Animals in action; studies and stories of beasts, birds and reptiles; their habits, their homes and their peculiarities (1901) (14568745969)

Identifier: animalsinactions00broo (find matches)
Title: Animals in action; studies and stories of beasts, birds and reptiles; their habits, their homes and their peculiarities
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Brooks, Elbridge S. (Elbridge Streeter), 1846-1902
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, Lothrop pub. co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



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the rescuers by means of loud and prolongedbaying. Touching tales have been told of the devotion of the St. Ber-nard dogs, and many poets have lauded their deeds. Mankindwill remember with gratitude the dog Barry, which saved seven-teen travellers from imminent death, and perished upon its lasterrand of mercy. The person whom it had rescued mistook itfor a wolf and sent a bullet into its heart. For over ten centu-ries have the monks of St. Bernard carried on their great workof mercy. In the past twenty years much has been accom-plished to lessen the need of their labors ; but from time to timethe fearful tales of the past are reenacted, to be met with thesame heroism and devotion. During the summer many touriststravel over the great St. Bernard, and according to their customthe monks place food and drink before them free of cost; butfew of the travellers fail to remember generously the greatwork for humanity to which the monks and their dogs aredevoting themselves, now as in the past.
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oQ THE SHRIKE. 113 The Shrike. ON a beautiful spring morning we take a path that leads usthrough field and wood, across meadows and over hills.We wish to see boundless Nature in all her royal beauty.Suddenly, on the border of a little clearing, we come upon anextraordinary scene. Impaled on thorns are a lot of beetles,grasshoppers, butterflies, and other large insects; even reptiles,such as small frogs, lizards, and other similar animals, are thusdiscovered. It is the butcher shop of a singular bird. For it isa remarkable pecuHarity of the shrike, or butcher-bird, that heimpales upon thorns in the neighborhood of his nest whateverpart of his prey he does not at once consume, whether it be a blue-bottle or a beetle, a fly or a mouse, a larva, a fledgling, or even afull-grown bird. The butcher-bird hunts industriously all daylong, and, as he has not a particularly voracious appetite, hequickly impales whatever comes under his beak. In fact, itappears that he hunts more for the pleasure