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A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS 



Official Organ of The Audubon Societies 



Vol. XIX 



May— June, 1917 



No. 3 



Our Neighbors of the Grape- Vine 



By THEODORE MACKLIN, Manhattan, Kans. 



With photographs by the Author 



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j^ ^^ IGNS of spring had indeed come. One of 



the neighbors' Httle folks had surely seen 

 a Robin perched far up on the cotton- 

 wood tree across the way and in the joy- 

 ful mirth of childhood had hastened to its 

 mother with the first news of the season. A 

 few days later when a weather relapse brought 

 a severe sample of the wintry days almost agone, 

 five badly chilled Robins were seen grouped on 

 the bare twigs of a scarred plum tree. The next 

 morning a carpet of white greeted any of the 

 redbreasts which had not hastily flown south. 

 One afternoon a few weeks later a visitor 

 was seen hopping about on the grape-vine that 

 in summer shaded the back porch. During the 

 days that followed it was casually noted that 

 Robins frequented the yard, the old garden 

 spot, and frequently the grape-vine. Curiosity 

 got the upper hand, and observation showed 

 that the Robins were bent on making a home of 

 their own in plain sight of our kitchen window. 

 What a strange place it seemed for a nest to be made ! Had the Robins thought 

 of the chance for a cat to climb the two by four scantling and make an unwel- 

 come visit? Had they chosen well to build within six feet of the back steps 

 and within easy reach of any passerby? 



When the Robins came the weather was too cold to permit the use of the 

 back porch, and the Robins saw no one who might in the future become a 

 cause for worry. The work of nest-making was started and finished long before 



