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LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
DAVIS

OUR

BACKDOOR

NEIGHBORS

Our Backdoor
Neighbors

By FRANK G. PELLETT

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM LIFE
BY THE AUTHOR

THE ABINGDON PRESS

NEW YORK

CINCINNATI

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
DAVIS

Copyright, 1917, by
FRANK C. PELLETT

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition Printed September, 1917
Reprinted October, 1921

TO MY WIFE

ADA E. PELLETT

COMPANION, FRIEND, COUNSELOR
To whom more than to any other
I owe whatever measure of
success I may hope to attain, this
book is affectionately dedicated.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface 13

Where the Naturalist Lived 15

A Summer with the Red-tails 25

The Chicken Thief . 45

The Neighborly Screech Owls 61

The Polecat 75

The Magic City 93

Foxy Ill

The Hatching of the Turtles 127

The Gold-Banded Paper-Maker .... 139

Bunny Cottontail 165

A Jolly Old Crow 179

The Caterpillar's Prophecy 199

ILLUSTRATIONS

The Naturalist decided to take the nest to his study, and
see what he could do toward raising the orphans by
hand Frontispiece

PAGE

THE NATURALIST

A modest old farmhouse surrounded by beautiful trees . . 17
There were many wild flowers which the neighbors re-
garded as weeds 18

A last remaining bit of Iowa woodland 19

Wild flowers grew in profusion 21

At any time or any season there was always much of in*

terest to the Naturalist around his little home ... 24

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS

The Naturalist was the first to observe their arrival . . 27
Father Red-tail watched silently from the topmost branch of

a dead tree 29

The young birds kept their mouths open constantly, even

when being photographed 31

It was not one of the thirteen guns, but the camera in the
hands of the Naturalist which finally took Mother Red-
tail by surprise 37

He would alight in close proximity to some passer-by . . 39
One youngster lacked the worldly wisdom of his fellows . 39
The youngsters made the best of the situation .... 42

THE CHICKEN THIEF
Cooper Hawk would silently alight on some object which

furnished a view of the poultry yard 49

In the nest were three white eggs with a slight bluish tinge 51

The young birds peering over the edge of the nest ... 53

Looking directly down upon them 53

At times they would walk out on a limb as though prepar-
ing for flight 55

Two of the birds finally killed and ate the third one ... 58

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS
They lived very near to the Naturalist's house in the woods 64

10 ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

The Naturalist had made some boxes of old lumber and had

fitted them up for housekeeping 66

Father Screech Owl lost his temper 67

They were very comical little fellows with part feathers and

part down 68

They were much disturbed by the light, and blinked un-
ceasingly 69

By this time the boys were interested in the owl family also,
so that there were numerous visitors to the home of the
birds in the box 71

On a winter day when the sky was gray 72

THE POLECAT

A polecat cautiously peered around the corner .... 80
If he approached too near, one would stamp a front foot

threateningly, arching the back and throwing the tail

forward above the body 81

It would peek at him across a limb or around the body at a

height about on a level with his head 83

Sometimes one would climb a tree 83

During the day they usually remained curled up in the nest 84
Mother Skunk would peek out cautiously to see if the coast

was clear 85

The boys decided that a young polecat would make a fine

pet 87

The Naturalist persuaded them not to break family ties . 92

THE MAGIC CITY

The Magic City is the hive, and the inhabitants are the bees 96

The Naturalist then lifted out a frame which was filled with

comb and covered with bees 97

The drones are big blundering fellows who never work . 98

Most interesting of all they found the queen, the mother of

the whole population of the bee city 99

When the bees would rear another queen, they provide a

very large cell, which looks much like a small peanut 100

Suddenly there was a great bluster among the bees, and with

a glad, new note they tumbled hastily out .... 101

On the porch of his study the Naturalist kept a small ob-
servation hive with glass sides and wooden shutters . 102

From roadside weeds they gathered a harvest of gold . . 103

ILLUSTRATIONS 11

FOXY PAGE

At the least alarm they would flatten out on a limb and

were not easily seen from below 114

A nest of dry leaves would be built high in a treetop . .115

The newborn young are very small and naked and blind . 117

They soon don their furs 117

It just filled the hollow of Melvin's hand 119

They found one with its eyes open and all its clothes on . 120

Foxy's open-air dining table 121

Foxy and Freddie were very good friends 123

He would scamper upon a box and help himself .... 125

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES

Every year, in the month of June, Mother Snapping Turtle

left the water and took a little journey 130

As soon as an egg cracked open, a little nose would
be pushed out, and there Baby Turtle would sit for
hours 132

If disturbed, she would try to hide by drawing her head as

far back as possible into her shell 135

They had grown but little in the year spent in the aquarium 137

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER

He found a small paper nest 144

Mother Wasp feeding her young 144

Larva spinning its cocoon 152

The emerging wasps would not forage for baby sisters . . 152
The Naturalist decided to take the nest to his study, and see

what he could do toward raising the orphans by hand . 157
None of the mature wasps remained more than a few days,

when they disappeared 160

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

"Look out, papa, and see who's here" 167

The rabbit is a timid and defenseless animal 169

Small boys set an innocent-looking trap 170

Baby Cottontail after leaving the nest 173

She makes a little hollow in the earth and lines it with her

own fur 174

The young rabbit in its snug little nest 174

ILLUSTRATIONS

They were likely to skip out and depend upon their ability

to hide 175

Ready to be off with the slightest alarm 177

A JOLLY OLD CROW

Jolly Jim Crow 181

A sly old rascal was robbing the turkey's nest .... 182

Crow's egg, life-size 183

He made friends with the bantam hen and with a skunk that

lived there at the time 190

The baby was feeding him bread and milk with a spoon . 191
The boys decided that crows would be very good subjects

for observing on their own account 192

It was no mean climb to the nest 193

They found a nest in a tall tree near the river .... 195
There were but two eggs in the nest when the picture was

taken 195

Young crows, twenty days old 196

The last of the young ones had left the nest . . . . 197

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY

The milkweed suffered seriously as a result of their presence,

and was soon almost entirely stripped of its leaves . . 203

As the youngsters neared maturity the Naturalist took them

to his study, where he could observe their final change 204

It turned itself into the form of a question mark, as though,
like the Naturalist, trying to peer beyond the veil that
hid its future 205

The caterpillar gradually became incased in a beautiful
casket of green and gold, as though some invisible
fairy were preparing it for burial 206

She then remained quietly hanging to the shell of the empty

casket 208

PREFACE

THE stories that follow are the author's
personal experiences with the creatures
described. Every illustration is from an orig-
inal photograph made by the author. Sev-
eral years of time and almost unlimited pa-
tience have been necessary to secure them.

Several of the photographs have already
appeared in various magazines, including such
well-known publications as Outing, Country
Life in America, Forest and Stream, and
Guide to Nature. Some of the stories also
have been published in Outing, and the
readers of that magazine may recognize the
"Chicken Thief," "The Neighborly Screech
Owls," and the Red-tail family. A few of the
pictures have also been published in the
author's book, Productive Beekeeping.

This book is given to the public with the
hope that these intimate stories of life in the
big out-of-doors may lead to a better under-
standing of the difficulties and dangers that
beset the wild creatures, and a more sym-
pathetic relationship with them.

FRANK C. PELLETT.

Tamakoche, Atlantic, Iowa, July 31, 1917.
IS

WHERE THE
NATURALIST LIVED

WHERE THE NATURALIST
LIVED

THE Naturalist lived in a modest old
farmhouse surrounded by beautiful
trees. The house was small and unattractive,

A modest, old farmhouse surrounded by beautiful trees.

but he was more interested in birds and bees
and trees and flowers than in houses. Mrs.
Naturalist did not find her habitation all that

17

18

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

might be desired, but her husband found so
much joy in their surroundings that he could
not contain it alone. She absorbed some of his
enthusiasm and was content.

There were many wild flowers which the neighbors regarded as weeds.

About the house there were clumps of elder-
berries, where the birds came to feed in the hot
days of August, and mulberries where they
were content to dine in cherry time. There
were many wild flowers, such as asters and
goldenrod, crownbeard and rudbeckia, which

WHERE THE NATURALIST LIVED 19

the neighbors regarded as weeds, but which
the Naturalist guarded with jealous care.
Brown thrashers and catbirds sang in the
apple trees, and vireos nested in the blackberry
bushes. Screech owls and flickers reared their
families in the boxes which the Naturalist
built for them among the trees, and wrens sang
daily as they brought worms to feed their fam-
ilies which were growing up under the eaves
of his study.

Rabbits played on the lawn in summer and
ate the bark from the shrubbery in winter.
Squirrels gathered the nuts from the trees be-
fore the door and scolded when the boys

A last remaining bit of Iowa woodland.

20 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

decided that they were entitled to a part of the
harvest. Spiders were permitted to spin their
webs across the open spaces in the wood with-
out interference, for the Naturalist had built
a high fence about a last remaining bit of Iowa
woodland, and reserved it for the original
inhabitants. No cattle or pigs were permitted
to pasture there, no hunters were allowed to
shoot the wild creatures that took refuge
within the inclosure, and few besides the Nat-
uralist and his boys ever intruded. In summer
the undergrowth was so dense that it was with
difficulty that one could force a way through.
Hundreds of wild birds nested there undis-
turbed, wild flowers grew in profusion, and
insect life was very abundant. Here the Na-
turalist spent many long summer days in cul-
tivating an intimate acquaintance with the
many wild creatures that lived out their
lives under conditions somewhat similar to
those which their ancestors had enjoyed before
the white man came.

Practical people passing by were inclined
to remark at the waste of good farm land
growing up in such a tangle, and to chide the
Naturalist because he failed to cut his weeds.
However, they were not on speaking terms

WHERE THE NATURALIST LIVED 21

with the denizens of the little wood, nor did
they see the beauty of the plants which to the
eyes of the nature lover are anything but
weeds. The Naturalist could never quite
understand how people could be content to
spend the long days within doors when there
was so much worth while outside. Neither
could he understand how they could keep so
busy all day long with such practical things as
cultivating their corn or hoeing their gardens
when there were so many songs to be heard and

Wild flowers grew in profusion.

22 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

so many pictures of ever-changing hue to be
seen. When he worked among his bees he
must stop ever and anon to watch the busy
little creatures bringing in their loads of
bright yellow pollen and to listen to their
cheerful hum as they went about their labor.
Now and again a brilliant cardinal would
alight in a tree top and whistle, or a quail
would call "Bob White" from a fence post, or
a cicada would start his shrill call, in a way
to make it very plain that life was not all
intended for work on the bright summer days.

At night he would wander under trees
watching the flashing of the lights of the fire-
flies, and listening to the songs of the crickets
and katydids, and sometimes lie down in the
grass and fall off to sleep to awaken with the
sun shining and the day once more at hand.

When he worked in his garden he marveled
at the certainty with which the tendrils of the
grape vine found the nearest support, and
found much of interest in the life cycle of the
cut worm which fed on his cabbages. The
growing of vegetables was so much more inter-
esting than the selling of them that he was
inclined to neglect the latter phase. After all,
why go to the trouble of growing things when

WHERE THE NATURALIST LIVED 23

there are so many equally interesting that will
grow themselves?

Perhaps you will think that the Naturalist
was an impracticable person, and so he was,
from the standpoint of the man who will spend
six long days at hard work in order that he
may buy an automobile and go chasing madly
across the country on the seventh. At any time
the Naturalist could step outside his door and
find a hundred things far more interesting
than an automobile, and he could enjoy them
for six days by working one.

In spring there was the marvelous resur-
rection of the bloodroots and spring beauties,
violets and buttercups; the coming of the
birds and awakening of the frogs. In summer
there was such a riot of life on every hand that
he never could quite comprehend it; ripe
cherries, baby chickens, frisky lambs, butter-
flies and bumblebees. In autumn the apples
ripened on the trees and pumpkins yellowed in
the fields, while the leaves turned yellow and
the nuts came down. When at last winter
came and buried the dead leaves beneath a
cover of snow, and the song birds had winged
their way southward, he sat by his fire and
dreamed of spring, while the wind moaned

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

through the branches of the trees above his
study. On sunny days he would find joy in
greeting the hardy little tree sparrows and
juncos in the wood, and watching the squirrels
seeking for their buried nuts beneath the snow.
At any time or any season there was always
much of interest to the Naturalist around his
little home among the trees. Such are the con-
ditions under which this book was written, for
the Naturalist is the author, and "Our Back-
door Neighbors" are the friends that live
about his door.

At any time or any season there was always much of interest to the Naturalist
around his little home.

A SUMMER WITH
THE RED-TAILS

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS

AFTER A SEASON OF EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR

THEY NEARLY BRING THEMSELVES TO

THE GALLOWS

IT was a cold, bright day in early March
when Mr. and Mrs. Red-tail arrived.
Patches of snow covered the ground and food
was scarce. Wearied and hungry from their
long journey, they made their first meal from a
hen which had died and been carried to the
open field because the ground was frozen too
hard to permit the
digging of a hole
in which to bury
it. The Natural-
ist, always on the
watch, was the
first to observe
their arrival. He
was observing
them as they dined
on the dead hen,

The Naturalist was the first to observe their arrival

27

28 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

when Tommy Jones, who lived across the
road, happened to catch sight of them also.

There was no unnecessary sentiment in
Tommy's make-up, and the dinner was quickly
interrupted by his arrival with a gun. For-
tunately, Mr. Red-tail saw him coming and
departed with his spouse before Tommy could
get near enough to injure them. Tommy, who
regarded the Naturalist with contempt, was
glad of the opportunity to prove a crime
against Mr. Red-tail and his wife. The Na-
turalist, however, knew that the hen had lain
in the field a month before the arrival of the
birds, and was little impressed with Tommy's
tirade against the "chicken hawks," as Mr. and
Mrs. Red-tail are called by the farmers in the
neighborhood in which they lived.

Tommy was very handy with his gun, and
many a luckless hawk, crow, or owl fell before
it. The Naturalist protested to no purpose
that no crimes had been proved against them.
Tommy was the kind to hang suspected crimi-
nals on suspicion.

There is little woodland in this particular
part of Iowa, and big birds like the Red-tails
find it difficult, indeed, to rear their families
unmolested. The Naturalist lives in a bit of

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 29

woods which he guards jealously, and all
friends in fur or feathers find it a veritable
city of refuge. However, many a tragedy has
resulted when creatures which are regarded

Father Red-tail watched silently from the topmost branch of a dead tree.

with suspicion have strayed beyond the pro-
tected bounds, and occasionally the wrathful
owners of missing chickens penetrate this area
to avenge the missing chickens on the first sus-
picious character to come within their reach.

30 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

The Naturalist is, thus, sometimes unable to
protect his friends, even at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Red-tail looked the ground
over and decided that they would begin house-
building in a tall tree near the Naturalist's
house. The Naturalist was much pleased, but
anxious, for Tommy had passed the word
around that a pair of chicken hawks were in
the neighborhood. Within a mile of the tree
which the Red-tails had selected there are
fourteen houses. At each of these fourteen
homes chickens are raised, and, accordingly,
the inhabitants thereof are very watchful lest
a hawk should rear a family in the neighbor-
hood and thus endanger the lives of the chick-
ens.

Mr. and Mrs. Red-tail lived a precarious
life during the following weeks. The area in
which they might nest was small, and thirteen
guns were ready loaded and war already de-
clared. Whenever a small boy would see
them soaring high overhead, he would
scamper to the house to give the alarm that
chicken hawks are coming. Dad or big
brother would take a look to see whether there
was any chance to get within gunshot. Mr.
and Mrs. Red-tail kept far to the open fields,

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS

31

and thus avoided the inevitable consequences
of a near investigation of a poultry yard.

SETTING UP HOUSEKEEPING
The Naturalist alone knew about the nest,
although thirteen small boys would have given
their biggest marble to find it. A very tall
basswood tree in the very middle of the little
wood was the tree selected. The nest was very
bulky, nearly three feet across, and composed
of coarse sticks. As it was built early in
March, before the trees had donned their

The young birds kept their mouths open constantly, even when being photographed.

32 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

summer clothes, the Naturalist trembled every
time he saw a neighbor passing that way. It
was so big that it could be seen from a long dis-
tance. Few people have, as yet, learned to look
up, and not down, and the nest escaped detec-
tion. As days passed and the trees put forth
their leaves, even the Naturalist sometimes
had to look a little while to find it, and he no
longer feared for the safety of the big birds.

