PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION VOL. XI DECEMBER, 1941 NO. 4 OFFICERS OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION President — -Dr, Warren N. Keek, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Vice-President — Mrs. Mary L. Bailey, Sioux City, Iowa Acting See'y-Treas. — Hr. G. 0. Hendrickson, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa Editor — Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa Executive Council; Malcolm McDonald, Fairfield, Iowa Dr. Martin L. Grant, Cedar Falls, Iowa Bruce F. Stiles, Council Bluffs, Iowa Ornithologists* Union wag organized! at Ames, Iowa. February 28 1923, for the study and protection of native birds and to prorrurte fraternal re- lations among Iowa bird >tudentf:. The centra) design of the Union 1 * official seal Ja the Eastern Goldfinch, designated State Bird of Iowa in 1933, of ^A OT1 : Mimeographed letters, 1923-1928; , The Bulletin* 1929-19J0 ; Iowa Bird Life," beginning 1931. SUBSCRIPTION RATES; $1.00 a year {includes membership dues). Single copies 25c each. Claims for missing or defective copies of the magazine should be made within six months of date of issue. Keep the Editor informed of your correct address. EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION OFFICE WINTHROP, IOWA Entered second-clasa matter February 9, 1932, at the post office at Winthrop I™ under the Act of March 3. 1879, IOWA BIRD LIFE — XI, 1041 r>s A CLIFF SWALLOW COLONY Ilmi'ln-il' ui ii k’>t> :i re fjiMetieil In f hi* ruck ivjill i>n tin* \vei*r hank nf Tin- Missouri lliv**r. Tli!ir-t"H £\nnny, N‘ehm>ka [>r. T Sic-^in-i^ i> Omwu Taking pirnm-*. while ^ . Tni't-l! '1 i*n ■! if' the hunt with n husii hm*k Tin* vieiv ie hmkitiif >nmli alimir fin* rivi-c, J f h<>:i._'i':i|ih hy Urin e V. siil.-*, ,1 tt zi— | i CLIFF SWALLOW IN WESTERN IOWA 59 THE NORTHERN CLIFF SWALLOW IN WESTERN IOWA By BRUCE F. STILES STATU I'OXSKItVATin.V nKKM'KK curst ‘IL IJLL’KKS. IOWA During the past ten years the Cliff Swallow ( /V ■h-nHirfithm albifrotis nlhi/mns) has been mentioned in ‘Iowa Bird Life' 20 times. Except for a brief description of the colony at Bluffton by DuMont, it got into print only on Held trip lists, migration records and banding records. In the Bluffton colony DuMont found 275 to 300 nests on July II, 1934. In observations of summer birds in 1939, Robert B. Wallace in refer- ence to swallows says, “The Cliff Swallow was even less common, being found only in Palo Alto, Sioux and Tama Counties/' However he did not visit Missouri River counties. In the ‘Wilson Bulletin' there are II references to this swallow in the past six years. Most writers agree that its numbers were greatly reduced in the middle-west, but that it is now staging a comeback. It is interesting to speculate on how the nucleus that perpetuates any species is able to maintain itself in the face of factors that decimate large populations near the point of extinction. In the case of the Cliff Swallow it may have been the inaccessibility of certain breeding areas o man. Such an area lies a few miles southwest of Sloan, Iowa, and below Flower’s Island, along the Missouri River in a wild and rugged country. The region is characterized by heavily wooded hills and deep gullies. Sandstone cliffs overhang the river. Although not more than 25 or 30 miles from Sioux City, it is comparatively little known. Indians of the Winnebago reservation still camp in its ravines. Fresh beaver cuttings may be seen along the river bank and Turkey Vultures wheel and soar above its rocky escarpments. Bird life is abundant. Here is the an- cestral home of the Cliff Swallow. The vast colony found here may have been a factor in maintaining its population on the prairies. On May 14, 1804, Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark, accompanied by 43 men, set out from St, Louis to explore the vast territory just acquired by the United States through the Louisiana Purchase. On August 10 they stopped near a high bluff overlooking the Nebraska shore. They were told by Indians that near here there had formerly been a large Indian village of over 300 wigwams; that here were buried 1000 members of the tribe, together with their chief, Black Bird, all having died from a scourge of smallpox which had threatened to wipe out the entire settlement. Chief Black Bird, himself deathly sick, and sensing the danger, ordered all the sick killed and the wigwams burned. Then he killed his wife and daughter and ordered that the remaining wan iois bury him alive astride his horse on top of what is now known as Black Bird Hill. That the Indians told this to Lewis and Clark we know to be true, and that they visited his grave, a mound 12 feet long and six feet wide. Indians there now, believe Black Bird's ghost ap- pears one night every year, and on that night they still congregate from miles around to witness the spectacle. Up to 1938 at a point above this spot the river surged over against the hills, where it was turned on edge by the sandstone cliffs and its entire width confined to a deep channel little more than 200 yards wide Through this it flowed with a strong and swift current that has always been referred to by the river men as “hot water”. This spot was easily identified by Audubon on his trip up the Missouri just 39 years after Lewis and Clark. On the night of May 12, 1843, accompanied by four men, Audubon tied up his boat and’ made NESTS OF THE CLIFF SWALLOW In 'h- to picture there are ilir**f-riy overhead. up the fn,. H Lower left Looking north < '■■ u ti c Nebraska. and sliowin f. | '">r rinrht: The siime seel l’hi»fi«tfra|»h> by Brure F. St about -’mi ri^'T' : n was taken with the <>f f he overlintitfi nt Hirf. along t h i- we-t bunk of the Missouri g the effect^ of erosion on the sa mlsroiie le, with a few ne^fs in view, ties. June Li. 1 LI 7 lanu-ra pointing Kiver. Thurston Hills. CLIFF SWALLOW IN WESTERN IOWA 61 camp opposite Black Bird Hill. The next morning, he relates, he passed under cedar-covered bluffs containing clusters of nests which, he believed, belonged to Cliff Swallows. Fred J. Pierce refers to this in his article entitled ‘When Audubon Visited Iowa’, in Vol. VI of Towa Bird Life', pp. 4(3-48. Audubon’s records almost definitely establish the age of this colony of cliff dwellers at not less than 98 years. Quite likely it existed before Lewis and Clark; before Marquette and Joliet; before white men had rossed the