THE THIRD STORY--BABY BIRDS
When our little girls were seven and nine this talk was given. The
previous stories were reviewed bringing out the resemblances and
differences. They were permitted to ask questions. In this talk they
were very alert to see and apply all the lessons learned from previous
stories.
=The beginning of love.=--In this review of the story of life, among the
plants and fish, we found no love or personal feeling between the male
and female. Among the insects and reptiles we found that the males and
females choose each other, when led by instinct to bring their young
into the world. From the fish to the birds we find the simplest form of
love and interest on the part of the parents in their young. This is
shown by the care the parents take in the protection and care of the
eggs and the food prepared for the young before they are hatched. The
male crawfish picks up the fertilized eggs with his feelers, that are
arranged in a double row underneath his tail, and, by means of these
feelers, he carries the eggs close to his body until they are nearly
ready to hatch. The frogs and toads show great tenderness for their
eggs. A great many books have been written about all these animals and
when you are older you will be greatly interested in learning more of
the detail of reproduction among these curious animals. Among all the
animals we have studied the male and female separate as soon as the eggs
are fertilized and laid, in other cases as soon as the eggs begin to
hatch. The parent animals show no interest in their young after they are
hatched and their children never know their parents or love them.
=The ant and the bee.=--Two exceptions should be made to the above
statement, the bee and the ant. They do not pair off and mate, as do
other insects, but they live in colonies, or societies. They do not seem
to have any special interest in their offspring or even a mate, but in
the whole community of bees or ants. The perfect social organizations
they form and the homes they build rival the skill and intelligence of
man. There are some interesting books written about the bee and ant by
persons who have spent years in studying them. When you are older you
may be interested in reading such books.
=Baby birds.=--We will study God’s plan among the birds. In studying the
family life of the birds we find a higher form of instinct, more love
and care for each other and their young than among the animals we have
studied.
We often feel disgusted at the ugly, slimy toads, lizards and serpents
living in swamps and pools. But not so with the birds. Most of them are
very interesting and beautiful and some are fine musicians. Among most
of the wild birds of the fields and forests, in the spring time the male
chooses among the females the one that most suits his fancy and they are
mated or married. When they decide to raise them a family they build
them a nest. This is their home. The partridge and lark build their
nests on the ground, the swallow in chimneys, the pigeons in barns, the
woodcocks and woodpeckers in hollow limbs, the wild ducks and geese on
the ledges of rocky cliffs, or in the high grass and weeds on the edge
of a lake, but most birds build their homes in bushes and trees. The
cuckoo does not build a nest, but lays her eggs in the nest of other
birds, to get rid of all labor and trouble of hatching, feeding and
rearing her young. We feel a natural contempt for the cuckoo. In every
female bird there are organs called ovaries where at certain seasons
little eggs are formed. While small or soft they are fertilized by the
male bird. As the egg grows in the body of the mother bird a hard thin
shell is formed around them. When the eggs are fully formed and the nest
is completed, the mother bird lays the eggs in the nest, usually one
egg a day. For several days these eggs must have some extra heat or they
will not hatch. Among most birds, the mother sits on her eggs so that
the warmth of her body will cause the fertilized cell in each egg to
form the little bird. While she sits on the eggs the father bird gathers
fresh berries and worms and brings them to the mother bird to eat. When
not bringing her water or food, he is usually found perched upon a
nearby limb cheering his wife by talking and singing to her. When her
little legs become tired, he will take her place, while she goes and
finds fresh food or water. When the little birds are hatched, from
sunrise to sunset the parents are busy catching worms and insects and
feeding their young. As their children grow older and larger, in some
mysterious way, they teach them the danger of men and guns, cats and
snakes. When they are about grown they are taught to fly. From this time
until the next spring they will live in flocks, when they will again
mate and raise a family. In this way all the beautiful feathery
songsters are brought into this world.