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FORTHE PEOPLE

FOR EDVCATION

FOR SCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

MxXt lore

AN ILLUSTRATED BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO
THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT

5*b.

jDtficial flDtgan of t&e autiubon &ocirtie0

Audubo.v Department Edited By

T. GILBERT PEARSON

AND

A. A. ALLEN

VOLUME XXII— 1920

D. APPLETON & COMPANY

HARRISBURG, PA., AND NEW YORK CITY

Copyright, 1920
By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

INDEX TO ARTICLES IN VOLUME XXII
BY AUTHORS

Abbott, Clinton G., Secretary. Report of, 417.
Abbott, Cyrill, Secretary'. Report of, 411.
Abraham, Mrs. \V. \\ '.. Evening Grosbeaks Like

Sumac Berries, 222.
Adair, Ward \\\, A Railroad Robin, 289.
Alexander, E. Gordon, see Sawyer, J. Clark.
Allatt, Frank, Christmas Census, 28.
Allen, Amelia S., San Francisco Region, no, 171,

232, 296, 360.
Allen, Arthur A., Editorials by. 56. 115, 177, 238,

301, 367; How to Build Bird-Houses, 59;

Directions for Keeping a Bird-Calendar, 116;

The Return of the Birds, 119; Learning Bird

Songs, 177; The Eggs of Birds, 239; How Birds

Change Their Plumage, 302; Winter Bird's

Nests, 367.
Allen, Mary Pierson, Christmas Census, 27.
Anderson, J. R., Bird Notes from Victoria,

British Columbia, 282.
Ankeney, Helen, Christmas Census, 36.
Atwell, George C, Secretary, Report of, 405.
Ax tell, Harold H., Christmas Census, 23.
Ayres, Douglas, Jr., Christmas Census, 21.

Bachman, Charlotte, see Downhour, Elizabeth.

Bagg, John L., and Aaron C, see Healey, Alden.

Bailey, Guy A., The Boat-Blind in the Snow. 336.

Bailey, Mrs. H. M., see Ross, Julia.

Bailey, Lewis, see Cannon, Gabriel.

Baker, James P., Jr., A Curious Nesting Habit of

the Tufted Titmouse, 211.
Ball. Mrs. David C, Secretary'. Report of, 415.
Barrett. Mary T., A Clever Robin, 164.
Bates, Gardner, Christmas Census, 37.
Beard. Theodore R„ Christmas Census. 41; An

Interesting Record, 124.
Beck, Herbert H., Christmas Census, 31.
Beebe, Ralph, Christmas Census, 34.
Beers, Mrs. H. P., President, Report of, 414.
Benedict, Maria H., Secretary, Report of, 415.
Bennett, Elizabeth F., Secretary, Report of. 413.
Benson, Mary B., The Waxwings' Rag Bag, 286.
Bergtold, Dr. \V. H., Christmas Census, 42;

Denver Region, 52, 108, 170, 231, 295, 359.
Bicknell, E. P., Christmas Census, 25.
Blackinton, Katrine, Bobby Yank, 5; The Way

of the Wrens, 155.
Blair, Parker, and Stephen S. Gregory, Jr.,

Christmas Census, 37.
Blanchard, George C, Christmas Census, 16.
Blincoe, Ben. J., The Golden-crowned Kinglet, 100.
Bodine, Mrs. Donaldson. Secretary, Report of. 410.
Bolt, B. F., Christmas Census, 39.
Book, Dr. H. D., A Gnatcatcher's Troubles, 208.
Bourne, Thomas L., Christmas Census, 23.
Boutwell, Mrs. Charlotte, see Hoffman, Ralph.
Bowdish, Beecher S., Secretary, Report of, 405.
Brewer, O. C, Christmas Census, 33.
Bricker, Charles S., see Beck, Herbert H.
Bridge, Edmund and Lidian E., Christmas Cen-
sus, 17.
Bridge, Lidian E., see Jump. Alice O.; Winter

Notes from West Medford, Mass., 157.
Brooks, Allan, Christmas Census. 42.
Brooks, Chandler, see MacDonald. George.
Brown, Alice B., Secretary, Report of, 409.

Brown, D. E'„ see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Brown, Elizabeth G., Secretary, Report of, 414.
Brown, Nathan Clifford, Duck Hawks in New

York City, 219.
Bruen, Frank, and Elbert E. Smith, Christmas

Census, 20.
Bryan, Katherine, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Bunce, Florence de la Montagne, Winter Birds at

Ridgewood, N. J., 158.
Burleigh, T. D., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Burroughs, Elizabeth, President, Report of,

409.
Burtch. Verdi, the Ring-necked Pheasant. 1: \

Surprised Crow, 84; Photographs by, 154, 285;

Red-throated Loon at Branchport, N. V., 285.
Bush, C. H., A Migrant Yellow-bellied Fly-
catcher, 286.
Butterwick, Claude A., Christmas Census, 32.
Button, Lily Ruegg, Christmas Census, 41.
Buzzell, Mrs. J. C, Report from Bangor, 133.

Calvert, Earl W-, Christmas Census, 15.

Campbell, Larch, The Nest of the Louisiana
Water-Thrush, 373.

Cannon, Gabriel, Christmas Census, 33.

Carpenter, Ralph, A Nest Census, 251.

Carter, Alice M., Ellen C, and John D., see Lin-
ton, Albert M.

Cartwright, Wm. J., A Junco with Strange Mark-
ings, 352.

Cary, Helen Alma, Secretary, Report of, 421.

Case, Clifford M., Christmas Census, 19.

Caskey, R. C, Christmas Census, 27.

Chapman, Frank M.. Editorials by, 55, 114, 176,
237, 300, 366; Notes on the Plumage of North
American Birds, gi, 216, 347; Reviews by, 53,
54, in, 112, 174, 235, 236, 363, 364.

Chase, Richard, see Grant, W. W.; see Meade,
Gordon M.

Chase, Richard M., Twenty-one Warblers in a
Day, 161; Record of a Feeding Station, 284.

Childs, Helen P., Secretary, Report of, 403.

Childs, Henry E., Christmas Census, ig.

Christy, Bayard H., and Frank A. Hegner,
Christmas Census, 31.

Cleaves. Howard H., A Partridge Don Quixote, 32g.

Clements, Jennie, see Bolt. B. F.

Cobb. Clement P., see Klots, Alex. B.

Coffin, Francis Hopkinson, President, Report
of, 41S.

Compton, Mrs. C. Norman, see Crickmore. Mrs.
C. C; President's report, 418.

Cook, Franklin, and Howell C, Christina
sus, 28.

Cook, F. W., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Coolidge, John T., Yellow-crowned Night Heron
in New Hampshire, 285.

Cordier, Dr. A. H., photograph by, 212.

Crawford, Elis, Christmas Census, 32.

Crickmore. Mrs. C. C, Christmas Census, 43.

Crosby, Elizabeth Mae. Bobby, 3og.

Crosby, Maunsell S., Christmas Census, 23.

Cunningham. Walter, see Bolt, B. F.

Custance. Percy L.. Christmas Census. 42.

Cutter, Lucia B., and Nina C. Spaulding, Christ-
mas Census, 16.

(in)

IV

Index

Dana. Edward F., and Charles P. Emerson, Blue-
birds Drive Awaj the Sparrows, 187.
Danforth, Stuart T., Christmas Census, 28.
Danner, May S., anil Mary King, Christmas I !en-

sus, 36.

Darnell, Alice C, see Linton, M. Albert.

Davis, Charles Henry, Obituary. 74.

Dawson. William Leon, see Hoffman, Ralph.

Dean, R. H.. Christmas Census, 40.

DeLong, Eleanor, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

DeLong, Leroy, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Denbig, Cecilia, See Downhour, Elizabeth.

Derby, John Barlow, see Harrison, Richard
Eckles.

d'Evelyn, Frederick W., President, Report of, 407.

Dick, J. G., Christmas Census, 42.

Dix, W. L., Christmas Census, 29.

Dodge, Mary C, Nonpareil Wintering in Florida,
101.

Donaghho, Walter, see White. Bertha E.

Doolittle, E. A., The Staghorn Sumac, S; Christ-
mas Census, 35; Scarcity of Golden-crowned
Kinglets, 94; Peculiar Song of a Red-eyed
Vireo, 287.

Douglas, Lizzie X., Mouse and Blue Jay, 161.

Dow, Sterling, and Edward B. Hinckley, Christ-
mas Census, 15.

Downhour, Elizabeth, Christmas Census, 37.

Drinkut, Margaret. See Downhour, Elizabeth.

Drinkut, W. T„ see Downhour, Elizabeth.

DuBois, A. I)., a Much-used Robin's Nest,
15 '•

Dunbar, Lula, and Robert G., Christmas Census,
35-

Durand, G. H., and A. P. Larrabee, Christmas
Census, 40.

Dyer, Mrs. W. E. L., Honorary Corresponding
Secretary, Report of, 416.

Eaton, E. H., see Grant, W. W.

Eaton, Warren I'.. Christmas Census, 17.

Eddy, William, see Grant, W. W.

Edson, Wm. L. G., and R. E. Horsey, Christmas
Census, 22; Winter Feeding Stations at High-
land Park. X. V., 88.

Ehinger, C. E., Christmas Census, 30.

Eiffert. Mrs |. R., see McMorran, Martha.

Ekblaw, Sidney, George and Eddie, Christmas
Census, 38.

Elliot, Sarah J., Se< r. tary, Report of, 420.

Emerson, Charles P., see Dana, Edward F.

Emery, Mary I... Evening Grosbeaks at Nyack,
N. Y., 158.

Emmons, E. T., see Grant. W. W.

English, Mrs. T. F., see Bolt, B. F.

Evans, Wm. Bacon, see Linton, Albert II

Ewing, H. E., Winter Notes from Ann--, [owa,
99.

FargO, Mrs. Robert. Cedar WaXWingS at Holly

wood, Calif., 352.
I arquhar, Arthur, Chri I ,31.

Clarem e D., Emesl lb. and Lui j I.

Christ ma- Census, 33.
Farrar, Grace, see Cri( kmore, Mr- C. C.
Farrar, Mayme, see Crickmore, Mrs, (' ('
Finley, William ami Irene, photograph by. 127.
Finley, William II . Field Agent, Reporl of,

lid,. (' R . a 1'air of Robin-. 186.

I orbush, Edward Howe, Mild Agent, Reporl • f,

Friedmann, Ralph, < "lui tma 1 White-

winged < i" -bill- iii Brooklyn, 95.

Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, Colored plates by, facing,

77. 203. 329-
Fuller, W. E., Evening Grosbeak in Connecticut,

95-

Ganier, A. 1-.. see Mayfield, Geo. R.

Gardner, Mr-. Arthur F., Bluebird vs. Wrens. 163;

A Confusion of Instincts, 164; The Tragedy of

the Ovenbird, 290.
Gill, G., The Purple Crackles Steal Their Suppers,

102; Blue Jay vs. Mouse, 161.
Gilmore, D. P., see Sclater, W. L.
Goelitz. Walter A., photograph by, 281.
Gooch. John IL. Christmas Census, 38.
Goode, Harriet U., Christmas Census, 17.
Grant. Glenn, see Grant. W. W.
Grant, W. W., Christmas Census, 22; see Mc-

Creary, Otto.
Graves, Francis Miner, Christmas Census, 20.
Gregory, Stephen S.. see Blair, Parker.
Griscom, Ludlow, review by, 174; see Percv. Lord

William.
Griswold, Geo. T., see Vibert. C. W.
Gross, Alfred O., and Roe Mabie, Christmas

Census, 16.
Guenther, Wesley, see Schaars. H. W.
Gunthorp, Horace, and Sidney Hyde, Christmas

Census, 41.

Hall, Esther R., Secretary, Report of, 413.
Hallett, George H., see Linton, Albert M
Hand. X. Travers, Early Spring Birds. 247.
Handley, Chas. O., Christmas Census. 32.
Hankinson, T. L., Photograph by, 93.
Harbaum, Frank and William, Christmas Cen-
sus, 36.
Harris, Harry, Kansas City Region, 50. 106, [69,

229, 293, 358; see Boh. B. F.
Harrison, Richard Eckles, and John Barlow

Derby, Christmas Census, 20.
Haskin, Leslie L., A Western Bird Table, 93;

Mount Mazama Notes, 275.
Hathaway. Harry S., Christmas Census, 19.
Haulenbeck. R. I'.. Christina- Census, 27.
Hausman, L.. Photograph by, 64.
Hausman, S. A., Migration Croup Chart, 86.
Hays, Harry P.. see McGraw, Harry Arthur.
Heacock, Esther, Secretary, Report of. 422.
Healey, Aldcn, Christmas Census, 17.
Hegner, Frank A., see Christy, Bayard H.
Hempel, Kathleen M., Secretary, Reporl of, 412.
Henderson, Mr. H. C, see Hoffman. Ralph.
Henderson, Mr<. 11. EL, see McCreary, Otto; see

('.rant. W. \\
I bi my. p. Seymour, ami Charles 1. Phillips,

Christmas Census, 18.
Higbee, Harry G., sec Goode, Harrii
Hill, F. Blanche, Winter .Vote- from Andover,

N. J„ 349-
Hinckley, Edward B., see Dow, Sterling.
Ilix. George E., Christmas Census, 24.
Hoffman, Marjorie F... The Story of a Bird, 374.
Hoffman. Ralph. Christmas Census, 44.
Holt, Helen Brown. Friendly Pigeons, 250.
Horsey, R. P.. see Edson, Wm I. < I
Horsfall, R. Bruce, Colored plate by, facing, 1.
Hotcbkiss, Neil, Chri -tma- Census, 21.
Houghton, Clarence, Christmas Census, .' 1 I

and Other Bird- Near Troy. \ . \
Houghton, II. Lincoln, Christmas Census, 17.
Hulbert, Mrs. K. S., Nuthatch and Shrike. 200.
Hull. Louise, President, Report of. .(Ov
Hulvey, Mr-, <; C, Photograph by. 66.
Hulvey, Tenney Cline, Bird Study in Virginia, 7°-

Index

Hunt, Man' A., Poem by, 349.

Hunter, Katharine Upham, A Winter Chronicle,

1918-19, 340.
Hurd, Frances A., School Secretary, Report of,

3Q7-
Hyatt, Marv, Bird-Notes from Dutchess Co.,

N. Y., 348,
Hyde, Sidney, see Gunthorp, Horace.

Jackson. Mrs. J. Ellsworth, Mrs. Wren Puts Her
Family to Bed in a Robin's Nest, 163.

Janvrin, Dr. E. R. P., see Sclater, W. L.

Jeffrey, Arthur A., Photograph by, 154.

Job, Herbert K., Annual Report, 305.

Johnston, L. H., see Crawford, Elis.

Johnston, Mary Belle, see Crawford. Elis.

Jones, Lynds, Oberlin Region, 48, 227.

Jones, S. Paul, Christmas Census, 35.

Jump, Alice O., and Lidian E. Bridge, Christmas
Census, 16.

Kane, Mrs. S. M., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Kellogg, Emily Field, American Egret in Ver-
mont, 219.
Kent, Laura, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Kern, Wendell, see Poole, Earl L.
Kimes, Edward D., Christmas Census, 32.
Kinedinst, Herman, see Farquhar, Arthur.
Kiltredge, Joseph. Jr., Christmas Census, 32.
Klots, A. B., and C. P., Christmas Census, 25.
Kohler, Louis S., Christmas Census, 27.

Lacey, Charlotte A., Secretary, Report of, 401.
LaDow, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, Christmas Cen-
sus, 33.
Laidlaw, Louise B., and Laidlaw Williams,

Christmas Census, 24.
Lane, James W., Jr., Christmas Census, 24.
Larrabee, A. P., see Durand, G. H.
Larson. Adrian. Christmas Census, 40.
Latham, Roy, Christmas Census, 24; An Early

Egg of Virginia Rail on Long Island, 219.
Lear, George, Christmas Census, 30.
Leister, C. W., Prairie Horned Larks and Lapland

Longspurs at Ithaca, N. Y., 96; Photographing

the Scarlet Tanager, 203.
Leng, Charles W., Secretary, Report of, 419.
Levy, Frank, Photograph by, 4; An Unusual

Horned Lark Family, 85.
Lewis, Harrison, F., Christmas Census, 15.
Linsdale, Jean, Christmas Census, 41.
Linton, M. Albert, Christmas Census, 29.
Lippincott, J. W., Brave Quail, 285.
Lloyd, Joe, see Crawford, Elis.
Lundwall, Nelson, Christmas Census, 42.
Lytle, Dr. C. C, see Grant, W. W.; see McCreary,

Otto.

Mabie, Roe, see Gross, Alfred O.

MacDonald, George, and Chandler Brooks,

Christmas Census, 16.
Madeiros, Charlotte V., see Worden. Mona Wil-

loughby.
Madison, H. L., Secretary, Report of, 407.
Mander, Roy, An Experience with Cardinals,

187.
Marvin, Anne E., My Bird Guests, 310.
Mather, Mrs. F. E., see McMorran, Martha.
May, Dr. John B., Christmas Census, 18.
May, John B., Jr., A Great Blue Heron from New

Hampshire, 248.
Mayfield, Geo. R., Christmas Census, 40.
McAfee, W. L., see Wetmore, Alex.
McClelland. J. H., Photograph by. 14 s ■

McCloskcy. Kate A., How We Became Junior
Naturalists, 67.

McConnill. IJ. B„ Christmas Census, 36.

McConncll, Thos. L., Christmas Census, 31.

McCormick, Lilian Rea, What Killed Cock
Robin, 162.

McCreary, Otto, Christmas Census, 22, 32.

McGraw, Harry Arthur, and Harry P. Hays,
Christmas Census, 31.

McGrew, A. D., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Mclhvraith Ornithological Club, Christmas Cen-
sus, 15.

McKnight, Thor, Christmas Census, 43.

McMorran, Martha, Christmas Census, 29;
Belated Evening Grosbeaks, 222.

Meade, Gordon M., and Richard M. Chase,
Christmas Census, 22.

Mehl, A. K., see Stockbridge, Chas. A.

Meloy, Alice K., Some Observations on the
Osprey, 220.

Mengel, Mr. and Mrs. H. Henry, Christmas Cen-
sus, 30.

Merriman, Mrs. M. R., A Centenarian Bird-
Lover, 349.

Merriman, R. Owen, Snow-Bathing, 348.

Merritt, Charles and William, Christmas Cen-
sus, 23.

Michaels, Eldon, see Bolt, B. F.

Michaels, Wm. C, see Bolt, B. F.

Mickle, Anna, see Linton, M. Albert.

Miller, Abraham Beck, see Beck, Herbert II.

Miller, Ansel B., Christmas Census, 31.

Miller, Milo H., American or Red Crossbill at
Pittsburgh, 97.

Miller, W. DeW., Christmas Census, 28.

Mills, Dr.HerbertR.,ABird Watcher inFrance, 77.

Mills, Ruby R., Secretary, Report of, 413.

Mitchell, Arthur, see Healey, Alden.

Monagle, Turna, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Monroe, Burt L., Christmas Census, 39.

Mousley, H., Christmas Census, 15.

Munger, Paul, and Edwin H., Christmas Cen-
sus, 19.

Myers, Harriet B., Secretary. Report of, 400.

Nation, Harold T., Secretary, Report of, 414.

Newberry, Florence, Corresponding, Report
of, 413.

Nice, Constance Ely, The Baby Barred Owls, 311.

Nice, Margaret M., Photograph by. 312.

Nice, Margaret M„ and L. B., Christmas Cen-
sus, 41.

Nichols, C. F., W. F., and J. T., Christmas Cen-
sus, 25.

Nichols, John Treadwell, New York Region, 46,
104, 165, 225, 291, 356; Reviews by, 112, 174,
298, 364; The Tree Swallow on Long Island, 279.

Nichols, L. Nelson, Christmas Census, 23.

Norton, Arthur H., Field Agent, Report of, 398.

Norton, Daisy Dill, Secretary, Report of, 419.

Novak, Frank, Christmas Census, 20.

Oberholser, Harry C. Washington Region, 47,
106, 167, 226, 292, 357; The Migration of North
American Birds, 90, 213, 343.

Overton, Dr. Frank, Photograph by, 279.

Packard, Charles W., Purple Gallinule in Con-
necticut, 160.

Packard,, -Winthrop, Field Agent, Report of, 392;
Secretary's Report. 404.

Palmer, Dr. T. S., Review- by. 113, 299, 317, 365;
The Life Work of William Dutcher. 317.

Parker, George W., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

VI

Index

Pearson, T. Gilbert, The Klamath Lake Situation.
71 : Politii s in < (regon, 73; Bird Lectures Avail-
able, 73; Charles Henry Davis, 74; Bird-Work
and The Children, 75: The Ground Dove. 126;
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 188; Summer Rec-
reation-School of Nature-Study, iso; Egret
Protection in the Southern States, 1 ,1; New
Treaties Proposed. 1.52; 'Bluebird', A Live
Publication, [32; Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Safe, i<)2; Bird Treaties With Other Countries,
195; Audubon Feather Exhibits, 196; Birds
Poisoned, [99; New Audubon So< ieties Formed,
200; Exploring for New Bird Colonies, 255, .521;
Our National Parks Are Threatened, 262;
Another Cal Ordinance, 26.3; Bronzed and
Purple Grackles, .512; Bird Lectures for Florida,
316; Annual Meeting. 316, 375; President-
Elect Harding for Bird Protection, 376; A
National Hunting License, 376; Thumb-
Down for Malheur Lake, 377.

Pell, Walden, and S. Morris, Christmas Census, 27;
see Nichols, Edward G.

Percy, Lord William, and Ludlow Griscom,
Christmas Census, 26.

Perkins, Edward FL, The Warbling Yireo in
Southern Rhode Island, 223.

Perkins, S. E., see Downhour. Elizabeth.

Perley, Ward B., Photograph by, 146.

Peters, Mrs. C. C. A Pennsylvania Mocker, 98.

Peterson, Edward, and Richard Starr, Christmas
Census, 44.

Phillips, Charles, see Thayer. Burton.

Phillips, Charles L., see Hersey, Seymour.

Philo, Walter, Christmas Census, 21.

Pierce, Fred J., Migration of Ducks and Geese at
Winthrop, Iowa, 159; The Screech Owl as a
Sparrow Trap, 350.

Pierce, Lillian W .. Secretary, Report of. 421.

Pinkus, Albert. Christmas Census, 10.

Pitman. Alice W.. Secretary, Report of. 410.

Pittman, II. and S., Photographs by, 10, n.

Piatt, 11. E., Treasurer. Report of, 421.

Polack, Joseph, Photograph by, 45.

Pollock, Miss A. I., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Poole, Farl I... and Wendell Kern, Christmas
Census, 30.

Potter, Julian K.. Christmas Census, 29; Phila-
delphia Region, 47. 105, 166, 225, 356.

Potter, Lawrence B., Christmas Census, 12.

Preble, E. A„ see Wet more. Alex.

Proctor, Ella, see Bolt. B. I .

Pumyea, I). \\ .. see Nelson, Mr. and Mrs.

Quarles, Kathryn, Poem by, [85.

Raker. Mary E., Christmas Census, 44-

Randall, Nettie, Wrens Drive Away English
Sparrows, 164.

Ratterman, [Catherine, Secretary, Report of.
40O.

Reader. Ray E., Willi- C, and Walter J.. Christ-
mas (

I .1 Sail
Rhoads, Samuel V. xe Linton. M. Albert.

1 1' I' n M., Christmas Census,
Rii e, \\ ard J.. ( 'hristmas < !en
Rich. Julia ident, Report of. 1 10.

Richardson, V P., Evening Grosbeak in New

Richardson, Russell, Blue Grosbeak at Newtown,

Pa.

Ringwalt, \ \ . ei 5tockbridg< CI \

Robbins, < \ . and I rani. -. . I -. |< r, I »r. W [n-
M

Roberts, Anna Rogers, Cedar Farm and Two

Wrens, 14.3.
Roberts, George, Jr., An Adaptable Robin, 223;

The Return of the Grosbeak, 249; The Tragic

^lory of a Titmouse, 270.
Roberts, Dr. Thos. S., Minnesota Region, 49,

107, 167. 228, 293, 358.
Robinson, Mary, see Bolt. B. F.
Roehner, Theodore G.. Christmas Census. 24.
Rogers, Charles H., Christmas Census, 26; see

Si litter. W. L.
Roskin, Graham, see Wolfe, Robert.
Ross, Dr. and Mrs. Lucretius H., Christmas

Census. 10.
Ross, Julia, and Mrs. H. M. Bailey, Christmas

Census, 38.
Russell, John W\, Christmas Census, 19.

Sadler. Nettie M.. Christmas Census, 2r.

Sage, Mrs. Mary S., School Agent. Report of, 396.

Saunder-. Aretas A.. Christmas Census, 20.

Savage, L. F., Christmas Census, 31.

Sawyer, Kdmund J., Colored plates by, facing,

1 19, 265.
Sawyer, J. Clark, and E. Gordon Alexander.

Christmas Census, 39.
Si haars, W. FL. Christmas Census, 34.
Schaefer, Oscar F., Christmas Census, 22.
Schafer, J. J.. Christmas Census, 37.
Schantz. Orpheus M., President, Report of. 402.
Schneider, Francis B., Los Angeles Region. 361.
Sclater, W. L., Christmas Census, 25.
Seonhiser, W. E., Christmas Census, 36.
Sepper, Henry W., see Sto< k bridge, ("ha-. L.
Seton, Ernest Thompson, Why Do Birds Bathe?

334-

Sharpe, Henry S., Christmas Census. 21.

Sherwood. Mrs. T. C, see Bolt. B. F.

Shirling, A. E., see Bolt, B. F.

Sihler, Wm., see Stockbridge, Chas. A.

Simon-. Susie L., Christmas Census, 35.

Smith, Clara Eastman, Secretary, Report of. 410.

Smith. Elizabeth S.. Feeding the Chickadei

Smith, Jose L.. Photograph by. 150.

Smith. Lester \\., The Window Yi-itor, 223;

Some Florida Records, .349.
Smith, Wendell P.. Christmas Census, t6.
Smith. Wilbur F., Some Robin-' Nests, 147: A

Hummingbird Story, 274.
Snowden, George L., see Cannon. Gabriel.
Spaulding, Nina G., see Cutter. Lucia B.
Squire-. W. A.. Christmas Census, ,7: Prairie

Chickens in Northern Indiana, 100.
Starr. Richard, see Peterson, Edward.
Stephenson, Ada. see White. Bertha I
Stockbridge. Cha-. A . Christmas Census, 37-
Stone, Clarence F., Unusual December Birds at

Bran, hport, \ Y., 100; Bohemian Waxwing in

Northern Steuben Co.. X. Y.. toi; Saw-whet

1 hvl at Bran, hport, N. Y.. 221.

Stoner, Dayton, A Rendezvous of Red-winged

Bla< kbinis, 102.

Stoner, Lilliam ('.. Christmas Census, 38.

Streek. Clifford, see S, haar-. 1 1 . W .
Sutherland. II. A., Christmas Census
Swope. Eugene, Field Agent, Report of. 395.

Taylor, Clara and Warner, Christmas I
\\ .dker. Edith F.
, Mrs \ D., see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.

Dr. Robert J.. Secretary, Report of, 405:
President - report, 117.
Thayer, Burton, and Charles Phillips, Christmas
Census, %;.

Index

vn

Thayer, Cassandana, A Timely Rescue, 373.
Thompson, Kate, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Thornber, Harriet B., Secretary, Report of, 400.
Timmerman, Mrs. Nellie, see Crickmore, Mrs. C. C.
Tindall, Chas. W., see Bolt, B. F.
Townsend, Mauley B., see Goode, Harriet U.
Tread, Bernard, Christmas Census, 24.
Tuttle, H. E., Spring Thunder, 139; The Screech

Owl, 265.
Tyler, Dr. Winsor M., Christmas Census, 17;

Boston Region, 56, 103, 165, 224, 291, 355;

An Odd Note of the Blue Jay, 160.

Van Tyne, Josselyn and Claude, Christmas Cen-
sus, 34.

Van Winkle, Mrs. O. J., see McMorran, Martha.

Vaughn, H. S., and Wm, see Mayfield, Geo. R.

Vibert, C. W., see Geo. T. Griswold, Christmas
Census, 19.

Walbridge, Caroline C, Secretary, Report of, 417.
Walker, Isabella, Secretary, Report of, 408.
Way. W. Scott, Secretary, Report of, 401, 422.
Wellman, Gordon B., and Helen M., Christmas

Census, 17.
Wells, Paul A., Christmas Census, 36.
Welty, Dr. Emma J., Corresponding Secretary,

Report of, 406.
Wetmore, Alex., Christmas Census, a.
White, Bertha E., Christmas Census, 32.
White, Helen, How Birds' Tastes Differ, 24S.
Whitfield, Inez Harrington, Yellow-throated

Vireos, 288.
Whitman, F. N., Field Sparrows, 81.
Whittle, Charles L., A Colony of Three-toed

Woodpeckers, 351.

Whittle, Helen G., A Town of Five Thrushes, 218.
Wiggins, Mabel R., Christmas Census, 26.
Williams, Laidlaw, see Laidlaw, Louise B.
Williamson, Mrs. E. B., Secretary, Report of, 420.
Wilson, Etta S., Christmas Census, 34; Taming

Wild Birds, 197.
Wilson, Mrs. Charles M., Secretary, Report of,

408.
Wilson, Gordon, Christmas Census, 39; What Has

Become of the Golden-crowned Kinglet? 94;

Kentucky Notes, 221.
Wilmott, George B., Secretary, Report of, 409.
Winchell, Mrs. R. L., see Hoffman, Ralph.
Wiswell, Amy P., Secretary, Report of, 411.
Wolfe, Robert, and Graham Roskein, Christmas

Census, 27.
Wood, Sheridan F., Photograph by, 273.
Woodbine, George E., see Farrel, Franklin.
Woodward, Magnolia, Secretary, Report of, 403.
Woodworth, Roy C, see Bolt, B. F.
Worden, Mona Willoughby, and Charlotte V.

Madeiras, Christmas Census, 18.
Wright, Horace W., Christmas Census, 16.
Wyckoff, N. C, Christmas Census, 28.
Wyman, L. E., Los Angeles Region, 172; San

Diego Region, 2^^, 297.

Young, Eda L., Secretary, Report of, 419.
Young, John P., Charles V. P., Christmas Cen-
sus, 2g.

Zeeveld, W. Gordon, Christmas Census, 22.
Zeleny, Lawrence, Christmas Census, 35.
Ziegler, Edward K., Christmas Census, 30.
Zimmer, Genevieve, Blue Grosbeak at Rock
Island, Ills., 222.

INDEX TO CONTENTS

Advisory Council, Bird-Lore's, 12.

Alabama, 40.

American Ornithologists' Union, The, 55. 2S2, 300.

Arizona, 400.

Audubon Societies, Annual Meeting of the, 375;
Annual Report, 379; State, 386; Report of
Treasurer, 425; Warden work of the, 382.

Auk, The, reviewed, 112, 174, 298, 364.

Avocet, 361.

Bailey's 'The Raptorial Birds of Iowa,' re-
viewed, in.

Bartsch's 'Birds Observed on the Florida Keys
and the Southern End of the Mainland of
Florida in 1919,' reviewed, 235.

Biological Survey, Annual Report of the Bureau
of, reviewed, 53; News Bulletin of the, noticed,
132; Bird-banding work of the, 157.

Bird and Tree Club, Report of the New York. 415.

Bird-banding, see Biological Survey.

Bird Calendar, Directions for Keeping a, 116.

Bird Census, Bird-Lore's Twentieth, 14; Twenty-
first, 346.

Bird Clubs, 199. 407; Reports of, 400.

Bird Conservation, 133.

Bird Houses, figured, 60, 62, 63. 64, (15; How to
Build, 59.

Bird Migration, 90, 119, 159, ig2, 343.

Bird Protection, 71, 376, 379, 391, 412; Quebec
Society for, 415.

Bird Reservation, Klamath Lake, 71, 393; Mal-
heur Lake, 71, 377, 393, 406.

Bird Study, 130, 301.

Bird Treaties, 192, 195.

Birds' Eggs, The Study of. 238.

Birds' Food, see Feeding Birds.

Birds' Nests, 367; figured, 372.

Birds' Plumage, 91, 216, 347; Suppression of
traffic in, 380.

Bittern, 230; American, 292; Least, 98.

Blackbird. 49; Brewer's, 228. 231, 283, 295; Red-
winged, 27, 100, 101, 102, 104, 108, 109, 167,
168; Rusty, 48, 101, 108, 168, 169, 226, 227, 356;
Tri-colored, 234; Yellow-headed, iog, 228, 234.

Bluebird, 49, 107. no. 163, 165, 168, 171, 227,
230. 355. 359; Mountain, 173; Western, 173,
234. 301-

Bluebird, The, noticed, 132.

Bobolink, figured, 122, facing, 203; Migration of
the, 122, 213, 226.

Bobwhite, 225, 285.

British Columbia, 42. 2S2. 414.

Brooks's 'The Food of West Virginia Birds,' re-
viewed, 363.

Bufflehead, 52, 1 10.

Bunting, Indigo, 226, 227, 292; Lark, 231; Lazuli.
232, 233, 360; Painted, 101, 340; Snow, 50, 100,
104, ios, 157. 158.

Burns's 'The Ornithology of Chester County,
Pennsylvania.' reviewed, 54.

Buzzard, Turkey, see Vulture, Turkey.

California, 44. no, 171, 172, 232, 233, 296, 297,

352, 360, 400, 407.
Canada, 42.
Canvasback, 40. 51. 167, 171, 230.

Index

Capercaillie, 283.

Cardinal, 100, 108.

Catbird, 228, 230, 295; nest figured, 372.

Ordinance for the control of stray, 263.

Chewink, 292.

Chachalaca, figured, 326.

Chapman's 'What Bird is That?' reviewed,
298.

Chat, Long-tailed, 233; Yellow-breasted, 226;
nest and eggs figured, 241.

Chi kadee, Acadian, 46; Black-capped, 47, 49, 353;
figured, 93, 103, 158; Hudsonian, 98; Long-
tailed, 100; Mountain, 109; Santa Cruz, 233.

Colorado, 42, 52, 108, 170, 231, 295, 359.

Condor, The, reviewed, 113, 299, 365; Second
Tin-Year Index to, noticed, 236.

Connecticut, 19, 95, 160, 397, 401, 413, 414, 421.

Coot, 50, no, 229, 233.

Cormorant, 360; Double-crested, 228.

Council, Bird-Lore's Advisory, see Advisory
Council.

'County Life,' noticed, 55.

Cowbird, 81, 82, 83, 105, 166, 227, 343; figured,
facing 329; Bronzed, 345; Dwarf, 343; Red-
eyed, 34s ; Sagebrush, 343.

Crane, Sandbill, 50, 169.

Creeper, Brown, 46, 99, 105, 109, 296; Sierra, 173;
Tawny, 233.

Crossbill, Red, 46, 48, 89, 97, 104, 105, 165; Sierra,
no, 173, 232; White-winged, 46, 47, 99, 107, 159.

Crow, American, figured, 84; 106, 168, 227; young
figured, 303; Clark's, 52, 109, 171; North-
western, 283.

Cuckoo, Black-billed, 226, 229, 358; Yellow-billed,
51, 225, 231, 293.

Curlew, Hudsonian, 233, 291, 297; Long-billed, 234.

Dickcissel, 229.

District of Columbia, 33, 47, 106, 167, 226, 292,
357. 397. 4°3-

Dove, Ground, figured, facing, 1; 126; nest and
figured, 127; Mourning, 107, 109, 227,
220, 293, 295.

Dowitcher, 297, 356; Long-billed, 233.

Duck, Black, figured; 4, 105, 106, 166, 167, 225;
Lesser Scaup, 52, no, 167, 171, 227; Ring-
necked, 50, 167; Ruddy, 51, no, 166, 229;
Scaup, 49, 51, 105, 166, 167, 169, 225, 229;
\\ Mod, 229, 293.

Dutcher, William, Obituary, 237, 252, 381; Life
work of, 317.

Eagle, Bald, 98, 106, 171, 354; Number killed in
Alaska, 253, 294; Slaughter of the, 381.

American 219, 358; Protection of. 1 31;
Reddish, figured, 261; nest figured, 322.

Essex County Ornithological Club. Bulletin of
The reviewed, 1 1 1 .

>n, I'rairie, 109.
Feeding birds, 8, 88, 93, 284, 353.
Fi< Id Agent ,383; Reports of, 391.

in Purple, 171. [61; House, 1 ;
Lark, 228; Purple, j6, 19, 105, 108, 159, 165,
168, 170, 172, 226, 227, 230.

Hinl Heha\ tor, I' 3 1 bit al and Physiologi-
cal,' rev iew< d,

r, i<j. 10S. 158, 166, h>7. 169, 356; Red-
shafted, 5 1. 100.
Florida, 33, 101, 3.10, 401 .

ed, tiL'un .1, 1 .so; 221, 230: Least,
.■ -• 1 . ' I li\ e sided, 96, 297,

356, 160; Traill's. 173. 300; Western, 1 j
3<>o; Yellow bellied, 286,

Gadwall, 229, 230.

Gallinule, Florida, 228; nest and eggs figured, 240;
Purple, 160.

Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed, 233; Blue-gray, 166,
208, 225, 226, 230, 231; Western, no, 360,
361.

Godwit, 297; Marbled, 233, 234, 360, 361.

Golden-eye, 46, 50, no, 166, 167, 294.

Goldfinch, 103, 107, 108, 165, 225, 372; Lawrence's,
173; Pale, 295.

Goose, Blue, 169; Canada, 46, 51, 105, 107, 167,
169, 226, 359, 360; Greater Snow, 51 ; Hutchins's,
51; Snow, 51; White-fronted, 51.

Goshawk, 108.

Crackle, Bronzed, 49, 51, 108, 227, 359; figured,
facing, 265; figured, 312; Purple, 102, 167.

Grebe, 50, no, 234; Eared, 360; Horned, 107,
226, 228; Pied-billed, 50, 51, 226, 229, 295,
359-

Grosbeak, Black-headed, 173, 232, 297, 360; Blue,
222, 231, 292; Evening, 46, 50, 95, 98, 100, 103,
104, 105, 108, 158, 165, 166, 171, 172, 222, 225,
232, 348: Pine, 46, 50, 108, 158, 159, 165, 348,
349; Rose-breasted, 48, 228, 229, 230, 291;
Western Blue, 173, 234, 297; Western Even-
ing, 233.

Grouse, Ruffed, figured, 141, 330, 331, 332, 333;
166, 329.

Gull, Bonaparte's, 167, 225, 227, 234; California,
234, 360; Franklin's, 51, 229; Heerman's, 297,
361; Herring, 48, 51, 105, 167, 168, 169, 229,
359; Laughing, 48, nest and eggs figured, 323;
Ring-billed, 51, 105, 167, 169, 226, 227, 229,
231. 234, 359, 360; Western, 360.

Hawk, Broad-winged, 168, 358; Duck, 106, 219,
292; Fish, 167, 220, 294, 356; nests figured, 257;
Marsh, 51, 109, 168, 293, 356, 359; Red-tailed,
168, 356; Rough-legged, 51, 52, 109; Sharp-
shinned, 52, 159, 356, 360; Sparrow, 100, 231,
292, 356.

Heron, Anthony's Green, 361; Black-crowned
Night, 98; Great Blue, 100, 109; figured, 248,
294, 295, 297, 359; Green, 230, 361; Little
Blue, 357, 358. 359-

Hudson's 'The Book of a Naturalist,' reviewed,
54; 'Adventures Among Birds,' reviewed, 174;
'Birds in Town and Village,' reviewed, 174.

Hummingbird. Allen's, 110. 171. 233, 297, 360;
Anna's, no, 3(10; Black-chinned, 234, 297, 361;
Broad-tailed, 295; Calliope, 297; Ruby-
throated, 48, 349; figured, 274; nest and young
figured, 275; Rugous, 110. 172, 233, 361.

Hunting License, A National, 376.

Ibis, White-faced Glossy, 234.
Illinois, <7. $8, 402, 411.
Indiana, 100, 410, 419, 420.
[owa, 38, 09, 102, 159, 41 j.

Jay, Vrizona, 77, 90, 91; Belding's, 91; Blue,
figured, 45; 103, 158, 160, 161, 228, 2^3: Blue-
fronted, 17;. 233, 297; California, 77, 00, 02;
Coast, 296; Couch's, 00: Florida, figured, fac-
ing, 77; 90, 01; Long-crested, 109; Long tailed,
(jo; Santa Cruz, figured, facing, 77; 91, 92;
Stealer's, 282; Swarth's, 90; Texas, 91; Wood-
house's, 01. 109; Xantus's, 91.

Junco, i<>. 40. 50. 107, 10S, io(). [58, i'

296, 152; figun d Gray beaded Sa<

100, 231; Mountain, io<k Pink sided, 52, 109,
171, 231; I'oint Pinos, 233; Shufeldt's, 52, 100,
171, 231; Slate-colored, 52, ioij, 226; White-
winged, 52.

Index

Kansas, 41.

Kentucky, 94, 100, 221.

Killdeer, 49, no, 168, 227. 231, 253, 360.

Kingbird, 228, 357, 359; Western, 297.

Kingfisher, Belted, 168, 227; figured, 281; 294.

Kinglet, Golden-crowned, figured, 88. 94; scarcity
of the, 94, 100, 105, 108, no, 167, 168; Ruby-
crowned, 49, 173, 226, 228, 232, 356, 359, 360.

Klamath Lake Reservation, 71, 393.

Knot, 225, 297, 357.

Lark, Desert Horned, 109, no; Horned, 85;

figured, 85, 104, 168, 229; Prairie Horned, 96;

figured, 96, 231.
League of Wild Life Photographers, The, 176, 300.
Linnasan Society of New York, Abstract of the

Proceedings of The, for the Year ending March

11, 1919, reviewed, 236.
Longspur, Lapland, 96; figured, 96; 104; Smith's,

231-
Loon, 168, 227, 22g; Red-throated, 285; figured,

[285.
Magpie, 109, no.
Maine, 15, 398, 409, 411, 419.
Malheur Lake Reservation, 393, 71, 377, 406.
Mallard, 51, 169, 171, 229, 230, 294, 307.
Martin, Purple, 167, 168, 170, 227, 234, 292, 348,

349. 355, 357, 35»-
Maryland, 32, 403.
Massachusetts, 16, 17, 46, 103, 157, 165, 224, 291;

Legislation in, 391; 392, 404, 421.
McAtee's 'Wild Duck Foods of the Sandhill

Region of Nebraska,' reviewed, 235.
Meadowlark, 46, 49, 52, 104, 105, 107, 109, no,

166, 168, 170, 225, 227, 293, 359, 360, 361;

Western, 231.
Merganser, American, 46, 167, 225; Hooded, 51,

166, 167; Red-breasted, 51, 169.
Merlin, Richardson's, 109.
Michigan, 34.

Migration, Bird, see Bird Migration.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 192, 379.
Minnesota, 35, 49, 107, 167, 228, 293, 358.
Missouri, 39, 50, 106, 169, 229, 293, 358, 405, 417.
Mockingbird, 98, 221.
Montana, 42.

New Hampshire, 16, 285, 405, 410, 413.

New Jersey, 27, 47, 98, 105, 158, 225, 349, 405.

New York, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 46, 95, 96, 158,

165, 219, 225, 291, 354, 356, 396, 408, 409, 414,

415, 417, 4iQ-
Nighthawk, figured, 212; 232, 296, 358, 359;

Texas, 173.
Nonpareil, see Bunting, Painted.
North Dakota, 40.
Nuthatch, 290; Red-breasted, 105, no, 173, 232;

White-breasted, 5; figured, 6, 158.

Oberholser's "Water-Fowl in Nebraska,' reviewed,

Ohio, 35, 36, 48, 227, 395, 406. [235.

Oklahoma, 41.

Ontario, 15, 412.

Oregon, 44; Politics in, 73; Legislation in, 393; 406.

Oriole, Arizona Hooded, 172, 297, 361; Baltimore,
227, 228, 230, 291, 293, 359; nest figured, 372;
Bullock's, 172, 232, 295, 297, 359.

Osprey, see Hawk, Fish.

Ovenbird, 228, 290, 291, 294, 349.

Owl, Barred, 98; figured, 311; Horned, figured, 11;
Long-eared, 109, 158, 165, 171; Saw-whet, 109,
221; Screech, 109, 348, 350; figured, 120, 267,
268; 265; Short-eared, 97, 107; figured, 142;
Snowy, 108, 157.

Pelican, Brown, figured, 200; White, 234, 360, 361;

figured, 325.
Pennsylvania, 29, 30, 31, 32, 98, 105, 166, 222,

225, 356, 408, 415, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422.
Pewee, Western Wood, 173, 360; Wood, 221, 229.

295. 357-
Phalarope, Northern, 234, 360, 361; Wilson's, 229.
Pheasant, Ring-necked, figured, 1, 2, 3, 105, 109.
Phcebe, 166, 167, 16S, 171, 221, 227; Say's, 231.
Pigeon, Domestic, 47.
Pintail, 51, no, 166, 167, 169, 171, 226, 229, 230,

359-
Pipit, no, 349.
Plover, Black-bellied, 48, 233, 234, 360, 361;

Golden, 230; Mountain, 173; Piping, 357:

Semipalmated, 233, 234, 297; Snowy, 233, 234;

Upland, 230, 293, 357, 358.
Plumage, Birds', 91, 302, 347.

Quail, 285; Plumed, 170.
Quebec, 15, 146.

Rail, Black, 293; King, 101; Virginia, 219.

Redhead, 49, 52, 167, 227, 229, 230.

Redpoll, figured, n, 337; 46, 103, 104, 108, 109,
157, 158, 159, 165.

Redstart, 48, 228, 230, 291; nest figured, 372.

Rhode Island, 19, 407, 416.

Road-Runner, 297.

Robin, 46, 49, 52, 107, 108, 1 10, 147 ; nests figured,
147, 151, 289, 372; figured, 149, 152, 158, 159,
162, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 170, 173, 223, 227,
228, 231, 292, 293; Western, no, 296, 360.

Sanderling, 233, 234.

Sandpiper, Least, 229, 233, 234, 291, 361; Pectoral,
170, 291; Red-backed, 233, 234; Solitary, 50,
291; Spotted, 359; Stilt, 291; Western, 233, 234,
360, 361.

Sapsucker, 168; Red-breasted, 173, 360; Red-
naped, 173; Yellow-bellied, figured, facing, 139;
188, 226, 227, 357.

Scoter, Surf, 349; White-winged, 49.

Season, The, 46, 103, 165, 224, 291, 355.

Shrike, 200; Migrant, 168, 227, 229; Northern,
105, 108, 109; White-rumped, 295.

Shoveller, 171, 229, 230, 359.

Silloway's 'Guide to the Summer Birds of the
Bear Mountain and Harriman Park Sections of
the Palisades Interstate Park,' reviewed, 363.

Siskin, Pine, 46, 47, 48, 103, 107, 1 10, 159, 173, 231.

Snipe, Wilson's, 101, 229, 291, 35S.

Solitaire, Townsend's, 52, 109. 234.

Song-birds, English, 283.

South Dakota, 40.

Sparrow, Bachman's, 227; Black-chinned, 362;
Brewer's, 359, 361; Clay-colored, figured, 10; 51,
228, 229, 359; Chipping, 46, 47, 166, 167, 170,
223, 227, 233, 356, 359; nest figured, 372; Eng-
lish, 47, 164; wings in molt figured, 302; figured,
305; Field, 81; figured, Si; 104, 227; Fox, 46,
47, 50; figured, 154; 159, 166, 167, 168, 230, 232,
360; Gambel's, 173, 232, 233, 359, 360, 361;
Golden-crowned, 173, 232, 233, 360; Grass-
hopper, 226, 229, 230; Harris's, 50, 51, 170, 228,
230, 359; Lark, 230, 249; Lincoln's, 227, 361;
Xuttall's, no, 172; Savannah, 167, 229, 230,
359; Song, 51, 103, 165, 166, 168, 227; nest
figured, 243; Swamp, figured, 181, 356; nest and
eggs figured, 244; Tree, 46, 49, 50, 52, 103, 104,
105, 109, no, 158, 168, 171; figured, 337; Vesper,
165, 227; White-crowned, 221, 225, 227, 228,
232; White-throated, 46, 98, 104, 105, 221, 227,
228, 293, 356, 357, 359.

Index

Starling. European, 46, 158, 167; figured, facing,
20.;, 292; Migration of the, 213; Plumage of
tin-; 216.

Si ill. Black-necked, 234, 361.

Swallow, Bank. 220, 228, 230, 292, 357, 359;
Barn, 166, 173. 226, 230, 291, 292, 357, 359;
Cliff, 172, 173, 225, 359; Rough-winged, 226,
228, 234, 292; Tree, 108, 166, 167, 227. 270, 359;
figured, 279, 280, 291; Violet-green, 172, 173,
232.

Swan. Whistling, 4S, no, 167.

Swarth's 'Revision of the Avian Genus Passerella
With Special Reference to the Distribution and
Migration of the Races in California,' re-
viewed, 363.

Swift, Chimney, 50.

Sumac, Staghorn, 8; figured, 9.

Tanager, Scarlet, 203; figured, 204, 205; young
figured, 205, 206, 207; 226, 227, 228; Summer,
226, 230; Western, 232, 233, 360, 361.

Taverner's 'Birds of Eastern Canada,' reviewed,
54; 'The Birds of Red Deer River, Alberta,'
reviewed, 1 1 1 ; 'The Birds of Shoal Lake,
Manitoba,' reviewed, in.

Teal, 229; Blue-winged, 166, 230, 293, 359; Green-
winged, 51. no, 171, 229.

Tennessee, 403.

Tern, Black, 228, 294, 358; Cabot's, 322; eggs
figured, 323; Caspian, nest and eggs figured, 323;
Forester's, 234; Least, 234, 357, 359; Royal,
362.

Thrasher, Brown, 226, 227, 229, 348; California,
no.

Thrush, Audubon's Hermit, 359; Bicknell's, 218;
Gray-cheeked, 228; Hermit, 50, 166, 168, 172,
173, 218, 230, 232, 234, 293, 360; Monterey, 234;
Olive-backed, 218, 226, 228; Russet-backed,
173, 232, 234, 360; Wood, 218, 228, 292; Varied,
no, 172, 173, 233.

Titmouse, no, 172, 211,270, 361; Tufted, figured,

93-

Towhee, Green-tailed, 231; San Francisco, no.
Tree-Duck, Fulvous, 234.
Turnstone, Ruddy, 361.

Veery, 218, 228, 293.

Vermont, 16, 2 [8, 410.

Virtu. Blue-headed, 228; Hutton's, 110; Phila-
delphia, 48, 228; Plumbeous, 296; Red-eyed,
226, 2 30, 2.S7; nesl figured, 372; Solitary, 226;
Warbling, 172. 22.^, 22S. 205; White-eyed, 48,
230: Yellow-throated, 230, 288.

Virginia, 33.

Vulture, Turkey, 227, 294, 359.

Warbler, Audubon's, 173, 232, 359, 360, 361; Bay-
breasted, 162, 228; Black and White, 48, 226,
228, 230, 291; Blackburnian, 48, 226, 228, 293;
Blackpoll, 225, 226; Black-throated Blu<-. 102.
224, 226; Black-throated Gray, 172; Black-
throated Green, 226, 230. 204; Blue-winged, 226;
Calaveras. 172. 2s.^; California Yellow, 172;
Canada, 162, 22(1. 294; Cape May, 162, 225, 226,
356; Cerulean, 162, 230; Chestnut-sided, [62,
226, 228, 229; Golden Pileolated, 173; Hermit,
233;Hooded, 162, 226; Lutescent, 172. 297,361;
MacGillivray's, 172, 232; Magnolia, 162, 293;
Mourning, 162, 294; Myrtle, 46, 51, 228, 232,
293. 295, 356, 357, 350: Nashville, 102. 204:
Northern Parula, 48, 162; Orange-crowned, 162,

228, 230, 232; Palm, 228; Parula, 48, 226, 230,
294- 356; Pileolated, 172, 232, 359, 360, 361;
Pine, 162, 165, 167, 226, 228, 293, 295; Syca-
more, 230; Tennessee. 162, 225, 228, 23i;Town-
send's, 173, 233, 360; Virginia, 296; Wilson's, 48;
Worm-eating, 226; Yellow, 162. 228, 232, 360,
361; nest figured. 372; Yellow Palm, 22(1; Yel-
low-throated, 226, 295.

Washington, 43, 418, 420.

Water-Thrush, Grinnell's, 228; Louisiana, 166,

226: Northern, 162, 373.
Waxwing, Bohemian, 30, 52, 99, 101, 107, 108, 158,

165, 168, 169, 170, 223; Cedar, 51, 99, 158, 173,

229, 232, 273, 286, 352.
West Virginia, 32.
Whip-poor-will, 322.
Widgeon, 229.

Willet, 230. 234; Western, 233.

Wilson Bulletin. The, reviewed, 175.

Wisconsin, 34, 35.

Woodcock, 47. 51; figured, 146; 167, 226, 231.

Woodpecker, American Three-toed, 351; Arctic
Three-toed, 351; California, 173, 360, 361;
Downy. 49, 109. 158, 34S; Hairy, 49, 52, 109,
158; Lewis's, 109, 173, 360; Pileated, 229: Red-
headed, 50, 108, 168, 232.

Wren. Bewick's, 231; Cactus, 233; Carolina. 98;
House, figured, 12 ■;. [82, 183; 163, 171, 229, 292,
295, 360; Long-billed Marsh, 98, 226; Rock. 359;
Vigors's, no, 172; Western Winter, 1 10;
Winter, 226.

Yellow-legs, 234: Greater. j;o; Lesser, 220. 201,

359-
Yellow-throat, 2.^2; Maryland, 4s. 162, 2:

-**f"** -".V

* r 9 '7

GROUND DOVE
Order Colum&e Family — Columbioe

Genus- Ch<cmepelia Species- passerina terrestris

National Association of Audubon Societies

2*trb=Hore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ of The Audubon Societies

Vol. XXII

January— February, 1920

No. 1

The Ring-Necked Pheasant

By VERDI BURTCH, Branchport, N. Y.
With photographs by the Author

SINCE its introduction into western New York, this beautiful and inte-
esting bird has thrived and multiplied until now it is the principal game-
bird of this section of the state. In interest to the hunters, it has dis-
placed the Ruffed Grouse, which is now rather rare. Unlike the Grouse, which
keeps to the thick brush and gully banks, the Pheasant is a bird of the meadows
and swamps and seldom goes far into the woods.

In March, after the snow has left the ground and the first warm days have
come, we hear the first crow of the cock, and, as the season advances and the

RING-NECKED COCK PHEASANT
Photographed by Verdi Burtch, Branchport, N. V.

2 Bird - Lore

grass grows green, early every morning, from all over the bottom-lands, that
peculiar, weak crow is heard. We follow one and soon find him walking through
the meadow, a most beautiful sight, as he moves along with head-plumes erect,
the white ring around his neck contrasting strongly with the dark metallic blue
of his head and neck, and his breast shining like burnished copper. Now he
stops, stands very erect and utters his silly little crow which he immediately
follows with three or four rapid wing-beats. Then he sees us and with great
cackling of alarm is up and away.

■■■■■

MALE AND FEMALE PHEASANTS

About May i, the eggs are laid. The nest is a slight hollow in the grass
along fence hedgerows, in the edge of bush-lots, or in the open fields, and is
usually under a piece of brush. Many nests are found in the grape vineyards,
under the trellis wires; also out in the drier places in the cat-tails in the marsh.
Frequently the nests are found by the roadside, sometimes so close that they
arc dcsuoVi d when the roads are worked. May 7, 1916, 1 found a hen Pheasant
sitting on In 1 nest in the bank at the edge of a wooded hillside, close to a main
highway where all kinds of vehicles were passing within six feet. There was
a small pine tree growing just above, and a piece of brush stuck up over the nest.
This was the only cover for the nest, yet the dull colors of the bird blended so
perfectly with the olive-brown earth and the dead grasses and oak leaves that

The Ring-Necked Pheasant 3

she was scarcely noticeable. Several years ago a Pheasant scooped out and
lined a hollow between the ties just outside the rails of our local trolley line,
where both passenger and freight cars are passing frequently. It was only a few
feet from a switch and was found by one of the brakemen, who flushed her
before the eggs were laid, and she never came back to the nest. The nest is
almost sure to be deserted if found before the set is complete, and many times
even after incubation is commenced.

In summer, the principal food of the Pheasants seems to be insects, such

EASAXT ON NEST

as grasshoppers, June bugs, and caterpillars, and they often destroy ant-hills,
eating the ants, but as the season advances they do some damage to grain and
corn. In September, they congregate in the valley around the marsh and lake,
where they can be found gleaning the fields that have been harvested.

After the snows cover their natural food-supply,, many of them can be seen
patrolling the shores of the lake in company with Crows, -Herring Gulls, and
Black Ducks, searching for food in the weeds that the breakers have washed
ashore. During very cold spells, when they get their tails wet, snow adheres
to them, freezing on and causing them much inconvenience. I once flushed a
hen Pheasant that had a great bunch of snow and ice adhering to her tail,
weighting her down so much that it was with great difficulty that she managed
to rise and fly away.

4 Bird -Lore

They also come into the barnyards and feed with the chickens, and into the
gardens, where I have seen them jump up and strip the pole beans from the poles.
They eat almost any kind of weed seed, that of the burdock being a favorite.
*$ When we have heavy snows that lay on the ground for a long time, the
Pheasants have a very hard time of it and can be seen wandering over the fields,
searching every tuft of weeds, or in the apple trees picking at the frozen apples
that are still hanging to the trees.

It was just such a time as this, in the winter of 1916, when the Pheasants
were almost famished, that we established the feeding-place described in the
last number of Bird-Lore. At first we could not get the Pheasants to come, so
we shoveled a path in the snow, leading off in the field, and scattered seeds along
in it. The English Sparrows were first to find the seed, and I think that they
were a help in directing the Pheasants to it. It was only a day or two before
three hens were coming up the trail, but it was nearly a week before a cock
bird came to the feeding-place. The hens came in increasing numbers every day.
From the swamp away across the field, they would come, singly and in twos
and threes, cautiously at first, then running rapidly in little spurts and stopping
often to look around, but they would all soon be at the feeding-place and mingle
with the Tree Sparrows, Horned Larks, and Snowflakes. We had great sport
for nearly a month watching and photographing these beautiful birds, but as
the snow began to go off and bare spots showed in the fields, they scattered, and
soon our feeding-place was deserted and only a memory.

i;l. \< K i>( I K-
iphed bj Frank Levy, on the Pokiok River, N B., June », [ox<

Bobbie Yank

By KATRINE BLACKINTON, Blackinton, Mass.

THE bird-books call him the White-breasted Nuthatch — my friend out
there on the trunk of the maple tree — but I call him 'Bobbie Yank.'
The reason for my familiarity is the fact that we have been on speaking
terms for over a year. It began on Thanksgiving Day, 191 7, over a piece of suet
tied to the balcony post, and has continued in a progressive fashion, by means
of little devices and encouragements like sunflower seeds and nut-meats put in
unexpected places, until now we are old friends, even though our relations are
seasonal.

Of course, spring and summer rind him with intensive family duties on his
hands (at which I lay a wager he is no slacker) and, with at least two batches of
husky youngsters coming on to be sheltered, fed, and taught, what time, I
would like to ask has B. Yank for as much as a thought of his winter pals?
Why I have it on the highest authority that he passes Downy and Chickadee,
whom he dotes on in the cold months, without as much recognition as the turn-
ing of an eyelash — rushes right by them with such rude haste that our Alice-
in-\\'onderland Ears and Whiskers Rabbit would feel obliged to pause and raise
a monocle of astonishment. So I need not feel that he singles me out for
personal slight, and when I tell you that he really did call on me during his rush
season, won't you understand how honored I felt?

Last July, as I was giving the garden a good 'hosing' after a very hot day, I
heard a familiar yank close to my ear, and, turning, saw my friend, his wife, and
five children on the trunk of a young black walnut at the garden's edge, only
a pace from where I stood. If the most distinguished man in the world had made
a pilgrimage with his family to see me, I couldn't have felt^more 'set up.'
There were the proud, sleek parents and their five overgrown, fluffy youngsters,
a study in blue-gray! Their father's look told volumes: "Well, here they are!
And a fine-looking lot, if I do say so. I'll tell you a family like that represents
work. Now there's just the feeding alone — many's the time I've gone to bed
hungry after a hard day carrying grubs to those children, and the worst of it
was, you positively couldn't fill them !" Of course, his manner was bristling
with ego, but who could blame him? Certainly not I, as I stood spellbound
with admiration watching those young black-capped, blue-grays imitating their
parents. I wouldn't have given a cent for the life of a grub in that tree, with
those lively, new, inverted grub-enthusiasts carrying on their bill-driving cam-
paign with all the pristine vigor of youth.

Months intervened before I next saw Bobbie, and then in the company of
a male friend, which prompted me to draw the conclusion that he had set up
bachelor's apartments for the winter. Upon my first glimpse of him I put some
nut-meats on the upper balcony and just inside my bedroom window, and
waited. The balcony meats made a prompt disappearance, and then, sure

(5)

6 Bird - Lore

enough, in he came — very cautiously at first — hopping over the window-sill
with his individual zigzag hop, and changing his yank, yank as he entered into
a subdued colloquial tone which Mr. Chapman has well described as his
'conversational twitter.1 Later on, when the nuts appeared, not only on the
floor but on the furniture and in unexpected corners, Bobbie made his entrance
by flying from the balcony rail onto the corner of the dressing-table, which stands
between the two long French windows, and there he took a survey in order to

BOBBY YANK'

decide which lunching-place gave the best promise. These visits often came
at about 7 o'clock in the morning, and I could watch him from the vantage
ground of my bed. The steady stream of conversation which he carried on
with himself, under his breath, interested me almost more than any other cun-
ning wild thing about him. The more acquainted I grow with this altogether
fast inating bird, the stronger is my impression that he conceals an adventurous
spirit behind thai matter-of-fact mask of his. Every new device for feeding
that 1 put out he is the first to approach, and one sunny day I sat in the open

Bobbie Yank 7

window of his room with a nut-meat riding on the toe of my boot, foot extended.
He came hopping in very cautiously, looking at me with head on one side, his
bright eyes questioning my face, plainly saying "Will you keep still? Really,
will you?" Then in a most casual way he grasped the nut and made off with
it in no undue haste.

Another outstanding quality of Bobbie's is his great love of playing to the
gallery. Give him an appreciative audience and he is made. One day I sat
down at my desk to write, glanced out of the window and saw Bob all tucked
into the corner of the seed-tray of the Packard feeding-station on his favorite
maple, obviously settled for a luxurious siesta after a large meal. As soon as
his eye caught mine he gave himself a quick shake, assumed the defensive
attitude of a man who has been caught napping, but won't own it, moved out
into the center of the tray and made his bill fly in all directions like a person
vigorously using a broom, scattering seeds to the winds. I rapped on the window
and shook my finger at him, mentioning Mr. Hoover's name. He stopped an
instant, then went at it again with all the recklessness of a drunken sailor on
first shore-leave after a long voyage, and "a fig for your Hoover" in every motion
of that active bill.

And now I have come to an interesting psychological fact about Bobbie.
I have in my room a plaster Barye lioness standing out rather large and white
against a mahogany bookcase. Bob has taken nuts from every piece of furni-
ture and every object in the room except the lioness; he has never touched her,
but on two occasions has taken nuts from her pedestal. I thought I would force
the issue by putting a very large nut-meat (he is especially weak about large
ones) in her jaw and not a fragment anywhere else in the room. That day I
was putting a shining new coat of paint on our east enclosed veranda, which we
use as a breakfast-room, when I heard the worst clatter — a perfect din — out on
the east maple. It has the scolding note of the Robin at his most excited
moments, combined with the blatant quality of the Flicker. I saw, to my amaze-
ment, that it was Bob, single-throated, and the rating was unmistakably
directed at me. At the moment I entirely forgot the lioness incident, and went
out in all sincerity to find what was wrong. As I approached he threw off his
challenging attitude like a flash, dodging around the bark of the tree, assumed
his most businesslike grub-searching expression — "positively not a moment
to spend in conversation." Not until I had resumed my paint-and-brush
activity did the picture of the nut in the lioness' mouth come to me. So that
was the cause of this outburst of unparliamentary speech hurled from the maple,
and then it came to me that, sandwiched in between anathemas, I had detected
something to this effect: "I'm not going to fly into the jaws of death for you
or any other woman ! My mother told me at a tender age to recognize that
combination of lines as cat, than which bird has no worse enemy." Now if
somebody who has studied bird psychology would explain this little quirk of
Bobbie's, or at least advance a theory, I would be grateful.

8 Bird - Lore

1 held out about the nuts until the following day, when he came to meet
me as I approached our front door after a marketing trip. He flew from the
west maple, lighted on the top of the spindle of the lower blind nearest me,
came down the spindle as he comes down the trunk of a tree, inverted, head up
and his 'conversational twitter' transformed into a genuine teasing tone!
Could anyone resist such an appeal? And now do you wonder that my window
stands open in all kinds of weather, and that I cast aside such frills as curtains
that blow and shades that flap, in order to receive every winter such a delight-
ful guest?

The Staghorn Sumac

By E. A. DOOLITTLE, Painesville, Ohio

THERE is one tree to which we ornithologists and bird-lovers of the more
northern states should gratefully lift our hats — the staghorn sumac,
Rhus typhina. In the sense of providing food for birds it holds a peculiar
place and has two attributes possessed by no other, namely, it never fails to
bear fruit and the fruit stays on the tree. Besides, it is abundant and freely
distributed: let it get a start along a fence-row and it marches along in both
directions, without loss in the center; let it start at the foot of a barren hill-
side and as certain as fate it will reach the crest ; on flat lands or in neglected
fields it will form round, even-topped thickets, and in places preoccupied by
other trees and shrubs it lives, and waits. So we, and, incidentally, the birds,
may be thankful that there is a class of land-owners who do not cut out the
sumac until it is a case of cut sumac or buy a new farm. Virtually, it is a weed
among trees, but, like lots of other weeds, it has a beauty of its own in the num-
erous red fruit-cones at the apex of the branches, and most bird-lovers know,
I presume, that these seed clusters are a food-supply for numerous species of
birds; but do we all recognize the most important part the sumac plays, rela-
tive to the birds' bill-of-fare?

It may surprise some when I state that my personal conviction is that the
birds do not like the sumac seeds. Ever eat a few yourself? I am much addicted
myself to tasting and eating all sorts of wild fruit, berries, seeds, leaves, barks,
and roots, and find that for pure 'cussedness' the seeds of sumac rank third
after wild crabapples and Indian turnip. The taste is sour, very, very sour;
otherwise they appear to consist of very hard, flat seeds covered with red hair.
There may be a thin flesh also, as they are classed as a sort of dry drupe, hut for
ordinary purposes, including food, they are hard stones, red velvet, and acid.
Perhaps a bird's taste is different from mine, and maybe the fur tickles their
palates in a pleasing manner, hut taste is not my chief reason for thinking the
birds do not like the sumac's offering.

Just so long as i lure are other fruits, berries, or insects about, you will

The Staghorn Sumac 9

find the chumps of sumac barren of feeding birds. In the fall, when the pepper-
idge bears, you will find each tree alive with many different species, greedily
stripping them to the last little drupe; then, as winter approaches, arrives, and
vanishes, one by one, in the order of their delectableness, do the other natural
fruits and berries vanish — wild grapes, woodbine, mountain-ash, and numerous
others; but as long as a few frozen apples still cling to the trees, just so long do
the few remaining Robins, Waxwings, and others evade the waiting sumac.
The first spring arrivals come at last: Bluebirds, Robins, Flickers, and Black-
birds galore. There is still nearly enough food to satisfy the returning hosts,
for it has been augmented by early insects, swelling buds, and the melting snows
have uncovered hidden stores. And still the sumac waits!

I

V'/a f i«

'*!» » .4 ^ UV

STAGHORN^ SUMAC

A- little later come the Phoebes and Hermit Thrushes. And then, in this
latitude, with a most charming regularity, comes something else. A change of
wind to the north, several inches of snow, freezing at night, and, out of the soft
ground, great quadrangular crystals of ice appear. The morning after the storm
you will find the Robins, hustlers that they are, searching the wet edges of the
ponds and brooks, hopping along the sheltered sides of buildings and fences
and even out on the snow-covered lawns where they no doubt find many a
blizzard-caught 'night-walker;' — and they are so cheerful about it too! Much
different are the actions of the Grackles who perch in bunches at the tops of the
windiest trees they can find and, in muffled feathers, disconsolately pulse out a
Grackle curse every few minutes.

It is at such a time the sumac has its day — just go out late in the afternoon
and see for yourself. Bluebirds are there in bunches, and the Robins, with

IO

Bird - Lore

hunger still unappeased in spite of their hopeful search, have finally trooped
off to the scraggly trees that have held aloft their maroon cones of velvety
seeds so long. Last spring one little tree held two Flickers, a Robin, a Bluebird,
a Hermit Thrush, and a Phoebe, all frantically pulling the seeds from the
clusters.

Years ago it worried me considerably as to what the Phoebe did for food
during such a spell of weather. Since finding them eating sumac seeds I have
felt better about it. Then I had an idea — perhaps those thick seed-clusters held
insects also upon which the Phcebe could feed. So I examined a cone or so. Yes,
there were lots of those little dancing flies and similar insects enmeshed in the
velvety clusters. Not being an entomologist, I cannot give the 'botanical names'
of the bugs, but they consisted of gauzy wings and long legs, principally, while
as for bodies, there was no meat, no juice, no skin — just a sort of film surround-
ing a suggestion, so I was convinced the Phcebes were eating the sour seeds also.

To be sure, I am only speaking in generalities, and do not mean to imply
the sumac is never visited at other times. But usually I find them barren of
birds except at the period mentioned, while then it fills a gap in the food-
supply that helps out the birds' bill-of-fare prodigiously. So let's doff our hats to
Rhus typhina, the staghorn sumac, the Tree of Last Resort.

CLAY-C0L0RED»SPARR0\V
Photographed by H. and S. Pittman, Harlncy, Manitoba

TWO WINTER BIRDS— UPPER FIGURE, REDPOLL; LOWER FIGURE, WESTERN-
HORNED OWL
Photographed by"H. and E. Pittraan, Hartney, Manitoba

(")

Bird-Lore's Advisory Council

WITH some slight alterations, we reprint below the names and
addresses of the ornithologists forming Bird-Lore's 'Advisory
Council,' which were first published in Bird-Lore for February, iqoo.

To those of our readers who are not familiar with the objects of the Council,
we may state that it was formed for the purpose of placing students in direct
communication with an authority on the bird-life of the region in which they
live, to whom they might appeal for information and advice in the many diffi-
culties which beset the isolated worker.

The success of the plan during the twenty years that it has been in opera-
tion fully equals our expectations. From both students and members of
the Council we have had very gratifying assurances of the happy results
attending our efforts to bring the specialist in touch with those who appreciate
the opportunity to avail themselves of his wider experience.

It is requested that all letters of inquiry to members of the Council be
accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope for use in replying.

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

UxNITED STATES AND TERRITORIES

Alaska. — Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 1919 16th St., N. W., Washington, D. C.

Arizona^ — Harriet I. Thornber, Tucson, Ariz.

California. — Joseph Grinnell, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.

California. — Walter K. Fisher, Palo Alto, Calif.

Colorado. — Dr. W. H. Bergtold, 1159 Rose St., Denver, Colo.

Connecticut. — J. H. Sage, Portland, Conn.

Delaware. — S. N. Rhoads, Haddonfield, N. J.

District of Columbia. — Dr. C. W. Richmond, U. S. Nat 'I. Mus., Washington. I). (

Florida.— Frank M. Chapman, Am. Mus. Nat. History, New York City.

Florida, Western. — K. W. Williams, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.

Georgia. — Dr. Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga.

Illinois, Northern.— B. T. Gault, Glen Ellyn, 111.

Illinois, Southern. — Robert Ridgway, U. S. National Museum, Washington, I). C.

Indiana. — A. W. Butler, State House, Indianapolis, Ind.

Iowa. — C. R. Keyes, Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

Kansas. — University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kans.

Kentucky. — A. C. Webb, Nashville, Tenn.

I. ni tsiANA. — Prof. George E. Beyer, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.

Maim;. A. II. Norton, Society of Natural History, Portland, Maine.

M VSSACHUSETTS. — Winsor M. Tyler, Lexington, Mass.

Mu iiigan. — Prof. W. B. Barrows, Agricultural College. Mich.

Minnesota. — Dr. T. S. Roberts, Millard Hall, University of Minn.. Minneapolis, Minn

Missouri. 0. Widmann, 5105 Morgan St., St. Louis, Mo.

M<>Ni w\. prof. J. M. Elrod, University of Montana, Missoula. Mont.

Nebraska. Dr. R. II. Walcott, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.

Nevada. Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.

New Hampshire. Dr. G. M. Allen, Boston Soc. Nat. Ili-t.. Boston.

Bird-Lore's Advisory Council 13

New Jersey, Northern. — Frank M. Chapman, Am. Mus. Nat. History, New York City

New Jersey, Southern. — Witmer Stone, Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. Pa.

New Mexico. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.

New York, Eastern. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Washington, D. C.

New York, Western. — E. H. Eaton, Hobart College, Geneva, N. Y.

North Dakota. — Prof. O. G. Libby, University, N. D.

North Carolina. — Prof. T. G. Pearson, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Ohio. — Prof. Lynds Jones, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.

Oklahoma. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.

Oregon. — W. L. Finley, Milwaukee, Ore.

Pennsylvania, Eastern. — Witmer Stone, Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.

Pennsylvania, Western. — W. E. Clyde Todd, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Rhode Island. — H. S. Hathaway, Box 1466, Providence, R. I.

South Carolina. — Dr. P. M. Rea, Charleston Museum, Charleston, S. C.

Tennessee. — Albert F. Ganier, Nashville, Tenn.

Texas. — H. P. Attwater, Houston, Texas.

Utah. — -Prof. Marcus E. Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Vermont. — Prof. G. H. Perkins, Burlington, Vt.

Virginia. — Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I Street, Washington, I). C.

Washington. — Samuel F. Rathburn, Seattle, Wash.

West Virginia. — Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I Street, Washington, D. C.

Wisconsin. — H. L. Ward, Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wis.

CANADA

Alberta. — G. F. Dippie, Calgary, Alta.

British Columbia. — Francis Kermode, Provincial Museum, Victoria, B C.

Manitoba. — Ernest Thompson Seton, Greenwich, Conn.

Nova Scotia. — Harry Piers, Provincial Museum, Halifax, N. S.

Ontario, Eastern. — James H. Fleming, 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Ont.

Ontario, Western. — W. E. Saunders, London, Ont.

Quebec. — W. H. Mousley, Hatley, Quebec.

MEXICO
E. W. Nelson, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.

WEST INDIES
C. B. Cory, Field Museum, Chicago, 111.

GREAT BRITAIN
Clinton G. Abbott, Rhinebeck, N. Y.

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census

THE highest number of species recorded in this census in the northern
and middle Atlantic States is forty-three by Orient, Long Island; in
the south, forty-five by St. Petersburg, Fla.; in the Mississippi Valley,
forty-five by Nashville, and forty by Kansas City; on the Pacific Coast 109 by
Santa Barbara.

Despite the wintry conditions prevalent at Christmas time, the open fall
experienced by northeastern states is reflected in the presence of birds which
ordinarily have moved south before this date. For instance, the Grackle
occurs on four reports from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York states
(75 at New Haven, the others single birds) ; twenty-five Red-winged Black-
birds are reported from New Haven, one from New York City; we have six
Rusty Blackbirds (Norwalk, Conn.), and twenty-five (Fort Plain, N. Y.);
and the Cowbird is reported from two localities on Long Island (37 and 1).
Rusty and Cowbird often migrate very late, and it will be more remarkable if
the latter winters than if it moves on at this late date. A census too late for pub-
lication from Bucksport, Me., lists a Towhee (Dec. 28) present in one locality
since Dec. 3. The bird was found dead next day, sent to the American Museum
(Mrs. W. H. Gardner), and the identification confirmed. A Wilson's Snipe
is reported from two widely separate Long Island localities; a Vesper Sparrow
from New York City and Plainfield, N. J.; a Catbird on Long Island and in
New Jersey. Of more casual occurrence, the Baltimore Oriole at Cohasset,
Mass (Dec. 21) ; King Rail at Orient, Long Island; Tree Swallow at Gardiner's
Island, and seven Swallows on the Hackensack Marshes; Phoebe at Moores-
town, N. J., and Northern Phalarope at Telford, Pa., should not be overlooked.

Yet the interest of the census centers largely in what it can tell us of this
year's movement of northern Finches, — Siskin, Redpoll and Crossbills are more
than usually abundant. Twenty-seven Siskin reports are scattered over New
England, New York and New Jersey (1 to 100 individuals). Besides one just
across the river from Trenton, there is one report each from Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Indiana, western Missouri, eastern Kansas (1 to 7); it is mentioned
once in Illinois, and strangely enough, the largest number (500) is reported from
Youngstown, Ohio. Twenty Redpoll reports are scattered over New England
and New York, in which state we find it as far south as Rhinebeck, on the
Hudson, and twice on the coast (eastern Long Island and Staten Island). It
also occurs at Youngstown (12). Both Crossbills have come south this year,
but at this date seem to have almost completely left New England and eastern
Long Island, though the Red Crossbill is recorded from Martha's Vineyard,
both "within a few days" at Orient, L. I., and a single Red at Wareham,
Mass. The census finds the Red Crossbill once on western Long Island (12
individuals), twice on Staten Island, N. Y. (same locality, 26 and 13), once
each in New Jersey (7), Maryland (10), and District of Columbia (2); also

(14)

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 15

in Illinois (2), western Missouri (21), eastern Kansas (35), South Dakota (2).
It finds the White-winged Crossbill once each in northern (14) and western (3)
New York, and in New Jersey (1); both species once in Ohio (Youngs town,
Red, 20; White-winged, 11), in Wisconsin (Red, 1; White-winged 40), and in
Nebraska (Red, 6; White-winged 36).

Those who hesitate to credit to blind chance even the presence of such erratic
birds, may speculate on whether Youngstown's good fortune in having all
four species on one census is due to the presence there of especially enthusiastic
bird-lovers, an environment particularly attractive to such visitors, or being
strategically situated on some migration route. — J. T. Nichols.

Quebec, P. Q. (Bergerville, Ste. Foye, Cap Rouge, Bridge, Sillery). — Dec. 26;
7.30 a.m. to 3.20 p.m. Clear to 9.30 a.m., cloudy thereafter; moderate snowfall began at
2.40 p.m. and continued till dark; 6 in. snow; wind northeast, light; temp. — 50 at start,
+ 140 at return. Fifteen miles on foot. Downy Woodpecker, 1; Evening Grosbeak, 13;
Pine Grosbeak, 54; Redpoll, 14; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 18; Robin, 3.
Total, 7 species, 104 individuals. — Harrison F. Lewis.

Hatley, Stanstead County, P. Q. — Dec. 26; 9 a.m. to 12 m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Fine;
3 in. snow; wind southwest, light in the morning, fresh in the afternoon; temp. 20 at
start, 200 at finish. Canadian Ruffed Grouse, 4; Blue Jay, 1; Pine Grosbeak, 1; Red-
poll, 40; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Black-capped Chickadee, 17. Total, 6 species,
67 individuals. — H. Mousley.

London, Ont., vicinity of. — Dec. 27; 8 a.m. to 12 m. and 2.30 to 5.30 p.m. Overcast;
temp. 31° at 8 a.m, rising to 55°, then dropping to 290 at 5.30 p.m.; an inch or two of
snow on the ground; wind, southwest, moderate; heavy snowfall commenced about 4 p.m.
Combined list of two parties working in the morning and four working in the afternoon..
Owl (probably Long-eared), 1; Downy Woodpecker, 8; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 22; Purple
Finch, 2; Redpoll, 55 (reported by nearly all parties); Goldfinch, 1; Siskin, 65 (one
flock); Snow Bunting, 20 (one flock); Tree Sparrow, 15; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 3;
Brown Creeper, 7; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 (at food
shelf); Black-capped Chickadee, 87 (very common this winter); Brown-cap Chickadee, 1;
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 15. Total, 18 species, 323 individuals. Also seen recently
Bronzed Grackle, American Merganser, White-throated Sparrow, Screech Owl, and
about a month ago, both White-winged and Red Crossbills. The absence of Juncos this
winter is quite unusual. — W. E. Saunders, J. F. Calvert, J. C. Higgins, E. H. Perkins,
T. D. Patterson, J. R. McLeod, G. Gillespie, E. M. S. Dale, Mrs. Dale. (Mcll-
wraith Ornithological Club.)

Reaboro to Manvers Station, Ont. (Lat. 440 15' N.). — Dec. 22; 7.35 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Overcast; >£inch snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 320 to 350. About 25 miles on
foot. Black Duck, 1; Ruffed Grouse, 13; Hairy Woodpecker, 6; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Blue Jay, 20; Crow, 1; Rusty Blackbird, 1; Pine Siskin, 3; Redpoll, about 90; Snow
Bunting (heard); Tree Sparrow, 3; Fox Sparrow, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Chickadee, 31. Total, 14 species, 145+ individuals. The Blackbird and Fox Sprarow,
also the Duck, were seen to excellent advantage (with 12 power binoculars), hence no
question in the identification. Also seen during the month: Horned Lark (7th);
Mourning Dove (14th); Northern Shrike (18th); Great Horned Owl (21st). — Earl
W. Calvert.

Kennebunk, Me. (to Parsons Beach and back). — Dec. 26; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over-
cast; a very little snow in patches; wind south, light at start, strong at noon and on
return; temp, varying, about 20°. Ten miles on foot. Observers together. Horned

i6 Bird -Lore

Grebe, 5; Herring Gull, 20; (American or Barrow ?) Golden-eye, 12; Old Squaw, 6;
American Scoter, 15; White-winged Scoter, 20; Hairy Woodpecker, 1 (seen before
starting ) i ' )owny Woodpecker, 2 ; Crow, 30; Purple Finch, 2 ; Black-capped Chickadee, 20.
Also a small Plover or Sandpiper, impossible to identify under the circumstances. Total,
12 species, about 134 individuals. — Sterling Dow, Edward B. Hinckley.

Wilton, N. H. — Dec. 25; 8 a.m. to 12 m. Clear; 1 in. fresh snow; wind, northwest,
light; temp. 200 to 260. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Crow, 10 (one flock); Starling, 4; Goldfinch, 15; Redpoll, 38 (two flocks); Tree Spar-
row, 5; Junco, 3; Chickadee, 11; Robin, 8 (one flock). Total, 11 species, 98 individuals.
Hairs' Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch were seen Dec. 21. — George G.
Blanchard.

Jaffrey, N. H. — Dec. 22; 9.45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy in a.m., clear in p.m.; ground
bare; wind southwest, light; temp. 240 at start, 30° at return. Eleven miles on foot.
Observers apart. Hairy Woodpecker, 1 ; Blue Jay, 1 ; Redpoll, 146; American Goldfinch, 2;
Tree Sparrow, 20; Chickadee, 16. Total, 6 species, 186 individuals. — Lucia B. Cutter,
Nina G. Spaulding.

Wells River, Vt. (to East Ryegate along the banks of the Connecticut River, back
on first range of hills west of river.) — Dec. 23; 1 to 5 p.m.; clear; 1 in. snow; no wind;
temp. 32° at start, 420 at return. Eight miles on foot. Ruffed Grouse, 3; Blue Jay, 2;
Redpoll, 1; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 11 (2 flocks).
Total, 6 species, 20 individuals. On the preceding day I observed a Hairy Woodpecker
and two Pine Grosbeaks. — Wendell P. Smith.

Bennington, Vt. — Dec. 23; 9.45 to 11.15 A-M- Clear; 2 in. snow; wind west, very
light; temp. 240 at start, 300 at return. Four-mile auto trip with a walk of 1 mile in
fields and woods. Observers together. Ruffed Grouse, 2 (a pair); Hairy Woodpecker, 1;
Downy Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 6; Starling, 40+; Meadowlark, 8; Pine
Siskin, 50+; Tree Sparrow, 4; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 6. Total, 11
species, about 120 individuals. On Dec. 12 and 13 a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was
observed. — Dr. and Mrs. Lucretius H. Ross.

Devereux to Marblehead Neck, Mass. (and back). — Dec. 26; 12 m. to 4 p.m. Partly
cloudy; ground bare; wind northeast, strong; temp. 320. Observers together. Holboell's
Grebe, 1; Horned Grebe, 7; Black Guillemot, 8; Dovekie, 1; Kittiwake, 4; Great Black-
backed Gull, 4; Herring Gull, 350; Ring billed Gull, 1; Red-breasted Merganser, 11;
Black Duck, 1; American Golden-eye, 38; Old Squaw, 5; Bald Eagle, 1 (full plumage);
Sparrow Hawk, 2; Crow, 5; flicker, 3; Starling, 125 (in two flocks); Tree Sparrow, 2;
Black-capped Chickadee, 4. Total, 19 species, 573 individuals. The Gulls were all
seen at close range as they sat on the water. — Alice O. Jump, Lidian E. Bridge.

Boston, Mass. (Arnold Arboretum and vicinity). — Dec. 26; 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cloudy; 2 in. snow; wind southwest; temp. 250 to 35°. Herring Gull, 1; Ring-necked
Pheasant, 1; Northern Flicker, 5; Blue Jay, 11; Crow, 40; Slate-colored Junco, 12;
Myrtle Warbler, 11; Black-capped Chickadee, 30; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 4. Total,
9 species, 115 individuals. — George MacDonai i>. Chandler Brooks.

Boston, Mass. (The Arnold Arboretum). — Dec. 22; 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Cloudy
(the last hour sunny 1; a trace of snow only; wind northwest to southwest, light; temp.
250 at start, 370 at return. Sparrow Hawk, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker,
4; Blue Jay, 24; Crow, 22; Starling, 140; Redpoll, 3; Goldfinch, 2; Bine Siskin, 13;
White-throated Sparrow, 3; Slate-colored Junco, 22; Song Sparrow, 4; Myrtle War-
bler, S; Mockingbird, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 21; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 2; Hermit Thrush, i. (Both kinds of Crossbills had been present from Oct. 30
to Dec. 1, Inclusive.) Total, [8 speciesj 274 individuals. Horace W. Wright.

Roslindale, Mass. (Forest Hills Cemetery, Franklin Park, Arnold Arboretum, and
Allendale Woods. 1 -Dec. 25; 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Clear; ,'jin. snow; wind east, very

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 17

light; temp. 300 at start, 280 at return. Eight miles on foot. Observers together. Ring-
necked Pheasant, 3; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 7; American
Crow, 28; Starling, 9; Meadowlark, 3; Goldfinch, 14; Tree Sparrow, 34; Slate-colored
Junco, 11; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 8. Total, 12 species, 1 20 individuals.
— Alfred O. Gross, Roe Mabie.

West Medford, Mass. and Middlesex Fells. — Dec. 28; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clear; ground
thinly covered with snow; wind southwest, moderate. Seven miles on foot. Ring-necked
Pheasant, 3; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 19;
Crow, 21; Starling, 6; Goldfinch, 5; Tree Sparrow, 3; Junco, 10; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 13. Total, 12 species, 87 individuals. — -Edmund
and Lidian E. Bridge.

Lexington, Mass. (to Lincoln, Concord, Bedford, and back).— Dec. 26; 8 a.m. to
4 p.m. Low clouds, rain in afternoon; ground bare; wind southwest, light; temp. 36° at
departure, 380 at return. Twenty-three miles on foot, alone. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Marsh
Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 5; American Crow, 19; Starling, 16;
Evening Grosbeak, 2; Goldfinch, 24; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 38;
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 4. Total, 12 species, 115 individuals. Marsh Hawk (male)
seen at distance and identified by bluish gray back, wings, and tail; dark bars on tail;
and white upper tail coverts. — H. Lincoln Houghton.

Wellesley, Mass. (Around Lake Waban, the Outlet and Morse's Pond).— Dec. 28;
9.30 a.m. to 2.15 p.m. Clear; traces of snow on ground; lake frozen; wind northwest, light
to brisk; temp. 280 to 340. Seven miles on foot. Observers together. Bob-white, 15
(one covey); Downy Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 5; Starling, 8; Redpoll, 29
(one flock); Goldfinch, 7; Pine Siskin, 5; Tree Sparrow, 13; Slate-colored Junco, 28;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 7; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3. Total, 13 species,
137 individuals. — Gordon B. and Helen H. Wellman.

Sharon, Mass. — Dec. 24; 8.30 to 10.30 a.m. and 12 m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy and foggy;
ground bare; light west wind; temp. 400. About 7 miles. Ruffed Grouse, 8; Hairy
Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 7; Crow, 8; Starling, 14;
Goldfinch, 165; Tree Sparrow, n; Slate-colored Junco, 117; Brown Creeper, 3; Black-
capped Chickadee, 25. Total, 12 species, 367 individuals. — Mrs. Harriet U. Goode,
Harry G. Higbee, Manley B. Townsend.

Weston, Mass. — Dec. 23; 8.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m., 2.15 to 4.15 p.m. Misty in a.m.
and p.m., but bright and sunny at noon; ground chiefly bare, but a little old snow; wind,
light; temp. 320 to 420. Long-eared Owl, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Wood-
pecker, 1; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 16; Starling, 125; Goldfinch, 30; Pine Siskin, 75; Tree
Sparrow, 7; Junco, 17; Brown Creeper, 2; Chickadee, 24. Total, 12 species, 305 indi-
viduals. The Owls were quite unusual — -seen in a heavy growth of pine, scolded by
numerous Chickadees. They were brown, of medium size, and had the markings of the
Long-eared on the wing. I could not find them perched. — Warren F. Eaton.

Holyoke, Mass. (vicinity of Mt. Tom Range). — Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m.
Clear; wind north, strong; snow fell during preceding night, leaving small drifts in places;
2 to 3 in. of snow on the level; clouds vanished and wind diminished as day wore on; temp.
240 at start, 320 at return. Eight to 10 miles on foot. Three observers together. Ring-
necked Pheasant, 1 ; Sparrow Hawk, 1 ; Hairy Woodpecker, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 2 ; Blue
Jay, 15; American Crow, 400 to 500 (largely one flock); Starling, 40 (two flocks); Snow
Bunting, 10 to 12 (one flock); Redpoll, 75 (two flocks); Goldfinch, 4 to 5; Tree Sparrow, 6;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 15; Robin, 1. The Robin was one of two
observed Dec. 23; 4 Meadowlarks Dec. 21; Pine Siskins have been frequent during the
month. Total, 14 species, about 625 individuals. — -Alden Healey, Arthur Mitchell,
John L. and Aaron C. Bagg.

Wareham, Mass. — Dec. 28; 7 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Fair; ground partly snow-covered;

18 Bird - Lore

wind southwest, light; temp. 34° at start. Approximately 6 miles, on foot; by automobile
between points. Observers together. Horned Grebe, 2; Black-backed Gull, 6; Herring
Gull, 455; American Merganser, 6; Red-breasted Merganser, 29; Black Duck, 158;
American Golden-eye, 325; Old Squaw, 4; Bob-white, 7; Ruffed Grouse, 4; Belted King-
fisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Northern Flicker, 3; Horned Lark, 30; Blue Jay, 15-
Crow, 85; Starling, 2; Meadowlark, 5; Purple Finch, 2; Red Crossbill, 1; Goldfinch, 45,
Pine Siskin, 3; Snow Bunting, 2; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 55; Slate-
colored Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 4; Swamp Sparrow, 2; Towhee (male), 1; Myrtle
Warbler, 6; Brown Creeper, 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 80; Robin, 1.
Total, 34 species, 1,387 individuals. The Towhee was also seen on Dec. 21. — Dr.
Winsor M. Tyler, C. A. Robbins, Frank Robbins.

Cohasset, Mass. (Jerusalem Road, Atlantic Ave., Sandy Cove). — Dec. 26; 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Clear, becoming overcast; ground partly covered with light snow; temp. 250
to 320. Four miles on foot, alone. Loon, 1; Black-backed Gull, 20; Herring Gull, 250;
Red-breasted Merganser, 5; American Golden-eye, 6; Black-crowned Night Heron, 3;
Ring-necked Pheasant, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Wood-
pecker, 1; Flicker, 3; Horned Lark (heard, not seen); Blue Jay, 3; American Crow, 20;
Starling, 7; Purple Finch, 2; American Goldfinch (heard, not seen); Tree Sparrow, 25;
Junco, 10; Song Sparrow, 4; Cedar Waxwing, 55; Myrtle Warbler, 20; Brown Creeper, 1;
Chickadee, 25; Robin, 1. Total, 25 species, about 465 individuals. A Screech Owl was
heard at 7 a.m. Dec. 27. A Baltimore Oriole was seen in Cohasset Dec. 21, feeding on
frozen grapes in an arbor; I watched it from a distance of 3 feet, although it flew a hun-
dred yards without difficulty when first seen. This is of particular interest because I
reported another Baltimore Oriole within a mile of this place, in my Christmas Bird
Census three years ago, the only two winter Orioles I have ever known. The earlier
record was made on Dec. 26 and 31, 1916. — John B. May, M.D.

Somerset and Dighton, Mass. (along Taunton River and Broad Cove).— Dec. 25;
8.30 a.m. to 12 m. Cloudy; 2 in. ice and snow; wind northeast, strong; temp. 240. Ob-
servations mostly together. Herring Gull, 25; Black Duck, 30; Golden-eye, 2; Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 4; Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 20; Starling, 40 (single and in
small, loose flocks); Meadowlark, 4; Goldfinch, 6; Pine Siskin, 30 (dusky streaks and
yellow on wings noted at close range, also notes heard) ; Tree Sparrow, 1 ; Slate-colored
Junco, 3; Myrtle Warbler, 15; Chickadee, 1. Total, 15 species, about 183 individuals. —
F. Seymour Hersey, Charles L. Phillips.

New Bedford and Dartmouth, Mass. — Dec. 26; 11.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Fair; 2 in.
of snow; wind southwest, very light; temp. 300 at start, 250 at return. About 7^2 miles
on foot. Observers together. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 5; Barred Owl, 1; Crow, 12; Blue
Jay, 15; Flicker, 9; Starling, 40; Meadow Lark, 24; Horned Lark, 60; Purple Finch, 3;
Redpoll, 4; Goldfinch, 99; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 37; Junco, 20;
Song Sparrow, 10; Brown Creeper, 4; Chickadee, 36; Robin, 21. Total, 18 species, 402 in-
dividuals. (We followed fresh tracks of a covey of twelve Bob-white, for about 200 feet
through underbrush and scrub oaks, and a little later met a man who had just seen
them.)— Edith F. Walker, Alice Terry.

Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Dec. 23; 9.45 a.m. to 1.45 p.m. Foggy;
patches of snow on ground, thawing; wind cast, light; temp. 420. Four miles or so on
foot. Observers together. Loon, 1 ; Herring Gull, 3; Duck, 1 (unidentified); Bob- white, 8;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 4; Horned Larks, 3; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 8; Meadow-
lark, 8; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 3; Junco, 2; Song Sparrow, 1; Fox Sparrow, 1;
Myrtle Warbler, t6; Mockingbird, 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 9. Total.

19 species, 80 individuals. Heard Red Crossbills at several points. A flock of about
60 is wintering here. The Fox Sparrow had been seen earlier in the month. The Mm k
ingbird appears to be t la- same one that has been here for three years. A flock of 13 Night

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 19

Herons was seen about dusk Dec. 21. — Mona WiLLOUGHBY Worden, Charlotte V.
Madeiros.

East Providence, R. I. — -Dec. 25; 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Fair; 3 in. snow on ground had
fallen during preceding night, damp snow clung to branches. Six Corners to Watchemo-
quet Square, walking; trolley for 6 miles, along Providence River and Narragansett
Bay to Barrington; walking through Barrington swamp to beach, along beach to Rum-
stick Point, and back to Barrington by road. Seven miles walking. Herring Gull, 150
(est.); Golden-eye, 18; Old-squaw, 3; other ducks unidentified, 60 (est.); Mourning
Dove, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 4; Blue Jay, 4; American Crow, 17;
Starling, 30; Bronzed Grackle, 1; Pine Siskin, 2; Finches unidentified, 15; Tree Sparrow,
175 (est.); Slate-colored Junco, 40 (est.); Myrtle Warbler, 12; White-breasted Nut
hatch, 1; Chickadee, 17. Total, 16 species, 550 individuals (est.). — Henry E. Childs.

Providence and East Providence, R. I. — Dec. 25; 9.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cloudy, fol-
lowed by clear; snow on the ground; wind northwest, fairly strong; temp. 250. Herring
Gull, 15; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 10; Goldfinch, 7; Tree
Sparrow, 20; Junco, 30; Song Sparrow, 6; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Chickadee, 50. Total, 12 species, 150 individuals. — John W. Russell.

Warwick, R. I. — Dec. 25; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cloudy, clearing at noon; 6 in. snow, all
vegetation buried; wind northeast, fresh; temp. 240 at start, 260 at return. Eight miles
on foot. Herring Gull, 28; Scaup, 7; Screech Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Red-headed Woodpecker (wintering), 1; Flicker, 3; Blue Jay, 17;
American Crow, 18; Starling, 29; Goldfinch, 72; Pine Siskin, 2; Tree Sparrow, 26; Field
Sparrow, 1; Junco, 8; Song Sparrow, 5; Myrtle Warbler, 17; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1 ;
Chickadee, 35; Robin, 5. Total, 20 species, 278 individuals. — Harry S. Hathaway.

South Windsor, Conn. — -Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Clear all day; an inch of snow
fell previous night; wind northwest, light; temp. 250 to 290. About 15-mile tramp;
several miles beside Connecticut River, north of Hartford; in the meadowland and
marshes parallel to it; then in the woodland on the higher ground. Observers together.
Herring Gull, 4; Merganser, 16; Black Duck, 1; Ring-neck Pheasant, 2 (pair); Goshawk,
1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk; 1; Screech Owl, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 4;
Downy Woodpecker, 16 (unusually plentiful); Flicker, 1; Prairie Horned Lark, 60 +
(two flocks); Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 150 + ; Starling, 100 + ; Meadowlark, 4; Purple Finch, 7;
Goldfinch, 100 + ; Tree Sparrow, 200 + ; Song Sparrow, 20-f; Brown Creeper, 2; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, 150 + . Total, 23 species, 851+ individuals. Great
Horned Owl (pair), Barred Owl, Golden-eye Duck, Northern Shrike, and Pileated
Woodpecker seen within last few days, but could not find today. — C. W. Vibert,
Geo. T. Griswold.

Hartford, Conn. — Dec. 25; 9.30 a.m. to 12 m. Clear; ground snow-covered; wind west,
strong; temp. 260. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Barred Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy
Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 16; Crow, 22; Starling, 24; Redpoll, 16; Goldfinch, 18; Slate-
colored Junco, 28; White-breasted Nuthatch, 5; Chickadee, 34; Robin, 1. Total, 13
species, 171 individuals. — Clifford M. Case.

Hartford, Conn, (from Hartford north along the Connecticut River as far as the
Farmington River). — Dec. 25. Clear; ice in river; temp, between 300 and 28°. Herring
Gull, 2; American Menganser, 50; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 3; Hairy
Woodpecker, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 6; Crow, n; Starling, 200;
Purple Finch, 4; Redpoll, 15; Goldfinch, 50; Pine Siskin, 15; White-throated Sparrow, 4;
Tree Sparrow, 14; Junco, 15; Song Sparrow, 5; Brown Creeper, 9; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 1; Black-capped Chickadee, 9; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 22 species,
421 individuals. — Albert Pinkus.

West Hartford, Conn. — Dec. 28; 7 to n a.m., i to 5 p.m. Clear to partly cloudy;
light snow on ground; wind northwest, still to moderate; temp. 320 at start, 300 at return.

20 Bird - Lore

Twelve miles on foot, Observers together. Hungarian Partridge, 10 (two coveys);
Sparrow Hawk, i; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 8; Blue Jay, 10; Crow,
2,400; Starling, 235; Redpoll, 10; Goldfinch, 20; Tree Sparrow, 6; Junco, 75; Song
Sparrow, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 8; Black-capped Chickadee, 17. Total, 14 species,
about 2,766 individuals. Dec. 21, observed on bank of Connecticut River, in East
Hartford, two Swamp Sparrows; was within less than ten feet of them. They were roost-
ing under upturned tree roots. — Paul H. and Edwin H. Hunger.

Bristol, Conn. (Northwest section, included by Farmington, Jerome and Burlington
Avenues). — Dec. 25; 8 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Clear; 3 in. fresh snow; wind northwest, brisk;
temp. 180 at start, 230 at return. Ten miles on foot. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Downy
WOodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 8; Starling, 580-f-; Tree Sparrow, 67; Junco, 13;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 4. Total, 9 species, 682 individuals. — Frank
Bruen, Elbert E. Smith.

Madison, Conn. — Dec. 27; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy; 2 in. snow; wind variable, light;
temp. 360 at start, 38° at return. Herring Gull, 2; Black Duck, 18; Bob-white, 9;
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Wood-
pecker, 2; Horned Lark, 35; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 19; Starling, 130; Meadowlark, 30;
Goldfinch, 17; Pine Siskin, 70; Tree Sparrow, 13; Junco, 8; Song Sparrow, 2; Black-
capped Chickadee, 7. Total, 18 species, 370 individuals. — Franklin Farrel III,
George E. Woodbine.

New London, Conn. — Dec. 26; 7.30 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. Clear; 2 in. snow; almost no
wind at first, later light southwest; temp. 160 at start. Fifteen-mile walk. Herring
Gull, 165; Ring-billed Gull, 6; Black Duck, 3; Scaup sp. 30; Golden-eye, 17; Bufflehead, 5;
Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 38; Meadowlark, 3;
Crow, 13; Goldfinch, 7; Pine Siskin, 100; Junco, 15; Song Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 17;
Myrtle Warbler, 5; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 8; Chickadee, 36.
Total, 23 species, 491 individuals. Saw 11 Evening Grosbeaks Dec. 24. — -Frances
Miner Gravks.

New Haven, Conn. — Dec. 28; time, 4^ hours; Hamden and North Haven, traveling
southeast, a.m. New Haven Harbor, p.m. Clear; remnants of light snowfall from the
24th on ground; wind west, light; temp, about 350. Herring Gull, 1,000; Black Duck, 1;
Golden-eye, 150; Ruffed Grouse, 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Flicker, 1 ; Blue Jay, 6; Crow, 4; Red-winged Blackbird, 25; Meadowlark, 1 ; Crackle, 75;
Goldfinch, 75; Pine Siskin, 20; White-throated Sparrow, 5; Tree Sparrow, 16; Junco, 6;
Song Sparrow, 1 ; Myrtle Warbler, 30; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 50.
Total, 21 species, about 1,500 individuals. (All larger numbers are approximate.) The
Flicker, Red-winged Blackbird, and Grackle were observed at close range, under very
favorable circumstances. — Richard Eckles Harrison, John Barlow Derby.

Birdcraft Sanctuary to Fairfield Beach, Conn. — Dec. 25; sunrise to sunset. Fair; 3 in.
snow on ground; wind northwest, strong; temp. 220. Herring Gull, 00; Red-breasted
Merganser, 3; Black Duck, 3; Greater Scaup, 30; Golden-eye, 20; Bufflehead. 4; Old
Squaw, 25; White-winged Scoter, 35; Black-crowned Night Heron, 6; Pheasant, o; Spar-
row Hawk, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 7; Starling, 35;
Purple Finch, 3; Goldfinch, 12; White-throated Sparrow, 6; Tree Sparrow, 11; Junco, 15;
Song Sparrow, 5; Myrtle Warbler, 7; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 4. Total,
26 species, 345 individuals. -Frank \orak. (Warden, Birdcraft Sanctuary.)

Norwalk, Conn. — Dec. 26; 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., 2.45 to 4.40 p.m. Partly cloudy to
1 loudy; -' in. snow; wind west, light; temp. 200 at start, 34° at return. Herring Gull, 26;
American Merganser, 3; Ked-breasled Merganser, 2; Black Duck, 2; Scaup Duck, 5;
Golden-eye, 2; Bufflehead, 13; White winged Sinter, 10; Surf Scoter, 4; Marsh Hawk,i;
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Cooper's Hawk, 1; Red tailed Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered
Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 2 ; Down J Woodpecker, o; Horned Lark, 3; Blue Jaw 22;

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 2 1

Crow, 27; Starling, 52; Rusty Blackbird, 6; Purple Finch, 4; Tree Sparrow, 24; Junco, 6;
Song Sparrow, 15; Swamp Sparrow, 1; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4;
Chickadee, 22. Total, 29 species, 288 individuals. The Swamp Sparrow and Rusty
Blackbirds were both examined through ordinary opera glasses, both in good light, the
Swamp Sparrow from 12 feet, and the Blackbirds, feeding on the ground in an open
field, from 50 feet. Pine Siskins were observed Dec. 24, and Evening Grosbeaks have
been reported from this locality since Dec. 20. One was seen by Mrs. W. K. Harrington
this morning, but I reached the place too late to include it in my list. — Arktas A.
Saunders.

Albany, N. Y. (west of city). — Dec. 21 ; 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Very light snow nearly
all day; 2 in. snow; wind south, light; temp. 160 at start, 22° at return. Ten miles on foot.
Sparrow Hawk, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 7; Crow. 150;
Starling, 76; Redpoll, 22; Goldfinch, 6; Tree Sparrow, 130; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Chickadee, 21. Total, n species, 420 individuals. — Clarence Houghton.

Schenectady, N. Y. (Woodlawn and Central Park). — Dec. 28; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clear;
ground covered with snow; wind north, brisk; temp. 30°. Distance covered, about 8
miles. Ruffed Grouse, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 10; Starling, 9;
Tree Sparrow, 45; Song Sparrow, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 10.
Total, 9 species, 83 individuals. — Walter Philo.

Stuyvesant Falls, N. Y. (to Sunnysides, and Rossman's, and back along banks of
the Kinderhook Creek). — Dec. 26; n a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Cloudy; 3 in. snow; wind south,
rather strong; temp. 260 to 380. About 8 miles on foot. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 ; Screech
Owl, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Crow, 39; Starling, 22; Junco, 37; Song Sparrow, 2;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 17. Total, 9 species, 127 individuals. — Henry
S. Sharpe.

Fort Plain, N. Y. — Dec. 28; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. Partly cloudy in forenoon,
fair in afternoon; frequent severe snow flurries in forenoon; 6 in. snow; wind northwest,
strong; temp. 30° at start, 200 at return. Route, Creek Valleys, wooded ravines, woods,
open fields, Erie Canal towpath and vicinity of the Mohawk River. About 10 miles on
foot. Black Duck, 2; Ring-necked Pheasant, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 2;
American Crow, 9; Rusty Blackbird, 25 (one flock); Redpoll, 4; Tree Sparrow, 23; Song
Sparrow, 1; Black-capped Chickadee, 13. Total, 10 species, 84 individuals. On Dec. 26
a Northern Shrike was observed devouring a Tree Sparrow. — Douglas Ayres, Jr.

Marcellus, N. Y. — Dec. 26; 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Cloudy; 4 in. snow; wind south,
light; temp. 290 at start, 380 at return. Twelve miles on foot. Fields, wood-lots, and
cedar swamp. Blue Jay, 1 (heard several more in swamp but could not locate them);
Pheasant, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; American Crow, 18; Tree Sparrow, 36+ (three
flocks and one lone individual); White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 12. Total,
7 species, about 71 individuals. — -Neil Hotchkiss.

Syracuse, N. Y. — Dec. 27; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy; ground covered with snow;
temp. 34°. Route, Liverpool and Onondaga Lake region. Ring-necked Pheasant, 1;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; American Crow, 5; Tree Sparrow, 50; Song Sparrow, 4; Swamp
Sparrow, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 17. Total,
9 species, 84 individuals. — Nettie M. Sadler.

Geneva, N. Y. (City, Pre-emption Road Swamp, shore of Lake). — Dec. 22; 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Bright day; 3 in. snow; no wind; temp. 30°. Horned Grebe, 1; Red-headed
Duck, 1,500-f-; Canvasback Duck, 45 + ; Scaup, 2,000 + ; Golden-eye, 4; Ruffed
Grouse, 1; Ring-necked Pheasant, 15; Great Horned Owl, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 3;
Downy Woodpecker, 12; Northern Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 1; American Crow, 3,000-f ;
Pine Grosbeak, 1; White- winged Crossbill, 3; Redpoll, 7; Goldfinch, 9; Tree Sparrow, 71;
Junco, 10; Song Sparrow, 4; Swamp Sparrow, 1; Brown Creeper, 7; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 19; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Black-capped Chickadee, 101; Golden-crowned

22 Bird - Lore

Kinglet, n; Robin, i. Total, 27 species, 6,831+ individuals. — Otto McCreary,
Mrs. H. H. Henderson, Dr. C. C. Lytle, \V. W. Grant.

Geneva, N. Y. (to Flint Creek, Algerine Swamp, Pine Plains, and Lake Shore to
Dresden). — Dec. 28; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snow flurries in morning, fair for most of the day;
wind northwest; temp, about 200. Observers scattered. Horned Grebe, 3; Loon, 1;
Herring Gull, 12; Ring-billed Gull, 1; American Merganser, 3; Redhead, about 9,000;
C'anvasback, 500; Scaup, 400; American Golden-eye, 32; Bufflehead, 4; Old-squaw, 3;
Ring-necked Pheasant, 20; Sharp-shinned (?) Hawk, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1; Hairy
Woodpecker, 7; Downy Woodpecker, 16; Crow, 1,200; Purple Finch, 1; Redpoll, 200;
Goldfinch, 12; Pine Siskin, 2; Tree Sparrow, 49; Junco, 1; Song Sparrow, 4; Swamp
Sparrow, 1; Winter Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 5; White-breasted Nuthatch, 23; Red-
breasted Nuthatch, 1; Black-cap Chickadee, 88; Brown-cap Chickadee, 3; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 7; Robin 1. The Brown-cap Chickadees were of such a dusky hue
that they evidently belong to the race recently named nigricans by Dr. Townsend.
Total, S3 species, about 11,603 individuals. — W. W. Grant, E. T. Emmons, Mrs. H. H.
Henderson, Richard Chase, Glenn Grant, William Lytle, Dr. C. C. Lytle,
William Eddy, E. H. Eaton.

Rochester, N. Y. (Cobb's Hill, Highland Avenue, Pinnacle Hill, Highland Park and
Port of Rochester). — Dec. 22; 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Clear; 6 in. snow; wind northeast,
light; temp 260 at start, 470 at finish. Eight miles on foot. Observers working mostly
together. Herring Gull, 500+; Ring-billed Gull, 200 + ; Merganser, 75 + ; Ring-necked
Pheasant, 12; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Red-headed Woodpecker, 4;
Crow, 28; Pine Siskin, 5; Tree Sparrow, 5; Slate-colored Junco, 21; Song Sparrow, 2;
Cedar Waxwing, 2; Migrant Shrike, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Black-capped
Chickadee, t,3- Total, 16 species, 895+ individuals. — Gordon M. Meade, Richard
M. Chase.

Rochester, N. Y. (Bushnell's Basin and vicinity). — Dec. 28; 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
Cloudy, with snow flurries in the forenoon, clear in the afternoon; 4 in. snow; wind north,
strong; temp. 240 at start, 16° at return. Eight miles on foot. Ruffed Grouse, 2; Hairy
Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 2; American Crow, 60; Lesser Redpoll, 30; Tree
Sparrow, 15; Slate-colored Junco, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 10; Chickadee, 20.
Total, 9 species, about 144 individuals. — Oscar F. Schaefer.

Rochester, N. Y. (Genesee Valley and Highland Parks, Cobbs Hill and Port of
Rochester). — Dec. 22; 7.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fair; about 4 in. snow on ground; wind south-
east, 10 miles per hour; temp. 18° to 35°. Loon, 3; Herring Gull, 400; Ring-billed Gull,
300; American Merganser, 15; Red-breasted Merganser, 2; Golden-eye, 13; Pheasant, 2;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Crow, 5; Bronzed Grackle, 1; Pine Siskin, 5; Tree Sparrow, 20;
Slate-colored Junco, 3; Song Sparrow, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; Chickadee, 20; Labrador
Brown-cap Chickadee, 1. Total, 17 species, 793 individuals. The Labrador Brown-cap
Chickadee (P. h. nigricans) was first seen by both observers on Nov. 6, two birds, and
the same two again on the 8th, with one seen on six dates since. The brown on the sides
very easily separates il from our common Chickadee, while the mouse-colored cap
divides il from the Acadian which we had abundant chance to study in the winter of
1913-14. Its notes, too, arc very different from the others, there being only three.
Chickadee-dee. — Wm. L. ('•. Edson, K. E. Horsey.

Rochester, N. Y. (Rochester to Float Bridge to West Webster, to Lake Ontario, to
Durand Eastman Park, to Rochester).— -Dec. 23, Partly cloudy; several in. snow; no
wind; temp. 230 at start, 370 at return. Distance 16 miles, 13 on foot. Herring Gull, 9;
Scaup, 3; Ring-necked Pheasant, 3; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4;
Red-headed Woodpecker, 1; Redpoll, 9; Tree Sparrow, 185 (five flocks); Crow, 12;
White-breasted Nuthati h, 2; Chickadee, 10. Total, 11 species, 239 individuals (approxi-
mately).— W. Gordon 7a BVELD.

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 23

Hamburg, N. Y. — Dec. 28; 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Cloudy, although clear late in the
afternoon; ground lightly covered with snow in the open, about 4 in. snow in woods;
wind mostly northwest, light; temp. 23° at start, 250 at return. About 8 miles on foot
through two large wood-lots, one extensive hardwood swamp, and intervening farm
land. Barred Owl, 2 (one in a hole, the other in a clump of hemlocks); Screech Owl, 1
(heard at dusk); Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 8; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 12;
White-winged Crossbill, flock of 14; Pine Siskin, flock of 35; Snowflake, a large flock,
estimated at 500; Tree Sparrow, 24 (one singing!); Brown Creeper, 3; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 6; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 22; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1.
Total, 15 species, about 633 individuals. The White- winged Crossbills were observed
at close range as they worked in various hemlock trees; several were rosy males. The
crossed tips of the mandibles and white on wings noted. — Thomas L. Bourne.

Hall, N. Y. — Dec. 26; 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Very cloudy; 4 in. snow; wind south, light;
temp. 200 at start, 34° at finish. Distance covered 12 miles on foot east and west from
Hall, inland. Observer alone. English Ring-necked Pheasant, 24; Hairy Woodpecker, 5;
Downy Woodpecker, 7; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Crow, 150; Redpoll, 3; Tree Spar-
row, 15; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Chickadee, 10; Robin, 1. Total, 10 species,
224 individuals. The Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been regular visitors for several
years at the feeding station, with the exception of the winter of 191 7. — H. A. Suther-
land.

Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co., N. Y. — Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 12 m., 3 to 4 p.m.' Clear; ground
snow-covered; wind north, strong to moderate; temp. 170 to 210. Area covered, about
125 acres. Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Barred Owl, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 3;
Crow, 3; Junco, 14; White-throated Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 6; Brown Creeper, 1;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 10. Total, n species, 46 individuals. Also
seen during the week: Sparrow Hawk, 2; Redpoll, 22; Purple Finch, 1; Robin, 1; Star-
ling, 75 ; Hairy Woodpecker, 1. — Maunsell S. Crosby.

Cortland, N. Y. (to Grade Swamp and back, via. the Marl Ponds). — Dec. 23; 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Mostly clear; ponds frozen over; wind southeast, very light; temp. 160 at
start, 300 at return. Fourteen miles on foot. Ruffed Grouse, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 5;
Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 7; American Crow, 600; Starling, 350 (one flock);
Tree Sparrow, 2; Northern Shrike, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 15 (much more com-
mon than usual); Chickadee, 37; Robin, 2. Total, n species, 1,024 individuals. A Red-
headed Woodpecker was seen the previous day. Nov. 28, White-winged Crossbills
appeared in this locality, but have not been observed since Dec. 12. On Dec. 14 I
identified positively an American Hawk Owl. — Harold H. Axtell.

Yonkers, N. Y. — Dec. 25; 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Clear; 2 in. snow; wind north; temp.
19° to 300. Herring Gull, 1; Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue, Jay, 2; Crow, 4
Goldfinch, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 4; Tree Sparrow, 25; Slate-colored Junco, 5
Song Sparrow, 29; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 8. Total
12 species, 83 individuals. — Charles and William Merritt.

New York City (Jerome Reservoir, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx Park, and Clason
Point). — Dec. 22; 8.45 a.m. to 4.20 p.m. Cloudy in morning, clear in afternoon; 2 in.
snow on ground; wind north, very light; temp. 300 to 360. About 10 miles on foot.
Observers in two parties until 10 a.m. Herring Gull, 2,100; Merganser, 11; Black Duck, 5;
Scaup Duck, 32; over 200 ducks on the Sound too far out to identify; Black-crowned
Night Heron, 60 (the Bronx Park colony); Killdeer, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 4; Sparrow
Hawk, 1; Kingfisher, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 15; Blue Jay, 15;
Crow, 25; Starling, 550; Red- winged Blackbird, 8; Bronzed (?) Grackle, 1; Purple
Finch, 1; Goldfinch, 6; Pine Siskin, 4; White-throated Sparrow, 65; Tree Sparrow, 75;
Field Sparrow, 10; Slate-colored Junco, 45; Song Sparrow, 48; Brown Creeper, 8; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 16; Black-capped Chickadee, 44; Robin, 2. Total, 28 species, over

24 Bird - Lore

3,100 individuals. Before meeting the rest of the party, the Messrs. Pell saw a bird in
the Van Cortlandt Swamp which Morris Pell later identified as an Orange-crowned
Warbler. He had three-power glasses, and was able to approach to within 8 feet of the
bird. He had seen this species before, in the winter of 1916-17. — Edward G. Nichols.
L. Nelson Nichols, S. Morris Pkll, Walden Pell II.

New York City (Ramble, Central Park). — Dec. 25; 8.30 to 10.10 a.m. Clear; ground
snow-covered; wind north, light; temp. 240 at start. Herring Gull, 2; Downy Wood-
pecker, 1; Starling, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Black-cap Chickadee, 2. 'Total,
5 species, 7 individuals. Simpson Street subway station to Clason Point, Castle Hill
and Unionport. 2.50 to 5.30 p.m. Clear; snow melted in places, bays open; wind north,
brisk. Herring Gull, 2,000; Black Duck, 6; Scaup, 50; Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Starling, 400,
mostly in one flock; Vesper Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 40 (flock); Song Sparrow, 11;
Black-cap Chickadee, 1. Total, 9 species, about 2,500 individuals. The Vesper Sparrow
was seen in the road (Sound View Avenue). It spent part of the time squatting upon
the pavements between the trolley tracks, and eventually disappeared over a fence
into a truck garden. — -George E. Hix.

New York City (Central Park). — Dec. 23; 8.30 to 10.20 a.m., 12.30 to 4.50 p.m. Clear,
cloudy in afternoon; light snow on ground; no wind. I covered the entire Park, 59th to
110th Streets. Herring Gull, 6; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Starling, 112;
White-throated Sparrow, 1; Fox Sparrow, 1; Brown Thrasher, 1; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 50. Total, 9 species, 132 individuals. — Bernard
Tread.

Sands Point, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 28; 8.30 a.m. to 5.10 p.m. (no observations
between 1.30 and 3 p.m.). Clear in forenoon, cloudy in afternoon; ground partly snow-
covered; wind southwest, moderately strong; temp. 400. Eight miles on foot. Observers
together. Herring Gull, 300; Mallard, 1; Red-shouldered (?) Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1;
Screech Owl, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Flicker, 1; Crow, 60; Starling, 120; Meadow-
lark, 7; Goldfinch, 1; Pine Siskin, 5; Tree Sparrow, 12; Slate-colored Junco, 4; Song
Sparrow, 1; Myrtle Warbler, 4; Black-capped Chickadee, 3; Hermit Thrush, 1; Total,
18 species, about 528 individuals. The Mallard was flying over creek, turned when
near us. Could easily see large duck with white under wings, grey back, green head and
white ring around neck. Dec. 27. Kingfisher, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 4; Robin, 1. —
Louise B. Laxdlaw, Laidlaw Williams.

St. James, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 22; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Overcast in morning,
clearing in afternoon; several inches of thawing snow on ground; wind northeast and
brisk in forenoon, none in afternoon; temp. 34° at start, 400 at end. Herring Gull, 100;
Black Duck, 50; American Golden-eye, 15; Old-squaw, 2; White-winged Scoter, 25;
Kingfisher, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 1 ; Flicker, heard; Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 50; Starling, 20;
Tree Sparrow, 25; Junco, 35; Song Sparrow, 8; Myrtle Warbler, 12; (Wood Thrush or)
Hermit Thrush, 1; Robin, 2. Total, 17 species, 349 individuals. A covey of Bob-white
observed, but not counted, some days ago by another person. — James W. Lane, Jr.

Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clear; about 6 in. drifted
snow; wind northwest; temp, about 300. Bob-white, 1 ; Cooper's Hawk, 1 ; Red-shouldered
Hawk, 1; Long-eared (?) Owl, 1; Horned Lark, 57; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 221; Starling, 110-f;
Cowbird, 37 (one flock); Red Crossbill, 12; Goldfinch, 12; Pine Siskin, 1 ; White-throated
Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 12; Slate-colored Junco, 156; Song Sparrow, 7; Brown
Creeper, 2; Chickadee, 6. Total, 18 species, 640 individuals. The Cowbirds, Red Cross-
bills and Goldfinches were all in one flock, feeding on weed-stalks that projected above
the snow. Was able several times to approach quite close and note the bronze heads of
the male Cowbirds. Females and immatures made up about half of this group. Also
had an opportunity to closely observe the Crossbills and positively identify. The Cooper's
Hawk kept in the vicinity of the flock and often would scare them up and then strike

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 25

among them. Dec. 21, saw a Northern Shrike and a flock of 8 Pine Siskins at Valley
Stream. — Theodore G. Roehner.

Long Beach, Nassau Co., Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 21; 10 a.m. to 4.10 p.m. Mostly
cloudy; ground mostly snow-covered; wind northeast, moderate; temp. 29° at 2 p.m.
Eleven miles on foot. Observers together. Horned Grebe, 2; Black-backed Gull, 8;
Herring Gull, 250; Red-breasted Merganser, 15; Black Duck, several hundred; Scaup
sp., 200; Golden-eye, several; Old-squaw, 18; White-winged Scoter, 25; Surf Scoter, 25;
Canada Goose, flock of 10; Marsh Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Horned Lark, 75; Crow
several; Starling, 30; Snow Bunting, flock of 250; Lapland Longspur, 2; Ipswich Spar-
row, 11; Savannah Sparrow, 3 (well seen in company with Ipswich); Song Sparrow, 4.
Total, 2i species, about 1,500 individuals. — W. L. Sclater, E. R. P. Janvrix,
I). P. Gilmore, C. H. Rogers.

Long Beach, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 27. An overcast moderating day, with
thick haze off shore; a low broken swell on the ocean and quiet surf; much remaining
shallow snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 33° to 380. Horned Grebe, 30 or more,
largest group 5; Black-backed Gull, many adult and immature; Herring Gull, thousands;
Ring-billed Gull, 1; Red-breasted Merganser, a pair; Black Duck, many in "rafts" off
shore, mostly far out, few on the wing; Greater Scaup, 2; Lesser Scaup (?) a flock of n
small-appearing birds from the meadow creeks were doubtless this; Old-squaw, common,
largest group 12; White- winged Scoter, flocks of 12, 6 and 3; Marsh Hawk, 1; Sparrow
Hawk, 1 ; Horned Lark, 3 together and 1 ; Prairie Horned Lark (?) 2 together, determina-
tion not quite satisfactory; Crow, common; Starling, flock of about 200, and a few in
the town; Pine Siskin, flock of 6, and 1; Snow Bunting, flock of perhaps more than 1,000;
Lapland Longspur, 1 with the preceding; Ipswich Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, small
flock; Song Sparrow, 7; Myrtle Warbler, locally numerous in tracts of bayberry.
Total 21 species +2 (?), several thousand individuals. — E. P. Bicknell.

Massapequa, Long Island, N. Y. (and vicinity). — Dec. 27; 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cloudy; wind southwest, light; temp. 300 to 350. Black-backed Gull, 2; Herring Gull,
500 + ; American Merganser, 2; Black Duck, 250+; Scaup Duck, 400+ (doubtless the
Greater Scaup as that species only was killed there on Dec. 29); Canada Goose, 150 + ;
Great Blue Heron, 1; Black-crowned Night Heron, 1; Marsh Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 12; American Crow, 20; Fish Crow, 15; Starling, 14;
Meadowlark, 17; American Goldfinch, 8; Pine Siskin, 5; Tree Sparrow, 8; Slate-colored
Junco, 16; Song Sparrow, 9; Myrtle Warbler, 23; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 19. Total, 25 species, 1,480+ individuals. On
Dec. 29, 2 Flickers were observed. Large numbers of Black Duck, Canada Geese,
Herring Gulls, and unidentified ducks were observed in Great South Bay, about 400 to
500 yards off shore. — Alex. B. Klots, Clement P. Cobb.

Mastic, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 28; all day. Clear; patches of snow and bare ground;
wind northwest, moderate; temp. 300 sunrise, 380 sunset. About a 2-mile radius from
farm buildings, garden and orchard, including deciduous and pitch pine woods, brushy
pastures, bordering salt marshes and bay (frozen, with strip of open water along shore),
open heads of fresh-water creeks. Observers together. Black-backed Gull, 10; Herring
Gull, 40; American Merganser, 25; Black Duck, no; Golden-eye Duck, 25; White- winged
Scoter, 1; Great Blue Heron, 4 (separate); Wilson's Snipe, 1; Bob- white, 7 (tracks of
several other covies); Red-tail Hawk, 2; Bald Eagle, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Horned Owl, 3;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 20; American Crow, 35; Starling, no;
Meadowlark, 10; Cowbird, 1; Goldfinch, 10; Pine Siskin, 1; Tree Sparrow, 15; Junco, 4;
Song Sparrow, 5; Myrtle Warbler, 180; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, 15.
Total, 28 species, 645 individuals. Wilson's Snipe put up from wooded brushy head of
creek with characteristic note; Cowbird perched in tree-top with Starlings, comparative
size, details of shape, and diagnostic flight noted. — C. F., W. F. and J. T. Nichols.

26 Bird - Lore

East Marion, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 20; 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Sunny in forenoon,
cloudy in afternoon; ground partly covered with light snow; wind southwest, light; temp
260 at start, 33° at return. About 4 miles on foot, along bay shore and woods roads.
Horned Grebe, 3; Black-backed Gull, 1; Herring Gull, 50; Scaup, 200+ ; American
Golden-eye, 12; Old-squaw, 5; White-winged Scoter, 1; distant raft of ducks composed
largely of Surf Scoters, 50; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Horned Lark, 17; Blue Jay, 2;
("row, 80+; Redpoll, 18 (some of flock at times almost within reaching distance, and
all markings visible both with and without field glasses); American Goldfinch, 8; Tree
Sparrow, 3; Slate-colored Junco, 9; Song Sparrow, 16; Myrtle Warbler, 30; Black-capped
Chickadee, 5. Total, 19 species, about 511 individuals. Two White- winged Crossbills
were seen Dec. 3 and 4. — Mabel R. Wiggins.

Orient, Long Island, N. Y. — Dec. 28; 6 a.m. to dark. Clear; ground mostly bare,
pond and swamps mostly frozen; wind west, light to fresh; temp. 270 to 35°. Holbcell's
Grebe, 1; Horned Grebe, 24; Loon, 30; Great Black-backed Gull, 1; Herring Gull, 350;
American Merganser, 2; Red-breasted Merganser, 150; Mallard, 7 (6 males); Black
Duck, 70; Greater Scaup Duck, 300; Golden-eyed Duck, 11; Bufflehead, 100; Old-squaw,
250; White- winged Scoter, 1,000; Surf Scoter, 25; Canada Goose, 1 (associating with a
flock of Gulls); King Rail, 1; Virginia Rail, 1 (4 others taken within a week); Wilson's
Snipe, 1; Marsh Hawk, 2; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Cooper's Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk,
2; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Screech Owl, 1; Kingfisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Flicker, 4; Horned Lark, 400; Crow, 100; Starling, 150; Meadowlark, 5 (one singing);
Goldfinch, 10; Pine Siskin, 35; Snow Bunting, 300; Tree Sparrow, 60; Junco, 30; Song
Sparrow, 75; Fox Sparrow, 1 ; Myrtle Warbler, 65; Catbird, 1 ; Chickadee, 38; Robin, 150
(one flock). Total, 43 species, 3,760 individuals. Both Red- and White-winged Crossbills
and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet have been recorded within a few days. — Roy Latham.

Greenport, Long Island, N. Y. (across Gardiner's Bay to Gardiner's Island and
return). — Dec. 21; 8 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Overcast at start; snowing from 8.30 a.m. to
1.30 p.m., then partially clearing; ground snow-covered, marshes and ponds mostly
frozen; wind northeast, light; temp. 28° to 200. Observers together. Horned Grebe, 8
Loon, 4; Great Black-backed Gull, 4; Herring Gull, 25; American Merganser, 22; Red
breasted Merganser, 25; Mallard, 1; Black Duck, 100; Baldpate, 23; Golden-eye, 50
Old-squaw, 200; White-winged Scoter, 400; Surf Scoter, 250; Canada Goose, 70; Brant, 3
Great Blue Heron, 1; Black-crowned Night Heron, 2 (excellent view); Pheasant, 10
Marsh Hawk, 1; Hawk (Red-tail or Rough-leg), 1; Short-eared Owl, 1; Downy Wood-
pecker, 1; Flicker, 3; Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 10; Starling, 50; Meadowlark, 2; Tree Spar-
row, 12; Song Sparrow, 10; Tree Swallow, 1 (an anomalous sight in a winter snow-
storm; bird well seen, the green in the back made out even through the snow and bad
light); Myrtle Warbler, 10; Chickadee, 3. Total, 32 species, 1,304 individuals. The
snowstorm responsible for the few land birds noted, and the recent cold wave for the
comparative scarcity of birds in general. Hawks, once remarkably abundant in
winter, are now systematically trapped and shot. — Lord William Percy, Ludlow
Griscom.

New York City (from Battery via St. George to and at Grant City and Moravian
Cemetery, Staten Island). — Dec. 27; 11.20 a.m. to 4.20 p.m. Cloudy (foggy on water);
ground mostly snow-covered; wind southwest, light; temp. 350 at 3.30 p.m. Five miles
by boat, 5 miles by railroad, chiefly in the Cemetery on foot. Black-backed Gull, 1 adult;
Herring Gull, 145; Bonaparte's Gull, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; American
Crow, 8; Starling, 8; Red Crossbill, flock of 13; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 1; Junco,
flock of 4; Song Sparrow, 1 ; Fox Sparrow, 1 ; Cardinal, 1 pair; Myrtle Warbler, flock of 3;
Black-cap Chickadee, flock of 6; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 ; Hermit Thrush, 1 ; Robin, 2;
Bluebird, 1 male. Total, 20 species, about 205 individuals. — Charles H. Rogers.

Moravian Cemetery, Staten Island, N. Y.— Dec. 21; 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clear;

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 27

wind light; temp. 200 to 25°. Five miles on foot; ferry across Upper Bay. Herring
Gull, 29; Bonaparte's Gull, 1; Long-eared Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 6;
Crow, 4; Starling, 4; Red Crossbill, 26 (one flock) ; Redpoll, 2 ; White-throated Sparrow, 1 ;
Tree Sparrow, 16; Junco, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 1; Rlack-
capped Chickadee, 300 + ; Brown-capped Chickadee, 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1.
Total, 17 species, 396+ individuals. Bonaparte's Gull observed through field-glasses
at 30 feet. The Crossbills were very tame. The Brown-capped Chickadee was also very
tame, and together with the Tufted Tit, approached to within 6 feet of me. — Ralph
Friedmann.

Hackettstown, N. J. — Dec. 27; 7.30 to 9.30 a.m., 12.30 to 2.30 p.m. Partly cloudy;
ground mostly covered with about 3 inches of snow; wind south, light; temp. 300. A
fraction of the time at home about feeding station but most of the time on foot between
Waterloo and Hackettstown. Sparrow Hawk (?), 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker (?), 1;
Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 19; Starling, 19; Purple Finch, 7; Goldfinch, 54; Tree Sparrow, 15;
Junco, 4; Song Sparrow, 1; Nuthatch (probably White-breasted), 1; Chickadee, 4.
Total, 13 species, about 129 individuals. — Mary Pierson Allen.

Englewood Region, N. J. (Overpeck Creek and Phelps Estate). — Dec. 26; n a.m.
to 4.30 p.m. Cloudy; 2 in. snow; wind south; temp. 28°. Observers together. Black-
backed Gull, 1; Herring Gull, 50; Marsh Hawk, 1; Sharp-shinned (?) Hawk, 1; Red-
tailed Hawk, 2; Rough-legged Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Barred Owl, 1; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 7; Crow, 12; Starling, 13;
Meadowlark, 2; Goldfinch, 20; Pine Siskin, 12; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Tree Spar-
row, 2; Slate-colored Junco, 22; Song Sparrow, 14; Swamp Sparrow, 1; Brown Creeper, 2;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 7; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 26
species, 186 individuals. — Walden Pell 2d., S. Morris Pell.

Hawthorne, Glen Rock and Ridgewood, N. J. — Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Clear;
2 in. snow; wind southwest, brisk; temp. 280 at start, 360 at return. Nine miles afoot.
Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Horned Lark, 2; Blue Jay, 5; American
Crow, 17; Starling, 78; Purple Finch, 1; Goldfinch, 5; Pine Siskin, 8; White-throated
Sparrow, 3; Tree Sparrow, 10; Junco, 4; Song Sparrow, 6; Cedar Waxwing, 3; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 1; Black-capped Chickadee, 7; Bluebird, 3. Total, 17 species,
157 individuals. — Louis S. Kohler.

Newark, N. J. — Dec. 25; 9 to 10.30 a.m., 3 to 4 p.m. Clear; 2 in. snow; temp. 180
to 220. Along edge and in northern section of Branch Brook Park, Second River —
distance about 5 miles. Auto ride to South Orange, where the Grackles were found in
a house where they had evidently accompanied Santa Claus down the chimney. Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 1; Starling, 7; Purple Grackle, 2; White-throated Sparrow, 13;
Tree Sparrow, 2; Junco, 6; Song Sparrow, 2; Brown Creeper, 2; Chickadee, 7. Total,
10 species, 43 individuals. It may be of interest that a Long-eared Owl sat on a tree in
our back yard in residential section of Newark all day Dec. 19. It was very tame and
permitted a positive identification. Also the following late lingerers in Branch Brook
Park: Robin, Dec. 20; Hermit Thrush, Dec. 15.— R. F. Haulenbeek

South Orange, N. J. — Dec. 26; 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Cloudy; 2 in. snow on ground;
wind, moderate; temp. 150 to 200. Along crest of South Mountain Reservation to Wash-
ington Rock, returning to South Orange along base of Mountain. Distance about 7 miles.
Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 20; Starling, 2; Tree
Sparrow, 20; Junco, 18; Song Sparrow, 5; Cardinal, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 8;
Chickadee, 12; also a large Hawk not positively identified, but probably a Red-tailed
Hawk. Total, 10 species, 92 individuals. — Robert Wolfe, Graham Roskein.

Morristown, N. J. — Dec. 28; 8 to n a.m., 1.30 to 5.15 p.m. Fair; 1 in. snow on ground,
with some bare places; wind northwest, light, gradually rising; temp. 290 to 35°. Burn-
ham Park, Sherman Hill, Lake Road, Speedwell Park, along D. L. & W. and Erie tracks

28 Bird -Lore

to disposal beds. Ruffed Grouse, i; Red-tailed Hawk, i; Sparrow Hawk, i; King-
fisher, i; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Blue Jay, 32; Crow, 42; Star-
ling, 25; Pine Grosbeak, 2 (observed only in flight, and identified chiefly by note; I
think there can be no doubt of the correctness of the record); Purple Finch, 5; Red
Crossbill, 7; Goldfinch, 6; Pine Siskin, 5; White-throated Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 48;
Field Sparrow, 1; Junco, 63; Song Sparrow, 9; Cardinal, 1; Brown Creeper, 9; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 17; Chickadee, 51; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3. Total, 24 species,
338 individuals. On Dec. 24, crossing the Hackensack Meadows on a P.R.R. train, at
noon, T saw 7 Swallows (undoubtedly White-bellied) on the telegraph wires. — R. C.
Caskey.

Westfield, N. J. (to Second Watching Mountain and back). — Dec. 25; 8.15 a.m. to
3.20 p.m. Clear; 2 in. fresh fallen snow; wind west, moderate; temp. 190 at start, 220 at
return. About 12 miles on foot. Red-shouldered (?) Hawk, 1; Ring-neck Pheasant, 4;
Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 7; Starling, 3;
American Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 18; Junco, about 20; Brown Creeper, 2; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 1 ; Chickadee, 1 1 . Total, 13 species, 66 individuals. — Frank Allatt.

Plainfield, N. J. (to Ash Swamp and back). — Dec. 28; 8.30 a.m. to 5.45 p.m. Clear;
ground mostly lightly covered with snow; little wind; temp. 30° at start. Ring-necked
Pheasant, 4 (flock); Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 1;
Barred Owl, found fresh roost and probably glimpsed Owl as it flew; Hairy Woodpecker, 3;
Downy Woodpecker, 9; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 12; American Crow, 50; Starling, 25;
Grackle (or Rusty Blackbird ?), 1; White- winged Crossbill, 1; Goldfinch, 7; Pine Sis-
kin, 12; Vesper Sparrow, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 8; Tree Sparrow, 70; Field Spar-
row, 3 (flock); Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 17; Swamp Sparrow, 1; Cardinal, 5; Myrtle
Warbler, 12; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1;
Tufted Titmouse, 3; Black-capped Chickadee, 12. Total, 29 species, 314 individuals. —
W. DeW. Miller.

New Brunswick, N. J. — Dec. 27; 8.50 a.m. to 1.40 p.m. Cloudy; 1 in. snow; wind,
west, very light; temp. 320 to 41°. Cooper's Hawk, 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Blue Jay, 9; American Crow, 49; Fish Crow, 19;
Starling, 147; Purple Finch, 8; Goldfinch, n; White-throated Sparrow, 1; Tree Spar-
row, 2; Junco, 88; Song Sparrow, 13; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Tufted Titmouse, 17; Black-capped Chickadee, 26; Carolina Chickadee, 8. Total, 19
species, 418 individuals. Robins, Myrtle Warblers and Horned Larks were seen recently.
— Stuart T. Danforth.

Millstone, N. J. (to Weston Mill along river, cross country to East Millstone, along
river to Blackwells Mills, cross country to Millstone). Dec. 23; S a.m. to 6 p.m. Clear,
light clouds toward night; light snow remaining from previous week of snow and zero
weather; wind west, very light; temp. 8 a.m. 200, 6 p.m. 400. Fifteen miles on foot;
area 85 square miles, approximately. Mallard Duck, 21; Ring-necked Pheasant, 12;
Mourning Dove, 20 (flock); Marsh Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk. 2; Barn Owl, 1; Screech
Owl. 2; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 13; Northern Flicker, 2; Horned Lark, 60
Mlock); Blue Jay, 24; American Crow, 5,000 (est.); Starling, do; Purple Grackle, 1;
American Goldfinch, 8; White-throated Sparrow, 4; Tree Sparrow, 200; Slate-colored
Junco, 1 10; Song Sparrow, 16; Cardinal, 5; Northern Shrike, 1; Brown Creeper, 4;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Tufted Titmouse, 24; Black-capped Chickadee, 30;
Robin, 2. Total, 26 species, 5,630 individuals, approximately. — N. C. Wyckoff.

Atlantic City, N. J. (to Brigantine Island and back). -Dec. 20; u a.m. to 4 p.m.
Clear; patches of snow; wind south, strong, but lighter in the afternoon; temp. 300 at
start, 420 at return. About 5 miles on foot, the rest of the time birds observed from
gunning skiff. Went up the island along the seashore, and returned along the meadow
and inland creek shore. Observers together. Horned Grebe, 1 ; Great Black-backed

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 2Q

Gull, 10; Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gull, 200; Red-breasted Merganser, 10; Black
Duck, 2; Old-squaw, 5; White-winged Scoter and Surf Scoter, 30; Marsh Hawk, 2;
Horned Lark, 12; Tree Sparrow, 20; Myrtle Warbler, 10. Total, 13 species, about 300
individuals. — Franklin P. and Howell E. Cook.

Mount Holly, N. J. — Dec. 28; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy, ground partly covered with
snow; temp. 280 at start, 380 at return. Seven miles on foot. Observers together most
of time. Turkey Vulture, 3; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 3; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Blue Jay, 13; Crow (roost), 10,000 (est.); Starling, 25;
Goldfinch, 8; Pine Siskin, 35 (flock); White-throated Sparrow, 20; Tree Sparrow, 13;
Field Sparrow, 2; Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 14 (one singing); Cardinal, 5; Catbird, 1
(saw, and heard calls several times not 15 feet away); Brown Creeper, 5; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 6; Tufted Titmouse, 11; Carolina Chickadee, 10; Hermit Thrush, 1.
Total, 22 species, 10,224 individuals. — Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, D. W. Pumyea.

Moorestown, N. J. (valleys of the Delaware, Rancocas, Pensauken and Coopers
Creeks). — Dec. 25; 6.35 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Clear to partly cloudy; 2 in. snow; wind
northwest, fresh; temp. 220 at start. About 45 miles in auto and afoot. Three separate
groups. Herring Gull, 5; Merganser (sp. ?) 4; Mourning Dove, n; Turkey Vulture, 4;
Marsh Hawk, 2; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 4; Red-shouldered (?)
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 5; Long-eared Owl, 1; Kingfisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 6;
Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Phcebe, 1; Horned Lark, 62; Blue
Jay, 2; Crow, 608; Starling, 114; Rusty Blackbird, 8; Meadowlark, 59; Purple Finch, 9;
Goldfinch, 10; White-throated Sparrow, 14; Tree Sparrow, 8; Junco, 166; Song Spar-
row, 42; Cardinal, 22; Myrtle Warbler, 1; Winter Wren, 2; Carolina Wren, 2; Brown
Creeper, 5; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 7;
Black-capped Chickadee, 9; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 36 species (1 uncertain),
1,203 individuals. Crossbill (sp. ?) seen on the 20th, 23d and 24th. — M. Albert Linton,
Anna A. Mickle, Samuel N. Rhoads, Alice C. Darnell, Alice M., Ellen C, and
John D. Carter, George H. Hallett, Jr., Wm. Bacon Evans.

Camden, N. J. (and vicinity). — Dec. 28; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy; ground partly
snow-covered; wind southwest, light; temp. 30° to 400. Herring Gull, 40; Black-crowned
Night Heron, 1; English Pheasant, 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 5; Barn
Owl, 2 (one dead); Long-eared Owl, 3; Screech Owl, 1; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 200; Star-
ling, 75; Meadowlark, 5; Goldfinch, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 25; Tree Sparrow, 30;
Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 20; Cardinal, 10; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 1; Hermit Thrush, 1. Total, 21 species, 470 individuals. — -Julian
K. Potter.

Delaware River in Pennsylvania, opposite Trenton, N. J. — Dec. 25; 11.30 a.m. to
1 p.m. Clear; 2 in. snow; wind northwest, brisk; temp. 250. Downy Woodpecker, 3;
Crow, 2; Siskin, 15; White-throat, 2; Tree Sparrow, 12; Song Sparrow, 5; Cardinal, 2;
Winter Wren, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 2; Chickadee, 6. Total, 10 species, 50 individuals. — ■
W. L. Dix.

Williamsport, Pa. — -Dec. 23, 8.30 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. Cloud)'; 5 in. snow; no wind;
temp. 250 average. About 12 miles, both covering same ground. American Merganser, 2;
Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 20; Crow, 115; Evening Grosbeak (female) 1 ;
American Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 80; Slate-colored Junco, 10; Song Sparrow, 7;
Cardinal, 7; Brown Creeper, 6; White-breasted Nuthatch, 17; Tufted Titmouse, 21;
Black-capped Chickadee, 22; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2; Robin, 1. Total, 16 species,
313 individuals. This is our first record for the Cardinal, and its abundance shows that
it is now well established. The White-winged Crossbill was seen Dec. 3. — John P. and
Charles V. P. Young.

Ulster, Bradford Co., Pa. — Dec. 26; 10 a.m. to 12 m., i p.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy; 3 in.
snow; wind south, light; temp. 20° at start, 290 at return. Six to 7 miles on foot through

30 Bird - Lore

woods and fields. Observers together. Ruffed Grouse, 6 (one flock); Hawk (Sharp-
shinned ?), i; Hairy Woodpecker, i; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Blue Jay, 2; American
Crow, 45; Starling, 21; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 54; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9;
Black-capped Chickadee, 25. Total, n species, 170 individuals. Meadowlark seen on
Dec. 23.— Miss Martha McMorran, Mrs. O. J. Van Winkle, Mrs. J. R. Eiffert,
Mrs. F. E. Mather.

Reading, Pa. (to State Hill via Tulpehocken Creek). — Dec. 26; 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
Overcast; 5 in. snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 190 at start, 260 at return. About 10
miles afoot. American Merganser, 8 (one flock, all females); Red-tailed Hawk. 3; Red-
shouldered Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Belted Kingfisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 5;
Horned Lark, 12 (one flock); Crow, about 250; Starling, 10; Meadowlark, 1; Kvening
Grosbeak, 1 (this was seen under the best possible conditions, feeding with a pair of
Cardinals on a sheltered hillside. Allowed a close approach, but finally flew off with
a rolling cheer p, cheer p after I had it under observation for some 10 minutes. It was
feeding on the buds of several shrubs and low trees); Tree Sparrow, 7 (one flock);
Junco, 5 (one flock); Song Sparrow, 8; Cardinal, 4; Brown Creeper, 5; Tufted Titmouse, 3;
Chickadee, 12 (two flocks, 8 and 4); Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 19 species, 341
individuals. — Earl L. Poole, Wendell Kern.

Reading, Pa. — Dec. 22; 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Partly cloudy; 4 in. snow; wind west,
light; temp. 180 at start. Observers together. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Red-tailed
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 13; Crow, 15;
Starling, 40; .Meadowlark, 6; Purple Finch, 11; White-throated Sparrow, 4; Tree Spar
row, 15; Junco, 38; Song Sparrow, 8; Cardinal, 6; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chick-
adee, 12; Robin, 4; Bluebird, S. Total, 18 species, 190 individuals. — Mr. and Mrs.
G. Henry Mengel.

