Connecticut western news., 1916-03-23
HUNGARIANS TAKE POSSESSIOH
Colony of Cartridges Make Home "a
 Deserted Bee House.

Deserted Bee House.
 Ten Hungarian cartridges, their number sometimes augmented by a group of five others, have taken up headquarters in little old bee house standing in the orchard on Meadow. land Farm.
 In February the forlorn little group appeared in the orchard, spent and worn and scarcely able to drag their little brown bodies about over the snow. Since then they have fared sumptu- ously every day on buckwheat and oats scattered in plenty by the men of the farm. It would seem as if the snow and cold of winter and n savage March had almost exhausted their strength, however, for the other morning ono little Hun was found dead inside the Lodge. Right bravely have these bird Huns battled with the snow and cold of u hard winter and SO far hostile spring. Exhausted and spent with tho struggle to obtain food one poor little dame Hun gave up the fight during the extra severe storm of last week, despite the fact that food in plenty was all about her. Such is the irony of fate, even in bird life, the hard, bitter dayu almost over, bare ground, running rivers. the comforting sun, birds songs, softer winds and happy mating time all in sight, but just bit too late for one little Patty Hun. The last cruel storm was, for her, the last straw.
 have assumed that the group con- sisted of pairs, male and female, 90 | called them Peters and Pattys. Peter Hun and Patty Hun, am sure will de very we'll for names. It has been de- light to all the family to watch these shy brown birds come three times N day for their food, and it is noticeable how lively and heartened up they ap- pear since they have found three square meals a day on dependable feeding ground. Toward sunset they trad through the dooryard, over the porch they fit and one can see their bright eyes, then through the garden they go into the orchard and there they feast sometimes till quite after sunset and nearly dark. Last night the Peter Huns and the Patty Huns must have felt in their little bones that the worst was over for after stuffing themselves with buckw heat and oats they suddenly began to chase each other around one of the apple trees, round and round they went forminga perfect circle, then they broke away and ran about Tapping their wings and hopping up and down, and if ever l saw gladness, relief and ligh<- heartedness expressed, l saw it then in those happy Hungarian Partridges- What pity one poor little Patty could not have held on to life just wee bit longer. They begin to feel their oats, do these brown danes. and squires of danes. The Peters and Pattys will soon pair off and the business of nest ing, breeding and caring for a new family of Huns will occupy their time through the spring months to como. Baby Huns the size of fluffy humble bees, will keep Squire Peter and Dame Patty rather busy.
 When frogs are peeping, where now the marble snow is (has anyone Rot n bit tired of the beautiful snowY) lying, and when luddy robins are fiuttering near the deserted Hungarian Lodge, we wonder if these nine brown bird folk will remember ever so dimly, the bitter. dreary snow flying days, when they could scarce drag one foot after the other, ere they reached the orchard land of plenty and the shelter of the old bee house. B. A. H.