2l6 



Bird - Lore 



there, and, with but a few exceptions, the 

 Robins have been driven away. One 

 Robin has built over the arch of the cen- 

 ter window, and this spring a curious 

 bird note could be heard all dav long. 

 This was an incessant sparrow-like chirp, 



A LOOTED BOB-WHITE'S NEST 

 Photographed by Frank van Gilluwe 



interspersed with snatches of Robin song — 

 the chirp predominating; this was made 

 by a fine full-plumaged male Robin. He 

 had probably been reared among the Spar- 

 rows and, by imitation, had acquired their 

 notes. — Bruce Horsfall, Princeton, N.J. 



A Tragedy in Bird Life 



These early June mornings, so tempt- 

 ing to bird-lovers, have often found my 

 brother and I afield armed with field glass 

 and camera. And always, as we have 

 reached a certain 

 favorite spot, the 

 familiar call, "Bob 

 White! Bob White!" 

 has been sure to 

 greet us. Often, too, 

 we flushed the 

 Quail from the un- 

 derbrush, but never 

 a trace of the nest 

 could we find. 



Recently the 

 mystery was solved, 

 and a woodland tra- 

 gedy disclosed as 

 well. 



So carefully was 

 the nest made, and 

 so well was it hid- 

 den, that had it not 

 been for the tra- 

 gedy, we should 

 probably never have 

 found it. But five 

 or six of the white 

 eggs scattered about 

 in front of the nest 

 drew the eye and, 

 together with a 

 bunch of feathers 

 behind it, told the 

 sad story. 



Perhaps a family 

 of young weasels 

 that I saw playing 

 in a thicket hard 

 by could have told 

 more of it. And had 

 we had time to 

 stay and watch we 

 might have caught the thief coming back 

 for the rest of his booty. 



The nest is beautifully arched. One 

 might almost call it a blind tunnel. Per- 

 haps that is why the too careful mother 

 was caught. 



