Arizona republican., 1903-03-09
HOW he tanned WILD BIRDS
of English Clergy man in
Feeding Them in Winter.

In the bleak winter time, whether
enc lives in the country or the city, he
frequently sees groups Of snowbirds
lowering about his easement, only to
take swift departure as soon as he
opens the window. The birds will then
alight on some twig or roof near by
chatter among themselves in confer
ance, and as soon as the householder
shuts the window they will again fly
back to the sill
These BIRDS are beggars. If one wish
es 10 win their friendship it is an easy
tasll. Grant the birds a few bites to
cat and he conquest of their affections
can be made in a few days. Man is by
nc means the only member of the an
NAL Kingdom whose heart nay be
reached through his stomach.
An I,uelish clergyman, in a recent az
ticie in 7 he Pail Mall Magazine tells
how he has been successful in tanning
Il dozen Ct more varieties of birds, sim
ply by coaXiug them through a few he
nevoicnt crumbs into the belief that he
was q true friend. Visitors to his
country home often found him standing
il his garden, with a robin cutting
crumbs from between his lips, Will On
one hand was perched a bluetit ard on
shc 9th, a sparrow, ali apparently as
confident of their security as if in their
nests.
After many fruitless attempts, the
minister learned that the only tine to
train birds was in the winter. TE7n
their stock Of worms and grubs has
been exhausted, and, with the trees
hare and snow on the fields, the birds
must beg, steal or die.
In tanning a bird, he says, the same as
tanning any other living thing, man is
merely winning its confidence. The
con,i, est is attained not through lear
but gentieness. Thus, in tanning a Iird,
food is used as only means to show
the feathered beggar that the giver of
it means him good and not harm. The
first step which the English clerg Fman
took in capturing the affections Of Ills
wild bird visitors was sprinkling some
crumbs each morning on his doorstep.
The news of this charity spread with
great rapidity through the leafless
woods, and ffocks of robins. chaffi aches
coletits, bluetits. greattits, sparrows,
I blackbirds thrushes and an occasional
| jackdaw, came to feed. After the new
| Corners had grown perfectly confident
of their security in hopping over the
steps when the minister was indoors,
! they had mother test.
| The clergyman then spread several
| crumbs of cheese or cake on his palm,
and rested his hand on the ground. At
! ter Il great deal of twittering one or
| two holder spirits darted forward, and
snatched up the crumbs. The expert
ment was repeated, and the birds came
for the crumbs with dess timidity. The
| robins. drawer than most of their breth-
rem, led the way. After time, the
minister placed cracker in his teeth.
| to find that robin would fly into his
face, and carefully. but with lightning
like swiftness. snatch the food in its
| bill and dart away
! After this time the birds did not wait
to be invited. AS soon as they saw their
master walking in his garden they
| would circle about his head, and if he
! stopped a moment to regard their i'm
| portunities, a robin or a bluetit would
hop to his shoulder and chirp in the
most pleading sort of way. If he sat on