciopincM or the twlns IN that cherished
hume? Where shall find words dtlcatc
and subtle enough 10 describe the clianxc
atoms the sac OF honey bee 10 nedged
and fun grown hunnW.nI birtsf ,Every
r,prning, wS,tchinw ard waiting w tne
whole OF our ,ittle wor'd wns az efeakiast.
dulged III a long, closc look al the,n anu
no Language Mt my cosrsnand ~ adequate
TO describe the procesa OF unfolding ~
AZ first ssht OF the TIVE | was lost IN
amusement. Could those minute eatnrpil..
,ar-iiko objects, covered with scenty ana
scattering hairs. lyiuE side by side "a the
bosom OF their miniature cradle DC inS
Offspring OF the winged sprltes OF the pird
worldg Mould those short VIDE, dvekhke
beaks ever become the needlc shaped
probes OF fiowers. Would .wiMgs ever
al this time four and fve days old. Tor,
though they appeared like twins, learn
I'd from prcvtoas watchers that there wsss
a days difference between them
urnistered the stan OF Me 70 her tonder
btrdlrgs. Alightine oa the edse o. ,nr
neat, she leaned over amd WITH her bcnk
iarkcd n little head INTO sight above the
edge; then down the babys throat she
thrust hor long benls Its whole lcngthr-ahd
II looked actually longer than the young
ster itself. Then she pruddcd ana SHOOK
the unfortunate nestling. who seemed to
hold on u,ll | wondered his head did not
come on II was truly fearful 10 Witness
In moincnt. shaking off. apparently with
ltxt mt SsMA df0nnN1
opt OF eight. she jerked w the other and
treated II In the same rough way. shakinS
her own body from head u tail by nor ex-
ertion
Thus alternately she fed them, three
or four times, before ahe flnshcd; and
then sho calmly slipped on the nest, WIZ
Cling and twisting about ~ u she werr
paving them over with her Feet. There
she sat FOR Ave or six minutes before dart
ing away for fresh supplies. while I Won
dercd II the two victims OF TINS spartan
method were lying dead, stabbed TO death,
or smothered by their own mother. But
I did her tenderness Gnd her mceherhood
Injustice. Regularly every hair hour ahe
came and repeated this murderous-iook-
ing process, unless. az often happened,
she was frightened away BY tho people
about
TIL her little ones were two weeks old
the devoted IL apparently unKentle. pm
rent continued To feed them AZ Intervals
OF thirty minutes, the notwithstanding
performance being always as violent ns
have described. After that date sho
came more frequently. avery fifteen OF
twenty minutes, and their development
went on more rapidly, At the early age
OF Ave ard six days, even hcforc their
eyes were open, the young birds began 70
show that they had minds OF Their own.
and knew when they had enough twhlcn
some folk bigger than birds never know,
When one was sufficiently filled, or auf-
nclently rncJsed 4 would shut It's mouth
and refuse to open though mamma touch
al II gently with her bcak.