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I

The c/JMERICAN
"BIRD mAGAZINE.

PUBLISHED EVERY mONTH,

To increase popular interest in our ^Id birds.

Original, instructive, and
interesting reading, with
full page ILLUSTRA-
TIONS in NATURAL
COLORS showing the
different plumages of the
birds.

^* ^^ e^*

A large series of illus-
trations from photographs
of live wnld birds, their
nests and eggs and 30ung,

(A handsome ^ird Calendar to every subscriber.

tOc* a Number. $tMO per Year*

(Address,

AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY,

Worcester, Mass.

JOHN MERTON SWAIN.

^/^

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^4:

THE JOURNAL OF

^he cMaine Ornithological Society.

B (^uartcii^ Sournal of flDainc ©rnitbolOG^.

BIRD PROTECTION, BIRD STUDY, THE SPREAD OF THE KNOWLEDGE THUS
GAINED, THESE ARE OUR OBJECTS."

VOL. VI.

FAIRFIELD, MAINE, JANUARY, 1904.

NUMBER 1

Z\)c flDainc ©rnitholoijical
Socict\>.

Catt. Herhkrt I,. Spinney,

Popham Beach, Me.,
Trof. LESLIE A. Lee,

Brunswick, Me.,
Prof. Wm. Powers,

Gardiner, Me.,
J. Mkrton Swain,

.Skowhegan, Me.
Frank T. Noble,

Augusta, Me.,
Prof. A. L. Lane,

VVaterville, Me.,
Ora W. Knight, M. Sc,

Bangor, Me.,

President

Vice-])res!dent

Sec. and Treas

Editor

Asoc. Editor

Councillor

Councillor

All subscriptions, business communications
and articles for publication should be sent to
J. Merton Swain, Editor and Business Manager,
Fairfield, Maine.

All communications requiring an answer
must be accompanied by stamps for reply.

SUBSCRIPTIONS.

50 cts. per year. .Single copies 15 cts.
Advertising rates 25 cts. per inch each inser-
tion. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cts.

Ninth annual meeting to be held the Friday
and Saturday following Thanksgiving, 1904, at
Bangor, Maine.

Entered as second class mail matter at Fair-
field, Me.

BOttodal Cbat.

We have received notice from
Messrs. Dana, Estes & Co. of the com-
pletion of the fifth revised edition of
Dr. Elliott Coues' "Key to North
American Birds" which will be ready

for distribution on Dec. 15. This
work is published in two volumes.
The publisher's price is: Cloth octa-
vo ten dollars. This is the most com-
plete work on birds that has ever been
written.

Another year has glided swiftly by
and with this issue we begin Vol. VI.
A very pleasant and profitable meet-
ing was held at Gardiner and the out-
look is brighter for another year than
any year previous. We have a better
supply of papers on hand from the
annual meeting than we had last year,
and with the addition of an associate
editor, we believe we have good rea-
sons to anticipate a marked improve-
ment in Vol VI.

Howard McAdam, a taxidermist of
Calais, writes me that a swan was shot
at Mud lake, near Crawford lake, Me.,
Sept. 10, 1903, by Chas. S. Hunnewell
of Alexandria, Me. Mr. McAdam
mounted the bird and says he does
not think it a captive bird as it bore
no marks of captivity, that he could
not determine the variety, but thinks
it a trumpeter. Its measurements
were, length, 3 feet and 11.75 inches;
wing, 17.75 inches; extent, 5 feet, and
9 inches. He mentions that this bird
is now for sale.

Large flocks of pine grosbeaks were

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

seen earlier in the winter. We had
reports of them from many parts of
the state. W e observed them in Som-
erset county on Nov. 10. Mr. E. L.
Haley saw them at Range ley on Nov.
8. We have seen them on several of
our trips during the last few weeks.
Large flocks of snowflakes have ako
been reported. While on a carriage
drive on Saturday, Nov. 22, we saw
the largest flock that it was ever our
privilege to see. A flock of pine sis-
kins were seen in Athens, Somerset
county, and a flock of redpolls were
seen in Cornville in the same county.

As the Journal goes to press it leans
with great regret that the fire in Au-
gusta on the morning of Jan. 7th
seriously damaged the fine ornithol-
ogical collection of our associate edi-
tor, Frank T. Noble, which was kept
in his private office, next door to
Meouian hall. The entire contents
of the offices on the second floor were
hastily removed when it seemed cer-
tain this structure would also be des-
stroyed, with the result that the
beautiful collection of eggs of New
England birds, one of the finest in the
state, is in a sad condition, being in a
hopeless jumble and many badly
broken. The beautiful collection of
bird skins which has been so often
admired by many of our readers was
also badly shaken up, the contents of
each cabinet being ruthlessly jammed
into the corners of the drawers. Just
how they are coming out has not been
fully ascertained. The collection was
housed in large oak cabinets especi-
ially designed by Mr. Noble for
their reception and probably no col-
lection of the kind, great or small,
was ever made or arranged with
greater care. The owner will cer-
tainly have the sympathy not only of
his many friends, but of all ornithol-
ogists here and elsewhere.

Mr. Frank T. Noble, our associate,
is well known to our working mem-
bers as an enthusiastic field ornithol-
ogist, having had many years experi-
ence in the study of birds. We trust
that our members will remember that
the editors cannot alone make the
Journal a continued success. We hope
to continue the migration reports, as
made by the several members of our
society, in this volume. Mr. Norton's
paper on the finches will be com-
pleted in this volume and will prove
of great value to all working orni-
thologists, whether members or sub-
scribers. In the April number will be
begun a series of papers on "The
Warblers Found in Maine." These
papers when completed will be of
much value, as the four active mem-
bers who have this work in charge,
have done a large amount of work
with this most interesting family.
Capt. Spinney has had excellent op-
portunity to record the arrival and
departure of these birds, as well as to
note the abundance or scarcity of
them as they come and go in the
spring and fall. We shall have access
to our late fellow worker's, Clarence
H. Morrell's, notes and data,which will
be of great value, as he made consid-
erable study of the warblers, and has
some very interesting notes and rec-
ords, which in connection with Prof.
Knights' and our own experiences on
such species as yellow palm and
Wilson's blackcap, will be sought
after with much interest by all work-
ing students of birds, as well as be of
interest to those of our members and
readers, who love the study of this
family from an aesthetic standpoint.
Prof. Stanton's most interesting paper,
"Man's Relation to the Lower Ani-
mals," will appear in this volume and
cannot fail to interest all, coming as
it does, from one of the greatest orni-
thologists of his time, who has made a
deep, searching study of all animate

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

creation. With the above interesting-
mate rial, together with numerous
other papers of interest, and with the
work a little better divided, and other
improvements which we have in
mind, we shall endeavor to give our
readers a volume of much greater
value than the previous year.

NOTES ON THE FINCHES FOUND
IN MAINE.

By Arthur H. Norton.

(Continued from Vol 5, p 52.)

Passer dontesticus (Linn). English
Sparrow.

This introduced species is an abun-
dant resident of the cities and larger
villages throughout the state, and by
means of railroads and stage lines it
has to some extent penetrated to the
wilderness, making its abode at the
settlers' premises.

An interesting case of a pair having
built a nest in a freight car, and ac-
companying it on its trip from some
western point, to Portland, Maine,
was given bj^ Mr. J. Merton Swain in
the Maine Spoi-tsman. (Me. Sportsm.,
June 1897, p. 6.)

As Maine farmers are not to an im-
portant extent devoted to grain cul-
ture, it seems that this bird of doubt-
ful value should not be despised, on
account of its weed destroying habits.
Like all of its family it is to some de-
gree insectivorous, destroying many
insects of neutral value, and some
harmful ones, including grasshoppers,
and caterpillars of Vanessa antiopa.
It is an interesting and significant
fact that while our native finches
have not yet learned to open the
seeding heads of the introduced dan-
delion. Taraxacum taraxacum with
ease, the English Sparrow is not only
an expert in opening the heads but
in some quarters, at least, has a keen
appetite for the seed. A few of our
native species also relish these seeds,
and glean after their foreign rela-
tives, or labor at a disadvantage for
themselves.

This matter was carefully treated
by Mr. Sylvester D. Judd in 1898, in
the Yearbook of the U. S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture, pages 223-224.

*Judci. Birds as Weed Destroyers.

The article* was also reprinted and
should be read by all students inter-
ested in the economic value of birds.

Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm.)
American or Red Crossbill.

While this bird is a permanent resi-
dent of the state, it is in many local-
ities very irregular in its occurrence,
and perhaps nowhere to be found at
all seasons.

In general it may be said to be of
common occurrence throughout the
state, more so than the next, but less
extensively gregarious in its move-
ments in the southern part of Maine.

Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell in 1880 in
an important paper on the breeding
of this bird quoted Mr. G. A. Board-
man as informing him that "Th6 nest
has been found in thick trees, also
hard wood trees, and in holes."
Further he quotes from the same au-
thority that it "Is a very common
breeding bird all through the forests
of Northern Maine from January to
July, but not every year." Bull.
Nutt. Orn. Cb. v, pp 9-10.

New data has been accumulated
sufficient to show that its season of
reproduction extends into August,
while there seems to be no record of
its breeding between August and
January following.

On August 21, 1897, I found a few
pairs on Littlejohn's Island, Casco Bay,
which seemed to be engaged in
breeding duties, and they certainly
were in physical condition to do so.
It probably breeds, with more or less
frequency from this point easterly
along the coast, as its occurrence es-
pecially upon the islands has been
detected too often in summer to be
regarded as sporadic. Specimens
collected at Aliens Island, one of the
St. George Islands, St. George, Maine,
June 21, 26, 1895, seemed nearly ready
to breed. It is rather common in the
scrub pine groves at Pine Point and
Scarborough Beach, often remaining
to the last of April or early May.

The sudden appearance of flocks of
considerable size in summer in south-
ern Maine is a phenomena well
known to bird observers.

The name of Screwbill applied to it
in some parts of the lumber regions
is probably shared by the next
species.

Loxia leucoptera. (Gmel.) White -
winged Crossbill, Spruce bird.

Like the last this bird occurs irreg-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

ularly throughout the state, but un-
like that species it seems to have no
summer records from southern
Maine. In this section, however, it
appears at intervals in great abun-
dance.

At Scarborough, Nov. 1882, they
were "Unusually numerous with the
last." [Lo.ria curvirostra minor.]
(Brown Bull. Nutt Orn., Cb. viii,
p47.)

They appeared again in 1889, being
first observed on Jan. 1, at West-
brook, and were rather numerous un-
til March 11. Though careful watch
was kept at the same station no more
were seen until Jan. 13, 1900, when
they were found in abundance and
remained until March 10.

At the time of this last appearance
the birds were first seen in large
flocks, feeding in hemlock trees, and
spruces also whenever they could be
found.

As early as Jan. 16 they had be-
come much scattered, and were seen
flying in all directions, but no flocks
could be found; their bodily condi-
tion was still excellent. By January
27 they had resorted to the ground
and weed patches; they were now
considerably reduced in flesh. After
this observation a few could be reg-
ularly found feeding upon the alder
seeds. Almis Incana.

From this time to the date of their
last observation they were commonly
feeding upon the ground and acted
as though famishing.

None of the birds collected here
were in condition to breed, a fact in
marked contrast to specimens taken
on islands of the northwest shores of
Jericho Bay, some of which were
ready to breed in early spring. There
the spruce is the dominating feature
of plant life. Indeed the spruce belt
seems to be more essential to the
tastes of this bird than to any of its
allies or associates. In feeding in
their favorite conifers their move-
ments are very parrot like, a fact
pointed out by Nuttall in mentioning
certain caged specimens.

During this visitation one or a pair
was often seen in larch and arbor
vitse trees by our windows where
their feeding habits could be easily
watched. When the small cones
broke from their supporting branch,
under the force of the birds' opera-
tions, they were seized in its claws

and held while the bird searched be-
tween the scales for seeds and even
insect matter; when satisfied the
cone was dropped. Where a flock is
feeding the patter of falling cones is
audible for a short distance, and they
often bear mute testimony to the
scene of a recent feast as they lie
thick under the trees. A small
amount of insect matter was found in
some of the stomachs collected in
January.
Acantkis hornemannil exilipes. (Coues.)

Hoary Redpoll.

Rare winter visitant, probably of
occasional occurrence with other
Redpolls and with Siskins.

Mr. Knight in "Birds of Maine,"
recognized but one authentic Maine
record, that of a specimen contained
in the collection of the writer: this
was taken at Westbrook, Me., Jan.
26, 1896. (Norton Proc. Portland
Soc. Nat. Hist, ii p, and Knight's
"Birds of Maine," p. 92.

While this probably is the ^^glothus
canescens of several lists and papers,
Mr. Knight's course in eliminating all
unsupported citations seems highly
commendatory, the more so since the
synonomy of this group was so much
confused at the time these references
were made.

Acauthis linaria. (Linn) Common
or Lesser Redpoll.

An abundant irregular winter visi-
tant, more rarely winter resident,
occasionally bringing with it its dis-
tinguished relatives from the borders
of the Arctic circle.

Some seasons it has been known to
arrive early in November and remain
until late April, and one instance of
its occurrence as late as May 19, 1875,
is on record. (Brown, Proc. Port.
Soc. Nat. Hist, ii p 12.) Other years
it delays its coming until January or
even March, in the one instance due
to a wandering of local bands for
food supply, in the other being a mi-
gration northward from some more
southern point. Early in the fall or
winter it may associate freely with
Siskins, both feeding in flocks of
same size upon the seeds of alders
and gray birches. Toward spring,
no doubt owing to the exhaustion
of this supply through the several
agencies, the birds resort more con-
stantly to weed patches and bare
ground, being especially partial to
old broken ground. At this season

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

they usually congregate in larger
flocks than earlier, and with the ad-
vance of the season like other boreal
finches they become very restless and
their flights are likely to have a
northerly trend.

During tlie cold weather of mid-
winter they often settle in a good
sized grove of alders or birches where
tlaey remain until the seeds become
exhausted when they seek new quar-
ters. In feeding here many of their
movements among the twigs resem-
ble those of chickadees, flitting about
and hanging upside down as they
probe between the scales of the cone,
a use to which their small, pointed
beaks are beautifully adapted. As
they move about they scatter much
seed to the ground and with the econ-
omy born of arctic dearth, they will
descend to the snow and glean the
fruit from its surface. The diet is oc-
casionally varied by visits to spruce
or hemlock trees, or more often to
the larch.

AcanUii.s iinaria holbailu (Brehm.)
Holbols Redpoll.

Probably a casual winter visitor
rather than an accidental straggler.
But two Maine examples are now
known, one of which has been record-
ed: it was captured by Hon. James
C. Mead at North Bridgton, Me., Nov.
25, 1875. (Mead, Maine Sportsmen,
April 1897, p. 6.) The specimen
which is intermediate' with Acnnthls
Iinaria is in the collection of Mr. O.
W. Knight. (Knight, Bds. of Me.,
p. 93.)

The unrecorded specimen is a fe-
male, taken in Gorham, Me., Feb. 3,
1903, and is preserved in the collec-
tion of the writer. In this specimen
the characteristically long, pointed
bill, suggesting that attenuated organ
in the Siskin, was so evident that it
atcracted attention on the spot, even
without another bird for comparison.
The specimen shows the following
measurements: Bill below nostril,
9.05 m m; wing, 72; tail, 54 m m. It
occurred in an alder thicket with a
small flock of common Redpolls.

Acanthia Iinaria rostratra. (Coues.)
Greater Redpoll.

A winter visitor of frequent occur-
rence and sometimes locally at least
common. '

Its first detection In Maine perhaps

*See Mead as cited above.

was at Westbrook where it was com-
mon from Jan. 26 to Feb. 27, 1896.
(Proc. Port. Soc. Nat. Hist, ii p. 104.)
Upon finding the bird other collectors
were informed and asked to watch
for it, with the result that Mr. Fred
Rackliff secured a female at Spruce
Head, Maine, on February 17, 1896.
(Rackliff in personal Epist., Feb. 24,
1896, and Knight, Bds. of Me., p. 93.)
The following December, Prof. Wm.
L. Powers, to whom is due the credit
of giving the first published record
from the state secured a specimen at
Gardiner on Dec. 30, 1896. (Powers,
Maine Sportsman, Feb., 1897, p. 9,
also Auk. XIV, 219.

Another specimen which can easilj'
be referred to this form was taken at
Westbrook on December 12, 1903. In
habits it does not seem to differ from
Acanthl.s Iinaria with which it freely
associates. It may, however, prove
to be a little more partial to conifer-
ous fare, as several of those collected
in 1896 had their bills coated with
pitch, and the birds often resorted to
the hemlock trees to feed. They also
resorted to the ground to glean as did
^1 Iinaria

The note contributed by George
Ord in his edition of Wilson's Ameri-
can Ornithology, based upon a flight
of Redpolls to Philadelphia in the
winter of 1813-14, where he describes
"One male considerably larger than
the rest" and having "The crown spot
of a darker hue" is interesting, prob-
ably affording the first description of
the present siabspecies, and at the
same time the southernmost known
extent of its winter range. His de-
scription indicates a young male, and
indeed most of the males taken at
Westbrook are in the first winter
plumage.

(To be continued )

LOST IN A FLORIDA SWAMP.
James Carrol Mead.

(Read at the 8th annual meeting of the "Maine
Ornithological bociety at Gardiner, Nov. 39, 1903.^

"If you will go ashore and buy the
Christmas presents. Cad, I will look
out for the boat and things until you
get back." The speaker was a well
known Maine educator, the writer
was the person spoken to and the
time was Christmas eve, 1880. I can-
not give you the exact latitude and

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

longitude of the spot where the re-
mark was made for as a veteran
hunter and riverman afterwards told
us: "Hit's right likely that neither
injun or white man ever saw the place
before." We named it the Devil's
Lagoon and it lies somewhere amid
the cane brake prairies of the upper
St. Johns River in Southern Florida.
The air was not fragrant with Christ-
mas cheer at the hour the remark was
made for we realized that we were
lost, and were sitting, the two of us in
a small boat, the gunwales of which
were barely four inches out of water,
wrapped in our rubber coats and
blankets to keep out the penetrating
brown-gray fog that hung like a pall
about the lagoon. For miles and
miles on either hand stretched away
the bewildering maze of water waste,
rank with the growth of cane brake,
mammoth bull -rushes and water grass-
es, with now and then a clump of
stunted willows, their roots often
eight or ten feet below the water sur-
face. The only semblance of solidity
in all that territory being where every
now and then an alligator had wal-
lowed down the coarse reeds and
formed a "bed" where he could lie
and drag out his slothful existence in
the sunlight. On one of the 'gator
beds the bow of our boat, the "Water
Turkey" rested. The witching hour
of midnight was drawing near but
the night was moonless and would be
for hours. Our view embraced only
the silhouette like forms of a clump
of waiter willows before us, and dimly
out lined water paths radiating about
us. Mosquitoes delighted and sur-
prised to find human blood "on tap"
in that locality, "bored" us until we
were glad to "bag our heads" in
handkerchiefs and amid these sur-
roundings and sitting upright, because
there wasn't room among our "plun-
derments" to stretch out, we fell
asleep. We were suddenly awaken-
ed but perhaps I am getting ahead
of my story for possibly someone may
be interested to know how we came to
be in such a predicament. We were in
Florida that winter for the purpose of
collecting Natural History specimens,
and especially birds. Nearly three
weeks before we had been landed
from a little one horse river steamer
at the then new town of Sanford on
Lake Monroe, two hundred miles
above Jacksonville.

It was our intention to visit the
famous Indian River country and
though one or two scow-like "wheel-
barrow" steamers made spasmodic
trips farther up the river, we knew
that that kind of traveling and col-
lecting wouldnt "jibe." We had
hoped here in Sanford to be able to
purchase a boat in which to make the
trip but we were disappointed in this
and set about making one ourselves
out of green hard pine, the only lum-
ber procurable, and in two days' time
the "Water Turkey" was ready for
launching. She was a compromise
between a scow, a dory and a batteau,
the stern and bow rising sharply from
the flat bottom, batteau fashion; but
as our boards would not permit a
greater length than fifteen feet it was
made square at each end, thus in-
creasing its carrying capacity, and
fortunate it was too that it was allow-
ed to be as big as possible for when
loaded for the trip and we the pass-
engers had wedged ourselves in
among the chests, boxes, rolls of
blankets, tent, bag of sweet potatoes,
arsenal of firearms, etc., etc., it was
found that the gunwales of the "Wa-
ter Turkey but little more than clear-
ed smooth water. We had a rude
general idea of the route, which we
had gleaned from the river residents,
though it is wonderful how little use-
ful information a Florida "Cracker"
can impart.

In our steamboat trip up the
"Lower" St. Johns we had watched
the topography of the country closely
and though the banks of the river
were nowhere high we had always
found them well defined and appar-
ently affording good camping grounds.
Another thing that had impressed us
forcibly was the way the river bulg-
ed itself into lakes until it resembled
nothing more than an irregular string
of sausages. We knew that from Salt
Lake about seventy-five miles above
Sanford there was a road across to
Sand Point or Titusville on the In-
dian River, a distance of about six
miles. We knew too, that is, parties
more or less familiar with the route
had told us that Woodward's Creek
would afford a "cut off " between Lake
Monroe and Jessup and in the same
way we knew that we had to travel
through Mullet Lake, Lake Harney,
Mud Lake and Puzzle Lake before
reaching Salt Lake, especially Puzzle

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Lake, for every native we consulted
regarding our trip liad shook Puzzle
Lake in our faces as the bete noire of
the expedition. "I reckon you all are
tired of life," they would remark.
'"Why, man pears like you alls crazy
to attempt a trip like that without a
guide may be you all might make
Lake Harney but if you go beyond
there you can never get through Puz-
zle Lake, nothin'll ever be heard
from you again if you chance it,
'gators and buzzards will pick your
bones up there among them "per-
rarahs" and no white man will ever
find your boat."

The educator and I listened to a
large amount of such talk during the
time we were getting ready for the
trip but we thought a great deal of it
might be made in the interest of par-
ties desirous of guiding jobs, and
when later on we had pitched our tent
on Pine Island in beautiful Lake Har-
ney without having once missed our
way or having met with a mishap of
any sort we were inclined to pat our-
selves on the back as natural path-
finders. A northeast storm held us
close prisoners for three days here
but finally at about one p. m. on the
22nd of December, the storm abated,
the waves disappeared and we made
all haste to continue our journey, well
knowing that our craft could only live
in the calmest water and not caring
to tarry another night on the island.
Within an hour from the time we had
left the island we began to realize
that it was one thing to find our way
into Lake Harney and another thing
to find our way out of it. The whole
country south of the lake looked like
one vast water meadow, its width
was some ten or twelve miles but its
length was an unknown quantity.
This huge prairieC?) is pierced in
every direction with channels which
become choked with "lettuce" and
lily pads, and hemmed in by cane
brake and gigantic rushes, while else-
where it gives growth to a luxuriant,
coarse grass which sways and trem-
bles as the muddy current of the river
slowlj' courses through it, for though
somewhere in this waste of cane
brake and aquatic growth the river
has, or is said to have, a channel, it is
only necessary for steamboating for
here the St. Johns spreads its waters
out at will and a current of several
miles an hour may be found even

amid its rankest vegetation.

We failed to connect with the chan-
nel at all that night, though by means
of the small lagoons and waterways
we penetrated the prairie several
miles, when the sun now drawn near
to the horizon warned us that we
should be locating a camping place.
About two miles to the southwest we
could see a small clump of palmettos,
there we thought, could we make it,
would be dry ground but after several
ineffectual attempts we began to de-
spair of reaching it, we would with
much difficulty force our boat through
some opening in the wall of cane
brake only to find a denser growth of
cane or a mud flat balking us. Never
did a checker player make more
moves to reach the king row than did
we while trying to find our way to
that little isle, the only break in that
vast prairie of dancing reeds. At last
just as the sun dropped behind the
cypressas on the western boundry,
it revealed to us a straight, clear
channel to our goal. Sunset means
darkness in that flat country and it
was upon us before we had run our
boat up under the shadow of the trees
and a faint reflection caught from the
western sky touched their roots and
trunks in a manner that disheartened
us. "Overflowed!" we both exclaim-
ed in concert.

There seemed then nothing to be
done but to pass the night aboard the
"Water Turkey" as best we could.
Eating a lunch we arranged our boxes
so that we might approximate a re-
clining position with a view to making
as easy a night of it as circumstances
would permit. We had but settled
ourselves when we were arroused by
the beating of heavy wings, and a
great blue heron flew into a tree al-
most over our heads. His feet could
hardly have touched the branch when
the educator's gun brought him crash-
ing down into the underbrush. My
end of the boat being nearest where
the bird struck, I balanced myself
along a fallen tree and attempted to
pick it up, when a misstep sent me
rolling off, not into the water, but on
as dry a piece of ground as* we could
have asked for. The reflection had
completely deceived us, and had it
not been for the heron, the chances
are we should have sat the night out
in our boat, to learn when daylight
came that we had only to take a step

8

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

and have as comfortable a camping
place as we found anywhere in the
State. It was but a minute's work to
gather enough palmetto "bones" for
a good fire and soon a kettle of hasty
pudding was bubbling and steaming
in a most cheerful manner. After
putting the bulk of it where it would
do us the greatest good we rolled our-
selves in our blankets, and without
other covering than the sky, slept till
broad daylight.

Our good fortune, we found, had
thrown us upon one of those shell
mounds, the origin of which is as
much enveloped in mystery as the
famous burial mounds, which too
abound in Florida. It was perhaps as
I remember it, ten rods in diameter,
nearly circular, and in the center rose
to a height of several feet above the
surrounding "prairie," it was covered
with a generous growth of palmettos,
persimmons, hackberry and svv^eet-
bay. The skull of a deer bore testi-
mony that others had been there be-
fore us. We bade adieu to "Camp
Providence," as we had named the
mound (though we afterwards learned
it was locally known as Orange
Mound) at about 9 a. m. having now
about forty-five miles lying between
us and Salt Lake, which we doubted
not, constituted another "sausage" in
the string. We were not dead sure of
being in the true channel of the river
once that day, we would no sooner
think we had found it than a barrier
of stout cane brake would present
itself a seemingly impregnable wall
before us; through this we would
force our boat with the greatest diffi-
culty, sometimes more than ten rods
before we again found clear water.
We dined in our boat that day for
want of terra firma.

A little after noon we discerned a
pillar of black smoke in the southeast.
At first we thought it might come
from the smoke stack of a steamer in
which case we would eventually be
able to locate the channel by it, but
as it proved to be stationary we took
it as a point to steer for. A little
later we struck a creek, if it could be
so termed, which seemed to lead us
in that direction without obstruction.
We could now see that the smoke
issued from the main land in the
vicinity of several "hamaks." This
was encouraging even if we were
running away from Salt Lake, ag we

more than half believed we were
As we worked our way up against the
current we surprised a pair of black
headed vultures, the only ones we
saw in the State, making a disgusting
meal off the bloated and odorous car-
cass of a deceased 'gator. They were
evidently too full for utterance and
too full for flying, for they sat there
nodding their sooty heads and blink-
ing their small eyes sleepily as we
rowed past them.

Voices soon reached us from the
hamak whence the smoke arose. As
we drew near a log hut presented its-
self in the midst of what looked like a
field of gigantic corn. A mule in the
foreground, attached to a sweep such
as we have seen in old time cider
mills, was making its endless round
and round, belabored and shouted at
by a boy from his perch on the end of
the sweep, where he sat sucking a
stalk of sugar cane when not using it
for a whip. Over the fire, where two
or three men were bus}', were large
caldrons from which a dense steam
arose and we knew instinctively that
we had struck a cane patch where the
process of syrup making was in full
blast. All work was suspended so
that the men might gaze at us as we
rowed down bj^ them, for we had no
intention of advertising ourselves
"lost, strayed or stolen" but decided
to camp for the night in a hamak be-
yond. Certain kinds of bird life
abounded, herons of several species
were flying over in flocks, pairs and
singles. In a mammoth live oak near
the cane camp hundreds of fish crows
were making the air clamorous with
their cries. On a tussock of grass a
little farther along we saw a courlan,
otherwise known as a "crying bird"
and "limpkin" jerking its head up
and down in the most solemn and at
the same time laughable manner im-
aginable. These birds present the
least fear of man of any species I ever
met with. v\ hen startled they fly
but a short distance with their long
legs dangling and neck outstretched
presenting a ludicrous appearance.
They are about two-thirds the size of
the great blue heron, of a faded
chocolate brown color, streaked with
white with a long, slim bill with a
drooping curve after the manner of
the ibis. A bird capable of making
more noise never lived. We did not
pitch our tent that night but again

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

rolled ourselves in our blankets be-
fore a fire of palmetto "bones."

Early the next morning we were
astir and wondered "where we were
at." We decided that if we had a
little more than held our own the
preceeding day and now were within
say forty miles of Salt Lake we had
accomplished all that we could ex-
pect under the circumstances. After
breakfast we visited the cane patch.
After watching a great live man feed
cane stalks slowly, one after another,
to the horizontal iron rollers, much
as a woman feeds clothes to a wring-
ing machine, but far more leisurely,
the Edvicator asked in an off hand
manner, as if he had no interest at
stake in the answer, how far it was to
Salt Lake. The answer "ten miles"
came out so unexpectedly that I, in
my surprise came near revealing our
situation. "But why do you all ask
that question?" continued our inform-
ant, "you gentlemen are, it appeal's
like, from the No'th yet you seem to
know this river like a Floridian to
take this cut off 'tis mighty few of the
river pilots knows it, though hit saves
one -half the distance between Harney
and Salt Lake." Didn't we have an
attack of the "big head" though!
Here we were within ten miles of our
objective point and Puzzle Lake
wasn't in it, and in fact we hadn't
been in it, I mean in Puzzle Lake. If
we had accomplished so much acci-
dentally, why couldnt we hope to
bring about all other results intui-
tively?

That was about the position we
were in, for after buying a small quan-
tity of hog and hominy together with
some of the new and delicious sj^rup,
hot from the kettle, we set out upon
our journey without asking for any
directions and why should we?
Hadn't we found the "cut off" via
Persimmon Hamak as the cane patch
was called, a "cut off" barely known
to native born pilots. The owner of
the mill told us that his- crew were
soon going to Salt Lake in a row
boat, on the wav to their homes in
La Grange to spend Christmas and
by following them we should "avoid
all danger of missing our way." That
clsuse rather hurt our self conceit and
besides that, to shoot over a locality
through which a boat had already
precceded us wasn't at all according
to our ideas.

We expected to reach the lake by
ten o'clock, still believing it was
simply a bulge in the river. We pull-
ed down past the hamak where we
had passed the night, then came a
large space of water closely filled with
aquatic plants which a few days later
we learned was Mud Lake and that
here we should have diverged due
east, instead we continued on by an
abandoned cane field, its cabin almost
in ruins, a mound wsing in the center
of the patch gave evidence that its
site was what is termed in southern
parlance an "Indian old field." After
this we entered a seemingly endless
succession of cane brake reeds and
water plants. Birds became plentier
and it seemed to us far less suspicious.
The weather since our introduction
to the State had been, with the ex-
ception of the days on Pine Island,
like that of New England's Indian
summer and this day proved no ex-
ception to the common rule, so per-
haps it isn't strange that with new
wonders constantly revealing them-
selves to us that time flew faster than
we realized, till finding ourselves in
a very small lake the only apparent
exit to which was the very opening
by which we had entered it, we paus-
ed for consultation and examining
our watches, were surprised to find it
was high noon. Past twelve and
we had reckoned on being at Salt
Lake two hours ago! No landmarks
could be seen in any direction, nothing
but one vast prairie of waving cane.

While eating our lunch, which as
usual we had cooked before leaving
camp in the morning, we decided that
rather than to turn and take our
"back tracks" that we would, if we
could see clear water on either side
of us, force our boat into it if possible.
By standing up on the boat thwarts
we discovered what looked as if it
might be the river's channel on our
right, and by breaking down the wall
of reeds before us with an oar and
then pushing with our united strength
we succeeded little by little in work-
ing through. What we had mistaken
for the river proved to be but another
lagoon or "lake" which soon came to
an end, then ensued another series of
pushing and again we were in clear
water.

So passed the afternoon, varied
only as the lagoons and barriers of
cane varied in extent, save when we

10

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

now and then picked up a new speci-
men or shot into an alligator, for we
frequently surprised them outstretcii-
ed on their "beds" sunning. These
beds which at first are started by the
saurians wallowing down a mass of
reeds and cane, soon catch much of
the sediment which the current is
continually carrying through these
prairies, forming the nearest approach
to terra ferma we had seen since
passing "Indian old field."

About four o'clock we forced our
way into a larger lagoon than we had
before entered. At one end of it was
a clump of water willows, the only
sign of tree life to be seen for miles.
In these were perched with outspread
wings after the manner of vultures, a
dozen or more of Anhingas or water
turkeys; these instead of being
alarmed at our sudden appearance,
simply gazed at us in astonishment.
A charge of shot fired among them
wounded one which escaped and sent
the rest tumbling headlong into the
water after their characteristic man-
ner, only the wounded one acting as
if it wasn't killed outright. The dis-
charge of the gun waked up an im-
mense 'gator which had been snooz-
ing away his time on a bed at the foot
of the willows, and with a great
splash he too disappeared. After
leaving this lagoon the spaces of
open water grew smaller and the in-
tervening stretches of brake and
reeds longer till just as the the sun
was sinking from sight, we were forc-
ing our way into a vast plain of grass-
like reeds, which bore as much re-
semblance to a river as a mowing
field does to an ocean. Not a sign of
water could be seen as we looked off
across it, and our boat was leaving
behind the same kind of a trail that
one makes in walking through tall,
heavy grass; yet by running our oars
down eight feet we could not find
bottom. Just here we made a start-
ling discovery. We were working
our way towards the setting sun, and
we knew Salt Lake must lie to the
east of the prairie.

