The Birds of Ohio 


Oomnfloniits ¥ 


ORIGINAL EDITION 


LIMITED TO ONE THOUSAND COPIES 


No. 426 


Ie, ale 


M Yeon Daseeoy 


AT THE BIRDS. 


7 


KING 


LOO! 


THE BIRDS OF OHIO 


A COMPLETE, SCIENTIFIC AND 
POPULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE 320 SPECIES OF BIRDS 
FOUND IN THE STATE 


BY 


WILLIAM LEON DAWSON, A.M., B.D. 


WITH INTRODUCTION AND ANALYTICAL KEYS BY 


LYNDS JONES, M. Sc. 


INSTRUCTOR IN ZOOLOGY IN OBERLIN COLLEGE. 


ILLUSTRATED BY SO PLATES IN COLOR-PHOTOGRAPHY, AND MORE THAN 200 


ORIGINAL HALI-TONES, SHOWING THE FAVORITE HAUNTS OF THE 
BIRDS, FLOCKING, FEEDING 


, NESTING, ETC., FROM PHOTO- 
GRAPHS TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR AND OTIIERS. 


SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION 


COLUMBUS 
THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO. 


1903 


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 


CopyRIGHT 1902 
BY 
THe WHEATON PUBLISHING Co. 


ays 


Wiley 


ot 


Half-tone work be The Bucher Engraving Co. 


Composition and Presswork by The New Franklin Printing Co. 
Binding by The Ruggles- -Gale Co. 
¥ 


al 


_ 


To my first-born son, 
dill Dberlin 


who is already approving himself in a fond father’s eyes as 


A YOUNG ORNITHOLOGIST 
This hook is affectionately dedicated. 


ae 
bee 


TABLE OF CONTENTS. 


PAGI 
EN TRODUCHION, BY SLAVNIDS PilONIES wiemiec-teusyeres acute cele oie 4 cea Gee a miele suns eae x1 
EURUP IVA CBF age NORE gS <8 ay 5) Aer Oe ee een yee OES, J PERU ria e Rp alot Shs, RCS RNS ut alee Xi 
HEICREOR A COMPORE Dice EA TESs- feed ee mae Geren crea ee oat al ea cores XVII 
MhOBOCRINPEMMOR TA ISIRD 52 anf att ei oe ciated ero saa ace oordheias SOX 
PNUNPAUE VET TI CAN SUISIRIY'S: 5 one eit, hada ttn ren Om anaes Spots es Sk Orie eee A Sta oe XXi1l 
VARIANT Fal CONPARTSONS acetates ecu eer eacnine cua wcrc a eee xlvii 
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 320 SPECIES OF BIRDS KNOWN TO OCCUR IN OHIO. I 
PNPPENDES WAS el VEO RAE TECAT a TST emery at Gwe ment va cue ac Sis cue Gat ene oe 641 
INP PR ND TX w San GONE CIU RIA, Sil ee weperi ap etsysites eye aes eee oy see ae 645 
APPENDIX C, CHECK-LIST AND MIGRATION TABLES................-- 647 
[GNAIDTSSS eS, oleh as oie Mer. PRO dork ae Resets icc setae ME cutee a 664 


i. 
be 


INTRODUCTION. 


General appreciation of the birds, their beauty, the charm of their songs, 
their joyous lives, and their usefulness, is one of the most significant signs 
of the times. It indicates that as a people we are coming into our own. We 
are living a life beyond the merely commercial. We are looking out upon a 
larger world lifted to a higher plane. Americans have always excelled in 
strength and push and general initiative where material things are concerned, 
but we have been too busy developing ourselves to see about us the beautiful 
and pleasing in nature. The grand, indeed, has always appealed to us. Now 
we begin to have leisure for the graceful and the subtle. We are broadening 
our lives by closer touch with that which appeals to the higher instincts 
which have been allowed to remain dormant. It is natural and fitting that 
birds should appeal most strongly to an American, because they possess that 
vigor and tireless energy which he recognizes in himself. The birds live at 
white heat and are never idle. They typify American energy. 

The study of birds necessarily takes one out of doors. Our medical ad- 
visers are always prescribing more outdoor exercise; but without any other 
object than getting into the fresh air exercise is pretty stupid. Give one the 
zest of finding new things which must be searched for, something which re- 
quires going after, and the necessity for exercise is forgotten in the interest 
aroused by the ever receding bird. Enlist a child in bird study and the problem 
of most serious importance to the parent, how to properly guard the developing 
life and keep it away from evil influences, becomes greatly simplified. A boy 
cannot be very bad, nor stay bad, if he has a genuine interest in birds. They 
keep his mind occupied and direct his energies into healthful channels. Life 
never falls to a dead level to him who knows and loves the birds. Old age, 
as we are wont to regard it, will never touch him, for he will not wish to live in 
the past, but continue his interest in the present which will always be fresh and 
filled with new things to learn. 

The study of birds does not require any unusual leisure. Many business 
men whose business demands practically their whole time and attention are 
ardent lovers of the birds, and find the few moments of bird study each day 
valuable to them in their hours of business. ‘They are able to plan their few 
short vacations so they will count for the most. There is no haphazard effort 

XI. 


Slits 


to get the most rest in the shortest time, requiring more effort to execute the 
plan than the rest is worth, but the calm assurance that they are certainly to find 
what they wish for. No one, no matter how busy, need think that for him 
bird study is impossible, because some birds may be seen from any window. 
Attention is the only requisite. Most present day bird students began their 
study during their period of least leisure. 

This book is offered as a help in enlisting and developing your interest 
m our native birds. The author has always loved birds, and has spent many 
years in Ohio with the birds at all seasons and in many places. By education 
and training he is fitted to express here that intense love and appreciation 
which has been characteristic of his study during all of the ten years of our 
fellowship as bird lovers. The many happy days and weeks of our association 
in field work have served only to deepen my conviction that there are few per- 
sons whose sympathetic appreciation and careful training could better fit them 
for the task of revealing the birds to those who wish to know them. Study 
in Ohio for a considerable term of years, supplemented by study of the same 
and other birds in many places outside of the State has given to the author of 
this book unusual knowledge and equipment for the task. College and Theo- 
logical training also count much for accuracy of knowledge and facility of 
expression. 

The State of Presidents is also the State of varied bird life. With Lake 
Frie at one end and the Ohio River, a main tributary of the great Mississippi, 
at the other, midway between the extreme east and the middle west, Ohio is 
favorably situated for varied bird life, and for comparative ease in the study of 
that life. The once almost continuous forests are rapidly disappearing, and 
with them some of our birds, but there is a compensation in the appearance 
of many others which do not live in the forests. We are now passing through 
a transition period from the original conditions before the advent of the domi- 
nant race to the modified conditions which he has made necessary. The rising 
generation will see more changes in the birds of our state than we have or will 
see. The birds will not disappear so long as there is the keen interest shown 
in them which we see dawning to-day. Their friendship and trust are worthy 
of any effort which we may put forth. 

LYNDS JONES. 

Oberlin, Ohio. 


PREFACE. 


lf any doubt existed in the mind of the author at the inception of his 
task, that the people of Ohio would welcome a book on the birds of the state, 
that doubt has quite vanished before the words of encouragement and appro- 
bation which have already come in, not only from nature-students but from 
prominent educators and men of affairs. The love of out-of-doors is a grow- 
ing passion in the hearts of our people, and the willingness on the part of all 
classes to sit at Nature’s feet is a most hopeful sign of the times. Nature 
in all her aspects is richly vocal to her true disciples, but at no time does she 
speak more clearly and sweetly, and in language which may be ‘“‘understanded 
of the people,” than in the voices of the birds. It is with a sense of privi- 
lege, therefore, that the author has recorded his observations and impressions 
of bird-life in this state, and has set forth in orderly fashion a brief sum- 
mary of our knowledge of our feathered friends. To quicken interest in the 
birds, to facilitate recognition of their features and observation of their 
habits and to raise for them, if possible, an army of well-wishers—on the 
theory that all who really know must love them—has been the author's 
purpose. Of its accomplishment the future must judge. 

A fully illustrated book on the birds of a single state is in a measure 
a new departure, but the perfection of modern methods, especially that ot 
the three-color process, fortunately makes it possible. \Vith four excep- 
tions, the half-tone cuts in this book are from photographs taken in Ohio, 
chiefly during the season of 1903. While the aim has been to secure in the 
pictures both the educational and the artistic interest, the latter has of necessity 
been occasionally sacrificed. 

The treatment of each bird includes both a technical description, of 
plumage, ete., and a popular account of its habits in Ohio. In the limits 
prescribed it has at no time been possible to accord any bird the dignity of 
a genuine life-history, and the sketches as written are by no means exhaus- 
tive. In the scientific treatment also it was deemed best not to attempt the 
elaboration of points in structural ornithology, such as may be found in any 
standard manual, but to utilize the space thus saved for a more careful analysis 
of plumage, in so far as local material was available. The plumage descrip- 
tions and measurements are based almost entirely upon a first-hand study 
of the Ohio State University collections, and these are nearly complete as 

Xiii. 


XIV. 


to Ohio species. Where specimens or data were lacking, | have been under 
obligation to Ridgway’s Manual', Coues’ Key’, Chapman’s Handbook*, and 
other treatises. 

The scope of this book, it is almost needless to say, is strictly Ohioan. 
The birds as described are as any one in Ohio might see them. Something 
may, indeed, be said from time to time as to the bird’s behavior in its distant 
summer or winter home, but our interest centers upon the bird as it appears 
in this state. The proportionate treatment, therefore, which each one re- 
ceives, is prescribed by its relative familiarity or importance within our limits, 
Common birds are not dismissed with a word because they are common, nor 
rare ones dilated upon at great length because they are rare, but the effort 
has been rather to give each bird the place which it actually holds in the 
average scheme of interest. 

The order of treatment is substantially the opposite of the one now 
followed by the American Ornithologists’ Union, and is justifiable princi- 
pally on the ground that it follows a certain order of interest and convenience. 
3eginning, as it does, with the supposedly highest forms of bird-life, it brings 
to the fore the most familiar birds, and avoids that rude juxtaposition of 
the lowest form of one group and the highest of the one above it, which is 
the confessed weakness of the A. O. U. code. 

The summaries under the caption “General Range” are chiefly those 
furnished by the Second Edition of the A. O. U. Check-list, modified by such 
more recent information as has come to hand. 

While the author’s point of view has been that of a bird-lover, some 
things here recorded may seem inconsistent with the claim of that title. The 
fact is that none of us are quite consistent in our attitude toward the bird- 
world. ‘The interests of sport and the interests of science must sometimes 
come into conflict with those of sentiment; and if one confesses allegiance 
to all three at once he will inevitably appear to the partisans of either in a 
bad light. However, a real principal of unity is found when we come to 
regard the bird’s value to society. The question then becomes, not, Is this 
bird worth more to me in my collection or upon my plate than as a living 
actor in the drama of life? but, In what capacity can this bird best serve the 
interests of mankind? ‘There can be no doubt that the answer to the latter 
question is usually and increasingly, As a living bird. We have stuffed speci- 
mens enough, nearly; only a limited few of us are fitted to enjoy the pleasures 
of the chase, and the objects of our passion are about gone anyway; but 
never while the hearts of men are set on peace, and the minds of men are 
alert to receive the impression of the Infinite, will there be too many birds 
to speak to eye and ear, and to minister to the hidden things of the spirit. 
4 A Manual of North American Birds, by Robert Ridgway. Fourth Edition. Philadelphia: J. B. 
Bee Rete Nay tae tn Birds, by Elliott Coues, A.M., M.D., Ph.D, Fourth Edition. Boston: Estes 
and Lauriat. 


8 Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, by Frank M. Chapman, Sixth Edition. New York: 
1). Appleton and Company. 


XV. 


The birds belong to the people, not to a clique or a coterie, but to all the 
people as heirs and stewards of the good things of God. 

As to the manner of treatment I need not speak further, save to say 
that the recent publication of Jones’ catalogue of the Birds of Ohio’, excuses 
me from the necessity of making a precise or complete enumeration of the 
records of any bird’s occurrence—altho as matter of interest I] have done 
so in a few cases. ‘The reader is referred also to Mr. Jones’ excellent list 
for a more particular account of the distribution of each species throughout 
the state, and for information as to food habits, not extensively given in this 
volume. 

To mention all the books which have been of service in the preparation 
of this one would be to give a catalogue of the author’s library, supplemented 
by those of friends—evidently an uncalled-for task. A few of the principal 
works, however, require to be mentioned. The published results of Dr. J. 
M. Wheaton’s work” have been largely assumed in this book, or used as a 
basis of comparison and point of departure. Without his painstaking fidelity 
many state records would have been lost to sight, and we are all under the 
deepest obligation to him for a wealth of accumulated material well arranged. 
Dr. Howard Jones generously placed the contents of his monumental work 
on the Nests and Eggs of Ohio Birds? at our disposal, and we only regret 
that the limits of this volume forbade our drawing more largely upon its 
treasures. Mr. Oliver Davie’s “Nests and Eggs of North American Birds” 
(Fifth Edition) has been consulted, and its pages furnish several records 
for Ohio. Besides these, Ohio pamphlets and local lists too numerous to 
mention have contributed their share to the result. 

Of the catalogues and lists published in adjacent states that of Prof. 
Amos W. Butler on the “Birds of Indiana’ has proved most valuable, both 
because of the similarity which exists between Ohio and her sister on the 
west, and for the unusually abundant data which Prof. Butler’s enthusiastic 
labors have provided. Others which deserve mention are Mcllwraith’s 
“Birds of Ontario”; Ridgway and Forbes’ Ornithology of Illinois’; A. J. 
Cook’s “Birds of Michigan” and Warren’s “Birds of Pennsylvania.” 

Of general works the compendious volumes of Baird, Brewer, and Ridg- 
way, entitled ‘““The Birds of North America’, have been most frequently 
consulted. The first two volumes of Robert Ridgway’s “Birds of North 
and Middle America” have been at hand, and these easily surpass all other 
purely technical works in importance. Chapman’s ‘‘Handbook of the Birds 


1 Ohio State Academy of Science, Special Papers No. 6. The Birds of Ohio, A Revised Catalogue, by 
Lynds Jones, M. Sc. Oct. 15, 1903, pp 241. 

2 As embodied in his ‘“‘Keport on the Birds of Ohio’’, appearing in Vol. IV of the State Geological 
Survey, pp 187-628. A limited number of the Author’s separates still exist, and may be had of the Wheaton 
Publishing Company. 

3 “Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of the Birds of Ohio.’’ Published at Circleville in 24 parts: 
Elephant folio: Hand-colored plates: July,1880-Dec, 1886. Text by Howard E. Jones. Art work by 
Genevieve E. Jones, Eliza J. Schulze, Mrs. N. H. Jones, and others. A magnificent work, second only 
to Audubon. Edition limited to 68 hand-colored copies, of which four still remain unsold, and may be 
had of the Wheaton Publishing Company. 


XV1. 


of Eastern North America” is a model of its class, and its lines—all too 
briei—have proved a fertile source of inspiration. On the more popular 
side grateful mention may be made of Langille’s “Our birds in their Haunts”, 
and Nehrling’s “Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty.” 

To my friend and ornithological brother, Professor Lynds Jones, | am 
under the deepest obligations for assistance in the prosecution of this work. 
Altho having a more accurate knowledge of bird-ways than I, he generously 
consented to set aside certain plans of his own, and has not spared to give 
me valued counsel and aid of every sort. ‘To the list of signed sketches 
which bear his name, should be added the article on the Bob-white, whose 
signature was inadvertently omitted. 

I gratefully acknowledge indebtedness to the State University authori- 
ties, and especially to Professors Osborn and Hine, for the use of museum 
material and for many kindnesses beside; to Mr. C. B. Galbreath of the 
State Library, and to Mrs. Lida Wheaton for the loan of valuable books: 
to Rev. Leander S. Keyser, D.D., Dr. Joshua Lindahl, Dr. F. W. Langdon, 
Dr. Howard Jones, Messrs. C. H. Morris, E. J. Arrick, Wm. Hubbell Fisher, 
and others, for gracious hospitality; to Rev. W. F. Henninger, Professor 
Wm. S. Mills, Robert J. Sim, R. L. Baird, Walter C. Metz, R. F. Griggs, 
and others, for signed sketches, pictures, and data; and to a host of corre- 
spondents and friends beside, for hearty cooperation which has made this 
work a pleasant task and one in a measure representative of the whole state. 

To my wife is due a large measure of credit for her painstaking and 
unselfish work upon the manuscript and in proof-reading. Without her aid 
the work must have been delayed several months. 

1 cannot conclude without making grateful acknowledgment also of the 
sustained interest of my friend and coadjutor, Mr. L. H. Bulkley, and of 
the service of all those who in good conscience have wrought upon this book, 
to give it a comely appearance, a body better, I fear, than the expression of 
its animating spirit, but not higher, I venture to believe, than its aim. 


W. Leon Dawson. 
Columbus, Dec. 15, 1903. 


Fist On COLORED PLATES. 


. 

PAGE 
AMERICAN Crow (Corvus americanus) to face page............ 3 
BOBOLINK: (CDONCHONVs “OrNSIUOTUS) oa ah ose seek darshan eS us 4 11 
BRONZED GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula @neus)................ 33 
ENN E RICAN 1 CROSSBUE INN (USO ONGUIOUNOS LO) ieee ere ete teeys ae ees 43 
AMERICAN GOLDEINCH (Asinagalimus irisiis).........:......-- 47 
SIO WEI Neds: (UACRGA ALG! THAIS) 5 once dan aneakeseoceouecbaene 50 
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotriciia leucophrys).......... 66 
(Camm, (Caohoies Corkins) Sceoccaccaccesounccuebouooee 07 
SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga erythromelas)................... 107 
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria citrea)............... 115 
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Helminthophila chrysoptera)....... 125 
Wisinongy WoNeiie (SDE nel one) (ASHI) oo 2 bo50 0000000000 000c 135 
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Dendroica cerulescens)..... 139 
MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Dendroica maculosa).................-. 143 
CaruERAns WARBLER ((Dendnovcg (Ord) ae eee 145 
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Dendroica castancd).............+4. 150 
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Dendroica virens)........ 160 
Hoopep' WARBLER (Wailsomia mitraia).. .. 2.0.6.0 ewe eee 189 


XV1il. 


19, AMERICAN ReEpsrart (Setophaga ruticilla)...........-+.+-+--. 
ZO, Islo@Rngay IL Nx (OvOeoias GAGS) os ana@asascsoxcansosoccnend 


21. OLIVE-BACKED THRusH (Hylocichla ustulata swainsont)........ 


Ape PONSA), (GOidel ele SUMS) Gis cog modeerc css body coed he maw occ 
23. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGcLET (Regulus satrapa)................ 
24. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila cerulea)................ 
2c. (URTED) Pr MousE (hb @olophus bicolomiea sk ena fe 
26s CAROMUNIAN CHICKADEE (ONS CONOIMEHSUS)) mi teeney selene seers 


27. Brown CREEPER (Certhia familiaris americanus).............: 
28) BROWN LHRASHER(Momostonma {ner ante te 1 entire atte 
29. CaroLINa WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)..............--- 
30. LoNnc-BILLED Marsu WreEN (Telmatodytes palustris) .......... 
31. BaRN SWALLOW (Hirundo eryihogaster)......20....56-...0<: 
32. BoHEMIAN WaxXwiInc (Ampelts garriulus)............-..++4+: 
33. LoGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lammus ludovicianus)....-...........-. 
34. BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo sohtarws)..........0.4.2252 ee. 
35. PHOnBE. (Savors SpMebe)). 2" =. ci bec ey yams oes Nees Seeemere ree 
36. Rupy-THROATED HumMMINGBIRD (Trochilus colubris)........... 
a7. CHIMNEY Swink (Chena pelagica mitre eee Cenee eee 
38. Downy WooprEcKER (Dryobates pubescens medianus)......... 
39. RED-BELLIED WoopDPECKER (Centurus carolinus).........-...-. 
40. NorTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus luteus)................ 
41. YELLOW-BILLED Cuckoo (Coccysus americanus)............... 
42. AmeErRICAN Barn Ow. (Strix pratincola)..................... 
43. SAW-WHED Ow (Niyciala acadica) ) 0) eae ee 


44. Great Hornep Owt (Bubo virgimianus)...................-. 


AMERICAN SPARROW Hawk (Falco sparverius)............. 
RED PAUSED E EUAWIR CB 1tCO (DOKEGIIS) 2s oo ie ie cs ote eg Uden ks 


AMERICAN RouGnH-LEcGED Hawk (4rchibuteo lagopus sancli- 


FOUGTIGHES))~ > Kass Chn ok ox Otero) See Ot he, Rena ee 
Dimepy Vulture (Cathartes Gura). ...<....s50 05 eed vise een 
PASSENGER PiGEoN (Ectopistes migratorius).................. 


Witp Turxey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)................ 
RUEFFED Grouse (Bonasa wmbellus)).............2+--4...2- 
Prarrig Hen (Tympanuchus americanus)..........- 
Bos-wWHITEe (Colinus virgimianus)............-... 
SORAGICONZUI A COOLING We taate st SES yah eae Se ee gen: 
PURPLE GALLINULE (Jonormis martinicd)........006.0 cs. s0e. 
AMERICAN Coot (Fulica americana)................ ce 
AMERICAN BiTtERN (Botaurus lentiginosus).................. 
“Nowy Heron (Egretta candidissima)...............+..4.-+- 
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius dominicus)............ 
AMERICAN WoopcocKk (Philohela mimor)..................... 
PECTORAL SANDPIPER (Actodromas maculata).......... ; 
SNC: (Cates CAH AO)) 4o00h000n0enoo5e5eenn) aaone 
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda)........ 
NorRTHERN PHALAROPE (Phalaropus lobatus)................. 
Ishsiiane: (Cagiac, (Vea WiAaGnOS)\ 44 ascasascnaccccuneecagsce 
RING-BILLED Guit, (Larus delawarensis)................ 
BoNAPARTE GULL (Larus philadelphia)................. 
Common, DERN (Sterna Jurundo)l. 2. .--5-2.-..5....225-44 08 


BiAck TERN (Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis)............. 


XX. 


CANADA Goose CBxanianGanade mss) errr ne eerste tne eee 
BLACK (DUCK (CANGS OUSGULO) lari ee ee ees a ere eee 
BLuEr-wincEep, Tear, (Querquedula discors) 22. 2.25.2. 222s es 
Ive, (Iie) CERO) o no voces oacndanebac i a aA pee Ped See 
Woop DuCK (Ain Sponsa)\ sans seems ceo eur eee mean 
CAINWAS=B AC Kan CAVE DCU LISHUC TUG) entree anette ate ener 
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE (Clangula americana)................ 
Ruppy Duck (Erismatura jamaicensis)............0...--.--- 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Merganser serrator).............. 
American Wuits Petican (Pelicanus erythrorhynchos)....... 


TOON Gavia Hb er ino ara ctctes weer E RN STA Got nd teat Crane eae eer 


‘souop Spun'y &q unrvucy 


“LXUL NI OL Gauyaaay 


ATING 


Oma 


LSOW SLYVd JO NOILISOd ONIMOUS 


‘dala V AO AHAVADOdIOL 


5148009 fAsewid 


= ea = = 
=e fee 
5 — EP Woggg —— 


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ONIMVAG 


SNVILAO 


X11. 


ANALYTICAL KEYS 


LYNDS JONES, M. Sc. 


HOW TO USE THE KEYS. 


While these keys are made for the purpose of identifying any bird in the 
hand, they are not intended to give more than the barest information about 
the bird. You should at once turn to the description of the bird whose name 
you have found by means of the keys, and read what may be found there be- 
fore remaining content. Often an unsatisfactory identification by the keys wil! 
give you the clue so that you can turn to the body of the book and there make 
sure of your bird. The keys, then, are but a means to an end. They are merely 
for rapid determination, not for any other particular information. 

There are three separate keys. First of all, a Key to the Orders; next a 
Key to the Families under each order; and lastly a Key to the Species under 
each family. You should always begin with the Key to the Orders to get 
your bird in the right group. Having found the order to which it belongs 
turn to the Key to the Families, find the order there by the number which pre- 
cedes it in the Key to the Orders, and determine to what family it belongs. In 
like manner turn to the Key to the Species given under each family and there 
determine the species. The families are numbered in 1, 2, 3, order under each 
order, but the species are given the number which they bear in the body of 
the book. While the orders are not serially arranged in the Key to the Orders, 
they are arranged in 1, 2, 3, order in the Key to the Families. Likewise, while 
the species are not serially arranged in the Key to the Species they are so ar- 
ranged in the body of the book. 

It is important that you should know how to use the keys unless you are 
already familiar with most of the birds described in this book. At first sight 
they may seem confused, but after a little practice in the use of them they will 
prove very simple. Let us suppose that you now have a bird in hand which 
you wish to identify. Suppose it isa Green Heron. In the Key to the Orders, 
“T.” calls for a bird with webbed or lobed feet; your bird has neither webs 
nor lobes, so you must turn to the contrasting character which will be under 
“TT,” which so far describes your bird. Next is “A. Legs and Neck long and 
slender.” That is true of your bird. ‘Then the next is “rt. Lores (region be- 
tween the eye and bill bare.” Your bird has bare lores, so it must be one of 
the Herodiones, Order 6. ‘Turn now to Order 6 in the Key to the Families. 
Here the first is “I. Bill straight and sharp.” That is right for your bird. 
Your bird belongs to Family 1, Ardeidze. ‘Turn now to the Key to the Species 
and find Order 6, and Family 1 under it. The first here is also “I. Wing 
less than 6.00.” Your bird’s wing measures more than 6 inches, so try “II. 
Wing about 7.25.” You find that it is nearer that length than the others given, 
so conclude that your bird is a Green Heron, number 213 in the book. Turn 
to that number and prove it by the minute description given there. Any other 
case would work out on the same principle. 

>. @.G bb 


Norr.—Owing to a revision of the Keys made necessary since Mr. Jones’ work was 
prepared, “Order 6,” above, should in each case read Order 10. ‘The number of the Green 
Heron, also, is 214. 


XXIV. 


KEY, TO THE, ORDERS: 


I. Feet with webs or lobes. 


A. Feet with webs. 
1. Webs extending to the base of the toe-nails. 

a. Legs far back near the tail; tail short or wanting. 

b. Legs near the middle of the body ; tail well developed. 
(1). Hind toe connected to the front one by a web. 
(2). Hind toe, when present, free and opposed to 

the front ones. 
(a). Nostrils opening through tubes. 
(b). Nostrils not opening through tubes. 
(al). Bill with tooth like protections along its 
sides. 

(a2). End half of bill bent abruptly down; 
legs and neck very long and slender. 
(Not found in Ohio.) 

(b2). Only tip of bill bent down; legs not very 
long. 
(b!). Bill without tooth-like projections; wings 
long. 
2. W bs not extending to the base of the toe-nails. 
B. Feet with lobes on the sides of the toes. 
1. Legs far back; tail wanting. (Grebes). 
2. Legs near the middle of the body; tail well developed. 

a. Forehead with a bare shield. (Coot, white) (Galli- 

nule, red). 


II. Feet with neither webs nor lobes. 
A. Legs and neck long and slender. 


1. Lores bare. 10. 
2. Lores not bare. 
a. Toes four. (Cranes.) 9. 
b. Toes three. (Plovers, etc.) ii. 


B. Legs and neck not decidedly long and slender. 


1. Feet very large, toes long and slender; wings moderate. 9. 


2. Feet and toes moderate. 
a. Lower part of tibia bare. 
b. Lower part of tibia feathered. 


It 


(1). Hind toe short, elevated above the front ones. 8. 
(2). Hind toe, when present, on the same level as the 
front toes. 
(a). Nostrils opening beneath a soft, fleshy mem- 
brane. 7 
(b). Bill without a soft, fleshy membrane. 
(al). Bill with a tough cere at its base. 
(a2). 3 toes in front, one behind. 6. 
(b2) 2 toes in front, 2 behind. 5. 
(b!). Bill without a cere. 
(a2). 2 toes in front and 2 behind, or 2 in front 
and 1 behind. 
(a8) Tail feathers stiff and pointed. 3: 
(b?). ‘Tail feathers not stiff. 4: 
(b?). 3 toes in front, one behind. 
(a8). Middle and outer toes joined for half 
their length. An 
(b3). Middle and outer toes not joined. 
(a4). Feet and bill very small and weak, 
mouth large. 75 
(b4). Bill long and very slender. (Hum- 
mingbirds). 2s 
(c4). Characters various, but not combined 


as above. Te 


16. 


m4. 


15. 


13. 


- LONGIPENNES. 
- LIMICOLAr. 


16. 


PYGOPODES. 


‘STEGANOPODES. 


TUBINARES. 


ODONTOGLOSS AE. 
ANSERES. 


PYGOPODES. 


9. PALUDICOLA. 
b. Forehead without a bare shield: bill long and slender.11. 


LIMICOLA. 
HERODIONES. 
PALUDICOLA. 
LIMICOLAl. 


PALUDICOLA. 


- LIMICOLA. 


GALLIN AE. 


COLUMBAE. 


RAPTORES. 
PSITTACI. 


PUCK 
COCCYGES. 


COCCYGES. 


MACROCHIRES. 
MACROCHIRES. 
PASSERES. 


XXV. 


MEY TO THE FAMIEDES: 
OrpDER I. PASSERES. Perching Birds. 


About three-fourths of all our Ohio birds belong to this order. In size they range from the 
Crow and Raven to the Kinglets. which are scarcely more than four inches long. They combine 
most of the habits met in the other orders and introduce some new ones. All colors of the spec- 
trum are theirs. In song they excel all other birds, but some members of the Oscines, even, have 
no song. It is impossible to characterize the group, yet it is a group the members of which are 
readily distinguished from all others. One soon instinctively recognizes any passerine bird on first 
acquaintance. 


I. Back of tarsus rounded like the front. 
A. Bill flattened, hooked at tip. 17. TYRANNIDAE, FLYCATCHERS. 
B. Bill rounded, not hooked. 6. ALAupDIDAr. Larks. 

Il. Back of tarsus sharp. 
A. Bill hooked at the tip. 


1. Large, over 8.50 inches long. 15. LANUDAE. SHRIKES. 
2. Small, under 6.50 inches long. : 16. VIREONIDAE. VIKkEOS. 
3. With a distinct crest; tail tipped with yellow. 14. AMPELIDAE. WAXWINGS. 


B. Bul not hooked at tip. 
1. With only 9 primaries. 

.a. Bill very short, wings long and pointed. 13. HirUNDINIDAE. SWALLows. 

b. Wings moderate, bill moderate. 

(1). Bill straight, cone-shaped. 
(a). Bill not notched, its base parting the feathers 

of the forehead. 

(b). Bill notched, not parting feathers of forehead. 


. Icrertmpar. BLAcKBiRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 


to 


(al). Nostrils concealed by feathers. 3. FRINGILLIDAE. SPARROWS, ETC. 
(b!). Nostrils exposed. 4. TANAGRIDAE. TANAGERS. 
(2). Bill slender, not cone-shaped. 
(a). Hind claw long and straightened. 7. MOTACILLIDAE. Piprts. 
(b). Hind claw not lengthened. 5. Mniotirtipar. Woop WaARBLERS. 


2. With to primaries. he : 
a. Upper part of tarsus not divided into scales. 


(1). Wing more than 3.50. 8. TurpipAr. THRUSHES, Ec. 
(2). Wing less than 2.50. g. Sy_vpar. KINGLETS, GNATCATCHER. 
b. Whole tarsus divided into scales. 
(1). Tail feathers stiff, nointed at tip. TI. CERTHIIDAE. CREEPERS. 
(2). Tail feathers normal. 
(a). Nostrils covered by stiff bristly feathers. I. CorvipAr. Crows, Jays. 


(b). Nostrils without bristly tufts. 
(al). First primary about half as long as the 


longest one. 12. TROGLODYTIDAE. WRENS, THRASTIERS. 
(bl). First primary about a third as long as the ETC. 
longest one. ro. PartpAk. Trrmick, NuTHATCHES. 


Orper 2. MACROCHIRES. Goatsuckers, Swifts, Hummingbirds. 

Ata glance this is also a diverse group, but the Swifts, Nighthawks and Whippoorwills are much 
alike in external appearances and in food habits. They have long and pointed wings, weak feet 
and bill, and a large mouth. The Hummingbirds differ in having a long and extremely slender 
bill and small mouth. 


I. Wing ever 6.50. 3. CAPRIMULGIDAE. WHIPPOORWILL, 
NIGHTHAWK. 

TI. Wing about 5.00. 2. Micropopipark. Swir'ts. 

Ill. Wing under 2.00, 1. TrocuitipAr. HumMIncsirps. 


Orper 3. PICI. Woodpeckers. 


The Woodpeckers all belong to one family, Pictpar. ‘Their chisel-like bills and stiff, pointed 
tail feathers. and their habit of clinging in an upright position to tree trunks are characteristic. They 
feed upon insects, ripe fruit and the sap of trees, and sometimes acorns and nuts. 


Orprr 4. COCCYGES. Cuckoos, Kingfisher. 

The two suborders comprising this group have few external characters in common. The Cuck- 
oos eat caterpillars and other insects, the Kingfisher eats fish and probably other aquatic animals. 
The Cuckoos are woods birds, the Kingfisher is found in the vicinity of water. ‘The Cuckoos are 
soberly colored, the Kingfisher is distinctly bluish and crested. 


XXVI1. 


|. ‘Toes 2 in front and 2 behind. 2. CUCULIDAE. CucKOOs. 
Il. 3 toes in front and one behind. 1. ALCEDINIDAE. KINGFISHERS. 


Orper 5. PSITTACI. Parrots. 


The Carolina Paroquet has been extinct in the state for more than twenty years. 
161. Carolina Paroquet. 


OrbER 6. RAPTORES. Vultures, Hawks, Eagles, Owls, etc. 


To this order belong the birds which eat flesh. Their feet and bills are adapted for catching 
and holding the prey, and tearing it into morsels. The vultures have bare heads because they feed 
upon carrion. The whole group is of so great importance as a balancer of the forces of nature in 
the animal realm that about half of them are night prowlers; thus, both the diurnal and the noc- 
turnal disturbers of fields and gardens are held in check by the flesh-eaters. Only four of the 
species wuich are found in Ohio are harmful to poultry interests. 


I.. Eyes looking straight forward, set in a striking disk of 
feathers. 


A. Feathers on back of tarsus growing up. I. STRIGIDAE. BARN Owt. 
B. Feathers on back of tarsus growing down. 2. Busontpar. Hornep anp Hoovr 
Owts. 


Il. Eyes not looking forward, no facial disk. 


A. Head bare. 4. CATHARTIDAE. VULTURES. 
B. Head feathered. 3. Fatconmpar. Hawks, Eactrs, Far- 


CONS, ETC. 


OrpER 7. COLUMBAE. Doves and Pigeons. 


To this order belongs the single family Corumpar. The Mourning Dove is the only repre- 
sentative of the order now regularly found in the state. 


Orper 8 GALLINA®. Turkeys, Grouse, Bob-white. 


The best representatives of this group are the barn-yard fowls and domestic turkey. They are 
heavy bodied, short winged birds, which are able to get up from the ground suddenly and fly short 
distances with great velocity. Their food consists of both vegetable and animal matter in about 
the proportions of the domestic members of the group. 


I. Size very large—about 4 feet long. I. MELEAGRINAE. TURKEYS. 
II. Size smaller—less than 2 feet long. 2. Trerraonipar. Grouse, Bos-wuirr. 


Orprer g. PALUDICOLA®. Cranes, Rails, Coots, Gallinules. 


To this diverse group belong the smaller swamp-haunting birds. Only the cranes can be called 
true waders, living in the more open water, or even in fields away from water; the others are 
rather sedge haunters, running over the swamp vegetation rather than wading. They feed largely 
upon swamp animal life. 


I. Tarsus over six inches. 2. GrumaAr. CRANES. 
Il. Tarsus under 3.00 inches. tT. RALLIDAE. Rairs, Coots, GALLINULE. 


Orper 10. HERODIONES. Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, etc. 

The members of this group are preeminently waders, their long legs and long neck enabling 
them to fish standing in the water. They eat almost any animals which may be found in the swamps 
and shallow water. They are awkward-appearing birds, but fly well, usually stretching the long legs 
straight out behind like a rudder when flying. 


I. Bill straight and sharp. 1. ArperAr. Brrrerns, Herons, Ecre's. 
Il. Bill curved downward, blunt. 

\. Wing over 16.00 inches. 2. Cicontripak. Woop Ints. 

B. Wing under 13.00 inches. 3. [piprpar. IsiseEs. 


Orprr 11. LIMICOLA®. Shore Birds. 


While the birds comprising this group have been called waders they are not so much so as the 
Herodiones. Many species live more on the uplands than in or near the water, but some are true 
waders in shallow water. Some probe in the soft mud, some glean from the surface of the ground, 
some glean at the water’s edge, some search under stones and drift for their food. While none 
can be called singers in the proper sense, yet some have calls which are certainly more musical than 
the cries of the Crow or Grackles, which belong to the Oscines. All are nimble of foot and wing. 
Many flock while migrating, the whole flock moving and turning as one bird. 


XXVIL. 


I. Sides of the toes with lobate webs. . PHALAROPODIDAE. PHALAROPES. 


° 
II. Sides of toes without lobes. 
A. Tarsus over 3.50. 4. RECURVIROSTRIDAE. STILTS, AVOCETs. 
B. Tarsus under 3.50. 
t. Colors patchy black, white, rufous. 2. APHRIZIDAE. ‘TURNSTONES. 
2. Colors not patchy. 
a. Toes 3 (except Black-bellied Plover). 1. CHARADRIIDAE. PLovERs. 
b. Toes 4 (except Sanderling). 3. SCOLOPACIDAE. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS. 


OrpER 12. LONGIPENNES. Gulls, Terns, Jaegers. 


Members of this order agree in having a well developed tail, long and pointed wings and there- 
fore great powers of flight. They live over the water instead of in it, gleaning from the surface 
or diving into it for their food. Their great powers of flight enable them to visit any of the bodies 
of water inland, where they may be found at some time of year. 


I. Middle tail feathers longest. I. SERCORARIIDAE. J AKGERS. 
II. Tail square. 2. LARINAE. GULLS. 
III. Outer tail feathers longest. 3. STERNINAE. TERNS. 


OrpbER 13. ANSERES. Ducks, Geese, Swans. 


The members of this group are too well known in general to be carefully treated here. ‘They 
are all excellent swimmers, and all agree in having tooth-like projections or serrations on the sides 
of the bill to act as strainers for the mud and water taken into the mouth with the food. They walk 
fairly well, and all fly well, some with almost incredible swiftness. They are ‘Game’ birds, and suffer 
much at the hands of sportsmen. None but geese are ever harmful, and they but seldom. 


I. Bill long and slender, cylindrical. tT. MERGINAE. MERGANSERS. 
Il. Bill flattened, duck-like. s 
A. Lores bare. 5. CYGNINAE. SWANS. 
B. Lores not bare. ; 
t. Scales on front of tarsus rounded. 4. ANSERINAE. GEESE. 
2. Scales on front of tarsus square. 
a. Hind toe with a flap or lobe. 3. Funicutinar. Sra anv Bay Ducks. 
b. Hind toe without a flap or lobe. 2. ANATINAE. RIvER AND Ponp Ducks. 


Orper 14. STEGANOPODES. Pelicans, Cormorants, ete. 


Any member of this order may be known at once by the foot, which has all four toes connected 
together by three webs. They are strong fliers, and all have a larger or smaller gular sac at the base 
of the bill. In the pelicans this sac is enormous and is used as a dip-net or scoop for catching 
small fry in the water. 


I. lLores feathered. I. FREGATIDAE. MANn-o'-War Birps 
II. Lores bare. ; 

A. An enormous pouch below the long bill. 2. PELECANIDAE. PELICANS. 

B. With a small pouch and moderate bill. 3. PHALACROCORACIDAE. CORMORANTS. 


Orper 15. TUBINARES. Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels. 


One member of this order has accidentally reached the state. The order must be considered as 
belonging to the oceans, some members of which may sometimes be blown inland by severe storms 
313. Black-capped Petrel. 


OrpEer 16. PYGOPODES. Diving Birds. 


Members of this order occurring in Ohio are duck-like birds, with the legs situated far back on 
the body, making an upright posture on land necessary. They walk with great difficulty, using the 
bill and wings to aid them in hobbling or shuffling along. The wings and tail are short, scarcely 
reaching the posterior end of the body when folded. The Grebes have no tail. All members of this 
order are expert divers. 


I. With 3 toes. 3. AtcmpAr. Auks, Murres, Purrins. 
If. With 4 toes. 
A. Toes with lobate webs. I. PopicipipAr. GReEREs. 


B. Toes with webs. 2. Gavimar. Loons. 


XXVI1. 


KEY TO: THE SPECIES: 
OrpER I. PASSERES. Perching Birds. 


Family 1. Corvipar. Crows, Jays, Ravens. 


The members of this group are too well known to call for comment. 
I. Entirely black. 


A. Wing about 15.00. “1. Northern Raven. 
B. Wing about 13.00. 2. American Crow. 
II. With much blue in the plumage, crested. 3- Blue Jay. 


Family 2. Icreripar. Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. 


Certain members of this group are among the most familiar of our birds. Our shade trees are 
filled with Grackles and Orioles all summer long, and there is no pasture or meadow without its 
Meadowlarks. 

The Blackbirds, Bobolinks, and Grackles flock together in spring and fall, but the Orioles and 
Meadowlarks are seldom seen in large numbers together. 


I. Entire under parts black, with or without metallic re- 


flections. 
A. Tail distinctly rounded. 13. Bronzed Grackle. 
B. Tail square or only slightly rounded. 
1. Entire plumage bluish-black. 12. Rusty Blackbird. 
2. A red and buff shoulder-patch. 7 & 8. Red=winged Blackbird and 
Thick=billed Redwing. 
3. Head, neck and throat seal-brown. 5. Cowbird. 
4. Nape buffy, back with much white. 4- Bobolink. 
II. Under parts black and white, or black with buffy tips to 
feathers. 
A. Under parts streaked black and white. 7. Red=-winged Blackbird. 
B. Under parts black, nape buffy, back with white. 4- Bobolink. 
C. Whole body tipped with rusty. 12. Rusty Blackbird. 
Ill. Under parts slate-color, chestnut or buffy. 
A. Under parts slate-color. 
1. Wing over 4.25. 12. Rusty Blackbird. 
2. Wing less than 4.00. 5. Cowbird. 
B. Under parts buffy or chestnut. 
t. Under parts chestnut. 10. Orchard Oriole. 
2. Under parts buffy. 4- Bobolink. 
IV. Under parts with yellow or orange. 
A. Throat black. 
1. Back black. 11. Baltimore Oriole. 
2. Back greenish. 10. Orchard Oriole. 
B. Breast with a black crescent. 9. Meadowlark. 
C. Head, neck, throat and breast yellow or orange. 6. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 
D. Under parts entirely yellow or orange. 
1. Rump and tail orange. ro. Orchard Oriole. 
2. Upper parts greenish. 11. Baltimore Oriole. 
3. Upper parts brownish, streaked. 4. Bobolink. 


Family 3. FRINcILLIDAE. Sparrows, Finches, Buntings, etc. 


This is the largest and most varied family of North American Birds. In it are found some of 
the plainest as well as some of the most brilliantly colored of our birds. Here are grouped those 
with sweet and varied songs as well as those whose voices can scarceiy be distinguished from the 
shrilling of insects. Some are lowly in habits, nesting on the ground or even scooping out a hollow 
in which to nest, while some lash their cradles to the topmost twigs of tall trees. All members of 
the family eat seeds or grains, but all of them also eat some insects. In early spring many species 
eat the tender buds of trees. Several species eat more insects than vegetable matter. None (except 
the English Sparrow) seem to be injurious, while all do great service to agriculture in destroying 
vast quantities of weed seeds. 

I. With conspicuous red in the plumage. 
A. Mandibles crossed. 
t. With conspicuous white wing-bars. 19. White-winged Crossbill. 
2. Without white wing-bars. 18. American Crossbill. 


B. Mandibles not crossed. 
1. Head crested. 
2. Head not crested. 
a. No red on upper parts. 
b. Upper parts with red. 
(1). With white wing-bars. 
(a). Wing more than 4.00. 
(b). Wing less than 3.00. 
(2). Without white wing-bars. 
(a). Head blue. 
(b). Head red. 


Il. Under parts without streaks. 
A. With distinct yellow in the plumage. 
1. Mandibles crossed. 
a. With white wing-bars. 
b. Without white wing-bars. 
Mandibles not crossed. 


ty 


a. Body bright yellow, wings, tail, crown black. 


b. Lores yellow, a white throat blotch. 
c. Lores and bend of wing yellow. 


d. Black throat-patch, yellow above and below it. 


e. A broad white wing-patch, bill enormous. 
B. With distinct blue in the plumage. 
1. Wing over 3.25. 
2. Wing under 3.00. 
a. Under parts red. 
b. Under parts blue. 
C. Head and neck black. 
tr. Sides with rufous. 
2. Sides without rufous. 
D. Crown plain rufous. 
1. A dusky spot in middle of br ast. 
Breast without a dusky spot. 
a. Bend of wing yellow. 
b. Bend of wing not yellow. 
(1). Bill reddish. 
(2). Bill dark brown to black. 
(a). Wing less than 3.00. 
(b). Bill more than 3.00. 
E. Head more or less streaked. 
3 white, 4 black streaks on crown. 
Three gray, 4 brown streaks on crown. 
Ear-coverts rufous, a black spot on breast. 
Bend of wing yellow. 
F. Crown unstreaked, not plain rufous. 
; Crown black. 
Plumage mostly white. 
Plumage mostly brown or slate gray. 
a. Forehead black, under parts gray. 
b. Throat black. 


to 


TCU 


WNHH 


c. Crown, rump. breast washed with olive yellowish. 


4. Plumage brownish with yellowish wash. 


III. Under parts streaked. 
A. Bend of wing yellow. 


r. Center of crown occasionally with an ashy-blue line. 
2. Center of crown with a buffy stripe (sometimes 


whitish). 
a. Under parts heavily streaked. 
b. Under parts lightly streaked. 
3. Crown plain, or with narrow whitish line. 
B. Bend of wing not yellow. 
1. Wing under 3.00. 
a. A cream-buff band across breast. 
b. No cream-buff band across breast. 
(1). Base of tail yellow. 
(2). No yellow on tail. 
2. Wing over 3.00. 


44. Cardinal. 


45. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 


15. Pine Grosbeak. 
20. Redpoll. 


(Hypothetical) Painted Bunting. 
16. Purple Finch. 


19. White=winged Crossbill. 
18. American Crossbill. 


21. American Goldfinch. 

33- White-throated Sparrow. 
27. Grasshopper Sparrow. 
47. Dickcissel. 

14. Evening Grosbeak. 


(Hypothetical) Blue Grosbeak. 


(Hypothetical) Painted Bunting. 
46. Indigo Bunting. 


43. Towhee. 
37. Junco. 


34. Tree Sparrow. 
38. Bachman Sparrow. 
36. Field Sparrow. 


35- Chipping Sparrow. 
43. Towhee. 


32. White-crowned Sparrow. 
32. White-crowned Sparrow. 
30. Lark Sparrow. 

29. Nelson Sparrow. 


31. Harris Sparrow. 
23. Snowflake. 


41. Swamp Sparrow. 
17. English Sparrow. 
15. Pine Grosbeak. 

21. American Goldfinch. 


29. Nelson Sparrow. 


26. Savanna Sparrow. 
28. Henslow Sparrow. 
38. Bachman Sparrow. 


40. Lincoln Sparrow. 


22. Pine Siskin. 
39. Song Sparrow. 


XXX. 


a. Outer tail feathers white. 25. Vesper Sparrow. 
b. Outer tail feathers not white. 
(1). Wing over 4.00, 45. Rose=breasted Grosbeak. 
(2). Wing under 4.00. 
(a). Tail plain bright reddish-brown. 42. Fox Sparrow. 


(b). Tail grayish-brown. 
(al). Hind claw straightened and lengthened. 24. Lapland Longspur. 
(bl). Hind claw normal. 16. Purple Finch. 


Family 4. TANAGRIDAE, Tanagers. 


These brilliantly colored birds are strictly woods birds, but the Scarlet Tanager is often found 
in parks and shade trees. They are fair singers, but their bright colors are the most notable charac- 
teristic. They eat buds, seeds and insects. The females are yellowish green birds, harmonizing well 
with the woods-colors and shades. 


[. Plumage largely red. 


A. Wings and tail black. 48. Scarlet Tanager. 

B. Wings and tail like the body. 49. Summer Tanager. 
II, Without red. 

A. Under parts buffy-yellow. 48. Scarlet Tanager. 

B. Under parts greenish. 49. Summer Tanager. 


Family 5. MNioTvILripAk. Wood Warblers. 

One of the reasons why we are so fascinated by this group of little birds may be because it is 
wholly American! Certainly one reason is because so few of its members are to be found more 
than a few weeks, at most, during the entire year, in Ohio. They come and go like fairies, 
now adding color to the May foliage and making merry in the woods, now as silently and myste- 
riously stealing away as they came. A few species tarry with us all summer long, but they are so 
small and so unobtrusive that none but the eager student finds them. 

They are called Wood Warblers because they live mostly in the woods, or more exactly speaking, 
most of them live in the woods when at home. In their passage northward and southward they 
may be found wherever there are trees, gleaning among the foliage for the insect larve or eggs, 
or for the pupa securely rolled in its cocoon amid the autumn foliage. They are great conserva- 
tors of our forests and orchards. Some glean like Nuthatches or Woodpeckers, some flutter before 
a leaf or glean from its under surface, some sally forth like true Flycatchers after flying insects. 

It is not possible to give distinctive characters for the whole group in few words. All colors are 
theirs, all patterns of dress, and many sizes of wing and body. For the most part their dress pattern 
is patchy, but some are streaked all over, while some are nearly uniform in color. In song they vary 
greatly, from the insect lisp to the full-voiced, whistled song. There is a quality. however, which 
is distinctly warblerine to the initiated. When you have been ushered into the mysteries of the group 
of Wood Warblers your delights in bird study begin. 


KEY TO THE SPRING MALES: 


I. ‘Throat red, orange or chestnut. 


A. ‘Throat chestnut. 67. Bay-breasted Warbler. 
B. Throat orange or flame-color. 69. Blackburnian Warbler. 


II. Throat black or dark slate-color. 
A. Belly white. 


1. Back deep blue, a white spot in wing. 62. Black-throated Blue Warbler. 
2. Back green, cheeks yellow. 71. Black-throated Green Warbler. 
3. Back grayish, a large yellow wing-patch. 54. Golden=winged Warbler. 

4. Back black, whole head black. 88. American Redstart. 


B. Belly yellow. 
1. Throat slate-color. 


a. No white eye-ring, breast with traces of black. 82. Mourning Warbler. 
b. Eye-ring white, breast without black. 81. Connecticut Warbler. 
2. Throat black. forehead and cheeks yellow. 85. Hooded Warbler. 


III. ‘hroat yellow, white or whitish, under parts without 
streaks. 
A. Large, length over 7.00. 84 
B. Length less than 6.00. 
1. Throat yellow. 


Yellow-breasted Chat. 


a. Whole head, neck and breast bright yellow. 51. Prothonotary Warbler. 
b. Forehead and cheeks black, line over eye yellow. 80. Kentucky Warbler. 
c. A broad, rounded black patch on cheeks. 83. Northern Yellow-throat. 


d. Head and back olive-green. 73. Pine Warbler. 


Bag ho 


d. 


AO: 
(2). 


Head bluish-gray, whole under parts bright yellow. 
Forehead yellow, wings bluish. 

Head yellow, crown black. 

Head bluish, middle of back with a yellow patch. 
Larger. 

Smaller. 


Throat white or whitish. 


Crown with two black stripes. 

Crown bluish-ash, back olive-green. 

Crown with a partially concealed patch of rufous- 
brown. 

Front of crown bright yellow, wing bars yellow. 


IV. Throat white or whitish, under parts streaked or spotted. 
A. Crown, rump, sides of breast yellow. 


B. No yellow on crown, 


I. 


a. 
b. 
c. 


2: 


a. 


b. 


(oH 


3. 


Without wing-bars. 


Gs 
(ANE 


rump or breast. 


With conspicuous wing-bars. 


Back bright bluish. 

Back grayish, crown black. 

Back greenish-yellow, sides chestnut. 
Walking Warblers. 
Middle of crown with a rufous streak. 
Crown plain, line over eye buff. 
Smaller. 

Larger. 


Crown plain, line over eye white. 


Everywhere streaked black and white. 
\. Throat yellow, 


under parts streaked or spotted. 


A. Belly white. 
B. Belly yellow. 


I. 


a. 
b. 


2 


G) 
©): 


_ Under parts streaked or spotted with black. 


Under parts streaked with rufous-brown. 


Crown yellow. 

Crown chestnut. 

Under parts bright yellow. 

Under parts soiled yellowish. 

Back plain grayish, breast with a necklace of black 
streaks. 

Back streaked with black. crown bluish. 

Back streaked with black, crown black, 
rufous. 

Back with a patch of rufous-brown spots. 

Back black. tail with a white band across the middle. 


KEY LO) GEE; 


ear-coverts 


|. Under parts yellow or yellowish, unstreaked. 
\. Tail with white spots. 


NG 


a. 


(Ce 


ho 


a. 


b. 


Wings with white bars. 


Entire under parts pure yellow. 
Throat yellow, belly white. 


(Ge wareer: 
(2). Smaller. 
Under parts pale yellowish. 
(1). Back bluish, without streaks. 
(2). Back olive-green, without streaks, 
(3). Back olive-green, streaked. 


Under parts pale yellowish-white. 
Under parts pale cream-buff. 


(a): 
(b). 


Wings without white bars. 


A white spot in the wing. 
No white spot in the wing. 


B. ‘Tail without white spots. 


4 


Entire under parts bright yellow. 


Upper parts bright olive-green. 
Upper parts bright greenish-yellow. 
Upper parts ashy- -gray-greenish. 


59- 


FALL MALES, AND 


XXX1. 


Nashville Warbler. 
Blue-winged Warbler. 
Wilson Warbler. 


55- 
53- 
86. 


Northern Parula Warbler. 

Western Parula Warbler, and 
(Hypothetical) Parula Warb=- 
ler. 


58. 


52. Worm-eating Warbler. 
57- Tennessee Warbler. 


56. Orange-crowned Warbler. 
(Hypothetical) Brewster Warb- 
ler. (But see page 123.) 


63. Myrtle Warbler. 
65. Cerulean Warbler. 


68. Black=poll Warbler. 
66. Chestnut-sided Warbler. 


77- Oven-=bird. 
78. Water-Thrush. 
(Hypothetical) Grinnell Water- 
Thrush. 
79. Louisiana Water-1hrush. 
50. Black and White Warbler. 
70. Sycamore Warbler. 
61. Yellow Warbler. 
75- Yellow Palm Warbler. 
74- Palm Warbler. 


87. 
oP 


Canadian Warbler. 
Kirtland Warbler. 


60. Cape May Warbler. 
76. Prairie Warbler. 
64. Magnolia Warbler. 


FEMALES. 


65. Magnolia Warbler. 


Northern Parula Warbler. 
Western Parula Warbler. 


58. 
59. 


Cerulean Warbler. 
Pine Warbler. 


65. 
73- 


68. 
67. 


62. 
85. 


Black-poll Warbler. 
Bay-breasted Warbler. 


Black-throated Blue Warbler. 
Hooded Warbler. 


86. 
61. 
55- 


Wilson Warbler. 
Yellow Warbler. 
Nashville Warbler. 


XXXi1. 


2. Only throat and breast yellow. 


a. Legs flesh-co.or. 83. Northern Yellow-throat. 
b. Legs blackish. 55. Nashville Warbler. 
3. Under parts uniform yellowish. 

a. Back ashy-greenish. 56. Orange-crowned Warbler. 

b. Back brownish-olive-green. : 55- Nashville Warbler. 

c. Back greenish-yellow. 61. Yellow Warbler. 

d. Back bright olive-green. 
(1). A white spot in the wing. 62. Black-throated Blue Warbler. 
(2). Under tail-coverts yellow. 83. Northern Yellow-throat. 
(3). Under tail-coverts white. 57- Tennessee Warbler. 


Il. Under parts yellow or yellowish, streaked or spotted. 
A. Under parts streaked with rufous brown. 


1. Under parts yellowish-white. 74. Palm Warbler. 
2. Under parts yellow. 75- Yellow Palm Warbler. 
B. Under parts with black streaks or spots. 
i. Only the sides streaked. 76. Prairie Warbler. 
2. Whole breast more or less streaked. 
a. Cheeks bright yellow. 76. Black-throated Green Warbler. 
b. Cheeks gray. 
(1). Rump and line over eye yellowish. 60. Cape May Warbler. 
(2). Rump dull gray. 
(a). Head and neck olive-green. 68. Black-poll Warbler. 
(b). Head and neck brownish-gray. 72. Kirtland Warbler. 


Ill. Under parts white or whitish. streaked or spotted. 
A. Back streaked with black. 


1. Sides streaked with chestnut. 67. Bay-breasted Warbler. 
2. Under parts with back streaks. 
a. Crown black. 50. Black and White Warbler. 
b. Crown olive-green. 68. Black=poll Warbler. 
B. Back unstreaked. 
1. Cheeks yellowish, back greenish. 71. Black-throated Green Warbler. 
2. Cheeks and back grayish. 60. Cape May Warbler. 
3. Back brownish. 74- Palm Warbler. 
4. 


Base of tail, sides of breast and band in wing yellow. 88. American Redstart. 
IV. Under parts white or buffy, unstreaked. : 
A. Tail with white or yellow spots. 
1. Wing-bars white or gray. 
a. Under parts white. 


(1). Back greenish-yellow. 66. Chestnut-sided Warbler. 
(2). Back streaked with black and white. 50. Black and White Warbler. 
(3). Back brownish, or grayish-green. 73. Pine Warbler. 
b. Under parts tinged with buffy. 67. Bay-breasted Warbler. 
2. Wing-bars yellowish, greenish or absent. 
a. Back gray or grayish. (Hypothetical) Brewster Warb- 
ler. (Page 123.) 
b. Back brownish. 88. American Redstart. 
c. Back greenish-yellow. 
(1). Under parts pure white. 66. Chestnut-sided Warbler. 
(2). Under parts yellowish. 61. Yellow Warbler. 
B. Tail without white or yellow spots. 
1. A white spot in the wing. 62. Black-throated Blue Warbler. 
2. No white spot in the wing. 83. Northern Yellow-throat. 


Family 6. AtAuDIDAE. Larks. 
These are the true Larks, singing as they soar upward, and wholly terrestrial in habits. They 
rarely perch upon anything but a flat or flattened surface. They eat both seeds and insects, and 
are useful to the agriculturist. 


I. Eyebrow yellow. 89. Horned Lark. 

Il. Eyebrow not yellow. 
A. Larger and lighter. 90. Hoyt Horned Lark. 
B. Smaller and darker. 91. Prairie Horned Lark. 


Family 7. Moraciiiipar. Pipits. 

One member of this family is found in Ohio. It resembles the Horned Larks in size and general 
coloration, and it walks. However, it wags its tail and shows the white outer tail feathers. ‘There 
is no black patch on the breast, nor any yellow on the throat. 

92. American Pipit. 


XXXIil. 


Family 8. Turpipar. Thrushes, Robin, Bluebird. 


It can hardly be disputed that the Thrushes are the most gifted of our birds in song. There is 
even reasonable doubt if the famed Nightingale of Europe can approach them in real musical ren- 
dition. The songs of the Thrushes are capable of being reproduced by musical instruments, and their 
phrases reduced to musical notation. The true Thrushes are birds of the woods, the deeper woods, 
but the Robin and Bluebird have become nearly civilized; and their songs are less musical. 


I. Back with evident blue. 99. Bluebird. 
Il. Back blackish, underparts largely rufous. 98. American Robin. 
III. Back brown or olive, under parts more or less spotted. 
A. Upper parts olive brown, tail rufous. 97. Hermit Thrush. 
B. Upper parts cinnamon-brown. 
1. Under parts heavily spotted with black. 93. Wood Thrush. 
2. Under parts pale buffy, lightly marked. 94. Wilson Thrush. 
C. Upper parts olive. 
1. Throat, breast, cheeks, deep cream-buff. 96. Clive=backed Thrush. 
2. Throat, breast, cheeks, almost white. 95. Gray-checked Thrush. 


Family 9. Syiviupar. Old World Warblers. 


Only three representatives of this Old World group are found in Ohio, and only one of these 
remains to nest. Next to the Hummingbirds they are the smallest of our birds, and are therefore 
easily overlooked amid the foliage. While so small their voices are strong and carry far; particu- 
larly the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 


I. With red or yellow on the crown. 


A. Crown with yellow or orange bordered by black. 100. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

B. Crown with a concealed ruby patch. without black. 10%. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 
Il. Without red or yellow on crown. 

A. Back ashy blue, tail long. 102. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 

B. Back olive-green. 101. Ruby=-crowned Kinglet. 


Family 10. Paripar. Nuthatches, Titmice. 


These are birds of the entire year. Without them in winter our woods would be dreary indeed 
and well nigh birdless. They are not timid, but on the contrary are more curious than the proverb- 
ial woman. They are perfectly at home in any position on any kind of a surface, whether horizontal, 
inclined or perpendicular, but the Nuthatches prefer to cling head down. They will eat anything 
in winter, and can readily be drawn to the windowsill with crumbs, nuts or suet. They soon lose 
any fear of man which they may have had, and perch on the outstretched hand for food. 


I. Throat black, crown black. 


A. Tail over 2.30. 107. Chickadee. 
B. Tail under 2.20. 108. Carolina Chickadee. 
II. Throat not black, crown various. 
A. Head crested. 106. Tufted Titmouse. 
B. Head not crested. 
1. Whole top of head brown. 105. Brown-headed Nuthatch. 
2. Top of head black. 
a. Wing over 3.25. 103. White-breasted Nuthatch. 
b. Wing under 3.00. 104. Red=breasted Nuthatch. 


Family 11. C&rRTHIIDAE. Creepers. 


Our Brown Creeper may be at once known by its habit of climbing up a tree trunk or branch 
spirally. It looks a little like a very small Woodpecker, but the bill is slender and curved, and there 
are three toes in front and one behind instead of two in front and two behind. 

109. Brown Creeper. 


Family 12. ‘TrocLopyripAr. Mockers, Thrashers, and Wrens. 


A snap-shot judgment would separate this family into two distinct families, or return the Mock- 
ers to the Turdide, but more careful comparison and study reveals the logic of the present arrange- 
ment. In song and story this group is perhaps better known than any other whole group of birds. 
Certainly it deserves the distinction, for the Mockingbird alone might well serve to bring the group 
into prominence. The Wrens are too nearly household birds to escape popular attention, even amid 
the rabble of English Sparrows. The Wrens, especially, are brimming over with energy, which is 
fittingly illustrated by the forward pointing tail. They are true Americans. 


XXXIV. 


I. Wing over 3.50. 


A. Slate-color, under tail-coverts rufous. 111. Catbird. 

B. Back grayish, outer tail-feathers white. 110. Mockingbird. 

C. Back rufous, under parts spotted. 112. Brown Thrasher. 
II. Wing less than 3.00. 

A. Wings not barred. 114. Bewick Wren. 


B. Wangs barred. : 
t. Back streaked with white. 


a. White streaks confined to center of back. 118. Long=-billed Marsh Wren. 
b. Wings and whole back white streaked. 117. Short-billed Marsh Wren. 
2. Back not streaked with white. 
a. A long white streak over the eye. 113. Carolina Wren. 
b. No white line over the eye. 
(1). Belly, sides, and breast barred. 116. Winter Wren. 
(2). Sides only faintly barred. 115. House Wren. 


Family 13. H1RuNDINIDAE. Swallows, Martins. 


The Swallow form and carriage are too well known to call for comment. They are strong, 
graceful flyers, feeding upon flying insects fcr the most part, but sometimes gleaning from the grass- 
tops as they fly over the pastures or meadow. ‘Three or four of the species nest about the habita- 
tions of man, one of them, Purple Martin, exclusively. After the breeding season, when the young 
have become able to fly well, the Swallows gather in large companies preparatory to their southward 
journey. Telegraph wires along the lake front are then often covered with the birds. None of the 
Swallows are in any way injurious, but all are useful birds. 


I. Upper parts with metallic reflections. 


A. Under parts steel-blue. 119. Purple Martin. 
B. Throat chestnut, rufous or brownish. 
v. Tail deeply forked. 121. Barn Swallow. 
2. Upper tail coverts rufous or buffy. 120. Cliff Swallow. 
C. Throat gray or white. 
t. Entire under parts white. 122. Tree Swallow. 
2. Throat and breast brownish-gray. 1r9. Purple Martin. 
II. Upper parts without metallic reflections. 
A. Throat and breast brownish-gray. 124. Rough-winged Swailow. 
B. A brownish band across the white breast. 123. Bank Swallow. 


Family 14. AMPELIDAE. Waxwings. 

The Waxwings are beautiful but inconstant birds. They are here at one time and gone the 
next. Their tufted head and silky-brownish plumage are always good field marks. They have no 
true song, but chatter faintly. The Cedarbird is fond of ripe cherries, but always prefers ripe mul- 
berries to anything else. Depredations upon the cherry crop may be prevented by the proximity of 
a mulberry tree. 

I. Wing over 4.50. . 125. Bohemian Waxwing. 


Il. Wing under 4.00. 126. Cedar Waxwing. 


Family 15. LaAntmpar. Shrikes. 
The Shrikes are the birds of prey among the Passeres. Their feet and bill are adapted for a 
predatory life. Mice, snakes, birds and insects are captured and eaten, or impaled on thorns for future 
use as the occasion demands. 


T. Wing over 4.00. 127. Northern Shrike. 
II. Wing less than 4.00. 128. Migrant Shrike. 


Family 16. ViIREONIDAE. Vireos. 

These small birds bear some resemblance to the Shrikes in general structure, but differ widely 
in habits. They are all woods-hunters, while the Shrikes prefer the open fields. They glean from 
the surface of leaves or from the bark, and sometimes dart out after a flying insect. Their food is 
almost wholly insect. They are less brisk of movement than the Warblers, but bear a fairly close 
resemblance to them in a general way. A novice might easily become confused between the two 
groups. All of the Vireos are good singers, and the White-eyed is a good mimic. All build pensile 
nests, sometimes of beautiful pattern and careful workmanship. 


I. With distinct wing-bars. 
A. Wing under 2.75. 134. White-eyed Vireo. 
B. Wing over 2.75. 


XXXV. 


1. ‘Throat and breast bright yeliow. 132. Yellow-throated Vireo. 
2. Throat and breast white. 133- Blue=-headed Vireo. 
Il. Without wing-bars. 
A. Wing over 3.00. 129. Red-eyed Vireo. 
B. Wing under 3.00. 
1. Under parts yellowish. 130. Philadelphia Vireo. 
2. Under parts white. 131. Warbling Vireo. 


Family 17. TyRANNIDAE. Flycatchers. 
_ The Flycatchers are so named from their habit of darting out from a perch to catch some flying 
insect, returning to the same perch for a lookout. The Kingbird sometimes eats quantities of honey- 
bees, but with this exception the group is a very beneficial one. 
I. Tail deeply forked. 135. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 
Il. Tail not forked. 
A. Wing over 3.00. 


1. Tail tipped with white. 136. Kingbird. 
2. ‘ail with rufous on inner vanes of feathers. 137. Crested Flycatcher. 
3. Tail fuscous. 
a. Wing 4.00 or more. 139. Olive-sided Flycatcher. 
b. Wing under 3.50. 
(1). Bill black. 138. Phoebe. 
(2). Lower mandible pale brownish. 140. Wood Pewee. 


B. Wing under 3.00. 
1. Upper parts with an evident brownish tinge. 


a. Wing over 2.60. 143. Traill Flycatcher, and  (jypo- 
thetical) Alder Flycatcher. 
b. Wing under 2.60. 144. Least Flycatcher. 
2. Upper parts without brown. 
a. Under parts sulphur yellow. 141. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. 
hb. Under parts only faintly yellowish. 142. Green-crested Flycatcher. 


OrpeR 2. MACROCHIRES. Goatsuckers. Swifts, Hummingbirds. 


Family 1. TrocHiripar. Hummingbirds. 

Our Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the smallest of our birds. It is a familiar object about 
flower gardens, where it may sometimes be mistaken for a large hawk moth; but Hummingbirds 
seldom feed during twilight, while the moths seldom feed during the day. Hummingbirds eat both 
nectar and insects. 145. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 

family 2. Microropipar. Swifts. 

Our Chimney Swift is a familiar object to all. It is in no sense a Swallow. It nests and roost; 
in chimneys. and is almost never seen sitting still except while incubating or protecting the young. 
It is a tireless flier, and a very useful bird. 146. Chimney Swift. 

Family 3. CAPRIMULGIDAE. Whippoorwill, Nighthawk. 


The two species comprising tnis family are the largest birds found in Ohio belonging to this 
order. Nighthawk is only partially nocturnal, but Whippoorwill is wholly so. Nighthawk frequently 
nests on the top of flat-roofed city buildings, but Whippoorwill always nests in the woods. They 
are famous insect destroyers, and are distinctly beneficial in all respects. 


I. A white spot in the wing. 149. Nighthawk. 
IT. No white spot in the wing. 147. Whippoorwill. 
Orper 3. PICI. Woodpeckers. 
Fanuly. Prcipar. Woodpeckers. 
The characters already given for the order are sufficient. 


I. Whole top of head red. 
A. Throat red. 


1. Body colors in bands: red, black, white, black. 155- Red-headed Woodpecker. 
2. Colors not in bands. a black crescent on breast. 153- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 
B. Throat white. 
t. A black crescent on breast. 153- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 
2. Breast and belly black. 154. Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 
3. Under parts reddish, unmarked. 156. Red-bellied Woodpecker. 


XXXVI. 


II. Red on head confined to a band across nape. 
A. Under parts black, unspotted. 


1. Bill blackish. 154. Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 
2. Bill white. (Hypothetical) Ivory=billed 
Woodpecker. 
Bb. Under parts spotted or streaked. 
rt. Rump white; a black crescent on breast. 157. Northern Flicker. 
2. Head black, red in 2 spots on nape. 151. Red=-cockaded Woodpecker. 
C. Under parts white or whitish. : 
1. Crown gray. 156. Red-bellied Woodpecker. 
2. Crown black. 
a. Bill over 1.00. 149. Hairy Woodpecker. 
b. Bill under 1.00. . 150. Downy Woodpecker. 
Ill. Head without red. 
A. Bill white. (Hypothetical) Ivory=billed 
Woodpecker. 


B. Bill not white. 
1. Under parts unmarked. 


a. Bill over 1.00. 149. Hairy Woodpecker. 
b. Bill under 1.00. 150. Downy Woodpecker. 
2. Under parts spotted or barred or streaked. 
a. Back wholly black. 152. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 
b. Back black and white. 
(1). Breast with a black patch. 153- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 
(2). Breast without a black patch. 
(a). Wing over 5.co. 155. Red=-headed Woodpecker. 
(b). Wing under 5.00. 151. Red=-cockaded Woodpecker. 


Orprr 4. COCCYGES. Cuckoos, Kingfisher. 


Tamily 2. CucuLmar. Cuckoos. 


The Cuckoos are shy birds, making their way among the tree branches and in the foliage with- 
out sound or commotion. Their slender bodies and long tail give them the appearance of snake-like 
proportions and movement. The popular belief that their peculiar calls indicate the approach of a 
storm is not well founded. as any one may learn by a little careful study of these birds. Their 
great value to agriculture and especially to the horticulturalist, lies in their habit of eating quan- 
tities of the tent caterpillar and other hairy and spiny caterpillars and larve which other birds will 
not touch. They should be encouraged to nest near the orchard. 


I. Lower mandible yellow, wings with rufous. 159. Yellow=billed Cuckoo. 
Il. Whole bill black, wings without rufous. 160. Black=billed Cuckoo. 


Family 1. A\CEDINIDAE. Kingfishers. 


The single member of this family inhabiting Onio may be found about streams and ponds and 
lakes looking for fish and tadpoles. He is not particularly useful nor particularly harmful. He is a 
desirable part of a landscape because he is picturesque and interesting. There is no good reason why 
he should be harmed. 158. Belted Kingfisher. 


OrpER 5. PSITTACI. Parrots. 
The single species representing this order has long since become extinct in Ohio. 
161. Carolina Paroquet. 


Orper 6. RAPTORES. Birds of Prey. 


Fanily t. Srriciar. Barn Owl. 


The single species comprising this family is sufficiently treated in the discussion of that species 
in the body of this book. 162. Barn Owl. 


family 2. Bupnonrpar. Horned Owls, Hoot Owls, etc. 


Most owls are nocturnal in habits, but most of them are also able to fly well by day. Some are 
seldom seen during daylight except in dark weather, or when startled from their retreats, and some 
prefer the day to hunt in. Their cries are weird and startling. They nest either in hollow trees or 
in open nests, but seldom if ever make a whole new nest for themselves. Their food varies with 
the species, but mammals, insects and birds form the greater part of their diet. Only one species, 
the Great Horned Owl, is distinctly and always injurious. Some are among the most useful of 
animals and should be carefully protected. 


XXXVII. 


I. With conspicuous ear-tufts. 


A. ‘Wing less than 8.00. 168. Screech Owl. 
B. Wing more than 8.00. 
t. A large white throat-patch. 169. Great Horned Owl. 
2. No white throat-patch. 163. American Long-eared Owl. 


Il. With very short or no ear-tufts. 
A. Wing more than 10.00. 


1. Plumage largely white. 170. Snowy Owl. 
2. Plumage brownish. 
a. Wing more than 15.00. 166. Great Gray Owl. 
b. Wing less than 15.co but more than 10.00. 
(1). Plumage conspicuously barred. 165. Barred Owl. 
(2). Plumage not barred. 164. Short-eared Owl. 
B. Wing less than 10.00. 
1. Wing less than 6.00. 167. Saw-whet Owl. 
2. Wing more than 6.00. 171. American Hawk Owl. 


Family 3. Fanconmar. Kites, Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, etc. 


After a most thorough and careful investigation of the food of all of our birds of prey by our 
national Agricultural Department, Dr. A. K. Fisher shows that but four of the 28 species which 
have been found in Ohio are more injurious than useful, and but three members of this family, the 
Sharp-shinned and the Cooper Hawks, and the American Goshawk, are more harmful than benefi- 
cial. Hawks eat the mice and insects which injure grain and fruit. We need to discriminate care- 
fully before killing in cold blood. One may be wholly justified in killing when his poultry or other 
property is being destroyed, whether the kind doing the killing belongs to a species that is harmful 
or not. 

There is no sure mark by which a hawk may be known from all other birds, but their sharp. 
curved talons and sharply hooked beaks are good indications of what they eat and how they live. 
In practical study one soon comes to know a member of this group at sight. 


I. Wing over 20 inches long. 


A. Tarsus entirely feathered. 185. Golden Eagle. 
B. Lower half of tarsus bare. 186. Bald Eagle. 


II. Wing under 19 inches long. 
A. Under parts streaked or spotted, without bars. 
I. Outer primary conspicuously barred. 
a. Wing under 10.00. 
(1). Back bright reddish-brown. plain or barred. 1474. American Sparrow Hawk. 
(2). Back fuscous or slaty. 


(a). Wing under 7.00. 177. Sharp-shinned Hawk. 
(b). Wing over 7.50. 
(al). Tail over 7.00, rounded. 178. Cooper Hawk. 
(bl). Tail under 6.00, square. 173. Pigeon Hawk. 
b. Wing over 10.00. 
(1). Rump white. 176. Marsh Hawk. 
(2). Rump not white. 
(a). ‘Tail over 10.00. 179. American Goshawk. 
(b). Tail under 8.00. 172. Duck Hawk. 
2. Outer primary not, or not conspicuously barred. 
a. Wing under 12.00. 183. Broad-winged Hawk. 
b. Wing over 12.00, under 14.00. 182. Red-shouldered Hawk. 
c. Wing over 15.00. 180. Red-tailed Hawk. 
B. Under parts streaked or spotted, with bars. 
1. Front of tarsus with distinct rounded scales. 172. Duck Hawk. 
2. Front of tarsus with distinct square scales. 
a. Bluish-slate color above. 179. American Goshawk. 
b. Pattern various, but in general brownish above. 
(1). Tail rufous, wholly or mostly. 180 & 181. Red-tailed Hawk and 


Western Reds-tail. 
(2). Tail barred with brown and light gray. 


(a). Wing more than 12.00. 182. Red-shouldered Hawk. 
(b). Wing less than 12.00. 183. Broad=-winged Hawk. 
3. Front of tarsus with indistinct scales or smooth. 
a. Upper tail-coverts white. 176. Marsh Hawk. 
b. Upper tail-coverts not white. 
(1). Wing over 9.00, tail rounded. 178. Cooper Hawk. 


(2). Wing under 9.00, tail square. 177. Sharp-shinned Hawk. 


XXXVIIL. 


4. Tarsus entirely feathered. 184. American Rough-legged Hawk. 
C. Under parts neither barred nor streaked. 
1. Under parts not white. 184. American Rough-legeed Hawk. 
2. Under parts white. 
a. Tail square. 187. American Osprey. 
b. Tail deeply forked. 175. Swallow-tailed Kite. 


Family 4. CATHARTIDAE. Vultures. 


The two Vultures found in Ohio are scavengers of great service where they are at all numerous. 
They feed upon all kinds of carrion and offal, even coming into the streets of towns to gather any 
garbage which may be carelessly left by those who have contempt for modern sanitary conditions in 
centers of population. In Ohio they are not so bold nor so numerous as to be very important 
factors in carrion destruction. On the wing they are stately birds, going straight forward as well 
as ascending with little or no flapping of the wings. They have mastered the art of utilizing cur- 
rents of air for propulsion. 


|. Wing about 22 inches long. 188. Turkey Vulture. 
Il. Wing about 17 inches long. 189. Black Vulture. 


OrvEer 7. COLUMBA#. Wild Pigeon, Mourning Dove. 


Family. CorumBar. Pigeons and Doves. 


The two members of this group are too well known to call for extended comment here. They 
are largely grain eaters and weed seed eaters, and are arboreal in contrast to the grouse forms. ‘The 
small head and pointed tail form unmistakable field marks. 


I. Wing about 8 inches long. 190. Passenger Pigeon. 
1I. Wing about 6 inches long. 191. Mourning Dove. 


Orper 8. GALLINA‘. Grouse, Turkeys, Bob-white. 


Family 2. ‘TerRAONtDAr. Grouse, Bob-white. 


It is, perhaps, needless to say that the members of this group are pretty strictly terrestrial. They 
feed upon grains and nuts, but also eat some insects. They are prime game birds. 


] Length about 10 inches. 196. Bob-white. 

Il. Length over 15 inches. 
\. Lower half of tarsus bare. 194. Ruffed Grouse. 
B. Whole tarsus feathered. 195. Prairie Hen. 


Family 1. PHASIANIDAE. Pheasants and Turkeys. 


Of the two species of this group found in Ohio one, the Wild Turkey, is becoming extinct, and 
the other, the Mongolian Pheasant, is just being introduced. The Wild Turkey is the noblest of 
the game birds. 


| Middle tail feathers much lengthened. 192. Mongolian Pheasant. 
Il. Middle tail feathers not much lengthened. 193. Wild Turkey. 


OrpvEer 9. PALUDICOLA®. Cranes, Rails, Coots, Gallinules. 
Family 1. Ratiipar. Rails, Coot, Gallinules. 


To this group belong the swamp skulkers. The Coot sometimes takes to open water, often seem- 
ing to prefer to feed there, but it nests in the swamp vegetation. It is difficult to make the Rails 
and Gallinules leave their reedy retreats. They are sure of safety among the reeds and sedges and 
are loth to trust the open air. They glean for food from lily pads and the surface of the water, as 
well as in the mud and water. ‘They eat insects and tadpoles, and probably some vegetation. 


I. Wing over 6 inches. 


A. General plumage brown. 197. King Rail. 
B. General plumage purplish-blue. 202. Purple Gallinule. 
C. General plumage slaty-black. 

1. Toes with lobes; shield on forehead white. 204. American Coot. 

2. Toes without lobes; shield on forehead red. 203. Florida Gallinule. 


il. Wing under 5.50. 
A. Wing under 3.50. 
t. Back blackish, barred with white. 200. Yellow Rail. 
2. Back blackish, spotted with white. 201. Black vail. 


XEON 


B. Wing over 3.50. 
1. Bill over 1 inch. 198. Virginia Rail. 
2 Bill under 1 inch. 199. Sora. 


Family 2. GRUIDAE. Cranes. 


The Cranes so closely resemble the Herons in general appearance that one is surprised to note 
that they are really different. In habits they resemble the Herons in many particulars, but are more 
often found away from water in the uplands. They nest on the ground instead of in trees, as most 
of the Herons do. They can eat anything. 


I. Wing less than 19 inches. 206. Little Brown Crane. 
Il. Wing over 21 inches. 
A. Primaries black. rest of plumage white. 205. Whooping Crane. 
B. Plumage brownish gray. 207. Sandhill Crane. 


OrpdER 10. HERODIONES. Bitterns, Herons, etc. 


Family 1. ArprErar. Bitterns, Herons, Egrets. 

All members of this family have long, sharply pointed bills, long legs and neck, and feed stand- 
ing ‘knee’ deep in the water. The sharp bill is a formidable weapon of defense as well as offense, 
while the long neck enables them to dart that weapon out with a lightning stroke. They feed upon 
frogs and insects, and occasionally fish which find their way into the shallow water. 


I. Wing less than 6.00. 


A. Under parts buffy. 209. Least Bittern. 
B. Under parts rufous-chestnut. (Hypothetical) Cory Last Bit= 
tern. 
Il- Wing about 7.25. 214. Green Heron. 
II]. Wing 9 to 11 inches. 
A. General plumage tawny or umber-brown, everywhere 
streaked with darker. 208. American Bittern. 
B. General plumage slaty-blue. 213. Little Blue Heron. 
C. General plumage white. 
1. Tips of primaries blue. 213. Little Blue Heron (i.) 
2. Tips of primaries not blue. 212. Snowy Heron. 


IV. Wing over Ir inches. 
A. Wing about 12 inches. 


1. Crown black, not streaked 215. Black-crowned Night Heron. 
2. Crown streaked. 215. Black-crowned Night Heron. 
(im.) 
B. Wing over 13 inches. 
1. Pure white. 211. American Egret. 
2. Upper parts bluish. 210. Great Blue Heron. 


Family 2. Crconrpar. Wood Ibis. 


The Wood Ibis, the only member of this group found in Ohio, is of more southern distribution, 
but sometimes wanders to the state. It resembles the Herons in habits. 


216. Wood Ibis. 


Family 3. Ipipipar.  Ibises. 


The Glossy Ibis is accidental in Ohio, its home being well south. In its wanderings it rarely 
enters regions of our latitude. 
217. Glossy Ibis. 


Orper tt. LIMICOLA®. Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers, ete. 


Family 1. CHARADRITDAE. Plovers. 


The Plovers are short-billed shore birds, and therefore get their food by gleaning from the sur- 
face of the ground on the uplands or along shore. They have whistled calls which are somewhat 
musical. 


I. Toes 4. 218. Black=bellied Plover. 
Il. Toes 3. 
A. Back streaked or spotted. 219. American Golden Plover. 
B. Back neither streaked nor spotted. ’ 
tT. Rump rufous. 220. Killdeer. 


2. Rump not rufous. 


a. Toes webbed at the base. 221. Semipalmated Plover. 
b. Toes not webbed at the base. 
(1). A continuous black breast band. 223. Belted Piping Plover. 


(2). Black band interrupted on center of breast. 222. Piping Plover. 


Family 2. APHRIZIDAE. Turnstone. 


The single species found in Ohio is found along the shore of Lake Erie during the migrations. 
There it is found gleaning like the Killdeer at the water’s edge or among the higher drift. 
\ 224. Turnstone. 


Family 3. ScoLopactpArk. Snipes, Sandpipers, Curlews, etc. 


The birds comprising this group are for the most part inhabiters of wet places, probing in the 
soft mud for worms and insects. Some species can move the tip of the bill independently of the rest 
of the bill, and so are enabled to grasp the morsel of food under ground, or form a hook to draw 
it out. Some are found on the uplands gleaning from the surface much like the Plovers. During 
the nesting season many have what might be called songs if these birds belonged to the singers. 
Many also have whistled calls during the migrations. All nest on the ground. 

I. Bill over 2 inches long. : 
A. Bill over 5 inches long. 249. Long-=billed Curlew. 
B. Bill under 4.50. 
tr. Bill curved downward. 
a. Bill about 3.75. 250. Hudsonian Curlew. 
b. Bill about 2.40. 251. Eskimo Curlew. 
2. Bill straight or curved upward. 
a. Bill over 3.00. 
(1). Upper tail-coverts white. 240. Hudsonian Godwit. 
(2). Upper tail-coverts not white. 239. Marbled Godwit. 
b. Bill under 3.00. 
(1). Bill widened and pitted at the tip. 
(a). Wing about 5.75. 227. Dowitcher. 
(b). Wing about 6.00. 228. Long-billed Dowitcher. 
(2). Bill not widened at the tip. 
(a). Wing over 7.50. 


(al). Axillars barred. 241. Greater Yellow-legs. 
(bl). Axillars not barred. 244. Willet. 
(b). Wing under 6.00. 
(al). Axillars barred. 226. Wilson Snipe. 
(bl). Axillars not barred. 225. American Woodcock. 
II. Bill under 2.00. 
A. Toes 3. 238. Sanderling. 
B. Toes 4. 
1. Tail barred. 
a. Wing under 4.50. 248. Spotted Sandpiper. 


b. Wing over 5.00. 
(1). Wing over 6.00. 


(a). Tail feathers showing much white. 242. Yellow-legs. 

(b). Tail feathers without white. 246. Bartramian Sandpiper. 
(2). Wing under 5.50. 

(a). Upper parts spotted with white. 243. Solitary Sandpiper. 

(b). Upper parts not spotted with white. 247. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 


2. Tail not barred. 
a. Bill over 1.10. 


(1). Wing over 6.50. 230. Knot. 
(2). Wing about 6.00. 245. Ruff. 
(3). Wing under 5.75. 
(a). Tarsus over 1.50. 229. Stilt Sandpiner. 
(b). Tarsus under 1.50. 
(al). ‘With white in the wing. 231. Purple Sandpiper. 
(bl). Without white in the wing. 232. Pectoral Sandpiper. 


(cl). Without white in wing, belly with black. 236. Red=backed Sandpiper. 
b. Bill under 1.00. 
(1). Wing over 4.50. 


(a). Upper tail-coverts white. 233. White-rumped Sandpiper. 
(b). Upper tail-coverts fuscous. 234. Baird Sandpiper. 

(2). Wing under 4.00. 
(a). Toes partly webbed. 237. Semipalmated Sandpiper. 


(b). Toes not webbed. 235. Least Sandpiper. 


xii. 


Family 4. Recurvrrostripar. Avocets and Stilts. 

These lone. slender billed birds, with the bill turning upward, are striking in appearance. ‘Their 
long legs make true waders of them, while the long bill enables them to read the bottom of the shal- 
low water without the necessity of immersing the whole head and neck. 
ee ee Bill over 325. 252. American Avocet. 


II. Bill under 2.50. 253. Black=-necked Stilt. 


Family 5. PHALAROPODIDAr. Phalaropes. 


The Phalaropes are essentially sea birds, but they pass to and fro across the country, sometimes 
resting on the smaller waters. They swim readily. The female is the larger and brighter colored, 
contrary to the general rule among birds. 


I. Bill over r inch long. 256. Wilson Phalarope. 
II. Bill under 1 inch long. 
A Wing under 5.00. 255- Northern Phalarope. 
B. Wing over 5.00. 254. Red Phalarope. 


Orver 12. LONGIPENNES. Gulls, Terns, Jaegers. 


Family 1. STERCORARIIDAE. Jaegers. 


The Jaegers are the hawks among the Longipennes. They combine great powers of flight with 
the nature of a bully, stealing the fiish from Gulls and Terns in preference to catching it them- 
selves. They reach Ohio only during the migrations or as wanderers from other localities. 


I. Length over 20 inches, middle tail feathers not pointed.257. Pomarine Jeager. 
II. Length under 18 inches, middle tail feathers pointed. 258. Parasitic Jaeger. 


Family 2. Laripar. Gulls and Terns. 


The members of this family agree in having long, pointed wings, and a bill without a hook 
at its tip. The subfamilies differ enough in form and habits to deserve separate treatment. 


Subfamily 1. LAartnar. Gulls. 


The Gulls comprise the larger members of the family Laride. They differ from the Terns 
in having a square tail, a bill slightly bent down, and the head either wholly black or without 
black on the crown. They fly with the bill pointing forward in a line with the body. They snatch 
fish or refuse from the surface of the water, often alighting upon the water, but do not dive for 
fish, as the Terns do. 


I. Length over 23 inches. 


A. Back dark slaty. 261. Great Black=backed Gull. 
B. Back pearl-gray. 
t. Black on outer primaries. 262. Herring Gull. 
2. No black on the primaries. 260. Iceland Gull. 
C. Back usually grayish or brownish, usually marked with 
darker. 
tr. Tail dark. 
a. Wing over 18 inches. 261. Great Black-backed Gull. 
b. Wing under 18 inches. 262. Herring Gull. 
on Railelieht: 260. Iceland Gull. 


II. Length under 20 inches. 
A. Tail pure white. 
t. Head and neck slaty-black. 


a. Outer primary mostly black. 265. Sabine Gull. 
b. Outer primary mostly white. 264. Bonaparte Gull. 
2. Head and neck white, or washed with pearl gray. 259. Kittiwake. 
3. Bill crossed by a dark band. 263. Ring-=billed Gull. 
B. Tail marked with black. 
1. Hind toe without a nail. 259. Kittiwake. 
2. Hind toe with a nail. 264. Bonaparte Gull. 


Subfamily 2. STERNINAE. Terns. 

All of the Terns found in Ohio have deeply forked tails. They fly with the bill pointing 
downward instead of forward, and dive from over the water for fish which may be seen under 
the surface. The bill is almost straight and sharply pointed. Most of our species have we top 
of the head and neck jet black in full plumage. Thev usually nest in colonies on the sand and 
gravel of the beach, or in the marshes upon floating decaying vegetation. 


xlil. 
I. Length over 20 inches. 267. Caspian Tern. 


!l. Length under 16 inches. 
A. Length over 13 inches. 
1. Whcele top of head black. 
a. Bill wholly or mostly black. 


(1). Outer tail feathers pure white. 270. Roseate Tern. 
(2). Inner web of outer tail feather gray. 268. Forster Tern. 
(3). Tail forked for less than 2 inches. 266. Gull-billed Tern. 
b. Bill not black. 
(1). Under parts pure white. 268. Forster Tern. 
(2). Under parts grayish. 269. Common Tern. 
2. Forehead or crown white or gray. 
a. Whole outer tail feather white. 270. Roseate Tern. 
b. Inner web of outer tail feather not white. 268. Forster Tern. 
c. Outer web of outer tail feathers darker than inner269. Common Tern. 
web. 
B. Length under 11 inches. 
1. Under parts white. 271. Least Tern. 
2. Under parts black. 272. Black Tern. 


OrpErR 13. ANSERES. Ducks, Geese, Swans. 
Subfamily 1. MeErcinar. Mergansers. 


To this group belong the “fish ducks’ par excellence. They feed largely upon fish which they 
are enabled to catch with their toothed, hawk-like bills. They dive readily and for considerable 
distances, pursuing the fish under water. They are found about streams and considerable bodies of 
water, some individuals of tne larger species remaining in the state during the winter where open 
waters afford good feeding places. 

I. Length under 18 inches. A conspicuous hood 309. Hooded Merganser. 


II. Length over 21 inches. 
A. Head and throat black. 


1. Under parts white, tinged with salmon. 307. American Merganser. 
2. Breast brownish, heavily streaked with black. 308. Red=breasted Merganser. 
B. Head and sides of neck rufous-brown. 307. American Merganser. 
C. Head and sides of neck grayish-brown, washed with 
rufous. 308. Red-breasted Merganser. 


Subfamily 2. ANAtTINAE. River and Pond Ducks. 


The members of this group may be known at once by the absence of a flap or lobe on the 
hind toe. They feed in shallow water, immersing only part of the body, and hence are called ‘Tip- 
ups’. A feeding flock with heads down and tails in the air looks like the scoring end of a bowl- 
ing alley. They take wing readily from the water. 


I. Length under 17.00 inches. 


\. Under parts chestnut-rufous. 289. Cinnamon Teal. 

B. Under parts not chestnut-rufous. 
1. Lesser wing-coverts blue. 288. Blue=-winged Teal. 
2. Lesser wing-coverts gray. 287. Green-winged Teal. 


Il. Length over 18.co inches. 
\. Belly not conspicuously streaked or spotted. 


rv. Head shining dark green. 281. Mallard. 
2. Center of head white or whitish. 286. Baldpate. 
3. Crown greenish, throat white. 292. Wood Duck. 
4. Crown buffy, throat blackish. 285. Widgeon. 
5. Crown dark olive-brown. 291. Pintail. 
6. Crown finely streaked with black. 
a. Wing-coverts with chestnut. 284. Gadwall. 
b. Wing coverts without chestnut 
(1). Sides barred with black. 291. Pintail. 
(2). Sides plain brown. 286. Baldpate. 
(3). Sides spotted with black. 284. Gadwall. 


B. Belly conspicuously marked, cr chestnut. 

Wing-coverts with white. 

a. Lesser wing-coverts bluish. 290. Shoveller. 
bh. Lesser wing-coverts brownish-gray. 


(1). Speculum purple. 
(2). Speculum gray or white. 
2. Wing-coverts without white. 
a. Legs yellowish, smaller. 
b. Legs reddish, larger. 
3. Under parts chestnut. 


Subfamily 3. 


This group of ducks inhabits the deeper waters. 


FULIGULINAE. 


xiii. 
281. Mallard. 
284. Gadwall. 
282. Black Duck. 
283. Red-legged Black Duck. 
284. Gadwall. 


Sea and Bay Ducks. 


They dive to a considerable depth, often, for 


fish. Some are almost as expert divers as the famed grebes and loons. ‘lhey feed upon almost any 
aquatic animals or vegetables. Some are considered a table delicacy, while others are of a decidedly 


fishy flavor, 
I. Whole head and neck black. 
A. Plumage entirely black. 
B. Plumage not entirely black. 
1. Bill with a bluish band near its tip. 
2. Bill plain bluish. 
a. Back of head with purplish reflections 


b. Back of head with greenish reflections. 


Il. Head and neck rufous or rufous-brown. 
A. Head and neck rufous. 
tr. Bill under 2.00. 
2. Bill over 2.00. 
B. Head and neck rutous-brown 
tr. Wing with a white patch. 
a. Region at base of bill not white 


b. Region at base of bill white. 
(1). Wing over 8.25. 
(2). Wing under 8.25. 
2. No white in wing. 
a. Bill over 2.00. 
b. Bill under 2.00. 
(1). Wing over 8.00. 
(2). Wing under 8.00. 
c. Middle tail feathers long and slender. 


Ill. Head and throat steel blue or steel green. 


A. Steel green. 
B. Steel blue. 


IV. Head and neck otherwise. 
A. Wing over 10.00. 
1. Bill over 2.00. 
2. Bill under 2.00. 
a. Speculum white. 
b. Speculum not white 
B. Wing under 7.00. 
1. Tail feathers normal. 
2. Tail feathers stiff and slender. 


Subfamily 4. 


304. American Scoter. 
297. Ring-necked Duck. 


296. Lesser Scaup Duck. 
295. American Scaup Duck. 


293. Redhead. 
294. Canvasback. 


298 & 299. American and Barrows 
Golden-eyes. 


295. American Scaup Duck. 
296. Lesser Scaup Duck. 


294. Canvasback. 
293. Redhead. 


297. Ring-necked Duck. 
301. Old=squaw. 


298. American Golden eye. 
299. Barrows Golden-eye. 


302. American Eider. 


305. White-winged Scoter. 
303. King Eider. 


300. Buffilehead. 
306. Ruddy Duck. 


ANSERINAE. Geese. 


Like the river and pond ducks, the geese feed in the water by tipping instead of diving, for 
which their large bodies are not adapted. They are vegetarians, and forage a great deal in fields, 
picking up scattered grain. Rarely large flocks may damage newly sown or newly sprouting fields 


of grain. They like the tender shoots of grass 


I. Head black, throat white. 
A. Length 35 or more. 
B. Length 34 or less. 
Il. Head black, throat black. 
A. With less white below. 
B. With more white below. 
III. Whole head or forehead white. 
A. Forehead white. 


and grains. 


279. Canada Goose. 
280. Hutchins Goose. 


(Hypothetical) Brant. 
(Hypothetical) White=-bellied Brant. 


278. American White-fronted Goose. 


xliv. 


B. Whole head and neck white, grayish or rusty. 
1. Primaries black, rest of plumage white. 


a. Wing more than 17.00. 276. Greater Snow Goose. 
b. Wing 17.00 or less. 275. Lesser Snow Goose. 
2. Back grayish brown. 
a. Wings without conspicucus white. 277. Blue Goose. 
b. Wings with conspicuous white. 
(1). Wing more than 17.00, 276. Greater Snow Goose. 
(2). Wing 17.00 or less. 275. Lesser Snow Goose. 
IV. Head and neck brown. bill yellow. 
A. Rump fuscous. 278. American White-fronted Goose. 
B. Rump gray. 277. Blue Goose. (i.) 


Subfamily 5. CyGNINAr. Swans. 


The general form of the swans is too well known to call for comment here. The long neck 
enables them to feed upon the bottom of shallow pools without tipping up in the undignified man- 
ner of the geese. They migrate in flocks much after the manner of the geese, and seem to feed 
on both vegetable matter and aquatic insects. 

273. Whistling Swan. 
274. Trumpeter Swan. 


OrDER 14. STEGANOPODES. - Pelicans, Cormorants, etc. 


Family 1. FrecatmpAr. Man-o’=War Birds. 


The single member of this family which has been found in Ohio must be regarded as an acci- 
dental visitor, not likely ‘to be found again. 312. Man-o’=War Bird. 


Family 2. PELECANIDAE. Pelicans. 


The American White Pelican is the only representative of this family in O.uo. It may be 
known at once by its great size, white plumage and enormous pouch hanging from the lower side 
of the bill. It is found only about considerable bodies of water, or the vicinity of them, where 


it must feed. 311. American White Pelican. 
Family 3. PHALACROCORACIDAR. Cormorants. 


There appears to be but a single species of this family in the Ohio list of birds. Examination 
of the only specimen of Cormorant taken in the state, and supposed to be the Florida form, fails 
to verify the supposition that the birds found breeding at the St. Mary’s Reservoir many years ago 
were form floridanus. "The Cormorants look like geese while flying, but may be distinguished from 
them by the hoarse croak. The Ohio form is Phalacrocorax dilophus. 

310. Double-crested Cormorant. 


OrpER 16. PYGOPODES. Diving Birds. 


Family 1. Popicrpipar. Grebes. 


The Grebes will seldom be seen anywhere except in the water, where they are perfectly at home. 
They may be readily distinguished from all other swimming birds by the absence of a tail. When 
Suspicious of danger they swim with most or all of the body beneath the water, and if hard pressed 
will protrude only the bill far enough to breathe. Witch-like escapes may often be attributed to 
this power. 


1. Large. over 18 inches long. 314. Holboell Grebe. 


II. Smaller, less than 16 inches long. 


A. Bill slender, less than a third as deep at base as long.315. Horned Grebe. 
B. Bill about half as deep as base as long. 316. Pied=billed Grebe. 


Family 2. Gavupar. Loons. 


All of the Loons which visit Ohio are large birds, seldom visiting small bodies of water in 
their migrations. They resemble the Grebes in habits, eating much the same aquatic life. Their 
weird calls, like the laughter of a maniac, have given them their name. Their quickness in div- 
ing enabled them to escape the shot from an old flint-lock or percussion cap gun, but modern 
smokeless powder often proves their undoing. 


I. Throat gray, neck chestnut-brown. 319. Red-throated Loon. 
Il. Throat black. 
A. Head black, a white throat-band. 317. Loon. 
B. Head ashy. 318. Black-throated Loon. 
III. Throat whitish. 
A. Back spotted with white. 319. Red=throated Loon. 
B. Back margined with grayish. 
1. Wing over 13 inches long. 317. Loon. 
2. Wing under 13 inches long. 318. Black-throated Loon. 


Family 3. Avcmar. Murres, Auks, Puffins. 


One member of this family has been found on Lake Erie after a severe northeast storm. It 
is not likely that others will be found there again under normal conditions. Birds comprising this 
family are ocean birds, and being short winged, do not wander inland voluntarily. 

320. Brunnich Murre. 


TABLE OF COMPARISONS. 


INCHES. 
EAVES UMN aSS IZ COMER Bis oe ARUP A, HS Le cle foes 4205 deed up to 5.00 
Wali) LTRS 1Z.C sperma ig ERI euraears Sarees, ofr tees Woe tere (5.00-70:00 
FS [Dal ONBESI ZC Me pre ye Me MNS) rege ee bs zp sna asst eS 0 a decades 6.00- 7.50 
(CINE AAA CPS se TS cea cha en ai cy ec ee 7.50- 9.00 
IRON SWS nano avaceenaenone Deo RS eee Ss aenteieen oe ees OLOO=12:00 
@iSinotishemesiz egy aes ss ore ro eae we oe Be eee 2*OO=1A200)) 
IE uehlemelawikarsize yee ene. So ee Ce ree 12.00-16.00 
COON? SUAGES ois Syn ae i ee ee .. 16,00-22.00 
IES Teel tt S112 CaM ee teenie. or oe Pak cn eSpace sisuevs Seeing 20s tastes, 22100=30:00 
get LORS 17 Cae ete fot ec ee rr hace ee an cya al eee va: 30.00 and upwards 


Besides these, numerous comparisons have been made, Killdeer size, 
Mallard size, ete., which if not immediately explainable by the context may 
he determined by reference to the descriptions of these birds. 

Measurements are given in inches and hundredths and in millimeters, 


the latter enclosed in parenthesis. 


xl vil. 


THE BIRDS OF OHIO. 


No. 1. 


NORTHERN RAVEN. 


A. O. U. No. 486a. Corvus corax principalis Ridgw. 

Description.—Color, uniform lustrous black; plumage, especially on breast, 
scapulars and back, showing steel-blue or purplish iridescence; feathers of the 
throat long, narrow and pointed. Length about two feet, averaging over rath- 
er than under; wing 17.00-18.00 (431.8-457.2) ; tail 10.00 (254.) ; bill 3.00 (76.2), 
depth of bill at nostril 1.00 (25.4). j 

Recognition Marks.—Large size,—about twice as large as a Crow; uniform 
black coloration ; harsh croaking notes. 

Nest, a large but compact mass of sticks, lined with grass, wool, etc., 
placed high in trees or upon inaccessible cliffs. Eggs, 2-8, usually 5, pale blu- 
ish green or olive, spotted, blotched and dashed with greenish brown and ob- 
scure lilac or purplish. Av. size, 1.80-2.07 x 1.30-1.40 (45.7-52.6 x 33.-35.6). 

General Range.—Northern North America, south to British Columbia, 
northern Michigan, New Brunswick, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, etc. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant in Wilson’s time along the Lake Erie shore. 
Now found only in Fulton County (Jones). 


ALTHO so little known to most of us, it seems altogether proper to begin 
our consideration of the birds of Ohio with one which Professor Alfred New- 
ton calls “the largest of the Birds of the Order Passeres, and probably the most 
highly developed of all Birds.” The Raven, too, has been until lately, and 
from time immemorial, one of the most familiar objects within the ken of man. 
The Aryan herdsman complained to his fellow of the bird’s depredations, while 
the Dorian fishermen of a later day regaled each other with stories of his sa- 
gacity already centuries old. AKorax, the Greek called him, in imitation of his 
hoarse cry, Craack, Craack, while the Sanscrit name Karava reveals the ancient 
root from which have sprung both Crow and Raven. 


2 THE NORTHERN RAVEN. 

Quick-sighted, cunning and audacious, this bird of sinister appearance 
has been invested by peoples of all ages with a mysterious and semi-sacred 
character. His ominous croakings were thought to have prophetic import, 
while his preternatural shrewdness has made him with many a symbol of 
divine knowledge. A less reverent age has doomed this ancient marauder to 
an over-hasty destruction. While it is true that he has robbed birds’ uests, 
fallen upon wounded sheep, and taken toll of the tender lambs since the world 
began, his services as scavenger, insect-eater, and mole-destroyer have been 
infinitely greater, and for sentimental reasons, if for no other, the world could 
ill afford to part with the bird whose sable thread has followed all the windings 
of human history. 

The Raven has more dignity, and as a species, less flexibility than the 
Crow. As a result, altho it is exceedingly wary, the relentless warfare of 
the pioneers has thrust it almost entirely out of bounds, so far as the Eastern 
United States is concerned. While Wilson reported it as common in the 
northern part of this state at the beginning of the last century, only stragglers 
from the far north are noted nowadays,—unless, indeed, it should prove to 
be found breeding in Fulton County, as has been recently asserted. In this 
case the bird should receive rigid protection. 

With the Raven's habits we cannot largely concern ourselves here. 
According to Captain Bendire (who observed a closely allied form in the 
West) “their ordinary call note is a loud Craack, craack, varied sometimes 
by a deep grunting koerr, koerr, and again by a clucking, a sort of self-satisfied 
sound, difficult to reproduce on paper, in fact they utter a variety of notes when 
at ease and undisturbed, among others a metallic sounding klunk, which seems 
to cost them considerable effort.” The Ravens do not associate very intimately 
with others of their kind, but a pair of them are mated for life. Each spring 
the birds indulge in amorous antics which are decidedly infra dig., turning 
somersaults in the air, trying to fly on their backs, etc. Unlike the Crows, 
these birds repair the same nest year after year, and their local attachments 
are very strong. In these circumstances, no doubt, is to be found one element 
of the racial weakness in the presence of oncoming civilization. On the other 
hand, Ravens attain a great age, specimens having been kept in captivity 
upwards of a hundred years. 


AMERICAN CROW 


THE AMERICAN CROW. 3 


No. 2. 
AMERICAN CROW. 


A. O. U. No. 488. Corvus americanus Aud. 

Description.—Entire plumage glossy black, for the most part with green- 
ish-blue, steel-blue and purplish reflections ; feathers of the neck normal, rounded. 
Length 17.00-21.00 (431.8-533.4) ; wing 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6); tail 7.00- 
8.00. (177.8-203.2) ; bill 1.80-2.05 (45.7-52.1), depth at base .72- "84 (18.3-21.3). 
Female averages smaller than male. 

Nest, a neat hemisphere of sticks lined carefully with bark, roots and 
trash, and placed 10-90 feet high in trees. Eggs, 4-7, usually 5, same coloring as 
Raven’s. Occasionally fine markings produce a uniform olive-green effect. “AY. 
size, 1.00 X 1.20 (40.6x 30.5). 

General Range.—North America at large, except Arctic regions and Florida. 
In the latter region replaced by C. a. pascuus. Of local distribution in the West. 

Range in Ohio.—Of general occurrence. Retires irregularly from the 
northern portion of the state in winter. 


Photo by the Author. 
GATHERING STORM AT THE CROW WOODS. 


CHESTER HEIGHTS (NEAR COLUMBUS) WAS A WELL KNOWN CROW NESTING RESORT JUST 
PREVIOUS TO ITS PRESENT OCCUPATION BY STYLISH RESIDENCES. 


THE Crow’s year properly begins with the disbanding of the winter 
roost in late February or early March. When the first south wind bursts 
into the chilly atelier of spring, siezes a brush and paints the eastern sky with 


somber blues and piled up grays, his picture is incomplete until there is 
stretched across the canvas a long black line of the hurrying birds. Crows 


ih THE AMERICAN CROW. 
are the busybodies of early springtime. Once arrived in their familiar haunts, 
they peer into last year’s birds’ nests, inspect fence-rows, discuss the changes 
wrought by the wood chopper, hold noisy caucuses in the beech woods, or 
gather fagots for the early nesting, and their clamor becomes an integral part 
of the season’s impress. 

The dusky bird is a notorious mischief-maker, but he is not quite so 
black as he has been painted. More than any other bird he has successfully 
matched his wits against those of man, and his frequent easy victories and 
consequent boastings are responsible in large measure for the unsavory repu- 
tation in which he is held. It is a familiar adage in ebony circles that the 
proper study of Crow-kind is man, and so well has he pursued this study that 
he may fairly be said to hold his own in spite of fierce and ingenious persecu- 
tion. He rejoices in the name of outlaw, and ages of ill treatment have only 
served to sharpen his wits and intensify his cunning. 

That the warfare waged against him is largely unnecessary and partly 

unjust has been pretty clearly proven of late by the scientists who have investi- 
gated the Crow’s food habits. It is true that he destroys large numbers of 
eges and nestlings, and that, if allowed to, he will occasionally invade the 
poultry yard,—and for such conduct there can be no apology. It is true also 
that some damage is inflicted upon corn in the roasting-ear stage, and that 
corn left out through the winter constitutes a staple article of Crow diet. But 
it must be remembered that birds and eggs form only about one-half of one 
per cent of their fare through the vear, and that in the case of corn, they per- 
form conspicuous services in raising the crop. Professor A. W. Butler, of 
Indiana, who has given the matter special attention, says: ‘‘Most persons 
are disposed to note losses oftener and remember them longer than benefits. 
It (the Crow) is found to eat many insects. May beetles, June bugs, and 
noxious beetles, and quantities of them, are fed to their young. Grasshoppers 
are eaten all summer, but form the bulk of their food in August. Besides 
these, many bugs, caterpillars, cut-worms, spiders, etc., are eaten. 
It is thought in the more thickly settled portions of the country that the con 
does more good than harm, and if precautions are taken to protect the nests 
and young poultry and corn, its damage would not be of any considerable 
consequence.” 

There is no reasonable question that the Crow is the smartest bird within 
our borders. He is such a delightful rascal that he makes an interesting pet, 
as every wide-awake farmer’s boy can testify. If taken from the nest and 
well treated, a young Crow can be given such a large measure of freedom as 
to fully justify the experiment from a humanitarian standpoint. Altho scat- 
tered anecdotes of Crow ways fill the pages of popular literature, it is matter 
of regret that a complete treatise on the psychology of the Crow has never 
been produced. Such a work would not only afford entertaining reading, but 


THE AMERICAN CROW. 5 


would contribute to a sympathetic understanding of the black brother who is 
only less intelligent than we. 

Every one knows that Crows talk. Their cry is usually represented by a 
single syllable, caw, but it is capable of many and important modifications. 
For instance, keraw, keraw, comes from some irritated and apprehensive female 
who is trying to smuggle a stick into the grove. Kawk-kawk-kawk, proclaims 
sudden danger, and puts the flock into instant commotion; while caw-aw, 
caw-aw, caw-aw, reassures them again. Once, in winter, when the bird-man 
was screech-owling for sport, a company of Crows settled in the tops of neigh- 
boring trees, and earnestly discussed the probable nature of the object half- 
concealed under a camera cloth. Finally they gave it up and withdrew, as I 
supposed. It seems that one old fellow was not satisfied, for as I ventured at 
last to shift ever so little 
from my strained posti- 
tion, he set up a derisive 
“Ca-a-a-w,” froma branch 
over my head-——as who 
should say, “Aw, ye can’t 
WOell inate, Wags use El 
ma-a-a-n’”’ — and _ flapped 
away in disgust. 

The final Crow philol- 
ogy also is still unwritten. 
The Corvine tongue would 
be worthy the attention of 
Professor Garner were it 
not for the fact that exple- 
tives preponderate. 

Space fails to describe 
the elaborate structure of 
Crow society, to tell of the 
military and pedagogical 
systems which they en- 
force, of the courts of justice and penal institutions which they maintain, 
of the vigilantes who visit vengeance upon evil-minded owls and other offend- 
ers, or even of the games which they play,—tag, hide-and-seek, blind-man’s 
buff and pull-away,—but a word must be spared for that most serious busi- 
ness of life, nesting. 

A typical Crow’s nest is a very substantial affair, as our illustration 
shows. Upon a basis of coarse sticks a mat of dried leaves, grasses, bark- 
strips and dirt, or mud, is impressed. ‘The deep, rounded bow! thus formed 
is carefully lined with strips of grape-vine bark, twine, horse-hair, wool and 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


CROW’S NEST IN BEECH TREE. 


6 THE AMERICAN CROW. 
the like. When completed, the nest is about seven inches across and three 
deep inside. The expression “crow’s nest,” as used to indicate disarray, 
really arises from the consideration of old nests. Since the birds resort to 
the same locality year after year, but never use an old nest, the neighboring 
structures of successive years come to represent every stage of dilapidation. 

Normally Crows nest at middle heights in convenient trees in small 
woodlands, but under the stress of persecution they rise to greater heights and 
choose inaccessible trees, such as shell-bark hickories or giant elms. I once 
located a nest in the northern part of the state at a height of a hundred and 
ten feet in an elm tree five feet in diameter. Since the nest did not belong 
to a Swallow-tailed Kite, the eggs were not disturbed. On the other hand, 
the birds sometimes throw themselves on our mercy and build within fifteen 
or twenty feet of the ground, and in very climbable trees. 

The eggs vary interminably in coloration, but the type is strongly marked. 
In a recent monograph! it was deemed 
advisable to give a particular descrip- 
tion of fifty sets in order to cover the 
range of variation. Perhaps the most 
remarkable set that has come to light, 
at least in Ohio, was one found in the 
spring of 1892 near Oberlin. The four 
eges which comprise the set are en- 
tirely unmarked, of a pale blue color, 
not unlike that of Cooper Hawk’s eggs. 
They were taken by myself at two dif- 
ferent times, under circumstances which 
would seem to preclude the possibility 
of mistake in identity. A friend from 
Ontario, Rev. Giles G. Brown, who 
saw the eggs, assured me that all which 
he had ever seen near his native home 
were of the same description. 

April is the usual month for nesting, 
but birds are sometimes seen gathering 
nest materials during the first week in 
March, and incubation is often under 
way before the end of the month. Only 
one brood is provided for in a season 
unless some accident befalls the first, in 
which case another nest is more hastily 
prepared at some distance from the 


Photo by Griggs & Tyler. A = ae 
CROW NESTING. scene of former disaster. Deposition of 


1 The American Crow, by Frank L. Burns, Bulletin No. 5 of the Wilson Ornithological Chapter. 


THE AMERICAN CROW. 7 


eggs may occur on successive or alternate days and the period of incubation 
is variously estimated at from fourteen to eighteen days. 

It has been supposed that the Crow retires from our state except in very 
mild winters. My impression is that this is not usually the case, but that 
the birds congregate in vast winter companies or “roosts” of local restriction, 
and chiefly within our borders. ‘Ten such roosts have been reported by Pro- 
fessor Butler from the neighboring state of Indiana, and it is improbable 
that the habit of our birds materially differs. I have information of five 
such roosts (including one across the Ohio River in West Virginia, opposite 
Gallia County, and which is largely patronized by Ohio birds), noted at dif- 
ferent times, but have no definite assurance of their permanency. A com- 
plete record of the winter distribution of the Crow in our state is very much 
to be desired. 

Concerning the relative abundance of Crows, as compared with former 
times, little can be positively determined. The continued denudation of our 
timber throws many species of birds into false prominence, which may be alto- 
gether misleading. Dr. Wheaton reported a notable decrease in the vicinity 
of Columbus twenty years ago. They are abundant now. ‘The species is sub- 
ject to an epidemic called “roup,” which assails the birds in their winter quar- 
ters and materially reduces their numbers. ‘his disease affects the eyes as 
well as the pharynx and nasal passages, and has given rise to the belief that 
the birds freeze their eyes at night in cold weather,—an absurd supposition, 
since the head is securely tucked under the wing during the hours of slumber. 


Photo by J. B. Farker. 


8 PEE BLUE JAY. 


No. 3. 
BOOEIAY. 


A. O. U. No. 477. Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.). 


Description.—Above, grayish-blue with a purple cast; below, smoky or 
sordid gray; a black collar continues up the sides of the neck and underlies the 
conspicuous blue-gray crest; frontlet and lores black; throat and sides of head 
gray with a delicate purplish suffusion ; wings and tail brighter blue, finely banded 
with black; greater coverts and secondaries of wing, and tail feathers, except mid- 
dle pair, broadly tipped with white; bill and feet black. Length 1I1.00-12.50 
(279.4-317.5) ; wing 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4) ; tail 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4) ; bill 1.00- 
1.25 (25.4-31.8) ; tarsus I.00-I.10 (25.4-27.9). A typical male in the O. S. U. 
collection measures: wing 5.25 (133.3); tail 5.40 (137.2); bill 1.03 (26.2); 
tarsus 1.09 (27.7). The female averages smaller than the male and is not so 
brightly colored. 

Recognition Marks.—Jay size; bright blue coloring. ‘This is one of four 
or five species which everybody knows. 

Nest, a compact structure of sticks and roots, lined, almost invariably, with 
fine brown rootlets, and placed in a crotch or branch of a tree, usually near the 
trunk, ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, 3-6, bluish-green, olive-green, ashy-brown, 
or bistre, dotted and blotched with olive and cinnamon-brown. Av. size, 1.10 x 
85 (27.9 X 21.6). 

General Range.—Eastern North America to the Plains, and from the Fur 
Countries south to Florida and Eastern Texas. 


Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution. Resident; common in middle 
and northern portions, but less frequent southerly. 


“BEAUTY and the Beast” find joint representation in this most familiar 
inhabitant of village and woodland. Beautiful he undoubtedly is in his panoply 
of blue and white, and we are moved to an admiration which is never quite dis- 
pelled; but the heart of him is deceitful and cruel beyond belief. The Blue Jay 
is the outlaw among birds, no romantic Musolino, beloved by the masses and 
hated by the few, but a plain bad bird, whose only virtues are such as to merit 
slight appreciation in the bird world proper. Cunning, mischievous, thieving, 
cruel, noisy, boastful, quarrelsome, treacherous, wanton—one is tempted to 
empty the vials of opprobrious epithets upon his devoted head—but the vision 
of his saucy beauty and the memory of his ringing delary, delary, stays, as it 
always will, the hand of justice. 

The trouble with Blue Jay is that we all fall in love with him in the winter 
when he is being good, but lose sight of him in the spring and summer when 
he is practicing his villainies. In the winter time the flashing blue of the Jay’s 
plumage, most resplendent then, is a welcome sight among the barren hedge- 
rows or about the chilly outbuildings, which he explores for stray bits of honest 
food; or a roistering company of them sweep through the grove and set it ring- 


THE BLUE JAY. 9 
ing with shrill laughter, mocking the frost and bidding defiance to the north 
wind, until the heart leaps in answer. In early spring, too, the Blue Jays are in 
highest spirits. ‘They gather about some mock-modest raconteur in the tree- 
tops, and whisper and snicker in subdued fashion until the point of the story is 
reached, when they explode with sudden mirth and fall out of the tree shrieking 
with laughter. If you appear on the scene just then, they proclaim your ad- 
vance to all creation by shrill cries of Jay, Jay, and with an arrogance ot 
virtue which makes you ques- 
tion your own motives. 

But early in April the 
Blue Jay becomes strangely 
silent. he nesting season is 
on, and the bird has good 
reason to keep the matter 
quiet. In orchard trees or 
front-yard evergreens, but 
oftener in the depth of the 
forest, the wily birds steal 
their nests. Not a sound is 
made while the sticks are laid 
and the rootlets gathered. No 
whistle or call betrays the 
secret of the spotted eggs, 
and people begin to wonder 
what has become of the Blue 
Jays. Meanwhile the Jays 
are beginning to feast on 
strange sweets. Many a 
punctured egg of Sparrow, 
Vireo, or Robin bears witness 
to the stealthy visit or open 
brigandage of these maraud- 


Taken near Oberlin. -hoto by the Author. CYS. 
BLUE JAY ON NEST. When their young are 
NEST PLACED 25 FEET UP AGAINST TRUNK OF FOREST TREE. hatched the pillage and Car-— 
é : g z 


nage increases fourfold. Every discoverable nest, not successfully defended 
by its owner, is laid under tribute to provide eggs or tender young for the baby 
monsters at home. Altho so bloodthirsty, the treacherous blue-coat is not es- 
pecially brave, and when set upon by the outraged parents, he (or she) usually 
beats a hasty retreat, screaming at a fearful rate. Even the Robin must guard 
her treasures with the greatest diligence or this crafty pilferer will desolate her 
home. The Blue Jays are not over careful either, and the appearance of one in 


10 AMEND, IIEIUIE, |VANE. 


the Robin tree is the signal for a fight, which is but one of millions in the 
process of a feud already centuries old. 

In view of Blue Jay’s sins, it affords a legitimate satisfaction to recall a 
sight which met my gaze early one morning in May,—a Crow robbing a Blue 
Jay’s nest. Four eggs—one, two, three, four—vere extracted by the relentless 
claw of fate, while the agonized, if unrepentant, parents plead for mercy. The 
Crow is no saint, but he does not cloak his villainies under a garb of blue and 
white. 

For sheer naughtiness, too, com- 
mend us to the pleasant habit which 
the Blue Jay has of secreting himself 
in some thicket and imitating the 
notes of hawks or other birds or 
beasts of prey. The ke-ah note of 
the Red-shouldered Hawk is a favo- 
rite instrument of terror, and the 
killy-killy note of the Sparrow 
Hawk is no less cleverly handled. 
Once, in winter, having just heard 
ER OGCEGERESESGEST Photo areas and seen an authentic Butcher-bird, 

NEST AND EGGS OF BLUE JAY I hastened over to a copse upon hear- 

FIFTEEN FEET HIGH IN SWAMP WILLOW. mg a repetition of the cry. Here I 

found a Blue Jay holding a company 
of Tree Sparrows nearly paralyzed with fright while he produced the well- 
known clinking and buzzing notes of the Northern Shrike. Is it too much to 
believe that he chuckled with fiendish glee after this performance ? 

The notes and cries of this bird are always of interest, and by a little atten- 
tion one may soon learn to tell from them what kind of mischief is afoot. Pure 
jay, jay is used when alighting or greeting comrades, or in assembling the 
clan. Dayick, dayick is the raucous note of mischief or mere clamor. 
Delary, delary is the sound pressed out during those extraordinary springing 
motions which the bird describes through the whole are of his physical reach. 
It seems to be used both to announce a discovery, to summon or warn friends, 
or as a preparatory flight call. This delary is often preceded by a mellow 
toob, toob, of puzzling origin, and the flight itself is often accompanied by a 
rich ringing Che-klung-oo-i. Besides these, there are, of course, various 
soliloquizing and conversational notes, and these on occasion may reach the 
doubtful dignity of song. 

If we can say little that is good of the Blue Jay, all must agree that he is 
an interesting character; and our moral duty toward him and those upon 
whom he preys will probably be best observed, not by a policy of ruthless ex- 
termination, but by keeping the species within bounds. 


ezis-es1y % 
SNLOMZNLO EMWOY 1) OT 
MNITOSON Zz 


ae F 
\ tN er : 


tT 


— j oo 
es = 7 Lp 
Na = ¥ Sx Ff y fx, ot 
4 I . Z . A ANY ‘) pA x t \ 


THE BOBOLINK. = 


No. 4. 


BOBOLINK. 


VA, O. U. No. 494. Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—SKUNK BLACKBIRD; REED-BIRD; RickE-Brrp; MEADOW-WINK. 
Description.—ddult male, breeding plumage: Head and below, rich glossy 

black,—the feathers having at first a buffy edging which wears off as the season 
advances; a broad nuchal patch of strong buff or cream; scapulars, lower back, 
rump, and upper tail-coverts pale white; middle back gray; upper back, wings 
and tail glossy to dead black with various buffy edging; tail-feathers sharply 
pointed; bill dull black; feet brown. Adult female: Ground color of plumage 
olive-buff,—clearest below, and in median crown, superciliary, and inter-scapular 
stripes; the remainder black and brownish-fuscous. Adults in fall, and young: 
Like female in spring, but buffier and with less black throughout. Length 7.00- 
7.50 (177.8-190.5) ; wing 3.00-4.00 (76.2-101.6) ; tail 2.75-3.00 (69.8-76.2) ; bill 
-55 (14.) ; tarsus .g0-1.00 (22.9-25.4). Female averages a half-inch shorter, with 
similar proportions. 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; black, white, and buff plumage of 
breeding male. The breeding female is a shy and obscurely colored bird, to be 
recognized by the amateur mainly through the attentions of the male. At other 
seasons both sexes and all ages may be known by the frequently uttered dink 
cry. In the hand the acute tail-feathers are quite distinctive. 

Nest, on the ground in meadows or deserted fields, a slight, grass-lined 
depression concealed with some art, but not definitely overarched. Eggs, 4-7, 
yellowish clay or stone-gray, heavily spotted and blotched with umber, drab, 
and even lavender. Av. size, .87 x .63 (22.1 x 16.). 

General Range.—‘Eastern North America, west to edge of Great Plains, 
breeding in Northern United States and more southern British Provinces; in 
winter south to West Indies and South America” (Ridgw.). 

Range in Ohio.—‘Abundant summer resident in northern, very common 
spring and fall migrant, less common summer resident and breeding in middle, 
and migrant only in southern Ohio” (Wheaton). 


NEXT after Bluebird, the coming of Bobolink marks the broadest step in 
that golden stair of springtime, by which we yearly attain the height of orni- 
thological joy. His coming heralds that tidal wave of migration which begins 
somewhere during the last week in April, and sweeps over us till the middle of 
May. Without waiting for their more modest mates, the males press north- 
ward, hot-winged, to riot for a while over the dank meadows in bachelor com- 
panies, and to perfect that marvel of tumultuous song. Oh how they sing! 
those Bacchanals of springtime. From fence-post or tree-top, or quivering 
in mid-air, they pour forth such an ecstacy of liquid gurgling notes as must 
thrill the very clods. Such exuberance of spirit, such reckless abandon of 
mirth-compelling joy would cure a sick preacher on blue Monday. As the 
bird sings he bows and scrapes and pirouettes till, as \WWheaton says, “he re- 


12 THE BOBOLINK. 


sembles a French dancing master in uniform, 
singing, fiddling, dancing, and calling off at 
the same time.” 

But when some fine morning about a 
week later, a shy, plainly attired, brown lady 
drops from the sky with a soft dink, then 
it is that the passionate soul of the singer is 
fairly consumed by the inner fires of melody 
and desire. He dashes like mad after his 
lady love and pursues her at breakneck speed 
through the thickets of weeds and about 
fence-rows until he loses her in the grass. 
Then he hovers, or rather dances, in the air, 
over the spot where she vanished, or else 
retires to a fence-post, hard by, to make 
frantic protestations of his devotion. Oh, 
geeseler, geezeler, gilpity, onkeler, oozeler, 
oo, comes from that perfect throat; and 
somewhere between two blades of grass the lady is watching him—the sly 
minx—and chuckling softly to herself. 

Once I heard a chorus of bachelors—or was it a musical contest >—where 
seven birds in the top of a little willow were singing with might and main. 
The effect of that wild melody of tinkling, palpitating and flute-like notes with 
its changeful syncopations and melodious discord will not soon be forgotten. 
It was an all star team of the world’s most accomplished mirth makers. 

All the world loves a lover, and such ardor as ‘‘Robert of Lincoln” 
displays is not in vain. With a heart completely won the female scrapes a 
little hollow in the ground amongst the tall grass of a meadow or deserted field. 
Here upon a slight lining of dried grass, she deposits five or six eggs, clay- 
colored with umber blotches, wonderfully like the ground. The owner is mis- 
tress of the art of concealment, and usually escapes detection even from the 
most inquisitive. In my experience, the female flushes at long distances, but 
even when she permits a close approach to the nest she herself skulks a long 
way before rising. If you care to spend an hour or so hunting for the treas- 
ures, the safest way is to mark the spot where the bird rose, and then hunt 
toward your original position along the line of approach. 

During the incubation the male is the same rollicksome fellow that he was 
during courtship; but he sings faithfully to his sitting mate, and he re- 
ligiously drives intruders from the critical portion of the field. Ii several pairs 
occupy one meadow, as is frequently the case, the males spend a good deal of 
time trying to compel each other to respect imaginary boundaries. 

The moulting of the Bobolink is one of the most interesting phases of 


Photo 
by the 
Author. 


BOBOLINKS. 


THE BOBOLINK. j e 


familiar bird 
life. When 
the male ar- 
rives in the 
spring he is 
apt to have 
some buffy or 
ashy skirting 
on his black 
feathers, but 
these soon 
disappear and 
hie) ‘stainidis 
forth in a per- 
fect livery of 
black, white 
and buff. Un- 


der the neces- Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 
sity of having WHERE BOBOLINKS NEST. 

to provide for 

a growing brood, all his gaiety leaves him. He becomes anxious, silent, 
and careworn. Barely are the youngsters able to shift for themselves, 
when the father doffs the wedding garments, and puts on a severely plain 
suit like that of the female. A month or so is spent by both old and young 
in recruiting strength—a season which is passed for the most part in loose 
flocks—and then the leisurely journey southward is begun, about the twentieth 
of August. The sole and characteristic note from this on is a metallic 
dink or chink. ‘There is little concert about their southward movement, 
and the air in our latitude may resound with dink cries at any time of 
night, and often in the daytime, for a month. The birds gather in immense 
numbers in the reeds of the Chesapeake region, and are slaughtered by thous- 
ands for the market, where they are known as “Reed-birds.”” Later in their 
retreat they infest the rice-swamps of the Carolinas and Georgia, where 
they are also killed in great numbers, with perhaps some little show of justice. 
But surely if our Southern neighbors could realize of how much delicious music 
they deprive us another year, they would not be so cruel. It is a great pity that 
the burden of the musician’s support does not fall more heavily upon us, for 
how cheerfully would we bear it! 


I4 THE COWBIRD. 


No. 5. 
COWBIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 495. Molothrus ater (Bodd.). 

Synonyms.—Cow BLACKBIRD; CUCKOLD. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and neck wood-, seal-, or coffee-brown 
(variable) ; remaining plumage black with metallic greenish or bluish irides- 
cence. female: Dark grayish brown, showing slight greenish reflections, dark- 
est on wings and tail, lightening on breast and throat. Young in first plumage: 
Like female but lighter below and more or less streaky; above somewhat mottled 
by buffy edgings of feathers. The young males present a striking appearance 
when they are assuming the adult black, on the installment plan, by chunks and 
blotches. Length 7.50-8.00 (190.5-203.2); wing 4.40 (111.8); tail 3.00-3.40 
(76.2-86.4) ; bill .65 (16.5) ; tarsus .95-1.10 (24.1-27.9). Female, length, wing, 
and tail one-half inch less. 


Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; brown head and black body of male; 
brown of female. 

Nesting.—The Cowbird invariably deposits her eggs in the nests of other 
birds. Aggs, 1 or 2, rarely 3 or 4, with a single hostess, white, often faintly 
tinged with bluish or greenish, evenly speckled with cinnamon, brown or umber. 
Ay. size, .85 x .65 (21.6 x 16.5), but quite variable. 

General Range.—United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific, north into 
southern British America, south in winter, into Mexico. 


Range in Ohio.—Common throughout the state, but less so in heavily tim- 
bered regions. 


IF it were given us to revise the economy of nature we should certainly 
place this fellow upon the proscribed list. Judged by every sentiment of justice, 
human and avian, he is an outlaw, and all other birds at least would thank us 
if we set a price upon his head. ‘To show how thoroughly accepted the opinion 
is among ornithologists, I cannot do better than quote Mr. Frank M. Chapman: 
“As an outcast he makes the best of things and gathers about him a band of 
kindred spirits who know no law. ‘There is an air about the group which 
tells the critical observer that their deeds are evil. No joyous song swells the 
throat of the male. His chief contribution to the chorus of springtime is a 
guttural bubbling produced with apparently nauseous effort. In small flocks 
they visit both pasture and woodland, and are given to following cattle, clus- 
tering about the feet of the herd, presumably to feed on the insects found 
there. ‘They build no nest, and the females, lacking every moral instinct, leave 
their companions only long enough to deposit their eggs in the nests of other 
and smaller birds. I can imagine no sight more strongly suggestive of a 
thoroughly despicable nature than a female Cowbird sneaking through the trees 


THE COWBIRD. Ss e 


and bushes in search of a victim upon whom to shift the duties of motherhood.” 
The egg thus surreptitiously placed in another bird’s nest usually hatches two 
or three days before those of the foster mother, and thus the infant Cowbird 
gets a start which he is not slow to improve. Its loud clamoring for food often 
drives the old birds to abandon the task of incubation; or if the other eggs 
are allowed to remain until hatched, the uncouth stranger manages to usurp 
attention and food supplies, and not infrequently to override or stifle the other 
occupants of the nest, so that their dead bodies are removed to make room for 
his hogship. It is asserted by some that in the absence of the foster parents 
the young thug forcibly ejects the rightful heirs from the nests, after the 
fashion of the Old World Cuckoos. ‘This is emphatically denied by others. I 
never caught the rascal in the act myself, but I once found a nest which con- 
tained only a lusty Cowbird, while three proper fledglings clung to the shrub- 
bery below and one lay dead on the ground. ‘The appearances were certainly 
against Molothrus ater. 

When the misplaced tenderness of foster parents has done its utmost 
for the young upstart, he joins himself to some precious crew of his own blood, 
and the cycle of a changeling is complete. 

It would be easy, not to say picturesque, to record a large number of 
unpleasant epithets which would justly apply to this bird. Sneak, cuckold, 
ingrate, are only a few examples. If any comfort at all is to be found from 
his presence in the bird world, it must be similar to that supplied by the 
presence of evil in the moral world. And some such value we do see through 
the expedients to which unwilling victims are driven in their efforts to rid 
themselves of the despised eggs. Perhaps some are able to remove the foreign 
ege from their nests, altho this is uncertain. Others promptly desert upon the 
first glimpse of the interloper. But others, more ingenious, are driven to build 
a second story to their nests and lay another set of eggs on the new floor. In- 
stances are on record where a bird has thus constructed three stories, having 
been a second time defeated in the effort to avoid unpleasant responsibilities. 

While it is true that the smaller birds, notably the Vireos, the Yellow 
Warbler, and the Field Sparrow, are most frequently imposed upon, such is 
not always the case. I have found eggs with the Red-winged Blackbird and 
the Cardinal. In the latter case the close resemblance of the eggs probably 
accomplished the deception of the owner herself. 

The Cowbird’s egg is of a peculiarly generalized form and pattern. While 
there is no evidence that it is varied for adaptation to particular hosts, it is sur- 
prising how closely it resembles the speckled eggs of many species, which are 
among themselves distinctive. Thus it often requires a second glance to dis- 
tinguish it among the eggs of the Ovenbird, the Towhee, the Yellow-breasted 


Chat, the Field, Grasshopper, and Song Sparrows, and even the Yellow 
Warbler. 


16 THE COWBIRD. 


Much was formerly made, especially in New England, of the mysterious 
disappearance of the Cowbirds during the months of July and August. At 
this season they gather in large flocks, but are not much noticed because of their 
almost unbroken silence. Late in summer they are moulting and keep pretty 
closely to out-of-the-way woods during this trying time. In northern Ohio I 
have repeatedly watched companies of from five hundred to two thousand 
during August, as they passed silently about the tree-tops, or as they settled to 
their accustomed roosts in a grove. On the other hand I once spent ten days 
at the same season, along the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, without seeing a 
single Cowbird. Yet I have no reason to doubt that there were as many birds 
in the latter region as in the former. 

Specimens shot in August contained, besides small quantities of wheat 
gleaned from the ground, large numbers of grasshoppers. If one were ever 
disposed to be lenient toward this repulsive bird, it might well be during the 
grasshopper season. 


Taken near Ashtabula. Photo by F. D. Snyder. 
THE BIRDS’ MIRROR. 


No. 6. 


YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 497. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus ([onap. ). 


Description.—Adult male: Head, neck all around, and breast orange yel- 
low; lores and teathers skirting eyes and bill, black; a double white patch on 
fo Ided wing formed by greater and lesser coverts, but interrupted by black of 
bastard wing; usually a “little yellow about vent and on tibie; the remaining 
plumage black, dull or subdued, and turning brown on wing-tips and tail. Female : 
Dark brown; line over eye, throat, and upper breast dull yellow. Length 10.00- 
11.00 (254.-279.4) ; Wing 5.30-5.60 (134.6-142.2) ; tail 4.00-4.50 (101.6-114.3) 
bill .go (22.); tarsus 1.25 (31.8). Female smaller, length 8.00-9.50 (203.2- 
241.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; yellow head and breast. 

“Nest, a light but large, thick-brimmed fabric of dried reeds and grasses slung 


to growing ones, 5-6 inches in diameter and about as deep. Eggs, 3-6, 1.00-1.15 
(25.4-29.2) long by 0.75 (19.1) broad; grayish-green, spotted as in Scolecophagus 
with reddish-brown, not scrawled as in Agelaius” (CORES). 

General Range.—Western North America from Wisconsin, Illinois and 
Texas to the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia and the Saskatchewan 
River southward to the Valley of Mexico. Accidental in Middle and Atlantic 
States. 


Range in Ohio.—Of rare and casual occurrence only. 


J 


THIS Blackbird is essentially a bird of the Prairies, and it is eminently fit- 
ted for obtaining its living on the ground, since its legs and feet are strongly de- 
veloped as if by and for scratching. Large numbers spend the winter sociably 
in the tule swamps of Texas and California, breaking up into smaller companies 
after the migration has been accomplished, and distributing themselves among 
the inland marshes of the Great Plains, and locally throughout the West, where 
they breed much after the fashion of Redwings. The species is of a rather 
roving disposition, one specimen having been taken in Greenland in 1820. 
Small bunches have several times been recognized on the wing by competent 
observers here in Ohio, and Wheaton cites the instance of a pair being seen in 
a low meadow near Groveport, in Franklin County, where it was thought to 
have bred, in the summer of 1873. 


18 THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 


INOS 76 


RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 498. Agelaius pheeniceus (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—MarsH BLACKBIRD; SWAMP BLACKBIRD; REDWING; ReEp- 
SHOULDERED BLACKBIRD. 

Description.—Adult male: Glossy black; “shoulder patches” (lesser wing 
coverts) of bright scarlet, partially concealed in repose by black scapulars and 
bound by a broad buff border posteriorly; bill and feet horn black. Jemale: 
Brownish gray, mottled and streaked, sharply below, less distinctly above; feath- 


Photo by E. B. Williamson. 


A TYPICAL NESTING SWAMP. 


ers of back edged by buff or bay, shoulders subdued red; throat, chin, cheeks, and 
superciliary stripe faintly ruddy. Young, similar to female, but darker. Young 
males exhibit every intermediate phase of plumage. Males in fall have their 
uniform black interrupted by whitish, buffy, and tawny edgings of the feathers. 
The epaulets at this season are a sickly orange-red. Males, length 9.00 (228.6) ; 
wing 4.84 (122.9); tail 3.82 (97.); bill .85 (21.6); depth of bill at base .50 
(12.7). Female, length about 8.00 (203.2) ; wing 4.06 (103.1); tail 3.23 (82.) : 
bill .76 (19.3) ; depth at base .43 (10.9). 


THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 19 


Recognition Marks.—Chewink to Robin size; bright red epaulets of male; 
general streakiness of female. 

Nest, a neatly woven but rather bulky basket of grasses and cat-tail leaves, 
swung usually from upright stalks of the cat-tail; lining of fine grass of uniform 
size. Eggs 4-7, usually 5, light blue, scrawled, blotched or clouded with dark 
purple or black, and chiefly about the larger end. Av. size, 1.04 x .72 (20.4 x 
18.3). 

General Range.— ‘Eastern United States and more southern British Proy- 
inces, except Florida and Gulf Coast; west to eastern base of Rocky Mountains; 
north to Nova Scotia, Province of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, etc.” (Ridgway) .1 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident throughout the state wherever 
cat-tail swamps or their equivalent are to be found. Markedly decreasing in 
numbers because of the drainage of the swamps. 


Photo by E. B. Williamson. 
THE REDWING’S NEST. 


IN speaking of Blackbirds three pictures almost invariably present them- 
selves to the mind's eye. One is of a wet day in early March. The untidy land is 
surfeited with waters, partly from the tardy-melting snows, partly from the 
iterative dashes of rain which wreak their sullen spite alike on ghostly grove 
and sodden meadow. But the bird-man has seen a great company of Blackbirds 
trooping overhead, and settling in the first tree-top to northward; so he hastens 
after, mauger shower and slop. The birds are swarming in the upper branches, 
and giving rise to a perfect babel of noises. Clicks, clacks, whistles, squeaks, 
and ringing challenges make up the boisterous medley of those most sociable 
and garrulous of birds. It is a mixed company, for Grackles, “Rusties,’” and 


1 “The Birds of North and Middle America,” by Robert Ridgway, Part II, p. 332. 


20 THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 


Cowbirds make common cause with Redwings in the northern migrations ; 
but the last named preponderate, and it is they who are most vivacious, most 
resplendent, and most nearly musical. ‘The Redwing’s mellow kongqueree 
or occasional tipsy whoop-er-way-up is the life of the party. 

Almost before we know it, our friends, to the number of a dozen pairs or 
more, have taken up their residence in a cat-tail swamp—nowhere else, if you 
please, unless driven to it—and here in early May a dozen baskets of matchless 
weave are swung or lodged midway of the growing plants. Your distant 
approach is commented upon from the tops of bordering willows by keyrings 
and other notes. At close range the lordly male, he of the brilliant epaulets and 
proper military swagger, shakes out his fine clothes and says Kongquerce, 
in a voice in which anxiety is quite outweighed by vanity and proffered good 
fellowship withal. But if you push roughly through the outlying sedges, 
anxiety obtains the mastery. The alarm is sounded. ‘There is a hubbub in the 
marsh. Bustling, frowsy females appear, and scold you roundly. ‘The lazy 
gallants are all fathers now, and they join direful threats to courteous expostu- 
lations, as they flutter wildly around the intruder’s head. ‘To the mischevious 
boy the chance frequently to call out these frantic attentions is irresistible, 
even when no harm 1s intended. 

The third picture is of a cloud of Blackbirds—plain Blackbirds now, male, 
female, or young, it matters not—bearing down relentlessly upon a field of 
ripening corn. ‘The terror of the black scourge belonged chiefly to a former 
day. Besides we will not dilate upon the weaknesses of our friends. 

I have said that the Redwing prefers cat-tails for nesting; but in the 
vicinity of the larger swamps, or wherever there is danger of high water, they 
take readily to bushes or even small trees. Second broods, too, are more apt to 
be reared in elevated situations. 

The local attachment of Redwings is quite marked, and indeed sometimes 
almost pathetic. I once visited the region of a famous swamp, the “Goose 
Pond,” in Pickaway County, only to find that the misdirected energies of the 
local Hans had drained off the water some two years before, leaving the 
“ancient bottom of unfathomable ooze” as dry as tinder. Of course the drain- 
age of the swamp had involved the total destruction of its charasteristic 
vegetation. Nevertheless a few pairs of Redwings lingered about the scene of 
their former happiness—their birthplace, no doubt, but now a dessicated waste 
—quite unable to grasp the meaning of the changed conditions. 


THE THICK-BILLED REDWING. _ 21 


No. 8. 


THICK-BILLED REDWING. 


A. O. U. No. 498d. Agelaius pheeniceus fortis Ridgw. 

Synonym.—NorTHERN REDWING. 

Description.—‘Similar to A. p. phoeniceus (preceding species), but de- 
cidedly larger and with the bill usually relatively much shorter and thicker” 
(Ridgw.). Adult female averaging paler than A. phoeniceus. Adult male, 
length, av. 8.79 (223.1); wing 4.96 (126.); tail 3.86 (98.); culmen .92 (23.3) ; 
depth of bill at base .53 (13.5). Adult female, av. length 7.33 (186.2); wing 
4.15 (105.5); tail 3.08 (78.1); culmen .75 (19.1); depth of bill at base .46 
(11.8). 

Nest and Eggs.—Not distinguishable from those of A. phoeniceus. Does 
not breed in Ohio. 

General Range.—‘Central North America, breeding northward; in migra- 
tions from Manitoba south to Illinois, Indian Territory, and Western Texas, 
westward to and including the Rocky Mountains, and south to Arizona and 
Chihuahua” (A. O. U.). Also east at least to Ohio, Kentucky (Mason county), 
etc. 

Range in Ohio.—Probably not uncommon during migrations in early spring 
and late fall. Sparingly resident in winter in south-middle and southern portions 
of state. 


A singularly large and handsome male seen a few miles west of Columbus, 
while in company with Professor Lynds Jones, on December First last, aroused 
me to the probable presence of winter stragglers of Mr. Ridgway’s newly 
elaborated subspecies, A. p. fortis. A careful examination of several of the 
large collections affords material which supports the conclusion indifferently 
well; but fuller study is necessary to prove that the larger-billed variety is hab- 
itually present in winter, or to determine whether all the winter specimens of 
Redwing belong to this form. It seemed to me also last spring that certain 
differences of voice and note obtain between the local and migrant birds,—the 
kongkeree call of the latter being hoarser and less finished, and their clack 
note of scolding both stronger and more husky. But one cannot afford to be 
dogmatic on such points just at present. 


22 THE MEADOWLARK. 


No. 9. 
MEADOWLARK. 


A. O. U. No. 501. Sturnella magna (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—FirL_p Lark; MepLark; MUuDLARK (corruption) ; MEDLAR (po- 
etical ). 

Description.—Vale: General color of upper parts brownish black modified 
by tawny and buffish gray edgings of the feathers, the latter heaviest on second- 
aries and upper tail-feathers, where it takes the form of partial bands; cheeks, 
median, and superciliary lines sordid white; a large crescent on upper breast 
black; chin, upper throat, breast, middle belly, and line over eye bright yellow; 
sides and crissum black-streaked on a white or flaxen ground; bill singularly 
variegated, tawny, black, and white. Female: Like male but smaller and paler. 
The plumage of both sexes is duller in fall and winter, the normal colors being 
restrained by a profuse buffy overlay. Adult male, length 10.00-11.00 (254.- 
279.4); av. of four Columbus males, wing 4.66 (118.4); tail 3.10 (78.7) ; bill 
26m (B25)r 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; yellow with black or blackish collar, be- 
low; general streaky appearance above. 

Nest, a thin bed of dried grasses on the ground, usually covered or over- 
arched by growing grass. Eggs, 4-6, white, speckled and spotted with cin- 
namon-brown or purplish. Av. size, 1.12 x .80 (28.5 x 20.3). 

General Range.—E astern United States and southern Canada to the Plains. 
Breeds from the Gulf of Mexico northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Wheaton’s words, penned twenty-five years ago, are still 
apt: “Abundant. Summer resident in northern, in part resident in middle, and 
resident, but less numerous in winter, in southern Ohio.” 


Taken at McConnelsville. Photo by the Author. 
A PART OF MEADOWLARK’S DOMAIN. 


THE MEADOWLARK. 23 


LAND is, by courtesy, said to belong to this person or that because he 
happens to hold a parchment whereupon are inscribed certain characters, a deed 
in legal phrase; but if the earth belongs to those who use it, and if he is a ben- 
efactor who causes two blades of grass to grow where was only one before, 
then, surely, the Meadow Lark has clear title of eminent domain. Fortunately, 
however, the claims of the farmer and the Lark do not conflict. The Lark asks 
but shelter, and if the man wants crops, lo! here is his most faithful servitor. 

It is difficult to overestimate the economic value of the Meadow Lark. The 
bird is by choice almost exclusively insectivorous. If, however, when hard 
pressed, he takes toll of the fallen wheat or clover seed, he is as easily justifiable 
as is the hired man who consumes the farmer’s biscuits that he may have the 
strength to wield the hoe against the farmer’s weeds. Being provided with a 
long and sensitive bill, the Meadow Lark not only gleans its insect prey from 
the surface of the ground, but works among the grass roots, and actually probes 
the earth in its search for wire- and cut-worms, those most dreaded pests. Be- 
sides devouring injurious grubs and insects of many kinds, the Lark has a great 
fondness for grasshoppers, subsisting almost entirely upon these in the season 
of their greatest abundance. In the matter of grasshopper consumption alone 
Meadow Larks of average distribution, are estimated by no less an authority 
than Professor Beal, to be worth about twenty-four dollars per month, per 
township, in saving the hay crop. ‘To the individual farmer this may seem a 
small matter, but in the aggregate the saving to the nation amounts to some 
hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. 

Even in winter, when a few individuals or occasional companies of Larks 
are still to be found, a large proportion of their food consists of hardy beetles 
and other insects, while weed-seed and scattering grain is laid under tribute, 
as it were, reluctantly. While not strictly resident to a large extent, the 
Meadow Lark is likely to occur almost anywhere in winter, and it arrives so 
early in February and March as to cause frequent confusion with the strict 
winter residents. Numbers of them also pass through our borders into Ontario. 
A certain raw day in early spring—March 18, 1889, it was—appeared re- 
markable for the number of Meadow Larks that were piled up on the Lake 
Erie shore; not dead, nor literally heaped up, indeed, but gathered thickly in 
the bordering meadows and bluff pasture lands because of the aspect of the 
Lake, which was so forbidding that the birds feared to cross it. In a walk 
of four or five miles, not tens nor hundreds, but thousands were seen, and 
they made a mighty and incessant chorus throughout the distance. Every 
now and then a bunch of forty or fifty birds would charge out over the lake, 
but always reconsidered the motion and beat back hastily to shore; and we 
saw none actually setting out upon the final passage. 


The Meadow 
Lark’s nest is the 
treasure trove of 
every farm boy. 
Eggs may be 
looked for the first 
week in May, or 
earlier as one pro- 
ceeds south. The 
female is a close 
sitter, sometimes 
allowing approach 
within a foot or 
two before flush- 
ing. Oftener, how- 
ever, she leaves 
the nest at the ap- 


Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 


NEST AND EGGS OF MEADOWLARK. proach of danger 
and sneaks away 


with consummate skill, until she chooses to discover herself at a distance suff- 
cient to mislead. The nests are well hidden in the deeper grass of meadows 
and pastures, and are frequently overarched with dried grasses, not so much 
for the purpose of protection against the weather, as has been suggested, but 
as a further aid to concealment. 

According to Dr. Jones, a favorite way to locate the Meadow Lark’s nest 
is to pass right by the anxious male as he stands on some post twitching his tail 
nervously and shouting signal calls to his sitting mate. When he thinks the 
danger past he will, as likely as not, fly straight to the hidden nest, chuckling 
with self-approbation and eager to tell Mrs. Magna all about it. 

Besides the familiar whistling song of three or four notes, Meadow Lark 
occasionally indulges a perfect whirlwind of bubbling notes, interspersed with 
whistled “whews,’’delivered while sailing down on stiffened wing, or fluttering 
about in an excited circle, always, we may be sure, for the benefit of his enam- 
orata. Heis also much given to a sort of rubbing, rattling cry, very expressive, 
but very hard to reproduce or describe. This is the language of ordinary Stur- 
nelline intercourse. With it he sputters his indignation at an intruding 
stranger, or congratulates himself upon having sucessfully outwitted a passing 
hawk. In this dialect too he pours forth a flood of blarney and sweet talk 
during a tete-a-tete with some gracious female. 

Meadow Lark has an impressive note of apprehension and strong emotion, 
sweet, delivered in a half-crouching posture. Again he boasts another, even 
more startling, a note of alarm and eminent distrust, turk, or turk, turk, 


THE ORCHARD ORIOLE. 25 
delivered while the bird is walking about uneasily, and craning his neck to the 
utmost to command a view of the fancied danger, accompanying the sound by 
an emphatic flirt of wings and jerk of tail. 

Ona sultry July day as I sit by the open window overlooking a large, half- 
kept city park, I hear the shrill clarion call of a Meadow Lark. It comes to me 
softened by distance and refined by the gentle filtration of intervening leaves, 
but I know it for the same sound which thrilled my heart one early day last 
March. The sun had just leaped above the horizon, and his first rays were 
caught upon the glowing breast-plate of this high priest of morning, as he 
mounted a commanding post and blew a golden trumpet, piercing sweet. 
“He-ar cheer’, he said, and those who listened felt constrained to heed the 
summons, moving on with quickened step and clearing brow to face the duties 
of the coming day. 

To me there is something little short of sacred in the message of this lowly 
bird. No fitter symbol can we find of soul triumphant over matter. He lives 
in the mud, indeed, but he does not grovel there. Sordid cares cannot bind the 
winged spirit. He quits the ground. He lifts his voice, and lo! he claims a 
kinship with the Sun, the Morning and the Heart of all. And shall not all the 
sons of cheer confess the claim? 


No. 10. 


ORCHARD ORIOLE. 


A. O. U. No. 506. Icterus spurius (Linn.). 


Description.—Adult male: Black and chestnut; head and neck all around, 
throat, upper back and scapulars glossy black; lesser wing coverts, lower back, 
and remaining under parts rich chestnut; wings and tail dull black, the feathers 
of the former edged, and of the latter sometimes tipped, with whitish; bill, 
slender, slightly curved, black. Adult female: Above, dull olive-green, brighter 
and more yellow on head, rump, and tail, dullest on back; below sordid yellow; 
wings fuscous, the greater and middle coverts with whitish edging. Young 
males: First year, like females but larger; second year, like females save for 
a black throat-patch. Older birds show irregular traces of chestnut, and the 
full plumage is assumed the third season. Length about 7.00 (177.8); wing 
3.16 (80.3) ; tail 3.06 (77.7); bill .63 (16.). Females smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; black and chestnut coloring of adult 
male; black throat-patch on olive-yellow ground of young male of second year; 
female and young obscure. 

Nest, semi-pensile, or supported more or less from below, not so deep as 
Baltimore’s; a marvelous tissue of interwoven grasses placed in an upright fork 
ten or fifteen feet up, and usually in an orchard tree or willow. Eggs, 3-5, bluish 
white with specks, spots, and scrawls of brown or sepia, and deep-seated shell 
marks of a purplish cast. Av. size, .80 x .57 (20.5 x 14.5). 


26 THE ORCHARD ORIOLE. 


General Range.—F astern United States north to about Lat. 440 and west 
to Great Plains; south in winter to Panama. Breeds throughout its range. 


Range in Ohio.—Summer resident, generally but sparingly distributed. 


CHESTNUT and black make a rich and tasty costume for a bird, altho 
they render the owner somewhat less conspicuous than is the brilliant Bird of 
Baltimore. ‘The Orchard Oriole is a familiar resident of orchards, shaded 
fence-rows, and the wooded banks of streams. His familiarity is delightful, 
since he improves upon acquaintance; and it is gratifying to note everywhere 
an increase in numbers, especially southerly. 

As a summer boarder none could 
be more welcome, for in addition to his 
sprightly ways and pleasing song, 
his industry in the pursuit of insect 
pests is indefatigable, and his pres- 
ence in orchard and garden 
above reproach. In common 
with his golden cousin this 
bird feasts upon the noxious 
click beetles which scarcely any 
other bird will touch; and none 
render more valiant service 
than he in holding the noto- 
rious tent caterpillars and their 

ilk in check. 
The song of the Orchard 
Oriole is rapid, tumultuous, 
exultant, the irrepressible out- 
burst of an energetic nature. 
Tt lacks the mellow richness of 
Baltimore’s, but has instead a 
delicious piquancy, a_ subtle, 
keen-edged tang like that of 
Catawba grapes. Interspersed 
Photo With the music come phrases 
by ie of vivacious chatter, from 
which the speaker leaps again 

to song. 

Even males of the second 
year, who have to content 


NEST OF ORCHARD ORIOLE FROM ABOVE. themselves with black neck-ties 
THE NEST IS REALLY DEEPER THAN IT APPEARS TO BE, SINCE ‘ z 
WE SEE NOT EGGS BUT THE HEADS OF YOUNG BIRDS. and suits of modest green, are 


THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 27 


not a whit behind adults in musical attainments. Indeed, ] have sometimes 
fancied that the handicap of juvenile garb serves only to provoke superlative 
efforts in song on the part of the youthful aspirant. Certain it is that the 
two-year-old birds are often happily mated, and their music-loving wives are 
not always won from the ranks of those whom we should think “ower young 
to marry yet.” 

The nest of the Orchard Oriole is a beautiful and ingenious creation. 
Green grass blades of the tougher sorts are twisted and wrapped and inter- 
woven with the skill of a lace-maker, until a pouch some three inches wide 
by four inches deep is formed. ‘This is made fast by the brim to the spread- 
ing forks near the tip of some horizontal apple-limb, somewhat after the 
fashion of the Vireo’s; or else, and more commonly, it is slung between two 
or three spreading, upright forks. In the latter case it is tightly lashed, for its 
entire depth, to two or more of the ascending branches, thus more closely as- 
similating certain types of Redwings’ nests. Wilson states that when the 
descending branches of the weeping willow are chosen, the nest is made 
deeper and less rigid so as to allow for greater freedom of movement in the 
wind. ‘The same observer once examined a grass-strand taken from the 
Orchard’s nest, and found that in its thirteen inches of length it had been 
hooked through and returned some thirty-four times. 

When first constructed, of bright green grass, this Oriole’s nest is at the 
acme of invisibility, but as the season advances the color bleaches out, so that 
the young find themselves in a straw-colored cradle, which not infrequently 
invites rather than forbids attention. In our latitudes soft materials such as 
wool, plant-down, feathers, or even horse-hair, are used for lining; but further 
south the nest is said to be usually quite unlined. 


No. 11. 


BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 


A. O. U. No. 507. Icterus galbula (Linn.). 

Synonyms.— FIREBIRD; HANGBIRD; HANGNES?T; GOLDEN ROBIN. 

Description.—Adult male: Black and orange; head and neck all around, 
a “tongue” on the lower throat, upper back, and scapulars, wings (except lesser 
and greater coverts), and greater part of tail above, black,—warm and glossy ante- 
riorly, duller on wings and tail; tips of greater wing-coverts, and edging of 
quills and secondaries white; the remaining plumage orange. The orange varies 
in intensity from the paler plumage of the young males to the rich orange-red 
of the oldest birds. Female: General color orange-olive, clearest below and 


28 THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 


on rump; on head, throat, and back indistinctly spotted or streaked and clouded 
with black; wings fuscous; two dingy white wing-bars formed by middle coverts 
and ends of greater coverts. Young: Like female, the males gradually acquir- 
ing the adult orange. Length 7.50-8.00 (190.5-203.2); av. of five Columbus 
males: wing 3.70 (94.) ; tail 2.94 (74.7) ; bill .71 (18.). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; orange and black coloration. The 
females, though obscure, is enough like male to be readily distinguished. 

Nest, purse-shaped and pensile, being oftenest swung from the very tips 
of drooping branches; a closely-woven fabric of grass, plant fibers, string, etc. 
The lining proper is of the softest materials—cotton, etc. Eggs, 3-6, rather 
elongated, white (greenish or dull), elaborately scrawled and streaked with dark 
browns or purple. Subdued shell-marking in spots or blotches is also usually 
PLCSEtItameAWwaEsizen OS ess OS m(242laexelON) 


General Range.—FE astern United States, north to Ontario and Manitoba, 
west nearly to Rocky Mountains; south in winter through Mexico to Colombia. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. 


THE warm breath of spring has soothed the violet’s last fears, and the 
orchard trees are crowded with blossoms. ‘Then comes one day warmer than 
all the rest, when the spice-laden air pulsates with heat, and the heart with ex- 
pectancy. Suddenly from off some blushing snow-bank of apple-blossoms 
comes a jubilant whistle. 

“Hush! ’tis he! 
My Oriole, my glance of summer fire, 
Is come at last.” 


A gorgeous male—one of the largest and the oldest, and therefore with colors 
the most intense you will see that season—is helping himself eagerly to the 
swarming tidbits which infest the flowers, but he stops every moment or so to 
flute his excited greetings to the joyous villagers in the dear home town. The 
news spreads rapidly, ‘““The Orioles have come.” ‘That beautiful fleet which 
silently stole away from our shores last autumn, and went we knew not 
whither, laden with its precious freight of song and memory, that winged, 
fiery fleet, has come to port again, and brought our own with usury of flame, 
and song, and unpent joy. Now spring is spring again! 

The Baltimore Oriole is rather partial to the haunts of men, being most 
frequently found along shady village streets, or in front-yard elms and 
orchards of country seats, but in many portions of the state they are so abun- 
dant as to be forced to hold to the edges of forests and the varied umbrage of 
river bottoras. The males arrive in spring a week or ten days earlier than the 
females, and during this period are restless and active. Their song too at this 
time, as Dr. Brewer notes, is loud and shrill as well as fragmentary. Upon the 
arrival of the females, the tender passion mellows the voices and improves the 
manners of the expectant suitors. During the mating season the rich full notes 


THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 29 


of the Oriole are among the most entrancing sounds which haunt our childhood 
and maintain the freshness of advancing years. The female, too, is something 
of a singer, and she whistles and chatters or answers her lord with cheerful 
contentment as she moves about her task. 

The task which the Oriole sets herself in building her nest is one of the 
most exacting in nature, and its fulfilment the most wonderful. Before the 
advent of civilization she had to rely entirely upon vegetable fibers, especially 
the inner bark of hemp, but now her preference is for string, silk, rags, and 
ravelings. It is her preference, by the way, for she does the work, while her 
chosen lord attends her flight, sings snatches of song, or offers gratuitous and 
unheeded advice. So the poet is slightly in error when he says, 


“My Oriole 
Is come at last, and, ever on the watch, 
Twitches the pack-thread I had lightly wound 
Around the bough to help jis house keeping,— 
Twitches and scouts by turns, blessing his luck, 
Yet fearing me, who laid it in his way.” 


But Lowell's lines are so expressive that we readily excuse the oversight and 
eagerly call for more. 


“Heave ho! Heave ho! he whistles as the twine 
Slackens its hold. Once more now! and a flash 
Lightens across the sunlight to the elm 
Where his mate dangles at her cup of felt.” 


From the slender tips of some branch, be it drooping, as of elm or willow, 
or ascending, as of maple or apple, she suspends a closely-woven pouch, which 
yields to every impulse of the wind, but wins by yielding. By seven inches or 
more her eggs are removed from alien beak and talon. 

Tired of the confinement of the nest, the ambitious fledglings clamber up 
the sides and perch upon the brim. From this less secure position they are not 
infrequently dislodged before they are quite ready to face the world. The 
following incident, which came under my notice some years ago, concerns a 
young Bullock’s Oriole, a closely allied species. A friend of mine secured a 
fledgling Oriole, by rescuing it from the water where it had evidently just 
fallen from an overhanging nest. When taken home it proved a ready pet, and 
was given the freedom of the place. Some two weeks later my friend secured 
another nestling Oriole from a different brood and put it in the cage with the 
older bird. The newcomer had not yet learned to feed himself, but only opened 
his mouth and called with childish insistence. Judge of the owner’s delight, 
and mine as a witness, when the older bird, himself but a fledgling, began to 
feed the orphan, with all the tender solicitude of a parent. It was irresistibly 


30 THE RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 


cunning and heartsome too, for the bird to select with thoughtful brotherly 
kindness, a morsel of food, and hop over toward the clamoring stranger and 
drop it in his mouth; after this to stand back as if to say, “There, baby! how 
did you like that?” This trait was not shown by a chance exhibition alone but 
became a regular habit, which was still followed when the older bird had at- 
tained to fly-catching. It upset all one’s notions about instinct, and made one 
think of a Golden Rule for birds. 


No. 12. 


RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 


A, O. U. No. 509. Scolecophagus carolinus ( Mull.). 

Synonyms.—Rusty GRACKLE; THRUSH BLACKBIRD. 

Description.—Adult male in breeding plumage: Uniform glossy black, 
with bluish green reflections; iris pale straw. At other seasons’ the plumage 
bears rufous or “rusty” tips above, especially anteriorly, and rufescent or buffy 
tips below, in varying proportions ; a light line also over the eye. ‘The full nuptial 
dress is seldom seen in Ohio, but may be found by narrowly observing the latest 
migrants in spring. Adult female in breeding plumage: Blackish slate, lustrous 
above, duller below. At other seasons the general cast of plumage is lighter, 
and the overlay of rusty or buffy is similar to that of the male. Adult male, 
length 9.00-9.60 (228.6-243.8) ; wing 4.49 (114.) ; tail 3.68 (93.5) ; bill .76 (19.3). 
Female smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; plumage usually rusty-tinged during mi- 
grations in Ohio. If in full plumage they are the only pure black birds of the 
size. In the common flocks of “blackbirds” in early spring, the high whistling 
notes belong to the Rusties. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of sticks and coarse grasses held 
together with mud, lined with fine grasses and rootlets, placed in bushes or high 
in coniferous trees. Eggs, 4-7, grayish or pale green, speckled and mottled 
with purples or reddish browns, and without streaks or lines. Av. size, 1.00 x .76 
(25.4 X 19.3). 

General Range.—E astern and northern North America, west to Alaska and 
the Plains. Breeds from northern United States northward. Winters from Ken- 
tucky and Tennessee southward. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant spring and fall migrant. Winters sparingly in 
southern portion. 


THE great roving hordes of “Blackbirds” in early spring are likely to con- 
tain at least a sprinkling of “‘Rusties,” but usually they are not so eager to press 
on as are the impulsive Redwings, and so they fall out of the ranks by dozens 
and scores. Succeeding platoons composed of these birds alone keep arriving 


THE RUSTY BLACKBIRD. - 


from the south during the last weeks in March and the first in April, while 
many do not depart for their summer home in the far north till the first or even 
second week in May. 

Rusty Blackbirds are to be found chiefly in damp woods and along 
streams. While with us they are rather retiring, partly because they are pil- 
grims—and it behooves all such to be modest—and partly because they undergo 
the spring moult en route. ‘The last trace of rusty edging must be removed 
from the feathers before the breeding ground is reached, tho such as have at- 
tained the full dignity of dress suits may declare their hearts to the ladies 
before they quit Ohio. 

In some tiny glade in the heart of the budding forest it is that one comes 
upon a company of these sojourners, feeding perhaps upon the ground. They 
walk about with easy grace or shift by little flights, males and females flocking 
together, and all engaged in a subued but voluble chatter. An instant hush 
follows the signal of alarm and the flock rises silently to the neighboring tree- 
tops or passes to a distant spot, where their conversation is gradually resumed. 
As the alarm decreases the birds come gradually dropping down, one by one, 
until confidence is completely restored again. 

The notes of the Rusty Blackbird consist of a bubbling medley of I’s and 
r’s through which clear, high-pitched whistles or squeaks are interspersed at 
will. Gorwhillier conveys some idea of the liquid quality of the former, and ex- 
presses also in part the effort which is required to produce them. The effect 
of a full chorus is really quite pleasing. If not “music” it is at least among the 
less disagreeable of noises. 


32 THE BRONZED GRACKLE. 


No. 13. 
BRONZED GRACKLE. 

A. O. U. No. 511b. Quiscaius quiscula zneus (Ridgw.). 

Synonyms.—Crow BLACKBIRD. 

Description.—dAdult male: Lustrous black, exhibiting strongly three sorts 
of iridescence ; on the head, hind-neck and breast purple, peacock blue, or greenish ; 
on the remaining under parts and back brassy; on the wings and tail a curious 
combination of the two resulting in a shimmering violet- or purplish-blacis. 
ft-emale, somewhat similar, but a warm brown rather than black; subdued irides- 
cence shown chiefly on head and breast. Length 12.00-13.50 (304.8-342.9) ; av. 
of five Columbus males: wing 5.62 (142.8) ; tail 5.48 (139.2); bill 1.15 (29.2). 
Female smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; glossy black or brown plumage; 
tail long and rounded. 

Nest, a bulky but compact structure of sticks and stalks, plastered inside 
with mud, and lined with fine grasses; placed fifteen to thirty feet high in ever- 
green trees or in the orchard. Eggs, 4-6, sometimes 7, light blue or greenish 
blue, irregularly spotted, blotched, or “pen-marked” in zigzags and flourishes 
with purple or sepia. Av. size, 1.20 x .82 (30.5 x 20.8). 

General Range.—E astern United States from the Allegheny Mountains west 
to the Rocky Mountains, north from southern New England to Newfoundland 
and Great Slave Lake. . In migrations it invades the southeastern states, except 
Florida and the Atlantic sea coast south of Virginia. 

Range in Ohio.—A commonly distributed summer resident. Stragglers and 
occasional small companies winter in the state. 


AESOP tells of a Crow which, appropriating some cast-off feathers of a 
Peacock, succeeded in cutting quite a swath among his plain-hued friends. 
until a clever rival disclosed the sham and brought him into deserved contempt. 
The Crow Blackbird has improved upon the trick. Without trying to parade 
feathers manifestly too big for him, he has borrowed the Peacock’s sheen, and 
he struts about, in a manner accommodated to his surroundings, with all the 
Peacock’s pride. He is a handsome fellow. See him as in the full sunlight 
he submits a wing to the critical gaze of his coveted Juliet! Burnished brass, 
brass over steel, resplendent as a coat of mail! She approves, altho she will 
not say so. But, La! how insolent he is! She likes that too and snickers softly 
as he shouts down to you, “Jup, jwp—What are you doing here in my or- 
chard?” If one is taken unawares he is apt to stammer out, ““Why-why, I 
thought it was my orchard until you spoke.” 

For all he is so vain, no one ever accused the Grackle of being graceful. 
He is capable of bold, vigorous flight, but in the spring he chooses to exhibit 
the dimensions of his rudder-like tail, and sometimes he lets it swing him 
around in a small circle as though it were a weight from which he was strug- 


‘i, ee) 


— 


3 @THOVUD GHZNOUd 
SNDIHD 'OWOJWNW "AM "WY AG ‘O06 ANBINAGOD 


OZIS-9jITT 9% 
snauan D)NIsIND snpnasinf) 
4 NOAVIHM 3HL AB OHO WI OIANISZU SLWOLN 


me, 
v 


THE BRONZED GRACKLE. 33 


gling to get free! His love-making antics, too, are all the more ridiculous for 
being earnest. Perched upon the tip-top of an evergreen tree he thrusts his 
wings out, spreads his tail, ruffles all his feathers, and then throws his head 
forward like a person about to obtain relief from seasickness. ‘The outcome of 
all this effort is a sound by no means ravishing, flee-e-k-starr, or simply 
fwe-e-e-t. When the female has been sufficiently impressed by the accom- 
plishments of this vocal contortionist the pair converse in jups of much modi- 
fied insolence, and in a series of pro- 
longed squeaks of unquestionable 
affection. 

The tops of evergreen trees have 
long been favorite nesting places for 
the Bronzed Grackles, but, in the 
comparative scarcity of these, apple 
trees are second choice. While not 
strictly gregarious during nesting 
season, the birds often occupy neigh- 
boring trees, and a good sized or- 

* chard may contain twenty or thirty 
Ge ee Ret by the Author. nests. ‘They are placed without much 
{{PHEY ARE FLACED WITHOUT MUCH REGARD TO regard to concealment, at first, since 
; Seay ite te re the nesting is often under way by the 
20th of April, but the advancing season is more lavish of its foliage. ‘The 
nest is quite a bulky affair of dried-weed stalks and grasses, with a deep cup- 
shaped imatrix of mud and a bountiful lining of grasses and horsehair. As to 
manner of attachment it combines all known characters, being saddled and 
settled, as well as anchored by the edges or half swung. The eggs are quaintly 
spotted and stained or scrawled with 
umber and purplish black on a dull 
green or vitreous blue 
ground. 

During the nesting sea- 
son the Crow Blackbird be- 
trays its affinity with the 
Crows and Jays by helping 
itself occasionally to the 
eges and young 


Photo 
by the 
Author. 


FOLLOWING THE PLOW. 
BRONZED GRACKLES ARE FEEDING UPON 


THE GRUBS UPTURNED WITH THE 
LAST FURROW. 


34 THE BRONZED GRACKLE. 
of other birds. Altho the fault is a grave one, a special investigator’ does not 
find that such food bears any sensible proportion to the total amount and con- 
cludes that the offense is too infrequent to require discipline at our hands. More 
serious from an economic standpoint is the charge that these birds consume 
quantities of grain, especially corn. Altho the mischief is offset by the con- 
sumption of an equal amount of insects, and those largely of injurious sorts, 
it becomes at times unquestionably necessary for the farmer to discourage the 
depredations of this bird when the corn is in the milk. 

Before the breeding season is over the males begin to gather in some 
favorite “roost” to spend the night, and these companies form the nucleus of 
large flocks, which are augmented by the arrival of females and young as 
rapidly as the latter are sufficiently matured. One of these “roosts” comes to 
include the Grackle population for miles around, and often numbers thousands. 
If quarters are taken up in a village grove or city park, as is not infrequently 
the case, the noisy congregation affords occasion for comment and conjecture 
on the part of hundreds of citizens. Lynds Jones” has prepared a very interest- 
ing account of such a roost which has for years occupied a position on the 
college campus at Oberlin. Similar roosts have become recognized institutions 
at Elyria, Granville, McConnelsville, and a score of other places already re- 
ported. Indeed it seems probable that nearly every county will be found to 
contain in late summer and early fall several divisions, with corresponding 
camps, of this great Grackle army. 


1M. F. E. L. Beal. “The Crow Blackbirds and their Food.” Year Book United States Department 
of Agriculture, 1894. 


2 “The Oberlin Grackle Roost.’’ Bulletin No. 15 of the Wilson Ornithological Chapter, July 30, 1897. 


THE EVENING GROSBEAK. A 


No. 14. 
EVENING GROSBEAK. 


A. O. U. No. 514. Hesperiphona vespertina (Coop. ). 

Description.—Adult male: Forehead clear yellow; crown black; remaining 
fore-parts sooty-olive, shading insensibly through the dull yellow of lower back 
and belly into clear yellow ot under tail-coverts; wings and tail black; a large 
white blotch formed by ends of inner secondaries and their coverts. Adult female : 
“with prevailing color ashy or only slightly brownish-gray” (Ridgw.). A small, 
clear white patch at base of inner primaries; white blotches on tips of upper tail- 
coverts and inner webs of tail-feathers, in varying proportions. Jill, in both 
sexes, massive, yellow. Length about 8.00 (203.2); wing 4.40 (111.8); tail 
3.42 (86.9) ; bill along culmen .75 (19.1) ; depth of bill .56-.65 (14.2-16.5). No 
appreciable difference in size between the sexes. 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; large, conical bill; olive-brown colora- 
tion with black and white in masses. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest principally composed of fine root- 
lets with some Usnea moss and a few sticks, settled upon horizontal branch of pine 
or fir, near tip, and at considerable heights. Aggs, 4, “in color, size, form, texture 
and markings indistinguishable from those of the Red-winged Blackbird” ( Birt- 
well). 

General Range.—‘‘Interior of British America, southward in winter to the 
upper Mississippi Valley and basin of the Great Lakes” (Ridgway). Of sporadic 
occurrence in New Engiand. 

Range in Ohio.—Of rare and casual occurrence in winter only. 


FEW birds have so thoroughly piqued the curiosity of the man of science 
or have so long resisted his insistent inquisitiveness as has this big-billed, un- 
canny bird of the mountains. His comings and goings know little law and his 
geographical route is not yet clearly defined. A screaming company of them 
may graciously pitch camp in John Smith’s orchard in, say, Wisconsin, and 
they may spend the winter there if Mr. Smith lets them; but the diary of many 
an ambitious explorer in the north and west fails to contain the coveted record 
of his appearance. 

It remained for Mr. Francis J. Birtwell, in the summer of 1901, to dis- 
cover the nests of this long-sought bird. This singularly gifted and promising 
young ornithologist was spending a honeymoon with his bride, in the moun- 
tains of New Mexico. He was scarcely over the first elation of success at dis- 
covering a colony of breeding Grosbeaks when he lost his life in an attempt to 
reach a nest placed sixty-five feet high in a giant pine. 

The Evening Grosbeak is seen only in winter or early spring at the lower 
latitudes and altitudes. The birds are strictly gregarious at this season and 
spend their time closely and rather stupidly feeding upon fallen maple and ash 


36 THE PINE GROSBEAK. 


seeds, or, later in the season, upon the swelling buds of the trees themselves. A 
flock which I observed one winter in Seattle, Washington, spent two months 
strictly within the confines of the university campus. In feeding they would 
drop to the ground one by one, somewhat after the fashion of English Spar- 
rows, but they permitted a rather close approach and seemed quite unacquainted 
with the treacherous ways of men. During the meal the cracking of refractory 
maple keys was varied by frequent shrill whistles, or short shrieks, of startling 
intensity. In the breeding season the male is said to have a clear whistling 
song not unlike a Robin's, but he stops suddenly midway, as though he were 
out of breath. It is certain also that the song is not delivered exclusively or 
even preferably in the evening, as was at first supposed. Hence it appears that 
the name “Evening” has no appropriateness whatever; but it will doubtless be 
preserved, if only to point a moral. 

This bird is admitted to our avifauna solely on the evidence of Dr. Kirtland 
who met with it at Cleveland during March, 1860. A great wave of them 
swept over the farther East in the winter of ’89-90, but so far as I am aware 
none were recorded from Ohio at that time. 


No. 15. 
PINE GROSBEAK. 


. U. No. 515. Pinicola enucteator leucura (Muller). 


eee ce male: Slaty gray, with an overlay of carmine or dull 
rosy, except on belly, wings, and tail; the rosy color is clearest on head and 
adjacent parts and on the rump; wings a tail fuscous with faint rosy or whitish 
edgings; indistinct wing-bars are formed by the white or rosy tips of middle 
and greater coverts and by the edgings of inner secondaries. Adult female: 
Ground color like male; crown, nape, and upper tail-coverts saffron or olive- 
yellow; this color also tinges the cheeks, back, fore-breast and rump in ve 
proportions, and everywhere supplants the rosy of the male save in the oldest ( 
birds. Adult male, length 8.25-9.00 (2c¢9.6-228.6) ; wing 4.60 (116.8) ; tail we 
(92.2); bill along culmen .53 (13.5); depth of bill .48 (12.2). Female some- 
what smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size (only as long as Chewink but stockier ; 
nearer Robin size) ; stout bill; rosy, or saffron, and gray coloring. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. ‘‘Nest, composed of a basement of twigs 
and rootlets, within which is a more compact fabric of finer materials. Eggs, 
usually 4, pale greenish blue, spotted and blotched with dark brown surface mark- 
ings and lilac shell-spots.” Av. size, 1.05 x .74 (26.7 x 18.8). 


THE PINE GROSBEAK. - 


General Range.—Northeastern and central-northern North America, breed- 
ing from northern New England northward nearly to the limit of trees; south 
in winter irregularly into the upper tier of the eastern states,—New England, 
Wisconsin, etc. 

Range in Ohio.—A rare winter visitor. 


ANOTHER of our rarer winter birds, whose occasional visits serve only 
to stimulate a desire on our part for a closer acquaintance, is the Pine Grosbeak, 
It is almost exclusively a bird of the deep pine forests, so it is not to be wondered 
at that it so seldom ventures into our state. While found more commonly in 
Pennsylvania and regularly in New England, it breeds only from the northern 
portions of the latter region northward. Like many another woodland recluse 
the Pine Grosbeak often appears dazed when it encounters civilization and 
may not infrequently be taken with butterfly nets or even with the hand. It is 
on record that the markets of Boston were abundantly supplied one winter with 
these birds. It was, of course, in the early days (1835), when the Puritan 
stomach was less influenced by sentimental considerations. Or it was perhaps 
before a higher use had been found for them, namely, to decorate ladies’ 
bonnets. 

Altho such a timid recluse, with little of the savor faire of the world, the 
Pine Grosbeak is a born poet and dispenses sweetest music to his neighbors in 
the Laurentian wilds. ‘The song is described as “‘clear, sweet and flowing, like 
that of the Purple Finch,” but stronger, of course, as becomes the larger size. 

The food habits of this species are as yet imperfectly known. ‘They are 
known at least to eat small fruit of all sorts with avidity, and specimens obtained 
in the far Northwest were found to have fared exclusively upon poplar buds. 
When with us mountain ash trees are sure to be visited, and cedar berries, when 
obtainable, are very welcome. 

It is noteworthy also that the southward moving flocks of winter are com- 
posed almost exclusively of young males and sombre-colored females, while the 
older males remain for the most part 1n their northern homes. 


38 "THE PURPLE FINCH. 


No. 16. 


PUREE NCH: 


A. O. U. No. 517. Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.). 


Description.—Adult male: Dull crimson, or deep rosy red, with a slight 
purplish tinge, brightest on front, breast, and rump, whitening below; wings and 
tail fuscous with rosy edgings. Area of rosy suffusion reduced in fall and win- 
ter specimens. /emale quite different; ground color, gray or flaxen, everywhere 
spotted and streaked with olive-brown (the color-bearing feathers are really 
dusky and heavily edged with olive), in sharply defined streaks and arrow-head 
marks below, above minutely streaked or nearly uniform; a space in lower throat 
and belly nearly clear; wings fuscous, edged with olive, not rosy. Young like 
female, but males pass through a bronzy stage. Length 6.00-6.25 (152.4-158.8) ; 
wing 3.21 (81.5); tail 2.23 (56.6); bill along culmen .45 (11.4); depth at base 
.34 (8:6). Females slightly smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; rosy coloration of male, olive streaki- 
ness of female. The female bears a superficial resemblance to the Pine Siskin, 
but the latter is a smaller and yellower bird, with a very much smaller bill. 


Nest, composed of weed stalks, grasses, rootlets, etc., lined with soft sub- 
stances and hair; placed at moderate heights in trees, preferably evergreens, and 
oftenest on horizontal boughs. Eggs, 4 or 5, dull green, spotted and speckled and 
streaked (or not) with dark brown, chiefly near larger end. Av. size, .85 x .65 
(26 16:5) 

General Range.—E astern North America, from the Atlantic Coast to the 
Plains. Breeds from Middle States northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Spring and fall migrant; of casual occurrence in winter. 
Formerly a few remained to breed in the northern portion. 


HERE comes another band of jolly rovers who have seen sights in the 
Laurentian highlands, no doubt, or possibly in dismal Labrador, but who are 
quite content for the nonce to while away the time among the unrifled cones of 
the evergreen windbreak, or in making an early raid upon the ungarnered 
crop of rag-weed seed. ‘The migrating instinct urges them southward with only 
indifferent success. They may be gone tomorrow or they may conclude to 
spend the winter with you. At any rate they are here now and that is reason 
enough for pleasant chatter and fragments of remembered song. 

One observer would give “its very characteristic utterance” as ‘“‘a short, 
rather dull-sounding note, scarcely metallic—the metal pressed the instant the 
bell is struck”; while another, more generous, or perhaps more enthusiastic, 
would give it credit for “a musical metallic chink, chink.” 

Those birds which have not wintered with us straggle back through March 
and April, and linger sometimes into May. At this season they are oftener 
found in the heart of the woods along streams, feeding upon the buds of the 
slippery elm. A company of them may seem at a time very much devoted to the 


THE PURPLE FINCH. a 


task, but before long some restless young gallant will burst out with uncon- 
trollable song—a carol delicate and sweet and free, and the whole flock will 
forget its sordid pursuits and fall to love-making. ‘This has become the all- 
absorbing pastime by the time the birds quit us for the North, and we may 
suppose that all troths are plighted under our pleasant roof-tree. 

Dr. T. M. Brewer has this to say more fully of the Finch’s song: ‘The 
song of the Purple Finch resembles that of the Canary, and though less varied 
and powerful, is softer, sweeter and more touching and pleasing. ‘The notes of 
this species may be heard from the last of May until late in December (in New 
England) and in the long summer evenings are often continued until after it is 
quite dark. Their song has all the beauty and pathos of the warbling Vireo and 
greatly resembles it, but is more powerful and full in tone. It is a very inter- 
esting sight to watch one of these little performers in the midst of his song. He 
appears perfectly absorbed in his work, his form dilates, his crest is erect, his 
throat expands and he seems to be utterly unconscious of all around him. But 
let an intruder of his own race appear within a few feet of the singer and the 
song instantly ceases, and in a violent fit of indignation he chases him away.” 

Concerning the reputed nesting of this species in the northeastern counties 
of the state I have no exact information. The birds prefer evergreen trees for 
nesting sites, but will put up with orchard trees on occasion. The nests are 
flatter than is usual with tree nesting sparrows, and are usually well con- 
cealed by the foliage. Dr. Howard Jones, who was familiar with the Purple 
Finch in New York State, writes: “A nest before me, a fair representative of 
the species, is composed of a foundation and superstructure of brown roots, the 
coarsest being in the foundation; many of these are one-sixteenth of an inch in 
diameter by six or eight inches in length. They are arranged circularly and 
form a ragged looking exterior, about five inches in diameter outside of the 
loosest rootlets. Within the superstructure is a beautifully wrought lining, with 
walls about three-eights of an inch thick, of the very finest light brown rootlets. 
These are so curly and curved, and interlaced and twisted together at the rim, 
that the inner nest suggests a piece of silver filigree work. The diameter of the 
cavity is about two inches; the depth, one inch.” 


40 THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 


No. 17. 
ENGLISH SPARROW. 


InTRODUCED. Passer domesticus (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Housg Sparrow; Domestic SPARROW; HoopLumM. 

Description.—Adult male: Above ashy gray; middle of back and scapulars 
heavily streaked with black and bay; tail dusky; a chestnut patch behind eye 
spreading on shoulders; lesser wing-coverts chestnut; middle coverts bordered 
with white, forming a conspicuous white bar during flight; remainder of wing 
dusky with bay edging; below ashy gray or dirty white; a black throat-patch 
continuous with lores and fore-breast; bill and feet horn color. Adult female: 
Brownish rather than gray above; bay edging lighter; no chestnut, unmarked 
below. Length 5.50-6.25 (139.7-158.8); wing 3.00 (76.2); tail 2.20 (55.9); 
bill .50 (12.7). Sexes of about equal size. 

Recognition Marks.—‘Sparrow size”; black throat and breast of male; 
female obscure brownish and gray. 

Nest, a globular mass of grass, weeds and trash, heavily lined with feathers, 
placed in tree and with entrance in side; or else heavily lined cavity anywhere. 
Holes in apple trees and crannies in shale banks are favorite places. Eggs, 4-7, 
whitish, heavily dotted and speckled with olive-brown or dull black. The mark- 
ings often gather about the larger end; sometimes they entirely obscure the 
ground color. Av. size, .86 x .62 (21.8 x 15.8). 

General Range.—'‘Nearly the whole of Europe, but replaced in Italy by P. 
italiae, extending eastward to Persia and Central Asia, India, and Ceylon” 
(Sharpe). “Introduced and naturalized in America, Australia, New Zealand, 
etc.”’ (Chapman). 

Range in Ohio.—‘The first importation of this pest into the state directly 
from Europe was into Cleveland in 1869, twenty pairs. During the same year 
thirty-three pairs were taken from New York to Cincinnati and Warren. Then 
followed importations into Marietta, 1870; Coshocton and Portsmouth, 1874; 
Steubenville about 1880 or 1881; Wapakoneta about 1882, which seems to have 
been the last importation. Since that time it has spread well over the state, 
in the more settled districts even invading the country places and farm buildings, 
until the tendency to nest in the woods grows strong” (Jones). 


WITHOUT question the most deplorable event in the history of American 
ornithology was the introduction of the English Sparrow. The extinction of 
the Great Auk, the passing of the Wild Pigeon and the Turkey,—sad as these 
are. they are trifles compared to the wholesale reduction of our smaller birds, 
which is due to the invasion of that wretched foreigner, the English Sparrow. 
To be sure he was invited to come, but the offense is all the more rank because 
it was partly human. His introduction was effected in part by people who 
ought to have known better, and would, doubtless, if the science of ornithology 
had reached its present status as long ago as the early fifties. The maintenance 
and prodigious increase of the pest is still due in a measure to the imbecile 


THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 41 


sentimentality of people who build bird-houses and throw out crumbs for “the 
dear little birdies’’, and then care nothing whether honest birds or scalawags get 
them. Such people belong to the same class as those who drop kittens on their 
neighbors’ door-steps because they wouldn't have the heart to kill them them- 
selves, you know. 


Taken near Columbus. 


: Photo by the Author. 
NOTHING IS TOO GOOD FOR THEM. 


A “QUARRY HOLE’ FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS BUT NOW ENTIRELY GIVEN 
OVER TO THE NOISY FOREIGNERS. 


The increase of this bird in the United States is, to a lover of birds, simply 
frightful. Their fecundity is amazing and their adaptability apparently limit- 
less. Mr. Barrows, ina special report prepared under the direction of the Gov- 
ernment, estimates that the increase of a single pair, if unhindered, would 
amount in ten years to 275,716,983,608 birds. 

As to its range, we note that the subjugation of the East has long since 
been accomplished and that the conquest of the West is succeeding rapidly. 
It is only a question of a few years until it becomes omnipresent in our land. 

It requires no testimony to show that the presence of this bird is absolutely 
undesirable. It is a scourge to the agriculturist, a plague to the architect and 
the avowed and determined enemy of all other birds. It is, in short, in the 


42 THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 


words of Dr. Coues, “a nuisance without a redeeming quality.” Altho we 
assent to this most heartily, we must confess on the part of our race to a certain 
amount of sneaking admiration for the Sparrow. And why, forsooth? Be- 
cause he fights. We are forced to admire, at times, his bull-dog courage and 
tenacity of purpose, as we do the cunning of the weasel or the nimbleness of the 
flea. He is vermin and must be treated as such, but—give the Devil his 
due, of course. What are we going to do about it? Wage unceasing warfare 
as we do against mice and snakes. ‘There is no ultimate issue to regard. ‘The 
House Sparrow is no longer exterminable, but he can be kept within limits. No 
doubt there will be English Sparrows in cities as long as there are brick-bats, 
but the English Sparrow in the country is an abatable nuisance. He can be 
shot, and he ought to be. There are no English Sparrows about my present 
home, in a suburb of Columbus. A sensible and determined neighbor has plied 
the shotgun for several years and as a result Bluebirds, Chipping and Field 
Sparrows, Woodpeckers of all kinds, Warblers, Robins, Blue Jays, ete. are 
plentiful hereabouts. I prefer Bluebirds myself. 

The Sparrow exhibits a most cosmopolitan taste in the matter of nesting 
sites. ‘The normal half-bushel ball of trash in the tree-top is still adhered to by 
some builders, but the cavity left by a missing brick, a Woodpecker’s hole— 
deserted upon compulsion—or a throne upon the scale-pan of Justice—done in 
stone upon the County court-house, and mercifully blind—will do as well. Of 
late the choicest rural sites have been appropriated, and the cliffs once sacred to 
the gentle Swallow, now resound with the vulgar bletherings and maudlin 
mirth of this avian blot on nature. 


4 AMERICAN CROSSBILL 
ibe 


1» curvirostra 


346 Life-size 


THE AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 43 


No. 18. 
AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 


A. O. U. No. 521. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm.). 
Synonym.—ReEpD CROSSBILL. 


Description.—Adult male: ‘Tips of mandibles crossed either way; plumage 
red, brightest on rump; feathers of back with brownish centers; wings and tail 
fuscous. Shade of red very variable-—orange, cinnabar, even vermilion, some- 
times toned down by a saffron suffusion. Jmmature males sometimes present a 
curiously mottled appearance with chrome-green and red intermingled. Female 
and young: Dull olive-green, brighter and more yellow on head and rump; 
below gray overcast by dingy yellow. Adult male, length 5.50-6.25 (139.7- 
158.8) ; wing 3.40 (86.4) ; tail 2.05 (52.1) ; bill .7o (17.8) or under. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; crossed mandibles ; male red and female 
olive-green; both without white wing-bars. 


“Nest, in forks or among twigs of a tree, founded on a mass of twigs and 
bark-strips, the inside felted of finer materials, including small twigs, rootlets, 
grasses, hair, feathers, etc. Eggs, 3-4, 0.75 x 0.57, pale greenish, spotted and 
dotted about larger end with dark purplish brown, with lavender shell-markings” 
(Coues). Av. size, .85 x .53 (21.6 x. 13.5) (Brewer). 


General Range.—Northern North America, resident sparingly south in the 
eastern United States to Maryland and Tennessee, and in the Alleghanies ; irregu- 
larly abundant in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Nowhere of regular occurrence; occasional migrant or 
winter resident and rare breeder. 


THERE are several species of northern birds which behave as if they had 
been moon-struck on some chilly Arctic night and whose most ardent friends 
as a consequence cannot deny that they are a little “queer ;” the Red Crossbills, 
for example,—dear unsophisticated mortals who are still following the Julian 
calendar, and that only spasmodically. Normally confined to the coniferous 
timber of the Canadian highlands, they nevertheless drift south in straggling 
flocks and in very unmethodical fashion, and occasionally come upon us in 
great hordes which even the park policemen notice. 

Then in spring, either because they dread to face renewed privations or 
because they vary their plain fare with the lotus buds of forgetfulness in the 
balmy Southland, some linger to nest and spend a careless summer. Especially 
is this the case in the Alleghanies and in the mountain regions of New York and 
New England. ‘The nesting takes place according to no known law, eggs 
having been taken in mid-winter where the snow lay deep upon the ground, and 
again in July. And altho conifers are the sites usually chosen, the birds are 
not particular in this matter either—a leafless maple will do as well. 

The Crossbill owes its peculiar mandibles to an age-long hankering for 


44 THE AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 
pine-seeds—a desire fully satisfied according to the fashion of that Providence 
which works so variously through nature, and whose method we are pleased to 
call evolution. The bill of the bird was not meant for an organ of the finest 
precision, and Buffon, the Deist, once won a cheap applause by railing at the 
Almighty for a supposed oversight in this direction; but as a matter of fact 
its wonderful crossed mandibles enable the Crossbill to do what no other bird 
can, viz., pry open the scales of a pine cone and extract the tiny seed with its 
tongue. Besides this the bird is not so awkward in the use of its bill as was for- 
merly supposed, since it frequently alights on the ground and picks up the fallen 
seeds, together with other food. Apples, left hanging, and mellowed by the 
frosts, are favorite winter tidbits, and the birds have been accused of doing 
some trifling damage to grain in the field. 

Crossbills give out an intermittent rattling cry or excited titter, few, tew, 
tew, while feeding. The flight note is a short, clear whistle, and a flock com- 
posed of separately undulating individuals affords a pleasing sensation to both 
eye and ear as it rapidly passes. The male is said to have a sprightly whistling 
song of a most agreeable character, and he sometimes opens the season as early 
as February. 

Specimens kept in captivity exhibit some of the traits of Parrots. Thus, 
they grasp the wires of the cage with their bill as well as with their feet and 
move about by its aid. ‘They hang head downward with indifference and they 
convey food to the mouth by holding it in one foot. It is not surprising that the 
birds are easily domesticated, even when full grown, since they are so unsus- 
picious < as to admit of capture by the hand. I once caught an adult female in 
mid-air as a flock fluttered up confusedly from the ground. According to Dr. 
Brewer, a nest with eggs of this species was once secured early in March by Mr. 
Charles S. Paine, in East Randolph, Vt. “The nest was built in an upper 
branch of an elm—which, of course, was leafless—the ground was covered with 
snow, and the weather severe. ‘he birds were very tame and fearless, refusing 
to leave their eggs, and had te be several times taken off by the hand. After its 
nest had been taken, and as Mr. Paine was descending with it in his hand, the 
female again resumed her place upon it, to protect her eggs from the biting 
frost.” 


THE WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. re 


No. 19. 
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 


A. O. U. No. 522. Loxia leucoptera (Gmel.). 

Description.—J/ale: Rosy-red or carmine all over, save for grayish of 
nape and black of scapulars, wings, and tail. The black of scapulars sometimes 
meets on lower back. ‘Two conspicuous white wing-bars are formed by the tips 
of the middle and greater coverts. Bill slenderer and weaker than in preceding 
species. Female and young: Light olive-yellow, ochraceous, or even pale 
orange over gray, clearer on rump, duller on throat and belly; most of the feathers 
with dusky centers, finer on crown and throat, broader on back and breast ; wings 
and tail as in male, but fuscous rather than black; feather-edgings olivaceous. 
Very variable. Length 6.00-6.50 (152.4-165.1); wing 3.50 (88.9); tail 2.25 
(S722) ebull 67 Gi7a)e 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; crossed bill; conspicuous white wing- 
bars of both sexes. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. “Nest, of twigs and strips of birch- 
bark, covered exteriorly with moss (Usnea) and lined with soft moss and hair, 
on the fork of an evergreen, in deep forests. Eggs, 3(?), pale blue, spotted and 
streaked near larger end with reddish brown and lilac, 80 x .55 (20.3 x 14.)” 
(Chamberlain). : 


_ General Range.—Northern parts of North America, south into the United 
States in winter. Breeds from northern New England northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Of casual occurrence during migrations and in winter. 


