File:Birds and nature (1900) (14752892834).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature741900chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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wed fromthe sky, like to peep into these. Of all the wild birds, I believe I love the wrens the best. They are alwaysso busy and yet so companionable.Last spring, when the days began toget warm, I left the window of myroom open to admit the fresh free air;and on going in there one day I spiedone of these spry little fellows peepingand hopping around the curtains,which were looped up, forming a cozyrecess. He did not seem to be alarmedat my presence, but calmly went onwith his inspection; and would youbelieve it, the next morning the pairof them were busy constructing theirnest in this nook. I let the windowremain open all summer, and theyraised their family there. But the strangest of all strange sitesin which I ever found a nest was nearlyat the bottom of a deep well! Thiswell was walled up with rock and acouple of brown field birds carriedtwigs and grass down it and formedtheir nest on a projecting spur of stone.Why they should choose such a loca-tion as this it is hard to tell. 182
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3^7 WESTERN BLUE GROSBEAK.* 6 Life-size. THE YOUNG NATURALIST. THERE are other armies in SouthAfrica besides the Boers andthe British; armies of very littlefolk, which go out on foragingexpeditions when their colonies standin need of supplies—forays plannedand executed with military precision,and, as a general thing, uniformly suc-cessful. I speak of an army of ants. A close observer, residing in SouthAfrica, describes one of these foraysin the following way: The army, which I estimated tonumber about fifteen thousand ants,started from their home in the mudwalls of a hut and marched in thedirection of a small mound of freshearth, but a few yards distant. Thehead of the column halted on reachingthe foot of the mound and waited forthe rest of the force to arrive at theplace of operations, which evidentlywas to be the mound of fresh earth.When the remainder had arrived andhalted so that the entire army was as-sembled, a number of ants detachedthemselves from the main body andbegan to a

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