WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



The courage and devotion of the parents in de- 

 fence of their nests are known to every ornitholo- 

 gist. They expose themselves fearlessly to danger 

 rather than desert their charge, and call upon 

 heaven and earth to witness their persecution. I 

 remember one such instance. I discovered a nest 

 with eggs in a sycamore on the banks of the Yantic 

 River, in Connecticut. In trying to examine it 

 I roused the ire of the owners, who showed the 

 most intense anger and dismay. Enjoying this 

 little exhibition, I did all I could to terrify the fond 

 parents without harming them at all, and then 

 quietly watched the result. The birds flew close 

 about the nest, screaming and uttering a loud roll- 

 ing cry like a watchman's rattle, which very soon 

 brought plenty of sympathetic and curious friends. 

 A cat-bird ventured too near, and was pounced 

 upon by the Baltimore with a fierceness not to be 

 resisted. But when the cat-bird found he was not 

 pursued beyond the shade of the tree, he perched 

 upon a neighboring post, and by hissing, strutting 

 up and down, and every provoking gesture known 

 to birds, challenged the oriole, who paid no atten- 

 tion to his empty braggadocio. Next Mrs. Oriole 

 did something distasteful to her lord, and received 

 prompt chastisement. A confident kingbird dashed 



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