Page:Bird-lore Vol 06.djvu/130

 Notes from Field and Study 99

maple and the larch; of the latter they ate not only the buds, but even the bark of the smaller, more tender branches.

Isaw an occasional one as late as March or. and hope that observers have made careful notes of their latest appearance.

During this exceptionally severe winter. I have seen. in addition lo the very com— mon winter birds. Tufted Titmice. King— ﬁshers. Bluebirds and Winter Wrens. Brown Creepers have been unusually abun- dant. as were Red-breasted Nuthatcltes during late fall and early winter. Redpolls and Snowﬂakes have been reported. btlt l have not been so fortunate as to see them. On the Olhtr hand. some of our regular winter birds. Song Sparrows, Golden- crowned Kingltts and Flickers, seemed entirely to disappear for a time—R. C. Casxev, Morris/awn, N. J.

Purple Martins in Illinois

In the fall number of BIRD-LORI I saw an account of great destruction to Purple Martins last summer, all through the East. and one especially in which all the young of a large colony were destroyed by rains.

it may be interesting to your readers to know that I observed fourteen pairs which. as far as I knew, raised all their young successfully this summer (loos), When they gathered for migration the sky about the Martin house was dark with birds.7 ABBIE VREI)ENBURGH, Curran. Ill.

Cowbird and White-eyed Vireo

Having heard some conjectures and in- quiries of the treatment of the young in nests when shared by the young Cow- birds, the following observations may prove of interest. A pair of White-eyed Vireo: had a nest in an apple tree in my orchard. about eight feet frotn the ground. I found that it contained a young Cowbird and one young Vireo. The Cow- bird. or course. was much the larger, when the Cowbird was half-grown it left the nest by being disturbed. For the ﬁrst three days after the Cowbird left the nest, the old birds fed both the Cowbird and Vireo in the nest, but on the fourth the

little Vireo died. apparently from neglect, By this time the Cowbird was able to ﬂy and meet the foster»parents. which it did so persistently before they could get near the nest. that it seemed to take all the food the old hirrls could procure, and they apparently could not satisfy the Cowhirtl and nest too. The Cowhird was by this t nc bigger than its foster-parents. —HENR\' HALES, Rider-wand. N. J.

Bird Protection in Great Pritain

The British Admiralty have lately taken a step in regard to bird protection which he might well emulate in this country. It is reported in English “Country Life' as follows:

“ Amongst the things that we pretend to do. and leave most carefully undone. must be numbered the protection of wild birds There are Acts enough in the Statute Book, it is true, and they can be produced at any time for purposes of annoyance. but they are entirely inetiective as a means for the preservation oiourwiltl birds. anti especially of sea-birds. It is a notorious fact that anyone who wishes it, and is willing to pay the price. may have Gulls' eggs for his breakfast during the whole of the breeding season. or, if he be on collecting hent. he may, for a price varying with the rarity of the bird, obtain clutches of all our disap- pearing species. Under these circumstances, it is a matter [or congratulation that the Admiralty has sanctioned the cooperation of the coastguard in carrying out the provi- sions of the Wild Birtls‘ Protection Act. There are 677 coastguard stations on the coast. and the mere knowledge that each coastguardsman has power to interfere with the destruction of wild birds or their nests, ought to act as a check upon the depretla- tions that are constantly taking place."

‘By the Wayside '

With the May issue of this progressive little magazine, Miss Ruth Marshall. of thc Ryan High School, Appleton, Wis” as- sumes the editorship. An especial errart will be made to increase the magazine's value to nature-study teachers.