JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



45 



seeing him come walking across the 

 road from the woods on the other 

 side, walk to the same bushes that 

 furnished him a supper the previous 

 evening but not finding as many buds 

 as he wanted he crossed the road, 

 coming under the window where my 

 wife sat, picked up some crumbs that 

 had been thrown out for some little 

 birds, then walked around the house 

 to where a poultry yard was fenced 

 in with poultry wire, he began to walk 

 close to the fence back and forth 

 seemingly hunting for a place to get 

 through the fence. He would poke 

 his head through the wire trying to 

 get through to some rose-bushes in 

 the yard. Tracks of a Ruffed Grouse^ 

 had been seen in the yard some days 

 before. There was a hole in the 

 fence where he probably got through 

 but the snow had drifted over it. 

 After trying ineffectively to find his 

 way through, just as the dusk deep- 

 ened he flew away. Our curiosity was 

 aroused and now we watched with re- 

 newed interest to see if our little 

 friend would come back again. He 

 came just the same way, alighting on 

 the opposite side of the road, walking 

 across, picking up scattered crumbs 

 and grain beside the fence. One even- 

 ing he was within two feet of the door- 

 steps, he began to ruffle up and make 

 that noise, a kind of cluck when 

 startled. On looking to see the 

 cause, creeping upon him was a large 

 cat, but after finding he could not 

 frighten the cat by his brustling and 

 clucking he flew away.. What was 

 our surprise the next evening to see 

 Mr. Grouse walk serenely across the 

 road with three companions following 

 in his rear, till they reached his fav- 

 orite feeding ground of rose buds and 

 crumbs. From some cause they did 

 not come back again, perhaps on ac- 

 count of a thaw which took place at 

 that time. GEO. E. CUSHMAN. 



Cape Elizabeth, Me, 



PROTECT THE BIRDS. 



Hattie Washburn. 

 The great good Giver not only gave 



Boundless tracts of fertile soil, 

 But a vast army to guard their fields 



To the patient sons of toil. 



The loved army of the feathered tribe, 

 Who ere day his course has run, 



Are singing their wild songs of 

 triumph. 

 Of victories nobly won. 



The victories o'er the insect foe 

 That if by the birds unsought, 



Would vanquish all and vilely perish 

 'Mid the ruin they had wrought. 



Growing crops and forest *-.c?es would 

 die, 

 The orchards forget to bkom. 

 And the reptile, the dumb brute and 

 man 

 All would find a common torao. 



What if they take portions of our 

 fruit? 



Their slight needs must be supplied, 

 Every great and prosperous nation 



For it's army must provide. 



More to mankind than Thermopylae, 

 Hastings, Yorktown, Waterloo, 



mean the well fought and endless 

 battles 

 That the birds each morn renew. 



Yet man is oft their most dreaded foe, 



Stern, unmerciful; and why? 

 To satisfy a barbaric lust, 



A lust to see creatures die. 

 I would form an army of all mankind 



And on the emblem write these 

 words 

 O'er a field white as angel's robes, as 

 pure 



As my purpose, "Protect the Birds." 



