Tárogató, 1945-1946 (8. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1945-11-01 / 5. szám
16 TÁROGATÓ we saw on the bluff beyond the bam a multitude of birds in a large circle. It was the crows court of justice in session. We knew it was useless to try to get near them as we noted one sentinel by the weather vane on the barn and another on the top-most branch of a very tall tree. Should we approach, one of two things would happen; either the sentinels would see us and give the alarm and the flock would fly, or should the sentinels not see us before the other crow;s became aware of our approach, it would be all up with them. For them there would be no trial. The whole flock would fly at them and rend them to shreds in a couple of minutes. For a crow sentinel to fail at his post is among the crows the unforgivable sin, and the unfortunate bird seldom lives to tell the tale. The sentinels were cawing from time to time, but that was nothing compared with what was taking place in the crow court of ju»t. ce. There must have been several score of crows. In the circle we could see two crows; they were the birds on trial. What they had done, we had no way of knowing; but they were not taking it lying down. They flapped their wings and cawed as if objecting to the charges that were being made against them. The judges cawed back, perhaps they were passing sentence. Suddenly the whole flock swarmed at the two in the centre of the circle. We could not see what happened in the turmoil; but the condemned birds were doubtless picked to death. It was all over in a couple of minutes, and gradually the assembly broke up and the individual crows went about their business. In a few minutes there were a half hundred sparrows fluttering their wings in a big puddle of water at the corner of the street. Crows quite frequently hold these courts of justice. They seem to have their own laws and it’s every crow’s business to keep them and see that other crows keep them. The court is usually held in some secluded spot, a large tree or the side of a hill where they are in little danger of human interference. The culprits are arraigned before the judges, judgment is soon pronounced, and quickly carried out. Other speciese of birds hold their courts and their councils, from sparrows and blackbirds to storks and flamingos. Of course we are not sure that all the birds from that ten acre woodlot were at the crow court, although it looked like it; but in case they were, how was it that the owl was left behind? There was a very good reason. The owl is persona non grata with the crows, and he knows it. Had he ventured into their midst, his fate would have been sealed. —Canadian Boy. A MEDAL FOR A HORSE When a Donegal farmer, Mr. J. Doherty, of Farsetmore, went into one of his fields to call the cows for milking recently he was savagely attacked by a bull and was in danger of being gored to death. He had the presence of mind, however, to call his favourite horse which quickly came to his aid, charging at the bull and driving him off. An Irish representative of the Dumb Friend’s League and Blue Cross reported the incident to the London headquarters, who ordered a special medal to be struck recording the horse’s noble act, and sent it to Donegal for presentation. —Onward. GLASS LIKE SILK Three big new factories have been started in Scotland for manufacturing textile goods and insulated materials .from glass. The experimental stage is now past, and manufacturers are now endeavouring to cope with a demand far exceeding the supply. In the first factory the basic glass is produced, and this is transferred to the other two for conversion into silk-like threads, woven into insulating tapes and cloth. The technical staffs of these factories have all been trained in Scotland, and the processes involved have not been used in any other part of Britain. Experts believe that it will soon be possible to produce textile goods for [Harsonái wear. —Canadian Girl. “The policy of let us defeat the enemy and leave the rest to chance or providence will not work. It means betrayal of the hope of millions out of whose endurance, pain and death victory is being won. Neither isolationism nor imperialism will do.” So says Sir S. Radhakrishan, Indian philosopher and Y'ice Chancellor of Benares University while on a visit to China.
