OCR Text |
Show BIRDS ARE EA8ILY POISONED. Nature Seems to Have Netjlected to Safeguard Them. Birds seem to hftvo no discrimination discrimina-tion whntover In regard to poisons, probably because tlioy have almost no senso of smell and swallow their food without masticating it. Tlioy aro terrified ter-rified to paralysis by tho nppcarance of a poison siialco (unless tbo terror bo duo to dread of the appearance of I tho serpent rather than to an Inherited In-herited knowledso of Its venomous I power), but such Intelligent birds as I rooks will pick up and oat poisoned grain, nnd crows nnd ravons readily eat poisoned csg or meat. Chickens will eat tho poisonous seeds of laburnum labur-num and dlo from Its effects. Whcthor birds such as tits and greenfinches over do so does not seem to bo known. But wild birds nro frequently found dying in gardens, though npparontly they have been In good health a fow hours before, and their death may bo probably duo to tho consumption of poisonous seeds. |