AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 149 



torn "Dey keeps de hawk frum de chick'ns." In answer to my inquiry 

 if the English Sparrows fought them, he said, no, but he always took the 

 box down in winter and put it up again the first of March. If the 

 Martins once took possession the Sparrows could not drive them away. 

 If the Sparrows took it in the winter they would "hold the fort" 

 he thought and the Martins could not regain it. 



The Cardinal Red-bird or Grosbeak CardinalLs cardinalis, with its 

 ringing call or whistle "What cheer, what cheer," is the most attractive 

 winter resident we have. The Kentucky novelist, James Lane Allen, 

 in a late story has forever — to the Kentuckian, associated this bird with 

 his State. In it, too, he utters a strong plea for the protection of birds, 

 as well as a fine compliment to the indefatigable worker, Audubon 

 who spent some time collecting in this state- 



He writes of a time, when a boy, he once went his way to the woods, 

 as to Damascus a little Saul of Tarsus among birds, breathing out 

 slaughter, when suddenly from forest and orchard, from thicket and 

 hedge row, came the words, "Why persecutest thou me." Per-se-cu-test, 

 per-se-cu-test !" — the birds singing the old, old chorus against man's 

 inhumanity. I wish there could be such an "awakening" among the 

 boys in my neighborhood, who walk the streets as a man does the 

 woods in autumn, armed with their diabolical machine, the air-gun. 

 One boy boasted, and a near sighted boy, too, of killing eighteen birds 

 in half an hour and this spirit is excused by saying "it is the hunter's 

 spirit," "boys must kill something." The much abused English Spar- 

 row gets the entire blame of the disappearance of song birds in our 

 town, but it is certain that the "small boy" armed with one of these 

 deadly toys has a hand in this destruction quite as much as this cheery 

 little naturalized foreigner. 



The study of birds and celebration of "Bird Day" in the public 

 schools may do much to stop this. Then if the old custom of putting 

 up boxes for Martins, Bluebirds and Wrens about houses were continued 

 and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals would take a 

 shot at the manufacturers of toy guns, perhaps we would have more 

 song birds with us in our city trees and parks. 



Among game birds the Partridge (Colimis virginianus) is generally 

 quite common, though some years is slaughtered without mercy. 

 The Wild Ttfrkey is often taken though not common. Ruffed Grouse 

 are occasionally seen. They were once quite frequent as well as the 

 Woodcock. This, locally known as "Wood-chuck," is a rare bird now. 

 Doves are common, though constantly taken out of season. The 

 Meadowlark and Yellow-hammer also are often offered for sale. They 

 should both, I think, be protected and not counted as game birds. 