Alleghenies, and when the vast territory to the west was little more than a myth. It serves as a connecting link between the past and the present. Early on the morning of June 13, 1937, we started out to make a survey of the colony. Our party included Dr. T. C. Stephens of Morn- ingside College, Slate Conservation Officer W, W, Tvusell, and myself. Going down the Iowa side, we launched our motor boat opposite the bluffs and cruised for several miles up and down the west bank of the river. The colony of Cliff Swallows is scattered out along the cliff for about a mile. We counted the nests as well as we could and concluded there were 2,600 nests in the colony. At one point of concentration there were over 1,500 nests in little more than 100 yards. The air was filled with the birds, which were at the peak of their nesting activities. Both eggs and young were in the nests. Across the face the light-colored bands gave them the appearance of wearing goggles. The retort-shaped nest is made of mud with the spout pointed downward to protect the inside from the weather. The eggs are white, finely speckled with brown. The beauty of this historic spot is now being ruined by the U. S. Army engineers who have erected huge pile-dikes against the base of the cliff in an effort to slow down the current and move it out away from its rock channel. This is a part of the work to make the river navigable for boats that will never use it. I visited the place on April 23, 1941, and found the colony to be greatly reduced, probably disturbed by the construction work. It is not likely that the spot will be entirely abandoned by the swallows, but I doubt if it will ever again regain its former size. Will they scatter out and find other suitable nesting sites? That they may do this is possible. In 1939 I first noticed 20 or 30 Cliff Swallow nests on the stone abutments of the Illinois Central railway bridge crossing the Missouri River at Council Bluffs. In 1940 there were about 100 and in 1941 the colony increased to more than 200 nests. State Conservation Officer John F. Holst has informed me that recently a colony of Cliff Swallows has established itself on the stone abutments under the Blair Bridge on the Missouri River west of Missouri Valley, Iowa. It may be that some of this increase came from the area above Black Bird Hill. As late as 1937 there was a small colony nesting in the bluffs on the west side of the Missouri River about 10 miles above Sioux City. L. Nelson Nichols, writing about the Cliff Swallow in Pearson's 'Birds of America', says: "One very conspicuous place where there was an immense colony was on the face of the high bluffs near the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers. ” This spot is about 100 miles above Sioux City. As I have not seen it in a number of years, I am unable to make a report on its present status, but in my memory it was never as large as the colony above Black Bird Hill. In conclusion I will say that the Northern Cliff Swallow has increased in numbers in western Iowa during the past decade, but it will be in- teresting to note what effect the loss of the great colony above Black Bird Hill will have on the future population here. IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 1041 &2 AVALTEK MELVIX H( )SEXE_ XA1TRAI AST 1880-1 941 By WALTER W, BENNETT 5 nil SOUTH SPRING ST. LOS ANGKLKS, PALIKORXIA The romantic history of the state of Iowa as portrayed in the bi- ogvaphies of its citizens not only has interested many a reader, but the life story of one of its leaders who was eminently successful in home, in business, m ornithology, in civic affairs, has proved a great inspiration to others, 6 t Charles Rosen e of Ogden, Iowa, realize on December 17, that his new-born son was destined to be such a leader. For Iowa was then rural, and Ogden only a small community serving its laim territory. His business was that of harness-maker When the son was born to his good wife, Augusta, he was proud and hoped the lad would become a good harness-maker, too. But he became much more. He grew up with his “home town” and then reached out to grow with his state of Iowa. Many men have said they owed much of their success to the farm ™ 1 .°. f ^ en ' It gave them basic knowledge of !. * %a| uuble ideals and a good physique for exercise of their ambi- lonS j - ^ nd it was that young Walter M. Rosene grew up and grad- uated from the Ogden high school in 1896. Until 1901 he worked'with ^ „ fa h |!;; 'i 1 ® ha >r eR s business. Then he was employed in a whole- ,n C hl 5 a eo in 1901 and 1902, but longed for his f i lends back in Iowa. So he returned in that latter year, and became bookkeeper for the City State Bank of Ogden. It was an important step in his life. He wanted to “work up” and his reward was tne presidency of the institution, held until he retired ' He WaS acknp wledged a good bank president and took an active pan; in meetings of the Iowa Bankers^ Association. His excel- lent management was praised by the State Banking Department ' So nrofdiimtd ?? l £ stlt j^. lon _ that chafed much over the “bank holiday” pi otlaimed by Franklin D. Roosevelt for the whole United States, and 1 k p ™mptly. Aft ^ r retiring he continued serving his com- whirh^ra 11 ' n USineSS pur ^ asin £ an(i operating an insurance agency J h rapi f Iy f? v A \° Wh,ch waa added the collecting of light and v-atei bills for the Ogden municipal plant. activity * * \ n Z 7**1 Ros ^ ne took a ver ^ prominent part in church activities m Ogden where he was one of the most loyal supporters of and He san *. m its choir - ta ^ht in its Sunday School, Ifltirs l a h^h S K m t ny co . mm,t 1 tees - , He was al *o very active in civic ^ , s a hobby he gathered a valuable collection of United State* on "he hUto^y o^hfsTount^ USed them t0 illustrate talta wit> 0S fr,', m ^fiTF t ,J'l h c- '‘f 6 Wa \ hls fi J>* judgment in selecting a good ‘ f° Miss Fieda Karlen, whom he married December 24 1903 5 e j i . ] untl1 her death, September 22, 1939, most devoted and a Theodor/? ? r hls / ome and family - Except for one daughter, Theodora. wh° died in infancy, their children were given a collegeedu- th ’ wifTof Re7inln% a ^ in f d The the "ife of Reg nald A. Cook, electrical engineer with General Electric Co Schenectady Xew York, where she is active in social welfare sTa^Xo^eaeTt 4,m U es 10r ’ (W j ! P r Ro . s ? n ®< •*>'■>, graduated from Iowa Kathrvn rf,J A ; e "/ a ?