Limerick, Pa. (Limerick, Collegeville, Schwenkville along Perkiomen River, Stone
Hills and back). — Dec. 24; 7 a.m. to 5.45 p.m. Cloudy; 3 in. snow fell during day; wind
northwest, moderate; temp. 260 at start, 320 at return. Eighteen miles on foot, 8 miles
on trolley. American Merganser (?), 6; Red-shouldered Hawk, 3; Sparrow Hawk, 1;
Barred Owl, 1; Screech Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 8;
(row, about 10,000; Starling, 18; Meadowlark, 1; Pine Grosbeak, 1; American Gold-
finch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 75; Slate-colored Junco, 75; Song Sparrow, 25; Fox Sparrow, 3;
Cardinal, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1. Total, 18 species, 220 individuals + Crows. —

l.ltW ARD K. ZlEGLER.

West Chester, Pa. — Dec. 25; 10.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Clear; ground covered with
2 in. snow; wind northwest, brisk; temp. 28° at start, 350 on return. Ducks (species
uncertain], 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 2; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Screech
Owl, 1 ; Hairy Woodpecker, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 6; Flicker, 1; Crow, 259; Starling, 35;
Slate-colored Junco, 56; Song Sparrow, 9; Cardinal, 8; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3;
Chickadee, 2. Total, 15 species, 388 individuals. — C. E. Khinger.

Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia), Pa. (Cresheim Creek northeast to near Glenside, Pa. |.
— Dec. 28; 10.45 AM- lo 3-xS PM- Cloudy; light covering of old snow; wind west, light;
temp. 38° to 400. About 6 miles on foot. Hairy Woodpecker, 1 ; Crow, 24; Starling, 24;
I'urple Finch, 3; White-throated Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow. 15; Field Sparrow, 2;
Junco, 50; Song Sparrow, 4; Cardinal, 9; Brown Creeper, i; Carolina Wren, 1; Winter
Wren, 2. Total, 13 species. 137 individuals. A Purple Crackle seen at Chestnut Hill
on Dec. 25. — George Leak.

Lititz, Pa. (northern Lancaster County, mainly in Hammer Creek Valley I. I >ec. 28;
7.45 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. Cloudy; 4 in. snow; wind northwest, light; temp. 32 at Mart,
approximately same throughout day. Party divided over two routes, half the time.
Total ground covered 26 miles on foot. Bob-white, 156 (15 coveys); Ruffed Grouse, 6;
Ring-neck Pheasant, 4; Turkey Vulture, 5; Hawk (Goshawk ?), 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1;

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 31

Red-shouldered Hawk, i; Sparrow Hawk, 6; Screech Owl, i; Belted Kingfisher, i;
Hairy Woodpecker, i; Downy Woodpecker, 30; Northern Flicker, 7; Crow, 600; Star-
ling, 103; Meadowlark, 8; Goldfinch, q; Tree Sparrow, 190; Junco, 340; Song Sparrow, 37;
Cardinal, 8; Winter Wren, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 19; Tufted Titmouse, 1;
Chickadee, 9. Total, 25 species, about 1,535 individuals. The long list of game birds
was made possible by a favorable tracking snow, and a good bird dog. — Herbert H.
Beck, Abraham Beck Miller, Charles S. Brtcker.

York, Pa. (along Susquehanna River and Impounding Dam). — Dec. 26; 8.15 a.m. to
4.30 p.m. Cloudy; 2 in. snow; waterways entirely frozen; wind west, light; temp. 210 at
start, 310 at return. Five miles on foot. Observers together. Cooper's Hawk, 1; Spar-
row Hawk, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Flicker, 3; American
Crow, 850; Starling, 3; Meadowlark, 1; Goldfinch, 5; Pine Siskin, 7; White-throated
Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 69; Slate-colored Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 5; Cardinal, 10;
Carolina Wren, 3 (singing); Brown Creeper, 7; Tufted Titmouse, 9; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 16; Bluebird, 17. Total, 20 species, 1,057 individuals. — Arthur Farquhar,
Herman Klinedinst, Charles S. Weiser.

Altoona, Pa. (Lakemount Park, Canan's Ridge and Ant Hills). — Dec. 25; 10.30 a.m.
to 12.30 p.m., 2 to 4.30 p.m. Clear; 4 in. snow; wind south, light; temp. 300 at start,
28° at return. Six miles on foot. Observers worked separately. Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1;
Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Crow, 1; Meadowlark, 2; Goldfinch, 1;
Tree Sparrow, 55; Slate-colored Junco, 4; Song Sparrow, 1; Cardinal, 4; Brown Creeper, 1;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 3; Robin, 1. Total, 14 species, 82 individuals. —
Harry Arthur McGraw, Harry P. Hays.

Chambersburg, Pa. — Dec. 26; 9.45 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Clear; light snow; wind west,
light; temp. 240 at start, 270 at return. Observers together. Kingfisher, 1; Downy
Woodpecker, 4; Crow, 30; Starling, 5; Purple Finch, 4; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 50;
Junco, 40; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 8; Winter Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 1. Total, 13 species, 149 individuals. Although only 30 Crows
were recorded, great flocks fly across the valley in the morning and return at sunset. —
Beniamin and Robert Warfield.

Sewickley, Pa. — -Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cloudy; 6 in. snow; wind north, cold, in-
creasing; temp. 200. About 7 miles covered thoroughly. Observers together. Ruffed
Grouse, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 13; Blue
Jay, 3 ; American Crow, 2 ; Goldfinch, 3 ; Tree Sparrow, 113; Junco, 1 64 ; Song Sparrow, 1 6 ;
Cardinal, 21; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 12; Tufted Titmouse, 4;
Chickadee, 22; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2; Robin, 3. Total, 17 species, 382 individuals.
— Bayard H. Christy, Frank A. Hegner.

Springs, Pa. — -Dec. 23; 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Clear; 5 in. snow; no wind; temp. 22°
at start, 500 at noon. Five miles walked. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1
(5 a.m.); Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Pileated Woodpecker, 1; Blue
Jay, 1; American Crow, 5; Slate-colored Junco, 4; Song Sparrow, 1; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 4. Total, 11 species, 25 individuals. — Ansel B.
Miller.

Crafton, Pa. (Moon Run, Thornberg and vicinity). — Dec. 25; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cloudy; 4 in. snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 280. Eight miles on foot. Sparrow
Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Tree Sparrow, 16; Junco, 12; Song Sparrow, 12;
Cardinal, 16; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 18; Black-capped Chick-
adee, 14. Total, 9 species, 93 individuals. — L. F. Savage.

Emsworth, Pa. — Dec. 25; 8.30 to 10 a.m., 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cloudy; 4 in. snow;
wind west, light; temp. 20°. Eight miles on foot. Screech Owl (now spending seventh
winter in bird box), 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 13; Blue Jay, 2;
Crow, 3; Goldfinch, 3; Tree Sparrow, 61; Junco, 25; Song Sparrow, 18; Cardinal, 7;

32 Bird -Lore

White-breasted Nuthatch, 10; Tufted Titmouse, 4; Black-capped Chickadee, 4; Blue-
bird (heard), 1. Total, 14 species, 156 individuals. — Thos. L. McCoxmell.

Telford, Pa. — Dec. 28; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. From 1 to 3 in. snow; wind west, light;
temp. 300 at start and 380 at return. Cooper's Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1;
Sparrow Hawk, 1; Kingfisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Horned Lark, 5; Crow, 46;
Starling, 26; Meadowlark, 9; Purple Finch, 2; Goldfinch, 7; Tree Sparrow, 72; Slate-
colored Junco, 165; Song Sparrow, 18; Cardinal, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 1. Total, 17 species, 368 individuals. On Dec. 22 a live Northern
Phalarope was brought to me for proper identification. It is still being cared for by the
farmer till the streams open. Dec. 25, 1 Flicker, and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen.—
Claude A. Butterwick.

Greensboro, Md. — Dec. 26. Fair; ground almost covered with snow; temp. 250 to
350. Black Duck, 2; Bob-white, 20; Mourning Dove, 1; Turkey Vulture, 15; Sharp-
shinned Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Barred Owl, 1; Kingfisher, 1; Hairy Wood-
pecker. 2; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 7; Horned
Lark, 5; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 4; Starling, 4; Meadowlark, 26; Rusty Blackbird, 3; Purple
Finch, 3; Red Crossbill, 10; Goldfinch, 25; Pine Siskin, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 35;
Tree Sparrow, 7; Field Sparrow, 3; Junco, 55; Song Sparrow, 28; Swamp Sparrow, 3;
Towhee, 1; Cardinal, 30; Myrtle Warbler, 25; Carolina Wren, 1; Red-breasted Nut-
hatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 4; Carolina Chickadee, 7; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1; Her-
mit Thrush. 1; Robin, 1. Total, 38 species, 352 individuals. — Otto McCreary.

Chesapeake Beach, Md. — Dec. 23; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clear; ground covered by about
2 in. snow; wind northwest; temp. 35°. Horned Grebe, 3; Herring Gull, 4; Ring-billed
Gull, 2; American Merganser, 2; Golden-eye, 3; Bufflehead, 13; White- winged Scoter, 86;
Surf Scoter, 6: Bob-white, 9; Turkey Vulture, n; Marsh Hawk, 1; Cooper's Hawk. 1:
Sparrow Hawk, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Wood-
pecker, 1 ; Blue Jay, 7; Crow, 87; Starling, 122; Red- winged Blackbird, 2; Meadowlark, 22;
Goldfinch, 7; White-throated Sparrow, 10; Tree Sparrow, 3; Field Sparrow, 3; Slate-
colored Junco, 4; Song Sparrow, 8; Towhee, 1; Cardinal, 3; Mockingbird, 3; Long-
billed Marsh Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 3; Carolina Chickadee, 2;
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 35 species, 438 individuals. — Joseph Kittredge, Jr.

Parkersburg, W. Va. — Dec. 26; 1.30 to 4.30 p.m. Cloudy; 3 in. snow in the woods;
wind southwest, light; temp. 400. Four and one-half miles on foot. Observers together.
Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Red-headed Woodpecker, 4; Flicker, 8; Crow, 45; Meadowlark, 15;
Bronzed Grackle, 1; Song Sparrow, 8; Cardinal, 7; Carolina Wren, 1 ; Tufted Titmouse, 1 ;
Chickadee, n. Total, n species, 102 individuals. — Bertha E. White, Ada Stephen-
son, Waiter Donaghho.

Charleston, W. Va. (South Side hills and ravines, same territory as covered in the
last four years). — Dec. 28; 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Heavy clouds, spitting snow and rain
throughout the trip; very light south wind; temp. 27° at start, 300 at return. Six or 7
miles on foot. Observers together. Blue Jay, 2; Bluebird, 19; Junco, 120; Carolina
Wren, 24; Towhee, 99; White-throated Sparrow, 12; Red-headed Woodpecker, 18
(these birds are on the increase winter and summer. Ten years ago we had none);
Sparrow Hawk, 2; Cooper's Hawk, 1; Goldfinch, 21; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Hairy
Woodpecker, 2; Cardinal. 66; Song Sparrow, 22; Field Sparrow, 14; Tree Spar-
row, 1; Robin, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 28; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Black-capped
Chickadee, n; Crow, <>; Flicker, s: Vellow-bellied Sapsucker, c; Hob-white, 32 (four
covies). Total, 24 species, 527 individuals, — Elis Crawford, Mary Belle Johnston,
[. H. Johnston, Joe Llo^ d.

Lewisburg, W. Va. -Dec. 26; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy; snow in spots; no wind;
temp. 1 50 at start, 38° at return. Six miles on foot. Turkey Vulture, 11; Red-tailed
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Screech Owl, 1 ; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Wood-

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 33

pecker, 6; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, i; Pileated Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Wood-
pecker, 6; Northern Flicker, 1; Prairie Horned Lark, 1; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 25; Star-
ling, 1 (first time seen here in winter); Goldfinch, 22; Tree Sparrow, 270; Slate-colored
Junco, 305; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal. 15; Migrant Shrike, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 19; Tufted Titmouse, 13; Black-capped Chickadee, 2; Bluebird, 14.
Total, 25 species, 734 individuals. On Dec. 25 I was very much surprised to flush a
Wilson Snipe from a bit of swampy ground near my home. Also on Dec. 27, 1 Pine Sis-
kin, another unusual bird here, was seen. — Chas. (). Haxdley.

White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. — Dec. 25; 10 to 11.45 AM* 2 to 5 PM- Clear; ground
mostly snow-covered; wind west, light; temp. 200. Observers together. Sparrow
Hawk, 1; Kingfisher, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 6; Blue Jay, 4; American Crow, 5; Tree
Sparrow, 30; Junco, 100; Song Sparrow, 4; Cardinal, 1 pair; Winter Wren, 1; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 8; Tufted Titmouse, 20; Bluebird, 3. Total, 13 species, 186 indi-
viduals.— Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Y. La Dow.

Washington, D. C. (Mt. Vernon, Dogue Creek, Gum Springs and Warwick, Va.). —
Dec. 27; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Overcast, densely hazy, except last two hours; ground partly
covered by snow; no wind; temp. 2>2>° at start, 410 at finish. Six miles on foot. Observers
together. Red-breasted Merganser, 1; Hooded Merganser, 2; Black Duck, 3; Gadwell, 1;
Canvasback, 32; Scaup, 3,000; Golden-eye, 2,000; Bob- white, 21; Turkey Vulture, 5;
Marsh Hawk, 4; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 3;
Downy Woodpecker, 10; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2;
Flicker, 11; Blue Jay, 19; Crow, 26; Starling, 14; Meadowlark, 7; Purple Finch, 8;
Red Crossbill, 2; Goldfinch, 11; White-throated Sparrow, 3; Tree Sparrow, 16; Field
Sparrow, 4; Junco, 150; Song Sparrow, 12; Cardinal, 13; Loggerhead Shrike, 4; Myrtle
Warbler, 6; Mockingbird, 4; Carolina Wren, 1; Winter Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 1;
Tuftei Titmouse, 26; Carolina Chickadee, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Ruby-
crowned Kinglet, 2; Robin, 1; Bluebird, 6. Total 42 species, about 5,450 individuals.
The Herring Gull, Fish Crow and White-breasted Nuthatch are common winter resi-
dents not seen on Dec. 27, all of which were seen next day. — Alex. Wetmore,
E. A. Preble, W. L. McAtee.

Pulaski, Va. — Dec. 25; 12.50 to 5 p.m. Clear; wind west, light; temp. 360 at start,
420 at return. Seven miles on foot. Woodcock, 1; Killdeer, 12; Turkey Vulture, 80;
Black Vulture, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3;
Flicker, 2; Horned Lark, 50; American Crow, 4; Meadow Lark, 12; American Gold-
finch, 8; Slate-colored Junco, 58; Song Sparrow, n; Fox Sparrow, 1; Cardinal, 2; Mock-
ingbird, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Tufted Titmouse, 7; Robin, 1; Bluebird, 6.
Total, 21 species, 276 individuals. — O. C. Brewer.

Spartanburg, S. C. (Converse Heights to Country Club). — Dec. 26; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Clear; ground bare; wind south, fresh; temp. 340 at start, 460 at return. Five miles on
foot. Bob- white, 3; Mourning Dove, 7; Turkey Vulture, S; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Southern
Downy Woodpecker, 3; Red-headed Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 5; Prairie Horned Lark, 1
(in flight); Blue Jay, 16; American Crow, 6; Red-winged Blackbird, 27 (two flocks);
Meadowlark, n; Purple Finch, 15; American Goldfinch, 15; Vesper Sparrow, 3; Savan-
nah Sparrow, 3; White-throated Sparrow, 15; Field Sparrow, 13; Slate-colored Junco, 55;
Song Sparrow, 17; Fox Sparrow, 1; Towhee, 7; Cardinal, 7; Cedar Waxwing, 6; Myrtle
Warbler, 3; Mockingbird, 1; Carolina Wren, 5; Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 9;
Carolina Chickadee, 5; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 9; Hermit Thrush, 2; Robin, 70;
Bluebird, 13. Total, 34 species, about 345 individuals. — Gabriel Cannon, George L.
Sxowdex, Lewis Bailey.

St. Petersburg, Fla.— Dec. 24; 7 to 8 a.m., St. Pecersburg; 10 a.m. to 12.45 PM- along
shore of Boca Ceiga Bay; 3 to 4 p.m., St. Petersburg. Slightly cloudy; wind southwest
to northwest, light; temp. 650 at start, 730 at return. Three miles on foot. Observers

34 Bird - Lore

together. Loon, 7; Red-throated Loon, 5; Herring Gull, 40; Laughing Gull, 2; Bona-
parte's Gull, 1 ; (lull-billed Tern, 209; Common Tern, 2 [We believe the Terns have been
wrongly identified; the Royal Tern should be the abundant species here. — En.]; Black
Skimmer, 170; Cormorant, 9; Brown Pelican, 235; Red-breasted Merganser, 8; Greater
and Lesser Scaup Duck, 87; Bufflehead Duck, 1; Great White Heron, 1; Great Blue
Heron, 2; Ward's Heron, 6; Louisiana Heron, 25; Little Blue Heron, 15; Black-crowned
Night Heron, 1; Limpkin, 1; Dowitcher, 3; Least Sandpiper, 5; Yellowleg, 1; Willet, 107;
Spotted Sandpiper, 1; Killdeer, 9; Ground Dove, 1; Black Vulture, 25; Bald Eagle, 12;
Florida Sparrow Hawk, 1; Kingfisher, 4; Red-headed Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 1; Blue
Jay, 9; Florida Crow, 79; Meadowlark, 15; Florida Grackle, 47; Boat-tailed Grackle, 6;
Cardinal, 1; Loggerhead Shrike, 9; Myrtle Warbler, 6; Palm and Yellow Palm Warb-
lers, 20; Mockingbird, 16. Total, 45 species, 1,206 individuals. We tried more for
different species than for great numbers, so did not consider rafts of ducks on Tampa
Bay, nor did we reckon hundreds of shore birds, seen but not identified along Boca
Ceiga Bay. — Clarence D., Ernest H., and Lucy E. Farrar.

Detroit, Mich. (Belle Isle, Grosse Isle and River front). — Dec. 26; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cloudy; trace of snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 290 to 310. Herring Gull, 51; Ring-
billed Gull, 10; American Merganser, 7; Red-breasted Merganser, 5; Lesser Scaup, 7;
Golden-eye, 4; Bob-white, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 10; Red-
headed Woodpecker, 19; Crow, 12; Blue Jay, 8; Pine Grosbeak, 1; Tree Sparrow, 10;
Slate-colored Junco, 3; Cardinal, 2; Chickadee, 12; Brown Creeper, 4; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 23. Total, 19 species, 192 individuals. About 40 Red-headed Woodpeckers
arc wintering on Belle Isle. — Etta S. Wilson.

Detroit, Mich. — Dec. 25; 8 to 11.30 a.m., eastern suburbs, creek bottom, farm land,
woodland and coppice — 8 miles on foot; 2.30 to 4.40 p.m., Belle Isle Park. Partly
cloudy; light snow; wind southwest, light; temp. 260. Herring Gull, 27; Ducks (Scaup
sp.), n; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Red-headed
Woodpecker, 1; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 21; Redpoll, 11; Vesper
Sparrow, 6; Junco, 12; Song Sparrow, 4; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch. 14;
Chickadee, 18. Total, 16 species, 137 individuals. — Ralph Beebe.

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Dec. 26; 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Cloudy; 1 in. snow; wind west,
light; temp. 350 to 380. Observers together. Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2;
Downy Woodpecker, 9; Blue Jay, 17; Purple Finch, 2; Tree Sparrow, 207; Junco, 34;
Chewink, 1; Cardinal, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 16. Total, 11 spe< ies,
about 297 individuals. — JOSSELYN and Ci.ai de Van Tyne.

Camden, Mich. — Dec. 26; 10.30 a.m. to 12 m., 2.45 to 5 p.m. Cloudy; ground partly
covered with snow; wind west, strong; temp. 30° to 380. Seven miles on foot, wooded
hills and open fields, about 2 miles of river banks. Observers together. Red-tailed
Hawk, 1; Barred Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Flicker, 1;
Blue Jay, 4; Tree Sparrow, 75; Junco, id; Song Sparrow, 7; Cardinal, 5 males, 3 females;
Catbird, 1 (observed with a three-power glass at 20 feet); White-breasted Nuthatch, (>;
Black-capped Chickadee, 4. Total, 13 species, 131 individuals. -Ray P.. Willis C,
Walteb J. Read] r.

Wausau, Wis. Dec. 24; o a.m. to 1 P.M. Clear; 14 in. snow; calm; temp. 10 at
start, 300 at return. Seven miles on foot. Observers together. Northern Downy Wood-
pecker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Evening Grosbeak, 25; Snow Bunting, 20; Cedar Waxwing, 13;
Chickadee, (>. Total, <> species, about (17 individuals. 11. W. Schaars, Clifford
Streck, Wesley Guenther.

Madison, Wis. (and vicinity 1. Dec. 26; 0 A.M. to 3 P.M. Clear; sin. snow; wind north-
west, 12 miles per hour; temp. 31° to 37 . Twelve miles on foot. Observers together.
Hairy Woodpecker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 17; Crow. 6; Red Crossbill, 1;

While winged Crossbill, 40; Redpoll, 2; Goldfinch, 5; Tree Sparrow, 20; Slate colored

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 35

Junco, 35; Cardinal, i; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Chickadee, 46;
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5. Total, 15 species, about 195 individuals. — Clara and
Warner Taylor.

Madison, Wis. (woods, fields and marshes adjoining Lake Wingara). — Dec. 23;
8.15 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. Cloudy; hoar-frost on trees, 10 in. snow; thick ice on lake; wind,
west, light; temp. 270 to 300. Ten miles on foot. Bob-white, 15; Barred Owl, 2; Hairy
Woodpecker, 4; Downy W'oodpecker, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 28;
Crow, 4; Goldfinch, 21; Tree Sparrow, 125; Bohemian Waxwing, 19; Brown Creeper, 2;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 10; Chickadee, 37. Total, 13 species, 272 individuals. —
S. Paul Jones.

Hartland, Wis. — Dec. 22; 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cloudy; 10 in. snow; wind southwest,
light; temp. 240 at start, 360 at return. Seven miles on foot along tree and shrub bor-
dered country roads. Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 15;
Crow, 6; Tree Sparrow, 3; Northern Shrike, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 5; Chickadee, 18. Total, 9 species, 52 individuals. — Susie L. Simons.

Lauderdale Lakes, Wis. (near Elkhorn). — Dec. 26; 9.40 to 11.45 a.m., 1.45 to 3.30 p.m.
Clear; 1 ft. snow; wind west, brisk; temp. 330 at start, 360 at finish. Observers together.
Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 32; Red-winged Blackbird, 3; Redpoll, 29; Slate-colored Junco, 1;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 1. Total, 7 species, 69 individuals. — Lula
Dunbar, Robert G. Dunbar, Jr.

Minneapolis, Minn. (Interlachen to Minnehaha Falls). — Dec. 26; 9.30 a.m. to 4.30
p.m. Clear; 8 in. snow; wind west, 28 miles per hour; temp. 30° to 340. Eight miles on
foot. Observers together. Golden-eye, 1 (in open water on Mississippi); Downy Wood-
pecker, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 (adult male); Blue Jay, 11; Tree Sparrow, 3;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 15; Black-capped Chickadee, n. Total, 7 species, 46 indi-
viduals. The Red-bellied Woodpecker, an exceptional record for this locality, was studied
at 20 feet with binoculars. — Burton Thayer, Charles Phillips.

Minneapolis, Minn. — Dec. 27; 8 a.m. to 12 m. Cloudy; 7 in. snow; temp. 250. About
6 miles on foot-along the east bank of the Mississippi River. Hairy Woodpecker, 3;
Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 8; Purple Finch, 6; Redpoll, 18; Tree Sparrow, 4;
Slate-colored Junco, 15; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 10; Black-capped
Chickadee, 7; Robin, 1. Total, 11 species, 77 individuals. Robins are very rare here in
winter; this bird has been here all winter, feeding mostly on berries. Large flocks of
Bohemian Waxwings have been in this vicinity for about a month, but none were seen
on this date. — Lawrence Zeleny.

Youngstown, Ohio (Mill Creek Park, Valley above park and country below Poland). —
Dec. 25; 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Partly cloudy; 6 in. snow; wind west, light; temp. 170
at start, 220 at return. About 15 miles on foot. Observers separate some of the time.
Bob-white, 63 (4 coveys); Ruffed Grouse, 1; Marsh Hawk, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1;
Rough-legged Hawk, 5; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 8; Downy Woodpecker, 51;
Red-headed Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 32;
Crow, 1; Meadowlark, 7; Purple Finch, 1; Red Crossbill, 20; White- winged Crossbill, 1 1 ;
Redpoll, 12; Goldfinch, 3; Pine Siskin, at least 500; Tree Sparrow, 308; Slate-colored
Junco, 11; Song Sparrow, 10; Cardinal, 20; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 55; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Tufted Titmouse, 63; Chickadee, 89; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 7. Total, 30 species, about 1,295 individuals. The Rough-legged
Hawks, Redpolls, Crossbills and Pine Siskins are uncommon winter visitors. — George
L. Fordyce, C. A. Leedy, Willis H. Warner, Evan C. Dressel, H. W. Weisgerber.

Painesville, Ohio. — Dec. 25; out 4 hours. Fair, cloudy; wind west, fresh; temp.
240 to 280. Eight-mile walk. Merganser, 3; Golden-eye, 5; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Barred
Owl, 2; Kingfisher, 1; Northern Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Red-
headed Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 6; Bronzed Grackle, 2; Tree Sparrow, 5

36 Bird - Lore

Song Sparrow, 2; Cardinal, 7; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Xuthatch, 5; Tufted
Titmouse, 4; Chickadee, 5. Total, 18 species, 56 individuals. Hooded Merganser, Great
Horned Owl, Crows, Goldfinch, and Juncos also seen within the Census time-limit. —
E. A. Doolittle.

Oberlin, Ohio. — Dec. 27; 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Cloudy; ground covered with snow;
wind southwest, sharp; temp. 32°at start, 3i°at return. Eight miles on foot, 3 on bicycle.
Downy Woodpecker, 8; Flicker, 6; Blue Jay, 12; Crow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 6; Cardinal, 6;
Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 10. Total, 9 species,
53 individuals. — Helen M. Rice.

Akron, Ohio (Northwest, 6 miles and return). — Dec. 21; 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Foggy,
clear; wind southwest, very slight; temp. 11° rising to 38°. Downy Woodpecker, 5;
Blue Jay, 2; Tree Sparrow, 25; Song Sparrow, 2;Junco, 10; Cardinal, 3; Brown Creeper, 1;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 7. Total, 9 species, 59 individuals. — Paul A.
Wells.

Huron, Ohio. — Dec. 28; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Partly cloudy; ground nearly bare; wind
north, fresh; temp. 220 at start. Observers together in afternoon, H. G. Morse alone in
forenoon. Merganser, 58; Golden-eye, 12; Bob-white, 8; Bald Eagle, 5; Sparrow Hawk, 1 ;
Downy Woodpecker, 7; Red-headed Woodpecker, 13; Northern Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 8;
Crow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 60; Juncos, 1; Song Sparrow, 5; Cardinal, 8; Tufted Titmouse, 2;
Chickadee, 4. Total, 16 species, 196 individuals. — Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Morse, Miss
W. E. Seonhiser.

Canton, Ohio. — Dec. 22; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy in the morning; ground covered
with snow; wind, light; temp. 250 to 400. Twelve miles on foot. Observers together.
Bob- white, 12 (one covey); Belted Kingfisher, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Wood-
pecker, 10; Blue Jay, 2; Goldfinch, 4; Tree Sparrow, 100; Song Sparrow, 25; Cardinal, 12;
Cedar Waxwing, 13; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, 8; Robin, 1. Total,
13 species, 196 individuals. — May S. Danner, Mary King.

Canton, Ohio. — Dec. 25; 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy till 12.30 p.m., clear thereafter;
ground slightly snow-covered; wind southwest, light; temp. 200 at start, ,24° at return.
Ten miles on foot. Bob- white, 20 (two coveys); Red-shouldered Hawk, 2; Belted King-
fisher, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 1; Gold-
finch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 170; Slate-colored Junco, 30; Song Sparrow, 20; Cardinal. 23;
Brown Creeper, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Tufted Titmouse, 2; Black-capped
Chickadee, 2. Total, 16 species, 290 individuals. — Edward D. Kimes.

Cadiz, Ohio. — -Dec. 25; 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Cloudy to part cloudy; 4 in. snow-
wind west, light; temp. 180 at start, 240 on return. Eight miles in the woods and fields
south of Cadiz. Observers together. Bob-white, 6, and tracks; Cooper's Hawk (?) 1;
Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4;
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 4; Northern Flicker, 6; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 5; Meadowlark, 8;
Tree Sparrow, 90; Junco, 45; Song Sparrow, 16; Cardinal, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, ■;:
Tufted Titmouse, 6; Chickadee, 5. Total, 18 species, 208 individuals. — H. B.McCONN] 1 1

Hamilton, Ohio. — Dec. 25; 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Clear; 3 in. snow; wind southeast,
light; temp. 120 at start, 300 at return. Nine miles on foot through fields anil swamps
along river. Observers together. Sparrow Hawk, 4; Kingfisher, 1 ; Hairy Woodpecker, 4;
Downy Woodpecker, 5; Yellow'-bellicd Sapsucker, 3; American Crow, 41; Tree Spar-
row, 98; Junco, 20; Song Sparrow, 16; Swamp Sparrow, 121; Towhee, 1; Cardinal, iN;
Tufted Titmouse, 16; Chickadee, 91. Total, 14 species, 440 individuals. — Frank and
William II vrbaum.

Xenia, Ohio (Beaver Creek to Alpha, Little Miami River to Trebeins). — Dec. 25;
8 A.M. to 1.20 p.m., 3 to 4.30 p.m. Clear; 1 in. snow; wind northwest to southeast, light;
temp. 40 at start, 23? at return. Seven miles on foot. Mallard, 20; Bob-white, 8; Ring
necked Pheasant, 6; Mourning Dove, 16; Belted Kingfisher, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 2;

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 37

Downy Woodpecker, 7; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 6; Crow, 20;
Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 68; Song Sparrow, 29; Cardinal, 12; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 16; Chickadee, 18; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Robin, 2.
Total, 20 species, 240 individuals. — Helen Ankeney.

Fort Wayne, Ind. — Dec. 21; 7.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fair; wind northeast, light; temp.
1 8° at start, 300 on return. Ten miles of river-bank and vicinity. Bob-white, 21; Mourn-
ing Dove, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 17; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 29;
American Crow, 24; Goldfinch, 4; Pine Siskin, 2; Tree Sparrow, 379; Slate-colored
Junco, 63; Song Sparrow, 14; Cardinal, 26; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 18; Tufted Titmouse, 6; Black-capped Chickadee, 39. Total, 17 species, 651 in-
dividuals. On Nov. 2 Wm. Sihler observed 15 White- winged Crossbills. — Chas. A.
Stockbridge, A. A. Ringwalt, A. K. Mehl, Henry W. Sepper, Wm. Sihler.

Gary, Ind. — Dec. 23; 7 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Cloudy; 3 in. snow on ground, white rime
frost covering all vegetation; freezing temperatures morning and evening, slightly
warmer at mid-day. Herring Gull, 33; American Merganser, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 2;
Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 10; Tree Sparrow, 169; Junco, 26; Black-
capped Chickadee, 17; Robin, 1. Total, 10 species, 263 individuals. — W. A. Squires.

Indianapolis, Ind. (to territory about 10 miles from city). — Dec. 23; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dull sky; light snow on ground; no wind; temp. 280. Covering 15 miles of 'hiking' on
estate where birds have been encouraged, and observation of a winter feeding station.
Observers together. Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 4;
Red-headed Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 59; Tree Sparrow, 6; Slate-colored
Junco, S3', Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 8; Tufted Titmouse, 5; Black-capped Chickadee,

4. Total, 12 species, 128 individuals. — Miss Elizabeth Downhour, Mrs. Cecilia
Denbig, Miss Charlotte Bachman, Miss Margaret Drinkut, W. T. Drinkut,

5. E. Perkins III.

Roachdale, Ind. — Dec. 25; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clear; ground bare; wind southwest, light;
temp. 180 to 280. Eight miles on foot. Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 8;
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 4; Flicker, 3; Prairie Horned Lark, 9; Blue Jay, 4; American
Crow, 40; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 36; Song Sparrow, 7; Cardinal, 3; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 5; Tufted Titmouse, 10; Black-capped Chickadee, 18. Total, 14 species,
150 individuals. — Ward J. Rice.

Chicago, 111. — Dec. 24; 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Cleared up about noon; about an inch
of snow; wind, cold. Along the Desplaines River from Oak Park to Park Ridge, then
west to Niles. Alone. Herring Gull, 1; Ring-billed Gull, 4; Mourning Dove, 4; Hairy
Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 10; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 6;
American Crow, 47; Evening Grosbeak, 2; Tree Sparrow, 6; Slate-colored Junco, 1;
Cardinal, 19; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1 ; Black-capped Chickadee, 3. Total, 14 species,
107 individuals. Dec. 27, Belted Kingfisher, 2. — Gardner Bates.

Waukegan, LU. — Dec. 26; 9.45 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. Clear; about 6 in. snow; wind south-
west, strong; temp. 360 at start, 37° at return. About 14 miles on foot. Observers to-
gether. Herring Gull, 200+ ; American Merganser, 25; Red-breasted Merganser, 3;
American Golden-eye, 12; Old Squaw, 2; Canada Goose, 106; Hairy Woodpecker, 1;
Downy Woodpecker, 3; Blue Jay, 8; Crow, 15; Red Crossbill, 2; Tree Sparrow, 32
Slate-colored Junco, 7; Bohemian Waxwing, 1; Brown Creeper, 1; Chickadee, 2. Total,
16 species, about 420 individuals. The Bohemian Waxwing was identified by its large
size and the white markings on the wings. — Parker Blair, Stephen S. Gregory, Jr.

Zuma Township, Rock Island Co., 111. — Dec. 28; 8.30 to 10.30 a.m., 12.05 to 3T5 PM-
Cloudy in forenoon, clear in afternoon; 2 in. snow; wind north, light; temp. 200 at start,
250 at return. Bob-white, 35 (two covies); Screech Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 2;
Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 15; Red-headed Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied
Woodpecker, 5; Northern Flicker, 3; Blue Jay, 10; American Crow, 14; Goldfinch, 12;

38 Bird -Lore

Tree Sparrow, 15; Slate-colored Junco, 25; Cardinal, 3; Brown Creeper, 3; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 5; Tufted Titmouse, 1 ; Black-capped Chickadee, 23. Total, 18 species,
about 178 individuals. Heard a Lapland Longspur call, while flying over, Dec. 27. —
J. J. SCHAFER.

Rantoul, 111. — Dec. 24; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Light clouds; ground bare; wind north, brisk;
tern]). 220. Four miles on foot through woods, by vehicle to and from woods. Observers
together. Cooper's Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 5; Red-shouldered Hawk, 2; Broad-
winged Hawk, 1; American Rough-legged Hawk, 20; Barred Owl, 1; Screech Owl, 1;
Hairy Woodpecker, 18; Downy Woodpecker, 56; Flicker, 3; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1;
Prairie Horned Lark, 15; Blue Jay, 9; American Crow, about 300; American Gold-
finch, 16; Vesper Sparrow, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, about 600;
Junco, about 300; Song Sparrow, 7; Swamp Sparrow, 1 ; Cardinal, 37; Brown Creeper, 20;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 12; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Tufted Titmouse, about 500;
Chickadee, 3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1. Total, 28 species, about 1,900 individuals.
Species wintering in this vicinity but not seen on this date: Bob- white, Prairie Hen,
Lapland Longspur, and Snow Bunting, seen at frequent intervals. Wilson Snipe, Dec. 23;
Mourning Dove, Dec. 18; Sparrow Hawk and Pine Siskin, Dec. 21; Brown Thrasher
and Rusty Blackbird, Dec. 10; Robin, Dec. 19. These dates are the latest observa-
tions of the birds named, although they have been seen frequently before.— Sidney,
George, and Eddie Ekblaw.

Albion, 111. — Dec. 26; 1.30 to 5.30 p.m. Cloudy; ground bare; wind west, light; temp.
44° to 360. Nine miles on foot. Bob-white, 13; Dove, 5; Barred Owl, 1; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 15; Red-headed Woodpecker, 1; Red-bellied Wood-
pecker, 8; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 15; Goldfinch, 10; White-crowned Sparrow, 25; Tree
Sparrow, 300; Slate-colored Junco, 50; Song Sparrow, 30; Cardinal, 8; Tufted Tit-
mouse, 12; Carolina Chickadee, 9. Total, 17 species, about 508 individuals. Two Mock-
ingbirds were seen Dec. 19. — John H. Gooch.

Emmetsburg, Iowa. — Dec. 24; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clear until 10.30 a.m., then cloudy;
10 in. snow that fell first of month, melted down to 6 in., rendering walking difficult;
wind northeast until 10.30 a.m., then southeast; temp. 17° at start, 24° at end. During
the first three weeks of December the thermometer has registered below zero on thirteen
mornings; on eight of those mornings, from 11° to 22° below. Ring-necked Pheasant. 1
(female); Hairy Woodpecker, 8; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 1 ; Blue Jay, 3; Crow. 47;
Lapland Longspur, 30; Tree Sparrow, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee. 11.
Total, 10 species, 113 individuals. — LeRoy Titus Weeks.

Iowa City, Iowa (2 miles south, then back; then 1 mile north and 1V2 miles west of
town). — Dec. 26; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Partly cloudy at start, cleared at 10.30 a.m.; 4 in.
snow ; wind northwest, light; tern]). 24° at start, 40 on return. Eight miles on foot.
Observers together. Bob- white, 15 (one covey); Sparrow Hawk, 1 (studied at 20 yards
with five-X glasses); Barred Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, m>;
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3; Northern Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 26; American Crow. N;
Goldfinch, 40 (two Hocks); Tree Sparrow, 2; Slate-colored Junco, 9; Towhee, 1 (male:
studied at distance of 15 feet 1 ; Cardinal, 13; Brown Creeper, 5; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, iS; Tufted Titmouse, 2; Black capped Chickadee, 40. Total, 18 species. 10S
individuals. - Dayton and LILLIAN C. StONER.

Sioux City, Iowa (Ravines north of North Riverside, 6 miles from city i. Dec. 23;
io A.M. to 4 p.m. Clear; ground covered with snow (> to 14 in.; no wind; temp. 310 to 380.
Observers together. Six to 8 miles afoot. Hairy Woodpecker, 1 ; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Micker, 2; blue Jay, 1 ; American Crow, 7; Goldfinch, 6; Tree Sparrow, 1 ;; Slate-colored
Junco, 13: Towhee, t; Cardinal, 10; Bohemian Waxwing, 1; Brown Creeper, 2; W'hite-
ied Nuthatch, .•; Red-breasted Nuthatch, .•; Chickadee, 34. Total, 15 species,
102 individuals. This is an actual count but we estimated at least thirty more Chick-

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 39

adees. A pair of Magpies was last seen in this locality on Dec. 21, having been seen for
three or four days previously. Red Crossbills have been frequently seen this winter,
and a flock of 04 Bohemian Waxwings was seen north of the city on Dec. 19. So many
Bohemian without any Cedar Waxwings is very unusual here. — Miss JuLIA Ross,
Mrs. H. M. Bailey.

Louisville, Ky. — Dec. 25; 7 a.m. to 4 P.M. Clear; wind slight; temp. 180 at start,
49° on return. Twelve miles on foot. Killdeer, 3; Turkey Vulture, 1; Red-shouldered
Hawk, 1; Broad- winged Hawk (?), i; Belted Kingfisher, i; Hairy Woodpecker, i;
Downy Woodpecker, 9; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 28; American
Crow, 16; Meadowlark, 8; Purple Grackle, 25; White-throated Sparrow, 21; Tree
Sparrow, 29; Field Sparrow, 2; Slate-colored Junco, 116; Song Sparrow, 43; Cardinal, 36;
Mockingbird, 1; Carolina Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 11;
Tufted Titmouse, 37; Black-capped Chickadee, 32; Bluebird, 3. Total, 26 species,
433 individuals. — Burt L. Monroe.

Bowling Green, Ky. (Glen Lilly, Jennings Creek, Pea Ridge, and along Barren
River). — Dec. 22; 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Very heavy fog lasting all day; ground bare; temp.
220 to 300. About 10 miles on foot. Killdeer, 7; Mourning Dove, 27; Marsh Hawk, 1;
Sparrow Hawk, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Southern Downy Wood-
pecker, 11; Pileated Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 7; Flicker, 1 (rarer than
usual); Prairie Horned Lark, 29; Blue Jay, 13; American Crow, 250; Meadowlark, 30;
Purple Finch, 14; American Goldfinch, 2; White-crowned Sparrow, 12; White-throated
Sparrow, 25; Tree Sparrow, 16; Chipping Sparrow, 3; Slate-colored Junco, 250; Song
Sparrow, 20; Towhee, 4 (unusually scarce this winter); Cardinal, 50; Cedar Waxwing, 5;
Myrtle Warbler, 3 (rare this winter); Mockingbird, 10; Bewick Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 4;
Tufted Titmouse, 25; Carolina Chickadee, 50; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 8 (I made this
bird the great object of my trip because it has been so scarce since the winter of 191 7-18);
Bluebird, 14. Total, 33 species, 897 individuals. — Gordon Wilson.

Lexington, Mo. — Dec. 24; 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Cloudy; ground bare, with a little
snow in patches; wind fairly strong and from northeast; temp. 320 to 250. Observers
separate. About 20 miles covered. Bob- white, 5; Mourning Dove, 2; Screech Owl, 1;
Hairy Woodpecker, 7; Downy Woodpecker, 25; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1 (the identity
is uncertain); Red-bellied Woodpecker, 5; Flicker, 20; Prairie Horned Lark, 3; Blue Jay, 23;
Crow, 14; Purple Finch, 1; Goldfinch, 25; White-throated Sparrow, 1 ; Tree Sparrow, 375;
Slate-colored Junco, 750; Song Sparrow, 50; Cardinal, 89; Carolina Wren, 4; Winter
Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9; Tufted Titmouse, 24; Chick-
adee, 150. Total, 24 species, 1,589 individuals. — J. Clark Sawyer, E. Gordon-
Alexander.

Kansas City, Mo. — Dec. 21; 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Heavy fog and mist all day;
ground frozen hard, and covered with old ice and snow in sheltered places; wind south,
light, in afternoon; temp. 280 to 300. Missouri River and Big Eddy region, Missouri
bottoms and bluffs near Courtney, upper Brush Creek Valley, Country Club district
prairies, Swope Park neighborhood, Mount Washington Cemetery, Mill Creek region
north of Independence, Forest Hill Cemetery, upper Blue Valley near Dodson. Ob-
servers were paired in the different regions, and were in the field from 3 to 9 hours.
Loon, 1 (identification entirely satisfactory); Merganser, 3; Black Duck, 2; Marsh
Hawk, 1; Cooper's Hawk, 1; Barred Owl, 1; Screech Owl, 2; Great Horned Owl, 1;
Kingfisher, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 27; Downy Woodpecker, 69; Red-headed Wood-
pecker, 1; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 26; Northern Flicker, 14; Blue Jay, 56; Crow, 63;
Red-winged Blackbird (subspecies ?), 15; Purple Finch, 7; Crossbill, 21; Goldfinch, 35;
Pine Siskin, 4; Lapland Longspur, small flock in the air (identification not entirely
satisfactory); Harris's Sparrow, 13; White-crowned Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 485 (est.);
Slate-colored Junco, 710 (est.); Song Sparrow, 18; Lincoln's Sparrow, 1; Swamp Spar-

40 Bird - Lore

row, 2; Fox Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 129; Cedar Waxwing, 5; Mockingbird, 1; Carolina
Wren, 27; Brown Creeper, 19; White-breasted Nuthatch, 11; Tufted Titmouse, 59;
Chickadee, 194; Robin, 14; Bluebird, 2. Total, 40 species, about 2,046 individuals. —
B. F. Bolt, Miss Jennie Clements, Walter Cunningham, Mrs. T. F. English,
Wm. C. Michaels, Eldon Michaels, Miss Ella Proctor, Miss Mary Robinson,
Mrs. T. C. Sherwood, A. E. Shirling, Chas. W. Tindall and Son, Roy C. Wood-
worth, Harry Harris.

Marionville, Mo. — Dec. 27; 1.30 p.m. to sunset. Cloudy; ground bare; wind south-
west, strong; temp. 350 and upward. Twenty-five to 30 miles in car, with foot trips
about 5 miles more. Bob- white, 25; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Cooper's Hawk, 2; Screech
Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Kingfisher, 3; Flicker, 4; Prairie
Horned Lark, 30; Blue Jay, 14; Crow, 10,000 or over; American Goldfinch, 60; Harris's
Sparrow, 1; Tree Sparrow, 80; Song Sparrow, 60; Field Sparrow, 140; Slate-colored
Junco, 300; Cardinal, 30; Winter Wren, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 30; Chickadee, 40; Blue-
bird, 6. Total, 22 species, 10,831 individuals. — Johnson Neff.

Nashville, Tenn. (Bellemeade Farms, Glendale Forest and 40-Acre Reservoir). —
Dec. 27; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clear; ground bare; no wind; temp. 32° to 460. Twelve miles
on foot. Redhead Duck, 2; Lesser Scaup Duck, 25; Ruddy Duck, 9; Killdeer, 16;
Bob- white, 8; Mourning Dove, 6; Black Vulture, 7; Cooper's Hawk, 1 ; Red-tailed
Hawk, 4; Sparrow Hawk, 6; Barred Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 4;
Downy Woodpecker, 8; Pileated Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 7; Yellow-
bellied Sapsucker, 3; Flicker, 60; Prairie Horned Lark, 25 (one flock); Blue Jay, 8;
Crow, 5 (flying to large roost 25 miles east); Cowbird, 3,000 (roosting in cemetery in
magnolia and coniferous trees with Crackles and Robins); Bronzed Grackle, 12,000 (at
roost, see Cowbird note); Meadowlark, 11; Purple Finch, 5; Goldfinch, 12; White-
throated Sparrow, 70; Field Sparrow, 140; Song Sparrow, 90; Fox Sparrow, 2; Slate-
colored Junco, 140; Towhee, 22; Cardinal, 65; Cedar Waxwing, 1; Myrtle Warbler, 40;
Mockingbird, 32; Carolina Wren, 5; Winter Wren, 1 ; Bewick's Wren, 1; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 12; Tufted Titmouse, 7; Carolina Chickadee, 28; Hermit Thrush, 4; Robin,
8,000 (roosting, see Cowbird note); Bluebird, 17. Total, 45 species, about 23,800 in-
dividuals.— Geo. R. Mayfiei.d, A. C. Webb, H. S. and Wm. Vaughn, A. F. Ganii.k
(two parties). .

Anniston, Ala. — Dec. 25; 8 a.m. to 12 m., east portion of city and adjacent territory,
on foot — about 5 miles; 2 to 5 p.m., Oxford Lake and Chocoloco Creek, 3 miles south
of Anniston, over circuitous route. Clear; ground bare, except a copious hoarfrost till
sun was well up; wind northwest, light; temp. 220 at start, 420 at finish, 350 mean for
the day, being 8° below the normal. Killdeer, 6; Mourning Dove, 20; Belted King-
fisher, 1; Southern Downy Woodpecker. 1 ; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2; Red-headed
Woodpecker, 5; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 6; Blue Jay, 36; Meadowlark, 50;
Goldfinch, 4; White-throated Sparrow, 20; Field Sparrow, 85; Slate-colored Junco, 81;
Song Sparrow, 16; Towhee, 27; Cardinal, 5; Myrtle Warbler. 9; Pipit, 51; Mocking-
bird, 6; Brown Thrasher, 1; Carolina Wren. 2; Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 6;
Carolina Chickadee, 7; Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 1; Robin, 1; Bluebird, 43 (in one flock
28 were counted). Total, 28 species, 496 individuals. — R. H. DEAN.

Charlson, N. D. Dec. 23; 10.45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy, ground snow-covered on
prairie; hills more or less bare; wind southeast, Light; temp. 270. Prairie Sharp-tailed
Grouse, 42; Rough-legged Hawk. 1; Horned Lark, 1; Magpie, 7: Redpoll. 42; Snow
Hunting, 7; Bohemian Waxwing, 12; Long-tailed Chickadee, 2. Total, 8 species, 114 in-
dividuals. Saw the Hairy Woodpecker on Dec. 15. — Adrian Larson.

Yankton, S. D. — Dec. 26; 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 P.M. Clear; ground bare in places, but
mostly covered with 3 to 4 or more in. of snow ; wind northwest, medium; temp. 400.
Distance covered, 7 miles. Observers together. King-ncrkcd Pheasant. 1; Hairy Wood'

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 41

pecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 9; Flicker, 3; Blue Jay, 3; American Crow, 14; Red
Crossbill, 2; Redpoll, 6; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 6; Slate-colored Junco, 35; Car-
dinal, 1; Bohemian Waxwing, 50; Brown Creeper, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4;
Long-tailed Chickadee, 75; Robin, 25 ('whisper song' heard twice). Total, 17 species,
243 individuals. A Magpie noted Dec. 23. Reported as unusually common this winter.
— G. H. Durand, A. P. Larrabee.

Fremont, Neb. — Dec. 22; 1.30 to 6 p.m. Snow on the ground, melting; temp. 35° to
400. Screech Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 5; Northern Flicker, 2;
Prairie Horned Lark, 2; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 12; Red Crossbill, 6; White- winged Cross-
bill, 36; Goldfinch, 3; Tree Sparrow, 11; Slate-colored Junco, 6; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 3; Brown Creeper, 4; Chickadee, 10. Total, 15 species, 108 individuals. Up to
Dec. 1 many Bohemian Waxwings were in the cemetery, often 75 to 100 in a flock;
2 Townsend's Solitaires, and numerous Golden-crowned Kinglets. — Lily Ruegg
Button.

Lawrence, Kans. — Dec. 22; 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Cloudy; snow in patches; wind
south, moderate; temp, about 320. Fifteen miles on foot. Duck (unidentified flock), 5;
Bob-white, 14 (one covey); Mourning Dove, 1; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Hawk (an-
other sp.), 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Downy Woodpecker, 8; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3;
Flicker, 8; Blue Jay, 5; American Crow, 12; American Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow,
about 75; Slate-colored Junco, about 85; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 35; Mockingbird, 1;
Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 13; Chickadee, 41;
Bluebird, 1. Total, 22 species, about 322 individuals (fewer than usual for this terri-
tory). Seen during this week: Marsh Hawk, Prairie Horned Lark, Northern (?) Shrike,
Robin. — Jean Linsdale.

Topeka, Kans. — Dec. 22; 8.10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Damp and cloudy; few patches of
old snow; wind south, light; temp. 290 to 320. Fourteen miles, wooded creek and prairie.
Observers separate most of time. Marsh Hawk, 2; Cooper's Hawk, 2; Western Red-
tail, 1; Swainson's Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Wood-
pecker, 24; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1 ; Red-bellied Woodpecker, n ; Northern Flicker, 8;
Prairie (?) Horned Lark, 6; Blue Jay, 6; Crow, 7,2; Crossbill, 35; Goldfinch, 1; Pine
Siskin, 5; Longspur, (at least one of which was a Chestnut-collared), 27; Tree Spar-
row, 45; Junco, 28; Song Sparrow, 4; Cardinal, 23; Brown Creeper, 8; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 4; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 13; Chickadee, 57; Robin, 50;
Bluebird, 6. Total, 28 species, 405 individuals. Seen recently in same territory: Dec. 18,
Meadowlark, 12; Cedar Waxwing, 30; Harris's Sparrow, 1; Dec. 19, Carolina Wren, 1;
Winter Wren, 2. — Horace Gunthorp, Sidney Hyde.

Creek Co., Okla. (Polecat Creek Bottom).— Dec. 22; 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Cloudy;
ground bare of snow; wind north, light; temp, slightly above freezing. Bob-white, 18;
American Rough-legged Hawk, 3; Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Red-
bellied Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 1; American Crow, 1; Harris
Sparrow, 20; Field Sparrow, 1 ; Slate-colored Junco, 150; Swamp Sparrow, 2; Cardinal, 10;
Chickadee, 1; Hermit Thrush, 1; Robin, 22; Bluebird, 2. Total, 17 species, about 340
individuals. — Theodor R. Beard.

Norman, Okla. — -Dec. 24; 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., 2 to 5.30 p.m. Cloudy; ground bare;
wind north, moderate; temp. 340 in a.m., and 360 in p.m. Eleven miles on foot. Observers
separate. Canada Goose, 29; Bob-white, 9 (one covey); Mourning Dove, 3; Marsh
Hawk, 2; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Screech Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Southern
Downy Woodpecker, 19; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 25; Red-shafted
Flicker, 1; Prairie Horned Lark, 7; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 21; Red- winged Blackbird, 600;
Western Meadowlark, 6; American Goldfinch, 21; Harris Sparrow, 82; Tree Sparrow, 3;
Field Sparrow, 5; Junco, 28; Song Sparrow, 20; Towhee, 1; Cardinal, 95; Carolina
Wren, 2; Bewick's Wren, 2; Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 2; Carolina Chickadee,

42 Bird -Lore

54; Robin, 5; Bluebird, 30. Total, 31 species, 1,093 individuals. Loggerhead Shrike and
Mm kingbird seen on Dec. 23.- MARGARET M. and L. B. NlCE.

Eastend, Saskatchewan, Canada (Valley of the Frenchman River). — Dec. 22;
9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Overcast; little snow left, excepl in drifts; wind southwest
(Chinook), strong; temp. 360 at slart, 400 at finish. About 15 miles on foot. Sharp-
tailed Grouse, 1; Magpie, 8; Redpoll, 20; Snow Bunting, 15; Lapland Longspur, 1;
Bohemian Waxwing, 9; Chickadee. 6. Total, 7 species, 60 individuals. — Lawrence B.
Totter.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada.- Dec. 21; 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Calm; ground mostly
bare; temp. 8 a.m. 340, 5.30 p.m. 400. Five miles along the Bow River, from the city
limits. On the prairie coming back. American Merganser, 6; Mallard, 2 (males);
Golden-eye, n; Duck, 1 (unidentified); Wilson Snipe, 2; Owl, 1 (medium-sized, uniden-
tified); Prairie Chicken, 9; Hungarian Partridge, 17; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy
Woodpecker, 12; Magpie (while coming home, near dusk, I counted 103 of them flying
to some roosting-place. I saw one or more about every minute, while going alonj; the
river); Redpoll, 45 + ; Snow Bunting, heard; Chickadee, 24. Total. 14 species, 234 +
individuals. Seen recently: Dec. 20, Bohemian Waxwing, 10; Dec. 14, Great Horned
Owd, 1; Kingfisher, 1. — Percy L. Ctjstance.

Bozeman, Mont. — Dec. 24; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Partly cloudy; 8 in. snow; fitful westerly
breeze; temp. 370 at start, 48° at return. About 5 miles on foot. Magpie, 15; Black-
headed Jay, 2; Western Crow, n; Alaskan Pine Grosbeak, 5; Redpoll, iS; Western Tree
Sparrow, 13; Slate-colored Junco, 2; Intermediate Junco, 3; Mountain Song Sparrow, 3;
Bohemian Waxwing, 9; Long-tailed Chickadee, 5. Total, 11 species, 86 individuals. —
Nelson Ltjndwall.

Denver, Colo.- Dec. 25; 8.30 to 9.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., in parks afoot;
1.30 to 4.30 p.m., 9 miles east by auto, and then afoot. Partly cloudy; old snow in shaded
patches; wind, forenoon, south, light, afternoon, cast, stronger; temp. 380 at sunrise,
47° at sunset. Ring-neck Pheasant, 3; Mourning Dove, 2; Prairie Falcon, 1; Richard-
son Merlin, 1; Western Sparrow Hawk, 1; Saw--\vhet Owd, 1; Rocky Mountain Screech
Owl, 2; Rocky Mountain Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Lewis's Woodpecker, 2; Red-shafted
Flicker, 6; Desert Horned Lark, 1; Magpie, 90; Red-winged Blackbird, 200; House
Finch, 23; Western Tree Sparrow, 12; Orev-hcaded Junco, 1; Long-tail Chickadee, 1;
Mountain Chickadee, 8; Townsend's Solitaire, 1. Total, 19 species, about 358 indi-
viduals. The absence of our different Christmas Juntos in the parks i^ attributed to
the presence of the Hawks and Owls. — W. H. BERGTOl D.

Marnel, Colo. (15 miles south of Pueblo). — Dec. 23; 8.30 a.m. to 4.20 p.m. Clear
and calm; ground bare except in the forests and north slopes where the snow was sev-
eral inches deep in places; temp. 2S0 at start, 400 at return. Ten miles through field and
forest, partly on foot. Sealed Partridge, 13 (one covey); Ferruginous Rough-legged
Hawk, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Red-shafted Flicker, 3; Desert Horned Lark. 35;
Pinon Jay, 19; Long-crested Jay. 2; Magpie, 11; American Raven. i; Western Fvening
Grosbeak, 1; House Finch, 10; Montana Junco, 50; White winged Junco, 6; Fink-sided
Junco, 3; Canyon Towhee, 1; Bohemian Waxwing, 230 + ; Gray Titmouse, 2; Mountain
Chickadee, 2; Western Robin, 1; Townsend Solitaire, 43; Mountain Bluebird, 100 + .

Total, 21 species, about 300 individuals. J. (I. DlCK.

Comox, B. C. Dec. 24; 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fine spring-like day; no snow; wind
south, light; temp. 400 at 8 a.m., 58" at noon. Distance covered about 10 miles on foot.
All large numbers est [mated. Western Grebe, 500; Holboell's * irebe, 4 ; Horned * rrebe, 20;
Loon, 3; Pacific Loon, 40; Red throated Loon. 3; Marbled Murrelet, 2; Pigeon Guille-
mot, 1; California Murre, 2; Glaucous-winged Cull. 230; Herring Cull. 4; Short lulled
Gull, 32; White 1 rested Cormorant, I ; Violet -green Cormorant . 4 ; American Merganser

(?), 3; Red-breasted Merganser, [4; Hooded Merganser, 2; Mallard, 35; American

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census 43

Widgeon, 16; Scaup, 2,000; Lesser Scaup, 2; Golden-eye, 1,200; Bufflehead, 400; Har-
lequin, 2; Old Squaw, 15; American Scoter, 300; White-winged Scoter, 1,000; Surf
Scoter, 1,000; Black Brant, 3; Northwestern Coast Heron, 2; Coot. 4; Oregon Ruffed
Grouse, 1; Chinese Pheasant, 2; Northern Bald Eagle, 2; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1;
Pygmy Owl, 1; Northern Pileated Woodpecker, 1; Gairdner's Woodpecker, 1; North-
western Flicker, 8; Steller's Jay, 3; Northern Raven, 2; Northwest Crow, 120; Western
Meadowlark, 30; Brewer's Blackbird, 70; Northwest Redwing, 6; Evening Grosbeak, 3;
Oregon Junco, 24; Sooty Song Sparrow, 6; Oregon Towhee, 2; Northern Shrike, 1;
Seattle Wren, 3; Western Winter Wren, 1; Anthony's Vireo, 1; Dwarf Hermit Thrush
(?), 1; Western Robin, 1; Varied Thrush, 2. Total, 56 species, 7,157 individuals. —
Allan Brooks.

Olympia, Wash. — Dec. 26; 7.40 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy most of day, with a little
sunshine from 1 to 3 p.m.; wind south, warm, light; temp. 460 at start, 520 at end. Five
miles north over upland, back along beach. Horned Grebe, 30; Marbled Murrelet (?), 2;
Glaucous- winged Gull, 30; California Gull, 3; Red-breasted Merganser, 1; Canvas-
back, 20; Scaup, 30; American Golden-eye, 30; Surf Scoter, 40; Fannin's Heron, 1;
Coot, 10; Wilson's Snipe, 14; California Quail, 9; Oregon Ruffed Grouse, 1; Kingfisher, 2;
Harris Woodpecker, 2; Gairdner's Woodpecker, 1; Northwest Flicker, 14; Steller's
Jay, 3; Northwest Crow, 60; Northwest Redwing, 3; Western Meadowlark, 1; Western
Evening Grosbeak, 30; California Purple Finch, 18; Pine Siskin, 28; Oregon Junco, 50;
Rusty Song Sparrow, 30; Oregon Towhee, 16; Bohemian Waxwing, 30; Cedar Wax-
wing, 9; Seattle Wren. 15; Western Winter Wren, 75; California Creeper, 3; Red-
breasted Nuthatch, 2; Oregon Chickadee, 25; Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 30; Western
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 100; Sitkan Kinglet, 2; Western Robin, 62; Varied Thrush, 1.
Total, 40 species, roughly, 833 individuals. The Bohemian Waxwings were studied
under a high power glass for 15 minutes or more, while they were feeding on frozen
apples. The Kadiak Fox or Townsend's (?) Sparrow was observed in the dense under-
brush at sea-level near Tumwater on Dec. 24. — Thor McKxight.

Seattle, Wash. (Seattle Lake Shores and Parks, Medina, Kirkland, Mercer Island). —
Dec. 21; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cloudy; thick mist after 1 p.m.. rain after 2.55 p.m.; ground
bare; wind easterly, light; temp. 490 to 540. Observers in eleven parties as indicated,
each covering a different territory. Horned Grebe, 22; Western Grebe, 8; Holbcell
Grebe, 3; Pied-billed Grebe, 3; Pacific Loon, 1; Glaucous- winged Gull, 995; California
Gull, 51; Short-billed Gull, 6; Herring Gull, 25; Ring-billed Gull, 1; Pigeon Guillemot, 53;
Red-breasted Merganser, 1; Mallard, in; Shoveller, 3; Pin-tail, 8; Canvasback, 15;
Scaup Duck, 248; Bufflehead, 82; Golden-eye, 1; Old Squaw, 3; Ruddy Duck. 12;
Northwestern Coast Heron, 5; Coot, 1,272; Wilson Snipe, 3; California Quail, 250;
Ring-necked Pheasant, 19; Pigeon Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Northwest Belted King-
fisher, 6; Cabanis Woodpecker, 1 (specimen collected and positively identified); Gaird-
ner's Woodpecker, 2; Harris Woodpecker, 2; Northwestern Flicker, 105; Steller's Jay, 99;
Western Crow, 299; Northwestern Redwing, 1; Western Meadowlark, 8; Western
Evening Grosbeak, 52; California Purple Finch, 8; Willow Goldfinch, 141; Pine Siskin,
1,198; Shufeldt's Junco, 1,076; Rusty Song Sparrow, 278; Fox Sparrow, 8; Oregon
Towhee, 128; Cedar Waxwing, 80; Bohemian Waxwing, 1,380 (large size, white wing
coverts noted); Anthony's Vireo, 2; Audubon Warbler, 51; Townsend's Warbler, 1;
Seattle Wren, 66; Western Winter Wren, 39; Tule Wren, 4; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4;
Oregon Chickadee, 125; Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 33; Bush Titmouse, 55; Western
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 125; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 14; Townsend's Solitaire, 1;
Western Robin, 251; Varied Thrush, 100; Western Bluebird, 19. Total, 63 species,
8,943 individuals. — Mrs. C. C. Crickmore and Mrs. J. D. Terry; Mrs. S. M. Kane,
Mtss Mayme Farrar, Miss Grace Farrar and Miss Kate Thompson; Miss A. L.
Pollock; Miss Turna Monagle and Miss Katherine Bryan; F. W. Cook; Mrs.

44 Bird -Lore

Laura Kent; George W. Parker; Miss Susan Weed; Mrs. Eleanor DeLong
and Leroy DeLong; Mrs. Nellie Timmermax and Mrs. C. N. Compton; D. E.
Brown, T. D. Burleigh and A. D. McGrew.

Portland, Ore. — Dec. 24; 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Rain; ground bare except for occasional
spots of melting snow in drifts; temp. 540. Holbcell's Grebe, 1; Pied-billed Grebe, 2;
Glaucous- winged Gull, 200; Mallard, 5; Baldpate, 40; Blue-winged Teal, 1; Pintail, 15;
Lesser Scaup Duck, 25; Bufflehead, 10; Coot, 30; Ring-necked Pheasant, 3; Cooper's
Hawk, 1; Short-eared Owl, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 1; Red-shafted Flicker, 2; Steller's
Jay, 3; California Purple Finch, 1?; English Sparrow, 4; Golden-crowned Sparrow, 1;
Oregon Junco, 50; Rusty Song Sparrow, 8; Oregon Towhee, 3; Bohemian Waxwing, 4;
Cedar Waxwing, 24; Audubon's Warbler, 1; Western Winter Wren, 1; Tule Wren, 2;
California Creeper, 2; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Oregon Chickadee, 21; Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, 7; Bush Titmouse, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5; Western Robin, 1;
Varied Thrush, 1; Western Bluebird, 2. Total, 37 species, 508 individuals. — Mary E.
Raker.

Los Angeles, Calif . (to Brush Canyon, Griffith Park, Silver Lake, and back) .—Dec. 22;
7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Clear; ground bare; wind light; temp. 480 at start, 52° at return.
Nine miles on foot. Observers together. Western Grebe, 5; California Gull, 2; Duck
(unidentified), 19; American Coot, 250; Spotted Sandpiper, 2; Killdeer, 35; Valley Quail,
(heard); Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2; Road-runner, 1; Nuttall Woodpecker, 4; Red-shafted
Flicker, 44; Hummingbird (unidentified), 2; Black Phcebe, 2; Steller Jay, 1; California
Jay, 2; Red- winged Blackbird (sub. sp. ?), 7; Western Meadowlark, 13; Brewer Black-
bird, 175; House Finch, 28; Green-backed Goldfinch, 22; Western Lark Sparrow, 1;
Gambel Sparrow, 11; Sage Sparrow (?), 4; Song Sparrow, 5; Shumagin (?) Fox Spar-
row, 2; Spurred Towhee, 2; California Towhee, 7; California Shrike, 4; Audubon War-
bler, 13; Pacific Yellow-throat, 3; Western Mockingbird, 11; California Thrasher, 2;
Wren (unidentified), 1; Plain Titmouse, 1; Wren-tit, 2; Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 4;
Western Gnatcatcher, 1; Hermit Thrush, 6; Western Robin, 25. Total, 39 species, 690
individuals. On Dec. 21 we saw and identified for certain, a Sandhill Crane, about 25
miles northeast of here. — Edward Peterson, Richard Starr.

Santa Barbara, Calif. — Dec. 24; 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Clear, except low fog on ocean
which greatly hindered sea work; temp. 42° at alt. 300 feet, 540 at alt. 700 ft. Territory
covered 8 miles across, 44 miles by auto, 6 miles on foot. All observers in one party.
Western Grebe, 2; Eared Grebe, 1; Pied-billed Grebe, 1; Red-throated Loon, 2; Ancient
Murrelet, 1; Glaucous-winged Gull, 6; Western Gull, 200; California Gull, 500; Ring-
billed Gull, 50; Heermann Gull, 10; Bonaparte's Gull, 200; Royal Tern, n; Farallone
Cormorant, 500; Brandt's Cormorant, 400; Baird's Cormorant, 10; California Brown
Pelican, 2; Mallard, 16; Gadwall, 1; Baldpate, 20; Green-winged Teal, 20; Cinnamon
Teal, 1; Shoveller, 1,500; Pintail, 500; Canvasback, 300; Lesser Scaup Duck, 50; White-
winged Scoter, 4; Surf Scoter, 40; Ruddy Duck, 300; Whistling Swan, 44; Great Blue
Heron, 4; Kgret, 1; Coot, 400; Least Sandpiper, 200; Sanderling, 500; Spotted Sand
piper, 1; Black-bellied Plover, 150; Killdeer, 10; Snowy Plover, 30; Valley Quail. 12;
Mourning Dove, 3; Turkey Vulture, 1; Marsh Hawk, 1; Sharp-shinned Hawk. 2;
Western Red-tail, 2; Red-bellied Hawk, 2; Bald Eagle, 1; Duck Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk,
6; Barn Owl, 4; Short-eared Owl, r; California Screech Owl, 2; Pacific Horned Owl. 1 ;
Road-runner, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 1; NuttalTs Woodpecker, 1; Red-breasted Sap-
sucker, 2; California Woodpecker, 30; Red-shafted Flicker, 60; Anna's Hummingbird, 8;
Say's Phcebe, 4; Black Phcebe, 6; California Horned Lark, 1; California Jay, 16; San
Diego Redwing, 400; Western Meadowlark, So; Brewer's Blackbird, 300; California

Purple Finch, 20; House Finch, 700; Willow Goldfinch, 2; Green-backed Goldfinch, 40;

Pine Siskin, 30; Western Savannah Sparrow, 40; Bryant's Sparrow, 4; Belding's spat-
row, 30; Large billed Sparrow, 2; Western Lark Sparrow, 10; Gambel's Sparrow. 1,200;

Bird-Lore's Twentieth Christmas Census

45

Golden-crowned Sparrow, 200; Thurber's Junco, 30; Rufous-crowned Sparrow, 6; San
Diego Song Sparrow, 10; Thick-billed Fox Sparrow, 10 (there are known to be three
races of Fox Sparrow present); San Diego Towhee, 10; Anthony's Towhee, 20; Tree
Swallow, 1; California Shrike, 6; Hutton's Vireo, 6; Dusky Warbler, 4; Myrtle Warbler, 10;
Audubon's Warbler, 500; Townsend's Warbler, 2; Western Yellow-throat, 2; Pipit, 40;
Western Mockingbird, 6; California Thrasher, 3; Rock Wren, 1; San Diego Wren, 4;
Tule Wren, 6; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Plain Titmouse, 14; Bush-Tit, 20; Pallid
Wren-Tit, 20; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 20; Western Gnatcatcher, 4; Alaska Hermit
Thrush, 10; Dwarf Hermit Thrush, 60; Western Robin, 10; Varied Thrush, 6; Moun-
tain Bluebird, 6. Total, 109 species, 10,026 individuals. — Ralph Hoffman, Dr. H. C.
Henderson, Mrs. Charlotte Boutwell, Mrs. R. L. Winchell, and William Leon
Dawson (guest and four members of the Museum of Comparative Oology).

La Jolla, Calif. — Dec. 22; 9.20 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weather somewhat hazy at first, be-
came clear; practically no wind; temp. 620 at s,tart, 6oc at return. Northerly along the
coast for 2 miles, return along coast for Kmile, thence over chaparral covered hills, and
around and down into the town. Western Gull, 125; Heermann Gull, 1; Royal Tern, 9;
Farallone and Brandt's Cormorants, 75 (could not separate the two species in the field
at the distance at which observations were made); California Brown Pelican, 18; Least
Sandpiper, 22; Red-backed Sandpiper, 50; Sanderling, 34; Western Willet, 2; Spotted
Sandpiper, 8; Black-bellied Plover, 1; Killdeer, 3; Snowy Plover, 5; Sparrow Hawk, 2;
Road-runner, 1; Say's Phcebe, 4; Black Phoebe, 2; Western Meadowlark, 6; Western
Savannah Sparrow, 15; Gambel's Sparrow, 75; Anthony's Towhee, 7; California
Shrike, 1; Audubon's Warbler, 10; Pipit, 4; Western Mockingbird, 1. Total, 26 species
451 individuals. — Edward R. Warren.

BLUE JAY
Photographed by Joseph Polack, Carman, N. Y.

THE SEASON
XVII. October 15 to December 15, 1919

Boston Region. — The weather during

the period covered by this report has been
mild, in the main, but during the two
months there occurred several sudden.
sharp falls in temperature which brought
midwinter conditions for a day or two.
Soon, however, the west wind restored
the spring-like, showery weather, during
which wintering Meadowlarks sang freely.

Birds have not been numerous. Chip-
ping Sparrows left, as usual, promptly on
October 25. Purple Finches, during the
latter half of October, fed in small flocks on
the seeds of the white ash (of which there is
an abundant crop) and to a less extent
on the seeds of the tulip tree. Red Cross-
bills were heard on October 19 and Pine
Siskins were numerous for the month
following October 15. Fox Sparrows were
late in appearing, but the main flight had
passed at the normal date, November 15.
Myrtle Warblers were present until
November n. It may be recalled that
this species appeared here in late August,
hence the last migrant was eleven weeks
behind the first. Both August and Nov-
ember birds were positively migrants, for
the species never breeds or winters in
Lexington.

Mr. Horace W. Wright has kindly sent
me records of his careful, systematic
observations during the autumn, about
Boston. lie found Redpolls in fair
numbers between November S and De-
cember 2; White-winged Crossbills, October

29 to December 1; a flock of 25 birds al
Fresh Pond, Cambridge, October 20;
Red Crossbills October 30 to Decembei 1 ;

30 at Belmont, November 3; he saw none
of either species after December 1.

Tree Sparrows, arriving normally on
October 29 (Wright 1, have since become
scarce, as have J uncos. Acadian Chick-
adees, Pine and Evening Grosbeaks have
not appeared. A late High) of Brown
Creepers was noted in early December. —
Winsok M. T\ 1 1 r, M.D., Lexington,
Muss.

New York RECION. — The autumn was
an open one until, by early December, the
regular winter cyclonic rotation of rainy
spells and cold clear-offs had become well
marked. In response to the mild weather
there are reports of stragglers of several
species lingering late. Such are a couple of
Chipping Sparrows, observed by the writer
at Hempstead, Long Island, November
23, loosely associated with a flock of Juncos.
Common associations of different species
of winter Sparrows gives an interesting
slant on their habits and habitats. For
instance, one seldom finds White-throated
and Tree Sparrows together, whereas the
Junco flocks freely with either one. The
Song Sparrow is often found with the
White-throat; do others share our opinion
that it is more frequent with the Tree
Sparrow than with the Junco?

As is often the case in mild seasons, the
last scattering south-bound birds were
noticed in early December. At Garden
City there was a single stray Myrtle
Warbler on November 27, two weeks or
more later than any others had been seen.
The Fox Sparrow was noted on December
7; the Robin on December 15. None of
the three winter in the immediate vicinity.
Reports from New Jersey indicate ;■ tlight
of Canada Geese near New York City the
end of the first week in December.

Some distance up the Hudson (accord
ing to M. S. Crosby of Rhinebeck, X. Y.>
tin- American Merganser arrived Novem
her 21 and the Golden eye Duck December
1 (both early), and Redpolls were noted
on tlie firs) of December, but not since.
Grackles to the number of 1.500 were still
roosting in ;i swamp (near Tivoli) with
Starlings, December 8, where none could

lie found on 1 (cccmbcr 1 4.

One of the most inte esting features of

the season has l>een tlie appearance of the
American Crossbill, nowhere common as
yet near the city, though observed in some

numbers among tlie pitch pines east on
Long Island in earl] November. It has

(46)

The Season

47

been noted at Long Beach (a single bird,
November g, W. (1. Van Name), three or
four times at Plaintield, X. J., (W. DeW.
Miller), and twice at Garden City
(November 30 a single bird which paused
but an instant in the top of a pine, and
December 1 1 two Hying over high, J. T. N.)
R. Friedmann reports a White-winged
Crossbill within the city of Brooklyn
associating with House Sparrows, October
31! There seems to be little chance of
error having been made in the identifica-
tion. Two White-winged Crossbills are
recorded by L. S. Crandall of the New
York Zoological Park about December 7;
one rosy, the other greenish.

Domestic Pigeons, which come and go
at will, are scarcely less interesting in
their affairs than wild birds. A young one
with a nest in our barn at Garden City
had recently hatched her first egg on
December 14; she was still a scpaab in the
nest the latter part of April. This is her
mate, an adult's fourth brood this year,
his original spouse having disappeared after
the third. — J. T. Nichols, New York City.

Philadelphia Region. — The tempera-
ture for October and November was
unusually mild, no killing frost occurring
until about the middle of November; on
the oth of this month tomato vines were
still green and pepper plants were still in
a flourishing condition in southern New
Jersey. Farmers stated that it had been
the mildest fall in a number of years.

The great abundance of Siskins, first
noted about October 15, scattered flocks
of Crossbills, and an almost entire absence
of Chickadees (at least locally) were the
outstanding features of the season.

The fall migration of Chipping and Fox
Sparrows seemed considerably above
normal. The former birds appeared most
common the last week in October and
were still present in numbers till the
middle of November. Perhaps the abun-
dance of Fox Sparrows was more apparent
than real, as many of these birds favored
us by singing this fall — full, rounded
melodies of spring-like clearness. This
singing was not confined to a few birds

in a single locality- but seemed quite
general, certainly a rather unusual per-
formance for the Fox Sparrow.

The fall shooting-season was reported
to have been the most successful since
the state license system was adopted in
New Jersey. The more common Ducks
were quite plentiful on the Delaware
River and Bay, and Quail were abundant
in southern New Jersey. A few Wood-
cock were also secured by the sportsmen,
perhaps more than the ordinary number.
Three reasons may be advanced for the
plentiful game-supply this fall: the mild
winter of 1918-19; the dearth of gunners
last fall, many of whom were occupied in
the more strenuous work of the World
War; and the probable beneficial effect
of the Migratory Bird Law. As for. this
fall, gunners without end appeared to be
afield, and the few Saturday afternoons
that walks were taken during the season
sounded like the Fourth of July, so constant
was the bang! bang! If observations can
be relied upon, all living things were being
brought to bag that wore fur or feathers,
and these not being found, a rail-fence,
tin can, or most anything, came in for a
load of shot. This reckless shooting was
more especially noticeable among the
younger gunners. Boys of fourteen years
can obtain a license in New Jersey now,
with their parents' consent. Should the
coming winter be a mild one, sportsmen
will have abundant opportunity to observe
next fall just what result the unprecedented
army of gunners has had on the game.

In summing up the year's observations,
which were confined almost entirely to
southern New Jersey, 1919 appears to
have been a remarkably good year for
birds, both as to number of individuals
and species noted. During the year.
193 varieties were observed in the above
mentioned locality. — Julian K. Potter.
Camden, X. J.

Washington Regiox. — October and
November of 19 19 were ornithologically
rather interesting months about Washing-
ton. The relatively warm and pleasant
weather was favorable to bird observa

48

Bird- Lore

tion, and on many of the milder days,
when the atmosphere was still and hazy,
the birds were very active as well as
apparently numerous for the time of year.
This was true not only of the country
districts, but also of places well within
the city limits.

Of the habitually later arrivals among
our winter residents, only two were much
earlier than usual. These were the Herring
Gull, which appeared on October 17,
although its average autumn date is
November 8; and the Rusty Blackbird,
which was noted by Mr. A. Wetmore on
Plummer's Island, Md., October 5, but
which ordinarily does not come until
October 21. Others generally were rather
late.

Apparently allured by the prevalent
mild weather, many species lingered later
than ever before known. These include
the following, the dates in parentheses
indicating the latest records previous to
this year: The Laughing Gull, seen at
New Alexandria and Dyke, Va., by Mr.
Francis Harper on October 26 (September
24, 1894); Blackburnian Warbler, reported
by Miss Marion Pellew, October 10
(October 7, 1889 and 1914); Wilson
Warbler, reported by Miss Pellew, October
13 (October 6, 1904); Parula Warbler, by
the same observer, October 17 (October
16. 1899); Northern Water-Thrush, seen
by Miss Pellew at Chain Bridge, D. C,
October 16 (October 7, 1897); Maryland
Yellow-throat, reported from the Ana-
costia River, I). C, by Mr. Francis Harper,
November 2 (October 22, 1916); Phila-
delphia Yireo, seen at Plummer's Island,
Md., by Mr. A. Wei more, October 5
(September 22, 1889); and the Rose-
breasted Grosbeak, noted by Miss Pellew
on October 11 (October 6, 1007).

Several other birds, while not breaking
their extreme records, remained later than
usual, among them, the Black and White
Warbler, seen by Miss Pellew on October
14. while its average date of depar ure
is September 22; tin- White-eyed Vireo,
reported on October 13 (average date of
departure, October 7); the Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, noted l>v Mr. A. S. Ferrell

at Woodridge. Md., on October 6 (average
date of leaving, September 20); and the
American Redstart, observed by Miss
Pellew on October 7, the average autumn
date of departure of which is September
19, and the very latest date, October 8,
1916.

Furthermore, the Black-bellied Plover,
of which there are but two previous records
for the district, September 26, 1914 and
October 24, 1916, was seen by Mr. A.
Wetmore at Plummer's Island, Md., on
October 26, 1919.

Notwithstanding the warm weather in
this vicinity, two northern birds have been
unusually numerous during this autumn.
The Pine Siskin, in flocks, has been common
all about Washington since October 26.
when several companies were noted by Mr.
Francis Harper near New Alexandria, Va.
That always interesting bird, the American
Crossbill, made its appearance here on
November 13, when some were seen in the
Mall of the city of Washington by Mr.
J. P. Young. Later it was observed in small
flocks on November 18 at Arlington, Va.,
by Miss Katherine H. Stuart; on Novem-
ber 22 in the Zoological Park, by Mr. X.
Hollister; and at Four-Mile Run, Va.,
on Xovember 30, by Mr. A. Wetmore.

Ducks of several species, in company
with other water-fowl, have been reported
as abundant on the Potomac River below
Alexandria, Va., though comparatively
few have been observed above that point.
Apparently their numbers are increased
over last year, which is generally gratify-
ing in view of the efforts that have in re-
cent years been made for the protection
of these birds. Among the most pleasing
developments of this character is the
return of the Whistling Swans to this
region. A flock of about forty individuals
was seen by Mr. George Marshall on
November 2, which indicates that the

l>ird> will doubtless winter on the Potomac

River, as they have done for the several
years jus pas . IIakky C. Oberholsek,
Biological Survey, Washington, D. C.

Obkkun (Ohio) Region. -It was a

nici-l unusually warm autumn season.

The Season

49

with do really winter weather until
mid-December. There were a few isolated
days, in late November, when the tempera-
ture went somewhat below freezing, but
there was no snow on the ground during
the whole of November.

The Swallows and Swifts left on October
10, because of a cold rain which continued
for three days. The distinctively winter
birds, such as Juncos, Tree Sparrows,
Purple Finches, Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
came on October 18, at which time nearly
normal winter conditions began, with only
Robins, Bronzed Grackles, Red-winged
and Rusty Blackbirds, Meadowlarks,
Killdeers, and Bluebirds to fall off in
numbers.

There has, thus far, been no reason why
the casual winter visitors should come as
far south as this, and none have been seen.
The first real winter weather, accompanied
by a fall of snow, began on December 13,
and continues to date (the 18th). People
have begun to feed the Cardinals, and the
Flickers, Chickadees, Downy and Hairy
Woodpeckers are again gathering about
the lunch-counters which are provided for
them. — Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio.

Minnesota Region. — Following the
continued mild weather of early fall, there
was a rather sudden change to unusually
early winter conditions in the latter part
of October. On October 23, a severe
snowstorm occurred over northern Min-
nesota, nearly a foot of snow falling in the
central portion, which had increased to
some fifteen inches by the 27th. On the
latter date, the first snow fell at Minnea-
polis, and the following day the ground was
frozen and a wintry aspect prevailed,
with the thermometer -j- 20 degrees. Up
at Moorhead, on the western border of
the state, the temperature was + 2
degrees. So abrupt was the onset of the
cold that many hunting parties in the
upper parts of the state were caught
unprepared, and, in some instances, under-
went rather severe experiences. Thus, the
sudden freezing, on the 29th, of Leech
Lake, a large body of water in the center
of the state, a little north of the latitude

of Duluth, caused the marooning of a party
of duck-hunters on one of the islands, and
their release was only effected by breaking
the ice with a strong logging steamer.
Traveling in the forests became difficult,
and several men were lost. Snows have
been frequent all over this upper country
to the present time, and in places the
accumulation has reached as much as
3 feet in depth.

By November 2 the small lakes and
ponds in the vicinity of Minneapolis were
finally frozen over, and many Ducks, taken
by surprise, were to be seen sitting about
in disconsolate groups on the surface of
the ice. November continued cold there-
after, with frequent light snows. December
opened with a minus 1 2 degrees in the a m.
at Minneapolis, and a subzero day through-
out. This sort of weather has continued,
with little let-up, to the present date. The
whole state is now covered with snow —
several inches in the southern part, 1 to 3
feet in the northern part.

Navigation closed on Lake Superior
December 9, after many terrible and
disastrous storms, and the lake is now
frozen to an extent unusual at this time
of year. On December 8, the temperature
was minus 26 degrees at Duluth and
minus 20 degrees at Moorhead, over on
the Red River of the North. Winter
came upon us early and intensely.

The great abundance of Ducks that
appeared in Minnesota in the early fall
continued throughout the remainder of
the season until the 'freeze up' and may
be regarded as the salient feature of the
autumn bird movement. Not only were
the numbers greater than for some years
past, but the variety of species represented
at most localities was unusual. Canvas-
backs, Redheads, Scaups, and even White-
winged Scoters were frequent in the
eastern part of the state where they are
normally uncommon. It would appear
that there was a more than ordinary flight
of Ducks into Minnesota this year from
the northwestern breeding-grounds. Every-
where duck-hunters made easy and varied
limit-'bags.' But the early cold weather
put a premature and sudden end to the

So

Bird - Lore

season, even at Heron Lake away down
by the Iowa line. The number of Ducks
in the immediate vicinity of Minneapolis,
even within the city limits, revived
memories of the old days when shooting
used to be good in ponds and lakes now
included in, or adjacent to, the present
park system. Late in October and early
in November, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necks
and Golden-eyes congregated in Lake
Minnetonka, a big lake not far from
Minneapolis and the central area in a
State Game Refuge, in such numbers that
local papers carried facetious articles call-
ing upon the Commissioner of Game and
Fish to provide a remedy for the impeded
navigation !

Of other migrant birds and late dates
the following records are of interest — all
for the vicinity of Minneapolis: October
19, 3 young Harris's Sparrows. On
October 26, during a walk of two hours
in the outskirts of the city, in company
with Mr. Burton Thayer, some 250
birds were seen, divided very unequally
among 32 species, the features of special
importance being a flock of 25 Sandhill
Cranes flying over high in the air, 1
Solitary Sandpiper beside the frozen
margin of a small lake, 3 much-belated
Chimney Swifts, 3 Fox Sparrows, 2 very
late Hermit Thrushes, 3 Red-headed
Woodpeckers, and the first distinct fall
'wave' of Juncos and Tree Sparrows. On
November 8, Burton Thayer and Charles
Phillips reported 1 Pied-billed Grebe and
3 Coots at Lake Minnetonka, which was
still open and full of Ducks. Migrating
Juncos and Tree Sparrows were abundant
everywhere on that date. A walk on
November 23 over the same route followed
on October 6, revealed only the dreary
conditions and paucity of bird life found
here in the winter season. Silence and
loneliness prevailed in the woodlands, and
many skaters gliding over the surfaces of
the lakes replaced the water-fowl that had
so recently fled.

Winter visitant birds have appeared in
various parts of the state, in some Instances

rather earlier than usual. Dr. Leslie O.

Dart reported that on October 23, the
date of the first big snowstorm, there
occurred just north of Leech Lake a great
flight of Snow Buntings, "thousands and
thousands of them in successive flocks."
They came in the midst of the falling snow
and replaced a horde of Juncos that
scurried away before the advancing storm.
On the same date, or thereabouts. Mr.
Carlos Avery witnessed a similar occur-
rence on the west shore of Red Lake and
says that many Redpolls appeared there
at the same time as the Snow Buntings.
Bohemian Waxwings have been seen in
numerous places as far south as Minnea-
polis and even away out on the south-
western prairies at Madison. Lac qui
Parle County (Miss Mary Donald).
No Evening Grosbeaks have been seen
as yet and Pine Grosbeaks in only one
or two places. But it will perhaps be
better to leave the winter-bird conditions
for a general summary later after more
complete data have been obtained.— Thos.
S. Roberts, University of Minnesota.
Minneapolis, Minn.

Kansas City Region. — Recent efforts
to interest rural observers in this region
to send in notes on the birds, especially
during the seasons of migration, have
resulted in the accumulation of some data
of no little value. Chief among the items
of interest to record is the addition to the
writer's list of the birds of this region of
the Eared Grebe. It is indeed strange
that this species has been so long over-
looked here, seeing that it breeds com-
monly in Nebraska and occurs regularly in
Iowa during migration. There are record-
even for eastern Missouri, yet the tirst
authentic instance, known to the writer,
of the bird- occurrence in the entire
western Missouri and eastern Kansas urea
was recorded on October 28. A specimen
was taken on this day from a scattered
flock of a dozen individuals on the Missouri
River, a few miles below Courtney, by
William Andrews. Fortunately, the skin
was preserved. This observer has also
furnished some exact information bearing
on the question of increase in the numbers

The Season

5i

of Ducks and Geese. It appears from his
daily notes that such Ducks as the Red-
head, Canvasback, and Ruddy are return
ing in ever-increasing numbers, while
the more common Scaup, Mallard, and
Pintails show an even greater proportionate
increase.

From the information at hand it is
difficult to decide whether or not the Geese
are showing any increase at all, though
encouraging reports come in. On at least
one day, October 19, White-fronted,
Canada, and Hutchins's Geese were present
in unusual numbers throughout the entire
region, one flock of between 50 and 60
(sp.?) being seen circling the Swope
Park Lakes within the city limits. On
October 21, 5 specimens of Greater Snow
Geese were taken from a flock of 20 on the
Missouri River. Three of these birds were
carefully measured in the flesh, and all
came fully up to Greater specifications.
On the 23d, 5 more, all measuring well
over 29 inches in length, were taken from
a large flock in the same neighborhood.
This is the first opportunity that has
offered in several years to personally
examine specimens of this rare Goose.
On the 26th, water-fowl were present on
the Missouri in such numbers as to suggest
old times. The bulk of the Ducks seen
were Scaup, though numbers of Lesser
Scaup, Mallards, Pintails, Ruddys, Gad-
wall, and Hooded Mergansers were noted,
as well as scattered troops of Pied-billed
Grebes. At least a dozen flocks of Canada
Geese were seen in the air during the
morning. During the night of the 26th,
Loons were heard on the river, and the
next day 3 of these rare visitors were seen,
together with Hutchins's Geese, Redheads,
3 Canvasback, a few Franklin's Gulls, and
about 200 larger Gulls (Ring-billed or
Herring).

The period between October 19 and 26
marked the passage of the bulk of the
Sparrows. Song Sparrows were again
unusually numerous, while Harris's Spar-
rows, as last year, were uncommonly
scarce, a half-dozen birds being seen where
normally there should be hundreds. It is
interesting to note in this connection that

Professor Johnson of Lawrence, Kans.,
met the species this spring in its usual
abundance only 30 miles to the wesi <>l
this point. (November-December, min,
Bird-Lore, p. 360.) Most of the other
Fringillidae passed in their usual numbers
and on time, though no Clay-coloreds
were seen.

A small parly of Yellow-legs and a flock
of Red-breasted Mergansers were reported
on November 1. This is indeed late for
Yellow-legs, and Red-breasted Mergansers
have been rarely seen here during the past
few years.

Greatly to the relief of several residential
districts of this city, the immense flocks
of Bronzed Grackles left between Novem-
ber 2 and 5. Permission was had from
local authorities to use shot-guns within
the city against these hordes, and the U. S.
District Attorney was appealed to for
information regarding the status of the
Crackle's protection, all of which resulted
in much warfare against the bird and the
waste of quantities of ammunition.

On November 5, two Woodcocks were
flushed from a small marshy spot in the
Blue Valley within the city limits (La
Brie). As has been before stated here, this
region seems to lie practically outside
the range of this bird. On the 16th, a Red-
shafted Flicker was seen, the first local
record of this species since 1916. Myrtle-
Warblers, Cedar Waxwings, and Cross-
bills seen on this date will doubtless remain
all winter, as their food is abundant. On
the 27th, the van of the wintering Rough-
legs and Marsh Hawks was noted, though
these birds had probably been in the
region ten days or more. This day also
marked the finding of many Crow pellets
recently cast on the fresh snow. Four
Green- winged Teal were found feeding in a
sheltered slough near the mouth of the
Blue River on this cold day.

A cold rain froze as it fell on November
28 forming a thick sheet of ice, and making
conditions for bird-life as unfavorable as
could be imagined. A protracted period
of unseasonable cold has continued to date
(December 9), accompanied by high wind
and temperature below zero, and the

52

Bird- Lore

birds have without doubt suffered greatly.
Fortunately there is a most unusual crop of
sunflower and weed seeds available to
tide over the hard times. Despite the
adverse conditions, 41 species were noted
on December 7, which augurs well for the
Christmas census.

It is regretted that an error crept into
the writer's last letter to 'The Season'
(November-December Bird-Lore). Ref-
erence was there made to the local rarity
of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, when the
Black-billed was meant — an unaccountable
slip of the pen. — Harry Harris, Kansas
City, Mo.

Denver Region. — It would be exceed-
ingly interesting to know the causes of the
Bohemian Waxwing's irregular visitations.
This species has been in the neighborhood
of Denver at least three times this fall, on
one of the occasions being seen as a large
flock in one of our parks. This makes its
third consecutive fall-winter visit, some-
thing unprecedented in the bird-records
of Denver. If cold weather drives this
species south, it certainly has an excuse
for being here now, since Denver has had
five spells of zero, or near-zero, weather
since the first of November.

Juntos may be expected in this region
any time after September 14, the Grey-
headed coming first, Shufeldt's next, and
montanus or the Pink-sided, third, while
the Slate-colored or the White-winged
are very uncertain in their visits here,
though the first was seen here in the winter
of 1917 and again in the winter of 191S.
The first Juncos (sp.?) were noticed here-
abouts on October 19, though the writer
is confident that he saw some Juncos
along the Plat te River, west of Denver,
about October 1, but the glimpse was so
fleeting that identification was not
definite.

The small flock of Crossbills (L. r.
Strickland*) reported in the last regional
notes lingered about Denver until Novem-
ber 13, but have not since been seen. On
October 26, two pairs of Bufflehead Ducks

were seen in Washington Park lake.
This is the first record (coming under the
writer's notice) of this species in Denver.
though it is a fairly common migrant
throughout the state. It is always a
pleasure and a satisfaction to have other
wild Ducks visit the city, which was the
case when three Lesser Scaup Ducks and
a considerable flock of Redheads were
seen in the same park.

One can expect, at this season of the
year, to find certain birds almost any day
in this vicinity, i. e., the Hairy Wood-
pecker, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, and
Townsend's Solitaire, yet they are very
irregular in their visits. A single Solitaire
was seen on November 17, a Sharp-
shinned Hawk appeared m my yard on
November 15, and the Hairy Woodpecker
was noticed for the first time this fall on
November 14.

There are several species which seldom
penetrate the city beyond its outermost
boundaries. Thus, the American Rough-
legged Hawk is not infrequently seen in the
outer zone of the suburbs in the wintertime,
yet this year, to wit on November 10, one
was seen on the Country Club grounds
at a spot well within the city, and the
writer was dumbfounded to detect, within
a couple of blocks of the same place, two
Clark's Crows on December 7, which makes
its first record within Denver. It is, in
the writer's experience, very exceptional
to see this Crow in Colorado, far from the
foothills or mountains. Perhaps the same
conditions which have caused the early
appearance this year of the Tree Sparrow
and the reappearance of the Bohemian
Waxwing, caused these two Crows to
wander so far afield.

Viewing the past two months as a whole,
the impression given to the writer is that
of a period rather quiet in its ordinary
bird-life, yet sprinkled here and there
with some very unusual and interesting
observations. The absence of Robins, and
Meadowlarks stands out in sharp contrast
to the other uncommon or unexpected
visitors. — W. II. Hergtold, Denver, Colo.

2$ook Jletos; anb Utebteto*

Annual Report of the Bureau of
Biological Survey. 8vo. 24 pages.
Washington, Sept. 4, 1010.

Both the extent and variety of the opera-
tions of the Biological Survey are shown
in Mr. Nelson's summary of its work for
the year ending June 30, 1919. Nearly
one-half of this document is devoted to a
record of the destruction of mammals
injurious to man's interest and which
evidently must give way before the in-
exorable demands of civilization. Certain
birds also fall under the ban, but Science
should hold the scales with the stern
impartiality of Justice, and a verdict in
the birds' favor cannot always be expected.

The Division of Biological Investiga-
tions has continued its work on the dis-
tribution and migration of birds, its files
now containing no less than 1,350,000
reference cards, the breeding areas of
North American wild fowl have been
investigated, the wild life of National
parks studied, and biological surveys
have been prosecuted in Wisconsin,
Montana, Florida, Washington, and North
Dakota. From information furnished by
the Bureau we learn that in Wisconsin
the State Geological and Natural History
Survey is cooperating with the United
States Department of Agriculture in the
work, which is in charge of Dr. Hartley
H. T. Jackson for the Department of
Agriculture, and Prof. George Wagner, of
the University of Wisconsin, for the state
of Wisconsin. Work was begun May 1 5 and
continued until September 20. The
principal field of cooperation was the
northwestern part of the state, special
attention being devoted to the Apostle
Islands in Lake Superior. Mr. Harry H.
Sheldon, for the Biological Survey, and
Mr. Arthur J. Poole, for the Wisconsin
Survey, assisted throughout the season.

In Montana, Mr. Marcus A. Hanna,
assisted by Mr. Harry Malleis, worked
the valley of the Missouri and the border-
ing plains and mountains from the mouth

of Milk River westward, under the general
direction of Mr. Edward A. Preble. The
Little Rockies, Moccasin Mountains, Big
and Little Belt Mountains, and Castle
Mountains were visited during the latter
part of the summer. Victor N. House-
holder was a member of the party during
the early part of the season.

The biological survey of Florida was
continued by Mr. Arthur H. Howell.
Field studies were carried on during March
and April over a large part of Lee County
and in the region around Lake Okeecho-
bee. The collections in the Florida State
Museum were examined and the specimens
carefully identified. A collection of bird
records from Florida, both published and
unpublished, shows approximately 390
species and subspecies recorded from the
state.

Cooperating at different times with the
Biological Survey in field-work in the state
of Washington were the following: Prof.
William T. Shaw, State College of Wash-
ington, Pullman; Prof. H. S. Brode, Whit-
man College, Walla Walla; Prof. J. W.
Hungate, State Normal School, Cheney;
Prof. J. B. Flett, National Park Service,
Longmire; Mr. William L. Finley and
Mrs. Finley, Portland, Ore.; and Stanton
Warburton, Jr., of Tacoma. The Biolo-
gical Survey was represented for a part of
the time by Mr. Stanley G. Jewett, Pen-
dleton, Ore, and throughout the season by
Mr. George G. Cantwell, Puyallup, Wash.,
and Dr. Walter P. Taylor, of the Biological
Survey, the last named in charge of the
work. Investigations were made in the
Blue Mountains area of extreme south-
eastern Washington, in which occurs an
unusual mixture of Rocky Mountain and
Cascade Mountain types, and in Mount
Rainier National Park, in connection
with which the circuit of Mount Rainier
was made for the first time, so far as
known, by any vertebrate zoological
expedition.

In North Dakota Mr. Vernon Bailey

(53)

54

Bird - Lore

worked through September and October
to get data on the hibernation of mammals
and on the stores of food laid up for winter
by nonhibernating species. He has re-
turned with many valuable notes to be
added to his report on the mammals of the
state, and with an interesting collection of
live rodents for study of habits in captivity.

The Book of a Naturalist. By W. H.
Hi dson. George H. Doran Co., New
York. 8vo. iii -j-360 pages.

Sundry essays on varying aspects of na-
ture and animal life, contributed by Mr.
Hudson to half a dozen periodicals, to-
gether with several before unpublished
ones, are included in this volume.

Hudson may be accorded a high place
in the small group of what Burroughs has
termed 'literary naturalists.' To power of
observation he adds a mind keenly re-
sponsive to the influences of nature and
to them both, the gift of expression.

The last is by far the most uncommon.
In a greater or lesser degree all mankind
is affected by natural phenomena, but how
few can give adequate expression to their
emotions!

While these essays are based mainly on
observations and experiences in England,
it is interesting to observe how frequently
their author harks back to the "far away
and long ago" of his youth in Argentina,
birds, ants, frogs, toads, snakes, bats, and
people are his subjects, and whether or
not what he writes is interesting in itself,
it is all made readable through the side-
lights of seasoned experience and by the
art of the writer. — F. M. ('.

Birds of Eastern Canada. By I'. A.

TAVERNER. Memoir 104, Geological
Survey of Canada, Ottawa, 1919. 8vo.
iii + j2r pages text; 50 colored plates.

This is a practical manual of east
Canadian bird life, with keys to families,
descriptions of species, emphasizing their
distinctive characters and field-marks;

nesting sites, general distribution, haunts,
habits, and economic Status. There are

also sections on 'Geographical Distribu-
tion,1 'Migration.' 'Means of Attracting
birds' and 'Ornithological Literature.'

Mr. Taverner's experience in field and
study, combined with an ability to think
for himself, gives to his work an originality
in thought and expression which places it
above the plane of mere compilation. He
has a clear conception of the wants of his
audience and supplies them in a manner
which cannot fail to make this book of real
practical value to the Canadian public.
We cannot but regret, however, that the
paragraph on 'Distribution' does not
include more details on the birds' seasonal
status in eastern Canada, and that migra-
tion dates are practically wanting.

The fifty colored plates, each containing
two pictures, introduce to us a new bird
artist — Mr. F. C. Hennessey — whose
work shows that he possesses an exceptional
gift for the portrayal of birds. We hope
that in developing it he will remember
that a poorly drawn bird may spoil a
good landscape, just as effectively as a
poorly painted landscape may mar a good
bird.— F. M. C.

The Ornithology of Chester County,
Pennsylvania. By Franklin Lorenzo
Burns. Richard C Badger, The Gor-
ham Press, Boston. i2mo. [22 pages;
21 illustrations.

Chester County, Pa., is ornithologically
historic ground. Here, as Mr. Burns tells
us, Audubon made some of his earlier ob-
servations on American birds, and here
Say, John K. Townsend, Cassin, and more
than a score of latter-day ornithologists
bave studied afield. Mr. Hums, himself,
lias a practically continuous record of
thirty-five years' observation and is there-
by eminently fitted to act as the orn'
thological historian of this exceptionally
well worked region. His fully anno-
tated lis! containing breeding, as well as
migration dates, enumerates 247 spe-
cies and subspecies which he classifies as
follows:

Resident 26

Summer Resident

Winter Visitant s6

Transient Visitant 75

Straggler 4-1

Extirpated 6

F. M. C

Editorial

55

25trti=1Lore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine

Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ADDDBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

ContributingEditonMABELOSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published February 1, 1920 No. 1

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, one dollar and fiftv cents a year;
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cents,
postage paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in I be Busb Is Worth Two in the Hand

The Annual Congress of the American
Ornithologists' Union, held at the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History, Novem-
ber 11-14 last, was marked not only by a
large attendance and the election of some
250 Associate Members, but also by the
excellence of its scientific program.

It seems clear that if the Union is to
give due consideration to the communica-
tions which are presented at its annual
meetings, it must either prolong its ses-
sions or hold sectional meetings. The latter
seems to us to be the more desirable plan.
The more popular papers might be pre-
sented before, let us say, a Biographic
Section, systematic papers before a Tax-
onomic Section, and papers of general in-
terest before a joint session. If one will
visit the laboratories of the bird depart-
ment in the Museum, where the meetings
are being held, he will probably discover
there those members of the Union who are
especially interested in systematic ornithol-
ogy, who have, in effect, already formed
a Taxonomic Section where they may
examine specimens and discuss, informally,
technical questions in which the general
public has little or no interest. For this
reason, as well as for lack of time, such
discussion has been largely barred at
A.O.U. meetings, and the more technical
phases of ornithology have consequently
not received the attention due them at
these annual gatherings of representative
ornithologists. For example, Dr. Witmer
Stone's paper, at the recent Congress, on

'The Use and Abuse of the Genus' merited
far more consideration than of necessity
could be given it, and the worth of a
paper of this character can be determined
far better by debate than by publication
alone. We hope therefore that this ques-
tion of sectional meetings will receive due
consideration before the Washington
Congress of 1920 convenes.

'Country Life' for December gives the
place of honor to an admirable article on
'Christmas Birds' by the Editor of Bird-
Lore's School Department. We wish that
we could commend the illustrations as
highly as we can the text, but, in truth, we
do not recall any bird illustrations in a
reputable publication which contain so
many and such inexcusable inaccuracies.

The layman will hunt in vain for an
artist's name, but to the initiated these
seven full-page plates are evidently cut-
out photographs of mounted birds which
have been grouped in what are believed
to be natural associations, colored by hand,
and about, below, before, and behind
them are painted such perches, surround-
ings, and landscapes as seemed appro-
priate. The work has been skilfully done,
with results which are, in some instances,
as superficially pleasing as they are funda-
mentally erroneous, and hence are as per-
nicious as the clever type of natural history
faking which Mr. Roosevelt so vigorously
condemned.

For example, the two Nuthatches are
grouped as 'Field Birds,' a Short-eared
Owl has sought the seclusion of a pine tree
with a Screech Owl and Great Horned Owl
for companions, and a Horned Lark per-
ches on the limb of an oak, grasping its
perch in a way no bird of its kind ever did
or could. The retouching of the photo-
graphs has produced numerous errors in
form and color — -the Flicker, for example,
has no trace of yellow in its quills, the
Meadowlark has a yellow-striped head,
and the Red Crossbill is about the color
of a Hermit Thrush; while, without going
into further detail, nearly every bird in
the series is a libel on the appearance of
the species in life.

Cfje Bububcm ^octettes

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN, Ph.D.
Address all communications relative to the work of this
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

COOPERATION

One of the greatest lessons learned from the World War was the value
of cooperation. In her manifold, well-laid schemes, Germany did not allow for
it, the Allies discovered its use very early, the United States entered the war
with it uppermost in her mind, and the world was saved. The inspiration and
the power of working together, utilizing the discoveries of the others and bene-
fiting by their mistakes, made the armies of each of the Allies far more powerful
than they could have been had they fought side by side without the spirit of
cooperation. Individual honors were very often sacrificed and subservient
positions were taken by one or another of the Allies that they might work to-
gether as a unit and defeat the enemy. There was one great task to be accom-
plished, and it mattered not to whom the momentary glory fell. Now that the
war is over and the history is being written, it is perfectly evident that every-
one is to receive the honor that is his due, and the glory of self-sacrifice for the
sake of cooperation is no less than that of leadership.

If anything is ever gained from war and bloodshed it is by reason of the
great truths that are exposed. The only legitimate gain to the individual that
can be obtained from the slaughter of his fellowman is by the application to
his own life of these truths or principles. So if we would gain something from
the great conflict, we should acquire the spirit of cooperation and apply it in
our teaching of little children, for the teaching of the rising generation will have
more effect upon the world a hundred years hence than any conflict, however
great. It is to the teachers that the world must look for progress, and the
teachers must, therefore, look well to the lessons that the great war has taught.
If there is any place where cooperation is imperative, it is in the teaching pro-
fession where there are so many great principles to be inculcated through so
many different channels.

Perhaps no greater opportunity has ever been offered to teachers for co-
operation and for coordination than the movement for the conservation of wild
life, which finds its chief expression in bird-study. This conservation movement
involves so many of the principles thai we would give to children to make them
better men and women that it is little wonder that every progressive organiza-
tion is behind it and that funds are always forthcoming for its support.
Chambers of commerce, civic improvement societies, the Hoy Scouts, the
Camp Fire Girls, the Red Cross, and numerous other organizations always

(50)

The Audubon Societies 57

cooperate with the Audubon Societies in this work, and teachers will always
find them willing to help in any undertaking which has for its object the making
of better men and women.

We are printing at the end of this editorial a little story that has been
contributed by the Red Cross, called 'Feathered Allies,' and with it a photograph
of some Junior Red Cross members who have been building bird-houses. The
remainder of this department of Bird-Lore will then be devoted to a discussion
of "How to Build and Where to Place Bird-houses," for the building of bird-
houses offers one of the best opportunities for cooperation between teachers and
parents, the school and the community, that can be hoped for. It likewise offers
a splendid opportunity for coordination of school- work, reading, writing, arith-
metic, drawing, manual training, etc. In some places entire communities
have received their whcle animus for the protection of wild life through the
institution of a 'bird-house competition' by one of the teachers of the local
school. The local stores are always ready to supply prizes and to display the
houses and posters that have been made by the children if enough general
interest is aroused. The local press, also, will always be ready to print announce-
ments, list prizes, and announce prize-winners, and such publicity always
gives life to the competitions. Lastly, every effort should be made to interest
a large and representative group of people and to get all to cooperate, and the
greater the publicity given to the proposed competition, the more successful
it will be and the more good it will do. One should always bear in mind, however,
that such a competition should not have as its sole object the number of bird-
houses constructed. Accuracy of construction, careful workmanship, and, most
important of all, thought for the birds should be emphasized. The underlying
motive of doing for others, of working for the birds and not for the prizes,
should be conspicuous at all times, for it is from this that the greatest good
results.

Many competitions end with the completion and exhibition of the bird-
houses, but this is a mistake. It is just as important that a bird-house be
properly placed as that it be properly constructed. A child that has worked
faithfully in building a bird-house deserves to have the pleasure of seeing it
occupied. Moreover, it is the response that the birds make to his efforts toward
helping them that will fix his interest permanently in the work of conservation.
It is, therefore, highly important that no effort be spared to encourage the
birds to occupy the houses. The award of prizes may be conditioned upon the
proper placing of the houses or a second competition may be started based upon
the greatest number occupied or the best written account of what transpires
at the house. There are here again numerous ways of coordinating the work
with other lessons.

58

Bird - Lore

FEATHERED ALLIES

With the first call for fighters there also came a call for 'messengers,' and
so it was that our faithful little allies — soft-feathered Homing Pigeons were
taken into service. Today we may see many of them returning from service
overseas, bearing that same mark of honor which distinguishes our men-heroes,
for each bird now wears around its leg a gold band for every wound received.

The Navy has a number of these brave birds which suffered wounds, but
which have been tenderly nursed back to health and strength and are now find-
ing a life of comfort in the country they so faithfully served.

Trulv these birds have proved faithful allies to America. But the Homing
Pigeons alone do not constitute this allied force. The little feathered sharers

I III 5E JUXIORS OF HII

H BRIDGE, X J HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE NEEDS OF

OUR FEATHERED ALLIES
Photographed by the American Rcl Cross

of <>ur everyday life, the chattering little birds of our busy cities, and the sweet-
throated songsters of the woodland places have served us at home as faithfully
as those other strong-winged Pigeons served us overseas.

The 'home-force' birds, as we might call them, have hunted out the poist n-
ous little insects that would destroy our valued trees; they have served us in
all the ways that birds are known to serve our world of living things; and more
than this, they have cheered us with their trills and songs, and even their noisy
morning chatter.

Many of us are heedless of the bird-needs of these feathered folk, but some
of us have remembered. Among those who have remembered materially are
the Juniors of the American Red Cross. With their strong spirit of service for
all who need, they have not forgotten the birds. And SO, through all part- of

The Audubon Societies 59

our country, Junior boys have made little homes in which some of our bird
allies might find shelter from the cold and heavy winter snows and in which
others might build their nests when they come back in the spring.

Were you to pass through the early morning quiet of a snow-covered wood,
you might see through the little wood-cut window of a bird-house snugly set
in the tree branches, the bright, bead-like eye of a tiny dweller of the wood,
warm and comfortable in the new home that some thoughtful Junior had built.
And in the echo of the chatter and trills coming from the little inhabitants,
the Juniors discern a clear "Thank you!"

But their thanks come not in songs alone, for all day long the Woodpeckers,
Nuthatches, and Chickadees that have roosted in the boxes search out and
destroy the hibernating insects that are waiting only for spring to start them
destroying the foliage and undermining the bark of the trees. And then when
spring comes these winter birds will be joined by other songsters that will make
their homes in the boxes — the Wrens, the Bluebirds, and the Tree Swallows
whose insatiable young require thousands of insects to satisfy them. Truly
our Juniors of the American Red Cross have performed a National service in
building these homes for the birds. — Contributed by the American Red
Cross.

HOW TO BUILD BIRD-HOUSES

The making of bird-houses is an old, old story, but, like many other classic
tales, it will bear re-telling. The original idea was simple enough, but of recent
years it has been encumbered by so many suggestions that people hesitate to
undertake what is really an easy task, for the more simple the box, the more
natural will it appear and the more attractive will it be to the birds. The fanciful
doll-houses, with several compartments, chimneys, frescoes and verandas, while
occasionally used by House Sparrows or Purple Martins, are usually very in-
effective, and, of course, entirely out of place. The more it resembles the old
hollow limb in the orchard or the hole in the fence-post, the more pleasing to the
eye of the bird will it be.

There are over fifty species of birds in the United States and Canada which
utilize holes in trees for nesting, including many of the most useful. The
borer-destroying Woodpeckers, the larvae-destroying Nuthatches, the egg-
destroying Chickadees, the mosquito-destroying Tree Swallows — all build in
holes in trees and may be attracted to nesting-boxes. In these days of scientific
forestry, when every dead tree is condemned and when every dead branch is
lopped off by the 'tree doctor,' their natural nesting-sites are rapidly disappear-
ing and their numbers must necessarily decrease unless they are provided with
artificial nesting-places. It is a wise timber-owner who puts up at least one
nesting-box in the place of every dead tree which he removes. The Chickadees
and Woodpeckers that are with us in winter, and the Wrens and Bluebirds
that return in the spring, will move on unless they find plenty of nesting-sites.

6o

Bird - Lore

Of the hole-nesting birds, a comparatively small proportion have yet learned
to accept the artificial nesting-site, only nine species taking them regularly
and nineteen more utilizing them occasionally. It is to be expected, however,
that eventually all the species will learn to adapt themselves, and, perhaps,
even others will so modify their present nesting habits as to accept the artificial
structures. This proved to be the case in the celebrated experiments of von
Berlepsch, in Germany, where out of 1,000 nesting-boxes placed on his estate,
birds gradually were induced to occupy over 900.

The species which regularly use nesting-boxes are as follows: House Wren
(and all its subspecies), Bluebird (eastern and western), Chickadee (northern
and southern subspecies), Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Flicker, Violet-green
Swallow, House Finch, Bewick's Wren, House Sparrow, and Starling.

The species which occasionally use nesting-boxes are as follows: White-
breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Downy, Hairy, and Red-headed Wood-
peckers, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Crested Flycatcher, Screech, Saw-
whet, and Barn Owls, Sparrow Hawk, Wood Duck, Song Sparrow (rarely),
and Dipper. The species using covered shelves or shelters, open at the sides,
are Robin, Phoebe, and Barn Swallow.

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The Audubon Societies

61

MATERIALS

The best materials to select in building bird-houses are weathered boards,
rustic cedar, slabs of wood with the bark adhering, or asphaltum roofing-paper.
Smoothly planed boards and paint should be avoided except on such houses as
are intended more for ornament than use. Gourds, when obtainable, can be
made very acceptable by cutting a hole of the proper size in one side, cleaning
them out and drilling a small hole in the bottom to drain off any rain that
may beat in. Tin cans may be used but are usually unsightly and become
excessively hot in the sun, unless covered with bark. One end should be re-
placed by a block of wood and the opening of the proper size should be made to-
ward one edge of this or in one side of the can. Green bark of chestnut or other
trees can sometimes be obtained and nailed into the form of a hollow cylinder,
but such boxes are usually not durable. A hollow limb, a deserted woodpecker's
nest, or a block of wood hollowed out in the form of a woodpecker's nest are
all good devices, but usually it is easier to cut rough boards into proper lengths
and nail them together securely in the form of
a small box. Sometimes boxes of the proper
size, such as chalk-boxes or starch-boxes, can be
found ready made and require only some
reinforcement.

If one plans to make a great many of stand-
ard size, heavy asphaltum roofing-paper lends
itself most readily at a minimum of expense.
A working drawing is here given of the Cornell
improved bird-house for birds up to the size of
Bluebirds. These can be made in numbers for
a maximum cost of 10 cents each, and have
the advantage of being as easily made by girls
as by boys. The only tools that are necessary
are a pair of heavy scissors or a knife for cut-
ting the paper, an awl for punching holes for
the rivets, a tack-hammer and a piece of iron
pipe or a window-weight against which to
flatten the rivets. The split rivets used to fasten
the edges together can be purchased at any
hardware store. If a great many boxes are to
be built, it is wise to have a short piece of i}4
inch pipe sharpened to serve as a punch for
cutting the hole, but otherwise this can be done
with the knife. The blocks of wood, 4 inches
in diameter, can be cut from a log of that size or the Cornell improved
made in numbers in the manual training depart- fjJ^'^ER ' at °a cost^f
merit or the local carpenter shop on the jig-saw. about tln cents each

62

Bird - Lore

The first exercise in the school-room should be to draw the pattern, cut it
out, and pin it together. The best pattern should then be taken to mark the
rooting paper. In putting together the patterns, one soon learns the o*der in

which the various steps should be
taken. Thus the perch and the
roof must be fastened to the piece
forming the sides before it is fast-
ened into cylinder form. The
circular piece cut out for the door
may well be used to reinforce the
front on the inside where the perch
is nailed in place. The very last
step is the nailing of the completed
house to its bottom, and this should
not be done until the bottom is
fastened by screws or face plate
to the top of the post or pipe
where the bird-house is to be per-
manently placed. It will be seen
from this that this house is in-
tended only for use on top of a
post, and the reason for this will
be stated later on.

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CORRECTLY BUILT BIRD-HOUSES

may be bought from the manufacturers or
they may be made

MEASUREMENTS

Whatever material is used, the
exact size of the box is not of great
importance except that it should not be so large as to waste material, nor yet so
small as to give insufficient room for the nest. A box should never be smaller than
t^/2 x 3^ x 6 inches inside measurements, and it is better to make it somewhat
larger, even for Wrens. In making bird-houses for the first time, it would be
well to make them of medium size so that they will he acceptable tothegreatest
variety of birds. In this way the chances of attracting them are increased. Such
a box would measure about 4 x 4 x 9 inches inside with the long axis vertical.
If special effort i- to be made to attract Flickers, Screech Owls, or Sparrow
Hawks, boxes o'2 x o'? X 24 inches should be made. If Purple Martins are
desired, a house of from ten to thirty compartments should be constructed,
with each compartment <> to S inches square. Rows of gourds tied to cross-
pieces and raised on poles will likewise attract Martins and are extensively used
in the South. If one wishes to build a large Martin-house, explicit directions
and working drawings can he obtained from Farmers' Bulletin No. <>oo, ol the
l'. S. Department of Agriculture, entitled 'Bird-Houses and How to Build
Them.' All other bird-houses should be built with only one compartment.

The Audubon Societies

63

L

INCORRECTLY BUILT BIRD-HOUSES
One has the opening too low, in the other it is too large

OPENINGS

The size and position of the opening are much more important than the

exact size of the box. A round hole is best, and, except in Martin-houses, should

be cut above the middle line on one side and preferably about 2 inches from the

top. All hole-nesting birds, except the Martins, wish to be out of sight of the

entrance while incubating. There
should never be more than one
entrance to the box, but if the
box is very tightly built, a
>^-inch hole may be drilled just
beneath the roof for ventilation
and another through the floor
for drainage. These are unneces-
sary however, and in natural
nesting cavities, of course, never
occur. If there are not many
House Sparrows or Starlings about, it is best to make the openings in all the
boxes, except those for the largest birds, i}4 inches in diameter. This will
admit birds up to the size of the Bluebird and the Tree Swallow, and is not
large enough to be objectionable to the Wrens and the Chickadees. If Spar-
rows are numerous, one can keep them out of the boxes and still admit the
smaller species by making the opening 1% inches in diameter. One can keep
out the Sparrows until the Bluebirds arrive by having a removable piece
with a small opening fastened over the 1^2 -inch hole. When the Bluebirds
are seen trying to get in, this piece can be removed, and then the Bluebirds
will have an even chance with the Sparrows.

If one wishes to build houses for particular birds, the following table of
proper diameters for the openings, as given by H. K. Job, will be found valuable:

(a) ili inches: House Wren, Be-
wick's Wren, Carolina Wren, Chickadee.

(b) 1% inches: White-breasted Nut-
hatch, Tufted Titmouse.

(c) i}4 to i5g inches: Bluebird,
Downy Woodpecker, Crested Flycatcher,
Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow.

(d) i34 to 2 inches: Red-headed
and Hairy Woodpeckers.

(e) 2^2 inches: Flicker, Saw-whet
Owl, Purple Martin.

(/) 3 inches: Screech Owl, Sparrow
Hawk.

(g) 4^2 inches: Barn Owl, Wood
Duck.

V

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A HOME-MADE MARTIN-HOUSE AND

A MARTIN DRIVING AWAY AN ENGLISH

SPARROW

64

Bird- Lore

NESTING MATERIAL

No nesting material in the form of straws, feathers, or sticks should be
placed in the box, though if they are placed abundantly in the vicinity they
may encourage nesting. If a prospective tenant find nesting material in the box,
he will usually consider it already occupied and move on. In Flicker and other
Woodpecker boxes, however, there should be placed in the bottom a couple of
inches of ground cork or coarse sawdust, mixed with a little earth, because the
Woodpeckers build no nests and must
have something to keep the eggs from
rolling about. A layer of sawdust will
do no harm in any other . box but is not
necessary.

A PROPERLY PLACED FLICKER-BOX

The branches have been cut away from around it

Photographed by L. A. Bailsman

AN ORNAMENTAL MARTIN-HOUSE

Mm in houses should In- on polo at least i 7 feet

high and away from trees

PLACING THE BOX

Quite as important as the proper construction of the bird-house is the selec-
l ion of the place to put it. It is possible to put up ten or fifteen boxes and have
nothing but House Sparrows nesting in them, but, if properly placed, they
would be occupied by Wrens, Chickadees, Swallows, or Bluebirds. If several
boxes are put up, they should be at least 25 feel apart and, preferably, farther,
or constant fighting will usually result until one of the tenants i> evicted. If

The Audubon Societies

65

one examines the natural nesting-places of any of these hole-nesting birds, he
will find that, with few exceptions, they are in open places in bright sunlight
or light shade, and seldom among thick branches of a tree or in dense shade.
The best place for the box, therefore, is on a pole, 5 to 15 feet from the ground,
in an open space or at the edge of trees facing the open. An iron pipe, an inch
or more in diameter and
8 feet long, set in the
ground 2 feet, makes an
ideal location for a box,
as it likewise gives pro-
tection from cats and
squirrels. It is for this
reason that the Cornell
bird-house is designed to
be put up in no other
way. A post on the porch
or the unshaded side of
the house will also serve
if the box is turned to
face outward. The trunk
of a large tree, several
feet below the first
branches, a telegraph
pole, or a high fence-post
are other places which
will prove suitable,
although perhaps not
quite so satisfactory as the
separate post. An excel-
lent place for the large
Flicker or Sparrow Hawk
box is the top of a dead
tree, particularly if the
smaller branches are cut
away from around the
box. Occasionally a Wren
or a Nuthatch will use a box placed in the shade among the branches of a tree, but
such places, while appealing strongly to most people as highly desirable, should
be shunned. House Sparrows are the only birds that will regularly use boxes
when so placed.

CARE OF THE BOX

If a box is well made, once in position, it need never be removed, though it
will probably last longer if taken inside during the winter. Frail or fancy boxes

PROPERLY PLACED BIRD-BOXES

There are many trees but the houses are placed in the open.
The one in the foreground was occupied by Wrens; that in the
background by Crested Flycatchers.

66

Bird- Lore

should be taken in each fall and replaced in March. Cleaning a box is not
necessary under ordinary circumstances, as the birds will do their own renova-
ting, but it is well to have the top or one side hinged, so that one can get at
the inside if necessary, to throw out the nests of Sparrows, or squirrels, or mice,
or hornets that sometimes usurp the box before the birds arrive. Aside from
this there is little need of care, and at the end of the season the old nests can
be thrown out or left in, it making little difference to the birds when they return
the following spring. The lice which often infest the nests of Wrens are harm-
less and die soon after the young leave. If anything is to be done, the nests
should be sprinkled with insect powder while still occupied.

I' I IK IK FIRST

BIRD-HOUSES. WHICH ONES ARE NOT
Photographed by Mrs. G. C. Hulvey

CORRECTLY BUILT?

TIME TO PUT UP BOXES

The boxes should be in place as early in the spring as possible, especially
those intended for Nuthatches and Chickadees that arc with us throughout
the winter. Although they do not begin nesting until April, Chickadees often
commence excavating their nesting cavities in February, and it is probable that
they have selected their nesting-sites by this time. Boxes put up after March i,
and even as late as May i, are often occupied the same year, but the chances
are much better if they are put up early. Anyone planning a bird-house competi-
tion in the schools should start immediately, so that the boxes will be ready by

April i.

QUESTIONS

i. What birds utilize D.est-boj$es?

j. Give three reasons for putting up bird-houses?

3. (live three reasons why it is advisable to have school children build them?

4. What advantages ran be derived from coordinating school-work?

^. \\ hat advantages are to be derived from cooperation between the teachers of the

different grades?
6. What advantages are to be derived from cooperation between teachers and

parents?

The Audubon Societies 67

7. How would you go about inaugurating a 'Bird-House Contest?' What are the

advantages of publicity?

8. What are the most important points to emphasize in such a competition?

9. Where should the opening in a bird-house be made and how large should it be?

10. What are the best materials to use in building bird-houses and how large should

the houses be?

11. Should any bird-house be built with more than one compartment?

12. Is the placing of bird-houses important, and what is the best method of placing

them?

SCHOOL ITEMS
HOW WE BECAME JUNIOR NATURALISTS

The idea that the power to create belongs only to a favored few of a com-
munity has swayed public opinion in the United States for a century or more.
My experience as a teacher of the masses has proved to me that every child is
■endowed with the gift when he enters this life. His failure to develop the power
for constructive work is the fault of those who have his education in charge.

Anyone who doubts this statement should make a study of the growth of
the ancient peoples. He will find that all members of a tribe had the power to
materialize, in one form or another, beautiful, rhythmic, harmonious thoughts
which exist for us to enjoy today, and these antique works of art are more valued
than are the efforts of the artists of the present time. But one is not obliged
to delve into ancient history for substantiation of this truth, because near and
intimate to our own lives is the work of the tribes of Indians of this continent.

The success of the expressions of these arts can be traced to the cultivation
of the perceptive faculties that gained for the people a clear knowledge of the
life about them, especially of nature. Through the study of nature came knowl-
edge of the laws of growth from which they deduced the underlying principles
for their work in design. Yet these developments would have been of little
value if the spirit had not been trained to work irrespective of time and
labor. All beautiful work has depended for its existence upon this last
quality in the artist or artisan. Until the organizations for the education of
the public will recognize the necessity of training the spirit as well as the
intellect, the educational work of the public schools will deprive the children of
the development of their full inheritance.

Five years ago, when we began in this city the work of learning to write and
draw, there were no organizations for the systematic growth of the various arts
•of expression in our public schools. Our schools were as good as the average
•city schools, but I failed to find in any system with which I could come in
touch a provision for the healthy growth of the children of a class. The little
ones of our country had become creatures of circumstances. For years, ideas
.and details had been influencing the educators in charge instead of these directors
holding to established principles for teaching and religiously carrying them out.

68 Bird - Lore

Our rirst struggle was with the art of penmanship. We succeeded in following
closely the fundamental principles for growing power in the expression of the
art, and when the practicing of the exercises began to demand quantities of
themes, we found it necessary to hunt for subject matter. The struggle to gain
control in writing was slight compared with that required to learn to express-
a thought orally in the classes of the grades above the second. Many and
varied were the means employed to produce life in our efforts at conversation.

The school program is so arranged that a supervisor of a subject is allowed
not more than twenty minutes with a class each week. But the classes in which
the members had practiced faithfully required only two or three minutes to
prove their increased power in writing, and all the remaining time was devoted
to oral expression.

By slow process the minds of the 1,800 boys and girls were led to think of
the beauties of our city. The city had been noted for its natural beauty and the
inhabitants have always had to depend upon its natural resources for an exis-
tence. Years of selfishness on the part of individuals and corporations, as well
as carelessness on the part of the city government, had made a sad inroad toward
the destruction of this charming spot when the state came to the rescue and
saved the lives of the springs and parks. An opportunity to set the whole com-
munity at work to assist the state arose right here in the school system. Through
the children all the homes could become familiar with the necessity of caring
for the trees and for the birds whose work places them as our first assistants.
Without a dissenting voice we decided to seek ways to entice the birds to live
among us.

Aids from intellectual sources were not at hand. The season was winter
when we began our explorations for knowledge of out-of-door life upon which
we were to compare notes when we should meet. We were most fortunate in
both conditions, as we were given the chance to find the literature that would
help us best and the winter is the time to begin not only the study of the birds
but also of the trees, the deciduous ones anyway. It was understood that there
would be no time for conversation if the writing was not well practiced. The
organization for work expanded to such a degree that the penmanship advanced
beyond our expectations and each period together gave a chance for everyone
to add something to our knowledge of bird-life.

The interest grew weekly, and the time came when no one wished to be left
out of the talk. Now and again one who had been clever at collecting material
at the expense of others, and had not entered into the work of observing for
himself, would risk giving a description of a bird which he wished named. At
first he caused a questioning atmosphere to exist among his hearers, but after a
short time the power that tomes to those who get their knowledge first-hand
discouraged these deceivers and caused them to begin to observe for themselves.

One exercise was to practice the calls and songs of the birds. As yet we
have not done <:reat work in this line but we shall. One day a little girl in

The Audubon Societies 69

a fifth grade class claimed my attention to inform me that she could crow like
a rooster. She was given an opportunity to try. Spring had arrived and the
windows were open. An evidence that Prudence was a. good crower was told
through the responses of all the cocks in the vicinity. A fine lesson in concentra-
tion occurred immediately, for we gave ourselves up to listening for the crow
farthest away. We learned that some of us could detect fainter sounds than
others.

Our conversations developed in us love and sympathy for our feathered
friends. We gained the knowledge that we must provide homes for them and
feeding stations for the winter birds as well as fountains in dry places. Drawing
was introduced into all the grades the first year through the industrial problem
of making bird-cotes from working drawings and patterns. A thousand houses
for Bluebirds, House Wrens, or Chickadees were constructed. About 800
were made according to specifications. Experts in the manual training de-
partment reconstructed the 200 failures.

The life of our junior naturalists' societies is assured, for the foundation was
constructed through directing the child to search for knowledge and then
followed the building of the societies by organizing the work to produce a union
of interests which has caused a union of minds. Unconsciously the children
have become teachers of the whole community through their discussions out-
side of school, for everyone is beginning to help. Business, always on the
alert, took up the subject. Publishing houses had constant calls for books.
Bird-glasses were advertised. All who could afford bought these helpful mate-
rials— yes, and those who couldn't afford found a way by doing without some
necessary article.

The most delightful of our interesting experiences was our introduction
to the Audubon Societies. With very little effort, hundreds of us became
members of the junior clubs which entitle us to the bird leaflets and the maga-
zine, Bird-Lore. This literature of the great ornithologists who sacrifice them-
selves for the education of the masses enters the homes and is enjoyed by every
member of the family. The little children sit and look at the illustrations
while the older boys and girls read aloud. These leaflets are doing a great work
in the homes of the foreign element. While the contents of these series are
planned for the grade classes from the fifth through the grammar grades, we
find the fourth grade children enjoying them thoroughly because of the knowl-
edge through observation which they take into the text. Every year finds
500 to 600 new subscribers for the Audubon Societies. We have learned to
know that it is a great privilege to study under the directors of these societies
who are leading us to realize fully the responsibilities connected with the work
of protecting our natural resources. — Kate A. McCloskev. Supervisor of
Industrial Arts, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

70 Bird - Lore

BIRD-STUDY IN VIRGINIA

It may be of interest to some of our readers to know about the Junior
Audubon Society we had at Timberville, Va., which was organized in January
of this year (1919). We all enjoyed it exceedingly, and I am sure that, besides
this, it did good in the hearts and lives of the little folk who were members.
They learned a great many facts about birds which will never be forgotten
and it will be a great pleasure for them to meet with their bird friends year after
year. A society of twenty members was formed in my first grade. After we
received our literature and had begun working, all the other children in the first
grade joined and others came from other grades and asked to join.

Before six weeks had passed, our society numbered 114 members. We held
our meetings twice a week. A new bird was taken up at each meeting and
studied. We studied forty-eight birds altogether. At every lesson a little review
was made of previous lessons. The following outline was used in our notebooks:

1. Name of bird. 3. Nest. 5. Young.

*■ Color j g*, 4- Eggs. 6. Food.

At different times in the spring, short programs were prepared, made up of
songs, recitations, etc., and given in chapel before the whole school. Sometimes,
instead of a regular meeting, we would go for a bird-walk, then within the
next day or two, during language period, papers were written telling of the birds
we saw. Nearly always they could identify the birds themselves, sometimes I
helped them, sometimes my bird-book helped me. One day my primer class
was reading when one little six-year-old boy held up his hand and said, "Oh,
Mrs. Hulvey, look out there on the post is a Downy Woodpecker." We all went
quietly to the windows for fear we would scare him away, and there, only about
10 feet away, was little Downy getting his dinner. We called in the other
grades and took turns watching him. At noon there were nearly a hundred
children around the post all trying to see where little Downy had been. The
day before we had a lesson on the Downy Woodpecker and little Garland
recognized him at once by the picture we had used. We had quite a number of
songs about different birds that the children took great delight in singing. Old
bird-nests were collected and examined.

In the spring nearly one-third of our members made bird-houses which were
placed on poles and in the trees. Everyone of us thoroughly enjoyed watching
our bird friends making their new homes and caring for their young.

This session I have organized a Society of twenty-five members in my
second grade in the Denton Primary School, Denton, Md., and hope by spring
to have many more children have a keen interest and true love for their little
brothers in the air. — Tenney Cline Hulviv, Denton, Md.

[Mrs. Hulvey is to be congratulated upon her success in forming Junior Audubon

Societies. One can be sure that she feels well repaid for the effort which she puts forth
by the response she gets from, the children under her charge. The teacher who has not

entered this field doe- nut know how much easier it makes all teaching. — A. A. A. J

Cfje Hubufcon ^octettes

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T.GILBERT PEARSON, Secretary

Address all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

William Dutcher, President
Frederic A. Lucas, Acting President T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary

Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer

Samuel T. Carter, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome.

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership
$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership
$1,000 constitutes a person a Patron
$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder
$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated), of the City of New York.

THE KLAMATH LAKE SITUATION

While those friends of wild-life protection
who have read William L. Finley's report
on Klamath and Malheur Lakes Bird Reser-
vations in the last issue of Bird-Lore are,
in a measure, familiar with the desperate
straits in which these two reservations
stand today, further remarks may be in
order.

Lower Klamath, which comprises the
main body of Klamath Lake Reservation,
had a large bordering area of lands that
were swamp, and a considerable sentiment
arose in favor of making these lands suit-
able for agricultural operations. Some
years ago the Government Reclamation
Service undertook to do this by making a
series of canals and ditches. After expending
$283,225 and overcoming only a small per-
centage of the difficulties to be met with,
the plan seems to have been abandoned.
The Lake was made a bird reservation and
hundreds of thousands of water-birds, in-
cluding Ducks, Geese, White Pelicans,
Caspian Terns, Gulls, Grebes and Coots,
continued to make of this area of 60 or
more square miles, one vast nursery for
bird-life. But those who wanted the lake
drained continued their efforts, with the
result that the legislatures of the states of

(7

California and Oregon, in which the lake
lies, recently passed laws for the purpose
of especially encouraging the drainage of
the lake, particularly the swampy margins,
and ceding such rights as they might have
to the United States Government.

An Oregon company, known as the
Klamath Draining District, took over
20,000 acres of lands lying in the state of
Oregon for a consideration, and up to date
have made their first two payments on
the land. It was evidently the hope of the
Government officials that companies or
individuals might take up the California
territory.

The lake is fed by a stream that runs in
from Klamath River on the north. A
railroad, running from the main line of the
Southern Pacific Railroad to Klamath
Falls, Ore., runs across the marshes above
Upper Klamath, and where it crosses the
stream that feeds the lake, a gate has been
put in. This gate has been closed, with the
result that no more water flows into Lower
Klamath. There is very little rainfall in
that region, and, naturally, during the
past summer the lake very largely dried up.

A member of the Audubon Society who
recently visited the region states that in

1)

Bird - Lore

the area where a few years ago Ducks and
Geese and their young were found by
thousands in the spring and summer, today
there is nothing but a barren desert over
the surface of which the wind whips the
dust and sand as it does among the sage
brush on the shore.

The Biological Survey of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, which is greatly in-
terested in preserving all the bird reser-
vations, recently had a soil survey made
of this Klamath Lake soil that had been
exposed by the drying up of the water.
The report shows that it is' so filled with
alkalies that it is practically useless for
agricultural purposes. Apparently noth-
ing can be induced to grow on it but a
rank kind of native grass.

Congressman Raker, of California, re-
cently introduced a bill in Congress (House
Bill 8440) which, among other things, au-
thorizes and directs the Secretary of the
Interior "to determine and make public-
announcement of what lands in and
around Little or Lower Klamath Lake in
Siskiyou County, California and Klamath
County, Oregon" may be opened for
homestead entry.

A sop is thrown to the bird-lovers of the
country in the following: "The Secretary
of the Interior shall determine which of
the lands now within the boundary of the
Bird Reservation are chiefly valuable for
agricultural purposes and which for the
said reservation, and should open for
homestead entry those lands that are
chiefly valuable for agricultural pur-
poses."

In other words, we are given to under-
stand that the marshes around the lake,
and perhaps a portion of the lake, is not
needed as a bird reservation and can
therefore be converted into farm land, while-
such portion of the lake as may be deter-
mined by the Secretary of the Interior
•shall be kepi as a bird reservation. As a
matter of fact, tin- marshes are just as
valuable, if not more valuable, lor the
birds than the open water, as with the
exception of the Western Grebe all the
birds mentioned above build their nests in
ithe marshes.

To sugar-coat, and play a little politics
on the side, the following proposition is in-
cluded in the bill:

"Those who served with the military or
naval forces of the United States during
the war between the United States and
Germany and her allies and have been hon-
orably separated or discharged therefrom,
or placed in the Regular Army Reserve,
shall have preference and prior right to
file upon and enter said lands under the
homestead laws and the provision of this
act for a period of six months following
the time the said lands are open to entry."

This, briefly, is the situation, as we
understand it today, of the Klamath Lake
Bird Reservation. The whole situation is
involved in the extreme.

Malheur Lake likewise is on the verge
of being dried up. The situation, briefly,
is this. This lake, about 15 miles in length
by o miles in width, is shallow, and is said
to be not over 1 1 feet in depth at its deepest
place. Its margins, likewise, are marshy,
and it is believed to be the greatest breed-
ing-place for wild fowl in the United States.
It lies in the desert country of southeastern
Oregon where there is extremely little
rainfall. Its waters are kept up by the
Silvies River, flowing in from the north,
and by the Blitzen coming from the south.
On each of these rivers extensive irriga-
tion projects are now in process of con-
struction, which will divert the water from
the Lake to irrigate desert lands. Under
the burning desert suns a year or two will
probably be all that is necessary to dry up
the lake completely. There are a few
ranches along the margins of the reserva-
tion which of course will likewise be ruined.

Franklin B. Lane, Secretary of the
Department of the Interior, might per-
haps be able (o save these reservations if
enough people in this country were quickly
to register their protest- against tin- de-
struction. Certainly the Senators in Wash-
ington should be urged to vote against the
Raker Bill. This Association has fought
from every point in the slow, loiing light
lor the Klamath and Malheur Lake Reser-
\ at ions, and it shall continue to use every
effort within its mean- until the matter is

The Audubon Societies

73

finally and definitely settled. New and
vigorous efforts have recently been
started.

Naturally enough, as in other cam-
paigns of similar character, we are not in
position at this time to advertise just what
steps we are taking or intend to take in
the near future.

Politics in Oregon

Just before the holidays, the Board of
Fish and Game Commissioners of Oregon
held a secret meeting and dismissed Wil-
liam L. Finley, State Biologist. There
were no charges against Mr. Finley in any
way, but, as he had refused to play politics
and sacrifice the conservation of the state's
wild life for the sake of getting votes, it
was decided to dispose of him and spend
the money on some good vote getter, a
man who would play regular and do what
he was told. However, as it turned out
Finley proved to be a bigger man than the
Game Commission, for as soon as the star
chamber action of this Board of Com-
missioners became known, the people of
Oregon arose in mass. Almost every con-
ceivable kind of organization in Portland,
including the Chamber of Commerce, State
Sportsmen's Association, etc., voiced their
astonishment and promptly sent their
representatives or communications to the
Governor demanding that Mr. Finley be
reinstated in office. The school children
by hundreds stormed the newspaper
offices, and a petition bearing 30,000 of
their names was sent to the Governor in
Mr. Finley's behalf.

This Association, of course, instantly
filed a strong letter of protest with the
Governor, copies of which were sent to the
newspapers throughout the state. Benja-
min W. Olcott, who is Governor of the
state of Oregon, is also chairman of the
Board of Fish and Game Commissioners.
He was not present when the Commis-
sioners held their meeting, but the latter

stated he had given his consent to the
removal of Mr. Finley.

Mr. Finley is extremely popular in
Oregon, and when the storm broke about
the Governor's ears, he, good politician
that he is, decided in a few days that he
would ask the Board of Fish and Game
Commissioners to reinstate Mr. Finley in
office. He therefore communicated his
wishes to the Commissioners. These four
gentlemen met and decided to stand by
their guns, and refused to concede to the
Governor's order. Another week passed
by, during which floods of protests con-
tinued to reach the Governor. At the end
of this time he came out with a statement
that at the coming session of the Legisla-
ture, which meets in a few weeks, he would
recommend that the Board of Fish and
Game Commissioners as present constituted
be abolished, and that two separate boards
be appointed, one to handle conservation
of wild life, and the other to handle the
commercial fishing interests. He declared,
furthermore, if the Legislature did not do
this he would dismiss all the old Fish and
Game Commissioners and appoint a new
Board. In any event, there is little doubt
that Mr. Finley will shortly be offered
his old position, and the indications are
that on the platter holding the commission
of office there will be a nice bouquet in
the form of a substantial increase in salary.

Bird Lectures Available

Herbert K. Job, in charge of our De-
partment of Applied Ornithology, is
accepting appointments for public lectures,
using a wealth of splendid motion pictures
and colored slides, either or both, of various
classes of wild birds from life. We urge
our friends to secure a lecture this season.
Not only are they delightful, but the pro-
ceeds go toward maintaining the above
department of our work. Write to him for
a circular; address 291 Main St., West
Haven, Conn., or our New York office.

74

Bird - Lore

CHARLES HENRY DAVIS

By the death of Charles Henry Davis,
on October 5, 1 g iS, there passed away one
of the sterling citizens of Michigan who did
much for the upbuilding of the northern
portions of the Middle West.

The first twenty-one years of Mr.
I );i\ is' life were spent fit her in school or on
his father's farm mar Portsmouth, N. H.
In 1869, however, he went to Michigan,
and in lime became one of the leading
figures in the lumber and mining interests
of that state.

Mr. Davis was a sportsman in its

broadest sense, and his periods of recrea-
tion were largely passed in hunting and
fishing trips. He was extraordinarily fond
of the wilderness, and the actual killing of
game was always a secondary considera-
tion to the joys he experienced while camp-
ing and tramping in the open. Mr. Davis
was interested in the conservation of wild
life and left a bequest to the National
Association of Audubon Societies. After
paying the necessary taxes to the state of
Michigan, the check which the Association
has recently received amounted to $052.50.

The Audubon Societies

75

Bird-Work and the Children

The organization of Junior Audubon
Classes, chiefly in the public schools of
the country, has been going forward of late
on an increased scale. During the autumn
months, and up to the first day of January,
1Q20, there were enrolled something over
88,000 Junior Audubon members, which is
a larger number than during the same
period of any previous year. There have
also been an unusually large number of
notices in the local papers throughout the
country, dealing with the activities of
these Junior Classes. The following letter
written by Oran Edison, a Junior Member,
was recently published in the San Fran-
cisco Bulletin:

"The Audubon Club is, as you probably
know, a society for the protection of the
song-birds and useful Hawks and Owls of
our state. Because we study birds, that is
no sign we study their long Latin names
that have been wished onto them. Our
Club goes on many hikes to Lake Merced,
to hidden nooks and crannies in Golden
Gate Park, to Black Hills, and at present
a hike to Bay Farm Island is being dis-
cussed. These hikes are anything but tame
and prosy affairs; we go out for a good
time and there are no nonsensical restric-
tions. Our lunch is cooked over a camp-
fire; we wear the oldest clothes we have, so
that we can climb trees, cliffs and fall into
the water and mud with a perfectly clear
conscience. Our mothers do not need to
worry about us, as there is always a
teacher along who is at the head of the
club, and maybe another grown person
will come as a guest."

Here is another by a school-girl, Made-
line Kurkowski, published in the Richfield
Springs (N. Y.) Mercury:

"The Seventh Grade Audubon Society
held a party in the Assembly Hall on
Monday afternoon, from 4 until 6. All
members of the Society were present, to-
gether with the following guests: Professor
and Mrs. Pratt, Miss Jordan, Miss Brady
and Miss O'Mara. The program consisted
of recitations and piano and Victrola so-
los, after which refreshments were served.

"Another Audubon Club was organized
in the Sixth Grade on Monday afternoon
and the following officers were elected:
President, Milton Lonnebacker; Vice-
President, Maria Wallis; Secretary, YVin-

throp Moore; Treasurer, Kenneth Watson.
The reason of the Club is to be kind to all
birds. You can save many birds by putting
food in old houses or on window-ledges;
also to see that they are not hurt by their
enemies. Besides that the Club will have
;i few social gatherings."

New Life Members Enrolled from
October 20, 1919, to January 1, 1920

Allen, Frederic Brevoort

Archer, George T.

Barrell, Finley

Bicknell, E. P.

Biddle, William C.

Book, C. H.

Butler, Charles Stewart

Carey, Miss Mary deP.

Cary, E. F.

Chubb, Percy

Collins, Henry Hill, 3d.

Corbett, Merritt J.

Cottier, Miss M. Elizabeth

Danforth, Mrs. G. H.

Dommerich, L. W.

Durand, William C.

Enos, Miss Louisa I.

Frost, Mrs. Charles S.

Goethals, George W.

Guggenheim, S. R.

Harriman, Mrs. Edward Henry

Hornblower, Ralph

Hudson, C. Alan, Jr.

Jackson, Miss Fannie A.

Keep, Mrs. F. A.

Lloyd, Horatio G.

Malone, Mrs. L. H.

Marshall, Edwin J.

Matthies, G. E.

Megeath, S. A.

Mellon, A. W.

Mullen, Miss Marie Rose

Xiles, F. C.

Pike, Mrs. E. S.

Pitcairn, Miss Mildred Glenn

Purdy, Charles R.

Quinlan, Miss Florence E.

