The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-02

above a serenade of song that rose In
thanksgiving from a full little heart.
Then she hunted up a bit of supper, re-
tired into the evergreen thicket as dusk
dusk fell, fiuffed herself into gray lit
tie ball and went to sleep. Doing
through the night, she heard the beat
of wings and the nervous chirp of birds
journeying still farther into the north
land, but she slept on, soothed by the
knowledge that her spring fight was
over.
Next day a Mr.. Catbird called early
and the pair spent busy honeymoon
constructing a most wonderfully woven
nest. Upon foundation of stout twigs
and dried stalks of slender weeds, light
er twigs were interlaced skilfully, and
the whole fabric lined with filaments
of roots that made a soft cushion.
One day she laid three eggs. They
were the most wonderful of blue green
in color. with glossy polish that
broke the rays when the sun shone on
them and left the impression on the
eyes of a boy who looked at them that
there was a spot on each egg where
the white showed through.
Mr.. and Ole Mis- Catbird scolded vo-
ciferously at the intruder and when he
left followed him. threatening things
dreadful If he came again: but after
WARN they gu " NC AolSC 6OOQ LAlGh0os
One day, when the boy called on the
family he found three little birds, ridic
luously bare save for the funniest tufts
of fuzz that stood up all over their lit
tie heads. They greeted him joyously,
with appraised white yellow mouths,
gaping to be fed. A new shyness
was on the old BIRDS and the boy
was greeted with a discourteous new
ing which would have hurt his feel
aI.slJ Fot,o Ind 49,
testified to their confidence in him by
raising up their heads and displaying
vast yellow cavities whenever he visit
ed them.
The short space of a week changed
fuzz to feather on the young birds, and
they began to be clothed so that their
appearance was really quite respecta-
BILE. They began to have good old-fash-
toned romps in the nest, like little
boys pillow-fighting when the sand
man is behind time.
When the mother bird swung lightly
to the topmost bough Of the little tree
the romp ceased always and the little
birds tiptoed and showed each other,
yellow-mouthed and stretching for the
first chance. For five minutes after a
meal there was peace in the nest and
three little birds had comfortable maps;
then one would nudge and the other
would shove back and the romp was on
again.
One little bird would run around the
circular edge of the nest with his half
fiedged wings stretched aloft and flap
ping uncertainty, winding up his per-
formance by a prodigious leap of at
least four inches to a bough laced to
the nest by interviewer twigs that
made a pathway for his descent.
It is not at all remarkable that the
young birds grew wonderfully fast, for
they absorbed vast amount of food
each day, and about two weeks after
they had Clipped out Of the eggs they
discovered that when they tapped
their little wings they could rise from
the nest.
One day the mother bird perched
close to the evergreens on a little
dwarfed ailanthus tree and called in
vitingly to them with persuasive note
that said, Come and be fed" With
one accord they spread their wings
and in a moment the family was on the
branch. For some time they rested af-
ter the great exertion, clinging tightly
and stretching up, wide mouthed, for
food, chirping i1ungrily.
At dusk they flew back to their nest
in the evergreens and the next day
lefttit forever.
Even after they had left the old
home the little birds were approacha-
lie and greeted the boy who had been
the visitor of their nursery wide
mouthed. chirping hungrily.
Mr.. Catbird took them under his