62 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Winter Breeding of the American Crossbill. 



By Clarence H. Clark. 



The date in the entry in my journal may make the item of 

 some interest to the readers of the Journal of the Society. 



While a crew of lumbermen were at work about ten miles from 

 L,ubec, Me., on January 29, 1910, they noticed, to their surprise, 

 some small birds roll out of a tree which they had just cut down. On 

 investigation they found a nest and three small birds about three 

 weeks old, two of which had been killed by the fall. The living one 

 was brought to me and identified as a Red or American Crossbill. 

 It died two days afterwards and I had it mounted. 



The eggs from which these birds were hatched must have been 

 laid during the latter part of December. 



A Robber Baron. 



By Cordelia J. Stanwood. 



Walking in a lonely piece of woods I was somewhat startled by 

 a buzzing sound. A Hairy Woodpecker immediately struck against 

 one side of a tree, and the maker of the noise, a Humming Bird, 

 alighted on the other. There the big fellow crouched in abject 

 terror, while the little fellow jabbed at him, first around one side of 

 the tree, then around the other side of the tree. This one-sided 

 battle continued for some time, when the Hairy Woodpecker sought 

 another tree only to be closely pursued by his tormentor. 



Probably the Woodpecker was goaded to his duty b}r necessity 

 — a nest of young waiting for food but a few yards distant. At any 

 rate, in spite of the jabs of his persecutor, he began to bore holes 

 for insects. When he had drilled a hole the Humming Bird 

 descended upon him and drove him away. I did not see that the 

 Humming Bird reaped any material benefit from this rough warfare. 

 After a time he left the Woodpecker to his work, but still lingered 

 in the neighborhood. 



Not long since I saw a Humming Bird pestering two Black- 

 throated Green Warblers who were feeding young in the trees. 



