256 NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 



great snap and often jump quite a distance. It is very amusing to watch a 

 squirrel open a cone to get the seeds. He knows that if 1 e started at. the 

 top or side he would have to gnaw through about one-half inch of wood 

 almost as hard as flint. But the sagacious animal turns the cone over and easily 

 eats the scales where they are thin and join the branch. Here he easily pulls 

 off the scales and eats the seeds. 



SOME MAINE BIRDS. 



BY 



Mildred A. Robinson. 



(Read before the Mavnard Chapter of the Newton Natural History Society, 



Dec. 29, 1899.) 



It seems very probable that one of the reasons which tempt the migrat- 

 ing birds to pass through our own region into the woods of Maine, is 

 the abundant supply of food with which the Maine woods are provided. 

 Even if this were not so, who could blame the birds for deserting the very 

 limited woods bordering the city, fcr the wild tree forests along the coast of 

 Maine, where even the English sparrows are undreaded and where few peo- 

 ple ever disturb their peace ? 



Early on the morning after our arrival, I lay listening to the many 

 soigs with which the neighboring woods were echoing. From the distance 

 came the notes of the wood thrush ; a woodpewee was plaintively calling to 

 his tiny gray mate ; a goldfinch and a redstart were running opposition lines 

 from across the orchard, and from the meadow beyond, came the happy, rol- 

 licking song of the bobolink. 



We were sure that a Maryland yellow-throat had his nest in the low alders 

 not far away. Hardly a day passed that the male, and often the female, were 

 not seen in that vicinity, and at all hours their jerkey fitful notes of '* Avitch- 

 er-ty, witch-er-ty, witch-er-ty, witch," could be heard. But though we 

 floundered about, up to our waists in the tangled underbrush, the nest was 

 never discovered. 



On one occasion, as we were following the winding course of a trout 

 brook which led us several miles into the densest part of the forest, we were 

 fortunate enough to see the black-throated blue warbler. This bird is easily 

 distinguished by the small white patch on either wing. 



The same day we saw a flock of red crossbills, a chestnut-sided war. 

 bier, black and white creeping warbler, black-billed cuckoo and the vesper 

 sparrow. Once while driving slowly along a country road, a male and female 



