This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ...THE HOME. With the birds, as with ourselves, during the period of courtship, more or less public protestations of affection, undying devotion, and fidelity are freely made, but like cheques we can only prove their genuineness at a later date. The pure, sweet, full-throated songster proves himself, when the time of ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ...THE HOME. With the birds, as with ourselves, during the period of courtship, more or less public protestations of affection, undying devotion, and fidelity are freely made, but like cheques we can only prove their genuineness at a later date. The pure, sweet, full-throated songster proves himself, when the time of trial comes, to be in every way equal to the highest that could be expected of him. Of one who sings so sweetly, we look for great things. With silver-tongued melody he wins his mate, and with the same charm he soothes her during the perLl of incubation; but when called upon to face the sterner work of life in providing food for some five or six ever-hungry mouths he puts away his music and joins his mate in satisfying their wants. How considerable these are, we shall see later. How different is the case with the buffoonery, and bluster, or brute force of the ruffs, the bustards and the game-birds. Here, no sooner has their wooing proved successful, than they turn their backs upon the females and leave them to fend as best they may, roaming the country it may be in parties as in bachelor days, or flitting indolently about the neighbourhood in wanton idleness. Fortunately, there is not much need of their help, for the young are able almost at once to run and feed themselves. But of this anon. We have seen something of our feathered friends during the period of courtship, we are now going to take a peep at them in the homes which they have newly founded. The choice of a mate having been made the next step is to select a site on which to build a home. This home we call a "nest." The form which this nest may take, and the situation of the site, are exceedingly variable, though always constant in each kind of bird. The object of a nest is to ...
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