WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH BIRDS 



BABY GROSBEAK 



for field work. To leave them meant for them to be drowned or 

 trampled by the cattle. I carried them both home in my hands. 

 That night I read that a young Hawk taken from his coarse nest 

 of sticks and placed in a soft nest would die miserably, so the 

 next morning I took a ladder and went back to the swamp. There 

 had been some woodland tragedy other than the storm. The 

 nest contained one baby, dead and badly abused, so I carefully 

 cut the surrounding vines and brought the cradle home to my 

 bird. For the next ten days, in the midst of my busiest time on 

 this book, a stop every fifteen minutes was made to feed those 

 youngsters a mixture of boiled potato and egg, varying with a 

 little mashed fruit and bread and milk. 



They grew beautifully. When they were large enough to fly 

 well they were given the freedom of the conservatory, then the 

 door was left open, and finally they were placed in an apple-tree 



