56 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



own eyes, no one can deny it. How^ever, I am 

 disposed to think that this bird is seldom guilty 

 of such vandalism. 



Among the worst enemies of the birds are 

 tlie snakes, which improve every opportunity 

 to devour nestlings, some species, especially in 

 southern countries, climbing trees for that pur- 

 pose. Have you ever seen a pair of song 

 sparrows fighting a black snake ? They will 

 dart at him with quivering wings, giving him 

 a sharp stroke with their bills and claws, 

 while he will spring at them with open mouth 

 and try to catch them. They usually are too 

 quick for, him, dodging away just in time to 

 escape his fangs. Sometimes, while he bounds 

 after one bird, the other dashes at him from 

 the rear. But doubtless if he finds the nest, 

 he will rob it in spite of their eiforts to drive 

 him away. 



Of course, the owls molest the smaller birds 

 a great deal, for they steal upon them una- 

 wares by night and clutch them with their 

 talons. It is thought that some of the owls 

 reach into woodpecker holes with their claws 

 and fish out the young if the nest is not 

 too deep. An owl was once found dead in 

 such a cavity, where it had clutched a wood- 

 pecker with its claws and then had got fast. 



