The Birds’ Calendar 
attention from its nest and its young are some- 
times very amusing, and yet pathetic, as in the 
case of the prairie-hen, which is a great adept 
in such trickery. As one writer describes it, 
when she is leading about her young in quest 
of food, and is surprised by an intruder, she 
‘¢ utters a cry of alarm. The young ones im- 
mediately scamper to the brush; and while 
they are skulking into places of safety, their 
anxious parent beguiles the spectator by droop- 
ing and fluttering her wings, limping along the 
path, rolling over in the dirt, and other pre- 
tences of inability to walk or fly,’’ and con- 
tinuing these signs of injury and distress until 
the spectator has been lured to a safe distance. 
At other times, when surprised upon the nest, 
its boldness is often most heroic; and one 
cannot but be amazed at the wisdom often 
displayed in so locating the nest as best to 
conceal it from its numerous foes, while the 
structure itself is a marvel of skill, and some- 
times of exquisite beauty. Its instinct is noth- 
ing short of genius. However lightly one may 
pass over the other aspects of a bird, he may 
well be deferential in view of its wisdom. 
Birds’ nests, in all the diversity of size, Joca- 
tion, materials of composition, and style of ar- 
312 
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