™- ln ornithological research, married Miss £ Gadsden llah^mf tv, 19 l 7 > and is n0 "' in governmental service was verv p^oud y ’* ° ne S ° n ° f whom the grandfather WALTER MELVIN ROSENE Go Walter melvix rosene (From n i.hotnt:r;ij.li iukt*n about To this family and its welfare Walter M. Rosene was very devoted. He was a father to be emulated. It is well remembered how faithfully he tried to obtain a cure for Thyra when she almost lost her life from poison ivy, how much attention he gave to both son and daughter dur- ing the growing period of their lives, and of the kindness and gentle- ness with which he cared for his faithful wife during her several years of entire helplessness following an automobile accident. His place as a father is shown in one of his last letters written in Mav 1941, in which he wrote: ^ ls ’ ^ osene died in September, 1939, I have maintained my old home and have had housekeepers. That is an expensive way of living but I hate to leave the old home which I built when I was married 37 years ago. I am expecting my children home in September for our annual reunion. We all met in Schenectady in lJ.^J and in Alabama in 1940 and now this will be the year we meet in good old Iowa, That is the way we rotate and that gives us all a chance to see each other once a year. I have a grandson down in Alabama who is almost a year old now and he is the best in the world. I was down and saw him at Christmas time and can hardly wait until I can see him again." IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 1941 114 The reunion, though, was different. He died September 14, 1941, at the Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, from complications fol- lowing an operation. Although his letters of two months before in- dicated he may have thought something wrong, the end was a sudden shock to his many Iowa friends. But it was in another sphere of activity in which he attained greatest renown, that of Rosene, the Naturalist. His untiring ambition and perseverance achieved for him a place among Iowa’s best ornithologists of all time. His was not that of the office chair and laboratory but that of hard labor in the field. His ornithology was not taxonomy, not distribution, not compilation, but bird behavior, and his accomplish- ments in that placed him among the best in the Middle West. Some men trace the beginning of their ornithological work to an environment of early years; others, to inspiration of some person. With Rosene it undoubtedly was both. The bird life of his own farming community, ever present and ever active, must have provided an in- terest as it does with most of those in such a region. He himself has often said, with his usual humor, that the business of banking gave him an interest in birds for he “was always chasing tame ducks," i.e., those debtors who were behind in payments I But undoubtedly another ornithologist, the late Carl Fritz Henning, was first to thoroughly arouse his interest in bird life. Later, while attending meetings of the old Iowa Conservation Society, he met other ornithologists and, with them and others, took an active part in organizing the present Iowa Ornith- ologists’ Union in 192J. He was not only a Charter Member but be- came its first President and was reelected for a second two-year term. The others he met through this association no doubt gave him much inspiration for his work. At the convention of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union in 1924, Rosene and Walter W. Bennett planned a scientific trip into the Stump Lake and Devil s Lake region of North Dakota. It was this expedition that gave him a start in the photography of bird life and lecturing, as well as much added information and new methods in the study of bird be- havior. (See ‘Wilson Bulletin', June, 1926, pp. 65-79). The trip, in June 1924, was a three-weeks' battle with mud roads, camping in adverse weather, and with other discomforts, all of which Rosene took with hearty enjoyment and with a consistent sense of humoi . He wanted to take a better kind of photographs, having only his postcard-size kodak. It was suggested he obtain a portrait lens by which (with help in composition, exposure and bird behavior) he ob- tained a creditable set of negatives of water birds and nests. Upon returning home Bennett made from them and colored by hand Rosene's first set of slides to use in lecturing to his friends. This opened up a new field, for now he could share with others his great enjoyment over the things his research revealed of bird life. Through the next 17 years Rosene did much in ornithology. He consistently studied behavior, migration, nesting and the economic status of birds not only in his own Ogden territory; but made many expeditions to other parts of Iowa. He kept accurate and detailed records and gathered an excellent library of still and motion pictures to illustrate his findings. He published frequent articles in various scientific periodicals but preferred the more modern and more effec- tive visual way of explanation. He was greatly in demand as a lecturer and contributed much to ornithology by that method. He planned also to write a book on the birds of central Iowa, using his own observations and photographs, and would have probably begun work on the manu- script within a year if he had been spared. Rosene's favorite organization was the Towa Ornithologists’ Union. After serving as its first President he continued most faithful and was always one of the moving spirits in anything that promoted its vvel- WALTER MELVIN ROSEN E fij fare,” Hu had the distinction of being the only member to attend every one of its 19 annual conventions. He was frequently a leader of its field trips and served as Secretary-Treasurer from May, 1940, until his death. To the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union went part credit for obtaining the change from the old, unsatisfactory game warden system to that of the Iowa Fish and Game Commission, and Rosene, as a member of the Executive Council of the Union at the time, voted in favor of the change. Later, in 1934, he became a member of that same Commission, when he was appointed by the Governor to fill the unexpired term of J. N. (“Ding"') Darling when the latter resigned to become Chief of the Federal Bureau of Biological Survey. Rosene served for 15 months and his influence did much for Iowa bird life. Walter Rosene also served as Treasurer of the