Rockefeller, John D., Jr.

Rockefeller, Mrs. John D., Jr.

Ruddock, Albert B.

Scrymser, Mrs. James A.

Shewan, James

Silsbee, Mrs. George S.

Slocum, J. Jermain

Smith, W. Hinckle

Spong, Mrs. J. J. R.

Stursberg, Julius A.

Thompson, William Boyce

Yanderbilt, W. K.

Wentz, D. B.

Wood, Robert Matheson

76

Bird- Lore

New Sustaining Members Enrolled
from October 20, 1919, to January 1, 1920

Aldrich, Mrs. J. M.
Allen, Harry K.
Allen, Miss Sylvia T.
Alvord, Miss Ella L.
Ames, Frederick 1).
Bakhmeleff, B, A.
Banks, George W.
Banks, Mrs. George W.
Barney, Mrs. C. E.
Bartlett, Miss Mary F.
Bassett, J. P.
Bates, Talcott
Beckwith, O. E.
Bell, William
Benson, R. Dale, Jr.
Bibber, Miss Frances R.
Bissinger, George H.
Blair, Frank D.
Bradley, Miss Anne Gary
Bronson, Miss J. C.
Bronson, Miss Margaret L.
Brown, Samuel E.
Carter, William S.
Gary, Rev. William B.
Ghase, Mrs. C. C.
Cheney, Miss Annah Arms
Cheney, Miss Rose Willis
Child, P. S.

Clemmer, Miss Frances B.
Coe, L. A.
Cotton, Mrs. Ida E.
Covington, Miss Henrietta
Crittenden, Mrs. William J.
Davis, Henry C.
De Lamar, Miss Alice A.
Diechmann, Otto
Dodd, Lee N.
Eden, John H.
Ensign, Mrs. Joseph R.
Ewers, Dr. William V.
Farnam, Miss C. B.
Felton, Mrs. C. E.
Felton, Mrs. W. S.
Fisk, Mrs. I).

Gale, Mrs. Gertrude Hakes
Gardiner, Charles B.
Gilliam, Mrs. R. A.
Gray, Arthur F.
Gregg, David A.
Gregory, Stephen S., Jr.
Griswold, Miss Emily A.
Griswold, Miss Nellie
Hall, Fred H.
Hamlin, Mrs. C. J.

Hart well, Joseph C.
Hatch, Pascal E.
Billiard, Mrs. M. B.
Hitchcock, Charles Baker
Hoag, William Nicholas
Hobbs, George S.
Holden, Miss Frances L.
Holmes, Charles F.
Hopkins, Edward
Howe, Percival S.
Hutchinson, Miss Anna
James, Dr. Robert C.
Jewett, Hibbard J.
Kennard, Harrv P.
Kohl, H.

Lawbaugh, Mrs. Etta W.
Leedy, Charles Armour
McEvven, Alfred
McEwen, Mrs. Alfred
Martin, Mrs. Viola F.
Miller, Mrs. Charles T.
Minich, Mrs. K. C.
Montgomery, Grenville D.
Moore, Mrs. Louisa S.
Moure, W. D.
Munson, C. LaRue
Nelson, Frank G.
Newbury, Mrs. Lee
Neumann, Miss Eda Glokner
Peck, Mrs. C. B.
Pumvea, Nelson D. W.
Redfield, Tylor L.
Reynolds, Miss Annie M
R viand, Edward
Schear, E. W. E.
Schefer, Mrs. E.
Shepardson, Miss Florence
Smith, Miss Edna S.
Spear, L. H.

Spencer, Miss Genevieve J.
Stanton Bird Club
Stensrud, Kentil
Stick, Henry L.
Strong, Mrs. F. A.
True, Mrs. E. C.
Tuttle, Miss Fannie F.
Way, Herbert C.
West, Mrs. Frank
West, W. B.
Wheeler, John B.
Whipple, Mrs. K. I>.
White, Mrs. J. Williams
Whitemore, Mrs. Harris
Wilbur, Dr. B. K.
Wilcox, George H.
Witt, Ewald.
Woodring, Mrs. T. H.

Jl

Sm^i'JZ fuer7&

ARIZON \ JA"V . \l >l I I
CALIFORNI \ I VY. ADUL/1

SAN I A CRUZ J W. AHl I I
I I i)|<| 1 1\ I U Al >l I I

2fttrb=Hore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ of The Audubon Societies

Vol. XXII March— April, 1920 No. 2

A Bird Watcher in France

By DR. HERBERT R. MILLS, Tampa, Florida

FROM August 191 7 until July 1919 it was my fortune to serve as medical
officer with the American Expeditionary Forces, first with the British
Army in Belgium and later with the American First Division in France
and Germany; and during this time I made such bird-notes as my limited
opportunities would permit. In the northeastern part of France, where for
obvious reasons these notes were principally taken, bird-life is fairly abundant,
as far as the small song-birds are concerned and the insectivorous and seed-
eating species, while the larger raptores and water-fowl are notably lacking,
The country is beautiful rolling farm-land cultivated to the ordinary grains,
vegetables, and fruits. Among the carefully groomed fields, meadows, and park-
like woods, the little villages are clustered as closely almost as single farm-
houses are in our country. I do not believe that the average United States
soldier would consider it an exaggeration to call the climate "cool and moist."

I believe that the most conspicuous birds of France are the Crows of several
species, and it was with the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a member of the Crow
family, that I became most intimately acquainted. Rooks are everywhere —
hundreds may be seen feeding in the field at one time, and they nest in the
woodland groves in colonies of thousands; whence it is likely that our word
"rookery" originated. The young are used for food, and about April, when the
nestlings are still in the down, the people resort to the rookeries with climbing
irons and sacks and gather the young from all the accessible nests. The govern-
ment pays a bounty of 25 centimes (5 cents) for young and old birds, so that,
since the French soldier is said to be paid but 25 centimes a day for his services,
I do not wonder that he seeks to augment his meager pay and wartime rations
with this source of food. In the fields, associated with the Rooks, are Crows
(Corvus corone), Hooded Crows (Corvus comix), Jackdaws (Corvus monedula),
and Starlings.

In December, 19 18, on the march of the First Division into Germany, I saw
thousands of Jackdaws swarming to the Moselle Valley every night to roost.
At that season, and in that northern latitude, it is interesting to note that the

78 Bird -Lore

Jackdaw's night began at about 3.30 p.m. During the breeding season they
inhabit cathedral towers, ivy-grown ruins, and fortifications. Their call-note
is very similar to that of our Red-bellied Woodpecker. Magpies {Pica rustica)
are common all over France. Like the Crow (Corvus corone) they nest in
isolated pairs and often place their nests of twigs in the tops of poplars, where
they are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the clumps of mistletoe with
which these trees are so heavily infested. I was surprised one day to see a
Magpie laboring along with a full-grown field-mouse in its bill. In the fall, the
Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) flock to the fields with the Crows and Rooks, but
in mating-time they usually frequent dwelling-places, building their nests
about buildings or in holes in trees. At all times the Starling is a pleasant and
interesting companion, a comical songster, and moreover a bird of useful
habits. It is unfortunate if our prejudice toward him in this country has made
us blind to his many virtues.

In order of abundance the Swallows probably come next. The Swallow
(Hirundo rustica), resembling our Barn Swallow, and the House Martin (Cheli-
don urbica), distinguished by the white upper tail coverts, are by far the most
common representatives of this family. Only once have I seen Sand Martins
{Cotile riparia). This was in September, 1918, near Mont Sec. The Swallows
and House Martins build their mud nests under the eaves of buildings, and I
saw them with young in the nest as late as September 22, 1917. In fact, this
ought to be a good time for insect-eating birds to raise their young in France,
as I have never seen common house flies in such overwhelming millions (except
in Kansas) as they were in France in the early fall.

The Titmouse family is well represented, six species appearing on my list.
The Great Titmouse (Parus major), Blue Titmouse (Parus cceruleus), Marsh
Titmouse (Parus palustris), Coal Titmouse (Parus aler), and the Crested
Titmouse (Parus cristatus) are all very common. The Long-tailed Titmouse
(Acredula rosea) I observed but once and this was last April in the Westerwald
of Germany.

Some of the most attractive birds of Europe are included in the family of
Finches. The beautiful Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), the Goldfinch (Carduclis
elegans), and the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula europea) are named in order of numerical
occurrence as I found them. Of plainer plumage are the Tree Sparrows (Passer
montanus) and the Yellow Hammer or Yellow Bunting (Ember iza citrinella),
both of which are abundant. On April 14, 1918, near Beauvais, I saw the Cirl
bunting for the only time. The House Sparrow (Passer domeslicus) does not
seem as numerous here as with us, and instead of being despised, I found it in
some localities, at least, to be held in rather high esteem. In fact, it is often
encouraged to nest about dwellings by means of special nesting devices resembl-
ing jugs placed under eaves and over doors and windows; and I have seen up to
a dozen of these innocent looking traps on one little cottage. Traps they are,
for as soon as the young are well feathered and ready to leave the nest, they,

A Bird Watcher in France

79

like the young Rooks, are used for food. During the season one pair of
Sparrows will contribute several broods of young toward the food-supply of
their human host.

France has many splendid song-birds. The Robin or Redbreast (Erithacus
rubecula), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) , Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Woodlark
(Alauda arbor ea), and Blackbird are among the best. I am not sure that I heard
the Nightingale, but if I did I will give any of the above a place ahead of him as
a songster. One May night, in Coblenz, Germany, I heard a bird singing which
was said by a native to be the 'nachtigall.'' It sounded like someone blowing a
bird-whistle — the kind in which water is employed to produce the warbling
effect. I think that the famous Skylark is the most gifted songster that I have
ever heard, and to watch him in his ecstasy is to behold one of the most wonder-
ful spectacles of nature. He begins to sing as he takes to the air and continues
to sing without interruption as he mounts, hovers, soars, and, finally, after a
moment or so of this supreme expression of musical exuberance, drops again to
the ground. The song of the Lark is more than a song; it is a musical play and
the sky is his stage. From early March until late summer, from dawn until
dusk, his voice may be heard; even in the driving rain I have watched him sing.

One more especially remarkable bird is the brilliant little Kingfisher (Al-
cedo ispida). The first time I saw him was in September, 191 8, while I was swim-
ming in the River Meuse. It is said that the feathers of this species are used
in the manufacture of artificial fish bait, probably because of some special
lure with which the plumage of this little fisherman is believed to effect his
prey. Swimming, by the way, with the body submerged in the water, is a very
good means by which to observe birds at close range, as they often show no
fear of a human head apparently detached and floating aimlessly about in the
water. Thus I have sometimes been able to encroach within a few feet of beach
birds on the Florida coast, that would, ordinarily, require a high-power field-
glass for satisfactory observation. The method is not original with me, I
having acquired it from an enthusiastic and resourceful bird-watcher of
Knoxville, Tenn.

Space will permit me to mention only the remaining birds of my list,
although the Water Ouzel (Cinculus aquaticus) and the Wryneck (Lynx
torquilla) are as odd and remarkable as their names sound. The others are:
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) ; Song Thrush (Tardus musicus); Wheatear (Saxicola
cenanthe); Whinchat (Pratincola rubetra); Stonechat (Pratincola rubicola);
Redstart (Ruticilla phoenicurus) ; Black Redstart (Ruticilla titys), nest with
young June 8, 1919, located in niche in wall of Casino (Officers' Club) , Coblenz;
Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerea); Goldcrest (Regulus cristatus), very similar to our
Golden-crowned Kinglet; Hedge Sparrow (Accentor modular is) ; Nuthatch (Sitta
cccsia); Wren (Troglodytes parvulus); White Wagtail (Motacilla alba); Pied
Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris) ; Grey Wagtail (Motacilla melanope) ; Red-backed
Shrike (Lanius collurio); Tree-Creeper (Certhia familiaris), almost identical

80 Bird - Lore

with our Brown Creeper; Jay {Garrulus glandarius), a very handsome and noisy
bird with one very characteristic note which sounds like the ripping of a piece
of tough canvas; Crested Lark {Alauda cristata); Black Swift {Cypselus apus);
Cuckoo {Cuculus canorus), its call is a musical 'cuckoo' with the accent and
higher intonation on the first syllable; Barn Owl {Strix flammed); Long-eared
Owl (Asio otus); Kite {Milvus ictinus) — I saw three of these uncommon birds
together near Julvecourt on September 28, 1918, on the march of the First
Division into the Argonne; Kestrel (Tinnunculus alaudarius) nesting in old
Crow's nest, May 7, 1918, one egg; Mallard {Anas boscas); Wood Pigeon
{Columbia palumbus); Turtle Dove {Turtur communis); Pheasant {Phasianus
colchicus); Partridge (Perdix cinerea); Moor Hen {Gallinula chloropus); and
Coot {Fulica atra).

It is interesting in this connection to compare the common English names
of the European birds with those of ours and to note how misleading such names
often are. The Blackbird of Europe is a "blackbird" in size and color of plum-
age perhaps, but the comparison ends there, for otherwise he is a Thrush in
appearance, habits, and song. The Redstart is a representative of the old World
Warblers and is entirely different in markings to our Warbler by this name.
The English Robin, or Redbreast, is a 'Robin' as far as popularity goes, but that
is all. He is, in fact, a small Warbler {Sylviince) with a bubbling, Wren-like
song. Even the crimson throat and breast of this species and the rufous under-
pays of the American Robin are hardly enough alike to be worthy of comparison.
Only the most casual observer would allow himself to be so influenced by the
Sparrow-like markings of the little Warbler {Accentor modularis) as to call it
the Hedge Sparrow. The Tree Sparrows of the two hemispheres are not to be
confused. The Yellow Hammer is a Finch instead of a Woodpecker, and the
Buzzard is a Hawk and not a Vulture. It seems that the early settlers in
naming many of our birds were very careless observers and were guided largely
by slight superficial resemblances with the birds of the mother country, with
which they were familiar. The scientific name is the only exact designation
of a species.

Game-birds are sold in the markets of France, whether legally or not,
I cannot say. In Dijon I have seen Mallards and other Ducks exposed for sale,
and in Nice, last fall, I saw Moor Hens, two species of Rails, and also Song
Thrushes, Blackbirds, Jays, Magpies, and Tree Sparrows. In Marseilles, at the
same time, I saw Thrushes, Skylarks, Goldfinches, and Bullfinches offered for
sale as cage-birds.

With the small birds of the insect-eating class in predominance, and the
birds of prey greatly reduced in numbers, we are not surprised at the results
which this unbalanced condition seems to have caused, namely, a moderation
in the numbers of insect pests and an over-abundance of injurious rodents —
field-mice and moles with which the fields of France abound, and rats which
were one of the scourges of the army. Snakes, another of the natural enemies

A Bird Watcher in France Si

of these pests, are also very scarce. During the entire two years that I was in
the A. E. F. I saw but one snake — a small Colubrine species — and it was dead.
That the remaining raptores, of which the Kestrel is the most numerous, are
making a faithful effort to make up for the thinness of their ranks is evident at
every hand. Pellets of bone and hair, and often of the chitinous parts of in-
sects, are frequently found in the fields, and great quantities of them lie about
the nesting-sites of the Owl, which I take to be the Short-eared Owl. At
Nouart, near Buzancy, I found a pair of Barn Owls occupying a ruined church
tower. Not only was the floor of this tower littered with bushels of 'pellets,'
but there were many dead field-mice lying about uneaten, indicating that the
Owls had continued to kill them even after their hunger had been satisfied.
Two American 75 's had struck this church before the Germans had evacuated
the village, one of them carrying away part of the tower, but the Owls stuck to
their post. It is probable, also, that weasels, which are quite common, exact
some toll from the excess of rodents. With the exception of the fly plague, which
persists for a few weeks in the fall, insects are kept well in check. Part of the
credit for this must go to the birds but some at least is due their more humble
allies, the lizards, toads, and bats with which this land is so richly endowed.

Field Sparrows

By F. N. WHITMAN, Ithaca, N. Y.
With Photographs by the Author

A SLIM Sparrow form, with a caterpillar in its bill, dropping into a bush
in a nearby slough, directed me to its nest, which I found located about
8 inches above the water, under a tuft of tall grass that bent over it.
It was an unusually safe situation. When I drew aside the tall grass, instantly
four young Field Sparrows jumped forth and started paddling away, but a

THE YOUNG COWBIRD CLAIMS HIS SHARE. COMPARE HIS
THAT OF THE YOUNG FIELD SPARROW

;IZE WITH

82

Bird - Lore

STUFFING THE FOOD WELL DOWN" THE YOUNGSTER'S THROAT

Cowbird included in the family with its inherited trust in Providence, was quite
content to remain where it had been well cared for. In contrast to the fairly
well-feathered condition of the young Sparrows, then (June 12) about eight
days old, the foster bird, which was about twice their size, was still in the quill-

V FIELD SPARROW I Will. \ AND (AT Nil S RIGHT V YOUNG COWBIRD
\i:or t ELEVEN DAI S OLD

Field Sparrows

83

feather stage. Once, when I picked it up, its cries attracted the attention of a
female Cowbird, which appeared much disturbed. Having palmed her family
cares off on some other small bird, she apparently nevertheless felt a general
interest in the young of her species.

On the third day after discovering the nest, as I was focusing on the young
birds perched on a stick, the image of one of the old birds appeared on the
screen, and thereafter they showed little concern at my presence, even when

THE FIELD SPARROW'S HOME— BOTH PARENTS AT THE NEST.
YOUNG ABOUT EIGHT DAYS OLD

I stood within arm's reach. Green caterpillars were brought in abundance,
also spiders, grasshoppers, etc., mostly obtained on the ground. Both parents
were kept very busy with four of their own young and a foster Cowbird (which
required double portions) to be cared for. The Sparrows fall and winter diet
of seeds is varied in the spring and summer by one mainly of insects, and the
young are apparently raised entirely on the latter.

During the busy period of raising their young, the Field Sparrows have no
time for singing, but they, together with many other of the Sparrow family,
voice their buoyant spirits well into the fall, and even in November we may
hear their slightly tremulous farewell songs.

No.l

No.2

A Surprised Crow

By VERDI BURTCH, Branchport, N. Y.

TO lure Crows close enough to the barn, from which the Pheasants figured
in the last issue of Bird-Lore were photographed, for a good picture
we nailed several pieces of suet to a board, laid it on the ground and
covered it with snow, leaving the pieces of suet exposed. Then, with C. F.
Stone, I retired to the building, and, with both cameras trained on the suet, we
awaited developments. Soon a Crow came and alighted some 8 to 10 feet from
the suet and approached slowly and with great caution, walking around the
suet and making feints at it. Finally he made a grab for it, and it was at this
instant that we pressed the levers to our cameras, my shutter being released a
fraction of a second before Mr. Stone's. As the Crow struck the suet, he
jumped back, raising his wings, and my camera caught him before he was

*

THE CAUCUS

(84)

A Surprised Crow 85

fairly under way, his tail in the snow and head and feet hidden by his partly
opened wings (Fig. 1). Mr. Stone, however, caught him clear from the ground,
his wings fully extended, head and feet forward, and with a beautiful look of
surprise (Fig. 2). After this he seemed to be satisfied that there was no
danger, for in a few minutes he was calmly pulling the pieces of suet from the
board and eating it, with others of his clan.

An Unusual Horned]Lark Family

By FRANK LEVY

With a Photograph by the Author

IT was in the Calumet region, just south of Chicago, that on May 17,
1918, I first saw the pair of Prairie Horned Larks of which I am writing.
At that time I could find no sign of a nest, although the birds appeared to
be attached to a certain portion of the prairie. This was a dry section bounded
on three sides by swamps at a distance of about 200 feet. It seemed queer to

rmmm

HORNED LARK ABOUT TO FEED

me to see three species of Rails, Coots, Pintails, and Blue-winged Teal within
a short distance of the dry country inhabited by Horned Larks. On May
24, while working the same place, I flushed one of the birds from its nest, and,
upon examining it, I found eight eggs. They were unquestionably all Horned
Lark's eggs, and, to all appearances, from this one pair of birds. As far as I
know, the usual set of eggs is three or four, this being the only exception that
I have heard of.

Two weeks later, on May 31, after we had had two days of violent rain, I
returned to Calumet and found not only that the nest was intact and that all
of the eight eggs had hatched, but that the birds were about five days old.
In fact, some of them kicked themselves out of the nest when I came near and
tried their feeble legs. While I was examining the young birds from a distance of

86 Bird - Lore

not over 3 feet from the nest, I was surprised to see one of the parents approach
and feed the fledglings as though I was not within a short distance of them and
in no way concealed. I could not determine the sex of the adults, but I do know
that they both fed the young ones and with the greatest regularity, about two
minutes elapsing between each visit of the same bird. Thus, at least while I
was there, some of the birds were fed every minute. The parents would circle
about the nest after having found their food and approach on foot on the
opposite side of the nest from where I sat. Usually they flew away from the
nest, and walked up to it on the return trip. The young birds were fed only a
peculiar white object from all sides of which fine, hair-like filaments projected.
They seemed to get this food from the ground all about the nest and usually
moved it around in their bills before feeding it. I could not identify this food
or obtain a sample of it. It is shown in the accompanying photograph, taken
without any concealment, and with the lens within ten inches from the nest.

Migration Group Chart

By S. A. HAUSMAN. Cornell University. Ithaca, N. Y.

THE accompanying chart is designed to show graphically the rather com-
plex relationships of the various migrational groups of birds which occur
within any given area, and was devised to meet the needs of Junior bird
students to whom the intricacies of migrational movements of birds are often
apt to be somewhat of a puzzle.

The dotted area represents any given locality within which there normally
occur at least six well-defined groups of birds: (1) The Permanent Residents
(PR), or those which reside within the area, and do not migrate, at least to
any great degree. Within the permanent resident group are included such birds
as are represented within the area as to species. It is probable, however, that the
individuals which one sees in the winter are not the same ones observed in the
summer. Examples of this group in New York state are the Bob-white, White-
breasted Nuthatch, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. (2) The Spring Migrants
(SM) are those birds which nest to the north of the area, and winter to the south
of it, and pass through the area in the spring. Examples: White-throated
Sparrow, Myrtle Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. (3) The Fall Mi-
grants (FM) are those of the group just mentioned returning to their winter-
ing grounds in the fall. (4) The Summer Residents (SR) are the largest group
and consist of those birds which winter to the south of the area, and return to
it each spring to nest. This group contains the largest number of our best-
known birds, such as the Robin, Bluebird, Phoebe, etc. (5) The Winter Resi-
dents (WR) comprise those birds which nest to the north of the area and come
to us in the fall to spend the winter, such species as the Red-breasted Nuthatch,

Migration Group Chart

87

Bluebill or Scaup Duck, and Herring Gull. (6) The Irregular Visitants (IV)
are those which are not properly members of the avifauna of the area, but
which, apparently, by pure chance or accident, straggle into the area from
time to time. In the northern part of New York state examples of this group
are the Evening Grosbeak and the Cardinal.

It will be noted that, in our latitude, the spring migration is from the south
toward the north in the case of each group, and is represented by the upper

NORTH

- LOCALI TY —

SOUTH

MIGRATION BIRD GROUP CHART

lines of heavy, cross-barred arrows, while the fall migration is in the opposite
direction and is represented by the lower lines of plain-shafted arrows. The
arrows which show the routes of the Irregular Visitants are intended to indicate
that their arrivals and departures are capriciously north, south, east, or west.
For restricted areas where a bird migration record is being kept, such a
chart is very helpful. It can be expanded and space sufficiently large left under
the name of each group to enable the listing there of all the birds belonging to
the group, with the dates of their arrivals and departures.

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET AT HERBARIUM FEEDING STATION
Photographed by Wm. L. G. Edson

Winter Feeding-Stations at Highland Park,
Rochester, N. Y., 1916-17

By W. L. G. EDSON, and R. E. HORSEY

THE winter feeding-stations at Highland Park, Rochester, X. Y., were
continued through the winter of 1916-17, special attention being given
to the Herbarium feeding-station, of which a day's record was kept on
March 5, 1916, and printed in Bird-Lore for September-October of that year.

A window-shelf placed at one of the Herbarium windows gave a chance for
close study and sure identification, with photographs of our most interesting
visitors, the American Crossbill, seven of which arrived January 15 and were
seen almost every day until April 27. They lived only on sunflower seed, both
from the food-shelf and food-hopper. At the end of the season (April 26 and 27)
two White-winged Crossbills visited the food-hopper.

The suet was the attraction for another visitor not recorded last winter,
a Golden-crowned Kinglet, noted all winter.

The Cardinal, an accidental visitor at Rochester, was with us again all
winter, eating sunflower seed. The last one seen here was in 1013-14. It was
recorded in the 'Report from Rochester, X. Y.' on bird-feeding in Bird-Lore
for December, 1914. The value of a feeding-station was proved, for sceptical
persons were soon convinced of this bird's presence here, by spending a few
hours at the stations where food was placed.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch ate quite freely of sunflower seed, while a year
ago we had no record of them doing so. The best result, perhaps, was the nesting

(88)

Winter Feeding-Stations at Highland Park

89

of the Red-breasted Nuthatch in the Highland Park Pinetum, five young being
raised in an Audubon bird-house No. 2, placed for them on an electric wire
pole in the midst of thick hemlocks. The parents and young often come to the
suet to feed. They left the nest on June 28. This is the first record we have
seen of this bird breeding in Monroe County, N. Y.

Of course, the Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker,
Hairy Woodpecker, Tree Sparrows, Brown Creeper, and Pheasants visited the
stations, feeding as reported last year. While last year the Pheasants were fed
in the thick portions of the evergreens, this year a station was established in
the edge of them, where they were watched from the Herbarium windows, as
many as eight being seen at a time, usually in early morning or late afternoon.

The suet is kept out all summer and is much enjoyed by Red-breasted
and White-breasted Nuthatch, Catbird, Robin, Wood Thrush, and Brown
Thrasher.

AMERICAN CROSSBILL AT HERBARIUM FOOD-SHELF
Photographed by R. E. Horsey

The Migration of North American Birds

SECOND SERIES

XII. ARIZONA JAY, CALIFORNIA JAY, AND THEIR ALLIES

Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey
(See Frontispiece)

ARIZONA JAY

The Arizona Jay (Aphelocoma sieberii arizonce) is a subspecies of Sieber's
Jay, of which there are several subspecies in Mexico, but of which only the
present and following form occur in the United States. The Arizona Jay is
practically resident wherever found, and ranges from southeastern Arizona
and southwestern New Mexico south to northeastern Sonora and northern
Chihuahua.

COUCH'S JAY

Couch's Jay (Aphelocoma sieberii couchii) is the other United States race of
Sieber's Jay, and ranges from southern Nuevo Leon northwest through the
Mexican state of Coahuila to just over the United States boundary in the Chisos
Mountains of central western Texas.

FLORIDA JAY

The Florida Jay (Aphelocoma cyanea) is resident, locally, in the peninsula
of Florida, where it inhabits the low scrub south to Fort Myers and Miami
and north to Jacksonville.

CALIFORNIA JAY

The California Jay (Aphelocoma calif ornica) as a species now includes as
subspecies several forms of the genus A phelocoma that were formerly considered
species. It thus has a rather wide geographic range from Washington and
Idaho south to southern Mexico, and from the Pacific coast east to Wyoming and
Texas. All its races, like all the other representatives of the genus, are
strictly resident, and we have, therefore, no migration dates to offer.

The typical California Jay (Aphelocoma calif ornica calif ornica) occurs in
the coast district of central western California, east to the Coast Ranges, north
to the southern side of San Francisco Bay, and south to Santa Barbara and
Ventura counties.

Swarth's Jay (Aphelocoma calif ornica obcleptica) inhabits the coast region
of northern California, east to the Coast Ranges, south to San Francisco Bay,
and north to Wedderburn, southwestern Oregon.

The Long-Tailed Jay (Aphelocoma calif ornica immanis) is confined chiefly
to California and Oregon, ranging north to central southern Oregon and
southwestern Washington, west to the Coast Ranges of Oregon and northern
California, south to the southern Sierra Nevada and south central California,

(90)

The Migration of North American Birds 91

and east to the Sierra Nevada, to northwestern Nevada, central southern
Oregon, and the Cascade Mountains in western Oregon.

Belding's Jay (Aphelocoma calif omica obscura) occupies the coast region
of southwestern California and northern Lower California, north to the San
Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, California south to Santa Ana, Lower
California, at about 290 20' north latitude, and east to the San Bernardino
Mountains, California.

Xantus's Jay (Aphelocoma calif omica hypoleuca) is found in the southern
two-thirds of Lower California, ranging from Cape San Lucas north to Yubay
at about 290 15' north latitude.

The Texas Jay (Aphelocoma calif omica texana) ranges in central and cen-
tral western Texas east to Kerr County, north to Taylor County and the
Davis Mountains, west to the Davis Mountains and the Chinati Mountains,
and south to the Chisos Mountains.

Woodhouse's Jay (Aphelocoma califomica woodhouseii) ranges in the
western United States north to southern Wyoming, southern Idaho, and
southeastern Oregon, west to western Nevada and southeastern California,
south to southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and the northern part of
central western Texas, and east to eastern New Mexico and eastern Colorado.

SANTA CRUZ JAY

The Santa Cruz Jay (Aphelocoma insular is) is resident and confined to Santa
Cruz Island in the Santa Barbara group, California.

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds

FIFTY-SIXTH PAPER
By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

(See Frontispiece)

Arizona Jay (Aphelocoma sieberii arizonce). — In juvenal (nestling) plumage
the entire upperparts are uniform gray, the underparts much as in the adult.
At the postjuvenal molt these slight differences disappear and on its comple-
tion young and old are alike in color. There are no sexual or seasonal differences.

Sieber's Jay ranges over the greater part of the Mexican tableland, some
six forms of it being recognized, of which two enter the United States, the
present, and Couch's Jay.

Florida Jay (Aphelocoma cyanea). In juvenal (nestling) plumage the crown,
nape, and breast-band are sooty instead of blue, the back somewhat darker, the
underparts whiter, and the throat unstreaked ; but these differences disappear
with the postjuvenal molt, when all but the wings and tail-quills are shed;
and thereafter young and old are alike.

The Florida Jay must not be confused with the Florida Blue Jay. The latter

92 Bird - Lore

is a closely related form of our northern Blue Jay, the former is a representa-
tive of the Aphelocoma calif ornica group of Jays of the western United States.
Reference to the plate will show how closely it resembles the California Jay,
nevertheless its range is separated from that of the nearest race of that species
(Texas Jay) by no less than 1,000 miles. The occurrence in south central
Florida of the Burrowing Owl presents a similar and equally puzzling prob-
lem in distribution.

California Jay (Aphelocoma calif ornica calif ornica) . In juvenal (nestling)
plumage the crown and sides of the head are grayish brown, the back somewhat
paler with no tinge of blue, the white line over the eye of the adult is obscure
or almost wanting, the breast-band is faint dusky and the streaked appearance
of the throat is barely suggested. At the post-juvenal molt the tail and wing-
quills are retained, the balance of the plumage molted when the bird acquires
a plumage similar to that of the adult ; and thereafter there is no essential change
in its appearance.

In slightly differentiated forms the California Jay is found throughout the
greater part of the western United States and southward into Mexico. Since
it is non-migratory, only one form may be expected to occur in a given locality,
and the various forms may be better identified by the locality in which they are
found than by the characters on which they are based. The student is there-
fore referred to Dr. Oberholser's statement of the ranges of the various races in
the preceding paper.

Santa Cruz Jay (Aphelocoma insularis). This is a closely related, dark form
of the California Jay inhabiting Santa Cruz Island of the Santa Barbara
group. If its range met that of the mainland form the two would doubtless
intergrade, when the island bird would be ranked as a subspecies, but as the
insularity of the bird's home prevents such contact, and as it is sufficiently
distinct not to intergrade by individual variation, it is ranked as a full species.
Its plumage changes are doubtless similar to those of the California Jay.

$0teg from iftelb anb J>tubp

A Western Bird-Table

Bird-lovers in the East who dread the
appearance of frost and snow would do
well to remember that it is these things
alone that make possible the friendly
intimacy of winter bird-feeding. The
accounts which I read in Bird-Lore bring
back to me chilly remembrance of the
friendly Chickadees, Nuthatches, and
Blue Jays in Wisconsin.

I myself have a bird-table prepared in
my yard, yet though it is placed in a most
inviting situation, under the shelter of a
giant, broad-leaved, red-berried madrona,
not a single bird visits it, nor do I expect
any to come unless we have a fall of snow.
Then for a day or two, or, if the winter
is severe, for a possible two weeks, the
birds fairly swarm to the table, only to
desert it entirely with the coming of the
first 'Chinook.' Perhaps some of you would
be interested in knowing of the birds
that visit a Pacific feed-table. The follow-
ing is my latest list: Oregon Towhee,
Rusty Song Sparrow, Oregon Junco,

Brewer's Blackbird, Western Robin, Varied
Thrush, Red-shafted Flicker, Harris's
Woodpecker, Northwestern Redwing,
Tovvnsend's Sparrow.

I have had as many as four of these
varieties feeding at once: Rusty Song
Sparrows, Oregon Juncos, Varied Thrushes,
and Western Robins, and, at another time,
Oregon Towhees, Oregon Juncos, Varied
Thrushes, and Western Robins.

The Juncos are the first and most
frequent visitors. They fairly swarm about
the table, from twenty-five to one hundred
birds often waiting for their turn. Town-
send's Sparrows are very shy, seldom
more than two or three visiting the table
at once, and easily frightened. The Red-
shafted Flickers and Harris's Woodpeckers
are also shy and come creeping along
the picket fence to the table in a depreciat-
ing, apologetic sort of way. The Western
Robins, though shy, are undoubtedly the
'boss' of the table, driving all other visitors
right and left. I have often seen one of
them after gorging himself sit for half an
hour at a time, keeping all the other

CHICKADEE AND TUFTED TITMOUSE
Photographed by T. L. Hankinson Charleston, 111.

(93)

94

Bird - Lore

birds away, though he did not care to
eat himself.

Next in number to the Juncos are the
beautiful Varied Thrushes. The bright-
colored males are much wilder than the
females, seldom approaching when any-
one is in sight. Among their own kind
they are a very quarrelsome bird, fighting
and squabbling continually. One of the
pleasant features of the Varied Thrushes'
visit is that even in winter they give
voice freely to their unique, vibrant song,
which has a peculiar, most penetrating
effect on a clear frosty morriing.

While the cold and snow drives Town-
send's Sparrows and the Varied Thrushes
from the mountains to settled sections
and villages, it seems to bring the Brew-
er's Blackbirds from the lowlands into the
hills, perhaps for the shelter which the firs
afford. A single female of this species
first visited my table late one winter and
was very tame. Later she returned with
a very shy male, and finally a flock of five
were visiting me, accompanied occasionally
be a female Northwestern Redwing.

The Oregon Towhees seldom visit the
table itself, but are content to eat the
crumbs that fall to the ground, while the
Rusty Song Sparrows divide their atten-
tion about equally between the table and
the ground beneath.

Suet, the standby for bird-feeding in the
East, is rather at a discount here. Apples
and rolled oats are the most favored food,
though a dry cookie, carefully nailed down,
is much relished. If the season is favorable
we may have several of these skits of snow
between December and March, during
which the bird visitors come and feed,
but two or three weeks, altogether, in a
winter is the extreme limit. — Leslie L.
Haskin, Lebanon, Ore.

What Has Become of the Golden-
crowned Kinglet ?

The article on 'The Scarcity of Golden-
crowned Kinglets,' by Francis II. Allen, in
the November-December, 1919, Bird-
Lore, caused me to inspect carefully my
bird-records for the past several years.

I found that the Golden-crowned Kinglet
was one of our most common winter resi-
dents until the hard winter of 1917-18,
when, for the first time in my years of
observation, it failed to stay here; or else
perished because of the severe weather.
It was rarely seen in the spring migration of
19 1 8 and was still far from its old-time
numbers in the fall of that year. Probably
remembering the coldness of the previous
winter, it migrated farther south, although
last winter was exceptionally mild. The
earliest record for this year was March 26.
At only one time did it approach normal
numbers, April 7, the last date it was seen
in the spring. Though it seems to be
wintering here this season, it is very rare,
not over thirty individuals having been
seen since the beginning of the fall migra-
tion. It would be interesting to know how
general this scarcity has been, even in
migrations, in the past two years.

The number of Mockingbirds and
Carolina Wrens, so noticeably lessened
by the winter of 191 7-18, is again normal.
The Carolina forms, as of old, one of the
small group of vigorous winter songsters,
and the Mockingbird kept up its med-
ley in unusual richness until the bitter
days of the December blizzards. — Gordon-
Wilson, Bowling Green, Ky.

Scarcity of Golden-crowned Kinglets

The article by Francis H. Allen, in the
December issue of Bird-Lore, on the scar-
city of the Golden-crowned Kinglets in
Massachusetts, was of interest to me from
the fact that the same condition prevails
here in northern Ohio, and dates from the
same period as Mr. Allen's observations
— the fall of 191 7.

During the year of 191 7 I noted this
species on forty-two different days and
usually in large numbers. During 1918,
I noted them on but ten different days, and
only in small numbers or individual birds.
During igig I have seen them on only six
different dates and only two or three at a
time.

These figures give a correct ratio of the
increased scarcity, I believe, for I have

Notes from Field and Study

95

kept a daily bird record for a number of
years and have spent an equal number of
days afield during each year.

For a week previous to November 2,
191 7, the nights were wet and windy and
such birds as White-throated Sparrows,
Hermit Thrushes, and others that tarry
late in October, were held up from further
migratory movements, so that on this
day, though there was a foot of snow on
the ground, one had the unusual pleasure
of seeing the bushy roadways and wood
borders literally alive with the above-
named birds — and also Fox Sparrows,
Towhees, Rusty Blackbirds, Song Spar-
rows, Myrtle and Palm Warblers. And,
as for Golden-crowned Kinglets, there
were thousands. I walked about six miles
through the snow, and it seemed as if
every dead weed above the snow had a
Kinglet on it, searching for food. During
the spring of 1018, I saw but two indi-
viduals.

The winter of 191 7-18 was an excep-
tionally cold one, but I do not think the
cold alone destroyed the Kinglets (and
other species also, for there has been a
lessening in numbers of certain other
birds). But I have a theory that a certain
kind of storm does take a big toll from the
smaller winter birds. During December,
191 7, on two different occasions, we had a
drop in the thermometer of nearly forty
degrees — each time the mercury stood
above 32 in the evening and at zero in the
morning. This, too, the birds might endure,
but each time it began with a heavy rain
and ended by covering everything with
ice and sleet. One can imagine what
happens to birds that spend the night
protected only by winter weeds, brush, or
evergreen shrubbery, especially when the
wind blows a gale. Their feathers become
soaked, and then freeze during the sudden
fall in temperature.

After the second storm of that December,
a magnificent Bald Eagle was captured
on the beach, his plumage so ice-coated
that he could not fly. This bird was kept
during the winter by the man who made
the capture and then released. Now if
such a storm can put a Bald Eagle hors

de combat, what must it not do to such birds
as Kinglets, Tree Sparrows, Juncos, and
wintering Song Sparrows? — E. A. Doo-
little, Painesville, Ohio.

Evening Grosbeak in Connecticut

It may be of interest to note that yester-
day, December 17, I saw a flock of from
six to eight Evening Grosbeaks. The flock
contained birds with the bright-colored
plumage of the males and also a number of
the duller colored females. This is the
second time I have had the pleasure of
seeing these birds, the other occasion being
in 191 1, when a large flock stayed for
some time in this vicinity. I have heard
Mr. Job in one of his lectures express
regret that although he had been informed
of this large flock of Evening Grosbeaks
on account of business reasons he was
unable to come here and secure photo-
graphs of them. — W. E. Fuller, Norwich,
Conn.

White-winged Crossbill in Brooklyn

I think it will interest readers of Bird-
Lore to know that the writer has had
the extremely good fortune to see a White-
winged Crossbill this fall — and that in the
heart of the city. On October 31 I saw
this rare and interesting bird in the midst
of a flock of House Sparrows about 100
feet from my house.

The bird first attracted my attention
by its white wing-bars and yellow rump
as it flew down to the gutter from a small
tree. I had it within 4 feet of me for
almost 2 minutes, and had a fine oppor-
tunity to scrutinize every mark on it.
The general color was a dull greenish
olive; the underparts were quite gray, and
the back and head mottled with black.
The tips of the mandibles were plainly
crossed. Altogether there could be no
doubt but that it was an adult female
White-winged Crossbill.

When I came back in the afternoon the
bird was not to be found and since then
has not appeared. — Ralph Friedmann,
Brooklyn, N.Y.

96

Bird - Lore

Prairie Horned Larks and Lapland
Longspurs at Ithaca, N. Y.

The winter of 1015-16 was very severe
in this part of New York, and many birds
whose habitat is a more northerly one
spent the winter with us. It was noticed
that the Prairie Horned Larks were here
in great numbers, and since practically
all of their natural food was covered up
by the heavy and successive snowfalls,
a feeding-station was started for them on
a sheltered hillside. The Larks were soon

another. A male would stop feeding, lower
his head, slightly elevate his tail, and then
dart at his nearest neighbor and try to
chase him from the food. Of course this
usually resulted in a fight. While they were
feeding one could almost always hear the
rustling of wings and the sharp, whistled
notes as several of the Larks were settling
their differences. When the food was all
used up, or along toward evening, the
Larks would scatter and find sheltered
places to rest. At such times they were
often seen sitting on stakes and posts in

LAPLAND LONC

coming by tens and even hundreds, and
a quart of feed would barely last an hour.

Almost all of them became quite tame
and moved away but a few feet when one
came to replenish the food-supply. At
such times it was an interesting sight indeed
to see the field dotted with Larks waiting
for their luncheon ! It was an excellent
opportunity for close study, and we found
that we had not only the Prairie Horned
Larks (Olocoris alpestris praticola) but
also several of the Shore Larks (O. alpes-
tris alpestris) that are very rare in this
vicinity, coming regularly to the feeding-
station.

They were very quarrelsome while feed-
ing and were continually rushing at one

the field, and, on one occasion, one perched
on a small tree, a quite unusual thing for
a Horned Lark to do.

The Horned Larks were not to enjoy
this free food all by themselves, however,
for soon Snow Buntings began to come
and mingle with them. They were rather
shy and always stayed on the outskirts of
the noisy Lark-mob, not seeming to
appreciate their rough tactics. When the
Larks were satisfied and moved away from
the food, the Huntings would go in and
help themselves. These birds never be-
came as tame as the Horned Larks and
generally How away on our close approach.

One day, several Sparrow-like birds
were seen at the station, but they flew

Notes from Field and Study

97

away before we could tell what they were.
After they had patronized the food-supply
for several days they became much tamer,
and we were greatly surprised to see that
they were Lapland Longspurs, a very rare
migrant, never having been reported here
before. They stayed with us while the
feeding-station was in operation and were
not so shy as the Buntings, but came right
up and fed with the Larks.

The weather now was becoming warmer,
since this was the latter part of March,
and one day, after the snow had melted
somewhat, only a few Larks, no Snow
Buntings and no Longspurs showed up
for dinner. We thought that they had left
for the north, but that night another snow
came, and the next day Larks, Buntings
and Longspurs, all were back again. But
spring was on its way, and soon bare spots
began to show on the hillsides. The Snow-
flakes and Longspurs left for the north, and
the Horned Larks began to be occupied
with domestic cares. The feeding-station
was deserted. — C. W. Leister, Ithaca,
N. Y.

settled down all around me, and I noticed
their swift, dipping flight like that of the
American Goldfinch, while on the wing.
They remained in the vicinity for some
minutes and then flew off in a bunch over
the corn-shocks toward the distant hills,
with a low, twittering song in unison, as
if the birds were talking to themselves.

It was the first Crossbill of my experience
and the earliest, I believe, to be recorded
in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. All accounts
seem to indicate that it is a winter bird
and that it feeds almost exclusively upon
the seeds of coniferous trees. Does their
early arrival, together with their feeding
upon sunflower seed, indicate a scarcity of
cone seeds in the far north? In this con-
nection it is interesting to inquire, with
Mabel Osgood Wright, "If its beak is a
development to meet food conditions, will
it be gradually modified by the cutting
down of the forests of conifers?" Perhaps
the Crossbill is changing its habits to
meet the changed conditions as a result
of the H. C. of L.— Milo H. Miller,
Pittsburgh, Pa.

American or Red Crossbill at
Pittsburgh

On Saturday, October 25, 1910, I
happened to be with a friend in the sub-
urbs (Brentwood), harvesting some pump-
kins and digging potatoes from my
Victory Garden, when a flock of Red Cross-
bills came chattering overhead and lighted
upon the sunflowers left growing among the
cornstalks and now quite ripe and dry.
There were, perhaps, twenty to twenty-
five of them, both male and female. They
were quite at their ease, and seemed to
be gentle and unsuspicious. There could
be no doubt of their identity, as not only
the dull brick-red of the male, brighter
on the rump and rusty in the middle of the
back, shading to red-gray on the wings,
but the dull olive-green of the females,
as well as the one characteristic mark
alike of both male and female — the crossed
beak — -were plainly discernible at not
over 10 feet distance. They soon took
flight but returned a moment later and

Notes from London, Ont.

As it is several years since any notes
have appeared from London, Ont., the
following unusual occurrences may be of
interest to Bird-Lore readers.

On the afternoon of May 4, 1918, while
hunting through a large field for Bartram's
Sandpiper, we flushed a Short-eared Owl
from one of the low, damp spots. The
bird flew a little way and lit on a stump.
We tried to get closer to it but it flew to
another stump. Finally, it rose into the
air, and, circling higher and higher, was
soon lost to sight in the distance. In the
air it looked like a large Hawk, for which
we would have, no doubt, mistaken it had
we not first seen it on the ground. This
bird may be commoner in our neighbor-
hood than is generally supposed, but if so,
keeps itself well out of the way of the
members of our club.

Just south of the city there is a group
of three small ponds which we hope some
day may be turned into a bird sanctuary.

98

Bird - Lore

In the vicinity of these ponds many of our
most interesting 'finds' are made, and
the summer of 1918 was one of the best
yet experienced. This was probably due
to the fact that one of our members camped
there for some weeks, and each morning
paddled around in a canoe to see what inter-
esting changes had taken place over
night.

On August 8, a Long-billed Marsh Wren
was found, although the location was
rather different from that usually favored
by these birds. It was not seen again.
This is only the third time this Wren has
been reported from our county.

On August 11, a Black-crowned Night
Heron, in the juvenal plumage, was noted.
It remained for several days and was seen
by a few fortunate ones. This bird is
decidedly rare with us.

A family of Least Bitterns, consisting
of the parent birds and four youngsters,
was also located. They made a very pretty
group as they squatted among the willows
along the shore, or walked sedately away
through the bushes to avoid the prying
eyes of those who wished to study them
more closely.

On Oct. 22, 1918, a Barred Owl was
seen, also at the ponds. This is the first
record of the Barred Owl for many years.

On April 19, 1919, an adult Bald Eagle
was observed, and about two weeks later
the nest was discovered in a large button-
wood tree. This is the first time in many
years that the Bald Eagle has nested in
our county. They succeeded in raising
two young, but we heard afterward that
they had both been shot. We can only
hope that the old birds have escaped.

A Carolina Wren spent the summer of
1919 with us, living in the north end of
the city. It was first noted on May 29,
and after that its ringing song could be
heard almost every day. We never learned
whether it had a mate or not.

Previous to 19 19 we had only one record
of the Hudsonian Chickadee. This winter
two specimens have been taken in the
country just north of London, and a third
bird has come into the city and has visited
the food-shelves of several of our members.

It appears on our Christmas Census.
It mixes more or less freely, with the other
Chickadees, but can easily be picked out
of the flock by its more sluggish move-
ments. Is this characteristic of "Hudson-
icus"?

On Dec. 28, 1919, a crisp winter morn-
ing with several inches of snow on the
ground, a White-throated Sparrow was
heard to sing quite merrily several times
from a Norway spruce hedge along one of
our city streets. The occurrence was
reported, and one of our members went
around later in the day and whistled to
it. The White-throat answered quite
readily. These birds will sometimes
brave our Canadian winter, but to hear
one singing with Maytime vigor on a
winter morning, with the thermometer
not far from zero, was decidedly startling.
— C. G. Watson, Secretary Mcllwraith
Ornithological Club.

A Pennsylvania Mocker

It may be of interest to note that a
Mockingbird is wintering in Newtown,
Bucks County, Pa., surviving the cold
weather, no doubt, because of being well
fed and looked after by one or more
members of the Newtown Nature Club.
All the members of this club are endeavor-
ing to feed the winter residents here, but
without much success because of the
Starling which has become a most obnoxi-
ous pest, driving away our native birds,
appropriating the hole nesting-sites, and
even killing birds. Any information re-
garding what is being done about the
Starling in other localities will be grate-
fully appreciated by both the Newtown
and Yardley Nature Clubs. Mrs. C. C.
Peters, Newtown, Pa.

Evening Grosbeak in New Jersey

During the heavy snowstorm of the
first week in February there arrived at
my home in Point Pleasant. Ocean County,
\. J., two Evening Grosbeaks, a male and
a female. This is the first time, to my
knowledge, that these birds have been

Notes from Field and Study

99

seen in this locality, and their occurrence
is doubtless due to the extreme severity
of the winter. Since their arrival they have
been daily visitors, and the male is
extremely approachable, but the female
is wild and cannot be induced to join the
other birds when we feed them.

It is a quite remarkable fact that while
the Cardinals, Fox Sparrows, Song Spar-
rows, Juncos, Pine Finches, Starlings, and
our other regular visitors seem to avoid
the society of the Blue Jay, the Evening
Grosbeak has no such compunction. The
male Grosbeak and a male Blue Jay sat
side by side on the limb of a wild cherry
tree opposite my window for almost an
hour without the slightest sign of battle. —
A. P. Richardson, Point Pleasant, N. J.

Winter Notes from Ames, Iowa

The weather of early December, ioio,
in Iowa, was the most severe that has
been recorded for several years. In many
parts of the state the thermometer hung
around zero for most of this time, and at
Ames on several occasions it recorded more
than 10 degrees below. During this
period most of the state was covered with
a deep blanket of snow, varying in thick-
ness up to 12 inches. Such a severe period
of weather so early in the season has doubt-
less had a modifying effect upon bird mi-
grations, especially upon the movements
of our rarer winter visitants.

A feeding-station maintained at the
writer's house was early besieged with an
unusual number of visitors. The Blue Jay
and Hairy Woodpecker came to a window-
ledge shelf to feed, while male Downies
glutted themselves, unperturbed, only a
few inches away on the outside of the
window-pane. The feeding-station visitors
were much more abundant during the
month of December than during the more
open month of January or the first two
weeks of February.

Brown Creepers have been unusually
abundant this winter at Ames. Out of a
record of 10 species and 144 individuals
for December 25,8 were Brown Creepers;
of 11 species and 186 individuals recorded

on December 28, 5 were Brown Creepers;
of 8 species and 38 individuals reported
for January 25, 5 were Brown Creepers.

A flock of Bohemian Waxwings was
noticed on January 20. They were first
seen feeding on a few thorn-apples left
adhering on a tree just outside of the city
limits. After being observed a few minutes,
the flock flew into the city. At this time
37 birds were counted. The next day the
flock attacked a tree of wild crab-apples
in the same vicinity, but inside the city
limits. The tree was well loaded with
fruits perfectly formed but frozen and
bitter. Here these birds were seen not
only on the 21st, but some of them for
every day thereafter until February 4.
As they continued to feed on these fruits,
some of them became quite tame and
would sit or feed in the tree, even with
the observer only an arm's-length away.
This was true, however, of only a few
birds. Upon near approach, some of them
would always, and most of them would
usually, fly away at the alarm of a leader.
The large flock frequently broke up into
smaller flocks, yet no matter how fre-
quently divided, they would later all get
together in one flock. All birds at first
were averse to feeding near the snow-
covered ground, with the result that by
January 28 the upper and middle branches
were completely robbed of their fruit,
while those near the ground were loaded
and untouched.

On February 4, the flock disappeared,
and not a single Bohemian has been seen
at Ames since. An examination of the
crab-apple tree on the 7th showed that
hardly a single fruit had been left. The
lower branches had shared the fate of the
upper ones and were bare. In this flock,
which contained at one time about 50
individuals, not a single Cedar Waxwing
was observed, and, it may be added, that
Cedar Waxwings have not been recorded
here since January 1.

The white-winged Crossbill was seen
a few times during the winter. On
February 15, Dr. Charles Murray brought
a dead male to the Department of Zoology
for determination. Dr. Murray stated

IOO

Bird - Lore

that the bird, together with two others
not so strongly marked, had been observed
for several days previous.

The Cardinal, which is rare at Ames, was
observed only once, December 28, one
individual being seen. The largest number
of Cardinals ever reported for one trip at
Ames is only 5, which were seen April 20,
iqiq. Conditions for the Cardinal have
been improved here, and it is hoped that
in the future it will become the fairly
common bird that it now is in some other
parts of Iowa. — H. E. Ewing, Ames,
Iowa.

Unusual December Birds at Branch-
port, New York

Although December, 1919, was a
wintry month, with considerable zero
weather, several species of our summer
birds failed to take advantage of the op-
portunity to migrate with others of their
kin.

Between December 16 and 23, I ob-
served a Great Blue Heron braving the
wintry winds out on the ice of Lake
Keuka, while, nearby, a Kingfisher seemed
to be admiring the Heron's stately, one-
legged pose.

An active, noisy Robin is a visitor of
our locust trees, and a Mourning Dove is a
frequent visitor and feeder in a nearby
barnyard.

December 23, about twenty Redwinged
Blackbirds and Cowbirds flew about town.
At the same time the weather was such
that Siskins and Crossbills were numerous,
and great numbers of Snow Buntings
have been here since December 20.

Evening Grosbeaks were reported at
Penn Yan on January 1 by James Fla-
hive, therefore we may expect to have
these aristocratic visitors with us this
winter. — Clarence F. Stone, Branchport,
X. Y.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet

In the November-December (iqiq)
Bird-Lore, page 361, some interesting
data relative to the growing scarcity of

Golden-crowned Kinglet has led me to
review my notes on this species for the
past few years. As a result, I find that
it has become a scarce bird, locally. It is
generally a common migrant and a few
usually winter. However, last fall it was
only seen on three dates, with not more
than half a dozen individuals. I have
taken several long tramps during the
winter, (1919-20), visiting its former winter
haunts, but have failed to find a single
Kinglet.

It was abnormally abundant in the
spring of 191 7 and was very numerous the
succeeding fall and well up into December.
That winter (191 7-18) was the severest
Kentucky has known for many years.
But few Kinglets were seen, after De-
cember, during the winter. During April,
when they are usually so numerous, less
than a dozen individuals were seen. It
would seem that the severe winter of 191 7-
18 is in some measure responsible for the
recent decrease in numbers of this species.
— Ben. J. Blincoe, Bardstown, Ky.

Prairie Chickens in Northern Indiana

Early on the morning of January 19,
1920, I was on a Pennsylvania train east-
ward bound from Goodland, Ind. Just
west of the town of Walcott, a flock of
Prairie Chickens, frightened by the train,
rose near the railway track and flew away
over the snowy fields. As near as I could
count, there were ten birds in the flock.
A half hour later I saw a second flock east
of Monticello. I counted fifteen birds
sitting in a snow-covered grain-field. I
had long thought of the Prairie Chicken as
practically extinct in this part of the
country and was delighted to see so many
in one day — had hardly seen so many,
all told, for twenty years.

I thought, when I saw the birds, that
they were migratory flocks, brought in
by the unusually abundant snowfall in
the Dakotas and in Minnesota, but am
told by our Indiana ornithologists that
they were probably resident birds. Bird
students here say the species does not
migrate. At first I thought them mistaken

Notes from Field and Study

IOI

as I knew the Prairie Chickens were
migratory west of the Mississippi River,
but have since found a statement by the
A. O. U. that these birds do not migrate
east of the Mississippi.

The locality where I saw the Prairie
Chickens is a part of the original prairie
region of the state and near the original
eastern boundary of the species. If they
were really resident birds, it seems certain
that our game-protective measures, to-
gether with an enlightened public opinion,
is surely bringing back this splendid bird
to our Middle Western States. — W. A.
Squires, Gary, Ind.

Bohemian Waxwing in Northern
Steuben County, N. Y.

I am glad to report the occurrence of
the rare Bohemian Waxwing here in
northern Steuben County, N. Y. They
came on the wings of a terrific blizzard on
January 18, and, on the morning of
January 19, I found 24 of the Bohemians
and one Cedar Waxwing feeding on the
abundance of shriveled fruit in our
choke-cherry hedge.

They were so tame that I approached
within 10 feet while they flitted through
the tangle of branches, at times flying
toward me and alighting on the snow to
eat the dried cherries that rattled from
the bushes. During my close observations
the Bohemians ate greedily and scarcely
paid any attention to my presence.

During thirty years of active field bird-
study, this is the first time I have noted
this species. At the time of writing this
(January 19) I can see the Bohemians
from my window. — Clarence F. Stone,
Branchport, N. Y.

King Rail in Winter

It occurs to me that possibly you might
be interested in the occurrence of a King
Rail in the vicinity of New York City in
the winter time.

On February 8, 1920, when walking on
the crusted snow through a small fresh-
water marsh just outside of the city, I

was surprised to start a bird of this species
from a clump of matted reeds. I had a very
good look at it as it ran over the snow,
and there could be no doubt as to its
identity.

On February 12 I again visited this
marsh, and saw the bird. This time it ran
out, as before, from almost underfoot,
but managed, with great apparent effort,
to take to the air. It came down in the
reeds about a hundred feet away, quite
close, as it happened, to a wandering boy
and dog. The dog immediately gave chase,
and the Rail, doubtless weakened by
hunger, did not attempt to fly again.
The Rail was overtaken after it had run
a great race, but we managed to rescue
it uninjured. After a careful examination,
we released it.

Other birds I have observed this winter
and consider unusual are: a Wilson's
Snipe and eight female Red-winged
Blackbirds on January 4; and a male Red-
winged Blackbird, and a male with two
female Rusty Blackbirds on February 12.
— James R. Webb, New York City.

Nonpareil Wintering in Florida

While spending the winter in Daytona,
Fla., there came, several times a day, to a
feeding-station upon the ground, four
female (or immature) Nonpareils, and fed
on the mixed grains kept there. The first
one I saw on February 5, 1919. Not
knowing what it was, I took a book and
turned to the Key for Sparrows, tracing it
at once to the Painted Bunting (female).
I had never seen one before, so hesitated
to name it positively. On my way north
I stopped at Charleston, and there visited
the museum, where I saw good specimens
of the Nonpareil. The female and the
birds I ' saw in Daytona were identical.
I also visited the new museum at Wash-
ington and again verified them.

Several bird-lovers, who had spent many
winters in Daytona, came to see these
birds, and all said they had never seen any
like them. One gentleman (Mr. Stillman
of Plainfield, N. J.) said he was positive
there was no record of a Nonpareil in

102

Bird - Lore

Daytona, and as he was a careful bird
student who had watched the birds there
many years, I thought it might be worth
sending this account.

After a few days two birds appeared, and
six days from the time of seeing the first
bird, there were four beautiful Nonpareils
feeding several times a day. With the
exception of two days of continuous high
wind, we watched the birds daily from the
window from February 5 to March 24,
the last day of their appearance. The green
of the head and back was very bright and
in the sunlight the back took on a really
metallic luster; wings and tail margined
with deep green; under parts greenish
yellow; eye- ring of the same greenish
yellow, very distinct; bill less stout than
many of the Sparrows; seed-eaters. One
of the four was a much brighter green
and looked a trifle larger than the other
three. As they fed on the ground their
green blended perfectly with the green of
the violet leaves.

These birds, visiting this yard at Day-
tona, were no more shy than most of the
other species frequenting the same feed-
ing-station— Hermit Thrush, Thrasher,
Woodpeckers (Red-bellied), Ground Doves,
Cardinals, White-throats, Song Sparrows,
Blue Jays and Mockingbirds. — Mary C.
Dodge, Worcester, Mass.

The Purple Grackles Steal Their Suppers

After a three-day blizzard, on April 12,
1918, I counted 37 Robins feeding in the
schoolyard which in spots had been swept
clean of snow by the wind. Besides these
Robins, there were at least 20 Purple
Grackles and maybe 60 more up in the
pines nearby. The Robins were busy
catching their suppers, which consisted
chiefly of worms, and they seemed rather
successful.

The Grackles weren't doing as well and
looked with envy, at the fat worms the
Robins were pulling out of the ground.
One of the Grackles, seeing a Robin right
next to him pull up a worm, while he
couldn't find any, darted down on the
surprised Robin, who flew away, leaving

his hard-earned prize for the craft}'
Grackle. This Grackle tried the same
trick again, and was equally successful.
Again he tried the trick with the same
results. The other Grackles, getting the
idea, began to try it, and some fifteen of
them glided down from the pines. This
gliding is one achievement in which they
excel. If a dog hadn't run across the school-
yard just then, the Robins would have been
chased off their hunting-grounds, but the
Grackles, as they are frightened by the
least disturbance, flew away. — G. Gill,
Sea ClijJ, N. V.

A Rendezvous of Red-winged Blackbirds

Among other birds the Red-winged
Blackbirds are, this season, more abundant
than ever before about Iowa City. One
of the favorite early-season congregating-
places in this locality is a mud-flat about
100 yards long by 20 yards wide, near the
west bank of the Iowa River, which at
this point is within the city limits of Iowa
City. In the process of its formation
during the past several years, this flat
has become thickly grown up with slender
willow trees, 15 to 20 feet in height. Long,
heavy water grass and rushes thickly
cover the area between the trees.

On Wednesday, April 2, 1919, at 6.40
a.m., before the sun was up, I visited this
place, among others, in my search for
birds. The morning was cool and partly
cloudy, with a light southerly wind. Upon
approaching the willows, the sound pro-
duced by the great flock of singing Black-
birds attacted my attention, and as I
drew nearer it became louder and louder
until, at the very edge of the willow-covered
mud-flat, the noise seemed almost deafen-
ing. The trees, grass, and reeds were
literally black with the birds. Both males
and females were present, and now and
then a mating pair could be observed.

At irregular intervals of from a few
seconds to a minute or more, groups of
from 25 to 100 birds rose in the air and
flew slowly away. At the moment of leav-
ing, the whole flock in the trees and grass
suddenly ceased singing for an instant

Notes from Field and Study

103

and then as suddenly began again. The
sudden and uniform cessation of song at
these periods was particularly noticeable.
It was not until several such groups had
left the willows that any diminution in
the number of those remaining could be
observed, so numerous were the birds.
Judging by the size of these groups which
thus left from time to time, I estimated —
very conservatively, I feel sure — that at
the beginning of my observation more than
5,000 Red-winged Blackbirds were present
on this little willow-covered flat.

By 7.15 a.m. only a few hundred birds
remained. Fewer and fewer of the flock

returned each succeeding evening, so that,
after two or three days following this
observation, only about the normal
number of birds was to be found at any
time in this congregating-place.

No doubt the abundance of Red-winged
Blackbirds, as well as many other of our
common birds, is to be attributed, in
part, at least, to the widespread influence
of the various Audubon and other bird-
protection societies scattered here and
there over the country, as well as to the
dissemination of bird-protection propa-
ganda.— Dayton Stoner, Iowa City,
Iowa.

THE SEASON
XVIII. December 15, 1919 to February 15, 1920

Boston Region. — The winter of 1919-
20 will long be remembered in eastern
Massachusetts as a real, old-fashioned
winter — periods of intense cold alternated
with snowstorms. After January 9, the
ground was covered by an increasingly
deep blanket of snow; twice the tempera-
ture fell to 20 below, and on seven days in
January the thermometer registered below
zero. True to the typical New England
winter, there was a January thaw (on the
27th; Temp. 500) and a blizzard on
February 5.

During this arctic weather we were
visited by many northern birds. Evening
Grosbeaks appeared early in January,
and, two weeks later, Pine Grosbeaks
began to arrive and increased in numbers
until, in mid-February, the flocks were
nearly as large and as numerous as during
the last big flight in 1906-7. These birds
settled at once in the same trees that they
fed in thirteen years ago, so promptly,
indeed, as to suggest that when these
northern birds come yearly (as the Even-
ing Grosbeaks do nowadays), it is their
quick recognition of good feeding-grounds
rather than their memory of special
localities which brings them back to the
same spots year after year.

Pine Siskins and Redpolls have been
numerous all winter, in flocks of fifty
birds or more sometimes, feeding most
often on the seeds of the gray birch. Well-
fruited birches, where these birds con-
gregate, can be recognized at a glance,
for they are soon surrounded by a brown
area, so thickly are the bracts of the cat-
kins scattered on the snow. Many Tree
Sparrows and Goldfinches, and a few
Juncos and Song Sparrows, have wintered
here, and Blue Jays and Chickadees have
been present in normal numbers.

In contrast to the roving flocks of Red-
polls and Siskins, Song Sparrows spend
the winter alone, or, at most, with one or
two companions. Their winter quarters
are always near dense shrubbery, or
perhaps a pile of branches, where they are
sheltered from wintry winds. Even a gale,
filtering through the interstices of such a
thicket, must lose its force when broken
into innumerable draughts of air and
become, toward the interior, progressively
milder until in the midst there is a space
where a bird can find a safe, calm roosting-
place. Our forefathers applied this prin-
ciple when they made their tin lanterns,
punctured with countless, tiny holes.

The ground on which the Bluebirds

104

Bird - Lore

must find their food when they come north
next month is now covered by two feet
and more of the hardest ice and snow. —
Winsor M. Tyler, M.D., Lexington,
Mass.

New York Region. — These two months
cover comparatively unchanging condi-
tions of winter bird-life. Nevertheless,
as is generally recognized, traces of the fall
migratory movement may frequently,
if not always, be observed later than
December 15. Birds are often present at
Christmas time which will be absent later
in the winter; or they may even linger
into the first week of January and then
move on. Also, beginnings of the spring
migratory movement may sometimes be
noted as early as the middle of February.

The present season, a snowstorm on
Christmas Eve ushered several weeks of
white, cold, monotonous winter to the
interior of the west end of Long Island.
During this period the ground was almost
continually, though thinly, snow-covered.
Even the commonest winter birds were
remarkably scarce. An unusually large
flock (about 25) of Meadowlarks was
noticed from the train, January 7, and
as none was seen again during the month,
the species probably left the vicinity about
that date. Beginning ten days later,
came recurrent storms, with general
temperature gradually rising. The some-
what changed conditions were accompanied
by an increase in Tree Sparrows and
Juncos. One or two White-throated
Sparrows appeared at Garden City. Four
Field Sparrows appeared again January
22, in a vacant lot within the town, grown
to tall grass (Andropogon virginicus), when-
half a dozen had been found December 25.

Following a three days' northeaster,
with drifted snowfall the first week in
February, on the 7th a small flight of
Red Crossbills was noted and an increase
of Horned Larks on the 'plains' near
Garden City. February 8, a flock of
about 20 Evening Grosbeaks was reported
at Forest Hills (one, disabled, brought to
the New York Zoological Park from there.
— L. S. Crandall). On the 8th and 12th,

Tree Sparrows had become generally
abundant, Redpolls (Garden City, Feb-
ruary 8 and 14; Forest Hills, February 12)
and Goldfinches, previously absent, ap-
peared scatteringly (3 or less together);
on the 12th, Juncos were up to their usual
number for the first time this winter, and
Horned Larks were found inland at locali-
ties which they ordinarily do not visit.
More remarkable is the presence on that
date of about 15 Snow Buntings and a
Lapland Longspur, feeding with Horned
Larks inland, at Queens.

In short, there was a well-marked late
winter wave of birds, throughout traceable
with reasonable certainty to storms and
snow. In the Field Sparrow and likely
the White-throat, movement was probably
very local, to a sheltered spot in town;
in the case of the Larks, Buntings, and
Longspur (all three of which had been
present earlier in the winter at the ocean
shore 8 to 9 miles south at its nearest
point, and the first two of which only,
in no great numbers, were found by ob-
servers at the shore on this date), there
was more extensive movement, away
from storm tides and coastal exposure;
in the case of the Redpoll, and the Tree
Sparrow as certainly, migration from more
boreal localities.

At expense of a general summary, space
has been given in this report to detailed,
more or less personal, observations in one
section of the New York region, because
fluctuation of winter bird-life was un-
usually well marked and easily traceable.
Not infrequently there is a late winter
movement of uncertain relationship to
the northward movement immediately
following. Storms are to be expected,
with rising temperature after the dead of
winter, but in this case at least the wave
of birds seems to have had no relationship
to a spring movement, unless possibly
species which migrate early, driven out by
the last kick of winter, rebound on its
retreating steps. Even a considerable
flock of Red-winged Blackbirds, February
12 (Englewood, N. J., both sexes. — L.
Griscom), should rather be considered
waifs from more inhospitable territory

The Season

105

than spring arrivals, as also a flock of
11 Cowbirds which visited Bronx Park,
February 5 (preceded by a single female,
February 3, leaving a few emaciated
stragglers, February 10. — L. S. Crandall).
On the afternoon of February 8 the
clear, incisive song of a Meadowlark was
heard, repeatedly ringing out over the
snow at Garden City, though none had been
seen for a full month past. — J. T. Nichols,
New York City.

Philadelphia Region. — An 'old-
fashioned winter' arrived early in Decem-
ber, and, up to this time, February 11,
shows no sign of leaving. There have been
few days this winter that there was not
some snow on the ground. Rainstorms,
ice-storms, hail-storms, and snow have
followed each other in rapid succession.
On February 4 a three-day storm, which
at times assumed the proportions of a
genuine blizzard, came, leaving 8 inches
of snow and hail on the ground, which,
owing to the high wind, drifted to con-
siderable extent, tying up traffic and delay-
ing train service. Seldom, indeed, has a
winter produced more beautiful effects in
so great profusion: Ice-storms when all
nature was wrapped in a diamond-studded
robe, only to be supplanted in a day or so
by a thick blanket of soft, clinging, wet
snow, which, quickly melting under the
bright sun, left all brown and bare for a
short space, then a heavy fog with a
temperature just cold enough to freeze
coating everything with a frosty sheet of
frozen mist.

At Seaside Park, N. J., December 21,
a few days after the first tight freeze,
when Barnegat Bay was found to be
frozen from shore to shore, several flocks
of Canada Geese, about 60 in all, were
noted flying over the Bay, high in the air,
heading south. A dozen Black Ducks
and as many more Scaups were sitting on
thG ice, well out from the shore. These,
together with 200 Herring and Ring-billed
Gulls, also on the ice, were about all the
birds observed on the Bay. A single Snow
Bunting was found on the ocean beach;
in a growth of cedars a Red Crossbill.

Doubtless, the winter has taken a more
than usual toll of bird-life, yet few dead
birds have been found. However, it must
be remembered that such objects are meat
for the starving and do not lie around very
long. It is interesting to discover just
where the hungry host of birds procure
their food under such adverse weather con-
ditions. Starlings and English Sparrows
resort in large numbers to the city dumps.
Tree Sparrows, Juncos, and White-
throated Sparrows, in mixed flocks, seek
the open fields where the tall weeds extend
above the snow. Song Sparrows, singly and
in pairs, are found about the open springs
and streams, gleaning close to the water's
edge. A Purple Finch chirps in a tangle
of honeysuckle, and you discover him
feasting on the dried berries. A Cardinal
looking much out of place in the top of a
tulip poplar, is dining on the few remain-
ing seeds. A Ring-necked Pheasant is
flushed from his breakfast of burdock
seeds, leaving the prickly husks scattered
about on the crusty snow. Groups of
Crows stand and walk about the edge of
the tidal streams, waiting for low water
and a streak of bare mud where food may
be had. On January 11, while watching
a group of winter birds, which in this case
was composed of 4 Brown Creepers, 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch, and 2 Golden-
crowned Kinglets, the Creepers suddenly
changed their usual method of tree-trunk
investigation and flew from one pine-cone
to another, apparently seeking the hiber-
nating insects and larvae lodged there, as
they only chose the old, black, discolored
cones. This may be a common practice
when the birds are working among pines,
but, nevertheless, it is of interest.

The rarer northern Finches continue to
be the most interesting feature of the season.
In addition to those mentioned in the
October and November report, Redpolls
and Evening Grosbeaks have been reported
at several localities, the latter mostly in-
dividual birds at widely separated points.

There appears to be an unusual scarcity
of Winter Wrens, and Northern Shrikes
seem to be entirely absent in this district.

Truly, the descendants of the Rock

io6

Bird - Lore

Pigeon are becoming thoroughly domesti-
cated. A short time ago one was seen to
By up from the street and settle on a pass-
ing electric car; the car continued on down
the street, the bird sitting there with
the utmost unconcern, and it was still
in the same position when lost to view.

On February 9, while crossing the Dela-
ware River on a ferryboat, a Duck Hawk
was observed. This bird darted down after
a Sparrow near the ferry-slip, but tin-
Sparrow escaped by a narrow margin and
ducked into the ferry-house. The Hawk
then turned and flew out to the middle of
the river where it met another Hawk of
the same species. A friendly sparring-
match took place between them, accom-
panied by a series of cackling notes.
Then, as if by mutual agreement, they
flew ofT rapidly up the river toward a grain
elevator, where they dashed into a flock of
Pigeons, with what success could not be
determined as the birds at this time were
too far distant.— Julian K. Potter,
Camden, A'. /.

W VSHINGTON REGION. — Notwithstand-
ing protracted cold weather, the orni-
thological happenings about Washington
during December, 1919, and January,
1920, were little out of the ordinary.
Birds, as a whole, were about as numerous
as usual, but, in spite of the severe winter,
comparatively few of the rarer northern
birds put in an appearance. However,
the Northern Shrike was noted in the
northern part of the city of Washington,
on Jan. 26, 1920, by Dr. G. W. Field, and
the American Crossbill at Mount Vernon,
Va., on Dec. 27, 1919, by Messrs. Wet
more, McAtee, and Preble.

On the other hand, the Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, which is a rare and irregular
winter resident about Washington, was
seen at Mount Vernon, Va., on Dec.
27, Kjio- A Gadwall was reported on
Dec. 27, 1919, also, by the same observers;
a King Rail on Alexander Island, Va.,
Dec. 4, 1919, by Mr. I'.. A. Preble; a Long
billed Marsli Wren along the Anacostia
River, 1 in ember 2 1 and 28, by M r. Fran* is
Harper, are likewise worthy of record.

The European Starling has been fairly
common about Washington and the
neighboring country, appearing in many
places in flocks, and, apparently, is more
numerous than for two or three winters
past. Near Falls Church, Va., on Jan. 25,
1Q20, a flock of 20 was observed by Mr.
W. W. Diehl, eating persimmons. The
birds obtained the fruit by pecking it from
the branches and allowing it to fall, then
flying down and eating it on the ground.

Several thousand Ducks of several
species, mostly Golden-eves and Scaups,
have remained in the Potomac River,
chiefly below Alexandria, during the entire
season, some of them ascending as far as
Washington during the milder weather.
Apparently they are fully as numerous as
they were last winter.

A large roost of Crows in the northern
outskirts of the city, near Brookland, has
been fully occupied during the present
winter, and is probably as large as it has
ever been. It accommodates practically
all the Crows that feed in the vicinity of
Washington and is estimated to contain
at present some 200,000 birds. — Harry C.
Oberholser, Biological Survey, Washing-
ton, D. C.

Kansas City Region. -Unbroken pe-
riods of zero weather of more than a week
or ten days' duration are unusual in this
immediate region. The current period, up
to February 1, has been marked by over
live weeks of almost continuous cold, dur-
ing which time two severe ice-storms
developed, making conditions intolerable
for the less hardy species. The Missouri
River, though at its usual low winter
stage, has fortunately remained open in
tlie main channel, affording congenial
winter quarters for numbers of Merganser^
(at least 40 in Jackson County), -1 Black
Ducks, and a solitary boon. These birds
have been under observation since the
middle of December, and have afforded
ample opportunity to verify the fact that
Mergansers remain mated throughout the
winter. Two Bald Eagles, one an adult
and the other in immature plumage, have
been frequently seen in the same general

The Season

107

region with the water-birds. These are
the first Eagles to appear in this region for
many years. The bottomland thickets and
timbered shelters do not harbor the smaller
birds in their usual winter abundance.
Save for Pine Siskins, Goldfinches, Juncos,
and a few large flocks of Crossbills, the
Fringillidae are represented by stragglers
only.

The event of the winter has been an
unprecedented invasion of Bohemian
Waxwings. One flock of about 175 indi-
viduals, from which four specimens were
taken, was noted in the bluff region of
eastern Jackson County, while flocks
aggregating 600 birds have been reported
from Holt County (Dankers). A species
of no less local rarity, the White-winged
Crossbill, has also been seen on several
occasions. The writer has seen two in a
flock of Crossbills, and others have re-
ported seeing specimens.

The arrival of the Bohemian Waxwings
in early January was coincident with a
noticeable southern movement of Canada
Geese, Meadowlarks, Robins, and Blue-
birds. The birds had no doubt been spend-
ing the winter in the up-river country not
far away. The first Short-eared Owls of the
winter were found during this period.
They, too, had evidently only just moved
in, as their roosting-ground in high grass
was only sparsely littered with pellets. A
few Mourning Doves were found during
the second week of the month making their
headquarters in a small patch of hemp.
Numbers of Siskins and Crossbills were
also feeding on the fat seeds, and there
could hardly have been a sufficient supply
to last this crowd another week.

The first week in February was warm,
and as is usual at this time, when no
storms threaten, the early restless move-
ments of north-bound water-birds was
witnessed. Robins and Bluebirds were
also noticeably more numerous.

The writer confesses to no great famili-
arity with the Grebes, yet this will hardly
serve as an excuse for calling the Horned
Grebe an Eared Grebe, as was done in the
last letter from this point. It should have
been stated there that the former bird had

been added to the local list, and that it
breeds occasionally in Nebraska. — Harry
Harris, Kansas City, Mo.

Minnesota Region. — The two-months
period covered by this report opened on
the morning of December 15 with a
temperature of — io° at Minneapolis and
-24° at Duluth. This weather continued
for several days, with almost daily
or nightly snowfalls. Somewhat milder
weather prevailed during the final week of
December, with two or three days when
the snow melted a little at noon and settled
rapidly under high, dry winds, but the new
year opened with another cold 'snap,'
-12° at Minneapolis on the 1st and
-1 70 on the 2d. The month continued
cold and snowy, with many subzero days,
interrupted only occasionally by warmer,
sunny days, the warmest being on the
29th when a maximum of 380 was recorded
at Minneapolis. February has been con-
tinuously cold thus far, with a temperature
of-180 on the 14th and-190 on the 15th at
Minneapolis. The winter has been steadily
cold, with no very marked January or
February 'thaws,' and yet with no excep-
tionally low temperatures. An unusual
amount of snow has fallen, especially in
the northern part of the state. For this
reason it has been a hard winter for the
birds, particularly the ground-feeding and
weed seed-eating species.

Several of the Museum's correspondents
have commented upon the scarcity of birds
this season, while others seemingly have
considered conditions as to resident species
about normal. On the whole, it would
appear that fewer birds have been noted
than last winter, which, however, was an
exceptionally good year considered from
the observer's standpoint. But, compared
with two years ago (winter of 1917-18).
when all bird-life, including the common-
est species, was at the lowest ebb known
here, there has been a marked improve-
ment.

A notable feature of the winter, in spite
of the continued low temperature and
deep snow, has been the presence in the
state of a considerable number of birds

io8

Bird - Lore

commonly considered as only 'half-hardy.'
Most of the reports of such species have
come from the southern half of the state,
but a few are from localities much farther
north than heretofore recorded. More and
keener observers and a more active
campaign in search of winter bird-notes
may be the real explanation of^^ese
seemingly exceptional occurrences. Brown
Creepers have been present all winter in
the southern half of the state, and O. J.
Murie reports that some individuals of
this species are wintering as far north as
Moorhead, on the Red River of the North,
only a little south of latitude 470. Tree
Sparrows, Juncos, Goldfinches, and Purple
Finches have been reported from the
southern portion of the state; Red-headed
Woodpeckers from Red Wing (Mrs.
Green and Miss Densmore), St. Paul
(Thompson), Cannon Falls (Swanson),
and Rochester (Mrs. MacCarty); Golden-
crowned Kinglets from Martin County
(Dr. Luedtke), and Fillmore County (Dr.
Hvoslef); a Robin at Moorhead, December
12 (Murie), and one at Minneapolis
December 27 (Zeleny); two Flickers at
Moorhead January 8 (Murie); a Rusty
Blackbird at Fosston, far up in the Red
River Valley, January 2 (Miss Torgerson),
and three wintering at Pipestone (Peter-
son); a Red- winged Blackbird at Fosston
January 2 (Miss Torgerson); and Bronzed
Grackles at Duluth, December 18 (Green)
and at Fosston in January (Miss Torger-
son). Cardinals have been wintering at
Red Wing (Miss Densmore), La Crescent
(Whit Harrison), and Lanesboro (Dr.
Hvoslef). It should, perhaps, be stated
that competent observers, though greatly
increased over former years, are still so
few in number and so widely scattered over
Minnesota's more than 84,000 square miles,
that these notes can only be regarded as
fragmentary and merely suggestive of
actual conditions.

Of winter bird visitants only brief
mention will be made here. Goshawks
have been reported from only four locali-
ties. There has, however, been a consider-
able influx of Snowy Owls, as reports
have been received from nineteen stations

in all parts of the state. Of Great Northern
Shrike there are only four records, widely
scattered. An early and extensive incur-
sion of Bohemian Waxwings has been an
interesting feature of the present winter.
In a few places they have remained con-
stantly and been fairly numerous, as at
Moorhead (Murie). Pine Grosbeaks have
been reported several times, none farther
south than Minneapolis. Redpolls, as
usual, have been common all over the
state. Evening Grosbeaks have been
reported from only nine localities, all in
the northern two-thirds of the state.
None have yet appeared in the southern
portion, where they were, in former years,
a frequent and common winter visitant.
At Wadena (Mrs. Bigelow), Staples (Mrs.
Young), and Brainerd (Mrs. Thabes) —
localities near together in the central part
of the state — it has been present for some
time in large flocks. Apparently, the Even-
ing Grosbeak is no longer the regular
visitant in large numbers throughout
Minnesota that it was twenty-five to
thirty years ago. It would appear from
the increasing number of New England
records that the principal southward
movement of the species is now directed
toward the North Atlantic States. The
box elder trees, upon the seeds of which
this Grosbeak feeds so extensively in
winter, and which formerly lined the
streets of most Minnesota cities and
towns, have largely died out or been
removed. But as this tree is here every-
where abundant in the wild state, this
fact should not have any material effect
upon the food-supply, though, possibly, it
would remove from easy observation a
considerable number of the birds and
make them seem scarcer than they really
are. — Thos. S. Roberts, University 0)
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.

Denver Region. — The weather con-
ditions in this region during the past two
months have been exceedingly variable —
extreme cold in December and mild in
much of January and February. There has
been no prolonged condition of deep snow,
and it appears to the writer that with

The Season

109

these circumstances there has been a
scarcity of birds, a scarcity showing itself
more in the number of individuals than in
the number of species.

It would appear that under such mild
conditions, with the scarcity of snow, many
birds can find sustenance almost anywhere
in the outskirts of the city and in the
immediately surrounding country, and
therefore do not come into the city and its
parks as abundantly as they do when
snow covers the low weeds, etc., in the
suburban districts. There has been noted
a somewhat unusual number of Hawk
species. Thus, on Christmas Day, a
Sparrow Hawk, a Prairie Falcon, and a
Richardson Merlin were seen in Denver,
which, together with the presence of Owls,
may help account for the small number of
Juncos, etc., seen in the city. There is no
doubt but that these predaceous birds
were probably also more common in the
territory immediately surrounding Denver.
It is still a source of wonder that Clark's
Crow should remain in the vicinity of
Denver all winter; a pair has been seen
several times in the city since December
15. Both of these birds had very dirty
plumage, probably from the dirt and smoke
of the city; in fact, they looked almost
black, and one identified them, at a dis-
tance, only by their white markings, as
seen in flight, and their characteristic call.
While there is no way of settling the ques-
tion, it seems to the writer that these
Clark's Crows are but a single pair, seen
at different times and in different places.
These birds were last seen in the neigh-
borhood of my house on February 15.

The season now under consideration can
be compared with that of past years by
taking any given day and noting the birds
seen at such a time. The Christmas
Census data collected during the past eight
years will be as representative as that of
any other day of the same period. Thirty-
seven different species have been seen on
Christmas Days of the years 191 2 to 1919
(inclusive). There are 8 species which
have been seen yearly on this day (or have
been present at least 75 per cent of the
days): Ring-necked Pheasant, Orange-

shafted Flicker, Desert Horned Lark,
Magpie, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree
Sparrow, Pink-sided and Gray-headed
Juncos. In other words, one can reasonably
count on seeing these 8 species on almost
any day in the winter-time, in the vicinity
o£,Denver. On the other hand, 14 species
were observed but once on Christmas
Day during these eight years; they are:
Great Blue Heron, Mourning Dove, Marsh
Hawk, Saw-whet Owl, Screech Owl,
Downy and Lewis's Woodpeckers, Long-
crested and Woodhouse Jays, Yellow-
headed Blackbird, Redpoll, Slate-colored
Junco, Brown Creeper, and Townsend's
Solitaire. An examination of this list of
37 species shows that 8 are either un
common at all times or very erratic in
their visitations; these are: Richardson's
Merlin, Saw-whet Owl, Redpoll, Slate-
colored Junco, Brown Creeper, Townsend's
Solitaire, LewisWoodpecker, and Yellow-
headed Blackbird. Furthermore, 3 species,
Great Blue Heron, Mourning Dove, and
Sparrow Hawk, are prone to be here only
during mild winters, and, contrariwise, 2
species are more apt to visit this neighbor-
hood during severe winters, that is to say,
the Redpoll and Cassin's Finch. Seven
others of these 37 species one can possibly
see on any winter day in this area, but,
in truth, it must be said that one might
have to institute a patient search for them
in suitable places in order to be successful;
these are: Marsh Hawk, Prairie Falcon,
Screech Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Song
Sparrow, and Long-crested and Wood-
house Jays. Many others of these 37
species have been observed here in mid-
winter, but on two or three occasions only.
In all probability these birds were present
each year on Christmas Day, but lack of
time or adverse weather conditions, or
both, prevented a search thorough enough
to reveal them. In this list may be included
American Rough-legged Hawk, Long-
eared Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Meadow-
lark, Great Northern Shrike, Shufeldt's,
Mountain, and Grey-headed Juncos, and
Long-tail and Mountain Chickadees.
The 4 species occurring in the greatest
abundance in this season are Red-winged

110

Bird- Lore

Blackbird, Desert Horned Lark, Magpie,
and Tree Sparrow. Of these 4, it can
readily be seen that 3 are residents through-
out the year, and 1 a winter visitor only.
On Christmas Day, 191 2, only 5 species
were seen, due to inclement weather pre-
venting an extended search, while on the
same day, in 1919, [9 species were seen,
notwithstanding that the early part of the
month of December had been extremely
cold. While weather conditions make a
difference in the lists gathered, yet it seems
to the writer that the thoroughness and
extent of search make a greater difference.
One can say from the brief review of this
season's bird-life, during the past few
years, that it was, in 1919, somewhat out
of the ordinary. Thus one learns that of
the 37 species seen during eight years,
seven were noted for the first time; why
this happened to be one cannot say.
Perhaps it was pure luck. This large
number of birds new to that date, together
with the fact that only once before were
as many as 19 species seen on Christmas
Day, gives color to the idea that the
season just passed has been out of
the ordinary. — W. H. Bergtold, Denver,
Colo.

San Francisco Region. — Wintry
weather in the bay region lasted from
Thanksgiving Day until January 9, with
occasional warm days to relieve the
monotony of cold north winds. Unusual
bird records are expected when such cold
visits us, for it means that birds are driven
down from the higher altitudes where the
weather is much more severe. This may
account for the numerous records of
Sierra Crossbills which have been sent in
from Carmel, Pacific Grove, Golden Gate
Park, Berkeley, and other points, as also
for the early flocking of Western Robins
in this vicinity.

All the winter visitants have been noted
this year, with the exception of the Golden-
1. rowned Kinglets, which were surprisingly

abundant during last winter, but seem
to be missing so far this year. In Berkeley,
Juncos, and Pine Siskins have been present
in very large flocks, Bluebirds have been
seen more often than usual, while Pipits,
Varied Robins, Red-breasted Nuthatches,
and Western Winter Wrens have been
quite common. On a certain brushy hill-
side to the south, a little coterie of Western
Gnatcatchers has remained since October,
while farther north a House Wren, more
hardy than most of its tribe, has been
resident for the third winter.

After January 10 the weather was very
mild, so that now (February 1) wild currant
is in full bloom and almond trees, Japanese
quince, and many blossoming shrubs
are radiant with color. The Anna Hum-
mingbird is in fine feather as he buzzes
about these blossoms. He still has them
to himself for a few days until the Allen
and Rufous Hummers arrive to compete
with him for the supply of honey. Many
of the permanent residents are singing
freely. In the canons, California Thrashers,
Titmice, Vigors Wrens. San Francisco
Towhees, Hutton Vireos and Flickers are
all tuning up, while the Meadowlarks make
the open fields resound. The Xuttall
Sparrows are withdrawing from the flocks
of Intermediate Sparrows and sing con-
stantly near last year's nesting-sites.

On Lake Merritt, in Oakland, the Ducks,
Gulls, and Grebes make a wonderful show.
Pintails and Canvasbacks predominate
at this season, the former on the lawns and
the latter on the lake. Baldpates and
Shovellers wander about on the grass like
chickens, while Lesser Scaup and Ruddy
Ducks, Fared Grebes, and Coots add their
forces to those of the Canvasbacks. Golden
Eyes, Bufflehead, and Green-winged Teal
are present also, and many Killdeer feed
along the shore. On Lake Merced, in San
Francisco, a flock of a dozen Whistling
Swans have delighted the hearts of bird-
lovers in this region. -AMELIA 5. Ai.i.kn,
Berkeley) Calif.

2took $eto£ anfci CftebtehwS

Bulletin of the Essex County Orni-
thological Club. Vol. i, No. i, Dec,
iqiq. Salem, Mass. 55 pages; 1 line-
cut.

The Essex County Ornithological Club,
organized April 10, 1916, presents in this,
its first bulletin, a history of the Club,
a record of its regular and field-meet-
ings, together with papers on 'The Identi-
fication of Hawks in the Field' by Charles
\V. Townsend; 'Cooperative Effort in Bird-
Study,' by Arthur A. Osborne; various
notes and an account, by Ralph Lawson,
of 'Thirteen Ipswich River Bird Trips' in
the first of which the Club had its origin.
The story of these party trips bespeaks
the good fellowship born of community of
interests and shows how even an annual
function may work its influence throughout
the year.

The membership roll of the Essex
County Ornithological (why not Bird?)
Club and the record of its activities
indicate that it has before it a long and
useful life.— F. M. C.

The Raptorial Birds of Iowa. By Bert
Heald Bailey, M.S., M.D. Bulletin
Xo. 6, Iowa Geological Survey. Des
Moines, 1918. 238 pages; numerous
maps and illustrations.

The economic status, general habits,
distribution and bibliography of the forty
species and subspecies of Hawks and Owls
recorded from Iowa are here presented
at length. There are photographs of, for
the greater part, excellently mounted
specimens in the Coe College Museum, of
which Dr. Bailey was curator, and maps
recording the distribution in Iowa of the
birds treated. The whole forms an admir-
able monograph of a group of birds of
great economic importance, concerning the
value of which the public cannot be told
too often.

Dr. Bailey unfortunately did not live
to complete the manuscript of this work,
and it was brought to completion and
edited by his colleague, Miss Clementina
Sinclair Spencer. — F. M. C.

(

Bird-Houses and Nesting-Boxes. By
Edward Howe Forbush. Circular Xo.
10, Massachusetts Department of Agri-
culture. 28 pages; numerous illustra-
tions.

Outdoor Bird-Study. Hints for Be-
ginners. By Edward Howe Forbush.
Circular Xo. 12. Massachusetts De-
partment of Agriculture. 51 pages;
numerous illustrations.

Here are two publications of practical
value to students and lovers of birds.
Air. Forbush knows his audience by actual
contact and has in a marked degree the
gift of meeting its wants. We hope that
these two bulletins will have a wide cir-
culation, not only in the state which we
have to thank for them, but throughout
the Union.— F. M. C.

The Birds of Red Deer River, Alberta.
By P. A. Taverner. From 'The Auk;'
xxxvi, iqiq, pages 1-2 1; 248-265;
plls. 4.

The Birds of Shoal Lake, Manitoba.
By P. A. Taverner. 'The Ottawa
Naturalist,' xxxn, 1919 pages 137-144;
157-164; xxxni, iqiq, pages 12-20.

The first of the above-mentioned papers
is based chiefly upon field work between
June 25 and September 26, 191 7, when a
voyage of nearly 200 miles was made by
Mr. Taverner and his assistant, Mr. C. H.
Young, down the Red Deer River. Eleven
camps were established at different places
as bases from which to work the adjoining
territory. There is an excellent descrip-
tion of the region traversed and a well-
annotated list of 194 species.

Mr. Taverner's studies of Shoal Lake
birds were made by himself and Mr. Young
for a short period in the spring and fall of
191 7 and were supplemented by Mr.
Young's observations and collections from
April 23 to October 2, 1918. Access to the
notes, published and unpublished, of other
observers gives a total of 212 species for
the district.

It is difficult for the reviewer to re-
cognize in the photograph on page 139 of
the far-stretching, boulder-strewn shore

in)

112

Bird - Lore

of Shoal Lake in 1917-18, and doubtless
today, any resemblance to the Shoal Lake
he knew in 1901, with a margin of quill-
reeds, so wide that in places one could not
see open water from the shore of the
lake. Since that date, Mr. Taverner writes,
the water in the lake has fallen from 8 to
10 feet and the shallow margins in which
the quill-reeds grew and countless Coots,
Grebes, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds
nested are now "broad reaches white with
alkali crystals." Mr. Taverner adds: "Of
the vast numbers of birds that once
threaded the mazes of the marsh, practi-
cally none remain but the few that are
restricted to the borders of the rapidly
disappearing pools back from the shore."
The transformation is as sad as it is
interesting. — F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines

The Auk. — The first thirty-two pages
of the January number comprise 'In
Memoriam: William Brewster,' by Henry
W. Henshaw, followed by other articles
dealing with Mr. Brewster. His photo-
graph, reproduced as Plate I, is excellent,
and such of the younger ornithologists as
knew Mr. Brewster comparatively little
personally will find interest and inspiration
in the account of his life. A 'William
Brewster Memorial' has been placed in the
hands of the American Ornithologists'
Union, the income from an established
fund of $5, 000 to be used in recognition of
"the most important work relating, in
whole or in part, to the birds of the
Western Hemisphere," with the 'Brewster
Memorial Medal' and an honorarium.
We have here some slight tribute by
American ornithologists to the passing of a
great leader.

In 'Sequestration Notes,' by J. Grinnell,
from observations of the Audubon Warb-
ler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, it is con-
cluded that their call-notes functioned
to keep the birds apart, give each indi-
vidual monopoly in a certain feeding-area,
to the common advantage. Many field
students will call to mind similar observa-
tions, and the conclusion is so logically

drawn as to carry conviction. It may only
be questioned whether such calls, per se,
have special 'sequestration' significance,
<ir whether the ordinary call-note, with a
more general advertisement-identification
significance, has sequestration value in
some cases. At the very least we have here
a tangible hypothesis, a valuable asset in
pursuing the elusive subject of bird-
language. In 'The Occult Senses in Birds,'
H. H. Beck suggests a food-finding (ex-
ample Vultures) and mate-finding sense
similar to the homing sense, already the
subject of so much interesting study and
speculation. There is obvious advantage
in designating certain inexplicable phe-
nomena by these terms until further
analysis of them is possible.

In 'In Memoriam: Lyman Belding'
(illustrated by a photograph, Plate III),
by A. K. Fisher, quotations from a manu-
script autobiographical sketch which Beld-
ing completed shortly before his death,
are of great interest. He was eighty-eight
years old at the time of his death, and his
memories of wild life in the early days
are correspondingly valuable.

There is the usual quota of papers more
or less faunal in nature: from the Cats-
kill Mountains, Cobb (descriptive appre-
ciation of a rich bird country) ; from Texas,
Griscom (critical notes supplementing
earlier published lists); from Colorado,
Lincoln (an annotated list of the birds of
the Clear Creek district); from South
Carolina, Wayne (remarks of interest on
a few species). Farley presents details of
the life of Sanderling and Red-backed
Sandpiper while wintering unusually far
north, at Plymouth. Mass. 'Bachmun's
Warbler breeding in Alabama,' by Ernest
G. Holt, is accompanied by a photograph
of nest and eggs of this rare bird. A
critical stud}' of the races of the Canada
Goose leads J. D. Figgins to suggest thai
a large (canadensis) and small (minima)
species alone be recognized, other speci-
mens to be considered as hybrids. New
spe< Les and subspecies are described by
Cory, a race of the Killdeer breeding
in Peru, by Chapman. We may now con-
sider our Killdeer the northern representa-

Book News and Reviews

"3

tive of a South American bird, which fits
better with its habits than to associate it
with our highly migratory Plovers.
Loomis has a paper on a matter of Petrel
nomenclature. Palmer chronicles the
thirty-seventh meeting of the A. O. U.

In general notes there is the usual variety
of unusual occurrences: S. C. Arthur
reports that a captive Blue-winged Teal,
with the white marking characteristic of
the recently described southern race,
after a time lost this marking by moult.
Miller and Griscom refer to Mourning
Doves breeding in southwestern Maine,
supposed to be Wild Pigeon; an old pigeon-
hunter, in fact, did not credit their identi-
fication of these birds as Doves. R.
Latham recounts an instance of Chimney
Swifts resting in a heavy growth of brush;
one was seen eating elder-berries, but, in
his opinion this was merely incidental,
the spot being used as a roost. W. L.
McAtee presents evidence of birds being
diverted from depredations on fruit by
abundance of periodical cicadas on which
they were feeding. — J. T. N.

The Condor. — Of the eight general
papers in the January number of The
Condor, Mrs. Bailey's 'Return to the
Dakota Lake Region' and Henshaw's
'Autobiographical Notes' are continua-
tions of articles in the previous volume.
The present chapter of the biography
is especially interesting since it reviews
Henshaw's active field-work in Colorado,
Arizona, and California, and his early
acquaintance with Baird, Bendire, Mer-
riam, and Nelson. A brief sketch of
'Edward Garner, a Pioneer Naturalist,'
taxidermist of Quincy, Plumas County,
Calif., is contributed by H. C. Bryant,
who states that Garner's collection of birds
was exhibited at the Panama -Pacific
Exposition in 1915 and is now deposited
in the Quincy High School. Eight of the
specimens which form the basis of impor-
tant local records are specially mentioned.

The 'Importance of the Blind in Bird
Photography,' illustrated by six figures,
is discussed by Frank N. Irving, who gives
directions for the use of beginners in this
branch of field-work. An account of the
'Rusty Song Sparrow in Berkeley and the
Return of Winter Birds' is given by Mrs.
Amelia S. Allen. A Yakutat Fox Sparrow,
which had been banded, left on April 21,
evidently to spend the summer in Alaska,
but returned to the same spot in Berkeley
on November 3, thus furnishing another
interesting record of the habit of certain
birds to return to the same place after a
long migration. 'A Peculiar Feeding
Habit of Grebes,' is described by Wetmore
who has found quantities of feathers in
the stomachs of these birds. He suggests
that the habit of swallowing feathers is
developed mainly in species which feed
on fish, and that the feathers "act as
strainers that prevent the passage of
bones and scales into the intestine until
they have been properly digested."

In 'Notes on the Limicolae of Southern
British Columbia,' Allan Brooks lists
38 species that have been recorded from
this region and makes a plea for more
attention to this group of birds, which
promises much in advancing our present
knowledge of the distribution and migra-
tion of several species. A 'Description of
a New Otocoris from California' is given
by H. C. Oberholser, who bases the new
form {Otocoris alpestris sierra) on a speci-
men collected by A. S. Bunnell, June 13,
1906, at the head of Pine Creek in Lassen
County.

Among the brief notes are four remark-
able records of Clark's Nutcracker show-
ing the occurrence in 1919 of this moun-
tain-loving species near Indio, below sea-
level on the Colorado Desert, in October,
on board a steamer at sea between Los
Angeles and San Francisco in September,
and at Carmel and Point Pinos, in Mont-
erey County, in November. — T. S. P.

li4

Bird - Lore

2Mrb=1Lore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Contributing Editor, MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published April 1. 1920 No. 1

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Price in the United States, one dollar and fiftv cents a year;
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cents,
postage paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in t be Busb Is Worth Two in the Hand

Recent experiences have impressed
us anew with the vagueness with which
most people see birds. This is due to hasty,
inadequate, and careless observation, to
ignorance of what may be called the
topography of a bird, to a lack of training
in the art of seeing things accurately and
in detail, and to the difficulty with which
most birds may be studied at short range.

It is, of course, the last reason which
has prevented birds from becoming more
widely known. But it is the very elusive-
ness of birds which makes bird-study so
fascinating. They appeal not only to
our desire to know, but to our inherent
love of the chase. Surely no bird student
who has experienced the thrill of follow-
ing strange calls and songs would ever
want to pursue his study in an aviary!

With some exceptions, therefore, we
may accept the shyness of birds as a
lasting characteristic and we may accept
it also as a characteristic which demands
care and patience on the part of the field-
student if he hopes for success. In this
fact, indeed, we have no small part of the
educational value of bird-study, even when
bird-study means merely naming birds
out of doors.

This study should, when possible, be
preceded by a sufficiently detailed examina-
tion of the bird to enable one to become
familiar with the meaning of the terms
which are used in descriptive ornithology.
'Wing- bars,' 'primaries,' 'secondaries,'
'coverts,' 'back,' 'rump,' 'breast,' 'crown,'

'flanks' 'shoulder,' 'bend of the wing,' etc.,
should all become definite terms convey-
ing an exact meaning. Failing access to
specimens, to Pigeons, or even Chickens
in the flesh, examine carefully the dia-
grams of birds which are given in most
bird books. How can one hope to describe
a bird with any degree of exactness if one
is neither familiar with the proper descrip-
tive terms nor knows how to apply them?
Simply because we know that a bird has a
head, body, wings, tail, and feet, it does
not follow that we are prepared to describe
accurately its color-pattern any more than
we could accurately describe an airplane
because we know that it has planes, an
engine and fusilage.

Definite knowledge of the plan of a bird
is a great aid to correct observation in
nature. With such knowledge we shall be
far less likely to describe the male Red-
winged Blackbird as 'red-breasted,' to
say that a Flicker has a white back, or a
Myrtle Warbler a yellow breast, while the
blue birds with red heads, green wings and
pink tails would become nearly, if not
quite, extinct !

But beyond all this is needed that care
and patience in looking at a bird which
permits one to write a fairly detailed
description of it, or, far better, draw and
color an outline of it. This, it is true,
cannot always be done, but, as we have
said, therein lies half the charm of the
study of birds in nature. Certainly no
one would care to pluck birds as he would
blossoms !

After the above was written it was dis-
covered that Dr. Allen, in the immediately
succeeding pages, had also taken for his
text the subject of accuracy of observation
in the study of birds. Prompted by his
experience as a teacher, he dwells not only
on the importance of accurate observing
in naming birds in nature, but also upon its
value in training one to see other things
as well as birds. "It is not sufficient,''
he writes, "that the child's eyes be opened;
it is necessar\ that they be trained to see,"
and if. through an interest in birds, this
end can be achieved, then, indeed, is
the pupil doubly fortunate.

Cfje Bububon J>octette*

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN. Ph.D.

Address all communications relative to the work of thi9
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE BIRDS

From the whole field of nature one can select no more engaging study than
that of bird-migration. The brilliant colors of birds, their sweet songs and
their interesting habits please us and invite to further study, but the mystery
that enshrouds their travels will always hold us fascinated. The strange calls
from the clouds by night, the passage of the well-formed flocks of Ducks and
Geese by day, the flash of new wings through the garden, and the sound of
familiar voices each spring inspire us to marvel at the power and precision of
the guiding sense that draws birds back each year to their homes of the previous
summer. Every August the Bobolink, leaving the fields of the northern states,
travels 5,000 miles to the pampas of Brazil and, on schedule time, comes back
the following May and hovers over the same fields and alights on the same
fence-posts.

It is not surprising that this phase of bird-study has fascinated mankind,
and that governments employ scientists to study and investigate it, and that
thousands of people, scientists and laymen, spend much time following the
birds in an effort to learn their secret. The sport of bird-study never grows old;
it never grows monotonous; and grown-ups join with the children in the
competition to see the first Robin, the first Bluebird, and the first of each
species in its turn. The return of the birds in the spring takes thousands of
people into the woods and fields to enjoy nature and affords to many the
inspiration for keeping a journal of passing events. The accurate recording of
one's observations is something to be greatly encoilraged, and many a fine
trait in man and woman develops from such a habit started in school. The
majority of school children will doubtless never continue their studies of birds
far enough to add much of value to the volume of ornithological knowledge,
but this is no reason why they should not receive the benefits to be derived from
learning to observe accurately. They should, therefore, be encouraged in every
way to follow the return of the birds from day to day and to record their
observations on some form of a bird-calendar. Incidentally, the teacher will
find that the keeping of a bird-calendar in the schoolroom is one of the sim-
plest and most profitable ways of stimulating bird-study, and it is the object
of these paragraphs to suggest ideas for their use.

There is a feeling among some people that mere interest in birds is sufficient
to lead a child to all the benefits that can be derived from their study. While

("5)

16 Bird -Lore

it is true that the child's interest is the primary and essential thing to awaken
him and open the door to a great storehouse of pleasure and resource, this
interest can well be utilized by the teacher to inculcate the most fundamental
of all teachings, accuracy of observation. It is not sufficient that the child's
eyes be opened; it is necessary that they be trained to see. The man who sees
accurately understands what he sees, and makes a success of life instead of a
failure. A judicious use of a bird-calendar, with emphasis laid upon the accuracy
of the records, will not only arouse interest in bird-study and maintain it, but
also will give to the children a most vital training. It is a matter of common
knowledge that the active imagination of a child will lead him to see almost
anything that he is expected to see or wishes to see without any intentional
dishonesty on his part. As a result, he often reports impossible observations
of birds out of season or birds not found in the locality, and, unless the teacher
is circumspect, these observations are given equal value on the bird-calendar
with more commonplace but correct observations. It should not be necessary
for a teacher to know all of the birds himself or the proper time of arrival of
all of them before starting a bird-calendar in his school. What is important is
that he should cultivate an attitude of accuracy himself and impress the chil-
dren with the need of it. Many a fine bird-calendar has fallen short of its full
usefulness because the teacher has not dared to question the children's obser-
vations and has allowed inaccurate reports, intentional and unintentional,
to appear upon it.

There are available, for most localities, local lists of the birds known to be
found in that part of the country. Many of these local lists give the average date
of arrival of each bird. If a teacher can refer to such a list he can quickly tell
whether a child's record is improbable and question him accordingly. The train-
ing which a child receives in this way may do more good than the calendar
itself, for not only will it impress him with the value of careful observation,
but it will also impress him with one of the greatest marvels of migration,
the accuracy of the spring arrival of each species of bird year after year.

DIRECTIONS FOR KEEPING A BIRD-CALENDAR

For the use of individuals wishing to keep a full record of their observations
throughout the season and from year to year, the method employed by Dr.
Chapman and described on page 10 of his 'Handbook of Birds of Eastern
North America' cannot be improved upon. At Cornell, in addition to keeping
individual records of this kind, we maintain a 'Bird-Chart,' which is essentially
the same as a roll-book spread out, upon which the observations of all who
cooperate are recorded. It is made of profile paper and covers a wall-board
about 9 feet long and 4 feet wide. At the left are three vertical columns for the
names of the birds, the names of the discoverers, and the localities where they
were first seen. The remainder of the chart is divided into squares so that there

The Audubon Societies

117

REDSTART
First seen By whom

Where Next seen

are 365 of them following the name of each bird to receive the daily records.

For convenience the chart is ruled into weekly columns and a rider is used

bearing the names of the birds to facilitate the entry of records. The chart is

long enough vertically to receive the names of about 200 birds which is the

average number reported each year. This chart system, which was started

nearly fifteen years ago by Dr. A. H. Wright, has always stimulated a great

deal of interest among students, and has resulted in a great deal of valuable

information which is of easy

reference. For ordinary school- BIRD CALENDAR

room use, however, such a chart

is too cumbersome and is much

more elaborate than necessary,

but the main features of it

should be retained.

There are three main types
of calendars that have proved
successful for school use, that
the editor is familiar with, and
there may be others equally
good which he has not seen and
which he would like to hear
about. In all three there are at
least four vertical columns : The
first for the name of the bird;
the second for the name of the
discoverer; the third for the
place where it was seen ; and the
fourth for the date when it was
first seen. In order to verify the
first record, it is well to keep
the second record also, so that
if too great discrepancy occur
between the first record and
the average date of arrival, the
second date can be retained
instead. The calendar would
be of still greater value if a
record were kept of when the bird became common, when it began to nest,
and when it was last seen, but, for most school calendars, the first four or
five items are sufficient.

The three types of calendars differ primarily in their decorations: Some
teachers prefer to have but a single competition in the drawing-class to select
the design for the calendar, and this usually results in one such as here illus-

[HP.
ML

/9tZ\

To^v^.

A GOOD TYPE OF BIRD CALENDAR
FOR THE SCHOOL

It permits of coordination between the drawing and
nature work, and preserves the records from year to year
to inspire each class of children. When the bird is first
seen, the card should either be made or brought out of the
cupboard, and the entry made. It should then be hung in
a conspicuous place.

n8 Bird - Lore

trated, with the birds at the top of a sheet and all of the observations beneath.
Other teachers find time for considerable drawing and try to have each bird
that is seen illustrated. Often the child who sees the bird is permitted to make

'"\-"i

- i

...'■' "r \ . . J'

^«< -iv*-.Ai..*»w+i\'t\.e-",' 1 r -

i

<

f

^

■1

A PAGE FROM THE SECOND TYPE OF BIRD-CALENDAR HERE EVERY BIRD [S
FIG1 RED AS SOON As IT Is SEEN, THUS COORDINATING AKI AND NAT! RE \\okk

the illustration, which is then cut out and pasted in the margin opposite its
name. This requires a very large card, and often several of them. The method
which seems most attractive to the writer is to have a separate sheet for each
bird upon which the observations for several years can be kept. As often as a
new bird is studied and drawn, the best drawing should be saved for the bird-

The Audubon Societies 119

calendar. Perhaps but few of the birds are illustrated the first year, but those
that are serve as inspiration for the next year's class to surpass them. As
soon as a bird is reported, its card should be brought forth, the date, authority
and locality added, and then it should be hung up in a conspicuous place.
Perhaps the class will like to improve upon the picture, and the competition
which results will stimulate the drawing lesson, while the presence of the names
of the boys and girls in the last year's class who first observed the birds the
previous year will stimulate them to greater observation out of doors.

Whichever type of calendar is employed, it should always be borne in mind
that quality is better than quantity, and that accuracy is of prime importance.
The calendar should be started before the birds begin to come back in the spring,
so that it will include the winter residents. The nearer the first of January it is
begun the better, though it may be started at any time. The children must
learn to recognize that certain birds are with us throughout the year (permanent
residents), others merely spend the winter in a given locality and nest farther
north (winter residents), while the majority spend the winter in the South and
either nest with us during the summer (summer residents) or pass through on
their way to a more northern nesting-ground (transient visitants). The last
two classes are the ones that make the keeping of a calendar so interesting,
because of the accuracy of their arrival in the spring, but the first two must not
be forgotten.

If a teacher will read any of the numerous accounts of bird-migration that
have appeared, such as that in the introduction to Dr. Chapman's 'Handbook
of Birds of Eastern North America,' or the paper by W. W. Cooke on 'Bird
Migration,' published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, or the little
book entitled 'The Travels of Birds' by Dr. Chapman, he will be able to make
the study of bird-migration and the bird-calendars much more interesting.
For the benefit of those who are unable to refer to a more complete account,
the following summary prepared by the writer for the American Forestry
Magazine may prove useful.

THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS

When the high tide of the spring migration comes, it is about the middle of May and
nearly three months have passed since the first Horned Larks started northward over
snow-covered fields. The March Robin brings forth its crowd of admirers, the call of
the Bluebird draws a response from others, but when every hedgerow and thicket
resounds with musical voices, and even the trees of the city streets flash with brilliant
Warblers, everyone likes to stop and listen and notice the unusual number of birds.
We cannot help wondering whence have come these little wanderers, where they are
going, and what is the meaning of their journeys. In great waves they come from the
South, flood us with beauty and song for a few days, and then pass on. Wave after
wave passes over us during the course of the month, until June arrives, when the last
immature birds hasten on to their nesting-ground and leave us with only our summer
birds until the fall migration shall bring them back once more.

A little observation from year to year shows us that these May birds are extremely

120

Bird - Lore

regular in their appearance and disappearance. One can soon learn just when to expect
each species, and, if the weather is normal, it will arrive on the day set. The earlier birds,
such as the Robin, Bluebird, Blackbird, Canada Geese, Meadowlark, and Mourning
Dove, which come during March, are much less regular because of the idiosyncrasies of

the weather. If there were no such thing as
weather, if food were always equally abun-
dant and if there were one great level plain
from the Amazon to the Great Slave Lake,
the birds would swing back and forth as
regularly as a pendulum and cross a given
point at exactly the same time every year. For
this migrating instinct is closely associated
with the enlargement and reduction ef the
reproductive organs, a physiological cycle
which, under normal conditions, is just as
regular as the pulsing of the heart and records
time as accurately as a clock. With most
species the organs of mature birds begin to
enlarge before those of birds hatched the
preceding year, and those of the males before
those of the females. Because of this, the
male birds arrive first and are followed by the
females and later by the immature birds.
With some species, like the Robin, Bluebird,
and Phoebe, there is very little difference in
the time of arrival, but in the case of the
Red-winged Blackbird, often a period of two
weeks, or even a month, intervenes. This
may be a wise provision of nature to secure
a nesting-area that will not be overcrowded,
for once the male has established himself — and
it is often at the same spot year after year —
he drives away all other males from the vici-
nity, awaiting the arrival of the females, and
particularly his mate of the previous year.
But with the later migrants, such as the shore-birds, that have a long way to go, the
females usually arrive with the males, and, with some species, courting takes place en
route and they arrive at the breeding-ground fully mated and ready to nest.

The early migrants are those that have spent the winter entirely within the United
States. This is true of all the March birds in the northern states, but, during the last
of the month, the first birds from the West Indies and Mexico begin to arrive in the
southern states. About the middle of April, many of the birds that have wintered still
further south begin to arrive, including the Swallows, the Spotted Sandpipers, the Black
and White Warbler and the Water-Thrush. The last of April and first of May brings
even to the northern states the initial wave of birds from Central America, and perhaps
even northern South America, and about the middle of this month, when occurs the
height of the migration, thousands of tiny Warblers, Yireos, and Flycatchers that have
been wintering on the slopes of the Andes or the pampas of Brazil, are winging their
way overhead to Labrador, Hudson Hay, and Alaska. The shortest route which one
of the last to arrive, the Blackpoll Warbler, may traverse is ,^,500 miles, while those
which nest in Alaska travel over 5,000 miles. Some of the shore birds, which bring up
the close of the migration in late May or early June, have undoubtedly < ome from Chile,

THE SCREECH OWL A PERMANENT
RESIDENT

The Audubon Societies

121

or even from Patagonia, and the}- still have several thousand miles to go, so that, before
they reach their nesting-grounds again, they will have traveled 16,000 miles since leaving
in the fall. The 'champion long-distance migrant' of them all, however, is the Arctic
Tern, the extremes of whose nesting and wintering ranges are 11,000 miles apart, so
that they have to travel 22,000 miles each year.

This constrains us to wonder how these tiny wayfarers are able to travel such trem-
endous distances and still return so accurately to their homes. That many of them do
this has been proved by placing aluminum bands on their legs, so that they can be
recognized from year to year. Not only has this been demonstrated, but it has likewise
been shown, in the same way, that many birds spend the winter in exactly the same
place year after year.

At one time it was thought that they followed well-marked highways in the moun-
tains, rivers, and coast-lines, surveyed, as it were, by their ancestors and unfailingly
followed by all descendants. But now it is believed that these highways are followed
only so far as they afford abundant food, and when the
food-supply lies in some other direction, they are regard-
lessly abandoned. What is it, then, that guides them mile
after mile in their flights, flights made mostly under the
cover of darkness, and often at altitudes varying from
2,000 to 5,000 feet above the earth? A sense of direc-
tion, it is now called, an instinct for recording directions
as accurately as a compass, which we, having only so
crudely developed in ourselves, are at a loss to under-
stand; an instinct which permits birds to travel north,
south, east, or west and not lose their bearings. For the
migration route of most birds is not directly north and
south, and many preface their southerly journeys by long
flights directly east or west. The Bobolinks and Vireos
of the northwestern states, for example, leave the country
by way of Florida or the Gulf Coast, and first fly directly
east to the Mississippi Valley, to join the others of their
kinds before starting southeasterly. The White-winged
Scoters, which nest about the lakes of central Canada,
upon the completion of their nesting duties, fly directly
east and west to the Atlantic and Pacific where they
winter. Some Herons preface their migrations by long
flights, even to the north, so that occasionally Little Blue
Herons and Egrets are found in the northern states during August and September.

With birds that travel such enormous distances, it is interesting to note their rate
of advance. While it is possible for birds to travel great distances without a rest, as
witnessed by the fall flights of the Turnstone from Alaska to Hawaii, or of the Golden
Plover from Labrador to northern South America, distances of over 2,000 miles across
the open sea, they do not ordinarily progress far in single flights. The spring advance of
the Robin, for example, averages only 13 miles a day from Louisiana to southern Minne-
sota. The rate increases gradually to 31 miles a day in southern Canada, 52 miles per day
by the time it reaches central Canada, and a maximum of 70 miles a day when it reaches
Alaska. It should not be inferred from this that each Robin does not ever migrate less
than 13 or more than 70 miles a day. Probably they often fly more than a hundred or
two hundred miles in a single flight, as do, undoubtedly, many of the smaller birds, but
after each flight they dally about their resting-place for several days before starting on
again, and this brings down the' general rate of advance.

The rate of speed at which birds travel is rather difficult to estimate, except in the

MIGRATION OF THE

ARCTIC TERN (From Cooke)

The extreme summer and winter

homes are 11,000 miles apart

122

Bird - Lore

Homing Pigeons, which can be timed from one place to another, or in the Ducks and

Geese, whose conspicuous -flocks, traveling high over cities and towns, can be easily

followed. The championship speed for
Homing Pigeons has been recorded as
55 miles an hour for a period of four
hours. A Great Blue Heron has been
timed by a motorcyclist keeping directly
below it and found to be 35 miles an
hour. A flock of migrating Geese has
been found to be traveling at a speed
of 44.3 miles per hour and a flock of
Ducks at 47.8 miles. The speed of
smaller birds is usually less, although
when they mount high in the air and
start on their migratory flight, they
doubtless fly faster than the birds one
so often passes flying parallel to a pas-
senger train or a suburban car.

The vast majority of birds migrate
during the night; some migrate both
by day and by night; others only by
day. The latter are, for the most part,
birds that find their food in the open
and can feed as they travel. Such are
the Robin, the Kingbird, and the Swal-
lows. Other birds like the Sparrows,
Vireos, Warblers, and marsh birds,
that find their food among the trees
or in dense vegetation, migrate entirely
by night. The necessity for this is

shown when they arrive at the Gulf of Mexico or other large body of water where it is

impossible to get food of any kind. If they started early in the morning, so as to be

across by night, they would not be able to get

much food before starting, and by the time they

reached the other side, it would be dark and

again impossible to feed. Thus an interval of

thirty-six hours would elapse without food, a

period that might result disastrously for many

birds because of their high rate of metabolism.

If, however, they spend the day feeding and

migrate by night, their crops are full when they

start, and, when they arrive at the other side,

it is daylight and they can begin immediately

to glean their living.

During these night migrations birds are

attracted by any bright, steady light, and every

year hundreds and thousands dash themselves

to death against lighthouses, high monuments,

and buildings. When the torch in the Bartholdi

Statue of Liberty was kept lighted, as many as

700 birds in a month were picked up at its base.

On some of the English lighthouses, where bird

THE BOBOLINK NEAR ITS NEST WITH
FOOL FOR ITS YOUNG

MIGRATION OF THE BOBOLINK
The Bobolink summers in the northern

states and winters chiefly in northern

Argentina. (From Cooke.)

The Audubon Societies

123

destruction was formerly enormous, 'bird-ladders' have been constructed, forming a
sort of lattice below the light where the birds can rest instead of fluttering out their
lives against the glass. Again, in crossing large bodies of water, birds are often over-
taken by storms, and as their plumage becomes water-soaked, they are beaten down to
the waves and drowned. Sometimes thousands of birds are killed by a single storm.
But, of course, the vast majority of birds sweep on and arrive at their destinations in
safety.

And so, if one steps out on a cloudy night, when the birds are migrating low to escape
flying through the moisture-laden clouds, he will hear their strange calls, only faintly
resembling their familiar daytime notes. Then he can picture to himself the thousands
of winged travelers returning from a sojourn in the tropics and pushing on through the
black night, guided by an innate sense of direction straight to their old homes. Then he
can think over the past ages through which this migrating habit has evolved to the days
when all North America basked in a tropical sun and birds darted among the palms and
tree ferns without ever a thought of
leaving the homes of their forefathers.
Then one can picture to oneself the
coming of the ice age and the destruction
of all the life that could not adapt itself
to the changed conditions or flee before
them. One sees the birds pushed gradu-
ally to the south, encroaching upon those
already there. One understands the
crowding that must have ensued, and
how these birds spread northward again
as the glaciers receded, only to be pushed
back once more by the coming of winter.
One contemplates how, with the with-
drawal of the ice and the evolution of the
seasons, these migrations, by repetition
through the ages, became permanent
habits or instincts; and, with the ensuing
modifications in the contour of the con-
tinent, and the changes in the location
of the food-supply, many variations
developed in the migration route of each
species which seem inexplicable today.

One pictures these things to himself; one understands a little better the great mystery
of the bird's life; and, perhaps, one appreciates somewhat more fully the presence in our
thickets and gardens of these songsters, whose lives are ever one series of hardships and
dangers, and yet which, withal, are so expressive of the happiness and joy to be derived
from nature.

QUESTIONS

1. Name five birds that are permanent residents in your locality.

2. Name ten birds that are summer residents.

3. Name ten birds that are transient visitants.

4. Name five birds that are winter visitants.

5. What is the earliest date of arrival of the Robin in your locality? The Bluebird?
The Phoebe? The Red-winged Blackbird? The Canada Goose? The Bobolink? The
Baltimore Oriole? The Scarlet Tanager?

6. Why do some birds return earlier than others in the spring?

A BANDED HOUSE WREN
By marking birds with aluminum bands it has
been proven not only that many come back to the
same place each year, but also that they winter in
the same locality year after year.

124 Bird -Lore

7. How manj- different kinds of birds have you seen in one day? When was this
and why did you see more on this particular day?

8. Which birds are the most regular in their return from year to year and why?

9. Do you keep a record of all the birds you see every year? What kind of a record
book do you have?

10. Do you have a bird-calendar in the school every year? How many birds were
seen last year?

11. What is the largest number of birds you have seen in a year? How many
different birds do you know?

12. Do you know if the male or the female bird comes back first in the spring in the
cases of the Robin, the Bluebird, the Red-winged Blackbird, the Baltimore Oriole, and
the Scarlet Tanager?

13. Do all birds sing as soon as they come back in the spring, or do some of them
wait until the females arrive?

14. Are the first Robins you see in the spring the ones that nest in your vicinity,
or do they go on farther north and your birds come later? Are all birds alike in this
respect?

15. Do birds return to the same place to nest year after year or are their places taken
by others of the same kind?

FROM YOUNG OBSERVERS

AN INTERESTING RECORD

I am sending a set of answers to some of the questions on page 386 of Bird-
Lore for November-December, 1919.

1. I have a list of twenty-five species recorded since December 20. The
majority of them are permanent residents.

2. I know of what the food of a large portion of them consists.

LIST OF WINTER BIRDS

i. English Sparrow; P. R.; food, oats and other grains found about the
barn; roosts under eaves or in sheds.

2. Harris' Sparrows; W. V.; feeds chiefly on weed seeds; roosts in bushes.

3. Slate-colored Juncos; W. V.; food, seeds (as near as I can tell) ; roosts in
deep weeds.

4. Chickadees; W. V.; feeds from the bark of tree on insect pests.

5. Cardinals; P. R. I cannot be sure of his food but it is partially com-
posed of wild winter fruits, such as hackberry and huckleberry.

6. Red-bellied Woodpecker; P. R.; feeds from walnut tree-boring pests
chiefly, but often is seen on sycamore or dead trees.

7. Hairy Woodpecker; P. R.; this is a rare bird here and I cannot be
sure of his food.

8. Hermit Thrush; W. V.; feeds from the worms in horseweed stalks;
roosts near the ground in thickets.

9. Field Sparrow; P. R.

The Audubon Societies 125

10. Blue Jay; P. R.; roosts in tree-tops.

11. American Robin; P. R.; feeds from the sumac bushes or other wild
berries, during a thaw from the slough banks as a Plover; roosts in thickets.

12. Northern Flicker; P. R.; wood-boring insects, chiefly from dead wood.

13. Swamp Sparrows; W. V.; roosts in deep, thick grass.

14. Downy Woodpecker; P. R.; feeds chiefly on boring insects in the small
limbs of trees, in brush or even in weed stalks.

15. Bob-white; P. R.; its food consists of seed picked from, on or near
the ground; roosts on the ground in thickets.

16. Bluebird; P.R.

17. American Rough-legged Hawk; W.V.; food, Bob-white, (?), Blue Jays
(?), rabbits and rats; roosts in tall trees.

18. American Crow; P.R.; food, corn, poultry (?) and carrion; roosts in
large colonies in trees.

19. Red-tailed Hawk; W. V.

20. Meadowlark; P.R. (more abundant in winter; rare in summer); feeds
on grass seeds; roosts on the ground in low grass.

21. Carolina Wren; W.V.

22. Tufted Titmouse; rare P.R., abundant W.V.; feeds to a large extent
on insects from the bark of trees.

23. Northern Shrike; W.V.; food, Sparrows chiefly.

24. Towhee; W.V.

25. Red-headed Woodpecker; P. R.; feeds on boring pests from post oak
trees (chiefly).

3. In the case of the Flicker, Robin, Blue Jay, and Bluebird they migrate,
although permanent residents in this locality. In each of these cases there is
an interval when no birds are seen between the summer and winter birds.

4. Our smaller birds are usually found in creek-bottoms or near ponds
while the larger ones roam about over large areas. All birds are not alike in
this respect; for instance, one pair of Blue Jays is always found near a slough
while another pair roams over a section of land.

9. The track of a Crow has the broad toes in front and one behind without
a deep impression made by the tarsus. That of a Pheasant is as a chicken's,
only shorter. The tarsus leaves a noticeable print which the hind toe does not
show. The Sparrow has a long hind toe and three front ones. The hind toe of
the Lark is not so long.

10. See Q. 2. — Theodore R. Beard, Sapulpa, Okla.

[Here is a record of observations that can well be emulated. How many boys and
girls are there that can do as well for their locality? As soon as you have introduced
yourself to a bird by learning its name, there are numberless observations to make on its
habits before you really know it. Does everyone agree that the hind toe of the Lark
is shorter than that of the Sparrow? — A. A. A.]

THE GROUND DOVE

By T. GILBERT PEARSON

Che .National association of Hubuuon Societies

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 101

A dainty little pedestrian is the Ground Dove. One may meet it almost
anywhere, in the gardens, fields, or the quiet streets of Florida towns. Its legs
are very short and it moves with elevated tail and a queer bobbing of the
head, but with a grace and dignity that are both quaint and very charming.
It is the smallest member of the Pigeon family in North America, measuring
6*4 inches from bill-tip to tail-tip.

Unlike the Inca Doves of Texas and the Southwest, they never sit with
others on a wayside limb, like a row of little brown dummies, and unlike the
Mourning Dove they seem never to gather in large flocks. Rarely are as
many as eight or ten seen at a time, and when this happens the birds are
usually brought together by their common interest in an abundant food supply.
Usually they are seen in pairs, although in the mating season it is no uncom-
mon sight to see three together.

The note of the Ground Dove is a soft, cooing, mournful sound, which in
many localities has given it the name of 'Mourning Dove.' The call, often
repeated, issuing from the depths of an orange tree or the sheltered limb of a
live oak, is one of the characteristic bird-notes that is borne to one's ears in
that subtropical land.

The gentle nature and appealing appearance of the Ground Dove have an
unusual effect on the mind of the average Florida negro. To him this is one
bird that should not be molested. I have often been warned by dusky field
hands of the risk one would run should he harm a Ground Dove. These eager
hunters, who will unhesitatingly shoot Meadowlarks, Flickers, Robins, or other
birds that may chance to come within their range, are loth to fire on this semi-
sacred bird. To their minds it is certainly 'bad luck' to kill one.

The Ground Dove's food consists largely of small seeds which it gathers
in the garden, on the lawn, by the roadside, in the field, and other places where
weeds or grasses are found. Naturally many insects are also picked up in their
travels, particularly in the spring and summer. Small wild berries also are
consumed. So far as known they never adversely affect the interests of man-
kind, even in the slightest degree, and wherever found they are protected by
statute and by the still stronger law of public sentiment.

Although a terrestrial bird when feeding, it does not hesitate to light upon
fences, trees, and buildings. Often they may be seen sitting on the tops of
barns, farmhouses, or dwellings in the towns, and from these elevated perches
they send forth their gentle cooing notes which the world may hear and enjoy.

(126)

The Ground Dove

127

We are accustomed to think of Doves as being birds of peace. The Ground
Dove is by no means one of the species that may believe in 'peace at any price.'
Unhesitatingly he will attack one of his kind, or even a Mockingbird, Brown
Thrasher, or other feathered neighbor that may seek to take his food. His
soft bill does not make much of a weapon, and he seems to rely mainly on the
stroke of his wing to disconcert his opponent.

NEST AND EGGS OF THE MEXICAN GROUND DOVE IN MESQUITE BUSH
Photographed by William L. and Irene Finley, Tucson, Ariz.

In my experience, when a brooding bird is approached it leaves the nest
suddenly and nutters away. Occasionally an individual is found that declines
to expose her treasures without an argument. As the inquiring hand comes
close to the nest, she does not strike with her bill, nor even indulge in loud
scolding, but with ruffled feathers raises her wings in a threatening attitude,
as if she would crush the offending fingers if they came too close. Surely a
puny, hopeless bit of resistance; nevertheless it shows that a stout heart
throbs within the feathered breast of the little mother.

There is no bird in the United States that to my knowledge breeds over so
long a period of the year as does the Ground Dove. In my experience with
these birds in Florida, I have found their nests occupying varying situations

128 Bird -Lore

during different seasons of the year. Thus on February 28 and March 3 I have
found nests located on the tops of partially decayed stumps of pine trees, only
about 2 feet from the ground. Later in the season I have seen numerous nests
placed on the ground, usually in fields of weeds or in standing grain. Fields of
oats seem to be especially favored with their presence during midsummer.
Late in July, August, and on to the latter part of September, I have found
their nests on horizontal limbs of large orange trees, on the level fronds of
palms, and on the cross-bars or rails, so commonly used for supports of the
widespreading scuppernong grape-vines.

Wherever placed the nest is composed chiefly of grasses with perhaps a few
twigs or rootlets. It must have a support, for it is entirely too frail a structure
to withstand the destructive forces of the winds and rains, if placed in the
crotch of a bush. Two elliptical-shaped pure white eggs are laid — never more.

In flight the Ground Dove usually keeps near the ground when flying
across open fields, only rising to clear shrubbery, trees, or buildings. Ordi-
narily it does not proceed over 100 yards before again alighting. In fact it
seems strongly attached to the immediate neighborhood in which it lives. On
some occasions, however, I have noticed its flight prolonged to what seemed an
unusual extent. For example, during June, 1918, while lying becalmed on the
yacht, 'Seafoam,' at Sara Sota, Fla., these birds were very frequently noticed
as they passed over the town and out over the bay at least a mile to a neighbor-
ing island. To make this journey they had to fly quarteringly across a breeze
so strong that no captain of any vessel in the harbor cared to face it. Yet the
Ground Doves flew back and forth between the town and the island, appa-
rently without hesitation.

In traveling along the sandy roads through the pine barrens in Florida, it
is no uncommon sight to come upon a pair of these little birds dusting them-
selves. They scratch out little hollows and lie in them, sometimes on one side,
then on another, kicking and fluttering, and causing the warm sand to trickle
down through their feathers, much as does a Bob- White in similar surroundings.

I have spoken of the Ground Dove only as occurring in Florida. It is found
also in Georgia and South Carolina. Over these states its range seems to be
confined almost entirely to the immediate vicinity of the coast and outlying
islands. Its extreme northern natural limit may be said to be eastern North
Carolina. It likewise occurs along the Gulf Coast, but in very limited numbers,
ordinarily not beyond New Orleans.

Further west we meet with the very closely allied species known as the
Mexican Ground Dove. The birds are very similar, and practiced indeed
must be the eye that can distinguish them. The Mexican Ground Dove is
found in the southwestern tier of states and down through Mexico to Central
America.

In speaking of the nesting habits of the Mexican Ground Dove, in Arizona,
William L. Finley, writing in Bird-Lore for May-June, 1915, says:

The Ground Dove 129

"One finds a great deal of difference in the individuality of birds. Two
pairs of Ground Doves, whose nests we found, were very shy; but at a third
nest we discovered that we were able to move the camera up within 10 or
12 feet without frightening away the brooding parent. After it had stood there
a little while, we slowly moved it to within 4 or 5 feet. Instead of leaving her
home, the Dove raised her wings and spread her tail in anger. She gave a fine,
intense, whining note, as she struck at us with her soft bill. We annoyed her
to the extreme by putting a finger up to the edge of the nest, and finally stroked
her feathers. Then she seemed to realize that we had no intention of harming
her, and let us take as many pictures as we wished."

It is one of the laws of nature that most birds that spend their lives largely
on the ground are subjected to so many natural enemies that it is necessary
for them to lay a large number of eggs in order to keep up the race. Thus a
Ruffed Grouse lays from six to ten, a Wild Turkey from eight to fourteen, and
the Bob- White all the way from a dozen to eighteen or even twenty. Yet the
Ground Dove is able to hold its numbers against its enemies by laying only two
eggs. How this is possible has not been fully explained. It certainly indicates
that the little Dove is well able to take care of itself. Among its enemies are
snakes, and numerous mammals, such as skunks, opossums, and foxes. Many
are annually caught by domestic and semi-domestic cats, for no matter how
well the average cat is fed it will seize a bird if it has the opportunity.

On one occasion I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk suddenly drop into an open
field and seize a Ground Dove, but, fortunately for the Dove, it escaped before
the Hawk had flown more than 50 feet with its victim. The Dove was out of
sight in a little oak bush before the numerous feathers that the Hawk had
dislodged had drifted to the earth. Walking over to see if the bird was much
injured I was surprised to see another Dove rise on the wing at a spot which
appeared to be not over 4 feet from where its companion had been seized.
As the Hawk had not observed me when it flew away, it is evident it had seen
only one Dove, the other probably escaping detection by the wise expedient
of lying motionless when sudden danger came upon it.

Cfje Hutmfcon ^octettes!

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T. GILBERT PEARSON, Secretary

Address all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

William Dutcher, President
Frederic A. Lucas, Acting President T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary

Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer

Samuel T. Carter, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome.

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership
$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership
$1,000 constitutes a person a Patron
$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder
$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated,), of the City of New York.

SUMMER RECREATION-SCHOOL OF NATURE-STUDY

Three years ago the generosity of
Charles M. Ams, Esq., of New York City,
placed at the disposal of this Association
the use of his great private estate at Ams-
ton, in eastern Connecticut, comprising
several square miles of ideal country for
birds and game, and a large sightly lake.
This has been made an Experiment Station
and Wild-Life Sanctuary of the Associa-
tion, a model game-farm and demonstra-
tion point. Last season this game-farm
produced over $4,000 worth of game-birds,
and afforded great pleasure to writers and
students. In conjunction with this there
has developed a very successful Recrea-
tion School of Nature-Study and Nature-
Lovers' Colony, with students and visitors
from all over the United States andCanada.

For 1920 the whole program and plan
is to be materially broadened. From the
middle of May and through June there
will be informal watching of the bird mi-
gration, finding of nests, with plate and
motion-picture photography, also special
experimentation in new methods of rear-
ing young Ruffed Grouse, Wood Ducks,
and other species. Well-known ornitholo-
gists plan to be in attendance.

From July 3 to 23 will be held the first

term of the regular Summer School, with
studies as follows, always from the popular
standpoint, and never in a way to be dry
or burdensome: — Knowing Wild Birds
Afield; Attracting Birds and the Rudi-
ments of Game-Breeding Methods; Nature
Photography, Plate and Motion Pictures,
Including Making and Coloring Prints and
Lantern-Slides — the above being taught
by Herbert K. Job. Also instruction in
school methods for teachers will be given
by Miss Helen D. Wise, of Washington,
D. C, specialist in nature-work in normal
and other schools, — including planning of
nature courses for various grades, what
lessons to give and how to give them, on
birds, flowers, insects, shells, etc. There
will also be illustrated evening lectures by
visiting specialists, exhibitions of lantern-
slides and motion pictures of bird-life,
also field- and lake-excursions, picnic
suppers at the lake, aquatic sports, and
informal musicals.

The second term will be from July 24 to
August 13. There will be a special course
in practical game-farming, to prepare men
or women to breed and raise game-birds
and wild-fowl for pleasure or profit. The
above counes will be continued further

(130)

The Audubon Societies

J31

for those who wish to remain throughout,
or repeated for newcomers. Further even-
ing lectures will be given, and recreational
and social features will be especially em-
phasized.

Rooms may be secured at Amston Inn
or adjacent cottages or camps, with meals
at the Inn. The Audubon House is a social
headquarters of the Association, and has

quite a complete collection of bird speci-
mens, a working Nature library, and other
exhibits. Amston is 10 miles west of Willi-
mantic, and everything is within walking
distance of the railway station.

Circulars with full details and terms will
be mailed to all who inquire. Write to the
Director, Herbert K. Job, West Haven,
Conn., or to our New York office.

EGRET PROTECTION IN THE SOUTHERN STATES

A brighter day is dawning for the per-
secuted Egrets of the United States, now
confined almost entirely to the southeastern
states. It is generally conceded that but
for the efforts of this Association, the large
Egret and the little Snowy Egret would
have become almost, if not entirely, extinct
by this time in Florida, Georgia, and the
Carolinas.

It has been a long, uphill fight for many
years to raise funds and secure good agents
to guard the few remaining nesting colonies
of these birds. We have had practically
no help under the state laws. Florida has
no state game-warden system. The assist-
ance of the United States Government has,
heretofore, been very meager. More funds
having become available, the Biological
Survey has entered upon a definite policy
of putting some of their agents actively in
the field to apprehend and prosecute those
who kill these birds. As these lines are
written several of its agents are in Florida,

which certainly means that much will be
accomplished. Last year the Government's
agents made a seizure of plumes at Miami
and conducted a successful prosecution,
which was well advertised throughout the
state. A few more legal actions of this
kind will have a most salutary effect on
the movements of the plume-hunters.
* It is confidently expected that the mem-
bers and friends of the Association will
continue to make it possible for us to em-
ploy as complete a series of guards for the
Egret colonies as it is possible to procure,
and with the active and hearty cooperation
of the Government, which is now actually
in operation, there seems no reason why
the Egrets should not again increase and
be brought back to their old haunts much
in the same way that the Gulls and Terns
along our eastern coastline have been
restored through the legislative, educa-
tional, and warden work of this Associa-
tion.

AN INTERESTING LETTER

The following letter, written March 4,
1920, has been received from E. W. Nelson,
Chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey:

"Dear Mr. Pearson: It will interest you
to know that a few days ago Pacetti, with
United States Game Wardens, Farnham
and Birsch, arrested William B. Macken-
son, of Kissemmee, and found in his posses-
sion the plumes of one hundred large and
small Egrets in addition to those of other
Herons, which were estimated locally to
be valued at $12,000. Mr. Mackenson was
promptly taken into court, tried, and fined

$250 and the plumes confiscated. As you
have formerly advised me he is an
old offender in Florida and we are greatly
pleased to have been able to capture him.
I hope that our wardens may be able to
get other plumers before the season is
over.

"United State6 Warden Smith, at Nor-
folk, recently seized a wagon-load of Ducks
and Geese which he found illegally held in
a number of cold storage plants in that
place. He was instructed to turn these over
to the naval and other hospitals in that

1.32

Bird - Lore

city. Many similar cases are being con-
stantly reported.

"Yesterday the hearing over the consti-
tutionality of the Migratory Bird Law took
place and several of us went to the Supreme
Court and heard the arguments. I am very

confident that the court will decide that
the law is constitutional but, of course,
nothing will be known until they report
on the case, which may possibly be about
June, when the court adjourns for the
season."

BIOLOGICAL SURVEY NEWS BULLETIN

The Bureau of Biological Survey of the
United States Department of Agriculture
is now issuing a monthly mimeographed
bulletin, containing items. of news in con-
nection with the Bureau's activities. The
February issue, for example, contains
many notices of the work of the members
of the office and field staff. Reference is
made to the special undertakings in which
they have been engaged, the lectures they
have given, etc.

Reports on the work of the destruction
of predatory animals and rodents, and the

enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty
and Lacy Acts form a very interesting por-
tion of the bulletin. There are also notes
on the mammal- and bird-reservations
under the care of the Government. A list
of the publications which the Biological
Survey has for general distribution is given
and also a directory containing the names
and addresses of the field staff of the Sur-
vey. Altogether it is an extremely interest-
ing bulletin for anyone engaged in ana-
phase of the work of the conservation of
America's wild-life.

NEW TREATIES PROPOSED

From the Hon. John H. Wallace, Jr.,
Commissioner of Conservation in the state
of Alabama, it is learned that on Feb. 7,
1920, the United States Senate agreed to
Senator Bankhead's resolution (Senate
Resolution 56) seeking conventions be-
tween the United States and certain
Latin-American republics for the protec-
tion of migratory birds. This resolution
requests the President to propose to such
countries treaties for the protection of
birds which, in the course of annual flight,
pass through or from the United States
and temporarily sojourn in the countries
of Mexico and Central and South America.

This action has been undertaken in view
of the success attained under the provisions
of the Migratory Bird Treaty between the
United States and England regarding the
birds that pass between Canada and the
United States.

Mr. Wallace has taken the initiative in
this matter, being chairman of a com-
mittee appointed by the International
Association of Came Wardens and Com-
missioners for the purpose of pressing the
subject. All those interested in the con-
servation of wild life will follow with in-
terest this further undertaking for the
protection of America's wild-bird life.

'bluebird/ a live publication

One of the brightest, most informing, and
up In dale publications on conservation of
wild life issued in this, or any other
country, is the monthly magazine, Bluebird

as it has been appearing <>f late.

This publication was first started on
April 15, 1 9 10, by Dr. Eugene Swope of

Cincinnati. Under the title of Nature <uiJ
Culture it ran through live volumes. In
October, 1913, it appeared with the name
Bluebird. After completing Volume VII
with the number issued in September, 191 5,
Dr. Swope disposed of the magazine to
Mrs. Elizabeth C. T. Miller, of Cleveland,

The Audubon Societies

i33

who since that date has published it for
the Cleveland Birdlovers' Association.

Mrs. Miller is a very public-spirited
woman and most energetic in working for
matters looking to the public good. She
became so engrossed in important matters
in connection with war-relief that begin-
ning with the May, iqiq, number she
associated with the magazine Miss
Georgia M. Bowen as associate editor.
Miss Bowen has had the time and ability

to give much added vitality to the maga-
zine. She has a wonderful faculty for gath-
ering current information on topics of con-
servation and presenting them most enter-
tainingly. With such an associate there is
no wonder that the Bluebird under Mrs.
Miller's support and direction has come to
be one of the most valuable publications
that reaches the office of the National
Association. We hope for it a continually
increasing circle of readers.

REPORT FROM BANGOR

The Bird Conservation Club of Bangor,
Maine, has just completed its fifth year.
During this period we have had 1 20 names
on our roll, four of whom are honorary
members. These have all given interesting
papers at our meetings, which occur on the
second Wednesday in each month. One of
the members has a very extended collec-
tion of mounted birds, bird skins, eggs, and
nests. It is the most valuable collection
now in our state.

We have one life member, who has always
been most generous in financial help to
the Club. Our membership dues having
been placed at so small an amount to
enable anyone to become a member who
has the interest to do so, we are sometimes
dependent upon other resources for extra
work.

In 1916 we placed forty-eight cloth
posters, warning against bird shooting,
and fourteen nesting-houses. Twenty
evergreen trees were set out in the city
parks. In 19 17 fifty-seven more evergreen
trees were placed for the shelter of birds
in winter. Many bird-houses have been
put up by the Club, and by members near
their homes. Some houses, which were
donated by the schoolchildren were
erected in parks and cemeteries. Suet and
other food has been placed by the Club
Committee and by individual members
whenever it seemed needed.

The Club has become a member of the
National Association of Audubon Societies
and keeps in touch with the National work
by reading Bird-Lore. A contribution
was sent for the 'Roosevelt Memorial

Fountain.' We have exchanged circulars
with other clubs and we have received
many letters of inquiry regarding the
work, and many gratifying remarks of
appreciation.

We have sent letters and telegrams to
our Senators regarding the 'Migratory
Bird Law' at critical moments. Last year
we placed a large glass cabinet of mounted
birds in the children's room of our Pub-
lic Library, these birds having come tc
their death by accident. This wintei
we are planning to place another like
it in the same room, hoping it may
help to interest and instruct the children
in bird-life.

Many delightful outings have been en-
joyed each year, often through the cour-
teous invitation of members, several of
whom have charming summer cottages
near the city. Members have thus had
an opportunity of adding to their lists of
birds seen and heard. The winter birds
that remain will be our comfort and care
so far as we can do for them. We shall
hope to see visitors such as Grosbeaks,
Redpolls and Snow Buntings. Many
Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Chickadees
come to feed near our homes.

We are trying to interest the Grangers
in the preservation of bird-life. The
President of our Club presented the mat-
ter to about three thousand members of
the State Grange, who were holding a
series of meetings here. The question
presents itself, "Who should be interested
if not farmers?" — (Mrs.) J. C. Buzzell,
P res id 01 1.