The Naturalist did not wish to cause the
birds any unnecessary alarm and he refrained
from an examination of the nest until Mrs.
Red-tail had begun to incubate the eggs. He
felt that there was no longer any danger that
they would voluntarily desert after this time.
The nest was fifty feet from the ground, and
the tree was straight and smooth and had few
branches. The Naturalist did not find it an
easy climb, as he must needs stop to rest and
catch his breath at every branch which would
support his weight. When Mrs. Red-tail saw
him coming, she slipped quietly away and
hastily disappeared. Soon she had joined her
mate, and together they circled high overhead,
with great evident anxiety as to the purpose of
the Naturalist's visit.

When at last the nest was reached, it was

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 33

found to occupy the highest possible position,
and there was but a poor support for the tired
visitor. It was with difficulty that he was
able to lift his head above the big nest and
examine the contents. The structure was al-
most flat, with only a slight saucer-shaped de-
pression. The lining was composed of but a
few strips of bark, and three dirty, bluish-
white eggs gave promise of the future.

Try as he would, there was absolutely no
place where a camera might be placed to get
a satisfactory photo of the nest and eggs. No
other trees were near enough to serve the pur-
pose, and there was no place in the nest tree
which would furnish support and give proper
view. The Naturalist must then content him-
self to wait until the young birds appeared in
order to secure a photographic record of the
family life, and even this was unsatisfactory
because the birds must be removed from the
nest.

When Mrs. Red-tail was at home, she set-
tled so close on her eggs that she could with
difficulty be seen from the ground, and curi-
ous small boys passing by could find no evi-
dence that the nest was occupied. The dis-
tance from the ground was so great and the

34 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

difficulties of the climb were such that the few
that chanced to see it were content to decide
that it was a last year's nest and unused.
While Mother Red-tail brooded over the eggs,
Father Red-tail spent hours sailing high in the
upper air or watched silently from the top-
most branch of a dead tree that furnished a
favorable lookout over the surrounding
country.

Finally the shells opened, and three downy
little birds replaced the eggs in the nest. They
were very weak at first, and as downy as little
ducks, although much whiter in color. Mrs.
Red-tail still spent most of her time on the
nest for several days, while the young birds
were very small. The demands for food were
slight during those first days, and a mouse or
two which the mother would tear to bits fur-
nished them with a hearty meal. They grew
very fast, however, and soon it kept both
Father and Mother Red-tail very busy to sup-
ply food for the growing family.

The Naturalist now became very watchful
and spent much time hidden in the woods
where he could watch the nest and see the
parent birds when they fed the young. He
still felt some anxiety lest one or both of the

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 35

parent birds should fall victims to some of the
thirteen guns that were kept loaded behind the
doors of thirteen houses, nearby, in anticipa-
tion of an opportunity to catch Father and
Mother Red-tail unawares. He also wished to
see for himself whether the Red-tail family
were guilty of the crimes so freely charged to
them and which had led to the loading of the
thirteen guns and the declaration of war at the
thirteen nearby farmhouses.

Father and Mother Red-tail were very dis-
creet and kept at a safe distance from the artil-
lery that only waited a favorable moment to
be trained upon them. They wandered far
afield, or could be seen soaring higher and
higher until they became mere specks in the
sky or disappeared altogether. Sometimes
they would be gone for a long time, while at
other times they would return within half an
hour with food for the young. At first when
Mother Red-tail brought the food, she would
alight on the side of the nest and consume
much time in tearing it to bits and feeding the
youngsters. After a little as they grew
stronger, she permitted them to carve the meat
for themselves, which they did by holding it
in their talons and tearing it with their beaks.

36 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Growing birds have voracious appetites,
and by the middle of May they were consum-
ing much food. On the eighteenth of that
month the Naturalist decided that it was time
to get some kind of a photograph, so the three
youngsters were let down from their high
home in a basket. All the time both parents
wheeled about far overhead and screamed in a
most distressed manner. The young birds also
protested to the best of their ability. They
kept their mouths open constantly, even when
being photographed, and struck with their
talons whenever a hand came near. As there
was no better place, all three were placed in a
row on an old log with a dead pocket gopher,
which had just been brought for their dinner.
After the picture had been taken they were
hauled up again in the basket and replaced in
the nest.

On this red-letter day, when they posed for
their first picture, they had three pocket
gophers, a large Franklin's spermophile, or
prairie gray squirrel, and two field mice
served up in the best hawk style. This menu
was fairly typical of their daily fare, although
it was varied with rats and striped ground
squirrels occasionally.

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 37

Not only were there thirteen guns ready
loaded for the time when Father or Mother
Red-tail should visit one of the thirteen barn-
yards in search of chicken for dinner, but the
Naturalist also had a camera loaded for the
purpose of getting a likeness of these same
birds. Many were the hours spent in patient
watching, in order to learn more about the
habits of the birds and to get their pictures.

However, it was not one of the thirteen guns,
but the camera in the hands of the Naturalist
which finally took Mother Red-tail by sur-
prise. She was none
the worse for the ex-
perience, and the Na-
turalist considers her
picture as one of his
most prized posses-
sions. Both birds
were so exceedingly
shy that it was diffi-
cult, indeed, to get
within gunshot, to say
nothing of camera
shot of them. It was
a pleasing sight to see
the two birds flying

It was not one of the thirteen guns, but the

camera in the hands of the Naturalist which

finally took Mother Red-tail by surprise.

38 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

upward in wide circles on a warm summer
afternoon. As they would wheel in the air, the
rich reddish brown color of the upper side of
the tail feathers could be plainly seen. This
marking, together with the narrow white tip
and faint black band, is very conspicuous with
the birds, and from it they get their name.

They would mount high, and then higher,
until it fairly made the man and the boy who
were watching dizzy to contemplate the
height to which they had attained. When they
had finally disappeared from sight the Natu-
ralist would turn to the boy with some remark
about the big birds and to regret that with the
thirteen guns constantly loaded and the hun-
dreds of other guns all over the State, the last
big birds could soon be expected to disappear
from the Iowa sky.

As the time drew near when the young birds
would leave the nest, he felt some anxiety as
to their fate when first they should try their
wings, but he was unprepared for what hap-
pened. Since the Naturalist had spent more
than eight weeks in observing the birds, and
during all that time they had not departed
from the paths of rectitude, he had come to
believe that the crimes charged to the Red-

He would alight in close proximity to some passer-by.

One youngster lacked the worldly wisdom of his fellows.

40 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

tails were based on circumstantial evidence
and that the verdict of an unprejudiced jury
would be unquestionably "Not guilty!"

It so happened that on Memorial Day
Tommy and a neighbor, having nothing else
to do, were walking through the woods, and
chanced to see the big nest in the top of the
basswood tree. The young birds were now al-
most fully fledged and could be plainly seen on
their nest. The distance to the nest was so
great that neither was equal to the test of
climbing so high, but with a long pole they
pushed it down after they had reached a safe
position on one of the higher branches. With
a heavy fall the nest and all three of the young
birds came tumbling down. Although the
birds could not fly, they broke the fall suffi-
ciently with their wings to be unhurt.

The arrival of the visitors had been so timed
as to reach the nest just after Mother Red-tail
had brought their dinner. Of late the appe-
tites of the three hearty youngsters had taxed
the resources of their industrious parents to the
limit, and to-day, instead of the usual pocket
gophers and mice, a stray chicken had been
brought to the nest. It was still warm and
bleeding when the nest was thrown down.

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 41

At last both the birds and their champion
were caught. Was not here evidence enough
to convict both the Naturalist and the hawks?
It was at best a sorry explanation that he was
able to make, but he did succeed in getting
possession of the young birds and thus saving
their necks. He took them home and again
posed them for pictures, and the next day re-
turned them to the woods.

The youngsters made the best of the situa-
tion, and hid themselves among the leaves of
the smaller trees. Their shrill cry of "Here,
here, here, here," with a constantly rising in-
flection, served to call the watchful parents
who brought them food. They changed their
location, moving from tree to tree frequently,
but the Naturalist still kept watch as before.
Now, as before, the parent birds still con-
tinued to bring gophers and mice, and occa-
sionally a rat. On one occasion a second stray
chicken was brought in, but this time there was
no one to observe the deflection but the Natu-
ralist. However, the mischief was done. A
dozen naturalists could not convince Tommy
that the birds had not fed from his chicken
yard all summer.

It was but a short time until they could fly,

42

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

but one youngster lacked the worldly wisdom
of his fellows, and would frequently alight in
close proximity to some passer-by. Fortu-
nately, the timely arrival of the Naturalist
saved him from an untimely end, until he too
finally learned to mount high and still higher,
until he became but a point in the blue of the
summer sky. The Naturalist now saw them
only on infrequent occasions, although he still
watched the big birds soaring above his head
whenever opportunity offered. When he
heard their shrill cry of "Free, free" he was
reminded of the days when Father Red-tail

The youngsters made the best of the situation.

A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 43

soared high above the nest, anxiously watch-
ing for the appearance of enemies, while
Mother Red-tail fed the youngsters.

When late in the summer he had watched
their last flight and they had departed for
warmer climes, he sighed with regret, "Will
they return I wonder?"

THE CHICKEN THIEF

THE CHICKEN THIEF

GETTING THE EVIDENCE AGAINST MR. COOPER
HAWK AND HIS FAMILY

TOMMY JONES was losing his chick-
ens; there was no question about that,
and Tommy was very much disturbed by the
occurrence. Mrs. Tommy had started the in-
cubator very early that spring and had kept it
going. She had also utilized every setting
hen, with the result that the back yard was
fairly overflowing with chickens. Nearly
every night there would be one or more miss-
ing. Sometimes there would be as many as
three less when they shut them up at night than
when they were released in the morning.

When Tommy watched Father Red-tail
soaring high overhead in the summer sky, he
remembered the day when the Naturalist had
been confronted with absolute proof that the
Red-tails were chicken thieves, and sput-
tered about his neighbor and the chicken
hawks. If Father Red-tail happened to be

47

48 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

in sight at the time when new losses were dis-
covered among his chickens, his feelings
nearly overcame him. On such occasion, if
opportunity offered, he was very free to tell
the Naturalist, in language more forceful than
eloquent, just what he thought of him and his
hawks.

This time the Naturalist was not entirely
above reproach, for he had a secret. He knew
the thief and knew where the stolen birds were
served daily at dinner. The Naturalist was
not in sympathy with the thief, but he was
anxious to learn the real facts concerning the
habits of an undesirable family of neighbors
and was patiently watching them to find out.
Besides, if Tommy Jones had used his eyes to
good advantage he might have known also.

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Hawk, like criminals
generally, were very shy in their movements.
While they fed daily from the poultry yards
of the neighborhood, few persons ever saw
them come, and when they were seen their
movements were so swift that the observer had
but a confused idea of the bird he saw.
Tommy Jones was not the only one who
charged the Red-tails with the theft of the
chickens taken by the Cooper Hawks. While

THE CHICKEN THIEF

49

Father and Mother Red-tail soared high over
the fields in search of gophers the Cooper
Hawks kept to the cover of the woods.

When all was quiet in the farm-yard and the

Cooper Hawk would silently alight on some object which furnished a view
of the poultry yard.

farmer and his family were within doors,
Cooper Hawk would silently alight on some
object which furnished a view of the poultry
yard. When a favorable opportunity offered
he would dash in pursuit of an unfortunate
chicken, and, seizing it, fly away so swiftly as

50 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

to offer little chance of pursuit. Safe in the
shelter of the woods he would make a meal at
his leisure. The Naturalist, being familiar
with their habits, often observed them in their
raids, while Tommy Jones and his neighbors
swore at Father Red-tail soaring afar in the
upper air.

The Naturalist had heard the shrill call,
used only in the nesting season, many times be-
fore he was able to locate the nest. The loca-
tion chosen was as far from a house as could
well be found in that thickly settled neighbor-
hood. It was placed under the sheltering
leaves of a heavy growth of Virginia creeper,
in a walnut tree, thirty-five feet above ground.
The tree grew near the river about half a mile
from the nearest human habitation. So clev-
erly was it hidden from sight that even after
the Naturalist had discovered its location, he
could scarcely see it from the ground.

It was on June 8 that he first climbed the
tree and examined the nest. The structure was
about the size of a crow's nest but composed
of much smaller twigs. Most of the twigs
used were not larger than those used by the
wren in making her home, and few of them
were as large as a lead pencil. There was only

THE CHICKEN THIEF

51

a slight depression in the center of the nearly
flat nest and no lining, excepting a few scales
of bark. In the «nest were three white eggs
with a slight bluish tinge. Evidently incuba-
tion had been in progress several days, for all
three eggs hatched on June 20, only twelve
days later, and most authorities give twenty-
four days as the period of incubation of the
cooper hawk.

When the Naturalist undertook the task of
making a photograph of the nest and eggs, he
found that it was no easy task. It was not diffi-
cult to reach the site, but there was no limb on
which to stand nor any suitable support within
reach on which to place the camera. Accord-
ingly, after trying
various schemes
without result, he
strapped himself
to the body of the
tree immediately
above the nest and,
with both hands
free to manipulate
the camera, se-
cured the picture
shown herewith.

In the nest were three white eggs
with a slight bluish tinge.

52 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

The situation was not very satisfactory, as
the outline of the nest could not well be shown
directly from above and at such close range.
After the eggs had hatched, he made several
attempts to get a satisfactory photograph of
the young in the nest from a different location.
Making pictures so high from the ground is
rather unsatisfactory at best, since one does not
care to fall even thirty-five feet, and one has
not much margin for work with his body
strapped tightly to a tree. After several at-
tempts, a picture of the young birds peering
over the nest was secured, although at too close
range to give a proper impression of condi-
tions. The ends of the twigs composing the
nest were so much nearer the lens than were
the birds, that they appear much larger in the
picture than they were in fact. After working
with little satisfaction to get a picture from
other points, he again climbed to the place
above the nest where he had made his first at-
tempt, and made an exposure looking directly
down upon them.

When the young first appeared in the nest,
they were covered with white down that gave
them something the appearance of little ducks.
When the first feathers began to show through

The young birds peering over the edge of the nest.

Looking directly down upon them.

54 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

the down, they were eighteen days old, and it
was at that time that the picture was taken.
From this time on, the birds grew very fast,
and a great change could be noticed in their
appearance from day to day. Ten days later
they were nearly fledged and beginning to
threaten to leave the nest. At times they
would walk out on the limbs of the tree as
though preparing for flight.

During these days the Naturalist was mak-
ing daily visits to see how the birds grew, and
also to see what became of Tommy Jones's
chickens. The parent birds were very shy,
and usually left as quickly as possible on his
approach. Father and Mother Red-tail, on
the other hand, remained close at hand,
anxiously watching, whenever he visited their
nest. Mother Sparrow Hawk at times refused
to leave her young when newly hatched, even
when he approached within two feet of her.
Mother Screech Owl had even permitted him
to lift her from the nest when her babies were
little, and attacked him furiously after he had
released her, but neither Mother nor Father
Cooper Hawk would take any chances on re-
maining to see what happened when he visited
their nest. He was never able to approach

THE CHICKEN THIEF

55

very near the nest without his presence being
detected, and the most he could get, as a rule,
was a fleeting glimpse, through the trees, of a
swiftly flying bird. The few times when

At times they would walk out on a limb as though preparing for flight.

Mother Cooper Hawk did remain she kept
herself hidden among the leaves and not very
near at hand.

He did not find it an easy matter to deter-
mine their menu. The Sparrow Hawk family
left the fragments of their dinner in the nest
so that he easily determined daily what they

56 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

were eating. The Red-tail family seldom
failed to leave a partly eaten carcass, or at least
feet and tails at hand, to show on what they
had dined, but the Cooper Hawk family were
skilled in removing every trace of incrimina-
ting evidence. Seldom did even a feather re-
main, and never the usual fragments of legs
and other appendages.

GETTING AT THE MENU

After trying for several days to see the
mother bird in the act of feeding her young,
or to find some trace of partly eaten food
which would give reliable information con-
cerning their habits, he decided that there was
but one way to get results — to visit the nest
frequently, and whenever they had recently
been fed to compel them to disgorge their
dinners in the interest of science. This proved
to be a disagreeable task, but it was followed
faithfully for many days. While rather un-
pleasant business, it had the great advantage
of making an accurate determination possible
in many cases. At times the mutilation was so
great that the species could not be easily deter-
mined with certainty in the case of small birds.