Wilson Ornithological Club from 1930 to 1035. He taught for many summers in the Ameri- can School of Wildlife Protection at McGregor, Iowa. He was a mem- ber of the Boone County Conservation Association, the Iowa Authors' Club and the Numismatist Society, One of his last activities was to accept an invitation of Mrs. Toni Wendelburg of the Des Moines city schools to act as judge of their Junior Exhibit of bird feeding trays at the Iowa State Fair in August, 1941. Many ornithologists knew Walter Rosene best in the field where he was always ready to do his share of a job to be performed and was most considerate. His perfect physique made it possible to study bird activities under trying conditions with the utmost perseverance. His ambition for research was dynamic. He would patiently sit cramped in a blind for hours to discover how a bird would act. He was exact in observation. Many an hour would pass with photographic failure but he was always optimistic about the future. He once said. “Hawks and owls seem to be my long suit”; and recently he wrote that “my I1RKAKKAST AT (’MASK LAKE. NOKTII DAKOTA Walter W, Bennett | left | ansi Waller M, Rosene, phntmgritphod on an nmiiholotfirnl trip. June J A . ('amp wim math* here m study ii ruin nr of While Pcdlrnhs. Cor- morant:*. ('alifnrmu (inlL ami Avorets tin tin island n [hr lake. Later, the two men made a trip to western Srlirtiska to study tlir Prairie Chiekeri. Einseiie made anorlier trip northern Minnesota to visit eulonies of ('mnnion Trtii', Aside from these outside trips, lliisen r’ v work wsis purely [owan and he deVoied ll i ^ time to tile birds of ht> home slate. IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 1941 < >(> wildest escapade was my trip to Lansing, Iowa, where I photographed nesting Duck Hawks while suspended on a rope on the face of a cliff just 400 feet over the Mississippi River, That was a dizzy job and one I never will forget but I got my pictures anyway and that is what I went after. I banded those four young Duck Hawks and think they are the first and only Duck Hawks ever banded in Iowa.” Those who have heard Walter Rosene in one of his lectures— and there are many thousands — will remember him as an excellent speaker with good voice and a high degree of personal magnetism. His sense of humor was most refreshing in its originality. His subject matter usually concerned the birds of his home state and his fine explanation of them raised his public educational work to the highest class. His photography, too, was superb and he stood as one of the very best wildlife photographers in the Middle West. And so, when the little town of Ogden, Iowa, stopped on September 16, 1941, to pay tribute and to lay Walter M. Rosene to rest in its cemetery, his life-long friends said he had been “a citizen of unim- peachable integrity, of exemplary industry, and of unquestioned patriot- ism”. They knew he was not only theirs but was claimed also by the State of Iowa. They knew he was one of the Midwest's best ornith- ologists, They knew he had contributed much to the public education of his state and had achieved vast results in conserving that wildlife of Iowa which every one of them enjoyed. And they paid fitting tribute 1 1922. 1925. 1926. Bibliography or Walter M. Rosene A Night Flight in Iowa. Bird-Lore, 24 (5) : 275. The Arkansas Kingbird in Central Iowa, Wilson Bulk, 37 (3) : 172. Notes on the Shore Birds of Central Iowa. Wilson Bull., 37 (4) : 206-208. Bob-white a True and Faithful Father, Wilson Bulk, 38 (1): 38-39. 1927. Warbler Records for 1925 from Central Iowa. Wilson Bull., 39 ( 1 ) : 43. 1928. An Unusual Flight of Geese. Wilson Bulk, 40 {3) : 199 (with W'alter W. Bennett). 1929. (No title) A note on geese at Ogden, Iowa. Bulk Ta. Ornith. Union, (4) : 24, 1930. (No title) A note on relation of snakes to nesting birds. Bulk la. Ornith. Union, (5): 27-28. 1931. A Timely Warning. Iowa Bird Life, 1 (1) : 13. 1932. A Bit of History. Iowa Bird Life, 2 (1): 3-5, 1934. My Neighbor of the Meadow. Iowa Bird Life, 4 (2) : 15-16. 1935. Mourning Dove Reports. Iowa Bird Life, 5 (3): 41. 1936. Midsummer Records of the Short-billed Marsh Wren, Iowa Bird Life, 6 (1) : 6, A Battle of the ‘Speed Demons' of the Air. Iowa Bird Life 6 <3>: 42. (Bird Notes in the Mimeographed Letters of the Iowa Ornith- ologists’ Union, 1926-1928). Iowa Bird Life, 6 (4): 48-53. In this series there are notes bv Rosene in Letters Nos. 15, 17, 18 and 22. Matching Wits with the Birds. Leisure Mag., 3 (3): 13-16. The Red-shafted Flicker in Boone County, Iowa. Wilson Bulk, 48 (3) : 219-220. 1937. The Last Chicken Hunt. Nature Mag., 30 (6) : 342-343. 1940. The Dubuque Convention. Iowa Bird Life, 10 (2) : 22-25, Two Good Lists at Ogden. Iowa Bird Life, 10 (2): 30. 1941. Filming the Elusive Bell’s Vireo. Iowa Bird Life, 11 (1): 2-5. A Report on the Annua! Convention. Iowa Bird Life 11 (2) ■ 32-35. (Mr. Kn^ni’ Oi'ileTi. luw'u. ri yi'iir from i 1 1 2 r; ]niLIMi,-I, \W ii-ujilly it nii-mhtr nf i In- jmrTy tiikins ( "h 1 - 1*1 unis bird rrnsu.se* frnm lid hi -■ ruiiiu- appears in iln< pnHiMinl report* in 1 Ri rd-Lore" almost every U' lino. He ;ibi) \vrm** n*u| him hie ;irnl mini* 1 nf hi* pot-ms vv r r e have mi hi 1,1 ins rfi I'll i c:l 1 d;iUi nn these nr nn newspaper items, — F- .1. P j WALTER MELVIN R0SENE 67 THK LAST CHICKEN HUNT* By WALTER M. ROSENE I J.IASTliATIOX BY ft. BIUVE HORSt'ALL The first settlers to cross the Mississippi and come into Iowa found the flora and fauna of the great prairies so rich and abundant that they thought there would be no end of this great storehouse. Dotting the landscape were thousands of sloughs, marshes and “pot holes*’* Here in the dense growth of cat-tails, bulrushes and blue-flag were the ducks, and other dwellers of the marsh, filling the air with their lively chatter. The music that can come from an Iowa marsh was known only to those sturdy pioneers. Vast acres of blazing-star, prairie clover and purple cone flowers nodded gaily in the breeze. On the uplands the long prairie grasses bowed before the wind and waved like billows on a vast ocean. “Prairie Pigeons,” Golden Plovers, were plentiful, and wafted on the summer breeze came the sweet soft call of the Upland Plover and the louder call of the Long-billed Curlew. There was life everywhere. The bird of the upland prairie that filled the larder of many a hungry pioneer family was the Prairie Chicken. They were here in countless