THE habits of this lesser known species appear to be substantially the 
same as those of L. c. minor. Its summer range lies for the most part further 
north, altho it also breeds in the mountains of the West. It is much less frequent 
in winter than the preceding species, altho it occasionally appears in great 
numbers. 

“In the spring of 1869, Mr. Jillson, of Hudson, Mass., sent me a pair of 
these birds which he had captured the preceding autumn. ‘They were very 
tame, and exceedingly interesting little pets. Their movements in the cage were 
like those of caged Parrots in every respect, except that they were far more - 
easy and rapid. They clung to the sides and upper wires of the cage with their 
feet, hung down from them and seemed to enjoy the practice of walking with 
their heads downward. ‘They were in full song and both the male and the 
female were quite good singers. Their songs were irregular and varied, but 
sweet and musical. They ate almost every kind of food, but were especially 
eager for slices of raw apples. An occasional larch cone was also a great treat 
to them. Altho while they lived they were continually bickering over their 
food, yet when the female was accidentally choked by a bit of eggshell, her mate 
was inconsolable, ceased to sing, refused his food, and died of grief in a very 
few days” (Brewer). 


46 THE REDPOLL. 


No. 20. 


REDPOLL. 


A. O. U. No. 528. Acanthis linaria (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—CommMon ReEpb-poLti; LINNEY; LINTIE. 

Description.—Adult male: Crown crimson; breast and shoulders crimson 
in varying proportions according to season; frontlet, lores, and throat-patch sooty 
black; remaining lower parts white, flanks and crissum streaked with dusky ; 
above, variegated dusky, flaxen-brown and whitish, the feathers having 
dusky centers and flaxen edgings; rump dusky and white in streaks, tinged 
with rosy; wings and tail dusky with flaxen or whitish edgings; two inconspicu- 
ous wing-bars formed by white tips of middle and greater coverts. Female: 
Similar but without red on rump and breast, the latter suffused with buffy instead; 
sides heavily streaked with dusky. Jmmature: Like female but without crimson 
crown. Length 5.50 (139.7) or less; wing 2.80 (71.1) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill .34 
(8.6) ; depth at base .23 (5.8). : 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler to Sparrow size; crimson crown-patch in 
adults; no dusky spot on breast. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a bulky affair of twigs and grasses, 
lined with feathers and placed in trees and bushes. Eggs, 4-6, pale blue, dotted 
and speckled with reddish brown or umber. Av. size, .65 x .50 (16.5 x 12.7). 

General Range.—Northern portions of northern hemisphere, south irregu- 
larly in winter, in North America to the Middle States. 


Range in Ohio.—Of very irregular occurrence. Many winters will pass 
without any; at other times swarms are to be seen in the northern part of the 
state. Casual anywhere. 


THESE rather rare hyperborean visitants are often allowed to pass for 
winter Goldfinches when they do occur. Indeed, the resemblance is most 
striking, both as to form and habits and notes as well. When the eyes have 
been opened by a near revelation of convincing red, then the ears remember also 
a slight foreign accent in the “sweetie” call and in the rattling flight notes. 

Failure in the food supply in the Hudson Bay regions seems to afford the 
only excuse for the occasional southern flights of this species, since the birds are 
absolutely impervious to cold. When they do come they appear to materialize 
in great numbers out of the leaden sky along with the snowflakes; but they 
settle to a breakfast of weed-seeds or alder catkins as tho to the manor born, 
and have no apparent dread of dispossessing the Juncoes and Field Sparrows 
who already occupy the land. ‘They are fond of pine trees, and if occasion 
offers, contentedly pick up the crumbs which fall from Master Crossbill’s pine- 
cone table. Redpoll’s manner is very confiding. He has had nothing to fear in 
his Greenland home, and he assumes that you will mind your business and let 
him mind his. 


2 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 
Astragalinus tristis 
ig Life-size 


FIGHTS AFSERJEO IN O40 B 


1200, BY A, W, MUMEORD, 


PUBLSAING 


cuic!Ro 


20 


THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 47 


We are rewarded for our occasional hospitality by the sight of Redpoll 
at his best. During the actual breeding season, we are told by a competent 
observer in Greenland, Holbcell, the male not only becomes exceeding shy but 
loses his rosy coloring. It is hardly to be supposed that this loss of color is a 
protective measure, but rather that it is a result of the exhaustive labors incident 
to the season. Nature, in that forbidding clime, cannot afford to dress a busy 
workman in fine clothes. It is noteworthy in this connection that caged Red- 
polls also lose their rosy tints, never to regain them. 


Nos 25. 


AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 


A. O. U. No. 529. Astragalinus tristis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—WiLp Canary; YELLOW-BIRD (wrongly so called) ; TuistiE- 
BIRD. : 

Description.—Adult male in breeding piuimage: Back and below bright 
yellow, whitening on upper tail-coverts; crown-patch black; wings black with 
white-tipped coverts and secondaries; tail black, each feather with white spot on 
inner web. Adult female: Above grayish brown or olivaceous; wings and tail 
dusky rather than black; below whitish with buffy or yellow suffusion, brightest 
on throat. Male in winter: Like female except that wings and tail are black; 
the plumage tends also to more positive whites. Length 5.00 (127.); wing 
about 2.75 (69.9) ; tail 2.00 (50.8) ; bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; black and yellow contrasting; undu- 
lating flight; Canary-like notes. 

Nest, a beautiful, compact structure of vegetable fiber, “hemp,” grasses, etc., 
lined with vegetable cottons or thistle-down, and placed at different heights in 
trees or bushes, usually in upright crotches. Eggs, 3-6, pale bluish white, un- 
SPOLEed ee Aven SIZe>, 05) x52 @1Os5) x 1322) 

General Range.—Temperate North America; winters mainly within the 
United States; breeds from middle regions north. 

Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution,—perhaps less plentiful in south- 
ern part of state. 


“HANDSOME is that handsome does,” we are told, but the Goldfinch 
fulfills both conditions in the proper sense, and does not require the doubtful 
apology of the proverb, which was evidently devised for plain folk. One is at 
a loss to decide whether nature awarded the Goldfinch his suit of fine clothes 
in recognition of his dauntless cheer or whether he is only happy because of his 
panoply of jet and gold. At any rate he is the bird of sunshine the year around, 
happy, careless, free. Rollicking companies of them rove the country side, 


48 THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 


now searching the heads of the last year’s mullein stalks and enlivening their 
quest with much pleasant chatter, now scattering in obedience to some whim- 
sical command and sowing the air with their laughter. ‘“Perchic-opee” or 
“perchic-ichic-opee” says every bird as it glides down each successive billow of 
its undulating flight. So enamoured are the Goldfinches of their gypsy life 
that it is only when the summer begins to wane that they are willing to make 
particular choice of mates and nesting spots. As late as the middle of July one 
may see roving bands of forty or fifty individuals, but by the first of August 
they are usually settled to the task of rearing young. The nesting also appears 
to be dependent in some measure upon the thistle crop. When the weeds are 
common and the season forward, nesting may begin in June; but when thistle 
down is scarce or wanting the birds seem loth to begin without an abundant 
supply of their favorite nest lining. 

Nests are placed in the upright forks of various kinds of saplings or even 
of growing plants, in which latter case the thistle, again, proves first choice. 
The materials used are the choicest obtainable. Normally the inner bark of 
hemp is employed for warp, and thistle-down for woof and lining, so that the 
whole structure bleaches to a characteristic silver-gray. In the absence, or 
scarcity of these, grasses, weeds, bits of leaves, ete. are bound together with 
cobwebs and the whole felted with other soft plant-downs or even horse-hair. 
The whole is made fast throughout its depth to the supporting branches and 
forms one of the most durable of summer's trophies. 

From four to six, but commonly five, eggs are laid, and these of a delicate 
greenish blue. Fourteen days are required for hatching and from the time of 
leaving the nest the youngsters drone babee! babee! with weary iteration, all 
through the stifling summer day. 

During the nesting season the birds subsist largely upon insects of 
various kinds, especially plant lice, flies, and the smaller grasshoppers, but at 
other times they feed almost exclusively upon seeds. They are very fond of 
sunflower seeds, returning as they do to a favorite head day after day until the 
crop is harvested. Seeds of the lettuce, turnips, and other garden plants are 
levied upon freely where occasion offers, but thistle-seed is a staple article, and 
that is varied by a hundred seeds besides, which none could grudge them. 

Throughout the winter the Goldfinches are much less in evidence, partly 
because of their subdued colors, the yellow having given place to dingy white; 
and partly, it would appear, from the fact that considerable numbers retire 
more or less regularly to the South at that season. But wherever found the 
Goldfinch has the same merry notes and sprightly ways, so that he is endeared 


to the hearts of all. 


THE PINE SISKIN. 49 


No. 22. 


PINE SISKIN. 


A. O. U. No. 533. Spinus pinus ( Wils.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN SISKIN; PINE FINCH; PINE LINNET. 

Description.—ddult male and female: Above brownish buffy; below 
creamy-buff and whitish; everywhere streaked with dusky or dark olive-brown; 
the streakings are finer on the head and fore-parts, coarser on back and breast; 
wings fuscous, the flight-feathers sulphur-yellow at the base, and the primaries 
edged with the same color; tail fuscous, all but the middle feathers sulphur- 
yellow at base. Bill comparatively slender, acute. Length 4.75-5.00 (120.6-127.) ; 
wing 2.75 (69.9); tail 1.80 (45.7); bill .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; conspicuous general streakiness, sul- 
phur-yellow markings of wings and tail, most noticeable in flight. 

Nest, of grasses, twigs and vegetable fibers, lined with hair, plant-down or 
feathers, and placed, usually, high in coniferous trees. Eggs, 4, greenish or bluish 
white, spotted with reddish brown. Av. size, .68 x .47 (17.3 X I1.9). 

General Range.—North America at large, breeding in higher latitudes and 
in mountains of the West; also, sparingly, in northeastern United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Common but irregular in winter and during migrations 
in the north; less common southerly. Possibly breeds sparingly in northern 
portion. 


THE Pine Siskin is one of those happy-go-lucky mortals (he is mortal, 
is he not?) whose habits are the despair of all guide-books. We know him for 
a northern bird, and by all analogies he ought to quit our hospitable woods not 
later than the middle of May; but with the most reckless unconcern he lingers 
through May and into June,, until we are disposed to chide him for neglect 
of the primal instinct, or else to wonder whether the rollicking, roving bands 
may not have nests to watch that we know not of. Siskins have been found 
in Northern Ohio during every month of the year, but whether they nest or 
not is still undetermined. 

Their actions were still more puzzling at my home in Eastern Washing- 
ton. ‘There we lived not above twenty miles from the timber-clad mountains 
where they might have been supposed to breed, and yet roistering troops of 
them made free with the shade trees of our front yard, as the whim seized 
them, throughout every month of the year, save winter. Either these com- 
panies were composed of young bachelors too frivolous to love, or else they 
were made up of communists whose lives were too happy in general to permit 
them to think of particularizing in their affections. A recent writer’ asserts 
that they do nest in small colonies, three or four pairs in a tree, and that it is 
difficult to determine which particular bird is most interested in a given nest. 


1 C. W. Bowles in “The Condor,”’ January, 1903, p. 15. 


50 THE SNOWFLAKE. 

In many respects the Siskins resemble their more familiar cousins, the 
Goldfinches; they cultivate a graceful, undulatory, or looping flight, chirrup- 
ing as they go; and like them they have “a habit of singing in a lively, 
rambling sort of way for an hour or more at a time.” On the other hand their 
love of pine trees and the seeds of pine cones links them closely to the Cross- 
bills and their rattling cry is quite suggestive of the common notes of these 
birds. They have one note, however, which is entirely distinctive. It is a 
labored but singularly penetrating production with a peculiar vowel quality 
(like a German umlauted u), swem or zeem. At the same time the bird often 
displays his wing with its sulphur-colored watermark, and speedy recognition 
follows. 


No. 23. 


SNOWFLAKE. 


A. O. U. No. 534. Passerina nivalis (Linn.). 

Synonym.—Snow BuNTING. 

Description.—Adult male in summer: Pure white save for bill, feet, middle 
of back, scapulars, bastard wing, the end half of primaries and inner secondaries, 
and the middle tail-feathers, which are black. Female in summer: Similar, but 
upper parts streaked all over with black, and the black of wings largely replaced 
by fuscous. Adults in winter: Entire upper parts overcast with browns—rusty 
or seal brown—clear on crown, grayish and mottled with dusky centers of 
feathers on back, scapulars, etc.; also rusty ear-patches, and a rusty collar, with 
faint rusty wash on sides. The black of wing and tail-feathers is less pure 
(fuscous in the female) and edged with white or tawny. Length 6.50-7.00 
(165.1-177.8) ; wing 4.12 (104.6) ; tail 2.54 (64.5); bill .4o (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; conspicuously and uniquely white, with 
blacks and browns above. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nest, on the ground in the sphagnum 
and tussocks of Arctic regions, of a great quantity of grass and moss, lined pro- 
fusely with feathers. Eggs, 4-6, very variable in size and color, about .go x .65 
(22.9 x 16.5), white or whitish, speckled, veined, blotched, and marbled with 
deep browns and neutral tints’ (Coues.). 

General Range.—‘Northern parts of the northern hemisphere, breeding in 
the Arctic regions; in North America south in winter into the northern United 
States, irregularly to Georgia, southern Illinois, Kansas and Oregon.” 

Range in Ohio.— Occurs irregularly in winter—more commonly northerly. 


THE guests of winter form a distinct category in the bird-man’s reckon- 
ing. There are loyal hearts which no adversity of winter elements (short of 
sheer freezing, which is brutal) can drive from our midst—Song Sparrows, 
Titmice, Nuthatches—and to these we pay appropriate honors. But, after all, 


1900, BY A, W. MUNFORD. CHICAGO 


6 SNOWFLAKE RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO, 
Passerina nivalis 
Life-size 


THE SNOWFLAKE. a 


these simple-hearted creatures, who refuse to budge from their native heaths 
and tree-boles, lack not only the culture of travel in foreign parts, but the dash 
and wild romance of those who hazard their fortune to the north wind. What 
treasures of choice spirits are poured out upon us when the winds blow raw 
and the streams hide their faces! Hardy Norsemen they,—the Redpolls, the 
Longspurs, the Horned Larks, and the Snowflakes. ‘They burst upon us in the 
wake of the first storm, and set up in our back pastures a wintry Valhalla, 
where good cheer of a very sturdy sort reigns supreme. 

In spite of striking differences of form and color a strange similarity exists 
among these northern visitors, so that one may easily construct a mental genre 
picture—or, at most, two such—which will fairly represent them all. Thus the 
Snowflakes, the Longspurs, the Horned Larks,—and through them even the 
daft Pipits—have a common fashion of giving themselves to the air to be blown 
about at hazard; or, when the season advances, of setting their faces also with 
equal steadfastness against the gainsaying of the blast. Their notes, too, (ex- 
cepting this time the inane yipping of the Pipit) have a wierd wind-born quality 
which is inseparable in thought from the shrill piping of the storm. To carry 
the matter further, the Siskins, the Crossbills, the Purple Flinches and the 
Redpolls have each a mellow rattle, which lends itself with equal facility to that 
generic conception of the ice-berg children. The dialect may differ, but in all 
of them the accent 1s 
Hyperborean. 

I well remember 
my first meeting 
with that prince of 
storm waits, the 
Snowflake. It was 
in eastern Washing- 
ton, where the cli- 
mate is not less hos- 
pitable than that of 
much lower latitudes 
farther east. A dis- 
tant-faring, feat h- 
ered stranger had ano 
tempted me far IN SNOWFLAKE PARK. 
afield, when, all at once, a fluttering snowdrift, contrary to nature’s wont, rose 
from earth toward heaven. I held my breath while I listened to the mild Babel 
of tut-ut-ut-tews with which the Snow Buntings greeted me. The birds 
were loath to leave the place, and hovered indecisively while the bird-man 
drank them in. As they moved slowly off each bird seemed alternately to fall 
and struggle upward through an arc of five or six feet, independently of his 


Photo 
by the 
Author. 


52 THE LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 


fellows, so that the flock as a whole produced quite the effect of a troubled 
snowstorm. 

Snowflakes occur singly or associated in flocks of from a dozen to 
several hundred individuals. Their thrilling, vibrant call note, few or 
te-ew, may be heard during the falling of the real flakes, when the passing 
bird is invisible. Careful scrutiny of loosely flocking Horned Larks may 
occasionally discover a stray Snowflake, as also a few Lapland Longspurs. 

Probably no winter passes in which a few of the birds do not reach our 
northern borders. But they rarely extend below the middle of the state, and 
only during the most severe winters are they found anywhere in large numbers. 
While with us they move from field to field in open places, seeking out the 
weed-seed which forms their almost exclusive diet. A few individuals may 
linger long enough in the spring to display the deeper browns and blacks of 
the breeding plumage. 


No. 24. 
LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 


A. O. U. No. 536. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn. ). 


Description.—Adult male in summer: Head, throat, and tore-breast black ; 
a buffy line behind eye and sometimes over eye; a broad nuchal patch, or collar, 
of chestnut; remaining upper parts brownish black streaked with rufous, buffy, 
or whitish edges of feathers; below white, heavily streaked with black on sides 
and flanks; tail fuscous with oblique white patches on three outer feathers; bill 
yellow with black tip. Female in summer: Similar, but no continuous black or 
chestnut anywhere; the black ot head mostly confined to centers of feathers,— 
these edged with buffy; the chestnut of cervical collar faintly indicated as edging 
of feathers with sharply outlined dusky centers; black of throat and breast pretty 
thoroughly obscured by grayish edging, but the general pattern retained; sides 
and flanks with a few sharp dusky streaks. Adult male in winter: Lighter 
above; the black of head, and chestnut of cervical collar partially overlaid with 
buffy or whitish edging; the black of throat and breast more or less obscured 
by whitish edging. Length 6.50 (165.1) or less; wing 3.70 (94.); tail 2.53 
(64.3) ; bill .40 (10.2) ; hind claw .45 (11.4) ; hind toe and claw .75 (19.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; terrestrial habits; black head and breast 
of male. The species may be readily distinguished from the Horned Lark, with 
which it sometimes associates, by the greater extent of its black areas, and by 
the chirruping or rattling cry which it makes when rising. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nest, of grasses and moss, lined with 
grasses, on the ground. Eggs, 4-6, bluish white, almost obscured by uniform 
grayish brown, .82 x .60 (20.8 x 15.2)” (Chapman). 


THE LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 


53 


General Range.—Northern portions of the northern hemisphere, breeding 
far north; in America south in winter to the northern United States, abundantly 
in the interior, to Kansas and Colorado, irregularly to the Middle States. 


Range in Ohio.—A frequent but irregular winter visitor, more common in 
northern portion of state; casual south. 


ONLY now and then does one come upon a company of these hardy Lap- 
landers, for their principal winter range is further west. ‘They are to be found 
industriously gleaning fallen weed-seed from the ground, pastures, stubble 
fields, and waste places, or moving about in rather compact flocks through the 
air. Not infrequently small numbers of them join a winter band of Horned 
Larks at table in some choice feeding lot for cattle. At such times they move 
about freely among the other birds, but are readily distinguished from them 
by their black heads. 

If one would get the full effect of Longspur’s diagnostic mark, he should 
creep on hands and knees over a rolling stubble-field on a chilly April day. It 
will heighten the effect, not of the bird’s color, but of the observer’s boreal 
sensations, if a sullen sky be added, and little pellets of sleet be dropped here 
and there over the field. With eyes agog and glasses in readiness, you advance 
cautiously. ‘There is nothing but clods and stubble in sight. You feel sure 
that there are birds all about you, for you saw them settle right there. At 
length, a long way off, a single anxious black head is descried as it is thrust up 
into view; but before you level on it, one, two, three, a dozen birds, are up and 
off, who were within a rod of you. But by and by (it may be only after days) 
che clods are differentiated, and some kindly resolve themselves into birds’ 
heads, at close range. E,ven the stubble is gracious, and gradually discloses 
skulking females of obscure coloration, and who had only been known to you 
before as voices and things in the air. The chirruping rattle of this bird has, 
somehow, the power of calling out all the wild instinct of a man, the primitive, 
wind-forged, and untamable Norse core, which lies ill at ease beneath this thin 
veneer of spoon-fed civilization. It is like a rune from the elder Edda, chal- 
lenging the unspoiled spirit to arise and do battle with the fiery flying drake. 

According to Mr. E. W. Nelson,! who found this species breeding abun- 
dantly on the grassy flats near St. Michaels, Alaska, the birds arrive there 
early in May, while the ground is still largely covered with snow, and by the 
middle of that month they are common. “The males, as if conscious of their 
handsome plumage, choose the tops of the only breaks in the monotonous level, 
which are small, rounded knolls and tussocks. ‘The male utters its song as it 
flies upward from one of these knolls, and when it reaches the height of ten or 
fifteen yards, it extends the points of its wings upwards, forming a large 
V-shaped figure, and floats gently to the ground, uttering as it slowly sinks, 
its liquid tones which fall in twinkling succession upon the ear, and are, 


1 Ouoted by Prof. Butler. ‘‘Birds of Indiana,” p. ¢31. 


Sth 


THE VESPER SPARROW. 


perhaps, the sweetest notes that one hears during the entire springtime of these 
regions. It is an exquisite jingling melody, having much less power than that 
of the Bobolink, but with the same general character, and, though shorter, 
it has even more melody than the song of that well-known bird. The nests are 
placed on the drier portions of the flats; a hummock or tuft of grass is chosen, 
or perhaps a projecting bunch of dwarf willow stems, and, as one comes 
directly upon it, the female usually flutters off under one’s feet.” 


No. 25. 
VESPER SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 540. Pocecetes gramineus (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—Grass FINCH; BAy-wINGED BUNTING. 

Description.—Adults: General tone of upper parts slaty or grayish brown 
on the edges of the feathers, modified by the dusky centers, and warmed by deli- 
cate traces of rufous; bend of wing bay, concealing dusky centers; wings and 
tail fuscous with pale tawny or whitish edging,—outer tail-feathers principally 
or entirely white, the next two pairs white, or not, in varying amount; below 
sordid white, sharply streaked on breast, flanks, and sides with dusky brown; 
the chin and throat with small arrow marks of the same color and bounded by 
chains of streaks; auriculars clear hair-brown, with buffy or lighter center; 
usually a buffy suffusion on streaked area of breast and sides. Length 5.75- 
6.25 (146.1-158.8) ; wing 3.16 (80.3); tail 2.35 (59.7); bill .42 (10.7) ;—av. of 
five Columbus specimens. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; general streaked appearance; dusky- 
streaked breast on sordid ground (in the Song Sparrow, with which alone it could 
be confused in this particular, the streaking is more rufous and the ground color 
clearer white) ; white lateral tail-feathers conspicuous in flight. 

Nest, on ground, neatly lined with grasses, rootlets and horse-hair. Eggs, 
4 or 5, pinkish-, grayish-, or bluish-white, speckled, spotted and occasionally 
scrawled with reddish brown. Av. size, .82 x .60 (20.8 x 15.2). 

General Range.—Eastern North America to the Plains, from Nova Scotia 
and Ontario southward; breeds from Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident; of general occurrence. 


A sober garb cannot conceal the quality of the wearer, even tho Quaker 
gray be made to cover alike saint and sinner. Plainness of dress, therefore, 
is a fault to be readily forgiven, even in a bird, if it be accompanied by a voice 
of sweet sincerity and a manner of self-forgetfulness. In a family where a 
modest appearance is no reproach, but a warrant to health and long life, the 
Vesper Sparrow is pre-eminent for modesty. You are not aware of his 


THE VESPER SPARROW. 55 
presence until he disengages himself from the engulfing grays of the stalk- 
strewn ground or dusty roadside and mounts a fence-rail to rhyme the coming 
or the parting day. 

The arrival of Vesper Sparrow in middle early spring may mark the 
supreme effort of that particular warm wave, but you are quite content to 
await the further travail of the season while you get acquainted with this 
amiable newcomer. Under the compulsion of sun and rain the sodden fields 
have been trying to muster a decent green to hide the ugliness of winter’s 
devastation. But wherefore! The air is lonely and the fence rows untenanted. 
The Meadow Larks, to be sure, have been romping about for several weeks 


Taken near Oberlin Photo by the Author. 
NEST AND EGGS OF VESPER SPARROW. 


and getting bolder every day, but they are boistrous fellows, drunk with air 
and mad with sunshine; the winter-sharpened ears wait hungrily for the 
poet of common day. The morning he comes a low, sweet murmur of praise 
is heard on every side. You know it will ascend unceasingly thenceforth, and 
spring is different. 

Vesper Sparrow is the typical ground bird. He eats, runs, sleeps, and 
rears his family upon the ground; but to sing—Ah! that is different !— 


56 THE VESPER SPARROW. 


nothing less than the top rail of the fence will do for that; a telegraph pole or 
wire is better, and a lone tree in the pasture is not to be despised. ‘The males 
gather in spring in such places to engage in decorous concerts of rivalry. The 
song consists of a variety of simple pleasing notes, each uttered two or three 
times, and all strung together to the number of four or five. ‘The character- 
istic introduction is a mellow whistled he-ho a little softer in tone than the 
succeeding notes. The scolding note, a thrasher-like kissing sound, tsook, will 
sometimes interrupt his song if a strange listener gets too close. Early morn- 
ing and late evening are the regular song periods, but the conscientious and 
indefatigable singer is more apt to interrupt the noon stillness than not. 

Since the Vesper Sparrow is a bird of open country and uplands, it cares 
little for the vicinity of water, but it loves the dust of country roads as dearly 
as an old hen, and the daily dust bath is a familiar sight to every traveler. 
While seeking the food of weed-seeds and insects it runs industriously about 
upon the ground, skulking rather than flitting for safety. Altho not especially 
timorous, it appears to take a sort of professional pride in being able to slip 
about among the weed-stems unseen. 

It is, of course, at nesting time that the sneak-ability of the bird is most 
severely tested. ‘The nest, a simple affair of coiled grasses, is usually sunk 
so that the brim comes flush with the ground. For the rest the bird seeks no 
other protection than that of “luck” and its own ability to elude observation 
when obliged to quit the nest. ‘The ruse of lameness is frequently employed 
where danger is imminent. At other times the sitting bird is shrewd enough 
to rise at a considerable distance. 

Two and sometimes three broods are raised in a season, the first in late 
April, the second in late June or early July. Upland pastures and weedy fields 
are the favorite spots for the rearing of young, but plowed ground is sometimes 
usurped if left too long, and roadsides are second choice. 

There is reason to believe that this species has invaded the state within 
the historic period, since Audubon expressly states that he did not meet it in 
Ohio. At any rate it is gradually increasing in numbers and its range 
extending as the forests dwindle. 


THE SAVANNA SPARROW. 57 


No. 26. 
SAVANNA SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 542a. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna ( Wils.). 

Description.—Adults in spring: Superciliary line and edge of wing near 
alula pale yellow (at a distance often not distinguishable from white) ; a buffy 
er whitish median crown line separating two broad, blackish stripes; blackish (but 
poorly defined) maxillary, rictal, and post-ocular stripes,—the last two usually 
meeting behind and enclosing the buffy auriculars; above, in general, brownish 
black, the feathers having black centers, bordered first by rufous or ochraceous 
buff, then by ashy; below, white or sordid, the belly and crissum unmarked; the 
chin and throat with tiny, and the breast with large, wedge-shaped spots of 
brownish-black (sometimes coalescing to form central blotch) ; sides and flanks 
heavily streaked with the same. At other seasons and in young birds, the yellow 
is more pronounced and the general pattern is somewhat obscured by a buffy 
or ochraceous suffusion. Adult male, length 5.30-5.60 (134.6-142.2) ; wing 2.75 
(69.9) ; tail 2.10 (53.3); bill .40 (10.2). Female averages a little smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size (but much more robust in appearance 
than a warbler) ; general streaky appearance; thé striation of the head, viewed 
from before, radiates in twelve alternating black and white (or yellowish) areas. 

Nest, on the ground, sunken flush with surface, lined indifferently with 
grasses. Eggs, 4-6, greenish- or bluish-white, heavily spotted, mottled, or washed 
with reddish brown or lilac. Av. size, .78 x .56 (19.8 x 14.2). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding from the northern 
United States to Labrador and Hudson Bay territory. 

Range in Ohio.—Spring and fall migrant; not very common, and of local 
distribution. A few remain to breed. 


DR. WHEATON’S statement: “Very common spring and fall 
migrant in southern and eastern, and probably summer resident in northern 
Ohio”, is somewhat puzzling and perhaps a little irritating to one who, having 
spent at least parts of eleven seasons in the field, has encountered only three 
isolated examples of the species in the state. ‘The Doctor probably depended 
greatly upon some favored haunt near Columbus not now known. I find upon 
inquiry that most available notebooks of the present day contain only scattering 
and meager references to this rather rare and irregular migrant. Mr. H. C. 
Oberholser, in his “Birds of Wayne County” says of it: “A transient visitor ; 
apparently rare, though in proper localities usually to be found in spring. Not 
observed in the fall. It arrived about the middle of April, the sixteenth of 
this month being the earliest date recorded.” Rey. W. F. Henninger in “Birds 
of Middle Southern Ohio”! says, ““A common transient, but not so common 
as a summer resident. Arrival April 28, 1898, April 5, 1899; departure 
Oct. 17, 1894, Oct. 29, 1897, Nov. 25, 1898.” It has no place among the 
recent records of the Wheaton Club in Columbus. 


1 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 40, Sept., 1902, p. 87. 


58 THE GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. 


My two Columbus dates are April 24, 1902, and March 19, 1903, the 
latter being the earliest of which I have information, a typical example of that 
wonderful warm wave which amazed the oldest ornithological inhabitants. 
Prof. A. W. Butler, in his “Birds of Indiana’, records it as a rare resident in 
the lower Wabash Valley and gives a few instances of its breeding in that state. 
The instance recorded by Dr. Wheaton on the anthority of Mr. H. C. Benson 
of Gambier is the only positive breeding record of this state of which I am 
aware. ‘ 

The Savanna Sparrow is found during migrations along the bushy banks 
of streams, in weedy fields and bottom-land meadows, together with their 
interrupting fence-rows and hedges. In habits and appearance it most nearly 
resembles the Vesper Sparrow, but may be instantly distinguished by the con- 
spicuous way in which it “parts its hair’. Like the other bird, it pitches 
suddenly off its perch when disturbed and flies rapidly above the surface of the 
ground, following every inequality with bewildering precision. Its song is 
described as a “curious, squeaky affair’, as inconspicuous as the bird. 


No. 27. 
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. 


¥ A. O. U. No. 546. Coturniculus sayannarum passerinus (Wils.). 

Description.—Adults in spring: Crown blackish brown, parted by a me- 
dian stripe of buffy gray; nape gray, spotted with chestnut; remaining upper 
parts black and fuscous, feathers edged with gray and tipped with rufous in 
varying proportions (a single feather, as from the greater wing-coverts, will 
exhibit the four colors) ; below, buffy gray, brightest on the breast; the sides 
and flanks washed with rufous; an elongated spot over the eye, bend of the wing, 
and edge of wing near alula, yellow; bill horn-color above, yellow below; feet 
yellow. Jn winter: Brighter colored, with less of black and more of chestnut. 
Length 4.85-5.20 (123.2-132.1) ; av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 2.48 (63.) ; 
tail 174.6 (44.2) ; bill .43 (10.9). Female slightly smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; unmarked below; bright yellow edge 
of wing; grasshopper notes; an obscure, close-hiding, terrestrial species. Young 
birds of this species are streaked below, while those of the Henslow Sparrow 
are unmarked below (Jones). 

Nest, on the ground, well concealed by grass tussock; made of grasses, and 
sometimes lined with hair. Eggs, 4-6, clear white, speckled and spotted with 
reddish brown, chiefly about larger end. Avy. size, .73 x .55 (18.5 x 14.). 

General Range.—Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 
Plains; south in winter to Florida, Cuba, etc. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. Of local occurrence. 


THE GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. a 


THOSE bird lovers who disclaim all interest in entomology will be slow 
in discovering the humble species, for its song is nearer like the chirring of 
some insect than the voice of a bird. There always comes a day in late April 
when the half-grown meadows and fields are suddenly found to contain from 
one to six pairs each of these buzzing Sparrows. But with the possible excep- 
tion of certain warblers, there is no other bird of anything like the abundance 
of this one, whose very outline is so nearly unknown to all but the experienced 
bird-watcher. Its coloration is the plainest possible, its station lowly, and 
its habits secretive. Perched upon some weed-top, or standing on a fence-rail, 
the male sends out at regular intervals a weak hissing trill which occupies 
a fraction over a second in delivery .The sound is not exactly like that of any 
known insect, but is comparable to the clicking of a locust—or better to the 
shrilling of the corydalis. Again, the opening and closing of a loud-ticking 
watch, especially if it be opened with a clatter and shut with a snap, is sug- 
gestive of the strange performance. Later in the season a longer effort is 
sometimes heard. First comes the full “chirr’, then slow notes, three or four 
in number, as tho the progress of the “wheels” were somewhat impeded; 
after which the burr proceeds with the original or accelerated rapidity—the 
whole occupying three seconds. ‘The song will carry a hundred yards for a 
sharp ear, or further if the ear be laid to the ground; but a fresh cold in the 
head will spoil the concert at thirty feet. 

Only once did I see a Grass- 
hopper Sparrow holding forth from 
the top of a tall sapling in a fence- 
row. Surely he must have atoned 
for his boldness by skulking among 
the grass roots for two days there- 
after. ‘The birds require to be nearly 
stepped upon — technically “kicked 
out” — before they will take wing. 
Some will move off in a flurried zig- 
zag, but others with a direct buzzing 
flight like a bee, —in both cases to 
plump down into the weeds at no 
great distance. 

The nest, a rather careless af- 
fair of curled grasses, is placed at 
the foot of a clover plant or grass 
tussock, and its discovery is usually 
due entirely to accident since the 


Photo by the Author. 


female is a close sitter. One might BED ESE NCIS 
y THERE IS A SPARROWS NEST SOMEWHERE IN THE 
find a needle in a haystack by remov- FOREGROUND BUT PRECISELY WHERE 


DEPONENT SAITH NOT. 


60 THE HENSLOW SPARROW. 
ing his shoes and trampling vigorously. Some such method would doubtless 
discover Grasshopper Sparrows’ nests, but it is not recomended. The eggs 
are quite unlike any others found in similar situations, but are likely to be 
foredoomed by the presence of one or more of those of the wily Cowbird. 
Two broods are usually raised in a season. 

The Grasshopper Sparrow is somewhat irregular in distribution, being 
abundant in some localities and unaccountably absent in others apparently no 
less favorable. ‘There is reason to believe that it is extending its range, es- 
pecially northward and eastward. ‘Thus, it made its first appearance in Lorain 
County in the spring of 1894, and has never been missing since. 


No. 28. 
HENSLOW SPARROW. 


). U. No. 547. Ammodramus henslowii (Aud.). 


Description.—Adult: Head above, nape, and sides of neck bright olive- 
buff ; crown glossy black separated by median buffy line, gradually mingling with 
the olive behind and passing out on the nape in a series of black spots; the feathers 
of the back and scapulars black, broadly margined with chestnut, and narrowly 
edged with whitish; wings chestnut, but bend and edge pale yellow, and flight- 
feathers fuscous; rump tawny saffron with black streaks : middle rectrices ‘and 
upper coverts rufous, with black shafts; below warm buff, paler and unmarked 
on chin, with heavy sagittate spots on breast and sides; middle of belly white; 
crissum tawny; lores and cheeks buff; maxillary and post-ocular stripes and 
rictal stripes enclosing auriculars, black; bill reddish brown; feet yellow. Young 
birds lack much of the olive-buff above, and are white rather than buffy below. 
Length 4.61 (117.1) ; wing 2.07 (52.6) ; tail 1.93 (49.) ; bill .42 (10.7). Females 
slightly smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; olive-buff of head and neck above con- 
trasting with chestnut and black of back; warm buff with black markings of 
breast and sides. 

Nest, similar to that of preceding species. Eggs, 4 or 5, pale greenish- or 
erayish-white, heavily dotted and blotched with reddish brown and lilac. Av. 
Size, .75) & -57 (19:1 x 1410): 

General Range.—Fastern United States west to the Plains, north to southern 
New England and Ontario. 

Range in Ohio.—Very rare or casual summer resident. Found in Lorain 
county, and during the season of 1894, only. 


THE HENSLOW SPARROW. Bt 


DR. WHEATON admits this Sparrow to a place on the Ohio List upon 
the sole ground of a statement by Audubon, that it was accidental in Ohio. 
This statement, so far as | am aware, has received positive confirmation only 
once, but the bird is known to breed regularly in northern Indiana, and eggs 
have been taken in southern Michigan. 

On the evening of June 4th, 1894, near Oberlin, while returning in a 
buggy with my friend,Lynds Jones, from a collecting trip along the Lake Erie 
shore, we heard a strange bird-note in a neighboring wheat-field. It was the 
same season in which the Grasshopper Sparrow first made its appearance at 
Oberlin and we were prepared for novelties. Mr. Jones, who was familiar 
with this species in Lowa, had previously described the note to me so perfectly 
that we both exclaimed “Henslow’s!” and sprang from the buggy. The ven- 
triloquial voice with its lisping notes, “‘7tse-tse-tsip” led us a merry chase in the 
gathering dusk, and our devious wanderings through the growing grain 
brought out a vigorous protest from the owner of the field. But we muttered 
something about “state record” just as Jones pressed the trigger, and the 
farmer nobly forgave us in the name of Science. Fumbling in the dark for the 
little body which, unfortunately, meant more to us dead than alive—Science 
is so skeptical—we hurried home with the treasure. Mr. Jones saw other 
birds in the vicinity of Oberlin later that season, and they undoubtedly bred 
there, but no other occurrences have been reported in the state. 

The Henslow Sparrow is a shy recluse of old fields and lowland meadows. 
It is a persistent ‘songster’, but shuns doubtful applause and scurries through 
the grass like a wood mouse, when alarmed. When it thinks it is being pur- 
sued it is apt to thrust its head under leaves or grass and pause motionless in 
fancied security, leaving the unhidden portion to shift for itself. 


62 THE NELSON SPARROW. 


No. 29. 


NELSON SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 549.1. Ammodramus nelsoni (Allen). 


Description.—Aduli: Crown rich dark brown, without distinct median 
stripe; feathers of back, and especially scapulars, umber brown with conspicuous 
white, or pale buffy, edgings; breast, sides, and flanks deep buff or ochraceous, 
the breast marked, if at all, with a few narrow dusky streaks, the sides more 
heavily and broadly marked in chains; the buffy sides of the head include slaty 
auriculars and a dark brown post-ocular stripe, which turns up at the posterior 
extremity ; throat and belly clear white. “Length 5.50 (139.7) ; wing 2.25 (57.2) ; 
tail 1.90 (48.3); bill .43 (10.3)” (Dwight). 

Recognition Marks.—\Varbler size; heavy buffy coloration on breast and 
sides, obscurely streaked; shy, secretive habits. 

Nesting not well known; described as similar to that of the Leconte Sparrow. 
Nest, of grasses, carefully concealed in tussock or on ground.. Eggs, 4 or 5, 
greenish-, or grayish-white, thickly speckled or spotted, chiefly about larger end, 
with browns and blacks. 

General Range.—Fresh marshes of the interior, from northern Illinois north- 
ward to North Dakota and Manitoba; south in winter to Texas; in migrations 
visits the Atlantic Coast, New England, and lower Hudson Valley to Charleston, 
South Carolina. Accidental in California. 

Range in Ohio.—One record, Ashtabula, Jefferson county, by Robert J. Sim, 
1902. 


IF in moments of insight we are sometimes tempted to bless our obscurity, 
we have good example for it in this shy little Sparrow. ‘The probabilities are 
that the bird trespasses upon our borders yearly, yet, so far, only one sharp eye 
has caught him poaching. Certain it is that he is abundant in the interior, 
and certain it is that he is not uncommon on the Atlantic coast in winter. Ergo 
—he must pass over Ohio, at least occasionally; and what more natural than 
that he should pause for breakfast somewhere in the hospitable swamps which 
line the southern shores of Lake Erie? It gives ornithologists a properly 
chastened sense to realize that here is one bird at least which is still too clever 
for him. But on second thought we pocket our chagrin good naturedly; for 
here is one bird, too, whose humble, stealthy ways deliver him from the seat 
of scorn upon mi-lady’s bonnet and whose eggs are not found in every small 
boy’s sawdust box. 

The Nelson Sparrow was first described from the Calumet marshes near 
Chicago in 1877. Since then it has been found numerously in the prairie 
marshes of the West, but as yet comparatively little is known of its life history. 
Col. Goss (Birds of Kansas, 1891, 449) speaks of the song as “a short, weak, 
unmusical twittering warble.” Certain parties! are said to have found it 


1 Mr. Walter Raine and Mr. G. F. Dippie. See Davie, ‘Nests and Eggs of N. A. Birds,” p. 374. 


THE LARK SPARROW. 63 
breeding in Manitobia. It is a skulker of the deeper swamps, and as such is 
consistently opposed to any course of action calculated to bring it before the 
public eye. 

With reference to the single occurrence in Ohio, Mr. Sim says: “My 
specimen of the Nelson Sparrow was taken near the mouth of Cowles Creek, 
Geneva, Ohio. The bird was first seen at 7 P. M. (May 17,1902) skulking 
among the weeds of a barren tree-fringed knoll several acres in extent. It 
finally ascended to the lower branches of a stunted thorn-tree overhanging the 
beach of the lake. It regard to the color and markings this was the most ex- 
quisite little Sparrow that I have seen. ‘The upper parts were striped as evenly 
as the back of a chipmunk and the stripes of the head were beautiful in their 
contrast and arrangement. But the large feet, small wings, and short tail 
gave the bird an odd look—almost railish.” 


No. 30. 


LARK SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 552. Chondestes grammacus (Say). 

Synonym.—QuAIL-HEAD. 

Description.—Adult: Head variegated black, white, and chestnut; lateral 
head-stripes black in front, chestnut behind; auriculars chestnut, bounded by rictal 
and post-orbital black stripes; narrow loral, and broader submalar black stripes; 
malar, superciliary, and median stripes white, the two latter becoming buffv 
behind; upper parts buffish gray-brown, clearest on sides of neck, streaked by 
blackish brown centers of feathers on middle back and scapulars, persisting as 
edging on the fuscous wings and tail; tail-feathers, except middle pair, broadly 
tipped with white; below white, purest on throat and belly, washed with grayish 
buff on sides and crissum, also obscurely across fore-breast, in which is situated 
a central black spot. Length 6.25 (158.8); wing 3.39 (86.1); tail 2.62 (66.6) ; 
bill .46 (11.7 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; head variegated black, white, and chest- 
nut; fan-shaped tail broadly tipped with white and conspicuous in flight (thus 
easily distinguished from the Vesper Sparrow with square tail and lateral white 
feathers). 

Nest, of grasses, lined with finer grass, rootlets and occasionally horse-hair, 
on the ground or, rarely, in low bushes or trees. Eggs, 3-5, white, pinkish or 
bluish white, spotted and scrawled in zigzags and scrolls with dark browns or 
purplish blacks, chiefly at the larger end. Av. size, .82 x .65 (20.8 x 16.5). 

General Range.—Southern Ontario, and Mississippi Valley region, from 
Ohio, Illinois and Michigan to the Plains, south to southern Texas and north- 
western Alabama. Accidental near Atlantic Coast. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident in central and southern, 
rare in northern Ohio. Of local distribution, but probably on the increase. 


64 THE LARK SPARROW. 


DUSTY roadsides, sunny pastures and areas of broken ground harbor 
this plainly colored bird from the time of its late arrival in spring until the 
young are ready to fly. As the heat of summer increases the birds retire to the 
seclusion of sparsely wooded pastures or fence-row thickets. 

The males sing upon arrival, selecting for this purpose a station upon the 
summit of some outlying tree. ‘The song is best described in the words of 
Mr. Ridgway who had ample opportunity to study it in Illinois and the ex- 
treme West, and who has done more than anyone else to bring the bird into 


Taken near McC onnelsville. Photo by the Author. 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE LARK SPARROW. 


well-deserved prominence. He says': ‘This song is composed of a series of 
chants, each syllable rich, loud and clear, interrupted with emotional trills. 
At the beginning the song reminds one somewhat of that of the Indigo Bird 
( Passerina cyanea) but the notes are louder and more metallic, and their deliv- 
ery more vigorous. Though seemingly hurried, it is one continuous gush of 
sprightly music; now gay, now melodious, and then tender beyond description, 
—the very expression of emotion. At intervals the singer falters, as if ex- 
hausted by exertion, and his voice becomes scarcely audible; but suddenly 


1 “Birds of Illinois,’’ Vol I, p. 262. 


THE HARRIS SPARROW. 65 
reviving in his joy, it is resumed in all its vigor, until he appears to be really 
overcome by the effort.” 

This bird more frequently than others is found singing in the middle of 
the very hottest days in summer. At such times his tremulous song comes to 
the ear like the gurgling of sweet waters. Next after the Bachman I would 
accord him the highest place in song among all sparrows. 

The accompanying illustration tells the story of nest and eggs perhaps 
better than words. It is worth while to note that the picture was taken at 
McConnelsville, in Morgan County, which must be quite near the limit of the 
bird’s present range. Dr. Wheaton first recorded the Lark Sparrow as an 
Ohio bird in 1861. Since that time it has steadily increased in numbers, altho 
it is nowhere a common bird. 


Nos 3i- 


HARRIS SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 553. Zonotrichia querula (Nutt.). 

Synonym.—Hooprep Crown SPARROW. 

Description —Adult male: Crown, face, and throat jet black; sides of head 
ashy white; breast and below white; sides, flanks, and crissum with a tawny wash 
and obscurely streaked; above, brown of various shades, inclining to bay on the 
nape, decidedly olivaceous on rump and upper tail-coverts; feathers of upper back, 
scapulars, and wing-coverts black centrally; wings and tail fuscous; bill coral- 
red. Hemale: Similar but with black of head and throat restricted. In winter 
the plumage of both sexes is toned down by ochraceous wash of upper parts and 
sides, and the feathers of the crown are bordered narrowly with ashy or buff. 
Length 6.75-7.75 (171.5-196.9) ; wing 3.20-3.60 (81.3-91.4) ; tail 3.30-3.75 (83.8- 
95.3) (Ridgway). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size ; black hood (especially throat) of adults. 

Nesting.—Known only from Bendire’s description of a set not certainly 
identified. Eggs, similar in appearance to those of a Cardinal, but smaller. 

General Range.—Middle United States from Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa 
west to middle Kansas and the Dakotas, and from Texas north to Manitoba. 
Accidental on Vancouver Island and in British Columbia and Oregon. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental ; one record, Columbus, Ohio, April 28, 1889, by 
Mr. J. E. Gould—reported by Mr. Oliver Davie. 


FOUR or five of these birds were observed by Mr. Gould as they fed in 
a thicket in company with White Throated Sparrows (Z. albicollis), some 
two miles north of Columbus. One specimen was secured and presented to 
Mr. Oliver Davie. It is now in the O. S. U. collection. 


66 THE WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 

The Harris Sparrow appears casually in Ilinois and Wisconsin during 
migrations, but no other instance of its occurrence has been reported from 
any point further east. 


No. 32. 


WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 554. Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). 

Description.—Adult: Crown pure white, becoming gray behind; lateral 
crown-stripes meeting in front, and post-ocular stripes, jet black, separated by 
white stripe beginning at anterior angle of eye; remainder of head, neck all around, 
and entire under parts slaty gray, darkest on nape, whitening on chin and belly, 
with a tawny wash on flanks and crissum; back and scapulars brown (burnt 
umber) edged with gray; rump and upper tail-coverts tawny olivaceous; wings 
and tail fuscous, the tertials dark-centered with edgings of bay and white; middle 
and greater coverts tipped with white, forming two inconspicuous wing-bars; 
rectrices with brown shafts and tawny edgings; bill reddish brown with tip of 
maxilla black. Young of the year have the black of head replaced by deep chest- 
nut, and the white by ochraceo-fuscous or gray; in general darker and browner 
above than adult. Length 6.50-7.00 (165.1-177.8) ; av. of seven Columbus speci- 
mens: wing 3.14 (79.8) ; tail 2.90 (73.7); bill .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; broad white crown and jet black lateral 
stripes strongly contrasting; throat not definitely nor abruptly white. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground or in bushes, of 
weeds and grasses lined with fine grass. Eggs, 4 or 5, pale bluish green, speckled 
and spotted with reddish brown, chiefly at the larger end. Avy. size, .gi x .61 
(Qazi 3x 15 05)))- 

General Range.—North America at large, breeding chiefly in the Rocky 
Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and northeast to Labrador. South in winter to 
the Valley of Mexico. 

Range in Ohio.—A regular spring and fall migrant, sometimes lingering 
into summer; not so common as the next species. 


THIS handsome and courtly gentleman, with his no less polished wife, 
is far more modest than his talents would warrant. Already this season we 
have leveled the glasses on a hundred heads, only to drop them again and 
exclaim ‘“\White-throat,” in a tone of mild disgust. But here at last on the 
tenth of May, we have come upon a company of the better birds holding court 


in a long, dense rose-briar thicket, which lines a sheltered fence. Our atten- 


[Se 
tion was attracted by a soft, varied whistle of gentle melancholy, a perform- 
ance which seemed to report correctly the sentiments of the whole party, for 


it was caught up and repeated at courteous intervals by half a dozen throats. 


7 COPYRIGHT 1902, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO, 


WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO 
Zonotrichia leucophrus 
Life-size 


THE WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 67 
Now there is not a bird to be seen, but an occasional sharp dzink is heard in 
the brush, or a suppressed titter of excitement as two birds jostle in their 
effort to keep out of sight. We are being scrutinized, however, by a dozen 
pairs of sharp eyes, and if we are quiet and well-behaved one bird and then 
another will hop up to a taller branch to see and be seen. 

What distinguished looking foreigners they are, indeed, with their white 
crowns slightly raised and sharply offset by the black stripes which flank 
them! The bird has an aristocratic air which is unmistakable, and appears 
to expect deference as his due; so perhaps we ought not to wonder at the 
royal reserve which shrinks from the contemplated profanation of the vulgar 
eye. 

These birds are thought by Burroughs to bear the proportion of about 
one to twenty of their White-throated kin during the migrations. They are 
slow travelers, but not above two or three flocks are to be seen in a season, 
and there is no suspicion of their tarrying within our borders to breed. 


No. 33. 
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 558. Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—PEAsopy-BIRD, 

Description——dAdult male: Crown black, divided by a pale white median 
line; an elongated spot in front of the eye above, yellow; remainder of super- 
ciliary line white; throat white squarely cut off below; obscure blackish rictal 
and post-orbital lines; below gray, sordid or slaty on fore-breast, extending up 
and mingling with brown on cheeks, washed with brownish on sides and flanks ; 
above warm brown inclining to bay, feathers with blackish centers most con- 
spicuous on scapulars and ends of tertiaries; rump tawny-olivaceous or bister; 
wings and tail fuscous-edged and tinged with bay or tawny; edge of wing yellow. 
Adult female: Similar to and not always distinguishable from male, but usually 
duller ; black of head with admixture of brown; loral spot paler; white of throat 
restricted and sordid, or flecked with dusky. Young: Still duller and browner; 
the throat sometimes scarcely distinguishable from the sordid under parts. Length 
6.75 (171.5); wing 2.90 (73.7) ; tail 2.70-3.00 (68.6-76.2) ; bill .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; yellow above lores and on edge of 
wing; white throat-patch; narrow median crown stripe, as distinguished from 
Z. leucophrys. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. “Nest, of coarse grasses, rootlets, 
moss, strips of bark, etc., lined with finer grasses, on the ground or in bushes. 
Eggs, 4 or 5, bluish white, finely and evenly speckled, or heavily and irregularly 
blotched with pale rufous brown. Ay. size, .82 x .60 (20.8 x 15.2)” (Chapman). 


e 


68 THE WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 


General Range.—Eastern North America, west to the Plains, north to Lab- 
rador and the Fur countries. Breeds from the northern tier of states northward, 
and winters from Massachusetts southward. 


Range in Ohio.—An abundant spring and fall migrant. Winters in large 
numbers in the extreme southern part of the state. 


BOTH in spring and fall immense numbers of these Sparrows pursue a 
leisurely course through our state, while the southern quarter of it conven- 
iently marks the northern limit of their winter distribution. 

Brush-piles, the tops of fallen trees, and the thickets of second-growth 
clearings furnish rendezvous for little companies of from twenty to a hundred 
of these birds. Here they scratch among the fallen leaves, kicking absurdly 
with both feet, after the fashion of Towhee, or else cull clammy sweets of 
slug and bug from rotting logs. 

The greater part of the day is spent in seclusion, resting and recuperating 
for or from the long journey, but like all birds, except Owls, they are quite 
active in the early morning. In common with the Owls, however, they enjoy 
the evening hours. As the sun begins to sink in the west, the White-throats 
gather from scattered pastures to indulge a game of tag, chasing each other 
about with merry calls and cries, or stopping now and then to snatch a last 
morsel of food. As the shades of twilight deepen they bestow themselves for 
the night in some chosen thicket, not without much jostling and sniggering, 
quite like healthy children after a romp. 

seing a sociable bird White-throat makes frequent use of a penetrating 
tseep, by which to trail his companions through the brushy mazes. ‘They have 
also a metallic chink, still sibilant—if such a combination may be conceived— 
to express alarm and protest. In springtime the song proper is perfected, as 
we suppose, before the birds leave for the higher latitudes. It consists nor- 
mally of six drawling, mournful, whistled notes, of which the last three or four 
have a slightly tremulous quality. The initiatory note is either much lower 
or a little higher than the others, which are given on one key or else descend 
by fractional tones. The whole may be represented as, Oh dear, dear, de-e-car, 
de-e-car, de-ear, or, Hoo, he-ew, he-ew, he-e-e-ew, he-e-ew, he-e-ew. Most 
western writers, when consulted upon this point, dutifully repeat the tradition, 
said to have originated in New England, that the bird says “Peabody, peabody, 
peabody,” and hence is properly called the Peabody Bird. One cannot pre- 
dict what may happen further north or east, but I lift the voice of one crying 
in the wilderness that the bird does not utter anything remotely resembling 
the word Peabody while in Ohio. 


THE TREE SPARROW. — 69, 


No. 34. 


TREE SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 559. Spizella monticola (Gmel.). 

Description.—Adult: Crown bright chestnut, bordered by broad gray su- 
perciliary line; obscure chestnut streaking on side of head on gray ground; above, 
feathers of back black with rufous and flaxen edgings; scapulars, greater coverts, 
and outer webs of secondaries broadly edged with rufous; middle and greater 
coverts tipped with white, forming two fairly conspicuous wing-bars; remainder 
of wing and tail blackish, edged with whitish; below gray, slaty, or sordid white; 
a partially concealed dark spot in center of breast; a chestnut patch on side of 
the breast; sides and flanks tawny in varying proportions; bill blackish above, 
yellow below, with dark tip. Jn winter specimens, the chestnut of crown is 
slightly veiled centrally by ashy, and the chestnut on the sides of the breast va- 
riously distributed or almost dispelled. Av. of six Columbus specimens: Length 
6.00 (152.4) ; wing 2.96 (75.2) ; tail 2.57 (65.3) ; bill .37 (9.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size, but stockier ; chestnut crown and rufous 
tone of upper parts; white wing-bars; partially concealed dusky spot on breast; 
gregarious habits, in winter. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nest, in low bushes or on the ground, 
loosely constructed of bark strips, weeds and grasses, warmly lined with feathers. 
Eggs, 4-6, or even 7, pale green, minutely and regularly sprinkled with reddish 
brown spots” (Coues.). Av. size, .75 x .60 (19.1 X 15.2). 

General Range.—E astern North America, west to the Plains, and from the 
Arctic Ocean south in winter, to the Carolinas, Kentucky, and eastern Kansas. 
Breeds north of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant in winter, especially northerly. 


THE sight of the first Tree Sparrow in the fall serves perfectly to call 
up a vision of impending winter. Here are the hurrying blasts, the leaden 
skies, the piling snow-drifts, all ready to make the beholder shiver. But here, 
too, in some unburied weed-patch or thicket of rose-briars, is a company of 
Tree Sparrows, stout-hearted and cold-defying, setting up a merry tinkling 
chorus, as eloquent of good cheer as a crackling Yule-log. How many times 
has the bird-man hastened out after some cruel cold snap, thinking, “Surely 
this will settle for my birds,” only to have his fears rebuked by a troupe of 
these hardy Norsemen reveling in some back pasture as if they had found 
their Valhalla on this side the icy gates. Ho! brothers! here is food in these 
dainty capsules of mustard or mallow; here is wine distilled from the rose- 
hips; here is shelter in the weedy mazes, or under the soft blanket of the snow. 
What ho! Lift the light song! Pass round the cup again! Let mighty 
cheer prevail! 

The Tree Sparrow is easily the most abundant bird in the state during 
winter. A half day’s ramble in the northern part will discover from three 


70 THE TREE SPARROW. 


to a dozen flocks of them, varying in numbers from a dozen to three or four 
hundred each. In the nature of the case their food is found near the ground, 
consisting as it does of weed-seed and dried berries; and so, for the season, 
the name Tree Sparrow seems inconsistent. When persistently annoyed, 
however, the flock will rise to the tree-tops in straggling fashion, and either 
await the disappearance of the enemy or make off through the trees at a good 
height. The warm days of early spring, too, bring out their true character. 
Some of the males mount the trees at various heights to tune up for the spring 
concert season, while the more frivolous play at tag among the branches, 
dashing about with a recklessness which causes one to open his eyes in aston- 
ishment, if he has known the birds before only as babbling and slow-flitting 
seed-gatherers. A 

The song of the Tree Sparrow is unusually sweet and tuneful, affording 
a pleasing contrast to the monotonous ditty of the Chipping Sparrow. Snatches 
of song may be heard, indeed, on almost any mild day in winter, but the spring 
awakening assures a more pretentious effort. A common form reminds one 
somewhat of Towhee’s Sunday-go-to-meeting best, but the notes are much 
finer and of most flattering tenderness, Swee-ho, sweet, sweet, sweet. ‘There 
is in it also just a touch of Goldfinch’s rollick. 

By the middle of April all but a few stragglers of the “Winter Sparrow” 
host have left for their homes in the distant north. Dr. Wheaton, however, 
quotes Mr. M. C. Read as saying, “A few remain and spend the entire year 
with us; have raised them from the nest.” The statement is explicit and 
comes from one of the trusted authorities of the early days. There is nothing 
left for us but to whistle softly and exclaim, “How very unusual!’ Certain 
it is that Tree Sparrow has not repeated the indiscretion during the fifty vears 
or more since Mr. Read’s time. 


THE CHIPPING SPARROW. 71 


No. 35. 
CHIPPING SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 560. Spizella socialis (\Wils.). 

Synonyms.—Cutppy ; HAtrk-BiRD. 

Description.—dAdults: Forehead black divided by short gray line; crown 
chestnut flecked with black behind; a gray line over eye, and a black line through 
it; entire under parts ashy-gray, unmarked; back separated from head by gray 
of nape, strongly streaked by black, pale rufous, and ochraceous; wings and tail 
fuscous, edged with whitish; bill black; feet pale. /mmature birds have bill 
yellow below; the chestnut of crown mixed with black; and a buffy suffusion 
of breast and sides in varying proportions. Very young birds are streaked be- 
low. Length 5.00-5.50 (127.-139.7); wing 2.75 (69.9); tail 2.37 (60.2); bill 
.30 (9.1). 


Photo by J. B. Parker. 


WHO GETS THE WORM?—A CHIPPING SPARROW FAMILY. 


Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; blackish forehead and chestnut crown; 
song a monotonous trill. 

Nest, a compact structure of fine twigs, grasses, and (most commonly and 
often exclusively) rootlets, heavily lined with horse-hair; placed anywhere in 
bushes or small trees, but preferably on horizontal branches of apple-trees or 
evergreens. Eggs, 4 or 5, greenish blue, speckled freely or narrowly about the 
larger end with reddish brown or black. Av. size, .71 x .51 (18. x 13.). 


x THE CHIPPING SPARROW, 


General Range.—Eastern North America, west to the Rocky Mountains, 
north to Great Slave Lake, and south to eastern Mexico, breeding from the Gulf 
States northward. 


Range in Ohio.—A common, and universally distributed summer resident. 
Sparingly resident in winter in southern portion. 


WHO has not seen this little pensioner of doorstep and lawn? Wilson 
was quite correct in naming him socialis, sociable; the more so if the word be 
not construed in its ordinary sense of gregarious, but made to witness to the 
bird’s preference for human society. The Chipping Sparrow hops fearlessly 
about our yards in search of food, or flutters up with a load of nesting material, 
from our very feet, not with brazen impudence like the English Sparrow, but 
with the quiet confidence of a trusted friend. No bird is more likely than he to 
accept the proffered hospitality of honeysuckle vine or trellis, and instances are 
beyond number where the gentle “Chippy” has been coaxed to eat from the 
hand. 

Of all homely sounds the monotonous trill of the Chipping Sparrow is the 
most homely—and the most 
easily forgivable. As music 
it scarcely ranks above the 
rattle of castanets, but the 
little singer pours out his 
soul full earnestly, and his 
ardor leads him to sustained 
effort throughout the sultry 
hours when more brilliant 
vocalists are sulking in the 
shade; and for this we come 
to prize this homely ditty 
like the sound of plashing 
waters. It is the Chipping 
Sparrow too that may usu- 
ally be depended upon to 
open the morning chorus at 
about 3 :15, and that were ser- 
vice enough to endear him to 
the heart of the ornithologist. 

Chippy’s nest is a frail af- 
fair at best, but often most 
elaborately constructed of 
rootlets and fine grasses and 


Taken in Fairfield Co. Photo by the Author. plentifully lined with horse- 
CHIPPING SPARROW’S NEST IN APPLE TREE. hair a cree instances the 


THE CHIPPING SPARROW. 73 


last named material is exclusively employed, and Dr. Wheaton mentions two 
nests composed entirely of white hair. A horizontal branch of an apple tree 
is a common situation, but nests are placed in evergreens and other shade 
trees, or in hedge-rows and the like. They are often so loosely related to 
their immediate surroundings as to give the impression of having been con- 
structed elsewhere and then moved bodily to their present site. Some are 
set as lightly as feathers upon the tips of evergreen branches, and a heavy 
storm in season is sure to bring down a shower of Chippies’ nests. 

Dr. Brewer in his monumental work! states emphatically that 
\ in no instance has he known of the Chipping Sparrow’s nest on the 
ground. Yet Dr. Wheaton mentions 
such an in- 
stance, and in 
the spring of 
1903 I came 
upon a_ nest 
with one egg, 
Ie ye tee vieliny 
shadow of an 


apple-tree, — 1n- 
deed, but thor- 
oughly settled 
upon the 
ground under 
the protection 


of a grass-tus- 


ie { sock. 
Photo by J. B. Parker. A ae 2 Chipping 
@ tt s Sparrows are 
PLEASE, FATHER, I WANT SOME GRUB. dev ted Debir — 
THE FEMALE IS BROODING THE FLEDGELINGS ON A VERY WARM DAY, BU1 Pe Pe ge te 
ONE YOUNGSTER IS HUNGRY AS WELL AS HOT. ents, and raise 


at least tw 
broods each season. Their fidelity to their young and their confidence in man 
make them frequent subjects of the photographer's skill, and their por- 
traits are among the most pleasing in collections. 

The Cowbird finds these gentle creatures among her easiest victims. 
After the dusky changeling has stifled or ejected the rightful heirs, he usurps 
the full attention of his foster parents, and one of the saddest sights to see 
in the bird-world is that of a mother Chippy, slender and care-worn, standing on 
tiptoes to cram food into the mouth of some squawking, pot-bellied, cuckold 
squab of twice her size. 


1 North American Birds, Baird, Brewer & Ridgway; Land Birds, Vol. IT., p. 10. 


74 THE FIELD SPARROW. 


No. 36. 
FIELD SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 563. Spizella pusilla (Wils.). 

Description.—Adults: Crown dull chestnut with a slight admixture of 
ashy gray; auriculars bordered with chestnut; nape gray; feathers of back rufous 
with black central streaks and buffy edgings; wings dusky, the primaries edged 
with whitish and the rest with rufous, the middle and greater coverts tipped 
with white, forming two inconspicuous bars; tail fuscous; below ashy gray, un- 
marked save for slight brownish suffusion of breast and flanks; bill pale reddish; 
feet pale. Length 5.25-5.75 (133-3-146.1) ; wing 2.57 (65.3); tail 2.05 (67.3); 
bill .36 (9.1). 


gem Oe 


¥ SN 


Photo by the Author. 


4 


“aken near Oberlin. 


FIELD’ SPARROW’S NEST IN GRASS CLUMP. 


Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; crown not bright chestnut; bill uniform 
pale reddish; unmarked below. This bird has few positive marks, and is oftenest 
“sensed,” or determined by elimination. 

Nest, in low bushes or on the ground, a neat but simple structure of dried 
erasses, sometimes, but rarely, lined with horse-hairs. Eggs, 3-5, white, bluish- 
or pinkish-white, with numerous small spots of reddish brown, generally dis- 
tributed or gathered loosely about larger end. Av. size, .70 x .51 (17.8 x 13.). 

General Range.—Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 


THE FIELD SPARROW. 75 


Plains, south to the Gulf States and ‘exas. Breeds from South Carolina, south- 
ern Illinois, and Kansas northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. 


OF plainer appearance even than the Chipping Sparrow, this humble 
wayside bird excels in song. Its trill is generically related to that of the other 
bird, but its notes are purest music. Tew, few, tew,—the first three or four 
notes come full and clear, but then comes a rapid accelerando through which 
they swiftly pass into a delicious trill, and so fade out. The tones are tender 
and sweet, and possess a subtle spiritual quality which lifts them out of the 
realm of common things. One never quite gets over wondering at the excess- 
ive, plainness of the singer in contrast with the exalted sentiment he utters. 
It is as tho a clod took voice and a soul escaped in song. 

Within certain pretty clearly defined limits the Field Sparrow’s song is 
capable of great individual variation. Thus it becomes comparatively easy to 
distinguish a half dozen birds in a field by their songs alone. In some the 
opening notes are prolonged, as, Heew, he-ew, he-ew, he-ew, hew, hew, hew, 
heheeeeee. In others they are distinctly doubled and have the accent trans- 
ferred to the second syllable, Tu-cet’, tu-eet’, tu-ect’, tu-eet , weet, weet, weet, 
TR. One individual heard in August differed from all others in the neighbor- 
hood in having such a double note, Cher-ié, cher-ié, cher-ié, tew, tew, etc. The 
following spring the singer returned to the same station, and two others about 
a hundred yards away developed the same peculiarity. It is fair to suppose 
that these last were children of the first. 


Photo by the Author. 
A NESTING SITE. 
THE NEST SHOWN IN THE PRECEDING ILLUSTRATION OCCUPIES A 
CENTRAL POSITION IN THE MAIN TUSSOCK. 


76 THE SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 


A bushy pasture or undergrowth flanking the woods affords a suitable ref- 
uge for the Field Sparrow, or else it finds lodgment along over-grown fences and 
in the ephemeral sprouts which line the road. The bird is rather shy andretiring, 
neither seeking the haunts of mennorcourting observation in its bushland haunts. 

According to Dr. Howard Jones, “The nests seem to be about equally 
divided between the ground and the bushes. When in the former position a 
little depression is chosen and the structure is neatly fitted into it with the rim 
about level with the surrounding earth. When in the latter position it is 
placed in any arrangement of twigs that will support it; it is not built about and 
cabled to them as is the nest of the Summer Warbler, but it is simply loosely 
arranged upon the stems or wedged in among them so that it will not topple 
over, and nearly always it can be lifted out without tearing it in the least. It 
is seldom if ever over five feet from the ground, and commonly is within two 
or three.” Occasionally a nest is taken from the growing grass, which is so 
complete in itself and so little adjusted to its surroundings that it looks as if it 
might have been dropped there by a careless hand. 

In construction the nest is simple, but loose or compact according to the 
skill of the owner. ‘The illustration shows one of the best quality, compactly 
built and plentifully supplied with horse-hair lining. Another taken the same 
season from a clump of “suckers” seven feet high on the trunk of an apple tree, 
was as flimsy as a Grosbeak’s, a mere wisp of twisted grasses which held up 
four eggs to easy inspection from below. 


No. 37. 


SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 


A. O. U. No. 567. Junco hyemalis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—SNowW-BIRD; EASTERN SNOW-BIRD. 

Description.—dAdult male in summer: Upper parts, throat and breast slaty 
black, the bluish tinge lacking on wings and tail; below, abruptly white from 
the breast, the flanks ashy slate; the two outer pairs of tail-feathers entirely, and 
the third pair principally white; bill flesh-color, usually tipped with black. Aduit 
female: Similar to male; throat and breast paler; a brownish wash over the 
upper parts, deepest on nape and upper back; wings brownish fuscous rather 
than black, and sides tawny-washed. Adult male in winter, becoming like female, 
but still distinguishable. Length 6.00-6.50 (152.4-165.1) ; wing 3.07 (78.) ; tail 
2.80 (71.1); bill .49 (12.5). Female averages slightly smaller than male. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; slaty or brownish black and white con- 
trasting ; white lateral tail-feathers. 

Nest, on the ground, usually under cover of a protecting root, log or the 
like, composed of grasses, roots and trash, lined with fine grass or hair. Eggs, 


_THE SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. os 


4 or 5, white or greenish white, speckled freely with reddish and dark brown. 
EN ESIZE} 777, X25 ON (LO! OpxaeNA YZ) e 

General Range.—North America, chiefly east of the Rockies, breeding in the 
hilly portions of the Northern States northward. South in winter to the Gulf 
States. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant winter resident. Possibly breeds sparingly 
(formerly “in great numbers.’—Kirtland) in northeastern part of state. 


A summer in Laurentia is certainly good for the health, for when Junco 
returns in the fall he is chock-full of animal spirits and good cheer. He is a 
very energetic body at any time of year, but his high spirits are especially 
grateful to the beholder when the numbing cold of winter has silenced all 
feathered kind but the invincible Tree Sparrows and Snow-birds. The plum- 
age of the Junco exactly matches his winter surroundings—‘Leaden skies 
above; snow below,” Mr. Parkhurst says—and he proceeds to make himself 
thoroughly at home. Not content to mope about within the limits of a single 
brush-patch, like Tree Sparrows, large companies of Snow-birds rove rest- 
lessly through tree-tops and weedy dingles as well, and cover considerable 
areas in a day. 

On such occasions, and commonly, they employ a peculiar twitter of 
mingled greeting and alarm,—a double note which escapes them whenever any 
movement of wing is made or contemplated. 1 have called this the “banner” 
note, partly because it is uttered when the bird, in rising from the ground 
or fluttering from twig to twig, displays the black and white banner of its 
tail, and partly because it sounds like the double clank-clank of a railroad 
switch when the heavy trucks pass over it. The connection between a banner 
and a railroad switch may not be perfectly obvious at first, but anyone who is 
not color-blind is hereby respectfully challenged to forget if possible the lurid 
colors which decorate the average assemblage of militant switch-posts. 

Junco, while a very reckless fellow to appearance, is not indifferent to 
the comfort of well-appointed lodgings. His nights are spent in the thickest 
cover of cedar hedges, under logs or sheltered banks, along streams, or else 
buried in the recesses of corn-shocks. One crisp November evening a year 
or two ago, with my ornithological chum, Mr. Lynds Jones, I watched 
a company of Juncoes to bed. The birds would steal along from shock to 
shock with titters of inquiry until they found an empty bed or one to their 
taste, and then would settle well down into the top, not without considerable 
rustling of dry leaves. When the company was quiet, we started out, boy- 
like, to undo the work. We saluted the shocks in turn with distantly flung 
clods which shivered to powder as they struck the stalks and made a noise 
like the Day of Judgment. Out dashed the Juncoes by twos and threes from 
every shock thus rudely assaulted, and many were the pertinent remarks made 
in most emphatic Junkese when the mischief-makers were discovered. Oh, 


ee = 


io On ; Sn eee 
WHERE JUNCO SLEEPS. 
well, they really wer’n't scared quite out of their wits, and they had plenty of 
time to get back into bed after we were gone. Besides, variety is the spice of life 
—even of a Snowbird’s. But the boys! Say, Jones, how old are you, anyway? 
When the first warm days of March bring up the Bluebirds and the 
Robins, the Juncoes get the spring fever. But they do not rush off to fill 
premature graves in the still snowy north. The company musters instead 
in the tree-tops on the quiet side of the woods, and indulges in a grand eistedd- 
fod. Iam sure that the birds are a little Welch and that this term is strictly 
correct. All sing at once a sweet little tinkling trill, not very pretentious, 
but tender and winsome. Interspersed with this is a variety of sipping and 
suckling notes whose uses are hard to discern. Now and then also a kissing 
note, of repulsion instead of attraction, is heard, such as is employed during 
the breeding season to frighten enemies. During the progress of the concert 
some dashing young fellow, unable fully to express his emotion in song, runs 
amuck and goes charging about through the woodsy mazes in a fine frenzy, 
without, however, quite spilling his brains. Others catch the infection, and 
I have seen a score at once in a mad whirl of this harmless excitement. 
Juncoes linger surprisingly late sometimes, well on into April or even 


THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 79 


May. Perhaps this is because they are so near the southern limit of their 
breeding range that they cannot be sure they care to move. ‘The birds are 
said to breed still in the wilder portions in the northeastern part of the state, 
but of this I have no certain knowledge. 


No. 38. 
BACHMAN SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 575a. Peucza estivalis bachmanii (Aud.). 


Description.—A dults: Above bluish gray streaked with dark chestnut or 
bay; back, usually, with a few black streaks centrally; wings and tail fuscous 
with various edgings of gray, rufous or white; loral area and line over eye buffy, 
becoming gray behind; a narrow ashy or whitish median line more or less distinct 
or obsolete (according to season?) ; below gray, washed with brownish or dingy 
buff, the overcast being heaviest on breast and sides; edge of wing yellow; bill 
horn-color, darkest above; feet light brown. Young in first plumage are streaked 
on breast. Length 5.50-6.25 (139.7-158.8) ; wing 2.45 (62.2); tail 2.60 (66.) ; 
bill .56 (14.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler to sparrow size; mixed bay and gray of 
upper parts. To be carefully distinguished from the Field Sparrow by its larger 
bill, and more distinct buffy suffusion of breast, etc. 


Photo by 
the Author 


Taken in Cincinnati. A HAUNT OF THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 
IT IS HERE THAT THE SPECIMEN REFERRED TO IN THE TEXT WAS TAKEN 


80 THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 


Nest, usually described as a domed cylinder of dried grasses, on the ground 
(but see fuller account below). Eggs, 3-4, pure white. Av. size, .75 x .60 (19.1 
6 WED) 

General Range.—The Carolinas and Gulf States north to southern Illinois, 
Indiana and Ohio. Florida in winter. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare, but probably on the increase southerly ; only recently 
noted: Columbus, by C. M. Weed; Portsmouth, by W. F. Henninger, April 23, 
and May 6, 1897; Cincinnati, by Miss Laura Gano, April 25, 1901; etc. 


IT is very gratifying to be able to report the recent invasion of the state 
by this delightful vocalist from the south. ‘To Rev. W. F. Henninger, then 
of Scioto County, belongs the honor of first discovery. A specimen was 
secured by him near South Webster, April 23, 1897, but it was, unfortu- 
nately, not preserved. On April 23, 1903, the author in company with Miss 
Laura Gano and a party of scientists, took a singing male on Rose Hill, Cin- 
cinnati, and the specimen is 
preserved in the Cincinnati 
Museum of Natural History. 
On the following day three 
others in full song were 
found upon another of those 
beautiful wooded hills for 
which the Queen City is 
justly famous. ‘These last, I 
rejoice to say, were not sacri- 
ficed even in the name of 
science. Miss Gano first 
noted the species at Cincin- 
nati, April 25, I901, and 
had seen it on at least two 
occasions since. 

Later in the same seas- 
on, June toth and ith, I 
came upon the Bachman 
Sparrow upon one of the 
hills near Sugar Grove, in 
Fairfield County. A nest 
was found in a clover field, 
which, altho deserted at the 
time, belonged upon the 


Taken near Sugar Grove. Photo by the Author. strongest presumptive evi- 
TUMBLE-DOWN FENCES ARE ALSO FAVORITE a : : 
RESORTS. dence to this bird. One of 


THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 81 


the young birds was easily caught and its picture taken both in the hand and 
in the nest, as shown in the accompanying illustrations. A few days later 
Ralph and Will Bumgardner took a set of four eggs from the ground in 
the same meadow. ‘The eggs were pure white and could hardly have be- 
longed to any other than this species. 

The song of the Bachman Sparrow is a thing of surpassing beauty. 
In delivering it the bird chooses a prominent station at the top of weed-stalk, 
fence-post, or sapling, or stands well out on a bare limb of a tree. Here he 
throws his head back and draws, as it appears, a full breath, in a note of 
ravishing sweetness; then sends it forth again in a tinkling trill of uniform 
or varied notes. Nothing can 
excel the fine poetic rapture 
of the inspirated note. It 
sets the veins a-tingle and 
makes one wish to put his 
shoes from off his feet. The 
characteristic opening note is 
given with constantly vary- 
ing pitch and__ intensity. 
Sometimes it sounds like a 
dream voice floating gently 
from the summer land of 
youth, and again it vibrates 
with startling distinctness 
like a present call to duty. 
Occasionally a dainty trill is 
substituted for this inspired 
and inspiring opening, while , 
the remainder of the song © 
may consist of a half dozen 
notes precisely alike, or of a 
succession of groups three or 
four in number. There is a 
soulful quality, an ethereal 
purity, and a caressing sweet- 
ness about the whole per- Zaken near 


. hl Photo by the 


4 Sugar Grove Author. 
formance which makes one 
sure the door is opened into A NES? SITE. 
the third heaven of bird THE NEST MAY BE MADE OUT WHERE THE PRINCIPAL STALKS 


=e FE SROUN NVERGE. 
music. IN THE FOREGROUND CONVERGE 


82 THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 


Once as I sat entranced before this new found Orpheus a Lark Spar- 
row broke into song at half the distance. In pained astonishment and wrath 
I turned upon him—him even! “Oh, please not now! Mon enfant! Please 
not now!” 


Photo by the Author. 


Taken near Sugar Grove. 


A YOUNG BACHMAN SPARROW. 


THE SONG SPARROW. 83 


No. 39. 
SONG SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 581. Melospiza cinerea melodia (\Vilson). 

Synonym.—SILVER-TONGUE. 

Description.—Adult: Crown dull bay with black streaks, divided by dull 
gray line; superciliary stripe of lighter gray; rufous-brown post-ocular and 
rictal stripes, enclosing grayish brown auriculars; remaining upper parts red- 
dish brown, varied on scapulars, inter-scapulars, and inner quills by blackish 
centers and grayish edgings; wing-quills fuscous, broadly edged with rufous; 
tail rufous with dusky shafts and often obscure transverse barring of dusky; 
below, white or sordid, heavily streaked on sides of throat, breast and sides 
by black and rufous; markings wedge-shaped, confluent on sides of throat as 
maxillary stripes, and often on breast as indistinct blotch, elongated on sides 
and flanks; bill horn-color above, lighter below; feet pale brown. ‘The streak- 
ing both above and below is sharper and heavier in summer and fall than in 
spring, due to the wearing away of the white or rufous edgings. Individual 
variations are quite marked, but always conform to the general pattern. Length 
about 6.30 (160.); av. of five Columbus 
specimens: wing 2.59 (65.8); tail 2.61 
(66:3) = billl:47 (11-9). 

Recognition Marks. — Sparrow 
size; the heavy streaking of breast and 
back is distinctive. 

Nest, a bulky mass of dead leaves, 
twigs, grasses, etc., lined with fine grass, 
rootlets, and sometimes — horse-hair; 
placed indifferently in bushes or on the 
ground. Eggs, 4-6, greenish-, grayish-. 
or bluish-white, heavily spotted and 
blotched with reddish browns which often 
conceal the background. Av. size, .80 x 
eSON 20: 3)s= 15 ;)))- 

General Range.—FEastern United 
States to the Plains, breeding from Vir- 
ginia and the southern portion of the 
Lake States to the Fur Countries. 

Range in Ohio.—Of universal dis- 
tribution; abundant during breeding 
season save in southern portion. Resi- 
dent in middle and southern, and spar- 
ingly resident in northern Ohio. 


-hoto by J 


SILVER-TONGUE. 


84 THE SONG SPARROW. 


THERE, are those who do not know the Song Sparrow by sight or by 
name, but surely there are none, even tho dwellers in “‘sky-scrapers,’ who have 
not at some time in their lives heard the sweet strain of this modest bird. Scat- 
tered as it is throughout the length and breadth of our land, along the fence- 
rows and in the lowland thickets, but especially in the backyard shrubbery, 
unfortunate indeed must be the boy or girl who has not been cheered and 
made better, if only subconsciously, by this tender minstrel of common life. 
Perched upon some post or bush, he greets his childish listeners with “Peace, 
peace, peace be unto you, my children.” And that is his message to all the 
world, “Peace and good will.” 

Silver-tongue’s melody is like sunshine, bountiful and free and ever grate- 
ful. Even in winter the brave-hearted bird avails himself of the slightest pre- 
text,—an hour of sun- 
light or a rise of tem- 
perature—to mount a 
bush and rehearse his 
cheerful lay. The song 
is not continuous, but it 
is frequently repeated 
through periods of sey- 
eral minutes, and at in- 
tervals of nine or ten 
seconds. But there! 
Who could hope to sum 
up all the commonplace 
poetry and fond enspir- 
iting of Silver-tongue’s 
music by an estimate of 
intervals and seconds! 

It is of the soul and one 
Bie ee of the most sincere 
Henninger. things in nature. 

3ut no matter how 
gentle a bird’s disposi- 
tion may be, there is ample use, alack! for the note of warning and distrust. 
Song Sparrow’s scolding note, a single chip or chirp, is more musical than 
some, but still very earnest. In winter the resident birds deny themselves 
even this characteristic cry, and except for the occasional outbursts of full 
song, they are limited to a high nasal tss, quite indistinguishable from that 
of the Tree Sparrow, with which they are more or less associated through 
similarity of haunts. Song Sparrows are not really gregarious birds, but a 
wayside swamp which attracts one pair is as likely to support a dozen, while 


Taken 
mear : 
Tiffin. 


A GROUND NEST OF THE SONG SPARROW. 


THE SONG SPARROW. 85 


the northward moving host spreads over the northern part of the state about 
the middle of March in such numbers as to leave each bird well within cry 
of a score of his fellows. 

Silver-tongue is a bird of the ground and contiguous levels. When hiding 
he does not seek the depths of the foliage in trees, but skulks among the dead 
leaves on the ground, or threads his way through brush piles. If driven from 
one covert the bird dashes to another with an odd jerking flight, working its 
tail like a pump-handle, as tho to assist progress. Ordinarily the bird is not 
fearful, altho retiring 
in disposition. | Occa- 
sionally, however, one 
sneaks so persistently 
or flies so wildly as to 
attract undesirable no- 
tice, and unconsciously 
to set a price upon his 
own head. It Red-eyed 
Vireos and Song Spar- 
rows would remember 
always to look natural, 
their sorrowing friends 
would not need to be- 
wail the day of impul- 
sive collectors. 

The question of 
food supply is least 
troublesome to a_ bird 3 fe 
of this type. If an oft- oe, eo 
repeated adage is cor- 


rect, the Sparrow’s diet GENTLE MINISTRATIONS. 
must be reck« med very IT IS A WARM DAY AND THE FEMALE SONG SPARROW IS BROODING HER YOUNG 
spicy. Seeds of many TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE BURNING SUN; WHILE THE MALE 
sorts,—but no large FROM TIME TO Mei cae ane se FOR MOTHER 
proportion of grain,— 

beetles, bugs, slugs and worms form the bulk of its food. I have even seen 
the bird catch minnows at the edge of a stream, while water insects of several 
sorts contribute their share of unquestionable spice. 

In a season of all around nesting, about one-fifth of the nests found will 
be those of the Song Sparrow. ‘This is because the bird nests everywhere at 
lower levels, and because it raises two or three, or sometimes four, broods in a 
season. The period of incubation is twelve days, and the young are ready to 
leave the nest inas many more. They do not require much care after they are 


86 THE SONG SPARROW. 


full grown, altho the parent birds, especially the father, may exercise some 
slight supervision over them, even while busy with a second nest. 


SONG SPARROW’S NEST IN FERN. 


At this rate we should be overrun with Song Sparrows if there were 


not so many agencies to hold the species in check. A young Song Sparrow 


THE SONG SPARROW. 87 


is the choice morsel of everything that 
preys,—cats, skunks, weasels, red squir- 
rels, hawks, crows, jays, shrikes, black 
snakes, and garter snakes. How would 
this motley company fare, were it not for 
the annual crop of Song Sparrows? And 
the wonder of it is that the brave heart 
holds out, and sings its song of trust and 
love with the wrecks of three nests behind 
it, and the harvest not yet past. 

The nest of this species is usually 
carefully constructed of weed-stalks, 
vegetable fibers, and grasses, with 
dead leaves and trash in endless va- 
riety. It is deeply cup-shaped, with 
a rim neatly turned, lined with fine 
grasses, grass-stems or horse-hair. 
Probably more than half are upon 
the ground, sunk flush with the sur- 
face or bedded in trash, commonly 


under the protection of root, stick, 


OL grass tussock. Halt as many Taken near Licking Reservoir. Photo by the Author. 
more occupy grass tussocks at some AN UNUSUAL NESTING SITE. 
distance from the gr sund: while the A NEST CONTAINING FOUR EGGS OCCUPIES THE UPPER- 


MOST NICHE IN THE STUMP. 


remainder are placed in briar tan- 
gles, fence-corners, declining limbs of trees, forks of trees, etc. On two occa- 
sions I have found nests occupying little caves in the punk of decayed stumps. 
Others appear in tussocks of saw grass, entirely surrounded by water. Cat- 
tails are a favorite place. One female in a ground nest regularly required 
about three seconds in which to extricate herself from the tangle of her own 
ingenuity. Another chose a retreat underneath a chance limb which a wind 
had blown down upon a perfectly smooth woodland lawn. ‘The nest shown 
in the illustration on the preceding page was found placed in the center of a 
spreading fern in a green-house on the Ohio State University grounds, and 
the young were successfully raised. In short, there is no place out of doors, 
or nearly so, where a man with his feet planted on the soil may not expect 
to find a Song Sparrow's nest. 


88 THE LINCOLN SPARROW. 


No. 40. 


LINCOLN SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 583. Melospiza lincolnii (Aud.). 

Synonym.—LINCOLN’s SONG SPARROW. 

Description.—dAdults: Above, like preceding species, but crown brighter 
rufous, and with more decided black markings; back browner and more broadly 
and smartly streaked with black; the gray ot back sometimes with a bluish and 
sometimes with an olivaceous tinge; below, throat and belly white, the former 
never immaculate, but with small arrow-shaped black marks; sides of head and 
neck and remaining under parts creamy buff, everywhere marked by elongated 
and sharply defined black streaks; bill blackish above, lighter below; feet brown- 
ish. Length about 5.75 (146.1); av. of six Columbus specimens; wing 2.48 
(63.) ; tail 2.11 (53.6) ; bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; bears general resemblance to Song 
Sparrow, from which it is clearly distinguished by buffy band, and narrow, sharp 
streaks of breast. 

Nesting —Does not breed in Ohio. “Nesting like that of the Song Spar- 
row, and eggs not distinguishable with certainty” (Coues). 


General Range.—North America at large, breeding chiefly north of the 
United States (as far north as Fort Yukon) and in the higher parts of the Rocky 
Mountains and Sierra Nevada; south in winter to Panama. 


Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon spring and fall migrant, but seldom observed 
because of extreme shyness. 


MODESTY 1s a beautiful trait and I suppose if we had always to choose 
between the brazen arrogance of the English Sparrow and the shy timorous- 
ness of this bird-afraid-of-his-shadow, we should feel obliged to accept the 
latter. But why should a bird of inconspicuous color steal silently through 
our woods and slink along our streams with bated breath as if in mortal 
dread of human eye? Are we such hobgoblins ? 

The first and only day in Ohio that I ever saw this bird, two of us 
followed a twinkling suspicion along a shady woodland stream for upwards 
of a hundred yards. Finally we neared the edge of the woods. There was 
light! exposure! recognition! With an inward groan the flitting shape quitted 
the last brush-pile and rose twenty feet to a tree-limb. Just an instant—but 
enough for our purpose—and he had whisked over our heads and was hot- 
wing over the dusky back trail. That same day we came again upon a little 
company of them, halted by the sight of the great north water, and tarrying 
for the day in the dense thickets which skirted a sluggish stream emptying 
into Lake Erie. Here they were skulking like moles, in spite of the bright 
sunshine and fragrant air. Finally by working along one on each side of 
the creek, we succeeded in “cutting out’ a single bird. First Mr. Jones forced 
him to the water’s edge (always along the ground) and from across the stream 


THE SWAMP SPARROW. 89 


I noted eagerly his head-stripes, similar to those of a Swamp Sparrow, his 
pale streaked breast, and his very demure airs. Then I retired while Mr. 
Jones put him across the creek, where | held him for my companion to study. 
During this whole manceuver the bird favored us now and then with a few 
delicate snatches of a sweet but very weak song. Is it any wonder that the 
Lincoln Sparrow is so little known to fame? 

Further west the case is somewhat different. Mr. Trippe in writing of 
the birds of Colorado, says, ““Lincoln’s Finch is abundant and migratory. It 
breeds from about 9,500 or 10,000 feet up to the timber line. It arrives at 
Idaho Springs early in May, and soon becomes very common, haunting the 
thickets and brush-heaps by the brooks, and behaving very much like the Song 
Sparrow. During the breeding season it is most abundant among the bushes 
near and above timber line, nesting as high as it can find the shelter of wil- 
lows and junipers. Reappearing in the valleys in October, it lingers by the 
streams for a few weeks and then disappears.” 


No. 4I. 
SWAMP SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 584. Melospiza georgiana (Lath.). 

Description.—Adult: Forehead black; crown and occiput rich chestnut, 
bordered posteriorly with blackish streaks; superciliary line, and sides of head 
and neck all around ashy gray; indistinct blackish markings on side (rictal and 
post-ocular stripes) outlined against the gray; scapulars and interscapulars broadly 
and strikingly streaked with black margined with rufous and buffy; rump clearer 
ochraceous ; tail-coverts again streaked with black on rufous ground; tail rufous 
with brighter edgings and dusky shafts, and sometimes indistinct fine cross-bars 
(as in M. melodia) ; wings plain rufous, coverts and inner quills with black cen- 
ters; edge of wing white; below, gray or sordid white, with strong tawny wash 
on sides, flanks and crissum, the flanks faintly streaked with black; bill black 
above, lighter below. ‘The purity of chestnut on head varies considerably accord- 
ing to age and season, having a large admixture of black in younger birds, and 
in adults in winter. In the fall also the pileum is divided by an indistinct gray 
line, and the breast is tinged with brown. Length, about 5.75 (146.1); wing 
240 (Ol) tail 2235) (50%) 5 bill 46 (10-7). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size but stockier; very like a Song Sparrow, 
but forehead black, and crown uniform chestnut; breast not streaked. 

Nest, and eggs not clearly distinguishable from those of the Song Sparrow. 
Eggs average perhaps a little smaller, say, .75 x .56 (19.1 x 14.2). 

General Range.—E astern North America to the Plains, north through the 
British Provinces, including Newfoundland and Labrador. Breeds from the 


90 THE SWAMP SPARROW. 


Northern States northward, and winters from Massachusetts south to the Gulf 
States. 

Range in Ohio.—Common migrant along streams and in low places. Breeds 
only casually. 


THE Swamp Sparrow is well named, but its designation must be un- 
derstood in the broadest sense. Not only is it to be found in the sedgy fast- 
nesses of the more pretentious swamps, but in the wayside bog, and along the 
tangled edges of woodland watercourses as well. In many respects it de- 
serves to be classed with the inhabitants of that under-world of muck and 
sedge where the Rails and Gallinules live and move and have their being. 
Shy and secretive to a degree, the Swamp Sparrow will often worm through 
the intricacies of a half-submerged brush-heap and splash its way afoot ta 
another rather than take wing. Again, if the observer is quiet, the bird will 
hop about carefully through the reeds and survey him from all sides with 
the curiosity of a Wren. Several times in spring I have seen them feeding 
along the shallows of the Olentangy River in company with Water Thrushes, 
wading about and dabbling in the water with almost the freedom of a Sand- 
piper, but upon the first hint of alarm the Sparrows would scuttle off to the 
shelter of the brush. 

One is slow to suspect such a demure bird of having a sprightly song. 
On several occasions, however, while wading about knee deep in some shaded 
pool, I have been startled by a sudden trill of unusual energy and distinct- 
ness, which undoubtedly proceeded from this bird. On some occasions the 
song 1s almost as peremptory as that of the Water Thrush, while at others 
it seems more like the vivacious ditty of the Palm Warbler rendered fortissimo. 
It has frequently been likened to that of the Field or Chipping Sparrows. 
but in my opinion, comparison with any other Sparrow song will not be 
found helpful. 

Only one instance is known as yet of the bird’s breeding within the 
state. Late in May, 1881, Dr. Howard Jones of Circleville secured a nest 
of five eggs, together with the parent bird. Dr. Jones had been walking 
slowly along a small ditch which drained a field of wet grassland, and was 
about to step across it when the mother bird flew from under his feet. After 
some search he found the nest hidden under a bunch of long grass. “It is 
made principally of coarse grasses and frayed weed-stems—a few rootlets 
are to be seen in the foundation, and the lining is composed of grasses. ‘The 
diameter of the cavity is two inches, its depth one and one-half inches. When 
in position, the rim of the nest was on a level with the surrounding sod, and 
a long tuft of grass concealed it from above and protected it from the weather.”’ 

Dr. Jones says further: “This is the only nest of the species I have found, 
altho I have frequently searched for it. The kind of country inhabited by 


THE FOX SPARROW. gl 


this Sparrow, its retiring habits, and general inconspicuousness, all combine 
to make its home hard to find and its habits hard to study. Even in sections 
where it is common it is but infrequently seen, and it might breed and remain 
throughout the year in many localities in the state and escape observation by 
any one able to distinguish it from other Sparrows.” 

The Swamp Sparrow is known to breed sparingly in Pennsylvania 
throughout the state, having been studied there by Wilson and others. Pro- 
fessor A. W. Butler reports its breeding commonly in northern Indiana. 
Mr. E. W. Nelson regards it as more abundant than the Song Sparrow in 
Cook County, Hlinois, during the breeding season, while Mr. Ridgway finds 
it wintering in immense numbers in the southern parts of that state. 


No. 42. 
FOX SPARROW. 


A. O. U. No. 585. Passerelia iliaca ( Merr.). 

Description.—ddu/t: Upper parts rusty red in spots and streaks, on an 
ashy or olive-gray ground, smaller and sharper on the crown, broader and deep 
on interscapulars ; all wing feathers more or less margined with rufous, and with 
dusky inner webs; middle and greater coverts tipped with whitish; edge of wing 
white; upper tail-coverts clear bright rufous; tail rufous with (mainly) dusky 
inner webs; below white, heavily spotted and blotched on sides of head and throat 
and on breast with rusty red; on sides and flanks with elongated or sagittate 
streaks of deeper ferruginous, and on lower breast with open arrow-shaped mark- 
ings of brownish black; bill dark above, yellow below; feet pale. Length 6.50- 
7.50 (165.1-190.5); av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 3.44 (87.4); tail 
2077 (70's) bill 2415) (L-4))). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size, but appearing at times almost as large 
as Chewink; rusty red coloring and heavily spotted breast; bright rufous of 
upper tail-coverts and tail. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in low bushes or on the ground, 
of coarse grasses, moss, and vegetable fibers, lined with fine grass and feathers. 
Eggs, 4-5, pale bluish, speckled and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate. 
DWaSize SOx O3(20:2 sxallOs))- 

General Range.—Eastern North America west to the Plains and Alaska, 
and from the Arctic Coast south to the Gulf States. Breeds north of the United 
States; winters chiefly south of the Ohio and Potomac Rivers. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. 


IT may be set down as a maxim for the encouragement of the faithful 
that all birds which should sing at all do sing sometimes during migrations. 
There is the Fox Sparrow, a bird of most engaging appearance, nearly as 


92 THE FOX SPARROW. 


large as a Thrush and quite as fine. We feel sure that he is concealing a rare 
gift of song under that rusty cloak of reserve. As for him his one ambition 
seems to be to slip away unobserved, unless indeed it be to steal a sly glance 
at you from behind some tree-bole. His only note as he speeds with strong 
wing into cover is a thrasher-like chuck of alarm. Year after year, it may 
be, one comes upon shy companies of these handsome fellows in brush-strewn 
woods or in the undergrowth of river bottoms, but never a song do they 
vouchsafe. Dr. Wheaton died without having heard the song of the Fox 
Sparrow. 

Finally on some favored day—there is not a breath to tell you of the 
good fortune in store—a clear, strong, exultant song bursts upon your ears 
from some half-distant copse, Chee-hoo, ker-weeoo, weoo, wecoo, weoo. ‘The 
Fox Sparrow has found his voice. 

There is a sweetness and vivacity about the song which wins our ad- 
miration at once. It speaks so eloquently of anticipated joy, that we must 
envy the bird his summer glade in wild Keewatin. Our Vesper Sparrow 
whistles a somewhat similar tune, but he is all contentment, realization now, 
and at half the cost. Professor ‘T. C. Smith, who has been exceptionally 
favored at Columbus, says in this connection’: ‘‘The voice of the Fox Spar- 
row in its full power is clear, sustained, and rendered rich by overtones. It 
has not, of course, the metallic, vibrant ring of the Thrushes or the Bobolink, 
it is rather the Sparrow or Finch voice at its best, a whistle full of sweetness 
with continual accompanying changes of timbre. 

“Unlike most of the Sparrows the Fox Sparrow displays an ability to 
let his notes drop into one another by a quick flexible slide, usually accom- 
panied by a slight change in timbre, which is the characteristic of the war- 
bling birds such as the Vireos—in this respect he surpasses all of his race that 
I have ever heard except the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Cardinal.” 

More frequently the Fox Sparrows are heard singing—sometimes in 
chorus—in a subdued tone or half-voice. The effect at such a time is very 
pleasing, but one does not get any adequate impression of the bird’s powers 
of modulation or sweetness. 


1 See an excellent article by Professor Smith on the “Song cf the Fox Sparrow” in the Ohio Naturalist, 
April, 1903. 


THE TOWHEE. 93 


No. 43. 


TOWHEE. 


A. O. U. No. 587. Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—CuHEWINK; Grounp Rosin; ReD-EYED TOWHEE. 

Description.—Adult male: Glossy black; belly abruptly white; sides chest- 
nut to yellowish brown; flanks and crissum tawny; whitish marks on inner quills ; 
outer primaries edged with white at base on outer web, and at an interval along 
margin increasing inwards, forming a white spot with a “tail’’; three outer pairs 
of tail-feathers broadly tipped with white, the outermost pair for half its length; 
black feathers of throat with concealed white bases; bill black; feet pale brown. 
Adult female: Like the male except black replaced by warm brown, brightest 
on breast, darkening behind; somewhat smaller. Adult male, length, 7.50-9.00 
(190.5-228.6) ; av. of five Columbus males: wing 3.44 (87.4); tail 3.66 (93.); 
ille52) (03-2): 


Taken near Circleville. E Photo by the Author. 
WHERE TOWHEE HIDES. 


Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; black, white, and chestnut in masses; 
“Chewink” cry; semi-skulking, terrestrial habits. 

Nest, on the ground, of dead leaves, strips of bark, etc., lined with fine 
grasses. Egos, 4 or 5, white, thickly and evenly speckled with reddish brown. 
IN, SAS, LOS} 2s a7ft (Azar Se aits)) 


94 THE TOWHEE. 


General Range.—Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 
Plains, breeding from the lower Mississippi Valley and Georgia northward; in 
winter from the middle districts southward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common and universally distributed. Winters sparingly 


2 


in central, and (at least the males) commonly in southern Ohio. 


THE impulse to name birds according to what their songs and calls 
seem to indicate in human language surely had a large part in the final adop- 
tion of Towhee for this bird’s name. Towhee for the song that he gives to 
all the world from the topmost twig of some tree growing amid his tangled 
retreat, Chewink for the call of warning when his rights are threatened, and 
Wink-wink when he is nearly frantic at the danger to his family of eggs or 
young. The song is seldom simply double syllabled, but the two prominent 
notes are all that many persons seem to hear. The loud song may be Tow- 
hee-e-e, O, tow-hee-e-e-c, or even Chip, ah, tow-hee-e-e. Its beginning is 
subject to many changes, but its close is almost invariably a trill of greater 
or less length on *‘e,” and always high pitched. I never could make the song 
spell “Chuck, burr, pilla-will-a-will.’ But different ears hear the same song 
differently. The alarm call may be shortened to “sawink,” or “wink.” The 
birds even shorten their vocal expression to “Chuck, chuck,” when the nest is 
in great danger. Before the arrival of the female from the south the male 
sometimes gives a rarely beautiful performance as a sort of soliloquy as he 
sedately walks about among the leaves under a thick bush. It is totally 
unlike his ordinary song, and bafiles any attempt at a description. It is soft 
and does not carry beyond twenty feet. The tree-top rendition is clearly 
his altruistic song, while this other one is as truly his egotistic song. 

Towhee has been called Ground Robin, probably because his sides are 
strongly washed with rufous and because he builds his nest on the ground. 
In general habits he is wholly unlike the Robin. One must look in the brushy 
woods, or brush tangles, not in the open woods for this bird. He is a nervous 
fellow, emphasizing his disturbance at your intrusion with a nervous fluff, 
fluff of the short wings, and a jerk and quick spreading of the long, rounded 
tail, as if he hoped the flash of white at its end would startle the intruder away. 

Occasionally hardy males may be found all winter even as far north as 
Oberlin, but the true migration begins late in March, and the most of the 
birds have gone south by the first of November. Numbers spend the winter 
in the southern half of the state. 

Nesting begins about the first of May, earlier south, and earlier in early 
springs. While the nest is usually placed on the ground, often even in a 
slight depression, it may sometimes be placed in a bush several feet from the 
ground. It is made largely of leaves, with some plant stems, bark and grass, 
with a lining of rootlets. "The birds do not search far for material, but are 


DERE RO WRUEE:: 95 


satisfied with that which is near at hand. Sometimes the nest is arched 
over after the fashion of the Oven-bird. The nest site is usually some dis- 
tance from a roadway or path, often in moderately deep woods where there 
is little underbrush, but oftener in brushy thickets, or shrubbery fringing 
woods. The accompanying illustration of a nest and eggs was taken from 
a nest placed in a pasture in an open field, some fifty rods from a woods, and 
ten feet from any brush. Here at Oberlin I have found more nests in the 
second growth near swampy places than elsewhere. 

While Towhee 
does not seem te 
be a stupid bird, it 
is a wonder to me 
that he will permit 
the parasitic Cow- 
bird to fill his nest, 
sometimes to the 
complete exclusion 
of his own eggs, 
and serenely hatch 
and care for the 
foster young. 
Twice I have 
found a Towhee’s 
nest containing 4 
eggs of Cowbird 


and none of the , ca 
rightful owner, on Me vz a 


which the female Taken near Oberlin. Enomane ie Tene 
Towhee was. sit- 


: NEST AND EGGS OF THE TOWHEE. 
ting as content- 


edly as though the eggs belonged to her. Most nests contain one or more 
eges of Cowbird. Possibly the explanation lies in the fact that the Towhee 
and Cowbird eggs are much alike in appearance. However, the Cowbird 
eggs are marked with grayish-brown, while the Towhee eggs are marked 
with reddish-brown, and average larger. 

Because Towhee seems able to adapt himself to changing conditions 
of the landscape, which is inevitable with fuller settlement of the land, we 
may hope that he will be a permanent member of sylvan society. A woods 
without a Towhee to herald the morning would lose half its glory. 

LyNnps JONEs. 


96 ANGIE, CARDINAL. 


No. 44. 
CARDINAL. 


A. O. U. No. 593. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Rep-pirp; CARDINAL RED-BIRD; CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 

Description.—Adult male in spring: Region about base of bill (the capis- 
trum) and throat black; rest of plumage vermilion,—brightest on crest, sides of 
head, and below, darker and with a rosy tinge above; feathers of back and rump 
with grayish skirting; inner webs of wing-feathers fuscous; bill light red; feet 
brown. Adult female: Capistrum grayish black; wings, tail, longer feathers of 
crest, and a spot above the eye dull red; occasionally faint tinges of red on the 
cheeks, lower throat, and tibize; remainder of plumage ashy brown, duller above, 
brighter and more ochraceous on breast, paler below. Males vary considerably 
in the amount of gray on upper parts. Young birds, like adult female, save that 
the bill is dark, and males are tinged below with vermilion in varying propor- 
tions. Very variable as to size. Adult male, length, 7:50-9.00 (190.5-228.6) ; 
ay. of ten Columbus specimens: wing 3.67 (93.2); tail 3.82 (97.); bill, length 
along culmen .63 (16.); depth at base .62 (15.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; cardinal-red at least on wings, tail, and 
crest ; black or blackish face mask; large, thick bill. 

Nest, usually of rather careless construction, of twigs, coarse grass and trash, 
lined with fine grass and rootlets, and placed in thickets or low in trees. Eggs, 
3 Or 4, sometimes 5, white, or with bluish, greenish or grayish tint, spotted regu- 
larly, or irregularly blotched and dotted with reddish browns, grays, or lavender. 
Iie SAS, WOO) Se il (As sx 0). 

General Range.—Eastern United States, north to the lower Hudson Valley 
and the Great Lakes, casually further north, and west to the Plains. Resident 
in Bermuda. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant resident. Less common but increasing northerly. 


PROBABLY four persons out of five—at least in the southern half of 
the state—if asked to name their favorite songster, would reply promptly, 
the Red-bird. For who is there to the manor born, whose heart does not 
flood with pleasant memories as he listens to our poet, Naylor’s words? 

“Along the dust-white river road 
The saucy red-bird chirps and trills ; 
His liquid notes resound and rise 
Until they meet the cloudless skies 
And echo o’er the distant hills.” 

Not merely for the splendor of his plumage, but for the gentle boldness 
of his comradeship and the daily heartening of his stirring song, the Cardinal 
is beloved of all who know him. 

Some years ago the Cardinal had good reason to complain of our fond- 
ness, but now that wise legislation has forbidden his imprisonment he sings 


: CARDINAL SET EReRRICRIEE 


Cardinalis cardinalis 


3, Life-size 


THE CARDINAL. = 


unfettered at many a door where he was formerly unknown. Always abun- 
dant in the south the species has of late increased rapidly in the north as well; 
and the time is not far distant when our Canadian neighbors can no longer 
say of it, “Casual only in southwestern Ontario.” 

Wherever known the birds are resident or nearly so. In winter they may 
gather in loose companies to enjoy the shelter of some favorite copse or low- 
land thorn-brake. At such a time it is a rare treat for two or three observers 
to “drive” the birds from cover. They will slip along unnoticed in unsus- 
pected numbers until the last bush is reached; whence they will break for 
distant cover in twos and threes not without much remonstrance of sharp 
chips, and manifest reluctance to draw the gaze of a world in white. Thus 
I have seen them, a whole college of Cardinals, rudely disturbed in secret 
session, but have always sought and found prompt shrift. 

Both males and females sing, the latter perhaps with less force and 
frequency. A warm day in winter is welcomed as an excuse for song, but 
the male is most indefatigable during the nesting season. Fearless now he 
seeks some outlying branch or mounts the tip of the tallest tree and chal- 
lenges attention. The whistled notes of the Redbird, assertive, interrogatory, 
staccato and accelerando, are too well known to require characterization. ‘The 
following syllabizations may serve to recall a few of the leading forms: 

I. Ché-péew, ché-péw, wé-o0, wé-o0, wé-o0. 

2. Whé-tew, whé-tew, whe-oo, whe-oo. 


Be We-o0, we-00, we-00, we-00, wWe-00. 

4. Chitikew, chitikew, he-wéét, he-wéét. 

5. Ishew, tshew, tshew, tshew, tshew. 

6. Who-¥? who-¥? who-\? who-¥? 

7. Bird'’-ic, bird-ie, bird’-ic, tshew, tshew, tshew. 
8. Bird’-ie, bird'’-ie, bird’-ic, bird’-te. 


By the merest good luck I found out one day how the Cardinal got his 
red beak. Secreting myself in a log pile I imitated the notes of the Screech 
Owl—a favorite method of securing a muster of the local bird population. 
True to life a Cardinal came charging up in great haste. Between his man- 
dibles was a half-eaten wahoo berry from which the rich red juice was flow- 
ing, staining the bird’s bill completely and running down upon his breast. 
The suggestion might lead further, but I do not press it. 

The Cardinal is first of all granivorous; but this term must be under- 
stood to cover the consumption of weed-seeds of many sorts, including some 
hard-coated specimens which few other birds are able to crack open. Insects 
are also eaten freely, and berries “in season.” If encouraged the bird will 
glean about our premises in winter, haunting the grape-trellis and garden, 
and roosting, it may be, in the arbor vitae. ‘The young are fed for the first 


Ses 


THE CARDINAL 9 nl ue 7 


week by regurgitation, but after that the parents supply them grain and 
insects directly or assist them in cracking seeds. 

After the Robin the Cardinal’s nest is the easiest to find, and perhaps 
the most common in middle and southern Ohio. Nesting begins early in 
the season, and two, sometimes three, broods are raised. April 15th, 1go1, 


before a green leaf had shown itself in Columbus, I found a full set of eggs 


Taken near Circleville. Photo by the Author. 


in a rude nest placed in a bunch of drift material which had caught from a 
recent flood. Others have reported eggs as late as August 28th. 

Nests are usually placed low in bushes, or at moderate heights in thickets 
and saplings. Grape-vine tangles and porch trellises are favorite places, and 
occasionally nests are saddled upon horizontal limbs of trees. Miss Gertrude 
F. Harvey of Bond Hill (Cincinnati) kept a most interesting diary of a 
pair which nested in her conservatory. The nest was placed in a Marechal 
Neil rose-bush, to which the birds found access first through a roof venti- 
lator and then through the open window. 

In construction the nest varies from tidy to disreputable, according to 
skill and season. A typical one is composed externally of long stiff weeds 
and leaf-stems, and measures roughly seven inches across, with an extreme 


THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. aA 


of thirteen inches. Next comes a mat of dead leaves, mostly beech. Inside 
this in turn is a tough basket-work of grape-vine bark and a lining of fine 
fresh grass cured in the nest. It measures, inside, three and a quarter inches 
in width and two and a half in depth. 

The eggs are quite variable; even those in the same nest are hard to 
reconcile, both as to shape and markings. Because of the similarity in ap- 
pearance, Cowbirds’ eggs are easily imposed upon the Cardinal. Professor 
Jones and I once found a nest with the bird on, whose three eggs were to 
the best of our judgment the combined product of as many Cowbirds. 

The young hatch out in about fourteen days, and are ready to leave 
the nest in ten days more. ‘The father is especially devoted to his offspring, 
and often cares for them while the female is busy with another nest. 

Rey. W. F. Henninger informs me that a German farmer of his acquaint- 
ance near Tiffin kept a Cardinal in captivity for almost exactly thirty years. 
The bird was not taken from the nest by its long-time owner and its age 
at the time it came into his possession was not known. ‘The captive song- 
ster became a great favorite and was for years regarded almost as a member 
of the family. Its death in December, 1902, followed within a day or so 
that of the farmer’s wife. 


No. 45. 
y ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 


A. O. U. No. 565. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). 


Description.—aAdult male: Head and neck all around and upper parts 
glossy black; below white; a rich carmine or rose-red crescentic or shield-shaped 
patch on the breast bordering the black of the throat, and produced irregularly 
down the middle of the lower breast; lining of wings rose; middle coverts and 
a large spot at base of primaries white; rump white; much concealed white on 
cervix and back, and a slight fuscous edging of feathers; white blotches near 
extremity of tail-feathers on three outer pairs; flanks sometimes tawny, with 
dusky streaking; bill light or white; culmen much curved; feet dark brown. 
Adult female: Quite different; above dusky brown in streaks, with obscure 
whitish median, and conspicuous white superciliary lines; feathers of crown and 
back heavily edged with flaxen or buffy; coverts and inner quills merely tipped 
with whitish; wings and tail fuscous, lining of wing saffron-yellow,—no black 
anywhere; below white with slight buffy or tawny suffusion on sides, breast and 
flanks ; sharply and finely streaked with dusky on sides of throat, breast and sides; 
auriculars hair-brown; bill light brown; feet dusky. Young: Like female, the 
males gradually acquiring adult characters and first known by rosy lining of 
wings. Adult male, length, 7.75-8.50 (196.9-215.9) ; av. of six Columbus males: 


i100 THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 


wing 3.95 (100.3) ; tail 2.84 (72.1) ; bill, length, .66 (16.8) ; bill, depth, .51 (13.). 
Female somewhat smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; male easily known by the black, car- 
mine, and white of fore-front; female by large bill with white eye-brow, sharply 
streaked breast, and general streaky appearance above. 

Nest, oftenest a careless bunch of grass-stems or weed-stalks, but sometimes 
carefully constructed, in bushes of thickets or in low trees. Eggs, 3 or 4, dull 
greenish, spotted and blotched with reddish browns. Av. size, 1.00 x .73 (25.4 X 
18.5). 

General Range.—E astern United States and southern Canada, west to Mani- 
toba and the eastern border of the Plains, breeding from [kansas and the moun- 
tains of the Carolinas northward; south in winter to Cuba, Central America, and 
northern South America. 


Range in Ohio.—A regular, but not very common summer resident; less 
common or wanting in southern part of state. 


WE are none of us likely to forget our first meeting with this distin- 
guished bird. It was probably on a perfect morning early in May, when 
we were poking about in a brushy patch near the river, all on the qui vive 
with the spring expectancy. Thkimp! What was that? Thkimp! again 
the nasal explosive, half inquiring, half disturbed. Ah, there he is, quitting 
cover for a bunch of leafless weed-stalks that he may for a moment see and 
be seen. “What a beauty!” we exclaim, ‘‘and to come so far north!” For 
we feel instinctively that we are beholding a scion of tropical stock. And 
such indeed he is, altho he has long since become naturalized in the middle 
north and Canada. 

Yet for all he is a northern pioneer, he is no mere adventurer. His 
every movement betrays the culture of good breeding and conscious quality. 
His dress, too, is faultless, as becomes a perfect gentleman. A black suit 
with white cuffs;—or maybe several pairs, no matter—an immaculate white 
vest, and an ample red cravat, all complete. His wife will not be along fon 
a few days yet; that is, not until the head of the expected family has done 
the rough work of pioneering; and when she does come you will not know 
her for the mate of such a brilliant lord, until you catch them one day ex- 
changing confidences, sotto voce. 

During migrations this Grosbeak often keeps to the highest tree-tops 
where his bright colors almost escape notice amidst the newly bursting ver- 
dure; but he is most at home in second-growth thickets and swampy tangles. 
In either case he sings freely, a rich, rolling, continuous warble, which is 
among the finest of woodland notes. The song is most nearly comparable 
to that of the Scarlet Tanager, but it is to be distinguished by its rounder 


quality and the entire absence of phrasing. When singing to his mate the 
bird sometimes stands on tiptoe with excitement, and makes the thickets 
vibrate with long-drawn melody. Sometimes, especially if you are known 


THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAL. IOI 


to be watching near, the music is interrupted by the harsh nasal thkimp, or 
kimp of distrust and warning, 

The nest is usually a flimsy affair of twigs, weed-stalks, and rootlets, 
placed at moderate heights in thorn bushes, swamp willows, orchard trees, 
and the like. One nest that I found in Black Swamp in Lorain County, 
was composed entirely of fine grass-stems; and the two eggs which it con- 
tained were perfectly visible from below. Another, to which the male bird 


Taken im Ely Park, 
Elyria. 


A FAVORITE HAUNT OF THE GROSBEAK. 


was kind enough to call my attention, by singing as he sat, was made of dried 
sedge leaves. This carelessness of nest construction is considered evidence 
of the fact that the bird was formerly accustomed to a warmer climate, to 
a tropical range in fact, where warmth of bedding would be no object. The 
male bird shares faithfully the duties of incubation; and is sedulously devoted 
to the care of his little flock. In this case at least, fine feathers have made 
a fine bird. 

The food of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak consists largely of seeds and 
wild fruits; but insects, especially grubs and beetles, furnish a portion of 
its fare. In some localities it has won the ill-sounding but certainly meri- 
torious name of “potato-bug bird.” 


102 THE INDIGO BUNTING. 


No. 46. 


INDIGO BUNTING. 


A. O. U. No. 598. Cyanospiza cyanea (Ljinn.). 
Synonym.—[NpDIGO-BIRD. 


Description.—Adult male: Indigo-blue, clear and intense upon head and 
throat, passing insensibly into greenish or ccerulean blue elsewhere; lores black; 
wings and tail blackish with some greenish blue edging; bill black above, lighter 
below, with narrow black stripe along gonys. Adult female: Quite different; 
warm gray-brown, most intense on back and crown, paler below and with ob- 
scure smoky streakings on breast and sides—the lesser wing coverts with the 
edges of primaries and rectrices exhibit a greenish tint. Young male: Like fe- 
male but browner, soon showing traces of blue. Adult male in winter: Like 
female but darker; blue only partially suppressed. Length 5.50-5.75 (139.7- 
146.1); av. of eight Columbus males: wing 2.66 (67.7); tail 1.98 (50.3) ; bill 
.41 (10.4). Females smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; male indigo-blue; female warm brown, 
unstreaked above. 

Nest, a compactly built cup of weeds, grasses, vegetable fibers, dead leaves, 
etc., neatly lined with rootlets, grasses, and horse-hair; usually placed in crotch 
of bush not far from ground. Eggs, 4, bluish or greenish white, unmarked; 
sometimes pure white. Av. size, .72 x .54 (18.3 x 13.7). 

General Range.—E astern United States, west to Plains, north to about 
latitude 47°. South in winter to Central America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident; breeds throughout the state. 


TO a casual observer the male and female Indigo-birds appear to live 
in separate spheres and to have very little in common. ‘This is_ partly 
because the female is such a plain-looking “brown bird” that it requires the 
closest scrutiny to discover upon her shoulders faint traces of the royal 
blue which marks her lord. ‘Then, again, she is a most prosaic creature, 
skulking about through thickets and briar patches or fussing with the chil- 
dren, while her handsome mate spends his time in the tree-tops singing with 
his littke might and main. As a result, the Indigo-bird proper is one of the 
most familiar features of wood’s edge and wayside, while the Indigo-bird, 
by courtesy—or shall we say by marriage?—is one of the least known of 
Sparrows. 

The singing bird makes no attempt at concealment, but seeks the most 
prominent position possible on telegraph wire or tree-top, and repeats at 
frequent intervals a piercing but not very melodious warble, which rises and 
falls in sharp cadences, and finishes with a hasty jumble of unfinished notes. 


THE INDIGO BUNTI) 


G. 103 


as tho the singer were out of breath. This song is kept up through the 
greater part of the day, and the singer is at his very best during the warm 
months of July and August. At this time his is often the only voice which 
relieves the monotony of a sultry day, and his efforts have won warm admi- 
ration on this account. Now and then the bird dives down to earth to attend 
to some domestic duty, but he is back again presently ‘“‘climbing a golden 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Autior. 
A WOODSIDE MUCH FREQUENTED BY INDIGO BUNTINGS. 


THE BLACKBERRY PATCH IN THE FOREGROUND CONTAINS A NEST, WHILE 
THE TREES ABOVE AFFORD A COMMANDING VIEW SUCH AS 
THE MALE INDIGO DEARLY LOVES. 


staircase of song”’ as he flits from branch to branch, until he has gained his 
topmost perch again. Here he sings for a time with such vigor that we are 
sure he is glad to be quit of his vexatious cares. 

If one looks in the bushes or crowded, rank weeds for the Indigo’s nest, 
he will soon be joined in the search by a wild-eyed female, who dogs his every 
step and expostulates with him by vigorous chips for every movement of the 
foliage. The maternal Indigo is the soul of suspicion, and her protests are so 


a | THE INDIGO BUNTING. 


emphatic that the inquisitor believes himself ‘‘hot’” when he may be a dozen 
yards away. Asa result the nest is rather hard to find; and the number found 
in a season’s nesting will be 
out of all proportion to the 
abundance of the birds. 

The nests, while usually 
bulky, are models of neatness 
and strength. Dead leaves 
and grasses make up _ its 
mass, and there is a copious 
lining of fine grasses with 
an admixture of horse-hair. 
Often two, and sometimes 
three, broods are raised in a 
season. 

The eggs are of a beauti- 
ful pale blue, warmed, while 
fresh, by the color of the 
contents. Of their occasion- 
al variation Dr. Coues says: 
“The egg is variously de- 
scribed as pure white, plain 
blue, or bluish speckled with 
reddish. The fact appears to 
be, not that these statements 
are conflicting or any of 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by Lynds Jones. nat 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE INDIGO-BIRD. them erroneous, but that dif- 


ferent eggs vary accord- 
ingly. It seems to be the general rule with normally bluish eggs that they range 
in shade from quite blue to white, and are occasionally speckled.” 


THE DICKCISSEL. 105 


No. 47. 


DICKCISSEL. 


A. O. U. No. 604. Spiza americana (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and neck above and on sides dark gray, 
tinged with yellow on crown; a yellow superciliary stripe, and a yellow maxillary 
spot; chin and sides of throat white, nearly enclosing an apron-shaped patch of 
black; breast lemon-yellow ; sides and flanks smoky gray fading into dingy white 
of belly ; remaining upper parts light brown, modified by dusky stripes ot middle 
back, and fuscous of wings and tail; lesser and middle wing-coverts bright bay ; 
edge of wing yellow: Adult female: Similar but without black patch on throat, 
and with less yellow; scattering maxillary and pectoral black streaks; bay of 
wings merely indicated by rufous edgings. The piumage of the adults is brighter 
in the fall. Length 6.00-7.00 (152.4-177.8) ; wing 3.28 (83.3) ; tail 2.31 (58.7) ; 
bill .54 (13.7). Female smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; black throat and yellow breast of male 
(somewhat like the Meadowlark’s) ; female obscure, but showing traces of same 
coloration. 

Nest, a bulky but well made structure of weed-stalks, grasses and leaves, 
lined with finer grasses, rootlets, etc.; placed low in trees or bushes, or on the 
ground. Eggs, 4 or 5, pale blue, glossy. Av. size, .80 x .63 (20.3 x 16.). 

General Range.—EKastern United States, west to Rocky Mountains, north to 
Ontario and the Dakotas; rare easterly. South in winter through Central America 
to northern South America; southwest in migrations to Arizona. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon in western and central portions, but locally 
restricted ; rare or wanting in the northern and eastern portion. 


NATURE is a harmonious whole and her language is in a sense above 
criticism. But her various voices must be heard each in its appropriate set- 
ting. The scream of the eagle befits the crag alone, and the lisping of the wood 
warbler must be accompanied by the tender rustle of unfolding green. Similarly 
the song of Dickcissel, that dear droning midsummer sound, requires the setting 
of ample meadow or boundless prairie to be rightly understood. Nothing could 
be more absurd or more monotonous to the point of madness than the iterative 
clatter of a Dickcissel pent within four walls. But sprinkle about a dozen of 
him over the bending daisies of a forty acre field, set a light breeze blowing, turn 
on the music, and nothing could be more eloquent of the delights of haying time 
and harvest than the earnest tautophony of this same bird. It is the sub-dom- 
inant note of out-of-doors, blending alike with the clink-clank of the smitten 
scythe, the clattering din of the twine-binder, or the chorus of the reapers’ song. 

The bird usually selects the highest point available——a commanding tree- 
top, a passing telegraph wire, or a stout clover-stem if nothing better offers. 
Here with head erect or nodding with the rythm, he pours forth by the hour 


106 THE DICKCISSEL. 


those clinking syllables, which because of their very simplicity have been so 
variously interpreted: Sheep, sheep, shear, shear, sheep; or See, see, see me 
here, see; or better still, Dick, dick, dickcissel. ‘The three sentences just given 
fairly represent the range of variety in accent as well as in tempo. 

The female is a shy bird and her movements are known only to her at- 
tentive spouse. Once the nest is built she relies upon her mate’s diplomacy in 
conducting visitors out of 
bounds, while she sticks 
to her knitting. Some- 
times if danger is quite 
imminent she will 


Aas . 
y A PRO slip off the nest, but 
2 : , 
f Be so quietly as to af- 
MES SRS ‘ 


ford no clue for the 


Taken near Columbus. 


Photo by the Author. 


A DICKCISSEL MEADOW. 


search. Once off she manifests a singular indifference to all that is transpiring, 
and as likely as not refuses to appear upon the witness stand at all. The male 
sings only somewhat more energetically when the nest is being robbed, as if 
quite unable to comprehend the meaning of such a heartless proceeding. 

The nest is commonly placed upon the ground, flush with the surface or 
slightly elevated. In either case it is apt to be a slovenly affair incapable of 
transportation. Sometimes, however, the nest is a close-knit structure placed 
from two to six feet high in wayside weed-clumps, bushes, or trees. Two 
broods are commonly raised each season, after which the birds become quite 
silent and prepare for an early departure in September. 

This prairie-loving species is an invader from the south-west. Audubon 


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‘THE SCARLET TANAGER. 107 


reported it as rare in Ohio, while to Kirtland it was unknown. Dr. Wheaton 
considered it very common from 1860 on. It is somewhat irregular in its ap- 
pearance, and while certain sections may swarm with them one year, it may be 
unknown in the next county and may disappear entirely the following season. It 
is doubtful whether its numbers have increased with us during the past quarter 
of a century. 


No. 48. 


SCARLET TANAGER. 


VA. O. U. No. 608. Piranga erythromelas Vieill. 

Description.—ddult male: Scarlet vermilion; wings and tail black; lining 
of wing white; bill and feet blackish. Adult female: Entirely different; above 
olive-green; below greenish yellow; wings and tail dusky with greenish edging; 
bill and feet brown. Young male and adult male in winter: Similar to female 
but brighter; wings, tail and bill black. During moults and irregularly at other 
times the males show anomalous variegation of black, olive-green, scarlet, and 
dusky in patches. Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; av. of eight Columbus speci- 
mens: wing, 3.81 (96.8) ; tail, 2.61 (66.3) ; bill, length along culmen .61 (15.5) ; 
breadth at nostril, .34 (8.6). Sexes equal sized. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size, but appearing larger because of bright 
colors; scarlet and black of male; olive-green and dusky of female. 

Nest, rather loosely constructed of twigs, weed-stalks and bark-strips, lined 
with rootlets, blossom-stems, etc.; shallow and flat; placed from ten to fifty feet 
high on horizontal limb in orchard or grove. Eggs, 3-4, greenish blue, with spots 
and blotches of reddish brown, tending to run together in patches. Av. size, .95 x 
(64) (2ArT x 1613) 

General Range.—E astern United States, west to Plains, north to Manitoba, 
Ontario, etc. In winter south to West Indies, Mexico, Central America and 
northern South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Of general distribution, but less common southerly. Sum- 
mer resident. 


THOSE who haunt the woods in maying time are almost sure to see a 
vision of scarlet and black revealing itself for a moment in the higher tree- 
tops, but swallowed up again all too soon by the consuming green. If, how- 
ever, the leaves are not yet fully sprung the Tanager will move about quietly 
or sit rather stupidly in the middle branches, as tho bored by the lack of green 
and at a loss what to do with his brightness. At this time his chic burr, or 
chip-bird ery is readily traced to its source and soon becomes one of the more 
familiar sounds of the woodland. ‘The female is more modestly attired in 
a habit which blends perfectly with the foliage; but altho so different in color 
from her mate she is not hard to recognize, for she has much the same build 


108 THE SCARLET TANAGER. 


and carriage, and is oftenest seen in close company with him. Both birds are 
rather sedate in movement and have the habit of inclining the head to peer down 
at the observer with dignified interest. 


Taken in Ely Park < ‘ F 4 3 ps ae Photo by the 
Elyria. aa pice “ : Re ’ Author. 


‘© Terr-qué-c-e-ry, sé-erve, peés-eroo, be-soor.”’ 

The males arrive a few days in advance of their mates and at such 
times only may be found in close proximity to each other. Never shall I for- 
get the day, when in treading an overgrown path by the riverside I came 
suddenly upon four males on a single limb not twenty feet away. The vis- 
ion smote me like a blinding flash. The two oldest of the group were cer- 
tainly among the most magnificent birds ever seen in Northern latitudes. 
Their coats were re-dyed to the point of scarlet saturation, and as they 
moved off slowly the memory of the bird-man received an indelible image 
of the Most Beautiful Four. 

Sheltered woodlands, especially in broken country, shady hillsides, and 
the banks of streams, are favorite places for this bird; while second-growth 
clearings, open groves, and the trees which overlook unfrequented roads, 
also furnish acceptable nesting sites. In such places the Tanager’s song 
may be heard throughout the morning hours. It is remotely comparable to 
that of the Robin, but it is more stereotyped in form, briefer, and uttered at 


THE SCARLET TANAGER. 109 


intervals rather than continuously sustained. The notes are sharp-edged and 
rich in r’s, while the movement of the whole, tho deliberate, is varied, and the 
tone cheerful. Terr-qué-e-e-ry, 2é-erve, peés-croo, he-zoor', may give a hint 
of the quality and tempo. The Tanager’s note requires to be carefully dis- 
tinguished from 
that) Oe et he 
Rose - breasted 
Gao sibyerailsr 
which is 
smoother and 
more rolling in 
character. 

The nest of 
this bird is not 
often so sub- 
stantial as that 
shown in the il- 
l 


ite Sager, a 


q 


ustration. It 
is usually placed 
on a horizontal 
branch of a tree, 
either saddled 
loosely upon it, 
settled among 
Gilivne nt oes: 
twigs, or sup- 
ported by forks. 
“From five to 
fifteen feet up,” 
is given by 
some authors, 
but I have seen 
several nests at 
heights of for- 
ty or fifty feet, 
and do not be- 
lieve that they 
are exceptional. 


Taken near McConnelsville. Photo by the Author 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE SCARLET TANAGER. 


THE NEST WAS CUT DOWN FROM THE TOPMOST BRANCH OF A YOUNG ELM 
AND BROUGHT TO THE GROUND FOR PHOTOGRAPHING, 


ne THE SUMMER TANAGER. 


No. 49. 


SUMMER TANAGER. 


A. O. U. 610.. Piranga rubra (Linn.). 

Synonym.—SuMMER ReEpD-BIRD. 

Description.—Adult nmiale: Rosy vermilion, darker above (madder brown), 
lighter below ; wings dusky on exposed ends and unexposed inner webs; bill pale; 
feet darker. Adult female: Above orange, olive-green or olive-brown; lighter 
with large admixture of yellow below (often ochrey or saffron) ; wings dusky as 
in male; bill and feet pale. Young male: Like adult female, but brighter. The 
red of the maturing bird comes in patches, but without black anywhere. Lengtli 
7-50 (190.5) ; wing 3.70 (94.) ; tail 2.70 (68.6) ; bill, length .71 (18.), breadth at 
nostril .38 (9.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; uniform red of male; olive 
and saffron of female; bill light, larger than P. erythromelas. 

Nest, usually a shallow and frail structure of bark-strips, leaves, and vege- 
table fibres, placed near extremity of horizontal limb, ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, 
3-4, light green or bluish white, dotted, spotted, and blotched with reddish or olive- 
browns. Av. size, .95 x .66 (24.1 x 16.8). 

General Range.—FE astern United States west to Plains, north to about lati- 
tude 40°, casually to Massachusetts and Ontario. South in winter to middle and 
aorthern South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident in southern and southeastern, 
rare in middle, and casual in northern Ohio. 


ALTHO occasional at Columbus and casual anywhere, this Tanager 
is nearly confined to the southern third of the state. Here it is much more 
common than its black-winged relative and much more familiar, not hesi- 
tating to establish itself in orchard or shade trees, and frequently visiting city 
parks. Dr. Jones reports it as abundant near Circleville where it is nearly 
confined to woods-of oak and hickory. It seems to find an especially con- 
genial home in the wooded, broken hills which line the Ohio River and the 
major streams which flow into it. 

The scolding note of the summer Red-bird is such only in name, for no 
one could take offence at the mellow, mildly inquisitive pittwc or pitit-it-ituc 
with which the bird greets strangers. Its song, too, is not so sharp-edged 
as that of the Scarlet Tangler, altho the generic resemblance is quite marked, 
Consisting as it does of a succession of disconnected rolling phrases, it re- 
minds one also not a little of the song of the Red-eyed Vireo. 

The birds are very deliberate in movement, and give one the impression 
that they are taking a leisurely summer vacation and have plenty of time 
at their disposal. They are adroit, however, in catching insects on the wing, 
end do not shun the irksome duty of berry-picking. 


THE SUMMER TANAGER. III 


According to Dr. Jones: ‘“The nest is generally placed upon two or three 
small horizontal branches, and is supported at two or three points on its cir- 
cumference by small upright twigs. The position selected is usually near the 
end of a limb, from five to twenty feet from the ground, ten or twelve feet 
being the usual height. Dead grass of various kinds is the chief material of 
construction. It is sometimes well selected and of a light straw-color; at 
others it is poor in quality and dirty-brown in color. The foundation and 
superstructure are ordinarily inseparable. * * Within the dingy and loosely-in- 
terwoven walls of the nest is commonly a bright and clean lining, composed 


Taken in Morgan County. 


Photo by the Author. 


AT THE MOUTH OF DOUDA RUN. 


A FAVORITE HAUNT OF THE SUMMMER TANAGER. 


of slender blades of nicely bleached grass, and split and round grasses ar- 
ranged in orderly fashion, and forming a smooth and elastic covering to the 
walls of the cavity. There is but little art displayed in the structure, being so 
poorly made that the early fall winds blow it from its supports.” 


ED THE BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 


No. 50. 


BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 


Y A. O. U. No. 636. Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 

Synonym.— BLACK-AND-WHITE CREEPER. 

Description.—Adult male: Black and white in streaks and stripes; two 
lustrous black stripes separated by broad median white stripe on head, and pro- 
duced to cervix; superciliary stripe and under eyelid white; extreme chin and 
malar stripes white; ear-coverts and throat black; exposed tips of primaries and 
tertiaries and primary coverts dusky rather than black; tips of median and greater 
coverts broadly white; tail blackish with white or bluish white edgings; two 
outer pairs of feathers blotched with white on the inner webs near tip; upper 
tail-coverts black; belly white; remaining plumage black and white in streaks, 
broadest on breast and sides, finest on sides of neck; bill and feet black. Adult 
female: Similar to male, but throat white, and remaining under parts with 
fewer streaks, and sides washed with brownish. Jimmature: Similar to female, 
but with more streaks on under parts. Length 4.50-5.50 (114.3-139.7) ; wing 
2.75 (69.6) ; tail 1.90 (48.3) ; bill .45 (11.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium Warbler size; black and white in streaks and 
stripes. 

Nest, on the ground, usually sheltered by stump, log, or projecting stone; 
of leaves, bark-strips, and grasses, with a lining of fine rootlets and hairs. Eggs, 
4 or 5, white or creamy white, speckled and spotted with chestnut or umber, chiefly 
in a wreath about the larger end. Av. size, .67 x .55 (17. X 14.). 

General Range.—FE astern United States to the Plains, north to Fort Simp- 
son; south in winter through Central America and West Indies to Venezuela and 
Colombia. Breeds from Virginia to southern Kansas northward, and winters 
from Florida and the Gulf States southward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common during migrations. Breeds sparingly throughout 
the state in wilder portions. 


ALTHO placed at the head of the family of Wood Warblers, this mod- 
est bird comes more naturally into comparison with Creepers and Nuthatches. 
“Claws were made before wings,” he grumbles to himself, and while his more 
gaily dressed kinsmen are flitting restlessly in and out among the tree-tops 
he clings and creeps, or rather hops, along the bark of the trunk and the 
larger branches. He lacks much, it is true, of being the methodical plodder 
that the Brown Creeper is; he covers a great deal more surface in a given 
time and is content, it must be confessed, with a rather superficial examin- 
ation of any given territory. Then again he secures variety, not merely 
by tracing out the smaller limbs, but by moving in any direction,—up or 
down or sidewise—or even by darting into the air now and then to capture 
an insect which he has startled. Not infrequently he may be seen gleaning 
from the bark of bushes and saplings near the ground, or again in the tops 


THE BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 113 
of the very tallest elms. Apple trees are cherished hunting grounds, and it is 
here that one may cultivate a really intimate acquaintance. 

The Black-and-White is among the earlier migrant warblers, coming 
as it does during the last week in April and before the leaves are well 
out. At this time it is quite a conspicuous bird, in spite of the fact that 
its striped coat roughly approximates to the lights and shadows in the bark 
of a tree; but it is usually silent. When it does speak, a few days later, 
its voice is not altogether such as to command attention. Indeed its wiry 
squeaking song is likely to be lost to ear altogether amid the full chorus of 


Taken near Sugar Grove. Photo by the Author. 
A BIT OF BLACK AND WHITE’S DOMAIN. 


warbler week; but when the rush is over, the singer, now indefatigable, 
will come to light again. At best the song is a tiny sibilation of no great 
carrying power: Squeech, weech, weech, weech, weech, is one rendering, while 
another carefully studied near Sugar Grove, lisped out, Pss, wss, wuss, 
WUSS, WUSs, wuss, WUSS, Wss, wWss, in two keys, as indicated. 

While common as a migrant, the Black-and-White Warbler is c ympara- 
tively scarce as a breeding bird, being found sparingly only in the more 
densely wooded and broken regions of the state and about the larger reservoirs. 
Wheaton speaks of it indeed, as a common breeding bird, but I am not aware 


114 THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 


of a nest’s having been definitely reported within the state. During the 
second week in June birds were seen feeding full grown young in the ravines 
opening into the valley of the Hock-hocking near Sugar Grove. The scene 
represented in the accompanying illustration was persistently haunted by two 
anxious parents, but the particular objects of solicitude were not discovered. 
The tree which appears in the middle distance provided a favorite line of de- 
scent to the male bird on his frequent errands of mercy; and, standing as it 
does in contrasting sun and shadow, it affords a curious reminiscence of the 
bird itself. 

The nest of this Warbler is invariably placed upon the ground, a bulky 
collection of bark-strips, leaves and trash, carefully lined with fine grasses, 
rootlets and hair. It often courts the protection of some over-shadowing 
bush-clump, stump, or log, and not in vain, as our still empty collections testify. 


No. 51. 


PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 


VA. O. U. No. 637. Protonotaria citrea ( Bodd.) 


Description.—4dult male, in highest plumage: Head and neck all around 
and under-parts down to crissum, golden yellow (Indian yellow), paler below, 
an orange tint sometimes perceptible on crown and throat; back, and hind-neck 
on sides, olive; rump bluish ash; wings dusky, overlaid with bluish ash on sec- 
ondaries and narrowly on outer webs of primaries, and touched with olive on 
the coverts; tail-feathers bluish ash with dusky centers and tips, the outer pairs 
broadly and decreasingly blotched with white on the inner webs; crissum white; 
bill black; feet dark brown. Except in the highest plumage the olive of the 
back encroaches more or less upon the crown and the sides of the neck. Adult 
female: Similar, but paler yellow, and with white on belly; crown always over- 
laid with olive; bluish ash of wings and tail duller. Length 5.50 (139.7) ; 
wings 2.77 (70.4) ; tail 1.87 (47.5); bill .55 (14.). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium warbler size; head and under-parts, golden 
yellow; back olive; wing and tail bluish ash; bill black; wings without white 
(thus distinguished, as well as by superior size, from Helminthophila pinus). 

Nest, in cavities, deserted woodpecker holes and the like, in small trees 
standing in or near the water, one to eight feet up, and heavily lined with moss. 
Eggs, 3-7, white or creamy-white, heavily spotted with rich chestnut, 
sometimes nearly concealing ground color. Av. size, .68 x .55 (17.3 x 14.). 

General Range.—Eastern United States, west to Nebraska and Kansas, 
north to Virginia, southern Michigan and Iowa, casually to New England, On- 
tario and Minnesota; in winter, Cuba and northern South America. Breeds 
throughout its United States range. 


10 PROTHONOTARY WARBLER nionTs mstven IW Ono HY THE WMLATON PUBLISHING CO 


Protonotaria citrea 
About Life-size 


THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 115 


Range in Ohio.—Rare during migration. Summer resident in restricted 
localities, such as the Grand and Licking Reservoirs, and the major streams 
draining into the Ohio. Casual elsewhere. 


PRE-EMINENT in a galaxy of beauties is this truly “golden” Warbler 
of the swamps. He does not come over hill and dale with a rush and flutter 
of wings and a nervous anxiety to get on, such as characterizes most of the 
northern migrants, but proceeds rather in leisurely fashion along the valleys 
of the larger streams. Sedate in movement and fearless, but not bold, in bear- 
ing, this rare bird appears to bring with him something of the languorous air 
of the South-land from 
which he hails. His 
chosen haunts, too, 
flooded lowland woods, 
are even more strongly 
suggestive of those wa- 
tery fastnesses of the 
south, where the spe- 
cies is found in greatest 
abundance. 

Indeed, it is within 
comparatively — recent 
times that the Prothon- 
otary Warbler has be- 
come known as a bird 
of Ohio. Dr. Wheat- 
on first reported it in 
1862 on hearsay evi- 
dence. It was after- 
wards found breedingat iesor bap the 
the St. Mary's reser- 
voir by Mr. Charles 
Dury, of Cincinnati. In 
ie Sardine ales ta alee 


Irving A. Field« yf Gran- LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 


A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER’S FRONT YARD. 


ville found it breeding 
at several places about the Licking Reservoir, where I also had the pleasure 
of studying it, both at that time and during the season of 1903. On the 
28th of April, 1902, I observed a male on the banks of the Olentangy near 
Columbus, and again two days later. 

As one walks along that portion of the containing levee of Licking Reser- 
voir shown in our first illustration, a glance to the right discovers only the 
lapping waves and the rough rubble of the levee, but at the left the gaze falls 


TG THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. — 


Photo by fhe Abithor. 
WHERE THE PROTHONOTARY NESTS. 
A NESTING HOLE APPEARS IN THE FOREGROUND IN THE CENTRAL PANEL. 

upon a veritable fairy dell of woods and water, which even a Prothonotary 
Warbler will go far to see. The seepage through the levee furnishes the 
surrounding area with about two feet of standing water, at a level substan- 
tially twenty feet below that of the main reservoir. Here the essential char- 
acteristics of a southern swamp are reproduced,—tiny islands, verdant at the 
water's edge, but bristling with willow stubs and weighted with decaying 
tree trunks; dark, oozy channels and uncertain depths between; and a high 
wall of half open forest all about. Here above the ringing chorus of a bright 
May morning one hears the high droning of the monarch, swick, wick, wick, 
wick, wick. Downy Woodpeckers have prepared the way, so generously, in 
fact, that one peers into a half dozen likely-looking holes before coming upon 
one, three or four feet above the water, which contains a heavy cushion of 
moss and grass and horse-hair, upon which rest five or six large heavily- 
colored eggs. Or else a natural cavity is found in some hollow limb, in 
which case an immense amount of material is required to fill up the space to 
within a moderate distance of the top. 


THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. a 


The Prothonotary Warbler is, so far as known, the only one of the family 
to build regularly in holes in trees. We infer that it has drifted into this cus- 
tom within zoologically recent years, since its eggs are unusually dark colored, 
while those of all strictly hole-nesting birds are pure white. The eggs of this 
Warbler exhibit two types of coloration, with, of course, every variety of inter- 
mediate form. ‘Those of the first type are heavily and rather evenly spotted 
and dotted with dull brown, and show pale lavender shell-marks. ‘The other 
sort are boldly blotched with reddish brown, so heavily at times that the ground 
color is nearly obscured. 

According to Professor Butler, the females construct the nests and per- 
form all the duties of incubation. A few days are allowed to elapse after the 
completion of the nest before laying begins. An egg is laid each day until the 
set is complete, and two broods are often reared each season, especially 
southerly. 

During the mating season the males are exceedingly irascible. One 
hapless wight I saw, who, choosing the wrong platform for his song, was set 
upon vigorously by a jealous rival. At the first onslaught the pair fell fighting 
to the ground. ‘They picked themselves up hastily, and one, probably the 
original assailant, chased the other about for as much as three minutes. In 
and out they wound, now coming straight toward one like golden bullets, 
now threading the mazes of a tree-top like flashes of fire. But the fugitive 
was plucky, too, after a fashion, and altho he thought of nothing but flight, 
it was always within the bounds of the disputed territory. Finally the chase 
languished somewhat, and I left the contestants, faint yet pursuing. 


Photo by C. H. Morris. 


118 THE WORM-EATING WARBLER. 


No. 52. 
WORM-EATING WARBLER. 


GNA KO), UL) IN, 639. Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmel.). 

Description.—Adults: Head striped above; a narrow black stripe from 
either nostril, broadening behind; and a stripe of the same color through either 
eye; alternating stripes, and sides of head dingy buff; remaining upper parts 
dull olive; below dingy buffy, brighter on breast; bill dusky above, pale below ; 
feet pale. Length 5.50 (139.7); wing 2.86 (72.6); tail 1.91 (48.5); bill .58 
(14.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium warbler size; black and buff stripes on head; 
dingy coloration. 

Nest, on the ground, often sheltered by bush clumps, roots, projecting stones 
and the like; of leaves, bark, and trash, lined with grass, moss, or hair. Eggs, 
4-6, of variable shape, white, lightly or heavily spotted and blotched with lavender 
ancl Chest) Aten size 0G xer54m Glnsiesanliee70) 

General Range.—F astern United States, north to southern New York, and 
southern New England, west to eastern Kansas and Texas; south in winter to 
Cuba and northern South America. Breeds throughout its United States range. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon summer resident in southern and south- 
eastern Ohio. “Ranges northward in eastern portion to and including Cuyahoga 
and Ashtabula Counties” (Jones). 


DAMP woods, shady hillsides, and heavy undergrowth are required to 
attract this modest Warbler even in the southern part of our state, where 
alone it is common. Here the bird glides about over fallen logs, scuttles 
under brush-heaps or projecting stones, scratches vigorously among the fallen 
leaves, or clambers about the bushes, pursuing always a relentless search for 
the spiders, grubs, and worms, which form its almost exclusive diet. It is 
mainly a silent bird, and apart from nesting considerations regards your 
intrusion into its dusky haunts with little concern. Given, however, a sitting 
mate, or babies in the vicinity, and the bird’s expostulations are most em- 
phatic. Chip—chip—chip, it says with an energy which shakes the little frame ; 
and presently every bird on the hillside joins in berating you. 

There is little danger, however, for the bird. The nest is lodged some- 
where upon the hillside, half buried by festoons of running vines and mosses, 
or else tucked away under the shadow of a log amidst a riot of dead leaves. 
Mere search is useless. The bird will guide you to her nest—perhaps. If 
not, why try again next year. 

If caught upon the nest the bird sits close and braves the threatening 
hand, or else flutters out and tumbles down the hill with every symptom of 
acute and most inviting distress. Of course the distress is only mental, and 
the invitation is withdrawn in the nick of time. 


THE WORM-EATING WARBLER. 119 


The nest consists of a copious swathing of bark-strips and dead leaves, 
open at the top or side, according to the nature of the ground, and carefully 
lined with fine grass, hair, or moss. 

Upon one occasion only does the Worm-eating Warbler avail himselt 
freely of the more elevated perches which his forest home affords. In 
singing the bird 
mounts a limb 
twenty or thirty 
feet high and 
pours forth a 
torrent of notes 
not unlike those 
of the Chipping 
Sparrow. So 
close is the re- 
semblance that 
one is almost 
sure to be de- 
ceived by them 
the first time; 
but closer at- 
tention dis- 
CONES  Waebe 
more rapid ut- 
terance and 
somewhat finer 
quality. One in- 
dividual heard 
meaL ols a tr 
Grove wound 
up his trill with 
an odd musical 
quirk quite out 
of character, 
and which he 
had borrowed, 
I faney, from a 
Ho« ded War- 
bler nesting 


near. Taken in Morgan county. Photo by the Author. 
THE HAUNT OF THE WORM-EATING WARBLER, 


ase THE BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 


No. 53. 
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 641. Helminthophila pinus (Linn. ). 

Synonym.—BLvuE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male: Forehead and fore-crown bright yellow with 
a tinge of orange (Indian yellow) ; sides of head and entire under parts, except 
crissum, rich lemon yellow; a black line through eye; wings and tail bluish ash 
over dusky; tips of middle and greater coverts white, the former with yellowish 
tinge; three outer pairs of tail-feathers blotched with white on inner webs; re- 
maining upper parts bright olive-green, clearest and with most yellow on rump; 
crissum white. Adult female: Similar but with yellow of head restricted to 
forehead; under parts paler yellow; bill blackish; feet dark brown. Length 
about 4.75 (120.6) ; wing 2.37 (60.2); tail 1.72 (43.7); bill .41 (10.4). 


& 
t 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by the Author. 
THE BLUE-WINGED WARBLER’S DOMAIN. 


THE NEST SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION OCCUPIES A POSITION NEAR THE CENTER. 


Recognition Marks.—Smaller; yellow on forehead and below; bright olive- 
green above; black line through eye; white wing-bars and smaller size as dis- 
tinguished from the Prothonotary Warbler. 

Nest, on the ground, at edge of thicket or black-berry patch, of leaves, grape- 


THE BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 121 


vine bark, etc., lined with fine grass. Eggs, 4 or 5, white, faintly and thinly 
speckled with cinnamon-brown or umber. Av. size, .63 x .51 (16. X 13.). 

General Range.—E astern United States from southern New York, southern 
New England and southern Minnesota southward, west to Texas and Nebraska. 
In winter south to Guatemala and Nicaragua. 


Range in Ohio.—Of general distribution in summer throughout the state. 


ALTHO appearing in our latitudes as early as May first, the Blue- 
winged Yellow Warbler seems to bring summer with it. This is partly be- 
cause its bright plumage suggests the fullest measure of sunshine, but more 
because its drowsy, droning song better befits the midsummer hush than it 
does the strife of tongues which marks the May migrations. Swe-c-c-s2¢e-c-c- 
e-e- the bird says, and it is as if the Cicada had spoken. The last syllable 
especially has a vibrant clicking quality like the beating of insect wings. 

Like most warblers this bird makes nice discriminations in the choice 
of its summer home. If one knows exactly what sort of cover to look for 
it is not difficult 
to locate a Blue- 
wing, but one 
might ransack 
a township at 
haphazard and 
find never a 
one Low, 
moist clearings 
which have 
been allowed te 
fill up again 
with spice 
bush, witch-ha- 
zel, and sap- 
lings are favor- 
ee ples, GS= 
pecially if here 
andthere a larg- 
Gr  fiese Imei 
been spared, 
from which the 
singing War- 
bler may ob- § 
tain at will a — Taken near Obertin. Photo by Lynds Jones. 
commanding 


NEST AND EGGS OF BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 


i ‘THE BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 


view. When suited to a “t” the bird will buzz into the late hours of the 
morning, when other songsters are silent. 

Active and sprightly in habit, in spite of its tranquilizing song, the 
Blue-wing is seen to best advantage when nest-hunting or nest-building. 
Selecting a promising spot the bird will approach it by degrees, first dropping 
down some sapling ladder, rung by rung, until the lowest branch is reached ; 
thence flitting to the top of a bush-clump, and descending in like manner to 
the ground. Here diligent inspection is made about the roots of the bush. 
the leaf supply, drainage, and cover being duly considered. If the outlook 
is promising the mate is summoned and the situation reconsidered. 

The nest is placed upon the ground or upon the trash which covers it, 
and is usually so surrounded by descending stems as to be well hidden and 
quite secure. It is made out of rather coarse materials,—principally grape- 
vine bark and dead leaves,—bulky and deep, with ragged or indefinite edges, 
and often boasting nothing better than finely shredded bark for a lining. 
The female is a close sitter and may not infrequently be taken by the hand. 

In June, 1902, I found a typical Chat’s nest placed four feet high in 
blackberry vines, but which contained three tiny eggs of uniform size, quite 
like those of the Blue-winged Yellow Warbler. In response to my “‘screep” 
of inquiry a Blue-wing promptly appeared, not once only but twice, and 
scolded me roundly; while a Chat joined in at twice the distance. I was 
thoroughly puzzled, baffled; it was impossible to tell from the appearances 
which bird owned the eggs. Moreover my time was short. “When in doubt 
take the nest.” The set is now in the Oberlin College collection, but we 
shall never know whether to label it “Chat” or “Blue-wing.” 


“THE BREW STER W ARBLER. 123 


No. 53, H. 


BREWSTER WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. H. 21. Helminthophila leucobronchialis (Brewst.). 


Description.—Adult male: More or less like H. pinus (i. e. forehead and 
forecrown pure yellow, a black line through eye, etc.), but upper parts bluish 
gray (instead of olive-green) ; the wing-bars yellow; under parts pure white, 
tinged on breast only with yellow and on sides with ashy gray. In the fall more 
heavily washed with yellow below, and margined with olive-green above. Adult 
female: Like the male, but yellow of crown not so bright ; wing-bars usually 


white. 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by the Author. 
A HAUNT OF THE BREWSTER WARBLER. 


The status of this bird is not yet fully determined. It may be a color phase 
of H. pinus or a hybrid between H. pinus and H. chrysoptera or possibly a nascent 
species. Certain it is that its affinities are strongly with H. pinus. Upon this 
point Ridgway’s note is at least suggestive and perhaps solvent, “This puzzling 
bird apparently bears the same relation to H. pinus that H. lawrencei does to 
H. chrysoptera. In a large series of specimens every possible intermediate con- 
dition of plumage between typical H. pinus and H. lewcobronchialis is seen, just 
as is the case with H. chrysoptera and H. lawrencei. If we assume therefore that 
these four forms represent merely two dichroic species, in one of which (H. pins) 


2A THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. 


the xanthochroic (yellow) phase and in the other (H. chrysoptera) the leucochroic 
(white) phase represents the normal plumage,—and admitting that these two 
species in their various conditions, hybridize (which seems to be an incontro: 
vertible fact)—we have an easy and altogether plausible explanation of the 
origin of the almost interminably variable series of specimens which have found 
their way into the waste-basket labelled H. lewcobronchialis.” 


IN the spring of 1903 four individuals of this puzzling form, all singing 
males, were observed near Oberlin. The first one seen haunted the same 
spot—a little opening in a thicket of tall saplings—in which we had closely 
studied a Golden-winged Warbler the previous season. His song too re- 
minded us strongly of the other bird, except that he usually sang three notes, 
Swee-see-zee, where the other had always given four, Zwee, see, sec, zcet. 
Another Brewster in a wood three miles removed exhibited the same pecu- 
liarity; while a third seen in the “Old South” woods with the first, rendered 
a typical Blue-wing song of two drawling syllables. Here on another occa- 
sion a Blue-wing and a Brewster were seen chasing each other about through 
the smaller trees, and their excited songs hinted strongly of rivalry in love. 

The case of the Brewster Warbler is very perplexing—delightfully so— 
but there is no reason why it should not find its solution here in Ohio. 


No. 54. 
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 642. Helminthophila chrysoptera (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Above and on sides bluish gray ; a crown-patch, 
including forehead, and a large patch on the wing, formed by tips of median 
coverts, and outer webs of greater coverts, bright yellow; a black patch through 
eye, including lore and ear-coverts, separated from crown by a narrow, and from 
throat by a wide, white stripe; throat black, broadening below; remaining under 
parts white, tinged more or less with blue-gray; rest of wing and tail dusky, 
with narrow blue-gray edgings; three outer pairs of tail-feathers with white 
blotches on the inner web; bill slender, acute, blackish; feet dark brown. Female: 
Like the male, but crown duller, and black of cheeks and throat partially ob- 
scured; touched with bright olive above, especially on margins of inner quills. 
Immature: Vike female. Length 5.00-5.25 (127.-133.3); wing 2.54 (64.5); 
tail 1.87 (47.5); bill .44 (11.2). This bird crosses freely with the preceding 
species, H. pinus. See description of preceding form, also H. lawrencei in Ap- 
pendix A. 


11 


GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER 
Helminthophila chrysoptera 
Life-size 


COPYRIGHT 1800, 


RIGHTS RESEAVED IN O10 BY 


BY A.W. MUM 


THE WHEATON 


RO, 


pu 


CHICAGO. 
SHINS CO. 


THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. “125 


Recognition Marks.—Medium size; bright yellow crown and wing-patches, 
and black throat. 

Nest, much like that of the commoner H. pinus, on the ground or just above 
it, in tussock or weed clump, of leaves, grass, etc., lined with fine grasses. Eggs, 
4-6, white, spotted and dotted, chiefly about larger end, with chestnut, umber and 
lilac-gray. Av. size, .62 x .49 (15.8 x 12.5). 

General Range.—E astern United States north to southern New England, 
southwestern Ontario, and southern Minnesota, breeding from northern New 
Jersey and Northern Ohio northward, and southward along the Alleghanies to 
South Carolina, Central America and northern South America in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare summer resident, in northern, locally common in 
southern portions of state. 


Photo by the 
Author. 


AT THE MOUTH OF DOUDA RUN—‘MORGAN COUNTY’S BEST.” 


THE first glimpse of a new Warbler is always memorable, but an in- 
troduction to this dashing young fellow is especially so. You may have 
looked for years in vain, when suddenly one May morning you come upon 
him in the swampy woods, restless, full of life, and in the highest spirits. 
The young hickories are just about to open their reluctant palms; the gallant 
mounts a high bud, throws back his head, and sputters out Zee, zee, see, see, 
at double time in comparison with his drowsier relative, the Blue-wing. 
Without waiting for applause he charges after a vagrant fly, snaps him up, and 
takes to a sweet-smelling spice-bush for another round of music. A passing 


THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. 


126 


Vireo, who by the way was born thereabouts, is fiercely assailed by the swag- 
gering stranger, and retires in confusion. What impudence! you exclaim 
with rising resentment. But not so fast! A coy female, smartly dressed, 


Taken in Morgan County. Photo by C. H. Morris. 
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER AT NEST. 


if not so bright- 
ly as her mate, 
hops up out of 
a brush pile. 
The adoring 
lover darts to 
her side, but 
she avoids him 
through a hazel 
thicket, and he 
sets off in hot 
pursuit. Ho, 
ho! you chuck- 
le; so that’s the 
secret. Happy 
fellow! 
ATUCR Bl 
merry chase the 
birds suddenly 
bethink — them- 
selyes what 
effect your pres- 
ence may have 
upon their fu- 
ture plans and 
join in berating 
vou by ener- 
getic scits. It 
you are incon- 
siderate enough 
to intrude a 
few days later, 
you will find 
the nest where 
you have found 
the Blue- 
wing's, at the 


base of a bush clump, and its five eggs reposing in a rude half-sphere of 


leaves, bark-strips and grasses. 


THE NASHVILLE WARBLER. | ; 12 


The Golden-winged Warbler is quite irregular in distribution, and varies 
unaccountably from year to year. While it is always rare in most localities, 
certain are reported where it is always to be found. The nest shown in the 
illustration occupied a central position in the copse beyond the fence in 
“Morgan County’s Best’; and Messrs. Morris and Arrick feel that they 
are sure of finding the species there each season. 


No. 55. 


NASHVILLE WARBLER. 


A.O. U. No. 645. Helminthophila rubricapilla (Wils.). 

Description.—Adult male: Head above and on sides bluish ash, with a 
partially concealed bright chestnut crown patch; a whitish eye-ring; remaining 
upper parts bright olive-green; wings and tail dusky without distinct white, but 
with whitish edgings on inner, and olive-green edgings on outer webs; below, 
bright yellow, including crissum, whitening on belly; bill small, short, acute, 
blackish above, brownish below; feet brown. Female: Like male but some- 
what duller below; ashy of head less pure, glossed with olivaceous; chestnut 
crown-patch less conspicuous or wanting. Jmmature: Olive-green without ashy 
above; below dull olive-yellow, clearing on belly and crissum. Length 4.25-5.00 
(108.-127.) ; wing 2.34 (59.4); tail 1.66 (42.2); bill .38 (9.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller; yellow under parts usually clearer and 
brighter than in H. celata, and more extensive than in any other species unmarked 
below. Head contrasting more or less with back, as further distinguished trom 
succeeding species. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground in second 
growth thickets and brushy pastures, of bark-strips, leaves, moss, etc., lined with 
fine grasses and rootlets. Eggs, 4 or 5, white or creamy-white, thickly speckled, 
chiefly about larger end, with rufous-brown or lilac. Av. size, .64 x .46 (16.3 x 
7). 

General Range.—Fastern United States to the Plains, north to the Fur 
Countries, breeding from the northern United States northward. Mexico and 
Guatemala in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant throughout the state. 


ALTHO rightly accounted common during the migrations, this trim 
little Warbler is by no means obtrusive and may easily pass unnoticed except 
by the closest observers. It is a rather leisurely traveler, spending with us 
about two weeks in spring and requiring twice as much time to pass in fall. 
In spring it shows preference for young, second-growth timber and moist 
brush-lots, but is not uncommon in the tree-tops, especially on the border 
of the woods. On the autumn passage they are lured by the abundance of 


128 THE ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. 


rank weeds into more open situations. The birds appear to know instinc- 
tively how well their colors harmonize at that season with the massing 
golden-rod and the sere leaves of the wayside willow. 

During the vernal movement the males are in full song, and the quality 
of their notes has given rise to much learned discussion. ‘The aggregate 
of testimony goes to show that the song appears in two phases, and that 
the two are frequently combined in various proportions in one utterance. ‘The 
second phase, or phrase, as the case may be, closely resembles the trill of the 
Chipping Sparrow, while the first is likened to the song of the Yellow or 
Chestnut-sided Warbler or—more appropriately, I think—to that of the 
Black-and-White. Mr. Minot, having in mind the Warbler type, hears, 
qwee-see, qwe-see, wit-a-wit-a-wit. Rev. J. H. Langille combines both as 
ke-tse, ke-tse, ke-tse; chip-ee-chip-ee-chip-ec-chip. While Professor Jones 
represents “the more Chippy-ward song” by “‘k-chip; k-chip; k-chip; k-chip; 
che-che-che-che.’ Of course the use of comparisons at all implies that the 
nates are among the lesser known and less distinctive woodland sounds. 


No. 56. 
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 646. Helminthophila celata (Say). 

Description.—Adult: Above ashy olive-green, clearing and brighter on the 
rump; crown with patch almost concealed, of orange-red (Saturn red) feathers; 
wings and tail fuscous with some olive edging; below greenish-yellow, dingy or 
vaguely streaked with olive on breast and sides. Jimmature: Without orange 
of crown; more ashy above; duller below; eye-ring whitish. Length about 5.00 
(127.) ; wing 2.40 (61.) ; tail 1.95 (49.5) ; bill .42 (10.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Small warbler size; orange crown-patch is distinctive, 
but seldom seen in life; under parts duller and greener than last, not so white 
as next species; no contrast between general color of head and back. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground among clumps of 
bushes, of coarse strips of bark, grasses, and plant-stems, lined with fur and hair. 
Eggs, 4-6, white or creamy-white, finely speckled with reddish brown, and with 
fainter markings of purplish slate (Kennicott). Av. size, .64 x .46 (16.3 x 11.7). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding as far north as the 
Yukon and Mackenzie Rivers and southward through the Rocky Mountains ; 
wintering in the South Atlantic and Gulf States and Mexico. Rare east of the 
Alleghanies, north of Virginia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare spring and fall migrant. 


THE TENNESSEE WARBLER. 129 

H. celata is one of the rarer migrant Warblers, of which comparatively 
little seems to be known. In its breeding haunts, which extend up to well 
within the Arctic Circle, it is found to be a bird of the undergrowth and open 
thickets; but during its migrations it is at least as likely to be seen in the 
tree-tops along with the stricter denizens of the woods. A few of us report 
seeing the species every year or so, and a conscientious shot every fourth 
year confirms the record. 

Dr. Wheaton once came upon a male in full song. He describes the 
notes as loud, emphatic, and rather monotonous, consisting of the syllables, 
chicky-tick, tick, tick, tick. Protessor Lynds Jones renders the song, chee, 
chee, chee, chw, chw, and says that the first three syllables are rapidly uttered 
and the last two more slowly. 


No. 57. 
TENNESSEE WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 647. Helminthophila peregrina (Wils.). 

Description.—Adult male: Crown and sides of head bluish ash fading into 
whitish of throat; above bright olive-green; wings and tail dusky with faint 
edgings of olive-green; outer tail-feathers sometimes show obscure whitish spot 
near tips; upper eyelid, or faint superciliary line, whitish; below dull white, 
often washed more or less on throat, breast and sides (especially the last) with 
sordid yellowish. Adult female: Similar; ashy of head veiled by olive-green 
skirtings; more yellow below. Jmmatwre: Crown and back clear olive-green; 
under parts washed with yellow, except on under tail-coverts. Length 4.50-5.00 
(114.3-127.) ; wing 2.53 (64.3); tail 1.65 (41.9); bill 40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Small warbler size. Another nondescript,—sordid 
white or pale yellowish below; white of belly usually unmistakable. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in low bushes near ground, of 
vegetable fibers, grasses, etc., lined with hair. Eggs, pearly white with wreath 
about larger end of brown and purplish spots. Av. size, .60 x .56 (15.2 x 14.2). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding from northern New 
York and northern New England northward to Hudson Bay Territory; in winter 
south through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica and California. 

Range in Ohio.—Common during spring and fall migrations. 


130 THE TENNESSEE WARBLER. 


LIKE the Nashville Warbler, this bird of the far north owes its name 
to an accident of discovery. Wilson first found it on the banks of the Cum- 
berland in Tennessee, and promptly named it after their common hostess. 
Both Wilson and Audubon regarded the bird as extremely rare, the former 
having seen but two specimens and the latter three. It is known now as one 
of our common migrants in the middle West, but its first positive recognition 
in the case of any individual observer is usually effected by the aid of a gun. 
Altho bright olive-green might be reckoned on first thought a conspicuous 
color, it is precisely the opposite when viewed among the tender greens of 
May, or amidst the changing foliage of autumn. 

The ‘Tennessee Warbler is a rather late and leisurely migrant. It does 
not appear in spring until the leaves are at least half way out, usually about 
the end of the first week in May; and at that season it keeps to the densest 
cover in woodland or orchard trees. But once learn its song and the rest 
is easy. Its voice can readily be distinguished in a May-day chorus, but 
it is not averse to musical effort on dull days, and then is your best chance. 
A dull canopy of cloud, it may be, covers the sky. It is not raining, but the 
face of nature is bathed in an atmosphere heavy with warm moisture, and 
the apple trees gratefully suck up the nourishment and throw out their foliage 
and blossoms visibly before your eyes. Suddenly from the midst of some bower 
of blossom not so far removed but glowing softly down the orchard isle of 
tenuous vapor, there bursts a fine note of inquiry, the prelude of a series 
which rises rapidly to a peremptory challenge, Pichick’, pichick’, pichick’, chick, 
chick, chip, chip, chip. ‘The song is delivered in a rapid crescendo up to the 
last note, but with this the bird suddenly checks himself. If you advance, 
the bird quits his bower for some other flower-hold as difficult, and the 
chances are against your catching anything but a dull yellowish glimpse. 
You cannot see him, but you have heard and that is enough. 

In the fall, strange to say, the birds not only seem much more plentiful, 
but they quit the woods and resort almost exclusively to wayside thickets, 
second-growth clearings, and the like. At this season too they are much 
more approachable. Either they are less suspicious now that the love- 
sickness is over, or else they trust more implicitly to the protection of the 
sere leaf. 


_ THE NORTHERN PARULA Ww ARBLER. 131 


No. 58. 
NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 648a. Compsothlypis americana usnez Brewster. 

Synonym.—BLvuE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male: Above and on sides of head and neck grayish 
blue; a large greenish golden patch on back; wings and tail dusky with obscure 
bluish bordering; tips ‘of middle and greater coverts white, forming two con- 
spicuous bars; two outer pairs of tail-teathers with white blotches on the inner 
webs; lores broadly bluish black; a white spot on lower eyelid; chin and breast 
yellow,—connection almost cut off by encroaching blue of sides; a blackish or 
blue-black dab on lower throat; below this, in turn, a rich orange-brown patch, 
each feather with a yellow tip, producing a shingled effect; below sordid white. 
Adult female: Similar but the orange-brown and black of throat often absent ; 
paler everywhere. Young of the year: Upper parts tinged with olive-green, 
thus giving a peculiar plue- green effect, especially on head; “yellow of lower parts 
paler. Length of males about 4.75 (120.6) ; wing 2.38 (60.6) ; tail 1.67 (CEA 
bill .38 (9.7) 

Recognition Marks.—Smallest of American Warblers (wsneae is however 
the largest of the three allied forms) ; golden patch on back; the orange-brown 
on the breast of high plumage male is distinctive. 

Nest, a pouch, formed oftenest of a bunch of pensile moss (Usnea), or high 
water debris, gathered together at the bottom, felted, and carefully lined, and with 
entrance at side. Eggs, 4 or 5, sometimes 6 or 7, glossy white or creamy white, 
speckled with cinnamon-red, chestnut, and gray, usually in a wreath about larger 
end. Av. size, .66 x .47 (10.8 x 11.9). The breeding bird is perhaps the next 
form, C. a. ramalinae. 

General Range.—New England, New York and westward at least to Long. 
82°, and north into the Maritime Provinces and Ontario, migrating southward 
beyond the United States in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Rather rare during migrations. 


A recent overhauling of this genus by one of the masters has left us 
in temporary uncertainty regarding the Ohio forms, but it seems altogether 
probable that the larger bird is strictly migrant. Dr. Wheaton, relying 
upon the observations of Messrs. Read and Kirtland, gives the Parula War- 
bler as a summer resident in northern Ohio. More recently Thomas Mc- 
Ilwraith in his “Birds of Ontario,” states that he has not heard of a nest’s 
being found in that province, since the majority of the birds pass still farther 
north to breed. More lately still they have been found breeding by Fleming 
in the districts adjoining Georgian Bay. No recent records of breeding are 
at hand from the northern part of this state, and it would appear at least 
possible that the more robust form has pushed its way further northward 


1 Measurements of all but length are from Ridgway. See “The Birds of North and Middle America,” 
part II, p. 484. 


132 THE WESTERN PARULA WARBLER. 


since Kirtland’s time, leaving a hiatus between the two subspecies, which at 
present consists of northern Ohio and southern Ontario. If closer atten- 
tion discovers breeding birds in the northern part of the state, they will 
probably prove to be avant couriers of the southwestern bird, C. a. ramalinae. 


No. 59. 
WESTERN PARULA WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 648a, part. Compsothiypis americana ramalinze Ridgway. 

Description.—Similar in coloration to C. a. usneac, but averaging somewhat 
smaller. Length of male 4.40 (111.7); wing 2.26 (57.5); tail 1.61 (40.9) ; bill 
39 (9.9). Recently elaborated by Ridgway but status and distribution not yet 
clearly defined. 

General Range.—Locally distributed throughout the Mississippi Valley and 
its tributaries, west to the Plains, north to Canada, and east to western Ohio and 
Michigan. 

Range in Ohio.—Believed to be the breeding bird; nowhere common but 
generally distributed. 


DURING the spring migrations the Parula Warbler is the most restless 
midget of all that motley host which throngs the tree-tops. One tries in vain 
to catch him at rest, if but for the fraction of a second, that he may feast his 
eyes upon those rare beauties. But no; the little body is swayed by a thousand 
passions, and each movement must do duty for an hour. It is both moving- 
time and mating-time, and to see him bustling about in such a mighty flurry 
one guesses that Chaucer’s lines must be true of him: 


“So hote he lovede that by nightertale 
He sleep namore than doth the nightingale 


ory 


Arrived, however, upon the summer camping ground and secure in his 
mistress’s affections, our hot lover becomes much more sedate. One observed 
closely at McConnelsville in May, 1993, moved about with great deliberation, 
stopping for several minutes at a time upon a given twig, where he sang at 
frequent intervals. The song consisted of distinctly syllabized 2 notes, wind- 
ing up with a squeak of an entirely different character, Zu su su su Zuee tsip. 
The whole was of a hair-like fineness, and had no great carrying power. 

During the same season in the wooded hills about Sugar Grove I saw 
parents leading about full-grown young on the roth of June. In the overflow 


THE WESTERN PARULA WARBLER. 133 


of the Crystal Spring, so well known to Columbus picnickers, we saw a Parula 
taking a noonday bath. The bird permitted a close approach during his icy 
ablutions. After this, upon a couch of tangled vines, he took a sun-bath in 
leisurely fashion, preening, and shaking himself now and then until he looked 
like a little blue and yellow pincushion. ‘Then he whisked into a tree-top and 


was lost in a trice. 


Taken near Sugar Grove. ~ : ’ mY : es : Photo by the Author. 


VIEW LOOKING WEST ACROSS THE HOCKING RIVER. 


PARULAS NEST IN THESE WOODED HILLS. 


In nesting, the Parula makes artful use of bunches of moss, or even 
drift material left by a receding freshet. The moss is caught up and woven 
into a pendulous subspherical mass, or if bulky enough already, the bird may 
simply pull and pry and excavate a convenient hollow. Again the nest may 
be entirely constructed of materials laboriously gathered. A writer in Penn- 
sylvania, Mrs. T. D. Dershimer, reports two such nests in hemlock trees. 


134 THE CAPE MAY WARBLER. 


No. 60. 
CAPE MAY WARBLER. 


“A. O. U. No. 650. Dendroica tigrina (Gmel.). 

Description.—ddult male: Crown in high plumage black, usually olive- 
skirted; back olive-green streaked obscurely with black; rump yellow; wings and 
tail dusky with olive-green edging; a large white patch with olive skirtings on 
wing, formed by lesser and middle coverts ; two or three outer pairs of tail-feathers 
broadly blotched on the inner web; ear-coverts and space below eye orange-brown 
contrasting with clear yellow of hind neck and sides of throat; a yellow supercil- 
iary line often tinged with orange-brown; a line through eye black; below yellow 
heavily streaked with black except on chin, sides of throat, and lower tail-coverts ; 
lower belly and crissum whitish; bill blackish, acute, slightly curved; feet dark 
brown. Adult female: Duller; without distinctive head markings; white wing- 
patch much restricted; dull yellow or dingy white below, streaked with black, 
more narrowly and less extensively than in male. Adults in fall: Entire plumage 
more or less obscured by olive-gray suffusion. Jmmatuwre male like spring female 
but with more white on wing. Jmmature female like adult but whitish instead 
of yellow below. Length 5.00-5.25 (127.-133.3); wing 2.62 (66.6); tail 1.80 
(45-7) ; bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; ear-patches orange-brown; bright yel- 
low on sides of neck; yellow with black stripes below (something as in D. macu- 
losa, but the contrast between the colors not so sharp; the streaks more numerous 
and not so clearly confluent in stripes). 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, semi-pensile, of small twigs 
and grass interwoven with spider-webs, and carefully lined with horse-hair. Eggs, 
3 or 4, dull white, speckled and spotted with dark brown and lilac-gray, chiefly 
gathered in wreath about larger end. Av. size, .69 x .49 (17.5 X 12.5). 

General Range.—Eastern North America north to Lake Winnipeg and 


Hudson Bay Territory, west to the Plains. Breeds from northern New England 
northward; winters in the West Indies. 


4 


Range in Ohio.—Comparatively rare, 


during migrations only. 


THERE are two particularly interesting things about the Cape May 
Warbler, and that which excites our interest is that it is one of the rarer 
warblers. One may study the warbler host for several years without meeting 
this bright-colored little fellow, and then be rewarded with an unexpected 
meeting with several of them in fullest plumage. I have found them in 
orchards more than elsewhere, helping the owner prepare for a rich harvest 
of fruit because the insect eggs are found and destroyed. A troop of warblers 
is worth barrels of emulsion. Ely Wood, Elyria, has also proved a good 
place for the Cape May. Six were found in one company last year, in the 
shade trees along the street. 


12 YELLOW WARBLER ania aeee en tehaonareioneee 


Dendroica aestiva 


'5 Life-size 


THE YELLOW WARBLER. 135 


The other thing of peculiar interest is that this warbler has a cleft and 
fringed tongue, and has been called Perissoglossa. Just what the function 
of this pattern of tongue may be is a puzzle, but that it is in some way useful 
to the birds can hardly be doubted. It is certainly not an aid to singing, for 
this warbler is one of the weaker voiced ones, with a high pitched, wiry song, 
spelled “a-wit, a-wit, a-wit,” by Mr. Butler. The song is given while the bird 
is feeding, and is a sort of accompaniment to the real business of life during 
the northward journey. In my experience this warbler is unwary and per- 
mits a close approach. I have never seen it at a greater height than twenty 
feet in the trees and bushes. 

The migrations have not been well worked out yet, but what we know 
about the movements across Ohio would indicate a northward movement dur- 
ing the first half of May, and a southward return during August and early 
September. The persistent student of the migrations is sure to find Cape 
May sometime under favorable conditions for study. 

The nest is built in a low bush in a wooded pasture or open woodland, 
and is said to be partially pensile. The nest and eggs are not readily distin- 
guishable from other members of this genus. The males sing frequently 
from their perch on the topmost twig of a spruce tree, and so mislead one as 
to the whereabouts of the nest. In the United States nests will be found only 
in northern New England and northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 
except in the mountains. Lynps Jonrs 


No. 61. 


YEELOWOWARBIEER: 


A. O. U. No. 652. Dendroica zstiva (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—SUMMER YELLOW-BIRD; SUMMER WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male: Forehead and fore-crown bright yellow with 
an orange tinge; back bright olive-green ; rump greenish yellow; wings and tail 
blackish with greenish yellow edgings, the wing “quills edged on both webs, the 
tail- -feathers—except middle pair—almost entirely yellow on inner webs; sides 
of head and entire under parts golden yellow, the breast and sides heavily streaked 
with chestnut ; bill black; feet pale. Adult female: Like male but duller; olive- 
green on back, not brighter on forehead; paler yellow below, obscurely or not at 
all streaked with chestnut. Young males resemble the adult female. Young 


female still duller; dusky yellow below. Length 4.75- : 25 (120.6-133.3); av. 
of five Columbus specimens: wing 2.51 (63.8); tail 1.68 (42.7) ; bill .40 (10.2). 
Recognition Marks.—Medium size; golden Faips Eoloration: chestnut 


streaks on breast of male; the commonest of the resident warblers. 


AG THE YELLOW WARBLER. 


Nest, a compact cup of woven “hemp” and fine grasses, lined heavily with 
plant-down, grasses, and, occasionally, horse-hair, fastened to upright branch in 
rose-thickets and the like. Eggs, 4 or 5, white, bluish-, creamy-, or grayish-white, 
speckled and marked with largish spots of reddish brown, burnt umber, etc., often 
wreathed about the larger end. Av. size, .70 x .50 (17.8 x 12.7). 

General Range.—North America at large, except southwestern part, giving 
place to D. ae. rubiginosa in extreme northwest. South in winter to Central 
America and northern South America. Breeds nearly throughout its North 
American range. 

Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution; the most abundant Warbler. 
Not conspicuous as a passing migrant. 


FEMALE BROODING YOUNG. 


THE Summer Warbler’s gold is about as common as that of the Dande- 
lion, but its trim little form has not achieved any such distinctness in the public 
mind. Most people, if they take note at all of anything so tiny, dub the birds 
“Wild Canaries,” and are done. The name as applied to the Goldfinch may 
be barely tolerated, but in the case of the Warbler it is quite inappropriate, 
since the bird has nothing in common with a Canary except littleness and yel- 
lowness. Its bill is longer and slimmer, for it feeds exclusively on insects 
instead of seeds, and its pure yellow plumage knows no admixture, save for 


THE YELLOW WARBLER. 137 
the tasty but inconspicuous chestnut stripes on the breast of the adult male. 
These stripes are lacking in males of the second year, whence Audubon was 
once led to elaborate a supposed new species, which he called the ‘Children’s 
Warbler.” The name is not ill-fitting even tho we know it applies only to 
the Warbler children. 

The Yellow Warbler is peculiarly a bird of sunshine, and is to be found 
anywhere in open situations. It swarms through the orchards and gardens, 
frequents the wayside thickets, and in town takes possession of the shrubbery 
in lawn or park. It is abundant in swampy places, and through the willows 
which line the banks of streams. 


Taken near Waverly. Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE YELLOW WARBLER. 


The song is sunny too, and while not elaborate, makes substantial con- 
tribution to the good cheer of spring. The notes are almost piercing and 
sound better perhaps from across the river than they do in the same tree. 
Individual variation in song is considerable, but the high pitch and vigor 
of delivery are distinctive. Certain common types may be syllabized as 
follows: Sweet, swect, sweet, sweetie; sce, tseé, tsit-a-wee, tseé; wee- 
chee, chee, chee wee-i-u. ‘The bird is found singing from its arrival the last 
week in April until near the close of its second nesting late in July. 

The nest of the Yellow Warbler is one of the commonest, both because 
ot the bird’s abundance and because no special pains is taken at concealment. 


Ge “THE YELLOW WARBLER. 


Nests may be placed at any height in orchard trees or willows, but without 
doubt the most acceptable nesting site is afforded by the dense swamp thickets 
of the Carolina rose. In a day’s nesting in the Oak Point swamps of Lorain 
County, forty-two occupied nests of eight species were examined by myself 
and a companion, and of these eleven were Yellow Warbler’s. 

The cradle of this bird is an exquisite fabrication. ‘The tough inner bark 
of certain weeds—called indiscriminately hemp—together with grasses and 
other fibrous materials in various proportions, 1s woven into a compact cup 
about, or settled into, some stout horizontal or ascending fork of bush or tree. 
INS) a) seSiahe lake 
bushes are full of 
Warblers’ nests two 
or more seasons old. 
A fleecy lining or 
mat of plant-down is 
a more or less con- 
spicuous feature of 
every nest. Upon 
this as a background 
a scanty horse-hair 
lining may exhibit 
every strand; or, ag 
I once saw in Wash- 
ington, the eggs 
themselves may be 
thrown into high re- 
lief by a coiled black 
mattress. 

The Yellow War- 
bler displays particu- 
lar ingenuity in ban- 
ishing the Cowbird’s 
unwelcome egg. In- 
stead of deserting 
the spot the birds 
place a false bottom 
across the nest and 
raise the sides ta 
ee: PTS | correspond, — twe 
Taken at Oak Point. Photo by the Author. Stories, with the 

AN UNUSUALLY DEEP NEST. eround floor to let. 


Three- and even four-story nests of this sort have been found. 


7 


BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 
Dendroica caerulescens 
Life-size 


THE BLACK- THRO ATED BLUE W ARBLER. 139 


No. 62. 


BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER. 


Bye O. U. No. 654. Dendroica cerulescens (Gmel.). 

Description.—Adult male: Above, dark dull blue, occasionally spotted with 
black on the back; extreme forehead, sides of head, chin, throat, sides of breast, 
and sides, intense black; remaining lower parts pure white; wings and tail black- 
ish, edged on exposed portions with blue or whitish; a large white spot at base 
of primaries on both webs; secondaries and lower tertials broadly edged with 
white; three outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly but decreasingly blotched with 
white on inner webs; bill black; feet brown. Adult female in spring: Above 
dull greenish blue; no pure black anywhere; sides of head dusky; below white, 
sordid, or with a bluish buffy suffusion; white spot at base of primaries reduced 
but still prominent. Adult female in autwmn: Similar but with more yellow 
everywhere; therefore dull olive-green above, dingy yellow below; brownish 
washed on sides. Jimmature male: Like adult male, but upper parts greenish; 
less black below. Jimmature female: Like adult female in autumn. Adult male 
im winter: Above touched with olivaceous; below black somewhat restricted; 
flanks touched with brownish. Length 4.75-5.50 (120.6-139.7) ; av. of five Co- 
lumbus specimens: wing 2.53 (64.3); tail 1.86 (47.2); bill .39 (9.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; black, dull blue, and white in masses 
of male; white spot at base of primaries in female. 

Nesting.—Not found breeding in Ohio. Nest, of bark-strips, twigs, and 
grasses, lined with fine rootlets and horse-hair ; placed in low bushes near ground. 
Eggs, 4 or 5, dull white, with spots and dots of olive-brown, chiefly w ‘reathed 
about larger end. Av. size, .68 x .51 (17.3 x 13.). 

General Range.—E astern North America to the Plains, breeding from north- 
ern New England and northern New York northward to Labrador, etc. West 
Indies and Guatemala in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. 


THE Warblers are a world unto themselves. When the semi-annual 
flood-tide of migration is at its height, nearly all available space is occupied 
by them as completely as tho no other sorts of birds existed. The spatial 
exceptions are the open fields where Sparrows reign supreme, and open water 
where none but web-footers and the Swallow kind may go. The portion 
which falls to the Black-throated Blue in the grand allotment consists of the 
lower levels in the deeper forests, together with an added gratuity of outlying 
evergreens wherever these may occur. Not but that the bird may appear as 
a visitor in the tree-tops, or even as an inquisitive tourist in swampy recesses, 
but these are not his home. 

The clear-cut, modest color-masses of the male bird are enough to awaken 
enthusiasm in any beholder ; but the totally different pattern of the female with 
her shifting olive-greens and dingy yellow, is apt to be confusing. The white 


140 THE MYRTLE WARBLER. 


spot on the edge of the wing is not very conspicuous in the female, but once 
found it settles all dispute, however much imagination may rebel. 

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is rather deliberate in movement, quiet 
and genteel. It is not very difficult to approach it, and a prudent observer 
may sometimes attain inspection at arm’s length. In such cases, however, 
it is the bird that makes the advances. The surest opportunity comes when 
the bird has been seen in a front yard evergreen. Then the observer may 
approach quietly, while the bird, trusting to the density of the foliage, pursues 
intently his entomological researches, or even publishes his prosy song. D=wee, 
dzwee, dzweedt comes in a matter of fact voice, or with a curious upward turn, 
from the depths of the foliage. The sounds are consonantal, hard, and deep, 
but not out of keeping with the bird’s demure ways. On rarer occasions a 
sprightly and much more musical ditty is heard, Chew, we-o0, we-o0, we-o, 
ze-o, wich, 1-wich, 1-wich. 

This Warbler is common in spring but is even more noticeable in autumn, 
since it is one of the few species which do not don plainer garments. Its fall 
movement is leisurely and it finds a congenial companion in the dropping leat. 


No. 63. 


, MYRTLE WARBLER. 


ae O. U. No. 655. Dendroica coronata (Linn.). 

Synonym.—YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male in spring: Above slaty blue with black streaks, 
smaller on sides of crown and nape, broader on back; below white, with black on 
upper breast, sides of middle breast, and sides in endless variety of patterns; a 
large patch on each side of breast, a partially concealed patch in center of crown, 
and rump, bright yellow (lemon or canary) ; superciliary line white; a deep black 
patch on side of head; wings fuscous; tail darker; middle and greater coverts 
narrowly tipped with white, forming two rather conspicuous bars; three outer 
pairs of tail-feathers with white blotches on inner webs, decreasing centrally ; bill 
black; feet dark. Female in spring, and both sexes in fall: Duller; the blue of 
upper parts overlaid with brownish; a brownish wash on sides of breast and flanks ; 
black of breast obscure,—restricted to centers of feathers; yellow of breast-spots 
pale or wanting. Immature: Brownish above; whitish below with a few ob- 
scure dusky streaks. Length 5.25-5.75 (133-3-140.1); av. of five Columbus 
males: wing 2.98 (75.7) ; tail 2.22 (56.4); bill .38 (9.7). 


‘THE MYRTLE WARBLER. _ a 


Recognition Marks.—Larger ; the yellow rump together with size and sea- 
son of appearance is distinctive; white throat, as distinguished from D. audubont. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of stalks, twigs, vegetable fibers, 
and grasses, lined with fine grasses or feathers, and placed five or ten feet up on 
horizontal branches of coniferous trees. Eggs, 4 or 5, dull or creamy white, 
speckled and spotted or blotched, chiefly about larger end, with reddish- or olive- 
ONAN. Ja GAS, AO! oc iy (aie cee Mord) 

General Range.—Eastern North America chiefly, straggling more or less 
commonly to the Pacific; breeds from the northern United States northward, and 
winters from southern New England and the Ohio Valley southward to the West 
Indies, and through Mexico to Panama. 

Range in Ohio.—Common in spring and abundant during fall migrations. 
Indies, and through Mexico to Panama. 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


“THE RISING SUN IS GREETED WITH A BURST OF VOCAL SPLENDOR.” 


WHEN the vanguard of the Warbler host arrives in later April, the 
bird-man knows it is time to overhaul the daily schedule, to decline with 
thanks all evening engagements, and to hie him forth in the gray of the morn- 
ing to welcome his winged friends. The wind is still asleep, the dew is fuil- 
bodied and lusty, and sounds of traffic have not yet begun to burden the air. 
It is at such a time the birds confess their inmost secrets of love and longing, 
and sing purest praises to the great All-Father. As the signals of dawn are 
hoisted the chorus swells and the rising sun is greeted with a burst of vocal 


Taken near Obcrlin. 
A FAVORITE WOODS-EDGE. 


Photo by the Author. 


THE TREES ARE ONLY HALF DRESSED WHEN MYRTLE COMES. 


Myrtles to find one of another species. 


peared or every lazy Black-poll comes. 


splendor. Upon 
his appearance 
the winged voy- 


ageurs of the 
night descend, 
and mingle 
their lispings 
and trillings 
with the full 


tide of song. 
The Myrtles 
are usually the 


inbge vit qe Ie 
Warblers to ar- 
rive in the 


spring, as they 
are the last to 
depart in the 
fall. For a week 
they are abun- 
dant, and their 
sturdy chip be- 
comes easily the 
most familiar 
of Warbler 
notes. Other en- 
terprising War- 
blers not a few 
accept their 
promise of safe 
conduct, but 
one scrutinizes 
a dozen of the 


During the first ten days of May 
the order of abundance is reversed, and the last dilatory matron has disap- 


Myrtle is a handsome fellow, but he is too sensible to put on airs. Trees, 
bushes or fence-rails are alike to him, and he is not above alighting on the 


ground to secure a fat grub. 


Now and then a pleasant song is heard, a dainty, 


silvery warble, rather light, and, one suspects, since the singer is so far from 


home, not full-voiced yet. 


14 


MAGNOLIA WARBLER 
Dendroica maculosa 
Life-size 


COPYRIGHT 1800, 


RIGHTS RESERVED IN 


BY A, W. MUMFORD, 


4 WHEATON PUBLISH 


CHICAGO, 
NG 


co. 


THE MAGNOLIA WARBLER. 143 


The autumnal movement is less hurried than that of spring. At this 
season the birds often gather in flocks of forty or more, and linger for weeks 
in sunny, half-wooded pastures, or about the orchards. Here they spend 
much time in the tall weeds, after the fashion of Goldfinches, hunting 
for insects, indeed, but in lieu of them often accepting seed. Thus they will 
occasionally tarry late into November, and do not fear the exposure resulting 
from the falling leaves, since a yellow rump-spot is all that is left them of the 
garish beauties of spring. 

Yellow-rumped Warblers are reported as wintering commonly in 
southern Indiana, but Rev. W. F. Henninger did not find them in the lower 
Scioto valley. Dr. Langdon of Cincinnati has records for March 4 and 
November 20, and it is not improbable that they winter sparingly in the more 
sheltered spots of the Ohio River counties. They are reported as abundant at 
that season in Florida, where they subsist on the berries of the myrtle (M/yrica 
cerifera), whence the name. 


No. 64. 


MAGNOLIA WARBLER. 


we U. No. 657. Dendroica maculosa (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—BLACK-AND-YELLOW WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male in spring: Crown and nape slaty blue; back 
deep black; black bands on the sides of the head meeting in front and connecting 
with black of back; superciliary line, cut off by black in front of eye, white; a 
white spot on under eyelid; rump bright yellow shading into back by yellow or 
olive-green skirtings; upper tail-coverts abruptly black; wings and tail black 
with narrow edgings of bluish gray; a large white blotch on wing, formed by 
tips of middle, with tips and outer edges of greater, coverts; tail-feathers, ex- 
cept middle pair, with square white blotches on central third of inner web, below 
rich lemon yellow, clear on throat and middle belly, heavily streaked with black 
on jugulum, sides of breast, and sides, the streaks tending to become confluent in 
two or three large stripes on sides of breast, and to form a black patch on lower 
throat; crissum white; bill black; feet dark brown. Adult female in spring: 
Like male but duller; more olive-green on back; wing-patch separated into two 
bars by broader black centers of greater coverts; less heavily streaked below. 
Both sexes in autumn: Above olive-green ; grayish on head; pale gray on throat; 
less heavily, or not at all, streaked below. Young: Ashy above with heavy olive 
skirtings on back and nearly concealed black spots; paler yellow below with less 


144 THE MAGNOLIA WARBLER. 
streaking; rump and tail as in adult. Length 4.50-5.25 (114.3-133.3); wing 
2.36 (59.9) ; tail 1.91 (48.5) ; bill .36 (9.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller; below, rich yellow heavily streaked with 
black in spring; square white spots on central third of tail feathers distinctive in 
any plumage. 

Nest, of twigs, grasses and weed-stalks, carefully lined with fine rootlets, 
in coniferous trees, usually three to’ ten feet high on horizontal branches. Eggs, 
3-5, white, spotted and blotched with hazel, reddish brown and cinnamon. Av. 
Sas, OG Seats} (OLS sx 122). 

General Range.—Eastern North America west to the base of the Rocixy 
Mountains and casually to British Columbia; breeding from northern New Eng- 
land, New York, and Michigan, to Hudson Bay Territory, and southward in the 
Alleghanies to Pennsylvania. In winter, Bahamas, Cuba and south through 
eastern Mexico to Panama. 


Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. Perhaps rare summer 
resident in northeastern Ohio. 


IT is always with a sense of privilege that one gazes upon a bird so 
beautiful, so exquisite as this. It is passing strange that one of such bril- 
liant hue should desert the tropics and proceed not only to Ohio—that were 
not so strange—but to gloomy Labrador. Surely he must be a vision glo- 
rious in that land of fogs and pines and mosses gray! ‘The bird brings 
with him something of the languid air of the South, a breath as of magnolia 
blossoms, and a southern name. For this bird like two other Warblers, 
the Palm and the Myrtle, receives its name from the favorite tree of its 
winter home. 

While passing through our borders the Magnolia Warbler is oftenest 
found moving quietly through the bushes which line the banks of streams 
or lean over swampy pools in the depth of the forest. If in the latter situa- 
tion its brilliance seems fairly to dispel the gloom, and if one finds His 
Magnificence fluttering before an insect-laden leaf, his cup of joy is full. 
But the bird is no recluse and numbers of them join that bright array which 
consecrates our tree-tops year by year. 

The song of the Magnolia is not often heard, but when vouchsafed 
is clear and musical and fairly distinctive. It may bear a superficial re- 
semblance to that of the Hooded Warbler, but careful comparison will 
show that it is shorter, weaker, and more varied. It is only the penulti- 
mate syllable, into which the bird throws a peculiar quality and turn, that 
is confusing, flick, fick, flick, fleetip, or che-weech, che-weech, che-o. Beside 
this common form there are many variations whose consideration would 
scarcely prove helpful. 

Many years ago it was supposed that this bird could be found breeding 


CERULEAN WARBLER 
Dendroica rara 


Life-size 


THE CERULEAN WARBLER. 145 


in the northern part of the state, and Dr. Wheaton cites the appearance of one 
individual near Columbus as corroborative. Since that time no decisive rec- 
ords have come in and it is probable that the “northward trend” has effaced 
this species from the list of breeding birds. 


No. 65. 


CERULEAN WARBLER. 


vas O. U. No. 658. Dendroica rara (Wils.). 

