256



Devotion.



evidently managed to get in through a small opening underneath a

board. The first bird was the bigger and was all blue like the hen

we had lost; but the smaller bird was the absolute image of

Tweetie down to the white tail-spot. So, after all, everyone had

been wrong, the nest had been deserted, but aw 7 ay up in the shadows

of the old barn, in spite of all the frost and snow, the eggs has

been hatched and the little ones brought up. But was it not

wonderful that these young pigeons, only able to fly so very feebly,

had not only lived so long without being fed, but had actually

managed unaided to leave the barn and find their way in the snow

round to the aviary in answer to the cooing of the Modena birds!

They are now 7 doing well in a new pigeon-room, and the hopes for

the future rest on them, the children of Tweetie and his Adhurst

mate.


^ s{c


You already see the point of the story. Young pigeons-

are not fed like other young birds, they actually feed them¬

selves from the parents’ crop ; for at that time the food in a

pigeon’s crop changes its character to that state known as “ pigeon's-

milk,” though this soon gives place to solid food still taken from

the crop. At this time, therefore, the old birds need at least a

double allowance of food, part for their young and part for them¬

selves. But no one had known of the nestlings’ existence, and

so these poor, devoted birds had brought up their young on a

single allowance of food, and in doing this had starved themselves.

They might have given up long before, have allowed the young to

starve, and have kept the food for their own w 7 ants. But, with a

wonderful practice of devotion and self-sacrifice, they had carried

their task of affection through ; and it was not until that day

came when their full-grown young being able to fly, they judged

them able to fend for themselves, that they at last took wing for

some more hospitable home where at least they could get enough

to eat.


“ Well, that is not much of a story ! ”


It is not much of a story ; but I think perhaps it was ju&fc

worth telling in war-time, don’t you ? ”