How long we had been directing
our course west we had no idea, for
we had followed where open water
led, without any regard to the points
of compass. There was but one thing
for us to do, and that was to work
our way back over the course we had
come till darkness overtook us, and

then wait for morning. This part of
our route was not difficult to trace,
owing to the "wallows" we had left
in the reeds, but beyond that it was
not pleasant to think of. Hastily we
threaded our way back till darkness
stopped our further progress just as
we entered the large lagoon where,
in the afternoon, we had discovered
the water turkeys in the willows
and startled the big 'gator from his
bed. Cautiously we worked our
way to that bed, for if his 'gatorship
was gone it would be a good chance
to ground (?) our boat for the night.
We found it vacated, and accordingly
laid our boat up alongside. It was a
light supper we ate that night; we
had but little cooked food left, and
we could form no estimate how long
we might have to subsist on it. Our
greatest fear was that if we were lost
many days in the prairie, we might
strain our boat in pushing her
through the cane, so that we could
not keep her afloat. Our situation in
such an event would be terrible, for
impeded by grass as we should be,
there would be no hope of ever
reaching terra firma.

And these were the events and cir-
cumstances which lead to our passing
the night in the Devil's Lagoon and
to our disturbed slumbers on that
same Christmas eve. When brought
so suddenly to our senses we could
have been dozing but a few minutes,
however, we were conscious of a ter-
rific splash ana an accompanying
lurching of our craft. Pulling our-
selves quickly together we found our
boat nearly filled with water and
much of our baggage overboard. We
gathered in such of it as floated, but
no inconsiderable amount of camp
utensils still lie beneath those murky
waters. The finder may keep them
for his honesty. ^The only way to ex-
plain our mishap* was that the alliga-
tor owning that particular bed had
returned home late, perhaps with a
"jag on," and endeavoring to crawl
over or into our boat, had nearly up-
set us. As can readily be imagined,
there was little sleep for us after this,
neither did we "use round" the vi-
cinity of that 'gator's claim any more,
the middle of the lagoon was good
enough for us from that time on, and
for exercise, the Educator paddled
the "Water Turkey" back and forth
over oi;r limited domains at frequent

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

11

intervals. The moon rose towards
morning and its reflection on a neigh-
boring fog bank created a lunar rain-
bow of great beauty. As the sky
lighted it showed us that, as in the
afternoon, several water turkeys
were roosting in the willows.

By wetting up a bit of calcined
plaster and covering our gun sights
with it we found we could do a very
good job of "sighting" in the imper-
fect light, and we tumbled one after
another of these unique birds into the
water till we were satisfied we had
killed eight of them, our excuse for
such wholesale slaughter was that
heretofore we had found this species
very difficult to approach and they
are quite a desideratum in collec-
tions. They belong to the family of
"darters" and also travel under the
name of "snake bird" and "anhin-
ga." Only one of the birds fell on
our side of the bushes, this we re-
trieved at once. The balance were
swallowed by alligators before it was
light enough to work our boat to
them.

As morning dawned immense num-
bers of herons of several varieties
flew over us. A snowy heron, which
had intended to light in the lagoon,
seeing us wheeled rapidly away but
the Educator, with a well directed
shot brought it down. In trying to
secure a cormorant which had settled
down at some distance from us, we
pursued it into an arm of the lagoon
we had not before visited. From this
we discovered a creek-like channel,
the quicker current of which indicat-
ed something more than another
branch to a lagoon. We decided to
follow it rather than to retrace our
old route farther. This was our first
experience going with the current
which was really considerable. Per-
haps lack of sleep may have exager-
ated the sensation somewhat, but as
aided by the stream, we cruised down
that creek it seemed to us both as if
we were sliding down hill— a feeling
I never remember to have experi-
enced when running down really
swift rivers. In places the channel
would narrow till it was barely a yard
in width, again it would be choked
with "lettuce" but no serious obsta-
cles presented themselves. In a low
willow we discovered a "water tur-
key" on her nest, from which we ob-
tained four bluish white eggs which

were covered with a thin white cal-
careous deposit as with the herons.
Ornithological works report them as
nesting in March and April and we
were therefore surprised to find them
at it thus early.

Farther on we came to a lone
dwarfed cypress surmounted by a
bulky nest in which a great blue
heron stood sentinel, this contained
no eggs. About two o'clock that af-
ternoon we emerged from our creek
into the channel of the true St.
Johns itself, in sight of ti.e tall pal-
mettos in the rear of the deserted
cane patch at "Indian old field,"
where we soon after landed, sleepy
and hungry. About noon on the 29th
we received a call from the syrup
makers, who returning from their
Christmas festivities, had caught
sight of our tent and pulled in to pass
the time o' day with us. They ex-
pressed surprise at finding us still on
the St. Johns, but we showed them
skins of least bittern, courlans, an-
hingas, kites, white and snowy herons
and wood ibis and intimated that a
good collecting ground was the ex-
cuse for our present location. Just
as they were departing we casually
asked for directions to Salt Lake. It
was then that we learned that at Mud
Lake, about half way between our
present camp and theirs, we should
have borne sharply to the east, in-
stead we had kept on a good twenty
miles to the south.

Our visitors were hardly out of
sight before we had struck camp and
were following them back as far as
Mud Lake. From this we entered
Snake Creek, rightly named for a
more sinuous channel it was never
my fortune to see. Emerging from
this, we came out in sight of the
storehouse and knew at last we were
on Salt Lake, a body of water called
three miles long by two wide, but it
must take very high water to give it
these dimensions. The piney woods
nearly touch the shore for a short
distance on the eastern side where
the storehouse is, but otherwise it is
surrounded by a vast marsh, why the
water of this lake should be brackish
is a mystery.

The'Volusia,a small steamer, was un-
loading her cargo being taken ashore
on lighters. We sent a box of speci-
mens back to Sanford on her, and
then made a bargain with a teamster

12

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

who was just starting for Titusville
with a load of freight, to come back
for us in the morning.

We slept in the storehouse, the first
time we had been under a roof to
pass the night since we left the St.
Johns House, Palatka. We took an
early breakfast and soon after "that
man Bailey," a veritable "cracker,"
though an imported one, for he
claimed Georgia, or "Gouga," in his
vernacular, as a birthplace, appeared
stockingless,a slouched hat, once white
perhaps, a cotton shirt, a pair of well
worn overalls held in place by a sin-
gle suspender, that was his dress and
typical of his class throughout that
country. His team was made up of
six "alleged" oxen, with their horns
bored full of holes as a cure for, or a
hoodoo against, some disease. Such
a team as it was would make a Maine
farmer's heart ache, scrawny, poor,
half broken cattle; but the team suit-
ed its driver and the driver his team,
and his pride in "them cows" was
worthy of a better purpose. To in-
duce speed (?) he carried a whip with
a twelve foot lash and a twelve inch
stock. At the rare intervals when it
was not in use, he let the lash trail
behind him from his shoulder, the
weight of the stock in front keeping
it in position. Though our boat, l3ag-
gage and all could hardly have
weighed half a ton yet it was a good
load for "them cows" and it was late
in the afternoon when we emerged
from the piney woods into Titusville,
the shire town of Brevard County and
the Indian River, our Mecca, lay be-
fore us.

The Maine Audubon Society has
now ten local secretaries in various
parts of the state. It already num-
bers 265 regular members and 758
associate members. As all these are
pledged to the protection of our
native birds, and many of them are
engaged in studying and observing
them, it will be seen that a most use-
ful work is already in progress. It is
desired to increase the number of
branches in the state and any person
willing to assist in the formation of
local societies is invited to corres-
pond with the state secretary, Mrs.
C. B. Tuttle, East Fairfield, Me.

EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING.
Gardiner, Me., Oct. 27-28, 1903.

The Eighth Annual Meeting of the
Maine Ornithological Society was
called to order in room one of the
High School by the President, Capt.
H. L. Spinney of Seguin, 10.30 a. m.

Officers present, Pres., Capt. H. L.
Spinney, Seguin; vice president, Prof .
L A. Lee, Brunswick; Sec'y-Treas,
Wm. L. Powers, Gardiner; editor,
John Merton Swain, Skowhegan;
Councillor, Prof. A. L. Lane, East
Fairfield.

Members present. Prof. J. Y. Stan-
ton, Lewiston; A. H. Norton, West-
brook; Mrs. A. H. Norton, Westbrook;
Frank Noble, Augusta; Emma Day,
Gardiner; Harry Morrell, Gardner.
The secretary's report of the seventh
annual meeting which was held in
Portland, Nov. 29-30, 1902 was read
and confirmed.

Secretary Wm. L. Powers then re-
ported that only four members, vice
Pres., L. A. Lee of Brunswick, coun-
cilor, A. L. Lane, East Fairfield, edit-
or, John Merton Swain, Skowhegan,
Sec'y-Treas., Wm. L. Powers, Gardi-
ner, attended the summer meeting
which was held at Skowhegan, June
29-July 3 at the same place and time
as the summer meeting of the Jos-
selyn Botanical Society. It was a
great dissappointment to the officers
that more active members did not see
fit to attend. Notwithstanding the
small number of ornithologists pres-
ent the program was carried out as
previously arranged with the botan-
ists. Mr. Swain and Mr. Powers car-
ried on field work and were fairly suc-
cessful finding such rare species as
the meadow lark, water thrush and
swamp sparrows. Several nests of
the latter were found and excellent
opportunities were enjoyed for Ob-
serving these and many less rare
birds.

The Wednesday evening program
was carried out as follows: A paper
on "The Economic Value of Birds,"
was read by Mr. Swain and a series
of lantern slides were exhibited by
Prof. Lee with explanations by Mr.
Powers. The meeting was held in
the largest church in the village and
was well patronized by an apprecia-
tive audience.

After the reading of these reports
by the secretary, Pres. Spinney de-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

13

live red his annual address. It is a
matter of regret that this had not
been committed to writing and that
it cannot be reproducedin the Journal
for it was an able address and demand-
ed the closest attention of the society.
Mr. Swain then read his report as
editor.

Mr. Norton on behalf of the com-
mittee on Audubon Societies asked
an extension of time and it was grant-
ed by the chair.

The names of Joseph W. Leathers
of Portland for active membership,
and Owen Durfee, Fall River, Mass.,
and Arthur C. Bent, Taunton, Mass.,
for corresponding membership, were
proposed and elected.

Prof. Stanton of Lewiston then
made an address to the members on
the work accomplished in the past
and the prospects for the future.
Prof. Stanton's long experience in the
field of ornithology, his intimate
knowledge of the work done by simi-
lar societies, his acquaintance with
the leading orinthologists of the
world enabled him to speak as no
other member of the society could do.
He was listened to with the closest
attention and all deemed it the most
finished address ever delivered to the
society. The heart of every member
was filled with enthusiasm for the ex-
cellent showing made in the seven
years of the society's existence. Mr.
Norton most heartily endorsed the
words of Prof. Stanton and stated
that we ought not to feel discouraged
at the meagre attendance. Other
societies of a similar nature were
struggling,, like ourselves, with the
problem of maintaining a large work-
ing membership.

Mr. Knowlton of Augusta considered
that the thanks of the society were
due to Prof. Stanton and they were ex-
tended with a will. Continuing, Mr.
Noble said that the main issue was to
make the Journal so valuable to bird
lovers that it would demand their at-
tention and respect. He mistrusted
that most of the active members did
not deem short notes on mere obser-
vations of any value to the editor.
But his experience lead him to believe
that short articles on actual observa-
tions were just what was most needed
by each to arouse his dormant facul-
ties. He also suggested that address-
ed envelopes printed with the stamp
of the society be sent to all subscrib-

ers to serve as a constant reminder of
the needs of the society.

Mr. Swain endorsed Mr. Noble's
suggestions and stated that short
articles were always acceptable.

Mr. Powers suggested the exhaus-
tive treatment in the society organ of
the Warbler Family by a committee
appointed for the pui-pose.

The chair then appointed the fol-
lowing committees: On nominations,
Stanton, Lane, Norton; on resolutions,
Swain, Miss Day, Lane; on special
work. Noble, Lane, Norton; auditing
committee. Lane, Swain.

Adjourned to 2.30 p. m.

Afternoon Session.

Meeting called to order at 2.30 by
Pres. Spinney. The secretary's re-
port of the forenoon session was read
and accepted.

The president then called upon G.
D. Libby of Gardiner, who read a
most interesting and instructive pa-
per upon the Woodcock. This paper
was the outgi'owth of twenty years'
successful experience with gun and
dog after this highly prized game
Toird.

In the absence of Hon. Jas. Carroll
Mead of North Bridgton, his paper on
"Lost in a Florida Swamp" was read
by the secretary. This was followed
by Prof. Stanton's paper on "Man's
Relation to the Lower Animals."

Prof. Lee then gave a resume of the
life work of the naturalist of the St.
Croix Valley, the late Geo. A. Board-
man. Mr. Boardman was an honor-
ary member of the M. O. S.

Adjourned to 7.30.

The evening meeting was called to
order promptly by the secretary who
introduced Capt. Spinney of Seguin.
Capt. Spinney has made a life study
of the annual flights of birds, and his
long experience as a light house
keeper has given him exceptional
opportunities that have not been
neglected.

Prof. Lee was then introduced and
showed 100 beautiful lantern slides
made by Mr. Norton of Westbrook
during his trip last summer along the
coast of Maine in search of breeding
colonies of shore birds. Mr. Norton
explained the pictures as they were
shown and held the closest attention
of the audience. His lecture was fol
lowed by a few choice pictures made
by Prof. Lee in California, and some

14

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

of especial interest from negatives of
previous years. TJie evening's en-
tertainment was a grand success and
netted the society $16 from admis-
sions.

Saturday Morning.

Meeting called to order at 10
o'clock by Pres. Spinney.

Prof. Lane of the auditing commit-
tee reported that the treasurer's
books had been examined and found
to be truly and accurately kept.

The same person on behalf of the
committee on nominations stated
that the committee had attended to
its duty and begged leave to report
as follows: Pres., Capt. H. L. Spin-
ney, of Seguin; Vice Pres., Prof. L. A.
Lee, Brunswick; Sec'y., and Treas,,
Wm. L. Powers, Gardiner; councillor,
Prof. A. L. Lane, East Fairfield; coun-
cillor, Ora W. Knight, M. Sc, Ban-
gor; editor, John Merton Swain,
Skowhegan.

On motion of Mr. Norton the report
was accepted and Prof. Lane was au-
thorized to cast the ballot of the so-
ciety for these officers.

On motion of Mr. Norton, Mr.
Noble of Augusta was elected asso-
ciate editor.

Mr. Swain of the committee on res-
olutions submitted the following re-
port:

Resolved, That the thanks of the
society are due and are hereby ten-
dered to Mrs. Powers for her kind-
ness to the members while in attend-
ance at this meeting; to the M. C. R.
R. for granting reduced rates, and to
the Gardiner members, and the public
who have helped to make our meet-
ings a success.

The society thereupon voted to ac-
cept the report and instructed the
secretary to send copies to the per-
sons named therein.

Prof. Lane, president of the Maine
Audubon Society, reported that there
were six local societies now in active
operation in the state.

Mr. Norton on behalf of the com-
mittee on Audubon societies report-
ed that little had yet been accom-
plished in this direction by the Maine
Ornithological Society, and Pres.
Spinney reappointed the same com-
mittee to hold over another year.

The committee is composed of the
following members: Chairman, A.
H. Norton, Westbrook; Prof., A. L.

Lane, East Fairfield; Miss Edith
Boardman, Brunswick; Wm. L. Pow-
ers, Gardiner; Miss M. O. Barrell,
York.

Mr. Noble, of the committee on
special work for the year submitted
the following: That a special com-
mittee be appointed to make an ex-
haustive study of the Maine Warblers
and print their report and findings in
the Journal, said committee to con-
sist of chairman, Ora W. Knight, Ban-
gor; J. M. Swain, Skowhegan; H. L.
Spinney, Seguin; W. L. Powers, Gar-
diner.

Signed, F. T. Noble, Ch.,
A. H. Norton,
A. L. Lane,

Committee on Special Work.

Mr. Norton of the committee on
New Draft of Constitution submitted
the following report :

Constitution of the Maine

Ornithological Society.

Article I.

Name and objects.

Sec. 1. This society shall be called

the Maine Ornithological Society.

Sec. 2. The objects of this society
shall be, to promote the science of
ornithology in Maine, to encourage a
love for birds in her citizens, to stand
for the passage and enforcement of
wise and judicious laws for bird pro-
tection.

Article II.
Members.
Sec. 1. The membership shall con-
sist of active, honorary, associate,
and corresponding members.

See. 2. Active members shall be
residents of Maine actively engaged
in promoting the objects of the so-
ciety.

hec. 3. Any person of eminence in
ornithology may be elected honorary
member.

Sec. 4. Any person outside the
state willing to cooperate in the work
of the society may be elected corre-
sponding member.

Sec. 5. Any person having a kindly
interest in birds may be elected as-
sociate member.

Article III.
Officers.
Sec. 1. The officers shall be a Pres-
ident, Vice President, Sec'y., Treas-
urer, Editor, Associate Editor and
two Councilors, these officers to con-

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

IS

stitute the executive committee to be
known as the council. They shall be
elected by ballot at the annual meet-
ing and shall continue in office until
their successors are elected.

Sec. 2. The President, or in his
absence the Vice President, shall pre-
side over the meetings of the society
and of the executive committee. He
may appoint such special committees
as he deems expedient, and shall fill
all vacancies as they occur..

Sec. 3. The Sec'y .-Treasurer shall
keep all records, collect dues from
the members, pay the bills approved
by the president, and give all mem-
bers at least two weeks' notice of all
meetings.

Sec. 4. The executive committee
shall have charge of the interests of
the society, shall arrange for the an-
nual meeting, and shall publish such
papers and bulletins as are not other-
wise provided for.

Sec. 5. The executive committee
shall have power to suspend or expel
any member found guilty of illegal or
dishonorable practice in connection
with tlie society or its objects, pro-
vided written charges are preferred
and filed with the president and thir-
ty days' notice be sent to the accused
party.

Article IV.
Fees and dues.
Sec. 1. The admission fee for ac-
tive and corresponding members
shall be one dollar which shall consti-
tute the only assessment of the first
year of membership. The annual
dues shall be one dollar thereafter.

Sec. 2. The admission fee for asso-
ciate members shall be fifty cents,
and the annual dues thereafter shall
be fifty cents. They shall receive the
official organ but may not vote.

Sec. 3. Any member who fails to
pay his dues within three months
after they become due shall not re-
ceive the official organ until their
arrears are paid.

Sec. 4. Honorary members shall re-
ceive the official organ "gratis" but
shall have no vote.

Article V.
Meetings, quorum, by laws.
Sec. 1. This society shall hold an
annual meeting at such time and place
as may be determined by the execu-
tive committee, provided notice be
given as required by Art. Ill, section
3 of this constitution.

Sec. 2. Special meetings may be
held upon the call of the president
when approved by a majority of the
executive committee.

Sec. 3. Five active members shall
constitute a quorum for the transac-
tion of business.

The affirmative vote of a majority
of the active members present at any
legal meeting, or of the council at
other times, shall suffice for the pas-
sage of any matter except that of the
next article.

Sec. 4. This society may adopt
such by laws and rules for its govern-
ment, as shall seem necessary to sup-
plement this constitution, provided
they do not contravene any part
thereof.

Article VI.
Amendments.

Sec. 1. This constitution may be
altered or amended by a two -thirds
vote of the active members present
at any legal meeting, provided thirty
days' notice of the proposed change
be given each active member.

On motion of Prof. Lee, voted to
adopt the constitution as proposed by
the committee.

On motion of Mr. Noble, adjourned.
Wm. L. Powers, Secy,

JBirD motcg.

The addition of this new column,
"Bird Notes," will, we trust, please
our members and readers. We shall
hope to have much material of inter-
est to all. This column will be under
the supervision of the associate edi-
tor and all notes for this column
should be sent direct to him.

Under this heading it is desired to
embrace such brief, interesting notes
of personal observation of bird life
within our state as may come to the
knowledge of the Journal readers
from time to time. Such items are
earnestly solicited and our readers
should bear in mind that observations
and discoveries of interest to them
may likewise be both instructive and
entertaining to the large number of
bird lovers and students who peruse
our columns and that their good for-
tune in this i-espect should be shared

16

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

freely with the other ornithologists
of the state. — Ed.

An unusual capture, far inland, of a
strictly marine bird occurred on Sept.
17 last when a young male Wilson's
Petrel, Oceanites oceanicxs (Kuml)
was taken on Lake Cobbossecontee
near Augusta. The bird was evi-
dently blown inland during the heavy
southeast gale which prevailed on
our coast about that date. It was
presented by F. G. Kinsman, Esq., one
of the cottagers at the lake, to the
associate editor for his scientific col-
lection.

Prof. A. L. Lane writes the Journal
that a large flock of snowflakes num-
bering a hundred or more, is spending
the winter near Good Will Farm in
Fairfield and that it is a very inter-
esting and beautiful sight to watch
them as they scurry from place to
place searching every bit of stubble
or weeds that may promise them
food. They were especially active
and fearless in the cold days which
followed so closely upon the opening
of the new year.

President Spinney of Seguin ad-
vises us under recent date that on
Dec. 2d he captured a fox sparrow,
Pas&erella iliaca, which had injured
itself by flying against the light. Also
that again on Dec. 17th he observed
another specimen of the same species
resting in the lee of the buildings.
The thermometer at this time regis-
tered only fourteen degrees above
zero and the wind was blowing a gale
from the northwest. Pretty late
migrants.

Fi'om North Bridgeton, Maine, one
of our esteemed membei's, Hon. J.
Carroll Mead, writes us under date of
Jan. 5th that although the thermome-
ter is registering 22 degrees below
zero he can see from a window of his
residence a downy wookpecker bus-
ily and effectively cutting the bark
from an elm tree in search of his
breakfast while in the same tree with
him were several i-ed breasted nut-
hatches and one white breasted.
Surely the rigor of our northern cli-
mate has no terrors for such as these.

The Journal solicits information on
Richardson's owl, Ni/ctala fennmalini
liichardsoni, (Itonap.) which appear-
ed last winter, 1902-03, in Maine and
several northern states in num-

bers sufficient to indicate a general
southerlj^ movement similar to that
observed in so many other boreal
birds. Mr. Arthur H. Norton of
Westbrook advises us that the first
specimens to come under his notice
were a couple of mounted specimens
seen about Nov. 22d, 1902, at the
rooms of a Portland taxidermist.
They had been taken near that city,
one of them at Peaks Island. The
latest one of which he had knowledge
was taken Jan. 16, 1903. Will all hav-
ing records of the bird for that sea-
son and the present one favor the
Journal with particulars?

It will interest the readers of the
Journal to learn that the associate
editor while on a late ducking trip in
Merrymeeting bay, Nov. 4 and 5, had
the rare good fortune on the first day
to observe a flock of some twenty -five
redheads, two of which he secured,
and on the second day to capture a
beautiful pair of mallards, duck and
drake. These choice birds have been
preserved and added to his mounted
collection of Maine wild fowl. Both
of these species have heretofore been
exceedingly scarce in Maine waters
and doubtless the recently enacted
laws prohibiting spring shooting have
had a tendency to increase the num-
bers migrating through the state and
possibly some may now remain within
our borders to breed. A consumma-
tion devoutly to be wished. Notes in
reference to this from other observers
would be of interest.

A PURPLE SANDPIPER, TRINGA
MAEITIMA, IN SUMMER.

In August, 1902, while Mr. Arthur
H. Norton and Capt. H. L. Spinney
were making ornithological observa-
tions at Metinic and adjacent ledges
and islands they saw several times
among the thousands of llmicolae there
a sandpiper which they were unable
at first to identify.

On Aug. 11 it was found for the last
time on Matinic reef where Mr. Nor-
ton secured it and settled its identity.

It was a female Trimia maritinia and
showed no signs of ever having been
wounded.

It was in a plumage essentially sim-
ilar to that of winter, but its colors
were intensified by wear. In corres-
pondence with the Journal Mr. Norton

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

i7

says: "Several of my friends were
sure of having seen tliis species in
summer, but I am not aware that it
has previously been preserved or re-
corded as occurring in Maine at this
season." The Journal would be
pleased to receive notes or observa-
tions of this species from its readers.

Bmong ©ur lEicbangce.

Birds of Fergus County, Montana,
is the title of a neat list put out as
"Bulletin No 1, Fergus County High
School," and is compiled by the
principal. Prof. Perley M. Silloway.
In this list the status of each species
found in the county is given, together
with the distinguishing features of
each species or sub-species. The work
is profusely illustrated by photographs
of birds, nests and eggs from Prof.
M. J. Elrod of the University of Mon-
tana and E. R. Warren of Colorado,
Springs. On the whole, this Bulletin
is a very interesting work and a
credit to this progressive school and
to Prof. Silloway. J. M. S.

We are glad to note that the Oolo-
gist, a little magazine so well known
in former years to all of us, is to be
revived and improved. We presume
its owner and founder, Dr. F. H. Lat-
tin, has been too busy in the last year
or two with his official business to
devote much time to his little maga-
zine, but Mr. Ernest H. Short of Chili,
N. Y., is to assume full charge of it
and we doubt not it will again be
brought up to its old standard.

Bird-lore in its Nov. -Dec. issue,
which completes Vol. V, begins a
series of articles on "The Migration
of the Warblers" by Prof. W. W.
Cook of the U. S. Biological Survey,
illustrated by colored plates from the
drawings of Louis Agassiz, Fuertes
and Bruce Horsfall. These plates are
works of art and of much value to the
bird student and the teacher as well,
and will help to make Bird -lore one
of the foremost magazines for bird
students in America.

With the January number Ameri-
can Ornithology begins its IVth
volume. Commencing with the Jan-
uary number the publishers will give
in addition to the numerous photos
of birds, nests and eggs, two or more

full page color plates of birds. These
will show the male and female birds
in breeding plumage, also in winter
plumage, and the young when the
plumage differs from the adult birds.
Mr. Reed seems determined to keep
us guessing as to what next we may
expect in his bright and valuable bird
magazine.

Practically all we eastern bird men
know of the bird life on the Farrallone
islands off the coast of California has
been supplied by the members of the
Cooper Ornithological Club of that
state. The Condor, their official or-
gan, in the Sept. -Oct. number con-
tains a valuable contribution entitled
"Bird Life on the Farallones," finely
illustrated from photographs by the
author, Mr. H. B. Kaeding, secretary
of the northern division of the club.
Other articles of especial interest are
"Some Observations on the Nesting
Habits of the Prairie Falcon" by D.
A. Cohen, and "With the Mearns
Quail in Southwestern Texas" by L.
A. Fuertes. The Condor continues to
keep well to the front as a bright,
instructive bird magazine and if our
eastern bird students would keep in
touch with ornithology on the Pacific
coast they must read the Condor.

The November issue of The Atlantic
Slope Naturalist, edited by W. E.
Rotzell, M. D., of Narbeth, Penn.,
reaches our exchange table and is
full of interesting material. We note
articles from the pen of such popular
writers as VVm. L. Kells of Listowell,
Ont., and Dr. Morris Gibbs of Kala-
mazoo, Mich., and W. J. Hoxie of
Savannah, Ga., all of whom the read-
ers of the old Boston O. & O. are
familiar.

Two very interesting bulletins pub-
lished by the U. S. fish commission,
Nos. 531 and 532, by William Converse
Kendall, one of our active members,
reache us. "Notes on Some Fresh
Water Fishes from Maine" and "Hab-
its of Some of the Commercial Cat
Fishes" are the titles of the above
bulletins and are full of interest to
the student of nature.

"The Food and Game Fishes of New
York" by Tarleton H. Bean is another
interesting work on the fishes that
reaches us. It is profusely illustrated
with 29 plates and 132 text figures.

1^

MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

AN ORNITHOLOGICAL THRONE.

WHEN THE BUDS UNFOLD.

By A. B. Klugh.

Sec'y. Wellington Field Naturalist's Club.
Giielph, Ont

Tbis throne was not one of the gold
and plush affairs which the unfortu-
nate individuals known as kings have
to occupy, but the upturned roots of
a forest giant, which reached upward
some fifteen feet into the air. It
stood in the middle of a swale — just
such a place as the migratory passers
love to visit on their journeys — and
on Sept. 1 of last year I took my seat
upon it.

When in this elevated position J
appeared to be among the branches
of the smaller trees, and at this sea-
son it was a most interesting place to
be, as they were inhabited in succes-
sion by thousands of birds. Birds
were everywhere in the swale, among
the brush piles were White -throated
Sparrows, Mourning Warblers and
Winter Wrens, in the tree tops were
Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Gros-
beaks, Yellow-throated Vireos, Crest-
ed Flycatchers, Black-throated Green
Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers
and Magnolia Warblers, while in va-
rious situations were Nashville War-
blers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds,
Red eyed and Philadelphia Vireos,
Cedar Waxwings, Catbirds, Purple
Finches, Black and White Warblers,
Redstarts, Oven-birds and Red-breast-
ed Nuthatches.

From the throne there branched out
a slender root and on this a female
Ruby -throated Humming bird alight-
ed and sat for some time within reach
of my hand.

Red -eyed Vireos and many species
of Warblers gleaned their fare within
a few feet of my eyes, while up and
down the trunks of the same trees
ran the Red-breasted Nuthatches.
Some of these latter were the bright-
est which I have ever seen of this
species, their backs were not merely
blue -gray but a bright blue.

Those birds which frequented the
tree tops I could bring almost, it
seemed, within reach by the aid of my
12 power glasses.

I have spent many delightful hours
in the bush but none which 1 ever
enjoyed more than those during
which I sat on my ornithological
throne.

Haitie Washburn.

The birds are with us once again

And are singing as of old
For Spring is here with all her train

And the tender buds unfokl.

The Robin from his perch on high
Sings to us his song of cheer,

'Mid meadow grasses brown and diy
Larks are calling far and near.

Silhouetted against the sky

We see the circling Crane,
The lone Killdeer sends down his cry,

A cry devoid of pain.

The Grackle with majestic mien
Fearless walks about our door,

The Bittern and wild Duck are seen
Along the ponds' grass grown shore.

Blackbirds, a melodious band,

Flaunt wings decked with red or gold,
The Veery trills a carol grand

When the springtime buds unfold.

The Kingbird has reclaimed his throne
On the blazed tree's topmost bough.

The Bob White calls in cheerful tone
From yonder hill's withered l>row.

The Catbird sings once more his lay.
The Nuthatch climbs the tree
And woodlands ring throughout the day
With melody wild and free.

Flickers beat time upon the tree
While the songsters sing their lays

And gentle Spring from sorrow free
Smiles and blushes at their praise.

Loved orchestra of happy Spring
After winter's storm and cold

Peace and joy to all hearts they bring
When the tender buds unfold.

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

19

THE MYTH OF THE BLUEBIRD.

Once when Time was young, in rapturous

flight,
A brownish bird soared in radiant light.
Lost in jubilant trills he flew so high
He brushed the dome of the deep blue sky,
Till his feathers glowed as the azure dome
Ere he winged again to his earthly home.
In his flashings downward, toward sunset

west.
The flaming rays tinted a ruddy breast.
In extatics he flew to nesting tree,
Homeing thoughts of love-ones, birdlings

three,
In tenderness he greeted joyous mate,
In true-love warblings he did relate
Of celestial flight, of his coat of blue.
Trilling "Vou shall wear sky colors too."'

But her day was not as radiant fair
Wandering storm clouds drifted high in air
Subduing the rapture of throbbing throat, —
An unwonted pathos of minor note,
As singing she flew in ethereal flight
Soaring through vapors into azure light.
But in winging downward through clouds of

gray
The rain mists washed some bright blue away.
Tremble'y-wet, she pressed to mates ruddy

breast
Till warm tints spread to her rain-splaslied

vest.
That is the reason of her duller hue
While mate is exuberant in brilliant blue.
O, never again will songbird soar as high,
O, never again through glorious sky.

South Lyme, Conn.

ALICE B. WATTE.

BACK NUMBERS.
We still have a few sets of the Jour-
nal complete, Vol. I to V, which we
offer to those who wish to have the
set complete. Full sets will soon be
very scarce and hard to get. Not over
a dozen complete sets are left. Tell
your friends, whom you think would
like the Journal complete, about it.
First come first served. Order early
so not to get left. Fifty cents per
volume, .$2.50 for volumes I to V.

J. MERTON SWAIN,

Business Mgr.,
Fairfield, Me.

BIRDS OF MAINE.

We still lack a few subscribers to
the looked for revised edition of Birds
of Maine. We do not ask you to send
the cash, only drop us a line stating
you will take one or more copies
when ready and thus help us to get
the required number of pledges and
hasten the publication thereby.

The Mss. is ready, all we lack is the
pledges.

Two editions are offered— one with
blank pages between those of printed
matter, for writing in such notes as
are desired, and will cost 75c. The
other without the blanks costs 50c.
O. W. KNIGHT,
84 Forest Ave., Bangor, Maine.

RHODORA.

A monthly Journal of Botany de-
voted chiefly to the FJora of the
Northeastern States. Edited by Dr.
B. L. Robinson, Messrs. M. L. Fernald,
F. S. Collins and Hollis Webster. To
every Maine botanist and all others
interested in the plants of New Eng-
land RHODORA is indispensable.

Sample copy mailed on receipt of
Ic stamp and mention of this Journal.

$1.00 PER YEAR.

ADDRESS

wm. p. rich,

BUSINESS MANAGER,
300 MASSACHUSETTS AVE.. BOSTON.

JUST OUT!

Cowes' New Key

Two Volumes.
Cloth Octavo prepaid, $9.50.

