The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-03-28
HOW he tanned WILD BIRDS.
Experience of English Clergyman in
Feeding Them in Winter.

ment, only to take a swift depar-
ture as soon as he opens the win
dow. The birds will then alightI
on some twig or roof near by, chati
ter among themselves in conference
and as soon as the householder
shuts the window they will again
fly back to the sill.
These birds are beggars. If one
wishes to win their friendship it is
an easy task. Grant the birds a
few bites to eat, and the conquest of
their affections can be made in a
few days. Man is by no means the
only member of the animal king
dom whose heart may be reached
through his stomach.
An English clergyman, in a re-
cent article in the Pail Mall Maya
zine, tells how he has been success
full in tanning a dozen or more va
rieties Of birds, simply by coaxing
them through a few benevolent
crumbs into the belief that he was
a true friend. Visitors to his cOun-
try home often found him standing
in his garden, with a robin eating
crumbs from between his lips, while
on n hand was perched a bluetit
and on the other a sparrow, all APP
parently as confident Of their Sc
curity as if in their nests.
After many fruitless attempts this
minister learned that the only time
to train birds was in the winter.
Then their stock of worms and
grubs has been exhausted, and,
with the trees bare 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, mar Is merely winning its
confidence. The conquest is at
tanned not through fear, but gem
tleness. Thus, in tanning a bird,
food is used as only a means to
show the feathercd beggar that
the giyer Of it means him good and
not harm. The first step which the
English clergyman took in captur-
ing the affections of his wild bird
visitors was sprinkling some crumbs
each morning on his doorstep. The
news Of this charity spread with
great rapidity through the leaiess
woods, and Aocks Of robins, chat
finches, coletits, bluetits, greattits,
sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes and
an occasional jackdaw came to feed.
After the newcomers had grown
perfectly confident of their securi-
ty in hopping over the steps when
the minister was indoors they had
another test.
The clergyman then spread sew
eral crumbs of cheese or cake on his
palm, and rested his hand on the
ground. After a great deal Of twit-
tering one or two holder spirits
darted forward and snatched up the
crumbs. The experiment was re-
peated, and the birds came for the
crumbs with less timidity. The
robins, Drawer than most of their
brethren, led the way. After a
time, the minister placed a cracker
in his teeth, to find that a robin
would fly into his face, and careful
ly, but with lightninglike quickness,
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 gar
den they would circle about his
head, and if he stopped a moment
to regard their opportunities a
robin or a bluetit would hop to his
shoulder and chirp in the most
pleading sort of way. If he sat on
his porch to read the birds at last
nipped at the paper or the pages
Of his book to attract his attention.
A whistle at supper time would
bring a responding futtef Of wings
from all directions. The coming of
spring showed that the bonds of
friendship which had been formed
in the months OF winter restitution.
were far too strong to be dissolved
by warm spring sunshine and fresh,
green fields. A few ingrates disap-
r peared, but the vast majority re-
manned, Indeed, the custom of
begging, Of having their food OBJ
| tanned for them, of being exempt
a