OCR Text |
Show V TAMING A FLOCK OF QUAILS. Uackirhet ami Clrnilual Ailvnncs Can. qar Clin Wllflnti nt ttit lllrd. Several weofcs ngoMrs. D. N. Snyder of JuOorson township saw n lot of quails dusting themselves under sumo currant bushes in the back end of her garden, says the Scrnnton, Pa., correspondent corre-spondent of the N. Y. Sun. The birds looked so happy nnd contented tlint she thought It would bo too bad to disturb dis-turb thotn, 60 sho returned to the houso without pulling tho weeds out of a patch of onions that sho had gone there for the purpose of doing. In an hour or so the quails had disappeared in tho tall timothy of the adjoining meadow, nnd Mrs. Snyder scattered some buckwheat around whore tliey had boon wallowing. On the following follow-ing day the birds came there again, gobbled UrtliB buckwheat, nnd had a good tlnio. Kvery day for u week or so Mrs. Snyder scattered grain among the btisbes for tho quails to feed ou, and tho birds soon got so that they looked for food in tho garden as rogu-lurly rogu-lurly ns they did for a resting placo nt night out in tho woods, back of thu big meadow lot. Ono morning tho kind-hearted woman forgot to throw the buckwheat, but tho quails reminded her of her negligence by appearing nt the usual hour und making n great fuss and noise bceauso there wnsn't any grain in tho garden for them to pick up. Mrs. Snyder let thu birds hunt for other kinds of food that day, nnd for sovorul mornings nftcr that she dliln'f fail to glvo them a good feed of buckwheat. Then sho missed a morning nn purpose to seo how tho quails would act when they didn't Und any grain noar tho currant bushes, watching from n second-story window for them to make their appearance ap-pearance 1'romptly on timo tho wholo flock crept under tho garden) fence from tho meadow, run among the bushes, and begun to dodge and flutter about whero they had been in the habit of finding the buckwheat. When they had searched long euough to learn that no mil ii had been put there for them tho ilrds piped in low tones, fluttered uneasily, un-easily, scattered Into tho vcgotablo beds, and appeared to bo very much disappointed. In u little whilo tho quails gavo up tho search, assembled under thu currant bushes, und went to dusting themselves In thu soil. Mrs. Snyder counted fourteen in the Hock, nnd thou sho went ilowu-stuirs, got u basinful of buckwheat, and tlptoci) her way into the garden. When sho had got ns near to the quails as she could without scaring them Mrs. Snyder flung n handful of buckwheat toward tho quiet llttlo flock. It fell among them and thoy all scampered under the fence rid wont out of sight In a hurry. Then sho throw sonio moro of tho grain on tho ground whero they had been nnd sucrclcd herself behind n row of peuvines. Presently ouo of tho birds ventured to crawl under tho fenco into tho garden. It soon found the buckwheat, nnd set to tilling its crop, and nt this tho other birds took courage, tiled from their biding places, nnd went to. picking up tho grain ns though each was determined to get its hare. From her place of concealment Mrs. Snyder flung a handful of buckwheat Into tho air so that It fell into the midst of tho lloek. It scared tho birds n little, lit-tle, but thuv quickly resumed tholr feeding, anil Mrs. Snyder bogan to whistle to them, flinging moru grain Into tho air as she whistled. That excited ex-cited their curiosity just onough to make them look up for a momeu:, ami Mrs. Snyder emptied tho basin nnd nolo awuy without letting thu birds ito her. Sho fed the quails in this way for a few days, gradually got them used to her whistle and voice, nnd let them get sight of her by degrees. In-lido In-lido of a month from the time sho first law thu birds in the garden shu had thorn so well tamed that they fluttered out of thu meadow whenever slio called them, nte In her presence, anil did not Mem to fear her ut all. Since thou Mrs. Snyder has taken u good deal of comfort with her strange little flock, and she Bald the other day that tho conlldeuco tho birds havo In her pay her many times over for nil tho trouble sho has made herself in getting tho wild llttlo creatures to be as tame ns they ure. |