AN ARTFUL BIRD.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12479, 4 March 1909, Page 4

AN ARTFUL BIRD.

A curious story of a willow-wren was told by a lecturer at the London Institute recently. Tired of fetching worms for her greedy youngsters, she presently hit on the device of inserting he beak in the young one's gaping mouth and tickling the back of its throat, the result of which was that the small gormandiser gave a great gulp, tliinking it had swallowed an exceptionally large worm, and mamma obtained .five minutes muchneeded rest. The story will sound a little "steep" io those who are not in the habit of closely observing the ways of the birds and animals (says the "Pall Mall Gazette"). Every naturalist, however, knows how ready the furred and feathered creation is with these little theatrical devices. ■We have seen the oddest and most amusing dodges adopted by sparrows in the Temple Gardens on cold winter mornings, and-later. in the year when their young are fluttering their wings as an appeal for bread and meat, otherwise crumbs and worms ; while | if any man needs one of the most i droll and surprising entertainments i in the world, let- him take a pair of ' ] good field glasses with him to the - neighbourhood of. a rookery in the ; nest-building time and watch the ■ scheming of: the birds for the best I twigs and their devices for getting 'them safely to their own particular eyrie. These creatures would put many a shiftless man and woman to shame. ■ . ..