Show re t i 7 YOUNG BIRDS EVER IN PERILA PERIL PERU A Wonder He Ever Grows Up He Has HasSo HasSo So 80 Many Enemies So many dangers beset young birds between the time they are hatched and the time when they are able to take care of ot themselves It Is a wonder wonder wonder won won- der that so many of ot them reach matur matur- ity That any of ot them do doso so Is probably probably ably due to the fact tact that this period of helplessness Is comparatively short averaging perhaps three weeks with the majority of our perching birds During the period of Incubation the nest is comparatively safe as a rule It t is Inconspicuous often carefully Bidden and the sitting bird is usually silent AS soon as the tender chicks break breakthrough breakthrough breakthrough through the shells of the eggs It becomes becomes becomes be be- comes a difficult matter Indeed forthe forthe for forthe the parents to keep their secret from a hundred enemies more pitiless than any storm and whose eyes ears and noses are ever ready ready to detect the presence of ot such dainty and available morsels as nestling birds The feeding of ot the little ones and the cleaning of the nest necessitate scores of ot visits daily dally on the part of the theold theold theold old birds and quietly as the work Is usually done so much passing back and forth to a given ghen point is very often apt to attract undesirable atten- atten tion Then the young birds themselves themselves them them- selves seem very indiscreet and frequently frequently frequently fre fre- make so much ado when their parents arrive with food that they to Invite every enemy within sight or hearing The young of ot birds which build on an anthe n the ground are perhaps the ones which are subject to the greatest number of dangers Fortunate It Is for tor them that they know no evil that evil that their Inborn Inborn Inborn In In- born fear is latent and does not develop develop de de- until such time as It shall profit them to be afraid until they are able to fly and thus escape the dangers th they y yare are afraid of White footed mice in all probability destroy young birds occasionally since they are fond of animal food Personally I have never seen a gray squirrel injure a birds bird's nest but I think there Is enough good evidence forthcoming to convict him of at least occasionally eating both eggs and nestlings Red squirrels and chipmunks chipmunks chip chip- chipmunks munks have been caught In the act so often that they may be regarded as habitual criminals In proportion to their numbers however it Is doubtful If squirrels do anywhere near the damage that Is wrought by the domestic cat The latter latter lat lat- ter tel is larger and requires much more food and it is also more apt to kill merely for sport The cat problem Is Isa isa isa a serious one with bird lovers the themore themore themore more so so because of the strong hold pussy has on thousands of good people |