Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
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the branches of which were touching me, and by turning my head
slowly, I could see that she was very much interested in my upper
story. Several times she made as if to spring upon it, but could not
muster sufficient courage. She then jumped down, circled about me
at a distance of one or two feet with her eyes fixed--as near as I
could judge--upon the crown of my hat. At least 20 times she crouched
to spring up and at least 15 times half jumped and half flew
from 6 inches to 2 feet up toward the top of my hat, but each time
lacked the courage to complete the effort. Thinking that there might
be a worm up there which had escaped, as they sometimes do and appear
in unexpected places, I took off my hat and mutx examined it, but
found nothing, Brownie meanwhile watching and climbing on to one of
my hands to have a look too. Next she began to consider jumping upon
my bare head, going through the same tactics as before. When I
put my hat on, she was still not satisfied. Finally she went to digging, but every little while would trot back to see if there were new
developments. This behavior is rather puzzling. Several times before
she has climbed to points a little higher than my head to inspect me
from above, but never before has she acted as if my roof was on fire.
From the beginning of the episode I attributed her antics to her
expectation that the next course offered by me would be worms, as
on previous occasions, but as they were not forthcoming, she decided
to look for them elsewhere than in my hands. I do not think that she
knows where I carry the box and it may be that she hoped to discover
However, I do not know the true explanation.
its location. On occasions like this she is full of animation and
is very interesting. The youngsters took no part in this episode,
for as soon as they had had enough to eat, they climbed into the
branches of the sage 3 or 4 feet away and dozed.
11:45 Brownie dug up a large angle worm, tried to break it up, but
could not; then abandoned it permanently. I wonder if the toughness
of these worms has not something to do with the birds' indifference