The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-05-20
SARGE PLUNKETT.
Country Folks do not Destroy Birds N Tests.
Atlanta Constitution.


The destroying of nests is almost as
destructive of birds as the killing
them for their plumage, and quite as
cruel.
Country young folks do not destroy
birds nests but the boys of the city
and small towns are rowing vandals
after eggs and have no thought Of the
damage or the cruelty of their acts
Some of these boys collect the eggs as
fad, but many of them wantouly
tear up the nests, break the eggs and
kill the old birds if they possibly can.
met squad Of seven Atlanta boys
yesterday and they had among them
eleven nests, some still clinging to the
twig with eggs in them, while some
were just the bare nests, but repre-
senting the labor Of many days of the
mother birds. Boys not so hardened
as to break eggs will think nothing of
appropria.ing an empty nest, not quite
finished, perhaps, without thought
OF the labor it cost the mother bird
nor Of how bad she might feel when
she returns to find her nest gone and
her work all lost. 1t is q part of
motherhood, either birds or human,
to joyfully anticipate the coming of
their young, and mother bird or moth
er human prepare for this coming
with heart so full Of love and con-
sideration that it is cruel and sin to
destroy their work or blast the charm
of mother hope. It is a very sweet
period of the human mother to work
upon and pack away the long flannel
skirts, the little skirts, the pretty
dresses and little caps that her babe
is to woar, and so, think, it is sweet
period in tho life Of the mother bird
when she begins her nest and indus
triously carries it through with such
consideration to the comforts. of the
young birds that only mothers heart
couia understand.
One of these nests proved to be u
knocking bird and there were two egss
III Il and the boys had the mother
bird which they had killed in the hunt.
I am no great admirer Of some Of the
traits of Ahe male mocking bird, but
all the way home I could but help
contemplating the feelings Of this
bird when he found that his mate and
the nest were gone. That these birds
have affections is we'll known, for
the male bird never sings again and
never takes another mate, when the
mother bird will so grieve over the
loss Of her young that she will poison
them if they are Gagged and put where
she can get to them. Outside of all
feeling that is due these birds for the
loss that they sustain, it is supremeiy
politic that these eggs and nests
should not be destroyed. If the de.
struction Of birds is not stopped this
government will soon have to support
an expensive department to keep down
the ravages Of insects. 1t is alresdy
not beneath the dignity Of some Of cur
ablest men and greatest students to
give their talents to the study of de-
stroying insects that birds would de-
stroy if we only had the birds.
Snakes destroy birds and eggs, too.
l mention this because I think no
boy would like to do such things as
snake is given to doing, aud for the
other reason that desire TO relate
what time Brown had this morning
with snake up q tree. 1t is not
every snake that can climb tree, but
all Of the boaconstrictor species can,
and among these are some very large
and vicious looking black snakes. The
truth is, there is not bit of harm
from poison of any snake that can
climb tree, but Brown just naturally
hates all snakes and if they don't get
out of his way he will get out of theirs.
But this time the snake was up tree
robbing birds nest, when Brown de-