NEW YORK STATi; (i.WlK I'ROTKl TOR DIRECTING BOY SCOUTS IN PLACING
WINTER FOOD FOR BIRDS. SUET FOR INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS ABOVE, CORN FOR
PHEASANTS BELOW.

(1341

The Audubon Societies

135

NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION

In May, 1919, there was organized in
Washington, D. C, the National Parks
Association. Its objects include such
worthy subjects as: — encouraging the ex-
tension of the National Parks System, and
increasing "the popular study of the his-
tory, exploration, tradition, and folk-lore
of the National Parks and Monuments."
This Association also desires "to encourage
art with National Park subjects, and the
literature of National Parks, travel, wild-
life, and wilderness-living, and the inter-
pretation of scenery."

The organization issues new bulletins
from time to time to be sent to the press
and for the enlightenment of the general

public. One of the recent issues calls
attention to the Yucca House National
Monument, a prehistoric ruin a few miles
west of Mesa Verde National Park in
Colorado. Reference is made also to the
Scott's Bluff National Monument recently
established on the "old Oregon trail."

This organization is appealing to the
public for financial support and its circular
contains a blank stating that the annual
membership fee is $3. The President is
Henry B. F. McFarland, of Washington,
D. C, and the Executive Secretary is
Robert Sterling Yard, Room 914, Union
Trust Building, Washington, D. C. This
is a most worth-while undertaking.

A WEATHER-VANE BIRD FEEDING-DEVICE INVENTED BY W. L. D. BEDELL, NEW
ARK, N. J. SUPPORTED BY A PIVOT IT SWINGS WHEN THE WIND BLOWS THE
BROAD TAIL.

SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE

An organization with the above title,
with headquarters at 430 Library, Univer-
sity of California, Berkeley, has recently
come into active operation. The literature
states that the President is Franklin K.
Lane, and the Secretary-Treasurer, Robert
G. Sproul.

The objects of the organization and its
work are set forth as follows:

"The Save the Redwoods League was or-
ganized to assist in bringing about a better
and more general understanding of the
value of the primeval redwood forests of
America as natural objects of extraordi-
nary interest as well as of economic im-
portance, and for the purpose of bringing
into unity of action all interests concerned
with the movement to preserve such por-
tions of these forests as should be saved to
represent their fullest beauty and grandeur.

"The plans of the League involve:

136

Bird - Lore

(1) The securing of a belt of the finest red-
wood timber bordering the northern high-
way, in the hope that this area may become
a state park. (2) The obtaining of a con-
siderable body of the most typical primi-
tive redwood forest known, for the purpose
of a National Redwood Park."

To finance the work of the League an
active campaign has been undertaken to
enroll members with an annual fee of $2.
All communications should be addressed
to Mr. Sproul at the Berkeley address
given prewiously.

NEW LIFE MEMBERS
Enrolled from January 1 to March 1, 1920

Andrews, Col. James M.

barrie, Miss Marion

Barrie, Miss Muriel

bell, Mrs. Gordon

Hcnkard, J. Phillip

Norland, William G.

Brown, Geo. McKesson

brown, Miss Helen G.

Caldwell, R. J.

Cochran, G. D.

Cole, Mrs. Adelina A. (In Memoriam)

Connable, Mrs. John Lee

Deforest, H. W.

dekham, Charles

Fowler, A. A.

Crosvenor, Mrs. Rush Ami

Housman, Mrs. A. A.

Jewett, Wm. Kennon

Judd, Mrs. M. E.

Leland, Henry M .
Letts, John C.
McCluer, Wm. B.
Megargel, Roy C.
O'Neil, Mrs. George Francis
Proctor, Miss Emily Dutton
Proctor Free Library
Proctor, Redfield
Rea, Mrs. Henry R.
Rockefeller, William
Shoemaker, Mrs. J. F.
Silverman, Arthur
Smith, Mrs. R. Penn, Jr.
Sullivan, Miss M. Louise
Thomas, Miss Georgine II.
Wadsworth, W. M.
Whiting, Mrs. Samuel R.
Wood, Miss Juliana

NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Enrolled from January 1 to March 1, 1920

Acheson, M. W., Jr.
Alexandre, W. L.
Anderson, Miss Katharine M.
Armstrong, J.I.
Barksdale, Mrs. H. M.
Bell, Miss M. k.
benedict, Mrs. Wm. L.
Bigelow, Mrs. bred II.
Blodgett, Miss Harriet M.
bolster, Richard L.
Borland, Mrs. John Jay
Boyle, Thomas L.
boylston, Miss Margery
Brayton, Miss ( laroline E.
Brill, Fred W.
brooks, Frederick
Brooks, Theodore
Brown, Mrs. J. M.
Brown, Mrs. James P.
Carpenter, M rs. E. M.
Carpenter, Hall B.
Carroll, Mrs. J. J.
Cams, Herman I Met rich
Cavaness, Miss Sallie
Chadsey, Miss Edith W.

Chandler, G. W.

Clark. Everetl

( llaypool, Mrs. < reorge L.

Clegg, Mrs. George R.
Cobb, Miss Clara A.
Conant, Miss Helen
Converse, Mrs. Henry C.
Crosby, Miss Clara Wode
Curtis, Mrs. John S.
Curtiss, Miss Sophia
Cushing, Mrs. Lexington
Cushman, M rs. S. !■'.
Dabney, Ceo. B.
Demmon, Mrs. Marcia B.
I Unison, J. H.
Dennett, Carl P.
Devens, Mrs. Elizabeth P.

I tester, Miss Katharine S.
Dodd, Mrs. Henry W.
I touring, Miss A. R.
I )owd, Joseph

I (resser, Miss C. I..

Drury, Miss Miriam

Dudley, Miss C. E.

I >ulaney, B. L.

Earl, Mrs. Elizabeth F.

baton, Miss Mary Josephine

Eby, Miss [rva

Edwards, Mrs. E. P.

I '.ells, D. P.

Ely, Gertrude

The Audubon Societies

i37

Ernst, Roger
Evans, Walter S.
Evans, W. Conrov
Fay, Mrs. D. B.
Fay, Mrs. W. B.
Fowler, Ralph N.
French, Mrs. James H.
Friedman, Mrs. Anna E.
Garcelon, Merrill
Gleim, Mrs. Amy L.
Goodrich, Mrs. A. B.
Gribbel, Mrs. John
Halsey, William A.
Hamlin, H. B.
Hixson, Mrs. H. R.
Hoadley, Miss Elizabeth N.
Housman, A. A.
Hull, Mrs. H. S.
Irish, Mrs. Linda
Jenner, Mrs. Edward
Johnston, John White
Kelsey, Virginia
Kendall, Miss Alice G.
Kietzinger, Mrs. Clara Wilson
LaDue, Harry J.
Leavenworth, Miss M.
Lewis, Dr. Richard H.
Loring, Augustus P., Jr.
McLean, Mrs. Nellie M.
Macpherson, Miss Elizabeth
Metcalf, Mrs. Wm„ Jr.
Miller, Miss Matilda
Monroe, Burt L.
Musselman, Guy N.
Newberry, Mrs. A. S.
Noyes, Richard K., Jr.
Papin, Edward V.
Papin, Miss Julia M.

Perkins, E. Stanley
Pickford, Horace R.
Pierce, Col. P. E.
Pillmore, Mrs. Mary
Prochaska, Joe. V.
Rand, Mrs. F. C.
Randolph, Mrs. E.
Reed, Franklin C.
Revel, Miss Friedericka E. J.
Rives, G. B.

Roberts, Miss Miriam \Y.
Robbins, Mrs. Geo. S.
Rockefeller, Miss Alice M.
Rollmann, Fred C.
Rounds, Mrs. E. H.
Runk, H. T. B.
Rushton, Mrs. Joseph A.
Sawyer, Mrs. John P.
Schoenthaler, Fred C.
Shove, Charles M.
Society Provencher d'Histoire
Stewardson, Miss M. M.
Sweetland, E. C.
Taylor, Miss Marcia I.
Thomas, Mrs. George C.
Tiemann, Mrs. Ella A.
Torrance, Mrs. Francis J.
Tracy, William S.
Tuttle, Horace N.
Upham, Mrs. Clara S.
Voigtlander, George
Weeks, Mrs. Frank
Weil, Mrs. Julius E.
Wells, Ben G.
Wells, Paul A.
Welsh, Charles N.
Woolston, Mrs. Joseph L.

CONTRIBUTIONS FOR EGRET PROTECTION
From October 20, 1919 to March 1, 1920

Balance unexpended $1,539 44

Ackley, Adeline E 3 00

Allen, Gertrude 10 00

Allen, M. Catherine 5 00

Ash, Mrs. Charles G 20 00

Auchmuty, Mrs. R. T 200 00

Ault, L. A 20 00

Babcock, Mrs. Perry H. . . . 5 00

Bainbridge, Mrs. M. H. . . . 5 00

Baldwin, S. P 10 00

Ball, Susan L 25 00

Bancroft, Wm. P 25 00

Barclay, Emily 5 00

Baruch, Bernard M 10 00

Beall, Mrs. LA 5 00

Berge, Marie T 1 00

Bignell, Mrs. Eme 1 00

"Bird-Lover" 5 00

Bonham, Elizabeth S 5 00

Bonham, Mrs. Horace .... 10 00

Brent, Mrs. Duncan Kenner . 2 00

Brock, Mrs. Robert C. H. . . 5 00

Brooks, S

Brown, Mrs. Addison . .
Burgess, E. Phillips . . .
Burnham, Mrs. Wm. . . .

Burt, Edith B

Busk, Fred T

Butler, Mrs. Paul ....

Button, Conyers

Carse, Harriet

Chahoon, Mrs. George, Jr.

Chase, Helen E

Christian, Elizabeth . . .
Christian, Mrs. M. H. . .

Christian, Susan

Clark, Mrs. Louise ....
Cockcroft, Elizabeth V. . .
Collins, Mrs. Charles Henry
Coolidge, T. Jefferson . .
Cotton, Elizabeth A. . . .
Cummings, Mrs. H. K. . .

Curie, Charles

Cutter, Ralph Ladd . . .

•5

00

5

00

3

00

10

OO

2

OO

5

OO

10

OO

10

OO

2

OO

25

OO

5

OO

2

OO

2

00

1 0

OO

2

OO

1 0

OO

25

OO

JO

OO

5°

OO

1

50

S

OO

5

OO

138

Bird - Lore

Dabney, Herbert $2 00

DeForest, Mrs. Robert \V. . . 5 00

de La Rive, Rachel 5 00

DeNormandie, James .... 5 00

Ducharme, Wm. H 50 00

Dusinberre, Mrs. Nancy B. . . 25 00

Eaton, Mary S 5 00

Emery, Georgia Hill 20 00

Emery, Georgiana 1 00

Emery, Louisa J 1 00

Emmons, Mrs. A. B 5 00

Emmons, Mrs. R. W.. 2d . . . 10 00

Evans, William B 4 00

Farwell, John V 50 00

Forbes, Mrs. M. J 5 00

Friedman, Mrs. Max 2 00

Fries, Emilie . 1 00

Frothingham, John W 35 00

Godeffroy, Mrs. E. H 10 00

Gould, Edwin 100 00

Griffin, Mrs. Solomon B. . . . 3 00

Hall, Mrs. F. A 5 00

Haskell, Helen P 2 00

Hopkins, Augusta D 3 00

Horr, Elizabeth 5 00

Horton, Miss F. E 2 00

Hoyt, Miss G. L 5 00

Hunnewell, H. S 50 00

Hunter, Anna F 25 00

Jones, Ella H 3 00

Jordan, A. H. B 20 00

Kerr, Mrs. T. B 1 00

Knowlton, Mrs. Myra R. . . . 3 00

Kuhn, Arthur K 5 00

Kuithan, Emil F 25 00

Lagowitz, Harriet L 1 00

Lewis, Edwin J., Jr 1 00

McConnell, Mrs. Annie B. .. . 50 00

Marrs, Mrs. Kingsmill .... 5 00

Martin, Mrs. Bradley .... 50 00

Mason, G. A 10 00

Mason, H. L., Jr 5 00

Merriman, Mrs. Daniel .... 25 00

Mills, Dr. Herbert R 5 00

Mitchell, Mrs. John (1 10 00

Montell, Mrs. F. M 2 50

Moore, Alfred 5 00

Mott, Miss Marian S5 00

Myers, Mrs. Harriet \V. ... 5 00

Nice, Mrs. Margaret M. . . . 3 00

Osborne, Arthur A 1 00

Paine, F. W 25 00

Parmelee, Robert M 10 00

Parsons, Mrs. J. D., Jr 100 00

Patton, Mrs. Margaret S. . . . 5 00

Peck, Mrs. E. S 1 00

Peters, Mrs. Edward M. . . . 5 00

Poole, Grace H 1 00

Rhoads, S. N 1 50

Richards, Mrs. L. S 5 00

Righter, William S 5 00

Robb, Mrs. Alexander .... 5 00

Rothermel, John J 1 00

Sexton, Mrs. Edward B. . . . 5 00

Shoemaker, Henry W 10 00

Simpson, Jean W 5 00

Smith, A. Marguerite .... 5 00

Smith, Charles E 3 00

Spachman, Emily S 2 00

Spalter, Mrs. F. B 15°

Sturgis, F. K 5 00

Thomas, Emily Hinds .... 10 00

Timmerman, Edith E 1 50

Tod, J. Kennedy 25 00

Toussaint, Mrs. L. H 2 00

Tower, Ellen M 5 00

Tower, Mrs. Kate D 1 00

Treat, Miss N. F 2 00

Vaillant, Mrs. G. H 3 00

Van Dyke, Dr. Tertius .... 5 00

Varicle, Ren6e 2 00

"Vermont" 5 00

Von Zedlitz, Mrs. Anna ... 2 00

Wallace, Mrs. Augusta H. . . 5 00

Webster, F. G 100 00

Weeks, Hon. John W 50 00

Whitney, Ellen P 1 00

Willcox, Miss M. A 10 00

Williams, Geo. F 5 00

Williams, Mrs. Sydney M. . . 2 00

Work, Mrs. A 25 00

Total $3,274 94

mt _*■*?

£-*-

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Order — Pici Family — PiciD<e

Genus -Sphyrapicus Species — Varius Varius

National Association of Audubon Societies

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ op The Auduiion Societies

Vol. XXII May— June, 1920 No. 3

Spring Thunder

By H. E. TUTTLE, New Haven, Connecticut

THE Bluebird's song on a warm day in late February, or the scream of
the Red-shouldered Hawk, sailing in slow circles in the cloudless heights,
wakes a vague longing for spring's greenery and the smell of last year's
pine needles under a summer sun. I love the Bluebird's faltering lyrics and
exult in the Hawk's defiance. The rigors of a New England winter have
quickened the pleasures of anticipation.

But in April, from the birch thickets or along the stone wall of an abandoned
woodlot, comes a more thrilling summons. It throbs with exuberant energy,
beats out a stirring challenge to more sluggish hearts, and ends in a roar of
muffled thunder. This is the true song of the pulsing sap; here is the call to
more vigorous living. The Bluebird, and even the Red-shouldered Hawk, fly
south before the frosts have stripped the maples of their glorious liveries, but
the Ruffed Grouse is of stouter heart. They are but spring's harbingers; he is
the sturdy native that endures the winter's snows. Those who rise early on
spring mornings may hear the air tremble to the throbbing wing-beat of the
cock Partridge, and go their ways rejoicing for the inspiration of that impetuous
outburst.

If your path lies along some forgotten 'tote-road' where the leaves are soft
with last night's dew, you may steal upon the drummer unaware. Standing
stiffly on a log that has lain dead for generations, he watches from a screen of
friendly birches. Head up and crest erect, he is the embodiment of unceasing
vigilance. The jeering cry of a Blue Jay is not unworthy of his attention; the
sudden jump of a chipmunk among the damp leaves does not betray him into
revealing motion. Assured that the Blue Jay's note is innocent of warning, he
turns slowly about, shifting his feet uneasily, as if to obtain a better stance
on the log. Partially squatting to steady himself, his head thrust forward, his
tail spread into a horizontal fan, he takes a quick outward and downward
stroke with his wings. For a fraction of a second they hang limp at his sides,

140 Bird - Lore

flash out once more to beat the air three times in rapid succession, and are
stayed again while the bird draws himself erect, braces his tail across the log,
and seems to fling the whole force of his physical being into the next wing-
strokes, till the short, staccato thumps run together and reverberate in the
roar of the roll. While the madness of the moment is still on him, he rises on
tiptoe, his tail carried high, his ruffs spread, as if to challenge an unseen rival.
A moment after, his tail droops slowly and the ruff's subside.

From a hillside a quarter of a mile away there travels on the still air the
measured thumping of another Grouse, while from the shelter of a swamp,
even farther away, comes a half-heard pulsation, like a distant echo. It is a
mysterious and subtle summons.

If you have withstood all temptations to move hand or foot during the
interval of silent watchfulness that follows the drumming, you may see a repe-
tition of the performance, but seen or heard a hundred times, the mystery will
remain. It is white magic played in open sunshine.

Though the dawn receives the larger share of this martial music, the setting
sun is not without honor, and even the moon has power to wake in the Grouse
the desire to mount his log and beat the night air with his wings. It was on a
cold night in April that I lay on the ground in the moonlight and the mist,
about a hundred yards from a well-used drum-log, while a cock Grouse,
unmindful of the hour, drummed until just before the sun rose. A Whip-poor-
will sang, and I shivered under a single blanket, but in spite of the cold, or
because of it, the Grouse sent out his booming call at three-minute intervals,
like an inland fog-horn of the dripping woods.

I will confess to an absorbing fascination in the habits of this bird, and,
oftener than any note of Thrush or Warbler, the drum-beat of the Ruffed
Grouse has lured me from the trail, and led me, like a will-o'-the-wisp, upon
many a winding quest; for there is a ventriloqual quality to the drumming
that provokes curiosity as to its source and at the same time disarms pursuit.

You must be an adept at crawling if you would watch this bird at close
range, and even then fortune must favor you. By walking swiftly in his direc-
tion every time that the bird drums and by remaining motionless during the
interval of quiet, you may sometimes approach to within thirty yards, if the
cover be thick or an intervening ridge hide you from view. Whether you
succeed in creeping nearer depends upon the position in which the Grouse is
standing, the cover which you may utilize for your concealment, and your
capacity for remaining motionless in whatever intolerable position the cessa-
tion of the drumming may find you. On one occasion, by taking advantage of
two large stumps that lay between me and the log on which he was strutting,
I was able to crawl to within twenty feet of a cock Grouse, from which point of
vantage I watched him drum to my heart's content. At another time, at the
edge of a little alder swamp, where the ground was soggy and no tell-tale leaf
or dry twig betrayed my tortuous progress, I succeeded in reaching the upturned

•A QUICK OUTWARD AND DOWNWARD STROKE WITH THE WINGS'
Photographed by H. E. Tuttle

/I4I)

142

Bird - Lore

roots of a prostrate tree on the other side of which was the watchful Grouse.
I held my breath while I peered around the earthwork which clung to the roots
and discovered the tail-feathers of the drumming bird braced across the log,
scarcely ten inches from my nose !

The use of a denim blind makes crawling unnecessary, and from this shelter,
if you have set it up with caution and entered it before dawn, you may watch
the drumming with comparative comfort. I have often been grateful to the
naturalist who by this simple but effective method of concealment first beguiled
the birds in their innocency. Hidden from all espionage beneath its folds of
dappled green, I have watched the cock Grouse walk to his drum-log with
noisy footsteps, confident after an hour of stealthy reconnoitering that no
hostile eye intruded on his privacy. Here he felt safe to indulge his vanity
and preened each feather, disarranged by the abandon of his resounding wings.
To this log at the top of a second-growth ridge he repaired each morning while
the stars were yet bright above the tree tops, greeted the dawn with his thunder,
and stole away again before the sun was high.

The sounds of spring have each their haunting appeal, from the peeping of
the hylas to the Woodcock's eerie song among the stars, but for me the vibrant
drum-beat of the Ruffed Grouse, throbbing on the moist spring air, beckons
me to the wildness of the hills with a voice that will not be denied.

SHORT-EARED o\\ I.

Photographed by J. H. McClelland, Arnegard, North I'Aotj

Cedar Farm and Two Wrens

By ANNA ROGERS ROBERTS. Marietta. Ohio

CEDAR FARM is like, yet very unlike, other farms. The same hills,
the same creek, the same meadows, and the same dark green and vivid
yellow banks, the same ravines and wild life — yet different. An undefin-
able charm envelopes the quaint setting of house, lawn, and garden, of outlying
buildings, orchards, and pastures. The front of the house faces uphill, and the
red, red road may be seen like a long streamer trailed in the hands of an angry
child who jerks it here and there wantonly. The back of the house is turned
toward a large meadow; just beyond are the lumpish banks, the lazy water,
and the low hills. Enormous trees — elm, oak, beech, walnut, chestnut, and
mulberry — stand, sometimes singly, often in groups.

A birds' paradise is Cedar Farm, and right well they know it, for the
owners find in their daily care of the feathered folk the reward of their friend-
ship, faith, and yearly presence. The homemade devices for feeding and
watering the birds, which are seen in unexpected places, are usually crowded
in winter and not wholly abandoned in summer. The shy wanderers soon
learn that homes b tilt on Cedar Farm are safely rheltered.

So two Wrens found it, and here follows an account of their activities:

It was in April. Roads were miry, hillsides were sodden, meadows were
swampy, but each day the sun drew new, pungent odors from the soil, and a
green haze enveloped trees and vines.

My room in the large, comfortable farmhouse, was a clean, cool one, with
walls, ceilings, and floors of oak, homemade rugs, white muslin curtains over
small deep windows, and furniture of one or more generations ago. Prints of
famous pictures and photographs of noted places hung low in the alcoves, and
a set of shelves held books carefully selected by the five sisters who lived in
this questioning house, for it ever asked, "Won't you come in and rest?"
When the invitation was accepted, evidences of a culture only possible to those
in love with Nature were abundant.

I had had a long tramp the day before I met my Wrens. I found the spring
migration well advanced. Birds were busy exploring former homes and find-
ing sites for new ones. Not an unanswered mating call rang through the woods,
a call unchanged through the ages, yet warming the heart, as it sensed the
honest, reckless passion throbbing in every note.

I had retired early and slept late, and that, to Mrs. Jenny, was an unwise
thing to do on this wonderful spring morning. Open windows piqued her
curiosity, and, seeing no movement, she entered and perched herself on the
footboard of the bed on which I was lying. She flew to a small shelf enclosed
at both ends and vacant, but for a few bottles at one side. Carefully she
scrutinized every inch of this shelf, and then her bright eyes snapped decision.
Her impersonal air of yesterday became one of intense self-consciousness today.

(143)

144 Bird - Lore

With a dive out the window she went after Johnny, — and she got him! — brought
him in, not to investigate, but, after the manner of her sex, to show him the
location of their home and tell him to get busy! He approved, of course,
and the building began at once.

If human beings had the energy of Wrens, and it was all directed, as is a
Wren's, towards home-making, I wonder if a League of Nations would be
necessary.

It tired me to watch their furious activity. By night, the shelf was full of
sticks, strings, grasses, feathers iarge and small from the poultry-yard, — and
hair ! Their manner of procuring that hair was a wee bit like a nation seeing
a fine harbor or a stretch of land rich in minerals, saying, "I need that harbor,
or that land," and proceeds to take it whether the owner likes it or no. Jenny
grew bold as the day advanced and gathered material from the room for this
famous nest. Seeing a hair braid on the dresser, she tried to take it to the
nest. It was too heavy. She pulled separate hairs, got her feet tangled, fell
over the edge of the dresser in comical confusion, called the best she could
from her wrapping for Johnny, who came, but was terrified at the predicament
of his mate, and could do nothing but utter loud shrieks while Jenny rolled,
tugged, feebly flapped her strong wings until she extricated herself. Then,
womanlike, she made a dash at Johnny, hit him a powerful blow, and he fled —
but she did not. This man-made thing baffled and angered her, and she was
resolute to possess it. Back and forth she jerked it, this way and that, but the
hair held fast. She stood on it and pulled, fell over, attacked it again and
again, and her eyes grew vicious as she remembered how easily she had secured
the nice long sorrel and white hairs off fence-rails and thorn bushes. For half
an hour she stubbornly held to her task, and succeeded in breaking off a few
ends, leaving the braid on the floor much the worse for her encounter with it.

In a few days the small hole in the center of all this rubbish was rounded
and padded, and Mrs. Jenny became quiet long enough each morning to lay
a small, speckled egg, until seven were there, packed on end so close one could
not be moved without moving all. Then, the miracle. Her restless, quivering,
little body grew motionless with a great mother yearning as she hovered over
the chocolate-splotched eggs. This was Johnny's Great Opportunity, and he
met it squarely. Every hour of the day, inside the room, or nearby on a tree,
his song could be heard. His wliil-ly-ycr, whit-ty-yer} was a pathetic inquiry,
while the usually far-carrying trill was softened and anxious. There was an
elbow in the stovepipe in the room (for there were cool days occasionally),
and on this he would perch and sing. One morning he gave his concert from
the same pillow I was using.

Poets poetize over the devotion of the Cardinal to his beautiful mate. The
amorous Doves are the apotheosis of Romantic Affection, but Johnny Wren
is as ardent as either and as constant. Her nervous nature keeps her close to
the nest; his loyal love keeps him close to her.

Cedar Farm and Two Wrens 145

One morning he did not sing. There was a hurrying in and out the window,
and, peering close to the nest, I saw a bundle of bones, hairless and damp,
huge mouths and blind eyes! But how beautiful they were to Johnny and
Jenny ! A tax was levied on every bush that held a worm, and from dawn until
the evening insects shrilled their tiny horns, this tax was collected.

On a memorable day, seven helpless, sullen-mouthed, heavy-eyed birds sat
on the floor, pictures, chair, bed, anywhere, while father and mother called,
coaxed, and threatened them to try their wings and come to the garden. It
took two hours to get them out in the plum tree. One by one they flew, hopped,
and crept to the garden — and I saw them no more !

Two weeks later I found Mrs. Jenny investigating a school desk on the
south porch. A repetition of the same homely drama followed: Johnny liked
it perforce, the nest was built, the eggs laid, but someone unfortunately touched
them and this new home was abandoned.

A few days later I saw Mrs. Jenny dash impetuously into the wash-house
and followed her. An empty paint-bucket, hung near the door, was her choice
this time, and its brown wrinkled interior was cleverly concealed by the huge
nest. Once more were the mystic seven eggs laid, close together, and once
more was the old, old tragedy enacted — for birth is a tragedy. Not only were
worms plentiful, for it was July now, but also the small, luscious fruits of the
garden were abundant. For days I watched this little family grow. Jenny
knew which one had been fed last, and if it thrust its long, thin neck and yel-
low mouth up too high, she would chastise it with a stroke of her bill that I
know must have hurt. The day she made them leave the nest, I tried to help,
but succeeded only in scaring and scattering them. An hour or so after I left
them, the friendly plum tree held them and then the garden ! Snakes and Hawks
were in that garden, and I tried not to think of those fourteen baby Wrens
that had gone to live in it.

Evidently Mrs. Jenny believed in the husband looking after the children,
for shortly after she was endeavoring to reach her first nest through the window,
but it was screened now and she had recourse to the paint-bucket. This time
only four eggs, four birds, the handy plum tree, the garden that drew them
like an octopus, and her season's work was done, for autumn's yellow sere had
fallen on the meadows, banks, ravines, and hills. Eighteen little Wrens were
mothered by this tiny bird in one summer. She knew the number when they
left the nest. But did she remember when they reached the garden? She is a
rebuke to those who believe race suicide beneficial, and Johnny lives true to
the tradition of the patriarchal father at the head of the tribe.

TWO PORTRAITS OF A SITTING WOODCOCK

In the upper picture the camera was within \6 inches of the bird, which, however, showed no alarr

Photographed bj Ward B Perley, Ji , Ojibway, Ont.

(14ft)

Some Robins' Nests

By WILBUR F. SMITH, South Norwalk, Conn.
With Photographs by the Author.

A'

had

A ROBIN'S NEST ON A

the persons interested, and
correct, that the leaven of
a description of these nests
becomes worth while.

One nest was built on
the hub of a farm wagon left
for awhile in the orchard.
When the owner went to
use the wagon he found
four eggs in the nest, and
he borrowed a neighbor's
wagon until the young had
flown.

* Another Robin built a
nest on the smoke-pipe
where it came through the
back of a building. It, too,
had eggs in it when found,
and to make a fire in the
stove meant destroying the
eggs, so the owner built a
shelf against the building
and moved the nest to it,
where it was occupied by

FRIEND who

visited Gardiner's
Island told me of
the remarkable tameness of
the birds nesting there,
which he claimed was due
to the long years of protec-
tion they had had on the
island. Some Robins, whose
nests I have studied in the
past few years, show an equal
confidence and tameness on
the part of the birds, and a
care and consideration for
their safety on the part of
t would seem that if my friend's deductions are
bird-protection is working in Connecticut, when

WHEEL-HUB

A ROBIN'S NEST ON A SMOKE-PIPE WITH THE
SHELF TO WHICH IT WAS MOVED

(147)

148

Bird- Lore

the birds. This nest was built of the fine sprays of hemlock, showing the
effect of environment upon the nest material.

There must have been a sociable trait in the pair of Robins that built on
the support to the roof over the station platform at Wilton, Conn. The
hurrying passengers and the thundering trains did not disturb the sitting bird
in the least. One could see her tail over the edge of the nest when on the
platform.

It seems sure that birds come to know certain people, or to lose their fear
instinct when these people are about their regular duties. How else can one

BLACKSMITH SHOP WIIKRK A PAIR OF ROBINS RAISED THEIR FAMILY WITHIN

RANGE OF THE SPARKS FROM 1 'HE WYI1,

Note the missing window pane, removed to permit the birds to enter when the <l"<>r «.i< closed

interpret the actions of a pair of Robins that built their nest over the door ol
the Bahgall school. The teacher could stand on the porch and ring the hand-
hell and the children pass in and out through the door many times a day with-
out the birds leaving the nest, but they resented my simply standing and
looking, and as for taking a photograph, it senl the old birds into a frenzy.
Strangei' still was the fancy of a pair of Robins that built their not inside
of Seymour's blacksmith shop on sonic iron used to re-tire wheels, and within
eight feet of the anvil before which the blacksmith worked most of the daw
The noise of pounding on iron, living sparks, and kicking horses while being
shod all was accepted and her eggs hah hcd and young raised. Let a stranger

Some Robins' Nests

149

RAILROAD YARD WHERE A ROBIN'S XEST WAS
MOVED THREE TIMES

enter the shop and she would leave at once, and from a perch on an old wagon-
wheel or a nearby tree, protest against his presence.
The kindly blacksmith,

by taking out a glass from

the window on the side of

the shop, enabled the old

birds to pass in and out

through this opening when

the shop door was closed.
But these examples of

the birds' confidence in

man and man's kindly

interest in the birds' wel-
fare are dwarfed by the

history of a pair of Robins

that built their nest on the

under side of an oil-tank

car standing near the center

of the busy yards of the

Standard Oil Company's plant at South Norwalk, last June. The nest was

known and watched by the workmen and six eggs were laid — an unusual

number — before the car was filled
with oil and ready to be started
out on the road.

The foreman, not without some
misgivings, removed the nest while
the switch engine took away the
car and shunted another tank car
as near as he could to the place.
The nest was carefully placed in
the same relative position on the
new car and the birds returned at
once. This car, too, left the yards,
and a third car, to which the nest
had been transferred, was also
billed to leave. The foreman was
puzzled to know what to do as
there were now four half-grown
birds in the nest.

A happy thought came to him
when he built an open box and

ROBIN FEEDING YOUNG IN THE STANDARD naiIed it t() one of the poStS of the
OIL COMPANY'S YARD AFTER ITS NEST . , , , , • -,,•

had been moved three times platform used by the men in filling

i5o

Bird - Lore

the tank cars, and put nest and young in the box, now thirty feet from its
first location. Here they finished housekeeping, and at the time the picture
was taken, showing the female feeding the young, the switch engine was at
work removing and replacing cars and the whole aspect of the yard changed.
Over and under new and old cars, past hurrying workmen, the old birds kept
at work as though a railroad yard was as quiet and safe as a forest glade.

And, in passing, it might be mentioned that all the men in the yard were
keenly and sympathetically interested in this bird's nest, and had anyone
disturbed it, there would have been 'something doing,' with brawny arms
to back it up.

All of which seems to show that the spirit of bird-protection is taking hold
of the people, and, where once it has rooted, that place is a pretty safe one
for the wild birds to call home.

CRESTED FLYCATCHER ABOUT m FEED mum,
Photographed by Jesse L. Smith, Highland IVirk, III. July », toi8

A Much-used Robin's Nest

By A. D. DuBOIS, Chicaeo. 111.

I

N the fall of igog we moved into an
old frame house and I established
my 'den' on the second floor. The
room had two windows. Near one of
them, at the corner of the building, was
a down-spout for conducting rain-water
from the roof. At the offset in this
conductor pipe, saddled securely on the
elbow against the house, was an old
Robin's nest, well sheltered from rain
by the projecting eaves.

The following spring, on April 24,
we watched a Robin gathering material
for repairs, and the next day saw her
sitting on this nest under the eaves. On
the 26th, at 7 a.m., an examination, by
means of a mirror, disclosed one egg in
the nest. The second egg was deposited
during the same morning, the third dur-
ing the latter part of the morning of the
27 th, and the fourth on the morning of the
28th. During the intervals of laying, the
bird spent a part of her time on the nest
but was frequently observed in the horse-
chestnut tree just opposite the window.
On the afternoon of May 15 there were four young Robins in this nest,
and the female was bringing them worms. By the 23d the young were large
and well feathered and their father was in full fighting trim. When I went to
the open window to look out at the nest, he dashed at my head, striking me a
sharp blow on the forehead.

The young left the nest on May 24, twenty-six days after the last egg was
deposited, and were at once able to fly. It was the last that we expected to see
of the Robin family, and we left them to feed in the garden or on the lawn.
The next spring, under date of April 15, our journal relates that a Robin
flew up and sat on the nest under the eaves. Again, on the 21st, the bird was
seen to fly to the nest and, the next morning, while sitting at my desk, I saw
a Robin gather mud, across the street, and fly with it to the eaves nest. At
8 a.m. on the 24th she was sitting on the nest, and when she left, at 8.30, the
nest contained one egg. The fourth and last egg of this set was deposited
during the morning of the 26th.

(151)

THE MUCH-USED NEST AND ITS
HUNGRY OCCUPANTS

152

Bird - Lore

The four young were hatched in the night of May 8 and 9, one of the egg-
shells being yet in the nest at 6.30 in the morning. The period of incubation
had been thirteen days.

By the middle of May the nestlings had grown until they filled the nest,
and the parents were showing their fighting blood by attacking us fiercely
whenever we ventured to put our heads out of the window. On the 17th both
windows were open. I had been standing at one of them, looking out, and had

ttl Ik

• t • * ■ • ^

'-jfVt'v*

v# ••!%H.

2J^

KX

r *^k* *w

W^^dCPA

^^> f^A 1*«^ \ 9k

THE LOOKOUT IN THE HORSE-CHESTNUT TREE

withdrawn into the room, when the female bird made a surprise attack. She
dashed into the mom through one of the windows, grabbed viciously at my
scalp with her claws, completed her invasion with a circle around the room,
and then flew out through the other window. I was so startled by the sharp
pain and the suddenness of the onslaught that I failed to make note of further
details, bul I believe the attack was a strictly silenl one as I cannot recall
any vocal sound.

On May 22, twenty-seven days after the complement of egg- had been
deposited, the young were out of the nest and one of them was sitting in the

A Much-used Robin's Nest 153

hawthorn bush under the window. The remainder of the training of this
family must have been very intensive, for our journal under date of June 24
exhibits the following entry: "The Robins are nesting again in the old nest
on the down-spout by the study window; the female is sitting on four eggs."
Our first intimation was the conduct of the male; and if we ever doubted that
these birds were the same as before, the doubt was soon dispelled by his
characteristic 'personality.' When I came to the window, as he sat in the
opposite tree, he showed his displeasure in his accustomed way, snapping his
bill and bowing his head with a profound and challenging courtesy. His mate
also exhibited the same peculiar actions as before. The attitude of both birds
was that of the over-zealous owner who has always held possession, undisputed,
and will tolerate no intrusion. They tried to drive an English Sparrow from
the chestnut tree. The Sparrow darted about among the branches with the
tenacity characteristic of his breed, and with admirable agility, but the Robin,
in hot pursuit, with snapping bill, eventually drove him from the premises.

A few days later we left for a vacation. When we returned temporarily on
June 28, the eggs had not hatched, but by July 8 there were half-grown young
in the nest. At that time we photographed the 'fighting female' in her tree
opposite the study window. The young left the nest on July 17, but their
father was still snapping his bill at us on the following day.

Before the return of another nesting season we had moved away, but we
made inquiry, by letter, of the owner of the house, who knew of the old nest
and our interest in it. The following was received in reply:

"Ithaca, X . Y., Aug. 20, 1912.

"Mr. L. fomarded your letter to me from New York, not having observed
the birds' nest, which is still there and has had two broods this summer, one
before I came home and one a few weeks ago.''

The subsequent history of the militant Robins and their much-used nest
has not been recorded; and as to its 'prehistoric' origin and occupation, you
can guess as wTell as we. Of this much, however, we are certain: The same
nest, with slight repairs, served for at least six broods of Robins.

Photographed by Verdi liurlch, Branchport, N. Y,

Photographed by Arthur A. Jeffrey, Maryville, Mi
TWO FOX SPARROW PHOTOGRAPHS

(i 54)

The Way of the Wren

By KATRINE BLACKINTON, Blackinton, Mass.

HE made his stage-entrance last spring at the garden-u ,ner of the
house. While transplanting some perennials, my eye caught a cin-
namon streak darting into the eaves-pipe, simultaneous with a shiver-
bubble or two of an unmistakable ,/ren song. Down went watering-pot and
trowel, for here was promise of s mething worth while. Could it be that a
house-hunt was in progress? Sud lenly, out hobbled the brown streak from
the eaves-pipe, with a particle of silt in his bill which he deposited into the
ether, much as a bustling housewife would snap her duster, and darted in
again, repeating the performance until a thorough job was made of it. The
tin gutter under the eaves also received his attention. I could hear him
scuttling along the gutter-floor an 1 see him appear by flashes at the edge upon
occasion of depositing overboard a particle of silt. Soon the apple tree over
my head caught this cinnamon meteor, and there ensued such an outpour of
effervescent shivering bubbles that I couldn't but suppose that just the house
he had been looking for had been found and there only remained the question
of his wife's approval.

It was with some surprise, then, that the following day I saw the same scene
being enacted on the eaves and gutters of the barn — the same scene with a
drama attached.

A pair of English Sparrows had established themselves in a hole under the
eaves at the east gable of the barn, and had a family of five lusty Britishers
just launched into this troublesome world. When the sanitary inspector
reached the east gable, I was somewhat taken back by seeing him shoot into
this Englishman's castle without as much as by your leave (a truly Prussian
performance, now, wasn't it?), only to bob out again with a white feather in
his bill ! The peeping protests of the youngsters strengthened my belief that
their warm bed was being removed by this hustling aggressor. His manner in
ejecting the feathers said "Dear me ! it will be war to the death until I teach
these birds to keep clean!" The hole swallowed him again, and again a thin,
piping chorus of protests, and another feather took its rudderless course to
earth. The third time the feather was carried to a nearby apple tree where it
was carelessly released amid an intensive outpouring of Wren free-speech
directed to any it might concern. At this point Madame Sparrow, who had
evidently been viewing this offensive intrusion at a safe distance, entered her
home with a morsel in her bill and concern in her manner. Now the drama
was in full swing! Back flew the Wren, sure enough, to the Sparrow entrance,
with all his importance and »th power initiative, but, instead of dashing in,
he suddenly right-about-faced and the apple tree caught him again. While he
was explaining, in true Ludendorf style, to a solemn Bluebird pair, who weren't
in the least interested, that his retreat was entirely on strategic lines, my eye

(i5S)

156 Bird - Lore

caught the owner of the castle standing on the corner of the gutter facing his
front door, challenge in every line of him. Right here, at this vital juncture of
the drama, I had to leave the scene of action. I was gone about two hours,
and, upon my return, I found the sod under the Englishman's castle white
with feathers, and, could it be, — yes, there actually was a newly hatched dead
Sparrow, pitched out during the fight that must have ensued. If I had not
heard the aggressive voice proclaiming victory from a nearby tree I would
have been worried for fear an awful justice had overtaken him, but I must
say his tone was reassuring in the extreme.

Not knowing the way of Wrens, I interpreted this anti-British campaign
as expressing the fact that he had centered his desire for a house on the English-
man's property, and at once enlisted my services in his behalf. A man scaled
a ladder and evicted this budding, though browbeaten family in the most
radical fashion. The apartment was then thoroughly hosed out and a new
doorway erected through which only a Wren might pass. Now, will you believe
me when I tell you that that fickle, erratic housebreaker showed not the
slightest interest in that establishment from that time on? Every time I
heard his tea-kettle song in the orchard, I hied me forth to see what his next
move would be. Where was Mrs. Wren? Was he a bachelor or widower
(grass or plain)? I was obsessed by that Wren and his business, as was my
neighbor and friend whose garden joins mine. She reported one day that he
had visited her mother as she sat in the open window facing the veranda, had
lighted on the back of a chair, raised his head, lowered his tail, and given a
perfect demonstration of how the tea-kettle sang to the Cricket on the Hearth.
Of course we speculated every day as to where that bird who didn't know his
own mind two minutes together would build.

When my patience was nearly exhausted, it dawned on my intelligence that
the Packard Chickadee house on the black walnut tree at the edge of my
garden, and only a step from my neighbor's, was displaying a Wren name-
plate in the shape of a stout twig placed in the doorway to bar all intruders.
Wild excitement in the garden! What a chance to study the nest and the
young birds! We saw two Wrens going in with food in their bills and heard
the me! me! chorus that day and the day after, and the day after that we
found the house deserted by a family big enough to fly away in the early hours.
There we were, intrigued, baffled, and cheated by that little play-actor. Will
anyone take exception when I say the way of the Wren is deep?

j^ote£ from iftelb anb J>tubp

Bird-Banding Work Being Taken Over
by the Biological Survey

The Bureau of Biological Survey, at
Washington, I). C, has taken over the
work formerly carried on under the aus-
pices of the Linnaean Society of New York
by the American Bird-Banding Associa-
tion. In taking over this work, the Bureau
feels that it should express the debt that
students of ornithology in this country owe
to Howard H. Cleaves for the devotion and
success with which he has conducted this
investigation up to a point where it has
outgrown the possibilities of his personal
supervision.

Under plans now being formulated, this
work will give a great amount of invaluable
information concerning the migration and
distribution of North American birds,
which will be of direct service in the ad-
ministration of the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act, as well as of much general scientific
interest.

It is desired to develop this work along
two principal lines: First, the trapping
and banding of waterfowl, especially Ducks
and Geese, on both their breeding and
winter grounds; and, secondly, the syste-
matic trapping of land-birds as initiated
by S. Prentiss Baldwin, the early results
of which have been published by him in
the Proceedings of the Linnaean Society,
of New York, No. 31, 1919, pp. 23-55. It
is planned to enlist the interest and services
of volunteer workers who will undertake
to operate and maintain trapping stations
throughout the year, banding new birds
and recording the data from those pre-
viously banded. The results from a series
of stations thus operated will undoubtedly
give new insight into migration routes,
speed of travel during migration, longevity
of species, affinity for the same nesting-site
year after year, and, in addition, furnish
a wealth of information relative to the
behavior of the individual, heretofore im-
possible to obtain because of the difficulty

(1

of keeping one particular bird under
observation.

The details of operation are now receiv-
ing close attention, and as soon as possible
the issue of bands will be announced, with
full information regarding the methods to
be followed and the results expected. In
the meantime, the Biological Survey will
be glad to receive communications from
those sufficiently interested and satisfac-
torily located to engage in this work dui
ing their leisure time, for it is obvious that
a considerable part must be done by vol-
unteer operators. It is hoped that a suf-
ficient number will take this up to insure
the complete success of the project. — E. W.
Nelson, Chief of Bureau, Washington, D. C.

Winter Notes from West Medford, Mass.

Our house in West Medford, Mass., is
situated in a cedar pasture (where sumac,
barberry, privet, and woodbine berries
are abundant) between Middlesex Falls
and the Mystic River. In this exceedingly
cold winter, when the ground is covered
with deep snow, hiding the food-supply of
our birds and driving the northern birds
south, we have had such an unusual ex-
perience that it seems worth while to
record it.

From January 1, Redpolls have been
here in great flocks; then a Snowy Owl
and Northern Shrike appeared in our
neighborhood. The particular events of
the season have been since February 12.
On that day my telephone rang to ask me
to identify a large flock of white birds
which proved to be Snow Buntings (fifty-
two, by actual count) which are being fed
regularly by one of my friends two minutes
away from our house. At the same place
are 17 Pheasants. These birds have been
a continual delight to many people for the
last month. During the blizzard of March
6, the Snow Buntings went under a hedge,
dug away some of the snow, and settled
down to rest comfortably, first, however,

57)

158

Bird - Lore

scratching the falling snow from their faces
with their feet — a pretty sight.

During the last week in January, g Pine
Grosbeaks appeared. January 31,6 Even-
ing Grosbeaks, which were joined by 6 more
on March 1, with an equal number of full-
pi umaged and gray birds. February 29, a
flock of Cedar Waxwings came, and with
them 2 fully identified Bohemian Wax-
wings. March 1, either on our place or
within five minutes' walk, were 12 Evening
Grosbeaks, 9 Pine Grosbeaks, 10 Redpolls
feeding on maple buds, 52 Snow Buntings,
3 Juncos, 3 Tree Sparrows, 1 Long-eared
Owl, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 2 Downy
Woodpeckers, 1 Flicker, 3 Purple Finches,
42 Cedar Waxwings, 10 Starlings, 2 White-
breasted Nuthatches, 5 Chickadees, 5 Blue
Jays, and 3 Robins.

There are two flocks of Cedar Birds, the
large flock and a smaller one of fifteen with
which the Bohemian Waxwings consort;
the small flock was not seen on March 1,
but came again on March 3. They fed
upon the fruit of two hawthorn trees near
our house and also upon the few cedar
berries which are left.

The Long-eared Owl was seen by Mr.
and Mrs. Alan Claflin, of West Medford,
and the Bohemian Waxwings were first
seen by them on February 28, and reported
to me. I saw them at 8.30 a.m. on Feb-
ruary 29, and several times during that
day. Many of us here fed the birds all
winter and feel repaid by the great pleasure
they have given us.— Lidian E. Bridge,
West Medford, \fass., March 9, 1920.

Evening Grosbeaks at Boston

On Feb. 16, 1920, a flock of Evening
Grosbeaks appeared in the garden of St.
Johns House, Arlington Heights. Boston.
They remained all day. On the 26th, dur-
ing a heavy snowstorm, a male Grosbeak
came to the library window, evidently try-
ing to get in. The window was opened, he
came in and c ommeni ed eating a geranium
leaf. After a while he gave a clear, loud,
flute-like whistle, which one of the Sisters
interpreted as a demand for food. Worms
and seeds were brought to him, and he

remained all t he afternoon, not in the least
afraid of the Sister.-, or children. When it
grew dark he flew off into the pine woods
back of the convent. — F. C. Powell,
S.S.J.E., Boston, Mass.

Evening Grosbeaks at Nyack, N. Y.

A flock of perhaps a dozen Evening
Grosbeaks made its appearance in Nyack,
N. Y., the last of February, 1920, and at
the date of writing (April 12) is still in
that vicinity. The birds evidently spend
the night at some point farther south,
arrive about 9 o'clock each morning, stay
for an hour or so, and disappear until the
next day, with an occasional visit in the
afternoon. — Mary L. Emery, Nyack, X. V .

Winter Birds at Ridgewood, N. J.

This last winter was the severest in the
memory of most of us, and, while filled
with many hardships, it brought great
pleasure to some of us living in the country.
At Ridgewood, N. J., we fed many rare
birds. Our pleasure was, however, some-
what marred when we realized that their
visits pointed to the fact that they must
have been great sufferers from the severity
of the season, as so many were utter
strangers to this section, the largest num-
bers being the Evening Grosbeaks. They
were first observed, s in all, on January 23,
at the home of Mrs. Carl M. Vail. The
next day 11 arrived, and, after that, more
and more each day. On February 15,
29 were at the feeding-table at one time.
and more were in the trees. They were
reported at seven different homes here,
where the winter feeding of birds is 1 arried
on systematii ally. They came, invariably,
between 6.30 and 7 \.\i., and ate greedily
of the sunflower seeds put out for them.
They ate cracked corn, also buckwheat.
but preferred the sunflower seeds. Their
habit was to remain around the feeding
place all the morning, when they would
disappear for two or three hours and
then return for more seeds. As late as
April 9,42 were counted in one place. On
April 11, two pairs came, and on the

Notes from Field and Study

i59

15th the last pair paid a short visit, then
departed.

Other winter visitors were Pine Siskins,
seen nearly every day during this past sea-
son, 11 counted at a time. After a heavy
icestorm, 2 White-winged Crossbills were
noted and 1 Pine Grosbeak. December
25 and February 22 a Robin appeared.
One Sharp-shinned Hawk, many Red-
polls, flocks of Fox Sparrows, and also
large numbers of Purple Finches were seen.
( )f 1 nurse we had our usual winter feathered
friends. — (Miss) Florence de la Mon-
1 VGNE Bunce, President of Ridgewood
Branch of New Jersey Audubon Society.

Migration of Ducks and Geese at
Winthrop, Iowa.

November 11, 1919, — the first anniver-
sary of the signing of the armistice — was a
warm and beautiful day, after a cold and
windy night. Until then very few Ducks
had been seen migrating in the fall of 1919,
but that day thousands of them passed,
going southward. Early on the morning
of November 11, the first flocks of Ducks
were seen flying over, and they continued
to do so for several hours on that morning.
I was working not far from Buffalo Creek
at that time, so had a good chance to watch
the flocks of Ducks which were very fre-
quently passing overhead.

My attention was first attracted by
three enormous flocks of about one thou-
sand birds in each. These flocks flew over
a section of Buffalo Creek which, appa-
rently, was to their liking, for they wheeled
at once, and at a slight angle, sailed to the
ground. When on the ground they
attracted other smaller passing flocks,
which also dropped to the ground. Nearly
all of the smaller flocks consisted of only
ten or fifteen Ducks, while some contained
but four or five. Once in a while a single
Duck would be seen flying a long ways
behind a flock.

The place where most of the Ducks
alighted was only about a quarter of a mile
from where I was working, and they could
be plainly seen rising from the creek and
turning in the air, to sink again to the

same spot. When these large flocks rose
into the air, they reminded me of nothing
so much as a huge swarm of bees. It was
a beautiful sight to watch — these thou-
sands of Ducks as they turned in the air,
the sun playing on their light wings and
white underparts. They stayed in this
vicinity for about two hours, I believe, but
I did not see them leave the place.

During this period one of the largest fall
freshets in years had turned small Buffalo
Creek into a mighty river, covering all the
low pastures and land near it with its
water. These flooded ponds in the pastures
were frequented by the Ducks. Scores of
hunters went after the Ducks and killed
many at this season. About noon on
November 11, as I approached the creek,
two (shot gun) shots were fired and several
thousand Ducks flew up, not more than
five hundred yards from me, but I saw no
hunters.

Most of the migrating Ducks passed
over during the morning of November 11.
I saw only one flock (of about three
hundred) fly over in the afternoon.

I have watched the migrating Ducks for
several years and have never before seen
more than a dozen or two flocks in the fall.

Very small numbers of Wild Geese were
seen migrating southward, through Buc-
hanan County in the fall of 1919. Whether
or not this was due to the increased num-
bers of shooters this year, I do not know,
but at any rate, the Geese appeared in very
small numbers compared to other years.

The writer, wishing to gain some knowl-
edge of just how many Geese really did
migrate through this part of the country,
kept a careful record of each and every
flock and individual seen by him.

Only about 500 Geese, roughly estimat-
ing, out of a dozen or so flocks flying by
da}', were recorded by the writer. This
does not include the flocks which flew over
at night, but it serves to show what exten-
sive shooting has done to the Canada
Goose. Not so many years ago the Geese
would fly south by the thousands in the
fall. The writer worked out of doors all
of the fall and had a good opportunity for
watching the movements^of the Geese.

i6o

Bird- Lore

The Geese recorded were seen at the
following times:

The first flock of Geese, containing
about 25, was seen on the afternoon of
October 15. The second flock was noted
on the afternoon of October 20, and con-
tained about 100 birds. They were flying
very low when seen, and in very irregular
form, as if tired and searching for a land-
ing-place. The next flock was seen quite
early on the morning of October 25. There
were about 100 in this flock. A fourth
flock passed October 27, this also contain-
ing about 100 Geese. On the afternoon of
October 31, a flock of only 5 was seen fly-
ing southward, aimlessly and without a
leader; 16 more Geese were seen Novem-
ber 13. On November 7, two flocks, of
about 35 each, were seen flying south, the
flocks being only about 300 feet from each
other; 9 more Geese were seen that day.

On the evening of November 15 a very
large flock passed over, judging from the
honking.

A flock of 35, which could not be posi-
tively identified, passed on November 23.
That evening, at dusk many Geese could
be heard, but they were not seen. On
November 25, 5 Geese passed, going south,
and this was the last flock seen in 1919. —
Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa.

Purple Gallinule in Connecticut

Your readers may be interested to know-
that on April 16 I saw a fine specimen of
the Florida Purple Gallinule. It is very
rarely seen above the Mason and Dixon
line, two specimens having been reported
on Long Island, but so far as I can ascer-
tain, never in New Kngland.

I did not hunt the bird, but it appeared
unexpectedly as I stood talking with a
neighbor in a littlc-uscd country road, not
far from a salt marsh. It ran alon^ the
ground, close to a high hoard fence, and
passed us at a distance of 15 yards. I ob-
served that it had a white hill, a small
head, a small, long neck, and long legs. It
was about the size of a half-grown chicken.
The color of the body was a rich purple.
The wings were bluish green, and in the

bright sunlight the coloring had a gorgeous
sheen.

After running past us it suddenly turned
and ran across the road in front of us, as
if to give us a perfect side view of its beauty.
I moved quickly toward it in order to
observe its mode of flight. It flew a few
paces like a Rail, alighted, and ran, or
glided into some bushes.

I was much impressed with the perfec-
tion of its muscular coordination. There
was no waste of power, but a perfect ad-
justment of muscular force in running.
while it was heavy and awkward in its
flight.

The bird was new to me, but in view of
its small head and neck, such a good pro-
vision for enabling it to thread its way
through marsh grasses, its long legs, its
short, feeble wings, I classified it as a
marsh wader, and, from the mode of its
flight, I thought it belonged to the Rail
family. This proved to be the case. A
perfect-colored picture of the bird can be
found in 'Birds Which Hunt and Are
Hunted,' by Neltje Blanchan.

I shall always carry a pleasant memory
of the beautiful bird, and mark April id
with a white stone. — Charles W. Pack-
ard, M.D., Stratford, Conn.

An Odd Note of the Blue Jay

This morning (Feb. 2, 1920) I heard a
Blue Jay give a curious note — a harsh,
rapid chatter or growl, as rapid as a Wood-
pecker's tattoo. The bird-note which it
most closely resembled is the jarring chat-
ter of a Catbird, but it had a duller, more
wooden quality and suggested a mechanical
sound rather than a bird's voice. The Blue
Jay was alone in a small apple orchard and
was visiting one tree after another, evi-
dently feeding. Recalling, from the oddity
of the note, that I had heard it some years
ago, hut not since, I looked up my records
and found the following note:

"Apr. 6, 1913. This morning
fifteen to twenty Blue Jays were flying
about, making a meat disturbance. From
the large Dumber of birds and from their
loud cries, I supposed that they were

Notes from Field and Study

161

pestering some Hawk or Owl, and when I
heard from the vicinity of the screaming
birds a low, guttural, growling note, re-
peated several times, I turned aside to find
out whether the Jays had not run upon a
rarity, but such was not the case.

"Ten of the birds were sitting in a bare
tree. A few were mounting toward the top
of the tree by stiff upward leaps; the others,
well scattered high in the tree, sat quiet;
most of the company were screaming.
Every few seconds came the growling note,
a sound which suggested a 'snoring' frog,
the quick tapping of a Woodpecker, or the
exhaust from a distant motorcycle —
g-r-r-r-r. During the growl, and immedi-
ately after it, one or two birds, and perhaps
more, moved up and down as if the branch
on which they sat were swaying. There
was none of the teetering motion of a
Spotted Sandpiper; the whole bird rose
and sank as a man would move up and
down on his tiptoes. Soon the birds flew
off in a screaming company and were
joined by other Jays."

In addition to the interest which
attaches to the strange behavior of these
birds, it is worth noticing that the actions
of the birds while uttering a note which is
apparently seldom employed, and which,
one would suppose, from its distinctive
character would have a special significance,
were, in the two instances cited, entirely
different. In one case a solitary bird gave
the call as a soliloquy; in the other case the
call was used at a different time of year
and on an occasion when the gregarious
tendency was unusually manifest. — Win-
sor M. Tyler, M.D., Lexington, Mass.

Blue Jay vs. Mouse

On Feb. 2, 1918, the scream of a Blue
Jay rang out through the air, and, looking
toward the barn, I saw the bird swooping
down to the ground after something. I
was interested at once, and at first I could
not see what was running across the snow;
when it reached the barn, where it was
clear, I saw that it was a mouse.

The Blue Jay boldly followed it right
into the barn, dodging in and out of the

wagons and pecking at the mouse at every
chance it got. About this time the Blue
Jay's mate joined the chase, but she was
just a little too late. The mouse, nearly
beaten, hopped into a friendly hole and
escaped. For a little while the pair
watched the hole, and then gave it up. —
G. Gill, Sea Cliff, N. Y.

Mouse and Blue Jay

At 10 o'clock on the morning of Jan. 30,
1920, I was seated near a window when I
caught sight of a little gray mouse running
about on the short grass outside. He soon
began nibbling a sweet-gum ball (which
contains seed). In a few seconds he ran
to another and began nibbling that, but
his movements had revealed him to a Blue
Jay in the tree above. Down flew Mr. Jay
and gave mousie a quick stab with his bill.
Mousie jumped under a fallen sweet gum
leaf. On came the Jay, brushing aside the
leaf; quickly the mouse sought another,
and another, each time coming nearer my
office, evidently to take refuge under it.
The Jay followed, but when I moved
nearer the window in order to watch the
chase, Mr. Blue Jay was frightened and
flew back to his tree-top, while the mouse,
sensing a new danger, crouched immovable.
A Cardinal Grosbeak now joined the Jay.
and both flew down at the mouse. The
scene would have made a wonderful paint-
ing— the tiny gray ball of fur among the
russet leaves and burs, the vivid scarlet
Cardinal and handsome blue and black
Jay, both alert and with crests raised.
Poor little mousie! I rapped on the pane,
away flew the fighters, and their would-be
victim vanished. — Lizzie N. Douglas,
Barns, W. Feliciana Co., La.

Twenty-one Warblers in a Day

In looking over my back copies of Bird-
Lore I noticed in Vol. XIX, No. 4, the
article by S. A. Eliot, of Pittsfield, Mass.,
entitled 'Seventeen Warblers in a Single
Tree.' During the spring migration of 1919
the writer had a similar experience which
may be of interest to Bird-Lore's readers.

l62

Bird - Lore

Ever since the Warbler wave in the
spring of 1017, when one million Warblers
were estimated to be feeding at the Brigh-
ton Sewage Disposal Plant on May 23, I
have endeavored to visit the plant at least
once during the spring and fall migrations.
The plant is on an open plot of ground
near Irondequoit Bay. All around it is a
most wonderful woods, the underbrush
being so thick it is hard to make one's way
through. It is a birds' paradise! Then,
too, the bay, with its vast marshes, pro-
vides a wonderful place for swamp-birds.
On May 24, I arrived at the plant
about 3.30 in the afternoon, and, seeing
no birds on the gravel beds, I decided to
look in the bordering trees and underbrush,
with the hope of finding some there. I had
not gone far before 1 discovered four beau-
tiful little Northern Parula Warblers feed-
ing in the low underbrush. A single Nash-
ville was in a tree above me, singing, and
Yellow Warblers were very numerous.
Seeing a flash of color in a nearby hem-
lock tree, I focused my glass on the spot
and found a male Pine Warbler gleaning
insects from the branches. Then a Black-
hurnian came into the line of vision. Low-
ering my glass I walked cautiously for-
ward, and as I got nearer, Warblers seemed
to appear all over the tree. I was now so
close the glass was not necessary. A Red-
start and a Black-poll were in the topmost
part of the tree. Further down were Chest-
nut-sided, Bay-breasted, and Magnolia
Warblers and a female Cape May. My
eyes. were suddenly attracted to a rail of
the fence surrounding the plant, and there
was a splendid male Cerulean Warbler, the
first I had ever seen! In a radius of fifty
yards I found two Tennessees and also
Hooded, Canadian, and Mourning War-
blers. And I heard an Oven-bird, a Nor-
thern Water-thrush, and two Maryland
Yellow-throats singing in the vicinity.
These, with an Orange-crowned and a
Black throated Blue seen in the morning,
made a total of twenty one Warblers for

the day, nineteen of which were seen in a

hundred yard circle. Many other species

were seen here, and altogel her I hey made a

total of >-i\!\ one different varieties seen

in what the writer thinks to be the finest
spot for birds around this city. — Richard
M. Chase, Rochester, N. Y.

What Killed Cock Robin?

One morning late in June, an excitement
among the Robins hurried me to the porch,
to see a young one fluttering helplessly over
the lawn closely followed by a cat, while
the parents dashed about wildly overhead,
filling the air with their frantic appeals for
aid. I rescued the nestling and put it in
a cage which I left on the porch, so that
the old birds might keep in touch with it
and take it in charge when it had recovered
sufficiently from fright and exhaustion to
be released. If subjected to fright during
the early stages of flying, young birds be-
come semi-paralyzed, but after a few
hours of rest and quiet are then quite able
to fly to a place of safety.

I supposed the parents of my protege
would remain nearby during its temporary
imprisonment, but they, apparently, took
no further interest in its fate, and it soon
cried insistently for food. I have an aver-
sion for a caged bird and did not want the
care of a Robin. Inspection showed it to
be very young, only half-feathered, still
wobbly on its legs, and unable to feed un-
less steadied in the hand. It had evidently
fallen from the nest and was entirely in-
capable of self-support. There was no
alternative but adoption for at least a
short time.

It struggled wildly when I first took it
into my hand to feed it, but relaxed 1 on
tentcdly as I put a morsel of softened bread
into the gaping mOUth, and ever after en
joyed being so held while feeding. It then
and there claimed me a- a foster mother,
and 1 thereupon christened it 'Bob.'

While Hob suffered attention-- from oilier
members of the family, he made it plainly
evident thai I was the sun and SOul of his

existence. Shrieks of joy greeted my
appearance, and, running forward to the

liars of his cage, he awaited me with
quivering wings and eyes sparkling with
impatience. He became verj tame, follow-
ing me about on fooi on my visits in the

Notes from Field and Study

163

neighborhood, or perfecting himself in the
art of pulling worms while I occupied a
chair on the lawn, interrupting his labors
to fly up on my lap when he desired food
from my store.

A month passed and Bob had developed
into a handsome, vigorous Robin. He
had renounced all kinship with the feath-
ered tribe and showed himself more than
satisfied with his promotion to membership
in the human family. I was beginning to
be concerned in that he showed no inclina-
tion to take up his normal life, unconscious
that eyes unseen were viewing his dis-
loyalty with disfavor, and that vengeance,
incredible for subtlety and intelligence,
was awaiting its opportunity.

The first time I gave Bob his liberty on
the lawn, while I mounted guard against
cats and other things hostile, a pair of
Robins, one carrying a worm, alighted
near him. Supposing them to be the long-
lost parents, I watched proceedings with
much interest. One held the worm entic-
ingly before Bob and then, to my conster-
nation, the other, feathers bristling with
rage, ran toward him with evil intentions
so evident that I ran to his rescue and the
intruders flew off.

After this, for a while, I never left Bob
alone on the lawn, but one day, in response
to a hurried summons, I went into the
house, forgetting him. As I returned, a
Robin with a worm in its beak was just
alighting beside him, but, seeing me, beat
a hasty retreat.

A week later I again left Bob for a mo-
ment. As I came back a Robin was putting
a worm into his wide-open mouth. The
stranger flew off as I approached, and Bob,
instead of running to meet me as usual, sat
quietly on the grass. So quiet, so inanimate,
that I took him up to see why. I examined
him closely, but could find no injury. I
put him down on the grass and watched
him. He sat perfectly quiet for a few
minutes, then slowly turned his head back-
wards and tucked it under his wing as if
going to sleep. I tried to arouse him by
offering food. He responded with a feeble
peep but was unable to swallow. The next
morning Bob was lifeless on the floor of

his cage. Who can solve the mystery of
his death?— Lilian Rea McCormick,

Danville, Pa.

Mrs. Wren Puts Her Family to Bed in
a Robin's Nest

In a pine tree, the branches of which
reach to my north porch, just below the
eaves, a pair of Robins build their nest
nearly every year. The old nest usually is
blown away during the winter's fierce gales.
The. evening of Aug. 28, 1919, was quite
cold. While I sat on the porch, just before
dark, I heard a Wren calling so loudly and
long that I remained to see what the ado
was all about, for, as I looked the yard
over, I could see neither cat nor anything
else to disturb her. After she had flown
all around the yard, still calling, I noticed
her in the pine tree near the porch. To my
surprise, she hopped onto the edge of the
deserted Robin's nest, jumping into it and
out again, repeating this several times, still
calling. Then from out of the branches of
the tree came five young Wrens, and they
all nestled down into the nest. I could
hear them twittering for a few moments
(much as small chickens do when they go
to bed at night under the wings of the
old mother hen), then quietness reigned.

The next night I watched for them again,
and the same process was repeated at
twilight, and this continued every evening
for a week, with more or less calling as the
occasion demanded. One evening the little
family gave her more trouble in finding
them than usual. Darkness set in, and she
was still calling. It was too dark to count
them that night, but I heard them twitter.
The House Wren usually arrives about
May 4, and this was the first time that I
have ever seen them here later than Au-
gust 15. — Mrs. J. Ellsworth Jackson,
Rochester, Wis.

Bluebirds vs. Wrens

In the summer of 1918, while we were in
camp in northeastern Pennsylvania, late
in August, I noticed numerous Bluebirds
about and wondered where they had nested.

164

Bird - Lore

There were three farmhouses in sight of
camp. One day as we were driving past
the farmhouse just back of our camp, I
noticed a bird-box on a tall, slender pole
just back of the house and remarked that
there was probably one of the homes of
the Bluebirds. A little farther on we over-
took the owner of the place, in blue over-
alls, with a tin milk-pail on his arm. I
stopped the horse and told him I noticed
his bird-house as I passed and asked
whether he had had Bluebirds for tenants.
His face lighted up and he said, "Blue-
birds? I should say so!" He then told me
that he had built eight boxes and the Blue-
birds had occupied six of them. That very
morning they had paid a visit to the boxes'
and he had counted thirty-two in the flock.
He said after the Bluebirds had been there
some time a Wren tried to take possession
of one of the two unoccupied boxes, but he
saw right away that the Bluebirds did not
like the Wren so he drove it off. I told
him why the Bluebirds do not care for the
Wrens.

I wish to add that the Wren this last
summer again interfered with the second
nesting of my Bluebirds. The first egg was
laid one morning between 9 and 10 o'clock,
and before 1 1 o'clock the Wren had visited
the box and broken the egg. I noticed in
the report from the Connecticut Birdcraft
Sanctuary in Bird-Lurk that thirteen pairs
of Wrens and only two pairs of Bluebirds
nested there. It is my belief that the
Wrens are very destructive to Bluebirds'
eggs at the second nesting. — Mrs. Arthur
F. Gardner, Troy, N. Y.

A Confusion of Instincts

Last summer a pair of Robins nested
three times about the house and built a
new nest each time. As soon as one brood
of young Robins was safely down from
the nest and hidden away in the grape-
arbor, the mother Robin would begin to
carry material for a new nest.

One day, jusl as she started for the nest
with lur mouth full of string, one of the
baby birds called for food. She ran across
t In lawn to him and stuffed the string into

his mouth. He held it for a minute then
spit it out. She picked it up and put it
back into his mouth. When he spit it out
again, she picked it up and carried it off
to the nest. A day or two after this I saw
her do the same with a bill full of dried
grass. The baby Robins soon learned to
look to the father Robin for their food. —
Mrs. Arthur F. Gardner, Troy, N. Y.

A Clever Robin

So many interesting stories about Robins
are written for Bird-Lore that I should
like to offer an additional incident.

We were riding in the country one rainy
morning, when, close beside the road, we
spied a Robin tugging at a great angle-
worm half out of the ground, and we
stopped to watch the proceedings. Sir
Robin was having a struggle indeed.
Finally he landed his catch, which proved
to be nearly as long as himself, and stood
over it for a moment, too glad of the
opportunity to rest to be afraid of our
presence. Presently he seized the worm
by one end and flew off with several inches
of it trailing from his yellow bill.

This was the worm's opportunity, and
it made the most of it. Around Sir Robin's
leg it twined and squirmed and clung, and
promptly to the ground came the former
to see what the trouble svas all about.
Dropping the captive end of his victim, he
proceeded to free himself from the snaky
coils; then, as if determined that such a
thing should not occur again, he firmly bit
that worm in two, picked up both pieces —
nearer the center this time — and flew off
in triumph with a morning meal for his
little ones. — Mary T. Barrett, Portland,
Maine.

Wrens Drive Away English Sparrows

A tin can from an oil-stove was hung
from a hook and reserved for Bluebirds.
No Bluebirds came but a pair of English
Sparrows inspected it carefully one entire
season before they decided it was safe,
then proceeded to occupy it for two years.

One April day when a brood of Sparrows

Notes from Field and Study

165

had just left the nest, a pair of Wrens
appeared. They examined the premises
very thoroughly and concluded to rent it,
after which they proceeded to clean it out.
A perfect shower of feathers came down,
mixed with straws and grasses, and in the
midst of the housecleaning the former
tenants put in their appearance. A lively
scrap ensued in which the Wrens come off

victors, not once but several times, one
or the other Wren being always on guard
until finally the little Wrens were left in
peace.

Several weeks later four babies were
perched on a branch and fed generously
within two feet of where I was hidden be-
hind a curtain. — Nettie Randall, Can-
ton, Pa.

THE SEASON
XIX. February 15 to April 15, 1920

Boston Region. — Spring came slowly
after a long, severe winter. Traces of the
winter's snow, an accumulation of 74 in-
ches, remained on the ground well into
April, and during the prolonged thaw in
March the presence of the melting snow
made the springlike weather seem wintry.
During this period there were fewer birds
here in Lexington than there had been all
winter. In mid-February an icestorm had
beaten off the white ash seeds and the
birch catkins, evidently forcing the Pine
Grosbeaks and Redpolls to move off in
search of food. The commonest bird at
this time was the Robin. These birds
appeared in good-sized flocks on Febru-
ary 25 — winter Robins, big, wild birds,
undaunted by snow.

As would be expected during so long
drawn out and gradual a change from
winter to spring, the first group of migrant
birds — those that follow the snow-line
closely and often arrive before the ground
is half exposed — straggled along in such
small numbers at first that no definite date
could be set for their arrival. On March 23,
the day when the Robins began to sing,
there was a pronounced migration of Blue-
birds, Song Sparrows, and Blackbirds, but
small numbers of individuals representing
these species had been reported several
days earlier. These birds were closely fol-
lowed by a flight of Fox Sparrows and
Juncos, and a few Phoebes, the latter bird
arriving on the day when flying insects
first made their appearance, although there
was much snow on the ground.

The next group of migrants, which com-
prises the Vesper, Field, and Swamp Spar-
rows and the Pine Warbler — birds which
do not appear in New England until spring
is well established — was delayed by cold
weather in the first half of April, when
such a chilling wind blew from the nor-
thern snowfields that the Robins discon-
tinued their evening chorus. Notwith-
standing the absence of this group as a
whole, a few Vesper Sparrows and a Pine
Warbler were noted on April n. The
Chipping Sparrow, a bird whose arrival
brings assurance that all wintry weather
is past, has not appeared, although over-
due.

Mrs. Edmund Bridge reports the pres-
ence at West Medford of a bird of extreme
rarity in Massachusetts — two Bohemian
Waxwings, which were associated with a
flock of Cedarbirds for a few days in the
latter part of February. — Winsor M.
Tyler, M.D., Lexington, Mass.

New York Region. — The last half of
February saw an increase in Redpolls,
now in considerable flocks, but they soon
disappeared again. There seems also to
have been a flight of Long-eared Owls at
this time, noted at Amityville, Douglas-
ton, Staten Island, Englewood, and the
vicinity of Plainfield. February 23 a num-
ber of Evening Grosbeaks were found in a
patch of red cedar woods at Amityville,
Long Island, feeding on cedar berries.
With them were many Goldfinches, some
Red Crossbills, and a few Purple Finches.

i66

Bird - Lore

The Evening Grosbeak has been reported
repeatedly from Douglaston, Long Island
(G. C. Fisher), last seen April o and likely
still around. The attraction here seems to
be the fruit of the hackberry.

More than in the New Jersey direction,
late February and the very first of March
usually find an increase of scattered Robins
on Long Island. Wc have been at times in
doubt as to whether these birds are arrivals
f rum the South or have been driven in from
southern New England where, at that date,
the Robin is generally present in consider-
able flocks. This year these early Robins
were less than usually noticeable on the
Island, an indication that they are southern
birds, as late winter birds from the North
of all species were more than usually
represented.

The spring was late in putting in an
appearance witli its first migrants from
the South. The entire absence, during the
very end of winter, of Song Sparrows at
Garden City, Long Island, made it pos-
sible to determine when the first individuals
returned, March 12. Fox Sparrow and
Grackle were present here for the first time
on March 14, the Grackles being about
two weeks later than their usual arrival —
the end of February. The first unquestioned
increase in Meadowlarks came on the 21st
and they became common on the 24th.
The Flicker put in an appearance on the
28th, and Chipping Sparrows only on
April 7 this year, although they had been
reported from the New York Region a few
days previous. lTp the Hudson, vicinity
of Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie, data com-
piled by M. S. Crosby shows the earliest
arrivals to have been delayed: Fox Spar-
row, Mar<h 14; Grackle and Song Spar
row, March 15; Robin, March 2.}. The
next lot of birds were, however, as early
as one could expect them: Phoebe, March
23; Flicker and Cowbird, March 26: Chip-
ping Sparrow and Tree Swallow, April .•;:
barn Swallow. April 11; Louisiana Water-
t brush, April [2; etc.

Reports from New Jersey indicate re
tarded migration, though by April 1 spring

arrivals were about 'on time'; and a better
showing than usual of the less-abundant

Ducks. At Knglewood, Rough-legged
Hawk, March 21, Golden-eye Duck and
Tree Sparrow, April 1 1, are late dates ob-
tained by L. Griscom, who also reports the
Hooded Merganser, Baldpate, blue-winged
Teal, and Ruddy Duck from there. C. H.
Rogers and \Y. DeW. Miller found the
Baldpate, Green-winged Teal, and Pintail
at South River, April 4.

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was noted in
Prospect Park on April 7 by R. Friedmann,
and the record corroborated by a number
of Brooklyn observers who found it there
again April 12 and 14. The occurrence of
this species north of its regular range at
so early a date is doubtless correlated with
the fact that, like other southern species,
its regular spring migration comes early. —
J. T. Nichols, New York City.

Philadelphia Region. — With the ex-
ception of a number of springlike days
the first week in March, Jack frost
held this region in his grip until about
March 15. The bulk of the early migrants
arrived from ten days to two weeks late-,
the earlier adventurers meeting with
wintry conditions. Almost immediately
after the melting of the ice in the I >elaware
River — about mid-March — numbers of
Mergansers, Scaups, Black Ducks, and
Pintails appeared, and rapidly increased
until the peak of their abundance was
reached about April 10. On this date about
eight hundred Ducks were observed on the
river, a mixed flock of the species men
tioned above. An interesting feature of
late February was an apparent influx of
Evening Grosbeaks, these birds being re-
ported more common at this time than any
other portion of the winter. Miss Anna P.
Deeter writes that she and Miss Florence
Hergesheimer saw a flock of twelve birds
of this species near Reading. Pa., on
February 29, two of which were 'full-
plumaged males.' In the same letter she
mentions seeing a Hermit Thrush (Man h
8) -it Reading which had doubtless win-
tered there.

A Ruffed Grouse seen at New Lisbon,
N. J., March 21, is interesting, as this bird
at the present time is none too common in

The Season

167

southern New Jersey. The same day a
huge flight of Red-winged Blackbirds was
seen passing northward, flock after flock,
the totals of which must have numbered
thousands.

Marly spring migrants wen' noted as fol-
lows: Bluebird, February 23; Fox Sparrow
and Flicker, March 7; Vesper Sparrow,
March 20; Robin, March 21; Purple
Crackle, March 13; Red- winged Blackbird,
March 21; Killdeer, March 28; Savannah
Sparrow, March 30; Phcebe, March 27;
Osprey, April n; Bonaparte's Gull,
April n. — Julian K. Potter, Camden,
N. ./.

Washington Recion. — The long, cold
winter is but slowly giving place to
spring in the region about Washington.
Vegetation is at least two weeks behind its
ordinary development at this time of the
year. Notwithstanding these conditions,
bird-life during February and March
showed its customary spring increase. This,
of course, means the permanent residents
and earliest migrants, which are now
( March 31) in their usual numbers and in
full song. Only two of the spring migrants
that are due before April 1, the Purple
Martin and the Pine Warbler, have failed
to put in their appearance. On the other
hand, some species have arrived earlier
than usual: the Woodcock, which came on
February 15, but which was not due until
March S; the Chipping Sparrow, seen on
March 21 (average date of spring appear-
ance, March 26); and the Tree Swallow,
noted on March 28 (average spring arrival,
April 11).

The Ring-billed Gull has been frequently
noted on the river, usually in flocks in
company with the Herring Gulls, and ap-
pears to be much more numerous than is
ordinarily the case. The Starling continues
to be common, and apparently has become
thoroughly established, both summer and
winter, in the vicinity of Washington.

Although most birds have been present
in about normal numbers, the scarcity of
the Golden-crowned Kinglet has been
noticeable, a fact remarked by nearly all
observers.

Without doubt, the outstanding feature
of ornithological interest during the past
two months has been t lie- astonishing num-
bers of Ducks that have frequented the
Potomac River. These birds seem to be
present in even greater numbers than dur-
ing the corresponding period of 1010, and
is an encouraging sign to both ornitholo-
gists and sportsmen of the beneficial effects
of game-protection efforts during the past
few years. The species most abundant
have been the Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup,
Black Duck, and Golden-eye. Several
thousand Scaups and Black Ducks have
frequented the river as far up as the city
of Washington, feeding out in the broader
reaches of the river but spending the night
nearer to the shore in the more sheltered
portions, sometimes close to the city, off
the lower end of Potomac Park. Other spe-
cies noted more or less frequently are the
Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, American
Merganser, and Hooded Merganser. Three
Pintails were seen by Francis Harper on
February 20 on the Potomac River near
Washington, between Alexander Island
and Potomac Park; and a single Canvas-
back was observed by Miss M. T. Cooke
on March 28 near Millers, Va. Flocks of
Canada Geese in migration have also been
larger and more numerous than for several
years past, at least so far as may be judged
by reports from local observers. Further-
more, the Whistling Swan has continued
to winter in the Potomac River some
twenty to forty miles below Washington,
as has been the case for several years
past. — Harry C. Oberholser, Biological
Survey, Washington, D. C.

Minneapolis (Minnesota) Region. —
As one correspondent aptly expressed
it "The spring is coming with slow, re-
luctant steps" here as elsewhere after the
unusually 'snowbound winter' that has
prevailed throughout the whole northern
United States the past season. Minnesota
has experienced an exceptionally pro-
tracted and hard winter, followed by a
spring which, thus far, has been character-
ized by brief spells of mild weather inter-
rupted by constantly recurring severe

1 68

Bird - Lore

snowstorms and freezing temperatures.
The early arrivals among the birds, and
especially the early ground-nesting spe-
cies, as, for example, the Horned Lark,
must have had a hard struggle and met
with many disasters.

After a few bitter cold days, with tem-
peratures far below zero, in the third week
of February) there came a spell of milder
weather and disappearing snows that
seemed to promise an early spring; but on
March 3 occurred the terrible blizzard
that swept the whole Middle West, accom-
panied by the greatest single snowfall of
the whole winter — about a level foot.
Several subzero days followed, terminating
on March 9 in a mild, springlike day with
a maximum of 46 degrees above, "the
warmest day here since last November"
(Weather Bureau). But on the 15th came
another blizzard, much snow, and a hard
freeze; a brief respite and then nine inches
of snow on the night of the 18th. The first
really warm days followed, with occasional
noon temperatures of 60 degrees, a heavy,
warm rain on the 23d which rotted the ice
in lakes and streams (the ice went out of
the Mississippi River above the falls on
the 24th), and the month closed with an
almost July-like day with temperature
72 degrees — a most unusual record. A few-
brief hours of this and then April came in
like the proverbial lion with snow, high
north winds, and freezing temperatures, — ■
plus 13 degrees on the 2d, — and this sort
of weather has continued, with only slight
intermissions ever since. The smaller and
medium-sized lakes hereabout were clear
of ice on April 15, due chiefly to surface
drainage and the warm rain on March 23,
but the larger lakes were open only around
the shores and in the smaller bays. Lake-
ice formed during the past winter to
the astonishing thickness of thirty-eight
inches!

It can readily be imagined what the
effects of such a spring must have been on
the early migrant birds. The warm spells
lured them onward, and then suddenly
they were confronted with all the rigors
and privations of midwinter, to avoid
which they had retreated t<> the Southland

the previous fall. The rather brief dura-
tion of the cold spells has been the only
mitigating circumstance.

The following bird-notes are all for the
vicinity of Minneapolis, and have been
largely taken from reports kindly con-
tributed to the Museum by several local
observers.

The first migrant seen was a single Crow,
on March 9, followed on the 16th by a
flock of 20 which came up the Mississippi
gorge battling against a fierce, bitter (old
wind that was blowing at the time. Two
Bluebirds arrived on the 15th (Mrs.
Mclntire) and a 'flock' on the 19th (Chap-
man), encountering heavy snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Robins appeared on the
18th; Meadowlarks on the 20th (Miss
Edgar); Red-winged Blackbirds and Song
Sparrows on the 21st; Golden-crowned
Kinglets (Thayer), a Red-tailed Hawk,
and a Red-headed Woodpecker (Mrs. M<
Intire) on the 2 2(1; Fox Sparrows (Green)
on the 23d, at which time Tree Sparrows
and Juncos were migrating in large num-
bers. On the 25th, Purple Finches were
numerous and in full song, and Horned
Larks, a Killdeer, a Flicker, Marsh Hawks,
and a flock of 200 Bohemian Waxwings
were seen in the vicinity of the city by
Mrs. W. E. Albee. Pinches (Zeleny), a
Migrant Shrike, a Kingfisher, and a Broad-
winged Hawk (Mrs. Albee) and many
Rusty Blackbirds (Mrs. Mclntire) were re-
ported on the 28th. The first Herring Gulls
were seen in the Mississippi gorge on the
29th (Mclntire); an early Sapsucker on
the 30th (Caroline Crosby) and the first
Loon on April 8 (Hussy). Martins were
reported from the southern part of the
state i Harry Boogan, Madelia, Watonwan
County) on the exceptionally early date
of March .•; 1 , and these so-called 'scouting
birds' were seen at Minneapolis about a
week later. The first Hermit Thrushes
appeared on April 14 (Common-'.

Mid-April arrived witli all vegetation
much less advanced than at the same time
lasl year. The catkins on the hazel, the
poplar, and the willow were developed

only in favored places. The pasque flower,
1 he bepatica, and the bloodrool had been

The Season

169

in bloom for only a few days, and the
dicentra or Dutchman's breeches was but
just appearing. There was but little evi-
dence of "the tender grays of the woods
being brightened by the soft reds, yellows,
and greens" that make the springtime
woodlands the delight of those having the
artistic temperament.

The Bohemian Waxwings, which have
been so well represented throughout the
state during the past winter, are still .here.
A flock of 25 to 30 established themselves
at the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. F. W.
Commons at Lake Minnetonka during the
first week of April and exhibited a feeding
trait that was both curious and interesting.
When the sap began to run in the many
sugar maple trees about the house, it oozed
from numerous cracks and abrasions in the
bark (caused by freezing?) and ran from
the ends of broken twigs, forming in the
latter places little icicles. The Waxwings
fancied this sap and fed eagerly from the
little pools on the trunks and larger
branches of the trees. To secure the sap
dripping from the ends of the twigs, the
birds fluttered in mid-air, hummingbird-
fashion, and drank the rapidly forming
drops from the tips of the pendant icicles !
Between times they hawked for insects
from the topmost branches of the taller
trees. Thus the Waxwing and the Sap-
sucker, under favoring conditions, seem
possessed of similar tastes, though they go
about gratifying their appetites in very
different ways.

The great thickness of the ice on the
lakes and the heavy blanket of snow during
the winter just passed developed condi-
tions that caused the destruction of vast
numbers of fish in the shallower lakes of
Minnesota. Fish of all kinds and sizes
were thus 'smothered,' and even the
hibernating frogs and turtles succumbed.
With the melting of the ice, the dead and
decaying fish were thrown up on the
shores in great windrows. Herring and
Ring-billed Gulls arriving about this time
assembled at such places in large flocks
and have been busy ever since devouring
the putrefying and malodorous piles of
fish that were a nuisance and menace to

the nearby settlers. At one such place,
visited by the writer on April 14, Herring
Gulls predominated, with only a few Ring-
bills present, though elsewhere the latter
species was reported in large numbers.
German carp, two to two and a half feet
long and weighing twelve to fifteen pounds,
were too big and heavy for the Gulls to
manage, the eyes, apparently, being the
only vulnerable parts. But the sunfish,
black bass, crappies, perch, bull-pouts, etc.,
were being disposed of rapidly. The great
value of Gulls as scavengers is well exem-
plified under such conditions. — Thomas S.
Roberts, Zoological Museum, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Kansas City Region. — Late winter
notes from the Eton Bend of the Missouri
River and the Courtney region, furnished
by William Andrews, indicate that the
usual early movement of Mallards, Pintails,
Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers,
and Canada and Snow Geese gave promise
this year of exceeding in numbers the spring
flights of several years past. This careful
observer also noted a pair of Loons feeding
about the edge of an ice-field near his
home, and, on February 14, saw 39 Snow
Geese and 17 Canada Geese crowded out
of an eddy in the Missouri River by a rush
of pack ice. A flocR of over 200 Rusty
Blackbirds was observed by Mr. Andrews
in his neighborhood during this season, and
an unusual northward movement of thou-
sands of Juncos was noted during the last
week of February. A few miles below this
region another trustworthy observer states
that a flock of about 150 Blue Geese,
accompanied by a lone Snow Goose, re-
mained on an inaccessible bar in the
Missouri River from February 2 2 to April 4,
when their place was taken by thousands
of Mallards and Scaup.

A letter from Johnson Neff, Marionville,
Mo., mentions a large list of winter birds
seen, giving 34 species as the average
number noted in a day afield. Mr. Neff's
careful notes conclude with the cheerful
statement that Ducks and Geese are more
abundant than for several years. He states
further that a Sandhill Crane was killed

170

Bird - Lore

near his town in late January, and deplores
the fact that there arc local hunters who
are not in strict sympathy with the
Federal Bird Law.

Sidney Hyde writes that a movement of
Bohemian Waxwings had been observed in
the Topeka, [Cans., region, where this un-
usual species was under observation from
late in January until March 25. He gives
an early arrival date for the Pectoral
Sandpiper, March 17, and states that on
April 7 a flock of 16 Cranes, probably Sand-
hills, was seen and heard.

An event of importance, in the Kansas
City region was the adding of the Skua to
our local list. A lone individual of this
wandering race was taken on the Missouri
River, near Sibley, on April 3, by a boat-
man who, fortunately, saved the head,
wings, and feet. The writer knows of no
previous local record for this bird authen-
ticated by a specimen, though William
Andrews says that he is sure he has met
the species twice in his many years on
the river.

On March 21, Meadowlarks and Chip-
ping Sparrows were .first noted on their
breeding-stands in full song, and Purple
Martins were present in numbers on that
date a week ahead of their normal time of
arrival. By April 2, many of the commoner
species were carrying nesting material.
Fruit trees, such as plum and peach, were
in bloom, and lilac and other early shrubs
were out far enough to show as green
masses, when all hope of an early and
rapidly advancing spring was blasted by
the arrival of a raging blizzard. Snowdrifts
covered everything and a howling north
wind, filled with snow, caused all bird-
activities to come to a standstill. Had this
unseasonable condition prevailed longer
than twenty lour hours, great damage
would have resulted to birr! life, but, for-
tunately, the storm ended as suddenly as
it began, and by noon of the 5 1 h Robins
were pulling worms in every green patch
rapidly appearing through the mantle of
snow.

Pelicans were seen passing over on
April 5, and several Harris's Sparrows and

Purple Fin< hes were noted in the southern

residence distrii ts birds that are but sel-
dom seen within the city. Local observers
have been glad during the past two weeks
to find that Harris's Sparrow has returned
this spring in its old-time abundance. For
some unknown reason this species has been
rare in this region during the last three-
migration seasons. On April 11, a flock of
about 75 Pipits were under observation for
an hour, this being the first time this
species has been met with here in several
years. On this date 71 species were re-
corded.— Harrv Hakims, Kansas City, Sh>.

Denver Recion. The writer has of ten

wondered how long it takes our returning
birds to penetrate into the denser parts of
Denver. Robins winter in the neighbor-
hood of Denver, but are seen only infre-
quently during that season within the well-
built-up parts of the city. When the
advance-guard returns in February, its
members are at once pretty well distributed
all over the city. It is quite otherwise with
the Meadowlarks; some of them also winter
near Denver; the species becomes common
in the outskirts shortly after March 15.
but seldom gets into the neighborhood of
my home until the first week in April.
This year it was April 1 before a Meadow-
lark was heard in my neighborhood. This
slower penetration of the well-built-up
districts by the Meadowlark may be due
to its being more terrestrial in its habits
than the Robin. The writer has wished all
winter that his fellow bird-lovers of tin-
East could have had the extended com-
pany of Bohemian Waxwings which was
his. This beautiful bird has been in and
about Denver all the winter, sometimes
appearing in great flocks. One of my
friends recently said that they reminded
him of Plumed Quail when they wire on
the ground, and the writer thinks that it
is not an overdrawn comparison. A large
flock of these Waxwings was in my yard
on March 10, a bright, warm daw and to
my surprise several of the birds were seen
on the topmost twigs of a tree, whence
they made excursions into the air after
insects, precisely as do Flycatchers. This
habit is, of course, common to many other

The Season

171

non-Flycatcher species, but it never before
came to my notice with the Bohemian
Waxwing. This species was last seen here
on March n, when there occurred a slight
snowfall, but not enough of a storm to
dampen the ardor, in any way, of many
singing Robins. A heavier snowstorm, with
low temperatures on April 10 and 1 1, drove
a number of species well into the heart of
the city. A Tree Sparrow was caught in
my Sparrow trap on the first day of the
storm, banded, and liberated. It returned
to the trap again the next day, was again
given its freedom, and has not been seen
since.

There seems to me evidence arising in
the immediate vicinity of Denver of the
beneficial effects of the Federal Migratory
Act; more Ducks have been seen latterly
by the writer on small lakes in this neigh-
borhood than in many years past. On
April 9, a warm, cloudless day, the follow-
ing species were noticed in a small lake
immediately south of Denver- Redheads,
Canvasbacks, Mallards, Pintails, Lesser
Scaups, Shovellers, and Green-winged
Teal, a similar assemblage not having come
under my notice in a long time. On the
same day, a nest with four eggs of the
Long-eared Owl was found close to the
city limits, a date fairly early for this Owl
to nest. On the same afternoon, a large
flock of Cassin's Purple Finches was seen.
The writer was then impressed anew by
the ease with which one can mistake this ,
species for the House Finch, if one judge
by appearances alone, while no one could
make a mistake in identifying the two
species if their songs be compared. The
song of the Cassin's Finch is quite unlike
that of the House Finch. The date on
which this flock of Cassin's Finch was
seen, is, in my experience, exceptionally
late for this species for this vicinity. Say's
Phoebe was first seen on the afternoon of
April 9. The next and the following two
days were cold and snowy, a combination
which seems to cast doubt on birds showing
foreknowledge of bad weather and storms.

Mrs. L. K. Robinson tells me that she
saw a very large flock of Evening Gros-
beaks in one of our parks, the date being

February 18; all had disappeared on the
next day except six, and these left that
afternoon. The writer did not have the
pleasure of watching this flock of beautiful
birds. One of my friends who has a ranch
a few miles south of Denver, reports that
a Bald Eagle has lingered about his place
for several weeks. This bird is a rare visitor
anywhere in Colorado. The Junco group
is a very puzzling one in field identification ,
and the writer highly recommends Spar-
row-traps as offering a great help in their
identification. On April 1, two species and
a subspecies were found in the Sparrow-
trap, that is to say, the Pink-sided, the
Montana, and the Shufeldt's Juncos. They
were all promptly banded and given their
freedom. Certainly there is no way known
to the writer which gives one such a satis-
factory chance to study a live bird as does
this, and the pleasure is enhanced by the
knowledge that the delicate little creature
is done no harm.

The writer is greatly interested in the
oft-seen pair of Clark's Crows which have
been mentioned in previous reports. He is
wondering when this pair will 'pull out for
the hills' because the pair was seen in
Denver as late as March 25. On this latter
date the two birds were blacker than ever,
even the white markings being very dim.
Certainly a city's smoke is 'powerful soil-
ful.' It appears to the writer that there
have been more Bluebirds about the
region than usual, and it is most earnestly
hoped that this is not merely an impression,
but a happy fact. — W. H. Bergtold,
Denver, Colo.

San Francisco Region. — Spring bird
records began with the finding of the nest
of an Allen Hummingbird on February 13.
The nest, though incomplete, contained
one egg, which with its mate hatched on
March 15, and the two midgets flew off into
the wide world on March 25 — a chilly,
rainy day. The House Wren won second
place in the list of spring migrants, three
being seen together on March 5. The two
males were bursting with song, and I sup-
pose must have settled the question as to
which one was superfluous in that par-

172

Bird - Lore

ticular locality, for a week later the pair
were evidently building. On March 6 the
trill of the Lutescent Warbler was heard
in the canon, and on March 20 the brilliant
plumage of the Pileolated Warbler be-
trayed his presence in the willows along
Strawberry Creek.

The last five days in March were spent
with the Water Ouzels in the Santa Cruz
Mountains. A pair was found building in
the same water-washed groove in a
boulder in the middle of the river where,
in the late summer last year, I had pried
away its mossy nest. The male was a faith-
ful guard, giving the alarm whenever I
approached the water, so that I found it
more profitable to watch the process
through field-glasses from the top of the
bluff above. The cheery Wren-like song
contained two clear whistling notes of
Thrush quality.

During the five days in the mountains,
the return of the Warbling Vireo and
Western Flycatcher was noted, and a flock
of a dozen or more Violet-Green Swallows
was seen several times gathering insects
over the river. One sunny, warm day the
Cliff Swallows also appeared and investi-
gated the eaves of a large barn where they
had built their mud houses last year. But
a colder day put them to rout and they
were not seen again.

Easter Sunday in the Bay region was a
day which we call typical, no matter in
what country we live. Nothing more beau-
tiful has ever been described by poet or
depicted by painter, and all the lovers of
the outdoors, whether animals or men,
seemed to be making the most of it. Dur-
ing the week that followed, migrating
(iulls were heard several times as they
formed their ranks for their long journey.
The tiny Rufous Hummingbird stopped on
his way to Alaska to sip the honey from
( alifornia flowers.

The permanent residents have been
busy with courtship or nest-building, the
most prominent singers on the hillside being
the Thrasher, Purple Finch, Vigors Wren,
Wrentit, Nuttall Sparrow, and Titmouse.
On March 1 the Thrasher anticipated the
dawn by two and a half hours, singing a

full-throated song in a drenching ain at
half-past three in the morning.

Of the winter visitants, I have missed,
since early in April the songs of the Inter-
mediate Sparrows and Varied Thrushes.
The latter had been present in the woods
to the west of my house throughout the
winter, and their weird, composite whistle
had often been the first sound to be heard
in the early morning. The note suggests
the first note in the song of the Dwarf
Hermit Thrush, and the repetition in a
different key is also suggestive of the same
relationship. I wonder if possibly there is
a strain following these whistled notes
which is inaudible to the human ear.

The most unusual record reported for
the region was that of Evening Grosbeaks
which came to the garden of Mrs. A. C.
Schlesinger in Oakland to feed on maple
seeds. They appeared on February 27 and
have been seen occasionally since then,
coming every few days and remaining for
an hour or two at a time. — Amelia S.
Allen, Berkeley, Calif.

Los Angeles Region. — The earliest
spring migrant, a Rufous Hummingbird,
was recorded at Hollywood on January 9.
This species occurs quite regularly in late
January, but the record above seems un-
usual. First record for the Allen Hummer
was February 18. The first male Arizona
Hooded Oriole appeared February 14,
while the female was not seen until eight
days later. The Bullock species, sometimes
seen in late February, was not noted this
spring until March 19.

Lutescent Warblers inaugurated the sea-
son for their family on February 25, a very
early date. Their numbers increased
rapidly. They were notably bright in
plumage, and in full song soon after
March 15, their plumage and song making
them notably conspicuous as they fed upon
the rose infesting aphis and other tidbits
that delight the avian palate. Other
Warblers, later arrivals, were the Black-
throated Gray, Golden Pileolated, Cala-
veras, MacGillivrays, and the California
Yellow. The Warbling Vireo appeared
March 1 1.

The Season

173

A Black-headed Grosbeak (not due in
numbers until late March) announced his
arrival on February 22; this date brought
also Violet -green Swallows. In 19 19 a very
large flock of Violet-green Swallows esti-
mated at above one thousand were storm-
bound at Echo Park Lake over March (3,
14, and 15, continuing their journey north-
ward on the morning of the 16th as the
weather cleared. Their departure, in a
vast spiral as they rose to a great height,
was watched by an Audubon Society mem-
ber. This year a storm occurred on the
16th, and again the Swallows were there —
but not in such numbers. Their spectac-
ular departure was not observed this year,
but on the 17th, a clear day, they were not
seen. Barn and Cliff Swallows came early
in March, their numbers rapidly increas-
ing. March 15 brought the Western Wood
Pewee, the Western and Traill Flycatchers,
and two male Western Blue Grosbeaks.

Phainopeplas, reported occasionally
throughout the winter, became numerous
about the middle of February. Lawrence
Goldfinches, not seen until the end of
January, have been reported frequently
since that date.

A very early record for the Texas Night-
hawk was that of three birds observed in
San Fernando Valley on February 16, while
the appearance of the Russet-backed
Thrush on April 4 was almost equally
notable.

While the spring migration seems to be
fairly under way, the winter residents and
some uncommon winter visitants are still
here. Audubon Warblers, abundant early
in the winter, are now rare. The Town-
send Warbler, apparently established as
an occasional winter resident, is now fairly
common, though the heavy flight usually
comes in late April or early May. The
Hermit Thrushes and Ruby-crowned King-
lets are, for the most part, gone from the
gardens, but one or two may be seen on a
day's walk in the hills or canons. Gambel
Sparrows and Golden-crowns are abundant
and in full song. Juncos were seen April 1,
as were large flocks of Western Robins and
Cedar Waxwings. The Blue-Fronted Jay
was noted into April. On March 3 Red-

breasted Nuthatches were still in Echo
Park, where they wintered.

On February 8, a very damp, gray day,
eighteen Varied Thrushes were seen in
Griffith Park, where they had wintered.
March 8, another gray day, threatening
rain, two were seen in a small canon in the
Oak Knoll district of Pasadena, where
hundreds of Robins were gathered in the
leafless sycamore trees, singing and bath-
ing in the little stream. These Thrushes
were still present in the Hollywood Hills,
April 4. In the same trees with the Robins
were about twelve Blue-fronted Jays and
many California Woodpeckers, as well as
two or three Flickers. In the more open
region at the head of the canon a Lewis
Woodpecker first noted February 18, was
still at home on the poles where he was seen
by several parties during the intervening
days. Cabanis Woodpecker, a common
mountain bird, but exceedingly rare in the
lowlands, was seen near Whittier March n,
the Red-naped Sapsucker March 17, and
the Red-breasted Sapsucker in Echo Park
February 9.

About seven Sierra Creepers that have
been in Whittier all winter were reported
still there March 25. Chickadees were still
in the foothill regions the latter part of
February. A large flock of Pine Siskins,
observed March 3, had the yellow areas in
the wings much enlarged and the color
brightened to a brilliant greenish yellow.
A small flock of Sier a Crossbills flew over,
high above the treetops, as the observers
studied the Siskins. Th:s was the third
time the Crossbills were seen and heard on
the wing in Elysian Park, but they were
never found in the trees there as they had
been earlier in the season in other places.

Mountain and Western Bluebirds were
very abundant in the broad, open valleys
and plains outside the city in February
and March.

March 13 ten Egrets were seen near San
Pedro, and on the same day seventy-five
Mountain Plover, a species formerly win-
tering abundantly here but now sadly rare,
were noted in a plowed field, closely follow-
ing a horse-drawn h;irrow. — L. E. Wyman,
Los Angeles, Calif.

2foofe j&etog anfci ftetrietotf

Birds in Town \\d Village. By \\. H.

Hidson. E. P. Dutton, NewYork. 1920.

1 zmo, 323 pages, 8 colored plates.
Adventures Among Birds. By \Y. II.

Hudson. E. P. Dutton, New York. 1920.

319 pages, 27 line cuts from Bewick.

'Birds in a Village,' Mr. Hudson's first
book <>n British Birds after removing from
Argentina to England, was published in
1893. The larger part of it, revised or re-
written, appears in this volume with the
addition of six essays on 'Birds in a Cornish
Village.' The colored plates, by E. J.
Detmold, are decorative and pleasing, but
do not appear to be portraits from life,
though that of the Nightingale should
please both artists and ornithologists. Mr.
Hudson's observations are of actual refer-
ence value, but the publishers fail to
supply an index to make them available.

The second volume mentioned above is
made up of a collection of contributions to
various English magazines. The author
apologizes for its somewhat misleading title
and offers as a substitute 'The Adventures
of a Soul, Sensitive or Not, among the
Feathered Masterpieces of Creation,' but
why 'feathered?' one may ask. Both books
ring with their author's inherent love of
birds, a love to which, fortunately, he can
give adequate expression. It is the genuine-
ness of this love, rather than any attempt
at fine writing and the airing of high-flown
sentiment which gives charm to his work.
'Adventures Among Birds,' we are glad to
say, has an excellent index. — F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines
The Auk. — In the April number of The
A uk, Dwighl presents some results of pains
taking study of plumage 1 hange in relation
to age in Gulls, using the Bonaparte's and
Herring (iulls as examples. He finds "that
the smaller (iulls attain full adult plumage
at their first postnuptial or annual molt,
which is at the beginning of their second
year; medium sized Gulls, a1 the beginning
of their third; and large (iulls at the begin
ning of their fourth year." Thi> is the

normal condition; there is a certain per-
centage of laggards whose age is difficult
to determine and which confuse interpre-
tation of specimens. The various spec ie-
of (iulls are thus divided into three groups
having, respectively, a two-year, three-
year, and four-year plumage-cycle. The
Bonaparte's, Laughing, and Kittiwake
(iulls belong to the first group; the Ring-
billed to the second group; the Herring,
Western, Great Black-backed and Glau-
cous to the third. Dr. Dwight's paper is
beautifully illustrated with half-tone re-
productions of the wing and tail patterns
of different ages of Bonaparte's and Her-
ring Gulls.

Wetmore describes Lake Burford, New
.Mexico, and presents a first installment of
habit-studies from that locality. Detailed
descriptions of mating-displays of Grebes
and Ducks are given. "Though a fair
number of breeding individuals of various
Ducks inhabit Lake Burford in summer, it
seems, from observation, that in addition
many drakes come there to molt and spend
the summer after their duties of reproduc-
tion are completed," with the exception of
the Ruddy Duck, "as the drake of that
species, like the male Canada Goose, usu-
ally remains true to his spouse during in-
cubation and the rearing of the young."
Perhaps from late development of suitable
feed in the lake, the breeding season was
delayed there. "The occurrence of the
Lesser Scaup Duck at Lake Burford was
of especial interest as, though the birds
were present in fair numbers and evidently
mated, they were not breeding."

'Extracts from N'otes made while in
Naval Service' by YV. T. Helmuth, brings
together many fragmentary observations.
It is so comparatively seldom that an
ornithologist has opportunity to observe
at sea, that notes there made are very use-
ful in piecing out what we know of habits
and occurrence of seabirds and trans
ocean migrations and wanderings of land
birds.

(174)

Book News and Reviews

i75

'Additions to the Avifauna of the Pribilof
Islands, Alaska, Including Four Species
New to North America' by G. D. Hanna,
treats of that far northern island region
where East meets West with a strange
mingling of bird possibilities.

A 'Revision of South American Crested
Quails' by Todd is illustrated with a
frontispiece color plate of the heads of
eight birds and distributional maps.
Other papers of technical systematic in-
terest contain the description of a new
form of North American Black Duck, resi-
dent in the Rio Grande Valley of New
Mexico, by Wharton Huber; a refutation
by Swarth of the proposal by J. D. Figgins
that two forms only of the Canada Goose,
a large and a small one, be recognized, in-
termediate birds to be considered hybrids;
and a fifth annual list of proposed changes
in the A. O. U. Check-List, by Oberholser.

In this number the 'General Notes' con-
tain many interesting habit instances,
records of unusual occurrences, and other
matter. Recent differentiation of the New-
foundland breeding race of the Red Cross-
bill has enabled Bent to follow extensive
wandering of birds from that limited re-
gion. Observations by A. A. Saunders
indicate that, after a period of several
years of abundance, the destructive tent
caterpillar (ordinarily relished only by
Cuckoos) was destroyed in great numbers
in the spring of 191 7 by the chance coinci-
dence of the great spring flight of Warblers,
Thrushes, and other insectivorous birds,
which, in the comparative absence of other
insect food, preyed upon the caterpillars. —
J. T. X.

Wilson Bulletin. — The December,
iqiq, number contains an interesting
article by N. Hollister on 'Some Changes in
Summer Bird-Life at Delavan, Wis.', the
summer of 19 19 being compared with in-
tensive field work from 1888-1902. Mr.
Hollister records the entire disappearance
of Foster's Tern, Upland Plover, and
Ruffed Grouse. The Hawks, Pied-billed
Grebe, Wood Duck, Nighthawk, Bluebird,
Thrasher, Barn and Cliff Swallows, and
Chipping Sparrow have decreased more

or less markedly, while certain Ducks and
smaller land-birds have greatly increased.
Mr. Hollister concludes that the gradual
advance of civilization will result in the
extreme abundance of those species which
possess the greatest adaptability and the
ultimate disappearance of the balance of
the original avifauna, a conclusion amply
endorsed by experience in Europe over a
much greater extent of time. Two local
lists and some General Notes conclude
the issue.

'The Birds of Wakulla County, Fla.,' by
John Williams, is of particular interest as
coming from the pen of an experienced
ornithologist, dealing with a territory
which the reviewer believes to be the
richest in bird-life in eastern North
America.

In the March, 1920, number, John Wil-
liams continues his 'List of Birds of
Wakulla County, Fla.' He records the
Willet as a summer resident, while the
reviewer has recorded the Western Willet
in winter, purely on the ground of geo-
graphic probabilities. Neither of us seems
to have taken specimens or at least to
have compared them carefully — an excel-
lent illustration of a case where sight
records are of no scientific value, when two
equally conscientious observers come to
opposite conclusions on a priori evidence.
At present two races are definitely recorded
from the same locality, neither having any
definite claim to admission. The fact re-
mains that northwest Florida is about
half-way between the known breeding
limits of the two races, and breeding birds
from there should be carefully determined,
as no matter which race they are referred
to, the breeding range of that race will be
altered in the next A. O. U. Check-List.
Harry C. Oberholser contributes a brief
synopsis of the genus Thryomanes, describ-
ing as new T. bewickii ariborius from
Agassiz, British Columbia. An article on an
early Bluebird migration in 191 7, in Iowa,
by Howard Clark Brown, another on the
Raptores of Nelson County, Ky., by Ben
J. Blincoe, an account of the Annual
Meeting of the Club, and the Membership
Roll complete the issue. — L. G.

176

Bird - Lore

2Strb=lLore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE At'Dl'BON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Contributing Editor, MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published June 1. 1920 No. 3

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, one dollar and fiftv rents a year;
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cents,
postage paid.

COPYRIGHTED. 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in the Busb Is Worth Two in the Hand

In our more northern and eastern states,
the Robin and House Wren have estab-
lished more intimate relations with man
than any other of our native birds. Civi-
lization has reduced the number of their
enemies and increased their available
supply of food, and, of recent years, man
has become a friend rather than an enemy.
Beyond question, the Wren population
has been greatly increased by the erection
of houses for their nests, while the Robin
needs but slight encouragement to become
semi-domesticated.

It follows, then, that in this part of
our country these two birds have made
more human friends than other com-
mon but less trustful species, and the
pleasure of this association, on our side
at least, is reflected in the numerous
accounts Bird-Lore receives of the hab-
its of these two birds. Several of them
are published in this issue of Bird-Lore,
which might, indeed, be called a Robin-
Wren number.

On April 23, an expedition led by J. O.
La Gorce, associated with Louis Agassiz
Fuertes and Norman McClintock, sailed
from Miami for the Bahamas in search of
Flamingoes. Fuertes' object is to secure
additional life studies of these birds on
which to base certain murals he has in
mind, while McClintock seeks new chan-
nels for his well-known skill with the
motion-picture camera and telephoto lens.
It is to be hoped that a nesting colony of
Flamingoes will be found.

The Annual Report of the Chevy
Chase Club, of Washington, contains a
statement which we wish might be brought
effectively to the attention of the officials
of all other golf clubs in this country. It
reads "land not needed for golf or bird cover
has been cultivated . . .," etc., indicat-
ing that those in charge of the grounds of
this club consider cover for birds second
only in importance to golf, the main object
of the club's existence.

As a result, the grounds of the Chevy
Chase Club have become a sanctuary where
birds find not only protection from man
but cover which gives them concealment
from their natural enemies. A Martin-
house is thronged with cheerful tenants;
Mockingbirds and Robins, representing
respectively the South and North, here
meet in safety on common ground; Wood
Thrushes abound about the clubhouse;
there are Cardinals in the nearby woods,
Flickers and Red-headed Woodpeckers are
everywhere, and Bob-whites, Meadow-
larks, and Killdeer mingle with the golfers.

One need not be an ornithologist to
derive keen pleasure from the presence of
these and many other birds which make
their home at Chevy Chase. By the exer-
cise of both sense and sentiment the club
has added immeasurably to its assets. We
commend its example to the authorities of
golf clubs everywhere. If their grounds are
too restricted to afford 'bird cover,' at
least they may erect bird-houses, and, in
the absence of 'water hazards,' a bird-bath
will prove both an attractive and accept-
able substitute.

The League of Wild Life Photographers
was organized at the American Museum of
Natural History, with the following officers:

President, George Shiras, 3d; Vice-
President, Frank M. Chapman; Secretary,
J. T. Nichols; Treasurer, E. R. Sanborn. Di-
rectors, Clinton G. Abbott, Carl E. Akeley,
Arthur A. Allen, Ernest Harold Baynes.

The objects of the League are not alone
to promote the interests of genuine wild-
life photography, but to expose the makers
of spurious 'nature' photographs.

The Secretary's address is, care of the
American Museum of Natural History.

Cfje Bubufcon J>octetie£

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN. Ph.D.

Address all communications relative to the work of this
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

LEARNING BIRD SONGS

I am sitting in a New York City railroad station trying to assemble my
thoughts on the songs of birds. All about me is the murmur of strange voices,
interrupted occasionally by the 'klaxon' of a passing motor car or the stentorian
calls of an attendant announcing a train. There are hundreds of voices, all
strange to me, and they mingle in one great hubbub from which I can derive
neither pleasure nor interest. Still, voices are interesting to me, and I enjoy
listening to people talking.

I am thinking now how different it would be if I could recognize a few of the
voices about me as those of friends, how much more enjoyable and how much
more profitable would be my wait for the train. It brings to my mind my
first experiences in the woods, when all of the wood-folk were strangers to me,
when I scarcely knew the call of the cicada from that of the tree-toad, and
when all birds seemed to call and sing alike. There was a hubbub in the woods
in those days; the morning chorus of songsters was a disturbing noise; my
ears brought me little pleasure.

Now I think over how, one by one, I learned the different calls of the wild
folk until the hubbub changed to music, and the morning chorus, instead of
being a disturbance, became a joy to be looked forward to and long remem-
bered. As I sit in this lonely station full of people, I know how I would feel
if I should suddenly hear the voice of a friend talking near me, and I realize
that it would be the feeling that came to me when I first recognized the bell-
like notes of the Wood Thrush rising above the clamor of the lesser folk. It is
the feeling that still comes to me when I listen to the chorus of voices on a
May morning and pick out one friend after another as he announces his
presence, his 'Good Morning,' if you will, to all his brothers and to me. For
now my ears bring to me even as much pleasure as my eyes, and I am sorry
for those who do not hear.

Many persons have come to me with the query as to how they can learn
the songs of birds, or how I learned them, until I am forced to try to arrange
my thoughts and experiences into these few paragraphs, hoping that they may
stimulate others to enter a field that is as elusive as it is enjoyable, as intangible
as it is profitable.

The greatest difficulty in discussing the subject of bird-song is in the short-
comings of the English language, for words fail to convey the impressions

(177)

178 Bird -Lore

made by the voices of birds, just as our artificial musical scale fails to adapt
itself to their music. There are, however, a few principles which, if borne in
mind, facilitate the learning of birds' songs. In the first place, one must not
expect to learn them all at once, for the learning of birds' voices is even more
time-consuming than learning the birds themselves. One must follow up every
strange call that he hears and identify the musician, and perhaps repeat this
several times for each bird before one can hope to recognize every bird that
he hears. Most persons have difficulty in so memorizing a complex sound that
they will recognize it when heard again. Or, after it has been heard many
times and has become a familiar sound, many have difficulty in linking up
the name of the bird with the song unless the sound can be associated with
some visual impression that can be remembered and tied to the name of the
bird. If the song of the bird brings to mind a certain picture or image, it is
comparatively easy to associate the name of the bird with that picture. The
pictures may be of very different types, according to the complexity or quality
of the song. Some match up readily with spoken words or phrases, while
others, and perhaps the majority, have a quality difficult to express in language
and are best represented by symbols. Thus, the syllables phe-be admirably
lit the song of the Chickadee, the word pee-a-wee, that of the Wood Pewee,
and the phrase poor-sam-peabody, peabody, peabody, that of the White-throated
Sparrow. Other songs, however, like those of the Chipping Sparrow, Ruby-
crowned Kinglet, and Veery are best represented by symbols. Some songs
may be represented by both.

In using symbols to represent bird-notes, the writer avoids the customary
musical notation because, to his mind, the arbitrary notes of the man-made
scale are adapted to a relatively few birds' songs. The symbols which have
proved most satisfactory to him are series of lines, dashes, dots, circles, etc.,
placed in such relation to one another that their vertical position, as in musical
notation, indicates their pitch, the length of the line or dash, the duration of
the note, and the shape of the symbol, the quality. The last is the mosl diffi-
cult to explain and is doubtless a personal matter of reminiscence or associa-
tion. It has, however, proved useful to hundreds of his students, and is given
for what it is worth. Thus, a very fine hissing note, like thai of the Golden-
crowned Kinglet or Cedar Waxwing, is represented by a thin line, a somewhal
fuller whistle like that of the Chickadee or Pewee, by a broader line, and a
still fuller mellow note, like that of a Junco, by small circles. A clear note is
represented by a straight line or dash, a tremulous note by a wavy line, and a
warble, by a more or less coiled or spiral line. If a bird's song is continuous,
the lines are all connected; if discontinuous, they are spaced according to the
phrases of the bird's song. A glance at the accompanying table should indicate
the writer's meaning. Those unfamiliar with any of the songs listed can com-
pare the following table of phrases, which tit some of the songs nearly as well
as the symbols, and the curious shapes may take on some meaning.

The Audubon Societies 179

Chickadee Phe-be.

Wood Pewee Pee-a-wee.

White-throated Sparrow .... Poor -Sam -Peabody, Peabody, Peabody.

Meadowlark Spring-is-kere.

Field Sparrow Here, here, here, here, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet.

Junco Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet See-see-see, justlookatme, justlookatme, just-

lookatme, see-see-see.

Veery Turee, aree, aree, aree, aree.

CHICKADEE »

WOOD PEWEE i

MEADOW LARK

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW . . . . t
JUNCO '

FIELD SPARROW 1

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET t

. "\

ooooooooooosoo

©ooooooo

VEERY

BIRDS' SONGS SYMBOLIZED

As in many other subjects, when one has mastered one song completely,
the whole subject becomes much more lucid. If anyone interested will attempt
to symbolize some common song with which he is familiar, the foolish little
diagrams here shown will take on new meaning, and he will soon be taking
down unfamiliar songs in a strange shorthand script that will cause him to
remember the songs.

A number of birds have songs which have the exact quality of a high-
pitched, human whistle and can be closely imitated by anyone willing to
practice. So accurately can these songs be imitated that it will often deceive
the birds themselves, and they will approach very closely in their search for
the other bird. Particularly is this true of Chickadees, Wood Pewees, Field
Sparrows, White-throats, and Baltimore Orioles. Upon several occasions the
writer has had birds of several species approach within arm's length, and he

180 Bird - Lore

has had Chickadees perch on his cap and hover before his face peering into the
little round hole in search of the other bird. Upon one occasion this spring he
was surrounded by a class of fifteen or twenty students, and yet the little
Chickadee performed thus in search of his whistling fellow.

The learning of birds' songs, either by the use of phrases or symbols or by
whistled imitations, can well be used by teachers and bird-club organizers in
maintaining interest in bird-study. It is often valuable in controlling unruly
boys when their interest in the ordinary bird-study begins to flag, and many
can be encouraged to control their whistles and to utilize them to good advan-
tage. I have known of schools where whistling competitions were inaugurated
and discipline became easy, as some of the roughest youngsters became most
adept at imitating birds' songs.

When one has mastered a few songs, the rest come much more easily, and
one soon becomes interested in some of the more general phases of bird-music.
For such as may wish to continue their observations further than the mere
learning of the songs, the following brief summary of the natural history of
birds' songs is added.

THE VOICES OF BIRDS

There can be little doubt that the voice in birds has been developed, as in
other animals, as a means of communication. This does not necessarily imply
an elaborate thought mechanism nor even an extensive vocabulary, but merely
a means of communicating their feelings. Anyone who makes an extensive
study of the call-notes of one bird, however, will be impressed with the num-
ber of modulations, and these may correspond to different words. The barn-
yard fowl, for example, in leading her chicks about, is continually calling to
them in various notes. One announces food, another announces danger,
another calls them to brood, and so on. What is true of the domestic fowl is
true of all birds, only most of us are not familiar enough with them to recog-
nize the differences, and even if we do recognize differences, it is almost im-
possible to represent them with words.

Certain of the call-notes are apparently recognized by all birds, while
others may or may not be understood by other species. When a Robin dis-
covers a Hawk or an Owl, it gives a certain note, and not only do all the
Robins of the vicinity flock to the spot, but birds of other species as well seem
to recognize the 'rally call.' Another call which is apparently recognized by all
species is the distress call. This can easily be imitated by moistening the
knuckle of the bent forefinger or the back of the hand and kissing it very lightly.
so as to produce a distressing sort of squeak. It usually requires a little prac-
tice to do it well, but with experience one can produce such a realistic call
that birds of all species will flock to the spot to learn the trouble. The writer
has had as many as thirty different kinds of birds in sight at one time, and
some of them within arm's length, by calling thus from concealment. Like

The Audubon Societies

181

the cry of 'wolf, wolf,' however, continued use of the 'squeak' at one spot
destroys its efficacy.

Another call that is apparently recognized by more than one species, is
the food-call of the young, particularly the call that is developed when the
young leave the nest, so that their whereabouts will be known to the parents.
This call is very insistent with some young like those of the Cowbird and
Baltimore Oriole. The writer has observed a Redstart returning with food for
its young, to be waylaid by a young Cowbird that was being raised by a Red-
eyed Vireo, and to actually give the food which it carried to the young Cow-
bird, so insistent were its cries. Upon another occasion, where two Robins
were nesting side by side, unusual enough in itself, one of the Robins deserted
its own young, which were just hatched and had not yet developed the food-
call, to assist in the care of the
other young which were just leaving
the nest and whose cries were very
insistent.

The calls of birds are apparently
inherited, for young birds hatched
in incubators or under other birds
seem to have the calls of their
species. Their songs, however, are
apparently largely a matter of
imitation, and birds never hearing
the songs of their species develop
very different songs. The adapta-
bility of birds' voices in this respect
varies considerably. Some birds like
the Parrots and members of the
Crow family, learn a variety of
sounds readily and are easily taught
to imitate the human voice. Other
birds can be taught to whistle tunes or the songs of different ;birds, and
birds like the Mockingbird, Catbird, and Brown Thrasher seem to do this
naturally and are well known as mimics.

In the development of birds from their reptile-like ancestors, undoubtedly
the call-notes arose long before songs, for true songs are still confined to what
are considered the higher families of birds, i. e., those above the Flycatchers.
The lower orders of birds have substitutes for song, some of which are just as
elaborate as the songs of many of the Corvidae or Icteridae, which are considered
true singing birds. The laughing of the Loons, the cooing of the Grebes, the
whistling of the shore-birds, for example, are much more musical than the
guttural notes of the Crow or the shrill, hissing notes of the Cowbird. Nor
can one always determine the musical quality of the song by the elaborateness

SWAMP SPARROW SINGING FROM A
FAVORITE REED

182

Bird - Lore

of the structure which produces it, for the vocal apparatus of some of the
lower orders is more complicated in some ways than that of the true songsters.
The voice of birds is not produced in the larynx as it is in man, but in a
structure called the syrinx, which is located at the opposite end of the trachea,
where it divides into the bronchial tubes. Here are located the membranes

which vibrate, as do the vocal chords of
mammals, to produce the sounds. Without
going into details of structure, it might be
mentioned here that in the true singing birds,
called oscines, these membranes are con-
trolled by from five to seven pairs of muscles,
while in the lower families the number of
controlling muscles is less. The sounds are
produced entirely by the air rushing past
these membranes, causing them to vibrate,
the rapidity of the vibrations and the cor-
responding sounds produced being controlled
by the tension of the muscles. Undoubtedly
the larynx and the tongue more or less
modify the sounds, if we can judge from
their motions during singing. There are,
however, among the higher families, no
sounding-boards such as are developed, for
example, in the trachea of the male ducks.
The syrinx of a male duck is a curious
looking object because of the great shell-like
swelling of the lower end of the trachea,
which gives resonance to the mating-call. In
addition, certain species have accordion-like enlargements of the middle of
the trachea, features which are never developed among the true songsters.

The song of birds, like the bright plumage of many, is undoubtedly a
secondary sexual character, and has been developed as a means of bringing
the sexes together. As one might expect, therefore, it is best developed in the
males and largely confined to them. The females of a few species, however,
occasionally sing nearly as well as the males, but their songs are usually much
more subdued. Female Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Purple
Finches are noted for their vocal ability, and a number of tropical American
Wrens sing delightful little duets with their mates. (See 'Impressions of the
Voices of Tropical birds' by L. A. Fucrtes, November-December, 1913, Bird-
Lore.)

Song is usualb mm militant with the breeding season. With some birds,
like the Red-winged Blackbirds and the Warblers, it begins with the north-
ward movement in the spring, and they are singing their full songs when they

HOUSE WREN SINGING IN
CHARACTERISTIC POSE

The Audubon Societies

183

pass through on the spring migration. Others, like the Thrushes, seldom sing
until they arrive on their nesting-grounds and sometimes not even until the
females arrive. Similarly, song ceases soon after nesting is begun, or at least
by the time that the young leave the nest. Thus, Bobolinks and Orioles cease
singing the last of June or early in July, and other birds follow suit shortly
afterward, except those that nest late or have more than one brood. During
the moulting season of August and September, practically all birds are silent,
except those indefatigable songsters, the Song Sparrows and the Red-eyed
Vireos.

Inasmuch as the object of song is to announce the bird's presence, the bird
usually chooses a very conspicuous place from which to sing, thicket-loving
species like the Brown Thrasher and Song Sparrows leaving their hiding-places
and mounting to the tops of the bushes or trees to express themselves, and
field-loving birds, like the Meadowlarks and Vesper Sparrows, mounting to
the tops of fence-posts. Many terrestrial birds that can find no prominent
places from which to sing, develop the habit of flying up into the air to sing,
the flight-songs of the European Skylark being one of the beautiful expressions
of nature. The performance of our own Horned Larks, while less musical, is
no less remarkable. Starting from
the ground, the male bird mounts
into the air on an immense spiral,
rising until he is barely visible
from the ground. Then, hovering
for a few moments or fluttering
like a falling leaf, he gives vent to
a song which makes up in enthu-
siasm what it lacks in harmony.
At the close of the song, he may
drop to a lower level and repeat it,
or he may perform one of the most
remarkable feats of which a bird is
capable, for, closing his wings, he
drops like a plummet toward the
earth. From the merest speck in the
sky, hundreds of feet in the air, he
dashes toward the earth as though
he were a stone, until one expects to
see him smashed to pieces against
the hard earth. When within a very few feet of destruction, however, he
spreads his wings, checks his momentum by a forward glide, and gracefully
alights. Birds of almost any species occasionally indulge in flight-songs when
no perch seems to satisfy them and they bound into the air on quivering
wings to give vent to their feelings. Especially is this true of the Ovenbird

HOUSE WREN SINGING

The notes are produced in the syrinx but are

modulated by the throat

184 Bird -Lore

whose ordinary song of teacher, teacher, teacher, is introduced by some wild
ecstatic notes that one would never guess were produced by the same bird.
The flight-song is given usually just at dusk, or after dark, and the singer often
mounts high above the trees during the performance. Some of the most im-
pressive moments that the writer has ever spent have been in the forest at
dusk when the silence was interrupted only by the bell-like cadence of an
occasional Hermit Thrush and the wild, ringing, ecstatic flight-song of an
Ovenbird.

The singing of birds at night, by its very incongruity, always awakens our
interest. The European Nightingale has been lauded since ancient times
because of its nocturnal outbursts, but it is not alone in this habit. Aside from
the Owls and Whip-poor-wills, that one naturally expects to be active at night,
during the height of the mating season one may hear the song of almost any
bird ringing out on the night air as though the songster could not contain
himself. Yellow-breasted Chats are particularly noisy at night and, on the
marshes, the Wrens, the Rails, and the Gallinules seem to take on renewed
activity when darkness falls. Robins, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, and
other familiar birds often cause our gardens to echo in the dead of night, and
the Mockingbird of our southern states is said to do its finest singing on
moonlit nights.

Birds frequently become greatly attached to certain perches from which
they sing, the Robin to a certain gable, the Mockingbird to a certain chimney,
the Thrasher to a certain tree-top, etc. The accompanying photograph of a
Swamp Sparrow was secured by observing that the bird always came to a
certain reed in the marsh to sing. To our eyes it looked just like a thousand
other stalks, but the Sparrow had formed the habit of always singing from this
stalk and the presence of the camera did not deter it. The same might be said
of the photograph of the Wren. The Ruffed Grouse returns to the same log
to drum day after day and season after season, and Flickers and other Wood-
peckers often return to the same tin roof or other resounding surface, year
after year.

The drumming of the Grouse and the tattoos of the Woodpeckers are not
what could be called songs, but they are substitutes for song and serve exactly
the same purpose. Another mechanical sound that takes the place of song is
the 'winnowing' of the Woodcock, a sound produced by the air rushing through
the outer primary feathers as the bird dashes toward earth on a zigzag course
from a great height. The three outer primaries are narrowed and stiffened for
this very purpose, and their vibration produces a weird but harmonious sound
when heard in the gathering dusk or after night has fallen. — A. A. Allen.

QUESTIONS

1. Why do birds sing?

2. Do all birds sing, and what constitutes a true singing bird?

3. Name five birds that are singing when they arrive at your locality in the spring.

The Audubon Societies 185

4. Name five birds that do not commence to sing until after they arrive or that never
sing in your locality.

5. Have you ever heard a female bird sing? Be sure that it is a female and not an
immature male which has the plumage of the female.

6. Have you ever heard a bird sing at night? How many kinds?

7. Do you know of any favorite perches from which birds sing? Have any of them
been used for more than one season?

8. What mechanical substitutes for birds' song have you heard and how are they
produced?

9. How many kinds of birds have you heard singing on the wing? Were their songs
the same as those ordinarily given in each case?

10. How many different birds' songs do you know and how did you learn them? Can
you imitate any of them?

11. Have you learned to imitate the 'squeak' or distress call of birds and if so, what
is the greatest number of birds you have ever called together at one time?

12. Do birds sing near their nests? At what time of day are they nearest to their
nests while singing?

13. When do birds stop singing? Try to keep a record of the last time you hear each
species sing this summer.

14. Do birds inherit their songs or do they learn them by imitation? When do they
learn them?

15. How many different call-notes have you heard from one bird?

For or From Young Observers
HOUSE TO LET

Mr. C. Pigeon, Editor

Of the Daily Winged Sun.
Dear Sir: Enclosed you'll find an ad.

We'd like to have you run.

For Rent: One unused summer-house

In vines that grow so high
Both rooms and perches, back and front,

Are hid from passersby.

Surroundings here are quite the best:

No cats, worms by the score,
A nearby garden full of seeds

If young birds cheep for more.

You'll find the neighbors proud to make

You feel that you belong.
This house was built for birds alone,

We'll rent it for a song.

— Kathryn Quarles, Austin, Texas.

1 86

Bird - Lore

A PAIR OF ROBINS

In the spring of 1918, a pair of Robins built a nest and reared a brood of
four young birds in a tin pan that was under the wagon-shed between the
revolving hay-rake and the studding. The shed was open to the south, and the
pan about six feet from the open and six feet from the ground. We used the
shed almost every day for bunching rhubarb and asparagus. At first the birds
were timid, but they soon became quite tame. The mother bird would stay
on her nest until you almost could touch her with your hand, but the male
bird was always shy.

They could tell when a stranger came and would invariably make an out-
cry and leave the nest for a little while. After the little ones were large enough
to leave the nest and fly around, they remained in the vicinity until fully
fledged.

In 1919, the same pair of Robins came back, and after a careful inspection
of their old nesting-place, concluded to make their home in a maple tree that
stood close to the open shed, and there they built a nest and reared their
young. Will they come back in 1920? I certainly hope so. — C. B. Fish,
Plainview, L. I., N. Y.

[This is a good example of the comradeship of birds. We all get a great deal of inno-
cent pleasure from the birds that nest about our dwellings and hope that they will come
back to us the following years. Those who do not have birds nesting near their dwell-
ings miss much of that which makes a perfect home. — A. A. A.]

RESULTS OF A BIRD-HOUSE COMPETITION AT SARATOGA SPRINGS, UNDER Mil
DIRECTION 01 MISS KATE McCLOSKE?

The Audubon Societies 187

AN EXPERIENCE WITH CARDINALS

I am a member of the Junior Audubon Society of Alexandria, Va., and we
have a very large society. We have been studying some very interesting birds.

One day last summer I went out walking and saw a Cardinal. He looked
like a huge ball of fire. He would fly into the meadow and light on the ground.
I thought he must have his nest there, but he did not. He and some others
were eating corn in the meadow. The farmer had cut it and left some in the
field. It had shucks on it, and I shucked some and put it aside. Then I got
about thirty feet away and stood like a tree. The Cardinal and his mate
came and ate about twelve grains of corn. I noticed that the mother bird did
not eat her food. She took it and flew away to a cluster of trees where I saw
her stop. Soon I saw her coming back after more, and she found the father
bird still gobbling the food down. After seeing him do this I lay down on the
ground, because he was looking right at me. I thought he would go any minute,
but he did not. I could have stayed there all night, and watched that bird
work for her little ones. — Roy Mander (Grade IV; age 12 years), Aldie, Va.

[Boys and girls who are interested in birds get much more pleasure out of their walks
through the country than those who are not, and they grow up to be much more observant
and efficient men and women. — A. A. A.]

BLUEBIRDS DRIVE AWAY THE SPARROWS

We boys, Charles Emerson and Edward Dana, made some bird-houses
out of starch-boxes. We saw our first Bluebirds on the 24th and decided to
put our boxes up. That day we saw the male Bluebird investigating them.
The English Sparrows immediately found them and Mr. Bluebird has had a
hard time fighting for our boxes. He drives them away and they come back,
but he keeps persistently at it.

On the 27th he brought his pretty little mate to see all the boxes. They
have hung around one of ours chiefly, and we have hopes that they are going
to nest in it. Every once in a while a Sparrow flies into the tree, but he drives
it away. It is a very pretty sight to see the female perching on the door and
the male on top on guard.

We have seen a good many different species of birds this year, including
Herring Gulls, Downy Woodpecker, Crows, Chickadees, Acadian Owl, Even-
ing Grosbeak, Redpolls, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bluebirds, Robins, Juncos, Fox
Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Flickers, Bronzed Grackle, and Phoebe.

We saw large flocks of Juncos, Fox Sparrows, and Song Sparrows together,
and two Flickers and a Robin in the same tree. We got within four or five
feet of the Downy. — Edward F. Dana, and Charles P. Emerson, Portland,
Maine.

[Would that there were more boys like Edward and Charles to build boxes for the
birds and to keep lists of the birds which they see. — A. A. A.]

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

By T. GILBERT PEARSON

ZUt Rational association of Hububon jS»onc tir s

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 102

When the autumn days descend upon the Northland, a great change comes
over the bird population. The Swallows and the Swifts have already gone,
and bird-music becomes very rare — even the Red-eyed Vireo ceases to siiiL,r
and turns his wing-beats toward the South. Crackles and Robins are hurry-
ing about the country in flocks as though uneasy in their minds. The still
nights are filled with strange bird-calls and anxious whisperings as the feathered
hosts pass overhead. The groves are alive with a variety of Warblers that are
with us only a short time before journeying on to the land where frost is
unknown.

It is at this season, when summer is gone and winter is fast approaching,
that the Sapsucker makes his appearance. For a few weeks he or some of his
friends will stay with us, but look sharp or you may never know that he is
here. He is of a very retiring nature, and not given to flying about the country
and shouting at the top of his lungs like the Flicker, to whom he is closely
related. Look for him in a grove or the woods. Most of his time is passed on
trees, often well up among the branches.

The color of the Sapsucker harmonizes so splendidly with the bark that in
order to hide when danger appears he has only to remain perfectly still. Cling-
ing there, Woodpecker fashion, head up and braced below by his stiff tail-
feathers, he seems to be a part of the tree itself, and sharp indeed is the eye
that can detect him.

From the latitude of Ohio southward to Central America, this bird passes
the winter, and is always the same, quiet little fellow that we found him to
be when we first discovered him in autumn on some shade tree, perhaps in
Lincoln Park, Chicago, or Central Park, New York City.

When the snows depart in March the Sapsucker again turns toward the
North. Traveling leisurely, and often pausing to pass many days in some
chosen spot, he journeys onward, and then one day we hear his plaintive cry
in the grove and know that again he is in our midst.

One Sunday morning in the spring of 1918 I took my accustomed walk in
a little patch of primitive woods that still remains within the boundaries of
New York City. While passing a large tree I noticed several mourning cloaked
butterflies clinging to the bark about three feet from the ground. A closer
inspection revealed the fact that from a score of small punctures the sap was
oozing out and thai the butterflies were feeding on this sweetish fluid. Presently
one of them flew away in a helpless kind of way and alighted flat on the ground

(188)

Yellow- Bellied Sapsucker 189

with outspread wings. The scene was so interesting that I took a seat on a
nearby rock intending to see what might develop further. Soon another
butterfly fluttered to the ground, and then I discovered that others — in fact
nine in all — had already feasted so extensively that they had sought rest on
Mother Earth. Six still held their places by the little springs of sap. Would
they also be overcome? Also what had punctured the tree to let out the sap?
Surely butterflies could not perform such a feat !

At this moment something dropped from among the limbs above and struck
lightly on a nearby tree near its base. It was a Brown Creeper, and my eyes
followed it as it worked its way upward for perhaps twenty feet. Suddenly a
bird that I had not before seen seemed to emerge from the bark just above
and the Creeper was driven away. There, on the tree where it had been all
along, was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. But for the Creeper I should probably
not have seen it. The Sapsucker's colors blended so perfectly with the bark
of the tree that I doubt if a Hawk could have discovered it as long as it remained
motionless. A little later the Sapsucker gave two rather sharp but plaintive
calls, but its cry was not answered. The bird-glass in my hand revealed the
fact that numerous little holes were yielding their sap up there where the
Sapsucker clung. Within a minute I discovered the bird drinking from the
fountains he had opened.

The mystery of the holes from which the butterflies were feeding was solved.
Looking about I found that two other nearby trees also had little openings
picked through the bark from which the sap was flowing. It seemed that the
Sapsucker had established a regular cafeteria for himself; evidently he intended
to have plenty of food while he stayed with us.

The summer home of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker extends over the wooded
regions of the southern half of Canada, New England, and the northern tier
of states. In the mountains it ranges to North Carolina. The Red-naped
Sapsucker is the western variety of this bird, and its habits in general are the
same. In summer Sapsuckers are said to be very noisy and call and scream
and chase each other about in a very boisterous manner. Like other Wood-
peckers they drum at times on dead limbs.

For a nest the birds dig often in a living tree from twenty to fifty feet from
the ground. From five to seven white eggs are laid in May or early June.
These rest on a layer of fine chips picked from the sides or bottom of the
cavity for the purpose. In the neighborhood of the nest there may be found,
if one will only search long enough, what is called a 'Sapsucker's orchard.'
This is a small group of trees from which the birds get their living. Hundreds
of holes, usually squarish or elongated in shape, are dug through the bark until
the wood is reached. The soft inner bark or 'cambium' is eaten at once and
the holes soon fill with sap. Here the birds come many times every day to
feed. New holes are added at intervals until the trees become thickly
pitted with them.

190 Bird - Lore

In North Carolina I once counted 1,671 such holes in the bark of one small
balsam. All of these were made during one winter and spring, the last hole
being dug on the morning of April 5. Birch trees are often selected as the
birds sef m to be very fond of the sap these produce. Within two or three
years so much of the inner bark has been destroyed that the tree may die.
These 'orchards' are frequented every summer for many years and when found
may contain a dozen or more trees already dead. Living trees heretofore un-
touched are attacked as those previously employed as food supplies wither and
die. Here the young birds are brought by their parents when they are old
enough to fly, and here they feed daily until the approach of winter drives the
Sapsuckers from their summer homes. The holes are often formed in rings
that run around the tree or in a series of parallel rows extending up and down
the trunk or limbs.

In addition to the soft inner bark and sap eaten by these birds, they also
capture many insects. Beetles, wasps, and large numbers of ants are attracted
to the sap that runs from the little springs the Sapsuckers make, and many
are caught by the birds. The tongue of a typical Woodpecker is tipped with
a group of backward pointing barbs. It also is very long and can be projected
deep into the burrows of an insect lurking in a limb or tree trunk. The barbed
tip makes it easy to draw forth the luckless victim. The Sapsucker's tongue,
however, is quite different. It is not long, and the fringe of stiff hairs on its
tip form a sort of brush which must be of great service to the bird in gathering
the flowing drops of sap.

Among country boys the term 'Sapsucker' often is applied to a wide variety
of Woodpeckers. In general, all species whose black wings and back are more
or less spotted or streaked with white are called 'Sapsuckers.' This includes,
in addition to the real Sapsucker, the Downy, Hairy, Red-cockaded, Gila,
Texas, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. In the southern states I have heard the
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker called the 'Yankee Sapsucker' because being seen
only in winter it is supposed, like other tourists, to come from the North —
or 'Yankee-land.'

The question of how extensively Sapsuckers injure trees has often been dis-
cussed. This subject has been very thoroughly studied by W. L. McAtee, of
the United States Biological Survey. In Biological Survey Bulletin No. 39,
issued by the Department of Agriculture, he recounts many interesting facts
that came to his attention. He tells us, for example, that comparatively few
of the trees attacked by Sapsuckers actually die, although severe damage to
apple orchards in Washington and English walnut groves in California has
been reported. Evidently the greatest damage done is to forest trees in
causing them to form gnarls where holes have been dug through the
bark. Sometimes, too, the spores of fungi find entrance through the
wounds in the inner bark, with the result that the wood becomes streaked
or even may decay. At times spots not unlike those in bird's-eye maple

Yellow- Bellied Sapsucker

191

are formed, and rings of sprouts will appear below the circle of holes made
on some trees.

In his summary Mr. McAtee says in part:

"However strong seems the indictment against the Sapsuckers, it must
not be imagined that every tree pecked by them is doomed. On the contrary,
they frequently work on a tree year after year without noticeably diminishing
its vitality. Near Washington the writer has noted large elms whose trunks
have evidently been attacked by many generations of Sapsuckers and are
freely drilled every year, but which to all appearances are now in perfect health.
W. A. Taylor, of the Division of Pomology in the Department of Agriculture,
states that at his home in southwestern Michigan there are several apple trees,
now over seventy years old, which are known to have been yearly drilled by
Sapsuckers without diminishing their vigor or productiveness. The western
half of the Department of Agriculture grounds at Washington contains 232
trees, of which 56 have been attacked by Sapsuckers. Only one of these gives
external evidence of injury, an English walnut, one limb of which has been
partly killed, and only a few are noticeably disfigured."

'Cije Blufcmbon ^octette*

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T. GILBERT PEARSON. Secretary

Address all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

William Dutcher, President
Frederic A. Lucas, Acting President T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary

Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer

Samuel T. Carter, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome.

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership

$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership

$1,000 constitutes a person a Patron

$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder

$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated) , of the City of New York.

MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT SAFE

On April 19, 10 jo, the United States
Supreme Court officially upheld the con-
stitutionality of the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act. Justice Holmes, in delivering

the opinion of the Court, made use of the
following significant language:

"Bui for the treaty and the statute there
soon might he no birds for any powers to
deal with. We see nothing in the Consti-
tution that compels the Government to sit

bj while a food supply is ml off and the
protectors of our forests and our crops are
destroyed. It is not sufficient to rely upon
1 he Slater. The reliance is vain, and were
il otherwise, 1 he question is whether the

United States is Forbidden to act. We are
of opinion that the treaty and statute must
he upheld."

By this action the final step was taken
in the long light for Federal control of the
migratory birds which was begun by
George Shiras, 3d, when, in December,
1004, he introduced a hill in Congress for
the purpose nf transferring the authority
lor looking alter the fortunes of migratory
birds from the Stale to the Federal
( iovernmenl .

(1

It will be a matter of interest to members
of the Audubon Society to learn that this
original bill intended to cover only mi-
gratory game-birds. Subsequent bills were
of the same character. The National Asso-
ciation of Audubon Societies brought strong
pressure to bear to have the bills changed
so that they would cover all migratory
birds When the migratory bird law finally
was enacted and signed by President Taft
on .March 4, [913, it contained provisions
for protecting migratory insectivorous
birds, because of the light made by the
National Association in their behalf. The
printed records show that of thirty two
organizations represented at the hearing

when the bill was before Congress, the

National Ass,>< iation's representative alone
voiced dissatisfaction with the bill as it

was written and urged that it be changed

to include all valuable migratory birds, it
will be noted that il is regarding this
group of bird life that Justice Holmes spoke
so strongly in rendering his decision.
The following text of this important

Supreme Court decision i> herewith re-
produced :
92)

The Audubon Societies

i93

Supreme Court of the United States
No. 609. October Term, 1019.

The State of Missouri, Appellant
v
Ray P. Holland, United States (lame-
Warden

A p prill from the District Court of Un-
united States for the Western District
of Missouri.

(April 19, 1920)

Mr. Justice Holmes delivered the opinion
of the Court.

This is a bill in equity brought by the
State of Missouri to prevent a game-war-
den of the United States from attempting
to enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Art
of July 3, 191S, c. 128, 40 Stat. 755, and
the regulations made by the Secretary of
Agriculture in pursuance of the same. The
ground of the bill is that the statute is an
unconstitutional interference with the
rights reserved to the States by the Tenth
Amendment, and that the acts of the de-
fendant done and threatened under that
authority invade the sovereign right of
the State and contravene its will mani-
fested in statutes. The State also alleges
a pecuniary interest, as owner of the wild
birds within its borders and otherwise, ad-
mitted by the Government to be sufficient,
but it is enough that the bill is a reason-
able and proper means to assert the alleged
quasi sovereign rights of a State. Kansai ;.
Colorado, 185 U. S. 125, 142. Georgia v.
Tennessee Copper Co., 206 U. S. 230, 237.
Marshall Dental Manufacturing Co. v.
Iowa, 226 U. S. 460, 462. A motion to
dismiss was sustained by the District
Court on the ground that the Act of
Congress is constitutional. 258 Fed. Rep.
479. Ace. United States v. Thompson, 258
Fed. Rep. 257; United States v. Rockefeller,
260 Fed. Rep. 346. The state appeals.

On December 8, 1916, a treaty between
the United States and Great Britain was
proclaimed by the President. It recited
that many species of birds in their annual
migrations traversed many parts of the
United States and of Canada, that they
were of great value as a source of food and
in destroying insects injurious to vegeta-
tion, but were in danger of extermination
through lack of adequate protection. It
therefore provided for specified close sea-
sons and protection in other forms, and
agreed that the two powers would take or
propose to their lawmaking bodies the
necessary measures for carrying the treaty
out. 39 Stat. 1702. The above mentioned
act of July 3, 19 18, entitled an act to give
effect to the convention, prohibited the
killing, capturing or selling any of the
migratory birds included in the terms of

the treaty except as permitted by regula-
tions compatible with those terms, to be
made by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Regulations were proclaimed on July 31,
and October 25, 191S. 40 Stat. 1812; 1863.
It is unnecessary to go into any details,
because, as we have said, the question
raised is the general one whether the ,
treaty and statute are void as an inter-
ference with the rights reserved to the
States.

