lyo Bird -Lore 



AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE 



Yesterday morning I was over at my friend's house. There were two httle 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on her piazza. One was a male and one a female, I 

 think, for one had brighter colors — brown, white and pink — and the other just 

 brown and white. 



I told my friend to leave them as the father bird was afraid. So we went 

 into the garden. Soon I felt something on my shoulder. I looked around and 

 there was one of those darling birds. I put it back on the tree, and the two 

 were soon flying finely. — Miriam Smith (age lo years), Waltham, Mass. 



[This unusual experience fell to the lot of a Junior Audubon Society member whose 

 teacher writes: "After having made inquiries in regard to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 story, I am convinced it is correct. Several people saw the bird and nest, and the little 

 girl described the bird correctly to me." Look up the plumages of the male and female 

 Grosbeaks in Chapman's Handbook. — A. H. W.] 



KINGFISHERS IN LINCOLN, MASS. 



Once upon a time, when I was driving with my father, I saw in the sky a 

 bird. It was flying right over the Cambridge reservoir, darting down every 

 now and then. When it came down I saw it was a Kingfisher. One day after 

 that I went over to hunt for the nest. I walked for miles and miles, up and 

 down, but I never found it, and the Kingfishers have been there ever since. — 

 James DeNormandie, Jr. (aged 9 years). 



[Hunting for the Kingfisher's hole is an eye-sharpening process. One may easily 

 walk directly by the hole many times without noticing the approach, which, by its 

 appearance, shows the experienced observer whether it is in use. — A. H. W.] 



HOW TO ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS AND GOLDFINCHES 



AROUND A HOUSE 



As I was sitting on the porch on the morning of August 12, 1916, 1 noticed a 

 Hummingbird in the canna bed, which is very close to the house. The little 

 bird flitted from flower to flower, and as I watched it, flew up in a pear tree 

 very near the canna bed. I walked over to the tree and stood under the 

 branch that the Hummingbird was on. It did not seem to be a bit afraid of 

 me. This Hummingbird had a green back and white throat and breast. I 

 had my mother come out and she also watched it. It stayed on the branch a 

 long time, picking and scratching itself. After a whfle it flew to the canna bed 

 and then up in the tree two or three times. When the little Hummingbird was in 

 the canna bed, its mate came, and they both flew off together. These two little 

 birds come to the flower-bed a great deal. Sunflowers are planted in the back 

 and front yard, and Goldfinches come very often to these and eat the seeds. 

 They stand on the top of the flower and lean way over and pick at the seeds. 



