THE OOLOdlST. 



201 



• ar r.ilher spoou-fed 3-(iimg did not die 

 from iNlay lifteeutli to July lirst. due 

 season they about all died, and not 

 content with the test I tried it again 

 the foUouinor year. The second ,year 

 we brought more through because we 

 went in heavier. However, the bird 

 grave yard assumed immense propor- 

 tions. 



My partner in crime was a middle 

 aged u)au and a manufacturer. He 

 spent about all of his spare moments 

 in feeding the multitudinous young 

 birds, who with scarcely au exception, 

 had insatiable api)etitcs. Bread and 

 milk formed the main reliance, and the 

 amount of dope-iuixture which the ag- 

 gregation of suffering prison-birds 

 would surround was a caution. It kept 

 cue boy bu.sy running after fresh t)read 

 and milk, and when the weather began 

 to get quite warm, the demands of the 

 young birils and the necessity of keep- 

 .ing the food sweet nearly drove my 

 friend daft. But he stuck to it manful- 

 ly, and his devotion was only equalled 

 'In' my heroic efforts to supply new 

 victims. 



At last when the second summer 

 waned our stock in trade just equalled 

 its bulk when we began. In othei- 

 words there was a lone, broken-legged 

 robin left; and this same roi)in had been 

 the standby of my partner for several 

 years previous to this new deal. There- 

 fore I was 'not in it,' and our partner- 

 ship busted right then and there, as the 

 trade did not warrant a cr^ntinuance. 

 He offered me the cripple<i robin, but I 

 declined with thanks, and have ever 

 since kept out of the ranks of live bird 

 collectors. And now as I look back on 

 that chattering, chirjjing collection of 

 live birds and think of my partner fill- 

 ing them up all round every thirty min- 

 utes, I cannot help but smile out 'loud. 

 But I also feel sorrowful at the untime- 

 ly end of those dear little vireos, thrush- 

 es, orioles, swallows, tangeis and the 

 •cunning flycatchers, chickadees, yellow 

 .warblers and redsUu'te. 



Nevertheless, although so unsuccess- 

 ful wiih the smaller insect-feeding 

 birds, I had very good luck with nianv 

 other species at various times. 



1 once owned au immature Bed-tailed 

 Hawk, which I captured after breaking 

 his wing by shooting. It lemained 

 healthy and fierce throughout its stay 

 with me, and I never could tame or 

 subdue it in Ihe slightest degree. It f,.,l 

 on meat entirely, and refused all other 

 food, nlthough fi-equently hard up for 

 nourishment. Its eyes were always 

 wild, and it would strike with beak and 

 talons at everyone. It finally pounced 

 on one of my pet golden Plovers and 

 thrust its cruel claws through the poor 

 creature's body. After this I lost all 

 liking for the moody, ferocious hawk, 

 and I slew him. 



Two Barred Owls that I owned at var- 

 ious periods, were quite interesting and 

 lent entertainment to me on rainy days 

 in the city, when I would watch my 

 pets in the barn. This owl, and in fact, 

 all my owls and hawks fed on meat, 

 rats, mice, neighborhood cats, and also 

 frogs and snakes which I would sup- 

 ply. I fed the Baned Owls once a day 

 On one occasion I was absent a coui)le 

 of days and when I called on 'snapper' 

 with his meat, he flew at me in his eag- 

 erness, and gouged me for my negli- 

 gence. Ordinarily he was quite harm- 

 less, though he made a gi-eat bluster, 

 snapping his bill as if very ferocious. 

 A Screech Owl that I owned a short 

 time, escaped from its house, as did al- 

 so the Bai-red Owl, l)ut a Screech Owl 

 which a friend of mine own(Ml, iiecome 

 very tame. Once a boy stole it, but it 

 escaped from the boy and flew ba<-k to 

 its owner. 



I have owned several Gi'eat Horned 

 Owls. They make interesting but ug- 

 ly pets. Taken when old they cannot 

 be tamed. A friend of mine has two, 

 undoubtedly a pair taken when a 

 few weeks old from the nest. They are 

 imw thre»^ years ol<l oi- more .iml very 