BENJ. HOAG,

Stephcntown, - - - N. Y.

c/i cNjiiure Magazine for the People

THE PLANT WORLD

*lpNAS long ago passed the experimental stage of young magazines, and its
"•^ seventh year finds it firmly established as the only American publication
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botanists all over the country, and one of its special features at present is the
series by William E. Safford, formerly Lieutenant Governor of Guam, de-
scribing the life and Natural History of that remote island. The photographs
of plants published from time to time have been everywhere commended as
among the finest examples of this type of work. The department devoted to
"The Flower Garden and Greenhouse" is just the thing for those who
have a small back j'ard garden or a few window boxes; and teachers will find
the new department of nature study, conducted by Prof. Lloyd, of the
Teachers' College in New York, invaluable in their work.

This Magazine is also the official organ of the Wild Flower Preservation
Society of America, an organization devoted to the protection of native plants.

Subscription Price, $1.50 per Year. Sample Copy for a two-cent stamp
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From BIRD-LORE'S Series of North American Warblers.

I. Blackburnian Warbler. Adult Male. 2. Bi^ackburnian Wareler, Female.
3 Prothonotary Warbler, Adult Male. 4. Prothonotary Wareler, Female.

BIRD-LORE

A Bi-Monthly Magaxine Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

rubhslieil for the National Committee ol t!:e Audubon Societies, as tlie official organ of the Societies.

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAT^I

Audubon Department edited by MABKL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER .
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THE JOURNAL OF

^he cMaine Ornithological Society.

H (^uartcrl^ 3ournal of flDaine ©rnitboloo^,

" BIRD PROTECTION, BIRD STUDY, THE SPREAD OF THE KNOWLEDGE THUS
GAINED, THESE ARE OUR OBJECTS."

VOL. VI.

FAIRFIELD, MAINE, APRIL, 1904.

NUMBER 2

^he fIDainc ©rnitbolootcal
Society.

Capt. Herbert L. Spinney,

Popham Beach, Me.,
Prof. Leslie A. I<ee,

Brunswick, Me.,
Prof. Wm. Powers,

Gardiner, Me.,
J. Merton Swain,

Skowhegan, Me.
Frank T. Noble,

Augusta, Me.,
Prof. A. L. Lane,

Elast Fairfield, Me.,
Ora W. Knight, M. Sc,

Bangor, Me.,

President

Vice-president

Sec. and Treas

Editor

Asoc. Kditor

Councillor

Councillor

All subscriptions, business coniniunications
and articles for publication should be sent to
J. Merton Swain, Editor and Business Manager,
Fairfield, Maine.

All communications requiring an answer
must be accompanied by stamps for reply.

SUBSCRIPTIONS.

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Ninth annual meeting to be held the Friday
and Saturday following Thanksgiving, 1904, at
Bangor, Maine.

Entered as second class mail matter at Fair-
field, Me.

BOttorial Cbat.

Bluebirds were seen the 27th.

Our readers wiU be glad to note the
prospect of an early completion of
Knights' Birds of Maine.

The spring arrivals are somewhat
later than last year. Yet at this
writing (Mch. 26th) a few have been
seen. Crows have been seen in the
interior for the past two weeks, and
today, two song sparrows were seen
and a flock of seven robins. The
winter birds are staying with us yet.
The 24th we saw a flock of pine gros-
beaks in Solon. Several good sized
flocks of siskins and redpolls have
been seen during the week, also a
few snowflakes. The horned larks
are still numerous along the country
roads in the Kennebec Valley. We
anticipate there will be quite a num-
ber pairs remain to breed.

MAN'S RELATION TO THE
LOWER ANIMALS.

Prof. J. Y. Stanton, Bates College.
[Read before the Maine Ornithological Society, Nov.
27, T903, at Gardiner. I

In all the past centuries until the
middle of the present, men in general
treated animals as though they had
neither feeling nor intelligence nor
rights. Grave philosophers, the
Cynics and Stoics, including the great
Seneca, said that beasts have no
thought or feeling, although they
seemed to have. Is there any better
proof that animals have intelligence
and feeling than that they act as
though they had? The great Descartes
said that all the lower animals are
mere unreasoning machines, that all
their actions may be explained by the
laws of mechanism. Could this man
have had any acquaintance with a dog

22

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

or a horse? Have unreasoning ma-
chines instinct and affection?

Opposed to this shallow, mechanical
theory of Descartes are Plato and
Cicero. They said that the lower an-
imals had will and were self -direct-
ing. During these somewhat bar-
barous centuries animals have had
some great admirers and sympathi-
zers: Homer, who glorified the horse
and dog; Buddhists; Pythagoreans;
Plato; Cicero, the only Roman as far
as it is known, that ever protested
against the cruelties of the amphi-
theater; Plutarch, who reproached
Cato for refusing to allow the horse
that had borne him in safety through
many a bloody battle to be carried
from Spain to Rome at the expense of
the Government; St. Francis, of As-
sisi, the sole celebrated animal lover
during the Dark Ages, from the 4th
to the 14th century; Montaigne; Eras-
mus; Sir Thomas More; Shakspeare;
Bacon, who said that there is implant-
ed by nature in the heart of man a
noble and excellent affection of mercy
extending even to the brute creation,
and that the more noble the mind, the
more enlarged is this affection. More
than two hundred years ago, Sir Mat-
thew Hale said, in the Court of the
King's Bench, "Justice is due from
man even to these sensible creatures,
that he take them for food sparingly;
for necessity, not for luxury. Exces-
sive and unreasonable use of the crea-
ture's labor is an injustice for which
man must account. It is unlawful to
destroy these creatures for recrea-
tion's sake." Pope said that a cat or
a goose may consider man made for
its service as well as man may consid-
er a cat or a goose made for his.
Cowper would not enter on his list
of friends "the man who needlessly
sets foot upon a worm." Burns, ac-
cidentally turning a little mouse out of
its nest with his ploughshare, thus
addressed, it calling it his fellow mor-
tal:

"Wee, sleekit, cow'riu', tim'rous beastie,
Oh what a panic 's in thy breastie."

Condorcet said to his daughter, "Do
not confine your sympathy to the suf-
ferings of men. Let your humanity
extend to animals. Do not make un-
happy those that belong to you. Do
not disdain to attend to their comfort.
Be not indifferent to their gratitude
and never put them to needless pain."
Lord Erskine was the first man that

ever brought before a legislative body
a bill for the prevention of cruelty to
animals. Sir Walter Scott's love of
animals is so well known that we need
only mention his name. Byron's love
of his dog Boatswain was intense. Af-
ter a short life Boatswain died of
madness. Byron attended him to the
last, fearlessly wiping the poisonous
virus from the animal's mouth with
his hand. Byron erected aiuonument
to his dog's memory, in the garden of
Newstead Abbey, with the following
inscription, "Near this spot are de-
posited the remains of one that had
all the virtues of man without his
vices." Wprdsworth tells us

"Never to blend our pleasure or our pride
With sorrow of the meanest thing that feels,"

Lord Brougham accuses man of jeal-
ousy, considering it as an abridgment
of his rights that the lower animals
should have any consideration shown
them. Daniel Webster asked, before
he died, that all his cattle should be
driven to his window that he might
see them, and as they came, one by
one, he called them each by name.
We may also mention Voltaire, Rous-
seau, Jeremy Bentham, Cuvier, Hum-
boldt and Coleridge.

These men will yet receive a great
increment of honor because they saw
so early the light of truth, sympathy
and pity; because they were the
Morning Stars, the Reformers before
the Reformation, in this important
subject. It has been reserved for the
twentieth century to grant animals
their rights and to complete the Refor-
mation so nobly begun by Bergh and
other philanthropists of the last half
of the nineteenth century.

Man has dominion over other ani-
mals but his sovereignty is not ab-
solute. It is limited by moral laws.
Man must not interfere with the hap-
piness and comfort of animals more
than is consistent with their welfare
and his limited rights. Happiness is
the birthright of animals. Look at
the happy and playful young and the
quiet and peaceful mature animals.
Man must not unnecessarily interfere
with this happiness and peace if he
would be innocent. All ill-treatment
of animals is unnecessary. It is a
well known economic fact that the
domestic animals are most profitable
to their owners when well fed and
kindly treated.

I need not attempt to portray the

i

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

23

sufferings that the lower animals have
endured at the hands of men. The
whole animal creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now.
We are all more or less familiar with
the terrible sufferings endured by the
domestic animals in civilized united
States in the nineteenth century.
We can realize what it is in Uncivil-
ized and barbarous countries, and
what it was in the centuries that are
past.

Jeremy Bentham, as far as I have
discovered, was the first person that
said that their capacity to suffer pain
gave to animals rights which man
must regard. Lord Erskine was
probably the first to illustrate that
mere ownership does not give a man
a right to abuse one of his own ani-
mals. On Hamstead Heath, seeing a
ruffian beating unmercifully a
wretched horse, the Lord Chancellor
interfered. The fellow said, "Can't I
do as I like with my own?" "Yes," re-
plied Erskine, "this stick is my own,"
and he gave the scamp a good thrash-
ing. If animals have no future we
are under the greater obligation to
see to it that they have enjoyment
here and now. What is the cause of
the apathy of the Church, its wrong
sentiments and unworthy conduct in
regard to the lower animals? It has
received no encouragement in this
course from the Old Testament or
from the words of Christ. "Every
beast of the forest is mine, and the
cattle upon a thousand hills. I know
all the fowls of the mountains ; and
the wild beasts of the field are mine."
This language implies that the birds
of the air, the beasts of the forests
and the domestic cattle are a noble
possession of God and that thej^ are
under his protection. "Are not two
sparrows sold for a farthing? And
one of them shall not fall on the
ground without your Father." These
words of Christ imply that a spar-
row, two of the m worth only a
farthing, cannot fall to the ground
without the notice of God.

We ought not to expect any teach-
ing on a subject like this from the
Apostles and the early Evangelists.
They were in middle life when they
received the commission to proclaim
the Gospel and they had a great work
to perform. They were determined
to know nothing among men except
Christ and Him crucified.

But the later Christian teachers and
preachers have had time and oppor-
tunity to preach and write on every
conceivable ethical and religious sub-
ject. There is only one subject that
they have almost entirely ignored, — ■
the rights of the lower animals. That
one fourth of the physical suffering in
any community is caused by cruelty
to animals is a moderate estimate.
Prior to 1850 verj^ few words had
been spoken or written by Christian
teachers to protest against this crime
(for it has now been made a crime
by nearly all civilized states and
countries.) Sir Arthur Helps esti-
mates that he has heard 1,390 sermons
and he thinks that not one of them
was on this or any kindred subject.
With these Christian teachers, man
was everything, beasts nothing.
With them, domestic animals were
things, not living and sensitive beings
which could be made peaceful and
happy by kind treatment and be made
wretched by neglect and abuse. With
them, man was made a little lower
than the angels. In their minds, an-
gels were not the spirits of the de-
parted but were separate beings of
great power and perfections.

This ill-balanced teaching was
terrible in its consequences. Men
became conceited, thinking that the
sun, moon and stars were created
for them, that every living thing
was made for their service, not
believing as we do that all the animal
kingdom was created for its own en-
joyment. Man's ill treatment of ani-
mals has reacted upon him with ter-
rible force. It is estimated that in
India with its population of 250 mil-
lions,where animal life is held sacred,
there is not one foui-th the amount of
crime that there is in England with a
population of only 20 millions. Eng-
land's higher civilization would lead
us to expect just the reverse. In
proportion to the number of inhab-
itants, many times more crimes are
committed in the United States than
in Japan, whose animals are treated
with great tenderness and care.

Great would be the consequences if
every child in the State of Maine
was taught from infancy, by example
as well as precept, that the kitten and
puppy were beautiful and precious
creations of God that must be gently
handled and loved. Since the impres-
sions of childhood are so lasting we

24

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

could safely expect these children to
become gentle men and women.
Within fifty years, society would be
so transformed that parents would
be almost universally loved and
cherished, schoolhouses and church-
es would be filled with those that
were anxious to be taught and the
murders in Maine would almost cease.
Of course this state of things is
somewhat ideal, for children cannot
be perfectly protected from the cor-
rupting influences of heredity and
environment, but it suggests a most
potent influence which parents,
teachers and ministers can exert
towards the reformation of society.
Lessons of affection can be taught
through the young of domestic ani-
mals better than in any other way, for
they are the harmless playmates for
which children have naturally great
fondness.

The Bishop of Truro says that Ruskin
believed that the pets of the child
were its educators and none who had
witnessed the relation between chil-
dren and animals could doubt it. The
Bishop further says, "A few years ago
I could not bear to have dogs about
the house but now one is my close
companion. Dogs teach children
manners and to tell the whole truth
they teach me." Jeremy Taylor in his
Holy Living saj^s: "Let your conver-
sation with the creatures (animals)
lead you unto the Creator." Again
give your attention to the testimony
of Rev. Samuel Wilberforce, when
Bishop of Winchester. "If children
are not brought up to care for the
brute creation, they will soon cease
to care for human beings."

I will illustrate, by two notable ex-
amples, the sensitiveness of childhood
and its disinclination to cruelty to an-
imals. When eight years old, Theodore
Parker was playing about his father's
house and seeing a small turtle he
took up a stick to strike. Suddenly
dropping the stick he ran into the
house saying,"Mother, 1 was about to
strike a turtle when a voice spoke to
me." His mother said, "My son, it
was the voice of conscience." When
ten years old,Turgenieff, the celebrat-
ed Russian novelist, went bird-hunt-
ing with his father. As they were
passing through a stubble a golden
pheasant rose in front of the boy and
he raised his gun and fired. The bird
fell and fluttered to its nest where its

young were huddled. While the son
was looking on, the little head of the
mother dropped and only her dead
body was left to shield her nestlings.
The horror-stricken son cried, "Fa-
ther, father, what have 1 done?" "Well
done, ray son," the father said, "you
will soon be a fine sportsman." "Nev-
er, father; never, never again shall I
destroy any living creature." It is
said that this incident awakened sen-
timents in Turgenieff that tinged all
his writings. In passing I might add
that the greatest of the Russian novel-
ists, Tolstoi, holds advanced views on
this subject. He says "I talk to my
horses; I do not beat them." I am
sure that all present believe that the
lower animals have rights that we are
bound to respect and that cruelty to
them dulls the moral sensibilities and
brutalizes individuals and nations.

At this point certain problems arise,
some of them difficult to solve.

1st. Is the domestication of animals
an infringement upon their rights? I
am sure that it is not. Animals in the
wild state have, fat times, a struggle
for existence. They suffer from hun-
ger and cold. When domesticated, if
properly cared for, they enjoy to a
fuller extent the blessings of life.
We cannot see how man could have
risen from savagery to the civilized
state without domesticated animals.

When our forefathers landed at
Plymouth they found the natives of
New England four thousand years
behind Europeans in civilization.
They had advanced hardly beyond
the stone age. This backwardness is
attributable in a great degree to the
fact that the natives possessed no
animals except the dog, while the
Europeans possessed, besides the dog,
six animals of first-rate economic
importance, the ox, horse, ass, sheep,
goat and hog. At this time all North
and South America held in domesti-
cation only three quadrupeds, the
dog, llama and Peruvian Guinea pig.
Perhaps in all the New World, these
were the only animals, except the
wild turkey, capable of domestication.
At any rate, since the Europeans
settled this country they have not
succeeded in domesticating any other
of our native animals. It is a signifi-
cant; fact that the ox, horse, ass,
camel, sheep and goat are natives of
Asia and at least four of them, the ox,
horse, sheep and goat, are natives of

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

25

the mouutainous region of the cen-
tral zone of Asia, where man probably
first appeared on earth and where in
early times the human species multi-
plied and advanced far beyond the
barbarous state. These domesticated
animals furnished meat, milk and ma-
terial for clothing, bore burdens and
drew the plough, enabling the shep-
herds and herdsmen to become agri-
culturalists.

2nd. Is the killing of birds to be
used as mere ornaments a violation
of animal i-ights? A fair-minded and
innocent person can answer this ques-
tion in but one way. The collectors of
birds, birds' plumes and wings, for
millinery purposes are simply butchers
and ought to be imprisoned, and the
wholesale dealers in plumes are abet-
tors. Their business, if continued, will
cause the extinction of many species
of our most beautiful birds, for the
region where some of these birds live
is very limited. One of the humming-
birds is found only in the crater of an
extinct volcano and in its immediate
neighborhood. Its tiny throat is so
fiery that Mr. Gould says it seems to
have caught upon its throat the last
spark of the volcano before it was
extinguished. Our own humming-bird,
the Ruby-throat, rears its young here
in the Northern States, migrates in
early autumn and leaves our country
for Mexico and Central America. Who
could cause the death of this tiny
creature and wear it as an ornament,
which had survived the perils of this
long migration twice a year for the
sake of passing a short summer in
this region with us? Who could be
so cruel and inhospitable? But we
must presume that the milliners and
their patrons, the wearers of these
birds and plumes, are innocent or
guilty, at most, of only ignorance or
carelessness. The suppression of this
wrong lies with those who are gen-
erally ready to co-operate in every
good work.

3d. Ought animals to be used as
food? Doubtless we all wish we
could be vegetarians. Scientists
think that our teeth and digestive or-
gans imply that we are to be omniv-
orous. The fact that man could eat
meat greatly aided him in his early
struggle for existence. If animal
food is necessary for man's health,
success and improvement, we must
answer this question in the affirma-

tive. Of course the transportation
and slaughtering of animals ought to
be conducted under the strictest gov-
ernmental supervision.

4th. Is vivisection a violation of
animal rights? It is a shameful vio-
lation as it has sometimes been prac-
ticed. The practice of vivisection
should also be under the strictest su-
pervision of the government. Li-
censes to practice it ought to be
granted to the great scientists only,
whose observations will be likely to
lead to important results in alleviat-
ing man's sufferings. It ought not to
be indulged in to verify well-known
facts or to amuse a class of college or
medical students.

5th. We have one of these very
difficult problems here in the State of
Maine. We congratulate ourselves
that Maine, with its seaside, its lakes,
rivers and forests, is the best health
resort in all the known world and we
heartily welcome to this sanitarium
all that will come. If our legislature
should prohibit altogether the killing
of the moose, caribou and deer and
allow these large animals to multiply
for a period of years at least, the
moose would be saved from extinc-
tion, for Maine is its last stronghold
and under the present state regula-
tions its numbers are diminishing,
the caribou, which is now disappear-
ing from the State, would remain with
us, and the summer visitors would see
the deer feeding among the domestic
cattle. Let the legislature afford every
facility to visitors to visit our forests
in September and October, by furnish-
ing licensed and thoroughly compe-
tent guides, as now, and by increasing
the food supply through the multipli-
cation of the fishes in all our rivers
and lakes by artificial propagation.
Fishing and pretending to fish have
been a delightful amusement in all
ages. The prohibition of the killing
of moose, deer and caribou would
keep away the amateur hunters who
cannot distinguish deer from men and
domestic cattle. It would keep away
butchers that visit our woods merely
for the sake of killing something.
Our woods would be even more
attractive to clergymen, lawyers,
physicians, teachers and business
men who go there to see the wild ani-
mals in their native haunts and to
study their habits; to see nature in its
most somber, mysterious and im-

26

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

pressive forms; to recover health and
strength by fishing, boating and wan-
dering in the forests. These men re-
turn at night to the camp, they eat a
simple and wholesome meal, they tell
stories, they lie down to sleep on
the sweet-scented boughs, to be awak-
ened at midnight by the weird cry of
the loon on the lake or by the hoot-
ing of the owl, to have their imagi-
nations aroused, to entertain noble
and serious thoughts. At last they
return home to their several callings,
invigorated in body and mind. Is not
this the use to which Maine should
devote its forests?

I wish now to offer briefly a few
reasons why animals are very inter-
esting to us.

1st. Their mysterious relationship
to us excites our interest. We be-
long to the same great genealogical
tree with them. They are our hum-
ble relations. Although they have
received noble and beautiful endow-
ments we still are compelled to sym-
pathize with them because of their
lowly estate. Some of them are de-
pendent on us for their happiness and
well being. Our conduct and feelings
towards animals have greatly improv-
ed within the last forty years, since
the publication of Darwin's Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selec-
tion, in 1859. Greater advance has
been made in this respect in these
forty years than in the eighteen
christian centuries previous to this
time. This great original^work dealing
with fundamental principles has
changed the current of our thoughts.
Our conception of God's infinite power
and goodness has become broader and
clearer. The fact that God is the au-
thor of all life has become more real
to us. We see that the tiniest thing
that breathes has endowments that
no one but God could bestow. All
life has become more sacred. With
one exception all the societies that
have been formed, all the magazines
that have been published and all the
legislative enactments for the preven-
tion of cruelty to animals have
a date subsequent to the publi-
cation of the Origin of Species.
In this country the first law for
the prevention of cruelty to ani-
mals was passed by the New York
legislature in 1865. The first society
was established also in New York in
1868. Now every state in the Union

has a law to protect animals. In
1887, her Jubilee year. Queen Victoria
wrote to the Royal Society for Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals as fol-
lows, "1 notice with real pleasure the
growth of humane feelings toward
the lower animals. No civilization is
complete which does not include the
dumb and defenceless of God's crea-
tures within the sphere of charity and
mercy."

2nd. Animals ought to be interest-
ing to us because of their physical
endowments. I must treat this part
of the subject in a very cursory and
fragmentary manner. It is probable
that every species of vertebrate ani-
mals surpasses man in one or more
physical endowments. Some species
surpass him in strength, many in
beauty and gracefulness of form and
many in activity and swiftness of
motion.

All are equal to man in the perfect
adaptation of their bodies to their
condition and manner of life. Nature
has endowed all animals with cloth-
ing of wool, hair, fur, feathers, etc.
It is recorded that our first parents,
early in their history, discovered their
deficiences in this respect. This ani-
mal clothing is incomparable for
lightness and warmth, is adapted to
the habitat of the animal and is gen-
erally very beautiful. Charles Reade
in the "Cloister and the Hearth"
makes the Pope of Rome in the cere-
mony of blessing animals say, "See
their myriad forms, their lovely hair
and eyes, their grace, and of some
the power and majesty, the colors of
others brighter than roses or rubies."

The human infant is of all absorbing
interest in what it is to become, be-
cause of its possibilities. The young
animal is generally delightful in what
it now is; many are graceful and
some are very picturesque. Mari-
anne North, the celebrated flower
painter, pronounces the young camel
the most picturesque of all living
things. If Miss North is correct
in this, the young moose and the
young giraffe must be good seconds.
When the first young giraffe was
brought to Paris in 1827 the populace
went wild with excitement. Men,
women and children of all classes
wore gloves, waistcoats and gowns of
the colors of the giraffe and the mer-
chants who first put on the market
dress goods of the giraffe pattern be-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

27

came rich. The giraffe has a small
body, long legs, very long neck and
small head with eyes of wonderful
beauty which are much larger than
those of any other quadruped.

Animal temper is naturally pacific,
equable and mild. Animals love so-
ciety. A New England hillside pas-
ture" with its herd of domestic cattle
of different races and of various col-
ors, some feeding and some quietly
resting, presents to the eye a picture
at once most peaceful and most pleas-
ing. What a grand and heart-stirring
spectacle was presented by a herd of
buffalo consisting of thousands of
individuals moved by one impulse,
tearing over a western prairie, turn-
ing aside for neither river nor preci-
pice lying in its course.

Passing to animals of a lower class
we come to the birds, of which we
have here in America an entire fam-
ily of the most beautiful, — the hum-
ming birds, consisting of about 450
species, with only one in the United
States this side of the Mississippi, the
Ruby-throat. You can discover what
naturalists have thought of their
beauty by the names which they have
given them, — the Amethyst, Crimson
Topaz, Ruby -throat. Sapphire -throat-
ed. Splendid Coquette, Sappho Comet,
Sun Gem, Chimborazian Hill Star,
Golden Train-bearer. "Of all ani-
mated beings," says Buffon, "this is
the most elegant in form and splendid
in coloring." Precious stones and
metals artificially polished can never
be compared to this jewel of natui-e.
Lady Emeline Stuart Woi'tley calls
them these Diamond Dew Drops on
Wings, these Sylphs, these Visions,
these Rainbow Atoms.

The humming birds scarcely surpass
two or three other families. The sun-
birds, the birds of Paradise, the pea-
cock, and some of the trogans almost
rival tliem. Some of the pheasants
and fruit pigeons are hardly inferior
to the peacocks. Many others which
are less beautiful are most pictur-
esque. What can be more picturesque
than family groups of tall and elegant
storks perched upon the chimney tops
of Holland and Southern Germany?
Audubon tries in vain to describe his
feelings when he beheld the flamin-
gos at the Florida Keys. The rough
Spanish sailors were so filled with
emotion that they were moved to
tears when they saw at a distance on

the Cuban shores the scarlet flamin-
gos like soldiers in a line. No boy
that has watched a flock of wild
geese with outstretched neck cleav-
ing the air with that mysterious
wedge can ever forget it. Who ever
saw a sight more beautiful than the
snow white swan on St. Mary's
Lake, "floating double, swan and
shadow." What man with all his
science and machinery has been able
to fiy like a bird? even to discover
how the huge condor can float in the
rarified air of the Andes and pass from
one aerial plane to another without
flapping its wings.

Passing still on to a lower class of
animals we come to the butterflies
and moths. In Brazil, in the Eastern
Archipelago, including the Philippines,
and in other tropical countries, where
only man is vile, the splendor of
these airy creatures cannot be con-
ceived by us who are only acquainted
with those of New England. Natu-
ralists, collecting in these countries,
after hunting for butterflies during
the day have seen at night, in their
dreams and excited imaginations,
visions of such gorgeous butterflies as
are not found this side of the Celes-
tial Region.

3d. Animals ought to be interest-
ing to us because of their intelligence.
Without expressing any opinion as to
whether mind in the lower animals
differs from that of man in extent
only or in quality as well as extent,
one need not hesitate to speak of the
intelligence of animals. Instinct is
the involuntary prompting to action.
Within its limits it is uniform in its
teaching. It admits of no discrimina-
tion, no forethought, no voluntary
application of means to ends. In-
stinct is inborn and it makes no prog-
ress. Intelligence is improved by
experience. I do not think that any
careful observer doubts that at times,
in exigencies, all the higher animals
employ something higher than mere
instinct. Those who deny intelligence
to animals must ignore at the outset
the bees and ants, which are organ-
ized into well arranged and well gov-
ernedcommunities. I will commence
with the birds.

An oriole's nest, described by Dr.
C. C. Abbott, had been suspended
from the delicate branches of a weep-
ing willow. These being found too
slight for the weight of the nest when

28

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

occupied, another branch about a
foot distant was brought into use, as
an additional support, by carefully
interweaving a long string with the
body of the nest, then carrying it up
and attaching it by a number of turns
and a knot to the branch above.
Thus secured, the nest sustained the
weight of the young when fully
grown and both the parent birds. If
one does not agree with Dr. Abbott
that there is here an indication of
forethought he cannot fail to see that
judgment is shown in the employ-
ment of means for the accomplish-
ment of the end. From repeated re-
ports of competent observers I infer
that this is not an uncommon device
with birds of this species.

While Edward, the naturalist, was
loitering one day upon the beach near
Banff, on the Moray Firth, he was
tempted to shoot a tern which in
company with others was sporting in
the air, occasionally flying down to
the water for food. The bird which
was wounded fell screaming into the
water. The disabled bird began to
drift helplessly toward the shore
where Mr. Edward was standing.
"While matters were in this position,"
says the naturalist, "I beheld to my
utter astonishment two of the un-
wounded terns take hold of their dis-
abled comrade, one at each wing, lift
him out of the water and bear him
out seaward. They were followed by
two other birds. After being car-
ried six or seven yards he was
let gently down again, when he
was taken up in a similar man-
ner by the two which had been
hitherto inactive. In this way they
continued to carry him alternately,
until they had conveyed him to a
rock at a considerable distance, upon
which they landed him in safety.
Having i-ecovered my self-possession
I made toward the i-ock, wishing to
obtain the prize which had been so
unceremoniously snatched from my
grasp; I was observed however by
the terns and instead of four, I had
in a short time a whole swarm about
me. On my near approach to the
rock I once more beheld two of them
take hold of the wounded bird as they
had done already and bear him out to
sea in triumph." There is no reason
to doubt that the facts are as given
above, for Thomas Edward was a
keen and experienced observer and a

highly trustworthy man. The rescue
of the disabled bird by its faithful
companions could not have been bet-
ter directed by the human mind and
more sympathy could not have been
shown by the human heart. Doubt-
less instinct is sufficient for the every
day business of life but it is entirely
inadequate in an emergency like this,
arising it may be only once in a life
time.

The lammergeyer, the huge eagle
vulture of Europe and Asia, the Os-
sifrage of Scripture, carries in its
talons large bones to an immense
height, and breaks them by letting
them fall upon stones below in order to
get at the marrow contained in them.
The story that the poet ^schylus
while sitting on a stone outside the
city of Gela, in Sicily, was killed by a
tortoise which an eagle dropped upon
his head, is capable of explanation by
a reference to this habit of the bird.

I will give in his own words an ac-
count of a Boston naturalist's' hair-
breadth escape from the fate of
the poet ^schylus. "Another in-
stance of the crow's intelligence
came under my observation as I was
walking among the crumbling arches
of Caracalla's Baths, in Rome, in
April, 1882. When near the wall a
stone nearly as large as my fist fell at
my feet. Fearing a recurrence of
what I suppposed was an accident of
perishing masonry, our party went
further toward the centre of tlie area.
A second and third fell near us; and
looking up I saw, circling above our
heads, crows, one of which dropped a
fourth stone from his claws. It seems
that we had been strolling too near
their nests in the walls; and they took
this method to drive us away — a very
effectual one, as a stone of that size,
falling from the height of sixty feet,
was an exceedingly dangerous mis-
sile and perhaps only prevented from
being fatal by the failure of the bird
to make allowance for the impetus of
its own motion. The aim was accu-
rate and the discharge right overhead
but as both we and the bird were
moving it fortunately missed its
mark."

A friendly critic suggests that it is
a case of mistaken identity on the
part of Prof. Kneeland, since crows
would have used their beaks instead
of their claws for carrying stones. It
does not seem reasonable that this

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

29

clever family is confined to the use of
its beak. An individual of any spe-
cies of the crow race is doubtless ca-
pable of an act like this, for there is
in every branch of it an abundance
of intelligence and humor. But I am
suspicious that in this case the cul-
prits were jackdaws. In March and
April of 1875, 1 saw jackdaws building
their nests in the ruined walls of the
Baths of Caracalla. They constantly
kept up their cheerful and noisy cry as
they went in and out. But we cannot
be equally sure that the jackdaws were
alarmed at the presence of Dr. Knee-
land's party for their nests were locat-
ed high, in places quite inaccessible.
Probably the mischievous daws were
in sport and when they saw the visi-
tors enter the area of the Baths they
took the stones from the top of the
arches with the roguish but innocent
intention of discovering which could
drop his stone nearest the mark with-
out hitting. In a stanza of Cowper's
translation of a Latin ode written by
Vincent Bourne there is the following
worthy tribute to the jackdaw:

Thrice happy bird! I too have seen
Much of the vanities of men;
And sick of having seen 'em.
Would cheerfully these limbs resign
For such a pair of wings as thine.
And such a head between 'em.

I will close this division of my sub-
ject by relating, on the highest au-
thorities, two or three instances of
unusual sagacity shown by animals
belonging to the highest class.

When Sir James Emerson Tennent
was in Ceylon as Colonial Secretary,
riding one day horseback along a
road he suddenly met an elephant
alone, bearing a stick of timber on
his tusks. At the sight of the ele-
phant the horse stopped and could
not be urged forward. The ele-
phant stopped a moment, then
quietly laid the piece of timber
lengthwise on one side of the road.
Then it turned and went some dis-
tance in the opposite direction and
backed into a jungle, concealing itself
all but its trunk. The horse went
willingly on its way until it spied the
elephant's trunk, when it stopped
again. The elephant backed further
into the jungle until he was entirely
concealed and the horse went shying
by. After a short time Tennent turn-
ed around to see what the elephant
was doing. It came out of the jungle,

took up the piece of timber and went
on its way.

The bovine genus is generally
thought to be one of the least intelli-
gent of all the races of the larger ani-
mals, which is by no means conceded
by those best acquainted with our
domestic cattle. Last summer during
my visit to Sandwich, my brother and
I one evening went to the pasture for
his cow. He was tired and I hastened
ahead to let the cow out of the lane into
the road. I opened the gate and the
cow passed by me and I followed her
along towards home. When the cow
met my brother and was just passing
him, she turned square about and look-
ed first at him, then at me, several
times. After waiting a little she
turned slowly back towards home.
She seemed to come to a conclusion
and say to herself, "They are both
old, have white hair and resemble
each other but, as I looked from one
to the other, I saw a difference. One
of them is my old friend, and the
other is a stranger."

The horse is the most highly en-
dowed of all the animals with which
we are acquainted, with one excep-
tion. Its services to man are most
valuable and varied and they are
often performed amid the greatest
difficulties and hardships. It is at
the mercy of all kinds of owners and
drivers. Its hardships are often as
great when in the hands of a kind but
eccentric man as when in the hands
of a cruel one. Its sufferings are too
great to dwell on. Its virtues and
intelligence are too well known to
need illustration and I will leave the
horse after briefly relating a story of
a New England Divine of the eight-
eenth century and his horse. The
dear Doctor was scriptural in his
method of feeding his horse. A day
of plenty was likely to be followed by
a lean day. The doctor rode horse-
back when he went to make his calls.
Sometimes this absent-minded pastor
put on the saddle hind part fore. On
the first occasion of the occurrence
of this slight mistake the horse
was too proud to set out in this
fashion and he was fractious and
balky but he soon learned that the
eccentric doctor was incorrigible and
he quietly went on as always before.
The horse soon learned at what
houses the doctor called Monday,
where he called Tuesday, where Wed-

3d

JOUHNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

nesday and so on. Then the horse
took charge in this matter and allow-
ed his master to keep to his musings
and to the preparation of his ser-
mons. When the horse stopped at a
house the pastor dismounted, left the
horse unhitched, went in and made
his call. In due time he came out
and mounted, and the horse took him
to the next house and so on until the
calls were all made when the horse
took his rider home in safety. Some-
times the doctor saddled his horse,
led it up to the front door and went
into the house and forgot himself.
After waiting a proper time the horse
set out alone to make the pastoral
calls. It went to all the houses in
order, stopping a regular time at each
and then returned. This was a de-
lightful change to all the boys and
girls who could not give their stern
pastor a satisfactory account of their
state of mind or of their conduct.
So the doctor and his horse jogged
on, dividing the pastoral duties, until
they reached old age with minds un-
impaired.

