2 Bird -Lore 



to timothy and red clover), the remaining four acres (more or less) being 

 occupied by the residence, lawn, ornamental planting, nursery, garden, and 

 orchard. 



Many years before Larchmound had been a fine and well-kept place, but 

 of late had been sadly neglected, and much labor was required to restore 

 its former beauty. Although abundantly supplied with trees, there was a great 

 deficiency of shrubbery, which consisted of two lilacs, two 'syringas' {Phila- 

 delphus grandiflorus) , a 'bridal-wreath' spirea, a snowball, a flowering almond, 

 a Japan quince, a large clump of the old-fashioned blush rose, and a few other 

 kinds, most of them, especially the lilacs, the 'syringas,' and the snowball, 

 very old and grown to a large size. The need of additional sheltering and nest- 

 ing-places for birds near the dwelling being evident, the planting of borders 

 and groups was among the very first of the improvements started, and now 

 there are several hundred additional shrubs growing, so that very soon the 

 birds will be well provided for in this respect. Many pans of water are kept 

 constantly filled by the Mistress of Larchmound, who also provides, with a 

 lavish and loving hand, cracked nuts, suet, and other food; the result being 

 that birds have already greatly increased in numbers, and are yearly becom- 

 ing more numerous. On March 14 of the present year, nesting-boxes, of various 

 sizes, were fastened to the trees in all parts of the grounds (the woods included), 

 and an eight-compartment box for Purple Martins put up on a tall pole at one 

 corner of the garden; but this experiment proved only a partial success, for 

 nearly all these boxes were monopolized by one pair of Red-headed Wood- 

 peckers, several pairs of House Wrens, and two or more pairs of flying squirrels. 

 Herein, apparently, lies a serious problem: It seems impossible to have breed- 

 ing on the same premises the two birds above mentioned and, at the same time, 

 other species who also like nesting-boxes. The Red-headed Woodpecker, 

 although one of our most strikingly handsome birds, and in many ways a 

 most interesting one, is, unfortunately, extremely selfish and aggressive. Our 

 single pair prevented any other Woodpeckers (the Downy, Hairy, and Red- 

 bellied) from nesting in any of the boxes, drove two pairs of Flickers and one 

 pair of Crested Flycatchers from boxes which they had chosen, and even 

 attacked the Purple Martins whenever they alighted on the box put up for 

 them.* The FUckers and Crested Flycatchers eventually found nesting-places 

 in a remote corner of the grounds, but the other Woodpeckers mentioned gave 

 up and disappeared during the nesting-season. The House Wren is equally 

 tyrannical, and no other small bird can nest in his vicinity. Several pairs of 

 Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice, and a pair of Bewick's Wrens, that 

 had been with us all winter, would have nested in boxes near the house but for 

 the rascally House Wrens, who, though possessing boxes of their own, drove 



*This, however, when only one or two Martins came. Later, when the Martins appeared 

 'in force,' that is to say a dozen or more pairs at once, the Redheads did not molest them; but 

 one of the compartments was occupied by a pair of flying squirrels (as I discovered too late) 

 and the Martins did not return. 



