44 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



koos within the city limits, where the 

 trees are infested with some sort of a 

 moth which they doubtless find ac- 

 ceptable food. The white-crowned 

 sparrows were unusually plentiful this 

 year, being seen May 22 and the fol- 

 lowing week. Purple martins are to 

 be found in several localities. At 

 Scarboro the owner of a martin house 

 told me that he had a large colony the 

 first of the season, but most of the 

 birds died during the three weeks of 

 very rainy weather which came after 

 the long drouth early in the summer. 

 Olive-sided flycatchers have been here 

 all summer, at least five pairs having 

 been noted. The colony of black- 

 crowned night herons at Falmouth 

 Foreside was visited in June when the 

 young birds were fully grown. Here 

 they live in security, as the owner 

 does not allow a gunner on his 

 grounds. Now that the shooting sea- 

 son for snipe, sandpipers and plovers 

 is begun the great Scarboro marshes 

 furnish fine opportunity for bird study, 

 as well as the adjoining flats and sea 

 beach at Pine Point, where several 

 kinds of gulls, terns, ducks in great va- 

 riety, grebes and other sea fowl con- 

 gregate on their southern journey. 



W. H. BROWNSON. 

 Portland, Aug. 20, 1903. 



or two still others say they have not 

 seen a cuckoo. — Ed.) 



(Note — The black-billed cuckoo 

 seems to be very rare in many parts of 

 the state, so far as I have observed. 

 Have also inqired of several of our 

 members and other observers and all 

 report a scarcity of cuckoos. I think 

 that the scarcity is due, as Mr. Brown- 

 son's remark above suggests, to the 

 scarcity of caterpillars. Very few 

 tent caterpillars and other' varieties 

 are seen this summer. Even the orch- 

 ard ists report there are no railroad 

 worms working the fruit this season. 

 I have only observed three cuckoos. 

 Others I have talked with report one 



THE RING PLOVER. 



In rhymth, with the rippling wavelet, 

 They flit along the tide-wet sand. 



Leaving trail of webbed foot-prints, 

 Far out on the glittering strand. 



In rhymth, with the foaming billow 

 Amid sound of ocean's roar; 



Seeking nest among the sea-weed, 

 Among drift-waste on rocky shore. 



At home, with the ebbing waters, 

 'Mid the breakers they feed afar, 

 'Long dripping rocks, when tides 



run low 

 Along the shoal, and gleaming bar. 



At home, with the white-capped wa- 

 ters, 

 When the wild-waves fret and cling 

 'Round ragged reefs, when tides run 

 high- 

 Braving the storms, on tireless wing. 



ALICE B. WAITE. 

 South Lyme, Ct. 



A NEIGHBORLY PARTRIDGE. 



One day last February I was sitting 

 by my window about five o'clock in 

 the afternoon, when I saw a Ruffed 

 Grouse, commonly called Partridge, 

 alight a few feet from my house and 

 begin to pick the rose buds that were 

 plenty on the bushes along the side 

 of the road that runs in front of my 

 house. I called my wife and together 

 we watched the little fellow perhaps 

 twenty minutes industriously getting 

 his supper. As the shadows length- 

 ened he began to get uneasy and 

 presently flew away. The next even- 

 ing my wife thought she would watch 

 and see if he would come again. In 

 a little while she was rewarded by 