"The dog," says Baron Cuvier, "is
the first, the easiest, the completest,
the most singular and the most useful
conquest ever made by man." He was
man's companion in prehistoric
times. He has been his companion
in all parts of the world ever inhab-
ited by man. It is doubtful if man
could have risen above the savage
state without the dog. He assisted
him in conquering and domesticating
the other animals. "Without the
shepherd's dog," says Hogg, so well
known as the Ettriek Shepherd, "the
whole of the mountainous land in
Scotland would not be worth a six-
pence. It would require more hands
to manage a stock of sheep, gather
them from the hills, force them into
houses and folds and drive them to
markets than the profits of the whole
stock would be capable of maintain-
ing. In the management of sheep a
Scotch collie is more than equal to
twenty men." In some parts of South
America, where there are no shep-
herds, dogs act in their place and take
charge of the flocks. Thus early in
the morning the dogs drive the sheep
from the fold, conduct them to the
plain, accompany them the whole
day and keep them well togeth-
er, defending them from beasts
of prey, voracious birds and from

man himself. At sunset they conduct
the sheep back again to the fold
when they lay themselves down on
the ground and pass the night in
watchful care. In the Museum at
Berne there is the mounted body of a
St. Bernard dog celebrated for hav-
ing saved forty lives in twelve years.

Of dogs. Sirrah is one of the best
known, not because he was superior
in intelligence to any one of a thou-
sand others but because his great
virtues have been celebrated by his
owner, the poet Hogg, in his Shep-
herd's Calendar. When Hogg was
fifteen years old he was sent with his
dog Sirrah on a strange errand. I
will allow the poet to relate the
incident in his own language. "I
was sent to a place in Tweeddale,
called Stanhope, to bring back a wild
ewe that had strayed from home.
The place lay at a distance of fifteen
miles and my way to it was over
steep hills and athwart deep glens.
There was no path and neither Sirrah
nor I had ever travelled that way be-
fore. When I left the people of the
house, Mr. Tweedie, the farmer, said
to me, "Do you really suppose that
you will drive that sheep over the
hills and out through the midst
of all the sheep in the coun-
try?" I said I would try to do it.
"Then let me tell you," said he, "you
may as well try to travel to yon sun."
Our way, as I said, lay over wild hills
and through the middle of flocks of
sheep. I seldom got sight of the ewe
for she was sometimes a mile before
me, sometimes two; but Sirrah kept
her in command the whole way, nev-
er suffered her to mix with the other
sheep, nor, as far as I could judge,
ever to deviate twenty yards from the
track by which he and I went the day
before." Hogg inquired at two shep-
herds' cottages whether a dog and a
sheep had been seen. They had not.
All along the route which the dog and
sheep had taken, on both sides, he
found the great flocks of sheep quiet
and undisturbed. When Hogg reach-
ed home there were the dog and
sheep lying near each other resting
after their long tramp.

On another occasion Hogg had
charge of several hundred lambs. He
had only a boy and his dog to assist
him. It was necessary to watch the
lambs day and night to prevent them
from running away in search of their

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

31

dams. One night they broke loose and
in the effort that was made to stop
them they broke into three divisions,
one of which went north, another south
and another westward. Hogg pur-
sued one division and the boy an-
other and Sirrah immediately started
off but, on account of the darkness of
the night and the blackness of the
moor, Hogg could not tell in what di-
rection. Hogg and the boy met at
daybreak and neither had discovered
the least trace of the lambs. They
went in haste to tlieir master and in-
formed him that they had lost his
whole flock of lambs and knew not
what had become of them. On their
way home they discovered a body of
lambs at the bottom of a deep ravine
and the indefatigable Sirrah stand-
ing in front of them. At first
they thought he had charge of only
one division. To their utter aston-
ishment they soon found that not one
lamb of the whole was wanting.
When Sirrah became old, Hogg sold
him for three guineas and told him
to follow his new master. He obey-
ed. The old dog loved his old home
and frequently visited it by night but
he never recognized Hogg afterwards
and resorted to all sorts of devices
not to meet him.

Although the various dogs of Sir
Walter Scott, and Dr. John Brown,
Boatswain, of Lord Byron, and
thousands of other dogs are equally
interesting and scarcely less intelli-
gent than Sirrah, I have for a pur-
pose that will appear later, spent all
the time that I have to spare on this
one. Intelligence in these celebrated
dogs was inborn. It matured with
their years, as does that of man.
These dogs were not trained. Intelli-
gence differs from docility. Dogs
can be taught anything.

Plutarch witnessed the performance
of a trained dog before the Emperor
Vespasian in the theatre of Marcellus
at Rome. One part of the perform-
ance was to counterfeit being poison-
ed by eating a piece of bread. Hav-
ing swallowed the bread he assumed
the appearance of trembling and
staggering and, at length, stretching
himself out, he lay as if dead and al-
lowed himself to be dragged from
place to place as the part of the play
demanded. When it was time for
him to come to life he began to stir
himself, at first, very gently as if wak-

ing from a deep sleep; then he raised
his head and afterwards, to the aston-
ishment of the spectators, he rose and
walked up to one of the actors, jump-
ed up at him and seemed overjoyed.
All who were present, the Emperor
as well as the rest, were aroused to
the highest pitch of enthusiasm and
delight.

Dogs frequently bear the annoy-
ance of children even with more pa-
tience than affectionate parents.
The superiority of dogs to most men
in affection, in steadfastness and loy-
alty to friends led a French Cynic to
say "The more I see of men, the bet-
ter I like dogs." It is not a rare oc-
curence for a man from some selfish
motive to injure afriend. No instance
is recorded, I think, in which a dog
has been guilty of this wrong inten-
tionally.

Senator Vest once dropped into
court in a little Missouri town, where
a man was suing a neighbor for shoot-
ing his dog. The lawyers for the
prosecution persuaded Senator Vest
to speak in behalf of their client, and
this is what he said:

"Gentlemen of the Jury: The one
absolutely unselfish friend that man
can have in this selfish world, the one
that never deserts him, the one that
never proves ungrateful or treacher-
ous, is his dog. A man's dog stands
by him in prosperity and in poverty,
in health and in sickness. He will
sleep on the cold ground, where the
wintry winds blow and the snow
drives fiercely, if only he may be
near his master's side. He will kiss
the hand that has no food to offer.
He guards the sleep of his pauper
master as if he were a prince. When
all other friends desert he remains.
When riches take wings and reputa-
tion falls to pieces he is as constant
in his love as the sun in its journeys
through the heavens.

"If fortune drives the master forth
an outcast in the world, friendless
and homeless, the faithful dog asks
no higher privilege than that of ac-
companying him, to guard him
against danger, to fight against his
enemies. And when the last scene of
all comes, and death takes the master
in its embrace, and his body is laid
away in the cold ground, no matter if
all other friends pursue their way,
there by the graveside will the noble
dog be found, his head between his

32

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert
watchfulness, faithful and true even
in death."

It is alleged that, after this, some
of the jurors were anxious to hang
the defendant.

Lastly, animals ought to be espe-
cially interesting to us because they
are probably immortal.

I will offer a few reasons for believ-
ing that animals may be immortal;
first, on the supposition that all
men are immortal; then, on the sup-
position that man's immortality is
conditional.

Of course, a proposition like this
will always find many opposers. Our
natural pride rebels against the idea
that animals are to share immortality
with us. This belief is very old. It
was clearly stated more than twenty-
three centuries ago. This opinion has
been held by many distinguished men
and women whom we greatly admire.
Tholuck believed that the kingdom of
God will exist on the earth and be
peopled by the entire animal creation,
freed from the material body, as did
Luther and many other German theo-
logians and philosophers. Tholuck
seems to base his belief, in part, at
least, upon an interpretation of Rom-
ans VIII, 19-23. Prof. Hitchcock re-
marks upon this interpretation, in his
Religion of Geology. "This exposi-
tion," he says, "surely carries with it
a great deal of naturalness and
probability. Both Bishop Butler and
John Wesley believed in the im-
mortality of animals and they both
express confidence in the idea that
animals in the future will arrive at
great attainments and become rational
and moral agents. Bishop Butler
says that men endued with capacities
for religion and virtue are without the
use of them in infancy and child-
hood and that a great part of the
human species go out of the pres-
ent world before they come to the
exercise of these capacities in any
degree at all. Adam Clarke gives
ten reasons for belief in the immor-
tality of animals.

Besides these mentioned above, the
following are some of the celebrated
men and women who have expressed
their belief in the immortality of the
lower animals in most emphatic lan-
guage, some of whom I shall later
have occasion to quote: Plato,
Cicero, Leibnitz, Jeremy Taylor, Max

Muller, Bishop Ellicott, Sir Charles
Lye 11, Agassiz, Charles Kingsley,
Lamartine, Mary Russell Mitford,
Mary Somerville, Dr. John Brown,
Olive Thorne Miller, Southey, Rev.
F. O. Morris, and Rev. J. G. Wood.

Of these there are three classes.
First, the philosophers, — Plato, Cicero,
Bishop Butler and Leibnitz, who
maintain that there is the same rea-
son for believing in the immortality
of animals as in that of man. Their
belief is based on the fact that man
has a twofold nature, that he has a
body and a soul; that the material
body perishes at death and that the
soul survives; that the soul cannot
perish, tliat immortality is inherent
in its nature; that the lower animals
have this duality; that they are body
and soul. What is the soul? It is
that which thinks, feels and wills; it
is that which is intelligent and affec-
tionate. We naturally infer that the
intelligence and affection which the
dog possesses do not pertain to mat-
ter but to soul. But we hesitate to
believe that animal love and animal
intelligence are the same in their na-
ture as human love and human in-
telligence.

I wish to quote a few authorities
on this point. Wordsworth called
his dog Mercy, "A soul of love."
Dr. John Brown beautifully says,
"Are not these dumb friends of
ours persons rather than things. Is
not their soul ampler, as Plato would
say, than their body and contains
rather than is contained? Is not
what lives and wills in them and is
affectionate, as spiritual and imma-
terial, as truly removed from mere
flesh and bones as that soul which is
the proper self of their master? And
when we look each other in the face,
as I look in Dick's who is lying in his
corner by the fireside, and he in
mine, is it not as much the dog with-
in looking out from his eyes— the
windows of the soul — as it is the man
from mine?"

"Knowest thou not," says Milton,
"their knowledge and their ways?
They also know and reason not con-
temptibly." And Aristotle, "There
are between animals and man facul-
ties in common, near and analogous."

"The camel driver has his thoughts
and the camel, he has his thoughts"
is an Arabian proverb. Every horse-
man of experience and observation

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

33

knows that his horse has thoughts
and that it often reads correctly the
thoughts of its driver. We might
have an American proverb, — horse
sense is good sense.

Science teaches that man is an ani-
mal, that he is intimately related
to the other animals, and that he has
been slowly evolved from them.
When man first appeared on earth he
was little better than a savage brute
and his immediate progenitors were
absolutely such. Science teaches
that not only man's body but his
higher nature has been evolved from
the lower animals. Did the earliest
man have a soul and were his imme-
diate progenitors without it? Quite
a portion of the human race has made
little advance from the savage state.
The inhabitants of the Andaman Is-
lands, the natives of Australia and
the Bushmen of South Africa are ap-
parently inferior to the highest of the
lower animals and are not as inter-
esting.

Missionaries do not find in these
races of men the noble instincts, the
affection and faithfulness to friends
that some of the higher animals pos-
sess. To compare civilized man with
the noblest of the lower animals let us
take concrete examples, — the poet
Hogg and his dog Sirrah. Consider
the dog's remarkable efficiency in
the service of his master. According
to the testimony of the poet the
dog was equal to twenty men in a
most difficult employment. Recall
to mind the two surprising feats
that have been described. This
capability was not all physical.
Great intelligence, judgment, fore-
thought and mental activit^'^ were
needed and must have been employ-
ed. This efficiency was not merely
physical and mental. It was moral.
Dogs like ease as much as men do.
What kept the dog up to such inten-
sity of earnestness in his master's ser-
vice? Was it not love of his master
and loyalty to his commands? What
have we to say of the poet in com-
parison? There was nothing in the
poet to respond to this surpassing
affection and faithfulness on the part
of the dog. The poet sold for three
guineas a most faithful friend in his
old age. You will remember that the
dog never recognized Hogg after this
transaction. The dog's righteous in-
dignation was almost sublime. Which

of the twain was more worthy of
immortality? One was pure and per-
fect of his kind and the other was just
what he was. The question arises
with great force. Can love, God's
very nature, the definition of Himself
which he has chosen above all others,
ever really be lost? That many ani-
mals possess it in a remarkable de-
gree cannot be denied. Agassiz ex-
claims, "The nobility of the dog must
be immortal." Leibnitz writes, "I
found at last how the souls of animals
and their sensations do not at all in-
terfere with the immortality of hu-
man souls; on the contrary, nothing
serves better to establish our natural
immortality than to believe that all
souls are imperishable."

The second class of believers in
the immortality of animals consists of
naturalists and animal lovers in gen-
eral, such as Agassiz and Olive
Thorne Miller, who think, if animals
are mortal, the future life would
lack something to make it as com-
plete, as satisfying and as happy as
they had supposed it would be from
the promises of the New Testament.
The important work of many natu-
ralists in which they had innocently
and seriously engaged while here
would be left a fragment and be al-
most in vain.

The third class that believe in the
immortality of animals offer most
sei-ious and unanswerable objections
to the theory that all animal life ends
here. Mrs. Somerville, in her eighty-
ninth year, wrote as follows : "If ani-
mals have no future the existence of
many is most wretched. Multitudes
are starved, cruelly beaten and loaded
during life. Many die under a bar-
barous vivisection. I cannot believe
that any creature was created for un-
compensated misery; it would be
contrary to the attribute of God's
mercy and justice." Dr. Adam
Clarke says ,"That animals have no
compensation here, their afflictions,
labors and death prove. It is there-
fore obvious that the gracious pur-
pose of God has not been fulfilled in
them; and that as they have not lost
their happiness through their own
fault, both the benevolence and jus-
tice of God are bound to make them
reparation. Hence it is reasonable
to conclude that as, from the present
constitution of things, they cannot
have the happiness designed for them

34

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

in this state they must have it in
another."

There is a growing belief, I think,
that man's immortality is conditional;
that the New Testament does not
teach that all men are immortal and
that some passages seem to teach
something quite different. "Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat: because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life; and few
there be that find it." Immortality
is not a natural possession but some-
thing that must be won. A very able
and interesting work has been i-e-
cently published on this subject by
Rev. Dr. McConnell, called the "Evo-
lution of Immortality."

There is another theory, that man
at the outset of life has a soul but
that it may die within him; that if it
is to be kept it must be cherished and
nourished; that evolution is more ex-
tended in its operations than we have
commonly supposed; that only the fit-
test survive death and enter upon an
immortal existence. According to
either of these theories, men and ani-
mals alike must perish if the}- are not
fitted to enjoy something more than
a mere physical existence. I say men
and animals alike, for God is impar-
tial and his laws are uniform in their
operation. I do not wish to appear
dogmatic. In regard to the subject
of immortality I have enough doubts
and fears. But to me it seems most
reasonable and natural that man's
future abode is this earth and that
those who choose it, will not be de-
prived of the association with ani-
mals,which has added greatly to their
happiness while in this life.

I will close with two brief quota-
tions. I find the following in a ser-
mon preached by the Rev. Canon
Birch in St. Stephen's Church, West-
minster; "You cannot have your at-
tention called to the claims of ani-
mals upon your kindness, your inter-
est in them increased, without a gen-
eral expansion of your feelings. It
will increase your regard for your
fellow-men and your desire to avoid
whatever would injure them. It will
give strength to that lesson which in
substance is taught us throughout the
gospel — Reverence for what is above
us and kindness for what is around

us, tenderness and humanity for what
is beneath us." The following is from
a well known poem by Coleridge:

He prajeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and smaU;

For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

ATTRACTING BIRDS IN WINTER.

Our northern winter is a season to
be tided over and whatever helps to
relieve the monotony of this season
by furnishing agreeable and harm-
less amusement is a matter for which
we should feel thankful.

As a means of doing this and of
awakening an interest in bird life
among those who seem to have no
inclination to study them I know of
nothing so effective as that of attract-
ing the winter birds about our homes
by offering them food. Furthermore,
it affords the best opportunities for
the bird student to closely observe
and photograph certain species such
as Chickadees, Nuthatches, Wood-
peckers, and others less common.

I usually begin attracting the resi-
dent birds to my home during Octo-
ber and November by furnishing
them a supply of food consisting of
suet, bones with meat and gristle on
them, raw pork rinds, crushed buck-
wheat, weed seed, and sunflower
seeds.

The first birds to visit the lunch
counter during the autumn of 1903,
was a family of four chickadees
which have remained about my home
during the winter. This little family
finally became so tame and confiding
that they would alight upon my hand
apd eat from it. White -breasted
nuthatches, downy woodpeckers,
and hairy woodpeckers, frequently
visited the branch upon which the
food was placed. Two bluejays came
occasionally and would carry away
large pieces of the suet. I placed
some nuts in one of the cups which
they soon found. Tree sparrows,
gold finches, redpolls and juncoa
came during the winter months to eat
the seeds which I had separated from
grain and scattered beneath the
branch.

A good supply of food was placed
upon the branch, as may be seen by
the illustrations, in order that several
birds might eat together, But re-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

35

gardless of the plentiful supply the
casual observer might easily notice
the selfish spirit that dominated these
pensioners of my bounty. The chick-
adees drove each other away — al-
though they occasionally ate togeth-
er upon the pork rinds as shown in
the picture. There appeared to be a
natural reverence for size among the
different species. The nuthatches
chased the chickadees and while they
were at it sometimes a woodpecker
would arrive and take possession of
the branch. Of the different kinds of
food furnished, the woodpeckers and
nuthatches appeared to prefer the
suet.

By the use of twine I hung pieces
of suet four or five inches below the
branch. This arrangement soon be-
came a study with the woodpeckers
as to how they could reach it. At
first they would alight upon the
branch from which the suet was sus-
pended, and by hanging to the under
side try every way to reach it. One
seized the string attached to a piece
of sixet and shook it with his bill as if
he hoped to displace the suet. But
finally they would fly from the branch
and alight upon the suet, to which
they would cling with their long toes
and when it was of sufficient length
they would make use of their stiff
pointed tail feathers for a prop as
when upon a tree trunk. If the piece
of suet was too short to allow this use
of the tail they would bring it against
the end of the suet in such a position
as oftentimes to be at a right angle
with the bodj'. As soon as the wood-
pecker alighted on the suet his pe-
culiar movements would cause it to
turn rapidly until the string became
tightly twisted when the movement
was reversed. They appeared to en-
joy this "merry go 'round" in which
they frequently indulged, taking, oc-
casionally as they rode, a large piece
of suet, which seemed to afford them
a double pleasure. The various po-
sitions of the woodpeckers while
making these revolutions and their
strange behavior in endeavoring to
adapt themselves to conditions to
which they were evidently unaccus-
tomed was altogether the most amus-
ing and interesting feature of my
observations.

The industrious little chickadees
preferred the raw pork rinds to the
suet. These w©re cut in strips two or

three inches wide and about ten
inches in length and one end fastened
to the branch with tacks. The rinds
soon freeze and the chickadees enjoy
hammering them for the little meat
they get much as a dog enjoys gnaw-
ing a bone with little or no meat on
it. However, nothing seems to
tempt the appetites of these birds
like the seeds of the sunflower. The
quantity of these seeds which a
chickadee will eat during a single day
well illustrates its capacity for food.
They test every seed by squeezing it
in their little bills and when a perfect
one is found they fly to a tree and
holding the seed between their toes
and the branch, hammer it until its
covering can be removed. The
chickadees and woodpeckers were
frequent visitors during cold and
stormy weather but on pleasant days
they were accustomed to foraging
in the woodlands. On account of the
extreme cold of the present winter
most of the different species which
have previously been winter visitors
in Northern New England have been
with us in considerable numbers. In
many places birds have been report-
ed as dying from scarcity of food and
several bird lovers have endeavored
to encourage school children to at-
tract them to their homes by supply-
ing them with food.

A. C. DIKE.

Bristol, Vt.

[The above subject is a veiy inter-
esting one and while we have had no
time or opportunity to experiment
along this line several siich cases
have come under our observation
this long, cold winter. Owing to the
extreme and unheard of long, cold
weather, the ice became frozen in
Casco Bay, about Portland and vicin-
ity, thus covering over the extensive
feeding grounds about the harbor, of
immense flocks of gulls and ducks,
there were very large flocks of these
winter birds reported as starving for
want of food. Several observers fed
the flocks near Martin's Point Bridge,
near the U. S. Marine Hospital, thus
affording fine opportunity for obser-
vation of these birds.

One cold day this winter I called at
Mr. Palmer's store. Mr. Palmer lives
alone over the store in Cornville. He
told me I ought to see his Chicker-
birds feed. I went outside and there
were three chickadees feeding out of

36

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

a half peck measure. Mr. Palmer puts
this measure full of cracked corn and a
flock of chickadees stay about there
and feed all winter. Other birds are
attracted there too. White -breasted
Nuthatches, House Sparrows and an
occasional flock of Snowflakes have
been there to feed. Mr. Palmer says
his birds come every day to feed, and
he has to fill the measure about once
in four weeks, though presumably
the rough, wintry winds blow away
more of the corn than the birds eat.
Ed.]

NOTES ON THE WARBLERS

FOUND IN MAINE.

[These contributions to the life
histories of our North American
Warblers were first planned to be
written up in order as the names ap-
pear on the N. A. check-list, but it
was found that the committee could
not treat them in this way, so the
committee arranged to write them
up as best we could, by choosing
those we had material for and leav-
ing others till later, thus giving us an
opportunity to work up notes and
data on the several varieties to be
treated later. At the last annual
meeting, it was voted to be left with
a committee to write up this most
interesting family and Prof. Ora W.
Knight, J. Merton Swain, Capt. Her-
bert L. Spinney, and Prof. Wm. L.
Powers were chosen to take the work
in charge. These contributions will,
we believe, be of value to all, coming
as they do from the north-eastern-
most state in the union, which state
is very well represented by a large
list of this intei-esting family. The
following paper, the first of the series
on the Yellow Palm Warbler is writ-
ten by Mr. Knight, and the accom-
panying photo, is by the same au-
thor. The next paper in the series
will be on the Wilson's Blackcap
Warbler illustrated with photos,
of the nest taken on the Hermon Bog
and also of the nest with the female
thereon, written by Mr. J. Merton
Swain. This paper will appear in the
July issue. Other species will be
treated by Capt. Spinney and Prof.
Powers in the October and January
numbers and so on until the entire
family that occur in Maine have been
treated. Ed.]

Contributions to the Life History
OF THE Yellow Palm Warbler.

Bendroica palmarwn hypochrysea
Ridgw.

Geographical Distribution. — This species
7t)iiiters in the South Atlantic and Gulf
States. In migration it is more or less com
man throiigh the Atlantic States. The
breeding range is from northern and eastern
Maine, New Brunsiuick and Nova Scotia
north to Labrador and Hudson Bay.

Though for many years known as a
common spring and fall migrant in
the Eastern United States, the home
life of the Yellow Palm or Yellow Red-
poll Warbler was long unknown. It
was supposed to nest in Labrador,
that vague land to which it is so easy
to ascribe the summer home of so
many birds which pass northwards
beyond our ken.

The late Mr. Boardman found this
species remained through the sum-
mer near Calais but did not find the
nest or eggs, and a vague rumor that
the late Mr. Anson Allen found a nest
and eggs in Orono Bog was a quite
probable but nevertheless totally un-
corroborated fact which was dangled
before my ornithological senses and
which could never be traced to any
foundation other than rumor.

In boyhood days I knew this spe-
cies as a migrant arriving from the
south and being first seen by me near
Bangor at dates varying in different
years between April 24 and May 4.
It was usually in flocks of ten or
twelve individuals which would be
observed feeding in the low bushes
of pastures, and about May 20 the
species would disappear to be seen
no more until accompanied by the
young on their southern journey (as
I then supposed) in mid July. The
fact that individuals were seen at
this early date, and that the species
was still with us until as late as Octo-
ber 1 before finally disappearing was
ascribed to the loitering of individ-
uals along the way until finally driv-
en by the frosts southward.

It has remained for more recent
developments to show that this bird
is a common local summer resident
of certain sections of the State within
the limits of the Canadian fauna.
The first authentic nest and eggs to
be recorded from the LTnited States
are partially described by me in the

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

37

Oologist, February 1893, page 14.
The circumstances connected with
their discovery I now propose to re-
late in detail for the first time, and to
fully describe the spot where the first
recorded nest and a majority of the
subsequent ones taken or found in the
United States and this State have
been discovered.

From the northeastern part of the
City of Bangor a road called Still-
water Avenue runs from Bangor
through Veazie and Orono to the town
of Stillwater (now part of the city of
Oldtown) some ten miles distant. At
a point about half way to Stillwater,
and partly in Veazie and partly in Oro-
no this road runs for a quarter of a mile
through a bog which has been locally
known as Bangor Bog or Orono Bog.
This bog extends some three miles
northwest to Pushaw Pond, and
hence along the eastern side of the
pond for nearly seven miles. Near
Stillwater Avenue this bog consists
of large open expanses thickly car-
peted with sphagnum mosses, and
dotted with numerous small trees and
shrubs. Among the characteristic
plants may be enumerated Hackma-
tack (Larix laricina Du Roi); Swamp
Spruce (Picea brevifolia Peck); Lab-
rador Tea (Ledum grcenlandicum
Q5der);Rhododendron(Rhodora cana-
densis Linn.); Swamp Laurel (Kal-
mia glauca Ait.); Wild Rosemary
(Andromeda polifolia Linn.); Low
Birch (Betula pumila Linn.); Pitcher-
plant (Sarracenia purpurea Linn.);
Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata
Linn.); Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa
Linn.); Calopogon (Limodorum tu-
berosum Linn.); and many species of
Sedges. Such is the region preferred
by this Warbler as its summer home,
and in such spots it may be confident-
ly looked for in the nesting season.
In places the growth on the bog be-
comes of a different character, and
the growth is thicker, and the carpet
of moss is lacking, and here the Yel-
low Palm Warbler does not tarry to
nest.

On Memorial Day, 1892, a friend,
Charles Whitman, had visited this
bog to collect a certain rare butterfly,
Chionobas jutta, which is said to be a
relic of the Glacial Period and not
known to occur in 1892 at any other
station in the United States. Mr.
Whitman was also an ornithologist

and on his return reported that he
had discovered a nest with young of
the Yellow Red-poll Warbler. He
readily agreed to visit the locality
with me on the following Saturday,
June 4, 1892. We started for the bog
in due time and on our arrival found
the nest previously discovered. Dur-
ing the interval the young which he
had said were newly hatched when
discovered had not only developed
their natal down, but well developed
pin-feathers containing the juvenal
plumage were to be seen. The pa-
rent birds were both in the immediate
vicinity, and were much excited
uttering frequent chips and vigorous-
ly wagging their tails and hopping
from bush to bush. The nest was at
the foot of a small spruce shrub and
was well imbedded in the sphagnum
moss and concealed by the shrub
above. Its construction, situation
and appearance was so similar to
others discovered later that one de-
scription will practically do for all.

As we could hear other individuals
of this species singing near at hand
we decided to seek further, though
no thoughts of really finding another
nest seriously entered our minds.
My friend led the way, and as I fol-
lowed close at his heels a small bird
suddenly fluttered from under my
very feet and seemingly from the
very spot at the foot of a small spruce
whence he had just lifted his heel.
One glance downward and five near-
ly fresh eggs of the Yellow Palm
Warbler greeted my eye. The small
spruce was only a foot high and quite
bushy, so that the nest was well shel-
tered by it, and like the first one well
imbedded in the moss. It was com-
posed of fine dry sedges and grasses,
lined with a veiy few feathers and
one or two horsehairs. Its external
diameter was three inches and its
internal diameter at the top two
inches. Its depth outside was two
and a half inches and the depth in-
side one inch. The ground color of
the eggs was a peculiar roseate buffy-
white. They were very sparsely and
finely spotted toward the smaller end,
while on the larger end the spots be-
came more numerous and blotchlike
tending to form a rather close wreath.
The color of the spots were reddish-
brown, lavender and lilac. The eggs
are before me as I write, and careful

38

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY,

measurements just made are as fol-
lows:—.65x,51, .65X.50, .65X.50, .67x.50,
.65X.50 inches.

We later on found another nest
with four young by watching the pa-
rent birds carry food to them, and

five eggs on the point of hatching
which were later found by my friend.
In fact all the nests found that day
were similarly constructed and lo-
cated. On visiting the nests then
containing partly fledged young just

PS o

o
o

w

«

00

H "
!?; a

these young had the juvenal plumage
quite well developed, being seeming-
ly about seven days old. This nest
was situated at the foot of a small
spruce as was another containing

a week later the young were found to
have flown in the meanwhile. It
would thus seem that the young leave
the nest within twelve days after
hatching, and though judging by the

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

39

anxious actions of the parent birds
the young were in the immediate
vicinity we were able to see them in
the act of feeding one only which
could essay a feeble flight at our ap-
proach.

The spring of 1893 found us sure of
Yellow Palm Warbler finds, but
though we visited the bog frequently
from the middle of May to the mid-
dle of June, and though we heard and
saw many of the birds, not a nest re-
warded our persistence.

In spite of frequent visits in 1894
my notes do not record any finds un-
til June 2nd when a nest containing
four nearly fully fledged young was
discovered, and later in the day a
bird was flushed from a nest contain-
ing five quite fresh eggs. These were
similar to those previously described,
and measurements which were taken
at the time have since been mislaid
but I remember they did not differ
materially from those of my first set.
This nest is now in the collection of
J. Parker Norris.

In spite of yearly visits my note
book does not again mention the
home of this bird as being discovered
in the bog until June 9th, 1901, when
a nest containing four nearly fledged
young was found. This was in a
hummock of moss in a very open spot
and the usual shrub for a shelter was
lacking.

The first day of June, 1902, found a
party of four, including Mr. Swain,
Mr. Hall, Mr. Billings and myself on
the way to a bog in the town of Her-
mon for scientific purposes. This bog
is very similar to the Orono Bog in
every respect save that it is much
smaller. We heard the song of the
Yellow Palm Warbler in various
spots, and while searching for rare
plants Mr. Billings flushed a bird
from a tuft of grasses, and Mr. Swain
discovered a nest containing five in-
cubated eggs of this Warbler. "The
nest was placed in a tuft of grass be-
side a small spruce bush" as recorded
by Mr. Swain in this Journal for July
1902, p. 41. Mr. Swain describes the
nest as composed of dry grasses,
dead spruce twigs, and with feathers
of the Canadian Ruffed Grouse work-
ed throughout the structure." It was
lined with cattle hair, fine grasses
and feathers of the Grouse and also
of what was seemingly the Hermit
Thrush. Its outside diameter was

four and a half inches and its inside
diameter two and three-fourths
inches. Its depth outside was two
and a fourth and its depth inside one
and a half inches. The eggs were
creamy white, speckled and blotched
with reddish brown and lilac spots
which were heaviest about the larger
end. They measured .65x.51, .64x.50,
.65X.50, .66X.51, .65x.51 inches, and
were far advanced in incubation."

In this Journal for 1902, p. 40, Mr.
Swain records a nest of this species
containing four young apparently
about a week old which he found in
dry waste rather wet land in which
were scattered patches of grey
birches. This was between Burnham
and Unity.

On May 27, 1891, the late C. H. Mor-
rell found a nest of this bird near
Pittsfleld, and while his set is the first
authentic one taken in Maine I am
unable to ascertain that it has ever
been previouslj' recorded. His notes
of which I have a copy before me de-
scribe this nest as composed of grass
and leaves, lined with grasses and
situated on the ground. It contained
two eggs of the Warbler and two of
the Cowbird. It was in a pasture on
side of a knoll at foot of a small fir
bush. The eggs of the Cowbird were
advanced in incubation and those of
the Warbler fresh.

On June 25, 1893, Mr. MorrelPs
notes record a second nest which was
situated in a bushy pasture between
two small bushes. The nest was out-
wardly composed of fine wire -grass
or June -grass and some feathers,
lined with feathers and a few fine
grasses. It contained five eggs.

On June 13, 1894, Mr. H. H. Johnson
collected a set near Pittsfield. The
nest was in the edge of a "cutting" in
a small growth of trees, and was
placed about four inches from the
ground in a small spruce bush. It
was composed of weed stalks and fine
roots of grass and fine grass, lined
with feathers which were seemingly
those of the parent bird. The eggs
were fresh.

The foregoing is in brief all that is
known of the nesting localities of this
species in the United States and of
the nests which have been found.

In his Catalogue of the Birds of
Portland Mr. Brown records this
species as arriving in that vicinity
between April 15 and April 25, tarry-

40

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

ing about a month and passing north-
ward. In the fall it arrives about
September 20 and remains until about
November 2nd.