Description.—Adult male: Above and on sides of head, neck, and breast 
bright grayish blue (china-blue, scarcely “‘cerulean”), clearest on nape and rump; 
streaked with black on crown, back, and sides; lores black; below white, a narrow 
blackish band across chest (sometimes interrupted) ; sides of breast streaked with 
black, parually concealed and with bluish edgings; two narrow white wing-bars 
formed in the usual way; white blotches near end of all but central pair of tail- 
feathers, on inner web; bill and feet bluish black. Adult female: Above, bluish 
olive-green ; below, pale greenish buffy or greenish yellow, clearing on throat and 
belly, and obscurely striped with back-color on sides; line over and behind eye 
greenish yellow or wanting; wing-bars and tail-spots like male. Young: Like 
adult female, but males bluer above and whiter below. Autumnal plumage of 
adults not different. Length 4.00-5.00 (101.6-127.) ; wing 2.67 (67.8) ; tail 1.73 
(43.9); bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller; azure-blue and white coloration of male; 
bluish-greenish-grayish olive of female. The latter may be distinguished from 
the female of D. caerulescens, the only one with which it is likely to be confused, 
by the two wing-bars and the tail-spots. 

Nest, a compact structure of fine grasses held together by spiders’ silk, and 
decorated externally with lichens; lined with strips of bark and fine grasses; 
placed from twenty to seventy feet high in deciduous ‘trees, at some distance from 
trunk. Eggs, 4, creamy white, speckled and blotched, chiefly near the larger end, 
with chestnut and lilac. Av. size, .67 x .50 (17. x 12.7). 

General Range.—E astern United States and southern Ontario west to the 
Plains. Rare or casual east of central New York and the Alleghanies. In winter 
south to Cuba, southeastern Mexico, Central America, and western South America. 
Breeds from about latitude 35° north to Minnesota. 


Range in Ohio.—Rather common summer resident throughout the state; 
more common as migrant. 


THE first five days of May are pretty sure to be warbler days in northern 
Ohio. For seven years the Cerulean Warbler has appeared at Oberlin dur- 
ing these first five days, usually near the first, and he is always singing when 
he first appears. He nests in some numbers in Lorain county and elsewhere 


146 THE CERULEAN WARBLER. 


in the woods over pretty nearly the entire state. His song ceases about the 
end of the first week in July, but he tarries well into September. 


Taken near Sugar Grove. Photo by the Author. 
THE SUMMER HOME OF THE CERULEAN. 


Any quest for the Cerulean Warbler takes one into the deeper woods, 
where the growth has been crowded and rapid. High up among the interlac- 
ing branches, hidden by the dense foliage, he flits all the day long, gleaning 


Ss: 


THE CERULEAN WARBLER. cy 


from the new leaves or sallying out into the open for some passing insect, 
singing in the intervals. The woods which he chooses must be damp under- 
neath, and the trees tall. Undergrowth is no hindrance, but he seems to pre- 
fer as little of it as possible. 

His song seems to echo the purpose of his life. Beginning, as it were, 
down among the lowly, it gradually but persistently rises, pointing the way 
upward, disappearing while yet rising toward the heights. He lives where 
he can reach down and uplift by his presence and a sunny, joyous nature. 
The song is not pretentious, calling for applause, but rather the expression 
of an earnest purpose. You will not hear it without close attention. It has 
been rendered “tse, tse, tse, tse, te-e-c-e-c-e-ce-e-e,” with a strongly rising in- 
flection throughout. The bird sings while sitting, the head thrown back and 


2 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by Lynds Jones. 


NEST AND EGGS OF CERULEAN WARBLER. 


PLACED ON HORIZONTAL BRANCIL AT I[EIGHT OF FORTY FEET 


148 THE CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. 


the breast pulsing with the earnestness of expression. It is not easy to recog- 
nize amid the May medley of song. 

The nest is lashed upon a horizontal branch, or bound into a horizontal 
fork, well out from the tree, and always well up from the ground. ‘Two nests 
which I have found in the famous South Woods were in a beech and rock 
maple tree respectively, one thirty, the other sixty feet from the ground. ‘These 
nests resemble the nest of Redstart more than the nest of any other bird, both 
in composition and construction, but they were stuccoed with cobwebs out- 
wardly. The material was mostly shreds of bark and horse-hair, with a little 
milkweed bark. The birds are very solicitous for their nest and young, utter- 
ing the sharp chip of alarm and distress, and venturing within a few feet of 
the intruder, but they do not show a disposition to fight. I have found nests 
only near small streams in the woods, or depressions where temporary 
streams form after severe rains or in spring. 

The eggs are hardly distinguishable from other warblers’ eggs. The 
markings incline to darker, or to less reddish in the browns. Four is the usual 
number for a complete set. It appears that this warbler builds too high for 
the Cowbird, or else the nest is too small to accommodate the sneaking 
creature. LYNDs JONES. 


No. 66. 


CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 659. Dendroica pensylivanica (Linn.). 


Description.—dAdult male: Extreme forehead ashy white; crown bright 
yellow (gamboge) ; hind neck streaked black and ashy white; back and rump 
bright olive-green, with partially concealed black stripes; upper tail-coverts black, 
edged with ashy and olive; wings and tail black, primaries and rectrices edged 
with ashy; secondaries and tertials edged with yellowish green; two irregular 
wing-bars light yellow; three outer pairs of tail-feathers extensively white on 
inner webs; a black patch on the side of the head including eye; an irregular 
white patch behind this; below white; sides of breast and sides with large chest- 
nut patches, irregular or interrupted; bill black; feet dark. Adult female: Like 
male but duller; chestnut of sides much restricted; black face blotch divided by 
ashy, etc. No autumnal change in either sex. Jmmature: Quite different; 
above bright olive-green; below ashy or sordid white; wing-bars and tail-blotches 
as in adult; rectrices in unworn plumage quite acute; bill light below. Length 
4.75-5.25 (120.6-133.3) ; av. of six Columbus speciments: wing 2.36 (59.9) ; tail 
T.On ((4855))5) bill 26N(Onm)E 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller; white under parts and chestnut sides of 
adult; light yellow wing-bars of young. 


THE CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. 149 


Nest, made of bark-strips, grasses and plant-down, and lined with hair; 
placed two to ten feet high in bush or sapling. Eggs, 4 or 5, white or creamy 
white, speckled with rufous or chestnut, chiefly near larger end. Av. size, .68 x .50 
(Gi7eR exseee 7) 

General Range.—Eastern United States and southern Ontario, west to Mani- 
toba and the Plains, breeding southward to central Illinois, and northern New 
Jersey, and in the Appalachian highlands probably to southern Georgia. Visits 
the Bahamas, eastern Mexico, Central America and Panama in winter. 

Range in Ohio.—Regular and common spring and fall migrant. Rare sum- 
mer resident in northern portion of state. 


IT is not easy for me to tell why the Chestnut-sided Warbler impresses 
me as an exquisite. Perhaps it is on account of his small size and close-knit 
form, or his willingness to have me approach within speaking distance. His 
colors are not so bright, nor their pattern in either the contrast or harmony 


Taken near Columbus. ; eR Photo by the Author. 


AN OFT FREQUENTED GROVE. 


that may be found with other warblers, but there seems to be something about 
the bird which makes the day brighter, the wearing field-work easier, and the 
hours of fasting forgotten when he flits into view. I have sometimes half 
suspected that he was conscious of my admiration from the manner in which 
he displayed his pretty color and trim form. The slightly opened wings, 
spread tail, and quick movements give a pleasing appearance. ‘The females 
and fall birds lack the distinct contrasts of color found in the spring males, 
but they usually have some trace of the chestnut on the sides. 

In village and city parks this little warbler may be found well up 
among the tree-tops, gleaning from the new leaves the insect eggs and larvze, 
but in the woods he prefers a lower range. I have found him among the 


150 THE BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 


spice bushes and lower branches, but not on the ground. He seems rather 
partial to damp woods, possibly because insects are more abundant there. 

Feeding and singing are sandwiched together for the better part of the 
day, as though some expression of gratitude were necessary after each morsel 
was received. It is often a less spirited song than many warblers give, seem- 
ing to be a sort of soliloquy upon life and its compensations, but it is none 
the less pleasing. There is a pretty close resemblance to some phrases of 
the song of Yellow Warbler, but a little attention and discrimination will 
bring out the differences in quality as well as quantity. The song is more 
often heard on the Oberlin College campus than in the woods about Oberlin, 
and there it is somewhat different than the woods song. “‘J]’ce-chee, wee- 
chee, wee-chee-e-e-e,” with the accent on the first syllable of each phrase, is 
the campus song. In the woods he sings this way: “Te te te te wee chu,” 
and occasionally, “To wée, to wée, tée e-e-e.” In the woods the song seems 
to be more spirited than on the campus. The difference may possibly be due 
to the fact that the first migrants are those which visit the campus, while 
the later ones remain in the woods. 

In the vicinity of Oberlin Chestnut-side arrives about the fifth of May 
and the last travelers leave for the north shore of lake Erie during the last 
week of May. It is possible that some stay with us all summer, but if so 
we have not found them. 

The nest resembles the nest of Yellow Warbler, both in situation and 
composition. It is usually placed in the fork of a bush or shrub from two 
to eight or nine feet from the ground. I suspect that the nest is more often 
built in the woods than one would expect with Yellow Warbler. It is well 
made, suiting the daintiness of the bird. 

During August and the most of September one may find this warbler in 
the shrubbery and second growth in the plainer autumn plumage. He is not 
singing then during the heat of the day, but may be recognized by the trim 
form and small size. LYNDs JONES. 


No. 67. 
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 660. Dendroica castanea (Wils.). 

Description.—Adult male: Forehead, extreme chin, and sides of head 
broadly (including eye) black; crown and nape deep chestnut; sides of neck 
and narrow cervical band rich creamy buff; remaining upper parts olive-ashy, 
streaked with black; wings and tail dusky; two cream-white bars on wings, 
separated by considerable dusky space; three outer pairs of tail-feathers with large 


BAY-BREASTED WARBLER MeATS RERED WOM AY THE HEATER 


Dendroica castanea 
Life-size 


< 


, gy ae es ea 


‘THE BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 151 


subterminal blotches of white on inner webs; throat and sides of breast chestnut, 
produced irregularly on sides; middle of breast and remaining under parts buffy. 
Adult female: Similar to male but duller; black of head overlaid with olive- 
ashy; chestnut of under parts very faint. Jmmature: Bright olive-green above, 
streaked with black; below whitish, tinged with buffy or yellow on breast, and 
with buffy (female) or rusty on flanks. Length 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4); av. of 
four Columbus specimens: wing 2.45 (62.2); tail 2.12 (53.9); bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—One of the largest of the genus; chestnut throat- 
patch distinctive in adult. For young see under following species. 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in.Ohio. Nest, described as a compact, cup- 
shaped structure of grass, bark-strips, twigs, etc., lined with plant-down and hair, 
and placed five to twenty feet high in coniferous trees. Eggs, 4 or 5, white with 
a greenish or bluish tinge, speckled in usual warbler fashion, chiefly near larger 
end, with reddish- or olive-brown. Av. size, .71 x .51 (18. xX I3.). 


General Range.—Eastern North America north to Hudson Bay. Breeds 
from northern New England and northern Michigan northward; in winter south 
through eastern Mexico (rare) and Guatemala to Colombia. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common, but fairly regular spring and fall migrant. 


ONCE in a while we almost miss this gentle Warbler during the spring 
migrations. ‘This is not so much because the bird is really rare as because 
it comes late in the season, say about the roth or 15th of May, when the foliage 
is well out, and stays for the most part well up in the trees. It 1s moreover 
a rather quiet bird, having nothing of the nervousness and dash peculiar to 
those who have braved the later frosts. So far as ready identification goes 
the bird is further unfortunate in that its somewhat rare song bears a close 
resemblance to that of the swarming Black-polls who. are soon to bring up 
the rear of the great procession. But in spite of these obstacles, or because of 
them, the ‘one good view” which satisfies the working ornithologist each 
season is eagerly sought after. It is particularly disappointing that a bird 
of such substantial quality, and of such elegant appearance withal, should 
not deign to tarry with us through the summer; but this is in part atoned 
for by the swarms of lusty children which sweep down upon us in the fall 
from the teeming North. ‘Then there is the perennial problem of identifica- 
tion in immature plumage. How dull a study ornithology would be without 
some of these bracing posers! 

The song of the Bay-breast does not seem to have been particularly well 
studied. It is perhaps the highest and squeakiest of them all. Sometimes it 
is merely a high hissing fswis, tswis, tstwis, but oftener a succession of shrill 
sibilations in the form of a swell, wiss wiss Wiss Wiss WiSS WISS WISS. 


152 THE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 


No. 68. 


BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 661. Dendroica striata (Forst.). 

Description—Adult male: ‘Top of head uniform lustrous black; cheeks, 
hind neck, and cervical collar white, minutely streaked with black; remaining 
upper parts olive-gray streaked with black; wings and tail dusky with narrow 
olive-gray edging on exposed webs; two loose white wing-bars formed by tips of 
coverts; two outer pairs of tail-feathers with subterminal white blotches; traces 
of white on remaining pairs, except central; under parts white, extensively 
streaked with black on sides, the streaks usually confluent on sides of throat; 
bill dark above, light below; feet pale. Adult female: Above, including crown, 
grayish olive-green; everywhere streaked with black; below whitish, tinged with 
greenish yellow on breast and sides, and with dusky lateral streaks. Adult male 
m autumn and winter: Very different from the summer plumage. Above dull 
olive-green, passing gradually into dull gray on upper tail-coverts; back and 
scapulars narrowly streaked with black; white wing bands usually tinged with 
yellow ; a narrow and indistinct superciliary streak of pale olive yellowish; auricu- 
lar region and sides of neck like upper parts; under parts pale olive-yellow or 
straw-yellow, whitening posteriorly; sides and flanks indistinctly streaked with 
dusky ; under tail-coverts white (Ridgway). Immature: Similar to adult female 
but brighter; less streaked on the back and scarcely, or not at all, below. Length 
about 5.50 (139.7) ; av. of six Columbus specimens: wing 2.95 (74.9); tail 1.96 
(49.8) ; bill .39 (9.9). 

Recognition Marks.—One of the larger species. Black “‘poll,” white under 
parts, and lateral black streaks of male; grayish olive-green and robust size of 
female and young. “This species in winter plumage closely resembles immature 
specimens of D. castanea, but may be at once distinguished by the pure white, 
instead of buff, under tail-coverts, and pale yellowish brown, instead of dusky, 
feet, independent of other differences” (Ridgway). Young Black-polls are 
scarcely distinguishable from the young of D. castanea. Above they are pre- 
cisely like the Bay-breasts, but below they are somewhat less strongly shaded 
with yellowish or buffy. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. ‘Nest, of twigs, moss, rootlets, etc., 
lined with fine grasses and tendrils, generally in spruce trees, about six feet up. 
Eggs, 4-5, white, more or less speckled and spotted, and generally heavily blotched 
at the larger end with cinnamon-, olive-, or rufous-brown” (Chapman). Av. 
Ach 70) 36 yl) (Cus) 3 BZ) 

General Range.—Fastern North America west to the Rocky Mountains, 
north to Greenland, the Barren Grounds, and Alaska, breeding from northern 
New England and the Catskills northward. South in winter to northern South 
America, but not recorded from Mexico or Central America. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant spring and fall migrants,—the latest comers in 
spring, among the first to return in late summer. 


BLACK-POLLS bring up the rear of the great Warbler host. And 
when one has seen them the reason of their tardiness becomes apparent. 


THE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 153 
Whereas most Warblers are restless, impatient, fussy, Black-polls are delib- 
erate, decorous, self-contained. ‘They are in no hurry; they have no trains 
to catch or previously appointed trysts to keep. ‘There is added reason, too, 
for their leisurely passage, in that their summer camps are pitched far north 
where spring is tardy also. 

In spring the birds seldom arrive before the 15th of May and oftene1 
it is nearer the 20th. The males greatly exceed the females in number, so 
that one really wonders when the females pass. It is possible that they do 
not light largely until Lake Erie is traversed, since the species is reckoned 
rare in the southern part of the state, and only tolerably common in the vicinity 
of Columbus. For all the birds appear so slow the northern movement is 
rather rapid, and only an occasional straggler is found after the 25th of May. 

It is always with a feeling of sadness that the bird-man views the arrival 
of these birds which mark practically the close of Warbler season. It has 
been too short, that period of bursting buds and twinkling wings; but now 
the leaves are all unfolded, the fairy visitants have stolen away one by one— 
and here comes Black-poll. ‘To be sure his presence befits the season; the 
bustle of awakening life over, his monotonous droning chimes in accurately 
with the murmur of bees’ wings, and lies softly upon the pulsing tribute of 
heated air by which the sounds are alike borne heavenward; but somehow we 
still rebel—youth was all too short! 

The Warblers are lost to view now if they remain in the tree-tops, but 
a foggy morning, or some reason less apparent, will sometimes bring them 
down to feed in the shrubbery. At such times they are quite approachable 
and one may see how—or at least when—they produce that fairy creaking 
which they call a song. ‘This consists of a series of exactly similar notes 
uttered rapidly, but in a beautiful musical swell. Many syllables will satisfy 
the ear, but Mr. Langille has perhaps hit it off the best when he says, “tree, 
tree, tree, tree, tree, tree, tree, tree.” 

The Black-polls swarm through our state during the fall migrations 
when they may be observed from the last week in August well into October. 
It is not probable, however, that any given individual passes so long a time 
with us, but only that the species occupies such a diverse breeding range that 
the impelling causes of evacuation are correspondingly diverse in form, and 
asynchronous in action. 


154 THE BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 


No. 69. 
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 662. Dendroica blackburniz (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—PROMETHEAN WARBLER; PROMETHEUS. 

Description.—4dult male: Chin, throat, and fore-breast flaming orange 
(Cadmium yellow) ; on the rest of head and neck paler cadmium, showing through 
the black in spots, viz. a small patch on crown, a narrow median line on forehead, 
a superciliary line broadening on lores and behind, an infra-orbital spot, and a 
patch on side of neck; remaining upper parts black variegated with white or 
creamy white; wings and tail dusky; large white wing-patches formed by tips 
of middle, and outer webs and tips of greater coverts, but indented by dusky 
webs of outermost feathers; white blotches on inner webs of tail-feathers, ex- 
tensive on two outer pairs, narrow on remainder except central pair; remaining 
under parts sordid white or yellowish, with black streaks on sides of breast and 
sides. Adult female: Similar to male but paler; dull olive-gray streaked with 
dusky on back; throat Indian yellow; remaining yellow faded to maize color. 
Immature: Like female but browner; narrow white wing-bars and dusky- 
striped interscapular region diagnostic; yellow paler, almost wanting on breast. 
Length about 5.25 (133.3); av. of four Columbus specimens: wing 2.60 (66.) ; 
tail 1.71 (43.4); bill .38 (9.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; orange-yellow of throat is distinctive 
even when faded. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a compact mass of bark- 
strips, spruce-twigs, grasses and plant-down, lined with hair, fur, or feathers; 
placed well up in coniferous trees. Eggs, 4, greenish- or bluish-white, speckled 
and spotted in usual warbler fashion. Av. size, .69 x .49 (17.5 X 12.5). 

General Range.—E astern North America west to eastern Ikansas and Mani- 
toba, breeding from the southern Alleghanies, Massachusetts and Michigan north 
to Labrador. In winter south to the Bahamas, eastern Mexico, Central America 
and western South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant spring and fall migrant. 


IT is not difficult to follow the injunction of the birds: Love me, love 
my woods. One simply cannot help it if they are as charming, and varied, 
and productive as is the group of adjoining tracts near Oberlin, known col- 
lectively as the South Woods, and now called affectionately by the nature- 
lovers the “Old” South Woods. Nor is the reverent adjective misplaced, 
for the three kingly oaks which mark the bend of Warbler corner (appearing on 
page 155 and again on page 156) are full four hundred years old, as measured 
by the rings of a brother hard by, recently slain in the full vigor of sap. No 
guns are allowed in the forest ;—would that as much could be said of axes! 
Berrying is forbidden upon pain of expulsion, and save for a few wandering 


THE BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 155 


botanists (simple, harmless folk who occasionally rise to an appreciation of 
birds, and are therefore to be encouraged) there is none to molest the bird- 
man nor to disturb his treasures. Dense shade, open clearing, crowded 
all are to be found 


saplings, scattering bush-clumps, dry land and swampy 
within the limits of 
that precious hun- 
dred acres, and all 
make separate con- 
tribution of interest 
to the eyes and ears 
of the ornithologist. | 
It would seem that 
the force of some 
venerable tradition 
impels each avian 
wanderer, each rarer 
bird of passage, te 
pause and rest, or 
worship, in this an- 
cient shtine. To 
speak of warblers 
alone, it was here 
that we first, saw 
Golden - winged, 
Brewster, Hooded, 
and a score of lesser 
lights. Here Strong 
saw the Connecticut, 
and jones the Prai- 
rie and NAirtland. 
Here only last sea- 
son a Kentucky 
turned up a hundred 
miles beyond his cus- 
tomary range. In 
short all but five of 
the forty species of = 

+ E Z Taken near Oberlin. Photo by the Author. 
Warblers credited to “THREE KINGLY OAKS.” : 
Ohio have reported 
in these allied bits of woodland. 

But of all the spots in this avian paradise the choicest is “Warbler cor- 

ner,’ and of all the birds which crowd to the edge of the wood to mark 


156 THE BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 


the rising sun the brightest is Prometheus, the torch-bearer. Like a beacon 
light his glowing breast sends a quick answering flash to the first greeting 
of the eastern majesty, and drunk with joy, the tiny spark moves off to 
set the woods on fire. When his back is turned you lose him in the upper 
green, but once around and flash! flash! come swift messages of beauty from 
this divinely fashioned heliograph. 

It is enough! You know him now. For the rest the Blackburnian 
Warbler hops about, and flits, and snatches bugs like other birds. Like 


Taken near Oberlin. © Photo by the Author. 
THE OLD SOUTH WOODS—WARBLER CORNER. 


many others he too, alas! passes far north to breed, quenching his flame for 
the season in the bosom of some gloomy hemlock. During the spring mi- 
grations the brightest males are among the middle early comers, but the 
paler females, and the youths with breasts unfired, abound from the middle 
to the twentieth of May, and linger in rare instances until the end of that 
month. ‘The fall movement begins about the twentieth of August and lasts 
through September. The summer nesting of this species is unusually suc- 
cessful, to judge from the augmented numbers which appear during the fall 
migrations. 


‘THE SYCAMORE WARBLER. ae 


The song of the Blackburnian Warbler is of the squeaky order and 
the notes, altho penetrating enough and undertaken with considerable energy, 
lack volume and fade out to a fairy whisper before the song is done. 
“Ssu-witts, ssu-witts, ssu-witts, ssu-witts, ssu-witts, ssu-cwitts, ssu-witts, 
ssil-witts,” is one attempt to express this duodecimo songster. 


No. 7o. 
SYCAMORE WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 663a. Dendroica dominica albilora Ridew. 

Synonyms.—W HITE-BROWED WARBLER; \WHITE-BROWED YELLOW-THROATED 
WARBLER. 

Description.—Adults: Above bluish-gray; on forehead interspersed with 
black; a short median frontal line, a superciliary stripe reaching to nostril, and 
the lower eyelid, white; throat bright yellow, bordered on side by extensive black 
cheek-patch, which includes lores and is produced behind on lower neck; behind 
this on neck a white area continuous with superciliary stripe; remaining under 
parts white, heavily streaked with black on sides; black streaks gathered on each 
side into a loose chain connecting with black of cheeks; wings and tail dusky, 
with bluish or ashy edgings, the former with two broad white bars formed in the 
usual fashion ; subterminal white blotches on two outer pairs of rectrices; bill and 
feet dark. Jmmature: Similar to adult, but much tinged with brown above and 
below; black of head subdued, and yellow of throat paler. Length 4.50-5.50 
(114.3-139.7) ; av. of six Columbus specimens: wing 2.47 (62.7) ; tail 1.83 (46.5) ; 
bill Aven (Gi 2)) 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; lemon-yellow throat bordered by black 
on sides, and abruptly by white below; white superciliary line. 

Nest, usually placed at a considerable height in sycamore or other trees, near 
water; of weed-stalks, twigs, and grasses, lined with plant-down, etc. Eggs, 4 
or 5, white or grayish white, speckled and spotted distinctly or obscurely with 
reddish- or olive-brown, sometimes gathered in wreath about larger end. Avy. 
SAS, JOO) SS} (CUGAS SS eS) 

General Range.—Mississippi and Ohio Valleys west to the Plains, north to 
Lake Erie and southern Michigan, east to western North Carolina; in winter 
south to southern Mexico and Central America. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly abundant, now less common; along wooded 
streams, principally in southern, south-central, and western portions, but locally 
wherever sycamore trees abound. Breeds. 


IN view of the recent changes in the status of this species, it is well 
to recall Dr. Wheaton’s words penned in Columbus some twenty-five years 
ago: “Not rare summer resident; common during the spring migration. 


158 THE SYCAMORE WARBLER. 


This is the first of the family to arrive in spring. It is always to be seen 
before the Yellow-rumped and Yellow Warblers make their appearance, some- 
times before the last snow and ice. I have seen them in considerable num- 
bers on the 13th of April, and have known of its occurrence as early as April 
oth. When on their migrations they confine themselves almost exclusively 
to the trees which skirt the streams, and move northward by day with con- 
siderable rapidity. During the whole day their characteristic song, fszvec-a 
tswee-a, tswee-a, tswee, tswee, tswee, tu-wee, may be heard, sometimes at a 
distance of a quarter of a 
yy = SS mile, as the birds feed in the 
‘ sycamore and elm trees. * 
** They are seldom seen 
in woodland, though they 
not infrequently visit the 
shade trees and gardens of 
the city. They are much 
more abundant during the 
spring migrations than at 
any other time. In this lo- 
cality it is not uncommon to 
see a dozen in a morning’s 
walk, about one-third of 
which may be captured.” 
In marked contrast with 
the preceding is the fact that 
there are no records of the 
bird’s appearance in the re- 
cent annals of the Wheaton 
Club of this city. I have 
met with only one specimen 
Photo by 1” the state, a singing male, 
F.C. Price. in a secluded hollow nea 
Cincinnati, where it is still 


Taken mm 
Franklin 
County. 


AN IDEAL SPOT FOR SYCAMORE WARBLERS. regarded as not uncommon 
The bird was seen on April 
25th, 1903, before the foliage was fully out, and during the three hours it 
was under examination it divided its time about evenly between a single 
ash tree on the brink of the glen and the central sycamores shown in the illus- 
tration. The bird seemed to be gleaning insects from the swelling buds of 
the ash, but he paused frequently to throw his head up and sin The song 
was rather deliberate, high-pitched, emphatic, of a singular] 
quality, and unvaried in character, tstwee, tswee, tswee, tswee, the last note 


o 
Ss: 
y 


penetrating 


THE SYCAMORE WARBLER. 159 
with a piercing quality like that of the Yellow Warbler. Rev. W. F. Hen- 
ninger, 1902, gives the bird as a “rare transient * * * observed in 
Scioto County only;’ while Raymond W. Smith (1891) reported it as a 
common migrant in April in Warren County. 

It is more than probable that the decrease in numbers in the case of this 
species is due solely to the continued destruction of the sycamore trees. Here. 
at least, is a bird rightly named, for the Warbler has cultivated this grim 
and grizzled old man-of-the-rivers—whom all the other birds, save perhaps 
the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and the King-bird, seem to shun—until its de- 
pendence upon it is almost absolute. That the bird was formerly not un- 
common northerly is 
abundantly attested, 
and it may be that it 
can still be found in 
favored spots. Mr. 
Jerome Trombley 
knew it as a rate 
summer resident 
along the River 
Raisin, in Monroe 
County, Mich., and 
in 1880 succeeded in 
locating a nest. It 
was placed 60 or 70 
feet high in a syca- 
more tree and at the 
end of a _ branch, 
some 20 feet from 
the trunk. Inasmuch 
as the tree was seven 
feet through at the 
base and the sup- 
porting limb did not 
promise to support 
above a fifty pound 
weight, the discov- 
erer deemed thc 
treasure —_ unattain- 
able. In 1897 the 
same observer noted 
only one bird. Un- Taken near Cincinnati. Photo by the Author. 
less definite steps are 


STILL-HOUSE HOLLOW. 


160 THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 


taken to reserve large areas of the picturesque sycamores, the present gen- 
eration must witness the passing of the Sycamore Warbler from its northern 
haunts. 


No. 71. 


BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 667. Dendroica virens (Gmel.). 

Description.—Adult male: Throat and breast above and on sides glossy 
black; sides of head and neck bright yellow; a line through eye, expanding be- 
hind, olive-green; above bright olive-green, clearing to yellow in front and on 
sides of crown; spotted or streaked with black on middle back, and sometimes, 
minutely, on crown; upper tail-coverts ashy- or olivaceous-edged; wings and 
tail dusky with ashy edgings on external webs; two broad white wing-bars; 
outer pair of tail-feathers almost entirely, and succeeding pairs decreasingly white 
on inner webs; middle of breast, belly, and crissum pale yellowish white; bill 
black; feet dark brown. Adult female: Similar, but with less black streaking 
on back, and with black of throat and sides extensively veiled by yellowish skirt- 
ings of feathers. Jmmature: Like female, but with more yellow below, and 
with black of throat still more thoroughly concealed by yellow tips. Length 
4.50-5.40 (114.3-137.2) ; av. of ten Columbus specimens: wing 2.49 (63.2) ; tail 
1.91 (48.5); bill .38 (9.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; bright yellow of cheeks and forehead 
contrasting, or not, with black of throat. 

Nest, of twigs, bark-strips, grass, moss, and feathers, placed ten to fifty 
feet high in coniferous trees. Eggs, 4, white with creamy or buffy tints, speckled 
and spotted with lilac-gray and rufous-brown, usually gathered in loose wreath 
about larger end. Av. size, .63 x .49 (16. x 12.5). 

General Range.—Eastern North America to the Plains, north to Hudson 
Bay Territory, breeding from Connecticut and northern Illinois northward, and 
south along the Alleghanies to South Carolina. In winter south to Cuba and 
Panama. Accidental in Greenland and Europe. 

Range in Ohio.— Very common spring and fall migrant. A few pairs remain 
to breed in the rare patches of coniferous timber in the northern portion of the 
state. 


IF we are sometimes disposed to envy the ornithological pioneers, Wil- 
son, Audubon, and the rest, because of their unique opportunities for observ- 
ing birds now rare or extinct, we may comfortably reflect upon the fact 
that that most fascinating and distinctively American family, the Mniotiltidae, 
is yearly marshalled before our eyes in a way that was denied the fathers. 


17 


BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER 
Dendroica virens 
Life-size 


THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 161 
The chief reason for this is one which we deplore otherwise, viz., the con- 
tinued denudation of the forests. It is probably safe to say that in Wilson’s 
day, that is during the opening decade of the last century, eighty-five per 
cent of the area of our state was covered with timber. In such a forest 
even of the great Warbler army, whole regiments might pass year by year 
unnoticed, and many species be held rare which were really abundant. But 
as early as 1885 the forest acreage was estimated at only seventeen per cent 
of the whole. ‘These are the latest statistics available, but the percentage, 
without doubt, has steadily decreased since then. In this respect, then, 
we are favored; for if the birds would forage at all, they must needs avail 
themselves of our restricted wood-lots and swarm through our fenced or- 
chards. We are unmasking hidden beauties, and compelling reluctant fays 
to show themselves. 

The Black-throated Green Warbler, as an individual, is little troubled 
over our ingenious compulsion, for it is not at all unwilling to show itself, 
and has never learned a wholesome fear of man’s presence. It is one of the 
commonest warblers both in spring and fall, and seems in no hurry to get 
on, but there is no recent evidence that it ever fails to make the passage of 
Lake Erie. Confined for the most part to the tops of trees, it not infre- 
quently ventures down to inspect you, hopping daintily from branch to branch, 
and leaning forward to peer at you inquiringly as the distance decreases. 

The song is an odd little affair of lisping squeaky notes, but as innocent 
as the upturned face of a questioning child. Its delicacy defies vocalization 
but Mr. Burroughs has proposed a graphic representation which is quite un- 
forgetable, “ ———-V~ ee 

Family groups of six or seven individuals may be seen early in the fall 
hunting close together, but as the season advances the weakening bonds of 
kinship are lost in the sense of clanship, and this in turn is blended with the 
sense of racial consanguinity, which more or less affects all warblers. Rev 
W. F. Henninger reports a remarkable occurrence which took place near 
South Webster in Scioto County. He says, in substance: On September 28, 
1899, I ran into a company of Warblers which I would place conservatively 
at two thousand individuals. It was like a regular army as it moved up a 
long sloping hillside, and with wonderful rapidity. The wind was blowing 
almost a gale from the north, and the birds allowed themselves to be urged 
before it in the direction of their ultimate retreat, like half-stubborn autumn 
leaves. Ljisping, chipping, whirling, driving, they hurried on and I after 
at full speed, panting, and wishing devoutly for a better chance to identify 
the fleeing forms. Arrived at the top of the hill the army suddenly halted 
and when I arrived breathless I had time to note the arrangement by species 
not rigid indeed, but sufficiently striking to command attention. In the center 
were seen Hooded Warblers and a sprinkling of Chestnut-sides. On either 


te THE KIRTLAND WARBLER. 


side of these in turn were Black-throated Greens and Sycamores, about two 
hundred of each; while the wings proper were held by Bay-breasts and Black- 
polls in enormous numbers. ‘The order, as I say, was not strictly maintained 
but the specific grouping within the general ranks was at least remarkable. 
As the birds deployed to feed the specific lines were not quite obliterated. 


No. 72. 


KIRTLAND WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 670. Dendroica kirtlandi (Baird). 

Description.—Adult male in spring: Above slaty blue, streaked finely on 
crown and broadly on back with black, the back with a brownish gray cast; lores 
and frontlet black; a white spot on either eyelid; sides of head and neck slaty 
blue; wings and tail black, edged with gray; the middle and greater coverts 
whitish-edged, but not forming distinct bars; outer tail-feathers white-blotched 
on inner web; under parts clear light yellow, whitening on crissum and chin, 
the breast with a few small spots, and the sides with short streaks of black. 
Adult female: Similar but duller above and paler below; lores grayish; sides 
washed with brownish. Adult male in autumn: Under parts rich yellow, con- 
tinuous,—no spotting on breast but sides heavily streaked with black; upper 
parts, except wing and tail, olivaceous, lightening anteriorly; head without con- 
spicuous markings, but with dull yellowish superciliary stripes and cheeks. Jm- 
mature: Like adult female, but browner gray above; more brownish on sides; 
breast more distinctly (7?) spotted. Length 5.50-6.00 (139.7-152.4) ; wing 2.75 
(69.9) ; tail 2.35 (59.7) ; bill .47 (11.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Larger; slaty blue back with black stripes; clear yel- 
low below with scattering streaks on side (only comparable in this respect to the 
Prairie Warbler, which is much smaller and an entirely different bird). 

Nesting not known to science. 

General Range.—Central northern United States during spring migrations ; 
Atlantic Coast, Virginia, and South Carolina during spring(?) and fall migra- 
tions; breeding haunts unknown,—probably Hudson Bay Territory and north 
of Great Lakes. Winters in the Bahamas. 

Range in Ohio.—Nine of the twenty or more specimens recorded in the 
United States were taken in this state. One fall record, Lawrence County, 
August 28, 1902. 


THE Kirtland Warbler has for many years been the rara avis of Ameri- 
can ornithology. There are other species of which fewer specimens exist in 
museums, and others still which are now verging upon extinction,—to say 
nothing of those strange enigmas, the “Carbonated,” “Blue Mountain,” and 
“Small-headed” Warblers, known from the works of Audubon and Wilson 
and now lost to science, if ever they did in fact exist as independent species. 


THE KIRTLAND WARBLER. 163 


But in the case of the Kirtland Warbler the lapse of time has brought in- 
creased knowledge, and the ornithological appetite has been more keenly 
whetted by each succeeding announcement of the bird’s occurrence. 

The type specimen, an adult male, was collected by Mr. Charles Pease, 
May 13, 1851, near Cleveland, and by him presented to Dr. Jared P. Kirt- 
land. Dr. Kirtland forwarded the bird in the flesh to Professor Baird for 
identification, and it was very properly named by the latter Kirtlind’s War- 
bler, in recognition of the fact that to Dr. Kirtland we are “indebted for a 
knowledge of the Natural History of the Mississippi Valley.” Five other 
specimens have since been secured in the vicinity of Cleveland, the last by 
H. FE. Chubb on May 12, 1880. In may, 1872, Mr. Charles Dury shot a 
male bird near Cincinnati; and the last Ohio specimen reported was taken 
by Lynds Jones at Oberlin, May 9, 1900. 

At this writing (July 1, 1903) some twenty-five specimens have been 
captured in the United States and Canada, while more than fifty have beer, 
taken in the winter haunts of the species in the Bahama Islands. Of the 
United States specimens the westernmost was obtained by H. M. Guilford 
at Minneapolis, Minn., and the northernmost was picked up dead below the 
light house on Spectacle Reef, in the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan.t All 
specimens seen in the interior (until the summer of 1902) have been spring 
birds, but two fall specimens were shot on the coasts of Virginia and South 
Carolina respectively. After Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been a 
leading place for the capture of this rare warbler, and it seems probable that 
that locality is especially favored during the northern migrations. The spe- 
cies will doubtless be found breeding in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, 
Michigan, Ontario, and in the region south of Hudson Bay. 

The pursuit of this woodland beauty, whose only offense is rarity, has 
been so keen that most observers have shot first and questioned afterward. 
Authorities agree, however, that it is a rather quiet, sedate bird, having no 
especial fear of man, but frequenting the lower levels of bushes and trees, 
and allowing a somewhat near approach for inspection. It has been compared 
by some to the Palm Warbler, and it certainly resembles this bird in its habit 
of bobbing, or jetting the tail. 

Rev. Leander 5. Keyser closely observed a specimen near Springfield, 
Ohio, and heard its song. He gives it as “a blithe, liquid melody” and says 
“the tones were full, clear and bubbling.”” On May 7th, and 9th, 1900, Pro- 
fessor Lynds Jones heard two, and perhaps three, of these Warblers near 
Oberlin. “The song was loud and clear, given with all the vigor of a Wren 
or Kinglet; the body being straightened to almost a perpendicular direction, 
and the beak pointing straight up. It was no by-talk or incidental song, but 
manifestly an earnest purposeful call song. The song is a doubly phrased 
one, the first part slightly longer and a little less rapidly uttered, the second 


1 For many of these details I am indebted to Mr. Frank M. Chapman’s resume in The Auk, October, 1903. 
2 “Bird-dom,” by Leander S. Keyser, p. 63. 


THE PINE WARBLER. 


104 
part quickly and more vigorously uttered. | have written it thus: ter ter 
tertee; tswee te chu.”* 

On the 28th of August, 1903, Professor Jones and the writer encoun- 
tered two of these birds in the extreme southern part of Lawrence County, 
at a point opposite Ashland, Kentucky. The first bird seen loitered for as 
much as ten minutes in the top of a little willow tree, and appeared in nowise 
disturbed by our scrutiny. He was deliberate, not to say indolent, in move- 
ment, and delivered from time to time a very light and pleasing rollick, with 
something of the quality but nothing of the strength of the Myrtle’s song. 
After being observed for about twenty minutes the bird darted 
down into a thicket where he was joined by another precisely similar, and 
after a minute or two the pair retired into the depths. So far as reported 
this was the first appearance of the Kirtland Warbler in the interior during 
the fall migration. 

As this book is going to press word comes from Michigan that Mr. 
Norman A. Wood of Ann Arbor has just discovered the nesting haunts of 
the Kirtland Warbler in Oscoda County. According to the last issue of 
the Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club, Vol. IV., No. 2, June, 
1903 (really issued about July 10th), “Just after this issue has gone tc 
press Mr. Wood returned home from his trip north in quest of the Kirtland’s 
Warbler with very gratifying success, having obtained a fine series of skins, 
male, female, nestlings, full-fledged young, nest, and eggs.” Bravo! and 
alas! The last shrine of ornithological mystery has been penetrated. There 
are no more worlds to conquer. 


No. 73. 
PINE WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 671. Dendroica vigorsii (Aud.). 

Synonym.—PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. 

Description Adult males: Above and on sides of head and neck bright 
olive-green; wings and tail dusky, edged with brownish gray or whitish; two 
broad whitish or grayish white wing bars; two outer pairs of rectrices extensively 
white on inner webs; streak over lores, eyelids, chin, throat, and breast well down, 
bright greenish yellow; streaked indistinctly on sides of breast and sides with 
olive; belly and crissum dull white; buffy wash on flanks; bill and feet dark 
brown. Adult female: Above olive-gray, or vinaceous gray with an olive tinge; 
wing-bars narrower and more decidedly gray than in male; below dingy or 
grayish with pale yellow or yellowish tinge on breast; traces of olive striping on 
sides. Jn winter both sexes are browner above; the male brighter yellow and 


1 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 32, July, reco. 


THE PINE WARBLER. | 165 


the female buffer below. Jmmature: Dull brownish above; below brownish 
gray or dingy. Length 5.00-5.60 (127.-142.2) ; wing 2.80 (71.1) ; tail 2.18 (55.4) ; 
bill .44 (11.2). 


Taken near Sugar Grove. Photo by the Author. 
A PINE BARREN. 
PINE WARBLERS MAY BREED HERE. 


Recognition Marks.—Medium size; gamboge-yeliow with olive shading 
below, and grayish wing-bars; singularly devoid of positive characters. Usually 
keeps to coniferous trees and is a creeper in habits. 


1606 


THE PINE WARBLER. | 


Nesting.—Breeding not yet reported for Ohio. Nest, placed high in 
pine or cedar trees; composed of bark-strips, leaves, fine grasses, etc., lined 
with plant-down, hair and feathers. Eggs, 4 or 5. “The ground color is a bluish 
white. Scattered over this are subdued tintings of fine delicate shades of purple, 
and upon this are distributed dots and blotches of a dark purplish brown, 
mingled with a few lines almost black” (Brewer). Av. size, .70 x .52 (17.8 x 
13:2). 

General Range.—Eastern United States west to the Plains, north to Man- 
itoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick, wintering in the South Atlantic and Gulf 
States, and the Bahamas. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare or casual during migrations. Probably more common 
in eastern portion. Thought to breed in the southern part and should be found 
nesting anywhere in the state in evergreen timber. 


OHIO must seem like a desert to this pine-loving bird, but he is found 
once in a while either in some tiny oasis like that shown in the cut (which 
we should call a pine “‘barren’’) or else among the orchard and shade trees 
of a chance resting place. The bird is not certainly known to breed in the 
state, but Rev. W. F. Henninger, then of Waverly, Ohio, took a young male 
August 5th, 1898, under circumstances which made it appear probable that 
the bird had been reared in the immediate vicinity. 

The Pine Warbler has some of the near-sighted ways of the Brown 
Creeper, and like that most prosaic mortal gleans a living from the trunks 
and larger limbs of trees. In crossing from tree to tree it has a pretty, un- 
dulating flight. In winter in the southern pineries, where it abounds, it is 
occasionally found associated in loose flocks which feed upon the ground. 

“Its song,” says Chapman, “is a clear sweet trill. Southern birds, in 
my experience, have more musical voices, and their notes suggest those of 
the Field Sparrow, while the song of northern birds has more the quality of 
the Chipping Sparrow’s.” 


5S 


THE PALM WARBLER. 167 


No. 74. 


PALM WARBLER. 


KK O. U. No. 672. Dendroica palmarum (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—ReEbD-poL.t WARBLER; YELLOW ReED-PoLI, WARBLER (name 
now restricted to subspecies D. p. hypochrysea) ; WaAc?Tait, WARBLER. 

Description.—Adults: Crown chestnut; superciliary line yellow; extreme 
forehead dusky, divided by short yellow line; lores dusky; cheeks grayish, tinged 
or streaked with chestnut ; upper tail-coverts yellow ; remaining upper parts gray- 
ish brown, slightly tinged with olive; wings and tail dusky, with obscure grayish 
or greenish yellow edgings, the former without bars; subterminal white spots, 
usual to the genus, on two outer pairs of rectrices; chin, throat and crissum clear 
yellow; remaining under parts yellowish or dingy, more or less streaked, especially 
on sides, with dusky or pale rufous; a loose necklace of small dusky spots. Adult 
im winter and immature: Crown-patch much obscured by brownish; supercil- 
iary line whitish or buffy; below, dingy white or buffy with faint yellowish tinge; 
breast and sides obscurely streaked with dusky, and sides washed with brownish ; 
crissum clear yellow; upper tail-coverts yellowish olive-brown. Length »4.50-5.50 
(114.3-139.7) ; av. of four Columbus specimens : wing 2.60 (66.) ; tail 1.98 (50.3) ; 
bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium size; chestnut crown distinctive in high 
plumage; yellow crissum in any plumage. [Keeps to fence-rows, hedges and way- 
side bushes ; “bobs” nervously and wags tail. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground in tuft of grass, 
compactly built of grasses, bark and moss. Eggs, 4, creamy white, spotted and 
blotched with purple, lilac and reddish brown. Av. size, .70 x .52 (17.8 x 13.2) 
(Davie). 

Genera! Range.—Northern interior to Great Slave Lake; in winter South 
Atlantic and Gulf States, the West Indies and Mexico. Of rare but regular 
occurence in the Atlantic States in migrations. 

Range in Ohio.—Regular and common spring and fall migrant. Has been 
.taken in winter near Cincinnati. 


IN the careful husbandry of nature this bird alone of the Wood- 
Warbler kind has been assigned to a station unmistakably humble. ‘The 
Prairie Warbler, indeed, regularly frequents low bushes, but only the ‘‘Red- 
poll” takes freely to the ground as well. It was there that he learned from 
the Water Thrushes that quaint habit of tilting the body and shaking or 
“jetting” the tail, as tho protective harmony of coloration must be atoned 
for by some conspicuous and incessant motion, lest the bird be stepped on 
unawares. Altho it feeds much upon the ground, especially in its winter 
home in the southern states, where its hops about after the fashion of a 
Titlark or even patters along the dusty roadside, its favorite resorts during 
migrations are wayside coppices, neglected fence-rows, and the undergrowth 
of damp woods. In such places it is to be found in April, flitting from bush 


168 THE YELLOW PALM WARBLER. 


to bush or searching quietly among the weeds. It usually lingers well into 
May and appears again, but less frequently, rather late in the fall. The 
bird is somewhat variable in appearance and often quite puzzling at some dis- 
tance. Now a casual glance notes it for a sparrow, and again it challenges at- 
tention as some mysterious unknown. If only one catches the nervous flirt 
of the tail the case is out of Chancery. 

Several writers on birds pour contempt on the Palm Warbler’s song and 
many profess ignorance of it altogether. It is not a very elaborate affair but 
I have heard it delivered with a sprightliness and energy which called me 
half way across a pasture. One bird in particular lured me to the edge of 
a wood lot with a spirited rollicking chatter which made me suspect Junco in 
an ecstacy. Its ordinary song consists of a succession of twinned notes in 
a swell. On this point Lynds Jones says, “Each syllable should be given 
a half double utterance except at the middle of the swell, where the greater 
effort seems to coalesce the half double quality into one distinct syllable.” 
At other times I have noticed a mere sustained sibilation, wissa, wissa, wissa, 
qwissa, wissa, without inflectional change. Besides this he has the inevitable 
Dendroican chip, but it is scarcely distinctive enough to be recognizable when 
a dozen other species are flying. 


No. 75. 
YELLOW PALM WARBLER: 


A. O. U. No. 672a. Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea Ridgw. 

Synonyms.—YELLOW-BELLIED ReED-PoLL WARBLER; YELLOW RED-POLL 
WARBLER. 

Description.—Similar to preceding species, but “larger and much more 
brightly colored, with entire lower parts bright yellow in all stages (excepting 
nestling plumage); upper parts richer, or less grayish olive than im true 
palmarum” (Ridgway ). 

Recognition Marks.—Like D. palmarwm; brighter yellow below. 

Nest and eggs not peculiar. Not known to breed in Ohio. 

General Range.—Atlantic States north to Hudson Bay. Breeds from eastern 
Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia northward; winters in the South Atlantic 
and Gulf States. 

Range in Ohio.—Casual during migrations. 


THE Atlantic coastal wave of migrating Yellow Red-polls occasionally 
spills over into our state. Not every yellow Palm Warbler is to be suspected, 
for there is great individual variation among the species, and we are near the 


THE PRAIRIE, WARBLER. 169 


eastern boundary where we should expect intergrades. I once followed a bird 
near Columbus whose yellow had the convincing glow of gold below 
(hypochrysea, gold below); and a specimen exists in the Oberlin College 
Museum which is undoubtedly referable to this subspecies. 


No. 76. 
PRAIRIE WARBLER. 
es U. No. 673. 


Dendroica discolor ( Vieill.). 

Description.—ddult male: Above olive-green, brightening on crown, with 
a triangular area of chestnut-rufous spots or confluent streaks on back; below 
and on sides of head bright yellow, most intense on superciliary, cheek, and throat ; 
with heavy black streaks or stripes on sides of breast and flanks; a blackish line 
through eye and a broad, black malar stripe; crissum pale, yellowish white; wings 
and tail dusky with greenish gray edgings on external webs; middle coverts yel- 
lowish white -on tips; greater coverts edged terminally with gray on outer web, 
the two forming indistinct bars; two outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly white on 
inner webs, third pair with central spot; bill blackish; feet dark brown. Adult 
female: Similar to male but duller, and with chestnut-rufous of back much re- 
duced or wanting. Jmmature: Like female but ashy on head (ear-coverts), ashy 
olive-green above; paler yellow below, ete. Length 4.25-5.00 (108.-127.); av. 
of four Columbus specimens; wing 2.19 (55.6); tail 1.74 (44.2); bill .37 (9.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Smallest of the genus; chestnut-rufous of back distinc- 
tive; bears some resemblance to D. maculosa below, but smaller and otherwise 
quite different. 

Nest, in bushes or saplings, deeply cup-shaped, composed of fine grasses, 
plant-fiber, and down, lined with hair. Eggs, 4 or 5, white or greenish white, 
marked with reddish brown and olive-brown, chiefly in a wreath about the larger 
md, Any Side, (65) Se plo) (los) Se 115)).. 

General Range.—E astern United States to the Plains, breeding from Florida 
north to Michigan and southern New England. Winters in Southern Florida 
and the West Indies. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare. Probably breeds, but no authentic record. 


AFTER D. kirtlandi the Prairie Warbler is with us the rarest of the 
genus. Its normal range lies much farther south, and those which pene- 
trate our state are to be regarded only as pioneers or as adventurers without 
fixed habits. Professor Jones has seen single males at Oberlin on two dif- 
ferent occasions, but there are no records for Ontario; and it seems prob- 
able that those birds which reach the Lake Erie shore in spring turn south- 
ward again before settling for the summer. 

On the 11th of June, 1903, I came across a singing male on a hill-top 
near Sugar Grove, at the point shown in the illustration. The bird moved 
restlessly from place to place, singing indifferently from the depths of black- 


170 THE PRAIRIE WARBLER. 


berry thickets, from the tips of oak saplings, or from the foliage of surrounding 
forest trees. His time was about equally divided between singing and bug- 
catching, and altho he might remain in a single clump for five minutes at 
a time, the bird did not keep the same position for two consecutive sec- 
onds. Even dur- 
ing song he would 
twist and writhe 
like an Italian 
prima donna, pro- 
ducing quite as 
much motion as 
music. 

The song of the 
Prairie Warbler is 
a little the most 
remarkable — pro- 
duction in the 
Mniotiltan reper- 
toire. It is a suc 
cession of mel- 
low — whistling 
creaks, each note 
pitched higher 
than the preced- 
ing, and each 
gaining somewhat 
in intensity until 
the next to the last 
one is reached 
The bird runs a 
weird chromatic 
scale upon a fairy 
oboe, with aneffect 
which Dr. Coues 


Taken near Photo 


Sugar by the - “cys 
Grave: Author. describes as “like 
a mouse complain- 
A HILLTOP PASTURE. ing of a_ tooth- 
WHERE THE PRAIRIE WARBLER MAY NEST. ache.” 


The bird seen at Sugar Grove was entirely destitute of the “brick-red 
spots upon the middle of the back,” usually recommended as a recognition 
mark, and certain other marks were less distinct than normally in the adult 
male. It was probably a male of the second summer which had not yet at- 
tained adult plumage. 


THE OVEN-BIRD. _ 


171 


No. 77. 
OVEN-BIRD. 


v A. O. U. No. 674. Seiurus aurocapilius (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—GoLDEN-CROWNED ACCENTOR; GOLDEN-CROWNED ‘THRUSH. 
Description.—Adult: Above brownish olive-green; top of head with two 

blackish lateral stripes, enclosing a space of orange-brown—golden only, by cour- 
tesy—more or less veiled by olive-brown tips of feathers; cheeks washed with 
color of back; lores and ring about eye whitish; below white, heavily spotted 
across breast and on sides by blackish; a narrow blackish malar stripe; bill and 
feet flesh-colored. Quite variable in size, but little change in plumage with sex 
or season. Length 5.50-6.50 (139.7-165.1); av. of four Columbus specimens: 


wing 2.91 (73.9) ; tail 2.05 (52.1); bill .44 (11.2)). 
Recognition Marks.—Small Sparrow size; “golden” crown, and head striped 
above; general thrush-like appearance. 


Nest, on the ground, a slight depression lined and completely overarched 
with leaves, grasses, bark-strips and trash, and with entrance at side. Hggs, 4 
or 5, white or creamy white, glossy, speckled and spotted freely with reddish 
brown and sometimes dull lilac. As usual with this family the markings are 
frequently wreathed about the larger end. Av. size, .80 x .60 (20.3 x 15.2). 


General Range.—E astern North America north to Hudson Bay Territory 
and Alaska, breeding from Kansas, the Ohio Valley and Virginia northward. In 
winter Florida, the West Indies, southern Mexico and Central America to Panama. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident,—the invariable accompaniment 
of lowland woods. 


BEFORE, those extinguishers of ornithological enthusiasm, the mos- 
quitoes, have mustered in full force, it is a pleasure to walk in some dim 
sequestered wood and watch the antics of the Oven-bird. Not that he is a 
conscious clown like the Chat; on the contrary he is often as prim and pre- 
cise as a Puritan dame. And therein lies the fun; for it is always amusing to 
see a birdikin take himself o’er seriously, and go mincing or strutting about 
with grand airs. It is amusing too—is it not?—to a person of benevolent 
intent, when a bird, whose nest has been discovered, goes buzzing about in 
a mighty huff as tho you were a pirate fleet just landed on his shores, 
If you have happened upon a ball of grass and leaves like that shown in the 
illustration, and if the mistress of the “Dutch oven” is at home, you will see 
such an exhibition of distress, of broken wings and disabled legs, of a shriek- 
ing and altogether helpless anatomy, as will make your heert ache,—unless 
you are wise and laugh. And while the distraught mother is playing lame, 
the father is adding to the panic by literally falling all over himself in the 
middle distance—of such strenuous stuff is bird-life made. 


172 THE OVEN-BIRD. 


The life of the Oven-bird is spent for the most part on the ground. Here 
it walks sedately or minces daintily, searching the moist humus for grubs 
and worms, or stirring the dead leaves for hidden treasures. Knowing itself 
obscure the bird often permits a close approach, and it goes scuttling over the 
ground oftener than it flies for shelter. But the Oven-bird is no man-with-the- 
muck-rake. When he would sing it is from the middle branches of a tree, or 
better. Cautious now, suspecting the very tree-toads, the bird mounts a bare 
limb, casts searching glances to left and right, walks toward the end of the 


Vhoto by R. F. Griggs. 


THE OVEN. 


branch, then suddenly surrendering all caution he breaks into utterance. Be- 
ginning easily he gains confidence at every step, until the last phrases pierce 
the woodland and fairly bring the listener to his feet. The crescendo pro- 
ceeds by a series of little explosions with the ictus on the second syllable of 
each pair: pechee, pecheé, pecheé, PECHEE, PECHEEK, PECHEE. John 
Burroughs, writing from the eastern part of New York State, has immor- 
talized this song under the words, “teacher, teacher, teacher,” etc., but im- 
asmuch as he expressly states that the accent is placed on the first syllable, 


the descriptir n evidently does not apply to Ohio birds. 


THE WATER-THRUSH. 173 


Besides the familiar woodland chant, there is a rarer ecstacy song given 
at twilight. Of this Professor Lynds Jones says, “I have seen the Oven-bird 
suddenly vault into the air, mounting to the tree-tops on quivering wings, 
then dart back and forth in a zigzag course as swift as an arrow, and finally 
burst into song as he floated gently down. ‘The song seems to swing once 
round a great circle with incredible swiftness but perfect ease, ending in a 
bubbling diminuendo as the performer lightly touches the perch or ground 
with half rigid wings held high.” 


No. 78. 


WATER IHR USE: 


Vs, O. U. No, 675. Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmel.). 

Description.—4dult: Above dark olive-brown; below white, tinged more 
or less with sulphur-yellow, everywhere, except on middle belly, spotted and 
streaked with the color of the back, finely upon the throat and cheeks, 
broadly upon the breast; a dark line through eye; a prominent yellowish, or buffy 
(fulvous) superciliary stripe; cheeks and extreme chin more or less tinged with 
fulvous; bill brown; feet lighter. Length about 5.50-6.00 (139.7-152.4) ; wing 
2.94 (74.7) ; tail 2.14 (54.4) ; exposed culmen .45 (11.4) ; tarsus .82 (20.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Large Warbler size, but most suggestive of small 
sparrow ; superciliary line yellow-tinged, never pure white; sulphur-yellow below 
(never buffy) ; throat spotted. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground or in the roots 
of upturned tree; of moss and leaves, lined with fine rootlets and tendrils. Eggs, 
4 or 5, white or creamy white, speckled and spotted or wreathed in the usual 
fashion with reddish browns. Av. size, .77 x .59 (19.6 x I5.). 

General Range.—E astern United States to Illinois, and northward to Arctic 
America, breeding from the northern United States northward. South in winter 
to the West Indies, Central America, and northern South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring, less common, or less noticeable, fall 
migrant. 


THE Water Thrush is a common migrant during the last week in April 
and the first two weeks in May, and requires at this season careful dis- 
tinction from its less common relative, the Louisiana Water Thrush. It is 
found along streams and at the edges of woodland swamps. ‘The more thor- 


174 THE WATER-THRUSH. 


oughly the swamp is choked by down timber the better, for it is the Thrush’s 
delight to wall along a fallen log, especially if one end of it passes gradually 
beneath the black waters. The bird is less wary than the resident form, 
and will often merely walk to one side when approached; but if driven to 
take wing it utters a sharp chink of farewell, and flies off in great, graceful 
bounds, which, amid the network of interlacing branches, command admiration 
both for speed and accuracy. 

During the fall migrations, which begin in the latter part of August, 
the Water Thrushes sometimes fairly swarm, not only in the vicinity of 
pools and water courses, now less abundant, but under the shade trees and in 
upland woods. The birds have developed a proper autumnal taste, and to see 
one working over a patch of fallen leaves is a treat. The industrious little 
hen siezes in her beak a leaf three times her size, and by a quick jerk tosses 
it far aside; after which she snaps up the lurking insect prey and passes 
quickly on to move other worlds. 

The song of the northern Water Thrush is not so loud or rich as that of 
the southern, but it is still sprightly and captivating. “Sweet, sweet, sweet, 
chu-chu-wee-chu,’ Professor Jones renders it,—‘The first three syllables 
strongly accented and staccato, the last four short and run together into one 
phrase, the next to the last a third or more higher. Occasionally one sang 
to to che-we che-we che, the first two indistinct, the third, fifth, and last strongly 
accented and a sixth higher, the fourth and sixth a little lower. Both songs 
are high-pitched, clear, liquid whistles that carry far.” According to the 
same authority many are to be found singing vigorously during the fall mi- 
grations. 

There is some slight possibility that the Water Thrush may be found 
breeding in the northeastern part of the state. It is found regularly in the 
central northern counties of Pennsylvania, and has also been reported by 
Mr. Sennett from Crawford County, which adjoins our Ashtabula. 


ha 
NI 
on 


THE LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH. 


No. 79. 


LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH. 


vie O. U. No. 676. Seiurus motacilla (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult: Above, dark olive-brown, deeper on crown, more 
clearly olive on upper tail-coverts; below white with a distinct buffy suffusion 
on lower belly, flanks, and crissum; spotted and streaked with color of back on 
breast and sides; throat unspotted; a malar stripe of confluent spots, scattering 
behind; a dusky line through eye; superciliary stripe and allied areas of head 
definitely white. Length 5.75-6.40 (146.1-162.6) ; wing 3.26 (82.8); tail 2.08 
(52.8) ; bill .53 (13.5) ; tarsus .89 (22.6): 

Recognition Marks.—Larger; small Sparrow size; thrush-like appearance, 
semi-terrestrial habits; throat unspotted and superciliary line definitely white, as 
distinguished from preceding species. 

Nest, in mossy bank or among roots of upturned tree; of sodden leaves and 
twigs, lined with grass and rootlets and sometimes hair. Eggs, 4 or 5, sometimes 
6, white or creamy white, speckled and spotted evenly or in wreaths with cinnamon- 
brown and lilac-gray. Av. size, .76 x .62 (19.3 x 15.8). 

General Range.—Kastern United States north to southern New England 
and southern Michigan, casually north to Lake George, northeastern New York, 
west to the Plains. In winter West Indies, southern Mexico, and Central America 
to Panama. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident, but of irregular distribution,— 
along streams and in wilder portion of state, especially the non-glaciated area. 


AMIDST our more modest surroundings the Louisiana Water Thrush oc- 
cupies much the same position relatively that the Water Ouzel does in the 
mountainous regions of the West. Both birds possess themselves of the 
wildest in nature which is to be had, and both are the animating spirits 
of their chosen haunts. Altho no one suspects any structural affinities between 
the two, a half dozen other close points of resemblance might be noted, not 
least among which would be poetic temperament and the talent in song. 

Only the most picturesque and unfrequented glens are tenanted by this 
poet-bird from the South. Where cool waters trickle down from mossy 
ledges and pause in shallow pools to mirror the foliage of many trees, here, 
and here alone, you will find the Water Thrush at home. The bird will discover 
himself to you by an imperious chink of question and alarm, after which he 
will pause at the water’s edge impatiently, as tho awaiting your withdrawal. 
The bird stands with the body horizontal or with the hinder parts elevated, 
jetting the tail vertically from time to time without moving the head, or 
else bowing with profound but unconvincing gravity. If you are discreet 
enough to withdraw, or to pretend to, the bird will proceed with the business 
of getting breakfast, either by wading about in the shallow water, or by 


170 THE LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH. 


searching noisily among the dead leaves hard by. Nor does he forget to 
give vent to unallayed suspicions by an energetic chink. Or by and by he 
tries hiding, and disappears mysteriously behind a bunch of ferns. One 
minute, two, three, are allowed to elapse. ‘‘Ah, that means a nest,” says 
the shrewd observer; and he moves forward with becoming caution. But 
the bird is up and off in a trice, and flies down the glen without an apparent 
pang. A search is made, half-heartedly, with the old result—‘“nothing but 
leaves.” 

Wherever the nest is to be 
found (there be those who 
claim to know, but the author 
is not one of them), one thing 
is sure, the bird regards himself 
as trustee of the whole glen, 
and his watchful fidelity is im- 
partially bestowed upon all 
parts of it. If you become es- 
pecially interested in any one 
spot—for reasons best known 
to yourself—why of course he 
and his wife can go elsewhere; 
and they move off, sniffing loft- 
ily. Every half hour or so the 
male bird ranges the length of 
the glen. Now he dashes like 
a swallow across some open 
glade. Now he pauses on a log 
stone; alternately moving 
and inspecting until his voice is 7,05 in Aen aOR 
lost in the distance. You may Photo by the Author. 
be near his nest, but he does WHERE 
not deign to notice you, further 
than to give vent to a disdainful “humph’” in passing. 

The song of the resident Water Thrush is one of our choice things. ‘The 
bird has found the Pierian spring, tucked away somewhere among our hills— 
in Morgan County, I think—and has tasted to good advantage. Its notes are 
wild and ringing clear, but sweet also as honey which the wild bees have 


Ol 


COOL WATERS TRICKLE. 


made. ‘There is a tumultuous passage in it too, which may occupy only the mid- 
dle portion or may engulf the whole. At times the singer’s main force seems 
to be expended in the opening peals, so that it almost instantly falls back into 
a milder cadence or bubbling twitter, in which its warbler affinities are quickly 


recognized. 


THE KENTUCKY WARBLER. 177 


As to its platform the musician is not so particular. Usually a free 
branch from ten to twenty feet high is selected, but I have seen the bird sing 
his best song while standing knee deep in water. There is said to be also 
an ecstacy song which lifts the bird quite clear of earth. Audubon de- 
clared the Water Thrush’s song equal to that of the English Nightingale, 
but a somewhat less extravagant claim will leave us with a keener apprecia- 
tion of the bird’s real merit. 


No. 8o. 


KENTUCKY WARBLER. 
AK, O. U. No. 677. Geothlypis formosa (Wils.). 


Description.—Adult male: Crown lustrous black, more or less tipped even 
in highest plumage, at least behind, by obscure olive or grayish slate; a bright 
yellow line over eye and curling around it behind; a black patch on side of head, 
including, lores, produced downward on side of neck as though forming incipent 
collar; remaining upper parts uniform olive-green; below gamboge yellow, pure 
and continuous; olive-shaded on sides; bill slightly curved, dark above, light 
below; feet very pale. Adult female: Similar but with perceptibly less black on 
head, because of more extensive grayish skirtings. Both sexes in winter: ‘The 
black of the crown is further veiled and with brownish tips, while the black on 
sides of head is partially obscured in the same manner. Jmmature birds lack 
the black on head or have it concealed in inverse ratio to age. Length 5.25-5.75 
(133.3-146.1) ; wing 2.69 (68.3) ; tail 1.96 (49.8) ; bill .44 (11.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium Warbler size. Pattern of black and yeilow on 
head distinctive, save as regards the “Maryland” Yellow-throat. It is larger and 
more deliberate in its movements than the latter bird, and differs furtner in having 
continuous yellow on the lower parts. 


Nest, a bulky affair of dead leaves and grasses, lined with rootlets, and some- 
times hair; usually on the ground, concealed or not by overgrowth. Eggs, 4 or 5, 
sometimes 6, white or grayish white, speckled, spotted or blotched with umber, 
cinnamon and lilac-gray, chiefly about larger end. Av. size, .73 x .58 (18.5 x 14.7). 

General Range.—Eastern United States west to the plains, breeding from 
the Gulf States north to southern New England and southern Michigan. In 
winter, West Indies, eastern Mexico, and Central America to Panama. 


Range in Ohio.—Tolerably common summer resident in the southeastern 
and southwestern portions of the state. Rare or casual elsewhere. 


178 THE KENTUCKY WARBLER. 


THE local preferences of the Kentucky Warbler lie about midway be- 
tween those of the Oven-bird and the Louisiana Water Thrush; and there 
is much in the bird’s appearance and manner to remind one of its near rela- 
tionship to the Seiwri. But the bird is no mere echo of another more illus- 
trious; its ways are its own, and its personality most marked. Damp hill- 
sides, heavily wooded and with dense undergrowth, are the chosen haunts 
of this distinguished Warbler, especially if at the bottom of the hill there 


Taken n Douda Run. Photo by the Author. 
A BIT FROM KENTUCKY’S RANGE. 


is a half-open glade set about with bush-clumps and a tiny stream of water 
trickling through it. Here the Warbler seeks its food upon the ground, 
walking instead of hopping over its surface, stooping to peer under a projecting 
stone, turning over a suspected leaf, and nimbly gathering in the scurrying 
harvest. Now the bird flits up to a fallen log and measures its length, now 
dives into a cranny behind it, and now emerges again in time to leap into the 
air for a passing insect. ‘Through long association with mother earth the 


THE CONNECTICUT WARBLER. 


ee 


Kentucky Warbler, has also acquired, tho in a lesser degree, that strange 
bobbing motion of the tail peculiar to many ground-haunting species. 

Interest in this bird is heightened by the fact that it is exceedingly 
shy, not only keeping to the wilder glens and out-of-the-way places, but 
carefully avoiding exposure of its golden plumage when found. More than 
once the bird-man has crept on hands and knees through a thicket to obtain 
a glimpse of this demure beauty, thus rendering an homage which a less modest 
bird could not have compelled. Like most birds, however, the male Kentucky 
lays aside inconvenient scruples during the season of song, and his voice 
is one of the boldest as well as sweetest in the woods. At this time he mounts 
a low branch, and, standing lengthwise, pours out at frequent intervals a 
clear, rich, ringing strain of three or four similar notes. ‘“‘Peé-u-dle, peé-u-dle, 
peé-u-dle,’ he seems to Mr. E. J. Arrick of McConnellsville to say; while 
other birds less commonly accent the last syllable of each phrase, tit-o0-reét, 
tit-oo-reét, tit-oo-reét. So intent does the bird become upon his music that 1f 
frightened from one perch he will immediately resume his song upon another. 

As in the case of all ground-nesting warblers, the nest is rather difficult 
to find, since it is committed to the protection of some obscure weed-clump 
or sapling. The surest method of discovery is to spy upon the female while 
the nest is a-making. -\ccording to Messrs. Morris and Arrick, who have had 
great success in finding the nest of this Warbler, they are to be sought upon 
the bottoms of the glades rather than upon the hillsides, where the birds other- 
wise spend the greater portion of their time. 


No. 81. 


CONNECTICUT WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 678. Geothlypis agilis (Wils.). 


Description.—Adult male: Whole head and neck and fore breast grayish 
slate, deepest on fore breast and crown; a white orbital ring ; remaining upper parts, 
including wings and tail, olive-green unmarked; below from breast, pale yellow, 
the sides tinged with olive; bill dark above, light below; feet light brown. In 
highest plumage the fore breast is almost, but never quite, black. In autumn the 
ash of nape is obscured by olive-green skirtings. Adult female and immature: 
Similar to male, but brownish olive-gray instead of slaty on head and neck; the 
olive of upper parts browner, not contrasting with crown, and thence shading on 
sides of neck into the browner gray of throat; below dingier yellow, and more 
heavily shaded by brownish olive on sides. Length 5.20-6.00 (132.1-152.4) ; wing 
2.80 (71.1) ; tail 1.91 (48.5) ; bill .43 (10.9). 


180 THE CONNECTICUT WARBLER. 


Recognition Marks.—Larger ; grayish slate of male, without black, and con- 
trasting with pale yellow below; female and young obscure brownish olive and 
yellowish birds, without definite contrasts. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nests described from Manitoba and 
Ontario, of dry grass, or of grass, leaves and trash, lined with hair, on the 
ground. Eggs, 4, white with a few spots of lilac, purple, brown, and black 
about the larger end. Av. size, .75 x .60 (19.1 x 15.2) (Thompson). 


General Range.—KE astern North America, breeding north of the United 
States. Northern South America in winter. 


Range in Ohio.—Quite rare, during migrations. 


OF the forty species of Warblers now accredited to Ohio, this is the one 
bird which has successfully eluded the author’s search afield, so that he may 
perhaps be pardoned some little emotion in setting it down as “quite rare” 
Others have been more fortunate: Dr. Kirtland in 1838 took one specimen; 
Dr. Langdon reports one taken near Cincinnati by Mr. Dury in the spring of 
1876; Dr. Wheaton saw two during his twenty years’ residence in Columbus; 
Professor Jones reports recently two birds seen near Oberlin; and Rey. W. F 
Henninger a pair taken at Waverly, August 10, 1899.1 

Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, who was the first to find the nest of the Con- 
necticut Warbler, says of it: “This species has somewhat the manners of the 
Vireos, but it is much more active and sprightly in its movements. During 
the migrations it is generally found on or near the ground in the undergrowth 
of low damp woods, and also in bordering weedy fields, where it sometimes 
announces its presence by a sharp peck. In the cold boggy tamarack swamps 
of Manitoba, where I found it breeding, it was the only HE of the family and 
almost the only bird, whose voice broke the silence of those gray wastes. Its 
loud song was much like the teacher, teacher chant of the Oven-bird, but it also 
uttered another, which I can recall to mind by the aid of the syllables, ‘free- 
chapple, free-chapple, free-chapple, whoit.” 

Mr. M. C. Read, writing in “The Family Visitor” in 1853, says, “This 
species is described as very rare, but for the two summers past I have noticed 
it as very abundant in a field of dense brambles, in Andover, Ashtabula County. 
In its habits it resembles the preceding (Trichas marylandica) [now Geothly- 
pis trichas brachidactyla| or rather the peculiar habits of the genus are strik- 
ingly exhibited in this species. * * * ‘They undoubtedly nest with us in 
considerable numbers.” Whether Mr. Read was correct in his surmise we 
cannot now determine. If true, it is quite probable that the northward trend 
of species has long since removed the Connecticut Warbler from the list of our 
breeding birds. 
ot RRiE doohine, Souel sO SU colleen ore ee eee a ere 
recalled that of an obscure Geothlypis of which I had_ obtained Sel Piece glimpses on the 7th of 
October 1901—probably in the same thicket where Mr. Parker captured his bird—and which I had set down 
tentatively as an immature male of the Kentucky Warbler. A sober thought, however, of the late date, and 


the appearance of the O. S. U. specimen in the same plumage convince me that it wasan immature Con- 
necticut Warbler. The bird gave little snatches of song quite unlike anything else I ever heard. 


THE MOURNING WARBLER. 181 


No. 82. 


MOURNING WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 679. Geothlypis philadelphia ( Wils.). 

Description.—aAdult male Whole head and neck and fore breast slaty gray, 
intermixed below with black, which emerges clear on the fore breast ; lores and or- 
bital ring black; remaining plumage bright olive-green above, shading into bright 
yellow below; bill dark above, pale below; feet very light brown. Adult female 
and immature: Similar, but slate of head more or less overcast by olive-green ; 
throat dull white or brownish white,—even yellowish; fore breast dull ashy or 
grayish brown, shading imperceptibly on sides of neck, etc. Length 5.00-5.75 
(127.-146.1) ; wing 2.43 (61.7) ; tail 2.11 (53.6) ; bill .43 (10.9). 


“one 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by the Author. 
WARBLER CORNER AGAIN, 


THE TulICKETS IN THE FOREGROUND AFFORD SHELTER TO MOURNING, WILSON AND NASHVILLE WARDBLERS, 
AND NORTHERN YELLOW-THROATS, 


Recognition Marks.—Smaller ; black conspicuous in slaty gray of breast,— 
abruptly contrasting with yellow below. Female and young obscure, but affording 
suggestion of contrast on breast when closely scrutinized. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on or near the ground, of 
bark-strips, vegetable fibers and trash, lined with grasses and rootlets and some- 
times horsehair. Eggs, 4, white, dotted with cinnamon-red near larger end. 
EW RISIZEN a2) Kang 2|(@Ore\xeis2)) 


182 THE MOURNING WARBLER. 


General Range.—E astern North America to the Plains, breeding from the 
mountainous portions of Pennsylvania, New England, New York and northern 
Michigan northward. Central America and northern South America in winter. 
Accidental in Greenland. 


Range in Ohio.—Rather rare spring and fall migrant. 


ALTHO deeply veiled in crape as to its head this rare Warbler is a 
thing of beauty. Its beauty is, however, still further veiled—from human 
eyes—for it is one of the most persistent of skulkers. During its migrations 
it passes from copse to copse by night, and remains in hiding by day with 
almost as much care as that exercised by escaping slaves in the days of the 
Underground Railroad. One sees just enough of them now and then to know 
that they are sprightly birds, graceful of movement and keen of eye. Occa- 
sionally one may be found in an unguarded moment exploring the tree-tops, 
but more frequently the coveted glimpse is obtained only by trampling on 
brush piles or beating outlying thickets. 

It is not impossible that the Mourning Warbler may be found breed- 
ing in our state, since it is common in New York and New England, and has 
been reported breeding in Illinois ‘“‘even south of latitude 39 degrees.” 

The bird is sometimes found singing during the northern movement, 
especially in the Lake Erie counties. Professor Jones gives it “tee, te-o, te-o, 
te-o, we-se, the last couplet accented and much higher pitched.” Rey. J. H. 
Langille states that the breeding song varies considerably, but “may generally 
be denoted by the syllables, free, free, free, fruh, fruh,—the first three being 
loud and clear and the last two in a lower tone, and so much softer and shorter 
that a moderate distance, or a slight breeze in the opposite direction, may 
prevent one from hearing them.” 


1 Prof. W. W. Cooke, Bull. No. 2, Div. of Economic Ornithology, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 258. 


THE NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT. 183 


No. 83. 


NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT. 


KO. U. 681d. Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla (Swains.). 
Synonym.—Formerly included under MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 


Description.—Adult male: A black band or mask on forehead and cheeks, 
bordered on superior margin by a narrow band of ashy white; remaining upper 
parts dull olive-green, brightening on rump, with a brownish cast on crown and 
sometimes on wings and tail; chin, throat, fore breast and crissum bright gamboge 
yellow ; lower breast and belly paler: sides washed with brownish; bill black above, 
light below; feet pale. Adult female: Similar, but without black mask,—grayish 
brown instead; forehead touched with brownish red; much paler yellow below; 
sides of breast and sides more heavily brownish. Male in autumn: Browner above 
and on sides; black mask tipped with grayish; more yellow on belly. Jimmatire 
male: Similar to adult, but browner, and showing only traces of black mask; 
throat paler yellow; chin and breast less pure, inclining to saffron. Under tail- 
coverts yellow at all ages and in all seasons. Length 4.75-5.75 (120.6-146.1) ; 
av. of four Columbus males: wing 2.40 (61.); tail 2.00 (50.8) ; exposed portion 
of culmen .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller; black facial mask bordered by ashy; yellow 
on throat and breast, changing to yellowish on belly, and brownish on sides,—in 
contrast with the uniform yellow of the under parts in G. formosa. 

Nest, sunken in grass tussock or bush clump on or near ground, a bulky but 
neat structure of weed-stalks, bark-strips, leaves of Typha latifolia, grasses, etc., 
carefully lined with grass or hair. Eggs, 4, or 5, white or creamy white, speckled, 
spotted, and sometimes obscurely scrawled, chiefly about larger end, or not, with 
umber or black. Av. size, .70 x .52 (17.8 x 13.2). 

General Range.—Northeastern United States and southeastern British Prov- 
inces, from northern New Jersey, Tennessee and east-central Texas northward; 
south in winter to West Indies and through Mexico to Central America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident, of universal distribution 
throughout the state, in swamps and lowland thickets. 


ACCORDING to a recent decision of our ornithological Sanhedrin, the 
A. O. U. “Committee”, we are obliged to forego the use of the title ““Mary- 
land”, endeared by long usage, but absurdly inappropriate, as are a dozen other 
bird names which merely perpetuate accidents of discovery. We might also 
easily improve upon the name “Yellow-throat” as a distinctive cognomen, for 
there are at least sixteen other birds belonging to the same family and found 
within the borders of our state which have throats more or less yellow. But 
who that has once seen the bird, can forget the broad black facial mask, sur- 
mounted by its narrow white band, or fillet, which really serves to distinguish 
this Warbler from all others? Better far call it the Masked Warbler, the 
Masquerader, or Domino. 

Indeed, one never gets over the impression that this pert little Warbler 


on THE NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT. 


is concealing an amused smile behind that inscrutable black mask, and that 
he is poking fun at you for awkwardness and stupidity, of which you know 
you are guilty, as you stumble about through the thicket in the wake of the 
retreating 
ial 0) © Ike © ir. 
There is no 
reasonable 
doubt that 
the bird de- 
lights in a 
game of hide- 
and-seek and 
that he shows 
himself from 
time to time 
USE Tali 
Sil Gi i BS in 
ahead to 
keep up the 
tantalizing 
play. But if 
you are wise 
enough to 
give it up the 
bird will 
presently 
LOR PMO sitter 
squarely into 
the open to 
look at you. 
Thus life's 
truest pleas- 
UGesS connie 
unsought. 
The Yel- 
low-throats 
arrive from 
the south 


Taken in Franklin County. Photo by the Author. Se) mn etime 
WHERE YELLOW-THROATS PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK. during the 

last week in 

April, and thenceforth wherever there are willow-thickets bordering streams, 


THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 185 


or marshy weed-lots, or over-grown fences running through lowland meadows, 
there are they. The male spends much time singing, seeking for the purpose 
the summit of a weed-stalk or a flowering shrub, or occasionally mounting a 
sapling twenty or thirty feet high. Witchity, wichity, wichity, or “I beseech 
you, I beseech you, I beseech you”, sounds forth at intervals in sharp anatriptic 
notes which pierce the morning chorus for a hundred yards. 

Meanwhile the plainly attired but dainty female is weaving a bulky nest 
in some weed-clump or grass-tussock hard by. Sometimes it is sunlx in the 
center of a tussock almost to the level of the ground. At others it is lodged 
in the spreading branches of a bush, or else the crowded heads of certain 
plants are brought together and made both to support and shelter the tightly- 
woven structure. The nest is a model of strength, and notwithstanding its 
usual bulkiness, is well moulded and neatly lined within. According to Dr. 
Jones the male bird assists somewhat in the construction of the nest, and 
both birds watch over it with jealous care. ‘wo broods are commonly 
reared during the season, one in May and another in July. When the nest 
is threatened, or indeed at any time when intruders are about, the birds give 
frequent voice to a most peculiar and distinctive note, a sort of Polish conso- 
nantal explosion, wzschthwb—a sound not unlike that made by a guitar string 
when it is struck above the stop. 


No. 84. 
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 
A. O. U. No. 683. Icteria virens (Linn.). 


Description.—Adult male: Above dull olive-green; fuscous on exposed 
inner webs of wings and tail; a prominent line above lores and eye, a short malar 
stripe, and eye-ring, white; enclosed space black on lores, less pure behind; throat, 
breast, lining of wings, and upper sides rich gamboge yellow; lower belly and 
crissum abruptly white; sides washed with brownish; bill black; feet plumbeous. 
Adult male: Very similar; bill lighter; lores and cheek-patch dusky rather 
than black; black appreciably lighter. Young: Dull olive above; head markings 
of adult faintly indicated; below grayish white, darker on breast, buffier behind. 
Length 6.75-7.50 (171.5-190.5) ; wing 3.01 (76.5) ; tail 3.01 (76.5) ; bill .53 (13.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Strictly “Sparrow” size, but because of bright color 
having nearer the size value of Chewink ;—the largest of the Warblers. Bright 
yellow breast with contrasting white below, with size, distinctive. 

Nest, placed in thickets, preferably briar, three to five feet from ground, com- 
posed outwardly of dried grass-stems and weed-stalks, centrally of layers of dried 


186 THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 


leaves, carefully wrapped, and within of fine grasses and horse-hair. Hggs, 3- 
5, white, rather openly spotted or minutely speckled with reddish brown. Av. size, 
90170) (22:0 i 7S))e 

General Range.—Eastern United States to the Plains, breeding north to 
Ontario and southern New England ; south in winter to eastern Mexico, Guatemala, 
Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant in south and central Ohio, decreasing northerly. 
In some northern localities rare. 


Taken near Columbus. 


Photo by the Author. 


THE HAUNT OF THE CHAT. 


IF there is a feathered oddity in America, it is the Yellow-breasted Chat ; 
and when you listen to his quaint medley of calls, caws, squawks, pipings and 
objurgations, you almost feel that the scientists must be as queer as himself 
for having placed him among the Warblers. Structurally he does belong to 
this family, but his vocal performances are about as far from warbling as 
midnight is from midday. 

His home is in the thickets along the border of the woods or in the un- 
dergrowth of partial clearings. As you approach his haunt, you will hear 
a low, querulous ““Cook-cook-cook,” suggesting a world of apprehension, as 


THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 187 


if he were saying, “There comes a brigand! Now our nests will all be 
robbed!” You draw nearer, and presently you are greeted with a loud “Caz!” 
and you look around for a crow. If you persist in going into his home, you 
will receive a “tongue-lashing” that will make your ears tingle, and it does 
not require a far stretch of the imagination to make you feel that he is 
quoting profane history at you. He has an extended vocabulary, especially 
of epithets. Unless you are acquainted with his ways, you will think a half 
dozen birds are berating you instead of only one. 


Taken near Waverly. Pieto by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 
THE CHAT’S NEST. 


It may be a good while before you see the author of all this jargon, 


j 
and you are almost ready to quote Wordsworth’s famous lines to a Cuckoo,— 
“Shall I call thee bird, 
Or but a wandering Voice?” 
But presently he creeps slyly to the top of a bush, and you catch the gleam 
of his rich yellow breast, and note his black mask, while he continues his vitu- 
perations, his throat bulging out like that of a croaking frog. he first time 


(9,6) 
o,2) 


THE HOODED WARBLER. 
you hear him you decide that Nature, in a fit of humor, intended him for 
a feathered clown; but when you see him, and observe his serious air, his 
intent gaze, and his nervous movements, you conclude that, after all, he is 
not in fun, but that with him 
“life is real, life is earnest.” 
He is either whistling to keep 
his courage up, or else his agi- 
tation is so great that he must 
give expression to it. 

One of his quaintest per- 
formances is to dart out into 
the air with a loud cry, hold his 
flapping wings far above him, 
and let his body and legs dan- 
gle loosely while he swings 
down again into the tangle- 
wood. ‘The nests of the Chats 
are bully affairs, and are built 
in the bushes. A few strands 
of grapevine were woven into 
almost every nest I have ever 
found, and I have discovered 
scores of them not only in 
Ohio, but also in many other 


PEE Coney. Rev. W. Pe a ee States. 
NOT WORTH SCOLDING ABOUT. LEANDER S. KEYSER. 
No. 85. 
a HOODED WARBLER. 
4 
\ 
Y 


A. O. U. No. 684. Wilsonia mitrata (Gmel.). 


Description.—Adult male: A golden mask, including forehead and cheeks, 
superimposed on a black hood, which covers the head and neck all around and 
reaches the fore-breast; back, etc. bright olive-green; wings and tail fuscous with 
olive-green edgings; the two outer pairs of tail feathers white on the inner webs 
for exposed length; remaining under parts, including lining of wing, bright 
yellow, abruptly contrasting with the black of hood; bill and rictal bristles black; 
feet pale. Adult female: Black hood much less distinct or wanting —showing 
only traces of black on nape, etc. ; outlines of golden mask sometimes indistinguish- 
able below, partially veiled by olive-green skirtings above: under parts impure 
yellow. Jmmature male: Like adult male, but the black feathers of hood with 


COPYRIGHT 1901, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO. 


RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO, 


18 HOODED WARBLER 
Wilsonia mitrata 
Life-size 


THE HOODED WARBLER. 189 


yellow tips. Length 5.00-5.75 (127.-146-1) ; wing 2.60 (67.6) ; tail 2.30 (59.9) ; 
bill .40 (10.2). iat 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; black hood and golden mask of male; 
yellow forehead and black rictal-bristles of specimens lacking the hood. 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by the Author 


“HERE THE BIRDS SPEND THEIR TIME FLY-CATCHING ALONG THE MIDDLE LEVELS. 


1gO THE HOODED WARBLER. 


Nest, in bushes or saplings from one to five feet up, of bark-strips, leaves, 
grass, and trash, more or less interwoven with spiders’ silk, and lined with hair or 
fiber. Eggs, 4 or 5, white or creamy white, dotted and spotted with reddish 
brown or umber, chiefly in wreath about larger end. Av. size, .71 x .51 (18. x 13.). 

General Range.—Eastern United States west to the Plains, north and east 
to southern Michigan, southern Ontario, western and southeastern New York and 
southern New England. Breeds from the Gulf of Mexico northward. In winter 
West Indies, eastern Mexico and Central America to Panama. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare summer resident, locally restricted. 


TAKE a lump 
of molten gold 
fashioned like a 
bird, impress upon 
it a hood of steel, 
oxidized, as black 
as jet, overlay this 
in turn with a 
half-mask of the 
gold, tool out 
each shining scale 
and shaft and fila- 
ment with exqui- 
site care, and you 
may have the 
equal of one of 
those ten thou- 
sand dollar vases 
of encrusted steel 
and gold, which 
the Spanish are 
so clever at mak- 
ing, an heirloom 
to be handed 
down from father 
to son. But let 
Nature breathe 
upon it; let the 
Author of Life 
give it motion and 
song; and you 
will have a Hood- 
ed Warbler, not 
\ HOODED WARBLER’S NES1 less beautiful that 


Taken near Jefferson. Photo by Robt. J. Sim. 


THE HOODED WAKBLER. 191 
you cannot handle it, but infinitely more so in that its beauty takes a thousand 
forms, a fresh one for every turn of fancy that may stir an avian breast. 

The further charm of comparative rarity is added to this exquisite crea- 
tion, so that not a few of us count upon our fingers the occasions upon which 
we have been granted a sight of it. To me the bird first came as a voice, 
a sweet and pure but altogether puzzling sound, tossed down from a tree- 
top on a foggy morning, an hour before dawn. The bird was at an unheard- 
of distance from his chosen range, so when the sun dissolved the mist and 
disclosed the 
singer, sitting 
quietly, and 
piping in ac- 
cents uncon- 
strained, it 
seemed to us as 
tho we had 
caught a fairy 
overstaying his 
time limit. 

The Hooded 
Warbler shows 
a decided pref- 
CimEiMCS Woes 
damp woods 
where there is 
plenty of un- 
dergrowth. 
Beech woods 
are favorite 
places if the 
other condi- 
tions are suit- 
able. Here the 
birds spend 
their time fly- 
catching along 
the middle lev- 
els, or descend 
to search the 
brush. The 
tail is some- 
times carried 


Taken near Sugar Grove. Photo by the Author. 
SLEEPING BEAUTIES. 


192 THE HOODED WARBLER. 


half-open after 
Redstart’s well- 
known fashion; 
but otherwise 
the birds are 
much less fussy 
than their sal- 
mon = spotted 
neighbors. 
Like most 
Warblers the 
Hooded has a 
chip note of 
alarm which is 
distinctive to 
practiced ears, 
while the male 
has a_ song 
which is quite 
marked,  tsu-e, 
tsi-e, tsu-e, tsu- 
wée-tsu. The 
notes are ring- 
ing and music- 
al, but the last 
two contain a 
sort of vocal 
somersault, as 
tho the bird 
were attacked 
by a sudden in- 
clination to 
Bio aneiahen sneeze. “These 
Patshis non e:ss 
therefore, 
closely resemble the dainty cachination of the Acadian Flycatcher, and would 
undoubtedly be mistaken for those of the latter bird if heard alone. ‘This 
is the common s mg, but some, probably many, variant forms occur. One 
bird, which haunted the beech-woods shown in the first illustration, rendered 
the typical song, but had also a fashion of bringing in the sneeze early, and 


Taken near Sugar Grove. 


WHERE THE “Beauties” Took THEIR First LESSoN In NATURE STupy. 


finishing strong in spite of the interruption. 
The nests in the illustrations speak for themselves, and it is only neces- 


THE | WILSON WARBLER. 193 


sary to add that they were placed, the one in an oak and the other in an alder 
sapling, at a height of about two feet from the ground. In feeding the young 
in the Sugar Grove nest the parents would invariably appear upon a certain 
bare twig some fifty feet above; here, if observed, the bird would chirp ap- 
prehensively for a minute or two, and then without further precaution launch 
straight for the nest. 

The Hooded Warbler is possibly on the increase. I have seen it twice 
at Columbus and twice at Oberlin within three years, but have not suspected 
ii of nesting at either place. Mr. Robert J. Sim reports it as a regular 
breeder in Ashtabula County, while Rev. W. F. Henninger reports it as rare 
in Scioto County in summer. 


No. 86. 
WILSON WARBLER. 


\. O. U. No. 685. Wilsonia pusilla (Wils.). 

Synonym.—BraAck-CAPPED WARBLER. 2 

Description.—Adul/t male: Above bright olive-green; forehead, sides of 
head, and under parts bright greenish yellow, usually tinged or vaguely clouded 
with olive; crown or “cap” lustrous black; wings and tail fuscous and olive-edged, 
without peculiar marks; bill dark above, light below; feet light brown. Adult 
female: Similar, but the black cap usually wanting, or if present, less distinct. 
Immature: Like female, without cap. Length 4.25-5.10 (108.-129.5) ; av. of ten 
Columbus males: wing 2.20 (55.9) ; tail 1.90 (48.3) ; bill .32 (8.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Least, pygmy size; black cap of male; recognizable in 
any plumage by small size and greenish yellow coloration. Keeps well down in 
bushes, weed-patches, and thickets. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of grass, leaves and trash, lined 
with fine grass or hair, on the ground, often partially concealed by grass or weeds. 
Eggs. 4 or 5, white or pinkish white, minutely speckled with reddish brown, some- 
times in wreath about larger end. Av. size, .60 x .49 (15.2 x 12.6). 

General Range.—E astern North America west to and including the Rocky 
Mountains, north to Labrador, Hudson Bay Territory and Alaska. Breeds chiefly 
north of the United States, migrating south to eastern Mexico and Central America. 

Range in Ohio.—Fairly common spring and fall migrant. Ranges low in 
brush patches or weed thickets. - 


AMONG tthe least of Warblers, the pretty little Black-cap is known 
throughout the state as a not uncommon but somewhat irregular migrant. 


194 THE CANADIAN WARBLER. 


In spring it may be entirely missing, but in the fall it is pretty sure to be found 
among the willows or in weed-thickets, keeping company with Nashville 
and ‘Tennessee Warblers. At all times it is somewhat confined to under- 
growth or rank vegetation, especially that which grows along the banks of 
streams. No bush or briar tangle, however intricate or strange, appears to 
present any obstacle to this masterful bush-ranger. A bird dives into a bush 
near at hand, and you are ready to take oath as to its near whereabouts, when 
lo, it reappears rods away and at the other side of the patch. 

Only now and then is a migrant bird found singing, and we cannot be 
quite sure that we ever hear the proper song, since the birds go so far north 
to breed. One heard repeatedly from the center of a bush clump about three 
feet high said, “Chi, chipitititity, chi, cli.” “Its song is compared by Minot 
to that of the Redstart or Yellow Warbler; while Nuttall writes it ‘tsh-tsh- 
tsh,tshea, and to Goss it sounds like ‘zee-zee-zee-zee-e. ”’ ‘These are all quite 
unlike the breeding song of the allied form IV’. p. chryseola, to which I have 
listened repeatedly in Western Washington; this is a rapidly uttered and em- 
phatescent chip, chip! chip!! chip!!! chip!!!! 


No. 87. 


CANADIAN WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. 686. Wilsonia canadensis (Linn.). 

Synonym.—CANADIAN FLY-CATCHING WARBLER. 

Description.—Adult male in spring: Above bluish ash; wings and tail un- 
marked; crown marked with lanceolate black centers of feathers, the ashy 
skirtings becoming obsolete on extreme forehead; loral spot, cut off in front, 
connecting with broad cheek-patch, black; supraloral spot connecting with under 
parts, yellow; under parts, except crissum, yellow, with a greenish cast; a broad 
loose necklace of black spots on fore breast, and connecting with black of cheeks ; 
lower tail-coverts white; bill black above, light below; feet light. Adult female 
and immature: Like male, but with black subdued; necklace faintly indicated 
by dusky spots; occasionally an olivaceous tinge on back. Male in autumn: 
Richer yellow below; yellow sometimes tipping spots of necklace. Length 5.00- 
5.75 (127.-146.1) ; av. of six Columbus males: wing 2.56 (65.) ; tail 2.09 (53.1) ; 
bill .39 (9.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium Warbler size; bluish ash of upper parts; 
yellow of under parts; necklace of black spots across breast ; rictal-bristles. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of leaves, grass, moss, and 
bark-strips, lined with fine rootlets, and placed on ground inside of bank, or under 
protection of log, root, or bush-clump. Eggs, 4 or 5, white, spotted and dotted with 
rufous brown, chiefly about larger end. Av. size .67 x .51 (17. X 13.). 


19 


AMERICAN REDSTART 
Setophaga ruticilla 
Life-size 


THE AMERICAN REDSTART. 195 


General Range.—Eastern North America west to the Plains, and north to 
Newfoundland, southern Labrador and Lake Winnipeg. South in winter to 
Central America and northern South America. Breeds from the higher parts of 
the Alleghanies and the more elevated portions of southern New York and 
southern New England northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common spring and early fall migrant. 


AMONG the later migrants may usually be seen each season a few of 
these exquisite fly-catching Warblers. In their breeding haunts, which lie 
far to the north of us, they range low in the bushes and often descend to the 
ground, but when traveling they seem to find better company in the tree-tops, 
and appear yery much at home there. There is something so chaste in the 
clear yellow of the throat and chest, spanned tho it is by a dainty necklace of 
jet, and something so modest and winsome withal in the bird itself, that some 
of us go into reverent ecstacies whenever we see one of them. 

The song is only occasionally rendered during the migrations, but seems 
to increase in frequency, as we should expect, as the bird proceeds north- 
ward. Some have likened it to that of the Yellow Warbler: but to my ears 
it bears a strong generic resemblance to that of the Hooded Warbler. At 
any rate it is clear, sprightly and vigorous. Chut, tutooit, tutoocét is one 
rendering, probably less characteristic and complete than Mr. Thompson’s 
classical interpretation “Fwp-it-chee, rup-it-chee, rup-it-chit-it-lit.” 

The Canadian is among the earliest of the returning Warblers, having 
been seen in the southern part of the state as early as August 24th. At this 
season the species is somewhat puzzling, by reason of the frequent absence, 
or half suppression, of the characteristic necklace. On the return journey, 
also, the birds are much more apt to be found in thickets, or low in well watered 
glens. 


No. 88. 


AMERICAN REDSTART. 


A. O. U. No. 687. Setophaga ruticilla (Linn. ) 

Description.—Adult male: Head and neck all around and breas: shining 
black ; remaining upper parts dull black with glossy patches, changing to brownish 
black or fuscous on wings; a large salmon-colored patch at base of secondaries; a 
smaller, nearly concealed patch of same color at base of primaries; the outer 
web of the outer primary salmon nearly throughout its length; the tail 
feathers, except the two middle pairs, salmon-colored on both webs for the basal 
two-thirds; two large patches of reddish salmon on the sides of the breast; the 


196 


THE AMERICAN REDSTART. 


lining of the wings and the sides extensively tinged with the same color, occasion- 
ally a few touches across the chest below the black; lower breast, belly, and 
crissum, white; bill black; feet dark brown; black in variable amounts on sides of 
breast between the orange-red spots; lower tail-coverts sometimes broadly tipped 
with blackish. Adult female: Above, brownish ash with an ochraceous or olive 
tinge on back; salmon parts of male replaced by yellow (Naples yellow), and the 
reddish salmon of sides by chrome yellow; remaining under parts dull whitish, 
sometimes buffy across chest. /mmature male: Similar to adult female, but 
duller the first year; the second year mottled with black; does not attain full 
plumage until third season. Length 5.00-5.75 (127.-146.1) ; av. of five Columbus 
males: wing 2.59 (65.8) ; tail 2.17 (55.1) ; bill .36 (9.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium Warbler size; black with salmon-red and 
salmon patches of male; similar pattern and duller colors of female and young; 
tail usually half open and prominently displayed, whether in sport or in or 
dinary flight. 


Nest, in the fork of a sapling from five to fifteen feet up, of hemp and other 
vegetable fibers, fine bark, and grasses, lined with fine grasses, plant-down and 
horse-hair. Eggs, 4 or 5, greenish, bluish, or grayish-white, dotted and spotted, 
chiefly about larger end, with cinnamon-rufous or olive-brown. Av. size, .68 x .51 
((Ai7ag3 5 1135) 

General Range.—North America north to Fort Simpson, west regularly to 
the Great Basin and casually to the Pacific Coast States, breeding from the middle 
portion of the United States northward. In winter, the West Indies, southern 
Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident throughout the state, more 
common during migrations. 


THE “start” of Redstart is from the old Anglo-Saxon steort, a tail; 
hence, Redstart means Redtail; but the name would hardly have been ap- 
plied to the American bird had it not been for a chance resemblance which it 
hears to the structurally different Redstart of Europe, Ruticilla phoenicurus. 
In our bird the red of the tail is not so noticeable as is the tail itself, which 
is handled very much as a coquette handles a fan, being opened or shut, or 
shaken haughtily, to express the owner’s varied emotions. 

The Redstart is the presiding genius of woodland and grove. He is a 
bit of a tyrant among the birds, and among his own kind 1s exceedingly sen- 
sitive upon the subject of metes and bounds. As for the insect world he 
rules it with a rod of iron. See him as he moves about through a file of 
slender poplars. He flits restlessly from branch to branch, now peering up 
at the under surface of a leaf, now darting into the air to secure a heedless 
midge, and closing upon it with an emphatic snap, now spreading the tail 
in pardonable vanity or from sheer exuberance of spirits; but ever and anon 
pausing just long enough to squeeze out a half-scolding song. The paler- 
colored female, contrary to the usual wont, is not less active nor less notice- 
able than the male, except as she is restrained for a season by the duties of 


107 


incubation. She is even believed to sing a little on her own account, not 
because her mate does not sing enough for two, but because she—vwell, for 
the same reason that a woman whistles,—and good luck to her! 

During the mating season great rivalries spring up, and males will chase 
each other about in most bewildering mazes, like a pair of great fire-flies, 
and with no better weapons—fighting fire with fire. When the nesting site 
is chosen the male is very jealous of intruders, and bustles up in a threatening 
fashion, which quite overawes most birds of guileless intent. 

Redstart’s song is sometimes little better than an emphatescent squeak. 
At other times bis emotion fades after the utterance of two or three notes, 


Taken near 


Photo by 
Danville. J 


J. B. Parker. 


A FAIRY BONBON. 


PAPA REDSTART IS PRESENTING HIS BABY WITH A CADDIS-FLY. 


and the last one dies out. A more pretentious effort is represented by Mr. 
Chapman as “ching, ching, chee; ser-wee, swee, swee-c-e-c.” Because of the 
bird’s abundance many variations are noted, and, indeed, the Redstart’s song 
is often quite puzzling, especially if it proceeds from a colorless young strip- 
ling of one summer. 

One knows exactly where to look for the Redstart’s nest, but for all that 
it is not easy to see a “knot” in the fork of a young sapling, matched to a 
nicety with the surrounding bark, and oftenest hidden by a leaf or two—not 
many, but just enough. ‘The fabric is a model of daintiness and close weav- 


ing. Strips of the inner bark of common milkweed or shredded grape-vine 


THE HORNED LARK. 


198 


bark form the bulk of the nest. The structure does not often embrace the 
sustaining brances, but the ends of its component strips are made fast to the 
rough bark of the sapling; besides this, frequent guy ropes and stays of gos- 
samer are thrown out. A snug lining of roller grass and horse-hair completes 
the home, which measures commonly one and seven-eighths inches across 
and one and a half deep, inside. ‘Two broods are sometimes raised in a 
season. 


No. 89. 


HORNED LARK. 


A. O. U. No. 474. Otocoris alpestris (Linn.). 


Synonym.—SwHor~ Lark. (This name is perpetuated solely through an 
accident of discovery, the type specimen having been described by Catesby 
from “‘the Seashore of Carolina.”). 


Description.—Adult male in breeding plumage: Upper parts warm brown 
or fuscous, clearest on wings and tail, feathers everywhere heavily edged with 
rufous; middle of crown, occiput, nape, sides of neck, bend of wing, and upper 
tail-coverts, pinkish cinnamon; fore-crown, cheeks and juguiar crescentic patch 
black; forehead, superciliary stripe, auriculars and throat primrose yellow; 
belly and crissum white; sides and flanks brownish. Adult female: Similar to 
male, but duller and paler, the black especially being obscured by brownish or 
buffy tips. Winter plumage of both sexes distinguished by somewhat heavier 
and more uniform coloring, save on black areas, which are overcast by buffy 
tips; fore breast dusky or obscurely spotted. Length about 7.75 (196.9); av. of 
four Columbus males: wing 4.26 (108.2) ; tail 2.87 (72.9) ; bill .48 (12.2) ; tarsus 
.84 (21.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; black throat and head 
patches; feather tufts or “horns” directed backward. ‘To be distinguished from 
O. a. praticola by its larger size, and from O. a hoyti by the fact that both throat 
and superciliary line are yellow. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a cup-shaped depression in the 
surface of the ground, plentifully lined with fine grasses, moss, grouse feathers, 
etc. Eggs, 3 or 4, greenish- or grayish-white, profusely and minutely dotted 
with olive-buff, greenish brown and lavender. A typical set from Labrador, as 
described by Major Bendire, measures .96 x .66 (24.9 x 16.8); .95 x .68 (24.1 
*€ W718) 5 asy/ 26 Aone (AA Sz T16).3}))e 

General Range.—Northeastern British America west to Hudson Bay and 
south to Newfoundland, Labrador, etc.; accidental in Greenland; in winter west 
to Manitoba and south to Illinois, Ohio, the Carolinas, etc. 

Range in Ohio.—Common winter resident, especially in the northern part. 
Moves about in flocks in conjunction with O. a. hoyti and O. a. praticola. 


cepamen aan lee ———————————— 


20 HORNED LARK PH ein tear 


: G RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO 
Otocoris alpestris 
45 Life-size 


THE HORNED LARK. 


199 


THE Horned Lark bears the reputation of being the most plastic of 
American species—the Song Sparrow (Melospiza cinerea) alone competing 
with it in this respect. A recent monograph by Mr. Harry C. Oberholser! 
enumerates twenty-two forms, of which sixteen are described as North 
American, and five Mexican, beside one from Colombia and another (O. a. 
flava) from Eurasia. Of this number the majority occur west of the Miss- 
issippi River, where climatic conditions are more sharply differentiated, and 
where, especially in the southwest, the situation admits of that permanent 
residence which is almost essential to the marked development of subspecific 
forms. Doubtless other forms will be elaborated, and perhaps some of the 
distinctions here pointed out will prove inconstant, and the names proposed 


Taken in Colorado. Photo by E. R. Warren 
HORNED LARK—MALE?2 


untenable; but the fact remains that Mr. Oberholser has done a splendid 
piece of work, and one which serves to renew the fascination of the old prob- 
lem of the influence of environment upon the origin of species. 

There is much to be done in Ohio in accurately determining the mutual 
relations and the distribution of the three forms which occur here in winter. 
The problem is complicated by the large number of intermediate forms which 
are to be found. Indeed it is scarcely too much to say that no two Horned 
Larks look exactly alike. Typical specimens of each subspecies may be found 
during any season, but the majority of all birds taken will prove to be puz- 
zling intergrades. The reason for this I conjecture to be as follows: Oto- 
coris alpestris (or more properly, O. alpestris alpestris) attains its maximum 


1A Review of the Larks of the Genus Otocoris (Proceedings of U. S. Nat'l Museum, Vol XXIV. 


2 This series of pictures taken by Mr. Warren in midwinter at Colorado Springs and represents 
Q. a. leucolaema (Coues) or, possibly, O. a. hoyti Bishop. In either case the differences between them 
and our local species are too slight to be noticeable in a black and white reproduction. 


200 THE HORNED LARK. 


development in the region east of Hudson Bay; O. a. hoyti in the region west ; 
while O. a. praticola, normally centering in the northern prairie states border- 
ing the Mississippi River, is rapidly extending its range to include the region 
north of the Great Lakes (as well as pushing east to the Atlantic Coast). 
It is evident, therefore, that the area south of Hudson Bay and north of Ohio 


Taken in Colorado 


Photo by E. R. Warren. 
HORNED LARK—FEMALE. 


affords a meeting ground for the three forms. It is the summer population 
of this extensive debatable ground which invades Ohio in winter, and floods 
us with intergrades. It is noteworthy in this connection that the Ohio breed- 
ing birds, typical O. a. praticola, so far as known, are largely lost to sight 
during the winter inundation from the north; and the question arises whether 
they do not retire southward as a whole or in part during the winter season. 


THE HOYT HORNED LARK. ——- = 


No. go. 
HOYT HORNED LARK. 


A. O. U. No. 474k. Otocoris alpestris hoyti Bishop. 

Description.—Similar to O. alpestris, but the yellow of throat paler or re- 
stricted to central stripe; the eyebrow white or, rarely, slightly yellowish. Seasonal 
and sexual changes like preceding. 

This seems to be a well marked subspecies. I have examined specimens from 
Columbus, Wauseon, Oberlin, etc., all clearly referable to this type. 

This is the bird of the northern interior of British America. Its winter range 
overlaps that of O. alpestris, tho lying mostly to the westward. Large winter 
flocks often contain both forms in about equal proportions. 

Average measurements of 15 males: wing 4.37 (111.1); tail 2.77 (70.5) ; 
exposed culmen .45 (11.4) ; tarsus .88 (22.3) ; middle toe .49 (12.5) (Oberholser). 


Taken in Colorado. 


Photo by E. R. Warren. 


SIZING UP THE CAMERA. 


eri THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 


No. 91. 


PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 


A. O. U. No. 474b. Otocoris alpestris praticola Hensh. 


Description.—Similar to preceding forms, but smaller and not so brightly 
colored; the forehead and line over eye dull white, the yellow of throat pale or 
wanting. Adult male, length about 7.25 (184.2) ; “wing 4.13 (104.9) ; tail 2.99 
(75.9). Adult female, “length 6.75-6.85 (171.5-174.); wing, average, 3.84 
(97.5) ; tail 2.73 (71.9)” (Ridgway). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; terrestrial; conspicuous black or black- 
ish markings about head. Black crown patch produced into feather-tufts or 
“horns” pointing backward. Forehead and line over eye whitish, never yellow. 

Nest, on the ground, a deep, cup-shaped depression plentifully lined with 
grass. Depth, 1.85; width, 2.12. Eggs, 3 or 4, pale greenish or bluish white to dull 
olive, heavy and evenly speckled with grayish or greenish brown. Ay. size 
ae) xe (OH (AOS: 3e UGs8))). 


General Range.—Upper Mississippi Valley and the region of the Great Lakes 
to New England, breeding eastward to western Massachusetts and even Maine; 
south in winter to Carolina, Texas, etc. 


Range in Ohio.—Common in northern portion at all seasons ; breeds sparingly 
southward at least as far as Columbus. Evidently increasing in numbers and 
distribution. 


BEFORE the eyes have been opened to his singular beauties and charms 
‘the Prairie Horned Lark is apt to rank among the unthinking along with 
the “brown birds” of roadside and field. He is a modest bird in some re- 
spects, it is true. Watch him as he indulges in a dust bath in a warm country 
road, or as he is surprised from his gleaning in late autumn. He will run 
ahead with a plaintive cry as tho begging not to be disturbed or driven 
from his treat. If your business is urgent and you must follow the road, 
he finally leaves you with a louder cry of protest, either to fly to pastures 
new, or, as is more likely, to circle around and fall in behind you at the old 
spot. He is emphatically a bird of the open. He scorns trees and will not 
trust himself to anything whose connection with the ground is less obvious 
than that of a fence-post or, perchance, a fence rail. When he is on the 
ground he walks or scampers, but does not hop like the Sparrow. 

Two phases of this bird’s life stand out most prominently to view, the 
winter flocking, and the early nesting. As winter approaches, these birds 
renounce allegiance to local ties and form roving bands, which flit from field 
to field or county to county, or else catch the fever of their more impetuous 
cousins from the North and join forces with them for a brief southern flight. 


THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 203 
Perhaps the birds from northern Ohio are reinforced from Ontario and be- 
yond. ‘Those in central Ohio are augmented very considerably by northern 
visitors of both species. 

A “feeding lot,” or field where fodder is daily dealt out to the stock, 
is a typical resort for a winter troop of Horned Larks. Here they gather 
by dozens and scores, and sometimes to the number of two or three hundred, 
and feed upon the weed seed which the cattle have threshed out with their 
hooves, or upon the undigested matter of droppings. If the observer moves 
toward a flock in the open field the birds may skulk and steal away in every 
direction, or else, having taken plaintive counsel, take suddenly to wing and 
fly off in a great straggling company. 


Taken in Colorado. 


Photo by E. R. Warren 


A WINTER TROOP OF HORNED LARKS. 


Once, during the winter of 1901-02, by the aid of a friendly rail fence 
and a convenient tree, I crept upon and studied closely a flock of two hun- 
dred Horned Larks (alpestris, a. hoyti and a. praticola). ‘They were glean- 
ing industriously near the edge of a large feeding lot a mile or so west of 
town. ‘The mercury stood at zero, and the birds had need of industry to 
keep up the inner fires. ‘Twice during my watch the entire flock was seized 
with a sense of instant danger and rose as one bird. After circling about 
once or twice they settled again, apparently reassured. I could not believe 
that I was the cause of offense, since they had already become somewhat ac- 


Bor THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 


customed to my presence, and I showed myself freely both before and after 
without causing alarm. Indeed, when I retired from the scene I passed right 
through their ranks and the birds simply melted away before me and quietly 
resumed their feeding at one side without any general disturbance. How 
then account for this sudden flight impulse? Some would suggest an un- 
heard command from a sentinel. Such officials possibly exist, but their 
services are irregular and inconspicuous. On the whole I am inclined to 
give considerable weight to the suggestion of Dr. Thomson Jay Hudson that 
animals and birds in flock are moved by telepathic influences, emanating, 
as may chance, from one or another of their number. In this case, certainly, 


“DEVOTES HIMSELF * * TO SOME MAKE-BELIEVE-RELUCTANT LADY.” 


the psychical explanation of the well known phenomenon appears plausible 
and attractive. ‘The unreasoning apprehensiveness of a single individual— 
it might have been frightened at the shape of a cornstalk, or anything as 
trivial—was instantly communicated to the whole flock, and put them into 
sudden panic. 


With the first signs of returning spring the Prairie Horned Lark ab- 
jures the madding crowd and devotes himself to the task of proving his 
superior merits and attractions to some make-helieve-reluctant lady. The 


THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 295 


Labrador birds, it may be, are still flocking; Bluebird has not brought the 
official tidings of spring from the Southland; but only let the February sun 
shine a little while and ‘“‘Prairie’s” brave courting song is heard from on high. 

When the frost is out of the ground, altho there may still be ample 
danger of snows, the sturdy pair sink a deep, cup-shaped depression in the 
moist earth and line it plentifully with dried grasses, last year’s thistle down, 
and such. In this latitude the eggs are laid in March or early April, three 
or four in number, heavily and oftenest minutely, dotted with dull olive or 
greenish brown, but sometimes bearing spots as large as those of Shrikes’ 
eggs. The favorite way to locate Horned Larks’ nests in season is to post 
one’s self at the edge of a field and watch the female skulk to her nest. I 


Photo by the Author. 


“AT THE SACRED HOUR OF SUNSET” 


have followed a bird with my glasses half way across a forty acre field until 
she was so far away that I could judge of her whereabouts only by the fact 
that movement had apparently ceased. As I walked straight toward the nest 
the bird would flush at forty or fifty yards. 

A first brood is raised in April and a second in June or July. Accord- 
ing to Prof. Lynds Jones three broods are raised in Iowa, one early in April, 
another early in June, and a third in late July, or August. 

But the chief interest of nesting time centers in the song flight of the 
male. The song itself is perhaps nothing remarkable, a little ditty or suc- 
cession of sprightly syllables which have no considerable resonance or mod- 
ulation, altho they quite defy vocalization; yet such are the circumstances 
attending its delivery that it is set down by every one as “pleasing,” while 


Bob THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. ae 


for the initiated is possesses a charm which is quite unique. Twidge-widge, 
widgity, widgy-widge, conveys no idea of the tone-quality, indeed, but may 
serve to indicate the proportion and tempo of the common song; while 77zwvidge, 
widgity, eelooy, eelooy, idgity, eelooy, eew, may serve the same purpose for 
the rare ecstasy song. The bird sometimes sings from a fence post, or even 
from a hummock on the ground, but usually the impulse of song takes him 
up into the free air. Here at almost any hour of the day he may be seen 
poising at various heights, like a miniature hawk, and sending down tender 
words of greeting and cheer to the little wife who broods below. 

It is, however, at the sacred hour of sunset that the soul of the heavenly 
singer takes wing for its ethereal abode. The sun is just sinking; the faithful 
spouse has settled herself to her gentle task for the night; and the bird-man 
has lain down in the shadow of the fence to gaze at the sky. The bird gives 
himself to the buoyant influences of the trembling air and mounts aloft by 
easy gradations. As he rises he swings round in a wide, loose circle, singing 
softly the while. At the end of every little height he pauses and hovers and 
sends down the full voiced song. Up and up he goes, the song becoming 
tenderer, sweeter, more refined and subtly suggestive of all a bird may seek in 
the lofty blue. As he fades from the unaided sight I train my glasses on 
him and still witness the heavenward spirals. I lower the glasses. Ah! I 
have lost him now! Still there float down to us, the enraptured wife and 
me, those most ethereal strains, sublimated past all taint of earth, beatific, 
elysian. Ah! surely, we have lost him! He has gone to join the angels. 
“Chirriquita, on the nest, we have lost him.” “Never fear,’ she answers; 
“Hark!” Stronger grows the dainty music once again. Stronger! Stronger! 
Dropping out of the boundless darkening blue, still by easy flights, a song for 
every step of Jacob’s ladder, our messenger is coming down. But the ladder 
does not rest on earth. When about two hundred feet high the singer sud- 
denly folds his wings and drops like a plummet to the ground. Within the 
last dozen feet he checks himself and lights gracefully near his nest. The bird- 
man steals softly away to dream of love and God, and to waken on the mor- 
row of earth, refreshed. 

It is most gratifying to note that the Horned Larks of our state are in- 
creasing. Perhaps some oi the apparent increase is due to the fact of better 
acquaintance and closer methods of observation; but more is doubtless due to 
the continued denudation of timber and the consequent restoration of land to 
the prairie conditions suitable for this plains-loving bird. It is suggestive, in 
view of this suspected increase, that Nuttall, writing in 1832, said of this 
whole group (QO. alpestris and subspecies not yet elaborated), “As yet the 
nest of this wandering species is unknown, and must probably be sought for 


THE AMERICAN PIPIT. 207 


only in the coldest and most desolate of regions.” Wheaton, writing from 
Columbus as late as 1882, knows nothing of the breeding of this bird in Ohio. 
He says, merely, ‘The Shore Lark breeds from New York and Wisconsin 
northward * * During the breeding season the male is said to have a 
short but pleasing song.” 


No. 92. 


AMERICAN PIPIT. 


A. O. U. No. 697. Anthus pensilvanicus (Lath.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN TITLARK; BRowNn LARK. 

Description.—Adult in spring: Above soft and dark grayish brown with 
an olive shade; feathers of crown and back with darker centers; wings and tail 
dusky with paler edging, the pale tips of coverts forming two indistinct bars; 
outer pair of tail-feathers extensively white; next pair white-tipped; superciliary 
line, eye-ring and under parts light grayish brown or buffy, the latter streaked 
with dusky except on middle of throat and lower belly—heavily on sides of 
throat and across breast, narrowly on lower breast and sides. MWunter plumage: 
Above, browner; below, duller buffy; more broadly streaked on breast. Length 
6.00-7.00 (152.4-177.8) ; wing 3.37 (85.6); tail 2.53 (64.3); bill .46 (11.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; brown above; buffy or brownish with 
dusky spots below ; best known by f¢/ip-y1p notes repeated when rising from ground 
or flying overhead. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, loosely constructed 
of grasses and moss. Eggs, 4-6, so heavily speckled and spotted with reddish 
or dark brown as almost entirely to obscure the whitish ground color. Often, 
except upon close examination, the effect is of a uniform chocolate-colored egg. 
IANS, GWAE, J77? OS SG (OHO = 5). 

General Range.—North America at large, breeding in the higher parts of 
the Rocky and Cascade Mountains and in sub-Arctic regions; wintering in the 
Gulf States, Mexico, and Central America. Accidental in Europe. ; 

Range in Ohio.—Common during migrations. The spring movement is 
more rapid, and so less frequently observed than that of the fall. 


THE American Pipit does not sustain the habitual dignity of the boreal 
breed. He is no clown, indeed, like our Titmouse, nor does he quite belong 


THE AMERICAN PIPIT. 


to 
{e) 
| oO 


to the awkward squad with young Cowbirds. A trim form and a natty suit 
often save him from well merited derision, but all close observers will agree 
that there is a screw loose in his make-up somewhere. ‘The whole Pipit race 
seems to be struggling under a strange inhibitory spell, cast upon some an- 
cestor, perhaps, by one knows not what art of nodding heather bells or po- 
tency of subtly distilled Arctic moonshine. As the flock comes straggling 
down from the northland they utter unceasing yips of mild astonishment and 
self-reproach at their apparent inability to decide what to do next. heir in- 
decision is especially exasperating as one rides along a trail which is closely 
flanked by a primitive rail fence, as I have often done in northern Washing- 
ton. One starts up ahead of you and thinks he will settle on the top rail and 
watch you go by. As his feet near the rail he decides he won't, after all, but 
that he will go a few feet farther before alighting. If he actually does alight 
he instantly tumbles off with a startled yip, as tho the rail were hot and he 
had burnt his toes. Then he tries a post with no better success, until you get 
disgusted with such silly vacillation and inane yipping, and clap spurs to your 
horse, resolved to escape the annoyance of having to follow such dubious 
fortunes. 

In social flight the Pipits straggle out far apart, so as to allow plenty of 
room for their chronic St. Vitus’s dance to jerk them hither or thither or up 
or down, without clashing with their fellows. Only a small percentage of 
those which annually traverse our state fly low enough to be readily seen; 
but when they do they are jolting along over the landscape and complaining 
at every other step. The note is best rendered tlip-yip, less accurately pip-it 
(whence of course the name); and a shower of these petulant sounds comes 
spattering down out of the sky when the birds themselves are nearly or quite 
invisible. 

The birds rarely appear singly, but move commonly in loose companies 
of from ten to a hundred individuals. The fall movement is quite leisurely, 
and not infrequently snow flies before the last stragglers are safely past. At 
this time of year they are to be found, if at all, in close-cropped pastures, fal- 
low fields, or upon the gravelly shores of rivers and ponds. In spring the 
return movement is much more definite and concentrated. The main body 
of migrants passes through about the second week in May, altho stragglers 
in winter plumage occur casually in March and April. ‘The bird is reported 
by Ridgway as an occasional winter resident in southern Illinois, and it could 
probably be found at that season in the southern part of this state. 

Spring flocks may be looked for in freshly plowed fields, where they feed 
attentively and often silently, moving about with “graceful gliding walk, 
tilting the body and wagging the tail at each step, much in the manner of a 


J 


Seiurus. 


THE WOOD THRUSH. 


209 
No. 93. 
bs WOOD THRUSH. 
“A, O. U. No. 755. Hylocichla mustelina (Gmel.). 
Description.—ddult: Above, bright cinnamon-brown, brightest on head 


and nape, shading insensibly into light olive-brown on rump, wings, and tail; 
wing-quills fuscous on inner webs; below, white, a buffy tinge on breast meeting 
bright cinnamon on sides of neck,—marked, except on upper throat, belly, and 
crissum, with large, roundish, or wedge-shaped, blackish spots; lores and eye- 
ring whitish. not clearly defined; auriculars sharply streaked with white and 


Photo by 
the Author. 


Taken near 
Circleville. 


“Tue Breopinc FemMaLe 1s Unusuatty DrvorEep to Her Eccs.” 


dark brown; bill dark at base, lightening toward tip cn culmen; lower mandible 
and feet yellowish brown. Length 7.50-8.50 (190.5-215.9) ; wing 4.30 (109.2) ; 
tail 3.10 (78.7) ; bill .66 (16.8). 


210 THE WOOD THRUSH. 


Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; the largest of the genus; above cin- 
namon-brown in front, olive-brown behind; below heavily spotted. 


Nest, of twigs, weed-stalks, leaves, and trash, with a matrix, or inner wali, 
of mud, carefully lined with rootlets; usually saddled upon semi-horizontal branch 


of sapling, five to fifteen feet up. Eggs, 3-5, uniform greenish blue, about 


Take near Circleville. 
“Tur DEPTHS OF THE Forest CLaim Him.” 


Photo by the Author. 


THE WOOD THRUSH. 211 


the color of Robin’s, or perhaps averaging a shade lighter. Avy. size, 1.04 x 76 
(26.4 x 19.3). 

General Range.—Eastern United States to the Plains, north to southern 
Michigan, Ontario, and Massachusetts: south in winter to Guatemala and Cuba. 
Breeds from Virginia, Kentucky and Kansas northward 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. 


Photo by E. B. Williamson. 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE woop THRUSH. 


THE EGGS ARE REALLY MUCH DARKER THAN THEY APPEAR TO BE BECAUSE BLUE “TAKES WHITE”. 


ALTHO all of our Thrushes are retiring in disposition, the Wood 
Thrush, perhaps because of his larger size, is the least so. The depths of the 
forest, indeed, claim him, but so too do the shaded lawns of village streets 
and city parks. In his woodland home this Thrush does not flee as tho a price 


212 THE WOOD THRUSH. 


with a 


had been set upon his head, but often comes forward—not too close 
pit of inquiry and greeting. 

The Wood Thrush spends considerable time on the ground looking for 
beetles and worms, but he is ready at a moment's notice to flutter up on a 
log or low branch, and stand there surveying 
you, flirting, or twinkling, the wings occa- 
sionally to indicate his perfect readiness for 
further retreat, or else ruffling and shaking 
his feathers as tho to shake off the memory 
of the mold. A false step now and he may 
disappear irrevocably down some forest isle; 
a quiet glance of admiration serves to reas- 
sure him, and he may resume his feeding. 

There is an air of gentleness and good 
breeding about the bird, which goes a long 
way to disarm a wanton enemy, and one stu- 
diously hostile there could not be. Brighter 
than the other Thrushes in color, and marked 
unmistakably with heavy spots upon breast 
and sides, the Wood Thrush is further dis- 
tinguished in a gifted family by its wonder- 
ful voice. The chanting of the Wood ‘Thrush 
is one of the choice things in bird music. In 


the freshness of the undried morning the Taken near Circleville. 
Photo by the Author. 


bird mounts a low limb and takes up a part ONE TYPE OF NEST. 
in the grand anthem of nature, whose com- THIS NEST APPEARS NEAR THE CENTER CF 


. THE ILLUSTRATION ON PAGE 210 
mlementary voices may be lost to any ear less 
fine than his. The bird listens to the retreating foot-steps of the morning stars, 


and sings, “Far away—far away.” Zephyr stirs the unfolding leaves with 
ish alto and our matchless tenor responds, “Come to me—Here in glee 


4 
his boyis 
—bide a wee.’ in cadences of surpassing sweetness. Altho the singer’s voice 
is rich and strong, so that he may be heard at times for half a mile, there are 
at the same time grace notes and finer passages which only a near-by listener 
can catch. ‘The notes, | am told by musical critics, are, of all bird notes, the 
most nearly reducible to ordinary musical notation; but the peculiar timbre o7 
the bird’s voice, the rich vibrant quality of the tones, is of course inimitable. 
Their utterance at morning and evening is something more than a clever musi- 
cal performance; it is worship. 


THE WOOD THRUSH. 213 


The typical situation for a nest 
is upon an overarching sapling, as 
shown in the nearest illustration. 
To secure a romantic site stability 
is sometimes sacrificed, and the nest, 
loosely saddled upon a narrow 
branch, may be toppled over by the 
wind or by a careless hand. At other 
times the nest is securely lodged 
upon the forks of a horizontal limb 
or upright sapling, and may prove 
very durable. 

Upon a foundation of dry 
leaves are laid grass, fibres, and 
weed-stems ; these are held in place 
by a matrix of mud or rotton wood, 
and the nest lined with rootlets or 
dead leaves. The mud-working 
must be disagreeable business for 
such dainty birds. I once came 
upon a mother mason at her task. 
Her bill and breast were all be- 
daubed with mud, and she cut such 
a sorry figure that she fled precipi- 
tately upon my approach and would 
not come back again. 


Taken near Circleville. Photo by the Author. 


A TYPICAL NESTING SITE. 


According to Dr. Jones the same nest is occupied during successive sea- 


sons, especially if securely placed. 


Repairs are made each year, and consist 


either of a new matrix and lining or of the latter alone. He has one in his 
collection which shows four distinct yearly additions. 

The brooding female is unusually devoted to her eggs, and altho in mani- 
fest terror of the “infernal machine” thrust up close to her nest, bravely returns 


to her charge again and again. 


214 THE WILSON THRUSH. 


No. 94. 


WILSON THRUSH. 


A. O. U. No. 756. Hylocichla fuscescens (Steph.). 

Synonym.—\ EERy. 

Description.—ddult: Above, light cinnamon-brown or bister, uniform; 
wing-quills shading to brownish fuscous on inner webs; below white, the throat, 
except in the upper middle, and the breast, tinged with cream-buff, and spotted 
narrowly and sparingly with wedge-shaped marks of the color of the back; sides 
and flanks more or less tinged with brownish gray; sides of head buffy-tinged, 
with mixed brown, save on whitish lores; bill dark above, light below; feet light 
brown. Adult male, length 7.25-7.75 (184.2-196.9); wing 4.00 (101.6); tail 
2.87 (72.9) ; bill .53 (13.5). Female averaging smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; light cinnamon brown 
above; breast buffy, lightly spotted. 


Nest, of leaves, bark-strips, weed-stems, and trash, lined with rootlets; on 
or near the ground. Eggs, 3-5, plain greenish blue, not unlike the Robin’s. 
Av, size, 88 x 164 (22:4 x 16:3); 

General Range.—E astern United States to the Plains, north to Manitoba, 
Ontario, and Newfoundland. Breeds from northern New Jersey and the north- 
ern part of the Lake States northward; winters sparingly in Florida, but chiefly 
south of the United States. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Not uncommon summer resident in 
northern Ohio; less common and locally restricted throughout the state. 


THOSE, of this species which pass farther north to breed, and which 
constitute by far the greater majority, may sometimes be seen in village 
orchards and in rather open situations, but the chosen home is in deep, dank 
forests and in low-lying, swampy tangles. Here the enthusiastic bird stu- 
dent may catch a sufficient glimpse of a flitting shade to believe that the tail 
seen does not contrast in color with the back, and that the bird must there- 
fore be, by elimination, the Wilson rather than the Hermit Thrush. For the 
rest the bird is known only as a voice, an elusive voice, a weird and wonder- 
ful voice. ‘The name “Veery,”’ by which the bird is known in New Eng- 
land, is evidently an imitation of one of its rolling notes. Its scolding or 
interrogatory cry consists of a single one of these notes, ’e-ery or ve-er-u, 
but its song consists of a series of six or seven of these syllables rolled out 
with a rich and inimitable brogue. The notes vibrate and resound, and fill the 
air so full of music that one is led to suspect the multiple character of each. 
The bird is really striking chords, and the sounding strings still vibrate 
when the next is struck. There is, moreover, in the whole performance a 
musical crescendo coupled with a successive lowering of pitch, which is sim- 
ply ravishing in its sense of mystery and power. 


THE GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. 215 


Altho reported commonly in the northern portion in summer, I have 
no positive information of a nest’s having been found in Ohio. In fact this 
species is one of the inexcusably neglected birds of the state. 


No. 95. 


GRAY-CHEEKED  PERUSH. 


A. O. U. No. 757. Hylocichla aliciz (Baird). 

Synonym.—ALicr’s THRusH. 

Description.—Adult: Above, uniform dull olive-brown; below, white, on 
the breast and sides of throat tinged with pinkish buff, and further marked by 
broad, sector-shaped spots of blackish; the sides and sometimes lower breast 
washed with dusky gray; lores and region about angle of commissure distinctly 
gray; remaining space on side of head gray, mingled with olive-brown. Bill 
dark brown, somewhat lighter below; feet brown. Length 7.00-8.00 (177.8- 
203.2) ; av. of six Columbus specimens; wing 4.05 (102.9) ; tail 2.56 (65.); bill 
S50) (GAGA): 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; pallid cheeks afford only 
positive diagnostic mark; darker above and more heavily marked on breast than 
H. fuscescens. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of bark-strips, leaves, grasses, 
etc., lined with fine grasses; on branches of low trees or on bushes, two to eight 
feet from ground. Eggs, 4, greenish blue, faintly spotted with reddish or yel- 
lowish brown. Av. size, .QI x .70 (23.1 x 17.8). 

General Range.—E astern North America west to the Plains, Alaska and 
northern Siberia; north to the Arctic Coast ; south in winter to Costa Rica. Breeds 
chiefly north of the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Not very common spring and fall migrant. 


ALL Thrushes look alike to the layman, and it is not perhaps to be 
wondered at that this species, altho by no means rare, is not known to above 
a dozen observers in the state. Alice's Thrush has the same modest ways 
and semi-terrestrial habits which characterize the other members of the 
genus, and while with us does little to distinguish itself from them. Like 
the others it has a fashion of slipping along quietly through the under- 
growth, and may not be observed until driven, all unconsciously perhaps, 
to its last ditch, whereupon it flutters up into view on a post of the boundary 
fence, or hurtles back wildly over the observer’s head. It is, perhaps, a little 
more deliberate in movement than the Olive-backed Thrush, with which it 
is most likely to be confounded. 


216 THE OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 

During the migrations the bird is seldom heard to utter a sound. Its 
scolding note is described as being midway between the interrogatory whistle 
of the Olive-backed and the ill-mannered snarl of the Wilson. Its song, too, 
requires careful distinction from the former, and hence from both. 

The breeding habits of the Alice Thrush are as yet imperfectly known, 
especially in its British American range. Mr. Bradford Torrey first sus- 
pected its presence in New England during the breeding season, on the strength 
of a song heard in the White Mountains, and shortly afterward Mr. William 
Brewster confirmed the record by securing nests in the same locality. 


No. 96. 
/ OLIV E-BACKED THRUSE. 


bs O. U. No. 758a. Hylocichla ustulata swainsonii (Cab.). 


Description.—Adult: Above, olive, or olive-brown, substantially uniform,— 
a little brighter than in preceding species; below, white; throat (only slightly in 
center), breast, and sides of head strongly suffused with creamy or ochraceous- 
buff, unmistakable on lores and eye-ring; cheeks and throat spotted narrowly 
and breast broadly with dusky olivaceous; sides and flanks lightly washed with 
brownish gray, sometimes appearing in broad, sector-shaped marks on sides and 
across breast below the buffy area. Bill brown, lighter at base of lower man- 
dible; feet light brown. Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; wing 3.81 (96.8) ; tail 
2°49 (63:2) ibill 250) (1297). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; uniform olive-brown above; heavy 
spotting and buffy wash on breast; sides of head and eye-ring buffy. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of bark-strips and grasses with a 
heavy inner mat of leaves, sometimes largely composed of, or covered externally 
with, moss, lined with rootlets and fine grasses; placed at moderate heights in 
bushes or saplings of thickets. Eggs, 3-5, pale greenish olive, with not very 
distinct spots and blotches of reddish and yellowish brown. Av. size, .g1 x .65 
(3) e615): 

General Range.—Eastern United States westward to the Upper Columbia 
River, and casually to the north Pacific Coast. Southward in winter to Cuba, 
Central America, and western South America; casual in Bermuda. Breeds in 
the mountainous regions of the Eastern States northerly, and generally north 
of the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—A common but very unobtrusive migrant. 


ALTHO not less habitually a bird of the undergrowth and thickets 
than its congeners, when at home in its northern haunts, the Olive-backed 
Thrush has a curious custom during migrations of remaining aloft in the 


OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH 
Hylocichla ustulata swainsontt 


24 Life-size 


THE HERMIT THRUSH. 217 


tree-tops and spending the days in company with the Warblers. Some- 
times in searching the top of an elm tree with my glasses for possible Paru- 
las and certain Black-throated Greens, I have noted a half dozen of these 
Thrushes, moving about quietly at that height and evidently finding an 
abundance of insect food about the new-flung tassels of clustering flowers. 
Here too are to be heard subdued songs, which, because of their very moder- 
ation, serve to transport the fortunate hearer into regions of utter rest. 

When it does resort to the ground, the Olive-backed Thrush can be pro- 
vokingly elusive; and no one of the servants of this wayside inn, Ohio, may 
claim really to know this fleeting guest. The full-voiced song is often ren- 
dered in dense thickets and swampy woods, especially in the northern part 
of the state. It bears a superficial resemblance to that of the Wilson Thrush 
and has something of the same rolling, vibrant quality. It is, however, less 
prolonged and less vehement. It lacks the liquid r’s and !’s which the Veery 
rolls under his tongue like sweet morsels; and the pitch of the whole rises 
slightly, while the volume of sound diminishes toward the end of the series, 
We-e-o we-e-0 we-o we-o weee. ‘The scolding note is a soft liquid quit, 
which may be perfectly imitated by whistling; but this sound I have never 
heard during the migrations. There is, besides, a high-pitched, musical call- 
note, which may be recognized as the birds pass overhead at night. 


No. 97. 


HERMIT THRUSH. 


A. O. U. No. 759b. Hylocichla guttata pallasii (Cab.). 

Description.—Adult: Above, light olive- or dull cinnamon-brown, chang- 
ing on rump to bright cinnamon of lower tail-coverts and tail, in marked contrast 
to back; below, white, clear only on belly,—throat and breast with a faint buffy 
tinge; sides and breast washed with pale brownish; throat, in confluent chains 
on sides, and breast, broadly marked with dusky olivaceous spots, paling or 
obscure on lower breast and sides; sides of head not peculiar; bill dark brown, 
with lighter base on lower manaible; feet light brown, Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1- 
190.5) ; wing 3.60 (91.4); tail 2.60 (66.) ; bill .51 (13.). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; cinnamon tail contrasting with back, 
distinctive. : 

Nesting.—Not positively known to breed in Ohio. ‘‘Nest, of moss, coarse 
grasses, and leaves, lined with rootlets and pine-needles, on the ground. Eggs, 
3 or 4, greenish blue, of a slightly lighter tint than those of the Wood Thrush, 
88 x .69 (22.4 x 17.5)” (Chapman). 


218 THE HERMIT THRUSH. 


General Range.—E astern North America, breeding from the northern Alle- 
ghanies, the mountainous parts of southern New England, southern New York, 
northern Michigan, etc., northward, and wintering from the Northern States 
southward. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant migrant. One breeding record, Cincinnati, by 
Chas. Dury. 


AS one passes through the woods in middle April, while the trees 
are still leafless and the forest floor brown with last fall’s harvest, a moving 
shape, a little browner still but scarcely outlined in the uncertain light, starts 
up from the ground with a low chuck, and pauses for a moment on a tiny 
stump. Before you have fairly made out definite characters the bird flits 
to a branch a little higher up and more removed, to stand motionless for a 
minute or so, or else to chuckle softly with each twinkle of the ready wings. 
By following quietly one may put the bird to a dozen short flights without 
once driving it out of range; and he may find that the tail is abruptly rufous in 
contrast with the olive-brown of the back, and that the breast is boldly 
spotted, but not so heavily as in the case of the Wood ‘Thrush. 

The Hermit Thrush is very common, almost abundant, along wooded 
streams and low-lying copses, from the middle of April to the fifth of May. 
The remarkable weather in the spring of 1903 brought one bird to Columbus 
on the nineteenth of March, and held the species at Oberlin until the eighth 
of May. Altho rather retiring and quite clever at escaping observation when 
desiring to, the birds are frequently seen in the back yard shrubbery, and 
share with Towhee and Cardinal the spoils hidden beneath the carpet of 
fallen raspberry leaves. In the fall they are not less abundant and linger as 
late as November 25th. 

Now and then a fortunate observer, lurking about in some secluded 
glen, catches a song—some foregleam of the glory which is one day to light up 
the hills of Laurentia. I have never heard it myself except in the mountains 
of Washington. For me the vicinity of a certain emerald stream, which 
passes, half pool, half spray, through the solemn woods which clothe 
Wright’s Peak, is forever sacred, because there, with a dear companion, I 
first heard the vesper hymn of the Hermit Thrush. We did not see the 
singer—that were sacrilege—but from some dim height there floated down 
to us a voice no longer tainted by the earth struggle, but heavenly pure, 
serene, exalted. It was the voice of an angel, such as haunt the groves of 
Paradise. ‘To recall but for an instant those ravishing notes is to call up the 
first promise of love, the mother’s prayers, and all the precious contents of that 
inner casket of the heart, which may not be opened until we present ourselves 
at Heaven's gate, and feel therein for the golden key. 


THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 2109 


No. 98. 


AMERICAN ROBIN. 


A. O. U. No. 761. Merula migratoria (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Head black, interrupted by white of chin and 
white with black stripes of throat; eyelids and a supraloral spot white; tail 
blackish with white terminal spots on inner webs of outer pair of rectrices; wings 
dusky except on external edges; remaining upper parts grayish slate; below,— 
breast, sides, upper belly and lining of wings cinnamon-rufous; lower belly and 
crissum white, touched irregularly with slate; bill yellow with blackish tip; feet 
blackish with yellowish soles. Adult female: Similar to male, but duller; black 
of head veiled by brownish. Adults in winter: Upper parts tinged with brown, 
the rufous feathers, especially on belly, with white skirtings. Jimmature: Simi- 
lar to adult, but head about the color of back; rufous of under parts paler or 
more ochraceous. J ery young birds are black spotted, above and below. Length 
about 10.00 (254.); wing 5.08 (129.); tail 3.75 (95.3); bill .78 (19.8). 

Recognition Marks.—‘Robin” size; cinnamon-rufous breast; everybody 
knows the Robin. 

Nest, a thick-walled but shapely bowl of mud, set about with twigs, leaves, 
string, and trash, and lined with fine grass-stems; placed anywhere in trees or 
variously, but usually at moderate heights. Eggs, 4 or 5, sometimes 6, greenish 
blue, unmarked. Av. size, 1.15 x .79 (29.2 x 20.1). 

General Range.—E astern United States to the Rocky Mountains, including 
Mexico and Alaska. Breeds from Virginia and Kansas northward to the Arctic 
Coast. Winters from southern Canada and the Northern States (irregularly) 
southward. Casual in Bermuda. Accidental in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident. Casual during winter 
throughout the state. 


MANY birds bear the epithet American to distinguish them from simi- 
lar old world species, but none bear it more worthily nor more proudly than 
the American Robin. Having only a superficial resemblance to the English 
Redbreast or “Robin Redbreast” (Erithacus rubecula), from which it was 
originally named, our sturdy bird is an unmistakable “bird 0’ freedom,” and 
as stich is beloved from Boston Bay to the Golden Gate, and from the Gulf 
to the Forty-ninth parallel—and bevond. With Bluebird alone does Robin 
divide the honors of early spring, and it is nip and tuck between these friendly 
rivals which shall first proclaim the glad tidings of winter’s downfall. 

Sometime in February the first migrant Robins usually pass our southern 
border, and press on with squeeches and pipings of delight to reclaim posses- 
sion of the old haunts. It is not quite clear whether the first migrants are those 


which pass furthest north, or whether the birds move up by successive waves, 
each wave outstripping its predecessor and sweeping over the heads of the 


De THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 


birds already located; but the latter is, I believe, usually the case. Or again 
we may conceive that the thirsty land drinks up each succeeding wave until 
its force is dissipated, or until the saturation point is reached, after which 
those which follow may pass on without loss, save of the lame and the lazy. 
Certain it is that the local population is everywhere augmented during 
March, and that great straggling fleets, composed of several hundred indi- 
viduals, pass over our heads as late as the first week in April. 

During the uncertain days of early spring 
the Robins gather in loose companies and 
keep to the seclusion of the woods, fol- 
lowing the sun from east to south and 
west, ransacking the roots of trees 
and the edges of standing water 
for food, and, above all, 


Take car Oberlin. 
ge Ete ea Photo by the Author. 


GOOD MORNING! HAVE YOU ANY WORMS FOR ME? 


sketching in the matrimonial plans of the season. When Robins have become 
common about the streets and yards of village and town, partners have usually 
been selected, but there still remain for many of the cocks hard-contested 
battles before peaceful possession is assured. ‘These are not sham fights either ; 
a Robin will fight a hated rival, beak and claw, till he is either thoroughly 
winded or killed outright. 

After the first brood is raised the males assemble nightly with the full- 
grown young in chosen roosts, while the females are undertaking the duties 
of a second brood. ‘These roosts are selected either in village shade trees 
or in thickets and rank vegetation of low-lying swampy land. Curiously 
enough they often share a bit of grove with the Bronzed Grackles, or else 
mix in freely with the Redwings in the cat-tail swamps. During July and 
August few birds are to be seen in their breeding haunts, but except for a 


THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 


bo 
No 


Taken tn Canal Dewer Photo by the Author. 
DINNER TIME. 


few belated couples, unfortunate with the early nesting or busy with a third 
brood, they gather in little companies and feed largely upon wild fruits, on 
wooded hillsides or in quiet out-of-the-way places. At this season, too, the 
birds are undergoing the moult, and are indisposed for any considerable 
activity. 

The Robin’s song in its common form is too well known to require par- 
ticular description, and too truly music to lend itself well to syllabic imita- 
tion. It is a common thing, indeed, like the upturned mold and the air 
which fans it, but out of these come the varied greens which beautify the 
world; and the homely piping of the Robin has given birth to many a heaven- 
directed aspiration and purged many a soul of guilty intent. Robin con- 
ceives many passages which are too high for him, and these he hums inaudi- 
bly or follows in silent thought, like a tenor with a cold; when the theme 
reaches his ccmpass again he resumes, not where he left off, but at the end 
of the unheard passage. When the Robin is much given to half-whispered 
notes and strains unusually tender, one may suspect the near presence of his 
fiancee. If you are willing to waive the proprieties for a few moments you 
will hear low murmurs of affection and soft blandishments, which it would 
tax the art of a Crockett to reproduce. And again, nothing can exceed the 


THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 


to 
to 
bo 


sadness of a Robin’s lament over a lost mate. All the virtues of the deceased 
are set forth in a coronach of surpassing woe, and the widower declares him- 
self forever comfortless. It is not well, of course, to inquire too particu- 
larly as to the duration of this bereaved state—we are all human. 

As Dr. Wheaton has already pointed out, the Robin occasionally de- 
velops surprising powers of mimicry. I once found one in early spring who 


Taken in Canal Dover. Photo by the Author. 
ALL FED. 


called his mate ‘‘Phoebe” with such a convincing accent that I spent a half 
hour searching for the flycatcher. Another which sang back of Orton Hall 
on the O. S. U. campus had incorporated the familiar ringing vesper notes 
of the Wood Thrush into its own song. He gave the borrowed notes in 
three keys or qualities, all of which were essentially characteristic of the 
other bird. — 

In nesting the Robin displays little caution, and its homely mud-walled 


THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 223 


cup is not withdrawn from most familiar observation. Building preferably 
in the major crotches of orchard or shade trees, the bird ordinarily selects 
a site from five to fifteen feet up, but nests are sometimes found at fifty feet, 
and again, on the ground. Window sills and beams of porches, barns, and out- 
buildings are favorite places, and especially if the season is backward. ‘Two 
of the most unusual sites came under my observation during the season of 
1903. One shown in the illustration was placed on the sleeper of a railroad 


Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 
AN UNUSUAL NESTING SITE. 


bridge over which trains passed three times an hour. Another was made fast 
among the drooping branches of a weeping willow near their tips, and at a 
point where none of them were above a quarter of an inch in diameter. How 
the bird contrived to lodge the foundation, and mould her characteristic mud- 
cup in such a difficult situation, | cannot comprehend. 

Nothing could be more common than Robins’ nests. In walking out 
from Canal Dover, along the tow-path which Garfield's footprints have 
made sacred, the writer, in company with Dr. Leander S. Keyser, counted 


224 THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 


seventeen occupied nests of the 
Robin in the trees which were 
within reach of the path, and in 
a distance of a mile and a half. 
The stretch would deserve to 
be called Robin Row if there 
were not so many other places 
likewise distinguished. 

On this same trip Dr. Key- 
ser conducted me to a Robin's 
nest which he had located some 
days before in an osage-orange 
hedge, and which he thought 
might be convenient to photo- 
graph. The mother bird was at 


Taken near Canal Dover. Photo by the Author 
THE TOW-PATH. 


the nest, but alas! how helpless! During some excitement or sudden fright 
the bird had become impaled on one of the thorns of an overarching branch 
and had struggled in vain, until death—all too tardy, I fear—had put an 


Taken near Canal Dover. 


Photo by the Author 


A ROBIN TRAGEDY. 


THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 225 


end to her misery. The cruel spike was thrust through the skin and under- 
lying connective tissue of the throat in a horizontally ascending direction, 
and the bird was hanged with her feet dangling in her own nest. One egg, 
entire but stained with ordure, and a sodden mass of broken eggs besides, 
bere witness with sad eloquence to the tragedy. 

In spite of the law-makers, who knew exactly what they were doing in 
declaring the Robin worthy of protection, thousands of these birds are an- 
nually slaughtered by unthinking people because of their fondness for cher- 
ries and other small fruits. And yet we are assured by competent authorities 
that cultivated fruit forms only four per cent of the Robin’s food through- 
out the year, while injurious insects constitute more than one-third.! Robins 
are provoking in the cherry trees, especially when they bring the whole family 
and camp out ; but there is one way to limit their depredations without destroy- 
ing these most distinguished helpers: plant a row of mulberry trees, preferably 
the Russian Mulberry, along the orchard fence, and the birds will seek no fur- 
ther. I have seen a mulberry tree swarming with Robins, while neighboring 
fruit trees were almost untouched. The plan is simple, humane, and effica- 
cious. 


1 Butler: Birds of Indiana, p. 1160. 


BG THE BLUEBIRD. 


No. 99. 


BLUEBIRD. 


VA. O. U. No. 766. Sialia sialis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—EAstERN BLUEBIRD; WILSON’S BLUEBIRD. 

Description.—Adult male, in spring: Above rich azure-blue; below, throat, 
breast, and sides chestnut. Occasionally the azure area reaches around to include 
the chin. In autumn the blue of the upper parts is obscured by the reddish-brown 
edgings of the feathers; the white of the lower parts is more extended and the 
chestnut paler and more restricted. Adult female: Above, blue mixed and obscured 
with dull chestnut, except on wings, tail and rump, which are pure; below, paler. 
Immature: Brownish, with blue gradually increasing; back marked with whitish 
shaft lines; breast and under parts closely dotted with brown and white. Length 
5.70-7.00 (144.8-177.8) ; wing 3.75-4.15 (95.3-105.4) ; tail, 2.60-3.00 (66.-76.2) ; 
bill .45 (11.4). Female averages smaller than male. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; azure-blue and chestnut coloring. 


Nest, in cavities, artificial or natural, hollow trees, stumps, posts, bird boxes, 
etc.; lined with grass and weed-stalks, with occasionally string, feathers, and the 
like. Eggs, 4-6, uniform pale blue, sometimes very light bluish white, and rarely 
pure white. Average size, .84 x .63. (21.3 x 16.). 

General Range.—F astern United States to the eastern base of the Rocky 
Mountains, north to Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, south in winter from 
the Middle States to the Gulf States and Cuba. Bermuda, resident. 

Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution in the State, but most abundant 
in northern and central portions. In winter it remains regularly ouly in the ex- 
treme south, but stragglers may be found anywhere. 


HOW the waiting country-side thrills with joy when Bluebird brings us 
the first word of returning spring. ‘The snow may still linger in patches and 
the hoar-frost be only just making out of sight that rare day when the herald 
presses northward and scatters the tidings far and wide. Spring is in the air 
and spring, thenceforth, is in our hearts. The cruel north wind may sweep 
down again and all the ugly signs of winter return, but Bluebird has kindled in 
our hearts the fires of an inextinguishable confidence, and we know that the 
master word of exorcism has been spoken. Surely there is nothing in nature 
more heartening than the resolute courage and sublime good cheer of this 
dauntless bird. Reflecting heaven from his back and the ground from his breast, 
he floats between sky and earth like the winged voice of Hope. Or else, “‘shift- 
ing his light load of song from post to post along the cheerless fence,” he pours 
out sincerest gratitude for even the meager goods of life, and counts it joy 
enough to live. 

Truth to tell, Bluebird does make sad mistakes sometimes. He trusts too 


22 BLUEBIRD  — —  —Baanr 


Life-size 


THE BLUEBIRD. 227 


well some tricky Zephyr of 
the South, who whispers 
not of what he knows, but 
what he hopes, and is cru- 
elly deceived. But Spring 
does come, and if her most 
impetuous herald dies in the 
performance of his duty, we 
love and honor him most 
because his task was hard- 
est. 

The year 1895 marked 
a sad chapter in Bluebird’s 
experience, and proved to 
be a turning point in the his- 
tory of his race. That spring 
an unusually severe cold wave 
of long duration swept over 
the Middle and Gulf States. 
The cold wrought fearful 
havoc to all bird life, but the 
blow seemed to fall most 


heavily upon the Bluebirds. Te ‘ounty. Photo by J. B. Varker 
Their ranks were not merely FEMALE BLUEBIRD ABOUT TO ENTER NEST. 

. , NOTE THE WOODPECKER-LIKE ATTITUDE AND ESPECIALLY THE USE 
decimated: they were al- OF THE TAIL AS A PROP. 


most exterminated. Obsery- 

ers in Ohio saw only single birds where before they had seen scores and hun- 
dreds. Thus, at Oberlin, I saw only five birds up to May 1, 1895. It is very 
eratifying, however, to note that their numbers are materially increasing of late. 
In some localities they appear to have almost regained their former status. 

It goes without saying that from that dreadful winter only the fittest sur- 
vived. Evidence is not lacking to show that the Bluebird of today is hardier 
than the Bluebird of ten years ago. In Lorain County for instance, there 
were no authentic records of Bluebirds wintering until the season of ’98-’99. 
Then and every season since a few have been seen. If this be a correct infer- 
ence, then the massacre of ’95 will not have been without its influence for go rd 
in preparing the species against similar and more severe attacks in the future. 

The Bluebird is pre-eminently domestic in his tastes, and he lacks none of 
the qualities essential to the model husband and father. Ii not already mated 
upon arrival in early spring, the business is not long delayed. The birds take 
a leisurely honeymoon, and the first nesting is not undertaken before the last 
week in April or the first in May. Nothing can exceed the gallantry, or per- 
haps I would better say the courtesy of Bluebirds en fainille. They almost 


228 . HE BLUEBIRD. 


invariably address each other as dear or dearic, and they have a host of un- 
translatable tones of endearment beside. 

These gentle spirits are, however, best not aroused by an outsider. In 
securing his personal rights or in defending his home, Bluebird is always brave 
and sometimes pugnacious to a degree. Indeed it is to be feared that when 
it comes to a question of property rights, he is not always kind. The annals 
of bird-lore are full of accounts of spirited encounters between luckless Wrens, 
Martins, Woodpeckers, ete., and Bluebird. Here is one of them by Dr. How- 
ard Jones, of Circleville: “Some years ago I placed a bird box upon the 
house-top, which for a few seasons was occupied by a pair of Bluebirds. One 
spring they failed to appear at the usual time and the box was taken by a pair 
of Martins. ‘The old nest was carried out and the newcomers were thor- 
oughly settled in 
their quarters, 
when the Blue- 
birds returned 
(probably the 
same pair that had 
formerly occupied 
the box), and at 
once commenced 
tearing out the in- 
truders’ nest. But 
they were soon 
discovered and a 
pitched battle en- 
sued, the Blue- 
birds retiring as if 
defeated. This 
procedure was re- 
peated several 
mornings and at 
intervals during 


A DOUBLE NEST OF THE BLUEBIRD. the days. When, 
THE LOWER SET WAS LAID PREMATURELY, OR ELSE CHILLED BY A COLD SNAP. early one morn- 


+Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 


ing, being awak- 
ened by the incessant screams of the Martins, 1 hastened to the yard to see 
what I supposed was the final encounter; but the affray was over before I 
arrived. My father, however, was there holding a female Martin in his hand, 
he having witnessed the whole affair. After much scolding and sparring 
one of the Bluebirds clinched with the Martin, and both birds rolled together 
from the house-top to the pavement below, where, in deadly embrace, they 
were captured; but the Bluebird, still strong and active, slipped away. In 


THE BLUEBIRD. 229 


all these engagements the male Martin seemed content to encourage his mate 
by his vociferous screams, while both Bluebirds fought with equal vigor.” 

In a fair encounter the Bluebird is 
more than a match for the always execra- 
ble English Sparrow ; but no bird can en- 
dure the mobbing which the hoodlums re- 
sort to; and as a result the Bluebirds have 
to surrender the choicest places to the in- 
terlopers. 

The home of the Bluebird consists 
ordinarily of a deserted Woodpecker hole 
in tree or stub, or else of a decayed cavity 
in post, stump, or apple tree. The hole is 
plentifully lined with grass, weed-stalks, 
and unclassifiable trash; altho birds of 
more cultivated tastes are beginning to 
employ feathers. The birds distinctly fa- 
vor the haunts of men, and so, when occa- 


sion offers, will occupy bird-boxes or 
suitable crannies. J once found a brood 
in a half open mail-box, attached to the 
front door of a village dwelling tempo- 
rarily vacant. Mr. Oliver Davie reports 
finding a nest in Columbus in the interior 
of a car-wheel rendered idle by a railroad 
strike; and another in Morrow County, 
ina deserted Fave Swallow's nest. 

A farm near North Amherst in 
Lorain County contains, besides sev- 
eral fields and pastures and an ideal 
bit of woodland, two young orchards 
and a small vineyard. Throughout 
these last, Mr. Will Smithkons, 
the son of the owner, has dis- 
tributed upwards of fifty Blue- 
bird boxes, each composed of a 


Taken 
near 


Columbus 
section of a hollow limb, closed 
with a board at top and bottom, 
and provided with a neat au- 
gur-hole in the side. The boxes aaa 
=, 4 by the 
are made fast to the trees or Author 
; Se : BLUEBIRDS AT NEST. 
lodged at considerable intervals 


THE LOWER KNOT-HOLE CONTAINS A BROOD OF 
along the intersecting fences See 


Be THE BLUEBIRD. 


Mr. Smithkons finds that more than half of the boxes are occupied each season; 
and he counts the birds of inestimable advantage in helping to save the grapes 
and apples from the ravages of worms. In two instances Robins accepted the 
partial shelter afforded by the boxes and nested in the crotch of the tree imme- 


diately under the Bluebirds. 


The eggs, from four to six in number, are a uniform pale blue, with a 


Taken near North Amherst. Photo by the Author. 


ONE OF MR. SMITHKON’S BLUEBIRD BOXES. 


A ROBIN’S NEST APPEARS IN THE CROTCH BELOW. 


surface | somewhat 
polished. Owing to 
the delicacy of the 
pigment, cabinet 
specimens fade read- 
ily. Pure white sets 
are on record, and 
faded blues are not 
unusual. Two or 


three broods are 
raised in a season. 


Doubtless Blue- 
bird’s song owes 
somewhat of the 
high estimation in 
which it is held to 
thie) w facts tlita tent 
sounds forth at a 
time when there are 
few rivals, and the 
aspect of nature con- 
trasts somewhat 
sternly with its good 
cheer. Be that as it 
may, his soulful 
warbling notes will 
always be regarded 
as something half 
sacred by those who 
understand. Cheery- 
cheery - cheery, 
dearie, are the notes 
of the  flight-call. 


THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Bi 


Chew-ee-i-tew, wheeoo-he-ite, chew-eew-twiti, may serve to recall the familiar 
spring-time warbler. 

In autumn Bluebird lingers late, hawking at insects in some sunny cor- 
ner, or sampling the winter fruits which others are to gather. A favorite 
tidbit of this season is the berry of the common ivy, which the bird procures 
by fluttering before the purple clusters. When the season advances the birds 
retire with evident reluctance. Passing slowly overhead in little pilgrim 
companies they call down to you as they fly, cheery—cheery, dearie, hali 
mournfully indeed, but still with tender promise of another meeting at a fairer 
time. 


No. roo. 


GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 


A. O. U. No. 748. Regulus satrapa (Licht.). 

Description.—4Adult male: Crown-patch (partially concealed) — bright 
orange or flame-color (cadmium orange) ; a border of plain yellow feathers over- 
lying the orange on the sides; these in turn bordered by black in front and on 
sides; extreme forehead white, connecting with white superciliary stripe; a dark 
line through eye; above bright olive-green, becoming olive-gray on nape and 
side of head and neck; wing-quills and tail-feathers much edged with light green- 
ish yellow, the former in such fashion as to throw into relief a dusky spot on 
middle of secondaries; greater coverts tipped with whitish; under parts sordid 
white, sometimes dusky-washed, or touched.on sides with olivaceous. Adult 
female: Similar, but with crown-patch plain yellow instead of orange. Jmma- 
ture: Without crown-patch or bordering black, gradually acquiring these 
through gradation of color. Jength about 4.00 (101.6); wing 2.26 (57.4) ; tail 
1.71 (43.4); bill from nostril .21 (5.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Pyemy size; orange, or yellow, and black of crown 
distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, pensile, but receiving auxiliary 
support from sides; of moss, lined with fine inner-bark strips, black rootlets, 
and feathers; in coniferous trees, usually at considerable heights. Eggs, 8-10, 
in two layers, creamy white or sordid cream-color, dotted, spotted, and blotched 
with pale wood-brown, and sometimes obscurely with lavender. Av. size, .54 x 
40) (1377 x 10:2). 


232 THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 


General Range.—North America generally, except Pacific Coast, breeding 
in the northern and elevated parts of the United States, and northward; migrating 
southward in winter to Guatemala. 

Range in Ohio.—Usually common winter resident and migrant throughout 
the state; sometimes locally absent. 


OUR artist has done well to picture the royal midgets among the autumn 
leaves. It is when the crimson and gold are being lavished on every hillside 
and the year is sinking in sumptuous splendor that these little whisperers steal 
in upon us almost unnoticed. But when the transient glory of the trees has 
turned to sodden mold, the cheerful company of Kinglets is still to be found— 
ungarnered leaves too full of sap for October’s vintage, staunch potentates 
unshaken by the winter winds. 

It is passing strange that bits of birdanity no bigger than Hop-o’-my- 
Thumb should prefer to spend the winter with us, but so it is, and we are 
mightily cheered by their presence. Zero weather has no terrors for them 
and the good fellowship of winter seems in no wise marred by storms. 

Kinglets go in troops which keep a little to themselves, but which are 
still enrolled in the membership of some larger bird-troop of winter. Brown 
Creepers, especially, affect their company with a persistence which must some- 
times be a little vexing to the more vivacious birds; but there is no complaint 
or hauteur on the part of the latter, only royal tolerance. FE,vergreen trees are 
most frequented by Kinglets, and here they are almost invariably to be found 
during the severest weather. With tireless energy they search both bark and 
twigs for insects’ eggs and larvae scarce visible to the human eye. ‘They flut- 
ter about at random, hang head downward if need be, dart and start and twist 
and squirm, until one frequently despairs of catching fair sight of the crown 
for the necessary fraction of a second. Of course it’s a Golden-crown; but 
then, we want to see it. 

And all the time Cutikins is carrying on an amiable conversation with his 
neighbor, interrupted and fragmentary to be sure, but he has all day to it— 
tss-tss-tsip-chip-tseck. lf you draw too near, chip can be made to express 
vigorous disapproval. Only now and then does one hear snatches of the 
northern song. It has something of the quality and phrasing of the better- 
known Ruby-crown’s, but lacks distinctness, and is perhaps not so loud. One 
May morning a large company of Golden-crowned Kinglets held a concert in 
the trees of the Oberlin College campus. The fresh-leaved maples fairly re- 
sounded to their spirited music for a space of fifteen minutes; then all was 
silent. The Kings recollected themselves. 


COPYRIGHT 1902, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO. 


GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET Rig TS/AESERUEO TIN ONIO,ByITHE WHEATON IPUALiEwiNe (C6! 
Regulus satrapa 
Life-size 


"THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 233 


No. 1ro1. 


RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 


A. O. U. No. 749. Regulus calendula (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Above olive-green, duller before, brightening 
to greenish yellow on edgings of quills and tail-feathers; a partly concealed crest 
of scarlet (flame-scarlet to scarlet-vermilion) ; two narrow, whitish wing-bars 
formed by tips of middle and greater coverts; some whitish edging on tertials ; 
a dusky interval separating greenish yellow edges on outer webs of secondaries ; 
a whitish eye-ring and whitish skirtings around base of bill; under parts soiled 
white, heavily tinged with buffy and olivaceous-buff. Adult female and immature : 
Similar but without crown-patch. Length 4.00-4.50 (101.6-114.3); wing 2.33 
(59.2) ; tail 1.72 (43.7) ; bill from nostril .25 (6.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Pyegmy size; scarlet crest distinctive. Note wing- 
bars and whitish eye-ring of female and young. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, semi-pensile; of moss, fine bark- 
strips, etc., neatly interwoven, lined with feathers; in coniferous trees at mod- 
erate heights. Eggs, 5-9, dull white or pale buffy, faintly speckled or spotted 
with light brown, chiefly at the larger end. Av. size, .55 x .43 (14. x 10.9) 
(Davie). 

General Range.—North America at large, south to Guatemala, north to the 
Arctic Coast, breeding chiefly north of the United States and in the higher ranges 
of the West. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. 


“Where's your kingdom, little king? 
Where's the land you call your own? 
Where’s your palace and your throne? 
Fluttering lightly on the wing 
Through the blossom world of May, 
Whither lies your royal way? 

Where's the realm that owns your sway, 
Little King?” 


Dr. Henry Van Dyke is the questioner, and the little bird has a ready 
answer for him. It is “Labrador” in May, and 
“\Where the cypress’ vivid green 
And the dark magnolia’s sheen 
Weave a shelter round my home” 


in October. But under the incitement of the poet’s playful banter the Kinglet 
enlarges his claim: 


“Never king by right divine 

Ruled a richer realm than mine! 
What are lands and golden crowns, 
Armies, fortresses and towns, 
Jewels, scepters, robes and rings, 
What are these to song and wings? 
Everywhere that I can fly 

There I own the earth and sky; 
Everywhere that I can sing 

‘There I’m happy as a king.” 


And surely there is no one who can meet this dainty monarch in one of 
his happy moods without paying instant homage. His imperium is that of 
the spirit, and those who boast a soul above the clod must swear fealty to this 
most delicate expression of the creative Infinite, this thought of God made 
luminous and vocal, and own him king by right divine. 

It was only yesterday I saw him, Easter day. ‘The significant dawn was 
struggling with great masses of heaped-up clouds, the incredulities and fears 
of the world’s night; but now and again the invincible sun found some tiny 
rift and poured a flood of tender gold upon a favored spot where stood some 
solitary tree or expectant sylvan company. Along the river bank all was 
still. ‘There were no signs of spring save for the modest springing violet and 
the pious buckeye, shaking its late-prisoned fronds to the morning air, and 
tidily setting in order its manifold array of Easter candles. The oak trees 
were gray and hushed, and the swamp elms held their peace until the fortunes 
of the morning should be decided. Suddenly from down the river path there 
came a tiny burst of angel music, the peerless song of the Ruby-crown. Pure, 
ethereal, without hint of earthly dross or sadness, came those limpid, welling 
notes, the sweetest and the gladdest ever sung—at least by those who have 
not suffered. It was not, indeed, the greeting of earth to the risen Lord, 


but rather the annunciation of the glorious fact by heaven’s own appointed 
herald. 

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet has something of the nervousness and viva- 
city of the typical Wren. It moves restlessly from twig to twig, flirting its 
wings with a motion too quick for the eye to follow, and frequently uttering 
a titter of alarm, chit-tit or chit-it-it. During migrations the birds swarm 
through the tree-tops like Warblers, but are oftener found singly or in small 
companies in thickets or open clusters of saplings. In such situations they 


24 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER Ponts nesenveD IW On 8 


Polioptila caerulea 


2, Life-size 


THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 235 


exhibit more or less curiosity, and if one keeps reasonably still he is almost 
sure to be inspected from a distance not exceeding four or five feet. It is here 
too that the males are found singing in spring. ‘The bird often begins sotto 
voce with two or three high squeaks, as though trying to get the pitch down to 
the range of mortal ears before he gives his full voice. The core of the song 
is something like “tew, tew, tew, tew, sweet to cat, sweet-oo eat,’ the last 
phrases being given with a rising inflection, and with an accent of ravishing 
sweetness. The tones are so pure that they may readily be whistled by the hu- 
man listener, and a musical contest provoked in which one is glad to come out 
second best. 

I once saw a Kinglet in a royal mood. A young Ruby-crown was car- 
olling, and quite prettily, in the lower branches of an old oak tree hard by. I 
was watching him closely to see if I might catch a glint of red, when up darted 
an older rival and flashed a jewel so dazzling as to fairly smite the eye. 
The youngling felt the rebuke keenly, and retired in great confusion. It 
seems that when the bird is angry it has the power of erecting its crest and so 
unveiling the full glory of the ruby crown. 


No. 102. 


BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 


ne 
fA. O. U. No. 751. Polioptila czrulea (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult Male: Above, grayish blue, brighter and bluer on head, 
hoary on rump; front of head, on forehead and sides, narrowly bordered with 
black; wings fuscous, with narrow edgings of blue-gray; tail black centrally, the 
outer pair of feathers white, the next pair mostly white, and the two succeeding 
pairs blackish touched with white, or not; under parts white, with a bluish or 
plumbeous tinge, changing on sides of head; eye-lids white; bill black, hooked; 
feet dark. Adult female and immature: Similar but duller; without black on 
head, and with bill lightening below. Length, 4.25-5.50 (108.-139.7) ; wing 2.02 
(51.3) ; tail 1.92 (48.8) ; bill .38 (9.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Pygmy to Warbler size; a slim, tidy bird with a long 
tail; blue-gray coloring, and black and white pattern of tail unmistakable. 

Nest, a delicately modelled cup, of fine bark-strips and grasses, interwoven and 
bound together with cob-webs, lined with plant-down, fine grasses and horse-hair, 
and decorated externally with lichens ; saddled upon horizontal limb, or settled into 
crotch. Eggs, 4 or 5, bluish white, speckled and spotted with reddish browns and 
umber. Average size, .56x.44 (14.2X 11.2). 


General Range.—Middle and southern portions of the eastern United States, 
rare north of latitude 42°. South in winter to Guatemala, Cuba, and the Bahamas. 
Breeds throughout United States range, and winters from the South Atlantic and 
Gulf States southward. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident ; less common northerly. 


THERE are birds in whose presence you cannot help exclaiming, God 
bless you! and this is one of them. Why you should do it you cannot tell 
any more than you can tell why the same expression rises to your lips at sight 
of a blue-eyed babe in its mother’s arms, kicking and cooing by turns and look- 
ing out upon the great round world with great round eyes of wonder. The 
innocence and frailty of the bird, as of the babe, touches some hidden chord of 
sympathy, and we 
cry out in mingled 
big-brotherly pity 
and astonishment. 

One's first intro- 
duction to this 
munikin of the 
woods must 
almost of ne- 
cessity be 
when the 
bird has ven- 
tured down 
to the lower 
bushes, or 
heaped - up 


Taken near Oberlin, Photo by the Author. 


A NEST OF THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 


THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 237 
piles of brush, to search for insects or cobwebs. The little blue bundle of busi- 
ness passes unmindful within a dozen feet of you, or if recalled to conscious- 
ness by some stirring appreliension, pauses to wag its long tail through an are of 
a hundred and eighty degrees, or else to shake it up and down through almost 
as great a compass. “Biz, biz, bis,’ the midget cries, and if you can only 
mark the note well before the bird is lost again in the dense foliage of the tree- 
tops, to which it soon returns, you have grasped a thread of recognition which 
is always bound tightly to this little brother of the air. 

Sometimes the note is doubled so that the bird seems to say, Bawbee, 
bawbee, but in any case there is a sort of buzzing resonance about it which is 
distinctive. The pearly fay has also a dainty rambling song full of ethereal 
phrases and delicate suggestiveness. In one passage it bears a marked resem- 
blance to the “Szwveet-to-cat” note of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. One must, 
however, get very near to the singer in order to catch anything worth while, 
for the bird sings in the tiniest of voices. 

The nest of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is, after the Hummingbird’s, the 
daintiest in the woods. It is placed at any height from a dozen or fifteen feet 
to the limit of the trees. That seen in the illustration was taken from an elm 
tree at a height of sixty feet, and it is typical as to position, in showing the 
protecting branch above. It would be very difficult to find nests at these 
heights were it not for the fact that the birds fly freely and directly to the 
chosen spot, and occasionally betray their presence by buzzing while the nest 
is a-making. Both birds work with unflagging industry, and prolong their 
labors into the heated hours of each day. It is a rebuke to a sluggard to see 
one dashing up to a tree and whirling around in the nest that is to be, and lay- 
ing off the cobwebs at such a furious rate. The walls of the nest are built up 
so high that only the tail of the sitting bird protrudes, looking curiously like a 
handle to this lichen-covered cup. 

As soon as the young Gnatcatchers are able to make their wants known 
they repeat incessantly the bis biz notes of the parents, and thus the strenuous 
life of these most earnest little birds is begun at an early age. 


238 THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 


No. 103. 


WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 


A. O. U. No. 727. Sitta carolinensis Lath. 


Description.—Adult male: ‘Top of head, nape, and front of back shining 
black, with a slight greenish reflection; remaining upper parts ashy-blue; outer 
wing-quills fuscous, the second and three or four succeeding primaries narrowly 
touched with white on outer web in retreating order; inner quills and coverts witn 
much black centering; tail-feathers, except upper pair, black, the outer pairs 
squarely blotched with white in subterminal to terminal order; sides of head, and 
neck well up, and under parts white with a faint bluish tinge; distinctly marked, 
or washed more or less, on flanks and crissum with rusty brown; bill stout, sub- 
ulate, the under mandible slightly recurved—blackish plumbeous above, lighter 
at base of lower mandible; feet dark brown; iris brown. Adult female: Similar - 
to male, but black of head and back more or less veiled by color of back. Length 
5.50-6.10 (139.7-154.9) ; average of six Columbus specimens: wing 3.60 (91.4) ; 
tail 1.91 (48.5) ; bill .68 (17.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler to Sparrow size; tree-creeping habits; black 
and ashy-blue above; white below. 


Nest, a deserted Woodpecker hole, or newly-made cavity in stump or tree, 
usually at a considerable distance from the ground, and lined with leaves, feathers, 
or hair. Eggs, 5-8, sometimes 9 or even 10, white, thickly speckled and spotted 
with reddish brown and lavender. Average size, .76x .56 (19.3 x 14.2). 


General Range.—E astern United States from Georgia north to the southern 
British Provinces, and west to the rocky Mountains. Non-migratory. 


Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution. 


IV ho-ew'-0 -0'-0"-0 -0°-0-0-0-9 goes the Screech Owl in broad daylight. 
There is an instant hush in the dull gray woods—a hush followed by an ex- 
cited murmur of inquiry among the scattered members of a winter bird troop. 
If you happen to be the Screech Owl, seated motionless at the base of some 
large tree and half recessed in its spreading roots, perhaps the first intimation 
you will have that the search party is on your trail will be the click, click, click 
of tiny claws on the tree-bole above your head, followed by a quank of interro- 
gation, almost comical for its mixture of baffled anxiety and dawning suspi- 
cion of the truth. He is an inquisitive fellow, this Nuthatch, for, you see, pry- 
ing is his business; but he is brave as well. The chances are that he will ven- 
ture down within a foot or two of your face before he flutters off with a loud 
outcry of alarm. When excited, as when regarding a suspicious object, he has 
an odd fashion of rapidly right-and-left facing on a horizontal bough, as tho 
to try both eyes on you and lose no time in between. 

Nuthatch is the acknowledged acrobat of the woods—not that he acts for 
display ; it is all business with him. A tree is a complete gymnasium in itself, 


THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 239 


and this bird is master of it all. Top side, bottom side, inside, outside—this 
bird is there, fearless, confident ; in fact, he rather prefers traveling head down- 
ward, especially on the main trunk route. He pries under bark-scales and 
lichens, peers into crevices and explores cavities in his search for tiny insects, 
larvee and insects’ eggs—especially the latter. The value of the service which 
this bird and his close associates perform for the horticulturist is simply incal- 
culable. There should be as heavy a penalty imposed upon one who wantonly 
killed a Nuthatch or a Chickadee, as upon one who entered an enclosure and 
cut down an orchard or a shade tree. 


ie / 
ae A ES Ce ti IE a Ut 


Taken at McConnelsville. Photo by C. H. Morris. 
PATRONIZING THE FREE-LUNCH COUNTER. 


The Nuthatch has a variety of notes, all distinguished by a peculiar nasal 
quality. When hunting with the troop, he gives an occasional softly resonant 
tut or tuttut, as 1f to remind his fellows that all’s well. The halloo note is more 
decided, tin, pronounced a la Francais. By means of this note and by 
using it in combination, they seem to be able to carry on quite an animated con- 
versation, calling across from tree to tree. During the mating season and 
often at other times they have an even more decided and distinctive note, 
quonk, quonk, quonk, or ho-onk, ho-onk, in moderate pitch and with deliber- 
ation. Their song, if such they may be said to have, consists of a rapid succes- 


240 THE RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 


sion of simple sylables, tew, tew, tew, tew, tew, which are musical, vibrant, and 
far-sounding, a sort of trumpeting, out of all proportion to the size of the bird. 

The nest of the Nuthatch is placed in a cavity carefully chiselled out and 
usually at a great height in an elm tree or perhaps an oak. Both sexes share 
the labor of excavation, and when the cavity is somewhat deepened one bird 
removes the chips while the other delves. Like all the hole-nesting species 
of this family, but unlike the Woodpeckers, the Nuthatches provide for their 
home an abundant lining of moss, fur, feathers, and the like. This precau- 
tion is justified from the fact that they are early nesters—complete sets of eggs 
being found no later than the second week in April. 

The male is a devoted husband and father, feeding the female incessantly 
during incubation, and with her sharing in the care of the large family long 
after many birds have forgotten their young. The yourg birds early learn to 
creep up to the mouth of the nesting hole to receive food when their turn 
comes ; and they are said to crawl about the parental tree for some days before 
they attempt flight. 


No. 104. 
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 


A. O. U. No. 728. Sitta canadensis Linn. 

Synonyms.—ReEp-BELLigp NurHatcu ; CANADIAN NuUTHATCH. 

Description.—4dult male: Crown and nape shining black; white sup- 
erciliary lines meeting on extreme forehead; a black band through eye; remaining 
upper parts grayish blue; wings fuscous, unmarked; tail-feathers, except upper 
pair, black; the outer pairs subterminally blotched with white in retreating order ; 
chin, and sides of head, and neck below the black, pure white; remaining under 
parts rusty or ochraceous-brown; bill short, subulate, plumbeous-black; feet dark 
brown. Adult female: Similar, but crown like the back, with only traces of black 
beneath; lateral head-stripe blackish; usually paler rusty below. Jmmature: 
Like adult female. Length, 4.25-4.75 (108.-120.6) ; average of seven Columbus 
specimens: wings 2.61 (66.3) ; tail 1.43 (36.3); bill .50 (12.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Pygmy size; black and grayish blue above; rusty be- 
low ; tree-creeping habits. 

Nesting.— Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of grasses, feathers, etc., in a 
hole of tree or stub, usually at lower levels. Eggs, 4 to 6, white or creamy-white, 
speckled with reddish brown and lavender. Average size, .59 x .47 (15. x II.9). 

General Range.—North America at large, breeding from northern New 
England, northern New York, and northern Michigan northward, and southward 


THE BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 241 


in the Alleghanies, Rocky Mountains, and Sierra Nevada; in winter south to about 
the southern border of the United States. 


Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon, but irregular, spring and fall migrant. 
Sparingly resident in winter in central and southern Ohio, casually north,—regu- 
larly wherever pine or hemlock timber occurs. 


THIS migratory species is more brightly colored as well as somewhat 
smaller than its resident cousin, the White-breasted. It is frequently found 
associated with the latter in winter, perhaps regularly from the Fortieth Par- 
allel southward, altho it is never as numerous as the resident bird. Its com- 
mon note somewhat resembles the gwonk of the local species, but it is higher 
pitched—at least an octave higher, Dr. Brewer says—and very nasal, quank, 
quank, quank, or nya-a, mya-a. 

During migrations the Canadian Nuthatch is frequently associated with 
the Warblers, and moves freely about the smaller limbs of orchard and shade 
trees, especially conifers. At such times its unexpected behavior is a little puz- 
zling, but 1f observed closely it will usually be seen to include in its travels a 
tour of the tree-trunk in characteristic Nuthatch fashion. 

Its nesting is entirely extralimital, but possesses interest because of its 
well-established custom of plastering the space immediately surrounding the 
entrance to its nesting hole with pitch or fir balsam for a distance of several 
inches. Whether this is done to insure a safe footing for itself, or as a guard 
against enemies is undetermined as yet. 


No. 105. 


BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 


A. O. U. No. 729. Sitta pusilla Lath. 

Description.—Adult: Above grayish blue; top of head well down, includ- 
ing eye and nape, grayish brown, darker on borders; a central white spot on nape; 
wings fuscous; bend of wing whitish; traces of white on central edges of outer 
primaries beginning with the second, and in retreating order ; tail-feathers, except 
central pair, black, tipped with grayish, the outer pairs with transverse white spot 
retreating and fading centrally ; chin and sides of head below, white ; remaining un- 
der parts sordid or dingy whitish; bluish ashy on flanks ; bill stout, subulate, black- 
ish above, lighter near base of lower mandible. Jmmature: Brown of head ob- 
scured by color of back; darker and more tawny below. length, 3.85-4.50 (97.8- 
114.3); wing 2.57 (65.3); tail 1.29 (32.8); bill .51 (13.). 

Recognition Marks.—Pygmy size; grayish brown cap and tree-creeping 
habits distinctive. 


2 SS) SSS teETeD Tress. 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. “Nest of feathers, grasses, etc., gen- 
erally near the ground, in a tree or stump. Eggs, 5 or 6, white or creamy white, 
heavily spotted or blotched with cinnamon- or olive-brown, .56 x 7A OTN (WALZ wes 
11.7)” (Chapman). 

General Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States, north to southern Marylana 
and (casually?) Ohio, Missouri, ete. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental in northern Ohio. Reported by Kirtland. 


THE sole claim which the Brown-headed Nuthatch has to notice in this 
work is that established many years ago by Dr. Kirtland, who said: “I once 
killed a specimen in the northern part of Ohio. Only one other instance! is 
on record of its wandering so far north, so that the occurrence must be deemed 
very unusual. ‘The species is generally confined to the Gulf and South At- 
lantic coast states, where its favorite range is in the pine barrens of Georgia 
and the Carolinas. It is more sociable than the Ohio Nuthatches, moving 
about, except during the breeding season, in considerable companies, which 
keep up a sibilant chatter during meal time. The nesting is similar to that of 
the better known species, save that it is apt to be at lesser heights, and the 
warm lining is less in evidence. 


No. 106. 


TUFTED, TITMOUSE: 


A. O. U. No. 731. Beolophus bicolor (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Above ashy gray, deepest on top of head; forehead 
sooty black; a conspicuous crest; sides of head and below ashy white, strongly 
washed with rusty on sides and flanks ; bill plumbeous-black; feet plumbeous. Jn 
winter: ‘The back and, usually, edgings of wing and tail more or less tinged with 
olive; the lower parts tinged with brownish, especially on breast. Immature: 
Less distinctly black on forehead; not so rusty on sides; bill light, except along 
culmen. Length, 5.75-6.50 (146.1-165.1); wing 3.13 (79.5); tail 2.67 (67.8); 
bill .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; black forehead and ashy blue crest; 
plain coloration in ash, whitish, and rusty. 

Nest, in a hole in stump, beech-stub, or tree, of leaves, bark, corn-pith and 
trash, lined with hair or feathers. Eggs, 5-8, white or creamy-white, evenly spotted 
and speckled with reddish brown. Average size, .71x.55 (18. x 14.). 

General Range.—Eastern United States to the Plains, north to northern 
New Jersey and southern Iowa; casual in southern New England. Resident 
throughout its breeding range. 

Range in Ohio.—of general distribution throughout the state. 


1 In Michigan: See Wheaton ad loc. 


TUFTED TITMOUSE 
Parus bicolor 


3, Life-size 


RIGHTS RESE 


THE TUFTED TITMOUSE. — ane 


“T don’t know for the life of me what the fuss is all about, but I know 
there is the greatest commotion going on right under my nose. On a single 
branch of a scraggly hillside tree—said branch being horizontal, twelve feet 
long, and fifteen feet above the ground—there were gathered at practically 
one and the same time the following birds: Tufted Tits, three to six, Black- 
capped Chickadees, three or four, Carolina Wrens, three, Downy Woodpeck- 
ers, three, Wood Pewees, two or three, one Red-eyed Vireo, one Yellow War- 
bler, one Phoebe, an Indigo Bunting, a Redstart, one very small Crested Fly- 
catcher and several English Sparrows—some twenty or more birds of at least 
twelve species—each vociferating, scolding, denouncing or at least anxiously 
inquiring, and many, for the lack of better employment, fighting withal. It 
only lasted half a minute after I arrived, but it was a stirring time while it 
was on, and I am all a-tremble with excitement myself. What does it all 
mean, anyway? The Tufted Titmice, I think, started the hubbub; but whether 
one of their youngsters was choking on a June bug, or had up and slapped its 
mother, I cannot tell.” So runs the writer’s note-book under date of June 17, 
1902, in recording one of the most intense little episodes of bird life ever wit- 
nessed. It was just like those Titmice, anyway—inquisitive, irascible, hyster- 
ical, always kicking up a shindy among the birds. In some of their antics 
they are like spoiled children, but their very sauciness is their salvation. 

The Titmouse is the major domo of the winter bird troop. His military 
crest marks him out for such an office, and his restless way of fussing up and 
down the line gives him a show of authority over the Nuthatches, Creepers, 
Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and Cardinals, which compose that motley com- 
pany. He is, indeed, a most important personage, in his own eyes; but no one 
else takes him over seriously, and his pretentions are slyly encouraged by the 
knowing ones, as affording a prospective diversion amidst the tedium of winter. 

The Tufted Tits come of hardy stock; altho somewhat less common in 
the northern portion of the state, there is no other evidence that they mind the 
severity of winter. The average Titmouse family, too, approaches near the 
proportions that our grandfathers believed in. With six or eight youngsters 
in a brood and two broods in a season, it is a wonder that they do not overrun 
the land. 

Nests consist of well-lined cavities like those of the Chickadee, but the 
excavations more frequently follow natural lines; and for the sake of getting 
an easy start through an inconspicuous knot-hole, the birds will range up to 
thirty or forty feet in height. Less frequently deserted Woodpeckers’ nests 
are used, and fresh holes are dug in green or rotten wood. 

The cheevy, cheevy call of the Titmouse is one of the most familiar sounds 
of the woods and village groves. More loud and clear is the Peter, Peter, or 
peto, peto note of springtime. As a distinct modification of the first named 
note there is a rare musical chd6-y, chd0-y, which has in it much of the flute- 


244 THE TUFTED TITMOUSE. 


like character of the Wren's song. ‘The latter bird is very apt to answer this 
cry with his ‘“Richeliew” note, as tho he were challenged to utterance. If one 
is accustomed only to these clear whistled calls, it comes as a great surprise 
when the ‘Titmouse bursts 
out with a  Chick-a-dee, 
Chick-a-dee-dee, almost pre- 
cisely like that of his black- 
capped cousin. 

Under date of March 31st 
IT find: “The neighboring 
woods are haunted, and have 
been for a week or more past, 
by a love-lorn Titmouse who 
repeats Peto, peto, peto, peto 
with rapid enunciation and 
wearisome iteration. The 
bird utters this cry in groups, 
as above, on an average of 
about thirteen times a min- 
ute, and keeps it up all day 
long. During these days he 
ranges high in the trees, but 
stops only ten or fifteen sec- 
onds in a place,—about long 
enough to repeat his burden 
four or five times. Then 
comes a hiatus of a few sec- 
onds, during which time he 
is flitting to another perch. 
At a casual glance it looks 
as tho Mary Ann had retired 
to the depths of some unknown knot-hole to escape this silly chap, and we 
heartily wish that we might follow suit.” 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


“AN INCONSPICUOUS KNOT-HOLE.” 
A PAIR OF TITMICE NESTED HERE DURING THE SEASON OF 10903. 


THE CHICKADEE. 245 


No. 107. 
CHICKADEE. 


A. O. U. No. 735. Parus atricapillus Linn. 

Synonyms.—BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE; BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE, 

Description —Adult: Top of head and nape shining black; throat dead 
black with whitish skirting posteriorly; a white band on side of head and neck, 
increasing in width behind; back and scapulars gray with an olivaceous cast and 
more or less admixture of buffy at the edges and as skirting; wings and tail dusky, 
more or less edged, especially on greater coverts and tertials, with ashy or whitish; 
breast and belly white; sides, flanks and crissum washed with buffy or light rusty 
(nearly whitish in summer) ; bill and feet dark. Rather variable in size; one adult 
specimen in the O. S. U. collections measures: wing 2.27 (57.7) ; tail 2.10 (53.3); 
bill .34 (8.6). Another: wing 2.70 (68.6); tail 2.57 (65.3); bill .38 (9.7). 
Length, 4.75-5.75 (120.6-146.1); average of eight Columbus specimens of 
medium size : wing 2.60 (66.) ; tail 2.44 (62.) ; bill .36 (9.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; black of head and throat, and general 
gray tone of remaining plumage. Not certainly distinguishable by plumage alone, 
except in the hand, from the next species; larger. 

Nest, a heavy mat of moss, grasses, and plant-down, lined with feathers, hair 
or fur, in made hole or natural cavity of stump or tree, usually at lower levels. 
Eggs, 5-8, white, marked sparingly with reddish brown, in small spots, tending to 
gather about larger end. Average size, .58 x .47 (14.7 X 11.9). 

General Range.—Eastern North America north of the Potomac and Ohio 
Valleys. Not strictly migratory, but roving irregularly south along southern 
boundary of range. 

Range in Ohio—Common in northern and sub-northern Ohio. Southern 
extension not yet clearly defined. “Abundant resident in northern and probably 
eastern Ohio. Not common winter visitor in central and southern Ohio” 
(Wheaton ). 


BY a subtle instinct every one connects the Chickadee with winter. 
Springtime gaity is a cheap thing and is rated accordingly. Who could help 
being cheerful when the forests are heaving with blossom, and a thousand 
sweet odors are filling the nostrils? But here is a bird that loves to hear the 
north wind go JI’00-00-00, and whose good cheer is brought to its fullest per- 
fection only by the teasing of the frost. If you have wandered out into the 
leafless woods to mourn for the departed joys of summer or to sigh for, the 
return of spring, this little fellow hastens down from the tree-tops to com- 
fort you, and to ery Chick-a-dee, Chick-a-dee-dee-dee. ‘The beady little eyes 
sparkle all the while with merriment, and there is no such thing as sadness 
possible after a visit from the Titmouse troupe. 


246 THE CHICKADEE. 


Chickadee’s good cheer is partly explained by the fact that he has a 
very warm coat—he looks like a little muff himself—and by the fact that 
the sort of food he likes is reasonably plentiful in winter. The bird eats 
insects at all times of year, but his staple diet is formed by the eggs and larve 
of insects. These are found tucked away in the crevices of bark, or grouped 
on the under surface of the smaller limbs and persistent leaves. On this ac- 
count the Black-cap must frequently hang head downward, and this he does 


very gracefully, using his tail to balance himself with, much as a boy does his 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 
“a CLINGING SNOW COMES AND BURIES THE NORTHERN HALF OF HIS HUNTING-GROUND,”’ 


legs in hanging from a “turning pole,’ swinging to and fro as if he thor- 
oughly enjoyed it. Once in a while a clinging snow comes and buries the 
northern half of his hunting-ground. ‘Then is the time to hang out a lump 
of suet, or to scatter bits of meat—unless your bounties are always claimed 
by the English sparrow. 

Besides the frequent repetition of its name, Chickadee, the bird has a 
brusque tse-day, tse-day of uncertain meaning, and a day, day, day, day of 
discomposure and indignation. ‘The birds of a flock intent on feeding keep 


26 CAROLINA CHICKADEE corynia 
Parus carolinensis Me eas 


Life-size 


THE CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 247 


track of each other by the utterance of a faint tsip; and this note serves as 
well for the guidance of friendly Creepers and other members of the 
winter troop. In contrast with these more prosaic sounds comes the 
mating call, Szwee-tee or Swee-tee-tec, high-pitched, clear and sweet as 
a voice of home. The notes ring true 

and may be readily imitated by thin lips. or 
This song, if such it may be called. also 

serves a variety of purposes bordering on those of courtship, and its use by 
an observer often serves to call up a motley company of birds where before 
the woods were silent. 

Contrary to the wont of most hole-nesting birds, the Chickadee believes in 
warm blankets. Into the chosen cavity, whether natural or artificial, the 
birds lug immense quantities of moss, wool, hair, or rabbits’ fur, until 
the place is half filled; and the sitting bird, during the chilly days of April, 
is snug and warm. 

Ordinarily a hole is dug by the birds in a rotten stub at a height of 
two or three feet. Sometimes a deserted nest of the Downy Woodpecker 
is used, but on the other hand, excavations are sometimes made in green 
wood. Several nests I have seen in willow and poplar saplings, and at 
a height of fifteen or twenty feet. 

Young Chickadees are such cunning little creatures that the tempta- 
tion to fondle them is often irresistible. The parents may have very de- 
cided views as to the propriety of such action, or they may regard you as 
some benevolent giant whose ways are above suspicion. Not infrequent- 
ly the parent birds will. venture upon the hand or shoulder to pursue their 
necessary offices, if their young are kindly entreated. 


No. 108. 


CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 


A. O. U. No. 736. Parus carolinensis Aud. 

Synonym.—SouTHERN CHICKADEE. 

Description.—4dult: Similar to preceding species, but averaging smaller; 
black of throat a little more extensive and sharply defined below, shining like that 
of crown; greater coverts without whitish edging, the edging of wing-quills and 
lateral tail-feathers less extensive, not whitish, but dull bluish ash: back, etc. 
uniform brownish ash; second primary appreciably longer than secondaries. 
Length, 4.25-4.65 (108.-118.1) ; wing 2.47 (62.7); tail 2.10-2.50 (53.3-63.5); 
average 2.19 (55.6); bill .32 (8.1). 


248 THE CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 


Recognition Marks.—Pygmy size; similar to preceding species, but usually 
decidedly smaller; plumage not positively distinguishable except in the hand; has 
different notes. 

Nesting.—Substantially like that of preceding species. Eggs, not different. 
Average size, .60 x .50 (15.2 x 12.7). 


Taken in Morgan County. Photo by the Author. 


A HAUNT OF THE CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 


\ NESTING HOLE MAY BE SEEN NEAR THE TOP OF THE CENTRAL STUB 


THE CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 249 


General Range.—Southeastern states, north to New Jersey and Illinois, west 
to Missouri. 


Range in Ohio.—Common in southern, especially southeastern, Ohio. Regu- 
lar but not so common in central and central-northern Ohio. 


THIS bird bears so close a resemblance to the preceding species that 
great confusion has existed in regard to them both. In the main their habits 
are very similar, and the differential points sought to be established be- 
tween them on this ground seem a little fanciful. 

Dr. Wheaton reported the Carolina Chickadee common in the vicinity 
of Columbus, and considered it the only breeding species. He says, “Ar- 
tives about the middle of April; apparently departs for the south soon after 
the breeding season.” I have never positively identified it here, and the 
eight local specimens in the O. S. U. collections all belong to the northern 
form. All recently seen in winter were certainly P. atricapillus, and I am 
inclined to think that the few local breeding birds are of the same species. 
On the other hand the two forms were found last winter, near the. Lick- 
ing Reservoir, mingling freely in a large winter troop, while P. carolinensis 
alone was found breeding there the following season. ‘The latter bird is 
found exclusively in the southern part of the state, and in the Ohio River 
counties is one of the commonest of all birds. 

The most satisfactory distinction between the two forms is that of song. 
The notes of the southern form are more varied, and once understood need never 
be confused with those of the Black-cap. The mating call usually consists of two 
doubled notes, kusweé, kusweé, and the first of each pair is lower than the other : 


a But in Lawrence County we heard a song of three syl- 
Se lables, of which the first was faintest and highest, and 
the remaining two showed an interval greater than the 
Black-cap. Sometimes the first note was raised to full rank, and we had 
a descending scale of three notes. We were repeatedly tricked by this Chick- 
adee’s note into looking for Cowbirds; but on second thought it was seen 
really to resemble more closely (and then only occasionally) that of the Rusty 
Grackle. In company the lesser Chickadee is given to the use of a peculiar 
sneezing note, Kechesawick, kechesawick, by which it is possible to recog- 
nize him instantly. Sometimes the bird’s entire repertoire is drawn upon 
at once, and there issues forth a wild medley of day, day's, sneezes and 
whistled calls, which together make up a sort of ecstatic love song. 


