4 Massachusetts Audubon Society 



a movement which is in line with the Avork of the Audubon Society during 

 the past three years in which it has advised and assisted hundreds of people 

 in this work on their estates. During the past year, for instance, nearly 

 two thousand cloth posters have gone out from this office, to be used in 

 posting land against hunting. Mr. Burgess has the hearty endorsement of 

 the Massachusetts Audubon Society in his good work. 



PUBLIC GARDEN During migration time the Public Garden in Boston 

 BIRDS. is an excellent place in which to view the passing 



migrants. Attracted by the bright lights of the city 

 during their night flight, they concentrate for rest and food in this oasis 

 of grass and trees with its sparkling water. There they seem to lose some 

 of their fear of man and are readily approached. They pass, but certain 

 summer birds remain, notably the robins. These seem much tamer in the 

 garden than in the country and sometimes hop up and accept crumbs or 

 peanuts tossed them. More often they search for earthworms or other food 

 supplies common in the green sward. Watching several the other day, the 

 writer wondered if robins are right-footed. Each bird started off with a 

 hop or two and then ran, and as each ran he put his right foot forward 

 first, invariably. The sparrows hopped all the time. The pigeons and 

 grackles walked, starting with either foot indifferently. One swallow does 

 not make a summer, and three robins do not prove the race right-footed; 

 but it would be an interesting, if hardly important, thing to know. 



Another interesting bird study in the Garden is the mother black duck 

 and her eight ducklings. The tiny fluffs, just hatched, swim and dive like 

 ducks indeed, while their mother floats or swims leisurely, keenly watching 

 them. On bright days the youngsters prove very definitely to the watcher 

 that these birds are insectivorous, for they flash back and forth on the 

 surface with amazing activity, snapping flies out of the air or off the water. 

 Under natural conditions our wild ducks are, without doubt, of use in keep- 

 ing down the mosquito and other insect population of the streams and 

 marshes. 



BREEDING Now that spring shooting has ceased, legally ceased any- 



WILD FOWL, way, in Massachusetts the larger wild fowl are beginning 

 to breed here again in greater numbers. Black and wood 

 duck may be expected in the next few years to become more common and 

 more tame and with the steadily increasing number of sanctuaries to 

 steadily increase in number. Wild geese, too, are breeding again, though 

 rather rarely as yet, within the limits of the state. Francis A. Foster 

 reports a pair and three goslings seen on Martha's Vineyard this spring. 

 Canada geese breed in captivity here, of counse, but these birds are wild, 

 and reports of wild ones seen elsewhere in the state during the breeding 

 season are occasionally received. These great birds, seen free on lake and 



