BIRDS IN THE BUSH 



2/5 



feathers were greyish, with two rows 

 of yellowish, stubby ones on each side 

 of the breast. 



To supply the needs of this hungry 

 brood kept both parents busy. The 

 mother bird was more frequent and 

 bolder in bringing food, flying directly 

 into the box, while the male settled 

 first on a dead limb nearby and then 

 darted into the opening. If he became 

 conscious that he was watched, he 

 waited until the intruder had returned 

 to what he considered a proper dis- 

 tance. 



On July first the young birds left 

 the nest. By this time their crests 

 were well developed, and the color 

 had become olive green. Unlike most 

 of our birds they remained in the vi- 

 cinity with their young. In a few 

 weeks the parents resumed their usual 

 life, the young joining in the chase and 

 the chatter. In the early morning, just 

 as dawn is brightening into day, we are 

 awakened by the clatter of the family 

 as they chase one another among the 

 trees. At about eight in the morning 

 they retire to the woods, where they 

 remain until the shades of evening be- 

 gin to fall, and then return to the lawn. 



Every movement that they have 



made during the whole season has been 

 full of interest to us on account of 

 their obvious enjoyment of life, and 

 their tireless energy in the pursuit of 

 harmful insects. 



Katie; M. Roads. 



President Dutcher Attends Annual 

 Meeting. 



The most enjoyable and gratifying 

 incident connected with the Annual 

 Meeting was the presence of William 

 Dutcher, President of the Association. 

 Since the beginning of his illness, more 

 than four years ago, he has been con- 

 fined almost constantly to his home in 

 Plainfield, New Jersey. It was there- 

 fore a great delight to all to see that 

 he had so far recovered as to be able 

 to meet with us on this occasion. Mr. 

 Dutcher attended both sessions, and 

 also a subsequent meeting of the Board 

 of Directors. Although as yet he is 

 unable to speak, it was perfectly appar- 

 ent to those present that he thoroughly 

 understood all that was going on. The 

 brightness of his face, and the anima- 

 tion of his frequent gestures, indicated 

 clearly his great happiness at being 

 once more among his Audubon Society 

 friends. — "Bird-Lore." 



In the Struggle for Existence. 



BY CHAS. VAN LOAN, NEW YORK CITY. 



A pair of greatly agitated robins at- 

 tracted my attention to their nest as 

 I passed down the lane. They were 

 endeavoring with repeated and clamor- 

 ous darts to drive away a red squirrel 

 that was edging along the bough, plain- 

 ly intending to wreck another home. 



I was at first inclined to drive him 

 away, responsive to an elemental im- 

 pulse, as I realized the certainty, if i 

 did not do so, that he would succeed 

 in his purpose. But as I hesitated I 

 remembered that he was acting only 

 his predetermined part in nature's 

 complex scheme ; that he had as much 

 right to act as he was doing, as those 

 robins in drawing an earthworm from 

 its channeled retreat. 



I then observed that there was an- 

 other matter, equally worthy of notice, 

 just at hand. I saw that the squirrel 

 had as much reason to be on his guard 

 as the robins, for he was in immediate 

 danger from a cat that was cautiously 

 edging toward him on the same bough, 



a good meal as his object. Perceiving 

 this, and valuing his own red pelt just 

 then above anything else in the world, 

 he forsook the robins' quarters and 

 quickly leaped to safety. 



This is a good and unique illustra- 

 tion — illustrative of the struggle for 

 life and food, not only a struggle of 

 the wild things among themselves but 

 augmented by a struggle with our 

 house cat. If a dog had now appeared 

 to pursue the cat it would have amus- 

 ingly increased the complication. 



One reason why the cat did not con- 

 tinue onward after the squirrel had 

 escaped, and substitute bird for beast, 

 was the impossibility of reaching the 

 nest, the bough on which it was placed 

 being too slender. But destructive as 

 cats doubtless are to birds, their des- 

 tructiveness seems to have a limit 

 when considered in a class, as often 

 you will find a nest directly above the 

 door in an easily accessible place, of 

 the existence of which the cat must 

 surely have knowledge, yet she leaves 

 it alone. 



