JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



39 



pests, and worms that are so destruc- 

 tive to lawns. There are usually from 

 twelve to fifteen robins scattered 

 about the grounds and each one seems 

 to vie with the others to see which can 

 gp. the most worms in the morning 

 hours, before the people of the house 

 are astir. Several of these birds at 

 least were nesting near the hotel. 

 One pair had a nest just back of the 

 hotel near the shore of the lake and 

 while the young were clamoring for 

 food the parents would resort to the 

 lawn and gather food tnen fly over the 

 top of the hotel to the nest. There 

 seemed to be one pair more fearless 

 than the others which seemed always 

 to feed nearer the house, usually but a 

 few feet from the drive-way or main 

 entrance to the house, and I believe it 

 to be always the same pair of birds. 

 You have, no doubt, watched the 

 robins feeding on a lawn. We see 

 them hopping along or running for a 

 short distance, crouch and listen or 

 standing erect, canting its head to one 

 side and listen intently, then dart 

 ahead a few feet and thrusting its bill 

 into the ground, grasp an earth-worm 

 and tug away jerking its head until it 

 succeeds in pulling out a big fat one, 

 which it straightway proceeds to de- 

 vour. Then the same process is re- 

 sorted to again. Were it not for the 

 robins our lawns would be almost if 

 not totally ruined by these pests. 



Many pleasant mornings have 1 

 spent watching the birds busily get- 

 ting their morning meal. Then too, 

 there are always other birds to at- 

 tract one's attention as we are seated 

 on the hotel veranda at Rangeley. 

 Chipping sparrows may be seen sport- 

 ing on the lawn and the song of the 

 song sparrow is ever in evidence. 

 Then too, comes from the shore of the 

 lake down by the boat-house, from out 

 the thick bushes and weeds, the 

 cheery little call who-are-you! from 



the alder flycatcher, mingled with the 

 calls of the blackbirds. There are red- 

 wings and bronzed grackles galore. 

 As we look farther away, down toward 

 the golf links we see flocks of these 

 bronzed grackles, and individuals scat- 

 tered here and there feeding on 

 worms and insects on the lawns just 

 as we see the robins, each very busy 

 running here and there gleaning their 

 morning meal, while the red-wings are 

 catching water-bugs along the reedy 

 shore, hopping from stick to stub, ut- 

 tering their melodious calls, kong- 

 quer-ee-e, the last syllable being usually 

 long-drawn. High over head flaps 

 their cousin the crow, twisting his 

 head to one side and the other, utter- 

 ing his call, which says to those be- ' 

 low, "all is well," and passing on up 

 the lake to Oquossoc and other parts 

 of the wilderness to see if the country 

 is safe. 



Once while in the place I heard the 

 pleasing whistle of the meadow lark 

 and caught sight of two others below 

 while on the little train as they got up 

 from the grass and scaled and flut- 

 tered along over the top of the grass. 

 Each trip as I leave the lakes I hear 

 the song of the Swainson's thrush, on 

 either side of the railroad which seems 

 to be much the commonest thrush in 

 that region. In whatever town one 

 goes through whether large or small, 

 near the coast or way back in the in- 

 terior, we always find the robins help- 

 ing to rid our lawns of pests. But it 

 is not so common to find the colonies 

 of grackles feeding on the lawns. I 

 have observed them, however, in con- 

 siderable quantities on the grounds 

 about the University of Maine at 

 Orono, where they rest in the spring- 

 time in the coniferous trees scattered 

 about the grounds. J, M. S. 