250 THE BROWN CREEPER. 


No. 109. 
BROWN CREEPER. 


A. O. U. No, 726. Certhia familiaris americanus (Bonap.). 

Description.— Adults: Above, dark brown, broadly and loosely streaked 
with ashy white; more finely and narrowly streaked on crown; rump bright cinna- 
mon; wing-quills crossed by two whitish bars, one on both webs near base, the 
other on outer webs alone; greater coverts, secondaries, and tertials tipped with 
white; tail fuscous,—slightly decurved, open W-shaped at end, of elastic, acumi- 
nate feathers; below, soiled white, sometimes tinged with tawny on flanks and 
crissum; bill slender, decurved. Length, 5.00-5.75 (127.-146.1) ; average of five 
Columbus specimens: wing 2.54 (64.5) ; tail 2.22 (56.4) ; bill .56 (14.2). Female 
averages a little smaller than male. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; singularly variegated in modest colors 
above; the only brown creeper. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of twigs, bark-strips, moss, 
etc., crowded behind a warping scale of bark. Eggs, 5-8, white or creamy-white, 
speckled and spotted with cinnamon-brown or hazel, chiefly in wreath about larger 
end. Average size, .61 x .47 (15.5 XII.9). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding from the northern and 
more elevated parts of the United States northward, and casually further south; 
migrating southward in winter. 

Range in Ohio.—Common fall and spring migrant. Winter resident in cen- 


and southern portions; found less commonly, or casually, in northern Ohio in 
winter. 


DEAR, patient, plodding mortal! How we wish it were in our power 
to relieve him, if but for an hour, of the endless monotony of tree-climb- 
ing! But, no; he has scarcely reached the main branches of one tree-trunk 
when he lets go “like a bit of loosened bark,” and brings up punctually at 
the base of another. With now and then a plaintive chip which is little bet- 
ter than a sigh, he hitches along the bark, winding spirally up the tree, 
and pausing at the end of every jerk to inspect the crevices for insects and 
their larve. Little attention is paid to man’s presence and, indeed, the 
bird seems scarcely to indulge a thought above his task. Work, work, work, 
—while Titmouse is plotting mischief, and Chickadee is turning somersaults, 
this unimaginative clerk is adding up his endless columns and telling off the 
digits in a wiry, piping voice. 

The Creeper knows that he is a near-sighted fellow, but he is sharp enough 
to depend on the wits of others. When the winter troop is ranging freely 
he follows close and pipes shrilly, “Wait for me, wait for me,” if he thinks 
the bigger children are trying to give him the slip. I have watched a pair 
of them tagging a Nuthatch about from tree to tree as faithfully as a brace 
of poodles. 


~ 
21 BROWN CREEPER monTS AsenicO MOM BY TH 


Certhia familiaris americana 


Life-size 


THE MOCKINGBIRD. 251 


Yet he too has his little pleasures. One bug is not quite like another in 
bugginess, so that any bark rift may render up some entomological curiosity 
rare of form and gustable of juice. And when the lush days of springtime 
come, even this understrapper gets giddy and rushes out into space, jerking 
hither and thither in an aerial frenzy and cutting the most absurd figures; 
after which he comes back to his bark, beaming and panting, and expecting 
the plaudits of an admiring world. This spirited performance proves highly 
satisfactory to at least one witness, and prepares the way for that domestic joy 
in the Northland, which is not denied the humblest, and which lifts all mortals 
to an equal plane. 

While with us the Creeper rarely sings, and its ordinary notes, chip and 
tseep, tseep, or “creep, creep, cree, cree,’ require careful distinction from 
those of the Golden-crowned Kinglet; but in its breeding haunts it is said to 
have a delicate and pleasing song. 


No. 110. 


MOCKINGBIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 703. Mimus polyglottos (Linn.). 

Description.— Adults: Upper parts ashy gray, sometimes with a brownish 
tinge ; wings and tail dusky on exposed portions, with faint, grayish edging; pri- 
maries, except outer one, and secondaries broadly white at base,—the former nearly, 
and the latter entirely, concealed by the greater coverts, which are white with 
narrow blackish tips; also some edging on middle coverts and tertials; the outer 
pair of tail-feathers almost entirely, the next largely (on inner web), the next 
pair or pairs touched with, white; under parts soiled white, sometimes dingy or 
brownish, especially behind; bill black; feet dark. Young: Similar to adult, but 
browner above; speckled with dusky below. Length 9.00-11.00 (228.6-279.4) ; 
wing 4.45 (113.); tail 4.80 (121.9); bill .7o (17.8). Quite variable in all its 
dimensions. Female averages a little smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; a gray bird with a long tail, and exhibit- 
ing much white on wing in flight; unmistakable. 

Nest, of twigs, weed-stalks, and trash, lined with rootlets, plant-down, hair, 
etc., placed at lower levels in thickets, orchard trees, etc. Hggs, 4-6, bluish white, 
greenish blue, or, rarely, buffy, spotted or blotched, chiefly near the larger end, 
with yellowish brown, cinnamon-brown or chestnut. Variable in size. Average 
.98 X .72 (24.9 x 18.3). 

General Range.— United States south into Mexico. Rare or irregular north 
of about latitude 38°. Bahamas. 


252 THE MOCKINGBIRD. 


Range in Ohio.—F ound frequently but not regularly during breeding season, 
in southern portion; breeds occasionally in southeast portion. Rare or accidental 
elsewhere. Formerly reported breeding near Cleveland. Casual in winter (two 
records). 


THE Mockingbird is the acknowledged chief of American songsters, 
and is declared by many connoisseurs both at home and abroad to be the best 
in the world. Its claim to supremacy is stoutly contested by the friends of 
the Nightingale, and the endless discussion of their comparative merits 
still goes on. Instead of presuming to decide between the rival claimants, one 
may be permitted to point out the futility of comparisons. Enjoyment of 
bird music is so largely a matter of training, temperament and association, 
and the music itself so diverse in conception and execution, that compari- 
sons are meaningless. As well try to decide the relative merits of the keys 
of F, flat and C sharp, or of the violet and the blue rays of the solar spectrum. 
Things which belong to the same order may still be incomparable. 

Certainly, however, as a mimic the Mockingbird has no peer. Nothing 
in bird song seems beyond him. His memory is prodigious and his artistic 
feeling admirable. Great individual differences exist among the performers. 
Other things being equal advancing age confers increasing skill. All malebirds, 
except the very youngest, may be able to imitate accurately, but some impart an 
artistic interpretative quality, which enables them easily to surpass their models. 
Thus a caged Mocker belonging to a Dr. Golz of Berlin captivated the heart 
of cultured Europe, and the hall of avian fame is still ringing with his praises. 

A captive specimen [ once observed in Oberlin proclaimed unconscious- 
ly the history of his early life. He reproduced not merely the bird songs of 
the village, but those of the wildwood as well, where he must have been reared. 
Besides these the various songs and noises to be heard in the average bird- 
store were faithfully presented. Some of his mimicry was irresistibly fetch- 
ing, and I stood rooted to the pavement as the bird sang from a suspended cage 
at some distance. What puzzled me most, however, about his performance 
was that he always stood silent whenever a bantam rooster, some two blocks 
or so away, crowed. When his mistress assured me that it was the Mocking- 
bird that crowed, I could scarcely believe my ears. Having always heard the 
rooster. at a distance the Mocker reproduced the sound in exactly the same 
way, with the ventriloquistic effort manifestly resulting. The crowing of the 
bantam was a favorite trick of his, and I noticed that he usually followed it by 
the scream of a Hawk. The challenge of the cock followed by the ery of his 
enemy was certainly as clever a piece of stage-work as ever a glee club did 
ina melange. In the course of a quarter of an hour songs and cries of the 
following birds were recognized: Robin, Cuckoo, Flicker, Red-headed Wood- 
pecker, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Purple Martin, 
Red-shouldered Hawk, Flycatchers (probably Green-crested) fighting, Barn- 


THE MOCKINGBIRD. 


to 
on 
ios) 


Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wood Pewee, Baltimore Oriole, Parrot, 
Canary, and Rooster; besides these, numerous “baby calls” not quite clear. 
Among his many bird-store reminiscences I made sure at one time that the 
monkeys were quarreling in their cage. His torrent of borrowed songs was 
continually changing, like a kaleidoscope. I timed him once, and the tune was 
changed eighty-seven times in seven minutes. Of these I was able to recognize 
only fifty-eight as they flew—that of the Robin appearing twenty-two times. 

The bird not only sings for hours at a time during the day, but often well 
into the night, or, in the mating season, practically all night. According to Nehr- 
ling, the daylight hours are largely occupied with imitations and renditions of 
other masters, while during the night the song is almost entirely original, 
exhibiting the full compass of a poet’s emotions, but oftenest tender and sub- 
lime. Maurice Thompson has given us unrivalled descriptions of what he is 
pleased to call the “dropping song,” an ecstacy of the nuptial season, during 
which the male descends step by step an aerial staircase, measured off by the 
periods of his own passion during a perfect tempest of song. 

Mockingbirds are very domestic in their tastes, in the double sense of 
being both fond of their own home and of the haunts of men. With slight 
encouragement they will nest in nearby shrubbery, or even in clinging vines or 
upon the porch rails of a house. ‘Their presence is a benediction to a farm- 
yard, both for the excellent music they discourse, and for the spirited defense 
which the male makes against Hawks and other intruders. 

The occurrence of the Mockingbird in Ohio is quite irregular. It has 
been recorded as a transient in the northern part of the state, but its appearance 
anywhere in the northern two-thirds is matter of surprise. Rey. W. F. Hen- 
ninger reports it as very rare in the region of the lower Scioto. Messrs. Arrick 
and Morris of McConnelsville reported a little colony of them breeding near 
that place in the summer of 1896. During January of this year the same gen- 
tlemen sent me a specimen which had been taken on the 25th of that month 
from a federated troop of winter birds of the usual sorts. ‘There was two 
inches of snow upon the ground at the time, but the Mocker was in excellent 
condition. 


to 
on 
TS 


“THE CATBIRD., — 


No. 111. 


CARBIRD: 


Y A. O. U. No. 704. Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn. ). 

Description.— Adult: Slate-color, lightening almost imperceptibly below ; 
black on top of head and on tail; under tail-coverts chestnut, sometimes spotted 
with slaty ; bill and feet black. Length 8.00-9.35 (203.2-237.5) ; wing 3.59 (91.2) 5 
tail 3.65 (92.7) ; bill .62 (15.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; almost uniform slaty coloration dis- 
tinctive. 

Nest, of twigs, weed-stalks, vegetable fibers, and trash, carefully lined with 
fine rootlets, placed at indifferent heights in bushes or thickets. Eggs, 4-5, deep 
emerald-green, glossy. Average size, .95 x .69 (24.1 X 17.5). 

General Range.—Fastern United States and British Provinces, west regu- 
larly to and including the Rocky Mountains, irregularly to the Pacific Coast from 
British Columbia to central California. Breeds from the Gulf States northward to 
the Saskatchewan. Winters in the southern states, Cuba, and middle America 
to Panama. Bermuda, resident. Accidental in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Of general distribution in summer; abundant. 


Taken in Licking County. Photo by the Author. 
A GOOD PLACE FOR CATBIRDS. 


THE CATBIRD. 255 


THOSE who hold either a good or a bad opinion of the Catbird are one- 
sided in their judgment. ‘Two, and not less than two, opinions are possible 
of one and the same bird. He is both imp and angel, a “feathered Mephis- 
topheles”’ and ‘‘a heavenly singer.” But this is far from saying that the bird 
lives a double life in the sense ordinarily understood, for in the same minute 
he is grave, gay, pensive and clownish. Nature made him both a wag and a 
poet, and it is no wonder if the the roguishness and high philosophy become 
inextricably entangled. One moment he steps forth before you as sleek as Beau 
Brummel, graceful, polished, equal-eyed; then he cocks his head to one 
side and squints at you like a thief; next he hangs his head, droops wings 
and tail, and looks like a dog being lectured for killing sheep ;—Presto, change! 
the bird pulls himself up to an extravagant height and with exaggerated gruff- 
ness, croaks out, “Who are you?” ‘Then without waiting for an answer to 
his impudent question, the rascal sneaks off through the bushes, hugging every 
teather close to the body, delivering a running fire of cat-calls, squawks and ex- 
pressions of contempt. There is no accounting for him; he is an irrepressible— 
and a genius. 

The Catbird is at home anywhere in bushes and shrubbery. River banks 
are lined with them, and swampy tangles are thronged with them, but they also 
exhibit a decided preference for the vicinage of man and, if allowed to, will 
irequent the plum trees and raspberry bushes. ‘They help themselves pretty 
freely to the fruit of the latter, but their services in insect-eating compensate 
for their keep a hundred-fold. Nests are placed almost anywhere at moderate 
heights. but thickety places are preferred, and the Carolina rosebush is 
acknowledged to be the ideal spot. The birds exhibit the greatest distress 
when their nest is disturbed, and the entire neighborhood is aroused to expres- 
sions of sympathy by their pitiful cries. 

Comparing the scolding and call notes of a Catbird with the mewing of a 
cat has perhaps been a little overdone, but the likeness is strong enough to 
lodge in the mind and to fasten the bird’s “trivial name” upon it forever. Be- 
sides a mellow phut, phut in the bush, the bird has an aggravating mec-a-a, 
and a petulant call note which is nothing less than Ma-a-ry. Cautious to a 
degree and timid, the bird is oftener heard in the depths of the thicket than 
elsewhere, but he sometimes mounts the tree-top, and the opening “Phut, phut, 
coquillicot”— as Mrs. Blanchan hears it—is the promise of a treat. 

Generalizations are apt to be inadequate when applied to singers of such 
brilliant and varied gifts as the Catbird’s. It would be impertinent to say: 
Homo sapiens has a cultivated voice and produces music of the highest order. 
Some of us do and some of us do not. Similarly some Catbirds are “self- 
conscious and affected,” “pause after each phrase to mark its effect upon the 
audience,” ete. Some lack originality, feeling, are incapable of sustained 
effort, cannot imitate other birds, ete. | But some Catbirds are among the most 


256 THE CATBIRD. 


talented singers known. One such I remember, which, overcome by the charms 
of a May day sunset, mounted the tip of a pasture elm, and poured forth a 
hymn of praise in which every voice of woodland and field was laid under con- 
tribution. Yet all were suffused by the singer’s own emotion. Oh, how that 
voice rang out upon the still evening air! The bird sang with true feeling, 
an artist in every sense, and the delicacy and accuracy of his phrasing must 
have silenced a much more captious critic than I. Never at a loss for a note, 
never pausing to ask himself what he should sing next, he went steadily on, 
now with a phrase from Robin’s song, now with the shrill cry of the Red- 
headed Woodpecker, each softened and refined as his own infallible musical 
taste  dictat- 
ed; now and 
again he in- 
terspersed 
these with 
bits of his 
ownnone less 
beautiful. 
The carol of 
the Vireo, the 
tender ditties 
of the Song 
and Vesper 
Sparrows, 
and the more 
pretentious 
efforts of the 
Gros beaks, 
had all im- 
pressed 
AN EARLY NEST. t hem selves 
upon this 
musician’s ear, and he repeated them, not slavishly, but with discernment and 
deep appreciation. As the sun sank lower in the west I left him there, a dull 
gray bird, with form scarcely outlined against the evening sky, but my soul 
had taken flight with his—up into that blest abode where all Nature’s voices 
are blended into one, and all music is praise. 


Taken near Waverly. Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 


VaHM 3HL AB OIHO NI OIA 
0 ‘OKOJWNN “M “W AB “OOBT LHBIWAdO; 


THE BROWN THRASHER. 257 


No. 112. 


BROWN THRASHER. 


A. O. U. No. 705. Toxostoma rufum (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Upper parts, including tail, warm cinnamon-brown, or 
tawny-cinnamon ; paler, brownish gray, on forehead ; sides of head gray, obscurely 
dotted or mottled with brown; wings dusky on concealed webs only; coverts tipped 
with dusky and white; outer tail-feathers sometimes faintly tipped with whitish, 
often much worn and frayed; under parts white or brownish white, silky, heavily 
spotted on sides of throat, breast and sides, with dark brown. ‘he spots are 
brown-centered and dusky-edged, or solid dusky, tear-shaped, or wedge-shaped, 
and sharply defined on the silky background. Bill dark brown above; lower 
mandible yellow at base, but dusky at end; culmen curved near tip; feet brown. 
Length 10.50-12.00 (266.7-304.8) ; average of four Columbus specimens: wing 
4.07 (103.4) ; tail 4.90 (124.5) ; bill .98 (24.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; cinnamon-brown above; whitish and heav- 
ily spotted below; long tail and rather long bill. 

Nest, of sticks, twigs, bark-strips and trash, lined with rootlets, horse-hair, or 
feathers, placed at medium heights in hedge-rows, orchard trees, or thorn thickets. 
Eggs, 4-5, sometimes 6, bluish or greenish white, sometimes buffy, thickly sprinkled 
all over with cinnamon, but usually most thickly near larger end. Average size, 
RO 7X OOM (27222203). 

General Range.—Eastern United States west to the Rocky Mountains; north 
to southern Maine, Ontario and Manitoba. Breeds from the Gulf States north- 
ward. Accidental in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Regular but not abundant summer resident throughout the 
‘state. 


THE last of this splendid trio of mocking singers is even more secretive 
than the others in its ordinary habits, and bolder yet in song. Early in spring 
the Thrashers steal northward up the river valleys, skulking along fence-rows 
or hiding in brush-heaps and tangles, and rarely discovering themselves to 
human eyes until the breeding ground is reached. Here, too, if the weather is 
unpropitious, they will mope and lurk silently ; but as soon as the south wind 
repeats the promise of spring the Thrasher mounts a tree-top and clears his 
throat for action. 

Choosing usually a spot a little way removed from the road, the singer 
sends his voice careering over field and meadow, lane and wood-lot, till all may 
hear him for a hundred rods around. What a magnificent aria he sings! 
Precise, no doubt, and conscious, but it is full-voiced and powerful. Now and 
then he lapses into mimicry, but for the most part his notes are his own— 
piquant, incisive, peremptory, stirring. There is in them the gladness of the 


258 THE BROWN THRASHER. 


open air, the jubilant boasting of a soul untamed. Each phrase is repeated 
twice. 
“That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, 
Lest you think he never could recapture 
The first fine careless rapture.” 


He opens his bill wide, his body vibrates with emotion, and each note is 
graced by a compensating movement of the drooping tail. 

Altho the Brown ‘Thrasher does not make such hopeless confusion of jest 
and earnest as does the Catbird, there is still something of the buffoon about 
him, and his ways in the bush are not altogether above criticism. Possibly 


Photo by E. B. Williamson. 
NEST OF THE BROWN THRASHER. 


with the best of motives, but still in a very annoying fashion the bird sneaks 
about through the brush and insists upon knowing your business. From time 
to time it utters a sharp repulsive tsook, and occasionally a suggestive you-wh, 
which makes one feel conspicuous and uncomfortable. The bird’s eye too, 
with its orange iris, while it must be admitted to harmonize perfectly with the 
warm russet of the plumage, has a sinister cast which might prejudice the 
unthinking. 


CAROLINA WREN 
Thryothorvs ludovicianus 
About Life-size 


COPYRIGHT 1901, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO. 
RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING COs 


THE CAROLINA WREN. 259 


In defense if its home the Thrasher is almost fearless, often placing itself 
within reach of the observer’s hand, and calling down upon him all the while 
the most dreadful woes. ‘The female is a close sitter, and portraits 7m mido are 
not difficult to obtain. 

Nesting sites are various, but the bird shows a decided preference for 
those which are naturally defended by thorns. Nearly every full sized Cra- 
tegus (thorn apple) has at one time harbored a nest. Hedges of osage-orange 
are well patronized—almost exclusively so in the prairie states further west— 
and the honey-locust tree is not forgotten. Next after these come wild plum 
thickets, grape-vine tangles, brush heaps, fence corners, and last of all, the 
ground. 


No. 113. 


CAROLINA WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 718. Thryothorus ludovicianus ([Lath.). 

Synonyms.—GrREAT CAROLINA WREN; MocKING WREN. 

Description.—Adult: Above rufous-brown or rusty (quite variable as to 
shade), duller or darker on head, brighter on rump, with concealed downy white 
spots ; wings and tail like back, but finely and rather indistinctly barred with dusky ; 
a conspicuous, white superciliary line, bordered indistinctly behind with blackish ; 
a broad, rusty stripe behind eye; under parts white, much washed with tawny or 
pale rusty across the breast and on the flanks and lower belly ; sometimes the rusty 
is so pronounced that only the chin remains whitish; lower tail-coverts heavily 
barred with dusky; bill and feet brown, the former decurved. Length 5.50-6.00 
(139.7-152.4) ; average of ten Columbus specimens: wing 2.32 (58.9) ; tail 1.90 
(48.3) ; bill along exposed culmen .67 (17.). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler to Sparrow size; largest of the Ohio Wrens. 

Nest, a bulky mass of grasses, hay, leaves, and trash, lined with fine grasses, 
feathers, etc., placed in some cavity or cranny of stump, log, brush-pile or the like. 
Eggs, 4-6, white, cream-white or light buff, thickly speckled with cinnamon- 
brown and lavender, well distributed or wreathed about larger end. Average 
SWAG, 67/5} 38 oso) (GES Se 105,))s 

General Range.—E astern United States north to southern New York, south- 
ern Michigan and southern Nebraska; west to the Plains. Rare or casual in 
southern New York and southern Ontario. Resident nearly throughout its 
range. 

Range in Ohio.—‘Abundant in southern, common and resident in middle, 
rare in northern Ohio.” Wheaton’s statement still applies. 


WHEN the bird man settles down into a shady nook and begins screep- 
ing, that is, making a sharp kissing sound on the back of the hand, to attract 


a “THE CAROLINA WREN. 


the birds, the very first fellow to come is always the Carolina Wren. He had 
been catching spiders about the root of a fallen tree, but like the true Athenian, 
he will hear the new thing at whatever cost. Bustling, tittering, and talking 
excitedly to himself he hurries up. At the first sight oi the stranger he jumps 
as if shot, but he has presence of mind enough to dodge behind a log and take 
chattering counsel of his fears. ‘Then, more cautiously, he emerges and begins 
a systematic search. Now scampering along a log with tail in air like a chip- 
munk, now squatting in sudden alarm, or craning and bubbling apprehen- 
sively, the little feathered ferret turns up first on this side of you, then on that, 
until his curiosity is thoroughly satisfied ;—it is only a man. 

This little brown pixie is the most energetic and tireless creature of the 
woods. He not only manages to mind his own business but everybody else’s 
as well, and if one only knew how to approach him, he would doubtless be 
found a perfect encyclopedia of wood-lore. He chatters with the squirrels, 
explores crannies with mice, climbs trees with the Creepers, and sings with 
the best of them. Altho quite devoted to the brush-heaps and dells of the 
deeper woods, he is also thoroughly at home in the vicinity of man, and often 
patronizes our porches and outbuildings with the freedom of a House Wren. 

It is, however, as a songster that the Great Carolina Wren has endeared 
himself to the hearts of all. Those who are accustomed only to the sputtering 
of the House Wren are taken completely by surprise when they hear the clear, 
rich bugle notes of this maestro. Indeed, for clear enunciation, vivacity, and 
carrying power, they yield the palm to none. No two individuals are ever 
quite alike in their major notes or song, but the following are characteristic 
scngs: Cle-er-hé-hew, cle-er-hé-hew, cle-er-hé-hew, clé-ew; Richelieu, 
Richelieu, Richelieu. One merry wight on the banks of the Muskingum, in- 
quired of the passing canoeists, D’y’ever tee-ter? Je-ver tee-ter? Je-ver tee- 
ter? We confessed that we sometimes did, but felt obliged to decline teeter- 
ing with him upon a nodding sunflower. A Cincinnati bird as gay, shouted, 
Sugar to eat, sugar to eat, sugar to eat, sugar, in a most convincing way; but 
this invitation also was declined. 

On all occasions this nervous little creature appears to be full of a sort 
of compressed air, which escapes from time to time in a series of mild ex- 
plosions, like the lid of a tea-kettle being jarred up and down by steam. When 
the valve is opened a little wider there follows an accelerando rattling call, 
which seems to be modeled after the chirr of the red squirrel; and when the 
throttle is held wide open the rattling notes are telescoped together into an 
emphatic “kurr'r'st,’ which brings one up standing. 

Carolina Wrens are given great credit for secretiveness. Their nests, 
when placed in brush piles or under logs are not always easy to locate, and 
even when they select a cranny in an outbuilding, the visiting parents will 
sometimes exhibit all the caution of spies in approaching their nest. But of- 


THE CAROLINA WREN. 201 


tener they leave a trail of sound, at least, behind them. The first nest the 
writer ever found was exhibited gratuitously by a proud father. The bird 
signalled the stranger and then hopped along in plain sight, only stopping now 
and then to be sure that he was being followed, until he came to a sycamore 
stump. Here he thrust his head into a cranny and buzzed excitedly. The 
bird-man drew near and noted a single egg, while the Wren capered about 
with every appearance of delight at the admiring glances cast upon the bird- 
to-be. 

This particular nest completely filled the cavity it occupied, and even the 


Taken in McConnelsville. Photo by the Author. 


BE IT EVER SO MUSSY THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. 


entrance was “boarded up” until it represented the precise dimensions of the 
occupant. One of the latest pieces of furnishing consisted of a half-length 
of sloughed-off snake skin, which rolled easily into the center of the nest 
when disturbed. The nest shown in the accompanying cut is a typical accu- 
mulation of trash such as the Carolina Wren delights in. ‘The mass to the 
left, poorly defined in the dim light of the tool-house, represents the “‘cock’s 
nest,’ an incomplete structure where the male bird spends his nights. 
Carolina Wrens are very prolific. Not only are seven or eight eggs some- 
times laid for a sitting, but three broods are raised in a season, and these so 


262 THE BEWICK WREN. 


rapidly that the male bird often has the care of two broods while his mate is 
occupied with the third. The breeding season is quite variable. Many first 
broods are raised in March; some in February. Professor Butler records an 
instance in which fresh eggs were found on the first day of December, at 
Brookville, Indiana. 

The species is on the increase, notably in the northern part of the state. 
It first made its appearance in Lorain County in 1899, and has been found 
there regularly since. In the summer of 1901 the bird was found by Professor 
Jones and myself on Isle St. George and on East Sister Island, the latter in 
Canadian territory. ‘The geographical movement of this species is a typical 
example of that “northward trend,” to which Professor Jones has so ably 
called attention in his recent Catalog of the Birds of Ohio. 


No. 114. 


BEWICK WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 719. Thryomanes bewickii (Aud.). 

Description.—Adults: Above, dark olive-brown, or rufous-brown with an 
olive tinge; the rump with downy, concealed, white spots; wings showing at least 
traces of dusky barring,—sometimes complete on tertials; tail blackish on con= 
cealed portions, distinctly and finely barred with blackish on exposed portions ; 
the outer pairs of feathers white-tipped and showing white barring, incipient or 
complete on terminal third; a narrow white superciliary stripe, and an indistinct 
dark stripe through eye; under parts grayish white, dark tinged on sides and 
flanks; under tail-coverts heavily barred with dusky; bill dark brown above, 
lighter below; culmen slightly decurved. Length 5.00-5.50 (127.-139.7) ; wing 
AOS (52:8), suatk 270m (Slate) en oils aa (ness) ke 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; known from House Wren by supercil- 
iary stripe, and whiter under parts, mostly unbarred; more deliberate in its move- 
ments. 

Nest, anywhere in holes or crannies about buildings, posts, brush-heaps, etc. ; 
of twigs, lined with grasses and miscellaneous soft materials; not distinguishable 
from those of 7. aedon. Eggs, 4-6, sometimes 7, white, speckled—usually not so 
heavily as in 7. aedon—with cinnamon- or rufous-brown, and purplish, uniform- 
ly, or chiefly in wreath near larger end. Average size, .66 x .48 (16.8 x 12.2). 

General Range.—E astern United States, west to the eastern border of the 
Plains and eastern Texas; rare east of the Alleghanies north of Maryland and 
Delaware; north irregularly in the Mississippi Valley to southern Minnesota. 
Migratory only along the northern border of its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly unknown in the state, it has recently made its 
appearance, and is on the increase in some parts of southern and central Ohio,— 
notably in the Valley of the Scioto. 


THE BEWICK WREN. 263 
BARELY known as an Ohio bird at Wheaton’s time (its nest having been 
found once in Circleville) the Bewick Wren today is the Wren of Southern 
Ohio. Since his arrival the House Wren has “left the country” and has been 
entirely replaced by this better songster and thriftier species. When the chill- 
ing blasts of February, 1899, howled over the Scioto Valley bottoms and crept 
into every ravine of the hills, the thermometer standing at 30° below zero, 
when Goldfinches and Spar- 
rows dropped out of the sky, 
exhausted and frozen, the 
cheerful voice of the Be- 
wick Wren was 
loudly ringing from 
some favorite perch. 
How I had to 
Chilavery ee santenaaie! 
While man and 


t 


i feet 
: 


ES 


Taken near Reo ae 
Waverly. A NEST IN THE WOOD-PILE. Henninger. 


beast were seeking shelter from this cold, and the earth was groaning under 
its burden of snow, he, undaunted, gay and light-hearted, was singing in 
anticipation of the joyous springtime. And again when trees and flowers 
bloom, or when midsummer’s sun is blazing down in unabated fury, his song 
greets us at our home. Not a voluble merry chatter, like the House Wren’s, 
but clear, strong and cheery, easily heard for a quarter of a mile,——such is 
the song of Bewick’s Wren. Easily distinguished from the former he has 
the same teasing days about him,—now peeping into some corner, now ex- 
amining the woodpile, now crawling into a knot-hole of the smoke-house, 
creeping forth like a mouse at the next moment, whisking his erectly-carried 
tail, watching you carefully vhough fearlessly, he all of a sudden mounts 
some fence-post, pouys forth his proud metallic notes, drops down into the 
chicken yard, disappears in the pig pen, mockingly scolds at you, sings again,and 
is willing to keep this game up all day. We do not know which to admire more, 


Bey THE BEWICK WREN. 


his beautiful 
song or his 
confidence in 
man. 

The height 
of these ac- 
EiOGQmeg 1s 
reached at 
the mating 
season, for 
he is the bird 
that makes 
life sweet 
about the old 
log cabins, 
deserted 
w o odpiles 
and _half-de- 
stroyed — or- 
chards.  Al- 
most any 
place in the 
nei ghbor- 


Taken near Waverly. a PRES Rev. W. F. Henninger. hood of man 

is chosen for 

a nesting 
site. The arm-pit of an old coat, old tin and coffee cups, log cabin nooks and 
corners, often contain his nest. ‘This is rather bulky, composed of sticks, 
grass, wool, horse and cow hairs, quail and chicken feathers, snake skins and 
other rubbish. From four to eleven eggs are found in it in April and again in 
June. They are white with various spots of lilac-gray and brown, and my 
observations lead me to the belief that the eggs of the older birds are more 
heavily spotted than those of the younger ones, and the spots are also better 
distributed over the entire surface of the eggs, while those of younger birds 
show more minute spots, and these generally in a wreath around the blunt end 
of the egg. In about two weeks the eggs are hatched and a jolly crowd of 
youngsters soon joins the parents in their insect-hunt, and the next year we 
have the pleasure of hearing still oftener this bold, bright songster in his na- 
tive haunts. May the Bewick Wren live and thrive forever in the rugged 
hills of southern Ohio, to bring joy and cheerfulness to the hearts of men! 

W. F. HENNINGER. 


BEWICK WREN’S NEST IN OLD TIN CUP. 


THE HOUSE WREN. 265 


The advance of this sturdy species has progressed at least as far as Co- 
lumbus, and there is every reason to suppose that it will ere long possess the 
state. In North Columbus, where the author has observed them for three 
years past, the following song-forms have been noted: Stweée-terrr, willy, 
willy, willy; Sweeter-weé-lie, dong-kerwillits; Sweé-terr-link-i-tinki-tinkits ; 
Swee-wee, chow, chee-weely. ‘The rendition of any of the above forms occu- 
pies about two and a half seconds, and the clear ringing notes are quite unlike 
any other bird song. 


No. 115. 
HOUSE WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 721. Troglodytes aedon Vieill. 

Description.—Adult: Above, grayish rufous-brown, duller and lighter on 
fore parts; brighter and more rufous on rump, which has concealed downy white 
spots ; back indistinctly barred with dusky ; wings on exposed webs and tail all over 
distinctly and finely dusky-barred; sides of head speckled grayish brown, without 
definite pattern ; below, light grayish brown, indistinctly speckled or banded with 
darker brownish on fore parts; heavily speckled and banded with dusky and whit- 
ish on flanks and crissum; bill black above, lighter below; culmen slightly 
curved; feet brownish. Length 4.50-5.25 (114.3-133.3); wing 2.08 (52.8) ; tail 
1.67 (42.4) ; bill .47 (11.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; brown above, lighter below ; everywhere 
more or less speckled and banded with dusky, brownish, or white. 

Nest, of sticks and trash, lined with fine grasses or chicken-feathers, placed 
in bird-boxes, holes in orchard trees, crannies of out-buildings, etc. Eggs, 4-8, 
white, heavily speckled, and usually more or less tinged with pinkish brown or 
vinaceous, with a wreath of a heavier shade about the larger end. Average size, 
Owen LOIS xal)) 

General Range.—F astern United States and southern Ontario, west to 
Indiana and Louisiana. Resident from the middle districts southward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common throughout the state in towns and villages, and 
about farm-houses. It is being replaced in some localities of southern and central 
Ohio by the preceding species. 


MANY years ago this cunning little bird gave up its woodland retreats 
and adopted the white man. The unconscious lure which led to this result 
was doubtless the abundance of toothsome worms, which had already adopted 
man’s apples and currants and cabbages. Since that time the discerning have 
always put out boxes and gourds or cans to encourage the residence of this 
sprightly and valuable friend. ‘The mutual benefit association thus formed 
worked admirably, until the advent of the English Sparrow, but since that 


206 THE HOUSE WREN. 
evil day the Wren has fought a losing battle. If one could believe in the sur- 
vival of the “‘sassiest’’ the odds would still be in his favor, but the Wren alas! 
has not learned the value of codperation, and his tiny beak, however valiant, 
is no match for the concerted action of the aliens. The American Wren 
must go. 

For some reason, too, the near presence of its cousins, the Carolina and 
Bewick Wrens, does not seem to be congenial to this bird, and it has retired 
before the latter species, apparently without dispute, from the southern third 
of the state; and one finds it commonly only where neither of the others is to 
be found. 

Arriving about the middle of April, the House Wren—or Jenny Wren, 
as it is fondly called—proceeds immediately to renovate last year’s quarters, 
and to season the task with frequent bursts of song. In singing his joyous 
trill the bird reminds one of a piece of fireworks called a cascade, for he fills 
the air with a brilliant bouquet of song, and is himself, one would think, nearly 
consumed by the violence of the effort. But the next moment the singer is 
carrying out last year’s feather-bed by great beakfuls, or lugging into some 
cranny sticks ridiculously large for him. 

During the nesting season both birds are perfect little spitfires, assaulting 
mischievous prowlers with a fearlessness which knows no caution, and scold- 
ing in a voice which expresses utmost contempt. The rasping notes produced 
on such an occasion remind one of the energetic use of a nutmeg-grater by 
a determined housewife. 

In providing a nest the birds usually seek to fill up the chosen cavity, 
whatever it be —an old coffee pot, a peck measure, a sleeve or pocket of an 
old coat, or a mere knot-hole—with sticks and trash. Within this mass, or 
preferably on the top of it, a heavily-walled cup of chicken feathers is placed, 
and these are held in shape by a few horse-hairs. I once found a set of 
Wren’s eggs in the deserted nest of a Barn Swallow. Even here the second 
tenants had relined the nest, until there was barely room to insert the fingers 
between the edge of the nest and the roof of the building. 

Not infrequently, whether because of the incessant persecutions of the 
Sparrows, or from a recurrence of ancestral tastes, nests are found far from 
any human habitation, in a crevice of a worm fence or in a decayed stump at 
the edge of the swamp. 

Eggs are deposited at the rate of one each day, and incubation lasts four- 
teen days. ‘Two and often three broods are raised in a season, the eggs of 
each succeeding set usually being less in number. 


THE WINTER WREN. 267 


No. 116. 


WINTER WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 722. Olbiorchilus hiemalis (Vieill.). 


Description.—Adult: Above, warm dark brown (burnt umber), duller be- 
fore, brighter on rump, obscurely waved or barred with dusky on back, wings, and 
tail ; edges of four or five outer primaries spotted with white at regular intervals ; 
concealed white spots on rump scarce, or almost wanting; a pale superciliary line ; 
sides of head speckled, brownish and white; under parts everywhere finely mot- 
tled, speckled, or barred—on the throat and breast mingled brownish (Isabella- 
color) and white, below dusky and white, dusky predominating over Rows on 
flanks and crissum ; bill comparatively short, straight, blackish above, lighter below ; 
feet light brown. Length about 4.00 (101.6); average of five Columbus speci- 
mens: wing 1.86 (47.2) ; tail 1.26 (32.); bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Pyemy size; dark brown above, lighter below ; more 
or less speckled and barred all over; tail shorter than in preceding species. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of moss and a few small 
twigs, lined heavily with feathers, placed among roots of upturned tree, or in cran- 
nies of decayed stumps, brush-heaps, etc., Eggs, 5-7, white or creamy-white, dotted 
finely but sparingly with reddish brown; “occasionally blotched with the same; 
sometimes almost unmarked. Average size, .69 x .50 (17.5 X 12.7). 

General Range.—E astern North America, breeding from the northern parts 
of the United States northward, and in the Alleghanies south to North Carolina. 
Winters from about its southern breeding limits southward. 

Range in Ohio.—Regular during migrations, wintering southerly. Found 
in winter sparingly in the central portions, casual northerly. A few linger in 
northern Ohio into late May and are suspected of breeding. 


WHEN the woods are bare and the leaves are huddled into corners to 
escape the teasing of a November wind, a little brown shadow flashes up for an 
instant at the edge of a brush heap, chitters apprehensively once or twice, and 
is gone again, just as you have made up your mind that the Winter Wren has 
come. A cautious foot resting on the heap and stirring gently will bring him 
out again to estimate the danger. How deliciously absurd it is! this tiny 
creature with its sparkling eyes and dumpy form. Its tail, too, is turned 
up until it leans the other way, and it gives one the impression that the bird 
will tumble forward and nothing to prevent it. 

When driven from one cover the Winter Wren instantly seeks another, 
and spends little time a-wing, except as it flits from branch to branch. It is 
to be found principally along river bottoms and in ravines, under overhanging 
banks, and about upturned roots of trees. Some occasionally venture into the 


268 THE SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN. 


barns and outbuildings of country places, or may spend the winter about the 
wood-pile. 

The only note heard commonly is the chitit or chirr of alarm but the full 
song is sometimes heard in May in at least the northern tier of counties; and 
there is just a suspicion that it occasionally breeds. Its song is a surprising 
effort for a bird so tiny and obscure,—a cataract of tinkling, splashing, gurg- 
ling sounds, and wanton trills, lasting for seven or eight seconds. 


No. 117. 


SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 724. Cistothorus stellaris (Ljicht.). 

Description.—Adult: Above everywhere streaked or barred with blackish, 
ochraceous, and white; a little clearer ochraceous on hind neck; wings and tail 
heavily barred, the former only on exposed webs, a very faint, pale, superciliary 
line; below white, clear on throat and belly, washed with ochraceous-buffy on sides 
of neck, across breast, and on sides; flanks and crissum darker ochraceous or 
tawny; bill short, dark brown above, pale below; culmen slightly decurved; feet 
light brown. Length 3.75-4.50 (95.3-114.3) ; wing 1.92 (48.8) ; tail 1.55 (39.4); 
bill .4o (10.2) ; bill from nostril .30 (7.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Pygmy size; heavy dorsal and coronal streaking in 
three shades distinctive; unbarred below as compared with preceding species; bill 
much shorter than that of the next species. 

Nest, near the ground, in a tussock of grass,—a globe formed by bringing 
the live grass-blades together, and interweaving with vegetable fibers and dried 
grasses; lined with plant-down; entrance in side. Eggs, 6-8, pure white, un- 
marked,—unique in this respect in the family. Av. size, .64 x .49 (16.3 x 12.5). 

General Range.—E astern United States, north to southern New Hampshire, 
southern Ontario, southern Michigan, and southern Manitoba, and west to the 
Plains. Winters in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare, or casual in suitable localities—the Reservoirs, Lake 
Erie swamps, etc. Has been known to breed near Cleveland. 


IT has never been the author’s good fortune to meet with this Wren but 
once, and then during migrations, when close study was impossible. It is at 
best a rare visitor with us, and nothing has recently come to light regarding 
its nesting in the state. 

Mr. Ernest I}. Thompson says, ‘““This is less a species of the deep water 
marshes than is the long-billed member of the genus, and often it will be found 


WREN 


NG-BILLED MARSH 


THE LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 


269 


in places that are little more than damp meadows. It is remarkably mouse- 
like in habits and movements, and can be flushed only with extreme difficulty.” 

Mr. B. T. Gault, of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, found this bird not uncommon in 
the grassy marshes near Sheffield, Indiana, and describes the song as alto- 
gether different from that of 7. palustris. ‘‘In the manner of delivery it for- 
cibly reminds one of the song of the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) altho, of 
course, it was not near as loud. ‘They were quite shy but would allow one 
to approach within forty or fifty feet of them, when they would dart down 
into the thick grass, from which it was almost impossible to dislodge them. 
The specimens that I secured were shot from small bushes on the edge of the 
marsh, these being the favorite stands occupied by the male in song.”’ 

According to Dr. Brewer, the nests of this species are constructed in the 
midst of tussocks of coarse, high grass, the tops of the blades being bent down 
and interwoven into a stout spherical ball, closed on every side save for one 
small aperture. The strong wiry grass of the tussock is also shot through 
and interlaced with finer materials brought in by the bird. The whole struc- 
ture is almost impervious to rain; and the inner nest is composed of grasses 
and fine sedges, lined with vegetable downs. 


No. 118. 


LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 


A. O. U. No. 725. Telmatodytes palustris (Wils.). 


Description.—Adult: Crown blackish; forehead light brown centrally,— 
color sometimes spreading superficially over entire crown; hind neck and scapu- 
lars light brown (raw umber, nearly) ; rump warm russet; a triangular patch on 
back blackish, with prominent white stripes and some admixture of russet; wings 
and tail fuscous or blackish on inner webs, brown with black bars on exposed 
surfaces; sides of head whitish before, plain brown or punctate behind; a white 
superciliary line; under parts white, tinged with ochraceous-buff across breast, 
and on sides, flanks, and crissum; bill and feet as usual. Length 4.50-5.50 (114.3- 
139.7) ; av. of seven Columbus specimens: wing 1.84 (46.7); tail 1.58 (40.1); 
bill along culmen .53 (13.5); from nostril .43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; brown and black pattern of back with 
white stripes distinctive; white superciliary stripe and long bill as distinguished 
from preceding species. Strictly confined to cat-tails and long grass of marshes. 

Nest, a ball of reeds and grasses, chinked and lined with cat-tail down, with 
entrance in side, and suspended in growing cat-tails (Typha latifolia) or bushes. 
Eggs, 5-9, so heavily speckled with olive-brown or sepia as to appear almost uni- 
form brown. Av. size, .66 x .48 (16.8 x 12.2). 


LED MARSH WREN. 


-BIL 


THE LONG 


Author. 


Photo by the 


Reservoir. 


Licking 


at the 


NEST OF THE LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 


THE LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 271 


General Range.—Eastern United States, north to Massachusetts, Ontario 
and southern Manitoba; wintering from the Gulf States south to eastern Mexico, 
and locally as far north as southern New England. Breeds throughout its United 
States and British American range. 


Range in Ohio.—Regular summer resident in suitable localities—the Reser- 
voirs, Lake Erie shore, etc. Found elsewhere, but not commonly, during migra- 
tions. 


TO the Coots and Rails belong the ooze-infesting morsels of the swamp, 
but all the little crawling things which venture into the upper story of the wav- 
ing cat-tail forest belong to the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Somewhat less cau- 
tious that the water-fowl, he is the presiding genius of flowing acres, which 
often have no other interest for the ornithologist. There are only two occa- 
sions when the Marsh Wren voluntarily leaves the shelter of the cat-tails or 
of the closely related marshables. | One of these is when he is driven south 
by the migrating instinct. Then he may be seen skulking about the borders 
of streams, sheltering in the weeds or clambering about the drift. The other 
time is in the spring, when the male shoots up into the air a few feet above 
the reeds, like a ball from a Roman candle, and sputters all the way, only to 
drop back, extinguished, into the reeds again. This is a part of the tactics of 
his courting season, when, if ever, a body may be allowed a little liberty. For 
the rest he clings sidewise to the cat-tail stems or sprawls in midair, reaching, 
rather than flying from one stem to another. His tail is cocked up and his 
head is thrown back, so that, on those few occasions when he is seen, he does 
not get credit for being as large as he really is. 

The Wren is very free with his metallic clattering notes. As in the case 
of the Carolina Wren, the bird gives one the impression of being chock-full, 
and of needing only to turn a convenient spigot to let out a flood of sounds. 
There is a mixture of clicking, lisping, purring, and sweet sputtering about 
them all which is not at all unpleasant to the ear. 

In nesting this \VWren weaves a compact ball of dead reeds and grasses 
a little deeper than wide, and slung midway of the growing reeds, as in the 
illustration. The interstices of the structure are tightly packed with vege- 
table cotton, cat-tail down, or moss,—never mud,! in my experience. Entrance 
is effected through a hole in the side, often difficult to discover, and the in- 
terior is snugly lined with down or purloined feathers. While the female is 
incubating, the male has a curious habit of constructing other nests in the 
neighboring reeds. ‘These cocks’ nests vary from three to twenty in number. 
and spread out through an area of a square rod or two. Some are never 


1 Dr. Wheaton says, “It is composed of coarse grasses and mud’, but he is evidently misled by Dr. 
Brewer’s statement, which, however accurate it may be for New England, centainly does not apply to nests 
in this region, 


272 AUIEUS, IPAUIRIPIEAS, NUANISEIDIIN|: 
finished, but others are quite as carefully built as the one actually occupied. 
The purpose of this strange habit is unknown, except as it is probable that the 
male spends the night in one of them. 


No. 119. 
PURPLE MARTIN. 


A. O. U. No. 611. Progne subis (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Rich, purplish black, glossy and metallic; wings 
and tail dead black. Adult female: Similar to male, but blue-black of upper 
parts restricted and duller; forehead, hind-neck, and lower parts sooty gray, 
paler on belly and crissum. Bill black, stout, and broad at the base, decurved 
near tip; nostrils exposed, circular, opening upward; feet moderately stout. 
Young males: resemble adult female but are somewhat darker, the steely blue 
appearing at first in patches. Length 7.25-8.50 (184.2-215.9) ; av. of eight Co- 
iumbus specimens: wing 5.75 (146.1); tail 2.72 (69.1); bill, breadth at base 
.73 (18.5); length from nostril .33 (8.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; the largest of the Swallows; blue- 
black, or blue-black and sooty-gray coloration. 

Nest, of leaves, grass, and trash, in some cavity, usually artificial,—bird- 
boxes, gourds, etc. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 6, pure, glossy white. Av. SIZeN OCIS 
(24.9 x 18.5). 

General Range.—Temperate North America, north to Ontario and the Sas- 
katchewan, south to the higher parts of Mexico, wintering in South America. 

Range in Ohio.—A common resident of cities and villages; seldom abund- 
ant, but locally restricted and variable. 


FROM time immemorial the garrulous Martin has enjoyed the hospi- 
tality of man. Before the advent of the Whites the Indian is said to have 
prepared for the yearly return of the Martin by trimming the boughs from 
some saplings hard by the wigwam, and “leaving the prongs a foot or two in 
length, on each of which he hung a gourd or calabash properly hollowed out” 
for the birds’ accommodation. ‘The white men were quick to follow the ex- 
ample set, and for many years Martin-houses, some of them quite ornate, have 
been a familiar feature of village and country places. These artificial quar- 
ters are exclusively used in the prairie states, but here, where timber has been 
so abundant, a considerable proportion have either never abandoned the ances- 
tral fashion of nesting in hollow trees or old Woodpecker holes, or else have 
been driven back to it by the English Sparrows. The Martins have suffered 


THE PURPLE MARTIN. 273 
much at the hands of these notorious pests, and their great reduction in num- 
bers throughout the state is doubtless due largely to this cause. 

Arriving about the middle of March, in the southern part of the state, and 
from the first to the middle of April in the northern tier of counties, the Mar- 
tins are apt to wait quietly about their houses until the weather settles. Cold 
days are spent altogether within doors, and a cold sa at this season is sure 
to decimate the species, for the 
bird feeds exclusively upon in- 
sects. Their food is not con- 
fined to the smaller insects, as 
in the case of the other Swal- 
lows, but bees, wasps, dragon- 
flies, and some of the larger 
predatory beetles are consumed. 

The birds mate soon after 
arrival. Old nests are reno- 
vated and new materials are 
brought in,—straw, string, and 
trash for the bulk of the nest, § 
and abundant feathers for lin- § 
ing. They are very sociable 
birds, and a voluble flow oi | 
small talk is kept up by them 
during the nesting season. The 
song, if such it may be called, is 
a succession of pleasant war- 
blings and gurglings, inter- 
spersed with harsh rubbing and 
creaking notes. A particularly 
mellow coo, coo, coo recurs 
from time to time, and any of 
the notes seem to require con- 
siderable effort on the part of THE MARTIN-HOUSE. 
the performer. 

Purple Martins are not only brave in defense of their young, but often 
go a little out of the way to pick a quarrel with strangers. Hawks are set 
upon fearlessly and driven out of bounds, and the birds’ presence in the barn- 
yard is appreciated on this account. ‘There is besides a running fight to be 
kept up with Wrens, Bluebirds, and English Sparrows, for possession of the 
home box. So far as I have been able to observe, however, the birds are 
not molested by the sturdier Tree Swallows, as is said to be the case in New 


England. In Northern Illinois the nesting houses are habitually shared 


Photo by 
the Author 


274 THE CLIFF SWALLOW. 


with the last named species, and the birds seem to have reached a modus 
vivendi on peaceable grounds. 

\t the end of the breeding season the Martins are no longer confined 
to the nesting site, but range freely by day, and gather in large companies 
to roost at night. Sometimes the ridge or cornice of a building is used fot 
this purpose, but oftener the birds resort to some unfrequented woodland or 
out-of-the-way place. In the summer of 1901 we saw upwards of a thou- 
sand cf them roosting in the hackberry trees of North Harbor Island, anc 
had reason to believe that the company represented not only the entire popu- 
lation of the Lake Erie Islands, but a considerable number from the Cana- 
dian and Ohio mainland as well. 


No. 120. 


CLIFF SWALLOW. 


A. O. U. No. 612. Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say). 

Synonyms.—EAvE Swallow; REPUBLICAN SWALLOW. 

Description — Adult: A prominent whitish crescent on forehead; crown, 
back, and an obscure patch on breast steel-blue; throat, sides of head, and nape 
deep chestnut; breast, sides, and a cervical collar brown-gray; belly white or 
whitish; wings and tail blackish; rump pale rufous,—the color reaching around 
on flanks; under tail-coverts dusky. Jn young birds the frontlet is obscure or 
wanting ; the plumage dull brown above, and the throat blackish with white specks. 
sill and feet weak, the former suddenly compressed at tip. Length 5.00-6.00 
(127.-152.4) ; wing 4.35 (110.5); tail 2.00 (50.8) ; bill from nostril .22 (5.6). 

Recognition Marks.— ‘Warbler size,” but comparison inappropriate,—bet- 
ter say “Swallow size”; white forehead and rufous rump. Found in colonies. 


THE CLIFF SWALLOW. 275 


Nest, an inverted stack-shaped, or declined retort-shaped structure of mud, 
scantily or well lined with grass, and depending from the walls of cliffs, sides of 
barns under the eaves, and the like. Hggs, 4-5, white, spotted, sometimes scantily, 
with cinnamon- and rufous-brown. Avy. size, .82 x .55 (20.8 x I4.). 

General Range.—North America, north to the limit of trees, breeding south- 
ward to the Valley of the Potomac and the Ohio, southern ‘Texas, southern Ari- 
zona, and California ; Central and South America in winter. Not found in Florida 


Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident. Locally abundant. 


NOTHING so charms the vision of the small boy of egg-collecting pro- 
clivities as the sight of a long double row of mud bottles under the eaves of a 
huge hay-barn. Here at last are nests as he has dreamed of them, not the 
solitary baskets close hidden under a cover of protecting green, but nests out 
in the open, nests by the dozen—“‘nests to burn” as he excitedly tells himself, 
while he runs to besiege the farmer host for a ladder. If he climbs toward 
the coveted nests, anxious heads, wearing a white frown, are first thrust out 
at the mouths of the bottles, and then the air becomes filled with flying Swal- 
lows, charging about the head of the intruder in bewildering mazes, and fill- 
ing the air with strange frangible cries, as tho a thousand sets of toy dishes 
were being broken. The neck of the mud flask must first be broken off 
before the hand can be inserted, and then the lad will find four or five speckled 
eggs, reposing upon the scantiest lining of straw or upon the bare mud bottom. 

In building, the Swallows repair to some river bank or mud hole, and 
secure a pellet of mud, kneading it in the beak until the required consistency is 
reached, and then pressing it firmly against the chosen wall. The little 
mason uses its bealx for both hod and trowel, and it frequently experiences no 
little difficulty in laying the foundations of its nest on a smoothed or painted 
surface. Formerly, of course, the Cliff Swallows built only against the faces 
of cliffs or clay banks, as they do in the West to-day in immense numbers. Now, 
however, they are found only on the outside of buildings, easterly, and are 
quite at the mercy of man’s reception. 

The history of this species in Ohio cannot certainly be written. It was 
once supposed that all “Republican”? Swallows were invaders from the West, 
but evidence of their aboriginal occupancy of New York and some of the New 
England states has more recently come to light; and it is not improbable that 
colonies were to be found in Ohio before the advent of the white man. Audu- 
bon noted a colony at Newport, Kentucky, in r819. Dr. Kirtland in 1838, 
speaks of them as having recently extended their settlements to several build- 
ings in the western part of Cincinnati, and noted a company that same season 
building their nests on a barn in the northern part of Columbiana County. 
Dr. Wheaton in 1880 regarded the Cliff Swallow as a “very common summer 
resident.” "Today it is not at all common through any considerable section, 
and I have found it nesting but twice, both times in Lorain County. Its recent 


276 THE BARN SWALLOW. 

defection is unquestionably due to the presence of the English Sparrows; and 
the unlucky farmer now has to support a gibbering swarm of grain-eating 
birds, where before he enjoyed the gratuitous services of a graceful host of 
insect-destroyers. 


ING eet 


BARN SWALLOW. 


A. O. U. No. 613. Hirundo erythrogaster Bodd. 

Description.—Adult: Above lustrous steel-blue; in front an imperfect col- 
lar of the same hue; forehead chestnut; lores black; throat and breast rufous; 
the remaining under parts, including lining of wings, more or less tinged with 
the same, according to age and season; wings and tail blackish, with purplish 
or greenish reflections; tail deeply forked, the outer pair of feathers being from 
one to two inches longer, and the rest graduated; white blotches on inner webs 
(except on middle pair) follow the bifurcation. Jimmature: Forehead and 
throat paler; duller or brownish above; lateral tail-feathers not so long. Length 
about 7.00 (177.8); wing 4.75 (120.6); tail 3.00-4.50 (76.2-114.3); bill from 
nostril .24 (6.1). 


Recognition Marks.—Aerial habit ; rufous of throat and under parts; forked 
tail; nest inside the barn. 


Nest, a neat bracket or half-bowl of mud, luxuriously lined with grass and 
feathers, and cemented to a beam of barn or bridge. Eggs, 3-6, of variable shape, 
—oval or elongated ; white or pinkish white and spotted with cinnamon or umber. 
IM WAS 70) 2S AG) (IO). Se i1,))- 

General Range.—North America at large. Perhaps the most widely and 
generally distributed of any American bird. Winters in Central and South 
America. 


Range in Ohio.—Of universal distribution. Not so plentiful as formerly. 


IT takes six sorts of Swallows to make an Ohio summer, but we call that 
day spring when the pleasant twitterings of the Barn Swallows are to be heard 
in the land. The airy voyageurs have come many a league this morning, but 
they have time to peep into the old nests, and to make the empty rafters ring 
once or twice with their merry fisic, tisic, before they are out again to skim 
the meadows for an early breakfast. The very poetry of motion is theirs as 
they ply up and down above the clover tops, or rise at a thought to take an 
insect high in the air. See them, too, above the village horse-pond, skurrying 
after the nimble flies, now dipping into the water and just parting its surface, 
and now steeple lengths aloft, floating and fleeing in “higher plane curves” of 
flight. Surely all Swallows are graceful, but he of the forked tail is unsur- 
passed. 


x 
+ 


BARN SWALLOW RIGHTS RESERVE 
Hirundo erythrogaster 
7 Life-size 


THE BARN SWALLOW. 277 
We may take it as an especial mark of the confiding nature of this bird 
that its nest is placed imside the barn, and we shall not be far astray so far 
as the bird’s disposition is concerned. But under primitive conditions it is a 
cave dweller, and like Phoebe, has simply done the easiest thing upon the ad- 
vent of civilization. At the head of a romantic lake in the West I once came 
upon a little grotto, which could be entered only from the water—or the air. 
In a space the size of a small room were half a dozen nests of this Swallow 
il @ Gl & @Gl 
against the 
Sir Aim it ee 
walls. Bue 
so thorough- 
ly familiar 
did the birds 
appear, that 
save for the 
cool lapping 
of the waves 
upon the 
rocks I could 
have imag- 
ined myself 
at home in 
father’s barn. 
Swallows 
are very so- 
ciable crea- 
tures, and 
after the families—one or two each season, as the case may be— have been 
successfully brought out, the birds join themselves in great roving companies 
which embrace their own and other kinds. This broad democracy of taste is 
never more clearly illustrated than when four or five sorts are seen lined up 
together on a telegraph wire. 


Taken in Delaware County. Photo by the Author. 
A BARN SWALLOW’S NEST. 


278 THE TREE SWALLOW. 


No. 122. 


TREE SWALLOW. 


i O. U. No. 614. Iridoprocne bicolor ( Vieill.). 

Synonym.—W HITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 

Description.—Adult male: Above, lustrous steel-blue or steel-green ; below, 
pure white; lores black; wings and tail black, showing some bluish or greenish 
luster; tail slightly forked. Female: Similar to male, but duller. Jmmature: 
Upper parts mouse-gray instead of metallic; below whitish. Length about 6.00 
(152.4) ; wing 4.57 (116.1) ; tail 2.19 (55.6) ; bill from nostril .25 (6.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Aerial habits ; steel-blue or greenish above; pure white 
below. 

Nest, in holes in trees or, rarely, in bird houses, plentifully lined with soft 
materials, especially feathers. Eggs, 4-6, pure white—pinkish white before re- 
moval of contents. Av. size, .75 x .54 (19.1 x 13.7). 


General Range.—North America at large, breeding from the Fur Countries 
south to New Jersey, the Ohio Valley, Kansas, Colorado, etc.; wintering from 
South Carolina and the Gulf States southward to the West Indies and Guatemala. 


Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. Not common summer 
resident, except in a few favored localities. 


ONE, Swallow does not make a summer, but a little twittering company 
of them faring northward makes the heart glad, and fills it with a sense of 
exultation as it responds to the call of these care-free children of the air. 
This remark applies to Swallows in general, but particularly to Tree Swal- 
lows, for in their immaculate garb of dark blue and white, they seem like 
crystallizations of sky and templed cloud, grown animate with the all-com- 
pelling breath of spring. They have about them the marks of high-born 
quality, which we cannot but admire as they spurn with a wing-stroke the 
lower strata, and rise to accept we know not what dainties of the upper air. 

The Tree Swallow is a lover of the water, and in our latitude he is de- 
tained for the summer only by the larger bodies, especially the reservoirs. 
In the summer of 1902 they were found to be very common at the Lewiston 
Reservoir, where they nested in the numerous stubs,—the water-killed rem- 
nants of previous forests. The birds are not themselves able to make exca- 
vations in the wood, but they have no difficulty in possessing themselves of 
others birds’ labors. Old holes will do if not too old, but I once knew a pair 
of these Swallows to drive away a pair of Flickers from a brand new nesting- 
hole, and to occupy it themselves. 

Among the writer's earliest oological recollections are those of a little 
stub sticking out of the muck and saw-grass of an Illinois swamp. A neat- 


THE BANK SWALLOW. 279 


looking hole about eight feet up prompted instant attack. A hand was about 
to enter the coveted approach, when crack! went the stump, and down went 
the small boy with the stub on top of him. But the mud was as soft as a 
feather-bed and my first thought was for the eggs. There they were, four 
delicate pink beauties, spilled out upon the black mud, but unbroken. The 
nest cavity was filled within three or four inches of the entrance with chicken 
feathers, and the sides were lined with them to the very edge of the hole. 
Taking the least possible toll, one egg, I carefully replaced the others, then 
dragged the stub several rods to an old fence, where I bound it fast with 
wire to an upright post. The parent birds accepted the proffered amends; 
the set was completed, and a handsome brood raised. 

In many localities Tree Swallows are prompt tenants of bird houses. 
This does not seem to be largely their habit in Ohio; doubtless because suit- 
able nesting sites in trees are still abundant. A pair once built their nest in 
a sort of tower attic, just inside of a hole which a Flicker had pierced in the 
ceiling of an open belfry of a country church. When in service the mouth 
of the swinging bell came within two feet of the brooding bird. One would 
think that the Swallows would have been crazed with fright to find them- 
selves in the midst of such a tumult of sound; but their enterprise fared suc- 
cussfully, as I can testify, for at the proper time I saw the youngsters ranged 
in a happy, twittering row along the upper rim of the bell-wheel. 


No. 123. 
BANK SWALLOW. 


Ly 
VA. O. U. No. 616. Riparia riparia (Linn.). 

Synonym.—Sanp Marvin. 

Description.—Adult: Upper parts plain, brownish gray; wings fuscous; 
throat and belly white; a brownish gray band across the breast; a tiny tuft of 
feathers above the hind toe. There is some variation in the extent of the pectoral 
band; it is sometimes produced indistinctly backward, and sometimes even in- 
terrupted. Length 5.00-5.25 (127.-133.3); wing 3.95 (100.3); tail 1.97 (50.); 
bill from nostril .20 (5.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Smallest of the Swallows; throat white: brownish 
gray pectoral band on white ground. 

Nest, at end of tunnels in banks, two or three feet in; a frail mat of straws 
and grasses and occasionally feathers. Breeds usually in colonies. Eggs, 4-6, 
sometimes 7, pure white. Av. size, .70 x .49 (17.8 x 12.5). 


280 THE BANK SWALLOW. 


General Range.—Northern Hemisphere; in America south to West Indies, 
Central America, and northern South America; breeding from the middle dis- 
tricts of the United States northward to about the limit of trees. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident in localities providing suitable 
nesting sites. More common northerly. 


THE life of a Swallow is so largely spent a-wing that our interest in it 
centers, even more than in the case of other birds, upon that time when it is 
bound to earth by family ties. We are scarcely conscious of the presence of 
the Bank Swallows until one day we see a great company of them fluttering 
about a sand bank, which overlooks the river, and busily engaged in digging 
the tunnels which are to shelter their young for that season. These birds 
are regularly gregarious, and their nesting colonies frequently number hun- 
dreds of pairs. 

The birds usually select a spot well up, within a foot or two of the top 
of a nearly perpendicular bank of clay or sand, and dig a straight, round tun- 
nel three or four feet long. If, however, the soil contains stones, a greater 
length and many turns may be required to reach a safe spot for the slight 

enlarge 
ment where 
Clie WES i 
Proper is 
placed. The 
bird appears 
to loosen the 
earth with its 
closed beak, 
swaying 
from side to 
SiGe wine 
while, and, of 
course, fallen 
dirt or sand 
is carried out 
in the mouth. 
S ometimes 
the little miner finds a lens-shaped tunnel more convenient, and I have seen 
them as much as seven inches in width by only two in height. While the 
colony, especially if small, usually occupies a straggling horizontal line of 
holes, their burrows are not infrequently to be seen in loose tiers, in which 
case the bank presents a honeycombed appearance. 

Communal life seems a pleasant thing to these Swallows, and there is 
usually a considerable stir of activity around the quarters, and a good deal of 


Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 


THE BANK. 


THE ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 281 
social twittering and gyrating. The wonder is that the rapidly moving parts 
of this aerial kaleidoscope never collide, and that the cases of turning up at 
the wrong number are either so few or so amicably adjusted. The nesting 
season is, however, beset with dangers. Weasels and their ilk sometimes 
find entrance to their burrows: and they are also an easy prey to untaught 
small boys; while the undermining of the river or the lapping waves some- 
times precipitate an entire colony—at least its real and personal property— 
to destruction. As an instance of the last, I remember once coming upon a 
large colony on the Lake Erie shore. Recent rains, added to the basal en- 
croachment of the waves, had dislodged an extensive layer from the face of 
the nesting bluff, to a depth of two or three feet. The catastrophe had evi- 
dently taken place only a day or two before, and egg-shells and nesting ma- 
terials were freely mingled through the fallen clay ; yet the foolish birds had 
gone right to work again upon the same treacherous site, and in the colony 
of, say, five hundred birds, a hundred nests were already under Way. 

Bank Swallows are perhaps the least musical of their kind—unless we 
except the Rough-winged species, which is naturally associated with them. 
They have, however, a characteristic twitter, an unmelodious sound, like the 
rubbing together of two pebbles. An odd effect is produced when the excited 
birds are describing remonstrant parabolas at an intruder’s head. The height- 
ened pitch in the notes of the rapidly approaching bird followed instantly by 
the lower tone of full retreat, is enough to startle a slumbering conscience in 
one who meditates mischief against a Swallow’s home. 


No. 124. 
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 


ee OW Noe 617, Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Aud.). 

Description —Adult: Warm brownish gtay or snuft-brown, including 
throat and breast; thence passing insensibly below to white of under tail-coverts ; 
wings fuscous. Young birds exhibit some Tusty edging of the feathers above, 
especially on the wings, and lack the peculiar, recurved hooks on the edge of the 
outer primary. Size a little larger than the last. Length 5.00-5.75 (127.-146.1) ; 
Wing 4.30 (109.2) ; tail 1.85 (47.) ; bill from nostril .21 (5.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Medium Swallow size; throat not white; warmish 
brown coloration, and brownish suffusion below fading to white on belly. It is 
easy to distinguish between this and the preceding species if a little care is taken 
to note the general pattern of under parts. 


282 THE ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 


Nest, in crevices of cliffs-and shale banks, at end of tunnels in sand banks, 
or in crannies of bridges, etc.; made of leaves, grasses, feathers, and the like,— 
bulky or compact according to situation. Eggs, 4-8, white. Av. size, .74 x .51 
(@si8ise 135): 

General Range.— United States at large, north to Connecticut, southern On- 
tario, southern Minnesota, British Columbia, etc., south through Mexico to Costa 
Rica. Breeds throughout United States range and south into Mexico. 


Range in Ohio.—Commonly distributed along streams; less common north- 
erly. 


SCIENCE has long denied to this bird the right to shine in its own light, 
and has always used the preceding species as a foil, or background of compari- 
son, in describing this one. Nor is it easy to break with the precedent now 
hoary with age. The Rough-winged Swallow is very like the Bank Swallow, 
but it differs thus and so and so. In the first place it has those curious little 
hooklets on the edge of the wing (specifically on the outer web of the first 
primary )—nobody knows what they are for. They surely cannot be of assist- 
ance in enabling the bird to cling to perpendicular surfaces, unless, indeed, it 
be head downward—a habit which, so far as | am aware, has never been 
observed. It is easy to see how the bird might brace its roughened wings 
against the sides of its burrow to prevent forcible abduction, but it is not so 
easy to see who would want to coerce the gentle creature in any such way. 

Again the Rough-winged Swallow has a steadier, rather more labored 
flight than that of his foil. Its aerial course is more dignified, leisurely, less 
impulsive and erratic. In nesting, altho it may include the range of the Sand 
Martin, or even nest side by side with it, it has a wider latitude for choice and 
is not hampered by local traditions. If it burrows in a bank it is quite as likely 
to build near the bottom as the top. _ Crevices in shale walls or stone quarries, 
crannies and abutments of bridges, or even holes in trees are utilized. Dr. 
Wheaton sites many instances of birds nesting about brick buildings, some of 
which were in the busiest parts of Columbus. | One guileless bird I knew ex- 
cavated a nest ina little bank of an ungraded lot only three feet above the side- 
walk of a prominent street in Seattle. 

Unlike the Bank Swallows the Rough-wings do not colonize to any extent, 
but are rather solitary. A single pair may choose a site in some sheltered 
spot of a steep shalebank far from kith or kin, or again several pairs may be 
attracted to the same gravel pit by its easy conditions. 

Further than this the species under consideration resembles the other bird 
quite closely in notes, in habits, and in general appearance, being distinguish- 
able only by a sharp eye in accordance with the suggestions given above. It 
seems certain that the habits of the species are undergoing a considerable and 


THE ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 283 


rapid change. The birds are adjusting themselves readily to the new condi- 
tions brought in by civilization, and are steadily increasing in numbers. In 
many localities in the middle and southern portions of the state they may be 
reckoned, after the Barns, our commonest Swallows. 


Taken near Siear Grove. ot y th 
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS HAVE AN EYE TO BEAUTY 


A PAIR OF THE BIRDS ARE NESTING IN ONE OF THE CRANNIES JUST ABOVE 


THE CENTER 


284 THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING. 


No. 125. 


BOHEMIAN WAXWING. 


A. O. U. No. 618. Ampelis garrulus Linn. 


Description.—Adults: A conspicuous crest; body plumage soft, grayish- 
brown or fawn-color, shading by insensible degrees between the several parts, 
back darker, passing into bright cinnamon-rufous on forehead and crown, and 
through dark ash of rump and upper tail-coverts into black of tail; tips of tail 
feathers abruptly yellow (gamboge) ; breast with a vinaceous cast, passing into 
cinnamon-rufous of cheeks ; a narrow frontal line passing through eye, and a short 
throat-patch velvety black; under tail-coverts deep cinnamon; wings blackish- 
ash, the tips of the primary coverts and the tips of the secondaries on outer webs, 
white; tips of primaries on outer webs bright yellow, whitening outwardly; the 
shafts of the rectrices produced into peculiar flattened red “‘sealing-wax” tips; 
bill and feet black. Length about 8.00 (203.2); wing 4.61 (117.1); tail 2.56 
(65.) ; bill .47 (11.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; grayish-brown coloration. As dis- 
tinguished from the much more common Cedar-bird: belly not yellow; white 
wing-bars ; under tail-coverts cinnamon. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Like that of next species. Eggs, larger. 
Ay. size, .98 x .69 (24.9 X 17.5). 

General Range.—Northern portions of northern hemisphere. In North 
America, south in winter irregularly to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, south- 
ern Colorado, and northern California. Breeds north of United States; also, pos- 
sibly, in the mountains of the West. 


Range in Ohio.—Irregular and rare in northern portion in winter. 


PERHAPS we shall never know just why these gentle Hyperboreans 
spend their winters now in New England, now in Wisconsin, now in Wash- 
ington, or throughout the northern tier of states at once. Their southward 
movement is doubtless dictated by hunger, and the particular direction may be 
determined in part at least by the prevailing winds. Years have passed since 
any have been seen in Ohio, but they are likely to reappear any winter. Usu- 
ally they appear in flocks of several hundred individuals, and it is asserted on 
what seems to be good authority’; that millions were once seen on the Powder 
River in Wyoming in flocks rivalling in extent those of the Wild Pigeons. 

The Northern Waxwing is a bird of unrivalled beauty, even surpassing 
that of the Cedarbird, which it closely resembles in appearance and habits. 
When with us it feeds by preference upon the berries of the mountain ash and 
the red cedar, and more rarely upon persimmons. Its life history is as yet im- 
perfectly known, altho it has been found breeding near the Yukon and Ander- 
son Rivers. It has even been surmised to breed irregularly in the mountains 
of the United States. 


1 See Coues’ ‘‘Birds of the Northwest,” p. 92. 


BOHEMIAN WAXWING RIGHTS RESERVED IN Om ATON PUBLISHING co 
Ampelis garrulus 


Life-size 


THE CEDAR WAXWING. 285 


No. 126. 


CEDAR WAXWING. 


¥A.O. U. No. 619. Ampelis cedrorum ( Vieill.). 

Synonyms.—CEDAR-BIRD ; CHERRY-BIRD ; CAROLINA WAXWING. 

Description.—Adults: A conspicuous crest; extreme forehead, lores, and 
line through eye velvety-black; chin blackish, fading rapidly into the rich gray- 
ish-brown of remaining fore-parts and head; a narrow whitish line bordering the 
black on the forehead and the blackish of the chin; back darker, shading through 
ash of rump to blackish-ash of tail; tail-feathers abruptly tipped with gamboge 
yellow; belly sordid yellow; under tail-coverts white; wings slaty-gray, pri- 
maries narrowly edged with whitish; secondaries and inner quills without white 
markings, but bearing tips of red “sealing-wax”’; the tail-feathers are occasion- 
ally found with the same curious, horny appendages; bill black; feet plumbeous. 
Sexes alike, but considerable individual variation in number and size of waxen 
tips. Young, streaked everywhere with whitish, and usually without red tips. 
Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; wing 3.70 (94. ) ; tail 2.31 (58.7) ; bill .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; soft grayish-brown plumage; crest; 
red sealing-wax tips on secondaries; belly yellow; wings without white bars 
or spots, as distinguished from preceding species. 

Nest, a bulky affair of leaves, grasses, bark-strips and trash, well lined with 
rootlets and soft materials; placed in crotch or horizontally saddled on limb of 
orchard or evergreen tree. Eggs, 3-6, dull grayish blue or putty-color, marked 
sparingly with deep-set, rounded spots of umber or black. Av. size, .86x .61 
(Birks xe WHS). 

General Range.—North America at large, from the Fur Countries south- 
ward. In winter from the northern border of the United States south to the West 
Indies and Costa Rica. Breeds from Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, etc., northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Of regular occurrence in the State, but irregular or var- 
iable locally. Resident, but less common in winter. 


ONE does not care to commit himself in precise language upon the range 
of the Cedar-bird, or to predict that it will be found at any given spot in a 
given season. The fact is Cedar-birds are gypsies of the feathered kind. There 
are always some of them about somewhere, but their comings and goings are 
not according to any fixed law. A company of Cedar-birds may throng the 
barren maples in your front yard some bleak day in December; they may nest 
in your orchard the following July; and you may not see them on your 
premises again for years—unless you keep cherry trees. It must be confessed 
(since the shade of the cherry tree is ever sacred to Truth) that the Cedar- 
bird, or “Cherry-bird,” has a single passion, a consuming desire for cherries. 
But don’t kill him for that. You like cherries yourself. All the more reason 
then why you should be charitable toward a brother’s weakness. Besides he 
is so handsome, handsomer himself than a luscious cherry even. Feast your 


286 THE CEDAR WAXWING. 


eyes upon him—those marvelous melting browns, those shifting saffrons and 
Quaker drabs, those red sealing-wax tips on the wing-quills (he is canning 
cherries, you see,and co mes provided ). Feast your eyes, I say, 
and carry the vision to the table with you, and a few lesscher- 
ries. Or if there are not enough for 
breadth of mosquito- netting over 


you both, draw a decent 
the tree, and absolve 
your soul 
of murder- 
ous intent. 
Remember, 
too, if you 
require self- 
justifica- 
tons) ital t 
earlier in the season he 
devoured an enormous 
quantity of canker 
worms and other simi- 
lar pests, so that he has 
a clear right to a share 
in the fruit of his labors. 
The Cedar-bird being 
so. singularly endowed 
Photo With the gift of beauty, 1s 
by the — denied the gift ofsong. He 


Taken in 
McConnelsville. 


Author. 3 
is themost nearly voiceless 
A PARTNERSHIP AFFAIR. of any of the American 
MR. C. H. MORRIS FURNISHED THE RAGS AND THE CEDAR-BIRD Oscines, his sole note be- 


DID THE WORK. . . . a: 
ing a high-pitched, sibilant 


squeak. Indeed, so high-pitched is this extraordinary note, that I find several 
of my friends cannot hear it at all, even when the Waxwings are squeaking all 
about them. It is an almost uncanny spectacle, that of a company of Waxwings 
sitting aloft in some leafless tree early in spring, erect, immovable, like soldiers 
on dress parade, but complaining to each other in that faint, penetrating mono- 
tone. It is as tho you had come upon a company of the Immortals, high-re- 
moved, conversing of matters too recondite for human ken, and who survey you 
the while with Olympian disdain. You steal away from the foot of the tree 
with a chastened sense of having encountered something not quite under- 
standable. 

The dilatory habits of these birds are well shown in their nesting, whici 
they put off until late June or July for no apparent reason. ‘They build a thick- 
walled, well-set structure of weed-stalks, roots, grass, etc., oftenest in orchard 


THR NORTHERN SHRIKE. 287 


trees, especially apple. In their nesting they are usually half gregarious, so 
that a small orchard may contain a dozen nests, while another as good, a 


Photo by J. B. Parker. 
CANNING SEASON, 


THE FEMALE CEDAR-BIRD IS FEEDING THE YOUNG RIPE CURRANTS. 


little way removed, has none. During the breeding season the birds are un- 
usually silent, but when discovered stick closely to their nests even to the point 
of being taken by the hand. It is on this account, as well as for their sleek- 
ness, that they are favorite birds with the photographer. 


No. 127. 
NORTHERN SHRIKE. 


A. O. U. No. 621. Lanius borealis Vieill. 

Synonyms.—GreEAT NORTHERN SHRIKE; BUTCHER-BIRD. 

Description.—Adult: Upper parts clear, bluish gray, lightest—almost 
white—on upper tail-coverts; extreme forehead whitish; wings and tail black, 
the former with a conspicuous white spot at base of primaries, the latter with 


288 THE NORTHERN SHRIKE. 


large, white terminal blotches on outer feathers, decreasing in size inwardly; a 
black band through eye, including auriculars; below grayish white, the feathers 
of the breast and sides narrowly tipped with dusky, producing a uniform, fine 
vermiculation which is always present; bill blackish, lightening at base of lower 
mandible; feet black. Young birds are barred or washed with grayish brown. 
The plumage of adult is sometimes overcast above with a faint olivaceous tinge. 
Length 9.25-10.75 (235.-273.1): wing 4.50 (114.3); tail 4.19 (106.4); bill .72 
(18.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; gray and black coloring; sharply hooked 
bill; breast vermiculated with dusky, as distinguished from next species. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a well constructed bowl of sticks, 
thorn-twigs, grasses, and trash, heavily lined with plant-down and feathers; in 
bushes or low trees. Eggs, 3-7, dull white or greenish gray, thickly dotted and 
spotted with olive-green, brown, or lavender. Av. size, 1.07 x .78 (27.2 x 19.8). 

General Range.—Northern North America; south in winter to the middle 
portions of the United States. Breeds north of the United States except spar- 
ingly in northern New England. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon spring and fall migrant; occasional winter 
resident. 


FLITTING like a gray ghost in the wake of the cheerful hosts of Juncoes 
and Redpolls, comes this butcher of the North in search of his accustomed prey. 
Tf it is his first visit south he posts himself suddenly upon the tip of a neigh- 
boring tree and rasps out an inquiry of the man with the gun. Those that sur- 
vive these indiscretions are thereafter faintly descried in the distance either in 
the act of diving from some anxious summit, or else winging swiftly over 
the inequalities of the ground. 

All times are killing time for this bloodthirsty fellow, and even in winter 
he “jerks” the meat not necessary for present consumption—he it chilly-footed 
mouse or palpitating Sparrow—upon some conyenient thorn. In spring the 
north-bound bird is somewhat more amiable, being better fed, and he pauses 
from time to time during the retreat to sing a strange medley, which has won 
tor him the name ‘“‘Great Electric Buzz.’ ‘This is meant for a love song, and 
is doubtless so understood by the proper authorities, but its rendition some- 
times produces about the same effect upon a troop of Finches which a cata- 
mount’s serenade has upon the cowering deer. 

It is quite the fashion nowadays to discover, after much scrutiny of rudely 
arrested meals, that various bird-devils are not really so black as they have been 
painted. This is welcome news to those of us who have become so thoroughly 
identified with the bird-world as to desire easy shrift for its sins; but one won- 
ders in the case of the Butcher-bird at least, whether the laity will receive it. 
It is high doctrine for one who has really seen the cruel beak dyed red with 


ezIs-ajIy % ynoqy 


é NUDVLAOPN) SNiUdnT 
HMIGHS CGVHHUADDOT 


THE MIGRANT SHRIKE. 289 


some winter songster’s gore. I, for one, am willing to accept with becoming 
humility the verdict of the leading stomachologists with reference to most 
birds, but when one of them extols the moderation of the Northern Shrike, I 
reserve the right to do a little incredulous grumbling. It is true that the bird 
sometimes allows his fond glance to fall upon the English Sparrow—and in 
so far he is above reproach—but it is not recorded that the creature exercises 
proper discrimination between the beggar in fustian and our gentle guests of 
woodland and weed-lot. No doubt, too, our northern brigand would eat mice 
or grasshoppers hy preference, and does when opportunity offers, but it is no 
fault of ours that we cannot set such viands before his butchership in winter, 
so that he must needs fall to eating our Juncoes and Goldfinches. The slaugh- 
ter of Horned Larks and the terrorizing of an innocent band of Tree Sparrows 
are offences not easily forgiven. Have at thee, Sirrah! My gun is loaded! 


No. 128. 


MIGRANT SHRIKE. 


A. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 


A. O. U. No. 622. Lanius Judovicianus Linn. 

Description.—Adult: Dark bluish gray above; rump just perceptibly 
lighter; lower scapulars tipped with black; wings black, a small white spot at 
base of primaries; the inner quills narrowly tipped with white; tail black, the 
outer pair of feathers broadly tipped with white, and the succeeding pairs less so or 
not at all; below grayish white, sordid on breast, but everywhere strongly con- 
trasting with upper parts; narrow frontal line, including nasal tufts, lores and 
ear-coverts, black,—continuous, and passing mostly below eye; bill and feet black. 
Immature: Colors of adult less strongly contrasted; lower parts washed with 
brownish; loral bar obscure; more or less vermiculated with dusky all over (in 
younger birds), or upon the under parts alone; ends of wing-quills, coverts, and 
tail-feathers often with ochraceous or rusty markings. Length 9.00 (228.6) ; 
wing 3.78 (96.); tail 3.70 (94.); bill .61 (15.5). ‘The description is from a 
typical South Carolina bird in the O. S. U. collection. Ohio birds, even when 
clearly referable to this form, average much lighter and somewhat larger. 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink to Robin size; dark gray above; whitish 
below; black patch on head; white spot on wing; breast of adult unmarked, as 
distinguished from L. borealis; dark gray or ashy on rump, as distinguished from 
L. 1. excubitorides. 

Nest, a bulky, but well put together mass of sticks, thorn-twigs, weed-stalks 
and the like, carefully lined with plant-down, wool or feathers, placed five to 


290 THE MIGRANT SHRIKE. 


fifteen feet high in orchard trees, thorn hedges, etc. Lggs, 3-6, sometimes 7, 
dull grayish, or greenish white, thickly speckled and spotted with olive- or red- 
dish-brown. Av. size, .97 x .73 (24.6 x 18.5). 

General Range.—F astern United States, west to the Plains; north to the 
Great Lakes, northern New England, etc. Breeds throughout its range. 


Range in Ohio.—Of casual occurrence throughout the state. This form 
seems to have entered the state by encroachment from the south, and is perhaps 
more distinct southerly. 


For convenience this form and the next (whatever their relationships) are 
treated together under the common name Migrant Shrike. 


B. WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE. 


A. O. U. No. 622a. Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides (Swains.). 

Synonyms.—BuTCHER-BIRD ; MOUSE-BIRD. 

Description.—Adult: Similar to preceding species but paler; the upper 
tail-coverts more or less distinctly whitish, the white of scapulars more exten- 
sive. Dimensions a little larger, save of bill, which is about the same. Length 
8.00-10.00 ( 203.2-254.). A typical Columbus male measures: wing 3.96 (100.6) ; 
tail 3.98 (1o1.1); bill .61 (15.5). Average of six Columbus specimens of the 
combined forms: wing 3.93 (99.8); tail 3.81 (96.8); bill .62 (15.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Same size as preceding; paler; “rump” whitish. 

Nesting.—Same as preceding species. 


General Range.—‘‘Western North America, from the Plains to the Pacific, 
except Coast of California; and from Manitoba and the Plains of the Saskatche- 
wan south over the tablelands of Mexico.” Its range extends eastward around 
the Great Lakes, and southerly, where it intergrades with the preceding species. 


Range in Ohio.—Of general distribution, thinning out southerly. There is 
no fixed line geographically or zoologically between this and the preceding form. 
Either may be found anywhere in the state, and may bear any family relation 
to the other apparent subspecies. 

The “Shrike question” is still unsettled. The relation of the two subspecies 
in this state puzzles the professional as well as the amateur. Whether indeed 
Ohio represents intermediate ground where we should expect every degree of 
intergradation (since by definition, subspecies are forms known to intergrade), 
or whether it is comparatively new territory entered by two diverse elements, 
which, because of their previous affiliation, tend to coalesce; or whether, finally, 
the Ohio bird should be subspecifically distinguished from the L. ludovicianus 
of the South, and recognition made of a constant infusion from the West—all 
these are points not yet decided, and perhaps indeterminable. An attempt has 
been made to separate the Shrike of the middle North under the name L. /. mu- 
grans. Altho the characters shown, especially that of larger size, are fairly con- 
stant, they have been deemed too trifling for recognition, and the A. O. U. com- 
mittee reported unfavorably upon the proposed subspecies. Perhaps the easiest 


THE MIGRANT SHRIKE. 291 


way to account for the considerable diversity which we find in specimens, is 
simply to recognize this state as a meeting ground of two forms which have 
attained their maximum differentiation elsewhere,—/udovicianus in the South, 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author 
THE SHRIKE’S FORTRESS. 
THE TREE IS A HONEY-LOCUST, AND A NEST OF THE SHRIKE APPEARS ON THE RIGHT. 


and excubitorides in the West—and without attempting to assign subspecific 


value to the various phases as they appear. Hence, however we mav regard, from 


292 THE MIGRANT SHRIKE. 


the scientific point of view, the attempt to lump Ohio varieties together under 
the proposed name L. /. migrans, | think there can be no doubt whatever of the 
propriety of adopting for common use the term Micrant SHRIKE to cover all 
differences. 


Those whose delight it is to weigh carefully the shades of difference be- 
tween tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee may seek the doubful illumination of the 
preceding fine print, but plain folk who desire to know something of the local 
Butcher-bird will prefer to begin HERE. 

In all but southern localities, where the species is partially resident, the 
Shrike arrives about the middle of March. His patchy plumage harmonizes 
more or less with the snow-checkered landscape, but he is nowise concerned 
with problems of protective coloration. Seeking out some prominent perch, 
usually at this time of year a fence-post, he divides his time between spying 
upon the early-creeping field mice and entertaining his lady love with out- 
landish music. Those who have not heard our resident Shrike sing have 
missed a treat. He begins with a series of rasping sounds, which are probably 
intended to produce the 
same receptive condition on 
his audience which Ole Bull 
secured by awkwardly break- 

ing one string  af- 

ter another on his violin 
until only one was left. 

There the resemblance 

ceases, however, for 

where the virtuoso 
could extract a melody 
of marvelous range and 
sweetness from his sin- 
gle string, the bird pro- 
duces the sole note of 

a struck anvil. This 

pours forth, however, 

in successive three-syl- 
labled phrases like the 
metallic and reiterative 


ee ink of a free-falling 

Taken near Columbus. Bikote -b Boe: clink f a fr eS f ling 
Festi hammer. The chief dif- 

MIGRANT SHRIKE AT NEST. ference which appears 

A CLOSER VIEW OF THE NEST SHOWN IN THE PRECEDING between this love song 


ILLUSTRATION. THE BIRD IS PERCHED UPON THE EDGE OF 


THE NEST BUT IS SCARCELY DISTINGUISHABLE IN THE MAZE. and the ordinary call of 


“THE MIGRANT SHRIKE. _ Don 


warning or excitement is that in the latter case the less tender passions have 
weighted the clanging anvil with scrap iron and destroyed its resonance. 

The Shrike is a bird of prey, but he is no restless prowler wearing out 
his wings by incessant flight,—not he. Choosing rather a commanding posi- 
tion on a telegraph wire or exposed tree-top, he searches the ground with his 
eve until he detects some suspicious movement of insect, mouse, or bird. ‘Then 
he dives down into the grass, and returns to his post to devour at leisure. I 
once saw a Shrike rise perpendicularly some fifty feet from a telegraph wire 
by a labored but rapid flight to seize an insect to me invisible, and repair with 
it to a stone wall. Here he dealt his catch a severe blow, and when satisfied 
that it was dead, ate it contentedly. 

Like most guilty birds, and some innocent ones, the Shrike usually selects 
a thorn tree for a home. Honey-locusts and the various species of Crataegi 
are favorite places, but osage- orange hedges also present 


irresistible attractions. It is 
mature ten-rod stretch of these 


safe to say that there is not a 
delectable thorns in open coun- 
one or more nests of this bird. 


try which has not harbored 
Not only do thorns 
enemies, but they afford 
preservation of game. 
garter-snakes, — 
butcher does not 
is impaled on a 
as a ghastly 
sides that which 


protect the Shrikes from their 
them convenient hooks for the 
Mice, grass-hoppers, sparrows, 
anything which the over-fed 
care for at the time of capture, 
thorn for future reference, or 
warning to the unwary. Be- 
is laid up, the bird, in the case of larger 
game, invariably seeks the assistance of 
a thorn or splinter to enable it to rend 
its catch for immediate consumption. 

The nest—admirably shown in our 
illustration—is usually a bulky affair out- 
side, but exceedingly tight and warm 
within. Since the bird nests early, it 
counts nothing on the protection of foli- 
age, but cunningly screens its eggs by 
overarching chicken feathers worked into 
the rim of the nest. First sets are com- 
tnonly found by the middle of April, but the birds usually nest again in June. 
They are singularly indifferent, as a rule, to the welfare of the nest, but when 
it is disturbed sit clinking in the distance, or absent themselves entirely. Occa- 
sionally, however, especially if the young are well grown, they make a spirited 
and deafening defense. Eggs are deposited on successive or alternate days, 
and incubation is accomplished in about two weeks. 


Photo by the Author. 


THE SHRIKE’S PREY. 


204 . THE RED-EYED VIREO. 


The Loggerhead, or Migrant Shrike, has increased somewhat within 
1ecent years, except in those localities where it has been subjected to a thought- 
less persecution. It is perhaps a thankless task to speak a good word for this 
rapacious renegade “‘song-bird,” who flaunts his butcheries in our very faces, 
but we must always defer to the sum of the facts, not to those alone which are 
apparent. Birds are found to constitute only eight per cent of the Shrike’s 
food throughout the year, and those mainly of seed-eating varieties. Sylvester 
D. Judd, Ph. D., in an elaborate report upon the subject of the Shrike’s food, 
concludes, “The Loggerhead’s beneficial qualities outweigh 4 to 1 its injurious 
ones. Instead of being persecuted, it should receive protection.” 


No. 129. 
RED-EYED VIREO. 


A. O. U. No. 624. Vireo olivaceus (Linn.). 

Description.—dAdult: Crown grayish slate, bordered on either side by 
blackish; a white line above the eye, and a dusky line through the eye; remain- 
ing upper parts light olive-green; wings and tail dusky with narrow olive-green 
edgings ; below dull white, with a slight greenish-yellow tinge on lining of wings, 
sides, flanks, and crissum; first and fourth, and second and third primaries about 
equal, the latter pair forming the tip of wing; bill blackish at base above, thence 
dusky or horn-color, pale below; feet leaden blue; iris red. Little difference 
with age, sex, or season, save that young and fall birds are brighter colored. 
Length 5.50-6.50 (139.7-165.1) ; av. of three Columbus specimens: wing 3.03 
(77); tail 1.99 (50.5) ; bill from nostril .36 (9.1) ;—a little below average in size. 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; largest; white superciliary line con- 
trasting with blackish and slate of crown; red eye. 

Nest, a semi-pensile basket or pouch, of bark-strips, “hemp,” and vegetable 
fibers, lined with plant-down, and fastened by the edges to forking twigs near 
end of horizontal branch, five to twenty-five feet up. Eggs, 3 or 4, white, with 
black or umber specks and spots, few in number, and chiefly near larger end. 
Ay. size (85) sae50) (20. OlecalAe2)): 

General Range.—Eastern North America, west to Colorado, Utah and 
British Columbia; north to the Arctic regions; south in winter from Florida to 
northern South America. Breeds nearly throughout its North American range. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident, universally distributed. 


ONE cannot be sure whether it was the bird’s color, or good cheer, or 
characteristic note, which led Vieillot in 1807 to select for this group the name 
Vireo, a Latin word meaning, | am green, or flourishing. The plumage of 
this modest “‘Greenlet’’ boasts only enough green to enable its owner to lose 


itself easily in 
the foliage of 
the upper 
branches; but 
the voice of 
good cheer, 
Vireo - viree - 
wireoo,  fre- 
quently repeat- 
ed, is enough, 
not only to res- 
cue the bird 
from oblivion, 
but to immor- 
talize it. 

The Red-eye 
does occasion- 
ally make itself 
heard in isolat- 
ed pasture elms 
and among 
the shade-trees 
of the city, but 
its normal 
range is in the 
deeper woods 
and groves. 
Here it moves 
in a_ leisurely 
manner from 
bough to 
bough, examin- 
ing critically 
each leaf and 


Taken near Elyria. Photo by the Author. 


“DO YOU HEAR ME? DO YOU BELIEVE IT?” 


bud, or making little sallies after insect prey. Its soliloquizing notes are often 
uttered—always in single phrases of from two to four syllables each—while 
the bird is busily hunting, and serve to mark an overflow of good spirits rather 
than a studied attempt at si mg. There is about them also an interrogative 


character which Wilson Flagg has paraphrased, “You see it—you know it— 
do you hear me?—do you believe it ?” “The Preacher” not infrequently en- 
forces his homilies by hopping down slowly from the tree-tops and bringing 
the truth home to his hearers. ‘The bird's inquisitiveness is often his salva- 


296 THE RED-EYED VIREO. 

tion, for those which linger at greater heights are often indistinguishable from 
Warblers of unknown rarity, and their occasional diffidence is much deplored 
by those who shoot in haste and repent at leisure. 

The Red-eyed Vireo is an indefatigable singer, and when he really gives 
attention to it, as when the mate is sitting, he produces a quantity of sound 
little less than astonishing. One bird to which I once listened at midday had 
chosen for his station the topmost bare twig of a beech tree a hundred feet 
irom the ground, and from this elevated station, he poured out his soul at the 
rate of some fifty phrases per minute, and without intermission during the half 
hour in which he was under observation. One 
could recom- » mend to such a zealous devotee the 


Taken in Towa 


Photo by Lynds Jones. 


A DOUBLE NEST OF THE RED-EYED VIREO.! 


BOTH THE MALE AND THE FEMALE WERE SITTING WHEN FOUND. 


Chinese fashion of writing prayers (or songs) upon the rim of a wheel, and 
attaching it to water-power. There would be some time left then for bug- 
hunting. The bird sings more or less during the entire period of its residence 
in the north. I heard one two years ago at Columbus singing with undimin- 
ished vigor on the seventh day of October, at high noon. The Red-eye’s notes 
are sweet and smooth and clear, higher-pitched and a little more rapid than 
those of the Yellow-throated Vireo, from which, however, it requires to be 
carefully distinguished. It has also a comparatively infrequent scolding or 


7 1 By courtesy of The Wilson Bulletin this picture appears in advance of its publication by that journal 


THE PHILADELPHIA VIREO. 297 


IJ 


alarm note, we-aw or ye-an, with the French nasal “wn.” This is delivered 
about twenty-five times a minute, while the bird holds to one perch without 
moving, save to sway from side to side or to twist its head rythmically—a sort 
of nervous relief whose exact function is in doubt. 

The nest of this Vireo is a model of neatness, being swung by the brim 
from the forked tips of horizontal or declining limbs, as in the case of the twa 
species illustrated. The materials used are strips of thin bark, hemp, dead 
leaves bleached to the color of oxidized silver, and various vegetable downs. 
The exterior is frequently ornamented with lichens and shreds of cocoons or 
wasps’ nests. Bits of newspaper are always acceptable, and some nests are 
jargely composed of this interesting by-product of civilization. 


No. 130. 


PHIEADELPHIA VIREO: 


A. O. U. No. 626. Vireo philadelphicus (Cass.). 

Description.—Adult: Above, dull olive-green over gray, ashy on head; 
narrow frontal line and area around eye whitish, save for short, dusky line through 
eye; wings and tail fuscous, edged narrowly with olive-green; no apparent spu- 
rious quill; no white wing-bars; first primary shorter than fourth; tip of wing 
formed by second and third; below everywhere, except on chin, pale sulphur- 
yellow; sides sometimes buffy or olivaceous; bill blackish above, paler below ; 
feet plumbeous. Length 4.75-5.00 (120.6-127.); wing 1.60 (40.6); tail about 
2.00 (50.8) ; bill from nostril .27 (6.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size ; an almost exact counterpart of V’. giluus, 
and known from it positively only by the apparent absence of spurious quill (it 
having been nearly aborted); it may usually be distinguished, however, by its 
slightly smaller size, and yellower coloration below, as well as by its more marked 
olive above. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, pensile, of grass and birch bark, 
suspended from fork of horizontal branch eight feet up. Eggs, 4, like those of 
V. olivaceus (E. E. Thompson). 

General Range.—As yet imperfectly known; eastern North America north 
to Hudson Bay; south in winter to Costa Rica and Panama. Breeds from Maine, 
New Hampshire and Manitoba northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Probably not uncommon, but little observed, spring and 
fall migrant. 


“NOT very common but regular spring and fall migrant, in May and 
September. ‘The Philadelphia Vireo is one of the most interesting of the 


208 THE WARBLING VIREO. 
family, because of its comparatively recent discovery and general rarity. It 
frequents woodlands and the wooded borders of streams. I have seen a 
single individual in my garden. In the spring they are found single or in 
pairs, sometimes in high ash trees, but usually in the branches of undergrowth 
in beech woodland. In the fall I have found them in flocks, in company with 
Red-eyed Vireos and Bay-breasted Warblers. Fall specimens are decidedly 
yellow below. A little acquaintance will enable an observer to determine 
the species at sight as readily as the family to which it belongs. Its smaller 
size and olive-green, without marked ashiness of the upper parts, readily 
separate it from the Warbling Vireo, while the absence of wing-bars as read- 
ily distinguishes it from the White-eyed Vireo. So far as I can ascertain they 
are mute when on their migrations.” 

Thus Dr. Wheaton writes twenty-five years ago. The birds must be 
not uncommon, since they are known to breed to the north of us through a 
wide range of country. They are, however, exceedingly inconspicuous, and 
the only recent appearance which has been noted in Ohio, is that of two birds 
seen by myself at Columbus, April 22, 1902, on the grounds of the State 
University. 


No. 131. 
WARBLING VIREO. 


A. O..U. No. 627. Vireo gilvus (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult: Above, dull ashy, almost fuscous, with the palest 
possible tinge of olive-green, the latter color brightest on interscapulars, rump, 
and edgings of secondaries and rectrices; wings and tail fuscous, the primaries 
with faint whitish edgings; no wing-bars; first primary spurious,—only about a 
third as long as the others; point of wing formed by third, fourth, and fifth 
primaries; second shorter than sixth; below white with slight tinges on sides,— 
buffy on sides of head and neck, olive-fuscous on sides of breast, sulphur-yellow 
on sides of belly and flanks, and sometimes vaguely on breast; lores and space 
about eye whitish, enclosing obscure, dusky line through eye; bill dusky above, 
lighter below; feet blackish. Length 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4); wing 2.91 (73.9) ; 
tail 1.94 (49.3); bill from nostril .30 (7.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; general absence of positive characteris- 
altogether the plainest-colored bird of the American avifauna. 

Nest, a pensile pouch of bark-strips, grasses, vegetable fibers, and trash, care- 
fully lined with plant-down; hung usually from fork of small limb, at any height. 
Eggs, 3 or 4, white, sparingly and distinctly dotted or spotted, or, rarely, blotched 


tics, 


THE WARBLING VIREO. 5 


with black, umber, or reddish brown, chiefly at the larger end. Av. size, .75 x .55 
(GG, FS 136)))e 

General Range.—North America, in general, from the Fur Countries to 
Oaxaca, Mexico. Breeds throughout the greater part of its range. 


Range in Ohio.—Of general distribution in summer. Perhaps less common 
southerly. 


BOLDLY quitting the woodland retreats, so dear to all the other Vireos, 
this little warbler makes his home in the long rows of maples and elms which 
line the streets of village and town, or lead the way to country residences. 


Photo by the Author. 


Taken near McC Bineisy ille. 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE WARBLING VIREO. 


THE NEST WAS BROUGHT DOWN FROM A HEIGHT OF TWENTY FEET TO HAVE ITS PICTURE TAKEN, 
AND PROMPTLY REPLACED. 


Because he is clad in Quaker gray there is little need for the singer to show 
himself, so he remains for the most part concealed in the dense foliage, but 
he opens here for the passer-by a cool fountain of song, which is doubly re- 
freshing for its contrast with the dusty turmoil of the street below. Unlike 


“300 THE YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 


the disconnected fragments which the Red-eye furnishes, the song of the 
Warbling Vireo is gushing and continuous, a rapid excursion over pleasant 
hills and valleys. The notes are flute-like, tender, and melodious, having, 
as Chapman says, “a singular alto undertone.” All hours of the day are 
recognized as appropriate to melody, and the song-period lasts from the time 
of the bird’s arrival late in April until its departure in September, with only 
a brief hiatus in July. 

In sharp contrast with the beautiful canzonettes which this bird showers 
down from the tree-tops, come the harsh, Wren-like scolding notes, which 
it often delivers while searching through the bushes, and especially if it comes 
across a lurking tabby-cat. 

The Warbling Vireo’s cradle is swung where its after life is spent—-in 
the depths of a shade tree. ‘The structure is a little the neatest of them all, 
being closely woven of grasses and fine bark-strips, and felted more or less 
compactly with vegetable downs. ‘The female is a close sitter, sticking to 
her post even tho nearly paralyzed with fear. ‘The male is usually in close 
attendance and knows no way of discouraging the inquisitive bird-man save 
by singing with redoubled energy. He takes his turn at the eggs when the 
wife needs a bit of an airing, and even, it is said, carries his song with him 
to the nest. 

The Vireos are frequent victims of the Cowbird. The birds seem to 
realize the imposition that is being practiced upon them, but are not able to 
eject the foreign egg. Sometimes a false bottom is constructed to hide the 
bastard product, and sometimes the tainted nest is deserted outright. One 
such I found which contained only a single Cowbird’s eggs, and that punc- 
tured by the outraged Vireo. 


No. 132. 
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 


A. O. U. No. 628. Vireo flavifrons Vieill. 

Description.—Adult: Above and on sides bright olive-green, giving way 
posteriorly to bluish ash; wings and tail blackish; conspicuous white edgings 
all around on the inner quills and outer rectrices; edging of primaries narrow, 
whitish, or olivaceous; that of inner tail-feathers whitish or bluish white; two 
conspicuous white wing-bars formed by tips of middle and greater coverts; no 
apparent spurious quill; first primary longer than fourth; tip of wing formed by 


THE YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 6 


second and third; chin, throat, and breast bright yellow (canary) ; a ring around 
the eye and a supraloral line of the same color; a dusky spot in front of the eye; 
belly and remaining under parts pure white or sordid; bill and feet black. Length 
5.50-6.00 (139.7-152.4); wing 3.00 (76.2); tail 1.93 (49.); bill from nostril 
3212) (Koni) 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; yellow breast; white belly. 

Nest, pensile, of interwoven strips of bark, plant-fibers, etc., lined with fine 
grasses, and usually covered with lichens; depending from forked branch ten to 
forty feet up. Eggs, 3 or 4, white, with a roseate tinge, marked with dots and 
spots of umber, black or reddish brown, chiefly about larger end. Av. size, .83 x 
(Ome (2s x 1525)))e 

General Range.—F astern United States north to Ontario and Manitoba; 
south in winter to Colombia. Breeds from Florida and the Gulf States northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common during migrations; locally common or rare dur- 
ing breeding season. 


THIS species is evidently the least known of our fous resident Vireos. 
It is a bird of handsome and striking appearance, but while it is occasionally 
seen in orchard or shade trees about town, it is nearly confined to the woods, 
and those, too, in rather out-of-the-way places. It is decidedly a bird of the 
upper levels and seldom ventures down as do its kinsmen to inspect the 
passer-by. 

The song of the Yellow-throated Vireo, because of its varied character, 
is almost hopelessly confusing. Usually it differs from that of the Red-eyed 
chiefly in having rough-edged notes, in briefer phrases, and in being less hur- 
ried in delivery, altho uttered with great asperity. Rey. J. H. Langille says: 
“It keeps well up in the tops of trees, diligently gleaning as it sings, vireo, 
viree-ee, wee-ree, etc., in tones rather shrill for a Vireo, and not nearly so 
finely modulated and fluent as those of its relative the Red-eye, but greatly 
resembling them.” Chapman says: “If the Red-eyed Vireo is a soprano 
the Yellow-throat is a contralto,” but the note of the latter has a shrill quality 
which serves to disguise the somewhat lower pitch. I have heard a song— 
and seen the singer too—which was continuously sustained for long stretches, 
and which differed from that of the Warbling Vireo only in its greater va- 
riety and strength. 

If the song is somewhat puzzling there need be no uncertainty with 
reference to the bird’s scolding note, or choleric tirade, sec, tzu teu teu tzu 
teu tzu tzu, becoming rapid at first and then slowing down; or else plain tzu 
teu tzu teu tzu tzu tzu with exceeding rapidity at the start and a rallendo finish. 
It is a nutmeg-grater cry like the House Wren’s, but on a larger scale. 

The nest of this Vireo is similar in construction and position to those 
of the other species. It is perhaps a little bulkier than most, and is often 


302 


THE BLUE-HEADED VIREO. 


highly ornamented, almost concealed, by mosses and lichens. Some authori- 
ties place it at a height of from five to twenty or thirty feet, but I am inclined 
to the opinion that many nests may be found at a much greater height. The 
males assist regularly in the duties of incubation, and they have a suicidal 
habit of singing on the nest. 


No. 133. 


BLUE-HEADED VIREO. 


A. O. U. No. 629. Vireo solitarius (Wils.). 

Synonym.—So.irary VIREO. 

Description.—Adult: Crown and sides of head ciear, bluish ash; eye-ring 
and supra-loral line white; remaining upper parts olive-green; wings and tail 
blackish, with whitish or olive-green edgings; tips of middle and greater coverts 
white, forming two conspicuous bars; spurious quill about one-fourth as long 
as others; second quill shorter than fifth; point of wing formed by third and 
fourth; below white, purest on chin and throat; the sides heavily washed with 
greenish yellow or olive-green, the color reaching sometimes nearly across the 
breast; bill and feet black or blackish. Length 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.) ; wing 2.95 
(74.9) ; tail 2.18 (55.4) ; bill from nostril .29 (7.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; a large, clearly-marked species, best 
known by its blue cap enclosing white eye-ring, and its white throat. 

Nesting.—Not yet positively reported from Ohio. Nest, a pendulous basket 
of usual Vireo construction, but sometimes decorated externally with moss and 
lichens, placed in forks of horizontal branch, five to fifteen feet up. Eggs, 4 or 5, 
white with scattering dots and spots of red or reddish brown. Av. size, .81 x .62 
(20.6 x 15.8). 


General Range.—E astern United States to the Plains, north to Hudson Bay 
and Fort Simpson. South in winter to Guatemala. Breeds from southern New 
England and the northern parts of the Lake States northward. 

Range in Ohio.—A common spring and fall migrant. Suspected, but not 
known to breed in northern part of state. 


IT is a thankless task to compare the several beauties of birds so modest 
as the Vireos, but certainly when it comes to plumage nothing could be more 
chaste, more decorous, and pleasing withal, than the dainty blues and whites 
of l’. solitarius. It is principally by his costume that we know him, for he 
is usually silent during migrations, and sings only in the northern tier of 
counties, or, in a moment of forgetfulness, by the wayside. Blue-headed 


34 


BLUE-HEADED VIREO 


Vireo solitarius 


5 Life-size 


THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 303 


Vireos are abundant during Warbler time and are generally to be found high 
in the trees, keeping company with the equally silent Olive-backed Thrushes, 
or pausing to admire the tiny manceuvers of their Warbler friends. This is 
not their habitual range, however, and those which venture down into the 
lower branches or move about among the shrubbery appear to be much more 
at home. While with us the bird is deliberate in its movements and gives 
no sign of the vivacity which characterizes the resident species. 

The only song I have heard during the migrations was comparable to 
that of the Red-eye, but the component phrases had only one or two syllables 
each, and were slower, softer, and weaker in character. This performance 
evidently does not truly represent the bird’s vocal powers, for Bradford Tor- 
rey says of it: “The Solitary’s song is matchless for the tenderness of its 
cadence, while in peculiarly happy moments the bird indulges in a continuous 
warble that is really enchanting. It has, too, in common with the Yellow- 
throat, a musical chatter—suggestive of the Baltimore Oriole’s—and a pretty 
trilled whistle.” 


No. 134. 
WHITE-EYED VIREO. 


A. O. U. No. 631. Vireo noveboracensis (Gmel.). 

Description.—4dult: Above bright olive-green, duller on cervix; brighter 
on forehead and rump; wings and tail dusky, with bright edgings of olive-green ; 
two yellowish white bars formed by tips of middle and greater coverts; spurious 
quill nearly half as long as second primary; second shorter than sixth; point of 
wing formed by third, fourth and fifth; below white or sordid; sides and flanks 
washed with bright yellow; lores and a ring around eye bright yellow; bill and 
feet dark; iris white——hazel in young. Specimens differ chiefly in the yellowness 
or sordidness of under parts. Length 4.50-5.25 (114.3-133.3) ; wing 2.45 (62.2); 
tail 1.92 (48.8) ; bill from nostril .28 (7.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; yellow lores and eye-rings and yellow 
sides ; yellowish white wing-bars, as distinct from J’. gilvus, which it nearest re- 
sembles in point of size; white irises. 

Nest, of usual Vireo construction, suspended from forked twigs, three or 
four feet high in underbrush or thickets. Eggs, 3 or 4, white, dotted sparingly 
with reddish brown or dark purple. Av. size, .76 x .56 (19.3 x 14.2). 

General Range. 


Eastern United States west to the Rocky Mountains. 


304 THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 


north to southern New England and Minnesota; south in winter from Florida to 
Guatemala and Honduras. Breeds from Florida and the Gulf States northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common in southern, rare in central Ohio. Reported regu- 
larly from northeastern part of state (Cuyahoga and Ashtabula Counties). 


THE manners of this “well-connected” bird have evidently suffered 
through close association with that “prince of mountebanks,” the Yellow- 
breasted Chat. Like the larger mime the Vireo frequents brushy ravines and 
thickets at the edge of the woods, where he prowls and pries and practices 
all the tricks of the lightning change artist, and is ready at any time to join 
his voice in a volley of abuse levelled at the chance intruder. If you are not 
apprised of his presence by a sharp click heard in the depths of the thicket, 
the feathered farceur will mount a nodding wand and throw the succession 
of vocal somersaults which he calls his song. Tup to wee-o, chipiti burtuck, 
comes with surprising energy and distinctness from so small a throat and you 
are ready to follow at once upon the chase to which the wary bird inyites you. 

Mimicry is the White-eye’s specialty. He follows it not only from a 
desire to be tuneful but from sheer love of mischief. Once, in Lawrence 
County, we 
heard a_ re- 
markable suc- 
cession of 
sounds com- 
ing we knew 
not whence. 
The ravine 
was full of 
birds and we 
surmised 
Chat and 
Catbird and 
Mockingbird, 
until we came 
at last upon 
the center of 
attraction. A 
Se Seam vv hite-eyed 
Taken in Morgan County. Photo by the hor: Vireo was 

“THE WHITE-EYED VIREO BUILDS LOW.” hopping to 


and fro upon a willow branch and singing vociferously while birds of half 


a dozen other species were ranged about him giving rapt attention,—among 


them a jealous Catbird, who listened with bill agape and drooping wings. 


The punchinello paused from 
combinations while the audi 
would break out with a new pro 
four phrases from different ar 
over and over with slight mod 
or five seconds. The Chat 
ite preface, but we recognized 
Song Sparrow, Catbird, Caro 


Taken in 
Morgan County. 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 


Photo by the Author. 


THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. Ros 


time to time to think up new 
ence shifted uneasily. ‘Then he 
duction, a jumble of three or 
tists, and this he would repeat 
ifications at intervals of four 
note, a nasal aown, was a favor- 
also Towhee, Summer Tanager, 
lina Wren, English Sparrow, 


Wood Thrush, and Warbling Vireo, in the order named. 

But while the bird is a good deal of a wag and something of a scold, 
we are always ready to applaud his humor, and we may as readily condone 
his “nippy” tongue when we remember that it is wielded in a good cause. 
The White-eyed Vireo builds low, seldom above seven or eight feet from 
the ground, and it is naturally anxious for the safety of its eggs or little 
ones. It is only when the welfare of these is threatened that the bird becomes 
disagreeable and personal, and not always then. 


300 THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 

The nest shown in the near-by illus- 
tration was pointed out to me by a friend, 
Mr. C. H. Morris of McConnelsville. 
The bird was on but she occupied the 
center of a little bower which was 
guarded by a wall of droop- 
ing vines and bristling black- 
berry stems. With fear and 
trembling I cut an entrance 
way, removing the stems one 
by one, and glancing appre- 
hensively at the sitting bird, 
but she sat on, unmoved. 
Next, the camera was 
brought in and advanced by 
slow stages toward the 
watchful bird. Many twigs 


required to be cut away, and 
there was much flapping of 
camera-cloths, gesticulating 
of unmanageable “‘legs,”’ and 
clicking of shutters, but the 
white-eyed beauty sat nicely 
for her portrait, — once, 
twice, thrice, until the strain 
became too great for her. 
Next the nest and eggs were 
photographed, and after re- 


Photo moving the Cowbird’s egg 


Taken in by the / 5 2 : 
Morgan Muthor. (Which appears in the pic- 
County. 


ture just above the nearer 
rim) the rest were left to be 
gathered later in the day. 

“SAT NICELY FOR HER PORTRAIT.” Returning some five 
hours later, the bird-man pressed eagerly into the copse, intending to collect 
the set of eggs for a well-known museum. ‘The bird was on and happy now 
in a new-found confidence. Nearer—nearer—came the collector. The bird 
sat on. Finally moved by some strange impulse the man brought his face 
down close to hers, not above a foot away, and gazed wistfully, searchingly, 
into those trustful eyes. Then that old hard heart of mine melted within me 
and I turned and fled. 


THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. ace 


No. 135. 


SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 


A. O. U. No. 443. Muscivora forficata (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—SWaALLOW-TAILED FLYCATCHER; SCISSOR-TAIL. 

Description.—Adults: General color hoary-ash, lighter below, white on 
throat, darkening on nape, mingling with ochraceous or rusty on back; a con- 
cealed scarlet or orange crown-patch; wings fuscous to blackish, with hoary and 
buffy-gray edgings; first primary deeply emarginate and attenuate; tail deeply 
forked, the outer pairs greatly produced —three or four times the length of 
shortest feathers—the ordinary feathers black, and the longer ones black-tipped, 
but white or faint salmon-colored for four-fifths their length; a scarlet tuft on 
the side of the breast; lining of wings, sides of belly, and flanks bright salmon, 
fading on crissum; bill and feet black. Jmmatwre: Similar; tail undeveloped ; 
no crown-patch; first primary not emarginate. Length to fork of tail 7.50-8.50 
(190.5-215.9) ; wing about 5.00 (127.); tail 5.00-10.00 (127.-254.); bill .65 
(16.5). Females somewhat smaller, and with less developed tails. : 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size (comparing body sizes, exclusive of 
tail) ; hoary-ash, scarlet and salmon coloration; tail greatly produced, deeply 
bifurcated. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. ‘Nest, of sticks, etc., lined with feathers 
and other soft materials built in trees. Eggs, 3-5, 89 x .67 (22.6 x 17.), pure 
white or creamy white, boldly but sparingly spotted with rich madder-brown and 
lilac-gray.” 

General Range.—Texas, Oklahoma, Indian Territory, southern [Kansas, 
southwestern Missouri, south through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica. Accidental 
in southern Florida (Key West), New Jersey, New England, York Factory 
(Hudson Bay Territory), etc. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. One record, by Mr. Frank H. Welder, near 
Marietta, May 20, 1894. 


THIS exceedingly graceful Flycatcher is known to be a great wanderer, 
but its normal range is confined to Texas, with adjacent territory on the north 
and south. The species is admitted to our state list on the authority of 
Mr. Oliver Davie, who reports a single example said to have been taken near 
Marietta. 

The Scissor-tail is so named from a habit it has of opening and closing its 
elongated tail-feathers like the blades of a pair of scissors. These remarkable 
appendages may possibly serve the bird as balancers, or brakes, in flight, but a 
more natural explanation would seem to be that they were provided to enablethe 
owner to work off his surplus energies, and to grace his bold sallies after 


mo _ ‘THE KINGBIRD. 


insect prey. The birds are rather quarrelsome, especially among themselves. 
A fight between four or five males such as one observer reports, must be a 
spectacular affair—equal to one of those other occasions celebrated in the song 
of their native land, “When dey’s razors a’flyin’ troo de air.” 


No. 136. 


KINGBIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 444. Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Above ashy black changing to pure black on head, 
and fuscous on wings; crown with a concealed orange-red (cadmium orange) 
patch or “crest,” the orange feathers black-tipped and overlying others broadly 
white at base; wings with whitish and brownish ash edgings; tail black, all the 
feathers broadly white-tipped, and the outermost pair often white-edged; below 
white, washed with grayish on breast; bill and feet black. Jmmatwre birds lack 
the crown-patch, and are more or less. tinged with fulvous or buffy on the parts 
which are light-colored in the adult. Length 8.00-9.00 (203.-228.6) ; av. of four 
Columbus specimens: wing 4.60 (116.8) ; tail 3.31 (84.1); bill from nostril .52 
(13.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; blackish ash above; white below; black 
tail conspicuously tipped with white; noisy and quarrelsome. 

Nest, of weed-stalks, plant-fibres and trash, with a felted mat of plant-down 
or wool, and an inner lining of fine grasses, feathers, rootlets, etc. Hggs, 3 or 4 
sometimes 5, white or cream-white, distinctly but sparingly spotted with dark 
umber and occasional chestnut. Av. size, .98 x .73 (24.9 x 18.5). 

General Range.—North America from the British Provinces south; in win- 
ter through eastern Mexico, Central and South America. Less common west of 
the Rocky Mountains. Not recorded from northern Mexico and Arizona. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident throughout the state. 


STERN republicans that we all are, we nevertheless delight in the tales 
of ancient tyranny, 1f only to shudder at them. And surely the fascinating 
complex of modern international politics would lose full half its charm if there 
were not half a dozen autocrats to deal with, to flatter, to cajole, to outwit, 
and secretly to admire. And surely, too, no sane bird-lover would willingly 
dispense with the presence in our midst of the Kingbird, that arch-tyrant of 
the winged world. He is King by divine right, if there be such a thing, for 
he is crowned when he comes of age without any intervention of man. He fairly 
bursts with self-importance at all times, and the conscientious effort of his ma- 


THE KINGBIRD. 309 
turer years is to enforce his imperium over some chosen domain of bushand field. 
If he does lord it over the underlings and villeins of his realm it is only that they 
may humbly ac- ated knowledge his sway 
and applaud him, a — the self - appointed 
champion of the defense- 
less, as he 


De Owe Sees 


Photo by R. F. Griggs 


A YOUNG TYRANT—THE LAST OF THE BROOD. 


them from the attacks of all infidel Hawks, Crows, and Jays. Who has not 
seen him as he quits his high perch in the elm sapling and hurries forward, 
choking with vengeful utterance, to meet and chastise some murderous Hawk, 
who before any other foe is brave? Down comes the avenger! ‘The Hawk 
shies with a guttural cry of rage and terror, while a little puff of feathers 
scatters on the air to tell of the tyrant’s success. Again and again the quick 
punishment falls, until the tiny scourge desists and returns, shaking with shrill 
laughter, to give his mate a highly-colored account of his adventure. 

When the “King of Rome” was born Napoleon caused a hundred guns to 
sound. When the twenty-second cannon boomed and the people knew it was 
a boy, hats flew up and the streets of the gay French capital rang with ap- 


310 THE KINGBIRD. 


plause. This feathered Napoleon has no such spectacular way of announcing 
the realization of his paternal hopes, but the bird world nevertheless soon 
guesses the secret. If the tyrant was critical before, he is choleric now; for 
the whips of discipline he substitutes scorpions. He has the dignity of a 
whole royal family to maintain. On that glad day he thrashes two Sparrow 
Hawks and puts a flock of Crows to flight in sheer exuberance of 
spirits. 

It is easily possible, however, to exaggerate the pugnacity of the King- 
bird, or to infer from extreme examples that all are quarrelsome. It is not 
unusual for Kingbirds to be on the best of terms with their immediate neigh- 
bors, thieves always excepted. I once found in one small poplar tree the 
nests of three birds, each containing eggs, viz., a Robin, an Oriole, and a 
Kingbird. The two latter were within five feet of each other. Dr. Brewer 
also records an exactly similar case. Kingbird’s courage, which is unques- 
tionable, is often tempered by prudence, altho at other times it quite over- 
balances his better judgment. The Burrowing Owl of the West will tolerate 
none of his nonsense, and I have seen the birds make sad mistakes in molesting 
these virtuous mousers. ‘The sight of a Shrike will make a Kingbird shrink 
into the smallest possible compass. Catbirds, too, are said ta be, for valid 
reasons, quite exempt from their tyranny. 

The food of the Kingbird consists entirely of insects, caught on the wing 
for the most part, by sallies from some favorite perch. His eyesight must be 
very good, as he not infrequently spies his prey at distances of from twenty 
to fifty yards. Honey bees form an occasional but inconsiderable article of 
diet. Both in the taking of food and in the discharge of police duties the 
Kingbird exhibits great strength and swiftness as well as grace in flight. Once 
when passing in a canoe through a quiet weed-bound channel near the Mus- 
kingum river, I was quite deceived for a time by the sight of distant, white- 
breasted birds, dashing down to take insects near the surface of the water, 
and even occasionally dipping under it. They had all the ease and grace of 
White-bellied Swallows, but proved to be Kingbirds practicing in a new role. 

This fondness for the water is often exhibited in the bird’s choice of a 
nesting site. Ordinarily orchard or shade trees, or the more prominent mem- 
bers of neglected hedge-rows are preferred, but on several occasions I have 
found nests on low-swinging horizontal branches overhanging the water, and 
thrice, at least, in tiny willow clumps entirely surrounded by it. ‘The nest 
of the Kingbird sometimes presents that studied disarray, which is considered 
by some the height of art. Now and then a nest has such a dishevelled appear- 


THE KINGBIRD. 311 


ance as to 
quite dis- 
courage  in- 
vestiga- 
tion, unless 
the owner’s 
Pic OG Cimee 
gives the se- 
cret of its oc- 
cupancy 
away. It is 
placed — usu- 
ally in an up- 
right or hor- 
izontal fork 
of a tree ata 
height of 
from three 
to forty feet. 


lewis Cush 
weed - stalks 
and trash of 
any kind en- 
ter into the 
basal con- 
struction. 
The charac- 
teristic fea- 
ture of the 
nest, how- 
ever, is the 
mould, or 


mat, of vege- 


Taken on the Licking Reservoir. Photo by the Author. 
table plaster, NEST AND EGGS OF THE KINGBIRD. 
for 5 10) un d THE NEST IS PLACED ABOUT TWO FEET UP IN A WILLOW GROWING IN SEVERAL 
5 FEET OF WATER 
wood, and 


the like, or else compacted wool and cow-hair, which is forced into the inter- 
stices of the outer structure and left smooth and rounded inside, giving shape 
to the nest. This in turn is lined with fine grasses, horse-hair, or variously. 
Occasionally nests are found composed almost entirely of wool. In others 
string is the principal ingredient. 

Eggs are laid at the rate of one each day. Incubation begins when the 


Parr. THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER,» 


nest complement is full, or, more rarely, when the first egg is laid; and is com- 
pleted, normally in fourteen days. The last week in May or the first in June 
is the usual time for the first set, and two broods are not infrequently raised 
in a season. 

Although the Kingbird never sings, it has a characteristic and not unmusi- 
cal cry, tizic, tizic (spell it phthisic if you prefer) or tsee tsce tsee tsee, in 
numerous combinations of syllables which are capable of expressing various 
degrees of excitement and emotion. 


No. 137. 


CRESTED VEY CANCEDRE 


A. O. U. No. 452. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Above, grayish brown washed with olive-green; a 
short crest not different in color; wings brownish fuscous variegated by edgings,— 
cinnamon-rufous on primaries, gray or fulvous on coverts and secondaries, green- 
ish yellow, and sometimes broadly white on tertials; tail cinnamon-rufous on 
the inner webs of all except middle pair of feathers; these and outer webs brownish 
fuscous; sides of head, throat, and chest ashy gray; the remaining under parts 
clear, sulphur-yellow; bill dark brown, lighter at bast below; feet blackish. 
Length 8.50-9.10 (215.9-231.1); av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 4.18 
(106.2) ; tail 3.68 (93.5) ; bill from nostril .64 (16.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; ashy, sulphwr-yellow, and cinnamon- 
rufous below; crested. 

Nest, in holes in trees or posts; a heavy matting of grasses and trash, and 
invariably including in its composition a cast-off snake-skin; usually at moderate 
heights. Eggs, 3-6, peculiar, creamy brown or buff, with heavy markings and 
pen-scratching, chiefly longitudinal, of chocolate or purplish brown. Av. size, 
As}o) 3¢ Ls) (AAO) se i79))) 

General Range.—T[‘astern United States and southern Canada, west to Mani- 
toba and the Plains; south through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica, Panama and 
Colombia. Breeds from Florida northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident throughout the state. 


AN outburst of sinister laughter from some distant tree-top in the woods 
on the 28th or 29th day of April is notice that the Great Crested Flycatcher 
has come. He is shy at first, but you may catch a glimpse of his warm brown 
wings as he crosses some skyey space, or of his sulphur breast as he peers down 
at you from some high limb and reports your progress in excited tones to a 
still more timid mate. “Quweep, queep, queep—lLook out now, he’s coming— 
IV’heeoo,’ and away they scurry to laugh in high discordant notes at their 


THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 313 


thrilling adventure. The Crested Flycatcher is the monitor and cynic of the 
woods. His harsh outcry greets you as you enter the portals of his chosen 
temple, and he rails at worshipper and priest alike in hollow mocking tones 
which grate upon the nerves of the would-be devotee. Quarrelsome if not 
courageous, meddlesome and impudent, the wood-folk are glad when increas- 
ing family cares enjoin upon this fretful tyrant a more prudent silence. 

Quite unlike other Flycatchers this bird of the cinnamon garb nests in 
holes in trees. A hollow limb at a moderate height is preferred, but old Wood- 
pecker holes do not come amiss, or new ones either for the matter of that. 
Orchard trees are often chosen and a convenient knot-hole admitting to the 
decaying interior will be most eligible. Artificial sites,—bird-houses and the 
like, have also been used of late years. The hollow, if capacious, is half-filled 
with trash of every conceivable description,—string, fur, feathers, grass, leaves, 
and what not. ‘There is only one sine qua non :—a cast-off snake skin the bird 
must and will have, if possible. This, be it noted, is a harsh rustling affair, 
and is placed almost invariably near the top of the heap, or thrown clear around 
the rim. 

Various conjectures have been advanced to account for this strange taste. 
Since their nests are often ill-smelling affairs, it has been suggested that the 
birds really have a weakness for the aroma of the snake, and so provide a 
convenient smelling bottle to sustain the sitting bird at her weary task. It is 
well known that a garter snake in spring exhales an odor like wild crab- 
apple blossoms, but the comparison is not likely to recommend the serpent as a 
fashionable bouquet. A nest found in Oberlin throws a clearer light upon 
the problem. A cavity in an apple tree from which a grandmotherly 
old Flicker had been evicted, was filled half way to the top with tufts 
of cow-hair and bunches of chicken-feathers, but it contained no snake-skin. 
Its place was supplied by a crumpled piece of tough tissue paper, which rustled 
ominously when the hand was inserted. The secret was out. It is the rustle 
of the snake-skin which either delights the bird, or to which it trusts for giving 
warning of an enemy's approach during the owner's absence—a sort of burglar 
alarm, as it were. 

Apropos of this curious penchant for snake-skins, Mrs. Blanchan offers a 
clever conceit to account for the bird’s crest. It is from the early fright the 
youngsters get at discovering a snake in the nest. No snakey; no pompadour! 

The eggs are not the least remarkable objects connected with these strange 
birds. Not only are they more heavily marked than those of any other hole- 
nesting species, but the color is distributed in longitudinal streaks and pen- 
scratchings, purplish brown and umber on a creamy buff ground. Among 
these are interspersed spots and blotches and hair-lines of every degree of deli- 


314 THE, PHGBE. 
cacy and clearness. It is supposed that the eggs of all hole-nesting species 
revert to the uncolored form, viz., white, after the lapse of necessary ages,— 
there being no longer an economic value in color which is to remain unseen. 
If this be true, then we must conclude that the Crested Flycatcher has only 
recently hit upon the present method of departure from the family trait of open 
air nesting. And this is more remarkable because the eggs of the genus 
Myiarchus are more heavily colored than those of any other of the Tyrannidae. 

The nesting of this species usually takes place in June. From three to 
six eggs are laid, and incubation is completed in fourteen days. The young 
are ready to leave the nest at the end of as many days more, and they remain 
more or less closely associated with the parents at least until the time of the 
southern journey, which is undertaken during the second or third week in 
September. 


No. 138. 


/ PHCZBE- 


ee O. U. No. 456. Sayornis pheebe (Lath.). 

Synonyms.—Pewit; Pewir FrycatcHer; PEWEE; Bripck PEWEE. 

Description.—Adults: Above, brownish-gray with an olivaceous cast, chang- 
ing into brownish-dusky on top of head; wings and tail dusky, the former with 
indistinct bars of brownish-gray and with some lighter olivaceous gray edgings 
on the secondaries; below, pale sulphur-yellow, or whitish, sordid, and tinged 
heavily on sides of breast with color of back; bill and feet black. Jmmature 
birds are rather brighter in coloration than adults, and have more prominent wing- 
bars. Length 6.75-7.25 (171.5-184.2); wing 3.44 (87.4); tail 2.78 (70.6); 
bill from nostril .40 (10.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; dull olivaceous above, becoming dusky 
on head; black bill; “phabe” note. To be distinguished from Contopus virens 
by its larger size, less prominent wing-bars, and different bill—the last being 
longer, narrower, and darker than in the other bird. 

Nest, a thick-walled cup or bracket of moss and mud, lined with plant-down, 
fine grasses and horse-hair; placed upon a beam or projecting corner of out-build- 
ing, bridge, shale-bank, etc. Eggs, 4-6, white, unmarked, or, rarely, sparsely dot- 
ted with reddish-brown. Av. size, .80x.55 (20.3 x 14.). 

General Range.—Lastern North America west to eastern Colorado and 
western Texas, and from the British Provinces south to eastern Mexico and Cuba, 
wintering from the South Atlantic and Gulf States southward. Breeds from 
South Carolina northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. 


THE chilly winds of March may have handed in their resignations, but 
they have not yet been accepted by the Weather Bureau when Phoebe ventures 
north. He was feasting on flies in Florida, and would have done well to wait 


35 Son Gite a ED 


Sayornis phoebe 
84 Life-size 


(NSU 1ASKOEI3 197 315 
another month, but that homesickness for old Ohio which her sons and daugh- 
ters know so well, mastered him, and he could not stay away. Arrived in the 
old haunts, the pussy-willows nod pleasantly at the venturesome bird, but 
unfamiliar pools frown icily, and he is obliged to court the shelter of some 
protecting bank until the purposes of spring are a little stronger grown. Here 
he utters from time to time a plaintive fsip of discontent, or shivers miserably 
as a fresh blast of Boreas discovers his retreat. Doubtless he recalls on such 
occasions the bitter irony of the old rhyme, which must have originated in a 
sunnier land: 


i Se i 
Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 
PHOSBE’S NEST IN LOG CABIN 


THE NEST CONTAINS ONE EGG OF THE COWBIRD 


“On March the Twenty-first ’tis spring, 
When little birds begin to sing; 
To build their nests; to raise their brood; 


” 


With tender care provide them food 


“Here it is the Twenty-first of March, but where is their spring? T'sip! 
Nothing but gray skies and a cold wind. Ugh!—and bleary patches of snow! 
Tsip! It is really too bad! ‘sip! ‘'sip!’" But a day or so later the sun 
shines out and Mrs. Pheebe, more prudent but scarcely less eager, arrives from 
the south, and the pair set bravely to work nest-building. 


316 THE PHC:BE. 

Nesting is, of course, the absorbing business of all migrant birds during 
their summer residence, but in few of them is devotion to the rearing of young, 
and attachment to a chosen locality carried to a higher degree than in the case 
of Phoebe. ‘Two or three broods are often raised by these birds in a season, 
and the same pair will return to a favorite culvert or outbuilding year after 
year. A recent writer tells of a pair which built nests along the lintel of a 
door for six successive years, until the place was crowded full of nests in 
various degrees of preservation. 


Photo by Rev. W. F. Henninger. 
PHQ@BE’S NEST IN COFFEE POT. 


Formerly Phcebes nested entirely along streams, placing their nest on a 
convenient ledge of rock jutting out from some moss-covered bank, which was 
kept damp by the spray of falling water; or else attaching them to the sides 
of small caves. ‘This habit still persists in many parts of our state, and nests 
are to be commonly found along shale-cliffs and in sand-stone grottoes or old 
quarry-holes. But Phoebes have also adopted the ways of civilization, and 


THE PHG:BE. 317 


the porch, or carriage house, or “lumber shed,” boasts no more welcome occu- 
pant than this gentle fly-catcher. Bridges, and especially stone culverts, offer 
a mediate ground between nature and ultra civilization, and of these the birds 
eagerly avail themselves. One expects at the crossing of every stream, in 
spring, to see a de- 
mure, dusky bird, 
perched upon the 
fence-wire where it 
spans the water, and 
to hear him say in 
plaintive but tender 
accents, “Pewit, 
phabe - phabe - pe- 
wit, phebe.” Phee- 
be herself is brood- 
ing patiently below, 
under the cool stone 
arch, in spite of 
the thunder of your 
horse’s hoofs. 

It would seem as 
if these birds become 
perfectly inured to 
danger of every sort, 
and especially to 
noises. The blasting 
of rock in a quarry- 
hole is nothing, if 
only the nest is not 
dislodged. In sev- 
eral instances I have 
found occupied nests 
in railroad culverts; 
once in an  open- 


Taken in 


topped culvert, and Ely Park, 


Elyria. 


within four feet of 
passing trains. Less 
prudent was a bird 


O90 3 Photo by the 
found sitting in a Author. 
stone conduit only PHGBE’S CAVE. 
eighteen inches high THIS LITTLE GROTTO IS THE ONE REFERRED TO IN THE TEXT. 
5 s nigh, 


through which a six-inch stream of water flowed. The illustration on the pre- 
ceding page shows a nest found in an old coffee-pot, which had been left hang- 


318 THE PEGE BE. 


ing on a nail in a deserted cabin. Mr. Henninger was obliged to take the pot 
down in order to secure a good photograph. 

As may be guessed from the catholicity of Phcebe’s tastes, many un- 
toward accidents befall during nesting time. Some nests are drowned out; a 
crumbling ledge or weakening mud-cement causes the downfall of others; 
while the Phoebe suffers more than most from misplaced confidence in man— 

boy. Saddest of all, perhaps, is the annual destruction by parasites. 
Pheebe’s fondness for chicken feathers frequently involves the introduction 
of chicken-lice into the nest, and these and other vermin make the poor bird’s 
life a burden. Finding cold eggs or desiccated young, one unacquainted with 
the cause of Phcebe’s hardships, is inclined to chide the parent birds for neg- 
ligence, especial y if they be seen at some distance uttering only a feeble plaint ; 
but a careful investigation will exonerate the birds, and let the observer into 
the secret of their tragic sorrow. 

In this connection a word of advice to those who are the favored hosts of 
Phceebe, may not be amiss. When you are giving the chickens / 
their spring bath of sulphur, remember Phcebe’s nest. If you 
find evidence of vermin, remove the eggs carefully while you 
sprinkle the nest thoroughly with the powder, but do not get 


WHERE PHBE CAPTURES THE EARLY FLY. 


too much on the inside. Phcebe may not like it at first, but she will lead off 
six lusty youngsters at the end of the season, and that will be thanks enough. 
Or in return, you may figure out how many house-flies a pair of Phcebes ail 
catch in a day, working at the rate of two a minute. 
An exhaustive list of Phoebe’s enemies is not possible or necessary, but 
\ little drama which I once witnessed in the romantic park at Elyria, is at 
ae fruitful in suggestion. While hunting along the side of the steep river 
bank with two companions, our attention was arrested by the excited “chit- 


THE OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. 319 


tering” of a Phoebe, which hovered over a brush pile. A little brown streak 
flashed out of this pile and into another, and the Phcebe closed in hot pursuit. 
Round and round a half-raised log they flew—a Winter Wren in terror for 
his life, and the flycatcher breathing direst vengeance. After a spirited chase, 
the Wren reached unassailable depths in a large brush heap, and his pursuer 
made off snapping his beak and panting with rage. ‘Ten rods away we found 
the Phcebe’s eggs in a mossy bracket on the wall of a sand-stone grotto. 
Would a dear little Winter Wren be mean enough to harm them, or were 
Pheebe’s suspicions unfounded ? 


No. 139. 
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. 


A. O. U. No. 459. Nuttallornis borealis (Swains.). 

Description.—Adu/t: Upper parts brownish slate with a just perceptible 
tinge of olivaceous on back; top of head a deeper shade, and without olivaceous ; 
wings and tail dusky-blackish, the former with some brownish gray edging only 
on tertials ; flank-tufts of fluffy, yellowish or white feathers, sometimes spreading 
across rump and in marked contrast to it, but usually concealed by wings; throat, 
belly and crissum, and sometimes middle line of breast, white or yellowish white ; 
heavily shaded on sides and sometimes across breast with brownish gray or olive- 
brown,—the feathers with darker shafts-streaks ; bill black above, pale yellow be- 
low ;feet black. Jmmature: Similar to adult, but coloration a little brighter; 
wing-coverts fulvous or buffy. Length 7.00-8.00 (177.8-203.2); wing 4.16 
(105.7) ; tail 2.64 (67.1) ; bill from nostril .53 (13.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; heavy shaded sides; bill yel- 
low below ; tew-tew note; keeps high in trees during migrations. 


Nesting.— Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a shallow cup of twigs, bark- 
strips, etc., lined with grass and moss; saddled upon horizontal limb of coniferous 
trees, often at great heights. Eggs, 3-5, creamy-white or pale buff, spotted dis- 
tinctly with chestnut and rufous, and obscurely with purplish and lavender, chiefly 
in ring about larger end. Average size, .85 x .63 (21.6 x 16.). 

General Range.—North America, breeding from the northern and the higher 
mountainous parts of the United States northward to British Columbia, and the 
Saskatchewan River. Accidental on the Lower Yukon and in Greenland. In 
winter south to Central America, Columbia and northern Peru. 


Range. in Ohio.—A rare migrant. Only a dozen or so records known. 


A familiar resident in the mountains of the West and not uncommon in 
New England, this large Flycatcher is known to us only as a rare migrant pass- 
ing to and from its home in the Laurentian highlands. It is not a sociable 
bird, but migrates in solitary fashion, and roosts high in some scantily clad 
or dead tree, wherever night may chance to overtake it. At such times it 


320 THE WOOD PEWEE. 


expresses its distrust of the bird-man, craning his neck from below, by occa- 
sional alarm notes of singular resonance and penetrating quality, tezw-tew, 
tew-tew, tew, tew, tew. Beside this he has a loud call, swee-chew, which is 
one of the characteristic notes of the dense evergreen forests in which the bird 
spends its summer. “Three Cheers,” he seems to say—as a gold-miner in the 
Cascade Mountains of Washington once put it. And, truly, for one who has 
been delving all day in the bowels of the silent earth, the greeting which this 
bird shouts down from the topmost twig of some giant fir is most welcome and 
enspiriting. 


No. 140. 


WOOD PEWEE. 


A. O. U. No. 461. Contopus virens (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Upper parts dusky, with a brownish, olivaceous, 
olive-green, or even grayish cast,—brighter in any case on sides of neck and on 
back; wings and tail darker; middle and greater coverts tipped with brownish 
gray, forming two rather noticeable bars; under parts sordid white or yellowish, 
tinged more or less on sides and sometimes across breast with olive-brown or 
gray; bill black above, light yellow below, sometimes dark-tipped; feet black. 
Varies considerably in the matter of olivaceous and yellow coloring, being brighter 
colored after each moult, viz., in spring and fall. Jmmature birds have some 
rusty tinging of the feather tips, especially on the wing-coverts. Length 6.00- 
6.60 (152.4-167.6) ; av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 3.37 (85.6) ; tail 2.55 
(64.8) ; bill from nostril .39 (9.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Small Sparrow size; obscure coloration; broad bill, 
yellow below; gray wing-bars; pe-a-we note. 

Nest, a shallow cup of compacted moss, grass, rootlets, etc., lined indiffer- 
ently well with grasses, but handsomely decorated externally with lichens; sad- 
dled midway or in fork of horizontal limb, at middle heights. Eggs, usually 3, 
sometimes 4, creamy-white, marked by largish spots of distinct and obscure rufous- 
brown or umber, in open wreath about larger end. Av. size, .71 x .55 (18. x 14.). 

General Range.—E astern North America, west to the Plains, and from 
southern Canada southward, migrating through eastern Mexico and Honduras to 
Colombia and Ecuador. Breeds from Florida to Newfoundland. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident. 


WHEN the tide of spring migrations is at its height, and the early morn- 
ing woods are bursting with melody, a pensive stranger, clad in soberest olive, 
takes his place on some well shaded limb and remarks, pé-a-wee, in a plaintive 
voice and with a curious rising inflection at the end. Unlike his cousin, the Phce- 
be, who came too early in March,and who felt aggrieved at the lingering frosts. 
the Wood Pewee has nothing that he may rightly complain of. The trees are 


THE WOOD PEWEE. 321 


wreathed in their tenderest greens; the fresh blossoms, opening to the wooing 
breeze, are exhaling their choicest odors; the air hums with teeming insect life. 
But the Wood Pewee takes only a languid interest in all these matters. His 
memory is haunted by an unforgotten sorrow, some tragedy of the ancestral 
youth, and he sits alone, apart, saying ever and anon as his heart is freshly 
stirred, pé-a-wee, pé-a-wee. 

As the season advances, however, the drawling minor notes contrast less 
strangely with the surroundings. Bobolink’s note tinkles distantly from the 
meadows or is hushed under the weight of increasing family cares. Oriole 
still flutes, but only spasmodically, and soon we know he too will be silent. 
When the days reach their full length and the trees can hold not another leaf, 
then the heart of the olive stranger grows warm. He feels that he has come 
to his own, and from some ashen limb on the border of a woodsy aisle, his oft- 
repeated notes blend perfectly with the languorous air. When other birds are 
silent through the heat of the day, this soothful singer interprets rather than 
breaks the delicious stillness of the sunlit shades by his gentle inquiry, 
pe-a-wee? pe-a-wee? And then from time to time, lest his quaint interroga- 
tion should seem yet too obtrusive, he answers himself with a quainter note 
of perfect comprehension and content, a/i-péa-wee. 

Altho fond of the deeper woods the Wood Pewee is by no means confined 
tothem. He is even a little partial to the haunts of men if they include orchard 
and ample shade trees. His whistled notes present an irresistible temptation 
to imitation, but when he hears his name called by unfamiliar lips he exhibits 
only mild surprise without resentment. 

The nest of the Wood Pewee is one of the most sightly and romantic struc- 
tures which an ingenious Nature has evolved. Who would not, after the Hang- 
bird’s nest perhaps, choose a home which looked as if it grew upon the very 
lamb which supported it? A rather shallow cup—not a saucer—made of split 
grass, weed-fibers, delicate strips of grapevine bark, and abundant moss, is 
settled into the crotch of a lichen-covered horizontal limb, or perhaps it is 
saddled upon the middle of the limb, even tho it be not over an inch in thick- 
ness. In place of cement or vulgar mud, the builders use spiders’ silk, the 
toughest of substances for its size, and delightfully sticky. When the walls are 
laid, a fairy network of this substance is spread over the outside; and lichens, 
carefully selected to correspond with those already appearing on the limb, are 
plentifully used to decorate and conceal the surface. The resulting creation 
appears like a moss-covered knot where knots are common, and that is all. 

But of what use is all this cunning art of decorative concealment, if the 
proud architects have to go and give the secret away after all? One has only 
to determine the general vicinity of a Pewee’s nest, and then wait quietly at 
some little distance until the bird flies straight to it. Even when standing 
beneath the exact spot, the bird, in utter guilelessness or confidence, will settle 


322 THE YEELOW-BEELIED) FLYCATCHER: 


upon her eggs with a soft titter of content. But why not? Who could wish to 
harm so gentle a creature ? 

In no way do birds exhibit greater diversity of character than in their 
treatment of intruders. Some will flutter about you savagely when the nest 
is being examined, and snap their mandibles as tho wishing you were only the 
size of a horse-fly ; others sit at a distance and utter a mournful plaint; while 
others still disappear from view entirely. 

That the Wood Pewee is a bird of spirit the red squirrel can testify. I 
once saw one of those arch-destroyers trying to make his way along a walnut 
limb which was evidently forbidden territory. A Pewee had him under fire, 
and every time his head came round above the limb she set upon him fiercely. 
If the viciously clicking mandibles did not succeed in finding one of those evil 
eyes, the flashing fire from the bird’s eye must certainly have singed his 
whiskers. No telling what would have happened had there not been one who 
intervened. 


No. 141. 
YELUOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER: 


A. O. U. No. 463. Empidonax flaviventris Baird. 

Description.—Adult: Above dull olive-green, shading on sides and breast 
into greenish yellow of under parts, the latter shade purest (sulphur-yellow) 
on belly; wings and tail fuscous; the middle and greater coverts tipped, and the 
inner quills edged with light greenish yellow or whitish; secondaries abruptly 
yellow-edged on terminal half of outer webs; tip of wing formed by second, third 
and fourth primaries; the first shorter than the fifth; a yellow eye-ring; bill dark 
above, pale below; feet blackish. Jmmatwre: Similar, but duller above; brighter 
yellow below; the wing-bands buffy or ochraceous. Length 5.00-5.75 (127.- 
146.1) ; av. of ten Columbus specimens: wing 2.67 (67.8) ; tail 2.02 (51.2) ; bill 
from nostril .32 (8.1) ; width at base .31 (7.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; general yellowness,—the constancy and 
strength of the yellow is distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, chiefly of moss, placed on 
or near ground, in upturned roots, under fallen logs, or in moss-bank. Eggs, 
4, creamy-white, spotted and speckled, chiefly about larger end, with cinnamon- 
brown. Av. size, .67 x .52 (17. x 13.2). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, west to the Plains, and from 
southern Labrador south through eastern Mexico to Panama, breeding from the 
northern States northward. Casual in Greenland. 

Range in Ohio.—Probably not uncommon during migrations. Owing to its 
retiring habits few observers have reported it. c 


THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 323 


THE Empidonaces, or Gnat-kings, (as the Greek name signifies), as a 
group, offer peculiar difficulties to the student of birds. Altho separated into 
many species, the distinctions are so fine and the birds in the hand really look 
so much alike, that their identification is for a long time, in the experience of 
every one, involved in doubt and confusion. In the West, indeed, where the 
habitats of these birds are not yet clearly defined, and where the commonest 
species has earned the name difficilis (difficult), the effort to keep up with the 
little Flycatchers is almost maddening. 

The keys to an acquaintance with the four species' which occur in our 
state, are to be found in the notes, or characteristic cries, which each bird utters, 
and in the character of the haunts which each affects. The species under con- 
sideration is the least known of the four. It is found only during migrations, 
when it is very quiet and very secretive. I have never positively identified it 
within the state and it appears to be known to only two or three observers. 
Dr. Wheaton, who was perhaps better acquainted than any one else with the 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, says of its range: ‘It is seldom found perched near 
the extremity of limbs watching for or capturing flying insects, but it is gener- 
ally seen in the midst of a low thicket or fence row, and at the first intimation 
that it is an object of observation, seeks further concealment by hiding near the 
ground and remaining motionless. None of the family are such adepts at con- 
cealment, its habits in this respect resembling those of the Connecticut and 
Mourning Warblers.” 

The ordinary note of this bird is described as ‘‘an abrupt pse-ek, almost in 
one explosive syllable,” in which case it cannot be so unlike the familiar cle-otip 
note of the Acadian Flycatcher. It has, however, a more distinctive call— 
“a soft, mournful whistle consisting of two notes, the second higher pitched 
and prolonged, with rising inflection, resembling in a measure chu-e-e-p” (J. 
Dwight, Jr.). Dr. Wheaton records having heard this longer note on two 
occasions, but it is rarely heard during the migrations. 


No. 142. 


y AGADIAN. FLYCATCHER. 
y 


A. O, U. No. 465. Empidonax virescens (Vieill.). 
Synonym.—GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 
Description.—Adult: Upper parts, olive-green, olive, or olive-gray; wings 
and tail fuscous; the wing-barring and edging according to the pattern of the 
preceding species, but not so yellow. —rather inclining to buffy or gray; tip of wing 


1 For practical purposes the northern refinement E. traillii alnorum may be disregarded. 


324 THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 
formed by second and third primaries; first longer than fifth; eye-ring, white, 
or palest possible yellow below; below white, shaded with olive or olive-gray on 
sides and across breast, tinged with sulphur-yellow on belly (except the mid- 
dle), flanks, and lining of wings; bill broad, blackish above, pale beneath; feet 
dark. Immature: Like adult, but with ochraceous wing-bars and edgings, and 
brighter green above, with paler tips of feathers—thus lightening the general 
effect. Length, 5.50-6.10 (139.7-154.9); wing, 2.87 (72.9); tail, 2.27 (57.7); 
bill from nostril .37 (9.4) ; width at base .30 (7.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Larger Warbler size; distinctly olive (of some shade) 
above; throat whitish; yellow-tinged on belly and flanks; cleotip note; an in- 
habitant of woodland, especially beech. 

Nest, a frail and shallow saucer of leaf-stems, dried blossoms, or twigs, and 
rarely, grasses; placed in forklet near tip of declining beech-branch, at a height 
of from seven to fifteen feet. Eggs, 2 or 3 and sometimes 4, creamy-white, 
sparingly spotted about larger end with rusty-brown. Av. size, .73x.54 
(GSES Se 12477) 

General Range.—E astern United States, north to southern New York and 
southern Michigan, west to the Plains, south to Cuba and Costa Rica. Rare or 
casual in southern New England. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident. One of the most charac- 
teristic birds of our numerous beech woodlands. 


“THE groves were God's first temples,” and in none of them is worship 
fitter than in a wood of ancient beeches. The floor of the temple is ribbed 
with their roots, gnarled and wide - spreading. 
Plinth and archi- trave are wanting, but the sturdy 
beech columns need no ex- 
cuse save their own 
rugged grace and 
their aureoles of 
living green. 
Their unfluted 
sides are frescoed, 
perhaps, in lichen 
hues of  ashy- 


Pheto by 
J. B. Parker 


Taken near 
Danville. 


ACADIAN FLYCATCHER—FEMALE BROODING YOUNG. 


THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 325 


green and ochrey brown, or else becheckered by the soft sunlight as it comes 
sifting down through unstained windows. Here a group of tapering pillars, 
a closer brotherhood, incline in reverence to the whispering breeze, and cast 
an ample shade for the inner shrine; and here a fallen tree, grown old in ser- 
vice but useful still, invites the worshipper to pause and rest. 

In such a sacred spot as this the Acadian Flycatcher has chosen to spend 
its brief summer. Within the shadow of a single wood it finds its mate, rears 


young, and gathers strength for the return across the unknown wastes to 


Florida. 

The first notice which we have of the bird’s arrival, sometime during the 
last week in April, is a 
fairy sneeze heard in the 
depths of the wood. 
“Cleotip,’ it says, 
but with the 
time and em- 
phasis ofa 
“Kachew.” This 
note comes not 
from the tip of 
some dead limb 


in full view, as 
would be the 
case with other 
Plyeat ch - 
ers, but from a 
clear space on 
some lower 


Photo by J. B. Parker. 
limb or middle THE TRIUMPH OF MOTHER-LOVE. 


A 1o p. 
height. The ALTHO IN TERROR OF THE CAMERA, THIS MOTHER FLYCATCHER VENTURES TO 
bird delivers his FEED HER FAMISHING BROOD WHILE HOVERING OVER THEM ON THE WING. 


salutation with 

a good deal of apparent effort, as tho he were clearing an obstruction from his 
beak, and he jerks his tail at the same time by way of emphasis. His repertory 
of song contains no other notes save a low humming titter of adulation, common 
to the little Flycatchers, and a sharp scolding note, swezw, or more rarely sweet, 
with a sort of explosiveness at the finish. Altho these are the only notes which l 
have observed in a somewhat extended acquaintance, one cannot afford to be 
dogmatic on this subject. As matter of curiosity the following list of interpreta- 
uions is presented, as culled from seven authors: Queae, queae, tchoac, tchewee, 
weet, weet, weet, will; chirr (Audubon) ; quequeal (Allen); spee or peet; 
pee-e-yuk (Chapman); e-chee-ah (Nehrling); wick-wp or hick-up; queep- 


326 TEE eACADIAN EE MCAD CER: 

queep or chier-queer; whoty, whoty (Bendire) ; What-d’ye-see (Wheaton) ; 
tshee-kee, tshee-kee (Blanchan). Seven other authorities consulted wisely re- 
frained from the attempt. 

It is not altogether unusual to find the Acadian Flycatcher frequenting 
second growth clearings, and the woodsy borders which face damp brush lots, 
but he is more commonly found along the umbrageous vista of some unfre- 
quented wood-road, or in the gloomy heart of the forest. Here he waits im- 
patiently for mosquitoes and midges, darting at them suddenly from his perch, 
making a quick turn at the goal, and bringing his mandibles together sharply 
with a click which for one poor insect is the veritable crack of doom. Here, 
too, in some dim aisle of the forest, from the feathery tip of a horizontal or 


Photo by J. B. Parker. 
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER AND YOUNG. 


THE NEST IS THE SAME AS SHOWN IN THE PREVIOUS ILLUSTRATION. GROWN BOLDER THE MOTHER BIRD 
ALIGHTS ON THE LIMB PREPARATORY TO DIVIDING A MOTH AMONG HER BROOD. 


descending branch, a frail cradle is swung. It is a shallow saucer of fine 
twigs, leaf-stems, or the stalks of some slender vine made fast by the edges 
to forking twigs or half supported by them. Usually the materials are loosely 
interwoven and bound together by cobwebs, but the latter are often absent. 
Catkins and dried blossoms also generally enter into the construction. Occa- 
sionally the whole affair is so careless that it merits Dr. Wheaton’s comparison, 
“a tuft of hay caught by the limb from a load driven under it.” Beech trees 
are not the only hosts of this little gnat-king. Dr. Jones says, “I have taken 
nests from the maple, dogwood, oak, hickory, black-haw, thorn, Indian-arrow, 
beech, elm, papaw, willow, hazel, and wild grape-vine.” To this list must be 
added the hemlock, a favorite tree wherever it is to be found. 


THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 327 

Into the frail saucer three eggs are commonly put. They are of a rich 
creamy or buffy hue, flesh-tinted as well, when fresh, and boldly but sparingly 
spotted about the larger end with light brown or umber ;—never “white,” and 
seldom unmarked. Many eggs must be lost each season, for any considerable 
wind would upset them. In fear and trembling I once hooked down a nest at 
the end of a horizontal oak branch full twenty feet high. The single youngster 
which it contained appeared, however, to enjoy the ride immensely. If there 
had been eggs, they could have been counted from below, as in most cases. 

The Acadian Flycatcher lays its first eggs before the end of May, and 
is ready for a second family early in July. It is believed that some thrifty 
birds raise three broods in a season, but this must be rare. 

Considerable fault has been found with the name Acadian. It is a mis- 
nomer in so far as it is under- 
stood to refer to a certain local- 
ity in Nova Scotia. The 
“Green-c rested Fly- 
catcher” of the A. O. U. 
committee is worse yet. 
It is a revival of the 
“Small Green-crested 
Flycatcher” of Audu- 
bon and others, but it is 
inapt. It reminds one 
strongly of Cuvier and 
the French Academy. 
Cuvier once asked the 
French savants to define 
a crab. “A crab”, said 
these wiseacres, 1S a 
small, red fish which 


crawls backward 
CONT é Ea AY a 3 

\ ery good, mente Photo by J. B. Parker. 
men,’ replied Cuvier, CLEANING THE NEST. 


“very good ; only a THE PARENT BIRDS ATTEND TO THIS NECESSARY DUTY AT THE 
O * (~ D 2 CLOSE OF EACH VISIT TO THE NEST. 

crab is not a fish; it is 

not red; and it does not crawl backward.” If the discontent with “Acadian” 
cannot be subdued, I would propose a revival of the term Sy/van, once em- 
ployed for several Flycatchers indiscriminately but now fallen into disuse. 
Sylvan Flycatcher would accurately and appropriately distinguish Empi- 
donax virescens in Ohio. 


328 THE TRAILL FLYCATCHER. 


No. 143. 


TRAILE PEVCAT CHE Re 


A. O. U. No. 466. Empidonax traillii (Aud.). 


Description.—ddult: Above olive, dark olive-green, or olive-brown, brown 
of head darker and unmistakable; wings and tail fuscous; wing-coverts tipped 
and inner quills margined with grayish (pale buffy or fulvous); pattern of 
edging on secondaries similar to that of preceding species but less distinct,— 
yellow not so abrupt, paler, etc.; wing-tip formed by second, third, and fourth 
primaries; first usually shorter than fifth; below sordid white, tinged on breast 
and sides with brownish gray, and with a faint wash of sulphur-yellow behind; 
bill dark above, light brown below. Jmimature: Browner above, more yellow 
below; wing-bands deep buffy or ochraceous. Length 5.75-6.25 (146.1-158.8) ; 
wing 2.84 (72.1); tail 2.22(56.4); bill from nostril .36 (9.1); width at base .30 
(7.6). Female not so long, but other dimensions substantially the same. 


Taken i 


Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 


A VIEW OF THE OAK POINT SWAMPS—A FAVORITE HAUNT OF THE TRAILEL FLYCATCHER. 


Recognition Marks.—Warbler to small Sparrow size; as compared with 
the preceding species, a general note of brownness observable; other diagnostic 
differences not easy, nor individually constant; habits quite different; a dweller 
in swamps and lowland thickets. 


Nest, a rather bulky but neatly-turned cup of plant-fibres, bark-strips, grass, 
etc., carefully lined with fine grasses; placed three to ten feet up, in crotch of 


THE TRAILL FLYCATCHER. 429 


bush or sapling of lowland thicket or swamp. Eggs, 3 or 4, not certainly dis- 
tinguishable from those of preceding species. Av. size, .70 x .54 (17.8 x 13.7). 
General Range.—Western North America from the Mississippi Valley 
(Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan) to the Pacific and from the Fur Countries south 
into Mexico. 
Range in Ohio.—Locally common summer resident. Found in willows and 
alders of swamps. 


EARLY in June your morning walk along the river bank is likely to be 
interrupted by an imperative swee-chee, issuing from the top of a hackberry 
sapling hard by. This bird sits uneasily upon her perch and appears anxious, 
worried. Only dire extremity, you may be sure, could induce her to ven- 
ture so near this unknown monster, man.  S‘wee-chee, she challenges again, 
and then amazed at her 
own temerity, vanishes 
into the thicket to be 
seen. no more. 
There is a nest 
near, but the 
owner has done 
her duty in pro- 
claiming the 
fact, and she 
will not lead 
further in the 
S@aireln, Ave 
about the level 
of your head in 
some willow or 
alder clump, or 
mayhap in a 
hackberry like 
the one upon 
which she sat, 
you will find a 
neat, substan- 
tial cup of hemp he ey 
and grasses, Taken at the Licking Reservoir. yy 


bound tightly to 
an upright fork. 
The nest might bated 

NEST AND EGGS OF THE 
have been a TRAILL FLYCATCHER. 


Photo by the Author. 


A WELL-BUILT CUP. 


Pee: THE TRAILL FLYCATCHER. 


Yellow Warbler’s, except that it is a trifle bulkier and not so well concealed. 
It lacks, too, the cotton lining which is indispensible to the Warbler home. ‘The 
eggs might have been those of an Acadian Flycatcher, but thesituation of thenest 
is entirely different, and its architecture as far removed as Gothic from Maort. 
Or again the nests of the two species may be happily related by the compari- 
son of cup and saucer. The cup of the Traill Flycatcher is normally two inches 
across by one and a half deep, inside. 
On June 11th, 1901, while walking 
through a dense clump of swamp 
elms on the Olentangy levee, I spied 
a nest of this bird at a height of 
about ten feet. It was in a deli- 
cate situation, but by resting 
what seemed about one-half of 
my avoirdupois on an elm sap- 
ling, and entrusting the other 
half to the air, IT managed to 
secure a glimpse into the nest. I 
saw that it was good. The nest 
itself was somewhat awry. It 
had doubtless been planned 
right in the first place, but the 
last wind, or the rapid growth 
of engaging twigs had lifted 
one side higher than the other. 
It contained four eggs, three 
normal and fresh; the other off 
in every way, except as to size 
and shape. The egg in ques- 
tion was absolutely unmarked, 
and bore every evidence of hav- 
ing been exposed to the weath- 
er for a great length of time. 
It was porous with age and the 
contents perfectly hard. How 
it might have come into a nest 


Taken Photo 


t the by the 2 pe 
Licking duthor Of recent construction along 
Reservoir with three fresh eggs I am 


quite unprepared to say. 
Traill’s Flycatcher is found 

only in localities conforming to 

rather exact requirements. The 


VERY CONFIDING. 


THIS LITTLE MOTHER FLYCATCHER APPEARS AGAIN NEAR 
THE CENTER OF THE NEXT ILLUSTRATION. 


THE TRAILL, FLYCATCHER. 331 
bird loves brushy swamps and lowland thickets. In a suitable swamp of a few 
acres it may abound, so that one writer has stated, rather extravagantly, that 
it nests in colonies. On the other hand it may be entirely wanting for miles 


Taken at the Licking Reservoir. 


A HOME IN THE ELDERBERRIES. 


A FEMALE TRAILL FLYCATCHER IS SEEN SITTING ON HER NEST AT A POINT NEAR 
THE CENTER OF THE PICTURE. 


Photo by the Author. 


332 DHE TEAST Ei CAm GEER: 


around. Altho nests of this species have been frequently found of late, com- 
paratively little systematic work has been done upon its life history. The bird 
reaches Ohio about the second week in May (Columbus, May 5th, is an early 
record, possibly of &. t. alnorium), raises one brood and disappears early in 
September. Authorities differ, as usual, in the interpretation of the notes: 
“TVhit-te-ar’, and later in the season “Hovyt-te-ar’’ were what Dr. Wheaton 
heard. An energetic swvee-cliee or swee-chu suits most. An early migrant at 
Columbus once startled me with a most emphatic enunciation, Zwec-bew and 
once again sweé-bew, sweet. ‘This bird was evidently not &. hammondi, but 
he had acquired the precise accent of the western species. 


No. 144. 
DEAS ELEY CARCEER: 


A. O. U. No. 467. Empidonax minimus Baird. 

Synonym.—CHEBEC. 

Description.—Aduit: Above, olive, olive-green, or rarely, olive-brown: a 
little darker on the head; wings and tail fuscous; tip of wing formed by third 
and fourth primaries; second equal to the fifth; first shorter than the sixth; wing- 
bars ashy white or brownish gray; pattern of secondaries about as in virescens, 
but edging ashy white instead of yellowish; below, dull white, shaded on sides 
by brownish gray, and behind faintly with sulphur yellow; eye-ring whitish; 
bill dark above, horn-color below,—not so light as in the other species. Jimia- 
ture: Similar, but rather more yellow below. Length 5.00-5.50 (127.-139.7) ; 
wing 2.46 (62.5); tail 2.03 (51.6); bill from nostril .31 (7.9); width at base 
A) (Fee) 

Recognition Marks.—Least, Warbler size; chebec or sewick note, smartly 
rendered. Size and note distinctive. 

Nest, a neat structure of interwoven grasses, bark-strips, and felted vege- 
table-down, lined with hair, or occasionally, feathers; placed in upright or hori- 
zontal fork of sapling five to fifteen feet up. Aggs, 3-5, white, unmarked, or 
TALelyenSPECKEd ANVeN SIZE O23) Xan 0) GlOnexasl 273) 

General Range.—Chiefly eastern North America, west to eastern Colorado 
and central Montana; south in winter to Central America. Breeds from the 
northern States northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring and late summer migrant. Locally and 
sparingly resident in summer. 


IN comparison with other Empidonaces a good many superlatives are 
applicable to this bird in addition to that of least. In the first place he is the 
earliest of the spring migrants, reaching central Ohio some time during the 
last week of April or even earlier. Then he is the most prominent, for he 


THE LEAST FLYCATCHER. 333 


almost invariably selects a conning tower on some naked or dead limb which 
commands a wide sweep of mosquito territory. He is the least timid, or per- 
haps we would better say he is the most confiding of his race. Conscious of 
right motives himself, he is slow to think evil of others, and does not hesitate 
to occupy a convenient station from which he may observe your business with 
pleased interest, while not forgetting his own. ‘Then if you are not ready to 
admit that he is the dearest bird, it must be conceded that he is a little the 
noisiest member of a group in which this distinction is easy and not unflattering. 
Sewick—sewick, or as some prefer to hear it, che-bec, sounds frequently in a 
very business-like tone of voice from the tip of the dead branch which serves 
the bird as a base of operations. 

The drooping wings and a general air of dejection which distinguish this 
little Flycatcher at rest, are promptly contradicted both by the energy of the 
bird’s utterance, and by the spirited sorties which are made after passing 
insects. Sometimes a whole host of midges is encountered and then the little 
mandibles go snip, snip, snip, like barbers’ shears in skillful hands. 

There is also an ecstatic fliglit cry, which occurs either as the result of 
the excitement of rivalry or the chase, or as a tender passage in courtship, and 
which almost lays claim to being considered song. During its delivery the 
bird rises from its perch, flutters its wings rapidly and turns around slowly in 
the air, while it utters an incoherent series of screaming gasps: Sewick, tooral, 
sewick tooral, sewick, tooral-ooral. 

The Least Flycatcher is to be found almost anywhere during the spring 
migrations, but orchards, second-growth clearings, and brushy hillsides are 
favorite places. The up-trip is made in rather leisurely fashion, and the birds 
sometimes linger long enough to encourage the idea that they are going to 
nest. Mr. I. A. Field saw two of these birds at the Licking Reservoir on 
May goth, and Professor Johnson of Granville believes that a pair of them have 
nested for several years past in front of his house. 

If the nest is discovered in the state, as it is altogether likely to be, it will 
be found in an upright fork of some bush or sapling, a very neat structure built 
somewhat after the manner of a Redstart’s; and the pure white eges will make 
identification easy and certain. 

The return journey takes place early in September or late in August. It 
is, however, an open question whether birds seen August 24th, 1902, in Meigs 
County, were early migrants or summer residents. 


334 THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 


No. 145. 


RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 


‘A. O. U. No. 428. Trochilus colubris Linn. 

Description.—Adult male: Above shining bronzy green,—rear aspect 
golden-green; wing-quills fuscous with faint purplish reflections; tail (two 
thirds concealed by green coverts), dark, metallic violet or purplish, forked, and 
with emarginate feathers; gorget shining metallic crimson; chin dull, velvety 
black; throat, below gorget, whitish; remaining lower parts heavily tinged with 
dusky and overlaid with metallic green, save on flanks, which are cottony-whitish ; 
bill slender, straight, and uniformly rounded. Adult female: Similar but with- 
out gorget ; throat white, specked with dusky ; tail double rounded, feathers rapidly 
tapering near tip. Jmmature male: Like adult female, but tail forked. Jmma- 
ture female: Like adult, but throat not specked with dusky. Adult male, length 

.25-3.60 (82.6-91.4) ; wing 1.53 (38.9) ; tail 1.08 (27.4) ; bill .63 (16.). Female 
a little larger. 

Recognition Marks.—Size least among Ohio birds. 

Nest, of plant-down, bound together by vegetable-fbers, and decorated ex- 
ternally with lichens; a tiny cup saddled upon a horizontal or descending limb, 
usually at considerable heights. Eggs, 2, pure white. Av. size, .51 x .34 
(EBs Se HO) 

General Range.—E astern North America to the Plains, north to the Fur 
Countries, breeding from Florida to Labrador; and south in winter to Cuba, 
Mexico and Veragua. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident. 


THOSE of us, who as children were taught to call lady-bugs “lady-birds,” 
might have been pardoned some uncertainty as to the whereabouts of the divid- 
ing line between insects and birds, especially if, to the vision of the “Hum- 
bird’s” wings shimmering by day above the flower bed, was added the twilight 
visits of the hawk-moths not a whit smaller. The Hummer is painted like a 
butterfly ; its flight is direct and buzzing like a bee’s; it seeks its food at the 
flower’s brim by poising on rapidly vibrating wing like the hawk-moth; but 
there the resemblances cease. For the rest it is a bird, migrating, mating, and 
nesting quite like grown folks. 

It is a matter of no little wonder that of the five hundred species of Hum- 
mingbirds known to science and confined to the New World, only one should 
have penetrated the region east of the Mississippi River, there to enjoy a 
range almost twice larger than that of any other species. How we came to 
be so nearly overlooked we may never know; but let us be thankful for one. 

Contrary to the popular belief the Hummer does not feed largely upon 
nectar, but inserts its needle-bill into the depths of flowers mainly for the pur- 
pose of capturing insects. This explains the otherwise puzzling habit the 
bird has of revisiting the same flower beds at frequent intervals. It is not to 


RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 
Trochilus colubri 


Lifeé-si 


wl 


THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 335 


eather new-flowing sweets but to see what flies the sweets themselves have gath- 
ered. If the bird extracted honey to any great extent—it does some—it would 
be rifling the bait from its own traps. Again the bird is not footless, as some 
suppose, but it spends a good deal of time perching on exposed limbs, from 
which it may dart, Flycatcher fashion, after passing insects. 

1 am almost inclined to deny the report also that this tiny creature is song- 
less. For in addition to the squeaks of excitement or anger, which all have 
heard, have we not seen an impetuous gallant dashing through the air in great 
rainbow mazes, before his lady love, demurely seated; and have we not heard 
him giving cry to a perfect ecstacy of chippering and suckling notes of such 
exquisite fineness that the human ear could only catch the crests of sound? 
Song is a relative term, to be sure; but to accuse the Hummingbird of being 
voiceless, is a bit of injustice. Ask the lady. 

Hop-o’-my-Thumb has, | am sorry to say, a flashing temper to match his 
throat. Rivals charge at each other with an impetuosity which makes us 
fearful that they will be spitted on each other’s beaks. Other birds a hundred 
times the size must sometimes suffer from the little tyrant’s spleen, but to see 
a Hawk cross the sky by jerks and plunges in a vain effort to avoid this tiny 
persecutor is not a wholly unedifying sight. 

The Hummingbird is full of curiosity and not, perhaps, without some 
sense of humor. Else why should one of them down in Washington County 
have hovered for full twenty seconds in mock uncertainty within eighteen 
inches of the author’s nose? It was only honest sunburn, and | resent the 
bird’s insinuation. 

The fairy’s nest is commonly saddled to an obliquely descending branch of 
an orchard or forest tree. It is a tiny tuft of vegetable down bound together 
and lashed to its support by a wealth of spider webbing and covered externally 
with lichens. When finished it is nothing more than an elfin bump on a log, 
but the unwary visits of the mother discover a secret otherwise profound. She 
sits upon two eggs like homeopathic pills—so dainty, indeed, that she herself 
must needs dart off the nest every now and then and hover at some distance to 
admire them. Both parents are valiant in defense of the nest, but the practical 
support of the little family seems to fall chiefly upon the mother. The young 
are fed by regurgitation—“a frightful looking act,” as Bradford Torrey says. 


THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 


io) 
w 
(>) 


No. 146. 
CHIMNEY SWIFT. 


A. O. U. No. 423. Chetura pelagica (Linn.). 

Synonym.—CuHIMNEY SWALLow (incorrect). 

Description.—ddult: Entire plumage sooty brown or sooty gray, darker, 
almost black, on wings, much lighter on throat; feathers of upper parts with 
faintest possible greenish iridescence; lores black; the shafts of the tail-feathers 
extending beyond the vanes, forming black spines one-quarter to one-third of an 
inch in length; point of wing formed by first and second primaries; the remain- 
ing wing-quills strongly and uniformly graduated in length; bill very small; feet 
weak. Length 4.75-5.50 (120.6-139.7) ; wing 5.00 (127.); tail 1.90 (48.3) ; bill 
from nostril .16 (4.1); gape 1.00 (25.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Apparently “Swallow” size; abbreviated tail; semi- 
lunar appearance of wings in flight; general black aspect. Never seen at rest 
save in chimneys or hollow trees. 

Nest, a shallow half-saucer of short twigs, glued together with the bird’s 
saliva and similarly cemented to the inside wall of a chimney, or placed in a 
hollow tree. Hggs, 4-6, pure white. Av. size, 80 x .51 (20.3 x 13.). 

General Range.—E astern North America north to Labrador and the Fur 
Countries, west to the Plains, and passing south of the United States in winter, 
at least to Jalapa, Mexico, and Cozumel. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident. 


THE way of any bird in the air commands interest, but the way of the 
Swift provokes both admiration and astonishment. With volitatorial powers 
which are unequaled by any other land bird, this avian missile goes hurtling 
across the sky without injury, or else minces along slowly with pretended diffi- 
culty,. Now it waddles to and fro in strange zigzags, picking up a gnat at 
every angle, and again it “lights out” with sudden access of energy and alter- 
nate wing strokes, intent on hawking in heaven's upper story. At favorite 
seasons the birds cross and recross each other’s paths in lawless mazes and fill 
the air with their strident creakings, while here and there couples and even 
trios sail about in great stiff curves with wings held aloft. It is the only oppor- 
tunity afforded for personal attentions, and it is probable that the sexes have no 
further acquaintance except as they pass and repass in ministering to the young. 

The most interesting hour in the life of this bird is bed-time. All the 
‘ birds in a given locality resort nightly to some high chimney or ventilator shaft, 
—the larger the better. Even during the breeding season the males congregate 
regularly in these places and thither the young are hurried as soon as they have 
attained adolescence. After sunset, then, the company gathers for a social whirl 
in the air above their long black bunk. Under leadership which seems haphazard, 
they gyrate furiously, now appearing like specks borne about resistlessly in 
some vast whirlpool, now following through some intricate evolution in figure- 


TT Se 


ih ae te, : ‘ 4 


SY i Pe merit 


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. | ae ae 
PE, eer a. wa 


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BET ne , a ne tie Pi 


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CHIMNEY SWIFT A 
haetu a pelagice 


Lit 


THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 337 


of-eight or rosette pattern, all without collision or accident. No bird is more 
loth to go to bed, but as the evil hour draws near and conscience pricks the 
tender-hearted, a few approach the chimney top with quivering wing. But 
at sight of the yawning hole they recoil in terror, and rejoin the mad whirl 
above, circling seven times faster for the fright they have had. But some- 
thing really must be done; the music languishes; one and another and another 
braves the depths, and returns no more. Soon there is a general movement and 
whole squads go down. The young bloods spur up the dance with renewed 
fury, but the light is fading and the end is near. When the waltz is over a 
few late comers dive into the hole without loss of time. All is still, at last, 
and darkness broods over the scene. ‘Thus has the bird-man seen them a 
thousand strong. 

Getting up in the morning is more prosaic. At about 4:30 A. M. (ona 
morning late in August) some unquiet spirits who have slept outside, enter the 
chimney and arouse the sleepers. A general exodus soon occurs, but there is 
no repetition of last night’s gaities. In leaving the chimney the birds do not 
hurl themselves upward, as one might expect, but flutter quietly to the top, 
and upon reaching the brim fly straight away or else downward. When 
many are leaving at once this action curiously resembles that of smoke on a 
windy day. 

In nesting the Chimney “Sweeps” seek out the smaller chimneys of 
dwelling houses, and usually only one pair occupies a single shaft. Short 
twigs are seized and snapped off by the bird’s beak in midflight, and these, 
after being rolled about in the copious saliva, are made fast to the bricks, a 
neat and homogeneous bracket being thus formed. ‘This will be sufficient to 
support the half dozen crystal white eggs and the hissing squabs which follow, 
unless a premature fire or a long-continued rain dissolves the glue and tum- 
bles the fabric into the grate. 

Sitting birds, when discovered, oftenest drop below the nest and hide, 
clinging easily with the tiny feet supported by the spiny tail. The male bird 
seldom pays any attention unless there are young, in which case he even 
brushes past the intruder and enters the nest in his eagerness to share the 
hour of danger. ‘The young are rather slow in development and it requires, 
according to Mr. Otto Widmann, two months to rear a family of them. 
Usually only one brood is raised, but a second nesting is undertaken even as 
late as August if the first has proven unsuccessful. 

Of course the Swift did not always place the nest in chimneys. Dr. 
Howard Jones says: “Sometimes it is built in a hollow trunk of a tree, under 
the eaves of a house, or upon a rafter in a barn, but the last two locations are 
very exceptional. Before the days of chimneys the nests were placed almost 
exclusively in hollow trees, and even today there are some birds which cling 
to this ancestral habit. About two miles east of Circleville on Darby Creek, 


338 THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 


is a gigantic sycamore, which, a century or so ago, was topped by the wind. 
In the trunk of this tree, which is hollow to the roots, Chimney Swifts have 
built for years. There are other hollow trees in the neighborhood, into which 
I have also seen birds carrying sticks; and if all such trees in the state could 
be counted, they would probably foot up hundreds, or, perhaps even thou- 
sands.” 


No. 147. 
WHIP-POOR-WILL. 


A. O. U. No. 417. Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.). 

Synonym.— NIGHT-JAR. 

Description.—ddult male: Mottled—hblack, gray and ochraceous of sev- 
eral shades—in intricate patterns and soft blendings; a narrow collar and the 
terminal third of three outer pairs of rectrices white, the former margined, and 
the latter tipped with ochraceous-buff ; crown and nape finely mixed gray, with 
narrow lateral, and broad medial black streaks; the wings much mixed with 
ochraceous-buff, which is nearly pure in spots on outer webs of dusky primaries; 
four median tail-feathers gray and dusky, indistinctly barred, and with ochraceous 
mottling ; the lateral feathers chiefly blackish, and with large white terminal bands ; 
below nearly black on throat above collar, and across breast; lighter on belly 
and sides, obscurely barred with dusky in wavy outlines on pinkish buff, fulvous, 
or ochraceous ground; bill with enormous gape and protected by stout, undivided 
rictal bristles, an inch or so in length, and seven or eight in number on a side. 
The bristle idea is carried out by numerous hair-like tips of the feathers which 
border the throat on the sides and meet the bristles above. Feet a little stouter 
than in preceding species. Adult female: Similar, but with narrow ochraceous- 
buff, instead of broad, white terminal bands on outer tail-feathers; collar more 
extensively tinged with buffy. Jmmature: Pattern of upper parts somewhat 
different; plainer below. Length 9.50-10.00 (241.3-254.); wing 6.16 (156.5) ; 
tail 4.73 (120.1); gape 1.28 (32.5); bill from nostril .30 (7.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; general mottled and brindled appearance ; 
crescentic white collar; prominent rictal bristles; no white wing-spot. 

Eggs, 2, laid on the ground or among dead leaves, in damp woods or thicket ; 
elliptical, dull white or creamy, with spots and dots or sometimes blotches of 
yellowish brown, and with obscure lilac shell markings. Av. size, 1.16 x .86 
(Boe Se Zirgs})). 

General Range.—FE astern North America to the Plains, and from latitude 
50° south to Guatemala. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon summer resident, but locally restricted. 


AS one is picking his way late in April through a low damp wood, 
choked with underbrush, a dark figure suddenly rises from the dead leaves at 
his feet, uttering a low disconcerted chuck, but moving off with wings of 


THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 339 


ghostly noiselessness, only to drop down into the brush again a rod or so 
away. It is almost idle to search for it with the eyes alone, so perfectly do 
the softly blended colors of the Whippoorwill’s plumage assimilate to those 
of the leaf-strewn mold. On other occasions the bird may be seen resting 
on some low limb or fence-post, and twice during migrations I have seen it 
high in trees in broad daylight, squatting lengthwise of a dun-colored limb. 

Whippoor- 
wills are crep- 
uscular and 
nocturnal in 
habit, and se- 
cure their in- 
sect prey by fly- 
ing to and fro 
across bushy 
pastures and 
swampy mead- 
ows. The bird’s 
enormous gape, 
seconded by the 
lengthy bristles 
on either side 
of the beak, 
makes the pur- 
suit about as 
artless as that 
of the entomol- 
ogist, who 
sweeps the tops 
of the weeds 
with a mos- 
quito - netting 
bag, “catching 
as catch can.” 

These noc- 
turnal fly-catch- 
ers are rather 
irregular in 
their  distribu- a ' 
tion about the : Photo by R. F. Griggs. 
state. They are THE WHIPPOORWILL’S NEST. 


likely to appear almost anywhere during migrations ; but for a breeding haunt 


340 THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 


prefer broken country where woodcd ravines and damp brushy hillsides abound. 
I have seen half a dozen of them near Columbus and presume they breed 
in some of the “runs.”” Chance Creek, a deep ravine in Lorain County, once 
pine-clad, was the only spot where we could be sure of finding them for miles 
around. 

It was here that I once listened to a concert which stands out in memory 
like the singing of Patti. A small party of us, reunited classmates, were 
crossing, at dusk, the high tongue of land between Chance Creek and Ver- 
million River, when we heard the sweet notes of a Whippoorwill, w/ip-poor- 
will, whip-poor-will, wafted up from the glen below. Soon the bird was 
joined by another whose presence seemed to provoke the first to redou- 
led effort. ‘The mellow notes were produced in a continuous series by each 
performer, and a third chimed in, as we stood and listened to the intoxicating 
music, in that tender fresh hour after sunset. After a time the bird-man 
ventured to imitate their cries by whistling, and soon obtained a hearing. 
The birds answered eagerly at frequent intervals. Then came a long hush, 
followed by a sudden sense of the birds’ presence, as they glided silently by, 
almost brushing my wife’s garments with their quiet wings. They took 
up a station near and poured forth such a flood of liquid notes as made the 
air quiver and vibrate with the gushing melody, and bathed our world-worn 
spirits in a grateful stream of limpid absolution. Awed and hushed the bird- 
man could not emulate those glorious strains, and the trio retired in gentle 
confusion. 

The periods of greatest activity in song are the hours just after sunset 
and those preceding dawn, but the cries may be heard at all hours of the 
night as the bird pauses from time to time to rest. 

The eggs, which are not quite white, as one might suppose them to be 
from the photograph, are laid upon the fallen leaves or bare rock, without 
any attempt at nest construction. The parent bird sits close as long as possi- 
ble, or feigns lameness in the event of danger; and she has also a hissing 
note meant to repel attack. The eggs or young must be studied, 1f at all, 
the hour they are discovered, for in the absence of the observer, the bird will 
remove them—by the mouth it is said—to a place of safety. 


THE NIGHTHAWK. aaa 


No. 148. 
NIGHTHAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 420. Chordeiles virginianus (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—BvLL-Bat. 

Description.—Adult male: Mottled, black, gray and ochraceous, and with 
white in patches; above black predominates, especially on forehead and back, 
mottling falling into indistinct bars on upper tail-coverts and tail; anterior edge 
of wing white; the wing-quills dusky; a large, white, transverse patch about 
midway on the first five primaries, save on the outer web of the first; a large 
V-shaped throat-patch white; remaining under parts distinctly and finely barred, 
dusky and whitish with some faint ochraceous,—the latter found especially on 
the parts adjacent to the white throat-patch; the crissum sometimes pure white, 
usually barred, at greater intervals than on breast; a white band crossing tail 
near tip, except on central feathers. Bill without evident bristles, the horny part 
very small, but length of gape about an inch. ‘Tarsus very short; the middle 
claw enlarged, and with a curious, horny, comb-like process on the inner edge. 
Adult female: Similar, but without white band on tail, and with white spots 
on primaries often much reduced ; throat-patch tinged with ochraceous, and suffu- 
sion of under parts by this color more pronounced. Jimmature: More finely and 
heavily mottled than adults, and with upper parts more heavily marked, or even 
suffused with ochraceous-buff. Length 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254.); wing 4.85 
(123.2) ; tail 4.32 (109.7) ; bill from nostril .21 (5.3). 

Recognition Marks.—To appearance “Little Hawk” size 
central white spot in long wing distinctive. 

Eggs, 2, deposited on the bare ground, often among rocks, sometimes upon 
a flat rock, or on the gravel roof of a tall building; grayish white, or dull olive- 
buff marbled, mottled, or clouded and speckled with various shades of olive, 
and brownish- or purplish-gray. Av. size, 1.18 x .86 (30. x 21.8). 


General Range.—Northern and eastern North America west to the Great 
Plains and central British Columbia, and from Labrador south through tropical 
America to the Argentine Republic. 

Range in Ohio.—Not very common summer resident. Abundant during 
migrations, especially in August. Breeds sparingly throughout the state but is 
subject to great local variation. 


really smaller; 


CURIOSITY is certainly a large element in the make-up of most birds. 
Scarcely had I set my foot outside my door this August morning, when I 
caught sight of a young Nighthawk which had alighted for the day on a 
prominent bare limb of an oak, at a height of not less than sixty feet. But 
I was not the first discoverer. Half a dozen Bluebirds were hovering about 
the stranger and talking excitedly. Red-headed Woodpeckers cackled and 
scolded and exclaimed “Queer! Queer !”’ diving viciously by way of emphasis, 
at the unoffending night-bird. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Baltimore Orioles, 
and Flickers joined the mob, wagging their heads and chattering as they 


342 THE NIGHTHAWK. 


passed up surmises to their motley companions. ‘They all agreed it was a 
W hat-is-it? and I did too; for the bird was so brown, or tawny, and showed 
so little of the distinctive white spot on the wings, that it took all the morn- 
ing to determine that it was really a young Nighthawk and not a Whip- 
poorwill. 

Both of these birds suffer somewhat from an unreasoning prejudice on 
the part of both birds and men, occasioned perhaps by their long wings. I 
have seen Robins pounce upon an unoffending Whippoorwill, and drive the 
poor bird nearly distracted; while everybody knows that the very name 


Taken near Delaware. Photo by E. L. Scott. 
NIGHTHAWK’S EGGS, IN SITU. 


“hawk,” however unreasonably applied, is enough to explode the cap on any 
self-sufficient old musket. 

These Nighthawks are perfectly harmless except to moths, midges and 
their ilk; and their uplifted wings half careened by the evening breeze, furnish 
one of the most pleasing adornments of meadow and pasture. The birds 
“quarter the air” ina bat-like flight of irregular zigzags, often pouting as 
they go, Mizard—nuzard. ‘They are not so strictly nocturnal as the Whip- 
poorwills, but put a liberal construction on “twilight,” being careful to avail 
themselves of all dark days, and, in fact, moving about at will whenever the 
sun slants fairly. During the mating season the males take great parabolic 


THE HAIRY WOODPECKER. 343 


headers in the air, returning sharply and producing a loud booming daw-w, 
—whether by the rushing of the air through the wings or across the open 
mouth will perhaps never be determined. 

While the Nighthawk prefers open situations, and is not found much 
in heavily timbered regions, it takes readily to the life of the city, because of 
the abundance of insects there afforded. In Columbus it is a familiar feature, 
hawking fearlessly above High Street, and nesting, as in many other cities, 
upon the tarred and gravelled roofs of flat-topped buildings. During migra- 
tions scores of these birds are sometimes seen moving aloft in loose array, 
and customarily, at this season, silent. Locally they never appear to be so 
abundant as in the West, where I have seen several hundred gathered to 
gyrate in social fashion within the limits of a single pasture. 

The eggs of the Nighthawk are more heavily colored than those of the 
Whippoorwill, as becomes their more exposed situation. ‘The young birds 
place great reliance upon their protective coloration, and even permit the 
fondling of the hand rather than confess the defect of their fancied security. 


No. 149. 
HAIRY WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 393. Dryobates villosus (Linn.). 

Description Adult male: Above, in general, black,—glossy, at least on 
crown and cervix, dull on tail, fuscous on wings; a narrow, scarlet band on the 
nape; white superciliary and rictal stripes, separated by a black band through 
eye, continuous with nape; a black malar stripe, broadening behind ; white nasal 
tufts; a lengthened white patch on middle of back; wing-coverts spotted with 
white,—a round blotch on the tip of each; wing-quills and primary coverts white- 
spotted on each web, the blotches on the outer webs confluent in bars on the closed 
wing; tail black centrally, the two outer pairs of feathers white on exposed por- 
tions, the third pair white-tipped and tinged with rusty; entire under parts soiled 
white; bill and feet light plumbeous. Adult female: Similar, but without scarlet 
band on hind neck. ‘Young with the crown mostly red or bronzy or even yellow- 
ish” (Coues). Length 8.50-9.50 (215.9-241.3); wing 4.63 (Gao) ise tails 23m 
(S41) bill tere! (87): 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; black and white above (male with red 
band on hind neck), and soiled white below; rattling call notes. 

Nest, in a hole excavated in tree, usually in dead portion, unlined. Eggs, 
4-6, white. Av. size, .94 x .73 (23-9 x 18.5). 

General Range.—Northern and middle portions of the United States from 
the Atlantic Coast to the Great Plains. 


Range in Ohio.— Common throughout the State. Resident. 


344 THE HAIRY WOODPECKER. 


WE naturally associate our resident Woodpeckers with winter weather, 
partly because the removal of the foliage causes them to stand out in bold 
relief, and partly because the unfailing character of their food-supply makes 
them in a measure free from the depression of spirits usually incident to the 
season. ‘The Hairy Woodpecker, especially, is often in high spirits when the 
air is frosty. He has spent the night deep in the heart of some forest tree, 
at the end of his winter tunnel, and now he crosses a half-wooded pasture 
with great bounds of flight, shouting, plick, plick, from time to time; and he 
gives a loud rolling call—a dozen of these notes in swift stuccession—as he 
pulls up in the top of a dead tree to begin the day’s work. 

In the search for hidden worms and burrowing larve, it seems not 
improbable that the Woodpecker depends largely upon the sense of hearing 
-—that he practices auscultation, in fact. A meditative tap, tap, is followed 
by a pause, during which the bird apparently marks the effect of his strokes, 
noting the rustle of apprehension or attempted escape on the part of the hid- 
den morsel. It is not unusual for the bird to spend a half hour in tunneling 
for a single taste, and even then the wary game may withdraw along some 
tunnel of its own even beyond the reach of the bird’s extensible tongue. But 
beside that which must be secured from the bowels of the wood, there is much 
to be gleaned from the surface and in the crannies of the bark. The winter 
fare is supplemented also by cornel berries and the fruit of certain hardy 
vines. . 

The Hairy Woodpecker visits the winter troupes only in a patronizing 
sort of way. He is far too restless and independent to be counted a constant 
member of any little gossip club, and, except briefly during the mating season, 
and in the family circle, he is rarely to be seen in the company of his own kind. 

The nests of this bird are usually situated well up in the forest trees. 
Beech trees are likely to be dead at the top, even when they interpose a 
thrifty screen of foliage below, and afford, therefore, an ideal situation. The 
bird, however, sometimes ventures into town and takes up quarters in a shade 
tree, or in the orchard, or even in a fence-post. Incubation is attended to in 
May and but one brood is raised in a season. These Woodpeckers are ex- 
ceptionally valiant in defense of their young, the male in particular becoming 
almost beside himself with rage at the appearance of an enemy near the home 
nest. 


DOWNY WOODPECKER 


Dryobates pubescens medianus 


Life-size 


THE DOWNY WOODPECKER. 


No. 150. 


DOWNY WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 394c. Dryobates pubescens medianus (Swains.). 

Description.—Adult: A miniature of the preceding, and with the same 
distinction between the sexes. In the present species the white of the nasal tufts 
encroaches upon the forehead, and is continuous with the superciliary line; the 
wing coverts are more numerously white-spotted; and the outer tail-feathers are 
barred with black; the under parts sometimes exhibit a faint buffy suffusion, 
Length 6.25-7.00 (158.8-177.8); av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 3.75 
(95.3) ; tail 2.57 (65.3); bill 66 (16.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; like preceding species but much smaller, 
bill only a little more than half as long; pink or pimp note. 

Nest, in holes of rotten stubs or decayed limbs, unlined, usually at moderate 
heights. Eggs, 4-6, white. Av. size, .75 x .59 (19.1 X I5.). 

General Range.— Middle and northern portions of eastern United States and 
northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common,—about three to one of the preceding species. 
Resident. 


DOWNY is one of the most familiar and confiding of birds. Almost 
without suspicion, he is still full of curiosity, and is one of the first birds to 
come up when the call of the Screech Owl is sounded by the bird-man. One 
place is about as good as another for his trade, so when the Cardinals and 
Juncoes have retired in disgust, having thoroughly exposed the shameless 
irick, Downy still lingers, tapping industriously along the smaller branches 
of some near-by tree, or studying the intruder through a maze of dreamy 
content. This little Woodpecker is one of the most frequent visitors in 
orchard and garden. He will begin at the bottom of an apple tree and work 
around it, ascending spirally, and then follow out one branch after another, 
until it would seem that he had exhausted about every possibility of insect-egg 
er hidden worm in connection with that tree. ‘The holes which he digs are 
either prospect shafts or mining tunnels, whose sole object is the golden 
worm. ‘The little miner, therefore, does no injury to the live wood, and con- 
fers incalculable benefits upon the orchard by the destruction of its real 
enemies. 

Downy is one of the most devoted members of the winter troupe. His 
loyalty to this organization is at times almost pathetic. When the bird-man 
comes up, the Juncoes move away in a huffy manner; Major Titmouse 
admonishes the younger members of the family to be on their guard; and 
there is a general edging away that is not flattering to the visitor. The 
Downy Woodpecker is the last to leave, and does so apologetically, as tho he 
were chagrinned at the unexpected rudeness of his friends. Again, when the 
Juncoes and the Goldfinches insist upon pushing out into the open, Downy 


340 THE DOWNY WOODPECKER. 


follows and flits along the fence from post to post as long as he can keep 
his friends in sight, or else he takes to the mullein stalks himself. 

