264 



Bird - Lore 



where I have been a close student of bird 

 life for forty years, there is unquestion- 

 ably an increase. At the same time, some 

 curious changes have taken place. 



The Red-tailed Hawk and the Great 

 Horned Owl, were quite abundant during 

 the si.xties. Now not more than one of each 

 is found nesting during a season. In their 

 place have come the Broad-winged Hawk 

 and the Barn Owl, — both more numerous 

 as nesting birds than the ones they dis- 

 placed. These birds are both highly bene- 

 ficial to the farmers, and are not subject 

 to the merciless persecution of the earlier 

 species; though it must be said that the 

 Red-tailed Hawk is also classed as a bene- 

 ficial bird. He was wiped out some years 

 since, by a state law which paid a bounty of 

 fifty cents on every Hawk or Owl killed. 



In i860, the Bluebirds and the Red- 

 headed Woodpeckers were among our 

 most abundant insect destroyers. Later 

 they disappeared, victims, probably, of 

 unfavorable weather conditions, until 

 practically none were left. The Bluebirds 

 have come back again, and the Red-headed 

 Woodpeckers are also slowly gaining in 

 numbers, though not yet as numerous as 

 formerly. 



Among new birds to spread over the 

 country may be mentioned the cheery 

 little Carolina Wren, an all-the-year resi- 

 dent, and a wonderfully fine singer. This 

 is a southern species, but it is every year 

 extending its range further north. The 

 • same may be said of the Cardinal. Along 

 the Susquehanna river there are great 

 numbers of these brilliantly colored 

 birds, and they are also becoming much 

 more abundant hereabout. Their cheery 

 whistle can be heard all the winter through 

 in the protected swamps that give them 

 shelter. 



One of our reasonably common birds 

 that is rarely seen is the Grasshopper 

 Sparrow. It is quite common, apparently, 

 and several will be heard by the close 

 observer on a day's walk, though it hides 

 successfully in the grass fields and is very 

 skillful in concealing its nest, — the latter 

 being made rather late in the season, 

 generally located on the ground. 



Since Crow-Blackbirds have been put 

 on the list of game birds, they also are 

 disappearing. This is to be regretted, 

 because they are not game-birds and are 

 not fit to eat. Making an open season for 

 them results in their being wantonly shot 

 and then thrown away. If the farmer, 

 when he shoots one would cut its stomach 

 open and examine the contents, he would, 

 in the springtime, find it filled with cut- 

 worms and some others of the most 

 troublesome insects that infest his fields. 



The Crow is a bird that is universally 

 persecuted, though it seems to be holding 

 its own fairly well. It is a robber of other 

 birds' nests in the summer time. Re- 

 cently, Dr. Elinger, of West Chester, was 

 walking near the Normal School, when he 

 noticed two Crows flying overhead. One 

 of them carried some object in its claws. 

 Presently the Crow dropped it, when the 

 second Crow swooped down and succeeded 

 in catching it before it had had time to 

 reach the ground. Shortly afterward the 

 second Crow dropped it. The doctor was 

 curious, and went over to examine what 

 the Crows had carried. He found a young 

 half-grown Blackbird that had evidently 

 been stolen from a nest. It was still alive, 

 and the doctor carried it home and placed 

 it in a nest full of young Robins. The old 

 Robins did not object, but the young Black- 

 bird would not eat food, when offered by 

 the foster parents, and died during the 

 night. Then the Robins pitched it out of 

 the nest. 



My observations and my records show 

 that hereabouts birds are increasing in 

 numbers, with the exception of those shot 

 for game. These become more numerous 

 for a year or two, and then a cold, wet 

 nesting season comes along and they are 

 almost exterminated. — R. P. Sh.arples, 

 West Chester, Pa. 



A Horned Owl Record 



After the first deep snow in December, 

 1902, I discovered some strange marks 

 made by a large bird in the snow that had 

 drifted over a stone wall. They were at 

 first almost without meaning to me. What 



