Notes from Field and Study 



231 



the ordinary appearance, raised two 

 broods in our trees in 191 1. Several of 

 his Jong wing-feathers were white, and 

 the upper half of the tail-feathers (except 

 the middle ones) was white. This year, 

 on April 18, a Robin came to us with 

 broad, white wing-bars, and several white 

 feathers in each wing. The tail had only 

 a rather large white spot on each corner, 

 and the rump was whitish. He and a plain 

 Robin had a nest high up in the branching 

 of a maple, less than twenty feet from the 

 house. On the morning of May 25, a very 

 young nestling was found on the ground 

 below the nest. A Crow had been seen 

 two mornings before, in a neighboring tree, 

 and we wondered if he had done the mis- 

 chief. Early on the morning of May 27, 

 the Robins were hopping anxiously about 

 in their tree, making low alarm notes. 

 They occasionally went and looked into 

 their nest, and once the mother settled 

 down upon it for a short time. At about 

 5 A.M., there was an outcry, and I looked 

 out in time to see a great Crow approach- 

 ing the nest, followed by both Robins. 

 He quickly reached it, and I rushed to the 

 door to frighten him away. He went at 

 once, but probably took the last young 

 Robin with him, for though the parents 

 stayed in the tree a short time, hopping 

 nervously about and making low notes of 

 alarm, they never went to the nest again. 

 On May 30, they began a new nest in the 

 elm that was used for a home tree by 

 the white-marked Robin of last year, and 

 at present writing (June 10) all is well. 



This year, in the pine tree of a near 

 neighbor, is the nest of a Robin that has a 

 long wing-feather that is white. We won- 

 der if it is the child of our last year's 

 albino. — Eliza F. Miller, Bethel, Vt. 



January Bluebirds 



On the afternoon of January first, with 

 the ground snow-covered and the tem- 

 perature below freezing, I saw two Blue- 

 birds, both males, in the park at Auburn- 

 dale, Mass. In eighteen years I have never 

 before had the fortune to see Bluebirds in 

 January. — VVm. Fvi.i.^R,Aubiirndale,Mass. 



Killdeer in New Hampshire 



It is interesting to know that a pair of 

 Killdeer Plovers are nesting near here. 

 These birds have become so nearly 

 extinct in this part of New England 

 that one lone individual, seen on the 

 salt meadows in March, 1901, is the 

 only note that I have made of them 

 hereabouts. 



The pair that are nesting here I saw 

 for the first time about two weeks ago. 

 They were in an open pasture, five or six 

 miles from the sea. At first sight, I mis- 

 took them for Sparrow Hawks, which 

 they resemble in their manner of flying. 

 They had young ones hidden somewhere 

 near, for they kept flying about me at 

 no great distance, then coming to the 

 ground and running along with trailing 

 wings. I shall be very glad to learn that 

 these most interesting birds are returning 

 to their old haunts, for they are said to 

 have been very common all along the New 

 England coast in earlier days. 



I believe that if the close season on all 

 beach and marsh birds were fixed in all 

 states from the first of January to the 

 first of September, these, as well as the 

 Upland Plovers, would soon be fairly 

 abundant again. — W. E. Cram, Hamp- 

 ton Falls, N. H., June 13, 191 1. 



Note on the Screech Owl 



May I add one word more, relative to 

 a query raised by Mr. Clarke in the July- 

 August, 1911, number of Bird-Lore, 

 p. 192? It is there stated that a wounded 

 Barred Owl was found which had appar- 

 ently refused to leave a tree that was 

 being cut down. In taking the roof ofif 

 a bird-box the whole box was violently 

 shaken, but in it I discovered a full- 

 grown Screech Owl crouching defiantly. 

 If all this rough treatment failed to 

 drive the bird out into the unwelcome 

 daylight, it is not hard to believe that 

 the Barred Owl may have refused to 

 leave a tree at which the choppers 

 were working. — W. G. Cady, Middletown, 

 Conn. 



