i8o 



Bird - Lore 



busier than ever. Her step-child, now 

 over twice her own size, had an insatiable 

 appetite. The Cowbird sat boldly on the 

 edge of the nest, sometimes almost falling 

 off in his eagerness for what she brought. 

 During the forenoon it moved to a nearby 

 branch, and, later, to the ground. In the 

 afternoon it tried its wings for distance, 

 and although it had had no practice, 

 easily crossed the road to the top of some 

 sumach bushes. Before sunset it had ven- 

 tured to the willows along the lake-shore. 

 And everywhere its faithful foster mother 

 followed with such dainties as she knew 

 how to find. 



I saw what I took to be our Yellow 

 Warbler for the last time on July lo, when 

 she came and once more examined the old 

 nest. Following her as she darted through 

 the trees toward the lake, I heard the voice 

 of a young Cowbird pleading for food. "I 

 thought so," I said to myself, but I was 

 , wrong. This Cowbird was being fed by a 

 Song Sparrow. — M. C. Otto, Madison, 

 Wis. 



An Eccentric Ovenbird 



On the morning of the second of July 

 (1918), at about 10.30, I was startled to 

 hear the Ovenbird's flight-song repeated 

 in the air over the pines toward the moun- 

 tains. He sang the entire song and then 

 darted down into the trees. About half an 

 hour later, I heard it again, this time over 

 the birches, to the west. Once more he 

 sang — at 2 o'clock — over the maples, 

 eastward. 



The next day, he sang, at 9 o'clock. This 

 time, and on the 5th of the month, he 

 sang three times before 4 o'clock. He re- 

 peated his song on different mornings- 

 fifteen times in all — the last on August 3 1 — ■ 

 and every time before 3 o'clock. I think 

 it was the same eccentric bird who sang 

 every time, for the notes were the same on 

 each occasion. Bradford Torrey, in 'Birds 

 in the Bush' says that he heard the Oven- 

 bird sing but three times before 3 o'clock 

 in the afternoon. 



In the evening this song is a common one 

 near our house, situated, as it is, in the 

 midst of the forest. Through June, July, 



and part of August it can be heard half a 

 dozen times every evening between sunset 

 and dark. Even tonight (September 5), as 

 I write, one rises from the trees, uttering 

 excited 'chips' and bursts into melody. 

 But what does the morning singing of this 

 peculiar Ovenbird mean? Has he lost his 

 sense of time? or is he a lover singing, per- 

 haps, for a lost mate? — -Theo. Spencer, 

 Chocorua, N. H. 



The Cape May Warbler in Southern 

 Maine 



During the three years previous to 1917 , 

 two or three persons who are interested in 

 birds reported that they had seen the 

 Cape May Warbler in the migration sea- 

 son. 



One lady, a keen observer, whose home 

 is very favorably situated for the study of 

 birds, saw two pairs in May, 1915, and 

 again in September, when they were 

 accompanied by their young. 



This was, to me, extremely interesting 

 information, and last year I diligently 

 sought to find the Cape May, but not until 

 this spring (191 7) were my efforts re- 

 warded. 



On May 25, in company with a bird- 

 loving friend, I was standing among some 

 low trees and bushes at the head of a small 

 pond, watching a flock of birds that was 

 flying about us, in which were two beau- 

 tiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and 

 one female, three Baltimore Orioles, two 

 Purple Finches, two Northern Parula 

 Warblers, two Canadian, one Wilson's, and 

 one Blackpoll, when, suddenly, I caught 

 sight of a bird that was new to me. 



In an instant I thought what it was, and, 

 turning to my friend, I exclaimed, "I do 

 believe that I just saw the Cape May 

 Warbler!" As I spoke, the bird flew into 

 a bush close by us, and she, having pre- 

 viously seen that Warbler, said, "That is 

 the bird," and, indeed, he was a fine male. 



Never was a bird more obliging than he, 

 for he flitted about us, displaying all his 

 markings to the best possible advantage. 

 For me, it was a moment of delight. 



On May 28 I saw in another locaHty, 



