ORNITHOLOGY 



99 



Bird Caused Accident. 



Mrs. Nelson Macy, a summer resi- 

 dent, had an automobile accident on 

 Lake Avenue on Tuesday in front of 

 the William G. Rockefeller place, and 

 luckily escaped without serious in- 

 juries. She was driving her car when a 

 bird flew in back of the windshield. 

 The bird flopped from the wind shield 

 to her face several times. She struck 

 at the bird with one hand and lost 

 control of the oar for a moment. In 

 that second the car left the road and 

 bumped into a tree. The glass wind- 

 shield was smashed to smithereens and 

 Mrs. Macy's face was cut, the chief in- 

 jury being a long cut on her lower lip 

 which was afterwards sewed up by Dr. 

 Parker. She was taken into W. G. 

 Rockefeller's resident where she was 

 cared for. Mrs. Macy is still sore from 

 her many injuries. — Greenwich Nezvs. 



A Young Robin Cares for Another. 



Noroton Heights, Conn. 

 To the Editor: 



I am writing you an account of what 

 seems to me an unusual bird trait, in 

 the hope that you will inform me of 

 any similar experience. On May 31 

 a young robin, partly pinfeathered, 

 came into my possession, having fal- 

 len from the nest and sustained a 

 slight injury. 



I fed it earth worms with the aid of 

 a forceps, and a few drops of watei 

 from a medicine dropper. It thrived 

 and at the end of a week I fixed a 

 small twig in the ground and put the 

 bird under a wire coop to give it a 

 chance to learn to pick, which it did 

 readily. I then gave it it's freedom,, 

 but it would come to me when I called 

 "Bob," also would often fly into the 

 window to me. The bird developed 

 quickly, was apparently afraid of noth- 

 ing, roosted in the trees at night, but 

 would come down to me whenever I 

 appeared. 



On June 22 another robin, well 

 feathered and able to fly a little, fell 

 from the nest — another nest. Fearing 

 thatthe cats would get it I captured it, 

 fed it worms, gave it a drink and tried 

 to make friends with it by showing 

 how Bob would take the worms ; it 

 still seemed afraid so I put it up in a 

 tree, hoping the parent birds would 



find it and take care of it, which they 

 did not do. The little thing stayed in 

 the tree all day, calling, and toward 

 evening I discovered Bob carrying 

 worms to it. The next day he con- 

 tinued feeding the small bird, but I 

 noticed he never gave it any of the 

 worms I gave him, he gave him only 

 worms and bugs picked up by himself. 

 On June 24 he coaxed it to the ground 

 and began to teach it to pick. 



He continues to feed the bird and 

 apparently has assumed the full role 

 of parent — protecting it and teaching 

 it. At the present time Bob himself 

 cannot be more than five weeks old. 



Thinking this case of a bird raised by 

 hand, never having had the aid of par- 

 ental instruction, assuming the posi- 

 tion and duties of parent to a still 

 smaller bird, must be very unusual, I 

 take the liberty of writing to you about 

 it. 



Very respectfully yours, 



(Mrs.) Harold E. Hoyt. 



THE GREATER REDPOLL. 



By Grace H. Sadleir, Island Pond, Vermont. 



Singing in sunshine your glad roundelay, 

 Dressed in your robes of crimson gay, 



Care free, even tho' skies be gray, 

 Dear redpoll, we welcome you! 



Far away in your land of snow 



The shifting Auroras gleam and glow 



O'er shimmering ice fields and drifting floe, 

 Where the white fox makes his den. 



One day an impulse came to you, 

 Guided by Him Whose care is true, 



And southward o'er frozen wastes you flew 

 Till you reached our milder clime. 



Here, fluttering down into weed filled fields, 

 You find the banquet Dame Nature yields, 



And at night you sleep where the evergreen 

 shields 

 Your rest from the wintry blast. 



But, little friends from the Arctic land, 

 Chirping so gaily, a brave, blithe band, 



Tell me — how did you understand 

 That south it was time to go! 



Preparedness wins the battle. 



Every difficulty overcome, leaves us 

 stronger for the next one. 



The harder the duty, the stronger may it 

 find you. 



Take care of the days, and the months and 

 years will take care of themselves. 



Look well to your margins; they may make 

 or mar the whole course of your life. 



Do the right thing now, instead of plan- 

 ning great things to do by and by. 



