BIRD PARADISE 165 



amount of the scavenger basiness. A. pair of the 

 fellows set up housekeeping in my cellar last fall. 

 In one week they explored every part of it and 

 made some outside journeys also. They sampled 

 potatoes, cabbages, beets, and in fact they levied 

 tribute upon about everything there, but the 

 stroke they put in largest was among the apples. 

 In three days' time, before I suspected what was 

 going on, they literally chewed up the top layer 

 in several crates, just simply to get at the seeds. 

 Of course I could see from the rat's standpoint 

 that he was doing nothing worthy of death. His 

 business was to get what he wanted to eat and get 

 it in his own way. I freely granted all that, but 

 just at this juncture the parson's business came 

 in, interposing serious obstacles in the way of the 

 depredators. Chewing being their forte they 

 were allowed to practice it freely. Eeturns from 

 the scheme so far are most encouraging to every- 

 body but the rats. Their condition, however, is 

 such that they do not complain. 



The wisest looking of our many birds seems to 

 know almost the least. To look wise is no large 

 evidence of being wise. Owls certainly carry 

 about with them the Solon countenance, and just 



