58 



THE OSPREY. 



fearless, but with a quiet modesty that 

 disarms any accusation of rudeness. 



Several years ag-o. in late August. I 

 was, one day, becalmed about twenty 

 miles from the coast of Lower California. 

 As I lay sprauling- out on a pile of lumber 

 on deck, i I saw a King-let alight on the 

 end of the main boom. Disliking- the 

 constant jerking- of his perch he next 

 tried the cabin roof. Within five min- 

 utes he had thoroug-hly explored the 

 schooner even to venturing to peek down 

 the companionway into the cabin. The 

 next important business was to g-et 

 acquainted with the crew, and he spent 

 seconds — a Kinglet is seldom in one spot 

 long-er — on the toe of my upturned shoe, 

 calmly looking me in the eye as if to ask, 

 ''Do you shoot birds?" 



For several hours he stayed with us, 

 catching- flies from the deck or rail, but a 

 breeze sprang- up. he bade us g-ood bye 

 and disappeared in the distance. 



A Meadowlark once spent several 

 minutes in vainly trying- to alig-ht on the 

 top mast of the schooner. It was evi- 

 denth' very tired but would not venture 

 near the deck. 



I once saw a flock of Mexican Horned 

 Larks twenty-five or thirty miles from 

 land on a fog-g-y day, and from the direc- 

 tion of their flight I would venture the 

 opinion that Otocoris alpestris c/n-ysolacnia 

 is now a common species in China, if they 

 did not g-et tired out before they reached 

 land. 



Swallows are very often met with dur- 

 ing migrations, and alwavs seem very 

 much at home even thoug-h out of sig-ht 

 of land much more so than was a Short- 

 eared Owl I saw one morning- flying- just 

 over the water and seemingly looking- 

 for a bunch of marsh g-rass to hide in for 

 the day. 



Some Original Observations. 



BY REV. J. M. KECK. 



IX the spring- of 1894 I placed a Blue- 

 bird house upon a g-rape trellis post in 

 my garden, and was in due time 

 rewarded by having- it occupied by a pair 

 of those delig-htful Warblers — for why 

 should they not be called Warblers in- 

 stead of the S\h'icoUdac which never 

 warble?. 



In the Sr-ring of 1895 no Bluebirds 

 came. During- the whole season I ob- 

 served none in the township, excepting a 

 few in the autumn mig-ration. 



While I was still awaiting- the advent 

 of the Bluebirds, a pair of Eng-lish Spar- 

 rows took up their abode in the vacant 

 house. These usurpers I resoh-ed to dis- 

 lodg-e. Failing- with milder measures. I 

 finally shot the male Sparrow. But, 

 absolutely undaunted, the female contin- 

 ued nestbuilding- and was joined by 

 another mate before nig-ht. The next 

 morning- she was ag-ain bereaved in the 

 same manner, and ag-ain was remated 

 before the close of the day. After repeat- 

 in this prog-ram for several days without 

 variation. I introduced a chang-e by 

 removing the female. Somewhat to my 

 surprise, the performance was as little 

 interrupted as before. The surviving- 

 male secured a mate the same dav. and 



housekeeping- was apparently taken up 

 where it had been dropped in the morn- 

 ing-. 



About this time a House Wren appeared 

 upon the scene, and at once beg-an to 

 make vig-orous application for the pos- 

 session of the avian domicile. His mate 

 came to his assistance in a day or two, 

 and the plucky little brownies proved a 

 g-ood match for the obnoxious foreig-ners. 



Despairing- of the Blue birds, it was there- 

 fore May day, I granted the Wrens posses- 

 sion for the season. With a little assistance 

 on my part, they g-ained and retained 

 full control of the premises until the time 

 of their annual departure. 



In the spring- of 1896, in order to fore- 

 stall the Sparrows, the entrance to the 

 habitation was closed with a larg-e corn- 

 cob until the notes of the Bluebirds were 

 heard in the morning- air. Quite a num- 

 ber appeared in the vicinity, but none 

 manifested any desire to inhabit my 

 bird house. The cob was replaced until 

 April 21. when suddenly a male Wren 

 appeared upon the roof of the little 

 house dancing- and chattering- in extatic 

 g-lee. He was probably a member of the 

 family of the previous year, but whether 

 father or son. I was unable to determine. 



