File:Bird homes. The nests, eggs and breeding habits of the land birds breeding in the eastern United States; with hints on the rearing and photographing of young birds (1900) (14565888208).jpg

Identifier: cu31924090283841 (find matches)
Title: Bird homes. The nests, eggs and breeding habits of the land birds breeding in the eastern United States; with hints on the rearing and photographing of young birds
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Dugmore, A. Radclyffe (Arthur Radclyffe), 1870-
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York, Doubleday & McClure Co.

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ll appearanceshappy. The whole question is, of course, one that each personmust decide for himself, but unless there is a great deal of cer-tainty in ones mind it is surely better to give the birds thebenefit of the doubt—and their freedom. One aspect of the casehas been put acutely by a poet who loved birds and syijipathisedwith them very fully. He says of his mocking-bird : We have sometimes discussed the question: Is it better onthe whole that Bob should have lived in a cage than in the wildwood ? There are conflicting opinions about it: but one of us isclear that it is. He argues that although there are many songswhich are never heard, as there are many eggs which neverhatch, yet the general end of a song is to be heard, as that of anegg is to be hatched. He further argues that Bobs life in hiscage has been one long blessing to several people who stood inneed of him: whereas in the woods, leaving aside the probabilityof hawks and bad boys, he would not have been likely to gain 8
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MALE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, ONE YEAR OLD Introductory one appreciative listener for a single half-iiour out of each year,and so on. But 1 must, remind all readers that any one who does keeppets incurs responsibilities along with the pleasure they bring.To deprive any wild animal of its liberty and then neglect it issheer barbarity. Having birds in this way affords almost the only means ofstudying the remarkable individuality possessed by differentm-embers of the same species. That each bird has a characterpeculiar to itself may be doubted b.y some, but 1 have never seentwo individuals showing the same peculiarities. Two rose-breasted grosbeaks that have been reared together from the samenest, and are now eighteen months old, are different in almostevery way. One is intensely jealous and objects to attention beingpaid to any other bird; the other seems not to know whatjealousy means. One wants to sleep at night; the other keepsup a perpetual jumping from perch to perch until all hours

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