Notes from Field and Study 



139 



32. Wood Thrush. Two pairs of these 

 birds were nesting near the stream and 

 another on the margin of the woods. 



33. Wilson Thrush. Two pairs nesting 

 in the woods. 



34. Robin. About fifteen pairs nesting. 



35. Bluebird. One pair breeding in a 

 bird-house on the edge of the woods. — 

 Richard M. Chase, Rochester, N. Y. 



The Woodcock as a 'Bluffer' 



The instinct of self-preservation is usually 

 strong in all animals, and Nature has fur- 

 nished many devices for the protection of 

 her children. Color patterns which har- 

 monize deceptively with the surroundings, 

 pretended injury to attract the intruder's 

 attention away f rorn a nest, and the posture 

 of motionless silence are some of the most 

 common forms. 



An excellent example of the application 

 of all three methods was seen by the writer 

 a few summers ago when he flushed a 

 Woodcock while passing along an old, 

 unused woods-road. Because of her pro- 

 tective coloring the bird was not seen until 

 flushed, and although it was certain that 

 the nest was directly underfoot, it required 

 several minutes of close observation to 

 discover the three little balls of feathers 

 huddled in the middle of the path. 



The mother bird, pretending to have a 

 broken wing, and uttering cries of apparent 

 distress, flew, fluttered, and flopped over 

 a stone wall into a large field adjoining. 

 Recognizing the trick, and wishing to see 

 how long she would 'play the game,' the 

 writer left the young birds undisturbed 

 and followed her. When the pursuer 

 stopped, the bird redoubled her efforts to 

 coax him away, now remaining temptingly 

 near, again flying to a safe distance. This 

 performance was kept up across the ten- 

 acre lot to the farther wall, where, partly 

 concealed by a fringe of small trees, this 

 stupid-looking, shallow-pated, but cun- 

 ning Woodcock, thinking she had quite 

 fooled the enemy, suddenly recovered the 

 use of her wings, and flew in a wide circle 

 toward her nest. 



Retracing his steps, the writer sought 

 the young birds, and, standing very near, 

 slowly stooped with extended hand. Not 



a movement or a peep. Closer and closer 

 went the hand, and still, true to the in- 

 stinct that in absolute quiet lay their 

 safety, they did not stir. Only one inch 

 away! Could they stand the strain? 

 Again the hand moved, but the instant 

 the finger touched those tiny balls of yellow 

 fluff, the spell was broken, and away they 

 went into the bushes, where they were 

 doubtless soon rejoined by their mother. 

 So well do the feathers match the light 

 and shade of the surroundings that one 

 may stand almost directly over a Wood- 

 cock on her nest, knowing the bird to be 

 there, and yet for some time fail to see 

 her. Turn away for a moment, then back 

 again, ahd it is almost equally difficult to 

 make out the form. Even the large eyes, 

 adapted, perhaps, for nocturnal activities, 

 seem to blend with the foliage of the 

 swampy thicket so frequently chosen for 

 her nesting-place. — S. N. F. Sanford . 

 Boston, Mass. 



A Tame Grouse 



In the November-December, 1920, issue 

 of Bird-Lore appeared the story of a tame 

 Grouse near Schenectady, N. Y. Several 

 years before that there was a tame Grouse 

 at Oneonta which was discovered twenty 

 miles away the following spring. 



June II, 1920, I noticed a Grouse follow- 

 ing me in a patch of woods near Melrose, 

 N. Y., about twenty miles from Schenec- 

 tady. I was on the highway, walking, but 

 entered the woods and cautiously approach- 

 ing the bird, a male, succeeded in catching 

 it with bare hands. He had spread his ruff 

 and tail like a Turkey, and slowly walked 

 ahead of me although I was within arm's- 

 length. After admiring and petting it, I set 

 it down and the bird calmly proceeded on 

 its dignified promenade, making a chuck- 

 ing noise. Upon mentioning this to Mr. 

 Burroughs the following week, he told me 

 of the Oneonta bird. 



The date is not mentioned in the 

 November-December article, but there is 

 a possibility of this being the same bird. 

 A great many automobiles pass this road 

 on their way to Troy and Schenectady and 