It soon became apparent where Tommy

THE CHICKEN THIEF 57

Jones's chickens were going. During the first
few weeks of the observation no evidence of
any food other than poultry, pigeons, or birds
was found. Breakfast, dinner or supper, it
was spring chicken, pigeon, or quail. Of
course, the diet was varied with such deli-
cacies as robin, flicker, or thrush, but such
commonplace food as mice and gophers was
spurned. Chicken, being the most easily
available, was perhaps more often served than
any other single item.

When it comes to supplying six to a dozen
chickens a week to a family of hawks, even a
large flock soon shows the effects, and the
Naturalist did not wonder that Tommy was on
the warpath. When finally the Naturalist told
Tommy about the nest and the daily menu,
his indignation knew no bounds. What he
thought of the Naturalist is better imagined
than told. Still he refused to be convinced
that the Red-tail family had not been equally
guilty. About the first week in July the
farmers were putting up their hay and harvest-
ing their small grain. By the rath the fields
were clean, and the ground squirrels could be
seen everywhere scampering about. Ground
squirrel now became for a time a favorite

58

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

article of diet. However, seldom did more
than a day elapse without a chicken being
served in proper Cooper Hawk style, even
then. The prairie gray squirrel (Franklin's
spermophile) and the striped ground squirrel
were the only small animals that the Naturalist
knew them to take. In fact, no insects or rep-
tiles or other small animals, as far as he could
tell, entered into the diet.

When the first of the three young birds left
the nest it was captured, and together with the
other two taken to the home of the Naturalist,
where they were placed in a large cage. Their

Two of the birds finally killed and ate the third one.

THE CHICKEN THIEF 59

food from that time on consisted of raw meat,
mostly beef scraps. They did not seem to get
on well, even with each other, and apparently
their appetites were not satisfied without a
mixture of feathers with their meat. At any
rate, two of the birds finally killed and ate the
third one. In all his experience with birds the
Naturalist had never seen a family where there
was such an entire lack of interest in the young
on the part of the parent birds. Some birds
that are extremely shy are very solicitous con-
cerning their young, but like some human
criminals, self-preservation seemed to be the
only thing that greatly concerned the cooper
hawks.

THE

NEIGHBORLY
SCREECH OWLS

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS

THEY LIVED IN A HOLLOW TREE NEXT DOOR AND

SHOWED THAT THEY AT LEAST HAD

NOTHING TO CONCEAL

MR. SCREECH OWL was calling to his
mate — "Wher-r-r-r-e are you-u-u?"
The Naturalist was lying in the grass enjoying
the moonlight and listening to the night
sounds. The insistent "Katydid, Katydid,
Katydid" and the low chirping of the crickets
were soothing to tired nerves after a day spent
in wrestling with abstract problems in the
study. When Mr. Screech Owl called,
"Wher-r-r-r-e are you-u-u-u?" to his mate it
was not Mrs. Screech Owl who answered, but
the Naturalist. Mr. Screech Owl was not
exactly deceived, but he was interested, and
flying to a low hanging branch over the
Naturalist's head he stared down with his big
round eyes and questioned, "Who-o-o-o are
you-u-u-u?"

About this time Mrs. Screech Owl arrived,
and, alighting on a nearby tree, called to her

63

64

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

mate mournfully. Mr. Screech Owl then be-
gan snapping his bill at the Naturalist in an
angry manner, as if having decided that, being
a creature of the day, he had no business to be

They lived very near to the Naturalist's house in the woods.

abroad after night. After a time the owls
went on about their own affairs and left the
Naturalist to fall asleep with no cover over his
head but the summer stars. As time passed
and these evening visits were often repeated,
the screech owls became better acquainted
with their strange visitor and came to regard
him as a harmless fellow. They even per-

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS 65

mitted him, on occasion, to pry into their
family affairs without taking offense.

They lived very near to the Naturalist's
house in the woods. Unlike the Red-tails,
they were not inclined to build an elaborate
home, but took possession of a hollow tree that
had been vacated by a fox squirrel family a
few months before. They did not even take
the trouble to remove the rubbish left by the
previous occupants, but Mrs. Screech Owl
laid her five white eggs without any special
preparation in the way of a nest. By the time
the last egg had been laid the others were so
dirty that it was hard to believe they had ever
been white.

When the baby screech owls appeared in the
nest, they were dainty, downy little things, and
Mother Screech Owl was careful to keep them
covered. The Naturalist was very curious
about the little family and must see them fre-
quently to satisfy his curiosity. When he ap-
proached the nest, Father Screech Owl
snapped his bill and threatened violence, but
Mother Screech Owl never stirred from her
place in the nest. She permitted the Natural-
ist to lift her carefully while he looked at the
youngsters, and then put her down again.

66

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

On one occasion Father Screech Owl lost
his temper and struck the Naturalist on the
head with his sharp claws. Such a bold attack
by so small a bird amused him, but he was
more careful in his movements afterward, so
as not to alarm the anxious parents of the
downy nestlings.

The Naturalist had made some boxes of old lumber and had fitted them up for
housekeeping.

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS

67

ily only went abroad
fall, and the Natu-
never able

The fam-
after night-
ralist was
to see the
in the act
feeding
theyoung.

They gave a daily

Father Screech Owl lost his temper. aCCOUntof their bill

of fare, however, in a most peculiar way. Un-
like the hawks, the owls swallowed their food
with as little ceremony as possible and later
threw out the remnants of bones and fur in a
compact little ball. By examining the ball he
knew exactly what they had for dinner, as well
as for lunch.

For a time he felt some anxiety for the song
birds nesting in the garden, but as weeks
passed and he found remains of nothing but
mice and insects, he decided that screech owls
were more satisfactory for ridding the place
of mice than were cats. The little owls
learned after awhile that the barn was a good
place to go for mice, and sometimes the Na-
turalist would find one of them sitting in the

68

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

barn window when he went to finish the chores
after dark.

The babies in the hollow tree grew very
fast, and soon they were very comical little fel-
lows with part feathers and part down. One
day the Naturalist placed them in a row on a
nearby limb. They were much disturbed by
the light, and blinked unceasingly. The
anxious parents became greatly excited and
flew back and forth above them, snapping
their bills and complaining until they were
replaced in the hollow tree. As the young
birds neared maturity they became so well ac-
quainted with the Naturalist that they showed
little anxiety because of his visits, although
they sometimes looked very much surprised

when he placed them in
some strange situation.

After the family was
grown, Father and
Mother Screech Owl
decided to move. The
, hollow tree seemed very
much deserted after
yk their departure. In the
r meantime the Naturalist
had made some boxes
mmmmmmmmmmmm^mf^mmmm^

They were very comical little fellows with
part feathers and part down.

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS

69

of old lumber and had fitted them up ready
for housekeeping. They were made deep and
the cavity was roomy, just the thing for a

They were much disturbed by the light, and blinked unceasingly.

flicker family he had thought. Some were
placed on poles near the edge of the wood and
some nailed to the side of the trees near the
house.

Since woodpeckers do not supply any nest-
ing material, the Naturalist had placed a
quantity of cork chips in each of the boxes to
supply the purpose of a nest. Not all of the
boxes were occupied by flickers and another
summer Mr. and Mrs. Screech Owl took a

70 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

fancy to them. Father Screech Owl lived in
one box not far from the kitchen door, while
Mother Screech Owl raised the new family in
one nailed to the side of a tree not far away.

By this time the boys were interested in the
owl family also, so that there were numerous
visitors to the home of the birds in the box.
The days passed quickly and the youngsters
were getting crowded in their narrow quarters.
Where Mother Screech Owl had been very
comfortable with her eggs, four grown chil-
dren found very cramped quarters.

One summer evening, one more venture-
some than the rest tried his wings. It was not
long after until the last one had left the box
and taken to the trees. The Naturalist re-
joiced in so many interesting neighbors. He
would go out in the early evening and call,
"Wher-r-r-r-e are you-u-u-u?" First one and
then another of the owls would answer,
"Who-o-o-o are you-u-u-u?" Thus it came
about that the owls called to the Naturalist
and the Naturalist called to them at the close
of nearly every day. While the weird call was
music to the Naturalist, an occasional visitor
who was not familiar with them would shiver
at the sound, and one half grown boy was

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS

71

afraid to go to bed alone because of the dole-
ful sound.

On warm nights the Naturalist loved to roll
up in a blanket and lie in the grass. One after
another of the birds would come and alight
above his head and converse in the friendliest
manner. From them he tried to learn the mys-
tery of the night and looking up at the stars
wondered whether other Naturalists were
making friends with other owls on the planets
revolving about the specks of light in the infi-
nite depths of the heavens above. His specula-

By this time the boys were interested in the owl family also, so that there were
numerous visitors to the home of the birds in the box.

72

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

tions were to no purpose, for the murmur of
the night voices gradually grew faint in his
ears and it would seem but a moment until he
awoke with the sun streaming full in his face.
The Screech Owls were nowhere to be seen,
nor would they again respond to his call until
the shadows again were falling.

As the nights grew frosty and the voices of
the crickets were no longer heard, the Natu-
ralist still called to the owls in early evening.
The occasions were less frequent, nor were
they prolonged since it was no longer pleasant
to lie on the ground in the moonlight. Some-
times on a winter day when the sky was gray,

HHKHB^SHBHBHHl a screech owl

would fly out to
take a look
around. At
other times he
would appear at
the entrance of
the box where
he was spending
the winter days,
and remain
looking out for
hours at a time.

On a winter day when the sky was gray.

THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS 73

Sometimes, when the Naturalist missed the
friendly creatures of the summer day which
had long since gone to warmer climes, he
would go to the box and arouse the little owl.
It would fly out into the light and sit for a mo-
ment blinking in the sun and then sail away
to find a dark place among the shadows of the
wood.

Although the Naturalist never knew one
of these friendly little birds to commit a single
questionable act, there were some who would
not have hesitated to take their lives had
opportunity offered. They were accused of
catching birds and chickens, and other un-
likely crimes. Their accusers did not think
far enough to know that they were too small
to take anything but very young chickens
and that even these very young chickens were
never abroad at night, the only time when the
owl hunts for its prey. One evening, just at
early dusk, one of them alighted on a post near
Tommy Jones's barn. Tommy with his ever
ready gun did not fail to take note of its pres-
ence, and rested his gun across the fence to in-
sure a good aim in the failing light. Just then
a mouse ran out from under the barn and at-
tracted the attention of the owl. Down went

74 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

the bird, and, catching the mouse, returned to
its perch on the post. For once Tommy did
not shoot.

Only that morning he had caught his old cat
in the act of killing a young chicken. For days
the young chickens had been missing, one after
another, and he had blamed it all on the skunks
and hawks which the Naturalist had be-
friended. Now he had seen with his own eyes
the little owl catch the mouse that he had kept
the cat to kill. Tommy put down his gun,
scratched his head and turned and walked
toward the house. Thus was the life of the
screech owl saved and the Naturalist vindi-
cated.

THE POLECAT

THE POLECAT

IT was a bleak day in midwinter when the
Naturalist started out for his usual walk.
The sky was overcast and a light snow covered
the ground — just the kind of day when one
enjoys a book and a snug seat by the fire. As
he entered the bit of woods near his home a
flock of tree sparrows and juncos flew out of
the underbrush and alighted in the trees. A
chickadee eyed him suspiciously, as if in doubt
as to his identity. The residents of the wood
had come to feel safe with him and seldom
manifested any particular anxiety because of
his presence.

After looking about for a time for some-
thing of special interest, he chanced upon the
tracks of a little spotted skunk (spilogale in-
terrupta], commonly known by the name
"polecat." Since the snow was fresh, the
tracks offered an opportunity to see some-
thing of what had taken place in the wood the
night before. He, accordingly, followed, at a
leisurely gait, the path taken by the little an-
imal a few hours previously. The Naturalist

77

78 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

had known for some time that there were pole-
cats in the wood, but he had been too much oc-
cupied with other friendships to cultivate an
intimate acquaintance. As he followed the
tracks of the little skunk and noted how it had
stopped to sniff at a small hole in an old stump,
had scratched in the leaves beside a log, in
search of hibernating insects, and investigated
the hollow at the base of an old basswood, he
became very much interested. Here, indeed,
he felt that he had overlooked a most interest-
ing neighbor, and determined to know more
of his haunts and habits, even though years of
investigation were necessary.

After having followed the tracks for some
distance the Naturalist noted evidence that the
Polecat had proceeded somewhat cautiously,
and, sure enough, just ahead was the snug form
lately occupied by a rabbit. In a thick bunch
of grass Bunny had hidden from the sight of
passers-by, and thought to rest himself in quiet.
The little skunk in passing had scented
Bunny's retreat, and advancing quietly from
behind had caught him by surprise. The
skunk is slow and rather awkward in its move-
ments at times, but when in the act of seizing
its prey moves with surprising quickness.

THE POLECAT 79

Here the snow was beaten down, showing the
struggle of the dying rabbit with a polecat at
its throat. Only a few feet distant, the partly
eaten carcass on the blood-stained snow gave
evidence that the polecat had eaten his fill, and
made off to his burrow.

The Naturalist spent some time in examin-
ing the marks of the struggle, and reading the
story as written in the snow. To-morrow the
sunshine or more snow might forever obliter-
ate the record, and he wished to become fully
familiar with it. Here a small animal had
made a dinner on another larger and swifter
than himself. To-night, no doubt, he would
come again to make still another meal from the
carcass, as it would be much easier than find-
ing and killing another.

From that day the Naturalist sought for a
closer acquaintance with the black shadow
that constantly hung over the lives of the rab-
bits that lived in the wood. Poor Bunny! A
harassed life is his. The hunter and his dog
seek his life by day, while the owl and the
skunk constantly threaten him by night. Eter-
nal vigilance is the price of life in the woods.
The little son of the Naturalist also had de-
signs on Bunny's liberty, if not upon his life,

80

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

and had set an innocent-looking trap beside his
path. The dead rabbit had a large family of
relatives living in the wood, and if he was
missed from among them there was no sign.

A polecat cautiously peered around the corner.

They still came out to play at nightfall, chas-
ing each other back and forth in front of the
Naturalist's window, and dining in his garden,
much to the dismay of his good wife, for the
shrubbery, as well as vegetables, often suffered
as a result.

On closer acquaintance the Naturalist found
that the polecat often came out by day, though
his usual hours were after sundown. The Na-
turalist also began to go out by night, when the

THE POLECAT

81

moon was bright and he could see the move-
ments of the little animals in the wood.

One night an incautious rabbit ventured into
the trap. Before he had pushed back far
enough to spring the door, a polecat cau-
tiously peered around the corner, and see-
ing that Bunny was inside, followed him in.
The terrified rabbit backed into the farthest
corner and the trigger was sprung; rabbit and
skunk were caught together. Bunny's escape
was now impossible, and the polecat was only
intent upon his dinner. When the boy came to
the trap the following morning he received
quite a surprise; a dead and partly eaten rab-
bit and a pole-
cat very much
alive. Back to
the house he
went as fast as
his little legs
would carry
him and burst
in upon his
father with
great excite-
ment. The Na-
turalist, how-

If he approached too near, one would stamp a front foot

threateningly, arching the back and throwing

the tail forward over the body.

82 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

ever, was not surprised, though much amused
at the excitement of his small son. The door
to the trap was removed, and the polecat per-
mitted to go about his own business.

The Naturalist now determined upon an
experiment, destined to extend over nearly
seven years of time. The stable and henhouse
were located on the spot desired for a wild
garden, so both were torn down. In order to
satisfy himself as to the extent that poultry
enters into the normal diet of the polecat, he
decided to make chicken the most easily avail-
able food for polecats, and to entice them
about the buildings. Accordingly, the hens
were housed in small coops only about three
feet high, on roosts not more than a foot or two
from the ground, with doors wide open except
in the most severe weather. He met the pro-
tests of the wife, who was interested in chick-
ens, but not in skunks, with the statement that
it was worth a lot of chickens to learn the facts.

