NATURE STUDY. 
I 3 8 
rows, which fly in, but I have seen but one bird which 
suggested sparrow—I thought that a white-throat. 
On one occasion I heard sounds suggestive of the jays, 
and, looking all about, seemed to find one in miniature, 
but suppose the wee bird was a white breasted nut-hatch. 
With his long bill he went exploring all possible lunch sta¬ 
tions on the umbrella tree, keeping up his cry almost con¬ 
tinually. I had only a gilmpse of him with my glass, but 
hardly believe I have misnamed the visitor. 
An unidentified blackbird flew overhead. There are 
plenty of the dusky brethren (in feathers) about and of dif¬ 
ferent families. I saw a large flock of cow-birds one day, 
and near them was a band (much interested in me) of large 
and small darkies, together. I believe they were boat-tailed 
grackles, known locally as jack-daws. 
C. J. Maynard says that the white-bellied swallows are 
the only ones found here in winter, so I need not attempt to 
follow the swift flight of the swallows which show so much 
white as they fly. 
Phoebe sits on the persimmon tree, taking short excur¬ 
sions and snapping his bill when he resumes his perch, or 
going to a near-by post to repeat the maneuver. 
Toggerhead shrikes are common callers, though silent 
ones. My friend says she has often found beetles, not birds, 
impaled on the orange thorns. The several that I have 
seen have evidently been hungry, for there was no storing 
up for future needs nor wanton killing. 
The buzzards are always in sight unless you are looking 
for some, and their curious flight interests me greatly. 
When three of them are sitting on the six-foot ridge¬ 
pole of a low hen-house and several posts of the clothes 
line are occupied by birds as big as Thanksgiving table cen¬ 
terpieces with the “dusters’ ’ on, the picture is a striking one. 
The tide was in most of the time while I watched yester¬ 
day, so the wading and other water birds were not “in it,” 
