ORNITHOLOGY 



227 



home soon became too small, and one 

 morning, one little savage, spreading 

 his over confident wings, landed igno- 

 miniously in a crestfallen heap amongst 

 the weeds, and got scolded for his 

 pains. 



In passing the old cherry a few days 

 later, I could but mark the silence that 

 brooded about the tree, lately so full 

 of life. The old birds paid it an occa- 

 sional visit, but for the rest of the year 

 their interest in it was over. 



Birds seem to thrive best in human 

 society in spite of the fact that their ex- 

 perience has not been entirely reassur- 

 ing. The great crested flycatcher, na- 

 turalists say, "is a shy, solitary bird 

 seldom seen beyond the deep forest." 

 Yet this summer I found a pair nesting 

 in the hollow limb of an apple tree in 

 a neighbor's yard. 



Let the birds come back. Let us 

 help them to come, realizing that our 

 existence depends in large measure on 

 their companionship and continuance. 



Nature Interest Rewarded. 



BY CLARENCE BUNDY, TACOMA^ OHIO. 



The student of nature that shares his 

 interest and knowledge with the youths 

 of the neighborhood receives his re- 

 ward quickly and repeatedly. So do 

 they. 



If every community could have as 

 one of its members an earnest nature 

 student, well might that community 

 rejoice for he is or inay become a 

 mighty factor in elevating the ideals of 

 the boys and girls. 



I know a boy whose companionship 

 is dear to me. He accompanies me on 

 rambles through the woods and the by- 

 ways, sharing every observation and 

 showing a lively interest in things per- 

 taining to birds and insects. It was not 

 always so. His parents moved from 

 the city to the country to remove him 

 from the evil influences that were fast 

 making him a little ruffian. 



It has been my privilege to watch 

 his mental and moral outlook rise and 

 broaden, influenced by his glimpses of 

 the wonderful things in the great out- 

 doors. I also have a Sunday school 

 class and some other young friends 

 whom I have interested in this subject. 

 A quail's nest was discovered one dav 

 in the lane that leads to the main road, 

 and not many rods from the home of 



the boy that found it. I was called by 

 telephone to photograph the nest. 



It was a wonderful affair of soft 

 grasses woven into a deep round struc- 

 ture and roofed over with similar mate- 

 rial, and with a hole in the side only 

 large enough for the plump little body 

 to slip in and out. The boy told me 

 that he would never have found it had 

 not the mother bird flown from the 

 nest at his feet. In this snug little home 

 were nineteen eggs. 



Ten days later the telephone rang 

 again. A voice, eager and full of ex- 

 citement responded and bade me come 

 as "quick as you can get here." The 

 boy had been working in an adjoining 

 field and as he passed the nest he saw 

 a sight few are ever fortunate enough 



'•THE QUAILS WERE HATCHING." 



to see. The quails were hatching. Tiny 

 brown heads were sticking out around 

 the mother's breast, and taxing her 

 spreading capacity to the utmost. We 

 cautiously proceeded to record this un- 

 usual sight, making the first exposure 

 with a nine inch lens, fearing to go 

 close enough to use the seven inch An- 

 astigmat. 



A few leaves and blades of grass inter- 

 fered with the view, so my friend took 

 the tripod and carefully pulled them 

 aside (note the tripod in the corner 

 holding down the grass), after which I 

 made another exposure within three 

 feet of the subject. I was not yet satis- 