A single observation is not of much value in
determining a matter of this kind. Nearly
everybody can tell of instances where skunks
have killed chickens, but few are prepared to
say whether all would do so with a favorable
opportunity. Dozens of individual skunks

It would peek at him across a limb or around the body at a height about on a
level with his head.

Sometimes one would climb a tree.

84

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

were present at different times during the
seven years over which the study extended.
When, as occasionally happened, an individ-

During the day they usually remained curled up in the nest.

ual polecat did form the poultry-killing habit,
it was immediately disposed of, as of no
further value to the experiment, and to pre-
vent other individual animals learning bad

THE POLECAT

85

habits from contact with it. Some came of
themselves and took up their abode in the barn
or other outbuildings, some were caught, un-
injured, in traps and released after a short con-
finement. From that day to this there has
probably not been a time without from one to
a dozen polecats about the place, some of
which lived within a few feet of the little hen-
houses.

The vile odor, the best-known character-
istic of the animal, is only used as a means of
defense, and months sometimes passed without
the slightest evidence of it about the build-
ings where the animals lived. The little crea-
tures find it a safe dependence, usually, and are
not as timid as
most wild an-
imals. The Nat-
uralist could ap-
proach near to
them without
offense, and
sometimes played
with them in the
moonlight. If he
approached too
near, one would

Mother Skunk would peek out cautiously to see if the coast
was clear.

86 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

stamp a front foot threateningly, arching the
back and throwing the tail forward above the
body. Sometimes one would climb a tree and
peek at him across a limb or around the body
at a height about on a level with his head.

It was only when the Naturalist investigated
too closely, as when trying to take photo-
graphs, or urging them into some undesired
position, that they resented his presence in a
most annoying way. At such times copious
quantities of ammonia and a change of clothes
were necessary to make him again presentable
in polite society.

During the day they usually remained
curled up in the nest, coming out at nightfall
to search for food. If there were half grown
young ones, Mother Skunk would peek out
cautiously to see if the coast was clear, shortly
to be followed by her interesting brood. On
the slightest alarm the whole family would
dash for cover. During the summer months
insects furnished the principal food, although
if the boys failed to gather the eggs, the pole-
cats would often dine from a hen's nest. (The
Naturalist for a long time kept this a dark
secret from his wife.) Next to grasshoppers,
moths, and beetles, mice seemed to furnish the

THE POLECAT

87

favorite article on the menu. It was rare,
indeed, that one troubled the chickens. In the
dead of winter, when mice were hard to get,

The boys decided that a young polecat would make a fine pet.

and insects not to be found, one would some-
times fall from grace and kill a chicken. The
next night the culprit usually paid the death
penalty, although the Naturalist found it hard
to execute the sentence. On one occasion, a
mother with a large brood dependent upon
her, found life too hard, so she too took to the

_88 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

henroost to supply her pressing needs. Once
the habit is formed it is probable that, like
most bad habits, it is seldom broken. Finding
an abundance of food and slight resistance in
the henroost, the skunk will return again and
again. After observing so many individual
animals during so long a time, it became ap-
parent to the Naturalist that mice and insects
furnish the natural and preferred food, and
that the poultry-killing habit is an acquired
one. As the animals often live together in con-
siderable numbers, it is easy for one to acquire
the habit from another, until, in a restricted
locality, all, or nearly all, may kill poultry
whenever opportunity presents itself. One
winter a large load of corncobs was thrown
into the woodshed to be used as fuel. As there
was an occasional kernel of grain still clinging
to the cobs, rats soon found that the big pile
would furnish both a convenient shelter and a
food supply. The Naturalist did not permit
a cat to remain on the place for fear of fright-
ening some of the numerous wild creatures
which made their homes with him, but the rats
were so annoying that he borrowed a cat which
had an enviable reputation as a ratter. The
cat was confined in the woodshed for several

THE POLECAT 89

days, but since she did not appear to make any
impression on the rats, she was returned to her
owner. The Naturalist was considering some
measure to rid the premises of rats, when a
polecat decided to move from the barn to the
woodshed. The change of residence had the
desired effect, for the rats moved out without
delay and with less ceremony. While mice,
apparently, are more attractive to the polecats
than rats, the rats seem to have a deadly fear
of them, and the presence of a polecat in the
building is usually sufficient to clear it quickly
of the rodents. The polecats would often
enter the open burrows of the pocket gopher
also, and although the Naturalist was unable
to determine with certainty what took place
in the darkness below, the indications were
that the visit proved disastrous to the gopher.
One day a neighbor's dog, which chanced
to be passing, discovered Mrs. Polecat as she
was crossing the yard. Rover gave chase, and,
just as he opened his mouth to seize his prey,
she discharged her artillery full in his face.
A very sick dog immediately lost interest in
the hunt, and for some days had a wholesome
respect for polecats. His eyes burned like fire,
and his mouth tasted worse. The intolerable

90 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

odor clung to him and made him sicker than
anything in his experience. Doggie had re-
ceived the contents of the scent glands in the
most effective places — the mouth and eyes.
He rolled about in agony, he coughed and
whined; he bit off mouthfuls of grass and
filled his mouth with loose earth to no purpose,
for he could not rid himself of the awful sen-
sations that clung to him. Finally he slunk off
home with a most shamed appearance, and
crawled under his mistress's bed. Suddenly
the house was filled with a most penetrating
scent. Members of the family sniffed the air
and speculated on the source of the well-
known smell. After a time Rover crawled out
and, sheepishly wagging his tail, approached
his mistress. When he attempted to put his
paws in her lap she screamed and, much to his
surprise, gave him a kick. Alas, poor dog!
This was adding insult to injury, and Rover
was at a loss to understand why he should
have received punishment instead of sympathy.
He went and hid under the corncrib, where he
remained until the following day. When
hunger finally forced him out he received
scant welcome from his best friends. For days
he suffered the isolation of an outcast, and it

THE POLECAT 91

was only after the odor had finally disap-
peared from his presence that he was again
received as a member of the family. Thus
was another family added to those who, hav-
ing had an intimate introduction to her means
of defense, have acquired a life-long prejudice
against the skunk.

One summer Mother Polecat brought forth
her young in a roll of tin in the shed. She
made little preparation in the way of a nest-
simply a bed of chaff with some odds and ends
of cotton material that chanced to be near.
Mice and insects were plentiful, and ungath-
ered eggs occasionally offered a special treat
for the polecat family. There was no annoy-
ance by dogs or other unfriendly animals, so
that the summer was one grand holiday for
Mother Polecat and her brood, until it became
necessary for the Naturalist to move the roll
of tin in which they lived. He talked the
matter over with the boys, and it was decided
to pose the youngsters for a picture and then
turn the family out to hunt for a new home.
The boys decided that a young polecat would
make a fine pet, and the little creatures were
cunning indeed. However, the Naturalist
persuaded them not to break family ties, and

92

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

so Mother Polecat scampered into a hollow
basswood tree in the front yard, where she was
followed by her four babies. After nightfall
she came out to search for more satisfactory
quarters. The Naturalist and his boys were
much interested to learn where she would take
up housekeeping next.

The Naturalist persuaded them not to break family ties.

THE MAGIC CITY

THE MAGIC CITY

THE Naturalist had a visitor, a winsome
lassie from the city. She was fasci-
nated with all the wonderful world which he
showed her, and together they had wandered
through the little wood and over the meadows
near by. Together they had visited the
oriole's nest and listened to the merry song of
the brown thrasher who had her nest in the
lilac bushes. Hand in hand they had walked
through the wild garden, while the Naturalist
pointed out the trilliums which he had gath-
ered near the shores of Lake Michigan, the
wild currant from Minnesota, the prickly pear
from the badlands of Dakota, and the many
other plants which he had found on his
journeys to the outside world and transplanted
safely to Tamakoche.

When at last they had tired of visiting with
the wild creatures and returned to the easy
chair in the study, she begged for a story — a
really truly true story.

95

96

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

"Tell me about the most interesting place in
the whole wide world," she said.

The Naturalist protested that he had seen

The Magic City is the hive, and the inhabitants are the bees.

very little of the big outside world, and that
he really did not know what was the most in-
teresting place.

"Then tell me about the most interesting
place that you ever saw," she begged.

"I will tell you about the most interesting
place that I know of," he agreed, "and I will
take you to see it for yourself, and you can
then tell me whether it is so."

THE MAGIC CITY

97

So it came about that the Naturalist told the
girl about the Magic City, and together they
went to see the inhabitants and the wonderful
way in which they lived.

It was June when the little girl visited the

The Naturalist then lifted out a frame which was filled with comb and covered
with bees.

Naturalist, and the wood and the fields were
as green as green. The birds were singing
gaily in the trees above the study, and crick-
ets and frogs sang their evening chorus after
the birds had finished their daily concert.
Finding it too much like the city in the study,
the little girl took the Naturalist by the hand
and led him outside under the big walnut and
sat down on the grass.

98

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

The drones are big blundering fellows who
never work.

"It is nicer out here, and, besides, the story
will seem more real while I lie and look up at
r~ the birds among the

branches over-

y|^ head," she said.

This is the story
that he told the lit-
tle girl under the
big tree.

"For centuries
the wise men of the
earth have known
of the magic city.
In every generation men have visited it and
endeavored to learn all the secrets of the little
people that live there. Little by little they
have learned some of the secrets, and there
are still many that they guard very carefully
and which man has never yet found out.
These little people are wonderful chemists,
for they gather a commonplace product from
the fields and so change its character that it
will keep for many years without spoiling.
They are wonderful builders, and utilize a
product which they make for themselves and
which man has never learned to imitate, in
their building. They have developed the most

THE MAGIC CITY

99

wonderful system of government, for every
individual living in that city has an equal op-
portunity, and enjoys equal privileges and an
equal share of the wealth of the community.

Most interesting of all they found the queen, the mother of the whole popula-
tion of the bee city.

100

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

They are very patriotic, and any member of
the community will lay down her life, if neces-
sary, without hesitation to drive away invaders
who would rob them of their treasure.

When the bees would rear another queen, they provide a very large cell, which
looks much like a small peanut.

"All the babies are reared in cradles exactly
alike, and the same nurses care for one after
another, giving them the same attention, ex-
cept when they wish to rear a new queen to re-
place the one who is failing from old age, or
to found a new city. When it comes time to
divide the population and to found a new city,
the old queen and the older inhabitants go

THE MAGIC CITY

101

forth to begin life anew, leaving the old estab-
lished home for the young. But, my dear, you
must remember that it is hardly safe to speak
of other creatures as though they had similar

Suddenly there was a great bluster among the bees, and with a glad, new note
they tumbled hastily out.

thoughts and ways to men, for we know not
by what senses they find their way, or con-
duct their affairs. It is better for me to show
you the city itself and to explain everything
that we see, than to tell you about it in a way
that will give a wrong impression. The Magic
City is the hive, and the inhabitants are the
bees. Although they formerly made their

102

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

homes in hollow trees and in cavities in the
rocks, man has learned to turn their labor to
his own advantage, and provides them with
hives in which to live."

The Naturalist then provided his visitor
with a veil and some gloves, to guard her
against possible attack by the sentinels on
guard at the gates of the city, and together
they went to see whether they could learn some
new secret of the bee people.

On the porch of his study the Naturalist kept a small observation hive with
glass sides and wooden shutters.

THE MAGIC CITY

103

When they reached the apiary he called her
attention to the fact that there was not one
magic city but many of them, and in each lived
many thousands of busy inhabitants. The
Naturalist carried a smoker, an implement
used by every up-to-date beekeeper. In it he
set fire to some excelsior shavings and some
burlap, and by pressing the bellows, sent forth
a dense smoke. On approaching the hive they
stopped for a time to see how busily the bees
were engaged in carrying in their loads of
pollen in bright yellow balls. Others going in
carried nothing
that the visitors
could see, but
which, in fact, had
their honey sacs
full of nectar.
The Naturalist ex-
plained that the
pollen was to serve
as bread for the
baby bees, and that
they lived all the
time on bread and
honey. He ex-
plained also that

i

From roadside weeds they gathered a harvest of gold.

104 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

the nectar which they carried was gathered
from the flowers, and that it seemed to be
nothing much more than a little sweetened
water when they found it, but that after it was
brought to the hives they made wonderful
changes by which it was converted into honey.

The cover was then lifted off the hive and a
puff of smoke blown across the top of the ex-
posed frames. The little girl gave an ex-
clamation of surprise at this, and it was ex-
plained to her that the object of the smoke was
to disarm the guards and save themselves from
annoyance by resentful bees. He explained
how carefully the bees guard their treasure,
and that if they were not constantly on the
watch, all the product of their hard labor
would be lost. Even other bees will rob their
weaker neighbors. The labor of the hive is so
divided that some bees remain on guard at
every opening, to make sure that each incom-
ing bee belongs there and is bringing in some-
thing to add to the wealth of the community,
instead of a stranger intent on seeking spoils.

When the smoke was blown across the hive
it disturbed them greatly. There was a great
rush for the open cells, and every bee began to
take as big a load of honey as she could carry.

THE MAGIC CITY 105

Apparently, they thought that the city was in
danger, and they seemed intent on saving as
much as possible of their hard-earned hoard.
The Naturalist then explained that beekeepers
disturbed their bees as little as possible to
avoid interrupting their work of storing up
honey. By keeping gentle strains of Italian
bees which have become used to being
handled, they are able to carry on the neces-
sary work with very little disturbance.

The Naturalist then lifted out a frame
which was filled with comb and covered with
bees. He called his visitor's attention to the
way in which the cells were built, with the
bottom of each one opposite one third of each
of three others on the opposite side of the
comb. Some of the cells along the top of the
comb were filled with honey, while others con-
tained eggs and newly hatched bees. The eggs
were carefully pointed out, and then the little
larvae which appear after three days when the
egg hatches. The fat, wormlike little creature
has no resemblance to the mature bee, but
grows very fast for six days, during which it
is frequently fed by the nurses. When the
larva has been fed for six days, it then straight-
ens out lengthwise in the cell and it is sealed

106 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

over. It then lives very quietly, taking no
food, but there in the dark cell where no eyes
can see, a wonderful change is taking place,
so that at the end of twelve days the cap is
removed from the cell and the mature bee
comes forth.

Soon after her emergence the young bee
begins to share the duties of the hive, nursing
the babies, cleaning out the waste, and various
other duties. Several days pass before she goes
to the field to join the busy throng which are
intent in laying up just as big a store of honey
as possible. No matter how much honey there
may be already there, if there is honey in the
field and room in the hive, they will continue
to pile it up against the day of scarcity.

On one comb they found a number of sealed
cells that were larger than the others, and
whose tops were arched high like rifle bullets.
These were occupied by drones, or male bees.
When mature they are big, blundering fellows
who never work and who even insist on being
fed by their industrious sisters. In their
larval state they must be fed for a somewhat
longer period, and they occupy their cells
longer. Instead of reaching maturity in three
weeks, like their sisters, they require twenty-

THE MAGIC CITY 107

five days from the time the egg is laid. While
the drone lives a carefree life during the warm
summer days when his busy sisters are laying
up their winter store, they are not dealt with
lightly when the chill days of autumn come,
and the workers are no longer busy bringing
honey from the field. When at last the time
comes when they take delight in remaining
inside and enjoying the warmth of the hive,
they are driven out heartlessly by the sisters
who have cared for them so indulgently dur-
ing the warm days of summer. Poor fellows!
they have toiled not in the harvest, and they
are now driven out to perish of cold and
hunger.

Most interesting of all they found the queen,
the mother of the whole population of the
bee city. When they removed the comb on
which she was lying, she paid little attention,
but kept on looking into the cells to find those
which were empty and then turning and back-
ing in to leave an egg in each. Thus she
spends her days, moving from cell to cell and
laying a thousand or more eggs every day dur-
ing the height of the honey-gathering season.

At the time of the little girl's visit the col-
ony was preparing to swarm, and, accordingly,

108 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

there were some special cells in which queens
are reared. When the bees would rear an-
other queen, they provide a very large cell,
which looks much like a small peanut, and
feed the baby larva freely with a very rich
food, called royal jelly. With the big cell and
the rich food the royal baby grows very rap-
idly, and reaches maturity much sooner than
either the worker bees or the drones. Only
sixteen days from the time the egg is laid are
necessary for her complete development.

