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Bird - Lore 



Pepoon and I saw a flock of about twenty 

 within a mile of the city limits, where, I 

 dare not say, for fear some gunner will 

 get word of it. They seemed to be in a 

 wild state, but they may have been intro- 

 duced, for all I know. 



Chickadees. — Chickadees have been 

 remarkably scarce here this year. Glen- 

 coe, Millers (Ind.), Willow Springs and 

 Half Day have been the only places I 

 have found them. — Newton L. Par- 

 tridge, Chicago, III. 



A FLICKER'S NEST SITE 



A Flicker's Home 



"Shooting on these premises is strictly 

 prohibited under penalty of the law." 

 A wise Demarest (N. J.) Flicker has 

 selected a home which is at this date (June 

 8)' occupied, and which bears the above 



legend in lieu of a name-plate on the door. 

 Such seeming sagacity should be rewarded 

 by success in the rearing of a large and 

 happy family. — B. S. Bowdish, Demar- 

 est, N. J. 



Two Sparrow Episodes 



A friend in this town, who is a close 

 observer of birds and is thoroughly re- 

 liable, has just told me the following 

 incidents. A Robin was gathering angle- 

 worms in the lawn, and had filled her bill 

 with a fine bunch of them for her little 

 ones in the nest near at hand. Several 

 English Sparrows were hopping about 

 close to her, evidently intent on trickery. 

 As the Robin lifted her head and was 

 getting ready to fly, one Sparrow at her 

 right, and another in front, were chirping 

 and threatening in a way to divert her 

 attention; then, just at the right moment, 

 a third Sparrow darted up to her from the 

 right side and a little in the rear and 

 nabbed the bunch of worms, pulling them 

 all from her beak. Poor Madam Robin 

 stood looking puzzled, as if she scarcely 

 knew what had happened. 



My informant also says that the Purple 

 Martins, as a rule, seem to be quiet and 

 peaceably inclined just as long as the 

 English Sparrows keep their distance. 

 But more than once he has seen one of 

 the Martins turn like a flash on a Sparrow 

 that was getting too bold and coming too 

 near, seize it by the feathers of the nape, 

 give it a twist and a snap, and send it 

 whirling to the ground. This will help to 

 explain how the Martins manage to hold 

 their own against the Sparrow clans. — 

 Leander S. Keyser, Canal Dover, Ohio. 



A Correction 



The notice of a Prothonotary Warbler 

 in Central Park, in the June number of 

 Bird-Lore gave, by my mistake, the 

 date of identification as May 8, instead 

 of May 4. The bird was not seen after 

 May 5. — Anne A. Crolius, New York 

 City. 



