34 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



apart. I saw the two squirrels playing among our covey of 

 Quail, who were feeding under the Cornel bushes near the house. 

 The Quail did not seem to be at all disturbed by them. 



The main feeding places are near the dining room windows, 

 from which we have a good view of all the birds, as well as the 

 squirrels when they are feeding. The windows are of the "three 

 in one" kind, giving a window space of more than six feet. 



It is a beautiful sight to see, as we have, at one time, twenty- 

 two Doves and fifteen Quail feeding together under and near a 

 large Cornel bush, and twenty or more Cardinals together with 

 many of the smaller birds ; and the two fat sleek Fox Squirrels 

 eating walnuts, each from his own pan; the Woodpeckers (some- 

 times all five kinds) extracting bits of suet from the holes bored 

 in the post supporting one of the nut boxes, or pressed into crev- 

 ices in the bark of the big elm; and Robins eating dried cur- 

 rants, sliced apple and crumbs of suet. I was surprised to ob- 

 serve that different Robins prefer different foods ; some are 

 partial to dried currants, others to suet while others prefer 

 sliced raw apple, and one is very partial to finely ground pea- 

 nuts, a favorite food of the Flickers also. Little Bewick's Wren, 

 also, is fond of suet and nut crumbs. He has been with us all 

 winter, but by the middle of April, when the House Wren ar- 

 rives, will have to change his abode. What a pity for there is 

 simply no comparison betwen the two birds in point of de- 

 sirability. Bewick's song is far sweeter, he is equally tame, 

 and strictly minds his own affairs ; while the House Wren is not 

 only "fussy," but a destroyer of the eggs of other birds. I have 

 watched the home life of the House Wren for a number of 

 years. It is a complicated affair, concerning which I may write 

 some other time. 



Birds have so many enemies ; Hawks, Cats, Screech Owls, 

 snakes (in summer), gray squirrels and flying squirrels, to- 

 gether with Blue Jays and Grackles, which like the snakes, sys- 

 tematically despoil the nests of both eggs and young. Conse- 

 quently, we have to exercise "eternal vigilance" in order to give 

 our birds needed protection. 



Meadowlarks, Bewick's Wren, Cardinals and Mocking Birds 

 sing here all winter, or rather at any time during winter. There 

 are two Mocking Birds now. The one with us all winter is much 

 lighter in color than the one who has recently come. The lighter 

 one lost his tail feathers during the winter ( as did two Cardinals 

 and a Junco) and for a time only the long white feathers came 

 in. The newcomer is very, very dark; he keeps from the box 

 at the base of the elm tree, while the lighter one comes from the 

 west side of the house and eats bits of suet. The newcomer has 

 to watch his chance in eating, for if seen by the other he in- 

 variably chases him off. Mr. Ridgway says the dark one has the 

 appearance of a hybrid between a Mockingbird and a Catbird, 

 the underparts being quite as dark a gray as the back, while 

 very little white shows in the wings when it flies. 