While they were standing there beside the
open hive, they heard a zeep, zeep, and a
smothered answer, which was the piping of
the queens. One sound was made by the
mature queen on the combs, and the other by
the young one which was just ready to emerge
from the cell, but which was prevented from
doing so by the workers until the swarm was
ready to leave the hive. The girl learned that
when this sound is heard the beekeeper knows
that the bees are ready to swarm and will come
out before very long.

A few hours later they chanced to be in the
apiary when the swarm issued. Suddenly
there was a great bluster among the bees, and
with a glad, new note they tumbled hastily out,

THE MAGIC CITY 109

frantically falling over each other in their
great haste. Hundreds of them came, then
hundreds more, until the air was full of bees,
and so loud was their song when all joined
together that they fairly seemed to roar. For
a time they danced about in the warm sun-
shine, flying in circles, then they began to
alight on a branch of a nearby apple tree.
When the swarm had clustered quietly, the
Naturalist brought a hive and placed it be-
neath them and shook them carefully down in
front of the entrance. A few going in set up
a joyful humming, and soon they were all
moving rapidly in the direction of the call and
repeating the same joyful sound. Thousands
of them were soon within the hive, but many
clustered on the outside and some were flying
about in the air. It was several hours before
they were settled down to work again and their
holiday was over.

H On the porch of his study the Naturalist
kept a small observation hive with glass sides
and wooden shutters. At any time he could
remove the shutter and watch the bees through
the glass without disturbing them in the least.
They went back and forth to the fields with-
out taking any apparent notice of his presence.

110 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Here he took his visitor to show her how the
incoming bees unloaded their pollen baskets,
and how the nurses fed the baby bees that
opened their mouths like hungry baby birds.
They watched the queen also as she went about
her egg-laying, and the busy workers sealing
up the cells of ripened honey. Truly, from
the roadside weeds they gathered a harvest of
gold.

FOXY

FOXY

WHEN the Naturalist and his family
moved to their home in the little
wood, there were few wild creatures to be seen,
for the previous occupant had been fond of a
gun. Such as still lived about were very shy
and seldom went abroad when human beings
were in sight. There was no gun in the family
of the Naturalist, neither was there a cat nor
a dog, for the newcomers very much desired
to cultivate the friendship of the little animals
which lived thereabout. They planted mul-
berries, cherries, and various other fruits for
the birds, put up nest boxes, and provided a
regular water supply. Strangers were no
longer permitted to shoot and neighbors' dogs
were not encouraged to visit the premises.
The little creatures soon noted the change, and
gradually learned that the little wood and the
Naturalist's home grounds were a haven of
refuge, and that special attractions were of-
fered to make them at home there. They soon
lost fear. and would play about on the lawn, or

113

114 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

scamper through the trees, as the case might
be.

When the squirrels began to come to the
dooryard for nuts that grew on the big walnut,

A.t the least alarm they would flatten out on a limb and were not easily seen
from below.

and rabbits played on the lawn, while the birds
sang gaily overhead, the Naturalist decided
to call the place "Tamakoche," which, in the
language of the Dakota Sioux Indians, means,
"His own country," or "His own land."

The fox squirrel of the Mississippi valley is
among the largest of American squirrels, and
for a time was threatened with extermination.
It is becoming established in cities and towns
and in some country districts, where it is pro-
tected, so that it has been increasing in num-
bers again the last few years. There were
but few wild ones left in the little wood, and
they were not often seen for several years. At

FOXY

115

the least alarm they would flatten out on a limb
and were not easily seen from below. But
since they were no longer molested, the grow-

A nest of dry leaves would be built high in a treetop.

ing families soon repopulated the whole neigh-
borhood, and squirrels became so common that
neighbors complained of their depredations in
carrying away corn from the cribs in winter or
gathering the ears from the fields in autumn.

The Naturalist and his boys often watched
the squirrels gathering the nuts from the big
walnut tree which overhung the "Bughouse,"

116 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

as the two-room laboratory and study was
called. They would begin their harvest early
in the fall, even before frost had loosened the
nuts. Climbing the tree, one would find it an
easy matter to reach the farthermost tip of a
branch, if need be, in order to get the desired
nut. He would grasp the nut firmly in the
mouth and climb back to a flat place near the
body of the tree. Then calmly sitting on his
haunches, he would deliberately remove the
husk, scattering the bits about the base of the
tree. When the nut was free from its outer
covering, he would run lightly down the tree
and scamper away two or three rods, and
quickly bury it in the ground. Again and
again he would repeat the process, often
more than a dozen times in half an hour.
With half a dozen squirrels at work, the Natu-
ralist's boys had to be very watchful or they
would find no nuts left when they came to
gather their share. It is this nut-planting pro-
pensity of the fox squirrel that has had much
to do with the planting of the original hard
wood forests in the Mississippi valley. A
squirrel will plant many more nuts in a favor-
able season than he can ever use for his own
food. The frost of winter will crack the hard

The newborn young are very small and naked and blind.

They soon don their furs.

118 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

shell, and the nut is just the proper distance
below the surface to enable the seedling to
establish itself most favorably. Some species
lay up their winter supply in a hollow tree or
other favorable situation, where the whole
hoard is kept together, but a fox squirrel will
gather nuts from many trees, and plant them
in every direction around the tree where they
grew.

While it was fun to see the little animals
gathering the nuts and putting them away for
winter, it was vastly more interesting to see
them dig them out in the dead of winter when
the snow lay deep upon the ground. They
would often climb the tree and start from a
similar position to the one they had occupied
when about to bury the nut the previous
autumn. Without hesitation one would run
down the tree and directly to a spot where a
nut was buried. Then the snow would be
made to fly in every direction, although the
squirrel would pause a moment now and then
to look about to guard against a surprise.
Very seldom did one miss finding the nut in
the first place where he began to dig. The
Naturalist often wondered whether by means
of a keen scent he was able to find where the

FOXY 119

nut was buried, or whether there was a sort
of subconscious memory that led him back
to the identical spot where he had laid away
his treasure several months before. When he
had found the nut, he would again climb the
tree or some other convenient object, and with
his sharp teeth gnaw open the hard shell and
make a dinner from the contents. Sometimes
during severe and stormy weather the squirrels
would not be seen about for several days, but
the first bright day they would be playing
about among the trees and seeking for food.

The old squirrels occupy a very similar nest
in winter to the ones they use in summer. If a
convenient hollow is at hand in some tree at
a safe height from the ground — which is sel-
dom less than fifteen ^ J|^^^^°r twenty
feet — they will
carry in strips
of bark and j
make a very
comfortable
bed. The
squirrels f r e-
quently appropri-
ated the boxes which
the Naturalist had

It just filled the hollow of Melvin's hand.

120

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

built for screech owls and flickers, for winter
nests, though they usually retired to the wood
to rear their families. If there were no satis-

i

;

They found one with its eyes open and all its clothes on.

factory cavity, a nest of dry leaves would be
built high in a treetop. These nests were very
cleverly formed, with the leaves so arranged
as to give a shingled effect, and shed the water
very effectively. The spring nests in which
the young were brought forth were built more

FOXY

121

substantially than were those which served for
mere shelter. For the nursery nest a founda-
tion of coarse twigs was sometimes laid, which
gave it somewhat the appearance of a crow's
nest at a little distance. Inside this outer layer
of sticks were several layers of coarse leaves,
and all was lined with strips of bark, which
were finely cut. The top of the nest was
shingled over with leaves to shed the rain, as
already described, and at one side there was a
small opening just large enough to serve as an
entrance for Mother Squirrel.

In Iowa the young are usually born in late
March or April.
Sometimes there will
be only one, while
there may be as many
as five, but the Natu-
ralist found more
nests with two young
than with all other
numbers put together.
The newborn young
are very small and
naked and blind, look-
ing much like baby
rats or mice. They

HHI

Foxy's open-air dining table.

122 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

grow rapidly, however, and soon begin to don
their furs, which gives them more resem-
blance to their parents.

When the Naturalist or the boys would
find a nest, the mother would usually move
her young before the next visit. She would
depart in haste when they approached, and re-
main at a safe distance during their stay.

One spring the boys decided that they must
have a pet squirrel. They could not be quite
content with the wild ones that came about
the house and gathered their nuts, but which
would never permit an intimate acquaintance.
It was seldom that any wild creature was kept
long in captivity. As soon as any unfortunate
which chanced to need assistance was able to
care for itself, it was released, and the few
young that the boys did care for in order to get
them entirely tame, were permitted to have
their freedom from the start.

When it was decided that they would have
a pet they began scouring the woods for nests.
They soon found one, but the young were so
small that one of them just filled the hollow of
Melvin's hand, and it did not even have its
eyes open or have a trace of hair. Of course
they knew it would not be possible to rear one

FOXY

123

so young, and Mother Squirrel took good care
to move to a new neighborhood after their
visit. By this time, however, squirrels were
common in the neighborhood, and it was not
long until they found one with its eyes open

Foxy and Freddie were very good friends.

124 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

and all its clothes on. They soon found that
they had undertaken quite a task, for the little
fellow must be fed very often. For a time they
gave it nothing but fresh milk, but it was not
long until it would eat bread and butter, or a
bit of honey in the comb, or a nutmeat, if the
boys would crack the shell.

In the shed they made a warm nest for
"Foxy," for that was his name. For a while
he slept much of the time, but as he grew older
he would spend more time in running about
the house. If he chanced to find a piece of
cake to his liking, he would seize it and
scamper upon a chair or a box and help him-
self. In the open air a fence post furnished
a very satisfactory dining table. Sometimes
he would sit on Freddie's shoulder and nibble
away at his stolen dainty, for Freddie and
Foxy were very good friends. After a time he
tired of a nest which the boys had made for
him and built one after his own plans, in a
plum tree near the kitchen door. He now
lived in the trees like the other squirrels, but
he had not forgotten that there were good
things to eat in the house. It often happened
that when some one opened the door to come
in, Foxy would dodge in also. When he

FOXY

125

slipped in he always made investigation to see
whether the dining table was set, and if it was,
to help himself to what he wanted. The
butter tempted him especially, and Foxy and
Mrs. Naturalist soon developed unpleasant
differences on this account. The boys and
their father always enjoyed Foxy's visits, but
not so the mistress of the house. He persisted
so strongly in getting on the table that he was
finally denied admittance to the extent that
she was able to enforce her ruling, although
she sometimes relented after the table had been
cleared.

He would scamper upon a box and help himself.

126 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Foxy gradually extended his acquaintance
to other homes near by, and since he made
himself as free wherever he went, he probably
got into serious difficulty during some of his
visits. At any rate, he spent less and less time
at home among the Naturalist's trees, and
finally disappeared altogether.

THE HATCHING
OF THE TURTLES

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES

HORSESHOE BEND was a long, shal-
low pond about a half mile from the
Naturalist's home. Here the boys and girls
of the neighborhood had loved to gather for
skating parties on bright winter days when he
was a boy. Here also, in summer, he found
many interesting creatures who belonged to
quite a different world from the little wood.
Beautiful dragon flies who spent their days
flying about in the bright sunlight, laid their
eggs on the stems of water plants, just below
the surface, and the young, when hatched,
were true water babies. Frogs sang a regular
chorus every summer night and whirligig
beetles spun round and round in dizzy circles,
while water striders skated on the surface of
the pond in summer, as the boys and girls had
done in the winter. These and other creatures
of the water world told their stories to the
Naturalist in the same language as the crea-
tures of the little wood, but their stories must
wait until a later time to be told. ,

129

130

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Among the many inhabitants of the pond
were two old turtles. The Naturalist knew
they must be very old, since they were so
much larger than any other turtles living

Every year, in the month of June, Mother Snapping Turtle left the water and
took a little journey.

there, or in the Nishnabotna River near by.
Turtles grow slowly and live longer lives than
any others of the backdoor neighbors. They
lived in the pond for many years — how long
nobody knew. When the snow melted and the
ice went out in spring, the Naturalist would
look for the old turtles, and, sure enough, they
would be there. One spring when the Natu-
ralist was still a boy, he had taken one of the
turtles home with him and secured him with a

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES 131

chain. A hole in the edge of his shell fur-
nished a secure place to fasten the snap, and
for many a day the old turtle dreamed of his
mate in the little pond. Finally, tiring of his
pet, the Naturalist released the turtle on the
hill, instead of returning him to his home in
the pond. The pond was half a mile away, and
to get there it was necessary to pass several
woven wire fences, and to cross the river. The
fences presented many difficulties, for they
were built to turn small pigs which were not as
large as the old turtle. Just how many hours
of patient looking to find a way through were
necessary would be hard to tell. The young
Naturalist supposed that one pond would be as
good as another for a turtle, and like most
boys, gave little heed to the difficulties that lay
in the way of finding any water at all. How-
ever, when he visited the pond again some days
later, he was much surprised to find the old
turtle there again in his accustomed place. As
the Naturalist grew older, he came to under-
stand that wild creatures have many things in
common with us. Love of home, freedom, and
kindred is stronger in some than in others, but
all have feelings worthy of respect. As years
passed by and he learned more and more of

132

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

their secrets, he came to have a great fear of
making unnecessary pain even for the most
insignificant worm, and would suffer much
inconvenience in the way of damaged garden
or shrubbery before he could bring himself to
persecute the little creatures, which, he felt,
had as good a right to live their lives as he.

Every year, in the month of June, Mother
Snapping Turtle left the water and took a little
journey. To see her quietly on her way few

As soon as an egg cracked open, a little nose would be pushed out, and there
Baby Turtle would sit for hours.

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES 133

would guess the object of her quest. She was
seeking a suitable place to lay her eggs and
leave them to be hatched by the warmth of the
sun's rays. She sought a sandy spot where
there was good drainage. The sand was
warmer than the dirt, and, probably for this
reason as much as anything, it furnished better
conditions for the purpose she desired.

When she found such a place as suited her
notion she would hollow out a hole five or six
inches, or more, in depth and then deposit all
her eggs at one time. If she came and laid one
each day as birds do, several weeks' time
would be necessary, for Mother Snapping
Turtle lays from twenty to forty eggs. When
the eggs are all in the hole she covers it very
carefully, leaving little outward evidence of
the presence of her treasure, and returns again
to the water, without further thought or care
as to the fate of her offspring.

The eggs do not hatch until September, and
when hatching time finally comes, there must
be a grand scratching among the youngsters
that find themselves thus buried beneath the
surface. The little fellows dig out of their
cavern and find their way to the water where
their lives will be spent.

134 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Sometimes the Naturalist guessed the secret
of Mother Snapping Turtle and found her
nest. Knowing about the time when she
would be making her journey in search of a
nesting place, he would spend some of the
warm afternoons during the middle of June in
the vicinity of the pond or the river where the
snapping turtles lived. Sometimes he would
surprise her in the act of laying her eggs. If
disturbed, she would try to hide by drawing
her head as far back as possible into her shell,
and later make off to the water without cover-
ing her eggs.

One spring he decided that it would be very
nice to raise a family of turtles himself, so he
carefully took the eggs, which were round as
marbles and about an inch in diameter, and
placed them in a box of sand near the "Bug-
house." The box of sand was kept in the open
sunshine, where it was kept warm by the sun
and moist by the rains of summer. When at
last September came, and the time drew near
for the little turtles to appear, he carefully
removed the sand from above them, leaving
only a very thin layer which would betray any
movement from beneath.

He had not long to wait, for soon the eggs

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES 135

began to crack. Instead of pipping in the
manner of hen's eggs when the young chicks
are hatching, they opened across one side, as
can be seen in the picture. More sand was

If disturbed, she would try to hide by drawing her head as far back as possible
into her shell.

then removed, so that the Naturalist and the
boys could see what was going on. As soon as
an egg cracked open, a little nose would be
pushed out, and there Baby Turtle would sit
for hours. Not the slightest haste was mani-
fested, and the watchers at times became tired
of waiting so long for any new action. After
waiting for a long time one foot would be
pushed through the hole, and after another

136 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

long delay, the second foreleg would also ap-
pear. There it would remain half way out of
the shell for hours longer. At last it would
deliberately crawl free from the shell, and,
since it was so far from the water, the Natu-
ralist would place it in a shallow aquarium.
Two or three days elapsed from the time the
first egg opened until the last baby turtle was
out of its shell. They took very kindly to the
quarters provided for their benefit and greed-
ily ate the flies and other insects which the boys
supplied as food.

