Notes from Field and Study 



149 



Several years ago I liad the amusing arifl 

 pathetic sight of a one-legged Cirackle 

 trying to take a bath. Her mate had a 

 splendid splash, but poor 'One-leg' would 

 crouch down, balancing with one wing 

 partly spread, then, just as she touched the 

 water, she felt insecure and stood up again. 

 I took a snap-shot of her which I had en- 

 larged. 



In May, 192 1, who should appear but 

 'One-leg' and her careful mate! On account 

 of the frosts I had not put out the bath so 

 early and, disapjwinted, my friends went 

 away hoping for "2 rooms and a bath" in 

 s<jme other locality. 



However, I am not lonely, for Robins, 

 Sparrows — Song, English, and Chi|>ping, 

 Starlings, a Wood Thrush and a Kose- 

 breasted Grosbeak have quenched their 

 thirst or bathed near our dining-room win 

 dow. — E. U. BowLKS, Springfield, Mass. 



Evening Grosbeaks in Pennsylvania 



It may be of interest to readers of ['>iki) 

 LoKK to know that Evening Grosbeaks have 

 been observed in this section — 9 miles s^juth- 

 east of Harrisburg — it being the first time, 

 so far as I can as<:ertain, that these birds 

 have been reported here! Two were seen on 

 P'ebruary j8 and ;g feeding on the seed of 

 the box elders which line the drive through 

 the grounds of a home on the edge of 

 the town. — Mabkl H. Nisslky. Uummds- 

 town, Pa. 



Evening Grosbeaks in Iowa 



Sunday rn'^rning, I cbruary 26, a phone 

 call toiri me that two jjair of 'Canadian 

 (Jrosbeaks' were in a tree in front of the 

 M. F. Mcfihan home on Mechanic Street. 

 Mr. Tuttle and I hurried over there, and 

 before we reached them I could see with my 

 field-glasses four beautiful Evening Ciros- 

 beaks. It was my first persf;nal exj>erience, 

 and I have kept a record of the birds of this 

 vicinity since 1908. 



'ITie only other records for Osage, are: 

 April 23, 1 909. My son Donald came in 

 from schfxjl, all out of breath, saying that he 

 had seen a bird that was "all yellow and 

 black and white;" May 23, 1910, and April 



13, 1916 wlicn Mrs. W. II. Salisbury saw 

 them in the northern part of town. A flock 

 of twelve Evening Grosbeaks were .seen 

 January 24, 25, and 26, in New Hampton, 

 Iowa, about 50 miles southeast of Osage, 

 and this was their first record there since 

 1916. —Mks. ]•'. May Tutti.k, Osage, Iowa. 



Evening Grosbeaks at Waterlord, N. Y. 



On March 8, 1922, a flock of four male 

 arifl eight female Evening Grosbeaks were 

 found feeding on sunflower heads and giant 

 ragwe(rd along the bank of the Iludwin I<iv(rr, 

 at Walerford, N. Y. One female hung to the 

 sunflower heads, upside down, like a Chiik- 

 adee. The only notes utlererl were Starling- 

 like, metallic, 'zee, zee, zee, zee,' and often 

 only a single 'zee.' — Edgar Beukll, Waler- 

 ford, N. Y. 



Martins vs. Tree Swallows 



In 1919, in western Maine, I built and 

 erected a Martin-house of eight apartments. 

 I>uring that, and the following summer Tree 

 Swallows took possession of it for the scasf^n 

 and reared their broods. Late in the summer 

 of J 920, Marlins made a brief inspection of 

 the jjremises. In 192 1, two pairs of Martins 

 api^eared but were driven away by the 

 Swallows (who were alrea/ly brooding In the 

 house;;, assisted by those self-constituted 

 mounted police, the Kingbirds. I>ate in 

 June, however, the Martins returned — three 

 pairs of them. For four days the battle 

 raged without a decision. Hetween engage- 

 ments the participants would always retreat 

 to the same sfxAs, swapping recriminations 

 while gaining their breath and rleciding the 

 next move. I'inally, when both sides ha<i 

 experienced enough of warfare, articles of 

 peace were signed and three i)air» of Martins 

 fx;cupied the house with one pair of Swallows, 

 all rearing broods under conditions of tfjler- 

 ance, if not a<;tual intima/y.- -I''. IJ Rmght, 

 New lirilain. Conn. 



A Cliff Sv/alJow (J,'j]ony 



I am sending you a picture of rny barn 

 which has 300 Cliff Sv/allow nests. I put up 

 three shelves under their eaves and the 

 Swallows have built their nests on, above. 



