A PIGEON AND ITS WHISTLi; : CHINA 



These whistles, very light, weighing a few grams, are attached to the tails of young 

 pigeons soon after their birth by means of fine copper wire, so that when the birds fly the 

 wind blowing through the whistles sets them vibrating, and this produces an open-air con- 

 cert, for the instruments in the same flock are all different (see page 715). 



as those of yesterday. And here we have 

 the secret of youth in age which every 

 venerable naturahst I have ever met has 

 convincingly illustrated. I could name 

 nearly a dozen, living and dead, whom it 

 has been my valued privilege to know. 

 All had passed the allotted three-score 

 and ten, and some were over four-score. 

 The friends and associates of their ear- 

 lier days had passed away, and one 

 might imagine that they had no interest 

 in life and were simply waiting for the 

 end. 



But these veterans were old in years 

 only. Their hearts were young. The 

 earth was fair ; plants still bloomed and 

 birds sang for them. There was no idle 

 waiting here ; the days were all too short. 

 With what boyish ardor they told of 

 some recent discovery ; what inspiration 

 there was in their enthusiasm ! 



So I say to you, if you would reap the 

 purest pleasures of youth, manhood, and 

 old age, go to the birds and through them 

 be brought within the ennobling influences 

 of Nature. 



714 



