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But | must remind all readers that any one who does keep pets incurs responsibilities along with the pleasure they bring. To deprive any wild animal of its liberty and then neglect it is sheer barbarity. Having birds in this way affords almost the only means of studying the remarkable individuality possessed by different members of the same species. That each bird has a character peculiar to itself may be doubted by some, but I have never seen two individuals showing the same peculiarities. Two rose- breasted grosbeaks that have been reared together from the same nest, and are now eighteen months old, are different in almost every way. One is intensely jealous and objects to attention being paid to any other bird; the other seems not to know what jealousy means. One wants to sleep at night; the other keeps up a perpetual jumping from perch to perch until all hours. The female (who has most of the bad traits) never lets her mate have any little tid-bit in the way of food; no matter how much she has, she immediately seizes whatever is given to her better- natured companion. So it is with all the other birds; one will be naturally wild and timid; another knows no fear; one, though tame, cannot endure being touched; another, like a bluebird | have, wants to be handled most of the time, and is quite content if allowed to sit quietly (and go to sleep) inside a partly closed hand. The method of eating adopted by each of the birds is quite individual. The wood thrush makes rapid and regular dips into the food-cup, taking only a small mouthful each time, but repeat- ing the operation until its hunger is satisfied ; feeding takes place at rather long intervals. The yellow-breasted chat feeds some- what after the same manner, but is not so quick or so dainty in its movements, and eats more frequently. The mocking-bird eats often and much, but does not draw his beak away from the cup between each mouthful. The bluebird eats fairly frequently and dips his beak into the food with a sharp jerk, pausing a second or two between each mouthful, and making a snap with his beak every time he takes the food. If given a live grasshopper, he carefully kills it, then shakes off its legs and swallows the entire body, afterwards gathering up the legs. The Baltimore oriole 9 [Introductory seems to chew his food, and eats very frequently ; if given any- thing, either eatable or otherwise, he holds it, hawk-fashion, with his feet (or foot) and quickly picks it to pieces, usually prying it apart with his sharply pointed beak. The rose-breasted grosbeaks eat nearly all the time, even late at night, and I fancy this accounts for their tendency to become very fat when in captivity. So it may be seen that each bird is a study by itself. Undoubtedly this same individuality exists in birds when in their wild state, perhaps even to a greater degree, but it is more difficult to discover. Some nests show individual peculiarities, but whether the same bird builds the same kind of nest each year is, of course, unknown. The object of this book, I may repeat, is to stimulate the love of birds ; and though descriptions of nests and eggs are given, as well as instructions for egg-collecting, it must be borne in mind that it is generally neither necessary nor advisable that collections of eggs should be made. Remember that, as Mr. Frank Chapman says, the two points of interest in a bird’s egg are ‘‘ what the egg is in and what is in the egg.” Much more knowledge may be gained by observing the birds themselves throughout the breeding season than by taking the eggs. Leave egg-collecting to those who are able, through scientific study, to make use of such col- lections and devote your leisure hours to the far more interesting process of collecting knowledge which will lend increased interest to your every-day existence and give you new insight into the fascinating world of bird-life. 10 Chapter II BIRDS’ NESTS AND EGGS A CAREFUL examination of a bird’s nest will convince any one that it is a work of art. One cannot help wondering at the in- genuity displayed by its architect. How carefully a bird adapts itself to environment is well illustrated by endless examples : the red-winged blackbirds (whose nests are usually built among reeds, flags, or bushes) make their nests very much deeper when the place selected is subject to strong winds than in more shel- tered spots ; and then, as a further safeguard, the mouth of the nest contracts so that the eggs will not fall out when the flags are swayed by the wind. These clever birds have even been known to place their eggs in a deserted woodpecker’s nest in places where the fish crows were numerous—for the fish crow is worse even than the jay as an egg and fledgling thief. In this way the red- wings managed to elude their persecutors and saved their eggs and young from destruction. Some birds readily avail themselves of new and favourable conditions. The phoebe formerly built its nest exclusively on rocks, but now that houses and bridges are to be found through- out the country, this bird has to a great extent changed its former custom, and it now builds nests on aimost any sort of structure erected by man. This also applies to the barn swallow, while the chimney swift has taken possession of our chimneys, and almost forsaken the hollow tree-trunks, in which, but a few years ago, they built in large colonies. How rapidly birds are changing their habits is not known, but it is evident from the few examples we have about us that a change is progressing, in some cases very noticeably. Of course a bird’s main idea when depositing its eggs is that they shall be safe from enemies of all kinds and from unfavourable weather conditions. With these objects in view it is interesting to II Birds’ Nests and Eggs note the different methods employed. The whippoorwill builds no nest, but lays its eggs in a slight depression among the dead leaves. When the parent bird is sitting, her colour, which matches the leaves and dead wood, saves her from observation. The eggs themselves are much like either stones or the under sides of leaves, so they are difficult to find even when exposed. But if they are discovered, the parent bird carries them away to a new hiding place. The quail and many other birds, such as the meadow-lark and some of the sparrows, often arch their homes over with either the growing vegetation surrounding the nest, or with dry material brought for the purpose, and in some cases they build covered paths or entrances. The woodpeckers hide their eggs in natural holes in trees, or in holes hollowed out after much tedious labour by the birds themselves ; here the eggs are fairly safe ; squirrels, snakes, and human beings are about the only enemies to be feared. The