Identifier: birdsnature121902chic (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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ructure, the cavitybeing rarely more than two or three inchesin depth, and the whole structure isabout twelve or sixteen inches in diam-eter and about one-half as high. It isusually placed in low shrubs or fastenedto the rank growth of saw grass suilfi-ciently low to be secure from ooservatioii.The materials used in its construction aregenerally dry twigs and sticks looselywoven together. The cavity may be bareor lined with small vines, leaves or drysaw grass. Dr. A. K. Fisher says, Its food, asfar as known, consists exclusively offresh-water univalve mollusks, which itfinds among the water plants at theedges of shallow lakes and rivers or theoverflowed portions of the everglades.When the bird has captured one of thesemollusks it flies to the nearest perch andremoves the meat from the shell withapparent ease and without injuring thelatter. While collecting food it will oftensecure five or six before returning to thenest, keeping m its gullet the parts it hasextracted for the young. 62
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^-^^v -ifi^ FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES. 507 EVERGLADE KITE. (Rostrhamus sociabilis). - 5 Life-size. COPrniSHT 1901, lY A. W. HUUFORD, CHICASO. THE ANIMALS FAIR. PART I. Once upon a time—for this is a fairystory—all the beasts and birds and bugsgathered in a solemn convention. Theobject of their meeting was explained bythe dog, who—because of his intelligenceand his intimacy with men and theirways—had been elected chairman of theconvention. He spoke thus: My friends, we have gathered here todiscuss an important question, namely,Our dealings with men, and mens deal-ings with us. It is a sad fact that al-though we are the benefactors of man-kind, and positively necessary to theirwell-being and even to their lives, theydo not appreciate us as they should. Ifyou will pardon my egotism, I will illus-trate this assertion by my own experi-ence. I may say modestl)^—for I amonly quoting mens words—that I amconsidered the most intelligent of beasts,and am chosen as the companion,

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