The Birds’ Calendar 
collision of the races it is the man who feels 
inclined to retire first. 
The gentler creatures are thought to pay their 
homage to man, in their sense of reliance upon, 
and even a sentiment of regard for, this superior 
being ; and frequently the more useful animals 
certainly show a devotion to their masters that 
is a model for imitation. 
Among the feathered race in its wild state the 
birds of prey seem invariably to cherish a spirit 
of cowardly animosity toward man; while in 
game and water birds it would be very difficult 
to prove any partiality for his society, as in gen- 
eral they avoid his neighborhood, or at best ig- 
nore him. Butit is chiefly in what scientists re- 
gard as the highest order of birds—the passeres or 
perchers—which include all the song-birds—that 
a feeling of friendly regard for man is sometimes 
thought to be entertained, as in the robin, 
bluebird, sparrows, etc., although such friend- 
ly feeling has a very strong intermixture of sus- 
picion. The argument commonly adduced to 
prove their amicable sentiment is the fact that 
they manifestly choose to live in his neighbor- 
hood, becoming abundant where he opens up 
the country, and saying in effect, in the language 
of one famous in the olden time, ‘‘ Where thou 
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