In moving from place to place Downy gives a characteristic pik, and 
less frequently a rattling call, which is an exact imitation of that of the Hairy 
Woodpecker. It is at times difficult to distinguish either the single notes 
or the longer calls, but while the notes of the smaller bird are usually much 
less in volume and strength, they have a rather more nasal quality. All 
Woodpeckers have also a sort of signal system, or Morse code, consisting 
of sundry tattoos on resonant wood. These calls are used principally, or 


Photo by the Author. 


WHEN DOWNY FREEZES HIS TOES. 
ONE OF THOSE HEAVY HOAR FROSTS WHICH MADE THE WINTER OF 1902-3 MEMORABLE 
IN CENTRAL OHIO. 


exclusively, during the mating season, and consist in the case of the Downy 
of six or seven taps in regular and moderate succession. 

Nesting is at inconsiderable heights, and both sexes assist in excavation 
and incubation. Partially decayed wood is selected, and an opening made 
about an inch and a quarter in diameter. After driving straight in an inch 
or two, the passage turns down and widens two or three diameters. At the 
depth of a foot or so the crystal white eggs are deposited on a neat bed of 
fine chips. Incubation lasts twelve days, and the young are hatched about 
the first of June. According to Dr. Jones a second brood is sometimes 
brought off in July. 


THE RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. Ay 


No. 151. 


RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 395. Dryobates borealis (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult male: Crown and hind neck glossy black, continuous 
across lores with malar stripe which is produced behind, breaking up on sides of 
breast into heavy black spots; auriculars broadly silky white, bordered above nar- 
rowly and posteriorly with bright scarlet “cockades” ; touches of white on nostrils, 
at base of lower mandible on sides, and over and behind eye; remaining upper 
parts brownish dusky, heavily spotted and cross-banded with white; tail blackening, 
the outer feathers irregularly barred with white; under parts white, immaculate 
on chin and throat, elsewhere sordid; heavily spotted with black or dusky on sides 
of breast, sides, flanks, and crissum; bill bluish black, small for size of bird. 
Adult female: Similar but without scarlet cockades. Length 8.00-8.50 (203.2- 
215.9); measurements of the Columbus specimen: wing 4.80 (122.); tail 3.23 
(82.) ; bill 86 (21.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; intermediate between Hairy and 
Downy; narrow scarlet stripes (1-3 of an inch long by 1-10 broad) on sides of 
hind head distinctive. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in hole of pine tree at considerable 
heights. Eggs, 4-6, white. Av. size, .93 x .69 (23.6 x 17.5). 
General Range.—The south-eastern United States, west to eastern Texas 


sylvania (Coues) and Ohio. 
Range in Ohio.—One record, Columbus. 


A specimen, found by Professor Hine, in the O. 5. U. collection, bears 
the following label, in the well-known hand-writing of Dr. Jasper: Obverse 
—Picus borealis. Red Cockated (sic) Woodpecker. March 15. 1872. 
Loc. Columbus, O.”; Reverse-—“It was in company with another of its own 
kind and 2 or 3 Sapsuckers, Nuthatches, ete., and shot from a high tree 
between Canal and Scioto Rivers.” 

The appearance recorded above marks the northernmost extension of the 
species. The bird was evidently trying to do something to justify the name 
borealis, so unwisely bestowed upon it by Vieillot in 1807. 

“This species is a common inhabitant of the ‘piny woods.’ It prefers 
the higher branches of the trees, and frequently hangs head downward while 
feeding ona cone at the extremity of a branch. Its call note suggests the 
yank, yank, of the White-bellied Nuthatch, but is louder, hoarser, and not 
so distinctly enunciated” (Chapman). 


348 THE ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. 


No. 152. 


ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 400. Picoides arcticus (Swains.). 

Synonym.—B1LAck-BACKED THREE-TOED WooDPECKER. 

Description.— Adult male: Above black, lustrous on head, crest, back and 
scapulars, fading to fuscous on wing-quills, which are narrowly white-spotted on 
the outer webs of the primaries and on the inner webs of the secondaries; an 
orange-yellow patch on the center of the crown; of the tail only the central feathers 
wholly black, the remainder graduated, and white on exposed portions, the inter- 
mediate pairs rusty-tipped; a white stripe on side of head meeting its fellow on 
forehead ; below this a black malar stripe; under parts pure white, save as heavily 
barred with black on sides and flanks; bill and feet light plumbeous. Adult 
female: Similar, but without orange-yellow crown-patch. Length 9.25-10.00 (235.- 
254.); wing 5.00 (127.); tail 3.54 (89.9); bill 1.38 (35.1); breadth at nostril 
.43 (10.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; lustrous black without white on back; 
white with black-barred sides below ; the orange-yellow crown-patch of male serves 
to distinguish from all resident species. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in holes in trees, at moderate 
heights. Eggs, 4-6, white. Av. size, 1.00 x .75 (25.4 X 19.1). 

General Range.—Northern North America, from the Arctic regions south 
to northern United States (New England, New York, Michigan, Minnesota and 
Idaho), and in the Sierra Nevada to Lake Tahoe. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare or casual. Two positive records. 


SINCE this species is migratory, we may regard the two or three birds 
which have been found in Ohio as migrants which have overflown their 
customary southern limit, somewhere in Ontario. 

“Tt is a restless, active bird, spending its time generally on the topmost 
branches of the tallest trees, without however confining itself to pines. Its 
movements resemble those of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, but it is still 
more petulant than that bird. Like it, it will alight, climb along a branch, 
seek for insects there, and in a very few moments remove to another part 
of the same tree, or to another tree at more or less distance, thus spending 
the day in rambling over a large extent of ground. Its cries also somewhat 
resemble those of the species just mentioned, but are louder and more shrill, 
like those of some quadruped suffering great pain. . . . . In the after- 
noon of long days, it very frequently makes sorties after flying insects, which 
it seems to secure in the air with as much ease as the Red-headed Wood- 
pecker. Besides insects it also feeds on berries and other small fruits. 

“Tts flight is rapid, gliding, and deeply undulated. Now and then it 
will fly from a detached tree of a field to a considerable distance before it 
alights, emitting at every glide a loud shrill note. 


THE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 349 


“The nest of this species is generally bored in the body of a sound tree, 
near its first large branches. I observed no particular choice as to timber, 
naving seen it in oaks, pines, etc. The nest, like that of other allied species, 
is worked out by both sexes and takes fully a week before it is completed, its 
usual depth being from twenty to twenty-four inches. It is smooth and 
broad at the bottom, altho so narrow at its entrance as to appear scarcely 


sufficient to enable one of the birds to enter it. . . . . Only one brood 
is raised in the season. ‘The young follow their parents until autumn, when 
they separate and shift for themselves.” . . (Audubon). 


A recent writer, Mr. James H. Fleming,! says also: ‘*This Woodpecker 


has a habit of sometimes nesting in colonies. I saw the nests of such a 
colony near Sand Lake in 1896; there were six or seven nests, each cut into 
the trunk of a living cedar, just below the first branch, and usually eight or 
ten feet from the ground. ‘The cedars were in a dense forest, overlooking a 
small stream that empties into Sand Lake. Four eggs seem to be the full 
set. The young are hatched by the first of June.” 


No. 153. 


YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 


“A, O. U. No. 402. Sphyrapicus varius. (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Forehead and crown crimson-red, bordered nar- 
rowly on both sides and broadly behind with glossy black ; chin and throat crimson, 
bordered with black on both sides, continuous with a broad, glossy black pectoral- 
patch; a black band beginning at eye and running obliquely downward to join 
black of scapulars, separating two white stripes, one starting from the eye and 
meeting its fellow on the nape, the other starting from nostril and joining lower 
breast ; remaining upper parts black and white in longitudinal patches, and black- 
and- white cross- barrec 1; a central dorsal and s scapular. patch glossy black, angther 
dead black, formed by primary coverts, and continued obliquely backward by basal 
black of primaries; lesser, middle, and greater coverts white on exposed webs, 
forming continuous lengthwise patch; remaining portions of back and wings 
black- and- white-barred or, in case of wing-quills, white- spotted in such a way as to 
form continuous white bars on closed wing; tail-feathers black except on inner 
webs of €entral pair, which are black-and-white-barred; the outer pair, and even 
second, sometimes exhibit marginal or terminal white in spots; remaining lower 
parts sulphury-yellow, clear and intense on area adjoining black of breast, clear 
but paler on middle line of breast and belly; the sides and flanks sordid, heavily 
streaked or with subterminal V-shaped markings of dusky. Bill and feet dark 
plumbeous. Adult female: Similar, but with chin and throat white instead of 
red; and red of crown sometimes wanting. Jmmature: Black, white, and red 


1 Birds of Parry Sound and Muskoka, Ontario. The Auk, Vol. XVIII, p. 309. 


350 THE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 


of head and breast entirely wanting, or the pattern faintly indicated by changes in 
the mottled brownish gray of these parts. Length 8.00-8.75 (203.2-222.3) ; av. of 
nine Columbus specimens: wing 4.94 (125.5); tail 3.30 (83.8); bill .87 (22.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; black breast-patch; red or enclosed 
white of throat; sulphur-yellow tinge of under parts distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not positively known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in a hole excavated 
in tree about forty feet up. Eggs, 5-7, pure white, not conspicuously polished. 
A MSIZEy Oy Xo O7n (22q0eRe life) 

General Range.—Eastern North America north to about latitude 63° 
30’ (north of Fort Simpson), breeding from Massachusetts northward ; south in 
winter to the West Indies, Mexico and Costa Rica. 

Range in Ohio.—Common, sometimes abundant during migrations. 


BEFORE the maple sap has ceased running, our woods are invaded from 
the south by a small army of hungry Sapsuckers. The birds are rather 
unsuspicious, quiet, and sluggish in their movements. Their common note 
is a drawling and petulant kee-a, like that of a distant Hawk; but they use 
it rather to vent their feelings than to call their fellows, for altho there may 
be twenty in a given grove, they are only chance associates and have no deal- 
ings one with another. Starting near the bottom of a tree, one goes hitching 
his way up the trunk, turns a lazy back-somersault to reinspect some neglected 
crevice, or leaps out into the air to capture a passing insect. The bulk of this 
bird’s food, however, at least during the migration, is secured at the expense 
of the tree itself. The rough exterior bark-layer, or cortex of, say, a maple, 
is stripped off, and then the bird drills a transverse series of oval or roughly 
rectangular holes through which the sap is soon flowing. The inner bark 
it eaten as removed and the sap is eagerly drunk. It is said also that in some 
cases the bird relies upon this sugar-bush to attract insects which it likes, 
and thus makes its little wells do triple service. According to Professor 
Butler, an observer in Indiana, Mrs. J. L. Hine, once watched a Sapsucker 
in early spring for seven hours at a stretch, and during this time the bird did 
not move above a yard from a certain maple tap from which it drank at 
intervals. 

Pine trees also afford a favorite sustenance for this greedy Sapsucker. 
A certain group of exotic pines, on the State University campus, has suffered 
from the attacks of this species, possibly of the same individual, for several 
successive years. Each season the bird, keeping pace with the growth of the 
tree, attacks a higher section, and reopens the wounds of the previous*year. Of 
course this sort of thing is not be encouraged in orchards or ornamental trees, 
but the amount of damage done the country over is not serious, and the bird 
is also a large consumer of insects. 

It is difficult to believe that this handsome little Woodpecker, which 
appears so abundantly the second week in April, and even lingers into May. 


THE NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER. 351 


does not remain anywhere to nest with us. The species is unique among our 
Woodpeckers, in that it is strictly migratory, while the Red-head, our only 
other migratory species, frequently breaks the rules and stays the year around. 
The Sapsucker may breed northerly, since it is known to do so in Indiana, but 
no authentic reports have come in for Ohio. It winters casually in the south- 
ern part of this state, and has appeared at that season as far north as McCon- 
nelsville. 


No. 154. 
NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 405 a. Ceophlceus pileatus abieticola Bangs. 

Synonym.—L,occock. 

Description.—Adult male: General plumage sooty black, lusterless save 
on wings and back; whole top of head and lengthened crest bright red; red malar 
stripes changing to black behind, and separating white spaces; chin and upper 
throat white; also a white stripe extending from nostrils and below eye to nape, 
and produced downward and backward to shoulder; a narrow white stripe over 
and behind eye; lining and edge of wing, and a large spot ‘nearly concealed) at 
base of primaries, white; black feathers of sides sparingly white-tipped; bill dark 
plumbeous above, lighter below, save at tip; feet black. Aduit female: Similar, 
but black on forehead, and black instead of red malar stripes. Length 15.50-19.00 
(393-7-482.6) ; wing 8.50-10.00 (215.9-254.); tail 5.85-7.40 (148.6-188.) ; head 
4.50-5.50 (114.3-139.7) ; bill 1.75-2.65 (44.5-67.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Largest size; black, white and red on head in stripes; 
body mainly black. 

Nest, high in trees. Eggs, 4-6, white. Av. size, 1.29 x .94 (32.8 x 23.9). 

General Range.—Formerly the heavily wooded regions of North America 
south of about latitude 63°, except in the southern Rocky Mountains. Now 
rare or extirpated in the more settled parts of the Eastern States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare and locally restricted. Reported recently from Ash- 
tabula County, Morgan County, lower Scioto, and Little Miami Rivers, etc. 


IF the “curse of beauty” be added to that of large size, the destruction 
of a bird is foredoomed in this age of automatic shot-guns and unappointed 
game wardens. ‘This magnificent black Woodpecker, once common through- 
out the heavily timbered areas of our own and adjacent states, has almost 
disappeared before the industrious axe and the all-conquering gun. The bird 
has been recently reported only by Robert J. Sim, of Jefferson, and in “Middle 
Southern Ohio,” by Rev. W. F. Henninger. In an interesting communi- 
cation, to which I am indebted for an account of the bird’s habits, Mr. Sim 


Ae THE NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER. _ 


states that the Pileated Woodpecker is almost always to be found in the vicin- 
ity of Jefferson. An extensive area of primeval forest, near at hand, has 
afforded it asylum for many years past, but the tract is even now being 
reduced by lumbering interests; and the day of the passing of the Logcock 
is not far distant. 

In the spring of 1902, according to Mr. Sim, a pair of these birds nested 
within a mile of town. ‘The nesting cavity was dug in a beech tree, at a 
height of about thirty feet, and within two feet of the broken-off top, and the 
work was completed by the middle of April. Chips were strewn liberally 
over the ground below, and many showed the characteristic chisel marks 
of the bird’s powerful bill. During the nesting season the parent birds re- 
mained pretty closely in the neighborhood of the home tree, drumming, call- 
ing, and searching for food. 

“The drumming song is a series of about twelve taps, increasing in 
rapidity and growing less in strength to the end. It may be heard for a long 
distance. I have heard this Woodpecker give three vocal songs or calls. 
One is an exultant, ringing laugh given in high clear soprano. The first note and 
the last are lower and less loud than the rest. At a distance this call sounds 
metallic; but when at close range it is sent echoing through the forest, it is 
full and clear, and is the most untamably wild sound that I know among bird- 
notes. Another call might be suggested by the syllables cozw-cozw-cow 
repeated indefinitely, but some times intermittently. When two birds 
approach each other they often carry on a wheedling conversation which is 
not unpleasant to hear. It seems to be analogous to the wichew note of the 
Flicker, but is given more slowly and has a peculiar quality which would lead 
one to believe that the birds have their bills closed while making the sound.” 

In its search for food the Logcock strikes deliberately but with force, 
often giving the head a powerful twist to wrench off a piece of wood. Some- 
times quite a large fragment is thrown back by a toss of the head. Much 
time is also spent about fallen tree-trunks, where in addition to grubs and 
other insect larvee, it subsists largely upon ants. 


THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. ARS 


No. 155. 


RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 406. Melanerpes erythrocephalus ( Linn.) 

Synonym.—TRICOLORED WOODPECKER. 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck all around and fore breast rich crim- 
son; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts glossy blue-black, and sometimes a narrow, 
pectoral band of the same color below the red (found only in worn plumages) ; 
terminal portion of secondaries (save outer webs of first and seconc, which are 
black or black-banded), rump, and upper tail-coverts white; edge of wing, pri- 
maries and tail black, the latter variously white-tipped on outer feathers below; 
remaining under parts, including under wing-coverts, pure white,—sometimes with 
faint crimson tinge on center of belly; bill dark plumbeous, lightening at base. 
Immature: Quite different; without red, or with only traces of it appearing on 
auriculars, breast and nape; head, neck, and fore-breast brownish gray, mixed with 
dusky in fine streaks, or almost uniform fuscous; back and scapulars bluish-black, 
with ashy edgings, or broadly mottled and indistinctly barred with whitish; ex- 
posed portions of secondaries with two or three irregular black bars; below sordid 
whitish, sometimes streaked with dusky on breast and sides. Length 9.25-9.75 
(235.-247.6) ; av. of eight Columbus specimens: wing 5.40 (137.2); tail 3.22 
(81.8) ; bill 1.05 (26.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; head all around deep crimson; red, black, 
and white in broad patches. 

Nest, a hole excavated in tree, often living, at considerable heights; unlined, 
Eggs. 4-6, glossy white. Av. size,1.02 x .76 (25.9 x 19.3). 

General Range.—United States west to the Rocky Mountains, and north 
from Florida to about 50°, straggling westward to Salt Lake Valley and Arizona; 
rare or local east of the Hudson River. 

Range in Ohio.—Common throughout the State; abundant in central por- 
tion. Winters irregularly everywhere. 


OF all our Woodpeckers the Red-headed is the fittest (or at least the most 
likely) to survive. As if to compensate the bird for its fatal conspicuousness, 
Nature has made it hardy, thrifty, versatile and pugnacious. The primeval 
forests were, no doubt, more to the bird’s taste, but with their gradual disap- 
pearance the wily Woodpecker has thoroughly accommodated itself to the 
changed conditions, so that it is now almost as much a bird of the open as of 
the woodland. ‘Telegraph poles and fence-posts offer acceptable nesting sites, 
so that it may exist in countries almost destitute of timber. 

Ability to meet changed conditions depends upon many factors, but chiefly 
upon food supply. The Red-headed Woodpecker burrows and probes for 
worms and ants like his congeners, but to this limited fare is added grasshoppers, 
crickets, and beetles secured upon the ground; flies, wasps, and all sorts of 
insects taken in mid air, with all the skill, if not quite the grace, of the Fly- 


354 THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 


catchers; besides fruits and berries of many sorts, including cherries, apples, 
and pears, and in fall and winter beech nuts and acorns. ‘This varied fare is 
not resorted to upon mere compulsion, but it is sought with avidity; so that 
it is no wonder that the bird thrives in any situation. Whether or not the 
Woodpeckers will remain through the winter in any given section, seems to 
depend entirely upon the local crop of beech nuts, or ‘“‘mast.’” No mast, no 
Red-heads, is the clearly proven rule. In case the bird decides to “‘lie over”, 
nuts and acorns are gathered and stored in crevices and holes against the com- 
ing season; and we may suppose that it is a matter of indifference to the bird 
whether it gets the nut kernels originally deposited, or a transmuted product 
of weevils and grubs. 

Those birds which have not wintered hereabouts, constt- 


Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author 
WOODPECKER ROW 


tuting as they do the great majority, return north from the middle of April to 
the first of May. ‘Then the woods and groves soon resound with their loud 
calls, Ouee-o—quee-o—quecr. ‘These queer cries are not unpleasant, but the 
birds are a noisy lot at best. When one of them flies into a tree where others are 
gathered, all set up an outery of yarrow, yarrow, yarrow, which does not sub- 
side until the newcomer has had time to shake hands all around at least twice. 
3esides these more familiar sounds the Red-heads boast an unfathomed reper- 
tory of chirping, cackling, and raucous noises. The youngsters, especially,— 
awkward, saucy fellows that most of them are—sometimes get together and 
raise a fearful racket until some of the older ones, out-stentored, interpose. 


THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 355 


In selecting a nesting site the birds usually keep to the dead tops of forest 
trees, such as those shown in the illustration, but from this rule there is almost 
every conceivable departure. Large dead branches are sometimes chosen, in 
which case the entrance is made on the under side of the limb. Holes are some- 
times dug in living trees, at the cost, of course, of prodigious labor. Telegraph 
and telephone poles are coming more and more into favor. Dr. Howard 
Jones once called my attention to a rather small telephone pole standing on his 
grounds in Circleville, which contained eleven nesting holes, of which three 
had been used that season, being occupied by Red-headed Woodpeckers, 
Flickers, and Bluebirds. 

Eggs to the number of five or six are deposited late in May, and the 
young are hatched about the middle of June. In occasional instances two 
broods are raised. These Woodpeckers are very devoted to their offspring, 
but according to Dr. Jones, they do not observe the care in feeding the young 
that is usual with most birds. ‘In every brood there is one bird older and 
stronger than the rest, and this one is sure to be on top and get his head to 
the hole first, when the old ones come with food. Being stronger at the start 
than his brothers and sisters, and each day getting more food, he gains more 
strength; and, gaining more strength he gets each day more food. While 
this double-acting system progresses, the reverse is happening to his mates, 
until in extreme cases they actually die of starvation, and are not even carried 
out of the nest by the parents.” 


THE WOODPECKER. 


He’s the sassiest critter that ever I see! 

An’ he sets there a-peekin’ an’ bobbin’ at me, 
While he’s carvin’ a notch in the wind-shaky crotch 
©’ that moss-covered hickory tree. 

Dinged if ever I see such a tormentin’ bird! 
When I woke up this mornin’, the first thing I heard 
Was his “rubby-dub-dub” on an ol’ holler stub— 
‘Fore the other fowls twittered ‘r stirred. 


See ‘im set there a-peckin’ that worm-eaten limb, 

An’ a-winkin’ at me as I'm talkin’ 0’ him; 

While his hard bullet head shinin’ glossy an’ red 
Drives a bill like a thorn, black an’ slim. 

Seems in teasin’ a feller he takes a delight; 

An’ he'd rather be killed in a one-sided fight, 

Than to give up the grub he has found in that stub— 
*R to show the white feather, in flight. 


2 THE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 


He’s the beatenest bird—an’ he don’t care a straw! 
W’y, he takes what he wants, without license ’r law, 
Av’ he chatters with fun at the crack of a gun— 
While he’s fillin’ his famishin’ craw. 
[ll be hanged if I don’t kind o’ fancy ’im though— 
He’s so blamed independent an’ keerless, you know ; 
An’ I'd feel sort o’ bad—an’ consider’ble sad, 
If he’d mind by complainin’ an’ go. 
Malta, O. James Ball Naylor. 


No. 156. 
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 


A. O. U. No. 409. Centurus carolinus (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: ‘Top of head, including nasal tufts, and hind- 
neck bright scarlet; back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and exposed portion of second- 
aries regularly and strikingly black-and-white-barred ; primaries black terminally 
but with touches of white on both webs toward base; upper tail-coverts white, or 
slightly barred ; tail black,—the two outer pairs of feathers terminally, and the cen- 
tral pair on the inner web, black-and-white-barred ; concealed base of central pair 
white along shaft of outer web; under parts ashy or sordid white, usually with a 
buffy tinge on breast and belly, red-tinged on circum-ocular region and on center of 
belly, rarely also on breast; flanks and crissum black-and-white-barred; bill and 
feet dark plumbeous. Adult female: Similar, but crown broadly ash, separating 
red areas on forehead and nape. Jmmature: Similar to adults, but duller colored ; 
buff instead of red-tinged on belly. Length 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254.) ; av. of eleven 
Columbus specimens: wing 5.27 (133.9) ; tail 3.18 (80.8) ; bill 1.15 (29.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; bright red on head and neck above; “‘lad- 
der back” black and white; “chow-chow” cry. 

Nest, in holes in trees at considerable heights, unlined. Eggs, 4-6, pure white. 
Ine BivAsy dels) 6 478) (AR =< ulehS))o 

General Range.—Eastern and Southern United States, north casually to 
Massachusetts, New York, Ontario, southern Michigan, and central Iowa; west to 
eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, Indian ‘Territory, and Texas. 

Range in Ohio.—Rather common resident; less common in northern part of 
state. Non-migratory. 


FOR the coincidence I shall not try to account, but it is a fact that when- 
ever the bird-man clears the snow from a log where the wood-choppers have 
been at work, and sits down after a long morning’s work with the birds, to a 


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RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 
Melanerpes carolinus 


» Life-size 


THE NORTHERN FLICKER. 357 


shivering midwinter lunch, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, till then silent, bestirs 
himself and begins to pout, ““chow—chow-chow.” Careful attention discovers ~ 
the pouting hermit taking his brief nooning in the middle heights of a twinned 
tree trunk, or else darkly silhouetted against the wintry sky. Here he hitches 
and grumbles by turns, and is ready for bed again long before the diner-out 
has brushed the crumbs from his chilly board. 

To me there is something uncanny about this ascetic bird, who whiles 
away his winter hour in the seclusion of a narrow cell; and in spring, scarcely 
less unsocial, retires to the least frequented depths of the forest to breed. Far 
from the haunts of men, and secure in the protection of abundant leafage, the 
birds do unbend somewhat from that austere dignity, and probably have pretty 
gay times among themselves. At this season they have a chirruping cry, 
which only the experts can distinguish from the noisiest of the Red-head’s 
notes; and another, a very startling expression of mingled incredulity and re- 
proach, “Clark.” ‘This is evidently analogous to the Red-head’s Oueer, but is 
rendered with quite the style of the English “Walker!” 

The bird is nearly a vegetarian, as becomes an anchorite, and lays up 
frugal stores of mast and corn. ‘The nesting is not different from that of 
other Woodpeckers, except that the birds are less frequently found in exposed 
situations, and there are very few sets of eggs from Ohio in collections. 


No. 157. 
NORTHERN ELICKER. 


A. O. U. No. 412 a. Colaptes auratus luteus Bangs. 

Synonyms.—FLICKER; YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER; GOLDEN-WINGCED Woop- 
PECKER; YELLOW-HAMMER; HIGH-HOLE; HIGH-HOLDER; PIGkON WOODPECKER; 
Wake-up. (These are the leading types. Mr. Frank L,. Burns in his excellent 
monograph! lists one hundred and twenty-six designations of this bird). 

Description.—dAdult male: Top of head and cervix ashy gray, with a vina- 
ceous tinge on forehead ; a bright scarlet band on the back of the neck; back, scapu- 
lars, and wings vinaceous gray with conspicuous black bars, brace-shaped, cres- 
centic or various ; primaries plain dusky on exposed webs; lining of the wing and 
shafts of the wing-quills yellow; rump broadly white; upper tail-coverts white, 
black-barred in broad, “herring-bone” pattern; tail double-pointed, black, and 
with black shafts on exposed upper surface; feathers sharply acuminate; tail 
below, golden-yellow and with yellow shafts, save on black tips; chin, sides of 
head, and throat vinaceous, enclosing two broad, black, malar stripes, or mous- 
taches ; a broad, black, pectoral crescent; remaining under parts white with heavy 
vinaceous shading on breast and sides, everywhere marked with sharply defined 
and handsome round, or cordate, spots of black. Bill and feet dark plumbeous. 
Adult female: Similar, but without black moustache. Sexes about equal in size. 


1 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 31. A Monograph of the Flicker (Colaptes auratus), By Frank T,. Burns. 
Oberlin, Ohio, April, 1900. 


358 THE NORTHERN FLICKER. 


Length 12.00-12.75 (304.8-323.9); av. of thirteen Columbus specimens: wing 
6:13) (55:7); taill4-34) (aro) bill ream) 

Recognition Marks.—Size not comparable to that of any better known bird; 
white rump; yellow “‘flickerings’” in flight; pectoral crescent; black-spotted 
breast, etc. 


Nest, an excavation in a tree or stump, usually made by the bird, at moderate 
heights ; unlined, save by chips. Eggs, 4-10, usually 7 or 8, glossy white. Av. size, 
IJOIe) SE doI5) (Aza? x Zio). 


General Range.—Northern and eastern North America, west to the eastern 
slope of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. Occasional on the Pacific slope from 
California northward. Accidental in Europe. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant. Sparingly and irregularly resident throughout 
the state, increasingly southward. 


FEW birds are better known in town or country than this noisy, energetic 
and usually confiding Flicker. He is perhaps better known hereabouts under 
the name Yellow-Hammer, but this title has long been preempted by an Old 
World Bunting, Amberiza citrinella,and its use in the present connection should 
be discontinued. All the greater pains should be taken to employ an American 
name for this bird, because he is a true son of the soil, widely distributed, char- 
acteristic, familiar, and if unhindered, well able to adapt himself to the rapidly 
changing conditions of American life. 

It is perhaps as a musician that the Flicker is best known. The word 
musician is used in an accommodated sense, for the bird is no professional 
singer, or instrumental maestro; but so long as the great orchestra of Nature 
is rendering the oratorio of life, there will be place for the drummer, the 
screamer, and the utterer of strange sounds, as well as for the human obligato. 
The Flicker is first, like all other Woodpeckers, a drummer. ‘The long rolling 
tattoo of early springtime is elicited from some dry limb or board where the 
greatest resonance may be secured, and it is intended both as a musical per- 
formance and as a call of inquiry. Once, as a student, the writer roomed 
in a large building, whose unused chimneys were covered with sheet-iron. A 
Flicker had learned the acoustic value of these elevated drums, and the sound 
of this bird’s reveille at 4:00 A. M. was a regular feature of life at “Council 
Ffall.” 

‘The most characteristic of the bird’s vocal efforts is a piercing call delivered 
from an elevated situation, clape or kly-ak, and cheer or kee-yer. ‘The scythe- 
whetting song is used for greeting, coaxing or argumentation, and runs from 
a low wee-co, wee-co—through wake-up, wake-up, wake-wp—to an emphatic 
wy-kle, wy-kle, wy-kle, or, in another mood sounds like flicker, flicker, flicker, 

Altho the bird is resident more or less throughout the state, it is not able 
to withstand the most severe weather, and its numbers are greatly augmented 
by the returning migrants in spring. In the early days of April courtship 


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4 NOLY3KM 3KL AB O1HO NI O3AV—253H S4MOIE UAMOITA NYHAHLYON OP 


THE NORTHERN FLICKER. 350 


is in progress, and the love-making of the Flicker is both the most curious 
and the most conspicuous of anything in that order. An infatuated Flicker 
is a very soft and foolish-looking bird, 
but it must be admitted that he thor- 
oughly understands the feminine heart 
and succeeds in love beyond the luck 
of most. A bevy of suitors will lay 
seige to the affections of a fair 
lady, say in the top of a syca- 
more tree. Altho the rivalry 
is fierce, one gallant at a time 
will be allowed to display his 
charms. ‘This he does by ad- 
vancing toward the female 
along a horizontal limb, bow- 
ing, scraping, pirouetting, 
and swaying his head from 
side to side with a rythmical 
motion. Now and then the 
swain pretends to lose his 
balance, being quite blinded, 
you see, by the luster of 
milady’s eyes, but in reality 
he does it that he may have 
an excuse to throw up his 
wings and display the daz- 
zling cloth of gold which 
lines them. The lady is dis- 
posed to be critical at 

first, and backs away 

in apparent indifference 

or flies off to another 

limb in the same tree. 
This is only a 
fair test of gal- 
lantry and pro- 
vokes pursuit, 
as was expect- 
ed. Hour after 
hour, and it 
may be day after day, the suit is pressed by one and another until the maiden 
indicates her preference, and begins to respond in kind by nodding and bowing 


Photo by 
the Author. 


Taken near Columbus. A LOWLY NEST. 


300 THE NORTHERN FLICKER. 
and swaying before the object of her choice, and to pour out an answering 
flood of softly whispered adulation. The best of it is, however, that these 
affectionate demonstrations are kept up during the nesting season, so that 
even when one bird relieves its mate upon the eggs it must needs pause for 
a while outside the nest to bow and sway and swap compliments. 

In nesting the Flicker usually chisels out a hole at a moderate height 
in orchard tree, fence-post, stub, or telegraph pole, but sometimes resorts to 
the dead tops of forest trees. In the West, in places where timber is less 
abundant, it sometimes drills holes through the roofs or sheathing of houses, 
and nests in the crannies within. Seven or eight highly polished, white eggs are 
laid upon the chips, which usually line the nest, and incubation begins custom- 
arily when the last egg is laid. The female is a close sitter, and instances 
are on record where pebbles dropped in upon her have failed to dislodge her, 
or where once being lifted off she brushed past the disturber to re-enter the 
nest. Altho provided with a bill which might prove a formidable weapon, 
the Flicker is of too gentle a nature to wield it in combat, and seldom offers 
any resistance whatever to the intruder. 

After fourteen days young birds are hatched, blind, ugly, helpless. In a 
few days more, however, they are able to cling to the sides of the nesting 
hollow, and are ready to set up a clamor upon the appearance of food. ‘This 
noise has been compared to the hissing of a nest of snakes, but as the fledg- 
lings grow it becomes an uproar equal to the best efforts of a telephone poie 
when the wires are singing. 

The young are fed entirely by regurgitation, not an attractive process, 
but one admirably suited to the necessities of long foraging expeditions and 
varying fare. When able to leave the nest the fledglings usually clamber 
about the parental roof-tree for a day or two before taking flight. Their 
first efforts at obtaining food for themselves are usually made upon the ground, 
where ants are abundant. These with grasshoppers and other ground- 
haunting insects make up a large percentage of the food, both of the young and 
adults. 

In many parts of the state the Flicker has suffered much from ignorant 
and thoughtless persecution. Indeed, it has been regarded in some quarters 
as a game bird. ‘To those who have any sense of economic or sentimental 
values, it must seem a shame to sacrifice such a beautiful, honest, and useful 
bird for his paltry mouthful of meat. As well shoot Cupid and roast him on a 
spit. 


THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 361 


No. 158. 
BELTED KINGFISHER. 


YA. O. U. No. 390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). 
Synonym.—Commonly called plain KINGFISHER. 


Description Adult male: Above, bright bluish gray, feathers with blackish 
shafts or shaft-lines ; loosely crested; edge of wing white; primaries dusky, white- 
spotted on outer web, narrowly white-tipped, broadly white on inner web; coverts 
often delicately tipped or touched with white; tail bluish gray above, the central 
feathers with herring-bone pattern of dusky; remaining feathers only blue-edged, 
dusky, finely and incompletely barred with white; lower eyelid white, and a white 
spot in front of eye; throat and sides of neck, nearly meeting behind, pure white; 
a broad band of bluish gray across the breast; remaining under parts white, sides 
under wing,and flanks, heavily shaded with blue-gray ; bill black, pale at base below ; 
feet dark: Adult female: Similar, but with a chestnut band across iower breast, 
and with heavy shading of the same color on sides. Jimmature: Like adults, 
except that the plumbeous band of breast is heavily mixed with rusty (suggesting 
chestnut of female). Length 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6) ; wing 6.21 (157.7) ; tail 
3.84 (97.5); bill from nostril 1.69 (42.9). 


Recognition Marks.—‘Kingfisher” size; blue-gray and white coloration; 
piscatorial habits; rattling cry. 


Nest, at end of tunnel in bank, four to six feet in, unlined. Hggs, 6-8, pure 
white. Av. size, 1.31 x 1.04 (33.3 x 26.4). 


General Range.—North America from the Arctic Ocean south to Panama 
and the West Indies. Breeds from the southern border of the United States north- 
ward. 


Range in Ohio.—Common along streams and reservoirs; resident southerly. 
Found casually in winter throughout the state wherever streams are open. 


WHEN we were small boys and had successfully teased our fathers or 
big brothers to let us go fishing with them, we were repeatedly admonished 
not to “holler” for fear of scaring the fish. This gratuitous and frequently 
emphatic advice would have been discredited if the example of the Kingfisher 
had been followed. Either because noise doesn’t matter to fish, or because 
he is moved by the same generous impulse which prompts the cougar to give 
fair and frightful warning of his presence at the begining of an intended 
foray, the bird makes a dreadful racket as he moves up stream and settles 
upon his favorite perch, a bare branch overlooking a quiet pool. Here, altho 
he waits long and patiently, he not infrequently varies the monotony of inces- 
sant scrutiny by breaking out with his wierd rattle—like a watchman’s call, 
some have said; but there is nothing metallic about it, only wooden. Again, 
when game is sighted, he rattles with excitement before he makes a plunge; 
and when he bursts out of the water with a wriggling minnow in his beak, 


THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 


302 


he clatters in high glee. If, as rarely happens, the bird misses the stroke, the 
sputtering notes which follow speak plainly of disgust, and we are glad for the 
moment that Kingfisher talk is not exactly translatable. 

It is not quite clear whether the bird usually seizes or spears its prey, 
altho it is certain that it sometimes does the latter. The story is told of a 
Kingfisher 
which,  spy- 
ing some 
minnows in a 
wooden — tub 
nearly filled 
with water, 
struck soeag- 
erly that its 
bill _penetrat- 
ed the bottom 
of the tub, 
and so thor- 
oughly — that 
the bird was 
unable to ex- 
tricate itself; 
and so died— 
a death al- 
most as igno- 
minious as 
that of the 
king who 
was drowned 
in a butt of 
Malmsey 
wine. 

When a 
fish is taken 
the bird first 
thrashes it 
against its 
Demeln wo) 


«eral Bile wBy 
1 hae lie re ey '¢ amet ne make sure it 
“i Ae Pera: tam Fok 2 a - es 
: is dead, and 
Taken near Elyria. Photo by the Author. then swal- 


“QVERLOOKING A QUIET POOL.” lows it head 


THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 363 


foremost. If the fish is a large one its would-be host often finds it necessary to 
go through the most ridiculous contortions, gaspings, writhings, chokings, 
regurgitations, and renewed attempts, in order to encompass its safe delivery 
within. 

Kingfishers have the reputation of being very unsocial birds. Apart 
from their family life, which is idyllic, this reputation is well sustained. Good 
fishing is so scarce that the birds deem it best to portion off the territory with 
others of their own kind, and they are very punctilious about the observance 
of boundaries and allotments. For the rest, why should they hunt up avian 
companions, whose tastes are not educated to an appreciation of exposed, 
water-soaked stubs, and a commanding view of river scenery? However, 
I once did see a Kingfisher affably hobnobbing with a Kingbird, on a barren 
branch which overlooked a crystal stream in Idaho. I wonder if they recog- 
nized a mutual kingliness, this humble fisherman and this petulant hawk- 
driver ? 

Kingfisher courtship is a very noisy and spirited affair. One does not 
know just how many miles up and down stream it is considered proper for 
the gallant to pursue his enamorata before she yields a coy acceptance; and 
it is difficult to perceive how the tender passion can survive the din of the 
actual proposal, where both vociferate in wooden concert to a distracted world. 
But la! love is mighty and doth mightily prevail. 

The nesting tunnel is driven laterally into the face of a steep bank, pre- 
ferably of sand or loam, usually directly over the water, but occasionally at 
a considerable distance from it. Dr. Brewer reports one in a gravel pit at 
least a mile from the water. ‘The birds are not so particular as are the Bank 
Swallows about digging near the top of the bank, but, especially if the bank 
is small, usually select a point about midway. The tunnel goes straight in or 
turns sharply to suit an occasional whim, until a convenient depth, say five 
or six feet, is reached, when a considerable enlargement is made for the nest 
chamber. Here, early in May, six or seven white eggs are laid, usually upon 
the bare earth, but sometimes upon a lining of grass, straw and trash. From 
time to time the birds eject pellets containing fish scales, the broken teste of 
Crawfish and other indigestible substances, and these are added to the accumu- 
lating nest material. Sanitary regulations are not very strict in Kingfisher’s 
home, and by the time the young are ready to fly we could not blame them 
for being glad to get away. The female is a proverbially close sitter, often 
permitting herself to be taken with the hand, but not until after she has 
made a vigorous defense with her sharp beak. If a stick be introduced into 
the nest she will sometimes seize it so tightly that she can be lifted from the 
eggs, turtle fashion. 

The parents are very busy birds after the young have broken shell, and it 
takes many a quintal of fish to prepare six, or maybe seven, lusty fisher princes 


a, THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 


for the battle of life. At this season the birds hunt and wait upon their young 
principally at night, in order not to attract hostile attention to them by day- 
light visits. Only one brood is raised in a season, and since fishing is unques- 
tionably a fine art, the youngsters require constant supervision and instruction 
for several months. <A troop of six or eight birds seen in August or early 
in September does not mean that Kingfisher is indulging in mid-summer gaities 
with his fellows, but only that the family group of that season has not yet been 
broken up. 


No. 159. 
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 


YA. O. U. No. 387. Coccyzus americanus (Linn.). 

Synonym.—Rain-Crow. 

Description.—Adult: Above nearly uniform, satiny, brownish gray, with 
something of a bronzy-green sheen; the inner webs of the primaries cinnamon- 
rufous, the outer webs and sometimes the wing coverts tinged with the same; 
central pair of tail-feathers like the back and completely covering the others during 
repose; remaining pairs sharply graduated,—blackish with broad terminal white 
spaces, the outer pair white-edged; a bare space around the eye yellow; under parts 
uniform silky white or sordid; bill curved, upper mandible black, except touched 
with yellow on sides; lower mandible yellow, with black tip. Jmmature: Similar 
to adult, but plumage of back with slight admixture of cinnamon-rufous or vina- 
ceous ; tail-feathers narrower,—the contrast between their black and white areas 
less abrupt. Length 11.20-12.60 (284.5-320.); wing 5.60 (142.2); tail 6.00 
(1.52.4) ; bill 1.00 (25.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin to Kingfisher size; slim form and lithe appear- 
ance ; brown above, white below. Distinguishable from the next species by definite 
yellow lower mandible, more or less extensive cinnamon-rufous ot wing, and 
sharply-graduated, broadly white-tipped tail feathers. 

Nest, a careless structure of twigs, bark-strips, and catkins, placed in trees 
or bushes, usually at moderate heights. Eggs, 4, sometimes 5, 6, or even 8, pale 
greenish blue, becoming lighter on continued exposure. Av. size, 1.27 x .QI 
(G23 22 23311)s 

General Range.—E astern temperate North America, breeding irom Florida 
north to New Brunswick, Canada and Minnesota, west to the eastern border of the 
plains, and south in winter to Costa Rica and the West Indies. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant susimer resident. Less common northerly. 


MOST birds prefer to face the enemy, so to keep his every movement 
well in eye, but Cuckoo presents his back, a cold gray affair, from behind 
which he peers now and then, turning his neck and giving you one eye in a 
lofty, well-bred way. I recall no other bird whose gaze is so calm, so direct, 


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snuparwauDn snzlo09 


OOMONO GHTTIA-MOTTHA 


THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 365 
so fearless, yet withal, so decorous. But nothing escapes him. He is not 
so vulgarly devoted to curiosity that he forgets business. Mercy, no! You 
may be within ten feet of him, but he plucks and swallows a caterpillar with 
as little ado and apology as tho you were in the next county. But make a 
false motion and the bird glides away into the deeper foliage with an ease 
and grace born of long practice. Silken, silent, sinuous, are adjectives which 
you instinctively apply to this sober, sly bird as he steals through the upper 
branches, scarcely seen, but not unseeing, to emerge at length from the oppo- 
site side-of the tree and to dart away like a lithe brown arrow into some distant 
copse. 

The association of birds and seasons has nowhere a more striking exem- 
plification than in the case of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and the month of 
August,—at least here in central Ohio. The month belongs to the bird. 
While other birds are hiding in the underbrush or sulking somewhere in the 
shade, the Cuckoo is in the best of humor. It is then that he shows himself 
most freely as he reaps his staple harvest of tent caterpillars. Nesting has 
been purposely deferred to late June, or even early August, in order that the 
young might grow during this time of greatest plenty. The bird’s conduct 
at this season is quite in contrast with his behavior in spring. Then he prob- 
ably remained undiscovered until the end of the first week or the middle of 
the second week in May, but it is almost certain that he had been in the coun- 
try for a week or so. He had only been waiting for the novelty of the strange 
land to wear off before he should venture to proclaim himself. This he does 
by a series of explosive pouting notes, Cook, cook, cook, cook, cook, cook, 
cook, cook, cook, delivered rather slowly, rallentando et diminuendo. 

The female Cuckoo is a rather slovenly nest builder, and nowise regular 
in her habits. Nesting may be undertaken as early as the last week in May, 
but I once found a nest with fresh eggs at this latitude on the 16th of August 
—the latter perhaps a second set. In construction the nest is usually little 
more than a careless platform of small sticks lined with catkins, chiefly of 
the oak. Occasionally twigs bearing green leaves are worked in to aid in 
concealment. The location may be a thorn bush, black haw tree, or wild 
plum thicket, or even an exposed horizontal branch well up in a forest tree. 
The eggs are sometimes laid at intervals of three or four days, and incuba- 
tion may commence with the deposition of the first egg. A nest may thus 
contain at the same time growing young and fresh eggs, altho the latter are 
likely to suffer from neglect or final ejectment. In keeping with this general 
carelessness is an ancestral habit, not yet quite overcome, of occasionally im- 
posing eggs upon foster parents. Thus, Dr. Jones of Circleville tells of 
finding an egg of this bird in a Cardinal’s nest, and another, which he thought 
belonged to this species, among the eggs of a Catbird. 

That the Cuckoos are thoroughly useful birds the following quotation 


306 THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 
from Butler’s “Birds of Indiana,” will go to prove: ‘‘Few birds are of so 
much service to the farmer. Especially are the fruit growers and nursery- 
men its debtors. In early spring they love the orchard. I have known 
them to destroy every tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa americana) in a badly 
‘infested orchard and to tear up all the nests in half a day. While they may 
have eaten some caterpillars, out of the most of them the juices were squeezed 
and the hairy skin dropped to the ground. Almost every watchful fruit 
grower has had a similar experience. Prof. F. H. King found upon exami- 
nation, that one had eaten nine larvee of a species that destroys the foliage 
of black walnut trees. They also eat many canker worms. . . . While 
they occasionally eat some of the smaller fruit, their work all summer long 
is to protect the fruit tree from its enemies. Altho it has been accused of 
robbing the nests of other birds and eating their eggs, I do not believe the 
charge has been sustained.” 


No. 160. 
BEACK-BILLED CUCKOO: 


YA. O. U. No. 388. Coccyzus erythrophthaimus (Wils.). 

Synonym —Rain Crow; RArtn Dove. 

Description.—Adult: Color of upper parts like that of preceding species ; no 
rufous on wing; outer pairs of tail-feathers like back, but paler; narrowly and 
indistinctly dusky-and-white-tipped ; tail averaging longer than in C. americanus; 
circum-ocular bare space livid yellow; the edges of the eyelid bright red; under 
parts white—the throat, sides of neck, and sometimes flanks and crissum washed 
with pale buffy, or buffy ash; bill normally black all over, sometimes obscurely 
touched with yellow on lower mandible. Jmmature: Like adult, but without 
dusky subterminal bar on tail-feathers; wings with rusty edgings; eyelids pale 
yellow. Length 11.00-12.50 (279.4-317.5); wing 5.30-5.85 (134.6-148.6) ; tail 
6.60 (167.6) ; bill .87 (22.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; slender form and lithe appearance; sober 
colors; bill black; no rufous on wing; tail-feathers narrowly tipped with white. 

Nest, similar to preceding, but more carefully constructed, and somewhat 
deeper; at moderate heights, often in brushy swamps. Eggs, 3-5, rarely 6, green- 
ish blue, deeper in shade than those of the foregoing species. Av. size, 1.10 x .83 
(ZL) 2S Aa). 

General Range.—Eastern North America west to the Rocky Mountains, 
breeding north to Labrador, Manitoba, and eastern Assiniboia; south in winter 
to the West Indies and the Valley of the Amazon. Accidental in the British 
Islands and Italy. 

Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Rather common summer resident in 
northern Ohio; less common southerly. Everywhere less common than preceding 
species. 


367 


THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 


IT is difficult at best to dissociate this bird in one’s mind from the 
other species, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Very similar they are both in 
habits and in general appearance, altho there are infallible rules for distinc- 
tion in the latter respect, if a fair view is afforded. Both the absence of 
rufous in the wing, and smaller, less pure, terminal white spots in the tail- 
feathers, serve to mark this bird during flight; but it is more satisfactory 
to ogle the bird in the bush until the “red eye” and black bill show up. Indeed 
it must be confessed that the chief interest of the Cuckoos to an ornithologist 
lies in the constant practice in identification which they afford. 

The note of this species is phrased, rapidly uttered, and more musical 
than that of C. americanius,—Cookookook, cookookook, cookookook. At 
some distance the sound is not unlike that made by a farmer mending his 
fence, as he pounds a resonant board into position by two or three smart 
strokes of the hammer. The bird is fond of wet weather, and especially 
appreciates that sultry mugginess which often precedes a rain. It is at this 
time that his notes are most likely to be heard, this habit having won for 
him in connection with the Yellow-billed species, the title of Rain-Crow 
or Rain-Dove. 

In view of recent evidence it seems probable that the Cuckoos, at least 
the birds of this species, are largely nocturnal in their habits. Mr. Gerald 
H. Thayer in a recent article in Bird Lore’ reports a remarkable series of 
observations taken near Mt. Monadnock in southwestern New Hampshire. 
He finds that these Cuckoos are habitually abroad during the pleasant 
nights of mid-summer and that they travel about at great heights, appar- 
ently going on long journeys in search of food, and that their presence is 
indicated by frequent gurgling notes by which their aerial course may be 
traced and their altitude inferred. These “mid-summer, mid-night, mid-sky 
gyrations” certainly put the bird before us in a new light, and it is to be 
hoped that observers here in Ohio may discover whether such habits prevail 
locally. 

At the nesting season the Black-billed Cuckoo is to be found chiefly 
in low damp woods or bottomland thickets. The nest is placed at moderate 
heights and is usually well concealed in thorn bushes or clustering vines. 
In construction it is a little more substantial than that of the other species, 
being deeper, with sticks and thorn twigs interwoven. It is provided with 
a greater abundance of catkins and is often lined with grass. The top, how- 
ever, is only slightly concave, so that accidents not infrequently befall, espe- 
cially if the first-hatched finds it convenient to roll out some belated brother. 
The eggs are four or five in number, somewhat smaller, less elliptical, and 
noticably darker-tinted than those of the previously described bird. 

The parent birds often manifest a curious indifference to molestation, 
and appear to take downright robbing little to heart. The male, in particular, 


1 Bird-Lore (published by the Macmillan Company, Harrisburg, Pa.) Vol. V., September-October, 1903, 
Pp. 143-145. 


368 THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 
is commonly accused of hard-heartedness. On the contrary, Dr. Brewer 
relates an instance which came under his own observation, where the female 
having been thoughtlessly killed by a small boy, the male bird took up the 
incompleted task of incubation, and successfully reared a brood of five birds. 


Photo by R. F. Griggs. 


YOUNG BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS. 


The American Cuckoos deserve great credit for endeavoring to forsake 
the ways of Old World species, which are inveterate cuckolds, like our own 
Cowbirds. There are, however, marked instances of a lapse from virtue. 
I once caught a Black-billed Cuckoo in a Catbird’s nest, sitting closely, and 
doubtless in the act of oviposition. Their eggs have been found besides 
in the nests of Wood Thrushes and Robins, to whose eggs their own bear 
a close resemblance. 


THE CAROLINA PAROQUET. 369 


No. 161. 
CAROLINA PAROQUET. 


A. O. U. No. 382. Conurus carolinensis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—CaroLINA PARRAKEET; PARAKEET; PARROQUET,. 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck all around bright yellow; forehead, 
lores and cheeks orange-red ; remaining plumage bright green, most of the feathers 
with blackish shafts, variegated with faint bluish and yellow-green on wings; the 
bend of the wing orange, the edge yellow; the inner webs of wing-quills fuscous ; 
tail regularly graduated, dull yellowish green below; bill white; feet flesh color. 
Young: Plain green. Length 12.00-13.50 (304.8-342.9); wing 7.00-7.60 
(177.8-193.) ; tail 5.25-7.00 (133.3-177.8) ; bill .qo (22.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; bright green, with orange and yel- 
low head. 

Nesting.—Not known to have bred in Ohio, but probably did so. Nest, for- 
merly described as in hollow trees, but now believed to nest in loose colonies, each 
nest being placed near the end of a horizontal branch in a cypress or other tree; a 
loose bunch of sticks, something like a Mourning Dove’s. Eggs, 2-5, white. Av. 
size 1.40 X I.10 (35.6 x 27.9). 

General Range.—Formerly Florida and the Gulf States north to Maryland, 
the Great Lakes, lowa and Nebraska, west to Colorado, the Indian Territory and 
Texas, and straggling north-eastward to Pennsylvania and New York. Now 
restricted to Florida, Arkansas and Indian Territory, where it is only of local 
occurrence. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly common, but now extinct. 


MANY causes have conspired to bring about the total extermination 
within our bounds of this once abundant bird, but the chief cause was ‘‘Der 
Fluch der Schonheit’’ (the curse of beauty). It was not possible that in 
an age of guns and women a creature of such prominence and beauty should 
have been spared to grace our landscape with its living green. Brilliant 
plumage and a dashing figure were alone sufficient to doom their possessor 
to destruction — and worse, namely millinery appropriation — but when to 
these were added a strident voice and a fondness for fruits and young 
grains, the case became quite hopeless. 

There are gray-haired men still among us who remember the shrieking 
companies of “parrots” which used to haunt the bottom lands and go charging 
about the sycamores like gusts of mad leaves; but to-day only the cunning 
plume-hunter or thrice-lucky ornithologist may penetrate to the remaining 
fastnesses of the species in the everglades of Florida. 

The flight of the Parrakeets was described as being graceful and very 
swift, comparable in both respects to that of the Passenger Pigeon. The 
birds moved about in companies of from fifty to five hundred individuals; and 
when making extended flights or when coming down to feed, the flock fell into 
a V-shaped figure, somewhat like that affected by the Canada Geese. Altho 


370 THE CAROLINA PAROQUET. 


appearing rather awkward in confinement, where their movements were 
restricted, the birds moved easily through the branches of a tree, now swing- 
ing head downward to reach a drooping seed, now regaining the perch by 
the aid of the powerful beak, which was used as a third (or first) hand. 

The birds were very noisy, especially during flight and at meals, scream- 
ing and chattering like nothing else in all the wood. But during the middle 
of the day they rested silently in the dense forest, or cooed tenderly if it were 
the mating season. Their favorite food was the cockle-burr (Xanthiwm 
canadense) which grows abundantly in low places. Besides this they ate 
wild fruit of many kinds,—persimmons, wild grapes, pawpaws,—as well 
as beech nuts, acorns, and the round seed-ball of the sycamore. When 
the settlers came, wheat in the milk was found to be very toothsome, and 
the bounties of the orchard irresistible. If reports are true these gay Phil- 
istines did not always stop when their bellies were full but sometimes 
wantonly destroyed the growing crops of our hard-working fathers. 

Toward evening the companies retired to the seclusion of great hollow 
trees, mostly sycamores, where they “hung out,” or rather hung up, for 
the night. The great beak, which did duty for both hands and face day- 
times, must needs render additional service, as a hammock-hook, at night. 
It was in hollow trees also that they nested, according to the most reliable 
of the accounts which have come down to us. In comparatively recent 
times Mr. Brewster has established the fact on good authority that they 
breed, at least in the South, in colonies in cypress trees,—the nest being 
a mere bunch of sticks placed at the forks of horizontal limbs, and contain- 
ing, as is supposed, up to four or five white eggs. It is still probable, how- 
ever, that in the Middle States they once nested as described by Audubon 
and Wilson. 

Many strange stories are told of this bird which, at this late date, it is 
impossible definitely to discredit or verify. Here is one which has the 
sanction of recent authority. In the “Birds of Indiana,’ Prof. A. W. Butler 
publishes the following paragraph, as supplied to him by Prof. John Collett : 
“Tn 1842, Return Richmond, of Lodi (Parke County), Indiana, cut down 
in the cold weather of winter a sycamore tree some four feet in diameter. 
In its hollow trunk he found hundreds of Parakeets in a quiescent or semi- 
torpid condition. The weather was too cold for the birds to fly, or even 
to make any exertion to escape. Mr. Richmond cut off with his saw a section 
of the hollow trunk some five feet long, cut out a doorway one foot by two 
in size, nailed over it a wire screen of his fanning-mill, rolled this cumber- 
some cage into the house and placed in it a dozen of the birds. They soon 
began to enjoy the feed of fruit, huckleberries and nuts he gave them, and 
he had the pleasure of settling absolutely the question of how they slept. 
At night they never rested on a perch, but suspended themselves by their 


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THE AMERICAN BARN OWL. 371 


beaks, and with their feet on the side of their cage. This was repeated 
night after night of their captivity.” 

There is every reason to suppose that the Carolina Paroquet was locally 
common throughout the state at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 
In 1831 Audubon notes their marked decrease in numbers: ‘*Where twenty- 
five years ago they were plentiful, scarcely any are now to be seen. Se: 
At the present day very few are to be found higher than Cincinnati, nor 
is it until you reach the mouth of the Ohio that Parrakeets are to be met 
with in considerable numbers.” In 1838 Caleb Atwater writes: “A few 
years since Parrakeets, in large flocks, lived in the woods along the Ohio 
River from Miller's bottom downwards, and along the Scioto River, upwards 
from its mouth to where Columbus now stands. ‘They are still in the bot- 
toms below Chillicothe, near the river, where there is proper food for them 
to eat, and birds enough for them to torment with their squalling noise.” 
The last authentic record is that made by William S. Sullivant, LL. D., 
in July, 1862, when he saw a boisterous flock of twenty-five or thirty indi- 
viduals in the elms of the Capitol Square in Columbus. 


No. 162. 
AMERICAN BARN OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 365. Strix pratincola  Bonap. 

Synonym.—MOoNKEy-FACED OWL. 

Description.—Adult: General color of upper parts ochraceous yellow; this 
lightly overlaid or mottled with gray, the typical mottled gray feathers having 
dusky centers and white tips; indistinct dusky bars on wing-quills and tail-feathers, 
clearest centrally ; entire under parts white, usually more or less washed with ful- 
vous or tawny, and sparingly but sharply speckled with dusky; facial disk white 
or whitish or tinged variously with ochraceous-buff, dark brown, or even claret; 
the edges of the disk rusty and dark brown on the tips of the feathers; bill light; 
feet light, nearly naked. The folded wing extends to or beyond the end of the 
tail. Nestlings are covered with fluffy white down. Length 14.00-18.00 (355.6- 
457.2) ; wing 12.25-14.00 (311.2-355.6) ; tail 5.25-7.50 (133.3-190.5) ; tarsus 2.25- 
3-25 (57-2-82.6) ; bill along culmen 1.00-1.25 (25.4-31.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; light colors, especially below; strongly 
marked facial disk; top-heavy appearance. 

Nest, in hollow trees or in crevices about towers, pigeon-houses, earth-banks, 
etc., lined scantily with sticks and trash. Eggs, 5-11, white, ovate. Av. size, 
Ig) Se MAIO) (IBA Se OA.) 

General Range.—United States, rarely to the northern border, and Ontario, 
southward through Mexico; northern limit of breeding range about latitude 41°. 

Range in Ohio.—Long considered rare in the State. Now found commonly 
in the lower valley of the Scioto. Rather rare elsewhere. 


372 THE AMERICAN BARN OWL, 


AS late as 1880 only five records of the appearance of this bird within 
the state were known to Dr. Wheaton, and none had ever been seen in 
Indiana. Soon after that there was a notable increase in numbers north 
of the Ohio River. Mr. Charles Dury of Cincinnati discovered a small 
colony in the town hall at Glendale, Ohio, Oct. 18th, 1883, and concluded 
they must have nested there the previous season. Some idea of the birds’ 
usefulness in the community was conveyed by the “pellets,” or little spheres 
of indigestible matter ejected by the Owls from time to time. “They cov- 
ered the floor several inches deep in places. I examined many of them and 
found them made up entirely of the hair and bones of the smaller rodents, 
mostly mice. 
There must 
have been 
the debris of 
several thou- 
sand mice 
and rats. 
Captain Ben- 
dire is certain 
that the cap- 
tures of a sin- 
gle pair of 
Barn Owls, 
during the 
nesting sea- 
son, exceed 
those of a 
dozen cats 
for the same 
period. 

The species 
has lately been reported from various points all over the state, including sev- 


Taken near Circleville. Photo by Dr. Howard Jones. 


A NESTING SITE OF THE BARN OWL 


eral along the Lake Erie shore; but the only region where it is yet called 
common is in the lower Scioto Valley. Rev. W. F. Henninger, at Waverly, 
mounted ten specimens brought in to him at various times from 1898 to 
1901. He says the birds are known locally as “White Owls,” and that they 
frequent the bottom lands adjoining the Scioto River, breeding most com- 
monly in the large sycamores which line that stream. 

The Barn Owl, as its name indicates, often passes the day in barns or 
outbuildings, being drawn thither solely by the abundance of mice which 
such places afford. It is said to be a very quiet, peaceable bird, offering no 
violence to the poultry, not even to the pigeons which often share its quar- 


THE AMERICAN BARN OWL. 373 


ters. When disturbed during its slumbers 
it makes a hissing noise, or clicks its mandi- 
bles in a threatening way. It has besides 
a “‘peevish scream,” and some querulous 
notes hard to characterize further. Its very 
odd appearance arouses in the average far- 
mer’s boy who discovers him a curiosity 
which is too seldom satisfied until the old 
musket has been discharged and the best 
mouser in seven counties is reduced to a 
mere heap of feathers. 

Of the breeding habits, Captain Charles 
Bendire says:' ‘The Barn Owl, strictly 
speaking, makes no nest. If occupying a 
natural cavity of a tree the eggs are placed 
on the rubbish that may have accumulated 
on the bottom; if in a bank they are laid on 
the bare ground and among the pellets of 
fur and small bones ejected by the parents. 
Frequently quite a lot of such material is 
found in their burrows, the eggs lying on 
and among this refuse. Incubation usually 
commences with the first egg laid, and lasts 
about three weeks. ‘The eggs are almost in- 
variably found in different stages of devel- 
opment, and young may be found in the 
same nest with fresh eggs. Both sexes as- 
sist in incubation and the pair may some- 
times be found sitting side by side, each 
with a portion of the eggs under them.” 


Taken near Circleville. 
Photo by Dr. Howard Jones. 


A NEARER VIEW. 
NEST OF BARN OWL IN NATURAL CAVITY 
OF TREE. 


1 “Life Histories of North American Birds,’ Vol. I., p. 327. 


374 THE AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. 


No. 163. 


AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 366. Asio wilsonianus (Less. ). 

Description.—Adult: Above finely mottled white and dusky, with appar- 
ently half-concealed ochraceous on subterminal margins of feathers; the design 
broadened on wings,—ochraceous, white, and dusky in patches; the wing-quills 
and tail distinctly barred dusky with ochraceous basally, dusky with gray ter- 
minally ; ear-tufts conspicuous, an inch or more in length, black centrally, with 
white and ochraceous edges; facial disk tawny, gray centrally, and blackish about 
eyes on inner side, the edges finely mottled black and white; tibice, tarsi, and feet 
pale tawny, immaculate; remaining under parts white, ochraceous, and dusky, in 
bold, free pattern, the upper breast distinctly and heavily streaked, the sides and 
flanks distinctly barred, the belly exhibiting a combination of the two types; lining 
of wing pale tawny, unmarked basally, save for a dusky patch on tips of coverts, 
heavily barred distally ; bill and toe-nails blackish. The folded wings exceed the 
tail, and the bill is nearly concealed by black and white bristles. Length 13.00- 
16.00 (330.2-406.4) ; wing II.25-12.00 (285.8-304.8) ; tail 5.75-6.25 (146.1-158.8) ; 
tarsus 1.50-1.80 (38.1-45.7) ; bill from nostril .63 (16.). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk to Crow size; a strongly marked and un- 
mistakable, species; the “horns” taken in connection with its size are sufficient to 
identify it. 

Nest, usually a deserted nest of Crow, Magpie, Heron, etc.; sometimes in 
rock-rifts or even on the ground. Eggs, 3-6, subspherical, white (or not infre- 
quently red-spotted with nest-marks). Av. size, 1.60 x 1.29 (40.6 x 32.8). 

General Range.—Temperate North America, south to the tablelands of 
Mexico. Breeds throughout its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Noit uncommon in winter, but of somewhat irregular occur- 
rence. Rare summer resident. 


AUTHORITIES cannot agree as to the real abundance of this species 
in various eastern states. Being strictly nocturnal in its habits it is seldom ob- 
served except in winter, when it is largely deprived of its cover, and when, 
moreover, its numbers are very materially increased by a northern influx. Un- 
like the larger Barred and the smaller Owls, the Long-eared Owl does not 
resort, to any considerable extent, if at all, to hollow trees, but secretes him- 
self by day in the midst of heavy foliage. His favorite retreats are the willows 
of swamp thickets, evergreen timber and small upland groves. 

If one is so fortunate as to surprise one of these Owls during the nesting 
season, or when the foliage is reasonably dense, he may get a good view of 
a slim bird standing straight and tense, with glowing yellow eyes and erect 
ear-tufts, or perhaps with beak defiantly snapping; but in winter when there 
is nothing to be gained by the bird’s bravery, a hundred yards is a near ap- 
proach. 

Since there are no recent accounts of the nesting of the Long-eared Owl 


THE AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. 375 


in Ohio, altho they certainly bred here in Audubon’s time, I may perhaps be 
pardoned for drawing upon my experience in a region where they are now 
much more plentiful, namely, in Eastern Washington. There nests containing 
eggs were found indifferently in April, May, or June, altho those found in 
June probably contained second broods. Deserted nests of the Magpie or Crow 
were invariably used by the Owls, and then only those to be found at moderate 
heights in swamp willow thickets. The eggs, from four to six in number, are 
normally a delicate, clear white, but they soon become nest-stained and are 
often blood-marked. Both parents are usually at home and actively interested 
in their nest. One instance will suffice. Having noticed a likely looking 
Crow’s nest about ten feet high in a willow clump I made toward it. Upon 
my approach the female slipped noiseslessly from the nest and left me to plan 
the ascent through an ugly tangle. As I started in I heard the preliminary 
notes of a caterwauling contest, just as when Thomas remarks, ‘‘)/’e-a-o-o- 
a-ow,” and nature catches her breath to hear what Maria will say. I paused 
and canvassed the morale of my contemplated action; then I hastily reviewed 
the chances of wild-cats; and then—I reached for my gun. Not until I had 
actually seen the mother bird emitting one of those gruesome squalls could I be- 
lieve that the noise came from an Owl. Even after doubt was set at rest the 
cry seemed not less like the snarl of an angry feline. ‘To add to the terrors of 
the defensive, the husband and father came up and literally proceeded to spread 
himself. Wungs and tail were spread to the utmost and every feather was rut- 
fled to its fullest extent,—all in a manner calculated to strike terror to the 
boldest heart. The bird-man managed to control his nerves long enough to 
note five eggs resting upon the accumulated refuse of a last year’s Crow’s 
nest; then hurriedly sought more congenial company. 

At another time while I was picking my way across a willow-skirted brook 
in the Yakima country I became aware of, rather than discovered, a wee, shriv- 
elled, craven, ill-fed Owl, a bird which evidently, at the time, desired noth- 
ing so ardently as to be able to find a ready-made hole in the atmosphere and 
to crawl into it. I debated with myself whether it might really be an under- 
sized Long-eared Owl. ‘There was nothing but the ear-tufts to show for it, for 
the very face of the bird was pinched and wizened. I gazed until the bird 
made sure of detection. Presto, change! ‘The India rubber creature resumed 
her natural appearance and made off with a great clatter, only to fall upon the 
ground in the well known “‘last stages.”” The interest of the bird-man always 
lies in the opposite direction from that being pursued by a self-wounded bird. 
The owdet sat about ten feet back of me in a clump of willows. Tho only half- 
grown, it countenance bore an expression of imperturbable gravity. After I 
had had my laugh out at his absurd solemnity, I approached the little fellow. 
Psst! Instantly there were about six of him. Every feather stood on end,— 
wings extended, eyes blazing, bill snapping. Goodness gracious! Suppose 


376 THE SHORT-EARED OWL: 


he had been about forty times bigger yet!) He wore my cap gracefully enough 
until we got down on the ground where we could hobnob in the open. There 
he nibbled meditatively at the vizor of his cap-cage, and mumbled incoherent 
little bad words between his teeth. Anger is always amusing—except perhaps 
in the case of one’s own irate parents—the younger and more helpless the em- 
bodiment of it, the more ridiculous it is. 

The food of the Long-eared Owl is largely mice and other rodents. Altho 
it does make an occasional levy on the small-bird population, it deserves the 
strictest protection on account of its overbalancing services. 


No. 164. 


SHORT-EARED OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 367. Asio accipitrinus (Pall.). 

Description.—Adults: Ear-tufts very short—scarcely noticeable; entire 
plumage, except facial disk, nearly uniform buff, ochraceous-buff or cream-buff, 
striped or mottled with dark brown,—heavily above and on breast, the stripes 
becoming more narrow on belly and disappearing altogether on legs and crissum; 
edge of wing white; the wing-quills and tail-feathers broadly barred with brownish 
dusky ;the facial disk gray centrally, with black around each eye and on the bridge; 
bill and toe-nails dusky blue; eyes yellow; ear-opening enormous, but fuily con- 
cealed; the wings fold just beyond the tail. Zmmatwre: Dark brown with ochra- 
ceous tips above; brownish-black face, and unstriped under parts. Length 14.00- 
16.75 (355.6-425.5) ; wing 12.00-13.00 (304.8-330.2) ; tail 5.50-6.25 (139.7-158.8) ; 
bill (chord of culmen) about 1.00 (25.4); tarsus 1.75 (44.5). Adult female 
larger than male. The preceding measurements include both sexes. 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk to Crow size; general streaked appear- 
ance, dark brown on buff; inconspicuous ear-tufts ; semi-terrestrial habits. 

Nest, on the ground or at the end of a short, under-ground tunnel; a few 
sticks, grass, and feathers mark the spot, or else the bird lays on the bare earth. 
Eggs, 4-6, sometimes 7, white, subspherical. Av. size, 1.57 X 1.23 (39.9 x 31.2). 

General Range.—Throughout North America; nearly cosmopolitan. Breeds 
somewhat irregularly and locally, from about latitude 39° northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common resident, and northern visitor; locally abun- 
dant in winter. A few have been known to breed. 


AN equitable distribution of territory has been made between this bird 
and his kinsman, the Long-eared Owl. ‘The latter has chosen the woods 
and the thickets for his hunting ground, while the Short-eared Owl roams 
the meadows and open fens. Moreover, the other bird hunts by night, while 
this one is abroad regularly and chiefly in the daytime. Let no one suppose 
that because the bird under consideration has abbreviated ear-tufts, he is 


THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 377 


“short” on hearing. On the contrary, his ear-parts are enormously devel- 
eped. Part the feathers on the side of the head, bringing the ear-coverts 
forward, and you will see it, an ear opening some two inches long—as long, 
in fact, as the skull is high, and proportionately broad. 

It is more than a coincidence that these marsh-prowlers, the Harrier 
and the Short-eared Owl, together with the latter’s cousin, A. wilsonianus, 
should be provided with such a remarkable auditory apparatus. When one 
considers the circumstances of their life, the reason for this common provision 
is very plain. In a thicket of reeds, especially if they are dry, one hears a great 
deal more than he is able to see. Movement through grass or tules without 
noise is almost an impossibility, even for the tiniest bird or mouse. Hence 
it becomes important to locate any creature in the tangle by hearing. Surely 
a Short-eared Owl could hear a bird-tick browsing at a hundred yards. 

Short-eared Owls are somewhat hawk-like in their appearance, whether 
moving softly to and fro across the meadows, or watching from a convenient 
post. They frequently gather in companies, and Mr. I. A. Field of Gran- 
ville tells me that he has seen as many as fifty in the air at once over the cat- 
tail swamps of the Licking Reservoir. 

The species is not uncommon in winter, but its nesting in the state was 
not positively determined until Dr. Howard E. Jones found it breeding near 
Circleville. Of this discovery he gives the following account in his ‘Nests 
and Eges of the Birds of Ohio”: “The first nest of the Short-eared Owl 
that I ever found was on March 23rd, 1878. It was in a piece of marshy land 
two miles from Circleville. I had just killed a snipe, and was looking for the 
dead bird when, right at my feet, a Short-eared Owl flew up and soared in 
the air high above me. Having recovered from my surprise I looked down, 
and there were four eggs lying in a little depression, where the grass had 
been eaten away by some cattle that were grazing in the field. A few feet 
away the ground was some inches lower and very wet. Having done the 
eggs up in my handkerchief, | remained some minutes to watch the owl, 
which continued circling around the spot, some hundred feet overhead. Final- 
ly she alighted in a distant part of the prairie, and I proceeded on my way. 
Several more Owls were flushed during the next half hour, each of which 
made long-continued circular flights before alighting. The following day I 
hunted for Owl-nests over the same ground and found a second one in a 
burrow, about a foot within the entrance, containing three eggs.” 


378 THE BARRED OWL. 


No. 165. 


BARRED OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 368. Syrnium varium (Barton). 

Synonym.—Hoor Owt (sharing the name with Bubo virgimianus ). 

Description.—Adult: No ear-tufts; above dark umber-brown, heavily 
barred with pale tawny or white,—each feather crossed subterminally by a light 
band, and having one or two more on concealed base; wing-quills and tail-feathers 
more broadly barred, the white spots on external webs of the former more or less 
confluent in bars reaching across the wing; below, on the breast, heavily barred 
with a paler brown and white, the latter predominating ; the belly and sides whitish 
or fulvous, not barred, but sharply and sparingly streaked with brown; facial disk 
gray, with indistinct, dusky, concentric circles about each eye, the eyes bordered by 
black on the inner margin; a dark brown area on the forehead; bill yellow; iris 
yellow or brown. Immature: Like adult, but barred instead of streaked on the 
belly; bars on upper parts broader, and appearing more white-spotted. Length 
18.50-24.00 (469.9-609.6) ; wing 13.00-14.00 (330.2-355.6); tail 9.00 (228.0) ; 
tarsus about 2.50 (63.5) ; bill 1.40 (35.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow to Brant size; general barred appearance; the 
absence of “horns” will immediately distinguish it from the Horned Owl, with 
which it is comparable in size. 

Nest, a deserted Hawk’s or Crow’s nest, or in a hollow tree. Eggs, 2-4, 
white, subspherical. Av. size, 1.96 x 1.66 (49.8 x 42.2). 

General Range.—E astern United States west to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kan- 
sas, and ‘'exas, north to Nova Scotia and Quebec. Breeds throughout its range. 


Range in Ohio.—Common resident; the most universally distributed Owl 
except Megascops asvo. 


AFTER the Screech Owl this large round-headed bird is the commonest 
of the Owl kind in the state. Altho necessarily somewhat reduced in num- 
bers with the decline in timber area, the species is well distributed; and almost 
any considerable stretch of woods, or a deep rocky ravine, will boast a pair 
ot “Hoot Owls.” The birds hunt mainly by night, but often avail themselves 
of cloudy days, and do not appear so nearly dazed as some in broad daylight. 
It is not unusual for the early bird-man to see the Owl coming in from the 
meadows just before sunrise, and making rapidly for the woods with that 
smoothly alternating flap and sail, which is characteristic of the bird. 

The nightly predatory expeditions are directed mainly against moles, 
gophers, and rabbits; but many insects are added on the one hand and birds 
not a few on the other. The proportion of poultry or game birds eaten is 
very small, and never equal in value to the vermin riddance accomplished ; 
but this is matter of opportunity rather than conscience with the Owl. Ina 
series of ninety-five stomachs examined by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, only three 
contained poultry but twelve others contained birds, among which were found 
two Screech Owls, and one Saw-whet Owl. 


THE GREAT GRAY OWL. 370 


Concerning the notes of this Owl much has been written. It is credited 
with a varied assortment of hoots, besides much demoniacal laughter, and 
cecasional blood-curdling sereeches. In comparing former accounts, and 
those written in comparatively unsettled sections of the country, with the 
bird’s present habits and its known abundance, I am strongly inclined to the 
opinion that the birds have undergone recently an important change in this 
respect ; that in fact, because of the increasing danger attendant upon the pro- 
cess, they have largely left off hooting and screeching. Negative evidence 
in this matter must be attentively considered, and such I believe we possess. 
The ordinary challenge notes, delivered in a deep bass voice, consist of the 
theme, zv/o-whoo, variously modified. IWVho-whoo, who-whoo-who, 1s a com- 
mon form and one which may readily be imitated by blowing into the hands 
held conch-shaped. 

Barred Owls mate in February and nest either during the last week of 
that month or early in March. Usually some hollow tree in the depths of 
the wood is utilized, but not infrequently, deserted nests of Hawks and Crows 
are pressed into service. In either case no additional lining 1s supplied. Occa- 
sionally the birds build a nest, and a site in some dense thicket of saplings 
or evergreens is then chosen. <A nest placed thirty feet high in one of a cluster 
of hemlocks, on the side of the Chance Creek gorge, in Lorain County, we 
had every reason to suppose was built by the owner. 

The female attends chiefly to the duties of incubation, while soon after 
the young are able to leave the nest the male takes himself off to some hollow 
tree, there to gloom in sullen solitude for another year. 


No. 166. 
CGREAISGRAY OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 370. Scotiaptex nebulosa (Foster). 

Description.—Adult: No ear-tufts; general plumage mottled, dusky, gray- 
ish brown, and dull whitish, darker above, lighter below, where the dusky markings 
are indistinctly longitudinal on breast and belly, and transverse on flanks, the 
whitish impure and with a fulvous element on the margin of the facial disk, hind 
neck, wings, tail, ete.; wing-quills and tail indistinctly barred; facial disk about 
six inches across, dusky gray, with numerous dusky lines imperfectly concentric 
about each eye; the edge of the disk dark brown and fulvous, and with more white 
below ; the eyes bordered by black on the inner margin; iris yellow; bill pale yel- 
low ; feet and toes heavily feathered. Length 25.00-30.00 (635.-762.) ; wing 16.00- 
18.00 (406.4-457.2) ; tail 11.00-12.50 (279.4-317.5); bill with cere 1.40 (35.6). 


380 THE SAW-WHET OWL. 

Recognition Marks.—Size largest,—Brant size; gray face; absence of ear- 
tufts will immediately distinguish it from the great Horned Owl. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of sticks and moss, lined sparingly 
with down, placed high in trees, usually coniferous. Eggs, 2-4, white. Av. size, 
Pris) 3 ligt (GAG) 38 AB.) 

General Range.—Arctic America, straggling southward in winter to southern 
New England, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Llinois, Idaho, and northern Mon- 
tana. 

Range in Ohio.—Very rare; two or three records believed to be authentic, 
but no specimens. 


ONE, autumn day some thirty years ago Charles Dury, of Cincinnati, 
was out quail-hunting with some farmers’ boys in Clark County, near South 
Charleston. While in pursuit of a scattered covey in a dense thicket, he came 
suddenly upon a monster Owl, the like of which he had never seen alive. A 
quick shot fired full in the bird’s face, blinded it, but did not inflict a mortal 
wound. Spreading its ample wings it fluttered away, regardless of a second 
shot fired after it, the gun being only a light muzzle-loader charged with fine 
shot. Realizing that he had lost a prize, the young collector scoured the 
neighboring woods in search of it, but without avail. 

This very rare northern visitor has not since been seen within the state, 
and it will hardly pass again the broadening belt of civilization which sepa- 
rates us from the Laurentian wilds, in which it makes its home. ‘The bird 
is not really so large as it appears, but has long fluffy feathers within which 


the “meat” bird is almost lost. Its eggs are not larger than some laid by the 
Barred Owl. 


No. 167. 
SAW-WHET OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 372. Nyctala acadica (Gmel.). 

Description.—Aduli: Without ear-tufts ; upper parts dull reddish brown, the 
crown and lateral edges of disk narrowly streaked, and the remaining upper parts 
more or less broadly but sparingly spotted with white; below white, broadly and 
heavily streaked with cinnamon-rufous; legs, feet, and crissum tawny white or 
ochraceous, unmarked ; facial disk white above, fulvous and brown below, the eyes 
black-margined, and the disk brown-edged below, contrasting with narrow pectoral 
white; iris yellow; bill black. Immature: Like adult, but without white spotting 
above; breast, like back and belly, ochraceous. Length 7.25-8.50 (184.2-215.9) ; 
wing 5.00-5.90 (127.-149.9); tail 2.80-3.25 (71.1-82.6); bill including cere 
.66 (16.8). 


fc 


hae Ce ere 


48 SAW-WHET OWL COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO 
Nyctala acadica RIGHIB) RESER MIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHIN 


° > Life-size 


THE SAW-WHET OWL. 381 

Recognition Marks.—Smallest of Eastern Owls,—Chewink size, but appear- 
ing larger; no ear-tufts ; pattern of coloring much more simple than in /egascops 
asio. Lighter in color than N. t. richardsoni (which may possibly occur in Ohio), 
streaked instead of spotted on crown, and with unbarred feet and legs. 

Nest, in hollow trees, deserted Woodpecker holes, etc., Eggs, 4-7, white, 
subspherical. Av. size, 1.20 X 1.00 (30.5 x 25.4). 

General Range.—North America at large, breeding from the Middle States 
northward, and in mountainous regions of the West southward into Mexico. 


Range in Ohio.—Resident. Probably not uncommon, but little observed. 


BECAUSE of its very retiring and strictly nocturnal habits, this little 
Owl has long been considered rare, and the sets of eggs taken within the 
United States would probably number not-above a score. Carroll County, 
Indiana, is given by Bendire as the southernmost limit of its breeding, but 
Davie records the taking of a brood of young birds at Worthington, by Mr. 
J. E. Gould, May 28, 1889. This past season the writer encountered two 
family groups, one of four birds, June roth, on the banks of the Licking 
Reservoir, and the other of six, July 7-11th, in the hollow near the Siebert 
Spring, on the State University grounds. 

The note heard in both cases bore only the most distant possible resem- 
blance to the “filing of a cross-cut saw,’ which is the classical comparison. 
It was rather a rasping, querulous sa-a-a-a-ay, repeated by old and young 
with precisely the same accent, and inaudible at any distance above a hundred 
feet. Uncertain in the first instance, since the hour was late dusk, whether 
the dark silhouettes before me had horns or not, I tried the Screech Owl cry 
and was greeted with a perfect chorus of says from the youngsters, while the 
parents whined in a mystified way and flew back and forth near my head 
snapping their mandibles together fiercely. In the second instance, in the 
large willows and poplars near the University spring, I succeeded in rousing 
one old bird and five owlets at an unusually early hour, viz., about twenty 
minutes after sunset. The smaller song birds were still astir and scolded 
vigorously at the appearance of these grim night watchmen, but the Owls 
gave no heed to their clamor, and were only intent upon discovering the where- 
abouts of their cousin Screech Owl, who had summoned them. ‘The parent 
bird was the first to discover the deception and she bent forward peering 
earnestly at me, and uttered a low mellow cook of comprehension, twice, after 
which the party withdrew. There could be little doubt that the young had 
been raised in one of the hollow trees in the immediate neighborhood. 

Nesting and roosting are preferably in deserted Woodpecker holes, but 
in default of these dense foliage is said to furnish cover for the birds during 
the day. Dr. William L. Ralph of Utica, N. Y., finds that under such cir- 
cumstances they are not at all suspicious, and has even stroked them with his 
hand as they were roosting sleepily in bush or tree. 


Ree THE SCREECH OWL. 


No. 168. 
SCREECH OWL: 

A. O. U. No. 373. Megascops asio (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: With conspicuous ear-tufts; dichromatic. Rufous 
phase.—Aboye cinnamon-rufous, substantially uniform, or with black central 
stripes on the feathers, the latter always(?) present on forehead; considerable 
white on scapulars, wing-coverts, and margins of primaries; wing-quills and tail 
finely and rather indistinctly dusky-barred; below white, heavily blotched with 
cutous, and black-streaked on breast and sides, fading posteriorly ; middle line of 
belly usually immaculate; feet and legs completely feathered, more or less rufous 
spotted ; facial disk grayish and rufous, not highly differentiated from surrounding 
parts; iris yellow; bill yellow or dull gray, light tipped. Gray phase—Similar 
to preceding, but gray or pinkish gray instead of rufous; pattern much more com- 
plex; each teather with dusky or rich brown central stripe, and cross-barred with 
the same color in fine wavy lines; this pattern beautifully carried out on the breast 
and sides of the belly; the ground color of the upper parts ochraceous-buff, and of 
under parts white. Between these two phases there exists every gradation. They 
occur quite independently of age, sex, or season, both phases being sometimes rep- 
resented in the same brood. Young: Heavily barred with dusky gray or rufous 
and dull whitish; no longitudinal markings. Length 8.00-10.00 (203.2-254.) ; 
wing 6.39 (162.3) ; tail 3.44 (87.4) ; bill .81 (20.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller,— ‘Robin size,” horns, with diminutive size, 
distinctive. 

Nest, in hollow trees, Woodpecker holes, etc. Eggs, 4-6, or even 8 and 9, 
white, subspherical. Av. size, 1.40 x 1.20 (35.6 x 30.5). 

General Range.—Temperate eastern North America, south to Georgia and 
west to the plains. Accidental in England. 

Range in Ohio.—Abundant resident. 


PROBABLY nine persons out of every ten shudder when they hear the 
weird and tremulous notes of the Screech Owl; but to the tenth man they 
come like a welcome draught into which has been instilled the essence of all 
wild things, a flavor of mystery and dark deeds, and the authentic tang of 
sorrow which still is joy. It is easier for most people to imagine a use for 
these strange notes similar to that of the catamount’s serenade, viz., to terrify 
intended victims; but only the elect—lady owls and some others—see in them 
the true likeness of a love song. It is comparatively easy to reproduce this 
quavering song, especially if one cultivates a palatal trill, and it will be found 


an exceedingly useful assembly-call in the woods. ; 

The truth of the matter is that every bird’s bill is against this bird, and 
there are none so poor to do him reverence—by daylight. This is not alone 
because he appears stupid and sleepy, or because he regards his tormentors 
with the fixed gravity of a round-eyed gaze, varied only by “that forlorn, 


“THE SCREECH OWL. 483 


almost despairing wink” peculiar to it, but because they have an ancient and 
well-grounded grudge against this bird of silent wing and cruel claw. All 
but the Blue Jay—he is a villain himself, and he leads the persecution of owls 
from sheer love of mischief. Whenever a Blue Jay’s voice is lifted high and 
there is an under-chorus of bird babble beneath it, it is time for the bird-man 
to slip rapidly forward from tree to tree and investigate. 

One such din I heard on a winter's day, in a little wood north of town. 
The center of attraction proved to be a certain hole or crevice about twenty- 
five feet high in an ash tree. ‘The Blue Jays retreated as I advanced to the 
shelter of a commanding tree-bole; but the rest of the birds held their ground. 
I watched while Red-headed Woodpeckers took turns peeping into the hole 
and shuddering. Once a Red-head yelled, “Ouch!” and jumped a yard or 
more. Chickadees clamored, “Tet me see! Let me see!’ while Titmice and 
Cardinals sputtered their indignation. A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches 
inspected the locality minutely. One murmured, “Horrible! The hypocrit- 
ical old cut-throat!’ and the woods quanked and shivered assent. 

Of course I knew what was up and I came forward to take a hand in the 
game. <A couple of smart raps from a stick brought a weary and somnolent 
Screech Owl to the mouth of the hole. He blinked aimlessly about for a 
moment and then sank back. “Well,” thought I, “he’s slow, I'll go up and 
interview him.” ‘The tree was of considerable girth and almost bare of limbs. 
I tried to keep an eye on the hole, but somehow, when I got there, panting 
fiercely, the hole contained “nothing but leaves.” Sir Owl had flitted, chuck- 
ling noiselessly in his silken sleeve.’ 

Screech Owls are not really more numerous in winter, as has been some- 
times supposed, but are only more in evidence at that season, because of the 
comparative scarcity of the staple food, mice and insects. Then they are 
driven also to seek shelter in barns and outbuildings, and not infrequently fly 
in at open windows. Small birds are captured to much greater extent then 
than during the warmer seasons, and the bird is evidently cultivating a weak- 
ness for English Sparrows; for which he deserves a vote of thanks. 

Eggs of this species are to be found the last week in March or the first 
in April, in deserted Woodpeckers’ nests. natural cavities in trees, or holes 
and crannies about buildings. Of the incubation, Professor Lynds Jones 
says: “Both parents are generally found near the nest, and not infrequently 
sitting on the eggs at the same time. In a number of instances I have taken 
the two from well incubated eggs, but have never flushed both from a fresh 
set. Between the interval when the first egg is laid and the set is completed, 
the male may be found in a hollow tree near by and cannot be flushed, 
while the female watches the nest and flushes easily. When incubation begins 
the male will flush readily for a time, the female, however, remaining. 
Later, both birds must be dislodged by force. If the cavity is large enough 


1 Reproduced here by courtesy of ‘‘The Wilson Bulletin.” 
2 Communicated to Capt. Bendire. See “Life Histories of N. A. Birds,’’ Vol. I., p. 357. 


384 THE GREAT HORNED OWL. 

to admit of it, both birds will lie over the eggs; if, however, it be small, the 
female covers the eggs and the male either wedges himself down by her side or 
lies on top of her, and sometimes finds a lodgment higher up in the hole, which, 
however, is rarely the case.” 

Incubation is completed in about three weeks, and the young when 
hatched require an enormous amount of food. ‘This is collected by night 
and a surplusage stored for consumption during the day. The birds remain 
ina family group for some weeks after leaving the nest, and it is not an unusual 
thing to come across them standing as motionless as statues on some hori- 
zontal limb at a low level in the woods. In one such group seen during 
the season of 1903, both parents were of the red phase and the four owlets 


gray. 


No. 169. 
GREAT HORNED OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 375. Bubo virginianus (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—Hoor Owr (par excellence) ; Cat Ow; VircintA OWL. 

Description.—Adult: ar-tufts conspicuous, two inches or more in length, 
black, bordered with ochraceous ; entire upper parts dusky or blackish, finely mot- 
tled with whitish and ochraceous, the latter color predominant on each feather 
basally ; wing-quills and tail faintly broad-barred; facial disk ochraceous, sharply 
bordered by blackish laterally ; feathers whitish with black tips centrally; a broad 
white space on chest; feathers of remaining under parts tawny at base, changing 
to white on terminal portions, finely and heavily barred with dusky-brown; the 
sides of the breast heavily spotted with the same color; iris bright yellow; bill and 
toe-nails bluish black. Young: Above and below ochraceous barred with dusky. 
Length 18.00-25.00 (457.2-635.) ; av. of eight Columbus specimens: wing 15.06 
(382.5); tail 9.60 ( (243.8) ; bill including cere 1.66 (42.2). Female averages 
two or three inches longer than males. 

Recognition Marks.—lLargest, except for the two very rare species. 
“Horns” and size distinctive. 

Nest, in a hollow tree, or in a deserted Hawk’s or Crow’s nest. Eggs, 2-3, 
rarely 4, white, subspherical. Av. size, 2.20 x 1.82 (55.9 x 46.2). 

General Range.—E astern North America west to the Mississippi Valley, and 
from Labrador south to Costa Rica. 

Range in Ohio.—Resident; no longer common. Occasional winter visitor. 


BUBO horribilis should have been the name of this feathered demon of 
the woods, this grizzly of the midnight air. He loves the darkness because 
his deeds are evil, and after the protecting sun has set, woe betide the mole 


GREAT HORNED OWL 


DITIUNLANUS 


Life 


Bubo 


THE GREAT HORNED OWL. 385 


or rabbit, Bobwhite, Jay or Chanticleer, who dares to stir where this monster 
is a-wing. When captured in a trap, as he often is by aggrieved poultry 
fanciers, the ruffling of the feathers, the alternate hissing and fierce snapping 
of the mandibles, and the greenish yellow light which comes flashing from 
the great saucer eyes, all give fair warning of what one may expect from the 
free foot once it gets a chance to close upon a victim. 

Wheaton wrote “common resident,” but in most parts of the state this 
unwelcome bird neighbor is greatly reduced in numbers, and in some altogether 
wanting, except it be casually in winter. The only one seen recently in 
Lorain County was found March gth, 1899. In the heart of a deep wood a 
mob of twenty Crows bayed the quarry like a pack of hounds, while two 
Red-shouldered Hawks, diving and screaming overhead, gave character to the 
shifting assemblage. ‘The Owl was visibly annoyed by these attentions, but 
was holding his own until the humans appeared, when he fled incontinently 
at a hundred yards. It re- 
quired a chase of two miles, 
during which only the 
Hawks accompanied us, to 
overhaul and turn the grim 
death’s-head so as to get a 
square sight of him. 

MMiermoties sot tive 
Horned Owl are much less 
frequently heard than for- 
merly, and this is not only 
because of greater scarcity, 
but because the birds have 
learned caution. ‘They are 
known to nest in places 
where a single full-voiced 


Taken in Colorado. Photo by E. R. Warren. 
hoot would draw the fire of YOUNG HORNED OWL? 
the country-side The mat- The form is Bubo virginianus subarcticus. 
H G r é 


ing song (save the mark!) is a succession of resonant bellowings in a 
single key,—IV’hoo, whoo, hoo-hoo, who—quite variable as to length and 
form. Besides this the bird occasionally indulges in a sepulchral laughter, 
hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, which arouses anything but mirthful 
feelings in the listener. Nothing short of awful is the nocturnal serenade 
to which these big owls sometimes treat the camper-out. “‘‘Cat-call” is a 
faint word to express this midnight terror—‘panther screech” were fitter. 
Once in the city of Tacoma the writer was aroused from a sound slumber 
by a great commotion upon an adjoining roof, which the chamber overlooked. 
After the first shock of somnolent fright was over, it seemed as if a dozen 


1 Courtesy of the Wilson Bulletin. 


380 THE SNOWY OWL. 


Shanghai roosters and a cage of parrots were closing in for a life and death 
struggle, but the music suddenly ceased before the bird-man could command 
his gun—and his nerves. Some nights later the shivaree was repeated, from 
the chimney of a neighboring church; and there | saw the Owl, clearly outlined 
against the moonlit sky. The tension of mystery was relieved but the 
concrete awfulness of that first occasion haunts me yet like a voice from 
the Inferno. 

The Great Horned Owl is the earliest nester in the state. . Fresh eggs 
are usual the last week in February, and January records are not unknown. 
Eggs are deposited in old Crows’ or Hawks’ nests, or, less commonly, in 
hollow trees. They are laid at intervals of two or three days, and incuba- 
tion, beginning with the first egg, is kept up about four weeks. The owlets 
are thrifty young knavyes, and their maintenance costs many a hecatomb 
of rats and rabbits, with now and then a juicy quail. 


No. 170. 


SNOWY OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 376. Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Without plumicorns ; entire plumage pure white, 
sometimes almost unmarked, but usually more or less spotted or indistinctly barred 
above with pale brownish or fuscous,—perhaps heaviest on middle of back and 
wing-coverts ; wing-quills and tail-feathers irregularly and sparingly spotted with 
dusky ; below still fainter indications of dusky barring; legs and feet immaculate, 
heavily feathered; bill and claws black; iris yellow. Adult female: Similar to 
male, but much more heavily barred with brownish black,—only face, fore breast 
and feet unmarked; top of head and hind neck spotted with dusky. Length 
20.00-27.00 (508.-685.8) ; wing 15.50-18.75 (393.7-476.3) ; tail g.00-10.50 (228.6- 
2606.7) ; bill 1.10-1.40 (27.9-35.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Large size (Brant size); snowy white with dusky 
bars ; no ear-tufts. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3-10, white. 
Av. size, 2:24 x 1.77 (56.9 x 45.). 

General Range.—Northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere. In 
North America breeding wholly north of the United States; in winter migrating 
south to the Middle States, straggling to South Carolina, Texas, California, and 
Bermuda. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly common; now rare winter visitor in northern 
Ohio. Casual elsewhere. 


DURING January and February of 1902 there occurred a remarkable 
invasion by Snowy Owls, which was reported from localities as diverse as 


THE AMERICAN HAWK OWL. 387 


Southern Michigan and Long Island. They were especially abundant in 
Ontario, and were much sought after for their plumage. According to Mr. 
Ruthven Deane, *‘a Mr. Owens, taxidermist, living near Mooresville, Mid- 
dlesex County, received and mounted twenty-two specimens during the 
winter, and commented on the fact that thirteen years ago he prepared exactly 
the same number, not having handled a single specimen in the interim.” 
Mr. Deane collected information of more than 430 of these Owls that were 
killed during this one flight. No specimens were reported for Ohio, but 
it is altogether probable that the birds might have been found along the Lake 
rie shore at that time. 

“The home of the Snowy Owl is on the immense moss and lichen cov- 
ered tundras of the boreal regions, where it leads an easy existence and 
finds an abundant supply of food during the short Arctic summers. It hunts 
its prey at all hours and subsists principally upon the lemming, and it is said 
to be always abundant wherever these mammals are found in any numbers. 
Small rodents are also caught, as well as Ptarmigan, Ducks, and other water 
fowl, and even the Arctic hare, an animal fully as heavy again as these Owls, 
is said to be successfully attacked and killed by them” (Bendire). 


No. 171. 
AMERICAN HAWK OWL. 


A. O. U. No. 377a. Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.). 

Synonym.—Day OWL. 

Description.—Adu/t: Without ear-tufits; above dark grayish brown or fus- 
cous, finely and heavily spotted with white on head and upper back; with larger 
quadrate spots or bars of the same on middle back and wings; upper tail-coverts 
distinctly, and tail indistinctly or brokenly, barred with white; tail rounded, the 
outer pair of feathers about an inch shorter than the central pair; a crescentic 
patch behind the ear-coverts, another on the side of the neck behind, and one on the 
upper throat, pure dark brown; facial disk—so far as indicated—and chest, white ; 
breast irregularly barred or streaked with fuscous on white ground, sometimes 
almost solid fuscous ; remaining under parts closely and evenly barred with reddish 
brown and white in about equal proportions ; legs, fully feathered to the claws,tawny, 
spotted, or lightly barred with light reddish brown; bill yellow. Length 14.50- 
17.50 (368.3-444.5) ; wing 9.00 (228.6) ; tail 7.00 (177.8) ; bill .85 (21.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; small head, slender build; strictly diurnal 
habits; general hawk-like appearance. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of sticks, mosses, and feathers, in 
coniferous trees, or in holes of decayed trees, or even on a rock or stump. Eggs, 
3-7, white. Av. size, 1.53 x 1.24 (38.9 x 31.5). 


1 The Auk, Vol. XIX., pp. 271-283. 


388 THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 


General Range.—a~rctic America, breeding from Newfoundland northward, 
and migrating in winter to the northern borders of the United States. Occasional 
in England. 


Range in Ohio.—Very rare, or casual in winter. 


THIS rare winter visitor looks and acts like a Hawk, and is strictly 
diurnal in its habits, but it has the soft noiseless plumage which marks the 
Owls. When seen southerly it is most frequently at look-out upon the top 
of a stub. If frightened, it dives down almost to the ground before taking 
rapid flight. 

Its food consists chiefly of insects and rodents, but it is a spirited bird 
and quite equal to despatching game of good size. 

The nest is said to be frequently made upon the top of broken stubs. 
Others are in natural cavities in trees, and others still are placed in the thick 
foliage of pine trees, well up. 

“The note is a shrill cry which is uttered generally while the bird is 
on the wing” (Fisher). 


No. 172. 
PEREGRINE FALCON. 


A. O. U. No. 356. Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonap.). 

Synonym.—Duck Hawk. 

Description.—4Adult: Above dark bluish ash, or slaty black with a glaucous 
“bloom,” the feathers lighter edged, and the larger ones obscurely barred; top of 
head appreciably darker,—almost black; wings long, and pointed by the second 
quill, the first notched about two inches from the end; primaries distinctly barred 
on the inner webs with ochraceous; tail and upper tail-coverts narrowiy barred 
with ashy-gray and blackish, whitish-tipped; area below eye, produced downward 
as broad “moustache,” sooty black; throat and chest white or buffy, immacu- 
late or nearly so; remaining under parts white or buffy heavily spotted 
on breast with blackish crescentic marks, lengthening into braces and bars below; 
tarsus feathered two-fifths of the way down; toes and claws lengthened ; bill blue- 
black. but with cere and much of base yellow; feet yellow; claws black. — /mma- 
ture: Above sooty brown, plain or with some glaucous bloom with advancing 
age; feathers not barred, but more broadly and distinctly edged with ochraceous 
buff ; top of head lighter than back by reason of ochraceous and whitish admixture ; 
bars of tail obsolete on central feathers; below heavily striped with sooty brown, 
or if barred, only on flanks ; chest never immaculate——narrowly streaked with sooty 
brown; prevailing color of under parts deeper buffy or ochraceous than in adults. 
Adult male length 15.50-18.00 (393.7-457.2) ; wing 1I1.50-13.00 (292.1-330.2) ; 
tail 6.00-7.75 (152.4-196.9) ; culmen .77 (19.6). Adult female length 18.00-20.00 
(457.2-508.) ; wing 13.50-14.75 (342.9-374.7) ; tail 7.00-9.25 (177.8-235.) ; culmen 
95 (24.1). 


THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 389 


Recognition Marks.—Crow size; dark coloration; black “moustache” ; long 
pointed wings; swift, easy flight. 

Nest, on cliffs or in hollow limbs of the tallest trees. Lggs, 3 or 4, creamy- 
white, buffy, light hazel, or rich cinnamon-brown, in the latter cases sometimes 
plain, otherwise spotted and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate. Av. size, 
2O5 Se OS (5 2a0exs 40-0) 

General Range.—North America at large and south to Chili. Breeds locally 
throughout most of its United States range. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common visitor. Probably less common than for- 
merly. May have bred in the State. 


THE name Duck Hawk is really a tribute to the skill and prowess of 
this highly endowed bird, but it is belittling, nevertheless, to institute a com- 
parison, however remote, between the noble Peregrine and the multitudinous 
“Hen Hawk” of the vulgar conception. This is the Peregrine Falcon, the 
American bird being not different save for a somewhat whiter breast (which 
only enhances its beauty) from the falcon gentil of song and story, the most 
courageous, the most spirited of all birds of prey. It secures an intended 
victim either by striking it from above and bearing it down to earth by its 
acquired momentum, or else by snatching it from the ground with incredible 
swiftness. Many stories are told of its seizing and making off with wounded 
game from under the very nose of the hunter, and it 1s especially fearless in its 
pursuit of wild ducks, which it is said to follow systematically for days at 
a time during the migrations. 

The Peregrine Falcon is only occasionally noted within the limits ef this 
state. In the fall of 1901 a specimen was taken alive in a room of one of the 
State University buildings, which it had evidently entered in pursuit of game, 
and it was kept for a while in a cage before being mummified in the interests of 
science. Early the following spring, March 6th it was, another bird was seen, 
hunting low over the north end of Columbus. The dark plumage and long 
pointed wings, with the easy, graceful, or dashing flight, furnish good recog- 
nition marks in the field. On a windy day the bird rises against the wind, kite 
fashion, to immense heights, where it careers about or plunges madly down 
and up again, apparently for sheer love of sport. 

While it has not been found nesting in the state, it may do so, since Mr. 
Robert Ridgway, in the spring of 1878, found nests in the Wabash Valley, as 
far south as Mount Carmel, Hlinois. “Three nests were found in the imme- 
diate vicinity of the town. All were placed in cavities in the top of very large 
sycamore trees, and were inaccessible. One of these trees was felled, however, 
and measurements with a tape line showed the nest to have been eighty-nine feet 
from the ground, its location being a shallow cavity, caused by the breaking 
off of the main limb, the upper part of which projected over sufficiently to form 
a protection from the sun and the rain.” 


390 THE PIGEON HAWK. 


No. 173. 


PIGEON HAWK. 


Jn, O. U. No. 357. Falco columbarius Linn. 

Description.—Old male: Above bluish gray or dark slaty blue; feathers 
with black shafts and pale or rusty edges; general color usually interrupted by 
outcropping white or buffy on nape; tip of wing formed by second primary ; first 
shorter than third; first and second sharply notched on the inner web; the second 
and third slightly emarginate on the outer web; inner webs of all quills barred 
or spotted with whitish; outer webs with traces of ashy markings; tail darkening 
posteriorly, white-tipped, and crossed by four narrow, whitish bars, the anterior one 
concealed; below white or whitish, nearly immaculate on throat, darkening post- 
eriorly to tawny or ochraceous, heavily streaked with dark umber, sometimes 
changing to bars on the flanks; sides of throat and cheeks finely penciled with 
umber; iris brown; bill and claws blue-black; feet yellow; cere and base of bill 
greenish yellow. This high plumage is quite rare. Adult female and male in 
usual dress: Above dark umber-brown, glaucous or not, the head varied by much 
buffy or rusty edging, with blackish central streaks; wing-spots ochraceous-buff ; 
tail with pattern as before, but blackening toward tip, and with ochraceous-buft 
cross-bars; below darker buffy all over, or tawny medially as well as posteriorly ; 
streaking of variable intensity. Immature: Perhaps lighter above, and with 
more ochraceous-buffy edging; otherwise not appreciably, or at least constantly, 
different from adult. Adult male length 10.00-11.50 (254.-292.1); wing 7.00 
(177.8); tail 4.90 (124.5); bill .48 (12.2). Adult female length 12.00-13.00 
(304.8-330.2) ; wing 8.50 (215.9) ; tail 5.40 (137.2) ; bill .57 (14.5). 

Recognition Marks.—'‘Little Hawk” size; swift flight; sharp wings; stout 
proportions otherwise; heavily umber-streaked lower parts. 

Nest, in hollow limbs of trees or in crannies about cliffs. Eggs, 4 or 5, creamy- 
white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate, or else cinnamon- 
brown sprinkled and dotted with heavier shades of the same color. Av. size, 1.62 
Ne AD (GUID Se {OK@))) 

General Range.—North America at large, south to the West Indies and 
northern South America. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common winter visitor, or spring and fall migrant 
throughout the state. Formerly bred in northern part of the state but no recent 
records. 


IF a careful scrutiny of all little hawks is maintained throughout the 
winter and early spring, the search will be rewarded now and then by the 
sight of a bird whose movement is a little more rapid and dashing than that of 
the ubiquitous Sparrow Hawk. The wings seem to reach forward with a 
stroke like that of a strong swimmer, and altogether there is an indefinable 
air of quality and power about the diminutive Pigeon Hawk, which does not 
pertain to his less spirited cousin. Not content with the humble quarry which 


HAWK 


ROW 


AN SPAR 


AMERIC 


THE AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 


391 


usually satisfies the resident Falcon, the little winged terror makes havoc 
among the Blackbirds and smaller songsters. Himself not larger that a full- 
sized Pigeon, the Hawk sometimes pursues a Mourning Dove with relentless 
fury, and easily overtakes this fleet bird, unless it seeks cover or the protection 
of man. 

Now and then also one finds the Pigeon Hawk seated, for it is less 
suspicious than most, and it hails from northern wilds which do not know 
-the fear of man. At such times one is struck by the quaint, almost unique 
appearance of the tawny breast with its heavy umber streaks; and the glaucous 
bloom of the upper parts might have come from my lady’s cheek, when she 
went hawking centuries ago. In the hand the round white spots which 
sprinkle the tawny feathers lining the wings make them seem still more like 
objects of curious medizeval art. 


No. 174. 
AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 


A. O.-U. No. 360. Falco sparverius Linn. 

Synonym.—Rusty-ckROWNED FALCON. 

Description.—ddult male: Top of head slaty blue, with a rufous crown- 
patch; sides of head and throat white, a black stripe from the lower eye-lid an- 
teriorly, proceeding obliquely downward; a similar transverse bar on the side of 
the neck, and a dab on either side and sometimes in the middle of the cervix; 
back, scapulars, and tail rich rusty red; strong black bars in variable quantity 
across the middle of the back and lower scapulars, or rarely reaching cervix; a 
heavy subterminal black band on tail, the central feathers tipped with rufous 
and the others with white; the wing-coverts and inner quills (including second- 
aries) slaty blue, the former black-spotted and the latter crossed by a heavy black 
bar ; primaries blackish, the point of wing formed by the second; the first sharply 
emarginate on the inner web, the second slightly so; all the wing-quills heavily 
spotted with white on the inner webs, these spots confluent in bars on the under 
surface; below whitish or slightly tinged, immaculate on lower belly, flanks, and 
crissum; elsewhere (save on throat, as noted above) lightly tinged or heavily 
shaded with rufous,—the fore breast usually but not always unmarked, the sides 
and middle belly very lightly or quite heavily spotted with black. Bill bluish black ; 
cere and feet yellow. Young male: Similar to adult, but lower scapulars and 
wing-quills lightly tipped with white; not so heavily shaded with rufous below. 
Adult femate: Subsimilar, but wings like the back; the black barring regular and 
continuous over entire back, wings (except quills), and tail,—the tail having ten 
to twelve bars, but the subterminal bar often larger; barring indicated narrowly 
across upper tail-coverts ; below not-tinged with rufous, but streaked instead with 
rusty brown; the sides sometimes barred with blackish. Young female: “Similar 
to adult, but colors softer, deeper, and more blended” (Ridgway). Adult male 


302 THE AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 


length 8.75-10.50 (222.3-206.7); av. of nine Columbus specimens: wing 7.24 
(183.9) ; tail 4.63 (117.6); bill .50 (12.7). Adult female length 9.00-12.00 
228.6-304.8) ; av. of eight Columbus specimens: wing 7.50 (190.5); tail 5.0 
(128.5) ; bill .52 (13.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size, but appearing larger. The black markings 
about head, and rufous of upper parts distinctive. 

Nest, in hollow trees, often in deserted Woodpecker holes. Eggs, 4-6, some- 
times 7, creamy, buffy, or vinaceous, sprinkled and spotted with deeper shades of 
the ground color, or darker reddish browns. Av. size, 1.38 x 1.14 (35.1 X 20.). 

Range in Ohio.—North America east to the Rocky Mountains, and from 
Great Slave Lake south to northern South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Quite common resident. Less frequent in winter, especially 
in the northern counties. 


THE handsome appearance of this little Falcon, together with its com- 
parative fearlessness and gratifying abundance, make it rather the best-known 
bird of prey throughout the state. It is to be found almost anywhere, and 
pays us frequent visits in town, but its favorite perch is a dead tree-top or 
stub at the edge of the woods, or a telegraph pole commanding an unob- 
structed view. From these points of vantage the birds attentively watch the 
happenings on the 
ground and _ dive 
down whenever they 
think their presence 
is needed by mouse 
or grasshopper. 
Much time is spent 
also on the wing, 
passing rapidly from 
wood to field, or fly- 
ing slowly across a 
promising meadow, 
and pausing  fre- 
quently at a good 
height to study a sus- 
picious movement in 

alo cae. Ola. Photo by the Author. the grass below. A 
A FAVORITE PERCH. Hawi: Awillmenee 

over one spot for a minute at a time, and then pass on disappointed, or else 
pounce suddenly upon its prey and bear it off to some elevated perch for quiet 


consumption. When the wind is blowing strong the bird no longer flutters 
at its critical stops, but only balances on the wind, so nicely, indeed, that its 
Wings are almost motionless. 

Always graceful, the Sparrow Hawk is seen to best advantage during 


THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 


393 


the courting season, when the male reaffirms his fondness for his life-long 
mate by circling about her as she sits upon the tree-top; or he measures the 
height of his devotion by ascending to the clouds before her, and dashing 
himself at her feet again with shrill cries of Killy, killy, killy. ‘To hear the 
snarling clamor of the birds, one would think that they were not getting 
on nicely, but this is a mistake, for the high-pitched conversation is really 
very amiable in character, and neither bird would think of parting from its 
consort for however brief a space of time without a screamed farewell of 
unquestionable tenderness. 

The eggs, which seldom have any softer resting place than the chips or 
rotten wood which the Woodpeckers have left them, are among the hand- 
somest of oological treasures. ‘The lime of the shell, still plastic, has been 
generously sprinkled with cinnamon, and a warm glow imparted to the whole. 
Incubation lasts three weeks, and the young, when hatched, are covered with 
a thick white down which gives them a rather tidy appearance, in spite of 
their enormous eyes. 

The food of the Sparrow Hawk consists largely of insects, of which 
grasshoppers and spiders are the most noteworthy. Mice and shrews are also 
eaten, and in winter, when the Hawks are much less common, small birds. 
The Sparrow Hawk has cultivated a discriminating taste for English Spar- 
rows, and has, I believe, almost left off preying upon other sorts. It 
deserves rigid protection everywhere, both in village and field. 


No. 175. 


SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 


A. O. U. No. 327 Elanoides forficatus (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck all around, rump, basal portion of 
tertials, and entire under parts including lining of wings, white; remaining 
plumage b/lack,—lustrous, with purplish reflections on back and scapulars, with 
a glaucous or chalky cast on contiguous portions, bronzy or various elsewhere; tail 
deeply forked, graduated; bill bluish-black; edges of mandibles, cere, and feet 
pale blue; claws light. Young: Similar, but black not so lustrous; wing and tail- 
feathers tipped with white; head and neck streaked narrowly with blackish shaft- 
lines. Length 20.00-26.00 (508.-660.4) ; wing 15.50-17.75 (3093-7-450.9) ; tail 
(outer feathers) 11.00-14.50 (279.4-368.3) ; bill from nostril .76 (109.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Not readily comparable in size. Black and white in 
masses ; long wings and forked tail; exceedingly graceful flight. 

Nest, at great heights in trees, near extremity of branch, composed of sticks 
and abundant green moss. Eggs, 2-4, white, greenish- or yellowish-white, spotted, 
marbled, or clouded with hazel, chestnut, or mahogany. Av. size, 1.85 x 1.46 
(AGA, Be 27/1) 


304 THE MARSH HAWK. 


General Range.— United States, especially in the interior, from the Carolinas 
and Minnesota southward, throughout Central and South America; westward to 
the Great Plains. Casual eastward to southern New England, and northward to 
Manitoba and Assiniboia. Breeding range irregularly coincident with general 
distribution in the United States. Accidental in England. 


Range in Ohio.—Formerly abundant. Now rare and casual. ‘Two records 
since 1858. 


NOTHING can compensate us for the loss of this exceedingly graceful 
and highly beneficial bird, or atone for the criminal stupidity which has 
decreed the extermination of it simply because of its size and hawk-like 
appearance. Poultry raising is an important business, and requires rigid 
protection, but more ornithological crimes have been committed in its name 
than in that of any other, save fashion. The Swallow-tailed Kite feeds 
largely upon snakes, lizards, toads, and insects—the latter caught almost 
exclusively upon the wing. In the South it renders inestimable service 
through the destruction of the cotton worm. On the other hand, it has never 
been known to molest poultry, altho its chance appearance above a chicken 
coop naturally causes undiscriminating fowls some needless alarm. 

Described by Wilson as abundant on the extensive prairies of Ohio and 
the Indian Territory, it has rapidly decreased in numbers until now it is only 
“accidental.” In 1838, Dr. Kirtland noted its failure to appear in its accus- 
tomed haunts in Portage and Stark Counties. In 1858, Mr. Karkpatrick noted 
its decrease in Crawford County, but says “Occasionally a specimen may be 
found there still.” In 1878 a specimen, killed in Licking County, was pre- 
sented to Dr. Wheaton. In 1898, Rey. W. F. Henninger records the cap- 
ture of a last specimen near Chillicothe. Sic transit gloria coeli. 


No. 176. 


MARSH HAWK. 


VA. O. U. N. 331. Circus hudsonius (Linn.). 
Synonym.—Marsu Harrier. 


Description.—Adult male: Head and neck all around, chest, and upper parts 
light bluish gray or ashy, the hind head darker, with much partially concealed 
white, and tinged with ochraceous; five outer primaries mostly black; upper 
tail-coverts pure white; tail silvery gray, barred irregularly with blackish, the 
subterminal band largest, tipped with whitish, the inner webs whitish or rusty- 
tinged; remaining under parts, including under side of wing (except terminal 
third of primaries), white——the belly, flanks and tibiz sparsely spotted or barred 
with rufous or pale dusky, and the lining of the wing with a few dusky spots and 
bars; wings, tail, and shanks, greatly lengthened; tip of wing formed by third 


THE MARSH HAWK. 395 


and fourth primaries, wing when folded falling an inch or more short of tail, 
and sometimes not reaching to end of feet. Iris bright yellow; bill blackish; feet 
yellow; claws black. Adult female: Of different coloring; upper parts dusky 
brown, the head and neck streaked and the lesser wing-coverts spotted or margined 
with cinnamon-rufous; longer upper tail-coverts white, the shorter ones brown, 
tipped with rufous; tail brown, becoming paler at tip, and crossed by six or 
seven distinct, blackish bands; remaining feathers barred with ochraceous and 
blackish; under parts ochraceous or buffy, streaked broadly on the breast, and 
narrowly on the belly with light brown or dusky. Jiumature: Similar to adult 
female but darker—rich, chocolate-brown above, and on sides of neck and 
cheeks; the under parts darker, cinnamon-rufous—the belly unmarked. Males 
show every gradation between immature and adult plumage, and indeed the perfect 
adult male plumage is rarely found. Adult male length 17.50-20.00 (444.5-508.) ; 
wing (13.00-14.00 (330.2-355.6); tail'8.50-10.00 (215.9-254.) ; bill from nostril 
65 (16.5). Adult female length 19.00-24.00 (482.6-609.6) ; wing 14.00-16.00 
(355.6-406.4) ; tail 9.50-10.50 (241.3-266.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; white upper tail-coverts make the best 
field mark; long tail; marsh-haunting habits. 

Nest, on the ground in marshes, of twigs and dry grasses and moss. Eggs, 
3-6, pale bluish white, usually unmarked but sometimes spotted or blotched with 
pale rufous. Av. size, 1.78 x 1.40 (45.2 x 35.6). 

General Range.—North America in general, south to Panama and Cuba. 
Breeds throughout its North American range. 


Range in Ohio.—Formerly abundant, now rare throughout the state. Breeds. 
Sparingly resident in winter in southern portion. 


HUMILITY is the leading characteristic of this “ignoble” bird of prey, 
whether we regard its chosen paths, its spirit, or the nature of its quarry. 
Pre-eminently a bird of the meadows and marshes, it usually avoids the 
woods entirely, and is to be seen coursing over the grass and weed-tops with 
an easy gliding flight. Since it flies at such a low elevation as neither to see 
or be seen over the limits of an entire field, it often flies in a huge zigzag course, 
“quartering” its territory like a hunting dog. Now and then the bird pauses 
and hovers to make a more careful examination of a suspect, or drops sud- 
denly into the grass, seizes a mole or a cricket, and retires to a convenient spot 
—a fence-post or a grassy knoll—to devour its catch. The food of the Marsh 
Hawk consists almost entirely of meadow mice, gophers, garter snakes, frogs, 
lizards, grasshoppers and the like. Only in the winter is it driven to prey 
to any large extent upon birds, and then only such northern birds as frequent 
weedy bottoms and swampy tangles, Tree Sparrows, Juncoes, etc. 

This Hawk is the most unwary, as it is the most useful, of its race. It 
is no achievement to assassinate one from behind the cover of a convenient 
haycock, or even to arrest its easy flight in an open field. The tillers of the 
soil have done nothing more foolish or more prejudicial to their own interests 
than to allow and encourage the slaughter of this innocent and highly useful 


306 THE MARSH HAWK. 


member of the agrarian police. A farmer would have as just cause to be 
indignant at some interloper who shoots a Marsh Hawk on his premises as at 
another who breaks up his gopher traps. 

As the breeding season approaches, the male Harrier, feeling the impulse 
of the ennobling passion, mounts aloft and performs some astonishing aerial 
evolutions for the delectation of his mate. He soars about at a great height 
screaming like a Falcon, or he suddenly lets go and comes tumbling out of 


Taken in Morgan County. Photo by the Author. 
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SIR HAWK. 


space head over heels, only to pull up at a safe distance from the ground 
and listen to the admiring shrieks of his spouse. “At other times,” says 
Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, “he flies across the marsh in a course which 
would outline a gigantic saw, each of the descending parts done in a somer- 
sault and accompanied by the screeching notes, which form the only love song 
within the range of his limited vocal powers.” ‘This operation is not neces- 
sary in order to win his mate, for he is supposed to have won her “‘for keeps,” 
but after all, it is well enough to remind her now and then that he is a very 
good fellow, for she is a size larger than he and a little exacting in matters of 
courtesy. 


THE SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 307 


Not only are the Marsh Hawks wedded for life, but the male is very 
devoted to his family. He assists in nest building, shares the duty of incu- 
bation, and is assiduous in providing for his brooding mate. During the 
last week in April or the first week of May a nesting site is selected, usually 
in the tall grass adjoining a swamp. If the ground is wet, sticks are first 
laid down, but otherwise only grass, dead leaves, and weed-stems, with a 
little hair and moss or feathers, are used to build up a low platform, broad 
and slightly hollowed on top. Here four or five eggs are commonly laid, 
but six is not unusual, and two sets of eight are recorded, one from Washing- 
ton and one from Iowa. In the former state I once found a nest on the 
ground in a little opening of a poplar grove, the birds having probably retired 
to the woods to avoid the winds prevalent at that season. 

Incubation is accomplished in about three weeks, or if it has commenced 
with the laying of the first egg, as is often the case, then the last egg may 
not hatch for a week longer. While the female is brooding the young, she 
is frequently fed by the male from a considerable height. Mr. Lynds Jones 
relates one such instance where an element of sportiveness seemed to enter 
in: “Once during the breeding season I saw a male catch a large garter 
snake and fly up with it several hundred feet, then drop it to the female who 
just then came flying along near the ground; she caught and carried it 
to the nest, followed by the male.” 

The young after leaving the nest hunt for several months with their 
parents, and the last and costliest lesson which they learn is fear of man. If 
these most excellent mousers had half the gratitude shown them which we 
manifest to cats, they might be abundant where they are now rare. Doubt- 
less some scores of pairs, all told, might be mustered within the state, but 
have record of only three specific instances of their nesting. 


No. 177. 
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 332. Accipiter velox (Wils.). 

Description.—Adult: Above slaty gray, dark plumbeous, or checolate- 
brown. with a glaucous cast, darker but not black on head; occipital feathers, 
scapulars, and inner quills with concealed white at base; primaries banded with 
two shades of fuscous above, contrasting dusky and whitish below; tail, nearly 
square, slightly emarginate, crossed by five dusky bands, and narrowly whitish at 
tip, the basal band concealed and nearly obsolete; auriculars rusty, with black 
shaft-lines; throat whitish or pale buffy with blackish shafts; remaining under 
parts white, heavily barred on breast, belly, sides, axillaries, and shanks with 
pale cinnamon-rufous,—feathers of breast with blackish shaft-lines; lining of 


398 THE SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 
wings rusty-tinged, finely and irregularly barred with dusky; crissum unmarked, 
or merely touched with rufous; iris, cere, and feet yellow; bill and claws black- 
ish. Females are perhaps less blue above, and duller or paler below. Immature: 
Above dusky brown margined with rufous, concealed white cropping out in 
streaks on forehead and hind neck, and in spots on scapulars, etc.; below streaked 
and spotted instead of barred, with pale browns ( Vandyke brown, Prout’s brown, 
etc.) and dusky, narrowly on cheeks and throat, more broadly on breast and 
sides,—markings pandurate on sides of breast, cordate, tear-shaped, or various 
below, sometimes transverse on flanks and shanks. Between this and the typical 
adult plumage every gradation exists. Rather variable in size, Adult male length 
10.00-12.00 (254.-304.8) ; wing 6.60 (167.6) ; tail 6.00 (152.4); bill from nostril 
40 (10.2). Adult female length 12.50-14.25 (317.5-362.); wing 8.00 (203.2) ; 
tail 7.25 (184.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; adult transversely barred, young 
heavily streaked, below; barring of under wing surface conspicuous in flight; the 
distinction between the breast patterns of adults and young must be borne clearly 
in mind to avoid confusion. Like next species, but considerably smaller; tail not 
rounded. 

Nest, of sticks, twigs, and dried leaves; in trees at any height, or in hollow 
trees and cliff crannies. Eggs, 2-5, bluish-, greenish-, or grayish-white, lightly 
or heavily spotted, blotched, marbled, or clouded with various shades of brown. 
PNG, SUAS, MWolsg} Be Matter’ ((ZXek6) =: EXO). 

General Range.—North America in general, south to Panama. Breeds 
throughout its North American range. 

Range in Ohio.— ‘Common resident in Northern, less common in Middle 
and Southern Ohio” (Wheaton). 


THE Hawks proper, of which this bird is a typical representative, may 
lack the spectacular wing feats and noble bearing of the Falcons, but they 
are still very bold and rapacious birds. Indeed, it would be hard to picture 
a more alert and blood-thirsty creature than this sharp-taloned little Hawk 
as it scours the brush patches or open fields in search of feathered prey. 
The flight of the Sharp-shin is at times as swift as an arrow and as direct, 
but it is skilled in doubling and twisting, and no bird in the open escapes it 
except by the merest chance. Coming upon a flock of blackbirds, the Hawk 
makes instant choice of a victim and pounces like a flash upon it, either 
snatching it in midair or bearing it to the ground and transfixing it with claws 
which pierce the vitals and cause instant death. If unsuccessful in its first 
attack, the Hawk will retire quickly to thick foliage and await with the 
patience of a statue the first stirrings of the frightened quarry, The prey 
when caught is held at ‘‘arm’s length” until quite dead, and then either eaten 
upon the spot or else carried up to some elevated perch. 

Occasionally one gets a perfect view of a Sharp-shinned Hawk as it 
comes unexpectedly upon you in some woodland opening and takes a curious 


THE COOPER HAWK. 309 


turn about overhead, displaying as it sails the fine barred pattern of its wing- 
linings and its long square-ended tail; but oftener the bird is aware of your 
presence in advance and keeps warily out of range. It is not infrequently 
seen in the neighborhood of the poultry-house, and then quick action 1s 
required to prevent its seizing a chick or a young pullet and carrying it off to 
feed other than the rightful owner thereof. 

It is idle to try to speak a good word for this gory little Hawk; rodents 
and insects are eaten only occasionally, while birds of every size up to pigeons 
and quails are its regular diet. According to Dr. Fisher, of 107 stomachs 
examined containing food, six held poultry or game birds, “og other birds; 
6 mice; 5 insects.” 


No. 178. 


COOPER HAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 333. Accipiter cooperii (Bonap.). 

Synonym.—CuickEN Hawk. 

Description.—Adult: Similar to preceding species, but decidedly larger; 
the top of head deeper slate, or blackish; the tail slightly or considerably rounded ; 
sides of breast often tinged with bluish gray. Jmmature: Similar to preced- 
ing species ; streaking of under parts less abundant, more sharply defined, and of 
darker shades; belly and sometimes throat immaculate, or tending to become so. 
Differences between adult and young rather more clearly marked than in A. velox. 
Very variable in size. Adult male length 14.00-17.00 (355.5-431.8) ; wing 8.50- 
9.50 (215.9-241.3); tail 7.00-8.50 (177.8-215.9) ; bill from cere .60-.65 (15.2- 
16.5). Adult female length 18.00-20.00 (457.2-508.); wing 9.75-I1.00 (247.6- 
279.4) ; tail 8.50-10.00 (215.9-254.) ; bill from cere .70-.80 (17.8-20.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; adult heavily barred below with cinnamon- 
rufous; young heavily striped on breast and sides with dark brown or dusky; 
top of head blackish, tail long, rounded. Almost always distinguishable from 4. 
velox by greater size. 

Nest, of sticks and green leaves, high in trees. Sometimes a deserted Crow’s 
nest is used. Eggs, 3-6, pale bluish white, sometimes spotted with light brown; 
subspherical. Av. size, 1.92 x 1.52 (48.8 x 38.6). 

General Range.—North America from southern British America south to 
southern Mexico. Breeds throughout its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Common resident in middle and southern Ohio. Summer 
resident in northern Ohio. 


THIS is the real culprit. This is the “Chicken Hawk” par excellence. 
Punish him who will! Of larger size than the preceding, this bird with the 
rounded tail is more secretive in its habits, and its evil deeds are laid to the 


400 THE COOPER HAWK. 


Buteos, who, with good conscience sail about in the open and are shot for 
it. ‘The Cooper Hawk is seldom seen except in the shelter of the woods, or 
as he is making a quick dash into some populous chicken-yard. The audacity 
of the bird on these occasions is particularly exasperating, and his move- 
ments are often so quick that identification is impossible, except as one rea- 
sons from facts already known. If you take his advances in good part (or 
if you don’t, unless you are very handy with a gun), the bird will come 
back day after day until the chicken supply is exhausted. 

Of the bird’s “way in the air’ Captain Bendire says: “The flight of 
Cooper's Hawk is both easy and graceful, and ordinarily not especially swift. 


Taken near Danville. Photo a J. B. Parker. 
YOUNG COOPER HAWKS. - 


He may most often be seen skimming along close to the ground, in rather a 
desultory manner, usually skirting the edges of open woods or clearings; 
but once in sight and in active pursuit of its selected prey, it darts in and out 
through the densest thickets with amazing swiftness, where it would seem 
impossible for it to follow successfully; especially is this the case when 
chasing some small bird that generally tries to take refuge in such places. It 
manages, however, with the assistance of its long tail, which helps it very 
materially, to turn suddenly and double with remarkable ease, even in dense 


THE AMERICAN GOSH AWK. ies 


undergrowth, arresting its flight instantly, and darting off, perhaps at a right 
angle the next second to capture its intended victim.” 

In the woods the Cooper Hawk resents intrusion and advertises your 
presence by an irritated kek, kek, kek, kek, delivered from some safe 
distance. ‘This sound is also indicative of the vicinity of a nest, present or 
intended. In this state the birds almost invariably select a beech tree for 
a nesting site, and place a large and orderly platform of sticks and twigs 
at a point where the major limbs diverge, or else where some horizontal 
support is offered. Old Crow’s nests and even deserted sites of Buteos 
are occasionally used, but generally the bird does for itself, either repairing 
the old nest year by year, or else building a new one in the immediate neigh- 
borhood. 

The Cooper Hawk is rather a late nester for a Hawk, but fresh eggs 
may be found the first week in May. The female performs most of the duties 
of incubation, which lasts about twenty-four days, but the male supplies her 
with food. Both birds are unusually courageous in defense of their nest, and 
an unguarded climber may receive injury at their hands. 

Young Cooper Hawks are said to make very docile and interesting pets. 
Dr. Jones tells of one which he raised from the nest and which, altho allowed 
perfect freedom, “was very fond of buggy riding, and would sit on the dash- 
board for hours, manifesting the greatest interest in the objects passed.” 


No. 179. 
AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 334. Accipiter atricapillus (Wils.). 

Synonym.—Biur Hen Hawk. 

Description.—aAdult: Above slate-gray with darker shaft-lines; darker, 
almost black on head; white lines over and behind eye loosely connected by ill- 
concealed basal white of cervical feathers ; auriculars blackish; tail with four 
dusky bands, plain, or almost obsolete ; inner webs of wing-quills mottled ,—dusky 
and whitish; entire under parts white, finely and heavily marbled with slaty 
gray, in fine wavy or zigzag lines, falling into fine bars on flanks and tibiz, 
with blackish shaft-lines on throat and breast : iris light yellow; bill dark blue; 
feet yellow, claws black. Jimmature: Following the usual Accipiter fashion; 
above dark brown, spotted with buff and whitish. and margined with rusty ; tail 
with narrow white tip and four distinct dusky bands - below whitish or buffy, 
striped narrowly with dark brown,—the markings euttate on belly, broader on 
sides and flanks. Adult male length about 22.00 (558.8); wing 12.00- 13.50 
(304.8-342.9) ; tail 9.50-10.50 (241.3- 266.7) ; bill from nostril .75 (19.1). Adult 
female length about 24.00 (609.6); wing 13.25-14.25 (336.6-632.); tail t1.00- 


12.50 (279.4-217.5). 


Wee THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 


Recognition Marks.—Crow to Brant size; adult slaty blue above, white 
mottled with slaty gray below; rather short, rounded wings; white line over eye 
distinctive. 


Nesting.— Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, high in trees, usually conifer- 
ous, of sticks, twigs, and grass, lined with bark-strips and grass. Eggs, 2-5, 
“white or glaucous white, sometimes very faintly marked with pale brownish.” 
Av. size, 2.32 X 1.79 (58.9 X 45.5). 

General Range.—Northern and eastern North America, south in winter to 
the Middle States and southern Rocky Mountain region; casually west to Oregon. 
Accidental in England. Breeding range restricted to the Canadian Fauna of the 
United States and northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common winter visitor. 


THIS intrepid marauder of the north is not seen within the limits of 
our state often enough to be clearly distinguished from its resident ally, 
the Cooper Hawk. It is somewhat larger, with short, rounded wings, and a 
tail superlatively long. Its wings are moved very rapidly in flight, and it is usu- 
ally wary and restless, tho not unapproachable. The bird is even more ven- 
turesome than the Cooper Hawk, and appears at times among the poultry 
with the quickness of a meteor, carrying off the choicest of the flock before 
the farmer's face and eyes. There is seldom anyone to call him to account, 
and during the migrations at least, the “Blue Hawk” has less conscience than 
a pirate. In former days, when the Ruffed Grouse was more abundant, his 
tireless pursuit of this valuable game bird earned him the name of Partridge 
Hawk, while in his native wilds in the far north he still feasts upon Grouse and 
Ptarmigan, and is ready for anything up to the size of a Goose. 

On the 13th of March, 1901, I saw a gunner on the O. S. U. grounds 
drop one of these birds from the top of an elm tree into the waters of the 
Olentangy, where it was left to shift for itself. Not suspecting the value 
of the kill I made a long detour and crossed the river in order to put the 
Hawk out of its misery. Altho severely wounded, the bird, once rescued 
from the drift, made a spirited fight, and was not despatched until its beau- 
tiful plumage was quite ruined. A year later, within a day, another Goshawk 
was narrowly observed with binoculars in the same bottom. 


‘ 
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RED-TAILED HAWK 
Buteo boreatis 


Life-size 


THE RED-TAILED HAWK. 403 


No. 180. 


RED-TAILED HAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 337. Buteo borealis (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—Hren Hawk; CuHIcKEN Hawk; ReEpb-TaIL; REb-TAILED 
BUZZARD. 

Description— Adult: Above dark brown, fuscous, and grayish brown, 
varied by rusty or ochraceous edgings, and outcropping whitish, especially about 
head and neck; primaries blackish-tipped, the first four deeply emarginate, the 
inner ones indistinctly banded; tail deep rufous, crossed near end by a single 
narrow bar of blackish; lighter from below,—vinaceous or pearly pink; under 
parts white or buffy white, rufous—and brown-shaded on sides of neck and breast, 
nearly meeting in center; throat and upper breast with dusky, lanceolate streaks ; 
sides with rhomboidal spots or transverse bars of rufous and dusky in various 
patterns, nearly meeting across belly; shanks faintly barred with rusty; bill 
plumbeous; tarsus yellow, very stout; claws black. Immature: Similar to adult 
but more uniform in coloration —little buffy or ochraceous; markings on sides 
of breast and belly blackish, clear-cut; tail entirely different,—grayish brown 
crossed by nine or ten distinct narrow bands of blackish. Such are the 
typical plumages, but the departures from them are wide and various. In win- 
ter resident birds often assume a partial albino plumage, with strongly marked 
black and white, and pure albinos are not rare. “Melanism’ or blackening of 
plumage in various proportions is not unknown. Adult male length 19.00-22.50 
(482.6-571.5); wing 15.25 (387.4); tail 9.25 (235.); culmen from cere about 
1.00 (25.4); tarsus 3.00 (76.2). Adult female length 22.50-25.00 (571.5-635.) ; 
wing 17.00 (431.8) ; tail 10.00 (254.) ; culmen 1.10 (27.9) ; tarsus 3.30 (83.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; red tail of adult distinctive; otherwise 
known by large size, lighter under parts, and, with certainty, by stout tarsi. 

Nest.—At middle or upper heights in trees; of sticks, carelessly lined with 
corn-pith, drying leaves, etc. Sometimes an old Crow’s nest is refitted. Eggs, 
2-4, biuish white, stained, spotted, or blotched with reddish brown. Av. size, 2.40 x 
On (Oll-n as 4655))is 

General Range.—E astern North America west to the Great Plains, north to 
about latitude 60°, south to eastern Mexico. Breeds throughout its range, ex- 
cept possibly the extreme southern portion. 

Range in Ohio.—Still common resident, or summer resident, of universal 
distribution. Much less common than formerly. There is considerable shifting 
of the species in winter, but birds are to be found more or less throughout the 
state at that time. 


AMONG the Birds of Prey, this is one of the largest of the Hawks, and 
stands next to the familiar Sparrow Hawk in ease of identification. Only 
one of the birds which are commonly called Hawks is larger, and that one, 
the American Rough-leg, is found only during the winter months in small 
numbers in northern Ohio. Furthermore, the Rough-leg is a bird of the 


404 THE RED-TAILED HAWK. 


twilight, while the Red-tail is most active during bright days. But if you 
would know the Red-tail certainly you must learn to notice the uniformly 
colored tail. ‘There may be one dark band near the tip, but the rest of the tail 
will be some shade of rufous or brown, without bands of any color. One 
also soon learns to see a certain majestic movement in the soaring flight, 
a more dignified wing stroke, and withal, a certain appearance of strength 
and power not manifest among the smaller hawks, particularly the smaller 
Red-shouldered. 

In spite of the fact that this 
bird sometimes visits the poultry- 
yard, and may feast daintily upon 
sparrow or pigeon, I cannot help 
admiring him. His sagacity is 
shown in the selection of a nesting 
site, which is the taller and less 
easily accessible trees, and in his 
habit of showing himself as little 
as possible in the vicinity of his 
nest, except high above it. To 
the initiated the whereabouts of 
that carefully arranged bundle of 
sticks may be guessed from the 
manner in which the high-soaring 
bird behaves. Unless the nest is 
actually threatened there is no 
demonstration of hostility, but a 
dignified, watchful indifference 
to an unwarranted meddling with 
private affairs. But once threaten 
the nest and the speck in the upper 
air descends like a bolt out cf a 
clear sky, swerving aside just at 
the point of contact and sweeping 
upward again for a renewed at- 
tack. Even the fiercest birds will 
not actually strike the human intruder, much as he may deserve punishment, 


Telephoto x 6 By the Author 
A RED-TAIL’S NEST. 


but the angry scream and the booming air beneath the half-closed wings, try 
the nerves of the bravest, while he is perched in the lofty tree-tops. 

Much abuse has been heaped upon this bird’s head, the most of it unwar- 
ranted. Careful study has proved that chickens are molested only when 
cther food is unobtainable. And when birds have been killed in the act of 
raiding the poultry-yard they have been young birds, for the most part. On 


THE WESTERN RED-TAIL 405 


the other hand, the harmful animals and insects which this hawk destroys far 
overbalance the depredations upon poultry. It is no more fair that all hawks 
should be killed because one occasionally destroys chickens than it is to kill all 
cats because one sometimes becomes a chicken killer. 

The cry of Red-tail is unlike that of any other of the hawks, and may 
become a certain mark of identification during the late winter and early spring 
weeks. It is a long-drawn scream of warning and defiance, given on a 
descending scale. It is harsh and piercing, and commanding, uttered when 
danger threatens, when a rival for his lady’s affections appears, and often 
when the mating season begins. Its character is unmistakable. Blue Jay 
cannot successfully imitate it, because his lungs lack the capacity. 

Lynps JONES 


No. 181. 


WESTERN RED-TAIL. 


A. O. U. No. 337b.  Buteo borealis calurus (Cass.). 

Description Adult: Plumage chiefly blackish, sometimes uniform sooty, 
except tail and its upper coverts; individually variable between form nearly as 
light as B. borealis and deepest sooty brown; breast usually extensively rufous, and 
lower belly with more or less white, but these colors obliterated in completely 
melanistic specimens; tail as in Jorealis, with a conspicuous black subterminal 
bar and often with several more or less complete additional bars. /mmature: 
As in borealis but darker throughout and more heavily spotted below ; the plumage 
(except tail) sometimes wholly dusky as in adult (Ridgway). Size as in preced- 
ing form. 

Recognition Marks.—Like Buteo borealis but more heavily colored. 

Nest and Eggs as in B. borealis. 

General Range.—‘ Western North America from the Rocky Mountains to the 
Pacific, south into Mexico; casual east to Illinois.” (A. O. U.). 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. One record. 

A specimen in the O. S. U. collection is labelled “Buteo calwrus, Red-tailed 
Blackhawk, Adult male, November 20, 1875, Franklin County, Ohio.” and 
bears the signature of Dr. Jasper. The bird is a handsome and strongly marked 
example but lacks the additional barring of the tail which is usually present or at 
least indicated. Nothing further is known of the circumstances attending its 
occurrence. 


Wise ‘THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 


No. 182. 


RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 339. Buteo lineatus (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—CuIckeEn Hawk; HEN HAwk; RED-SHOULDERED BUZZARD. 

Description.—Adult: Above rich chocolate-brown, fuscous and grayish 
brown, varied by rufous and ochraceous, especially on head and back, and by 
whitish on scapulars and inner quills; lesser wing-coverts extensively rufous, 
forming a red ‘shoulder’; wing-quills and greater coverts dusky-barred and 
white-spotted and -tipped, forming irregular bars; ends of primaries and tail 
principally blackish, the latter crossed by four or five narrow, white bands, and 
tipped with white; upper tail-coverts barred and tipped with white, affording 
occasional suggestion of white rump; four outer primaries deeply emarginate; 
below cinnamon-rufous, paler or whitish on throat and crissum, heavily streaked 
with dusky brown on sides of neck, throat and breast, heavily cross-barred with 
whitish on lower breast, belly, and sides; tibize tawny, indistinctly cross-barred 
with darker rufous; cere and feet chrome yellow; bill blackish; claws black. 
Immature: Different; dark brown or fuscous above, only traces of rufous.—on 
lesser wing-coverts, etc.; wings grayish- or ochraceous-spotted, instead of white; 
quills extensively ochraceous on concealed portions; tail dusky, with seven ot 
eight grayish bars, which become more ochraceous and gradually obsolete basally ; 
below dull white or buffy, heavily streaked and striped, or longitudinally spotted 
with dusky brown; throat and sides of neck dark brown, streaked as in adult 
but with less ochraceous. Plumage subject to considerable variation —fading, 
albinism, melanism, etc. Adult male length 17.50-20.00 (444.5-508.) : wing 12.00- 
13.50 (304.8-342.9) ; tail 7.50-9.50 (190.5-241.3) ; culmen from cere .80 (20.3). 
Adult female length 19.00-22.00 (482.6-558.8) ; wing 13.25-14.25 (336.6-362.) 
tail 8.50-10.00 (215.9-254.). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; rufous shoulder distinctive; smailer than 
preceding species, more heavily marked below. The young of this species require 
careful distinction from the young of borealis and platypterus. From the former 
they are distinguished by smaller size, and by being more continuously marked 
below, including shanks (tawny-washed and darker-barred); from the latter 
by larger size and by ochraceous or grayish spotting on primaries. 

Nest, in trees, of sticks, sometimes lined with corn-pith and the like. Eggs. 
3-5, sometimes 6, pale bluish white, with a rough or chalky surface, and spotted 
or blotched with rufous or yellowish brown; occasionally unmarked. Av. size, 
2.14 X 1.67 (54.4 X 42.4). 

General Range.—E astern North America to Manitoba and Nova Scotia; 
west to Texas and the Plains; south to the Gulf States and Mexico. Breeds 
throughout its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Common resident. Retires from the northern portion of the 
state in winter . 


THE common names of the Birds of Prey are sadly confused in Amer- 
ica. We seldom use the noble word Falcon, altho it strictly applies to many 


THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 407 


of our species; we call our Vultures, Buzzards; and our proper Buzzards 
(Latin, Buteo, old French Busart) are merely “Hawks” or “Hen Hawks.” 
The Red-shouldered Buzzard is, after the Sparrow Hawk, the commonest 
bird of prey in the state. It is well distributed, since it is content to occupy, 
if need be, a very small piece of woodland, but it does insist upon having 
undivided possession of that little, at least so far as other birds of the same 
species are concerned. 

From this little stretch of 
woodland, however humble, the 
Buzzard sallies forth at intervals 
to view the landscape o’er, moy- 
ing forward vigorously to a well 
accustomed haunt, or else circling 
aloft above the home woods to an 
immense height, and then drift- 
ing away across the country in 
great, lazy, sun-burned circles, 
vntil the sight of game calls it 
down. <Altho its station is so 
lofty, the prey it seeks is usually 
of the humblest,—moles, mice, 
gophers, lizards, and __ insects. 
Poultry is rarely taken and then 
only under extenuating circum- 
stances, as when a chick has dis- 
obeyed its mother’s injunctions 
and gone too far afield. 

Red-shouldered Hawks win- 
ter regularly from about the mid- ea Tres STC Re apes os ae 

: NEST AND EGGS OF THE RED-SHOULDERED 
dle of the state southward and HAWK 
casually to the Lake shore, but 
everywhere in diminished numbers. The winter birds are probably from the 


Taken near Youngstown. Pheto by Geo. L. Fordyce. 


extreme northern limits of the range, in Ontario; and | have fancied that it 
was on this account that they showed a tendency to temporary albinism, or 
seasonal whitening of plumage. ‘The return journey is accomplished late 
in February or early in March, and by the middle of the latter month most 
of the Hawks are mated. This has not been accomplished without consider- 
able aerial evolutions, and much affectionate screaming, such as does credit 
to these ‘ignoble’ birds of prey. 

For the nest an old domicile of the Crow is often pressed into service, 
but where the birds have little to fear in propria persona, they rear an unpre- 


tem tl Owes 
structure of 
theirown 
where 
spre ading 
branches of 
beech or oak 
or elm offer 
secure lodg- 
ment, close 
to the trunk 
Oram litue 
Woay i e- 
moved. In 
Gwar ssiien wea 
Crow’s nest 
is used its 
undesirable 
concavity is 
filled up with 
additional 
bark - strips, 
corn husks, 
Ont idmerarad 
leaves, so 
that the eggs 
of the Hawk 
occupy only 
a slight de- 
PES Sioa, 
Fresh eggs 
may be look- 
ed for about 


Photo by R. F. Griggs. 


ANOTHER NEST. 


the middle of April. Only one brood is regularly raised in a season, but in 
case the first eggs are destroyed the birds will make one or two more attempts. 
Incubation lasts about four weeks and is attended to by both birds. As the 
operation progresses feathers drop out increasingly from the birds’ breasts, 
so that a well feathered nest means eggs nearly ready to hatch. When dis- 
turbed the parent birds keep up a pitiful complaining, but usually from a safe 
distance. 

The eggs, varying in number from two to six, are among the best known 


of Hawks’ eggs and present interesting variations both in size, in shape, and 


THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 409 


in the amount of pigmentation. It is time, however, to call a halt upon the 
indiscriminate gathering of Hawks’ eggs. The museums are loaded down 
with them, and nine-tenths of those which are annually levied upon in the 
name of boyish curiosity are destined to find their way into mouse nests or 
discarded boxes of sawdust. In spite of its occasional pilfering, the Red- 
shouldered Hawk is a very useful bird, and should receive rigid protection 
at the hands of every farmer. 


No. 183. 
BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 


YA. O. U. No. 343. Buteo platypterus (Vieill.). 

Synonym.—BRoaAbd-WINGED BUZZARD. 

Description —dAdult: Above sooty brown and fuscous, with much ill-con- 
cealed or hidden white on head, hind neck, wing-coverts, and inner margin of 
wings ; some ochraceous margining of feathers, but less than in the two preced- 
ing species; wing-quills plain-colored externally; primaries blackening on tips, 
broadly white on inner webs; the three outer primaries deeply emarginate; tail 
black with two decided white or light gray bars, beside narrow terminal gray 
and basal white; cheeks finely streaked with dusky and fulvous on whitish ground ; 
throat white narrowly streaked with blackish; remaining under parts whitish or 
pale fulvous, heavily and widely barred and streaked with yellowish brown 
or dusky ochraceous; sometimes nearly solid colored on breast; lower belly and 
crissum nearly immaculate; shanks sparingly fine-barred; axillars barred, but 
under surface of wing nearly white, black-tipped; bill dark, or yellow-spotted 
below; feet yellow; claws black. Immature: Like adult, but tail grayish brown 
crossed by five to seven narrow dusky bands; under parts white or buffy, 
streaked and spotted with dusky; longitudinal pattern more distinct than in 
adult. Adult male length about 14.00-16.00 (355.6-406.4); wing about 10.50 
(266.7) ; tail about 6.75 (171.5); culmen from cere .75 (19.1); tarsus 2.50 
(63.5). Female from two to three inches longer and proportioned accordingly. 

Recognition Marks.—Typical Crow size; the white under surface of wing, 
with black primary tips, affords quickest field recognition mark; wings rounded ; 
bird shorter and more compact in build than Accipiter cooperti, with which it is 
most likely to be confused. 

Nest, of sticks, in trees; often a deserted Crow’s. nest. Eggs, 2-4, buffy 
white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or ochraceous. Av. size, 2.00 x 
1.58 (50.8 x 40.1). 

General Range.—Fastern North America from New Brunswick and the 
Saskatchewan region to Texas and Mexico, and thence southward to northern 
South America and the West Indies. Breeds throughout its United States range. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident. 


410 THE AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 

PROFESSOR Jones is right in calling this a little-known Hawk in Ohio. 
Its fondness for the deeper woods, together with its small size, leaves one 
little opportunity to distinguish it clearly from the more abundant Cooper 
Hawk on the one hand or the rare Sharp-shin on the other. On only one 
occasion have I positively identified it in Ohio. On March 5th, 1898, a male 
bird with black primary-tips contrasting sharply with the white of the re- 
maining under-wing surface, flew low overhead as I stood in the street in 
Oberlin. The bird held a straight course north, and moved with the alter- 
nating flap and sail so characteristic of the Buteos. 

According to Dr. William L,. Ralph, who has studied the species closely 
in northern New York: ‘When one is driven from its nest it at once utters 
a shrill call which soon brings its mate to the spot, and together they will keep 
up their noise as long as there is anyone in the vicinity. They are very tame 
in this locality (Utica), and frequently when one is started from its nest it 
will not even leave the tree, but alight on a limb near by. They are gentle in 
disposition and never attempt to strike at a person, altho they are very solicit- 
ous about their eggs and young. For days after they have been robbed these 
birds will utter their complaints when anyone approaches their homes.” 

“Their food consists to a great extent of small rodents, such as mice, 
gophers, and squirrels; shrews, small snakes, frogs, grasshoppers, beetles, 
larvee of insects, and very rarely small birds. It is one of the most harmless 
of our Raptores and of great benefit to the farmer” (Bendire). 


No. 184. 
AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 


A. O. U. No. 347a. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN ROUGH-LEG, or simply RouGH-LEc. 

Description.—Adult, normal (light) phase: Head and neck all around 
white or flaxen, narrowly streaked with dark brown, sparingly on throat; re- 
maining upper parts dark brown or brownish fuscous, varied by ochraceous 
or ochraceous-buffy, marginal brownish gray and outcropping white; wing-quills 
not barred, at least on exposed surfaces, but grayish-edged and with much 
basal white on inner web; four outer primaries deeply emarginate; upper tail- 
coverts and basal portion of tail (usually for more than half its length) white; 
terminal portion of tail crossed by broad, subterminal band of dusky, and 
usually by several, narrow, irregular or broken bands anterior to this; under 
parts whitish, or pale ochraceous-buffy, spotted or broadly streaked, chiefly on 
breast, with blackish; a loose broken band of dusky across belly; thighs often 
ochraceous; tarsi feathered to the toes, in front; feet yellow; bill and claws 
black. immature, normal phase: Similar to adult, but terminal portion of tail 


1. Quoted by Bendire, Life Histories of N. A. Birds, p. 242 seq. 


47 AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (on the left) RloWYS RESERVED IN OMIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISNING co 
{rchibuteo lagopus sanecti-johannis YOUNG RED-TAILED HAWK (holding Bob-white) 
About 17 Life-size Buteo borealis 


THE AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 411 


plain, grayish brown; primaries with basal white on external web; markings of 
under parts confluent on belly in a broad, unbroken, abdominal belt of “deep 
brown; thighs spotted with dusky. Adult and immature, melanistic phase: 
Entire ‘plumage black, in any degree, save that the tail is white- barred and pri- 
maries exhibit some basal white. This phase is quite common, and seems to 
be independent of age, sex, or season. Both sexes length 19.50-23.50 (495.3- 
596.9) ; wing 15.75-18.00 (400.1-475.2); tail 9.00-11.00 (228.6-279.4) ; culmen 
from cere .80-.90 (20.3-22.9). Female about two inches longer th ian male and 
correspondingly proportioned. 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; feathered tarsi distinctive; best recognized 
in the field by its, usually, dark coloration and heavy flight; basal white of tail 
also distinctive if properly discriminated from that of the upper tail-coverts of 
the Marsh Hawk. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a bulky affair placed high 
in trees or on ledges of rock; of sticks, fairly well-lined with bark strips, leaves, 
and soft materials. Eggs, 2 or 3, sometimes 4 or 5, bluish white or dull white, 
sometimes unmarked, but oftener spotted, blotched, or streaked with reddish 
brown or chocolate. Av. size, 2.22 x 1.78 (56.4 x 44.7). 

General Range.—North America north to Mexico, breeding north of the 
United States (excepting in Alaska. ) 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon, but irregular winter visitor in northern 
Ohio. Rare in middle and southern portions. 


A large dark-colored bird, “bigger than a Hawk and not as big as an 
Eagle’, seen in winter flying heavily to and fro across the meadow at a low 
height, or perching for considerable stretches of time on pasture boulders, 
fence-posts, or low trees, may safely be put down in the note-book as an Amer- 
ican Rough-legged Buzzard. ‘The species is largely crepuscular, almost noc- 
turnal, in habit and is to be looked for on dark days rather than bright ones. 
Its food consists almost exclusively of field mice and the other small rodents, 
altho an occasional rabbit varies the fare. 

As might be inferred from the humble nature of its quarry, the Rough- 
leg is a peaceable bird, rather sluggish in movement, and, except where per- 
secuted, quite unsuspicious of man. 

Altho hopelessly ignoble from a falconer’s standpoint, the bird has a fine 
presence and a bright eye, and would seem to deserve the name ‘gentle’ rather 
better than the rapacious Peregrine. Its presence with us in winter is en- 
tirely beneficial, and it should receive full protection. 

Rev. W. F. Henninger reports the taking of five specimens near Waverly 
in February and March, 1899, and states that several more were killed the 
following winter. 


yee THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 


No. 185. 
GOLDEN EAGLE. 


A. O. U. No. 349. Aquila chrysaetos (lL inn.). 

Description.—Adu/t: General plumage rich dark brown, sometimes paling 
on wing-coverts, etc.; the lanceolate feathers of occiput and cervix buffy-tipped 
and tawny-edged (scarcely ‘golden’, but the name arises here); wing-quills 
and tai! blackish, the latter clouded or obscurely barred for the basal two-thirds 
with grayish brown and whitish; tarsi, fully feathered to the toes, paler or 
whitish. The birds become somewhat gray with age. Jmmature: Like adult, 
but basal two-thirds of tail plain white contrasting with terminal black; tarsi still 
paler or white. (Authorities flatly disagree as to whether the white-tailed 
bird is adult or young; I follow Ridgway. ‘There is a difference but for pity’s 
sake let’s not go and kill off the rest of the Eagles for the sake of finding out 
who is in the right.) Adult male length 30.00-36.00 (762.-914.4) ; wing about 
24.00 (609.6); tail about 14.50 (368.3); bill 1.60 (40.6); tarsus 3.75 (95.3). 
Adult female length 35.00-40.00 (889.-1016.) ; wing about 26.00 (660.4); tail 
15.50 (393.7); bill 1.80 (45.7); tarsus 4.18 (106.2). Extent of wing from six 
and one-half to seven and one-halt feet. 

Recognition Marks.—Largest; not easily distinguished at distance from 
immature Bald Eagle; feathered tarsi, of course, distinctive. 

Nest, a bulky platform of sticks, on cliffs, or, more rarely, in trees. Eggs, 
2 or 3, dull whitish, usually speckled, spotted, blotched or stained distinctly and 
faintly with reddish brown. Av. size, 2.96 x 2.32 (75.2 x 58.9). 

General Range.—North America south to Mexico, and northern parts of 
the Eastern Hemisphere. Breeding range in the United States practically re- 
stricted to the mountainous parts of unsettled regions. 

Range in Ohio.—Probably no longer resident, but rare winter visitor only. 


BECAUSE of the racial weakness for symbols and striking generaliza- 
tions, we have been taught that the Golden Eagle is the embodiment of all regal 
qualities, including courage, magnanimity, and valor in defense of offspring. 
There is some foundation for all this. In his mountain home the majestic flight 
of the Eagle truly befits the grandeur of the scene. Cradled on a beetling cliff 
and schooled in the clouds, it is little wonder that the Eagle should have be- 
come for us the symbol of both prowess and aspivation. Even in captivity 
there is something awful about his piercing eye, and the unrest of the royal 
captive appeals to all that is chivalrous in our natures. 

3ut the reputation of the Eagle race, quite as in the case of our own, has 
been made by a few individuals, and their feats are a revelation. of the 
possibilities inherent in the breed rather than chapters from common life. Never 
shall I forget the pained disappointment of my first Golden Eagle’s nest in the 
Cascade Mountains of Washington. ‘The situation was romantic enough— 
a ledge of rock some three hundred and fifty feet up on the side of the gulch 
and seventy-five feet clear of the talus below. At the time of my first visit, 
May 18th, the nest contained two eaglets about six weeks old. Armed with 


THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 413 


a stout birchen staff I worked my way over toa secure footing within a dozen 
feet of the nest. The remaining distance was a nasty bit of climbing, and 1 
preferred to await the first onslaught of the outraged parents where there 
would be some chance for defense. Fudge! ‘The fire-eating birds appeared 
once or twice in the middle distance, but paid no more attention to the peril of 
their offspring than as if | had been a Magpie, coveting the crumbs from the 
royal table. 

Three weeks later I revisited the nest and put the eaglets to flight. One 
of the old birds came up and superintended the gliding downfall of the least 
capable child, but seeing her safely upon the ground immediately went away 
marmot-hunting in perfect unconcern. If there is one bird above another of a 
gentle and unsuspecting nature, I judge the Golden Eagle to be that bird. But 
doubtless this also is a hasty generalization. 

On the cliffs of Kocene formation near Fossil, Wyoming, I once located a 
Golden Eagle’s nest. The material of which these hills are composed is a kind 
of volcanic ash, very friable, and the birds had chosen for their eyrie a cranny 
in the very middle of one of the wildest of these fossil-bearing cliffs and at a 
height of some seventy feet. It was practically inaccessible even by rope, for 
the cliff is perpendicular and deeply fissured by the action of the weather, so that 
the flying buttresses thus formed are ready to part and crumble at a breath. A 
pair of Prairie Falcons (quite similar to our Peregrines) had a nest in the 
“next block” and they appeared to make a practice of persecuting the Eagles 
just for sport. I saw one of the Eagles launch out from his nest for a course 
across the broad valley. A Falcon took after him, altho the Eagle had a big 
lead. “A race”, thought I. Woot, woof, woof, went the Eagle’s wings; clip, 
clip, clip, clip, went the Falcon’s. Inside of a mile the smaller bird made up 
the distance, scratched His Majesty’s crown with his noble toes, and was up 
in the ether a hundred yards before the Eagle could do a thing. This pro- 
cess was repeated until the gentle pair passed from sight, but a few minutes 
later the Falcon returned to his perch chuckling hugely. 

In Ohio the Golden Eagle is surmised to be only a winter visitor. As such 
it is not infrequently seen in various parts of the state and is occasionally cap- 
tured in traps or shot while inspecting some poultry yard or pig-pen. ‘The in- 
juries inflicted by the birds are usually trifling, but might become serious if 
they were at all numerous. 

Professor Jones, in his recent catalog, notes four records for Lorain 
County within the last five years, and, on the authority of Mr. Harry B. Mc- 
Connell, three captured near Cadiz within the past three years. An apparent 
exception to the ranks of winter visitors was one seen by myself on the Lake 
Erie shore near Lorain on the 29th of August, 1898. The appearance is no 
evidence of a near breeding range, however, since these birds wander far in 
search of food, and especially after the young are able to shift for themselves. 


a ‘THE BALD EAGLE. — 


No. 186. 


BALD EAGLE. 


A. O. U. No. 352. Halizetus leucocephalus (Linn. ). 

Synonyms.—Birp oF WASHINGTON (young); Gray EAGLE (second year 
young) ; BLAck EAGLE (first year young). 

Description.—4dult: Head and neck all around, and tail including coverts, 
pure white; remaining plumage grayish brown to brownish black; with some 
paler edging of feathers; bill and feet yellow; claws black. Jmmature, first year: 
blackish with some outcropping white of cottony-based feathers; bill black; feet 
yellow. Second year: grayish brown or dark brown, mottled somewhat irregu- 
larly on wings and tail (centrally) with gray and white; acquiring adult char- 
acteristics by end of third year. Second year birds are somewhat larger than 
adults, “overgrown puppies’, and were formerly described as Washington Eagles. 
Science outgrew this ignorance as the nation outgrew its youth. Adult male 
length 30.00-36.00 (762.-914.4) ; extent of wings seven feet; wing 21.00-26.00 
(533-4-660.4) ; tail 11.50-15.00 (292.1-381.); culmen about 2.00 (50.8) ; tarsus 
about 3.00 (76.2); middle toe and hind claw 2.75 (69.9). Adult femaie length 
34.00-42.00 (863.6-1066.8) ; extent seven to eight feet; wing 24.00-28.00 (609.6- 
711.2); tail 13.00-16.00 (330.2-406.4) ; culmen about 2.20 (55.9); tarsus about 
3.50 (88.9) ; hind claw up to two inches (50.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Largest; white head and tail of adult; half-naked 
tarsus distinctive in any plumage. 

Nest, a bulky platform of sticks high in trees, or, rarely, on cliffs, near 
considerable bodies of water. Eggs, 2 or 3, dull white or pale bluish white, un- 
marked but often nest-stained. Av. size, 2.89 x 2.25 (73.4 X 57.2). 

General Range.—North America at large, south to Mexico, northwest 
through the Aleutian Islands to Kamchatka. Breeds locally throughout its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare resident. A few pairs breed along the shore of 
Lake Erie, and one or two in the neighborhood of each large reservoir. 


AS I was standing once with a friend upon the dock at Lorain, an Eagle 
was seen sailing overhead in calm majesty, and when we called the attention 
of a by-stander to the occurrence, he at once became strangely excited. “An 
Eagle! Is it? Oh, why don’t somebody get after it? Where’s a gun?” That’s 
iu. That is the typical American attitude toward the bird which is chosen as 
the national emblem, and which, whatever its faults, is a bird of lofty bear- 
ing and of most interesting habits. This man was really distressed to think 
that any living thing so large as an Eagle should be allowed to pass unharmed. 
“Here is an Eagle; kill it!’ has been the rallying cry since gunpowder was 
invented, and now we record only the poor remnants of bird life which the 
mighty shooters of these flying barns have left us. 


THE BALD EAGLE. AIS 


Bald Eagles are chiefly resident wherever found within the state. The 
Lake Erie shore and islands in the vicinity of Sandusky constitute the only 
region where the birds are at all common, but isolated nests occur along the 
Lake front at considerable intervals both east and west. Eagles appear 
regularly at the larger reservoirs, and it is probable that a few breed near by, 
altho their numbers are augmented in winter either by visiting Sandusky 
birds, or by those which have been compelled to fall back from the northern 
limits of the British American range. 

The bird subsists chiefly upon fish and these it secures by robbing the 
more expert Fish Hawk, or by independent plunging. More frequently it 
seizes weak or wounded fish which have come to the surface of the water to 
die, or else patrols the shore to pick up whatever largess of fish or offal may 
have been cast up by the waves. Frequently the Eagle may be observed sit- 
ting upon some high stub in the center of reservoir island or lake marsh, 
where it may command a wide sweep of territory, and from which it may 
descend from time to time for more particular scrutiny of suspected objects. 
A bird thus seated is one of the most picturesque features of any landscape, 
and for one who loves the water the sight is well nigh indispensable. In 
winter, I am told, the Eagles sometimes appear in considerable numbers at 
Licking Reservoir, where they find sustenance by watching near air-holes in 
the ice for such fish as occasionally seek the surface. 

That the Bald Eagle is not exclusively piscivorous is attested by Captain 
Bendire in the following words: “Some of our earlier writers speak in rather 
uncomplimentary terms of our national bird, stigmatizing it as a robber and 
tyrant, and as feeding principally on fish stolen from the Osprey, and on car- 
rion. ‘This is not strictly true. According to my observations the Bald Eagle 
lives to a great extent at least on prey captured by its own exertions, principally 
on wounded water fowl. When engaged in the chase of a flock of Geese, 
Brant, Ducks, or other water birds, on which it subsists almost entirely, when 
such are procurable, it is by no means the sluggish lazy bird some writers would 
have us believe, but the peer in swiftness, dash, and grace of any of our Rap- 
tores.’ Professor Butler adds that altho the birds sometimes feed upon lambs, 
small pigs and poultry, mice and other rodents form a more important article 
of food, and all in all they may be considered “to belong to that class of ra- 
pacious birds whose lives are beneficial.” 

“Nidification begins early. In Florida and other parts of the Gulf Coast 
eges are sometimes deposited in the early part of November, but generally from 
the 1st to the 15th of December. In the Middle States they nest occasionally in 
the beginning of February, Mr. Thomas H. Jackson taking a full set of 


416 THE BALD EAGLE. 


eggs in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, on Feb- 
ruary 11th. Usually they do not commence to lay 
until March, and correspondingly later as they 
advance northward” (Bendire). 

= The nests, which in this section are always 
placed well up in good-sized trees, are repaired 
and added to year by year until they come to be 
immense and historic structures. Not only are 
the trees in which they are built usually hard to 
climb, but it is often difficult, or well nigh im- 
possible, to pass the bulging sides of the nest so as to ob- 
tain access to the eggs themselves. 

Both sexes share the duty of incubation, which lasts 
about a month, and the two birds are sometimes to be seen 
together at the nest, the one standing and the other squat- 
ting upon the eggs. The eggs are two, rarely three, pure 
white or bluish white, and are laid at intervals of two or 
three days. There is often quite a discrepancy in the size 
of the eggs, the larger being presumably laid first. If the 
eggs are destroyed the birds will not nest again until the 
following year. ‘The young, when hatched, remain in the 
nest three or four months before they are able to fly, and 
even then sometimes require considerable urging on the 
part of their ambitious parents. 

It must be evident that those who live in the vicinity 
of an Eagle’s nest become very much attached to these 
stately birds, and view their comings and goings with 
unfailing interest. In some parts of Erie and Ottawa 
counties the Eagles are regarded very highly, and any 
one who attempted to molest one of them would get into 
serious trouble with its human neighbors. This is quite 
as it should be. The people of this state could 
far better afford to reimburse the owners of 
poultry and sheep for some trifling losses in- 
flicted upon them, than they could to be de- 
prived of the majestic presence of these sym- 
bolic birds. ‘The killing of a Bald Eagle ought 
to be a penitentiary offense, and the man who 
Taken near Sandusky. Photo by R. F. Griggs would wantonly destroy one of their monu- 
mental landmarks is beneath contempt. 


\ CHERISHED LANDMARK. 


THE AMERICAN OSPREY. 417 


Z No. 187. 
AMERICAN OSPREY. 


f 
vA. O. U. No. 364. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—l'isuo Hawk. 

Description.—Adu/t male: Upper parts plain fuscous ; tip of wing blackish ; 
tail cressed by six or eight dusky bands; head white, heavily but narrowly streaked 
with blackish; an irregular dusky band proceeding backward from eye; feathers 
of occiput loosely ruffled, or presenting a crested appearance; under parts white, 
sometimes rufous-spotted on breast, but usually immaculate; lining of wing mot- 
tled—white and fuscous near edge, remainder white or buffy, dusky-barred dis- 
tally; bill and claws black; cere and base of bill bluish black; feet bluish gray ; 
iris yellow and red. Adult female: Similar but breast heavily marked with yel- 
lowish brown or fuscous. Jmmature: Like adult, but feathers of upper parts 
bordered terminally with white or buffy. ‘The same distinction obtains between 
the sexes as in case of adults. Length 21.00-25.00 (533.4-635.) ; wing 17.00-20.50 
(431.8-520.7) ; tail 7.00-10.00 (177.8-254.) ; culmen 1.20-1.40 (30.5-35.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; extensive white contrasting with fuscous, 
distinctive; labored flight; river- and lake-haunting ways. 

Nest, an immense mass of sticks, broad-topped, lined centrally with bark- 
strips and soft materials; placed centrally on top of trees of various heights, or 
on isolated rocks of rivers, etc. Eggs, 2-4, dull or buffy white, heavily spotted, 
blotched, or overspread with chocolate; rarely almost or quite unmarked. Av. 
SAS, Qa oe ish (OA s< A))) 

General Range.—North America from Hudson Bay and Alaska south to 
the West Indies and northern South America. Breeds throughout its North 
American range. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon locally,—about the reservoirs and on Lake 
Erie. Rare or unknown elsewhere. Chiefly summer resident. Sparingly resi- 
dent in winter in the extreme south. 


ALONG the sea coast, up the large rivers, and wherever there are con- 
siderable bodies of water, the Fish Hawks are to be found more or less com- 
monly according to the treatment which they have received at the hand of 
man. ‘They are simple-hearted, honest folk, and deserve protection, if for 
no other reason, because they are fishermen. They are, however, cruelly per- 
secuted in many sections of the country, and have been almost exterminated 
in this state; but to my mind it is a mighty mean sportsman who will begrudge 
a poor bird the taking of a few fish by methods not less sportsmanlike than 
his own. 

The Osprey feeds exclusively upon fish and covers long stretches of water 
in its tireless search. It flies along at a height of fifty or a hundred feet above 
the water, and when its finny prey is sighted, pauses for a moment on hovering 
wings, then drops with a resounding splash, often quite disappearing beneath 


418 THE AMERICAN OSPREY. 
the water, but rising again quickly with a fish firmly secured in its talons. 
The bird upon rising immediately adjusts the catch, placing it head foremost 
so that it will offer the least resistance to the air in flight. Not infrequently 
the Hawk secures a fish which it is barely able to handle, and occasionally it 
strikes one so large that it is drawn under and drowned before it can disen- 
gage its claws. 

Besides providing for a hungry family at home, this hard-working bird 
is purveyor in ordinary to His Majesty, the Bald Eagle, and upon the sug- 
gestion of the latter bird meekly drops its catch only to see it eagerly snatched 
in midair by the lazy tyrant. Pitifully screaming he turns back to the weary 
chase, for he must not go home empty-handed. 

The nest, a huge aggregation of sticks and trash, is placed normally near 
the water’s edge upon the cliffs or upon rocks projecting in mid-stream or 
else high in a neighboring tree. Persecution, however, will drive it to the 
deep woods miles from its fishing grounds. A typical nest, found on the 
banks of the Columbia River, is placed twenty-five feet high in a stout pine 
tree. It is flat on top, three feet across, but seven feet in depth, the mass 
representing the successive accumulation of many years, perhaps of genera- 
tions. Within a little depression in the center, surrounded by soft materials, 
lie three handsome eggs, rich chocolate on a tinted ground. The female is 
on while her mate, tired of fishing, is standing by her side. Both rise at our 
approach and poise in midair above our heads, uttering feeble screams of pro- 
test as they suspect our odlogical purpose. A pair of Magpies have made 
their nest within the hospitable sides of this ancient pile, and these self- 
appointed camp followers add their voices to the general din. 

Eggs are deposited in May and incubation lasts three and four weeks. 
Unlike the Eagle, the Osprey, if robbed, will make another attempt the same 
season, but lays usually not more than two eggs the second time. 

Of the present breeding range of the Osprey it is difficult to form a just 
conclusion. No nests are known to me, nor have any been reported definitely 
within the state. A canoe trip of 150 miles down the Ohio River failed to 
discover any sign of occupation by these birds. It is pretty certain, however, 
that one or two pairs breed in the vicinity of the three large reservoirs, and 
it is very probable that they nest somewhere along the Lake Erie shore. 


ezis-oj1y % 


DANDY 892L0Y 10) 


HM AB O1K vasa SuHeIy HYOLTINA ADM QF 


“THE TURKEY VULTURE. ie 


No. 188. 
TURKEY VULTURE. 


A. O. U. No. 325. Cathartes aura (Linn.). 

Synonym.—TurKEy BuzzaArp. 

Description.—4dult: Head and neck all around naked, livid crimson ; above 
lustrous black with purple and violet reflections, varied by grayish brown edgings 
of feathers ; plumage changing below to more uniform sooty brown, lustrous only 
on breast; wing-quills and rectrices light dusky below, with whitish shafts; pri- 
maries deeply emarginate, the tips considerably separated in flight, very flexible; 
iris brownish gray; bill dull white; cere bright red. Young: Similar, but dusky 
on head and neck, with downy grayish brown feathers; bill blackish. Nestlings: 
Covered with heavy white down, but head naked,—light bluish black. Length 
27.00-32.00 (685.8-812.8) ; extent about six feet; wing 22.00 (558.8) ; tail 11.50 
(292.1) ; bill including cere 2.20 (55.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size or less; naked red head; black plumage 
nearly uniform; soaring flight. 

Nest, in hollow trees, stumps or fallen logs, or in crannies of cliffs; unlined. 
Eggs, 2, rarely 3, elliptical-ovate, dull white, greenish or buffy white, spotted and 
blotched irregularly with rich dark brown. Av. size, 2.80 x 1.95 (71.1 X 49.5). 

General Range.—Temperate North America from New Jersey, Ohio Valley, 
Saskatchewan region and British Columbia southward to Patagonia and the Falk- 
land Islands. Casual in New England. 

Range in Ohio.—Fairly common summer resident; breeds throughout the 
state. Casual resident in central and southern Ohio. 


NO summer day is quite complete unless it affords a sight of some half 
dozen Turkey Buzzards lazily drifting across the middle distance, soaring, 
shifting, wheeling, weaving endless circles, in restful monotony of midsummer 
content. As a decorative feature in a landscape the Vulture possesses un- 
qualified value. ‘To this virtue we hastily add recognition of his sanitary 
services. But there our personal interest and approval is apt to come to a 
sudden halt. For the rest a book acquaintance, set forth in language carefully 
culled, will suffice the ordinary man. 

But before we treat of the less pleasant things, let us note more carefully 
that gracefully majestic flight. If caught upon the ground the bird pitches 
forward, gives an awkward flap or two to clear his footing, rises sharply, 
almost immediately catching the air in his ample wings, and begins to sail. 
With motionless pinions he tilts and turns and sweeps about in stately curves, 
or glides swiftly off at will in any direction. How does he do it? It is easy 
to see how a bird, moving with the wind and falling sharply, may wheel and 
breast the wind more sharply still, using its acquired momentum to gain a 
greater height than the one originally occupied. In this case the momentum 


420 AMIENS, ANUIRIIG NY WUE AMON a, 


is like the pull of the string which enables the kite to shoot rapidly upward 
through the air. But what shall we say of a bird which, without momentum, 
but still on motionless wing, rises steadily agaist the wind? Not only rises, 
but makes rapid progress forward as well, in a direction contrary to the wind? 
That these and other birds do accom- 
plish this feat is a fact patent to all 
careful observers.. How they do it— 
well, that is another matter. “The way 
of an Eagle (Vulture) in the air” has 
puzzled more than wise Agur. 

The American Vulture is not 


a high-flyer like those of the 
Orient. In his case, however, 
it 1s still clearly evident that en- 
tire dependence is placed upon 
the eye-sight in the detection 
of food. An immense extent 
of territory is covered by a 
Buzzard on his daily rounds. 
No. visible corruption escapes 
his notice, but the odor of half- 
covered carrion may become al- 
most palpable before it attracts 
his attention. A possible rea 

son for this inability to locate 
by the sense of smell alone is 
disclosed in the words of 
Coues: “Certain it is that m- 
dependent of the passing con- 
tents of the alimentary canal, 
permanent foetid, musky odors 
exhale from the bones and 
muscles; and the same stench: 
is entangled in the web of the 


Photo feathers. It is retained for a 


by the 5 : 5 
Author long while even after the bird 


is killed and stuffed. So 
strong is it that one author, an 
excellent naturalist, too, fancied it must be rather unpleasant to the birds 


Taken near 
Columbus. 


“W1iTH' MOTIONLESS PINIONS.” 


themselves.” Hence it would appear that since the birds smell so loudly 
themselves, they are not in a position to exercise discrimination with refer- 
ence to external scents. It does not seem to be true, as has sometimes been 


DEE TURKEY ViUIEURE, 421 


supposed that the birds really prefer decayed flesh. It is rather a matter of 
necessity for them, inasmuch as they are unable, except in rare instances, to 


rend a carcass sufficiently before an advanced stage of decomposition has 


set in. 


Turkey Vultures have been known in an extremity of hunger to fall upon 


sick lambs or young pigs, but the offense is so rare as to be easily condoned, 


more especially 
since the birds 
are ordinarily 
so useful as 
scavengers. Oc- 
casionally one 
drifts over a 
poultry yard 
and causes con- 
Speiemieal bakOan 
among the un- 
discerning 
fowl. I once 
saw a Vulture 
pass and repass 
a yard in Co- 
lumbus amidst 
a great commo- 
tion. ‘The bird 
was probably 
a bit of a wag 
who — enjoyed 
playing Sir 
Hawk, without 


the slightest 
intention of 
harm. 


Vultures nes? 
iy “thees; am 
crannies of 
cliffs, or upon 
the ground, ac- 
cording to the 
nature of the 
country in 
which they find 


Taken near Sugar Grove Photo by the Author. 


A LIKELY LOOKING SPOT FOR A VULTURE’S EYRIE. 
THE TURKEY VULTURES ARE KNOWN TO NEST IN THE LITTLE CAVERNS ABOUT THESE 
CLIFFS. 


oe THE TURKEY VULTURE. 


themselves. In Ohio the Turkey Vulture usually chooses for a nesting site 
a hollow stub or fallen log. If possible this must be in the depths of some 
unfrequented wood, but through the scarcity of suitable situations the birds 
are being driven more and more to rely upon the friendliness of man. The 
willow stub, shown in the accompanying illustration, was situated in the cor- 
ner of a wood-lot in perfectly plain sight. In fact the location was first made 
known from the distance of a quarter of a mile by the approach and sudden 
disappearance of 
a parent bird. 
Upon the de- 
cayed punk in 
the bottom of the 
cylinder reposed 
two — chocolate- 
blotched — eggs, 
one, the last laid, 
being much more 
lightly marked 
than the other. 
In due time tlie 
young appeared. 
‘They were quiet, 
rather attractive 
looking fellows, 
in their suits of 
white down and 
buttons (eyes, 
pill Netcs) motmyet. 
The young are 
fed by regurgi- 
PA ENO me swlaane, 
were best not 
specified. A Vul- 
tuneis eyrie iS 
not an inviting 
place at its best; 
and at its worst, 
when the season 
is advanced, itis === 
awful. 

The parents, 
however, se 


Taken near Columbus 
Photo by the Author. 


A NESTING SITE 
OF THE TURKEY VULTURE 


THE BLACK VULTURE. 423 


riously affect only one sense—that of smell. If caught upon the nest the 
female will hiss defiantly. Besides this, the birds have only one note, a low 
guttural croak—of alarm rather than warning. If closely beset the bird is 
said to eject the contents of its crop—an effectual defense, in very soc th. 

It would appear that Turkey Vultures have very materially decreased 
in numbers in our state during the past fifty years. It is probable that this 
decrease is due in large measure to the gradual failure of their food supply. 
Wild meat is entirely lacking, and the necessary untidiness of the pioneer days 
has given place to thriftier habits on the part of our farmers. 


No. 189. 


BLACK VULTURE. 


A. O. U. No. 326. Catharista urubu (Vieill.). 

Synonym.—Carrion Crow. 

Description —Aduli: Entire plumage black, somewhat lustrous above, and 
with greenish reflections; very dark brownish black below; wing-quills edged with 
gray and grayish brown, whitish on under surface and with white shatts ; naked 
skin of head and neck and “cere”, blackish; tip of bill yellowish white. Young 
not different. Length 23.00-27.00 (584.2-685.8) ; extent about four and a half 
feet; wing 17.09 (431.8) ; tail 8.00 (203.2); bill 2.10 (53.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; dusky head serves to distinguish from 
Cathartes aura; smaller; flight more labored; tail shorter, etc. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in hollow trees or logs or on the 


= 


ground under logs, palmettos, projecting stones and the like. Eggs, 1-3, pale 
bluish white, marked as in preceding species, but perhaps less heavily. Av. size, 
3.00 X 2.00 (76.2 x 50.8). 

General Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States, north irregularly to North 
Carolina and the lower Ohio Valley, west to the Great Plains, and south through 
Mexico and Central America, the West Indies, and most of South America. Strag- 
gling north to New York, New England, and South Dakota. Breeds in the United 
States from North Carolina coastwise to Texas, and in the interior to Indiana, 
Illinois. and Kansas. 

Range in Ohio.—‘Rare or accidental winter visitor in southwestern Ohio 
only” (Wheaton). One recent record, Reynoldsburg, February 6, 1895 (Jones). 


SERVICES which in our northern cities are usually delegated to a 
“White-wings” brigade, are regularly performed in some quarters of the 
South by regiments of Black-wings. Swarthy and unsavory scavengers they 


424 AD aN INCE WAUNE ADONIS, 
are, but in countries where humidity and heat soon raise offal to a high degree 
of nidorous efficiency the Black Vultures are entitled to and receive hearty 
protection. These birds are stockier and heavier than our Turkey Buzzards. 
Their flight also is more labored, consisting of a series of short flaps followed 
by a sail in regular alternation. 

The occurrence of this bird within our borders has been reckoned as little 
less than accidental, but observers in the southern part of the state should be 
on the lookout for a Vulture which flaps its wings conspicuously and lacks 
the separated tips of the primaries. It is noteworthy that two of the recent 
records of its appearance in the state were made in winter, Madisonville, Dec. 
20, 1867, and Reynoldsburg, Feb. 6, 1895. 

Mr. Raymond W. Smith, in his “List of the Birds of Warren County, 
Ohio,”? published in 1891, has this to say of the Black Vulture in that region: 
“A rather uncommon but regular summer resident from March to October, 
in the northeast part of the county, along the Little Miami and Ceesar’s Creek 
hills, where it breeds and is each year becoming more common. On the farm 
of Commissioner \V. J. Collett is a large Sycamore tree, in the hollow of 
which a pair of Turkey Vultures had nested for a number of years. A few 
years ago, Mr. Collett informs me, when the Turkey Vultures had completed 
their nest they were driven from it by a pair of Black Vultures, which took 
possession and have used it as a nesting place each year since. ‘This is, I 
think, the northernmost record of this Vulture breeding, and the first record 
ef its breeding in the state. The first positive record of its appearance in the 
country I have, is my own observation of a pair near Lebanon, in December, 
1883. The Czsar’s Creek country residents vary greatly as to the time of 
the first appearance of the ‘new kind of buzzard,’ but it was about eight or 
ten years ago, since which time they have steadily increased in numbers, and, 
although even now they are by no means common, yet they are regular sum- 
mer residents and breed here each year.” 


1 See Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History, July, 1891, p 113. 


AQ, “ ae HT A RD, CHICABO 
: PASSENGER PIGEON RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO 
Ectopistes migratorius 


4 Life-size 


THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 42 


wal 


No. 190. 


PASSENGER PIGEON. 


A. O. U. No. 315. Ectopistes migratorius (Linn. ). 

Synonyms.—WiLp Pickon; Micratory PIGEON. 

_Description.—Adult male: Upper parts and head all around bluish slate, 
purest on head and rump, with beautiful metallic iridescence, purplish red and 
golden on sides and back of neck, glossed with olive on back, heavily shaded with 
olive-gray on middle back and proximal portion of wings; the outer scapulars and 
inner wing-coverts and tertials spotted or tipped with velvety black ; primaries 
fuscous, with some gray external edging; tail tapering, its feathers graduated for 
more than half its length, the central pair of feathers blackish, the remainder white 
on exposed portions and below; chest and below deep vinaceous-rufous, fading 
through vinaceous-pink on lower breast and sides to white of lower belly and 
crissum; iris orange, surrounding skin red; bill black; “feet lake red, drying an 
undefinable color.” Adult female: Similar to male, but brownish gray on head 
paling on throat; under parts drab, fading to pale brownish gray on sides ; irides- 
cence of neck less marked; a little smaller. Jmmature: Similar to adult female 
but mottled by whitish tips of feathers on upper parts of wing, head, neck, and 
fore-breast. Length 15.00-17.50 (381.-444.5); wing 8.25 (209.6) ; tail 8.00-9.09 
(203.2-228.6) ; bill .72 (18.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size ; long tail; graceful, rapid flight. 

Nest, a frail platform of twigs, at moderate heights in trees. Hggs, 1 or 2, 
pure white. Av. size, 1.48 x 1.07 (37.6 x 27.2). 

General Range.—‘‘Eastern North America from Hudson Bay southward, and 
west to the Great Plains, straggling thence to Nevada and Washington. Breed- 
ing range now mainly restricted to portions of the Canadas and the northern border 
of the United States as far west as Manitoba and the Dakotas.”—A. O. U. 18095. 
Present range still more restricted, and breeding haunts unknown (1903). 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly exceedingly abundant migrant and summer resi- 
dent. Bred locally in vast numbers; now almost unknown. “Last records” are 
coming in from various quarters, but they are mainly from ten to twenty years old. 


NO more marvellous tales have been handed down to us from a remote 
past, than those which our own fathers tell and solemnly asseverate, c mneern- 
ing the former abundance of the Wild Pigeon during its migrations and in 
its breeding haunts. During their passage the sun was darkened and the 
moon refused to give her light. The beating of their wings was like the 
voice of thunder, and their steady on-coming like the continuous roar of 
Niagara. Where they roosted great branches, and even trees two feet in 
diameter, were broken down beneath their weight, and where they nested 
a hundred square miles of timber groaned with the weight of their nests or 
lay buried in ordure. 

At the beginning of the last century the species enjoyed a general dis- 
tribution throughout the northern portions of the Eastern States and was to 
be found scatteringly to the Pacific Coast. The birds were, however, rather 


420 THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 
irregular in their habits, and the center of abundance within historic times 
was in the North Central States. Altho very abundant in Ohio, they are best 
known from Kentucky, through the accounts of Wilson and Audubon, and 
in Michigan, where the birds had their last known stronghold, and where 
the last considerable flight was observed in 1888. In Kentucky they bred 
and oceasionally wintered in such numbers that Wilson once computed a sin- 
ele flight at upwards of two billions. Since the Pigeons appeared to the peo- 
ple of the day absolutely countless their destruction was carried forward 
by wholesale methods, and upon a colossal scale. Men gathered them with 
pets and knocked them down with poles, or felled trees to secure the fat squabs. 
At Pentwater, Michigan, people lined the cliffs and beat them down with 
sticks and whips as they arrived spent with the passage of the Lake, and they 
wielded their weapons until the ground was heaped with countless thousands 
slain. Powder and shot were deemed inadequate for the quest, altho my 
grandfather in southern Michigan in the late Forties once killed fifty-nine 
Pigeons with a shot-gun at a single discharge. The next day his boys, a 
lusty brood, and zealous for their father’s honor, turned out and scoured the 
neighborhood until they found one more dead bird and added it to the col- 
lection. 

“In order to show a little more clearly the immense destruction of the 
Passenger Pigeon in a single year and at one roost only, I quote the follow- 
ing extract from an interesting article ‘On the habits, methods of capture, and 
nesting of the Wild Pigeon,’ with an account of the Michigan nesting of 1878, 
by Prof. H. B. Roney in the Chicago Field (Vol. X, pp. 345-347): 

‘The nesting area situated near Petosky, covered something like 100,000 
acres of land, and included not less than 150,000 acres within its limits, being 
in length about 40 miles by 3 to 10 in width. The number of dead birds sent 
by rail was estimated at 12,500 daily, or 1,500,000 for the summer, besides 
80,352 live birds; an equal number was sent by water. We have,’ says the 
writer, ‘adding the thousands of dead and wounded ones not secured, and 
the myriads of squabs left dead in the nest, at the lowest possible estimate, a 
grand total of 1,000,000,000 Pigeons sacrificed to Mammon during the nest- 
ing of 1878.’ 

Even if the last estimate were a hundred times too large (as I believe it 
to be) it is evident that such wholesale slaughter could not go on forever. 
‘The extraordinary flights suddenly ceased during the Eighties. Since that 
time, What has become of the Passenger Pigeon? has been the puzzling ques- 
tion. ‘There are those who believe that great roosts are now maintained in 
the northwest, beyond the reach of communication. Others fancy they may 
have abandoned the migratory habit and taken to staying in Central and 
South America. Others still believe that they have rather abandoned the 
eregarious habit, and are to be found only in isolated pairs or small groups 


1 Bendire Life Tistories, Vol. I. p. 137- 


THE MOURNING DOVE. 427 


well distributed throughout the north. It is known that the birds do breed 
by single pairs, to some extent at least; but it is altogether probable that the 
Passenger Pigeons are virtually gone—gone irretrievably after the manner 
of the Bison—lost in the maw of human greed. 

The following is the only recent published instance of the bird’s occur- 
rence in Ohio, altho others doubtless have been known locally to hunters: “On 
March 24, 1900, a solitary individual was shot by a small boy near Sargents, 
close to the boundary line of Pike and Scioto Counties, and mounted by the 
late wife of ex-sheriff C. Barnes of Pike County. This is the only authentic 
record for twenty years.”! 


No. 191. 
os, MOURNING DOVE. 


AO: Us No: 316. Zenaidura macroura (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Witp Dove; TurtLE Dove; CaroLina Dove. 

Description.—Adult male: General color of upper parts olive-gray or drab, 
with glaucous bloom and changeable metallic reflections on hind neck and ante- 
rior marginal areas of wings; with bright purplish red iridescence on the sides 
of the neck; the lower scapulars and inner quills broadly but sparingly black- 
spotted; hind head bluish slate; remainder of head light drab with a vinaceous 
tinge, paling on throat; a blue-black spot below the ear; tail graduated, central 
feathers like back; the remainder slaty at. base, blackening distally, then abruptly 
white for terminal inch; fore parts below deep vinaceous, fading into cream-buff 
on lower belly and crissum; axillars and under wing-coverts light bluish gray ; 
bill black ; bare space about eye light blue; feet lake red. Adult female : > Similar 
to male, but bluish of hind head and neck restricted or wanting; less iridescence ; 
under parts and forehead light drab tinged with vinaceous on breast. Jimimature : 
Like adult female but duller, without iridescence; black spot below ear wanting; 
feathers of fore parts above and below tipped with whitish. Length about 12.00 
(304.8) ; wing 5.75-6.00 (146.1-152.4) ; tail 5.75-6.50 (146.1-165.1) ; bill .57 (14.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; sober, blended colors; rapid, graceful 
flight, accompanied by whistling sound of wings; mournful, “cooing” notes. 

Nest, a frail platform of twigs or straw at moderate heights in trees or on 
stumps, rocks, etc.; sometimes on the ground. Eges, 2, white. Av. size, 1.08 x 
132 (QI SS AOS). 

General Range.— Temperate North America, from southern Maine, southern 
Canada and British Columbia, south to Panama and the West Indies, breeding 
throughout its North American range. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident; decreasing locally. Winter 
sident in southern third of state and casually elsewhere. 


ALTHO the birds winter with us in small numbers, it is usually about 
the middle of March “when the voice of the turtle is heard in the land.” The 


i Rev. W. F. Henninger in the Wilson Bulletin, Sept., 1902. 


428 THE MOURNING DOVE. 


name Turtle Dove, while not strictly applied to any New World species, may 
be allowed to pass in the case of this one because of the prophet who said, 
“We mourn sore like Doves.” The familiar long-drawn, calling notes of 
the male Mourning Dove have indeed a pensive sadness about them which 
brings the bereaved soul face to, face with its own grief again, but there 
in them a wealth of tenderness, a world of adoration, for they are love notes 
and speak only of a worthy passion. 

The Wild Doves are model lovers, and are chiefly known for their do- 


Taken near Lorain. Photo by the Author. 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE MOURNING DOVE. 

mesticity. During the mating season they vary the monotony of the ordi- 
nary whistling flight by sailing about in graceful curves on stiffened noiseless 
wings. ‘There is always an abundance of billing and cooing ; and love-making, 
it is to be feared, often interferes somewhat with the practical side of house- 
keeping. At least the young wife is not a good house-builder, altho she may 
he, and doubtless is, a kind mother. 

A Dove's nest is the symbol of frailty. A few careless sticks or straws 
are laid together in a platform and lodged at a moderate height in the crotch 


THE MOURNING DOVE. 429 
or upon the horizontal limb of a tree or bush. Fence-corners, the tops of 
stumps, brush piles, and overgrown stone heaps are favorite places, and occa- 
sionally eggs are laid upon the ground with little pretense of a nest or none. 
I have found several nests in low bushes entirely surrounded by water. Old 
Robins’ nests and those of the Grackle, Blue Jay, and others are also used, 
the tenant adding a few clean straws or twigs to the structure as found. Now 
and then, however, a pretty substantial nest is found, and one which reflects 
credit upon the gentle builder. 

The Doves are very prolific. Eggs may be found at any time from May 
to September inclusive. Incubation lasts two weeks, and since the young are 
of rapid growth, three and even four broods are raised ina season. Dr. Jones, 
writing from Circleville, says that he has seen these Doves sitting on fresh 
eggs every month of the year except December and January. According to 
the same author the female sometimes lays again before the young have flown, 
in which case they must assist, perforce, in the duties of incubation. 

The young are frail creatures in spite of the fact that they get as fat as 
oysters before they leave the nest. They are fed by regurgitation and their 
food is mingled with a whitish fluid from the adult stomach—‘‘ Pigeons’ 
milk.” “At night,” according to Langille, “the old one sits crosswise on 
them even when they are quite large, the nest and birds together thus making 
quite a grotesque pile.” 

When frightened at the nest the female drops instantly to the ground 
and goes off into a series of elaborate convulsions, but I have seen this trait 
exhibited oftener in the West than hereabouts. The male also is vigilant 
in defense, and when the young are ready to leave the nest he takes charge 
of them, while his mate is sitting on another pair of eggs. 

In late summer and autumn the Doves gather into groups or small flocks, 
altho they can no longer be characterized as “highly gregarious,” and feed 1% 
the stubble fields or feast upon the wild fruits and acorns. Either singly or 
in companies the birds linger into late autumn and early winter, or stay out- 
right, becoming abundant during the cold season southerly. 

There seems to be a growing tendency among sportsmen to regard the 
Dove as a game bird. Only recently a gentleman in close touch with sport- 
ing circles boasted that he had killed fifty in a day, not far from Columbus. 
{1 cannot but feel that this is very much to be deplored. While the bird is 
unquestionably swift of wing and may be frightened until it becomes very 
wild, it does not seem, upon sober thought, that its value either as meat or 
as a flying target begins to equal that of its tender song, and its confiding pres- 
ence in our midst. Sportsmen in Ohio are confessedly hard put to it for 
legitimate game, but the remedy does not lie in assaulting the next biggest 
bird, until our bird population is reduced to the dead level of chittering Chick- 
adees and gibbering Sparrows. It lies rather, if anywhere, in the introduc- 
tion and propagation of birds which have unquestionable food and game value. 


430 THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT. 


No. 192. 
RING-NECKED PHEASANT. 


Introduced. Phasianus torquatus Gmel. 

Synonyms.—MoONGOLIAN PHEASANT; CHINESE PHEASANT. 

Description.—Adult male: Sides of head largely bare, with livid skin; top 
of head light greenish; short plumicorns dark green; throat and neck all around 
black, with rich metallic reflections ; a white cervical collar nearly meeting in front; 
fore neck and breast, well down, shining coppery red with golden and purplish 
reflections ; sides rich fulyous with black spots; belly mostly blackish; above with 
indescribable intricacy of marking,—black, white, copper, fulvous, pale blue, virid- 
ian green, glaucous green, etc., etc., (we are not morally responsible for the color- 
ing of this marvellous exotic) ; tail much lengthened, mostly greenish fulvous, 
edged with heliotrope-purple and cross-banded with black. Adult female: Much 
plainer, mostly brownish and without white collar; the upper parts more or less 
spotted and mottled with dusky; the under parts nearly plain buffy brown; the 
tail-feathers barred for their entire length, dusky and whitish on a mottled brown- 
ish ground. Adult male length 30.00 or more (762.), of which more than 16.00 
is tail (406.4). 