To answer this question it is not enough
to refer to the Tenth Amendment, reserv-
ing the powers not delegated to the United
States, because by Article II, Section 2,
the power to make treaties is delegated
expressly, and by Article VI treaties made
under the authority of the United States,
along with the Constitution and laws of
the United States made in pursuance
thereof, are declared the supreme law of
the land. If the treaty is valid there can
be no dispute about the validity of the
statute under Article I, Section 8, as a
necessary and proper means to execute the
powers of the Government. The language
of the Constitution as to the supremacy
of treaties being general, the question be-
fore us is narrowed to an inquiry into the
ground upon which the present supposed
exception is placed.

It is said that a treaty cannot be valid
if it infringes the Constitution, that there
are limits, therefore, to the treaty-making
power, and that one such limit is that what
an act of Congress could not do unaided,
in derogation of the powers reserved to the
States, a treaty cannot do. An earlier act
of Congress that attempted by itself and
not in pursuance of a treaty to regulate the
killing of migratory birds within the States
had been held bad in the District Court.
United States v. Shauver, 214 Fed. Rep.
154. United States v. McCullagh, 221 Fed.
Rep. 285. Those decisions were supported
by arguments that migratory birds were
owned by the States in their sovereign
capacity for the benefit of their people,
and that under cases like Geer v. Con-
necticut, 161 U. S. 19, this control was
one that Congress had no power to dis-
place. The same argument is supposed to
apply now with equal force.

Whether the two cases cited were de-
cided rightly or not they cannot be accepted
as a test of the treaty power. Acts of
Congress are the supreme law of the land
only when made in pursuance of the Con-
stitution, while treaties are declared to be
so when made under the authority of the
United States. It is open to question
whether the authority of the United States
means more than the formal acts pre-
scribed to make the convention. We do
not mean to imply that there are no quali-

194

Bird - Lore

fications to the treaty-making power; but
they must be ascertained in a different
way. It is obvious that there may be mat-
ters of the sharpest exigency for the
national well-being that an act of Congress
could not deal with, but that a treat}' fol-
lowed by such an act could, and it is not
lightly to be assumed that, in matters re-
quiring national action, 'a power which
must belong to and somewhere reside in
every civilized government' is not to be
found. Andrews v. Andrews, 188 U. S. 14,
33. What was said in that case with re-
gard to the powers of the States applies
with equal force to the powers of the na-
tion in cases where the States individually
are incompetent to act. We are not yet
discussing the particular case before us
but only are considering the validity of the
test proposed. With regard to that we may
add that when we are dealing with words
that also are a constituent act, like the
Constitution of the United States, we
must realize that they have called into
life a being the development of which
could not have been foreseen completely
by the most gifted of its begetters. It was
enough for them to realize or to hope that
they had created an organism; it has taken
a century and has cost their successors
much sweat and blood to prove that they
created a nation. The case before us must
be considered in the light of our whole ex-
perience and not merely in that of what
was said a hundred years ago. The treaty
in question does not contravene any pro-
hibitory words to be found in the Consti-
tution. The only question is whether it is
forbidden by some invisible radiation
from the general terms of the Tenth
Amendment. We must consider what this
country has become in deciding what that
amendment has reserved.

The State as we have intimated founds
its claim of exclusive authority upon an
assertion of title to migratory birds, an
assertion that is embodied in statute. No
doubt it is true that as between a State
and its inhabitants the State may regu-
late the killing and sale of such birds, but
it does not follow that its authority is ex-
clusive of paramount powers. To put the
claim of the State upon title is to lean
upon a slender reed. Wild birds are not
in the possession of anyone; and possession
is the beginning of ownership. The whole
foundation of the State's rights is the pro
ence within their jurisdiction of birds that
yesterday had not arrived, tomorrow may
be in another State and in a week a thou-
sand miles away. If we are to be accurate
we cannot put the case of the State upon

higher ground than that the treaty deals
with creatures that for the moment are
within the state borders, that it must be
carried out by officers of the United States
within the same territory, and that but
for the treaty the State would be free to
regulate this subject itself.

As most of the laws of the United States
are carried out within the States and as
many of them deal with matters which in
the silence of such laws the State might
regulate, such general grounds are not
enough to support Missouri's claim. Valid
treaties of course 'are as binding within
the territorial limits of the States as they
are effective throughout the dominion of
the United States.' Baldwin v. Franks,
120 U. S. 678, 683. No .doubt the great
body of private relations usually fall within
the control of the State, but a treaty may
override its power. We do not have to
invoke the later developments of consti-
tutional law for this proposition; it was
recognized as early as Hopkins v. Bell,
3 Cranch. 454, with regard to statutes of
limitation, and even earlier, as to confisca-
tion, in Ware v. Hylton, 3 Dall. 199. It
was assumed by Chief Justice Marshall
with regard to the escheat of land to the
State in Chirac v. Chirac, 2 Wheaton,
259, 275. Hauenstein v. Lynham, 100
U. S. 483. Geoffroy v. Riggs, 133 U. S. 258.
Blythe V. Hinckley, 180 U. S. 333, 340.
So as to a limited jurisdiction of foreign
consuls within a State. \\ ildenhus' Case,
120 U. S. 1. See Ross?. Melntyre, 140 U. S.
453. Further illustration seems unneces-
sary, and it only remains to consider the
application of established rules to the
present case.

Here a national interest of very ncarh
the first magnitude is involved. It can be
protected only by national action in con
cert with thai of another power. The sub
ject matter is only transitorily within the
stateandhas no permanent habitat therein.
Hut for the treaty and the statute there
soon might be no bird- for any powers to
deal with. We see nothing in the Consti-
tution that compels the (lovernment to >it
by while a food supply is cut off and the
protectors of our forests and our cro|>> are
destroyed. It is not sufficient to rely upon
the State-. The reliance is vain, and were
it otherwise, the question i- whether the
United States is forbidden to act. We are
of opinion that the treaty and statute must
be upheld. Carv v. South Dakota, 250
I*. S. 118.

Decree affirmed.

Mr. Justice Van Devanter and Mr.
Justice Pitney dissent.

The Audubon Societies

i95

BIRD TREATIES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

In the last issue of Bird-Lore mention
was made of the effort being made to ar-
range for conventions between the United
States and the countries of Mexico and
Central and South America, with a view
of enacting treaties for the protection of
migratory game-birds, similar to the
treaty between the United States and
Great Britain in reference to birds passing
between the United States and Canada.
A resolution of the Senate calling for such
convention was passed on February 9, 1920,
and forwarded to the President. It received
his attention on March 20, 1920, as follows:
On that day he sent a message to the
Senate with which he transmitted the re-
port of Frank. L. Polk, Acting Secretary
of State, to whom he had referred the
resolution for consideration. Mr. Polk not
only gives his views on the matter, but
states the views of the Secretary of Agri-
culture to whom he turned for information.
It appears that nothing further will come
of the matter for the present. Mr. Polk's
report is as follows:

"The President: — In response to a reso-
lution adopted by the Senate on Feb. 9,
1920, requesting the President 'to propose
conventions or treaties with the Republics
of Mexico and of Central and South Am-
erica, for the protection of birds that in the
course of their annual migration pass
through or from the United States and
temporarily sojourn in the countries of
Mexico and Central and South America,'
the undersigned, the Acting Secretary of
State, to whom the resolution was referred
by the President, has the honor to lay be-
fore the President, with a view of its trans-
mission to the Senate, if the President ap-
proves thereof, the following statement
in response to that resolution:

"In view of the fact that the Secretary
of Agriculture is the official upon whose
initiative the Department of State pro-
ceeded in the institution of negotiations
with the Government of Great Britain for
the conclusion of the convention for the
protection of migratory birds between the
United States and Canada, proclaimed

Dec. 8, 1916, the resolution in question was
referred to him for advices as to the re-
sponse which he considered should be made
thereto.

"The Acting Secretary of State is in re-
ceipt of a letter from the Secretary of
Agriculture, dated March 8, 1920, in which
the following expression of opinion is given
as to the subject matter of the resolu-
tion:

" 'In view of existing conditions, the
time does not seem opportune to under-
take the negotiation of a treaty for the pro-
tection of migratory birds with the repub-
lic of Mexico, and in the case of most of
the republics of Central and South Am-
erica such treaties are unnecessary at pres-
ent. In the case of Brazil and Argentina
such treaties may be of advantage, but
before conventions are made with these
republics the Department desires more
definite information than is now available
regarding both the birds and local condi-
tions. Preliminary plans have been made
for securing such data from Argentina and
elsewhere, but, obviously, some delay must
ensue before such information can be
secured.

" Tn the meantime, it appears that the
matter of taking up the negotiations of
treaties for the protection of migratory
birds with any of the countries south of
the United States should be held in abey-
ance until the Department can secure the
necessary information to determine with
some degree of certainty the desirability
and benefits to be derived therefrom. When
such information is available, I shall be
pleased to submit a memorandum with
recommendations covering the subject.' "

The latest move in the effort for bird
treaties with other countries is reported in
a letter recently received at this office from
E. W. Nelson, Chief of the United States
Biological Survey.

Mr. Nelson says: "It will interest you
to know that the Secretary of Agriculture
this morning approved my recommenda-
tion to send Dr. Alexander Wetmore to
Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and south-

196

Bird - Lore

ern Brazil this spring for the purpose of
securing needed information concerning
the conditions relating to our migratory
birds which winter in that region. It is a
question just what effect the development
of these countries, particularly agricul-
tural, may have on the future of a num-

ber of our important birds, including the
Golden Plover.

"Dr. Wetmore is, as you know, an ex-
perienced and thoroughly trained orni-
thologist, who will unquestionably bring
back most interesting and valuable infor-
mation on the subject."

AUDUBON FEATHER EXHIBITS

The large consignment of confiscated
plumage of wild birds recently delivered
to this Association by the United States
Treasury Department has created much
interest among those who desire to see
bird-protective laws enforced. This plum-
age, while being smuggled into the United
States in violation of the Feather Proviso
in the Tariff Act, was seized by the United
States Custom Officials.

As the material was given to the Asso-
ciation by the Government for educational
and exhibition purposes, we have already
placed a number of exhibits in various
museums and institutions throughout the
country. These exhibits consist of Birds-
of-Paradise and plumes of the Bird-of-
Paradise, made up into various creations
for hat adornment; plumes of the Goura,
and aigrettes of the White Heron also
were included in the collection. The re-
sponsible head of each institution that has
received these feathers has agreed to be
responsible for seeing that they will not be
used for personal purposes; that reasonable
care is taken to protect them from the
attacks of insects; and that they will be
displayed with a card calling attention to
the law in the matter, and stating from
what source they were received.

The Association, therefore, is able to
report thai it lias in the past two months
placed these collections on exhibition at
the following museums:

Southwesl Museum, Los Angeles, Calif.
Museum of Louisiana State University,

Baton Rouge.
State Museum, Atlanta, Ga.
State Museum, Augusta, Maine.
Museum of Mainline University, St. Paul,

Minn.
Museum of Coe College, Cedar Rapids,

Iowa.

Public School Museum, Battle Creek,
Mich.

Washington University School of Medi-
cine, St. Louis, Mo.

Arizona Museum, Tucson, Ariz.

University of Rochester, Rochester, X. V.

Museum of History, Science and Art, Los
Angeles, Calif.

Museum of University of Chicago, Chi-
cago, III.

Museum, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie,
\. Y.

Kent Scientific Museum, Grand Rapids,
Mich.

Museum of Zoology, University of Mich-
igan, Ann Arbor.

Museum, Maryland Academy of Sciences,
Baltimore.

The Joseph Moore Museum, Richmond,
Ind.

Indiana State Department of Conserva-
tion, Indianapolis.

Zoological Museum, Wellesley College,
Wellesley, Mass.

Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.

Museum, State Normal School, Emporia,
Kans.

Museum, State Normal School, Winona,
Minn.

Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.

Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville,
Ky.

Agricultural College, Storrs, Conn.

Barnum Museum, Tufts College, Mass.

State Museum, Trenton, X. J.

Museum, University of Nebraska. Lincoln.

Alabama Museum of Natural History,
University, Ala.

State Museum, Gainesville, Fla.

Museum of Natural History, Springfield,
Mass.

Lake Forest College, Lake Forest. 111.

Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans,
La.

Museum, University of Minnesota, Min-
neapolis.

Worcester Natural History Society, Wor-
cester, Mass.

Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H.

Museum, Guilford College, N. C.

M useum, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Museum of Natural History, Urbana, 111.

The Audubon Societies

197

Museum, Hendrix College, Conway, Ark.
Society of Natural History, Wilmington,

Del.
Office of Massachusetts Audubon Society,

Boston.

Birdcraft Sanctuary, Fairfield, Conn.
Museum and Library, Oregon Audubon

Society, Portland.
Brooklyn Museum of Arts and Sciences,

Brooklyn, N. Y.

TAMING WILD BIRDS

"To go into the woods and call the birds
and have them respond by coming to meet
me has been one of my great desires.
Accordingly, one fall, after migration was
over and the resident winter birds were
settled in their chosen locality for the sea-
son, I undertook the experiment. I was
careful to select a spot easily accessible,
for the success of my plan would demand
daily visits no matter what the weather
might be.

"Selecting a rather open space in the
woods, I scattered some nut-meats on the
ground, on a log, and on a stump where the
food would be in plain sight. I visited the
spot several days in succession afterward
and found the food exactly where I had
placed it. Then one morning I discovered
that the food had disappeared. I again
distributed a generous supply and the next
day found that this also had been taken.

"By making my visits regular and always
placing the nuts in the open, the birds
came in time to connect my appearance
with the renewal of their food-supply.
They were usually hunting the ground over
when I arrived, waiting shyly but expec-
tantly for me to throw some to them.
Sometimes two or three birds would dash
for the morsel at the same time and there
would be a lively squabble for a moment
before the spryest bird would get it.
Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Downy
Woodpeckers were the regular visitors.
They would come right up to the hem of
my dress, stand there and look up at me,
keenly alert for the first movement of my
hand. For a long time they fed about me
in this manner, but finally one morning a
Chickadee, bolder than the others, fluttered
down from the branch of a tree immediately
over my head, seized the nut from my out-
stretched hand, and flew away with it.
The moment he did this, two other
Chickadees came to my hand from the

ground and snatched a nut in the same
manner. I soon found that instead of hold-
ing out one nutmeat it was best to hold a
handful, as the hungry birds were eating
constantly. The most pronounced rule of
etiquette among Chickadees seems to for-
bid two or more eating together. As many
as ten birds have come to my hand, one
after another in almost the same number
of seconds, each taking the largest nut-
meat in sight and flying away with it.
Occasionally two or three would alight on
my hand at the same moment, when they
would snap at each other and depart in-
stantly without taking the coveted morsel.
From the moment they began to eat from
my hand they lost all fear of me. Now
when I go into the woods they usually see
me first and come to me, squeaking and
calling delightedly. Sometimes when I
enter their habitat I do not see or hear a
single bird, but when I call they come
flying from many directions — they know
my voice. They flock about me with the
greatest confidence. They eat out of my
hand, whether it is outstretched or not,
and if there is no food in my palm they will
run up and down my arm peeking into
every fold of my coat-sleeve for the nuts
that they believe are hidden away. They
alight on my hat, on my muff, on my
shoulder, and run all over me as though
they were playing a game of some sort. If
I close my hand, leaving my thumb up-
stretched, a bird will be sure to perch on
the tip and stand there looking haughty
and arrogant. If I try to put a nut on the
crown of my hat, a smart bird will get it
before I can drop it on the hat, and when
I pull a peanut bag from my pocket, one
of them will dive into it in his haste to get
a big nut. They all seem to know where
the nuts come from.

Sometimes one will alight on my muff
and sit in the deep fur as though to warm

198

Bird- Lore

its feet . Another will alight, upon the brim
of my hat and stand in ornamental fashion
like a piece of rare trimming, Ah! here in-
deed is the right way to wear a bird!

"Watching and studying these little
friends so closely has been delightful. They
have individuality. Some are bold and
confident and come down into my hand
with a bound. The moment they touch

"There is one Chickadee that I call my
'star boarder.' He is always the first to
come, the last to leave, and he never
misses a meal. He comes squeaking and
complaining, clings to my finger-tips, and
manages to get the largest nut-meat in
sight before departing, squeaking and
complaining as he goes. He makes repeated
trips, eating all he can hold, then stores

TAMING A CHICKADEE IN THE WOODS

it their feet grasp my lingers, and often a
very friendly Chickadee will stand there
and sing. < M hers are t i in id and < omc barely

to my linger tips, seizing a nut daintily and

departing. There is a very rude Nuthatch,
whom I have named 'Pretty Boy' on
account "i his lovely plumage, who does
not hesitate to knot k a Chickadee from
my hand when he is ready to cat. Then
1 here is a greedy lady Chickadee who aol
only eats all she can hold, but will con
tinue to stay on my hand, apparently for

I he very Selfish pleasure of keeping all the
ill her birds away.

other bits away in convenient nook.- for a
snack bel ween meals.

"The Downies will never come to my
hand, but will take food from the ground
so near my feel that I have to be on the
lookout for fear of stepping on them. The
Chickadees are the friendliest. When the
photographer and the motion-picture
operator came with me to place my bird
friends on record, the Nuthatches and
Downies left hurriedly and no amount of
coaxing would bring them near. The

Chickadees paid absolutely no attention
to the men. Their attitude seemed to be,

The Audubon Societies

iqq

'Well, lady, if you are not afraid of those
men, we are not.'

"Truly these birds are not wild. Others
of their kind and additional species may
be approached as easily. I have done it
with Blue-winged Teal, Grebes, Rails, and
other birds that are relentlessly hunted.

There is no magic pathway to their
favor. All you have to do is to convince
them that you are a safe person to asso-
ciate with and generous enough to invite
them to dinner and they will do the rest.
Try it.— (Mrs.) Etta S. Wilson-, Detroit,
Mich.

MERIDEN (N. H.) BIRD CLUB

The following report of the Meriden
(New Hampshire) Bird Club has been re-
ceived from the President, Mr. Harry B.
Preston:

"The activities of the Club, which were
somewhat interrupted by the period of the
war, were resumed at the beginning of iqiq.
In spite of the cost of labor and building
material, considerable progress was made
toward the completion of our Bird Con-
servation Museum, and it will soon be
ready to receive its exhibits. Our Bird
Sanctuary attracted an unusually large
number of visitors during the summer
months. 'Bird Sunday,' which has become
an annual institution, was observed on
August 31 by special services at which
Rev. Manley B. Townsend was the speaker.

In connection with his visit to Meriden,
Mr. Townsend, then Secretary of the New
Hampshire Audubon Society, delivered an
illustrated lecture before the Club on the
subject, 'Special Adaptations of Birds.'
Earlier in August Constance McKay's
'The Forest Princess' was performed at the
outdoor theatre in the Sanctuary. The
village people and the summer residents
cooperated in this performance, and the
audience was drawn from the summer
colonies in all the surrounding towns.

"Altogether the work of our Club is
attracting each year a more widespread
interest, a fact that is shown by the
associate membership list which in-
cludes people from every section of the
country."

BIRDS POISONED

The subject of the killing of birds by
means of poison, put out to destroy the
troublesome rodents in the West, contin-
ues to arouse comment and criticism in
various sections of the country. The fol-
lowing is contributed by M. Helen Dyer,
of Los Angeles:

"Poisoned barley menaces the bird-life
of southern California. The Meadowlark,
with his sweet note, fast is becoming ex-
tinct along country highways. Many
others of our useful feathered friends are
passing away, killed by eating poisons
carelessly strewn to exterminate ground
squirrels. Cannot the Audubon Society
do something to compel users of squirrel
poison to place it in squirrel holes instead

of sowing it broadcast? With the extinc-
tion of bird life, insect pests will multiply
and quickly become a greater problem to
farmers than the squirrels are. Some years
ago the mongoose was introduced into the
Island of Jamaica to exterminate the rats
which were ravaging the sugar-cane. The
nfbngoose killed off the rats, and then
killed off the birds, and conditions are more
disastrous than they were originally. To-
day it is almost impossible to raise poultry
in Jamaica, while ticks, formerly preyed
upon by birds, have become exceedingly
abundant. Destruction of our birds
would bring a swift and painful punish-
ment to our agriculturists and arboricul-
turists."

200

Bird - Lore

NEW AUDUBON SOCIETIES FORMED

Since Oct. 20, 1910, which was the be-
ginning of the present fiscal year of tin-
Association, several new organizations to

promote interest in the protection and
study of wild birds have become affiliated
with the National organization This is
one of the many evidences of a renewal of
interest in bird-study and bird-protection.
During the period of the World War many
well-established Audubon Societies and
Bird Clubs ceased for a time their activities,
and a majority of the newly formed ones
languished and died. From the correspon-

dence received at the office of the National
Association the past winter and spring it is
apparent that there hasset in adistinct revi-
val of activities in the interest of wild birds.

The following new organizations have
been welcomed to affiliation:

Elkader (Iowa) Audubon Society.

Iowa City (Iowa) Audubon Society.

Jackson (Mich.) Audubon Society.

Nature Club of Ulster, Pa.

Societe Provencher d'Histoire Naturelle
of Quebec (Can.).

Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston, Maine.

AUDUBON'S BIRD COLLECTION

In some of the newspapers recently there
appeared an item that should be of interest
to all students of the life of John Janus
Audubon. This states that Audubon's col-
lection of North American birds, which
had been lost sight of for more than thirty
years, was recently discovered in Appleton
Cabinet at Amherst College, Massa-
chusetts. In the collection there are said
to be specimens of birds from which it is
believed Audubon painted the illustra-
tions in his great volume, 'Birds of North

America.' Fifty of the specimens, dated
in 1834, carry labels in Audubon's own
handwriting. It is further reported that
the collection was originally sold by the
Audubon Estate for $600, the purchaser
being Ward's Natural History Establish-
ment in Rochester. Later it was pur-
chased by H. H. Farnum and forty years
ago presented to Amherst College. Outram
Bangs, Curator of Birds of the Museum of
Comparative Zoology at Harvard Univer-
sity, has taken charge of the collection.

NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Enrolled from March 1 to May 1, 1920

Abbot, Marion S.
Bai mi. Miss E. S.
Barnes, J. Sanford

Chase, Mrs. Ali. e I'.
( lie, I.. A.

( lollins, M is. Louis I >.
( lollord, ( !lara

I lard, M rs. Anson W.
Haskell, Mrs. \\ . A.
Haynes, Miss M. S.
Hewitt, Mrs. Lucy

Hirsch, Sol.
Norton, C. II.
Potter. J idian K.
Rim, 1, Mrs. A. k.
Silverstein, Mr\ Rosa
Spreckels, Adolph B.
Sturtevant, M. Louise
Whittemore, ( rertrude B.
Williams. Mrs. p. B.

\\ > el li, 1 1 uston

The Audubon Societies

NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS

Enrolled from March 1 to May 1, 1920

Allen, J. B.
Arnstein, Mrs. Leo
Ashman, Mrs. Charles T.
Babcock, Dr. W. Wayne
Baldwin, E. E.
Baxter, Philip X.
Beitler, Harold B.
Benziger, Mrs. B.
Biddle, Mrs. Arthur
Bodine, Mrs. S. T.
Bogert, Walter L.
Bosworth, Miss Mary
Boyeson, A. E. ■ -»
Bradford, Mrs. Claude M.
Bradley, J. Dorr
B uchanan, Miss Elizabeth P.
Burnett, Miss Zila B.
Burrows, Mrs. W. F.
Cadwalader, John, 3d.
Camp, Mrs. George R.
Carter, Alan
Carter, Emmett B.
Cheston, Radcliffe, Jr.
Clarke, John S.
Cohen, Max M.
Collins, Alfred M.
Comfort, James C.
Coolidge, Mrs. Mary B.
Corwin, R. W., M.D.
Craven, William A., Jr.
Cross, Helen A.
DeForest, Eugene
Devereaux, F. L.
Dowd, W. E., Jr.
Eaton, F. W.
Elkader Audubon Society
Elliott, Charles H.
Ellis, William S.
Eustis, George D.
Farley, Mrs. Frank C.
Farnum, Mrs. F. H.
Farquhar, Francis *
Field, Mrs. S. P.
Fleitmann, Frederick T.
Fleming, Mrs. Thomas, Jr.
Forbes, Edward W.
Franklin, Mrs. M. L.
Fries Brothers
Garrison, David L.
Gibson, Mrs. J. Howard
Gregory, Miss Elizabeth T.
Grow, Mrs. Eugene J.
Grumbach, N.
Hanson, Elizabeth D.
Hendrie, Jean C.
Henry, Dr. J. Norman
Hensel, William H.
Hoffman, Charles L.
Hughes, Rev. Richard O.
Jackson Audubon Society

Johnstone, Miss Justine
Johnstone, Miss Mary \Y.
Jones, Mrs. A. H.
Kelso, Dr. J. E. H.
Kennedy, O. W.
Kerr, Wm. M.
Kuhn, Frank
Larned, Miss Emma S.
Lathrop, Mrs. Bryan
Lowry, John C.
McLeod, H. S.
Macomber, Mrs. Ida E.
Marvin, Mrs. Charles I.
Means, Mrs. James
Metcalf, Mrs. L. S.
Miller, Mrs. Edwin S.
Miller, Stephen Meeker
Mitchell, Mrs. Alfred
Morrille, Robert N., Jr.
Morton, John A., Jr.
Mullen, N. E.
Murdock, Mrs. Wm. Edw.
Murphy, Mrs. Daniel F.
Myers, Edward Studley
Nature Club of Ulster
Newbold, Arthur E., Jr.
Newhall, Miss Emma D.
North, Charles J.
Northey, Edward A.
Norton, Miss Sara
O'Neill, William C.
Orr, C. A.
Packard, George A.
Parmelee, James
Parsons, L. E.
Patch, Miss Edith M.
Peter, Mrs. Mare
Philbrick, S. W.
Powell, Mrs. Clara W.
Pratt, Waldo E.
Pupke, Miss Helene C.
Raff, A. Raymond
Reber, J. Howard
Reed, Mrs. George K.
Reefy, Miss Eva L.
Retzlaff, J. E. A.
Richardson, Susan L.
Rittig, George
Rossmassler, Mrs. R.
Sadler, Miss Sara F.
St. John, G. C.
Salter, Mrs. W. M.
Sard, Mrs. R. E.
Sawin, Mrs. Charles A.
Sawyer, Mrs. Laurena T.
Scattergood, Mrs. Thomas
Schrafft, George F.
Scudder, Vida D.
Scull, Mrs. Gideon
Shreve, Mrs. Benjamin O.

202

Bird - Lore

Skelton, Miss Bernice
Skinner, Miss Ruth 'I'., 2d
Small/, Miss Elizabeth T.
Smith, Miss Alice P.
Smith, Mrs. W'ikoff
Stern, Benjamin
Stevens, Mrs. George
Strouse, Miss Edil b M.
Sturtevant, Mrs. Ada M.
Tompkins, Mrs. Ray
Tucker, Gilberl M .
Vaillant, Mrs. S. II.
vonSchroeder, Frederick
Walker, Dr. Alfred S.
Walker, Miss Diantha
Wallenstein, Mrs. Leo
Ward, Howard, Jr.

Ward, Dr. Wilbur
Warner, Mrs. I'.. ('.
Warnock, William A., 2d
Wertheim, Sanders A.
Westcott, Mrs. W. R.
Whittemore, Miss Justine B.
Wilbur, Mrs. (ieorge E.
Williams, Franklin
Williams, F. Norton
Wilson, A., Jr.
Wood, farvis A.
Wood, "Mrs. W. II.
Wood, Mrs. William M .
Woodbury, Ilione F. M.
Woolman, Edward W.
Worrall, James, M.D.
Wander, ('. C.

-- fe^r

i . STARI INC, AIM I I . SPRING

i si \ki l\c , \l)i I l . FALL

. BOBOLINK, MM-ll. SPRING
(BOl INK. FEMALE

2ftrb=Hore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ of The Audubon Societies

Vol. XXII July— August, 1920 No. 4

Photographing the Scarlet Tanager

By C. W. LEISTER, Ithaca, N. Y.

EVERY year, with the coming of spring, one always has a few favorites
among the hosts of feathered travelers that are migrating northward.
One of my favorites is the Scarlet Tanager, and I know of no prettier
sight than that offered by a male, busily engaged in pursuing flying insects.
With sudden darts into the open, he shows his scarlet and black colors so
vividly that the impression is never forgotten.

Tanagers are not common during the summer at Ithaca, usually only one
or two pairs being located in a season. The year 19 19, however, proved to be
a banner year for them. Early in the season we noticed more than the usual
number of Tanagers. As time went on, it seemed that more of them were
going to nest in the locality than had ever done so before. Often we could
hear several males singing at the same time.

The nesting season soon came, and on our walks we were always on the
lookout for a pair that had started their nest. For a long time our efforts
were unrewarded. Other nests were found but the Scarlet Tanager's
remained undiscovered. The males seemed very plentiful but if we tried
to keep them in sight very long, we usually lost them along one of the
ravines. The females were not often seen and none was noticed carrying
nesting material.

Previously, we had experienced unfortunate endings to not a few of the
nests that we were intending to photograph, and so we began to fear that
this period of bad luck would be extended to include the Scarlet Tanager.
This almost proved to be the case.

Several mornings a male was heard singing from a small wooded slope, and
we decided there must be a nest nearby. So early one morning I went to
watch him. He was singing along merrily in a treetop when he was suddenly
joined by his inconspicuous mate, and, with a few low call-notes, he flew with
her to a lower branch. I hoped that she would lead me to the nest, and luck

204

Bird - Lore

was with me, for after a few moments she flew a short distance down the slope
into a small but high elm. There on a horizontal limb, about thirty-five feet
from the ground, was the much-desired nest. She immediately began
incubating.

I thought that our troubles were now over, for the nest was so situated
that it would be fairly easy to photograph, and I could almost see the pictures
that I was going to have. However, things were not destined to turn out that
way. Several days later, on going to the slope, equipped for picture-taking,

neither of the old birds
^ Bifl IGiL.. * was seen, and we feared

that something had
happened to them. The
ascent to the nest was
made, and then, to our
dismay, we found that
it was empty. Some
marauding red squirrel
or thieving Grackle,
had, in all probability,
made off with the eggs.
At any rate they were
gone and our photog-
raphy hopes with them.
There was nothing left
to do but pack up and
go home.

There then followed
a period that was at
first promising and then
discouraging, until, one
day, much to our sur-
prise, we discovered
another nest in a hem-
lock, about twenty-five feet from the ground and only a little over a hundred
yards from the house. A ladder was soon placed against the tree and the climb
up to the nest made. It contained three of the beautiful, pale bluish green,
spotted eggs. They were still fresh, and so it is possible that the nest was
built by the same pair of birds that were so unfortunate in their first attempt.
We decided not to place our box camera in the tree until the eggs should have
been incubated for four or five days more. After the expiration of that time,
on going out to the nest, wo found that the worst had happened. Thereon the
ground lay the three eggs, smashed by their fall from the nest above. Several
little holes were punched through the shells, which gave evidence that a mis-

FEMALE SCARLET TANAGER AT NEST

Photographing the Scarlet Tanager

205

chievous House Wren was the culprit this time. I now practically gave up
hope of getting any pictures of them this year.

But better times were to come, and about a week had passed when I was
told of another Tanager's nest, only twelve feet from the ground and out in
the open, over a path, where the light and other conditions were excellent for
photography.

We did not have time to visit the nest for a few days, and before having
done so, heard that the eggs had hatched and that the young were already
several days old. A few days later found us at the nest, with a tall stepladder,
tripod, and camera. The ladder was soon erected and, almost before it was in
place, we were greatly and agreeably surprised to see the female return and
feed her young,
paying no atten-
tion to the ladder
or to us. Heavy
teams were mov-
ing under the
nest all day long,
and this had
caused her to
lose almost all
fear of anything
coming near her
nest. While the
camera was be-
ing focused on
the young, she
again returned
and evidenced
absolutely no
fear of either

camera or man only three feet away. We were more than delighted ! Such a
remarkable bird after the disappointing experiences we had had with others
of her kind ! The camera clicked each time she returned to the nest. Several
times a picture was taken, the slide replaced, and a second exposure made
before she left the nest for more food, all without any great show of concern
on her part. She was such a wonderfully good subject that more than a dozen
pictures were soon taken.

The day was warm, and the young seemed to require no brooding, for the
general routine at the nest was as follows: first, she fed the clamoring young,
then she observed them quietly for a moment, and, finally, before going in
search of more food, she thoroughly inspected and cleaned the nest. During
the time she was at the nest, we, of course, refrained from making any sudden

MALE SCARLET TAXAGER AND YOUNG

206

Bird - Lore

A HANDFUL OF TANAGERS

movements, but even though she were frightened away, all her actions were
more or less deliberate and no concern was shown for the fate of her offspring.
She often perched on some wires running overhead and occasionally gave her
little song, very similar to that of the male but much lower in tone.

Four days passed before we had time to visit the nest again and found that

I EMALE SCARLET TAN ACER AND VOUNG

Photographing the Scarlet Tanager

207

the young were almost ready to leave. So we arranged them on a convenient
branch and set up our cameras so as to get the old birds feeding them. The
female readily fed them in this new location and the male also came with his
insect offering. Our only trouble was in keeping the young on the branch.
One insisted upon climbing on the back of another, with the result that both
usually fell off and we were kept busy replacing them. The female readily fed
a young bird held in one's hand, and later when we tried holding all of the
young out at arm's length, she fed them there. A handful of Scarlet Tanagers !
The male, however, could not be induced to feed them in what he doubtless
considered to be such a dangerous proximity. At times he approached within
a foot of the extended hand but lost his courage at the last moment. Both
behaved splendidly and we took a good many pictures of them.

Our time was limited, and so we placed the young back in the nest, and
with a feeling of mingled joy and wonder that such perfectly wild birds could
be so confiding, started homeward.

FEMALE SCARLET TANAGER AND YOUNG

A Gnatcatcher's Troubles

By R. D. BOOK, M.D., Corning, Ohio

TWO little Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers were building their nest. Each day
it grew larger and larger. Both were doing the work but I judged that
the female was the busier. As she arrived with each new particle of
material, she would settle down into the nest and turn about to see that it
was snug-fitting yet comfortable, then she would dispose of her new material
and fly away for more. In a few days it was finished and both of them seemed
to be extraordinarily proud of their work. They hung around the nest, jealous
of other birds, and took, for such little beings, an amazing amount of comfort
in their possession.

The next day I visited the spot again. There was no nest — nothing but a
few torn fragments hanging desolate from the crotch of the young oak tree
where had been but a day before a most beautiful little bird creation. Off in
the grove I could hear the tiny little voices of the Gnatcatchers, however, and
I thought to search them out and try to console them in some way for the out-
rage that had been committed by boys who are uncontrolled by parents,
teachers, and a set of officials who labor under the mistaken idea that young
outlaws can be influenced by kind words, baby talk, thieves' slang, and puerile
piffle.

The little birds needed no consolation from me, however. They were so
busy that they scarcely deigned to notice me — or else they were acquainted
with me and knew they would not be harmed. I stood near them a long time
and watched them building another home. Already it was well under way.
It, too, was built next to the trunk of a small oak sapling, in a crotch where a
small limb joined the trunk, about eight feet from the ground and two hundred
feet from the former location. The nest was not at all inconspicuous and was
easier to reach than the first one.

This time both birds were equally busy. The male sang his squeaky little
song and hurried back and forth with material, each time getting down into
the nest, depositing his small leaf or bit of fiber, reaching over the sides of the
nest and meticulously tucking it in with his needle-like bill. If one bird reached
the tree before the other was quite through he would wait patiently on a limb
while the other completed his work hurriedly and flew swiftly away for more
material. There was no jealousy or impatience on the part of the female
such as is often seen. They worked in complete harmony and were apparently
as happy as birds can be — seemingly having forgotten their misfortune in the
new task that confronted them.

The nest was half built when a Wood Pewee, flitting about as is his wont,
in search of small winged insects, innocently alighted on a branch of the young
oak about five feet from the nest. He was merely taking a rest, but the Gnat-
i ati her Hew at him furiously. There was no argument, no quarrel, no declara-

(208)

A Gnatcatcher's Troubles 200

tion of war, no warning. The little bird seemed to take it for granted that
the Pewee could see that they had preempted the tree. It was their property;
they were building a home upon it, and any bird that had the audacity to
perch so near was unacquainted with the commonest woods manners. Back
and forth the little thing flew, buffeting the Pewee in the roughest manner.
Often his little bill seemed to catch the Pewee on the head or back or side.
Still the larger bird obstinately retained his perch, seeming to say, "I am not
doing you any harm. This tree is as much mine as yours, and I am not going
to leave it." "Squeak, squeak," the little Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher would say,
"Get off of here, get away from my property."

Sometimes the little bird would cut a figure eight. He would strike the
Pewee on one side, pass over him, then quickly whirl and catch him on the
other side before he could regain his equilibrium. Several times the Pewee
was knocked from the limb, but he would instantly return to precisely the
same spot.

Then the little bird tried new tactics. He alighted on the end of the limb
on which the Pewee sat and hopped along it silently, approaching nearer and
nearer. The Pewee's head was slightly turned away, either through sullenness
or contempt. Suddenly the Gnatcatcher made a swift dash at him. This time
he caught him square amidship. There was no hesitation on the part of the
Pewee. He did not stagger or try to regain his equilibrium. He was knocked
off the limb as abruptly as if hit by a rock. No doubt the little bill pierced
his side. This time he did not resume his former perch. He flew to the
neighboring tree and the Gnatcatcher immediately resumed his work of
house-building.

The little Gnatcatcher's nest is rightly said to be among the most beautiful
in bird architecture. While this bird's home was low and for that reason con-
spicuous, it was of precisely the same color as the tree on which it was built.
I discovered in part the reason. A large portion of the material of which it
was built was obtained from other oak trees in the neighborhood. Bits of leaf,
small scales of the bark, lichen, bits of wood fiber, all were from oak trees.
Hence their successful camouflage. At a casual glance their nest looked like
an excrescence on the tree — the exterior rough and the color shaded exactly
like the exterior of an oak.

The next day after the second nest was completed I visited the spot and
found that boys had been there with their slingshots. The nest was knocked
from its site and hanging in shreds on a twig below. Securing this I tried to
ascertain its precise component parts. It seemed impossible. There were
doubtless thousands of separate pieces, many of them quite minute. The
coarser nest of the Field Sparrow will often contain over two hundred straws
or weed-stalks. In this nest there are many very small fibers, some of them
plant fibers, intricately woven and entwined about innumerable scales of oak
bark and apparently many reddish oak buds ! But the whole texture of the nest

210 Bird -Lore

is quite like a bit of closely woven, compact, yet incredibly soft felt — a mar-
velous structure indeed.

Several days afterward I located the third nest under construction, farther
up the hill. This time there was very little squeaking song. They meant
business and they had learned a lesson. They were building high in a beech
tree, far out on a limb, at least thirty-five or forty feet above ground. Oak
trees still seemed to furnish a large part of the material. The nest was visible
from practically one spot only. The beech in full leaf hides it completely in all
other directions, and it took considerable effort to find the proper viewpoint.
There is very little chance that the nest will ever be descried by anyone else
and the birds are quite safe.

In a few days this nest was completed. I watched it several minutes today
through a field glass, but there was no sign of a Gnatcatcher in the neighbor-
hood or on the nest. I had begun to wonder if something might have happened
to the birds when suddenly a tiny bill was thrust above the rim of the nest and,
though I could not see it, I have no doubt that an inquisitive little eye was
taking in the situation and a diminutive brain was wondering whether some
new calamity was about to follow. Thea the little bill withdrew and there
was nothing more to be seen but the waving beech leaves closely overhanging
the nest, screening it from inquisitive eyes, shading from the summer sun and
gently fanning to rest a very unfortunate and tired little bird.

A friendly Titmouse that followed me for something to eat inadvertently
perched in a tree quite near the beech. Instantly an angry little male Gnat-
catcher appeared upon the scene and dashed furiously at the intruder. The
Titmouse lost no time in withdrawing, assuming a humble and apologetic
manner, and the dauntless though sorely tried Gnatcatcher again vanished.
Though hidden from view and hushed in song he was evidently guarding with
an ever-watchful eye his beloved mate.

A Curious Nesting Habit of the Tufted Titmouse

By JAMES P. BAKER. JR., Helmsburg. Ind.

ON May 18, 1917, I made a very unusual discovery in the nesting habit
of one of our common birds. To me this observation was very inter-
esting for several reasons, not the least of which was my own unique
position for witnessing the incident.

My home is in the wooded hills of southern Indiana. On the date mentioned,
I was sitting on my front porch, when I observed a Tufted Titmouse fly up
from the woods below the house and alight on the ground close to the porch.
From the bird's subsequent actions I judged that it was a female. There was
something about her manner, an eagerness and alertness, that spoke of urgent
duties to be performed. Time was pressing hard, I guessed, because her
feathers were sadly ruffled and her beak was opened, as if in distress.

What, thought I, was the cause of such ardent industry? Just at this
moment the bird flew upon the floor of the porch, not more than two feet from
my chair. What, indeed, would inspire such reckless and daring behavior!

The Titmouse surveyed my feet— they did not stir. She examined my
body — it was motionless. A moment more and I checked my breathing — the
bird was calmly inspecting me from the arm of my chair. It remained here
but an instant and then flew to the back of my chair. I could not see her in
this position, but a moment later I could feel her ! She was now perched upon
my head; taking a wisp of my hair in her beak, she gave several sharp jerks.
After trying vainly to detach some hair in one place, she would try in another
until, exhausted in her attempts, she withdrew to the back of my chair.
After a short rest she renewed her efforts, but with no better success. The tools
at her command seemed wholly inadequate for tonsorial purposes, and as I was
in no wise able to assist her, I concluded that any further exertions might as
well be discouraged. Accordingly I made a very slight move, but sufficient
to give alarm.

I learned, however, that the bird's investigations in my neighborhood
were but partially completed. In her momentary fright she had flown to a
tree nearby, but in a minute she was again on the porch, this time on a table
which stood by the kitchen door. Here she discovered an old shoe-brush, an
object which seemed to meet the exigency of her demands. She gave several
heroic tugs at the brush, but not a bristle would yield.

My screen-door stood open, and in the kitchen near the door was my kitchen
table. The table caught her eye. That was enough for this Titmouse. From
the edge of a molasses can she quickly surveyed an array of culinary articles
which covered the table. It revealed nothing of an architectural nature and
accordingly she transferred her explorations to the opposite side of the room.
Here she examined the kitchen range, but it held nothing she desired. With
the hope that such a bold guest might accept the aid and assistance of her host,

(211)

212

Bird - Lore

I walked slowly into the kitchen. My motives, however, were misconstrued,
and after her frantic efforts to escape through the screened window, she found
her way to the open door and flew away. That was the last I saw of her.

The above incident has additional interest because of two other observations,
which I will describe briefly. In April, 191 8, I was living with a neighbor,
whose home was about a mile from mine. One day I was watching a collie
dog asleep on the grass when suddenly a Tufted Titmouse flew down beside
the dog and began picking at his hair. The Titmouse had made but a few jerks
when the dog became aroused and moved slightly. This movement frightened
the bird and it flew away.

Quite as unusual was an observation made April 16, 1919. A neighbor was
helping me saw into logs a large sugar tree which had been cut by coon hunters
the previous winter. The neighbor's dog had treed a fox squirrel in a nearby
oak. The squirrel was intensely occupied in watching the movements of the
dog. A minute or so later a small boy who was with us, and who had been
watching the squirrel, exclaimed, "Look at that little bird on the squirrel's
back!" I looked up and saw the boy was right. A Titmouse was perched on
the squirrel's back, making every effort to secure some of the animal's hair.
The squirrel was motionless and the bird tugged away with great ardor. I
watched it for perhaps half a minute, when it flew away, accompanied by its
mate, which had been watching the procedure from a limb nearby. Such is the
courage and daring of the Tufted Titmouse.

NIGHT HAWK

Photographed by Dr. A. H. Cordier, Kansas City, Mo.

The Migration of North American Birds

SECOND SERIES

XIII. EUROPEAN STARLING AND THE BOBOLINK

Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey

EUROPEAN STARLING

The European Starling, which has a wide distribution in Europe, was
introduced into the United States about 1890, when a number were brought
to New York City and there liberated. Since that time the species has spread
into adjoining territory in southern New England and the Middle Atlantic
States. It now breeds north to southeastern Maine, southern Vermont, and
central New York; west to central Pennsylvania, eastern West Virginia,
and central Virginia; and south to southeastern Virginia. It has wandered,
chiefly in winter, also to Ohio, and south to Alabama and Georgia. It probably
will continue to spread into suitable areas in the eastern United States. The
records in the following table indicate, as far as known, its appearance in
various parts of the eastern United States.

LOCALITY

Fryeburg, Maine

Hinsdale, N. H

Bennington, Vt

Bellows Falls, Vt

Springfield, Mass. (near)

Meriden, Conn

New Haven, Conn

Rochester, N. Y

Orient, L. I

Poughkeepsie, N. Y

New York City, N. Y. (80 birds introduced)

Staten Island, N. Y

Englewood, N. J

Plainfield, N. J

Princeton, N.J

Morristown, N.J

Salem, N. J

Philadelphia, Pa

State College, Pa

Easton, Md

Baltimore, Md. (near)

Washington, D. C

Newport News, Va

Savannah, Ga :

Junction of Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, Alabama.

Earliest known date
of appearance

December, 191 1
December 12, 1913
March, 1915
April, 1908
March 9, 1908
December 3, 1900
January 2, 191 8
May 12, 1907

1907
March 6, 1890

March 15, 1898
February 11, 1900
December, 1905
March 20, 1907
December 5, 1911
December, 1907
February 29, 1916
February 15, 1910
October 24, 1913
February 9, 1913
January 4, 191 2
November 10, 191 7
January 4, 1920

Breeding
Records

1916

1910

189;

BOBOLINK

The well-known Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a summer resident
and breeds in North America, north to northern Nova Scotia, central Quebec,
central Ontario, central Saskatchewan, central Alberta, and southern British
Columbia; west to southwestern British Columbia, eastern Oregon, and north-

(213)

214

Bird - Lore

western Nevada; south to northern Nevada, northern Utah, central Colorado,
northern Missouri, central Illinois, central Ohio, central West Virginia, north-
western Maryland, central Pennsylvania, and central New Jersey; and east
to the Atlantic Coast region from New Jersey to Nova Scotia. It migrates
through the West Indies, and less frequently through eastern Mexico and
Central America to South America, where it winters from Brazil to Bolivia
and Argentina. It is also of casual occurrence in California, and accidental in
the Bermuda and Galapagos Islands.

SPRING MIGRATION

LOCALITY

Palma Sola, Fla.

Savannah, Ga

Charleston, S. C

Raleigh, N. C

Waverly, W. Va

Washington, D. C

Cambridge, Md

Beaver, Pa

Philadelphia, Pa

Morristown, X. J

New York, N. Y

Alfred, N. Y

Holland Patent, N. Y.

Hartford, Conn

Providence, R. I

Pittsfield, Mass

Boston, Mass

Bennington, Vt

Hanover, N. H

Plymouth, Maine

Montreal, Quebec

Godbout, Quebec

Scotch Lake, N. B

Chatham, N. B

Pictou, Nova Scotia. . . .

New Orleans, La

Helena, Ark

Athens, Tenn

Versailles, Ky

St. Louis, Mo

Chicago, 111

Richmond, Ind

Ft. Wayne, Ind

Oberlin, Ohio

Detroit, Mich

London, Ontario

Ottawa, Ontario

Wall Lake, Iowa

Madison, Wis

Elk River, Minn.

Onaga, Kans

Badger, Nebr

Forestlmr^, S. I ).

Argusville, N. 1 •

Aweme, Alan

Qu'Appclk', Sask

Number

Average date of

Earliest date of

record

spring arrival

spring arrival

6

April 19

April 10, 1913

14

April 23

April 9, 191 2

7

April 23

April 7, 1912

25

May 1

April 17, 191 7

4

May 3

Mav 1, 1906

27

May 2

April 26, 1908

6

April 30

April 26, 1914

1 1

Mav 4

April 29, 1910

9

May 4

April 23, 1896

13

May 7

May 1, 1888

14

Mav 6

April 30, 1896

30

Mav 6

April 25, 1905

17

Mav 4

April 28, 1890

27

Mav 6

Mav 3, 1911

12

Mav 10

May 2, 1906

1 1

Mav n

Mav 7. 1905

27

Mav 8

Mav 4, 1914

13

May 7

April 28, 1913

1 1

Mav 10

May 2, 1890

19

Mav 12

May 4, 1880

14

May 17

May 7, 1913

2

June 4

June 2, 1884

12

Mav 20

May 13, 1910

20

Mav 26

May 17, 1896

9

Mav 19

Mav 16, 1892

3

April 19

April 4, 1894

2

April 25

April 20, 1904

7

April 27

April 23, 1907

5

May 1

April 26, 191 2

8

Mav 1

April 24, 1888

24

May 1

April 25, 1915

14

May 1

April 24, 1913

13

April 29

April 24, 1913

23

April 26

April K>, 1904

24

May 2

April 20, 1896

1 1

Mav 1

April If, 1913

31

Mav 16

May 3, 1904

13

May 6

April 28, 1912

22

May 4

April 25, 1914

9

May 9

May 3, 1914

15

Mav 10

May 5, 1908

4

Mav 6

May I, 1900

3

Mav 11

May 6, 1904

13

Mav 12

May a, 1895

'7

Mav 14

May 3, 1902

5

May 21

May 12, 1913

The Migration of North American Birds

215

SPRING MIGRATION, continued

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Boulder, Colo

Cheyenne, Wyo

Corvallis, Mont

Okanagan Landing, B. C.

Average date of
spring arrival

May 26
May 22
May 18
June 2

Earliest date of
spring arrival

May 24, 1904
May 17, 1888
May 15, 1913
May 30, 1910

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Average date of Latest date of
last one observed last one observed

Palma Sola, Fla

6

I 2

3

May 18 Mav 26. 1008

Savannah, Ga

May 17
Mav ik

May 28, 1910
May 19, 1910

Raleigh, N. C

18 May 15

17 May 21
7 May 27

6 May 16
5 Mav 10

May 27, 1887

Waverly, W. Va

May 16, 1905
June 6, 1909

Philadelphia, Pa

June 17, 1910

New Orleans, La

Athens, Tenn

St. Louis, Mo

May 29, 1915
May 25, 1909
May 2s, 1909

Bicknell, Ind

Onaga. Kans

8

7

May 23
May 20

June 1, 1913
May 25, 1894

FALL MIGRATION

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Average date of
fall arrival

Earliest date of
fall arrival

Palma Sola, Fla. . .

Savannah, Ga

Charleston, S. C. .

Raleigh, N. C

Washington, D. C.
Philadelphia, Pa.. .

Athens, Tenn

Bicknell, Ind

August 27
August 15
July 20
August 28
August 18
August 27
September
August 24

August 20, 1908
July 27, 1912
July 14, 1913
August 15, 1893
July 23, 1904
August 23, 1906
August 27, 1905
August 20, 1914

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Average date of
last one observed

Palma Sola, Fla 6 October 9

Savannah, Ga 4 October 12

Charleston, S. C 2 October 16

Raleigh, N. C 12 September 21

Washington, D. C 12 October 4

Beaver, Pa 5 September 21

Philadelphia, Pa 4 September 20

Morristown, N. J 8 September 13

Geneva, N. Y 2 September 12

Hartford, Conn 19 September 14

Providence, R.I 2 September 1 7

Latest date of
last one observed

October 16, 191 2
October 21, 1910
October 17, 1910
October 7, 1896
November 14, 1885
October 1, 1908
September 25, 1791
September 25, 1908
September 19, 1915
September 37, 1913
September 24, 1904

2l6

Bird - Lore

FALL MIGRATION, continued

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Harvard, Mass 7

Tilton, N. H 4

Plymouth, Maine 8

Montreal, Quebec 9

Scotch Lake, N. B 4

Pictou, Nova Scotia

Athens, Tenn 3

Chicago, 111 9

Bicknell, Ind.. . 5

Youngstown, Ohio 6

Wauseon, Ohio .• io

Detroit, Mich 5

Ottawa, Ont n

Wall Lake, Iowa 5

Madison, Wis 8

Elk River, Minn 3

Badger, Nebr 4

Forestburg, S. D 3

Aweme, Man 9

Corvallis, Mont

Okanagan Landing, B. C

Average date of
last one observed

September 16
September 5
August 22
September 1
September 6

September 28
September 22
September 25
September 25
September 25
September 29
September 10
September 1 7
September 9
August 31
August 27
September 10
September 14

Latest date of
last one observed

September 25, 1908
September 19, 1907
August 30, 1895
September 16, 1893
September 25, 1907
August 22, 1894
October 6, 1908
October 3, 1915
October 17, 1915
October 14, 1916
October 8, 1897
December 20, 1908
September 29, 1892
October 10, 1915
September 28, 1909
September 7, 1915
September 7, 1899
September 18, 1905
September 20, 1910
September 4, 191 1
August 13, 1908

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds

FIFTY-SEVENTH PAPER
By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

(See Frontispiece)

Starling {Sturnus vulgaris, Figs. 1,2). When the young Starling leaves the
nest it wears a lusterless, smoky brown or grayish brown plumage resembling
in color that of a female Cowbird. This is worn for several weeks, during the
first part of which time the bird remains under the care of its parents and is
succeeded, through complete molt, by the first winter plumage which is essen-
tially similar to that of its parents (Fig. 2). During the molt the new shiny
black, brown, or white-tipped feathers blotch the brownish juvenal plumage,
giving the bird a mottled appearance. There is no spring molt, and the change
from winter to breeding plumage is accomplished by a complete or partial
wearing off of the brownish or white tips to the feathers. These largely, or
wholly, disappear from the crown, throat, and breast, but traces of them remain
on the back and belly. The bill changes in color from browrn or blackish to
yellow and becomes a conspicuous field character. The sexes are practically-
alike in color.

Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Figs. 3, 4). The nestling or juvenal plum-
age of both the male and female Bobolink resembles in color the one which
succeeds it; that is, the first-winter plumage. This is acquired by molt of all

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds 217

but the tail and most of the wing-feathers, and is like that of the breeding female
(Fig. 4) but is everywhere richer, more buffy yellow in tone. This is the 'Reed-
bird' plumage. It is worn until the following spring when, late in February
and early in March, before leaving its winter home in northern Argentina and
southwestern Brazil, the bird undergoes a complete molt, including the wings
and tail. This creates no change in the general appearance of the female, but
the male undergoes a striking transformation. So far as feathers are con-
cerned, he is the bird we know in early summer, but the body-feathers are all
so widely fringed with yellowish, those of the nape with brownish, and those
of the scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts with dusky grayish, that it is
difficult to believe the bird can pass into the shining black, buff, and white
breeding plumage (Fig. 3) without losing or gaining a single feather. But dur-
ing the northward migration in March and April, the yellow, brown, and gray
tips gradually wear away, the plumage of the nape, rump, upper tail-coverts,
and scapulars apparently fades, the bill turns from brownish to blue-black,
and by the time the bird reaches its nesting-ground few traces of what one
might call its traveling cloak remain.

The post-nuptial or 'fall' molt begins the latter part of July, immediately
after the nesting season. Like the prenuptial or spring molt it is complete,
and the bird now acquires the Reedbird plumage and can be distinguished
from young of the year chiefly by the presence of a few black feathers on the
chin and breast. In this plumage male and female, young and old, look essen-
tially alike as they journey through the rice-fields, cross the Caribbean, and
travel over more than half the length of South America to their winter home.

J^otes from iftefo anb JHuap

A Town of Five Thrushes

The town of Stowe, Vt., is especially for-
tunate birdwise, — or, more exactly, thrush-
wise. The good fortune is one not generally
appreciated by the town's permanent resi-
dents, perhaps, but the bird-loving visitor
in June and July may revel in five breed-
ing species of Hylocichla, — "five brown,
wood -haunting Thrushes," as Hoffman
describes them.

During the last ten days of June, ioio,
my husband and I lived at the upper end
of a Stowe valley leading to the eastern
slopes of Mt. Mansfield, which lies upon
Stowe's western border and has an eleva-
tion of 4,600 feet. We arrived at 8 o'clock
one evening. All along the wooded ridge
north of our house Hermit Thrushes were
singing, and we found, during our stay,
Hermit Thrushes most numerous of the
five species noted.

South of the house, on the farther edge
of a grassy meadow, the valley's stream
meandered between low, wooded bluffs.
Here the Veery sang morning and evening.
Veeries were common in favorable locations
throughout the lower parts of this region.

In a narrow, wooded valley leading into
ours from the southwest, we found a pair
of Wood Thrushes, the female (?) sitting
on her nest; so we could not doubt these
birds were quite at home in this northern
locality. Twice again we found Wood
Thrushes; in one case, in deciduous woods
at considerable elevation, what seemed to
be a rollicking family party of parents and
grown children.

On the first favorable day we set forth
in the early morning for the mountain top,
planning to extend the expedition over
two days and a night, as there is a small
hotel at the summit. The mountain is
wooded to its top, and an easy-graded
carriage road makes the climb a simple
matter for those who do not care to attempt
the steeper trails.

As we ascended the mountain, the Olive-

(2

backed Thrush gradually replaced the Her-
mit Thrush. At an elevation of about
1,400 feet, from a low spruce tree close be-
side the road, an Olive-backed hastily but
quietly left her nest and eggs, at our
approach.

In June, 1018, we had climbed Mansfield
from the south, our special quest being
Bicknell's Thrush, said to live about the
hotel at the mountain's top. That year
we were unable to find any trace of the
Bicknell's Thrush, and we are told that
other observers have duplicated this ex-
perience. Some years, because of weather
conditions during migration or for other
reasons, no Bicknell's Thrushes return to
Mansfield. In 1919, however, we were not
again to be disappointed. While still a
thousand feet or more from the summit
house, we first heard the new song. The
quality of voice suggested that of the
Veery, but the song was slower, richer, and
wholly lacked the Veery's downward spi-
raling. This first Bicknell's was in some par-
ticulars the most accomplished singer of
his species we heard, but he lacked the
romantic mountain-top environment.

A shower drove us indoors immediately
on our arrival at the summit, but when,
toward evening, the rain had ceased, we
climbed to a rocky viewpoint and looked
out upon the tangled mat of dwarf balsam
forest which covers the extreme upper
slopes and the long, flattened top of the
mountain. Here and there the expanse of
balsams was punctuated with Bicknell's
Thrushes, each perched on or near the tip
of a balsam spire. With all of Vermont
and much of its neighboring states spread
beneath their gaze, and nothing but the
sky above, they lifted their heads and
voices and sang their little, captivating,
haunting song of three to six notes, all the
notes, except one, being long and slurred.
They put so much of music and time into
each note, that the song, even in its three-
note form, was still wonderful, and one
never heard enough. Indeed, one half

18)

Notes from Field and Study

219

suspected Bicknell's of having adopted the
graceless modern practice of deliberately
limiting output to enhance value!

It is difficult, if not impossible, to trans-
late into words which shall be universally
satisfactory the song of any bird. To us,
however, the tender cadence of Bicknell's
seemed to indicate, Oh, sweet, dear Vere de
Vere, each note vibrating and liquid. The
shorter forms were, Oh, dear Vere de Vere,
or simply, Vere de Vere. There is little
range of tone.

Many other birds rare or interesting
added pleasure to our stay near Mansfield,
but these five, the Veery, the Wood Thrush,
the Hermit, the Olive-back, and Bicknell's
— especially Bicknell's — were the crowning
joy of our visit to much-favored Stowe. —
Helen G. Whittle, Peterboro, N. H.

American Egret in Vermont

On the afternoon of Aug. 28, 1918, when
passing a pond five miles east of St. Johns-
bury, Vt., I saw two large birds on the
bank near the road. One of them was a
Great Blue Heron, the other an American
Egret.

Having seen an Egret in Waterbury,
Conn., on July 31 and August 2, I was
especially interested. We watched him for
fifteen minutes, and, when he flew, the
yellow bill and black legs made identifica-
tion positive. We saw also a large flock of
over forty Wild Ducks and also Sandpipers
of different species. We learned in St.
Johnsbury that the owner of the pond
allowed no shooting, and were told that on
another nearby pond there had been two
"White Heron" — all summer, these doubt-
less being Egrets. — Emily Field Kellogg,
Waterbury, Conn.

An Early Egg of Virginia Rail
on Long Island

On the morning of April 13, 1919, a Vir-
ginia Rail was found caught in a steel trap
set for muskrats in a marsh used annually
as a nesting-site by this Rail. On the
ground near the bird was an egg that it
had dropped. On the preceding day appa-

rently no Rails were in the marsh. They
evidently had migrated in on the night of
the 12th — a night of warm, heavy rain —
for several were observed there on the
morning of the 13th. The earliest date of
the species' eggs recorded in the nest in
the vicinity of Orient is May 28, and their
common laying period is the first half of
June. It is extremely interesting that this
bird should drop an egg on this early date
and, apparently, on the first night of its
arrival on Long Island. The egg was in
dimensions, texture, and markings per-
fectly normal. Has this species a longer
breeding season locally than is commonly
recorded? Does it occasionally deposit two
clutches of eggs a season? The specimen
in question may have been prepared to
nest farther south. — Roy Latham, Orient,
Long Island.

Duck Hawks in New York City

I believe that an account appeared in
Bird-Lore, several years ago, of a Duck
Hawk which frequented one of the tall
buildings in lower New York City, and that
a photograph was obtained of the bird.
But no printed mention seems to have
been made of the Hawks, one or more of
which roosted regularly under the eaves
of the Hotel Biltmore during a part, at
least, of the autumn of 1919, and which,
to the best of my belief, were Duck Hawks.
I went to New York on September 15 of
that year and remained there for eighteen
days, staying in one of the skyscraper
hotels which overlook the Biltmore. Every
afternoon, except two or three, when I was
prevented from watching, I saw a Hawk
go to roost close up under the eaves of the
Biltmore, on the east or south side of the
south wing, generally very near the south-
east corner of it. Occasionally two birds
went to roost. They sometimes appeared
early in the afternoon, when the weather
was fine, and played about the building
for several hours before retiring. Once
three birds came, and made a wonderful
display as they chased each other about,
darting, plunging, and soaring in the un-
obstructed space above the Grand Central

220

Bird - Lore

Terminal. I could not make out whether
or not all of them passed the night under
the hotel eaves.

There is a dove cote on a sort of terrace
at the Biltmore, in which live a few Pigeons.
It was interesting to observe that these
birds were entirely unmolested by the
Hawks and that they seemed to have no
fear of them. Apparently, then, the Hawks
came to the hotel only after their food for
the day had been obtained. — Nathan
Clifford Brown, Portland, Maine.

Some Observations on the Osprey

The nest of the Osprey is as interesting
as the bird itself. Made of sticks, straw,
seaweed, an occasional piece of cloth, large,
untidy, it is perched on the topmost fork
of a tall dead tree, sometimes on the cross-
piece at the top of a telephone or telegraph
pole. The tree is not dead when selected
for a nest, but the droppings of the birds,
as well as the decomposed fish often thrown
out, in time kill it. The same nest is used
year after year, being renovated from time
to time by throwing out worn parts and
replacing them by new ones. When the
birds arrive early in April, the female
chooses a nest and the courting begins. If
there are no nests available a new one is
constructed, male and female alike shar-
ing the labor.

In ioio, I had the opportunity for casual
observance of two pairs of these birds. One
nest was at the back of the house and one
at the side. There was much difference in
the individuality of the two pairs. Those
at the back of the house paired earlier,
raised their brood of two birds earlier, and
left the nest earlier. This pair were very
much annoyed by a Crow which took every
opportunity to drive the female from the
nest and attempt to get the eggs.

The female of the nest at the back of
the house, probably made nervous by the
persistent attacks of the Crow, was very
excitable. When anyone approached she
set up a frightened, raucous cry and some-
times was so worried that she even left her
nest and eggs at the mercy of the Crow.
Then there was a contest between instinct

and fear. Sometimes instinct was the
stronger, and, crying harshly, she returned
to the nest. Sometimes, still crying harshly,
she circled round and round near the nest
but did not return until assured that all
danger was past. These paroxysms of fear
were the more pronounced when her mate
was off on his fishing expeditions. When
he was there to protect her, she sometimes
only emitted her frightened cry and did
not leave her nest at all. At other times
she seemed to lose confidence in his pro-
tection and flew away, abandoning nest
and eggs.

The pair at the side of the house were
not disturbed by Crows and seemed less
nervous than the other pair. This female
was very coy and coquettish and it took
her some time to decide upon a mate. She
was courted by two persistent lovers. One
would alight on her nest only to be beaten
off. Then the other, taking heart, would
try his luck and receive the same treatment.
When she finally chose a mate, I am not
sure that it was either of these. After she
settled down to her domestic duties, she
was a faithful spouse, but a rather shrewish
one. She insisted on her mate sharing the
monotony of incubation, apparently much
to his disgust. When she wanted to leave
the nest, she became restless and sent sharp,
complaining cries to the male engaged in
watching over her. Whether willfully or
not, he failed to respond. At last, com-
pletely exasperated, she flew off the nest
to her mate, and deliberately tried to brush
him off his perch. He still refused to under-
stand, but her repeated cries and indigni-
ties at last had the desired effect. He flew
toward the nest, circled about it and fin-
ally settled down on it. The female was
distrustful. She flew away a short distance
and returned to see whether he was still
there, repeating this performance several
times before she was satisfied that it was
safe to take the recreation she coveted. In
a few days stie had trained her mate to such
instant obedience that, when she wanted
to leave the nest, she uttered a few sharp
cries, and before she flew off the nest he
was there to take her place.

As these observations are merely casual,

Notes from Field and Study

221

I do not know whether it is the usual thing
for the male Osprey to share incubation.
I never saw the male in the other nest do so.

After the young were hatched, the male
in the nest back of the house turned out
to be a great tease. He would come home
with a fine fish, and after the female and
young were sufficiently excited and clamor-
ing noisily for the food, he would fly away
with it, leaving a lamenting family behind.
Sometimes he flew to a nearby tree and
watched them; sometimes he flew out of
sight, repeating this tantalizing perform-
ance several times before giving the food
to his hungry family. He never ate the
fresh fish himself but always deposited it
in the nest where it was ravenously de-
voured by the female and young while he
dined on the reserve food which, of course,
was not so savory. The male in the other
nest never teased. Coming home with a
wriggling fish, he dutifully gave it to his
family. Was it the influence of the female
that made one male a tease and one a meek,
obedient mate?

The brood in each nest consisted of but
two birds. They developed slowly and
about a month before leaving began to
flap their wings and make efforts to use
them. Their first flights were simple ones,
being low and very near to the nest to
which they returned apparently much ex-
hausted. By this time they were as large
as the parent birds, but were still fed and
cared for by the older ones.

The nest perched on the topmost fork of
the tree faces right into the sun and has no
protection from rain or storm. During the
heat of the day or when the weather was
sizzling, the female stood between her
young and the sun protecting them by her
outstretched wings.

Ospreys are distrustful of each other.
A stronger bird attacks a weaker one in
mid-air and steals his food. When a female
is on her nest and a male is flying near,
she becomes alarmed lest he come and take
the fish from her nest. They seem to have
no honest or fraternal instincts although I
have seen them unite to attack a common
foe. — Alice K. Meloy, Atlantic High-
lands, N. J.

Saw-whet Owl at Branchport, N. Y.

This species is so rarely 'discovered' here
that its every appearance is worthy of
special notice. On June 20, 1919, in the
subdued shade of a jungle of hemlocks, I
found this little Owl perched on a lowly
branch. He permitted me to approach
within several feet, flying but a short dis-
tance when I extended my hand. My
attention was attracted to him by the
scolding of Canadian and Black-throated
Green Warblers, both females.

On the following day I had the pleasure
of introducing this little earless Owl to
Mrs. Stone, and on the third day, June 22,
Mr. Burtch and I found him perched in
the same hemlock jungle. An examination
of many pellets revealed only bones and
fur of woods mice; no bird feathers were
found. — Clarence F. Stone, Branchport,
N. Y.

Kentucky Notes

During the last days of April, 1919, in
a vacant lot near my house, a Mockingbird
sang an interesting medley. In the midst
of its song it would give in succession the
notes of four members of the Flycatcher
family, invariably following the same order
— Wood Pewee, Phoebe, Great-crested and
Least Flycatchers. This occurred many
times a day for almost a week.

On Sept. 11, 1919, I found a Dove sit-
ting on a deserted Robin's nest, as if brood-
ing. She remained there two or three days
and then disappeared. Whether there were
any young hatched or not I could not find
out, as the nest was on a small limb of a
Carolina poplar, about twenty feet from
the ground.

Though White-crowned and White-
throated Sparrows are rather plentiful here
in winter and abundant in migrations, they
vary widely in their distribution. Wher-
ever there is underbrush I find White-
throats, but in only three or four places in
four or five square miles do I ever see
White-crowns. One of these places is a
pasture where there are a few scrubby
cedars and a hedge of bois d'arc; another
is a small honey locust thicket near a

222

Bird - Lore

tumbled-down stable. Other places just
as promising are occupied by White-
throats but never by White-crowns.

On Jan. 19, 1920, I saw what I took to
be three Purple Finches in the top of a
pine tree. I would have passed them by
had they not begun to call. On closer ob-
servation I found them to be Red Cross-
bills, the first record, so far as I can learn,
of their appearance here. I observed them
closely and heard another small flock late
in the afternoon of the same day. Judging
from the 1919 Christmas Bird Census, the
Crossbills have come much farther south
this winter than usual.

Why does not the Red-headed Wood-
pecker winter here? It is a common winter
resident in many parts of the state and
was reported from ten places north of here
in the 1919 Christmas Bird Census. We
have plenty of mast here and everything
is as favorable for Red-heads as can be
found in the sections where they winter. —
Gordon Wilson, Bowling Green, Ky.

Blue Grosbeak at Newtown, Pa.

I thought that Bird-Lore readers might
be interested to know that I observed a
Blue Grosbeak in this vicinity on Sunday,
May 9, There could be no mistake in the
identity of the bird for it was watched for
fully fifteen minutes and corresponded
exactly to the illustration and description
in Reed's 'Bird Guide.' This is the second
time that I have seen this rare bird in our
vicinity, the other time being in 1918. —
Russell Richardson, Jr., Philadelphia,
Pa.

Blue Grosbeak at Rock Island, Ills.

May 11, 1920, a pair of beautiful Blue
Grosbeaks came to an elm tree outside of
our school window. An immense flock of
Goldfinches just filled the top of the tree
and on my arrival, at 8 o'clock, I went
upstairs with my field-glasses to see if any-
other Finches were among them. Not ten
feet from the window, two male Grosbeaks
were eating industriously but quietly,
occasionally darting out to capture an in-

sect on the wing. I looked at the markings
very carefully, the body, head and breast
being a rich green-blue, shading into black
at the base of the bill. The wings were a
dull gray-brown with a lighter cross-bar
and a tan spot at the shoulder. The tail
was also brown, medium length, with the
tips of the feathers rounded. The bill was
light and shaped like the Rose-breasted
Grosbeak's, only very much smaller. Three
females came later in the day, and they
were a yellowish tan with darker cross-
bars on wings and no blue that I could see.
I watched them three days. The second
day there were just the two males; the
third, only one, appearing very restless and
finally flying off. I had read of Blue Gros-
beaks and have studied all of the birds in
our locality, but have never found a record
of these Grosbeaks here. — Genevieve
Zimmer, Rock Island, Ills.

Belated Evening Grosbeaks

In the July-August number of Bird-
Lore, for 1919, mention is made of a
belated female Evening Grosbeak having
been seen at Williamsport, Pa., on May :
of that year.

On May 14, 1920, a pair of Evening
Grosbeaks, male and female, were seen at
Ulster, Bradford County, Pa., by several
members of the Nature Club of that place.
They remained in the vicinity for two or
three days. — (Miss) Martha McMorkan,
Ulster, Pa.

Evening Grosbeaks Like Sumac
Berries

I was interested in the article concerning
the staghorn sumac in the January- Feb-
ruary issue of Bird-Lore. I agree as to
the lack of attractiveness of the berries,
but would like to add that the Evening
Grosbeaks do not share this feeling. They
are avid devourers of them in weather fair
or foul all winter. I have observed them
busily eating these berries during at least
more than half the days of January.
From four to thirty birds will perch on the
branches with an air of evident enjoy-

Notes from Field and Study

223

ment as they busily chirp and devour the
seeds. — Mrs. H. W. Abraham, Appleton,
Wis.

Bohemian Waxwing in Maine

On June 3, 1920, I was watching a small
flock of Cedar Waxwings in an apple tree
close by my kitchen window, when, to
my surprise, I saw that one was a Bohem-
ian. I had never seen this species before,
but got the markings perfectly as it was so
near. On June 19, about 5 o'clock, the
Waxwings were here again, and what was
my astonishment to see the Bohemian still
with them! — Winifred Holway Palmer,
Machiasport, Maine.

The Window Visitor

During the month of July, 1919, a
neighbor reported to me that a Chipping
Sparrow, at various hours of each day, had
been rapping with its bill upon her window-
panes. She had noticed the pair of 'Chip-
pies' about the door-yard earlier in the
season, but had paid little attention to
them until the brighter colored of the two
took it upon himself to demand attention
by repeatedly rapping upon the glass.
Sometimes it was from the window-sill,
and often while hovering before the upper
panes. On one occasion he entered the
house through an open door, flew about as
though looking for something, then rushed
out again, to continue his window-tapping.

On being told of this strange happening,
I went over to see the bird perform. The
next day this Sparrow was rapping at
my own windows. My efforts to entice
him into the house were in vain, and
neither could I find his nest or mate,
yet his window-rapping continued until
August 3.

On May 1 2 of this year I was pleased to
find a pair of Chipping Sparrows building
a nest in a rambler rose bush a few feet
from my bay-window; but I was more
pleased when on May 15 the male of this
pair gave three distinct knocks with his
little bill upon my window-pane. Later he
continually gave his signal for attention

and boldly faced my outstretched hand
extended to the glass in token of welcome.
Bread crumbs were placed upon the win-
dow-sill, and of these he would occasionally
partake; alternating with green aphids
that were beginning to multiply upon the
new shoots of the rose bush.

On May 18 his mate had completed the
set of four eggs, and by Jane 5 both par-
ents were busy feeding their young. Yet
the male still finds time each day to give
a series of taps upon my window-pane,
and has also visited and signaled to my
neighbor across the way, his home of a
year ago. — Lester W. Smith, Meriden,
Conn.

An Adaptable Robin

A neighbor relates the following: A pair
of Robins built a nest on the ledge just
above her front door, which was within a
colonial porch about five feet square. She
was not particularly anxious to have it
there, but satisfied herself by having the
loose and long ends of grass and string that
dangled down cut off. For a few days after
that the birds did not appear, so she had
the gardener take it down; but no sooner
was this order obeyed than the female re-
turned and laid an egg on the hard wooden
ledge where the nest had been. She then
ordered the gardener to return the nest,
only to be told that he had burned it, but
he knew where there was a nest of the
previous year. That was secured and
placed on the ledge, and the egg was placed
in it. One of the birds returned, scolded
much, and set to work to repair the old
nest, also taking out the one egg. Later in
the day another egg was laid; and since
then housekeeping has gone on well. —
George Roberts, Jr., Lake Forest, Ills.

The Warbling Vireo in Southern
Rhode Island

The writer was interested in the sugges-
tion made by Dr. Tyler in Bird-Lore that
the decrease in the Vireos noted in the
Boston region may be due to the spraying
of the shade trees.

224

Bird - Lore

For the last five summers the writer has
spent considerable time in Kingston, R. I.
Up till the past summer, Warbling Vireos
have been common in the village streets
from the middle of May to the middle of
September. Between 1914 and 1918 there
seemed to be no marked decrease in their
numbers. In 1919, however, there was a
marked change. Not a single Warbling
Vireo was noted, even during the spring
migration. The absence was so marked
that a careful watch was kept for the bird
all summer and fall, with no result.

The spraying of the shade trees will not
explain the absence of the bird in this case.
No spraying has been done during the
time mentioned.

The other birds mentioned by Dr. Tyler
as decreasing — the Yellow-throated and
Red-eyed Vireos, the Wood Pewee, and
the Yellow Warbler — are all common in
the village. The Yellow-throated Vireo
was unusually abundant during the migra-
tion, and three or four pairs remained all
summer. On the other hand, the Baltimore
Oriole, which seems to have suffered little
in the Boston region, is decreasing in
southern Rhode Island. Two or three
years ago the falling leaves seemed to
reveal an Oriole's nest in almost every tree.
This summer (1919) only one or two pairs
were seen. — Edward H. Perkins, Lon-
don, Canada.

THE SEASON

XX. April 15 to June 15, 1920

Boston Region. — The weather con-
ditions during the period covered by this
report have been remarkable in that there
were no hot days late in April to stimulate
the growth of the vegetation, and because
cold weather prevailed during the greater
part of May, the temperature falling nearly
to 40 degrees each night until the middle
of the month (May 5, 32 degrees). Con-
sequently, the season, which had been but
a little behind the average on April 15, was
retarded until in mid-May it was three
weeks late, the oak trees at this time being
practically bare. During the summer
weather which followed, however, the trees,
supplied with abundant moisture, acquired
full foliage in an incredibly short time.

In the first half of May there was no
conspicuous, widespread movement of
birds through eastern Massachusetts.
Mr. E. II. Forbush informs me that
apparently many more birds were seen
in the Connecticut valley this year than
were seen along the coast region." Here,
near the seacoast, during the period of cold
weather, with backward vegetation, strag-
glers arrived daily; in a few individuals,
representing many species, the impulse to
move northward overcame the deterrents

to migration. Among these stragglers the
Black-throated Blue Warbler was notice-
able, traveling in advance of its average
time of migration. Very few White-
throated Sparrows were seen during the
spring, and Cedarbirds were late.

The first big flight of Warblers arrived
on .May 17, the first day of summer
weather. The Tennessee Warbler came
with this flight and was well represented
in the region for the following ten days.
The Orioles, arriving on May 9, a week
before the apple blossoms opened, hunted
for food on the ground, and were seen fre-
quenting sweet-fern. Throughout the
month of May, Purple Finches were
abundant, sometimes gathered in flocks of
twenty or more under hop hornbeams, and
Feeding on the white ash seeds which had
fallen during the winter. Between May 15
and 21 the Pine Siskins passed through on
their return from the south where they had
been driven in February; they frequented
birch trees.

The delayed spring migration extended

well into June; few Cuckoos arri\ ed before
June 1, and migrating Night hawks were
seen on June 10 and 14. — -WlNSOR M.

Tyler, M.D.. Lexington, Mass.

The Season

225

New York Region. — This year the
vegetation was somewhat backward and
the weather noticeably cooler than usual
for the season. The first and only 'wave'
of arboreal transients, especially Warblers,
arrived about May 10. Thereafter such
species were normally numerous over the
usual dates, showing little tendency to
linger late, as in some years, though it was
a backward season. An exception was a
male Black-poll Warbler feeding quietly
and in full song at Fort Lee, N. J., June 15
(C. H. Rogers).

Cuckoos were very late in arriving, and
the Yellow-billed Cuckoo especially scarce.
M. S. Crosby reports the Black-billed from
Dutchess County up the Hudson on May 22
and Yellow-billed, June 8, the latest he has
ever known these two species to arrive.
Ordinarily the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a
not uncommon breeder on Long Island,
being the commoner of the two there in
summer, but this year the writer had
neither seen nor heard an individual until
June 20, although there had been abundant
opportunity to do so.

At Mastic, Long Island, the Meadow-
lark is decidedly decreased from its usual
numbers. Here breeding Meadow-larks
likely winter to a considerable extent on
the extensive bay meadows, and it is feared
that such birds suffered considerable mor-
tality during the severity of the past win-
ter. In the same locality, Bobwhites are
much reduced in number, having doubtless
been winter-killed. In the present spring
migration White-crowned Sparrows were
more nearly common than their wont, as
they had been last October. The Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher was much less rare than
ordinarily. One seen in the Passaic Valley
north of Plainfield (W. DeW. Miller and
C. H. Rogers) on May 16 was the first
record for that region, and others were
seen in Central and Prospect Parks, New
York City and Brooklyn. While the
Tennessee Warbler passed through some
sections in its abundance of recent years,
very few Cape Mays were seen.

Along the shore there are indications of
a greater abundance of Knot or Robin
Snipe than in recent years. A flock of

probably sixty, observed at Long Beach
on May 30 by C. H. Rogers and others, is
worth placing on record.— J. T. Nichols,
New York City.

Philadelphia Region. — The tempera-
ture for April averaged normal, while the
fore part of May was anything but what
could be expected for that time, cold windy
days prevailing.

Probably the most interesting feature of
late April was the appearance of Blue-gray
Gnatcatchers in unusual numbers. They
were observed at several different places
from April 17 until well on toward the end
of the month. April 25 brought numbers
of Eave Swallows. About two-thirds of the
Swallows observed on that day consisted
of this species. Hereabouts the Eave Swal-
low appears to be an uncommon spring
migrant and to see the bird in numbers is
rare indeed. About this time, also, Bona-
parte's Gulls, which are regular migrants,
though as a rule none too common, lingered
about the river in dozens and twentys for
a few days. On May 2, when the migra-
tion of these birds was at its height, as it
seemed, about fifty of these beautiful little
Gulls were seen coursing about over the
river, truly an extraordinary number com-
pared to most years. Could the persistent
northwest wind which blew almost con-
tinuously for a week at about this time
have anything to do with the abundance
of the Swallows and Gulls? Crossbills and
Evening Grosbeaks apparently departed
about the middle of April. Numbers of
Ducks remained on the river quite late — -
May 16, 6 Mergansers, 10 Black Ducks,
and 20 Scaups.

While first arrivals of the Warbler migra-
tion were on time, certainly the great bulk
of the birds passed through about a week
late. A list of seventy-five birds observed
on a canoe trip from New Lisbon, N. J.,
to Mt. Holly, N. J., in company with
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson D. W. Pumyea, on
May 9, was chiefly interesting from the
standpoint of what it lacked. Warblers
especially were for the most part few, and
some species that should have been present
under normal conditions were entirely

226

Bird - Lore

absent or not observed. Two noteworthy
exceptions, however, were the Black and
White Warbler and the Ovenbird, their
notes being almost continuously in our ears
during the entire day's trip. A plentiful
supply of singing Goldfinches were on hand
and supplied us with pleasing music
throughout the day. On May 16 a short
excursion afield revealed a host of War-
blers present and seventeen species were
observed in the short space of three hours.
Apparently the peak of the Warbler mi-
gration was reached at about this time as
all the more common varieties, with the
exception of the uniformly late Black-
Poll, were noted. The migration averaged,
it seemed, about normal in numbers. —
Julian K. Potter, Camden, N. J.

Washington Region. — The spring mi-
gration season of 1920 has been of much
interest about Washington. Throughout
April and May the weather continued very
cool, with moderate rainfall, and the de-
velopment of the vegetation was conse-
quently very backward. These conditions
were reflected in the movements of the
birds, although not to the extent that might
have been expected. While many birds
were late in arriving and considerably pro-
longed their stay, many others were un-
usually early. The great migration move-
ment, however, was retarded, and the mi-
grants were present for a rather unusually
long period, this and other circumstances
making the spring migration as a whole
somewhat peculiar.

The considerable number of early arriv-
als emphasized this anomalous state of
affairs, as the following list of birds will
show, the dates in parentheses indicating
past averages of arrival: the Woodcock
appeared on February 15 (March 10);
Least Flycatcher, April 24 (May 2); Grass-
hopper Sparrow, April 17 (April 22); Indigo
Bunting, April 21 (May 1); Scarlet Tana-
ger, April 23 (April 30); Barn Swallow,
April 8 (April 12); Red-eyed Vireo, April 24
(April 29); Black-throated Blue Warbler,
April 23 (May 1); Chestnut-sided Warbler,
April 24 (May 2); Hooded Warbler, April 24
(May 1); Worm-eating Warbler, April 25

(May 2); Parula Warbler, April 20 (April
24); Canadian Warbler, May 4 (May 8);
Yellow-breasted Chat, April 24 (April 30);
and Long-billed Marsh Wren, April 17
(May 1).

Two species were reported earlier than
ever before: the Black-throated Green
Warbler, found by B. H. Swales at Plum-
mer Island, Md., on April 18, the previous
earliest record of which is April 21, 1916;
and the Blackburnian Warbler, seen by

A. Wetmore at Plummer Island, Md., on
April 23, which is four days earlier than
its previous earliest arrival, April 27, 1913.

On the other hand, a large number of
species were decidedly late in putting in
their spring appearance. Among these were
the Black-billed Cuckoo, Bobolink, Bank
Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow, Summer
Tanager, Solitary Vireo, Brown Thrasher,
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged War-
bler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-throated
Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow Palm War-
bler, and Louisiana Water-Thrush.

Two species were observed later in spring
than in any previous year for which we
have record: the Canada Goose, noted by

B. H. Swales at Plummer Island, Md., on
April 18, the previous latest record of
which is April 13, 1913; and the Pintail, a
flock of eight of which was noted also at
Plummer Island, Md., by Mr. Swales, on
May 2, its previous latest spring occurrence
being April 17, 1915.

Other spring migrants that delayed their
departure for a considerable period beyond
their normal dates were the Pied-billed
Grebe (seen, May 15), the Ring-billed
Gull, the Rusty Blackbird, Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, Slate-colored Junco, Winter
Wren, Olive-backed Thrush, Blackburnian
Warbler, Yellow Palm Warbler, Canadian
Warbler, Purple Finch, seen on May 20
(average date of departure May 8), and
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, noted May 15
(usual date of departure May 4).

A few species of somewhat uncommon
occurrence about Washington have been
reported during the present spring season.
A Horned Grebe was seen by Mrs. Aspin-
wall at the Sixteenth Street City Reservoir
on the outskirts of the city of Washington

The Season

227

on April 23, and on several previous dates.
A flock of seven or eight Loons, also two
others, flying northward over Washington,
were seen by E. A. Preble on May 2. The
species was noted on other occasions,
principally on the Potomac River, up to
May 4. The Olive-sided Flycatcher, which
is of very irregular occurrence in this
vicinity, was twice observed during this
spring — one individual on May 16, by
E. A. Preble, near the Bureau of Standards
in Washington; and one, May 22, by Miss
M. T. Cooke, at Prospect Hill, Va. The
White-crowned Sparrow, another rare bird
here, was found by Miss M. T. Cooke, at
Prospect Hill, Va., on May 2, and by F. C.
Lincoln in the Zoological Park of Wash-
ington, on May 15. The Bachman Spar-
row, which has not been reported for two
years in this region, was seen by L. D.
Miner near Black Pond, Va., along the
Potomac near the mouth of Difficult Run,
on May 22. A Lincoln Sparrow was seen
in the writer's dooryard in the city of
Washington, on May 10.

Not only was the total number of birds
present during the height of the migration
large, but some species were unusually
abundant. Both the Bonaparte Gull and
the Ring-billed Gull were present in large
numbers on the Potomac River, and well
distributed as far up as Washington; while
the Loon was seen more frequently than
usual. The Scarlet Tanager and Baltimore
Oriole were, in certain favorable localities,
very numerous; and the Indigo Bunting
was both abundant and widely distributed.
Rarely ever have we seen here greater
numbers of the Purple Finch than were
present during the present spring, and their
delightfully melodious songs were every-
where to be heard. — Harry C. Ober-
holser, Biological Survey, Washington,
D. C.

Oberlin Region. — The migration sea-
son opened on February 22, when Robins,
Bluebirds, and Killdeers arrived. There
was no further movement until March 2,
when a marked increase in numbers of
Crows and Song Sparrows was noted.
Meadowlarks and Red-winged Blackbirds

came on the 9th, Wild Geese and Cow-
birds on the 10th. On the 15th Bronzed
Grackles came in force, and on the 16th a
single Field Sparrow was heard singing.

On the 18th, Mourning Doves and Mi-
grant Shrikes came, and on the 19th four
Redheads visited our water-works reser-
voir. On the 21st a flock of Rusty Black-
birds, Phcebe, Turkey Vultures, and Lesser
Scaup Ducks arrived; and on the 23d two
Belted Kingfishers; on the 24th Vesper and
White-throated Sparrows; on the 25th Fox
Sparrows and Brown Thrashers. There
was nothing new on the 26th, but on the
27th Chipping Sparrows, Buffleheads, and
Tree Swallows came. Yellow-bellied Sap-
sucker and Bittern came on the 30th, and
Purple Martins on the 31st. Thus there
was no well-marked movement in March.
This was probably due to the lack of any
weather which would induce migration
waves involving many species.

In April marked waves occurred on the
3d and 4th, nth and 12th, and 22dand 23d.
These waves were coincident with marked
warm waves of weather. The weather for
April was rather more than usually mild,
but with temperatures somewhat below
32 degrees at night, except during the
three periods mentioned above.

There was a small but distinct wave of
migration on May 2 and 3, but after that
cold and wet weather prevailed until the
13th. During this period birds dribbled in
in a sort of half-hearted apologetic man-
ner, and most of them were sorry that they
had come. It was not until the third week
of May that there was any distinct Warbler
movement, and then the species were rep-
resented by fewer individuals than usual.
This delayed movement resulted in later
records for stragglers than usual. The last
tarried into the first week of June.

It should also be noted that vegetation
was exceptionally backward. Most of the
trees which put out their leaves late were
nearly bare of leaves on the first day of
June. Insects were scarce during the
brief stay of the Warblers.

The past migration season has fully
demonstrated that temperature is a potent
factor in the northward migration of the

228

Bird- Lore

birds, as Prof. Wells \V. Cooke so often
claimed. — Lynos Jones, Oberlin, Ohio.

Minneapolis (Minnesota) Region. —
The weather during the latter half of April
continued cool with very little of the feel-
ing of spring in the air. Raw, cold, north-
west winds prevailed. The ice disappeared
from the larger lakes during the third week
of the month.

With the coming of May, spring made
itself felt in real earnest for the first time
this season. During the first three weeks
there were many warm, beautiful days,
with only occasional brief intervals of cool,
raw, east-wind weather; and the month
closed with a hot, midsummer-like week
which forced forward all the tardy vege-
tation at such a pace that it quickly caught
up with the usual seasonable develop-
ment.

The first few days of June were cool,
with northwest winds, but this was suc-
ceeded by a week of excessively and
abnormally hot weather with maximum
temperatures on several days of over 90
degrees.

Considerable rain has fallen at intervals
during the past two months, and this, to-
gether with the melting of the deep snows
of last winter, has caused the streams,
lakes, and marshes to be well filled.

In spite of the inclement weather and
late arrival of settled spring conditions,
the bird migration was not especially de-
layed. Most species came about the usual
time and a few were even in advance of
their average dates. The number of indi-
viduals was well up to the representation
of recent years in most instances, and view
ing the reports of all observers together,
it would appear that the full list of regular
possibilities was seen. The later Warbler
migration exhibited an unusual peculiarity,
judging from the experience of the writer.
Instead of coming in evenly distributed
'waves,' they seemed to be assembled in
mixed flocks which drifted about very
niiii li in the manner of the fall movement.
Thus, an observer who encountered one of
these aggregations would have a rich re
turn, while another less fortunate on the

same date would have but a scanty list
to show.

The dates of arrival and nesting of a
few species will suffice to indicate the
progress of the season:

April 15. Brewer's Blackbirds.

April 17. First Myrtle Warblers (Thayer).

April 18. Robin began building nest; eggs
on the 24th (Mrs. Lathrop).

April 20. A female Sapsucker feeding as
usual in the early spring among
the topmost twigs of poplars.

April 24. Kim and poplar trees in full
bloom.

April 29. Vellow-headed Blackbirds, many
males; one Orange-crowned
Warbler; Double-crested Cor-
morant, a migrating flock of
fifty.

April ,^o. Horned Grebes (4).

May 2. Blue Jay sitting, four eggs; many
Ruby-crowned Kinglets and
White-throated Sparrows;
Rough-winged Swallows nest-
ing.

May 4. First Veery.

May 6. Baltimore Oriole (Mrs. Albee),
Rose-breasted Grosbeak,
Wood and Olive-backed
Thrushes, Black and White,
Tennessee and Palm Warblers,
Grinnell's Water-Thrush,
Black Terns.

May 8. Bellwort, Wood Anemone and
Three-flowered Geum just
coming into bloom. Clay-
colored Sparrow, Florida Gal-
linule.

May g. White- crowned Sparrow, War-
bling Vireo, Yellow Warbler,
Gray-cheeked Thrush.

May 11. Oak trees just coming into bloom.
Keast Flycatchers, Scarlet
Tanager, Harris's Sparrow,
Blackburnian and Tine War-
blers, many Blue-headed Yir-
eos, Ovenbird.

May 12. Kingbird, Chestnut-sided and
Bay-breasted Warblers, Mary-
land Yellow-throat, Redstart,
vast numbers of Myrtle War-
blers, Sapsucker excavating

nesting-hole. Bank Swallows
nesting.
May is Catbird, Philadelphia Yirco.

May hi. Twenty-two Robins' nests found

on a twenty -acre tract about

the summer home of Mr. and

Mrs. Commons at Kake Min-
netonka; nearly all had young.
Yellow Warbler building.
May 19. Nest of Lark Finch; fresh eggs.

The Season

229

May 20. Completed nest of Rose-breasted

Grosbeak.
May 31. Nest of Brown Thrasher on

ground, 4 eggs. Flock of 20 to

25 Lesser Yellow-legs and one

Least Sandpiper.
Jane 2. Nest of Black-billed Cuckoo;

4 eggs.
June 3. Nest of Migrant Shrike; young

three-fourths grown.
June 7. A male Wilson's Phalarope.
June 12. Cuckoo's eggs found on 2d; just

hatched; all came out about

same time.

The almost complete absence of Horned
Larks in this locality noted in recent years
still continues. During an automobile ride
of 160 miles on April 29 and 30, through
ideal Horned Lark Country, the writer
saw only a single pair — 50 miles west of
Minneapolis — when in former times they
would have been seen all along the route.
Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows and
Clay-colored Sparrows are also becoming
less numerous. No Dickcissels have been
seen in this vicinity for several years; they
were formerly abundant in suitable locali-
ties. The scarcity of Loons this spring
has been a matter of comment.

The Pileated Woodpecker is being re-
ported with increasing frequency from
heavily timbered areas hereabouts. It is
apparently slowly reestablishing itself
after having been nearly exterminated by
thoughtless gunners.

On May 24 a flock of a dozen Cedar
Waxwings was seen eating the central por-
tions of the flowers of a large apple tree,
all the blossoms of which had previously
been denuded of their petals by these
same birds. They had confined their depre-
dations to a single tree which in conse-
quence had a bare, blighted appearance
among its full-flowered neighbors. I have
at times seen the Waxwings tearing off the
petals of fruit blossoms but never before
have seen them make such a complete
wreck of a single tree.

On June 5, while out with the Bird Class,
we discovered a Mourning Dove sitting on
a this-year's Robin's nest in a small shade
tree beside the entrance driveway to a
country residence. Investigation revealed
two recently hatched young Doves in the

bottom of the deep, apparently previously
unoccupied Robin's nest! It must have
been difficult for the parents to feed their
young in the manner peculiar to their kind
in the bottom of this deep cup. The thought
occurs to one whether this pair of Doves
will be satisfied hereafter with the flimsy,
flat structure which inherited instinct has
inflicted upon them in the past, after hav-
ing experienced the advantages of such a
solid and secure domicile. — Thomas S.
Roberts, Zoological Museum, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Kansas City Region. — Water-fowl,
mostly Pintails and Mallards, began mi-
grating in earnest on March 5, and by
the 9th, when the Missouri River was full
of mush ice, Ducks and Geese were passing
this point in some numbers. By the 18th
there was a lull in the flight, when the first
flocks of Scaup Ducks began dropping into
the river, busy as usual at this time of the
year with their mating antics. These small
troops were followed during the next ten
days by the annual north-bound proces-
sion, fortunately still increasing, of Green-
winged Teal, Redheads, Widgeon, Gad-
wall, Ruddy Ducks, Shovellers, and Wood
Ducks. Pied-billed Grebes and Coots were
seen on March 26, and on April 8, when
the Blue-wings first appeared in any num-
bers, another heavy flight of Ducks and
Geese was recorded. Wilson's Snipe,
Franklin's and Ring-billed Gulls, with a
few large Terns, were noted during the
next three days. At this time immense
hordes of Coots arrived, blackening the
river with rafts of tens of thousands of
resting birds. The abolition of spring shoot-
ing is evidenced in a very striking manner,
locally at least, by the astonishing increase
in the numbers of this species. Mr. William
Andrews, of Courtney, is keeping a careful
record of the movements of all water-birds
through here that will in time be a valuable
mass of data for reference.

The first House Wren, Wood Pewee,
Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Herring Gull
were reported on April 14, and on the 17th,
when the House Wrens were on their
breeding stands in full song, passing troops

230

Bird - Lore

of Hermit Thrushes were uttering their
subdued chuck from every wooded place.
A flock of about 35 Purple Finches that
have been under observation all winter in
a secluded wood were found on this date
in full song. This is the first known local
record of the singing of this bird. On the
20th a few Willets and Greater Yellow-legs,
with a single Golden Plover, were seen on
a bar in the Missouri River, and on the
same date a large flock of Redheads, with
a few Canvasbacks, were reported. On the
21st Green Herons and Bank Swallows
arrived in numbers, and the last of the
Hermit Thrushes were seen. By the 23d
Harris's Sparrows were everywhere, even
in city yards and along the boulevards, in
strange contrast to their scarcity of the
past few seasons. Lark Sparrows were
heard singing for the first time this year,
and the arrival of the Crested Flycatcher
and Kingbird was noted. Among the War-
blers seen or heard on this date were the
Sycamore, Cerulean, Black-throated Green,
Parula, and Black and White. Two nearly
completed Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher nests
were found in bare trees, and a Bluebird's
nest containing four eggs was found. A
flight of about 2,000 Barn Swallows was
noted on the 24th, and on this day the
first Red-eyed, White-eyed and Yellow-
throated Vireos were heard. Redstarts ar-
rived, a few late Fox Sparrows were heard
singing, and five Upland Plover were seen
within the city limits. Not until the 27th
did the Catbird arrive, unusually late for
this region. The Baltimore Oriole and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak arrived on the
28th, and a large flight of Ducks was re-
ported from Courtney. Unusual numbers
of Blue-winged Teal, Shoveller, and Gad-
wall, with a few late Mallards and Pintails
were seen. Grasshopper and Savannah
Sparrows were common on the 29th, and
the first Orange-crowned Warblers, Sum-
mer Tanagers, and Maryland Yellow-
throats arrived. A Bittern was flushed
from a rocky ledge in deep woods, recall-
ing the characteristic trait of this species
when on migration to fly straight over the
country irrespective <>f water-ceurses.
Unlike last yearal this time, when vege-

tation was out in full, only a trace of green
was to be seen in the low vegetation in
early May, and the woods had more the
aspect of winter. It seemed strange, and
was indeed most unusual, to see parading
through the bare woods such species as
the Yireos, Flycatchers, Orioles, and War-
blers. Fortunately, insect food was
abundant, and all nature seemed normal
save the leafless trees.

The unusual throngs of Harris's Spar-
rows everywhere present in this region this
spring have afforded abundant opportunity
to study and attempt to record their varied
songs and call-notes. First, there is a
high-pitched, wavering whistle, sometimes
delivered sharply and without a quaver,
followed usually by a minor note either up
or down the scale, though more often up.
When several birds are thus whistling in
concert, each individual may take a dif-
ferent pitch, or several may be on the same
pitch, but the ensemble gives an impression
of querulous minors most unusual among
birds and most delightful to hear. There
may be one note with no following minor,
or there may be one, two, three, or four
notes following in the same pitch, as indi-
cated by Nuttall; but I have never heard
five. Then there is a grating, burring
whistle followed by a series of low, guttural,
rattling notes impossible to render in
words. There is also a very musical, low,
sweet song, conversational in quality, which
is also preceded by a burst of character-
istic whistling, often of a chuckling nature.
The familiar alarm note is a metallic zink
of rather coarse timbre, and sometimes
quite rasping, but always with a cheerful
ring. The Sparrow tsep, so often heard in
winter, is sometimes indistinguishable from
that of several others of the group, but is
again delivered in a loud and sharp man-
ner characteristic of this species alone. On
the whole, the vocal performance of this
bird is altogether delightful, and well worth
going a long way to hear.

On May 2 the bottom timber along the
Missouri River was found to be swarming
with newly arrived Sparrows, Warblers,
and other migrants. The bluffs and farm-
ing regions beyond were also prolific of

The Season

231

interesting records. Seventeen species of
Sparrows, six Vireos, and eighteen War-
blers were identified, a total of 107 species
being seen or heard. On the next night a
terrific hail-storm did much damage to
bird-life in the Swope Park region. Dead
and crippled birds of eight species were
found by the dozens, and 18 out of a total
of 21 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nests were
found to be either damaged or destroyed
by the large hail-stones.

The first wave of migrating Warblers
invaded the city parks and boulevards on
May 4, on which date the first Nighthawks
were seen. As late as the beginning of the
second week in May the deeper woods were
still bare and leafless. On the 9th a male
Prairie Horned Lark was performing his
flight-song and high dive to earth, prob-
ably celebrating a second courtship. Breed-
ing Western Meadowlarks were heard sing-
ing in the same field with the Eastern
species, and a nest of Killdeers containing
three eggs was found at the edge of a golf
course within the city limits. Not until
May 13 did the Yellow-billed Cuckoo put
in an appearance, and as late as June 10
only a few individuals have been seen. Mi-
grant Thrushes and Harris's Sparrows in
small numbers were still present on May 16,
which is exceptionally late for this region.
Tennessee Warblers were still numer-
ous on the 2 2d, though by no means as
abundant as at this time last year when
the canker worms were a plague. Blue
Grosbeaks at last seem to have established
themselves in this neighborhood, as two
nests have been found and a third pair seen.

A unique record for this region has
recently been established by Clark Salyer,
of Lexington, Mo., who took a specimen
of Green-tailed Towhee on March 12. This
adds a new species to the state list, under
the head of accidental visitant. A box of
specimens received from this enthusiastic
student contained also such locally rare
species as Woodcock, Smith's Longspur,
Brewer's Blackbird, and Bewick's Wren.

It is regretted that lack of space prevents
a more detailed enumeration of interesting
data accumulated here this spring.—
Harry Harris, Kansas City, Mo.

Denver Region. — The week preceding
April 17 was mild, and the 16th a clear,
warm, delightful day, giving promise of
bringing north many birds. Many had
already returned from the south, seed-
eaters, as well as insectivorous kinds, a
good many Say's Phcebes and Lark Bunt-
ings being in evidence up to the 17th,
when a severe snowstorm broke over a
goodly part of Colorado, and western
Kansas and Nebraska. Evidently a heavy
wave of migrating Robins was in action
when this blizzard struck the state, for im-
mediately after it ceased, thousands and
thousands of Robins appeared in the city
and its environs and lingered thereabouts
until April 27, when the bulk left and our
usual summer quota only remained. Simi-
lar haltings of migrations have been noted
in this region a good many times by the
writer in the past quarter of a century.
It was quite evident that Robins and birds
with similar food habits did not fare badly
after the storm, since an accommodating
wind drifted the snow and left extensive
areas uncovered in which these birds were
able to find food. But the Flycatchers and
Swallows must have been pressed hard for
a living. This storm also seemed to con-
centrate in this region many Sparrow
Hawks, Killdeers, and Bluebill Ducks,
fifteen of the last having been seen in one
of our park lakes on April 22. It may have
been the cause also, of a visit to the city
by a Ring-billed Gull on April 24; this is
the first time the writer has seen this Gull
within the limits of Denver. There is no
doubt in his mind but that this storm and
its subsequent weather consequences held
Juncos here two weeks or more beyond
their usual time of departure. Thus
Shufeldt's was seen on, April 27, the Pink-
sided on May 1, and the Gray-headed on
May 13, all dates very late for these
Juncos.

The Pine Siskin usually comes back to
us early in March, but this year its first
appearance is recorded as being of May 6;
the Warblers seem not to have been dis-
turbed by our unseasonable April weather.
Perhaps the snowstorm and blizzard did
not extend south far enough to slow their

232

Bird - Lore

northward travel, and by the time the
advance guard reached this region, the
local cold conditions had ceased. Audu-
bon's Warbler came about on time, to wit,
April 27, when three were seen, and it was
noted daily thereafter until May 6, when
a single Myrtle Warbler was also noticed.
An Orange-crowned Warbler was seen on
April 29, a MacGillivray Warbler on sev-
eral days between May 1 and 17, and a
Pileolated Warbler on May 14. Evidently
the weather and food conditions were pro-
pitious for these small insect-feeding spe-
cies for the Yellow-throat and the Ruby-
crowned Kinglet were seen about the same
time (May 15 and 16). The writer has the
impression that a good many unusual birds
penetrated into the.heart of the city during
the migration just past, as, for example,
the Yellow-throat. This season has demon-
strated once more how much regular and
systematic search and observation have
to do with the length of the list of migrants
seen by any particular observer. It is a
number of years since the writer has been
able to get out as regularly each day as
he has this year, and more migrants have
been noted within Denver and its im-
mediate neighborhood than for several
years past.

The Evening Grosbeaks remained here-
abouts at least until May 27, when several
were studied in Washington Park. The
Nighthawk came about on time (May 28),
but in noticeably smaller numbers, and it
now seems more scarce about Denver than
for several years. Red-headed Wood-
peckers arrived in this region during the
third week of May, which is a normal
arrival date; this species ordinarily in-
filtrates the area quite slowly, yet this year
it seemed to have arrived all over at the
same time.

The writer saw more White-crowned
Sparrows here this spring than ever before;
there were easily ten White-crowns to one
Gambel's Sparrow, while ordinarily this
ratio is reversed. These Sparrows were at
least a week late in arriving in Denver.
Poorwills were first noted here on May o
and n, five having been seen on the latter
date in one of our parks. It is of interest

to call attention to the fact that this species
spends its summers in the mountains, evi-
dently enjoying a cool climate, while its
congener, the Nighthawk, is more com-
mon on the plains, or warmer areas in the
'hills.' The two seem to arrive hereabouts
according to these predilections, the Poor-
will earlier in cool weather, and the Night-
hawk later when the weather is much
warmer.

There have been no Lazuli Buntings in
the area this spring, according to the
writer's notes. — W. H. Bergtold, Denver,
Colo.

San Francisco Region. — Except for
the continued presence of a few Golden-
crowned Sparrows that had not yet com-
pleted the spring moult, the readjustment
of bird-life in the San Francisco region was
practically complete by May 1. There are
often Western Tanagers and belated Cedar
Waxwings waiting for a taste of the cherry
crop, but the other species of land-birds
are enthusiastically preparing for the com-
ing families, if they are not already busily
providing for their needs.

Varied Robins, though reported in the
last issue as missing, were seen again on
April 16, this reappearance being due per-
haps to the arrival of migrants passing
through from the south. Sierra Crossbills
remained in Golden Gate Park until April
20 at least, and on the same date Red-
breasted Nuthatches and Myrtle Warblers
were still present and Violet Green Swal-
lows were passing through.

In the Berkeley hills, Hermit Thrushes
were seen until April 26, and on the next
day a Russet-backed Thrush was heard for
the first time. Fox Sparrows were gone on
the 24th, having remained somewhat later
than the Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Audu-
bon Warblers, and Juncos.

The summer visitants in the meantime
had been coming in in about their usual
order. Black-headed Grosbeaks were heard
for the first time on April 16; the Yellow
Warbler. April 20, Tolmic Warbler, April
23; and the Lazuli Hunting, April 26. The
Bullock Oriole was seen in Alameda on
April 27, the Olive-sided Flycatcher and

The Season

233

the Chipping Sparrow in Berkeley on
April 30, but all three of these may very
likely have arrived earlier, as they are
rare enough to easily escape notice.

The transients were augmented this year
by the presence of Western Evening Gros-
beaks, which were seen on April 28 and
May 5. On the former date a flock of fif-
teen or twenty were feeding in the live oaks
in a Berkeley canon, and, on the latter,
one or two were still present in the same
tree, at which time there was also a Long-
tailed Chat, a bird common enough on the
other side of the hills, but seldom recorded
in Berkeley. Rufous Hummingbirds were
present in numbers for ten days in the
middle of the month, the largest aggrega-
tion being seen on April 16. Western
Tanagers were seen on April 28.

April 27 was spent among the migrant
shorebirds at Bay Farm Island, when three
kinds of Sandpipers (Least, Western, and
Red-backed) were seen; also four Plovers
(Killdeer, Snowy, Semi-palmated, and
Black-bellied). In addition to these, there
were Sanderling, Hudsonian Curlew, Mar-
bled Godwits, Western Willets, and Long-
billed Dowitchers. On April 20 several
nests of the Coot were found in Golden
Gate Park, and one family with three
babies, still in autumn leaf plumage, were
happily feeding on North Lake. On Stow
Lake, a Common Loon gave a fine exhi-
bition of fancy diving.

Since the middle of May, observations
have been confined to the Redwood region
on the western slope of the Santa Cruz
Mountains. The spring had been colder
than usual, according to report, but in
spite of that, many of the characteristic
birds of the region had families of young
already on the wing. Point Pinos Juncos,
Santa Cruz Chickadees, and Tawny
Creepers, all with plumage modified to
match the bark of redwood and madrofia,
were among these early nesters. The usual
birds ascribed to the region have been
located and many of them have been
found abundant. One would suppose that
a region of such luxuriant growth would
provide abundantly for its bird population.
Let us hope also that the presence of

abundant bird-life will make possible a con-
tinuance of luxuriant forestation. — Amelia
S. Allen, Berkeley, Calif.

San Diego Region. — April and May
find the bird observer's interest at the
highest pitch in southern California, as
elsewhere. Some winter visitants seemed
loath to leave, the Varied Thrush being
recorded as late as April 5, while the Blue-
fronted Jay, noted on May 19, has possibly
become a resident of the low foothills.

A trip into a part of the San Fernando
valley where natural desert conditions still
prevail resulted in finding the new nests of
six pairs of Cactus Wren on April 5. Sev-
eral pairs of Black-tailed Gnatcatchers
were also found in the midst of the dense
junipers. Rufous (Allen) Hummingbirds
were numerous, and the Gambel and
Golden-crowned Sparrows very abundant
and in full song. The first absence of Gam-
bel Sparrow was noted April 19, when their
songs were missed from the morning
chorus. On the 20th others arrived, pre-
sumably from farther south, dropping into
gardens where water and food were pro-
vided, to remain a few days only. This
continued through the remainder of the
month, and a few stragglers came along
well into May. Golden-crowns came in in
the same manner, after the main body of
birds had gone, wearing very handsome
plumage and singing with an intensity of
piercing sweetness and plaintiveness.

Among the Warblers, the Townsend,
which wintered here in small numbers, was
absent from most of the spring lists — a
single bird appearing upon a few of the
later dates. The Calaveras and the Hermit
were apparently more than usually numer-
ous. The Long-tailed Chat was observed
in a number of unusual locations, spending
a few days in the gardens of three differ-
ent Audubon members where food and
water are always accessible and shrubbery
abundant. Western Tanagers, first noted
April 19, were fairly common through the
first week of May. Lazuli Buntings, first
reported April 14, are abundant and
apparently nesting along willow-bordered
streams and in the mountains.

234

Bird - Lore

Russet-backed Thrushes were in song in
many city gardens from late April to the
middle of May. Vireos and Flycatchers
arrived on schedule time. Western Mar-
tins occupied the same nesting-sites in
Balboa, Long Beach, Whittier, and Pasa-
dena, where they have bred for some
years. Western Blue Grosbeaks were
again reported April 23 and May 16.
Rough-winged Swallows were seen in the
vicinity of their former nesting-place
April 23.

A Townsend Solitaire was seen on
April 23. April 27 furnished latest record
of a Hermit Thrush, the Russet-back being
then present in full numbers. On the same
date one Monterey Thrush was recorded,
seen in Millard Canon, Pasadena. On that
date many Black-chinned Hummingbirds
were found nesting.

A few trips have been made to the shore
and the inland sloughs during the spring.
On May 1 Eared Grebes, wearing their
nuptial plumes, were seen in the canals
back of Playa del Rey. A flock of about
thirty-five Black-necked Stilts remained
about the flats of the lagoon there through
the latter part of April and early May.
Black-bellied Plover in full summer plum-
age were seen there on May 1 and n. The
waders were at that date few in numbers,
but the common species were about all
present. Marbled Godwits, Long-billed
and Hudsonian Curlew, Yellow-legs and
Willet were noted, together with Semi-
palmated Plover, Sanderling, Red-backed,

Least and Western Sandpipers, and vast
flocks of Forster's Terns. Least Terns were
there in smaller numbers, and over on the
sea beach little Snowy Plover ran about, or
rested on the upper beach. California and
Ring-billed Gulls, abundant in winter and
occasional in summer, were still present in
small numbers, while of the few remaining
Bonapartes but one wore the black head of
the breeding bird.

A visit on April 21 to that famed resort
of water-birds, Nigger Slough, now reduced
to a mere fraction of its former area, dis-
covered Avocets, Stilts, and Long-billed
Dowitchers, together with many Ducks,
including seven of the Fulvous Tree-Duck,
which have been noted also on several later
dates and likely are nesting there. Several
White-faced Glossy Ibis, another species
formerly common there but now only an
occasional visitor, were noted on April 12.
A single Northern Phalarope was also ob-
served on that date, and again on May 24.
This same locality in late May, 1918, fed
thousands of these dainty swimmers. Red-
winged, Tri-colored and Yellow-headed
Blackbirds were all feeding well-fledged
young, out of nests, on the 24th, which
date also recorded ten White Pelicans,
doubtless non-breeders.

Western Bluebirds coming daily to an
Audubon member's table and carrying
away food on and after May 16 is good
evidence of a nest somewhere near — not a
common occurrence in this locality. — L. E.
WYMAN, Los Angeles, Calif.

2toofe Mtto$ anb Cftetueto*

Bird Behaviour, Psychical and Physio-
logical. By Frank Finn. Dodd, Mead
& Co., New York. i2mo, x -f- 363
pages; 44 half-tones.

Here is a book which will interest and
inform both what we may call 'general-
ists' as well as specialists, while the latter
will find in it a mass of stimulating and
suggestive material.

To his own extended observations on
birds in nature and in captivity, Mr. Finn
adds a wide knowledge of pertinent litera-
ture, and this he brings to bear on the
subjective consideration of various phases
of bird-life.

Birds' means of locomotion, their food
and feeding-habits, their nests, eggs, and
young, their migrations, senses, voice,
relations with man, etc., are discussed
in a manner which, as we have said, will
hold the attention of the average reader
as well as appeal to the philosophic
naturalist. — F. M. C.

Water-fowl and Their Food Plants
in the Sandhill Region of Nebraska.
Part I. Water-fowl in Nebraska.
By Harry C. Oberholser. Part II.
Wild Duck Foods of the Sandhill
Region of Nebraska. By W. L.
McAtee. Bull. No. 794, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture, Washington, March 23,
1920. 8vo, 79 pages, 1 map. For sale
by Supt. of Documents, Washington,
D. C, price 15 cents.

The farmer and ranchman, as well as
the sportsman, seem destined to be the
foe of wild fowl, and the former, in seek-
ing new areas for his crops and herds,
is possibly more destructive in the end
than the latter with his firearms. The
Biological Survey, in addition to its duties
in enforcing the Federal Laws for the
protection of migratory water-fowl, is
therefore conducting a study of the breed-
ing- as well as the wintering- and hunting-
grounds of these birds, and the present
paper is the first of a series it is proposed
to issue on this subject.

Dr. Oberholser, who visited the region
in question in June and October, presents

a report on its general characters as a
home for wild fowl, on the increase in
the numbers of these birds since the
Federal Law has become effective, and a
fully annotated list of the fifty-six species
of water-birds known from the area under
consideration.

Mr. McAtee gives a report on the plants
of the lakes, based on collections and obser-
vations of Ray Thompson, and notes
especially those which are of value as
food for wild Ducks. The combined results
of the labors of these two experts, with
those of their various cooperators, makes
a practical contribution to the subject
at issue which should have wide circulation.

If for purposes of exact identification
it is deemed essential in papers of this
character to supplement the common with
a scientific name, why not use an available
system of nomenclature to which the
ordinary reader can refer with some hope
of securing the information of which he is
in search, rather than names which are
known only to professional ornithologists?
Intelligibility, rather technical up-to-date-
ness is assuredly the end in view, and this,
it seems to us, is to be gained by employing
a standard, if ancient, nomenclature rather
than one which, if the English name fails,
would certainly, in some instances, be of
no assistance to the most of the persons
for whom these valuable studies are made.
— F. M. C.

Birds Observed on the Florida Keys
and the Southern End of the Main-
land of Florida in 1919. By Paul
Bartsch. Year Book No. 18, for 1919,
of the Carnegie Institution of Wash-
ington; pages 205-210.

While prosecuting his study of cerions
in the Florida Keys, Dr. Bartsch has found
time to make casual observations on birds,
and he here gives us his journal entries
for Dec. 28-31, 1918, Jan. 1-22, and May
2-19, 1919. Among the ninety-odd species
recorded are the Red-throated Loon,
Blue-faced and Blue-footed Boobies, Scis-

235)

236

Bird- Lore

sor-tailed and Arkansas Flycatchers and
an as yet undescribed form of the Clapper
Rail. All the Yellow-throats (Geothlypis
trichas) observed, including a "remarkable
flight" of thousands of migrants on Sand
Key and other unquestionable migrants
in the Tortugas, are referred to the south-
ern form (G. t. ignota), though it is more
than probable that some, if not most, of
them were the northern race. — F. M. C.

Abstract of the Proceedings of the
Linn^an Society of New York, for
the year ending March 11, 1919; con-
taining Bird-Banding by Means of
Systematic Trapping, by S. Prentiss
Baldwin. Date of issue, Dec. 23, 1919.
Published by the Society, at the Am-
erican Museum of Natural History,
New York City. 65 pages; vii plates.

The first twenty-two pages of this annual
contain reports of the fifteen meetings
of the Linnaean Society held during the
year. Besides brief summaries of the
fourteen papers, chiefly on birds, presented
before the Society, there is a large number
of records and notes on the birds of the
country about New York City, of con-
siderable interest, especially to the bird-
students of that region.

One of the questions most frequently
asked of ornithologists is, 'How long do
birds live?' Data on this subject are
exceedingly hard to obtain, owing to the
obvious difficulty of keeping track of a
wild bird throughout its life, and to the
unnatural conditions surrounding a cap-
tive bird. This, however, is but one of the
many questions on which much light will
eventually be shed by bird-banding, as is
called the marking or ringing of birds
with a numbered aluminum band placed
around the foot. Heretofore, this has been
done chiefly with nestlings and chance-
caught adults, trusting almost entirely
to luck for ever again laying hands on the
band.

Mr. Baldwin's paper revolutionizes
this work. His experiences with his own
ingenious methods, detailed in thirty-five
pages, show that it is entirely practic-
able to trap birds in large numbers, t<>
handle tin- same individual for several
years, sometime-- even several times a day

for weeks, and thus to learn many facts
of interest concerning longevity, individual
temperament, return to the same summer
and winter haunts and way-stations on
migration, narrowness of individual winter
range (as a flock of White-throated
Sparrows within a 100-yard radius), etc.
The fourteen excellent photographs illus-
trate the nature and locations of Mr.
Baldwin's traps and the very important
methods of holding a wild bird without
injury to it. Reprints of this article
may be obtained from the United States
Biological Survey at Washington, which
has taken over the supervision of bird-
banding on this continent. (See Bird-
Lore, Vol. XXII, 1Q20, May-June, p. 157.)
A list of the 116 members of the Linnsean
Society and an index to this issue of the
'Abstract,' complete the issue. — C. H. R.

Second Ten-Year Index to The Con-
dor. Vols. XI-XX, 1909-1918. By
J. R. Pemberton, Hollywood, Calif.
Published by the Cooper Ornithological
Club, Aug. 15, 1919. 92 pages. Price $3.

Everyone possessing the last ten vol-
umes of The Condor should also have a
copy of this Index to them, and, even
without the volumes to which it refers,
the Index alone, with its annotations,
makes a valuable work of reference.
Mr. Pemberton deserves the thanks of
all working ornithologists for the thorough-
ness with which he has performed this
'labor of love.'

In this connection it is interesting to
note that every issue of The Condor con-
tained in the ten volumes in question has
been reviewed in Bird-Lore, and we
trust has thereby been brought to the
attention of many bird-students outside
the ranks of the Cooper Club. — F. M. C.

Book News

The New York Zoological Society pub-
lishes in 'Zoologica' for April, 1920, an
exceptionally interesting article on the
courtship of the Sage Grouse with pen and
ink sketches, and a lull-page colored plate
showing the remarkable poses assumed by
the male in the mating season.

Editorial

237

2$trb=Hore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Contributing Editor. MABELOSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published August 1, 1920 No. 4

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, one dollar and fiftvcentsa year:
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy -five cents,
postage paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in the Busb Is Worth Two in tbe Hand

Although, for the past ten years, ill-
health prevented William Dutcher from
entertaining even the slightest hope of
taking part in the work of the National
Association of Audubon Societies, he was
so closely identified with the origin and
growth of this organization that annually
during these ten years he was unanimously
re-elected to its presidency. Even now that
he has 'crossed the Great Divide' his
personality, to those who knew him, will
remain a vital part of the movement to
which he gave his life, while his name will
ever be honored by all lovers of birds.

Mr. Dutcher was a pioneer in the move-
ment for bird-protection, and it may with
truth be said that of the hundreds of
humane and far-sighted people who have
espoused this cause, no one gave himself
to it more fully, freely, and ardently than
did William Dutcher. For a quarter of a
century he devoted every moment that
could be spared from the exacting demands
of New York business life to the labors
which were so near his heart. Convinced
of the need for and importance of bird-
protection, and of the incalculable value
of birds to man, he labored with an earnest-
ness, enthusiasm, unselfishness, sincerity,
and sound judgment that won their just
reward, and it is due chiefly to William
Dutcher that American birds now have
legal rights such as are not enjoyed by
the feathered citizens of any other country.

We have long known that birds return
to the same locality, the same nesting-site,
and even the same nest year after year,
but it is only recently that we have learned
they may also pass the winter in the same
place during successive seasons. Impelled
by the impulses of the breeding season,
we have believed that a desire to return
to the nesting-ground has been stimulated
and directed by what we term 'love of
home,' but now we learn, through the
researches of Mr. Baldwin (of which
mention is made on a preceding page),
that a bird may journey across the United
States to winter each year in and near a
particular thicket. Mr. Baldwin's meth-
ods offer a most inviting and promis-
ing field for research. Now that the work
of bird-banding has been taken over by
the Biological Survey, we trust that it will
receive a new impetus. Doubtless in time
data will be secured which will enable us to
answer the frequently asked question,
"What becomes of the young bird?" The
assumption is that it returns to the scene
of its birth, and with birds having a
restricted range, as, for example, an island,
we know this to be the truth. But when
year after year we see birds successfully
rear their young without apparent increase
in the number of the species, the fate of
the young becomes a matter of increasing
interest to us.

We can all recall a pair of Phcebes which
for many successive years have built in
exactly or essentially the same locality,
and launched their family into the world
without additional pairs of Phcebes build-
ing near the old nest-site the following
year. Or it may be a colony of Barn Swal-
lows which for generations has contained
approximately the same number of nests,
although each family of two may number
five or six at the end of the nesting season.
Do the young as well as old return to the
same hospitable shelter, and are birth-rate
and death-rate so evenly balanced that the
species just holds its own? Bird-banding
may tell us, and we therefore commend
Mr. Baldwin's important paper to those
who are interested in this subject.

<3Tf)e Bufcmbon ^octette*

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN, Ph.D.

Address all communications relative to the work of this
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

STUDYING BIRDS' EGGS

To one who has any appreciation of the beauties of nature, the eggs of
birds will always make their appeal. Whether it is the unthinking schoolboy
intent only upon making a collection of all unusual objects, or the most expe-
rienced naturalist, the discovery of a bird's nest containing its quota of delicately
tinted eggs brings a thrill that is long remembered. It is little wonder that the
ordinary child longs to possess them, and, when not properly directed, accu-
mulates a drawerful of meaningless treasures which, with lack of care, soon
lose their beauty and fascination.

The majority of teachers hesitate to indulge in a discussion of birds' eggs
for fear it will stimulate the latent enthusiasm of their children into making
collections, with resulting destruction to bird-life. They know how little
encouragement the 'collecting instinct' needs to send it rampant throughout
the school, and they therefore pass over the subject of birds' eggs with the
admonition, "you must not touch," "it is against the law," or some other
phrase intended to destroy interest. This is to be commended if the teacher
feels that he is unable to control the activities of his children. On the other
hand, there are few of the older ornithologists living today, men who are doing
the most for the protection of birds, whose interest did not begin with the mak-
ing of a collection of birds' eggs. The use of the field-glass and the observation
blind for watching birds, and of the camera for recording one's observations is
comparatively recent, and the present generation of bird students, in their
youth, required other means of gratifying that instinct to possess and to pass
on to others the results of their discoveries.

In making their collections of birds' eggs, these older ornithologists gained
an intimacy with the lives of birds which the majority of field-glass students
today fail to get, and they had open to them a resource, an outdoor hobby,
comparable only with that of the bird photographer today. Of course, in
collecting the eggs which they discovered, they destroyed the possibilities for
further study of the pair of birds which they robbed, but the bird-watching
and the nest-hunting that were necessary to the making of extensive collections
brought to them a knowledge of birds and their ways that is greatly tobeenvu-d.

It is not the writer's belief that children should be encouraged to make
collections of birds' eggs. Quite the contrary. But he does believe that the
subject should not be shunned as though it were dangerous or forbidden

(238)

The Audubon Societies 239

ground, or dismissed as though of little interest. It is perfectly possible to
utilize the natural interest which children express in these wonderful creations
of nature toward directing them into channels of further study and therefore
greater enrichment of their lives.

Someone has stated that the greatest interest in connection with birds'
eggs is what the egg is in (the nest) and what is in the egg (the developing
bird). While these subjects are momentarily less attractive to the child than
the delicately colored eggs themselves, the fascination of the eggs can well be
utilized to direct the child into making further observations of the nest, the
care given to the eggs by the old birds, and of the young which hatch from the
eggs. For example : a boy brings a bird's egg to school. It is a blue egg spotted
with brown, and the teacher has no idea what bird laid it for he has never seen
one like it before. The ordinary teacher makes the boy feel that he has com-
mitted a crime and compels him to take the egg immediately back to the nest
and the birds that he has robbed, and neither the boy nor the teacher is the
richer for the experience. The unusual teacher takes the egg and makes the
boy feel that by doing wrong in taking the egg he has likewise robbed himself
of the opportunity to watch the birds and suggests that they together try to
learn what kind of a bird laid the egg. This leads to a discussion of the eggs
of birds with their various colors, sizes, and shapes, and all the children are
started in the right direction. They are encouraged to find nests and observe
how they are concealed, being very careful not to disarrange the leaves or the
grasses about them so as to make them visible to prying eyes. They write
descriptions of the nest and how it is concealed, of the eggs and why they are
colored as they are, and of the old birds and the care they give the eggs. They
learn how long it takes for the eggs to hatch and what the young are like when
they hatch. A new field is opened to them.

Some of the lines of interest in connection with birds' eggs are suggested in
the following paragraphs. — A. A. A.

THE EGGS OF BIRDS

One who is familiar only with the eggs of domestic fowls has no idea of the
variety of the colors, shapes, and sizes of the eggs of our native birds. It is no
exaggeration to state that no pigment color exists that is not represented by
some tint or shade on the egg of some bird, though, of course, there is little of
the brilliancy that makes birds' feathers so attractive. Indeed, it is commonly
believed that all birds' eggs are protectively colored. Whether this is true or
not we shall take occasion to discuss later, but certain it is that from the snowy
white eggs of the Woodpeckers or the azure-blue eggs of the Thrushes, there
occurs almost every conceivable combination of ground-color and marking
until we come to the eggs of the Loons that are often so dark as to appear
almost black. The change that has taken place in the development of our

240

Bird- Lore

present-day birds from their reptile-like ancestors in glorifying them with
feathers and giving them a blood of uniform temperature, has likewise brought
about this change in the coloration of birds' eggs, for those of all reptiles are
white or parchment-like.

It is interesting to consider the development of the bird from the reptile
in studying the varied colors and shapes of eggs as they occur today. Un-
doubtedly the greatest single change that took place was the change from the
so-called cold-blooded or variable temperature condition of the reptile to that
of the warm-blooded or constant temperature condition of the birds. This

A FLORIDA GALLINULE RETURNING TO ITS NEST ANT) PROTECTIVELY COLORED EGGS

change entailed a great many others and modified nearly every activity of the
bird. Particularly did it modify their nesting habits and the nature of their
eggs, for the cold-blooded reptile was accustomed to depositing its eggs in the
sand, in decaying vegetation, or in holes in trees, leaving them for the heat of
the sun to hatch. It mattered little how much the temperature varied so long
as they finally received sufficient heat. But after the change to a warm-
blooded condition had occurred, it was necessary to maintain the eggs at a
ronstanl temperature, and, as the heat of the sun could not be depended upon
for this, it became necessary to supply the heat from the bird's own body and
the habit of incubating them arose. It was then (with rare exceptions) no
longer possible to bury them and, of necessity, they were laid on the surface
of the ground or in cavities where the old birds could be with them. At this

The Audubon Societies

241

time all birds were doubtless laying white eggs, like those of reptiles, for there had
been no reason for the development of color. And there was yet no reason for
the development of color on the eggs of birds nesting in dark cavities, nor has
there ever been in birds like the Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, and their allies
which nest in holes to
this day and lay pure
white eggs. But with
the birds that began
laying their eggs on the
ground it was quite a
different matter, for
white was very con-
spicuous and attracted
the attention of their
numerous enemies.
Doubtless these first
birds found it necessary
to cover their eggs, even
as do the Grebes today,
when they had to leave
them. Then, through
the process of 'natural
selection,' pigments,
intended to make the
eggs less conspicuous,
gradually developed,
and such eggs as those
of the Terns, Gulls,
and Gallinules resulted,
which are colored like
the ground or the ma-
terials of the nest and
are obviously protectively colored. The nests themselves were crude
affairs and attracted no attention. They were unsafe, however, in times
of storm and flood, and they gave but little protection to the young birds.
Fortunately, however, the young were hatched covered with down and were
able to run about so that they used the nest for only a short time.

As birds progressed and it was found advantageous to have the eggs hatch
in shorter periods and to give greater care to the more helpless young, it
became necessary to build stronger and more comfortable nests, and these, by
their very size, were necessarily conspicuous unless they could be hidden. The
various ways in which birds then learned to conceal their nests or to place them
in inaccessible places is a story in itself, but the fact should be brought out

NEST AND EGGS OF THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
The bird conceals the nest and the nest conceals the eggs

242 Bird - Lore

here that, with the building of a conspicuous nest, it no longer availed the bird
to lay a protectively colored egg, for whatever concealed the nest would like-
wise conceal the eggs. It is a fact in nature that a structure exists only so long
as there is absolute need for it, and that as soon as the need passes, the struc-
ture gradually degenerates, though it usually persists through a great many
generations. Examples of this are the tonsils and appendix of man which un-
doubtedly at one time played a very important part in our metabolism but
which have long since ceased to function and are in the process of degeneration.
So, in the coloration of birds' eggs, while the pigment was originally developed
as a protective measure before the birds built elaborate nests, the need for those
colors has gradually passed away with the higher types of birds that build
conspicuous nests, and the colors are in the process of degeneration. The
degeneration has progressed more rapidly with some species than with others
and has resulted in the great variety of ground-colors and markings that we
find today, most of which must be considered conspicuous. The rate of degene-
ration is remarkably uniform with most species, however, and so we find today
that each species lays a characteristic egg and each family has a type of egg
from which there is little departure. Thus, all Robins lay plain blue eggs and
so do most of the Thrush family. Spotted Sandpipers lay brownish eggs spotted
with black and so do most of the shore-birds; Crows lay greenish eggs spotted
with black and so do the Jays; Orioles lay bluish white eggs streaked with black
and so do most of the Blackbirds; Warblers lay whitish eggs spotted with
brown; Vireos, white eggs with just a few black specks, and so on. Occasionally
one finds a nest in which the eggs show a great deal of variation, as that of the
Song Sparrow, here illustrated, or that of the Swamp Sparrow in which the
eggs are plain blue instead of heavily spotted, but these variations probably
mean but little except perhaps to give added weight to the belief that the
colors are in the process of degeneration.

Another fact that has perhaps hastened the change from a protectively
colored to a conspicuous egg is the fact that a conspicuous egg today often
benefits the species. It is a well-known fact that most birds do not begin in-
cubating until the laying of the last egg, and that in the meantime the eggs lie
exposed to all of the enemies living in the vicinity. It might be thought, there-
fore, that a protectively colored egg would be beneficial. On the contrary, it'
the bird has selected a nesting-site where some enemy is likely to find the
nest sooner or later, or if the nest has not been properly concealed, it is far
better that it should be found at this stage than later, as there would be less
delay in building a new nest and laying more eggs. Nature provides that the
bird has very little attachment for its nest during the period of egg-laying, and
practically all birds desert it upon the least provocation. Too close approach,
the disarrangement of a single leaf or anything that suggests to the bird that
its nest has been discovered before incubation has begun is usually sufficient
to cause it to desert the nest and start again somewhere else. After incubation

The Audubon Societies

243

has once begun, the same bird will permit of a great many liberties, and its
attachment for its nest increases as incubation progresses, reaching a maximum
at the time of hatching. A conspicuous egg, therefore, is in reality a benefit
to the species building a conspicuous nest.

It has been stated that hole-nesting birds, like Woodpeckers and Kingfishers,
lay pure white eggs, but there are certain exceptions to this rule which give
added strength to it and also to that accounting for the degeneration of the
pigment in birds' eggs. The exceptions are birds like the Wrens, Nuthatches,
Chickadees, and Bluebirds which build nests at the bottom of the cavities and

NEST OF SONG SPARROW SHOWING VARIATION IN THE COLORATION

OF THE EGGS

lay spotted or blue eggs. The fact that they build unnecessary nests at the
bottom of the holes shows that they have come to a hole-nesting habit com-
paratively recently, for they must have first learned to build their nests in
the open. The fact that they still do build nests and lay colored eggs indicates
only the slowness of the course of evolution. It is interesting to note in pass-
ing, however, that the eggs of the Bluebird are the palest of all the Thrushes',
disclosing the trend of evolution in changing what was once doubtless a pro-
tectively colored egg to a pure white egg.

It would not be feasible here to discuss the identification of birds' eggs by
their color or size, for many kinds can be distinguished only by specialists.
The only safe way for an amateur to identify most eggs is by identifying the

244

Bird - Lore

bird that laid them, though with a little experience one can identify at sight
most of the well-marked eggs.

The size of birds' eggs varies with the size of the bird, from those of the
Hummingbird, which are about the size of beans, to those of the Ostrich, which
are nearly the size of one's head. Precocial birds, whose young are hatched in
a much more advanced state than the altricial birds, necessarily lay larger

eggs since development

.JEST

has to proceed further
in the egg and more
food yolk has to be
stored. The extreme in
size of egg as compared
with the size of the
bird occurs among the
shore-birds which lay
but three or four eggs.
Thus, the eggs of the
Upland Plover are
about twice the size of
those of the Meadow-
lark, though the birds
are about the same size,
and those of the Spotted
Sandpiper are about
twice the size of those
of the Catbird. Preco-
cial birds like the
Grouse, which lay a
large number of eggs,
lay relatively smaller
eggs than the shore-
birds.

The average num-
ber of eggs laid by
birds in temperate clim-
ates is four and in the
tropics half that num-
ber. The number has doubtless been fixed through the course of natural
selection so that it compares favorably to the number of dangers to which
the eggs and young are exposed. Thus, sea-birds, like the Murres, that
nest on inaccessible cliffs where there are few enemies, lay but a single
egg, while the game-birds and water-fowl whose eggs and young are exposed
to a great many enemies lay from ten to twenty. While the number in a

NEST AND EGGS OF THE SWAMP SPARROW

They arc more protectively colored than the eggs of most Sparrows

but the pigment is apparently in the process of degeneration and an

spotted eggs sometimes occur

The Audubon Societies 245

complement is subject to but little variation with each species, it is not at
all indicative of the fecundity of the bird, for, when the nest is broken up,
birds will ordinarily lay again and sometimes will continue laying throughout
the season until they are finally successful in raising their young. The case
of a Flicker that laid 71 eggs in 73 days has been cited many times, and it is
not uncommon now-a-days to develop a strain of domestic hens that will lay
over 200 eggs in a season, though if the eggs are not removed, they ordinarily
stop laying and begin to incubate when they have laid fifteen to ^twenty.
The shape of birds' eggs varies from those that are quite long'and slender,
through those that are oval or sharply j>oin ted, to those that are nearly spherical.

EGGS OF THE OSTRICH, HEX, AND HUMMINGBIRD, SHOWING EXTREMES IN THE
SIZE OF EGGS OF LIVING BIRDS

Those of the Hummingbird and Ostrich show extremes of shape as well as size.
The large eggs of shore-birds are sharply pointed, so that they will fit together
like the pieces of a pie and be more easily covered by the incubating bird.
Those of the Murres are pointed for another reason — to keep them from blow-
ing off the cliffs where they are laid without pretense of a nest. The ordinary
shape of birds' eggs is oval, a shape which keeps them from rolling freely and yet
which makes them fit together and be most comfortable for the incubating bird.
The parts of the bird's egg are the same as those of the egg of the domestic
fowl or the same as those of any animal, for that matter, consisting of the yolk,
the albumen, and the shell, with their respective membranes. The yolk is
formed entirely in the ovary of the bird, the albumen in the upper two-thirds
of the oviduct, and the shell in the lower third, the pigment ordinarily being
the last thing added, though with some birds, like the Emu, the successive
layers of shell are each pigmented and colored differently from the exterior.

246 Bird - Lore

The time required for the passage of an egg from the ovary to the exterior is
somewhat less than 24 hours, so that, ordinarily, one egg is laid each day at
about the same time until the number is complete. With the laying of the last
egg, incubation ordinarily begins, though with a few birds like the Owls and
Bitterns that are less regular in laying their eggs, incubation sometimes starts
sooner and the young do not all hatch at the same time. Obviously this is a
disadvantage to the young that hatch late, for it does not give them all an
equal chance. The period of incubation varies with the size of the egg, larger
eggs ordinarily requiring longer to hatch than smaller ones, though there are
some minor exceptions to this rule. Thus, while the Sparrows require but twelve
or thirteen days, the Hummingbird requires fourteen or fifteen — as long as
the Robin. The Least Bittern requires 18 days, the Ruffed Grouse 21, the
Mallard Duck 28, and the Canada Goose about 35 days to hatch. The exact
time required is not known for many of our common birds, and this is a place
where even the school child can add to our knowledge by watching the progress
of the nests which he discovers. Little is known, likewise, concerning the care
given to the eggs by many birds, how they are turned and how often, which
parents incubate, when each incubates, and for how long. There is scarcely a
bird whose nesting activities have been described in detail. Ordinarily, the
female does most of the incubating and the male stands guard when she leaves
to feed, but occasionally, even in such brightly colored birds as the Rose-
breasted Grosbeak, the male seems to share the duties equally, and with the
Phalaropes, the female allows the male to assume the entire task. The number
of observations that can be made upon a nest that is favorably situated is
unlimited and is in itself a sufficient argument against the taking of the eggs
for a collection. The eggs themselves are interesting, but what happens to
them is still more so. — A. A. A.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the best way to identify birds' eggs?

2. How many different kinds of birds' eggs can you recognize?

3. Does each family of birds have a type of coloration for the eggs? What is the
type for the Thrushes, Sparrows, Warblers, Vireos, Blackbirds, Flycatchers, Crows.
Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Doves, Owls, Herons, Shorebirds?

4. Do you know of any exceptions to the type in each case?

5. What birds lay white eggs and why?

(>. What birds lay protectively colored eggs and why?

7. What birds lay conspicuous eggs and why?

8. How do you account for the origin of color on birds' eggs?

o. Is the coloration of each species of birds' eggs constant and how do you account
for plain eggs when they ought to be spotted or abnormally marked eggs?

10. Is the number of eggs laid by each species of bird constant?

1 1 . What determines the number of eggs that a species lays?

1 2. Can the number of eggs which a bird normally lays be increased?

13. How much variation is there in the shape of birds' eggs and how do you account
for their various shapes?

The Audubon Societies 247

14. How long does it take for the eggs to hatch of such birds as you know and what
determines the period?

15. Do both male and female incubate and how are the eggs cared for during incu-
bation?

FOR AND FROM ADULT AND YOUNG
OBSERVERS

EARLY SPRING BIRDS

For days I have been patiently awaiting the arrival of the birds. Winter
has gone, it is true, but it seems as if spring fears to venture forth. For a time
I had great hopes, but a cold north wind blew them all to pieces. However,
Robin and Towhee have been braver than spring and the dignified Grackle is
also here with us.

It is surprising how much enjoyment one may obtain while watching these
three truly common species. One's eagerness for rare birds is forgotten when
watching friendly Robin hopping about on the ground, seizing enormous
earth-worms, and swallowing them with amusing effort, while all the time he
never takes his eyes off you.

A flock of Grackles, having a friendly chat in the topmost boughs of some
tree, also provides means of entertainment. While 'tchacking' in a most sociable
manner, a member of the flock will suddenly fly to another tree, or perhaps
to the ground, and will be joined presently by one of his comrades. Another
pair will suddenly take flight into the air and disappear behind the house-tops,
perhaps to return, perhaps not. Eventually the whole flock will take flight in
this manner.

The little Junco, so noticeable by his white outer tail feathers, though not
a spring migrant, is another interesting character. He is easily recognized, also
by his note which resembles the twang of a wire. He is almost as friendly as
the Robin, and if you will sit still but a few moments, he will come hopping
over, and, perhaps, feed only four or five feet from you.

So you see our early spring birds also are interesting, though they do not
give you thrills at sight, and much may be learned in observing their habits. —
N. Travers Hand (age 13 years).

P. S. Kindly tell if the earth-worm is beneficial or not, for I have seen the
Robins consuming many.

[It is certainly true that much can be learned by observing even the commonest
birds, and one does not have to be seeing new birds continually in order to have a
good time. Answering the question about the earth-worms, it is true that a certain
number of worms are beneficial to the soil, but the Robins do not get enough to do any
harm, and they do a great deal of good by destroying cutworms, grubs, and other
destructive insect larvae, which are not so conspicuously caught but which are consumed
in even greater numbers. — A. A. A.l

248

Bird - Lore

A GREAT BLUE HERON FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

Last summer I was camping with about forty other boys on Bear Island,
Lake Winnepesaukee, N. H.

One day, just as we were going swimming, some people landed from a row-
boat with a Great Blue Heron, which they had found on the shore of a cove
near camp. It seemed to be sick, for it did not try to fly away.

A SICK (iRKAT lil.l'K HERON"
Photographed by John B. May, Jr.

That noon it was on a point near our landing, and I took several pictures
of it with my Brownie camera.

|We had seen Herons every few days all summer. Two years ago we found
about twenty nests near my father's camp, Winnetaska, on Squam Lake, 4a
few miles from Winnepesaukee.

I have tried to photograph Chickadees and Song Sparrows in the winter
and it is lots of fun. — John B. May, Jr. (age n years), Cohassct, Mass.

[This is an unusually successful picture lor a Brownie camera and one that any
boy could be proud of. -A. A. A.)

HOW BIRDS' TASTES DIFFER

For two or three weeks we have had a suet holder in one of our buckthorn
trees, and many birds have come there for their dinner. When I come home from

The Audubon Societies

249

school every noon there is at least one Chickadee eating the suet. One day there
were two Chickadees and two Downy Woodpeckers eating. Later two Cedar
Waxwings settled in the tree but ate the buckthorn berries and not the suet.
These birds soon flew away and came back with three other Cedar Waxwings.
After a minute or two, six others came to eat the berries. The tree swayed with
the weight of a dozen Cedar Wraxwings ! I have never seen any Sparrows eating
the suet. — Helen White
(Age 1 2 years) , Beverly, Mass.

[Here is another argument for
feeding the birds. It not only
helps the birds through times of
stress and gives one a great deal
of pleasure, but it also makes one
more observant of the habits of
birds.— A. A. A.]

THE RETURN OF
THE GROSBEAK

On May 25, 1919, a male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew
in through the open door
of a glass-enclosed porch.
There he beat vainly against
the panes until quite ex-
hausted, and, when found,
was picked up and soon re-
suscitated. Before he was
thoroughly recovered he
rested quietly in a boy's hand
and was photographed. He
was also banded (No. 49510).
He was then let go. He took
to himself a mate, and they
built their nest and raised
their young not far away,

coming daily for food on the shelf which was near the porch. A neighbor
very much wished he had come oftener to the shelf so he Lmight have lost
fewer of his gooseberries. I, too, would gladly have seen him oftener,
especially after he began to bring his wife and children. They were with us
all summer.

On May 1, 1920, the Grosbeaks returned to us from the South, and, on
May 2, again one was found in the same porch. When caught, unstunned,
lo and behold it was banded No. 49510, and we held again in our hands the

A GROSBEAK FRIEND

250 Bird - Lore

same bird who had been held and photographed a year before. — George
Roberts, Jr., Lake Forest, Ills.

[This is a good example of the interesting results being obtained by banding birds.
The bands have proven not only that birds come back to the same place to nest
each year, but likewise that some, at least, spend each winter in the same place. — A. A. A ]

FRIENDLY PIGEONS

We three girls, Helen, Julia, and Frances Holt, live in the city of Portland,
Maine. But we have a big lawn with lots of trees and bushes and a large garden.
We see many birds. We have a Canary and about forty Pigeons.

About two years ago a very handsome male Pigeon, with his mate, appeared.
They seemed to be asking for food, because they timidly came on our porch
and peeked in the window at us. We all went down to our uncle and we each
took home a handful of oats. (He uses oats for his horses and pigeons.) When
we got home we put the oats on our lawn and hid to see what would happen.
Very soon the male came slowly down and looked at the food. It was about
five minutes before he timidly took one grain of oats. Then he stopped being
afraid of it and ate greedily until it was all gone. We used our three handfuls
of oats all up, so we asked father to get us some more. He bought us a big
bag of oats.

