T[IE OREGON NATURALIST. 155 



however, different cries by me.ms of which it see her "fly" again, so throwing a stick up in 



expresses its desires and wants. The cry of the tree in which she was, I had the pleasure 



of affection, which also seems to announce a of witnessing the interesting sight. Strange, I 



a change o' weather, is 'Treef, ire-jf;' the cill thought that when frightened from the tree she 



which it utters wliile on its migration i'^ a should return to the stub. I again started her 



repeated 'Yak, yak;' and tlie i a 1 'Fink, fmk,' from the stub and she went to the same tree as 



from which it derives its n mie, is heard so whe" first routed. I again threw a stick in 



frequently as to warrant the conjecture tii it it the tree when she for the second time returned 



is involuntary. Its clear, pen-t ating song, toMiestub. Surely I thought there must be 



however, is still more remarkable than these something there to attract her. I stood still a 



notes, and is distinguished frou that of all moment or so to .see what she would next do. 



other birds, by its iieir apinoich to articulate Presdutly she entered the bunch of fur, and four 



speech. This is e\pres>eil in German by the young, their eyes not vet opened, fell to the 



word 'Schlag. ' giountl. These I took in my hand and they 



Each bird possesses one, two, three, or even soon began to utter a little squeak, which I 



four different songs, each o( wliich is divided interpreteil as their cnll for "mamma," and 



into sevenil parts, and occu|)ies perhaps ten apparently my interpretation was correct, for 



seconds m th; utterance. The names by the mother soon emerged from the nest and 



which the various songs of the Chaffinch are began answering her babies calls. Slowly she 



known, are generally derived from the last descended the tree, in the meanwhile keeping 



syllable of the sentence which these birds are up the conversation with her children. I 



su|M)osed to utter wondered what she would do next and was not 



'I'he miie ChaHinch is one of the most haml- long in finding out. Fearlessly she ascended 



some of our common small birds, and in his my leg, went out on my outstretched arm to 



general de.ujrtmeut is as lively as he is hand- my hand wherein her young lay. Here she 



some, and as lii-; giy appearance and song hesitated a moment or two as if considering 



frequently, noticed as early as February, points where to take the little ones and was not long 



him out as one of the first birds, to afford an in making a decision. Blinking her pretty 



indication of returning spring, he is for these eyes as if a brilliant thought had entered her 



various reasons a general favorite among the busy mind .she tenderly took one of the young 



lovers of birds. in her mouth as does our familiar friend, pussy 



descended to the ground anil scampered away 



about sixty feet to the foot of an old oak and 



disappeared into a hole at its base. She soon 



returned to the opening of the new retreat and 



receiving an answer to her call secured baby 

 a heavy woods near my home I noticed a hole .', ,,t „„ - 



, , , , , ,. No. 2 in the same manner as No. i. 1 his 



in a decayed stub where a large limb had been .,.,,, 11 



, , . , , she continued until the last one was placed 



broken from an oak tree, and thinking it mitjht , , .r 1 ■ 1 . 



. . .in the new home. After leaving the last one 



MOTHERLY DEVOTION. 



On April 19th., 1890, when passing through 



be the nesting site of some soecies of wood 

 pecker I rapped on the tree with a stick 



she once more appeared at the door way, 



uttered her call, and receiving no res]3onse, 

 where-upon a Flying Squirrel {Sciuropterus , ,,.„, , . „ , ^ . 



]. seemed to sav "Thank you sir,' and went in 



volaiis), emerged from the opening and made a r 1 r -i o u f 1 t 



' ^^ to care for her family. Such fearlessness 1 



flying leap to an adjacent tree. Thinking that , . -i •. 1 v, <■ • i 



*" have never seen exnibited before or since by a 



she might be tresp.ssing on the rights of others , , , 



^, , , ^ creature that apparently shuns man. 



I broke open the snag and noticing nothing ^p_.^_^ ^^ ^^^^ g^^^.^ 



but a little wad .-f rabbit's fur was about to Wru. Edwin Snyder. 



leave the spot when I though I would like to 3^^^^,. Wisconsin. 