Recognition Marks.—Size of domestic fowl. Long tail and white collar 
distinctive. 

Nest, on the ground of dried leaves, grasses, etc., usually in grass tussock 
or under bush. Eggs, 8-15, yellowish, or bluish buff. Av. size, 1.61 x 1.31 (40.9 
Xe BA ))c 

General Range.—China. Introduced in various localities of the United 
States. Well established in Oregon and adjacent states. 


Range in Ohio.— Successfully introduced into Allen, Ashtabula, Crawford, 
Erie, Hamilton, Hardin, Madison, Morgan, Scioto, and Summit Counties and 
probably others” (Jones). 


THE successful introduction into our state of this splendid game bird 
really marks a new era in the history of sport, and its advent should be hailed 
with delight by all true sportsmen. Quick on the wing, prolific, hardy, sapid, 
this handsome Pheasant 1s admirably adapted to take the place of those larger 
native birds, the Wild Turkey, the Prairie Chicken, the Ruffed Grouse, which 
are no longer available to us. 

The ethics of the situation is perfectly clear. When this country was 
a howling wilderness it was right and proper that the pioneers should help 
themselves freely to the abundant game to satisfy their wants and to gratify 
their desire for sport. That they went too far in some instances is clear to 
us as it was not to them. It is perhaps inevitable that some of the larger 
species of birds, unconfined, should have succumbed, as did the deer and the 
bear among the mammals. ‘The necessary conditions of civilization, apart 
from the use of gunpowder, were no longer quite tolerable to some of them. 
Up to a certain point anybody might shoot the Wild Pigeon and the Turkey 
and welcome. They were bound to go sooner or later. 


WILD TURKEY 


Meleag 


stris 


illopavo sylve 


Life-size 


us ge 


THE WILD TURKEY. Vey 


But the situation has entirely changed. The country is no longer a wil- 
derness, nor its citizens dependent on the conquests of the chase for sustenance. 
With the decline of the culinary claim a new value has been discovered for 
the wild things, especially for the birds, viz., the esthetic value. ‘The birds 
no longer belong to those who seek food; they no longer belong to those who 
seek life for the sake of taking it in artistic ways; they belong rather to the 
four millions of people in this state who are awaking to a sense of the varied 
charm of the living bird. We should no longer regard the Wood Ducks, for 
example, as creatures to be killed (pitiful remnant that there is left!) but as 
beautiful objects of a fascinated interest,—birds to study, to understand, to 
appreciate, to foster. A gunner might kill them all in a day, but he has no 
moral right to do so (whatever the law may say about open seasons) ; they 
belong now to those who have a higher use for them. 

But what about legitimate sport? It must confine itself to legitimate 
objects. Those species which are now verging upon extinction, or which are 
not capable of maintaining their present numerical status without absolute 
protection, are no longer legitimate objects. Such objects do exist, and the 
Bobwhite is typical of these. But we have evidently reached that stage when 
the demand for game must be artificially supplied. This can best be done 
by the introduction of certain hardy species of demonstrated value, such as 
the Mongolian Pheasant. This may lead to the extensive use of private pre- 
serves under competent management. It 1s not fair for Farmer A. to pasture 
grouse which Lawyer B. may shoot without expense, nor is it fair to forbid 
Lawyer B. and his friends to shoot their own birds on their own grounds 
whenever they like, within the dictates of humanity. 

In short, the time is upon us when those who want to shoot (and it’s 
royal fun!) must furnish their own game. With the single exception of the 
Quail there is no self-propagating game-bird in the state, nor one that is even 
capable of maintaining its present numbers under the very moderate protec- 
tion now afforded. ‘This may seem extravagant to such as are insensible to 
the rapid changes which are taking place in our bird population, but those 
who have studied the situation know it to be true. 


No. 193. 


WACO EU RK EY. 


A. O. U. No. 310a. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult male: General plumage shining, coppery brown; the 
feathers of the middle regions all around square-ended, and narrowly tipped with 
black; wing-quills fuscous, indistinctly barred with white; upper tail-coverts 
tipped with rich, dark chestnut ; tail-feathers tipped with rufous-brown ; feathers 
of sides and flanks showing highest metallic reflections,—coppery, violet, green, 


432 THE WILD TURKEY. 


etc.; a “brush” of long, stiff, black bristles depending from center of chest; black, 


conical spurs, etc. Does not require more particular description because of great 
similarity to the domestic bird. A typical specimen in the O. S$. U. collection 
presents the following measurements: length 46.00 (1168.4) ; wing 20.00 (508.) ; 
tail 17.50 (444.5); tarsus 6.20 (157.5); middle toe and claw 4.30 (109.2) ; bill 
from nostril 1.03 (26.2); brush, along exposed portion, 5.80 (147.3). Females 
are much smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Distinguished from the domestic race principally by 
the chestnut or rufous tips, instead of white, on the upper tail-coverts and tail. 

Nest, on the ground, usually under protection of bush or tree-trunk, lined 
indifferently with grasses. Eggs, 10-20, usually about 12, creamy buff, thickly 
speckled with rusty brown. Av. size, 2.50 x 1.90 (63.5 x 48.3). 

General Range.—United States from Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf Coast. 
and west to the Plains, along wooded river valleys; formerly north to southern 
Maine, southern Ontario, southern Michigan, ete., and up the Missouri River 
to North Dakota. 


Range in Ohio.—Formerly abundant throughout the state, but sow nearly 
extinct. One of its late strongholds was in the northwestern part of the state 
in the neighborhood of Wauseon. It is believed to linger yet in Brown, Adams, 
and Highland Counties. 

THE young people of the present generation are conning over Greek char- 
acters out of gilded books, where their grandfathers studied Turkey tracks on 
the moist floor of the ancient wood; and the log shambles to which led certain 
seductive trails of Indian corn, have made way now for the seats of the mighty. 
Our fathers too are still able to point out the spot where this feathered pride 
of the forest was wont to strut and gobble, or exercise himself, with becoming 
reverence for approaching Thanksgiving, in the virtue of fat. 

The wild Turkeys were once abundant in Ohio. They were resident in 
the large sense, but ranged freely and somewhat irregularly through a con- 
siderable section in search of food. Stupid and unwary at first, they soon 
learned the ways of the white man, and became, years before their now prac- 
tical extinction, the most cunning and vigilant of all wild birds. Indeed, to 
track a Turkey in the woods, to learn his haunts, to come upon him unawares, 
or even to get within rifle shot of him, were high accomplishments of wood 
craft, to which only the elect might attain. 

The preference of these birds was for low damp woods, and especially 
those which gave ready access to the fertile clearings of the pioneer. Here 
they ranged widely by day, gathering nuts and acorns, or grasshoppers and 
fallen grain, and at night they roosted in the highest tree-tops. During the 
mating time, the gobbler, choleric with the distemper of the season, met the 
scattering members of his harem one by one as they answered his summons, 
and resorted to some secluded trysting place. The hens, however, were careful 
jot to betray the secret of their nests, fearing with good reason, that their 
tyrannical lord would destroy eggs or chicks in his blind rage of jealousy. 
With greatest caution, therefore, each female stole softly to some spot. far 


RUFFED GROUSE Sac ee coe 
Bonasa umbellus 


About 4 Life-size 


THE RUFFED GROUSE. 


Ss 


removed, under shelter of log or stump, or in the homogeneous open, where 
lay her dozen or so of speckled eggs. Occasionally two of these Turkish 
wives would pool their interests and care for a nest in common. 

In the neighborhood of dwellings domestic Turkey hens (which, by the 
way, are descendants of Mexican stock, reimported from Europe) were often 
allowed to associate with the coaxing monarch of the wilds, or were, rarely, 
entrusted with the care of eggs belonging to their wild sisters. Some modifi- 
cation of the domestic breed was thus at times effected, but slight, if any, traces 
of the indigenous stock have survived. 

The little Turks of the woods were as delicate as their tame cousins are 
known to be, and their careful mothers would shield them from possible damp- 
ness for hours after a rain had passed. As they grew td adult size they were 
joined in early fall by their fathers, now quite reformed, and families would 
join in with neighbors until sometimes great flocks were to be seen scouring 
the woods for mast, or scattering in noisy flight when the Nemesis of the 
Turkey-kind appeared. 


No. 194. 


RUBFED* GROUSE. 


A. O. U. No. 300. Bonasa umbellus (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—PaArTRIDGE ; PHEASANT. 

Description.—Adult male: Prevailing color of upper parts cimnamon-ru- 
fous, varied interminably with black central spots and blotches, buffy stripes and 
margins (buff in cordate spots on rump and upper tail-coverts), white or grayish 
white tips, and “bloom”; primaries light fuscous, broadly spotted with ochraceous- 
buff on external web; tail rufous or grayish, mottled variously with lighter and 
dusky markings; a broad, subterminal, blackish zone (merely indicated on central 
feathers) bounded on either side by whitish bands; “epaulets” or flaring feather- 
tufts on the side of the neck behind,—rich, brownish black, lustrous-tipped, vary- 
ing to mottled rufous; below, fore parts buffy or ochraceous, plain on chin and 
throat, dusky-marked and rufous-tinged on cheeks and breast; remaining under 
parts heavily barred with ochraceous-buff, ochraceous-brown, and dusky,—the 
latter shade clearest and broadest on flanks, elsewhere more or less obscured by 
broad white tips of feathers; tarsi feathered half way down, plain brownish. 
Adult female: Very similar, but neck-tufts reduced in size and containing more 
rufous. Young birds are spotted and irregularly striped rather than barred be- 
low, and have more pronounced dusky bars on the tail. Av. of eight males from 
Lancaster: length 17.34 (440.4) ; wing 7.23 (183.6) ; tail 5. 93 (150.6) ; bill from 
NOStiile 525 (Gl3s2))p 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; cinnamon-rufous, mottled above; drum- 
ming notes; flaring ruffs distinctive; strictly confined to woodland and brush-lots. 

Nest, on the ground at base of bush, stump, or tree, or under protection of 
log or brush; indifferently lined with leaves, grass, and a few feathers. Eggs, 
7-14, usually about 10, ochraceous-buff, usually plain, but sometimes nest-stained, 
and rarely, speckled with brownish. Av. size, 1.52 x 1.16 (38.6 x 29.5). 


i THE RUFFED GROUSE. 


General Range.—E astern United States and southern Canada, west to Min- 
nesota, south in the mountains to northern Georgia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly common throughout the state, except in prairie 
portions ; now greatly reduced in numbers and locally restricted. Most common 
in hilly portions south and northeast. 


APPRECIATION of the Ruffed Grouse is about equally divided between 
the nature-lovers and the sportsmen. Be he gunner or poet there is none who 
can withstand the charms of the October woods in which it lives, when the 
air is crisp and the fallen leaves are rustling smartly. The trees are not yet 
entirely stripped, but certain clusters of saplings have great windrows piled 
about their feet, and the carpet of the woods is everywhere pregnant with 
possibilities. The poet feels the overhush of autumn and the gunner the 
undercrush of leaves, but both alike are startled by the first wing-rush of the 
Partridge, as it bursts from cover and whirls away like a cyclone to the utter- 
most parts of the woods. ‘Time was when the Partridge treed from curiosity 
at yelping cur or whistling human, but now there is just a half moment for 
the gunner, or the chase must be renewed. 

On the drumming log those marvelous wings which stir the blood like 
none others, may be heard again: 

“Hearest thou that bird? 

I listened, and from ‘midst the depth of woods 

Heard the love signal of the Grouse that wears 

A sable ruff around his mottled neck : 

Partridge they call him by our northern streams 

And Pheasant by the Delaware. He beats 

‘Gainst his barred sides his speckled wings, and makes 

A sound like distant thunder; slow the strokes 

At first, then fast and faster, till at length 

They pass into a murmur, and are still.” 
The purpose of this extraordinary music is well known; it is to attract 
the female and guide her to the tryst. It is not, however, certainly known 
whether the bird is monogamous or not. Bendire thinks he is. On the other 
hand, Henry William Herbert once saw seven hen birds grouped about a strut- 
ting male. “And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, 
We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be cailed 
by thy name; take thou away our reproach.” 

Various theories have been advanced as to the real method of sound pro-_ 
duction in drumming. The reverberating sounds were long supposed to be 
due to the impact of the wings upon the breast. A very creditable imitation 
may be produced by a sound-winded man who pounds upon his lungs with 
clenched fists. Others affirmed that the ictus was made by the contact of 
wings as they met over the back. Bendire says: “It is generally conceded 


£0 IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING Co. 


PRAIRIE HEN 


chus americanus 


Life-size 


Tum 


_THE PRAIRIE HEN. 435 


now by most naturalists, including such well-known ornithologists as Brewster, 
Merriam and Henshaw, that the sound is produced by the outspread wings 
of the bird being suddenly brought downward against the air, without striking 
anything.” 

Another noisy surprise is in store for the person who comes upon a 
mother Partridge with a brood of tender chicks. With a great outcry the 
mother bird charges up in front of the intruder, or dashes into his face; then 
stands before him with flashing eyes and ruffled feathers looking fierce enough 
te eat him up. Thus she holds the enemy at bay for one bewildered moment,— 
a precious moment, in which her tiny darlings are finding shelter. Then she 
collapses like a struck tent and vanishes in a trice. A diligent search may 
discover a chick under a fallen leaf, or between two pieces of bark, but no 
living man can find an entire brood in this way. 

The Ruffed Grouse is still not uncommon in the hilly counties in the 
southern and eastern portions of the state, but it is nowhere found in such 
numbers as formerly. Its suitable range is necessarily somewhat restricted 
by the advance of civilization, but it is a hardy bird and there is no reason 
why it should not be retained as a permanent inhabitant of the state. As 
it is, the species stands in need of an extended period of absolute protection, 
followed by a rigid enforcement of good laws, that it may recover its rightful 
status. 


No. 195. 
PRAIRIE HEN. 


A. O. U. No. 305. Tympanuchus americanus (Reich. ) 

Synonyms.—Prairiz CuickKeEN; PInNATED GROUSE. 

Description.—Adult male: Above dusky-brown to blackish, narrowly 
barred and spotted with ochraceous-buff of several shades; crown blackish, less 
spotted with buff; an elongated tuft of feathers on each side of the neck, brown- 
ish-black, the uppermost feathers rufous-and-buffy-striped on the inner webs; 
tips of feathers rounded or truncated; beneath the neck-tufts a bare space of 
orange-colored skin, largely concealed at rest; wing-quills, light fuscous, spotted 
with whitish or ochraceous-buff on external webs; tail, rounded, fuscous, black- 
ening toward the tip, the central feathers narrowly white-tipped ; chin, throat, and 
sides of head, buffy or ochraceous with a blackish malar stripe and an obscure 
spot of same color on side of throat; remaining under parts evenly barred with 
light grayish-brown and white, tinged more or less with ochraceous on sides 
and sometimes on breast ; nearly unmarked on lower belly and crissum; tarsi fully 
feathered, plain ochraceous. Adult female: Similar, but neck-tufts smaller and 
shorter; tail regularly and narrowly barred with ochraceous-buff or tawny. IJm- 
mature: Brownish above, with medial white streaks and heavy blotches of black; 


436 THE PRAIRIE HEN. 
chest, brownish-tinged and spotted rather than barred. Measurements of six 
Monroeville Prairie specimens in O. S. U., museum.—Two males: length 18.25 
(463.6) ; wing 9.25 (235.); tail 3.85 (97.8); bill from nostril .52 (13.2) ; neck- 
tufts, 3.30 (83.8). Four females: length, 17.15 (435.6); wing, 8.32 (211.3); 
tail 3.50 (88.9) ; bill from nostril .49 (12.5) ; neck-tufts 1.65 (41.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; general barred appearance; elongated, 
erectile tufts on side of neck; distensible air-sacs distinctive. 

Nest, on the ground in open fields or in the edges of swamps, lined with 
grasses and feathers. Eggs, 8-15, usually about a dozen, dull buffy-drab or olive, 
usually unmarked but sometimes speckled with brown. Avy. size, 1.70 x 1.27 
(43.2 X 32.3). 

General Range.—Prairies of the Mississippi Valley; south to Louisiana 


and Texas, east to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, west through 
eastern portions. of North Dakota, Indian Territory and intervening states, north 
to Manitoba; general tendency to extension of range westward, and contraction 
eastward; migration north and south in Minnesota, lowa and Missouri. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly not uncommon in northwestern, rare in cen- 
tral Ohio. Now probably extinct. 

THE life history of the Prairie Hen of Ohio will probably never be writ- 
ten; certainly not unless some one is at great pains to interview the older hunters 
of the passing generation, and succeeds in piecing together scraps of informa- 
tion which have lain long dormant in memory. Having become quite extinct 
within twenty years, the bird was confined to a few restricted localities in the 
north-central and north-western parts of the state for as many more, and it has 
been a half century since it was common even in those regions. So far as 
known the last survivors were seen during the early Eighties in Erie and Huron 
Counties. The last record for Franklin County is that given by Dr. J. M. 
Wheaton; November 16, 1878 

It is idle at this late date to bewail the loss of this noble game-bird. Its 
ways were to a certain extent incompatible with those of civilization. Experi- 
ence has amply proven that the rural portion of a community will not stand 
the sole burden of support of a grain-eating bird, which genteel sportsmen 
from the city are allowed to slaughter at periodical seasons,—and there is an 
end of discussion. Apparently the only alternative lies in imported birds of 
various sorts (the tamer the better), and in private game-preserves. 

Fortunately the species under consideration has been fully studied in the 
prairie states further west, and the brief sketch which follows is based chiefly 
on observations in Illinois and Iowa. 

During the first days of April a mellow rolling boom comes over the 
prairies in the early morning or late afternoon hours. If the birds are 
plentiful the soft ook-ah-oom-boo-hoo-co-00 may sound from several scratch- 
ing-grounds or “walks” at once. In the corner of some large meadow or on 
some prairie knoll a company of twenty or thirty cocks and hens are gathered, 
the former bustling and bursting with excitement, the latter affecting utter 
indifference. 


e 


OHIO BY THE 


COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A 
RESERVEO IN 


RIGHTS 


BOB-WHITE 


Colinus virginianus 


-size 


24 Life. 


THE BOB-WHITE. 437 


The cocks ruffle all their feathers, throw forward the erectile feather-tufts 
of the neck, inflate the distensible air-sacs until they look like ripe oranges; 
then rush forward across the ball-room floor with lowered heads and scraping 
wings while the air escapes in that tender penetrating sob which reverberates 
amile away. As the show proceeds the ladies get interested, yield somewhat of 
their frigid manner, and move about coyly among the strutting gallants. At 
the first few dances only pleasant mutual acquaintance is promoted, but on 
subsequent occasions, as attentions become more serious, conflicting interests 
are sure to be developed among rival cocks, and fierce and bloody battles ensue. 
To the victor belongs the choice of maidens, and that too on a generous scale. 
Of course, under such circumstances conjugal fidelity is a thing unknown, and 
it becomes a marvel that the females will pay daily visits to the scene of these 
disgraceful scrimmages. 

The female hides her nest in some grass tussock of the open prairie, or in 
a deep, feather-lined depression at the edge of a swale, and sits closely upon 
ten or a dozen eggs. When thoroughly frightened from her nest she is not 
likely to return, or if she does, and finds the eggs handled, she will break them 
up in disgust. Incubation is completed in from three to four weeks, and the 
little brood is promptly led off to forage or hide at the behest of the wary and 
devoted mother. 

The flock follows its mother until nearly full grown. As fall comes on 
several family troops are merged, and the company thus formed is joined by 
the hitherto exiled males. Under the contingency of persecution by gunners 
the flock scatters to right and left, each member rising in turn and making off 
rapidly with a vocal rattle which adds to the excitement of whirring wings. 
The bird is capable of sustained flights of several miles, much of which is 
accomplished by stiff downward sails of long duration. In the prairie states 
west of the Mississippi the females and young-of-the-year retire several degrees 
south in winter, but the hardier males usually endure the rigors of the season 
in the North. 


No. 196. 


BOB-WHITE. 


A. O. U. No. 289. Colinus virginianus (Linn.). 

Synonym.—Quanu.. 

Description Adult male: Above general color vinaceous-rufous, chang- 
ing to cinnamon-rufous on wings and on sides, clearest on upper back and sides 
of breast, heavily black-spotted or barred on lower back, scapulars, and inner 
quills, heavily margined with buff on inner edges of inner scapulars and 
quills, changing to black on forehead, everywhere mottled finely with black, white, 
or whitish, and bluish gray; tertials in closed wing completely covering the fus- 
cous primaries and secondaries; a broad, white superciliary stripe, almost meet- 


438 THE BOB-WHITE. 


ing fellow on forehead, becoming buffy on hind-neck; a broad, black stripe below 
eye and across auriculars coalescing behind with narrow breast-band of same 
color ; enclosed space pure white; breast and belly white or buffy white, narrowly 
and finely cross-barred with black, usually with disconnected brace-shaped mark- 
ings; chest mingled heavily or slightly with vinaceous-rufous below the black 
band; sides and flanks broadly striped with cinnamon-rufous, marked with black 
and white and blending with pattern of wing; bill black. Adult female: Similar 
to male, but throat and superciliary line deep buff instead of white; black of 
throat, cheek-band, and crown merely indicated by blackish spots; general colora- 
tion a little more subdued. ‘This bird varies interminably within the limits laid 
down; no two birds are exactly alike, and albinistic and melanotic specimens are 
not rare. Spring birds are brighter colored than fall specimens. Length “9.50- 
10.75" (241.3-273.1); av. of six Columbus males: wing 4.33 (110.); tail 2.33 
(59.2): bill .56 (14.2). Females average a little smaller than males. 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; stocky proportions; terrestrial habits; 
swift, whirring flight, etc. 

Nest, on the ground, a mere depression, indifferently lined with grasses, 
leaves, etc. Eggs, 10-26, usually about 18, white, pure or nest-stained ; pyriform- 
ovate. Av. size, I.20 X .94 (30.5 x 23.9). 

Genera! Range.—Eastern United States and southern Ontario, from south- 
ern Maine to the South Atlantic and Gulf States, west to central South Dakota, 
Kansas, eastern Texas, etc. It is recently extending its range westward along 
lines of settlement, and has been successfully introduced into various western and 
Pacific states. 


Range in Ohio.—Common resident throughout the state. 


THERE, is an interesting parallel between Bob-white and civilized man. 
Both have come of a polygamous ancestry: indeed, both can point to con- 
temporary polygamous ancestors. Out of these primitive conditions Bob- 
white has grown to be quite “civilized,” in his family relations as exemplary 
as any that polite society can boast. He is a model parent, willing to sacrifice 
his own life for the brood. The late Judge J. N. Clarke, of Saybrook, Conn., 
has proved that at least in one instance the male cared for and completed 
the incubation of the second nestful of eggs while his wife raised the first 
brood of youngsters. He was shot in the act of protecting his brood. ‘There 
is an interesting question, just here, which I have not seen answered: When 
two broods are reared, do the broods remain separate during the winter, under 
the care of one parent, or do they unite? 

Bob-white’s ringing call has very appropriately become his name. By 
it he is known in literature, in spite of the misnomer “Quail,” which thé sports- 
men and careless observers have heaped upon him. He is wholly American, 
and is no near relative of the European Quail. Either there is a good deal 
of poetic fancy in rendering the whistled call “Bob-white,’ or “more wet,” 
or else the whistle is untranslatable. However that may be, one has no diff- 
culty in recognizing the call. There is no doubt that the call was considered 
by the first writers to be prophetic of the weather, and no doubt many still 


THE BOB-WHITE. 439 


listen attentively to it to be warned of rain. I have spent a good many hours 
listening to calling birds, some in the distance, some near at hand. While 
the distant birds often, perhaps usually, seemed to give but two syllables, those 
near at hand always gave three, but the first was often so softly given that 
it would not be audible beyond a few rods. 

As soon as the young birds are able to leave the nest they are taught to 
shun danger in various ways, first by “‘freezing’—trusting to their protective 


colors for 


safety. The 
assembly is 
a means of 
mutual pro- 
tection, and 
the call for 
assembly is 
given by the 
old birds. In 
ACI, ele 
family re- 
mains to- 
gether dur- 
ihn oo euaye 
whole  win- 
ter, and the 
young are 
constantly 
being taught, 
by example, 
how to avoid 
danger, and 
how to live 
the best. The 
signal for 
danger to 
the whole 
feeding flock 
is a low 
chuckling 
rattle, which 
might bemis- 
taken for 
field mice: 


Taken in Jefferson Drawing by Robt. J. Sim. 
“THE CHARMED CIRCLE—NO MORE ROOM.” 


440 THE BOB-WHITE. 


While this signal is being given the birds are running to a place where they can 
fly up suddenly and away swiftly. Following the scattering of the flock there 
is certain to be the assembly call, which is loud enough to be heard by the 
most distant bird, but might be unnoticed by an unpracticed ear. It is a low 
whoo-ee, whoo-ee, almost crooning in character. Only one bird gives this 
call. There is an undertone of conversational chatter while the birds are 
ieeding as they run, as they often do when they are suspicious of danger. These 
calls and signals are winter and late fall flock signals. During the season. espe- 
cially during the days of courting, there is a loud, but pleasing, JV hooocee- 
che, whoooeee-che whooocee-che, the first long drawn syllable with an up- 
ward inflection, the second a short, almost aspirated syllable, dropping sud- 
denly. I do not feel certain what the office of this signal is, but presume it 
is merely a mate call. The bob-white whistle is clearly a challenge, and so 
performs the same office as the crowing of Chanticleer. 

The winter life of Bob-white is not the least interesting of his yearly 
round. It is pretty clearly true that the flocks which are found then are 
single families, possibly the largest flocks are the two broods of one pair 
of birds. These flocks feed, and roost, and live together in a close com- 
panionship, sharing the dangers and the pleasures alike. Their whole life 
is based upon mutual protection; no other spirit seems to actuate them during 
this season. If they separate it is only to be drawn together again at the 
first opportunity. If one is lost he is instantly missed, and all in the power 
of the flock is done to regain the lost one. At night, and during severe 
storms, the birds find some sheltered spot as free from any danger as possible, 
and pack themselves into a close circle, tails touching in the center, heads 
outward to detect danger in any direction, each warming the other. Mr. 
Robert J. Sim, of Jefferson, Ohio, contributes the drawing of a flock which 
he fed during one winter. They came regularly for the supper provided, 
and passed the night under an evergreen tree in the yard. The picture was 
taken of the flock during a severe north-west storm of snow and wind, during 
which the birds went to roost in the middle of the afternoon, more out in the 
open than was their wont. Mr. Sims describes the method of their arrangement 
somewhat as follows: First two birds stood together, tails touching, then 
a third and a fourth crowded up, then others crowded their way into the 
charmed circle, pushing and elbowing the birds closer together, until finally 
only one remained outside. He hurried around the circle trying first one 
place and then another to no purpose. There was no more room. Not to be 
left out, he sprang upon the backs of the close-packed flock, examined each 
seam carefully, and finally began to wedge himself down between two until 
he, too, became a part of the circle. The birds now settled themselves for 
the night, their breast feathers almost blending into a perfect curve all around 


the circle. In the morning they were ready for their breakfast of oats and 


THE BOB-WHITE. 441 


corn, end then went foraging in the fields for waste grain and weed and 
grass seeds. 

The warm days of early April stir Mr. Bob to send forth his ringing 
challenge over field and meadow, for he has chosen his preserve and will . 
defend it against all comers. He is not worrying, just now, about his wife. 
His duty is first to provide the home preserve. Battles for this preserve 
and for possession of the female often occur, in regions where the birds are 
numerous, but the bird in possession usually wins, because he has the better 
conscience. 

The nest is made on the ground among the grass and weeds, the dead 
grass often being used to form an arch over the nest. First nests are pretty 
sure to be arched over and almost completely covered, leaving an opening 


in the side for the birds P .toenter. The eggs are 
arranged small ends in, and if the 
Cree Si Vial ae. Via < AY numerous, there 


Photo by 


Taken necr Tifiin. Rev. W. F. Henninger. 


NEST AND: EGGS OF THE BOB-WHITE. 
are two, and sometimes three tiers piled up like cannon balls. I found one 
nest containing twenty-six eggs arranged in this manner. 
The methods to which the old birds will resort to protect the young 


ye THE KING RAIL, 


are illustrative of the mental development of Bob-white, the old broken wing 
ruse, the pitiful cry, the plain invitation to kill the old bird and be satisfied, 
and very rarely, the daring attack upon the intruder. Meanwhile, the young 
have reached a place of safety, or are hidden securely. ‘There is much to 
admire in Bob-white, and very little to excuse. 


No. 197. 


KING RAIL. 


A. O. U. No. 208. Rallus elegans Aud. 

Synonyms.—ReED-BREASTED RAIL; MArsH HEN; FRESH-wWATER MaArsH HEN, 

Description.—Adult: Above brownish black, the feathers broadly striped 
laterally with lighter browns (wood-brown, bistre, and olive-brown), and shad- 
ing into burnt umber on wing-coverts and edges of quills; forehead with numer- 
ous, enlarged, glossy, black shafts without attendant vanes; a light line over eye 
in front, and a dusky line through eye; lower eye-lid white; chin and upper throat 
white; lower throat and breast, reaching up well on sides of neck and face, cin- 
namon-rufous (Mars brown), growing paler medially and posteriorly; belly, 
flanks, and lining of wings brownish dusky or blackish, crossed by narrow, white 
bars, lighter, or sometimes almost unmarked fulvous, centrally and on thighs; 
bill dark above, lighter below. Downy young: Uniform glossy black. Length 
14.00-17.00 (355.0-431.8) ; av. of six Columbus specimens: wing 6.25 (158.8) ; 
tail 2.57 (65.3); bill 2.32 (58.9); tarsus 2.26 (57.4) ; middle toe and claw 2.47 
(52.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk to Crow size; marsh-creeping habits. 
Large size distinctive among the Rails of the interior. 

Nest, of cat-tail leaves and grasses on the ground or in grass-tussock of 
marsh. Eggs, 6-12, dull white or buffy, sparingly spotted and dotted with red- 
dish brown and purplish gray. Av. size, 1.65 x 1.21 (41.9 x 30.8). 

General Range.—Fresh water marshes of eastern United States, north to 
the Middle States, northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kansas; casually( ?) to Mass- 
achusetts, Maine, and Ontario. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident and migrant. Of local 
occurrence. 


RUSHES, sedges, arums, and waving cat-tail leaves form a curtain of 
living green which effectually screens the private life of the Rails from the 
common eye. From behind the curtain issue certain sounds which we attri- 
bute to this bird or that, if we are wise, but that is all. Now and then, 
indeed, some ruthless invader dashes behind the decent folds and sends the 
Rail-folk scurrying. This, to say the least, is rude, and brings its own pun- 
ishment.—an empty swamp, or maybe a few limp carcases; but what are 
they? No; if you would learn Rail ways, you must do as Rails do,—pry 
and spy, lurk and peep, and above all, when the time comes, keep silent. To 
thread the mazes of the swamp, to know its mysteries, to be on intimate terms 


THE KING RAIL. 443 
with its inhabitants, to speak its language, that is an achievement. But if it 
is only exercise or “sport” you are wanting, go shoot bloodless pigeons made 
of clay, on some pleasant hillside. 

The most that can be be learned about the King Rail in thrashing about 
a swamp is that it rises suddenly, flies slowly in a straight line just above 
the tops of the reeds, and plumps down suddenly not far away, as tho its 
wings had given out. It affords an easy mark for the sportsman, being in 
fact about as severe a test of skill as a tomato can floating down stream. ‘The 
gunner learns too that the bird is hard to flush, and that if it has any sort of a 
show for cover, will run rapidly through the weeds, and skulk, rather than 
seek safety in flight. 

The chance explorer is about as likely as is the plotting student to come 
across a nest built up in the reeds and grasses, either well up in a grass-tussock 
or just sufficiently elevated to keep a hatful of eggs clear of the water. The 
eggs, ten or a dozen in number, are like nothing else in the swamp except 
those of the Florida Gallinule. From these there is no certain distinction. 
I have noticed, however, that the reddish brown spotting of the latter is 
apt to be less angular and the spots more numerous and regular. The nest 
of the Rail does not boast the inclined approach which characterizes that of 
the Gallinule or the Coot. 

The food of the Marsh Hen consists of insects, slugs, leeches, tadpoles 
and small crayfish, besides a goodly proportion of seeds from aquatic and 
palustral plants. The last are obtained not only from the soft bed of ooze 
upon which they may have fallen, but from the seed-pods themselves, since 
the bird can climb quite nimbly. Like all birds of this class, the most active 
hours are spent just after sunset and before sunrise. But in a region where 
they were in little fear of molestation, I have seen them deploy upon an ex- 
tensive mud-flat in broad daylight and go prodding about in company with 
migrant Sandpipers, for the worms which riddle the ooze with their burrows. 
At such times, too, I have seen a few standing stock still for a quarter of an 
hour at a stretch, evidently to catch a wink of sleep along with their sun bath, 
and trusting, perhaps, to their more vigilant neighbors to give warning of 
approaching danger. 

The King Rail has not been much observed in our state, and altho not to 
be accounted rare, is doubtless much more frequent in the prairie states to 
the west and northwest of us, where swales and “slews” abound. It has been 
reported breeding in the neighborhood of Circleville, but is more commonly 
found in the extensive marshes which vary the Lake Erie shore. Its pres- 
ence may be detected by its weird call, which is best described in the words 
of Mr. Frank Chapman, “a loud startling bup, bup, bup. bup, bup, uttered 
with increasing rapidity until the syllables are barely distinguishable, then 
ending somewhat as it begins—the whole performance lasting about five 
seconds.” 


444 THE VIRGINIA RAIL. 


No. 198. 
VIRGINIA RAIL. 


‘A. O. U. No. 212. Rallus virginianus Linn. 

Description— Adult: An almost exact miniature of the preceding species 
(q. v.); generally coloration perhaps more strongly rufous; blackish barring of 
lower parts more restricted; sides of head ashy gray; bill red, darker above. /in- 
mature birds show blackish more extensively on lower parts. Length 8.00-10.50 
(203.2-266.7) ; wing 4.15 (105.4) ; tail 2.00 (50.8) ; bill 1.50 (38.1) ; tarsus 1.33 
(33-8) ; middle toe and claw 1.78 (45.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size (to appearance) ; marsh-prowling habits. 
The leng reddish bill and rufous coloration serve to distinguish this bird from 
the following species. 

Nest, of sedge and grasses in tussock of swamp. Eggs, 6-12, pale buffy or 
creamy white (of noticeably lighter coloration than those of the succeeding 
species) ; spotted and doited with reddish brown and obscure lilac. Av. size, 
Wes 2 OG (Buds 32 AAA). 

General Range.—North America from the British Provinces south to Guate- 
mala and Cuba. 

Range in Ohio.—Rather common summer resident ; more common northerly, 
rare in extreme southern portion of state. Nowhere so common as the next 


species. 


Taken in Lorain County Photo by the Author. 
THE HOME OF THE VIRGINIA RAIL. 


THE VIRGINIA RAIL. 445 


GIVEN an oasis of water of, say, two acres extent in a pasture desert 
of barren green; crowd a company of water elms into one end; add a halt 
acre of bogs crowned with rose bushes; then a little space of clear water; 
than a jungle of cat-tails at the other end; surround the whole with a thirty- 
foot border of sedges and coarse grasses cropped close on the desert side, 
and you have an ideal home for the Virginia Rail and his kind. Poke about 
carefully in the edge of the rose-bog and you will soon start him, a sly reddish 
brown bird with a red eye and a longish beak. See him some ten feet away 
standing at the edge of cover, all alert, one foot uplifted and with claws curled 
down; or when he plants it gingerly, he alternately perks and lowers his head, 
as tho divided in his mind between darting away and facing it out with you. 
Simultaneously he cocks his tail forward and relaxes it nervously. If you 
succeed in looking sufficiently disinterested, he will snatch a slug hastily and 
watch you furtively with a blood-red eye, to note whether you approve of 
such actions. If you pass all the tests of good behavior during the first five 
minutes, the gentle bird will relax his vigilance and show you how he can 
walk over half-submerged vegetation without sinking very deep himself, or 
if in the passage from bog to bog he comes to a space of clear brown water, 
he will swim as 
lightly as a duck. 
but with that odd 
bobbing — motion 
peculiar to his 
race. A_ single 
false motion, how- 
ever, will send him 
SCM will an oO ai 
through the plant- 
stems and out of 
sight in a twink- 
ling, cackling in 
alarm and = dud- 
geon. 

Swamp noises 


are difficult to de- Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 
scribe. A verbal ANOTHER “NEEDLE IN A HAY-STACK.” 
transcri pe A FEMALE VIRGINIA RAIL IS SITTING ON HER NEST NEAR THE CENTER OF THE 
< f PICTURE AND WITHIN FOUR FEET OF THE CAMERA BUT THE SCREEN 
tion serves for lit- OF REEDS AND HER OWN PROTECTIVE COLORS 

tle more than to RENDER HER INVISIBLE. 


recall to the writer a sound he has once heard. About all that one can safely 
say is that both the Virginia and Sora Rails have call and alarm notes which 
are characteristic and mutually distinctive. Virginia’s alarm has been com- 


446 THE VIRGINIA RAIL: 
pared not inaptly to the grunting of a hungry pig, while the same author, 
Mr. Brewster, likens the love song of the male to the syllables “‘cut, cutta, 
cutta, cutta.” ‘The anxiety of the female is betrayed by a mournful ki-i, or 
by short phrases of creaking notes. If the young are in hiding a low cluck 
of reassurance will bring them skurrying to find their mother. 

The nesting is quite similar to that of the next species in all respects, 
save that the eggs are almost certainly distinguishable by their lighter creamy 
tones, as well as by the clearer red of their markings, and that they are on 
the average fewer in number. 


Photo by the Author. 


Taken in Lorain County. 
J 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE VIRGINIA RAIL, 


THE SORA RAIL. We 


No. 199. 


SORA RAIL. 


/ A. O. U. No. 214. Porzana carolina (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—CaroLina Rai; SorA RAIL; SORE. 
Description.—Adult: Above olive-brown varied by black and white in 


spots and stripes on back and scapulars,—the black broad and central, the white 
narrow and marginal; region about base of bill, chin, throat, and median crown- 
stripe black; cheeks behind, sides of throat, and breast bluish ash; below olive- 
brown to dusky, sharply barred with white, whitening on middle of belly ; under 
tail-coverts tawny or tawny-washed; wing-quills fuscous; edge of wing and of 
first primary white; bill yellow, darkening on tip of upper mandible. /immature: 
Without black on head and neck; chin whitish; throat and breast washed with 
light brown. Downy young: Sooty black, the down interspersed sparingly with 
longer glossy black hairs; a tuft of bright orange bristles on throat,—stiff and 
inclined forward; and a bright red excrescence at base of upper mandibie. Length 
8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3); wing 4.20 (106.7); tail 2.00 (50.8); bill .83 (21.1) ; 
tarsus 1.36 (34.5); middle toe and claw 1.85 (47.). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size, but stouter in appearance; marsh- 
skulking habits; short yellowish bill. 

Nest, a raised platform of grasses and sedge, usually placed centrally in 
grass tussock of swamp. Eggs, 8-15, dull buffy or ochraceous-buff (and so darker 
than eggs of Rallis virginanus) ; spotted and dotted with dark brown and with 
purplish shell-markings. Avy. size, 1.24 x .9O (31.5 x 22.9). 

General Range.—Temperate North America, breeding chiefly northward, 
but less commonly on the Pacific Coast. Casually north to southern Greenland. 
South to the West Indies and northern South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident and migrant throughout the 
state. Much more common than the preceding species. 


4 


IF a correspondent writes me of a “curious brown bird’? which he “shot 
vesterday in a swamp,” or “picked up this morning under the telegraph 
wires” ; and if he accompanies the letter with a spool-box about a half an inch 
in thickness (O. N. T. preferred) under convoy of two two-cent stamps, I 
confidently expect to find a Sora Rail. Yes, there it is, lying on its side; 
because that is the way a Rail fits most easily into a shallow box. “As thin 
as a Rail” does not refer to the Lincoln variety of split trees, but to this bird 
and his congeners. ‘The birds are bilaterally compressed in order to enable 
them to slip readily between the close-set stalks of vegetation. And _ this 
they do with almost incredible rapidity, and without leaving a wake of motion 
by which their course may be traced. 

Like the King Rail the Sora tises to a dog; or if caught feeding inshore 
some little ways from his watery fastnesses, he flits over the tops of the reeds, 
crops down suddenly, and loses himself immediately in the maze. It is idle 


448 THE SORA RAIL. 


to follow him when alarmed, for he will not rise again save under excep- 
tional circumstances. Immense numbers of these birds are slaughtered 
yearly, especially along the Atlantic Coast. They have this at least to recom- 
mend them,—that they are easy practice for juvenile hunters. ‘They afford 
less meat, however, than so many English Sparrows, and qualms of conscience 
male peor sauce. 


Taken tn 


Lerain Photo by 
County 5 the Author 
WHERE THE SORA HIDIS. 


TILE SWAMP IS TilE ONE SHOWN WITH THE PRECEDING SPECIES BUT TiHJE PICTURE WAS TAKSN 
ABGUT A WEEK EARLIER IN THE SEASON. 

Tho rightly counted shy, the Sora possesses one trait which brings it 
into frequent notice—curiosity. Often when I have been lying in a boat 
waiting for ducks among the aquatic plants, some little distance off shore 
and removed from the usual haunts of the Sora, I have heard sundry keks 
half apprehensive, half quizzical, followed by the plashing of light feet as 
a troop of the little Rails worked their way out and surrounded me, under 
pretense, indeed, of searching for food, but being all too plainly prompted 
by inquisitiveness. Dr. Howard Jones tells of similar experiences: “I have 
had them come up to me and peck my gum boots, and play with the gun 


” 


barrel as a bantam rooster does when teased 


—— : Ps 7 ‘ 
— : 


ea 


RIGHTS AESEA 


SORA 


carolina 


4 Life-size 


_ 449 


THE SORA RAIL. 


A slight platform of rushes or a shallow basket of woven cat-tail leaves 
and grasses serves for a nest. A site is chosen anywhere in the swamp, 
but usually in a rather open situation. Sometimes a tussock of grass is used, 
and the growing blades curl over to conceal this anchored ark of bulrushes. 
The Sora is a little more prolific than her cousin the Virginia, a dozen eggs 
being commonly found and fourteen and fifteen not infrequently. In the 
latter case the eggs are apt to be in two layers. ‘The ochraceous cast of the 
ground color is unmistakable, and the spots are both more numerous and 
of a duller brown than those of R. virginianis. 


Taken near Oberlin. Photo by Lynds Jones. 
AN EMPTY NEST. 


Nothing could be at once more interesting and more comical than the 
appearance of a young Sora just out of the shell. He is, to begin with, a ball 
of down as black as jet, and he has a most ridiculous tuft of orange chin 
whiskers. Add to this a bright red protuberance at the base of the upper 
mandible and an air of defiance, and you have a very clown. And such 
precocity! I once came upon a nestful in a secluded spot at the critical time. 
Hearing my distant footsteps most of the brood had taken to their new-found 
heels, leaving two luckless wights in ovo. At my approach one more prison 
door flew open. The absurd fluff-ball rolled out, shook itself, grasped the 
situation, promptly tumbled over the side of the nest, and started to swim 
across a six-foot pool to safety. 


450 * THE YELLOW RAIL, 


Speaking of the protuberance at the base of the upper mandible, one 
cannot help wondering whether this is not a reminiscence (in embryo, or as 
good) of some distant ancestor who possessed a red frontal shield like that 
of the Florida Gallinule of today. We know that the Rails and Gallinules 
are closely related, but has this tie of relationship been noted before? 


‘No. 200. 


YELLOW RAIL. 


YAO. U. No. 215. Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.). 

Description.—ddult: Prevailing color ochraceous-buff, clearest on breast ; 
upper parts heavily striped with dark brownish anteriorly, and with black pos- 
teriorly ; feathers of back and scapulars, and inner quills with very narrow subter- 
minal bars of white, some of the feathers twice or three times crossed with white; 
edge of wing white; wing-quills light fuscous, the inner secondaries broadly tipped 
with white; a dark brown spot on lores, produced indistinctly to include auriculars ; 
axillars and lining of wings white; sides and flanks dense ochraceous to dusky, 
narrowly barred; middle of belly whitish. Length 6.00-7.75 ( 152.4-196.9) ; wing 
3-30 (83.8) ; tail .51 (13.); tarsus .92 (23.4); middle toe and claw .95 (24.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; marsh-skulking habits ; ochraceous col- 
oration, 

Nest, of grasses, on the ground in marsh. Eggs, 6 or more, creamy buff, 
densely sprinkled and speckled on larger end with rusty brown. Av. size, 1.12 x 
Kein (Assy ae Aine (RuGlenyi,))n 

General Range.—Chiefly eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia, 
Hudson Bay, etc.; less commonly west to Nevada and California. No extra- 
limital records except for Cuba and Bermuda. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare or locally restricted. Believed to breed. 


THIS little Rail possesses most of the common traits of the three pre- 
ceding species, but adds to them an even greater reluctance to take to wing, 
and is on this account little known. It is said to frequent upland meadows 
as well as reedy swamps, but such is its fleetness of foot and ingenuity in 
threading the wilderness of bristling grass stems that even here it takes 
a clever dog to raise it. Probably the only efficient method by which to 
study this bird is to learn its call notes and so entice it to the edge of some 
secluded swamp opening. It is said to be quite pugnacious, and to respond 
readily to the supposed challenge of another bird. Mr. Nuttall speaks of 
their “abrupt and cackling cry, krek-krek,krek, krek, kuk, k’kh,’ and likens 
it to the sound of a croaking tree frog. 

Dr. Howard FE. Jones of Circleville has attained a special facility in the 
study of the Yellow Rail, and the reports of his success indicate that the 
hird ought to be found not uncommonly throughout the state. 


THE BLACK RAIL. Ast 


No. 201. 


BLACK RAIL. 


A. O. U. No. 216. Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—LitTtLe BLAcK Ratt. 

Description — Adult: Head, breast, and upper belly blackish slate, darker 
on crown; a large patch on hind-neck dark chestnut ; remaining plumage brownish 
black sprinkled sparingly, except on wing-quills, with small white spots and bars; 
bill black. Jimmatwre: Similar to adult but lighter on breast, whitening on 
throat, shaded with chestnut on hind crown. Downy young: “Entirely bluish 
black.” Length 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4); wing 2.70 (68.6) ; tail 1.23 (31.2); bill 
57 (1.45); tarsus .78 (19.8) ; middle toe and claw .95 (24.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size, but appearing Sparrow size. Marsh- 
haunting habits; diminutive size and dark coloration distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of the finer grasses lining a 
cup-shaped depression in ground of marsh. Eggs, 9-10, white or creamy white, 
sparingly sprinkled with dots of reddish brown, more heavily about the larger end. 
Av. size, 1.00 x .80 (25.4 x 20.3). 

General Range.—Temperate North America north to Massachusetts, north- 
ern Illinois, and Oregon; scuth to West Indies and Guatemala. 


Range in Ohio.—Very rare. Positive records from Hamilton and Lake 
Counties. 


SECRETIVENESS is conceded to be the most striking characteristic 
of the Rails as a group, and there can be no question that this little midget 
possesses the quality in a superlative degree. ‘‘About as difficult to observe 
as a field mouse,” says Mr. Chapman, with this difference, however, that the 
field mouse is some thousands of times more numerous. Looking for a 
needle in a haystack is not such a forlorn quest, after all. The writer onc¢ 
found at the bottom of a hay-mow in spring a fountain pen, which he remem- 
bered having lost on a load of hay in the meadow the previous summer— 
but when the needle is endowed with life, and is bent on concealment, the 
task is well nigh hopeless. Under favorable conditions, however, where 
cover is limited, or occurs in scattered bunches, the Black Rail may be flushed 
from covert to covert. In Jamaica, where the birds have been more fully 
studied than elsewhere, an informant of Mr. Gosse told him that several 
were killed accidentally by the negroes at work, as the bird is so foolish as to 
hide its head in the presence of danger, cock up its rump, and imagine itself 
safe. Another authority, a Mr. March, likened its cry to the syllables 
chi-chi-cro-croo-croo, ‘‘several times repeated in sharp, high-toned notes, 
so as to be audible to a considerable distance.” 

No accounts have been published of the nesting of the bird in Ohio 
(where, indeed, it has been seen only three or four times), but they have 
been found breeding in the Calumet marshes of northern Illinois, and there 


ee THE PURPLE GALLINULE. 


is no good reason why they should not here, especially on the borders 
of the reservoirs, and of those streams which empty into Lake Erie. 

Mr. Ray Densmore informs me that he has seen the Black Rail near 
Perry, in Lake County, and that a neighbor of his captured one alive in a 
potato patch. ‘This specimen was finally sent to the Experiment Station 
for identification. 


No. 202. 


PURPLE GALLINULE. 


oo O. U. No. 218. lonornis martinica (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Broad frontal shield dusky blue; head, neck, and 
lower parts dark purplish blue, blackening on belly and thighs, lighter and bluer 
on under wing-coverts; above bright olive-green centrally, shading cff through 
bluish green on wings and upper back into contiguous blue or purple: under tail- 
coverts pure white; bill bright red with pale green tip (the latter yellow in skins) ; 
feet yellow. Immature: Above heavily washed with light brown; beneath buffy 
or mottled white; bill dull yellowish. Downy young: Black, with short, white 
filaments interspersed through down of head; bill yellow at base, black-tipped. 
Length 13.25 (336.6) ; wing 7.15 (181.6) ; tail 2.75 (69.9) ; culmen, exclusive of 
frontal shield 1.20 (30.5) ; tarsus 2.35 (59.7); middle toe and claw 2.85 (72.4). 

Recognition Marks.-—Little Hawk size; brilliant coloring distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not certainly known to have bred in Ohio, but probably has done 
so. Nest, a platform of reeds and grasses elevated above surrounding muck or 
water of swamp. Eggs, 6-10, or sometimes more, pale cream-white or buffy, 
heavily speckled or, rarely, spotted, chiefly about larger end, with purplish gray 
and umber. Av. size, 1.58 x 1.14 (40.1 x 29.). 

General Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States, casually northward to 
Maine, New York, Wisconsin, etc.; south throughout the West Indies, Mexico, 
Central America, and northern South America to Brazil. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare or casual in spring. One fall record by Dr. Carl 
Tuttle, Sept. 2, 1894, near Lake Erie. 


THERE are seven well authenticated records of the capture of this 
bird within our limits, and it has been taken once in Ontario. Since two 
of these records come within the last decade, it is altogether possible that 
this handsome swamp prowler may be found breeding in some of our larger 
marshes. 

“Tt has little of the aspect of a Gallinule, but stands higher, and has its 
legs more forward. As it walks, the neck is alternately bridled up or thrown 
forward, and its short black-and-white tail is changed from a semi-erect to a 
perpendicular position, with a flirting motion. As this bird walks over the 
tangled leaves and stems of aquatic plants resting on the surface of the water, 
it moves with great deliberation, frequently standing still and looking leis- 
urely on either side. 


PURPLE GALLINULE 
Tonornis martinica 


About % Life-size 


"THE FLORIDA GALLINULE. 


453 


“Ever on the lookout for any danger that may menace it, at the least 
noise it takes to flight and hides among the rushes. It is only when its place 
of retreat is inaccessible that flight is attempted, its movement in the air being 
heavy and not well sustained. Its voice is loud and strong but has in it nothing 
remarkable. Worms, molluscs, and the fruit of various kinds of aquatic 
plants are its food. It gathers seeds and carries them to its beak with its 
claws, and it also makes use of them in clinging to the rushes where the water 
is very deep” (Brewer). 


No. 203. 


FLORIDA  GALEINULE. 


A. O. U. No. 219. Gallinula galeata (Licht.). 

Description.—Adult: Frontal shield and bill bright red, the latter tipped 
with greenish yellow ; general plumage blackish slate; above heavily overlaid with 
olive-brown on back and scapulars ; edges of wings and lateral and posterior under 
tail-coverts white; afew flank feathers narrowly striped with white; feet greenish; 
tibie red. In winter specimens the frontal shield is narrower and the feathers 
of the belly more or less white-tipped. Jmmature: Similar to winter adult, but 
frontal shield reduced; bill brownish, yellow-tipped; feathers of lower parts more 
extensively white-tipped. Downy young: “Glossy black, the lower parts sooty 
along the median line; throat and cheeks interspersed with silvery-white hairs’’ 
(Ridgway). Length 13.75 (349.3); wing 6.50-7.25 (165.1-184.2); tail about 
2.75 (69.9) ; bill (to frontal shield’) 1.26 (32.) ; tarsus 2.20 (55.9) ; middle toe and 
claw 3.20 (81.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; nearly uniform slaty coloration; 
bright red bill and frontal shield distinctive. 

Nest, a platform of dried reeds and grasses raised above surrounding mud 
and water of swamp. Eggs, 6-13, usually 8 or 9, buff or brownish buff, sparingly 
speckled and spotted or blotched with reddish brown, never (?) black. Av. size, 
eG) SS UPD (GUE, BS YON) 

General Range.—Temperate and tropical America from Canada to Brazil 
and Chili. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon summer resident in the larger swamps 
throughout the state. 


GALLINULA—literally, little hen,—is the connecting link between 
ducks and chickens. On the one hand she swims freely and dives readily to 
escape a pursuer, moving upon the surface of the water rather daintily, nod- 
ding the head and perking the tail with each stroke, as if she were working 
her passage. When under the water the bird makes all speed to shelter, 
where, if sore pressed, she is said to cling to the submerged stems of water 
plants, protruding only the nostrils for air. On the other hand the water-hen 
moves nimbly through the reeds and walks upon the lily pads, or ranges the 
grass on the dry borders of the swamp. ‘The resemblance to the domestie 


rer ‘THE FLORIDA GALLINULE. 


fowl is further heightened by its occasional appearance among them during 
migrations. Says Dr. Jones: “The Florida Gallinule is in many respects a 
curious bird. It occasionally is found during its periods of migration in open 
fields away from the water or even in the barn yard. Some years ago a gen- 
tleman in Circleville found one walking about among his chickens. ‘To him 
it was a new and strange bird and he concluded to capture it and see where 
it was hurt. He at once gave chase and soon caught it, but a careful examina- 
tion failed to reveal a wound. I saw the bird later in the day walking about 
his yard. It seemed as tame as the chickens and perfectly contented. On 
the flat hard ground it moved about awkwardly, often stepping with one foot 
upon the toes of the other, an alee tslen: which seriously affected the grace of 
its movements. The gentleman could not be 
persuaded that the - . 2 . bird was not hurt, 


Taken near Sandusky. Photo by Walter C. Metz. 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE FLORIDA GALLINULE. 


and having no idea that it would fly it was left in the yard with the poultry. 
The following morning it was gone, having disappeared as mysteriously as it 
came.” 

A brood of Gallinule chicks—tiny black fellows with funny silver whisk- 
ers y as cunning as any raised ashore. And they add to the accom- 
plishments of pattering over the lily pads, and peeping lustily while they 
gather in little insects and snails, that which would horrify their landsmen 
cousins, viz., the ability to swim and dive. 


THE AMERICAN COOT. 455 

The Gallinule keeps much more closely to the reeds than does the Coot, 
to which it is so closely related. It is difficult to flush, but when seen the red 
bill is immediately distinctive. The notes, by which the bird’s presence in the 
swamp is oftenest betrayed, distantly resemble those of the Guinea-hen, but are 
much softened and subdued. 

The nest is a low platform of broken-down reeds, and is oftenest placed 
upon the shore side of the swamp, where the ground is only moderately damp. 
It is a little smaller than that of the Coot, but boasts the same characteristic 
run-way. Like the Coot also it will build in isolated weed-patches, well out, 
which can be reached only by swimming; while Dr. Langdon found, near 
Port Clinton, a floating nest which was only anchored to the reeds. 

The eggs may be distinguished with certainty from those of the Coot by 
remembering that the markings are of pale rufous and lavender, and that they 
incline to larger sizes and irregular shapes, while the spots of the Coot’s egg 
are rounded or punctate, and run in sepias and blacks. 

The Florida Gallinule is quite irregular in its distribution in this state. 
Its presence, especially in the swamps which border the larger reservoirs, de- 
pends largely upon the height of the water. In 1902, they were common at the 
Licking Reservoir, while in 1903, with the water a foot or so higher, none 
were to be found. They are common at any time in the larger swamps which 
bound Lake Erie, but even here their presence varies locally from year to year. 


No. 204. 


AMERICAN COOT. 


"A. O. U. No. 221. Fulica americana Gmel. 

Synonyms.—Mup Hern; Crow Duck. 

Description.—Adult: General color blackish slate, bluer tinted above, 
browner tinted below; head and neck pure black; lower scapulars and interscapu- 
lars tinged with olive-greer ; edge of wing, exterior margin of first primary, tips 
of secondaries, and lateral and posterior tail-coverts white ; bill ivory-white, a dark 
brown spot near the tip of each mandible; frontal shield brownish red; tarsi and 
feet greenish; toes margined by scalloped flaps. Adult in winter: Plumage 
lightened below by whitish tips of feathers; frontal shield reduced in size. Imma- 
ture: Similar, but more extensively tipped with whitish ; frontal shield still further 
reduced; red spots on bill wanting; bill obscure flesh-color or with olive tinge. 
Downy young: Blackish head and neck decorated with orange-colored bristly fila- 
ments ; remaining upper parts with similar but paler filaments ; bill orange-red, the 
upper mandible black-tipped. Length about 15.00 (381.); wing 7.35 (186.7); 
tail 2.20 (55.9) ; bill (from beginning of frontal shield) 1.40 (35.6); tarsus 2.10 
(53.3); middle toe and claw 3.10 (78.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size, to appearance ; substantially uniform color- 
ation (slaty black) ; white bill; lobate feet. 


456 THE AMERICAN COOT. 


Nest, an elevated platform of dried cat-tail leaves and grasses in heavy growth 
of marsh, or surrounded by water. Eggs, 6-15, usually about 10, pale buffy or 
cream color, moderately sprinkled with rounded spots and dots of burnt umber, 
sepia or black. Av. size, 1.88 x 1.32 (47.8 x 33.5). 


General Range.—North America from Greenland and Alaska southward to 
the West Indies and Veragua. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant during migrations. Not common summer resi- 
dent in swamps, along southern shore of Lake Erie, as also upon the Reservoirs 
and in extensive marshes of the interior. 


UP to a dozen years ago the Coot or Mud-hen, as it is commonly called, 
was considered “no game,” and many were the expressions of contempt cast 
upon the humble creature. Its flesh was “‘stringy,” ‘“‘fishy,” “tough’’ and 
“loud,” and its pursuit was voted too tame for any but six-year-olds. As. Dr. 
Wheaton said of them: ‘They are considered a nuisance by sportsmen, and 
a fraud by amateurs who sometimes mistake them for ducks.” But recently, 
because of the amazing dearth of ducks, sportsmen have professed a change 
of views with regard to them, and an inn-keeper, well known to the brethren, 
is wont to declare that there is nothing superior to the flesh of a Coot well 
smothered in onions. However that may be, the battle is on now, and the 
issue for the Coots will shortly prove decisive. 

Last year at the Licking Reservoir I was permitted to witness a chap- 
ter in “The Education of a Coot ;” subtitle: “How a flock of Coots melts away 
on an autumn day in our hospitable land.” When I went out upon the water 
in the gray of a crisp October morning, the Coots lay scattered about, half- 
anchored on the banks of pickerel-weed, asleep. As the day began to dawn 
they gathered just off-shore into one immense flock; and as the sun rose I 
drifted down upon them and came within a hundred feet, as they lay huddled 
together like sheep, five hundred strong. ‘The sight moved the artist in me, 
and I ached to slip the camera but the sun was too low to admit of taking a 
snap-shot, and I pulled off without molesting the birds. ‘To tell the truth, I 
had not thought of its being sport to kill Coots. but two boys soon disabused 
me. Hurrying up to seize the opportunity I had let pass, they fired charge 
after charge and picked up fifteen birds. ‘The Coots were badly scattered, 
but even after the attack, separate bunches were studied at close range, and 
1 refused a dozen opportunities to deliver murderous shots. Returning after 
breakfast, I found the shooting mill in full swing. Not “kids” this time, but 
full-grown men, gentlemanly sportsmen, to the number of a dozen were bang- 
ing right and left. I lay by and watched for half an hour or so listlessly, and 
then seeing the birds were doomed (wretched excuse!), I chimed in half- 
heartedly. 

It was now for the first time that I saw the Coot as a flying bird. Every 
one is familiar with the shuffling manner in which it rises from the water, 
and lumbers off at a low height to splash down again at what it supposes a 


" 


e 


ee 


ANY 


AMERICAN COOT 


ES 


tS lec 


THE AMERICAN COOT. 457 
safe distance. To-day, however, under the lash of incessant alarms they took 
to wing readily and proved themselves graceful fliers—a little slow and very 
steady, but really fair game so far as that is concerned. In flight, they carry 
their legs stretched at full length behind them, and seem to use them quite 
cleverly as a rudder, to supply the deficiencies of the abbreviated tail. 

Every gun in the swamp was pounding at them, but they had no thought 
of leaving the locality by daylight. A sad feature of the chase was the number 
of birds that fell into the reeds and were either lost, if dead, or else left wound- 
ed. So fierce 
was the per- 
secution. 
that by noon 
there were 
only eighty 
that mus- 
tered in the 
open water 
while the 
sportsmen 
lunched; al- 
tho I pre- 
sume there 
were as 
many more 
lurking in 
Plmemeneeds: 
Those which 
were spared 


Taken in Lorain County : Photo by the Author. 
the first day COOT AT BAY. 


THIS BIRD WAS FOUND SPENDING THE DAY ON A TINY STREAM FOUR MILES 
FROM LAKE ERIE. 


were too 
Enred Lie 
move south on the following night, and a remnant of a hundred and fifty birds 
were found on the same spot early the next morning, when the process of half- 
killing was substantially repeated. 

Query: If it takes Coots ten nights, with daily rests (?) between, 
to pass from their northern breeding grounds to their winter quarters, and 
a flock, faring as this one did, averages to lose half its number each day, of 
512 birds that leave Canada, how many will reach Florida? 

Query number two: Does it pay? Well, here is something to guage by: 
I would have given ten dollars for a photograph of the flock as I saw it first. 
but I would not give half that sum for all their carcasses piled in a heap. What 
sort of folly is this thing we call sport? 


458 THE AMERICAN COOT. 

Coots breed in suitable localities throughout the state, and are partially 
resident southerly, but the majority of those seen in spring pass farther north 
to nest. If left absolutely undisturbed they would become almost as familiar 
as chickens, and the observer might be delighted with glimpses of happy fam- 
ilies at play among the reeds; but as it is, the fluffy chicks are taught to fear 
the sight of man above all plagues. 

Nests are constructed of broken-down reeds built up into a platform, 
which lifts the eggs from three inches to a foot clear of the water. They 


Taken on the Licking Reservoir. Photo by the Author. 


A HAUNT OF THE COOT. 
are usually placed in the lakeward edge of the cat-tail patch, or else lodged 
in the outlying clumps and along bayous. Floating nests are sometimes con- 
structed which differ from Grebes’ only in their more firm anchorage and 
freedom from moisture above. 


THE WHOOPING CRANE. 450 


No. 205. 
WHOOPING CRANE. 


A. O. U. No. 204. Grus americana (Linn.). 

Synonym.—WuITE CRANE. 

Description.—Adult: Plumage pure white, the wing-quills, primary coverts, 
and alula black; top of head, lores and cheeks bare, dull red, covered with a thin 
growth of short black hair,—the hair mixing more or less with white feathers on 
hind nape; bill dusky green; feet and legs black. Jimmature: Similar to adult, 
but head not bare; plumage, especially on back, more or less overlaid with ochra- 
ceous. Length 52.00 (1320.8) ; extent 90.00 (2286.) ; wing 24.00 (609.6) ; tail 
11.00 (279.4) ; bill 5.50 ( 139.7) ; tarsus 11.50 (292.1) ; middle toe and claw 5.40 
(137.2). 

Recognition Marks.—'‘Eagle” size; immense size; long neck; long stout 
black tarsi; pure white coloration. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of grasses, on ground in marsh. 
Eggs, 2 or 3, pale olive or light drab, spotted and blotched with reddish brown and 
with obscure purplish gray shell-markings. Av. size, 4.00 x 2.50 (101.6 x 63.5). 

General Range.—Interior of North America from the Fur Countries to 
Florida, Texas, and Mexico, and from Ohio to Colorado. Formerly on the Atlantic 
Coast. at least casually, to New England. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant in western half of state only. 

YEARS ago this stately bird was occasionally seen during the migra- 
tions. It formerly bred in abundance in Illinois, and may once have done 
so in northwestern Ohio, but the center of the bird’s present breeding range 
lies further north and west. Upon the prairies of North Dakota, Dr. Coues 
declares that he has mistaken one of these Cranes at a distance for an ante- 
lope, so great was its size. 

That the Whooping Crane deserves its name we cannot doubt after we 
learn that it is provided with a windpipe nearly five feet long, some two feet 
of which, for convenience, is coiled away in the breast bone. 


ee THE LITTLE BROWN CRANE. 


No. 206. 
LITTLE BROWN CRANE. 


A. O. U. No. 205. Grus canadensis (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Plumage slaty gray to brownish, more or less washed, 
especially on back and scapulars, with ochraceous or rusty,—this rusty sometimes 
abruptly confined to scattered single feathers; quills, alula and primary coverts 
blackish; top of head to below eye bare, dull red, skin minutely warty and with 
some short, bristly, black hairs; feet and legs black. Jimmature: Head entirely 
feathered; plumage brown rather than plumbeous, extensively washed with rusty. 
Length about 35.00 (889.); wing 18.50 (469.9); tail 7.50 (190.5); bill 3.60 
(91.4); depth at base .77 (19.6); tarsus 7.50 (190.5); middle toe and claw 
3.25 (82.6). 

Recognition Marks.— Eagle size; slaty gray or brownish color; crane pro- 
portions of bill, neck and tarsus; smaller than the next species. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Like that of next species. Eggs, 
smaller. Av. size 3.66 x 2.28 (93. x 57.9). 

General Range.—Arciic and subarctic America, breeding from the Fur Coun- 
tries and Alaska to the Arctic Coast, migrating south in winter into the western 
United States. 

Range in Ohio.—One record of its occurrence in the state. (Cf. “Nests and 
Eggs of North America,” Oliver Davie, p. 121.) 


THIS species and the next reverse the usual order of sequence in size, 
it being a case where the northern form is conspicuously smaller than the 
southern. ‘The migrations of the Little Brown Crane are normally confined 
to the western part of the United States. Mr. Oliver Davie states that he 
mounted a specimen of this bird which was taken from a flock of seven near 
Springfield, Ohio, in the spring of 1884. 

According to Chapman, there are but two other instances of its occur- 
rence east of the Mississippi,j—Rhode Island and South Carolina. 

Its appearance within our limits is therefore to be accounted strictly 
accidental. 


THE SANDHILL CRANE. 401 


No. 207. 


SANDHILL CRANE. 


A. O. U. No. 206. Grus mexicana (Miull.). 

Synonyms.—SouTHERN SANDHILL CRANE; BROWN CRANE. 

Description.—Exactly like preceding species, but larger. Length about 
45.00 (1143.) ; wing 22.00 (558.8) ; tail 8.00 (203.2) ; bill 5.50 (139.7) ; depth at 
base 1.05 (26.7) ; tarsus 10.25 (260.4) ; middle toe and claw 4.00 (101.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; slaty gray or brownish color; crane pro- 
portions of bill, neck, and tarsus; considerably larger than the preceding species. 

Nest, a platform of roots, reeds, weed-stalks etc., raised slightly above water 
or mud of swamp. Eggs, 2, grayish olive or drab, spotted and blotched distinctly 
and obscurely with reddish brown. Avy. size 4.00 x 2.45 (101.6 x 62.2). 

General Range.—Southern haff of North America; rare near the Atlantic 
Coast, except in Georgia and Florida. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common migrant and rare resident. Breeds sparingly 
in the northern part of the state. 


THE Sandhill Crane is found in great numbers in northern Ohio, espe- 
cially in Huron and adjoining counties. They have been known to breed 
in this section for a number of years. In 1895, I first saw the Sandhill Crane 
in what is known as the New Haven marsh, situated within a few miles of 
Chicago Junction. This was on the 15th of April, and I was informed by 
people living in the neighborhood that the Crane usually returned between 
the 15th of March and the rst of April. They are, at this time, seen in small 
flocks varying in number from three to nine; however, four or five is the usual 
number. 

In the following year (’96), in the second week of April, I again observed 
a pair of these birds, at about the same place. A young man living in the 
neighborhood collected, in the latter part of May, a set of the Sandhill 
Crane’s eggs and placed them under a setting hen. In a few days they 
hatched, but he was only able to raise one of the birds; this became quite 
a pet, and when I saw it in the autumn of that year it was very large and 
seemed to govern everything in the hennery. ‘The bird was quite tame and 
would follow one around if there was any prospect of its receiving food. 
The following year, 1897, I again visited this marsh, on the 15th of May, 
intending to find a nest of this bird if possible. I was rewarded by finding 
two nests within one-fourth of a mile of each other. "They were placed in 
the open, upon a portion of the marsh land that had been under cultivation 
for a few years prior to my visit, but had again grown up in weeds. 

The first nest was built in a small hollow in the ground and made of a 
few roots and weeds and some small bits of grass. These eggs were per- 


462 


THE SANDHILL, CRANE, 


fectly fresh, and were of an ashy yellow, spotted and blotched with brown 
and reddish brown. One of the eggs had light splotches of gray upon it. 
This set is now deposited in the odlogical collection at the Ohio State Uni- 
versity. 

The second nest, which was located in the same field, was similar in 
every respect to the first, except that it was placed on a little more elevated 
ground and contained more grass as a lining. ‘These eggs were slightly 
incubated. 

The nest of these birds can readily be located, as the male bird is likely 
to be in the vicinity, and upon being disturbed, takes flight with a note of 
warning to his mate. She usually follows if you are coming in the direc- 
tion of the nest. It is my impression that these birds leave the nest and 
run for a little distance before they take flight, as in both cases the birds 
ran from twenty-five to thirty feet from the nest before they started to fly. 
I marked well the position where they left the ground, and in my search I 
found they had gone that distance before flying. 

On the 18th of the month I again visited the marsh, intending if pos- 
sible to get another sight of these birds, but they had left that part of the 
marsh and had no doubt gone farther toward the center and uncultivated 
part, which is less likely to be disturbed by man. On this day I went to 
the southern section of the marsh and was successful in flushing a Sandhill 
Crane from her nest. I found the eggs to be in a high state of incubation, 
the nest having the appearance of being long occupied, and I concluded to 
leave the eggs and return in a few days and see the young; but it was up- 
wards of a week before I was able to visit the place, and then I found that 
the eggs had hatched and the young had left the nest. I made a number 
ot trips to the vicinity of the nest later in search of the birds, but was not able 
to see any but adult birds, and those only occasionally. During September 
they can again be seen in small flocks, and it is supposed that they leave this 
region the latter part of September or the first of October. 

I have always found these birds exceedingly shy and difficult to approach. 
In fact, I have never been within gunshot of one of them even during the 
nesting season. However, with a field glass I got a good view of one of 
these birds feeding, and even at this great distance the bird’s vigilance was 
never relaxed. For after bending his long neck to the ground he rises again 
very erect, and at full length surveys the surroundings upon all sides. He 
resumes his repast, but should anything appear to view he stands perfectly 
motionless, surveys it closely, and invariably takes flight upon the slightest 
move. 


Wm. C. Mints. 


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AMERICAN BITTERN GAYE) ACCERUESIN OHIO! RU HIEN MADEN FUME oRTOS 


Botaurus lentiginosus 
le Life-size 


THE AMERICAN BITTERN. 463 


No. 208. 


AMERICAN BITTERN. 


vA. O. U. No. 190. Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). 
Synonyms.—Boc-Butt,; STAKE-DRIVER; ‘THUNDER-PUMP; INDIAN HEN. 
Description.—Adult: General color ochraceous or ochraceous-buft ; darker, 
brownish, on back, the crown and upper back washed with blackish, the neck 
obscurely streaked with aly and brown; the back and wings finely mottled, 
brownish, fuscous and ochraceous, becoming grayer marginally on wing-coverts ; 
wing-quills and their coverts slaty ; inner primaries and the secondaries tipped Ww ith 
ochraceous- rufous; a glossy, black or blackish stripe on side of neck anteriorly, 
continued to bill by indistinct, brownish line; chin and upper throat white; belly 
and crissum unmarked buffy ; remaining under parts buffy or whitish, marked with 
large stripes of mottled ochraceous and dusky; bill brownish black on ridge of 
culmen, pale yellow on sides and below; feet and legs yellowish green. Very 
variable in size. Length 23.00-34.00 (584.2-863. oe ; av. of four Columbus speci- 
mens: wing 11.13 (282.7) ; tail 4.35 (110.5) ; bill 3 (76.2) ; tarsus 3.60 (91.4) ; 
middle toe and claw 3.98 (101.1). 


Recognition Marks.—Brant size; ochraceous coloration; heavily streaked 
below; secretive, swamp-loving ways; heavy flight; “pumping” and “stake- 
driving” notes. 


Nest, on the ground in swamps, or on dry swamp islands, a mere depression 
with scant lining of grasses, etc. Eggs, 3-5, olive-drab or olive-buff, unmarked. 
Av. size, 1.90 x 1.44 (48.3 x 36.6). 

General Range.—Temperate North America south to Guatemala, Cuba, 
Jamaica, and Bermuda; occasional in British Islands. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident; more common spring and 
fall migrant. 


THE rather meager opportunities now afforded in this state for the 
study of this remarkable bird in its haunts are supplemented from time to 
time by the neighbor boys who bring in specimens found dead or wounded 
under telegraph wires during the migrations, or whose brothers shoot the 
strange creatures on sight,—for no better reason than that they are strange. 
For all that the Bittern is so large to appearance, it is a light-weight, a mere 
mass of skin and feathers, not so heavy as some ducks. A light charge of 
fine shot will bring it down; but if it is only wounded, beware of that sharp 
beak, which shoots out like lightning, and strikes the eye of dog or master 
with deadly precision. 

This curious fowl is at home in the fastnesses of the swamp. Here 
he skulks and feeds quietly by day; but as twilight approaches, he becomes 
much more active, and stirs about among the reeds hunting for crayfish and 
frogs, or wading with deliberate step in search of water insects and minnows. 


464 THE AMERICAN BITTERN. 


If the fishing is poor, he may venture up into the meadows in search of moles 
and mice. When suddenly flushed, the bird makes off with a low frightened 
quawk, on heavy noiseless wings; but if he has a moment’s warning, and 
a ghost of a show at concealment, the bird stretches instead to an enormous 
height, holding the long bill vertically, and becomes rigid. In such a posi- 
tion it requires the closest scrutiny to distinguish the bird from the surround- 
ing reeds. Even in the open the bird will pose as a stake or a weed, and 
often quite successfully, relaxing or flying only when the danger is past. 
When at rest and unsuspicious, as in the heart of the swamp, the Bittern 
allows his feathers to droop like a rudely thatched roof, and he himself 
looks not unlike a 
deserted hut, fit em- 
blem of the melan- 
choly morass. 
Ihe TS. ine ie 
however, upon 
his beauty nor 
upon his weight 
that the Bit- 
tern’s  reputa- 
tion rests, but 
upon his won- 
derful voice. 
The moonlight 
serenade which 
this ardent lov- 
er accords his 
mistress is one 
dy ee ae of the most out- 
Cea Se R. L. Baird. landish per- 

formances in 

nature. ‘Take an air-tight hogshead and immerse it suddenly in water with 
the bung-hole down; then allow the air to escape in great gurgles, say a 
caskful at a time, and you will get but a faint idea of the terrifying, earth- 
shaking power of the “Thunder-pump” at close range. Umph-ta-googh, 
umph-ta-googh, groans this absurd wooer, and the swamp quakes with ap- 
prehension. The case is serious, for the bird accompanies the cry with a 
motion which suggests the miseries of the Scriptural whale, and each suc- 
cessive Jonah has a long way to go before reaching fresh air. Maria likes 
the noise, of course, and,—well, love is like seasickness at certain stages. 
The birds also indulge in another note not less strange, but somewhat 

less startling —that of a stake smitten by a hammer. //hack - a- whack, 


THE LEAST BITTERN. Re 


whack-a-whack, goes the bird, and the dullest imagination can picture the 
stake sinking deeper into the mud with every stroke. 

The nest is an unpretentious affair, a grass-lined depression on the 
surface of some tiny island, high and dry, or a bed of reeds and coarse 
grasses, or even sticks, placed anywhere about the swamp, under cover of 
the protecting vegetation. Sometimes the nests are built in shallow water. 


No. 209. 


: LEAST BIPtERN: 


YA. O. U. No. 191. Ardetta exilis (Gmel.). 

Description—<Adult male: ‘Top of head, back, scapulars, and taii shining 
black with faint greenish reflections ; sides of head and neck pale rufous, deepening 
on back of neck to rich chestnut; wing-coverts, bordering the black, brownish buff ; 
the greater coverts and tertials broadly tipped with chestnut-rufous, and the inner 
primaries and secondaries narrowly; under parts whitish, clearest on chin and 
sides of throat and lower belly, streaked with buffy on throat, fore-neck, chest, 
and flanks; dark brown patches on sides of breast, sometimes almost meeting in 
front; bill pale yellow, blackening on culmen; iris yellow; legs greenish in front, 
yellow behind; toes yellow. Adult female: Similar, but dark brown rather than 
black on top of head; black of back entirely replaced by glossy rufous-brown, the 
scapulars margined on outer edge with white; buffy ’flank-streaks with sharp, 
blackish shaft-lines, ete. Jimmature male: Similar to adult, but back and scapu- 
lars washed with rufous, and feathers chestnut-tipped. Jmmature feinale: Like 
adult female, but feathers of back and scapulars bordered with ochraceous, etc. 
Length 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6) ; wing 4.60 (116.8) ; tail 1.60 (40.6) ; bill 1.75 
(44.5); tarsus 1.60 (40.6) ; middle toe and claw 1.65 (41.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; black or dark brown and rufous 
coloring above; slender form; marsh-skulking habits. The brownish buff area 
on wing, and white or buffy of under tail-coverts serve to distinguish this form 
from Ardetta neoxena (for which see Appendix A.). 

Nest, a raised and slightly hollowed platform of dead cat-tail leaves, etc., 
surrounded by water or mud of swamp. Eggs, 3-5, rarely 6, pale bluish- or 
greenish-white (often fading to white in collections). Av. size, 1.20 x .9o0 
(30.6 x 22.9). 

General Range.—T'emperate North America north to British Provinces, and 
south to the West Indies and Brazil. Less common west of the Rocky Moun- 
tains; on the Pacific Coast north to northern California. 


Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident, but sometimes locally abun- 
dant. 


ONE is tempted to apply the epithet awkward to this bird as he is ordi- 
narily noted in daylight. See him as he springs up suddenly from your 


THE LEAST BITTERN. 


Taken on the Licking Reservoir Fhoto by the 


A NEST OF 


THE 


LIEAST BITTERN. 


25 Je Rs 


Author. 


feet in the cat-tail tangle—the 
flapping wings, the straighten- 
ing neck, the legs clumsily dan- 
gled until the bird’s balance is 
gained, the noisy plash with 
which he settles into the reeds 
again—all this seems awkward 
enough. Or if you persist in 
dashing after the stranger, hay- 
ing noted his exact where- 
abouts, see him as he stretches 
to an incredible length, and 
stiffens to the semblance of a 
reed-stalk, — slender, immovy- 
able, the very counterpart of 
any of his sere and lifeless com- 
panions. In this position, if 
you avoid betraying your rec- 
ognition by a too knowing gaze 
at the bird’s eye, you may even 
get close enough to seize him 
in the hands. The bird appar- 
ently realizes what a sorry fig- 
ure he cuts on the wing, and 
flies only as a last resort. Even 
when he wants to make a recon- 
naissance, instead of taking a 
turn a-wing, he climbs carefully 
up some upright stalk, Wren- 
fashion, and squints furtively 
over the tops of the reeds. 
Amused criticism, how- 
ever, turns to admiration when 
we note the marvelous dexterity 
with which the bird threads the 
lawless mazes of a cat-tail 
swamp. Now plashing softly 
through a shallow, now scram- 
bling nimbly over opposing 
vegetation, he can soon quit 
dangerous territory 1f he will. 
But the Least Bittern is a 


THE GREAT BILUF HERON. 467 


bird of the night. When evening ialis, he goes to his accustomed hunting- 
ground with strong, sure flight. These birds do not often wait for the 
game to come to them, as is the habit of that patient fisherman, the Great 
Blue Heron, but they move about with lowered head and outstretched neck 
industriously searching for slugs, frogs, tadpoles, beetles, and their kin. 
Even field mice are sometimes caught by a rapid run and a flashing stroke. 

These little Bitterns are not guilty of any such outlandish noises as 
those produced by the “bog bull.” Their only notes are a low qua, when 
flushed or frightened, or a short hoarse croak of greeting or inquiry ; and during 
the breeding season, a subdued and labored coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, which 
proceeds, without doubt, from the male bird. 

They do not nest in colonies exactly, but a favorable stretch of tules 
cr saw-grass is likely to contain a dozen nests scattered about. At one 
of the Reservoirs during the latter part of May, I saw as many as a hundred 
birds in a day, and was all the time stumbling upon their nests. The nests 
are composed of cat-tail leaves laid flatwise, and are either built up out of the 
muck or shallow water to a height of a foot or more, or else lodged midway 
on the growing plants. In the latter case the broken-down tops of the reeds 
are used as a basis, and the shallow platform thus formed is lined with green 
leaves and sedges, or even fine sticks. "The eggs are almost equal ended, and 
are of a delicate bluish white tint. The four eggs of one set which I examined 
were disposed in a straight row, as if accommodated to the narrow and elon- 
gated breast of the bird. According to Dr. Abbott, the youngsters are scantily 
covered when hatched with a pale buffy down, interspersed with white hairs as 
long as the bird itself. They are unusually active and vivacious, and learn to 
shift for themselves much sooner than the young of the tree-nesting Herons. 


No. 210. 


; GREAT BLUE HERON. 


4 
“A. O. U. No. 194. Ardea herodias Linn. 

Synonym.—Brur Crane. 

Description.—Adult: Crown, sides of head, and throat white; occiput and 
top of head on sides glossy black, the feathers elongated into an occipital crest; 
neck pale, purplish brown; a mesial stripe in front black, white and ochraceous; 
feathers of the side of the neck in front much lengthened, whitish and purplish 
brown; breast and belly broadly streaked with black and white in about equal 
proportions ; thighs cinnamon rufous; lower tail-coverts white; above nearly uni- 
form slaty blue; the scapulars lanceolate, sometimes varied with bluish white; black 
shoulder tufts of plumulaceous feathers, arching over band of folded wing, and 
continuous with black on the sides of the breast ; wing-quills, lining of the wings, 


408 THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 


and sides bright plumbeous; lores blue; upper mandible yellowish-olive, blackening 
on ridge; lower mandible yellow; feet and legs black. ‘The occipital crest of the 
male contains two, much elongated, filamentous, deciduous feathers during the 
breeding season. IJmmature: Similar, but top of head entirely black; without 
specially colored or lengthened feathers on neck, sides of breast, or scapulars ; 
upper parts inclined to fuscous; under parts with slaty and ochraceous in addition 
to black and white; feathers on bend of wing and thighs lighter, or vinaceous- 
rufous. Young in first plumage: Brownish-fuscous above, streaked and spotted 
with buffy and whitish, narrowly on head and neck; below white, streaked with 
fuscous and buffy. Juvenile plumages vary interminably within these general 
limits, but the bird is unmistakable. Length 42.00-50.00 (1066.8-1270.) ; extent 
about 70.00 (1930.4) ; wing 18.00-20.00 (457.2-508.) ; tail 8.25 (209.6) ; bill 5.00- 
6.00 (127.-152.4) ; tarsus about 7.00 (177.8) ; middle toe and claw 5.00 (127.). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; great size and bluish cast of plumage 
unmistakable. 

Nest, a bunch or platform of sticks placed high in trees or, rarely, on cliffs. 
Eggs, 3 or 4, pale blue. Av. size 2.50 x 1.50 (63.5 x 38.1). 

General Range.—North America from the Arctic regions southward to the 
West Indies and northern South America. Bermudas; Galapagos. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant; not common summer resident. The 
well-known heronries of former years are much reduced in numbers. 


IF we were to listen to the French modistes we should soon have no 
Herons. But fortunately a saner spirit from the far east is beginning to 
touch us, and we are being made to realize that the beauty of the Heron 
belongs to the landscape as God made it, rather than to a woman’s hat as 
milliners distort it. ‘The Japanese have found in the Heron an inexhaust- 
ible motif for decorative art, and it is noteworthy that their treatment of 
it, on vases and screens or in mural decorations, always gives it its proper 
place as the central feature, or at least the finishing touch, of the landscape. 

The Great Blue Heron is, with us, the largest of its kind, and while 
not exactly graceful on the one hand, nor majestic on the other, it presents 
that peculiar combination of the two which we recognize as picturesque. 
While standing knee-deep in the water of some pond or stream, awaiting 
its customary prey of minnows or frogs, it may remain for an hour as mo- 
tionless as a bronze statue; then with a movement like lightning, the head 
is drawn back and suddenly shot downward, and a wriggling fish is trans- 
fixed on the spear-like beak. A deft toss of the head puts the fish up and 
transfers it to the inside, and the bird moves with quiet, measured step to 
another station, or else rises heavily with slow flaps into the air. In full 
flight the Heron stretches its legs to the greatest extent behind; and the 
neck, especially when the bird is sailing, is carried like the letter S or Z, 
so that the lower part is brought parallel to the long bill, and the bird looks 
like a strato-cumulus cloud floating in space. 

Besides frequenting our inland ponds and water-ways, the Herons find 


THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 469 


most acceptable perches provided by the long lines of piling which anchor 
the fish-nets in the shallow waters of Lake Erie. On a windy day it is inter- 
esting to see these long-legged creatures trying to make connection with 
their narrow perches as they alight. Facing the wind, some will fly well 
past until their dangling legs touch the top of the pile, and then allow the 
wind to right them; while others thrust the feet well forward and critically 
observe the moment of contact, after which they struggle into position with 
great flappings. In spite of this apparent awkwardness, they can maintain 
themselves on no larger a footing than a taut rope; and I have seen them 
stand on the edge of a fish-net, and, reaching down to the water some two 
feet below, select an under-weight Whitefish. 

During the breeding season these large birds are gregarious. They for- 
merly bred in immense numbers in suitable places, and these heronries were 
known locally as Crane towns or Crane heavens. Now they are much re- 
duced in numbers and I know of no place in the state where above a dozen 
pairs breed together. 

A visit to one of these heronries, such as the writer enjoyed on the 
18th of last June, is a unique experience. A scattered colony is to be found 
in a swampy tract of tall timber about ten miles east of Columbus. While 
still at least a half mile away from the woods in question, a peculiar roaring 
sound was heard, which I was assured by a farmer proceeded from the 
Herons as they fed their young. ‘The forest was practically primeval and 
the foliage very dense, while the mosquitoes rose in clouds at every step. 
These little insects were not simply a pest, they were a scourge, and if one 
paused but for a moment to adjust a camera or change a plate their on- 
slaughts became maddening. 

After wandering about aimlessly for a time, I heard a low croaking 
overhead, and this was answered most enthusiastically from a tree-top not 
far distant. Stepping out into the open, I saw a Great Blue Heron crossing 
overhead and putting on the brakes as she approached the nest. The wings 
were drawn in stiffly and the whole attitude was tense,—a tantilizing figure 
for an unprepared and mosquito-ridden photographer. The nest was placed 
about eighty feet high in a live oak, a very substantial structure of sticks, 
and at least as large as a bushel basket. It contained young nearly full 
grown, and these crawled about uneasily, now balancing on the edge and 
trying their wings, or squabbling viciously with their brothers. Now and 
then one took refuge on an outlying limb; but the coming of the parent was 
the signal for all to gather. Upon alighting the old bird first indulged a 
pensive moment, like a cow which is expecting another order of grass sent 
up from the proventriculum, after which she suddenly jabbed her bill down 
the neck of the nearest squawker and dispensed sweet nourishment from her 
secret store. 


on THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 


Whenever the old birds were about, 
the young kept up a loud cackling not 
unlike that of Guinea hens, but less 
shrill and of immensely greater volume. 
The parents, too, made an astonishing 
amount of noise, roaring at times like 
caged lions. One in particular which 
was greatly incensed by the visit of an 
over-curious neighbor bellowed till the 
earth shook. 

Similar cacklings and bellowings 
led me to another tree a hundred yards 
away. ‘This tree was quite destitute of 
foliage, but held at a height of a hun- 
dred feet two nests, which might have 
been there for many years, so securely 
lodged were they, and so venerable to 
appearance. At a signal from an old 
bird, the young ones, which were stand- 
ing at full height in these nests, instant- 
ly froze to stone. After this, they sank 
down by a movement as insensible as 
that of the hands of a clock, but after 
ten minutes they had vanished to sight 
from below. 

Another nest in the same wood 
was in a live oak at a height of not 
less than 120 feet. How many more 
there might have been I do not know, 
for the mosquito question was begin- 
ning to assume a serious aspect. It 


Taken in Franklin County. would be of interest to collect all pos- 
Photo by the Author. . : afi 6 é ae ‘ -. 
, saat a sible information concerning local her- 

NESTS OF GREAT BLUE HERON AT ; 5 
HEIGHT OF ONE HUNDRED FEET. onries and to collate the facts, as Hart- 


ONLY THE TOP OF THE NESTING TREE IS SHOWN. 


ing did in Great Britain some thirty 
years ago. Wherever found the Great Blue Heron should be rigidly pro- 
tected, not merely because it adds mice and large insects to its humble bill 
cf fare, but because of its picturesque interest. 


THE AMERICAN EGRET. 471 


No. 211. 


AMERICAN EGRET. 


A. O. U. No. 196. Herodias egretta (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—GreAt WHItr Ecret; Wuite Heron; “WHITE CRANE.” 

Description——Adult im oreeding plumage: Entire plumage pure white; 
from the interscapular region originates a train of from forty to fifty elongated 
feathers, “aigrettes,” with enlarged and stiffened shafts, and decomposed fila- 
mentous webs, which reach from eight to twelve inches beyond the tail; lores 
orange; bill yellow; legs and feet black. Adults after the breeding season and 
immature: Without elongated plumes on the back. Length (not counting 
plumes) 36.00-42.00 (914.4-1066.8) ; wing 15.00 (381.); tail 6.75 (171.5); bill 
4.70 (119.4) ; tarsus 6.00 (152.4) ; middle toe and claw 5.40 ) 137.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Ilagle size; pure white plumage; black legs and feet; 
Heron habits; “‘aigrette” train. 

Nesting.—Not certainly known to have bred in Ohio. Nest, a mere platform 
of sticks in bushes near or over water. Eggs, 3-5, dull blue. Av. size, 2.28 x 1.60 
(57-9 X 40.6). 

General Range.—Temperate and tropical America, from New Jersey, Minne- 
sota and Oregon south to Patagonia ; casually on the Atlantic coast to Nova Scotia. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly not uncommon summer visitor; now very rare. 


NEVER was the diabolism of fashion more clearly illustrated than in 
the case of the E'grets. The women of America have coveted the wedding 
garments of these great, innocent, white birds, and their coveting has not 
been in vain. In the Southern States, where birds of this and the succeeding 
species used to breed by countless thousands, there are now only a few scat- 
tering pairs or small colonies in the depths of the dismal forests and im- 
penetrable everglades. And these few, instead of being allowed to spread 
their beauties before the admiring gaze of nature lovers, flee at man’s ap- 
proach as before a pestilence. 

The peculiar cruelty of this war of extermination lies in the fact that 
in order to secure the “aigrettes,’ which are to nod and dance upon some 
lady’s bonnet, the bird which owns them must be shot during the nesting 
season. The magnificent train of feathers is provided only at this time 
of year, as a bride is granted her best robes for the wedding day and the 
honeymoon; and if the butchers whom the “feather merchants” hire were 
to wait until the young birds were raised, the wedding garments of the 
parents would be worn threadbare or cast away. Therefore, since it must 
be done, the only way is to visit a colony during the breeding season, shoot 
all the old birds (who will not of course desert their young), snatch out 
their nuptial plumes, and leave their carcases to putrify, while the starving 
children call down from the tree-tops to the ears that hear not. Thus a 


1Ge "THE SNOWY HERON. 


single plume-hunter has killed hundreds of Egrets in a day; and in the 
palmy days of the “industry” certain gangs were able to kill tens of thou- 
sands in a single season. 

Much has been done to arouse a healthy public sentiment upon this 
question, but the apathy which still remains is appalling. Only last spring 
(1903) the traffic in ‘“‘aigrettes’’ was one of the marked features of the 
millinery business. | Of course the market is no longer supplied from the 
United States — our birds are gone—but what matter? ‘There are still 
enough left in Central and South America to last about six years. And 
then? ‘Why, then,’ says Dame Fashion, quite cheerfully, “we will covet 
something else.” 

Dr. Wheaton says of this species: ‘Rather common visitor in July, 
August, and September. Perhaps breeds in western Ohio, but I have no 
record of its occurrence in spring or in the breeding season, nor seen any 
except young birds. Dr. Coues, in connection with this bird,’ observes ‘that 
a certain northward migration of some southerly birds at this season (sum- 
mer) is nowhere more noticeable than among the Herons and their allies, 
the migrants consisting chiefly of birds hatched that year, which unaccount- 
ably stray in the wrong direction.’ ”’ 

There is little to add to this brief record, except to say that the bird 
is now very rare in Ohio. The only recent occasion of its occurrence with 
us, so far as I have been able to learn, is that reported by Mr. D. C. Stone 
of Cincinnati. Mr. Stone observed a single bird which visited a sandbar 
near the mouth of the Little Miami River, daily, for a week, during the 
month of August, 1902. 


No. 212. 


SNOWY HERON. 


A.O. U. No. 197. Egretta candidissima (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—LiI?ttLe WHITE EGRET. 

Description.—Adult in breeding plumage: Entire plumage pure white; 
a bunch of forty or fifty “aigrettes” originates on middle of back and reaches to 
or beyond tail; character of plumes as in preceding species, but delicately recurved 
toward tip; a lengthened occipital crest of decomposed feathers; feathers on side 
of neck below somewhat similar to those on back, not recurved; lores, eyes, and 
toes yellow; bill black, yellow at base; legs mainly black. Adult after breeding 
season and immature: Without dorsal plumes. Length 20.00-27.00 (508.-685.8) ; 
wing 9.75 (247.6) ; bill 2.00-3.50 (50.8-88.9) ; tarsus 4.15 (105.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; pure white plumage; nuptial train not so 


1 “Birds of the Northwest, p. 521.” 


azIs-ejry % 


Dap 


NOUAH AMONS 


DuULssipypuDa 


THE LITTLE BLUE HERON. 473 


long as in preceding species, recurved at tip; lengthened, decomposed, jugular 
plumes distinctive. 

Nest, of sticks, a mere platform in bushes over or near water. Eggs, 3-5, 
dull, pale blue. Av. size, 1.74 x 1.30 (44.2 x 33.). 

General Range.—Temperate and tropical America from Long Island and 
Oregon south to Argentine Republic and Chili, casually to Nova Scotia and 
Southern British Columbia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare and irregular summer visitor. 


LIKE the preceding species this beautiful Egret is only a summer visitor 
from the South. It may once have bred in the southern part of this state, 
as it still does in greatly diminished numbers along the Wabash River, and 
throughout southern Illinois. 

It has also enjoyed (?) a more nearly universal distribution through 
the medium of women’s head-gear, but those who wear aigrettes do so un- 
lawfully since the traffic in the plumage of these birds is expressly forbidden 
by both state and federal statutes. 


No. 213. 


vA LITTLE BLUE HERON. 


Y 
A. O. U. No. 200. Florida cerulea (Linn.). 


Description.—Adult: Head and neck dark purplish red; remaining plumage 
slaty blue, sometimes blackening on upper back and below; an occipital crest of 
decomposed feathers, but containing several, lengthened, compact, webbed feath- 
ers; jugular patches of somewhat elongated feathers, with irregularly subdivided 
webs; scapular and interscapular region with feathers somewhat decomposed, the 
central ones elongated, compact webbed, and reaching two to four inches beyond 
the tail; bill and feet black. Immature: Quite different; entire plumage pure 
white, except tips of longer primaries, which show traces of slaty blue; no special 
modification of feathers; basal half of lower mandible yellow; lores, legs and 
feet greenish yellow. The young gradually acquire adult characteristics, and 
every intermediate stage is found. ‘The encroaching blue usually appears on the 
crown, and the elongated feathers are usually acquired before the blue proceeds 
further, giving rise to the old belief that the species was dichromatic, i. e., that 
the adult was blue or white. Length about 23.00 (584.2); wing 9.50-11.00 
(241.3-279.4) ; tail 4.00 (101.6); bill about 3.00 (76.2); tarsus 3.60 (91.4); 
middle toe and claw about 2.90 (73.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; dark, slaty blue plumage with purplish- 
red head and neck of adult; young, white, but with slaty-blue tips to primaries, 
and without “aigrette” train of A. candidissima. 


Nest, a platform of sticks in bushes near or over water. Eggs, 3 or 4, pale 
bldeseAwasizes 1-72ex 1-20) (43-7) x 32:8): 


oe THE GREEN HERON. 


General Range.—Eastern United States from New Jersey, Illinois, and Kan- 
sas, southward through Central America and the West Indies to Guiana and 
Colombia ; casually north on the Atlantic Coast to Massachusetts and Maine. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly unknown. Recently discovered to be not un- 
common in the lower Scioto Valley, and reported casually throughout the state. 


THE summer of 1901 witnessed an invasion of this southern species 
into our state which was noted by two competent observers. At different 
times during the month of August, Rev. W. F. Henninger saw or had re- 
ported to him eight specimens on the banks of the Scioto River in Pike 
County, and he mounted four of them. Most of those seen were young birds 
in the white plumage. 

During July, August, and September of the same year, Mr. J. N. Proc- 
tor, while camping out on the banks of the Miami River, near Hamilton, 
repeatedly observed four or five adult birds and several young, one of which 
he secured. He found them feeding at the edges of the bars and mud-flats, 
usually in open situations, where they could command a view of all the 
approaches. ‘They were very wary, and before settling to feed, would circle 
about apprehensively until satisfied that there was no danger. Upon being 
flushed, they would fly up or down the stream and take refuge in some tall 
trees. At night they roosted high, usually at some distance from the river. 

The birds were not found the following season, and careful inquiry in 
the neighborhood showed that their presence was unknown. Mr. Proctor 
surmises—correctly, I believe—that those seen in r9g01 were wanderers from 
the south, following the tribal instinct of securing a northern outing during 
the heated term. In like manner, it is not at all certain that the Pike County 
birds were breeders, but they might be encouraged to take up residence with 
us (at least if the local museums would content themselves with Southern 
specimens), for they are known to nest along the Wabash and elsewhere 
in southern Illinois. 


No. 214. 
GREEN HERON. 


y 
YA.O.U. No. 201. Butorides virescens (Linn.). 

Synonyms.— FLy-uP-THE-CREEK ; SHITEPOKE (vulg.). 

Description.—Adult: Top of head and occipital crest glossy, dark green 
(bottle-green ) ; median line of throat and neck white, with admixture of greenish 
black posteriorly ; remainder of head and neck rich, maroon-chestnut, the feathers 
more or less decomposed; lower neck with lengthened bare space behind; general 
color of back and wings green, the interscapulars lanceolate and tapering, with 
a glaucous or slaty cast and with white shafts; middle coverts bright bottle- 
green edged with buff; greater coverts dull bottle-green edged with 


THE GREEN HERON. 475 
whitish; the primaries dusky slate, with glaucous and greenish  reflec- 
tions; the inner primaries and secondaries narrowly tipped with white; under 
parts slaty or brownish gray, with buffy or ochraceous washing, and irregularly 
outcropping white; bill dark green above, yellow below; iris and lores yellow; 
feet and legs greenish yellow. Jmmature: Occipital crest not so long; crown 
streaked with cinnamon; chestnut of neck not so deep, reduced in extent; back 
feathers unmodified, plain, glossy greenish; wing-coverts broadly margined with 
ochraceous, some of the feathers, with the outer scapulars, having wedge-shaped 
tips of buffy or whitish; under parts whitish, striped with greenish- and reddish- 
dusky, most heavily on sides of breast and neck. Length 16.00-22.00 (406.4- 
558-8); wing 7.25 (184.2); tail 2.70 (68.6); bill 2.47 (62.7); tarsus 2.05 
(52.1); middle toe and claw 2.00 (50.8). 

Recognition Marks.— Crow size; chestnut and greenish coloration above. 

Nest, a platform of sticks placed at moderate heights in bushes of swamp or 
trees of neighboring orchards, etc. Eggs, 3-6, pale greenish blue. Av. size, 1.50 x 
Ton (QOau exe 2O se 

General Range.—Temperate North America from Ontario and Oregon, 
southward to Colombia, Venezuela, and the West Indies; Bermuda. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant summer resident. 


THE Green Heron is the commonest and best distributed bird of this 
group and is almost solitary in its habits. Arriving about the middle of 
April the bird soon seeks out the best fishing holes along the streams, or 
else retires to the forest glades to take in the spring concert season of the 
frogs. When : — surprised at his 
work, the frog- 7, ae 3 SIN. catcher either rises 

; ened sguawk 
clears 


with a fright- 
and 


Taken in Franklin County Photo by F. C. Price. 


WHERE THE GREEN HERON WATTS. 


476 THE GREEN HERON. 


the tree-tops with all haste, or else alights easily upon some midway branch 
to reconsider the danger. Here he may pace restlessly to and fro along the 
limb, craning his neck and twitching his tail, and acting altogether very ner- 
vous, or he may “freeze” in some protective attitude until the danger is past. 
Opportunity is thus afforded for a study at close range of a plumage which 
is unusually handsome, especially as regards the bottle-green and glaucous 
shades of the upper parts. 

The ordinary fare of this little Heron consists of minnows, frogs, snails, 
leeches, etc., but as the season advances, beetles and other insects, with their 
larvee, are added. Dr. Jones tells of a bird which he once saw stretched out 
flat on a slanting log at a point where it ran under water, and beneath which 
various kinds of minnows had found a congenial shelter. ‘The bird was 
resting motionless, with its bill at the water’s edge, when suddenly it darted 
its head under the water and withdrew a wriggling minnow. ‘This it swal- 
lowed at once and then waited at ready, as before. Sometimes a quarter of 
an hour would pass before the next fish, silly or forgetful, would venture too 
near the waiting spear. The Heron returned to his lowly station daily, and 
watched with the patience of an E'squimau until the hole was fished out. 

Old orchards are favorite places of resort for these birds during the 
nesting season. Altho not in any strict sense gregarious, several pairs will 
sometimes appear in the same orchard, and two or three nests have been 
found in a single tree. After these the thick clumps of water willows which 
grow in the deepest water of tiny swamps and kettle-holes, are almost sure 
to contain nests; and a chance nest may be found ten or fifteen feet up in 
some crowded thicket of slim saplings. The nest is a shallow but substantial 
platform, made out of twigs and sticks up to a fourth of an inch in diameter, 
and it is lodged securely upon spreading branches. ‘here is no suspicion of 
lining, and the four or five greenish blue eggs need no adornment to enhance 
their beauty. 

The parent birds are very solicitous for their eggs and young, and employ, 
in their efforts to discourage investigation, an exceedingly low type of Dutch. 
Besides disgusting execrations, which are half hiss and half caw, the anxious 
bird cries snkowk, in a loud voice, and flirts its wings and jerks its tail in 
a manner which would intimidate a smaller foe. 

A nestful of callow young is an interesting sight. At a signal from the 
old bird the youngsters pause and freeze with upturned beaks, looking like 
a tiny group of palisades done in bronze. They know, too, when to be silent; 
and one would not often discover them save for the abundance of whitewash 
which adorns the surrounding limbs and the ground below. If disturbed 
they can clamber out of the nest and make off across the surrounding branches 
with great agility. 


THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 477 


No. 215. 
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 


J 
(AA. O. U. No. 202. Nycticorax nycticorax nzvius (Bodd.). 

Synonyms.—Qua-BIRD ; QUAWK ; NicHt SQUAWK. 

Description.—Adult in breeding plumage: Extreme forehead and line over 
eye white; entire under parts white——pure on chin and throat, elsewhere delicately 
tinged with light ashy gray or lilaceous; crown, nape, and scapular-mantle (in- 
cluding back and jnterscapular region) lustrous greenish black; the occipital 


Taken in Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


A HERON THAT IS OUT ALL NIGHT MUST BE A VERY TEMPERATE BIRD TO BE 
REALLY SURE which END HE IS STANDING ON IN THE MORNING. 


478 THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 
crest with several narrow, much-elongated, cylindrical, pure white plumes; re- 
maining upper parts ashy- or smoky-gray; edge of wing white; bill black; lores 
greenish; irides red; legs yellow. Jmmature: Above fuscous, with central 
stripes, or centro-terminal wedge-shaped spots of white and buffy; green-tinged 
on crown and back, or not, according to age; below and on sides of head and neck 
white heavily streaked with fuscous. Length 23.00-26.00 (584.2-660.4) ; wing 
12.50 (317.5) ; tail 4.75 (120.6) ; bill 3.00 (76.2) ; tarsus 3.30 (83.8) ; middle toe 
and claw 3.45 (87.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; greenish black crown and mantle of adult 
contrasting with ashy gray; general streakiness of young. 


Nest, a platform of sticks, usually placed high in trees, but occasionally in low 
bushes or even on the ground. Eggs, 4-6, pale, dull blue. Av. size, 2.00 x 1.45 


(50.8 x 36.8). 

General Range.—America from Ontario and Manitoba southward to the 
Falkland Islands, including part of the West Indies. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common resident and migrant. Of local appearance 
only. 

THIS Heron works on the night shift, and as a consequence forfeits much 
of the admiration and avoids most of the target practice of men. Only after 
sunset does it leave its perch on some secluded log or well-screened limb and 
hurry off for a twilight breakfast. It cannot be proved that the bird loves 
darkness because of evil deeds, for-its diet consists almost exclusively of fish, 
and these are lawful prey of king or peasant. In seeking food the Night 
Heron does not, after the fashion of its diurnal kin, stand knee deep in some 
quiet pool waiting for something to turn up, but it moves briskly about in 
shallow water with its head half lowered and poised on the mobile neck 
ready for an instant stroke. These tactics are very successful, and accord- 
ing to Dr. Warren, an observer in Pennsylvania tells of a Heron which was 
shot and brought to him, from whose bill the tail of a fish projected four 
inches. ‘On removing the fish (a sucker, Catostomus, which must have 
been twelve inches long) its head and shoulders—except the bony portions 
—were eaten away by the gastric liquor of the stomach.” 

As the Heron moves through the gloom from place to place, it often 
utters a hoarse croak, qua or quawk, and while the note is not very ominous 
in itself, it seems to conjure up much of the mystery and the sadness of the 
night. The belated sportsman feels a wee creepy when this voice of the 
night challenges out of the darkness, and he hurries home to light and ex- 
pected cheer. 

Nests occur only in colonies, sometimes to the number of thousands. The 
platforms of sticks are built in saplings or tall trees, and even, westerly, 
upon the ground. ‘Two broods are usually raised in a season, and accord- 
ing to Mr. W. E. Endicott, it is not an uncommon thing to find four or 
five young birds clambering about the tree-top while the second brood wait 


THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 479 


in the nest below, all alike dependent upon the parents. At the nesting 
season, therefore, the old birds are impelled to hunt by day as well as by 
night. 

No definite word has come of the nesting of this species within our 
state, altho it is almost certain to do so. Because of its very retiring habits 
it 1s seldom observed even where it may be reckoned common. 


Taken in Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


THIS WILL HELP HIM TO DECIDE THE MATTER. 


1S THE WOOD IBIS. 


No. 216. 
WOOD IBIS. 


A. O. U. No. 188. Tantalus loculator. Linn. 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN Woop STORK; WATER ‘TURKEY. 

Description.—Adult: Plumage pure white; wing-quills and tail shining 
greenish black, or with violet and bronzy reflections; head and about six inches of 
neck bare, covered with scurfy skin, dusky gray; bill mostly dingy yellow; tarsi 
blue-black; toes black at base, becoming yellow toward claws and on webs. 
Young: Face only bare; hind head and neck, where bare in adult, covered thinly 
by fuscous, woolly feathers; remaining plumage as in adults, but duller or grayish; 
quills and tail less glossy. Length 35.00-45.00 (889.-1143.) ; wing 17.70-20.00 
(449.6-508.) ; tail 8.50 (215.9) ; bill 7.00-9.60 (177.8-243.8) ; tarsus 7.80 (198.1) ; 
middle toe and claw 4.95 (125.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; white plumage; large bill; bare head and 
neck of adult. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a loose platform of sticks, lined 
with moss, and placed high in trees. Eggs, 2 or 3, chalky-white, with flaky white 
deposits on the rough shell, rarely spotted with reddish brown. Av. size, 2.75 x 
1.80 (69.9 x 45.7). 

General Range.—Southern United States from the Ohio Valley, Colorado, 
Utah, southeastern California, etc., south to Argentine Republic. Casually north- 
ward to Pennsylvania and New York. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare and casual. One positive record, several inferential. 


THE great family of Storks, so familiar to our Old World friends, 
especially the Germans, has regularly but one representative in the United 
States, the Wood Ibis, confined pretty closely to the lagoons and bayous 
of the Southern States. ‘The Storks are rather stupid birds, perhaps because 
they are such notorious gluttons. ‘They are, however, shrewd enough in 
procuring food, if Audubon’s account is correct. He says that a large com- 
pany of them will enter a shallow pool of water and stir up the mud by 
dancing about, until the frenzied fish, frogs, and young alligators, venturing 
too near the surface, are rapidly knocked on the head in turn with the bird’s 
powerful beak, and there left to float until the drive is completed. Then 
the birds gorge themselves and stand about the margin of the pond in sated 
rows, while digestion wrestles with its task. Recent observers have not 
noted these wholesale methods of slaughter, but have oftener found the 
birds singly or in pairs, raking the oozy bottoms with their feet, and quickly 
seizing with open bill whatever prey is brought to light. 

It was Audubon, too, who would account for the well-known habit, 
which these birds have, of mounting into the air and soaring about at great 
heights during the later hours of the morning, by calling it an aid to diges- 


THE GLOSSY IBIS. 481 


tion—a sort of morning constitutional, necessary to well-fed burghers who 
would avoid gout. Whatever may induce the Storks to play the Buzzard 
for a time each day, they certainly present a pleasing and impressive spec- 
tacle, as, with plumage striking by reason of its contrasting black and white, 
they wheel aloft in majestic circles, whose dizzy and distant mazes test the 
eye-sight. 

The Wood Stork is supposed to have been more frequent northerly in 
the early days; but there is only one recent record, that of Mr. H. E. Chubb, 
of Cleveland, who took one in 1879. In view of its greatly diminishing 
numbers it is scarcely likely that it will ever appear so far north again. 


No. 217. 


GLOSSY IBIS. 


* A, O. U. No. 186. Plegadis autumnalis (Hasselq.). 

Description.—Adult: Head, neck, upper back, lesser wing-coverts, and en- 
tire under parts, except under tail-coverts, rich purplish chestnut ; remaining plum- 
age shining, metallic green, bronze, violet, violet-green, purple, etc.; “lores green- 
ish in life, blackish in dried skins; feathers surrounding the base of the bill black- 
ish” (Ridgw.) ; bill black; feet and legs grayish black in life, drying dark brown. 
Immature: Head and neck dark grayish brown, minutely streaked with white; 
under parts dull grayish brown, acquiring purplish chestnut in increasing inten- 
sity; back and wings dark greenish dusky. Length 22.00-25.00 (558.8-635.) ; 
wing 11.25 (285.8) ; tail 4.25 (108.) ; bill about 5.00 (127.); tarsus 3.50 (88.9) ; 
middle toe and claw 3.50 (88.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size, but appearing smaller; dark, reddish and 
shining bronzy coloration ; long, black, decurved bill. 

Nesting.— Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of broken-down reeds, com- 
pactly built and well-cupped, in swamps. Eggs, 3, deep greenish blue. Av. size, 
ALOU Fs tec) (Bitait 38 37h2}))c 

General Range.—Warmer parts of eastern hemisphere, West Indies, and 
southern portion of eastern United States, wandering northward to New England 
and Illinois. In America only locally abundant and of irregular distribution. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. One record. 


ONLY the most meagre accounts exist of this little known and irregu- 
larly distributed species. It remained undiscovered in America until 1817, 
when Mr. Ord took a specimen on the eastern coast of New Jersey. Altho 
et first described under a new name, it is now known to be identical with 
the Old World species, which thus enjoys a wide and rather remarkable 


482 THE BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 


range. It is believed that this bird was known to Herodotus, and that it 
was held by the ancient Egyptians in reverence second only to that accorded 
the Sacred Ibis (/bis ethiopica). 

There is only one record of this bird in Ohio, that reported by Dr. Kirt- 
land in 1850, a pair having been seen “two years since near Fairport, Lake 
County,” and one of them taken. 


No. 218. 
BLACK-BELLIED- PEOW ERe 


"A. O. U. No. 270 Squatarola squatarola (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—BEETLE-HEAD,; OX-EYE. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: Above, broadly dusky or black varied by 
white in spots and terminal edgings, the latter color predominating on top of head 
and hind-neck and on wings; primaries dusky brown with large basal areas and 
portion of shaft (increasing inwardly) white; upper tail-coverts and tail white, 
barred with black; forehead, space over eye, and sides of neck, to or below breast, 
white; lining of wings, lower belly, thighs, and crissum white; sides of head and 
remaining under parts, including axillars, sooty black; bill and feet black. Adult 
in winter: Without black below (except on axillars)—white instead; fore-neck 
and chest streaked and spotted with dusky; dusky of upper parts lighter; and 
white replaced by pale gray. Jmmature: Similar to adult in winter, but head and 
neck streaked and back spotted with yellowish-buff. Length 10.50-12.00 (266.7- 
304.8) ; wing 7.50 (190.5) ; tail 3.00 (76.2) ; bill 1.18 (30.) ; tarsus 1.85 (47.). 

Recognition Marks.—Killdeer size or larger; black and white in broad de- 
sign, and without distinct yellow above; below black (in summer) or nearly white 
(in winter or young) ; avillaries black at any season. Similar to succeeding spe- 
cies, but larger; bill and head larger ; presence of hind toe distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4, light 
or dark buffy olive, heavily speckled and spotted with dark browns or blacks. Av. 
Size, 2104 x 1-43) (51.8) x 36:3). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan, but chiefly in the northern hemis- 
phere, breeding far north and migrating south in winter; in America to the West 
Indies, Brazil, and Colombia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant on the Lake Erie shore; casual elsewhere. 


IT is not to be wondered at, perhaps, that a bird so light of body and 
so fleet of wing should choose to live the strenuous life at, all seasons. In 
summer the Plover is always within sound of the crunching ice-floe or the 
screaming Gyrfalcon. In winter the frequent cannonading of South Ameri- 
can revolutionists serves to redeem the monotony of tropical exisitence; while 


UBLISHING CO. 


BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO, 


= 
= 


COPYRIGHT 


AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 
i / 


N 
ANN 
ANNAN 


ANY 
sini 


THE AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 483 
the annual passage to and fro across the continent is at all times as exciting 
as a race with death. 

This species and the next are especially sought after by the sportsmen 
of the Atlantic Coast. Their comparative infrequency in Ohio, together 
with their late arrival and early return, enables them to escape unpleasant 
notice for the most part. Coming north as late as April or early May, they 
return in August or linger a few days into September, and are gone before 
raw weather has stirred our sporting blood. ‘These are properly birds of 
the upland and meadow rather than of the beach and riverside, but most 
of the stragglers picked up within our borders are found on the Lake Erie 
shore, or on the sand-bars and pebbly spits of inland streams. 

“The Baron Droste Htilskoff, in his ‘Birds of Borkum,’ states that 
this species passes there late in May, and again appears in its southward 
migrations in August and early in September. He describes it as a fine, 
lively bird, carrying its head and body erect and its breast thrown forward. 
It runs backward in the manner of the Golden Plover; and before flying 
always lifts its wings high above its head. Its flight is peculiarly swift,— 
more so than that of most other shore birds—and it flies off in a straight 
line, now approaching and now leaving the ground in easy dips, extending 
the wings far and flying with powerful strokes. ‘The call note of this bird, 
he adds, is a sharp whistle, ¢/j-e-ih, the final note being very softly sounded. 
On the wing it repeats this note with long pauses; and when at rest, if 
another of the same species settles down beside it, the last part of the call- 
note is repeated back and forth between the two. At sunset they are most 
uneasy, and fly about, calling continually, late into the night. They are 
very watchful and shy, carefully avoiding every suspicious-looking mound, 
and very rarely approaching a place where a sportsman is hid. ‘This is the 
sentinel of other shore birds, warning them by its sudden flight and loud 
alarm note. On the edge of the water it seeks its food in the foam; and 
like the Sandpiper wades up to its belly in the water.” (B. B. & R.) 


No. 219. 


AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 


A. O. U. No. 272 Charadrius dominicus Mill. 

Synonyms.—Fieip Plover; BuLt-HEAD. 

Description.—A dult in summer: Above dusky, blackening on tips of feath- 
ers on back and crown, lightening to fuscous on wing-coverts, tertials, sides of 
neck, etc.; spotted sharply on back and crown, less distinctly on neck and upper 
tail-coverts with bright ochre-yellow ; primaries blackish, the basal and a concealed 


484 THE AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 
distal portion of each quill white; tail dusky, barred irregularly with lighter gray- 
ish brown; entire under parts, except lining of wing, including sides of head, 
glossy, brownish black; bordered on head, neck, and breast with pure white ; lining 
of wings smoky gray or ashy; bill and legs black. Adult in winter: Usually less 
decidedly black on back; the spotting (streaking on hind neck) finer on upper 
parts ; the ochre-yellow brightest on upper tail-coverts ; elsewhere more or Jess dis- 
placed by paler yellow and whitish; below without black; throat and crissum dull 
white; elsewhere streaked and spotted with light brownish gray, a lighter shade 
of the same vaguely diffused over the plumage, or else under parts definitely 
brownish gray, finely spotted with white. Jmmature: Like adult in winter, but 
lighter below; only the breast tinged, and that uniformly, with light fuscous; pat- 
tern of neck all around blended. Length 9.50-11.00 (241.3-270.4) ; av. of nine Co- 
lumbus specimens: wing 0.83 (173.5) ; tail 2.56 (65.) ; bill 89 (22.6) ; tarsus 1.63 
(41.4). 

Recognition Marks.—kKilldeer size. “Golden” speckling of upper parts dis- 
tinctive. Somewhat smaller than preceding species ; bill decidedly smaller ; not so 
white below in fall plumage. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground with a scanty lining 
of leaves and grass. Eggs, 3 or 4, buffy white to buffy brown, boldly spotted and 
blotched with brownish black. Av. size, 1.98 x 1.37 (50.3 x 34.8). 


General Range.—Arctic America except the coast of Behring Sea, migrating 
southward throughout North and South America to Patagonia. 


Range in Ohio.—Formerly reported as abundant during migrations; now 
much less common or rare. 


ALTHO the Golden Plover is commonly reported from various places 
in the interior during migrations, the great bulk of the migrants, especially 
in the fall, appear to pass along the Atlantic Coast, or at a considerable 
distance out at sea. During the later days of August enormous numbers 
push boldly out to sea from the southern shore of Nova Scotia, and are not 
seen again until they touch the West Indies, unless they be driven back 
against the Atlantic Coast by strong east winds, in which case the sports- 
men of Massachusetts and Long Island reap a rich harvest. 

But since we are concerned with the status of the species in Ohio, | 
quote nearly in full the account given by Dr. Wheaton, who had a better 
opportunity to study the bird than that afforded any recent observer: “The 
Golden Plover is the most abundant of the strictly migrant species of the 
family. In April it usually appears in flocks of from thirty to one hundred 
birds in high meadows and pastures. ‘Their flight is very swift, and the 
flocks are very close. All movements, when on the wing, are performed 
with wonderful rapidity and unanimity. They run quickly in the grass, 
and, while rather shy, exhibit considerable curiosity and some degree of 
confidence. Their voice is a pleasant mellow whistle frequently repeated 
while on the wing. During the spring migrations while with us they are 
changing from winter to breeding plumage. Generally the colors of winter 
predominate, but sometimes specimens are taken with the under parts nearly 


“THE KILLDEER oe 485 


uniform black. In September they return in full winter plumage, and now 
frequent the gravelly and muddy borders of streams, sometimes in large 
flocks and sometimes in pairs or as single birds, solitary or in company with 
Tattlers and Sandpipers. At this season their habits are less active than 
in spring. ‘They are the only birds of the family whose size, abundance, 
and other qualities entitle them to any consideration as a game bird. As 
such they are generally esteemed.” 

The Golden Plover is to be accounted an abundant bird in many parts of 
the Arctic regions, especially on the Barren Grounds. McFarlane recorded 
the finding of one hundred and fourteen sets of eggs during the passage of 
his expedition from the edge of the northern woods across the Barren 
Grounds to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. During the breeding season 
the male “is accustomed to utter a sweet melodious song, most frequently 
heard during the brief hours of the Arctic night.” Nelson represents this 
song by the syllables, “‘tee-lee-ice, tu-lee-lee-wit, wit wit, wee-u-wit, che lee 
2 too lee-e.” 


No. 220. 


/ KILLDEER. 


Te O. U. No. 273. Oxyechus vociferus (Ljinn.). 

Synonyms.—KILDEER; KinpER Plover; KinpEr. 

Description.—ddult: Crown, and occiput and back bright grayish brown, 
the feathers edged or narrowly tipped with tawny; rump and upper tail-coverts 
cinnamon-rufous or tawny; tail like back, crossed subterminally by broad black 
band, and tipped with lighter brown, ochraceous, and white, the lateral feathers 
irregularly dusky, white and tawny; primaries dusky, the outer with some white 
on the inner webs, and the inner ones with white on the outer webs; two black 
bands across chest, the anterior one nearly reaching around cervix; a band on 
forehead, separating the white and brown, and another across cheek from bill, 
impure black; included spaces of head and neck, a ring around cervix, and re- 
maining under parts pure white; the brown of back encroaching on sides of breast 
between black bars, and sometimes suffusing entire space between them; eye-lids 
bright orange-red; bill black; legs pale. Young: With rather more ochraceous 
or pale rusty edging on back than adult. Length 9.00-11.25 (228.6-285.8) ; wing 
6.34 (161.) ; tail 3.59 (91.2) ; bill .81 (20.6) ; tarsus 1.41 (35.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; black and white bands of head and breast; 
tawny rump; vociferous “Kildeer” cries. 

Nest, on the ground, often upon gravel, unlined. Eggs, 4, ovate-pyriform, 
buffy white or clay-color, boldly spotted and blotched or scrawled with chocolate- 
brown or brownish black. Av. size, 1.48 x 1.06 (37.6 x 26.9). 


480 THE KILLDEER 


General Range.—Temperate North America, breeding north to Newfound- 
‘and and Manitoba, migrating to the West Indies, Central America, and northern 
South America; Bermuda. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident throughout the state; winters 
sparingly in southern portion. 


ALTHO the shrill cry of the Killdeer shouting his name is a welcome 
sound when it cuts across the frosty sky in early spring, one can scarcely 
forgive him the immoderate clamor of midsummer, nor the officious way 
in which your self-appointed guide heralds the approach of the huntsman 
{o every living thing. If you are actually near the nest there is some excuse 
for alarm, and the female does not fail to try every ruse in the endeavor to 
lure you away from the dangerous spot. First she rolls and flounders 
away across the ground, screaming with agony, as tho she had been stepped 
on. But 1f you are simple enough to follow, the bird gradually recovers, 
and is soon able to patter along ahead of you with tolerable celerity. The 
male, too, is no indifferent spectator. He comes as near as he dares, and 
shrieks, “Dear, dear, dear, dear, dear,’ until the wonder is that he does not 
burst a blood vessel or split his vocal chords. Interested neighbors add 
their frenzy to the din, until in desperation you are almost ready to believe 
yourself the frightful villain they are all accusing you of being. If you 
are willing to quit the place a bevy of fathers will pilot you out of bounds. 
One will patter ahead of you with breast pushed forward and legs incred- 
ibly nimble, only to pull up presently with a jerk and a compensatory bob 
to ask if you are following. The others describe a great half-circle about 
you with graceful wing but unceasing stridor, and take their places in the 
van. The birds believe themselves extremely clever as they lead you off 
by alternate flights and sprints, and you may hear them indulge from time 
to time in a low rapid titter, teeeece-t, which you may be sure is quite at your 
expense. All this racket is bad enough at best, and one may be really sorry 
to have intruded at first, but when the whole operation is gone through with 
again the next time you happen that way, and when you know that the young 
are long since flying, all this fuss and outcry is distinctly annoying. One 
feels as if the Killdeer had contracted the habit of yellow-journalism and 
couldn’t let go. 

The Killdeer nests in fallow fields, plowed ground, and open prairie, 
cr else upon the open bars of river courses, never very far from water, but 
by no means confined to it. The four eggs are invariably placed with the 
little ends together, so that they may occupy the least room possible; and 
this appears quite necessary when we note how large they are in compari- 
son with the parent bird. Sometimes a little grass or crumbled bark or 
dried rabbits’ dung serves for the lining, but often the eggs are laid upon the 
hare ground. Once in eastern Washington, I found what I think must be 


THE KILLDEER 487 


regarded as the ideal environment for these eggs. An upland gravel-bed, 
peculiar to that region, was composed of disintegrating fragments of a light 
brown lava mingled with the soil. Each pebble of the bed was scrawled 
aud spotted by a black lichen, as tho tar had been carelessly flung about, 
Upon this bed reposed four Killdeer eggs. When you saw them you saw 
them, because their outlines were rounded instead of angular; but the moment 
the eye departed from them the search had to be commenced anew, so per- 
fectly were the eggs mimicked by their surroundings. 

Young Killdeers are delightful absurdities. Their strength is in their 


Taken in Lorain County. - Photo by the Author. 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE KILLDEER. 


legs, and these carry them pattering away, before the embryonic juices are 
fairly dried upon their backs. They need to be nimble, for all nature turns 
teeth to little birds that cannot fly. 

Fortunately for them the flesh of the Killdeer is not esteemed for food 
by humans, so they are allowed to gather in peace into fall companies con- 
taining a score or two of individuals. The Killdeer is not gregarious at other 
times of year, altho a half dozen pairs may nest in the same field; but in 
fall they flock commonly, and are found about meadow ponds, river bars, 
and even on the lake beaches. 


THE SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 


These Plovers migrate at night, preferably by moonlight; and, indeed. 
Killdeer may be regarded as an unquiet spirit on almost any moonlight night 
in spring or fall. Most of the birds leave our borders for two or three 
months in winter, but Rev. W. F. Henninger reports them as “very com- 
mon” during that season in Pike and Scioto Counties. 


No. 221. 


SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 


A. O. U. No. 274. A®gialitis semipalmata Bonap. 

Synonyms.—RincG PLOVER; RING-NECK. 

Description.—Adult in swimmer: A narrow black band across breast and 
continuous around hind-neck; fore-crown and a band on side of head below eye 
to bill, and meeting fellow on extreme forehead, black mixed with brown; fore- 
head, indistinct superciliary line, lower eye-lid, chin, and throat, continuous with 
narrow band across cervix, and remaining under parts, white; crown and nape, 
back, etc., bright grayish brown; upper tail-coverts and base of tail a little lighter ; 
tail blackish subterminally, the outer pair of feathers pure white, the others de- 
creasingly white-tipped; greater wing-coverts white-tipped; primaries blackish, 
the basal and subterminal portion of their shafts white; bill black, orange-red at 
base; feet and legs yellowish. Adult in winter: ‘The black markings replaced 
by dark grayish brown. Young: Similar to adult in winter, but feathers of 
upper parts tipped with light buffy. Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; wing 4.90 
(124.5) ; tail 2.10 (53.3) ; bill .52 (13.2) ; tarsus .97 (24.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size, but appearing larger; a miniature Kill- 
deer, but without tawny rump, and with only one band across breast. Feet par- 
tially webbed. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 
or 4, like those of the Killdeer, but smaller. Av. size, 1.30 x .92 (33. x 23.4). 

General Range.—Arctic and subarctic America, migrating south through 
tropical America as far as Brazil, Peru and the Galapagos. 

Range in Ohio.—‘“Not common migrant in spring, more abundant in the 
fall” (Wheaton). Found regularly on the Lake Erie shore during fall migrations. 


THE Semipalmated Plover is a lesser Killdeer to appearance, but in 
manner it is a much gentler bird, and, while with us at least, it realizes the 
full value of the adage, “Silence is golden.” Gentle and unsuspicious it 
patters along the Lake Erie beach, following the retreating wave, or else 
gleans from the mud-flats of river and pond, where chance finds it at early 
morning. Only when startled from its quest does it utter a “soft mellow 
whistle.” It is not easily frightened, and if it has half a chance it will 
scamper along the shore ahead of you, or even hide in the grass rather than 
take to wing. 


THE SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 489 
This Plover is found singly or in little companies, more frequently in 
late summer or fall, and it mingles freely with other migrating waders. I 
shall not soon forget a sight which once met my eyes on one of the Lake 
Ivrie Islands in early August. A lagoon, filled with water only when the 
East wind blew 
stretches of 
est cover of 


strongly, presented inviting 
warm mud, bordered by the dens- 
bind-weed and rank grasses. With 
great labor Mr. Jones and [ made 
our way, unobserved, to the edge 


Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 
SHORE BIRD INN. 


THIS LITTLE SWAMP LIES JUST BACK FROM THE LAKE ERIE SHORE AND WAS TENANTED, AT THE TIME THIS 
PICTURE WAS TAKEN, BY EIGHT KINDS OF SHORE BIRDS. THE SCENE IS NOT, HOWEVER, THE ONE REFERRED TO 
IN THE TEXT. A SEMIPALMATED PLOVER MAY BE FAINTLY DESCRIED AS HE STANUS REFLECTING NEAR THE LEFT 


CENTER. 

of the tangle, and parting the grass blades, looked out upon eight kinds 
of Limicole within a stone’s throw of us. There were Semipalmated Plov- 
ers, Killdeers, Yellow-legs, with Solitary, Pectoral, Least, and Semipal- 
mated Sandpipers, and a chance Spotted which held itself aloof from 
the foreigners. There they pattered and scampered, or stalked, according 
to their kind. They dozed, or prodded, or teetered and bowed, or put up 
a slender, tentative wing to try the motion of the air, as fancy led them, 
until our brains were fairly awhirl with the delicious confusion of this 
rare ornithological sight. 


Hoon THE PIPING PLOVER. 


No. 222. 


PIPING PEOVER: 


Y A. O. U. No. 277. A€gialitis meloda (Ord.). 

Description.—Adult male in summer: Upper parts pale brownish gray, the 
forecrown black and a black band on the side of the breast, not meeting its fellow 
in front or behind; a band on forehead, a cervical collar continuous with throat, 
and remaining under parts, pure white; tail fuscous, becoming white laterally ; 
primaries dusky with partially white shafts, and corresponding white spaces cen- 
trally on webs; greater coverts and secondaries mostly white; bill yellow or orange 
at base, blackening toward tip. Adult female, and male in winter: Similar, but 
black of crown and sides of breast reduced to brownish gray. Young: Similar, 
but feathers of upper parts edged with whitish. Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; 
wing 4.70 (119.4) ; tail 2.20 (55.9) ; bill .48 (12.2); tarsus .87 (22.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size, but appearing larger; much paler above 
than other species; breast band incomplete. 

Nesting.—Not definitely known to breed in Ohio. “Eggs, 3 to 4, creamy 
white, finely spotted or speckled with chocolate.” Avy. size, 1.24 x .95 (31.5 x 
24.1) (Chapman). 

General Range.—Kastern North America breeding from the coast of Vir- 
ginia northward to Newfoundland; in winter, West Indies. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common migrant on Lake Erie; rare or casual in the 
interior. Is conjectured to have bred near Lake Erie. 


IT is not difficult to distinguish this bird by the generally lighter tone 
of its plumage, and by its incomplete collar; but to say that it differs thus 
and so in habit from other small Plovers,—that is a task to which very few 
are equal, and one which the author must modestly disclaim. This Plover 
enjoys a more southerly distribution than do the other species, and is even 
more largely confined to the sea-coasts and the shores of the larger bodies 
oi water. It is almost never found along streams and ponds in the interior, 
and is no longer commonly seen on the Lake Erie shore. Years ago Mr. 
Winslow surmised that the bird bred in the vicinity of Cleveland, and it is 
known to have done so on Lake Michigan. Because of its southern range 
it has felt more keenly the unequal struggle against the white burden-bearer, 
and unless better counsels prevail against the senseless lust for its thimbleful 
of meat, we shall have to record its extinction at no very distant date. 

Rev. J. H. Langille has observed this bird more accurately perhaps 
than anyone else in recent times. He says, “The Piping Plover cannot be 
called a ‘whistler,’ or even a ‘piper, in an ordinary sense. Its tone has 
a particularly striking and musical quality. Oweep, queep, queep-o, or peep, 
peep, peep-lo, each syllable being uttered with a separate, distinct, and some- 


THE BELTED PIPING PLOVER. Pi 


what long-drawn enunciation, may imitate its peculiar melody—the tone 
of which is round, full and sweet, reminding one of a high key on an Italian 
hand-organ, or the haut-boy in a church organ.” 


No. 223. 
BRERED PIPING PEOVER. 


A. O. U. No. 277a. Af gialitis meloda circumcincta Ridgw. 

Description.—Similar to preceding species, but black band complete on breast 
and cervix. No difference in measurements. Nesting not appreciably different. 

General Range.— Mississippi Valley, breeding from northern Illinois, north 
to Lake Winnipeg; more or less frequent eastward to the Atlantic Coast.” 

Range in Ohio.—Impertfectly known. Recorded by Moseley as rare on Lake 
Erie. Recently found breeding there. 


A fortunate discovery made late in the season of 1903 enables us to 
add this interesting bird to the state list. On the 26th of June, while 


~ x 


Taken at Cedar Point. - Photo by the Author. 
WHERE THE PLOVER NESTS. : 


492 


THE BELTED PIPING PLOVER. 


Professor James H. Hine was doing the honors of the new biological labor- 
atory at Cedar Point, our party of three came upon a strange Plover, as 
he danced before the lapping waves 


ee hE 
Taken at Cedar Point. 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE BELTED PIPING PLOVER. 


stole to her nest. 


Photo by the Author. 


on the neighboring shore. A hundred 


yards or so be- 
low we saw an- 
other, evidently 
of the same spe- 
cies, entertain- 
ing his mate 
with a flight 
song. He would 
circle round 
and round with 
Ghulbihvacimannare: 
wings, describ- 
ing curves a 
hundred feet or 
so in diameter, 
and whistling 
the while a pro- 
longed soft note 
with a rising in- 
flection. — Pro- 
fessor Jones 
was detailed on 
the case and 
soon came back 
reporting a nest 
of four eggs,— 
that shown in 
the accompany- 
ing illustration. 
He had con- 
cealed himself 
quietly in a 
clump of wil- 
lows, . anid 
marked the fe- 
male as she 


The bird had settled once in the middle of the pathless 


sand, but upon some sudden misgiving had scampered away again, without 
the astute observer's suspecting that she had visited her eggs. Upon her 
return, however, to the same spot, the truth became evident. 


THE BELTED PIPING PLOVER. 493 


It is not fair to say that the nesting site was unmarked, for what is 
easier to see than a piece of waif coal, after one’s attention has been called 
to it? And as for the nest itself, what could be more charming than a 
mosaic of flattened pebbles and bits of broken shell, to say nothing of such 
neighbors as a fish-bone and a joint and a half of straw? 

While we were examining the nest, the birds kept circling about un- 
easily at a safe distance, uttering low cries in questioning or querulous tones 


Taken at Cedar Point. Photo by the Author. 
“IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PATHLESS SAND.” 


—queep, in a variety of inflections, and a longer queeplo or queeplew. ‘They 
had the habit also of scampering rapidly for a little ways and then pulling 
up short with a compensating bob and perk like the Killdeer. When squatted 
upon the ground with the lower whites obscured, the color of the Plover’s 
back so perfectly matched that of the glowing sand as to render the bird 
almost invisible. 

All the birds seen on this occasion, to the number of four or five, were 


404 THE TURNSTONE. 


of the belted variety, and the identification was confirmed through speci- 
mens secured by Professor Hine on the following day. He also took 
another set of four eggs about two weeks later from a nest in a similar situa- 
tion, but some four hundred yards north of the first discovered site. From 
the advanced stage of incubation he was sure that the eggs belonged to a 
different pair of birds. 

The question of the validity of the two forms of Piping Plovers is 
still open for discussion. ‘The finding of this nest makes it certain that 
the breeding ranges of the alleged subspecies overlap considerably. 


No. 224. 


TURNSTONE. 


A. O. U. No. 283. Arenaria interpres (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—CaLico-BAck; BRAN’? Burp. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: Back, scapulars, etc., variegated black and 
chestnut-rufous, with a little white edging; the black pure on sides of neck or 
“shoulders”, and continuous with that of chest; rufous predominating on wings; 
upper lores, cheeks, sides of throat, foreneck and sides of breast glossy black; 
throat and lower lores pure white, and the remaining portions of head and neck 
impure white, the crown heavily or lightly streaked with black; rump, basal por- 
tion of tail, with lateral and longer upper coverts, the greater wing-coverts (prin- 
cipally), and the remaining under parts, entirely white; basal portion of upper 
tail-coverts, and subterminal portion of tail, black, the latter tipped narrowly with 
white and rufous; more or less concealed white on primaries ;—altogether a piece 
of patch-work in three colors. Bill short, stout, sharpened, but not acute, slightly 
upturned, black; feet and legs yellow, blackening at the joints. Winter plumage: 
Without rufous; the black mostly replaced by brown, and the rufous by gray; 
black of breast much restricted. Jmmature: Similar to adult in winter, but 
with some ochraceous margining above; head chiefly dusky, the foreneck clouded 
with dusky. Length 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254.) ; wing 5.75 (146.1) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; 
bill .g0 (22.9) ; tarsus 1.00 (25.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Killdeer size; patch-work in rufous, black, and white 
above; black and white below; beach-haunting habits. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. “Eggs, 3 to 4, 
clay-colored, blotched and scrawled with grayish brown” (Chapman). Av. size, 
150) 35 0s (AOrdex 28270) 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan. In America from Greenland and 
Alaska to the Straits of Magellan; more or less common in the interior of North 
America on the shores of the Great Lakes and the larger rivers. Breeds in high 
northern latitudes. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common; found only on the Lake Erie shore,—save 
for one record at Cincinnati. 


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THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. “495 


TWICE only have I seen flocks of these tardy migrants resting on the 
Lake Erie shore or feeding on moist plowed lands adjacent to it. On May 
22nd, 1897, several squads, aggregating twenty-five birds, were seen on the 
pebbly beach west of Lorain. ‘They appeared fatigued after their long jour- 
ney, but were quite wary and could be approached only by stealth. For 
the most part they kept back from the water’s edge upon the dry sand, but 
one waded boldly into the water and allowed the low waves to buffet him 
repeatedly. On June 4th, 1903, in company with Rev. W. F. Henninger, 
of Tiffin, I was surprised and delighted, in view of the late date, to see a 
flock of sixteen of these waders feeding industriously on a large piece of 
1eclaimed swamp land near Port Clinton. By cautious approach under cover 
cf a dyke, we were able to see that both sexes were about equally repre- 
sented in the flock, and noticed the patchy pattern of white, black and 
iitense rufous, as it was thrown into relief by the black, mucky soil. The 
birds were silent and intent only upon feeding. This they did by advancing 
slowly over the plowed ground and gleaning from its surface, and by turning 
over the clods which lay in their path to search eagerly beneath. It was 
rather amusing to see a bird walk up to a clod bigger than itself and several 
times as heavy, insert its beak and give an odd little bunt and upward jerk, 
which would send the clod rolling a foot or more. Sometimes a lump, more 
firmly imbedded, offered resistance, in which case the bird would make 
another honest effort, or pass on unconcerned. In flight the ‘Turnstones 
bunch closely at first, but afterward scatter a little more widely, and wheel 
and turn after the manner of the Killdeers in autumn. The chief impres- 
sion was of flashing white as they quartered before the sun or as they settled 
again in some distant portion of the field with wings daintily uplifted. 

These handsome waders are somewhat irregular in their migrating 
movements, and it is said that the duties of incubation are attended to in 
the far north, and the return journey commenced within the short space of 
two months. 


No. 225. 


AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 


A. O. U. No. 228.. Philohela minor (Gmel.). 


Description.—Adult: Below ochraceous-buff, vinaceous-rufous or even 
cinnamon-rufous, especially on sides, unmarked; above pale grayish brown, heavily 
blotched with black, and with much edging and mottling of the shade of the under 
parts; the chin whitish vinaceous, and the anterior portion of the head in general, 
with a somewhat bleached appearance; a narrow, black bar from bill to eye, and 
another paralleling it about half an inch further back; hind head and nape black, 


490 THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 


crossed sharply by two narrow, ochraceous bars, and bounded indistinctly by the 
same color; much black on back and scapulars centrally, together with V-shaped, 
terminal margins of ochraceous; wing-coverts finely mottled dusky and ochra- 
ceous; wing-quills plain fuscous; the first three primaries very narrow, and 
stiffened ; tail ashy-tipped above, below silvery white; tibie fully feathered; bill 
brownish; feet and legs pale ruddy. Length 10.50-12.00 (266.7-304.8) ; av. of 
six Columbus specimens: wing 5.13 (130.3); tail 2.27 (57.7); bill 2.65 (67.3) ; 
tarsus 1.27 (32.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin to Kingfisher size; rusty coloration; long bill, 
and eyes set far back in the head. 

Nest, a slight depression in ground of damp woods, lined with dry leaves. 
Eggs, buffy or light drab, spotted distinctly and obscurely with reddish brown. 
IN VAS, Ugstsh ae lien) (Aon Te ZV). 

General Range.—Eastern North America north to the British Provinces; 
west to Dakota, Kansas, etc., breeding throughout its range. No extralimital 
record except Bermuda. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident throughout the state. Decreas- 
ing in numbers. 


TO anyone who handles a gun the peculiar sharp whistle of a Wood- 
cock’s wings is one of those sounds which serves to epitomize a whole chapter 
of sport. It is the signal for instant action, the challenge whose prompt 
acceptance distinguishes the sportsman from the rest. The Woodcock is 
a game bird par excellence. ‘The comparative difficulty of his chosen retreats 
—-damp woods choked with undergrowth, sodden thickets, and corners of 
lowland meadows overgrown with weeds; the suddenness of his alarm; 
the deviousness and brevity of his way in the air;—all these are elements 
which give zest to the chase, and afford the bird that running chance for 
life which it is the delight of every true sportsman to concede. The bird, 
tuo, is really delicious, a trifle small in comparison with his European rela- 
tive, but still “big for his bulk,’ for he is a hearty and persistent feeder. 

The Woodcock is nocturnal or crepuscular in his habits, both flying 
and feeding after sunset. In spring, wet woods bordering streams, second- 
growth clearings, and open or sylvan bogs are frequented. In favorite 
localities, such as the seepage pools bordering levees, one may hear the almost 
incessant whistle of wings as the birds shift from place to place, where 
their presence in daytime was scarcely suspected. Examination in the morn- 
ing of the ground traversed will show a multitude of holes, borings in the 
mud, where the “bog-sucker” has thrust in his bill in search of worms. 
It is not quite certain whether the bird prods the earth at random, or whether 
he is guided by the sense of smell, or even by some subtler instinct in his 
quest. Certain it is, however, that the Woodcock secures enormous quan- 
tities of angle-worms—more than his own weight in a single night, it is 
believed. The tip of the bird’s bill is enlarged and very sensitive, so that 
ro mistakes are made during those dark underground meetings. The end 


THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 497 


of the upper mandible is capable of a certain amount of independent action, 
like the distal joint of one’s finger when the rest is held firmly, so that the 
bird is never at a loss to seize its wriggling prey. ‘The eyes are set well 
back in the head, partly to avoid too close approach to the ground, and 
partly to command the bird’s surroundings while it is probing for food. 

As the season advances and the ground is dried out, the Woodcock re- 
sorts to the banks of ditches and sluggish streams, or retires to higher ground. 
Here, especially in hillside woods, it industriously turns over the fallen leaves 
and rubbish in search of insect prey concealed beneath. It is in the fall 
of the year, therefore, that its range is more accessible to the gunner; altho 
its precise whereabouts may be less certain at that season. 

When surprised, the Woodcock rises perpendicularly to the tops of 
surrounding bushes, then makes off at an angle with a rather weak, unsteady 
flight, only to drop quickly to cover and run rapidly along the ground and 
out of sight. The opportune moment for the gunner is just that fraction 
ef a second when the bird pauses at the top of the perpendicular and decides 
(if indeed decision be involved in that whimsical angle) which way to go. 
For my part, I consider it quite as fair and a good deal more ingenious, 
to catch the bird sneaking on the ground. I see my sporting friends lifting 
up hands of holy horror. But try it! It isn’t easy; and there is no mis- 
chance connected with the experiment as there would be in the case of 
Quail. Sharp eyes are as good as quick hands any time; and the bird 
really has about three chances on the ground to one in the air. 

Woodcocks nest early in March or April, and frequently raise two 
broods in a season. The courting evolutions of the male have been vari- 
ously described, but are as yet imperfectly understood. The only flight song 
which I ever witnessed occurred about five o’clock one afternoon in the 
middle of April. A few large hickory and oak trees stood in an otherwise 
cpen field half covered with water, and afforded a base of operations. About 
this grove a male Woodcock circled and charged at various heights, now 
mounting rapidly upward, now crossing in plain sight in a curious zigzag 
course, now sweeping downward as tho bent on dashing out his brains at the 
feet of his enamorata. The most singular feature of the performance was the 
series of weird hooting notes, to which the bird gave vent in describing his 
parabolic downward curves. I am fairly confident that the sounds were vocal, 
and not produced by the rush of air against the primaries, as some have sur- 
mised. Hooh, hooh hooh, hooh, hooh, hooh, hooh, as rendered by this frantic 
lover were a sound to court the dead with, but the language of love is various, 
and why should the uninvited listener cavil? Twice this mad Romeo paused 
in his flight, and attempted to alight in the top of a tall dead tree, but 
neither time did he succeed in finding footing to his satisfaction; so he passed 
on before I could get a snap-shot of him. 


498 THE WILSON SNIPE. 


The Woodhen’s eggs are placed on the ground in damp woods, usually 
upon a bed of leaves carelessly drawn together, and sometimes under the 
protection of a projecting root or fallen log. Of the eggs Dr. Howard 
Jones says, “Four eggs are the usual number in a set. I have never found 
more than this, but I have seen an old bird with five young ones. As is 
usual, the second set probably contains one less than the first. The ground 
color of the shell is brown, of different shades in different sets. In some it 
is a light Vandyke brown; in others it is a moderately dark tint of the 
same color; in others it is a light shade of bistre; while in others it is a 
yellowish-brown, such as may be formed with bistre and yellow ochre. The 
markings consist of numerous blotches, spots and speckles, often confluent, 
distributed most numerously about the larger end. The deep shell marks 
appear purplish or neutral tint, while the surface marks are of. various shades 
of the ground color, always, of course, deeper in tint. When placed upon 
a bed of winter-beaten oak leaves, the colors of the eggs and leaves are so 


oo” 
similar that I know of no eggs which offer a better example of protective 
coloring. In shape the eggs are not very different from common hen’s 
eggs.” 


The female sits for three weeks, and the young when hatched imme- 
diately desert the nest. They are quaint little toddlers, by no means able 
to care for themselves for all of their independence. They remain under 
the care of the mother for at least a month, and it is asserted that she some- 
times transports them from place to place by clasping them, one at a time, 
between her thighs. 

It is a little hard to see why our Solons have elected August as the 
month in which we may hunt Woodcock. At that time the young of the 
second brood are not fully grown, and the older birds are moulting; some 
of them, indeed, at this season being quite incapacitated for flight. Sep- 
tember shooting would not only afford better protection but better sport; 
and an open season from, say, September 1oth to October 20th, would be best 
for all. The Woodcocks linger until the first really severe frosts have 
made further operations in the mud impossible, and then all take flight for 
the south, whether it be in October or late November. 


No. 226. 
WILSON SNIPE. 


/ A. O. U. No. 230. Gallinago delicata (Ord.). 
Synonyms.—AMERICAN SNIPE; JACK SNIPE; “ENGLISH” SNIPE; Boc- 
SUCKER, 


THE WILSON SNIPE. 


1998 


Description——Adult: Upper parts brownish black, freckled, mottled, 
barred, and streaked with ochraceous-buff and whitish; crown and back nearly 
pure black, the former divided by irregular buffy median line; the scapulars and 
interscapulars bordered by whitish or cream-buff, on outer margins only; wings 
fuscous, the edge including outer web of first primary, white; the greater coverts, 
secondaries, and sometimes inner primaries narrowly tipped with white; a dark 
line from eye to bill; throat whitish; sides of head and neck and breast ochraceous- 
buff, finely spotted and streaked, or indistinctly barred with blackish; belly white, 
the axillars, sides and flanks strongly barred,—blackish and white; both tail- 
coverts and exposed tip of tail strongly ochraceous-buff, or rufous, finely barred 
with black; tail-feathers black basally, some of the lateral ones white or white- 
tipped. Length 10.00-12.00 (254.-304.8); wing 5.00 (127.); tail 2.40 (61.) ; 
bill 2.50 (63.5) ; tarsus 1.25 (31.8). The female averages smaller than the male. 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; general mottled and streaked appearance ; 
long bill used as mud-probe; marsh-skulking habits, and jack, jack notes on 
rising. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 
or 4, clay-color, olive, or ashy-brown, spotted and blotched with reddish brown 
OP (Whamlokers, Jay SAS ss) x QW (Ose Se Ao).))e 

General Range.—North and middle America, breeding from the northern 
United States northward; south in winter to the West Indies and northern South 
America. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant; winter resident in southern part of state, 
and casually elsewhere; rare summer resident in northern Ohio. No authentic 
record of breeding. 


WHENEVER the word “snipe” is uttered we think most naturally of 
this recluse of the inland fens, for he is the Snipe of America. Altho pos- 
sessing much in common with the European Snipe (G. gallinago) and some- 
thing with the Woodcock, his ways are peculiar enough to make him dis- 
unctly known to every sportsman. He is rather a disreputable looking 
fellow, a tatterdemalion in fact, as he bursts out of his bog with an exultant 
cry of “escape, escape,” and flutters his rags in the wind. And as he pur- 
sues his devious way through the air, jerking hither and thither in most 
lawless fashion, the gunner could easily believe him an escaped jail-bird, 
if the stripes of his garments only ran the other way. 

The Wilson Snipe is a bird of the open marsh, a frequenter of the 
grassy border stretches, or of the boggy margins of the “spring branch.” 
Here he lies pretty closely by day, but as dusk comes he bestirs himself 
and goes pattering about in the shallow water or over the weedy scum-strewn 
muck, thrusting his beak down rapidly into the ooze and extracting worms 
er succulent roots. If danger approaches by day, the bird’s first instinct is 
to crouch low. If the sky is clear, it is difficult to dislodge him, for the light 
blinds him in the air, and he knows that his ragged blacks and browns 
exactly match the criss-crossed vegetation and interlacing shadows of his 
present surroundings. If, however, the day be overcast and windy, the bird 


500 THE WILSON SNIPE. 


2 


springs up quickly against the wind, shouts “Jack, Jack,” twice, pursues a 
bewildering zigzag until out of range, and then flies straight to some other 
feeding ground, or circles about and enters the old one from another quarter. 
This zigzag flight, which is the joy of the old gunners and the despair of 
the young, is really a wonderful exhibition of the self-protecting instinct. 
For we cannot fairly accuse the Snipe of not knowing his own mind, since 
when once out of harm’s way, his flight is direct and rapid, and he drops 
into a bog like a shot. ‘The trick must have been deliberately acquired. 
The cries of the first bird startled are sometimes a signal for all the others 
ill a given swamp to rise and dodge about in the upper air, taking distant 
counsel whether to return or fly to pastures new. In either case, the sport 
is off for that day, for the aerial caucus is a sign that the birds won't stand 
much fooling. 

Of course the degree of timidity which the birds exhibit in any locality 
is simply a matter of the amount of persecution to which they have been 
recently subjected. Sometimes the entrance of a gunner into a field is the 
signal for the Snipe to flee the country. On the other hand, I once ap- 
proached in midwinter a bird which I knew to be in perfect condition, and 
which stood quizzically in full survey until I got within five feet of it, 
whereupon it calmly swam across a little brook rather than bother to fly 
trom the harmless bird-man. 

Besides its semi-nocturnal habits and fashion of probing the mud for 
food, the Wilson Snipe closely resembles the Woodcock in the manner of its 
love-making. Indeed, never having had opportunity of simultaneous com- 
parison, | cannot now distinguish in memory the characteristic hooting notes 
of the Snipe from those of the Woodcock. I have seen the former, not only 
at the favorite hours of dawn and sunset, but at high noon as well, hovering 
over a pasture swamp patch, or cutting mysterious figures in high air, and 
uttering ever and anon the most lugubrious, love-lorn strains, like unfocused 
flute-notes. This passion song of the Jack-snipe has been called drumming, 
but the term is inappropriate. When nesting season is on the male betrays 
his anxiety by resorting frequently to commanding positions on fence-posts 
and stumps. Sometimes, when greatly excited, the bird will utter a harsh, 
guttural cackling or bleating note. On such occasions, when the bird is 
settled on a post regarding you with sober, down-turned beak and watchful 
eve, the effect is irresistibly comical. And you might as well laugh, for 
you can’t find the nest—not once in a dozen times. 


THE DOWITCHER. 


INO 2275 


DOWITCHER. 


Ge O. U. No. 231. Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.). 
Synonyms.—RED-BREASTED SNIPE (in summer); GRAY SNIPE (in winter). 
Description—4dult in summer: Upper parts black, finely mottled and 

streaked with pale cinnamon-rufous, and with some white; rump and upper tail- 
coverts white, finely and heavily marked with broadly crescentic, blackish spots, 
and sometimes tinged with ochraceous; tail barred with black and white or with 
black and ochraceous ; lesser wing-coverts light grayish brown; primaries dusky ; 
the greater wing-coverts and secondaries varied by white margining, shaft-marks 
and tips; a chain of dark specks from bill to eye; belly whitish; remaining under 
parts pale cinnamon, finely but not heavily speckled on sides of head and neck, 
and across breast with blackish; spotted or lightly barred with the same on sides ; 
axillars and lining of wings white, striped and barred, or with V-shaped mark- 
ings of dusky; bill and legs greenish black. Adult in winter: Pale cinnamon- 
color wanting; above brownish gray, the feathers with darker centers; rump and 
upper tail-coverts black and white without ochraceous; indistinct superciliary 
white stripe; under parts white,—clear on belly, shaded with ashy gray on throat 
and breast; the sides and under tail-coverts barred with blackish. Length 10.00- 
11.00 (254.-279.4); wing 5.65 (143.5); bill 230 (58.4); tarsus 1.35 (34.3) 
(Ridgway). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; pale cinnamon predominant above and 
below in summer; fine mottling of back in either plumage; long bill; beach- 
haunting habits. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 4, like 
those of preceding species. Av. size, 1.65 x 1.13 (41.9 x 28.7). 

General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding far north; south in 
winter to the West Indies and Brazil. Casual in Alaska, Bermuda, Great Britain 
and Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. 


ALTHO comparable in size and general appearance to the Wilson Snipe, 
in movement and habit the Dowitcher is the very antithesis of the wily and 
erratic “Jack.” The Gray Snipe is gregarious and unwary, and is found 
chiefly in exposed situations, such as sand-bars, mud-flats and pebbly shoals. 
It is not jerky in flight like its cousin, but moves swiftly and easily after 
the approved fashion of Sandpipers. D. G. Elliott says of this species, “It 
is an extremely gentle, sociable bird, goes in small flocks, the individuals of 
which keep close together, and perform various graceful evolutions when 
on the wing, as if moved by one common impulse.” 

The Dowitcher is not commonly observed in the interior, but is one 
of the favorite “bay-birds” of the Atlantic Coast, highly esteemed by gun- 


on 
[e} 
iS) 


THE LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. 


ners. The flying birds give out a peculiar shrill whistle, which is easily 
imitated by the sportsman concealed behind his decoys. The birds are easily 
deceived by anything resembling a wader, since they mingle freely with 
other species at all times, and the stupid wooden things deployed upon the 
sand are eagerly hailed and received into prompt fellowship, as the compact 
inass of Dowitchers settles to its fate. ‘The wooden snipe are guiltless, but 
their immobility tempts the shattered flock to return, when it has recovered 
from the first murderous discharge, and few escape to tell the story. 

If, however, a flock contains a few “wise” birds, they may alight at 
some distance from the ambuscade, chattering softly as they come up, but 
motionless and silent as they stand huddled together, until their fears are 
allayed, and they feel safe to scatter for food. The Dowitcher swims 
readily, assisted as it is by a slight webbing of the toes; and it bobs its head 
with a peculiar compensating motion for every stroke.. When wounded, 
it may escape by swimming or by skillful hiding in the grass. 

The Dowitchers pass north rapidly in spring, as those who have im- 
portant business in hand; but they reappear with their young in July or 
August, and pursue a liesurely southward course, being found in latitudes 
corresponding to ours until cold weather sets in. 


No. 228. 
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. 


A. O. U. No. 232. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). 
Synonyms.—WESsTERN DowrtcHER; RED-BELLIED SNIPE. 
Description.—4 dult in summer: Similar to preceding species but somewhat 
larger, and with longer bill; pale cinnamon-rufous of under parts more extensive ; 
more heavily barred with blackish on sides. Adult in winter: Indistinguishable 
from M. griseus, except by larger size. Length 11.00-12.50 (279.4-317.5) ; wing 
5.72 (14593); tail 220. (5519)i5 bill’ 2:72 (Go:1); tarsus. 1.53) (38-0) 
Recognition Marks.—Robin to Kingfisher size; as in preceding species, but 
bird larger and with longer bill. 
Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 4, like 
those of preceding species. Av. size, 1.74 x 1.21 (44.2 x 30.8) (Ridgw.). 
General Range.—Western North America, breeding in Alaska to the Arctic 
Coast; migrating south in winter through the western United States (including 
Mississippi Valley) to Mexico and, less commonly, along the Atlantic Coast. 
Range in Ohio.—Rare or casual during migrations. 


THIS larger form is normally confined to the western United States, 
but finds its way irregularly eastward to the Atlantic Coast during migra- 


THE STILT SANDPIPER. 503 


tions. Altho like the preceding species in most of its ways, it is said to 
preter brackish lagoons and the margins of streams rather than the tide 
flats frequented by the other birds. It secures its food by wading about in 
water as deep as its long legs and bill will permit, probing the bottom indus- 
triously. Perhaps it is through the more diligent practice of this habit that 
the western bird has gradually acquired its longer bill. 


No. 229. 


Us SPL SANDPIPER: 


v A. O. U. No. 233. Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). 

Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts blackish with considerable 
buffy, or tawny, and white edging; a blackish line from bill to eye; auriculars 
rufous,—the color continued indistinctly around back of head; top of head dusky 
streaked with whitish; the remainder of head and neck dull white, dusky-streaked ; 
wing-coverts and secondaries grayish, the latter edged with white; primaries 
fuscous; rump ashy; upper tail-coverts white, barred and striped with dusky; 
under parts whitish, streaked with dusky and ochraceous on fore breast, elsewhere 
dusky-barred; bill and feet greenish black. Adult in winter: Above brownish 
gray with traces of black and tawny mottling, or not, the feathers more or less 
edged with whitish; upper tail-coverts white; the tail white, the feathers bordered 
with brownish gray; under parts white shaded with grayish, and more or less 
dusky-streaked on sides of neck, throat, and sides; legs and feet greenish yellow. 
Immature: Similar to adult in winter but blackish above, and with edgings of 
ochraceous-buff ; breast and sides more or less buffy-tinged. Length 7.50-9.00 
(190.5-228.6) ; wing 5.15 (130.8); bill 1.65 (41.9); tarsus 1.62 (41.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; bill with flattened punctate tip; com- 
paratively long legs. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a depression in the ground lined 
with dead leaves and grasses. Eggs, 3 or 4, grayish buff or light drab, boldly 
spotted and marked with reddish brown and purplish gray. Av. size, 1.44 x 1.00 
(AO xe BED). 

General Range.—E astern North America, breeding north of the United 
States, and migrating in winter to Bermuda, West Indies, and Central and South 
America. 

Range in Ohio.—Several “light” records——enough perhaps to constitute a 
valid claim. 


SINCE it passes rapidly through the United States on the way to and 
from the Arctic regions, comparatively little is known of this rare Sand- 
piper. When found, it is often associated with other species, especially 


504 THE KNOT. 


the Yellow-legs, and is seldom seen in large companies. It has something 
of the sedateness of movement of the Curlews, but is still very graceful on 
its “stilts.’ The long legs enable their owner to wade into a considerable 
depth of water, where the bill is immersed to the base and swept rapidly 
from side to side in search of minute crustaceans. The birds also probe 
the sand for worms and shell-fish after the manner of Curlews. A sharp 
tweet-tweet note has been remarked by several observers, and compared to 
that of the Solitary Sandpiper. 


No. 230. 


KNOT. 


A. O. U. No. 234. Tringa canutus Linn. 

Synonyms.—RoBIN SNIPE; GRAY SNIPE. 

Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts light gray, streaked centrally 
with black (narrowly on crown and nape, broadly on back and scapulars), and 
varied irregularly with some ochraceous buff; primary coverts and primaries 
blackish, the latter with white shafts; upper tail-coverts with subterminal U- or 
V-shaped markings of dusky; tail uniform, grayish brown; under parts in general 
pale cinnamon-rufous; cheeks and superciliary region washed with same, and 
dusky-streaked; paler or white on belly; crissum, under tail-coverts, thighs, lin- 
ing of wings, and sides white,—the last two and sides of breast more or less 
dusky-barred; bill and feet greenish black. Adult in winter: Above plain ashy 
gray; upper tail-coverts and tail as before; under parts white; the sides of neck, 
fore-neck, and chest with faint dusky streaks, or irregular bars, and the sides 
similarly barred. Jmmature: Above, ashy gray, mottled with dusky on crown; 
with whitish edging and narrow submarginal dusky on feathers of back and scap- 
ular region; the fore-breast flecked or streaked, but not barred, with dusky; 
otherwise much as in winter plumage adult. Length 10.00-11.00 (254.-279.4) ; 
wing 6.50 (165.1) ; tail 2.31 (58.7) ; bill 1.34 (34.); tarsus 1.23 (31.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Robin size; called “Robin Snipe” from the cinnamon- 
rufous of breast (in summer) ; the largest of the Tvingae; found coastwise. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs: only one 
specimen known,—that taken by Lieutenant Greely, near Fort Conger; described 
as “light pea-green, closely spotted with brown in small specks about the size 
of a pin-head.” “Avy. size, 1.10 x 1-00) (27:9 x 25-4). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan. Breeds in high northern latitudes, 
but visits the southern hemisphere during its migrations. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. 


WHEN King Canute, or Knut, had dined on a dish of strange coast- 
faring birds, he was gracious enough to express to his blushing chef the 


THE KNOT. 505 


royal appreciation of their flavor. Whereupon the eager courtiers dubbed 
the waders Knuts, or Knots, and so they have come down to us—at least 
so Pennant says: and Linnzeus, not over-curious (he was a busy man with 
all of Adam’s task to finish) accepted the tradition in “Tvringa canutus.” 
it is certainly fitting that these birds of the farthest north should bear the 
name of some hardy Norseman. 

Knots had swept down the roaring coast for centuries, but the mys- 
tery was, Where do they come from? Sir So-and-so was charged with 
high commission to bring back with him from the algid north, along with sun- 
dry information about the tides, and temperatures, and short cuts to China, a 
set of Knot’s eggs; but he came back empty-handed. Grizzled sea-captains 
said, “Lo here! lo there! they breed;” but the eggs were not forthcoming. 
Finally, it was left for our own Lieutenant Greely to bring back the first 
authentic specimen, one taken near Fort Conger, Latitude 81°, 44’, north, to- 
gether with the parent bird. Verily if we were Knots, even baby Knots, we 
might stand some show of reaching the North Pole. 

The Robin Snipe are found chiefly coastwise. They are still common 
along the Atlantic, altho greatly reduced in numbers; but are rare or casual 
in the interior. Dr. T. M. Brewer thus summarizes some of the bird’s chief 
points of interest: ‘The Knot is said to feed principally on aquatic insects 
and the soft animals inhabiting small bivalve shells. It is also said to be 
able to swim with great ease. Wilson, who has observed flocks of these 
birds on the sandy shores of New Jersey, states that their favorite and 
almost exclusive food seemed to be a small, thin, oval, bivalve shellfish of a 
pearly white color, which lie at a short distance below the surface, and in 
some places in low water occur in heaps. These are swallowed whole, and 
when loosened by the waves are collected by this bird with great ease and dex- 
terity. While doing this the bird follows the flowing and the recession of the 
waves with great nimbleness, and Wilson adds that it is highly amusing to ob- 
serve with what adroitness it eludes the tumbling surf, while seeming wholly 
intent on collecting its food. Audubon has seen this species probe the wet 
sand on the borders of oozy salt-marshes, thrusting in its bill with the same 
dexterity shown by other species. Its flight is swift, elevated, and well 
sustained. The aerial evolutions of these birds on their first arrival in fall 
are said to be beautiful, and they follow each other in their course with 
incredible celerity.”’ 


506 THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 


No. 231. 


PURPLE SANDPIPER 


A. O. U. No. 235. Arquatella maritima (Brunn.). 

Description.—A dult in summer: Upper parts blackish, top of head streaked 
with dull buffy, and the back and scapulars spotted and margined with the same; 
wings fuscous-gray, the greater coverts bordered, and secondaries narrowly 
tipped with white; the innermost secondaries almost entirely white; upper tail- 
coverts brownish dusky; tail fuscous centrally, brownish gray, lightened by 
whitish edgings laterally; throat and breast light grayish brown streaked with 
dusky; the chin, lower eye-lid, and remaining under parts white. “Legs, feet, 
and bill at base light flesh-color; rest of bill greenish black’ (Coues). Adult in 
winter: Head and neck all around and well down sooty gray or mouse-brown; 
the chin, lower eye-lid, and a space in front of and over eye whitening ; remain- 
ing upper parts brownish black, edged with sooty gray of neck (said to have 
a purplish cast at times, but doubtful; we catch eagerly at faint characters in 
the members of this so nearly homogeneous group) ; wing-coverts lighter fuscous, 
and with considerable white edging; remaining under parts white, more or less 
streaked with sooty gray on lower breast and sides. Young: ‘Above dusky, 
the scapulars, ueeSca ular and wing-coverts bordered with pale buffy or whitish” 

(Ridgw.). Length 8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3) ; wing 5.00 (127.) ; tail 2.40 (61.) ; 
bill 1.25 (31.8) ; tarsus I.00 (25.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size, but appearing larger; plain brownish 
gray or sooty gray of breast probably most distinctive. Somewhat similar to 
the Red-backed Sandpiper, in the shade and blend of color, but distinguished 
from the latter by its darker back and its smaller, lighter bill. 

Nearing —Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3-4, olive- 
buff or ashy brown, distinctly marked with large spots of rich ‘umber brown, 
chiefly about larger end. Av. size, 1.44 x 1.00 (36.6 x 26.9). 

General Range.— Northern portions of the northern hemisphere; in North 
America chiefly in the northeast portions, breeding in the high north, migrating 
in winter to the Eastern and Middle States (casually to Florida), the Great. Lakes, 
and the shores of the larger streams in the upper Mississippi Valley. 


Range in Ohio.—Very rare; one record on Lake Erie. 


THE responsibility of including this species in a list of Ohio birds still 
rests with Mr. Winslow of Cleveland. It is, however, included by Thomas 
Mcllwraith in his Birds of Ontario, on the basis of three or four specimens. 

The Purple Sandpiper is a strictly maritime species, being found in 
winter by preference only on “a stern and rock-bound coast.” It is very 
sure-footed, and gleans fearlessly over the most slippery rocks amidst the 
dashing of the spray. 


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COPYRIGHT 1800, BY A. W. MUMFORD, GHIGAWO. 


RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO. 


PECTORAL SANDPIPER 


Tringa maculata 


¥% Life-size 


THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 


No. 232. 


sf, PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 
A 


. O. U. No. 239. Actodromas maculata (Vieill.). 

Synonyms.—Grass SNIPE; KRIEKER. 

Description.—Adult: Above, ground-color, blackish, everywhere heavily 
margined, and thus finely streaked, with ochraceous-buff, ochraceous, or rusty, 
and with some grayish or whitish edging on the larger feathers; darker on crown, 
where streaked with rusty only; wing-quills dusky, the first primary only with 
white shaft; rump and upper tail-coverts black, delicately tipped with rusty ; tail 
sharply pointed, the central feathers longest,—blackish centrally, brownish gray 
laterally, with ochraceous or white edging; below, sides of head and neck, fore- 
neck and breast finely, sharply, and heavily streaked with dusky on a dull white 
or buffy ground; throat and remaining under parts white; bill and feet greenish 
dusky. Coloring in winter perhaps more blended. ‘There seems to be no con- 
stant difference between summer and winter plumages,—conflicting authorities 
to the contrary. Jmmature: A little brighter-colored above, with sharper mark- 
ings and more rusty, and with considerable white edging on larger feathers of 
back; the breast more deeply buffy, and the streaks, if possible, more numer- 
ous. Length 8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3); av. of seven Columbus specimens: wing 
5 Am (la7e2))a) tall 2:67 (O78) bill ie’) (2ou7)is) tarsus, 1-10) (27.0); 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size, but appearing larger; fine streaking 
of fore-neck and breast on heavy ground, contrasting with pure white of throat 
and belly, distinctive for size. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 4, drab, 
sometimes with a greenish shade, spotted and blotched with reddish brown. Av. 
Size, 1-45 XK 1.04 (36.8 x 26.4). 

General Range.—The whole of North America and the West Indies, and 
the greater part of South America. Breeds in the Arctic regions. Of frequent 
occurrence in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Quite common spring, less common fall migrant. 


DURING the days of heaviest rainfall, in middle April, the Pectoral 
Sandpiper enjoys the most general distribution of any of the waders. Caring 
nothing at this season for the presence of lake or stream, it is to be seen 
wherever the surfeited ground sustains a pool of undrunk water. Prairie 
pastures are likely to swarm with them for at least a day or two; and mead- 
ows prove most attractive to this grass-loving Snipe. 

When startled, a flock of fifty Sandpipers moves off as one bird, wheel- 
ing and turning at precisely the same moment, and presenting in the morn- 
ing light a pleasing alternation of flashing white, when the under parts are 
exposed, and somber gray, when the backs appear. While on the wing, 
the birds keep up a desultory cross-fire of peculiar, wild, creaking notes; 
but upon alighting, they scatter widely in search of food and are mainly 


508 THE WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. 


silent. They both glean and probe on land, or wade about busily in the 
grassy plashes. At the approach of danger, the waders will often crouch 
low upon the ground in the hope of escaping observation. During the 
return movement in late summer and early autumn, they scatter even more 
widely, and frequently each individual shifts for himself independent of 
his fellows. At this season it is said to lie well to a dog; and upon being 
flushed it moves off with a rapid zigzag flight, much admired by the knights 
oi the reeking tube. 

Very interesting accounts of the breeding habits of these birds, in their 
far northern home, reach us through the pen of Mr. E. W. Nelson. Accord- 
ing to this careful observer the males are able to distend the loosened skin 
of the breast, inflating it with air until it becomes nearly as large as the 
rest of the body. With these absurd appendages they run up and down 
before the females, or attempt strange sallies in the air. While engaged in 
these attempts to win attention, they utter notes which are “hollow and 
resonant, but at the same time liquid and musical, and may be represented 
by the syllables too-w, too-u, too-u.” 


No. 233. 


WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. 


/ 

JA. O. U. No. 240. Actodromas fuscicollis (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult in summer: ‘op of head ochraceous-butf, broadly 
streaked with black; upper tail-coverts pure white, or with a few dusky streaks ; 
rump brownish gray centrally, but showing white laterally; remaining upper 
parts blackish centrally, but with much edging of light brownish gray and ochra- 
ceous-rufous; central tail-feathers blackish, lateral feathers brownish gray; su- 
perciliary stripe and under parts white, the fore-neck, breast, and sides finely 
streaked with dusky and washed with ochraceous-buff. Adult in winter: Above 
plain brownish gray, the blackish reduced to central streaks; streaking of breast 
less distinct. Jmmature: Like adult in summer, but black feathers of back with 
rounded tips and ochraceous edge; those of lower scapulars rounded and white- 
tipped; feathers of crown indistinctly, and the tertials sharply bordered with 
ochraceous-rufous; not so sharply streaked, and less heavily tinged with buffy 
on breast. Length 7.00-8.00 (177.8-203.2) ; wing 4.95 (125.7) ; tail 2.15 (54.6); 
bill .96 (24.4); tarsus .96 (24.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; finely streaked breast; 
white upper tail-coverts distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, lined scantily with 
dead leaves. Eggs, 3-4, light olive, or olive-brown spotted boldly or finely with 
deep reddish brown, chiefly about larger end. Av. size, 1.37 x .94 (34.8 x 23.9). 


THE BAIRD SANDPIPER. 509 


General Range.—Eastern North America breeding in the high north. In 
winter, the West Indies, Central and South America, south to Falkland Islands. 
Occasional in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon migrant on Lake Erie; rare elsewhere. 
No recent records. 


THIS Sandpiper is comparatively uncommon anywhere in the interior, 
and nothing has been added in our state to the meager records left by Dr. 
Wheaton. It would appear that the bird may be looked for both on the shore 
cf Lake Erie, and upon the moist uplands of the interior, where it fre- 
quents pools left by recent rains, quite after the manner of the preceding spe- 
cies. It is described as very confiding and unacquainted with fear, except 
in localities where incessant gunning has made all wild things afraid. 

Mr. William Brewster has this to say of its characteristic cry: “It has 
a very peculiar note, unlike that of any other Sandpiper, which is not 
in any sense a whistling but is a low lisping sound, and almost the only 
cry of a shore-bird which is neither mellow nor whistling. When disturbed 
it moves quickly off, repeating this rather low note, which, however, is al- 
ways distinctly audible above that of the small Tringe@ with which it as- 
sociates.”’ 


No. 234. 


BAIRD SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 241. Actodromas bairdii Coues. 


Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts fuscous, with considerable 
edging of buffy and light brownish gray,—the buff mostly in lateral striping on 
top of head and hind-neck, where predominant, and as terminal edging on back, 
etc.; some whitish edging on coverts, secondaries and inner quills, but no strong 
shades or contrasts anywhere; upper tail-coverts and tail dark fuscous, the former 
tipped with buff, and the latter edged with whitish, the outer feathers becoming 
much lighter; forehead and supra-loral streaks white; throat white; the sides of 
the head, and neck, and breast, with a heavy buffy suffusion, lightly spotted and 
streaked with brownish dusky; remaining under parts white; bill and legs black. 
In winter, the shades of the upper parts are a little more blended. Immature: 
Similar to adult, but lighter above, light brownish gray predominating; the feath- 
ers of back and scapulars rounded, with conspicuous, white, terminal edging; the 
streaking of breast, etc., less distinct. Length 7.35 (186.7): wing 4.83 (122.7) ; 
tail 2.03 (51.6); bill .9t (23.1) ; tarsus .94 (23.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow”’ size, but appearing larger; about the size 
of a Spotted Sandpiper; dull fuscous and buffy coloration of upper parts; buffy 
breast streaked with fuscous; upper tail-coverts not white. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, lined with a few 
dry leaves and grasses. Eges, 4, buff, or light cream-buff, finely speckled or 
spotted and blotched with chestnut of various shades. Avy. size, 1.30 x .93 
(3355 123'6)): 

General Range.—Nearly tlie whole of North and South America, but chiefly 
the interior of North and the western portions of South America, south to Chili 
and Patagonia. Breeds in Alaska and on the Barren Grounds. Rare along the At- 
lantic Coast, and not yet recorded from the Pacific Coast of the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare spring and fall migrant. 


MUCH confusion formerly existed with reference to the status of this 
species, and even now it seems certain that many of them pass through our 
borders unrecognized, because of their habit of associating during migrations 
with other and smaller Sandpipers. 

The Baird Sandpiper is abundant in the interior states, and especially 
in the Rocky Mountains at certain seasons; but it breeds exclusively in the 
remote north. 

“In habits they are similar to the White-rumped (which they so closely 
resemble), but are more inclined to wander from the water’s edge. I have 
flushed the birds on high prairie lands, at least a mile from the water” (Goss). 


No. 235. 


LEAST SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 242. Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN STINT; PEEP. 

Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts brownish black, relieved by 
fuscous on wings, hind-neck, etc.; the feathers more or less bordered with grayish 
and rusty-ochraceous, especially on scapulars, where deeply indented, often nearly 
to shaft; upper tail-coverts and central feathers of tail brownish black ; remaining 
tail-feathers ashy gray; sides of head, neck, and breast ashy or brownish white, 
spotted and streaked with dusky; a few dusky streaks on sides; remaining under 
parts white. lWVinter plumage: Above plain brownish gray, black, if at all, only 
in mesial streaks ; spotting of breast nearly obsolete. /mmature: Similar to adult 
in summer, but without ochraceous indentations on scapular feathers; feathers of 
back with rounded ochraceous tips, scapulars with white tips on outer web, etc. ; 
breast not distinctly streaked. Length 6.00 (152.4); wing 3.60 (91.4) ; tail 1.70 
(43.2) ; bill .80 (20.3) ; tarsus .73 (18.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler to Sparrow size; least among Sandpipers; 
most liable to be confused with Ereunetes pusillus, from which it differs in its 
slightly smaller size, slender bill, more extensively washed breast, and rather darker 
coloration above. ‘The absence of webs on the feet is, of course, distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4, light 


THE LEAST SANDPIPER. 511 


drab or grayish buff, speckled and spotted with deep chestnut and purplish gray. 
INNS GIGASS MGI Xe Sols) (AOA ae Aitcit)e 

General Range.—The whole of North and South America, breeding north of 
the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. 


IT is with a distinct sense of privilege that one is permitted to gaze 
upon a company of these elfin waders at meal time. Not soon shall I forget 
a Sunday stroll which led past the corner of a certain brickyard pond on a 
bright May after- 
noon. A tiny babel 
of soft peeping had 
given us warning of 
what we might ex- 
pect to see, if we 
managed to steal up 
to the edge of the 
shallow cut unob- 
served. By exercis- 
ing care and _ pa- 
tience, both my wife 
and I succeeded in 
seating ourselves on 
the near brink with- 
out alarming the lit- 
tle strangers. Thev 
seemed to accept ts 
as a part of that gra- 
cious horizon which 
is the birthright of 
both innocence and 
optimism. So con- 
fiding were they that 
at a distance of thir- 
ty feet they not only 
went on in thei 
quest of food, but 
one had a sound nap 
on shore, a Sunday 
nap, with his head 
tucked snugly  un- 
der his wing. 

In their search for food the Peeps appeared to depend entirely upon their 
bright eyes to spy tidbits and unguessable delicacies in the shallow water or 


Taken at Cedar Port. Photo by the Author. 


SANDPIPER PARK. 


to 


THE RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 


on the oozy bottom; and they waded about belly deep, thrusting their heads 
under water as fearlessly as ducks. ‘There was little said except when some 
member of the party flew further than usual, when they set up a quaint clamor, 
which seemed like a faint echo of the far-sounding surf on Arctic seas. The 
little travelers were scrupulously neat in their habits, dividing their time about 
equally between dabbling in the water for food and making their toilets on 
shore. A few hours for rest and refreshment, beside a prosy brickyard pond 
in old Ohio, and then,—Heigh ho! for Hudson Bay! 


No. 236. 
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 243a. Pelidna alpina pacifica (Coues.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN DUNIIN; OX-BIRD, 

Description.—Adu/t in winter: Above, nearly uniform light brownish gray, 
the feathers slightly darker centrally, or with dusky mesial streaks; primary-cov- 
erts and wing-quills blackish; the greater coverts white-tipped ; the inner primaries 
narrowly white-edged; the secondaries increasingly white on the inner web; the 
tertials almost entirely white; upper tail-coverts like back or darker, but the lateral 
feathers white or white-edged; an impure whitish superciliary line; sides of head 
and neck and across fore-neck and breast like color of back, but lighter; the color 
distributed centrally from the feathers, giving a faintly streaked appearance; re- 
maining under parts white, or with a few gray streaks on sides; bill longer, stout, 
slightly curved near tip, black; feet and legs black. Adult in swmmer: Upper 
parts black centrally with broad margining of bright rusty ochraceous; wings as 
before; breast, etc., grayish white, faintly streaked with dusky; belly black, 
strongly contrasting with breast; crissum, etc., white. Jimmature: “Upper parts 
blackish, the feathers with rounded tips of rufous or buff ; belly spotted with black” 


Recognition Marks.—Chewink size (considerably under Killdeer size) ; 
bright rufous of back and black of belly distinctive, but seldom seen in Ohio. 
Soft brownish gray of upper parts and breast; rather long black bill, slightly 
curved near tip, distinctive for plumage commonly seen. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 4, dull 
brownish buff, or clay color, (“bluish-white to ochraceous-buff”’—Chapman ) 
spotted, blotched and stained, chiefly about the larger end, with chestnut and choco- 
late. Av. size, 1.43 x 1.01 (36.3) x 25.7). 

General Range.—North America in general, breeding far north. Eastern 
Asia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare spring and common fall migrant. More common on 
Lake Erie. 


WE are disposed to grumble a little at times because of the encroach- 
ments of civilization, and especially for the lessening opportunities afforded 


THE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 513 


us for the study of water- and shore-birds. It is annoying to find our favorite 
beach prostituted to the purposes of the average ‘“‘summer resort,” and our 
favorite swamp domesticated into a corn-field. ‘The ornithological pessimist 
may raise his voice here, and there shall be none to rebuke him. At the same 
time it is instructive to note the efforts made by the birds to adjust themselves 
to the changed conditions, and to see how bravely they will venture into the 
old haunts. It was in a riverside swamp in the city of Lorain that I once 
saw a little group of Red-backed Sandpipers. The tiny stretch of bog-water 
and sedge was completely engirdled by railroads, and the air was filled with 
the jargon of strange tongues, and the attendant din and roar of the ore- 
handling trade; yet on the 25th day of July, 1898, in the muddy heart of 
this tiny oasis, five “Dunlins” and a half dozen “Peeps” paused to rest and 
spend the day, undisturbed save for the harmless inquisitiveness of the bird- 
man. It is thus for the most part that some thirty species of shore-birds accept 
our waning but ungrudged hospitality, and pass unhindered to those distant 
bournes appointed them by the Father’s will. 


No. 237. 


Wf SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 


f 
VA On UL No: 246. Ereunetes pusillus (Ljinn.). 

Synonyms.—PrEP; SAND-PEEP; OX-EYE. 

Description —Adult in summer: Above blackish or fuscous, with much 
brownish gray and some whitish or pale rusty edging; darker on crown and back, 
lighter on neck and wings; tips of greater coverts white, rump grayish brown; 
upper tail-coverts and central tail-feathers dusky; remaining tail-feathers ashy 
gray; a white superciliary line, and a dusky line from bill to eye; under parts white, 
except across breast, where tinged with brownish gray, and distinctly streaked 
with dusky brown; bill and feet dark brown. Adult in winter: Above plain, 
brownish gray, with darker shaft-streaks or central areas; below pure white, 
marked, if at all, with faint streaks on sides of breast. Jmmature: Similar to 
adult in summer, but feathers of back and scapulars rounded, and with conspicuous 
edgings of pale rufous and white; breast tinged with buff, and faintly streaked on 
sides only. Length 5.50-6.75 (139.7-171.5) ; av. of seven Columbus specimens: 
wing 3.67 (93.2) ; tail 1.60 (40.6) ; bill .80 (20.3) ; tarsus .82 (20.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size. A little larger than Actodromas minu- 
tilla, with which alone it could be confused. Distinguished by longer, stouter bill, 
somewhat lighter coloration of back, clearer white below, with streaked area of 
breast not so extensive. Partial webbing of feet distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, a slight depres- 
sion, scantily lined with grass. Eggs, 3 or 4, grayish buff, greenish drab, or olive, 
finely speckled or spotted with dark brown or obscure lilac. Av. size, 1.23 x .85 
(Bire2 Se Bis))). 


514 THE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 


General Range.—Eastern North America, breeding north of the United 
States; south in winter to the West Indies and South America. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant throughout the state. 

WHO knows where these huddling Sandpipers come from? Where are 
they going? We do not know. Who cares? We never saw them before— 
shoot them! It is pleasant to hear the roar of a gun in our ears. We love to 
see little white bodies dotting the sand. See! the wind lifts a dainty wing 
and lets it fall again. It is broken. And look! There is a bird dragging 
itself off into the coveted shelter of a fallen log. Hurry, or you will be too 
late. Ah! now you have it safe! A rough squeeze of mercy you can hardly 
deny it, as its eyes flood and it looks the unutterable woe of the wild things. 
“Waal, stranger, what ye goin’ to do with them birds? Reckon you'll eat 
“em?” “Why, ye-es; I suppose so. They are good to eat, are they not?” 
“Humph! Yaas; so’s Hummin’ birds.” 

Thus again is enacted that familiar tragedy of the migrating shore birds 
—a tragedy, which, repeated tens of thousands of times in a season, is sweep- 
ing away these harmless lowland dwellers of the North with a movement 
as relentless as the oncoming iceberg and as rapid as the progress of invention. 

Of course no true sportsman would assault such tiny game as this, but 
the fact remains that somewhere somebody with a gun is doing for our shore- 
birds, even the smallest of them; and that unless our legislatures place ample 
means at the command of our Fish and Game Commissioners, and unless the 
people themselves support and help to enforce wise measures of protection, 
all our water- and shore-birds will be things of the past. This department 
of ornithology may then be given over to the care of the paleontologist. 

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is the one of most frequent occurrence, as 
well as greatest abundance during migration. Flocks, containing any- 
where from a score to several hundred birds, may be found feeding on mud- 
flats or floating vegetation, or pattering about the sands of the Lake Erie shore. 
In flight the birds move in close order, turning and doubling sharply in obedi- 
ence to one knows not what sudden fear or fancy, uttering the while soft 
whistling notes, tweet, tweet, so that the passing flock sounds like a fairy rattle- 
box. Altho rather wary when feeding, it is possible gradually to accustom 
the birds to one’s presence, so that they will permit a very close approach. 
By manceuvering for half an hour in nearly open water, I once brought my 
boat within three feet of a wisp of birds huddled on a floating patch of pickerel 
weed, before they took flight. At such a time, as soon as the Peeps suspect 
danger, they stop feeding and stand motionless. Upon a nearer approach, 
they may sink slowly to their knees and crouch closely, as tho hoping to escape 
notice; or else they will take wing with sudden unanimity and shrill pipings. 
Tf not greatly disturbed the flock may return to the same spot the next minute ; 
but when it does, the birds first stand motionless upon alighting, until all fears 
are removed, or until the object of distrust retires. 


cHicaso 


= 
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2 
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5 
>= 
a= 
= 


SANDERLING 


6% 


Life-size 


73 


= 
S 


THE SANDERLING. 515 


No. 238. 


SANDERLING. 


A. O.U. No. 248. Calidris arenaria (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult in swimmer: Crown and upper parts in general blackish 
with heavy edging of ashy white, and with much striping, sub-marginal marking, 
or indenting and barring, of pale rufous; sides of head, throat, and neck all around, 
and sides of breast ashy white, strongly tinted with pale rufous, and finely spotted 
with dusky; remaining under parts pure white——the white well up on sides of 
rump, and including outer feathers of upper tail-coverts; wings, marginally, and 
including exposed portions of quills, fuscous; the greater coverts tipped with 
white, and the wing-quills changing to white on their inner webs and under sur- 
faces ; the inner primaries white basally on outer webs; tail dusky above, ashy gray 
on lateral feathers; bill and feet black. Adult in winter: Wings dusky, varied, 
on middle coverts, etc., with white; central upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers 
dusky ; remaining upper parts ashy gray (nearly pearl gray) ; the feathers, espe- 
cially on crown, with dusky shaft-lines; entire under parts pure white. Jimima- 
ture in fall: Somewhat like adult in summer, but without rufous anywhere; back, 
therefore, showing more black, varied chiefly by white in scant edgings and tips, 
or in liberal indentations on scapulars and tertials ; feathers of rump nearly square- 
ended, marked subterminally with light ashy gray, but tipped with a sharp, narrow 
band of blackish; under parts white-—or sometimes spotted on breast. Length 
7.00-8.75 (177.8-222.3); wing 4.82 (122.4); tail 2.11 (53.6); bill 1.06 (26.9); 
tarsus 1.02 (25.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; fine, mottled rufous-ash and black of 
spring birds ; excess of white in fall specimens ; black bill, strongly contrasting with 
adjacent plumage. Absence of hind toe, of course, distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4. 
light olive, or greenish brown, finely speckled and spotted with dark brown, chiefly 
about larger end. Av. size, 1.41 x .QI (35.8 x 23.1). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan, breeding in the Arctic and subarctic 
regions ; migrating in America south to Chili and Patagonia. 

Range in Ohio.—Fairly common on beaches of Lake Erie during migrations. 
Not common in the interior. 


THERE is a tide in the affairs of the Sanderling which, taken at the ebb, 
provides a momentary fortune of stranded crustaceans and marine insects. 
The bird follows the retreating billow with uplifted wing, quick to seize upon 
the wave’s disclosures, and ready at a sign to avoid the return of the fickle 
water. It is thus that we find him in May, and again late in August or Sep- 
tember, along the Lake Erie shore. The birds usually occur in considerable 
flocks, which deploy and feed silently at the water's edge; but single individuals 
or a half dozen are sometimes found in company with Semipalmated Sand- 
pipers or Semipalmated Plovers. In the latter case they may be readily distin- 
guished by their larger size, and, in the fall, by their lighter color. I once 


516 THE SANDERLING. 


found a solitary bird feeding upon the floating vegetation in the Licking 
Reservoir; and they occur not infrequently upon the gravel bars of the larger 
streams. 

Sanderlings appear to be very graceful birds, when their movements 
are unconstrained by the knowledge of man’s presence. When approached, 
however, the flock will stand silent, viewing your actions with grave regard. 


Photo by the Author. 


ieee oe THE SANDERLING’S DOMAIN. 
Even tho partially reassured as to your intent, the remaining movements are 
apt to be halting—with only one eye spared for bug-catching; and the strain 
is relieved only when the whole company take sudden flight with sharp whist- 
ling cries: 
“Friend, if friend you be, 
The world is wide. 
If you tent here,— 
Why, yonder does for me.” 


THE MARBLED GODWIT. 517 


No. 2309. 


MARBLED GODWIT. 


uh O. U. No. 249. Limosa fedoa (Linn.). 

Synonym.—Brown Martin. 

Description.—Adult: General color pale cinnamon or ochraceous-buff ; the 
head and neck all around streaked and spotted with brownish dusky ; the back, etc., 
heavily and irregularly barred with the same,—a typical feather from the scapulars 
has a broad dusky center shaped like a dandelion leaf, the complementary spaces 
being ochraceous-buff, or irregularly white; the primary coverts, and outer webs 
of three outer primaries brownish dusky ; the breast (especially on sides), the sides, 
flanks, and lower tail-coverts, with fine wavy bars of dusky; the superciliary line 
and throat immaculate; the axillars and lining of wings darker,—say pale cinna- 
mon-rufous ; bill, slightly upturned, yellow at base, blackening toward tip; feet and 
legs blackish. Jmmature: Similar to adult, but immaculate on breast; sides and 
flanks less distinctly and extensively barred. Length 16.50-21.00 (419.1- 533-4) 3 
wing 9.15 (232.4) ; tail 3.13 (79.5) ; bill 4.28 ( 108.7) ; tarsus 2.74 (69.6 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; large size; long, slightly upturned bill; 
pale cinnamon coloration; “marbled” appearance of upper parts. 

Nesting.— Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4, 
light olive-brown, finely speckled and spotted with dark brown and purplish gray. 
Ay. SHAS, AAS) 38 Ufo (GSW xe i047), 

General Range.—North America, breeding in the interior (from Iowa and 
Nebraska northward to Manitoba and the Saskatchewan). Migrating in winter 
to Guatemala, Yucatan, etc., and Cuba. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common migrant. 


THIS good wight has wit enough at least to avoid our coasts of late; 
and Professor Jones in his recent catalog is able to add nothing to Dr. Whea- 
ton’s records. The bird cannot be blamed exactly, since one of the last records 
was of thirty-three, which were “shot in one day, near the mouth of the 
Little Miami, some years ago by ———— ———,, Esq.” 

According to Dr. Coues, the center of the bird’s abundance in summer 
includes the northwestern prairie states and the region of the Saskatchewan. 
“It breeds in Iowa,” he says, “and in Minnesota and eastern Dakota, where I 
observed it in June, and where the eggs have been procured. I found it on the 
plains bordering the Red River, in company with Long-billed Curlews and 
great numbers of Bartramian Sandpipers, nesting like these species, on the 
prairie near the river, and about the adjoining pools, but not necessarily by 
the water’s edge. In its habits at this season it most weer resembles the Cur- 
lew, and the two species, of much the same size and general appearance, might 
be readily mistaken at a distance where the difference in the bill might not be 
perceived. On intrusion near the nest, the birds mount in the air with loud 
piercing cries, hovering slowly around with labored flight in evident distress, 
and approaching sometimes within a few feet of the observer.’ 


518 5 THE HUDSONIAN GODWIT. 


No. 240. 
HUDSONIAN GODWIT. 


A. O. U. No. 251. Limosa hzemastica (Linn.). 

Synonym.—RING-?TAILED MARLIN. 

Description.— Adult in swimmer: Above black or blackish, the head and neck 
streaked, and the back, scapulars, etc., irregularly barred with ochraceous-buft ; 
the greater coverts chiefly brownish gray; the edge of wing, primary-coverts and 
primaries blackish, the shafts of the latter white, and the inner quills white at base; 
upper tail-coverts white, the longer feathers black-barred and black-tipped; tail 
black, narrowly white-tipped and extensively white at base; neck in front and on 
sides pale chestnut-rufous, streaked with dusky; remaining under parts deeper 
chestnut-rufous, barred with dusky,—finely on breast and belly, more boldly on 
flanks and lower tail-coverts; the axillars sooty black; the lining of wing dusky, 
varied with white ; the chin and superciliary line buffy white; bill, slightly upturned, 
flesh color at base, blackening toward tip; feet and legs black. Winter plumage: 
“Back, etc., plain dull, brownish gray; head, neck, and lower parts dull whitish, 
or pale grayish buffy, shaded with brownish gray anteriorly.” (Ridgw.). Imma- 
ture: Similar to adult in winter, but the feathers of back, etc., margined sub- 
terminally with dusky, and terminally with ochraceous-buff ; belly whitish. Length 
14.00-16.50 (355.6-419.1) ; wing 8.40 (213.4) ; tail 2.98 (75.7) ; bill 3.10 (78.7) ; 
tarsus 2.30 (58.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size. Smaller than preceding species; 
chestnut-rufous coloration of under parts in summer adult; white of upper tail- 
coverts and black tail distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4, 
clear light brown or deep olive, spotted with darker brown. Av. size, 2.18 x 1.40 
(55-4 X 35-6). 

General Range.—Eastern North America and the whole of Middle and South 
America. Breeds only in the high north. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. 


OUR knowledge of this rare wader still rests entirely upon the following 
words of Wheaton: ‘Rare spring and fall migrant. Dr. Kirtland notes its 
capture in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and Mr. Winslow mentions its occurrence 
near Cleveland. I met with a flock of eight birds in the spring of 1858, 
wading in a shallow pond in an old brick yard within the city limits, but 
was not so fortunate as to secure specimens. In the spring of 1861, a fine 
specimen was taken below the State dam, near the city by a sportsman and 
taxidermist, which was preserved until recently.” 

