This evening as we were sitting out side in the cool we were
noticing the calls of the different birds that live around our
house. The whistle of the noisy black bird contrasted greatly with
the soft cooing of the morning dove. Then came a very distinctive
cooing of the ring necked dove. This reminded me of how I learned
of the ring necked dove.
About five years ago Naoma and I would swim in our pool early in
the morning and in the evening. We noticed that each morning a
dove would come and sit on Sister Parsons T.V. antenna. I noticed
that this particular dove had a very different call than the white
winged doves with which I was very familiar. I had even put words
to the varied call of the white winged dove. This dove that sat on
the antenna had a very different cooing call. Year after year we
noticed that what we thought was the same old dove came back each
year and sat on the same antenna all summer long. After noticing
this same call of this different dove for four or five years I
began to suspect that this old dove had transmitted this strange
different call to his posterity.
I often thought to myself that it was very strange that this dove
did not call like the others of his species. When we began to put
out wheat for the birds many white winged doves began to come and
eat. I could not see well enough to distinguish the birds
individually. Ventura began to tell me that our old dove from the
antenna was coming to eat the wheat, and that he knew him from his
lighter color and the black ring around his neck. I realized then
that our old bird with the strange call was not a white winged
dove but belonged to the species of the ringed neck dove that I
had seen in the deserts of Arizona.
Soon Ventura informed me that five or six of the ringed necked
doves were coming to eat the wheat. We could hear the same
different coo of the ringed neck doves coming from different
directions. I was convinced that all of the different doves and
birds were true to the God given command to reproduce each in its
own sphere and element, each after its own kind. What a wonderful
lesson came to me to strengthen my testimony about the words of
the Lord.
When I was a very young boy, I made a collection of many different
birds nests and their eggs. I discovered then that each bird
within its spieces had the same kind of nests and the same color,
size, and markings of its eggs. The humming birds tiny nest was
made up mainly of the downey cotton from the cottonwood tree lined
with soft feathers inside. The tiny eggs were white tinged just a
little with pale blue. I only found two eggs to the nest. I was
intrgued to find that all of the nests of the Baltimore Oriole
were a finely woven nest of horse hair hanging from the small
branches high in the trees. I wondered at the time where each pair
of Orioles could find enough loose horse hair to weave that
beautiful nest. Inside they lined the bottom of the hanging nest
with soft down and feathers. I could see that the nest was secured
in such a way that when it swayed in the wind that the eggs would
not fall out or be damaged. I wondered if in some places the
Orioles would be forced to use some other kind of hair or fiber to
use for their beautifully woven nests. All of the Oriol nests that
I ever saw were made and woven tightly with the strong hair of the
horses tail or mane.
The Boatailed Grackle always reinforced the bottom of their nest
with mud mixed with strong roots and grass. Their eggs were a dark
greenish blue with curious lines and blobs of dark color. The
Swallow of course built their nests of adobe seeking out a
sheltered place in the rafters of a room or porch. I think we here
in Mexico have taken the lesson from the Swallow and build our
houses from adobe, which are durable and warm in winter and cool
in summer. The cliff swallow usually finds a sheltered overhang
and builds a different adobe nest hanging from the roof of the
rock. It builds starting from the top leaving a small entrance
hole on one side of the nest. Usually they build in colonies with
many nests hanging from the rock. I think I have made the point
that each spieces of bird has its own way to live its life. Each
build their nest, lay the same amount of eggs, and raise their
young according to the instinct and the program that the Lord has
given them.
All of the beasts. The fouls, the fishes, the insects, and all
creeping things are obeying the Lords command. Even the plants in
all of their varieties are fulfilling the measure of their
creation.
Only the domesticated animals that man has changed vary their
habits and their ways of doing things. Man has developed many
different varieties and breeds of cattle, horses, sheep and all
the different domesticated animals. In the plant world man has
domesticated and changed thousands of plants. Only the plants that
remain in the wild continue to multiply in their own sphere
according to the command of our Heavenly Father.
In the beginning God commanded Adam and Eve too multiply and
replenish the earth that they might have joy and rejoicing in
their posterity. God also gave man his free agency to choose his
life and what he'll do. Isn't it wonderful that we can choose our
own way and are free to progress and grow according to the plan of
our Heavenly Father. We are not subject to live by instinct and
the program that the Lord has given to each species of the beasts,
the fowls, the fishes, the insects and all wild plant and animal
life. The Lord gave them all a commandment to multiply and
replenish the earth each in its own sphere and species, each after
its own kind.
That is why we can identify each species by their looks and
markings according to their calls and their habits. The burro by
its bray, and the horse by its whinny. Each bird spieces by its
size, color, and markings. Each species by its song, nest, and
eating habits.