THE OOLOGIST 



163 



the juice of elderberries. Trees and 

 bushes were filled with the clamor of 

 the jolly feasters in the season of 

 riotous living. 



Though set deep enough in the 

 country — Ellsworth station is but a 

 cluster of five houses and a school 

 house by the railroad, yet, our near- 

 est woods was over an eighth of a 

 mile away. Hence many birds visited 

 us because we extended such su'iericr 

 attractions in the way of *-"/': r~'rl, 

 water, coverts and nest silej. £uch 

 notes are strewn along as may add to 

 the interest if not to the value of it. 

 To elaborate all of our experiences 

 would indeed make a little book. Al- 

 though the conditions were doubtless 

 unusually good for the making of such 

 a list, still no one should be discour- 

 aged if they fail in the matter of mere 

 numbers. Many no doubt will be able 

 to surimss this number. But real 

 observations by a pair of seeing eyes 

 is the thing which counts. Study your 

 home birds, for true bird-study, like 

 charity, begins at home. Study the 

 home-life of birds, for this period is 

 the most intense in the whole round 

 of these enthusiastic beings. If you 

 have but one bush or tree find what 

 birds may be seen in that through the 

 year. 



An asterislv is em;)loyed to indicate 

 a bird that nested about our door-yard. 



1 . Robin* 



2. Blue-bird* 



3. Cat-bird.* 



4. Hermit Thrush. 



5. Olive-backed Thrush. 



6. Grav-cheeked Thrush. 



7. Wood Thrush. 

 S. Song Sparrow.* 



9. Field Sparrow.* 



10. Vesper Sparrow.* 



11. Chipping Sparrow.* 



12. White-crowned Sparrow. 



13. White-throated Sparrow. 



14. Tree Sparrow. 



IT). Junco. (These t"wo gave us joy 

 in winter and added animation to 

 scenes about the lunch-counters. 



1 'i. Indigo-buntings. 



17. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



IS. Cardinal Grosbeak. (This splen- 

 did fellow came to us more frequent- 

 ly in winter when bird visitors are 

 most prized, although liable to turn 

 u]) whistling cheerily at any time of 

 year. 



19. White-winged Crossbill. We 

 \ve:e so fortunate as to have two vis- 

 its from this rare rover from the 

 I'Coi'th, which are, so far as we know, 

 the only records froi.: this (Mahom- 

 ing) County. 



20. Pur])le Finch. For several days 

 a male in full song haunted the premi- 

 ses giving us the best opportunities 

 we ever had to study his rich song. 



2!. Red-poll. Almost daily during 

 the winter of his greatest abundance 

 here, 1908-9, we had this bird for a 

 dooryard guest, and had many animat- 

 ed scenes in which he was feeding, 

 singing and finally courting ere de- 

 parting for his boreal home in April. 



22. Pine Siskin. 



23. Goldfinch. Though this bird 

 did not breed in the yard that we 

 ever lound, still, he was a very at- 

 tentive caller visiting our garden to 

 peck our beet leaves to ragged frin- 

 ges and to eat lettuce and sunflower 

 seed. 



24. Bob -white. Occasionally a 

 covey went trooping through our 

 yard, or, in the hunting season ap- 

 peared knowingly to seek refuge there 

 from dog and gun. 



25. Ruffed Grouse. Often in the 

 vernating Spring days or later, on 

 moonlight nights we could hear him 

 beating his tam-tam in the thickets of 

 the nearest woods. 



26. Spotted Sandpiper. Him we 

 could see running nimbly with many 

 a teeter and sudden sally by the wil- 



