Identifier: birdsnature51907chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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matter ofpride with the people, than they weretwenty years ago. The Scissor-tails begin housekeep-ing some time after their arrival fromCentral America, courting and lovemaking occupying much time beforethe nest is built. They are not hardto please in the selection of a suitablenesting place, almost any tree standingalone being selected rather than asecluded situation. The nest is bulky,commonly resting on an exposed limb,and is made of any material that maybe at hand. They nest in oaks,,mesquite, honey locust, mulberry,pecan, and magnolia trees, as well asin small thorny shrubs, from five toforty feet from the ground. Rarelymolested they become quite tame.Two broods are often raised. Theeggs are usually five. They are hatchedby the female in twelve days, whilethe male protects the nest ifrom sus-picious intruders. The young are fedentirely on insects and are able toleave the nest in two weeks. Theeggs are clear white, with markings ofbrown, purple, and lavender spots andblotches. 60
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THE DUCK MOLE. WE ARE indebted to Dr. GeorgeBennett for the first good de-scription of the duck mole(Ornithorhynchus anatimis)which was an object of wonder to nat-urahsts long after its discovery. Thisenthusiastic investigator traveled to Aus-tralia for the sole purpose of observingthe animal. Up to that time little wasknown of it. We simply knew that theduck mole lives in the water and waspersistently hunted by the natives as ityielded a savory flesh and laid eggs.The latter discovery was made by Cald-well in 1884. The duck mole is about two feet inlength, six inches of which are includedin the tail. The males are larger thanthe females. The legs are very small, allfour being five-toed and webbed. Allthe toes are very strong, blunt, and ex-cellently adapted for digging. Themiddle toes are the longest. The tail isflat and is broad at the end, the ex-tremity being formed by long hairs. Itis abruptly cut off, and in old animals iseither entirely naked beneath or coveredwith a few coarse

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