Capt. H. L. Spinney reports as fol-
lows regarding the occurrence of the
species about the light at Seguin
Island. "May 1st, 1897, one seen;
May 6th, one seen; June 3rd a number
seen; June 7th, ten seen." "On
April 18, 1898 one was seen, and on
April 23rd a number were seen."
"September 29, 1898 a number were
killed." "April 30th, 1901 one was
seen and April 23rd, 1902 a number
were seen."

Near Bangor I have seen the species
as early as April 24 and it remains as
late as October 1st.

The birds frequent bushy pastures
and bog land during the nesting sea-
son, and in migration occur in alder
thickets and bushes along streams
and roadsides and in pastures. Their
nervous actions, the continuous
twitching of their tails, their habit of
catching their food on the wing like a
Flycatcher are facts sure to be seen
when observing these birds. The
adult in spring plumage has conspic-
uous yellow under parts, while the
sides of the throat and the breast and
sides are streaked with chestnut-
rufous. The line over the eye and
ring around the eye are yellow. The
crown is chestnut and the back
brownish olive green, changing into
olive green on the rump. The tail is
edged with olive green and the outer
tail feathers have white spots on the
inner veins near the tips.

The natal down of the young is a
peculiar mouse color with a tint verg-
ing toward sepia which is hard to de-
scribe. The Juvenal plumuge has
begun to replace the natal down
when the birds are six days old, and
they leave the nest within about
twelve days after hatching, and after
hiding a day or so in the undergrowth
are able to essay short flights. The
Juvenal plumage is well described by
Dr. Dwight in his most excellent pa-
per entitled "The Sequence of Plu-
mages and Moults of the Passerine
Birds of New York" and detailed de-
scriptions can be consulted in his
article. He states that the juvenal
plumage is acquired by a complete
postnatal moult. The first winter
plumage is acquired by a partial post-
juvenal moult which takes place in

eastern Canada in August. The first
nuptial plumage is acquired by a par-
tial prenuptial moult; the adult win-
ter plumage by a complete post-
nuptial moult; and the adult nuptial
plumage by a partial prenuptial
moult.

In the nesting season the species
may be confidently looked for in any
sphagnum-hackmatack bog with
open stretches within the Canadian
faunal sections of the State. So far
as known the birds are found in what
may be perhaps termed loosely ag-
gregated colonies. From their ar-
rival until well into June the song of
the male is frequently uttered. It
consists of a series of trills which
may be rendered "Tsee tsee tsee
tsee tsee," and the call and alarm
notes are mere "chips" uttered with
various intonations.

Though diligent watching through-
out May has yet failed to reveal the
birds in the act of building, yet owing
to well fledged young being found as
early as the second of June it is very
evident that some individuals must
begin nest building so that eggs are
deposited at least as early as May 11,
and consequently the birds in some
instances are quite likely to begin
building approximately May 1, or
soon after their arrival. The nesting
season is prolonged until well into
June. The parent birds are usually
in the vicinity of the nest which may
be found after it contains young by
watching the birds carrying food.
Before the young have hatched the
only way yet successful of finding
nests is by flushing the sitting bird,
but with precautions the birds should
be detected in the act of nest build-
ing. While the female is incubating
the male sings frequently from the
top of some low tree or bush near at
hand, and by thoroughly searching
the immediate vicinity the female
may sometimes be flushed from the
nest.

The food of this species consists
largely of insects and among the con-
tents of stomachs of birds taken in
spring and summer have been found
small beetles, gnats, mosquitoes, flies
and the general run of small insects
found on the trunks of trees or flying
in the air in localities which the War-
blers frequent. In late summer and
fall some small amount of vegetable

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

41

matter is also eaten, chiefly uniden-
tifiable plant seeds.

The illustration presented in con-
nection with this article is of the nest
and eggs taken at Orono Bog, June
4, 1892 and fully described in connec-
tion with this article.

O. W. KNIGHT.

THE WOODCOCK.

[Read before the Maine Ornithological Society at
Gardiner, Mar. 29th, 1903,]

I suppose my friend Powers picked
me to tell you something about the
woodcock because I have shot many
of these birds, and always see more
or less of them every season. Dr.
Coues says: "This is the game bird
after all, say what you please of
snipe, quail, or grouse." I agree
with the Doctor, and would add that
I think it the best bird for the table
that we have.

The Woodcock comes to this State
very early. I remember of having
one brought to me on the 10th of
March. This bird had flown against a
telegraph wire and was killed. I
have seen a number that have been
killed in this way, and remember of
seeing one fly against the telephone
wires in my own yard, but this one
recovered and went its way.

I remember well some years ago
that I was walking in the woods and
found a Woodcock's nest. It was
near a bunch of alders on the edge of
a swamp. I nearly stepped on the
bird, or would never have seen it.
The nest was made with very little
work, only a few dry leaves being
collected for its structure. There
were four eggs in it, the color of
which was drab with an olive tint and
marked quite thickly with light and
dark brown blotches. The bird was
very tame. I went to the nest the
second time and got to within a few
feet of the bird before she left. La-
ter with my Grandfather we started
the old bird. She had much trouble
in rising and was carrying something
in her beak or feet. We thought it
must be one of the young birds. I
had never heard at that time that the
parents would take their young from
place to place, but have since seen
accounts of their doing so.

I know very little of the Woodcock
during the summer months. The first
of September often the birds are not

done moulting. We then find them
in secluded places. Later on they
work back into the covers. This
gradual coming back leads many
sportsmen to say that the flight has
begun, which sometimes is reported
as early as Sept. 20th. Now I think
this is a mistake. I do not think that
the birds begin to migrate much be-
fore Oct. 10th, and this depends much
on the weather North. The best
shooting I ever had was Oct. 19th,
some ten years ago. It was late in
the forenoon when we got into the
covers. There were birds every-
where. We shot 18 Woodcock that
day and started many more. I re-
member distinctly the day was dark
and damp. It cleared that night and
was cold. We were out the 18th and
found a very few birds, and again on
the 20th with the same result as the
18th. This shows to me that some-
times they come in quantities in a
single night, and leave as quickly,
but generally they come a few at a
time and drop into the covers, and if
good feed is found they stop some
days, and then go on as the season
advances. The main flight is over
by Nov. 1st, but I have had good
shooting, Nov. 7th. I got seven birds
this year on that date. I have heard
of their being seen as late as Nov.
26th, but Nov. 13th is the latest I
have ever seen one. My experience
of hunting these birds in the last 20
years is that they nearly always oc-
cupy the same places in the covers,
for instance there will be a knoll here
and a wet hole there where they are
likely to be found, and if not in these
places it is of little use to hunt in this
cover for them. It has never been
my experience to often flnd more
than one or two birds in a place, but
on one occasion I saw three get up
ahead of my dog at once, that was
this year when I was shooting in
Litchfield.

While this bird is an easy bird to
hunt with a dog he is very wary after
being started a few times, and know
as well how to get under cover as any
bird I know. I think these birds
come back to the same covers year
after year.

I went out of my way a quarter of
a mile this season to see if there was
a bird where I left one last year, my
friend laughed at me, but I went and
found an old bird within ten feet of

42

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

where I started one last season. I
shall always think it was the same
bird we started the year before, for it
started to make its flight exactly as
it did before. This place was not in
a regular cover, but on the top of a
hill in some grey birches, which was
well adapted to the occupancy of one
or two birds.

The flight of the woodcock is usual-
ly very short, say from 25 to 100
yards, but I have known them to go a
longdistance. This is a characteris-
tic with small birds we find late in
the season, known to many sports-
men as the Labrador bird. I differ in
my opinion about this. These small
quick flying birds in my opinion are
natives that have been hunted and
learned the country and know just
how to elude the sportsman. As we
ail know, the woodcock is a nocturnal
bird, doing its flying in the night, and
early evening. I have seen this bird
flying from place to place especially
in the moulting season, and have re-
peatedly been in covers in early
morning where my dog would make
game, but be unable to find the bird.
This shows that they often frequent
different places in the day time than
at night. Usually these birds are
found in swampy places where there
are alders and birches, but I have
found them in rocky pastures where
there were evergreens, blackberry
bushes and small hardwood growth.
I have known a cover to hold many
birds one season, but the very next
year there would be scarcely a single
bird there. This is due no doubt to
some condition of the ground which
has driven the feed away. Sports-
men say the ground has grown sour.

The woodcock is a very proud bird,
and I have seen him strut with pomp
that would do justice to a turkey
gobbler, or peacock. I do not think
there are as many woodcock now as
there were years ago which is partly
due to more men shooting them, but
there has been more this last season
than for a number of years past,
which I think is due largely to our
better laws protecting these birds.
The best feature is stopping the sell-
ing in the markets. When this was
allowed there were many men that
hunted just for profit, early and
late day in and day out, from the first
day the law was off until the last bird
had gone in November. In my opin-

ion we now have the best laws we
have ever had governing these birds.
I sincerely hope they may continue
with improvement from year to year
so that our woodcock may never
meet the fate we feared it would
some years ago.

GEO. D. LIBBY.

NOTES ON THE FINCHES FOUND
IN MAINE.

By Arthur H. Norton.

[Continned from Vol. VI, p 5 ]

Asirat^aliiius tiistris (Linn.). Ameri-
can Goldfinch, Thistle-bird. "Yel-
low-bird, Black winged Yellow-bird
and Flax-bird"

Common throughout the state in
summer, breeding throughout. In
winter its occurrence is irregular,
being occasionally common at this
season, or in other years rare or ab-
sent. During the cold season it as-
sociated to some extent with Siskins
and Redpolls, where food is abun-
dant. That this bird feeds its young
by regurgitation is a fact I do not
remember having seen directly stat-
ed. (Cf. Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. v. p.
46).

Spinus pinus (Wils.). Pine Siskin,
American Siskin, Pine Goldfinch or
Linnet.

Irregularly abundant throughout
the state as a fall migrant and winter
residest. It is also a summer resi-
dent to some extent in the Canadian
fauna or spruce area of Maine.

This species partakes of the irregu-
lar disposition of the Crossbills and
Redpolls in its migratory movements,
some seasons appearing in southern
Maine only in fall and passing to
other regions to spend the winter, in
others remaining in more or less
abundance throughout that season,
and occasionally remaining late in
spring: the latest date. at this sea-
son to be recorded seems to have
been May 27, 1888, reported by Mr.
Nathan Clifford Brown, (Proc. Port
Soc, N. H. II, p. 39). It also partakes
in some degree of the irregular
breeding habits of the Crossbills, and
is reported in some instances to breed
in colonies. (Cf. New Eng. Bird Life
I, p. 229).

While there are several extralimi-
tal breeding records, (see New Eng.
Bird life as above), there is at least

JOURNAL OB* MAII^EJ ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

43

one for Maine where it bred beyond
the confines of the Canadian fauna:
this instance was recorded by Mr.
Everett Smith in his Birds of Maine,
being quoted from a letter from Mr.
James C. Mead of North Bridgton
where the phenomena was observed.
The quotation is so interesting that it
is given in full. "The Pine linnets
(C //«/«) were abundant here in the
winter of 1877-78 and remained as late
as May 6. April 2 I took a female
containing eggs, one of which was
nearly ready to be laid. April 24 I
found a nest of this species contain-
ing four young birds. The nest was
on the branch of a 'hard pine' tree
four feet from the trunk, and twenty-
five feet above the water of the lake
[Long Pond] over which the branch
projected. The nest was loosely
built of fine twigs, mosses, and root-
lets, and received most of its support
from the Pine needles which grew out
from the branch on which it was
placed."

(Forest & Stream XIX, p. 466, Jan.
11, 1883.)

While this indicates early breeding,
Mr. William Brewster described the
Juvenal plumage from a specimen
taken at Upton, Me., August 18, 1873.
(Bull. Nutt. Orn. C. Ill, p 117) which
would indicate a long breeding pe-
riod and perhaps more than one
brood. The nest described by Mr.
Mead seems to be characteristic in its
height, and position in an evergreen
tree.

Passerina nivalis (Linn). Snowflake,
Snow-Bunting or "Snow-bird."

Of common occurrence throughout
the state between October 15th and
April 1st. Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown
has reported its occurrence near
Portland as late as April 12, (Proc.
Port Soc, N. H., II, p. 13 ), while Mr. C.
J. Maynard has been quoted as the
authority for the report of "A flock
of Snowflakes on Mt. Katahdin early
in August." (N. E. Bird Life I, p.
232.)

While it is a species of regular
occurrence, it is a wandering bird ap-
pearing in small, or in very large
flocks pausing for a period, from a few
minutes to a few days if food is abun-
dant, and then dashing away to other
fields.

The movement of a large flock of
these buntings on one occasion excit-
ed my interest in a large degree, as

it suggested most vividly the signifi-
cance of migratory birds in the econ-
omy of nature. This was on Feb-
ruary 16, 1903; snow covered the
ground to some depth, leaving only
the tall weeds of the garden protrud-
ing above its surface. All at once
the scene was enlivened by the ap-
pearance of about two hundred of
these birds, which with an unrivalled
vigor, dashed about, examining every
weed, seizing upon all available seed.
As those at one end of the flock had
exhausted the supply at hand they
rose and flew over their flellows to an
ungleaned place; thus the scene was
one of almost violent action as the
flock seemed to roll over and over
until the limit of the supply was
reached when at some instance all
rose and sought another patch where
the scene was repeated. When this
too, had been gleaned, with one ac-
cord all united in a pleasing chorus
of voices and mounted high into the
air where they disappeared from
view.

Examination showed the weeds so
rapidly inspected had been gleaned
of their seed.

With us it rarely perches in trees.

Calcnrius lapponicus (Linn.). Lap-
land Langspur.

This bird is accounted a rare winter
visitor in Maine. As a migrant how-
ever it is probably not infrequent, as-
sociating with Horned Larks when
its presence would be detected only
by those very familiar with either
species. Though cited, — undoubtedly
upon Mr. Boardman's authority — in
most of the Maine lists since Holmes
of 1861, Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown
was the first to give a definite record,
mentioning two specimens from the
vicinity of Portland, one of which
was taken on the 26th of October 1876.
(Proc. Port. Soc. N. H. 11, p. 13). Mr.
Knight cites its occurrence at Knox,
Oxford, Piscataquis and Washington
counties. (Birds of Maine p. 95).
The Knox county record, of which
the locality is given, is based upon
the specimen in the collection of the
writer, which was taken at Clark's
Island, St. George, Me., March 16,
1896, by Mr. Chas. Bohm. It is a sig-
nificant fact that it was associating
with Horned Larks and was supposed
to be one until after its capture. This
specimen is also recorded in the
Maine Sportsmen, June 1897, page 20.

44

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Mr. Jed. F. Fanning has given me
data of a specimen which he took on
December 29, 1890 in Lubec, Me. "It
was with a flock of Snowflakes in an
open snow-covered field a mile south-
westerly of Lubec Village." This
specimen is in the collection of Prof.
J. Y. Stanton.

While at Pine Point, Scarborough,
Me., late in October 1901, a passage
of Horned Larks and Pipits of con-
siderable magnitude was observed to
be in progress. Occasionally birds
were observed with them which
seemed to differ from either species,
but were not taken. However on
October 31, while on the end of the
sandy point five birds came from
across the bay and alighted a short
distance away. Their gray appear-
ance, and size slightly smaller than
that of the Horned Larks, which they
resembled, attracted my attention,
and investigation proved them all to
be of the present species.

Calcariiis orna/us. (Towns.). Chest-
nut-colored Langspur.

This species has once been known
to straggle to Maine. This specimen
was taken August 13, 1886 on the Lit-
tle River marsh by Pine Point in
Scarborough, by Dr. Joseph L. Good-
ale. (Goodale, Auk IV, p. 77). Under
date of Feb. 12, 1904, Dr. Goodale as-
sures me that the specimen is still in
his collection.

Poa'cetes grainhiens. (Gmel). Vesper
Sparrow. Bay -winged Bunting. Grass
Finch. "Ground Sparrow." This
species is of general distribution
throughout the state. However it
is rather uncommon on much of the
coast and nearer islands, and absent
from the outer islands. On the rocky
foot hills of York County I have
found it to be the characteristic finch,
abounding in pastures where it places
its nest, sheltered by a bush, weed, or
stone.

On the more level and grassy fields
of certain parts of Cumberland Coun-
ty, and indeed in similar localities in
York County it is less abundant, giv-
ing place to Savanna Sparrows and
Bobolinks.

In late summer it becomes a char-
acteristic feature of the roadside in
much of the state's area.

At least two broods are raised in a
season.

While the general form of its song
is similar to that of our Song Spar-

row, the points of difference are
strongly marked, that of the present
species having a pathetic quality
which enhances its sweetness to the
degree that it has been called "One
of the finest songsters among the
Sparrows," (New Eng. Bd. Life, I, p.
241.). In addition to this song some
individuals at least, have a low ramb-
ling warble, quite ventriloqual in
effect, strikingly different from the
well known song when first heard,
but the points of likeness become ap-
parent as one listens to the bird.

Passer cuius princeps Maynard. Ips-
wich Sparrow.

A migrant coastwise, probably less
common than twenty-four years ago,
when it was recorded by Mr. Nathan
Clifford Brown as "Common in au-
tumn" in the vicinity of Portland.
(Proc. Port. Soc. N. H. II, p. 13).

This interesting bird, the true home
of which remained so long unknown,
seems to have been added to the
fauna of Maine in 1875, by the capture
of a specimen at Cape Elizabeth
March 20* by Mr. Willey. The fact
was made known to ornithologists
the same year by Mr. Nathan Clifford
Brown, whose observations upon it
are probably the most extensive of
any ornithologist of Maine. (Brown,
Rod& Gun VI, p. 81, May 8, 1875.).
Mr. Brown in 1882 indicated that it
was not, (from Saco River to Scar-
borough) uncommon as a fall migrant
between October 13 and November 6.
(Bull Nutt. Orn. Club VII, p 190.).

In 1883 Mr. Everett Smith in his
Birds of Maine recorded a specimen
taken at Back Bay, Portland, March
1882 by Mr. Andrew Nelson, Jr.
(Forest & Stream XIX, p. 466, Jan. 11,
1883.). He further stated, "I have
seen this Sparrow in Maine in De-
cember when there were several
inches of snow on the ground and
long after all the Savanna Sparrows
had gone South." (1. c.)

In 1886, Mr. Joseph L. Goodale
proved its occurrence in Maine in the

*"This was a'si mentioned by Mr. William Brews-
ter Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club I, p 52, where the date is
given as March i? As this is repeated by Vir.
Stearns in the New England Bird Life 1, p. 236, it
seems proper to take note of the cise, which did not
attract my attention in season to correspond with the
gentlemen who are parties to the records Mr.
Brown's date is presumed to be the correct one as he
l.ilcr gave his earliest spring record, March ao. Proc.
Port. Soc. N. H. II, p. 13 Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. VII,
p 190."

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

45

latter part of January by the capture
of two specimens "Between Pine
Point and Old Orchard" on January
23. (Goodale Auk III, p. 277.)-

In 1900 Capt. Herbert L. Spinney
secured at Seguin Island a specimen
on October 11, two days earlier than
any previous Maine record. This is
in the writer's collectien.

The spring records have been few,
indeed. Mr. Brown had knowledge
of their occurrence only between the
dates of March 20 and 28. (Proc.
Port. Soc. N. H. II, p. 13. Bull Nutt.
Orn. Club, VII, p. 190). This may in-
dicate an ancestral route of migra-
tion, but more probably it illustrates
the small amount of investigation
devoted to the species in spring.
Certainly in Southern New England
the species lingers into the beginning
of April (Dwight Memoirs Nutt. Orn.
CI. II, pp. 32-33.)

Capt. Spinney has reported a spring
specimen taken in the town of Phipps-
burg, (Knight Birds of Maine p. 96),
and Mr. Fred Rackliff one from Knox
Co. (I.e.) The latter is still in Mr.
Rackliff's collection and was taken
on the Little Green Island, South part
of the Mussel Ledge Islands.

Passcrculiis saitchvickensis savanna

(Wils.) Savanna Sparrow. "Ground
Sparrow."

Seemingly common throughout the
state in suitable situations, for it is a
bird of green fields, low meadows and
valleys, and especially of the coast
and islands. Indeed its abundance
on the coast has impressed nearly
every writer upon Maine birds. But
while so generally distributed as Mr.
Knight has shown it to be I did not
find it during the entire month of
July 1900, about East Parsonsfield nor
did I see it at Shapleigh during three
days spent there the latter part of
June, 1901. Hon. J. C. Mead also re-
ports it as "Rare near Bridgton."
(Cf. Knights' Birds of Maine, p. 96. )

I did not observe it during several
days spent upon Matinicus Rock, July,
1903, its absence being due no doubt
to the scarcity of vegetation there.

I have found it abundant upon
nearly every grassy island between
Old Orchard and Cutler, which I have
visited (practically all of the outer
islands.)

At Matinicus Seal Island, one of the
extreme outer islands, I found it in
marked abundance, while at Machias

Seal Island, which is more isolated
though less distant from its coast, it
was rare, only one, a juvenal bird
being observed in 1903. Yet the con-
ditions there would seem favorable
to its existence. It is common on the
salt marshes at Wells, Scarborough
and Popham, where it breeds with
the Sharptails, and remains through-
out the period of its presence.

On June 5, 1897, I found a nest of
the Savanna Sparrow on one of the
marshes at Scarborough where the
high tide two weeks later inundated
the marsh to the depth of fifteen
inches. The fate of this nest was
not determined.

Though a summer resident occur-
ring between the first week in April
and early November, it has twice
been taken on our coast in winter.
Once at Seguin on Jan. 24, 1897 by
Capt. H. L. Spinney, who very kindly
presented the specimen to the writer.

The following winter Mr. Fred
Racklilf took an abnormally devel-
oped specimen on the Big Green Is-
land, Knox County, Maine, on No-
vember 28, (1898). This specimen was
also presented to the writer.

Cotitrnicnhis savannaritin passerintis
(Wils.) Grasshopper Sparrow. Yel-
low-winged Sparrow.

Of rare occurrence, probably an
occasional irregular visitant rather
than an accidental straggler. Four
instances known. Audubon's cita-
tion of Maine in connection with its
habitat is too dubious in its nature to
stand as a record. (Cf. Orn. Biog.
II, p. 180).

Mr. Boardman appears to have af-
forded the first actual data of the
birds occurrence, and it was doubt-
less upon his information that it was
included in Dr. Holmes's list in 1861.
(Sixth Ann. Rept. Me. Bd. Agri. 1861,
p. 118.).

In 1862 Mr. Boardman included it in
his own Catalogue in the following
terms, "Summer visitant. Rare.
Arrives the first of April." (Proc.
Bost. Soc. N. H. IX, p. 126).

In 1883, Mr. Everett Smith stated,
"George A. Boardman, Esq., informs
me that he has procured two speci-
mens here." (Forest & Stream XIX,
p. 466.).

In 1901 Mr. J. M. Swain noted the
capture of a specimen at Pittsfield
by the late Clarence H. Morrell.

46

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

(Editorial Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. Ill, p.
31.)

Under the date of June 12, Mr.
Morrill informed me of the capture
and fixed the date of the event on
June 8, 1901, and stated that "It sang
quite persistently." ( Morrell in
Epist. June 12, J901.) Mr. Morrill
later recorded the fact in the Auk,
volume XIX, page 290, but the num-
ber is not at this moment at hand.

On the afternoon of June 27, 1901,
while in my garden on the edge of a
low field — in Westbrook, Me. — the
song of this sparrow arrested my at-
tention. Toward evening I returned
and the song of the bird was heard
again and again. This song was well
known from experience in a region
where the Grasshopper Sparrow was
the common "Ground Sparrow."
Carefully I traced it to its source and
flushed the bird and followed it about
until dark. It was a persistent singer
indeed. It hardly perched as high as
the tops of the Ox-eyed Daisies with
which the field was spread as with
a mantle. It flushed close at hand
again and again, and only when too
dark to distinguish it I left the field.

The next day it was still singing
whenever I was at home and again on
the following day, June 29, when I
was able to examine it with a pair of
Marine glasses at mid-day. Owing to
an accident it was not collected.

Amtnodramus canduciitus (Gnel.).

Sharptailed Sparrow.

Known only to occur on the salt
marshes of Wells and Scarborough
where it breeds. Only a small colony
is known at Scarborough, while at
Wells its presence has been determin-
ed by the capture of a single specimen
in Juvenal plumage on July 24, 1897.
It is probable however that it will be
found at suitable localities between
these points.

I have not found it in spring earlier
than June 5 (1897) nor later in fall
than Aug. 28, 1897, when it was moult-
ing and clearly in no condition to
migrate. Mr. W. H. Brownson ob-
served it at Scarborough on the 17th
of September (1902). (Brownson in
Epist., Sept. 29, 1902.)

Ainvtodrainus iielsoni (Allen). Nel-
sons Sparrow.

Since the first Maine specimens of
this bird came to light at Scarbough,
October 16, 1894, (Proc. Port. Soc. N.
H., II, p. 99), it has been found to be

not uncommon as a migrant both in
spring and fall. Indeed it may be
found to be more numerous than the
available data warrants us to con-
clude. While the remarks apply only
to unquestionable specimens of A.
7ielsoiii, many birds intermediate with
this and A. nelsoni siiiniirga/iis OCCur
seeming to equal in numbers those of
typical sttbvirgatus: as these can
usually be best referred to that form
they will be treated there from sev-
eral localities.

Comparatively little has been done
in observing the migration of this
group: during the spring of 1897,
however, frequent visits were made
to the Scarborough marshes which
were well explored at each visit. On
a visit made May 22 extensive search
revealed the presence of only two
Sharptails, which were together, and
both were taken. They were males,
one being referred to this form, the
other being intermediate with this
and the next, the balance however
being in favor of the next form.

The next visit was on June 5 when
the same territory was found to con-
tain the present species and birds
somewhat intermediate, but referable
to the next. Among these, (which
were farther inland than the colony
of ./ Cauda cuius is located) was one
specimen of caudacutus.

The presence of these birds in num-
bers where a couple of weeks later
none of the group could be found,
shows quite conclusively not only
that they were migrating, but that
they migrate late. This fact throws
light on the nature of the occurrence
of several Massachusetts and Connec-
ticut specimens taken in late May
and early June, (Dwight Auk, XIII,
p. 275), while those instances support
the indication that the migration is
regularly late.

The sexes were about equally di-
vided in the specimens collected and
some of the males were singing; fur-
thermore the males were in full sex-
ual vigor, while the females were
only beginning to show signs of sex-
ual growth. The song differed in no
respect from that of caudacutus or sub-
virgalus.

In fall I have taken unquestionable
specimens between the dates of Oc-
tober 9 and 16, inclusive, while inter-
mediates have been taken as late as
October 25.

JOUNRAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

47

Ammodramns nelsoni subvigatus
(Dwight). Acadian Sharptailed
Finch.

Summer resident breeding as far to
the westward as Popham Beach, Cape
Small, Maine. (Proc. Port. Soc. N.
H. II, p. 99-100).

As a migrant it is abundant swarm-
ing on salt marshes in western Maine
during the month of October.

The limits of its migratory move-
ments have not been fully determin-
ed. The earliest date that I have
found it at Scarborough is October 3,
(1897) when a typical specimen was
taken. On the' ninth of the same
month, 1898, it was abundant there,
with intermediate specimens, and on
this date one specimen of nelsoni was
found associating with it.

I have found it quite common as
late as October 24, after which it has
become scarce, probably though
remains regularly until the 31st of the
month. Indeed Mr. Nathan Clifford
Brown has found some form as late as
November 15* (1877) (Proc. Port.
Soc. N. H. II, p 13).

Mr. W. H. Brownson found birds of
this group "In numbers" at the Dyke
marsh, at the mouth of the Presump-
scot River on the 4th of October,
1903. A specimen which he had tak-
en for identification (now in my col-
lection) was typical of this form.

Through the kindness of Prof. L. A.
Lee, I have examined an interme-
diate specimen which was taken in
fall on marshes at Brunswick, Me.

Mr. Clarence H. Clark of Lubec has
a male specimen in his collection
which is intermediate. This was
taken at "The Narrows Lighthouse,
May 21, 1903." (Clark in Epist. Feb.
20, 1904). Though the last two spec-
imens are intermediate they are best
placed under the present sub species.
Mr. Clark's specimen is especially
interesting as it is the earliest spring
record for any of the group so far re-
corded for the state.

Ammodramiis niaritinms (Wils.). Sea-
side finch. Seaside Sparrow.

But a single Maine specimen is
known. This was reported by its
captor, Mr. Everett Smith in the
Forest and Stream, December 18th,
1884, page 405.

*The collection of the Portland Society of Natural
History contains a specimen of this snb species col-
lected on November 15, belonging to the Brown col-
lection

As this paper is out of print Mr.
Smith has very kindly furnished me
the following data concerning the
specimen:

"Aug. 18, 1884, I visited Shark Is-
land, [Muscongus Bay,] a grass cover-
ed islet, where I shot the bird you ask
about, a Seaside Finch (immature
male ) and I have its skin." (Smith
in Epist. Feb. 9, 1904.)

[To be Continued.]

Bir^ motes.

Notes and observations on bird life
are earnestly desired for publication
in this column and should be sent to
the Associate Editor, Frank T. Noble,
at Augusta, Maine.

Black Ducks.

From John A. Lord and other ob-
servers in the vicinity of Portland
comes the report that Black Duck,
Anas obscH'-a^ are wintering in great
quantities in Casco Bay, which is of
importance as it insures large num-
bers of breeding birds throughout the
state the coming year.

Score another point for the great
benefits these fine game birds are de-
riving from the prohibition of spring
shooting.

Connecticut Warbler at
Westbrook.

Mr. Arthur H. Norton writes us
that he took a young female Connec-
ticut warbler, (7.','////i'//^ ''i'?^'-S at West-
brook on Sept. 5, 1901, and that it is
the second specimen taken there.

The rare occurrence of this species
within our state would make other
records of much interest to our
readers. "

Canada Jay near Bangor,
Maine.

Prof. O. W. Knight found near Ban-
gor in Sept. 1903, a recently killed

Canada Jay, Pensorens canadensis
(Linn.) which some one had shot and
left. He tells the editor it is the only
record for some years in this vicinity.
The Journal would be glad to re-
ceive notes on the occurrence of this
species south of its usual localities.

48

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

An Albino American Goldfinch
AT East Hebron, Maine.

Mr. Everett E. Johnson of East He-
bron reports having taken an albino
American goldfinch — spiims /risth
(Linn) in that town Oct. 5, 1903, a rare
and interesting find. He describes
the plumage as "pure white except-
ing a small spot of yellow on the back
of the head, and the place where the
ring bars should be has a pinkish
tinge."

Richardson Owl.

In response to the Journal's in-
quiries for recent records of Richard-
son's Owl, A'yclala ten,^inalmi rich-
ardson we have received but the
f ollowing,both from the same locality :

Nov. 30, 1902, William F. Burbank
of Lewiston took a specimen at East
Hebron. It was in a bush, about five
feet up when shot.

Mr. Everett E. Johnson of East
Hebron repoi'ts the latest record,
having taken one in that town March
14, 1904. This owl, he writes, was in
the top of a large open barn.

Rough Legged Hawk in Maine.

The occurrence of this bird in our
state is a matter of considerable in-
terest and we would like any infor-
mation that our readers can supply
regard hig it during this or previous
winters. In the opinion of several of
our close observers it must have been
quite numerous during the past win-
ter and the bird appears to come in
flights much like that of the snowy
owl.

Two specimens were taken at Bai-
ley's Island in Casco Bay in Jan'y.
and Mr. John A. Lord of Portland re-
ports having seen one flying early in
the winter. Its occurrence is decid-
edly irregular, and we would like to
hear from our readers along the
coast. Give us the benefit of your
records, gentlemen.

A Brief Note from Seguin.

Pres. Spinney of Seguin Light in a
recent letter to the Journal says the
winter just passed has been the worst
he has ever experienced on the is-
land. Extreme cold weather with a
constant gale of wind and very high
surf has made life at this light station
anything but pleasant.

Continuing he says, I have never
seen birds so scarce. Nothing visited
the island for nearly two months up

to Feb'y. 2d, but a few snowflakes
and a single crow. On Feb'y, 2d,
three shore larks were seen feeding
under the lee of the keeper's house.
These few visitors were the only land
birds seen up to the date of writing,
Feb'y. 12. On the water which was
beaten into a constant foam by the
wintry blasts, the only signs of life
was an occasional Black Guillemot
and a lone cormorant.

An Albino Eave Swallow at

LuBEC, Maine.
Mr. Clarence H. Clark of Lubec
writes that he obtained a pure albino

cliff swallow, Pclrochcliilon lunifro)is

(Say) on the 24th of July, 1903 in that
town and sends us the interesting in-
formation that "there were a pair of
them among a large colony of the
common ones who seemed greatly
annoyed at the albino's i)resence and
fought with them until they finally
killed the one I have or rather injur-
ed it so badly that it died soon after
capture."

It is in Mr. Clark's collection and
was noted in the Lubec Herald of July
28, 1903, where it stated that "every
part of the bird even its bill, feet and
legs are pure white."

Records in detail of albinism found
among our Maine birds is a subject of
more than local interest and their
occurrence should always be given
the Journal for publication, coupled
with any details as to habits or treat-
ment by their fellows that may have
been observed. Don't forget the de-
tails, please. — Ed.

Occurrence op a Meadow Lark
in January.

On the 16th of January, 1904, I saw
a Meadow Lark, Slumella magna, at
Westbrook, Me.

The bird lighted upon the grading
of a house in the edge of the city, one
of its very few places left bare of
snow. I was unusually near it, as it
was loth to leave the security of the
"Brown earth" for a conspicuous po-
sition on the snow. I was therefore
able to observe its characteristics
very carefully. It remained a few
minutes here, gathering a scanty sup-
ply of eatable matter, and then flew,
(after once alighting for a moment
on the snow) to an ash pile across the
street, where weeds projects above
the snow. That night the ground be-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

49

came entirely covered with snow.

