268 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



most ludicrous of all my experience in birdland. 

 I hope my sympathy with the birds is as active 

 as that of most field workers, but the humping, 

 shuffling clumsiness of the male vulture's advances 

 and the demure elusiveness of the equally hump- 

 ing, shuffling female, the way she glided from a 

 limb and left him to the surprise of empty space 

 when he confidently expected surrender, were most 

 amusing to me. 



Careful study compels me to admit that this is 

 the creme of what I know. In comparison with 

 the stacks of notes on building, brooding, and 

 feeding, it does not seem very much. But it tends 

 to confirm my first statement that there is very little 

 anyone can honestly relate concerning the court- 

 ship of the birds. 



At nesting time, the processes of bird life are so 

 similar to human processes in similar conditions 

 that a warm heart, lack of sound judgment and 

 scientific training cause many people, trying to 

 write on the subject of birds, to sin gravely against 

 the laws of nature, which are distinctly cold- 

 blooded. It is so easy to suppose because we do 

 a given thing in a given circumstance that the birds 

 are doing the same thing for the same reason, while 

 there is a strong tendency to humanize them until 

 interest in them is lost. If we look upon the birds 

 as irresponsible beings, needing our protection to 

 survive, our hearts are touched and we strive to 

 repay their benefit to our crops and our joy in their 