The next day we noticed the pair of Pigeons taking sticks to our gutter
right over the pipe that took the water down to the ground. We could see the
female on her nest from our attic window. All went well for a few days until
a storm came. The gutter was full of water that couldn't go down the pipe
because the nest stopped it up. The poor Pigeon would have been drowned
if she had stayed there, so very regretfully she left her three precious eggs.
Gradually the sticks went down the pipe and the eggs followed.

About two or three days later she built another nest. This time it was on
a neighbor's house next door. There she raised her family in safety. One even-
ing we had some peanuts and we took them outdoors to eat. We left them on
a bench while we went indoors a minute, and when we came back they were all
gone. Who did it? The Pigeons ! We went in and got some more and he nearly
ate them out of our hands. In about a week we had trained Pidgeony (the
male) and Ridgeony (the female) to eat out of our hands when we placed
them on the grass. In about a month they would fly up on our hands when we
held them out level with our necks with peanuts on them. The Pigeons in-
creased to thirty and then to forty. We named almost all of them. They
stayed with us two years and are still here.

The next spring a Chipping Sparrow built on a low little spruce tree.
We visited it too often so the birds moved their nest into a barberry bush on
the border of our garden. One night we were called over to see an egg on the
sidewalk near the front of our house. We examined it and found it to be a

The Audubon Societies 251

Chipping Sparrow's egg. It was warm so we put it in the Chipping Sparrow's
nest and in two or three days it hatched! The parents now had an extra baby.
My ! they were proud.

We have seen a Yellow Warbler's nest.

We have also seen on our picnics, Chickadees, Goldfinches, Bobolinks,
Meadow Larks, Fox Sparrows, English Sparrows, Bluebirds, Blackbirds,
Crows, Bronzed Grackles, Chipping Sparrows, Cowbirds, Robins, Indigo
Buntings, Song Sparrows, Wild Ducks, Herring Gulls, Common Terns, Cedar
Waxwings, Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Tree Swallows, Sandpeeps, Barn
Swallows, Owls, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Flickers, Phcebes, Ospreys, Sparrow
Hawks, Red-winged Blackbirds. — Helen Brown Holt (age, 10 years),
Portland, Maine.

[The response to kindness which these Pigeons showed is the same as that frequently
displayed by many of our native birds. The pleasure which they brought to these girls
might have been augmented had they been real wild birds, but it shows that it is not
necessary to live in the country or to have uncommon birds about one to truly enjoy
their company and friendship. — A. A. A.]

A NEST CENSUS

I thought that Bird-Lore might like to print the number and kinds of
bird-nests that I have found this year within half a square mile. They are
as follows: 26 Tree Swallows; 13 Robins; 10 Chipping Sparrows; 3 Song
Sparrows; 1 Field Sparrow; 8 Bluebirds; 1 Catbird; 1 Oriole; 1 Flicker; 1
House Wren; 1 Phcebe; 1 Red-eyed Vireo; 1 Kingbird; 1 Grackle; 1 Mead-
owlark; 1 Red-winged Blackbird; 2 Crows; 4 Chimney Swifts; 3 Barn Swal-
lows; 10 Cliff Swallows; and two 29-compartment bird houses full of Purple
Martins. Sincerely yours,

Ralph Carpenter, Jr., Wolfeboro, N. H.

Cfte JMmfcon ^octette*

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T.GILBERT PEARSON, Secretary

Adflress all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

William Dutcher, President
Frederic A. Lucas, Acting President T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary

Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer
Samuel T. Carte'r, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome.

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership

$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership

Si.ooo constitutes a person a Patron

$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder

$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated), of the City of New York.

WILLIAM DUTCHER, 1846-1920

William Dutcher, the President of the
National Association of Audubon Socie-
ties, died July i, 1920, at his home in
Chevy Chase, Md. On Oct. 19, 1910, while
at his home in Plainfield, N. J., he was
stricken with paralysis which totally de-
prived him of the power of speech and the
ability to write anything but his own name.
For nearly ten years he lived in this most
unfortunate condition. During the most
of this time his mind was bright and he
always took the greatest interest in read-
ing or hearing of the developments of the
National Association's activities. His
name will always be revered and his mem-
ory cherished for the great work he did in
the interests of American bird-protection
during his active career in this cause, which
extended over a period of fifteen years
(1896-1910).

In 1896-97 he was Chairman of the
Committee on Bird Protection of the
American Ornithologist's Union. In the
year 1900, Abbott H. Thayer, the por-
trait painter, approached various mem-
bers of this Committee, suggesting thai a
fund be raised for employing guards to
protect sea-bird colonies along (he At Ian-

(2

tic coast. Mr. Thayer writes that William
Dutcher alone had faith in the plan and
offered to learn the location of these bird
colonies and engage wardens to guard them
if money could be provided for the pur-
pose. Mr. Thayer thereupon raised a
fund of $1,400, and the protection of sea-
bird colonies was that year begun under
Mr. Dutcher's direction. When Novem-
ber came he was again made Chairman of
the Union's Committee on Bird Protection,
which position he occupied for some years.

Audubon Societies were at that time in
operation in many parts of the country,
and in the fall of 1900 the National Com-
mittee of Audubon Societies was inaugu-
rated. On April 4, 1902, when the Com-
mittee was formed in permanent shape,
Mr. Dutcher was made Chairman.

That fall the third conference was held
in Washington, D. C. The delegates pres-
ent pledged a fund of S600 to defray the
expense of a stenographer for the Chair-
man's use. Mr. Dutcher found this sum
inadequate for his ambitious undertakings,
even with the aid of the Thayer collec-
tions. He and others, therefore, appealed
to the public for support, and the income

5»)

The Audubon Societies

*53

of the Committee for the year 1904 closely
approached $5,000.

Mr. Albert Wilcox, of New York City,
had become interested in the movement
for bird-protection and that year not only
made a contribution to clear the Com-
mittee of its deficit but offered to will the
Committee a substantial sum if it would
incorporate. This led to the incorpora-
tion of The National Association of Audu-
bon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals, in January, 1905, Mr.
Dutcher being one of its thirty founders.
By the unanimous vote of the Directors
he was chosen President, a position he
held until the time of his death.

During the six years of his activity in
this office, he accomplished more for the
cause which lay so near to his heart than
most men are privileged to achieve in a
lifetime.

All the time that could be spared from
his duties as a general agent of the Pru-
dential Life Insurance Company was given

joyfully and without remuneration to the
cause of bird-protection. He was the
leader in many campaigns for bird-protec-
tive laws, conducted wide educational
propaganda, and continued his great in-
terest in the guarding of water-bird colo-
nies and the establishment of Government
bird reservations. His correspondence grew
heavy and much of his writing was done
at home in the evening after most men's
work was over. He was at all times most
kindly and lovable in his associations with
others and by his zeal and unusual per-
sonality he drew many workers into the
field of bird-protection.

Mr. Dutcher was born in Stelton, N. J.,
in 1846, and was buried in Hillside Ceme-
tery, Plainfield, N. J., July 6, 1920. His
death occurred just as Bird-Lore is going
to press, which prevents the presentation
of a more adequate account of his character
and achievements. This it is planned to
present later.

THE DEAD EAGLES OF ALASKA NOW NUMBER 8,356!

In January, 1919, through these columns,
the Association first advised the public of
the nefarious bounty law in Alaska, which
provides for the payment of 50 cents for
every Bald Eagle killed in that terri-
tory. In the May-June issue of the same
year there appeared an account of our
efforts to secure, at the last session of the
Alaska Legislature, the repeal of this law.

These articles attracted the attention of
others who in turn have voiced their op-
position to the idea of Alaska seeking to
exterminate these noble birds. The Asso-
ciation has put in motion certain move-
ments which we have reason to believe
will, before long, result in the repeal of
this law. In the meantime the slaughter
of Eagles goes merrily on at the rate of
200 a month.

The following letter, dated April 22,
1920, and written by the Secretary of the
Alaska Fish and Game Club, brings up to
date the available information regarding
the slaughter of these birds.

My dear Pearson:

Complying with the request as stated
in your letter of April 13, it is advised
that the Territorial records show that
since last reporting to you as of date De-
cember 6, 1918, bounty has been paid upon
3,256 Eagles or a total of 8,356 since the
passage of the act and its taking effect.

A vast difference is noted in the number
of this bird showing in southeastern and
western Alaska and it is a safe prediction
that if the slaughter continues for a few
years longer the species will become
practically extinct in this country. The
number upon which bounty has been paid
does not cover all which have been de-
stroyed, for it is agreed between hunters
that many a bird which has been shot is
not recovered. Various estimates have
been made as to the proportion of those
brought in for bounty to those destroyed
ranging from 25 to 50 per cent. It is
believed that out of every four shot, three
are reported for bounty, the other is either
lost in the woods or is seriously wounded
and subsequently dies.

It will be a pleasure to respond to any
of your inquiries from time to time, so
do not hesitate to command.
Very sincerely,
C. D. Garfield, Secretory

2 54

Bird - Lore

THE JUNIOR ORGANIZATION FOR 1919-20

June i, 1920, brought to an end the States Junior Clubs

tenth year of the Association's efforts in Alabama 14

the organization of children into bird- Arizona

study clubs. Never before has there been Arkansas 22

such a response from teachers and pupils. California 195

During the past year 8,398 Junior Audu- Colorado 116

■ ,-,, , , , . , . 1 -, Connecticut ;i4

bon Clubs were formed, with a total paid Delaware 152

membership of 280,963 children. The District of Columbia . . .

membership exceeded that of last year by Florida 15

101,169, ar»d the enrollment would have Tvf0/^13, ^

been greater had the Association been Illinois 17 c

financially able to respond to all the re- Indiana 209

quests for bird-study material that were Iowa 229

made. As it costs about twice as much to vnsaSi 6^

supply the children as their fees amounted Louisiana

to, it can readily be seen that our work of Maine 49

organization ultimately came to an end Maryland 79

when our Junior fund of $27,500 became Massachusetts 822

, . , rp, • , , . ., Michigan 201

exhausted. This occurred during the Minne6sota 356

month of May. From that time on it be- Mississippi 17

came necessary to return the fees forwarded Missouri 82

by teachers who were anxious to enroll their Montana 41

, ., . , , TT Nebraska 113

classes in the Audubon cause. Up to Nevada "l

June 1 these fees to the number of 14,950 New Hampshire . . 72

had been sent back to disappointed chil- New Jersey 440

dren, and this condition must continue ?;evv Mexico 5

.., ., , , ... , ., New York 1,070

until the new supply of literature for the North Carolina '2&

coming year is ready for distribution in North Dakota 32

the autumn. Ohio 825

As for several years past, the Association Oklahoma 31

this year received $20,000 for this work Pennsylvania . 675

from an unnamed benefactor, and seventy Rhode Island 20

other friends contributed to make up the South Carolina 57

remainder that was used. Their names, ^,ou Dakota 36

-.1 .,, , ... , , 1 . • Tennessee 21

with amounts, will be published later, in Texas

connection with the annual report of the Utah 20

Association. Vermont 29

The increased cost of all matters in con- Virginia 48

... . ,. .,, , .. . Washington 1 S4

nection with printing will make it 1111- Wisconsin 67

possible to extend the privilege of Junior Wisconsin 251

Members to the extent of the past year Wyoming 14

unless contributions for this work should Canada 500

increase. The following statement shows

the distribution of the Junior Clubs and Totals 8,398

the Junior membership for the school year
of 1919-20.

Members

417
82

254

868

7,167

4,680

16,254

4,693

278

702

1,260

1,107

12,960

6,716

8,460

2,099

1,503

363

1,502

2,462

25,240

7,i49

11,020

5io

3,322

i,376

3,651

127

2,089

15,492

368

37,8i7
960

1,034

24,120

1,018

3,8i5

25,037

666

i,5J4
1,140

774
1,405

608
1,124
1,655
5,883
2,019
7,869

421

17,893
20

280,963

The Audubon Societies

255

EXPLORING FOR NEW BIRD COLONIES

By T. GILBERT PEARSON

Illustrated with Photographs by the Author

Our success of recent years in guarding
colonies of Egrets and other rare birds in
the southern states, coupled with the
alarming decrease of these birds in regions
where we have not employed wardens,
warrants the Association in making more
extended efforts in behalf of these perse-
cuted species. The desirability of locating
other colonies of birds and making a sur-
vey of the general situation in some of the
new or little-known regions, led the Sec-
retary the past year to undertake explora-
tions in some of the southern states.

On May 4, 1920, in company with H. H.
Brimley, an inspection was made of the
'Crane Neck' Heron colony on Orton Pond,
Brunswick County, North Carolina. We
had visited this interesting place in the
intervals ever since first discovering the
colony one June day twenty-two years
ago, and it was painful to note that the pas-
sage of the years has played sad havoc with
the Herons of this region. Representatives
of all the birds formerly frequenting this

special group of cypress trees were present,
but four of the species, viz., the Little Blue
Heron, Louisiana Heron, Black-crowned
Night Heron, and Snowy Egret had collec-
tively shrunk from at least 2,000 to not
more than 150 individuals. The two re-
maining species, however, appear to have
held their own in numbers. In fact, we
thought them more numerous than they
were ten years ago. The nests of these
large birds were in tall cypresses and so
located that we were unable to devise any
means of accurately determining their
numbers. However, after much time
passed in counting nests and seeking to
avoid duplications, we at length estimated
the colony to contain about seventy-five
occupied nests of the Egret {egretta), and
one hundred nests of the Great Blue Heron.
Since my first visit in 1898, two other
flourishing colonies of Herons in the neigh-
borhood, both of which contained Egrets,
have ceased to exist. The Crane Neck,
with one exception, is today the colony

LOOKING UPWARD IN THE ORTON HERON ROOKERY. IN SIGHT ARE TWO EGRET
NESTS AND FOUR NESTS OF THE GREAT BLUE HERON

2<6

Bird - Lore

H. BRIMLEY LOOKING INTO A WOOD DUCK'S NEST. ENTRANCE IS SEEN INSIDE
CIRCLE. PEEP HOLE IS VISIBLE JUST UNDER MR. BRIMLEVS ARM

farthest north of all the breeding groups of
Egrets of which I have knowledge in the
eastern United States.

The bird-life on and about Orton Pond
is various and abundant. Prothonotary
and Yellow-throated Warblers are plenti-
ful. The cries of Chuck- Will's- Widows
were constantly in the air of evenings, and
the birds often came within sixty feet of
our cam]). Mockingbirds, Brown Thrash-
ers, Catbirds, Orioles, and Carolina Wrens
were singing on all sides, while, clear above
all the melody of music, came the ringing
note of the Bob-White, Wood Ducks
were abundant. Two of their nests were
found in hollow trees. One nest, discovered
May 3, held eleven eggs and two days later
it was found that another had been added.

A flourishing colony of breeding Ospreys
occupy Orton Pond. A survey of about
four-fifths of the pond yielded forty-two
nests, all but six of which were unquestion-
ably occupied. At this date eggs were
just being deposited and in only a few
cases did the actions of the birds indicate
that incubation had begun. The nests are
occupied for a great number of years and
become huge affairs four feel >>r more in
thickness. They appear to be built en-
tirely of dead pine limbs from which the
needles have fallen, but to which the bark
still adheres. The long gray moss (Til-
landsia) of the regioo appears to be the
only other material used, and thenestsare
usually lined with it. At times long frag-
ments of moss become entangled in the

SAMPLES OF THE FORTY-TWO OSPREY NESTS ON ORTON POND, NORTH CAROLINA

(257)

25«

Bird - Lore

talons of the birds and stream out behind
when they rise from the nest.

An interesting feature about these Fish
Hawk nests is that, without exception, they
have all been built over the water. A cur-
ious feature about the behavior of these
birds is observable in the fact that al-
though the waters of the pond abound in
fish, they seem never to attempt to catch
any of them, but appear to seek their prey
in the salt waters of the ocean, twelve or
fifteen miles distant.

Orton Pond is on Orton Plantation, a
baronial estate owned and magnificently
preserved by James Sprunt of the nearby
city of Wilmington. Mr. Sprunt, who has
long been a member of the National Asso-
ciation, extended to us a welcome and a
hospitality which no words of mine could
adequately describe.

From North Carolina my duties led me
to Charleston, S. C, where, in company
with Miss Laura M. Bragg, of the Charles-
ton Museum, an expedition was made up
the Cooper River to the Coming Tee Plan-
tation in an effort to locate a colony of
Egrets said to be nesting in the rice-re-
serve pond. Eight large Egrets were seen,

but our search for their breeding-place was
without avail.

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, to
which place I next journeyed, is a realm
of interest to the ornithologist. Here it
was that Audubon for a time studied birds
and made many of his famous drawings.
The country must be much as it was in
Audubon's day, and quiet and refinement
reigns from deep galleries as they did a
hundred years ago.

Of the natural beauties of the region
Audubon wrote: "Rich magnolias covered
with fragrant blossoms, the holly, the
beech, the tall yellow poplars, the hilly
ground, and even the red clay, all excited
my admiration."

In the heart of the Audubon country I
was graciously received in the home of
Edward Butler, another member of the
Association. For many days he and his
brother Robert spared no exertion to make
my visit enjoyable and to assist me in ex-
ploring the country far and wide. In their
company I was privileged to visit Oakley,
the old plantation house that stands just
as it did when in 1821 Audubon lived there
and taught painting to "my beautiful Miss

•OAKLEY" THE LOUISIANA PLANTATION HOME WHERE VUDUBON l\n.HT

ING TO MISS PIERRIE

PAINT

The Audubon Societies

WE EXPLORED 'THE BURN' IN LIGHT PIROGUES

Pierrie," whose fresh young face has been
preserved in a painting that still hangs on
the wall of this historic home.

At Bayou Sara I was met by R. H.
Stirling, who was assigned by the State
Conservation Commission to be my guide
while in the state. On May 14, near the
town of Jackson, we visited a Heron col-
ony, which contained probably forty pairs
of Snowy Egrets, in addition to many
Little Blues, Louisiana, and Black-crowned
Night Herons. A warden was at once em-
ployed to guard this colony.

Traveling by automobile northward into
Wilkinson County, Mississippi, a swamp
known locally as 'The Burn' was investi-
gated in diminutive pirogues. This proved
to be the home of many water-birds, in-
cluding perhaps 200 pairs of Little Blue
Herons, 8 pairs of Yellow-crowned Night
Herons, 12 pairs of Snowy Egrets, and at
least 75 pairs of Water Turkeys. Many
nests were examined. Egrets have nearly
all been killed in this section, but 10 or
12 pairs of Snowies were observed, and a
local man was engaged to guard the colony.
If it can be protected a few years it should
become one of the most important breed-
ing-places of water-birds in that section of
the country.

Down in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, I
was greatly disappointed to find that the
Roseate Spoonbills discovered a few years
ago in Black Bayou were no longer to be

found. A scientific expedition, with col-
lecting permits, visited this colony last
year with the result that the surviving
Spoonbills had not again returned. A small
colony of Herons, which included perhaps
half a dozen Snowy Egrets, constituted the
total water-bird life found here on May 18.
Farther south in the same Parish, however,
a splendid surprise awaited us. Here, on
what is locally known as 'Bird Island' on
Cameron Farm, there is located a colony
of Herons in which I counted forty Snowy
Egrets and five of the large Egrets. Here,
to my delight, I found breeding Spoonbills
and 87 were in sight at one time, sailing
around in the air over the trees. At this
time no young were visible, and the
75 nests examined contained sets of eggs
varying from three to five in number.
The warden whom I employed to guard the
place has since reported that the number
of Spoonbills increased to the neighbor-
hood of two hundred shortly after my visit.
At Aransas Pass, on the coast of Texas,
I was met by William L. and Irene Finley
who had journeyed there by appointment
from Portland in order that we might work
together in some of the interesting bird-
colonies on the Texas coast. We were re-
ceived as guests aboard the 'Jim Duke,' a
stout gasoline boat with adequate cabin
space for our party, owned by the State
Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission. In
this we traveled northward eighty miles

260

Bird - Lore

.

i..

v„

BROWN' PELICAN'S, OLD AND YOUNG

or more, visiting many islands that were
the home of numerous sea-birds.

One of the places where we stopped was
Dunham's Island, at the northern extrem-
ity of Aransas Bay. This is merely a little
lump of oyster shells about a hundred and
fifty feet long and from fifteen to twenty-
five feet wide. We found it occupied by a
community of Brown Pelicans that were
engaged in caring for their young. Nearly
all the eggs had hatched and all the young,
with the exception of perhaps half a dozen,
were large enough to leave the island and

LEAVING DUNHAMS ISLAND, TEXAS

swim away when we came among them.
Three hundred and four young were
counted. As these Pelican squabs moved
along over the shells they continually dis-
gorged fish upon which they had recently
been fed. An examination of these showed
that with the exception of three individuals
all these fish were menhaden, which, as I
discovered during my cruise of the Gulf
(Oast for the United States Food Admin-
istration in iqi8, constitutes the principal
food for our eastern North American Hrown
Pelicans while in the juvenile stage.

GROUPS 01 MENHADEN DISGORGED B"i YOUNG PELICANS

The Audubon Societies

261

REDDISH EGRETS NESTING ON 'SECOND CHAIN-OF-ISLANDS,' TEXAS

On other islands many nests were found
of the Black Skimmer and Laughing Gull.
As we were wading along the shore one
night, fishing for flounders, we came upon
a young Oyster-catcher which was not old
enough to fly and yet had sufficient strength
to run with astonishing rapidity. One day,
a Western Willet arose crying from its nest
that held four eggs, hidden in the grass.
Nests of the Mourning Dove and Night-
hawk also were found on these low-lying
islands of sand and shells. Hidden under
a cluster of dead mesquite bushes and girt

about by groups of prickly pear cactus,
two young Black Vultures were discovered
that proved to be interesting subjects for
the moving-picture camera.

On the Second Chain-of-Islands, situ-
ated between Mesquite and San Antonio
Bays, we visited a colony of Herons which
I had found in 1018. Last year the islands
were washed by heavy seas and much of
their vegetation destroyed. Also, they
had been greatly reduced in size. On six of
them birds were breeding. Nests and young
of the Ward's Heron, Louisiana Heron,

YOUNG REDDISH EGRETS, IN BLUE AND WHITE PHASES OF PLUMAGE

262

Bird - Lore

MR. AND MRS. I IXLEY PHOTOGRAPHING YOUNG BLACK VULTURES

Black-crowned Night Heron, and Great-
tailed Crackle were numerous.

To us the most interesting of the group
was the Reddish Egret, as at this time we
knew of no other place in the United States
where this rare bird was to be found breed-
ing. We estimated that of this species

there were about five hundred pairs. The
old birds were not shy, and it was easy to
photograph them in the open, while, with
the aid of a blind, Mr. and Airs. Finley
secured at close range excellent moving
pictures of this hitherto unfilmed bird.
(To be concluded)

OUR NATIONAL PARKS ARE THREATENED

On April 23, 1020, a notice was sent to
all organizations affiliated with the Nat-
ional Association calling attention to the
bill, then pending in Congress, to allow
commercial interests to exploit Yellow-
stone National Park for their own purposes.
Request was made that the officers of these
various organizations at once communi-
cate with their congressmen and senators
and express their opposition of the meas-
ure. The response was immediate and
generous, and later a hearing on the merits
of the bill was secured.

The National Association, with others
interested, was present to oppose the Smith
Yellowstone Park Irrigation Kasement Bill
when it came up before the Rules Com-
mittee of the House, May 25. Our efforts
were successful and the bill was not re-
ported out of Committee. Temporarily,
it is lulled, but it will no doubt be brought
forward again.

There seems an organized effort on foot
to break down the national park system —
to use for commercial purposes these rest-

ing-places whose value for recreation is so
much more important than it is for com-
mercial uses. Men and women who visit
these parks and behold their beautiful
scenery and their bits of untouched nature,
gain from these visits a new freshness of
mind and a new vigor of body that is worth
more — will produce more wealth for the
country — than can be had from all the
water or the power or the timber that could
be taken from them.

Some of these parks have been handed
over to the citizens of this country for the
specific purpose of benefit and enjoyment.
They were established as pleasure-grounds.
It is no more fitting that they should be
used for money-making projects than it
would be to build loft buildings in Lincoln
Park, Chicago, or in Central Park, New
York City.

If Congress understood the rights of the
people in these parks and the feeling the
people have for them it would refuse to
legislate to abridge these rights. That
Congress does not fully sense the public's

The Audubon Societies

263

desire to keep the parks at all times abso-
lutely free from exploitation has recently
been shown in its passage of the Water
Power Bill. This astonishing document
gives to the Secretaries of War, Interior,
and Agriculture absolute power to pass on
requests for using the water-power in the
various public lands, including 'National
Parks and Reservations. ' President Wilson
signed the bill and it is now a law.

Forty-eight years ago Yellowstone Park

was established and others have since been
created. Up to the present time only by an
act of Congress could the sanctity of these
parks be violated in any way. Now Con-
gress has seen good to delegate this power
to three men. The main ray of hope in
this situation is that a movement is on
foot to secure the repeal of this new water-
power law in so far as it effects national
parks and reservations.

ANOTHER CAT ORDINANCE

ORDINANCE No. 1694

Miss Gertrude Huber, who is Chairman
of a Committee appointed by the local
Audubon Society and Burroughs Nature
Club of Massillon, Ohio, to foster an or-
dinance for the control of stray cats, has
written that as result of their efforts the
following ordinance has recently been put
into operation:

Title — To provide for the regulation
of cats in the city limits.

Whereas stray and unrestrained cats
wandering about the City of Massillon,
have become a menace to the public health
and a source of damage to gardens, and
have been and are destroying large numbers
of birds living and nesting within the
limits of the city, and such cats should
be restrained or destroyed in order to
promote the health, comfort, and wel-
fare of the inhabitants of the city,

Therefore be it ordained by the Coun-
cil of the City of Massillon, State of Ohio,

Section 1 — Stray Cat. The term 'stray'
cat as used in this ordinance shall be held
construed to mean any cat within the
limits of the City of Massillon and not
on the premises of the owner or keeper
thereof.

Section 2 — Unrestrained Cat. The term
'unrestrained cat' as used in this ordinance
shall be held and construed to mean any
cat not controlled or kept in proper con-
finement by the owner or keeper thereof as
hereinafter provided.

Section 3 — -When a Nuisance. The per-
mitting or keeping of any stray or un-
restrained cats within the limits of the
City of Massillon, contrarv to the terms
of this ordinance, is hereby declared to be
a nuisance and any and all such cats shall
be restrained or destroyed as provided by
this ordinance, and the owners and keepers
thereof shall be subject to the fines hereby
imposed for any violation of this ordinance.

Section 4 — Control and Restraint of
Cats. No person shall cause or permit
any cat or cats owned or kept by him or
her to run at large, or upon the premises
of any other person, within the City of
Massillon between the hours of 7 r.M.
and 9 a.m. of each and every day during
the breeding season of the birds, to wit:
from April 1 to September 20, both inclusive
of each and every year.

Section 5 — Police Control. It shall be
the duty of the chief of police, his assis-
tants, and all policemen of the City of
Massillon to warn any owner or keeper of
any cat who violates any of the provisions
of this ordinance that upon a second viola-
tion the cat will be killed and if after such
warning any such owner or keeper again
violates the provisions hereof by neglecting
to restrain his cat as herein provided, such
cat shall be forthwith killed by such officer
in some humane manner.

Section 6 — Trespass. All persons shall
have the right to kill any and all stray
or unrestrained cats trespassing upon their
premises at any and all times, and the own-
ers or keepers of such cats so killed shall
have no right of redress therefor.

Section 7 — Penalties. Any person violat-
ing any of the provisions of this ordinance
shall be subject to have his or her cat
taken up and killed as herein provided, and
shall also be subject to a fine of not less
than $2 nor more than $5 for each viola-
tion of this ordinance.

Section 8 — This ordinance shall take
effect and be in force from and after the
earliest period allowed by law.

Passed June 14, 1920.

NEW LIFE MEMBERS
Enrolled from May 1 to July 1, 1920

Achilles, Mrs. G. S.
Adler, Mrs. Max
Benninghofen, Carrie

264

Bird - Lore

Browning, William H.

Campbell, Edward K.

Carr, .Mrs. S. C.

Constable, Mrs. F. A.

Cooley, Charles P.

Cowles, W. H.

Crabb, Robert

Cram, Lily C.

Darlington, Mary O'Hara

Doscher, Charles

Eden, John H.

Edge, Mrs. C. N.

Erickson, Mrs. A. W.

Fell, Emma Trego

Fisher, R. T.

Forbes, Mrs. Dora Delano

Foster, Julia R.

Fuller, Horace A.

Gardiner, Sarah D.

Graves, Mrs. Henry S.

Gray, Roland

Gunther, George

Hathaway, Mrs. Horatio

Herrmann, F.

Hoe, Mrs. Richard M.

Holden, Mrs. Geo. A.

Hoopes, Mrs. Maurice

Jackson, P. T.

Jennings, Mrs. Oliver G.

Jones, Amelia H.

Kerr, Mrs. John C.

Knowlton, Mrs. Myra

Knowlton, W. M. (In Memoriam)

Livingston, Miss A. P.

McBride, Mrs. Lee

McGregor, Tracy \Y.

McKee, Mrs. James R.

Matheson, Wm. J.

Metcalf, Manton B.

Milligan, Mrs. Robert

Morris. Anna

Myers, Mrs. Harriet Williams

Nichols, John Treadwell

Nichols, Mrs. fohn W. T.

Pack, Mrs. Charles L.

Pagenstei her, Friede

Parker, Mrs. William L.

Parsons, Robert L.

Penfold, Edmund

Powers, F. H.

Raskob, Mrs. John J.

Sabin, Mrs. I)! I).

Schlael . Mr-. Arnold

Storrow, Mrs. Jas. Jackson

Strauss, Charles

Strong, Mrs. H. A.

Van ( rerbig, M rs. Barend

Wadsworth, M rs. W. Austin

West, Dr. Wm. K.

Wetmore, Edith M.

Whitney, Mrs. G. (;.

Will OX, William (i.

Woodward, Lemuel F.

NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Enrolled from May 1 to July 1, 1920

Audubon Society of Irvington

Bishop, Mrs. Jane M .

Blakeslee, Phebe S.

Bond, Mrs. Charles H.

Bray, Mabel F.

Brooks, Louise W.

Camp, R. D.

Cook, F. L.

Countryman, Katharine S.

Crompton, Mrs. Isabel M.

Dilts, F. B.

Dominick, Gaver G.

Draper, Mrs. B. H. B.

Eddy, Mrs. James A.

Ehrich, Mrs. J. S.

Estabrook, Mrs. C. S.

Ethi '.ge, Mrs. Antoinette H.

Fleitmann Henry T.

Gatzert, . '. 1 - August

Gibbons, Kebecca Donaldson

Guggenheim, Mrs. Ham F.

Guild, Mrs. S. E.

Heineken, William P.

Holden, Mrs. Hcndrick S.

Hollis, Thomas

Horton, James B.

Houle, Mrs. George

Johnson, Elizabeth M.

Kricger, Geneva

Lippincott, Mrs. M. M.

Mason, Edward F.

Monks, Mrs. R. H.

Morrill, Mrs. J. J.

Morrill, Sidney A.

Morris, Emily J-'..

Nichols, Leslie I.

Osborne, Lithgow

Province of Quebec Society

Rand, Marry Seaton

Raney, M . Llewellyn

Rennell, Mrs. F. \Y.

Rust. Mrs. W. A.

St. Petersburg Audubon Society

Scherer, J. F.

Shedd, Belle
Shupee, George I
Stillman, Clara F.
Thomson, Mrs. II . C. M.
Valentine, M rs. ( rerace E.

Wainwrighl, S. H.

Walker, Irving F.

Walker. Mr.. Robert S.

Ward, Mr-. M . E.

Wayland, Mr>. John E.

Webster, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, Jr.

Whittemore, Grace

Wilson, Mr. and Mr>. R. J.

\\ on ester, Mi-- M . C.

BRONZE & PURPLE CRACKLES
Order— Passeres Family— Icterid^

Genus— Ouiscalus Species— Aeneus & Ouiscula

National Associat'on of Audubon Societies

2ftrb=1lore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ of The Audubon Societies

Vol. XXII September— October, 1920 No. 5

The Screech Owl

By H. E. TUTTLE, New Haven, Conn.
With Photographs by the Author

CURIOUSLY enough, my first glimpse of the Screech Owl was not
vouchsafed at dusk among the shadows of an upland orchard, but under
the glaring sun of a winter's noon in the city of Chicago. He sat on
the edge of the cornice above the third-story windows of the house opposite,
while we pressed our noses to my grandfather's window-panes and watched
him with excited interest during several hours of the day. He perched, shut-
eyed and motionless, his plumage a rusty red against a background of sooty
bricks, while we wondered how he got a living and why he had selected the
city for his home. He, or his counterpart, occupied the same niche for two
winters, and it is my present belief that the English Sparrows which crowded
our vines at evening were "by a mousing owl hawked at and killed." I shed
no tears at the thought, and for as many of their deaths as may be laid at his
door I commend him.

While as a species I can regard its predatory forays with favor, I have
met with individuals toward whom circumstantial evidence of indifferent
morals pointed its damning finger. Baby-killing, for instance, is no longer in
popular favor, and yet I came upon a Screech Owl one day, carrying what
seemed to be a small kitten. I followed his line of flight, and as the burden
proved too great a handicap for him in his effort to place a safe distance
between us, he dropped it, but lingered near as if reluctant to yield it to my
inspection. To my astonishment I discovered that it was an infant Owl, quite
downy and quite dead. Now the elder Owl may not have been related to his
younger victim, or again he may not have killed it, but in view of the facts
I returned a Scotch verdict against him.

My next acquaintance with the Screech Owl began one spring day, when,
on looking up toward the top of a hollow basswood, I saw an Owl sitting upon
the lower lip of an orifice. Securely sheltered there he blinked away the days,
while at night he hunted through the darkness of the shadows and made our
woods musical with low-voiced hooting.

a66 Bird - Lore

There are some people who dread the voice of the Screech Owl; they com-
plain that it is mournful with foreboding, wailing with melancholy. But I
would not rob the night of mystery nor take from music the glory of her thre-
nodies. There are hours for comedy and hours for tragedy, days of prose and
nights of poetry, and where tragedy stalks, there must be heard the Owlet's
note. The ululations of the Owl, his mocking laughter, yield a mystery to a
grove otherwise commonplace. Who would not barter his shade trees for a
haunted wood? Let those who will make merry with their Robins, but bring
me at evening to an ancient oak, there to hear the Screech Owl tolling his
sorrows while the dusk grows grey.

I can never quite reconcile myself to the fact that the Eagle, no less than
the domestic hen, must spend her allotted time upon the nest. Such bondage
seems alien to her free spirit ; she should be broadening her wings to the blast
above the rolling seas or soaring higher than the silent mountain peaks. I
find it equally hard to imagine a brooding Owl. The bird has an aloofness
about him that would seem to discourage family ties, yet Owls bring forth
their young in due season — strange caricatures of their progenitors, dignified
of mien but ridiculous in aspect, Solons in swaddling clothes.

I do not like to malign the Owl, for I have more than a sneaking fondness
for him, but there is a subtle relationship between the Owl and the pussy cat,
which was recognized by the gentleman who sent them to sea in a beautiful
pea green boat. Have you ever seen an Owl in a rage? With eyes half shut
and ears laid flat to his head he hisses with all the rasping fury of a fighting
Tom, and were it not for the frequent snapping of his mandibles he might well
pass for the cat's familiar. It was not without reason that a witch rode her
broomstick with an Owl on her shoulder and a Tom cat perched behind.

Last spring a teamster brought me a young Screech Owl which he had
rescued from the center of a village road, where, indifferent to his danger, the
Owlet watched the feet of the approaching horses. During the week that he
was a member of our household we became greatly attached to him, though
beyond a friendly indifference he did not manifest any affection in return.
There was something eerie about him, however, so that when a friend discover© 1
his presence between the clock and a vase upon our mantlepiece she was
frightened, and when he began to wave his head to and fro, shifting his weight
from one foot to another and changing the focus of his yellow eyes, she fled.
This ability to increase or decrease the size of the pupils, regardless of a differ-
ence in light, is a peculiarity that I have noted in three species of Owls, the
Screech Owl, the Barred Owl, and the Great Horned Owl. The ability seems
to be voluntary, for I have seen the pupils of all three species change in size
when food was offered for close-range inspection, and 1 have observed, in the
case of the Screech Owl and the Great Horned Owl, the pupil of one eye
change without relation to the pupil of the other; this difference, when suddenly
effected, gives the Owl a very uncanny appearance.

SCREECH OWL
'He might well pass for the cat's familiar'

(267)

A YOUNG SCREECH OWL

i 1 of mii-n but ridiculous in aspect'

(268)

The Sc eech Owl 269

I suppose years of testimony will not change the current impression that
Owls see but imperfectly during the daylight hours. Years of observation
have convinced me that they see quite as well as cats. A hairy caterpillar,
crawling among the blades of grass of a golfer's fair green, was seen and swooped
upon by the Owlet, though he had been sitting upon a fence-post some twelve
feet distant, blinking in the early afternoon sun. Once captured and sampled,
the caterpillar was rejected. A mouse would not have been refused, though
the Owlet had been crop-full.

The habits of Owls in dealing with mice are well known; not so well known
are the details. If it is the severed head that makes the seraph, there will be
choirs of mice among the angels, for though such small fry are usually swallowed
whole, decapitation is the favorite method for piece-meal consumption. The
severed head, whether of mouse or bird, is apparently the favorite portion, for
it is eaten first. Just what gustatory pleasure an Owl takes in partially swal-
lowing what he can not wholly consume, I do not know, but I have seen a
Screech Owl compass a small house-mouse at a single gulp, though the tail of
the unfortunate rodent hung limply from his mandibles for some time after,
mute evidence that he had dined not wisely, but too well. This capacity for
swallowing objects, apparently large in proportion to the opening through
which they must pass, is partly accounted for in the fact that the Owl's upper
mandible is hinged and moves upward at the same time that the lower mandible
is moved in the opposite direction, so that the angle made by the opening of
the beak to receive a mouthful is obtuse in the extreme.

I am sorry that the unwillingness of the Great Horned Owl to forego an
occasional chicken or roosting Grouse has brought his more beneficial congeners
into disrepute with the farmer and the gamekeeper. The blood of a chicken,
crying to them from the ground, is of more value in their sight than the secret
sepulture of a thousand rats, and in their haste they exclaim with the psalmist,
"There is none that doeth good, no, not one!"

But though the Great Horned Owl may be driven to the more remote
regions, as the highwaymen to the lonely woods, the more sociable Screech
Owl will remain. Among ancient orchards, whose barren limbs have suffered
no profanation of pruning hook or devastating axe, the Screech Owl will keep
watch over the mysteries of night, crying softly from the shadows, like a poor
ghost that will ne'er be laid.

The Tragic Story of a Titmouse

By GEORGE ROBERTS, JR., Lake Fore»t, Ills.

OX April 22, iqi8, I was asked by one who had but a slight knowledge
of birds, to identify a light blue-colored bird, smaller than a Robin,
possessed of a crest, and with a cheery whistle-like note. I was unable
to answer. Two days later, right after breakfast, I was almost shot out of
doors by the sound of a bird-note that was new to me; to be more exact, it
was less like a note than like a whistle. It was repeated continually, and in
less than a minute I saw the bird himself (I learned the sex later), a Tufted
Fit mouse, who was busily feeding amid the bushes. He was perfectly fearless,
and T was able to watch him for some time, and to approach within eight feet
of him. I knew him as soon as I saw him, though 1 had never yet seen one of
this species, and I also connected him with my friend's question of two days
before. In about ten minutes, pressure of work and the bird's journeying a
little too far from the confines of my own yard, sent me indoors again; but I
did not commence work until I had consulted the books, corroborating my
identification and learning a little about this new visitor. The most interest-
ing fact learned was of his rarity in this part of the world, not quite so rare
as to be unheard of, but such as to be worthy of note and mention. Seldom
does the Titmouse reach so far north in the state of Illinois (30 miles north
of Chicago and fifteen miles from the state of Wisconsin).

In the next few weeks this new friend was constantly within either sight
or hearing, and nearly every neighbor had been attracted by his whistle, which
so distinctly resembled a man calling loudly for his dog. I could not find,
and have not yet found, any resemblance of this whistle to the familiarly-
written peto, peto; with us it was oftenest monosyllabic. Beside this, the note
most often heard, he possessed another series of notes which most closely
resembled the chick-a-dee-dee-dee of his black-capped cousin, though it was
not quite so cheery, and was of a little harsher quality; perhaps I should say
that it seemed to come more from the throat and less from the heart — and all
friends of his cousin will agree with me that he at least does speak from the
heart. After being once heard and the speaker identified, there was never
any difficulty in distinguishing the two.

Thus matters went on during the summer. From the almost constant sight
or sound of him it would seem that he never wandered far from a radius of a
few hundred feel from my study; so much so, that, with the bird-lover's sense
of proprietorship, I soon found myself calling him 'my Titmouse. ' Still more
did I use that pronoun after Armistice Day, November 1 1, on which elate he
appeared on the bird-shelf outside of my window, and made me forget the
international and world event just transpiring; that seemed a small thing by
comparison. At fust he but hastily seized a seed and flew off to a neighboring
tree to eat it. returning promptly for more; but before the day was over the

(270)

The Tragic Story of a Titmouse 271

initial timidity had been conquered and he remained on the shelf to eat. This
he continued to do for many months. His fare consisted of hemp, bread crumbs,
and suet, mentioned in the order of his preference. Before very long he was
thoroughly at home on the shelf, and was to be seen at almost any time from
sunrise to sunset. His coming was usually announced by the cheery whistle
or by some other notes. He soon became the dominating, if not the domineer-
ing, presence of the shelf. He always landed (that word best expresses his way
of coming to the shelf, almost as if he had dropped on to it with a thump) in a
most positive and determined way, as if this were business he were engaged in,
not a pastime, and most urgent business at that, business 'not to be entered
into lightly or unadvisedly,' and also business that demanded haste. The
other feeders always left as he arrived, apparently frightened temporarily by
his hasty approach. They generally came right back and were left undisturbed.
It was curious to see how the Titmouse always selected for his landing-place
the very spot where there was another bird, who, fortunately, always flew
away just in time to avoid the collision that seemed inevitable. The Juncos
and the Jays were alone undisturbed by him, the former through trustfulness,
the latter through fearlessness. If, on the other hand, a Jay arrived while the
Titmouse was feeding, the first-comer left, but only to return very soon, when
the two fed together amicably. In December the Titmouse invariably drove
off a lone Myrtle Warbler that lingered here till the day before Christmas, as
if to inform him that it was high time he went south, and trying to assist him
in that direction. A pair of Cardinals (and they alone will feed while the great
hulk of a gray squirrel occupies so large a portion of the shelf) neither disturbed
nor were disturbed by the Titmouse. One day in May a Downy Woodpecker
endeavored to have the piece of suet to himself, but the Titmouse refused to
countenance such selfishness, and persisted in sharing the lump with him,
where together they fed on it.

On February 22 (he associated himself with me on great days) he flew
through the door of a glass-enclosed porch which opened out close to the shelf.
In attempting to escape he stunned himself badly against the panes, and when
I lifted him up he was limp, as if lifeless. I held him in my hand, took him in-
doors and held him over a warm radiator, but the little eyes closed and I was
evidently to be present at his death. But no, he suddenly revived, and after
I had dipped his bill in some water, his resurrection reached such an active
stage that I had difficulty in holding him while I placed a band around his
little leg, (No. 44300); and in a few minutes he was released to the great out-
of-doors. Sitting on the edge of the porch roof he preened himself and seemed
to try to recall just what experience he had been through that made him feel
so queerly. Whether memory got in its work I do not know, but in half an
hour he was whistling cheerily and was back on the shelf for food.

On the last day of January, 1919, I wrote: "The Titmouse, from the top
of an oak (he seldom rises so high), is singing away this morning, with notes

272 Bird -Lore

that resemble twee, twee, twee, pst! — the last of the four being sharply staccato
and almost explosive. (Later, April 20: The last note of the tehee, tehee, tehee,
Ifhip! when heard nearby resembles the sound made by striking a 'twangy'
banjo string, though it is neither so loud nor so strident.) This is varied by a
dee, dee, dee, (more exactly tee, tee, tee)." And I was to hear these songs and
notes and whistles frequently during the coming months. On March 5, 1 heard
also what I described at the time as "a sweet, summery song, quite different
from anything I have heard from him before, with, however, enough of a
resemblance to the notes recorded under date of January 31 to enable me to
guess the singer before I saw him." And once again: "The Titmouse is now
constantly uttering his notes that sound somewhat like a young barnyard
chicken."

In April he left us; at least he was neither seen nor heard for several days.
We thought he had gone south to find himself a mate and companion, as for a
year he had been absolutely alone. On the 14th a telephone message informed
and assured me that he had returned, and that he had brought a mate with
him ! The next morning I was waked at 6 o'clock by his whistle outside my
window; and I was conceited enough to think that he was calling me to see
his bride. "Away to the window I flew like a flash," and there he was, but
alone. On the 16th, however, I saw them both, and on the 17th they were
together on the shelf. At first I could hardly distinguish them, but in a short
time their differences, though hardly definable, were distinct ; and of course
they were confirmed through the glass by the band I had placed on the male.
The most visible difference lay in the fact that the rufous sides of the female
were slightly paler than those of the male. She also seemed of a less nervous
disposition. For further and rapid identification, there was one tail feather of
the male that was awry, and appeared so loose that I was always surprised to
see it still in his possession. I always expected it to fall off, but it never did.

The next thing now was to secure a nesting record for this locality, and to
compete with Rockford, some sixty-odd miles due west, but away from the
chilling effects of Lake Michigan. The pair continued to be seen and heard
often, but less and less often, till we felt certain they must be building a nest
somewhere. I trailed them often, but always in vain; I could find no trace of
a nest. Finally we were informed that it was quite certain the nest was nearly
a mile away in the north end of the town. So to the place designated two of
us went one morning, and were shown a hole in the top of a six-and-adialf foot
pole in a small, unkempt yard, not fifteen feet from a small house, which in
itself was situated thirty or more feet in the rear of another house. In the
Other directions were open fields, in one of which baseball was played en
Saturdays and after school hours of the other days of the week. We were
informed that two birds which seemed to tit our description of the Titmice
had been frequently seen living in and out of this hole. Earlier in the season
a pair of House Wrens had started to build there, but were driven out by the

The Tragic Story of a Titmouse

273

newcomers. But, — how full life and bird-study are of 'huts'! — we were told:
"It's a pity you did not come sooner, for yesterday the neighbor's cat climbed
the pole, reached a paw into the hole, broke one egg, and carried off the sitting
female — escaping with her just as I came out and caught her, but too late."
We corroborated the sad story as well as we might, for as I reached in my
hand there were found six eggs, one of which was broken, and all of them cold.
The eggs were all very fresh (this was on May 12), and were laid on practically
nothing but the bare floor of the hole; what the books call a nest of "leaves,
moss, strips of bark, feathers, etc." was hardly existent in this case.

For about six weeks after this the lonely male was heard often and seen
but occasionally, and (though this may have been due to my imagination) the
cheery whistle had a plaintive tone that had not been in it before. By the end
of June he was much oftener heard than seen, till he became little more than
'a wandering voice'; and before the end of June he was gone, to be heard or
seen no more. Where is he now? Will he have more domestic success this sea-
son? I wish him luck, though he be no longer in my neighborhood, and I
thank him for the fourteen months of his acquaintance.

YOUNG CEDAR WAXWING
Photographed by Sheridan F. Wood, West Lafayette, Ohio, August 24, 1915

A Hummingbird Story

By WILBUR F. SMITH. South Norwalk, Conn.
With Photographs by the Author

F'
!

i ■

I EMALE HUMMINGBIRD
BROODING

^OUR of the Ruby-throated Humming-
birds' nests that I have found were
built on branches hanging out over the
water of a stream or pond. Three nests were
on red or silver maple trees on lawns, and four
more in some orchard or wood. I had begun
to believe that I knew something of the sort
of a place a Hummingbird would choose for a
nest, or that lichens added concealment by
making the nest look like a 'mossy knot,' as
we have all heard, but my opinions were
rudely upset the past summer by a pair of
Hummers who emphasized anew that it is
unwise to make a positive statement of what
any bird will or will not do.

A lady who had been reading in a ham-
mock swung from the porch roof noticed a
Hummingbird dart in and out of the veranda;
as she left the hammock something dropped
from the sliding block regulating its height and
she was surprised and grieved to find it a partly built Hummingbird's nest. It
was small wonder that the birds were concerned, while to have a pair of these
dainty birds choose one's veranda for a home and then unintentionally to tear
the nest from its position was indeed a tragedy.

The nest was gently replaced and pinned in position, the cushions removed
from the hammock, that the birds might have the whole porch and welcome
if they would only return and continue nesting. As though nothing had hap-
pened they continued building the nest higher, fastened it to the block with
spider threads and the pin was removed.

On June 2, or four days later, the first egg was laid, and, after an interval
of a day, the second egg was laid. The nest was still so shallow it seemed as
though the eggs would roll out as the hammock swung in the breeze. The
young hatched on June 15, after eleven days' incubation, during which time
the nest was built higher. The male had disappeared sometime before this
and was not seen again, leaving all the work of the nest and the caring for the
young to his mate.

On July 2, the young were tilling the nest to overflowing, and as all the
authorities I could consult said the young left the nest in from 'ten days' to
'about three weeks,' they might leave any day. Whether or no this was an

(274)

A Hummingbird Story

275

exceptional nest, or inclement weather made more brooding necessary with
less time to search for food, thus retarding the growth of the young, is an
interesting question; or possibly the earlier authorities may have been mistaken
when they said the young leave in 'ten days.'

At any rate, on July 10, they were still in the nest and were taking turns
standing on the edge and trying out their
wings. The next day they seemed as large
as their mother, and their plump little
bodies protruded over the flattened edge of
the nest and they tried their wings more
often.

On the morning of July 12, twenty-eight
days after hatching, one of the young had
left the nest and the observer took up a
position to watch the second bird's home-
leaving.

Soon the mother bird came with food,
and, after feeding, tried to coax the young
one away; failing in this, she took the bill
of the little one in her own bill and three
times tried to pull it from the nest, but
without success ; finally she flew away.
Soon after the young one raised itself in the
nest and flew like a bolt to what had been a
favorite perch of the mother on the rhodo-
dendron bush on the lawn.

Mrs. Hummer was a much surprised bird when she returned and found
the nest empty, but she soon joined the young one and a moment more they
both disappeared, leaving an empty nest.

YOUNG HUMMINGBIRDS OX THEIR
TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY IN THE

XEST

Mount Mazama Bird Notes

By LESLIE L. HASKIN, Lebanon, Oregon

THE subject of bird-life zones is one of absorbing interest. Just why the
difference of a scant 100 feet in height should appear to be an impassible
barrier to one variety, when 10,000 feet makes no apparent difference
to another, has always been a puzzle to me. We of the West, where a com-
paratively few miles often mark the difference between warm humid sea-level,
and perpetual snow-capped mountains, have an especially favorable oppor-
tunity for studying such matters, and it is a subject of never-failing interest
to the writer.

Having these things in mind, when an opportunity presented itself of

276 Bird -Lore

visiting Crater Lake and the surrounding mountains, I anticipated great
pleasure in observing just which of the familiar valley birds would be found at
these high elevations, and what peculiar mountain species might be met with.

Our trip of eighty miles from Medford, Ore., to Crater Lake, gave few
opportunities for bird-study, but in plant-life it presented a remarkable pano-
rama. Beginning with the greasewood and manzanita of the lowlands, we
passed in succession through growths of oaks, yellow pine, sugar pine, Douglas
fir, hemlock, chinquapin, lodgepole pine, and spruce, ending with the scattered,
and curious white-barked pine, and noble and alpine firs near the summit.

From the entrance of the park to Anna Springs Camp, no birds were seen,
but at Anna Springs, at an elevation of about 6,000 feet, there was a flash of
blue through the pines, and, with his loud, familiar chack-a-chack-chack-chack,
a Steller's Jay sailed saucily out to meet us. So here at the very beginning an
old Jay problem was before me, for why should this bird, a familiar companion
in mischief with the California Jay in the low valley thickets, be so much at
home here among the peaks, hobnobbing, as we later learned, with the mis-
chievous Oregon Jays, which in turn appear to be unable to exist below a
certain invisible line on the mountain-side?

Passing up the Munson Valley, Western Robins, and Oregon Juncos were
everywhere in evidence. The Juncos' nesting season was barely past and the
birds were in flocks containing a large percentage of striped and speckled
young in their first plumage. A little farther on, near the camp of the govern-
ment engineers, a couple of male Western Tanagers were seen chasing one
another through the tree-tops. We of the valley who raise fruit sometimes claim
that the crimson head of this gay bird comes from his ravenous appetite for
cherries, but these mountain birds were as bright as any that I have seen, so
no doubt the cherry juice theory is a mistake!

Even if there were no Crater Lake at the end of the road, this Mount
Mazama region would be well worth a visit. Nowhere will you find more
curious canons, pleasanter mountain valleys, wider vistas, or more beautiful
and varied forests. Up and up we went, while off to the southeast the wide low
lands of the Klamath country opened out before us in the purple distance,
now clearly defined, now hidden in haze. Up and still up until the engine
beneath us began to wheeze and gasp in the rarefied atmosphere, and we
realized that this was no place for a car with a weak heart, but finally the lasl
grade was conquered, and we stepped out on the vast encircling rim of the
old crater.

This is a bird article, so I am not going to attempt to write a description
of Crater Lake, only this I will say: It has been my observation that when-
ever men and women attain to a little height, whether it be the limbs of a
tree, the top of a building, or the summit of a hill, they invariably express
their sense of accomplishment and exaltation by calling at the top of their
voices, yet during my stay at the lake I did not hear a single hello or yodle.

Mount Mazama Bird Notes 277

It is too immense, too imposing. The most inveterate screecher realizes the
futility of raising his voice in that vast space. The lightest breeze would
snatch away all that man could do, and bury it among the cliffs under the
humming of the pines. 'A Sea of Silence,' Joaquin Miller called it, and a sea
of silence it ever remains.

The birds about the lake are not silent, however. Most of them seemea
unusually voluble, though this may have been only by contrast. It seemed
that I had never heard Red-breasted Nuthatches so full of chatter. They
were to be found all about the rim, clinging to the tips of the snow-bent pen-
dulous branches of the evergreens, flitting everywhere in companies and reg-
iments. These little red-breasted fellows are much more a bird of tree-tops,
and slender twigs, than their relative, the Slender-billed Nuthatch, which is
more addicted to tree creeping. With the Nuthatches were a considerable
number of Oregon Chickadees, but in not nearly such large numbers. Red-
shafted Flickers were common, and all about the timbered portions of the
Rim Road, the ringing, metallic call of Harris's Woodpecker could be heard.
These varieties seemed to stay well up on the rim; none were seen within the
crater itself, though, of course, my stay was short, and this may not be the rule.

The government engineers were just completing a new trail from the sum-
mit when we arrived, doing away with the old, dizzy zig-zag, and the use of
ropes in descending. Here you encounter the first preeminent mountain birds.
Clark's Nutcrackers are met with all along the trail. They fly up and down
the cliffs in noisy bands, calling much attention to themselves by their harsh
notes, and striking black and white plumage. Abrupt rocky points appear to
be their delight, where they congregate to feed on pine cones, hammering out
the seeds with a great show of strength and vigor. In their flight they make a
great to-do, with the whirring and clapping of their wings. Few birds seem to
enjoy life more or fit into their surroundings more perfectly, than these hand-
some Crows.

Only two kinds of Warblers were seen on this trip within the park itself.
Audubon's Warblers were found in numbers in the open timber back of the
rim, and another, which I believe was a Macgillivray's Warbler was seen
among the brush along the cliff trail. Farther down along the trail a Hum-
mingbird was seen, but we were unable to determine of what variety. Besides,
this, a single female California Purple Finch eyed us shyly from the low limb
of a tree on our first descent.

Until this trip, I had attributed a great deal of the American Dippers'
peculiar preferences and habits to the fact that only swiftly-moving water fur-
nished the food on which they thrived. Nothing, however, can be more quiet
and serene than this sapphire mountain lake, which lies undisturbed, without
a single stream, either entering or leaving it, to break the quiet of its shores.
Yet here were the Dippers, bobbing and swimming along its margin. Why
then can they not make a living equally well about lowland streams and ponds

278 Bird -Lore

where vegetable and insect life are so much more plentiful? Among the rocks
of Wizard Island, a little later, a Spotted Sandpiper greeted us with his familiar
teeter and prep; why could not the Dippers, which seem to have adopted so
many Sandpiper traits, also have learned from him to adapt themselves to
low as well as high altitudes?

Although it was August all about in sheltered places on the cliffs could be
seen patches of snow. One of these near the water's edge lured us over to the
west shore of the lake. Rowing leisurely along under this last winter's snow-
bank, we unexpectedly encountered a female American Merganser leading a
band of tiny young out into the lake. Seeing us coming in her direction, the
old one urged her fledglings on with anxious quacks. Supposing that they
were doing their best, we began to wonder what they would do when we over-
hauled them, but at a word of command from the anxious mother they all
suddenly rose upon their very tails, and literally ran along the surface of the
water. Even then we finally overtook them, when the old bird took flight,
while her tiny followers, one by one kicked up their heels and disappeared
beneath the surface, to pop up after an incredibly long time widely scattered
over the surface of the lake. Seeing that nature was too sharp for us, we left
them, and when last seen they were reunited and placidly following their
mother about.

A climb to the summit of Wizard Island — this very symmetrical ash cone,
a crater within a crater — was well worth the time spent, but resulted in only
one new bird observation, a pair of Desert Sparrow Hawks, inhabiting the
dead and stunted trees upon the circular rim of the shallow crater. Wishing
to descend from the crater in the shortest possible time, we solved the problem
by simply sliding down the smooth cindery slope, a method very saving of
time, but scarcely so of clothes.

No sketch of Cascade Mountain bird-life would be complete without the
friendly touch of familiarity lent by the soft-plumed Oregon Jays, which
shared our meals during our entire stay. Whenever the grub-box was opened,
they would come flitting about with soft-voiced whistles, lighting upon the
tables and benches, and helping themselves to whatever scraps of food were
obtainable. Of all the Jays, these 'camp robbers,' in spite of their reputation,
appear the quietest and most trustworthy. As I have observed them, they
seldom indulge in the loud cries and scolding of other Jays.

Few other varieties of birds were seen during our stay in the park proper.
A few American Crossbills were heard flying over, Pine Siskins were quite
plentiful at times, and, one of the surprises of the trip (for 1 had never thought
of this bird being partial to high altitudes), a Black-headed Grosbeak was seen
at the head of the Rim Trail. However, on our return trip we camped for a
night within the Crater Lake National Forest, at an elevation of probably
5,000 feet. Here, where the upper Rogue River roars and tumbles through a
canon which it has cut for itself through the volcanic rock, and where the

Mount Mazama Bird Notes

279

boulders of pumice along the bank, when dislodged, fall into the current and
go bobbing down stream like corks, I encountered in a forest-opening an im-
mense wandering flock of Warblers and Bush-tits. I have often encountered
these mixed flocks in the foothills, but never have I met a larger one, or one
more compact. I think that I watched them for fully half an hour, as they
drifted past through the chinquapin brush. As far as I was able to determine,
Bush-tits composed about one-fourth of the flock. Of the Warblers, there
were three varieties: the Calaveras and Lutescent Warblers, combined in
about equal numbers, constituted another scant fourth, while the remainder
of the flock was composed of Hermit Warblers. As before this I had met but
a single pair of Hermit Warblers, this early morning flock was to me an
especial treat.

A single pair of Western Evening Grosbeaks, flying over just as we were
about to start again, finished my Mount Mazama observations. It was a
most satisfying jaunt, and, although I had learned much concerning bird-life
zones, there remains underneath, and probably always will, a never-endingWhy?

The Tree Swallow on Long Island

By J. T. NICHOLS, New York City
With Photographs by Dr. Frank Overton

THE Tree Swallow ordinarily does not nest near
New York City, where it arrives on its southward
migration the beginning of July; but on the east-
ern portion of Long Island it is locally a not uncom-
mon nesting-bird. The present note deals with its occur-
rence on the south shore of the island.

About June 1, 191 2 (May 27, May 29, and June 2)
Dr. Frank Overton, of Patchogue, found a pair going in
and out of one of several old abandoned hydrants by
the side of a road through deserted farm land overgrown
with low pines. The opening to the nest was only a
couple of feet from the ground. The hydrant in which it
was placed was in East Patchogue, about one-half mile
from Great South Bay and within 400 or 500 feet of a
pond. The accompanying photographs by Dr. Overton
were taken at this time. From him I learned that Tree
Swallows nested at this spot in succeeding years, that in
1 91 5 there were two or three pairs, and that formerly
Bluebirds nested in the hydrants. He had not seen
the Bluebirds for several years.

On June 15, 1914, the writer found his first Long Island Tree Swallow's

wm

TREE SWALLOW AND
ITS HYDRANT NEST-
ING SITE

28o

Bird - Lore

nest in a hollow stub overhanging a creek at Moriches. The old birds were
carrying food to the young within, and it is a remarkable fact that one of these

TREE SWALLOW AT THE ENTRANCE TO ITS HYDRANT NESTING SITE

adults had the brown upper parts characterizing the immature plumage of this
species. The accompaning photograph of this nest was taken on June 20. I

believe that this nesting site was not
occupied in 11)15, Dut several Tree Swal-
lows (probably two or more pairs) were
seen nearby (at Mastic) throughout the
summer, and probably bred. Though no
nest has since been found, there have
usually been a pair or two in the general
vicinity each summer.

At Mastic one does not look for a
decided increase of Tree Swallows over
individuals which may have bred nearby,
so early as at localities close to New
York City. The present season (1920),
these southbound migrants were not
noticed until between August 10 and 15.

Neither do these new arrivals ordinarily
assemble in the very large llocks com-
mon farther west. Yet a great many
pass through in fall migration, swiftly,
in straggling llocks or flights. Studying
shore-birds on the marshes behind the

ITALLOV M NESTENTRANCE duneS ™ dear autumn-like mornings
Photographed by the author at Moriches perhaps just as the September SUD has

The Tree Swallow on Long Island

281

mounted high enough to impart a grateful warmth after the chill of^dawn,
two or three darting forms go by, one hears the diagnostic double note to
right and to left, and for a minute or two there are Tree Swallows in every
direction, streaming past into the West like snowflakes before a gale. After
early October the occurrence of the species is sporadic.

A majority of the birds must go north in spring by some different route, as
they never seem to be numerous at that season, We know of no earlier regular
arrival date for Long Island than March 19. February 16, a date given in
Eaton's 'Birds of New York' (from Dutcher), seems purely casual. In the fall
any Tree Swallows seen later than November 25 may also be considered casual.
Attention may be called to a record in the Christmas, 1919, Census, of one
observed in a snow-storm on Gardiner's Bay, December 21, by Lord William
Percy and Ludlow Griscom.

When one gets a good view of them, our different Swallows are well marked
and easy to identify. They also present differences in size, flight and call-
notes which one learns to recognize. However, it may aid in the determination
of a bird darting by at a difficult angle, to call attention to the white on the
Tree Swallows' flanks, which encroaches on the dark upper parts in front of
the tail so as to be conspicuous. The Tree Swallow also has an angle in the
posterior outline of the wing unlike the other species, as though the primary
feathers projected more abruptly beyond the secondaries.

. iZl's+s* 'A

THE KINGFISHER'S CAVE
Photographed by Walter A. Goelitz, Ravinia, Ills.

J^otesf from iftelb ano J>tuop

An Exhibit of Ornithological Art

The Local Committee for the meeting
of the American Ornithologists' Union to
be held in Washington. November 8 to n,
plans to hold an exhibit of ornithological
art. Numerous bird painters and photo-
graphers have promised to contribute
and all are invited. The Local Committee
will pay transportation charges on pictures,
if desired, will exhibit them under glass in
a fire-proof building, and will be respon-
sible for them from receipt until return
shipment is made. Six pictures will be
allowed each contributor. Gray mats
should be used so far as practicable and
photographs should be arranged on mats
of suitable size for it x 14 pictures. If
you have any pictures suitable for this
occasion, and have not been approached
directly by the Committee, consider this
notice an invitation. Pictures should
reach Washington in October, and will be
on exhibit through the month of No-
vember. For further information address
W. L. McAtee, Biological Survey, Wash-
ington, I). C.

Bird Notes from Victoria,

British Columbia

Read before the Natural History Society of
British Columbia

STELLER's Jay. A most curious and
unaccountable invasion of the city and
suburban districts by Steller's Jay is
recorded in the following letter which
recently appeared in the public press:

Oct. 23, IOIQ.

Sir: The curious invasion of the city
and surrounding districts by the Blue Jay
is attracting the attention of everyone,
especially those interested in bird-life.
They arc to be seen everywhere, in gardens,
and in the parks and even invading the
streets of the suburbs in some places.

In all my experience, and that of other
observers with whom 1 have spoken, a

similar instance of this singular invasion

(i&

cannot be recalled. Naturally the prophets
are busily predicting a hard winter and
other disasters.

The Blue Jay is amongst the handsomest
of our native birds and his cheerful note,
although not musical is most pleasant and
I sincerely hope that his peccadilloes in
the shape of picking holes in apples and
carrying away small potatoes will be over-
looked and that he will be left unmolested.
J. K. Anderson.

Various opinions have been hazarded
as to the reason for this abnormal appear-
ance of this bird in cities, etc.. when their
usual haunts are in the thickets and woods.
These haunts are preferably adjacent to
farms and other open spaces where their
usual diet of wild fruits and seeds of the fir
cones. may be supplemented with uncon-
sidered trifles of potatoes, peas, etc. The
most plausible theory is that there is a
scarcity of fir cones. Be that as it may.
the Steller's Jay has certainly made him-
self at home in the environs of the city and
town and appropriates such scraps of food
as are available. But a most curious fact
in this connection is recorded by a gentle-
man who has a place in the country about
four miles from Victoria, which he fre-
quently leaves untenanted for a few days.
On a recent visit he found that the putty
had been carefully removed from most of
the windows. He soon discovered that the
culprits were Steller's Jays, of which there
were many in the vicinity. He observed
that the birds even ate the putty. He shot
one and hung it up as a warning to the
others, but this did not stop the thieving.
On repairing the windows the putty was
painted black, but this did not have any
effect as the birds still removed it. I
should add that I am not personally aware
that the seed from fir cones forms any part
of the Jay's diet, but I have seen it so
stated in an evidently authentic publica
tion. The scarcity of fir cones is reported
from Spraot Lake where apparently on
that accounl the squirrels and Blue JayS

2)

Note> from Field and Study

283

invaded gardens, in order to pilfer apples
and small fruits, hut I have not been able
to ascertain whether these conditions are
general.

Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyano-
cephalus). Air. A. S. Barton, who is a
keen observer of bird-life reports noticing
an exceptionally large flock of Brewer's
Blackbirds following the plough in a field
near Victoria in company with a number of
Crows, reminding him of Rooks and Star-
lings in the old country. It would have been
interesting to have examined the crops of
these birds, though there is little doubt
that they were feeding on the grubs and
worms that were being exposed to view.
These birds appear to be increasing as
more land is brought under cultivation.
A few years ago they were seldom seen
here, and never in such large numbers as
at present. I myself can corroborate
this. The bird has, however, been quite
common on the mainland in the vicinity
of the Fraser River.

Northwestern Crow. The usually
much execrated old Crow is present, as
usual, in great numbers. Papers have been
written in condemnation and defence of
this sagacious bird, but without any real
decision as to whether his sins are not
condoned by his industry in hunting out
the enemies of the farmer and horticulturist
during the many months when damage by
him cannot be done. He is an amusing
fellow in many ways. To watch him dig-
ging up clams on the sea beach, soaring
aloft with them and dropping them upon
the jagged rocks below as far as possible
from his astute neighbor, and swooping
down to pick up the exposed mollusc
when the shell breaks, is an education in
itself.

An incident has been related recently
about a Crow who had his claw caught by
the clam he had picked up. As he was
unable to fly well he was easily captured.
Another Crow found a hard crust which
he could not eat. He took it to a puddle of
water and after trying its coming softness
several times, was soon able to gobble it
up. They are to be seen in the vicinity of
suburban schools patiently waiting about

for the bell for school after lunch, when
they dash down and clear up the crumbs.

California Quail. This bird was
introduced some years ago and has made
itself at home and has freely taken posses-
sion of the vacant lands, parks, etc., and
prohibited shooting areas near Victoria.
The Scotch broom, another exotic which
grows in great profusion around Victoria,
is a favorite haunt of the Quail, affording
shelter and food supply. It is only with the
greatest difficulty that sportsmen are able
to drive them out to be shot.

English Song-birds. With the single
exception of the Skylark, some of which are
seen in the vicinity of Victoria every year,
it would seem that the well-intentioned
scheme of the Natural History Society and
the expenditure of several hundred dollars
in 191 2 were of no avail in the successful
introduction of the English song-birds
which it was endeavored to bring out from
England.

The chief trouble in the matter was the
miserable shipping arrangements by which
the birds were huddled up in the bow of a
freight steamer through a stormy passage
of sixteen days. This weakened the little
birds so much that they were unable to
withstand the long train journey across
Canada, and more than half the birds had
succumbed before they reached their
destination; the remainder, greatly weak-
ened, have apparently all succumbed,
though some of the English Robins have
been reported at various times, such as
'killed by cat' or 'nest raided by Crows.'
Perhaps, too, the absence of water during
the hot summer months, which is so
essential both for the bath and for drink-
ing purposes, may have been a contributing
cause. Mr. Barton advances the theory
that while the imported game-birds all
indulge in a dust bath, the English song-
birds, like the typical Englishman, cannot
thrive without their daily bath, but it
must be in water.

Capercaillie (Telrao urogallus). An
apparently authentic report has been
made by the Society's president, A. R.
Sherwood, that a hen Capercaillie had been
seen this last summer at Pitt Meadows

284

Bird - Lore

by a well-known sportsman, who is
thoroughly conversant with this bird and
who was present when a shipment was
turned loose several years ago in an
attempt to acclimatize it. W. F. Burton,
however, expresses grave doubts regarding
the reported existence of Capercaillie at
Pitt Meadows as this bird only frequents
the highest peaks and the fir trees. — J. R.
Anderson, Victoria, B. C.

Record of a Feeding Station

On September 10, 19 18 I set out to
select a spot for a bird feeding-station.
Two things were taken into consideration
before the final spot was chosen. It would
be necessary to visit the feeder almost daily,
so it would be a great convenience if 1
could find a suitable place near my home.
Cobb's Hill was selected, and a spot in the
'Dingle,' in the center of a small patch of
trees, sheltered on the south by a bank
and by trees on the other sides, was thought
to be the most suitable. Previous to this
time Pheasants, Hairy and Downy Wood-
peckers, Tree Sparrows, Juncos, White-
breasted Nuthatches and Chickadees had
been seen here in small numbers and I
hoped to attract a few of these species.

From a neighboring field I procured
some cornstalks which I piled together in
the form of a tepee with a large opening in
front and a small one in back. I then placed
some suet in the crevices of the trees and
scattered some small pieces on the ground.
Next some mountain ash berries, stag-
horn sumac, wild grapes and apples were
placed in the trees and bread crumbs were
scattered on the ground. When I arrived
the following day most of the suet on the
ground was gone and that in the trees
had small holes in it where the birds had
pe< kc<l it. Soon a Chickadee lit near some
suet on the apple tree in front and began
feeding and then a Catbird was noticed
feeding on I lu- grapes in the tepee. Pres-
ently a chipmunk came from a crevice
in the rocks and commenced eating t lie
remainder of the suet that was on the
ground, so thereafter the suet was tied to
the trees; later a Crow was seen flying

from the feeder with a large piece in his
bill. I now nailed some quarter-inch wire
mesh on a board, bent over the sides and
top and placed the suet inside. A food-tray
and an automatic feeder were added later
and the place began to assume the appear-
ance of a feeding-station.

During the winter I tried continually
for pictures, but as the trees were so thick,
the light was very poor and the results
were not very satisfactory.

A Great Blue Heron was seen in the trees
above the feeder on January 13. As the
winter was a rather open one, he may have
stayed in a near-by swamp, but he was
not observed after the above date.
Pheasants were seen all around the place
but none were seen feeding. Tree Sparrows
were noticed occasionally near the feeder
but "none were observed to feed. Chick-
adees came to my hand for food first on
November n, and since then I have had no
difficulty in getting them to do it whenever
I attempt to.

The following is a list of the foods
supplied and the birds observed feeding on
them. The birds marked with an asterisk
stayed all winter.

Suet.— Hairy Woodpecker,* Downy
Woodpecker,* Crow,* Slate-coloredjunco.*
Fox Sparrow, Catbird, Brown Creeper,
White-breasted Nuthatch,* Black-capped
Chickadee,* Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Hemp Seed. — White-breasted Nuthatch,
Black-capped Chickadee.

Millet Seed. — White - breasted Nut-
hatch, Black-capped Chickadee.

Bread Crumbs. — Song Sparrow,* Black
capped Chickadee.

Sunflower Seed. — Downy Woodpecker.
Slate-colored Junco, White-breasted Nut
hatch, Black-capped Chickadee.

Oats. — Slate-colored Junco.

Wild Grape.— Catbird, Robin.

Sumac. — Hairy Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Catbird, Brown Thrasher,
Brown Creeper, Black-capped Chickadee.

The past winter, 1919-20. I continued
the feeder and found, in addition to the
above, the following list.

Hemp Seed. — Tree Sparrow, Slate-
colored Junco.

Notes from Field and Study

285

Suet. — Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Millet Seed. — Tree Sparrow.

Bread Crumbs. — Downy Woodpecker.

Sumac. — Pheasant, Slate-colored Junco
Robin, Bluebird.

Chaff. — Slate-colored Junco,
capped Chickadee.

Whole Corn. — Pheasant.

Lard. — Downy Woodpecker,
capped Chickadee. — Richard M
Rochester, N. Y.

Black-

Black-
Chase,

Red-throated Loon at Branchport, N. Y.

The harbor at Branchport is cut off
from the rest of Lake Keuka by a long
sandbar through which a channel has been
cut to enable the boats to enter and leave
the harbor. There is enough current flow-
ing through the channel to keep it free

slip by and swim rapidly to the other
end of the opening. It stayed in the
channel the next two days, but when I
went down there on the nth it had left
and it was not seen again. — Verdi
Burtch, Branchport, N. Y.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron in
New Hampshire

It may interest you to hear that I saw
a Yellow-crowned Night Heron feeding
with some Black-crowned Night Herons on
the mud flats in Portsmouth, N. H., July
8, 1920. There was no question about its
identity. The bird was in adult plumage
and I had my glasses on it at fairly close
range. Finally it was scared up by a
passing boat, and alighted in a pine tree
some thirty feet from where I was sitting. — ■
John T. Coolidge, Jr., Portsmouth, N. H.

RED-THROATED LOON

Photographed by Verdi Burtch, Branchport

N. Y., Feb. 18, 1918

from ice even in the very coldest weather,
and I frequently find wild ducks there and
occasionally a Holboell's Grebe.

February 8, 1918, I found a Red-
throated Loon in the channel and I was
told by some fishermen that it had been
there for two or three days. It was rather
slow in its movements, did not dive at all
and kept to the opposite side of the channel
from me. There was a female Canvasback
and a female American Scaup Duck with
it in the channel but they flew away as I
approached. The Loon did not attempt
to fly or to dive, but when cornered would

Brave Quail

It is interesting to note how the shy
birds' fear of man changes with the
seasons. Early in July when I was hunt-
ing along the edge of upper Barnegat
Bay, N. J., for good picnic ground, I heard
a Quail give the bob-white call a little
distance away in the scattered pine timber.
I went inland a few paces, then sat down
behind a tree and whistled the female
note, which brought a quick answer, soon
to be repeated several times and nearer.
Then I saw the bird, a fine male, run across
an open patch of sand about twenty feet
distant, as if he had not correctly placed
the whereabouts of the call. Another
whistle, low and very short, brought him
like a cannon ball right past my face,
where I firmly believe he would have hit
had his eye not recognized a possible
enemy in time. Believing that now the
bird would leave the neighborhood I
stood up and was much surprised to hear
another bob-white close behind me. Quick-
ly stepping into the bushes I flushed him,
then returned to the picnic party the
members of which were making merry
not far away.

Now and then I made a poor attempt

286

Bird - Lore

at a call, — sandwiches interfering a good
deal — and before long a movement in the
grass Caught my eye and two male Quail
appeared running, one behind the other,
at remarkable speed. In and out and
around the bushes they dodged, one pass-
ing the other unerringly but without being
able to lessen the distance between, which
for fully two minutes was just about one
foot. They ignored the picnic party
entirely and came within a few feet of the
bright fire. The agility of the birds was
astounding as well as was the length of
time they could keep up the pace.

At length one chased the other a reason
able distance away and then returned to
within a few yards of me and whistled
most happily. I felt the least bit sorry»at
having deceived him and did not answer
for a time. First he would bob-white and
then the other would give his call from
another direction. This would arouse the
first and he would come running to within
about ten feet of me, the whistle becoming
positively annoying. He would then fly
about twenty yards and run back very
quickly.

The only time the birds were silent was
when a Bald Eagle chased a Fish Hawk
screaming over the tops of the trees.
After that one call brought them both into
low trees pretty close to the picnic fire
where they called until night came on,
refusing to be driven away for any length
of time, although out of curiosity I chased
them twice.

In the far South one sees coveys of
Quail that are tame because they have
not learned to fear man; but this is the first
time I have seen the wily Jersey bird show
fearlessness. Doubtless when the covey
paired off in the spring these two Lonely
birds were left without mates. J. YV.
LlPPINCOTT, Philadelphia, Pa.

A Migrant Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

On July 30, 1920, the writer picked up a
dead bird on the sidewalk near his home,

which was later identified as a Yellow
bellied Flycatcher. Is this a very early

fall rc< ord f<>r this species, or do t bese birds

slip by at this season unnoticed? I had
seen no other migrating Flycatchers or
Warblers at that date. — C. H. Bush,

De Kalb, Ills.

House Finches Bat Salt

Until last summer I had always been led
to believe that salt was poison to birds,
but at that time I found that to the House
Finch, at least, it is not.

Just across the street from my home is a
small pasture lot. Often when sitting on
our porch I observed one or more House
Finches alight on the wire of the fence and
then drop down among the grass, always
at the same spot. At length my curiosity
was so aroused to know what was attract-
ing them that I went to investigate. The
only unusual thing there was a block of
pressed salt and sulphur that had been
put in the pasture for the benefit of the
little bossy that grazed there.

This block, I discovered, was riddled
with small cup-shaped holes, quite dif-
ferent from anything likely to be made in
it by a cow's tongue. Later I frequently
saw the Finches pecking away at the salt
and apparently swallowing it. All spring
and summer they kept this up, until by
fall the chunk was worn away almost
entirely; and I had good reason to believe
that the birds had devoured more of it
than the cow. That it had no ill effects
upon them was evinced by the apparent
health they displayed, and the fact that 1
never discovered any dead or ailing birds
in the locality.

So far as I could see. House Finches
wire the only birds attracted to the salt.
Esther Reeks, Boulder, Colo.

The Waxwings' Rag Bag

For several years a pair of Cedar Wax-
wings have built their aesl and reared their
family just at the edge of the woods on
my little farm in New Hampshire. Bach

season I have tried to assist in their home-
making by placing bits of string and strips
of cloth at their disposal. At first, the
birds were shy and used t hese things rather

Notes from Field and Study

287

sparingly, but each year on examining
the nest after the birds had left, I found
that gradually they used less grass and
more of the material I put out for them.

Each season found my Waxwings more
friendly, and it was with even greater
pleasure than usual that I heard the first
plaintive whistle of my little friends, and
saw their bright little eyes piercing down
at me, as I was working in my garden one
morning in June, 1919.

They spent some time in deciding upon
a site for their new home, and I was
delighted when they finally chose an apple
tree about fifty feet from the house and
directly beside the garden where 1 could
watch them so easily.

I immediately began putting out string,
as usual hanging it upon a clothes line on
the back porch. Within half an hour the
Waxwings spied it and began carrying it
to the apple tree. They made no efforts
to collect twigs or any other nesting
material; it was quite evident that the
string was more to their liking and easier
to secure than anything else; or perhaps
they were tired of the old, conventional
way of house-building and welcomed a
change.

Once, a third Waxwing, who had been
watching the proceedings, flew down and
attempted to carry away some string
on her own account. Then what a scolding
ensued, until the intruder was finally
driven away — without the string.

My supply of twine threatening to
become exhausted, I began tearing old
cloth into strips about one-half an inch
wide and from five to twelve inches in
length. This, the birds liked even better;
and they at once redoubled their efforts.
How fast they worked, and what yards of
cloth they used !

For three days their little whistle was
the first thing I heard in the morning; and
it seemed as if I had no sooner hung out
dozens of strips of cloth, than they were
gone, and my birds were swinging on the
line eyeing the kitchen door, and coaxing
for more.

I experimented with colors, and al-
though they apparently preferred white,

they did use several strips of bright pink
outing flannel when the supply of white
cloth was low.

Surely, baby Waxwings never had a
softer or a more conspicuous nest. Pink
and white rags floated gaily forth, from
among the green leaves, and passersby
frequently stopped to comment on the
unusual sight.

We called it 'The Waxwings' Rag Bag';
and after the little family had left for
warmer lands, we carefully sawed off the
limb of the apple tree, and a nest which
promises to rival all the others was added
to a large collection. — Mary B. Benson,
Everett, Mass.

Peculiar Song of a Red-eyed Vireo

To those interested in the songs of
birds, and especially in the notes one
species sometimes borrows from another,
the following incident may be of specia
interest.

June 20, 1920 I had been making a list
of species seen for the day, and in the
afternoon, hearing the familiar note of a
Crested Flycatcher, I made a detour to
get a sight of the bird. As I neared the tree
whence came the notes, I became aware
that a Red-eyed Vireo was also singing
loudly from the same tree; but from the
distance I first heard the Flycatcher's
call; I could not hear the song of the Vireo.
I stood near the tree some ten minutes in
an endeavor to see the bird, but search as
I could no Flycatcher was to be seen. The
Vireo then attracted my attention by
flying about two hundred feet to another
tree and both voices ceased. I waited, still
looking for the Flycatcher, when again
the Vireo started to sing, and before many
of his questioning phrases had been
uttered I was surprised to hear the shrill
quirp of the Great Crest come from that
tree. My only thought was "Funny how
he got over there without my seeing him
leave." This happened twice more before
I discovered the Vireo was uttering both
songs and fooling me completely. I might
have followed that phantom Flycatcher
the rest of the afternoon had not the Vireo

Bird - Lore

come low down on a dead branch and shown
me how he did it. I watched the bird some
time after that and saw him throw his head
up each time the Flycatcher note was
uttered and then continue on with his
regular song without any lost time in
between; or in other words, the ordinary
song of the Red-eye was simply punctuated
at intervals by the high-pitched quirp of
the Crested Flycatcher. A pair of the
latter had been in the vicinity all the spring
but were neither seen nor heard that day.
— F. A. Doolittle, Paincsville, Ohio.

Yellow-throated Vireos

One day in the middle of June, a
'function,' seemed to be at its height in
the old tree at the corner of the house, and
I discovered eight or ten olive-green and
yellow songsters fluttering and singing
among the lower branches, evidently intent
upon pleasure alone, and the contralto
chorus from so many voices seemed in
some way to be suggestive of Mendels-
sohn's Wedding March.

And a wedding it must have been, for
after that joyous occasion only two of the
flock were seen in the tree. They grew
daily more untiring both in labor and
song, incessantly repeating their richly
sweet dialogue: "Here I am, see me?
Where are you?" with an occasional burst
of trills wholly untranslatable.

Search that tree as I might, inch by
inch, and with strong glasses, it was not
until the Fourth of July that I discovered
that what had appeared to be a dried
leaf was the cleverly constructed basket
cradle of the Vireos. There, about two
feet from the end of the lowest branch,
but well out of reach of marauders, swung
between two horizontal twigs with its
bottom resting on the branch, and almost
concealed by overhanging leaves, was the
handiwork of the second-besl bird archi-
tects (tin- freely swinging nest of the
Baltimore Oriole deserves first place),
and over the edge peered two brightly
i urious but fearless eyes of Madam Vireo.
While I watched there came tin- mate with
a morsel for her refreshment.

Fager to test their reputation for friend-
liness, I tacked to the end of a stick a tiny
tin cup filled with moistened crumbs.
To my unspeakable delight the very first
time the cup's contents were offered, the
bird on the nest stretched her charming
little head over the edge and ate with
relish; soon came the male, and alighting
silently on a near-by twig thrust his bill
into the cup again and again!

On closer inspection the nest looked like
a diminutive cap fashioned from birch
bark, the greyish white appearance being
due to scraps of printed newspaper firmly
laced into place by long slender grasses.
It needed but a couple of days' watching
to learn two of the Yellow-Throat's habits:
first, never was the nest left alone for a
moment during incubation, the two birds
sharing equally their duties, both of sitting
on the eggs and keeping the dainty home
in repair and well cleaned; the other
habit was the strictest silence when near
or on the nest; even when a note of warning
was thought necessary it was given from a
distant branch. To be sure the days of
song were past, for now the serious business
of housekeeping and rearing a family
was all-absorbing, and it became a rare
treat to hear the male give voice to his
joyful satisfaction with events. I noticed
that although he chose a perch far away.
it was within sight of the nest.

I had never seen a small bird dare a
personal encounter with a four-footed
enemy, and knowing the Vireo's habitual
silence I was surprised one day to hear
loud, unmistakable scolding notes. I
hastened to the back porch and saw a great
black cat on the fence just below the nest.
and although it was not near enough to do
any harm, both the little parent birds
seemed to be in danger of splitting their
throats, and in addition to their torrent
of rage, the male was making swifl . straight
dashes almost into the face of the enemy,
who. satisfied of the uselessness of any
attempt to attack that nest, leisurely
walked away to the end of the fence. It
was some time before the excited little
lighter K'rew calm: he Bitted about the
oest, making no pretence at gathering

Notes from Field and Study

289

food, and must at last have persuaded
his lady that he was the better guard for
the home when danger threatened, for
presently she flew away and within the
instant he took her place.

A proof that they knew their friends
was given me that very night, for mounting
a stepladder with my usual evening gift,
my head was on a level with the nest and
less than two feet away as I proffered the
tin cup, this time in the palm of my hand,
to the bird at home, which, perching on
the edge of the nest, gave me a first glimpse
of three tiny open bills, for the babies were
there. But only food gathered by them-
selves was fed to the young.

Daily watching and daily feeding my
tiny neighbors so endeared them to me
that I dreaded the time of parting, which
I knew could not be far off; nevertheless
I was surprised one morning to find the nest
empty, and even the chance to investigate
the interior of it in no degree compensated
for my loss, and I am afraid I was inclined

to feel that the Vireos might have said
"Good-bye."

I found that the lining was as soft as
down although woven of long slender
grasses with an under and over regularity
and evenness that is wonderful and rivals
human needlework. They are weavers and
tailors, too.

The nest was not quite empty, for a
small, brown-spotted white egg remained
to reveal the fact of one disappointment to
the confiding little couple that I long to
welcome again, and to whom I have tried
to extend a cordial invitation by nailing
to the old apple tree a box in which I
keep a 'bird's luncheon.' — Inez Harring-
ton Whitfield, Hot Springs, Ark.

A Railroad Robin

One small bird has attracted more
attention on the line of the Harlem Rail-
road this summer than any of the beauty
spots between New York and Chatham.

A ROBIN'S NEST ON A SIGNAL GATE. THE BIRD MAY BE SEEN ON HER NEST NEAR

THE CENTER OF THE DISK

2go

Bird - Lore

At the junction of the Harlem and Central
New England, a few rods smith of Boston
Corners station, stand the old fashioned
signal gates, and on the crossbar of one of
these gates, with the big red disk for a
background, the Robin built her nest and
reared her family. This Kate is swung
from one position to another perhaps
fifty times in twenty four hours, and it
would be interesting to compute the
number of miles of free 'railroad trans-
portation' the Robin has enjoyed. At
night when the red light was placed in
position, the signalman's hands were
always within a few inches of the bird,
yet in the face of all these seeming dis-
couragements, she made this weird choice
for a home-site, and stuck to her task of
raising a family. The 'Railroad Robin'
has been not only the center of interest
among the railroad men on the Harlem,
but she has been seen by thousands of
passengers from the car windows. In the
accompanying picture, the bird may be
clearly seen on the edge of her nest, her
head protruding just past the hole in the
disk. — Ward \Y. Adair, New York City.

The Tragedy of the Ovenbird

One morning late last May, as I turned
to come in from the front veranda of our
house, I noticed a bird lying on the porch
table. I went over and picked it up expect-
ing it would prove to be an English
Sparrow. To my surprise I found I held
in my hand a male Ovenbird, It was in
full spring plumage, there were no signs
of hurt or disease, and the body was still
limp and warm. As I held it in my hand
stroking its beautiful olive-green back and,
wondering over the mystery of this shy
little wood-bird dead on the porch table
of a city home, I suddently turned my
eyes to the double window before which

the table stood and noticed thai the
tall trees in front of the bouse were
reflei ted in this window almost as clearly
as in a mirror. Had the little bird (aught
sight of his own image in the glass and
taking it for another Ovenbird flown
toward it in his impetuous fashion, striking
the glass with force enough to kill it 'i
Who can tell? — Mrs. Artiii r F.
Gardner, Troy, X. Y.

Nuthatch and Shrike

Among the many birds which fed during
the winter of 19 17-18 close to the bay
window from which I watch them have
been a pair of Nuthatches. A little before
Christmas they suddenly disappeared for
two or three weeks, and then as suddenly
returned. Two or three days later a bird
flew against the window. Looking up I
saw an unfamiliar bird at the foot of a
pear tree about twenty feet away. It
circled the tree two or three times, giving
me a good opportunity to study it. Then
it flew straight up from the ground and
began pecking at something in the crotch
of the tree, throwing feathers thick and
fast on the ground. After a few seconds a
Nuthatch, evidently the object of the
torture, flew from the crotch, the other
bird pursuing it instantly. Since then only
one Nuthatch visits me and appears very
timid.

It was the tragic story of the Butcher-
bird, but the peculiar thing to me is that
the Shrike which I observed so closely
answered much better the description of
the Migrant Shrike of Reed's book than
that of the Northern Shrike of the same
author.

Is it possible that it could have been
the southern rather than the northern
species? — Mrs. R. S. Hulbert, Winsted,
Conn.

The Season

291

THE SEASON
XXI. June 15 to August 15, 1920

Boston Region. — Cool weather con-
tinued through June and well into July,
the temperature, especially during the
night, being so abnormally low that an
unusual retardation in the growth of
vegetation resulted. On July 1, reckoned
by the blossoming of the common St.
John's-Wort, the season was fully a week
behind the average, and even a month
later, judged by the blossoming of the
earliest Goldenrods (Solidago juncea and
canadensis) the season was no less back-
\va rd. The delayed progress had apparently
little or no effect on the breeding activities
of the birds; with few exceptions (e. g.,
the Brown Thrasher) the song-periods
ended at the normal time and the call of
the fledgling Baltimore Orioles was heard
as usual by June 25. This note of the
young Oriole, one of the most characteristic
sounds of early summer, is far less common
with us now than it was even ten years
ago, although thereis no noticeable diminu-
tion in the number of breeding Orioles.

Birds in general seemed rather more
numerous than they were last year:
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were never com-
moner and the Vireos showed an encourag-
ing, if only a slight increase in numbers.
Kingfishers and Hummingbirds, on the
other hand, were rare.

Perhaps the earliest sign of approaching
autumn noticed by those who watch birds
closely is the tendency of the Warblers
to wander. In the early morning we hear
little, fine chips which we have not heard
until now in our gardens. The birds, when
we look them up, prove to be Ovenbirds,
Redstarts, or perhaps Black and White
Warblers, species which have bred within
a mile or so, and we wonder whether these
individual birds have strayed from their
near-by breeding-grounds or whether,
thus early in the season, they have taken
a night's flight toward their winter
quarters. That a wide-spread migration is
already under way is often proved by the
presence in early August of a Warbler

which must have flown from a distance — a
Tennessee or a Parula. This year the
wandering Warblers appeared as early as
they usually do — during the last few days
of July.— Winsok M. Tyler, M.D.,
Lexington, Mass.

New York Region. — The beginnings
of the southward migration fall in this
period. Tree Swallows are reported as
gathering about the Hackensack marshes
in early July. There was a further decided
general increase in their numbers about
August 12. Other Swallows which breed
commonly in the region were also moving.
C. H. Rogers estimated between 800 and
900 Barn Swallows at Long Beach on the
morning of August 8. Before eight o'clock
comparatively few birds were seen, and
these feeding; a heavy flight took place
between eight and ten, after which fewer
were migrating.

July to August is the time of year when
the majority of land-birds cease singing
and are difficult to find; and the time
when the majority of the northern breeding
shore-birds are sweeping southward along
the coast. This season the coastwise
marshes have not dried out as they some-
times do, a condition doubtless correlated
with an unusual abundance of such birds.
Several species were very early in putting
in an appearance. At Mastic, L. I., a
Least Sandpiper and a Lesser Yellowleg, in
company, were noted on June 27. A week
later, July 4, there were more Lesser
Yellowlegs, also Dowitchers; July 11, a
Solitary Sandpiper; July 17, a Wilson's
Snipe! A Solitary Sandpiper reported
from Kingsland, N. J. (on the Hackensack)
July 5 (C. H. Rogers), is exceptionally
early. The Pectoral and Stilt Sandpipers
at Mastic (both first noted July 24),
and Jack Curlew on Long Island in general,
are above their ordinary numbers. The
Pectoral was decidedly more numerous
in the past than it has been in recent years,
but seems to be increasing again. The

2gi

Bird - Lore

Jack Curlew is one of the more regular
migrants along the Sound side of the
island, where shore-birds in general are
poorly represented. It may be seen steer-
ing a steady course to the west along the
Sound, passing close to the northern head-
lands.

The writer has long been aware that the
Duck Hawk regularly persecutes coastwise
shore-birds, and expects to meet with it
whenever these become particularly abun-
dant. Early in August he saw a Cooper's
or Sharp-shinned Hawk attempt to pick
up a Woodcock in the woods. Puddles of
water in a wheel rut of a certain road
frequently had borings beside them, and
one afternoon a Woodcock was found
sitting motionless, facing such a puddle,
and the road beyond, its long bill slanting
down across its breast. After about three
minutes by the watch, a shadow dropped
down, and a flutter resolved itself into, —
first, the Hawk, which had missed, turning
upward with dark-barred tail broadly
spread to disappear in the arching branches
and foliage above, second the Woodcock's
wing-twitter slanting up and away through
the trees in a direction opposite to that
it had been facing. It must have been very
quick.— J. T. Nichols, New York City.

Washington Rkgion. — During the
months of June and July, 1920, the city of
Washington, so far as the weather was
concerned, was an excellent summer
resort, for birds as well as for people. Evi-
dence of the cool, pleasant weather of this
summer appears in the rather unusual
abundance and activity of birds during
,'uly. Several species, such as the Indigo
Hunting, Chewink, House Wren, and
Wood Thrush, have continued regularly in
song through July up to the last of the
month, which seems to be not commonly
the case.

Not very many unusual birds have so
far been noted during the present season.
The Blue Grosbeak, which is a more or less
regular, though very rare, summer resi-
dent about Washington, was observed on
June 21 by Miss M. T. Cooke at Belle view,
D. C, along the Potomac River, a short

distance south of Washington, and on June
25 by Mr. F. C. Lincoln at the same place.
The Least Bittern was seen by Miss M.J.
Pellew on July 21 and 23 near the southern
end of the Highway Bridge to Virginia,
and the American Bittern on July 23 near
Alexander Island, D. C. The Sparrow
Hawk, which has become accustomed to
rearing its young in the city of Washington,
ordinarily in nests placed in the cornices of
buildings, is this year apparently breeding
near the Library of Congress, as the birds
were several times seen there during the
latter part of June.

The Purple Martins have again returned
to roost in the city, and much earlier than
usual, though in apparently their former
numbers. They seem, however, to be much
more restless this year than previously,
since they have several times changed their
roosting-place already. Large numbers of
Starlings, more than ever seen in Wash-
ington before, are assembling into roosts,
sometimes with the Martins. A large roost
of Swallows also, comprising Bank, Barn,
and Rough-winged Swallows, was dis-
covered by Miss Pellew in the marshes
along the Potomac River just south of
Washington.

Birds about the writer's home in the city
near the Zoological Park were unusually
numerous, apparently twice as much so as
during the same period of last year. A pair
of Robins reared a brood in the rose arbor
at the back of our house, and a pair, sup-
posedly the same, later brought up another
brood on the branch of a tree in front of
the next house but one, and only some eight
or ten feet above and directly over the
front walk. At the present time there is a
third nest, recently built in front of the
house on the other side of ours, and still
occupied, notwithstanding damage done
by workmen in the tree. What we assume
to have been also the same pair of Robins
bad a nest in an adjoining yard last year;
and these two birds seem to have become
fully accustomed to the proximity of
persons at all times of the day, although
they never have entirely lost their fear of a
very dose approach. Harry C. Obkr-
ROZSZR,BiologicalSurvey,Washington, D.C.

The Season

293

Kansas City Region. — But one note
of unusual interest has come to hand dur-
ing the current period. On June 19 two,
presumably a pair, of Upland Plovers were
noted in a meadow just inside the south-
western city limits. By their behavior
they doubtless had young nearby, as they
were particularly noisy and solicitous on
being approached in one corner of the
meadow. This prairie region is an old-
time shooting ground where local sports-
men of earlier times were always assured
of a full bag during the season. During the
past fifteen or more years only migrants
have been seen here in ever-decreasing
numbers, and it is a most hopeful sign
again to find these desirable birds remain-
ing here to breed. However, this region
is doomed as a breeding-stand for such
wild birds, as home sites are rapidly replac-
ing the open country.

A few Ducks and Coots have also re-
mained to breed, as reports have come in
from several near-by points, between June
1 and 17, of Wood Ducks, Blue-winged
Teal and Coots being seen in small troops
and family parties. At least one pair of
Blue-winged Teal is known to have been
unsuccessful in bringing off their brood.

A Marsh Hawk observed on June 27 was
no doubt nesting in the neighborhood.
There is but one authentic record of the
local nesting of this Hawk, though it is
common enough during migration and in
winter.

The first returning Yellowlegs were
reported as arriving on July 18, and on
August 4 a belated Meadowlark's nest
was found containing four eggs (Tindall).
Baltimore Orioles were first heard singing
on August 8 following their mysterious
disappearance during the post-nuptial
moult.

A large Robin's roost was recently
discovered in a grove of pines in the
Country Club district. The birds seemed to
come in mainly from the southwest to this
roost which evidently has been used for
some time. Mourning Doves were also
noted using one end of this grove for a
roosting-place. The usual large Crackle
roost in the Rockhill region is again caus-

ing annoyance, and, indeed, seems to be
occupied by more birds this year than ever
before.

The season here has been altogether
favorable for bird-life, though there are
nearly forty records of nests being broken
up in a region where cats are not a menace
and where the predatory small boy has
been successfully appealed to. Numerous
Blue Jays in the region may account for the
destruction. Mourning Doves are notice-
ably more abundant than usual, and Yel-
low-billed Cuckoos are unaccountably
scarce.

An interesting record received too late
for inclusion in the last letter from this
point was the finding on May 21 of a
crippled Little Black Rail on the Missouri
River by William Andrews. — Harry
Harris, Kansas City, Missouri.

Itasca State Park (Minnesota)
Region. — Shortly after rendering the
report for the last period, the writer left
Minneapolis to spend the summer in this
northern locality in the evergreen region
of the state, which was described in some
detail in last year's summer record. The
time since has been largely spent in secur-
ing moving-picture films of birds, small
mammals, scenery, etc.

With the exception of two brief spells
the summer has been much cooler than
last year and up to the middle of July
cloudy and rainy, so that the lakes, streams
and lowlands have been over full of water.

The most notable feature of the bird-
life here this summer has been the excep-
tional scarcity of characteristic Canadian
species that are usually abundant and
furnish the chief attraction to the bird-
lover from the Transition Zone. Hermit
Thrushes and Veeries, White-throated
Sparrows and Juncos have been present
in very limited numbers, whereas ordi-
narily they are seen and heard everywhere
throughout the nesting season. Especially
has the absence of the Warblers been a
matter of surprise and a keen disappoint-
ment. Not a single Myrtle, Pine, Black-
burnian, or Magnolia Warbler was seen
during the breeding season. Last year

294

Bird - Lore

the Blackburnian in particular was en-
countered frequently on every trail. Single
records only of the Parula, Black-throated
Green, Canada, and Mourning Warblers
have been made. A pair of Connecticut
Warblers was found in the same bog as
last year. Only a small proportion of the
Ovenbirds that were so abundant here
last year have been present this season.
The Warbler migration at Minneapolis
last spring was up to the average of recent
years, but seemingly the usual allotment
for this region did not come here to nest.
Such abrupt and extreme irregularities in
distribution are not easy to explain. Next
year conditions may be normal again.

Last year there were many more forest-
loving Ducks breeding here than there are
this year. Only two broods of Golden-eyes
and two or three adult Wood Ducks have
been seen about the lake. A single brood
of Mallards has been encountered several
times in the same locality, feeding among
the wild rice, a sparse growth of which
fringes much of the lake shore. The wild
rice never grows tall here, the blossoms and
grain being usually only one to three feet
above the surface of the water.

Black Terns, Kingfishers, Great Blue
Herons and Loons have been present in
about normal numbers, but no young of
the last species have been seen. Perhaps
the nests were flooded by the early high
water.

Turkey Buzzards, formerly common, are
evidently steadily decreasing in numbers.
Fourteen is the maximum count this
season. The usual Bald Eagles and Fish
Hawks, a single pair of each, have nested
near the main lake.

In contrast to the above described
scarcity of desirable birds has been the
overabundance of two undesirable birds —
the Crow and the Grackle. These two
species have been everywhere, constantly
in sight and hearing, noisy and irritating.
The Crackles gather and nest in the trees
about the Forestry School and dominate
the bird-life of the plat e during tin- breed
ing time. Just how great a part these two
birds play in the great desl ruction of birds'
nests that is constant!} taking place is

difficult to determine accurately, but they
have been caught red-handed often enough
to apparently justify the general opinion
that they arc the chief offenders. In their
present overabundance it is almo>t certain
that they play sad havoc with the nests of
many of our birds when they are not well
concealed or protected. In these forested
regions they have an accomplice in this
nefarious business, as bad if not worse
than themselves — the Red Squirrel. Chip-
munks of two species are much more
abundant hereabouts than Red Squirrels,
but so far as 1 can learn confine their
attention to nuts, small fruits and seeds.
But the Red Squirrel is common enough
and is constantly hanging about birds'
nests and has been seen to seize and make
off with nestlings when opportunity offers.
These three creatures, by reason of their
fondness for eggs and callow young and
their abundance, are seemingly the arch
enemies of our birds in the nesting season.
That there are other woodland depredators
is probably true, but they are apparently
of less importance.

When one is locating nests and wan li
ing them through until the young leave,
it becomes a matter of great astonishment
to find how few broods are successfully
launched. This, I think, is more true
here in the comparative wilderness than in
the vicinity of cities and towns. Of a con-
siderable number of nests found this year
a very small percentage were succi
One pair of Song Sparrows at the Forestrj
School built at least three nests — twice
in identically the same spot, two and a
half feet from the ground in a little sprw c
by the water- edge — only to have them
dismantled as soon as eggs were deposited.
Crows were seen rilling a Robin's not in
the .same locality. A pair of Black billed
Ciukoos made three attempts to raise a
family but met with diasier each time,
the last time when the young were one
third grown. Even the nest of a little
Nashville Warbler, tucked away in a cozy
retreat in the side of a mossy hummoc k in
a SprUCe BW a l)l|i. wast he scene of some Sort

of catastrophe when the young were two

or three days old, that left it hopelessly

The Season

295

ruined. A Red Squirrel prowling close by
was considered the evil spirit in this
instance.

With the coming of August the usual
mixed troops of Warblers, Sparrows,
Flycatchers, Vireos, Kinglets, etc., began
to assemble in preparation for the leisurely
journey southward. And by the middle of
that month the trees and bushes were ever
and anon filled with these twittering,
restless aggregations. One day scores of
Pine Warblers, old and young, with a few
Myrtles mingled among them, appeared
from somewhere, probably farther north.
Mid-August found these northern lakes
deserted by the Great Blue Herons and
the Black Terns greatly reduced in
numbers. The woods were silent except
for the song of an occasional Red-eye and
the 'chucking' of the red squirrel. A pro-
fusion of composites, the blazing stars and
beautiful clusters of fringed gentians on the
open hillsides and beside the watercourses
marked the passing of the truly summer
flowers. All this with a faint golden tinge
creeping into the foliage of the aspens and
birches gave plain warning that the first
subtle influences of fall were already at
work. — Thos. S. Roberts, Zoological
Museum, University of Minnesota, Min-
neapolis.

Denver Region. — A year ago the
writer wrote that during the hot spell of
June-August the number of birds seen
seemed small, suggesting that such extreme
heat lessened the number of birds present
in the region. That fewer birds were then
noticeable is unquestionable; during the
corresponding season of this year far more
birds were seen, and the weather conditions
have been ideal. The writer does not
presume to maintain that it is established
as a fact that during a hot season fewer
birds are present in a given region than in
a cooler season; that these conditions seem
to obtain is merely alluded to and atten-
tion thereto invited.

During the season just passed, a few
facts of more than passing interest have
been noted: the lone Pied-billed Grebe
which stayed in one of our park lakes (a

fact mentioned in the last report) lingered
there until driven out (seeminglyj by
bathing and boating parties. It is rather
mystifying how this bird could have found
enough food in this small lake on which to
keep alive, not to say strong rfnd alert. It
was last seen in this lake on June 28.

Some of the usual late spring migrating
arrivals in this region were held back in
their journey; the Broad-tail Hummingbird
commonly reaches Denver during the first
week of June, while this year the first one
was not seen until June 20. The cold
spell of the late spring very happily had
no ill effects on our breeding House
Wrens, which were more numerous this
year in the Denver Region than in any
previous year covered by the writer's
records, and these records also show, to
one's great pleasure, that the Catbird
remained in our parks all summer, the
first breeding of this species in the city
coming under the writer's observation.
Many species seemed to have been un-
usually successful in their housekeeping
this season; Yellow Warblers had their
young out of the nest by June 27, while
full-fledged young Mourning Doves were
noticed in our parks by the first week in
July, this last date being, however, late
for the same species nesting in the foot-
hills, and on the prairies. Young Warbling
Vireos, Brewer's Blackbirds, and White-
rumped Shrikes were unusually common in
and about the region, all three species of
these young birds having been observed
during the second week of July. All these
young birds were attended and fed by
the old birds. This date for them is late,
since the writer has often seen young
Brewer's Blackbirds out of the nests a
week and even ten days earlier.

Nesting Pale Goldfinches were more
numerous in Denver during this past
season of eight weeks than ever before in
the experience of the writer, and he never
before saw so many young Bullock's
Orioles and young Wood Pewees congre-
gated together as he did during the second
week of August. The writer has no explana-
tion for this gratifying increase except that
these species are, year by year, becoming

296

Bird- Lore

more familiar with nesting possibilities
in the region, and also that these possi-
bilities are bettering as time goes on. At
the present writing (August 15), there are
still a good many young Wood Pewees
hereabouts, but most of the Orioles have

left.

The last spring - migrating Virginia
Warbler was seen in this neighborhood on
May 15; this species nests in the foothills
only fifteen miles west of Denver. The
first returning (?) Virginia Warbler was
seen in one of our parks on July 27, after
which date some were noticed every day
until July 30, none being seen thereafter.
These dates give one some idea of the
speed of the 'housekeeping' of this
particular species; from May 15 to July
27, to travel to the foothills or farther,
select mates, find a nesting-place, build a
nest, lay and hatch a set of eggs, and bring
a brood to maturity! A rather large
contract for such a mite; what it lacks in
size, it makes up, however, in energy and
efficiency! The presence of a young Sage
Thrasher in Denver on July 24 raises the
question if this individual could have been
reared within this region; it is possible,
though the writer is not acquainted with
any Denver breeding records of the species.

He suspects that some Plumbeous
Vireos bred in Denver this summer because
many have been seen here all this time,
though no nests have been discovered.
The scarcity of Nighthawks noted this
spring has persisted during this season
just passed.— W. II. BERGTOLD, Denver,
Colo.

San Francisco Region. — Some changes
in the population of breeding birds in the
Bay Region have taken place during
recent years and have been further con-
firmed by records made during the present
season. These changes may be due to the
increase in forcstation in the immediate

locality, to the greater expanse of lawns
under 1 ultivation, or to overpopulation in
contiguous regions. The species notice-
ably affected arc the Coasl Jay, J.unco,
Creeper and Western Robin.

From being a very rare bird in tin-

canons of the Berkeley Hills in 1910, the
Coast Jay has become a localized species
in areas providing an environment similar
to that of its typical home in the humid
coast belt. More numerous in winter than
in summer, it is, nevertheless, an increas-
ingly common summer resident in the
East Bay region.

Juncos are present in large flocks in the
entire section during the winter season,
and for several years there have been
straggling reports of breeding birds and
nests in various localities. This season they
were quite noticeable as summer residents,
particularly in localities where the Mon-
terey pines and cypresses are numerous.
Creepers, though less conspicuous than
the Juncos and probably less numerous,
except in the redwood region, are almost
certainly nesting in the East Bay region
in localities similar to those chosen by the
Juncos. The species of both Creepers and
Juncos in the territories recently adopted
by them have not yet been determined.

The Western Robin was first reported as
nesting in Golden Gate Park in 1916, and
each year since that date occasional nests
have been found on the San Francisco
Peninsula. The next year (191 7) a nest
was found at the Claremont Country Club
on the east side of the bay. This year a
number of interested observers in Berkeley
have reported Robins in song, and one nest
has been located near the Greek Theatre on
the University Campus.

These four species have moved into
the Bay region and henceforth must be
reckoned among the breeding birds.
Whether the Crossbills, reported from
Redwood Peak, will win the same recogni-
tion will depend on the records of future
years.

The 'old-time' summer residents have
been present in ordinary abundance.
Two nests of the olive sided Flycatcher
have been found tins summer — tangible
proof that it is rightfully included among

the breeding bird-- of the region.

At present (August 10) many of the
land birds are moulting and no reports of

migration have been received. Hut among

the water-birds the advam c wave of

The Season

297

migrants has already reached the Alameda
mud flats, Dowitchers and Curlews being
present in flocks, while Knots, Semi-pal-
mated and Black-bellied Plovers, Willets
and Godwits have appeared singly or in
small bands. Many of these wanderers are
still in summer plumage and are doubtless
the unsuccessful breeders that have been
free to begin their journeys because they
have no family cares. — Amelia S. Allen,
Berkeley, California.

San Diego Region. — The nesting
season, always full of interest to the bird-
lover, has not been abnormal in this region.
A walk in May along streets bordered with
the fan-palm usually discloses the pendent
nests of the Hooded Oriole, and this year
they seemed more than ever in evidence.
A pair has built for many years in a tall old
palm at the entrance to a ranch on a subur-
ban street, in company with numerous
linnets. This year a colony of English
Sparrows was established in it, feeding
their young, before the Orioles arrived;
but this addition to the already large
population of the tree in no wise disturbed
the latter, and their neatly woven nest of
palm fiber soon swung in the breeze under
its protecting leaf, the young Orioles
appearing in due time in the yard of an
Audubon member a block away, where the
father had come for food during the early
summer. Early in June a party of Audu-
bon members watched with glasses an
interesting scene at the nest of a Black-
headed Grosbeak, as the male came to
relieve his mate. He interrupted his song
only to examine the eggs, apparently,
turn them over and take his place on the
nest.

A rare find was the nest of the Lutescent
Warbler, with four eggs. Both birds were
seen close by, fidgeting anxiously as the
party approached. The nest, a dainty cup
of moss, dry grass and stems of the maiden-
hair fern, was set deeply in the bank just
above the trail, and concealed by dead
twigs and herbage. A later visit to the
spot showed the nest destroyed and
scattered about, with no trace of eggs.
A still later visit found the birds in the

same locality, and the singing of the male
indicated they had again nested.

Five Road-runners, catching grass-
hoppers in a stubble field, enlivened a
morning walk. Western Blue Grosbeaks
were found nesting in Laguna Canon on
June 5, where a group of sycamore trees
that heretofore have harbored many
Black-chinned Hummers' nests, this year
were occupied by Western Kingbirds,
along with the Bullock Orioles, of which
eight nests, built of horse-hair, were seen.
In another canon a group of large syca-
mores held twenty-two nests of the Great
Blue Heron, some of them containing half-
grown young. First definite record for
the southward migration of the Allen
Hummingbird was made on July 16, at
the mouth of Fish Canon, when a male
youngster was taken by a collector.

In the mountains, the Olive-sided Fly-
catcher seemed more than usually con-
spicuous. A nest of the Ousel was located
under a bridge over the Santa Ana River,
in the San Bernardino Mountains; when
examined, by lifting a plank, a full-grown
youngster jumped into the brawling stream
as though he had never known a different
element, coming ashore fifty yards down
stream. A flower-covered, boggy hillside
nearby was the feeding-place of the
Calliope Hummer, the tiniest bird of
North America. Here, in their courting
antics, they buzzed almost into the face of
the observer. Nesting operations were just
beginning on June 22, when the females
were seen gathering spider-webs.

The Blue-fronted Jay, one of the host of
mountain birds that invaded the valley
last winter, evidently found a satisfactory
home in Griffith Park, the largest of our
city parks, where natural conditions largely
prevail, for he has been seen feeding young
there and is apparently established.

A beach visit on the last day of July
showed the fall migration of shore-birds
under way, with Hudsonian Curlew in the
van and scattered along the twenty miles
of beach traversed, while Heermann Gulls
also had reached this region, having bred
1,000 miles to the southward. — L. E.
Wyman, Los Angeles, Calif.

2fook J^etos; anb CCebteto^

What Bird Is That:-' A Pocket Museum
of the Land-Birds of the Eastern United
States Arranged According to Season.
By Frank M. Chapman. With illus-
trations of 301 birds in color, by Ed-
mund J. Sawyer. I). Appleton & Co.
i2mo, 144 pages, 8 color plates.

Bird-lovers who visit the American
Museum of Natural History should make
a point of seeing the Collection of Birds
found within 50 miles of New York City.
In it they will find specimens of each of the
350 odd species of birds which have been
found within this area arranged according
to the classification of the American
Ornithologist's Union and also a smaller
'Seasonal Collection' composed of only
the permanent resident species and the
migrants which are then present. As the
latter come or go they are added to or taken
from the collection, which consequently
is restricted to the birds of the season.
This scheme not only makes it a compara-
tively easy matter to identify some bird
one has seen in the vicinity, but it gives
the student, and especially teachers with
their classes, a comprehensive view of
the birds of the day, as it were.

It is this method of exhibition which Dr.
Chapman has attempted to embody in
this little volume and his efforts have been
most effectively supported by Mr. Sawyer's
admirable illustrations. These represent
museum cases in which the birds are placed
on shelves in orderly array. The first two
'Cases' contain the Permanent Resident
and Winter Visitant Land-Birds of the
northern states, while Cases 3 and 4
depict the same groups in the southern
states. The remaining four cases figure
the migrants of March, April, and May
arranged according to the times of their
arrival. The birds in ea< li case arc drawn
to the same scale and the important field
character of comparative size is thereby
clearly brought out, while the grouping of
many birds together permits of quids
reference and dim t 1 omparison. For eacb
'specimen' Dr. Chapman has added what

be calls a 'label' in which the bird's range,
distinctive characteristics, and habits are
briefly stated. The entering wedge of
bird-lore is assuredly here whittled to a
tine point and the little volume may be
commended as an introduction to the
study of ornithology. — E. C. B.

The Ornithological Magazines

The Auk. — The first article of the July

number is 'Notes on some American
Ducks,' by Allan Brooks, written from a
very intimate knowledge of this group of
birds and illustrated with pleasing half-
tones of Harrow's Golden-eye in life. The
differences between the females of the two
Golden-eyes, which are very much alike
and easily confused, are gone into with
great detail and there are figures of bills,
skulls and trachea of the two spec ies.
'Courtship in Birds,' by C. W. Townsend,
is a charmingly written presentation of
common-sense views on this much-dis-
cussed subject. As the paper is likely to be
quoted, attention should be called to an
apparent slip in speaking of the flight-
sound of Wilson's Snipe. Unlike the Wood
cock, it is tail not wing-feathers which arc
modified in the Snipe, and which exper-
iment has indicated to be their musical in-
strument. Kennard narrates an investiga-
tion of the breeding habits of the Rusty
Blackbird in northern New England, with
photographs of nesting-sites and a full-
page illustration of a nest and complement
of eggs. G. B. Grinnell in 'Recollections of
Audubon Park' gives interesting side-lights
on the family life of Audubon from
personal boyhood experiences, which em-
phasize Madam Audubon's great per-
sonality. Full-page portraits of Mrs.
Lucy Bake well Audubon and John Wood

house Audubon accompany this article.

Hollister presents some statistical matter

on the relative abundance of wild Pucks

at a Wisconsin lo< alii v during the nineties.

The Black Duck in that region is

U08)

Book News and Reviews

299

now increasing in numbers year by year,
a fact seemingly to be explained only by
a westward extension in its general
distribution. There is the concluding
part of Wetmore's observation on the
habits of birds at Lake Burford, New
Mexico; 'Ontario Bird Notes,' byFleming
and Lloyd, a faunal paper; a technical
discussion of the structure, relationships,
and nomenclature of the group of King-
fishers to which our Belted Kingfisher
belongs, by W. DeW. Miller, and a
seventh supplement to the A. O. U. Check-
List.

Among 'General Notes' we find mention
of the Evening Grosbeak having extended
its flight into New Jersey the past winter
and the Bohemian Waxwing at Rochester,
N. V. S. F. Rathbun gives interesting
sketches of the habits of the Waxwing
during a winter visitation at Seattle. An
unusually extensive northward spring
movement of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
is evidenced in the record of individuals
from Boston and from Quebec. — J. T. N.

The Condor. — The March and May
numbers of The Condor contain, in addition
to two continued articles, interesting
accounts of the nesting habits of several
western birds. The opening article in the
March number on 'The Nesting Habits of
the Alaskan Wren,' by Prof. Harold Heath
is based mainly on his observations on St.
George Island in Bering Sea in the summer
of 1018, when the birds were unusually
numerous. This diminutive Wren has one
of its principal breeding-grounds on St.
George Island and is subject to consider-
able fluctuations in its numbers. As
many as forty pairs have been noted in
some years, while in the severe winter of
1 919 only a single pair was observed. How
the bird maintains its precarious existence
under such conditions on a three by eight-
mile rock in Bering Sea is not less interest-
ing than the manner in which it keeps its
nest dry in damp or dripping crevices of
rocks. Almost the opposite conditions are
described by Van Rossem and Bowles in
the 'Nesting of the Dusky Poor- Will near
Saugus, Los Angeles Co., Calif.' on the

bare ground on the side of a canon under
the shade of wild lilac and white sage
bushes. Bryant's Marsh Sparrow, which
has been supposed to be confined to the
salt marshes along the coast of California,
has been found by the Mailliards on hills
400 feet high and on Black's Mountain
1,140 feet in elevation and four miles from
the salt marshes of Tomales Bay.

Henshaw's 'Autobiography' refers to
the early days of the American Ornitholo-
gists' Union and his meeting with several
California ornithologists. Among the
brief notes M. P. Skinner records the
nesting of the almost extinct Trumpeter
Swan in the Yellowstone National Park
in 1919.

The May number opens with an inter-
esting account of 'The Home Life of the
Western Warbling Vireo' in Idaho, by
H. J. Rust, illustrated with eleven photo-
graphs. The male bird not only takes part
in incubation but sings while actually
sitting on the eggs. Under the title 'The
Existence of Sea-Birds a Relatively Safe
One,' Grinnell shows that sea-birds are
exposed to few dangers in comparison with
land-birds and registers a protest against
the practice of basing local records of rare
birds on specimens found on 'he beach, as
such specimens may have be?n carried by
winds or waves hundredr of miles from
where the bird actually died.

Mrs. Bailey's 'Return to the Dakota
Lake Region' is concluded with notes
made in August and September just prior
to the autumn migration of the water-
fowl and Henshaw's 'Autobiographical
Notes' are concluded with his visit to the
Hawaiian Islands and his connection with
the Biological Survey, thus bringing the
record down to December 1, 1916. In
the Editorial Notes is an announcement
of the acquisition of the Grinnell collection
of birds by the Museum of Vertebrate
Zoology which now has a total of 40,438
specimens in its ornithological collection.
The 'Annual Directory,' with which the
number concludes, shows that the Cooper
Ornithological Club now has a member-
ship of 655, a gain of 55 over the number
in any previous year. — T. S. P.

3°o

Bird - Lore

25irti=lLore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Contributing Editor, MABELOSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published October 1, 1920 No. 5

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United Stales, nne Hollar and fiftvcentsa year;
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cent- ,
postage paid.

I OPYRIGHTED, 19=0, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in the Busb Is Worth Two in the Hand

The Annual Congress of the American
Ornithologists' Union will be held this
year in Washington, November 8 to n.
If one cannot attend these important and
stimulating meetings of bird-students
regularly, he cannot do better than to
select the one which is held in Washington.
Aside from the attractions which the
Nation's Capital possesses and the seasonal
advantages it offers over more northern
cities in November, there are traditions
which hang about the 'Smithsonian Insti-
tution,' under whatever name it may
Function, with which none of the other
meeting-places of the Union can compete.

In addition to the usual three-day ses-
sion for the presentation and discussion
of papers on birds, many of which will be
illustrated by specimens, lantern slides or
motion pictures, the local committee of
arrangements for the present Congress is
arranging a special exhibit of ornithological
art, notice of which appears on page 282.

Membership in the A. (). U. is a
privilege which no bird-lover should deny
himself. If he is unable to attend these
annual reunions, lie will at least receive, in
vet urn for his yearly membership fee of

three dollars, a ropy <>f the Union's official
organ. The Auk, a magazine which easily
takes firsl place among the ornithological

serials of I he world. All details in regard
to membership in the A. (). U. may be ob-
tained from it- Secretary, Dr. T. S. Palmer,
[Q39 Biltmore Street, Washington, D. C.

The League of Wild-Life Photog-
raphers which was formed earlier in the
year, largely with the purpose of exposing
the makers of fraudulent 'nature' photo-
graphs, offers its services to the editors of
magazines who, lacking experience in the
field of nature photography, are often
unable to detect faked from genuine wild-
life photographs.

Recent glaring ornithological errors
in certain magazines suggest the desira-
bility of an A. O. U. Committee on popular
ornithology which would also offer its
services to the editors who wished to
avoid at least unpardonable blunders of
identification. We have recently seen, for
example, an excellent photograph of an
adult Sparrow Hawk published above the
caption, 'Chicken-Hawk,' while a row of
fledgelings of this species were called
'Young Screech Owls' which, it was
explained, had been blown from their
nest by a storm!

An author, who writes on 'How to
Know Birds,' illustrates his article with a
Young Red-headed Woodpecker which he
labels 'A Young Flicker', a proceeding
which suggests that the method he recom-
mends is not infallible.

How technical editing may prevent a
magazine from committing humiliating
errors of this kind was well illustrated by
an incident which occurred within the
week. An editor of a standard sportsman's
journal received from one of his corre-
spondents a detailed account of the breed-
ing of the 'Wild Pigeon,' accompanied
by photographs of Pigeons which had been
taken from the nest and reared in captivity.
The photograph was an excellent one and
showed beyond question that the birds
were White-crowned Pigeons, a common

West Indian species which reaches the
Florida Keys and. in this instance, had
been found nesting on Bernini Island in
the western Bahamas. Here the editor,
more cautious than many of his colleagues,
saved himself the necessity of an apology
to his readers by the exercise of a hit of
good judgment and the expenditure of a
two c cut stamp.

Cfje Hububon ^octette*

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN. Ph.D.
Address all communications relative to the work of this
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

STUDYING THE FALL BIRDS

No phenomenon of nature is more striking to the observant watcher as he
enters the September woods than the change that has been wrought in the
realm of birds. The hundreds of voices that claimed his attention during the
spring and summer are now hushed and he hears only the occasional notes of
a Red-eyed Vireo or a Wood Pewee. So quiet are the tree-tops and so silent
the forest floor that he is almost ready to believe that the birds are gone, but,
as he follows the border of the woods further, he suddenly finds himself in the
midst of a flock of birds even more numerous than the hosts of spring. They
are scratching in the leaves, shaking the bushes and weeds, and chippering in
the tree-tops in such manner as to announce their presence beyond any doubt,
although they are difficult or even impossible to see.

In the fall the birds are no longer scattered evenly through the woods and
fields but have gathered in flocks, sometimes many species together, and are
moving slowly southward. Where food is abundant they stop for some time,
but they shun all places where food and water are scarce. In spite of their
numbers, however, they are difficult to see among the autumn greens and
browns, for the familiar liveries of spring have been discarded for suitable
travelling attire. Little change has come over the Sparrows and Vireos, whose
dull plumages serve for both summer and winter, but the bright Tanagers,
Buntings and Warblers have now assumed the modest dress of the females
and even the Robin has his red breast tinged with gray.

Fall is a time when careless observers become hopelessly confused and lose
interest in bird-study, but it is the time of all times when the keen observer
revels in a wealth of unusual plumages and rare records. Those of us whose
opportunity it is to teach others and to lead children or beginners through the
woods and fields in search of birds find ourselves confronted with innumerable
difficulties. The lack of song, the dull colors, the secretive ways of the birds,
the luxuriance of the weeds and the denseness of the foliage of the trees that
discourage the single observer, are almost unsurmountable barriers to a class
or group. We are led to rejoice when the frosts and winds make the woods
more penetrable, though they likewise thin out the ranks of the birds. Lucky
are the ones who live near ponds or bodies of water that attract the shore
and wading birds for they alone present the unobstructed vision that one is
accustomed to in the early spring and longs for all fall. The Sandpipers and

(3°i)

302

Bird- Lore

Plover, the Herons and Bitterns, and sometimes the Rails and even the Ducks
present opportunities for class study such as one enjoys with most birds in
the spring. Those who have no shores to visit, however, must content them-
selves with isolated observations and make intensive studies of such birds as
can be found. Perhaps it is just as well for us that nature takes this way of
directing our attention to some of her less striking phenomena, for were we
forever surrounded by pleasing songs and brilliant plumages, we might over-
look entirely the changes that are so imperative in renewing the worn, frayed
plumage. But when our attention is called to it, we find in the molting of

birds a lesson that i- as interest-
ing as it is vital. It is a lesson
well suited to this period during
the fall, for it can be demon-
strated as beautifully with the
Sparrow in the street as it can
be by the rarest and most secre-
tive Warbler. — A. A. A.

HOW BIRDS CHANGE
c THEIR PLUMAGE

August is the month of
molting, the season when birds
change their faded worn plumage
for fresh feathers often of a
different color. Some birds do
not complete molting until Sep-
tember is far advanced while
others, particularly among the
Waterfowl, begin molting in
June and by September have
passed through two molts, hav-
ing taken on a dull plumage
and discarded it again. With
most birds, however. September
finds them in their full winter
plumage. The change has been
such a gradual one that, alt hough
every feather has been shed and
replaced, it has scarcely been
noticed unless there has been a
change of color as well. Begin-
ning always at a definite feather.

SPARROW'S Wl\<;> l\ MOLT TO SHOW Mil

WAN l\ Willi II I UK FEATHERS ARE SHED

AND REPL \' ED

The moll begins with tin- innermost primary (IX) and
progresses gradually inwardly and outwardly, Roman

numerals indicate primarie . irabic, e laries. Arrows

■how i In- advance "i the molt, In i In- uppermost wing the
molt bai nni begun, in the lowest ii h almost complete

The Audubon Societies

3°3

usually the innermost primary wing-feather, the molt proceeds with regular
sequence until all the feathers are replaced. The second feather is not lost until
the first is partially grown, and, before the third and fourth are lost, the first is
practically matured. The same is true of the tail feathers, so that a bird is
never normally without its locomotor organs and steering gear. An exception

Showing how feathers

A YOUNG CROW
;row in narrow areas or 'feather tracts,' with large bare spaces between

to this is found in the Ducks, Rails, and Diving Birds which are not depend-
ent upon their wings to escape their enemies and which, therefore, can safely
molt all of their primaries at the same time and be temporarily deprived of
the power of flight. On the bird's body, likewise, the molt proceeds gradually
from a certain point, only a few feathers being lost at a time. The half-naked
Chickens seen in many farmyards are cases of arrested feather development
which does not occur in nature except in cases of disease.

As almost everyone knows, feathers are not worn indiscriminately over a
bird's body but along definite lines called feather tracts. Between the feather
tracts, which are apparently regular in every species of bird, there are exten-
sive bare areas which are dependent upon the overlapping of the feathers of
adjacent tracts for protection. In the young of most birds, until the feathers
are matured, the feather tracts (pterylae) and the naked spaces (apteria) are
very conspicuous as in the accompanying photograph of a young Crow. The
sickly Chickens appear naked not because the bare spaces are any larger, but
because they are entirely exposed by the scarcity of feathers in each tract.

Most birds molt only once a year, but it would obviously be impossible for
a bird that changes to a dull coat after the nesting season to assume its bril-
liant breeding plumage without another molt in the spring. Thus we find,
in the case of such brilliantly colored birds as the Scarlet Tanager, Goldfinch
and Indigo Bunting, that the males undergo a spring or 'pre-nuptial' molt as

304 Bird - Lore

well as a fall or 'post-nuptial' change of plumage. The pre-nuptial molt,
however, is usually incomplete, for the wings and tail feathers, which are dull
even in brightly colored birds, are usually made to serve both plumages.

In some birds where there is a conspicuous change in color from the winter
to the breeding plumage, it is accomplished in another way known as 'feather
wear.' This is possible because each feather is tipped with a color different
from the main portion of the plume. The feather tips give the general color
to the winter plumage, but as they wear off, the color of the breeding plumage
is exposed. Browns, yellows, and grays occur most frequently as color-tips,
with blacks, browns, or reds beneath. The Robin's breast becomes redder
with the advance of spring because the gray tips of the feathers wear off. The
black spot on the throat of the male House Sparrow and that on the breast of

A MOLTING SPARROW

The new feathers appear darker than the old ones and can be seen in the wings, scapulars, back and

rump. Try to determine how far the molt has proceeded in the wings

the Meadovvlark treble in size for the same reason. The Red-winged Black-
bird loses his reddish-brown cast and becomes intensely black, while the Snow
Bunting wears away the rusty color from its head and breast and shows snowy
while for the summer.

g In birds like the Purple Finch and Indigo Hunting, where there are DO
apparent gray tips to the feathers and which still seem to become more in-
tensely colored as the season advances, the feather wear is of a different sort.
It was formerly believed that the feathers became repigmented from the
blood of the bird but today that is considered impossible, because once the
feather is mature, ii is a dead structure, physiologically disconnected from the
body and serving only in a mechanical way for flight and protection. To under-

The Audubon Societies

305

stand what actually happens in the case of these birds, it is necessary to know
something of the structure of the feather as shown under the lens.

All feathers are composed of a mid-vein or shaft and the web. If the web
is examined carefully it will be seen to be composed of a series of fibers called
'barbs' attached on each side of the shaft. Each barb, similarly, bears two
rows of barbules. When the barbules are examined under the microscope,
they are found to bear a number of minute recurved hooklets which fasten
into the hooklets of adjacent barbules and give to the feather its firmness,
being best developed in the flight feathers, which require the greatest strength.
Some feathers, and the innermost parts of most feathers, lack this device and
are, therefore, always soft and fluffy, giving little resistance to the passage of

MALE HOUSE SPARROWS IN SUMMER AND IN WINTER PLUMAGE

Note that in winter the black throat and breast is nearly concealed by the gray tips of the feathers. In

the spring they wear off, revealing the black beneath

air through them. Now in the case of the Purple Finch and Indigo Bunting,
the red and blue colors are located mostly in the barbs, while the barbules and
hooklets are dusky. With the wearing away of the barbu'es and hooks on the
body feathers, the barbs become more conspicuous and the color of the bird
becomes apparently more intense.

That molting is not confined to birds is well recognized and its homology
to the 'shedding of the skin' in reptiles and amphibians is conceded. Of course,
the snake or amphibian does not actually shed its skin but merely the hard
outer cuticle. This cuticle, as in the case of the birds' feathers when fully
formed, is a dead structure and it is inelastic. Consequently, as the snake or
frog or salamander grows, this 'shell' becomes too small for it and must be

306

Bird - Lore

replaced by a larger one. The more food one of these cold-blooded animals
consumes, the more rapidly it grows and the more often it has to molt. It is
not seriously discommoded by the process, however, except for a short time
when the loosened cuticle over the eye becomes opaque and renders it nearly
blind. When this occurs the animal rubs its nose against a stone, splitting
the hard cuticle and then gradually wiggles itself free, leaving the skin entire,
a sort of a ghost of its former self.

With birds the molting is a more serious matter. It requires far more
energy to grow a new set of feathers than merely to form a new cuticle, in
fact, so much so that most of the other activities must stop and the bird's
entire strength be given to molting. As a result, song ceases; fighting and dis-
play are never indulged in, and nesting responsibilities are completed and out

of the way. The birds retire to the
thickets and move about only in
search of food. It is a period of
sickness or indisposition and the
birds largely shun each other's
company. During the molting time
many birds practically disappear
and are nowhere to be seen for
several weeks. The Red-winged
Blackbirds, for example, are very
abundant in every little marsh
until the last of August . Each even-
ing they can be seen flying in large
flocks to roost in the marshes and
each morning leaving again to feed
on the upland fields. The sexes
separate in flocks by themselves
and show little interest in each
other. Suddenly the male birds
disappear, shortly the females and
immatures follow, and there ensues
a period of several weeks when no
Blackbirds are seen either morning
or evening, nor are they to be seen
during the day about the marshes.
In a few weeks they appear again and this lime in even larger numbers than before
for they have been joined by migrating birds from the North. In former years
it was supposed that the early disappearance was caused by the resident birds
leaving for the South and that the reappearance of blackbirds announced the
arrival of birds from the North, but the unaccountable part of the story was
thai although the AugUSl birds were supposed to be leaving for the South,

A SPOTTED SALAMANDER AND IIS CAM

SKIN

Showing how cold blooded animals renew their outer

covering

The Audubon Societies

307

they never arrived. Instead the Blackbirds in the South likewise disappeared.
The mystery of their disappearance, however, can easily be explained by any-
one who will venture out into the heart of the larger marshes^ during the first
of September, for there he will find, after sufficient search,* large flocks of
short-winged, short-tailed Blackbirds skulking about the more_open areas and
hesitating to fly far. For it is at this period that they are just completing their

W*"'"

'

CAPTIVE MALLARD DRAKES
The bird at the right is in full plumage which it wears from September to June. The bird at the left is
in 'Eclipse' plumage. This corresponds to the winter plumage of other birds, but it is worn only from July
to September, during which time the flight feathers are lost and regained.

molts by the replacement of the outer primaries, the loss of which in short-
ening the wing, makes flight difficult and the long flights to the uplands prac-
tically impossible. Hence they are seldom seen and it might easily be con-
cluded that they had left for other parts.

Thus it is with other birds also. They cease singing and go into hiding
until the molting is practically completed, but it is not long before they regain
their former vitality and some even revive their full springtime songs. The
majority, however, prefer to rest after their strenuous labors, filling their crops
with fruits and seeds and laying up a store of fat that will serve them in the
long journeys that they are about to undertake.

In studying the fall plumage of birds it is always interesting to compare
them with their spring plumages and try to determine what changes have taken
place through the molt and what further changes will be necessary to bring
the birds once more into their breeding plumage. Just as the streaked breasts
of young Chipping Sparrows and the spotted breasts of young Robins show
their family relationships, so the fall plumages of many birds are indicative of
their relationships. Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers, for instance, that
are so different in the spring are almost indistinguishable in the fall. Every
bird has some interesting phase to its plumage-change and so, no matter how
scarce birds may seem, one can always find something interesting to watch or
toward which to direct the observations of his students. — A. A. A.

308 Bird - Lore

QUESTIONS

i. Why arc birds difficult to study in the fall?

2. When do birds stop singing and why?

3. How arc the feathers arranged on a bird's body?

4. What is the process of changing the feathers called and how long does it take?

5. How does nature provide against the loss of flight of most birds during the period
of feather-change?

6. What birds molt all of their flight-feathers at the same time and what method of
escape from enemies do they have during this time?

7. How long is the winter plumage worn by water-fowl and what is it called?

8. What is the effect of molting upon a bird's activity?

9. How often do birds molt and what are the different molts called?

10. How do some birds change their appearance without molting?

11. Describe two types of feather wear.

12. Compare a bird's molting with that of a cold-blooded animal such as a salamander.

13. Name five birds whose winter plumage is strikingly different from their summer
plumage.

14. Name five birds which secure their breeding plumage through feather-wear.

15. Mention five facts of interest in connection with the plumage changes of the
House Sparrow.

FOR AND FROM YOUNG OBSERVERS
BOBBY

I want to tell our young readers of Bird-Lore about Bobby, our pet Robin
and some other little birds. When I say 'our' I shall have to tell you that I
am a school teacher and 'our' includes my school and myself.

Perhaps you would like to know that our school is in Lynn, Mass.; and our
room is on the third floor of a twenty-room brick building.

One day last June, when the children were dismissed for the noon inter-
mission, it was raining hard and the wind was blowing quite severely. A little
boy of twelve years came running back with a little Sparrow in his hand. The
tiny bird was drenched with rain. I suppose the storm had beaten him out
of his nest from behind some blind, and he had fallen to the ground. We put
him in a box, leaving the cover off and placing some warm cotton batting in
the bottom. One of the boys ran out to a store and got a package of graham
crackers. I soaked one in water, and our Sparrow opened his bill and ate it,
small bits at a time, of course. When we returned for the afternoon session.
one of the little seven-year-olds from the lower floor came running up with a
bird in his hand which he had picked up under a tree. The strong wind had
probably rocked the nest in the tree too hard, and this little bird had tumbled
out. It was a baby Robin with as yet very few feathers on him. We named
him 'Bobby.'

We kept the birds in the box on the window. When they were hungry, they
would cry and one of the children would iv^\ them. The Sparrow ate only

The Audubon Societies

309

crackers and bread crumbs; but the Robin we fed on cooked peas, cherries,
muskmelon, and worms. When we could not get worms we gave him ham-
burger steak. At last the summer vacation came, and I took the birds home.
I am sorry to say the little Sparrow died, but Bobby grew, and his feathers
looked glossy, and his breast grew redder and redder. I taught summer school
for six weeks, so I had to go off and leave Bobby in the house alone from eight
to eleven o'clock, except that the little boy whom you see in the picture went
to my house and fed him once between those hours. When I came home Bobby
would speak to me through his little song of, cheer up, cheer up, before I could
open the door. He seemed to know my step. I kept him in a large box on

CHUMS

the kitchen table, but I did not cover it; and when the sun shone, he would
perch on the top and sing, making me think of that line of Lowell's, "The little
bird sits at his door in the sun."

At last Bobby was able to feed himself from a little dish which I kept on
the table. I also kept there a basin of water in which he often took a bath,
and I sometimes put a dish of sand on the table from which he picked little
pebbles. I suppose these helped to digest his food.

Morris, the little boy in .the picture, and myself, often took him outdoors
and each time he flew higher and higher after picking around in my flower
garden for worms and ants. We knew the time was approaching when Bobby
would probably fly away into his native place among the trees. I dreaded to
think that he must leave us, for we had become very much attached to him.

310 Bird - Lore

Wherever in the house he heard my voice he would come hopping along the
floor to find me, singing all the way. Sometimes he would fly to me, especially
if he had been left alone, then he was so glad to see me he could not wait to
hop. We were very sorry to part with Bobby.

One day during the summer school session, one of my boys brought in
another little Sparrow. This was also on a very rainy day and the poor little
bird was almost dead. We put him where he could get warmth, and when the
sun came out we put him on the window. He seemed to be perfectly well when
his feathers were completely dry, and opened his bill wide to be fed. We gave
him a good dinner and then opened the window; and away he flew, off into the
topmost branches of an elm tree.

Perhaps sometime, my boy or girl reader, you may find, especially after a
storm, some little bird that has been tumbled out of its home by a storm. I
know you would enjoy feeding and caring for it until it could fly. I would let
it go when it was able, because I think those birds that live in the open are
happier there and live longer. If your bird is real tiny, you may have to feed
him at first by chewing some bread crumbs and letting him take them from the
end of your tongue. Be careful not to overfeed your little one. Birds do not
want much at a time, but a very little often. Bobby would sometimes take
water from a spoon, and I have given him ice-cream for his dessert in the same
way, and he seemed to appreciate it very much.

Perhaps some of my readers will sometime write to us about some little-
bird which they have befriended, We should be very glad to hear from you.
Address, Room I, Shepard School, West Lynn, Mass. — Elizabeth Mae Crosby.

[One of the best ways to study birds is to study one bird thoroughly, learning every
habit and every mood. Then one is better able to interpret what he sees all other birds
doing. There is no better way of getting familiar with a bird than to raise it from baby-
hood to maturity but unless one wishes to meet discouragement, he should begin with a
species that is easily raised like a Crow, a Starling, or a Robin. — A. A. A.]

MY BIRD GUESTS

Last winter we put suet on a tree near our house in Bronxvilie, X. V., and
had many bird visitors. A pair of Downy Woodpeckers, several Nuthatches,
a Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Chickadees, and Blue Jays came
every day.

We also put out sand, crumbs, and seeds during the winter, and Juncos,
Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, and Nuthatches came and ate by the window.
The Nuthatches would scold if there were no sunflower seeds.

I had a little Bird Club with my friends; we learned to know by sight twenty-
two birds. We hope more birds will come for food tin's winter. Anm I'..
Marvin (age g years), BronxviUe, N. V.

lAnne has the right idea, and should have many followers. The earlier one begins to
put out food for the winter birds, the more are likely to stay through the winter. A. \ \ ]

The Audubon Societies

3"

THE BABY BARRED OWLS

When I was walking along Rock Creek, April 16, I was surprised to see a
big Owl fly from a hole in a large cottonwood. I climbed up a pole that was
leaning against the tree and looked into the hole that was about a foot deep.
There were two white eggs nearlykas big as hens' eggs.

On April 23 I came again and^there were still eggs. On May 8 there were
two funny, downy, fuzzy, white^babies. The biggest had her eyes open but
the' other one had his shut. The mother Owl flew out of the hole this time, but
we did not see her later.

TWO BABY BARRED OWLS, OXE SOLEMN, THE OTHER SXAPPIXG I'
Photographed by Margaret M. Nice

BILL

On May 21 the biggest snapped her bill and acted as if she were trying to
protect her little brother, who only squeaked.

On June 6, when I got up to the hole, the biggest one started to climb up
to me, snapping her bill. I had one hand in and one holding to the bark and
I didn't like to turn toward the Owl. I could not fight, so had to shake. She
came out and flew to the ground. I let the other one down with a rope. My
mother took their pictures. They were barred now instead of white and their
eyes were blue. When I drew them up again the little one caught but I pushed
him loose. I never will take them again. — Constance Ely Nice (age 9 years,
fifth grade), Norman, Okla.

[It is commonly believed that all Owls have yellow eyes, but here is a case where the
young Owls had blue eyes. Who knows the color of the adult Barred Owl's eyes? —
A. A. A.l

BRONZED AND PURPLE GRACKLES

By T. GILBERT PEARSON

Cljr Rational Hssonation of Hububon ^octette*

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 103

Over large portions of the United States the 'Crow Blackbird' is well
known to all observers of nature. Throughout its range, with the exception
of small sections in the South, it is the largest of the Blackbirds, attaining a
length in some cases of 13^2 inches.

Grackles are usually found in companies, even in the breeding season.
Through the northern states they are among the earliest migrants to arrive in
spring, soon taking up residence in the vicinity where they expect to remain
until the young have been raised. They are equally at home in the rural

districts, in small towns, or in cities. Their nests are generally placed in coni-
ferous trees, and the groves selected may be in such situations as by a pond
on the back of some farm, on a college campus, or in a city park. With equal
readiness they frequent the open fields or come to well-trimmed lawns. They
are common in Boston Common and on the open places of Central Park,
New York City.

The nest is a bulky structure made of twigs, feathers, grass, and weeds, or
other material easily obtainable. It is daubed with mud and lined with line
grasses. In common with most of the family to which the Grackle belongs,

(312)

Bronzed and Purple Grackles 313

the eggs are white or nearly so and decorated in a haphazard way with irreg-
ular spots, splashes and lines. The number found in a nest ranges from four
to six.

So adaptable is the Grackle that if there is no convenient limb suitable
for holding its nest, it will search for a cavity in some stump or tree and
there build the cradle for its young. Down in the pine barrens of south Florida
I once saw a female Grackle enter the hole made by a Flicker in a dead stump
10 to 12 feet from the ground. Upon climbing up and looking in I was met by
the open mouths of four hungry young. The trees in that section were not
numerous, their limbs were few, and were covered with very thin foliage.
So the Grackles simply took what they could find for a nesting-place, and
appeared to be content.

Both parents share in the duties of caring for the young, which, like other
birds, demand a large amount of food, especially while still in the nest. As
soon as the little ones are able to care for themselves, numerous families of
Grackles unite and forage about the country. In the late evening these flocks
may be seen hurrying across fields and woodlands to some favorite roosting-
place which is sometimes occupied nightly for many weeks before the birds
begin their southern migration.

As a rule, Grackles are not popular with farmers, and at times there are
great outcries against their depredations. Sometimes, like Crows, they pull
up the sprouting grain in the fields and very often in the late summer, while
the corn is in 'the milk,' numbers of them will descend on the corn field,
tear open the husks at the end of the ears and eat the soft kernels. Some
people accuse Grackles also of eating the eggs and young of other birds.
Audubon tells of this in his great work on the 'Birds of America,' but also
as is his custom, he has left us an account of the good the birds do. In his
interesting, poetic manner he writes:

"No sooner has the cotton or corn planter begun to turn his land into
brown furrows, than the Crow-Blackbirds are seen sailing down from the
skirts of the woods, alighting in the fields, and following his track along the
ridges of newly-turned earth, with an elegant and elevated step, which shews
them to be as fearless and free as the air through which they wing their way.
The genial rays of the sun shine on their silky plumage, and offer to the plough-
man's eye such rich and varying tints that no painter, however gifted, could
ever imitate them. The coppery bronze, which in one light shews its rich
gloss, is, by the least motion of the bird, changed in a moment to brilliant and
deep azure, and again, in the next light, becomes refulgent sapphire or emerald-
green.