On January 18 I saw the bird again
an eighth of a mile away, now on the
bank of the Presumpscott River at a
spot kept bare by steam discharged
from a manufactory.

On the 19th what was undoubtedly
the same bird was reported to me
from the same premises. It was not
seen or reported after this date.

Akthur H. Norton.

Quail— Cti//«/« virgiuiamts (LiNN).

The fact that Bob White is becom-
ing once more a resident of the State
of Maine is and ought to be a matter
of the highest importance to our
members and readers and the Jour-
nal particularly desires prior to our
next issue to receive careful and de-
tailed reports as to its occurrence.

These highly prized game birds
have been gradually, very gradually
entering our western borders and
have remained to breed.

In the fall of 1902 there were sever-
al flocks noted. In 1903 even a great-
er number were seen. The past win-
ter will undoubtedly prove a hard
one to them and jeopardize their
very existence, and we ask our ob-
servers to take especial pains to as-
certain what effect this duration of
extreme cold and crusty snow has
had upon the various coveys and re-
port to us early the result of their in-
vestigations. Many ornithologists
question the ability of C. virgin ia us
to thrive in our state on account of
the long and extremely cold winters
and shovild we be able to show that
the few flocks that were with us last
fall have wintered without great mor-
tality it will certainly have a ten-
dency to disprove their theories.
Let us have a definite record then of
every pair noticed breeding this
spring and let every member and all
those having a friendly interest in
these birds take especial pains to im-
press upon others the important fact
that although a game bird Bob White
in this state is protected at all times
and that for him and his mate and
brood there is no open season.
The Nesting of the Pine Gros-
beak IN Maine.

In a recent article in the Bangor
Commercial the following portion of
an article on this bird took my eye:
Four years ago in the month of May
I found a Grosbeak's nest about sev-

en miles north of Jackman, near a
sporting camp at the Hale Pond.
The nest was not in thick woods but
in open pasture near the Canada
road. It was woven of twigs and
moss, lined with rabbits' hair and
containing four pale blue-green eggs
flecked with purple and hardly to be
distinguished from the moss itself.
This nest was in a fir tree about four
feet from the ground. It was neatly
woven but much less substantial than
most nests of that size. Probably the
fact that that region is 3000 feet
above the sea level accounts for a
nest in that latitude. When the
young hatched I fed them with sev-
eral different kinds of fruit and seeds,
taking care not to alarm the mother
bird and giving but a small quantity
each day. There were two males and
two females in this nest for their dif-
ference in plumage was well marked
when they began to use their wings."
On writing to the author of this
article requesting additional infor-
mation with permission to publish it
the following reply was received:
"O. W. Knight, Bangor,
Dear Sir: —

"In reply to your in-
quiry for further information about
the grosbeak's nest I will say that
by searching some old records kept
while laboring at the Mission I find
that the incubation was completed
on May 27th, being the thirteenth
day after the fourth and last egg of
the clutch appeared in the nest.
The female bird as far as I could
learn did all the sitting. Several
times I surprised the male bringing
her food and saw her leave the nest
and receive it from him, near but
never on the nest. Both parent
birds fed the fledglings before and
after they left the nest, which oc-
curred the twentieth day after they
were hatched. The male sang
mornings during incubation but not
near the nest, his favorite perch
being the top of a cedar tree sever-
al rods away. Sometimes after the
young appeared he would alight on
the same perch and utter a few soft
clear notes, but his songs were few-
er and shorter for the young seem-
ed always hungry.

These birds were much less timid
than our native birds. I could sit
near their nest for hours without
their taking alarm if I kept still. I

50

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

never drove them from their nest
to examine it, but watched my
chance when the female went to
stretch her wings, as she did each
morning during incubation."
Very truly,
Marie Kaiser Maddox."
Ellsworth Falls, Maine.
To obtain from such a careful ob-
server information regarding the life-
history of a pair of these birds, and to
have the period of incubation and
length of time the young birds re-
main in the nest and other valuable
information regarding their habits
given is something for which we are
very thankful. This gives us a posi-
tive record of the breeding of this
species in Maine, with an idea of
when and where to seek the nest.

O. W. K.

A Contented Whistler, even with
THE Temperature 40 Degrees
BELOW Zero.

On Feb. 4, while your editor was in
Wilton, Franklin Co., Me., we heard
mentioned, a duck of some species
that had been left when the ducks
left for the coast and was now spend-
ing its time in feeding and floating on
a small patch of open water in the
river in the village. I at once went
to the place of business of an old
friend with whom we used to hunt
and| fish and one who was inter-
ested in the study of bird -life. His
clerk informed me that Mr. Bump
had gone down to an opening below
in the river to see the duck that was
spending the winter in the river. I
went down and found 'it leisurely
floating upon the water in a small,
open place, entirely surrounded by
ice. It proved to be an American
Golden eye — Glattcioneita clangula amer-
icana (Bonap.) It had been staying
in this small, open space all through
January and thus far in February at
no time, except one day, has the ther-
mometer registered above zero, and
ranging from that to 40 degrees be-
low.

It seems to be a young male, which
perhaps the wing quills had not well
developed, and it had thus remained
behind. It was occasionally diving
and feeding, seemingly as contented
as it could be in summer. We ap-
proached very near to it, and it did
not seem to be more frightened than
would have been a domestigated bird.

When we consider this bird remain-
ing all through the extremely cold
winter, with the thermometer down
day after day at from 20 to 30 de-
grees we wonder how it kept from
freezing. J. M. S.

Notes by W. H. Bronson.

January 10, at Pond Cove, Cape
Elizabeth, I saw three or four birds
which were not identified, except
that it was fully ascertained that they
had the sides streaked. The snow
was too deep for me to reach them.
On the 17th I was again there equipped
for wading in snow, and found that
the birds were myrtle warblers, Den-
droica Corona ta (Linn.) three in num-
ber. January 24th I took Mr.
J. F. Fanning and Mr. J. W.
Leathers, both members of the Maine
society, to the spot and showed the
warblers to them, the identification
being made more complete. January
31, in company with Mr Arthur H,
Norton, of Westbrook, and Mr. Leath-
ers, I again visited the place and the
warblers were still there, three of
them being fully identified, though we
could not count four beyond some
doubt, February 7th I was there
again and the warblers had not left.
February 14th Mr. Fanning, Mr.
Leathers and I saw a single myrtle
warbler at Cumberland foreside. Feb-
ruary 28 and March 6th I was at Pond
Cove, but it was stormy and windy
both days and I did not see the war-
blers. The spot where they were
found was adjacent to a field by the
edge of the ocean, containing many
weeds and a large growth of wax-
myrtle, on which the birds were
feeding.

January 17th one song sparrow was
in company with the myrtle warblers.
Two robins have been constantly seen
at the Cape this winter, also one in
the city limits in company with a
flock of pine grosbeaks. Pine gros-
beaks have been plenty since early in
the fall. Bald eagles were common
early in the winter around the shores
of the bay. I saw one and another
was shot near the marine hospital,
giving I'ise to a little local controversy
as to whether they are protected
by law.

February 21 I was at Pine Point;
saw a flock of American crossbills,
perhaps twenty individuals; a number
of horned larks, which lacked all

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

51

trace of yellow about the head and
throat, and therefore are thought to
have been prairie horned larks, Oto-
coris alptstris praticola (Hensh); black-

backed gulls were in company with
the flocks of American herring gulls
out on the sandbars. Crows are win-
ter residents all along the coast and
are seen every time I go out. Small
flocks of goldflnches have been seen
all winter. January 17th snow bunt-
ings were present at the Cape in good-
sized flocks.

After the cold weather began to
close the bay with ice, a flock of per-
haps fifty whistlers lived for some
weeks in Back Cove, in full view from
Tukey's bridge. With them there
was a little bunch of buffleheads.
Black ducks in a flock of fifty or more
were also seen in Back Cove.

After the bay was so solidly frozen
that there was no feeding-ground for
black ducks anywhere around the
islands these ducks gathered in great
numbers, fully 700 or 800, around
Martin's Point bridge, near the Marine
hospital, and for a month past and up
to the first half of March they re-
mained. At the coldest weather,
when there was only a small patch of
open water above and below the
bridge, they were right up under the
bridge, and at the approach of an
electric car they would fly up by the
hundred, circling out over the bay and
finally returning. There they became
so tame that persons from the city,
who went out to see them in large
numbers, could approach within easy
gunshot of them. It seemed during
the coldest weather that they were
suffering for food and from time to
time kind-hearted people threw to
them as much as twenty bushels of
corn. At the first thaw the flats
opened and early in March they had
abundance of feeding-ground They
constantly flew back and forth over
the bridge, some even hitting the tel-
egraph wires, and several being dis-
abled in this way. Warden Cushman,
hearing that early in the winter be-
fore the ducks became so poor that
they would not make good eating,
some gunners were shooting them,
watched them constantly and pro-
tected them from slaughter. He de-
serves much credit for his good work.

publlcatione 1Rccetv)c^.

The Birds of Ohio— By Lynds Jones
M. Sc, Oberlin College, Oberlin,
Ohio. A revision of Dr. J. M. Whea-
ton's catalogue issued in 1882. Pub-
lished by The Ohio State Academy of
Science, special paper No. 6, Oct. 15,
1903.

As stated above, this is a revision
of Dr. Wheaton's "The Birds of
Ohio," in which Prof. Jones has
drawn comparisons between the con-
ditions prevailing then and now, es-
pecially as regards the bird life, and
to add such facts as further study has
brought to light. This catalogue is a
valuable contribution to the ornithol-
ogy of Ohio, and a credit to Prof.
Jones.

Auk, The, XX, No. 1, Jan. 1904.
Am. Ornithology, IV, No. 1, Jan.
Am. Botanist, V, Jan. 1904.
Atlantic Slope Naturalist, The, I,
Nos. 1-5.

Amateur Naturalist, The, I, No. 1,
Jan. 1904.

Bird-Lore, VI, No. 1, Jan. -Feb.
Bryologist, The, VII, Nos. 1-2, 1904.
Bulletin, Mich., Ornith. Club IV,
No. 4.

Boll, Weevils and Birds, an address
by Prof. H. P. Atwater, at Dallas,
Tex., Nov. 6, 1903.

Cassinia, Proc. Del. Valley Ornith.
Club, VII, 1903.

Catalogue of Canadian Birds, Part
II, by John Macoun, M. A. F. R. S.
C, Ottawa, Canada, 1903.

Gait Coll. Inst. Record, The, Nov.-
Dec. 1903.

Guelph Daily Herald, The, Each
Friday issue containing, "Notes from
Thicket and Swamp," edited by A. B.
Klugh, Guelph, Ont.

Me. Sportsman, II, Nos. 125-126,
Jan. and Feb. 1904.

Our Dumb Animals, Boston, Mass.

Oologist, The, XXI, Nos. 1-2, 1904.

Plant World, The, VII, Nos. 1-2.

Portland Daily Advertiser, Every
Saturday issue containing valuable
notes on birds by editor W. H,
Brownson.

Plymouth Review, Weekly, Jan.-
Mch. 1904.

Rhodora, VI, No. 62, Jan. -Feb.

Willson Bulletin, The, X, No. 4,
Dec. 1903.

Warbler, The, II, No. 1, Jan. -Feb.

cA chfa.ture cMagazine for the People

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Kach issue of the Bulletin is filled with notes
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THE JOURNAL OF

T/ze cMaine Ornithological Society*

a toartcrlv Journal of fIDainc ©rnitboloo^.

" BIRD PROTECTION, BIRD STUDY, THE SPREAD OF THE KNOWLEDGE THUS
GAINED, THESE ARE OUR OBJECTS."

VOL. YI.

FAIRFIELD, MAINE, JULY, 1904.

NUMBER 3

Z\)c riDaine ©rnitbolootcal
Socict\).

Capt. Herbert L. Spinney,

Popham Beach, Me.'
Prof. Leslie A . Lee,

Brunswick, Me.,
Prof. Wm. Powers,

Gardiner, Me.,
J. Merton Sw.ain,

Skowhegan, Me.
Frank T. Noble,

Augusta, Me.,
Prof. a. L. L-4ne,

Hinckley, Me.,
Ora \V. Knight, M. Sc,

Bangor, Me.,

President

Vice-president

Sec. and Treas

Editor

Asoc. Editor

Councillor

Councillor

All subscriptions, business communications
and articles for publication should be sent to
J. Merton Swain, Editor and Business Manager,
Fairfield, Maine.

All communications requiring an answer
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Ninth annual meeting to be held the Friday
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Entered as second class mail matter at Fair-
field, Me.

BOitorial Cbat.

We very much regret that owing to
reasons entirely beyond the editor's
control, we are late in getting out
this issue.

It is our plan now to publish Mr.
Norton's papers on The Finches as a
separate, when they are completed.
It will be a very desirable and valu-
able paper and those wishing a copy
when issued, should notify the busi-
ness manager early, as the edition
will be limited. We shall probably
publish the papers on The Warblers,
also as a separate, when they are
completed, providing our financial
support is great enough to warrant
such a step.

NOTES ON THE FINCHES FOUND
IN MAINE.

By Arthur H. Norton.

[ConcluJed from Vol. VI, p 47.]
Zonotrichia leiicophrys (Forst.) White-

crowned, Sparrow.

A migrant of irregular abundance
in spring and fall. Its route of mi-
gration to the Hudsonian province
lies to the westward of Maine, and
our present information* indicates that
it is considerably less common east of
the Penobscot Bay and River than in
western Maine. In the latter section
of the state it is not uncommon, but
is irregular in its seasons of abundance
or scarcity, and passes almost entirely
beyond our borders within the space
of a fortnight. While it breeds well
to the northward of Maine, there are
at least two recorded instances of its
occurrence here after the migration
has been performed. (Cf. Briggs,
Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. Ill, pp. 13-14,
and Swain 1. c. p. 14).

*Cf. Bds.of Me.p. 98.

54

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Zonotrichia albicollis (GmeL) White -
throated Sparrow. Peabody Bird.

An abundant migrant, in April and
May and again in October. As early
as 1879 Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown,
(Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. IV, 107), called
attention to the occurrence of this
bird in summer throughout Cumber-
land county, from at least Scarbor-
ough and Cape Elizabeth, in the
southwest. In this county its dis-
tribution is more general than that of
the Junco. In that part of the state
now allotted to the Canadian fauna it
breeds commonly both coastwise and
in the interior.

Two instances of its occurrence in
winter have come to my notice, one
the long recorded instance given by
l3r. Joseph L. Goodale in the Auk of a
healthy male taken at Saco on Jan.
20th 1886, (Auk III, p 277). The
other instance has been reported by
Mr. W. H. Brownson (Portland Daily
Advertiser, Feb. 20, 1904), one staying
about the premises of Mr. Walter
Rich in Falmouth during the winter of
1904.

Spizella monticoa (Gmel.). Tree
Sparrow.

Of general distribution throughout
Maine, abounding during migrations,
and not infrequent through the win-
ter. At this inhospitable season, its
visits to houses could be encouraged
by placing chaff or bird seed in avail-
able places.

Spizella socialis (Wils.). Chipping
Sparrow, Chippy, etc.

Of general distribution abuudant in
many sections of the state, breeding
nearly everywhere that it occurs.
Being a bird of towns, it probably is
not numerous in the "wild lands" as
it certainly is not on the unsettled
islands of our coast.

Spizella pusilla (Wils.) Field Spar-
row.

A bird of local distribution, being
common in suitable localities, rare or
absent in others. In the Canadian
fauna it seems to be rare. When
found it is a bird of bushy pastures or
old fields, (which may be rocky),
breeding in low shrubbery, blueberry,
juniper and bramble. I found it to be
common at East Parsonfield in 1900,
and in June 25-28, 1901, detected its
presence in Shapleigh. Mr. W. H.
Brownson has found it breeding not
rarely at Cape Elizabeth. Two dis-
tinct colonies, one of several pairs are

known in Westbrook, and its nest has
been found in Gorham. Colonies also
exist in Scarborough.

Late in June, 1896, I detected the
presence of a small number in St.
George. This has already been re-
corded by Mr. Knight, ( Bd's. of Me. p.
100), together with data indicating its
presence near Lewiston, Bridgton,
Farmington, Gardiner, Norway and in
Waldo county, also at Corinth.

At Norway it was regarded as
"Common" bV Prof. A. E. Verrill in
1862, (Proc. Essex. Inst. Ill p. 150).
This is not surprising as other Alle-
ghanian features occur in the vicinity
of Norway.

Junco hyemalis (Linn.). Junco, Slate-
colored junco. Snow-bird, Blue Snow
Bird Blue Chip, etc.

Occurs throughout the year, not
common through the winter, extreme-
ly abundant during migrations, com-
mon summer resident in a large part
of the state. Being a bird of the
Canadian fauna it does not breed in
much of the lower lands of south-
western Maine, yet it is a common
summer resident and breeds in part
of York county, being so found in
East Parsonfield in 1900, it was how-
ever confined to the highlands.

Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown has fur-
nished an authentic record of isolated
instances of its breeding in suitable
localities in Scarborough and Cape
Elizabeth, (Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. IV, p.
107).

In August, 1897, I found it breeding
quite commonly on little Johns
Island, Falmouth, Me. which is cov-
ered with spruce. From this point
the bird is common coastwise breed-
ing to our eastern boundary. It
abounds on many of the wooded
islands, both outer and nearer ones.
Matinicus belonging to the outer-
most group of Islands in the state,
deserves special mention as being the
home in summer of considerable
numbers of Juncos.

While ground nests are not regard-
ed as furnishing beautiful examples of
bird architecture, nests of the Junco,
often stand high in this quality.
Sometimes placed under brush by
road side, often well under the side of
an inclined rock, or within a recess in
a steep ledge, they have been built of
fine grasses and well lined with cat-
tle's hair, the finish being so perfect
that they had a highly polished ap-

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

55

pearance; beautiful as these have
been, richer still were a few well
within spruce woods, built in beds of
green moss, bejieath canopies of the
beautiful and fragrant crowberry
Empetrntn-nigruni^ Where it had Crept
across low spruce limbs.

Two broods undoubtedly are pro-
duced in a season, as some pairs
frequently have finished laying dur-
ing the first week of May, while nests
with eggs are common in July, and
the young just out of the nest are
numerous in August.

While ordinarily a ground nesting
species, instances which are probably
exceptions are on record. (New Eng.
Bird Life 1, p. 262. Davie, Nests and
eggs of N. A. Birds. 3d. p. 310).

i\[elospiza cinerea melodia (Wils.)

Song Sparrow.

Common summer resident and
breeder throughout tlie state being
the commonest member of the
group.

It is of rather rare occurrence in
winter, though it seems to be regular
coastwise.

While our most abundant specie,
this bird was omitted from Dr.
Holme's list of 1861, first appearing in
Prof. Hitchcocks list in the Proceed-
ings of the Portland Society of Nat-
ural History in 1862, (Vol. I, pt. I.),
though Wilson had stated that he had
found it in every district of the LTnited
States from Canada southward.

Melospiza liiicolni (Aud.). Lincoln's
Sparrow, "Tom's Finch."

This sparrow has been found in
much less abundance in Maine than
our other two representatives of the
genus, with which it associates.
Though less rare than has been pre-
viously indicated it cannot be con-
sidered even as tolerably common,
according to our present information.

It is a migrant occurring both in
spring and fall. Neither Holmes,
Hitchcock, Boardman, Verrill, nor
Maynard and Brewster, made men-
tion of it in their respective lists,
which fact seems to have led Dr.
Brewer in 1874 to specially comment
upon the fact that it had not been
found in Maine. (Hist. N. Am. Birds.)

Mr. Everett Smith was the first to
include it in a list of Maine birds. He
treated it as a regular migrant ar-
riving in May and quickly passing to
the north and east. (Birds of Maine,

Forest & Stream XIX, No. 25, Jan.
18, 1883, p. 484.)

Mr. Knight rejecting the foregoing
statement reported it "Rare for
Washington county, in spring only,"
according to the information of Mr.
Boardman, and also recorded the
capture of a female at Westbrook,
Sept. 20, 1896, by the writer, in whose
collection it still is. (Bds. of Me. p.
101.). Upon the information of Mr.
N. A. Eddy, the same author record-
ed the capture of a specimen near
Bangor, May 18, 1882. (Knight Me,
Sportsman, Vol. 6, No. 63, Nov., 1898,
p. 20).

On September 25, 1897 a male was
taken at Westbrook by the writer:
this is now in the collection of H. L.
Spinney.

In 1899, J. C. Mead recorded a
specimen now in the collection of
Bridgton Academy, which was taken
at North Bridgton during the fall of
1879. ( Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. I, p. 31).

In 1898 two specimens were taken
on the lantern of Seguin Light station,
one on Sept. 'll and another on Sept.
24. On this last date others were
said to have occurred.

In 1899 four were observed under
the same conditions at Seguin be-
tween the date of Oct. 6 and 13. The
full account of these occurrences
were given by Capt. H. L. Spinney in
the Journal of the Maine Ornitholog-
ical Society Volume II, pp. 19-20.
(Cf. also Vol. V, pp. 56, 57 and 58.).

On May 12, 1900, a male was taken
at Westbrook, and is in the collection
of the writer. Hence we have two
definite spring records, one on the
date of May 12 and the other on May
18, while in the fall its occurrence has
been detected between the dates of
Sept. 11 and October 13.

While now known in Maine only as
a migrant, the bird should be careful-
ly looked for breeding in the northern
parts of the state, especially upon the
Appalachian highlands.

Melospiza georgiana (Lath.), Swamp

Sparrow.

A summer resident of general dis-
tribution, resorting to swamps and
lagoons for the purpose of breeding,
often in situations suitable to Red-
winged Blackbirds, but occasionally
it breeds in less boggy ground.
Hence its distribution during the
breeding season is necessarily local-
ized. In autumn it swarms in rush

56

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY,

grown valleys, and wild weed patches
near water, as well as the swamps,
and ever at this season strays to drier
situations.

Its chirp of alarm has a rich metallic
quality much like that of Zonoirichia
albicollis. While its song bears a gen-
eral resemblance to that of Spizella
socialis it is considerably stronger and
rather more musical.

Passer, ■/la illuua (Merr.). Fox Spar-
row.

A migrant, of general distribution,
being common both fall and spring.
In spring it is extremely abundant
coastwise, certainly as far east as the
west side of Penobscot Bay. At this
season it is in full song as it passes
through Maine, and its rich tones
challenge admiration whenever heard.

Like all of its relatives it is an in-
dustrious destroyer of seeds and in-
sects. It obtains its food by scratch-
ing among leaves supplementing the
work of the species which feed upon
the stems by bringing to "The grind-
ing" much that would otherwise be
sown.

Pipi/o erytropthalmtis (Linn.). Towhee,
Chewink.

This the most strictly Alleghanian
finch of Maine is of regular though
uneven distribution in the southwest-
ern part of the state. Its distribution
corresponds somewhat closely with
that of the Scrub-Oak Quercus nana,
not being general in either York,
Oxford, Cumberland, or Sagadahoc
counties, though in these the birds
are in more numbers than elsewhere,
and it would seem in some spots even
rather common. Near Portland a few
small colonies exist during the breed-
ing season.

During the migrations they often
appear in unusual places but even
then they are not general even in
southwestern Maine.

Cardinalis Cardinalis (Linn.) Cardi-
nal.

Of accidental occurrence. While
Mr. Smith indicates that Cardinals
have been taken in a few instances,
he cites no particular ones.

Mr. Knight records the capture of a
female at Gardiner, Me., Dec. 19,
1895, by Homer R. Dill. The bird is
now in Mr. Knight's collection.
(Maine Sptsm., Nov. 1898, Vol. 6, No.
63, p. 20). The report in his "Birds
of Maine" was based upon incorrect
information.

ZameloJia hidoviciana (Linn.). Rose-
breasted Grosbeak.

Not uncommon in the interior south
of the Appalachian highlands, and in
the upper St. John valley, as a sum-
mer resident, but it seems to be rare
southeasterly. Coastwise it is rare
and seems to occur only as a migrant.
There seems to be no present inform-
ation of its occurrence (or in fact of
the contrary) upon these highlands.

It appeared to be in some degree
irregular in its choice of a summer
home.

Cyauospiza''' cyanea (Linn.). Indigo
Bird.

Common in southwestern Maine as
a summer resident and breeding
species. While reported in such
distant parts of the state as the St.
Croix valley, ( Boardman in Knights
Bds. of Me., p. 103) and at Caribou
( Allen. Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. Ill, pp.
11, 12. ) it seems to be rare or absent
in considerable areas of the state. It
is of general distribution in York and
Cumberland counties except the
islands of the latter.

In passing from Portland to Upton
it has been found general by the
roadside throughout theSebago valley,
and in the Androscoggin valley as far
as Newry where it has dissapeared.
Along the coast, easterly the bird has
not been found with any degree of
abundance or regularity.

It has been reported rare at St.
George by Mr. Fred Rackliff (Knights
Bds. of Me., p. 103). A bird seen at
Isle Au Haut late in June, 1903, by
James T. Conley must have been a
male of this strangely marked species.
In the maratime towns of Washington
county from Jonesport easterly I
have not seen it.

Present data indicates that its
distribution coincides rather closely
with that of the last species, though
its center of abundance is in the
southwestern part of the state, differ-
ing in this particular from that
species.

Spiza americana (Gmcl.). Black-
throated Bunting, Dickcissel.
Only three examples known.

*Cynanosf>iza r/ri's. (Linn.). Painted Bunting.
An adult male of this species, which had clearly es-
capej from captivity was found dead in the yard of
Miss C. S. Eastman, in Portland, June to, 1904. It
was taken to Mr. W. H. Brownson, by whose kind-
ness it came into my hands and has been preserved.

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

57

One a young male taken at Jobs
Island, Camden, Me., Sept. 29, 1884,
by Mr. Chas. W. Townsend, (Auk. II,
p. 106).

The second specimen, a young male
was taken at Westbrook, Oct. 10,
1888, by Mr. Ralph H. Norton, and is
now in the collection of the writer.
(Auk. XI, pp. 78-79, also Auk. X, p.
302).

The third specimen is recorded by
Mr. Knight, ( as indeed are the other
two), this was taken by Mr. Fred
Rackliff in St.. George. ( Bds. of Me.,
p. 104). This one was lost.

NOTE.

Cjlra>-iui laf'/toniciis Through the kindness of
Mr Fanning, my attention has been called to the fact
that the Langspur taken by him at Lubec was not
preserved, as reported on page 44 of this Journal, Vol.
V[. It is not extant. Neither vl r. Fanning, nor Prof
Stanton are in any way responsible for the error.

FEEDING HABITS OF THE
TURNSTONE.

(^Arenaria inlerpres, Linn.)

It has been my custom for several
years to spend a portion of the early
fall among the outer islands of the
coast of Maine, where during the mi-
grations the liinicolae or shore birds as
they are commonly termed are quite
plentiful even at this late day.

It has been my good fortune to make
many a good bag of the larger species
of this, to me, interesting family, but
I find of late that my inclination to
study the habits of these graceful,
pretty creatures is gradually out-
weighing the old desire to possess
them as dead game, and although I
build my "blind" each season as
usual on the same pebbly beach I find
the trusty hammerless rests most of
the time across a log, speechless and
almost forgotten, while with a good
pair of bird -glasses I am intent upon
watching the movements of hundreds
of the handsome gray and white
bodies moving up and down the
shore.

To all nature lovers the feeding
habits of birds are extremely inter-
esting, and this is none the less true
of the dainty little waders whose
shapely limbs and immaculate plum-
age are kept scrupulously clean from
their constant ablutions in old ocean
and whose life-history seems more of
a mystery to us than those of the
woodland birds.

Year after year I have located my
"blind," a collection of driftwood,
broken lobster pots and seaweed at
a point invariably visited, even in
these days of scarcity, by hundreds
of the smaller shore birds, together
with a never failing fliglit of Turn-
stone {Arenarja inlerpres) Linn., thOSe
trim yet stocky vermilion footed
birds of the well known upturned
bill, and here in the quiet and soli-
tude of this out of the way place I
have been favored with unusual op-
portunities for observing the feeding
habits of the lesser waders and par-
ticularly of the Turnstone.

"Rock Bird" or "Rock Plover," the
natives hereabouts call them, while
to the city gunner they ai-e known as
the Chicken Plover or Calico Back.
Their A. O. U. cognomen is rarely
applied to him in his native haunts
and as Turnstone he is seldoni known
outside of the books.

How many of our members have
ever had the pleasure of watching
Areuaria inlerpres feed utterly uncon-
scious of intrusion?

When first alighting he is as mo-
tionless as the stone which his bright
hazel eye selected for a resting place,
and if there be any suspicious move-
ment in the vicinity, feeding for him
for the time being is out of the ques-
tion. But if the coast is clear and the
smaller fiy, the peeps, the whiting
and the ringnecks are busy gleaning
from the shore their morning or
noonday meal he presently descends
from his perch and goes about break-
ing his fast in a very matter of fact
fashion.

As to moral character I have al-
ways found him a pugnacious bully
and woe betide the little peep or -
even larger bird that gets in his way.
He quickly lowers his chuckle head
and jabs them right and left with his
stout, sharp bill and it must hurt too,
for it is a formidable weapon in its
way and unlike the bills of the other
waders that associate with him on his
feeding ground.

I have often seen him fight his own
brethren and drive away from his
chosen feeding place what were evi-
dently the younger or weaker mem-
bers of the flock. On one occasion I''
watched a pair fight, or rather threat-
ening to fight, after the manner of
young roosters in a barnyard. They
would face each other with out-

58

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

stretched and ruffled necks and re-
main in this comical position with
their bills almost touching for several
seconds, pei-haps the outcome of a
dispute over the possession of a par-
ticularly fat sand flea.

It is ti'ue that the Turnstone will
quickly turn over a shell or pebble
with his oddly shaped bill in his
search for food, this habit being
characteristic and generally known
to students of ornitliology, but his
unique peculiarity of rooting, if I
may so term it, is something I have
never seen him given credit for by
any observer of bird life. I use the
word rooting advisedly for his pro-
cedure is nothing else (unless you
were to call it shoveling) and resem-
bles the modus operandi of the pig when
searching for food beneath the sur-
face.

During the past fall a portion of the
cove where ray shooting blind was
erected was filled with a bank of sea-
weed washed in by a severe No 'East-
er. This wall was over two feet high
and though mostly composed of rock-
weed and Irish moss was intermixed
with sand fragments of shell and de-
bris from the sea bottom and was
fairly alive with sand fleas and prob-
ably other insects. As it gradually
dried it made a fine feeding ground
for tlae shore birds who resorted to it
daily in large numbers.

Now with one exception every
species observed by me gleaned its
food from this primative yet bounti-
ful table in an orderly, respectful and
dignified, yes I might say dainty man-
ner without displacing a piece of
shell or sprig of moss or weed. Most
of their food would be taken from the
surface with an occasional delicate
probing. The exception was the
Turnstone.

He would select a likely spot on the
loosely packed moss and go at his work
with a vim and rapidity entirely dif-
ferent from the other species. Un-
derneath the bits of weed moss and
fragments of shell his sharp upturned
bill would swiftly go and a perfect
shower of these would soon be falling
in front and beside him. Finding a
morsel to his taste he would devour it
in much less time than it takes to re-
late it and the rooting and tossing of
the bits into the air would continue.
At times quite sizeable fragments of
shell and pieces of moss more than an

inch in length would be thrown fully
seven or eight inches above the birds
head, and this he would keep up with
scare ly an instants pause for a quarter
of an hour and until he had excavated
a pit large enough to almost conceal
his plump mottled body. Occasion-
ally he would turn about in his tracks
but as a rule he worked in one direc-
tion.

My champion digger as 1 termed
him on tliis particular occasion now
became alarmed at the sudden ap-
proach of a Pigeon Hawk ( FaUo loluni-
liarius) which swept swiftly down
among the large flock of shore birds,
sending them scurrying off in every
direction to places of safety, but with
the passing of his hawkship they were
quickly back again and my Turnstone
or one like him alighted this time
close to my blind so near in fact that
glasses were of no assistance in ob-
serving him. The exact distance I
afterwards ascertained was just nine
feet from where I sat and he gave me
from this vantage point another ex-
hibition of what he could do in the
way of excavating.

He stood still for a moment and
then walking a few steps commenced
as before, and everything small
enough for him to move that stood
between him and his dinner was sent
flying into the air.

It occurred to me to time the chap
this time in his feat of tunneling. He
acarely paused in his work for ten
minutes and in that short time he had
dug a trench long enough and deep
enough to completely hide his body,
his head only being visible and this
scarcely in sight at times, a feat I
could hardly credit my own eyes with
seeing.

On he dug, the minutes passing until
watching him at his work became a
trifle monotonous and to vary the
thing I tossed a pebble over near him.
He raised his pretty mottled head
paused a moment and went at his
rooting as before.

Again I dropped a bit of shell near
him and he again paused and scanned
the surroundings but a good digestion
waited on appetite in his case evi-
dently and again search for food was
continued. At last I sent a large
muscle shell his way and that proved
more than he could stand in the way
of bombardment for stepping out of
his trench and catching sight of me

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

59

laughing: at him around the corner of
my blind he spread his handsomely
marked wings and gracefully sailed
down to the waters edge.

Frank T. Noble,
Augusta, Maine, Nov. 27, 1903.

NOTES ON THE WARBLERS
FOUND IN MAINE.

(ConliniieJ from Vol. VI. P. 41 )

Contributions to the Life His-
tory OF THE Wilson's Warbler.

[J. Merlon Swain.]
Sylvania pusilla ( Wils.^

Geographical Distyil'ittioii. I'/iis species
winters in Eastern Mexico a)id Central
America.

