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Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
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Transcription
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silent too long they are inclined to become restless as if fearing
that some covert act were being prepared. Certainly they are not
frightened by the human voice at all, no matter how near it is to them.
Of course, although I have not tried it, a sudden war-whoop uttered
right in the ear of one of them would probably cause a panic, yet I
have repeatedly called to some person 50 or 100 feet away, with a bird
sitting on my hand, and not alarmed the bird. Brownie and Greenie
will both come when called, if they feel like it, but if they do not
feel like it they ignore one absolutely. There is also the opposite
condition, where from their demeanor, it is patent that they want to
come but do not know whether they will be welcome. At such times,
especially with Brownie, a spoken word or two in an ordinary conver-
-often
sational tone will bring her trotting over with almost pathetic
eagerness and sometimes with little cries announcing her coming.
They are not singing now at all and not even calling each other, al-
though they talk a little occasionally. Greenie still creeps up care-
fully ready to bolt on any pretext. Brownie, however, is usually
from me
bold. She gets many times as many worms as he does (all of which go
to the young) on account of this, and although Greenie sees all of
this he will not overcome his inhibitions, being often forced to beg
her for a worm to take to the nest in order, I suppose, to save face,
or perhaps, really to help. The adults will go to almost any length
to get food for the young and incur, what for them, must be consider-
ed great risks.
July 8th. About 7 this morning as I looked down from a small second
story porch connected with my bed room, I saw Brownie at the feeding
station at the oval lawn. As I wished to see if she would come up
there where she had never been before and whether she would be afraid
of me clad only in pajamas, I spoke to her without raising my voice.
She located me at once and headed for me across roads, paths and shrub-
bery, climbed up the trunk of the nearest tree and worked out to the