Sept., 1916 
A HOSPITAL FOR WILD BIRDS 
193 
As it was impossible for the poor creature to feed himself it became in- 
cumbent upon me to assume the functions of foster father, and I soon dis- 
covered I had a big contract upon my hands, for the mutilated mandibles had 
to be pried apart and the food thrust down his remarkably capacious gullet 
several times daily. Not once was this process performed without vigorous 
protest on his part, and the sounding forth of his bellowing notes. His mimi- 
cry was fascinating and ever a source of interest and amusement, especially 
when he realized that he was not fooling you and would descend from his 
statuesque attitude, and suddenly, by a trick of feather adjustment, assume 
three times his normal proportions, uttering a roar of disgust and resentment. 
Nature made a feeble effort to reproduce the destroyed horny material of the 
bill, tbe result being a thin nail-like projection a little over half an inch long. 
After several months the bittern’s appetite began to fail and he died of inani- 
tion. 
Quite a large number of feathered patients, consisting of house sparrows, 
finches, borned larks and western meadowlarks, were recorded in the hospital 
during the early summer months as victims of the screw-fly maggot, a marked 
increase being noted the present summer. This fly has a deadly method in 
the deposit of its eggs, which are hatched in the process of insertion into the 
flesh of its victim, regions being selected largely inaccessible to the beak of 
tbe bird. The inner corner of the eye, the top of the head, the neck, and the 
under sides of the wings seem to be the favorite locations selected by the fly, 
although some of the victims were simply dotted all over with the worms. I 
never observed any of the worm-infested birds making efforts to remove the 
maggots, or giving evidence that, they were suffering from local irritation or 
discomfort, but all seemed to be stupid and drowsy as though under the influ- 
ence of septic poisoning. 
Two fledgling western meadowlarks found wandering quite a distance 
from their nest, were found to be literally alive with the horrid maggots, one 
yielding twenty-six and the other twenty-four specimens. Very few of these 
fly-stung birds recovered, even when relieved of their deadly messmates, sep- 
tic conditions prevailing to a fatal extent. To me the remarkable thing about 
this maggot is that it immediately abandons its victim as soon as death ensues. 
Human beings are infested as well as birds and mammals. A child a few 
months old while being wheeled in its carriage through one of our parks cried 
out suddenly as if in pain, and the mother noticed a screw-fly dashing against 
the face of the infant. By the time the mother reached my office with the 
child I found half a dozen of these micoscopic maggots burrowed half their 
length in the skin of the baby’s face. 
My bird hospital has furnished me with an endless number of incidents 
and anecdotes of bird life which T treasure up for the enjoyment and edifica- 
tion of the school children, who, many thousand in numbers, have become my 
faithful and loyal coadjutors in the care and protection of bird-life. And 
through this glorious service for our feathered brothers, the birds, T have gar- 
nered the sweetest joys of life, and prolonged my years beyond man’s allotted 
time. 
Colorado Springs , Colorado, August 7, 1916. 