In migration it is wore or less common in
eastern N. A. west to the Rocky Mountains.
The breeding range is Jrom the northern
border of the United States and Rocky
.Mountains norlhivard.

This is one of our
rarest Warblers known to nest in
eastern North America. In some lo-
calities in the state it is more or less
common during the spring migration.
Yet the bulk of these birds go to the
northward to breed, and migrate
south to Eastern Mexico and Central
America. They are seen usually in
pairs during the migration period,
usually in knolly, bushy pastures,
usually near the water. They arrive
here about the second week in May.
The males are in full song when they
arrive and usually commence nest
building very soon after their arrival.

The first record of its nesting I am
able to find a description of was taken
by our late fellow worker, Clarence
H. Morrell at Pittsfield. although ref-
ei'ence to its nesting in the state is
made in Walter's "Birds of Andro-
scoggin Countv," page 9, and Bach-
eller, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. 7, p.
110. Mr. Morrell found two nests of
this bird, one on June 12th, 1892, the
other, June 4th, 1897. For these de-
scriptions I can do no better than to
quote his notes published in The Os-
prey, Sept. '99, page 5, (although his
sister, Miss Ethel B. Morrell, has
khidly given me access to her broth-
ers' copious notes at any time.)

"Wilson's Warbler may be safely
classed as one of the rarest Warblers
which breed regularly in this state.
It is nowhere common, even as a

migrant, arriving during the second
week in May with the main army of
migrating Warblers. I always see it
singly or in pairs, never in fiocks, at
this time. They are birds of the bush,
never going into large woods as do
the Black-throated Green and Black-
burnian Warblers, but spend the sum-
mer in knolly, bush-grown pastures
bordering young growths. The males
are in full song when they arrive, and
not much time is spent befoi-e nest-
building commences. The nest is
placed under a tuft of grass, or at the
base of a shrub, and so well conceal-
ed that it is seldom found, unless by
accident. If two nests are sufficient
data to warrant conclusions, it would
seem that they differ principally from
those of other ground-building War-
blers in the simplicity of material
used and in their small size.

A nest found June 12, 1892, was
placed at the base of a small shrub,
and was mainly constructed of short
pieces of grass, fairly well woven to-
gether, with a very few hairs mingled
with the grass lining, and some moss
and leaves exteriorly. This nest con-
tained four nearly fresh eggs, and
measured as follows: Outside top
diameter 3.00x3.50 inches; inside top
diameter 1.75, inside depth 1.25.

A second nest found June 4th,
1897, was in the side of a depression
in the ground, well concealed by
overhanging grass and shrubs. It
was constructed like the first one,
with the exception of the hair, in the
place of which were a few black, hair-
like roots. This nest also contained
four eggs, in which incubation was
advanced. In both instances the par-
ent bird was flushed from the nest
and remained near, flitting from bush
to bush, but not displaying great so-
licitude, either by voice or action.
The eggs have the plain white ground
with spots of brown and red of vari-
ous shades, common to most Warbler
eggs. The markings have a tendency
to wreathe the larger end in some
specimens, and spots rather than
blotches seem the rule; but there is
nothing that would distinguish them
with certainty from the eggs of other
ground -nesting Warblers.

In addition to these nests I have
frequently seen these Warblers lead-
ing a callow brood about in June, and
have come to regard them as regular,
though rare, summer residents in this

60

JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

vicinity. Though Dr. Coues, in his
description of this species in the
"Key" says: "female — lacking the
black cap," this can hardly be a con-
stant feature, as I have carefully noted
the appearance of the parents when I
have found them with nests or young

and always find the cap present with
both. Wilson's Warblers do not tar-
ry long after the broods are reared
and are able to care for themselves,
and few are found here after the first
of September."
Mr. Morrell's remark as to the fe-

FEMALK WILSON'S BLACKCAP ON NEST.
Hermon Bog, Hermon, Me., June i, 1902.

male having the black cap too, seems
to be correct, as I have noted the
same, though the cap on the female
seems to be not so black and distinct
as in the male. The accompanying
photograph of the female on the
nest shows the cap quite distinctly.

The next instance of breeding in the
state I find was made by Mr. L. W.
Brownell of New York, near Bangor.
I wrote Mr. Brownell for data and re-
ceived the following: "The two
nests of Wilson's Warbler taken by
me near Bangor in June, 1900. No. 1

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

61

was takeu at Bangor on June 19th.
It contained four fresh eggs. The
nest was placed on the ground, well
hidden in a small clump of grass, at
the foot of an alder sapling. It was
composed entirely of skeletonized
leaves, dried grass with one or two

horse -hairs in lining was a very
frail structure and came to pieces
when removed. Its measurements
were: Outside diameter 3 inches;
inside diameter 1| in.; outside depth
2 in.; inside depth li in. Eggs meas-
ured: .58x45, .60X.46, .60x.45, .59x45.

NEST AND EGGS OF WILSON'S WARBI^ER.
Herraon Bog, Hermon, Me., June i, 1902.

Both old birds were seen and identi-
fication was complete.

The date of the finding of the sec-
ond, I do not exactly remember but
was about 10 days later or about June
29. The nest contained well fledged
young, in fact they left the nest while

I was looking at them. The nest was
similar in every respect to the first,
perhaps a trifle stouter and placed in
a position almost identical with that
in which the first one was placed.
The old birds approached me very
closely, feeding their yoimg within a

62

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

couple of feet of my hand." His broth-
er, C. L. Brownell, who was with him
that season, writes me: "Personally
I am convinced that Wilsonia pusilla is
not so uncommon as is generally sup-
posed, but its eggs remain rare be-
cause of the difficulty in locating its
nest, whicli it conceals to perfection.
While at or near Bangor, I disturbed
at least a half dozen pair which un-
doubtedly had nests near me, but in
no case could I locate them." I find
no other records of nests being found
in the State except one found by the
writer on June 1st, 1902. The locality
was the edge of the Hermon Bog, and
was discovered but a few moments
after the finding the nest of J), p hypo-
chrysea as described by Prof. Knight in
his article on this species, in the
Journal Vol. VI Apr. No. p. 39. The
description of the nesting site of
ptisilla is identical with his description
of hypochrysea^ except that it was at the
edge of the bog, some 100 yards from
the nest of hypochrysea. Soon after we
located the nest of the Yellow Palm,
as we were about to leave the bog, 1
flushed a small bird from a nest, well
concealed under a thick mass of
grasses and weeds at the foot of an
alder bush. I could not make sure
what it was, at first thinking it to be
a Yellowthroat, but on seeing the nest
and eggs I thought it was the Nash-
ville. Both birds kept flitting near
the nest, but kept well hid in the
dense growth, but I soon got a glimpse
of the female. I was not quite svire
what it was and called Prof. Knight.
We silently watched the birds oc-
casionally getting a quick glance at
the female. When we both saw the
male with the heavier cap markings,
we excitedly exclaimed: Wilson's
Black-cap! Tieing my handkei-chief
to a bush near the nest, we hastened
with Mr. Billings and Mr. Hall to our
wheels and pedalled back to Bangor
for the camera and outfit, hastening
back, as it was getting well along
toward eve. On arriving at the bog,
we easily located our white flag and
soon had a photo of the nest and eggs.
Then leaving the camera adjusted we
concealed ourselves as far from the
camera as the rubber tubing would
allow, with bulb in hand we waited
for a snap shot at the female, when
she should return to the nest. I dare
not attempt a pen picture of us two
concealed in the short, thick bushes.

sweat begrimmed, faces covered with
cobwebs, eyes bright with enthusiasm
waiting for pusilla to return to the
nest. Nor do I need to try to tell you
how numerous were the mosquitoes,
that made life miserable for us, for, I
think the most of my readers can
picture it all in their minds. At last
the critical moment came and we had
I^erhaps, snapped the camera for the
first time, on a female Wilson's Black-
cap on the nest. We herewith give
you the two exposures made by Prof.
Knight.

The nest was made up outside of
fine dead grasses (neatly woven, yet a
frail structure) lined with fine grasses
and a very few horsehairs. It meas-
ures: Outside diam. 3.50 in. Inside
diam. 1.50. Outside depth 2.25, in-
side dept 1.25 in.

The eggs were five in number with
a dull white ground finely dotted over
the entire surface with cinnamon -
rufous and lavender-gray, forming a
slight wreath about the larger end.
They measure, .60x.48, 58x47 .60x48,
59X.49, .59x48. The eggs were per-
fectly fresh.

Wilson's Black-cap is often seen in
company with the Canadian Warbler
during the migration season. Their
manner of feeding somewhat resem-
bles that of the Canadian species.
They feed in briery thickets, picking
up insects very nimbly. They have
the talents of a Flycatcher, and cap-
ture much of their food on the wing,
but do not like the Flycatcher return
to the same perch. It utters a pleas-
ing song occasionally as it gleans for
food which I am unable to des-
cribe or liken to any other Warbler.

Nuttall describes it, "tsh-tsh-tsh-
tshea," while Goss writes it, zee-zee-
zee-zee-e, the latter would be my
idea of it, with a rising inflection on
the last e. Several people have mem-
tioned seein|pf this Warbler with
young, but I am unable to learn of
any others who have seen the nest.
I believe as stated previous, it is a
more common nester throughout the
Canadian Fauna, in this state than is
commonly supposed, as there are
many places in the Northern part of
the state, where I would confidently
look for this bird to be nesting.

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

63

Btr^ motes.

THE EDITOR'S VISIT TO SEGUIN.

During the middle of May, the as-
sociate editor spent a most enjoyable
and profitable vacation at Seguin
Island, the guest of our worthy presi-
dent, Capt. H. L. Spinney, and was
fortunate in adding many fine speci-
mens of sea fowl to his collection.
The Captain proved himself a most
bospitaljle host, as well as an expert
surfman and crack shot, being at
all times perfectly "at home" in his
dory among the surf covered rocks of
this dangerous locality.

One of the Capt's. many accom-
plishments is the surprising ability to
"call" with an unearthly screech,
the flight Loons in from sea and over
the decoys, a feat never before wit-
nessed by "ye editor," and although
he had heard of such a thing, never
really believed it possible^the Capt.
can do the trick however.

The Captain's home is a veritable
museum and his mounted collection
of New England birds (very rich of
course in sea fowl) is the pride not
only of himself, but of his estimable
wife and charming daughter.

Long may he remain in his faithful
care of this grand and famous light,
whose beacon has guided so many
toilers of the sea to a safe harbor.

AN UNUSUAL NEST OF THE
OLIVE BACKED THRUSH.

I would note the finding of a rather
unusual nest of the Olive Backed
Thrush — 'J'nrdus iistnldfiis s'toni iisoiiii —
(Cab.) at Solon, Maine, May 29, 1904.
The nest was in the upper limbs of
one of a small grove of pine saplings
near the bank of the Kennebec river.
It was located close to the trunk at
the junction of two limbs and was
nearly thirteen feet from the ground.

It was a very bulky affair and meas-
ured ten inches over all, the longest
way, by 5 inches, and was composed
of dry twigs and grape vine bark, and
old grass and weed stalks. Various
kinds of dry, last year leaves were
worked in among the other material
as the nest was being constructed. A
few pine needles and some horse hair
were used in both the outer and inner
parts, but no attempt appears to have
been made at a lining. The entire

outside of the nest is covered with
large, dry oak leaves. The nest
proper was located at one end of the
mass and handsomely finished for so
careless a builder. The eggs were
four in number of the usual pale
greenish blue, but were entirely free
fro/n spois^ not One of them showing
the slightest trace of markings of any
kind. They were nearly uniform in
size, measuring as follows: 93x68,
90x69, 89x69, 88x68. The height at
which the nest was placed and the
absence of spots or blotches on the
eggs make this set decidedly at vari-
riance with those usually found and
described. There is no question as
to the identity of the bird.

Frank T. Noble.
Augusta, Me., June 10, 1904.

BOBWHITE.

Poor Bobwhite, the past winter
has without doubt proved a Waterloo
for them in this state and doubtless
the mortality has been severe.

From the meager accounts that
came to the Journal from corre-
spondents within our borders it is
pittiably plain that nearly all of the
few coveys which were striving for
an existence here have perished from
starvation and the extreme cold.

It was the hope of all lovers of
these interesting and beautiful game
birds that the little fellows who had
ventured over our borders might
thrive but at this writing it would
seem otherwise.

In the vicinity of North Bridgton
where some stray birds were seen
last year none have appeared thus
far that we can learn of.

From Kennebunk comes the sad
tale from a local observer that a
small flock endeavoi-ed to winter
near his home, that they appeared to
be suffering from lack of food, and
that like a good Samaritan he fed
them. One morning two of the covey
were missing and from the footprints
in the snow it was plain that a fox
had captured them. A day or two
later during an unusually cold spell
he reports finding the rest of the
flock all dead under a tree, where
they had apparently frozen to death,
their end being doubtless hastened by
lack of proper food.

In examining reports from other
states more favorably situated as to

64

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

climate the same great mortality is
noted during the past extreme win-
ter, and it would seem that some ar-
tificial means must be adopted if
these birds are to be preserved.

The Bulletin of the Penna. Depart-
ment of Agriculture advocates catch-
ing the Quail in traps in the fall and
keeping them housed and properly
fed during the winter, liberating
them in the early spring to breed.
This plan may yet prove the only
practical way in which the birds can
be preserved to us in Maine.

We regret that the Journal has
received so few reports on the win-
tering of Bobwhite from its corre-
spondents, but probably their non
appearance this spring explains all
too forcibly why we have not.

BOBWHITE AT CLIFF ISLAND,
MAINE.

In the spring of '99 while at Cliff
Island, Casco Bay, Me., looking after
breeding colonies of gulls, terns and
petrels, as we were making trips in a
dory to Outer Green and Junk-of-
Pork, The Brown Cow and other ad-
jacent islands, we passed near Jew-
ell's Island, and I heard the unmis-
takable call, Bobwhite! Bobwhite!
and upon inquiry, my guide informed
me he had heard a Bobwhite on Cliff
Island but a few days before. He in-
formed me that the owner of Jewell's
Island, Mr. McKenney of Phila., Pa.,
had brought some of these birds to
the island and liberated them. We
at once pulled across the channel to
Jewell's Island. At the cottage we
found Mrs. McKenney and her two
daughters, who, when told that we
had come to inquire about the Bob-
white, asked us to be seated upon the
veranda and informed us that they
had brought twelve of these birds
with them the year before and libera-
ted them on the island. They have
cattle and horses which they leave
on the island in care of a man who
lives there through the winter.
When snow came in the fall the Bob-
white came and fed with the hens in
the yard, remaining about there all
the winter. She said that they had
not been back long enough to learn
how these birds were getting along,
and asked us to take a look about the
island. Jewell's Island is a large
outer island of some two miles in

length and nearly one mile in width
in places, mostly heavily wooded
with scrub spruce and fir, but at the
upper end we found a field that was
cleared. At the edge of the field
near the buildings we were greeted
with mellow whistles, Bobwhite!
Bobwhite! soon to be answered by a
similar call not far away. We se-
creted ourselves and I began to whis-
tle an imitation call, which to my
great pleasure was soon answered.
But though "Bob" frequently an-
swered my call, I could not succeed
in calling him from his hiding place.
On moving across the field, we flush-
ed a bird which went whirring across
lots to a cover near by. We flushed
seven or eight birds during our ram-
bles about the island. It was then
nearing the breeding season. We
returned to the cottage and Mrs. Mc-
Kenney requested us to post some
A. O. U. warning notices about the
island, and stated that occasionally
so-called sportsmen came to the is-
land, shooting any kind of birds that
came within range, although her
man always warned them off. We
posted the notices and hoped the lit-
tle fellows who were strugglhig for
existence during the long, cold win-
ter on this outer, bleak island, might
be prevented from falling a victim to
the ruthless gunner. The following
two seasons I made a trip to Cliff
Island, intending to go across to Jew-
ell's to learn how fared c'c/'hi/n, but
both trips the surf was running high
and we could not make the trip
across in a dory with safety. But
Mr. Walter Rich, one of our fellow
members, saw several Bobwhite along
the Falmouth Foreside or Cumber-
land shore, and I concluded some of
the Jewell's Island birds had flown
across to the mainland. Several
other reports of the occurrence of
these birds along the mainland would
go to prove the above theory. This
will help to demonstrate the fact that
Colinns is capable of withstanding our
long, cold winters, and we hope to
make a visit to Jewell's Island this
season to learn further of the fate of
the Bobwhite. J. M. S.

June 1, 1903.

Dana Sweet of Avon writes the
Journal that he observed a Canada
Jay in that town Nov. 12, 1903, also
that a species of the Rough Legged

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

65

Hawk was brought to him for identi-
fication that was shot Nov. 27, 1902,
in Freeman, a nearby town in Frank-
lin County.

NOTES FROM PORTLAND AND
VICINITY.

Mr. W. H. Brownson of Portland
writes the Journal that he has re-
cently visited the colony of Black
Crowned Night Herons at Falmouth
and that it is still flourishing. The
birds now build in the tops of the
tallest trees. Several pairs of Olive
sided Flycatchers — L'on/opns boriuilis —
(Swains) are spending the summer in
the Cape Elizabeth woods. These
woods were very prolific of Warbler
life during the present spring, he
counting no less than 19 distinct
species during their migrations.

While others are wondering at the
scarcity of our old friends, the
Cowbirds — Molo/fims .//tv— ( Bodd), this
keen observer noted during the last
days of April a flock of some 25 on
the "Cape," where they remained
several days.

He chats interestingly with us as
follows:

"It gives me pleasure to report a
pair of Crested Flycatchers and a
promising family at Douglas Hill, in
the town of Sebago, this county. I
recently spent a couple of days there
with a party of friends, all bird lov-
ers, and within half an hour after our
arrival we discovered the Flycatchers
and a little later their nest, which
was in a hole in an apple tree not
forty feet from the piazza of the hotel.
It was about seven feet from the
ground and all in the party had a
chance by means of a step-ladder to
inspect the nest, which contained
several young birds, the exact number
not being ascertained on account of
the dept of the hole and the wish not
to disturb the old birds. I sat more
than an hour one morning and watch-
ed the birds bringing food to their
family, one staying at the nest while
the other went afield, and taking
turns in the labor of caring for the
young.

In the woods near by at this same
place we found Juncos with young,
and watched the old birds feeding a
little one. This is a fairly high eleva-
tion on the side of the Douglas
mountain, which probably account

for the juncos breeding in this local-
ity. Several yellow-billed Cuckoos
were seen only a few miles away on
the road to Baldwin.

Last year in Scarboro on the top of
Scottow's hill a colony of purple Mar-
tins nearly all starved to death during
a long spell of continuous rainy
weather. Just one pair of the birds
was left and this year just one pair
has come to the martin house. I
have little doubt that they are the
same pair. In the martin house a
pair of English Sparrows are living
and in the rear of the same bird house
a pair of tree Swallows are evidently
breeding."

THE RED HEADED WOODPECKER

{Aft'lanerp(s erylhroceplialus {Linn.)
AT CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE.
May 15, at Cape Elizabeth, in com-
pany with Mr. Arthur H. Norton, of
Westbrook, I saw a red-headed wood-
pecker in full plumage. Last fall I
saw one in the same locality, but it
was in immature plumage, with head
and breast brown instead of red.
This year the red -head staid more
than a week where Mr. Norton and 1
first found it and a number of observ-
ers were able to find it on being di-
rected to the locality. Later a red-
head was reported to me from Dia-
mond island, perhaps two miles
farther north, and it was very likely
the same bird, but with it was also
another showing immature plumage,
probably a bird of last year, and a
mate to the other. I have not been
informed whether they have been
observed to be breeding.

W. H. Brownson,
Portland, Me., June 22, 1904.

NESTING OF THE MEADOW
LARK IN WINTHROP, ME.

Early in June my cousin from Port-
land was visiting in Winthrop and
while strolling through a large field,
he came across the nest and fiushed
the bird, which he thought must be a
Meadow Lark. He showed the nest
to us and it was, sure enough, a
Meadow Lark's with five eggs in it.
The nest was built as usual, with the
covering over it. The Meadow Lark
is getting to be a rather common
nester in the Kennebec Valley in this
State.— Ed.

66

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

On Aug. 4th, while waiting for a
train at No. Jay, Me. in Franklin Co.
I heard Barn Swallows under the pa-
villion of the R. R. station. On in-
vestigation I found they had built two
nests and both nests contained young.
I watched the parents feed the young,
and as the train came rolling into the
station, I watched the young draw
themselves down into the nest, but
after the train stopped, I saw them
from the car window peeping up over
the side of the nest at the big puffing,
snorting monster that had several
times each day run in along side of
their home, to disturb their quiet life.
Two weeks later, (Aug. 18), I observ-
ed both nests still contained young.
This is rather an odd place for a Barn
Swallow to rear its young, when we
considered there are many barns near
by, but these two pairs of swallows
doubtless chose this noisy place to
rear their young but just why they
made this digression, I am unable to
say. J. M. S.

Mr. Chas. H. Danforth of Norway,
Me., one of our members, writes us:
White winged crossbills have been
present here this summer which is
somewhat unusual. I observed a
flock of about fifty, July 3rd. They
were feeding in fir trees and were as
tame and unsuspicious as in winter.

The males were in excellent plum-
age but were not in song. I failed to
find any immature birds in the flock.
Since then I have observed adult
birds on several occasions. — Ed

NOTES ON NESTING.

THE BLACK CAPPED TITMOU.SE.
Unmindful of the cold and falling snow

The black capped titmouse sang his win-
tery lay,
Undaunted by the chilly winds that blow.
He piped a cheery The a-day-day-day !
Trilling saucy notes, seeming free from care.
He fluttered from hedge to fence, from
fence to tree
Looking o'er mossy bark for his morning fare

Within crack or crevice, or bole to see
A grub or worm, to quiet hunger's call

With a The-a-day-day-day ! devoid of fear
He sang again from an old stone wall.
Viewing my lingering presence near
Ere he fluttered down to the tangles of weeds.
Peering through the snows, waving pre-
cious seeds,
.Scattering tbeir treasures, for the Titmouse's
needs.

Alice R. Waite,
South Lyme, Conn.

A Bluebird's Nest.

Last spring a pair of Bluebirds built
a nest in a gatepost at the corner of
our house. This was the first Blue-
bird's nest I had known to be built
near the house, and I was very much
pleased with my new neighbors.

They commenced building the nest
April 14. By this time all the other
Bluebirds had left, and these were
the only ones that remained in the
vicinity.

I found two eggs in the nest April
21, and two more April 24.

I couldn't quite see the gatepost
from my sleeping room upstairs, but
every morning as I awaked, I would
hear one of the birds on a dead maple
limb in front of my windows singing
a cheery song to its mate on the nest
down in the gatepost.

Maj' 8, I looked into the nest again
and found five young birds.

May 17, when I awoke in the morn-
ing I heard the usual sweet song of
the Bluebird in the maple outside. I
arose and went to the stable, and as I
was leading the horse out to water, I
heard a commotion near the Blue-
bird's nest, and looking in that direc-
tion I saw some robins flying about
the gatepost. A moment later a red
squirrel came up out of the hole in
the post. I then noticed one of the
Bluebirds fl.ying in short circles above
the nest. The robins, uttering fierce
screams, darted one after another at
the squirrel.

I got the horse back into the stall
as quickly as possible and ran to the
rescue. The old birds were sitting
side by side on a maple limb just
above the nest, and there was but
one young bird in the nest. After a
short search I found the squirrel sit-
ting on a stone and holding in its
front paws a baby Bluebird and eat-
ing it. I threw rocks at the scamp
but wasn't lucky enough to hit him.
After this the nest was never left un-
guarded, but one of the birds always
remained on the limb over the nest.

The next morning I rose very early
and taking a revolver with me, de-
cided to help the birds in protecting
their little home. Whenever I had
looked into the nest previously, the
bird on the nest had never stirred,
but this morning she gave a quick

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

6f

start, doubtless thinking that I was
some monster after her last baby
bird. I watched about but the squir-
rel didn't put in appearance. The
day following I was obliged to be
away, so I baited a box trap with an
apple and set it near the post. The
third morning as I went to investi-
gate the apple had not been touched
but the nest was now entirely empty.
For several days the birds didn't /Sing
but would sit silently side by side on
a limb of some tree near by.

May 24, I heard the birds sing again
in the orcliard on the opposite side of
the house from the nest. I investi-
gated and found that a new nest had
been commenced in a knot hole in an
apple tree. By standing on tiptoe a
few feet away from the tree, I could
just see into the nest.

June 6, there were five eggs in the
nest. The next time I went to the
nest the old bird was on. When she
saw me, she gave a quick start. I
now felt certain that the birds that
built this nest were the same ones
that owned the nest in the post.

I looked again June 21 and found
the nest empty. There were also two
song sparrows' nests in the mossy
banks of a brook near by that were
robbed, one of five eggs, the other of
five young birds. Near these three
nests a pair of striped squirrels had a
nest in a stone wall. After the gate-
post tragedy I had procured a small
rifle and made warfare on the squir-
rels, but didn't succeed in shooting
the striped squirrels in the wall until
it was too late. Before winter I had
tlie squirrels all killed off, and I think
next season the birds will find this a
more attractive place.

I have written this to call attention
to the destructiveness of these pests.
Last year I knew of a robin's nest
that was robbed of its eggs by a red
squirrel. My uncle tells me that one
day he found a striped squirrel in a
phoebe's nest sucking the eggs. Sev-
eral persons have told me of seeing
squirrels running along with bird's
eggs in their mouths.

As far as my observation goes, but
a-small number of bird's nests have
their eggs hatch. In nesting time
there are no nuts for squirrels to
feed upon, and eggs and young birds
probably form a large part of their
diet. Wouldn't a bounty of one cent

for each squirrel's tail do as much
good as the porcupine bounty?

A Great Crested Flycatcher's
Nest.

May 28, I started to weed out a
strawberry patch. I had to pass
through an orchard next to the house.
A short distance from the house is an
old apple tree. One of the largest
limbs which was hollow had been
sawed off. As I approached the tree,
I saw a Crested Flycatcher hovering
about among the branches with the tail
outspread like a Kingbird, and soon
its mate fiew out of the hole. This
same thing had occurred last year
and I had waited hoping that the pair
would make a nest here. I had been
particularly anxious to see a Crested
Flycatcher's nest and had often
searched for one in the deep woods.
As I saw the bird fly out this time, I
realized that I had again come to the
tree at an inopportune time. I was
careful not to pass by the tree but
made a wide detour around it.

After weeding out the strawberry
bed, I removed a piece of board
which had been used to cover up
mulch. Under this was a green snake
and a cast-off skin. Here was a
streak of good luck. In the after-
noon I went to the strawberry bed,
and using two sticks for tongs, I car-
ried the snake skin and put it under
the apple tree. I had probably
frightened the birds away last year,
and I thought that their finding this
snake skin might strike them as a
good omen.

The next day as I was hoeing in the
garden in sight of the tree, I heard
them at about eight o'clock in the
forenoon. I could see one of them
flying about in the tree and heard
what sounded like wild war whoops.
I concluded that they had found my
snake skin. Later in the day as I
went out to investigate, I found the
snake skin gone. I climbed up and
looked in. There in the cavity was a
nest made entirely of snake skins of
various sizes. A large one would be
broken up into three or four pieces.
A small one into perhaps two pieces.
At the entrance of the cavity, there
were several pieces that hadn't been
placed. The next day I heard anoth-
er succession of screeches. Probably
another snake skin had been brought

68

Journal of maine ornithological society.

June 6, I examined the nest again.
It was lined with fluffy Plymouth
Rock hens' featliers, and seemed
to be completed or nearly so.

June 10, I found one of the birds on
the nest. At the entrance to the cav-
ity was a small piece of skin covered
with black bristles about an inch and
a half long. Our next door neighbor
was the town treasurer and perhaps
they had found the tip end of a por-
cupine's tail. I went again the next
day. The bird flew off before I got
to the nest. I removed the tuft of
bristly hair and reached in. There
were three eggs. I took one out and
examined it. It seemed to be slight-
ly incubated. Before leaving the
nest I replaced the tuft of hair so that
the bird on returning might find
everything in proper condition.

June 28, one of the birds seemed to
be still sitting.

June 30, the birds were feeding
their young. I took care not to go
near the nest very often as I wanted
them to return next year. When I
thought they were nearly fully grown,
I climbed up and looked in, but I was
too late. There was about three or
our stalks of dead June grass and
nothing else. The birds had moved
their furniture away. This tree,
which is close to a fence and a large
spreading rock maple, has been a
favorite place for red squirrels, and I
think the snake skins was what kept
them away.

A Catbird's Nest.

As I was walking along the road,
June 17, I came to a place where the
river runs close to the road. Across
the river is a large, pebbly beach
which is a favorite place for Sand-
pipers. On the side of the road op-
posite to the river is a small, level
field. At one end of the field is a
large bank covered with a second
growth of hard wood. From up
among the bushes and young trees
came the liquid notes of the Spotted
Sandpiper.

In nesting time. Sandpipers may be
found far from water and often in
queer places, but I had never known
one to be in just such a place, and I
thought it would be worth while to
look into the matter. As I went
along, the notes became interspersed
with squeaks and whistles which
sounded suspiciously like a Catbird.

Then followed the Catbird's usual
song; and again I heard only the
sweet, liquid '•'■wee/, 7Wd'/" of the Sand-
piper.

After I had gone some distance
through the bushes and young trees,
I came across a Catbird which silent-
ly watched me from the branch of a
tall bush. A few more steps brought
me to the singer. In a young sapling
about eight feet up was a Catbird's
nest. It was built of the usual coarse
material, but was not bulky. It rest-
ed on a small, bare limb against the
main trunk. The Catbird was sitting
on the nest and singing the song of
the Spotted Sandpiper. S.

Avon, Me.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

With the birds in Maine. By Mrs.
Olive Thorne Miller, Houghton, Miff-
lin & Co., Boston. Price ^1.10.

Those who have read Mrs. Miller's
books on nature study, may well
know what a pleasingly written book
this is. It takes up several families
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them in a very pleasing and original
way, giving the writers pleasant ex-
periences with birds in different parts
of the state. It will be a pleasure to
all, to read this book.

Auk, The, XX, No. 2, Apr. '04.

A Review of the Wrens of the Ge-
nus Troglodytes, H. C. Oberholser U.
S. Nat. Mus. report.

A Revision of the Am. Great
Horned Owls, H. C. Oberholser U. S.
Nat. Mus.

Description of seven new Species
and Subspecies of Birds from Tropical
America By Rob't Ridgway, Smith-
sonian Inst. No. 147.

Bryologist, The, VII, July '04, Boys
and Girls II, Apr. '04. Gait Coll, Inst.
Record, May, June, 1904.

Forest & Stream, Jan., July, '04.
Me. Sportsman, Mch, July, '04. Me.
Woods, Mch., July, '04. Migration
Report, Wellington Field, Nat. club.
Guelph, Ont. Monthly Bulletin, Pa.,
Dept. agr. Vol. 2, No. 2, 4.

Nature Study XIII, No. 142, Hud-
dersfield Ologist, The, XXI, Apr.,
June, '04. Plant World, The, VII,
June '04. The Economic Value of
Pa. Animals, Div. Zool., Pa. Dept.
agr., Vol. II No. 1. The Distruction
of Birds By The elements in 1903-4.
E. H. Forbush, State Ornithologist,
Wareham, Mass.

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THE JOURNAL OF

^he cMaine Ornithological Society.

a (^uarterl^ Sournal of (TDaine ©rnitbolog^.

BIRD PROTECTION, BIRD STUDY, THE SPREAD OF THE KNOWLEDGE THUS
GAINED, THESE ARE OUR OBJECTS."

VOL. VI.

FAIRFIELD, MAINE, OCTOBER, 1904.

NUMBER 4

Z\)c flDaine ©rnttbolooical
Society.

Capt. Herbert L. Spinney,

Popham Beach, Me.'
Prof. Leslie A. Lee,

Brunswick, Me.,
Prof. Wm. Powers,

Gardiner, Me.,
J. Merton Swain,

Skowhegan, Me.
Frank T. Noble,

Augusta, Me.,
Prof. A. L,. I,ane,

Hinckley, Me.,
Ora W. Knight, M. Sc,

Bangor, Me.,

President

Vice-president

Sec. and Treas

Editor

Asoc. Editor

Councillor

Councillor

All subscriptions, business communications
and articles for publication should be sent to
J. Merton Swain, Editor and Business Manager,
Fairfield, Maine.

All communications requiring an answer
must be accompanied by stamps for reply.

SUBSCRIPTIONS.

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Ninth annual meeting to be held the Friday
and Saturday following Thanksgiving, 1904, at
Bangor, Maine.

Entered as second class mail matter at Fair-
field, Me.

BMtorfal Cbat.

We have seen but few winter birds
in the state thus far. A few flocks of
Snowflakes and Tree Sparrows are
about all that have come under our
observation.

Our esteemed friend and fellow
member, Mr. Frank M. Richards of
Farmington, tells us that he has come
to regard the Red-headed Wood-
pecker, Alelanerpes eryihrocephalus^
(Linn.) as a not uncommon visitor in
Franklin county, having had several
specimens brought to him to mount,
and has had several observers report
seeing the bird about his locality.

We regret that the Journal comes
to you again late. Yet we believe it
is "better late than never." We
hope to transpose the above for Vol.
VII to "better never late." A full
report of the ninth annual meeting
will be given in the January number.
Please note in another column Prof.
Knights' notice relative to the revis-
ed edition of "The Birds of Maine."
We hope to see its early completion,
and trust our members and subscrib-
ers will be pleased that it is to be a
more elaborate edition than was at
first planned for.

