New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
TEE wooDPECKER's CoURTING.


= suppose the females. who remain in the
North during cold weather, occupy the old nests.
About that, however, 1 am not sure. When
= snow is the ground put out meat and bones,
and the males come and eat. The females
come, too, but are driven away. Yet they re-
main near at hand. and when the coast is clear
they nleekly take what is left Until recently II
was believed the drumming of the male wood
peckeT in the spring indicated that he was bor-
ing for worms. whereas found that he does his
Courting in that way. He drums. while other
birds sing, and uses the same tree and very
same spot year after year.
You asked how truth in nature is established.
II is not by guesswork. The Interpretation of
nature, however, is another matter Facts can't
be false Interpretation depends on the mood,
temperament, common sense and might add,
the integrity OF the person who attempts it. The
yellow journalism Of the woods, as term II,
has almost made nature ridiculous. Lies are in
vented and called truth, and facts are distorted
by a sensational and mercenary method of ex-
PLANTATION and elaboration. That is my quarrel
with the fakers-'
And the President's?"
Yes"
can il be said that birds and animals are
Intelligent
They have perceptive intelligence only One
robin or one squirrel is like all the rest How
ever animals in captivity develop in sorne ways
Many Of them are taught tricks Lions may
grow more fierce in cages than when wild But
birds and animals come and go. and there is no
Improvement or enlargement Of their faculties.
They are The same as their fathers, knowing
how 10 get food, care for their young and pro
tect themselves. When human beings are put
into new situations they think their way out
Birds and animals act like lunatics In such cir
curnsta.ces They crazy men in feathers
and furs. woodpeclKer goes to that icehouse
on the river. for example, and bores hole lie
expects solid wood. but strikes sawdust- Never
theless, he bores and on, hole after hoie'
until he is worn out or is chased away
NOT NATIONALLY INTELLIGENT.
Persons have written TO me about seeing
robins and bluebirds dash themselves against
.ne glass in windows. That often occurs dur
ing the season Of mating A bird viii mistake
his own reflection for rival and attack II heao
first. with open mouth and ready wings Thrown
10 the ground and dazed by the collision. he VIII
renew the battle as vigorously as before IL ne
again sees his reflection Wild life IS not ra-
tionaily intelligent It has visional knowiedse'
but il cannot think"
When John Burroughs walked across the room
to lay more wood on the fire he moved with inc
easy roiseless stride Of trapper or hunter As
the wood burned and filed the room with q
wild and spiceIike fragrance, said;
4 have heard that you and Jay Could were
Eehoolrrates at Rozbury, ". ""
Our desks were in the same row, one IN front
Of The other. And the farms of our faraiiles
almost joined: there was only a narrow STRIP Oh
land between them. ! used to ride on the apples
10 Goulds cider mill and drink through a stra"
going home Jays father stands forth IN my
recollection very clearly. He was a snort man,
scarcely more than five feet tall. and was DARK
eou1piexsoned and rornpous- The Goulds feit
themselves 10 he rather better than their neigh
bors They had no more property than the rest
Of Us bur Jays father taught school. and that
gave him character before the community anu
himself as / remember. he had three wives
but consecutively of course. Jay and ms SIS
iezs. al children Of the same mother were
smart