Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-21
THE BIRD TRAGEDY,


strucuon For II we can save the birds,
the birds will help to save us
Two great reasons are especially
apparent for taking active steps In
this direction: first, the duty Of self
preservation. painfully enforced just
now by high prices Of food products,
and. second, the duty Of protecting
tho boys from being brutalized and
hardened through being permitted TO
rob nests and shoot the feathered
sons tiers and other fowl A third rea-
son that viii appeal nightly TO some
pcop.c. Is 20 relieve the monotonous
ana dcsort-like aspect Of our semi-arid
regions by the lively presence of the
feathered throngs. which. II protected
would soon cause our waste places to
be beautiful with interesting and prof
table forms Of life. II may be Of In
terest to mention that at least one bird
tragedy, and probably two of the same
sort, recently came under the writer's
observation.
A few weeks ago. when the Temple
workers spent the day In Emigration
canyon, some members of the party To-
Gated, In one Of the switch boxes along
the railroad track. the nest of pair of
pretty little brown Aztec wrens. and
they shared the secret with a few 9TH
ers Of the company Inside the box and
reached by an opening on the under
side. the industrious and charming bird
couple had arranged mass OF small
twigs as the basis Of their nest-cradle;
and had loosely lined 1t with feathers.
Five pinkish. brown spotted eggs were
The treasures that completed the furn-
ishing OF this center OF Interest, TO
which the birds. undeterred by our
presence, made frequent trips, in or
der to begin the serious and strenuous
work OF brooding into perfect life the
contents of their nursery. Ii was a
pretty sight--a thing of beauty and
a Joy forever as Keats would say
ana those who then and there learned
the secret of this happy couple we're
very careful not to disturb their iaoors
nor to vex them by remaining Ions
near their hidden home.
1.-TWO weeks passed, and again came
The opportunity OF revisiting this spot
OF enchantment. where the bird ouiids
her nest and the winds are at play
Alas. the changed the nesting box was
empty and its contents had been
scattered on the ground; the cheerS'
sparkling song OF the little male wren
was not now tinkling from the grove
nor did the noisy chatter OF the moth
er-bird. as she was wont To scoid when
we formerly approached her nest, re-
sound through the glen. Instead, there
was the feeling OF desolation, OF ST.
Ience. OF death. In place OF the Joyous
bIrd-lfe that had recently added SO
much TO the beauty and interest of
this romantic Arcadia.
our little winged friends had gone
auarryman told US the story. some
bows had discovered the secret OF the
nttie wrons. and In their eager cur
iosity had uncovered the box and pro-
famed its sacred peace first by lift
ing out the three nestlings, newly
Matched and almost naked, then by in
terfering with the two eggs about ready
10 burst into newness OF life, and nm
ally by dropping them. Finally, hslf
in fun. they began 10 toss up the nest
lings. I'm order TO draw nearer the anx-
ious bird parents that all the while
fiuttered ana screamed and pleaded for
the lives OF their little ones.
AT first. the boys had probably meant
no harm but finally the tiny, feath-
erless birds were dropped and manned;
then. more In remorse and bravado
than with malice aforethought. tho
boys completed their sorry work by
carrying off the bird babies. which
soon persisted; while the parent birds
whose pitiful remonstranees the boys
did not heed. no doubt Iourneyed afar
from human presence to try once morn
their great task They were merely
providing their thankless human broth
ers with bird allies to aid them in
their night against insects, but the
boys did not understand, and IL seems.
the adults did not care.
Had this been solitary and exoep-
tlonal instance, the editorial space OF
this paper would probably not have
been devoted TO IL, but It Is, we feel
sure. only one Of many such cases; and
It Is. moreover, an affair Of state.
F, II concerns not alone the sentiments OF
nature lovers and the regrets Of those
who would prefer TO see kindness and
sympathy replace the elemental saw
age OF certain phases Of boyhood and
manhood. but II hears equally upon
the future of our youth and the pros
perity OF our state. The boy who -shs
nests Is brutaized and hardened by
the act; the ccu,munity that fails to
project i:s birds viii come 10 grief
from the ver-increasing insect hordes
that destroy our crops; for only the
birds can hold insects in check
That this Is no solitary case. another
Instance, also within the writer's own
) observation, tends To prove Last
spring and summer, near the mouth
Of city Creek. Just above the rock
crushing plant, canyon wren-an-
other species OF that interesting clan
made every morning there glorious with
bird music OF the highest quality.
, Have you ever heard. as you go through