Potes from Field and Stuy 
A Semi-domesticated Warbler 
Some time in October, 1909, a Myrtle 
Warbler flew into the Union Station, in ’ 
Washington, D. C., and took up its abode 
in the drug store which occupies a small 
room at one corner of the large waiting- 
room. Here it remained for over a month, 
spending most of its time on top of the high 
cases which occupy the sides of the room, 
but flying freely about on the counters, and 
showing no fear of the people in the store. 
Its food seemed to be chiefly house-flies, 
which it caught with great dexterity, and 
it frequently drank of the various bever- 
ages which were spilled on the soda 
fountain. In one instance, it was said to 
have been made ‘drunk’ by over indul- 
gence, and, falling into a tub of water, 
would have drowned had it not been 
promptly rescued. 
On November 20, in company with Mr. 
W. R. Maxon (who had brought the case 
to my attention), I visited the station, and 
found the bird to be active and gentle, 
as described. On November 25 it died 
naturally, and I secured the skin for my 
collection. The bird was an adult female, 
in dull plumage.—ArTHuR H. HOWE Lt, 
Washington, D. C. 
A Prothonotary Warbler in Wellesley, 
Mass. 
On June 2, 1909, I had the good fortune 
to see a fine specimen of this beautiful 
Warbler on the Wellesley College grounds. 
He was, apparently, a male, and was in 
mature and brilliant plumage and full 
song. 
I was attracted by hearing a new note 
among the familiar songs that fill the air 
on a June day. As I happened to be occu- 
pied with a piece of writing which must be 
finished at a certain hour, I tried to ignore 
the song; but it was so near and so in- 
sistent that I threw my writing aside and 
started in pursuit. In shorter time than 
it takes to tell it, I had the bird under ob- 
servation and, saw that he was indeed a 
stranger. He was in a yery vivacious 
mood, and some of his movements can 
only be described as antics. 
He had a sharp tilt or two with a pair of 
Phoebes that had a nest near. One of the 
best views I had of him was when he set 
about examining one of the college houses. 
(Wood Cottage). He went into the broad 
piazza and perched on the backs of several 
of the chairs, investigated trellises, blinds 
and window-sills, then went to the edge 
of the roof and into the gutter, where he 
drank, and caught and ate a moth. His 
rapid changes from one pose to another 
afforded a good view of him from every 
angle above and below, and his rich yellow 
showed to fine advantage against the dark 
background of the house. 
In all, I stayed with him for about half 
an hour. In the meantime I had run back 
to the house for opera-glass and bird-books 
and found that he corresponded exactly 
to the description of Protonotaria citrea; 
but the extreme rarity of that bird in 
this region filled me at once with doubt 
and excitement. 
I called a friend, who is an excellent 
observer of wide experience, and, although 
she looked incredulous and even dubious 
when I breathlessly said “‘ Prothonotary,” 
she came out and agreed in my judgment. 
Later, I consulted the college collection 
of mounted specimens, and found that 
my bird coincided in every particular 
with the one in the collection, except that 
he looked to me a trifle larger and was 
in more brilliant feather—ANcIE CLARA 
CHAPIN. 
Wren and Sparrow 
Four years ago I nailed an oil-can under 
the gable end of a small building near the 
house, the bottom of the can flat against 
the building. The can was the sort with 
a cork-fitted opening, with handle that 
served as a door-step for the Wrens that 
took up housekeeping in it. I have no way 
of knowing that the same Wrens haye 
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