"The bird stops, spreads its tail, lowers its wings, and, with swelled throat
and open bill, sounds a call to those which may chance to be passing near.
The stately step is resumed. Its keen eye, busily engaged on either side, is
immediately attracted by a grub, hastening to hide itself from the sudden

314 Bird -Lore

exposure made by the plough. In vain does it hurry, for the Grackle has seen
and marked it for its own, and it is snatched up and swallowed in a moment.

"Thus does the Grackle follow the husbandman as he turns one furrow
after another, destroying a far worse enemy to the corn than itself, for every
worm which it devours would else shortly cut the slender blade and thereby
destroy the plant when it would perhaps be too late to renew it by fresh seed.
Every reflecting farmer knows this well, and refrains from disturbing the
Grackle at this season. Were he as merciful at another time, it would prove
his grateful recollection of the services thus rendered him. But man is too
often forgetful of the benefit which he has received; he permits his too com-
monly weak and selfish feelings to prevail over his reason, and no sooner does
the corn become fit for his own use, than he vows and executes vengeance
on all intruders."

Usually the note of the Grackle is a hoarse cluck, and while in flight various
members of the company emit these unmusical calls. In spring the male
indulges in what he probably considers a song. This consists of a short series
of squeaky cries that have often been compared to the musical creaking of a
rusty hinge. Often a whole flock of Grackles will be found standing about in
the tree-tops pouring forth this weird melody, making an indescribable, and
not overly pleasing, volume of sound.

The above are the notes usually heard, but they have several other calls
and squeaks, all highly characteristic of Grackle music.

These birds seem to live serious, somber lives, and as Dr. Frank Chapman
has pointed out, they appear never to play or to enjoy any of the lighter or
more frivolous sensations of life.

A company of Grackles in flight is a sight worth watching. Often hundreds
of birds advance through the air in almost perfect rank-formation. At times
lines a hundred yards or more in length may be seen and their movements
strongly suggest those of well-trained soldiers. In passing across the
country, they generally move just above the tree-tops, remaining about the
same distance from the ground even when crossing the open fields or meadows.
The flight is direct, strong, and quite rapid.

Grackles at times come about the homes where kindly people provide food
for the wild birds. Here it has often been noted that the big black bird is
well able to take care of himself. The pugnacious English Sparrow seems to
give him no concern, and the Robin and Blue Jay will immediately give
ground when the Grackle indicates the slightest wish that they should depart.

By watching Grackles at feeding stations one may see them engage in
interesting and most surprising activities. On one occasion while visiting
friends who were in the habit of feeding birds in their back yard, the conver-
sation was interrupted by an invitation to come out and see an old Grackle
and her young. Members of tin- household had been feeding these birds for
some days, giving them scraps of raw meat, crumbs, cracked corn, and Other

Bronzed and Purple Grackles 315

delicacies. Shortly after we took our stand on the back porch, the mother
Grackle approached her young with a dry and rather large piece of bread crust.
The youngster instantly opened its mouth and obediently tried to swallow
the hard lump that the mother thrust into it. It was, however, entirely too
great and the bird soon gave up the attempt. The parent was insistent. Twice
she picked up the discarded morsel and put it in the young bird's mouth, only
to have it rejected. Then to our astonishment she took the crust in her bill
and walking three or four feet to a pan of water, deliberately submerged it
three times, after which she thrust it into the mouth of her young with
successful result.

In the corn and millet fields of the South, the colored population often
shoot and trap the Grackle for food. The meat, however, is very dark and the
taste is strong. Furthermore, as these birds are often covered with vermin,
they would appear to be very unattractive additions to the game-bag.

Grackles are found over much of the eastern two-thirds of North America.
The bird that we have been discussing is called by naturalists Quiscalus,
quiscula and is divided into three races. These are:

First, Purple Grackle, which, according to the American Ornithologists'
Union Check-List, ranges over the country as follows:

"Middle Atlantic coast region of the United States. Breeds in the Carolinian
Fauna from the north shore of Long Island Sound and the lower Hudson Valley
west to the Alleghanies and south to the uplands of Georgia, Alabama, and
eastern Tennessee; winters mainly south of the Delaware Valley."

Very closely allied with it is the Florida Grackle which is found along the
south Atlantic coast from South Carolina to southern Florida and westward
over the southern part of the Gulf States to southeastern Texas. This bird so
closely resembles the Purple Grackle that an observer by merely seeing the
birds in the field could not distinguish them. Measurements would show that,
in the Florida bird, the wing is about a half-inch shorter, the tail slightly
shorter, and the bill slightly longer.

Third, the Bronzed Grackle. This bird, according to the Check-List quoted
above, ranges through "Central and eastern North America. Breeds from
Great Slave Lake, central Keewatin, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland south
to Montana and Colorado (east of the Rocky Mountains) and southeast to
the northern part of the Gulf States, western Pennsylvania, New York, and
Massachusetts (south of New York breeds only west of the Alleghanies);
winters mainly from the Ohio Valley south to southern Texas; casual in migra-
tion on the south Atlantic coast."

In size the Bronzed Grackle can be said to be intermediate between the
Purple Grackle and the Florida Grackle. It may be distinguished from the
Purple Grackle at close range by noting that the back does not have the
brilliant purple of the former, but is colored a metallic bronze, and the feathers
do not have iridescent bars.

Cfje Mutmtion ^octetteg

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T. GILBERT PEARSON, Secretary

Address all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

William Dutcher, President
Frederic A. Lucas, Acting President T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary

Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer
Samuel T. Carter, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome.

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership
$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership
$1,000 constitutes a person a Patron
$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder
$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated), of the City of New York.

Annual Meeting

The Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the
National Association of Audubon Societies
will be held in the American Museum of
Natural History, New York City, on
Tuesday, October 26, 1920.

As usual, a public meeting with attrac-
tive program and moving pictures is being
planned for the preceding evening. It is
hoped that all members who find it con-
venient to do so will attend the various
sessions.

The past year has been one of marked
progress in all lines of activity in which the
Association's efforts extend. Interest in
bird-Study and bird-protection throughout
the country is constantly increasing, and
it will be a source of great pleasure to many
io Learn of the accomplishments, not only
of the National Association, but of its
numerous affiliated groups of workers in
the United States and Canada.

Bird Lectures for Florida

Members and friends of the Association
wlio live in Florida, or who go there for
the winter, will be interested in learning
that Norman M 1 Clint ock, of Pittsburgh,

will be available for lecture engagements

in that state for a few months beginning
January, 1921.

(3

Mr. McClintock and his moving pictures
are already well known to many Florida
audiences. During the past summer he has
been engaged in taking additional pictures
of Florida wild bird-life. Especially has
he been successful in photographing the
marvelous abundance of wild life which is
found at that season on the National
Association's reservation in Orange bake.

In addition to general views, he has
made many close-up studies of Little Blue
Herons, White Ibises, Water Turkeys, and
both species of the exquisite white Egrets.
To view the intimate home life of these
birds, which most people see only as they
wing their way across some distant pond
or prairie, will be a most unusual oppor-
tunity. The pictures, combined with Mr.

McClintock's well-known abilities as a
pleasing speaker, make of his entertain-
ments occasions that linger long in the

memory.

Members of the Association and others
in the state are invited to correspond with
Mr. McClintock or with the home office in
New York ( "it \ wit h a view of making lot ,il
arrangements to secure Mr. McClintock's
lei I ui'es. There are a hundred and twenty-
live moving picture houses in Florida, and
it should not be difficult in almost any
community to secure the use of a moving
picture machine and operator for such an

occasion.

10)

The Audubon Societies

3i7

THE LIFE WORK OF WILLIAM DUTCHER

By T. S. PALMER

In his work for bird-protection William
Dutcher has erected an enduring monu-
ment and left a record which should prove
a source of inspiration to many. Deeply
engrossed with the cares of an active
business life in New York City, he found
recreation among the birds and developed
a vocation from what was at first merely
an avocation. Energy, sincerity, sympathy
and a remarkable tenacity of purpose were
some of the characteristics which enabled
him to overcome obstacles that would have
disheartened a less determined man and
made it possible to score success under con-
ditions that seemed to invite nothing but
failure.

His published contributions to orni-
thology and bird-protection began when
he was 33 years of age and continued dur-
ing a period of somewhat more than
thirty years. These contributions number
about 100 titles and comprise notes on the
birds of Long Island, a few general papers
on birds, a series of annual reports and
brief notes on bird-protection, and twenty
or more popular leaflets on common birds.

As a young man he was fond of hunting
and spent his holidays during the hunting
season shooting on the shores of Long
Island. Here, in May, 1879, he secured a
strange bird which proved to be rare in
that locality. This bird was Wilson's
Plover, a species which Alexander Wilson,
father of American ornithology, had col-
lected in 1813 at Cape May, N. J., three
months before his death, and which was
subsequently described and named in his
honor. It is now known to be common
along the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
but is uncommon north of Delaware Bay.
Dutcher's specimen was the subject of his
first published note which appeared in the
Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club
the following October. To the casual
reader this modest paragraph of six lines
may seem rather unimportant, but it
marked the beginning of a long series of
notes on the birds of Long Island, a sub-
ject in which he never lost interest and one

on which he was generally recognized as

an authority. It was his ambition to
publish a comprehensive work on Long
Island birds and he brought together a
valuable collection of specimens and all the
literature obtainable, but when other sub-
jects later absorbed his attention, he gen-
erously placed his notes at the disposal of
others and deposited his collection in the
American Museum of Natural History in
New York.

In the course of his collecting he became
interested in certain species which were
made the subject of special investigation
as, for example, the Labrador Duck and
the Herring Gull. In the case of the former
he gathered all the data available regard-
ing the North American specimens and
was able to increase the list of known
specimens of this extinct bird at least
30 per cent. In the case of the latter, in
cooperation with W. L. Bail}', he sum-
marized the observations of three seasons
on the coast of Maine.

Dutcher's work in scientific organiza-
tions began about the time of his first pub-
lication, when he became a member of the
Linnaean Society of New York, and all his
later work was done in connection with
some organization. When the American
Ornithologists' Union was founded in 1883,
he was elected an associate member, and
the following year was appointed on the
Committee on Protection of North
American Birds. The real work of the
committee began at a meeting held in his
office at 51 Liberty Street, New York
City, in December, 1885. The chairman
was George B. Sennett and two of the most
active members were George Bird Grinned,
editor of Forest and Stream, and William
Dutcher. The important accomplishments
of this committee during the three years of
its activity were the organization of the
original Audubon Society with a large mem-
bership and the drafting of a model law
for the protection of non-game birds. This
law, subsequently known as the 'A. O. U.
Law' and the 'Audubon Law,' has been

\\ I I.I.I A M hi I CHER

(318)

The Audubon Societies

3i9

WILLIAM DUTCHER AT 47 YEARS OF AGE

adopted by many states and its principles
have been incorporated in the recent mi-
gratory bird treaty protecting the birds
which migrate between the United States
and Canada.

In the meantime, in 1886, Mr. Dutcher
had been made an active member of the
American Ornithologists' Union and the
following year was elected treasurer. This
office he continued to hold for sixteen
years, until other matters demanded so
much of his time that he felt obliged to
retire. Much of the success of the Union
during those years was due to the high
degree of efficiency with which he con-
ducted its affairs.

With the increased destruction of birds
to meet the demands of the millinery trade,
the A. 0. U. Committee on Protection of
North American Birds was reorganized in
1896. During the next decade Mr. Dutcher
was its most active member and served as
chairman in 1896 and 1897 and from 1901
to 1905. Under his energetic leadership
these were years of great activity and
progress in bird-protection. Audubon
Societies were organized in rapid succession

in several states and when the necessity for
greater uniformity of effort became
apparent, a National Committee, com-
prising representatives from the state so-
cieties was formed in 1901. This was
really the founding of the National Asso-
ciation of Audubon Societies, which was
incorporated in January, 1905. At the
first meeting he was elected president and
continued in this office until his death. In
his annual report for 1904 he has given an
interesting 'History of the Audubon
Movement' during the preceding twenty
years.

From 1896 to 1910 every important pro-
ject for bird-protection at home or abroad
received Mr. Dutcher's enthusiastic sup-
port. Prohibition of the traffic in sea-
birds' eggs on the Farallone Islands in
California, aiding the passage of the Lacey
Act in 1900, administering the Thayer
Fund for protecting colonies of Gulls and
Terns on the Atlantic coast, and taking
part in the various movements to prohibit
spring shooting, to stop the sale of aigrettes
and restrict the traffic in plumage, to assist
in the passage of hunting license laws so

32°

Bird - Lore

that the states might raise adequate funds
for warden service — all these and many
others occupied his attention. He jour-
neyed to the legislatures of a dozen or more
States, from Maine to Louisiana, in behalf
of better bird laws — to some of the state
capitals repeatedly, and to Albany and
Trenton annually, when important bird-
bills were under consideration. The suc-
cessful results of the work
under the Thayer Fund,
which for the first time in
this country provided the
means for employing ward-
ens to guard the colonies
of breeding sea-birds along
the coast, naturally led to
plans for establishing per-
manent bird refuges. Peli-
can Island in Florida was
selected for the initial
experiment, and, on his
recommendation, m a d e
through the United States
Department of Agricul-
ture, President Roosevelt,
on March 14, 1903, re-
served the island as "a
preserve and breeding ground for native
birds" and thus established the first
National Bird Reservation.

The rapidly increasing activities of the
National Association were seriously handi-
capped by lack of adecpiate funds and
Mr. Dutcher, who devoted much time
and energy to meeting the deficiency, was
accustomed to say that the Association
should have an endowment fund of a mil-
lion dollars. By a most fortunate circum-
st ance t he work of the Association attracted
1 lie attention of the late Albert Wilcox,
who, after meeting its president, made the
Association one of the residuary legatees
under his will. Upon bis death, which
irred in [906, the National Association

received a bequesl of $331,072 and the per-
manency of its work was at once- assured.

Recognition of Mr. Dutcher's efforts was

also manifested in other ways both at home

and abroad. The Camp Fire Club of

America conferred upon him its gold medal
in appreciation of his efforts in behalf of

WILLIAM DUTCHER WHEN
A YOUNG MAN

the protection of wild life, and in England
the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds made him one of its Honorary
Fellows.

The year 1010 may be regarded as the
crowning point of Mr. Dutcher's work,
when he went abroad as the representative
of the National Association of Audubon
So. ieties. In the summer of that year he
attended the I nternational
Congress of Ornithology
in Berlin, where on behalf
of the Association he ex-
tended an invitation to
the Congress to hold it-
next meeting in the United
Stato. was appointed a
member of the Interna-
tional Committee on Pro-
tection of Birds, and pre-
sented a paper on 'Inter-
national Bird-Protection.'
This was his last formal
publication. Three months
after his return to New-
York City he suffered a
stroke of apoplexy which
completely paralyzed his
right side and left him speechless. Of tin-
heroic patience with which he endured his
affliction for nearly ten years it is unneces-
sary to speak in this connect ion further than
to mention that during all this time he never
lost his interest in birds. When other topics
failed to arouse his enthusiasm, he still took
delight in hearing and reading about his
favorite subject of bird protection, and,
in spile of suffering and sorrow, he kept
fully informed of the progress of the work.
Before his death he at least had the satis-
faction of knowing that he had not labored
in vain, and he was able to witness the suc-
cessful outcome of many of the projei ts to
which he had given his best energies.
Traffic in plumage had been restricted by
the Tariff Act, and spring shooting and the

sale' of aigrettes and migratory birds pro-
hibited by the Migrator) Bird Treaty Act.
flu National Bird Reservations had in-
creased to more than 70, the annual in< ome

of the National Association of Audubon
Societies, through the energy and skillful

The Audubon Societies

321

management of the Secretary, T. Gilbert fund had been realized to t he extent of
Pearson, was nearly $150,000, and the a permanent fund of nearly half that
dream of a million dollar endowment amount.

EXPLORING FOR NEW BIRD COLONIES

By T. GILBERT PEARSON

Illustrated with Photographs by the Author
(Concluded^

Leaving the Second Chain-of-Islands,
with their nesting colonies of Reddish
Egrets, Herons, Terns, Skimmers and
Laughing Gulls, we ran northward into the
open waters of San Antonio Bay, Texas.
On the right we passed the low-lying sand
shoal known as Bird Island, where in 1018
I had found a small colony of breeding
Brown Pelicans. Our field glasses failed to
reveal any signs of life that day, however.
Later four Man-o'-War Birds were seen
perched on the cross-pieces of channel
stakes. Occasionally Laughing Gulls and
Terns were seen. At the northern end of
the bay, a flock of eighteen Roseate Spoon-
bills went by in their usual flight forma-
tion. Passing through the canal at Port
o'Connor, we entered Matagorda Bay and
late that evening turned sharply to the
left into the body of water known as
Carancahua Bay. On a small sand spit at
the entrance we were greeted with the sight
of eight stately Wood Ibis, two elegant
Roseate Spoonbills, and five dainty and

vivacious Snowy Egrets. All the way up
the bay, flocks of Herons passed us
which augured well for the success of our
search for a rookery said to exist in that
region. In the rain that night, just before
dark, we dropped anchor at the head of
Carancahua Bay.

In the early morning a landing was made.
Here, on the point of a little peninsula on
Wolf Point Ranch, several hundred pairs
of Louisiana Herons and Ward's Herons
were breeding. The colony was also occu-
pied by about fifty pairs of large Egrets
with a larger number — perhaps seventy-
five pairs — of Snowy Egrets. Great-tailed
Grackles, Black-crowned Night Herons,
and Black Vultures were also numerous.

While the Finleys made moving pictures
from their blind set up in the rookery, I
rode over much of the surrounding country
in company with W. R. Sells, the planta-
tion owner. Along the shore and about the
sloughs we found many Black-necked
Stilts and Western Willets. I was inter-

ARANCAHUA BAY ROOKERY. TEXAS
The white spots are Snowy Egrets

m y

I

«> /

"f* - ■■ V

ON BIG BIRD ISLAND, LACUNA DE LA MADRE, TEXAS

A GROUND NEST OF THE REDD

-
G BIRD ISLAM >, TEX;

IN A CABOT'S TERN COLONY, BIG BIRD ISLAND, TEXAS
(322)

•-nr tt^j_

3*

XESTS OF THE CASPIAN TERN, BIG BIRD [SLAND, TE

*»<bF

EGGS OF THE CABOT'S TERN, BIG BIRD ISLAND, TEXAS

NEST AND EGGS OF THE LAUGHING GULL, BIG. BIRD ISLAND, TEXAS

3 2.0

324

Bird - Lore

ested to note that, a Caracara which flew
by was carrying its prey in its bill. T do
not recall ever before having seen a bird-
of-prey bearing food in flight otherwise

than in its talons. In the slender, stunted
growths of live oak trees about the ranch
house, Great-tailed Grackles were clamor-
ing in great numbers. The trees held at
least a thousand of their nests.

In addition to this cruise in the boat
'Jim Duke,' I visited other points on the
lower Texas coast. One of these was a
small group of bars lying back of Harbor
Island on the northern edge of Corpus
Christi Bay and just inside Aransas Pass
Inlet. Black Skimmers, Laughing Gulls,
and Royal Terns made up the colonies at
this place. Late one evening 1 landed on
head Man Island near Corpus Pass, where
a community of at least 2,000 Krown
Pelicans were caring for their young.

For twenty years rumors had occasion-
ally reached me of a famous bird-island
south of Corpus Christi in Laguna de la
Madre. One of my objects in visiting the
Texas coast was to search out and examine
this island. This was accomplished on
May 23, JQ20, by means of a shallow draft
power boat. The island, or rather islands,
for there are t wo of t hem, is situated about
32 mile- below Corpus Christi. Big Bird
Island proved to be one of the largest
breeding-places of sea birds on the Gulf
Coasl of the United States. About 35,000
nests of Royal Terns were- discovered, per-
haps nineteen of every twenty containing
onlj one egg, the others two. In a few
hundred nests the young had already
L.ilt bed or were hatching. Here also were
groups of Caspian Terns' nests and a si ore
or more of Forster's I 1 in-' eggs were seen.

There were Cabot's Terns to the extent of

about (),ooo pairs, judging from a count of
the nestS. There were forty-eight occupied

nests of the Brown Pelican built of sticks

and weeds and all situated on the ground,
as the island was not adorned by a single

tree or living bush. Eight nests of the
Reddish Egret, eleven of the Louisiana

Heron, and twenty of the Ward's II

were found. One of the most abundant

species was the Laughing Gull, and the

nests were hidden in the grass everywhere
over the entire island. Their numbers
were estimated to be anywhere from
10,000 to 40,000.

A mile away lies Little Bird Island,
where seventy-three nests of the Caspian
Tern were counted, the eggs being deposited
on small layers of marsh grass, or. as was
more frequently the case, in slight hollows
in the bare sand. At least seventy-five
pairs of Ward's Herons also had eggs or
young. The most interesting discovery
was that of a small colony of White Peli-
cans. Eight were seen leaving the Island
as we approached and forty-two others
arose from the ground as we landed. In-
vestigation showed eighteen young, three
nests with eggs and ten eggs scattered
about on the ground. The point of chief
interest in connection with the breeding
of these birds on Little Bird Island is that
heretofore we have not known them to
nest in the United States at any point east
of Chase Lake. North Dakota, or south
of the Salton Sea in California. A warden.
of course, was employed to represent the
Association in guarding these two great
communities ,,f bird life.

At Brownsville, Texas. I had the good
fortune to meet K. I). Camp, a member
of the Association and a most intelligent
and enthusiastii field naturalist. On
June 3, 1920, in company with him and
another member, George C. Shupee. of
San Antonio I journeyed 22 miles by nar-
row gauge railroad to Point Isabel. Here

Mr. Camp secured the services of a Mexi-
can with a shallow draft sailing vessel,
and. laying in three days' provisions, I

again set sail on the waters of Laguna de
la Madre, bill this time heading north-
ward. Our destination was Green Island,
32 miles up the Laguna. Mr. Cam]) had

visited this place during the previous au-
tumn anil discovered si._riis 0f Herons hav-
ing bred there. Our hopes were fully
realized when, late t he first day. we dropped

am hor near the island. The bushes, cover-
ing many acres, were seen to be thickly
populated with Herons, and flocks of birds
continued to arrive from every direction
until darkness fell. Daylight revealed the

WHITE PELICANS LEAVING THEIR XESTS, LITTLE BIRD ISLAND, TEXAS

YOUNG WHITE PELICANS ON NESTING GROUNDS, LITTLE BIRD ISLAND. TEXAS

WHITE PELICANS FLYING OVER THEIR BREEDING PLACE
LITTLE BIRD ISLAND, TEXAS

(325)

326

Bird - Lore

IN THE CHACHALACA COUNTRY, CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS. A RETOUCHED
PICTURE OF ONE OF THE BIRDS MAY BE SEEN* IN THE BACKGROUND

fact that we were probably viewing one of
the largest Heron colonies left in this
country. Surely it contained the largest
number of Reddish Egrets of any known
colony of these birds within our borders.
We estimated the entire population of Red-
dish Egrets, Ward's Herons, Louisiana
Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons and
Snowy Egrets to be anywhere from 5,000
to 10,000. The Reddish Egret was easily
the dominating species and we were greatly
interested to find twenty or more of them
to be in the white phase of plumage. Steps
have been taken to extend adequate
protection to this rookery of breeding
birds.

The Brownsville region is a realm of in-

terest to the ornithologist. Here, back in
the eighties, the ornithologist, Sennett,
discovered many birds not before recorded
in the United States. It was while hunting
for a breeding colony of Mexican Cormo-
rants that, on June 6, I had the pleasure
of seeing some of these rarieties of the
Southeast. One was the Chachalaca or
Guan, the only representative of the Family
found in this country. In a superficial
way, perhaps, it resembles a Pheasant
more than any other American bird. Being
highly esteemed for food, and therefore
persistently sought by local gunners, it is
fast disappearing over the two or three
counties of southeastern Texas which
seems to constitute its entire range in the

A CHACHALACA THIRTEEN MONTHS OLD, HATCHED WD REARED l\
often raised by Dm- Mexicans along the Rio Grande River

The Audubon Societies

327

United States. Under the guidance of
Mr. Camp, and his friend Mr. Farmer, I
was privileged to visit the haunts of this
extremely noisy and interesting bird.
Here, also, we found the Groove-billed Ani,

and the Red-billed Pigeon. One evening I
had the delightful pleasure of a close in-
spection of a little Texas Kingfisher, the
diminutive Ceryle of the lower Rio
Grande.

SUNSET ON DEAD MAN ISLAND, CORPUS PASS, TEXAS

New Life Members Enrolled from July 1
to September 1, 1920

Campbell, Donald
Chafee, Mrs. Z.
Chatard, Miss Eleanor A.
Colby, Mrs. Frances Berry
Crosby, Mrs. S. V. R.
Eggleston, Julius W.
Emmet, W. L. R.
Fox, Miss A. M.
Hunt, Mrs. Thomas
Jameson, Mrs. S. B.
Koppelman, Charles H.
Locher, Mrs. M. McClure
McLane, Miss Elizabeth
Paine, Mrs. Richmond P.
Perot, T. Morris, Jr.
Petty, E. R.
Rosenwald, Mrs. Julius
Sampson, John A.
Schwehm, Harry J.
Speyer, Mrs. James
Stra'ight, Mrs. Willard
Stutzer, Miss Elise W.
Williams, Richard E.
Young, Miss Emily W.

New Sustaining Members Enrolled from
July 1 to September 1, 1920

Ybbott, Jacob Bates
Addicks, Lawrence
Baker, Miss Esther H.
Behre, Mrs. John H.
Berggraf, Randall S.
Capewell, George J., Jr.
Carter, Stuart Barns

Davis, Solomon
Deerow, Marion L.
Doubleday, Miss Marguerite
Eldridge, Mrs. G. Perry
Finch, Mrs. J. T.
Friedman, Miss Lena R.
Froeligh, Louis F.
Gambet, Irving
Gibson, Mary K.
Gilmore, Mrs. G. L.
Goddard, Mrs. J. A.
Hammond, Miss Katharine
Hills, J. Douglas
Hodgin, Samuel H.
Hoffman, Starling S.
Hunsicker, Clayton
Johns, Mrs. David R.
Kingsbury, Miss Elizabeth
Klie, Doris M.
Lewis, Penelope
Lincoln, Mrs. D. \V.
McColm, Mrs. Lillian
McGann, Grace
Pratt, Mrs. H. M.
Reed, Miss Emma
Rumsey, Elizabeth D.
Sage, Geo. H.
Scott, Mrs. G. C.
Scull, Mrs. Gideon
Shepard, Charles J.
Sullivant, Major L. S.
Yarley, Mrs. Geo.
Wells, James B.
Wells, Robert C.
Werner, Mrs. Henrv C.
White, N. G.
Willson, Alfred L.
Zalk, Louis
Zucker, Mrs. A.

JOIN THIS ASSOCIATION

AND

HELP THE CAUSE OK BIRD PROTECTION!

-

«a*l .... i £

The Educational Leaflets

OF THE

National Association of
Audubon Societies

(Q[ iThe best means of learning the birds of your
neighborhood, and ot teaching your children.
(D, Each leaflet describes the habits and utility of
one bird, and contains a detached colored plate and
an outline sketch of its subject.

dl. The Colored Plates are faithful portraits of the
birds, yet treated artistically, as is shown by the ex-
amples in the border. No better pictures of their
kind exist. (Plates not sold separately.)
CC, The Outlines are unshaded copies of the plates,
intended to be colored — the best method of fixing
facts in a young mind.

dj. These leaflets, 103 in number, are sold at 5 cents
each. A list of these leaflets, and other publications,
will be sent on request to the

National Association of Audubon Societies

1974 Broadway, New York City

r.

, I I (WBIRI '. \l M I I \1 \l I
2 COWBIRD, FEMALE

I I >WBIRI > YOU1

Rl I i I 1 I I X I (WBIRI ) II MAL

REI iniDM >\\IMKI>. \l\l I.

2ftrb=1Lore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Official Organ of The Audubon Societies

Vol. XXII November— December, 1920 No. 6

A Partridge Don Quixote

By HOWARD H. CLEAVES

Photographs by the Author, Reproduced through Courtesy of New York State
Conservation Commission

BILLY is a Don Quixote among Partridges. But instead of engaging
in combat with windmills he goes forth to battle with motor tractors.
Before news of him reached us he had for months been hurling challenge
after challenge at his superior adversary. The 'sector' held by Billy was a
certain tract of woodland on the farm of A. H. Armstrong, not far from
Schenectady, N. Y. As we neared the farm by automobile on the State Road,
it seemed to us that the territory was not what would be pointed out by an
experienced hunter as good Grouse-cover. There were potatoes and various
grains growing in wide fields separated by fences or narrow strips of trees and
shrubs, and here and there were clean young orchards. But back from the road,
as we were presently to discover, were many large pieces of uncleared land, and
it was in one of these that Billy, the militant Partridge, had made his home.

Mr. Armstrong led the way to the shed where his sixty horse-power Bates
Steel 'Mule' stood on its caterpillar feet, and in a few moments the iron steed
backed from its stall amid a cloud of dust and blue exhaust. "Follow along
close behind" shouted our host from his swaying seat as he 'stepped on the
gas' and started the great 'tank' on its creeping, lurching way down the crooked
wood road. The four semi-skeptical guests, including one lady, fell in at the
rear like supporting infantry, but we were armed only with cameras and field
glasses as the 'caravan' advanced into the country of the 'enemy.'

"A unique bird walk!" I said to myself, as I thought of the traditional,
tip- toe bird student who whispers "shush" to his followers and leads the stealthy
pursuit of some timid and fleeting Warbler or Flycatcher.

The tractor rumbled across a bridge and up a winding grade, over ruts and
rocks and through mud holes, the motor throbbing and pulsating loudly or
softly as the occasion required. Presently the driver looked back over his
shoulder and began speaking to us. We drew up closer and were informed that

330

Bird - Lore

just ahead was the stretch of road most frequented by the bird. I gripped my
Graflex more tightly, fingered its shutter adjustments, and made certain the
slide was drawn — precautions usually indulged in as a matter of routine, but
on this occasion checked up several times over.

"BILLY DARTED TOWARD MR. ARMSTRONG'S FEET"

We had gone only a few yards farther when up went the cry, "There he is
now." And there he was, twenty-five yards up the road, his ruff extended
and his head lowered and jerking nervously, after the manner of a rooster
about to make battle with his foe. Billy took the middle of the lane and,
following a peculiar, sinuous course, came steadily on to meet us with reckless
abandon. The contrast was absurd. On the one side was a wild bird not
larger than a bantam, and on the other were five adult humans led by a mobile
mass of several thousand pounds of steel from which emanated a loud noise:
a feathered David and a mechanical Goliath.

At the instant when it seemed that further advance by either side would
mean annihilation for the eccentric Grouse, the pilot brought his tractor to a
stop and descended to the ground, whereupon began one of the most remark-
able of exhibitions. Billy darted toward Mr. Armstrong's feet and pecked at
his trousers, and when Mr. Armstrong walked away the bird ran after him
with the greatest agility, striking with wing or beak on coming within range.

A Partridge Don Quixote

33i

If a hand were extended toward him, Billy would peck it also and, most
extraordinary of all, he would permit himself to be picked up and freely handled,
perching on finger, wrist, or shoulder. When on the latter he was invariably
prompted to investigate one's eyes and nose with his sharp beak !

As the sport proceeded it began to occur to us that what had at first ap-
peared to be combativeness was apparently, after all, only a vigorous form of
plavfulness. Although the bird gave his best exhibitions under Mr. Armstrong's
direction, he was by no means partial and would respond to advances by any
of us. The thrill of having a wild Partridge hop upon one's hand can be appre-
ciated only by those who have had the experience. Once when I raised him
on my hand he had been 'boxing' so strenuously that he was panting, with his
mouth wide open, but his brown eyes snapped and twinkled, his crest was
raised to its limit and his tail outspread — evidences of a keenness to go at it
again on the slightest provocation. Curiously, his ruff was never raised,
except when he first came out of the woods to meet us. When held on the hand,
not more than a dozen inches from one's face, he could be heard to utter a soft,
craking sound, his only vocal effort.

When on the ground and not engaged in a 'bout' with one of us, he would
walk nervously about, plucking at grasses beside the road, but never eating
anything. At other times he stood motionless looking up at the ring of admirers,
seemingly awaiting an aggressive movement on the part of one of them.
Throughout our stay of over half an hour the tractor motor was left running,

>

A GROUSE ON THE SHOULDER

332

Bird - Lore

as Mr. Armstrong believed the sound of this was largely responsible for the
bird's sustained interest. Our visit came to a triumphant conclusion with the
most sensational 'act' of all when Mr. Armstrong took the bird with him to
the seat of the tractor and went rolling and thundering away down the road
with Billy riding on his shoulder!

Billy is not the first queer Grouse whose acquaintance has been made in
New York state. He is the 1920 male counterpart of 'Biddy,' the now famous

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TOOK THE BIRD WITH HIM TO THE SEAT OF THE TRACTOR"

hen Partridge who lived in the wooded hills near Oneonta and became friendly
with a company of wood-choppers in midwinter. Even when summer (1918)
came, Biddy could be easily coaxed from her cover by the sound of chopping
wood or the beating of a club on a log. She would box and play but would not
voluntarily permit herself to be picked up. A noteworthy incident in Biddy's
career was her disappearance at the opening of the hunting season in 1018 and
her reappearance nearly a year later at West Burlington, Otsego County,
approximately twenty miles northwest of her home of the year before. One
would not expect a representative of a supposedly 'sedentary' species to travel

A Partridge Don Quixote

333

so far. An account of Biddy appeared in Bird-Lore for 1918 (p. 492). Nothing
has been seen of her since the autumn of 1919.

Still a third 'crazy' Partridge was discovered by the writer during early
October of the present year near the village of Lewis in Essex County. My
father and I were driving in a Ford roadster and had halted the car on a back

A GROUSE IN THE HAND

country road in order to admire the autumn foliage. The motor had been left
running. We had sat for only a minute or two when I heard a rustling among
the dead leaves at the edge of the woods beside the road. I supposed it a chip-
munk, but turned my head slowly and was astonished to see a Partridge run-
ning straight toward us. When at a distance of about fifteen feet the bird
(which seemed to be a female or young male) took his stand on top of a log
and stood in a rigid attitude eyeing us closely. Only a thin screen of maple

334 Bird -Lore

saplings separated us. After both the bird and we had remained motionless
for what seemed a long time, I raised myself cautiously over the side of the
car and approached the bird. The latter did not fly and gave no sign of being
startled. He merely stepped from his log, lowered his head, and began walking
among the underbrush with the same sinuous movement which was character-
istic of both Biddy and Billy. He kept six or eight feet beyond my reach, and
when I stopped, he stopped. On several occasions he circled partly around me
instead of retiring directly in my path.

Matters stood as described when there came a call from the road (which
was very narrow) informing me that another car was approaching. Not wish-
ing to disclose the bird's presence to possibly hostile strangers, the experience
was terminated much before I wished. With more time it is easy to imagine
that I might have induced as great confidence in bird number three as had
been displayed by numbers one and two.

It seems obvious that each of these Grouse was attracted in the first instance
by some artificial sound which either closely or somewhat resembled the drum-
ming of a wild cock Partridge; but it is difficult if not impossible satisfactorily
to diagnose the peculiar and intimate conduct of the birds with relation both
to persons and to unnatural mechanical objects, such as tractors and automo-
biles.

Why Do Birds Bathe?

By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON. Greenwich, Conn.

HAS anyone fully answered the question, Why do birds bathe? Also,
What birds, at what time of day, and what season of the year?

There are four kinds of baths that birds commonly take: Sun-bath,
dust-bath, shower-bath, and plunge-bath.

I have often seen Eagles, Hawks, Owls, Grouse, Quail, and Turkey Buzzards
give themselves a sun-bath in some sunny sheltered nook. Here they will
stretch out in various ways and raise their wings to let the sun reach the under-
pays. This is the simplest proof that it is a sun-bath; without that pose one
might not know.

Most of the Grouse family, as well as the barn-fowls, take dust-baths.
Nearly all of the Sparrow tribes take shower- or plunge-baths, but outside of
the Divers, Gulls, Ducks, Sparrows and Thrushes, I never saw any bird take a
water-bath, and I think they take it only during the hottest part of the morn-
ing. I have often seen Swallows take a shower-bath in the rain and a plunge as
they fly over the water, but I never saw one take a dust-bath. Of all the
water-bathers, I suppose the Robin is the extreme example. He is a crank on
the subject. I have seen a Robin soak himself till he could scarcely fly, but
I never saw a Hawk or an Owl, a Crow or a Grouse take a cold-water bath.

We know that sun-bathing is a fine tonic and a powerful killer of germs j

Why Do Birds Bathe?

335

and we are told that dust-bathing is at least a partial cure for feather-lice.
Water-bathing doubtless is a cleansing operation, but why is it taken? I
never saw a Robin or a Grackle with muddied plumage. Why do they do it?
How often? What other birds do it? If some of our young bird-folk would
make a list of the birds they have seen bathing, together with the manner,
the time of day, and season of the year, it would afford new and valuable
light, and would, I think, show that no birds outside of the perchers, and Ducks
and the Gulls, and the swimming birds ever take a water-bath. So far as I
know, the only one to take all these kinds — sun-bath, dust-bath, and water-
bath — is the despised English Sparrow, to which habits perhaps its vigorous
health is largely due. I think I have even seen it wallowing in the snow when
no other bathing opportunity was at hand.

As a beginning, I tabulate my observations of various groups, etc. No doubt
they will be greatly modified by fuller study.

Divers

Gulls

Ducks

Grouse

Barn-fowl

Pigeons

Eagles

Hawks

Owls

Pigeons

Sparrows

English Sparrow
Robin

Sun-liath

Dust-Rath

Shower-
Bath

PluriKe-
Bath

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Any time

Any time of day
when the sun is
strong

The heat of the day

I

THE BOAT-BLIND

The Boat-Blind in the Snow

By G. A. BAILEY, Geneseo, N. Y.

With Photographs by the Author

T

*HE boat-blind was originally de-
signed for use in the water and
along the shore where a steep
bank made it impracticable to move a
blind on runners or wheels. The blind is
made like a boat in the lower part and
has ample size so that a person can sleep
in it comfortably when necessary. It is
7^2 feet long and 3 feet wide. The whole
of the blind has a covering that is rain-
tight, and the front end is higher, to
accommodate a person sitting in a chair.
After trying the blind out one season at
Sand Point, Conesus Lake, N. Y., it was
moved to town where for two seasons it
has been idle.

In December, 1919, it was moved to
a lot where there was an abundance of
pigweed and ragweed, with a border of
shrubs and bushes. This setting, while poor from an agricultural standpoint,
was ideal from the standpoint of a person who wanted to get bird pictures.

JUNCO

The Boat-Blind in the Snow

337

TREE SPARROWS

It was not long after the blind
was installed, with plenty of
seeds of millet and hemp, etc.,
before the Tree Sparrows, Juncos,
and Song Sparrows began to
come regularly. However, the
real visitors that I hoped for in
this inviting spot were the Red-
polls. I had seen them in this
region before, and I was parti-
cularly anxious that they should
pay this blind a visit and allow
me the pleasure of adding their
pictures to my collection.

The boat-blind was arranged
with the front toward the north,
but the low sun cast a long
shadow. To get the birds to feed
above this shadow I built a snow
pyramid high enough so that
they were in sunlight whenever
the sun shone. Frequent thaws
and blowing snow made many
changes in the original pyra-
mid, but between us we
managed to keep the apex high
enough to avoid the shadow.

REDPOLLS

33«

Bird - Lore

At first, millet and canary seed were put in a can on the top of the pyramid
and buried in the snow with only the top in sight. Whenever I made
pictures I removed the can, filled up the hole with snow, and made a new open-
ing filled with seed. The opening was not more than 2 inches across, and I
was thus enabled to get the birds to come to a small area rather than feed over
a broad surface. To avoid getting them behind the feeding opening, I made a
snow-back high enough to force them to eat from the side. I also preferred
to have them on the left of the opening in the afternoons, so a small pigweed
kept them away from the right side. Birds are usually careless in their table
manners and scatter seed about in a rather reckless manner. To prevent their
spending too much time picking up crumbs, I used to cover all the loose seed
with fine snow, to force them to feed in the proper place. While the Tree

Sparrows and Juncos were not
new to the camera, I used to try
to get them in different poses
while I was waiting for the Red-
polls to come.

Speaking of the Redpolls,
they were early in the field.
From the port-holes I could see
them feeding on the pigweeds
that grew so abundantly all
around the blind. Seeing them
eat from divers pigweeds and
seeing them eat from some par-
ticular spot on a snow pyramid
proved to be two distinct obser-
vations. They did not care for
millet or any patent form of
bird-food. They were the origi-
nal consumers of pigweed seed,
apparently, and they proposed
to stand by this abundant and
nourishing diet. When they
wouldn't come to the seed I had
selected I was forced to com-
promise. This I did by selecting
the most vigorous and stately
pigweeds that the farm afforded
and sticking them over the
snow pyramid. The pyramid
began to take on the appearance
TREE sparrow °f a monster pin-cushion. For a

The Boat-Blind in the Snow

339

time the Redpolls found aplenty that I had missed, but I kept cutting and

building until most of the weeds had been brought to the blind. Then, late

one afternoon while I was watching them, a little group of three flew to the

row of pigweeds back

of the millet. I snapped

the shutter, but the

hour was too late, and

the images proved to

be too faint. However,

this was encouraging,

for they had come to the

weeds on the top of the

pyramid. The next day

was sunny and I spent

it in the blind and made

several exposures of the

Redpolls.

Inside the boat-
blind, I was using, for
the most part, four
cameras. A 5x7 and a
stereo-camera were used
for making pictures,
and two 4x5 cameras
with lenses open and
focused on the feeding-
places were used to
keep watch of the birds
that came. I have found
that looking out from
a dark blind onto snow
in sunshine is very a dispute at the pole

tiring to the eyes. The use of an open camera by the side of one that makes
the picture also gives you a very good idea of the way your picture will look
when it is finished.

In the latter part of March the weather had warmed so much that the snow
pyramid began to grow smaller and the Redpolls retreated before the same
weather that spoiled their feeding-station. Another year it will be operated
near the same spot in the hope that some new visitors may come.

A Winter Chronicle, 1918-19

By KATHARINE UPHAM HUNTER, West Claremont, N. H.

THE Catbird, taking a sun-bath on a crosspiece of the pergola, regarded
that other biped on the brick floor below with a wary black eye; occa-
sionally he reached for a woodbine berry and gorged it, then he puffed
his feathers and settled himself again. It was mid-October; the summer birds
had gone and the chill day was a forecast of winter.

The Catbird and I huddled ourselves in the only patch of sunshine and
half-dozed in its warmth. Around the corner the wind blustered about its
coming league with Jack Frost and snow. I shivered with my dead flowers,
for the North Wind filled me with dismay. At that moment I was in spirit
a lotos-eater, eager to follow the belated Catbird on his journey to Cuba or
lazy Mexico, to bright skies and tropical climate. But I did not go. I wished
the bird a pleasant journey and went indoors to heap wood in the fireplace.
Perhaps there is a bit of the endurance of our ancestors (inherited with our
consciences) that bids us New Englanders weather the blasts of winter !

Next day the Catbird was gone and I, out in the orchard filling boxes and
swinging-trays with hemp, rape and sunflower seeds, and tacking suet to the
twisted apple trees, felt again the lure of winter. The keen air invited me to
explore. In a clearing on a woodland road I saw a Downy Woodpecker on a
goldenrod stalk hammering and hammering at the frail plant which swayed
perilously with each blow. I found what I had expected, round galls drilled
full of tiny holes. So Downy is an epicure and has his own caviar!

Over my head and over the dusky tops of the pine trees the last Bluebirds
were flying away to the South; the scattered band moved slowly, regretfully,
as though loath to leave the northern home where they had fulfilled once
again their destiny, and earned their place in the sun. Their soft voices
floated down to me, mournfully, caressingly. Then I fell awondering what
birds would seek my hospitality during the cold months before 'winsome
Bluebird' would again gladden our hearts. If one lives in the country, the real
country, where one may walk miles on one's acres without coming upon any
being unfurred and unfeathered, then one invests these wild creatures with
personality. They are our friends. And as friends of long standing are first
in our affections, I shall begin this winter bird-list of 1918-19 with the Nut-
hatches.

Our friendship dates from the fall day when a Nuthatch was trapped in
the 'shed-chamber' — of course old houses have shed-chambers, they are as
much a part of their orthodoxy as the brick oven, the square-paned windows,
and the smoke-bushes in the front yard; and I fear me from the feathered
things that have fluttered into ours, they can be veritable death-traps. But the
Nuthatch was discovered in time and he did some gallant work with his rapier-
bill, I remember, before the rescuing fingers unclosed to give him liberty. It

(340)

A Winter Chronicle, 1918-19 341

was while he was recovering in the pear tree that he first tasted suet, where-
upon, being an old-fashioned gentleman, he brought his wife to share the dis-
covery. After that they came together to the tree.

In late November the Chickadees resolved to make the pear tree their
club-house: three of them descended upon the suet and the seed. Darting to
the food-tray a black-capped sprite would seize a gray-and-white striped seed
and whisk away to the syringa to hack open its contents; flash! and his place
upon the tray was taken by another fairy, and flash again! another tiny
bunch of feathers would usurp the other mite's table, hustling him away
empty-mouthed. I looked out one morning on a feast of brotherly love, as I
supposed (though birds may not pin their hearts on their wings any more than
we mortals wear ours on our sleeves); there were the three saucy Chickadees
busy with seed and suet, and there was the Nuthatch moving head-first down
the trunk towards the feeding-box. I regarded my avian Utopia with frank
satisfaction. The Nuthatch hurried onto the tray and was examining the seeds
with the air of a veteran diner-out, when a bad Chickadee alighted upon the
tray and literally swept his lordship off. Sir Nuthatch retired sulkily down the
trunk but soon returned to the food-box with crushing loftiness, I thought,
but his airs did not affect the self-elected members of the Pear Tree Club!
There was a vindictive flash of gray, white, and black fluff, and again it was
the Chickadee who remained on the shelf. Thus were the Nuthatches black-
balled and ousted from the pear tree by the fascinating strangers, who sang
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee most ingratiatingly to me as they feasted on their spoils —
chick-a-deeing so effectively that when the seeds were gone I put out more to
keep them at the tree.

Through the whole long winter never another yank-yank sounded from the
house precincts. But the Chickadees lived there, being coaxed to the window-
sill where I could watch their process of eating: my bead-eyed friend would
choose a sunflower seed, perch on the box, firmly holding it in his black claws,
and then with one hack break open the envelope and let it fall to the ground
while he ate the soft seed; later he held between his claws the tiny hemp and
rape seeds, cracking the husk and then swallowing the seed. After stuffing
himself he would hop down to the snow and take little beakers of it ! At first
I was not sure which woodland was their home, but one night they told me
themselves. They always stayed at the window till dusk: that night I saw
them fly from the window to a maple; fluttering to its top, they headed
for a wooded hillside across a field. Up in its dim stillness I found them
going to bed in the hemlocks, and, launching forth from the maple, there they
went every night.

One cold February morning a Hun of the air swooped down upon my
Chickadees. He alighted cockily in the syringa, where all seven midgets were
eating seed. I think the little birds did not recognize the wolf, for they sang
blithely till he cut off one Chickadee from the rest and pursued it with vicious

342 Bird - Lore

stabbings of his curved beak. Up above the roofs, up above the tallest elm,
the little Chickadee twisted and dodged and shrieked, evading, just evading
the Northern Shrike. It was horrible — yet, as next morning I counted seven
Chickadees, I think the victim escaped. During the rest of February, when the
murderous Hun appeared, a solemn hush would descend on our cheerful
orchard where the Chickadees were 'frozen' to the orchard trees. The seven
survived the perils of the winter, coming for seed till June. In the mating-time
I saw a male feed a female husked sunflower seeds — which she ate, fluttering
her wings. But when the June skies were their bluest the Chickadees came back
no more and a Song Sparrow stole their hemp and rape seeds from the window-
sill.

Of course, the Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and Partridges were with us always,
and at times the Tree Sparrows and Juncos and Snow Buntings drifted by in
scattering clouds or the Thistle Birds in cloudlets gleaned the weeds among the
stubble. And there were seen — though not on our acres — the Evening Gros-
beaks and the alien Starlings. Our irregular visitors came and went. In
December the maple trees blossomed forth one morning as pink hollyhocks,
and a little boy watching them from the window asked, "What are those birds
that have mermaids' tails?" The Pine Grosbeaks blossomed in the maples for
two days, eating the keys, and then they flew a mile eastward to continue their
out-of-season reaping.

Early March brought some of the Sparrows northward; then, like a wicked
old witch, she tried to freeze them and starve them; snow, changing to sleet,
and an icy wind were her servants. We awoke one morning to find literally a
thousand birds singing and twittering and wheeling over the orchard and
fields, seeking food and shelter. We scattered grain and sweepings from the
hay barns over the snow, and also rape and hemp seeds. The barnyard, the
orchard, the fields and meadows were dotted by the frail little creatures and,
as they came about the house, we identified them. There were dozens of little
grey and white Redpolls with bright red caps and pale pink suffusing their
breasts; so tiny were they, so babyish that my Chickadees seemed clowns.
There were Slate-colored Juncos mincing about in the snow, and, mingling
with them, were Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows, and a few very docile
English Sparrows. The Tree Sparrows, cocking their tails like Wrens, at-
tempted suet. How bright and smart the Sparrows were in their fine spring
feathers and how we admired them until one plump gentleman dropped into
the assemblage and dwarfed them by his size and elegance and color! The
stranger was a Fox Sparrow and more than one cinnamon-box had gone to
powder his feathers!

On March 15 the Red-Wings were swaying in the elms by the river,
creaking like arboreal frogs. When I saw them, even though the snow whitened
the fields, I made my last entry in my book of winter birds, for I knew that
spring had cumc.

The Migration of North American Birds

SECOND SERIES

XIV. COWBIRDS

Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey

COWBIRD

The Cowbird {Molothrus ater), well known as a parasite of small birds,
is widely dispersed over the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico.
It is divided into three geographic races, all of which occur in the United States.

The common Eastern Cowbird (Molothrus ater ater), breeds in the United
States and Canada, north to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, central Quebec,
and southern Ontario; west to Minnesota, Colorado, and New Mexico; south
to central Texas, northern Louisiana, Tennessee, and southern V.rginia; and
east to the Atlantic coast. It winters north to Massachusetts and Michigan,
and south to Florida, Alabama, and Michoacan, central Mexico.

The Sagebrush Cowbird (Molothrus ater artemisice) breeds in western
North America, north to southern Manitoba, southwestern Mackenzie, and
central British Columbia; west to southwestern British Columbia, western
Washington, central Oregon, and eastern California; south to south central
eastern California, southern Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota;
and east to North Dakota and Manitoba. It winters south to Texas, Vera Cruz,
and Michoacan, Mexico.

The Dwarf Cowbird (Molothrus ater obscurus) is resident in Mexico and
the southwestern United States, north to southern Louisiana, southern Texas,
southwestern New Mexico, southern Arizona, and southern California; and
south to Colima, Oaxaca, and Vera Cruz, Mexico.

In the following tables the records of the Sagebrush Cowbird are desig-
nated by an asterisk, while all the rest refer to the common Eastern^Cowbird.

SPRING MIGRATION

LOCALITY

French Creek, W. Va
Washington, D. C. . .

Cambridge, Md

Philadelphia, Pa

Beaver, Pa

Morristown, X. J.. . .

Buffalo, N. Y

Shelter Island, N. Y.
Jewett City, Conn. . .

Providence, R. I

Boston, Mass

St. Johnsbury, Vt.. . .
Charleston, N. H. . . .
Phillips, Maine

Number

of years'

record

5

17

6

17
9

17

10

13

24

8
28
23

Average date of
spring arrival

March 25
March 19

March 24
March 24
March 22
March 22
April 3
March 25
March 28
March 28
March 30
April 9
April 13
April 15

Earliest date of
spring arrival

March 8, 1890
Rare, winter
March 13, 1915
March 12, 1890
March 17, 1905
Feb. 9, 1887
March 20, 1881
Rare, winter
March 7, 1894
March 17, 1907
Rare, winter
March 20, 1903
March 30, 1902
April 7, 1909

(343)

344

Bird - Lore

spring migration, continued

LOCALITY

Montreal, Quebec

Delight, Ark

St. Louis. Mo

Chicago, 111

Richmond, Ind

Oberlin, Ohio

Ann Arbor, Mich

London, Ontario

Ottawa, Ontario

Keokuk, Iowa

Madison, Wis : . . .

Minneapolis, Minn

Kerrville, Texas

Wichita, Kans

( )naga, Kans

Badger, Neb

Denver, Colo

*Vermilion, S. Dak

*Argusville, X. Dak

*Aweme, Manitoba

*Qu'Appelle, Sask

*Fort Simpson, Mackenzie

* Rupert, Idaho

Terry, Mont

* Flagstaff, Alta

*Gilroy, Calif

*Okanagan Landing, B. C.

Number

of years'

record

2Q

I I
22
28

13
32

15
21
l6

14

6
25
4
3
6

13

Average date of

spring arrival

April 1 1
March 21
March 10
March 28
March 7
March 13
March 25
March 24
April o
April 1
April 2
April 20
March 9
March 1 2
March 23
April 6
May 3
Aprd 5
May 3
May 2
May 7
May 20
May 11
May 6
April 27
March 4
May id

Earliest date of
spring arrival

March 20, 1910
March 15, 1913
Feb. 27, 191 1
March 9, 191 1
Rare, winter
Feb. 5, 1909
Rare, winter
March 14, 191 1
March 21, 1907
Rare, winter
March 13, 1893
March 30, 1894
Feb. 15, 191 1
Feb. 12, 191 5
Rare, winter
March 22, 1900
April 1 7, 1908
March 12, 1889
April 6, 1883
April 23,, 1908
April 6, 1915
May 14, 1904
May 8, igi 2
May 3, 1896
April 10, 1912
Feb. 20, 191 2
May 10, 1 910

SPRING MIGRATION

LOCALITY

Raleigh, N. C.

Number

of years'

record

Average date of
last one observed

April 4

Latest date of
last one observed

April 20. 1890

FALL MIGRATION

LOCALITY

French Creek, W. \'a

Washington, I). C. . .

Philadelphia, Pa

Beaver, Pa

Renovo, Fa

Morristown, X. J. . . .

( .cnc\ a. \. Y

I [artford, Conn

Boston. Mass

Portland. Maine .
Phillips. Maine

Muni real. Quebec

Athens, Tenn

Concordia, Mo

Number

of years'

record

Average date of

last one observed

November 4
November 5
( October 25

October 2'

( October 1 5
( October 10

October 22
September 27
October 30
( )( tober 1 1
October 2
( )i tobcr 7
( K tober 25

( ). tober 23

Latest date of
last one observed

November 10. [892

Rare, winter

November 14. [885

( )( toiler 17. 1010
November 1(1. 1N04

November 5, 1007
October 23, 10 14
October 15. [888
Rare, winter
< )> toher 1(1, 1915
October 13, 1005

( October 23, 1910

November 21, 1902
November 15, IQ14

The Migration of North American Birds

345

fall migration, continued

LOCALITY

Rantoul, 111

Chicago, 111

Richmond, Ind

Waterloo, Ind

Oberlin, Ohio

Wauseon, Ohio

Grand Rapids, Mich
Ann Arbor, Mich. . .
London, Ontario. . .
Ottawa, Ontario. . . .

Keokuk, Iowa

Grinnell, Iowa

Onaga, Kans

Badger, Neb

Vermilion, S. Dak.. .
Aweme, Manitoba. .
Qu'Appelle, Sask.. . .
Flagstaff, Alta

Number

Average date of

Latest date of

record

last one observed

last one observed

5

October 21

October 31, 1913

6

October 14

December 9, 19 16

5

November 5

Rare, winter

8

October 31

November 21, 1905

IO

October 6

November 7, 1903

1 1

October 24

November 16, 1888

3

October 1 2

October 22, 1895

2

October 23

Rare, winter

3

October 10

October 29, 1902

9

October 5

November 1, 1887

October 14

Rare, winter

5

November 9

November 17, 1886

15

October 27

Rare, winter

October 29

November 5, 1901

1

December 26, 1883

7

September 18

October 2, 1902

1

September 14, 1907

1

September 25, 1906

FALL MIGRATION

LOCALITY

Number

of years'

record

Average date of
fall arrival

Earliest date of
fall arrival

Raleigh, N. C

9

October 19

September 4, 1890

BRONZED COWBIRD

The Bronzed Cowbird (Tangavius (zneus) is a tropical bird of Central
America and Mexico, of which there are now recognized three subspecies. One
of these, the Lesser Bronzed Cowbird (Tangavius ceneus assimilis), is found
only in southwestern Mexico from Oaxaca to Jalisco. Both the others occur in
the United States, but only along the southwestern border. The distribution
of these is as follows:

The Bronzed Cowbird (Tangavius ceneus ceneus) ranges in northwestern
Mexico south to Tepic and north to Sonora. It has been taken also in Arizona,
at Tucson on April n and May 21, 1909, and at Sacaton on May 28.

The Red-Eyed Cowbird (Tangavius ceneus involucratus) occurs north to
central southern Texas and south through eastern Mexico and Central America
to Panama. It is resident in the valley of the Lower Rio Grande, but is appar-
ently only a summer visitor farther north in Texas.

Bird-Lore's Twenty-first Christmas Bird Census

BIRD-LORE'S Annual Bird Census will be taken as usual on Christmas
Day,- or as near that date as circumstances will permit; in no case should
it be earlier than December 24 or later than the 27th — in the Rocky
Mountains and westward, December 20 to 25. Without wishing to appear un-
grateful to those contributors who have assisted in making the Census so
remarkably successful, lack of space compels us to ask each census taker to send
only one census. Furthermore, much as we should like to print all the records
sent, the number received has grown so large that we shall have to exclude
those that do not appear to give a fair representation of the winter bird-life of
the locality in which they were made. Lists of the comparatively few species
that come to feeding-stations and those seen on walks of but an hour or two are
usually very far from representative. A census-walk should last four hours
at the very least, and an all-day one is far preferable, as one can then cover more
of the different types of country in his vicinity, and thus secure a list more
indicative of the birds present. Each report must cover one day only, that all
the censuses may be comparable.

Bird clubs taking part are requested to compile the various lists obtained by
their members and send the result as one census, with a statement of the number
of separate ones it embraces. It should be signed by all observers who have
contributed to it. When two or more names are signed to a report, it should
be stated whether the workers hunted together or separately. Only censuses
that cover areas that are contiguous and with a total diameter not exceeding
15 miles should be combined into one census.

Each unusual record should be accompanied by a brief statement as to the
identification. When such a record occurs in the combined list of parties that
hunted separately, the names of those responsible for the record should be given.
Reference to the February numbers of Bird-Lore, 1901-20, will acquaint one
with the nature of the report that we desire, but to those to whom none of
these issues is available, we may explain that such reports should be headed by
the locality, date, hour of starting and of returning, a brief statement of the
character of the weather, whether the ground be bare or snow-covered, the di-
rection and force of the wind, the temperature and the distance or area covered.
Then should be given, in the order of the A.O. U. 'Check-List' (which is followed
by most standard bird-books), a list of the species noted, with, as exactly as
practicable, the number of individuals of each species recorded. A record should
read, therefore, somewhat as follows:

Yonkers, N. Y. (to Bronxville and Tuckahoe and back). — Dec. 25; 8 a.m. to 4.30 P.M.
Clear; 5 in. of snow; wind west, light; temp. 380 at start, 420 at return. Eleven miles
on foot. Observers together. Herring Gull, 75; Bob-white, 12 (one covey); (Sharp-
shinned?) Hawk, 1; . . . Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1. Total, 27 species, about 470 in-
dividuals. The Ruby-crown was studied with 8x glasses at 20 ft.; eye-ring, absence of
head-stripes and other points noted. — James Gates and John Rand.

(346)

Bird-Lore's Twenty-first Christmas Bird Census 347

These records will be published in the February issue of Bird-Lore, and
it is particularly requested that they be sent to the Editor (at the American
Museum of Natural History, New York City) by the first possible mail. It will
save the Editor much clerical labor if the model here given and the order of the
A. 0. U. 'Check-List' be closely followed. — J. T. N.

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds

FIFTY-EIGHTH PAPER

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

(See Frontispiece)

Cowbird (Molothrus ater. Figs. 1-3). A Cowbird in nestling plumage may
be cared for by any one of the ninety-odd species on which female Cowbirds
have imposed their maternal duties, but one may be sure that it will never be
under the charge of a Cowbird. Its identity, therefore, will not be revealed by
its apparent parent and a drawing (Fig. 3) of it is therefore presented in our
plate of its species. This young bird, it should be added, is making its character-
istic appeal to the bird world at large rather than to the adult Cowbirds with
which the exigencies of illustration associate it.

The post-juvenal, or first fall molt, begins, in the vicinity of New York City,
in late August or early September, and by a complete change of plumage the
young bird now acquires its first winter dress which is essentially like that of the
adult. During the molt the young male presents a strikingly mottled appear-
ance as the new incoming black feathers patch its grayish nestling dress. There
is no spring molt and the very slight difference between summer and winter
plumage is due to wear and fading.

Bronzed Cowbird (Tangavius ceneus. Figs, 4, 5). The nestling plumage
of the Bronzed or Red-eyed Cowbird is much darker than that of our northern
species; in fact, resembles in color our figure (No. 2) of the adult female of that
species.

Unlike Molothrus ater, the young male does not acquire the plumage of the
adult at the first fall, or post-juvenal, molt, but at this time passes into a plumage
like that of the adult female. The species further differs from M. ater in evidently
undergoing a partial spring molt by which the anterior parts of the body ac-
quire the bronzy plumage (including the neck 'ruff') of the adult. The fully
adult plumage is therefore not gained until the first post-nuptial (second fall)
molt.

J^otesf from iftelb anb J>tuoj>

Snow-Bathing

Everyone who has observed the birds in
winter knows that they use snow as a sub-
stitute for drinking-water, but it may be
as new to other readers of Bird-Lore as it
was to me, to learn that they use snow as
a substitute for bathing-water also. This
morning a female Downy Woodpecker
that I was watching flew to a horizontal
branch and proceeded vigorously to bathe
in the loose snow lying there. Like a Robin
in a puddle, Mrs. Downy ducked her head,
ruffled her feathers, and fluttered her
wings, throwing some of the snow over her
back and scattering the rest to the winds.
As all the snow fell off one part of the
branch, she moved along to another, until
she had cleared a place about two feet long.
Two forks held more snow than the straight
limb, and apparently Mrs. Downy en-
joyed herself immensely when she came to
them. At first, I thought that she was
searching for food under the snow, but
though I watched her closely during the
two or three minutes that she remained on
that branch, I did not see her peck at it
once. — R. Owen Merriman, II a mil I on,
Canada.

Bird-Notes from Dutchess County, N. Y.

Some Pine Grosbeaks were first seen by
the writer in this vicinity on December 13,
1018. There were a dozen of them in some
maples and in a white-ash tree, the seeds
of which they seemed very fond of. The
birds were mostly in gray and white
plumage, a few showing rosy feathers, and
one was quite resplendent in bright rosy
red. Some of these birds, of the same flock
it would seem, were around about every
day for three weeks, and on January 31
the Grosbeaks were seen for the last time
in our neighborhood. These Pine Gros-
beaks were a decided novelty here, and I
watched them whenever possible. Their
uncommon tameness was demonstrated in
an amusing manner when three of these

birds alighted in a choice little cherry tree
and began nipping off buds. One of our
household, not liking this procedure. walked
toward the tree and when about 6 feet
away took off his cap and waved it at
them. This the Grosbeaks did not notice
in the least, nor did a clapping of hands
serve to startle them. He then took hold
of the branch whereon the birds were feed-
ing and shook it vigorously. Then the Gros-
beaks flew away. We regretted not having
the camera there on that occasion.

I admired the musical and rather plain-
tive song of these Grosbeaks. Their notes
seemed quite similar to those of the Even-
ing Grosbeak. The latter I have on record
as first appearing at our station on Decem-
ber 29, 1016, and they, too, caused a sen-
sation here by their handsome plumage and
large size. I did not see more than three
at a time, but they were around for nearly
a month. The first one identified appeared
on an apple tree close by my window, and
as he bent to peck at a frozen apple, the
rich yellow and black of his head was
glorious to behold.

The absence of the Brown Thrasher
from our neighborhood during the spring
and summer of 1916, and again this bird's
complete disappearance during 101S, has
been a puzzle that we cannot solve. The
Thrashers were never abundant here, but
we have always been favored with the
songs of one or two at least every spring
and early summer.

Purple Martins disappeared from thi<
town of Stanford about forty-five years
ago, so the old residents say. The increas-
ing scarcity of birds is quite noticeable and
is not a very cheering prospei t.

The little Screech Owls are rather plenti-
ful here, as we are near a woods, and we
usually see a brood of young Owls around
the house-yard in summer. An apple tree
quite near the house usually shelters a
Megascops each winter, and we wonder if
these Screech < >wls <!<> persecute the smaller
birds or rol) their nests, thus making our
native Ming-birds scarcer lure. Can any-

(348)

Notes from Field and Study

349

one inform us? — Mary Hyatt, Stanford-
ville, N. Y.

A Centenarian Bird-Lover

The enclosed verses were written by
an old lady of ioo years, Mrs. Mary A.
Hunt, who has since died at 106 years of
age.

Perhaps they will interest your readers.
— Mrs. M. R. Merriman, Beloit, Wis.

THE SNOW-BIRDS

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Twitter! Twitter! Twitter!

What is all this fuss about?

What can be the matter?

See, the snow is falling fast,

Hear the north wind's chilling blast!

See the tall trees bending low

'Neath their feathery weight of snow.

Still there comes that clitter-clatter

What on earth can be the matter?

Ah, I see, it is the snow-birds
Hopping, clinging in the breeze.
Are they made of India rubber
That their little legs don't freeze?
O, you silly little snow-birds,
Why not do as others do,
Fly away to lands more sunny
Where the bees are making honey,
Where you'll find the nicest berries,
Pearly rice and ripe, red cherries?
Ah, I know without more words,
'Tis because you are snow-birds !
— Mary A. Hunt.

Winter Notes from Andover, N. J.

On December 8, 1919, we had in our
yard four Pine Grosbeaks, one of which
was in the full rosy plumage of the adult
male. They seemed to be feeding on the
seeds of a spruce tree near the house, some-
times flying to the ground within a few
feet of our windows. Although the old
spruce offered them an abundance of cones,
they remained only two days. A flock of
eleven Evening Grosbeaks have been daily
visitors to the large maple trees in our
driveway for the past month, but not one
mature male is among them. Their large,

blunt bills take heavy toll of the maple
seeds, then the whole flock fly to the
ground close to our windows, seeming quite
willing to exhibit themselves to our admir-
ing friends who come purposely to see
them, for, being quite rare, they are
attracting much notice.

To add further interest to our bird-
study this year, on March 2, we saw at
Slaters' Lake, nearby, a Whistling Swan
in full adult plumage, 35 American Mer-
gansers, and about 20 Herring Gulls, the
last mentioned rarely coming to us as we
are about fifty miles from the seacoast. —
F. Blanche Hill, Sec. Sussex County Na-
ture Study Club, Andover, N. J.

Some Florida Records

So early do many species of birds leave
South or Central America and start out
upon their return flight to northern nest-
ing grounds, that at first sight it seems
proper to include them among the winter
residents of Florida.

Such was my thought when, on Feb-
ruary 6, 1920, I observed eight purple
Martins flying about a large Martin-house
which had been closed in the fall to keep
out the undesirable Sparrow, and had not
yet been opened. This was in the town of
Sanford, Fla.

The Painted Bunting, which has recently
been reported through Bird-Lore as
wintering in Florida, I found at Palmetto,
near the north shore of the Manatee
River, on January 15, and also at Stuart,
where a male and two females were seen
on March 10.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird was
noted as early as January 20 at Lakeland,
yet we are told that this little jewel of the
bird kingdom winters south of the United
States.

Other records of possible interest are:
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus), a
single individual at Arcadia, December 5,
1919; American Pipit, large flocks on celery
and cabbage fields at Sanford, January 3 1 to
February 20; Ovenbird, Arcadia, Decem-
ber 24, 1919. Surf Scoter (Oidemia per-
spicillata), a single specimen male, on the

35°

Bird - Lore

St. Lucie River near junction with the
Indian River. This bird seemed to en-
deavor to keep apart from the numerous
Scaup Ducks round about it. — Lester W.
Smith, Meriden, Conn.

The Screech Owl as a Sparrow Trap

The ability of the Screech Owl to serve
as a Sparrow-trap was demonstrated by an
Owl which sought winter quarters in the
hay-mow of our barn during the winter
of 1919-20.

It was at Thanksgiving time, or there-
abouts, that I first saw the Screech Owl in
the hay-mow. We had had a severe snow-
storm, followed by intensely cold weather,
and the Owl had doubtless decided that the
barn would make a good place of refuge
from the storm.

I saw the Owl in the mow many times
after the occasion of our first meeting, for
it was usually present about dusk, when
I went to the mow to put down the night
supply of hay. The little fellow was always
on the lookout and saw me as soon as I
reached the mow. After a thorough look
at me, which necessitated twisting its head
at various angles, it usually became alarmed
and commenced flying from one end of the
barn to the other, but often stopping at
one end to give me another long look. Very
often it became so excited that it flew out
of one of the windows, into the night,
probably to return later. When flying I
could hardly believe that such large wings
belonged to as small a bird as the Screech
Owl seemed when perched on a girder of
the barn. When sitting, the Screech Owl
looks about as large as one's fist, but in the
air it takes on much larger proportions.

Before the advent of the Screech Owl
the barn was always filled with English
Sparrows; their noisy chatter filled t he-
place from morning till night. Soon after
we learned that the Screech Owl was living
with us, we noticed a decided decrease in
the number of English Sparrows around
the farm buildings. The Sparrows refused
to go near the barn and dug tunnels in a
nearby straw-pile where they stayed a good
share of the time. Some of these tunnels

were filled with feathers. A headless
Sparrow was found lying on a girder in
the hay-mow. Such things had never
happened before and there could be but
one reason for their occurrence — the
Screech Owl was hunting.

At the beginning of the winter the flock
of English Sparrows on our farm numbered
about two hundred and in less than two
months it had been reduced to less than
twenty birds. Small wonder that the
Sparrows became horror-stricken and did
not frequent the barn as usual! The Owl
in the dark of night could search out the
Sparrow's favorite roosting-places, pluck
a Sparrow from its perch, and fly away
before its presence was noted, to return
for another when the first hapless victim
had been disposed of.

This Owl rendered us great service dur-
ing its stay with us. English Sparrows arc
a great nuisance on the farm for they are
continually building bulky nests in hay
racks, in the wheels of rolling doors, and
other places where they must be cleared
out often, to say nothing of their habit of
appropriating houses intended for other
birds.

After a time the Owl became accustomed
to my being in the hay-mow and did not
fly out.

During January (1920) the Screech
Owl's visits to the hay-mow became less
frequent and finally ceased altogether.

Near the farm buildings is a grove of
tamaracks and willows where a family ol
Screech Owls is reared nearly every sum-
mer. I presume this particular owl was a
member of one of these broods.

Save for this one species, Owls are very
rare in this part of the country, but it is
no wonder, for the average farmer is
ignorant of the value of our Owls and
thinks he is doing the community a good
turn when he shoots one. The writer has
seen only two Owls, other than the Screech
Owl, in the last three years. One was a
Snowy Owl (November 22, 191S) and the
other was a Barred Owl (September :;.
19 1 9). The Barred Owl was shot by a
hunter shortly after. Owing to their noc-
turnal habits, probably a good many

Notes from Field and Siudy

35i

escape death that otherwise would also be
sacrificed. — Fred. J. Pierce, Wintlirop,
Iowa.

A Colony of Three-Toed Woodpeckers

During most of September and October,
1917, I cruised exhaustively the area
bounded by Hall's stream on the west,
the international boundary on the north,
the Maine state-line on the east, and the
parallel of 45 degrees north latitude on the
south. This tract has an area of, roughly,
344 square miles, and comprises the nor-
thern part of Coos County, N. H.

For many years this region has been the
seat of lumbering operations, which thus
far have included only white pine, white
spruce, and fir balsam. Barring scattered
spruces and firs of merchantable size, there
were at that time comparatively few re-
maining conifers sufficiently large or
abundant to tempt the lumberman or
pulp-wood man. The whole tract is now
covered with a splendid growth of virgin
deciduous trees, mainly rock and red
maple, yellow birch, and white and brown
ash, with lesser amounts of black cherry
and canoe birch, forming parts of the
water-sheds of the Connecticut and
Androscoggin rivers. Upon the swampy
borders of the lakes, a thick mantle of
young balsam occurs, with a fringe of small
spruces along its outer edge.

At the time of my visit, however, there
still remained on the middle branch of
Dead Diamond River, a tributary of the
Androscoggin, a single small area of virgin
forest containing abundant white spruces
and balsams, the former splendid, healthy
trees of large size, and the latter also large
but having many trees diseased or decayed
at the heart.

During the first two weeks, every day
spent in the forest, I had kept a sharp
lookout, but a fruitless one, for the
American and Arctic Three-toed Wood-
peckers {Picoides americanus americanus
and P. arcticus). It was not, however, till
I had just crossed the divide between the
Connecticut and Androscoggin rivers into
the water-shed of the latter stream that I

encountered my first pair of the latter
species, hammering away near the tops of
tall spruces. Lower down, close to Mt.
Pisgah, a single adult male American
Three-toed Woodpecker was seen, a fear-
less bird feeding low (within 20 feet of the
ground) and flying restlessly from tree to
tree, and occasionally calling quietly. This
call was a single one, low-pitched and soft,
apparently uttered as the birds wandered
about feeding, to inform others nearby of
its presence, in the same manner that Red-
bellied Nuthatches call at intervals, as a
band ranges through its feeding-grounds
in winter.

Still lower down, in the area of diseased
balsams, a pleasant surprise awaited me,
for here Three-toed Woodpeckers of both
species, sexes, and all recognizable ages,
were distinctly common — a colony, so to
speak, temporarily concentrated owing to
two factors: (1) The nearly complete
destruction in this region of the former
virgin forest of large conifers on which and
in which they fed and nested; and (2) the
presence of abundant food at this locality
in the diseased balsam trees. The birds
were industriously feeding and were
strangely silent. Both species occurred to-
gether and they seemed little disturbed by
my presence, or the fact that a gang of
lumber-jacks was noisily working, often
only one or two hundred feet away. No
doubt the birds had gradually become
accustomed to the presence of the men.
My notes do not refer to the relative fre-
quency of each species, but the impression
was not gained that one species was less
frequent than the other, though this might
well have been the case. My observations,
which were made merely as an incident in
connection with my work, were confined
to a very small area near a logging-camp.
Here some thirty Three-toed Woodpeckers
were seen. Others were encountered a
little further from camp, and it is probable
had the infected area been systematically
canvassed, many more birds would have
been found.

As all these trees were expected to be
cut during 1017 and 1018, no doubt these
birds today can find no virgin forest rem-

352

Bird - Lore

nant of like area and character within their
breeding-range in this section of the state
— grand spruces and firs which only
yesterday were common throughout Coos
County.

An identical cause has been recorded as
producing a similar result. Bendire, in
'Life Histories of North American Birds,'
quoting from notes of Dr. C. Hart Mer-
riam, states that, "The water of Seventh
Lake, Fulton Chain" in the Adirondacks,
had been raised by a dam, and a consider-
able area of balsam, spruce, and tamarack
trees was killed thereby. Both species of
Three-toed Woodpeckers were "tolerably
common here in May and June, 1883, and
nests of each species were found." This
very local nesting colony was maintained for
several years, and it was of course attrib-
utable topeculiarly favorable conditions
both for nesting and for feeding, and had
the New Hampshire area been thoroughly
studied, it would probably have been found
that the Woodpeckers nested here also. —
Charles L. Whittle, Boston, Mass.

the crown was very light brownish gray,
somewhat mottled. The cheeks and sides
of the head, as well as the nape and whole
throat and neck, were pure white. The
black eye stood out very prominently. The
breast, back, wings, and tail were the
usual slate-gray of the Junco, while the
underparts and outer tail-feathers were
white, the latter more conspicuous than
in others of its kind.

It associated with other J uncos and had
the same call-notes and song. It was fairly
tame and I was able to approach close
enough to see its strange markings dis-
tinctly, as well as study it from a window
while it was feeding on the lawn close by.
On the first three days it was seen only in
the early morning, on the fourth day at
noon, and the last day only in the evening.

When seen facing one it presented a very
curious aspect, for the darker head was
completely surrounded by the white neck,
making it appear as though the bird had
a white ruff about its neck. — Wit. J. Cart-
wright, Williamstown, Mass.

A Junco with Strange Markings

I have become interested in a Junco that
has been seen about my house this spring
and I am sending this description and

AN ALBINISTIC JUNCO

drawing of it in the hope that it may in-
tercut others and possibly lead to infor-
mation as to its whereabouts at other
times than the five days it was here this
spring, between April 27 and May 2, io^°-
It was very conspicuous in a small flock
of other Juncos because of the pure white
collar thai extended around its neck and
the lower part of its head. On its forehead
was a very dark, almost black patch while

Cedar Waxwings at Hollywood, Calif.

On February 6, 1919, while sitting near
a rear window on the second floor of my
home, I turned, as my ear caught the whir
of wings, to see the air full of birds, wheel-
ing and whirling until, as at a signal, they
suddenly lighted on the electric and tele-
phone wires strung across the yards. One
of the high posts formed an apex from
which diverged three wires in four direc-
tions. On this post and wires the bird>
snuggled, sitting very erect, with raised,
pointed crest, forming an enormous brown
Oreek cross. They sat still for a long
time, crooning and caressing; and there
was no mistaking a large migration of
Cedar Waxwings. They do not visit us
every year, but are probably finding good
'eat-' as they are still with us (February 14),
and I never saw so many together — a con-
servative estimate would give 500 birds.
After a luxurious rest different squads
would rise, whirl and then drop on the
roof of the garage where water was stand-
ing from the recent rains.

Notes from Field and Study

353

Another detail would settle on my
neighbor's roof and drink from the eaves.
They were very thirsty and a long time
was consumed in watering the entire
flock. After each flight they would return
to the wires like well-trained soldiers.
Several times an aggressive Mockingbird
that patrols this area drove off a whole
squad but they felt safe and protected
when on the line with the battalion. The
finest maneuver was when perhaps 200 of
these beautiful birds circled round and
round over the balcony on which I stood,
then with a swish, lighted on the lemon
tree in front of me, on the climbing rose at
my side and even on the rail of my porch !
I was bewildered with ecstasy for never
had I beheld them so close — perhaps 6 feet
— and they seemed unafraid. They were
now feasting on the insects which infest
the trees and bushes and perhaps tasting
some of the young and tender buds. They
even went down to the ground and drank
from a tiny goldfish pond. Their plumage
was the most brilliant — their very gayest
gowns — the soft blended pinkish fawn of
the body with band of bright lemon-yellow
across end of the tail. Over their eyes they
wore their black masks outlined in white,
and many of them sported the red-tipped
wings. A most fascinating and interesting
study of one of our most beautiful birds. —
Mrs. Robert Fargo, Los Angeles, Calif.

Chickadees and Bacon

This winter, along with suet and seeds
put out to attract the winter birds, a piece
of bacon rind was added to the menu for
an experiment. After the Chickadees had
once tasted this delicious bit, they gave it
preference to all the other kinds of food.
In fact, it is only rarely that they touch
the suet or seeds now. So we fixed bacon
stations on twigs at four of the windows
and the Chickadees are there nearly every
day, making the rounds. Instead of tying
the whole piece of bacon closely to the
twig, about \1/l inches at the top is left
hanging out free. The cold weather keeps
this stiffened out at an angle and is a
favorite perch while feeding. Here they

can perform their acrobatic stunts, as on
a twig. — Alice A. Noyes, Haverhill, Mass.

Feeding the Chickadees

A delightful country winter sport is the
feeding and taming of birds. The saucy,
friendly little Chickadee and the White-
breasted Nuthatch were found to be the
easiest to tame in the part of Connecticut
where I have lived. For.a number of years,
suet was tied to the trees near the dining-
room windows and crumbs scattered on
the ground for the feathered guests. Hairy
and Downy Woodpeckers, Chickadees,
Nuthatches, and the bold, big, beautiful
Blue Jays were busy all day at the suet.
The crumbs were appreciated by the
Juncos, Tree Sparrows, and an occasional
Robin, and of course the Blue Jays, too,
for they never miss anything. They are so
greedy, and so disagreeable in driving
away the smaller birds that this rather
offsets their beauty.

After the birds had been fed this way
for several years, I decided to coax them
still nearer the windows so that they could
be better enjoyed. A dead cedar tree was
secured and its base sunk into the lawn a
few feet from the house. The top was cut
off, leaving it 7 to 8 feet above the ground,
and about a foot of each branch was left
to make good places for the birds to perch.
Several pieces of suet were tied to the tree
so that a number of guests could be accom-
modated at the same time.

When rose-hips and bittersweet were
hung on the tree, a flock of Bluebirds
quickly found them. It was a lovely sight
— the brilliant blue birds and the red and
orange berries against a background of
snow. It is a mistaken idea, at least in
Connecticut, that Bluebirds come with
the spring, for they are with us all winter,
though usually only near the woods.

In the middle of summer the bare old
cedar is completely covered with morning-
glories. It is not to be discovered except
by the Downy Woodpeckers who, unlike
the other birds, keep hungrily at the suet
all summer.

After reading about teaching birds to

354

Bird - Lore

eat from one's hand, I decided to try. I
put some crushed peanuts on my hand,
raised the window just enough to permit
the hand to go through, and kept my face
well out of sight of the birds. Of course,
the friendly Chickadees were the first to
discover that food was being offered to
them in a different way. They talked a
lot about it from their cedar, and finally
decided to fly a little nearer to investi-
gate. They wanted the nuts very much,
but at first didn't quite dare to take them.
After patient waiting by the owner of the
hand, one brave Chickadee flew quickly
down and, snatching a piece of nut carried
it to a nearby tree. After that it was easy
and they soon became accustomed to see-
ing people standing in the window when
they came for the nuts. Then I decided
to try feeding them outdoors, and it was
not long before they were flying all about
my head, impatiently waiting their turns
at the food. They became so friendly that
they expected nuts of everyone who en-
tered the yard. The trades-people coming
to the kitchen door were puzzled to see
the little birds perching on the clothes-line
near the door and saying, dee-dee-dee in a
most expectant manner, and then flying
close to them.

The Chickadees discovered that I went
out at the same hour each morning and
returned in a short time — whether they
knew I went to the village to get the mail
and do the marketing, I can't say. At any
rate, the whole flock waited at the foot of
the hill and demanded nuts on my return.
So nuts were always carried in my pockets.
As soon as they saw me coming they would
begin their cheery little chickadee-dee-dee,
and then swoop down for the nuts that
were ready on an outstretched palm. The
Chickadees were so individual. One or two
would alight confidently on my hand with-
out hesitation, while another had to do
quite a little fussing and raising of feathers
on his saucy black cap before he would
decide to take a nut. One bird would stay on
my hand and eat a number of pieces before
flying away with one, and then there was
I he greedy bird who always took two pieces
with him — all his short little bill could hold.

The Nuthatches were not so easy to
tame, but finally they could not resist the
food. It was such fun to see the queer
wooden-looking birds, with their clean-cut
markings, short tails, and long black bills.
They had to do a great amount of talking
and running up and down the trunk of the
cedar tree, and looking first one way and
the other, before deciding to brave the
hand held out for them. When they did
come they ate a great deal but never kept
still on my hand. Their long claws felt
so funny dancing up and down on my
fingers. After a while they were as tame
as the Chickadees — especially the female
Nuthatch with her slate-colored cap. The
male has a black cap more like that of the
Chickadees.

One day when standing outdoors with
nuts all ready, a Chickadee and Nuthatch
both spied them about the same time. The
Chickadee got there first and began to eat.
That didn't suit the Nuthatch at all, so
he lighted on my shoulder and ran the
whole length of my arm and chased off
the disgusted Chickadee, who went
sputtering away into a tree.

When spring came and it was time to
build nests, the birds would no longer eat
from my hands, though they still came for
the suet. Later the Chickadees disappeared
altogether for a time, but returned when
their young were able to fly. Then they
were very busy and important, feeding suet
to the little birds and ignored me com-
pletely. It looked as if they had forgotten
that we had been such good friends the
winter before, but I knew that they would
return with the cold weather, ready for the
nuts I had to offer. — Elizabeth S. Smith,
New York City.

Eagles and Other Birds Near
Troy, N. Y.

A sign at the Tomhannock reservoir
reads "Albany 24 miles." This source of
part of Troy's water-supply is reached by
bus from that city. On Labor Day, 1920,
the water was low, leaving a splendid
beach of gravel and large stones for easy
walking. From the public road we saw

Notes from Field and Study

355

birds on the shore, and the first one that
came under the binoculars was a Sand-
piper with a slightly curved bill, pronounced
a Red-backed Sandpiper by Mr. E. E.
Caduc, my companion, a bird observer of
long experience.

Next we saw two Least Sandpipers and
five Killdeers. On a little point were six
or eight Sanderlings and a Semipalmated
Plover. The Sanderling were beauties.
Some were well advanced in fall plumage,
being quite gray, and the spotted back
showing beautifully. Before we came back
to the road we had seen three or four
Solitary Sandpipers and a Green Heron.

Then we started to go across a bridge
or culvert to get down the other side of
the reservoir. To the east the water
covers a space of a half-mile-square lake;
to the west it runs for five miles.

We were nearly across the culvert when
we united in a shout of "There he is!" A
Bald Eagle was soaring a hundred feet up.
He was in full plumage, majestic and
wonderful, his white head and white tail
showing plainly in the clear sunlight. Far
down the lake we could see another Eagle.

We went down the beach on the north
side for probably a mile and a half, every
little while coming upon one or two San-
derlings or one or two Solitary Sandpipers.

On this north side, but east of the bridge,
were lots of Sanderlings and four Ring-
necked Plovers.

Goldfinches were numerous, as were
Redwings, Cedarbirds, Maryland Yellow-
throats, and Savannah Sparrows. Other
birds were a cock Pheasant and a King-
fisher. Quantities of Barn and Cliff
Swallows were in the air and Great Blue
and Black-crowned Night Herons circled
around.

As we were eating our lunch we saw a
Marsh Hawk and an Eagle, and later we
saw two Eagles soaring high; looking the
other way, we saw two more low, so low
that one of them picked something out of
the water, and then they flew into a pine
tree. In the same direction we saw two
more Eagles, at least six separate birds.
Headed away from the lake, we took a
sharp turn in the road, and out of a tree
three rods away flew another Eagle. We
saw one or two Eagles half a dozen times
after that. Consideration led us to believe
we had seen nine Eagles altogether.

Resting at the farmhouse, we heard a
note that Mr. Caduc said was that of a
Yellow-leg and in the air was a flock of
13 Yellow-legs, then a flock of 7, and then
out of the sky came at least 75. — Clarence
Houghton, Albany, N. Y.

THE SEASON
XXII. August 15 to October 15, 1920

Boston Region. — In the region im-
mediately about Boston the past summer
was a very dry one — there were no rain-
storms, and most of the thunder showers
passed by to the north or south of us. Since
the heavy rain of September 10, we have
enjoyed a month of ideal autumn weather.

The migration of small birds during
September and early October was remark-
ably regular. Usually at this season heavy
flights, bringing a multitude of birds, alter-
nate with days when there is a dearth of
bird-life, but this year the stream of mi-
grants was almost uninterrupted. The
northern Warblers appeared early, the

Tennessee well in the van, their migration
hastened, doubtless, by early frosts in the
North.

In addition to the rapidly moving hosts
of Warblers and Sparrows which the close
of summer and the autumn bring to in-
terest the bird-observers in this part of the
transitional zone, there comes a change in
the behavior of some of our common
breeding birds. The Bluebirds which we
have scarcely seen or heard since they
were preparing for their second brood, be-
come a prominent feature of a walk on an
autumn morning. They fly overhead,
southward, in loose flocks, giving their

356

Bird- Lore

soft, 'lone note of sorrow;' they pause to
play about the apple trees in an old
orchard; they sometimes sing nearly as
freely as in spring. The Robins, after a
long absence from our lawns (for they find
no worms in the parched ground), return
in September for a brief hunting-season in
fresh plumage, the breast-feathers hoary
with frosty tips. Families of Chipping
Sparrows join together till sometimes a
flock of fifty birds assembles on the grass
where, in spite of the lawn-mower, the
plants have seeded. These flocks are to
be seen daily until October 25, or there-
abouts, when, of a sudden, they are gone. —
Winsor M. Tyler, M.D., Lexington, Mass.

New York Region. — The autumn has
come on almost imperceptibly. .Many trees
still stand full-leafed and green in the
middle of October. The first few days in
September there was an influx of a variety
of transient birds, among them the Cape
May Warbler (Garden City, September 3).
But throughout most of September birds
were scarce. There were many beautiful
days when summer residents and earlier
transients had, apparently, moved on with-
out others arriving to take their places.
The end of the month things became a little
more active. There seems to have been
an inconsiderable flight wherein the Parula
Warbler was represented, about Septem-
ber 28 or 29, and a movement of the
Swamp Sparrow the first few days of
October. In autumn, on Long Island,
migrant Swamp Sparrows (noisy and quite
conspicuous) frequently appear in dry
upland localities.

The night of October 5 brought a wave
of migration. W. Granger, who chanced
to be out at about midnight in the Bronx,
heard the calls of many birds flying over.
Next morning the country was more
lively than it had been for weeks. The
White throated Sparrow and Junto came
at this time and other species were repre-
sented. Myrtle Warblers and Flickers
were in greatest numbers. The majority
of them moved on almost immediately, and
migration declined again through the next
few days.

On the morning of September 19, a cool
clear-off with a strong northerly wind was
accompanied by a marked flight of Hawks
east to west along the south shore of Long
Island. The Marsh Hawk, Sharp-shinned
Hawk, Pigeon Hawk, and Sparrow Hawk
were represented. The Sparrow Hawks
were flying over the dunes; the Sharp-
shinned Hawks mostly over the land north
of the bays. F. F. Houghton writes that
there have been Fish Hawks at Botanic
Garden, Bronx Park, feeding on goldfish,
a not uncommon habit when they first
reach us in the spring, but the first instance
that has come to hand of it in autumn. As
usual. Fish Hawks were numerous on
Long Island shores during the autumn. On
October 12, several were noticed at Long
Beach flying steadily east to west, fairly
high, singly and in twos, an indication
that the species was moving farther to the
south at this date. Up the Hudson, in
Dutchess County, M. S. Crosby reports a
flock of about 64 Red-tailed Hawks on
September 23.

At Mastic, Long Island, flights of
Wilson's Snipe were noted September 4
and on September 19. In the morning of
the latter date a flock of about seven birds
circling over a point of bay marsh (where
they presently alighted on some dead
stubble) bunched in a close-ranked flock
like Dowitchers or Yellow-legs, unusual for
this species.

Though as a whole the southward move-
ment of land birds was rather delayed, we
find inconsistencies, as is so often the 1 ase.
Exceptionally early arrivals, reported by
M . S. Crosby of Rhinebeck, are ( Hive-sided
Flycatcher, August 8, (Poughkeepsie ;
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, September 5
(Poughkeepsie); and Rusty Blackbird,
September 2},. — J. T. Nichols, New York
City.

Philadelphia Region. —Almost daily
rains throughout August and a correspond-
ing number of fine clear days through the

month of September were the pronounced

features of the weather conditions in this
vicinity. Up to this time (October 11), no
killing frosts have occurred although

The Season

357

thickly falling leaves and highly colored
foliage announce the arrival of fall. Early
autumn finds the berry-bearing trees and
shrubs with an extra-heavy crop of fruit.
The acid berries of the Sour Gum are
being devoured by large flocks of Robins,
Cedarbirds, and numbers of Flickers; the
scarlet berries of the flowering dogwoods
remain untouched as yet, their astringent,
puckery taste, apparently not being in
favor while better viands can easily be
found; along the coast an enormous crop
of beautiful misty colored bayberries have
ripened, with stored-up energy enough to
supply all demands made upon them by
the hungry host that will devour them dur-
ing the coming winter.

By mid-August the fall migration was
well under way, and many bird-voices
could be detected almost any night as they
made their way through the darkness over-
head. About this time a number of trips
were taken to the New Jersey coast where
fall migration can be observed to greater
advantage than inland. The usual number
of Terns and shore-birds seemed to be
present, though the latter, taken as a whole,
were, perhaps, less abundant than last
year (a banner shore-bird year). One of
the abundant species was the Yellow-legs
and from observations and reports there
appears to have been a heavy flight of
these birds. It is also well within bounds
to say, from the number of records, that
there was a slight but perceptible increase
in the number of Upland Plover passing
through during August. Two were noted
at Cape May, August 15. At Sea Isle
City, N. J., August 22, six Least Terns
were noted, three of which were immature
birds, and as the youngsters were con-
stantly begging one of the old birds for
food, it is quite probable that the birds
had bred somewhere in the vicinity. On
this same date a small flock of Turnstones
and a Piping Plover were observed. The
only Knots (flock of eleven) seen during
the season were noted at Two-mile Beach,
August 29. The northward summer mi-
gration of Little Blue Herons and Egrets
reached marked proportions this season.
Numerous reports from along the coast

and points inland indicate that they were
fairly common and widely scattered. As
a usual thing, the Little Blues outnumber
the Egrets, but it seems this year that the
Egrets predominate. On September 19, at
Cape May, ten Egrets and six Little Blue
Herons were seen at one time feeding in a
lagoon, truly an inspiring sight.

The first week of October brought the
usual quota of White-throated Sparrows
and Juncos, together with quite a number
of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Most of the
Warblers, with the exception of the Myrtle,
had by this time passed on. — Julian K.
Potter, Camden, X. J.

Washington Region. — Bird-life has
not appeared to be very abundant about
Washington during August and September.
Fewer distinct waves of migration than
usual have been evident, and these, fur-
thermore, have been less well marked than
those of our autumn commonly are. Per-
haps the most important of these, at least
in so far as Warblers are concerned, ap-
peared early in September, from the 4th
to the 6th.

The moderate temperature and gener-
ally fair weather that prevailed during
September seemed to have little effect on
either the movements or the abundance of
birds. Three species of Swallows were ob-
served by F. C. Lincoln later in the year
than they had previously been seen about
Washington: the Barn Swallow, at New
Alexandria, Va., on September 21, 1920
(latest previously reported, September 19,
191 2); the Bank Swallow, at Hunting
Creek, near Alexandria, Va., September 21,
1920, (latest previous record, Septembe ri9,
1886); and the Purple Martin, at the latter
locality, September 21, 1920 (latest prev-
iously recorded, September 20, 19 18). Also
a few other birds tarried longer than cus-
tomary, such as the Kingbird, seen at
Dyke, Va., September 14, its average date
of departure being September 1; and the
Wood Pewee, noted at the same place on
September 21, against an average date of
September 19. On the other hand, a White-
throated Sparrow was reported on Septem-
ber 29, five days ahead of the usual time.

35*

Bird - Lore

A flock of 75 Broad-winged Hawks, seen
on September 14 at Dyke, Va., by F. C.
Lincoln, represents practically all of the
migration of raptorial birds reported from
Washington so far this fall, although, of
course, other flights may easily have escaped
notice, as here the birds passing over fly
ordinarily at a considerable altitude.

Dr. A. K. Fisher noted many migrating
Upland Plovers on August 16, which is
apparent evidence of a continued and
welcome increase in the numbers of this
species in the eastern states. Until a com-
paratively few years ago an Upland Plover
was a great rarity about Washington, but
now it occurs in migration regularly, al-
though, of course, limitedly, every year.

The conversion into parks of the flats
and marshes along the Potomac and
Anacostia rivers, which is now in progress,
is gradually eliminating most of the best
ground for water-birds close to the
city of Washington. This is particularly
noticeable in the number of Herons seen
during the summer and early autumn.
Formerly the Little Blue Heron and the
American Egret used to appear at these
seasons in considerable numbers, especially
along the Anacostia River, but this year
they seem to be inclined to avoid it, al-
though the Little Blue Heron has visited
it sparingly up to at least the middle of
September. An American Egret was seen
by L. D. Miner at Alexandria, Va., as late
as August 20.

The Purple Martins that in June re-
turned to their roost in the city of Wash-
ington have not been quite so numerous as
in recent years. Furthermore, they have
been very restless this summer, leaving the
vicinity of the Red Cross Building for
more aristocratic quarters in the White
House grounds, where they remained until
about August 6. After that they roosted
in other places nearer the Potomac River
and the outskirts of the city. — Harry C.
Ohkrholser, Biological Survey, Washing-
Ion, D. C.

Minnesota Region. Itasca State
Park. — Towards evening, on August 15,
the first flock of migrating Night-hawks

passed southward through the Park — a
large, straggling company circling over
the forest and feeding as they went along.
Other flocks followed on subsequent
dates, notably on the 25th, when the air
seemed filled for several hours with the
darting birds. Night-hawks are rarely
seen in the Park during the nesting season
as the country is not suited to their needs.
The last of the Black Terns left between
August 22 and 25. Several adults were
seen on the 15th, still in the full black
dress.

The three eggs in a Black-billed Cuckoo's
nest that had been under observation
for several days all hatched on August 1 1
and 12 and the young, by the 15th, were
all nearly of the same size. In the experi-
ence of the writer this nearly simultaneous
hatching of the eggs of our Cuckoos is the
rule instead of a several-day interval
between each egg, as described by some
ornithological writers. Audubon's graphic
description of a continuous process extend-
ing over several weeks has not applied
to any one of a number of nests examined
by the writer in Minnesota. The manner
in which the uncanny, hissing, reptile-
like young of the Cuckoo are fed is a
singular and interesting performance.
The youngster, rising with rapidly vibrat-
ing wings, seizes firmly the bill of the
old bird to which it clings tightly, while,
if my observations are correct, it sucks
the food from the mouth of the parent.
The birds are thus attached for a quarter
of a minute or more. Several large, white,
flat-topped papillae or tubercles on the
roof of the mouth of the young bird
apparently assist it in maintaining its
hold on the smooth bill of the old bird.
A small finger-tip inserted well down in
the open, upstretched mouth of a nestling
is seized securely and a suction action is
distinctly perceptible. All the various
movements described have been secured
the past summer in motion pictures.

Minneapolis Vicinity. — On October
0 and 7 a visit was made to the preserve
of the Long Meadow Gun Club, ten miles
south of Minneapolis, and the sloughs were

The Season

359

found to contain an immense number of
Coots or Mud-hens and a most unusual
abundance of Pintail Ducks. Due to
freshets in the summer killing the growth
of wild rice, the big sloughs are this fall
like open lakes, and, covering the surface
in almost unbroken ranks were thousands
of Coots and hundreds and hundreds of
'Sprigs.' It was an interesting sight to
watch the latter feeding. The water
being only a little over a foot in depth,
a good rear fourth of the bird projected
above the surface when it 'tipped up'
to feed from the bottom, and the sun,
shining on the pure white of the under-
pays, produced the effect of a glistening
white ball taking the place of the Duck.
When hundreds of them were thus 'tipped
up' at once all over the lake, it suggested,
as some one remarked, a widespread array
of white water-lilies. Pintails are always
here in fair numbers but never before in
the history of the Club has there been
such an invasion. Other kinds of Ducks
have thus far been rather scarce, and the
shooting, up to mid-October, has been
poor compared with last year when there
was a remarkable influx of Ducks of many
species, caused apparently by the great
drought farther west. Last year, between
September 15 and October 15, there were
killed at the Club's grounds 510 Ducks;
this year, during the same period, 272.
Very few northern Ducks have appeared,
caused, probably by, the warm weather.
There has been a considerable movement
of Ring-billed Gulls this fall and a rather
more than usual number of Lesser Yellow-
legs. — Thomas S. Roberts, Zoological
Museum, University of Minnesota, Min-
neapolis, Minn.

Kansas City Regiox. — An interesting
event recorded during the present fall
migration has been the very early arrival
of Pelicans. Mr. William Andrews, who,
readers of this letter may possibly recall,
has his small home on a wooded and rocky
point overlooking a picturesque bend of
the Missouri River near Courtney, and
who furnishes constant and reliable notes
from that delectable region, advises that

a flock of these large birds, numbering
between 150 and 200, appeared on Sep-
tember 1. This is quite ten days earlier
than any previously recorded date of
arrival. Mr. Andrews' notes for the month
of August are full of interesting and im-
portant matter, as, for instance, five Least
Terns, numbers of Great Blue Herons, and
swarms of Barn, Bank, and Cliff Swallows
during the first five days; a small flock of
Blue-winged Teal and several Pied-billed
Grebes on the 13th; a great wave of mixed
Sandpipers on the 21st; one immature
Little Blue Heron (a most unusual species
for this region) on the 2 2d; more and larger
flocks of Blue-wings with a few Shovellers
on the 30th and 31st; and on September 1
an immense wave of Kingbirds, several
species of Warblers, Baltimore Orioles,
Great Blue Herons (40 in sight at one
time), and a few Least Terns.

The first three weeks of September were
marked by no unusual activity among the
migrants, save on the 7th, when Barn
Swallows came in from the north in
thousands, and on the 18th, when Pied-
billed Grebes were to be seen wherever
there was water enough to float one. The
first Pintails, a flock of ten, appeared on
the 21st, and a number of both immature
and adult Herring Gulls were seen on the
24th. The 28th witnessed the greatest
flight of the season, and may be accounted
for by the fact that there arrived the next
morning a cold wave accompanied by a
high wind from the northwest. Birds
noted ahead of this sudden and unfavorable
change in the weather included ver
seventy flocks of ducks (mostlyBlue- wings,
Shovellers, and Pintails, with a sprinkling
of Mallards), numbers of Yellow-legs,
Coots, Spotted Sandpipers, Herring and
Ring-billed Gulls, Turkey Vultures, Marsh
Hawks, Broad-wings, and hordes of Tree
Swallows.

The usual crowds of the commoner
species were noted passing on time during
the ten days following the cold wave. On
October xo, Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
Myrtle Warblers, Harris', White-throated,
and Savannah Sparrows were found in
numbers. On this date Dix Teachenor

360

Bird - Lore

brought in a specimen of Gambel's Spar-
row, indicating again that this form is
probably a regular migrant through
western Missouri. Mr. Teachenor was the
first observer, so far as the writer knows,
to note the fact that this bird occurs
regularly this far east, and hopes in time
to accumulate a large enough series of
specimens to establish the fact beyond
question.

After several days of ideal weather, a
noticeable movement of Meadowlarks,
Bluebirds, Nighthawks, and other common
species on October 12 and 13 indicated
that the balmy days might soon come to
an end. On the 14th a cold, driving rain
set in from the northeast with promise of
turning to snow, and now local observers
are on the alert for that most stimulating
of all wild music, the yodeling of Canada
Geese. — Harry Harris, Kansas City, Mo.

Denver Region. — The writer has often
wondered if the ornithologist of the future
will predict migratory waves as the mete-
orologist forecasts storms; would a full
knowledge of the weather conditions over
the subpolar regions enable one to foretell
bird-waves? Weather conditions in the
north of Colorado and in the high altitudes
of the state, and especially about Denver,
have been mild, and, in fact, ideal for the
continued stay of our Warblers, for ex-
ample. Yet some of them seemed to have
reached this region and passed on con-
siderably earlier than normal.

The earliest date that Audubon's War-
bler has been seen by the writer in this
neighborhood is September 28, and the
latest October 20, yet this year it appeared
here in numbers on September 19, and
none have been noticed since September 28;
in other words, the wave of south-going
Audubon Warblers appeared this fall ten
days early, and was over with by Sep-
tember 30. On the other hand, the Yellow
Warbler was last seen here on August 29,
which is as late as the writer has ever seen
it here. The Pileolated Warbler's previous
latest appearance hereabouts is Septem-
ber 14, while this year it was September 20.
These three species of Warblers certainly

give no inkling as to what relation the
local weather conditions have with their
migration movements — one left on time,
so to speak; one was ten days early; and
one seven days late! It is of interest to
ask what might have been the conditions
in the higher altitudes, where the Audubon
and the Pileolated Warblers breed, that
caused these anomalies in migration, for
such they appear to me. Bronzed Grackles
breed sparingly in and about Denver, but
only appear in large flocks any time be-
tween September 15 and 30; this season
they came in flocks at the usual time. The
latest date on which the writer has noted
Audubon's Hermit Thrush in this neigh-
borhood, in the past is August 31, yet this
year one was recorded as having been seen
near my hoQse on September 28. Though
believing that these late-appearingBronzed
Grackles and the Thrush are not the left-
overs of our breeders, but most likely
migrants from the North, the writer has,
however, no way of proving this idea, but
hopes that banding will help solve the
question. He looks forward eagerly to the
data which will be accumulated when this
banding method gains the prominence it
merits. The Robin migration during the
season just passed has been very character-
istic, coming in great waves, as in years
past, a few days exhibiting extraordinary
numbers, followed by days of relative
scarcity. One very large wave centered
about September 18. Bullock's Orioles
commonly depart in the third week of
August, which was true of this year. This
species has been noted by myself here as
late as September 24.

Clay-colored, Brewer's, and Chipping
Sparrows have been exceedingly common
the past two weeks; in fact, many more
ilia., "nial have been noted since August
21; they are thinning out at this writing.
There have been rather more Rock Wrens
than usual, and they have reached the
region notably earlier than ordinarily; the
usual abundance occurs, on the average,
during October, while this year it was
noted in September.

My general impression of the past two
months is that the most characteristic

The Season

361

migrants have passed through the region
very early. In fact, the contrary was an-
ticipated by the writer as he noted the
continued mild weather, hence he has not
been very much impressed with his fore-
casting ability. — W. H. Bergtold, Denver,
Colo.

San Francisco Region. — Dates of de-
parture of summer residents are very diffi-
cult to ascertain. The following list is in-
complete, but may serve to supplement
other data.

The Allen Hummer was seen by Miss
Wythe in the Botanical Gardens on the
University of California campus October 1 1 .
This is a late date, though they are abun-
dant during September, contesting the
Anna Hummer's right to corner the supply
of honey stored by salvias, honeysuckle,
lion's tongue, and other late-blooming
flowers. Olive-sided Flycatchers had
young still in the nest the last days of J uly.
The first half of August they were still
conspicuous a few blocks from the nesting-
site and disappeared before the end of
August. The western Wood Pewee was
seen in a Berkeley canon September 23,
but I have no record of it between Aug-
ust 24 and that date. The Western Fly-
catcher was seen frequently up to Sep-
tember 25. The Black-headed Grosbeaks
had apparently disappeared by the third
week in August, but Dr. Grinned reports
one in North Berkeley on September 28.
The Lazuli Bunting was heard singing on
August 16. The Yellow Warbler was seen
September 29, and the Pileolated, Sep-
tember 15. September 23 probably repre-
sents an average date for the departure of
most of the House Wrens, but some indi-
viduals remain through the winter. The
Russet-backed Thrush is often seen during
the third week in September, but this year
my last record is dated September 5. Mrs.
Kelly, however, reports a flock of twenty
Russet-backed Thrushes still feeding on
pyracantha berries in her garden in Ala-
meda on October 12.

The list of transients includes the
Western Gnatcatcher, September 8; Cali-
fornia Woodpeckers, September 19 to

October 3; Traill Flycatcher, Septemben8;
Western Tanagers, August 28 to Septem-
ber 10; and Lewis Woodpeckers, October 3.

The winter residents registered so far
are: Sharp-shinned Hawk, August 30;
Red-breasted Sapsucker, October 8; Inter-
mediate Sparrow, September 23; Golden-
crowned Sparrow, September 29 (in the
Claremont Hills); Fox Sparrow, October 4;
Audubon Warbler, September 24; Town-
send Warbler, October 2 (Miss Wythe);
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (on Tamalpais),
October 10; and Hermit Thrush (Mill
Valley), October 10. Five Juncos and
twenty-five Western Robins were seen on
the campus September 18, but both were
interpreted as locally bred, as Robins
were reported numerous in outlying dis-
tricts of San Francisco in early September,
and both Robins and Juncos had been
breeding in several localities in the Bay
Region.

A visit on September 14 to the lower
reaches of San Francisco Bay, where one
of the gun clubs is pumping fresh water to
fill artificial ponds, resulted in a very satis-
factory introduction to Avocets, Black-
necked Stilts, — and Yellow-legs (both Les-
ser and Greater). Pintail Ducks were pres-
ent by the thousands, and on the salt water
Northern Phalaropes were very abundant.
A flock of about thirty White Pelicans
maneuvered over the ponds. Shore-birds
have been very much reduced in numbers
on the Alameda Estuary this fall. With
the tide right, and other conditions appa-
rently favorable, the list for September
25 included: Two Eared Grebes; a few
Western, California, and Ring-billed Gulls;
three Cormorants; a small flock of Western
Sandpipers; three Marbled Godwits; one
Willet; one Black-bellied Plover; and fif-
teen Killdeer. Similar conditions have
prevailed through the fall, and seem to
indicate that the birds have found more
favorable feeding- grounds. — Amelia S.
Allen, Berkeley, Calif.

Los Angeles Region. — Late summer in
the vicinity of Los Angeles offers little
worthy of special notice. The scarcity of
the resident birds of the open country and

362

Bird - Lore

foothill canons has been noted and com-
mented on by nearly all our observers.
Arizona Hooded Orioles were recorded by
three different observers as remaining until
September 20, about a month later than
their usual time of departure. The young
were still being fed September 14, but
whether they were a second brood or not
was not determined. One full-plumaged
male was seen and its call heard Septem-
ber 19. No other males were noted later
than August 26. A Dove's nest with four
fresh eggs was found September 4. A very
noticeable falling off in the numbers of
Doves and Meadowlarks, as compared
with three or four years ago, may be
attributed in part at least to. the use of
poisoned grain in the organized campaign
carried on for the extermination of the
ground squirrel. Quail, which keep more
to the cover of brushy hills and canons, are
apparently holding up better. Meadow-
larks, however, were seen in great numbers
in the Antelope Valley in the early part of
September, as were also Crows, Sparrow
Hawks and Ravens.

At the summit on the Ridge route (alti-
tude 5,320 feet) overlooking Antelope Val-
ley, birds of many species were abundant.
Among those noted in a brief stop were
Western Bluebirds, Purple Finches, Plain
Titmice, Slender-billed Nuthatches, Green-
backed Goldfinches, and many California
Woodpeckers. Twenty-five white Pelicans
were seen in flight over Crane Lake on
September 4.

August records include four Anthony
Green Herons at Echo Park Lake on the 3d,
and on the 7th 75 Heermann Gulls at
Laguna Beach, most of them in the dark
plumage of the young birds.

August 20, at the entrance of Eaton
Canon, a very large number of Western
Tanagers was seen, apparently all females
or young. On the 26th, another large flock
was seen in Griffith Park, which included
males still in summer plumage. The Black-
chinned Hummingbird was still with us
September 15, and on that date one Ku
fous Hummingbird was seen. September
19 brought in migrating Brewer, Black-
chinned, and Lincoln Sparrows. The

Gambel Sparrow was, as usual, the first of
our regular winter visitants to return, one
bird being reported about September 20.
The next report given me was for the 24th,
and after that there were daily accessions
until his cheery little song announced his
presence in all our gardens by the end of
the first week in October. Next to arrive
was the Audubon Warbler, first seen on
September 24, and abundant in a few days.
Say's Phoebe was found at Silver Lake on
its usual winter hunting-ground, Septem-
ber 24. Several Western Gnatcatchers
were also there on that date. Little has
been seen of the fall migration of Warblers.
The Pileolated and the Yellow, which have
been seen from time to time through the
summer, have had their numbers aug-
mented. A few Lutescents have been
noticed, and the Dusky that usually comes
in July or August delayed his arrival until
October 1.

The migration of shore-birds likewise has
been somewhat later than the average, with
intervals of almost total absence of those
birds ordinarily common. Most striking is
the small flocks of the Least and Western
Sandpipers, as contrasted with the thou-
sands of former seasons. Marbled Godwits
have been more abundant than is usual,
as have also the Yellow legs and Black-
bellied Plover. A fairly representative lisl
for September 12 included two Ejjret-.
three Ruddy Turnstones (rare), and two
Avocets. September 9 a large flock of
Northern Phalaropes, conservatively esti-
mated at 1,000, were seen on an inlet near
Long Beach. They have remained through
the month and have been seen by many
observers, though their numbers have
varied, 200 estimated October 5. Octo-
ber 3 two Surf-birds were seen near Long
Beach, attesting to the suitability of their
name by their actions. September 28,
October 5 and 7, at I'laya Del Key, an
Osprey was studied by large classes. He
was observed perching above the lagoon
on watch, soaring over the waters, dis-
playing his plumage to our interested
gaze, plunging for his prey, and bearing off
a fish in his talons. — FRANCES B.
Schneider, Los Angeles, Calif.

2fook Mttog anb Cftebtefctisf

Revision of the Avian Genus Passe-
rella with special reference to
the Distribution and Migration of
the Races in California. By H. S.
Swarth, University of California. Pub.
in Zool., Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 75-224;
plls. 4-7; figs. 30; Sept. 11, 1920.

Of the sixteen races of Fox Sparrow
treated in this monograph, only one, our
common Passer ella iliaca iliaca, is found
east of the Rocky Mountains, while the
remainder are distributed, during the nest-
ing season, from southern California north
to Alaska. During the winter all the
western forms occur regularly, and the
eastern form casually, in California. To
the eastern field student, a Fox Sparrow is
simply a Fox Sparrow and one of the easiest
members of its family to identify. But the
observer on the Pacific coast may focus
his glass on any one of the fifteen, or pos-
sibly sixteen, races and, as Mr. Swarth
tells us that even in the study he cannot
definitely name all the specimens of Fox
Sparrows he has examined in the prepara-
tion of this paper, it is clear that many field
identifications must be followed by an in-
terrogation mark.

However, as far as descriptions of plum-
age, migration routes, dates of occurrence,
etc., go, Mr. Swarth has here given the
student all the assistance he may expect
to receive of this kind. Of much greater
importance are the results of his studies as
they reveal suggestive facts in relations
and in distribution, extent of migration,
and winter as well as summer areas of
occupation. In these, and in other respects,
this paper contains much of value to the
faunalist and ecologist, so much, indeed,
that we regret the author has not pre-
sented a summary of his discoveries, con-
clusions, and theories, that those who run
in other fields of science may read.

The line cuts, maps, and photographs
are instructive, but the colored plate by
Brooks, showing four races of Fox Spar-
rows would in our opinion have been more
effective (if less pleasing) if the birds had

been treated as specimens with no attempt
to make a picture. When we compare
birds' skins we do not place them at dif-
ferent angles and in different directions
against a parti-colored background. —
F. M. C.

The Food of West Virginia Birds. By
Earl A. Brooks. Published by the
State Commission of Agriculture,
Charleston, W. Va. 8vo. 74 pages;
photographs and colored plates.

This is a readable and practical little
manual of economic ornithology in which
the author has succeeded in placing a large
amount of information in a comparatively
limited space. Although prepared for use
in West Virginia, it will answer admirably
for a general textbook. — F. M. C.

Guide to the Summer Birds of the
Bear Mountain and Harriman Park
Sections of the Palisades Interstate
Park. By P. M. Silloway. 8vo. 105
pages; 1 map; 32 half-tones from photo-
graphs. New York State College of
Forestry, Syracuse, N. Y., 1920.

This paper is based on the field-work of
the author from May 27 to August 8, 1918,
and June 6 to July 31, 1919. During this
time he observed 88 species. Adding to
this number the birds reported by Mearns*
as breeding in the same region, but not
found by Silloway, and the summer birds
of this district number considerably over
one hundred species. Prepared as a guide
for the use of visitors to the Park, the
author tells how the Park may be reached,
describes its general characteristics, gives
the student some excellent advice on how
to study birds in the field, tells him where
certain birds may be found, and adds three
well-annotated lists of the birds observed
at as many localities.

Situated at the northern limit of the
Carolinian fauna there is, as might be ex-
pected, a representation of Alleghanian
forms. Thus the Hooded, Blue-winged,

*A List of the Birds of the Hudson Highlands.
Bulletin Essex Inst., in Vols. X-XIII, 1878-81.

(363)

364

Bird - Lore

and Worm-eating Warblers are common
and the Turkey Vulture "was frequently
seen during the season of 1919," while
among the more northern forms found
nesting or with young are the Black-
throated Blue and Nashville Warblers, and
the Canadian Warbler is believed to nest.

The purpose for which this and other
similar papers on the natural resources of
Bear Mountain Park are prepared cannot
be too highly commended. We understand
that over 70,000 persons camped in this
park system during the past summer. Here
is material for a class in nature-study
which, properly developed, presents almost
limitless possibilities.

Fortunately, the Park Commissioners,
by the publication of these guides and the
establishment of a local museum, have
evidently determined to offer campers not
only a home near to nature but an oppor-
tunity to learn something of their sur-
roundings.— F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines

The Auk. — In the October number of
The Auk 'Pattern Development in Teal,'
by G. M. Allen, takes the description of a
southern race of Blue-winged Teal as
occasion for a discussion of pattern forma-
tion. The surface of a bird's body may be
divided into several areas from whose in-
dividual centers the tendency to produce
pigment tends to become less and less as
the periphery of the particular area is
reached. White markings tend to appear
along the dividing-lines between adjacent
areas. Such is the white ring on the neck
of the drake Mallard and the white head-
marking which characterized the adult
male of the Southern Teal. 'Migration and
Physical Proportions' by C. K. Averill,
calls attention to the relation between
length of wing and tail in birds of great
powers of flight. The wing is not only long
but the tail short, especially in the median
line of the bird's body. Bill and feet also
tend to be reduced. Tabular arrangement
of measurements of various related War
biers shows that the slight differences in
proportion are towards such flighl effi

ciency of form, in those species that have
the longest migration routes. This paper
proves how matters of philosophic interest
may sometimes be brought out by statis-
tical consideration of purely descriptive
data.

'Limicoline Voices,' by J. T. Nichols, is
an attempt to describe and explain the
varied call-notes of shore-birds. Species
with similar habits have notes correspond-
ing in significance, allied species' notes
corresponding in derivation which fre-
quently differ in significance. Which of its
repertoire of call-notes an individual will
use is related to what it is doing and what
is going on about it; its state of mind (as
alarm or confidence, etc.) being probably
reflected in subtle differences of tone.

There are three faunal papers: 'Summer
Bird Records from Lake County, Minn.,'
by C. E. Johnson, lists 89 species. It will
give some idea of this country and its birds
to mention that the Red-tailed Hawk and
Great-horned Owl were found breeding
and that Olive-backed and Hermit are
the two Thrushes. 'In the Haunts of
Cairns' Warbler,' C. W. G. Eifrig, is a de-
lightful narrative dealing with ornithology
of the Maryland Alleghanies. Interesting
comparisons are drawn between conditions
here in the summer of 1918 and what they
had been a number of years previous, some
of the changes being directly traceable to
encroaching settlement. Edward Fleisher
gives an annotated list from the result of
intensive field observation on the coast of
southeastern North Carolina in middle
April. Ninety-seven species are listed, the
most interesting which he observed being
a single individual of the Roseate Spoon-
bill. The unexpected scarcity of those
arboreal transients that reach our more
northern latitudes in a wave as the trees
come into leaf, is additional evidence that
this wave of birds along the Atlantic coast
moves northward very rapidly.

'General Notes' contain a great variety
of matter of unusual interest. The Louis-
iana Heron is recorded from Cape May.
N. J., by Stone. Frequent occurrence of
southern Herons to the north in recent
years is probably indicative of increasing

Book News and Reviews

36S

numbers on their breeding-grounds. Sev-
eral notes are contributed by H. F. Lewis
of Quebec. This year (1920) he found the
nest of the Willet in Nova Scotia where the
species has probably bred continuously in
small numbers since the early days. This
writer also suggests the possibility that
migration routes of Ruby-crowned King-
lets may be followed through a study of
their song variation. Shufeldt calls atten-
tion to changing nesting habits of the
House Sparrow. C. G. Andrus, a Weather
Bureau observer at Lansing, Mich., gives
data on the height and speed of a flight of
birds, not identified, though very likely
Ducks. There is dearth of definite data
on this subject in ornithology and the note
illustrates how chance will sometimes turn
the technique of one science to the advan-
tage of another. — J.T.N.

The Condor. — The July and Septem-
ber numbers of The Condor contain an
unusually interesting series of articles on
western ornithology. The July number
opens with an excellent sketch, by H. S.
Swarth, of Frank Slater Daggett, Director
of the Museum of History, Science, and
Art, of Los Angeles, who died April 5,
1920. A portrait and a bibliography of
thirty-nine titles accompany the article.
Bassett describes the 'Variations in the
Song of the Golden-crowned Sparrow' as
he has heard them in California, and Wet-
more gives the results of 'Observations on
the Habits of the White- winged Dove along
the Gila River in Maricopa County, Ariz.,
in June, 1919. Claims of damage by Doves
are frequently made because wheat is
found in the birds' crops. "Observations
of the feeding birds, however, soon showed
that all save a very small part of the grain
was waste gleaned from the stubble." Wil-
lett, who has published several articles on
the birds of Forrester Island, Alaska,
based on field work in 1914-17, is now

able, as a result of observations made in
the summer of 1919, to add the Slender-
billed Shearwater, American Merganser,
and Dwarf Hermit Thrush to the list of
birds previously known from the island.
Taylor describes 'A New Ptarmigan from
Mount Rainier' as Lagopus leucurus rain-
ierensis, and Grinnell separates the Brewer
Blackbird of California as a distinct sub-
species under the name Enphagus cyano-
ccphalus minusculus, selecting as the type
a winter bird collected at Palo Alto,
January 26, 1901.

Two of the articles in the September
number deal with birds of the National
Parks and two with those of Alaska.
Skinner contributes a paper on 'The Pink-
sided Junco' in the Yellowstone and
Milicent H. Lee some 'Notes on a Few
Birds of the Grand Canyon, Arizona,' as
observed on an early June morning at the
Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail.
Hanna publishes some 'New and Interest-
ing Records of Pribilof Island Birds,' in
Behring Sea, Alaska, accompanied by a
table showing the birds which breed on
each of the islands in this group. The list
of breeding birds now includes 20 species,
of which only 4 are land-birds. As a result
of experiences in 191 1 and 191 2 Dice fur-
nishes a series of 'Notes on Some Birds of
Interior Alaska.' The list includes com-
ments on 86 species, of which only 28 are
water- and shore-birds and 58 land-birds.
One of the most important articles is that
by Wet more on 'The Function of Powder-
downs in Herons.' From observations
made on a Treganza Great Blue Heron,
kept in captivity, and later on the Snowy
Heron, Black-crowned Heron, and Bit-
tern, he failed to substantiate reports that
the tracts were luminous but found that
before the oil-gland develops they furnish
an oily substance which is used by the bird
in dressing its feathers. — T. S. P.

366

Bird - Lore

2Mrfci=lLore

A Bi-Monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETItS

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Contributing Editor, MABELOSGOOD WRIGHT

Published by D. APPLETON & CO.

Vol. XXII Published December 1, 1920 No. 6

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
l'rice in the United States, one dollar ami fiftv cents a year;
outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cents,
postage paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore's Motto:
A Bird in the Bush Is Worth Two in the Hand

As we close the twenty-second volume
of Bird-Lore and mentally review its
contents for the year, we realize our
indebtedness to those who have helped
to make the volume for 1920 measure up
to the standard of its predecessors.

Especially are we grateful to the con-
tributors to ('The Season') and we are
confident that Bird-Lore's readers share
our gratitude. Our chain of 'Stations'
now reaches from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and the bi-monthly summary from
them of conditions in the bird world may
be read with profit not only by present-
day observers, but they constitute records
of real reference value for all time.

While prepared more especially for the
use of teachers, Dr. Allen's editorials and
articles in the School Department have,
in our opinion, formed one of the most
important features of Bird-Lore dur-
ing the past year. Designed to present a
general resum6 of the subjects of which
they treat, they contain also much
original material and may, therefore, be
studied to advantage not only in the
classroom but by ornithologists who have

long passed 1 he pupil stage.

particularly to that portion of the report
which deals with the Association's work
in forming Junior Audubon Classes.
Therein we learn that over 280,000
children were enrolled in these classes
under the care of teachers who had
volunteered to lead them over the first
stages of the path toward a knowledge of
the beauty and value of bird-life. This does
not mean that this great army of boys and
girls will continue to pursue their quest
of bird-lore without further aid. Doubt-
less to the majority of them member-
ship in the Audubon Society will be only
a pleasant incident of the year, later to
become a memory of their childhood.
But to thousands this introduction to
their bird neighbors will be among the
most lasting and potent influences of
their school lives. Classmates will go
their way, grow and change, but these
new friends among the birds will remain
forever the same, and continued associa-
tion with them will become an ever-
increasing source of purest delight.

When one pauses to consider the educa-
tional, recreational, and spiritual value of
this opportunity which, during the coming
years, the Audubon Society will offer to
millions of American children, one cannot
fail to be impressed by the magnitude and
importance of its achievements in this
one field alone. Every true bird-lover will
learn with regret that for lack of funds the
Association was obliged to close the door
in the faces of thousands of little seekers
of bird-lore. While the number of children
to be enrolled annually is doubtless
limited only by the financial resources of
the Association, we realize that it cannot
hope to cover the whole field in a single
year; but it does seem unfortunate that it
should not be in a position to aid t hose who
come to it for assistance.

Tin; annual report of the National
Association of Audubon Societies, pub-
lished in this number of Bird-Lore, is a
most encouraging document. Every word
of it should be read by those who are
interested in the things for which this

organization stands, but we call attention

As we go to press, the thirty-eighth
stated meeting of the American Ornithol-
ogists' Union is in session with a large
attendance and an excellent program. In-
creased popular interest in the Union is

indicated by the election of over 300
assoi 1a te members.

Cfje Btrtmbon ^octette*

SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Edited by A. A. ALLEN. Ph.D.
Address all communications relative to the work of this
department to the Editor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y»

WINTER BIRDS' NESTS

When the November winds clear the leaves from the trees and bushes
many of Nature's secrets stand revealed. Along the highways the nests of
the Orioles and the Goldfinches that were so artfully concealed during the
summer now flaunt themselves in our faces. In the shrubbery about the garden
the nests of the Song Sparrow and the Catbird and the Yellow Warbler sud-
denly jump into view as though they were scornfully asking "Where were
vour eyes last summer?" Now, if ever, we realize what adepts at the art of
concealing their nests the birds really are. Some of the nests we readily identify,
for even though the birds have flown, we remember how frequently we saw
them about the particular tree the previous summer. Other nests that we
meet with on our walks afield or that are brought to us we fail to recognize.

There is something fascinating about a bird's nest when we stop to examine
it, or even if we pass it by with a cursory glance, we cannot help feeling the
little romance that surrounds it. We marvel at the skill with which the strings
or fibers are woven together or we wonder at the patience required to gather
the innumerable tiny grasses and hairs that make up the nest. Until we know
the bird that built the nest, however, we are discontented, and it is always with
great satisfaction that we finally make up our minds as to just what bird built it.

There is scarcely a schoolroom in the country that does not at some time
or other come into possession of a bird's nest or a small collection of nests.
Sometimes the children seem to develop a mania for collecting nests and the
school is flooded with them. Ordinarily these nests lay around without much
care until the teacher gets disgusted with the meaningless litter and throws
them into the waste-basket. If, however, the nests are given a little attention;
if there is a place to keep the collection; and, particularly, if the teacher can
identify the nests, the collection can be made one of the valuable accessions to
the schoolroom. It is the intention of these paragraphs to encourage the making
of these nest collections and to show how they may be identified.

The best time to start such collections is in November or December after
the leaves have fallen. The nests are then easy to find, and no harm is done
by collecting them for the birds have left them and, in very few cases, is the
same nest used a second time. Of course, the nest which has been watched
through the summer and about which one knows the entire history is the most
interesting, but much can be learned from nests that are discovered in winter

(367)

368 Bird - Lore

for the first time. In collecting a nest it is always best to cut off the branch
upon which it rests and preserve them together. The position of the nest upon
the branch and its method of attachment are often as interesting and as neces-
sary for identification as the materials from which the nest is made. It likewise
provides the best means for preserving the nest for, with a few strands of fine
copper wire or strong thread, it can be 'sewed' to the branch so that it will not
fall off when it dries out. Wire loops or screw eyes can then be fastened to the
branch so that it can be hung on the wall or in the cabinet. If for any reason it
is not feasible to cut off the branch, the nest should be placed in a cardboard
box, such as a collar-box, so that it will hold its shape and not drop litter.
When nests are properly cared for, it is remarkable how many can be kept in
a small space, and space is always at a premium in a schoolroom. Each nest
should bear a neat label giving its name, where it was found, and the name of
the child who discovered it. This makes the collection more useful, gives it a
neater and more businesslike air, and usually gives all the stimulus that is
needed to keep up the children's interest. Only such nests as appear in good
state of preservation should be kept.

In some communities where school exhibits form an important part of the
educational regime, held either at the school or at the county fair, exhibits of
birds' nests prove very attractive. If it is an exhibit of a single school, each child
usually prepares an exhibit of a single nest. If it is a county exhibit, the school
may exhibit its entire collection. The individual exhibits usually consist of a
large card upon which is fastened the nest, a colored drawing or picture of
the bird, and a composition or essay about the bird. This can be entirely
the work of one child or it may represent the selection of the best nest, the
best essay, and the best drawing from the school, according to the provisions
of the competition. Great care should be given to the identification of the
nests.

The most satisfactory and most accurate way of identifying a bird's nest
is to discover it while it is still occupied and to identify the builder. Then after
the young have flown, it can be taken and it will mean much more in the col-
lection, and a much more interesting essay can be written about it. In case it
is not found until winter, the teacher should help the child to identify it by
means of the appended key. There is a great deal of variation in birds' nests
of the same species, particularly when in the different states of preservation
found in winter. The general type of nest built by each species, however, is
fairly constant and, in writing the key, the attempt has been made to select the
characters which seem most constant. The specific materials of which a nest
is constructed often vary according to what is most available, and unusual nests
are frequently found that defy identification by anyone but a specialist. Thus,
House Wrens ordinarily build the outside of their nests of small twigs, but one
was sent to the author which was made chiefly of wire clippings and hair-pins.
The size and particularly the depth of a nest vary with the state of preservation

The Audubon Societies 369

in which it is found, and the key will prove practicable only for such nests as
are fairly well preserved.

Ninety per cent of the nests found by children in northeastern United States
will belong to one of the following nine birds that are common and whose nests
are conspicuous when the leaves fall: Catbird, Chipping Sparrow, Goldfinch,
Baltimore Oriole, Redstart, Robin, Song Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, and Yel-
low Warbler. The nests of birds that build on the ground are not ordinarily
found except when they are occupied and can be identified by seeing the birds
themselves. In this key, therefore, they are grouped together to save space.

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the use of keys, the follow-
ing brief explanation is given: The first section of the key divides the nests into
eleven divisions. First determine in which of these a nest belongs, and then
turn at once to that division and trace it through. Whenever a letter is doubled
or trebled, it indicates alternative conditions, and after determining under which
one the nest falls, the others are ignored and the tracing continued under the
correct heading. — A. A. A.

KEY TO THE NESTS OF THE COMMON SUMMER RESIDENT BIRDS OF
NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA

A. On the ground or in tussocks of grass I

AA. In the ground (in burrows) II

AAA. Above ground, in bushes or trees, on cliffs, or about buildings

B. Hanging or semi-pensile nests Ill

BB. Not hanging

C. In holes in trees or in bird-boxes IV

CC. Not in holes

D. Containing sticks or large twigs V

DD. With no sticks

E. Felted nests of cottony materials VI

EE. Not felted

F. Containing an inner layer of mud VII

FF. With no mud

G. Covered with lichens VIII

GG. With no lichens

H. Mostly of bark, fibers, and rootlets, with or

without horsehair lining IX

HH. Mostly of grasses, rootlets, straws, and leaves,
usually with horsehair in the lining

J. Not spherical X

J J. Spherical nests XI

I. On the Ground or in Tussocks of Grass: These nests are seldom found except
when occupied, and then can be identified by the birds. Only a list will be
given. See also spherical nests.

In Fields: Bobolink, Bob-white, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Horned
Lark, Killdeer, Meadowlark, Nighthawk, Pheasant, Savannah Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper, Vesper Sparrow.

In Woods: Black and White Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Canadian Warbler, Her-
mit Thrush, Junco, Louisiana Water-Thrush, Mourning Warbler, Ovenbird,
Ruffed Grouse, Song Sparrow, Towhee, Veery, Water-Thrush, Whip-poor-will,
Woodcock.

In Marshes: Bittern, Black Duck, Black Tern, Coot, Florida Gallinule, King
Rail, Loon, Marsh Hawk, Maryland Yellow-throat, Pied-billed Grebe, Short-
eared Owl, Sora Rail, Swamp Sparrow, Virginia Rail, Wilson's Snipe.

370 Bird - Lore

II. In Burrows in the Ground:

A. Nesting in colonies in sand-banks Bank Swallow

AA. Nesting singly

B. Drilling its own burrow Kingfisher

BB. Utilizing some other burrow Rough-winged Swallow

III. Hanging or Semi-pensile Nests:

A. In reeds or swamp bushes
B. Open above

i. A platform only slightly hollowed Least Bittern

2. Deeply hollowed Red-winced Blackbird

BB. Spherical nests — opening on side. . Long- and Short-billed M arsh Wrens

AA. In upland bushes and trees

B. Small, less than 2 inches deep inside, fully suspended

1. In berry bushes White-eyed Vireo

2. In low branches or saplings Red-eyed Vireo

3. In evergreens (usually; Blue-headed Vireo

4. In middle of tree Vellow throated Vireo

5. In tree top or outer branches Warbling Vireo

BB. Small, semi-pensile, partially supported Acadian Flycatcher

BBB. Larger, over 2 inches deep inside

1. Of dried grasses, sometimes partially supported.. . Orchard Oriole

2. Of fibers, strings, and the like Baltimore Oriole

IV. In Holes in Treks or in Bird-Boxes:

A. Nesting in colonies Purple Martin

AA. Nesting singly

B. Drilling holes, no nest at bottom

1 . Opening about 1 l-2 inches Downy Woodpeckep.

2. Opening about 1 *4 inches Hairy Woodpecker

3. Opening about 2 inches Red-headed Woodpeckep.

4. Opening over 2 inches I- in kef.

BB. Using old Woodpecker holes or natural cavities of the same size or bird-
houses with similar openings, building a nest at bottom of cavity.

1. Nest of sticks lined with feathers House Wren

2. Nest entirely of grasses Bluebird

3. Nest of straws and feathers

a. Nest cuplike, open above Tree Swallow

b. Nest spherical or partially arched. . .HOUSE I English) Sparrow

4. Nest of fibers, moss, wool, and feathers. . Chickadee and Nuthatch

5. Nest usually containing a cast snake-skin Crested Flycatcher

BBB. Using Flicker holes or natural cavities of similar size, no nest built

Sparrow Hawk, Screech Owl, and Saw-whit ()\\i

BBBB. I'sing larger natural cavities

Barred Owl, Great-Horned Owl. and Wood Duck

V. Containing STICKS or Large Twigs:

A. Bulky nests in trees, 15 to 60 inches outside diameter

1 . \Vrv large. 30 to do inches Fish Haw k and Baku I. u.i 1

2. Smaller, no lining, flat Herons

3. Hollowed, lining of bark CRO* AND OWLS { LJ£f££™™ED

{RXD-SHOl I I'l Kl D
Sharp-shinned
5. Spherical nests Squirrels

A A. Smaller nests, less than 15 inches outside

B. Cuplike, in chimneys, hollow trees, or silos Chimney Swift

BB. Otherwise

('. Platform, very shallow

1. \o lining MOURNING I >o\ 1

2. A little lining CUCKOOS

Bird,- Lore 371

CC. Deeply hollowed, 1 to 3 inches deep

D. In thickets or scrubby trees, under 3^ inches inside diameter

1. Lining of leaves and rootlets .Catbird and Brown Thrasher

2. Lining of bark and wool Migrant Shrike

DD. In trees usually evergreen, over 3^ inches inside diameter. . . Blue Jay

VI. Felted Nests of Cottony Materials:

A. Nests wider than high, containing thistledown Goldfinch

AA. Nests higher than wide, no thistledown

B. Thick walled, usually in vertical fork of bush or tree Yellow Warbler

BB. Thick walled, usually on horizontal branch of apple or similar tree usually

decorated with bits of paper Least Flycatcher

BBB. Thin walled, usually close to trunk of small sapling Redstart

VII. Containing Layer of Mud:

A. Built in trees

B. Of grasses and mud, usually no moss, or dead leaves

1. Under 4 inches inside diameter Robin

2. Over 4 inches inside diameter Bronzed Crackle

BB. Containing dead leaves and usually moss Wood Thrush

AA. Built on buildings, bridges, or cliffs
B. Outer layer of grasses, mud within

1. Under 4 inches inside diameter Robin

2. Over 4 inches inside diameter Bronzed Crackle

BB. Outer layer of mud, some grasses

1. Open at top, cup-shaped Barn Swallow

2. Open at side, gourd-shaped Cliff Swallow

BBB. Outer layer of moss and mud Phcebe

VIII. With an Outer Covering of Lichens, Saddled on Branch

A. Very small, less than \]/2 inches outside diameter

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
AA. Larger, over 1 ]/2 inches outside diameter

1. Very deep, over \]A inches Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

2. Shallow, under \y2 inches Wood Pewee

IX. Mostly of Bark, Fibers, and Rootlets, With or Without Horsehair Lin-

ing
A. Small woodland nests, usually in evergreens, less than 2 inches in diameter
(seldom found). .Pine Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated
Green Warbler, Purple Finch, Blackburnian Warbler
AA. Small woodland nests, less than 2 inches in diameter usually in bushes or
sprouts

1. No dead wood in botton Chestnut-sided Warbler

2. Bits of dead wood in bottom Black-throated Bi.uk Warbler

AAA. Orchard or woodland nests, over 2 inches inside diameter

B. Usually thin, flimsy structures

1. Little or no lining, usually in high bushes

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2. Considerable lining, usually in trees Scarlet Tanager

BB. Thick, well-formed structures with some cotton or wool

1. Shallow, about 1 inch deep Kingbird

2. Deeper, about \)/2 inches deep Cedar Wax wing

X. Mostly of Grasses, Rootlets, Straws, and Leaves, Usually with Horse-

hair in the Lining, and not Spherical
A. With many leaves, placed in weeds, ferns, or low bushes

1. Under 2 inches inside diameter Indigo Buntinc

2. Over 2 inches inside diameter

a. Nest placed on mat of leaves Veery

b. Leaves woven into nest Yellow-breasted Chat

AA. With few or no leaves

B. Less than 1% inches inside diameter

1. With thick horsehair lining Chipping Sparrow

2. With few hairs, or none Field Sparrow

BB. Over 2 inches inside diameter

1. With many or few hairs in lining Song Sparrow

2. No hairs, a few leaves Yellow-breasted Chat

TYPES OF NESTS OF COMMON' BIRDS
Robin Baltimore Oriole Redstart

Catbird Goldfinch Yellow Warbler

Redstart and Yellow Warbler Red-eyed Yireo Chipping Sparrow

(Note thicker rim of Warbler's nest)

(372)

The Audubon Societies 373

XI. Spherical Nests of Grasses, Bark, or Fibers:

A. On the ground very thickly lined with soft grasses Meadow Mouse

AA. In bushes or vines, usually on some old bird's nest and lined with cotton or

wool Deer Mouse

AAA. In trees or about buildings

1. Of bark and fibers, no lining, usually some leaves or sticks, often on an

old Crow's nest Squirrel

2. Of grasses lined with feathers House Sparrow

FROM YOUNG OBSERVERS
A TIMELY RESCUE

Heavy snow had covered all the usual feeding-grounds of the birds. My
friend put some crumbs on her window-sill. These were soon found by the
English Sparrows, who feasted on them gladly.

One day, among the guests appeared a Song Sparrow. Further investigation
showed where he was roosting — under a barberry hedge piled with snow.

Every morning he breakfasted on the crumbs and just before dusk he would
come regularly for supper, then enter a little hole in the snow-bank, and creep
into his bed.

This continued for about three weeks, when another snowfall came and for
three days my friend missed her little protege. On the third morning, January
31, the temperature at zero, it was found that the entrance to the retreat in the
hedge was filled with snow. A search followed, and near the underpinning of
the house, under some shrubbery, lay what appeared to be a dead Sparrow.
On taking him up it was found that his heart was still beating. The little crea-
ture was taken into the house, where he revived.

He is now a petted member of the household, and, no doubt, will repay his
benefactors next spring with his cheery songs.

I should mention that a family of Song Sparrows was raised in this barberry
hedge last spring. Can it be that this one accidentally got left behind when the
rest of his family took their southern flight? — Cassandana Thayer, Quincy,
Mass.

[Every severe winter many birds die from starvation and it is seldom that individuals
meet with such a timely rescue as did this little Song Sparrow. But by feeding the birds
regularly during the winter and never letting the supply of food fail, many catastrophes
are averted. — A. A. A.]

THE NEST OF THE LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH

The male and female Water Thrush are alike in coloring. The general color
is brown, with the upper parts of olive-brown and the under parts of buff
with dark brown streaks.

Our bird class watched this nest from the time it was first made, until the
baby birds left the nest. Whenever a person watched it or even passed by it,
the parent birds would fly around, uttering sharp chirps. One day they seemed
to be more disturbed than usual and it was discovered that one little bird had

374 Bird - Lore

left the nest. Before night two more had gone, and the nest was left with two
eggs in it. The eggs were bluish white with cinnamon spots more numerous at
the larger end where it was a little over one-half inch in diameter.

In a few days the deserted nest was examined in its original place and later
it was collected and examined more closely. It was found on a bank about
7>^ feet from the water. A sandy beach sloped up from the water about 3^2
feet. Then there was an abrupt perpendicular bank which rose the rest of the
4 feet. The nest was snugly tucked away on a shelf of earth. The roof of this
little home was a mossy spot, held by the roots of an old oak stump, with
Canada mayflowers growing here and there.

The nest was 8 inches back from the edge of the hood, and from outer
edge to edge it was 5 inches in diameter. The inside diameter was 3 inches and
it was 1 24 inches deep.

When the nest was taken out it left a little hollow in the sand. The nest
itself was composed of two distinct parts, an upper and a lower. To show how
many trips were made just for the building of one nest, we counted every piece.
The foundation was composed of 103 leaves, 46 rootlets, 49 pieces of moss,
15 twigs, 1 piece of bark, and 87 pine needles.

The upper part or lining of the nest was made of finer things, of which
9 were horse-hairs, 29 pieces of moss, 122 rootlets, 222 pine needles and 58
grass stems, besides many other small pieces. All these things were woven
neatly together to make a pretty little round nest.

All this shows how much birds have to work to make a home, and then
often they are frightened away by people handling the eggs or squirrels suck-
ing the eggs, or Blue Jays eating the little birds. However, these three baby
Water Thrushes flew away without any of those disturbances. — Larch Camp-
bell (age, 15 years), The "Dells" of the Wisconsin River.

[This is an interesting study of a bird's nest and one that anyone can duplicate with
one of the winter nests. Of course, each piece of material does not mean a separate trip,
as many are often brought at one time, but, nevertheless, each piece is usually selected
with discrimination on the bird's part. — A. A. A.)

THE STORY OF A BIRD

Once I went to the orchard with my aunt to call on a lady. In a corner by
the steps was a barberry bush and the lady told me to look in it. I looked in and
saw a Catbird's nest with four little Catbirds. The mother was not there so I
sat on the steps to wait. Soon she came with her mouth full of food for the
young birds. When they were fed she went away and the father bird came with
food, too, but when he saw me he flew away and so I went up on the porch
and the mother came back and fed the young constantly while we talked on the
porch. — Marjorie E. Hoffman (age, 7 years).

[A bird's nesl mar the home is a ureat asset and Marjorie has the ri^ht idea about
watching it. — A. A. A.)

Cfje Hutiubon J»octetie£

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Edited by T. GILBERT PEARSON, President

Address all correspondence, and send all remittances, for dues and contributions, to

the National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Telephone, Columbus 7327

T. Gilbert Pearson, Pres:d;nt
Theodore S. Palmer, First Vice-President \> illi am P. Wharton, Secretary
Frederic A. Lucas, Second Vice-President Jonathan Dwight, Treasurer

Samuel T. Carter, Jr., Attorney

Any person, club, school or company in sympathy with the objects of this Association may become
a member of it, and all are welcome. ;

Classes of Membership in the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild
Birds and Animals:

$5 annually pays for a Sustaining Membership

$100 paid at one time constitutes a Life Membership

$1,000 constitutes a person a Patron

$5,000 constitutes a person a Founder

$25,000 constitutes a person a Benefactor

Form of Bequest: — I do hereby give and bequeath to the National Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals (Incorporated), of the City of New York.

ANNUAL MEETING

The National Association of Audubon
Societies held its sixteenth annual meeting
in the American Museum of Natural His-
tory, New York City, on October 25 and 26,
1920.

At 8 o'clock on the first evening, a gen-
eral public meeting was held in the large
assembly hall. The principal speakers
were Norman McClintock, of Pittsburgh,
who showed moving pictures made by him
the past summer on the Association's large
bird reservation at Orange Lake, Fla.
These included many close-up, intimate
studies of the home-life of Gallinules,
Least Bitterns, Egrets, and other water-
birds that assemble there to rear their
young. Robert Cushman Murphy, of the
Brooklyn Museum of Arts and Sciences,
told the story of the vast bird colonies that
make the great guano deposits on some of
the barren islands off the coast of Peru.
His address was illustrated with stereop-
ticon slides and moving pictures which he
had made showing the marvelous bird-life
of these islands.

The Secretary of the Association gave a
brief resume of the Association's work the
past year and spoke of the problems now
confronting wild-life conservationists.

(3

Dr. F. A. Lucas, Acting President, pre-
sided at the meeting.

At 10 o'clock, on the morning of Octo-
ber 26, the business session opened in the
Museum with Dr. T. S. Palmer, First Vice-
President, in the chair. In addition to the
annual reports of the Secretary, Treasurer,
Field Agents, and representatives of
affiliated organizations, four members of
the Board of Directors were elected. Dr.
F. A. Lucas and T. Gilbert Pearson, whose
terms had expired, were reelected. In
place of Ernest Harold Baynes, whose
term expired, John Dryden Kuser, of
Bernardsville, N. J., was elected. To fill
the unexpired term of William Dutcher,
deceased, Miss Heloise Meyer, of Lenox,
Mass., was appointed.