crested flycatcher often makes use of a snake-skin in the construction of his nest, which occupies a hole ina tree. It is only reasonable to suppose that there is some object for his pref- erence for this strange and apparently useless material. It may be that it frightens away would-be thieves, squirrels, jays, or crows (for the opening to the nest is often large enough to allow a crow to enter without difficulty) ; here is a case where authentic observations might tell us much of the bird’s life-history. The ruby-throated humming-bird saddles his tiny nest usu- ally on a high branch, and covers it with lichen so that it resembles an excrescence on the branch. Why the long-billed marsh wren builds so many ‘‘dummy”’ nests, most of which are usually near the real nest, is not known, but it is presumably as a matter of safety, and for the purpose of misleading intruders, just as a parent bird will feign a broken wing to lure danger from the young. The Baltimore oriole hangs his well-built nest, a masterpiece of bird architecture, on the extreme end of an overhanging branch where nothing but a winged enemy can reach it. To guard against these the nest is made so that it looks something like a hornet’s nest—with which the jays, crows, or hawks would not care to interfere. Then, again, after all these precautions, the comfort as well as the safety of the young is thought of when the nest is built, the lower part being compactly and strongly made, while the walls are loosely woven so as to admit of free circulation of air. The eggs of the belted kingfisher are placed in a hole often 12 41S3N SNIAVST 3¥0338 SAVO OML 'SYBHOLVOATS asLssyo Birds’ Nests and Eggs six or eight feet deep, excavated in a bank by the birds themselves after as much as two weeks’ work. One possible reason for the choice of such a place is the fact that the young, which are fed on fish, regurgitate large pellets of scales and bones and such indi- gestible matter ; were these dropped beneath a nest built in a tree or on the open ground it would betray the presence of the home to the natural enemies of the bird. Why the cowbird declines the responsibilities of maternity has never been satisfactorily explained. It is certain, however, that there is some good and _ sufficient reason. The European cuckoo, like the cowbird, lavs her eggs in the nests of other birds, those of the smaller birds being usually chosen. A certain French writer gives as a reason the fact that the cuckoo cannot lay eggs on succeeding days. How long the interval is has not been decided, but if it is of many days’ duration that would be an ample reason for the bird’s not building a nest for itself, since the eggs might be stolen were they left unpro- tected until the full complement were laid. The eggs of the yel- low-billed cuckoo are said to be deposited at irregular intervals of from two to five days, and are occasionally found in the nests of other birds. Whether in days gone by they placed their eggs en- tirely in the care of other birds or whether they will do so in the future is of course a problem, but it is quite possible that some such change is taking place. There are birds who, having laid their eggs, cover them up and allow them to hatch by themselves, trusting to the heat generated by the covering chosen. I know of none of our eastern birds that do this, yet some of them make use of vegetable substance that has heating qualities. The grebes, for instance, use decayed and damp vegetable matter, while many of our small birds place in their nests woolly stuffs and other non-conducting material, probably to protect the highly sensitive eggs from sudden changes of temperature. The shapes of eggs show in many instances the forethought of nature. Eggs that are laid on bare rocks and exposed places where little or no nests are made, are generally rounded at the larger end and come almost to a point at the other extremity ; this makes it possible for them to be turned by the wind without roll- ing away ; whereas the ovate or elliptical eggs that are found in well-protected places, such as holes in trees, would soon be blown off by a strong wind in such exposed situations. 13 Birds’ Nests and Eggs The ways of birds are difficult to understand. Why should some build in colonies, and others singly but in close proximity, and others again miles away from their kind? The passenger pigeon gives the best example of nest colonies, immense numbers breeding in a very limited area. Prof. H. B. Rooney speaks of a nesting area forty miles long and from three to ten miles wide, where, in 1878, a millionand a half of the pigeons were killed for food purposes, while if those that were taken alive and the dead nestlings were included, the number would reach the enormous total of a thousand millions. This is thought to be somewhat ex- aggerated, but shows what an immense number of birds must have been breeding in this limited space. Some of our small birds nest in colonies ; among them the red-winged blackbird and some of the swallows afford the most noticeable examples. The bobo- link and marsh wrens also live in scattered communities during the breeding season. Most of the larger hawks select a desirable copse or fairly large tract of woodland as a common home, and it is seldom that another nest of the same species is found within that area. In Florida, where each cypress swamp is usually clearly defined, it is seldom, except in the large swamps, that one finds in each more than one nest of the Florida red-shouldered hawk— a species very abundant throughout the more southern parts of the State. Some birds return regularly year after year to the same nest- ing site, even after their nests have been robbed several times. | have known a crested flycatcher to build in the same hole for three years in succession though each set of eggs was taken. Phoebes return with great regularity to the same bridge, building, or rock, where they make one or two nests each season. Some of the owls also use the same hole for many years, and hawks and crows rebuild their old nests, so that each year the nest be- comes larger as layer after layer is added. Most, if not all, birds are governed in their habits by regular rules—from which, however, they occasionally depart. just as human beings depart from the rules which seem most generally applicable. The Wilson’s thrush, whose nest is commonly on oy near the ground, has been known to build in a hole inatree. Bob-whites’ nests containing thirty-seven eggs have been reported—though these were, of course, not all laid by one hen. The eggs were 14 ISSN GNVY S310INO SYOWILIVE SNNOA 41S3N NO O3YIA G3A3-S.LIHM ya rare ae “is ae oa a 7 . q at) oe : bs di ; Syl y 4, é Me oa we Pee a vy mil? oe " Tans! ¥ +i, he ; ¥ a 4 cs ig ae 4 je ’ i met : sf : al Un 7 , var oF py