thousands. Their weird “booming” indicated that spring had come, and with it the mating time for the’ chickens. The males would then select an open spot on the prairie where they would go through their strutting and courtship antics while the coy females looked on from the nearby bunches of prairie grass. This booming, like the tolling of a deep-toned bell, resounded over the prairies everywhere, W ith the coming of the railroad in Iowa, telegraph wires were strung like a web across the state, and many chickens were killed by flying against this new and strange obstruction. The section men working on the railroad could always find a plentiful supply of fresh meat by picking up the chickens along the tracks under the wires. My father, being one of the early pioneers of Boone County, in central Iowa, used to enjoy telling me of the incidents that occurred then, and one of these stories concerned the last organized Prairie Chicken hunt in our county. My old friend, W. H. Crooks, of Boone, Iowa, is now the only survivor who took part in that great hunt, and recently I stood at his bedside in the Boone Hospital and listened to the same story that my father used to tell me. Far too many of the stories of those days have been lost and forgotten, but this one should live, for it deals with the Prairie Chicken, the greatest of all upland game birds. It also portrays what Iowa was, and what Iowa is today. In those early pioneer days, there was a great deal of rivalry in every community as to who was the best marksman and the best hunter. Every man and boy aspired to be the best shot in the county, and they had plenty of practice as there was an abundance of all kinds of game. It was a custom each fall to have an organized chicken hunt. The two best hunters would “choose up sides” and the losing side would have to give a banquet at the leading hotel for the winners. This was a great event of the year and one always anticipated with much en- thusiasm. Boonesboro was then the county seat. The small village of Montana, near by, was later destined to become Boone and the present county seat. My father worked in a harness shop in Boonesboro from 1870 to 18(4. When he later told me these fascinating stories during my boy- hood days in Ogden, Iowa, he did not tell me the exact date of the last hunt but said that it was sometime during those four years. I asked -Ii. Ci ooks at the hospital and he said, “The date on the gravestone * lti*priuit*(l h y |)*rnii*Mf>fi of NATURE MAGAZINE, from X, n. |i| f . :{4Z:i4;i). ruiiynsrht. LICIT. l.v Ami-mtm Thi> |i:i r nils liy rlir imihnr jit tin* ronveimon nf I niiin, h’iiirtit-M. Inwsi. Mny H. it* DeefrirWr. 1937. issue Xiiture Assm-uinon, flit* low* Orriithrjlo^ijjta 1 IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 11)41 fiS of Gene Soule out in the cemetery will settle that.” 1 drove to the cemetery, and after searching for some time finally found an old, weather-beaten marker on which the dates were barely legible. Dimly I read — “Born June 2 1849—Died Aug 15 1872,” This 23-year-old Eugene Soule, commonly called “Gene,” was the local gunsmith in Boonesboro, and was also considered one of the best shots in the county. He was accordingly chosen as captain of one side. Each side had an equal number of hunters and the hunt was to last three days. They assembled near the old court house and scores of people were out to see them start and to wish them success. Father watched them from the front door of the Goetzman harness shop as they started, four or five loads in each party. They used spring wagons, three-seated buggies and single buggies. Mr. Crooks, being then but 12 years of age, was too young to be a member of the hunting party, but by consistent begging he was finally allowed to go as the driver of one of the rigs. Young “Willie” Crooks was much elated, for his father was one of the hunters and he wanted to “go with Dad” to see him shoot chickens. Their party drove south- west of Boonesboro, across the Des Moines River to Marcy and the surrounding townships just south of what is now Ogden. The other party went northwest from Boonesboro. also crossing the Des Moines River, and hunted up in the northwest part of the county. It was a happy, jovial group of hunters and dogs that started on that morning of August 13, 1872, each bent on killing the greater number of chickens. If there happened to be a farm house on a section they would go in at that corner of the farm and would hunt right through that section. “Willie” Crooks would then drive the team around the section and meet the hunters after they had crossed the farm. The whirr of wings and the rapid shots were music to the ears of the men and boys. The dogs were all trained retrievers and few birds were lost. At night they would stay either at some farm house, or sleep in the hay loft of a barn. Tin-: IMKlJ n)' THE ['i'LAXD PRAIRIE THAT KILLED THE LARDER OK MANY A HfNOKY PIONEER KAMILY WAS THE I'KAIRIE ( [IH KKV WALTER MELVIN ROSENE GO For three days the hunt continued. There seemed to be no end of chickens. Gene Soule had a “brown hunting dog” that was a good one, and Gene, being a good shot, got plenty of birds. Late in the afternoon of the third day the parties began to return to the old Occidental Hotel in Boonesboro where the banquet was to be held. One by one the wagons tilled with men and dogs and chickens arrived. The chickens were counted and a careful record was kept of them all. The last load to arrive was the one containing Gene Soule and his “brown hunting dog.” The awaiting crowd was tense with excitement for the kill of Gene Soule and his party decided the winners. With loaded gun in hand, he sprang from the light wagon, and placing his firearm against the wheel, he called to the nearest group asking how many chickens they had shot. After hearing their reply he loudly shouted, “That’s nothing, I shot 55 myself.” As he did so, he slapped his hand on his thigh with a resounding smack. His dog, still in the wagon, thinking that he was being called, leaped toward his master and landed on the loaded gun against the side of the wheel. The gun was discharged into the side of Gene's ace and he fell, a victim of the two things that he loved the best— his own gun and his “brown hunting dog.” He was carried to the Occidental Hotel where he died. Suffice it to say there was no ban- quet there that night. My father, standing across the street in the doorway of