Evening star., 1927-11-16
COMMUNAL BIRDS
DESCRIBED IN TALK
0rnithoIogistS Hear of FloCkS
That Build Great Apart
ment Houses.

GCNe1on INTO remarkable vocal artists
because of disappointment in love
were described this morning to the
American Ornithological Union, meet
ing at the National Museum.
The apartment house builders were
described by Herbert Friedman CT
Amherst College. who hast Summer
studied the sOciable weaver in its ma
tive ha hitat the high, dry GRASSY
South African plateau-a compare
lively open country with scattered
growth OF thorn trees.
The sociabl6 weaver. Mr.. Friedman
said. * . close relative of the common
English sparrow and has many char
acteristics in common with this bird
The nests are substantially woven OF
twiss and straw. The first year about
a dozen pair will join together in theii
communal enterprise of house build
Ing. The nest is built up OF separate
compartments with separate entrances
at the bottom for each couple. These
are ranged alonC the sides, and there
is a large communal hall in the
center.
Great Nests Grew.
The next year other families join il
the enterprise. and III a few years
there may be 100 couples in the house
each new tenant building on its own
apartment. Thus the nest grows until
it becomes too heavy for the branches
which support ii, The largest seen
by Mr.. friedman was about 80 feet
in diameter and six feet high.
AnparentlN the S0ciAble We9Vers
have a rather strict code of morals,
he said. The couples never go in the
wrong door and they stick closely to
their own apartments, He WAS unable
to observe any cases of bird divorces
or miXed-up families.
Natives usually destroy the larger
nests when they come upon them, Mr.
FI:edmann said. because they often
are invaded by poisonous snakes that
will hide there in readiness to drop
on the heads of persons passing under
the tree.
The Socilb!e weaver. he observed,
sometimes will rent out" one of the
apartments to a small hawk with
whom they seem 10 live in perfect
harmony. although the hawk feeds
regularly on other small birds.
Brings Back One Nest.
Mr. Friedman brought back to the
United states one nest and tree. both
intact.
w L. Saunders of London, Ontario,
told of the effects of unrequited love
on the voices Of male birds.
II is well known. he said. that the
males preCede females on the Spring
migration and when they reach the
Summer territory proceed to take up
nesting space. Then they wait for
the female birds. During this wait
the males practice singing in order
to make a good impression on their
prospective mates.
But during the mating season some
of the males are left in the cold. AS
they see all the available wives grab
bed up by their rivals, they become
more and more desperate and sing
more and more sweetly in an effort
to overcome the handicap of their
poor start Then they may fiy away
to other territory. their voices improv
ing as the season advances. leaving
them still bachelors
AS a result. Mr.. Saunders said, when
an unusually sweet singer is observed
there is strong possibility that it
Is some lonely bird who still seeks
10 charm mate in vain. This is par
ticular!y true when very unusual
birds are observed in "A locality. the
assumption being that they have been
forced out of their customary habitat
In search Of a mate.
Describes Bird Laboratory.
Last Summer. he said, he was at
tracted to the song OF. Carolina
wren, which sang like nightingale,
in CanaGa. further North than such
birds usually venture
s. Prentiss Baldwin of Cleveland
told Of new methods of bird research
being developed on his Ohio fasm
where he has fitted out bird Iabora-
tory. He is seeking by means Of ex-
tremely delicate recording instru-
its own nest rather than in the labora-
tory
One instrument connected electrical
1y with the nest of the wren provides
graphic picture in the labor;ft ory
which tells how many times the bird
has left and entered during the day
and night. Another instrument con
nected with the perch enables the
observer in the laboratory to count
the pulsebeat of birds, which runs be
tween 700 and 500 "A minute. compared
to IS or so for human beings.
Napier Smith of Nerdun. Quebec.
told Of a Summers observation of the
family life Of the reG-eyed VIRGO.
bird sometimes found in the District
Of Columbia. During most of the time
when the young are being reared, he
said. the male bird stands guard on
nearby bush, bat never interferes
with the domestic arrangements OF
the mother: II she is injured or kill
ed. however. he stands ready 10 take
over the care Of the family.
Verdi Burtch Of Branchport. y Y,
told of experiences in banding the
legs of marsh birds near his home
Miles %. Pirnie Of Ithaca. \. Y.
spoke on variation in duck piumage
and observations of common and rose
ate terms were given by Charles Is.
Floyd Of Auburndale. Mass.
Bald Eagle Threatened.
The bald eagle in Alaska is in dan
ger Of extinction because OF ruthless
laws passed without giving the bird
its day in court, T. Gilbert Pearson of
New York, president Of the National
Association Of Audubon Societies, told
the union.
The therritorial Legislature. he said.
pays a bounty for, every eagle killed
in Alaskan territory on the assump-
ton that it kills small bearing ami
mails, thus interfering with the fur
farms. and eats great quantities of
salmon to the detr.ment of the fish
cries. There is no actual evidence
that the eagle does either of these
things, Mr.. Pcal son said.
lie said he suspected that the legis-
Iati0n against the eagle was largely
the work OF the big fishing interests.
who themselves have ruthlcsely eX-
ploitcd the salmon waters 50 that the
supply has greatly diminished and
now are blaming it on the king of
birds. Before the fisheries came, he
said. eagles and salmon got along very
Wcl together.
it is a mistake. he said. 10 believe
that the eagle inha bits all Of Alaska
end that ruthless killing simply vii
drive il from the Goa ST 10 a safe
haven in the unpopulated interior il
is found only in South Alaska, where
approximately 90 600 have been shot
for bounty in the past few years