They spent much time resting on flat stones
with their noses out of the water. Sometimes
they would bury themselves in the soft sand
on the bottom of the aquarium and remain
there for long periods of time. When the
cold days came and winter drew near they be-
came less active and took less food. Finally,
when the ponds and streams froze up, they
refused food altogether, although they were
kept in a warm room by the fire. They be-
came very quiet and slept in the sand in the
bottom of the aquarium much as Mother
Snapping Turtle was doing in the mud at the
bottom of Horseshoe Bend.

When spring came they were lively again

THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES 137

and greedily ate the flies. Toward fall the
Naturalist decided that they should no longer
be compelled to live in such a little pond, but
that they should be free to grow as big as their
mother. They had grown but little in the
year spent in the aquarium, probably from
lack of proper food, although these reptiles
do not make very much growth in a single
year. One day they were taken to the river
and released in the water by the bridge.
They were quick to appreciate the larger free-
dom and immediately disappeared beneath the
muddy water.

THE

GOLD-BANDED

PAPER-MAKER

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-
MAKER1

THE weather was very wet and the Natu-
ralist was not finding his usual enjoy-
ment in the open air. It only stopped raining
long enough to get ready to begin again, and
there were few of the bright and warm days
which make one long to be an Indian and to
live always out of doors. Father and Mother
Red-tail had found the little grove too public
a place to raise a family, and this year had
made their nest in some distant location be-
yond the haunts of the Naturalist and Tommy
Jones.

The Screech Owl family were living in a
ready-made house near at hand, but for some
reason the Naturalist was not making his usual
number of acquaintances. It so happened that
on the sixth of June he was walking among the
beehives when he chanced to pick up an old
cover which was leaning against an unused

1 Polistes metricus, Say.

141

142 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

hive. To his surprise, he found on the under
side of the cover a small paper nest, and on it
the sole proprietor, Mrs. Gold-banded Paper-
maker. Two years before he had become in-
terested in a similar nest, only to have it de-
stroyed when things were getting really inter-
esting. He determined to use every precau-
tion to prevent a similar catastrophe this time,
for here was an acquaintance worth while.

Mother Paper-maker had built her little
nest all by herself, and it already contained
numerous cells which served the purpose of
cradles for the baby wasps, for Mrs. Paper-
maker was a wasp. A careful count showed
fifteen eggs, and eleven young larvae that had
already hatched.

When the Naturalist had made the ac-
quaintance of Mrs. Cottontail, there was first
Mother Cottontail and then the babies. When
he had come to know Mother Red-tail, there
was first Mother Red-tail, then the eggs, and
later the babies. When the insect world
opened to him, the life cycle was still longer,
for first there was Mother Paper-maker, then
the eggs, later the larvae; then they encased
themselves in silken cocoons, and became
pupa, and later appeared as wasps like their

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 143

mother. Mother Paper-maker was a widow,
for Father Paper-maker had died the fall be-
fore, shortly after their honeymoon. So
Mother Paper-maker must build her nest, care
for her young, and hunt for food all alone.
The Naturalist was very anxious to pry into
the secrets of her household. He wished to
know how she made the paper from which she
built her nest, how she made the cells after
she had made the paper, how she captured the
insects on which she fed her young, and many
other things. It no longer mattered that
Father and Mother Red-tail were only seen on
rare occasions, or that Mother Polecat had
taken her family and moved into the woods
where the Naturalist seldom saw them. The
new friends soon occupied so much of his time
that he did not miss the old friends who had
moved away.

At first Mrs. Paper-maker was much dis-
turbed at his presence, but he came so often
and stayed so long that she soon paid no atten-
tion to his visits, even when he took the cover
to which her nest was attached and laid it on
his lap in order to watch her movements.
When she flew away for food he always put
the nest back exactly as it had been, for she

144

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

could not find it otherwise, even though she
had flown directly from it but a minute or two
before.

A close examination of the nest showed that

He found a small paper nest.

Mother Wasp feeding her young.

the eggs were not placed in the bottoms of the
cells, as the queen bee deposits hers, but that
they were attached to the side of the cell
a little above the bottom. When the young
larvae hatched they remained attached to
the cell in about the same position. The
mother wasp spent much time in feeding her
young, giving them such attention very fre-
quently, and also spent a great deal of time
with her own toilet. After every meal she
would carefully clean first one leg and then

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 145

another, and brush every particle of dust off
her body and head.

Soon after the nest was found the weather
turned cool and it rained again. With the
temperature at about fifty degrees, the mother
settled herself quietly on the nest and made no
move to feed her young or to continue her
building. Even when the Naturalist visited
her she hardly moved from her resting place
above the nest. Although it remained cool for
two days, as far as could be seen the larvae were
not fed. The weather warmed somewhat on
the afternoon of the third day, but the wasps
were not apparently conscious of it. The
fourth day the mother wasp became very ac-
tive again and fed her young almost con-
stantly. The Naturalist was much puzzled
about her feeding. At times she would bring
little balls of food which he learned were
bits of caterpillars which she had caught
and kneaded into pulp between her mandibles.
At other times she would seem to feed the very
young larvae, when apparently she had nothing
to give them. That she did feed them he was
sure because they moved their lips as though
eating after she left them. Some birds feed
their young with partly digested food which is

146 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

regurgitated by the mother, and it looked as
though the mother wasp must be doing the
same thing. The pieces of caterpillar steak
which she brought home were about the size of
small number eight shot. After kneading it
carefully by turning it round and round be-
tween her jaws, seemingly to make it tender,
she would divide it into two or three parts and
give it to the larger larvae. Sometimes they
would suck these bits for several minutes,
when the mother wasp would take them again
and eat them herself, or give them to other
larvae. At other times the youngsters would
swallow the bits after sucking them for several
minutes.

One day the Naturalist caught a mosquito
and, rolling it between his thumb and finger,
imitated the kneading which the mother wasp
gave the bits of food, as well as he could.
Then placing a bit of it on a grass stem he gave
it to a larva. The little larva opened its
mouth, much like a young bird waiting to be
fed, and took the bit of mosquito and tried for
some time to eat it. He caught a red mite also
and gave to another in similar manner. The
mite, being very small, was swallowed at once,
but the larva which had the mosquito was still

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 147

wrestling with it when the mother wasp re-
turned to the nest and took it away. After
kneading it for some time she ate it herself.

The Naturalist then caught other mosquitos
and tried to feed to other larvae in similar
manner, but the mother wasp seized them and
bit them viciously and dropped them at once.
She became much agitated and flitted her
wings in a most nervous manner. Finally the
Naturalist fed such a bit to a larva without the
mother seeing it until the youngster had tried
for some time to dispose of it. Again she took
it and kneaded it for a time, but instead of eat-
ing it herself, as she did the first time, she fed
it to another larva, which swallowed it.

Thus the Naturalist took lessons from the
mother wasp in feeding the babies, which were
destined to serve them well later in the season
when the mother had been lost. However,
this is getting ahead of the story.

The Naturalist was anxious to see the
mother in the act of enlarging her nest. He
had seen her tear down part of some cells when
she was agitated, and could hear the cutting
of the paper with her sharp mandibles. After
kneading it a moment she had fed a larva a bit
of the paper, which it ate in apparent enjoy-

148 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

ment. He had also seen her apparently in the
act of building just for a moment now and
then, and was beginning to wonder whether
she ever worked seriously at building.

He had about decided that she did such
work with a touch now and then at odd times,
when on June 25, after nearly three weeks of
patient watching, he saw her hard at work. It
must be remembered that the weather was cool
and wet much of the time, and that conditions
were favorable for insect life only a part of the
time.

She gathered her raw material for paper-
making near at hand, and the Naturalist had
no difficulty in following her from the nest to
a weather-beaten post but a few feet distant,
where she secured her pulp. She alighted on
the post and with her mandibles cut away
enough of the weather-beaten wood to make a
good mouthful. She would then fly directly to
the nest, where she would stand for a moment,
kneading the pulp between her jaws, and with
her forefeet turning it round and round, much
as she did the caterpillar which she was pre-
paring to feed the young. She would then
spend some time in looking about over her
comb to select a suitable place for work.

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 149

When she had satisfied herself as to the proper
place to begin, she would bite the soft pulp
against the top of a partly constructed cell. It
seemed very soft and waxy and spread easily.
She pushed her forefeet against the opposite
sides of the thin wall, backing slowly around
the cell and drawing out the new tissue very
thinly. Sometimes she would pass clear
around the cell and sometimes only part way.
At times she would add as much as a sixteenth
of an inch to the structure with a single mouth-
ful. But two or three minutes were necessary
to get a load of raw material. After each
mouthful she would rest a moment and make
her toilet. Then she would peek into a few
cells, after which she would be off again, for
another load.

Between times she made a very elaborate
toilet, at times standing on her hind legs and
rubbing the other four together. At other
times she would stand on her forelegs and ex-
tend the others behind her. Rarely she stood
on her right middle leg in about her normal
position and stroked herself with the others as
well as rubbing them together. Standing thus
on one leg, she presented a striking appear-
ance.

150 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Although the Naturalist spent much time
with the wasps nearly every day, it was a long
time before he saw Mother Paper-maker in
the act of laying her egg. When the weather
was nice she laid an egg nearly every day, as
he knew by watching carefully the cells which
were empty the day before. In cool weather
she would sometimes miss a day or even two or
three, if it did not warm up during a part of
the day. The Naturalist would make careful
note of every empty cell daily and watch to see
when eggs were laid. She laid on the nth
and 1 2th, then again on the i4th and i^th.
Only one more egg was then laid until the
aoth. Apparently, these wasps are very sensi-
tive to weather conditions.

After many days of waiting the Naturalist
finally decided that the eggs were laid in the
morning between eight and eleven o'clock.
Finally, on the last day of June, he decided
that he must witness the act of depositing the
egg in the cell. He had an engagement in a
distant city and felt that he could not be con-
tent to go until his curiosity had been satisfied.
Accordingly, he took up his watch soon after
eight o'clock and waited. The mother wasp
was rather sluggish, and there was little action

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 151

to keep up interest in the wait for nearly two
hours, before she began preparing for her
day's work. She would remain entirely mo-
tionless for many minutes at a time, then she
would look into a few cells and be quiet for a
long period again. Finally about ten-thirty
o'clock she flew away and was gone but a few
moments, when she began looking about, ap-
parently in search of an empty cell. Finding
one by pushing her head in, she doubled her-
self very shortly and pushed her abdomen into
it. She then remained quiet with her ovi-
positor near the bottom of the cell for several
minutes. At last she moved out and again put
her head in to see that the newly laid egg was
in its proper place. Afterward she again be-
came quiet for some time. Although the
Naturalist nearly missed his train because of
his long wait at the nest, he felt amply repaid
for the time.

A number of eggs were noted, to ascertain
the time required for hatching. Most of them
hatched in just eighteen days. When the
weather warmed a bit some hatched in sixteen
days. Since the weather was cool and the
temperature below normal, it is probable that
more time was required than would be the

152

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

case in a warm season. A number of those
observed in spinning their cocoons required
twenty-three days to complete the transforma-
tion. A few individuals required twenty-five

Larva spinning its cocoon.

The emerging wasps would not forage
for baby sisters.

days. Two years before, some under similar
observation completed this stage of develop-
ment in only fifteen days, so the weather ap-
parently greatly influences the time required
in the different stages.

When the larvae had completed their
growth, the spinning of the cocoons was an
interesting observation. It was on the 2^th of
June, after the first two larvae had entered
upon their long sleep, that the Naturalist saw
two more in adjoining cells spin their cocoons

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 153

and begin the wonderful transformation, dur-
ing which they were changed from helpless
white larvae to mature wasps. Probably not
more than an hour was required to spin the
cocoon. The silk was very filmy and so fine
that a single strand could hardly be seen with
the naked eye. During the spinning the larvae
moved their heads back and forth, round and
round, constantly adding to the web. At first
it was very thin, and the inmates of the cell
could easily be seen at work through the thin
network. However, it gradually thickened
until they were entirely hidden from view and
there was nothing to do but wait until the baby
awakened from its sleep and came forth a
glorified creature, as compared with the shape-
less white body that entered the quiet cocoon.

Thinking to see something of the wonderful
change as it took place, the Naturalist cut a
small hole in the top of one cocoon. The day
following the cell was found to have been
emptied and a new egg placed therein. Ap-
parently this change can only take place be-
hind closed doors where prying eyes cannot
behold the preparation for its resurrection.

The combs of the honeybee are built per-
pendicular with openings on both sides. The

154 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

bottom of each cell is opposite a part of the
bottom of three other cells. The wasps build
their combs horizontally with the open end
downward and no opposite cell. While the
gold-banded paper-maker builds only a single
comb and makes it large or small according to
whether the mother wasp be vigorous and pro-
lific, there are other species that build several
combs, one above another and inclose them
all in a paper case. As the days went by the
Naturalist came to cultivate a close acquaint-
ance with the little yellow-banded wasp and
her offspring. He caught mosquitos and fed
to the larvae almost daily. At times the mother
would take them away and eat them herself,
at other times she would feed them to the
youngsters, but more often she would resent
the interference with her family affairs and
toss the dead mosquito contemptuously away.
At times, when she became nervous or angry,
she would cut the tops of some of the paper
cells. Snip, snip, she would cut away, using
her mandibles just like a pair of scissors.
Although the Naturalist watched closely, he
never saw her feed the paper to her young but
the one time already mentioned. When the
Naturalist found small caterpillars she would

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 155

accept them and roll them up carefully and
knead the little ball vigorously and feed it to
the larvae.

On warm days Mother Paper-maker was
very active. Between her building and the
feeding of her young she was busy indeed.
When she was engaged in enlarging the home
for her growing family she would make a trip
for wood pulp and return again in two or three
minutes. After each load was duly placed in
the wall she would tarry for a minute or two
to clean herself carefully from any clinging
dust, and be off again. As the season advanced
the number of larvae increased, and made a
corresponding demand upon their busy
mother for food. By this time several had
spun their cocoons, but others were hatching
all the time, and more eggs were being laid in
the newly built cells.

On the morning of July 16, the Naturalist
visited the nest as usual. There had been an
unusually heavy rain the night before, lasting
a good part of the night. When he peeked
under the hive cover he was greatly disturbed
to find that the nest had fallen to the ground,
and that the mother wasp was not to be seen.
He carefully replaced the nest, fastening it

156 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

with glue and pins to the board where it had
formerly been. He hoped that the mother
was afield in search of food and that she would
soon return. After waiting all day in vain,
he was convinced that she had gone never to
return, and was at a loss to know what to do
with the nestful of eggs, larvae, and pupae.
He had marked a number of them in order to
determine the period of their various stages of
growth, and felt that he could hardly be recon-
ciled to an accident of this kind.

Near at hand was another similar nest, but
the mother was not a very lively sort and had
but a few cells. He decided to give her both
families to see whether she would adopt the
unfortunates. Accordingly, the nest was fast-
ened close beside her own nest under a big box
lid.

The foster mother did not take kindly to
such an arrangement, and moved rapidly over
the strange comb, flitting her wings violently
and showing evidences of displeasure. Since
the Naturalist had seldom visited this wasp, he
felt that perhaps the fact of his presence
caused her agitation as much as the presence of
strange babies. Accordingly, he kept away
until the following morning in order to give

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 157

her an opportunity to assume her new respon-
sibility without unnecessary annoyance. On
his return the following morning he found her

The Naturalist decided to take the nest to his study, and see what he could do
toward raising the orphans by hand.

with her head in a cell. She came out with an
egg in her jaws, which she ate. An examina-
tion showed that she had disposed of some of
the larvae in a similar manner. Since the
Naturalist could ill afford to have his observa-
tion interrupted in any such cannibalistic man-
ner as that, he decided to take the nest to his

158 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

study, and see what he could do toward raising
the orphans by hand.