Professor Butler knows of no recent instance of the bird’s capture in 
Indiana, and Ridgway’s estimate, “abundant migrant,’’ would probably no 
longer hold good in Illinois. 


THE GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 519 


The Hudsonian Godwits spend our winter in the Argentine Republic, 
but do not nest there, remaining together instead in small flocks of from one 
to two dozen individuals. It is possible, however, as Hudson surmises, that 
a certain proportion of the species does breed in the Antarctic region, while 
the majority are spending their true summer in the northern part of North 
America. 


No. 241. 
GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 


A. O. U. No. 254. Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—LONnG-LEGGED TATTLER; STONE SNIPE. 

Description—ddult in swimmer: Above dusky or blackish gray; streaked 
on the head and neck, and spotted on the edges of feathers of back, scapulars, etc., 
with white; edge of wing, and quills plain dusky; the upper tail-coverts white, 
narrowly barred on terminal portions with dusky; tail narrowly barred dusky and 
white, the central feathers darker; under parts white, the fore-neck and breast 
heavily spotted and streaked, and the sides barred with dusky; “ bill straight or 
slightly inclined upward, not with regular curve, but as if bent near the middle, 
black or greenish black;”’ feet and legs bright yellow. Adult in winter: Upper 
parts fuscous, or light grayish brown, the anterior portions whitish-edged, and 
whitish-tipped; feathers of back, ete., with spots or incipient bars of dusky and 
white on edges ; margining of under parts not so heavy. Jmimature: Like adult in 
winter, but darker above, the white spotting with some admixture of brownish buff. 
Length about 14.00 (355.6) ; wing 7.60 (193.) ; tail 3.11 (79.); bill 2.15 (54.6) ; 
tarsus 2.40 (61.). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; long yellow legs; white upper tail- 
coverts, with sober dusky and white coloration, distinctive for size; Tew, tew, tew, 
notes. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 or 4, 
“brownish buffy, distinctly but very irregularly spotted with rich Vandyke or mad- 
der brown.” Av. size, 1.43 x 1.20 (36.3 x 30.5) (Ridgw.). 

General Range.—America in general, breeding from Iowa and northern [lli- 
nois, etc., northward, and migrating south to Chili and Argentine Republic. 

Range in Ohio.— ‘Fairly common during the migrations over the entire 
state” (Jones). 


OF the larger Limicolz this species is perhaps the commonest during 
migrations. In saying this, however, one draws the line of size between 
the Greater Yellow-legs and its lesser double, 7. flavipes; for the latter is 
undoubtedly still more common. ‘The impression of abundance is heightened 
by the restless, noisy ways of these Tattlers, so that if there be a single bird 
about a pond, the whole country-side is likely to know it. The birds frequent 


520 THE YELLOW-LEGS. 


not only the borders of lakes and marshes, but duck-ponds, brick-yards, upland 
pools and river bars as well. Sometimes they move uneasily from one pond 
to another, as tho discontented with the fare offered; and at all times they 
utter a querulous note which is perfectly characteristic, few tew tew, tew 
tew tew,—always in groups of three. The notes are vigorous and penetrating 
as well as petulant, and therefore always pleasing as adding a distinct element 
to the chorus of the season. 

While feeding, the Tattler wades about knee-deep, snatching its food from 
the surface of the water, or else thrusting its head below for a quick search 
along the bottom. At such times it may be very alert or quite unwary, accord- 
ing to the amount of persecution which it has previously endured. By gentle 
advances I have walked entirely around a pool where these birds were feeding, 
and they waded in toward the center breast deep rather than take wing. At 
other times I have been unable to get within a hundrd yards of them. 

The Yellow-legs seldom remains above a day at any one station, but ad- 
vances across the state by slow stages. The fall movement is a little more 
leisurely than that of spring, inasmuch as the bird’s business is less urgent; 
and they are rather more numerous at that season. In their winter home, in 
far off Argentina, the birds are said to mingle for a time with the members 
of their race which constitute a southern division, and which must soon be 
leaving for their breeding haunts within the Antarctic circle. 


No. 242. 


YELLOW-LEGS. 


A. O. U. No. 255. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—TAarrLeR; LessER TATTLER. 

Description.— Adult in swmmer: Head and neck all around (save throat), 
and breast, finely streaked with dusky, on white or ashy-white ground, the mark- 
ings on the sides of breast broader and heavier, passing into loose and rather indis- 
tinct bars on sides; remaining under parts white; back and upper parts in general 
light brownish gray, tinging also hind-neck and crown; feathers of back and - scapu- 
lars with blackish centers, and irregular spotting of ashy white; the larger feathers, 
especially tertials, with incomplete black bars; primaries dusky; the secondaries 
with narrow edging of white; upper tail-coverts white, the terminal portion of 
feathers dusky-barred; tail white or ashy gray, centrally, barred with dusky; bill 
and feet as in preceding species. Winter plumage: Above light brownish gray, 
with some darker shaft-lines, and considerable white spotting on edges of feathers ; 
markings of neck and under parts much paler, grayish brown, partially obscured 
or blended. Length about 10.50 (266.7) ; av. of five Columbus specimens: wing 
6.11 (155.2) ; tail 2.36 (59.9) ; bill we (37.1) ; tarsus 1.98 (50.3). 


THE YELLOW-LEGS. 521 
Recognition Marks.—Killdeer size; like preceding species but smaller. 
Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Eggs, 3-4, “buffy (variable as to shade), 

distinctly (sometimes broadly) spotted or blotched with dark madder or Vandyke 

brown and purplish gray.”’ Av. size, 1.69 x 1.15 (42.9 x 29.2) (Ridgw.). 
General Range.—America in general, breeding in the cold temperate and 
subarctic districts, and migrating south in winter to southern South America. Less 
common in western than in eastern North America. 
Range in Ohio.—‘“Very common spring and fall migrant’? (Wheaton). 


Taken im Massachusetts. Photo by Lynds Jones. 
SHORE BIRDS GALORE. 


THIS smaller representative of the genus Totanus is even more gen- 
erally distributed, 1f possible, than its larger brother, 7. melanoleucus. Dur- 
ing the spring migrations it spreads over the state and rests wherever there 
is flooded land. Altho not solitary by preference, the birds are rather inde- 
pendent, and I have seen single individuals, or twos and threes, quite as often 
as larger flocks. These little Tattlers mingle freely with other species, and 
especially with their larger congeners, the Greater Yellow-legs, and with the 
closely related Solitary Sandpiper. When frightened from their feeding 
haunts, however, the Yellow-legs draw off by themselves, and pursue a course 
to other pastures, without reference to their recent associates. 


522 THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 


The most prominent characteristic of these birds, as they flutter about 
from place to place, or rise for extended flight, is the tail appearing almost 
white,—for the cross-barring of the tail-feathers, while apparent enough in the 
hand, is scarcely noticeable at a distance. Upon alighting the bird remains 
a moment with wings held daintily aloft, and if reassured, folds them quietly, 
one at a time, like a yacht hauling in sail, or simultaneously, as the case may 
be. On foot it is often restless, bobbing or teetering with nervous appre- 
hension, and serving frequent notice of its readiness for departure. As tho 
conscious, however, of its own preparedness, it will often suffer a much nearer 
approach than most other species of waders. 

In a company which included shore birds of eleven kinds, 1 once saw 
a Lesser Tattler which was obliged to hop about upon one leg, for the other 
dangled helpless in the air. The bird had evidently been for some time in 
this plight, for it balanced with ease, and stooped not ungracefully to secure 
food from the surface of the mud; so that one entertained the hope that his one 
yellow leg might serve him for a lifetime. 

The notes of the Yellow-legs are much like those of the preceding species, 
but are lighter in character. 

D. G. Elliot’ states without comment, that this species breeds in Illinois 
and Ohio, but no records of its breeding are known to us, nor had it been 
reported in Dr. Wheaton’s time. 


No. 243. 
SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 


A. O. U. No. 256. Helodromas solitarius (Wils.). 

Description.—A dult in summer: Above, olive-brown or fuscous, with a faint 
greenish tinge, blackening on wings; the head and neck finely streaked, and the 
back, etc., distinctly speckled with white; upper tail-coverts dusky, the lateral 
feathers spotted or barred with white; central tail-feathers dusky, spotted on edges 
with white; the remaining feathers of tail white, with heavy dusky bars; under 
parts white, the sides of neck and breast and across chest streaked with fuscous ; 
axillars prominent white, barred with dusky; bill blackish; feet and legs dull 
greenish black. /Vinter plumage: Colors more blended ; olivaceous tinge of upper 
parts nearly wanting; white spotting less pure; head and neck less distinctly 
streaked ; fore-neck and sides of breast heavily tinged or indistinctly clouded rather 
than streaked with light grayish brown. Immature: Like adult in winter, but 
colors still more blended; no streakings on head and neck; spotting of back buffy. 
Length 7.50-8.50 (190.5-215.9) ; av. of six Columbus specimens: wing 5.04 (128.) ; 
tail 2.08 (52.8) ; bill 1.13 (28.7) ; tarsus 1.18 (30.). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; olive-brown above with white speckling. 
To be carefully distinguished from Actitis macularia by its somewhat larger size 


1 “North American Shore Birds,” (published by Francis P. Harper, New York) p. 119. 


THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER. = 


and slimmer build, as well as by the absence of spotting on the belly. /V eet, weet 
note a little sharper than that of A. macularia. 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio, but probably does so. Nest, on the 
ground. Eggs, 4 or 5, faint dark reddish fading to light drab or clay color, 
spotted, blotched, and scrawled with brown, and with faint purplish shell mark- 
ings on the larger end1 Av. size, 1.39 x .95 (35.3 X 24.1). 

General Range.—North America, breeding occasionally in the northern 
United States, more commonly northward, and migrating southward as far as the 
Argentine Republic and Peru. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant; perhaps more generally distributed than 
most of the family. Sparingly resident in summer. 


IT is neither because of excessive fear nor hauteur that birds of this 
species are not often found mingling with others of the Sandpiper kind, but 
only because they appreciate the beauty of woodsy pools and upland plashes, 
which are lost on their more gregarious fellows. A Solitary Sandpiper is 
most nearly comparable to the Spotted Sandpiper, but is larger, slimmer, 
trimmer (if possible), with a voice a little higher-pitched and thinner. These 
differences are easily made out if one is so fortunate as to see the birds together. 
At a time when the distinctive points of this species were only beginning to 
emerge in the consciousness of the student, I once came upon a Solitary Sand- 
piper feeding at the edge of a brick-yard pond, in company with a single 
Spotted and an equally solitary Pectoral Sandpiper. ‘There were no other 
shore birds of any species within a mile; but these three were not above five 
feet apart, having been led into a momentary association through some subtle 
sense of kinship and recognition of common ends. When the observer had 
conned well the lesson of comparative limicology there afforded, he put the 
birds to flight. They fled three ways with characteristic cries and never an 
afterthought, apparently, for their chance acquaintances. 

If one happens upon half a dozen of these birds feeding beside a leaf-lined 
pool in the depths of the woods, he may see not only a beautiful sight, but 
one out of the ordinary in Sandpiper experiences. The birds dart about 
rapidly, capturing not only slugs, worms, and small crustaceans, but insects as 
well. Indeed, the wings at times are carried about half-raised, as tho the 
bird were on the very point of flight; and quick sallies are made at passing 
moths or beetles. If a decaying log lies half submerged, it is sure to be 
inspected from every point of vantage; and the bird is not averse to alighting, 
on occasion, upon the limb of a convenient tree. Again, the bird plashes about 
freely upon the floating vegetation, or wades breast deep, taking care, however, 
that its dainty white bodice shall not be soiled. At other times, perhaps, 
it moves with the sedateness of a Heron, putting each foot down carefully, so 
as not to roil the water. 


1 See article by C. K. Clarke, M. D., in The Auk for October, 1808. 


ee "THE WILLET. 


Altho the Solitary Sandpiper is known principally as a migrant in May 
and late July or August, it is believed that a few remain in the northern part 
to breed. Its nesting was for a long time unknown, and it was hazarded that 
it might be found breeding in holes in trees or in deserted nests, after the 
fashion of the Green Sandpiper (Helodromus ochropus) of Europe. But 
all such conjecture was discounted by the discovery of a single egg in a 
ground nest in May, 1878; and finally discredited by the taking of a complete 
set of five eggs by C. K. Clarke, M. D., on Simcoe Island, Lake Ontario, 
June to, 1898. Dr. Clarke says of his find,’ “The eggs when collected had 
the peculiar dark reddish ground color so frequently noticed in fresh speci- 
mens of the Bartramian Sandpiper, but like them soon lost this characteristic 
tint. Faint purple shell markings gave pleasing contrast, but the grotesque 
brown figurings, somewhat similar in shape to those found on the eggs of the 
Purple Grackle, remain as the striking feature. These grotesque markings 
exist on three of the specimens.” In comparison with eggs of the Spotted 
Sandpiper they were seen to differ in shape, size, ground color, and markings. 


No. 244. 


/ WILLET. 


A. O. U. No. 258. Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). 
Synonym.—SEMIPALMATED TATTLER. 
Description.—Adult in swmmer: Above brownish gray, the head and neck 
streaked with dusky, the feathers of back, etc., with irregular bars, or central 
patches, of dusky, and further varied with some obscure buff; primaries and sec- 
ondaries white, the former broadly tipped and the latter slightly tinged with dusky ; 
upper tail-coverts white, or with a few dusky bars; central tail-feathers ashy gray, 
indistinctly barred with blackish; the remaining feathers white mottled with ashy; 
lower parts white, tinged with grayish on fore-neck, and with buffy on sides; the 
fore-neck heavily streaked, the breast and sides heavily barred with brownish 
dusky ; belly sometimes faintly barred; axillars and lining of wing dusky; bill 
dusky ; feet and legs dark bluish. JVinter plumage: Above ashy gray, lighter on 
neck; below white unmarked, the fore-neck gray-tinged. Jmmature: Like adult 
in winter, but feathers of back edged with pale ochraceous ; below tinged or faintly 
mottled with brownish gray on neck, chest, and sides; otherwise unmarked. 
Length about 15.00 (381.) ; wing 7.36 (186.9) ; tail 2.91 (73.9) ; bill 2.19 (55.6) ; 
tarsus 2.29 (58.2) (Ridgw.). 

Recognition Marks.—Curlew size; extensive white on wing with large size 
distinctive ; semipalmate feet. 


{ 


1 The Auk, Vol. XV. p. 3209. 


THE WILLET. 525. 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio, altho supposed to have done so 
formerly. Eggs, 4, greenish white or dark brownish olive, spotted boldly with 
various shades of umber-brown, and with obscure, purplish shell-markings 
(Davie). Av. size, 2.12 x 1.54 (53.9 X 39.1). 

General Range.—E astern temperate North America, south to the West Indies 
and Brazil. Breeds from Florida to New Jersey, and locally and rarely to Maine. 
Accidental in Bermuda and Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. No recent records. 


OUR knowledge of the Willet within this state is nearly confined to the 
following brief account penned by Dr. Jared P. Kirtland, June 4th, 184o!: 
“This bird is a common visitor to the shores of Lake Erie, both in the spring 
and autumn. On the 3rd of July, 1838, I shot an old specimen from a flock 
of more than twenty individuals, that were in the habit of visiting Ohio City, 
at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, for a number of days in succession. The 
young birds appeared here on the first of July of the present year, and con- 
siderable numbers have been shot by the sportsmen. A few years since they 
remained here during the whole of the summer, and probably reared their 
young in the neighborhood. They are very abundant about some of the 
upper lakes.” 

Considerable interest attaches to the Willet, both on account of its large 
size and general distribution, and from the fact that its breeding range in- 
cludes the Southern and Middle States. ‘The effect, therefore, of civilization 
may be easily noticed in the case of this bird; and that effect, as we might 
expect, has been disastrous. There are no recent notes of its appearance in 
Ohio, and it is probably upon the vanishing point here and hereabouts. 

The Willet is described as an excessively noisy bird, filling the air witi 
its shrill cries of “pill-qwill-qillit, wall-willit, pill-will-willit” at all hours of the 
day and often at night. Except during the breeding season it is quite wary, 
and difficult to approach even by stealth. While nesting, however, it becomes 
silent and nearly impassive, except when its nest or young are immediately 
threatened, in which case it throws reserve to the wind and summons its 
neighbors to join with it in the boldest denunciation of the intruder. 

Altho formerly quite generally distributed in the interior, it is now 
more abundant coastwise, and enjoys some measure of protection in a few 
favored spots along the Atlantic Coast, notably at Cobb’s Island, Virginia. 


Gl Ames Jour. Sci. and Arts, XL. 1841, pp. 19-24. 
(Wheaton, Catalogue, pp. 216 and 220.) 


Ze “THE RUFF. 


No. 245. 


REE, 


A. O. U. No. 260. Pavoncella pugnax (Linn.). 

Synonym.—REEvE (female). 

Description.—dAdult male in breeding plumage: Front and head usually 
bare and with fleshy papilla; feathers of neck enlarged and elongated into a ruff, 
with corresponding “cape” behind; the latter about half as long as the former, but 
more persistent; entire plumage very variable; three spring males before me pre- 
sent the following appearance: Number one.—Entire plumage, except crissum, 
flanks, lining of wings, chin and primaries, ochraceous-rufous and ochraceous- 
buff, heavily and regularly barred with black, the three shades alternating on ruff, 
and the black of this region showing high metallic purplish reflections. Number 
two.—Crown, cape, and edges of ruff bright ochraceous; enclosed area of ruff 
white; back ochraceous, finely mottled with black; wings grayish brown to dusky; 
breast and sides ochraceous and black in irregular blotches. Nwwmber three (the 
Columbus specimen).—Crown and abbreviated ruff bright tawny, mottled with 
glossy black; throat and lower neck all around pure white; back finely mottled 
ochraceous and black; wings plain fuscous throughout; breast and sides sooty 
black, the feathers with shining purplish tips and whitish edgings; belly, crissum, 
and lining of wings white; bill yellowish to dusky; feet and legs bright yellow ; 
claws black. Adult female: Without ruff; head completely feathered; above black 
predominating, but feathers with broad edgings of brownish or buffy gray; wings 
fuscous or variable gray; fore-neck, breast, and sides mingled ashy gray, black, 
and whitish; remaining under parts white; the black everywhere with more or 
less of metallic reflections. Jmmature: Like adult female, but black less exten- 
sive, non-metallic or brownish; the edging of feathers on back, etc., heavily ochra- 
ceous or buffy; below fore-neck, breast, and sides buffy or buffy-ochraceous ; re- 
maining under parts whitish; bill greenish black; feet and legs light greenish 
brown. Length 10.00-12.50 ( 254.-317.5) ; measurements of a typical adult male: 
wing 6.75 (171.5); tail 2.65 (67.3) ; bill 1.33 (33.8); tarsus 1.80 (45.7). Adult 
female, wing 6.20 (157.5) ; tail 2.20 (55.9) ; bill 1.25 (31.8); tarsus 1.70 (43.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Killdeer size or larger ; most nearly comparable in size, 
length of bill, etc., to the Bartramian Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), and best 
distinguished from that species by negative characters. Ruff of male and glossy 
black, where visible, distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in America. Eggs, 4, olive or greenish 
gray, heavily spotted and blotched with umber or bistre. Av. size, 1.71 x 1.20 
(43.4 X 30.5). 

General Range.—Northern parts of the Old World, straying occasionally to 
eastern North America. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. ‘Two records: Columbus, April 28, 1878, and 
Licking Reservoir, Licking County, Nov. to, 1872. (Both specimens in O. $. U. 
collection. ) 


TWO specimens of this Old World species, now preserved in the Ohio 
State University collection, entitle it to recognition in our pages. The first, 


N\ 


iN 


= COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO. 
bo BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER AIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING €0. 
Bartramia longicauda 
24 Life-size 


"THE bi ARTR. AMI ANS SANDPIP ER. 527 


a young male, was taken at the Licking Reservoir, November 10, 1872, by 
Dr. Theodore Jasper. The second, also a young male, with the ruff cause el- 
oped, was “killed near the Starch factory, Columbus, O., April 28, 1878,” 
presumably by the same collector. Another specimen from “northern Can- 
ada” bears date of April 28, 1877. 

It is supposed that birds observed in the fall are mainly young of the 
year, which, in attempting to journey southward from the breeding grounds 
in the far north, have missed the customary route of the species. Similarly 
those seen in the spring are those which have found a chance resting place 
for the winter in the Middle or Southern States and are now feeling their 
way back to the ancestral home. 

The Ruff enjoys the doubtful distinction among the wading birds of 
being a polygamist. ‘The males wage daily battles for possession of the 
females, and are as indiscriminate in their choices as Prairie Cocks under 
similar circumstances. "The contestants bridle before each other, and meet 
with lowered heads and ruffs expanded to serve both as color challenges and 
shields, while they strike and kick at each other, and long for imaginary spurs. 
When the season of courtship is ended the victorious male loses both his 
ruff and his interest, and the poor Reeves (as the females are called) are left 
to bring up their families as best they may, without either advice or alimony 
from their recreant lord. 


No. 246. 


BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 261. Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). 

Synonyms.—‘“THEr BARTRAMIAN”; UpiAnp PrLover; FIELD PLOVER. 

Description.—Adult: Above, varied brown or dusky with a slight olive 
tinge, the feathers edged with ochraceous-buff, and on the back, etc., spotted and 
barred with black; top of head blackish, parted by indistinct buffy median line; 
hind-neck buffy or ochraceous, streaked with dusky; primaries dusky, the outer 
one with a white shaft, and white strongly barred with dusky on the inner web; 
tail irregularly barred with black, the central feathers olive- dusky, the outer ones 
ochraceous and gray; under parts whitish or with buffy tinge on breast, sides, and 
crissum ; the fore-neck sharply streaked with brownish dusky; the markings U- or 
V-shaped on breast and opening out into bars on the sides; axillars and lining of 
wings finely barred dusky and white; bill yellow, blackening on ridge and tip; feet 
and legs dull yellow: Jmmature: Similar to adult, but buffy and ochraceous 
stronger, the dusky markings of under parts less distinct. Length 11.25-12.75 
ete ; wing 6.40 (162.6) ; tail 2.82 (71.6) ; bill 1.20 (30.5) ; tarsus 1.78 
45.2). 


528 THE BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 


Recognition Marks.—Killdeer size or larger; bill somewhat shorter than 
head; finely streaked and mottled coloration, ochraceous and dusky. A bird of 
upland and prairie. Notes, a quavering alarm cry, and a mellow whistle long- 
drawn-out. 


Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 4 or 5, creamy-buff or clay-colored, spotted with 
reddish- and yellowish-brown, chiefly about the larger end. Av. size, 1.80 x 1.28 
(45-7 X 32.5). 

General Range.—North America, mainly east of the Rocky Mountains, north 
to Nova Scotia and Alaska, breeding throughout most of its North American 
range; migrating in winter southward as far as Brazil and Peru. Occasional in 
Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident, except in heavily wooded por- 
tions. 


EACH bird has its own place in the mind of the bird student or bird lover. 
This place may be made by the first sight of the bird, by some constant charac- 
teristic of carriage, voice, or environment, or by a deep impression made pos- 
sible by one’s own mental attitude at the time. To me Bartramia is the most 
ethereal, the most spirit-like of all birds, not excepting the owls and Whip- 
poorwill. Our first intimation of his presence in spring is either the long- 
drawn whistle or the rolling call, from whence you know not. ‘The first im- 
pulse is to glance quickly upward into the clear blue. Next you scan the hori- 
zon, the fields, the fences, all to no purpose. The cry seems to be all-pervading— 
coming from everywhere. I never hear it but I involuntarily stop with a 


Taken near 


Columbus. Photo by the Author. 


MONOTONOUS UPLAND SUITS THE BARTRAMIAN. 


THE BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 529 
feeling akin to uncanniness. Where is the bird! Another call gives the direc- 
tion, and you stand staring into the southern sky until in the distance, far up, 
a quivering speck appears, approaches, passes onward, anon scattering broad- 
cast the rolling whistle, without an added tremor of the wings. The bird 
seems a monster—at least the size of a large hawk—but the long, slender 
neck, small head, and almost no tail, are unmistakable. I have often won- 
dered if the birds ever use their wings as other birds do. I have never seen 
more than the slight quivering, or the motionless soaring. The slight move- 
ment of the long wings certainly adds to the ethereal appearance of the bird, 
which seems to float free in the air, usually with a slow forward motion. 

The rolling cry is not unlike the rolling call of a tree-toad, but of a dif- 
ferent quality and calibre, which makes it unmistakable. The whistle is 
partly double, the first part passing upward nearly half an octave, terminating 
abruptly there, the second part beginning where the first began and rapidly 
swelling through nearly or quite an octave, then gradually falling again and 
decreasing in volume to the close, several tones above the beginning. ‘The 
first part of the whistle is usually rattling or trilled, and sometimes the trill is 
carried to the end, but oftener it becomes a clear whistle before the culmina- 
tion, and continues clear to the end. Tvre-e-e-c-e-c-c-e-e, tre-e-e-e-e-e- 
€-€-€-C-e-C-e-€-€-e-p ; or tr-1-1-1-e-e-e-e-c-c-c-p. Often the whistled part is never 
reached, but the call stops as if interrupted by some threatened danger. 

In northern Ohio the birds make their nests in the midst of a pasture 
or meadow, often without more than a few stray grass blades lining the slight 
depression in the ground. In more rolling recions the nest seems to be placed 
preferably on a hilltop, or on a side-hill; but in any region an open field is 
essential to the welfare of the eggs and young. 

In the autumn the birds select some side-hill, apparently no better than 
any of a dozen or more in the region, where they pass the night, or gather 
to visit during the day. They seem to be very much attached to that especial 
side-hill, and will have no other, even at the risk of life. 

Probably the bird is better known throughout the state as the Upland 
Plover, or Meadow Plover or Sandpiper, or the Whistling Plover. While it 
is a true sandpiper in structure, its habits resemble the plover group. It 
gleans rather than probes the mud for food, eating grass seeds and weed vege- 
tation. It is not wary, generally, but is too confiding. One may approach 
within a dozen yards of the birds, and even when they finally take wing they 
are more than likely to fly directly over you. 

LyNps JONES. 


530 THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 


No. 247+ 


BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 262. Tryngites subruficollis (Vieill.). 

Description.—Adult: Upper parts dull grayish buff or grayish brown varied 
by blackish or olive-brown centers of feathers; under parts buff, dotted and 
streaked on sides of breast with blackish; the inner webs of the primaries, both 
webs of the secondaries, and the tips of the larger under wing-coverts speckled 
with black; axillars white; bill dusky; feet and legs greenish yellow. Jimmature: 
Like adult, but feathers of back, etc., rounded, distinctly bordered with whitish, the 
speckling of wing-quills and under coverts finer than in adults. Length 7.25-8.75 
(184.2-222.3) ; wing 5.23 (132.8); tail 2.33 (59.2); bill .77 (19.6) ; tarsus 1.2 
(30.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; general butfness of coloration; short, 
straight, blackish bill; black speckling on wing-quills and under coverts dis- 
tinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Eggs, 3 or 4, buffy grayish white, vary- 
ing to pale olive, boldly spotted longitudinally (and somewhat spirally) with dark 
Vandyke or madder brown and purplish gray (Ridgw.). Av. size, 1.47 X 1.00 
(37.3 x 26.9). 

General Range.—North America especially in the interior; breeds in the 
Yukon district and in the interior of British America northward to the Arctic 
Coast; South America in winter as far as Uruguay and Peru. Of frequent occur- 
rence in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—‘Rare migrant, only noted in the fall.’—Wheaton. No 
record since 1876. 


OF this species comparatively little is known since it is reckoned a rare 
migrant anywhere in the Middle States. It is said to resemble the Bartra- 
mian Sandpiper in habits, and to prefer high grassy land for a range instead 
of wet bottoms and ponds. The customary breeding range of the species is 
in remote northern latitudes, but Mellwraith in his “Birds of Ontario,” 
records the taking of a nest of this species “‘a few miles back from the north 
shore of Lake Erie’ on June roth, 1879,—as reported to him by Dr. G. A. 
Macallum of Dunnville. 

“The nest was placed beween two tussocks of grass on the ground, a short 
distance from the bank of the river, where the ground is tolerably high, and 
where it is the custom to cut marsh hay. The nest was of a decided shape, 
and was composed of the fine moss or weed which grows between the tussocks 


of marsh grass. ‘This is the only case of its breeding here to my knowledge.” 


THE SPOTLED SANDPIPER: 531 


No. 248. 


SPORTED SANDPIPER. 


A. O. U. No. 263. Actitis macularia (Linn. ). 

Synonyms.—Perrr-weer; Tip-up; TEETER-TAIL,. 

Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts light olive-brown, with pale 
greenish or brassy luster; the head and neck streaked, and the back, scapulars, 
tertiaries, etc., irregularly barred with darker; quills darker and with more dis- 
tinct greenish reflections; the inner primaries and secondaries narrowly tipped 


sf 


=I 


Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 


A FAVORITE NESTING HAUNT OF THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 


with white, the former varied with some white on the inner webs, the latter with 
much basal white showing conspicuously in flight; central tail-feathers like back, 
but greener, the outer feathers becoming duller and tipped with white; a white 
superciliary line; entire under parts white and strikingly marked with rounded 
spots approaching color of back; bill flesh-color, sometimes orange, darkening 
above, or not, and with dusky tip; feet and legs pinkish white. [Vinter plumage: 
Similar, but back browner, unbarred. Jmmature: Like adult but unspotted below, 
tinged with gray on breast; above showing blackish or buffy bars, faintly on back, 
more strongly on wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts. Length 7.00-800 (177.8- 
203.2) ; wing 4.15 (105.4); tail 2.00 (50.8) ; bill .93 (23.6); tarsus .95 (24.1). 


532 THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER 


Recognition Marks.—Sparrow to Chewink size; greenish brown back; 
boldly spotted under parts; the common bird of river-bank and lale-shore. 

Nest, on the ground, a slight depression, scantily or somewhat carefully lined 
with dead leaves and grass. Eggs, 4, creamy buff or dull white, speckled and 
spotted with dark brown, chiefly about larger end. Av. size, 1.25 x .g2 (31.8 x 
23.4). 

General Range.—North and South America from Alaska to southern Brazil. 


Breeds throughout temperate North America, less commonly on the Pacific Coast. 
Occasional in Europe. 


Range in Ohio.—Common summer resident along streams and reservoirs 
throughout the state. 


LIKE a second Narcissus this familiar little Sandpiper loves to linger at 
the water’s edge; and even if it be conceded that he has other business there 
besides looking in the mirror, we could not suppose that he is altogether 
insensible to the flattery of the smooth-flowing stream. It is for this reason, 
perhaps, that he prefers the vicinity of quiet inland waters; and it is this 
also—what else?—that tempts him to make from time to time little hori- 
zontal excursions, or loops, of flight out over the river or placid lake. If 
frightened, as by a boatman, the bird may patter along the muddy brim, or 
remove by short flights, but sooner or later he puts off from shore, edges 
out over the water, wheels about in a great circle, and draws near his 
starting point again in a graceful curve, which regards the shore as a sort of 
asymtote—this on wings held stiffly or quivering with emotion. 

On shore the bird indulges a never-ending habit of teetering: “The fore 
part of the body is lowered a little, the head drawn in, the legs slightly bent, 
while the hinder parts and tail are alternately hoisted with a peculiar jerk, and 
drawn down again with the regularity of clock work.’ ‘This strange motion 
has won for the bird the name Tip-up and Teeter-tail, and gives it an air 
of mock solemnity which is only heightened by the Quaker drab adornment of 
the upper parts and the apparently serious view of life which the owner takes. 
Absurd as the action is in adults, it tests the risibles still more sorely when 
a toddling youngster, bristling with pin-feathers, discovers the same uncon- 
trollable ambition in his rear parts, and says, How-do-you-do backward, with 
imperturbable gravity. 

Arriving in its accustomed haunts about the middle of April, the Spotted 
Sandpiper immediately makes its presence known by notes which altho of 
trifling import, are particularly sweet and welcome. Peet-weet, or weet, weet, 
weet, weet, says the bird on all possible occasions, and a boat-ride on lake 
or river loses half its charm without the frequent interruption of this wayside 
greeting. 


THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 533 


The Peet-weet’s nest is usually a little removed from the water’s edge, 
placed a few rods back among the stunted willows and rank grasses of the 
upper sand 
stratum of 
the beach, or | 
else sunk fete Als: 
somewhere 
upon a grass- 


grown bank. —yyo oN) ; es 


‘The birds are eee ~ Sak 
Tae a : 


not always |) d\~ j= -mhat 
discreet in eS 
che matter of 
concealment, 
elerin @ummavvaetel el 
sometimes 
steal to the 
nest or visit 
it openly, 
while search 
is being con- 
ducted in the 
immediate 
neighbor- 
hood. The 
eggs, normal- 
ly four in 
number, are 
immense for 
the size of 
the bird, and, 
as a conse- 
quence, the 
young are so 
well found at 
birth that 
they are able 
to scamper 
off with nev- 


Taken at Cedar Point. : Photo by the Author: 
er a thought NEST AND EGGS OF THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 
for the un- THE SET IS INCOMPLETE BUT TWO APPEAR TO MAKE A NESTFUL. 


usually substantial cushion of leaves and dried grasses which has harbored 
them in embryo. 


534 THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 


No. 249. 
LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 


A. O. U. No. 2604. Numenius longirostris Wils. 

Synonym.—SICKLE-BILL. 

Description.—Adult: General color ochraceous-buff to pale cinnamon- 
rufous; upper parts varied with dusky, in broad streaks on crown, in narrow 
streaks on sides of head and neck, in heavy, central, “herring-bone,” connected bars 
on back and tertials, and so variously mottled throughout, only the outer webs of 
outer primaries being of solid color,—dusky; below sharply streaked on breast 
and sides, sometimes sparingly barred with blackish, the ground color reaching 
its greatest purity and intensity on axillars; bill very long, considerably decurved 
toward tip; the culmen brownish dusky, the lower mandible yellow at base and 
darkening toward tip; feet and legs stout, dark; claws short and broad. Length 
20.00-26.00 (508.-660.4) ; wing 10.75 (273.1); tail 4.10 (104.1); bill up to 8.50 
(215.9) ; av. about 6.50 ( 165.1 ); tarsus 3.15 (80.). 

Recognition Marks.—About Crow size——making some allowance for bill; 
pale cinnamon coloration; long decurved bill distinctive. Has a quavering cry 
somewhat like that of the Bartramian Sandpiper. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Eggs, 4, ay brown or clay-color, 
spotted and blotched with chocolate. Av. size, 2.58 x (G55 462) 

General Range.—T emperate North America, ee south to Guatemala, 
Cuba and Jamaica. Breeds in the South Atlantic States and in the interior through 
most of its North American range. 


Range in Ohio.—Formerly common migrant, and perhaps summer resident ; 
now rare migrant. 


A bird of such extraordinary appearance as the Sickle-bill would attract 
attention anywhere, but especially in our section of the country, where it is 
no longer common. Its peculiarly developed mandibles are well calculated 
to reap a harvest not only of slugs and aquatic molecules, but of insects and 
berries as well. ‘Tho once not uncommon throughout: the United States, 
the bird is ill-adapted to the devious ways of our shot-gun civilization, and 
is now to be found in any considerable numbers only on the prairies and 
barren foot-hills of the West. Whenever found on the Atlantic Coast, the 
Curlew frequents marshes or sandy shores much after the fashion of its kind, 
but in the West it is by no means attached to the vicinity of water. 

During migration the Curlews move in small wedge-shaped companies 
with leisurely flapping wings. A quavering whistle from the leader pro- 
claims their progress, and a ready hunter may call them down to decoys 
by a skillful imitation of their cry. If successfully diverted from their course, 
the birds approach the ground with a majestic slow sail and present an easy 
mark. If allowed to alight they touch the ground lightly, with wings up- 
raised, and the sun reveals the beauty of the delicate cinnamon linings of 
the wings before these members are gently folded. 


THE HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 535 
Elsewhere upon the ground the Curlews are unapproachable, except 
during the breeding season. So sympathetic are they, however, and so 
devoted to their travelling companions, that if one falls a victim to the gun, 
tne gunner holds the others at his mercy. With clamorous solicitude they 
gather about their fallen comrade and urge him to leave the fatal spot, re- 
ceiving, of course, their own death wounds as reward for their fidelity. 
When the nest is discovered, a mere depression anywhere in the open 
prairie, the parent birds throw caution to the winds and hover about the 
intruder in an agony of apprehension, filling the air with quavering plaints, 
and sometimes interposing their bodies to shield the young. At such times 
the long mandibles, moving through a wide are with every utterance, appear 
nothing short of ridiculous, but it does not occur to one to laugh at the time, 
—the bird is so terribly in earnest. 


No. 250. 


HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 


a 
1, O. U. No. 265. Numenius hudsonicus [ath. 

Synonym.—]Ack CURLEW. 

Description.—Adult: Prevailing color pale buffy; crown with two broad 
dusky stripes parted by buffy; a dusky line through eye; throat whitish, immacu- 
late ; sides of head, neck all around, and fore-breast finely streaked with dusky; the 
streaks, widening into bars on sides and flanks ; back, etc., dusky, varied with buffy 
and ochraceous-buff; tone lightening on wings, due to preponderance of latter 
color ; tail distinctly barred, ochraceous-gray and dusky ; quills less distinctly barred 
with same tints, except on outer webs of outer primaries, which are plain dusky ; 
axillars and lining of wing clear ochraceous-butf, heavily barred with fuscous ; bill 
decurved, blackish above, lightening at base of mandible; feet and legs black. 
Length 16.50-18.00 (419.1-457.2); wing 9.75 (247.6) ; tail 3.50 (88.9) ; bill 3.50 
(88.9) ; tarsus 2.28 (57.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; mottled and streaked, dusky and pale buff ; 
rather stout, decurved bill of moderate length; broad, blackish crown-stripes. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Eggs, 3-4, pale olive, spotted with dull 
brown. » Av. size, 2.27 x) 1-57 (57.7 x 38.0): 

General Range.—All of North and South America, including the West 
Indies ; breeds in the high north, and winters chiefly south of the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Very rare spring and fall migrant. 


UNLIKE the preceding species, which is almost wholly confined to 
temperate North America both summer and winter, this less conspicuous Cur- 
lew spends its summers in the far north, and its winters in remotest Pata- 


536 "THE ESKIMO CURLEW. 


gonia. This is the least known of our three recorded species of Numenius, 
and its occurrence is nowhere counted upon by the sporting fraternity in the 
state. The chief routes of migration follow pretty closely the east and west 
coasts of our country, and the Mississippi Valley, but in the two latter regions 
its numbers have very materially decreased. 


No. 251. 


ESKIMO CURLEW. 


A. O. U. No. 266. Numenius borealis (Forst.). 

Synonym.—Doucu-zirp. 

Description.—Adult: Similar to preceding species, but smaller and colora- 
tion heavier; the ground color warm buff; the back blackish; streaking of neck, 
etc., broader ; the barring of under parts much more extensive, only middle of belly 
and crissum immaculate; crown-stripes and line through eye not so distinct; pri- 
maries not barred or mottled on inner webs,—fuscous throughout; axillars deep 
ochraceous-buff, barred and dusky; bill smaller every way. Length 12.00-14.50 
(304.8-368.3) ; wing 8.30 (210.8) ; tail 3.10 (78.7) ; bill 2.30 (58.4) ; tarsus 1.65 
(41.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Ljittle Hawk size; buffy and blackish, finely streaked 
and mottled; small, decurved bill. An upland bird. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Eggs, 3-4, “pale olive greenish, olive, 
or olive brownish, distinctly spotted, chiefly on larger end, with deep or dark 
brown.” Ay. size, 2.04 x 1.43 (51.8 x 36.3). (Ridgw.). 

General Range.—Fastern North America, breeding in the Arctic regions, 
and migrating south throughout South America. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. 


GREATER abundance atones for the smaller size of this Curlew in 
regions where it is regularly found at all. It moves up the Mississippi Val- 
ley in immense flocks, deploying over the prairies, and keeping company with 
such birds as the Bartramian Sandpiper and the Golden Plover. When feed- 
ing in extensive companies the birds keep up a conversational chattering, which 
Coues likens to that of a flock of Blackbirds. 

In Labrador, where these Curlews have been most closely studied, they 
are found to feed largely upon the cow berry (Empetrum nigrum), so greed- 
ily, in fact that their plumage often becomes stained with its purple juice. 
Upon this fare, together with a generous allowance of sea food in the shape 
of snails, the birds become excessively fat, and are in prime condition for 
the unreluctant gunner in August or early September. 


THE AMERICAN AVOCET. 


| On 


37 


According to Nelson, small flocks of this Curlew will follow a single 
Hudsonian Curlew all over the country, in the same manner in which smaller 
species of snipe will follow one of a larger kind, and he supposes it is on 
account of their dependance on the superior watchfulness of the larger bird, 
and the degree of protection thereby secured. 


No. 252. 
ye AMERICAN AVOCET. 


VA. O. U. No. 225. Recurvirostra americana Gmel. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: Head and neck all around and breast light 
cinnamon rufous; wing-quills and coverts (except inner secondaries and tips of 
greater coverts) deep brownish black; back, inner scapulars, and inner quills, 
lighter brownish black; remaining plumage, including outer scapulars, rump, tail, 
etc., white ;—tail tinged with ashy; bill long, slightly recurved toward tip, black; 
legs dull blue. Adult in winter: Similar but without cinnamon-rufous,—white 
instead ; tinged with pale bluish ash, especially on the top of head and hind-neck. 
Immature: Like winter adult, but hind neck touched with rufous; scapulars, etc., 
buffy-tipped, or mottled; wing-quills tipped with whitish. Length 16.00-19.00 
(406.4-482.6) ; wing 8.82 (224.); tail 3.90 (99.1); bill 3.72 (94.5); tarsus 
3-66 (93). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; long legs; black and white and cinnamon- 
rufous in masses; long, slightly upturned bill. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a mere depression in the earth, 
in or near a swamp. Lggs, 3-4, pale olive or olive-buff, heavily and rather uni- 
formly spotted with chocolate-brown and black. Av. size, 1.95 xX 1.35 (49.5 
X 34.3). 

General Range.—Temperate North America north to the Saskatchewan and 
Great Slave Lake; in winter south to Guatemala and the West Indies. Rare in 
the eastern United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Very rare visitor. Two or three records. One specimen 
secured at St. Mary’s Reservoir, Nov. 10, 1882, by Mr. Clemens Utter, now in O. 
S. U. collection. 


TO a novice the compound curve of a scythe handle might seem an 
awkward thing, but a little practice upon stubborn grass will justify its pre- 
cise lines of beauty. Similarly, the long upturned beak of the Avocet appears 
quite outlandish until one learns how perfectly it is adapted to its peculiar 
task. Since the bird frequents brackish and muddy pools, as well as the 
margins of streams, it does not depend largely upon eyesight in securing its 
prey, but thrusts its bill under water until its convexity strikes the bottom. 
Then, guided by this “heel,” the bill is swayed rapidly from side to side with 


538 THE BLACK-NECKED STILT. 
a scythe-like motion, and the bird keeps up a sort of dabbling, as it tests the 
various objects of food encountered. 

The Avocet is a bold wader, pushing out into the pond breast deep. If 
it gets beyond its depth it is nowise concerned, for it swims readily, and can 
dive, also, if necessary. 

There are several records of its occurrence in our state since \Wheaton’s 
time, but it can be regarded as little more than a casual visitor. It was 
formerly not uncommon in the Middle States, and Audubon based his splendid 
description upon a pair observed at Vincennes, Indiana. 


No. 253. 
BEACK-ENECKED SiiLik: 


YA. O. U. No. 226. Himantopus mexicanus ( Mull.). 

Description.—Adult male: A white spot above eye and another below eye 
nearly meeting behind; forehead, region about the base of bill, rump, upper tail- 
coverts, and entire under parts, except lining of wing, white; tail ashy gray above; 
remaining plumage glossy, greenish black; bill black; eye red; legs and feet lake 
red (drying yellow). Adult female: Similar to adult male, but back and scapu- 
lars margined with buffy or whitish; the black of head and neck finely marked with 
the same. Length 15.00 (381.); wing 9.00 (228.6) ; tail 3.00 (76.2); bill 2.60 
(66.) ; tarsus 4.20 (106.7) ; exposed portion of tibia 3.25 (82.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk to Crow size; black and white in masses 
strongly contrasting, and very long legs distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a depression in the ground, 
lined with grasses. Eggs, 3 or 4, dark ochraceous or olive-drab, heavily spotted 
and blotched with chocolate-brown and blackish. Av. size, 1.75 X 1.25 (44.5 x 
218))k 

General Range.—Temperate North America from northern United States 
southward to the West Indies, northern Brazil, and Peru. Rare in eastern United 
States except in Florida. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare summer visitor. May perhaps have bred. 


IN spite of its slender proportions, the Stilt is a graceful bird, pleasing 
because of its dexterity in handling such an unusual equipment. In feeding 
the long legs are bent sharply backward at the middle joint (the heel), and 
the long neck and bill make inspection of the ground or the surface of the 
water easy and rapid. Unlike the Avocet, the Stilt is afraid to go beyond its 
depth, and makes a poor show at swimming. 

Besides those said by Mr. Winslow to have been taken on Lake Erie, there 
is only one record of this bird’s occurrence in the state——by Mr. Charles Dury 
of Cincinnati—and it has not been reported from Ontario, or from any of 
the neighboring states save (doubtfully) Michigan. 


THE RED PHALAROPE. 5239 


No. 254. 


RED PHALAROPE. 


A. O. U. No. 222. Crymophilus fulicarius (linn.). 

Description.—4dult female in summer: Entire under parts, except lining 
of wing, purplish chestnut; axillars and lining of wing white; region about base 
of bill, forehead, and crown blackish plumbeous; sides of head white nearly meet- 
ing on nape; upper parts, centrally, black with buffy and ochraceous edgings, 
mostly in lengthwise patterns; wings plumbeous-gray; quills fuscous with white 
shafts; the greater coverts tipped with white, the inner primaries white-edged 
basally, and the secondaries extensively white at base; upper tail-coverts black, 
with ochraceous tips centrally, plain cinnamon laterally. Adult male: Very simi- 
lar, but smaller; white on sides of head reduced; crown and hind-neck streaked 
* with ochraceous. Adults in winter: Quite different. Upper parts ashy, nearly 
uniform; wings darker ash or blackish, but with white bar as before; head and 
neck all around, and entire under parts pure white, or ashy-washed on sides only ; 
a dusky space about eye, and another on hind head. Jimmature: Above dull black, 
with ochraceous edgings; wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts plumbeous, 
—the first bordered by buffy and the last by ochraceous; remainder of head and 
neck and lower parts white, tinged with brownish buft on the throat and chest 
‘Ridgw.). Length about 8.00 (203.2) ; wing 5.35 (135.9) ; tail 2.15 (54.6) ; bill 
.86 (21.8) ; tarsus .80 (20.3) ; middle toe and claw .93 (23.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; lobate feet (in common with other Pha- 
laropes ) ; broadened sulcate bill destinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nest, a slight hollow in the ground, 
lined with a few bits of moss and grasses’ (Chapman). Eggs, 3 or 4, pale drab 
or olivaceous, spotted and blotched with dark browns. Av. size. 1.25 x .88 (31.8 
XY 224) 

General Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding from 
Maine northward and in Arctic regions, and migrating south in winter; in the 
United States south to the Middle States, Ohio Valley and Cape St. Lucas; chiefly 
maritime. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. No Ohio specimens known to exist in col- 
lections. 


THE occurrence of this species is recorded by Dr. Wheaton upon the sole 
authority of Mr. R. K. Winslow of Cleveland, by whom he was informed 
that two or three specimens had been taken on Lake Erie. The statement is 
a little vague, but the casual appearance of this bird has also been reported 
from Kentucky (Audubon), Indiana (Butler), Michigan (Cook), and On- 
tario (Mcllwraith) ; so that Mr. Winslow’s identification may very well be 
a correct one. 

The Red Phalarope is more exclusively maritime than the other members 
of this group, being found in the breeding season only along the coasts of 


mie THE NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 


the northern seas. It obtains its food, also, far from shore, gleaning for 
the purpose the tiny crustaceans which infest the surface waters of the ocean. 
The whalers affirm that the appearance of the Phalarope is a good index 
of the near presence of the large cetaceans, since it delights in the same sort 
of sea-forage as that upon which the whales subsist. The dainty birds are 
expert swimmers, and are the most nearly at home in the water of any of the 
Limicole. 


No. 255. 


NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 


A. O. U. No. 223. Phalaropus lobatus (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult female in swmmer: Above and on sides of breast and 
sides (narrowly) slaty with a drab cast, blackish on back and scapulars, and edged 
here with light ochraceous; wings darker slaty gray, the greater coverts broadly 
tipped with white, forming a transverse bar; sides of neck and lower throat rufous, 
—pure on sides, more or less mixed with slaty gray on throat; chin and under 
parts entirely white; bill black; feet yellow, lobate and semipalmate, most exten- 
sively between middle and outer toes. Adult male: Similar, slightly smaller, 
and of duller coloration, save that the black of back is more decided, and the och- 
raceous edgings of upper parts deeper. Adults in winter: Without rufous; more 
extensively white; crown and auriculars (connecting below eye with a similar spot 
in front of eye) and median stripe of hind-neck dusky gray; the rest white; re- 
maining upper parts blackish (centrally) and dusky gray, extensively edged and 
striped with cream-buff and white; wing-bar as before; sides of breast grayish 
clouded. Immature: Similar to adult in winter, but with more black above; 
breast usually tinged with buffy or brownish. Length 7.50 (190.5); wing 4.53 
(115.1) ; tail 2.02 (51.3) ; bill .85 (21.6) ; tarsus .77 (19.6) ; middle toe and claw 
80 (20.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size; slaty gray, rufous, and white of head 
and neck in spring plumage; slender, black bill, less than one inch long, with 
scalloped feet distinctive in any plumage. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a slight depression in the ground, 
lined with moss and grass. Eggs, 3 or 4, olive-buff or pale olive-gray, heavily 
speckled, spotted or blotched with dark brown. Av. size, 1.19 x .83 (30.2 x 21.1). 

General Range.—Northern portions of northern hemisphere, breeding in 
Arctic latitudes; south in winter to the tropics. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare spring and fall migrant. A half dozen or more 
records. 


NOTHING can exceed the exquisite grace of this delicate bird as it 
moves about, not at the water’s edge, like other waders which it so closely 
resembles in appearance, but upon the surface of a pool or even on the bosom 
of the deep. As it swims it nods with every stroke, turns at a thought to 


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THE WILSON PHALAROPE. 541 
snatch some floating sea-morsel, or flits away with as little provocation as 
that afforded the bursting bubble of foam, its late brother. 

It is, however, in its domestic and social relations that this dainty crea- 
ture attracts our wondering interest. Phalarope society has evidently reached 
a high stage of evolution, for in it the ladies not only have more ordinary rights 
than they know what to do with, but they even do the courting. How, 
Mr. E. W. Nelson shall tell us: 

“As the season comes on when the flames of love mount high, the dull- 
colored male moves about the pool, apparently heedless of the surrounding 
fair ones. Such stoical indifference appears too much for the feelings of 
some of the fair ones to bear. A female coyly glides close to him and bows 
her head in pretty submissiveness, but he turns away, pecks at a bit of food, 
and moves off. She follows, and he quickens his speed, but in vain; he is 
her choice, and she proudly arches her neck, and in mazy circles passes and 
repasses before the harassed bachelor. He turns his breast first to one side 
and then to the other, as though to escape, but there is his gentle wooer 
ever pressing her suit before him. Frequently he takes flight to another part 
of the pool, all to no purpose. If with affected indifference he tries to feed, 
she swims along side by side, almost touching him, and at intervals rises 
on wing above him, and, poised a foot or two over his back, makes a hali 
a dozen sharp wing strokes, producing a series of sharp whistling noises, in 
rapid succession.” 

When at last this modern Adonis becomes a Benedict, he not only shares 
in the labor of constructing a nest, but is actually set to the task of incubating 
the eggs, while his care-free spouse enjoys club life at a neighboring pool. 
We are glad, on the whole, that these perilous precedents are set in the wilds 
of Alaska, rather than here in the Buckeye State. 


No. 256. 


WILSON PHALAROPE. 


A. O. U. No.224. Steganopus tricolor Vieill. 


Description.—Adult female in summer: ‘Top of head and upper back pearl- 
gray; nape and upper tail-coverts white; a white supraloral line; a black stripe 
starting from before eye passes backward, becoming broader on side of neck, 
changes to deep chestnut on hind-neck, and continuing backward over shoulder, is 
interrupted and dispersed over the scapulars; rump and wings grayish brown, 
the latter with a very little white edging; tail still lighter gray-brown; a 
reddish brown wash across throat and chest and sometimes sides, as tho the color- 
ing matter of the hind-neck had “run’’; remaining under parts pure white; bill 
black; feet brownish. Adult male in summer: Similar to female but smaller, 


542 THE WILSON PHALAROPE. 


lacking the pearl-gray and chestnut,—slaty-gray and rusty instead; general ap- 
pearance of back and wings brownish gray, with blackish centers of feathers and 
some ochraceous edging; black on sides of head and neck almost obsolete; rufous 
tinge of chest very slight. Adults in winter: “Above plain ash-gray; upper tail- 
coverts, superciliary stripe, and lower parts white, the chest and sides of breast 
shaded with pale gray. Young: Top of head, back, and scapulars dusky blackish, 
the feathers distinctly bordered with buff; wing-coverts also bordered with pale 
buff or whitish; upper tail-coverts, superciliary stripe, and lower parts white, the 
neck tinged with buff” (Ridgw.). Adult female length 9.70 (246.4) ; wing 5.23 
(132.8) ; tail 2.03 (51.6); bill 1.40 (35.6); tarsus 1.38 (35.1); middle toe and 
claw 1.20 (30.5). Adult male length 8.75 (222.3); wing 4.69 (119.1) ; tail 2.17 
(55-1) ; bill 1.25 (31.8) ; tarsus 1.26 (32.) ; middle toe and claw 1.06 (26.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink to Robin size; pearl-gray, chestnut, and black 
in masses distinctive in adult female. This bird superficially resembles the pre- 
ceding in some of its plumage; its larger size and especially longer bill, and larger | 
feet, as well as really different color pattern, should be noted. 

Nesting.— Not definitely known to breed in Ohio. Nest, a shallow depression 
in the earth lined sparingly with grass, or not. Eggs, 3 or 4, grayish or brownish 
buff, speckled, spotted, and blotched with dark brown. 

General Range.—Temperate North America, chiefly the interior, breeding 
from northern Illinois and Utah northward to the Saskatchewan region; south in 
winter to Brazil and Patagonia. 

Range in Ohio.— ‘Not common spring and fall migrant.” (Wheaton). Pos- 
sibly breeds in northwestern Ohio. 


IN view of Mr. E. W. Nelson’s remarkable discoveries in northeastera 
Illinois, Dr. Wheaton was led to surmise that these birds might be found 
breeding in at least the northwestern corner of our state. Nothing has, 
however, come to light to sustain this conjecture, and it is pretty generally 
understood that we are too far east to expect such a favor. 

Altho it has been frequently copied, | cannot forbear to reproduce in 
this connection a portion of Mr. Nelson’s unrivalled description :! 

“During the first two weeks of May, the exact date varying with the 
season, this beautiful bird first makes its appearance in northeastern Illinois. 
Its arrival is heralded by a few females, which arrive first, and are found 
singly about the marshes. At this time the females have a peculiar harsh 
note, which I have heard but a few times, and only from solitary individuals, 
before the arrival of the main body. 

“A few days later small flocks, embracing both sexes, may be found along 
the borders of grassy pools, or lying at midday on the sunny side of some 
warm knoll in the marsh. As the breeding season approaches they become 
more restless, flying from place to place, and finally separate into small parties 
of two or three pairs. About the middle of May their love-making com- 
mences, and is at first indicated by the increasing solicitude they show for 
each other’s welfare. The appearance of a person in their vicinity at this 


1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, ID., 1877; pp. 38-43. 


543 | 


THE POMARINE JAEGER. 


time is the signal for all the birds near to come circling about, though not 
within easy gun-shot. By a careful approach one may now and then find a 
small party swimming about in some secluded pool. 

“The charming grace of movement exhibited at such times, combined 
with their tasteful elegance of attire, form one of the most pleasing sights 
one could witness as they swim buoyantly from side to side of the pool, grace- 
fully nodding their heads, now pausing for an instant to arrange a feather 
or to daintily gather some fragment of food, and now floating idly about, 
wafted by the slight breeze, which at intervals ripples the surface of the 
water. A more common, but scarcely less pleasing sight, is presented when, 
unconscious of observation, they walk sedately along the border of the water, 
never departing from their usual grace of movement. Their food is generally 
found in such places, where the receding water furnishes a bountiful supply. 
The only demonstrations I have observed during the pairing time consist of 
a kind of solemn bowing of the head and body; but sometimes, with the head 
lowered and thrust forward, they will run back and forth in front of the 
object of their regard, or again, a pair may be seen to salute each other by 
alternately bowing or lowering their heads; but their courtship is characterized 
by a lack of the rivalry and vehemence exhibited by birds. 

“The nesting is usually in some thin tuft of grass on a level spot, but 
often in an open place concealed by a few straggling blades of small carices. 
The male scratches a shallow depression in the soft earth, which is usually 
lined with a thin layer of fragments of old grass blades, upon which the eggs, 
numbering from three to four, are deposited about the last of May or first 
of June.” 


No. 257. 
POMARINE JAEGER. 


A. O. U. No. 36. Stercorarius pomarinus (Temm.). 

Synonyms.—PoMATORHINE JAEGER; POMARINE SKUA; GULL-HUNTER. 

Description.— Adult, light phase: ‘Top and sides of head, upper parts (ex- 
cept back of neck, and crissum brownish slate or dusky; rest of head and neck and 
under parts white; the region of ear-coverts and around on hind-neck tinged with 
straw-yellow ; central feathers of tail projecting three or four inches beyond most 
of the others, their breadth sustained to the abruptly rounded tip; bill horn-color 
tipped with black; feet and legs black. Adult, dark phase: Entirely brownish 
slate, except sides of hind and hind-neck often tinged with straw-yellow as before. 
Young, light phase: Upper parts brownish dusky, the feathers of the back spar- 
ingly tipped with whitish or dull buffy; those of the rump and upper tail-coverts 
spotted and barred with the same; head, neck and under parts dull buffy, every- 


544 THE POMARINE JAEGER. 


where barred with dusky. Young, dark phase: Entirely brownish slate, the 
under parts more or less barred with whitish or dull buffy. In the young of the 
year the central tail-feathers do not project beyond the others more than half an 
inch or such a matter. The light and dark phases described above do not repre- 
sent actual dichromatism, such as exists in the case of the Screech Owl, but only 
extremes of coloration within which every intermediate condition may be found. 
The commonest form is one in which the chest is sparingly, and the sides of the 
breast, hind-neck, and sides are heavily barred with dusky and buffy. Length 
22.00 (558.8) ; wing 13.75 (349.3) ; tail 8.25 (209.6) ; bill 1.55 (39.4) ; tarsus 2.10 
(53-3). 

Recognition Marks.—Large Crow size (size of Ring-billed Gull) ; uniform 
dusky or dusky-and-white coloration; central tail-feathers elongated, not taper- 
ing; bill rather small for size, sharply hooked, and provided with thin “cere”. 
Predatory in habit ; oftenest found harassing other birds of the same family. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, of grass and moss. 
Eggs, 2-3, pale olive-green or deep olive-drab, sparingly spotted with slate-color 
and two shades of umber, chiefly at the larger end, where they become confluent 
(Brewer). Av. size, 2.30 x 1.67 (58.4 x 42.4). 

General Range.—Seas and inland waters of northern portions of the north- 
ern hemisphere ; south in winter to Africa, Australia, and probably South America. 


Range in Ohio.—Quite rare. Since the record made at Cleveland, Ohio, 
Feb. 7, 1881 by H. E. Chubb, two more specimens have been reported from Lake 


Erie. 

FISHER-FOLK, because of their exposed situation, have ever been at 
the mercy of pirates and free-booters; and the same rule obtains in the bird- 
world as among men. ‘The Bald Eagle stands ready to relieve the Fish Hawk 
of his hardly-won prey, and the Man-o’-War Bird sweeps the southern main 
on a perpetual quest for fish-laden Gannets and Pelicans. In the northern 
waters the gentlemen of the sea are the Jaegers—hunters. Here upon wings 
marvellously swift and cruelly graceful, the little corsairs hurry to and fro 
to observe which of their fisher-friends has made a catch, and to make instant 
requisition for it. It may even be a Glaucous Gull that has just swallowed 
a herring, and if detected in the act the Gull moves off screaming, while the 
little bully darts at him repeatedly, and prods and browbeats him until he is 
glad to disgorge for the sake of being rid of his persecutor. 

The Kittiwake Gull is the acknowledged thrall of this rapacious viking, 
and if his eggs or callow young escape the devouring beak, it is only that they 
may henceforth share the spoils of the sea with their merciless master. ‘The 
Jaegers follow their victims southward in the fall, and like them, are upon 
rare occasion seen about the Great Lakes. 

In default of unlawful plunder, the birds gather refuse and offal cast 
up on shore, or occasionally share the bounty of the ship’s galley. In some 
sections also they are said to capture small birds and quadrupeds on shore. 


THE PARASITIC JAEGER. 545 


No. 258. 
Abe Ass LC WA Gi Re 


A. O. U. No. 37. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). 

Synonym.—RICHARDSON’S JAEGER. 

Description.—QOuite similar to preceding species in general appearance of 
plumage and in color phases; smaller; the central pair of tail-feathers elongated 
about three inches beyond others and tapering; light phase not so dark as in S. 
pomarinus,—tuscous rather than dusky, throughout, except top of head and lores, 
which are blackish. Length 15.00-21.00 (381.-533.4), av. 17. (431.8); wing 
13.00 (330.2) ; tail 7.50 (190.5) ; bill 1.20 (30.5); tarsus 1.80 (45.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size, but appearing larger; marks much as in 
preceding species, but central pair of tail-feathers sharply pointed, produced about 
three inches beyond others (not nearly so long as in the Long-tailed Jaeger,— 
S. longicaudus). 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 2 or 3, 
“olive-drab to green-gray and brown, marked with several shades of chocolate 
brown, and an obscure stone-gray, distributed over the entire egg.’ Av. size, 
2.30 X 1.65 (58.4 X 41.9). 

General Range.—Northern part of northern hemisphere, southward in win- 
ter to South Africa and South America. Breeds in high northern districts, and 
winters from New York and California southward to Brazil. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare on Lake Erie in late autumn. Several records. 


LYNDS JONES in his Catalog of the Birds of Ohio, records six in- 
stances, with a possible seventh, of the capture of this bird within the state, 
all since the publication of Wheaton’s list of 1880. Of these six specimens, 
four were taken at Sandusky, one near Lorain, and one “at the close of a 
week of very stormy weather,’ near Lebanon. 

In habit the Parasitic Jaeger does not differ materially from the pre- 
ceding species, but recent records would go to show that it is rather more 
likely to occur inland. 


No. 259. 


KITTIWAKE. 


A. O. U. No. 40. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 

Synonym.—KITrrwAKE GULL. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: General plumage pure white, the mantle! 
deep pearl-gray; five outer primaries with terminal portion black, the breadth of 
black area on first primary about three inches, decreasing to .85 in the fifth; the 


1 A term used to designate the plumage of the back, scapulars, and wings collectively, and which is 
often differently colored from that of the remaining parts in birds of this family. 


546 SHE ICELAND GULL. 


first black on the outer web also; the fourth and fifth narrowly tipped with white; 
bill light yellow; legs and feet blackish; the hind toe rudimentary (a mere knob) 
or absent; iris reddish brown; eye-ring red. Adult im winter: Similar, but sides 
of head and hind-neck overlaid with dark gray or plumbeous, and with plumbeous 
slate around eye, most sharply in front. Jmmature: “Similar to winter adults, 
but with the back of the neck, lesser wing-coverts, and part of the tertials black; 
tail, except outer pair of feathers, with a black band at the tip; four outer pri- 
maries black, except the inner half or more of their inner webs; fifth and sixth 
tipped with black and white; bill black; feet yellowish” (Chapman). Length 
16.00-17.50 (406.4-444.5) ; wing 12.00 (304.8) ; tail 4.80 (121.9) ; bill 1.35 (34.3) ; 
tarsus 1.35 (34.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size; it differs from the Ring-billed Gull (Larus 
delawarensis), with which alone it is likely to be confused in this state, by the 
deeper blue of mantle, much less extensive black of primaries, and absence of black 
band on bill. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on ledges of rocky cliffs, of grass, 
moss, and seaweed. Eggs, 3 to 4, yellowish or olive-buff, pale greenish gray, etc., 
with spots and blotches of chocolate-brown and obscure lilac. Av. size, 2.26 x 
1.61 (57.4 X 40.9). 

General Range.—Arctic regions, south in eastern North America in winter 
to the Great Lakes and the Middle States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare winter visitor on Lake Erie—fide Mr. Winslow. 


THIS gentle Gull exists in countless numbers in the high northern lati- 
tudes, but it no longer ventures farther south than Long Island Sound or the 
coast of New Jersey. There are several records of its appearance in winter upon 
the Great Lakes, all by competent observers; but, so far as I have been able 
to learn, no specimens exist of birds taken anywhere nearer than Lake On- 
tario. Inasmuch, however, as Mr. MclIlwraith pronounces the species “very 
common around the west end of Lake Ontario,” there is little reason to call 
in question the record of Mr. R. K. Winslow! of three specimens seen in 
Cleveland harbor many years ago. 


No. 260. 


ICELAND; GULE:; 


A. O. U. No. 43. Larus leucopterus Faber. 

Synonym.—W HITE-WINGED GULL. 

Description.—A dult in summer: Mantle pale pearl-gray (just off white) ; 
remaining plumage pure white; bill chrome yellow, with vermilion spot on lower 
mandible at angle; legs and feet pale yellowish or flesh-color; iris yellow. Adult 
in winter: Similar, but head and neck lightly streaked with pale brownish gray. 
Young: White below, tinged with pale brownish gray ; elsewhere streaked, barred 


1 Vide, Wheaton p. 550.; Jones’ Catalog p. 224. 


"THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. ey 


or mottled with brownish gray,—most heavily on crown, back, wings and tail; 
bill flesh-colored tipped with black. Second year young are nearly pure white, 
but show the black-tipped bill. Length 24.00-26.00 (609.6-660.4) ; wing 16.00 
(406.4) ; tail 6.00 (152.4); bill 1.65 (41.9); depth of bill at angle of gonys .62 
(15.8); tarsus 2.20 (55.9). Dimensions quite variable. Specimens apparently 
intermediate between this species and L. glawcus are to be found. 


Recognition Marks.—Brant size; general white appearance; pale pearl-gray 
of mantle scarcely distinguishable at a distance; primaries without black. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on sandy beaches or rocky cliffs. 
Eggs, 2 or 3, yellowish or brownish buff, marked irregularly with chocolate. Av. 
SiZe 2 OOM HOON (71. le Ka AS.3))). 

General Range.—Arctic regions, south in winter in North America to Massa- 
chusetts and the Great Lakes, occasionally much further south. 


Range in Ohio.——““Rare winter visitor on Lake Erie’ (Wheaton, fide Mr. 
Winslow). A specimen taken at Lorain, Dec. 22, 1888, by Mr. L.. M. McCormick, 
now rests in Oberlin College Museum. 


THE term Iceland, as applied to this Gull, must be understood in a 
general sense. It accurately describes the sort of country which the bird 
frequents, the ice-bound shores of the high Arctics, but is not restricted to 
the political division which bears the name “Island,” or Iceland. Indeed, 
an old observer, Faber, expressly states that this Gull does not breed in Ice- 
land, where it is abundant in winter, but proceeds in spring much further 
north. 

The White-winged Gull has in a measure escaped particular scrutiny, 
because of its close resemblance to the better known Burgomaster, or Glau- 
cous Gull, of which it is, in fact, a smaller edition. In point of size, also, 
it is comparable to the Herring Gull, and on this account, birds seen on Lake 
Erie have doubtless occasionally been allowed to pass for the more familiar 
species. Like the Burgomaster again the smaller bird is something of a 
tyrant, quarrelsome and predacious. Not content with catching its own 
cod-fry, it seizes impudently upon the catch of the more successful and better- 
mannered birds, and wrests it away in triumph. 


No. 261. 


GREAT BLACK-BACKED,GULL. 


A. O. U. No. 47. Larus marinus Linn. 

Synonyms.—SADDLE-BACK ; COFFIN-CARRIER. 

Description.—Adult: Mantle dark slate (black only by courtesy) ; the pri- 
maries mostly black and tipped (the first broadly) with white!; the secondaries 
and tertiaries broadly tipped with white; entire remaining plumage white; bill 

1 There exists in each of the outer primaries evidence of a former (or at least suggested) second sub- 
terminal white band in the shape of a whitish area on the shaft, even amidst the contrasting black of the 


webbing. On this supposition, the terminal area of the first primary corresponds with the (indicated) sub- 
terminal bands of the remaining quills. 


548 THE HERRING GULL. 


chrome yellow, a bright vermilion spot near tip of lower mandible; legs and feet 
flesh-color; iris lemon yellow; eye-lids bright red. Adult in winter: Similar, 
but head and neck streaked with grayish. Jimmature: Head and hind-neck 
whitish, streaked with light gray; mantle brownish dusky, its feathers marked 
and margined by pale buffy; wing-quills blackish, narrowly tipped with whitish; 
tail dusky with a narrow subterminal band of gray; remaining plumage white, 
more or less spotted and streaked or mottled below with brownish gray. Length 
28.00-31.00 (711.2-787.4) ; wing 18.50 (469.9) ; tail 7.00 (177.8) ; bill 2.50 (63.5) ; 
depth at angle of gonys 1.00 (25.4) ; tarsus 3.10 (78.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; large size with black mantle distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, of grasses, sea- 
weed, etc. Eggs, 2-3, grayish olive, yellowish brown, etc., spotted and blotched 
with chocolate and with lilac shell-marks. Av. size, 3.05 x 2.15 (77.5 X 54.0). 

General Range.—Coasts of the North Atlantic; south in winter to Long 
Island and Italy. 

Range in Ohio.—Occasional winter visitor. Records from Cleveland, Cin- 
cinnati, and the lower Scioto. 


OUR recent knowledge of this, the largest of American Gulls, rests so 
far as this state is concerned, upon the statement of Mr. E. W. Vickers, who 
reports “one found dead floating among ice in the creek near Canton” ;? 
and that of Rev. W. F. Henninger, who says :? “On March 21, 1900, while 
out duck-hunting I observed one specimen of this superb species. While 
lying in a thicket on a small peninsula surrounded by the two arms of the Scioto 
River and a slough on three sides, a large Gull alighted on the gravelly bank 
of the river opposite me. Tho the bird was out of gun-shot range, with my 
field glass I could easily tell the species. After staying there for about three 
minutes, it raised its wing and soared majestically away, reminding one of 
the Eagle’s flight.” 

The Great Black-backed Gull is a common species of the North Atlantic. 
It is said to prey boldly upon the eggs and young of other species, and to 
attack the smaller mammals of the Labrador Coast, altho its principal diet is 
fish. It is at all times exceedingly wary, and in fair weather delights to soar 
at great heights. = 


No. 262. 


/ HERRING GULL: 


an O. U. No. 51. Larus argentatus Brinn. 

Description.— Adult in swmmer: Mantle deep pearl-gray; primaries exten- 
sively blackish, the first quill white basally on inner web, and with a large, rounded, 
subterminal white spot on inner web, and narrowly tipped, or not, with white; 
the basal white of succeeding quills gradually encroaching on the black, but always 


1 Jones, Cat. Birds of Ohio, p. 20. 
2 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 40, Sept., 1902, p. 709. 


COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A. W. MUMFORD, eHIcAaD. 


RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CoO. 


RIGHTS: 


e 


S1Z: 


Larus ar. 
14 Life 


HERRING GULL 


‘THE HERRING CULL. 540 


more extensive on the inner web until the seventh quill is reached, in which the 
black is nearly obsolete; the second to sixth quills tipped with white!; remaining 
plumage entirely white; bill bright chrome with a vermilion spot near angle, and 
sometimes black traces; feet and legs pale flesh-color. Adult in winter: Similar 
but head and neck streaked with brownish gray; bill duller. Jmmature: Brown- 
ish gray, nearly uniform, or finely mottled with grayish white below; streaked 
with the same on head and neck; upper parts irregularly varied,—brownish gray 
of two shades with dull white and grayish buff; wing-quills and tail brownish 
dusky, the former unmarked, the latter mottled laterally with dull buffy or whitish; 
bill blackish, paling basally. Between this and the adult in high plumage every 
intergradation appears. Length 22.00-26.00 (558.8-660.4) ; av. of nine O. S. U. 
specimens: wing 17.60 (447.); tail 6.72 (170.7); bill 2.14 (54.4); tarsus 2.68 
(68.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; mantle rather light bluish gray; black 
wing-tips (with white spots on adult) distinctive for bird of this size. 

Nest, on the ground, or (under the influence of persecution) in trees, of 
grasses, moss, and seaweed. Eggs, 2 or 3, yellowish and olive-brown to dull 
bluish white, spotted, blotched, and sometimes scrawled, with chocolate-brown 
and umber. Av. size, 2.85 x 2.00 (72.4 x 50.8). 


General Range.—The northern portion of the northern hemisphere; in North 
America breeding from Maine, northern New York, the Great Lakes, and Min- 
-nesota, northward; south in winter to Cuba and Lower California. 


Range in Ohio.—Common in spring and fall on Lake Erie, where some 
regularly winter and a few possibly breed; not uncommon migrant along water- 
courses and about the reservoirs in the interior. 


OHIO does not furnish these graceful intermediaries of water and sky 
a permanent home, but they are easily the commonest birds of their group 
in spring and autumn. ‘Their breeding ground lies further north, in the 
Georgian Bay and beyond, and only a few score of the immature birds in 
the gray plumage, “ower young to marry yet,’ lounge about upon our Lake 
Erie Islands during the summer. Similarly the majority of individuals pass 
further south during the actual freeze-up of mid-winter, proceeding appar- 
ently to the seacoast of the Carolinas, but a few hardy individuals, old birds 
this time, linger about the rifts in the Lake Erie ice, or follow the ice-cutters 
at their task, while a few more winter on the Ohio River. The southern 
birds, however, are among the first to put a favorable construction on the 
early promises of spring. I saw one passing up the Scioto River on the 
13th day of February last year—and by the middle of March they are again 
common on the Lake. 

The Herring Gull is both a fisherman and a scavenger. In the former 
capacity he takes up his station on a post in one of those picturesque lines 
of piling which support the fish traps, stretching in endless profusion along 
the south shore of Lake Erie. Here the Gull helps himself freely to the 
small fry, which are driven to the top by the struggles of their big brothers 
in the toils. When the season is dull or the nets are empty, the bird wings 


1 The American birds were for many years described as a subspecies, L. a. smithsonianus Coues, on 
the ground of more extensive subterminal black of primaries and larger size; but the characters alleged 
were found to be inconstant, and the name abandoned (Cf. Auk, July, 1902.). 


550 THE HERRING GULL. 

slowly off-shore and snatches fish or refuse from the surface of the water, 
or patrols the beach in search of offal. Immense companies follow the fishing 
tugs as they visit the traps, and these are fed generously by the fishermen, 
who are glad to be rid of certain sorts of fish. 

The voracity of these toilers of the deep is astonishing. Langille tells 
of one which picked up the newly-skinned body of a Common Tern, thrown 
on the water, and gulped it down at a mouthful, scarcely retarding its flight. 
Nothing that contains the faintest elements of nutriment comes amiss. Gulls 
will follow steamboats from port to port or even across the ocean, subsisting 


Taken in Lorain County. Photo by the Author. 
FISH TRAPS IN LAKE ERIE. 


entirely upon the refuse which comes from the cook’s galley. It is a perennial 
source of delight to the traveller to feed these winged pensioners by hand, 
tossing them bits of bread or meat to test their skill in “catching on the fly,” 
or to note the wild scrimmage which follows when a score of birds spy the 
same morsel. 

In following steamers, as at other times, Gulls obtain their rest by sleep- 
ing on the water, and it is said that in crossing the ocean they spend the night 
thus, and overhaul their patron ship early the following morning. 

But perhaps the most interesting phase of Gull nature is seen in their 
manner of flight. ‘They are past masters of that humanly unattainable craft, 


= 


IHSINENd NOLY3HM 3H1 48 O1HO 


Sea RINGwELED CULL. 561 


and the nature of their aerial progress quite baffles, at times, human com- 
prehension. I once studied a very tame flock of Gulls, of an allied species, 
as it followed a Puget Sound steamer; and I am able to testify that the birds 
moved about upon the air at will, and for indefinite periods of time, without 
the slightest semblance of wing-beats. At one time when we were facing a 
stiffish breeze and making headway against it at the rate of about fifteen miles 
an hour, the Gulls were resting in midair above the afterdeck. One bird 
in particular, remained for about five minutes within four feet of my out- 
stretched hand. Without a visible sign of propulsion the bird moved forward 
upon the air as by some inner compulsion, at an approximate rate of thirty 
miles per hour; and when the Gull shifted its position, it was to pass forward 
and upward rapidly without wing-beats. By what magical resolution of 
forces the birds are thus able to make the wind contradict itself one may not 
even conjecture. 

The sagacity of this bird is further shown in the fact that it has largely 
abandoned its costly habit of nesting upon the ground, the prey of every 
pirate, and has taken to building in the tops of evergreen trees. ‘To be sure 
the tree-tops along the coast of Maine, Nova Scotia, and Labrador are not 
quite inaccessible, but fishermen no longer gather gulls’ eggs by the bushel 
basketful as once they did. 


No. 263. 
y RING-BILLED GULL. 


"A. O. U. No. 54. Larus delawarensis Ord. 

Description.—dAdult in summer: Mantle deep pearl-gray (typical ‘‘Gull- 
blue”, much as in L. argentatus) ; primaries mostly black, the color decreasing in 
extent inwardly, and disappearing with the sixth quill, owing to encroachment 
of basal white (or pearl-gray) ; the first quill with subterminal white spot, the 
third to sixth tipped with white (that of the third to fifth often lacking in worn 
plumages) ; remaining plumage white; bill greenish yellow, crossed at angle by 
a broad and clearly defined black band; feet light yellow or greenish; eyelids 
vermilion; iris pale yellow. Adult in winter: Similar, but head and hind-neck 
streaked with dusky gray. Young: Above, brownish dusky or fuscous, edged 
and varied by whitish and grayish buff; outer primaries plain blackish, the shorter 
ones extensively bluish gray, and tipped with white; tail light bluish gray more 
or less mottled with blackish; crossed by a broad subterminal black band and 
tipped with white; below white, the sides spotted with brownish gray; bill blackish, 
paling basally. Length 18.00-20.00 (457.2-508.) ; wing 14.50 (368.3); tail 6.00 
(152.4) ; bill 1.60 (40.6) ; tarsus 2.20 (55.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Crow size, but appearing larger; mantle “gull-blue”: 
primaries blackish; black band across bill at angle distinctive. : 


552 THE BONAPARTE GULL. 


Nesting:— Net known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of grasses, moss, etc., on the 
ground. Eggs, 2 or 3, dull bluish white to brown or clay -color, spotted distinctly 
with deep brown and obscurely with lilac. Av. size, 2.40 x 1.70 (61. x 43.2). 


General Range.—North America at large; south in winter to Cuba and 
Mexico. 

Range in Ohio.—Perhaps not uncommon migrant on Lake Erie; possibly 
former summer resident; rare migrant elsewhere. 


NOTHING has been added to our knowledge of this Gull since Dr. 
Wheaton’s time, and indeed its numbers must have greatly decreased since 
he wrote of it: “Common spring and fall migrant, perhaps formerly sum- 
mer resident on Lake Erie.” No recent list makes mention of it, and Pro- 
fessor Jones has never seen it along the Lake Erie shore. 

The Ring-billed Gull has much the habit and appearance of the Herring 
Gull, but when the two species appear together, it may be readily distin- 
guished by its smaller size. While its principal diet consists of fish and the 
flotsam of the tide, it is said occasionally to vary its fare by feeding upon 
insects and land molluscs. Dr. J. A. Allen reports that during a visit to Salt 
Lake Valley, where they breed abundantly, he saw them repeatedly sub- 
sisting upon grasshoppers, of which they caught enormous numbers; not as 
might be supposed, by walking about upon the ground, but by hawking at 
them in the air. 


No. 264. 


BONAPARTE GULE. 


A. O. U. No. 60. Larus philadelphia (Ord). 


Description.—Adult in summer: Head including throat blackish slate, 
mantle pearl-gray; primaries extensively white, the first six with black terminal 
portions, the third to sixth, in addition, narrowly tipped with white; the first 
quill with outer web and tip black, the second and third altogether white with 
black tips, the fourth white on outer web, pearl-gray on inner web, with touch 
of white at extremity of terminal black, effecting the transition to the nearly uni- 
form basal pearl-gray of inner primaries; remaining ynaee pure white, the 
under parts more or less flushed with pale rosy; bill jet black; feet and legs rich 
orange-red; feathering of eyelids white posteriorly, the skin carmine. Adult m 
winter: Without the black hood; a dab of slate behind the ear and another before 
the eye, with a plumbeous suffusion of occiput instead; rosy tint of under parts 
wanting; bill lighter basally, and feet pale flesh-color. Immature: Like adult 
in winter, but plumbeous suffusion of hind-head more extensive and tinged with 
brownish; the pearl-gray of mantle less distinct and varied by brownish gray; 
lesser wing-coverts and inner tertials mostly brownish gray; primaries mostly 
blackish on exposed outer webs, where the adult is white, and white on outer 


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VAG ‘0064 LHOIAGOD 


webs of inner primaries, where adult is pearl-gray; the inner primaries narrowly 
tipped with white as before; tail crossed terminally, or nearly so, with a broad 
band of blackish or brownish dusky; bill still lighter, but blackish toward tip. 
Length 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6) ; av. of six Columbus specimens: wing 10.30 
(261.6) ; tail 3.60 (91.4); bill 1.12 (28.5); tarsus 1.41 (35.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size; size of Common Tern (Sterna 
hirundo) ; head black, in breeding plumage; bill black or mostly black; mantle 
gull-blue; primaries mostly white and gull-blue, tipped with black, and very nar- 
rowly with white. Distinguished from the Franklin Gull (L. franklinit) by its 
small size, its black bill, and different pattern of primaries. To be told at a glance 
from the Terns by its shorter, squarish tail, and in breeding plumage, by head 
being blackish all around. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, of sticks lined with grass, etc., 
placed four to twenty feet high in bushes, trees, or on stumps. Eggs, 3, rarely 4, 
greenish olive or brown, with smallish spots or blotches of umber and lilac, chiefly 


about larger end. Av. size, 1.95 X 1.35 (49.5 X 34.3). 

General Range.—Whole of North America, breeding mostly north of the 
United States. Not yet recorded from south of the United States, though re- 
ported from the Bermudas. 

Range in Ohio.—“Common spring and fall migrant on Lake Krie; less 
common and rather irregular in the interior of the state’ (Wheaton). 


THIS pretty little gull claims the whole of North America for its home, 
altho it nests only from the northern United States northward, apparently 
not quite to the Arctic Circle, or at least not to the Arctic Ocean. This species 
is often common near streams and other bodies of water large enough to 
furnish their food of fish. The three acres of the Oberlin water-works reser- 
voir, well within the corporation, is visited each spring by flocks which refresh 
themselves upon the half-domesticated fish found there. I have often seen 
flocks of twenty or more birds passing over plowed fields during the vernal 
migration, sometimes even stooping to snatch some toothsome grub from 
the freshly turned furrow, but oftener sweeping past in that lithe, graceful 
flight so characteristic of this small gull. To the farm boy, shut in away 
from any body of water larger that an ice-pond, where no ocean birds could 
ever be expected to wander, the appearance of this bird, bearing the wide 
freedom of the ocean in his every movement, is truly a revelation. It sends 
the blood coursing hotly through his veins until the impulse to get away 
into the broader activities of life, to see something of the wide land known 
to this winged creature, cannot be put down. Such is the bird’s mission to 
one and another. 

The flight of Bonaparte’s Gull is grace itself. He progresses easily by 
continued leisurely wing strokes, each stroke seeming to throw the light body 
upward slightly as though it were but a feather’s weight. In flight the 
watchful eye is turned hither and thither in quest of some food morsel, which 
may be a luckless fish venturing too near the surface of the water, to be 


e THE SABINE GULL. 


on 


snatched up by a deft turn of the wings and a sudden stroke of the keen 
bill. Floating refuse is gathered from the surface of the water while the 
bird is resting. 

It is only in the breeding plumage that this gull wears the slaty plumbeous 
hood. It seems doubtful if the birds attain the hood until the second or third 
year, when they are fully adult. But in any plumage there are some dark 
spots about the head. 

The nest is placed in elevated situations, in bushes, trees, or on high 
stumps, and is composed of sticks and grasses, with a lining of finer vege- 
table material. The eggs are three or four in number, and have the grayish- 
brown to greenish brown color, spotted and blotched with browns, which is 
characteristic of this group of gulls. 

Lynps JONES. 


No. 265. 
SABINE GULL. 


A. O. U. No. 62. Xema sabinii (Sab.). 

Synonym.—Fork-TAILED GULL. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: Head and upper neck all around plum- 
beous-slate, bordered posteriorly with black; mantle dark pearl-gray; primaries 
black, the inner ones changing to white marked with plumbeous, the first five 
with white tips and white on the inner webs; remaining plumage, including 
slightly forked tail, white; bill black, tipped with yellow; legs and feet black; 
eyelids orange. Adult in winter: Similar, but slaty color of head and neck 
reduced to ear-coverts and nuchal region; rest of head and neck white. Young: 
Above, including most of head and mantle, grayish brown, each feather darken- 
ing distally and tipped with buffy; tail white with a broad blackish subterminal 
band; forehead, lores, upper tail-coverts, and under parts white. Emargination 
of tail about 1.25; that of young not much less (Coues). Length 13.00-14.00 
(330.2-355-6) ; wing 10.50 (266.7); tail 4.75 (120.6); bill I.oo (25.4); tarsus 
iA (Cis) je 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk size. Black of wings and slate of head 
and neck more extensive than in L. philadelphia; bill black with yellow tip; tail 
slightly forked; the black ring bordering the slate of head and upper neck all 
around is also distinctive. : 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, sand beaches, 
moss beds, etc. Eggs, 2-5, light or dark olive, obscurely spotted or blotched with 
brown. Av. Size, 1.75 X 1.20 (44.5 X 30.5). 

General Range.—Arctic regions; in North America south in winter to New 
York, the Great Lakes, and Great Salt Lake; casual in Kansas, Bermuda, and 
on coast of Peru. 


THE GULL-BILLED TERN. 7 555 


Range in Ohio.—‘Accidental in winter on Lake Erie’ (Wheaton). A 
single specimen said to have been taken at Cleveland by Mr. Winslow, but no 
longer extant. 


THE Fork-tailed Gull is a bird of the Arctic regions, and our knowledge 
of it is obtained almost entirely from the journals of Arctic travellers, dating 
from that of the discoverer, Colonel Edward Sabine, in 1818. In common 
with several other birds of this group, its under parts are suffused with a 
delicate pinkish or rosy blush during the actual breeding season. One ob- 
server, Captain McFarlane, describes a male taken in July as “deeply tinged 
with crimson.” 

The species retires from the higher latitudes with the approach of winter, 
but only a scattering few come as far south as our northern borders. The 
bird’s claim to recognition here rests solely upon Mr. Winslow’s record of 
an immature bird, taken in Cleveland harbor many years since, and for a 
time preserved in the museum of the Cleveland Medical College. 


No. 266. 


GULL-BILLED TERN. 


A. O. U. No. 63. Gelochelidon nilotica (Hasselq.). 

Synonym.—Marsu TERN. 

Description.—Adult in summer: ‘Top of head and nape black; remaining 
upper parts light pearl-gray; primaries silver-gray over dusky, blackening on 
tips but with ivory-white shafts, and with some white on inner edge of inner web, 
the amount of white decreasing inwardly; tail slightly forked; remaining plumage 
white; bill rather short and stout, with conspicuous angle, and culmen decidedly 
curving toward tip,—hence like a Gull’s—black; feet blackish. Adult in winter: 
Similar, but head and neck white with dusky gray spots before eye and on ear- 
coverts and grayish suffusion on hind-neck or with traces of black cap in var- 
table proportions. Young: Like adult in winter, but upper parts with a buffy 
wash, and feathers of crown, hind neck, back, and scapulars, streaked or spotted 
with brownish dusky. Length 13.00-15.00 (330.2-381.) ; wing 12.00 (304.8) ; tail 
4.50-5.50 (114.3-139.7), forked 1.25-1.75 (31.8-44.5); bill 1.35 (34.3); depth 
of bill at base .48 (12.2) ; tarsus 1.30 (33.). 

Recognition Marks.—Size of Common Tern; bill shorter and stouter, black; 
wings longer. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, usually of 
low islands, in sand or short grass, scantily lined, or not, with grass, etc. “Eggs, 
3-5, rather uniform buffy white, with numerous and obscure chocolate markings, 
1.80 x 1.30 (45.7 x 33.)” (Chapman). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan; in North America chiefly along the 
Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, breeding north to southern New 


556 THE CASPIAN TERN. 


Jersey, and wandering casually to Long Island and Massachusets; in winter both 
coasts of Mexico and Central America and south to Brazil. 


Range in Ohio.—*Rare visitor in the vicinity of Cleveland’ (Wheaton, fide 
Winslow). 


WHILE there are no positive records of the occurrence of this species 
within the limits of our state beyond the reported statement of a gentleman in 
Cleveland, who in the early days had unusual success in discovering rare 
species, this word together with the knowledge of its recent breeding on the 
St. Clair Flats, in Ontario, would seem to entitle the bird to a place in our 
avifauna. 

The Gull-billed Tern enjoys the distinction of being the most nearly 
cosmopolitan of its race, being reported indifferently from Denmark, Pata- 
gonia, and Australia. It must be a welcome visitor everywhere, because in 
addition to its strong, graceful flight, always pleasing to the eye, it has set 
for itself the task of ridding the seacoasts and lowland marshes of insect 
pests. It is believed rarely to eat fish, which is the common diet of Tern 
folk. Audubon reported that, in all the stomachs he ever examined, he 
never found anything but insects; while Wilson tells of one bird which had 
crammed its stomach full of black spiders, which it had obtained in the 
marshes about Cape May. 


No. 267. 


CASPIAN TERN. 


A. O. U. No. 64. Sterna caspia Pallas. 

Description.—Adult in spring: ‘Top of head and nape uniform lustrous 
black; upper parts pearl-gray, whitening somewhat on rump and posteriorly; 
wing-quills not especially different, the silvery gray nearly concealing dusky on 
exposed portions; inner webs plain grayish dusky; tail slightly forked for about 
one-fifth of its length,—folded wings considerably exceeding; remaining plumage 
white; bill very stout,—the depth at base being nearly equal to one-third the 
length of culmen,—bright coral-red slightly tinged with dusky at tip; feet and 
legs black. Adult after the breeding season and in winter: Similar, but black 
of crown speckled or streaked with dull white. Young: Black cap of adult 
represented by spotting on top of head (on grayish white ground), increasing 
in density until nearly uniform on hind head; above dull pearl gray, sparingly 
spotted or barred with brownish dusky; primaries darker than in adult; tail pearl- 
gray with dusky subterminal spots, or indistinct barring; remaining plumage 
white, bill orange-red; feet brownish slack Length 20.00-23.00 (508-584.2) ; 
wing 16.25 (412.8) ; tail 5.00-6.50 (127.-165.1) ; bill 2.75 (60.9) ; eons of bill 
at base .80-.95 (20.3-24.1) ; tarsus 1.80 sey. 


THE FORSTER TERN. 


Recognition Marks.—Largest of the Terns; of conventional coloration, 
black-capped, and mantled with pearly blue; bill large, stout, bright red; the 
stouter bill presents the chief field difference from the Royal Tern (.S. maxima), 
but this bird is somewhat larger every way, and lacks the definite white on the 
inner web of primaries. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, usually in 
sand. Eggs, 2 or 3, buffy white or greenish buff, spotted and blotched with 
chocolate and lilac. Av. size, 2.70 x 1.80 (68.6 x 45.7). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan; in North America breeding south- 
ward to Virginia, Lake Michigan, Texas, Nevada, and California. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant or straggler. Records from Sandusky, Ross 
Lake, Licking Reservoir, Ohio River, etc. 


LITTLE can be said of the occurrence of this Tern within our borders, 
except that it is a bird of striking appearance, easily recognizable because 
of its large size. There is no reason yet to suppose that it breeds in Ohio, 
the few specimens seen having been, in all probability, en route to or from 
more northern breeding grounds. ‘The Caspian ‘Tern has a wide distribution 
both in this country and in the Old World; but it is reckoned common only 
in restricted and widely separated localities. 

Of the nesting of this species, Mr. Ridgway says:! ‘Unlike most other 
Terns, and conspicuously unlike the almost equally large Royal Tern (\S. 
maxima), the Caspian Tern appears to breed in isolated pairs instead of large 
colonies, its nest being usually far removed from that of any other bird, and 
consisting merely of a shallow depression scooped in the sand, in which its 
two eggs are laid, with little if any lining, though a few grass, or sedge, 
blades or other vegetable substances are sometimes added. It is very bold 
in defense of its eggs or young, darting impetuously at the intruder, uttering 
meanwhile hoarse barking or snarling cries.” 


No. 268. 


FORSTERS PE RIN: 


A. O. U. No. 69. Sterna forsteri Nutt. 


Description.—Adult in swmmer: ‘Top of head and nape sooty black; rump 
white, shading on upper tail-coverts, remaining upper parts pale pearl-gray ; wing- 
quills dusky, heavily overlaid to tips with silvery gray, with ivory shafts, and with 
white (decreasing inwardly) on the inner webs; tail the color of back, deeply 
forked, the outer pair of feathers much elongated and tapering, reaching beyond 
the tip of the folded wing; their inner webs of a much darker gray than the nar- 
row outer webs; under parts white; bill dull orange basally, the terminal half, or 
at least third, blackish; feet orange-red. Adult in winter: Similar, but black 
cap wanting, represented only by dusky stripe on side of head, and by grayish tinge 


1 The Ornithology of Illinois, Vol. IT. p. 242. 


558 "THE FORSTER TERN. 


of hind head and nape; tail shorter and not so deeply forked, the outer feathers 
broader and less tapering; bill duller, the dusky tip scarcely contrasting ; feet dull 
reddish. Young: Like adult in winter, but upper parts varied by, or overlaid 
with, light brownish; sides of head more or less tinged with the same shade; tail 
shorter, its feathers becoming dusky terminally. Length 14.00-15.00 (355.0-381.) ; 
wing 10.00 (254.) ; tail, the central feathers, 2.80 (71.1) ; the lateral pair 6.75-7.00 
(171.5-179.1) ; bill 1.57 (39.9) ; depth at base .40 (10.2) ; tarsus .98 (24.9). 

Recognition Marks.—Size of Common ‘ern; distinguishable from it by 
subtle but sure marks; the bill is stouter and more extensively black on terminal 
portion ; the upper tail-coverts are grayer; the tail more deeply forked, and the 
outer pair of feathers dark on inner webs. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. West, in colonies, on the ground 
of low islands, in grass, etc., lined with grasses, flags, and the like. Hggs, 2 or 3, 
rarely 4, dull white, greenish white, olive-gray, ashy-brown, etc., spotted and 
blotched with blackish brown or umber, and with shell-marks of stone gray and 
lavender. Av. size, 1.80 x 1.25 (45.7 x 31.8). 


General Range.—North America generally, breeding from Manitoba south- 
ward to Virginia, Illinois, Texas, and California; in winter southward to Brazil. 

Range in Ohio.—Apparently a rare migrant; not yet recorded from Lake 
Erie. Probably more frequent than records would show, but often passing for 
succeeding species. 


COMPARATIVELY little is known of this Tern as an Ohio bird, its 
great similarity to the next species serving to shield it from the gaze of any 
but the initiated. Dr. Wheaton’s acquaintance with it was limited to a single 
specimen taken near Columbus in the fall of 1861 or 1862. Six specimens 
were taken by Messrs. Dury and Freeman near Cincinnati, May 4th, 1879. 
Examples are more numerous from Indiana, but no breeding records are 
reported by Professor Butler. Several observers, however, report it as breed- 
ing on the St. Clair Flats, in Michigan, and Mr. E. W. Nelson gives a full 
account of its nesting about the shallow lakes of northeastern Illinois. It 
would seem, therefore, that the species must regularly cross our state, even 
tho its principal ranges lie further to the east and west. 

According to Mr. Ridgway, who found the species abundant at Cobb's 
Island, Virginia, the Forster Tern is preeminently a marsh tern. Its nests 
are usually placed on masses of floating vegetation or broken-down reeds. 
At Cobb’s Island they were found in close proximity to those of the Black- 
headed Gull (Larus atricilla) while in Illinois the chosen nesting site brings 
the bird into frequent comparison with the Black Tern. 

This species can be readily distinguished from the Common Tern, which 
it closely resembles when on the wing, by its grating monotonous note, which 
recalls one frequently uttered by the Loggerhead Shrike. 


MUMFORD, CHICAGO 


RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHEATON PUBLISHING CO, 


OPYRIGHT 1900, BY A, W. 


COMMON TERN 


68 


Sterna hirundo 


Life-size 


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THE COMMON TERN. 


No. 269. 


COMMON TERN. 


A. O. U. No. 70. Sterna hirundo (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Wi11son’s TERN ; SEA SWALLOW; “BASS-GULL.” 

Description.—Adult, in summer: Top of head and nape uniform deep 
black; back and wings pearl-gray; wing-quills dusky, more or less silvered over, 
except on outer web of outer primary; the inner half of inner webs sharply 
white, but not reaching tip; rump, upper tail-coverts and tail (basally and cen- 
trally), white; tail deeply forked, the outer pair of feathers elongated and nar- 
rowly tapering but not, or barely, reaching the tips of closed wings ; their outer 
webs abruptly grayish-dusky, contrasting with white of inner webs; the succeed- 
ing pair also similarly marked; under parts white, tinged, except on throat and 
crissum, with pale pearl-gray or lavender-gray; bill vermilion-red, blackening 
on tip; feet orange-vermilion. Adult, in winter: Similar, but black cap im- 
perfect, restricted to hinder portion of head, or merely indicated (?); under 
parts pure white; bill and feet not so bright. Young (in August): Forehead 
and lores ashy-gray ; region about eyes, hind crown, and nape leaden black; back, 
scapulars and wings pearl-gray, each feather tipped with brownish-buff and mingled 
subterminally with brownish-dusky, forming a strong bar; upper tail-coverts and 
tail lighter pearl-gray, the central feathers of the latter tipped with buffy; the 
anterior lesser wing-coverts bluish-dusky, with narrow ashy edgings; edge of 
wing and quills plumbeous-gray; under parts, white. Length, 13.00-16.00 
(330.2-406.4) ; wing 10.25 (260.4) ; tail 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4) ; bill 1.38 (35.1) ; 
tarsus .80 (20.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Little Hawk or Crow size; black cap; pearl-gray 
mantle; deeply forked tail; extensive white, or pale grayish plumage; graceful 
flight; lake-(rarely river-) haunting habits. Known from the preceding species 
by outer pair of tail-feathers dark on the outer instead of the inner web; under- 
parts not pure white in breeding season. Distinguishable at a glance from S. 
dougalli by bill extensively vermilion. 

Nests, in colonies, on beach shingle, or in grass of low islands, lined or not, 
with bits of bark, grass, etc. Eggs, 2 or 3, rarely 4, very variable in ground color 
light bluish or greenish, dull white, stone, light-olive, etc., spotted and blotched 
heavily, or not, w rith blackish-brown or chocolate, and with lavender shell-marks. 
ANE USIZEw I OONXa-20) (ACOs 30)5))e 

General Range.—Greater part of the northern hemisphere and Africa. 
In North America, chiefly east of the Plains, breeding from the Arctic Coast, 
somewhat irregularly, to Florida, Texas, and Arizona, and wintering northward 
to Virginia. Also coast of Lower California. Appallingly reduced in numbers 
on Atlantic seaboard within recent years. 

Range in Ohio.—Spring and fall migrant, not common except on Lake 
Erie, where it breeds sparingly. 


WHAT a piece of work is a Tern! how gentle in instinct! how un- 
trammelled in discursion! in form and moving how elegant and admirable! in 
action how like the swallow! in innocence how like the dove! the beauty of the 
air! the paragon of sea-birds! 


560 THE COMMON TERN. 


When Lake Erie is gnawing sulkily at the tough clay of some headland, 
and the north wind comes straight out of that murky band which veils distant 
Canada, midway between the hazy blue of the upper air and the criss-crossed 
opal of the water, the eye searches eagerly for some living thing which shall 
break the oppression of the blue vastness and afford a sense of companionship 
with something nearer of kin. Nor does one look in vain, for in the offing 


Photo by Walter C. Metz. 
THE BREEDING HAUNTS OF THE TERN. 


hovers a fleet of white-winged birds, weaving in the air by their incessant ply- 
ings a fantastic fisher-net wherein many a luckless minnow is enmeshed. Soon 
a lone straggler from out the company drifts nearer, parting the air with grace- 
ful wing; now hovering critically over a suspected fish, like some huge mos- 
quito with his down-turned beak; now dropping with a splash beneath the 
wave, or making a nimble catch just below the surface without wetting his 
plumage. Ever and anon the muffled undertone of the waves is pierced by a 
weird, frangible cry, as of delicate china or thin ice being broken. The sight 0¢ 
a flock of Terns winning their daily fare on lake or ocean is one to arouse the 
enthusiasm of the most sluggish observer, and without these dainty birds the 
sea is orphaned, hopelessly bereft. 

The Common Tern is to be seen in many parts of the state during migra- 
tions. It can be studied to advantage, however, only in its breeding haunts, 
and these, so far as known, are no longer to be found within our limits. The 
Lake Erie birds breed principally, perhaps exclusively, upon a group of islands 
just over the line in Canadian waters. But let me pause here,—hefore interest 


THE COMMON TERN. 501 


or possible cupidity shall be aroused by a brief account of a visit to these breed- 
ing grounds—to utter a solemn warning against the molestation of these linger- 
ing colonies. ‘The birds have been driven from our shores and islands by the 
wanton cruelty of pseudo-sportsmen, and by the combined activities of “egg- 
hogs,” scientific and commercial. The Terns have taken a last stand upon a 
group of islets known as “the Hen and Chickens,” with an outlying colony 
upon North Harbor Island. Here their isolation has afforded them a measure 
of relief, but the time is rapidly approaching when intelligent and cordial pro- 
tection alone can save them from extinction. Farmers of Isle St. George and 
Middle Bass! What are a few Terns’ eggs, even a bushel basket full, in com- 
parison with the matchless grace of the living bird, which delights your eye and 
that of ten thousand others each season? Spare the Terns! Sportsmen! if you 
be such, you will spare the Terns. It is not marksmanship, but a vulgar itch 
for blood-letting, which will tempt a man to such tame assassination as the 
death of a Tern affords. Plume-hunters! Ah! it is a wonder that men of 
your ilk have not bereft us of these birds long since, as they have for a thousand 
leagues along the Atlantic Coast. You sin in ignorance, we know, for your 
eye is dulled to beauty, and pity is ever invisible in the presence of dollars. The 
fault is with your masters, the miserable men milliners who order the slaughter 
of innocents by the wholesale, to supply “the trade.” And the fault is even 
more with those silly women who shamelessly flaunt your mummied atrocities 
in the faces of honest men. We reserve our indignation—against the more 
enlightened. 

During the summer of 1901, August 7-8, I visited the Canadian breeding 
haunts of the Tern in company with Professor Lynds Jones and his eight-year- 
old son, Leo. Leaving Isle St. George at an early hour, in a row-boat, we 
headed for the nearest colony, that on Chicken Island. As we approached over 
the shimmering, sunlit waters, inquiring Terns passed the time of day with 
us. Their interest unquestionably centered upon the island ahead, and many 
were bearing small white fish in their beaks. As we drew near enough to the 
islet to mark a few circling birds the entire population took sudden flight to 
the number of two thousand,—a magnificent spectacle. 

Chicken Island is a small mass of morainic gravel, an acre or so in extent. 
and resting on a concealed foundation of limestone. The gravel has been re-sort- 
ed by the waves, which have left the material in terraces substantially con- 
tinuous throughout the circumference. A small fisherman’s hut and two willow 
trees redeem the island from absolute desolation, while the birds are to be 
found everywhere, even invading the deserted hut itself. ‘The odor of guano 
was tolerably strong, but the sight of the restless, hovering multitude of “Sea 
Swallows” made anything endurable. 

Altho the season was far advanced, nests and eggs abounded, making 
it appear probable that the colony had been plundered earlier in the summer, 


562 THE COMMON TERN. 


or else had been overwhelmed in time of storm. We made the circuit of the 
island like excited children, only taking care not to crush the eggs beneath our 
feet. ‘The birds themselves were tireless in voice and wing, and would not be 
lulled to any sense of security, while the strangers were on their premises. The 
convenient, terrace-like arrangement of the ground invited the taking of a 
census, which showed the following results: empty nests, 200; nests with eg 


> Photo by Walter C. Metz. 
A TYPICAL BIT OF NESTING GROUND. 


counted which showed some signs of architecture,—perhaps half the number. 

Some of the nests were quite respectable affairs, neat cushions of bark and 
feathers and trash; but for the most part eggs were dumped just anywhere on 
the gravel. ‘I'wo nests were found in the corners of dry-goods boxes, which 
had been cast up on the reef. One of these contained a waif cork by way of a 
nest-egg. A large percentage of the eggs found were evidently deserted or 
dried-up specimens. Others were on the very point of hatching; while a few 
were perfectly fresh. 

A similar visit and inventory was made at “the Chick,” a half-acre reef 


THE COMMON TERN. 


hard by; and at the Little Chicken, where our illustrations were secured 
the following season by Mr. Walter C. Metz, of Newark. The latter island 
boasts a clump of willows (Salix amygdaloides Andr.) and is half covered with 
a growth of Smart-weed (Polygonum lapathifolium ., P. persicaria L,., etc.). 
Here the soft bedded masses of drift-wood proved to be the favorite nesting 
site, altho gravel was not forsworn. At one spot I dug my toe into an empty 
nest for a base and “fetching a compass” with my hands, touched eggs or 
young in fifteen nests. Something like a thousand Terns claimed this reef for a 
home, while two hundred or more of visiting Black Terns, having done with 


by Walter C. Metz. 


NEST AND EGGS OF THE COMMON TERN. 


domestic cares long since, mingled idly in the circling throng, or betook them- 
selves to undisturbed areas. 

The breeze of early morning having died down, the sun beat upon the 
rocks unmercifully, cooking, I fear, many a tender baby Tern. We got away 
as hastily as might be, not to interfere with the ministrations of the anxious 
parents. Never have I felt so like a bold, bad buccaneer as upon this occasion, 
and I warrant the Tern population heaved a sigh of relief when Bluebeard and 
Blackbeard with Captain Kid(d) finally pushed from shore. 

More romantic still, was the scene at North Harbor Island, some six miles 
further to the northwest. Here a limestone knob, two acres in extent, rough- 
chiseled by the ancient glacier, supports a skirting fringe of gravel on one side, 
and a considerable grove of hackberry trees in the center. As we drew near 
this charming spot, toward sunset, the island with its attendant halo of timor- 
ous Terns, rose out of the western sea like the fabled Atlantis in miniature, an 


ean THE ROSEATE TERN. 


enchanted isle of wondrous beauty. As the barque of the gentle pirates grated 
on the strand, a thousand Purple Martins rose in a cloud from a dead hack- 
berry tree and whirled about in wild confusion until better counsels prevailed 
and they returned to slumber. 

Not so the Terns. Nothing could completely lull their fears; altho, when 
we made our bivouac in the woods, the mothers did settle to their eggs. The 
Terns were everywhere. We found them nesting indifferently upon the pol- 
ished limestone of the western shore, the naked gravels of the south end, the 
grassy paddocks of the upland, or within the dim and grassless shade of the 
interior. The Terns owned the island and their clamor was really unceasing. 
A few were crying all night long, and the noise at four o’clock in the morning 
was nothing short of an uproar. We estimated that something like fifteen 
hundred Terns found harbor upon the island, but we did not attempt a nest- 
and-egg census. 

Lest some suspicion enter the mind of the reader that we too were bent on 
plunder, let me hasten to confess that we helped ourselves freely to addled eggs 
and secured two fresh sets for the museum of Oberlin College. No firearms 
were discharged during the entire trip. If others will practice similar modera- 
tion, we bid them Godspeed. 

Arrived again at Isle St. George, on the evening of the 8th, in time for 
camp, the Terns still followed us, in spirit if not in body. Altho we had put 
six watery miles between ourselves and the nearest Terns, on several occasions 
this evening and the following morning, I heard them screaming. I say heard, 
not vividly recalled alone, for the impression made by their outcries upon the 
subliminal mind was so intense that it reproduced the full chorus, by means of 
an auditive hallucination, which lasted several seconds at a time. For an ama- 
teur psychologist it was an interesting experience, in no wise diminished, ap- 
parently, by the fact that the normal consciousness became instantly aware of 
the trick that was being played upon it, and alert to observe the process. 


No. 270. 


ROSEATE TERN. 


A. O. U. No. 72. Sterna dougalli Montag. 

Description.—Adult in swmmer: ‘Top of head and nape deep lustrous black; 
mantle pearl-gray, delicately shaded to lighter on cervix, longer scapulars, etc. ; 
wings much as in preceding species, but lighter—extensively white on exposed 
portions of inner web; rump and upper coverts and tail pale pearly, the latter 
deeply forked, the outer feathers narrowly tapering, reaching two or three inches 
beyond tips of closed wing,—unicolored; four succeeding pairs graduated for 
about half the distance of entire furcation; under parts white, beautifully tinted 


THE ROSEATE TERN. 565 


with rosy-pink; bill black, reddening at base; feet and legs bright red. Adult in 
winter: Similar, but cap retreating from forehead, leaving it white, and indis- 
tinctly blending with grayish and white on fore-crown. Young: ‘Pileum and 
nape pale buffy grayish, finely mottled or sprinkled with darker, and streaked 
especially on crown, with dusky; orbital and auricular regions dusky blackish; 
remainder of head, and entire lower parts white, the nape and sometimes side of 
breast finely mottled with buffy gray; pale pearl-gray of back and scapulars over- 
laid by pale buff, irregularly mottled with dusky, each feather with a submarginal 
dusky V-shaped mark; bill brownish dusky; feet dusky (in dried skins)” (Ridg- 
way). Length 14.00-17.00 (355.6-431-8) ; wing 9.40 (238.8) ; tail 7.50 (190.5), 
forked for 4.50 (114.3) ; bill 1.40 (35.6); tarsus .80 (20.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Size of Common Tern or slightly larger, and with 
much the same appearance; tail longer and more deeply forked; bill principally 
black; under parts delicate rose pink in breeding season. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs much as in pre- 
ceding species. Av. size, 1.66 x 1.21 (42.2 x 30.8) (Ridgway). 

General Range.—Temperate and tropical regions ; north on the Atlantic Coast 
of North America to Massachusetts, and casually to Maine and Nova Scotia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant or accidental visitor; two or three records. 


THIS exquisite of the ocean is represented in the interior by only a 
few wandering individuals; and, altho nearly cosmopolitan in its range, it 
is not believed to breed in North America except along the Atlantic and Gulf 
Coasts. Like all species of Terns it has suffered fearfully of late from the 
depredations of the plume hunters; but there are a few protected colonies 
off the south coast of Massachusetts and one in Long Island Sound, where 
their habits may still be studied. 

In this connection I venture to quote parts of several paragraphs from 
Dr. Brewer,! who observed the species in Massachusetts, not only for the 
intrinsic value, but for the side light which they throw upon the habits of 
somewhat similar and more familiar species: 

“There is a noticeable difference between this and both the hirundo 
and the paradisea (Arctic Tern), which, having been once carefully studied, 
will not be lost sight of. ‘The present species is easily distinguished in its 
flight by its long and graceful tail-feathers, its more brilliant under parts, 
and its more regular and even motions in flight. Its voice is different, less 
sharp, more hoarse, and its cry of Creck is more prolonged and less frequently 
enunciated, than is the case with the other species named. It is less clamorous 
when its nest is approached, hovers overhead at a higher point, and rarely 
makes a rush at one’s head, as does the impetuous paradisea. 

“Tt makes its appearance (at Faulkner’s Island, L. I. Sound) about the 
15th of May, seldom varying three days in this date. At first six or eight of 
these birds are seen well up in the air. ‘These hover over the island awhile 
and then disappear. The next day the same individuals return with an 
addition of twelve or more of their number; but none of them alight on the 


1 “The Water Birds of North America,’ by S. F. Baird, T. M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway, (Boston,— 
Little, Brown, and Co., 1884.) Vol. II. pp. 306, 307. 


506 THE ROSEATE TERN. 
island until the third or fourth day. After this if nothing disturbs them 
their numbers increase very fast. They begin to lay about the rst of June, 
never varying three days from that time. While some gather a few dry 
weeds or a little dry seaweed, others make only a hollow in the sand; and some 
deposit their eggs on the stones without any nest at all. They usually lay 
two eggs, though some nests are found to have three, and some four, eggs. 
When four are found they are never alike; when three they are sometimes 
alike, and sometimes one of them differs both in shape and color. Where 
there are only two they are usually very much alike. 

“The male feeds its mate while she is sitting, and may frequently be 
seen carrying fish to the island, which is often found deposited near the nests. 
The young bird begins to run soon after it is hatched, and when disturbed 
it leaves its nest and hides among the stones, or in the grass and weeds. 
When the young one is large enough to fly, the parent takes it out alone to 
practice flying. At first it ventures only a few rods, but soon is able to fly a 
mile or more, but always accompanied by the old bird,—the latter never 
taking more than one of her young out with her at the same time. * 
The young birds reach their growth by the 2oth of August, and their stay 
after September 1 depends upon the abundance of their food. When fish 
is plentiful they remain until the first of October. They feed entirely upon 
fish, which they catch by diving. They are greatly troubled by the depreda- 
tions of Hawks, and in one year—1863—the birds were driven away before 
their young were ready to fly. The Duck Hawk seems to be their most 
troublesome enemy.” 


Taken in Massachusetts. Photo by Lynds Jones. 
ROSEATE TERNS. 


THE LEAST TERN. 


No. 271. 


BEAST TERN: 


A. O. U. No. 74. Sterna antillarum (Less. ). 

Description —Adult in swmmer: Forehead white, in a crescentic, or V- 
shaped patch with horns reaching above the eye; the remainder of top of head and 
nape,including lores, deep black; upper parts nearly uniform, pale pearl-gray; 
the sides of breast sometimes tinged with same; the three outer primaries and their 
shafts plain dusky, or only slightly tinged with silvery gray, the inner half of the 
inner webs distinctly white; tail the color of back, forked for about half its length, 
its longest feathers not reaching tip of folded wing ; under parts white; bill bright 
yellow, the extreme tip black; feet bright orange. Adult in winter: Similar,, 
but black retreating from lores and crown ; bill and feet duller, the former often dus- 
ky. Young: Similar to adult in winter, but lesser coverts slaty in a distinct patch ; 
scapulars and interscapulars and tail with terminal and subterminal markings of 
buffy and dusky; the primaries much as in adult or darker; bill blackish. Length 
8.50-9.75 (215.9-247.6); wing 6.50 (165.1) ; tail 3.00 (76.2) ; bill 1.20 (27-9); 
tarsus .60 (15.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink size, but of course more slimly proportioned ; 
of nearly conventional coloring, but diminutive size unmistakable ; forehead white. 

Nesting.—No positive record of breeding in Ohio, but probably did so for- 
merly. Nest, on the ground, usually on beach sand or gravel. Eggs, 2 or 3, rarely 
4, buffy or greenish white to drab, spotted and blotched with dark brown and 
obscurely with lilac. Av. size, 1.26 x .QI (32. x 221)r 

General Range.—Northern South America northward to California, Minne- 
cota, and New- England, and casually to Labrador, breeding nearly throughout 
its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare and casual migrant. Formerly more abundant. 


LIKE Forster’s Tern, this species is reported as breeding on the St. 
Clair Flats in Michigan, and, as long as it does so, it must occasionally pass 
to and fro across this state. Recent records of its occurrence hereabouts 
are very meagre, and there is grave reason to fear that the milliner’s agent 
has about completed his bloody work. 

Altho least in size this dainty bird lacks nothing of dash or spirit, ming- 
ling as it does more or less with its larger fellows, and securing its full share 
of sea-spoil. In the interior it subsists principally upon insects, dragon-flies, 
spiders, and aquatic sorts; and, but for its color, would often pass among the 
unlearned as a Swallow. 

Like its congeners, the Least Tern deposits its eggs upon beach-sand or 
gravel, rarely covering them by day, but depending upon the tender (?) mer- 
cies of the sun. It seems probable that the large proportion of addled eggs 
found among sea-birds, is in part traceable to the intemperate zeal of the 
foster mother. ‘This shifting of responsibility is not due to indifference on 


5¢ 8 


the part of the Terns, for this tiny species is not a whit behind the Arctics 
in the vehemence of its resentment, dashing at the intruder with fierce darts 
and swoops, which only just miss the pate wherein conscience lies uneasy. 
Besides, while its eggs or young are being menaced, it “keeps up a protesting 
cry of wik, wik, wik, sounding very much like the querulous grunt of a young 
pig whose mother has left it too far in the rear.” 


No. 272. 
BLACK TERN. 


A. O. U. No. 77. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.). 

Description.— Adult in swimmer: Head and neck all around, and under parts 
sooty black; the crissum white, and the edges and lining of wings white or pale 
pearl gray, under parts plumbeous, darker on upper back, where it blends through 
slate with black cervix; primaries not different on exposed webs, the inner webs, 
however, dusky, lightening on the inner half, and the shafts white; tail slightly 
forked; bill and feet black. Adult in winter: Lighter, the black replaced by white, 
save on back of head, orbits, and auriculars, where obscurely persistent; upper 
parts deep pearl gray. Jmmature: Like adult in winter, but upper parts more 
or less tinged and tipped with brownish, and sides washed with grayish. Length 
9.00-10.25 (228.6-260.4) ; wing 8.00 (203.2); tail 3.00 (76.2) ; bill 1.04 (26.4) ; 
tarsus .67 (17.). 

Recognition Marks.—Chewink to Robin size, but appearing about Nilldeer 
size; sooty black and plumbeous coloration distinctive in breeding plumage; dark 
pearly gray of upper parts with black bill (and feet), with small size sufficiently 
distinctive at other seasons. 

Nest, in marshes, on the ground, or on old broken-down reeds, old musk-rat 
houses, and the like. Eggs, 2 or 3, sometimes 4, grayish olive, or pale brownish, 
heavily spotted and blotched with blackish brown, the markings sometimes con- 
fluent at larger end. Av. size, 1.35 x .98 (34.3 X 24.9). 

General Range.—Temperate and tropical America. From Alaska and the 
Fur Countries to Brazil, breeding from the middle United States, west of the 
Alleghanies northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common during migrations throughout the state. Breeds 
in the river marshes along the south shore of Lake Erie. 


IN some of the prairie states further west, the Black Tern seems to be 
a sort of connecting link between the birds of land and water. There it is 
found either singly or in little companies, ranging over the prairie with the 
freedom of a Swallow and at considerable distances from its breeding haunts. 
In our own state it is more strictly confined to the vicinity of the extensive 
marshes which line the Lake Erie shore, and where alone it is known to breed 


OZIS-9jTT &% 


7] YU VOLPMUFT 
DLYSHM 3HL AB O}HO ¥i 0342530 SHDN NodL HOV Ia 69 


- eg 


THE BLACK TERN. 569 
at present. During the migrations, the birds may pause upon the Ohio 
River, and are almost sure to look in upon the larger reservoirs for a few 
days, but are known elsewhere only casually and as birds of passage. 

The Terns arrive upon their breeding grounds during the first week in 
May or even earlier, but they are not usually in haste to begin their nesting, 
since there is danger not only of high water and destructive storms, but of 
cold snaps as well. Nesting is at its height during the last week in June, 


but fresh sets are often obtainable well into July. August is spent in leis- 
urely fashion, either by loitering 
about the more seclud- 
ed islands of the lake, or 


Taken near : ae RE 1 4, oF HERS Photo by 
Sandusky. fF “ {ter Ae 1 : \ a the Author. 


ON THE POINT OF DISCOVERY. 
THE NEST SHOWN ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE LIES ON THE SURFACE OF THE OOZE A FEW FEET IN 
FRONT OF MR. JONES. 


remaining in the accustomed swamps. The return movement begins late 
in August, and continues in a desultory fashion through September, but 
may be accelerated by early frosts. 

The food of the Black Tern consists almost exclusively of insects. These 
are obtained a-wing, and in securing them the bird exhibits great dexterity,—— 
now towering to a lofty height, with a single stroke against the wind, to 
make connections with a drifting moth; now following a bewildering zigzag 
through the reed-tops in pursuit of the agile dragon-fly. In the fall I have 
seen them busily engaged over the beds of pickerel-weed at the Licking Reser- 


570 THE BLACK TERN. 


voir. On these occasions they feed with a peculiar motion, by which they 
cull some tidbit from the surface of the weed-strewn water, and regain a 
higher level after each stroke without wetting the wings; but whether they 
find insect prey or only vegetable matter, I have not been able to determine. 

In searching for the nests of the Black Tern one must penetrate the 


Taken near Sandusky. Photo by the Author. 


JUST OUT. 


EGG AND YOUNG OF BLACK TERN. 


JOZY recesses 
of some un- 
disturbed 
swamp, pref- 
erably in a 
flat - boat. 
Here in a 
secluded bay- 
ou the birds 
will hover 
about the in- 
truder, fret- 
ting and 
screaming in- 
cessantly. if 
the water be- 
comes too 
thick with 
mud and tan- 
gled vegeta- 
tion to admit 
of easy pass- 
age, one must 
be content to 
strip off and 
wade through 
black water, 
say Six inches 
deep, over 
black mud 
one and a half 
feet deep, and 
be prepared 
as well for 
occasional 
plunges into 
uncharted 


THE WHISTLING SWAN. 571 


depths. When one gets “hot” in this ancient game of hide-the-thimble, the 
most interested pair of birds will single themselves out from the hovering 
throng and prepare for defense. Unless their advances are early discour- 
aged, the boldness of these two will increase until they actually strike the 
intruder on the head, to say nothing of frequent salutations with flying 
shearn. At the same time the characteristic cry, krik, krik,—hoarser and 
deeper than that of the Common Tern, and lacking its nasal resonance—is 
flatted by anger into kra-ack, kra-ack. 

The nests are usually placed upon floating vegetation, or upon bars of 
incipient land at the edge of the bayou—never, in my experience or in that 
of Professor Jones, upon the tops of muskrat houses, either new or old. 
They vary in construction from the almost imperceptible mud hollow, through 
the water-soaked circlet of retaining trash, to the more pretentious high-and- 
dry heap, shown in the illustration. The pale olive-brown eggs, heavily 
spotted and blotched with blackish brown, harmonize so perfectly with their 
surroundings of decaying and mud-spattered vegetation, as almost to elude 
the sight even after being once discovered. 


be Ne SES ELAN ATA TE EEE UTR ERTS KET Da OR IES 


INO= 273° 
WHISTLING SWAN. 


A. O. U. No. 180. Olor columbianus (Ord.). 


Description.—Adult: Entire plumage pure white, the head sometimes tinged 
with rusty ; bill and lores black, the latter usually with a distinct yellow spot near 
eye; feet and legs black. Jmmature: Plumage ashy gray, the head and neck 
tinged with brownish; bill and feet light. Length about 54.00 (1371.6) ; extent 
seven feet; wing 21.25 (539.8) ; tail 8.50 (215.9) ; bill 4.00 (101.6) ; tarsus 3.90 
(99.1) ; middle toe and claw 5.40 (137.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; pure white plumage; long neck; small 
yellow spot on lores distinctive for this species. 


572 THE WHISTLING SWAN. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground or upon loose heap 
of sticks and trash, lined with mosses, grass, and down. Eggs, 2-5, sordid white. 
ING VAS, AAS AZO) (MOV >< (eH(6)))x 

General Range.—The whole of North America, breeding far north. Com- 
mander Islands, Kamschatka; accidental in Scotland. 


Range in Ohio.— Not common spring and fall migrant; perhaps also winter 
resident” (Wheaton). Rare latterly. 


NO fitter emblem of purity and grace will ever be found than this match- 
less daughter of the wilderness, the American Swan. If we are impelled 
to admire the stately beauty of the domestic bird, as it moves about some 
narrow duck-pond of our own contriving, how much more shall we yield 
tribute of admiration to this native princess, spotless and untamed. It is 
to be feared that our fathers set a higher value upon the gastronomic qualities 
of the Swan than upon its marvellous purity of plumage or majesty of mo- 
tion. At any rate early accounts abound with estimates of avoirdupois, and 
directions for “hanging out” the bird’s carcass for a given length of time, 
in order to fit it for the table; but they had less to say of the flashing splendors 
of the white-winged fleet, as they passed overhead in their semiannual re- 
gattas. 

During migrations the Swans move in small flocks, forming a “flying 
wedge,” or V-shaped figure, with some trusted patriarch in the lead. Their 
flight is exceedingly swift, being estimated by competent observers at one 
hundred miles per hour—probably twice that of the Geese. For all they are so 
powerful on the wing, they rise from the water rather reluctantly, and prefer, 
if there is room enough, to distance pursuit by swimming. Because the 
neck of the Swan is so long and hung at the water-line, the bird can explore 
the bottom freely in shallow waters in its search for roots and molluscs, 
without making any ungainly motions with the body. Indeed, there is a 
peculiar disconnectedness between the operations of the Swan proper and 
its far-reaching head,—as tho here were a white boat serenely floating at 
anchor, from the bow of which now and then a diver is sent down to grapple 
for hidden treasure. All the bird’s motions above water are graceful enough, 
except in case of anxious inquiry, when the neck is stretched to its utmost, 
perpendicularly, as it pauses in dread expectancy, and the bird looks like a 
white eighth-note of ithe musical scale, set upon a staff of widening ripples. 

The Whistling Swan is a noisy bird at best. A flock of them exhibit 
great individual variations of notes, and they can create a chorus which is 
mildly worse than that of a political jollification meeting. The bass horns, 
of tin rather than brass, are blown by the old fellows, while the varied notes 
which seem to come from clarionets, are really due to cygnets. ‘The birds set 
up a great outcry when they have done anything, or are about to do anything, 
important; as when preparing for the flight northward, or when welcom- 
ing a company of their fellows to the feeding grounds. 


or 


THE TRUMPETER SWAN. 73 


Of the nesting habits little further need be said, since the birds are 
known to us only as migrants. "They breed principally in the Hudson Bay 
region, and upon grassy islands and river margins within the Arctic Circle. 
In winter they migrate south into the middle districts of the United States, 
rarely touching salt water on either side (except it be Chesapeake Bay and 
the South Atlantic Coast), and never, it is said, reaching the Gulf of Mexico. 
Latterly they are more plentiful during winter upon the secluded lakes of 
Oregon and California, but are rapidly diminishing in numbers in the East. 
The swan-down traffic of the Hudson Bay Company in the North, and the 
incessant persecution on the part of lubberly pot-hunters in the South, will 
doubtless compass the destruction of this noble bird within another gen- 
eration. 


No. 274. 


TRUMPETER SWAN. 


A. O. U. No. 181. Olor buccinator (Rich.). 

Description.—Similar to preceding species, but larger; bill and lores entirely 
black. Length 60.00-66.00 (1524.-1676.4); extent about 8 feet; wing 24.00 
(609.6) ; tail 9.00 (228.6) ; bill 4.50 (114.3) ; tarsus 4.40 (111.8) ; middle toe and 
claw 6.00 (152.4). 

Recognition Marks.—<As in preceding species. Distinguished from it by 
absence of yellow on lore, and by nostril in basal half of pill. 

Nesting.—Like that of preceding species, but eggs a little larger. Av. size, 
4.46 X 2.92 (113.3 x 74.2). Does not breed in Ohio. 

General Range.—Chiefly the interior of North America from the Gulf Coasi 
to the Fur Countries, breeding from Iowa and the Dakotas northward; west to 
the Pacific Coast; rare or casual on the Atlantic. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant; two or three recent records. 


THE Trumpeter Swan is the larger, as it is hereabouts, the rarer, bird. 
Audubon tells of one which was nearly ten feet in alar expanse, and which 
weighed above thirty-eight pounds. The names, “Whistler”? and “Trumpeter” 
are not meant to express a difference in kind in the notes of the two birds, so 
much as a difference in volume. The Whistler blows a post-horn and the 
Trumpeter a trombone. The preeminence of the latter as a musician is due 
to the fact that he keeps an extra coil of wind-pipe neatly tucked away within 
a convenient hollow of his breast-bone. 

Altho this Swan has been found breeding as far south as Iowa, it resorts 
during summer chiefly to the high north, and is known to us only as a rare 
migrant. 


574 THE LESSER | SNOW GOOSE, 


No. 275. 


LESSER SNOW GOOSE. 


A. O. U. No. 169. Chen hyperborea ( Pall.). 

Description.—dAdu/lt: Entire plumage, except the primaries and their coverts, 
pure white ; head and neck often heavily tinged with rusty ; primaries blackish and 
with dark shafts on exposed portions, erayish and with white shafts basally ; pri- 
mary coverts gray with dark shafts; bill short, stout, with widely gaping commis: 
sure, showing black edges of mandibles, said to be purplish red in life, drying 
dull orange, nail white; feet and legs (drying) orange-red. Jmmature: Head 
and neck pale gray; back and w ings, except quills, gray, varied by mesial dusky 
and marginal w hitish, py on wing-coverts and tertiaries; remaining plumage 
white. Length about 25.00 (635.); wing 15.25 (387.4); tail 6.00 (152.4) ; bill 
1.60-2.30 (40.6-58.4) ; eee 3.00 (76.2); middle toe and claw 2.30 (58.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; pure white plumage with conspicuous 
black primaries (hence not difficult to determine on the wing) ; smaller. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nest, of grasses and down on the 
ground. EAygs, 2-6, soiled whitish’ (Chapman). Ay. size, 3.13 X 2.12 (79.5 x 
53-9). 

General Range.— Pacific Coast to the Mississippi Valley, breeding in Alaska ; 
south in winter to southern Illinois and southern California, casually to New 
England. Northeastern Asia. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant or casual. 


SOME little confusion has always existed regarding the identification 
of the Snow Geese. Just now, however, when each species has been greatly 
reduced in numbers under the discipline of the modern breech-loader, Science 
rests measurably content with four forms, the three here described, and the 
rarer, Chen rossi. One factor which has made the problem difficult from the 
first is the separate flocking of adult and immature birds. Thus the two ranks 
of the present species are said to be almost never seen together during migra- 
tions, or in the winter feeding resorts; and this same exclusiveness obtains 
largely even in summer. The birds are said to attain their majority in the 
fourth year. ; 

The flesh of the Snow Goose, especially of young birds, is held in high 
regard, and furnishes a staple article of food to the natives and traders of the 
far Northwest. Professor A. W. Butler, in his Birds of Indiana, relates an 
incident, which affords a curious link of interest between the modern hunter, 
he of the breech-loader, and the primitive “Siwash” of Alaska. “A gentle- 
man one day showed me an Alaskan bone arrow or spear point, which he said 
he had found in northern Indiana, and stated that for some time he had been 
puzzled to account for its appearance there. ‘Then he showed me the sternum 
of an Alaska Goose, possibly this species, which had been shot in northern 
Indiana, through which a similar arrow head had pierced and remained firmly 


75 


on 


THE GREATER SNOW GOOSE. 


imbedded. He had carefully cleaned the sternum and left the head of the 
projectile as it had been found. Thus was solved the problem of the way in 
which this implement was transported from the borders of the Arctic Sea 
to the rich fields of northwestern Indiana.” 

Chen hyperborea is the better known form and the only one of the four 
whose eggs have been certainly identified. It is less common in Ohio than 
the following species, altho the two are estimated to be about equal in numbers 
as far east as Illinois. 


No. 276. 


7 GREATER SNOW GOOSE. 


Y A. O. U. No. 169 a. Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst.). 

Description.—Quite like preceding species but decidedly larger; bill stouter 
and relatively longer. Length 30.00-38.00 (762.-965.2) ; wing 17.40 (442.) ; tail 
6.85 (174.) ; bill 2.40 (61.) ; tarsus 3.25 (82.6) ; middle toe and claw 2.80 (71.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant to Eagle size; same as preceding species, larger. 

Nest and Eggs unknown. 

General Range.—-North America, breeding far north (east of Mackenzie 
basin) and migrating south in winter, chiefly along the Atlantic Coast, reaching 
Cuba. 

Range in Ohio.—Occasional spring and fall migrant. 


“SNOW-BANKS” of Geese are still reported: from the Hudson Bay 
regions, but they are rapidly melting before the incessant flashings of the 
white man’s gun. According to Hearne, the Snow Geese were the most 
numerous birds during migrations in the northern part of Hudson Bay, mak- 
ing their appearance a week or ten days later than the Canada Geese. The 
breeding place of this species was not known either to the Indians of Hudson 
Bay or to the Esquimaux of the extreme north. 

Snow Geese are easily distinguished during the migrations by their white 
plumage with the sharply contrasting black on the tips of the wing-quills. 
Altho very noisy in their northern resorts, they are usually silent in the south; 
but occasionally, when on the wing, utter high, cackling notes. 


570 THE, BLUE GOOSE, 


No. 277. 
BLUE GOOSE. 

A. O. U. No. 169.1 Chen czrulescens (Linn.). 

Synonym.—BLvur SNow Goose. 

Description.—Adult im spring: Head and upper neck all around bluish 
white; lower neck all around and fore-breast rich sooty brown; below, color of 
breast, fading through brownish gray to white on belly, or to uniform bluish gray, 
better sustained on sides; above, color of hind neck, continued on upper back and 
scapulars, growing lighter posteriorly ; rump, tail, wing-coverts (including primary 
coverts), wing-quills basally, and edges of tertiaries, light bluish gray; termi- 
nal portion of wing-quills and tertiaries, centrally, blackish; bill showing 
prominent, rounded, black borders of open commisural space as in preceding 
species; feet (of dried specimens) dingy yellow. Adult im winter: Lighter; 
sooty brown replaced by dark bluish gray, and gray of wings, etc., correspondingly 
albescent. Jinmatuwre: Somewhat similar to adult in summer, but much more uni- 
form in coloration; head and neck all around dull sooty brown; the chin only 
white; remaining under parts uniform sooty gray, or darker on sides; back sooty 
brown, but lighter than neck; rump, tail, wing-coverts, etc., dull bluish gray. 
Length 26.50-30.00; av. of three Ohio specimens in O. S. U. Museum: wing 17.17 
(430.1) ; tail 6.60 (167.6) ; bill 2.43 (59.2); tarsus 3.46 (87.9); middle toe and 
claw 2.92 (74.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Large Brant size; head and upper neck white; remain- 
ing plumage sooty brown and light bluish gray, shading or contrasting; chiefly 
bluish gray and white in winter. 

Nest and Eggs unknown. 

General Range.—Interior of North America, breeding on eastern shores of 
Hudson Bay, and migrating south in winter through Mississippi Valley to Gulf 
coast; occasional on Atlantic Coast. 

Range in Ohio.—Occasional migrant. 


HERE is another of those Hyperborean strangers, of which we know al- 
most nothing, save that now and then one ventures upon our hospitality and is 
promptly betrayed. Dr. Wheaton was the first to record the species for Ohio. 
having identified two in Columbus in 1875. On October 28, 1896, a pair 
were taken on the water-works reservoir at Oberlin; and other records have 
since been made. 

Samuel Hearne, writing more than a century ago, clearly distinguished 
this species from the Snow Goose (C. hyperborea nivalis) but later writers, 
including Audubon, fell into the mistake of regarding it as the young of the 
other species, and the Blue Goose was for a long time lost to view. During 
migrations the two species are not infrequently found together, and the mis- 
take was not unnatural. 

“By Indian report the great breeding ground of the c@rulescens is the 
country lying in the interior from the northeast point of Labrador. Exten- 
sive swamps and impassable bogs prevail there, and the Geese incubate in the 
most solid and driest tufts dispersed over the morasses, safe from the approach 
of man or any other than a winged enemy” (Brewer). 


THE AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 577 


No. 278. 


AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 


YA. O. U. No. 171a. Anser albifrons gambeli (Hartl.). 

Description.—Adult: Forehead and region about the base of bill white,—the 
latter narrowly, and bordered immediately by dusky ; remainder of head and neck 
all around warm grayish brown; the same color continued on back, fore-breast, and 
sides, but varied by lighter brownish gray tips of squarish-ended feathers, thus 
presenting a curious shingled appearance; under parts fading from grayish brown 
of breast to pure white posteriorly; the breast and belly irregularly spotted or 
heavily blotched with sooty black; the primaries grayish at base, blackening distally 
and with shafts mostly white; the tips of the greater coverts white, and the superior 
edges of the main course of side feathers (overlapping folded wing) also white; 
upper and lower tail-coverts, and lower belly well up on flank, and sides under 
folded wing, white; axillars and lining of wing uniform dusky ; tail brownish dusky 
increasingly white tipped on lateral feathers; bill orange-yellow with white nail; 
feet orange or reddish. Immature: “Similar to adult, but fore part of head dusky 
instead of white; lower parts without black markings, and nail of bill dusky” 
(Ridgw.). Length 27.00-30.00 (685.8-762.); wing 16.85 (428.); tail 6.40 
(162.6) ; bill 2.10 (53.3) ; tarsus 2.91 (73.9). 

Recognition Marks.—lLarge Brant size; speckled or black-blotched belly ; 
rich grayish brown color; white partial mask of face. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, of dried grass 
or tundra moss, feathers, and down. Lggs, 6-7, dull greenish yellow, with obscure 
darker tints. Av. size, 3.10 x 2.30 (78.7 x 58.4). 

General Range.—North America (rare on the Atlantic Coast), breeding far 
northward; in winter south to Cape St. Lucas, Mexico and Cuba. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common migrant. Locally and sparingly resident in 
winter. 


THIS Goose may justify the possession of webbed feet by the fact that 
it spends the night on the water, but so far as getting food is concerned, it 
“boards out.’ It is almost exclusively vegetarian in its diet, and resorts 
during migrations and in the winter to inland fields, where it nibbles vora- 
ciously at the tender blades of grass and winter wheat, or gleans scattered 
grains of corn. Beech-nuts and acorns vary its fare in middle latitudes, 
while berries of various sorts form a staple article wherever obtainable. In 
the great grain fields of California, these birds were formerly so abundant as to 
be a real menace to the crops, and to necessitate the constant vigilance of watch- 
men. But those days have passed, along with those in which the Wild 
Pigeons broke down the limbs of our fathers’ orchard trees. 

In distant flight the White-fronted Geese closely resemble the more 
common Canada Geese, moving as they do in wedge-shaped companies, with 
self-appointed leaders. ‘Their cry is harsh and loud, a rapid iteration of the 
syllable wah, from which they have won the name “Laughing Geese.” 


on 
Ni 
(o72) 


THE CANADA GOOSE. 


No. 279. 
CANADA GOOSE. 


A. O. U. No. 172. Branta canadensis (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—‘WiLp Goose ;” Common WiLp Goose. 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck glossy black; a large white triangular 
patch on either cheek, the two usually confluent on throat—occasionally an indis- 
tinct white collar at base of black; back and wings rich grayish brown; fore-breast 
and below lighter grayish brown, tipped with pale fulvous or grayish white ; heavier 
toned on sides, where presenting a shingled appearance and shading into color of 
back ; lower belly, under tai!-coverts, longer upper tail-coverts and flanks well up 
on rump, pure white; rump and tail black; primaries blackening at tips; bill black; 
feet dusky. Jmmature: Similar, but white of cheeks and throat more or less 
mixed with blackish. Length 35.00-42.00 (889.-1066.8) ; wing 20.00 (508) ; tail 
7.00 (177.8) ; bill 2.30 (58.4) ; tarsus 3.55 (90.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; black head and neck with white cheek- 
patches, and large size distinctive. 

Nest, on the ground, on a cliff, or in a tree (a deserted Osprey’s nest and the 
like), lined with down. Eggs, 4 or 5, light greenish buff, or buffy white, Av. size, 
3.52 X 2.30 (89.4 x 58.4). 

General Range.—Temperate North America, breeding in the northern United 
States and British Provinces; south in winter to Mexico. 

Range in Ohio.—Still tolerably common spring and fall migrant. Winters 
sparingly in suitable localities. Formerly bred more or less throughout the state. 


HONK, honk—honk, honk! What a stirring sound is that which sum- 
mons us from whatever task indoors, and hurries us out hatless, breathless, 
into the crisp March air to behold a company of Wild Geese passing forward 
into the frosty North! Honk, honk! We think madly of our gun upstairs, 
for the Geese are provokingly near, and we hear the thrilling swish of the low- 
sweeping wings; but we take it out in great boasts to our similarly hatless 
neighbor, of what we could have done if the gun had been put together and 
we had known that those foolish Geese were coming right over town. And 
when the great birds become a row of trailing points on the northern sky, 
a fever of strange unrest burns within our veins, and we wonder through 
what ancestral folly our wings were clipped, and our race condemned to 
unceasing barn-yard toil. 

For the Canada Goose there are but two points of the compass, North 
and South; and unlike most migrants, he does not go by the map, nor follow 
favorite paths through the air, but flies straight over hill and dale, city and 
hamlet alike, until the goal is reached, or until the weather discourages further 


eZIs-ejrT % 


SISUIPDUDA DUDLT 


"09 BNIHSITANd NOL¥ 


Hm SM 3534 SLMBIH HSOOD VAVNVO 


THE CANADA GOOSE. . 579 


movement for a time. ‘The Geese move usually at a considerable height, 
forming open V-shaped figures, with the oldest or strongest gander in the 
lead at the apex; or else in single oblique lines. ach bird demands as clear 
a field as possible, and this is best secured by an arrangement which allows 
each goose to look over the wing of the one next preceding, right or left, 
according to the branch of the V which it occupies. The line of march 
shifts and changes under the eye, as the hindmost birds become dissatisfied 
with their positions, and change sides, or as tired leaders give place to fresher 
birds; and the changes are accomplished not without much lordly discussion 
in high-pitched honks. 

When selecting a pond or corner of the lake in which to spend the night, 
the birds first circle about cautiously at a safe height, and then slide down 
the air from a point a mile or so away, approaching the water silently and at 
a low angle. In rising from the water or the ground, the Geese prefer to make 
a little run, or preliminary flutter, to get headway, but are capable of clearing 
either by a sudden spring. The flight is heavy and labored at near aspect. 
but strong and swift when under way. 

Like all Geese this species feeds principally upon tender herbage, berries, 
sedge roots and aquatic plants. Stubble-fields afford a tempting banquet, 
and waste corn is eagerly gathered up. In winter the birds are very regular 
about their meals, rising punctually at daybreak and flying inland to feed 
for two or three hours in the grain fields. The middle of the day is passed 
quietly upon the pond, dabbling for water-cress and duck-weed, or enjoying 
one-legged slumbers on the sand-bar. Hunger drives them to forage again 
late in the afternoon, usually at the same spot visited in the morning. At 
such times the Geese are exceedingly vigilant and wary; and it would appear 
that when feeding upon the ground, one or more of their number are charged 
with sentry duty. In countries where winter shooting is still allowed, rifle 
pits are dug during the night in grain fields known to be frequented by the 
Geese, and their call imitated by the crouching hunter as they approach at 
early dawn. 

The Canada Goose probably no longer nests in Ohio, altho it is known 
to linger in northern Indiana, where “nests with the full complement of eggs 
are usually found from the first to the third week in May.’ Usually the 
nests are made of grass and placed near the borders of sloughs, or else upon 
the high prairie. Eggs have been taken from the top of muskrat houses, or 
found on weedy sand-bars, without other nest-lining than the down from the 
bird’s breast. Stories of their occupying Ospreys’ or Eagles’ nests early 
in the season are numerous, and, I believe, well founded. In June, 18096, 
while traveling in northern Washington near the British Columbia line, I 
came upon two large Ospreys’ nests placed at a great height in balm trees, 
near the Okanogan River, and occupied by the owners. I was informed by 
a neighboring farmer sportsman, in whose word and judgment I had implicit 


1 Butler, “Birds of Indiana,” p. 637. 


580 THE HUTCHINS GOOSE. 
confidence, that earlier the same season two pairs of White-cheeked Geese 
(the western form of the Canada Goose) had successfully reared their broods 
im the same nests. 

Canada Geese are readily domesticated and breed in captivity. The 
following interesting notes on the habits of these Geese in captivity were 
made by Mr. William Dutcher, in the Auk,’ reporting in part the experience 
of Captain Lane of Shinnecock Bay, Long Island: “Captain Lane has had 
remarkable success in breeding Canada Geese in confinement, and has kindly 
furnished me with the following information regarding their habits during 
the breeding season: “They make their nests of dried grass, raising them 
about twelve inches from the ground. ‘They feather them when they begin 
to lay, which is about May 1. None lay under three years old; the first 
season four eggs are laid, five the second season, and when older six and 
seven. A goose never has more than one mate. The gander never sits 
on the nest, but while the goose is sitting never leaves her. ‘The time of 
incubation is four weeks. The young when hatched are strong enough to 
take care of themselves, that is, they eat grass and walk and swim as soon 
as they get dry. They will eat meal on the second day. ‘They are in the 
down four weeks, and are fully grown in six weeks. When swimming the 
gander goes ahead, the young next, and the goose follows, invariably.’ ” 


No. 280. 
HUTCHINS GOOSE. 


IN, ©), Why INO; 172% Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Rich.). 

Synonyms.—Lrsser Canapa Goose; Lirrne Witp Goose. 

Description.—Precisely similar to preceding species in coloration, but averag- 
ing smaller. Length 25.00-34.00 (635.-863.6); wing 17.00 431.8); tail 6.00 
(152.4) ; bill 1.75 (44.5); tarsus 3.00 (76.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant to Eagle size; like preceding form but smaller. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on ground or in deserted nest of 
Hawk or Crow, lined with grass and leaves or not, and with abundant down. 
Eggs, 4-6, averaging lighter than those of B. canadensis. Av. size, 3.20 X 2.10 
(81.3 x 53-3). 

General Range.—North America, breeding in the Arctic regions, and migrat- 
ing south in winter, chiefly through the western United States and Mississippi 
Valley ; northeastern Asia. 

Range in Ohio.— ‘Rare migrant, only recognized on Lake Erie” (Wheaton). 
One recent example, a bird captured on Buckeye Lake. 


1 January, 1885, p. 111. 


THE HUTCHINS GOOSE. 581 


THE summer range of this smaller species lies almost entirely north of 
that of true canadensis, and it is more abundant westerly, altho not unknown 
upon the Atlantic Coast. During migrations the few birds which drift 
across this part of the country are apt to be seen associating with the larger 
species, or even with the Mallard Ducks. Their voices are said to be finer, 
and more like those of the domestic Goose. 


Taken on Buckeye Lake oe oe ; " Photo by the Author. 


HUTCHINS GOOSRE. 
CAPTIVE BIRD IN POSSESSION OF MR. WILLIAM HARLOW 


The only recent authentic instance of its occurrence in this state is that 
of an adult female which was winged and captured upon the Licking Reser- 
voir. Mr. William Harlow kept the. bird for four years, and allowed it 
latterly the freedom of the place, except during the migrating season. I 
measured the bird in the summer of 1903, and found that it came well within 
the requirements of the Hutchins Goose. 


582 THE MALLARD. 


No. 281. 


MALLARD. 


Y A.O.U. No. 132. Anas boschas Linn. 

Synonyms.—Gray Ma.iarp; “Witp Duck” (par excellence) ; GREEN-HEAD. 

Description.—Adult male: Whole head and neck soit, shining, dark green ; 
fore-neck and breast rich dark chestnut, with a purplish tinge, separated from 
green of neck by narrow white collar not meeting behind; sides of breast, belly, 
sides and crissum grayish white, finely undulated with dusky; the same continued 
on back, but largely overlaid or suppressed, except on scapulars, by rich brown of 
various shades; speculum (terminal portion of secondaries) shining metallic blue 
or purplish violet, bordered on either side immediately by black and then by white, 
—the anterior bars furnished by the tips of the greater coverts, the posterior by the 
tips of the secondaries; rump sooty brown; upper tail-coverts deep black with 
greenish gloss, the longer central feathers curled upward; under tail-coverts deep 
purplish black; tail grayish white with dusky speckling and central areas; bill 
olive-yellow with black nail; iris hazel; feet orange red. Adult female: Quite 
different ; speculum much as in male, but remaining plumage dusky and ochraceous 
or brownish buff, the former centrally on feathers, broadly and prevailingly on up- 
per parts, the latter narrowly or obscurely in crescentic, U-shaped, and irregular 
markings ; below brownish buff predominant, brightest on breast, fading on belly ; 
head and neck buff, sharply and finely streaked except on throat and usually chin, 
where immaculate. Adult male in summer: Much like female, but somewhat 
darker (Sharpe and Dresser). Length 20.00-25.00 (508.-635.) ; wing 11.00 
(279.4) ; tail 3.35 (85.1) ; bill 2.25 (57.2); tarsus 1.75 (44.5). Female averages 
smaller than male. 

Recognition Marks.—The standard of measurement for ducks (size of Do- 
mestic Duck). Green head of male; metallic blue speculum, bordered by black and 
white, of both sexes. 

Nest, on the ground, near water, but usually well hidden in weeds or rushes, 
lined with trash and feathers. Eggs, 6-10, yellowish drab, pale olivaceous, green, 
or greenish white. Av. size, 2.30 x 1.70 (58.4 x 43.2). 

General Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere; in America south 
to Panama and Cuba, breeding southward to southern United States; less common 
in the East. 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant, casually resident in winter; also sparing 
summer resident. Still the most frequent in occurrence, tho not the most “abun- 
dant” duck in the state. 


THIS, the contemporary ancestor of our domestic duck, enjoys a distri- 
bution almost world-wide, and has been from earliest times the best known 
of swimming birds. Altho nowhere in America so abundant as formerly, 
it is still the standard with which we compare all other species, both in point 
of excellence and in numbers. Being somewhat less gregarious than the 
Teals and the Sea Ducks, the Mallards are found in pairs or small parties, 
wherever a swampy pool or a widening of the brook affords a resting place, 
and one may easily recognize their fitness for domestication, in the fact that 


THE MALLARD. 583 


they can content themselves with a little six by eight puddle, when the whole 
world lies before them. 

While on the water the birds spend much time “tipping” for food. Heads 
under water and tails pointing skyward, they search the bottom for molluscs 
and crustaceans, or feed upon various kinds of aquatic plants, which choke 
sluggish streams or line the edges of ponds. When hunger is satisfied they 
frequently disport themselves upon the water, diving, throwing water over 
their backs, and splashing about with great ado, much like boys in the old 
swimming hole. Nights, especially in thickly settled regions, are habitually 
spent feeding, either by dabbling, or in long forays to stubble-fields, and woods 
where acorns abound, so that much of the daytime is spent sleeping just on 
shore, with one leg drawn up and the head tucked comfortably under the wing. 
Upon being surprised the Ducks rise with a great outcry, in which the female 
voice is recognized as being a little the loudest, and they make off with rapid 
strong wing-strokes, which can carry them, it is believed, a hundred miles 
an hour. 

It is diffi- 
cult, owing 
(do) KS (NS 
treme caution 
displayed by 
the parent 
birds, to esti- 
Mmiaite: st Iie 
ial Gul inal |0) © 3h 
breeding at 
present in our 
state.  Cer- 
tainly it bears 
no compari- 
son with 
those to be 


Taken near Sandusky. Photo by the Author. 


ser fty VIEW LOOKING WEST FROM THE NEW LAKE BIOLOGICAL 
observed fi S LABORATORY. 
years ago, (Under the auspices of the Ohio State University.) 


MANY SPECIES OF DUCKS USED TO NEST HERE. 


bute as) cer 
tainly, Mallards do breed with us still, and in unexpected localities. A swift- 
winged female crossing a principal street in Oberlin on a June evening, gave 
me a momentary sense of the existence of an underworld, whose craft and 
cunning are hidden from the eyes of men. 

The Mallards mate in March or early April, the female depositing her 
eges in some grass-lined depression of a low-lying meadow, or at the edge 
of the woods, never far from water, but seldom at the water’s edge, as is the 
habit of some. With the completion of the set, the male proceeds into volun- 


584 THE BLACK DUCK. 


tary exile and renounces all domestic ties, while he undergoes a tedious and 
painful double moult. 

The female, left to herself, sits closely upon her eggs,—so closely, 
indeed, as occasionally to admit of capture by the hand, and she leaves the nest 
only after nightfall. At the end of four weeks the ducklings are brought 
off and led to water, where they become expert swimmers and divers, and 
learn above all things to secrete themselves instantly upon the maternal note 
of warning. ‘Those who have not tested their eyes by trying to gather up 
a hatful of ducklings while a distracted mother limped and quacked in the 
distance, have either never been boys or else have fallen upon a flabby age. 

Many hybrids between the Mallards and other ducks are known to 
science. One of the commoner forms is a cross between this bird and the 
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) supposed to be the product of breeding 
in captivity. A hybrid between the Mallard and the Pintail is not uncom- 
mon in the interior, and there is a specimen in the collection of the Wynous 
Point Shooting Club, near Port Clinton, which shows common characters 
of the Mallard and the Black Duck. 


No. 282. 
BLACK DUCK. 
A. O. U. No. 133. Anas obscura Gmel. 


ish black; feet olivaceous brown or faintly tinged with reddish. Length 22.00 
(558.8) ; adult male wing 10.52 (267.2) ; bill 2.05 (52.1) ; bill from nostril 1.58 
(40.1) ; tarsus 1.65 (41.9). Adult female wing 10.14 (257.6) ; bill 1.93 (49) ; bill 
from nostril 1.52 (38.6) ; tarsus 1.61 (40.9) (Brewster). 

Recognition Marks.—Size of Mallard or a little smaller. Like female Mal- 
lard, but much darker,—sooty brown or blackish to appearance; no white bars on 
wing. Throat not streaked, and feet and legs not definitely red, as distinguished 
from A. o. rubripes. 

Nest, on the ground, among reeds or in grass near water; rather carelessly 
constructed of rushes or dried grass, and lined with feathers and down. Occa- 
sionally built in trees. Eggs, 8-12, elliptical, pale buff, or greenish buff. Av. size, 
ZAR exo 75 | (OL axaAAns ie 

General Range.—“Fastern North America, west to the Mississippi Valley, 


“THE RED-LEGGED BLACK DUCK. 585 


north to Labrador, breeding southward to the northern parts of the United States.” 
—A.O.U. Now believed to be restricted to the eastern portion of this range. 


Range in Ohio.—Not yet satisfactorily distinguished from that of the fol- 
lowing variety. Probably not uncommon during migrations. If “Black Ducks” 
formerly bred in the northern parts of this state, as Wheaton supposes, they were 
probably of this form. 


THIS form and the next taken together (since their relations are not 
clearly determined) are not nearly so common as the Mallard, which they 
closely resemble in habits. "They are perhaps more common upon the larger 
reservoirs and Lake Erie than elsewhere, altho they do resort to the smaller 
ponds and streams during migrations. 

The “Black Mallard,” as it is called by sportsmen, is more frequently 
seen in pairs and in small companies than in large flocks, indicating that 
we are west of the center of abundance for the species. ‘They are scarcely 
as wary as their gray congeners, and their flesh is fully as excellent. 

It is a rare sight to find a company of these dusky birds, lulled to a 
sense of security and disporting themselves freely upon the water. If it is 
early morning the first to wake are busy “‘tipping’ and dabbling for a 
breakfast of cress and succulent roots, while others shake off the traces of 
recent slumber by rising perpendicularly in the water and flashing the pure 
white of their under wing surfaces in the morning sun. 

Meals are hurried and energetic for most, since they must needs pass 
further north to breed, but it is pretty certain that some do nest in the north- 
ern part of the state. At least I do not know how otherwise to interpret the 
appearance of certain able-bodied pairs in late May and early August, or to 
account for a flock of fourteen seen August 6th, *1tg01, upon Middle Bass 
Island. 

The nest, when found, may be easily recognized even in the absence of 
the parent, from the blackish feathers which enter into the lining, more or 
less abundant according to the stage of incubation reached. 


No. 283. 


RED-LEGGED BLACK DUCK. 


A. O. U. No. 133a. Anas obscura rubripes Brewst. 


Description —“Similar to A. obscura, but larger; the feathers of the pileum 
conspicuously edged with grayish or fulvous; the dark markings of the fore-neck 
and the sides of the head coarser, blacker and more sharply ‘defined ; the entire 
throat usually streaked or spotted with blackish ; the tarsi and toes bright sore the 
bill yellow” (Brew ster, original description). Ay. of four specimens in O. 8. U. 
collection; wing 10.89 (276. 6); tail 4.11 (104.4); culmen 2.11 (53.6) ; bill ae 
nostril 1.62 (41.2) ; tarsus 1.73 (43.9). 


586 THE GADWALL. 


Recognition Marks.—Spotting of throat and red legs most distinctive. 

Nest, and Eggs probably not different from those of preceding form. 

General Range.—Atlantic Coast during migration from Newfoundland to 
Virginia and west to Arkansas; breeding range not definitely known, but includes 
northern Labrador and Hudson Bay region. 

Range in Ohio.—Imperfectly known as yet. Probably the common bird 
during migrations. Winters irregularly and sparingly throughout the state. 


THE recent elaboration of this well-marked subspecies has left us quite 
in doubt as to its status in Ohio. From a comparison of museum material, 
it would appear quite possible that this may prove to be, as Jones suggests, 
the more common form. Sportsmen would do well to report to some central 
authority, as to the Secretary of the Wheaton Club, in Columbus, the pro- 
portion which the red-legged birds bear to the others in their daily bags. 


No. 284. 
GADWALL. 


A. O. U. No. 135. Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn. ). 

Synonym.—Gray Duck. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and upper neck buffy, spotted or streaked 
with dusky ; top of head darker brownish; breast and lower neck all around dusky 
and white, each feather with five to eight concentric half-rings of alternating colors, 
presenting a handsomely scaled appearance; sides, back and scapulars similarly 
varied with dusky and white, buffy, or ochraceous-white, in semi-concentric, zigzag, 
or fine, wavy lines; the posterior inner scapulars, not thus marked, dull cinnamon- 
brown, darker centrally and edged with lighter, lanceolate; lower back dusky, 
becoming velvety black on lower tail-coverts and around on sides of crissum; 
middle wing-coverts bright chestnut; the lesser dull brownish gray, the greater 
velvety black; speculum white, rather narrowly, the outer secondaries black and 
dusky, the bounding tertials plain fuscous; belly white or grayish, obscurely barred 
posteriorily ; axillars and lining of wings white; bill blue-black; legs and feet dull 
orange, the webs dusky. Adult male in breeding season: “Similar to winter male, 
but colors duller, crown dusky, rump and breast “tinged with rusty, and under parts 
more spotted with dusky” (Ridgway). Adult female : “Head and throat as in 
the male; back fuscous margined with buffy; breast and sides ochraceous buffy, 
thickly spotted with blackish; belly and under tail-coverts white, more or less 
thickly spoted with blackish; little or no chestnut on wing-coverts ; speculum ashy 
gray and white; eos and under wing-coverts pure white” (Chapman ). (No 
specimen in O. S. U. collection.) Length 19.00-22.00 (482.6-558.8) ; wing 10.60 
(269.2) ; tail 4. (114.3) ; bill 1.67 (42.4) ; tarsus 1.60 (40.6). Female smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Something under Mallard size; white speculum dis- 
tinctive. 


‘THE WIDGEON. 587 


Nest, on the ground near water, of grasses lined with feathers. Eggs, 8-12, 
pale buffy or clay-colored. Av. size, 2.09 x 1.57 (53-1 X 39.9). 

General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan. In North America breeds chiefly 
within the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. Formerly and possibly still summer resi- 
dent. 


THE apparent scarcity of this species is doubtless to be attributed in 
part to its excessive timidity and cunning secretiveness. But perhaps at 
best it is to be regarded as the least common of those river ducks whose 
appearance in our state is anything more than accidental. 

The Gadwall remains, for the most part, closely secreted by day in the 
reeds or high grasses which border our lakes and river lagoons, venturing 
out only at dusk and feeding throughout the night. Its food seems to be 
largely vegetable, the leaves and roots of aquatic plants and river flotsam, 
obtained by diving or dabbling. It is not, however, averse to varying its 
diet with occasional insects and small fish. Not infrequently it feeds at 
considerable distance from water, in stubble-fields and the like, after the 
fashion of the Mallard. Such visits are, however, strictly nocturnal. Be- 
cause of its careful feeding the flesh of this duck is highly prized for the table. 

The nesting of the Gadwall has been reported by Mr. Charles Dury from 
the Grand Reservoir. It breeds sparingly wherever found, but its better 
known haunts are the sloughs of the northwestern prairie states. The nest 
is said to be always placed on dry ground, but not very far from water. “A 
hollow is scooped in the ground and well lined with strips or pieces of reeds, 
bits of dry grass and weed stems, or whatever material can be most easily 
gathered in the vicinity, mixed with down from the bird’s breast and pro- 
fusely lined with dark gray down around the eggs.”? Ten or eleven eggs 
are commonly laid. The birds are close sitters, but even then great care must 
be taken to distinguish them from the more common Baldpate. 


No. 285. 


WIDGEON. 


A. O. U. No. 136. Mareca penelope (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—EURoPEAN WipGEON; WIGEON. 

Description.—Adult male: Similar to that of next species, but top of head 
creamy buffy or buffy instead of white,—green wanting or showing only in traces; 
throat blackish; rest of head and neck rufous-brown. Adult female: Similar to next 
species, but head and neck deeper ochraceous-buff or rusty!. Size of next. 


1 A. C. Bent, ‘‘Nesting Habits of the Anatidae in North Dakota.’’ The Auk, Vol. XVIII. p. 333. 


588 (THE BALDPATE. 


Recognition Marks.—Like next species, but head showing more rufous. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, Eggs, 5-8, pale 
buffy. Av. size, 2.23 x 1.35 (56.6 x 38.8). 

General Range.—Northern parts of the Old World. In North America 
breeds in the Aleutian Islands, and occurs frequently in the eastern United States, 
and occasionally in California. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. According to Professor Jones, a duck of this 
species was taken on the Licking Reservoir March 29, 1902, by Mr. Peter Hayden 
of Columbus. The specimen was presented to Mr. Irving A. Field of Granville, 
who mounted it for the museum of Dennison University. In going over the 
same ground three days later Mr. Field discovered another bird in a local bag. 
So far as known this is the only occurrence within the limits of our state of this 
Old World duck. It has however been frequently found elsewhere in the Eastern 
States and careful attention in the future is likely to reveal other instances of its 
presence here. 


No. 286. 
/ BALDPATE. 


A. O. U. No. 137. Mareca americana (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—AMERICAN WIGEON; WIDGEON. 

Description — Adult male: Head and neck white or light buffy, thickly 
speckled, except on forehead and crown, with dusky; a space from eye along side 
of crown to occiput bright glossy green, the color scattering behind; fore-neck and 
upper breast, sides of breast broadly, and sides narrowly, deep vinaceous, edged 
more or less with hoary vinaceous; the sides with fine wavy bars; back and scapu- 
lars similar, black-and-white-barred, and heavily tinged with vinaceous ; tertials lan- 
ceolate, velvety black, with greenish reflections on outer webs, and narrowly bor- 
dered on outer margin with gray and white; wing-coverts mostly white, the lesser 
brownish gray, the greater tipped with black; speculum dull black with green gloss 
only on anterior inner portion, the inner bounding feathers abruptly gray; rump 
cold brownish gray, lightening to grayish white on upper tail-coverts, both finely 
wavy-barred with dusky; tail tapering, the feathers sharply acuminate; the central 
feathers blackish, the lateral ones ashy gray ; lower breast and belly white; crissum 
abruptly black; axillars white; lining of wings white and brownish gray; bill 
grayish dusky, blackening below and black on tip; feet dull grayish dusky; 
darker webbed. Old drakes have the extreme chin dusky, and are other- 
wise lighter about the bill, nearly immaculate on throat, and pure white on crown. 
Adult female: Without white or green on head—uniformly streaked instead; 
vinaceous replaced by dull cinnamon-brown, obscurely mixed with dusky, and 
edged with brownish-gray ; above dusky or fuscous, barred or edged on back with 
dull ochraceous ; wing-coverts grayish brown sharply edged with white: speculum 
and boundaries as in male; no solid black on upper tail-coverts and crissum,— 
fuscous or brownish and whitish instead. Length 18.00-22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 
10.50 (266.7) ; tail 3.00-4.50 (76.2-114.3) ; bill r.50 (38.1) ; tarsus 1.56 (39.6). 


THE BALDPATE. 589 


Recognition Marks.—Under Mallard size; white “pate” and green head- 
patches of male; white of middle and greater wing-coverts ; speculum diagnostic. 
Head not cinnamon-red, as distinguished from preceding species. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground near water; 
well constructed of grasses, lined with feathers. Eggs, 8-12, buffy white. Av. 
size, 2.00 X 1.50 (50.8 x 38.1). 

General Range,—North America from the Arctic Ocean south in winter to 
Guatemala and Cuba. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 


Range in Ohio.—Once abundant migrant, now found only locally and occa- 
sionally. Possibly summer resident. 


TO receive the full impression of the dignity which befits these grave 
senators, one should spy upon them from some convenient willow ambush, 
as they stand about upon the mud-flats taking an after-dinner-nap, after a com- 
fortable meal of shrimp salad and duck-weed. At such times the mixture 
of somnolence and content gives the birds a very decorous appearance, but 
when they are seen junketting upon the water they do not seem to be less 
frivolous than other ducks. 

In the Chesapeake Bay region, where large numbers of them winter, the 
Baldpates are said to make up for their own lack of skill in diving, by seizing 
upon the pieces of wild celery which the Canvas-backs and Black-heads bring 
up from the bottom, and wresting the spoils from their rightful owners. As 
a consequence, however, of their feeding upon this unlawful food, their flesh 
is as highly esteemed as that of the celery-fed Canvas-back itself. In their 
summer home these Widgeons feed largely upon insects, and the flesh be- 
comes less palatable. 

No instances are known of this bird’s breeding in Ohio, altho it may 
do so. Professor Butler reports several broods raised in northern Indiana, 
and a correspondent tells of a female Widgeon which was found on Hogback 
Lake, leading a brood of thirteen young just hatched. Upon being pursued 
with a boat all the young ones got upon the mother’s back and she swam away 
with them. 

During migrations Baldpates occasionally occur in considerable numbers 
upon the Reservoirs and on Lake Erie, but only small bands, or twos and 
threes, are found elsewhere. The birds move northward early in April and 
return late in October. 


on THE GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 


No. 287. 
GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 


iN O. U. No. 139. Nettion carolinensis (Gmel.). 

Synonym.—AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and upper neck bright chestnut, blacken- 
ing on chin; darker on forehead and crown, with a glossy green patch from and 
including eye to nape, usually separated from chestnut below by a narrow white 
line which is sometimes traceable to bill; a short occipital crest velvety purplish 
black ; a crescentic white patch on side of breast betore wing; sides of breast and 
sides, back, and scapulars continuous with narrow cervical collar, black and white 
in fine wavy bars or vermiculations; fore-neck and breast brownish buff, fading 
to silky white or buffy on belly, heavily marked anteriorly with round spots, more 
or less concealed, or not, according to age and season (?); wing-coverts, inter- 
scapulars, tertiaries, rump, and posterior parts, slaty gray or fuscous with an oli- 
vaceous or ochraceous tinge; speculum shining green, velvety purplish black on 
outer feathers, bounded in front by chestnut or fawn tips of greater coverts, be- 
hind narrowly by white, and on inner margin by abrupt black of outer ter- 
tiary; crissum velvety purplish black with a partially enclosed creamy or buff 
patch on either side; bill livid black;.feet and legs dusky bluish; iris brown. 
Adult female: Speculum substantially as in male; no other trace of pattern of 
male save white patch on side of crissum; upper parts brownish dusky tinged with 
greenish and edged with lighter; head and neck dusky brown, streaked with och- 
raceous above, elsewhere pale buffy, speckled with dusky; breast and sides brown- 
ish dusky, ochraceous-brown, and whitish, the former in crescentic and U-shaped 
markings, and the whole suffused with brownish buffy; belly and crissum pale 
buffy or brownish buffy, obscurely spotted and streaked with darker. Length 
12.50-15.00 (317.5-381.) ; av of six Columbus males: wing 7.08 (179.8) ; tail 2.63 
(66.8) ; bill 1.48 (37.6) ; tarsus 1.19 (30.2). 

Recognition Marks.—The smallest duck; chestnut and green head of male; 
black and shining green speculum, with size, distinctive. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, of weeds and 
grasses, lined with feathers and down. Eggs, 6-8, rarely 10-12, greenish buff or 
buffy white. Av. size, 1.82 x 127 (46.2 x 32.3). 

General Range,—North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States, 
and migrating south to Honduras and Cuba. 

Range in Ohio.— Not uncommon migrant. Formerly abundant. 


THE rare beauty of this diminutive duck is not likely to escape notice, 
and its flesh has received a correspondingly high rating, altho it takes 
two of them on a single plate to provide a meal for a hungry gunner. This 
Teal is among the earliest migrants, following promptly the retreat of the 
ice in late February and early March, or gathering about the open spring 
branches, upon the recurrence of a cold snap. It is much less common than 
formerly, and appears in twos and threes rather than in large flocks; these 
little companies may be found in the most unexpected places,—a wayside 
ditch, a horse pond, or an isolated swamp pool. ‘The bird obtains its food 
largely upon the land, walking with ease and grace. Fallen seeds, nuts, 


BLUE-WINGED TEAL 


i~ 


Y% Life-si 


Querquedula discors 


THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL, sot 


berries and acorns are added to the watery fare of insects, worms, and snails, 
while fallen grain and the water-soaked rice of the Carolinas is especially 
acceptable. 

When surprised upon the water, the Teal clears its surface with a single 
bound, and makes off on sharply whistling wings with great swiftness. If 
the situation is open, the opportunity requires quick work with the gun, but if 
there are surrounding trees to clear, a good chance comes as the birds are 
rising. In midflight the wings are agitated with almost incredible rapidity, 
and it is an interesting thing to contrast their motion with that of a flock 
of Mallards—which is by no means slow—to which the birds sometimes 
join themselves. 

There is no reason to believe that Green-wing Teals breed in Ohio, tho 
they may formerly have done so; the birds winter, however, wherever there 
is open water. 


No. 288. 
se BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 


fo 
vy A. O. U. No. 140. Querquedula discors (Linn.) 

Description —Adult male: Forehead and crown (narrowly) and region 
about base of bill bright blackish; a large white crescent on side of face before 
eye; rest of head and upper neck warm plumbeous, with metallic, wine-purple 
reflections (like the plumage of certain doves) ; fore-neck and entire under parts 
to crissum, including lengthened feathers of sides (nearly meeting across back 
when wings are folded) purplish-vinaceous or purplish-chestnut, heaviest on 
breast, paling laterally, spotted on crop and sides, and barred on breast, belly, 
and longer flank feathers, with blackish; upper back and scapulars greenish fus- 
cous, with narrow and elongated V-shaped markings of vinaceous-cinnamon : 
inner scapulars and tertiaries, narrow and elongated, greenish dusky, striped with 
vinaceous-cinnamon ; lower back and behind nearly plain dusky; crissum and tail 
externally blackish; flanks white; wing-coverts and outer webs of outer scapulars 
and tertiaries a beautiful light grayish blue; speculum shining bronzy green (not 
so bright as in Nettion carolinensis, more “sickly” ) with dusky on either side, 
and bordered in front by broad white tips of greater coverts ; axillars and lining 
of wings mostly white; “bill grayish black; feet dingy yellow with dusky w ebs 
and claws; iris brown” (Coues). Adult female (and male in summer): Wing 
substantially as before, or greater coverts not so extensively white-tipped; no 
other indication of prime pattern; head, neck, and under parts dull buffy or pale 
brownish buff; the first two finely streaked, save on chin and upper throat, the 
last variously spotted and marked with dusky, lightening on belly; back and 
scapulars brownish dusky, blackening on longer feathers, narrowly edged with 
light brownish. Young: “Similar to adult female, but whole belly immaculate, 
and speculum dull grayish brown without metallic gloss” (Ridgw.). Length 
4.50-16.00 (368.3-406.4) ; av. of six Columbus males: wing 7.34 (186.4); tail 
2.60 (66.); bill 1.60 (40.6); tarsus 1.20 (30.5). 


ae THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 


Recognition Marks.—‘Teal” size; white facial crescent of male; grayish 
blue wing-coverts distinctive (except from the following which is rare and other- 
wise quite different). 

Nest, of grasses, etc., lined with feathers, on the ground. Eggs, 6-12, 
greenish white, or dull buffy. Av. size, 1.80 x 1.28 (45.7 x 32.5). 


General Range.—North America in general, but chiefly eastward; north to 
Alaska, and south to the West Indies, Lower California, and northern South 
America. Casual in California. Breeds from Kansas and southern [Illinois 
northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Abundant spring and fall migrant. Formerly summer 
resident in northern portion of state. 


BECAUSE of the nature of their food, which consists chiefly of insects, 
the Blue-winged Teals are much less hardy than their Green-winged kin, 
and most of them retire to the Gulf States in winter, or even to the tropics. 
On this account, also, they are the latest of the migrant ducks in spring, appear- 


Taken on the Licking Reservoir. Photo by the Author. 


WHERE THE TEALS WOULD NEST. 


ing commonly about the middle of April, and lingering until the first week in 
May. ‘They arrive paired, but are much less frequently observed than in 
fall, when they appear in considerable numbers. 

Sluggish streams, lagoons, and channels choked with vegetation, are 
the favorite places of resort for this bird. Our reservoirs and lake marshes 
afford ideal conditions, and I am inclined to think that if spring shooting 


THE CINNAMON TEAL. 593 


were abolished, a good many pairs would remain to breed. ‘There are, of 
course, valid sentimental reasons which should discourage the slaughter of 
mated pairs in spring, but there are even stronger economic reasons why 
the practice should be abandoned altogether. At the best, ducks of all kinds 
are decreasing in numbers at an alarming rate. ‘They are doomed as a class, 
unless prompt and stringent measures are adopted in their behalf. If those 
ducks which would naturally breed in this latitude, are confronted in spring 
by the muzzles of our guns, they not only decline to nest with us, but if 
they succeed in escaping our fire, and if they receive the same treatment in 
Ontario which they do here, they are obliged to run a gauntlet substantially 
five hundred miles longer before they feel safe in settling down for the 
season. And, of course, one bird killed in the spring is equal to three in the 
fall. In other words, we are consuming our seed wheat, instead of planting 
it and waiting for the harvest in Nature’s time. 

In autumn the Teals are moving southward in leisurely fashion by the 
roth of September, altho the last of their number may not clear before the 
20th of the following month. In the air they move in compact flocks, wheel- 
ing and charging with a single impulse, and in such ranks that a single broad- 
side from a waiting gun will sometimes account for dozens. Upon the 
water, also, they huddle together, and invite a murderous raking fire. In 
addition to the whistling of the wings, the Teals have a soft lisping note, only 
remotely related to the typical Anatidine quack, and this is uttered either 
in apprehension or encouragement. 

Of the bird’s nesting in Ohio nothing is known further than that eggs 
have been taken in the Sandusky marshes. The nests are in the midst of 
grass or sedges on low ground, and not infrequently at some distance from 
water. The female habitually covers her eggs with down, if obliged to leave 
them for a time, and draws the surrounding grasses down over them as an 
additional protection. 


No. 289. 


CINNAMON TEAL. 


A. O. U. No. 141. Querquedula cyanoptera ( Vieill.). 

Description—Adult male: Entire plumage except back and wings, rich 
chestnut, darker on head, darker and duller on belly, darkest, almost black, on 
crissum; back and inner scapulars warm dusky, margined with cinnamon or 
lighter, inner and middle wing-coverts (the latter overlapping and nearly con- 
cealing the greater coverts), and the outer webs of outer scapulars and tertials 
beautiful light grayish blue; speculum lustrous green, bounded on sides by dusky 


594 THE SHOVELLER. 


and in front, only in part, by white tips of greater coverts; axillars white; under 
wing-coverts white and dusky; bill black; feet and legs orange; iris orange. 
Adult female (and male in breeding plumage): Similar to corresponding plum- 
age of Q. discors, but darker; more of the throat and sometimes chin speckled ; 
“under parts with at least a tinge of the peculiar chestnut color;”’ averaging 
larger. Length 15.50-17.00 (393.7-431.8) ; wing 7.45 (189.2) ; tail 2.90 (73.7) ; 
bill 1.80 (45.7); tarsus 1.32 (33.5). 


Recognition Marks.—Large Teal size; heavy chestnut coloration of male 
distinctive. Females and young require careful discrimination from Q. discors; 
see above. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Eggs, 6 to 12, creamy white or pale 
puri seAversizes 1 O77 ex Tells (47A5sxa35-.0)))> 

General Range.—Western America from British Columbia south to Chili, 
Patagonia, and Falkland Islands; east in North America to the Rocky Mountains 
and southern Texas; casual in the Mississippi Valley and Florida. 


Range in Ohio.—Accidental. One record. 


IT is a matter of regret that this beautiful Teal is rated merely as 
“accidental” in our state. Its claim to recognition rests upon a single record, 
that made by William Harlow, on April 4th, 1895, at the Licking County 
Reservoir, and reported by Oliver Davie in the fifth edition of his “Nests 
and Eggs of North America.” 

The Cinnamon Teal is a common bird west of the Rocky Mountains, 
and especially in the Pacific Coast States, where it breeds freely. No hand- 
somer spectacle can be conceived by the sportsman or nature lover, than 
that afforded by a flock of these brilliant chestnut-colored ducks as they rise 
suddenly from a wayside pond at break of day. It is as tho fragments of the 
rich red earth, from which we are all made, had been startled by the impact 
of the sun’s rays upon the water, and were fleeing toward heaven—earth, 
air, fire, and water, all in one burst of momentary splendor. 


No. 290. 


SHOVELLER. 


A. O. U. No. 142. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Spoon-BiLL Duck; BROAD-BILL. 

Description —Adult male: Head and neck sooty black, overlaid, especially 
above, with glossy green and glancing metallic blue or purple; lower neck and 
fore-breast pure white; lower breast, belly, and sides purplish chestnut, the longer 
side-feathers dusky-barred; back, narrowly, greenish dusky, becoming greenish 
black on rump and behind, and glossy green on sides of upper tail-coverts ; cris- 


THE SHOVELLER. 595 


sum black, separated from belly anteriorly by white, finely undulated with dusky ; 
white flank-patches; inner scapulars white, and inner tertiaries white-striped ; 
wing-coverts and outer webs of outer tertiaries light grayish blue; the posterior 
row of coverts greenish dusky at base, broadly white-tipped; speculum glossy 
green bounded on either side by dusky; primaries dusky; axillars and lining of 
wing white; bill spatulate, the upper mandible much broader at tip than lower 
and enclosing it; lamellae prominent, deep black; feet orange-red; iris brown. 
Adult female: Wings much as in male, but duller; scapulars like back and ter- 
tiaries not striped; upper parts, except head and neck, plain fuscous glossed pos- 
teriorly with greenish; remaining plumage buffy or buffy white, spotted with 
brownish fuscous; head and neck narrowly streaked with dusky; lower breast 
tinged with brownish; bill brown above, orange below. Young male: Like 
adult female but colors heavier, and belly tinged with chestnut. Young female: 
Similar to adult but wing-coverts dull slaty gray, only faintly tinged with bluish 
or greenish; speculum not so extensively glossy green. Length 17.00-21.00 
(431.8-533.4) ; wing 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254.) ; tail 3.00-3.50 (76.2-88.9) ; culmen 
2.50-2.90 (63.5-73.7) ; breadth of bill near tip 1.20 (30.5); tarsus 1.50 (38.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller than Mallard; bill broadened at tip distinc- 
tive; male with white breast and rich chestnut belly. 

Nest, on the ground in or near swamp, lined with weed-stalks and grasses, 
or reeds. Eggs, 6-10, pale bluish or greenish gray. Av. size, 2.12 x 1.48 (53.9 x 
37.6). 

General Range.—Northern Hemisphere. In North America breeding from 
Alaska to Texas; not abundant on the Atlantic Coast north of the Carolinas. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common spring and fall migrant. Formerly bred 
sparingly and locally. 


FORTUNATELY the Spoonbill Duck bears about with it a ready mark 
of identification, so that the diminishing numbers which appear in March or 
early April do not escape the notice of the ornithologist. The broad flat- 
tened bill indicates that its possessor is a gourmet of discriminating taste and 
unique opportunity. Most of the river ducks are obliged to depend more 
or less upon the senses of touch and taste rather than sight as they encounter 
food below the surface of the water, but in the case of the Shoveller these 
senses are developed to an extraordinary degree. The bird evidently feeds 
somewhat after the manner of the Right Whale, by filling its mouth at ran- 
dom and then ejecting the water through the mouth-parts, to retain in the 
lamella whatever is of value. The tongue of the duck is also modified, being 
provided with specialized taste papillae to enable it to discriminate meat from 
poison; while as for plain dirt, the bird is probably willing to take its tra- 
ditional peck any given day. Insects and vegetable matter, as well as minute 
forms of life of all kinds make up this lowly epicure’s fare, and its flesh is 
everywhere held in high esteem. 


econ THE SHOVELLER. 


During migrations the Shoveller appears usually in small flocks of its 
own species, or in company with Bluebills. It is occasionally seen upon the 
smaller ponds and rivers, and in its summer and winter haunts will explore 
the tiniest ditches and pools. 

Dr. Wheaton supposed that these birds nested in the northern part of 
the state, and they may have done so; but their present breeding range lies al- 
most entirely within the northern tier 
of western states and further north to 
Alaska. ‘The nest is an unpretentious 
depression lined with grasses and 
down, and is placed either 
near water or remote 
from it, ona tiny islet, 
in a conveni- ent corner 
Otte) Gehre swamp, or 
any where in open 
country. 


Taken at Buckeye Lake. 


Photo by the Author. 


A FAVORITE FEEDING GROUND. 


azis-ajry % 
DINID DIY OT 
and NOLV3HM SHL AG CIN NI O2AUISIH SuHDIY TIVLNIdD toe 


THE PINTAIL. 507 


No. 291. 
PINTAIL. 


VA. O. U. No. 143. Dafila acuta (Linn.). 
Synonym.—SPric-Tall. 


Description.—Adult male: Head and upper neck hair-brown, darker or 
warmer brown on top of head, with faint greenish or wine-purple iridescence on 
sides of occiput; a narrow white stripe from occiput obliquely backward and 
downward to join white of breast; enclosed space on hind-neck blackish; fore- 
neck, breast and belly white, faintly dusky-barred on lower belly ; hind-neck, back, 
sides of breast, and sides finely wavy-barred dusky and white; posterior scapu- 
lars and tertiaries lanceolate, heavily striped, broadly with black, more narrowly 
with buffy white, light brownish gray, and fuscous; rump and behind with mesial 
brownish dusky and obscure wavy-barring of fuscous and whitish; central pair 
of tail-feathers much elongated, blackish or with metallic reflections; crissum 
white, separated from belly by dull white area and broad flank patches; wing- 
coverts plain brownish gray, the posterior row tipped with cinnamon-rufous ; 
speculum dull bronzy green or faintly glossy with dusky on either side, and 
bordered behind by black and terminal white; axillars white with a little mottling 
of light grayish brown; lining of wings mottled brownish gray and white; bill 
black, edged with grayish blue; feet and legs grayish blue; iris brown. Adult 
female: Obscurely colored; pale ochraceous or whitish on belly; ochraceous- 
buff or brownish buff on remaining under parts; much darker, nearly cinnamon- 
brown on crown; head and neck finely streaked with dusky, except occasionally 
on upper throat; breast variously spotted and streaked ; sides with large irregular 
U-shaped markings of brownish dusky; upper parts dusky or greenish fuscous, 
lightly or heavily marked and striped with dull ochraceous or ochraceous-buff ; 
wing much duller than in male, altho pattern traceable; wing-coverts fuscous 
narrowly white-edged and tipped; the tips of posterior row scarcely broader, 
white; speculum dusky with faint purplish and greenish gloss; axillars more 
heavily mottled with grayish brown. Adult male in breeding plumage: Similar 
to adult female, but wing as in ordinary plumage (Ridgw.). Young male: Like 
adult female but more ochraceous below and more uniformly streaked; slightly 
transverse-barred above, and wing early showing adult characteristics. Young 
female: Similar to adult, but more heavily tinged below, and more heavily 
streaked and striped above; speculum light brown dappled with dusky. Adult 
male length 26.00-30.00 (660.4-762.) ; wing 10.60 (269.2) ; tail 6.25-9.50 (158.8- 
241.3); bill 2.10 (53.3); tarsus 1.70 (43.2). Females average smaller tail 
4.00-5.00 (101.6-127.). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size or less; lengthened tail-feathers of adult 
male; head hair-brown; fore-neck and below white (adult male). The female 
and young of this bird present difficulties. Look first for the wedge-shaped tail, 
and top of head suffused with cinnamon-brown and heavily streaked with blackish ; 
then eliminate other species by careful attention to speculum and wing-coverts. 


Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, usually in a 
bunch of tall grass not far from water. Eggs, 8-12, pale greenish gray or buffy 
white. Av. size, 2.20 x 1.48 (55.9 x 37.6). 


598 


THE WOOD DUCK. 


General Range.—Northern hemisphere. In North America breeds from 
Iowa and Illinois northward; migrates south to Panama and Cuba. 


Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. Common winter resi- 
dent in southern portion. 


A bunch of ducks has been marked down in the old ‘slough,’ and the sight 
has aroused for the moment feelings which flourish in the youthful breast at 
the expense of all others. The instinct of the chase, inconsistent, indefensible, 
perennial, self-sufficient, vital, impels the farmer boy to seize the old shotgun 
and slip down the lane into cover of the fringing willows, which lead along a 
tiny sluggish stream to the edge of the swamp. First on hands and knees, then 
snake fashion, with a scowl for every time the muzzle of the gun scoops mud, 
and a sinking of heart when a dry twig breaks, the lad works up cautiously to a 
well-known bush clump which overlooks the pond. There they are, seven beau- 
ties, “Sprig-tails,” riding high upon the water, graceful, quick and a little rest- 
less. Some faint presentiment of danger has overtaken the group, and they 
have edged over to the other side of the open stretch of water, but one more 
reckless than the rest is ‘tipping’ for some hidden roots, leaving his tail to stick 
straight up in the air like a waving tuft of young bulrushes. 

It is a long shot, but there is nothing else for it this time. One barrel 
for the birds ‘on the set —Bang! And again as the remaining birds rise and 
crowd together in the first moment of confusion. Bang! goes the other barrel. 
Seven birds in two shots! Hooray! Luck enough to satisfy the king! 

Pintails are very wary, and when mingling on the water with other species 
are usually the first to give the alarm. ‘Their flesh is excellent, and they are 
eagerly sought for, but they are still among the common ducks. In spring 
they move early, passing northward in immense flocks. Their flight is 
extremely swift, perhaps the most rapid of any of the ducks, so that even with 
smokeless powder and a repeater, the man behind the gun has a good deal to 
do. In the fall the flocks are not so large, and they are much more numerous, 
an indication, perhaps, that their breeding range covers a much larger stretch 
of country than that allowed them for a winter home. 


No. 292. 
WOOD DUCK. 


(A. O.U. No. 144. Aix sponsa (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—SumMMER Duck; “THE Bripe.” 

Description.—Adult male: Of almost indescribable elegance; head, crested, 
metallic and iridescent green, purple, violet, and black; a white line from angle 
of upper mandible along crown, and another backward from behind eye, both 
continued in the feathers of the large occipital crest; throat white, sending up 
two transverse bars on either side on cheek and hind-neck; fore-neck and breast 


“A 
, 


4 x 
oa 


; ) i f t 
i, Pre 

, 1 ° Di 
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a . ; 


509 


THE WOOD DUCK. 


rich chestnut, glossed with purplish on sides of breast, and marked centrally with 
triangular white spots, which increase in size backward; belly broadly white; 
sides warm fulvous, minutely waved with black, the tips of the outermost feathers 
with broad crescentic bars of black and white; chestnut of breast and fulvous 
of sides separated by two transverse bars, the front one white, the hinder black; 
upper parts chiefly sooty or velvety black with metallic reflections of blue, purple, 
green, and bronze; the anterior and marginal coverts and base of primaries (all 
mostly concealed) plain fuscous; exposed tips of primaries silvery white, on 
outer web tipped with metallic blue; secondaries white-tipped, the exposed webs 
metallic; crissum sooty-brown with metallic gloss; flank-patches intense purplish 
chestnut ; axillars and lining of wings white, spotted or barred with dusky; “bill 
(in life) beautifully varied with jet-black, milk-white, lilac, red, orange, and 
yellow ; legs and feet orange, claws black; iris and edges of eye-lid red.” Adult 
female and young: Crest only faintly indicated; top of head purplish brown 
with faint metallic reflections; throat and space about eye (extending backward 
to occiput) and some feathering about base of bill, white; rest of head ashy 
brown; upper parts much as in male but duller, chiefly warm brown in place of 
black; fore-neck and breast brown, streaked with lighter or dull ochraceous ; 
belly white; crissum mixed fuscous and white. Length adult male 19.00-20.50 
(482.6-520.7) ; wing 9.15 (232.4) ; tail 3.88 (98.6) ; bill 1.30 (33.); tarsus 1.36 
(34.5). Female, length 17.00-19.25 (431.8-489.) ; other dimensions in proportion. 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller than Mallard. F-xquisitely variegated plum- 
age of male unmistakable; female unlike that of any other species. 

Nest, in a hollow tree, lined with twigs, grasses, and down. Eggs, 8-14, 
buffy white. Av. size, 2.05 x 1.55 (52.1 x 39.4). 

General Range.—Temperate North America, breeding throughout its range. 
Cuba. Accidental in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Formerly common summer resident and migrant. Now 
rare throughout the state. 


FEW if any more exquisitely beautiful creatures have been fashioned in 
the workshop of Nature than the Wood Ducks of America. Among the 
Ducks, certainly only the Mandarin (Aix galericulata) of China, a near rela- 
tive, may vie with this species in brilliancy of coloring and delicacy of mould. 
Linneus called the Wood Duck the Bride (Latin, sponsa, bride) but, of course, 
it is the bridegroom who wears the jewels and inherits the products of Ori- 
ental dye-stuffs, bequeathed through a thousand generations; for, Males must 
strut and females must work, is the rule among ducks as among most other 
birds. Literally all the colors of the rainbow belong to this bird in his nuptial 
plumage, with black and white thrown in for good measure. And with all 
this gaudy attire go many accomplishments not attained by any others in the 
group. 

Birds of this species frequent secluded swamps, bayous, and sheltered 
water-ways. They are swift and graceful fliers, and they are able to traverse 
the mazes of the forest with the ease of pigeons. They perch readily upon 
the branches of trees, and even walk along them without hesitancy. T'o the 
aquatic fare offered by the surface and depths of woodland pools, is added the 
flying insects of the forest home. and the tender shoots and leaves of plants in 


Re ee THE WOOD DUCK. 


spring. Acorns are a favorite food in fall, and upon these the birds some- 
times stuff themselves to repletion. 

Most curious were the nesting habits, with which our fathers were almost 
as familiar as we are with those of Sparrows. ‘The birds arrived mated in early 
spring, and in later April, May, or early June, according to latitude, a site was 
chosen in the hollow of a broken branch of a tree, in a large deserted Wood- 
pecker hole, or in a central hollow of some tree to which admission was gained 
through a crevice. ‘Those holes which overlooked water were preferred, but 
in the absence of these the bride and groom would sometimes take up residence 
a half a mile from the nearest swamp or stream. Within the chosen hollow, 
from eight to fourteen eggs, “resembling old polished ivory”, were placed on 
a cushion of grasses, leaves, feathers, and down. Occasionally the entrance 
to the hole would be so narrow that the female in visiting her eggs was obliged 
to spend some time in squeezing through. As the female sat for four weeks, 
the male mounted guard in a neighboring tree and apprised her of approaching 
danger by a strange cry, ‘“‘oe-eek”’, like the crowing of a young cock. 

When the young were hatched, they instinctively scrambled to the mouth 
of the hole and tumbled out, or were urged out by the mother, falling either 
into the receptive water, or upon the carpet of leaves at the foot of the nesting 
tree. If the distance was too great, the mother would carry the youngsters to 
the ground in her bill one at a time, until all were out, and then lead them to 
the nearest water. 

One naturally falls into the past tense in speaking of the Wood Duck’s 
nesting, for while this bird was once easily the most abundant breeding duck 
in Ohio, it has become positively rare, and no nests have been recently reported. 
It is difficult to conceive of the abundance of Wood Ducks only twenty-five, 
thirty, and forty years ago. Dr. Howard Jones of Circleville tells me that 
thirty years ago these birds were killed in the vicinity by wagonloads every 
spring. Our chief game warden, Mr. J. C. Porterfield, says that in his boy- 
hood home in the western part of the state, Wood Ducks flying to and from 
their nests were one of the most familiar sights, comparable to Robins and 
Blackbirds. ‘The other day he received from one of his deputy wardens in 
that same section the head of a male Wood Duck in full plumage, with the 
request that he have it identified—a task which any twelve-year-old could have 
performed thirty years ago. 

The fact is that the Wood Duck is verging upon extinction, and its fate 
is sealed unless it is accorded full protection at once and for a considerable 
term of years. And why should we, the people of Ohio, sacrifice this jewel 
of the waters, which might gladden all our eyes for all our lives, for the sake 
of the insignificant mouthfuls of meat, which only one ten-thousandth of our 
number might enjoy for a few seasons? Let us, if possible, save the Wood 
Duck from the perdition to which we have consigned the Wild Pigeon and 
the Wild Turkey. 


THE REDHEAD. aes: 


No. 293. 


REDHEAD. 


A. O. U. No. 146. Aythya americana (Eyt.). 

Synonym.—AMERICAN POCHARD. 

Description.—Adult male: Angle between culmen and forehead abrupt; 
head and upper neck bright chestnut, glossed with reddish purple, most heavily 
on neck; lower neck and breast all around (i. e. including upper back) deep 
glossy brownish black; belly white; rump, upper tail-coverts, and crissum sooty 
black; remaining plumage, except wings, and including lower belly (in fact all 
above the “water-line’”’) finely wavy-barred or vermiculated dusky and white in 
about equal proportions; wing-coverts ashy gray speckled with white; speculum 
still lighter—warm ashy gray, tipped with white; axillars entirely and lining 
of wings chiefly white; bill dull blue with a black belt at tip; feet grayish blue, 
with black claws and dusky webs; iris orange. Adult female: Much plainer; 
wing as in male; above and on breast and sides warm or dull grayish brown, 
more or less tipped with buffy or fulvous, the feathers of back and scapulars 
-ometimes speckled with dusky and white on tips, according to season; darker 
on back and crown, lighter on sides of head and neck, especially above bill, light- 
ening to buffy white on chin and throat; belly white; lower belly light grayish 
brown; crissum grayish brown and white; bill lighter than in male. Jimmature 
male: Like adult female but darker; feathers near base of bill, on sides only, 
whitish; speculum (always?) creamy white instead of ashy gray. Length 18.00- 
22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 8.96 (227.6) ; tail 2.50 (63.5) ; bill 1.80 (45.7) ; tarsus 
1.56 (39.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size or smaller; chestnut head, black breast 
and “canvas” back and sides of male. See distinctions under next species. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in a marsh or near water, 
of reeds, grasses, etc., well lined with feathers and down. FHggs, 8-14, creamy 
white, or dull greenish buff. Av. size, 2.40 x 1.70 (61. X 43.2). 

