THE WORLD RECORD FOR FEATHERED FRIENDS 99 
shouting at the top of their voices; but 
the phoebe went on building her nest, 
then hatched her eggs, and fed her young 
without fear, though she could see every 
one and every one could see her. 
“T was also surprised to find how 
friendly birds, even of the same species, 
can become. For instance, had 14 
pairs of wrens on a single acre, some of 
the nests being not more than 15 feet 
apart. We also had robins’ nests only 12 
yards apart. The bluebirds, on the other 
hand, do not like each other, and would 
not tolerate another pair of bluebirds 
nearer than 100 yards. 
“The first year we had no flickers, but 
there was a pair nesting in an old apple 
tree on our neighbors’ property. During 
the winter the tree was blown down and 
our oldest son obtained permission to get 
it. He cut out the portion of the tree 
which contained the nest, cleaned out the 
hole, and then hung the nest in a dying 
cherry tree. The nest was not more than 
ten yards from the house, but was taken 
possession of in 1914 and again in 1915. 
“We had, in 1915, seventy-five pairs of 
martins in an area approximating ten 
acres, and expect to have a great many 
more than this in 1916. We had one pair 
of red-throated hawks nesting in our 
apple orchard, and kept them for two 
years; but they developed such a fond- 
ness for poultry, having frequently been 
caught thieving, that finally we had to 
shoot them. We have in the woods a 
splendid pair of barred owls. They come 
around the barns at night, and I suspect 
them also of attempts at chicken thieving 
Ss 
but they are too handsome and rare a 
bird in these parts to shoot. There is 
nothing good to be said of the screech- 
owl, which we suspect of having been the 
cause of the mysterious disappearance of 
many young birds from the nests. 
a any one wants excitement, I sug- 
gest that he buy or borrow a stuffed owl 
and put it out in the garden in the day- 
time during the nesting season. All of 
the birds in the neighborhood will soon 
congregate, and the children will learn 
them quicker than in any other way.” 
A census of the species in the 100 acres 
of fields and woods in Mr. Grosvenor’s 
“Wild Acres” shows that last summer 60 
species were nesting on the farm, and it 
is expected that these will be added to 
every year 
Commenting upon the story of the 
birds at “Wild Acres,” Dr. Frank Chap- 
man, the editor of Bird-Lore, says: 
“The birds which Mr. Grosvenor has 
brought about him are unquestionably 
more his birds than if he had shot them 
and placed their skins in a cabinet. With 
their death his responsibility for their 
welfare would cease. But a living bird, 
to which we feel we owe protection, is 
exposed to so many dangers that our 
fears for its safety are correspondingly 
aroused. These birds of our garden are 
our guests. Through the erection of 
bird-houses and by other means we have 
invited them to live with us, and when 
they accept as readily as they have with 
Mr. Grosvenor they make us realize not 
only our responsibility, but they awaken 
the strongest sense of hospitality.” 
