22 llow I became a Lover of Birds. 



morning, as soon as they returned^ they were shut in till the after- 

 noon, when, they were allowed a similar period of liberty: after 

 these flights the writer has fre^fuently cleansed away from the base 

 of the beaks of the squabs portions of slugs and earth-worms, prov- 

 ing conclusively that a portion of their meal at least, had consisted 

 of animal food — that they can be reared without it is a well-known 

 fact, but, I would also clearly state, that the percentage of loss 

 among young which got some animal food was almost nil, both while 

 under the care of their parents and during the latter stages, before 

 full maturity was reached. The writer would further add that some 

 hybrid Turtle -\- Barbary Doves frequently pick up and devour a 

 mealworm, and that the eating of eartliworms is quite common with 

 almost all species of Doves, and Pigeons in captivity. Ed.]. 



How I became a Lover of Birds. 



By Otto Puck. 

 I was in my sixth year, when one fine March morn- 

 ing (there had been a heavy fall of snow during the night) 

 my nurse called out, " Otto, come to the window, quick, 

 the Starlings have arrived, they are fighting the Sparrows, 

 and have turned them out of the box." "Starlingsl " What 

 were Starlings? I had a vague idea that in connection with 

 Sparrows it must be a bird, but till then my attention had 

 never been drawn to one. Quickly I was at the window, 

 and then I beheld on the window-sill a fine cock Starlinig 

 in its pristine beauty, the freshly fallen snow setting off 

 well its pink feet^ lustrous purple -black plumage and golden 

 beak. He did not |seem to mind my presence much, but after a 

 while disappeared into the box, hung below the window, followel 

 by its more sombre clad mate, whilst the Sparrows got on 

 top of the box, chirping out defiance. I may here incident- 

 ally remark that the box, a long oblong one with a hole in 

 front, and a stick for the birds to perch on, had been hunig 

 up by my father, for the express purpose of inducing the 

 the Starlings to nest therein. During the winter Sparrows 

 made it a sleeping retreat, but in spring they were regularly 

 driven out by Starlings — as time went on the heat of the. 

 the sun increased, and Aconites, Snowdrops, etc., proclaimed 

 the advent of spring, but there were more falls of snow, 

 sharp frost, and food scarce, and on some mornings they would 

 sit on the snow -covered branches of a Sycamore tree, not far 



