Some Bird Acquaintances 



NOTES FROM AN INVALID'S SKETCH-BOOK 



By EMMA E. DREW* 



FIRST come my friends, the Red -eyed Vireos and their family. The 

 pretty mother built her little basket-nest in the apple tree just outside 

 my window. Mr. Red-eyed Vireo did not help his wife in her work, 

 but was ever near at hand to cheer her with his song. It was wonderful 

 to see how skilfully this tiny creature wove the bits of material into a 

 charming little home. Soon there were four pretty eggs in the nest, and in 

 due time three tiny, squirming, naked little birds, and one unhatched egg, 

 which Mrs. Vireo calmly poked out of the nest. 



While the mother bird was on the nest I spent a great deal of time by 

 that window, and after a few days she did not mind me in the least. Once 

 I almost touched her, and she never moved. 



When the three little Vireos began learning to fly, there were exciting 

 times at ' Shadyside.' Often Mrs Red-eye came to the veranda where I 

 was reading and invited me to step round and rescue her children, once from 

 Miss Day's good, toothless old pussy-cat, and several times from a mass of 

 tall, wet grass. Soon I concluded to bring the youngsters to the vine on 

 the porch, and after that I had an easier time. Then, too, I could watch 

 proceedings from my comfortable steamer chair. One day it occurred to me 

 to try my hand at feeding these young Vireos. So I got a few meal worms 

 and offered one to a youngster. My, how quickly he opened his mouth! 

 Down went the poor worm into what looked to me like a deep well, and 

 his parents had been feeding him almost every moment since dawn! While 

 I stood feeding them, the parent birds came into the vine with food in their 

 bills. Did they fly off in alarm ? Not they. Instead, they waited until I had 

 dropped my last worm into the mouth of a nestling, and then proceeded to 

 take their turn as undisturbed as you please. You may be sure I was very 

 happy to be taken into partnership by these neighbors. 



*In a letter to the Editor of Bird-Lore Miss Drew writes: "I send a few notes on 

 birds, not because I feel these notes to be of value, but because some of your readers must, 

 like myself, live an out-of-door life for several years, to regain, in a measure, health and 

 strength, and who, because of inability to walk or drive very much, feel that even the 

 study of birds is not for them. 



"For nearly seven years I have been forced to live in the woods in the Adirondacks. 

 For four years I have spent most of the spring and fall months in the little country village 

 of Jay, almost in the "heart of the ancient wood." Most of my days have been spent in a 

 steamer chair on the wide piazza, doing nothing. I have nDt been from the porch at any 

 time, except during the last year, when I have been able to take some long drives through 

 wonderful woodsy places, and yet I have a list of one hundred and forty birds seen in this 

 way, and have made friends with quite a number. My idea is to show some discouraged 

 invalid that there is real pleasure and work in watching the birds, even from a steamer 

 chair on a piazza." 