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Edward H.
Forbush presided at the Educational Con-
ference. Here talks were given and discus-
sions entered into by Winthrop Packard,
Mrs. Mary S. Sage, Miss Frances A. Hurd,
Herbert K. Job, and other representatives
of the Association, as well as by Prof. H.
L. Madison, of the Rhode Island Audubon
Society; Mrs. E. O. Marshall, of the Massa-
chusetts State Grange Bird Protection
Committee; Dr. G. Clyde Fisher and

75)

376

Bird - Lore

Walden DeWitt Miller of the American officers were elected: President, T. Gilbert

Museum of Natural History, and a num-
ber of others.

At the meeting of the Board of Directors,
also held in the afternoon, the following

Pearson; First Vice-President, Dr. T. S.
Palmer; Second Vice-President, Dr. F. A.
Lucas; Secretary, William P. Wharton;
and Treasurer, Dr. Jonathan Dwight.

PRESIDENT-ELECT HARDING FOR BIRD-PROTECTION

It will be a source of great satisfaction
to all interested in the conservation of wild
life in this country to learn that Warren G.
Harding is wide-awake to the needs of
conservation in this country and is in
thorough sympathy with the best efforts
for the perpetuation of our wild life and
National Parks.

At the meeting of the members of the
National Association on October 26 a
resolution was passed instructing the
Secretary to send the following telegram
to Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox,
the leading candidates for President of the
United States:

"The National Association of Audubon
Societies now assembled in convention in
this city, and representing two million bird-
lovers and sportsmen, earnestly desires to
learn whether, if elected President of the
United States, your policy would be to
guard the National Parks and Bird Reser-
vations against any commercial attempts
that may be made to exploit them; and
whether you favor the enforcement of our
Treaty with Canada for the protection of
the valuable migratory birds."

At once upon receipt of the message the
following telegram was sent from Marion,
Ohio:

"T. Gilbert Pearson,

1974 Hroadway, New York.
"Thank you for your telegram of Octo-
ber 26. If you care to do so you may use

the following message and release to the
press. T am fully in favor of a policy which
will guard the integrity of our National
Parks and our Bird Reservations. I favor
the enforcement of our Treaty with Canada
for the protection of valuable migratory
birds. Please accept my greetings to your
Association.' "

[Signed] Warren G. Harding.

Two days later the following message
was received from Mr. Cox's office in
Columbus, Ohio:

"Your telegram received Governor's ab-
sence. Can assure you Governor Cox if
elected would carefully guard the National
Parks and Bird Reservations. Not know-
ing provisions of Canadian Treaty unable
to advise Governor's stand.

[Signed] W. S. Pealer,

Executive Clerk."'

Remembering the efforts at the last
session of Congress to permit private in-
terests to exploit the Yellowstone National
Park and considering further the assaults
made on the integrity of certain United
States Bird Reservations and the lamen-
table need of funds to enforce the Migratory
Bird Treaty, it is with the utmost pleasure
and satisfaction we learn that our new
representative in the White House has
voluntarily pledged to use his great powers
for the benefit of these great National
interests.

A NATIONAL HUNTING LICENSE

It is estimated that there are 7,000,000
hunters in the United States. These figures
are based on data collected by the United
States Biological Survey for the year 1910.
According to their figures, 3,600,000 state
hunting licenses were issued that year.
They estimate that at least 3,500,000 more
hunters were exempt under the state game

laws. This was because in many states
hunting licenses are not required of resi-
dents or land-owners. Hunters actually
paid into various state treasuries about
$4, 500, 000, which has enabled the states
to run their game-protective departments
and employ, either by means of fees or by
salaries, about 2,600 game wardens.

The Audubon Societies

377

At the present time the Congressional
appropriation for the Biological Survey
for enforcing the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act amounts to only $142,500, a sum in-
adequate to enforce the Federal bird laws.
In order to provide such a fund a suggestion
has been made that all those who hunt
migratory birds should be required to take
out a United States hunting license, cost-
ing, perhaps, 50 cents. It is thought that
the revenue from this source would yield

between one and two million dollars. Much
thought has been given to this proposition
and it appears to be favored by all those
who are most familiar with conservation
matters. It is earnestly to be hoped that
some such law may be enacted at the com-
ing session of Congress. If funds anything
like the amount estimated to be derived
from this source should be realized, a por-
tion could well be spent for the establish-
ment and maintenance of bird sanctuaries.

THUMBS DOWN FOR MALHEUR LAKE

On election day, November 2, 1920, the
people of Oregon voted down the referen-
dum for declaring Malheur Lake the Roose-
velt Bird Refuge. The bill against which
the majority of the Oregon votes was cast
was for the purpose of deeding to the
United States Government any claim that
the state of Oregon might hold in the title
of Malheur Lake. Until recently it was
supposed that the Lake was Government
property without question, and on Aug-
ust 18, 1908, Theodore Roosevelt, then
President of the United States, ordered it
to be proclaimed as one of the United
States Bird Reservations. Since that time,
under the care of the Biological Survey, it
has been guarded and protected as such.

Malheur Lake is undoubtedly the most
important breeding-place for wild fowl
within the borders of our country. It is a
shallow lake with reed-covered margins
and islands. It occupies an area of about
47,000 acres and in its vast expanse there
accumulate every summer hundreds of
thousands of Ducks, Geese, Grebes, White
Pelicans, Terns, Cormorants, and other
water-birds that come here for the purpose
of raising their young. In the spring and
autumn the lake swarms with innumerable
flocks of migrating wild fowl.

The fight for the Roosevelt Bird Refuge
Bill was led by the Oregon State Audu-
bon Society officials, William L. Finley as
its President being the active head. A
Roosevelt Bird Refuge Association had
been organized and under this title the
campaign was conducted. A wide pub-

licity effort was carried forward. The
National Association of Audubon Societies,
as a result of the keen interest of one of its
friends, was able to contribute between
two and three thousand dollars toward ex-
penses. The rest of the expense was borne
by friends of the measure in Oregon. Those
who favored the bill contended that this
most important breeding-place in Oregon
should be preserved for the benefit of the
wild life; and that if the lake were drained
its alkaline soil would not be found pro-
ductive for general agricultural purposes.
Those opposing the bill claimed that, if
drained, the area of the lake bottom could
be sold for hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars to enrich the school fund, and that
the whole idea of preserving it as a refuge
was simply a matter of sentiment which,
from their standpoint, was entirely un-
necessary. Naturally the opposition was
led by those who plan to reap benefit in
dollars and cents by the destruction of the
reservation.

It is as much the case today as it was
ten years ago that eternal vigilance is the
price that must be paid if our American
wild life is to be preserved.

J. H. Cunningham, a prominent engi-
neer of Portland, Ore., was one of the many
who was strongly in favor of the Roose-
velt Bird Refuge Bill. His comments,
which appeared in the Oregonian of Octo-
ber 31, 1920, are pertinent as to the atti-
tude assumed by many of its friends:

"The average man is more or less selfish
to the extent of wanting something con-

378

Bird - Lore

verted into dollars and cents, some ofwhich
may be annexed by himself. The engineer,
and more especially the irrigation engineer,
hates to see land lying idle that could be
irrigated through employing him to do the
job; the conservation of wild life or the
picturesque beauties of nature mean noth-
ing to his unimaginative brain compared
to the allurements of the almighty dollar
when employed to turn a lake or waterfall
into a truck garden or shoe factory. Being
an engineer himself, the writer knows some-
thing about him. Waterfalls are my special
prey. I hardly ever look at one without
making a mental calculation of how many
horse-power or kilowatts it would turn
out. Then again the thought occurs, if
once developed and used to turn a lot of
wheels in an ugly powerhouse, its beauty
is forever destroyed, and what a prosy old
world this would be if every bit of wild life
and primitive wilderness ceased to exist !
Why is it that the normal man (and
woman) likes to put on old clothes and get
out into the wilderness, away from all arti-
ficial things, where nature has not been
defiled by the destroying hand of man?

"If it is proper to destroy all natural
wonders for the sake of a few more acres
of grain, why is it not right, as Mr. Finley
suggests, to plow up all the parks and
lawns and plant them in cabbage or corn,
which, to some people, are far more beau-
tiful than any monarch of the forest or
gem-like lake in a dusty desert? In fact,
some people like only the kind of scenery
they can eat.

"There are millions of acres of good land
lying between the Mississippi River and
the Pacific Ocean that can be irrigated and
cultivated without destroying some natural
wonder.

"Again, this cry of robbing the school

fund is mostly political buncombe. No
child is going to suffer for the want of edu-
cation merely because these particular
lands are not sold to a few farmers.

"It is also stated that the creation of
this bird reserve will tend to discourage
development of roads and railway construc-
tion in Harney County. However, it is
probable that the bird reserve would en-
courage the building of roads, since the
autoist is a powerful factor in the matter,
and any novel attraction to the tourist
brings dollars into the state.

"The writer is not a member of the
Audubon Society, but is one of the 'weV
so facetiously referred to by Mr. Bennett,
for he would rather see a natural wonder
developed to the fullest extent with a good
road, inviting the tourist to the Malheur
Bird Reserve, and the conservation of our
fast disappearing game birds, than to see
it laid out in geometrical rectangles of hay
or grain, which can be produced more
abundantly on land in other parts of the
state.

"If the people wish to exterminate all
wild life, why not abolish game laws en-
tirely, and do the thing at one fell swoop?
Two or three years would be enough with
the assistance of the game hog.

"But I can well understand the attitude
of the local members of engineering societies
in opposing this bill. To many engineer>
the most beautiful thing on earth is a mass
of concrete and steel replacing one of God's
masterpieces of nature. He hies himself to
the wilderness (at so much per), sets up
his transit, cuts down trees a thousand
years old, blows up rocks and scares all
the game out of the country, and down on
Malheur Lake probably cusses the ducks
and geese for sitting up late at night and
keeping him awake."

Annual Report of the National Association of
Audubon Societies for 1920

REPORT OF T. GILBERT PEARSON, SECRETARY

INTRODUCTION

One of the most significant occurrences in the field of bird-protection the
past year was the decision of the United States Supreme Court upholding the
constitutionality of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This was the final scene
in the drama which began in 1904 when George Shiras, 3d, introduced in
Congress the first bill intended to place under federal protection the fortunes
of North America's migratory birds.

In order that history may be recorded correctly I want to recall to your
attention certain facts that may have been forgotten or possibly not ever
known to some of our members. The bird bill of Shiras contemplated the
protection of migratory game-birds only. The President of this Association
urged its author to change the wording so as to include all migratory birds.
This bill did not become a law, but its principles were embodied in the bird
bill introduced years later. This proposed measure was given a committee
hearing in the spring of 191 2. The records of that day will show that of all the
thirty or more organizations present and filing opinions, this Association alone
voiced dissatisfaction with the bill as it stood and urged that it be amended
to extend protection to all migratory birds. The suggestion was adopted,
and the bill as passed contained this provision. Having gained Congressional
sanction in this form, it was later embodied in the provision of the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act. The great importance of this feature of the Treaty was
distinctly and strongly commented upon by Justice Holmes who rendered the
Supreme Court decision on April 19, 1920. The fact that migratory non-game
birds are protected in Canada and the United States by the Treaty is a direct
result of the policies and activities of the National Association of Audubon
Societies, and this fact should never be forgotten.

The past year has seen further efforts to open conventions with the republics
to the south of us with a view of securing protection for our birds that migrate
to those countries. The wisdom, or perhaps I had better say the urgency, for
such a course does not yet lie clearly before us, but the matter is under advise-
ment and the United States Government has sent a naturalist to South America
to study the situation with the object of arriving at a more intelligent under-
standing as to the benefits to be derived should such an arrangement be entered
into.

Of late, vicious attacks on the National Parks have been made in Congress
by those who would grant favors to western land interests at the expense of

(379)

380 Bird - Lore

our country's richest nature sanctuaries. A bill to allow certain exploitations
of the Yellowstone National Park came very near of passage, and another,
intended to place the authority for granting water-power rights of the National
Parks in the hands of three members of the President's Cabinet, actually passed
both Houses of Congress, and President Wilson, in spite of an avalanche
of letters and telegrams, signed this measure and it became a law. This statute
should most certainly be repealed at the coming session of Congress. Much
effort undoubtedly will be required to defeat other Congressional measures
for exploitation of National Parks. Attempts to secure such adverse legisla-
tion now seem most certain.

A few months ago a United States Treasury Department official, in recogni-
tion of this Association's many years of effort to suppress the traffic in bird's
plumage, presented us with a large assortment of bird feathers that had been
seized by the customs officers while being smuggled into this country. These
goods, at jobbers' prices, were valued at more than $20,000. Exhibits, includ-
ing Birds-of-Paradise feathers, both raw and dyed, groups of Aigrette sprays,
plumes of the Goura, etc., were assembled and presented by the Association to
forty-five museums, distributed through 27 states. These collections are now
on exhibition at the following places:

Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, Calif.

Museum of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

State Museum, Atlanta, Ga.

State Museum, Augusta, Maine.

Museum of Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn.

Museum of Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Public School Museum, Battle Creek, Mich.

Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, M<>.

Arizona Museum, Tucson, Ariz.

University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y.

Museum of History, Science and Art, Los Angeles, Calif.

Museum of University of Chicago, Chicago, Ills.

Museum, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

Kent Scientific Museum, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Museum, Maryland Academy of Sciences, Baltimore.

The Joseph Moore Museum, Richmond, Ind.

Indiana State Department of Conservation, Indianapolis.

Zoological Museum, Wellesley College, Welleslcy, Mass.

Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.

Museum, State Normal School, Emporia, Kans.

Museum, State Normal School, Winona, Minn.

Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.

Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Ky.

Agricultural College, Storrs, Conn.

Barnum Museum, Tufts College, Mass.

State Museum, Trenton, N. J.

Museum, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Alabama Museum of Natural History, University, Ala.

Report of the Secretary 381

State Museum, Gainesville, Fla.

Museum of Natural History, Springfield, Mass.

Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Ills.

Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, La.

Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Worcester Natural History Society, Worcester, Mass.

Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H.

Museum, Guilford College, N. C.

Museum, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Museum of Natural History, Urbana, Ills.

Museum, Hendrix College, Conway, Ark.

Society of Natural History, Wilmington, Del.

Office of Massachusetts Audubon Society, Boston.

Birdcraft Sanctuary, Fairfield, Conn.

Museum and Library, Oregon Audubon Society, Portland.

Brooklyn Museum of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, N. Y.

In January, iqiq, through the columns of Bird-Lore this Association
first advised the public of the Eagle Bounty Law in operation in Alaska. Since
then we have continued to bulletin, from time to time, the results of this
measure. The last report from our representative in Alaska shows the official
territorial records and reveals that bounties had already been paid on the feet
of 8,356 Eagles. Nor does this tell the entire story of the appalling slaughter of
the American Eagle, for it should be borne in mind that to collect the 50 cents
bounty it is necessary to bring in the feet to some territorial official and pay
a fee for an affidavit to accompany them before the bounty can be collected.
Men who secure only one or two Eagles at a time, or who shoot their birds a
very long distance from the place where the bounty is paid, of course never
report their killings. Furthermore, many hundreds of Eagles undoubtedly are
wounded by gun-fire and escape in the wilderness to die later from their injuries.

We have filed the most vigorous protests against this law and for a time it
appeared as though there were prospects of getting it repealed by the territorial
legislature, but the latest reports are that a great majority of people, including
Governor Riggs, have such large ideas of the destructiveness of this bird to
fish and game that the Bounty Law is in no immediate danger.

WILLIAM DUTCHER

By the death of the President of this Association, William Dutcher, on
July 1, 1920, there passed away the leading pioneer in the cause of American
bird-protection. He was responsible for the establishment of this Association,
and from the time of its incorporation, in January, 1905, until he was stricken
with paralysis, in October, 19 10, its growth and welfare were matters of ever-
abiding concern in his mind. Although helpless for ten years, and deprived
utterly of the power of speech or the ability to write, he never lost interest
in reading or hearing of what was being accomplished for the cause that lay

382 Bird -Lore

so near his heart. The memory of his name and his work will never fade as
long as men take note of the feathered guardians cf the field, or lift their heads
to listen to the wild, sweet music in the trees.

AUDUBON WARDEN WORK

This Association's system of employing special guards to protect important
breeding-places of water-birds cannot for one moment be relaxed. This is one
expense that has to be met every summer, no matter how limited the funds
may be or how strong the calls come for expenditures in other directions. Sad
experience has shown that, especially in the case of the nesting Egrets, a colony
left unguarded means a colony in which the birds are sure to be shot.

During the past year we employed thirty-seven wardens. Each man had
charge of from one to three, or in some cases more, breeding colonies. The
distribution of the wardens was as follows: New York, 1; Massachusetts, 1;
Virginia, 1 ; Georgia, 1 ; North Carolina, 1 ; Mississippi, 1 ; South Carolina, 2 ;
Michigan, 2; Louisiana, 3; Florida, n; and Maine, 13.

The nesting season of 1920 was a fairly good one in the guarded colonies.
The loss of life from natural causes, such as high tides and storms, was not
greater than on an average normal year, and no raids of consequence were
carried out by feather hunters.

During the spring the United States Biological Survey detailed special
agents to operate in Florida in order to break up, as far as possible, the illegal
traffic in aigrettes. Your Secretary had supplied the Chief of the Biological
Survey with a long list of names of people who had been reported to be engaged
either in the killing of birds or shipping of plumes in that state. We were
informed that this list would be made a basis for the operations of the Govern-
ment's agents. To assist in carrying on this work the National Association
appropriated $1,600 for the Survey's uses. A large amount of patrolling was
done by these wardens in South Florida with much beneficial attending publicity.
Also some violators of the law were apprehended and fined; notably a man
named Mackenson of Kissimmee. For twelve years the National Association
had been receiving reports that this man was supposed to be engaged in the
business of buying and shipping aigrettes, but it was only the past year, and
by the Government's assistance, that he was finally brought to the bar of
justice.

We have no Audubon wardens located in New York City, although we
could use one or more to most excellent advantage. Members of the Association
and others often report violations of the bird and game laws by letter or tele-
phone. These reports we at once place in the hands of the state game warden
department of the state from which the complaints were received, and many
prosecutions have resulted.

Report of the Secretary 383

FIELD AGENTS

The Field Agents heretofore employed of recent years have been continued.
Through lectures, published articles, correspondence, and personal work, this
body of men and women are annually performing services of great value to
the cause of wild-life protection.

E. H. Forbush, Field Agent for New England, is one of the busiest men in
Massachusetts, and his monthly communications on bird-migration and bird-
protection are matters of household discussion in that state. His public lectures
have continued with great frequency the past year.

Among the Field Agents' reports that will be heard today, the one from
Winthrop Packard will show how diversified a man's work may be when
engaged in Audubon Society undertakings. His office and field duties are
numerous and have been splendidly discharged.

William L. Finley, of Portland, Ore., lecturer and agent for the Pacific
Coast States, has been leading the fight made by the Oregon Audubon Society
and the National Association to secure the passage by referendum of a bill
which it is hoped will insure the perpetuity of Malheur Lake as a United States
Bird Reservation. Mr. Finley made a most successful lecture trip through the
eastern states the past winter, and during the summer he and Mrs. Finley have
been engaged in making additional moving pictures. They were with your
Secretary for a time on the coast of Texas in May, from which point they left
to continue their field-work in the Yellowstone Park.

Mrs. Mary S. Sage, who returned to the field staff of the Association in
October, 1919, has been engaged most of the year in lecture and organization
work on Long Island, where her efforts are made possible by the cooperative
arrangement existing between the Long Island Bird Club and the National
Association.

Herbert K. Job, in charge of the Department of Applied Ornithology, has
conducted another successful session of his Summer School of Bird Study at
Amston, Conn. Hundreds of visitors continue to flock to the Association's
Experimental Farm at this point. Wild-fowl, Ring-necked Pheasants, and other
birds being propagated there have had a successful season. The game-birds
are in direct charge of Keeper Calvin McPhail and under the general direction
of Mr. Job.

Arthur H. Norton, of Portland, Maine, reports much correspondence
and other work occasioned by the rapidly growing interest in bird-protection
in Maine. As a guest of the State Game Commission, he was able to make
an informing and very valuable trip of inspection to many of our guarded
bird colonies along the coast of his state.

Miss Frances A. Hurd has spent the greater part of her time this year in
Connecticut where she has been engaged chiefly in lecturing in schools, organiz-
ing Junior Audubon Classes, and conducting other educational activities.

384 Bird - Lore -

The Association helped employ three summer school instructors in bird-
study this past season.

Mr. A. C. Webb, of Nashville, President of the Tennessee Ornithological
Society, was employed to give a course in bird-study at the Peabody Normal
College located at Nashville.

Miss Alice L. Prichard, Supervisor of Primary Teachers of Savannah, gave
a three-weeks' course in bird-study at the University of Georgia, having an
enrollment of thirty-six students.

A similar course was offered at the University of Colorado by Miss Edna
L. Johnson of the University. This included field-work and laboratory lectures.
Her class numbered fourteen students.

JUNIOR AUDUBON SOCIETIES

All previous records in the organization of Junior Audubon Classes were
broken the past year. Early in the season teachers began to send in the
children's fees in larger numbers than usual. Before the spring had far advanced
the 200,000 sets of literature, bird pictures, and Audubon buttons prepared
for the year's work became exhausted. Reports from newly organized Junior
Clubs continued to pour in by the dozen, by the score, and even by the hundred.
Eighty thousand sets of leaflets and pictures left over from previous years were
brought out of storage and were readily accepted by pupils and teachers in
lieu of this year's material. By the middle of May all possible sources of supplies
had been exhausted and regretfully we began returning to the disappointed
children their 10-cent fees. They had been invited to join the Audubon Society
and when they tried to do so the Audubon Society was unable to accept them.
For some weeks following, one thousand children a day, on an average, were
turned away. Your Secretary had seen this condition approaching and had
earnestly sought to secure funds with which to print more leaflets but with
small success. In this connection it should be borne in mind that it has always
cost the Association about 20 cents to supply the necessary material to even-
Junior Member and that the child who seeks membership pays only 10 cents.
Our ever-generous and unknown Benefactor again gave $20,000 to this cause
the past year. With a total of $27,500 we were able to collect for the Junior
work, we enrolled and provided supplies to 280,963 children in the United
States and Canada. I regret to state that collections for the coming school
year have not thus far been as good as last, and the prospects are now that
little more than two-thirds as many children can be supplied this year as last.
To those who may see this report and who seeing care for children and the
birds, let me remind them that for every gift of Sioo for this work about 1,000
children will be able to join the Audubon Society, wear its button, study its
lessons, and learn many worth-while facts concerning the wild-bird life about
them.

Report of the Secretary 385

The following is a summary of the distribution of the Junior Audubon
Classes formed in the various states during the school year ending June 1, 1920.

The number of members enrolled in the classes in the various states is also given.

State Classes Members

Alabama 14 4X7

Alaska 1 82

Arizona 10 254

Arkansas 22 868

California 195 7.lft7

Colorado 116 4,680

Connecticut 514 16,254

Delaware 152 4,693

District of Columbia 7 278

Florida 15 702

Georgia 33 1,260

Idaho 31 1,107

Illinois 375 12,960

Indiana 209 6,716

Iowa 229 8,460

Kansas 68 2,099

Kentucky 42 1,503

Louisiana 12 363

Maine 49 1,502

Maryland 79 2,462

Massachusetts 822 25,240

Michigan 201 7^49

Minnesota 356 11,020

Mississippi 17 510

Missouri 82 3,322

Montana 41 i,370

Nebraska 113 3,65z

Nevada 3 I27

New Hampshire 72 2,089

New Jersey 440 i5,492

New Mexico 5 368

New York 1,070 37, 817

North Carolina 28 960

North Dakota 32 I,°34

Ohio 825 24,120

Oklahoma 31 1,018

Oregon 91 3>8i5

Pennsylvania 675 25,037

Rhode Island 20 666

South Carolina 57 i,5x4

South Dakota 36 1,140

Tennessee 21 774

Texas 43 J ,405

Utah 20 608

Vermont 29 1,124

Virginia 48 1,665

Washington 154 5.883

386 Bird - Lore

State Classes Members

West Virginia 67 2,019

Wisconsin 251 7,069

Wyoming 14 421

Canada 560 17,893

China 1 20

Totals 8,398 280,963

AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

State and local Audubon Societies, bird clubs and natural history societies
of various kinds, to the number of 129, are at the present time formally affiliated
by membership with the National Association of Audubon Societies. Many of
the organizations have made reports of their activities the past year and these
will be published in connection with this report. In many cases the relationship
between the National Association and the state and local workers has proved
to be of the greatest mutual interest and profit. During the past year we have
on a number of occasions been able to assist the efforts of various affiliated
societies, and, on the other hand, some of them have been of great help to the
Association's projects. Especially has this been true in reference to the National
Association's plan of forming Junior Audubon Classes.

The Massachusetts Audubon Society, for example, appropriated $500
toward paying for the services of extra workers in the schools of Massachusetts.
The Long Island Bird Club, under the leadership of Mrs. Edward Townsend,
contributed $2,150 to enable the Association to employ Mrs. Mary S. Sage to
give her entire time to lecturing in schools, organizing Junior Audubon Classes,
and doing similar work on Long Island. The Hamilton (Ontario) Audubon
Society went to work in the schools of Hamilton and organized 9,469 children
into Junior Audubon Societies, collected their fees and forwarded the same to
the New York office in exchange for literature and buttons. The New Jersey
Audubon Society asked the privilege of assisting in Junior organization work
in that state, and more than one-fifth of the Junior members enrolled in New
Jersey came in as result of the activities of the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Following is a list of the organizations affiliated at the present time with
the National Association:

STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

California Audubon Society
Colorado Audubon Society
Connecticut Audubon Society
District of Columbia Audubon Sonet \
East Tennessee Audubon Society
Florida Audubon Society

Report of the Secretary 387

Illinois Audubon Society
Maryland Audubon Society
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Missouri Audubon Society
New Hampshire Audubon Society
New Jersey Audubon Society
North Carolina Audubon Society
North Dakota Audubon Society
Ohio Audubon Society
Oregon Audubon Society
Pennsylvania Audubon Society
Rhode Island Audubon Society
Utah Audubon Society
West Tennessee Audubon Society
West Virginia Audubon Society

CLUBS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Audubon Association of the Pacific (Calif.)

Audubon Society of Irvington (N. Y.)

Bedford (N. Y.) Audubon Society

Bird Conservation Club (Maine)

Blair County (Pa.) Game, Fish and Forestry Association

British Columbia (Canada) Natural History Society

Brookline (Mass.) Bird Club

Brooklyn (N. Y.) Bird Lovers' Club

Buffalo (N. Y.) Audubon Society

Burrough Junior Audubon Society (Kingston, N. Y.)

Burroughs- Audubon Nature Study Club (Rochester, N. Y.)

Canandaigua (N. Y.) Bird Club

Carrollton (Ky.) Woman's Club

Cayuga (N. Y.) Bird Club

Chautauqua (N. Y.) Bird and Tree Club

Civic League (Mich.)

Cleveland (Ohio) Bird Lover's Association

Colorado Museum of Natural History

Cocoanut Grove (Fla.) Audubon Society

Community Bird Club (N. H.)

Crawfordsville (Ind.) Audubon and Nature Study Club

Cumberland County (Maine) Audubon Society

Danville (Illinois) Bird Club

Delta Duck Club (La.)

Detroit (Mich.) Audubon Society

388 Bird -Lore

Detroit (Mich.) Bird Protecting Club

Detroit (Mich.) Zoological Society

Doylestown (Pa.) Nature Club

DuBois (Pa.) Bird Club

Elgin (Ills.) Audubon Society

Elkader (Iowa) Audubon Society

Englewood (N. J.) Bird Club

Erasmus Hall Audubon Bird Club

Glenville, (W. Va.) Normal Bird Club

Greystone Park (N. J.) Bird Club

Groton (Mass.) Bird Club

Hamilton (Ont.) Bird Protection Society

Hardy Garden Club of Ruxton (Md.)

Hartford (Conn.) Bird Study Club

Iowa City (Iowa) Audubon Society

Irwin (Pa.) Audubon Society

Jackson (Mich.) Audubon Society

Kez-hi-kone Camp Fire Girls (Conn.)

Little Lake Club (La.)

Los Angeles (Calif.) Audubon Society

Manchester (Mass.) Woman's Club

Manitowoc County (Wis.) Fish and Game Protective Association

Meriden (Conn.) Bird Club

Meriden (N. H.) Bird Club

Miami (Fla.) Audubon Society

Millbrook (N. Y.) Garden Club

Minneapolis (Minn.) Audubon Society

Miss Hattie Audubon Society (Ky.)

Missoula (Mont.) Bird Club

Neighborhood Nature Club (Conn.)

Newark (N. J.) Bait and Fly-Casting Club

New Bedford (Mass.) Woman's Club

Newburyport (Mass.) Bird Club

New Century Club of Utica (N. Y.)

New Philadelphia (Ohio) Bird Club

New York Bird and Tree Club

Norristown (Pa.) Audubon Club

North East (Pa.) Nature Study Club

Oil City (Pa.) Audubon Club

Pasadena (Calif.) Audubon Society

Philergians (The)

Pilgrim Woman's Club (Mass.)

Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds

Report of the Secretary 389

Racine (Wis.) Bird Club

Read, Mark and Learn Club (R. I.)

Resolute Circle of the King's Daughters (Conn.)

Rhinebeck (N. Y.) Bird Club

Rockaway (N. Y.) Branch of National Audubon Society

Rumson (N. J.) Bird Club

Sagebrush and Pine Club (Wash.)

St. Louis (Mo.) Bird Club

St. Petersburg (Fla.) Audubon Society

Saratoga (N. Y.) Bird Club

Scituate (Mass.) Woman's Club

Scranton (Pa.) Bird Club

Seattle (Wash.) Audubon Society

Sewickley (Pa.) Audubon Society

Skaneateles (N. Y.) Audubon Society

Smithland (Iowa) Audubon Society

Societe Provencher d'Histoire Naturelle du Canada

South Bend (Ind.) Humane Society

South Haven (Mich.) Bird Club

Stanton Bird Club (Maine)

Staten Island (N. Y.) Bird Club

Sussex County (N. J.) Nature Study Club

Telegraph Boys Bird-House Club (Pa.)

Tuesday Sorosis Club (Mass.)

Ulster Garden Club (N. Y.)

Ulster (Pa.) Nature Club

Vassar Wake-Robin Club (N. Y.)

Vermont Bird Club

Vigo County (Ind.) Bird Club

Wadleigh General Organization (N. Y.)

Wallace (Idaho) Bird and Nature-Study Club

Washington (Ind.) Audubon Society

Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs

Waterbury (Conn.) Bird Club

Watertown (N. Y.) Bird Club

Wellesley (Mass.) College Bird Club

West Chester (Pa.) Bird Club

Williamstown (Mass.) Bird Club

Wisconsin Game Protective Association

Woman's Club (Seymour, Conn.)

Wyncote (Pa.) Bird Club

Wyoming Valley (Pa.) Audubon Society

3<po Bird - Lore

MISCELLANEOUS DATA

Of new literature the most important issued during the year was Bulletin
No. 4, 'Bird Study In Elementary Schools,' by Dr. Robert G. Leavitt. This
is a publication of 44 pages besides cover, and illustrated with 13 half-tones
from photographs. Educational Leaflets as follows were printed: No. 101,
Ground Dove; No. 102, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; and No. 103, Bronzed and
Purple Grackle. In Bird-Lore our Department has occupied 169 pages.
Reprints of Educational Leaflets to the number of 2,962,000 have been pub-
lished. Other circulars, blanks, and campaign literature amounted to 257,500
pieces, in addition to 225,000 letterheads and envelopes. For our Supply
Department many stereopticon slides were made and 639 were sold at Si each
which we have tried to believe covered the cost of manufacture and handling.
Additional moving pictures have been taken and our series of films have been
sent out on numerous occasions. Many bird-books, charts, and field-glasses
have been sold to interested members and friends.

FINANCES

During the year we had the pleasure of enrolling 212 Life Members at
$100 each. Money received from this source augmented by a bequest of $952.50
from Charles H. Davis of Saginaw, Mich., together with a few gifts, totaled
a sum of $22,404.15 which was added to the general Endowment Fund. The
Sustaining Membership (fee $5 annually) has this year numbered 4,380. The
total income for the year amounted to $153,253.25.

NOTICE TO MEMBERS

On account of the heavy increase in the cost of printing it has been decided
by the Board of Directors to omit from the annual report this year a list of
members and contributors to the Association. It is estimated that this will
mean a saving of from $1,000 to $1,500. The Board feels that if the members
and contributors realized this fact they would desire that this fund be spent
directly for the cause of bird-protection. If any of those who have financially
supported the work of the Association the past year desire to learn whether
their contributions were received and credited, the Cashier's Department
will be pleased to advise them upon receipt of request.

Reports of Field Agents 391

REPORTS OF FIELD AGENTS

REPORT OF EDWARD HOWE FORBUSH, FIELD AGENT
FOR NEW ENGLAND

The growing interest in birds and their protection is evidenced by the
increasing number of questions coming to your representative from many parts
of New England regarding the utility of birds, the means of enforcing bird laws,
the management of bird reservations, bird-day exercises, and the like.

During the year, more and more evidence has come in regarding the increase
of Gulls and Terns on the coast of New England. Evidently, protection of
these birds by the National Association on the Maine coast has resulted in
so increasing the numbers of birds there that some of them have come south-
ward seeking breeding-places along the coast of southern New England. The
number of Herring Gulls summering along the coast of the three southern New
England states is increasing. Herring Gulls bred, or attempted to breed, in at
least three localities on the Massachusetts coast this year. In two of these
cases they were successful. In the other, the islet on which they nested was
almost washed away by a high storm-tide, which probably destroyed all the
eggs or young. Arctic Terns, which as breeders had disappeared from southern
New England for some years, are returning now in considerable numbers and
breeding at several locations in Massachusetts. All the Terns have increased
in numbers. The Least Tern, which was in a very precarious situation in New
England a few years ago, has now increased so much that it is nesting, not only
on islands, but on the coast of the mainland in small colonies. The increase of
all these birds is due, not only to their protection on the Maine coast by the
National Association of Audubon Societies, but also to special protection dur-
ing the last three years by the Massachusetts authorities which has been very
effective.

Your agent wishes particularly to call attention to the effective work for
bird-protection and also the educational work inaugurated and persisted in
by the Committee on Birds of the Massachusetts State Grange, Patrons of
Husbandry. For years this Committee has been a strong working force for
the protection of birds in Massachusetts. When it was first organized the slogan
of its chairman was "Useful Birds Must Be Protected Wherever the American
Flag Floats," and the Committee has worked consistently to that end, and
has finally seen the fruition of its hopes in that direction through the treaty with
Great Britain, under which the migratory and insectivorous birds of the United
States and Canada became the wards of the two countries.

The Committee worked consistently to secure legislation in Massachusetts
prohibiting spring shooting and to maintain the law once it became established
on the statute books. It has maintained constant watch over bird legislation,
but perhaps its most useful work has been educational. All the members of

392 Bird - Lore

the Committee, particularly the present chairman, Raymond J. Gregory, of
Princeton, and the Secretary, Mrs. E. O. Marshall, of New Salem, have
delivered very many illustrated talks on birds before Granges in different parts
of the state. Messrs. Walter K. Putney, of Chelmsford, and Clayton E. Stone,
of Lunenburg, have also assisted much in this work. Every year this Com-
mittee has celebrated bird-days with exercises particularly for the children.
From time to time these exercises have taken place in different counties, until
the state has been fairly well covered.

Some of these exercises have been attended by large numbers of people,
and at some of them motion pictures of birds, obtained through the National
Association of Audubon Societies, have been shown. Taken all in all, the work
done by this Committee of the State Grange is one of the most important for
the protection of birds ever undertaken among agricultural communities.
This is a neglected field and should be more thoroughly tilled. Little has been
done outside of New England to interest the members of the Grange in the
protection of birds. We often hear it said that the farmers take no interest
in the protection of birds, but there is a great latent interest in this subject
among agriculturists which can best be developed by working through their
own organizations. There should be a Committee for the protection of birds
in the National Grange and in every State Grange in the United States. At
the present time there are in this country 800,000 members in the Patrons of
Husbandry. The National Association should cultivate this field.

REPORT OF WINTHROP PACKARD, FIELD AGENT
FOR MASSACHUSETTS

An old English proverb says "It's dogged as does it," meaning, as Boston
might translate it, "persistency pays." The work of spreading the gospel of
bird-protection throughout the New England States had been doggedly per-
sisted in by your agent in Massachusetts during the past year. Appeals to
join the cause, sent out monthly to carefully selected lists, have yielded
gratifyingly increased results, the actual cash returns for members and sub-
scriptions being practically double those of the same period (October to
October) for 1919. The same is true of the Junior Class returns, the number in
these classes in Massachusetts for the year ending in June, 1920, being 25,240,
as against [3,023 for the previous year. This is a record for Massachusetts,
placing us high in the list of states at the end of the season, and the numbers
coming in during the summer recess were such that we start the school year as
Leader of all states by a substantial majority, your agent feels that much of
the success in Junior work was due to the substantial subscription of $500 made
to the National Association by the state society and used solely for promoting
the Junior work in the state. It is very gratifying that this generosity of the
Massachusetts Audubon Society should have shown such immediate results.

Reports of Field Agents 393

The work of presenting the needs of bird-protection and the best methods
of accomplishing it has been carried on throughout the region by lectures,
exhibitions, and through the columns of the press, as usual. Returns from the
work, reckoned in dollars and in numbers, count and are easily understood.
The greatest and best returns come in the increased value put on bird-life and
the increased belief in our cause shown in all ways throughout the region.

The cordial and effective support of the New York office has, as always
hitherto, been felt in all good work and is gratefully acknowledged.

REPORT OF WILLIAM L. FINLEY, FIELD AGENT FOR
THE PACIFIC COAST STATES

The question of vital importance for the protection of wild birds on the
Pacific Coast is whether Malheur Lake Reservation can be saved. Since the
passing of Klamath Lake Reservation by the drying up of Lower Klamath
Lake, bird-lovers have been wondering whether any of our natural lakes and
surrounding marshes can be saved from the extreme commercialism of pro-
moters.

Malheur Lake Reservation was created by special proclamation of Theodore
Roosevelt on August 18, 1908. Since that time, land promoters and others in
Oregon have raised the question, claiming that at the time the executive proc-
lamation was issued, Malheur Lake belonged to the state of Oregon instead
of the United States. For several years, promoters have been attempting to
get authority through the State Land Board to drain Malheur Lake in order
to sell the lake bed and surrounding alkali lands to farmers.

An effort was made at the last session of the Oregon legislature to pass a
law ceding jurisdiction over Malheur Lake to the Government, but this failed.
To settle this matter definitely, the Oregon Audubon Society, with the assist-
ance of the National Association of Audubon Societies, have initiated a bill
by securing the signatures of nearly fifteen thousand voters which places the
measure on the ballot to be voted on by the people of the state. The bill is
entitled "The Roosevelt Bird Refuge Measure" and the election occurs Novem-
ber 2.

The land promoters have the assistance of certain large land-owners and
irrigationists in eastern Oregon who have raised the cry that this will ruin
Harney County and stop all future development. They are profiting by the
assistance of certain state officers who claim that there is enough Government-
owned land in Oregon which is not subject to tax and this would increase that
amount, and they also advance the plea that if the lake was drained, the land
could be sold and this money materially enhance the state school fund. This is,
of course, largely a fight against extreme commercialism that would destroy
everything of beauty and sentiment.

Balanced against this is the plea of the lovers of the out-of-doors. With the

394

Bird - Lore

rapid settlement of our country and the drainage of marshes and lakes, vast
nesting-places of wild flocks were destroyed and wild birds are disappearing.
The wild birds belong to the people as a whole. They are an economic necessity
to the nation as insect destroyers. They are protected by state and Federal
laws, and also through our treaty with Canada. But birds cannot live without
homes. Malheur Lake is without question the greatest wild-fowl nursery in
the United States. It would be the greatest living memorial to the memory of
Theodore Roosevelt. It would be better than a hundred marble shafts. It
would be worth more to Oregon as a place unique in the natural history of
North America. The draining of Malheur Lake will mean the practical exter-
mination of certain species of birds in Oregon, such as the American Egret
and the White-faced Glossy Ibis. Such a scheme, which would mean the blot-
ting out of countless thousands of Oregon birds by the destruction of their
feeding- and breeding-grounds, under the guise of adding to the state school
fund, would be a criminal plot that the children of Oregon would never forget.
It would be selling their birthright for a mess of pottage.

During February, March, and April, as your representative, I delivered
a series of lectures through the eastern states, beginning at Denver, then going
to Kansas City, St. Louis, Buffalo and other cities. These lectures were given
for the University of Illinois, Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, National
Geographic Society, American Museum of Natural History, American Institute
of New York City, Columbia University, University of Minnesota, and other
colleges, as well as various Audubon Societies, sportsmen's organizations and
clubs.

During the latter part of May and June, Mrs. Finley and I accompanied
Mr. Pearson during a portion of his trip along the coast of Texas and secured
a good series of motion pictures of the colonies in that region.

During July and August we made an extended trip through Yellowstone
Park for the purpose of photographing and studying big game animals on the
summer range. We visited the bird colonies on the islands in Yellowstone Lake
and then went on south. With a pack outfit, we followed the upper Yellow-
stone to the south border and into Wyoming where we spent several days
getting pictures of moose in the wide willow meadows of that region. We then
trailed west along the park border over the Rocky Mountain Divide, across
Big Game Ridge, where we saw the great numbers of elk that spend the winter
in the Jackson Hole country. We followed down the headwaters of the Snake
River to the south boundary ranger's station.

Returning from the Yellowstone, we spent three weeks exploring and taking
motion pictures in the Hozomeen Mountains along the border of northern
Washington and British Columbia. We had tried for several years to get pic-
tures of mountain goats. This was the main object of our expedition. As usual,
we failed because of their wildness and the rugged country where they lived.
Some of the birds of the region, especially the Franklin's Grouse, or Fool Hen,

Reports of Field Agents 395

and the Sooty or Blue Grouse were very much unafraid of man and it was no
trick to get close enough for good pictures.

Our last field trip of the summer was along the Oregon coast at Netarts
Bay, near Three Arch Rocks Reservation, where we made a study of some of
the migrating shore-birds and took motion pictures of them. As a total for
the summer's work, we have exposed nearly twenty thousand feet of motion
picture negative, which, with a large amount of negative taken previously,
will be used for educational work, not only in this country, but in all parts of
the world, under the auspices of the National Association of Audubon Societies.

REPORT OF EUGENE SWOPE, FIELD AGENT FOR OHIO

No progressive or retrogressive legislation affecting wild life in Ohio was
enacted the past year, but newspaper rumor says that the State Game Com-
mission intends attempting this winter to restore the Quail (Colinus virginianus)
to the hunter. The Commission claims that since the Quail is a protected bird
in Ohio, it (the Commission) cannot legally use funds for feeding these birds
in the winter, and because it does not feed the birds the species is starving out.

Farmers, the closest neighbor to the Quail, claim the bird's numbers have
greatly increased since there are no open seasons. Also that the farmers are
the ones who really, truly look after the birds in the winter. This one thing your
agent knows for a certainty: There is an ever-increasing number of farmers
who take pride in their Quails, and who are becoming more and more alert
and solicitous in their protection.

The result of the year's Junior work has been published in Bird-Lore
and speaks for itself. It was a year of much concern as to what the outcome
would be. It seemed that Massachusetts was going to be a hard one to beat.
There is a constantly growing interest in bird-study in Ohio and an increasing
public confidence in the Association as a dependable power on the side of bird-
conservation. Your agent, as usual, lectured throughout the state and con-
ducted much correspondence.

REPORT OF HERBERT K. JOB, DEPARTMENT OF
APPLIED ORNITHOLOGY

The work of the sixth year of this Department has consisted increasingly
in instruction through correspondence from all over the United States and
Canada with interested people desiring help in their local problems of attract-
ing or propagating wild birds. The bulletins of the Association on game-bird
propagation prove continually useful, and are in constant demand. Public
lectures of late have been more called for than for several years past, and have
been given quite widely in eastern and middle districts. These were usually
made an opportunity for personal conferences with people in the vicinity

396 Bird - Lore

interested in practical work with birds. Especial interest was developed in
Maine, and tours were made, taking in a number of the principal cities, such
as Augusta, Lewiston, Farmington, and Machias. Each year the Department
has furnished a lecture in the course on game-breeding at Cornell University —
this vear on the breeding of the Ruffed Grouse. Another lecture was at the
New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. The work at
Amston, Conn., has been continued. The Summer School was successful, with
a good company of students, mostly educators, including a captain in the Red
Cross organization who desired to impart the course to tuberculosis patients
and convalescents. Another student was a city minister who desired to pass
on the knowledge to the Boy Scouts. One pupil, a business woman, active in
Audubon work, said on leaving that it had been the happiest vacation experi-
ence of her life.

The research work proved interesting and instructive. The small birds
nested abundantly, using many nesting-boxes. Ruffed Grouse made consider-
able increase, and young Pheasants, liberated last season, wintered and
remained to breed all over the estate. About one thousand Pheasants were
raised. This number would have been doubled but for an invasion of armies
of the rose chafer, comparable to "the plagues of Egypt." These bugs are
poisonous to all young birds, including domestic poultry. A few broods of
Quail were raised, but the eggs were unusually few and infertile, perhaps owing
to exhaustion from the preceding severe winter. The results with wild Ducks
were especially interesting. Wood Ducks laid early and abundantly, begin-
ning April 1, averaging over twenty eggs per pair, from which we raised a fine
breeding-stock. A flock of Black Ducks was raised the third generation from
the wild, which seem to have lost all the supposedly irradkable wildness of
the species. Young Pintails and Redheads were raised from eggs laid in the
enclosure. Black Ducks and a Redhead laid in elevated Wood Duck boxes, and
both in the same nest, by way of novelty. A wild pair of Wood I Hicks brought
off a brood from one of our artificial boxes placed in a tree on the island in
our lake. Much new detailed material of practical value has been gathered,
which should be published as a new bulletin when financial conditions improve.

A series of new motion pictures of bird-life has been begun under auspices of
the Chester-Outing pictures, in cooperation with this Association, which should
help to further popularize interest in birds, give us publicity in new channels,
and also bring in added funds. The first release is a story of a famous rookery
of Night Herons in old New England.

REPORT OF MRS. MARY S. SAGE, SCHOOL AGENT
FOR LONG ISLAND

During the year 1 have given 213 talks and Lectures on Long Island, X. \ ..
reaching in all over 1 2,500 children. Many of the schools are not equipped with

Reports of Field Agents 397

a stereopticon and in these I use the Educational Leaflets for illustrations.
The past winter was so severe I was not able to visit as many schools as planned,
for little folks in the country do not get to the schools in stormy weather.

Many schools are so hidden away from the main thoroughfares I have to
hunt for them, but it pays, as I am frequently the only visitor they have ever
had and the enthusiasm is greater than in many places where there are outside
interests. Some schools have only a few pupils, as low as 15, many times
only 25 or 30 are found. I have to travel many miles to reach as many as I
would in one city school. However, I am able to do that as the Long Island
Bird Club furnished me a car which I have used since weather permitted, and
am able to visit several places in one day, instead of one, thus saving time and
energy, too. I had my first headquarters at Oyster Bay and visited schools
within a radius of thirty miles.

During the winter I was in Hempstead and could not get so far afield on
account of the storms. Later I located in Riverhead and was busy there until
the schools closed in June. I returned to Oyster Bay at the request of one of
the members who asked me to speak to some of the little folks there during
the summer. This I did, as well as speaking in the Parish House. I have been as
far as Orient on the north shore of Long Island and East Hampton on the south
shore. I am planning to take the territory around Patchogue, where I was not
able to go last winter.

I have spoken in Oyster Bay, Huntington, Manhasset, Roslyn, Riverhead,
Greenport, Massapequa, Seaford, Malverne, Valley Stream, Westbury, Long
Beach, Hicksville, Locust Valley, Southold, Northport, Mineola, Oceanside,
and many small towns and hamlets not to be found on any railroad. I some-
times have to drive thirty to forty miles to find a tiny school hidden away
on some side road. It is not hard to get into the schools, but is it hard to get
away.

REPORT OF FRANCES A. HURD, SCHOOL SECRETARY
FOR CONNECTICUT

Connecticut schools began early last fall to take advantage of the oppor-
tunity the National Association offers to Junior Audubon Classes, and both
superintendents and teachers seconded the efforts of your agent throughout
the state. The year's record greatly exceeds that of former years, 514 Junior
Audubon Classes, having been organized with a membership of 16,254. The
requests for public addresses have been frequent. Over 300 illustrated talks
to about 35,000 pupils were given during the year. Letters from teachers and
pupils show that a keener interest than ever is being taken in bird-study, more
field-work is being done, and more accurate observations are made. One teacher
wrote, "It is most gratifying to notice the increased interest and love for birds
among children" and this from a locality where the work was greatly needed.

398 Bird - Lore

Another, "My children were so grateful to you for your talk of last week. They
can hardly wait for you to send the leaflets and pins."

After a lecture in one of the city schools a delegation of five boys came up
and after shaking hands and thanking me invited me to come to their rooms to
see an exhibition of bird pictures they had drawn. They also showed, with great
pride, three Audubon Bird Charts on the wall which they told me had been
purchased with the dues they paid in their Current Topic Club. Later one of
these boys said, "I have found out that the Audubon charts have helped our
room wonderfully well, and you deserve credit and thanks for your fine lecture."
In August the following appeal came from a sixth grade boy. "I have moved
so I won't be in connection with the rest of my Audubon class. I will be all
alone and won't know what to do. If you can give me a plan how to be in
connection with them I shall be thankful."

Opportunities were given me to present our work at some of the teachers'
conventions, parent-teacher associations, and normal school classes. An appeal
to the foreigner to protect the birds, prepared by me in the form of a bulletin,
was used by the State Board of Education in the evening schools of the state.
While in Pennsylvania this summer it was gratifying to learn that a bit of
work I did there last summer had resulted in the formation of several new
Audubon Classes. During my stay I was asked to assist the Buck Hill Nature
Club with an exhibit they had been invited to make at Franklin, Pa. Marked
interest was displayed in our booth by adults and children and many were
eager to join the Junior Audubon Society.

REPORT OF ARTHUR H. NORTON, FIELD AGENT
FOR MAINE

The routine of furnishing information concerning the feeding, methods of
attracting, and identification of birds has been taken care of as usual. Frequent
talks on various subjects and various phases of these subjects have been made
at different points in the state. Through correspondence, personal interviews,
telephone messages, and otherwise, your agent has cooperated with officers
and members of various clubs, as well as many individual workers. Through
a peculiar combination of conditions a large natural feeding-ground for wild
Ducks exists within the city limits of Portland. As the birds here are, of course,
protected, it has become the winter home of several thousand Black Ducks.
During the past .winter the weather became very severe. Thick ice covered
the waters of Casco Bay for many miles, shutting off entirely the food for Black
Ducks from late January to February 10. About 3,000 Ducks assembled in
their Portland sanctuary. Profiting by past experience, we effected an organiza-
tion to handle the situation. Funds were provided and your local warden.
George E. Cushman, assumed the duties of feeder of the Ducks over a period
of three weeks. The iloek was thus saved from starvation.

Reports of Field Agents 399

During the summer your agent made one of his periodic trips of inspection
of many of the bird colonies on the coast of Maine that have for many years
enjoyed the special protection afforded by the wardens of the National Associa-
tion of Audubon Societies. Hon. Willis E. Parsons, Commissioner of Inland
Fisheries and Game in the state of Maine, kindly cooperated in this under-
taking by detailing Warden H. L. Spinney, of Bath, to take me in one of the
state boats to such places as I desired to go. In the report which is now on file
in the home office of the National Association I gave details of the very great
increase in the breeding colonies of Herring Gulls and the healthy condition of
the colonies of Terns and Black Guillemots. I was sorry to find that the
destruction of Leach's Petrels by dogs and cats on their rookery islands con-
tinues to an alarming extent. Young Eider Ducks were seen, but I regret to
say that it appears that after nearly twenty years of protection by the National
Association these birds have not held their own on the coast of Maine.

400 Bird - Lore

REPORTS OF AFFILIATED STATE SOCIETIES
AND BIRD CLUBS

REPORTS OF STATE SOCIETIES

Arizona. — Owing to illness in the family of the President of our Society,
no public meetings were held last year. Our regular annual meeting was in
April, at which time officers for the ensuing year were elected. Our Society
took up a new line of work last year, namely, that of interesting school children
in birds and bird-life. The school laws of Arizona have set aside April 9 to be
known as "Bird Day" in the state. The Secretary of the Arizona Audubon
Society gave five talks on birds in one primary school building, speaking to
about 400 school children. In another building several talks were given to more
than 300 school children, while in a grammar school two talks were given to
about 120 young people. The children showed unusual interest in the subject.
A number of teachers of our schools have become interested and have joined
the state Society. It is hoped this will result in the near future in the organiza-
tion in our schools of Junior Audubon Societies. — (Mrs.) Harriet B. Thorx-
ber, Secretary.

California. — On June 12, 1920, the California Audubon Society held its
fourteenth annual meeting in Los Angeles. The year's work has been most
gratifying. It shows general interest in bird-protection is on the increase and
that activities given up during the war are again in full force. The usual number
of Educational Leaflets have been distributed, in some cases whole counties
being covered. Lecture-work has been carried on quite extensively, one set of
slides being used in the southern part of the state by Mrs. George W. Turner,
the other by Mrs. F. T. Bicknell. Other members of the Los Angeles Society
have also been active with lecture-work. In the north, one of our directors,
Dr. F. W. d'Evelyn, as President of the Audubon Association of the Pacific,
is carrying forward the work there. In Sacramento, our Director C. M. Goethe,
as President and organizer of the Nature-Study League, helped in getting the
Nature Guide work carried on by the State Fish and Game Commission and
the Federal Government at Tahoe last year, and Yosemite National Park,
this year. Mr. Goethe also furnished Nature-Study Libraries.

In San Diego a new Audubon Society was organized, with Carroll DeWilton
Scott, President. We wrote letters of protest to Washington against the drain-
ing of Lower Klamath Lake and the despoliation of Yellowstone Park. We
took favorable action regarding the proposed Nelson Game Sanctuary bill,
and asked for a Forestry Experimental Station in California to cooperate with
the State University. The feature of monthly luncheons in Los Angeles was
revived. On February 1 1 we had as our guest and speaker, John Burroughs.
There were 135 present and others were turned away. The past winter many

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 401

rare bird visitants came freely into the village and visited our dooryards.
May we not take some credit for this increase and familiarity of the birds? —
(Mrs.) Harriet W. Myers, Secretary.

Connecticut. — The past year has been, for the Audubon Society of Con-
necticut, a memorable one. Six well-attended meetings of the Executive Com-
mittee have been held. Bird Charts have been loaned to 244 schools, libraries
to 62 schools — the total circulation reported was 1,648. Twenty-five portfolios
of bird pictures and many collections of postcards were loaned. Audubon
lectures were used 54 times. The attendance reported was 4,389, and 21 lectures
failed to report attendance. Acknowledgments have been received from towns
and villages in all parts of the state, thus showing the widespread influence of
the Audubon Society.

We have reconstructed many of our traveling libraries during the past
year and have sent out a new lecture entitled "Birds and Trees." Another
called "Berries for Birds'1 will soon be in readiness. These lectures are illus-
trated by colored slides and are most attractive and instructive. This work is
with the children and young people. There is a growing interest among adults,
also, as proved by our increased membership.

The warden reports an undiminished interest and attendance at the
Museum that is very gratifying. A growing interest of the sportsmen in the
study of the shore-birds in our Museum is noticeable. The warden also reports
that there have been over 6,000 visitors at the Sanctuary during 1920, among
them 29 classes of school children who also visited the Museum, as did 75
members of the Game Protective Association. Nine Wood Ducks visited the
pond in our Sanctuary for a month this season. Black Ducks also have been
frequent visitors. Careful records are being kept of the bird-life in the Sanctuary.
A hundred and thirteen nests were found this season and 131 species of birds
identified.

During the past year the Audubon Society of Connecticut has received a
wonderful gift from the kind and generous friend who gave to it Birdcraft
Sanctuary and Museum. This gift is a large sum of money as an endowment
fund for the benefit of Birdcraft Sanctuary. — (Miss) Charlotte A. Lacey,
Secretary.

Florida. — Conditions in Florida have changed little since our last report.
No legislative session has been held and thus nothing could be done to have the
bird and game laws made more effective. With two or three notable exceptions,
the county wardens have remained mere figureheads. The Federal wardens,
however, have been active, especially in the pursuit of dealers in plumage, and
have obtained the conviction of several important old offenders. Other impor-
tant convictions were obtained by the Federal wardens, chiefly for illegal
Dove-shooting, a species of murderous "sport" long indulged in by both residents

402 Bird - Lore

and tourists. Strong efforts will be made for a general revision and improve-
ment of the game laws at the legislative session next spring, and the Society
is working harmoniously with the better class of sportsmen of the state for
the purpose. The Wild Life League, recently organized in Lee County, is
making an effort to unite the conservative sportsmen of the state to stop the
senseless murder of wild life that has been. practically unchecked during the
past six years, owing to inadequate means of enforcing the game laws. The
Society has been fortunate in recently obtaining several municipal bird sanc-
tuaries, which now number eight in the state. Also, through the efforts of the
Society, the protection of nesting water-birds on the keys at Pass-a-grille has
been made effective. Reports from the nesting-grounds of Herons and other
water-birds in Lee County are very encouraging, and bird-life in the vicinity of
Fort Meyers seems to have greatly increased during the year. The Society
has begun an active campaign in the public schools which will be continued
during the fall and winter by our new Field Secretary, Mrs. Byrd Spilman
Dewey. — W. Scott Way, Secretary.

Illinois. — The activities of the Illinois Audubon Society for the year
1920 have been of a very modest character, but have been quite encouraging
in that there have been new ideas brought into our plans that we hope will
greatly enlarge the influence of the Society and bring it into closer touch with
the entire state of Illinois, as well as the adjoining states of Indiana, Iowa,
and Michigan.

March 20 and 27, well-attended lectures were given by Harry C. Oberholser
and William L. Finley. The lectures have become a very welcome feature of
each year's work, and the plans for 192 1 for an open meeting of the member-
ship to be given in early March, followed by three paid lectures, will be an-
nounced early in the year.

A zonal map of Illinois, dividing it into north, central and southern
divisions, and having attached a list of birds to be found nesting in each division
will soon be ready for distribution. The map is being prepared under the super-
vision of a well-known ornithologist and will be a valuable addition to the data
for the state.

A definite plan is under way to have representatives of local bird organiza-
tions meet in some convenient city centrally located for a discussion of bird-
conservation and education, such group meetings to be held in different sections
of t lie state, the object being to have local secretaries appointed who shall report
the activities of the different clubs to the state organization.

Miss Catherine A. Mitchell has been elected Secretary, taking the position
vacated by the removal of Roy M. Langdon to the Pacific Coast. — Orpheus
M. SCHANTZ, President.

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 403

District of Columbia. — Our chief cause for encouragement the past year
has been the work among the children. In the schools they made over 1,000
nesting-boxes, and our Society gave 35 copies of Reed's "Bird Book" to the
makers of the best ones. More children attended our spring bird-study classes
than ever before. These classes have been in charge of Mrs. Florence Merriam
Bailey, with such fine instructors as Dr. T. S. Palmer, Prof. Oberholser, Dr. Bell,
Miss M. T. Cook, Mr. Leo D. Miner, and others connected with the Biological
Survey, as well as other members of the Society. These classes were followed
by our usual six outings with a total attendance of 117 persons, who reported
133 varieties of birds.

At our annual meeting Dr. Paul Bartsch gave us a beautifully illustrated
lecture on "Some of the Birds of the District and of the Florida Keys." January
28, hundreds of children listened with rapt attention to Charles Hutchins, of
California. His lecture was repeated the next day at two other schools, one of
which was for colored children. On March 20 we had a splendid audience to
hear with pleasure and appreciation, as we always do, William L. Finley. We
have cooperated with the National Association in some of its Federal legisla-
tion.— Helen P. Childs, Secretary.

East Tennessee. — We had twenty-three accessions to our Society this year,
due to our talking before literary societies and at our booth at the East Tennes-
see Division Fair. Mrs. Walter Barton devotes most of her time to securing reser-
vation for birds. In the last two years she has secured 21,415 acres. Of these
7,950 are posted and we have requests quite often for posters. Dr. McDonald
and Mrs. Barton attended the Farmers' Convention held at the University Farm
where they aroused much interest among the farmers. We never fail to cast
our influence on 'the side for bird-protection, and we send out such literature
as we have on hand in answer to many requests. — (Miss) Magnolia Wood-
ward, Secretary.

Maryland. — After several years of inactivity, due to the demands of war
work, two of the local Audubon Societies united on January 27, 1920, to form
the Maryland Audubon Society, with Mrs. Baker Hull as President; Jesse L.
Slingluff, Vice-President; Miss Margaretta Poe, Secretary; Miss Mina D.
Starr, Assistant Secretary; Percy T. Blogg, Treasurer, and Mrs. Edward H.
Bouton and Talbott Denmead, Chief Deputy of Conservation Commission,
on the Executive Committee. In consultation with and aided in every way by
T. Gilbert Pearson, executive head of the National Association of Audubon
Societies, the organization was planned on as broad an educational basis as
possible. To this end the Board of Governors included Dr. Jos. S. Ames,
Johns Hopkins University; F. W. Besley, State Forester; J. Cookman Boyd,
President of the Park Board; Robert Garrett, financier, Mrs. J. H. Latane,
of Girl Scouts; Dr. Francis C. Nicholas, Curator, Maryland Academy of

404 Bird - Lore

Sciences; Ernest Race, head of department of nature-study at State Normal
School; John Henry Skeen, of Boy Scouts; Miss Mary B. Stuart, Secretary
of the Children's Playground Association; and Dr. Henry West, Superintendent
of Public Schools of Baltimore.

The Conservation Commission of Maryland has offered for our use all its
game sanctuaries, including the 400-acre water-shed at Loch Raven, which we
will supply with nesting-boxes during the coming season. Our campaign for
membership met with great response, and before we parted for the summer we
had held three well-attended meetings at the Maryland Academy of Sciences,
whose splendid quarters are placed at our disposal. Three sanctuaries were
started in different suburbs and plans laid for intensive work with the Boy
Scouts, the Children's Playground Association, and the manual training classes
in public schools this autumn. A course of lectures by C. S. Braubaugh will be
part of our winter's work. — (Mrs.) Louise Hull, President.

Massachusetts. — More than two thousand people visited our Bird
Sanctuary at Sharon between January 1 and September 1 this year, most of
them going away thoroughly imbued with the idea of planning for bird sanc-
tuaries in their communities. As a concrete instance of the value of the ideas
thus secured, may be cited the Brockton Audubon Society's beautiful 23-acre
sanctuary just established in that city by a Society scarcely a year old. The
Society itself is a direct result of the missionary work of the state organization.
Also, the proposed Plum Island Reservation, when completed, will provide
for shore- and marsh-birds. Its beach-line is about 5 miles in extent and the
sand-dune territory is a y2 mile by 2]/2 miles in area. The Society's Annual
Bird Day Outdoor Meet was held at the Sharon Sanctuary, many hundreds
participating in the all-day outing.

The year has been all too short for the varied activities of the Society's
staff. The publication and distribution of bird-charts, calendars, leaflets,
bird-books, and literature of all description has been carried on with increased
effect. Our traveling libraries of bird-books have been revised, rebound, and
improved, and are going steadily to small towns where bird-books are not
otherwise easily available. Our illustrated traveling lectures — three in number
with 200 supplementry slides — have been in constant use in schools, clubs,
granges, and the like. Traveling exhibits of bird-protection material have had
wide circulation. The popularity of our annual lectures has necessitated the
use of Symphony Hall — largest in the city — where thousands this year enjoyed
the matter presented by some of the foremost bird-lecturers of the country.

Soon we will place in distribution a two-reel film of Longfellow's beautiful
touching poem, "The Birds of Olingworth." This film, with its half hour
of bird-pictures and its beautiful story, will be available at small rental for
state and other Audubon Societies, bird clubs, and schools throughout the
country. During the year we have added to our rolls 54 life and 051 sustaining

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 405

members, have received outside of dues and returns from investments, $912.43
in donations, and still are very much in need of added funds for our work. —
Winthrop Packard, Secretary.

Missouri. — The influence of the Society has been extended this year by
the addition to its membership list of names well known for their interest in
ornithology and wild-life protection. Affiliation with the Audubon Society
of bird clubs and nature study clubs has further strengthened our organization.
At the annual meeting, held in St. Louis, December 19, 1919, Dr. Harry Ober-
holser of the Bureau of Biological Survey, delivered a lecture on the habits of
wild Ducks and Geese and measures for protection, which called forth an inter-
esting discussion by sportsmen present and contributed an important message
on game-conservation to the state press. At the present writing reports from
hunters are being published on the extraordinary increase in the numbers of
Wood Ducks over those of recent years; this seems to be evidence of the success
of regulating hunting by the Migratory Bird Treaty. If the spirit of the
Federal laws is being enforced, the same unfortunately cannot be said for the
local bird-protective measures. The recent flagrant disregard and defiant
procedure of an officer of the State Fish Hatchery and the spiritless recognition
of his offence by the State Warden have discredited his department and a
determined effort to have it put to rights is now in progress. — Dr. Robert J.
Terry, Secretary.

New Hampshire. — The past year has been a successful one with the
Audubon Society of New Hampshire, showing a continuance of the steady,
healthy growth it has had since organization. There has been a gain in member-
ship of about 100. As heretofore, constant activity in various fields of work has
been maintained — newspaper publicity, distribution of bulletins, lectures,
exhibits, and much individual correspondence.

Last spring the Society published a "Check List of the Birds of New Hamp-
shire," giving the A. O. U. numbers, names, relative abundance or scarcity,
and seasonal habitats of all birds found at present in the state. This, the first
work of its kind issued, was in much demand and had a wide circulation through-
out the state. The requests for this publication, bulletins, and other literature,
shows the general interest, widespread and growing, in our bird-life and bird-
protection, due in large part to the constant efforts of Audubon Societies and
the loyalty of their members to the cause. — George C. Atwell, Secretary.

New Jersey. — Under a plan for increasing receipts and by means of econ-
omies which necessitated unfortunate curtailment of some important activities,
we rounded the mile-stone of another year without experiencing any of the
financial crises that had marked some of the previous years. We have had an
income during the year, including the previous year's balance of $1,363.69, of

406 Bird - Lore

$7,994.29. In maintaining its work during the year, it has expended $4,966.30,
leaving a balance on hand of $3,027.99.

The Society's activities during the past year have, as heretofore, included
lectures, newspaper publicity work, and attention to legislative matters. In
the field of school-work, a plan of cooperation with the work of the National
Association of Audubon Societies was again inaugurated, and although handi-
capped, as far as the Society was concerned, by a late start, 440 Junior
Audubon Classes were organized in the state of New Jersey, with a total mem-
bership of 15,492, the state thus ranking sixth among all the states in which
this work was carried on.

The tenth annual meeting was held in the Newark Free Library on October
11, 1920 at 4 p.m. The meeting of the Board of Trustees immediately fol-
lowed. All the trustees and officers were reelected.

At the public session at 8 p.m. in the auditorium of the Newark State
Normal School, Howard H. Cleaves, of the New York State Conservation
Commission, gave an address on "With a Camera among the Birds," illustrated
by stereopticon slides and motion pictures. Mr. Cleaves' popularity, which
was apparently indicated several years ago when he gave an address for the
Society, was abundantly confirmed by the large and enthusiastic audience that
greeted him on the present occasion. — Beecher S. Bowdish, Secretary.

Ohio. — The past year has been the most successful in the history of the
Society. To measure the success of such an organization is difficult, for the crea-
tion of a sentiment is too subtle a thing to be weighed or measured. In a
material way, however, we can record an improved financial condition and a
great increase in membership. This is, perhaps, the most tangible and impor-
tant advance, for new and younger members must in future carry on the work.

Two big events the past year much advertised our work. These were the tea
and reception in January, when a hundred guests enjoyed a social hour in the
tea-room of the Ohio Mechanics Institute and the lecture recital of Edward
Avis. The latter event was enjoyed by 1,500 people and netted the Society
over $160. Mr. Avis lectured before two other organizations and addressed
many schools in the city and suburbs. Lectures by the president, Prof. William
G. Cramer, by Prof. Charles Dury and Misses Hosea and Sweeney before the
Society and other organizations, helped to foster the spirit of bird-love through-
out this vicinity.

In the legislative field the Society was not idle. Owing to a misunderstand-
ing of the migratorx bird law, Mourning Doves were being slaughtered in
Ohio. The President took prompt action and caused a clearer interpretation of
the law to be rendered. — (Miss) Katherine Ratterman, Secretary.

Oregon.— The most important work of the year has been our effort to
save the Malheur Lake Bird Reservation which was established by President

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 407

Roosevelt in 1908. The necessary signatures have been obtained to the initia-
tive petition which enables us to put the measure before the voters for decision
at the November election. The purpose of the measure is to clear the title to
the Reservation and put the authority in the control of the Federal Govern-
ment for perpetual preservation, the reservation to be known as "The Roosevelt
Bird Refuge."

The state has been worked over in the interest of the Junior Audubon
Classes. Portland and county have been fortunate in the number of school
societies formed because of the painstaking work of a member of our Society.
The Bird Study Committee is especially strong, furnishing weekly programs of
excellent and varied character, having much popular interest. Our second
annual exhibition of bird paintings, water colors, and photographs of wild
birds was held April n to 20 in the Public Library. — Dr. Emma J. Welty,
Corresponding Secretary.

Rhode Island. — The work of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island has
been continued along the same lines as past years. This consists of lectures,
traveling libraries, Junior Classes, and legislation. No new work has been
attempted during the year, but there has been the usual use of the books of
the library; the usual response to calls for bird lectures by the Secretary; and
the usual careful attention to legislation on the part of the Legislative Com-
mittee. It is with deep regret that we report the death of George L. Phillips,
Chairman of the State Bird Committee, and an active member of the Society.
— H. L. Madison, Secretary.

REPORTS OF OTHER AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

Audubon Association of the Pacific (Calif.). — During the past year
much has been attempted and something done. Eight acres in the suburbs
of the city have been secured for experimental purposes. Here, feeding and
housing demonstrations have been conducted. Contrary to California records
in bird-house tests, an average of 92 per cent of tenancy (by desirable tenants)
has been recorded. Lists of resident and visiting birds have been included
in E. G.-registry. Monthly field-trips have been conducted and proved
popular. Much correspondence has been carried on and innumerable questions
answered.

Monthly lectures by experts, given both from the viewpoint of ornithology
and protective aviculture, have met with well-sustained patronage. At the
California State Wild Flower Exhibit, we displayed mounted birds and various
seeds and fruits eaten by birds. We inaugurated a Junior Bird Diary Competi-
tion, covering a period from April 10 to May 22. The Competition/ duly
graded, was open to all school pupils. Printed directions how to classify the
records were issued. The result secured proved that the activity was specially

408 Bird - Lore

fascinating to the children, as well as an asset of positive educational and eco-
nomic value. Various diplomas and badges were awarded.

The Association has for some time sought remedial measures to neutralize
the damage to aquatic life by waste oil polluting the waters of our coast. Appeal
was made to the large oil companies whose tankers were the principal causes of
the damage, and conditions have already been improved. We have given atten-
tion to resting-places on lighthouses for migratory birds. This remedy is under
course of installment and will undoubtedly prove of much value as a life-saver.
Our legislative work is in the hands of a special committee under the direct
chairmanship of an experienced attorney. We stand prepared to cooperate
with kindred organizations on all lines needing combined action.

The Association is directing much attention to the Alaska Eagle Bounty
Law. Joseph J. Webb, an attorney, and chairman of the Committee on Legisla-
tion, personally investigated the subject during a recent visit to Alaska. His
data will be available when the combined special committee of Cooper Orni-
thological Club and Audubon Association of the Pacific renders its report. Our
bulletin, The Gull, is issued monthly. Membership in the Association is steadily
increasing. In the hearty cooperation of the local press, school boards, and
teaching staffs, we have found very effective and appreciative colleagues. —
Frederick W. d'EvELYN, President.

Audubon Club of Norristown (Pa.). — During the past year we have had
several interesting meetings, including lectures by Alson Skimmer on "Across
the Florida Everglades;" by Dr. Wimter Stone on "A Naturalist's Camp in
the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona;" and by Edward Avis, the bird imitator,
on the subject, "Bird Land."

The Club is affiliated with the Pennsylvania Audubon Society and the
National Association of Audubon Societies. Our dues are $i a year and the
membership now numbers 220. — (Miss) Isabella Walker, Secretary.

Audubon Society of Buffalo (N. Y.). — The eleventh year of our Audubon
Society was one of encouraging progress in increased membership and in the
added interest in our bird-walks and lectures. Two feeding-stations were
placed in Delaware Park. The feeding of birds in the parks by individuals has
become so general that many birds have grown very friendly. "High Dive,"
the Red-headed Woodpecker I told you about last year, came back for the
third summer.

The sixth yearly issue of 1,000 bird almanacs was sold so fast that money
had to be returned for orders we were unable to till. The money added to our
treasury makes a bird sanctuary, which is our goal, look a nearer possibility.
Fourteen spring and fall bird-walks were led by our President, Mr. Avery, who
is indeed a true nature lover. Three lectures were given during the winter,
ending with an experience meeting at the annual meeting. This was done by

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 409

someone present telling an incident or experience of the different birds as they
were flashed on the screen. Mr. Avery gave the general information. — (Mrs.)
Charles M. Wilson, Secretary.

Bird Conservation Club of Bangor (Maine). — Our Club has been espe-
cially active during the last year. At the request of the National Association
we caused many letters to be sent to the Congressmen and Senators from Maine
protesting against infringement upon any part of Yellowstone Park. Last year
the Club placed a cabinet of mounted birds in the Children's Room of the Ban-
gor Public Library. Most of the birds had met death by accident, and the Club
had them mounted. A few were presented by friends. This year we have had
a second cabinet made to be placed on the other side of the fireplace. The chil-
dren have shown much interest in studying the birds. We have kept up the
work of feeding winter birds and putting up nesting-houses. In one cemetery
where we have fifteen bird-houses, twelve were occupied this last summer.
Through the year, from November to June, a member of the Club has contrib-
uted bird-notes regularly to one of our daily papers of wide circulation.

The monthly meetings have been well attended and of great interest. Public
lectures were given for us by Professor Hitchings of the University, of Maine,
on "A Bird Trip to Islands of Penobscot Bay;" by Rev. George W. Hinckley, of
Good Will Farm, on "The Birds of Good Will;" and by Rev. Arthur Wilson,
of Belfast, on "Birds in Poetry." Our feeding meetings constitute one of our
great assets. We hold them throughout the spring and early summer and again
during the fall months. — (Miss) Alice B. Brown, Secretary.

Bird Lovers' Club of Brooklyn (N. Y.). — With the opening of the fall
season, 1920, the Bird Lovers' Club of Brooklyn starts its thirteenth year of
activity as an organization. During the past twelve months the Club has
carried on an extensive membership campaign. To help stimulate interest in
this work, a number of field-trips, covering the best bird regions in the vicinity
of New York City, have been mapped out and are to be set before all those who
may be interested in ornithology. To reach the general public, hand-painted
posters showing accurate studies of our birds have been placed in prominent
places in our parks and museums. The bird-work in the parks of Brooklyn has
been enhanced by the hearty cooperation of the Commissioner of Parks, John
N. Harman.

The Club meets in the Library of the Children's Museum at 8 p.m., on the
first Saturday of each month, October to June inclusive. Visitors are welcome
at all meetings. — George B. Wilmott, Secretary.

Burroughs Junior Audubon Society of Kingston (N. Y.). — We re-
organized on September 21, 1920. About thirty members were enrolled at
this first gathering. The past year has been a most successful one for this

4io Bird - Lore

Society. Programs were arranged for each meeting and our common birds,
their habits, and songs were studied. We have a mounted Screech Owl, "Tiny
Tim" as we call him, thus keeping "Pete," the Great Horned Owl, mounted a
year ago, from becoming lonesome. Under the auspices of the Audubon Society,
Herbert K. Job, on March 4, entertained an appreciative audience with some
of the moving pictures of the National Association.

On March 28, an Audubon party was held in the gymnasium. Each one
came to represent a bird and a gay party it was. One of the features of the
"Birdies' Ball" was a guessing contest which produced a great deal of merriment.
In May, field trips were made by groups of members, and the last meeting was
held in the open as a picnic when many interesting experiences of the trips were
related. As a fitting climax to a successful year, the members of the Society
visited John Burroughs at Slabsides and spent a most delightful afternoon
with the great naturalist.

At the September meeting the following officers were elected to serve the
coming year: Honorary President, Miss Mauterstock; President, Elizabeth
Burroughs; Vice-President, Francis Lennox; Secretary, Ethel Shaffer; and
Treasurer, Agatha Flick. — (Miss) Elizabeth Burroughs, President.

Community Bird Club of Wells River (Vt.) and Woodsville (N. H.).—
Monthly meetings with programs have been held through the year. A Junior
Audubon Society has been organized in each village. Much interest has been
developed in feeding the birds during the winter and putting out nesting-boxes
in the summer. In March we rented films of the National Association and held
a moving picture exhibit which in spite of inclement weather was well patron-
ized and much enjoyed. We have equipped each of the schools with a set of the
Audubon Bird Charts. Not the least of the effects of our work is the increased
interest of the community in bird-life. — (Mrs.) Clara Eastman Smith,
Secretary.

Crawfordsville (Ind.) Audubon and Nature-Study Club. — In January
the Club offered prizes for bird-houses and feeding-tables built by school chil-
dren of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades, under the supervision of the
teacher of manual training. About seventy-five children entered this contest.
The Club also offered prizes in the fifth to the ninth grades for the best short
themes on the subject of personal experiences with birds. More than 600
themes were handed in to the Committee.

About 200 bird-houses were on exhibition March 25 and 26, and on the
evening of March 26 there was an entertainment before a very large audience
composed of school children and their parents. At the end of an excellent pro-
gram, twenty-five prizes were awarded. The check which each successful
contestant received seemed to represent much more than the dollars and cents
specified thereon. The first check, payable to himself, which a child receives
is a wonderful thing. Many new bird-houses, feeders, and baths have been

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 411

put up this year, and people report new species nesting on their premises.
Only a few years ago there was only one colony of Purple Martins in town.
They are now becoming common. New houses are being erected every year
and practically all had tenants this summer. A Martin-house and a feeder
were erected on the high-school grounds, and a Martin-house at one of the
graded schools and in our new park. F. C. Evans, the President of our Club,
donated to the schools a number of colored charts of our common birds. The
Public Library has purchased several new bird-books during the year. We
have published many articles on winter feeding and general bird-conservation
in the local papers. — (Mrs.) Donaldson Bodine, Secretary.

Cumberland County (Maine) Audubon Society. — Our Club was inactive
during the World War, but we are again in action and are waxing strong. About
seventy-five members, besides many associates and Juniors were added during
the past year. Our meetings have outgrown the room formerly used in the
Natural History Museum, and we are now quartered in the Hall of the Port-
land Society of Arts. At one of the meetings Arthur H. Norton gave a stereop-
ticon lecture showing some of the ninety birds that winter in this vicinity and
telling of their skill in gathering weed seeds and insect eggs; again he lectured
on migratory birds. The Burroughs Nature Club, from the Women's Literary
Union, entertained us one evening with stories of their experiences in exploring
birdland. Not the least interesting feature of our meetings has been the swap-
ping of bird stories — romantic, adventurous, and appealing. Combining with
the Open Forum we gave two illustrated lectures, one by Harold Baynes on
"Birds," the other by William Dawson on "Mt. Katahdin."

Perhaps our greatest experience in creating interest was through Rev.
Manley Townsend. He gave an evening lecture to a packed house and was
enthusiastically received. The local papers have been most generous with their
notices. Nine of the reporters were elected complimentary members of the
Society. During the past hard winter the birds about Portland (under the
leadership of the Audubon Society) were fed regularly. The Black Ducks
were an especial object of concern and were liberally provided for. Saturday
field-trips were planned very early in the spring and enjoyed by many.
The bird versus cat problem has absorbed us somewhat, and a committee
has been formed to help work out a solution. — (Miss) Amy P. Wiswell,
Secretary.

Elgin (111.) Audubon Society. — The Elgin Audubon Society has held
regular monthly meetings throughout the year, with an average attendance
of sixty-five. At these meetings members bring their luncheon. Later the
business and a discussion of birds and a musical program follows. Our annual
exhibit was held during April, with increased interest and attendance. The
city was canvassed from house to house with pledges asking people to protect

4i2 Bird -Lore

the birds, nests, and eggs on their property. The public schools were also can-
vassed. Hundreds of men, women, and children signed the pledges.

The museum turned over to us by the city is ready for opening. It is 45
by 50 feet, finished inside in natural oak and mosaic floors. It is an ideal place
for our collection. The Federal Government sent us over 300 specimens which
are valued at $500. We have secured the valuable collection of the Elgin
Scientific Society valued at $5,000. These, with several private collections,
make the entire exhibit valuable and educational. To install a heating plant,
portable cases, etc., will cost us about S3 ,000. We print our monthly programs
which include the place of meeting, the birds to be discussed and musical pro-
gram.— Cyrill Abbott, Secretary.

Elkader (Iowa) Audubon Society. — On February 27, 1920, the Elkader
Audubon Society was formed with twelve members. Before the next meeting
this number was increased to twenty-seven. At the March meeting a committee
was appointed to work out a plan for a Junior Audubon Society. It was also
decided to have a bird-house contest for the children. This aroused quite a
bit of interest, and ten houses were entered. One was made by a girl and won
a prize. At each of the monthly meetings we have a discussion on birds by
different members. Illustrations are also passed at the time so that members
not familiar with the bird in question can get some idea of its appearance.
Eight members attended the "Wild Life School," held at McGregor in August.
The September meeting was a report of these activities by those members who
attended this unique school. — Kathleen M. Hempel, Secretary.

Hamilton (Ontario) Bird Protection Society. — We have been organized
scarcely a year and a half, but feel justly proud of what has already been
accomplished. The first year our adult membership was 147; this year it is
198. Six meetings were held the past year, at which were heard such prominent
lecturers as Prof. J. W. Crow, of Guelph Agricultural College; Hoyes Lloyd,
Dominion Ornithologist; W. E. Saunders, of London, Ontario, and William B.
Hoot, of Rochester. Last spring two Field Days were held, when we rambled
along the mountain-side hunting for birds. We reported eighty-three species of
migratory birds to the United States Biological Survey. In July our Society
was granted an Ontario Charter, under the name of "The Hamilton Bird
Protection Society."

Our Junior Club work has been very encouraging. This was demonstrated
by the formation of 296 Junior Clubs under the National Association's plan
of work, with a total membership of 9,469. In this work we enjoyed the most
hearty cooperation of the school authorities. A competition in building nesting-
boxes was held at several schools for the manual training classes. Nearly 200
boxes were entered. Our Bird Sanctuary has been equipped with weather-vanes,
feeding-shelters, bird-boxes, and a number of Saunders feeding-boards. Many

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 413

members of the Society have had good results in feeding the birds about their
homes and have erected nesting-boxes. We have a wonderful area in our
vicinity called the Dundas Marsh. We are now trying to have this declared
a bird sanctuary by the Dominion and Provincial Governments. — (Miss)
Ruby R. Mills, Secretary.

Hartford (Conn.) Bird Study Club. — We have about the usual activities
to report for the past year in spite of the trying conditions following the war.
There have been twenty-one indoor meetings devoted to different subjects all
of much interest to students of nature. There were three illustrated lectures in
the usual line, and for a special evening we were able to secure William L.
Finley, who showed, by means of his moving pictures, how wonderful an auto
trip through the mountains near Mt. Rainier could be. The lectures and read-
ings by members, a number of the former finely illustrated by slides, were so
much enjoyed by the Club as to deserve a recording word of appreciation.

Thirty-six Wood Ducks were reported seen on one evening and one pair of
Mallard Ducks were repeatedly seen in August. A nesting Pigeon Hawk and
also nesting Prairie Horned Larks were seen. A protest against the exploiting
of Yellowstone Park for commercial purposes was sent to all of the Connecticut
Senators and Representatives in response to a request from the National
Association. — Florence Newberry, Corresponding Secretary.

Meriden (Conn.) Bird Club. — During the past year the evening meetings
in winter and summer hikes of the Meriden Bird Club have been planned as
usual. In May the State Federation of Bird and Nature Clubs met in our
Hubbard Park as guests of the Waterbury Club, which proved a most interest-
ing occasion. Our composite list of birds seen during the year amounts to about
140 species — two of them rare — a flock of fourteen Evening Grosbeaks seen
last March about Akron Street, and a pair of Little Blue Herons nesting at
Mount Higby Reservoir, with one young nestling seen in August. — (Miss)
Esther R. Hall, Secretary.

Meriden (N. H.) Bird Club. — Our most important work in 1920 was the
founding of our museum of bird conservation. Some years ago the Club bought
an interesting but dilapidated colonial house standing on ground which is now
a part of our Bird Sanctuary, and on September 25, 1920, the building, com-
pletely restored, was opened informally. People who visit it may learn what
can be done to attract birds to their own gardens, to private or public grounds
having the necessary natural conditions. In one room a visitor may see various
bird-houses and nesting-boxes; in another, feeding devices and the kinds of
food likely to attract different species of birds; in still another room, bird-baths
and models of bird-baths. Other features to be provided later will be plans of
the principal devices for bird-attracting apparatus, also models and plans for

414 Bird - Lore

bird-gardens, and a collection of the most approved devices for getting rid of
the enemies of birds.

The work of restoring the building was done under the direction of Miss
Annie H. Duncan, a member of the Club. Last spring the concert of bird voices
in our Sanctuary was unusually fine, and Mr. Baynes wrote and had printed
a unique and amusing poster calling attention to the evening performances.
The sixth annual Bird Sunday was held August 15, when a sermon on the
"Inspiration of Nature" was preached by Rev. W. A. Rice, D.D., of East
Orange, N. J. At the annual meeting Ernest Harold Baynes gave a most
interesting lecture on "The Pigeons in Warfare." — (Miss) Elizabeth F.
Bennett, Secretary.

Natural History Society of British Columbia. — As heretofore our work
last year dealt very largely with the subject of the study of natural history,
many interesting observations having been made on the bird-life. One of our
members, J. R. Anderson, reports extensive observations on the Tule Wren.
He mentions that Purple Martins seem to have forsaken the vicinity of the city
of Victoria. W. F. Burton found the Band-tailed Pigeon breeding the past
season, nests in every case being isolated and situated in deep thickets of sap-
ling firs on islands.

I may add that there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of Blue
Grouse, Willow Grouse, and Pheasants on Vancouver Island. California Quail,
I am glad to say, are plentiful and their services in destroying strawberry weevils
are well known and appreciated. Skylarks, presumably descendants of those
we imported from England in 191 2, are seen locally in the meadows of Victoria
but not elsewhere. — Harold T. Nation, Secretary.

New Century Club of Utica (N. Y.). — By contributions we have continued
the membership of the New Century Club in the National Association for the
last year, and we expect to do so for the year to come. An address upon birds
in the Club lecture course last winter aroused much interest and extended the
interest in studying and protecting them. The Science Committee of the
New Century Club is to renew its study of birds for the season of 1920-21. —
(Miss) Elizabeth G. Brown, Secretary.

Neighborhood Nature Club of Westport (Conn.). — Meetings have been
held monthly for the past year with pleasing support of the members. When
weather conditions permitted we took bird-walks after the meetings. Our
former Vice-President, having removed to Wilmington, Del., began work there
in the public schools, receiving gratifying results and the enthusiastic support
of t he teachers. Many uncommon bird visitors were reported during the winter
months at the feeding-tables. The Club presented a lantern-slide lecture,
loaned by the Audubon Society for the school children of the town of Westport.

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 415

These lectures and pictures are a never-failing source of interest to both children
and adults. Following are the officers for the coming year: President, Mrs. H. P.
Beers; Vice-President, Miss Laura Chapman; and Secretary-Treasurer, Miss
May Burr. — (Mrs.) H. P. Beers, President.

New York Bird and Tree Club. — This Club was organized February n,
1018, by New York resident members of the Chautauqua Bird and Tree Club.
During the past winter, meetings held in the American Museum of Natural
History have been under the supervision of the President, Dr. George F. Kunz,
whose active interest in the Club's work has been untiring. We have had
lectures by T. Gilbert Pearson, Dr. G. Clyde Fisher, and others. During the
summer Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Gladys Gordon Fry conducted two delightful
"Bird Walks" in Central Park. At least 20,000 fruit trees have now been planted
in France with funds collected by the Club. A tribute has come from Marshal
Foch in a personal letter, assuring us that he, with Mme. Foch, would personally
distribute the funds sent to their district.

In a letter from Professor Antoine, Director of Social Work in Nancy,
Lorraine, he said: "Our property in Gentilly, which extends 12 hectares,
receives every day during vacations about 2,000 children belonging to the labor-
ing classes of our city of Nancy. These children, accompanied by their teachers,
pass the entire day in the open air and receive physical instruction as varied as
possible. In regard to the fruit trees, I will establish a nursery in which the
little trees may be grown and grafted under the care of the children. Our
property is situated not far from a large forest, and I wish to arrange a place
where the birds can find food in winter and also, if possible, prepare nests, in
order to bring back and increase the useful birds in our Liberated Region.'

We are sending to Professor Antoine the Audubon bird leaflets, as the
beautiful colored plates require no translation to be understood by the children.
The Club is now anticipating with great pleasure Mr. Pearson's promised
lecture for the November meeting, illustrated by slides and moving pictures,
of his recent bird-life studies in the coast lands of Texas. — (Mrs.) David C.
Ball, Secretary.

North East (Pa.) Nature Study Club. — While ours is not distinctly an
Audubon Society, we do considerable bird-work. Last spring, E. C. Avery,
President of the Buffalo Audubon Society, gave us an illustrated lecture on
birds. At our last meeting, Miss Emma Siegel, of Erie, was a guest of our Club,
and told of the wonderful accomplishments of a tame Robin that had been
kept in a large cage since infancy, and it is now ten years old. Discussion also
drifted to the Bobolink in fall plumage. Two of our members reported seeing
a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers nine miles south of here. Pet cats have been
disposed of, numerous bird-houses erected, winter-feeding at homes done by
many, and at least one Sparrow trap is being successfully operated. Our Club

4i6 Bird - Lore

has added several excellent nature-books to our public library. We have
several teams doing special work. Among them are one on mushrooms, one on
butterflies and moths, and one on ferns. One of our members contributes
frequent articles on birds and other nature topics to newspapers and nature
magazines. — (Mrs.) Maria H. Benedict, Secretary.

Pasadena (Calif.) Audubon Society. — The Society has grown considerably
during the year and much enthusiasm and interest have been shown. One feature
that has developed considerably is the bird-walks, under competent leadership.
On these excursions the "Audubon Bird Cabinet," Case No. 4, has been most
useful. We had the privilege of having John Burroughs at one of our meet-
ings. He gave a delightful talk on various experiences in the open. The house
was crowded to capacity.

Another pleasant experience was a trip taken by a number of members and
their friends to the Ross Field of the Aviation Camp at Arcadia to see and have
explained the wonderful work of the Homing Pigeons, used so effectively in
the camp. Largely through our efforts, an exceptionally fine aviary of rare
birds has just been presented to the city of Pasadena and placed in one of the
city's parks, where it will give great pleasure and also be of great educational
value. — (Miss) Alice W. Pitman, Secretary.

Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds. — This Society
was founded January 4, 1917. Its progress has been steady. During the past
year over 3,000 children have signed the Society's pledge card and wear their
buttons. These children and others have enjoyed the public lectures during
the year, two given by Herbert K. Job of the National Association of
Audubon Societies, and one by the late Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, Dominion
Entomologist.

Nine meetings of the Society were held in the Windsor Hotel when various
papers relating to bird-life were delivered and discussed. The cooperation of
the Boy Scouts was enlisted in the care of the bird-houses erected in the various
sanctuaries established by the Society during the last three years. Addresses
are given by members to these Scouts from time to time. Lectures were given
at four summer camps during the past summer. The Society now has eight
honorary game-wardens to assist in the carrying out of the Migratory Bird
Convention Act. Field days are held every Saturday afternoon during the
spring and autumn months. — (Mrs.) W. E. L. Dyer, Honorary Corresponding
Secretary.

Read, Mark, and Learn Club (R. I.). — I beg to state that our activities
have been practically the same as last year, confined to the maintaining of
bird-houses and feeding-stations by individual members, walks for bird-study,
an effort to spread information concerning bird conservation throughout the

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 417

community, and a general interest in the feathered observation wherever
possible. — (Mrs.) Julia Ashley Rich, President.

Rhinebeck (N. Y.) Bird Club. — During the past year the Rhinebeck Bird
Club has held only one public meeting which consisted of a lecture, illustrated
with lantern slides and motion pictures, by Herbert K. Job, in February.
Individual members of the Club have, however, been active in field-work.
It is proposed to publish in the near future an illustrated yearbook covering
the years 1918, 1919, and 1920, which will contain a catalogue of Dutchess
County birds with latest data of migration and occurrence, compiled by
Maunsell S. Crosby, President of the Club. — Clinton G. Abbott, Secretary.

St. Louis (Mo.) Bird Club. — Development of the St. Louis Sanctuary
in accordance with the original plan has been in progress during the year.
Many shrubs and trees have been planted, fences built on two of the boundary
lines, and the grading of the high embankment well advanced. The New Park
Commissioner, Mr. Pape, has promised his cooperation in the Bird Club's
plans for this novel feature of the St. Louis park system.

Bird-walks were conducted during the spring months. A census was taken
December 27, 1919, over an area of four square miles at Creve Cceur Lake,
resulting in the finding of twenty-eight species and 2,378 individuals. Christmas
trees for birds were prepared in the Missouri Botanical Garden, Forest, O'Fal-
lon, and Lafayette Parks. At the annual meeting Dr. Frank Wilson addressed
the Club on birds observed in England during the war service, illustrating his
lecture with most interesting photographs made in the field.

The Club is at present uniting its efforts with those of other wild-life pro-
tective organizations in the state to have better administration of the local
bird laws, the occasion for this special action being the destruction of protected
birds by a fish warden in one of the public parks of St. Louis.

There are 168 members of the Club: 4 patrons, 17 life and 147 annual
members. — Dr. R. J. Terry, President.

Saratoga (N. Y.) Bird Club. — Our Club can report an interesting year.
We have held nine meetings.

Two illustrated lectures were given before the Club during the year: One
by T. Gilbert Pearson, President of the National Association of Audubon
Societies; the other by Clinton G. Abbott, of the State Conservation Com-
mission.

The Junior Audubon Society, so ably directed and encouraged by Miss
Kate McCloskey, held its meeting in February. The Junior Members made
great progress under their inspiring teacher, whom we regret to report has
recently died. At the request of Mr. Pearson of the National Association, we
sent a protest to one Representative and Senator at Washington regarding the

418 Bird - Lore

"Smith of Idaho" bill, which threatened to destroy the Yellowstone Park. —
Caroline C. Walbridge, Secretary.

Scranton (Pa.) Bird Club.- — A strenuous season marked the fifth year of
the life of our Club. The regular fall meeting was held September 21, 1919, at
Campbell's Ledge, about twelve miles from Scranton. In October, on Arbor
Day, a sale of perennial plants was held at the Everhart Museum. November
saw a vigorous fight waged by members of the Bird Club against the vicious
practice of live-bird trap-shooting. Early in December an Industrial Exposi-
tion, conducted by the Scranton Board of Trade, was held at the Armory.
Here the Bird Club occupied a booth for the entire week showing a winter
scene and featuring the feeding of winter birds, mounted specimens of which
were lent by Curator R. N. Davis of the Everhart Museum. January 3, the
used trees of the kindergartens were arranged in Nay Aug Park as shelters for
the birds and trimmed by Junior Members with bird-food.

Beginning January 17, and continuing for six consecutive weeks, the Club
held a class in bird-study one hour each Saturday. This class was held at the
Everhart Museum in charge of Prof. R. N. Davis, other speakers including the
President of the Club, Rev. L. R. Foster, W. H. Scranton, and Game Warden
Anneman. One hundred and twelve enrolled for this class, the attendance
averaging fifty. In February we had a charming lecture by Edward Avis. A
Bird-naming Contest for Girl and Boy Scouts was held early in March at the
Everhart Museum and the annual Bird-House Competition followed in early
spring. Nearly 500 houses were made by the boys of the vicinity this year,
about 100 competing for prizes offered by the Club. Arbor Day in April was
celebrated by the planting of thirty evergreen trees for the birds in Nay Aug
Park by a troup of Girl Scouts. During May and June the noting of new arrivals
put everything else in the background, and on June 18 the city parks were
divided into sections and canvassed by teams for a regular bird census. — (Mrs.)
Francis Hopkinson Coffin, President.

Seattle (Wash.) Audubon Society. — The Junior Audubon Societies have
increased their membership during the past year, and there has been an
increased demand for talks in the schools and Parent-Teachers' Clubs through-
out the city. The libraries have cooperated in every possible way, which has
made the work more effective. The National Association's leaflets have been
ordered and distributed through them in large quantities. The Main Library
had a glass case made for our use, and in it we keep a changing exhibit of bird
skins and pictures, according to the bird calender for each season. Through the
local papers, especially the Junior Post-Intelligencer, we have had more press
notices the past year and also are able to run an information bureau on birds
by telephone. Many questions are referred to us by the Seattle Times. The
taking of the bird census at Christmas-time has at last become an established

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 419

work of the Society, because of the better cooperation of the members. — (Mrs.)
C. Norman Compton, President.

Sewickley (Pa.) Audubon Society. — The Fifth Annual Bird Lovers'
Dinner Lecture (joint auspices of Audubon Societies) held in the Chamber of
Commerce, Pittsburgh, Pa., followed by lecture by William L. Finley of the
National Association of Audubon Societies, was really the only entertainment
held by the Sewickley Audubon Society, except a few hikes led by local bird-
lovers during the past year.

The above lecture was exceptionally interesting. Our new president is
Mrs. Tracy W. Guthrie.— (Miss) Eda L. Young, Secretary.

South Bend (Ind.) Humane Society. — At the close of the school year in
the spring, we had a contest in the public schools, offering a prize for the best-
built bird-house. There were about fifty entries, running all the way from a
Wren-box to a large Martin-house. We expect to hold another contest next
season. Bird-talks with slides were given by the Secretary in the public schools.
We are endeavoring to discourage the use of the small gun, which is used by the
boys to kill Sparrows and all the other birds they meet. We have already made
two arrests. The schoolrooms of this city have hundreds of pictures of birds
adorning their walls, and each week humane talks are given by the teachers. —
Henry A. Pershing, Secretary.

Stanton (Maine) Bird Club. — Our Club is named as a memorial to the be-
loved professor who inspired so many of us with a love for bird-study. It has
held seventeen regular meetings, several picnics, numerous hikes, and fifty-
three morning bird-walks. We have had a public lecture by Herbert K. Job
of the National Association, and our treasurer, Miss Miller, has taken the course
in bird-study at the National Association's Summer School at Amston, Conn.

The meetings are held the first Monday evening of every month. There is
always a "roll-call" of birds seen by members, a special talk of some phase
of bird-life most familiar to the speaker, and informal discussions of experiences
in which all take part. Lists of birds seen each month are carefully recorded.
More than 125 kinds of birds have been recorded, 95 having been observed on
club walks. Winter feeding is one of our hobbies, We have put up bird-houses,
set out shrubs and plants for birds, have tentative plans for a sanctuary, and
have a growing enthusiastic membership of nearly a hundred Juniors and
seniors in various walks of life. — (Mrs.) Daisy Dill Norton, Secretary.

Staten Island (N. Y.) Bird Club. — During the past year we have held
monthly bird-walks, ninety-eight species of birds being seen on these occasions.
The Club has also given seven lectures, three in the evening and four in the
afternoon for children. The one by Herbert K. Job was illustrated with motion

420 Bird - Lore

pictures. The Club has maintained fourteen winter feeding-stations in co-
operation with Boy Scouts and has supplied bird-houses to a number of its
members. The balance in its treasury is now $137.57 including S44 subscribed
toward establishing a bird sanctuary in the Staten Island woods, with about
$100 more subscribed but not paid in. The membership now numbers 138. —
Charles W. Leng, Secretary.

Ulster (Pa.) Nature Club. — The most popular feature of our activities
are the frequent walks we take in fields and woods. Our Club is small — only
seven members — and our study of birds having only extended over the past
four or five years, we feel rather proud of what we have learned, especially
through observation. Our list for 1920, at this date (September 25) numbers
118 birds. During the past winter we maintained feeding stations at our homes,
having many regular visitors. Miss Louise Reynders has a well-organized
Junior Audubon Society in our public school and has done much to interest
children in bird-life. An increasing interest throughout our small village is also
noticeable. — (Mrs.) Fred E. Mather, President.

Vigo County (Ind.) Bird Club. — In September, 1920, we completed our
fourth year with a membership of 70, while the Junior Audubon membership,
because of the enthusiastic work of some of our members who are teachers,
has reached almost 500. In March a Bird-box Contest was held, about 100
children entering. Great improvement in the boxes was shown over previous
efforts, as this year the children worked according to specifications.

On November 21, 1919, Amos Butler, of Indianapolis, gave an illustrated
lecture on "Birds of Indiana" to a large and appreciative audience. Every
meeting of the year was well attended and many interesting talks were given
by members. A number of field-trips were taken, the habits and nests of birds
being specially noted. During the spring migration, bird-lists were made by
four of our members and sent to the Biological Survey. The Indiana State
Audubon Society meeting held in May at Martinsville was attended by
three of our members.

More and more interest is being shown in serious bird-study and bird-pro-
tection. Two members have been given police power to arrest persons found
molesting birds or their nests. All parks and cemeteries in Terre Haute, as well
as a wooded stretch known as the "Tow-Path," are now bird sanctuaries, and
it is the hope of the Club that our whole city may soon be known as a sanctuary
for our feathered friends. — (Miss) Sarah J. Elliot, Secretary.

Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs. — The chairmanship of
the Bird Committee came to me without any plans with which to begin work.
so the past year has been spent in laying the foundation for some definite ideas
to present to the clubs for work. At the State Federation meeting we advocated

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 421

a more general observance of Arbor and Bird Day, with the cooperation of the
clubs and schools; that we devote at least one day to birds in the coming year's
program; that we endeavor to get the school superintendent to make bird-
study one of the topics in school, especially for the primary and intermediate
grades; that bird-house contests be held; that we build drinking-fountains and
feed the birds through the winter months. We further recommended that the
clubs organize Junior Bird Clubs under the direction of the National Associa-
tion of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City.

Sixteen clubs reported to be active in some form of bird-work during the
year, and no doubt many others have been interested. We have already co-
operated with the National Association of Audubon Societies. Through its
perserverance many of the bird-conservation measures have been passed. We
believe that in the study of birds there is a field of usefulness in which women
may wisely exert themselves for the welfare of mankind. — (Mrs.) E. B.
Williamson.

Waterbury (Conn.) Bird Club. — We have had an interesting season. A
large and appreciative audience listened to Dr. Frank M. Chapman last April
when he gave an illustrated lecture on "Bird Life in the Bahamas." A class for
beginners in bird-study was organized by our President, Mrs. A. A. Crane, and
taught by Mr. Harrison of Yale University. A number of bird-walks were held,
led by members of the Club, and about the middle of May a bird census of
Waterbury and vicinity was made. We divided Waterbury geographically into
six districts. Members of the Club were assigned to each with a team captain.
Each team took two days for observations and turned in a list of all birds ob-
served to the Chairman of our Permanent Records Committee. There was a
friendly rivalry among the teams as to which could get the largest list with the
greatest number of rare migrants. A composite list was made and reported in
the newspapers. This is kept on file with the records of previous years. —
R. E. Platt, Treasurer.

Wellesley (Mass.) College Bird Club. — During the past year, the Club
enjoyed a number of bird-walks, led by professionals. Seventy nesting-boxes
were kept in order, although accurate records of occupancy are lacking, owing
to the pressure of other work. The keeping of these records will be resumed this
year. Our fifteen feeding-stations have been unusually successful, being
particularly popular with Purple Finches, Redpolls, Pine Siskins, and Evening
Grosbeaks. The Grosbeaks, especially, became very friendly, often coming to
the windows for their food. They stayed with us from February 5 to May 8,
a much longer period than usual. — Helen Alma Gary, Secretary.

West Chester (Pa.) Bird Club. — Our Club work the past year (our
thirteenth) has had many interesting features and the bi-weekly programs have

422 Bird - Lore

been particularly fine. In January Dr. Witmer Stone gave an illustrated address
on his experiences in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona. Different Club
members have given summaries of their summer bird-study as it has been
carried on in the White Mountains, Long Island, Buck Hill Falls, Pocono Lake
Preserve, and Porto Rico. One delightful evening was spent with the birds of
Palestine. Mr. Waldo Hayes told of their wonders as he found them in the
Near East during his reconstruction work there.

The second annual Bird Club Bulletin was issued in August of this year.
This contains twenty-one pages describing the activities of the Club. The talent
of the members is again shown in it by two original poems: "The Carolina
Wren" and "Peach Bottom." The eighth annual pilgrimage to Peach Bottom,
Pa., was again a red-letter occasion. Several field-trips and early morning
walks have been taken. Interest in and knowledge of bird-life in the entire
community has greatly increased the past year. This is due largely to the many
Club members that are engaged in work in the field of education. — (Miss)
Lillian W. Pierce, Secretary.

Winter Park (Fla.) Bird Club. — We have had a very successful and en-
couraging year. Meetings were held regularly during the fall, winter, and spring,
with an average attendance of fifty, and the papers and bird-talks were of
more than usual interest. One illustrated lecture on "Birds of the Lake Region"
was given by Gerard Alan Abbott. Dr. L. H. Hallock gave several interesting
talks before the Club, also to the schools and at the tourist hotels. The Secre-
tary gave two illustrated lectures at the Florida Sanitarium. Several important
features in the way of illustrated lectures are planned for the coming winter.
The bird-walks, so profitable to many of the Club members last season, will be
resumed in December. The Club has given two bird fountains to the public
parks and has planned to put up a large number of nesting-boxes during the
winter. The general supervision of the Winter Park Bird Sanctuary, which
includes all lands within the incorporated limits and much adjoining property,
will remain an important part of the work of the Club. A great increase in
bird-life within the limits of the sanctuary has been noted during the year,
and the success of this sanctuary has resulted in the establishment of seven
more, the last being the city of St. Petersburg, the successful mover there being
Mrs. Katherine B. Tippetts, President of the State Audubon Society and one of
the active friends of the wild birds in Florida. The Club has about ioo active
members, a considerable number of bird-lovers from other states being on the
list. — W. Scott Way, Secretary.

Wyncote (Pa.) Bird Club. — Another milestone passed in the history of the
Wymote Bird Club shows a gain in many ways. Our paid-up membership for
1920 is 75 adults and 80 Juniors. Meetings have been held more regularly than
before and attendance has been greater. On Annual Bird Day, Ernest Harold

Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 423

Baynes gave a splendid lecture on "Birds in the Nesting Season." We had the
usual bird-walks for Juniors and adults during the spring, including one memo-
rable walk along the beautiful Wissahickon Creek, when a nest with three
young of the Carolina Wren was found. An interesting trip by auto trucks
was taken to the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens, and several delightful visits
were made to "Briar Bush," the home in the woods of our President. This
Bird Sanctuary is well known as our best place to see birds, and everything
possible is done over the entire fifteen acres for their attraction and protection.
By actual count, forty nests were located this season, and 119 varieties were
identified on the place, most of which bathed and drank at the bird-baths. One
of our members, Christine Chester Crowell, was inspired by the Club and its
activities to write a humorous light essay entitled "Deserting the Cat," which
has appeared in the October "Woman's Home Companion" under the title
"Friend Pussy." Two contests were held for: (1) the first bird to nest in a
home-made bird-house, and (2), for the best photograph of wild birds. Auto-
graphed copies of "Wild Bird Guests" by Baynes were given as prizes. Ad-
ditional bird-banding has been done during the year. A banded White-throated
Sparrow No. 30098 has returned many times each winter for the past four
seasons. — (Miss) Esther Heacock, Secretary.

JOHN H. KOCH & COMPANY, Certified Public Accountants

55 Liberty Street, New York

New York, October 23, 1920
The Audit Committee,

National Association of Audubon Societies,
1974 Broadway, New York, N. Y.

Gentlemen: — In pursuance with engagement, we have made our customary examina-
tion of the books, accounts and records of the National Association of Audubon Societies
for the year ended October 19, 1920, and present herewith the following Exhibits to-
gether with Comments thereon:

Exhibit A — Balance Sheet as at the Close of Business, October 19, 1920.

Exhibit B — Income and Expense Account, General Fund.

Kxhibit C — Income and Expense Account. Egret Fund.

Exhibit D — Income and Expense Account, Children's Educational Fund.

Exhibit E — Income and Expense Account, Department of Applied

Ornithology.
Exhibit F — Statement of Receipts and Disbursements.

All disbursements made on account of your various funds were substantiated either
by duly approved and receipted vouchers or cancelled endorsed checks.

We examined all investment securities held at your Safe Deposit Vault and found
them to be in order.

Confirmations were received from your depositories certifying to the balances as
shown on your books.

Submitting the foregoing, we are

Very truly yours,

John H. Koch & Co.

Certified Public Accountants.

424 Bird -Lore

The Report of the Treasurer of the National Association
of Audubon Societies, for Year Ending October 19, 1920

Exhibit A ASSETS

Cash in Bank and at Office, Exhibit F $43,460 31

Furniture and Fixtures —

Balance, October 19, 1919 $1,940 33

Net Additions this year 33 5°

Si,973 89
Less — Depreciation 358 49

1,615 40

Inventory of Plates, etc. {Nominal Value) 500 00

Bird Island Purchase, Orange Lake, Fla 250 20

Buzzard Island, S. C 300 00

Audubon Boats —

Balance, October 19, 1919 $2,192 54

Additions this year 102 00

$2,294 54
Less — Depreciation 357 88

1,936 66

Investments, Endowment Fund —

Bonds and Mortgages on Manhattan and Bronx Real

Estate $406,150 00

U. S. Mortgage & Trust Co. Bonds 3>°°° °°

U. S. Government Liberty Bonds 25,300 00

$434,450 00

Investments, Mary Dutcher Memorial Fund —

Bonds and Mortgages on Manhattan Real Estate 7>IO° 00

Total Assets $489,612 57

LIABILITIES AND SURPLUS

Endowment Fund —

Balance, October 19, 1919 $424,924 89

Received from Life Members 21,245 00

Received from Gifts 206 65

Bequest Estate of C. H. Davis 952 5°

$447,329 04

Mary Dutcher Memorial rund —

Balance, October 19, 1920 7.737 7°

Special Funds — %

Egret Protection Fund, Exhibit C S512 45

Children's Educational Fund, Northern States, Exhibit D 5,130 07

Department <>! Applied Ornithology, Exhibit E 66

Roosevelt Memorial Fund i4.3I5 93

19,..

A 1 1 OUtlti Payable 7,263 00

Surplus —

Surplus, October 19, 1919 S7i7°3 47

Less — Balance from Income Account for year ended, •

October 10, 10:0, Exhibit B 439 75

Surplus, October 10. [920 7.323 72

Total Liabilities and Surplus $489,61257

Report of the Treasurer 425

INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT— General Fund

Exhibit B EXPENSES

Warden Services and Reservations —

Salaries S585 00

Launch expense 50 73

Reservation expenses 100 00

VA r J P# I $735 73

Educational Ejjort —

Administrative expense $8,448 00

Bird-Lore, Extra pages Annual Report 2,356 33

Bird-Lore to members 5,826 82

Bird-Books 1,234 86

Colored plates in Bird-Lore 284 66

Contribution to Long Island Bird Club 6 50

Contribution to Illinois Audubon Society 100 00

Contribution to National Park Association 100 00

Drawings 346 00

Electros and half-tones 361 91

Educational Leaflets 6,428 37

Field-glasses 2,590 67

Field Agents, salaries and expenses 5,230 45

Library account 412 36

Printing — Office and Field Agents 484 88

Slides 1,074 65

Summer-school work 265 00

Miscellaneous — Supply Department 1,115 31

Yellowstone Park 57 80

Contribution Linnasan Society 100 00

Printing of Bulletin No. 4 1,668 96

Roosevelt Bird Refuge 2,000 00

Amston, (Conn.) Summer School 356 23

$40,849 76

General Expenses —

Auditing $125 00

Annual meeting expense 265 45

Cartage and expressage 100 98

Depreciation on boats 357 88

Depreciation on office furniture 358 49

Electric light 39 48

Exchange on checks 30 39

Envelopes and supplies 416 67

Insurance 55 58

Legal services 245 00

Miscellaneous 525 22

Multigraphing 40 75

Publicity and New Membership Campaign 10,384 27

Office and storeroom rents 2,370 00

Office assistants 8,740 34

Postage 2,121 35

Supply Department expense 1,472 13

Stencil Addressograph Machine 70 08

Telegraph and telephone 248 07

27,967 13

Total Expenses $69,552 62

426 Bird - Lore

INCOME

Members' Dues $21 ,900 00

Contributions 8,61 r 25

Interest on Investments 23,458 61

Supply Department Receipts —

Bird-Books 82,109 25

Bird-Lore 775 44

Educational Leaflets 6,973 87

Field-glasses 2,679 85

Slides 630 7S

Bulletins, Department of Applied Ornithology 146 31

Cabinets 507 30

Charts 759 74

Miscellaneous 560 47

$15,143 01

Total Income $69,112 87

Balance carried to surplus for the year, Exhibit A 439 75

$69,552 62

EGRET PROTECTION FUND

INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT
Exhibit C

Balance October 19, 1919 §1.539 44

Income —

Contributions 3.933 7*

*5»473 l5
Expenses —

Egret wardens $1,840 00

Expenses, re confiscated plumes 121 39

Reservation posters and expenses 297 08

Telegrams 10 55

Inspecting rookeries 612 02

Traveling expense 25 00

Biological Survey work 1,600 00

Motion pictures and print s 454 66

4.0<>o 70

Balance unexpended, October 19, 1920, Exhibit A . $5 1 2 45

Report of the Treasurer 427

CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FUND

„ ..... „ INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT

Exhibit D

Balance, October 19, 1919 $5,137 4°

Income —

Contributions 26,590 45

Junior Members' fees 27,127 40

Sale of typewriter 20 00

$58,875 25

Expenses —

Administrative expense $1,500 00

Bird-Lore to Junior Classes 6,646 53

Buttons for Junior Classes 1,611 81

Colored plates in Bird-Lore 284 66

Cartage and expressage 284 36

Field Agents' salaries and expenses 6,849 32

Half-tones for publications 57 30

Office rent 840 00

Office supplies 324 04

Miscellaneous 321 63

Postage on circulars and literature 6,800 00

Printed circulars to teachers 991 05

Printing envelopes 701 34

Printing leaflet units for Junior Members 16,763 00

Reports and publicity 2,296 29

Soliciting for Junior funds 481 83

Stenographic and clerical work 6,210 02

Automobile for Long Island Agent (Paid for by Bird Club of

Long Island) 782 00

53,745 18

Balance unexpended, October 19, 1920, Exhibit A $5,130 07

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED ORNITHOLOGY

„ ... .. „ INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT

Exhibit E

Balance unexpended, October 19, 1919 $77 09

Income — ■

Contributions $1,450 00

Earnings of H. K. Job — public lectures 1,173 43 •

Sale of motion pictures 400 00

Rental of films 400 00

$3,423 43

$3,500 52
Expenses —

Agents' salaries and expenses $3,079 86

Purchase of motion picture camera 400 00

Stationery and printing 20 00

3,449 86

Balance unexpended, October ig, 1920, Exhibit A $0 66

428 Bird -Lore

STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED OCTOBER 19, 1920
Exhibit F

Receipts —

Income on General Fund : $69,112 87

Endowment Fund 22,404 15

Egret Fund 3,933 71

Children's Educational Fund 53,737 85

Department of Applied Ornithology 3,423 43

Roosevelt Memorial Fund 641 24

Interest due October 19, 1919 752 25

Total receipts for year ended October 19, 1920 8154,005 50

Cash balance October 19, 1919 40,642 42

$194,647 92
Disbursements —

Expenses on General Fund $68,836 25

Endowment Fund investments $45,200 00

Less — Investments reduced 24,450 00 20,750 00

Egret Fund 4,960 70

Children's Educational Fund 46,482 18

Department of Applied Ornithology 3,499 86

Furniture 33 56

Boats 102 00

Unpaid bills, October 19, 1919 6,523 06

Total disbursements for year ended Oct. 19, 1920 151,187 61

Cash Balance October 19, 1920, Exhibit A 43,460 31

$194,547 94

New York, October 25, 1920.
Dr. F. A. Lucas,
Acting President,

National Association of Audubon Societies,
New York.

Dear Sir: We have examined report submitted by John H. Koch & Com-
pany, certified public accountants of the National Association of Audubon
Societies, for the year ending October 19, 1920. The accounts show balance
sheets of October 19, 1920, and income and expense account for the year ending
the same date. Vouchers and paid checks have been examined by them in
connection with all disbursements, and also the securities in the Safe Deposit
Company. Yours very truly,

T. S. Palmer
J. A. Allen

A uditing Committee.

TWENTIETH CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS

JANUARY— FEBRUARY, 1920

30c. a Copy
SI. 50 a Year

COPYRIGHT. 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

J§tr& • tore

January-February, 1920

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES PAge

Frontispiece in Color. Ground Dove. To illustrate Educational Leaflet which will

appear in the succeeding issue of Bird-Lore Bruce H or s fall. .

Tiik Ring-Necked Pheasant. Illustrated Verdi Burtch. . i

Black Dick. Illustration Frank Levy. 4

Bobbie Yank. Illustrated Katrine Blackinlon . . 5

The Staghorn Sumac. Illustrated E. A. Doolittk. . S

Clay-Colored Sparrow. Illustration II. ^ S. Pittman. . 10

Red-Poll. Great Horned Owl. Illustration H. & S. Pittman. . 1 1

Bird-Lore's Advisory Council ! 2

BIRD-LORE'S TWENTIETH CHRISTMAS CENSUS Edited by J. 7. Nichols. . 14

THE SEASON. XVII. October 15 to December 15, 1919 i<,

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS

Annual Report Biological Survey; Hudson's 'Book or the Naturalist'; Taver-
ner's 'Birds of Eastern Canada'; Burns' 'Birds of Chester County.'

EDITORIAL 55

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES -SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 56

Cooperation; How ro Build Bird-Houses. Illustrated.

A. A. Allen; Feathered Allies. How We Becaio Junior Naturalists.

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 7,

The Klamath Lake Siti ition; Politics i\ Oregon; Bird Lectures; Charles Henry

Davis (lllusj; Bird-Work vnd the Children; \iv, l. mi vnd Sustaining Members.

*** Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review and exchanges, should be sent
to/he Editor, at 'In- A merit an Museum oj .\ alural History, 77th St. and 8th Ave., A - w York City.

Important Notice to All Bird-Lore Subscribers

"DIRD-LORE is published 0:1 or near the first days of February, April, June,
** August, October, and December. Failure to secure the copy due you should
be reported not later than the 18th of the months above mentioned. We cannot
supply missing copies after the month in which the number in question was issued.

Notices of changes of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-I.ORE.
HARKISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should stritc whether the change is permanent or for one or two issues. Make checks
and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

Enter cla matter at the Post Office al rlarrisburg, Pa., under Act of Congres of Vugust 24, iota

MARCH— APRIL, 1920

Edited by

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Published fok tub Auddbon Societies

bt

ax 2ippleton 61 Company

HARRISBURG, PA.

NEW YORK

^'JJ^^mJT'' ~ Qn 'rf-'^J^Ck

i&trti * tore

March-April, 1920

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES page

Frontispiece in Color. Arizona, California, Florida, and Santa Cruz Jays

Louis Agassiz Fucrlcs. .

A Bird Watcher in France Herbert R. Mills. . 77

Fdzld Sparrows. Illustrated F.N. Whitman. . 81

A Surprised Crow. Illustrated Verdi Burtch. . 84

An Unusual Horned Lark Family. Illustrated Frank Lay. . 85

Migration Group Chart. Illustrated S. A . llausman . . 86

Winter Feeding-Stations at Highland Park, Rochester. Illustrated

II'. L. G. Edson and R. E. Horsey. . 88
The Migration of North American Birds. XH. Arizona and California Jays and

Their Allies Harry C. Oberholser. . 90

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds. Fifty-sixth Paper

Frank M. Chapman. . 91

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 93

A Western Bird Table, Leslie L. Haskin; What Has Become of the Golden-crowned
Kinglet? Gordon Wilson; Scarcity of Golden-crowned Kinglets, E. A. Doolittle;
Evening Grosbeak in Connecticut, II'. E. Fuller; White-winged Crossbill in
Brooklyn, Ralph Friedmann; Prairie Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs at
Ithaca, N. Y., C. II'. Leister; American Crossbill at Pittsburgh, Milo II . Miller;
Notes from London, Ont., C. G. Watson, Secy ; A Pennsylvania Mocker, Mrs. C. C.
Peter; Evening Grosbeak in New Jersey, A. P. Richardson; Winter Notes from
Ames, Iowa, //. E. Ewing; Unusual December Birds at Branchport, N. Y., Clarence
F. Stone; Golden-crowned Kinglet, B. J . Blincoe; Prairie Chickens in Northern
Indiana, IF. A. Squires; Bohemian Waxwing in Stetjben County. X. Y., Clarence F.
Stone; King Rail in Winter, James R. Webb; Nonpareil Wintering in Florida,
Mary C. Dodge; Purple Grackles Steal Thelr Suppers, G. Gill; A Rendezvous of
Red-winged Blackbirds, Dayton Stoner.

THE SEASON. XVIII. December 15, 1919, to February 15, 1920 103

Winsor M. Tyler; J. T. Nichols; Julian K. Potter; Harry C. Oberholser; Harry Harris;
Thos. S. Roberts, W. II. Bergtold, Amelia S. Allen.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS m

Bulletin Essex County Ornithological Club; Bailey's 'Raptorial Birds of Iowa';
Forbush's 'Bird-Houses and Nesting-Boxes, and Outdoor Blrd-Study'; Taverner's
'Birds of Red Deer River and Birds of Shoal Lake'; The Ornithological
Magazines.
EDITORIAL 114

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 115

Keeping Track of the Birds; The Return of the Birds, A. A . Allen; An Interesting
Record, Theodore R. Beard.

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 101. The Ground Dove. See colored plate by Bruce

Horsfall in January-lVbruary Bird-Lore T. Gilbert Pearson. . 126

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 130

Summer Recreation Schools and Nature-Study; Egrj t Protection in the Southern
States; An Interestinc Letter; Biological Survey News Bulletin; New Treaties
Proposed; 'Bluebird' a Live Pi blication; Report from Bangor; National Park
Association; Save the Redwood League; New Members and Contributors.

*** Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review and exchanges, should be sent
to the Editor, at the. American Museum oj Natural History, ~rlh St. and 8th A'.c, New York City.

Important Notice to All Bird-Lore Subscribers

BIRD-LORE is published on or near the first days of February, April, June,
August, October, and December. Failure to secure the copy due you should
be reported not later than the 18th of the months above mentioned. We cannot
supply missing copies after the month in which the number in question was issued.

Notices of changes of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-I.ORE,
HARRISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should state whether the change is permanent or for just one or two issues. Make
checks and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at HarrisburR, Pa., under Act of Conpress of August 24, 191s

MAY— JUNE, 1920

30c. a Copy
SI. 50 a Year

COPYRIGHT. 1920, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

JBtrfc * lore

May-June, 1920

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES pace
Frontispiece in Color. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. (See Educational Leaflet, p. 188.)

Edmund J. Sawyer. .

Spring Thunder. Illustrated //. E. Tu'ttlc. . 139

Short-eared Owl. Illustrated J.J/. McClelland. . 142

Cedar Farm and Two Wrens ! una Rogers Roberts. . 143

Two Portraits of a Sitting Woodcock Ward B. Perley, Jr.. . 14(1

Some Robins' Xests. Illustrated Wilbur F. Smith. . 147

Crested Flycatcher. Illustrated Jesse L. Smith. . 150

A Mich-used Robin's Nest. Illustrated A. P. DuBois. . 151

Two Fox Sparrow Photographs Verdi Burtch and A . A . Jeffrey. . 154

The Way of the Wren Katrine Blaekinton . . 155

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 157

Bird-banding by the Biological Survey, E. W. Nelson; Winter Notes from West
Medford, Mass., Lidian E. Bridge; Evening Grosbeaks at Boston, F. C. Powell;
Evening Grosbeaks at Nyack, X. Y.. Mary L. Emery; Winter Birds at Ridgewood,
X* J., F. de la M. Bunce; Migration of Dicks and Geese at Winthrop. Iowa.. F. J.
1'ieree; Purple Gallintle in Connecticut, C. W. Packard. M.D.; An Odd Note of
the Blue Jay, Winsor M. Tyler; Blle Jays vs. Mouse, G. Gill; Mouse and Blue Jay,
Lizzie N. Douglas; Twenty-one Warblers in a Day. Richard M. Chase; What Killed
Cock Robin? Lilian Rea McCormick; Mrs. Wren Pits Her Family to Bid in a Robin's
Nest, Mrs. J. Elsworth Jackson; Bluebirds vs. Wrens. Mrs. Arthur F. Gardner; A CON-
FUSION of Instincts, Mrs. Arthur F . Gardner; A Clever Robin, Mary T. Barrett; Wrens
Drive Away English Sparrows, Xcttic Randall.

THE SEASON. XX. February 15 to April 15 165

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 174

Hudson's Birds in Town and Village' and 'Adventure's Among Birds'; Ornithological
Magazines.

EDITORIAL 176

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 177

Learning Riki^' Songs (Illustrated), .1. .1. Allen; House to Let, Kathryn Quarles; \
Pur of Robins. ('. H. Fish: An Experience with Cardinals, Roy Marnier; Bluebirds
Drive Away Sparrows, /•.'. /•'. Dana and ('. P. Emerson.

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET No. 102. Yellow bellied Sapsucker. Colored Frontispiece

by Edmund J. Sawyer T. Gilbert Pearson 188

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 192

Migratory Bird Treaty Safe; Text op Suprem Com i Opinion; Bird Treaties with
Other Countries; Audubon Feather Exhibits; Taming Wild Birds (Mustrati
Etta S. Wilson; Mertden Bird Club; Birds Poisoned; New Audubon s<>, nins
Audubon's Collection; New Members.

*** Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review and exchanges, should be sent
to the Editor, allhc A mcrican Museum of Natural History, 77th St. and 8th Ave., New York City.

Important Notice to All Bird-Lore Subscribers

BIRD-LORE is published on or near the first days of February, April, June,
August, October, and December. Failure to secure the copy due you should
be reported not later than the 18th of the months above mentioned. We cannot
supply missing copies after the month in which the number in question was issued.

Notices of changes of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-LORE.
HARRISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should state whether the change is permanent or for just one or two issues. Make
checks and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

I Dtered as second-class matter at the Tost Office at Harrisburj;, Pa., under Act of Congreu of August .-.;, 1012

JULY— AUGUST, 1920

30c. a Copy
SI .50 a Year

Edited bt
FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Published for ihk Audubon Societie9

BT

2D. 2lppleton & Company

HARRISBURG, PA.

NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT. 1920, BY FRANK M CHAPMAN

JBtrti * tore

July-August, 1920

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES pace

Frontispiece in Color — Starling and Bobolink Louis Agassiz Fuertes. .

Photographing the Scarlet Tanager. illustrated C. IT. Leister. . 203

a Gnatcatc tier's Troubles R. D. Book, M.D.. . 208

A Curious Nesting Habit of the Tufted Titmouse James P. Baker, Jr.. . 211

Nighthawk. Photograph Dr. .1 . //. Cordier. . 212

The Migration of North American Birds. XIII. European Starling and Bobolink.

Harry C. Oberholser. . 213

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds. Fifty-seventh Paper

Frank M. Chapman. . 216

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 218

A Town of Five Thrushes, Helen G. Whittle; American Egret in Vermont, Emily Field
Kellogg; An Early Egg of Virginia Rail on Long Island, Roy Latham; Duck Hawks
in New York City, Nathan Clifford Brown; Some Observations on the Osprey, Alice
K. Meloy; Saw-Whet Owl at Branchport, N. Y., Clarence F. Stone; Kentucky Notes,
Gordon Wilson; Blue Grosbeak at Newtown, Pa., Russell Richardson: Blue Grosbeak
at Rock Island, Ills., Genevieve Zimmer; Belated Evening Grosbeaks, Martha
McMorran; Evening Grosbeaks Like Sumac Berries, Mrs. 11. W . Abraham; Bohemian
Waxwing in Maine, Winifred Holway Palmer; The Window Visitor, Lester W . Smith;
An Adaptable Robin, George Roberts, Jr.; The Warbling Vlreo in Southern Rhode
Island, Edward II. Perkins.

THE SEASON. XX. April 15 to June IS, 1920 225

Winsor M. Tyler; J. T. Nichols; Jidian K. Potter; Harry C. Oberholser; Lynds Jones; Thomas
S. Roberts, M.D.; Harry Harris; W. H. Bergtold; Amelia S. Allen; L. E. Wyman.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 235

Finn's 'Bird Behaviour, Psychical and Physiological'; Oberholser and McAtee on
'Water-fowl and Their Food Plants in Nebraska'; Bartsch's 'Birds Observed on
the Florida Keys and the Southern End of the Mainland of Florida in ioiq';
Baldwin's 'Bird-Banding by Means of Systematic Trapping', from Abstract of
Proceedings of Linn.kan Society of New York; Pi.mp.irton's 'Second Ten-Year
Index to The Condor'; Horsfall on 'The Sage Grouse.'

EDITORIAL 237

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 238

Studying Birds' Eggs; The Eggs of Birds, .1. .1. .1.; For and from Adult and Young
Observers.

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 252

William Dutches; Eagles ok Alaska; Jtjnioh Audubon Societies; Exploring for
New Bird Colonies, Illustrated, T. Gilbert Pearson; Our National Parks Threatened,
Another Cat Ordinance; \i u Mi usees.

*** Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., /or review and exchanges, should be sent
to the Editor, at the American Museum oj Natural History, 7-1)1 St. and 8th Ave., New York City.

Important Notice to All Bird-Lore Subscribers

BIRD-LORE is published on or near the first days of February, April, June,
August, October, and December. Failure to secure the copy due you should
be reported not later than the 18th of the months above mentioned. We cannot
supply missing copies after the month in which the number in question was issued.

Notices of changes of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-LORE,
HARRISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should state whether the change is permanent or for just one or two issues. Make
checks and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa., under Act of Congress of August 24, 191:

VOL. XXII
No. 5

SEPTEMBER— OCTOBER. 1920

30c. a Copy
SI. 50 a Year

COPYRIGHT, I920, BY PRANK M. CHAPMAN

trti * lore

September-October, 1920

The appearance of this number of BIRD-LORE was delayed by

our inability to secure paper promptly at even three times the

price formerly paid for it.

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES page

Frontispiece in Color — Bronzed and Purple Grackles Edmund J. Sawyer, .

The Screech Owl. Illustrated II. E. Tuttlc. . 265

The Tragic Story of a Titmouse George Roberts, Jr.. . 270

Cedar Waxwing. Illustration Sheridan F. Wood. . 273

A Hummingbird Story. Illustrated Wilbur F. Smith. . 274

Mount Mazama Bird Notes Leslie L. llaskin . . 275

The Tree Swallow on Long Island. Illustrated J.T. Nichols. . 270

The Kingfisher's Cave. Illustration Walter A . Goelilz. . 281

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 282

Ax Exhibit of Ornithological Art; Bird Notes from Victoria, B. C, /. R. Anderson;
Record of a Feeding-Station, Richard M. Chase; Red-Throated Loon at Branch-
port, N. Y., (Illustrated), Verdi Burtch; Yellow Crowned Night Heron in New
Hampshire, John T. Coolidge, Jr.; Brave Quail, J. IF. Lippincott; A Migrant Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher, C. II. Bush; House Finches Eat Salt. Esther Reek.-; The Wax-
wtng's Rag Bag, Mary B. Benson; Peculiar Song of a Red-eyed Yireo, E. A. Doo-
little; The Yellow-throated Vireos, Inez Harrington Whitfield; A Railroad Robin
(Illustrated), Ward W. Adair; The Tragedy of the Oyenbird, Mrs. Arthur F. Gardner;
Nuthatch and Shrike, Mrs. R. S. Hulbert.

THE SEASON. XXI. June 15 to August 15, 1920 291

Winsor M. Tyler; J. T. Nichols; Harry C. Oberholser; Harry Harris; Thomas S. Roberts;
W. II. Bergtold; Amelia S. Allen; L. E. Wyman.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 298

What Bird Is That? Tin: ORNITHOLOGICAL M \c \zints.

EDITORIAL 300

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 301

Studying the Fall Birds, A. A. A.; How Birds Change Their Plumage (Illustrated},

A. A. A.; For and from Young Observers.

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 103. Bronzed and Pltrple Grackles. Colored Frontis-
piece by Edmund J. Sawyer T. Gilbert Pearson. . 312

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 310

Anni \i. Meeting; Bird Lecture for Florida; The Ld?e Work of William

DUTCHER, T. S. Palmer; EXPLORING FOR New BlKD COLONIES (Illustrated}, T. Gilbert
Pearson; New MEMBERS.

***Manuscri />ts intended for publication, books, etc., for review and exchanges, should be sent
to the Editor, at the American Museum of Natural History, 77th St. and 6'th Ave., New York City.

Notices of changes of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-LORE,
HARRISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should state whether the change is permanent or for just one or two issues. Make
checks and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa., under Act of Congress of August 24, 191a

VOL. XXII
No. 6

NOVEMBER— DECEMBER, 1920

30c. a Copy
$1 .50 a Year

Edited by
FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Published fob the al-im-bos Societies
bt

2D- £ppleton & Company

HARRISBURG, PA.

COPYRIGHT. 1920, BY FRANK M CHAPMAN

jStrti * lore

November-December, 1920

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES page

Frontispiece in Color — Cowbirds Louis Agassis Furrtcs. .

A Partridge Don Quixote. Illustrated Howard 11 '. Cleaves. . 329

Why Do Birds Bathe ? Ernest Thompson Scion. . 334

The Boat-Bund in the Snow. Illustrated Guy A . Bailey. . 336

A Winter Chronicle, 1918-19 Katharine Upham Hunter. . 340

The Migration of North American Birds. XIV. Cowbirds II . C . Obcrholser . . 343

Bird-Lore's Twenty-first Christmas Bird Census 346

Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds Frank M. Chapman. . 347

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 348

Snow-Bathing, R. Owen Merriman; Bird-Notes from Dutchess County, X. X .. Mary
Hyatt; A Centenarian Bird-Lover, Mrs. M. R. Merriman: The Snow-Birds. Mary A.
Hunt; Winter Notes from Andover, N. J., F. Blanche II ill; Some Florida Records,
Lester II'. Smith; The Screech Owl as a Sparrow-Trap. Fred J. Fierce; A Colony of
Three-toed Woodpeckers, Charles L. Whittle; A Junto with Strange Markings,
Wm. J. Cartwright; Cedar Waxwings at Hollywood, Calif., Mrs. Robert Fargo;
Chickadees and Bacon, Alice A. Noycs; Feeding the Chickadees, Elizabeth
S. Smith; Eagles and Other Birds Near Troy, N. Y., Clarence Houghton.

THE SEASON. XXII. August 15 to October 15, 1920 355

Winsor M. Tyler; J. T. Nichols; Julian K. Roller; II. C. Obcrholser; Harry Harris; Thos.S.
Roberts; IF. II. Bcrgtold; Amelia S. Allen; Francis B. Schmidt r.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 363

Swarth's 'Revision of the Avian Genus Passerei.i.a with Special Reference to the
Distribution and Migration of the Races in California'; Brooks's 'The Food of
West Virginia Birds'; Sii.i.oway's 'Guide to the Summer Birds of the Bear Moun-
tain and IIakriman Park Sections of the Palisades Interstate Park'; The Orni-
thological Magazines.

EDITORIAL 300

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 367

Winter Birds' Nests, .1. .1. .1.; From Young Observers.

THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES— EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 375

Annual Meeting; President-Elect Harding for Bird-Protection; A National
Hunting License; Thumbs Down for Malheur Lake.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCLATION OF AUDUBON SOCIE-
TIES FOR 1920 379

*** Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review and exchanges, should be sent
to the Editor, at the American Museum of Natural History, 77th St. and 8th Ave., New York City.

Important Notice to All Bird-Lore Subscribers Whose
Subscriptions Expire with this Issue

"DIRD-LORE regrets that it cannot send its next issue to subscribers whose sub-
*-* scriptions expire with this number, until they have renewed their subscription.
The size of the edition of each issue is determined by the number of actual subscrib-
ers at the time of publication, and if you would have your set complete we would
advise an early renewal. Should you decide not to renew, will you not kindly notify us ?

Notices of chances of addresses, renewals and subscriptions should be sent to BIRD-LORE,
HARRISBURG, PA. Each notice of a change of address should give the old address as well as
the new, and should state whether the change is permanent or for just one or two issues. Make
checks and money orders payable to BIRD-LORE.

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa., under Act of Congress of August 24, 191 2

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BIRD LIFE

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BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA

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COLOR KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

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OUR WINTER BIRDS

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THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS

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In Lecture-Recital

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Imitations of bird songs by natural whistling

Magnificent reproductions in color

Mr. Caldwell is a specialist in tree surgery and
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previous to the World War. For copy of press
notices, terms, etc., address

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HANDBOOK OF BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

Third edition. With introductory chapters on the study of Ornithology; how to
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page plates and 150 cuts in the text. i2mo. Library edition, $4. Pocket edition,
$4.50 net.

BIRD LIFE

A guide to the study of our common birds. With 75 full-page colored plates and
numerous text drawings by Ernest Thompson Seton. Containing an Appendix,
especially designed for teachers. 1 2mo. Cloth. $4 net.

BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA

A fascinating account of the habits of common birds, with descriptions of the
largest bird colonies existing in eastern North America. The author's phenomenal
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the camera. 1 :mo. Cloth. 52. 25 net.

WARBLERS OF NORTH AMERICA

A full description of our most beautiful, most abundant, and least known birds.
Dr. Chapman knows these "dainty, fascinating sprites of the treetops" perhaps
better than any other student of Nature, and he has here drawn on his great
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CAMPS AND CRUISES OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST

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COLOR KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

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OUR WINTER BIRDS

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THE WARBLERS of
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Founded on a system which Dr. Chapman originated in the American
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Books for Bird-Lovers

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

HANDBOOK OF BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

Third edition. With introductory chapters on the study of Ornithology; how to
identify birds and how to collect and preserve birds, their nests and eggs. 20 full-
page plates and 150 cuts in the text. i2mo. Library edition, $4. Pocket edition,
in flexible cloth, $5 net

BIRD LIFE

A guide to the study of our common birds. With 75 full-page colored plates and
numerous text drawings by Ernest Thompson Seton. Containing an Appendix,
especially designed for teachers. i2mo. Cloth. $4 net.

BIRD-STUDIES WITH A CAMERA

A fascinating account of the habits of common birds, with descriptions of the
largest bird colonies existing in eastern North America. The author's phenomenal
success in photographing birds in Nature not only lends to the illustrations the
charm of realism, but makes the book a record of surprising achievements with
the camera. i2mo. Cloth. Sj net.

WARBLERS OF NORTH AMERICA

A full description of our most beautiful, most abundant, and least known birds.
Dr. Chapman knows these "dainty, fascinating sprites of the treetops" perhaps
better than any other student of Nature, and he has here drawn on his great
wealth of material for one ot the most interestingly instructive books of this kind
ever written. Illustrated with many colored plates and photographs of nests and
eggs. Imp. 8vo. Illustrated. $4 net.

CAMPS AND CRUISES OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST

The story of eight years' experience in travel, in which the author covered over
60,000 miles in his search for material with which to prepare a series of groups of
American birds, to exceed in beauty and scientific value anything which had here-
tofore been attempted in this line. The illustrations, over 250 in number, are
from Dr. Chapman's photographs, and beyond question form the most remarkable
series of pictures of bird-life which has ever appeared. 8vo. Decorated cover,
gilt top, rough-cut edges. Illustrated. S4 net.

COLOR KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

This work may be described as an illustrated dictionary of North American birds.
It is the most complete publication of its kind, and makes an admirable introduc-
tion to the study of birds and the literature of Ornithology, and at the same time
is an authoritative work of reference. Over 800 pictures. 53.50 net.

OUR WINTER BIRDS

An introduction to the study of birds. The author believes that the study of Orni-
thology should begin with the winter birds as they are fewer in number and easier
to approach. Divided into convenient groups such as field birds, forest birds,
home birds, etc. Illustrated. i2mo. 5 1.50 net.

THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS

A series of chapters on bird migration, describing birds as travelers, why they
travel, dangers by the way, night flyers and day flyers, etc. Many illustrations
from drawings. Illustrated. 72 cents net

For Sale at All Booksellers
Publishers D. APPLETON AND COMPANY New York

A NEW KIND OF BIRD BOOK

u

Half of One of the Eight 'Cases' Showing 301 Birds in Color

What Bird Is That?"

A Pocket Museum of the Land Birds of the Eastern United
States, arranged according to season and described by Frank M.
Chapman, with 301 figures in color by Edmund J. Sawyer.

Founded on a system which Dr. Chapman originated in the
American Museum, this book will be welcomed by field students
as an effective and simple aid to naming birds in nature.

12mo., 160 pages, cloth, $1 .25 net; flexible leather $1 .75 net

D. APPLETON & COMPANY, Publishers

35 West 32d Street, New York City

J.

DodsonWren Dodson

House, 4 com- Purple Mar

partments, 28 in. tin House,

high, 18 in. in (cottage style)

diameter. Price 28 compart-

$6.00. mentb.

Dodson Bluebird

32X House, 4 compart-

27 ments, 21 inches

inches, high, 18 inches in

Price diameter.

SI 6.00. Price S6.00.

Dodson
Hexangular

Fiji ..er
House, 16:
n. x 12 in. x 1: in
Price 36.00.

Solve the Housing Problem for the Birds

by erecting Dodson Bird Houses. Their attractiveness wins the
birds, and they are scientifically built by Mr. Dodson, who has
spent a lifetime in studying the birds, their habits, and in
attracting them to Beautiful "Bird Lodge," his home and bird
sanctuary on the Kankakee River.

The Dodson Bird House will add to the beauty of your
grounds and the birds will protect your flowers and shrubbery.
Order now — the birds are seeking homes

FREE BIRD BOOK— Sent on Request

—illustrating Dodson Line, giving prices; also beautiful colored
bird picture free.

JOSEPH H. DODSON

712 Harrison Avenue Kankakee, Illinois

Dodson Sparro-u) Trap, guaranteed to rid your community of
these quarrelsome Jiests. Price $8.00. 41

W

V

^

-^ ^

Rustic Bird Houses do not require Weathering
but are Ready for Instant Occupation

Buy these three and get ahead of New York landlords by let-
ting them tor a mere song. Three, Robin, Wren and Bluebird for $5.00
and post charges; weight 9 lbs. Crescent Sparrow Trap, i8"x 1 > ",
weight 8 lbs., price S5.00 and parcel post charges.

Stop in and visit our Shop — Stand in charge of
Scout Woolley on Boulevard

CRESCENT CO., "Birdville," Toms River P. O., New Jersey

SEVEN BROOKS FARM

NORTH ANSON, MAINE

A bird lover or two, child or grown-up, may join Miss
E. P. Moore in her summer home to study birds and wild
creatures. Lovely country. Simple living.

E. P. MOORE, 26 Lime St., Boston, Mass.

Permanent Attraction for Wild Game

Attract and hold wild game onyourestates
and preserves. Provide thfm with natural
feeding grounds. Wild Celery and Wild
Rice transform unattractive places into
haunts where fish and
wild fowl congregate
Send for free booklet

Terrell, Naturalist
Room BB 132. Oihkoih. Wii.

Ever -Set Sparrow Trap $5

Including Receiving Cage ^f^*-^

The tr;ip with a
record of l529Spar-
rows caught in five
monl lis is the one
to get and catch
those noisy, dirty
pests which 6gh1
away the song birds
that we delight to
have around, and
also get away with
the feed intended
for- your poultry,
which soon amounts
to more than the
price of the trap. .Send today for a trap which is guaranteed
to rid your grounds of the Sparrows.

EVER-SET TRAP COMPANY

1004 West Fifteenth Street

Davenport, Iowa

WHAT BIRD IS THAT?

A Pocket Museum of the Land Birds of the Eastern United
States, arranged according to season and described by Frank M.
Chapman, with 301 figures in color by Edmund J. Sawyer.

Founded on a system which Dr. Chapman originated in the
American Museum, this book will be welcomed by field students
as an effective and simple aid to naming birds in nature.

I2mo, 160 pages, cloth, $1.25 net
flexible leather, $I.JS net

D. APPLETON & COMPANY, Publishers

35 West 32d Street, New York City

Mr. W. H. Hudson's
Charming Bird Books

"Charming as an improvisation on a flute
or the flickering journey of a bird through
summer boughs" — N. Y. Evening Post.

♦

Adventures Among Birds

With cuts reproduced from Bewick's
"British Birds" (1826)

Illustrated. $4.00

Birds in Town and Village

With 8 plates in color after paintings
by E. J. Delmold

Color Plates, $4.00

" Unrivalled for perception and unique charm "

Among other books by W. H. HUDSON:

Far Away and Long Ago
Idle Days in Patagonia

These books ore obtainable through anu bookstore
or direct from

E. P. DUTTON & CO.

681 Fifth Avenue New York

Bird -Lore's Bird Chart

Has been of much assistance to
bird-students and has also been
highly commended by teachers.

It figures in black and white
sixty-two representative species of
our eighteen families of Perching
Birds. From Crow to Kinglet, all
these figures are photographed to
the same scale; and anyone may
therefore instructively compare, at
a glance, characteristic members of
all families of Perching Birds.

We are offering this chart at
fifty cents per copy, postpaid.
Special terms will be made to
schools and bird clubs ordering
ten or more copies.

D. APPLETON & CO.

Crescent and Mulberry Sts.

Harrisburg, Penna.

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