CHANGELINGS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14836, 29 November 1913, Page 8

CHANGELINGS.

.90. ! In the same shrubbery, not more \ ihan a dozea yards apart, a pair of thrushes and a pair of blackbirds had made their nests, which, when discovered, each contained four writhing bite of ugliness of whose welfare their parents showed most agitated concern. Doubtless these young things would steal fruit in the future as their ancestors had done before them, and it was in my mind to etop such. wickedness, but here was a difficulty. On finding the eggs of a thrush or blackbird, it is usual to hand them over to a small boy who will exchange them at a road board office for coin of the realm but not if they wero ten times more destructive could I bring myself to pull off tho road boardly desired scalps of infant birds, and I .was passing -on when a—possiblymischievous—idea accurred. I took the young thrushes to tho blackbird's vest, and gave tho young blackbirds to the thrushes in exchange. Then I went where I could watch events, and waited developments. " Tho-thrush abode was nearest my hiding place, , and in a few moments tho hen bird returned with, a beakload of "grub"—truly—and settled confidently upon the edge of her nest; but-instantly she sprang to a branch a foot away, and I could imagine her saying, "Why, why, why, tlu's thusness." She might have said worse,-for I am sure that female birds can in their own language quite equal others of their "ses, but no matter, Jtho question" as usual was "what will she do next," and in this case—also as usual—"she" did very well, and made the best of circumstances. - After the first interval of quite presumable surprise, th© hen thrush came to the nest again; and there were fouropen. month, .never caring who filled them so long as they were filled, and she shared out hor supply >among them* Then. she flew off nurriedly, of course to tell her mate all about their abnormally progressive little-uns, or words to that effect. Presently the cock bird came upon the scene—rather doubtfully—perhaps experienced in feminine outlooks and so prepared for the 'worst— and carrying, a far smaller supply of"tucker; but he. too, fed the changelings, and I judged the adoption was complete. The blackbirds had gone unnoticed, and I think one or both must have paid a previous visit to their nest, for when I shifted my position, so-to se«i the hen was feeding her new acquirements as though they were her own. Evidentls I had contrived no harm, so I_changed nothing more: Sinco this day the two families have been reared successfully, but for what they-consider thomselyes I cannot say. It is rather interesting to see the old thrushes' feeding young blackbirds, and the contrary, but no doubt the cherries and the currants will suffer exactly in the bad old style. Another incident , which, .mar come under the heading of '(Changelings was the finding one bird full occupation ofAanother's nest. UnVa middle fork of a' manuka bush m the Orari riverbed, we discovered a nest which certainly Had been built by a hedge-sparrow, but at the moment was tenanted by: a hen. chaffinch, who sat closely until a hand - was within a foot of her strange: home. : The nest contained oho day-old bird and a couple of blue eggs which undoubtedly belonged t-o iThedge sparrow, and; I have neither road , nor heard of such a happening. A weist" "later. we made * special;expedition to see the nest, and again the hen chaffinch was. there, and, still she was caring for a young hedge sparrow, and in spite of the supposed difference between the ordinary food £f a chaffinch and hedge sparrow, the nestling, was doing itself well: I say "supposed" because tho hedge sparrow is classed as an wholly ■' insectivorous bird, and I have seen them eat poisoned wheat. with fatal effect. To make absolutely sure, I. dissected-a couple of the victims and ■ found some •of tho wheat in their crops. However, this does not explain-the fact of a chaffinch sitting on a nest belonging to a hedgo sparrow, and I can conclude only that some accident, must'have befallen the chaffinch establishment, aud, as the next best thine in sight they had busted the weaker bird, from its .nest , Wβ took Wie "two hedge sparrow's eggs for specimens, and though still easy to clear, they w«re addled; perhaps ,in consequence of the change in ownership.