126 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



once notified the railroad officials, who 

 gave orders that the car should be de- 

 tached and set apart. 



It is gratifying to be able to report 

 that such devotion had its fitting re- 

 ward, and that the little family was 

 safely reared and launched out into the 

 world. The other day I read of a 

 mother who made a great sacrifice for 

 her child. Readers of the deed were 

 thrilled by the mother-love behind the 

 act, yet here in this simple, humble 

 bird we find the same mother-love. — 

 strong and beautiful. Shall we not ren- 

 der her our tribute as truly as if she 

 were a human mother? 



An Ambitious Wild Goose. 



In the Zoological Park wc have 

 reared yearly a goodly number of Can- 

 ada geese, our flock of these birds now 

 numbering more than fifty. In the 

 spring of 191 5, the usual number of 

 pairs nested, and succeeded in hatching 

 their goslings. But one curiously 

 acquisitive and equally pugnacious 

 pair, apparently dissatisfied wath their 

 own brood of five, decided to increase it. 

 By means of a system of browbeating 

 on one hand, and persuasion on the 

 other, thev actuallv succeeded in ab- 



ducting the goslings of other birds 

 until they had gathered a flock of fif- 

 teen ; a number entirely without pre- 

 cedent in the writer's experience. 



The trouble of the "old lady who 

 lived in the shoe" was caused by the 

 fact that she didn't know what to do 

 with so many. Our geese never be- 

 trayed any such tribulation, and while 

 there was some scantiness of space be- 

 neath the sheltering feathers of the 

 mother, the overflow could always col- 

 lect alongside and receive a share of 

 warmth. All are being safely reared, 

 and the excellence of their care is at- 

 tested by the evident prosperity of the 

 goslings, as shown in the accompany- 

 ing picture. — L. S. C. in the "Zoological 

 Societv Bulletin." 



"American Forestry" for July con- 

 tains a five-page article on "Bird Pro- 

 tection and the Work of the Brookline 

 Bird Club" in Brookline, Mass., an or- 

 ganization which has done invaluable 

 work in that town. This magazine also 

 makes the following announcement : 

 "Birds and the Need of Them" will be 

 another subject given a special depart- 

 ment. The conservation of birds is vi- 

 tally necessary to the preservation of 

 human life. So few people realize this 

 that "American Forestry" will make a 



CANADA GOOSE WITH HER KIDNAPPED GOSLINGS 



Cut by courtesy of the "Zoological Society Bulletin." 



