The Audubon Note Book. 



87 



of rags and string woven together and lined with 

 cotton. 



Woodpeckers and yellowhammers make their 

 homes in holes made in decayed trees. 



Crow blackbirds make no nests. They lay in 

 some raincrow's or other bird's nest, while the 

 owner is away. The quail, starling and meadow- 

 lark build on the ground. Nests are made large or 

 small, according to the size of the builders. Most 

 of them are wonderfully constructed, and display 

 exceeding skill on the part of the builders. — Carl 

 Evans in Agassiz Record. 



AUDUBON 'WORK AMONG THE INDIANS. 



Miss E. B. Barry, our enthusiastic young repre- 

 sentative at Germantown, Pennsylvania, informs us 

 that some time ago she wrote a letter to the Carlisle 

 Indian School in behalf of the Audubon Society, ex- 

 plaining its objects and inclosing some pledge forms. 

 "I heard nothing from them," she writes, "until 

 yesterday, when I received the Indian Helper, a paper 

 published and printed by the Indian boys of the 

 school, in which my letter was published in full, to- 

 gether with a few editorial lines, encouraging the 

 boys and girls to sign the pledges." We have one 

 red Indian in our cosmopolitan army of forty-five 

 thousand, but there is now some prospect that with 

 Miss Barry's aid we shall be able to organize an 

 Indian contingent. 



Mr. De Young's Seagulls. — There are three 

 seagulls that frequent New Haven harbor and are 

 nearly as tame as the proverbial duck, although not 

 in the least way restrained in their actions. They 

 are simply wild pets, and recognize as their master 

 Mr. E. F. De Young, the purser of the steamboat 

 Northam. When the steamboat is leaving the New 

 Haven dock the gulls will sail in graceful circles just 

 above her until the boat is clear of the wharves, and 

 then they swoop down astern or on the quarter and 

 wait for Mr. De Young to stand treat. That gentle- 

 man's appearance on the guards is the signal for de- 

 lighted squawks from the birds, who will fly in little 

 circles, sometimes so closely bunched as to be in 

 each other's way, but all watching carefully the food 

 in the hands of their friend. Bit by bit the pieces 

 of bread or fruit are thrown to the birds, who some- 

 times have lively fights over a particularly choice 

 morsel. The treat lasts nearly to the mouth of the 

 harbor sometimes, but when the boat gets that far 

 the gulls, with little cries of seeming gratitude, circle 

 a few times around and return to the vicinity of the 

 docks. For nearly two years Mr. De Young has 

 kept this up, although the birds generally go away 

 for a while in the winter, but always return with the 

 spring. A strange feature of the matter is that Mr. 



De Young, when running on the steamboat Conti- 

 nental in the midwinter months, cannot find his pets, 

 but as soon as the Northam begins running in the 

 spring the birds come back, they evidently knowing 

 the difference between the boats as well as their 

 friend. 



The membership of the Audubon Society, which 

 now exceeds 45,000, suggests the employment of a 

 great deal of activity and energy for their enlistment, 

 and it will perhaps surprise many of our readers 

 to learn that more than one of our Local Secretaries 

 have been confirmed invalids. One of these — Frank 

 Pendexter — who died at his parents' house in Inter- 

 vale, New Hampshire, at the close of March, was 

 prostrated all last summer on a bed of sickness from 

 which there was no hope that he would ever rise 

 again, but as Local Secretary of the Audubon So- 

 ciety, and President of the Marvin Band of Mercy, 

 he was a cheerful and earnest worker, and succeeded 

 in interesting great numbers of his father's guests 

 who made Intervale their summer retreat. One 

 of our correspondents who visited him last summer, 

 writes of him in very kindly terms, and many more 

 of last year's visitors to Intervale will feel sad to 

 know that the gentle, earnest, bedridden boy has 

 finished his work and o-one to his rest. 



Oregon is taking measures to secure the presence 

 of singing birds in that State. One thousand dollars 

 has been subscribed, and arrangements have been 

 made to import from Germany nightingales, skylarks, 

 bullfinches, chaffinches, goldfinches, thrushes, lin- 

 nets, starlings, and other birds to the number of 700. 

 They will arrive in time to nest and rear their young, 

 and it is considered certain that they will return to 

 Oregon from their winter migration to the South. 

 State laws will be enacted for their protection. 



Pot Luck from a Religious Weekly. — Snow- 

 birds make delicious little morsels when cooked as 

 follows: When plucked, washed, and cleaned, have 

 some large-sized potatoes peeled, and scoop out the 

 insides with a blunt knife. Cut a slice from the end, 

 so the potatoes will stand; put a bird into each, head 

 end first; place a piece of butter into each, and bake 

 in the oven until the potatoes are done. Serve on a 

 hot dish. 



Miss Cross, of Lockport, writes: "We had a de- 

 bate at school the other day, on which have the more 

 curious habits, birds or insects, and I noticed that 

 several of the children had the Audubon Magazine. 

 It is a good little book, and being so cheap enables 

 every one interested in such things to have it. I shall 

 use it at school." 



