The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-08-05
ROBBING OF NESTS.
The Feathered Tribe are Disappear
ing.

Of birds hat but few years ago in
tested the country? The decrease in
the number Of the feathered song
sters has be IN 80 marked during the
last few years that many people have
asked of themselves the above ques-
ti0n.
Not SO very long ago the woods and
the fields were alive, SO to speak, with
all the species of birds known to this
part of the country their songs of
joy and happiness echoed from every
Tres and thicket all the day long, and
the merry "Bob White of the par
fridge could be heard in the surround
ing fields; but now it is all changed,
the members of the feathered tribe
are few in number, and the number
seems to be growing less every year.
The cause, or causes, of this scarcity
of birds is apparent to all thinking
people; the old ones have been ruth
lessly slain: the young captured, and
either killed outright or died of star
vation and improper care, and the
nests robbed and destroyed by that
born instrument Of destruction, and
the seeming mortal enemy Of all cats,
dogs and birds-thc small boy.
There is law against the killing
Of birds, capturing their young or rob-
bing their nests, and it should be en-
forced. The authorities of every
town and city in the country should
pass q special ordinance against the
catching Of young birds and robbiug
birds nests and see that it is rigidly
enforced. Aside from the sin of
such proceedings, the destruction of
the birds will soon, if it has not al
ready, materially affected the interests
Of the farmers and truck growers Of
the country, inasmuch as it will re-
move the enemies OF the army Of in
scots which prey upon their farms and
gardens.
About two weeks ago the writer was
attracted by the distressing cries Of
some birds near his home. The cries
came from the direction Of nest with
young birds in it, which ne had been
watching with the view Of protecting
them, and on fastening out to learn
the cause, he found two little darkies
complacently seated on the ground
near the bush containing the nest,
while the parent birds were most pit
eously crying above them. A closer
inspection revealed the fact that they
had taken the young birds from the
nest and had them in hat, the birds
being 80 youL. that their eyes were
not open and they had not feather
on them. It ID needless to say that
the birds were put back in the nest
and the boys run off the place, with
warning to never return. The
writer is also pleased to state that
these same birds have not been mo-
Tested since.
This incident serves to show the
utter thoughtlessness, the cruelty. the
fondness for destroying something,
chat seems inherent in every boy. The
birds mentioned would have very like
ly died before the boys reached home
with them, considering that they were
just hatched, while the plaintive cries
Of the two old birds were enough to
melt heart Of stone; though the more
distressing they became the more de-
lighted those colored youngsters seem
ed to be.
A mockingbird built her nest With
in five feet of the writer's door this
season, and in due time hatched out q
family Of five: The young ones were
carefully watched to see that no harm
befell them by passers by until they
were large enough to leave their home.
They .eached this stage last week,
aud when they left the nest they were
promptly led outside the yard by the
parent birds-right out into danger
for themselves. A few mornings after
wards, the distressing Screams of
birds we're again heard, aud it was
soon found that another young dusky
con Of Ham had caught two Of the
young mocking. birds and had made
preparations for capturing the entire
lot, with the view of having u whole
sale selling. The agonizing cries of
tho mother bird had no effect upon
him whatever, nor even upon his moth
er ard older ones of the family who
we're present-neither did any attempt
to shame him for his cruelty. His
reply was, when dey git big dey'll
go of, anyhow" aud he seemed to
think he might as well have them as
Cor +han, m U1o Of -