Notes from Field and Study 



129 



Molt; (7) Other Passeriform Families; 

 <8) Water and Shore Birds; (9) *The 

 History of Bird Classification; (10) The 

 Facts of Migration; (11) *Theories of 

 Migration; (12) The Ancestry of Birds; 

 (13) Distribution; (14) Distribution in 

 America; (15) *The Bird's Place in Nature: 

 (16) *The Economic Value of Birds; (17) 

 Enemies and Protection of Birds; (18) 

 Methods of Study in Schools; (19) * Gen- 

 eral Methods; (20) Literature. The lec- 

 tures marked with an asterisk were given 

 by Dr. H. E. Walter, Professor of Com- 

 parative Anatomy in Brown University. 



Prompted by the growing interest in 

 this course, the management of the 

 Laboratory has announced that it will 

 be given again during the summer of 1909. 



A Devoted Parent 



For several summers, a pair of Balti- 

 more Orioles had nested in an apple tree 

 near my study window. 



Last summer, when the nest was full 

 of young ones, the mother bird was killed, 

 and the father bird had a broken wing. 

 When I discovered this tragedy, the 

 father was carrying food to his family. 



There was a grape-vine growing under 

 the tree, untrimmed and lawless. Some 

 wayward branches had caught hold of 

 the lowest apple boughs, and a pole, 

 leaning against the trellis, formed a con- 

 tinuous roadway from nest to ground. 

 Down this road the poor bird would 

 hop, and forage for food. He never went 

 far from the grape-vine, and kept a sharp 

 lookout for enemies. After filling his 

 mouth with food, he would commence his 

 tedious journey up the grape-vine, one 

 hop at a time, — and thus cared for his 

 family until they reached the flying age 

 and were able to care for themselves. — 

 Je.^vn Martin, Hillsdale, Mich. 



Stormbound Birds 



On the morning of April, 29, there was 

 ten inches of snow on the ground at seven 

 o'clock, a strong southerly wind was 

 blowing, and snow was still falling steadily. 



Icicles formed at all points where water 

 dripped, and the air was piercingly chilly. 

 We were on the lookout for hungry birds, 

 and before noon found the bewildered 

 creatures flocking about house and stables, 

 eager for crumbs and seeds. About this 

 time, a fierce thunder-shower drove them 

 to every sheltered spot about the place. 

 Chippies hopped at our feet on the porches 

 and picked up the crumbs. Robins were 

 less friendly, but readily came to the 

 window-sills for food as soon as we went 

 indoors. The gentle Chippies disputed 

 with English Sparrows for crumbs; and 

 I saw one fly fiercely at a Sparrow and 

 eventually drive off the aggressive foreigner 

 with apparent ease. Juncos, Phoebes, 

 Song Sparrows and Chippies swarmed 

 into the opened stable doors and helped 

 themselves freely to seeds, the Juncos 

 alighting on outstretched fingers in their 

 eagerness for luncheon. 



It was amusing to note the difference 

 between the sleek, trim Juncos, literally 

 tripping over the snow, and the tumbling 

 rufiled Robins, flapping and fluttering 

 clumsily and helplessly about. All day we 

 doled the crumbs and seeds, fearing night 

 would still find some visitor unsatisfied, 

 as well as bedless. A Robin had eggs in a 

 nest on our back porch, but she never 

 went near them during the day, and did 

 not spend the night there. The country 

 has been full of Bluebirds all the spring, 

 but since the storm none have appeared, 

 so far as I know. 



Next morning, two Horned Larks were 

 hopping about in the street in front of our 

 house, searching for breakfast. They took 

 wing as I approached, but wheeled and 

 returned, uttering their peculiar flight- 

 notes as they came. Their babies in the 

 soft cradle were doubtless under the snow 

 on some high, windy hill not far away. 



A male American Crossbill flew against 

 a window and was found dead on a porch 

 floor. A female was discovered, and fed, 

 becoming so interested in prying into a 

 pine cone that was offered that I easily 

 picked her up and held her while she took 

 some crumbs. She seemed perfectly 

 fearless, and flew from the hand onlv when 