He soon realized that he had undertaken a
rather novel experiment. There were eggs
which would hatch every day or two for two
or three weeks, young larvae just hatched and
others in every stage of growth up to those
which were ready to spin their cocoons.
There were also a considerable number of
sealed cells containing pupae, but as yet none
of the young wasps had emerged. He began
to frequent the cabbage patch in search of cab-
bage and cutworms. Placing the unfortunate
worm on a board, he would cut it into bits with
a sharp knife and feed the bits to the larvae
with a grass stem as he had done when the
mother was still present. He found it possible
to feed the very young larvae as well as the
older ones, but they did not thrive. On the
1 8th of July the first cell opened and a young
wasp, a perfect picture of the missing mother,
emerged. The Naturalist now felt his hopes
rise high, for would not the newly matured
lady, mother her unfortunate sisters? He
could hardly wait to see. The nest was placed
on the porch of the study in order to give her
full opportunity to fly to the fields in search

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 159

of food as soon as she was old enough to assume
such a responsibility. The same day a second
female emerged, so the Naturalist felt that he
would soon be relieved of his arduous task. It
is a hard job for a mere man to mother his own
offspring at a tender age, and when it comes
to feeding newly hatched wasps he is hardly
prepared to do full justice to the needs of the
infants. Within a few hours after the emer-
gence of the young wasps he caught a cutworm
and cut it up for the larvae as usual, but this
time he fed the bits to one of the elder sisters
to whom he was looking for expert assistance.
To his great joy, she took it and holding it
between her forelegs, kneaded it exactly as he
had seen her mother do so many times. After
the food had received suitable preparation she
fed one or two of the larvae. This action
within a few hours after her own emergence,
convinced the Naturalist that his troubles
were soon to end. However, he was doomed
to disappointment, for this proved an unusual
case. As others matured and the nest became
populous with adult females, he was greatly
disappointed to find that they not only would
not forage for their baby sisters, but only now
and then would they even take the trouble to

160

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

feed them after he had caught the worms.
None of the mature wasps remained more than
a few days, when they disappeared.

None of the mature wasps remained more than a few days, when they dis-
appeared.

By the fifth of August about a dozen had
emerged, and only one still remained at the
nest. A larva which hatched on June 29 died
that day. It was one which had been marked

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 161

to determine the length of its larval period,
and although the Naturalist had kept it alive
for twenty days after its mother had disap-
peared, it was apparently no larger than when
she last fed it herself. While his careful min-
istration had been sufficient to enable the
larger larvae to complete their growth, the
food which he was able to supply did not meet
the needs of the very young ones. Either it
was not suitable in quality, or it was not prop-
erly prepared or supplied in proper quantity
or at the proper time. At any rate, he did not
succeed in raising any of the larvae that were
not more than half grown at the death of their
mother.

About this time he found still another small
nest under the eaves of his study, and having
given up hope of further success by hand, he
pinned this nest beside the other to see whether
there would be any better success in getting the
orphans adopted than in the previous instance.
The weather was still cool and wet. The
summer of 1915 was a record-breaker in this
respect. A week later the Naturalist ex-
amined the two other nests of the same kind,
only to find them deserted, the mother wasps
having disappeared. The nest which he had

162 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

so long cared for still remained beside the one
which he had hoped would adopt it as part of
the family, but the mother of this family had
apparently gone also, although two lately
emerged females were present.

It was on the same day that he found an-
other paper-maker's nest, larger and more
populous than any he had found. All the
others, excepting the unfortunate one under
his direct care, had been small and the mothers
had disappeared early. Up to this time he
had not seen a single male, and he was begin-
ning to wonder about where the fathers of the
next generation were to come from. Since the
other nests with which he had occupied him-
self were now practically deserted, he was
glad, indeed, to find one in normal condition.
An examination showed that there were still
eggs and young larva? in the new nest, besides
pupae and seven adult females. He was so
curious about the new discovery that he was
stung four times that day for insisting on look-
ing into things that the wasps seemed to feel
were none of his business. On September 4
there was only one egg still unhatched, but
still no males had appeared. It was not until
September 10 that the first male emerged.

THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 163

He was recognized on sight because of his
bright yellow face and lighter color. The
seven segments of the abdomen and the ab-
sence of a sting established the sex beyond
question. For several days about as many
males appeared as females, but soon there
were more males. By the aist of September
the Naturalist found that there were more
males at the nest than females. As about as
many were leaving the nest as were emerging
from the cells, the tendency was toward a de-
crease in number of adults present rather than
an increase. The last larva died on October 3.
It was nearly grown, but had apparently not
grown any for many days. Apparently, its
sisters had fed it just enough to keep it alive,
but not sufficient to enable it to complete its
development. The Naturalist had not marked
the date when it hatched, but it was about the
same size as another which hatched on August
10. If the age was the same as it appeared, it
was about fifty days old. At that time there
were still a few sealed cells from which the
pupae were still to emerge, and one lone female
remained at the nest. The season had been so
abnormal that the Naturalist had found it very
difficult to make satisfactory observations and

164 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

the variation was such that no satisfactory
estimate could be made of the normal period
required for completing the life cycle.

With the approach of autumn the females
seek their mates, and then hibernate in some
sheltered place where they pass the winter.
With the coming of another summer the Natu-
ralist will seek their nests again in the hope of
observing them under more favorable condi-
tions. This time he will be familiar with their
habits and will not find it difficult to see the
thing for which he is looking. It is hardly
necessary to suggest that he will not likely
undertake to raise another wasp family by
hand.

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

OOK out, papa, and see who's here."
Three full-grown rabbits playing on
the lawn were what papa saw. Back
and forth, round and round they ran
like children playing tag. Sometimes
one would jump high into the air and
kick up his heels. They cut up all
kinds of antics, for all the world like
a lot of schoolboys. The rabbits had
come to feel very secure in the black-
berry thicket behind the apiary, and
would come out to play in the morning or
evening, and sometimes in the middle of the
day. There were dozens of them living in the
orchard and the little wood. In summer they
were the delight of the whole family, although
they did eat most of the peas planted in the
garden, but in winter they were the despair of
the Naturalist, because, try as he would, he
could not prevent them from girdling his
young fruit trees, cutting off the tender shoots
of his shrubbery, and barking his blackberry
bushes. Every winter the trouble increased,

167

168 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

since the number of rabbits had multiplied
surprisingly. Only once did the Naturalist
lose patience and permit two hunters to spend
a half day hunting rabbits. They were in-
structed that no matter what else they saw they
must not shoot. Birds, squirrels, even skunks
must be protected, but the rabbits were get-
ting too thick. As a result of their few hours'
shoot the two men killed sixty rabbits. In
spite of his damaged shrubs the Naturalist
felt very guilty, and could not quite bring him-
self to permit the shooting to be repeated, al-
though he never could see that there were any
less rabbits than there were before. The an-
imals multiply so rapidly in a protected area
that they soon become a real problem. If it
had not been for the fact that the polecat
family sometimes dined on rabbit, they would
have overrun the place.

In spite of their mischief the Naturalist and
all his family loved the little animals, and
never tired of watching their play. Baby Ruth
watched them with delight and would call
"Bunny Rabbit," "There's Bunny Rabbit."

The rabbit is a timid and defenseless animal,
and a harassed life is his. With his numerous
enemies his life is constantly in peril. Hunters

BUNNY COTTONTAIL 169

and dogs constantly seek his life by day, and if,
perchance, no other danger is nigh, the big
red-tail hawk swoops down from the open sky
intending to make a meal of him. By night
the big horned owl flies stealthily overhead,

The rabbit is a timid and defenseless animal.

and is likely to catch Bunny unawares. If he
rests quietly in a warm corner of a hollow log,
or even in his grassy form, Mother Polecat is
quite likely to happen along and slay him
without mercy. Besides all these dangers
which require constant vigilance on Bunny's
part, the small boy sets an innocent-looking
trap, which, if he enters in search of shelter, is
immediately sprung, and Mr. Cottontail finds
himself a prisoner, with a fine chance that he
will be served for somebody's dinner. Bunny
is not a suspicious fellow, and if the trap shows

170

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

evidence of having been occupied by rabbits
previously, he enters without hesitation.
Knowing this, the small boy will take a rabbit

Small boys set an innocent- looking trap.

caught in an old trap and confine it for a time
in his new trap, before setting it. If the
weather is fine, Bunny prefers to remain out-
side, and the traps are of little use to the boys
who set them with so much care. When the
weather is very cold and stormy, and there is
greater need of shelter, Bunny enters the trap,

BUNNY COTTONTAIL 171

and, backing into the farther end, springs the
trigger, and lo! he is caught at last.

In mild weather, be it winter or summer,
all that the rabbit asks in the way of shelter is
a thick bunch of grass that will furnish him a
hiding place. Here he makes a nice form
which looks somewhat like a nest, and sits
quietly resting until all is quiet and he feels
that it is safe to go abroad in search of his
dinner.

The polecat moves so slowly that his only
chance to catch Bunny is to take him by sur-
prise. The big birds which seek his life also
approach quietly, and catch him before he
knows that danger is present. Coyotes, foxes,
and dogs may take a chance on overtaking him
with a straight race, but Bunny is very clever
and has learned many tricks to throw them off
the scent. The Naturalist would sometimes
climb high in a tree, when, on a winter day,
he heard the bark of dogs that told that they
were following swiftly on Bunny's track.
When the leaves had fallen he could see what
was going on below for some distance around.

When a dog would frighten Bunny from his
hiding place he would scamper away as fast as
he could run, with the dog barking at his heels.

172 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

The little wood had grown up very thick, and
there was much underbrush, so that Bunny
could take sharp turns that were hard for the
dog to follow. Usually the dog would soon
find it necessary to follow the scent and de-
pend upon his nose, rather than his eyes. As
soon as the rabbit had a safe lead, he would
begin running in circles, then in double circles
or figure eights, frequently coming back to the
same point. Nearly always this would be too
much for the dog, as he could not unravel the
maze of mystery, and he would run round and
round over the same tracks which he had al-
ready followed. After making a few such
puzzling trails to occupy the dog, Bunny
would run straight away as fast as he could go
for the blackberry thicket near the Natural-
ist's house, for dogs were not permitted to
trouble him there.

Laboratory scientists who have used white
rabbits in confinement to study their reasoning
powers, have found them very stupid animals.

Out-of-door naturalists, who have watched
them in the open and admired the many tricks
which they use to avoid their numerous en-
emies, have found them to be very clever in-
deed. The laboratory naturalist will say that

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

173

all animal mental processes are instinctive, and
that there is no understanding of the objects
sought, or deliberation as to methods to be em-
ployed. The out-of-door naturalist, on the
other hand, will say that the manifestation of
ability to devise means to accomplish ends is
evidence of some degree of reasoning power,
and this the rabbit seems able to do.

Since her offspring are born helpless and
blind, Mother Cottontail depends upon her
skill in hiding them to keep them from danger.
She makes a little hollow in the earth, not
much larger than a robin's nest, and lines it
with her own fur. In this warm nest she
places her young and covers them very clev-
erly. Even when the Naturalist knew the
location of her nest, he had to look very closely
to find it, for there was no outward
indication of its presence. She
would cover it with grass or ^gg|
leaves exactly like the sur-
roundings, and, although
there were dozens of
them about, it was only
rarely that the Natu-
ralist or his boys
were able to find

Baby Cottontail after
leaving the nest.

firs^&^^fflfcjfcfe

*w^-fas

She makes a little hollow in the earth and lines it with her own fur.

The young rabbit in its snug little nest.

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

175

one, unless it was turned out by the plow. If,
perchance, they did find one, and carefully
turn back the leaves, there were the young

They were likely to skip out and depend on their ability to hide.

rabbits in the snug little nest. On such occa-
sions they were not long permitted to know
the rabbit's secret, for if the babies were very
young, their mother would soon move them
to a new place; and if their eyes were open
and they could run, they were likely to skip
out and depend upon their ability to hide

176 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

rather than to remain in a nest whose location
was known, even to a friendly naturalist.
After they leave the nest they still receive their
mother's care, although her brood is scattered
quickly. While the mother is very timid, she
will respond to the cry of her distressed young.
If, however, it has fallen into the hands of a
man or the jaws of a dog, she realizes that dis-
cretion is the better part of valor and seeks her
own safety.

At times rabbits fight each other desper-
ately, and the Naturalist knew cases where
they even chewed each other's ears off, though
the fighting animals were in confinement,
where the unfortunate which was getting the
worst of it could not escape from her antago-
nist. In the open the trouble is not likely to be
so long continued, for there is always the
alternative of flight.

Since the rabbit has no means of defense, it
always seems to be on the watch for danger,
ready to be off with the slightest alarm. The
long ears are sensitive to the slightest sound,
and Bunny takes no chances when his suspi-
cions are aroused. He always prefers to take
his chances in the woods or the open field,
rather than to trust to a hole in the ground or

BUNNY COTTONTAIL

177

a hollow tree. It is only when very hard
pressed, and there seems no other chance of
escape, that he will take to such a shelter to
escape an enemy.

Ready to be off with the slightest alarm.

A JOLLY OLD CROW

A JOLLY OLD CROW

THE Naturalist was very much annoyed.
Something was taking his turkey eggs.
He could look with composure upon the loss
when the polecats robbed a hen's nest, and did

Jolly Jim Crow.

not take it as seriously as might be when the
rabbits girdled his young apple trees. His
White Holland turkeys were his special de-
light, however, and it was quite a different
matter when anything happened to them.
They were excellent birds of a breeding which

181

182

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

gave their owner cause for pride, and, besides,
he was selling the eggs for a quarter apiece for
hatching purposes. Twenty-five cents a meal
for the denizens of the wood which ate a dozen

A sly old rascal was robbing the turkey's nest.

or more times a day, seemed a rather high
price. He had smiled at Tommy Jones's dis-
pleasure when the cooper hawk was catching
his chickens, but now it was the Naturalist's
turn to question the habits of some of his
neighbors. It did not take long to find the cul-
prit, but to catch him was a different matter.
The turkeys' white feathers made them very
conspicuous, and they could be seen for a

A JOLLY OLD CROW

183

long distance. A black old rascal of a crow
sat on the top of a high tree in the little wood,
and watched when one of them would go to
her nest. As soon as she left, he immediately
made a dinner of the egg. For a time the
Naturalist was inclined to get angry and to
shoot the old crow (in case he should get a
chance). After a time he became ashamed of
the idea that he should find it necessary to go
gunning for any wild creature that lived in
the little wood, and decided that if he could
not have turkeys without such a performance,
he would sell the turkeys, so sell them he
did.

He was not the only one who had turkeys,
however, and the black old bird and others of
his kind, ate most of the turkey eggs in the
whole neighborhood. At one time the old
scamp found
that the Natu-
ralist had a
nice flock of
baby chicks,
and took to
dining on
them. He con-
ferred similar

Crow's egg, life size.

184 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

attentions upon the neighbors also until
Tommy Jones saw the old fellow after his
dinner, and shot him — killed in the very act of
carrying off a young chicken, there was no
question but that Tommy had killed the iden-
tical crow that was causing so much mischief.
There were still many crows about, and they
came around the Naturalist's home as freely
as before, but, much to his relief, they did not
trouble the baby chicks any more. The fact
was thus established that only the one crow in
that flock was taking the young chickens, al-
though there were others that liked turkey
eggs.

The crow is a very intelligent bird and
learns easily. One who watches them closely
will soon learn that there is a great difference
in their individual peculiarities. Had it not
been for the execution of the old sinner which
was taking the little chickens, probably all the
crows in the neighborhood would have soon
learned the same trick. The nests of both hens
and turkeys were robbed so persistently that
the thirteen guns which had been loaded for
the red-tails were trained upon the crows at
every opportunity. However, this fact seemed
to give them little anxiety, for they were abun-

A JOLLY OLD CROW 185

dantly able to look out for themselves. When
no one was watching they would alight in a
barn lot or orchard, while one of their number
kept watch in some commanding position. At
the least suspicious sign he would give the
alarm and the whole flock would slip away be-
fore a man or a boy could get within gunshot.
The Naturalist never worried on their ac-
count, for he felt very sure that no matter how
many boys and guns were watching for them,
there would be no apparent diminution of
their numbers.

The poor crow is almost universally dis-
trusted. In the wooded regions he is in disre-
pute because of his habit of pulling up sprout-
ing grain. Some also accuse him of injury to
melons, and a scarecrow of some kind is a com-
mon sight in the small fields. In Iowa he is
maligned as an egg-sucker and accused of
catching the young poultry. In the Missis-
sippi valley the grain fields are so extensive
that the small amount of grain which he de-
stroys is seldom missed. The fact is that he
is guilty of all the counts in the indictment, but
"catching comes before hanging," and the
crow has learned how to avoid the numerous
pitfalls designed for his undoing.