Capt. Spinney writes: "I have a
Greater Snow Goose, Cheit hyperborea
nivalis (Forst.), the second bird for
the State. It was taken at Back Riv-
er, an estuary of the Kennebec river,
in Georgetown, Me., Apr. 25, 1903,
by Winfield Todd, and is now in my
collection. It is a male bird in first-
class plumage and was alone when
taken." He also states : The Amer-

70

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

ican Eider Ducks are very plenty,
this winter. Large flocks of Pur-
ple-backed Sandpipers can be seen
any day on the small ledges or
islets. There was also a large flight
of Duck Hawks, Fako feregrinus^ here
at the island during the fall. I never
saw so many before."

Mr. F. B. Spaulding of Lancaster
N. H., one of our subscribers, whom
we had the pleasure of meeting in
Cambridge at the A. O. U. meeting,
writes us as follows regarding the
Wilson's Black-cap Warbler. "The
nest of Wilson's Warbler, which is
extremely rare and whose discovery
was entirely accidental, was found
May 30, 1894, on top of a small, grassy
knoll in a swamp of two or three
acres extent, within sixty rods of my
home and not more than twenty-five
rods from nearest house in out-
skirts of the village. When I first
flushed the bird the nest was empty,
but on June 6 the nest contained four
eggs. The parent bird was caught on
the nest. The eggs were heavily
marked with large blotches of light
brown, one being marked at the small
end, presenting a peculiar appearance
for a Warbler's egg. The nest was a
slight affair of moss and fine grasses,
lined with fine, dry grass and a little
horse hair, sunken into the ground
even with the surface. The ground
was quite wet and covered with a
sparse growth of small bushes. Other
birds common in the locality were
White Throated Sparrow, Md.
Yellow-throat and Alder Flycatcher."
We are very glad to get these notes
on this rare nesting species as it adds
another locality to the list of nests
found, and makes a valuable addition
to the notes on this Warbler that we
published in the July number.

NOTES ON THE WARBLERS
FOUND IN MAINE.

(Continued from Vol. VI, P. 6b.)

Contributions to the Life His-
tory OF THE Water Thrush.

Seiurus noveboracensis ( Giiiel )
I J. Merton Swain.]

Geographical Distribution. Eastern A'ort/i
America as far west as the Mississippi Valley.

Breeds from the northern United States,
northward, south in winter to the Gulf
States. IVest Indies, Xortliern South
America.

This extremely interesting, thrush-
like warbler seems to be a migrant in
the southern counties of the state,
but in the counties of the Canadian
fauna it occurs as a summer resident,
more or less common in some locali-
ties and seemingly scarce in others.
I have observed it during the breed-
ing season in Androscoggin, Franklin,
Penobscot, Piscataquis, Kennebec,
Oxford, Somerset and Waldo coun-
ties, while it is reported as breeding
at Fort Fairfield in Aroostook Co.
(Bacheller, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, VII,
p. 110.)

It arrives in Maine from May 1st
to May 10th, usually about the 10th
to the 15th in the interior of the state.
The first arrival in the spring, I find
in Capt. Spinney's notes, was seen on
May 15, 1901, on the lantern at Seguin
Light. The first mention I find in the
notes of the late Clarence H. Morrell
of Pittsfleld, was on May 14, 1894. I
have not found it a common bird in
Franklin Co., at any time in the
year, during the 15 years I have ob-
served birds in that county. I looked
for it during spring migrations for
several years before it came to my
notice. I did not see it until the
spring of 1893, I was in Wilton in
Franklin Co. on the early morning of
May 12. I was out on a swampy
marsh bordering the shore of a small
pond. Suddenly a bird perched upon
a low willow bush and gave utterance
to a very thrilling song. Knowing,
at once, it to be a new bird to me, \
trained my glass upon it as it perched
in plain view, and soon saw it was a
Water Thrush. On May 18, 1902, Mr.
Brownson first saw it in Portland and
I saw it the same year in Waterville
on May 7, as will be seen in Mr.
Sweets' tabulation of the migration
report of that year.

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

71

Mr. Geo. A. Boardman, in his list of
the Birds of the St. Croix Valley,
mentions this bird as "common-
breeds."

It is an early fall migrant, in fact
one of the earliest of our Warblers to
begin its southern movement. I find
the following dates of its appearance
on the Seguin Island Light in Capt.
Spinney's note -book. Sept. 19, 1893,
Aug. 28 and Sept. 7, 1895. Aug. 5,
1896. Aug. 10 and 19, 1898, and in Mr.
MorrelPs notes: "Aug. 1, Water
Thrushes are quite plenty along the
shores of the pond." I have seen it
in Kennebec county on Sep:. 25th,
while this last year the last bird 1 saw
in Somerset county was on Aug. 29th.

It seems to be a fairly common
nester in those counties in the Cana-
dian fauna, though I have observed it
more common in Somerset during the
breeding season than in any other
county. It is usually seen in May
after its arrival about the shores of
ponds and streams feeding on the
ground, wagging its tail, a character-
istic which readily helps to distin-
guish it from the Ovenbird, though
occasionally it is seen some distance
from the water. It is a beautiful
singer. It has not the loud decided
notes of the Ovenbird, but is a more
musical vocalist. It utters its song at
frequent intervals, and once heard is
not soon forgotten.

Mr. Fred B. Spaulding of Lancaster,
N. H., mentions this bird as nesting
in his locality. I quote the following
from our late fellow-member, Clar-
ence H. Morrell's note book. "May
28, 1893, found a Water Thrush's nest
with four eggs, which I left for more.
May 29, got the Water Thrush's nest
found yesterday. Nest was sunk in
under hollowed out side of an old
rotten stump, around which grew
several maple trees. The cavity was
hollowed out in under the stump, so
that the nest was completely covered
over. The nest was not very large
but quite a thick structure of moss
and leaves with a few weed -stalks.
The lining was moss and grass and
some red, hair-like moss-stems. The
bird was on the nest and sat closely,
not leaving the nest until 1 nearly
touched her, and she stayed in the
immediate vicinity as long as I was
there, part of the time on the ground
and part in the trees, always jilting
her tail at rapid intervals and utter-

ing a sharp chirp. The nest was on a
narrow strip of land with a pond on
one side and the over-flowed marsh
on the other. The nest contained but
four eggs. Incubation fresh." This
nest, Mr. Morrell told me, on one of
our first trips up the pond, was the
only one he ever located, though it
was a fairl3^ common nester about the
pond. In June 1900, Mr. Morrell and
I made several trips up the pond near
his home in Pittsfield, and one of the
birds we particularly sought was the
Water Thrush. Several pairs were
seen- about the shores of the pond and
on the small islands in the pond. On
June 9th, while near the locality he
mentions finding the nest in '93, while
photo'ing nest of Parula, Ovenbird,
Redwinged Blackbird, Bronzed Grack-
le. Tree Swallows, and several others
I came upon a pair of anxious Water
Thrushes. Watching the birds I
thought to see them feed the young,
which I presumed they had. I watch-
ed a long time but the birds were
wary and had no idea of giving the
nest-site away, so I began a search
about the stumps and roots along the
shore of the pond. While looking
about the roots of a large rock maple
stump, I discovered a nest with four
young, evidently about two weeks
old. When the parent birds saw me
examining the nest they made a great
deal of fuss about it. The nest was well
concealed by being well hidden under
a root of the stump and well covered
over with weeds and ferns. It was
placed about two rods back from the
water's edge on dry ground. We got
a photo of the nest and young. Soon
after, I was looking about in a similar
place, not many rods from the first
nest, when I came across another nest
at the base of a small clump of hem-
locks, well concealed by the over-
hanging branches, and weed -stocks
that grew in abundance about the
clump of bushes. This nest too, con-
tained four young, seemingly not
more than a week old. Both these
nests were made up of very similar
material as that Mr. Morrell describ-
ed in his notes as above.

The eggs are ususlly four in num-
ber, but sometimes five are laid, and
with us they are usually laid about
the last week in May. They are
creamy-white, speckled and spotted
with hazel and lilac, and cinnamon-
rufous, usually most heavily at the

72

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

larger end, often forming a wreath
about the larger end, and in size
average about .78-. 56. After the
young leave the nest they feed about
the shores of the ponds and in wet
swampy places and in the latter part
of August and early in September
they begin their southern movement.
While they are a bird with an attract-
ive song, and in May they feed more
or less about the foliage of trees for
insect food, they are a bird not com-
monly seen by the new beginner, yet
when one discovers the bird or has it
pointed out, and once hears its bright
and extremely pleasing song, it is an
easy bird to distinguish about the
shores of ponds or along the banks
of rivers, as the frequent flit of its
tail is a rather sure characteristic to
distinguish it by. I have had no op-
portunity to examine the contents of
its stomach, yet it feeds on some in-
sect life found about the foliage of
the trees near the water and feeds
leisurely along the wet places in
swamps along the shore, on water in-
sects and some vegetable matter
found in such places. It may be seen
walking along at the waters edge,
leisurely feeding, hopping up on a
stick or stone, flitting its tail in a
jerky manner then resuming its
search for food.

[To be Continued J

WHERE BIRDS ARE COMPANIONS.

(Read at the 8th annual meetinc; of the Maine
Ornith. Society at Gardiner, Nov. agth, 1904.)

Those who have visited the off
shore light stations on our coast in
summer, see them at their best. It is
then that the flora of such places with
the animated forms it supports, lends
to the scene activity which at a later
season of the year would have to be
found under very different conditions.

If we would appreciate the feath-
ered residents of our state, I know of
no conditions that illustrate so well
the barrenness of earth without them,
as do one of those isolated islands on
our coast. The first of December
finds the migration south of our
feathered friends nearly ended, as it
is then only represented by a few
song sparrows, juncos, now and then
a belated warbler or thrush, and the
hardier sea birds of our coast.

Three months have changed the

scene from one of life and beautiful
colors, to one of silence and dreari-
ness. The struggling note of the sa-
vanna sparrow, the sharp cry of the
kingbird as it pursues some intruder,
or the twitterings of the spotted
sandpiper as it tries to lead some en-
emy from the locality of its nest,
have been exchanged for the boom-
ing and swashing of the sea upon the
shore, varied now and then by the
harsh discordant cry of some angry
gull as it chases some more fortunate
companion of its species, to steal
from it the coveted morsel carried in
its beak. Earlier in the season, only
the barrenness of the larger rocks and
ledges were to be seen, while later
hundreds of smaller ones seem to rear
their weathered heads above the
dead and withered foliage of a de-
parted summer.

Now and then the stillness is brok-
en, by a shore lark as it passes over-
head, or a small flock of snowflakes
as for a few moments they alight, and
then hurriedly resume their flight
toward the main land Clear days
are followed by numbers of cloudy
ones, accompanied with rain, fog, or
snow. Sometimes, but not often, a
snowy owl is seen, its white plumage
in vivid contrast with the ledge upon
which it rests, or again a cormorant
as it dives around the island for its
fare of flsh, which it can secure only
in that way. There are days of
dreamy quietness when there is not
wind enough to ripple the bosom of
old ocean, and the angry booming of
the sea is exchanged for a gentle
swash upon the shore. Nothing
breaks the stillness but the gentle
flapping of sails and the creaking of
booms of some vessel, as it slowly
drifts along to some harbor or port.

Early in the day may be noticed the
restlessness of the sea birds as they
pass back and forth before our range
of vision, and fishermen, if there,
would be heard to say "This is a
weather breeder, we shall get some-
thing to pay for this day, see how
uneasy the birds are," and it seldom
fails before twelve hours have passed
that we do not have a storm. Usually
at that time of year the activity of
the birds is ended by eleven o'clock,
but on such a day as mentioned, it
lasts until late afternoon. The eider
ducks may be seen passing both east
and west in flocks of from six or more

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

73

to sometimes one hundred indi-
viduals, the white drakes contrasted
by the reddish colored ducks, readily
determining the species. As they
pass along in straggling flocks but a
few feet above the level of the sea,
they will be seen at intervals of a few
minutes to rise in air, scan the water
before them, returning in a curve to
their former level.

Again you may see flocks of scoter
ducks acting much the same, but
often flying much higher above the
water than do the former. Occasion-
ally a small squad of long-tail ducks
will dash by, seeming to act as if they
did not care if anything was in the
way or not.

Now and then one or more of Hol-
boell's Grebe pass by with extended
neck in front and legs behind, resem-
bling in shape an old fashioned bel-
lows.

A black guillemot comes rolling
along from side to side, looking as if
it used, first one wing and then the
other, and when seemingly doing its
best, drops suddenly into the water
like a ball, whirl around a number of
times, and you could imagine it might
say, it don't make much odds where
I go, I might as well drop here as
anywhere.

Other days come when the scene is
opposite the one just described, days
when old ocean beats in all its fury
upon the rocky shore, and the wind
shrieks and moans, and the clouds
seem distorted with madness. Under
those conditions are to be seen again,
the same species of birds before de-
scribed, some struggling against the
fury of the gale just above the level
of the waves, now and then rising
suddenly in air to avoid the wrath of
some more angry billow than the rest,
whose crest is blown off by the wind,
into the hollow left behind.

Flocks of Brunnich's Murre rush by
before the wind, with no regulation
as to flight, but seemingly in a go as
you please race, while above the
booming of the sea and shrieking of
the gale, the sea gulls cry is heard as
if in derision to the storm.

And thus mid -winter comes and
with it days when not a bird is seen
or heard, unless it be the croaking of
a raven, as it scans the shore line for
its food, or suddenly rising in the air,
darts perpendicularlj" toward the
earth, turning over and over in its

descent, and when the ground is
nearly reached, swiftly remounts in
air repeating such manoeuvres many
times.

And even that black, croaking form,
Seems like a friend that's long been gone.

And thus the days pass into weeks,
and weeks pass slowly into months
and March has come, and straggling
sea birds warn us of the hosts that
are behind, and as the month goes
on, flocks of Brunnich's Murre, and
dovekie are seen moving toward their
northern breeding grounds. The
eider ducks come next in flight, while
gradually the scoters follow on.

As time goes on, the snow left by
the storm disappears as quickly as it
came. Then comes a morning when
all nature seems hushed, the least
sound vibrating on the moisture bur-
dened air.

The matted grass and shrubs of a
departed year lie bleached and brok-
en by the winter blasts, while lichen
covered rocks peer through the tan-
gled mass, and over head the grey
sky lends its lonesome aspect to the
scene.

Suddenly upon the impressive
scene, breaks forth in song a sparrow,
the harbinger of spring. Note after
note rings out upon the quiet morn-
ing air, and /l/d'/o.f;*/3^//75(MA/ seems to
say "cheer up, cheer up, there's bet-
ter days to come," and all at once the
world looks bright again. Gradually
the number of song sparrows in-
creases, until from all directions come
to us their most melodious songs.

The juncos too are also seen, all
busily scratching among the weeds,
and when disturbed seek other
ground, uttering as they fly their
snappy notes.

The scoter ducks each day pass on
their northern flight, while now and
then a flock of geese are seen.

Cormorants in flocks are to be seen,
which to the unpracticed eye might
pass for geese. The difference can
readily be told by a peculiar habit
they have when flying, to stop at in-
definite intervals all motions of their
wings, glide for a moment, and again
resume the former motions of their
flight. No matter how many are in
the flock, when one begins the move-
ment, all usually do the same. Some-
times one half of the flock will alter-
nate the movement, which gives a

74

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY^.

very odd appearance to the flock.

The gannet has also taken its place
among the flight, and one or more
together may be seen, their long
white narrow wings with primaries
black at once attracting the attention
of the observer. Usually and espe-
cially in a storm, they fly at but a few
feet or yards above the water, often
having to quickly rise as do the eider
ducks to avoid the crest of the foam-
ing waves. Sometimes they mount
in air and soar off quartering with the
wind as do the gulls, or when they
have discovered food, with awkward
movements of their wings, rise high
in air, and when the desired height
was reached, with pinions closed and
arrow speed descend, causing the
water to seethe and foam as it passed
from sight beneath the surface of the
sea to catch the fish for which it
plunged. I have heard fishermen
who have been to the Gulf of St. Law-
rence for fish say, that they had put
a mackerel on a piece of board or
plank, then with the current let it
drift away from the vessel, when the
gannets would plunge for the fish,
breaking their necks when they
struck the float upon which the food
was laid.

April has almost come, the mellow
note of the orchard bluebird is heard
as it changes its perch from rock to
shrub, while an investigation of the
rattling among the weeds, reveals a
number of fox sparrows searching for
the seeds left there by a former year.
Well hidden among the branches of
the small fir trees, others pour forth
their liquid notes of song, and from
all directions on the ground white -
throated sparrows fly up to see who
the intruder may be. A turtle dove
glides out from among a patch of

elder bushes {Sam/>iictts canadensis), Or

a brown creeper may be seen zigzag-
ing up or down the trunk of some old
tree, or searching the side of some
lichen covered cliff.

April comes, and the number of
birds increases. Hermit thrushes
from out among the trees or shrubs
start up to inquisitely watch you with
their large round eyes, and a water
thrush declares its species by the
wagging of its tail.

Scores of golden-wing woodpeckers
or flickers better known, are search-
ing ant hills on the ground, while
from some elevated perch a pigeon

hawk (FaUo co/iiwl>aru(s) soana the field
with ever watchful eye. The pigeon
hawks invariably accompany the
fiickers, but for what purpose I never
could determine. I have watched
them many times, when from their
perch the time seemed right to them,
dart at a fiicker on the ground which
is busily searching for its bill of fare.
The flicker then would start for the
nearest cover or higher ground, ut-
tering as it flew a series of shrieks
which always reminded me of a lady
fleeing from a mouse, but I never saw
a hawk injure the flicker in any way,
or pilfer any food to reward it for its
trouble.

Then come days of balmy silence,
when "old Sol's" genial rays draws
from the withered herbs and cones of
trees frankinsence sweet upon the
morning air, and May has come again.
Many of the sea birds have nearly
finished their migratory flight, while
other species of a later fiight pass by
each day in numbers. The island
teems with bird life, especially those
of nocturnal flight. Warblers are
seeking from the opening buds of
trees the insects, eggs and larvae of
their choice, while the yanking notes
of the redbreasted nuthatch as it
searches for its food, resounds among
the trees.

Then come nights of darkness when
few stars are to be seen, and only
gentle zephyrs stir the smoky bur-
dened air, and the beacon of the mar-
iner sends forth its friendly rays, to
pierce the realms of space. Faintly
away off in the air, comes to -the ear
the call note of a bird growing louder
and louder as the owner comes into
the outer rays of light. Others fol-
low slowly or in quick succession,
until the lighted space above seems
filled with meteoric forms. From all
directions in the air may be heard the
call notes of bewildered birds gyrat-
ing to and from the stronger rays of
light. Many nights during spring
and especially the fall migrations,
such exhibitions of bird phenomena
may be observed, sometimes repre-
sented by a single individual or again
the numbers rapidly increasing, until
hundreds representing many species
fill the air.

Many times the scene can best be
described by likening it to a snow
storm as the large white flakes come
floating down, or whirl in chaotic

Journal of maine ornithological society.

75

numbers in the air. Some are strug-
gling against the glass of the lantern
that guards the light, while others
striking the metal dome above, come
tumbling dead or dying to the ground.
Others hop along the walk around
the light, while dead and dying birds
gives a carnage aspect to the scene.
A pandeAonium of bird life reigns
which is seldom witnessed unless bj'
those who spend some years around
an off shore light station. Mornings
following such nights as just describ-
ed, hundreds of dead and injured
birds may be found around the base
of the lighthouse, while if time per-
mitted, hundreds of others might be
found among the grass some distance
from the tower. Owing to that fact,
it is almost impossible to make an
estimate of the mortality caused by
such a flight.

A most excellent discription of such
bird phenomena may be found in
Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological
Club, No. 1. Bird Migration. By
William Brewster, observed at the
lighthouse at Point Lepreaux, Bay of
Fundy, New Brunswick, in 1885.

Although Mr. Brewster's observa-
tions differ some from mine, they
were no doubt due to the difference
in location, and the more frequent
fogs upon that part of the coast.

Nights of strong north or northwest
winds offer during the forenoon of the
following day, another phase of bird
vicissitudes. Soon after sunrise may
be seen from that part of the island
which fronts the sea, one or more
small birds trying to reach a haven of
rest, after a night or more of battle
with adverse winds. Steadily they
arrive from all directions over the
sea, some seeming not to have mind-
ed the struggle of the night, while
others bj' their strenuous efforts at
once suggested the exhaustion they
had been forced to bear. Some came
on even flight to land, while others
struggled on but a few feet above the
water, straining every muscle as
could be seen to reach the shore not
far away. Now and then one would
be seen, the primary feathers of its
wings now and then clipping the
water as it tried to sustain its painful
flight. Slowly but surely its efforts
became weaker and weaker, until its
little muscles could do no more, and
it fell into the dreaded sea close to
the land it tried so hard to reach.

Many times I have seen them float
for a moment upon the water with
outstretched wings, then struggle
into the air finally reaching the
shore, where they dropped exhausted
close by the surf line of the sea.

A very impressive tragedy in bird
life was witnessed by myself on the
morning of September 30th of the
present year. About nine o'clock on
the morning of the date just mention-
ed, while anchored off the southeast-
ern shore of Seguin Island, waiting
for scoter ducks to come to my de-
coys, my attention was attracted to a
small bird that was flying in from sea.
The wind was blowing hard from the
northwest, while an old swell burst in
foam upon the shore. As the bird
came nearer, it proved to be a spar-
row in a very exhausted condition,
struggling to^ reach the land some
hundred yards or more away. At
times its wing tips touched the water
as it painfully labored on, trying to
avoid the inevitable that must come.
A few more struggles and it lay upon
the water with outstretched wings,
fifty or more yards from the head of
the cove towards which its flight had
been directed, and less that distance
to the shore upon the left. Half the
distance to the left and off from
shore, a partly submerged rock thrust
its ragged surface through the surf.
The bird rested but a moment on the
water, then struggled on its wings
and tried to reach the rock just men-
tioned. It had nearly reached the
rock when its strength again gave
out, and it again dropped into the
water but a few yards from the goal
it had tried so hard to reach. I then
cast loose from my anchor, intending
as I had done at times before, to take
the bird into my boat until it had
rested, and then let it fly to land.
When within a few feet of the bird,
what was my surprise to see it once
more rise in air, and when about to
land dropped into the crest of a wave
that tumbled on the rock. When the
sea had somewhat quieted down, I
was again surprised to see the bird
clinging to a small pinnacle of the
rock, left bare by the receding surf.
So draggled and hopeless was its ap-
pearance, that the old adage, "a
drowning man will cling to a straw,"
came forcibly to my mind. While
waiting for the sea to get more regu-
lar so that I could get to where the

76

JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

bird was, another heavy wave came
tumbling on the rock, causing the
bird again to rise in air, and clearing
the crest of its relentless foe, dropped
exhausted on the near by shore. I
was feeling much relieved that its
life was saved, when another wave
came tumbling on what had seemed
a safe retreat. Once more it strug-
gled on its wings, but another foam-
ing outburst of the sea claimed the
victim it had seemed so loth to spare.

Many such instances no doubt oc-
cur that help to swell the mortality
of bird migration every year. The
birds that I have noticed under such
conditions, have invariably been
warblers or sparrows. Not only do
they have the wind and waves to
contend with, but a flight of hawks
always follow on behind. After a
day of flight as last described, scores
of birds fly up before you as you walk
along, while among the scattering
trees, hundreds of warblers welcome
you with their happy notes. The last
of May the flight is well along, and
by the middle of June only a few pass
on to remind us of the hoard that's
gone.

The ground again is carpeted with
green, while from every spot of soil
the waving of new flora may be seen.
The spotted sandpiper again twitters
around its nest, the Savanna sparrow
sings its struggling song, while the
swallow glides in ever changing evo-
lutions overhead. The few deciduous
trees have spread their leaves, and
plants put forth adornment for the
summer. Birds' vespers of the morn-
ing have been exchanged for the
duties entailed by incubation, and
foraging for their young, and summer
passes on and fall has come. The
birds again return on flight, and the
same vicissitudes of bird life may be
observed as during spring.

JBfrO motes.

BIRDS OF MAINE.
After careful deliberation it was
deemed advisable to suggest the
preparation of a work on the birds of
this State which should be in effect a
Manual of the Birds of Maine, giving
their geographical distribution, range
in Maine, descriptions of the birds
themselves and their habits, nests
and eggs. This matter was brought

before the Society by me at the re-
cent meeting and such action as I de-
sired was taken. This work will be
not exceeding 350 pages of printed
matter and will be as exhaustive and
complete as it is possible within this
limit of space, scientifically accurate,
and at the same time as interesting
as possible. With this book in hand
it is hoped that a person of average
ability will be able to identify any
bird they may find in Maine, and as-
certain where its home is; how it
builds its nest and what its eggs are
like; what it eats, etc.

The preparation of this work will
require some time and the financing
of its publication is also a matter of
some difficulty. We can only say
that the book will be published as
soon as possible and at a cost which
will be within the reach of all.

Mr. A. H. Norton of Westbrook will
act jointly with the undersigned in
the preparation of this work and also
a third party who has not yet been
selected.

Very respectfully,

O. W. Knight.

THE HOODED WARBLER IN
MAINE.
Through Mr. W. H. Brownson of
Portland we have the announced rec-
ord of a Hooded Warbler, iVilsnuia
mitrata^ having at last been taken
within the borders of Maine. He
writes the Journal as follows: "On
Saturday, Sept. 10, 1904, Mr. Samuel T.
Dana of Portland informed me that he
had seen a Hooded Warbler at Fal-
mouth. I was of course somewhat
doubtful of the accuracy of bis obser-
vation and recommended that he
make an effort to secure the bird if
he should again see it. Mr. Dana had
it in his possession the next day and
the specimen has been carefully pre-
served and will be cheerfully shown
at any time." If the bird is as de-
scribed it is the first authentic in-
stance of its capture within our state
and the report will be of great inter-
est to all our Maine Ornithologists. —
Ed.

A MARBLED GODWIT.
John A. Lord of Portland i-eports
having taken a Great Marbled God-
wit, Limosa fedoa (Linn.), at Scarboro,
Maine, Aug. 16, 1904, a decidedly rare
take.

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JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

81

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Auk, The, XX, Nos. 3-4.

Am. Ornithology, IV, Nos. 10-11.

Amateur Naturalist, The, I, No. 5.

Bryologist, The, VII, Nos. 5-6.

Bulletin, Mich. Orn. Club, V, No. 3.

Bird-Lore, VI, No. 6.

Bulletin No. 18, Biological Survey,
Distribution and Migration of N. E.
Warblers.— Wells W. Cook.

Bulletin No. 19, Biological Sur-
vey, Hunting Licenses. — T. S. Palmer.

Condor, The, VI, No. 6.

Cat. of a Coll. Birds from Barbada
and Antigua, British West Indies. —
Riley.

Discription of a new Myiarchus,
from Grenada and St. Vincent, West
Indies. — Riley.

Forest & Stream, LXIII, Aug-
Dec. '04.

Me. Sportsman, Aug.-Dec. '04.

Nature Study, XIII, No. 150.

Oologist, The, XXI, Aug.-Dec. '04.

Portland Daily Advertiser, Every
Saturday notes by Editor Brownson
on Birds.

Plymouth Review, Aug.-Dec. '04.

Plant World, The, VII, Nos. 9, 10, 11.

Rhodora, VI, Aug. -Oct. '04.

Warbler, The, Aug. -Nov. -Dec. '04.

Wilson Bulletin, The, XVI, Aug.-
Dec. '04.

THE WARBLING VIREO'S WILD-
WOOD HOME.

The Hangbird's Nest.
Secluded within the shadowy wood,

Amid the flowers, the ferns, the leafy soil,
The silvery whispering maple stood,

Around its trunk, a wild vine's creepers coil
From swaying limb, the hangbird's nest was
hung,

To topmost bough the cradle was safely
twined.
Here throughout June days the noted vireos
sung.
Nor were their songs to nesting tree con-
fined.
But never far, I heard their warbling strain,
Inspiring gladness swelled through liquid
note,
A subtile lisping of a sweet refrain,

'Till raptured zephyrs bore it on to float
Through leafy wood, 'till lost the precious

sound.
'Twas heard no more, 'till eager sylphids
found
Again limpid notes to waft the glen around.

Alice B. Waite.
South Lyme, Conn.

A Gift for Bird Lovers

Reduced line cut of Ernest
Thompson Seton's painting of the
Northern Shrike Presented to
every Subscriber to Vol. VII. 1905
of Bird Lore. The original is
nearly life-size.

Tell us to whom you wish us to send Bird-
LoRE for you during 1905, and we will forward
a Christmas card giving your name as donor, a
beautiful, nearly life size drawing of the Northern
Shrike, by Ernest Seton Thompson and a free
copy of our December, 1904, issue containing two
colored plates.

All these will go in time to be received with your
greetings, on Christmas day and Bird-Lore will
follow as published, throughout the year. A val-
uable present easily made.

$1.00 a year; for Christmas, 5 subscrip-
tions for $4.00; 3 subscriptions for $2.50.

The MACMILLAN CO., 66 Fifth Ave., New York City.

Publishers Por The Audabon Societies.

cA cHaiure Magazine for the 'People

THE PLANT WORLD

*fI^AS long ago passed the experimental stage of young magazines, and its
II*' seventh year finds it firmly established as the only American publication
on popular Botany in the genuine sense. It has articles written by leading
botanists all over the country, and one of its special features at present is the
series by William E. Safford, formerly Lieutenant Governor of Guam, de-
scribing the life and Natural History of that remote island. The photographs
of plants published from time to time have been everywhere commended as
among the finest examples of this type of work. The department devoted to
"The Flower Garden and Greenhouse" is just the thing for those who
have a small back yard garden or a few window boxes; and teachers will find
the new department of nature study, conducted by Prof. Lloyd, of the
Teachers' College in New York, invaluable in their work.

This Magazine is also the official organ of the Wild Flower Preservation
Society of America, an organization devoted to the protection of native plants.

Subscription Price, $1.50 per Year Sample Copy for a two-cent stamp
if tliis Journal is mentioned. Address,

♦♦ The Plant World Company,

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BULLETIN OF THE

Michigan
Ornithological Club

An Illustrated Quarterly Devoted to the

Ornithology of the Great

Lake Region,

A. W. BLAIN JR., Editor.

J. Claire Wood, \ Associate
Adolphe B. Covert, j" Editors.

Each issvie of the Bulletin is filled with notes
fresh from the field and museum. A large
cops of field ornithologists are among its con-
tributors, which makes the Bulletin indispens-
able to all students interested in bird-life in the
Great Lake region. The prospects for 1904
point toward a greater increase in size and
general interest.

Subscription 50 cents per year. Sample copy
15 cents.

Address all communication.s to

CHAS. E. WISNER, Business Mgr.,
DETROIT, MICH.

The 'Bryologtst

WITH THE JANUARY, 1904 NUM-
BER, begins its seventh year and
volume. It is a 16-20 page bi-monthly,
devoted to the study of the Mosses,
Hepatics and Lichens. It is fully il-
lustrated with original, new and ar-
tistic drawings and halftones. It
meets the needs of both the beginner
and the more advanced.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, S1.00 A YEAR

Address,

MRS ANNIE MORRILL SMITH,

78 Orange St., Brooklyn, N. Y.

THE BRYOLOGIST, now beginning
its seventh volume, is the official or-
gan of the Sullivant Moss Chapter, a
society for the study of the Mosses, He -
patics and Lichens by correspondence.
Dues |il.lO a year and this carries
with it a subscription to the Bryologist
Address the Treasurer,

MRS. ANNIE MORRILL SMITH,

78 Orange Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.

RHODORA.

A monthly Journal of Botany de-
voted chiefly to the Flora of the
Northeastern States. Edited by Dr.
B. L. Robinson, Messrs. M. L. Fernald,
F. S. Collins and Hollis Webster. To
every Maine botanist and all others
interested in the plants of New Eng-
land RHODORA is indispensable.

Sample copy mailed on receipt of
Ic stamp and mention of this Journal.

$1.00 PER YEAR.

ADDRESS

wm. p. rich,

BUSINESS MANAGER,
300 MASSACHUSETTS AVE.. BOSTON.

The Young Idea

Is a Study in Story
of the Livingf World

Who will say that the story is not a factor in
education? Fascinating facts told in choice
language make a deep and lasting impression.

The subjects in The Young Idea are well
balanced for memory work.

A set of questions based on the reading of a
previous issue is the best reading for Friday
afternoon and will provoke discussion, stimu-
late thought, and keep the reader in touch with
the living world, and best of all create a Love
OF Good Literature.

It is a Magazine of Character, Study, Travel,
Field Observation in Nature, and questions of
the hour. Price 50c a year; 30c in club lots.
For $1.50 we will send eleven copies five
months. Correspond with

THE ALLEN COMPANY,

Ashburton Place, Boston, Mass.

ORNITHOLOGY
and BOTANY.

Birds and plants are so closely associated
that one must know considerable about botany
in order to be a good ornithologist. Have you
not noticed that the most successful ornitholo-
gists are also familiar with botany? We have
the names of a great many of them on our sub-
scription lists and want yours there, too. Send
us a dollar for a year's subscription to

The American Botanist

and keep up with the procession. This is a
magazine about plants, designed especially for
the general reader. Unlike all the others.
Get sample copies and compare them. We will
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Address

THE AMERICAN BOTANIST,

Binghampton, N. Y.

T HAVE a few copies of Hag-er-
up's "Birds of Greenland" all
new, (publishers' price $1) which
I will sell or exchang-e for orni-
tholog-ical desiderata.
Write me if interested.
J. MERTON SWAIN,

Fairfield, Maine.

or

Sale*

Sing-ly or by the lot, several
hundred Natural History papers,
published between 1885 and 1900.

Write for list.

R. H. ROCKWOOD,
Watekville, Maine.

AMNH LIBRARY

lll^'ll^\1l')lllll Wn"iiiiiii

100127123

*
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