360 



THE OOLOGIST. 



It would seem that our Cr'^ator in- 

 tended all animals to administer to our 

 wants in just such propoi'tion as we 

 show ourselves deserving of tiiem, in 

 our attitude towards the lower animals. 



For instance, a wild species, which is 

 found by man to be of mucli value, if 

 not domesticated by him, must be killed 

 to be utilized, and is surely doomed to 

 ultimate extermination, towards which 

 end ihe Beaver and the Passenger Pig- 

 eon have already so nearly come. 

 Again our animals, when domesticated, 

 are profitable Just in proportion as they 

 are made the more comfortable. To 

 get the best results from a cow, or a 

 sheep, or a hen, we must study the 

 needs and bestow the eai^e upon it, that 

 will supply the comfort which the ani- 

 mal requires; and the improvement of 

 breeds is accomplislied only through 

 the appearance and predominence of 

 valuable characteristics which condi- 

 tions more favorable than the species 

 had before known, had caused to de- 

 velop and remain. In other words, 

 man must domesticate through kind- 

 ness and care for with kindness in or- 

 der to derive the greatest benefits from 

 any native species whose habits will 

 admit of such a course. 



It is a very interesting study to note 

 the dil!:erent degrees of adaptability to 

 domestic life, and the ease with 

 which some species are subdued while 

 others remain as yet unyielding. 



All this is fine to think of and now 

 for variety's sake let us be honest and 

 admit with what piide we, who are 

 loyal citizens of the greatest country in 

 the New World (and every Ornitholo- 

 gist loves to eat), remember that the 

 magnificent turkey, symiDolical of 

 Christmas and Thanksgiving Da/ 

 throughout our land, is exclusively a 

 North American species. And more, — 

 the turkey wears feathers! 



I started out, however to tell you 

 something of my experience in dealing 

 with the wild natures of a brood each 



of the Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbelluSy 

 and the Bob White, Colinus Virginian- 

 tis. 



In a black ash swale a RuH'ed Grouse 

 was flashed from her nest in the dry 

 leaves, beneath the end of a fallen tree, 

 and a clutch of nine eggs procured for 

 our experiment. I secured the servi- 

 ces of a Black-Red Game Bantam hen, 

 which had already manifested a sti'oug 

 desire to hatch a brood, she being in 

 my mind the nearest approach to the 

 natural mother obtainable. 



Then followed many anxious daj's of 

 watching; the eggs being partly incu- 

 bated I was unable to know just when 

 to look for the appearance of the young. 

 During this time all preparations for 

 the expected brood were completed. 

 A tight board, movable pen, fourteen 

 feet square was constructed, open at 

 the top, and -ant hills and other sources 

 of insect food located. I had been in- 

 formed that after the hatching the mo- 

 ther partridge always led her brood at 

 once to an ant hill, the inhabitants of 

 which furnished the first food of the 

 young birds. 



At last the eventful day had come. I 

 entered the apartment in which the hen 

 was sitting, to find things in a state of 

 the utmost confusion. One of the eggs 

 had hatched, and its former occupant 

 had at once left the nest, where its less 

 forward brothers and sisters were yet 

 striving to free themselves from their 

 prison shells, and was running ronnd 

 and round the room peeping loudly at 

 each step, The hen, uncertain what 

 course to pursue, maintained a balanced 

 position upon the nest of eggs. Any 

 who have had experience with hatching 

 chickens will readily understand the 

 perilous aspect of such a state of af- 

 fairs. The little fellow was at once re- 

 moved however to a warm place and 

 quite soon established in the sitting 

 apartment. A few hours passed; — I 

 went cautiously to the nest to see how 

 things were progressing, and as I rais- 



