Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/219

moods, is almost sweet and pleasing to the ear compared with the discordant wailing of these infatuated birds, one may judge of the nature of their performance. Whether these antics are intended for courtship or defiance I am perfectly ignorant, but I have observed pewits acting in much the same manner. At first I imagined the bird was forming its nest (I was in a punt at about ten yards' distance), but on examining the spot on the following day I found no marks, and then came to the conclusion that the bird was either showing himself off for the admiration of the female, who was close by, or else bidding defiance to another male, which I could plainly see indulging in the same performance at a short distance. I have not the slightest doubt that gulls, and every species of sea bird, might, with proper attention and food, be so thoroughly reconciled to con finement that they would nest and rear their young."

In a small town situated in the interior of Georgia there lives a queer sort of sporting character, who has, or did have a few years ago, the strangest collection of fowls in his chicken-yard that it has ever been my fortune to see. I was strolling along a side street in the town when my attention was attracted by the sight of a large black bear chained to the door-post of a small frame tavern. While watching the huge beast, I was accosted by the proprietor, and invited into the barn-yard to see his "chickens," which he was about to feed. The invitation was accepted. At the first call of chick! chick! there came flying and running a curious assortment of fowls, tumbling over each other in their greedy haste. There were ducks, geese, and chickens like those to be seen in any farmyard, but mingled with these were wild geese, mud hens, partridges, and beautiful little wood ducks; the latter seemed tamer than the domestic species. Towering above all the other