AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 15 



About 10:30 I reached the Rocky Point Life Saving Station. The mist 

 had settled into a driving rain. It did not seem to "fease" the birds at all 

 though for there were still numbers of Ducks and Gulls on the water, and 

 as I walked around the building I saw Chickadees, Warblers and a Nut- 

 hatch. Behind the buildings was a flock of about twenty Goldfinches feed- 

 ing on some last year's seeds. On my approach they left the seeds and scat- 

 tered across the field with swift undulating flight. Near the fence, in a pile 

 of brush, was a Winter Wren and a number of Song Sparrows. 



I turned toward the cedar woods, which come almost to the station on the 

 west and came upon about thirty Lesser Redpolls. These birds were scatter- 

 ed through the tops of two oak trees which stood at the edge of the cedars. 

 I watched them a few minutes, when, as if with a sudden impulse, they arose 

 and disappeared over the woods. 



Entering the cedars I found mj^self in a small wilderness of trees, bushes 

 and cat briars. For some time I went on in silence save for the rattle of the 

 rain on the dead leaves and when a startled rabbit scurried out of my way. 

 Not even a Chickadee was to be found. At length, more or less scratched 

 and torn by briars, I came upon a muddy lane, which seemed to lead toward 

 civilization. I followed and soon left the woods behind. Suddenly from 

 across the fields came the clear whistling call of a ^Meadow Lark. I stop- 

 ped and listened. It came again and again. At length I saw him on the top 

 of a fence post some distance oif. A short distance farther the lane skirted 

 the woods again and there among the bushes along the fence were thirty or 

 forty Juncos and a few more Warblers. The lane ended in a barnyard, 

 and just before I reached it I was startled by a loud whirring from a pine 

 tree just ahead. I looked up quickly and was just in time to catch a glimpse 

 of a flicker as it disappeared in the woods. I passed quickly through the 

 yard out on to the road. In a maple across was a lone Robin, wet and be- 

 dragled, looking sorr}^ enough. I had almost given up hopes of seeing any 

 robins for there are usually a few around almost any time in winter. One 

 year I found over one hundred in a dense grove of cedars and pine, on the 

 21st of January.. 



It was now after twelve o'clock and pretty well soaked by the rain, I 

 had the good fortune to meet a friend with a covered rig, so I reached home 

 in a short time without seeing any other birds. I did, however, see one other 

 a little later, the Christmas turkey, for which I was just 'in time. 



A THRASHER'S NEST. 



As a rule now, I believe, the Brown Thrashers have learned to build their 

 nests in low shrubs or trees, instead of on the ground, as used to be the cus- 



