BIRD ENEMIES. 9 



would snatch off a cherry, as if the act was some re- 

 lief to their outraged feelings. 



The chirp and chatter of the young of birds which 

 build in concealed or inclosed places, like the wood- 

 peckers, the house wren, the high-hole, the oriole, is 

 in marked contrast to the silence of the fledgelings of 

 most birds that build open and exposed nests. The 

 young of the sparrows, — unless the social sparrow be 

 an exception, — warblers, fly-catchers, thrushes, never 

 allow a sound to escape them ; and on the alarm note 

 of their parents being heard, sit especially close and 

 motionless, while the young of chimney swallows, wood- 

 peckers, and orioles are very noisy. The latter, in its 

 deep pouch, is quite safe from birds of prey, except 

 perhaps the owl. The owl, I suspect, thrusts its leg 

 into the cavities of woodpeckers and into the pocket- 

 like nest of the oriole, and clutches and brings forth 

 the birds in its talons. In one case which x neard of, 

 a screech-owl had thrust its claw into a cavity in a 

 tree, and grasped the head of a red-headed wood- 

 pecker; being apparently unable to draw its prey forth, 

 it had thrust its own round head into the hole, and in 

 some way became fixed there, and had thus died with 

 the woodpecker in its talons. 



The life of birds is beset with dangers and mishap' 

 of which we know little. One day, in my walk, 1 

 came upon a goldfinch with the tip of one wing se 

 curely fastened to the feathers of its rump, by what 

 appeared to be the silk of some caterpillar. The 

 bird, though uninjured, was completely crippled, anJ 

 could not fly a stroke. Its little body was hot and 

 panting in my hands, as I carefully broke the fetter. 

 Then it darted swiftly away with a happy cry. A 

 record of all the accidents and tragedies oi bird life 



