The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-04
The Loves Of the Bird Tribes

NJ her nest IL one OF the most oeauti
ful things of this world. Motner-iik
the parent bird will do anything a.
most for the sake of her little ones
: Who has not seen the kildeer striv
with all the tact of her clever littl
soul TO allure some Dig giant of hi
man being, who has wandered init
herneigh borhood, away from her nes
of precious young. Many time, az
boy on the farm, have followed Out
of these birds llmping and tumblinl
and futtering along on the grouno
few feet ahead OF me, utterly dis
abled, rs I supposed, but always just
managing to keep just little beyond
the reach of my eager hands. And
when the artful mother has led me
far from the sacred spot where lay
all there were in this world to her
how triumphantly she has lifted her
self on her unharmed wings and, to
my utter astonishment, sailed away.
II by some accident one finds her
nest land the nest is so ,cleverly con-
cealed that, il il is discovered at all II
will be By pure accident,) the re-
sourceful mother is ready with other
expedlents to outwit you.
Human beings, true to their instinct
never to call into action their ability
to think If they can employ their
faculty for nonsense instead, call this
love of mother-bird machinery.
But there are some OF us land our
numbers are increasingly who are dil-
posed to put off the adoption OF TINS
conclusion until we go mad.
The bird builds her nest, weaving IL
OF the rarest fibers. She hides III 10
the cepse or prudently hangs 1t far
out on some inaccessible Dough. she
lays her beautiful eggs, aud tchesn
them with the warmth and life OF ne
own Tbreast. She tends her young
bringing them food and drink ard
watching over them with tender
and tireless vigilance. She protects
them ia storm with her own little
body, worries about them when dan
ger turks, and dreams of them, no
doubt, as she rocks and sleeps under
the silent stars. She sings to them |
In the overflow of her gladne>s and
hope. and risks her very existence TO
shield them from harm.
AS the days of summer shorten, and
the COOL long nights warn of approach
ing autumn, she leads her children |
away from the old place, she aud her
aithful mate, out into the wide old
world. And l say there is love In the
heart of that mother as truly as in the
heart OF woman, and there are Joy
and genuineness and sorrow and fidel,
iry Ia that sylvan home more sacred
than may sometimes bloom in the cold
msnsioG CO mn.
Conjugal love Is also very strong In
many of the feathered races, especi-
lly among those in which the we'd
ding is for successive seasons or for
life. The pining OF love-birds for
their dead sweethearts Is we'll known
The following account OF The devo-
tion of a widowed pigeon for her de-
ceased consort sounds like tale o
human woe:--
"a man set to watch field much
pstronized by pigeons shot an old male
pigeon who had long been an inhabi-
taut Of the farm. His made, around
whom ne had for many year cooed,
whom he had nourished with his own
crop aud had assisted in rearing NUM-
erous young ones, Immediately settled
IN the ground by his side. She re-
fused to leave him, aad manifested
her grief In the most expressive man
ner. The laborer took up the dead
bird and hung 10 on stake. The
widow still refused to forsake her nus
oand, and continued day after day
slowly walklag around the stake on
which his body hung. The KIND
hearted wife OF the farmer heard OF
the the matter and went to the RELIEF
Of the stricken bird. On arriving at
the spot she found the poor bird still
at the side OIL her dead. Sh
was much spent with her long fasting
and grief She had made circular
beaten track around the corpse of her
companion"
And these are the beings that brutes
shoot for pastime on human holidays
Tie Dawn.
Nothing but the best pcJlItj ca
pay, nowadays. P,l1 ID sroHI onl
the best,
A farm without small fruits is like
a Christmas dinner minus currant
and grape jelly.
1t is claimed that grapes at two {,