THE OSPKEY. 



135 



grates, and the honking of a flock of C;inada 

 Geese flying over is a very good indication of the 

 breaking up of the ice and opening of Spring. 



I often hear the Snou-flake spoken of as 

 foretelling coming snow storms, and on seeing 

 a number of blate colored Juncos, or as they 

 are called Rainbirds, people say it will rtiin. 



The Robin is a harbinger of spring, arriving 

 here about the first of April. Often it may be 

 seen on the topmost branch of some tree, sing 

 ing that particularly resounding note that 

 seems reserved for this occasion, or just before 

 a rain storm; then it is said to be calling for 

 rain. In some localities the Cuckoo is called 

 the Rain Crow for the reason of the notes utter- 

 ed just before falling weather. The same omens 

 apply to Owls as to the Whip-poor-will; as the 

 hooting of an Owl silting on top of a house or 

 near a window is said to foretell death. Vergil 

 obser\ed that Owls are more noisy at the change 

 of weather, and as it often happens that pa- 

 tients with lingering diseases die at a change 

 of weather, so the Owl seems, by a mistaken 

 association of ideas, to forbode the calamity. 



Our seafaring relatives or friends tell us of 

 Mother Carey's Chicken, the Stormy Petrel; 

 for, as the story runs, this Mother Carey took 

 ship and had as baggage a few crates of chick- 



ens. There came on a storm the vessel was 

 wrecked, and the chickens washed overboard, 

 the old lady being washed ashore half dead, 

 on seeing these birds mistook them for her lost 

 chickens; hence the name and sailors' supersti- 

 tion that the appearance of the Stormy Petrel 

 near or under the stern of a ship forbod'es com- 

 ing storms. Those who have read the poem, 

 'The Ancient Mariner,' will doubtless remem- 

 ber the superstition given in it, as follows: 



For .ill averred I had killed tlie bird 

 That made the breeze to blow. 



The appearance of the Albatross vouchsafed 

 a change of weather for the better. 



It 's known that most seabirds except the 

 Petrel, make lor shore on the approach of a 

 storm. 



Swallows flying low. that is, skimming the 

 ground, are said to indicate rain. Our common 

 Owls come in for their share, too. 



I-iuring rain if chickens no attention pay, 

 You may expect a rainy day. 



Whereas, if they run to shelter it won't last 

 long. 



And to the ornithologist a goodly number of 

 resident spring migrants foretells a successful 

 season. 



THE TRAGEDY OF A NEST. 



Bv Cl.AKA C. SiiiTH. Hartford, Conn. 



A PAIR of Oriole.s built a nest in a tall pear- 

 tree just outside my window. They cunn- 

 ingly swung it at the end of a pendant 

 limb at the top of the tree, where no cat could 

 possibly g'o. Year after year, for a long time, 

 that nest was occupied. Whether the same pair 

 of birds returned to their old home, or not. of 

 course it was impossible to tell; but, inasmuch 

 as there never seemed to be any commotion in 

 house-hunting, but simply a calm taking posses- 

 sion, I always supposed it \vas the yearly return 

 of the same family. That, however, would make 

 an Oriole a long-lived bird, which perhaps he 

 tnay be. 



The first intimation of his presence I had year 

 after year, was being awakened some May 

 morning by his music in the trees outside. He 

 seemed always to arrive at night, and was up 

 and at work brig-ht and early the ne.xt day. as 

 tho he had never been anywhere else. Thus, for a 

 good many years. In fact it would have hardly 

 seemed spring at all without his pure clear — 

 withal sad — notes and bright uniform. 



One season, when there wei'e young birds 

 almost ready to fly, there came upon us a severe 

 storm accompanied tjy a high wind. This was 

 in the night. As I felt my bed rock under me, 

 I thought of the Orioles and wondered if they 

 would weather the stonri. It seemed as tho 

 trees must get broken and I knew that the pear- 

 tree was getting old. 



I was waked the next morning by most dis- 

 tressing cries; and found, as I had feared, that 

 the bough which had swung the pretty nest for 



so long had broken off and was gone. Further 

 search discovered the nest on the ground with 

 three little birds cuddled in the bottom. One 

 was dead, probably killed in the fall; the others 

 apparently unhurt and crying- lustily for their 

 breakfast. 



Thinking- the old birds %vould know best how 

 to care for tliem, and being possessed of that 

 good thing, a little boy friend, I fastened some 

 string to the nest and and sent him to tie it 

 .securely to one of the branches of the tree. 



All the time we were at work, the parent birds 

 flew aljout in the wildest manner, almost ready 

 to attack us. scolding- and crying- as tho heart- 

 broken. 



When, at last, we were thro and retreated to 

 the house to peep thro the blind, we expected to 

 .see ^vonderfnl manifestations of bird love. Im- 

 agine our surprise to find that, altho we watched 

 until tired and kept an eye on them a good part 

 of the day, those wicked birds never once went 

 back to their poor starving- babies! The ex- 

 citement cau-sed by the fallen nest and our res- 

 cue of it gradnally died down, and peace was at 

 last restored. 



When I had finally given up the return of the 

 birds, I climbed a step-ladder and carefully 

 peeped in on the three dead birds. I had noticed 

 that their cries had g-rown fainter and finally 

 ceased, but could not believe that they would be 

 left to die. Since then. I have heard that birds 

 will sometimes desert their young under such 

 circumstances, but it seems a very unnatural 

 thing. 



