^larch, 1922 
FOREST AND STREAM 
117 
ROBIN HOMES 
O NE of niy most delightful bird ex- 
periences was in connection with a 
pair of robins that built a nest in the 
main crotch of an ash-leaved maple that 
stood beside the walk in front of the 
house. Here the birds built their nest 
and reared their young but three feet 
from the heads of pedestrians passing by 
at all times of the day. As soon as the 
little birds were hatched the parent birds 
could be seen on the lawn and in the 
garden looking for food for their ever- 
hungry babies. It used to amuse me to 
sec them discover an earthworm, seize 
it, and with all their strength pull it 
from the ground and then calmly gather 
it in a compact mass of coils and carry 
it to the nest. How anxiously they fol- 
lowed me when I was at work in the 
garden ready to seize each worm or grub 
uncovered. 
I chanced one day to be splitting some 
jack pine wood in which there were 
many white grubs. These the birds soon 
discovered and then all other food was 
discarded. That was a dainty baby food 
that could not be beat. How the birds 
waited and watched for each new grub 
and how they hurried to and from the 
nest. They became so tame that they 
soon took grubs from my shoe when 
placed there. I worked a little each day 
to accommodate the birds and they, as 
may be surmised, were always on hand 
until after the young birds had left the 
liest. Then I missed them and I had 
lost some of my most intimate bird 
friends. 
This year my acquaintance has been 
larger than usual. I carefully observed 
approximately twenty-five nests for a 
period of twelve weeks, all of them 
being within a mile of each other and 
all but a few rods from the banks of 
the same creek. Four of the nests were 
built on the projecting parts of build- 
ings, one on the ragged top of a wil- 
low stump, one on the dead branch of 
a broken-down tree, two in vines, and 
the bulk of the remainder in thorn trees. 
These trees make ideal bird homes and 
the birds are quick to see and pick the 
best places. One nest was at least thirty 
feet from the ground, while the one on 
Robin nest on window ledge 
Robin nest in crotch of tree 
the branch of the fallen tree was but a 
little over a foot from the ground. The 
greater part of the nests, however, were 
from four to ten feet from the ground 
and were in or near the main crotch of 
some tree. Alvin M. Peterson, 
Wisconsin. 
PHEASANTS AND DOMESTIC 
FOWLS 
T N the coverts of the Inland Empire, 
* that wide stretch of valley, field and 
foothill surrounding Spokane, Wash., the 
Chinese pheasant has found a habitat to 
his liking. With abbreviated shooting 
seasons, some winter feeding and ad- 
mirably enforced protection, this magni- 
ficent oriental game bird has increased 
vastly and promises to much more than 
hold its own. The season of 1921 saw 
splendid pheasant shooting. 
In the Spokane country the brilliantly 
plumaged male birds are wont to Hock 
together in the denser coverts. The drali 
females, on the contrary, show a decided 
predilection for the farmyards and it is 
a very ordinary incident to sec a dozen 
of them feeding with the domestic fow Is. 
And thereby hangs a tale. 
Last season reports came .o hand that 
white birds had been seen in coveys of 
Chinese pheasants. The report persisted 
this year and came from widely separ- 
ated points. Game wardens stated they 
had seen as many as three or four white 
specimens in a single covey, that ap- 
parently they were as large, as wild, as 
strong on the wing and more or less 
similar in build to the ordinary pheasant. 
When the season opened several of the 
freak “Chinamen” were killed and close 
examination points to the fact that the 
white birds are the result of barnyard 
liaisons between hen pheasants and leg- 
horn cocks. Brilliant crimson coloring 
around the eyes and the characteristic 
tail are about the only points in common 
between the pheasant cock and his hybrid 
brother. The cross has been discovered 
more or less generally throughout the 
district and has created considerable in- 
terest among sportsmen. 
R. A. Laird, secretary of the Spokane 
(Washington) News Bureau, has fur- 
nished the accompanying photograph. 
We quote further details from a letter 
received from Mr. Laird: 
“Early in the season it was noted in 
various parts of the Spokane country 
that several flocks of "Chinamen” con- 
tained white birds. The season nad not 
advanced very far before several of 
these birds were shot and the mystery 
was solved. They have so many of the 
ear-marks of the Leghorn chicken that 
the birds are unquestionably hybrids. 
During the winter the cocks flock by 
themselves and are quite wild. On the 
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