the harness shop, -was a witness of the scene, as was also Willie Crooks. A total of about 1,500 chickens were shot by both parties in this three-day hunt, and these were now given away to the citizens of Boonesboro. The men dispersed and there never was another organized chicken hunt in Boone County. In fact, even single individual hunters were scarce for some time after this tragic hunt. During the 65 years that have passed since that day, great changes have taken place in central Iowa. The prairies of waving tall grass have been broken and now one sees little but endless miles of waving cornfields. With the passing of the prairie grass we have also witnessed the passing of the Prairie Chicken. No more do we hear the booming in the springtime or the whirr of wings in the autumn. The passing of this great upland bird from Iowa has been a tragedy. Where once 1.500 could be killed in a single hunt, now not a single nesting pair can be found, As I knelt in the deep snow of the cemetery, trying to read the in- scription on the gravestone of Gene Soule, I wondered whether some day there might not be others kneeling before a monument somewhere, reading the date of the death of the last Prairie Chicken. I am afraid that that date is not far off. CARL FRITZ HEXNIXG PASSES In the death of Carl Fritz Henning, which occurred at Boone, Iowa, September 15, 1941. there was severed a definite link between the old school of ornithology and the new, Mr. Henning belonged to that group of old-time students who were actively pursuing their hobby of bird watching and egg collecting in Iowa a half century ago. The first bird society in this state, the Iowa Ornithological Association, was born in 1894 and flourished for four years. Mr. Henning and his colleagues of those days received their incentive and enjoyed many pleasurable days through the contacts that grew out of their pioneer organization. Carl Fritz Henning's interest in birds and nature was deep-rooted and lasted through life. In June of 1922 Walter Rosene and Chas. J, Spiker camped for four days with Mr. Henning in the Ledges State Park. On that trip history was made, for Mr. Henning told them about the early Iowa bird so- IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 1941 70 eiety, and the seeds for the present Iowa Ornithologists' Union were sowed and took root the following year. Mr. Henning it was who gave Walter Rosene his initial interest in birds. The two men were com- 1 panions on many bird trips in or near the Ledges. It is perhaps a strange coincidence that Mr. Henning's death occurred one day after Mr. Rosene s. Carl Fritz Henning was born in Germany, March 14, 18(55, and came to this country when seven weeks old. His parents settled at Boone, Iowa, where he received his education and spent most of his life. The Ledges State Park was established in 1921 and Mr. Henning was ap- pointed its custodian, a position which he held for two decades — until i few months before his death. As park custodian serving thousands of visitors yearly, he became widely known. In this capacity, and by virtue of his well-rounded knowledge and entertaining personality, he was able to interest and instruct the public in nature lore, and to spread the lessons of wildlife conservation far and wide. He was an artist, an author, and a true naturalist. I well remember the last time I saw him — on October 6, 1939. With Mr. and Mrs. My rle Jones, my wife and I spent an evening in his library. The walls of this room in his Ledges Park home were lined with heavily- laden book-shelves. He showed us the journals of his early bird studies, 10 l l voluminous notes illustrated by his own pen drawings, each book kept with great care and neatness. How his face lighted up and his eyes sparkled as he recounted those experiences of the 1880‘s and JO s! Carl Fritz Henning is now of the past, but his name will be revered as long as there is active interest in the ornithology of Iowa —FRED. J. PIERCE. notes ox distinctive bird residents of NORTHEASTERN IOWA By OSCAR P. ALBERT GtARD. vi it MfGREGOR. IOWA Twenty-eight years ago. Miss Althea R. Sherman published notes on various birds in this area, which in the classification of life zones are termed Carolinian. As pointed out in the article, the northward pro- jection of the Upper Austral Zone extends up the Mississippi River to latitude 44 degrees, its northern boundary approximately coinciding with that of the “driftless area", that territory of about 10,000 square miles which during the glacial epoch escaped the leveling caused by the great ice sheets. The portion of this area in Iowa is a narrow strip bordering on the Mississippi River, extending down from the Minnesota border through Jackson County. It embraces all of Alla- makee County and about two-thirds of Clayton County. The land bordering the Mississippi River, and most of the tributary rivers and creeks, is rough and rugged, with steep hills, deep ravines and rock- faced bluffs. In these two counties, portions of the vast timber belt that foi merly extended inland from five to ten miles remain. The steep rocky bluffs facing the Mississippi River, in most part, retain their original wildness. It may be of interest to record my notes on certain birds, Carolinian in character, together with others, made during nearly 20 years in the field. The territory covered in my notes extends along the Mississippi River through both Clayton and Allamakee Counties, and approximately ten miles inland. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, f'^ithirun cunjitinrs, This woodpecker is a common summer resident in the timber-covered bluffs facing the Mississippi River, on the river bottom-lands, and slightly less so to the BIRDS OF NORTHEASTERN IOWA 71 edge of the timber belt, I have for years noted an increase in num- bers in late fall, and their notes are a familiar sound in the snow- bound timber during the winter, A slight migratory movement would be indicated. Over a period of years I have noted a fluctuation in summer residents. ACADIAN b CATCHER, htnpifftnntj' vlrrxccti.s. a tolerably common summer resident. A denizen of dark ravines and thick timber, this bird is a difficult one for sight identification. Happily, its peculiar notes are a diagnostic feature, especially its explosive sneeze, like “pee-yuk, seemingly given with great difficulty, with trembling wings and with the bill pointed straight up. Choosing two years when I was quite active in the field, during May, June, July and August in 1928, 1 lound this flycatcher on 33 days. In 1929 for the same period I found it on 22 days. The area covered was heavy timber south of Oiard, in Clayton County. For a considerable number of years, mostly in the month of August. Dr. Charles R. Keyes has observed nests of the year in the area bordering the Mississippi River in both Clayton and Allamakee Counties. TUFTED TITMOUSE, Bnmlaphtix hi color. Seldom met with and re- mains uncommon in this area. I have but one summer record and only a lew for winter. Though my records are not numerous. 