Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-10
Remarkable Experiences Of YSung Nan
Among Denilsns Of the WildA
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN NATURE SCIENCE
Talks 20 Birds I'm Their own Lam
auage and shows How Easy IL is
TO Get on Familiar Terms
with Them.

ralistB because or his personal intimacy
with those whom he anectionately terms
the little people Of the wilds.
Knowing every bird and animal Of this
country by it's note or cry, he has the
knack OF initiating many species, actually
holds conversation with them in their own
tongue and on remarkably short acquaint-
Ance inspires them with confidence in his
friendly attitude.
He has demonstrated how easy II Is TO
get on familiar terms with the wild ami
mails and birds and is one of the small
number OF modern naturalists who are
starting a new development In nature
science, vastly more fascinating and SYM
pathetic than the older shotgun and
stuffed skin method.
Now before the season is far advanced,
Is the time opportune for gaining acquaint-
ance with notes OF BIRDS" he said TO the
writer the other day as the two sat among
the great ferns OF a Long Island swamp
watching the squeaklng focks Of herons
flying among hundreds OF nests in a big
colony Later the birds do not sing so
much as in the spring and early sum-
mer."
He was getting responses from the little
birds OF higher order in the foliage all
about, but the herons remained relatively
apathetic, although he initiated their
hoarse, henlike cackle exactly. In answer
to an inquiry he said:
mo. one cannot get results equally from
all kinds OF birds. Naturally those higher
in the scale OF intelligence do best. The
wisdom OF the owl is mostly in appear
ance. II does not display as much intelli-
gence as the hawk, though had little
Ecreech owl that would come when
called him.
"Of the wild birds, one of the easiest
to bring down from the trees is the chick
adee, and II seems to he done best early
in the spring. have heard It's answering
call come closer and closer above my head
When seated quietly ] have had them
perch on my shoes.
Power over Animals.
There is no such thing as bird charm
ing. II Is simply knack, and can be done
by any one II he knows how. No one In
my opinion, has any power over animals
other than that which is purely natural
Many birds come to each other in an
Bwer to call notes, and 1t Is necessary sim
ply to initiate these. often these are dis
tinct from their ordinary song. With the
quail for instance, II is not the familiar
bobwhite, but the rarer and more plain
tive notes.
"In calling the larger birds and animals
Il is wise to be concealed. but with smaller
species Il is not necessary to be so care
full,
Foxes. weasels and owls can be brought
close by initiating the squeal OF mouse
In distress. Chipmunks and many other
small rodents will come in answer TO a
squeaking or sucking noise with the lips
The orioles can be called by whistinE
Though the several species have varied
notes they are easily initiated. Crows
come quite readily too,
''The familiarity with human beings that
can be inspired in many OF the wild birds
is wonderful. with little pains any one
can get them to come into the house and
often to feed from the hand. II a dish Of
water be set on the lawn in the summer
they will come and battle in II.
robins and catbirds will come quit
close IL given cherries or strawberries
Seeds and bread crumbs will attract spar
rows, and in a short time they will be
come 80 tame as TO eat from your hand
BY placing nut kernels on the window
sill IN winter chickadees and nut hatche
can DO brought into the room.
Teaching u Wren.
zone summer at home taught a wren 4
eat from pole which held near him
That he did not forget the training Will
away for the winter was shown by hi
readiness 70 do Il at once the following sea
son.
s-Then inside OF two weeks induced him
while sitting a clothes line, to take
worm from my fingers. BY holding cam
era In the other hand managed to get sew
eraT photographs OF this performance.
THE process I employed was to shorte
the pole gradually, then use a small sticl
and finally discard both. have often fe
Wild birds on the nest with pole.
a. a I tra,,K R.r x.,l,fl
at home would always straighten up an
obey Justify whenever said Sing a SOM
Bobbier Both sparrow hawk and cro'
among my pets would come when calle,
THE latter enjoyed picking at a horse
feet lying low to escape the kick He woul
also tease the dog by pulling his tail.
1.-TWO young ducks l had would folio
like little dogs when I said Come, go dow
20 the river Going in myself for a swim
would hide. whereupon they would elm
up on the bank and zip as though scare
TO death. As soon as announced myss
they would cuddle close to me and pee
contentedly.
while working out In Colorado for Il
biological survey had an amusing expeT
ence with a bushy tailed or mountain ra
II had its nest In the abandoned cab
which I was using while at the place.
made II a practice not to kill the anima
about my camps, preferring to study the
IN life. However. / saw or rather heal
and felt, this fellow only once
zone night was awakened by his NOV
ments. but lay stili 10 discover what
would do. heard him making exploration
among my cooking utensils, when
jumped into a large pan, In which
chased himself round and round like a ra
horse in the hippodrome
Then he came over to me- and aft
noslng around a while very gently bit
my ear. He didn't seem further interest
in my anatomy, for after taking sever
more whirls around the pan he went out
while at the same place, one morni
before going down In the valley to cole
series OF prairie dogs placed the potst
and bacon in the frying pan to abbrevis
my kitchen work when I should retuI
congratulating myself upon the need
only a striking . match l entered the do
as lot OF chipmunks rushed out.
I'm place OF the potatoes and bacon
found only the ehipmunks' tracks But
took II all as a joke conversed with IN,
a while, and many OF them came back II
the cabin while l was there and ate Z
bread threw within their reach.
FORd of Human Company.
"Of the rodents, those fondest Of hum
cOmpany are the porcuplne and It's re