186 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Such friends as the Naturalist are fully
alive to the good traits, which are not inconsid-
erable, for he renders great service in the de-
struction of grubs, beetles, and young field
mice. Although such would give him all his
due, they can hardly be blind to his shortcom-
ings. However, it would be unwise to con-
demn him in too sweeping a fashion, for in
many localities he is undoubtedly a valuable
ally in overcoming certain pests. It is a mis-
fortune when a misguided legislative body
places a bounty on his head. While at certain
times in certain localities his mischief seems
to justify his destruction, the annoyance caused
by his pranks is a sufficient incentive without
adding a bounty, which will also be effective
in localities where he renders a service that
more than offsets his injuries.

The Naturalist was very much interested in
the elaborate notes by means of which the
birds communicated with each other, and
spent many months learning to imitate their
call. In time he came to give the call so per-
fectly as to deceive strange crows which had
not learned to look with suspicion upon a call
from an unusual position. One spring day
when the Naturalist was renewing his ac-

A JOLLY OLD CROW 187

quaintance with the first arrivals after a
winter's absence, he amused himself by hiding
and watching the movements of flocks of crows
which were passing. There were numerous
crows passing by, all bound in the same direc-
tion. They did not come in large flocks, but
two or three at a time, and kept coming for
a considerable time. An old sentinel in the
top of a tall tree called, "Caw-caw, caw-caw,
caw-caw, caw," to each bunch that passed.
After watching them for some time and noting
that he gave the same signal every time, with-
out variation, the Naturalist became very anx-
ious to learn the meaning of this particular
signal, and the place to which it directed the
passing birds.

After the sentinel had given his signal to a
passing bird and it had gone on for a little dis-
tance, the Naturalist gave three short, quick
notes, in imitation of one of their alarm sig-
nals, "Caw, caw, caw." The bird that had
passed, at once turned and came back, circ-
ling about in search of the source of the call.
Seeing nothing, he again started off in the same
direction in which he had been going. Again
the Naturalist called, and again he came back.
The third time he responded to the call and

188 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

wheeled about overhead. The fourth time he
flew directly to a nearby tree and called, "Caw,
caw, caw," rather slowly. Upon receiving his
answer he detected the deception, and flew
away as rapidly as possible, paying no further
attention to the calls. There was so much fun
in watching the birds trying to find the lost
member of their tribe, that the Naturalist re-
peated the experiment at intervals during the
morning with similar results. Some birds
would solve the mystery sooner than others,
but he was able to deceive a considerable num-
ber of them.

After learning to imitate their calls, the
Naturalist took keen delight in trying to ascer-
tain the meaning of their various notes. On
one occasion a pair of crows located a horned
owl near their nest. Upon giving the alarm
there were soon nineteen crows tormenting one
poor owl. They drove him from tree to tree,
all the time cawing in the most distressing
manner, until the bird seemed fairly dis-
traught. For a long time after that occasion
the Naturalist enjoyed hiding and repeating
the alarm signal which he had heard given at
that time. Soon crows would be coming from
every direction and looking for the owl, or

A JOLLY OLD CROW 189

for some other occasion for a general congre-
gation. Once, when the Naturalist was enjoy-
ing a stroll through a bit of woods several hun-
dred miles from his home, he remarked to
friends that he had not seen a crow in that
neighborhood. When assured that crows
were present in the locality, he at once gave
the alarm call and astonished his friends by
bringing together a goodly flock within a few
minutes.

These experiments convinced the Naturalist
that the crow has a more highly developed
system of communication by means of vocal
notes, which more nearly approach spoken
language than any other native bird. He also
became convinced that by devoting sufficient
time to it one could come to understand the
meaning of the various notes, and possibly
interpret their communications.

One spring the Naturalist could not resist
the temptation to take a young crow from the
nest before it could fly. It was fed freely with
bread and milk and such table scraps as it
would eat. The youngster soon became very
tame, and made himself at home among the
trees about the house. He made friends with
the bantam hen and with a skunk that lived

190

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

there at the time. On occasion they would all
investigate the possibilities of dinner from
the same pan, as all were permitted to help

he made friends with the bantam hen and with a skunk that lived ihere at the time.

themselves from the supply of table scraps
which Mrs. Naturalist set out for them. He
was a most interesting bird, but suspicious of
every stranger. When visitors came and de-
sired to make his acquaintance he would usu-
ally take himself to the top of some of the tall-
est trees and caw, but would refuse to come
down at the call of the Naturalist. He was

A JOLLY OLD CROW

191

very diffident about having his picture taken,
and although he would take food from the
Naturalist's hand when no one was near, if the

The baby was feeding him bread and milk with a spoon.

latter had no suspicious implements, it proved
a very hard matter to get him to pose for a
photo. One morning the Naturalist had tried
for a very long time to get a picture without
success, and had gone to the house. On look-
ing out he saw the baby feeding him bread and
milk with a spoon, and snapped a most unex-
pected pose of both.

192

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

Although he never learned to talk, Jim
Crow learned a very good imitation of a
laugh. He would alight on any chance object
near the Naturalist and laugh heartily at the
slightest excuse. He seemed to have no under-
standing of the call of the wild crows that
came about the place, and could never seem to
know quite what to make of their noise when
they alighted in the trees and tried to scrape an
acquaintance. He laughed so much that he
was entitled to his name of "Jolly Jim Crow."

However, some of his
pranks did not seem so
funny to the Naturalist.
One day he was feeding
with the hens, when he
pecked an old hen so
hard on the head, that
she reeled for a mo-
ment and then fell
dead. Jolly Jim
laughed very hard at
^Ji •• this, and for a moment

the N a t u r a 1 i s t was
tempted to wring his
neck.

One morning the

The boys decided that crows would be very good
subjects for observing on their own account.

A JOLLY OLD CROW

193

Naturalist found him with a wound on his
own head, the result of some kind of an acci-
dent. His laugh that day had a sob in it, and
poor Jolly Jim Crow soon died. In spite of
his mischief, he was missed very much by his
friends who have continued to look forward
to another tame crow who would laugh at the
misfortunes of the tenants of the barnyard.

One spring the boys decided that it was time
for them to be naturalists on their own ac-
count, and to make some observations accord-
ing to their own no-
tions. They decided
that crows would be
very good subjects, and
tramped the woods
along the river for
miles, as well as care-
fully examining every
part of the little wood
in search of their nests.
After spending several
hours in searching,
they found a nest in a
tall tree near the river,
and about a mile from
home. It was no mean

F*Se

It was no mean climb to the nest.

194 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

climb to the nest, and Kent being the eldest,
claimed the privilege of first examination.

They kept a careful record of all their ob-
servations. They were anxious to determine
whether the crow laid every day or only every
other day. Their book showed that they found
the nest on April 10, and that it contained one
egg. April 11, there were two eggs and the
1 2th there were three eggs. The fourth egg
was not present in the nest until the 1410,
which puzzled them somewhat, as it indicated
that the egg laying was not entirely regular.
Five eggs were laid in all.

When it came to getting a picture of the
nest, they had to fall back upon the Natural-
ist, who climbed the tree to a point above the
nest, and strapping himself to a branch took a
photo from above, as he had done of the cooper
hawks' nest. There were only two eggs in the
nest when the picture was taken, but he did not
enjoy dangling so high above the earth enough
to go back again, just to get a few more eggs in
the same kind of picture.

When the incubation began the boys con-
tinued their interest to see how long it would
take them to hatch. On the first of May they
found two young ones, and on the second there

They found a nest in a tall tree near the river.

There were but two eggs in the nest when the picture was takei

196

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

were four, while the next day the fifth egg had
hatched also. The boys were pleased to learn
that it required three weeks for crows' eggs to

Young crows, twenty days old.

hatch, the same as for hens' eggs. The nest
was composed of coarse twigs, with a deep de-
pression about the size and shape of the inside
of a man's hat. The inside of the nest was
lined with strips of soft bark. The boys vis-
ited the nest frequently, to see how fast the
little crows grew. At first they were naked

A JOLLY OLD CROW

197

little things which seemed to be all mouths,
but they grew rapidly, and soon were covered
with black feathers. When the youngsters
were twenty days old the Naturalist was pre-

The last of the you

had left the nest.

vailed upon to climb the tree a second time
and get a picture of the young ones. One
youngster died in the nest, whether from so
much competition he was unable to get suffi-
cient food, or for some other reason, the boys
could never quite determine. When they were
thirty days old the last of the young ones had
left the nest.

Before their observation was completed

198 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

they had found four more crows' nests, and
were becoming as ardent naturalists as their
daddy. They have since taken up the study
of the crow language, also, and who knows but
that the whole family of Naturalists will be
conversing in the crow tongue before long?

THE

CATERPILLAR'S

PROPHECY

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY

THE Naturalist had the blues; his diges-
tion was working at cross purposes with
his ambition, and the European war was get-
ting on his nerves. Reading so much of death
and destruction filled him with gloom, and
raised many questions as to the cause, purpose,
and end of life. The agnostic had almost con-
vinced him that death was not a door, but a
blind wall beyond which one might not pass.
On this basis he tried to formulate some satis-
factory philosophy on the purpose of life, but
there was none. He speculated much on the
futility of man's labor in building his houses
of sand. All men seemed as children older
grown. Instead of games of marbles and ball
they played at manufacturing, railroading,
and banking, but no more purpose seemed ap-
parent than in the childhood games, beyond
the amusement of those who played. Some
men lived like swine wallowing in the mud,
other like horses pulling heavy loads, and still
others like vain birds preening their feathers

201

202 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

in the sun. He questioned whether those pull-
ing their loads or those sitting in the sun en-
joyed the present moment more than those
wallowing in the mire.

He thought to little purpose, and his ques-
tionings were in vain, for he could find no solu-
tion of the enigma of life. Man's origin and
destiny remain shrouded in mystery, and the
more serious the attempt to solve the riddle,
the greater the confusion of the mind. Wear-
ily he decided that life is but a tiny island in
the unexplored sea of eternity. He knewT
nothing of how he had reached the island at
birth and only knew that the relentless waves
of death, constantly beating upon it, sooner or
later would carry him off into the boundless
sea. Vaguely he wondered whether there
were other islands somewhere, which he might
reach, or whether, with death, would come
oblivion, as the agnostic taught.

Tiring of useless speculation, he threw him-
self down in the shade of an apple tree under
which grew a milkweed. A monarch butter-
fly alighting, caught his attention, and he was
soon so much absorbed in her movements that
problems of life and death no longer vexed
him. The butterfly tarried but a moment,

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY

203

flitting about carelessly from place to place.
Finally she approached the milkweed, and
after a moment of hesitation deposited a tiny
white egg on the under side of a leaf. A mo-
ment more and she was gone without thought
or care as to the fate of her offspring.

The Naturalist examined the plant with
some care, and found that other butterflies had
been there before and that several of the tiny
eggs were present under the leaves on differ-
ent parts of the plant. Immediately he was
happy again in the living present, which could
supply things denied him by the dead past and
the uncertain future.
Here was material to
occupy his time most
pleasantly for many
days. The butterfly
was concerned about
only to-day; why
should he bother his
head about a longer
time?

As free from care
as a child or a bird,
the Naturalist spent
many hours dream-

The milkweed suffered seriously as a result of

their presence, and was soon almost

entirely stripped of its leaves.

204

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

ing beside the milkweed in the orchard. The
tiny eggs soon hatched and ugly little cater-
pillars with black and white stripes appeared.
They were voracious little fellows, apparently
consuming more than their own bulk of coarse
food within a few hours. As the days went by
they moulted, or shed their skins, which were
getting too tight, and appeared in new suits of
larger size. As they grew they improved in
appearance, and yellow bands in addition to
the black and white became more conspicuous.
Although the caterpillars had improved some-
what in appearance, they were still any-
thing but attractive
with their fierce-
looking horns and
prison stripes. The
milkweed suffered
seriously as a result
of their presence,
and was soon almost
entirely stripped of
its leaves.

As the youngsters
neared maturity the
Naturalist took them
to his study, where

As the youngsters neared maturity the Natural-
ist took them to his study, where he
could observe their final change.

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY 205

he could observe the final change, the wonder-
ful transformation toward which they had
been hastening while he had dreamed beside
their milkweed. They
were supplied with an
abundance of fresh
leaves from other milk-
weeds, but it was not for
long. They had eaten
their portion of rough
herbage and were pre-
paring for the day when
they should sip nectar
from the flowers. The
Naturalist was not alone

I • * inverted question marK, a:

in WatChing tO See What like the Naturalist, trying to peer

should take place when beyond the veil that hid its future-
a caterpillar has finished its portion of rough
fodder, but his boys, who by this time were
also coming to be naturalists on their own ac-
count, were equally watchful.

At last one after another of the caterpillars
stopped feeding and began looking about for
a suitable place to don the rich raiment suited
to the new life on which they were about to
enter. When one found a place to its liking,
it prepared a silken fastening and turned itself

It turned itself into the form of an
inverted question mark, as though,

206

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

into the form of an inverted question mark, as
though, like the Naturalist, trying to peer be-
yond the thick veil that hid its future. Then a

The caterpillar gradually became incased in a beautiful casket of green and gold,
as though some invisible fairy were preparing it for burial.

most wonderful change took place. The Nat-
uralist and the watching boys could not com-
prehend it, although it took place before their
very eyes. No more could they describe it,
but the questioning caterpillar gradually be-
came incased in a beautiful casket of green
and gold, as though some invisible fairy were
preparing it for burial. Finally there was no
longer any sign of the ugly caterpillar with its

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY 207

prison stripes, but a marvelous casket which
might have been made for the body of a queen,
hung silently before them.

It was on the nineteenth of June, just when
nature was at her best, that the caterpillar en-
tered her silent tomb, and the Naturalist and
his sons kept close watch during the days that
followed to see what would come next. Fin-
ally, ten days later, the green of the casket was
seen to change to a rich brown, and they knew
that mother nature was preparing another of
her great surprises. A few hours later the
casket was split from a movement from within,
and a strange creature came forth. It was not
the caterpillar which they had seen enter the
strange habitation, that they had seen spun
from sunlight, ten days before. It was a far
more beautiful creature and as different in its
habit, physical construction, and appearance
as night is from day. Man may watch silently
beside the casket of the silent occupant, and
note the wonderful change in the creature that
comes forth, but how the change is wrought is
not for him to know.

At first the little stranger presented a very
novel appearance. She had wings, but they
were all folded over her back. She walked

208

OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS

about uncertainly and gradually unfolded her
wings until they were nicely spread, as a
butterfly's should be. She then remained
quietly hanging to the shell of the empty casket
from which she had so lately emerged, while
she dried her feathers and gained strength to
venture forth.

All too soon she began flitting her wings as
though to try them, and soon rinding them
strong enough to bear her weight flew to the
window. She was then released and sailed

away in the sunshine.
She was soon sipping
nectar from the clover
blossoms, and from the
roadside thistles, all un-
mindful of the coarser
food which had so lately
sustained her, and prob-
ably forgetful of the
hard life that had so re-
cently prepared her for
the glorified state in
which she now found
herself.

The Naturalist had
M lost all trace of his

She then remained quietly hanging to the shell
of the empty casket.

THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY 209

gloom. He was convinced that nature would
do no more for the caterpillar than for him.
He no longer speculated vainly concerning the
beginning or end of life. He was content with
his coarse fare, even as the caterpillar had
been, being assured that when it no longer was
sufficient to sustain him, the invisible fairies
that prepared the casket for the caterpillar
would do as much for him, and he would lie
quietly down for his long sleep. Since the
caterpillar could not foresee so wonderful a
change as would make it a butterfly, neither
could he foresee what might be in store for
him. He had faith to believe that the same
invisible Hand that had transformed the sleep-
ing caterpillar would prepare him for such a
state as would bring the fullest development
to his dormant powers.

From a lowly and insignificant creature he
had learned what the greatest philosophers
among mankind had failed to teach him, and
he now had faith to believe that some good
purpose was being served by the lowliest lives.
As a child cannot comprehend the thoughts of
a man, no more can a man understand the
designs of his Creator. Both must be con-
tent to await their normal growth.

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I

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Our backdoor neighbors.

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
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