8 Massachusetts Audubon Society 



Many such facile triumphs palpably raised the guardian sprite's cour- 

 age and self-esteem. Robins were added to his tale of vanquished — possi- 

 bly too contemptuous or too busy to fight back. Even the local orioles 

 learnt to avoid that hostile vicinage. One could almost aver that a symp- 

 athetic understanding exists, whereby birds good-humoredly tolerate in one 

 another this excessive zeal in the defense of loved ones and of home. 



A nearby nesting kingbird hawked continually about the yard, low 

 over the long grass. This formidable neighbor, though never encountered 

 in actual shock of battle, let him but glide past or away from the central 

 tree, and Mr. Chebec was hard on his stern, pressing the chase with all the 

 appearance, and obviously the zest, of a punishing pursuit. 



But overboldness in this kind of one-sided duello was inevitably ripe for 

 a check. 



One bright morn, as we stood watching, a black-billed cuckoo that 

 nested in a nearby tangle floated gracefully, absent-mindedly, into the 

 chebec's tree, right near the nest. We awaited the upshot with the well- 

 known bated breath. (Says Bradford Torrey; "Birds, like wild things 

 in general, have a natural reverence for size and weight." But watch 

 this fellow!) 



Instantly the midget flycatcher arrived from somewhere, and dashed 

 full at the huge intruder — biff! The dreamy, unaware cuckoo gave back 

 in a fluster; then, like a boxer, set himself for action. Head lowered, 

 feathers fluff"ed, a picture of outraged dignity, he faced his impudent as- 

 sailant for one long second, then drove straight at him, as if to swallow him 

 at once. With a prolonged shriek poor little Mr. Chebec turned tail in 

 utter rout — leaving nest and mate and all! Happily the cuckoo appeared 

 to take a philosophical view of the fracas, for having eff"ectively "saved 

 his face," he launched placidly, dreamily, away. 



PROTECT THE LAUREL 



THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIVE PLANTS 



THUS PLEADS FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SHRUB 



Our mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, is one of our most beautiful 

 native shrubs, both when covered with its wonderful masses of pink and 

 white flowers in early summer and during the rest of the year on account 

 of its rich foliage. Being an evergreen, which very few of our native 

 shrubs are, it makes a striking feature in a winter landscape. 



Laurel is distributed from Canada to Florida. It is an essentially Am- 

 erican plant, and it should be our pleasure and duty to protect it from 

 destruction; but its very beauty and charm induce cutting to an alarming 

 extent. It is gathered extensively twice a year. In summer the flowers are 

 taken for church and house decoration. In winter the inroads are much 

 more extensive and dangerous. Enormous quantities are then used for 

 festoons, wreaths, etc., in the Christmas dressing of churches and the de- 

 coration of ballrooms. As it is then cold weather, the foliage keeps well, 

 and bears transportation to a distance, so that the quantity collected is 

 only limited by the demand and the available material. It is to be noted 



