144 



Bird - Lore 



over from 1915. Large flocks are occa- 

 sionally recorded in mild spells in winter. 

 One or two individuals frequently winter. 



Rusty Grackle. — Two on April 15 

 form my latest record. 



Red - WINGED Blackbird . — Arrived 

 March 25. Latest date for first one seen 

 by eleven days. 



CowBiRD. — Although recorded in De- 

 cember, the first spring migrant did not 

 appear till March 25, forming a new late 

 arrival by thirteen days. 



Pipit. — Two were seen on September 

 ID, eighteen days earlier then any pre- 

 vious record. Three were seen on the fol- 

 lowing day, and they were regular there- 

 after, ten being seen on the 15th. 



Snow Bunting.— One April 6, latest 

 record by three days. 



Brown Thrasher. — One wintered 

 through from 191 5. Uncommon in winter; 

 third occurrence in sixteen years. 



Catbird. — One wintered through from 

 1915. Although a very severe winter, this 

 bird went through in excellent shape, re- 

 siding continually in a cedar woods. For 

 weeks its only companion was a White- 

 throated Sparrow. They fed together by 

 day and lodged underneath the shelter 

 of the same cedar bough at night. They 

 subsisted mostly on various seeds and 

 berries, occasionally scratching for in- 

 sects among the leaves when snow per- 

 mitted. 



Hermit Thrush. — One May 7, latest 

 date for last one seen by seven days. 



Bluebird. — First migrant seen March 

 25. In common with other early spring 

 migrants, was very late in arriving. This" 

 species was less rare than in the three pre- 

 ceding years. There were two records of 

 it breeding in the locality, first nesting 

 records in four years at Orient. — Roy 

 Latham, Orient, N. Y. 



Bird Life on the Border, as Seen by a 

 National Guardsman 



Most soldiers at the Border appreciate 

 ornithology more from the culinary than 

 the naturalist's point of view. Keen appe- 

 tites, produced by long hikes, hard out- 



door work and often a deficient food- 

 supply have caused the Dove (of which 

 there are three common varieties: the 

 Mourning Dove, the White-winged Dove 

 and the Mexican Ground Dove) and the 

 Bob-White to become the best-known 

 birds in this vicinity. A small guard of 

 men stationed at some outpost in charge 



YOUNG MOCKINGBIRD AS A CAMP PET 



Photographed by Private L. I. Grinnell, Troop D, 



Squadron A, N. G. N. Y., McAllen, Texas. 



of water or food supplies, a shotgun bor- 

 rowed from a nearby ranchman, and a 

 few hours off between periods of guard 

 duty have strengthened an acquaint- 

 anceship with these two types of birds. 



, As a matter of fact, however, next to 

 the Dove the most common bird in this 

 vicinity observed by the writer during 

 the summer of 19 16 was the Western 

 Mockingbird. The accompanying illus- 

 tration shows a young Western Mocking- 

 bird, which was discovered hopping around 

 in front of my tent. On being offered some 

 cracker crumbs it became exceedingly 

 tame and perched on our hands and hats. 

 — Private Lawrence I. Grinnell, 

 Troop D, Squadron A, N. G. N. Y., Mc- 

 Allen, Tex. 



A Stone Bird-Bath 



The accompanying photograph shows 

 a bird-bath made by chiseling in a large 



