LVIII. — Early Observations 



ON mornings when I happen to be wakeful 

 the observations I make are not always 

 through the tent flap. Many of them are 

 through the sides of the tent, and I hear 

 them instead of seeing them. As you might expect, 

 the first morning sound is the crowing of the 

 roosters, and let me tell you that it is no trifling 

 sound on the farm at present. Between thirty and 

 forty broilers are practising crowing and there seems 

 to be a very sharp rivalry among them. Some of 

 the older ones can crow almost as lustily as the 

 father of the flock, while a lot of young fellows can- 

 not manage anything better than a hasty mixture 

 of a squeak and a squawk. You know, of course, 

 that the scientists are unable to off'er any explanation 

 of the foolishness of roosters in crowing like this and 

 telling their enemies where they are. One morning 

 recently I was awakened by the crowing of the young 

 roosters about an hour before dawn. The racket 

 they were making recalled to mj^ mind the fact that 



