24 Bulletin No. 3 



peated it exactly. He did not think it worth while it seems, for he did 

 not keep it up, neither did he pay any attention to the jay, farther 

 than to object to the jay being fed first. He once broke his glass 

 bathing dish and I replaced it with a china one of nearly the same 

 shape and size, but he would not use it and i never saw him drink 

 ■from it. When I gave him another glass one he immediately went 

 into it and the splashing that he indulged in, testified to his delight. 

 His chief food is cracker and milk, which he has always, but we give 

 him house flies, spiders, crickets, wireworms, earwigs, ants, grubs, 

 grasshoppers, indeed all sorts of insect, also lean fresh meat, all of 

 which he takes eagerly from our hands, but rarely can be induced 

 to accept anything from a stranger. A grasshopper is always a source 

 of surprise to him and he seldom catches a live one, but stands look- 

 ing in all directions after one has made his escape. His cage is his 

 castle and upon his return from a flight among the trees one day, 

 he found a waxwing occupying it. His astonishment was great and 

 his indignation even greater. He ran around the cage several times, 

 the feathers on his head standing up and if he could have reached the 

 little interloper would have made things disagreeable for him. The 

 waxwing was removed to another resting place and our little robin 

 went in and stayed there evidently meaning to prevent any further 

 happenings of that kind. His fear of any bird is great when he is out 

 of his cage and the robins who live near us are his enemies at all 

 times. I have seen two at a time attack him with such force that he 

 feu from the top of a tall tree to the ground. As this is the only 

 bird that we have ever had that has been treated in this way, we infer 

 that his unusual musical abilities accounts for it. Just now he cheers 

 us with a soft little song and an occasional whistle, often indulging 

 in a flight from his cage, following us from room to room, a charming 

 companion, the embodiment of cheerfulness and contentment. 



A STORY OF A BLUEBIRD FAMILY. 



(An abstract). 



Miss Alice H. Sayles, Starksboro, Vt. 



In the spring of 1907, I kept a daily bulletin, recording the date 

 of the return of each species of our migrating birds. In consulting 

 this record I find that the brave bluebird has first mention. At 6 

 A. M., March 18, I first noticed him mounted oh the topmost spire of 

 of an old lombardy poplar in our yard, warbling "a hymn to welcome 

 the budding year." Previously, a bird box had been placed beneath the 

 eaves of the barn, which was soon discovered by our bluebird and his 