General Range.—North America, breeding from California, southern Michi- 
gan and Maine northward. 


Range in Ohio.—Rather common spring and fall migrant. 


IT may be confessed of a few of the wild birds that they were made 
to be eaten. Even with this stolid view of the case, it is matter of regret that 
such an excellent bird is rapidly decreasing in numbers. Inasmuch as it is 
strictly a migrant with us, the fault would seem to lie with the inadequacy or 
lax enforcement of laws in the southern bays and estuaries, where they winter 
in considerable numbers, and with the utter lawlessness of the far northwest, 
where the species is no longer able to cope with the rising tide of uninstructed 
and irresponsible immigration. Nothing will ever be accomplished so long 
as each state takes a wholly selfish view of the birds which pass through its 
borders, and disregards the rights and claims of other states and of the birds 
themselves. It is vain that we should try to raise Wood Ducks in summer 


602 THE CANVAS-BACK. 


that our southern neighbors may have an abundant supply in winter, and 
idle to expect the hunters of the Pamlico to refrain from shooting Redheads 
in January that we may have enough and to spare in March. ‘The only real 
remedy lies in national legislation, which shall take account of the entire life 
of a given species, and accord it protection at the times and places of greatest 
danger, irrespective of local and unenlightened opinion. 

The Redhead occurs with us in small flocks, and these sometimes visit 
the smaller lakes and ponds. ‘Their food consists largely of vegetable matter 


Licking Reservoir. Photo by the Author. 


WHERE THE REDHEAD COURTS DESTRUCTION. 


Taken at the 


which they obtain by diving. Like their better known relatives the Canvas- 
backs, they eat the eel grass (Vallisneria spiralis L.), commonly called wild 
celery ; and their flesh cannot then nor at any other time be distinguished from 
that of the latter birds. 

This duck is unusually prolific, and Rev. Herbert K. Job, who has done 
such excellent work with the waterfowl, once found in a Dakota slough, a set 
of twenty-two eggs,—all, as he believed, the product of one bird. 


No. 294. 


CANVAS-BACK. 


A. O. U. No. 147. Aythya vallisneria (Wils.). 


Description.—Adult male: Similar to preceding species, but larger, head 
larger, bill longer, and no evident angle between bill and forehead; head and 


THE CANVAS-BACK. —.. 


upper neck reddish brown without purplish gloss, blackening on crown and chin; 
the sides less heavily waved with dusky ; the white bars of upper parts much wider 
than the dusky (hence entire back conspicuously lighter in tone) ; upper mandi- 
ble dusky at base, bluish only between nostril and black tip; iris red. Adult 
female: Similar to that of preceding species, but proportioned like male; bill 
correspondingly different; feathers of back and scapulars more or less wavy- 
barred with white. ‘The female Red-head is sparingly speckled above with dusky 
and whitish, but never barred. Length 20.00-23.50 (508.-596.9) ; wing 9.00 
(228.6) ; tail 2.90 (73.7) ; bill 2.35 (59.7); tarsus 1.75 (44.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; slope of culmen continuous with fore- 
head; reddish brown head and light canvas back. For detailed comparison with 
“1. americana see above. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground of marshes and 
grassy sloughs, of grasses, etc., lined sparingly with feathers. Eggs, 6-10, buffy 
white with a greenish or bluish tinge. Av. size, 2.45 x 1.75 (62.2 x 44.5). 

General Range.—Nearly all of North America, breeding from the north- 
western states northward to Alaska. 


Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon on Lake Erie during migrations; less com- 
mon on reservoirs; rare elsewhere in state. 


“TELL me what you eat and I will tell you what you are” might be re- 
sented by a self-respecting human, but it applies pretty accurately to the flavor 
of ducks. Various writers are wont to extol a bird’s flesh as “tender,” 
“juicy,” “sapid,” “delicious,” or to condemn it as “gamy,” “rank,” “fishy,” 
“unpalatable,” according to traditions which prevail locally; so that often the 
testimony of no two observers will agree as to a duck’s fitness or unfitness for 
the table. The fact is, however, that the flavor of wild meat is pretty much 
what the feeding of the last week or so has made it, so that it is possible for 2 
single bird to run the whole gamut from “sapid” to “fishy” in a single season. 
The early Canvas-backs were found feeding upon the rank grass, or wild celery, 
of Chesapeake Bay, and from this circumstance has arisen a most extravagant 
appreciation of its flesh—or the profession of it—which has pursued the poor 
duck from Manitoba to the Carolinas, and nearly wrought its ruin. But, as 
Coues says, “there is little reason for squealing in barbaric joy over this over- 
rated and generally under-done bird; not one person in ten thousand can tell 
it from any other duck on the table, and then only under the celery circum- 
stance.” The pursuit, however, has been so relentless, that there has been little 
opportunity left for ornithologists to study the species quietly, and recent re- 
ports of its nesting in the heavy reeds of North Dakota sloughs, serve only 
to emphasize our comparative lack of knowledge of the habits and home life of 
the Canvas-back. 


604 THE AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK. 


No. 295. 


AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK. 


A. O. U. No. 148. Aythya marila (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—GREATER ScAUP; BLUE-BILL,; SHUFFLER; Rarr Duck; BLack- 
IiEAD. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and neck black with green gloss ; foreneck 
all round and breast rich purplish black; a collar around neck obscurely lighter ; 
belly and sides pure white; back and scapulars vermiculate or wavy-barred black 
and white,—the white bars wider in front, becoming much narrower behind; ter- 
tiaries, lower back, and tail-coverts sooty black; flanks sooty brown; wing-coverts 
blackish, speckled sparingly on tips with white; speculum white, tipped with 
blackish ; axillars and under wing-coverts chiefly white; bill dull blue with black 
nail, broadening and much hooked at tip; feet dark plumbeous and with darker 
webs; iris yellow. Adult female: Region about base of bill (least on chin) 
white; head and neck plain snuff brown; fore-neck and breast dark brown, edged 
and tipped with lighter; sides and crissum dark grayish brown, the former de- 
cidedly, the latter obscurely vermiculated with white; belly white, shading into 
brown marginally; upper parts brownish dusky, the tips of feathers speckled or 
obscurely vermiculated with white; wings, bill, etc., as in male. Length 17.50- 
20.00 (444.5-508.) ; wing 8.65 (219.7); tail 2.90 (73.7) ; bill 1.75 (44.5); tarsus 
resOn(3 os): 

Recognition Marks.—Smaller than Mallard; head, neck and breast black 
(female brown) ; belly and sides white (male) ; bill bluish with black nail. Larger. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground in a grassy swamp, 
of grasses, etc., lined with feathers and down. Eggs, 6-10, pale grayish olive 
or buffy. ‘Av. size 2.54 x 1.71 (64.5 x 43.4). 

General Range.—North America, breeding far north. South in winter to 
Guatemala. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon migrant, chiefly on the reservoirs and Lake 


Erie. 


IN general habits this duck resembles the smaller Lesser Scaup, but is 
everywhere less common. ‘There is no record of its breeding within the state, 
but it has been found breeding at St. Clair Flats, near Detroit. It migrates 
a little earlier than the Lesser Scaup, but frequently flocks of the earlier Lesser 
Scaups contain some individuals of the Greater. In my experience in northern 
Ohio, the proportions of these two ducks is about 1 to 3, possibly 1 to 4. It 
is not easy to decide which of the species you have unless the flock contains 
both, because there is so little difference except in size. The larger bodies of 
water inland, as well as an our northern border, are resorted to in much greater 
numbers than are the smaller waters. A large duck loves large water. 

Lynps JONES. 


THE LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 605 


No. 2906. 


LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 


f 
VA. O. U. No. 149. Aythya affinis (Eyt.). 

Synonyms.—L&sser Scaup; LitrLe BLAcCKHEAD, BLUEBILL, etc. 

Description.—Adult male: Similar to preceding but smaller; the head not 
giossed with green,—violet or purplish instead. Adult female: Distinguishable 
from that of A. marila only by smaller size. Length 15.00-17.00 (381.-431.8) ; 
wing 8.00 (203.2) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill 1.65 (41.9); tarsus 1.40 (35.6). 

Recognition Marks.—See preceding species; smaller. 

Nesting.—Not certainly known to breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs, like those 
of preceding species. Av. size of eggs, 2.25 x 1.58 (57.2 X 40.1). 

General Range.—North America in general breeding chiefly north of the 
United States, migrating south to Guatemala and the West Indies. 

Range in Ohio.—Common spring and fall migrant. A few linger through 
the summer, but it is not certain that they breed. 


A CAREFUL Sass _ enumeration of the 
ducks found SS ~ tam (©) }ol 1) 


Taken in Oberlin ? , P "Photo by the Author 


A FAVORITE WAY STATION. 
THE OBERLIN WATER-WORKS RESERVOIR UPON WHICH MORE THAN TWENTY SPECIES OF 
WATER BIRDS HAVE BEEN RECORDED. 


would probably prove this “Little Black-head,” or ‘Little Blue-bill” as he is 
known to the hunters, the most numerous of all our ducks. It is certainly 
true that more individuals of this species are seen on our rivers, ponds, reser- 
voirs and lakes than any other ducks. They are wary and wide awake where 


eae THE LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 


danger may threaten, but on the Oberlin water-works reservoir, which lies 
within the village residence section, they are not usually disturbed at the 
presence of people standing all about the embankment on Sundays. During 
the season of migration they rarely occur singly, but in flocks of from five 
to over a hundred individuals. 

Early in the season, during early April, most flocks contain a smaller 
number of females than males, but near the close of the migrations the females 
predominate. The early flocks contain about twenty percent of females, 
the later ones not more than that percent of males. I have never yet seen 
a flock wholly composed of one sex. Often other ducks associate with the 
Scaups on the smaller ponds, particularly the Greater Scaups, but in flight 
the tendency is strong for each species to go its own way alone. 

Since the Scaups are sea and bay ducks, they are excellent divers, and 
teed well below the surface of the water. While they remain upon the 
Oberlin water-works reservoir there is not so much fishing as resting. Appar- 
ently the flocks have learned that the place is secure from danger, because 
small flocks remain for hours passively floating upon the water with the head 
turned back, resting upon the shoulders. ‘They scarcely even notice the pass- 
ing trains, nor people upon the embankment. The purplish-black head and 
neck, and black breast of the males contrasts strongly with the almost pure 
white sides and wing speculum. Often the bluish bill shows white in reflec- 
tions, making the head appear cut away in front. The plain brownish-drab 
females are often puzzling to many people, but the white patch at the base of 
the bill should be a mark for certain identification, even if there should be no 
males present in the flock. 

For three summers a pair of these birds has made its nest in the 
vicinity of Oberlin, making the reservoir the base of supplies. The nest has 
not been found, to be sure, but the birds make daily visits to the reservoir 
all summer long, and in the fall pay it a farewell visit with the whole brood. 
It seems more than likely that a few pairs nest in the northern parts of the 
state each summer. Most of those which pass us in the migrations spend 
the summer many miles north of Ohio. 

The nest seems to be placed at the edge of running water, in thick grass, 
rushes, or weeds, slightly sunken, and lined with dry grasses and the down 
from the mother bird’s breast. It is not a well-made nest, but is sufficient 
to contain the dozen eggs. The birds flush only when danger threatens near at 
hand, when they get up quickly and are away at great speed. The eggs are a 
darker drab than is usual with ducks’ eggs. 

LyYNps JONEs. 


THE RING-NECKED DUCK. 607 


No. 297. 


RING-NECKED DUCK. 


y A. O. U. No. 150. Aythya collaris (Donoy.). 

Description.—4dult male: Head and neck sooty and lustrous black, with 
slight greenish and strong violet-purple iridescence; a short dense occipital crest ; 
extreme chin white; a broad chestnut collar not clearly defined; fore-neck, breast, 
and upper parts rich, deep, brownish black, glossed with purplish on the breast, 
with green on the longer scapulars and tertiaries, minutely dotted with white on 
the scapulars; lower breast and belly white, becoming purplish on crissum and 
flanks; a transverse bar of white on side of breast continuous with under parts; 
sides minutely vermiculated dusky and white (as many as a hundred bars to the 
inch) ; wing-coverts grayish brown, becoming dull glossy green on posterior por- 
tion; speculum ashy gray tipped with brownish dusky, and bordered interiorly 
with bluish gray of outer tertials; axillars and lining of wings white; bill black, 
narrowly pale bluish at base, and crossed by band of same color near tip; feet 
dull blue with dusky webs; iris yellow. Adult female: Black of male replaced 
by brown,—dark umber brown on crown and upper parts, warm yellowish brown 
on breast and sides, paling on sides of head and neck to white on throat and 
whitish about base of bill; belly less clearly or extensively white; wing much 
as in male. Length 16.00-18.00 (406.4-457.2) ; av. of six Columbus males: wing 
7-54 (191.5); tail 2.26 (57.4); bill 1.88 (47.8); tarsus 1.39 (35.3). Female 
somewhat smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Between Mallard and Teal size; short occipital crest ; 
chestnut collar; white chin; transverse white bar on breast and wavy-barred sides 
of male serve to distinguish this bird from the other “Blackheads,” which it super- 
ficially resembles. Peculiar yellowish brown of sides distinctive for female. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground in grassy 
marshes or lakeside swamps. Eggs, 6-12, indistinguishable in color from those 
of preceding species. Av. size, 2.25 x 1.60 (57.2 x 40.6). 

General Range.—North America, breeding far north and migrating south 
to Guatemala and the West Indies. 


Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon, but rather irregular migrant. 


THIS elegant species bears a general resemblance to the Lesser Scaup, 
but is nowhere so common unless it be in Minnesota, the center of its breeding ’ 
range. Unlike the Scaup, it is never seen in large flocks, seldom in com- 
panies of above a dozen or twenty individuals; it shuns the open water, so 
much frequented by the Bluebills. In flight the individuals of a flock scatter 
widely, and they are likely to become still further separated as they feed in the 
rushes and. deeper growth of the swamp. Here they subsist upon crayfish, 
snails, frogs, insects, and the various sorts of seeds which drop into the water 
from overhanging vegetation. 


608 THE AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 


When surprised the Ringneck rises upon softly whistling wings, and 
beats a rapid retreat, while you notice the loose occipital feathers, ruffled 
by fear into a bushy crest, and observe that there is no white on the head, 
to cause confusion with other crested species. 


No. 298. 
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 


vy A. O. U. No. 151. Clangula clangula americana (Bonap.). 

Synonyms.—GoLDEN-EYE; WHISTLER; GARROT. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and upper neck black, with a greenish 
gloss above and on sides; a circular white spot at base of upper mandible on side, 
but not reaching upper angle of bill; lower neck all around, under parts, the mid- 
dle and greater wing coverts, the inner secondaries, and outer scapulars, centrally, 
pure white ; remaining upper parts black, the white scapulars being black-bordered, 
and the feathers of sides similarly black-bordered along upper margin of the 
region, and on the lower margin of the elongated posterior feathers; lower belly 
mottled with dusky ; bill black; feet orange with dusky webs and claws; iris orange- 
yellow. Adult female: Head deep snuff-brown, without white spot; the color 
not reaching so far down on the neck as black of male; remaining black of male 
generally replaced by grayish dusky; sides of breast, chest, and sides more or 
less overlaid, or underlaid, with the same; white of wing interrupted by dusky 
giay, mostly confined to inner secondaries and adjacent tertiaries; bill varied 
with orange. Young male: Like adult female, but darker and with increasing 
indications of loral white spot. Adult male, length 18.00-23.00 (457.2-584.2) ; 
wing 9.20 (233.7); tail 3.50 (88.9).; bill along culmen 1.35 (34.3); bill from 
frontal angle to tip 1.90 (48. ae depth of upper mandible from frontal angle to 
tomia .92 (23.4); from anterior margin of white spot to anterior angle of nostril 
.O5 (24.1); from anterior angle of nostril to tip of bill 80 (20.3); tarsus 1.50 
(Ge). Female length about 16.50 (419.1). Other dimensions proportionately 
smaller. 

Recognition Marks.— Mallard size; black and white coloration ; rownd white 
spot at base of bill on side; bright yellow eyes. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in hollow of decayed tree or 
stub, lined with grass, feathers, etc. Eggs, 6-10, dull greenish or pale bluish. 
INE SVASy AAS, ae 170) (GO) ax 718) ))- 

General Range.—North America, breeding from Maine and the British Pro- 
vinces northward; in winter south to Cuba and Mexico. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common migrant. Sparingly resident in winter in open 
streams of southern portion. 


OF all wing-music, from the drowsy hum of the Ruby-throat to the start- 
ling whirr of the Ruffed Grouse, I know of none so thrilling sweet as the whist- 
ling wing-note of the Golden-eye. A pair of the birds have been frightened 


AW-NAGIOS NVOIBMHNV 


ow 


THE BARROW GOLDEN-EYE. 609 


from the water, and as they rise in rapid circles to gain a view of some 
distant goal, they sow the air with vibrant whistling sounds. Owing to a 
difference in wing-beats between male and female, the brief moment when the 
wings strike in unison with the effect of a single bird, is followed by an ever- 
changing syncopation which challenges the waiting ear to tell if it does not 
hear a dozen birds instead of only two. Again, in the dim twilight of early 
morning, while the birds are moving from a remote and secure lodging place, 
to feed in some favorite stretch of wild water, one guesses at their early industry 
from the sound of multitudinous wings above contending with the cold ether. 

The Golden-eye is a rather rare winter resident, but is better known as 
an early spring and late fall migrant. It moves north with the Mallard and 
the Green-winged Teal, and frequently does not retire in the fall until driven 
down by closed waters. It is found chiefly about the most retired stretches 
of open water or upon Lake Erie, and is exceedingly wary. The bird loves 
chilly waters and dashing spray, and very much prefers the rock-bound shores 
of mountain lochs, or the crunch and roar of icebergs to the milder com- 
panionship of sighing sycamores and waving sedge. 


No. 299. 


BARROW GOLDEN-EYE. 


A. O. U. No. 152. Clangula islandica (Gmel.). 

Synonyms.—W HIsTLER; GARROT, 

Description.—Adult male: Similar to preceding species, but gloss of head 
strongly blue-black or purplish; a triangular loral white spot continuous with 
base of bill on sides and exceeding it above and below; white wing-patch crossed 
by transverse bar of back; and white of scapulars somewhat less extensive; tip of 
bill surrounding nail orange. Adult female: Presenting only trifling differences 
from that of the preceding species; bill of slightly different proportions, averaging 
stubbier and with slightly broader nail; the tips of the greater coverts blackish; 
bill as in male. Size of preceding, but averaging nearer the larger dimensions. 
Upper mandible from frontal angle to edge of tomia .92 (23.4); from anterior 
margin of white spot to anterior angle of nostril .88 (22.4) ; from anterior angle 
of nostril to tip of bill .64 (16.3)—(male). Similar dimensions of female .78 
(1018) a 752 LOM) sO (728) 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; black and white coloration; triangular, 
or open-wing-shaped white spot at base of bill on side; head with purplish gloss. 
Female like preceding,—distinguishable with certainty only by blackish tips of 
greater coverts. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs like those of preceding 
species. Av. of eggs, 2.47 x 1.77. ( 62.7 x 45.). 


ee THE BUFFLE-HEAD. 


General Range.—Northern North America; south in winter to New York, 
{llinois and Utah; breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward and south in 
the Rocky Mountains to Colorado; Greenland; Iceland; accidental in Europe. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare winter visitor. 


THIS perpetuated accident of variation does not differ materially in 
habit from the commoner species, except that it does not often venture so far 
south. It is a bird of handsome appearance, and if one is so fortunate as to 
observe it at close range, while it is seated upon the water, he gets the impres- 
sion of a viking ship with regal prow uplifted. 

“Tt is reported from Sandusky Bay by Professor E,. L. Moseley, and has 
been taken twice in Lorain County, once by Mr. L. M. McCormick, and once 
by the writer, on the Oberlin water-works reservoir. It should be found in 
the winter on the waters of the northern part of the state” ( Jones). 


No. 300. 


] BUFFLE-HEAD. 


oe O. U. No. 153. Charitonetta albeola (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—Bvu‘TER-BALL; SPirrr DUCK. 

Description.—Adult male: Feathers of head puffy, somewhat lengthened 
along crest and nape; head and upper neck black, sooty below, with brilliant 
violet, purple, steel-blue, and bronze-green metallic reflections; a broad white 
space from eye to eye around occiput; back, inner scapulars and tertiaries with 
touches on coverts and some narrow bordering on the outer scapulars and up- 
turned side-feathers glossy black; upper tail-coverts and tail ashy gray ; remaining 
plumage, including a broad collar around neck, white; belly silky or washed with 
pale gray; bill dull bluish with dusky nail and base; feet flesh color, with black 
claws; iris brown. Adult female: Head and neck mouse-brown, darker on crown, 
lighter on throat; a dull white patch below and behind eye; speculum narrowly 
white; reminiscences of white coverts of male in shape of two or three central 
spots on greater coverts; remaining plumage above, grayish dusky, below silky 
white, shading on sides and hind-neck. Length 14.00-15.25 (355.6-387.4) ; av. 
of six Columbus males: wing 6.67 (169.4); tail 2.93 (74.4); bill 1.10 (27.9) ; 
tarsus I.31 (33.3). Female smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Teal size; plumage extensively white; head black, 
with large sharply defined patch of white from eye to eye behind. Similar spot 
much reduced, distinctive for female. Expert diver. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in hollow of tree or stump, 
lined with grasses, feathers, etc. Eggs, 6-14, pale olive gray, creamy, or buffy 
white. Av. size, 1.98 x 1.46 (50.3 x 37.1). 

General Range.—North America; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico. 


Breeds from Maine and Montana northward, through the Fur Countries and 
Alaska. 


THE BUFFLE-HEAD. one 


Range in Ohio.—Common migrant, especially along streams. Partially resi- 
dent in winter, according to openness of season. 


EACH bird species, like each human family, possesses a character wholly 
its own. “Butter-ball’” and “Butter Duck” are expressive of this duck’s close- 
knit, fat appearance, and the name “Spirit Duck” arises from its appearance 
of floating in the air above the water, since the white breast and sides, below 
the field of black, cannot be seen, at first glance, above the water. No doubt 
its expertness in diving, thus dodging the shot, has also given point to this 
title. But aside from this superficial appearance, the Buffle-head possesses a 
character of his own. He rides the water daintily, scarcely wetting his toes, 
or lies on his side with one foot out of water, or plunges down to great depths, 
with utter disregard of the fact that he is an air-breathing animal. And too, 
he is always spick and span, never with so much as a dampened feather. How 
easy to become master of the water if you could go into it without getting in 
the least wet! 

Buffle-head takes the world easy. He does nobody harm, and assumes 
that he will be treated equally well. Flocks on the Oberlin water-works 
reservoir never think of being disturbed by the curious spectators on the bank. 
One can almost believe that they were raised there. 

The glossy, purplish-black, fluffy head with its mark of pure white reach- 
ing from eye to eye around the back of the head, makes a pleasant as well as 
a conspicuous contrast. ‘The females are content with a white spot behind 
the eye. Females usually accompany the flocks of early males, and males 
the flocks of late females, but I have seen flocks composed wholly of one sex. 
In flight the birds form a bunch rather than a flock. 

The spring migrations cover the last week in March and almost the whole 
of April. The birds return in October, and some may remain all winter in 
favorable winters or in favorable localities. While there seem to be con- 
siderable numbers of these birds, they never swarm anywhere. The flocks 
are usually not large, but the birds keep close together. 

Buffle-head nests north of Ohio, but Dr. F. W. Langdon has found 
individuals in summer in Ottawa County, and it is reported as breeding spar- 
ingly on the St. Clair Flats: The nest is in a hollow tree or stump, and the 
mother bird plucks her own breast for the lining. The eggs range up to twelve 
in number, and do not differ in color from other duck eggs. It does not 
seem to be settled whether the old bird carries the young to the water, or 
whether she drops them to the ground and then guides them there. 

Lynps JONEs. 


Ae THE OLD-SQUAW. 


No. 301. 


OLD-SQUAW. 


A. O. U. No. 154. Harelda hyemalis (Linn. ). 

Synonyms.—Lonc-TAILED Duck; SOUTH-SOUTHERLY; LorD AND LApy 
(male and female). 

Description.—Adult male im winter: General plumage rich dark brown, 
or brownish black, and white; breast, broadly,—continuous with band around 
upper back—back, centrally—to end of tail—wings (reddening on secondaries), 
and patches on sides of neck, brown; sides of head in front, including eyes, warm 
ashy gray, but eyelids white; superior scapulars elongated, reaching nearly to tip 
of wing, pale ashy white; sides ashy-tinged; axillars and lining of wings smoky 
brown; remaining plumage, including crown and throat and neck all around, 
white; tail graduated, the central pair of feathers much elongated, blackish, the 
lateral feathers short, white; bill black, saddled with orange toward tip; feet bluish 
with dusky webs and claws; iris bright red. Adult male in breeding season: 
Head, neck, fore-breast, and upper parts rich chocolate brown or sooty black; fore 
part of head silvery gray, whitening around and behind eye; back varied by rich 
fulvous or bright reddish on longer scapulars, etc.; lower breast and upper belly 
dark sooty gray; below white shaded with pale gray on sides. Adult female in 
winter: Head and neck white; a dark brown patch on head and nape and another 
on side of neck; upper parts dusky or blackish, varied, especially on scapulars, with 
considerable light brown or ochraceous ; fore-neck and breast light brown above, 
shading through gray into white of lower parts; tail sharply pointed, but central 
feathers not lengthened; bill and feet dusky green; iris yellow. Adult female in 
breeding plumage: Similar to winter plumage, but head and upper neck dark 
grayish brown or blackish; a white space about eye and another on the side of 
the neck; scapulars with still more ochraceous. Young: Like adult female in 
winter, but more uniformly colored above, the males gradually acquiring the ashy 
scapulars. Adult male length 20.50-23.00 (520.7-584.2); wing 9.00 (228.6); 
tail 8.00-9.25 (203.2-235.); bill 1.10 (27.9); tarsus 1.32 (33.5). Female some- 
what smaller,—tail 2.50 (63.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; white and sooty brown; head white 
with ashy and dark patches, or brown with grayish patch; tail (of male) greatly 
elongated; bill short,—black and orange; face full. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground among tall grass 
or bushes near water. Eggs, 6-12, dull grayish green, or light olive-buff. Av. 
Sizey 20h x Le SOn 525m onl): 

General Range.—Northern hemisphere; in North America south to the 
Potomac and the Ohio (more rarely to Florida and Texas) and California; breeds 
far northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare winter visitor on Lake Erie. Casual in the interior. 


“THIS is a winter duck sometimes passing to the southern border of the 
state. It is not at all regular even in the northern part, and does not appear 
to be governed wholly by weather conditions. During some winters it is 


THE AMERICAN EIDER. 613 
decidedly numerous anywhere on the lake front, and may venture well inland 
upon the smaller lakes and reservoirs, to the Ohio River, and several winters 
may pass without another visitation. Specimens have been taken from the 
gill nets off Lorain in five fathoms of water, where they had dived for fish 
and become tangled in the nets and drowned. Several spent the winter oi 
1901-02 on the lake shore in Lorain County” (Jones). 

The Old-squaw obtains this name and others like it from its habit of 
vivacious jabbering while in flock upon the water. It has besides a peculiar 
and rather musical call-note, given as a salutation or summons while the bird 
is on the wing, a sort of nasal trumpeting quite impossible to represent. The 
birds are graceful and very swift fliers, and the elongated tail serves a useful 
purpose in helping to check flight, enabling the bird to alight quickly. A 
pair of them seated upon the water are handsome enough to merit the name 
applied to them by the hunters of the Pacific Coast, “Lord and Lady,” Their 
fief is some icy cliff or bleak island in the far north, and they quit home only 
reluctlantly, upon compulsion of the great white scourge. 


No. 302. 


AMERICAN EIDER. 


A. O. U. No. 160. Somateria dresseri Sharpe. 

Description.—Adult male: ‘Top of head (including top of loral space) 
black, divided on hind crown by narrow median greenish white; the remainder 
of head, neck, and breast, upper back, and lower back on sides of rump, scapulars, 
lesser wing-coverts, and tertiaries white, tinged with cream-buff or pale vinaceous 
on breast, and with pale green (oil green) on the head behind and on sides, and 
along the lower border of coronal black for nearly the whole length; rest of 
plumage deep sooty brown or brownish black; culmen slightly concave; angle of 
bill on side of forehead broad and rounded; bill at least .45 (11.4) wide across 
iniddle. Adult female and immature: All ochraceous on head-and neck finely 
streaked with dusky; darker on crown and nape; under-parts sooty gray barred 
with lighter and darker; the breast strongly tinged with brownish; above dusky, 
heavily tipped with brownish and buffy-ochraceous ;—of obscure coloration, but 
bill and characters as in male; smaller. Length 20.00-26.00 (508.-660.4) wing 
11.50 (292.1); tail 3.50 (88.9); bill from posterior angle of nostril to tip ’1.42 
(36.1) ; from anterior extremity of loral feathering to apex of frontal angle 1.85 
(47.); tarsus 1.75 (44.5). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard to Brant size; black and white plumage with 
light green on hind head; feathers of head dense and puffy ; feathers of lore reach- 
ing as far as nostril; angle of bill on side of forehead broad and rounded. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, in cranny of cliff, 
or in dense beach grass; heavily lined with down. Eggs, 4-8, sometimes 10, pale 
bluish or pale olive green. Av. size, 3.00 x 2.00 (76.2 x 50.8). 


SHE KING EIDER. 


614 


General Range.—Atlantic Coast of North America, from Maine to Labrador ; 
south in winter to the Delaware and west to the Great Lakes. 


Range in Ohio.—Of casual occurrence on Lake Erie. One record for the 
interior,—Licking Reservoir, Nov. 11, 1895. 


THE chief interest in the Eider Ducks attaches to their use of down in 
lining their nests. Since they breed so far north—abundantly along the coast 
of Labrador and beyond—ut is desirable that eggs be not exposed to the cold 
air during the necessary absence of the parent. As the eggs are laid, therefore, 
in a grass-lined depression on the surface of some barren island or bleak 
promontory, the bird plucks feathers from her breast; and when the set of 
six is completed and incubation begun, the eggs are quite buried in an 
abundance of soft, slate-colored down. 

The gathering of Eider-down is an organized industry in many parts of 
the North, and when it is conducted along legitimate lines, is no more to be 
deprecated than the poultry business, but the ruthless spoliation of this species 
in Labrador has left it very much less plentiful than formerly. 


No. 303. 


KING EIDER. 


A. O. U. No. 162. Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). 


Description.—Adult male: General plumage much as in preceding species, 
but scapulars and tertials black, breast more narrowly white; head quite different ; 
crown, hind-head and nape broadly light grayish blue; sides of head only tinged 
with light green (oil green) ; a prominent inverted V-shaped black mark on throat; 
the lateral base of upper mandible much enlarged into rounded lobe and pushed 
forward, the anterior upper portion forming an acute angle with the crest of the 
culmen; feathering immediately contiguous to this process, and a spot on lower 
evelid, black. ‘The prominence of enlarged base of bill depends upon season, it 
being supported to the utmost by underlying fatty tissue during breeding season. 
Adult female: Like that of preceding species, but throat nearly unstreaked and 
anterior feathering of lores not reaching as far as nostril. Length 20.00-25.00 
(508.-635.) ; wing 10.75 (273.1); tail 3.35 (85.1) ; bill from nostril 1.00 (25.4) ; 
from anterior extension of loral feathering 1.60 (40.6) ; tarsus 1.90 (48.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size or larger; many marks as in preceding 
species ; inverted V-shaped mark on throat distinctive for male; feathers not reach- 
ing to nostril, distinctive for both sexes. 


Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground near pond or marsh, 
or among rocks, heavily lined with down. Eggs, 6-10, pale olive- or grayish- 
green. Av. size, “2.77 x 1.83” (70.4 x 46.5) (Ridg.). 

General Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding in the 


THE AMERICAN SCOTER. 615 


Arctic regions; in North America casually in winter to Georgia and the Great 
Lakes. 


Range in Ohio.—Very rare winter visitor on Lake Erie—Wheaton. One 
record for the interior. 


THIS handsome species has a much wider distribution than the preceding 
form, being, in fact, circumpolar; and it is, therefore, rather more likely to 
occur on inland waters, upon those rare occasions when it ventures south at 
all. Ordinarily the Eiders spend their winters on the open sea well off shore 
and in northerly latitudes. 

There have been no records since Wheaton’s time. 


No. 304. 
AMERICAN SCOTER. 


A. O. U. No. 163. Oidemia americana Swains. 

Synonyms.—American Buack Scorer; SEA Coot; BLack Coor. 

Description.—Adult male: Entire plumage glossy, and sooty, black; outline 
of feathers at base of bill not peculiar; base of culmen (especially during breeding 
season) swelled or knobbed,—the knob orange, the rest of the bill, including eyes, 
black. Adult female and young: Sooty gray or fuscous whitening on belly, also 
on throat, sides of head, and neck, where contrasting with dark fuscous of crown 
and nape; outline of feathers at base of bill substantially as in male, but culmen 
not gibbous. Length 18.00-22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 9.00 (228.6); tail 3.00 
(76.2) ; bill (chord of culmen) 1.70 (43.2) ; tarsus 1.80 (45.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; plumage solid black; female fuscous, 
lightening below, and on sides of neck; loral feathering not peculiar. 

Nesting.—Does not nest in Oho. Nest, on the ground in marshes of the 
interior or along the sea coasts; of grasses, lined with feathers. Eggs, 6-10, pale 
buff or brownish buff. Av. size, 2.55 x 1.80 (64.8 x 45.7). 

General Range.—Coasts and larger inland waters of northern America; 
breeds in Labrador and the northern interior; south in winter to New Jersey, the 
Great Lakes, Colorado and California. 

Range in Ohio.—Casual winter visitor, chiefly on Lake Erie. Not more than 
half a dozen records. 


THE Sea Coots of this and the following species are abundant in winter 
along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and are not uncommon upon adjacent 
inland waters, especially those which afford some open spaces in winter. ‘The 
Great Lakes, however, because such open water is not guaranteed, are not 
often or largely visited during winter, nor are they patronized to any great 
extent during migrations. 


616 THE WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. 

In regions of plenty the Scoters lie off shore in great ‘rafts,’ which 
sometimes blacken the water for leagues. They are not so wary as some, but 
still they usually contrive to keep just out of range. It requires considerable 
exertion on their part to rise from the water, and they evidently make use of 
their feet at first, like Coots and Loons. As a flock melts away before one, 
the air is filled with the sound of hoarsely whistling wings, and one feels, 
if never before, the glamor of the ‘“‘sounding seas.” 


No. 305. 


WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. 


A. O. U. No. 1605. Oidemia deglandi Bonap. 

Synonym.—W HITE-WINGED Coot. 

Description.—Adult male: Speculum white; a white spot below and includ- 
ing eye; entire remaining plumage deep brownish black; culmen gibbous at base, 
but nearly covered by feathers which reach laterally almost to nostrils; loral 
feathering usually, but not always, extending further forward than frontal feathers ; 
bill black, varied by orange-red on lateral and terminal portions (but not on 
knob or edges). Black less intense in winter. Adult female and immature: 
Plain dusky brown, a little lighter below ; and with two dull whitish spots on side 
of head, on lore, and ear-coverts; speculum white; extension of loral feathers as in 
adult male, but bill only slightly gibbous, and with less orange. Length 19.00-24.00 
(482.6-609.6) ; wing 11.00 (279.4); tail 3.25 (82.6); bill along culmen 1.60 
(40.6) ; anterior margin of loral feathering to tip of bill 1.55 (39.4) ; tarsus 2.00 
(50.8). 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; plumage black or dark brown (female) ; 
white wing-patch (speculum) distinctive. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, under a bush, often 
at a considerable distance from water, lined heavily with twigs, dried plants, and 
moss, with a few feathers. Eggs, 6-10, pale buff or light greenish buff. Av. size, 
2.68) 31.03) (68st 46.5) 

General Range.—Northern North America, breeding in Labrador and the 
Fur Countries, less frequently in the northern tier of Western States; south in 
winter to Chesapeake Bay, southern Illinois, San Quentin Bay, Lower California. 

Range in Ohio.—Casual on Lake Erie in winter. Has been taken on the 
Reservoirs. 

Remark.—The White-winged Scoter was formerly described as Oidemuia 
fusca var. velvetina, and called the American Velvet Scoter. It differs from 
the European bird (O. fusca) chiefly in the further encroachment of the loral 
feathering upon the bill. ‘The character is very slight and quite variable, but 
within limits which are apparently constant. 


AL/THO the White-winged Coot is occasionally seen upon inland waters, 
and is known to breed in the interior, notably in North Dakota and westward, 


THE WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. . 617 


it is difficult to recall it as anything but a sea-bird. My own memory is quite 
crowded with visions of a long black line of the coveted birds bobbing and 
diving in serene content, always at a distance of a gun-shot and a quarter 
from the edge of the lapping tide. 

The Scoters are clumsy about getting to wing, and accomplish the feat 
only after much noisy flapping, during which the bird’s head is brought down 
as if it were trying to get hold of its own boot-straps; but once going it moves 
with great 
swiftness, and 
since it is a 
heavy bird, ac- 
quires a con- 
siderable mo- 
mentum. I 
shall not soon 
forget a win- 
ter afternoon 
Gm IP wise 
Sound, when 
two of us 
crouched be-- 
hind drift logs 
on the neck of 
a long sand- 
spit, which en- 
closes the Taken in Ottawa County. Photo by Claude Bucher. 
teeming wa- A GOOD PLACE FOR SEA DUCKS. 
ters of Sem- 
iahmoo Bay. ‘The Scoters had been feeding upon the bay at high tide 
in immense numbers, but at nightfall they began to retire across the neck 
to the open sea. On they came by little squads, hundreds of them, moving 
like volleys of cannon balls, and clearing the brief stretch of land with a 
wing-rush which tried the tense nerves to the utmost. Bang! Bang! went 
the guns, and the birds which acknowledged the salute (not all were polite) 
grounded on the beach beyond with a thud like an aerolite,—at least so it 
seemed to excited senses. 

This species has not been much observed in Ohio, but it should be found 
sparingly on Lake Erie, and occasionally at the reservoirs, both during migra- 
tions and in winter. ‘To the four records given by Professor Jones I am 
able to add only one, that of a male taken in the fall of 1881 upon the grounds 
of the Wynous Point Shooting Club, and preserved in their collection. 


No. 306. 
RUDDY DUCK 


( A. O. U. No. 167. Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmel.). 

Description.—Adult male: ‘Top of head and nape black; cheeks and chin 
white ; neck all around, chest, sides ot breast, sides, and upper parts, rich chestnut- 
red; wings, lower back (but not upper coverts), and tail, blackish; tail, mostly 
exposed, widely spread, graduated at sides, composed of eighteen to twenty stiffish 
feathers, which, except m the breeding season, have the tips of the shatts more 
or less exposed; remaining under parts silvery white (overlying dark brownish 
gray, which is irregularly and sometimes completely exposed, especially on sides, 
according to the wear of the plumage), lightly washed, especially on breast, with 
bright rusty; bill light blue; feet bluish gray with dusky webs; iris brownish red. 
Adult female and immature: Above, including top of head, dark grayish brown 
er dusky, finely mottled, or sometimes indistinctly barred, on scapulars, etc., with 
buffy gray; throat and sides of head and neck, contrasting with crown, whitish, 
usually crossed longitudinally on sides of head by an indistinct dusky band; under- 
parts as in adult male, but underlying brown more extensively outcropping, and 
fore-neck, chest and sides heavily tinged with bright rusty or ochraceous. Length 
14.00-16.50 (355.6-419.1) ; wing 5.67 (144.); tail 2.65 (67.3); bill 1.60 (40.6) ; 
greatest breadth of bill .92 (23.4) ; tarsus, 1.36 (34.5). Females average a little 
smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Teal size or slightly larger; chestnut-red coloring of 
male; dark and light contrasting on side of head in female and young; “chunky” 
appearance; tail of stiff, usually pointed, feathers, generally upturned while on 
water. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of reeds, etc., built up in 
margin or floating in water of pond or sluggish stream; deserted Coots’ nests 
sometimes used. Eggs, 6-10, buffy or creamy white, and with finely granulated 
Surtace, “Aly, size, 25 aq 1:60) (G2i2 45 r 

General Range.—North America in general, south to the West Indies and 
through Central America to Colombia; breeds throughout much of its North 
American range and south to Gautemala. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare spring, not uncommon fall, migrant. Not known to 
breed, but probably has done so. 


SINCE the establishment of the new three-acre reservoir for the water 
supply of Oberlin, I have been agreeably surprised to find this duck a frequent 
visitor during both migrations. It is usually considered one of the less com- 
mon ducks, the state over, but here it is seen more often than any but the 
Buffle-head and Lesser Scaup. It is never numerous in individuals, the flocks 
seldom numbering over half a dozen. ‘The males usually predominate, but 
each flock contains at least one female. Sometimes two males, or one male 
and one female come together and leave together. 

This duck is even less wary than the Buffle-head, perhaps because its 
flesh is not considered a delicacy, and it is not hunted so mercilessly as some 


COPYRIGHT 1800, BY A, W. MUMFOR: 


ae at Suen ee 


Erismatura jamaicensis 


Vs Life-size 


THE AMERICAN MERGANSER. 619 


other species. It does not furnish good sport for the professional sportsman, 
because it refuses to be afraid, and will not fly, but prefers to dive instead. 

The reddish-brown back and tail pointing stiffly straight up, or even 
inclining slightly forward, give to these birds a decidedly wren-like appear- 
ance. ‘he reddish back and broad white stripe below and behind the eye are 
good field marks. While the birds dive readily, and obtain their food well 
below the surface of the water, they do not resort to diving as much as the 
Buffle-head does when danger threatens. For them danger lies in getting within 
range of the man with a gun who must kill something, but cares not at all 
for true sport. 

The Ruddy Duck passes across Ohio during April and the first week in 
May, and returns during October and November. Some may pass the winter 
within the state where conditions are favorable. In the air the flocks are 
compact and the flight is rapid. ‘The birds rise from the water together, and 
do not scatter even when shot at. 

It may be that some few pairs nest in northwestern Ohio, but that has 
not been certainly determined yet. Reports of breeding on the St. Clair Flats 
seem to need positive confirmation. The nest is placed near water among the 
grasses and reeds, or over the water, like the nest of a grebe. It is well 
concealed in the tall reeds, of whose stems it is made, like a roughly woven 
basket, and it is lined with down from the breast of the mother bird. ‘The 
down seems to be added little by little, so that nests with a few fresh eggs 
contain very little, while nests with eggs well along in incubation are well 
filled, and the eggs almost or quite hidden under the down. This habit is not 
peculiar to the Ruddy Duck, but seems to be shared by many species. Appar- 
ently this duck is one of the later breeders; the most of the nests with full 
sets should be looked for about the middle of June. Lynps JONES. 


No. 307. 
AMERICAN MERGANSER. 


A. O. U. No. 129. Merganser americanus (Cass.). 

Synonyms.—GoosANDER; SHELLDRAKE; SAw-pini; Fish Duck. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and upper neck greenish black, the hind- 
neck loosely crested; upper back, inner scapulars, and a prominent short bar 
formed by exposed bases of greater coverts, black; the primaries and their coverts 
dusky ; lower back and tail ashy-gray ; neck all around, outer scapulars, most of the 
wing coverts, speculum, and entire under parts white, the latter delicately tinged 
with pale salmon (this generally fading to creamy-white in skins) ; tertiaries white, 
bordered narrowly with black; flanks wavy-barred, ashy-gray and white; bill and 
feet vermilion, the former black on ridge, with black hooked nail; iris carmine. 


620 THE AMERICAN MERGANSER. 


<ldult female and immature: More conspicuously crested on hind-head and nape; 
the head and upper neck dark cinnamon-brown, white on chin and sides of throat ; 
above ashy blue-gray, with white speculum and black of wings much as in male; 
under-parts white, shaded on sides with color of back, and faintly tinged with 
salmon ; bill red with dusky ridge ; feet chrome-yellow or orange, with dusky webs; 
eyes yellow. Length 25.00-27.00 (635.-685.8) ; wing 10.75 (273.1); tail 4.25 
( 108.) ; bill 2.15 (54.6) ; bill from nostril 1.50 (38.1) ; tarsus 1.90 (48.3). Female 
averaging three or four inches shorter and proportioned accordingly. 


Recognition Marks.—Mallard to Brant size; long, narrow bill with promi- 
nent serrations on side; under-parts white or pale salmon tinted; no rusty or och- 
raceous on breast. Lovers of swift waters; river divers. 


Nest, occasionally on the ground, more commonly in hole of tree or stub. 
lined with moss, grasses, and feathers. Eggs, 6-10, yellowish or creamy buff. 
ING Size, Alas se wise) (yA Ss AB7/))- 

General Range.—North America generally, breeding south in the United 
States to Pennsylvania and the mountains of Colorado and California. 


Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon migrant. Winter resident in the southern 
and perhaps sparingly summer resident in the northern part of the state. 


THE first glimpse of this splendid bird ever vouchsafed the writer was 
upon the rock-bound shore of a certain emerald lake in the West. ‘The bird 
had been surprised at the water’s edge, and winged as he attempted to rise. 
With instant decision he took to the water and dove sharply. When some 
twenty feet deep, he turned and paralleled the shore, intending to make a 
landing at some distance and secrete himself among the rocks. It was a 
rare sight from my vantage point some forty feet above, to watch the duck 
cleaving the water with strong concerted strokes of his vermilion feet. In 
that limpid water the resplendent black of his head and the salmon-tinted sides 
shone almost as if there was nothing between us. I am almost sorry to add 
that his ruse was not successful, and that his skin now rests in the Oberlin 
College museum. 

Not only are these Mergansers expert divers, but the sharp “‘teeth,” 
inclining backward as they do, are calculated to hold the most slippery prey. 
Fish caught in fair pursuit form the bulk of their food, but frogs, water 
insects, cray-fish, and other crustaceans, vary the monotony. Since the taking 
of such prey depends primarily upon unimpeded eye-sight, it goes without 
saying that these birds prefer clear waters and free course. Hence, they are 
more often found upon our rivers, even the swiftest running streams, than 
upon the reservoirs and reed-grown ponds. It is to be feared that when 
the Fish Duck encounters a lusty school of minnows he does not agree that 
“enough is as good as a feast.” An Arctic authority, Hearne, states that 
it devours fish in such great quantities as to be frequently obliged to disgorge 
several before it can rise from the water. It is noteworthy in this connection 
that the skin of the throat is unusually elastic, so that the bird can accommodate 
a large catch. Dr. Wheaton mentions having captured one which had swal- 


‘ 
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HM 3HL HO Ni O3AW3S3H S4He18 
49 ‘QWOIWNM "M 'y AG ‘0084 LHBIudOD 


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‘THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. (oe 


lowed an entire sucker, the head of which had been partially digested, leaving 
a portion still seven inches long to protrude into the bird’s mouth. 

Like the Golden-eyes and some other ducks, this bird usually occupies a 
hollow tree or stub for a nesting site. "The cavity is warmly lined with weeds, 
grasses and rootlets, and plentifully supplied with down from the bird’s 
breast. The eggs are of a clear creamy, or dull buffy tint, and have the 
“hard-oil-finish” characteristic of all ducks’ eggs. 

The young when hatched require to be transported to the water in the 
maternal beak—a rather trying ordeal, we must presume. 


No. 308. 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 


A. O. U. No. 130. Merganser serrator (Linn.). 

Synonyms.—RED-BREASTED SHELLDRAKE ; SHELLDRAKE; SAW-BILL. 

Description.—ddult male: Head all around black, with a greenish gloss 
on sides above; a loose crest from crown to nape; middle of neck all around 
white; lower neck all around (narrowly and impurely behind) and fore-breast, 
cinnamon-rufous streaked with black; sides of breast, upper back, and inner 
scapulars black; a tuft of enlarged feathers on sides of breast before wing, each 
feather white, bordered completely with black; wing-coverts, outer scapulars, 
speculum, and inner secondaries white, the latter black-edged ; two narrow trans- 
verse black bars formed by exposed bases of greater coverts and secondaries; 
primary-coverts, outer secondaries, and primaries blackish; sides and around 
on rump heavily wavy-barred, black and white; lower back and tail ashy gray, more 
or less speckled or wavy-barred on tips with black and whitish; lower breast, belly, 
and crissum white, usually tinged with pale salmon or cream color; bill narrower 
than in preceding species; bill and feet bright red, the former with dusky ridge: 
eves carmine. Adult female and immature: Similar to those of preceding species, 
but head duller, grayish chestnut; white of wing without black bars; position of 
nostrils distinctive; bill and feet duller-colored. Length 20.00-25.00 (508.-635.) ; 
wing 9.60 (243.8) ; tail 3.25 (82.6) ; bill 2.20 (55.9) ; bill from nostril 1.75 (44.5) ; 
tarsus 1.75 (44.5). Female somewhat smaller than male. 

Recognition Marks.—Mallard size; narrow serrated bill; head loosely 
crested; reddish of breast and sides wavy-barred black and white, specifically dis- 
tinctive for male. Females of this species cannot be told out of hand from those 
of M. americanus. In hand the nostril within basal third of bill (as distinguished 
from nostril just within basal half for M. americanus) is diagnostic. River divers. 

Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground among brush- 
wood, rocks, and the like, near water; lined with leaves, mosses, and feathers. 
Eggs, 6-12, creamy buff or dull buffy green. Av. size, 2.56 x 1.76 (65. x 44.7). 

General Range.—Northern portions of the northern hemisphere; south in 
winter throughout the United States. 


Gos THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 


Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant; casual winter resident in southern part of 
state. . 


SWIMMING is the way of nature and flying a slowly acquired art for 
the Shelldrakes. ‘The adults, indeed, are capable of rising quickly and flying 
with great rapidity at a considerable height, but oftener they patter over the 
surface of the water to get a running start, and then with outstretched neck 
and supple wing skim along close to the water, as tho loth to leave its friendly 
shelter. Many a time have I seen them in the swiftest part of some rushing 
stream, repeatedly breasting the current with tireless energy for the sake of 
being swept along some favorite riffle under water, adding thus the momentum 
of the stream to their own power of locomotion in enabling them to seize 
quickly unsuspecting trout. 

The young birds swim from the shell, but are nearly full grown before 
they can fly. A troop of half-grown young under the care of the mother 
bird affords an interesting study, and not infrequently provokes some novice 
to make the exertion of his life at the oars. At this time there is scarcely 
more than a trace of muscular tissue on the breast of the youngsters, but the 
legs and hinder portions, the swimming gear, is fully developed, so that in 
motion they look curiously like long-necked water bottles. JI{ pursued in a 
boat the brood keeps well together, each bird leaning forward, almost standing 
on the water, and keeping up a motion like a tiny stern-wheeler, the whole 
flock leaving a wake behind them not unlike that of a small steamer. The 
anxious mother directs the flight, now dropping into the water to urge the 
chicks to greater exertions, now flying back to distract the attention of the 
pursuers, or to develop some ruse to cover the escape. Once when a party 
of us were pursuing a brood in this manner along the rocky shore of a lake, the 
mother bird hit upon a very clever scheme. When the flock was becoming 
winded and we would head in toward them, she would fly between us and 
the shore, pretending to lead the flock back down the lake. At first we bit 
eagerly, and pressed in between her and the flock, intent on cutting off the 
retreat, only to find upon looking about that the cunning mother had made a 
wide circuit around us and was urging her brood up the lake again at a head- 
long speed. Finally, when thoroughly tired out, after a three mile 
chase, the ducklings took to shore and hid successfully in the loose rubble of 
the beach without the aid of a scrap of vegetation, and near water so clear 
that a movement could have been detected at a depth of a hundred and fifty feet. 


THE HOODED MERGANSER. 9 eS 


No. 309. 
HOODED MERGANSER. 


y A. O. U. No. 131. Lophodytes cucullatus (Ljnn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Head with a large compressed semi-circular 
crest; sides of crest white in large sector, or open-fan-shaped patch; the edge 
black in a sharply defined border; fore-crown deep brown; remainder of head 
and neck all around, upper parts, and two transverse crescentic bars on each side 
invading white of breast, deep brownish black (coal black on lower scapulars) ; 
lesser and middle wing-coverts ashy gray; speculum and tips of greater coverts 
white ; two small transverse black bars formed by exposed bases of greater coverts 
and of secondaries; inner secondaries and tertials white, heavily bordered with 
black; sides pale to rich cinnamon-rufous, wavy-barred with dusky ; bill compara- 
tively short, narrow, black; nostril barely within basal third (measured from 
anterior margin of loral feathering); feet light brown; eyes yellow. Adult 
female: Head, neck, fore breast, sides of breast and sides dull grayish brown, 
the crest much thinner than in male, entirely cinnamon-brown; upper parts deep 
brown, blackening on lower scapulars; wings the same with traces of white on 
edges of speculum ; lower breast and belly white, shaded with brownish on crissum ; 
bill dusky, orange at base and on lower mandible. Jmmature: Similar to adult 
female, but crest undeveloped. Length 17.00-19.00 (431.8-482.6) ; av. of five 
Columbus males: wing 7.63 (193.8); tail 3.60 (91.4); bill 1.56 (39.6); tarsus 
1.28 (32.5). Females average somewhat smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Larger than a Teal; very conspicuously round-crested. 
The male even at a superficial glance could be confused only with a Bufflehead 
(Charitonetta albeola). It differs from it in that the white of crest does not come 
to the edge; and, of course, in its entirely different bill. On more quiet waters,— 
ponds and sluggish streams. 

Nest, in a hole of a tree or stump, lined with grasses, etc., and feathers. 
Eggs, 10-12, sometimes more, pale buffy white. Av. size, 2.10 x 1.75 (53-3 X 44.5). 

General Range.— North America generally, south to Mexico and Cuba, breed- 
ing nearly throughout its range. Casual in Europe. 

Range in Ohio.—Rather common migrant. Formerly resident in summer, 
but probably not now to be found. 


THIS smaller species is rather the most common of the group with us, 
being not infrequently found during migrations in pairs or small groups upon 
the rivers and ponds. It is a master diver, and if it has room enough, ts 
more apt to seek to escape from sudden danger by diving and hiding, than by 
flight. Altho its flesh is not highly prized, it suffers periodical persecution 
along with everything remotely resembling a duck. It has, however, the 
occasional advantage of being able to dodge at the flash of a gun. Besides, 
if shot, it has about nine chances of escaping the pot, through its marvellous 
powers of hiding, utilizing for this purpose the exposed roots of river banks, 
or even, in extremity, clinging to some object in the bottom of the stream. 


624 THE DOUBLE- CRESTED CORMORANT. 


There are no recent accounts of the nesting of this bird within the limits 
of the state, but its present occurrence during the breeding season is well 
within the bounds of possibility. Like the Wood Duck, it selects for a nesting 
site a hollow tree or stub in some secluded spot. Dr. Brewer tells of an in- 
stance, in the neighborhood of the St. Croix River, in Maine, where the claims 
of the two birds came into conflict. “Several years ago Mr. Boardman’s 
attention was called to a singular contest between a female Wood Duck and 
a female of the Hooded Merganser for the possession of a hollow tree. The 
two birds had been observed for several days contesting for the nest, neither 
permitting the other to remain in peaceful occupancy. ‘The nest was found 
to contain 18 fresh eggs, of which about a third belonged to the Merganser ; 
and as the nest was lined with her own dark-colored down, it appeared prob- 
able that this bird was the rightful owner of the premises.” 


No. 310. 
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 


A. O. U. No. 120. Phalacrocorax dilophus (Swain.). 

Synonym.—WateErR TURKEY. 

Description.—Adults in breeding plumage: Glossy greenish black; the 
back and wings slaty brown, each feather bordered with greenish black; a tuft 
of narrow, loose- webbed, slightly curled, black feathers on each side of crown 
behind eye; tail of twelve feathers; cular sac bright orange. Adult in winter: 
Similar but without head-tufts. Young g male ( 2): Head, “neck and fore pica 
grayish brown, lighter below and on ‘sides, darker on crown and behind; 
maining under-parts, lower back, etc., rich dark brown; back and wings 
much as in adult; gular pouch yellowish. Young female (perl haps young of the 
year of both sexes): Like preceding but still lighter; back and wings hoary 
grayish brown, bordered with lighter brown. Length 29.00-34.00 (736.6- eS 6); 
wing 13.00 (330.2) ; tail 7.00 (177.8) ; bill 2.28 (57.9) ; tarsus 2 Go 66.) 

Recognition Marks.—Brant to Eagle size; greenish black plumage; orange 
gular pouch; heavy but well sustained flight. 

Nest, of sticks, in tree or bush, on a cliff or even on the ground. Eggs, 2-4, 
pale bluish white, more or less coated with a chalky deposit. Av. size, 2.50 x 
iiei(oy (ORG Se Yehin))s 

G America, breeding from the Bay of Fun- 
dy, the Great Wales! Wiencoe oe Dakota northward; south in winter to the 
Southern States. 

Range in Ohio.—Not common spring and fall migrant. Found almost en- 
tirely on Lake Erie and the larger reservoirs. Formerly bred in considerable 
numbers on the Grand Reservoir ‘and probably elsewhere. Said to have bred for- 
merly on the Licking Reservoir ;—doubtful. 


THE AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 625 


IT is a matter for the doctors to settle whether the Water Turkey, which 
formerly bred in numbers at the St. Mary’s Reservoir, really belonged to the 
smaller southern form, called the Florida Cormorant, or whether, as the 
writer suspects, they were indistinguishable from the typical form dilophus, 
now known only as a bird of passage. 

The Double-Crested Cormorant is a heavy bird of rather sluggish habits, 
altho it is expert at swimming and diving. In flight it moves rather rapidly, 
but with labored stroke and outstretched neck, something after the fashion 
of the Great Blue Heron. Much of its time is spent near the water, upon 
projecting snags or low rocks. From these convenient stations the birds 
watch intently for the appearance of fish in the depths below, and these, if not 
secured at the first dart, are pursued relentlessly under water. 

The Cormorant is becoming less and less common even as a migrant, 
being fiercely persecuted by fishermen and thoughtlessly shot by every would- 
be sportman who can hit a flying barn; and it is no longer known as a resident. 
I have seen only one bird myself, and that upon the Licking Rservoir, on 
the second day of December, 1902. It is claimed, however, by residents, that 
some are to be seen there every year. 

Concerning its former abundance at St. Mary’s, I follow Dr. Wheaton 
in quoting Mr. Charles Dury’s account of a visit to that locality made in 
June, 1867: 

“On the south side of the Reservoir, about seven miles from Celina, was 
the Water Turkey’s rookery. Here I used to go and shoot them with the 
natives, who wanted them for their feathers; I have helped kill a boat load. 

“One season I climbed up to their nests and got a cap full of their eggs. 
The nests were made of sticks and built in the forks of the branches. ‘The 
trees (which were all dead) were mostly oaks and covered with excrement. 
I found from two to four eggs or young to a nest. The young were queer 
little creatures—looked and felt like India rubber. The old birds flew around 
and made their croaking notes, indicative of their displeasure at my presence. 
Some of the trees had ten or twelve nests on them. As the timber has rotted 
and blown down, the birds have become less and less numerous.” 


No. 311. 


AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 


A. O. U. No. 125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchus Gmel. 

Description.—Adult in breeding plumage: General plumage white; the 
primaries blackish touched with hoary gray near tips; secondaries blackish with 
white basally ; a pendant occipital crest of white or pale yellow; lanceolate feathers 


1 Reported by Mr., now Dr., F. W. Langdon in ‘Observations on Cincinnati Birds,’—Jour. of the 
Cin. Soc. of Nat. Hist. Oct. 1878. 


Ge6 THE AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 


of lesser wing-coverts and chest pale yellow or buff; a thin, elevated, horny pro- 
tuberance on ridge of culmen a little forward of the middle; bill and pouch red- 
dish; legs and feet bright orange-red. Adult in winter: Similar but without 
horny protuberance on bill; the occipital crest wanting; yellow coloring of chest 
and wing-coverts paler; bill and feet not so bright. Jmmature: Like adult in 
winter, but feathers of crown and lesser wing-coverts mixed with brownish 
gray; chest feathers not modified; a fluffy, short, occipital crest; the bill, 
pouch, legs, and feet pale yellowish. “Length 4% to nearly 6 feet; extent 8% to 
nearly 10 feet; weight about 17 pounds” (Ridgway). Wing 22.00 (558.9) ; tail 
6.00 (152.4) ; bill 10.50-15.00 (266.7-381.) ; tarsus 4.50 (114.3). 

Recognition Marks.—Immense size with large bill and gular pouch; white 
plumage. 

Nesting.—Not known to have bred in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, a mound 
ef gravel and rubbish with a slight depression on top, on beach or island of 
large lake. Eggs, 2-4, bluish white or pale buffy, often more or less stained, and 
with chalky deposit on surface. Av. size, 3.40 x 2.25 (86.4 x 57.2). 

General Range.— ‘Temperate North America, north in the interior to about 
latitude 61°, south in winter to western Mexico and Guatemala; now rare or ac- 
cidental in the northeastern states; abundant in the interior and along the Gulf 
Coast; common on the coast of California. 

Range in Ohio.—Casual migrant; seen on Lake Erie and the reservoirs. 


THE appearance of a large white bird ‘*bigger than a goose,’ anywhere 
upon our interior waters, is a signal for immediate pursuit by boat and gun. 
Not infrequently it turns out to be a Pelican, and the guileless creature is 
promptly mummified and placed where he may regard you gravely from some 
shop-keeper’s window—for the museums are already full. A handsome speci- 
men was taken on the Licking Reservoir about May 15th, 1902, and preserved 
in a local club room, but it was lost in a fire the following winter. In the 
spring of 1903, three were seen upon the same reservoir, but none secured. 

The Pelican lives upon an exclusive diet of fish, and he uses his great 
eular pouch as a dip-net, or scoop, rather than as a creel for transportation, 
as was formerly supposed. It sometimes happens, however, that the bird 
makes a greater catch than he can conveniently handle, or indeed, greater than 
he has time to swallow during the rush of a successful drive. In either case 
he retires to shore with a full basket to effect a readjustment, or to discard a 
clearly proven surplus. 

In flight the Pelicans usually follow a leader in line, and flap or sail or 
settle in unison at his behest. In the West and South, where they are much 
more abundant, they are sometimes seen performing aerial evolutions, which 
are very interesting and impressive to the beholder. 


YRIGHT 1901, BY A, 


AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN RIGHTS RESERVED IN OHIO BY THE WHAT 
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 


About | 5 Life-size 


“THE MAN-O’-WAR BIRD. _ 627 


No. 312. 


MAN-O’-WAR BIRD. 


A. O. U. No. 128. Fregata aquila Linn. 

Synonym.—F RriGa’E ; FRIGATE PELICAN. 

Description.—Adult male: Entire plumage black, with metallic greenish 
or purplish gloss on the lanceolate scapulars and interscapulars, duller on the 
belly. Adult female: Duller black; whitish below on breast and sides; varied 
by grayish brown on lesser wing-coverts, scapulars, etc., unmodified and less 
metallic. Jmmature: Like adult female but decidedly white below and on head. 
Length about 40.00 (1016.); extent 7-8 feet; wing 25.00 (635.); tail, forked 
for more than half its length, about 18.00 (457.2) ; bill 4.60 (116.8) ; tarsus about 
1.00 (25.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Eagle size; black plumage; deeply forked tail and ex- 
ceedingly slender build with great expanse of wing; small gular pouch. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nests, of sticks, in colonies, on low 
bushes or rocks, near the ocean. Eggs, one, pure white with chalky surface, oval 
or elongated ovate. Av. size, 2.68 x 1.80 (68.1 x 45.7). 

General Range.— Tropical and subtropical coasts generally; in America 
north to Florida and Texas, and casually to Nova Scotia, Ohio, Wisconsin, 
Kansas, and Humboldt Bay, California. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental. One record: Fairfield County, spring of 1880, 
by Emmett Adcock. 


IT was a piece of rare good fortune which discovered this oceanic species 
so far inland, but it is strange, now that we think of it, that birds so marvel- 
lously gifted in wing, do not oftener take a curious turn ashore. So far as 
powers of flight are concerned, the Man-o’-War Bird stands easily at the head 
of winged creation. Not only does it soar at such sublime heights as tc 
appear a mere speck against the sky, or to pass from sight altogether, but 1t 
can launch itself from an almost incredible elevation to snatch a flying fish 
in midair, or to seize some object just below the surface of the water. And 
not only can the Frigate fly swiftly, but so perfectly has it learned to adjust it- 
self to the wind, that it is able to maintain itself for hours at a time without 
change of position and without apparent effort. 

The Man-o’-War Birds secure only a portion of their food by direct cap- 
ture; for the rest they prey upon other birds, especially those equipped for 
taking large catches of fish, wholesalers, as it were, like the Boobies and the 
White Pelicans. It is difficult to see why a sturdy fisherman like the Gannet 
should consent to share the product of its lawful toil with this pirate, but 
Boobies are not the only bipeds who are overmastered by a sharp eye and 
imperious gestures. 


628 THE BLACK-CAPPED PETREL. 


No. 313. 


BLACK-CAPPED PETREL. 


A. O. U. No. [98.] A&strelata hasitata (Kuhl.). 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck (excepting top of head), upper tail- 
coverts, basal half of tail, and entire under parts, pure white; remaining upper 
parts, including top of head, brownish dusky, blackening on wings and tail; the 
feathers of back, etc., more or less margined with lighter brown; the sides of 
breast sometimes tinged with brownish gray. Length about 15.00 (381.); wing 
11.60 (294.6); tail about 5.00 (127.), graduated tor less than halt its length; 
bill 1.35 (34.3); tarsus 1.42 (36.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Size of Common Tern; white below, dusky above; 
upper tail-coverts and base of tail white; cap blackish. 

Nesting unknown. 

General Range.—Warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean, straying to Florida, 
Virginia, New York, Vermont, and Ontario. Also England and France. 

Range in Ohio.—Accidental near Cincinnati. 


IF a company of ghosts were suddenly to “materialize” before us, make 
strange gestures and depart silently, leaving only their chilly shrouds behind 
them for mementoes of their visit, we should know about as much of their 
whence and whither, their “‘life histories,” in short, as we know now of these 
strange wanderers from the trackless deep. Three of them were picked up 
wing-weary and half-starved, on the Ohio River near Cincinnati one day in 
October, 1898, and are now preserved in Cincinnati museums. ‘Their presence 
was due to a strong east gale which had blown them inland far from their 
native mid-ocean. Not even the habitat of the species is clearly known, altho 
it is surmised to be the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. ‘The bird is cer- 
tainly a great wanderer, specimens having been taken in England, France, 
Hayti, Australia, etc., as well as upon our own Atlantic coasts. 


No. 314. 
HOLBOELL GREBE. 


A. O. U. No. 2. Colymbus holbeellii (Reinh.). 


Description.—Adult in nuptial plumage! Head with short dense occipital 
crest, heaviest on sides and squarely cut off behind; top of head, including crest, 
ridge of neck behind, and upper parts, very deep hair-brown, or brownish black 
with a silky sheen, pure on head and neck and wings, with slight edgings of dull 
buffy and ochraceous on back; primaries not different; a large white patch on 
central secondaries( recalling the speculum of ducks) ; throat and sides of head 
pale ashy gray, becoming white on borders; neck in front and on sides bright 


THE HOLBG:LL GREBE. 


629 


cinnamon-rufous, shading on fore-breast into the silvery white of remaining 
under parts; posterior feathers dusky-tinged; bill bluish dusky, varied by yellow 
on lower mandible; feet and legs black. Adult in winter and commonly: Similar 
but duller and sides of head pure white; the rufous persistent only on sides of 
neck, and paler, the red replaced by ashy-brown or dull whitish; not crested. 
Immature: Similar to adult in winter but duller; without any rufous; under- 
parts grayish white ; neck and breast ashy-fuscous, throat and sides of head lighter, 
but not white; bill lighter; feet and legs mottled with yellow. Length 18.00-20.00 
(457.2-508.) ; wing 7.70 (195.6); bill 1.90 (48.3); tarsus 2.50 (63.5). 
Recognition Marks.—Something under Mallard size; head pattern dis- 
tinctive in breeding plumage; large size distinctive for Ohio at any season. 
Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, a heap of half-submerged or float- 
ing vegetation in pond or reedy lake margin. Eggs, 2-5, dull greenish white; ex- 
cept when fresh, heavily nest-stained. Av. size, 2.25 X 1.35 (57-2 X 34.3). 
General Range.— North America at large including Greenland. Also east- 
ern Siberia and southward to Japan. Breeds in high latitudes, migrating south 
in winter. 
Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant. Found chiefly on Lake Erie and the larger 
reservoirs. 


ALTHO lacking the odd head-ornaments which some of the smaller 
divers boast during the nuptial season, the Holbeell is a handsome fellow, and 
in the spring plumage the flash of the rufous upon the lower neck, in sharp 
contrast with the ashy white of throat and cheeks, is unmistakable. 

Like all other Grebes the young of this species tumble out of the 
shell into the water, and the saturated mass of decaying vegetation which 
for a time held the eggs is never known as home. When the brood is hatched 
the young birds clamber upon the mother’s back, and have a ride quite to 
their liking. Nothing more convenient than this floating palace could have 
been devised, besides being a raft and a diving bell(e), it is fitted up with 
feather-stuffed cushions for repose, and upon it meals are served frequently 
a la Grebe,—since, it is said, the mother can twist ker neck around without 
difficulty and bestow a selected morsel upon whom she will of the expectant 
brood. 

The adult bird customarily prepares for diving by first giving a little 
upward spring, and then turning suddenly with the body almost clear of the 
water to shoot down head foremost. It is however, quite as able as others 
of the family to flash out of sight without the spring-board motion, or else 
to fade away after the manner of the polite Frenchman. Last fall upon 
the Licking Reservoir, as I was lying in wait off shore for ducks, I was 
approached by what I took to be a bird of this species. Really desirous of 
securing the specimen I shot at fair range, using an extra rapid smokeless 
powder. The fellow was possessed,—not only by spirits, but by an inexhaust- 
able fund of good nature, for each time I shot he vanished, I know not how, 
only to reappear instantly, unscathed and smiling, to paddle a little nearer. 


630 THE HORNED GREBE. 


No. 315. 
HORNED GREBE. 


A. O. U. No. 3. Colymbus auritus Linn. 

Description.—Adult in nuptial plumage: Forehead and crown, with throat 
and sides of head around on nape, sooty black, deepening and becoming glossy 
posteriorly ; area included by these patches (lores and sides of crown) buffy och- 
raceous, changing to rufous on lores and the short dense occipital crest; neck in 
front and on sides and fore-breast rich cinnamon-rufous, shading on breast into 
the satiny white of belly; sides (well up under wing), and flank patches tinged 
with rufous and overlaid with some dusky; upper parts grayish black, becoming 
grayish brown on wings and varied by some edging of lighter grayish brown; 
primaries clear light brown; secondaries mostly white, forming a quasi speculum ; 
bill black with yellow on lower mandible and tip; feet dusky externally, in- 
ternally mostly yellow. Adult in winter and immature: No rufous anywhere; 
above uniform grayish black; below, including sides of head, pure white, some- 
times tinged on neck and fore-breast with ashy brown; sparingly dusky-shaded 
on sides; bill with less black. Length 12.50-15.00 (317.5-381.); av. of six O. S. 
U. specimens: wing 5.37 (136.4) ; bill .93 (23.6), depth at base .32 (8.1) ; tarsus 
1.82 (46.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Teal size; breeding plumage with black and red on 
head (especially red lores) distinctive for size; slender bill; the pure white of 
throat and sides of head contrasting with blackish above affords the best field mark 
in winter. 

Nest, of half-submerged or floating vegetation, usually anchored to reeds 
growing in swamp water. Eggs, 2-7, elongated oval, pale bluish white, but 
usually more or less discolored by nest. Av. size, 1.75 x 1.18 (44.5 X 30.) 

General Range.—Northern hemisphere ; breeds from northern United States 
northward. 

Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Of casual occurrence in winter, ac- 
cording to openness of season, in central and southern Ohio. 


IT is the sixth day of October. Six dainty Grebes are dancing before 
me on the gently ruffled surface of the water-works pond. I am within thirty 
feet of them and in plain sight, altho my line of approach was concealed by the 
sloping parapet. ‘The one desire of the visitors seems to be to sleep. They 
probably dropped down just before sunrise to rest after the long night passage 
from the Georgian Bay. In sleeping they draw the head back and settle it 
between the shoulders, thrusting the bill down precisely to the right. Now 
and then one lifts its head and describes a wary circle of reconnaisance, but is 
soon reassured and resumes its slumbers. While taking these cat naps in my 
presence they swim and whirl automatically and maintain their general position, 
as tho gifted with a double consciousness. There are five males in company with 
one female, and the white of their breasts and throats glistens purely in the 


THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. 


631 


morning sun. The bills are so small and slender that there is no possible dan- 
ger at this range of confusing them with the commoner Pied-billed Grebe. 

At some distance and in the confusion of waving grass or tossing billow, 
a grebe may at times be mistaken for a duck, but the leaping dive which 
usually follows discovery or close approach, serves to distinguish it from most 
ducks. The way of the bird in the air, too, is quite unducklike, since it thrusts 
its feet out behind at different angles, and moves with the directness of a 
flying projectile. Upon land the Grebe is almost helpless, and only flounders 
about awkwardly and pitches forward upon its head. 

Concerning the breeding of the Horned Grebe in the state, we have no 
account except that left us by Dr. Langdon in 1880. During a stay of a week 
in the Port Clinton marshes, the Doctor saw no birds; but he came upon 
two sets of eggs of two each, which seemed referable, by elimination, to this 
species. He says: ‘These eggs are chalky-white with a faint, tho definite, 
tinge of pale bluish-green, much like the tint of the Least Bittern’s egg, and 
very unlike the pale whitey-brown of the eggs of P. podiceps observed by us. 

That our sets were probably full is indicated by the fact that one of 
them contained fully developed young, which swam and even attempted to 
dive, on being placed in the water after removal from the egg. ‘The nests 
were similar to those of P. podiceps described below, and the eggs were cov- 
ered in like manner by decaying vegetation during the day and left for the 
sun to incubate. 

“The young removed from these eggs presented slight but constant dif- 
ferences in the head and neck markings, and the size of the bill as compared 
with the young of P. podiceps, obtained in the same manner,—those sup- 
posed to be P. cornutus being smaller, with more slender bills, less blotching 
about the head and neck and none in the median line of the throat.” 


No. 316. 


/ PIED-BILLED GREBE. 


4 
Va, O. U. No. 6. Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—W ater-wirtcH ; HeLt-pivEr; Dascuick; DikpApprr; DIPPER. 
Description.—Adult in nuptial plumage: Chin and throat glossy black; 
top of head and neck black with an admixture of brownish in_ hair-lines 
and streaks; the forehead with many shortened, webless, glossy, black shafts; 
sides of head gray, passing into grayish brawn on sides and front of neck; lower 
neck and breast and sides mostly blackish, heavily tipped in parted hair-lines with 
fulvous and ochraceous; underparts silky, grayish white mottled with underlying 
dusky, and heavily shaded on sides and behind; above clear brownish black; 
secondaries varied and mottled with some white; bill short and stout, bluish 
white, crossed at the nostril by a heavy black band; feet greenish black. Adult 
in winter: Without black on head; crown dark brown shading on sides of head 


; THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. 


632 


to whitish of throat; neck, fore-breast, and sides strongly tinged with brownish 
ochraceous; belly dingy white, unmottled; bill without black band. Jmmature: 
Like adult in winter, but sides of head with more or less distinct stripes of brown. 
Iength 12.00-15.00 (304.8-381.); wing 5.10 (129.5); bill .80 (20.3); along 
gape 1.25 (31.8) ; depth at nostril .43 (10.9) ; tarsus 1.55 (39.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Teal size; bill short and stout, its black band dis- 
tinctive during breeding season, its shape sufficiently so at other times; head 
and neck brownish with dull whitish throat in winter plumage. 

Nest, a floating or half-submerged mound of decayed vegetation in open 
space of swamp water. Eggs, 4-8, dull white or pale greenish buff, usually more 
or less discolored by contact with water-soaked nest. Ay. size, 1.75 x 1.20 (44.5 
5 OHS Me 

General Range.—British Provinces southward to Brazil, Argentine Re- 
public, and Chili; the West Indies and Bermuda, breeding locally nearly through- 
out its range. 

Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Locally resident in summer. Occa- 
sionally resident in winter in open or half-open water. 

THE Water-witch is expert at diving and all that pertains to the trade. 
The skill and success with which it used to avoid at the flash of the muzzle- 
loading gun, has given rise to several vigorous and sulphurous sounding names, 
and a genuine belief in some quarters that the bird is in league with the Evil 
One. When a supposed “duck” is first blown to pieces by the discharge of 
the musket, and then bobs up serene and smiling a moment later, the only 
thing to do is to throw down the gun and take to the woods. But devil or no 
devil, smokeless powder is a little too quick for him, and for this reason alone 
the Grebe is becoming more scarce each year. 

Someties instead of diving ‘as quick as a flash, the bird, if it thinks 
itself unobserved and wishes to escape, will settle slowly into the water and 
disappear without leaving a ripple behind. Once under water the diver makes 
marvellous progress, apparently without assistance from the wings. And if it 1s 
undesirable to appear on exhibition again it requires only to thrust the tip of the 
bill to the nostrils above the surface of the water from time to time. Thinking 
to test their powers both of diving and flight, I once pursued a company of 
twenty-five Pied-bills about a two-acre opening in the ice of the Licking Res. 
ervoir. The birds would neither fly nor try to escape beneath the surrounding 
ice, preferring rather to play at hide and seek with me in the boat. Some came 
to the surface and got a single gulp of air, while others fearlessly presented a 
broad-side view, and others still paddled about with only the head sticking 
out of water. ‘They are said, however, to take to wing easily and to fly rapidly. 
On land they are unable to rise, and flounder about quite helplessly. 

The Grebe oftenest remains concealed by day, except during migrations 
and in winter, and for this reason is almost unknown to eye in its own breed- 
ing haunts. 

Dr. Langdon’s account of their breeding in the northern part of the state! 
is still the best extant, and I repeat a few paragraphs by permission: 


1 “Summer Birds of a Northern Ohio Marsh” by Frank W. Langdon. Journal of the Cincinnati Soc. of 
Nat. Hist. Vol. III., No. 3, October, 1880; p. 231. 


THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. 633 


“The little floating island of decaying vegetation held together by mud 
and moss, which constitutes the nest of this species, is a veritable ornithological 
curiosity. Imagine a “pancake” of what appears to be mud, measuring twelve 
or fifteen inches in diameter, and rising two or three inches above the water, 
which may be from one to two feet in depth; anchor it to the bottom with a 
few concealed blades of ‘‘saw-grass,” in a little open bay, leaving its circuni- 
ference entirely free; remove a mass of wet muck from its rounded top, and 
you expose seven or eight soiled brownish-white eggs, resting in a depression 


ie 


Taken on the Licking Reservoir. rhoto by the Author. 


IN THE HAUNTS OF THE GREBE. 


the bottom of which is less than an inch from the water; the whole mass is 
constantly damp. ‘his is the nest of the Dabchick, who is out foraging in 
the Marsh, or perhaps is anxiously watching us from some safe cover near by. 

“The anchoring blades of coarse saw-grass or flags, being always longer 
than is necessary to reach the bottom, permit of considerable lateral and ver- 
tical movement of the nest, and so effectually provide against drowning of 
the eggs by any ordinary rise of the water level, such as frequently occurs dur- 
ing the prevalence of strong easterly winds on the lake. A small bunch of 
saw-grass already growing in a suitable situation is evidently selected as a 
nucleus for the nest, and the tops bent so as to form a part of it. 


634 THE LOON. 


“During the day we invariably found the eggs concealed by a covering of 
muck, as above described, but, as we ascertained by repeated visits at night 
and in the early morning, they are uncovered at dusk by the bird, who incu- 
bates them until the morning sun relieves her of her task.” 

The eggs are probably covered thus only when there is danger of their be- 
ing discovered by predatory Gulls and the like, as I have found them in 
certain Illinois swamps, where no such danger existed, quite exposed. 

The hardiness of the unhatched chick may be inferred from the preced- 
ing account. I once took a set of four eggs so incrusted with filth that not even 
soap and water and a bristle-brush would restore the original color. Finding 
time two days later to remove their contents, | was somewhat disconcerted 
when the disimprisoned young ones cheeped lustily, forty hours from the nest. 


No. 317. 
LOON. 


A. O. U. No. 7. Gavia imber (Gunn.). 

Synonym.—Great NoRTHERN DIVER. 

Description.—Adult in sumer: Head and neck black with metallic re- 
flections, most intense on lower neck; middle of the throat crossed by a narrow bar 
of white streaks; a similar but wider bar on each side of neck lower down; 
under-parts pure white; upper parts greenish black, sharply spotted with white 
in regular transverse rows,—the spots mostly squarish, smallest on the upper 
back and rump, largest on lower scapulars; the sides black, similarly ornamented 
with rounded spots; sides of cervix black and white, streaked or striped; wing- 
quills blackish, with warm purplish reflections; bill black; feet and legs black 
externally, yellow internally; iris carmine. Adult in winter and immature: 
Above dark brown, clear and greenish glossed on crown and back of neck, feath- 
ers of the back, etc., more or less heavily tipped with ashy gray or dull buffy; 
entire under-parts, including sides, white, shading on sides of head or alternating 
with brown of upper parts in large dentations; bill light blue with dusky ridge; 
feet brownish dusky externally, yellowish internally. Length 28.00-36.00 (711.2- 
914.4); wing 14.00 (355.6); tail 2.60 (66.); bill 3.00 (76.2); along gape 4.00 
(101.6) ; tarsus 3.40 (86.4). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant to Eagle size; back black speckled with white; 
head and neck black interrupted by white-streaked spaces; below white; large, 
pointed bill. Large size distinctive as compared with other divers. 

Nest, a mere depression in sand or gravel, etc., near the edge of lake or pond. 
I;ggs, 2, dark brown or olive-brown, faintly and sparingly spotted with darker 
or blackish. Av. size, 3.50 x 2.25 (88.9 x 57.2). 


‘ih 
ANY 


bs) 
Bt Bin 


imber 


5 Life-size 


1 


THE LOON. 635 


General Range.—Northern part of northern hemisphere. In North America 
breeds from the northern tier of states northward; ranges in winter south to 
ihe Gulf of Mexico and Lower California. 

Range in Ohio.—Not uncommon migrant; less common than formerly ; 
sparingly resident in winter in southern portion. Formerly bred in northern part 
ef state. 


AS we gaze at some ocean greyhound lying at her moorings, we note 
with kindling eye the graceful lines of bow and stern, the suggestive inclina- 
tion of mast and funnel, and we declare her perfect for her chosen element, the 
sea. We know that a transatlantic liner would cut a sorry figure on land 
and a sorrier still in the air, but we do not allow ourselves to be disturbed by 
such comparisons. Viewed strictly as a water bird, as Nature intended, the Loon 
is a paragon of beauty. Alert, supple, vigorous, one knows himself to be in the 
presence of the master wild thing, when he comes upon a Loon on guard in 
his native element. ‘The bird seems to move about almost without effort, a 
single backward kick of one of those immense paddles serving to send it for- 
ward at any desired speed, while the head is turned inquiringly from side to 
side as if to take your measure. A shout, a false motion, the flash of a gun, and 
the wild thing has vanished, leaving scarcely a ripple to mark its recent rest- 
ing place. It reappears, if at all, at a surprisingly great distance, and if re- 
ally alarmed, only the head is thrust out of water, to take breath, get the bear- 
ings, and disappear again. 

A Loon is not invulnerable, but an educated bird must be secured by 
stealth or guile if at all. Generations of gun practice have made the bird 
such an expert diver that, given room enough in which to dive, it 1s all but im- 
possible to shoot one. Once on a wild mountain lake in the West, when I was 
really desirous of securing a specimen, I concealed myself behind an eminence 
with a Winchester rifle, and shot down at a supposedly unsuspecting Loon. 
After the first shot the bird turned and paddled slowly toward the ambuscade 
with what seemed like an amused smile playing about his features. After the 
seventh shot, the disappearing target tired of the game and vanished alto- 
gether. Poor marksmanship? Not a bit of it! Expert diving! On the other 
land I shall never recall without a surge of shame another bird just off shore 
who was only to have been frightened. I was in full view, and brought up 
the shot-gun without attempt at concealment. ‘The bird never flinched. Sheer 
butchery! How is one to tell an ingenu from an old-timer? I have done 
with Loon shooting. 

Under water the Loon moves with great rapidity, using its wings to assist 
its progress. It is thus able easily to overtake a fish, which it transfixes by 
a stroke of its dagger-like beak and brings to the surface for consumpticy. 


—n 


636 THE LOON. 


When the water is clear enough to admit of it, it is a delight to watch the air- 
bubbles which cling to the diver in the translucent depths, like a silvery coat 
of mail, and which he shakes off only upon emerging at the surface again. 

In singular contrast to the Loon’s facility and grace in the water, 1s its 
behavior upon land. Since its feet are placed so far back, it must stand nearly 
upright, Penguin fashion, and its walk 


Photo by the Author. 


Taken in Mergan County. 


A BIT FROM THE LOON’S SKETCH-BOOK. 


is an awkward, shuffling gait; or else, as is more likely to be the case, the 
bird flounders along on all fours. It is said not to be able to take wing from 
the ground. In rising from the water the diver must have considerable space 
in which to get under way, first by rapid floundering, then by running upon 
the water, patting the surface with its great webs, until the wings have at- 
tained a proper motion. Once started, the Loon’s flight is swift and powerful, 
the wings accomplishing by rapid vibration what they lack in expanse. In 
alighting there is no graceful moderation of flight, but the bird circles about a 
chosen spot with ill-restrained velocity and in seeming helplessness until it can 
make up its mind to let go, when it plumps into the water like a spent meteor. 

Because of its infirmity the Loon usually nests quite near the water's 
edge, so that it may glide into the water unobserved at the approach of danger. 
Because the eggs are of such a perfect mud-color themselves, there is little 


THE BLACK-THROATED LOON. 637 


attempt made to conceal the, nest. On the contrary, a position on some 
promontory or plain stretch of shore is chosen so that the bird may command 
a wide sweep of territory. The eggs are sometimes placed on the bare sand, 
but oftener upon a loose heap of trash or upon a grassy bog. If at some dis- 
tance from the water, a path or runway marks the connection. 

Soon after the chicks are brought off the parents separate for the rest of 
the season, the male retiring either to some unfrequented lake or to the sea- 
coast to undergo the summer moult. At this season both birds cast their 
feathers so thoroughly as to be for a time quite incapacitated for flight. 

The Loon is famous, especially in its northern breeding ground, for its 
far-sounding and unearthly cry. Of this performance, Rev. J. H. Langille 
says: “The notes of this bird being most frequent before a storm are re- 
markable. Beginning on the fifth note of the scale, the voice slides through 
the eighth to the third of the scale above in loud, clear sonorous tones, which 
on a dismal evening before a thunder storm, the lightning already playing 
along the inky sky, are anything but musical.” The bird has also a softer and 
less awful cry of weird laughter, which resounds from shore to shore in some 
mountain solitude with strange ventriloquistic effect. 


No. 318. 


BLACK-THROATED LOON. 


A. O. U. No. 9. Gavia arctica (Linn.). 

Synonym.—BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 

Description.—Adult in swinmer: Somewhat similar to preceding species but 
smaller; top of head and nape bluish gray; a short transverse bar of white streaks 
on throat, and the sides of the neck between the black and the gray similarly 
streaked in longitudinal series; sides of breast more widely black and white 
striped than in G. umber (in which only the sides of the cervix so striped) nearly 
meeting in front; a blackish bar across base of lower tail-coverts; under parts 
pure white; above and on sides of back, marked and spotted with white. Adult 
in winter and immature: Corresponding closely with the similar stages in G. 
imber and distinguishable with certainty only by smaller size. Length 27.00 (685) ; 
wing 11.00 (279.4) ; bill 2.00 (50.8) ; tarsus 2.60 (66.) (Chapman). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; like G. imber but smaller ; top of head and 
nape, in summer plumage, bluish gray. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs as in preceding species. 
Av. of eggs 3.15 x 2.05 (80. x 52.1). 

General Range.—Northern part of the northern hemisphere. In North 
America of casual occurrence in autumn and winter in the northern United States 
east of the Rocky Mountains. 


THE RED-THROATED LOON. 


638 


Range in Ohio.—Casual winter visitor. Several specimens have been cap- 
tured since that recorded by Dr. Wheaton (Jones). 


THE Black-throated Loon is not only a rare bird in Ohio, but it seldom 
occurs anywhere so far south. The immature birds migrate more freely 
than the adults, being apparently less able to stand the winter rigors of the 
Arctic seas; and it is they which are usually seen in the United States. The 
habits of this species are essentially similar to those of the preceding, save 
in the matter of migration. 


No. 319. 
RED-THROATED LOON. 


A. O. U. No. 11. Gavia lumme (Gunn.). 

Synonym.—ReEb-THROATED DIVER. 

Description.—Adult in summer: Top of head and hind-neck along crest 
black, the latter streaked with white; throat and sides of head and neck plumbeous 
gray; front of neck rich chestnut; sides of breast heavily streaked or striped 
with black and white; upper parts and sides brownish dusky, spotted rather 
finely with white, the spots mostly oval or elongate oval and largest on lower 
scapulars and tertiaries; remaining under parts white; the longer under tail- 
coverts and a bar across the base of shorter ones dusky; tail narrowly tipped with 
white; bill black. Adult in winter and wunmature: Without chestnut on neck; 
appearing much as in corresponding stage of G. imber, but the back, etc., always 
more or less spotted with white. Length 24.09-27.00 (609.6-685.8) ; wing 11.00 
(279.4) ; tail 1.80 (45.7) ; bill 2.00 (50.8) ; tarsus 2.80 (71.1). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; somewhat like G. imber, but smaller, 
chestnut of throat distinctive in summer, and spotting of upper parts unique in 
winter. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. Nest and Eggs as in preceding species. 
Ava ot eg@s) 2.80 x 1.75 (in x04aes)) 

General Range.—Northern part of northern hemisphere, migrating south- 
ward in winter nearly across the United States. 

Range in Ohio.—Rare migrant ; more nearly common on Lake Erie. 


SINCE these birds enjoy a more northerly distribution during the breed- 
ing season than the common species, being found to the limits of the Arctic 
shores, they are also much less numerous and regular in fall and winter. 
Moreover, because of the lack of strong diagnostic marks and because of the 
prevalence of immature birds, they are difficult to distinguish during the mi- 
grations. While the species cannot be reckoned uncommon, at least on Lake 
Erie, reliable records are mostly confined to those accidentally shot or found 
entangled in the meshes of fish-traps. 


THE BRUNNICH MURRE. 639 


No. 320. 


BRUNNICH MURRE. 


A. O. U. No. 31. Uria lomvia (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult in summer: Upper parts sooty black, the secondaries 
narrowly tipped with white; chin, throat, fore-neck, and sides of head and neck 
snuffy brown; remaining under parts pure white; bill black, the “‘basal portion of 
cutting edge of upper mandible thickened and conspicuously light-colored.” 
Adult in winter and immature: Similar, but entire under parts, including chin, 
throat, fore-neck, and sides of head and neck, white. Length 16.50 (41.9) ; wing 
8.25 (209.6) ; tail 1.85 (47.); bill 1.45 (36.8) ; depth at angle .55 (14.); tarsus 
1.40 (35.6). 

Recognition Marks.—Duck size; black above, white below; small wings and 
tail; upright posture on land or water; rapid flight. 

Nesting.—Does not breed in Ohio. “Nests in communities, side by side 
on the bare ledges of rocky cliffs.” Eggs, one, subpyriform, varying from dull 
white or buffy to bluish, bluish-green and emerald-green, strikingly spotted, 
blotched and scrawled with deep chocolate, and obscurely with lilac. Av. size, 
3.15 x 2.00 (80. x 50.8). 

General Range.—Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and eastern 


Arctic Oceans; south to the lakes of northern New York and the coast of new 
Jersey. Breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward. 


Range in Ohio.— Accidental in considerable numbers during December, 1896. 


THOSE of us who experience poignant regret upon hearing the tales of 
Wild Pigeons which “darkened the sun’-—thinking that we were perhaps 
born a generation too late—would probably have our longing for the “tu- 
multuous rushing of myriad wings” thoroughly satisfied could we visit the 
breeding haunts of the Guillemots in Spitzbergen or off the coast of Alaska. 
Sober observers tell us that in some places during the breeding season, the 
roar of a Guillemot rookery will drown the sound of the thundering sea in 
time of storm; and a gentleman who once visited St. George Island, one of 
the Pribylov group, affirmed that the flying males of this species at certain 
hours of the day “form a dark girdle of birds more than a quarter of a mile 
broad and thirty miles long, whirling round and round the island.” 

In the winter of ‘96-7 a driving storm from the Labrador coast caught 
up a considerable number of these multitudinous sea-fowl and swept them 
far inland. When the storm had spent its fury the Murres were found pro- 
miscuously stranded in the lakes and water-ways, or wandering about dazed 
and helpless in the fields of Ohio, Indiana, and neighboring states. Many 
specimens were taken by the hand and others shot at scattered localities; and 
the village oracles were often sorely put to it to tell what this strange fowl 
might be. The first published record! for Ohio was of the one taken by Rev. 


1 Bulletin No. 13, Wilson Ornithologicai Chapter, p. 16. 


640 THE BRUNNICH MURRE. 

J. M. Keck, of Mentor, on December 19, 1896. A score of others have since 
come to light, all taken at about the same time or a few days later. ‘This 
memorable inundation by Brunnich Murres was general throughout the East- 
ern States and records were made as far south as South Carolina. 


APPENDIX A. 


PY LOTHETICAL LIST: 


This list includes those species which are believed to occur or to have oc- 
curred in Ohio, but whose claim to admission rests only upon presumptive or in- 
conclusive evidence, or whose status as species is not yet clearly established. 


No. 1. 


BLUE GROSBEAK, 

A. O. U. No. 597. Guiraca caerulea (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: Prevailing color deep purplish ultramarine blue, paling some- 
what on lower belly and crissum, where the feathers are narrowly tipped with white; lores 
black; wings and tail blackish with blue edging, the former crossed by two transverse bars 
of rufous formed by the tips of the middle and greater coverts, the posterior bar narrower ; 
bill turgid, black above, paler,—dusky—below, lightening toward the tip; feet blackish. 
Adult female: Above rather light grayish brown, often with traces of blue; wings fuscous, 
the bars ochraceous-buff; tail fuscous, with some margining of bluish gray; under parts 
pale fulvous or brownish buff. Young: Like adult female, but showing more ochraceous. 
Length 7.00 (177.8); wing 3.50 (88.9); tail 2.75 (60.9); bill .66 (16.8); depth at base .55 
(14.). Female somewhat smaller. 

Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; prevailing color ultramarine blue without greenish 
shade. Its larger size and rufous wing-bars will serve to distinguish it from the Indigo 
Bunting (Passerina cyanea), which it somewhat resembles both in appearance and habits. 

Nest, of dried grasses, in tall weeds or bushes. Eggs, 3 or 4, pale bluish white. Av. 
size, .82 x .65 (20.8 x 16.5). 

General Range.—Fastern United States from southern New Jersey, southern Illinois 
and central Nebraska, south to Cuba and Mexico. Casually northward to New England. 

i i Reported as well seen by Laura Gano, College Hill, 


Cincinnati, June 12, 1899. 


INOz2> 
PAINTED BUNTING. 


A. O. U. No. 601. Cyanospiza ciris (Linn.). 

Synonym.—NonpakelL. 

Description.—Adult male: Head and neck, except chin and throat, purplish blue; 
back of scapulars bright yellowish green; rump and upper tail-coverts purplish red; greater 
wing-coverts parrot green; middle coverts dull reddish purple; lesser coverts dull purplish 
blue; wing-quills dusky with purplish and green edgings; tail- feathers dark reddish or pur- 
plish; under parts, including chin and throat, vermilion red; eye-ring vermilion; iris brown. 
Adult female: Upper parts plain dull green; under parts olive-yellow, becoming clear 
yellow posteriorly (Ridgway). Length 4.75-5.50 (120.6-139.7) ; wing 2.70 (68.6); tail 2.50 
(63.5) ; bill .42 (10.7). 

Recognition Marks.—Warbler size; varied plumage of bright colors. 

General Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States to western Texas, north to North 
Carolina and southern IHlinois, and south to Panama. 


641 


642 APPENDIX A. 


Supposed Occurrence in Ohio.—‘Reported from Sandusky by Professor E. L. Mose- 
ley. No specimen was secured. ‘This record, if authentic, would seem to be a case of 
escaped cage-bird. It is likely that wanderers may sometimes reach the vicinity of Cin- 
cinnati’ (Jones). 


No. 3. 
LAWRENCE WARBLER. 

A. O. U. No. H. 20. Helminthophila lawrencei (Herrick). 

Description.—Adult male: Similar to H. chrysoptera, but cheeks and median lower 
parts pure yellow (gamboge); back, scapulars, and rump, bright olive-green; the sides 
tinged with olive, and the wing-bands (usually) white; the wing-bands narrower and more 
widely separated than in H. chrysoptera. Adult female: Similar to H. chrysoptera, but dingy 
olive-green on cheeks and throat (Ridg.). Probably a hybrid of H. chrysoptera and H. 
pinus; but see discussion on page 123. 

General Range.—New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, etc. 

Probable Occurrence in Ohio.—This hybrid (?) form is less common than H. leuco- 
bronchialis, but it should occur wherever that form and its antecedents (?),H. pinus and 
H. chrysoptera are found. 


No. 4. 
BREWSTER WARBLER. 


A. O. U. No. H. 21. Helminthophila leucobronchialis (Brewst.). 
See description and comment on page 123. 


No. 5. 
CINCINNATI WARBLER. 

A. O. U. No. H. 22. Helminthophila cincinnatiensis (Langd.). 

Description.—Adult male: Much like H. pinus in color, but without wing-bars or white 
blotches on tail; lores and portions of ear-coverts black (which, together with concealed 
black on crown, resembles an incomplete mask of Oporornis formosa) ; bill with rictal 
bristles. Length 4.75 (120.6); wing 2.50 (63.5) ; tail 1.85 (47.); bill .44 (11.2). 

This bird is known only from one specimen described from Cincinnati by Dr. Langdon,1 
and is believed to be a hybrid between the Blue-winged and Kentucky Warblers (H. pinus 
and O. formosa). As such it is. of course, properly relegated to the hypothetical list of 
the A. O. U. committee. 


No. 6. 
PARULA WARBLER. 

A. O. U. No. 648. Compsothlypis americana (Linn.). 

Description.—Similar to C. a. usneae (q. v. page 131), but slightly smaller; coloration 
not so rich—blue of upper parts lighter, black of lores less intense, pattern of under parts 
less clearly defined, etc. 

General Range.—Southern portions of Atlantic and eastern Gulf Coast districts of 
United States, breeding from Florida northward to Virginia. and irregularly to New Jersey, 
Massachusetts, etc.: also occasionally in more southern portions of the interior (Ridgway). 

Probable Range in Ohio.—Certain specimens in the O. S. U. collection seem to he 
referable to this tvne. and it is antecedently probable that the snecies will be found at least 
eceasionally in the southern and southeastern portions of the state. 


No: 7. 
GRINNELL WATER-THRUSH. 
A. O. U. No. 675 a. Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis (Ridg.). 
Description.—Adult: Similar to Seiwrus noveboracensts, but larger, darker olive-brown, 
anproaching sooty on back; superciliary stripe not so distinctly fulvous ; under parts less 
often or less distinctly yellowish. Length 5.50-6.50 (139.7-165.1) ; wing 3.14 (79.8) ; tail 2.35 
(50.7) ; bill .5r (13.); tarsus .87 (22.1) (Ridgway). : 


1 Jour. Cinti. Soc. Nat. Hist., July 1880, 119, 120. pl. 4. 


HYPOTHETICAL LIST. _ Ge 


General Range.—Western United States from Illinois and Indiana west to California, 
and north into British America. Casual in migration eastward to Atlantic Coast. Winters 
from southern border of United States southward to Lower California, Mexico, and northern 
South America. 

Supposed Occurrence in Ohio.—Reported as not uncommon in Indiana during migra- 
tions, especially in the Valley of the Wabash. I have seen specimens afield near Columbus 
which I strongly suspect were of this form. 


No. 8. 
ALDER FLYCATCHER. 


A. O. U. No. 466 a. Empidonax traillii alnorum Brewst. 

Description.—‘Similar to E. pusillus, but averaging more decidedly olivaceous above, 
and more distinctly tinged with yellow beneath; the bill shorter and broader, and tarsus 
shorter” (Ridgway). (Cf. Brewster, The Auk, XIL. April, 1895, pp. 159-161). I have 
little faith in the distinctions urged, and none at all in the propriety of elaborating a sepa- 
rate subspecies because of them. Distinctions between species are puzzling enough in this 
genus, without raising the problem to the second power. 

General Range.—FEastern North America from the Maritime Provinces and New 
England, westward at least to northern Michigan, etc., breeding from the southern edge of 
the Canadian fauna northward; in winter south to Central America. 

Supposed Range of Ohio.—Not reported, because practically indistinguishable from 
E. pusillus. Should be found not uncommonly during migrations. 


No. 9. 
IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 

A. O. U. No. 392. Campephilus principalis (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult male: General plumage lustrous black; tips of inner primaries 
and terminal half or two-thirds of secondaries and under wing-coverts white; a white stripe 
beginning in either cheek and proceeding upward and backward, meeting fellow on lower 
back; a hollow lengthened crest scarlet on sides and tip; nasal tufts white; bill ivory-white; 
tail graduated, the three central pairs of feathers lengthened and modified, the third pair 
fitting into the second, and the edges of all sharply decurved, thickened, and stiffened into 
six or more parallel rows of bristling barbs. Adult female: Similar but without red in 
crest. Length 19.00-21.00 (482.6-533.4); wing 10.00 (254.); tail 6.50 (165.1); head from 
tip of bill to tip of crest 6.20 (157.5); bill 2.50-2.75 (63.5-50.9). 

General Range.—Formerly South Atlantic and Gulf States from North Carolina to 
Texas north in the Mississippi Valley to Missouri, southern Illinois and southern Indiana. 
Now restricted to the Gulf States and the lower Mississippi Valley, where only locally 
distributed. 

Supposed Occurrence in Ohio.—Recorded as probable by Langdon! on authority ot 
Dr. Haymond, who found the bird in Franklin County, Indiana, not far from the Ohio line. 


No. 10. 
CORY LEAST BITTERN. 


A. O. U. No. 101.1. Ardetta neoxena Cory. 

Description.— Adult male: Similar to Ardetta exilis, but back with stronger greenish 
gloss; lesser wing-coverts at bend of wing black; brownish buff of median wing-coverts 
replaced by cinnamon-rufous; wing-quills without rufous tips; under parts distinctly rufous, 
sometimes mingled with black or white on belly and flanks; lower tail-coverts dull black. 
Female: “Similar to adult male, but crown slightly and back decidedly duller.’ Jmma- 
ture: “Similar to adult male. but black of the head and back somewhat duller, the outer 
margins of the interscannlars slightly tinged with chestnut” (Chapman). 

Nest and Eggs. similar to those of A. e-vilis. 

General Range.—Southern Florida: Ontario: Michigan; Wisconsin. 

Range in Ohio.—One record by C. C. Smith of Hamilton (doubtful). Probably not 
uncommon. “It has been found breeding in Ontario, hence its migration route must cross 
Ohio” (Jones). 


1 Kevised List, Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1, 1879,178; reprint 12 


APPENDIX A. 


No. 11. 
BRANT. 


A. O. U. No. 173. Branta bernicla (Linn.). 

Description.—Adult: Head and neck all around and fore breast (all around, i. e., with 
corresponding lateral and dorsal portions) sooty black; a narrow stripe or broken half-neck- 
lace of white spots on side of neck; lower belly and under tail-coverts well around on sides 
to include lateral third and longer feathers of upper tail-coverts, pure white; remaining 
plumage sooty brownish gray or slaty brown, darker on back, lighter on belly; the feathers 
of sides and some on wing-coverts tipped with dull white; wing-quills and tertials blacken- 
ing toward tips; tail black, but mostly concealed by white coverts; bill and feet black. In 
the specimen from which this description is made, a male in full plumage taken in Labrador, 
the gray of breast does not fade to white on lower belly (Ridgway et al.) but contrasts 
abruptly with it, at the point of insertion of the legs, as well as with the black of fore-breast. 
Immature: “Similar but with less white on the sides of the neck and wing-coverts, and 
secondaries tipped with white” (Chapman). Length 24.00-30.00 (609.6-762.); wing 13.00 
(330.2) ; tail 5.00 (127.); bill 1.50 (38.1) ; tarsus 2.10-2.40 (53.3-61.) (R.).— the Columbus 
specimen 2.60 (66.). 

Recognition Marks.—‘Brant size’; dark coloration,—sooty black on head and neck, 
dark fuscous elsewhere, with conspicuous white of lower belly and tail-coverts. 

Nest, on cliffs or sandy beaches, of moss and grasses, lined with copious feathers and 
down. Eggs, 4-6, creamy or dirty white. Av. size, 2.70 x 1.80 (68.6 x 45.7). 

General Range.—‘Northern parts of the northern hemisphere; in North America chiefly 
on the Atlantic Coast; rare in the interior or away from salt water.” Probably the true 
bernicla is much less common in North America than formerly supposed. 

Supposed Occurrence in Ohio.—Doubtfully admitted to Wheaton’s list on the basis 
of general statements by Kirtland and Langdon. On May 30th, 1902, Professor Lynds 
Jones and I came upon a bird in the Licking Reservoir which we had every reason to believe 
was a Brant. but whether of this species or the next it is impossible to say. 


No. 12. 
WHITE-BELLIED BRANT. 


A. O. U No. 173a. Branta bernicla glaucogastra (Brehm). 

Description.—Similar to preceding species but with more white below. “It has the 
under parts below the breast almost pure white, and the white on the sides of the neck does 
not meet in front” (as distinguished from B. nigricans of the Pacific Coast) (Seebohm). 

General Range.—Imperfectly distinguished as yet from that of B. bernicla. “Extreme 
northern part of the northern hemisphere, including Arctic America, migrating southward 
in winter.” 

Supposed Range in GChio.—It is possible that all alleged Brant records for the state 
belong to this imperfectly known subspecies. 


No. 13. 
FLORIDA CORMORANT. 


A. O. U. No. 120. Phalacrocorax dilophus floridanus (Aud.). 

Description.—Quite similar to P. dilophus, but decidedly smaller. Length 22.00-30.00 
(558.8-762.) ; wing 11.75 (208.5); tail 6.00 (152.4); bill 2.18 (55.4); tarsus 2.45 (62.2). 

Recognition Marks.—Brant size; as in preceding species; smaller. 

Nest, and Eggs not peculiar. Av. size of eggs, 2.35 x 1.45 (50.9 x 36.8). 

General Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States, northward in the Mississippi Valley 
to southern Illinois. 

Supposed Occurrence in Ohio.—The birds which formerly bred at the Grand Reser- 
voir were referred by Messrs. Langdon, Dury and others to this subspecies, but the evidence 
is not clear. 


Ee NDI BE: 


CONJECTURAL, LIST: 


This list includes those species which have been reported from the adjacent 
states of Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, or from Ontario, and which 
might with some reasonable probability be supposed to occur at least casually in 
Ohio. Those of accidental occurrence and those which occupy definitely restricted 
areas, or which occur under conditions manifestly unlike those found in Ohio 
are omitted. 


1. (528b). Acanthis linaria rostrata (Coues). 


GREATER RED-POLL. 
Indiana.—One record.—Butler. 
Michigan.—Occasional straggler—Gibbs (Cook). 


2. (548). Ammodramus leconteii (Aud.). 
LECONTE SPARROW. 
Indiana.—Rare migrant, Brookville, Lebanon, Lake County, etce—Butler. 


3. (561). Spizella pallida (Swains.). 
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. 


Indiana.—Rare migrant; one record.—Butler. 
Michigan.—A very rare migrant in Washtenaw County. 


A. B. Covert (Cook). 


4. (638). Helinaia swainsonii Aud. 
SWAINSON WARBLER. 
Indiana.—Breeds in Knox County.—Ridgway (Butler). 


5. (329). Ictinia mississippiensis (Wils.). 
MISSISSIPPI KITE. 
Pennsylvania.—Rare straggler—Warren. 
Indiana.—‘Rare summer resident in the lower Wabash Valley; accidental visitor else- 
where.’— Butler. 
Michigan.—One record, by D. D. Hughes of Cass County.—Cook. 


6. (199). Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). 
LOUISIANA HERON. 
Pennsylvania.—Straggler.— Warren. 
Indiana.—Rare summer visitor.—Butler. 
Michigan.—Exceedingly rare; two records—Cook. 


645 


646 APPENDIX B. 


7. (42). Larus glaucus (Biunn). 
GLAUCOUS GULL; BURGOMASTER. 
Indiana.—Occasional visitor on Lake Michigan.—Butler. 
Michigan.—Rare.—Cook. 
Ontario.—Lake Ontario—Mcllwraith. 


8. (58). Larus atricilla Linn. 
LAUGHING GULL. 


Pennsylvania.—Not common migrant on Delaware river and larger streams.—Warren. 
Michigan.—Divergent opinions as to abundance, but several positive records.—Cook 


9. (59). Larus franklinii Sw. and Rich. 
FRANKLIN GULL. 


Indiana.—Occasional Migrant; has been several times seen in Michigan City.—Butler. 
Michigan.—Not rare on Lake Michigan during winter and Spring.—Gibbs (Cook). 
Ontario.—Hamilton, two records; others probable—Mcllwraith. 


10. (65). Sterna maxima Bodd. 
ROYAL TERN. 


Pennsylvania.—Very rare and irregular visitor—Warren. 
Michigan.—Rare on Lake Michigan.—Cook. 


tr. (71). Sterna paradisaea (Brunn). 
ARCTIC TERN. 
Pennsylvania.—Very rare straggler in eastern Pennsylvania—Warren. 
Michigan.—Cook. 
Ontario.—Mcllwraith. 


12. (155). Histrionicus histrionicus (Linn.). 
HARLEQUIN DUCK. 
Michigan.—Very rare.—Cook. 
Ontario.—Lake Ontario, rare—Mcllwraith. 


13. (166). Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.). 
SURF SCOTER. 
Pennsylvania.—Rather rare migrant and winter resident. One specimen obtained from 
flock of twenty at Erie—Warren. 
Michigan.—Very rare; winter visitor—Cook. 
Ontario.—Lake Ontario in limited numbers.—MclIl wraith. 


647 


APPENDIX. C. 


CHECK-LIST OF OHIO BIRDS 


Arranged in the order prescribed by the Check-List of the American Ornithologist’s Union 
(second edition)! together with. 


MIGRATION TABLES 


Giving average dates of arrival and departure for eachspecies resident in summer or winter,and 
the average duration of the passage of spring and fall migrants.? 
Compiled for the approximate Latitudes of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.? 


CINCINNATI. COLUMBUS. CLEVELAND. 
a , Arrive Depart. Arrive Depart. Arrive Depart. 
2. Colymbus holboellii (Reinh.). . : é 
Holbeell Grebe. 314. are: ATE. Rare. 
3.  Colymbus auritus (Linn.). c. Apr. 20. c. Apr. 25. Apr. 15—May 1. 
Horned Grebe. 315. Sept. 18, Oct. 24. Oct. 15. Dec. 2. Ocen6 
6. Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). Mar.-Apr. Mar.-Apr. Mar. 20o—May 1s. 
Pied-billed Grebe. 216. Nov.—Dec. Oct.-Dee. Sept.-Nov. 
7. Gavia imber (Gunn.). April. April. eC es 
Loon. 317. Oct.-Nov. Oct.-Nov. c. Oct. 5. 
9. Gavia arctica (inn.). 7. 
Black-throated Loon. 318. Rare. 
11. Gavia lumme (Gunn.). : 
Red-throated Loon. 319. Mar-5 215) 1808: Rare. 
31. Uria lomvia (Linn.). 
Brunnich Murre. 320. Accidental. 
36.  Stercorarius pomarinus (Temm.). eae, 
Pomarine Jaeger. 257. asual. 
37. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). ; 
Parasitic Jaeger. 258. Sept. 13,'99. Oct. 6,’95 


1 The number placed after the name of each species is that used in the body of the book. 


2 Two dates separated by a dash indicate either the time within which species resident in summer 
(or winter) may be expected to arrive or depart, or within which migrant species may be seen pass- 
ing or resting en route. Oftener an approximate estimate is given of the time at about (c. circum, about) 
which the bird may be looked for. Specific dates in connection with the commoner species indicate unusual 
or unseasonable appearances. In the case of little-known species, or others not accurately observed, a 
single specific date is given to indicate a record or a capture. 

3 Cincinnati records are largely supplemented by the observations of Rev. W. F. Henninger in Pike 
and Scioto Counties; Columbus records are based on the observations of the author at Columbus and the 
Licking Reservoir, supplemented by the recorded notes of Dr. J. M. Wheaton; Cleveland records are based 
upon the work of Prof. Jones and the author in Lorain County, supplemented by notes contributed by 
Prof. E. L. Mosley of Sandusky, and others. bx 


648 


40. 


43. 


47. 


SI. 


NI 
iS) 


So 
ee) 
a 


Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 


Kittiwake. 259. 


Larus leucopterus Faber. 


Iceland Gull. 250. 


Larus marinus (1inn.). 


Great 


Black-backed Gull. 


Larus argentatus (Brunn.). 


Herring Gull. 


292. 


Larus delawarensis Ord. 


Ring-billed Gull. 


PAY, 


Larus philadelphia (Ord.). 


Bonaparte Gull. 


Nema sabinii (Sab.). 
Sabine Gull. 264. 


264. 


to 
CO 
= 


Gelochelidon nilotica (Hasselq.). 


Gull-billed Tern. 


Sterna caspia Pallas. 
Caspian Tern. 


Sterna forsteri Nutt. 
Forster Tern. 26 


Sterna hirundo Linn 
Common Tern. 


206. 


257. 
268. 


260. 


Sterna dougalli Montag. 


Roseate Tern. 


270. 


Sterna antillarum (Less.). 


Least Tern. 271. 


Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis 


Black Tern. 


272. 


Aestrelata hasitata (Kuhl.). 
Black-capped Petrel. 


313. 


(Gmel.). 


Phalacrocorax dilophus (Swain.). 


Double-crested Cormorant. 


310. 


Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmel. 
American White Pelican. 


Fregata aquila Linn. 
Man-o’-War Bird. 


312, 


310. 


Merganser americanus (Cass.). 
56 


American Merganser. 


Red-breasted Merganser. 


307. 


Merganser serrator (Linn.). 


308. 


Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.). 


Hooded Merganse 


Anas boschas Linn. 
Mallard. 281. 


Anas obscura Gmel. 
Black Duck. 282. 


r. 300. 


Anas obscura rubripes Brewst. 


Red-legged Black 


Gadwall. 284. 


Duck. 


283. 


Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn.). 


CINCINNATI. 


Mar. 21, 1900. 


Mar. 8, roor. 


Sept., 1878. 


Oct. 3, 1882. 


May 4, 1879. 


Nov. 11, 1898. 


Casual. 


kare. 


Aug. 17, 1879 
Sept. 15, 1878. 


Accidental. 


Winter resident. 


Dec. 5, 1899. 


ce Apr 


Winter resident. 


Feb, 28, 1899, 
Mar. 27, 1902. 


Oct. 7, 1899. 


November. 


COLUMBUS. 


Feb. 13,’03. c. Mar. 30 
November. 


Rare. 


Ap. 3,03. Ap. 22;’75. 
Nov. 4, 1878. 


June 1, 1902. 


c. May 1. Apr. 4,’03. 


October. 


Rare. 


c. May 1. May 30,’02. 
Sept. 9, 1902. 


Apr. 1, 1878 


Dec. 2, 1903. 


May 15, 1902. 


Accidental. 
Mar 20—Apr. 20. 
Nov.-Dec. 
Apr, 4; 1903: 
Nov. 4, 1878. 
Mar. 20. Apr. 20. 
Mar. 7, 1876. 
November. 
Feb. 15—Apr._1. 


c. Nov. 15. 


Mar. 1—Apr. to. 
Oct.-Dec. 


See preceding species. 


Mar. 28, 1877. 


CLEVELAND. 


Casual. 


Winter visitor. 


Rare. 


Apr. 20—May 20. 
June 3, 1903. 


Casual. 


Casual. 


Oct. 9, 1896. 


May 1-10. 
Aug. 20—Oct. 20. 


Rare. 
May 1-ro. 
Ch SpE et 
October. 
Rare. 
Apr. 1-20. 
Nov.-Dec. 
Cy ADpr.ants 
Nov. 15, 1890. 
c. Apr. 915: 
March. 
c. Nov. 15. 
Mar. 1—Apr._ 20. 


Oct.-Dec. 


137. 
130. 
140. 
I4I. 
142. 
143. 
144. 
146. 
147. 
148. 
149. 
150. 
I51. 
152. 
153. 


154. 


Mareca penelope (Linn.). 
Widgeon. 285. 


Mareca americana (Gmel.). 
Baldpate. 286. 


Nettion carolinensis (Gmel.). 
Green-winged Teal. 287. 


Querquedula discors (Linn.). 
Blue-winged Teal. 288. 


Querquedula cyanoptera (Vieill.). 
Cinnamon Teal. 280. 


Spatula clypeata (Linn.). 
Shoveller. 290. 


Dafila acuta (1,inn.). 
Pintail. 201. 


Aix sponsa (Linn.). 
Wood Duck. 2092. 


Aythya americana (Fyt.). 
Redhead. 2093. 


Aytha vallisneria (Wils.). 
Canvas-back. 204. 


Aythya marila (Linn.). 
American Scaup Duck. 2095. 


Aythya affinis (Eyt.). 


Lesser Scaup Duck. 206. 


Aythya collaris (Donov.) 
Ring-necked Duck. 297. 


Clangula clangula americana (Bonap.). 
American Golden-eye. 208. 


Clangula islandica (Gmel.) 
Barrows Golden-eye. 2090. 


Charitonetta albeola (Ljinn.). 
Buffle-head. 300. 


Harelda hyemalis (Linn.). 
Old-squaw. 301. 


Somateria dresseri Sharpe. 
American Eider. 302. 


Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). 
King Eider. 303. 


Oidemia americana Swains. 
American Scoter. 304. 


Oidema deglandi Bonap. 


White-winged Scoter. 305. 


Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmel.). 
Ruddy Duck. 306. 


Chen hyperborea (Pall.). 
Lesser Snow Goose. 275. 


Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst.). 
Greater Snow Goose. 276. 


Chen caerulescens (Linn.). 
Blue Goose. 277. 


CINCINNATI. 


March. 


November. 


Feb.—March. 


Oct.-Dec. 


April. 


October. 


Mar. 28, 1900. 


cr Heb: 15 


cer Aiprasate 


October. 


c. Mar. 15 


Mar. 20—Apr. 15. 


Oct.-Nov. 


Apr. 20, 1900. 


May 14, 1902. 


March. 

November. 
February. 

December. 
ce: eAiprs re 


Winter visitor. 


April. 


Rare. 


” Oct.-Dec. 


* Nov.-Dec. 


October. 


COLUMBUS. 
Accidental. 
c. Apr. 1. 
c. Oct. 20. 
March. 
Oct.-Nov. 


Cc. Apr. 20. 


Sept. 10-Oct. 15. 


Accidental. 


Mar. 1—Apr. 15. 


Oct.—Dec. 
ce. Mar. 1. é 
Oct.-Dec. 
Mar. 28, ’77. April. 
October. 
ch Aprs ie 
November. 


Mar. 20—Apr. 15. 


Oct.-Nov. 


Mar. 15-Apr. 15. 


Oct. 20-Nov. 30. 


Mar. t0o-May 1. 


Oct. 15.-Nov. 15. 


March. 


November. 


March. 


Nov. 30. 


Cc. Apr. 12: 


Oct.-Nov. 


Winter visitor. 


Casual. 


Casual. 


Casual. 


Casual. 


c. Oct. 15. 


Mar. 19, 1874. 


Oct. 28, 1876. 


649 


CLEVELAND. 


October. 


» Ap. 3,'99. 
Sept.-Oct. 15. 


Mar. 1o—Apr. 15. 


Oct.-Nov. 


March. 
Oct. -Dec. 


c: Apr. 15: 
October. 


Mar. 15—Apr. 15s. 
Oct. 15-Nov. 30. 


Mar. 20—Apr. 20. 
Oct.-Nov. 


Mar. 20—Apr. 20 . 
Oct. 20-Nov. 20. 


Mar. 25—May s. 
ct. 10-Nov. ro. 


Mar. 1—Apr. Dee 
Oct. 20—Nov. 20. 


March. 
November. 


Winter visitor. 

Mar. 25—Apr. 1s. 
Oct.-Nov. 20. 

Winter visitor. 

Casual. 

Casual. 


Casual. 


Casual. 


Apr. 15—May 1o., 
October. 


Rare. 
Rare. 


Oct. 28, 1896. 


650 


17ta. 


172. 


186. 
188. 
190. 
IQl. 
104. 
190. 
197. 
200. 
201. 
202. 
204. 
205. 
200. 
208. 
212. 
214. 
Alig 
216. 


218. 


210. 


Anser albifrons gambeli (Hartl.). 
American White-fronted Goose. 278. 


Branta canadensis. (Linn.). 
Canada Goose. 279. 


Branta canadensis hutchinsit (Rich.). 
Hutchins Goose. 280. 


Olor columbianus (Ord.). 
Whistling Swan. 273. 


Olor buccinator (Rich.). 
Trumpeter Swan. 274. 


Plegadis autumnalis (Hasselq.). 
Glossy Ibis. 217. 


Tantalus loculator Linn. 
Wood Ibis. 216. 


Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). 
American Bittern. 208. 


Ardetta exilis (Gmel.). 
Least Bittern. 209. 


Ardea herodias Linn. 


Great Blue Heron. 210. 


Herodias egretta (Gmel.). 
American Egret. 211. 


Egretta candidissima (Gmel.). 
Snowy Heron. 212. 


Florida caerulea (Linn.). 
Little Blue Heron. 213. 


Butorides virescens (Linn.). 
Green Heron. 214. 


Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Bodd ). 
Black-crowned Night Heron. 215. 


Grus americana (Linn.). 
Whooping Crane. 205. 


Grus canadensis (1,inn.). 


Little Brown Crane. 206. 


Grus mexicana (Mull.). 
Sandhill Crane. 207. 


Rallus elegans Aud. 
King Rail. 197. 


Rallus virginianus Linn. 
Virginia Rail. 198. 


Porzana carolina (Linn.). 
Sora. 199. 


Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.). 
Yellow Rail. 200. 


Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.). 
Black Rail. 201. 


Tonornis martinica (Linn.). 
Purple Gallinule. 202 


Gailinula galeata (\acht.). 
Florida Gallinule. 203. 


CINCINNATI. 


Rare winter resident. 


November. 


Feb. zo—Apr. to. 


Apr., 1900. 
Dec., 1876. 
Casual. 
c. Mar. 25. 
c. Nov.) i. 
c. May 1. 
c. Sept. 20. 
March, 
December. 
July-August. 
Casual. 
July-August. 
Casual. 
August. 
Casual (?) 
c. Apr. 20. 
cy Octier: 
Nuv. 18, 1898. 
ce. Apr. I. 
cCoeApr ars 
c. May 1. 
October. 
c. May 1. 
October. 
c. Apr. 25 
October. 


May 17, 1890. 


c. May 1. 


Casual. 


Nov. 16, 1898. 


COLUMBUS. 
Rare. 
c. March. 
c. Nov. 
Casual. 
Mar. 19, 1879. 
c. Apr. 1. 
Oct. 20-Nov. 20. 
c. May 5. 
Cc. sept. 25. 
March. 
Oct.-Nov. 
July, August. 
Casual. 
July, August. 
Casual. 
August. 
Casual. 
c. Apr. 20. 
c. Oct. x. 


Apr. 30, 1901. 
Oct. 17, 1874. 


c. Apr. 1. 
Nov. 26, 1876. 


Accidental. 
cavApra ire 
c. May 1. 
October. 
c. May 1. 
c. Oct. 1. 
ch May ro eApr-sin 75 
1876. May 5, 1902. 
October. 


Apr. 24, 1879. 


Apr. 20, 1876. 


CLEVELAND. 


Rare. 


Mar. aan 15. 
Nov. ec. 5, '96. 


Mar.—a\pr. 
Nov. 19, 1896. 


Accidental. 
Accidental. 


Cae Apross. 
c. Oct. 20. 


c. May ro. 
c. Sept. 15. 


c. Mar. 20. 
ce. Oct. 15. 


July-August. 
Casual. 


July-August. 


Casual. 
August. 
Casual. 
c. Apr. 20. 
icy Octexe 
ce. Apr! x: 
c. Apr. 1 
G 
c. May 7 
October. 
c. May 7. 
Sept. 1-15. 
c. May 7. Apr. 18, 
1896. 
October. 
Sept., 1902. 


Apr. 28, 1896. 
Casual. 
Sept. 2, 1894. 


c. May 1. 
c. Sept. 15. 


221. 


230. 


231. 


232. 


233- 


234. 


235. 


239. 


254. 
255. 


250. 


Fulica americana (Gmel.). 
American Coot. 204. 


Crymophilus fulicarius (Linn.). 
Red Phalarope. 254. 


Phalaropus lobatus (Linn.). 
Northern Phalarope. 255. 

Steganopus tricolor Vieill. 
Wilson Phalarope. 256. 


Recurvirostra americana (Gmel.). 
American Avocet. 252. 


Himantopus mexicanus (Mull.). 
Black-necked Stilt. 253. 


Philohela minor (Gmel.). 
American Woodcock. 225. 


Gallinago delicata (Ord.). 
Wilson Snipe. 226, 


Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.) 
Dowitcher. 227. 


Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say.). 


Long-billed Dowitcher, » 228. 


Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). 


Stilt Sandpiper. 220. 


Tringa canutus Linn, 
Knot, 230. 


Arquatella maritima (Brun.). 
Purple Sandpiper. 231. 


Actodromas maculata (Vieill.). 
Pectoral Sandpiper. 232. 


Actodromas fuscicollis (Vieill.). 
White-rumped Sandpiper. 233. 


Actodromas bairdii Coues. 
Baird Sandpiper. 234. 


Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.) 
Least Sandpiper. 235. 


Pelidna alpina pacifica (Coues.) 
Red-backed Sandpiper. 2306. 


Ereunetes pusillus (Linn.). 
Semipalmated Sandpiper. 237. 


Calidris arenaria (Linn.). 
Sanderling. 238. 


Limosa fedoa (Linn.). 
Marbled Godwit. 2309. 


Limosa haemastica (Linn.). 
Hudsonian Godwit. 240. 


Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). 
Greater Yellow-legs. 241. 


Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). 
Yellow-legs. 241. 


Helodromas solitarius (Wils.) 
Solitary Sandpiper. 243. 


CINCINNATI, 


c. Mar. 25. 


Oct.-Nov. 


inare. 


March. 


November. 


Mar.—Apr.—Jan. 
27, 18908. 


November. 


Apr.-May. 


August. 


Very rare. 


Mar. 28-30, 1900. 


Sept. 6, 1879. 


Oct. 27, 1878. 


Apr. 27, 18098. 


c. Sept. 15; 


Rare. 


Mar 15—May 1. 


Apr. Mar. 18, 1891. 


COLUMBUS. 
ce, Apr 


Oct. 15-Nov. 30. 


Rare. 


Nov. 10, 1882. 


March, 


November. 


Mar. 27-May rite _ 
ctober, 


May 27, 1878. 


Apr. 10-20. 


Aug.-Oct. 


Oct., 1875. 


Sept. 1, 1876. Nov. 


9, 1877. 


c. May to. 


August. 


c. Apr. 25 


c. May 5 


Aug. July 24. Oct. 
30. 


May. 


Sept. 10, 1902. Oct. 


7, 1874. 


Apr. 21, 1879. 


c. May 1. 
Rare. 


April. 


Aug. 15—Nov. 15. 


Apr. 15-May 15. 


Aug. 15-Oct. 15. 


c. Apr. 20. 


Oct. 18, 1876. 


651 


CLEVELAND. 


ic. Apr, t. 
Oct. 15- Nov. 1. 


Casual. 
Rare. 


c. May 5. 
Rare. 


c. Mar 20. 
c. Nov. 1. 


Apr. 1—May to. 


October. 
Apr.-May. 
August. 
Very rare. 
May. 
c. Sept. ro. 


One record. 


Apr. 15—May. s. 
Mar. 25, 1897. 
July 25—Oct. 1. 


ce. May ts. 
July 25—August. 


c. May rx. 
July 25. Oct. 25. 


ce. May 5. 
August. 


May. 
Aug. 15—Sept. 20. 


Rare. 


Apr. 20-May ro. 
Sept. 15—Oct. 15. 


Apr. 1S May. 15. 
ug-Sept. 


c. Apr. 20. 
c. Oct; zo. 


300. 


305. 


310. 


331. 


Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). 
Willet. 244. 


Pavoncella pugnax (Linn.). 
Ruff. 245. 


Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). 
Bartramian Sandpiper. 246. 


Tryngites subruficollis (Vieill.). 
Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 247. 


Actitis macularia (Linn.). 
Spotted Sandpiper. 248. 


Numenius longirostris Wils. 
Long-billed Curlew. 249. 


Numenius hudsonicus Lath. 
Hudsonian Curlew. 250. 


Numenius borealis (Forst.). 
Eskimo Curlew. 251. 


Squatarola squatarola (Linn.). 
Black-bellied Plover. 218. 


Charadrius dominicus Mull. 


American Golden Plover. 219. 


Oxyechus vociferus (Linn.). 
Killdeer. - 220. 


Aegialitis semipalmata Bonap. 
Semipalmated Plover. 221. 


Aegialitis meloda (Ord.). 
Piping Plover. 222 


Aegialitis meloda circumcincta Ridgw. 
Belted Piping Plover. 223. 


Arenaria interpres (Linn.). 
Turnstone. 224. 


Colinus virginianus (Linn.). 
Bob-white. 1096. 


Bonasa umbellus (Linn.). 
Ruffed Grouse. 194. 


Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.). 
Prairie Hen. 105. 


Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Vieill.). 
Wild Turkey. 193. 


Ectopistes migratorius (Linn.). 
Passenger Pigeon. 190. 


Zenaidura macroura (Linn.). 
Mourning Dove. 101. 


Cathartes aura (Linn.). 
Turkey Vulture. 188. 


Cathartsta urubu (Vieill.). 
Black Vulture. 180. 


Elanoides forficatus (Linn.). 
Swallow-tailed Kite. 175. 


Circus hudsonius (Linn.). 
Marsh Hawk. 176. 


CINCINNATI, 


Rare. 


Mar. 21, 1902. 
ce Oct 25; 


c. Apr. 


to 
wn 


Gansep.) D5: 


Rare. 


Apr. 15-May. 


Aug. 20-Oct. 1. 


Apr. 15-May. 


Sept.-Oct. 
Resident. 


Sept. 15, 1878. 


Rare. 


Rare. 
Resident. 


Resident. 


Resident? 
Extinct. 
hesident. 


Partially resident. 


perhaps res. 
Seen in winter. 


Rare, 


Aug., 1898, last rec- 


ord. 


Winter resident. 


COLUMBUS. 


Apr. 28, 1878. 


Nov. 10, 1872. 


C. SADE. 5. 
c. Oct. 20. 


Aug. 31, 1876. 


Apr. 10-20. 
September. 


May 31, 1902. 


Oct., 18609. 


May 12, 1876. 


Apr. 15—May 20. 


Oct. 30, 1875. 


Feb. 24-Mar. 8. 


c. Nov. i. 


May. 
July 25-Sept. 15. 


kare. 


Resident. 
Resident. 
Extinct. 
Extinct. 
Extinct. 


Mar. to-Apr, 1. 


Oct.-Novy. 


March. March 10, ’o02 
November. 


Partially winter res. 


CLEVELAND. 


c. Apr. 15. 


c. Oct. 15. 
Rare. 
(eM. i 
Sept. 1c. 
Rare. 
May. 
Aug.-Sept. 
Apr. 20—June 1. 
Aug.-Sept. Oct. 18, 
1899. 
c. Mch. 6. Mch. 1,’94 
CHEN OMe ae 
May. 
July 25—Sept. 15. 
Rare. 
June 26, 1902. 
Breeds. 


c. May 20. June 4,’03. 
Aug.-Sept. 15. 


Resident. 
Resident. 
Extinct. 
Extinct. 
Extinct. 


Mar. ro—Apr. 1. 
October. 


Mar. 15—Apr. 15. 
Mar. 7. 
Oct.-Nov. 


March. 
c. Octo15: 


332. 
333. 
334. 
337: 
337b. 
339. 


343- 


3474. 


370. 


372. 


Accipiter velox (Wils.). 
Sharp-shinned Hawk. 177. 

Accipiter cooperii (Bonap.). 
Cooper Hawk. 178. 

Accipiter atricapillus (Wils.). 
American Goshawk. 170. 


Buteo borealis (Gmel.). 
Red-tailed Hawk. 180. 


Buteo borealis calurus (Cass. 
Western Red-tail. 181. 


Buteo lineatus (Gmel.). 
Red-shouldered Hawk. 182. 


Butco platypterus (Vieill.). 
Broad-winged Hawk. 183. 


Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johaunis 


(Gmel.). 


American Rough-legged Hawk. 184. 


Aquila chrysaetos (Linn.). 
Golden Eagle. 185. 


Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linn.). 


Bald Eagle. 186 


Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonap.). 


Duck Hawk. 172. 


Falco columbarius Linn. 
Pigeon Hawk. 173. 


Falco sparverius Linn. 
American Sparrow Hawk. 


Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmel.). 


American Osprey. 187. 


Strix pratincola Bonap. 
American Barn Owl. 162. 


Asio wilsonianus (Less.). 
American Long-eared Owl. 


Asio accipitrinus (Pall.). 
Short-eared Owl. 164. 


Syrnium varium (Barton). 
Barred Owl. 165. 


Scotiaptex nebulosa (Forst.). 
Great Gray Owl. 166. 


Nyctala acadica (Gmel.). 
Saw-whet Owl. 167 


Megascops asio (Linn.). 
Sereech Owl. 168. 


Bubo virginianus (Gmel.). 
Great Horned Owl. 160. 


Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). 
Snowy Owl. 170. 


Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.). 


American Hawk Owl. 171. 


CINCINNATI. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Winter visitor. 


Resident. 


Winter resident. 


Winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


Partially resident. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


COLUMBUS. 


Partially resident. 


Partially resident. 


Winter visitor. 


Resident. 


Accidental. 


Resident. 


Resident (W). 


Winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Resident and W. V. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Rare resident. 


Winter visitor. 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


Very rare. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Resident and W. R. 


Kare winter visitor. 


653 


CLEVELAND. 
April. 
October. 
Ce Apr nS 
c. Oct. 20. 


Winter visitor. 


c. Mar. 1. 
Partially resident. 


c. Mar. 1. 
Partially resident. 


Mar. 5, 1808. 


Patially resident (?) 


Winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Rare res. and W. V. 


Partially resident. 


c. May 1. 


Rare resident. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Resident. 


Very rare. 


Resident. 


Resident and W. R. 


Winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


300. 


444. 


452. 


463. 


405. 


Conurus carolinensis (Linn.). 
Carolina Paroquet. 161. 


Coccysus americanus (1,inn.). 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 159. 


Coccysus erythrophthalmus (Wils.). 
Black-billed Cuckoo. 160. 


Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). 
Belted Kingfisher. 158. 


Dryobates villosus (Linn.). 
Hairy Woodpecker. 149. 


Dryobates pubescens medianus 


Downy Woodpecker. 150. (Swains.). 


Dryobates borealis (Vieill.). 
Red-cockaded Woodpecker. 151. 


Picoides arcticus (Swains.) 


Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 152. 


Sphyrapicus varius (Linn.). 


Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 153. 


Ceophloeus pileatus abieticola Bangs. 
Northern Pileated Woodpecker 


Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linn.). 


Red-headed Woodpecker. 155. 
Centurus carolinus (Linn.). 
Red-bellied Woodpecker. 156. 


Colaptes auratus luteus Bangs. 
Northern Flicker. 157. 


Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.). 
Whip-poor-will. 147. 


Chordeiles virginianus (Gmel.). 
Nighthawk. 148. 


Chaetura pelagica (Linn.). 
Chimney Swift. 146. 


Trochilus colubris Linn. 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 145. 


Muscivora forficata (Gmel.). 
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 135. 


Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). 
Kingbird. 136. 


Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.) 
Crested Flycatcher. 37. 


Sayornis phoebe (Lath.). 
Pheebe. 138. 


Nuttallornis borealis (Swains.). 
Olive-sided Flycatcher. 130. 


Contopus virens (Linn.). 
Wood Pewee. 140. 


Empidonax flavivertris Baird. 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. 14. 


Empidonax virescens (Vieill.). 
Green-crested Flycatcher. 142. 


154. 


CINCINNATI. 

Extinct. 
c. May 5s. 

c. Sept. 25. 
c. May 1. 

canOcteas. 
Resident. 
Resident. 
Resident. 
c: Apr, 7. 

Com OCtemmcos 


Rare resident. 


CapApIE 25 
CmOctre 

Occasional W. R, 

Resident. 

Resident. 

ca Apr, 2t. 


c. Sept. 20. 
Sept. 15. 


‘c. Oct. 15. 


c. May 1. Apr. 17,’96. 
c. Sept. 15. 


Accidental. 


c. Apr. 21. 
Cc. wept: ‘ro. 


c. Apr. 26. 
en Octasns: 


March. 
Oct.-Nov. to. 


Apr. 28-May 5. 
c. Oct. to 


May I-10. 
Cc; sept, 22. 


COLUMBUS, 


Extinct. 


c. May 8. 
c. sept. Zo. 


c. May 5. 
Cc; sept. 25, 


Mar. 12-20. 
Partially resident. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Accidental. 


Rare winter visitor. 


c. Apr. 28. 
‘ ceOctar 
Occasional W. R. 


Resident. 


Partially resident. 


c. May 1. 
c. Sept. 15. 

c. May 5. 
c. sept, to, 

Apr. 12-21 
ce. Oct, 15 

c. May 15 
c. Sept. 15 

c. Apr. 26. 4 

ce. Sept. 7. 

c. ‘pr. 28: 
c. Oct. ro. 
c. Mar. 21. Mar. 9, 

1879. 

October. 
Sept. 21, 1902. 


Apr. 28-May 5. 
Cy OCtrm ar 


May 1-10. 
Sept. 10-20. 


CLEVELAND. 


Extinct. 


.c. May 10. 
Cc. sept. 15. 


c. May 6. 
c. Sept. 20 


Mar. 15-Apr. 1. 


November. 


Kesident. 


Resident. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Rare resident. 


c. May 1. 
c. Sept. 25. 
Occasional W. R. 


Resident. 


Partially resident. 


c. May 4. 
c. Sept. 10. 


c. May 15. 
Cc; (wept ns: 


Apr. 12-21. 
ec. Oct. 15. 


May 5-10. 
C.) Sept.) 25s 


c. Ap. jo. Ap. 12,’96. 


ce. Sept. 5. 
c. May tr. 
co. 1Oety ae 
Mar. 20-30. 
October. 
May 1-ro. 
c. Sept. 15. 
May 1-10. 


Sept. 7-15. 


507. 


515. 


517- 


521. 


Empidonax traillii (Aud.). 
raill Flycatcher. 143. 


Empidonax minimus Baird. 
Least Flycatcher. 144. 


Otocoris alpestris (Linn.). 
Horned Lark. 80. 


Otocoris alpestris praticola Hensh. 
Prairie Horned Lark. 91. 


Otocoris alpestris hoyti Bishop. 
Hoyt Horned Lark. 90. 


Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.). 
Blue Jay. 3. 


Corvus corax principalis Ridgw. 
Northern Raven. I. 


Corvus americanus Aud. 
American Crow. 2. 


Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.). 
Bobolink. 4. 


Molothrus ater (Bodd.). 
Cowbird. 5. 


Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 
(Bonap.). 
Yellow-headed Blackbird. 6. 


Agelaius phoeniceus (1inn.). 
Red-winged Blackbird. 7. 


Agelaius phoeniceus fortis Ridgw. 
Thick-billed Redwing. &. 


Sturnella magna (Linn.). 
Meadowlark. 9. 


Icterus spurius (Linn.). 
Orchard Oriole. 10. 


Icterus galbula (Linn.). 
Baltimore Oriole. 11. 


Scolecophagus carolinus (Mull.). 
Rusty Blackbird. 12. 


Ouiscalus quiscula acneus (Ridgw.}. 
Bronzed Grackle. 13. 


Hesperiphona vespertina (W. Cooper). 


Evening Grosbeak. 14. 


Pinicola enucleator leucura (Mull.). 
Canadian Pine Grosbeak. 15. 


Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.). 
Purple Finch. 16. 


Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). 
American Crossbill. 18. 


Loxia leucoptera Gmel. 
White-winged Crossbill. 10. 


Acanthis linaria (Linn.). 
Redpoll. 20. 


CINCINNATI, 


May 5-20. 
c. Sept. I. 


May 22, 1897. 
May 23, 1808. 
September. 


Resident? 


kesident. 


Resident. 


Apr. 25—May 10. 
September. 


March. 
October. 


March. 
November. 


Feb.-Mar? 
Nov.-Dec? 


Resident. 


Apr. 17-30. 
September. 


c. Apr. 26. 
September. 


Winter resident. 


c. Mar. 7. 
November. 


Winter resident. 
Irregular. 
Casual. 


Jan. 15, 1808. 


COLUMBUS. 


8-20. 
c. Sept. 1. 


May 


Apr. 25-May 12. 
Aug. 20-Sept. 20. 


Nov.-Dec. 

Feb.-Mar. 
Resident? 
Novy.-Dec. 

Feb.-Mar. 
Winter resident. 
Resident. 
Resident. 
c. Apr’ 25. Apr. 12, 


1903. 
Sept. Oct. 16, 1902. 


c. Mar. 15. Mar. 6,’03. 
October. 


Accidental. 


Mar. Feb. 20, 1877. 


, 
ce. Nov, 1. 


TFeb.—Mar.? 
Dec: 1, 1902: 


c. Mar. 1. 
Nov. and resident. 


Apr. 26—May 7. 
c. Sept. 312 


Apr. 20—May 1. 
September. 


Mar. 10 May 3. 
Oct.-Nov. 


Mar. 1-20. 
November. 


Winter resident. 


Irregular. 
June 18, 1878. 
Oct. 11, 1903. 


Casual. 


Kare. 


655 


CLEVELAND. 
May 10-20. 


Apr. 25—May 15. 
Nov.-Dec. 


Resident? 


Nov.-Dec. 
: : March. 
Winter resident. 


Resident. 


Nov. 21, 25, 1896. 


Feb. 20—Mar. ro. 
Nov.-Dec. 


cH cAiprame2s: 


c. Mar. 20. 
October. 


Accidental. 
Oct. 9, 1896. 


March, 
October. 


Feb.-Mar? 
Oct. 25, 1890. 


c. Mar. 5. 
November. 


May 1-9. Apr. 17,’96 


c. Sept. 1-2 


Apr. 20-May 1. 
c. Sept. 5. 


Mar. 7-May 7. 
Sept. 15-Nov. 


Mar. 1-30. 
c. Nov. ro. 


Rare winter visitor. 
Jan. 30, 1890. 


Winter visitor. 
Jan. 1, 1902. 


Winter resident. 


Irregular. 
Apr. 1. May 29, ’97. 
Nov. 26, 1896. 
Casual. 
Jan, 
Nov., 


1902. 
1903. 


Astragalinus tristis (Linn.). 
American Goldfinch. 21. 


Spimus pinus (Wils.). 
Pine Siskin. 22. 


Passerina nivalis (Linn.). 
Snowflake. 23. 


Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.). 
Lapland Longspur. 24. 


Pooecetes gramineus (Gmel.). 
Vesper Sparrow. 25. 


Passerculus sandwichensis savanna 
Savanna Sparrow. 26. 


Coturniculus savannarum passerinus. 
Grasshopper Sparrow. 27. 


Ammodramus henslowii (Aud.). 
Henslow Sparrow. 28. 


Ammodramus nelsoni (Allen). 
Nelson Sparrow. 29. 


Chondestes grammacus (Say.). 
Lark Sparrow. 30. 


Zonotrichia querula (Nutt.). 
Harris Sparrow. 31. 


Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). 
White-crowned Sparrow. 32. 


Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.). 
White-throated Sparrow. 33. 


Spizella monticola (Gmel.). 
Tree Sparrow. 34. 


Spizella socialis (Wils.). 
Chipping Sparrow. 35. 


Spizella pusilla (Wils.). 
Field Sparrow. 30. 


Junco hyemalis (Linn.). 
Slate-colored Junco. 37. 


Peucaea aestivalis bachmanti (Aud.). 
Bachman Sparrow. 38. 


Melospiza cinerea melodia (Wils.). 
Song Sparrow. 309. 


Melospiza lincolnti (Aud.). 
Lincoln Sparrow. 40. 


Melospiza georgiana (Lath.). 
Swamp Sparrow. 4I. 


Passerella iliaca (Merr.). 
Fox Sparrow. 42. 


Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). 
Towhee. 43. 


Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). 
Cardinal. 44. 


Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 45. 


(Wils.). 


(Wils.). 


CINCINNATI. 


Resident. 
Irregular. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Marie ts.) cApras 15. 
Mar. 6, 1898. 


c. Nov. 1. 
April. 
Oct.-Nov. 
Cepia ss 
ChiOctaene eNovee 175 
1878. 
c. Apr. 24. 
May 1-10. 
October. 
CamOctomens 
c. May 1. 


Winter resident. 


Oct.—Nov. 
Mar.-Apr. 


Partially resident. 


c. Mar. 25. Mar. 12, 
\1897. 
October. Nov. 15. 
cOcke 7. 
ce. Apr. 15. 
c. Apr. 23. 
Resident. 
April. 
October. 


Apr. 15, 1898. 


March. 
Oct. 15—Nov. 15. 


c. Apr. 15. 


Resident. 


May 13, 1897. 


COLUMBUS, 


Resident. 


Irregular. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Rare winter visitor. 


Mar. 20. Apr. 6. 
Mar. 2, 1877. 
ce. Octiers. 


Ap.. 6-30. Mar. 19,’03. 
October. 


Apr. 19-30. 
September. 


Accidental. 


Apr. 23—May 10. 


October. 
Apr. 1-20. 
October. 
October. 
April. 
c. Apr. 1. Mar 24,79 


October. 


c. Mr. 25. Mr. 17,’03 
October. 


eh Octara: 
Apr. 15—May 1. 


Resident. 


c. May 15s. 
c., Oct. x5: 


Apr. aie i 
ct. I-30. 


c. Mr. 12. Feb. 27,777. 
Oct. 15—Nov. 10. 


Mar. 15-30. 


c Nov. 1. 


Resident. 


c. May 5. Apr. 22,’02. 


CLEVELAND. 


Resident. 


Irregular. 
Feb. 13. May 6, 22, 
June 20, 1897. 


Winter visitor. 


Apl. 23, 1804. 
Winter visitor. 


Mar. 20—Apr. 6. 
October. 


Ap. 15-30. Mar. 21,’03 
Sept.-Oct. 


Apr. 24-May 1. 
co Oct 


June 4, 1894. 


May 17, ’o2. 


c. May 1. 
September. 


May 1-20. 
ce. Oct x5. 


Apr. 15—May 15. 
Sept. 20-Oct. 


¢. Oct. x0: 
c. Apl. 15. 


April. 
Oct. 1-15. 


c. Mar. 25. Apr. 6,’99. 
ic Octens: 


Cc. Oct x. 
Apr. 15-May 1. 


_Mar. 15-Apr. 1. 
Partially resident. 


May 17, 1898. 


Apr. 21, May 15. 
Sept. 20-Oct. 20. 


Cc. aiar. 15-Apr. 20. 


October. 


Mar. 15-30. 

c,, Nov, 1: 
Resident. 
c. May tr. 

c. Sept. 15. 


610. 


61t. 


612. 


628. 


Cyanospiza cyanea (Linn.). 
Indigo Bunting. 46. 


Spiza americana (Gmel.). 
Dickcissel. 47. 


“Piranga erythromelas Vieill. 


Scarlet Tanager. 48. 


Piranga rubra (Linn.). 
Summer Tanager. 49. 


Progne subis (Linn.). 
Purple Martin. ro. 


Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say.). 
Cliff Swallow. 120. 


Hirundo erythrogaster Bodd. 
Barn Swallow. 121. 


Iridoprocne bicolor (Vieill.). 
Tree Swallow. 122. 


Riparia riparia (Linn.). 
Bank Swallow. 123. 


Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Aud.). 


Rough-winged Swallow. 124. 


Ampelis garrulus Linn. 
Bohemian Waxwing. i25. 


Ampelis cedrorum (Vieill.). 
Cedar Waxwing. 126. 


Lantus borealis Vieill. 
Northern Shrike. 127. 


Lanius ludovicianus Vinn. 


Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides 
Mierant Shrike. 128. 


Vireo olivaceus (tanu.). 
Red-eyed Vireo. 120. 


Vireo philadelphicus (Cass.). 
Philadelphia Vireo. 130. 


Vireo gilvus (Vieill.). 
Warbling Vireo. 131. 


Vireo navifrons Vieill. 
Yellow-throated Vireo. 132. 


Vireo solitarius (Wils.). 
Blue-headed Vireo. 133. 


Vireo noveboracensis (Gmel.). 
White-eyed Vireo. 134. 


Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 
Black and White Warbler. 50. 


Protonotaria citrea (Bodd.). 
Prothonotary Warbler. 51. 


Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmel.). 
Worm-eating Warbler. 52. 


Helminthophila pinus (1inn.). 
Blue-winged Warbler. 53. 


(Swain.). 


CINCINNATI. 


Apr. 24—May 9. 
ct. 10. 


Apr. 13, 1896. 
Apr. 24, Igor. 


ce. May 1. Apr. 19,’"8. 


ce) Sept. 25; 
ic. Apr. 30; 
September. 
Mar. 20-30. 
clOctma. 


Apr. 20—May 1. 
Gisept 25. 


Apr. 1-20. 
Cc: ssept. 20: 


c. Apr. 1. Mar. 72,’79 
Sentsinber. 


GApr 20.) — 
c. Sept. 15. 


Resident. 


CpOGteny. 
Winter resident. 
c. Mar. 15. 
October. 
c. Apr. 25. 
October. 


Apr. 30, 1898. 
@. 


Oct. 1. 

Apr. 19-26. 
ce Oct: 5: 

c. Apr 25: 
September. 


Oct. 19, 1900. 


c. May 3. 
c. Sept. 10. 


Cc.) -Aipra 25; 
Sept. 15.30. 


Ca hs 2 

ec. Sept. 10 
c. May 1. 

Camsepts h5 


COLUMBUS. 


ec. May 1. 
C3 Octs 5: 


Apr. 28—May 11 . 


c. .May. 1. 
Ce septa 255 


yn 
i) 
c=) 
+ 
is) 
nn 


Apr. 20—May 7. 
c. Sept. 


ty 
fo} 


Apr. 1-20. 
c: Sept. ro. 


Ap. 1-15. Mar. 28,’77. 
September. 


C.Apr. 23: 
ce. Apr. to. 


c. Ap. 25. Ap. 18,03. 
C. sept; 10: 


Irregular. 
Somestimes resident. 


ce) Oct. 4; 
: c. Mar. 20. 
Winter resident. 


c. Mr. 15. Mr. 11,’03 


cCulOctmnos 


Apr. 24—May 1. 
October. 


Apr. 22, 1902. 


Apr. 22—May 1. 


CeOcta t 
ec. May 1. 

September. 
c. May r. 

C: sept; 25. 


c. Ap.. 26. Ap. 18 —. 
Sept. 5, 1903. 


Ap. 28,’02. Ap. 30,703. 


Ap. 30,’03. Ap. 18, — 


c. Sept. 1. 


c. May 1. Apl. 18, —. 
c. Sept. ro. 


657 
CLEVELAND. 


c. May 1. 
cmiOctirxe 


May 17, 1894. 
Oct. 10, ’96. 


ec. May 1. 
CW OepEe25s 


c. Apr. 15. 
c. Sept. r. 


Apr. 12-20. 


Mar. 30, 
1897. 


September. 
c. Apr. 23. 
c. "Sept. 1. 


c. Apr. 27. 
Cc. Sept. 1. 


Rare. 


Irregular. 
Sometimes. resident. 


icalOcty re 


: [Cy pian es 
Winter resident. 


c. Mar, 15. 


Apr. 25—May 1. 


Apr. 28—May 1. 
c. Sept. 15. 


May 1-7. 
September. 


Apr. 28-May 15. 
c. Sept. 15. 


c. May 1. 
c. Sept. ro. 


660. 


661. 


662. 


Helminthophila chrysoptera (Linn.). 
Golden-winged Warbler. 54. 


Helminthophila rubricapilla (Wils.). 


Nashville Warbler. 55. 


Helminthophila celata (Say.). 
Orange-crowned Warbler. 56. 


Helminthophila peregrina (Wils.). 
Tennessee Warbler. 57. 


Compsothlypis americana usneae 
Brewst. 
Northern Parula Warbler. 58. 


Compsothlypis americana ramalinae 
Ridgw. 
Western Parula Warbler. 50. 


Dendroica tigrina (Gmel.). 
Cape May Warbler. 60. 


Dendroica aestiva (Gmel.). 
Yellow Warbler. 61. 


Dendroica caerulescens (Gmel.). 


Black-throated Blue Warbler. 62. 


Dendroica coronata (Linn.). 
Myrtle Warbler. 63. 


Dendroica maculosa (Gmel.). 
Magnolia Warbler. 64. 


Dendroica rara Wils. 
Cerulean Warbler. 65. 


Dendroica pensylvanica (Linn.). 
Chestnut-sided Warbler. 66. 


Dendroica castanea (Wils.). 
Bay-breasted Warbler. 67. 


Dendroica striata (Forst.). 
Black-poll Warbler. 68. 


Dendroica blackburniae (Gmel.). 
Blackburnian Warbler. 60. 


Dendroica dominica albilora Ridgw. 
Sycamore Warbler. 70. 


Dendroica virens (Gmel.). 


J 
H 


Black-throated Green Warbler. 71. 


Dendroica kirtlandi Baird. 
Kirtland Warbler. 72. 


Dendroica vigorsti ( Aud.) 
Pine Warbler. 73. 


Dendroica palmarum (Gmel.). 
Palm Warbler. 74. 


Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea 
Ridgw. 
Yellow Palm Warbler. 75. 


Dendroica discolor (Vieill.). 
Prairie Warbler. 76. 


Seiurus aurocapillus (Linn.). 
Oven-bird. 77. 


CINCINNATI. 


Apr. 29, 1879. 


CyOck wx. 


Sept. 24-Oct. 4. 


Sept. 


tv 
bo 


, 1900. 


c. May 1 (?) 


Apr. 24, 1897. 
Sept. 18—Uct. 3. 


c. Apr. 20. Apr. 5,97. 
CSeptsm te 


Apr. 15-25. 
Aug. 25-Oct. ro. 


Mar.-Apr. 
Oct.-Nov. 


CamOcta an: 


ce, Apr. 20: 
c. Aug. 15. 


Apr. 25, 1879. 
Sept. 28, 1899. 


Aug. 25—Oct. 15. 
Aug. 25—Oct. 1. 


September. 


ie, Apr, 23: 


Sept. 28, 1899. 


Sept. 15—Oct. ro. 


c. May 5. 
Aug. 28, 1902. 
apr. 15, i880. 
Apr. 24,1879. 


Oct. 8, 1804. 


Apr. 23, 1897. 
May 2, 1808. 
Sept. 22—Oct 4. 


Oct. 8, 1894. 


cu mApraw 205 
September. 


COLUMBUS, 


Apr. 22, — 


c. May 6. 


Sept. 15-Oct. 1. 


c. Ap. 25. Ap. 22, ’02. 


May 2-18. 
Sept. 1—Oct. 10. 


May 1-15. 
Sept. 15, ’74 (?) 


c. May tr. 
September. 


Ap. 18-30. Ap. 15,’78. 


c. Sept. x. 

c., Apr 30. 
Sept. Oct. 7. 
c. Ap. 25. Ap. 22, 02. 


Sept. 20-Noy. 10. 


May 1-20. Apr. 22,—. 
September. 


May 1-15. Ap. 19,’78. 


May 5-21. 
September. 
c. May 16. May 17, 
1874, 1901. 
Aug. 20—Oct. 7. 


May 17-26. J 
Aug. 20—Oct. 17. 


Apr. 30—May 20, 


Avr. 22, —. 


Apr. 22—May Io. 
Mar. 28, 1a : 
Sept. 1—Oct. 


May 8, 1875. 


Apr. 21—May 6. 
Oct. Nov. 7, 774. 


Apr. 22, 1902. 


May 15, 1875. 


Apr. 20—May 6. 
Sept. Oct. 16, ‘o2. 


CLEVELAND. 
May 1-8. 


May 1-23. 


Apr. 28. 
1897 . if 


September. 


May 4-20. 
September. 


May 1-15. 


May 11,’97. May 12,’03 
c. Sept. 15. 


Apr. 22-30. 
C.poepiaet 


c. May 1. 
ug. 20-Oct. 1. 


Apr._15—May 1. 
Sept. 20o—Oct. 20. 


May 5-21. 
August-Sept. 20. 

May I-15. 
c. Sept. 25. 

May 1-15. 
Sept 

May 5-22. 
Aug. 15—Sept. 

May 12-25. 


Aug. 15—Sept. 30. 


May 


I-21. 
Aug. 15-Sept. 25. 


October-Nov. 21 ‘96. 


c. Apr. 27—May 20. 
Aug. 25—Oct. 1. 


c. May 12. 


Apr. 22—May 7 


September. 
Apr. 10, 1892. 
Apr. 20-30. (Jones). 
Apr. 24.-May 7. 

ic. Oct 


Seturus noveboracensis (Gmel.). 
Water-Thrush. 78. 


Seturus motacilla (Vieill.). 
Louisiana Water-Thrush. 709. 


Geothlypis formosa (Wils.). 
Kentucky Warbler. 80. 


Geothlypis agilis (Wils.). 
Connecticut Warbler. 81. 


Geothlypis philadelphia (Wils.). 
Mourning Warbler. 82. 
Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla 
(Swains.). 
Northern Yellow-throat. 83. 


Icteria virens (Linn.). 
Yellow-breasted Chat. 84. 


Wilsonia mitrata (Gmel.). 
Hooded Warbler. 85. 


Wilsonia pusilla (Wils.). 
Wilson Warbler. 86. 


Wilsonia camwadensis (Linn.). 
Canadian Warbler. 87. 


Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). 
American Redstart. 88. 


Anthus pensilvanicus (Lath.). 
American Pipit. 92. 


Mimus polyglottos (Linn.). 
Mockingbird. r1o. 


Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn.). 


Catbird. 111. 


Loxostoma rufum (Linn.). 
Brown Thrasher. 112. 


Thryothorus ludovicianus (Lath.). 


Carolina Wren. 113. 


Thryomanes bewickti (Aud.). 
Bewick Wren. 114. 


Troglodytes aedon Vieill. 
House Wren. 115. 


Olbiorchilus hiemalis (Vieill.). 
Winter Wren. 116. 


Cistothorus stellaris (Licht.). 


Short-billed Marsh Wren. 117. 


Telmatodytes palustris (Wils.). 


Long-billed Marsh Wren. i'18. 


Certhia familiaris americanus(Bonap.). 


Brown Creeper. 100. 


Sitta carolinensis Lath. 


White-breasted Nuthatch. 103. 


Sitta canadensis Linn. 
Red-breasted Nuthatch. 104. 


CINCINNATI. 
cy Apr 123: 
Oct. 1, 1898. 


Apr. 10-20. 
Sept) a. (Oct: irs. 


Sept. 22, 1900. 


Aug. 10, 1899. 


Aug. 7, 1895. 


c. Apr. 24. 
Sept. 22, 1900. 


Apr. 25—May4. 
c. Sept. ro. 


May 6, 1897. 
Aug.-Sept. 30. 


Apr. 25, 1897. May 


15, 1899. 
Aug. 25, 1898. 


Aug. 25, 1903. 
Oct. 24, 1898. 


c. May 1. Apr. 23,,’97. 
Sept. 25. 


“March’’—Langdon. 
Oct.-Nov. 


Rare. 
Occasionally resident. 


Apr. 20-30. 
c. Sept. 30. 
ce. Apr. 10. 
Cae Octamu 
Resident. 
Resident. 
ce. Apr. 14. 
CamOGtamt. 
Copa Ins 


Not common W. Rk. 


Casual. 
Oct. 17, 1894. 


Oct. 4, 1901. 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


September. 
Apr. 15—May 15. 
Winter resident. 


COLUMBUS. 


ce. Apr. 25. Apr. 15— 


May. 15. 
Sept. Oct. 17, 74. 

Cc. Aprea ait. 
September. 


Apl. 30, 1902 (?) 


May 22, 1875. 
Oct. 8,’98. Oct. 7,’o1. 


May 10-20. 
Aug-Sept. 


Apr. 20—May 1. 
Ca'Octh xz. 


Apr. 26—May 7. 
ca sep 5. 


Ap. 20,’03. May 20,’o1 


Ap. 30,’02. May 22,’73 
September. 


May 1-21. 
Aug. 25-Sept. 


Apr. 25-May 5. 
September. 
Apr. 10-May 1o. 


Mar. 18, 1903. 
Oct.-Nov. 


Casual. 


Resident. 


Not common resident. 


c. Apr. 20. 
CmOctaan 


Oct.-Nov. 


April. 
not common W, h. 


c. May 1. 
ce: Ock 15: 


Winter resident. 


Resident. 


September. 
_ Apr. 20-May 15. 
Winter resident. 


659 


CLEVELAND. 
c. May 3. May 1-22. 
Aug.-Sept. 


Apr. 15—May 1. 
Aug.-Sept. 


May 12, 1903. 


May 24, 1902. 


May 10-20. 
August (?) 


Apr. 25—May 3. 
c. Bet. I. 


Mey 1-7. 
c. Sept. 1. 


May 9, 1901, 1003. 


May 1-20. 
Aug. 15—Sept. 15. 


Sept. 25. 


Apr. 15—May 20. 
October. 


Casual. 


Apr. 24—May 2. 
Apr. 11, 1806. 
C2 (Sept) “ro: 


Apr. 10-20. 
Cc OCka at: 


Not common resident. 


c. Apr. 24. 
crm Octver. 


April-May to. 
October. 


Casual. 
May 1-s. 

c. Sept. 15. 
ic Oct az: 
Coe Mlaya ae 
Occasional. W. R. 
Resident. 
Sept. 


Apr. 25—May 15. 
Occasional W.- R. 


731. 


Sitta pusilla Lath. 
Brown-headed Nuthatch. 105. 


Baeolophus. bicolor (1inn.). 
Tufted Titmouse. 106. 

Parus atricapillus Linn. 
Chickadee. 107. 


Parus carolinensis Aud. 
Carolina Chickadee. 108. 


Regulus satrapa Licht. 
Golden-crowned Kinglet. 100. 


Regulus calendula (Linn.). 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. ror. 


Polioptila caerulea (1.inn.). 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 102. 


Hylocichla mustelina (Gmel.). 
Wood Thrush. 93. 


A ylocichla fuscescens (Steph.). 
Wilson Thrush. 94. 


Hylocichla aliciae (Baird). 
Gray-cheeked Thrush. 95. 


Hylocichla ustulata swainsonti (Cab.). 


Olive-backed Thrush. 96. 


Hylocichla guttata pallasii (Cab.). 
Hermit Thrush. 97. 


Merula migratoria (Linn.). 
American Robin. 08. 


Sialia sialis (Linn.). 
Bluebird. 99. 


Phasianus torquatus Gmel. 
Ring-necked Pheasant. 1092. 


Passer domesticus (Linn.). 
English Sparrow. 17. 


CINCINNATI, 


Resident. 


Rare winter resident. 


Resident. 


CunOctss 


ec. Apr. 25. 


OV 


Winter resident. 


CoA ano. 


cOctac 


May 2, 1808. 


Sept. 16, 1870. 


May 18, 1879. 
SS 


Cap eDta 25. 


April. 


Oct.-Nov. 


Resident. 


Resident. 


Introduced 


Resident. 


c. Sept. 30. 


COLUMBUS, 


Resident. 
Resident. 


Resident. 


crn Octass, 
‘ c. Apr. 25: 
Winter resident. 


c: Apr. 15: 
Oct. 1-21. 


Apr. 7-15. 
c. Sept. 15. 


Apr. 20-25. 
Sept Octaar6) woz. 


Apr. 20—May 20. 
September. 


Apr. 28—May 7. 


Apr. 23—May 21. 
September. 


Ap. 5-20. Mar. 19,’03. 
October. 


Feb. 20—Apr. 10. 
Feb. 13, 1903. 
c 


. Nov. ro. 
Occasional W. R. 
Gy IMEI fy ikea 20h, 
1903, migrating. 

‘ c. Nov. 15. 
Partially resident. 
Introduced. 

Resident. 


CLEVELAND. 


Accidental. 
Resident. 
Resident. 
CamOCH as 


; c. Apr. 25- 
Winter resident. 


CoA pianos 

c. Oct xe 
5- 
c. Sept. 15: 


: Sept. 20. 


c. Sept. ro. 


c. Mar. 1—Apr. to. 


c. Nov. 
Occasional. W. R. 


Ch Marna 


c. Nov. ro. 
Occasional. W. R. 


Introduced. 


Resident. 


OOL 


INDEX. 


References are to the page upon which the main treatment begins and to the migration 
tables; the former in “bold face” thus, 321, the latter in “Roman” thus, 647. 


ACANTHIS linaria, 46 655. Asio accipitrinus, 8376 653. 
rostrata. 645 wilsonianus, 374 653. 
Accentor, Golden-crowned, 171 Astragalinus tristis, 47 656. 
Accipiter atricapillus, 401 653. Avocet, American, 537 651. 
cooperi, 899 653. Aythya affinis, 605 649. 
velox, 397 653. americana, 601 649. 
Actitis macularia, 531 652. collaris, GOT 649. 
Actodromas bairdii, 509 651. marilla, 604 649. 
fuscicollis, 508 651. vallisneria, 602 649. 


maculata, 507 651. 
minutilla, 510 651. 


JE gialitis meloda, 490 652. BaroLopHus bicolor, 242 660. 
circumcincta, 491 652. Baldpate, 588 649. 
semipalmata, 488 652. Bartramia longicauda, 527 652. 
AZ strelata hasitata, 628. 648. Bass-Gull, 559 
Agelaius phceniceus, 18 655. Beetle-head, 482 
fortis, 21 655. Bittern, American, 463 650. 
Aix sponsa, 598 640. Cory Least, 643 
Ammodramus henslowii, 60 656. Least, 465 650. 
leconteili, 645 Blackbird, Cow, 14 
nelsoni, 62 656. Crow, 32 
Ampelis cedrorum, 285 657. Marsh, 18 
garrulus, 284 657. Red-shouldered, 18 
Anas boschas, 582 648. Red-winged, 18 655. 
obscura, 584 648. Rusty, 30 655. 
rubripes, 685 648. Skunk, 11 
Anser albifrons gambeli, 577 650. Swamp, 18 
Anthus pensilvanicus, 207 650. Thrush, 30 
Antrostomus vociferus, 338. 654. Yellow-headed, 17 655. 
Aquila chrysaetos, 412 653. Blackhead, 604 
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis, 410 653.Blackhead, Little, 605 
Ardea herodias, 467 650. Bluebill, 604 605. 
Ardetta exilis, 465 650. Bluebird, 226 660. 
neoxena, 643 Eastern, 226 
Arenaria interpres, 494 652. Wilson’s, 226 


Arquatella maritima, 506 651. Bobolink, 11 655. 


662 


Bob-white, 487 652. Ceryle alcyon, 361 654. 

Bog-bull, 463 Cheetura pelagica, 336 654. 

Bogsucker, 495 498 Charadrius dominicus, 483 652. 

Bonasa umbellus, 483 652, Charitonetta albeola, 610 640. 

Botaurus lentiginosus, 463, 650. Chat, Yellow-breasted, 185 650. 

Brant, 644 Chaulelasmus streperus, 586 648. 
White-bellied, 644 Chebec, 332 

Branta bernicla, 644 Chen cerulescens, 576 649. 

glaucogastra, 644 hyperborea, 574 640. 
canadensis, 578 650. nivalis, 575 649. 
hutchinsii, 580 650. Cherry-bird, 285 

Brant-bird, 494 Chewink, 98 

Bride, The, 598 Chickadee, 245 660. 

Broad-bill, 594 Black-capped, 245 

Bubo virginianus, 384 653. Carolina, 247 660. 

Bufflehead, 610 640. Southern, 247 

Bull-bat, 341 Chicken, Prairie, 485 

Bull-head, 483. Chippy, 71 

Bunting, Bay-winged, 54 Chondestes grammacus, 68 656. 
Black-throated, 105 Chordeiles virginianus, 8341 654. 
Indigo, 102 657. Circus hudsonius, 894 652. 
Painted, 641 Cistothorus stellaris, 268 650. 
Snow, 50 Clangula clangula americana, 608 6409. 

Burgomaster, 646 islandica, 609 6409. 

Butcher-bird, 287 290 Coceyzus americanus, 364 654. 

Buteo borealis, 403 653. erythrophthalmus, 366 654. 

calurus, 405 653. Coffin-carrier, 547 

lineatus, 406 653. Colaptes auratus luteus, 857 654. 
platypterus, 409 653. Colinus virginianus, 487 652. 

Butorides virescens, 474 650. Colymbus auritus, 680, 647. 

Butter-ball, 610 holbeellii, 628 647. 

Buzzard, Broad-winged, 409 Compsothlypis americana, 642 
Red-shouldered, 406 usnee, 131 658. 
Red-tailed, 403 ramaline, 132 658. 


Turkey, 419 Contopus virens, 320 654. 


Conurus carolinensis, 8369 654. 


Caxcartus lapponicus, 52 656. Coot, American, 455 651. 
Calico-back, 494 Black, 615 

Calidris arenaria, 515 651. Sea, 615 

Campephilus principalis, 643 White-winged, 616 

Canary, Wild, 47 Cormorant, Double-crested, 624 648. 
Canvas-back, 602 649. Florida, 644 

Cardinal, 96 656. Corvus americanus, 3 655. 
Cardinalis cardinalis, 96 656. corax principalis, 1 655. 
Carpodacus purpurpeus, 38 655. Coturniculus savannarum passerinus, 58 656. 
Catbird, 254 650. Cowbird, 14 655. 

Catharista urubu, 423. Crane, Blue, 467 

Cathartes aura, 419 652. Brown, 461 

Cedar-bird, 285 Little Brown,460 650. 
Centurus carolinus, 356. 654. Sandhill, 461 650. 

Ceophlceus pileatus abieticola, 351 654 White, 459, 471 


Certhia familiaris americanus, 250 650. Whooping, 459 650. 


Creeper, Black-and-white, 112 
Brown, 250 659. 
Crossbill, American, 43 655. 

Red, 43 

White-winged, 45 655. 
Crow, American, 3 655. 

Carrion, 423 
Crymophilus fulicarius, 5389 650. 
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 8366 654. 

Yellow-billed, 364 654. 
Curlew, Eskimo, 536 652. 

Hudsonian, 535 652. 

Jack, 535 

Long-billed, 584 652. 
Cyanocitta cristata, 8 655. 
Cyanospiza ciris, 641 

cyanea, 102 657. 


Dascuick, 631 

Dafila acuta, 597 649. 

Dendroica zestiva, 1385 658. 
blackburniz, 154 658. 
cerulescens, 189 658. 
castanea, 150  6s8. 
coronata, 140 658. 
discolor, 169 658. 


dominica albilora, 157 658. 


kirtlandi, 162 658. 
maculosa, 143 658. 
palmarum, 167 658. 
hypochrysea, 168 658. 

pensylvanica, 149 658. 
rara, 145 658. 
striata, 152 658. 
tigrina, 134 658. 
vigorsii, 164. 658. 
virens, 160 658. 

Dickcissel, 105 657. 

Diedapper, 631 

Dipper, 631 

Diver, Black-throated, 637 
Red-throated, 638 
Great Northern, 6384 

Dolichonyx oryzivorus, 11 655. 

Dough-bird, 536 

Dove, Carolina, 427 
Mourning, 427 652. 
Rain, 366 
Turtle, 427 
Wild, 427 

Dowitcher, 501 651 
Long-billed, 502 651. 
Western, 502 


663 


Dryobates borealis, 8347 654. 
pubescens medianus, 345 654. 
villosus, 343 654. 

Duck, American Eider, 613 
American Scaup, 604 440. 
Black, 584 648. 
Canvas-back, 602 649. 
Crow, 455 
Fish, 619 
Gadwall, 586 648. 
Gray, 586 
Greater Scaup, 604 
Harlequin, 646 
King Eider, 614 640. 
Lesser Scaup, 605 640. 
Long-tailed, 612 
Mallard, 582 648. 
Pintail, 597 649. 

Raft, 604 

Redhead, 601 649. 

Red-legged Black, 585 648. 

Ring-necked, 607 649. 

Ruddy, 618 649. 

Saw-bill, 619 621 

Shoveller, 594 640. 

Spirit, 610 

Spoon-bill, 594 

Summer, 598 

Wild, 582 

Wood, 598 640. 
Dunlin, American, 512 


Eacte, Bald, 414 653. 

Black, 414 

Golden, 412 653. 

Gray, 414 
Ectopistes migratorius, 425. 652. 
Egret, American, 471 650. 

Great White, 471 

Little White, 472 
Egretta candidissima, 472 650. 
Eider, American, 613. 640. 

King, 614 640. 
Elanoides forficatus, 393 652. 
Empidonax flaviventris, 322 654. 

minimus, 3382 655. 

traillii, 328 65s. 

alnorum, 643 

virescens, 323 654. 
Ereunetes pusillus, 518 651. 
Erismatura jamaicensis, 618 640. 


664 


Fatco columbarius, 390 653. Blue Snow, 576 
peregrinus anatum, 388, 653. Canada, 578 650. 
sparverius, 391 653. Common Wild, 578 

Falcon, Peregrine, 388 Greater Snow, 575 649. 
Rusty-crowned, 391 Hutchins. 580 650. 

Finch, Grass, 54 Lesser Canada, 580 
Pine, 49 ; Lesser Snow, 574 640. 

; Purple, 38 655. Little Wild, 580 

Firebird, 27 Goshawk, American, 401 653. 

Flicker, Yellow-shafted, 357 Grackle, Bronzed, 32 655. 
Northern, 357 654. Rusty, 30 

Florida cerulea, 473 650. Grebe, Holbcell, 628 647. 

Flycatcher, Acadian, 323 Horned, 630 647. 
Alder, 643 Pied-billed, 631 647 
Crested, 312 654. Green-head, 582 
Green-crested, 323 654. Grosbeak, Blue. 641 


Least, 382 655. 
Olive-sided, 319 654. 
Pewit, 314 
Scissor-tailed, 307 654. 
Traill, 328 655. 
Yellow-bellied, 822 654. : 
Hip eae aye Grouse, Pinnated, 435 


Ruffed, 433 652. 
Fregata aquila, 627 648. : 
g rus ¢ 459 650. 
Frigate, 627 Grus americana, 650 


canadensis, 460 650. 
mexicana, 461 650. 

Guiraca cerulea, 641 

Gull, Bonaparte, 552 648. 
Fork-tailed, 554 
Franklin, 646 
Glaucous, 646 
Great Black-backed, 547 648. 
Herring, 548 648. 
Iceland, 546 648. 
Kittiwake, 545 
Laughing, 646 
Ring-billed, 551 648. 
Sabine, 554 648. 
White-winged, 546 

Gull-hunter, 543 


Canadian Pine, 86 655. 
Cardinal, 96 

Evening, 35 655. 

Pine, 36 655. 
Rose-breasted, 99 656. 


Fulica americana, 455 651. 


Gapwatt, 586 648. 
Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 254 
Gallinago delicata, 498  6s5r. 
Gallinula galeata, 453 650. 
Gallinule, Florida, 453 650. 
Purple, 452 650. 
Garrot, 608 609 
Gavia arctica, 637 647. 
imber, 6384 647. 
lumme, 638 647. 
Gelochelidon nilotica, 555 648. 
Geothlypis agilis, 179 659. 
formosa, 177 650. 
philadelphia, 181 650. 


trichas brachidactyla, 183 659. Harr-zirp, 71 : 
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 285 660. Halizetus leucocephalus, 414 653. 
Godwit, Hudsonian, 518 651. Hangbird, 27 

Marbled, 517 6s. Hang-nest, 27 
Golden-eye, 608 Harelda hyemalis, 612 640. 

American, 608 640. Harrier, Marsh, 394 

Barrows, 609 640. Hawk, American Rough-legged. 410 653. 
Goldfinch, American, 47 656. American Sparrow, 391 653. 
Goosander, 619 Blue Hen, 401 
Goose, American White-fronted, 577 650. Broad-winged, 409 653. 


Blue, 976 640. Chicken, 399 403 406 


Cooper, 399 653. 

Duck, 388 653. 

Fish, 417 

Hen, 403 406 

Marsh, 394 652. 

Pigeon, 390 653. 

Red-shouldered, 406 653. 

Red-tailed, 403 653. 

Sharp-shinned, 397 653. 

Western Red-tailed, 405 
Helinaia swainsonii. 645 
Hell-diver, 631 
Helminthophila celata, 128 

cincinnatiensis, 642 

chrysoptera, 124 658. 

lawrencei, 642 

leucobronchialis, 123 642. 

peregrina, 129 658. 

pinus, 120 657. 

rubricapilla, 127 658. 
Helmitheros vermivorus, 118 657. 
Helodromas solitarius, 522 651. 
Hen, Indian, 463 

Marsh, 442 

Mud, 455 

Prairie. 485 652. 
Herodias egretta, 471 650. 


658. 


Heron, Black-crowned Night, 477 650. 

Great Blue, 467 650. 

Green, 474 650. 

Little Blue, 473 650. 

Louisiana, 645 

Snowy, 472 650. 

White, 471 
Hesperiphona vespertina, 35 655. 
High-holder, 357 
High-hole, 357 
Himantopus mexicanus, 5388 651. 
Hirundo erythrogaster, 276 657. 
Histrionicus histrionicus, 646 
Hummingbird. Ruby-throated, 384 654. 


Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis, 645 

Hydrochelidon nigra surinamens’s, 568 

Hylocichla alicia, 215 660. 
fuscescens, 214 660. 
euttata pallasii, 217 
mustelina, 209 660. 
ustulata swainsonii, 216 660. 


648. 


660. 


Ints, Glossy, 481 650. 


Wood, 480 650. 
Icteria virens, 185 650. 


Icterus galbula, 27 655. 
spurius, 25 655. 
Ictinia mississippiensis, 645 

Indigo-bird, 102 
Ionornis martinica, 452 650. 
Iridoprocne bicolor, 278 657. 


JAEGER, Parasitic, 545 647. 
Pomarine, 543 647. 
Pomatorhine, 543 
Richardson’s, 545 

Jay, Blue, 8 655. 

Junco hyemalis, 76 656. 

Junco, Slate-colored, 76 656. 


Kitiprrr, 485 652. 
Kingbird, 308 654. 

Kingfisher, Belted, 361 654. 
Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 231 660. 
Ruby-crowned. 2383 660. 

Kite, Mississippi, 645 
Swallow-tailed, 393 652. 

Kittiwake, 545 648. 

Knot, 504 651. 

Krieker, 507 


Lantus borealis, 287 657. 

ludovicianus, 289 
excubitorides, 290 657. 
migrans, 290 657. 

Lark, Brown, 207 
Field, 22 
Horned, 198 655. 
Hoyt Horned, 201 655. 
Prairie Horned. 202 
Shore, 198 

Larus argentatus, 548 648. 
atricilla, 646 
delawarensis, 551 
franklinii, 646 
glaucus, 646 
leucopterus, 546 648. 
marinus, 547 648. 
philadelphia, 552 648. 

Limosa fedoa, 517 65 1. 
hemastica, 518 651 

Linnet, 46 
Pine, 49 

Lintie, 46 

Logcock, 351 

Longspur, Lapland, 52 656. 


657. 


655. 


648. 


666 


Loon, 6384 647. Canadian, 240 
Black-throated, 6387 647. Red-bellied, 240 
Red-throated, 688 647. Red-breasted, 240 650. 

Lophodytes cucullatus, 623 648. White-breasted, 238 659. 

Lord and Lady, 612 Nuttallornis borealis, 319 654. 

Loxia curvirostra minor, 43 655 Nyctala acadica, 380 653. 
leucoptera, 45 655. Nyctea nyctea, 8386 653. 


Nycticorax nycticorax nevius, 477 650. 


MAcRORHAMPUS griseus, 501 651. 


scolopaceus, 502 651. OipeEMIA americana, 615 640. 
Mallard, 582 648. deglandi, 616 649. 
Black, 584 perspicillata, 646 
Gray, 582 Olbiorchilus hiemalis, 267 659. 
Man-o’War Bird, 627 648. Old-squaw, 612 6409. 
Mareca americana, 588 649. Olor buccinator, 573 650. 
penelope, 587 649. columbianus, 571 650. 
Marlin, Brown, 517 Oriole, Baltimore, 27 655. 
Ring-tailed, 518 Orchard, 25 655. 
Martin, Purple, 272 657. Osprey, American, 417 653. 
Sand, 279 Otocoris alpestris, 198 655. 
Meadowlark, 22 655. hoyti, 201 655. 
Meadow-wink, 11 praticola, 202 655. 
Megascops asio. 382 653. Oven-bird, 171 658. 
Melanerpes erythrocephalus, 353 654. Owl, American Hawk, 387 653. 
Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, 431 652. American Long-eared, 874 653. 
Melospiza cinerea melodia, 83 656. American Barn, 371 653. 
georgiana, 89 656. Barred, 378 653. 
lincolni, 88 656. Cat, 384 
Merganser americanus, 619 648. Day, 387 
serrator, 621 648. Great Gray, 379 653. 
Merganser, American, 619 648. Great Horned, 384 653. 
Hooded, 623 648 Hoot, 378 384 
Red-breasted, 621 648. Monkey-faced, 371 
Merula migratoria, 219 Saw-whet, 380 653. 
Micropalama himantopus, 503 651. Screech, 382 653. 
Mimus polyglottos, 251 650. Short-eared, 376 653. 
Mniotilta varia, 112 657. Snowy, 386 653. 
Mockingbird, 251 650. Virginia, 384 
Molothrus ater, 14 655. Ox-bird, 512 
Mouse-bird, 2&9 Ox-eye, 482 513. 
Murre, Brunnich, 689 647. Oxyechus vqciferus, 485 652. 


Muscivora forficata, 807 654. 


Myiarchus crinitus, 312 654. Panpton haliaetus carolinensis, 417 653. 


Parakeet, 369 


NeETrIion carolinensis, 590 640. Paroquet, Carolina, 369 654. 

Nighthawk, 341 654. Partridge, 483 

Night-jar, 338 Parus atricapillus, 245 660. 

Nonpareil, 641 carolinensis, 247 660. 

Numenius borealis, 536 652 Passer domesticus, 40 
hudsonicus, 585 652. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna, 57 656. 
longirostris, 534 652. Passerella iliaca, 91 656. 


Nuthatch, Brown-headed, 241 660. Passerina nivalis, 50 656. 


Pavoncella pugnax, 526 652. 

Peabody-bird, 67 

Peep, 510 5138 

Peet-weet, 531 

Pelican, American White, 625 648. 
Frigate, 627 


Pelicanus erythrorhynchos, 625 648. 


Pelidna alpina pacifica. 512 651. 
Petrel, Black-capped, 628 648. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons, 274 657. 
Peucea exstivalis bachmanii, 79 656. 
Pewee, 314 

Bridge, 314 

Wood, 320 654. 

Pewit, 314 

Phalacrocorax dilophus, 624 648. 
floridanus, 644 

Phalarope, Northern, 540 651. 

Red, 539 651. 

Wilson, 541 651. 
Phalaropus lobatus, 540 651. 
Phasianus torquatus. 480 
Pheasant, 433 

Chinese, 430 

. Mongolian, 480 

Ring-necked, 480 660. 
Philohela minor, 495 651. 
Pheebe, 314 654. 

Picoides arcticus, 348 654. 
Pigeon, Migratory, 425 

Passenger, 425 652. 

Wild, 425. 

Pinicola enucleator leucura, 36 655. 
Pintail’ 597 | 640, 

Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 93 656. 
Pipit, American. 207 650. 

Piranga erythromelas, 107 657. 

rubra, 110 657. 

Plegadis autumnalis, 481 650. 
Plover, American Golden, 483 652. 

Belted Piping, 491 652. 

Black-bellied, 482 652. 

Field, 483 527 

Kildee, 485 

Piping, 490 652. 

Ring, 488 

Semipalmated, 488 652. 

Upland, 527 
Pochard, American. €01 
Podilymbus podiceps, 631 647. 
Polioptila cerulea, 235 660. 
Pocecetes gramineus, 54 656. 


667 


Porzana carolina, 447 650. 
jamaicensis, 451 650. 
noveboracensis, 450 650. 

Progne subis, 272 657. 

Prometheus, 154 

Protonotaria citrea, 114 657. 


Qua-pirp, 477 

Quail, 487 

Quail-head, 63 

Quawk, 477 

Querquedula cyanoptera, 593 640. 
discors, 591 649. 

Quiscalus quiscula zneus, 82 655. 


Rat, Black, 451 650. 
Carolina, 447 
King, 442 650. 
Little Black, 451 
Red-breasted, 442 
Sora, 447 650. 
Virginia, 444 650. 
Yellow, 450 650. 
Rain-crow, 364 
Rallus elegans, 442 650. 
virginianus, 444 650. 
Raven, Northern, 1 655. 
Recurvirostra americana, 537 651. 
Red-bird, 96 
Cardinal, 96 
Summer, 119 
Redhead, 601 640. 
Redpoll, 46 655. 
Common, 46 
Greater, 645 
Redstart, American, 195 650. 
Red-tail, 403 
Western, 405 653. 
Red-wing, 18 
Northern, 21 
Thick-billed, 21 655. 
Reed-bird, 11 
Reeve, 526 
Regulus calendula, 233 660. 
satrapa, 231 660. 
Rice-bird, 11 
Ring-neck, 488 
Riparia riparia, 279 657. 
Rissa tridactyla, 545 648. 
Robin, American, 219 660. 
Golden, 27 
Ground, 93 


. 


608 


Rough-leg, 410 
American, 410, 
Ruff, 526 652. 


SAppLE-BACK, 547 

Sanderling, 515 651. 

Sand-peep, 513 

Sandpiper, Baird, 509 651. 
Bartramian, 527 652. 
Buff-breasted, 530 652. 
Least, 510 651. 
Pectoral, 507 651. 
Purple, 506 651. 
Red-backed, 512 651. 
Semipalmated, 513 651. 
Solitary, 522 651. 
Spotted, 531 652. 
Stilt, 503 651. 
White-rumped, 508 651. 


Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 349 654. 


Sayornis phcebe, 314 654. 

Scaup, Greater, 604 
Lesser, 605 

Scissor-tail, 307 

S 

Scoter, American, 615 640. 
American Black, 615 
Surf, 646 
White-winged, 616 649. 

Scotiaptex nebulosa, 879 653. 

Seiurus aurocapillus, 171 658 
motacilla, 175 650. 


noveboracensis, 173 650. 


notabilis, 642 
Setophaga ruticilla, 195 650. 
Shelldrake, 619 621. 

Red-breasted, 621 

Shite-poke, 474 

Shoveller, 594 640. 

Shrike, Great Northern, 287 
Loggerhead, 289 
Migrant, 289 657. 
Northern, 287 657. 
White-rumped, 299 

Shuffler, 604 

Sialia sialis, 226 

Sickle-bill, 534 

Silver-tongue, 83 

Siskin, American, 49 
Pine, 49 656. 

Sitta canadensis, 240 650. 
carolinensis, 238 650. 


colecophagus carolinus, 30 655. 


pusilla, 241 660. 
Skua, Pomarine, 543 
Snipe, American, 498 

English, 498 

Grass, 507 

Gray, 501 504 

Jack, 498 

Red-bellied, 502 

Red-breasted, 501 

Robin, 504 

Stone, 519 

Wilson, 498 651. 
Snow-bird, 76 
Snowflake, 50 656. 
Somateria dresseri, 613 649. 

spectabilis, 614 640. 
Sora, 447 650. 

Soree, 447 
South-southerly, 612 
Sparrow, Bachman, 79 656. 

Chipping, 71 656. 

Clay-colored, 645 

Domestic, 40 

English, 49 660. 

Field, 74 656. 

Fox, 91 656. 

Grasshopper, 58 656. 

Harris, 65 656. 

Henslow, 60 656. 

Hooded Crown, 65 

House, 40 

Lark, 63 656. 

Leconte, 645 

Lincoln, 88 656. 

Lincoln's Song, 88 

Nelson, 62 656. 

Savanna, 57 656. 

Song, 83 656. 

Swamp, 89 656. 

Tree, 69 656. 

Vesper, 54 

White-crowned, 66 656. 

White-throated, 67 656. 
Spatula clypeata, 594 640. 
Spinus pinus, 49 656. 
Sphyrapicus varius, 849 654. 
Spiza americana, 105 657. 
Spizella monticola, 69 656. 

pallida, 645 

pusilla, 74 656. 

socialis, 71 656. 
Sprig-tail, 597 


Squatarola squatarola, 482 652. 
Squawk, Night, 477 
Stake-driver, 463 

Steganopus tricolor, 541 651, 


Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 281 657. 


Stercorarius parasiticus, 545 647. 
pomarinus, 543 647. 
Sterna antillarum, 567 648. 
caspia, 556 648. 
dougalli, 564 648. 
forsteri, 557 648. 
hirundo, 559 648. 
maxima, 646 
paradisza, 646 
Stilt, Black-necked, 538 651. 
Stint, American, 510 
Stork, American Wood, 480 
Strix pratincola, 8371 653. 
Sturnella magna, 22 655. 
Surnia ulula caparoch, 387 653. 
Swallow, Bank, 279 657. 
Barn, 276 657. 
Chimney, 336 
Clif, 274 657. 
Eave, 274 
Republican, 274 
Rough-winged, 281 657. 
Sea, 559 
Tree, 278 657. 
White-bellied, 278 
Swan, Trumpeter, 573 650. 
Whistling, 571 650. 
Swift, Chimney, 386 654. 
Symphemia semipalmata, 524 652. 
Syrnium varium, 878 653. 


TANAGER, Scarlet, 107 657. 
Summer, 110 657. 
Tantalus loculator, 480 650. 
Tattler, 520 
Lesser, 520 
Long-legged, 519 
Semipalmated, 524 
-Teal, American Green-winged, 590 
Blue-winged, 591 640. 
Cinnamon, 593 640. 
Green-winged, 590 649. 
Teeter-tail, 531 
Telmatodytes palustris, 269 650. 
Tern Arctic, 646 
Black, 568 648. 
Caspian, 556 648. 


669 


Common, 559 648. 
Forster, 557 648. 
Gull-billed, 555 648. 
Least, 567 648. 
Marsh, 555 
Roseate, 564 648. 
Royal, 646 
Wilson's, 559 
Thistle-bird, 47 
Thrasher, Brown, 257 659. 
Thrush, Alice’s, 215 
Golden-crowned, 171 
Gray-cheeked, 215. 660. 
Hermit, 217 660, 
Olive-backed, 216 660. 
Wilson, 214 660. 
Wood, 209 660. 
Thryomanes bewickii, 262 659. 
Thryothorus ludovicianus, 259 650. 
Thunder-Pump, 463 
Tip-up, 531 
Titlark, American, 207 
Titmouse, Black-capped, 245 
Tufted, 242 660. 
Totanus flavipes, 520 651. 
melanoleucus, 519 651. 
Towhee, 93 656. 
Toxostoma rufum, 257 659. 
Tringa canutus, 204 651. 
Trochilus colubris, 334 654. 
Troglodytes aedon, 265 650. 
Tryngites subruficollis, 520, 652. 
Turkey, Water, 480 624. 
Wild, 481 652. 
Turnstone, 494 652. 
Tympanuchus americanus, 435 652. 
Tyrannus tyrannus, 208 654. 


Urta lomvia, 689 647. 


Verrry, 214 

Vireo flavifrons, 300 657. 
gilvus, 298 657. 
noveboracensis, 803 657. 
olivaceus, 294 657. 
philadelphicus, 297 657. 
solitarius, 8302 657. 

Vireo, Blue-headed, 302 657. 
Philadelphia, 297 657. 
Red-eyed, 294 657. 
Solitary, 302 


670 


Warbling, 298 657. 
White-eyed, 203 657. 
Yellow-throated, 300 657. 
Vulture, Black, 423 652. 
Turkey, 419 652. 


Wake-up, 357 

Warbler, Bay-breasted, 150 658. 
Black and White, 112 657. 
Black and Yellow, 148 
Blackburnian, 154 658. 
Black-capped, 193 
Black-poll, 152 658. 


Black-throated Blue, 189 658. 
Black-throated Green, 160 658. 


Blue-winged, 120 657. 
Blue-winged Yellow, 120 
Blue Yellow-backed, 131 
Brewster, 123 642 
Canadian, 194 659. 
Canadian Flycatching, 194 
Cape May, 184 658. 
Cerulean, 145 658. 
Chestnut-sided, 148 658. 
Cincinnati, 642 
Connecticut, 179 650. 
Golden-winged, 124 658. 
Hooded, 188 659. 
Kentucky, 177 650. 
Kirtland, 162 658. 
Lawrence, 642 

Magnolia, 143 658. 
Mourning, 181 650. 
Myrtle, 140 658. 
Nashville, 127 658. 
Northern Parula, 181 658. 
Orange-crowned, 128 658. 
Palm, 167 658. 

Parula, 642 

Pine, 164 658. 
Pine-creeping, 164 
Prairie, 169 658. 
Promethean, 154 
Prothonotary, 114 657. 
Red-poll, 167 

Summer, 135 

Swainson, 645 

Sycamore, 157 658. 
Tennessee, 129 658. 
Wagtail, 167 

Western Parula, 182 658. 
White-browed, 157 


White-browed Yellow-throated, 157 


Wilson, 193 659. 
Worm-eating, 118 657. 
Yellow, 135 658. 
Yellow-bellied Red-poll, 168 
Yellow Palm, 168 658. 
Yellow Red-poll, 167 168 
Yellow-rumped, 140 

Water-Thrush, 173 659. 
Grinnell, 642 
Louisiana, 175 650. 

Water-witch, 631 

Waxwing, Bohemian, 284 657. 
Carolina, 285 
Cedar, 285 657. 

Whippoorwill, 8388 654. 

Whistler, 608 609 

Widgeon, 587 588 640. 
European, 587 

Wigeon, 587 
American, 588 

Willet, 524 652. 

Wilsonia canadensis, 194 650. 
mitrata, 188 650. 
pusilla, 193 650. 

Woodcock, American, 495 651. 


Woodpecker, Arctic Three-toed, 348 654. 


Black-backed Three-toed, 348 
Downy, 345 654. 
Golden-winged, 357 
Hairy, 343 654. 
Ivory-billed, 643 
Northern Pileated, 351 654. 
Pigeon, 357 
Red-bellied, 356 654. 
Red-cockaded, 347 654. 
Red-headed, 353 654. 
Tricolored, 353 

Wren, Bewick, 262 659. 
‘Carolina, 259 650. 
House, 265 650. 
Long-billed Marsh, 269 650. 
Mocking, 259 
Short-billed Marsh, 268 650. 
Winter, 267 650. 


XANTHOCEPHALUS xanthocephalus, 17 655. 


Xema sabinii, 554 648. 


YeLtow-pirp, 47 
Summer, 135 
Yellow-hammer, 357 


Yellow-legs, 520 651. 
Greater, 519 651. 
Yellow-throat, Maryland, 183 

Northern, 183 650. 


ZameEtopra ludoviciana, 99 656. 


Zenaidura macroura, 427 652. 
Zonotrichia albicollis, 67 656. 
leucophrys, 66 656. 
querula, 65 656. 


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