l62 



Bird - Lore 



Ever since the Warbler wave in the 

 spring of 191 7, when one million Warblers 

 were estimated to be feeding at the Brigh- 

 ton Sewage Disposal Plant on May 23, I 

 have endeavored to visit the plant at least 

 once during the spring and fall migrations. 



The plant is on an open plot of ground 

 near Irondequoit Bay. All around it is a 

 most wonderful woods, the underbrush 

 being so thick it is hard to make one's way 

 through. It is a birds' paradise! Then, 

 too, the bay, with its vast marshes, pro- 

 vides a wonderful place for swamp-birds. 



On May 24, I arrived at the plant 

 about 3.30 in the afternoon, and, seeing 

 no birds on the gravel beds, I decided to 

 look in the bordering trees and underbrush, 

 with the hope of finding some there. I had 

 not gone far before I discovered four beau- 

 tiful little Northern Parula Warblers feed- 

 ing in the low underbrush. A single Nash- 

 ville was in a tree above me, singing, and 

 Yellow Warblers were very numerous. 

 Seeing a flash of color in a nearby hem- 

 lock tree, I focused my glass on the spot 

 and found a male Pine Warbler gleaning 

 insects from the branches. Then a Black- 

 burnian came into the line of vision. Low- 

 ering my glass I walked cautiously for- 

 ward, and as I got nearer, Warblers seemed 

 to appear all over the tree. I was now so 

 close the glass was not necessary. A Red- 

 start and a Black-poll were in the topmost 

 part of the tree. Further down were Chest- 

 nut-sided, Bay-breasted, and Magnolia 

 Warblers and a female Cape May. My 

 eyes were suddenly attracted to a rail of 

 the fence surrounding the plant, and there 

 was a splendid male Cerulean Warbler, the 

 first I had ever seen ! In a radius of fifty 

 yards I found two Tennessees and also 

 Hooded, Canadian, and Mourning War- 

 blers. And I heard an Oven-bird, a Nor- 

 thern Water-thrush, and two Maryland 

 Yellow-throats singing in the vicinity. 

 These, with an Orange-crowned and a 

 Black-throated Blue seen in the morning, 

 made a total of twenty-one Warblers for 

 the day, nineteen of which were seen in a 

 hundred-yard circle. Many other species 

 were seen here, and altogether they made a 

 tot9.1 of sixty-one different varieties geen 



in what the writer thinks to be the finest 

 spot for birds around this city. — Richard 

 M. Chase, Rochester, N. Y. 



What Killed Cock Robin? 



One morning late in June, an excitement 

 among the Robins hurried me to the porch, 

 to see a young one fluttering helplessly over 

 the lawn closely followed by a cat, while 

 the parents dashed about wildly overhead, 

 filling the air with their frantic appeals for 

 aid. I rescued the nestling and put it in 

 a cage which I left on the porch, so that 

 the old birds might keep in touch with it 

 and take it in charge when it had recovered 

 sufficiently from fright and exhaustion to 

 be released. If subjected to fright during 

 the early stages of flying, young birds be- 

 come semi-paralyzed, but after a few 

 hours of rest and quiet are then quite able 

 to fly to a place of safety. 



I supposed the parents of my protege 

 would remain nearby during its temporary 

 imprisonment, but they, apparently, took 

 no further interest in its fate, and it soon 

 cried insistently for food. I have an aver- 

 sion for a caged bird and did not want the 

 care of a Robin. Inspection showed it to 

 be very young, only half-feathered, still 

 wobbly on its legs, and unable to feed un- 

 less steadied in the hand. It had evidently 

 fallen from the nest and was entirely in- 

 capable of self-support. There was no 

 alternative but adoption for at least a 

 short time. 



It struggled wildly when I first took it 

 into my hand to feed it, but relaxed con- 

 tentedly as I put a morsel of softened bread 

 into the gaping mouth, and ever after en- 

 joyed being so held while feeding. It then 

 and there claimed me as a foster-mother, 

 and I thereupon christened it 'Bob.' 

 While Bob suffered attentions from other 

 members of the family, he made it plainly 

 evident that I was the sun and soul of his 

 existence. Shrieks of joy greeted my 

 appearance, and, running forward to the 

 bars of his cage, he awaited me with 

 quivering wings and eyes sparkling with 

 impatience. He became very tame, follow- 

 ing me about on foot on my visits in the 



