Page:Bird-lore Vol 06.djvu/95

 68 Bird-Lore

ment. He is extremely tame, comes many times almost immediately after we call him,

This bird was ﬁrst in the neighborhood the second week in july. r903, bringing with him the most beautiful song. He has been heard from every day since and we have not known of his leaving the block. which is about Soo feet long.

with a range of about .ioo to 600 feet wide.

discovered

It has been my satisfaction to locate him every day (except when out of town on a short vacation).

He sang until late in November, sitting on a cedar hedge back of our house. pouring forth every kind of bird note in a low strain, lonely in its tone after all the other birds had gone. Since then he has had a sharp little call, like that of a Catbirtl, and has given a few Thrush notes answering to our call, but no song He is having to eat the food prcpared for such birds, with carrot, and, when the weather permits, he has cooked squash. cranberry sauce, apple, meat and potato; but the Mockingbird food is the only thing that does not freeze solid. and he is fond of it, a

We have had the coldest, hardest winter known here for many years. and it certainly is very wonderful that he has survived.— MRS. CARROLLE. BOWEN. Rat/resin, N, Y,

A Large Phcebe‘s Nest

There is a suggestion in the picture of ‘ A Large Phaebe’s Nest’ on page 199 at No- vember and December Bird-Lore. A Black Plumb: built her nest in a cigar~bo>t which I had nailed under the eaves of the stable, The top of the box was several inches be- neath the sloping eaves directly above it. She raised a brood in March, and. re~|ining the nest, again in July. Next year she commenced operations in the same nest, when a Linnet took possession in the ab— sence of Fhmhe. Linnet built an addition to suit herself, continuing the nest straight up, with the line of demarcation very plain between the ulutl and lichens of Phtxbe and her own straws and cotton, Phtebe watched her chance and took possession as soon as the young Litmus had gone. building the nest a little higher. Next year Linnet got it ﬁrst, and so she and Phoebe alternated until

seven stories rose above the original designt The structure began to lean a little, and then the Swallows took it and built out toward the east their bottle nest. The mud was too heavy and the whole sky-scraper or. better, eavcs- scraper, tumbled to the ground. Mr. Stone's picture suggests three stories nicely made. I have known the Linnets to lay story aiter story in nests of their very own year after yEara#ELlZABETl-l GRINNELL, Parade/m. Crr/i/rrnia.

A Swallow and Flycatcher Feud

In a ranch~hottse snug against the foot» hills in western Texas there lived for many years an old Judge who was a good friend of the birds. He never allowed any shoot- ing on his premises, and when we were there the trees and bushes around the house were alive with birds, while his piazza was possessed by a pair of the buﬁ-hreasted, black-tailed Say’s Flycatchers. and several families of the blue-coated Barn Swallowsa

For three years the Flycatchers had been contesting the ground with the Swallows. To encourage the Swallows, the Judge had nailed a piece of tin under two of the piazza rafters, and the birds had shown their ap- prcc on of his kindness by promptly building there; but. sad to relate, no sooner had they ﬁnished the leather lining of the nest than the Flycatcher fell upon them and evicted them from their own premises.

At the time of our visit, Saya was sea rener brooding six white eggs in the Barn Swallow‘s nest; but, not content with her conquest, whenever the mood seized her she would send the whale colony flying from the piazza and light in a tree, snapping her bill and shaking her tail with deplorable

gusto. The old friend of the Swallows watched

the usurpers with disapproval. and ex- claimed emphatically. “ If they don‘t quit that monkey business I‘ll have to stop it. The Swallows were here first." Then. looking fondly at his favorites. he added. with enthusiasm: "I have a string stretched across the piazza. and they come and sing to me while I read. I wouldn't have them disturbed for twenty dollars apiece."—FLon- ENCE McrutuM BAILEY. Working/arr. I). C.