16 TAHE AUDUBON BUT eae 
with porches being favorites, and went to housekeeping. This with birds is 
a joyous affair. No dishes to wash; no fires to make, the sun takes care of 
that. The wind sweeps and the rain cleans. They make their beds once 
and pick up their food without cash or credit. 
Food always determines the home of any creature, whether earth, air 
or water, and the numerous birds here are encouraged to come with mul- 
berry trees planted for their convenience and cherries for ours, but we 
share generously. Wild cherries, elderberry bushes, sumac, strawberries, 
raspberries, blackberries, and—one of my justifications—weeds for their 
seeds. At ploughing time and always in the garden there is food to be had 
by the observant and active bird; then insects are everywhere. Being 
insectivorous, this last supply of food no doubt gave the martins the 
courage to fight for their house. Mosquitoes have little chance where they 
are, and we have little chance where the mosquitoes are, so we welcome the 
martins. In return for these blessings, the birds sing their sweetest songs. 
While the purple martin cannot be said to have a real song, he has the 
most cheerful, sociable chatter of any feathered creature. On the comb of 
his roof he settles, after circling about in the air with long graceful sweeps, 
and delivers a series of staccato notes that ripple down the scale melodi- 
ously. It comes near to laughing; then as if choked with his amusement, 
he utters a throaty sound and chops it off short. * * * * 
Though they insist upon building their own houses, we are just as 
sure of the robins, the most domesticated of the birds and the possessor of 
the largest vocabulary and widest range of expression. My robin in the 
ravine can almost say “cat,’”’ for I know when one is near! I know it too 
well, for I got out of bed at daylight to chase one away at the robin’s 
repeated call for help. 
There are days early in May when excursions stop here for rest and 
refreshment. White-throated sparrows swarm in the ravine, uttering 
grateful little notes for the luncheon always spread and the bathing pools 
always full. Warblers and creepers find much of interest in the big old 
trees; brown thrashers, shy, alert and nervous, yet find enough to pay for 
by glorious songs delivered from the topmost trees. The catbird, my 
favorite singer of them all, is always with us and his twilight song is the 
very incarnation of May. 
(Further selections from Mrs. Jaques’ “A Country Quest” taking us 
through the remaining months of the summer will appear in the September 
and December numbers.) 
if ff ff 
THESE ARE days of “total war” against the enemies of our country and of 
our way of life. Our citizens are already being denied some of the things 
which they had come to think of as necessities. Most metals and many 
other products have been practically withdrawn from civilian use, and 
there would seem to be no valid reason why such military essentials as the 
powder and lead now used in hunting should not be completely banned. 
Why should not these be used against Japan and Hitler, rather than in 
killing ducks and geese that cannot by any stretch of the imagination be 
considered as necessary for food? 
