Section 193. Telegraphy (S. 3, N. 2) Among Birds

I watch⁠ a flock⁠ of crows who, by some own correspondent of theirs, have learned that Farmer Blyth will hold a ploughing match on his grounds⁠, and have in consequence summoned their brethren⁠ to a diet of worms. How unconcerned they look, as if worms were nothing to them⁠! How grave, as if it were an Ecclesiastical Convocation⁠, and they had no thought of earthly things⁠! Yet point⁠ a gun, or anything like it towards them, and in a moment (App. § 14) the young birds even whose backs seemed turned to you⁠ will give a flutter⁠ of their wings, which appears an involuntary struggle⁠, but in reality is as significant a danger-signal as a red flag on a railway⁠, and is sufficient to clear the field. Nor [= And yet ... not] are those crows exceptionally wise. All their feathered brethren⁠ have made a sacred compact⁠ that never with their consent shall salt be put upon their tails. The sparrows are not so idle that⁠ they do not pass the word to each other when crumbs are falling thick⁠ from some rich man’s table. The doves, though they look so innocent (S. 27, N. 8) do not spend⁠ all their time in cooing love-songs and cradle-lullabies⁠, or in pruning their rainbow-feathers. They have a Telegraphy of their own⁠, and⁠ by a mere peck, or a [das] ruffle of their feathers, can direct each other to the fields where the autumn wheat⁠ is germinating best, or⁠ the garden where the green peas are fullest and brightest⁠.—Professor C. Wilson.

beobachten.

Schar, f.

to hold a ploughing match on one’s grounds, auf seinem Felde pflügen lassen.

= friends; ‘diet’, here Gericht, n.

This is nothing to me, dies geht mich nichts an. See App. § 33.

Kirchenversammlung, f.

to have no thought of earthly things, an nichts Irdisches denken.

The huntsman pointed a gun towards me, der Jäger richtete eine Flinte auf mich.

whose — you = that apparently seemed to turn their (S. 43, N. 9, B) back to thee.

to give a flutter, eine leichte flatternde Bewegung machen; of = with.

an involuntary struggle = quite involuntary (unwillkürlich).

= in the railway-service (S. 36, N. 7, A).

= All birds.

Supply ‘among (unter) one another’ here.

als daß; to pass the word = to give a hint.

to fall thick, im Überflusse auf die Erde fallen.

verbringen.

in — lullabies, mit dem Girren von Liebes- und Wiegenliedern.

We have a library of our own, wir haben unsere eigene Bibliothek.

Here follows the verb ‘can’; supply ‘with the beak’ after ‘peck’.

= where the wheat in autumn.

The prep. ‘to’ must be repeated here.

= stand thickest and best (schön). See S. 183, N. 24.