The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-03-07
BIRDS HAVE LITTLE SENSE.

Few species of birds are endowed
with the acute instinct that characters
ICES other members of the animal cre-
alton. They are very "set in their
ways, and seldom move out of their
accustomed groove. The chirping
sparrows have persisted in building
their nests in the roof cutters of the
next house, ignoring the fact that
rain is not unknown in this climate,
and that a heavy shower will flood
their tenements and drown their Off
spring. Not only this, but next
year and the year after they will do
the same, failing to learn by ex.
perlence how to accommodate them
selves to British weather. Jackdaws,
when untainted by civilization, dwell
in holes in the rocks, but quickly
adapted themselves to new circum-
stances.
The writer has been almost smoth-
cred by smoke causedlby a -nestwhich
completely blocked his chimney ten
feet from the top. As the chimney
has been built only few months, it
is obvious that as site it must have
been unfamiliar to the troublesome
birds. Now, that time is far distant
when first chimneys were invented,
and the first jackdaws descended their
blackened depths, yet long expe-
rience, while it has shown the birds
the convenience of chimneys for hold
ing their abominable sticks, has not
taught them that their premises can
not be insured against fire. Perhaps,
after all, the brains of jackdaws are
sharner tha+, is siinrasad The .,ee+e. :.
are placed IN the chimneys just when
the fires are being given up for the
summer, so that the jackdaws enjoy
the use of the chimGeys more than
the man who pays for their erection.
If we look toward them with half
closed eyes not trace of the birds is
visible. All llappear sound asleep, and
the little heads sag drowsily to one
side, but at the slightest noise each
black bead of an eye is wide open,
and six scurrying pairs of legs, or
rounded, whirring wings, carry their
owners to the further side of the
cage, as if an unfelt wind had sud-
denly caught up some of the dead
leaves before US and tossed them along
the ground. 1t is all beautiful bit
of magic, which never becomes less
wonderful, no matter how many times
we witness it.
When we see how wonderfully
the little partridges are protected
from danger by their color, we won
der how the mother partridge keeps
hidden during her three weeks vigil
on her nest. The male bird is inde-
scribably beautiful-dotted and slash
ed, stained and shaded with different
tones of color, some of his feathers
looking almost like the scales Of
fishes. His head is decorated by two
interlacing white lines and the tall
helmet of beautifully curved feathers,
r-l-;;nl. -II-A- - -l-isa black throat,
MAKE -h'm very consnicuous. .h'rd
certain degree, sharing many of his
beauties, has them in such subdued
tones that they do not make her at
all noticeable among surroundings of
dried grass and weeds.
The young birds are still further
provided with means of escape FROM
their many enemies, for almost fro
the moment they are hatched the1E :
little wing feathers shoot out, and
when only day old they can futter
full yard into the air. In fact,
have known one of these hardy chicks
to fall out of nesting box I8 inches
from the floor, and somehow get
back alone on the day of Matching.
Imaging common chicken attempt
inp this