?96 



Bird- Lore 



Robins. I'Or many _\cars wc haw known 

 that the old squawker Ja\- was ^'uilty of 

 stealing the eggs of other birds, but we 

 have never before been positive that he 

 was a murderer, and can only wonder if 

 the Blue Ja\' is a Prussian l)hu' Jay ! — (i. S. 

 VuuNG, Alma, Mich. 



From Sunset to Sunrise with the 

 Martins During the Flocking-time 



For a week ])re\ious to Labor Daw great 

 numbers of Pur])lc Martins were strung 

 along the telegra[)h lines and hovering 

 near certain abodes in North Hvanston, 

 111., near Sheridan Road. On Labor Day 

 it was decided to watch these thousands 

 of birds, .\rriving at the scene at 4 o'clock 

 in the afternoon, great numbers were 

 seen wheeling in the air. Following them, 

 we came to a woodland where vast numbers 

 of (Jrackles had darted into safety. On 

 viewing this spot from quarters, we found 

 that the Martins were descending in 

 great companies. Though the air was 

 literally filled with birds, and the greatest 

 uncertainty seemed to prevail in their 

 wheeling and soaring, yet at a certain 

 moment a command was seemingly given, 

 for all at once they began to take refuge 

 for the night in the tops of trees. 



The woodland occupies nearly a square 

 block, and is a dense undergrowth of 

 elder below young trees, mostly elms. 

 To sa3' that the trees swayed with the 

 weight of the birds will perhaps give some 

 idea of their numbers. The sight was 

 such that we marveled that people did 

 not come from far and wide to see it, yet 

 so intent are human beings in pursuit of 

 their own particular plans that party 

 after party motored by without one paus- 

 ing to look. As the stock e.xchange sounds 

 from the gallery like the buzz of a million 

 bees, so did the whir of wings and bird 

 exclamation thrill and stir the air. Emi- 

 grants of every nation, all babbling in a 

 corner of Ellis Island, could scarcely have 

 caused such a din, yet underneath was a 

 sense of law, order, and definite plan. 



Feeling that this was a rare oppor- 

 tunity, two of us ardent bird-lovers decided 



to camp out all night to observe the actions 

 of the birds during the night. But so keen 

 is the instinct of self-protection, that, de- 

 spite all the other sounds, the moment that 

 human footsteps were heard, the flutter- 

 ing would begin, birds would fly from their 

 perches, and a general commotion followed. 

 Observations, therefore, had to be made 

 outside the copse. At daybreak, between, 

 4 and 4.30, the vast horde began their 

 preparation for leaving. The sound pro- 

 duced by their wings could be only com- 

 ])ared with that of a huge thrashing-ma- 

 chine running at top speed. 



There must have been some 12,000 

 birds falling into line leaving the wood. 

 So accurate, so definite was each plan that 

 one could almost imagine he heard the 

 roll called as the birds departed. These 

 jjerformances continued each day until 

 the first cold spell, when the last company 

 departed. — W. Cunrov Evans, Evaiislon, 

 III. 



Swallows Flocking 



The accompanying photograph was 

 made in the middle of October and shows 

 a flock of Swallows on Black River Bay, 

 which is an arm of Lake Ontario injefferson 

 County, N. Y. This flock was made up 

 largely of Tree Swallows, but included also 

 Barn and Bank Swallows, while the most 

 interesting member of all, to me at least, 

 was a single Rough-winged Swallow, for I 

 have not found this species at all common 

 in this part of the state. 



This picture was made on the very edge 

 of a large marshy stretch known, locally, as 

 the 'Dexter marshes.' The extensive flag- 

 and reed-beds of this locality make it a 

 fa\orite place for Swallows and Red- 

 winged Blackbirds to congregate and rest 

 while the birds arc assembling in late 

 summer and early fall. Incidentally, the 

 plentiful growths of wild rice among the 

 patches of arrowhead and pickerel weed 

 bring many wild Ducks to the same 

 marshes. 



I have seen the Swallows rise in a mass 

 from the place of their night's rest and on 

 investigation have found a considerable 



