Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-04

birds have to look out for these ola
darlxies as well as the young ones, pe-
cause the crow doesn't think anything
more relishable than sparrow eggs LOT
breakfast and will ravish the nests
whenever he can get a chance. Ana
that reminds me-" continued squire
Gabine, "of a sight had very recently
when ] was crossing the grounds. OF
the Smithsonian Institution just a lit
tie after sunrise in the morning.
ION the side of one of the buildings
there l suppose all of you have no.
ticed a whole lot of the green ivy clam
bering up the wall. That plant is al
ways a favorite with the sparrow
birds for building their nests and
Matching out the young. I noticed on
the morning / allude to one solitary
old jackdaw, as some folks call the
crow, and I just made UP my mind l
would watch the proceedings for l just
knew that thoughts were percolating
the old thief's brains as to having
some sort OF a dainty breakfast, and
while I was looking he made sWoop
into the ivy and came out in a second
with a good-sized bird in his talons.
1 could see that the little fellow had
been disabled in some way and couldn't
make his escape. He could squawk,
however, and he. did so with q Will.
His distress signal had wonderful
effect. 1t brought to his assistance
perfect myriad of his fellows and the
way they went for the captor was a
caution. They pecked at him and
claWed him necessarily with their
long sharp claws as far as / could see
them for d long distance, but old DR..
Crow didn't seem to mind. l could see
him for some time still holding on to
his prey AID l guess he tired his pur-
sucrs out and got away with his break
fast all right.
Nov, very many hard things have
been said about the sparrow, but we
must admit that he has some good
traits about him. He's a rowdy and
pugilist, but he is not a gutter when
he gets into fight. Everybody knows
that. He is a Mormon, too, and very
unfaithful husband. but like all aris-
tocratc sultan, he always has favor
ite and when she is setting ne stands
by her and when she leaves her nest
to get drink or something to eat the
old man jumps on and keeps the eggs
warm uElI his SQcuoc SoiiicS pe]>i>.
In that he sets an example to some
other birds and particularly to the old
strutting turkey gobbler. This fell
low when the hen turkeys are Matching
out the eggs just leaves them alone and
aocks with his selfish friends, not
caring a dern whether school keeps Or
not.
Eyes, I know the sparrow doesn't
care anything about the insects that
infest the trees and shrubbery. They
don't seem to tickle his palate. There
is one species of insect, however, and
one that is notorious for it's ravages
that they delight in, and that is the
locust They are extravagantly fond OF
locusts which may not be surprising
when you think that in some parts of
the world many people like them either
roasted or fried, and however undainty
the sparrow may be as to some OF his
food he is rather nice when he tackles
the locust He don't eat the wings nor
the head and only the softer parts of
the body.
you would be surprised If you
could see the remains of the locust UNI
der a microscope, as l have, after a
little colony of sparrows had been
making a meal of him." said the squire
as he concluded his dissertation con-
corning these pests of the cities.