170 



Arkansas Bird Notes. 



March 15. — "The martins are here." 

 March 17. — ''The httle house built for 

 the martins was scarcely in position ere it 

 was occupied; not without investigation, 

 however, on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Mar- 

 tin." 



April 12, — "Strawberries in full bloom, 

 and we have heard frogs." 



April 18. — "The long, clear notes of the 

 oriole." 



May 3. — " Picked strawberries three 

 weeks from full bloom, and just one year 

 from date of last year's first picking." 

 May 6. — " Had peas from our garden." 

 May 27. — "Used potatoes, not quite 

 ripe." 



February, 1887. — "The robins and blue- 

 birds are here the very first of the month, 

 but I am sure there are not as many as last 

 year. Do they remember the treatment 

 they received last year and before?" 

 February 7. — " Heard frogs last night." 

 March 2. — " The martins are here." 

 March 4. — " We were awakened this 

 morning by loud chatterings and calls, and 

 cries from martin and sparrow, and were 

 amused spectators of a short, yet spirited 

 conflict between them. The little house 

 built for and occupied by the martins had 

 been appropriated by the little sparrows 

 during the winter, and now came the mar- 

 tins to claim previous occupancy. It is 

 needless to tell that the martins came off 

 victorious, yet so it is, but the eviction was 

 not accomplished without much goings off 

 for reinforcements on both sides. Now the 

 martin sits on his roof gurgling out defiance 

 to all the sparrow tribe." 



April 14. — "The oriole is here four days 

 earlier than last year." 



April 15. — "Amid the chatter of the mar- 

 tins, the fiddling of the blackbirds, whose 

 coming I failed to note, we heard a new 

 song. After some search our patience was 

 rewarded by a sight of the singer, who 

 proved to be our friend the oriole with a 

 new note." 



April 16. — "The redbird seems to be 

 here after all, for I heard him to day in a 

 sort of duet with the oriole." 



April 18. — "I am surprised indeed, for 

 the redbird, which I was sure I heard, 

 proves to be the oriole again. I have 

 watched him so closely that I am sure 

 there can be no mistake. It seems strange 

 there is not more said of his varied gifts as 

 a singer. He has his own peculiar trill or 

 rolling song; the robins call, and now the 

 redbirds whistle." 



April 23. — " The new magazine called 

 the Audubon, published in the interest of 

 the Protective Association, whose April 

 number we saw at the printing ofifice, and 

 at once sent for, has arrived, and we are 

 much pleased with it, particularly so with 

 the February number containing a nice 

 article on the oriole. The writer says that 

 Nuttall speaks of an oriole 'which imi- 

 tated the whistle of the cardinal redbird, 

 the call of the Wilson's thrush, and the 

 song of the robin.' Just what I had noted, 

 and I am delighted to be able to corro- 

 borate so fully the testimony of so well 

 known an observer, and perhaps spread the 

 news of a fact not yet well established." 



April 26. — " I thought I heard our little 

 yellowbird to-day. Must listen for him." 



April 27. — "Heard a new singer in the 

 already full orchestra. From a pretty fair 

 look at the little warbler I think he may be 

 the fallowfinch or wheatear from the de- 

 scription we have of that bird." 



May I. — "Have just noticed the pres- 

 ence of the woodpecker, though I suppose 

 he has been here all the time, but as we 

 had no peas or plums as yet he had no 

 business with us, and we no interest for 

 him." 



May 2. — " Magnolias in full bloom, roses 

 and honeysuckle past their first prime. 

 Peas for dinner." 



Perhaps this is enough to suggest a line 

 of action to the most casual observer who 

 may read these simple notes. L. M. S. 



