302 



Bird - Lore 



and return to their perch without a sec- 

 ond's pause. 



At last 'Tag-rag' and 'Bobtail' (as we 

 called them, from their disheveled appear- 

 ance) were taught to flap their wings, to 

 sit on the edge of the nest, and, after 

 much exhortation and example from their 

 parents, to get out on the nearest twig; 

 then to make little flights of a few inches 

 over each other's back, then to fly from 

 branch to branch; father and mother all 

 the time going back and forth over the 

 route they wished the little ones to take, 

 chattering in a jieculiar language they had 

 never used before. 



They were evidently suspicious of the 

 big setter who often occupied the top 

 veranda step, and who seemed as inter- 

 ested in the show as anyone; and at last 

 the male bird, his forehead blazing red, 

 flew right into the dog's face. But Dick 

 stood fast, and the birds continued the 

 training. 



Thus far had their education gone one 

 evening when we bade them good night; 

 and the next morning, hearing the same 

 peculiar note, we looked out to find they 

 had accomplished the flight to a nearby 

 tree, and before noon they had worked 

 their way out of our neighborhood. Only 



once more did we behold them, a few days 

 later, on a tree in the garden; and we 

 greeted 'Tag-rag' and 'Bobtail' with real 

 l)leasure. 



Soon after, a pair of Cedar-birds came 

 and took away every thread of the nest, 

 to build one for themselves, although it 

 seemed rather late in the season for them 

 to rear a family. — Mrs. M. B. Des Brisay, 

 Bridj^rwalcr, N . S. 



Robin Nesting on Ground 



On May 8, 1918, I discovered a Robin's 

 nest built flat upon the ground, in a clump 

 of clover. It was located in an orchard, in 

 which there were numerous good nesting- 

 sites in the trees, some of which held 

 other Robins' nests. 



The nest was of the ordinary Robin 

 architecture, with the usual mud, etc., 

 and contained four eggs, three of which 

 hatched, and, so far as I know, the young 

 were successfully raised. 



While I have before found the Robin to 

 nest within a foot of the ground, upon rail- 

 fences, I have never before heard of it 

 building right upon the ground, like a 

 Vesper Sparrow, for instance. — Ansel B. 

 Miller, Springs, Pa. 



THE SEASON 

 VIII. April 15 to June 15, 1918 



Two contributors to this department 

 of Bird-Lore have been "called to the 

 colors" — Charles H. Rogers, reporter for 

 the New York City region, and also 

 editor of the Department, is now in camp 

 in Georgia, and Dr. Winsor M. Tyler, 

 reporter for the Boston region, is now a 

 Captain in the medical service and is 

 stationed at Newport. Wherever they go 

 and whatever be their duty we may be 

 sure that their interest in bird-life will 

 prove a welcome source of relaxation 

 from the strenuous demands of their pro- 

 fession. — F. M. C. 



Boston Region. — The season, delayed 

 by cold and rainy weather, made little 



progress during the latter half of April. 

 On May i, it was scarcely more advanced 

 than the extremely late season of 191 7. 

 The spring remained backward until May 

 7, when a few days of summer temperature 

 stimulated such a rapid growth of vegeta- 

 tion that, on May 11, judged by the blos- 

 soming of the horse-chestnut trees, 1918 

 was three weeks in advance of 191 7. Ten 

 days later the country had assumed almost 

 the appearance of summer, the full- 

 grown leaves casting dense shade. Thus 

 in two weeks a backward spring was 

 transformed into summer. 



During the last days of April, there 

 came an unusual flight of Yellow Palm 

 Warblers with the Myrtle Warblers, both 



