Home Life 



training their young. Watch some over-indulgent 

 little sparrow mother, harassed by the most spoiled 

 of children as large as she and twice as greedy, 

 which follow her about, drooping their wings to 

 feign helplessness, teasing for food that they are per- 

 fectly able but too lazy to collect. Daring, aggres- 

 sive, impertinent to others, the English sparrows are 

 especially weak in the presence of their children. 

 On the other hand, many birds are strict disciplin- 

 arians and do not hesitate to enforce their commands 

 with a vigorous slap of the wing. 



It is in his family relations that a bird's true 

 character may be read most plainly. The kingbird, 

 which usually shows only the pugnacious side of his 

 disposition to the world, fearlessly dashing after the 

 largest crow to drive him away from the sacred 

 precincts of home, reserves his lovrble traits for the 

 family circle. No dragon-fly he captures on the 

 wing is too choice to deny himself for the benefit 

 of his babies, or too large, apparently, to be crammed 

 down their throats. In June, neither the brilliant 

 scarlet tanager nor the gorgeous Baltimore oriole 

 hesitates to help his inconspicuous mate rear their 

 brood for fear his tell-tale coat may invite destruc- 

 tion from the passing gunner. In June, fear and 

 selfishness alike are overcome by love. If you will 

 focus the opera glasses on the nest to which the 

 oriole's rich, continuous song directed your suspicions 

 a few weeks ago, you will see both father and mother 

 feeding their noisy young at the rate of about twenty 

 visits an hour. 



A more charming sight than an oriole family 

 feasting on basket worms among the green spray of 



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