146 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-No. 9 



Golden-crowned Thrush TOven Bird), Siurus 

 auricapillus \ common. 



Robin, Turdus mi(jratorms \ common. 



Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla : a few pairs 

 breed. 



Wliite-throated Spai-row, Zonatrichia alJd- 

 collis- Abundant. 



Song Sparrow, Mdospiza fasciata'^ rare. 



White-bellied Nuthatch, Sitta carol inensis; 

 rare. 



Golden-wing Woodpecker, Colaptes aiiratus; 

 rare. 



Hairy Woodpecker, Picus villosus ; rare. 



Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon lunifrons; rare. 



We saw some other small birds (sparrows 

 and warblers) but could not get near enough 

 to identify them. We believe that nearly if 

 not all the above mentioned birds breed on this 

 island. We do not claim to have given a com- 

 plete list of the birds breeding here, our visit 

 being short, as we left about noon on the fol- 

 lowing day (27th) but it cannot certainly be 

 far astray as we were very careful and diligent 

 in the study. 



We had a very pleasant run across the bay 

 on our return home and arrived at Hall's Har- 

 bor about 5 o'clock. The weather for the most 

 part was fine and we returned home perfectly 

 satisfied with our trip. 



Pileated W^oodpecker, vs. Blue Jay. 



BY L. O. PINDAR, HICKMAN, KY. 



I will relate a little incident connected witli 

 the above bird of which 1 was an amused wit- 

 ness this morning. 



1 was coming back from a walk when I saw a 

 large black bird, which I knew at once, both 

 from the rolling flight peculiar to all woodpeck- 

 ers and the large white wing patches, to be a 

 Pileated Woodpecker. He was flying high up 

 in the air but as I watched him he flew down 

 and alighted on a tree not far off". I started to 

 the tree, for although the Pileated Woodpecker 

 is a rather common bird here in the swamps, 

 yet 1 always like to watch them. As I ap- 

 proached he flew to another limb but this tree 

 was already tenanted by a Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker who pecked him savagely and flew be- 

 hind the tree. Red-head then gave one of those 

 long rattling calls, which is one of the first 

 noises we hear of a morning. A Blue Jay 

 immediately appeared upon the scene and flew 

 at Hi/lotomus, not I suppose out of sympathy 

 for the Red-head but simply because a Blue 



Jay cannot keep out of a fight if he can get in- 

 to one. As he came Hylotomus dodged behind 

 the tree and as the Blue Jay passed struck at 

 him with his great dagger like bill with such 

 violence that missing the jay he was almost 

 jerked from his perch and he flew to another 

 tree. Immediately a dozen blue jays were after 

 him, but the moment he faced around all but 

 two took their departure in hot haste. The re- 

 maining two, however, charged him, drove 

 him from his perch and chased him all over 

 the large woods. At last, almost tired out, he 

 alighted on a beech tree, taking no notice of 

 his triumphant pursuers who were screaming 

 at him from a limb about two feet away, he 

 commenced to peck the rotton limb he was sit- 

 ting on. At the first stroke a large piece of 

 bark was hurled to the ground and the fright- 

 ened jays flew oft' screaming and left him mas- 

 ter of the field. 



My Mockingbirds. 



BY WALTER HOXIE. 



My young Mockingbirds are learning to fly; 

 one has just plumped down before the door and 

 his anxious mother is trying to incite him to a 

 feeble flight, for she has seen cats about such 

 places and thinks it a very unsatisfactory spot 

 for her infant. His little brothers are balanc- 

 ing themselves in the top of the hedge and 

 chirping tlieir approval of his brave venture. 

 Now he essays to reach the top of the fence 

 but his little tail is not long enough yet for a 

 servicable rudder and he misses his aim and 

 dumps himself among the potato vines on the 

 other side. His admirers, however, applaud 

 this new feat as loudly as the previous one. I 

 know that for the next day or two there will be 

 a good deal of fluttering about this corner of 

 my hedge. This is the second family this in- 

 dustrious pair have sent forth upon the world 

 this year. The first left the paternal domicile 

 while I was away and I only knew they had 

 arrived at years of discretion by missing them 

 when I came home. 



The present family were hatched hungry. 

 Young Mockingbirds as a rule possess large 

 appetites, but these were positively of unlimited 

 capacity. Tlie old people were kept skurrying 

 about from sunrise to sunset ; and here let me 

 say that their food was not confined to insects 

 by any means. Berries entei'cd largely into 

 their bill of fare and as a foster parent, I my- 



