Notes from Field and Study 



i8i 



also near a small pond, three Cape May 

 Warblers, two males and a female, and 

 my quest was ended. 



As the bird has been seen by so many 

 observers, I think it probable that it may 

 become a migrant to this part of our state, 

 and I certainly hope that such may be the 

 case. — Sara Chandler Eastman, Port- 

 land, Maine. 



Another Wire W^ren Nest 



I have read with interest the article in 

 Bird-Lore of July-August, 1918, on, 'A 

 Unique Wren Nest Made of Wire.' A 

 similar nest was found last year in a bird- 

 box on the place of Mr. Wm. B. Conrad, 

 Nyack, N. Y. This nest was composed 

 largely of small-mesh chicken wire, rusty 

 hairpins, and other pieces of small wire. 

 One of the pieces of chicken-wire, however, 

 must have required a great deal of ingen- 

 uity to get it into the hole of the bird box, 

 as it took considerable space of time for 

 Mr. Conrad to fit it in such a way as to 

 go back into the hole. — Albert Mover, 

 New York City. 



Prairie Horned Lark 



I find on page 346 of Bird-Lore for 

 September-October, 1918, breeding-areas 

 of Horned Larks. I notice that the breed- 

 ing-area of the Prairie Horned Lark does 

 not include any of West Virginia. Three 

 years ago last summer a brood of Prairie 

 Horned Larks was reared within the cor- 

 porate limits of Morgantown, W. Va. I saw 

 the young birds in the nest when they were 

 about large enough to leave it. Prairie 

 Horned Larks have been seen nearMorgan- 

 town several times; only the one nest 

 mentioned has been found. — .\. J. Dadls- 

 MAN, Morgantown, W. Va. 



Pelagic Habits of Kittiwake Gulls in 

 Winter 



It may, perhaps, he of interest to give 

 some notes regarding our return voyage 

 from Brest to New York. During the en- 

 tire trip (Jan. 24 to Feb. i, 1919) Kitti- 



wakes were in constant attendance in the 

 wake of our transport. However, the flock 

 on each succeeding day was probably com- 

 posed of new individuals. Between twenty- 

 five and fifty were usually to be seen hov- 

 ering over the path churned up by our 

 propellor. Any scraps or refuse thrown 

 overboard would instantly attract a swarm 

 of fluttering wings. Some would alight on 

 the water, with poised pinions; others dis- 

 appeared beneath the surface in pursuit 

 of some morsel. 



Occasionally we disturbed bands of 

 Murres in their ocean solitudes. At our 

 approach they made away in slow, clumsy 

 flight. A few sought refuge beneath the 

 surface. These would soon appear again, 

 only to take wing in consternation. — 

 Lawrence L. Lofstrom, Cambridge, 

 Minn. 



A Good Word for the Blue Jays 



I have frequently seen statements derog- 

 atory to the character of the Blue Jays 

 and would like to tell a little in their favor. 



Friends of mine, living on the main 

 street of the village, have, for two sum- 

 mers, had the Jays nest and raise their 

 young in a cedar tree close to the front of 

 the house. 



I asked the man of the house his opinion 

 as to the Jays being thieves and undesir- 

 able. He replied that, both seasons, Robins 

 had nested in the same tree with the Jays, 

 and that whenever there was a quarrel 

 amongst them, invariably it was the 

 Robins that commenced it, but the Jays 

 always were the victors. He said that he 

 never knew the Jays to disturb the Robins' 

 nests, eggs, or young, and that he consid- 

 ered them desirable bird tenants. 



When I visited the nest this May, there 

 were four young birds nearly ready to 

 leave it. Within two or three days there- 

 after, a great commotion was heard in the 

 tree, and, upon investigating, my friends 

 found that a red squirrel was robbing the 

 nest. The man rushed for his gun, shot the 

 squirrel, and saved the life of the fourth 

 little Jay, the other three having been 

 killed before help arrived. A score for the 



