Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-09-22
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
Birds That Live on Tall Buildings-sian6
From the Days Of Old
Rome.

Rome.
Since the tall office buildings have
come into vogue the sparrows have gone
upward TO build their nests, and broods
are reared every season 100 feet or
more above the busy street. The fiedge-
lings are safe from cats and annoying
small boys, but their security in that
respect il offset by the danger OF falling
out of the nest The parent birds are
so fearful of such an accident that one
or the other stands on guard at all hours
of the day.
When the time approaches for the
young birds to fly, the parents show
their anxiety in many ways They
seem 60 try to induce their young TO re-
main in their nests until their wings
are strong enough to support them, but
if one should flop out before the proper
time the two old birds go to the rescue.
An instance of this kind happened
few days ago at old Trinity. The stee-
pie of the church is favorite breeding
place Of the sparrows, and clumsy nests
are poked away in every nook and cor
ner. In a nest perched nearly mp to the
cross that surmounts the steeple the
second brood of young sparrows have
Just reached the flying age, and the
other day the foremost youngsteI flop
ned over the side of the nest and came
tumbling down to the hard pavement
below. His vain efforts TO use his wings
only multiplied his strange gyrations
through the air, but before he could
reach the ground the two parent spar
rows had darted downward iii time to
receive him on their backs.
1t was impossible for them to ny
with the bird on their shoulders. but
thew glided slowly downward with
, wings outspread until they reached the
top OF the trees, where they managed to
, land the youngster safely among the
; sheltering branches.
The first lessons in flying are very
4 difficult for young birds reared in such
high homes The first flight of fiedge-
ling must of necessity be short, and IL
he should attempt to fly downward to
the streets below he would undoubted-
, ly plunge forward with such impetu-
! osity as to kill him when he reached
the pavement Consequently the parent
, birds direct the first flight either to a
8 neighboring roof a short distance be.
q low, or, if the high building stands
j. alone. they teach the fledgeling to jump
from the nest first straight out and
Il then upward and at last back again to-
4 ward the building. They thus describe
/ an upward circle and land with flop
q upon the roof.
r On these tall roofs the young birds
receive their regular lessons, flying back
and forth in perfect safety, with neither
cats nor small boys TO disturb them,
q and there they remain until their
- strength and their wings are fully de-
l. veloped
IS The first attempts of the young birds
:, to fly from their nests to the roof over
- head are amusing They jump out into
, space and flutter with uncertain flight
- upward, aud then attempt to turn Q
70 sharp angle. They are not always sue
- cessful, and sometimes begin to descend
70 before they have reached the edge o.
- the roof, but if there is danger of theil
missing it the parent birds flop agains
them with such force as 10 knock then
several feet toward the building 1t il
rude way to treat the little ones, bu
ia it is safe and effectual.- Anima
10 Friends.