80 percent are for the months of October, November and December. CAROLINA WREN. Thrpothnnix fittloricitninx huh vidua tut. A summer resident in small numbers, there being one positive breeding record near Waukon Junction in Allamakee County, July 27. 1934. All recent records are restricted to the Mississippi shore line in Allamakee County. n v^iV'ioin 8, 1 Saw a palr at the same site of the 1934 nesting. k ^ one was ; seen one-half mile south of Waukon Junction by F. J Pierce, Rev. M. C. Melcher and me. On May 9, 1941, at the same place, two were heard singing by Rev. Melcher, Walter Pike and me. Spring and fall records in the interior are very uncommon. Miss a n/ eW N ? tlo " al ' an : 28. 1940. Kentucky Warbler, Carolina Wren and Duck Hawk in Alla- makee County. Iowa Bird Life, 10 (2) : 27. Sherman, Althea R. 1908. The “Farthest North" Record of the Cardinal in Iowa. Wilson Bull., 20 (2) ; 102. 1909. Five Notes from the Upper Mississippi Valley. Wilson Bull., 21 (3) : 155-158. Carolinian Avifauna in Northeastern Iowa. Auk, 30 (1): 77-81. The Increase of the Cardinal in the Upper Mississippi Val- ley. W'ilson Bull., 25 (3): 150-151. 1913. CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS How TO MA KK A CHRISTMAS BIRD CHXSl'S Bv MYRLE L. JONES History, Christinas bird censuses have proved popular with bird Students in all parts of the United States, and recent numbers of 'Bird-Lore' ( first to use the idea) even include lists from Hawaii and other countries. Enviable records on Iowa birds have been compiled by Fred J. Pierce, who for more than 20 years has taken a Christmas bird census in north- east Iowa. During this time he observed 4 0 species. The greatest number of species for any census was 24 in 1020; the least, 7 species In 1921.* Why, To the regular readers of the Towa Bird Life' it is super- fluous to explain why anyone should compile a mid-winter bird list, but for the newer members it might be well to explain that such lists compiled in many localities year after year will provide much destr- ble scientific information. Not only do many people attach scientific value to the census but it serves as a safety valve. What fishing or duck hunting is to some, the Christmas bird census is to others. Make it a game, but remember that even games are regulated by rules. If the rules are followed, the census will be scientific as well as providing the finest type of recreation. How, Such a field trip should be well organized. If you are not familiar with the territory, invite a hunter friend or an older boy scout. They can help you and you can expose them to the hard-biting bird bug. It is much better If the territory can be carefully inspected at frequent intervals before the climax “bird hunt”, for" one will not wish to waste time on this trip. Many bird students are reasonably sure that they will find Cardinals in this thicket or an owl in that be- cause they have gone over the field many times. Many of our bird friends whom we chose to call permanent and winter residents range over but a few acres throughout the winter season. Thus, it is but a matter of learning their “street and number”, then calling on all your friends in that district on the census day. You will, of course, want to include all sorts of habitat from prairie roadsides and hilltops to marshlands, rivers, and lakes, if possible. Not infrequently someone thinks that with an early start in the morn- ng the trip should end at noon. Hardly! If you cant hike as you could some years back, do part of your birding from an auto. Not until dark should the hike end, and even then owls will often be missed if one does not listen for them quite late in the evening. Personal comfort. Such a trip need not involve great hardships and personal discomfort. On the contrary, it should be an event to look forward to from one season to the next. It often hanpens, however at someone does not dress warmly enough, and cold hands or fee" draw all interest from the purpose of the hike. The inner man, too. must be satisfied, and the hour out for lunch will often be one of the nriost profitable hours of the day. It should not be difficult to find some sheltered nook, start a fire and warm up both internally and externally while both eye and ear remain alert to bird activity of the neighborhood. The writer has many times enjoyed such a mid-winter "picnic”— not so much for what it does for the inner man or what it adds to the bird ls ~ because it brings closer together friends with a common interest. Technique. Just as you can identify a dog by his bark or a train by its whistle, so you can depend upon the ear to help identify your birds. But here the matter is not quite so simple. Some of the wood- nec ker cal l s are easily confused by the amateur bird student, and even -WiniKr liinl> i >f XorrhfiisTern b>wn\ br Vrvd J Pi^ rt > .Si iPiKf. Vol. -IT, KUO. jijj. :J7J S*3. in I J rppi\ Imvii Arad, 74 IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 194 L cause the old-timer trouble at times. One should, therefore, employ every reasonable means available for accurate identification if there seems to be any doubt, rn this connection be prepared to take any desirable notes on the spot. A good field guide should also be used freely. Never forget that a mistaken identity will go on record as fact. In your enthusiasm to see a rare species which you would very much like to see, do not cease to maintain a scientific attitude. Records. Many of the field notes will be taken under difficulty. It will, therefore, be an advantage to develop an efficient system of re- cording the birds as seen. The experts do not agree on which is the best method. Some prefer a pocket notebook in which each species is entered as seen and additional counts added so that the total for any species is always the last figure entered. Others use only a printed check list such as is prepared by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union and is obtainable at one-half cent each. The ncortl is the important thing, not the method. If any unfamiliar species cannot be identified on the spot, brief notes about its size, color, markings, call notes and habitat should be made at the time, not left to the memory. Publication. After your list has been compiled you will want to share it with others. Send it to the editor of ‘Audubon Magazine,’ first reading carefully the instructions and rules which they have set forth. The as prepared for them will also be accepted by ‘Iowa Bird Lite.’ \ou will enjoy comparing your census figures with others throughout the stale. The editor of ‘Iowa Bird Life' has made com- parison easy for us by preparing a table which shows the tabulated results of all the reports. Reward. If, by careful search and stealthy stalking, you overtake a flock of Pine Siskins, you need no further reward for that search. Or if, like the writer, you have gone many times in search of fertile biid fields and on the census hike flush 40 Cardinals from your favorite thicket, you have a picture which will never fade and you may go re- peatedly to that same spot with the hope that some day you may see 45 Cardinals, In case it has been possible for you to maintain one or move bird feeding-stations, you will surely want to check on these, although it is not likely that any rare species will be thus added unelss quad or pheasants are uncommon in your area. Should your list be small, you may have to be satisfied with knowing that at least you portrayed the bird population as you found it, and did not fall victim to blind competition for numbers by stulTing the records with what just might have been a rare specimen but which you honestly r el t was doubtful. It often happens that the records of many census-takers contain some errors and not a few species which just couldn’t be found. So if you are not a recognized authority on Iowa birds, try to take it like a true sportsman if the editor (who must often perform his painful duty) decides to call it an out ’ and leaves \ our pet rare species off the list. GENERAL NOTES Records from McGregor, — Duck Hawks were sighted frequently in the Pikes Peak region in 1941, A Red-breasted Nuthatch was ob- served on September 10, 1941, at Pike's Peak. Next dav an adult male Bald Ea^Ie was seen. Approximately 30 American Egrets were ob- served along the Mississippi on the morning of September 11, 1940, and a flight of about 40 Bro^d-winged Hawks was observed on Sep- tember 20.— GLENN R. DOWNING and FRED HUEBSCH, JR„ Mc- Gregor, Iowa, RECENT BIRD BOOKS f 0 Birds in a Des Moines Garden.— I had numerous Interesting experi- ences with birds in 11)41. My Cardinals raised six broods; there were 15 young Cardinals and 2 Cowbirds. I saw a great flock of warblers, over 200 birds, in my garden on September lb; I counted 8 species. On the afternoon of September 21 there was a flock of over 400 birds in my rear garden for about 25 minutes, then they were "gone with the wind.” There were many warblers (4 or 5 species), Goldfinches, Chickadees, and others, and their warbling and twittering was very loud. On the morning of October 20, there was another visitation. This time I saw Myrtle Warblers, Goldfinches, White- throated Sparrows, Slate-colored Juncos, etc. They twittered for a half hour, then most of them disappeared.— MRS. TQNT R. WENDELBURG, Des Moines, Iowa. Fall Shore Birds of the Conesville Marsh Area, Louisa County. On the 20th and 21st of September, 11)41, many shore birds were ob- served on the shallow lakes of the Conesvflle Marsh in Louisa County. Iowa— perhaps the largest number that there has been in the fall for the last few years. The Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs were partic- ularly abundant. Many Semi pal mated and Least Sandpipers were seen. Of particular interest were a flock of 4 Golden Plovers, a flock of 6 Long-billed Dowitchers, and 2 Stilt Sandpipers. Due to the fall plum- age, many species could not be identified because of the distance at which they were observed; but the above observations were made at close range and identifications were positive. This is the first time I have noted the Stilt Sandpiper in this area, and the second occasion when we have had Long-billed Dowitchers in the fall. Many ducks, the most common being the Blue- winged Teal and the Pin-tail had arrived in this area in considerable by September 2d, 1941. However, no specimens of Wood Ducks had been noted at that date; this was very out of the ordinary, as at that season of the year it is usual to have them in extremely large numbers. The year 1941 was especially good for the American Egret, and in this area flocks of fi to ID were common from the first part of August. — JACK WARREN MUSGROVE, Museum Director, State Historical Museum. Des Moines, Iowa. RECENT BIRD BOOKS THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, by John James Audubon: with a fore- word and descriptive captions by Wm, Vogt (Macmillan Company. New York City, 1941; Imperial Ed., cloth, frontispiece & 435 colored plates + 26 pp. ; price, $4.95), Four years ago the Macmillan Company published the set of 500 Audubon bird paintings in an edition which sold for $12.50 (reviewed in Towa Bird Life' for 1937. pp. 54-55). That printing was the first set of Audubon published since the last century, and it was a full hundred years after the publication of the original "Elephant Folio" of Audubon’s bird paintings. The Macmillan Company states that they did not expect the book to have sufficient popular appeal ever to war- rant another printing. Yet the demand has been insistent and con- tinued, which bespeaks the never-dying popularity of the great bird artist as well as the universal interest in the subjects which he so deftly depicted with his brush. The new Imperial Edition of 50,000 copies of the ‘Birds of America’ plates was made available in October of this year. Due to the great cost of producing the color engravings, the 1937 printing was a publishing venture of the first magnitude. Since this expense has been absorbed, the present book can be sold for less than half of the price of the former edition. It thus should reach many persons who did not feel able to purchase the more ex- pensive book. Although printed from the same plates as the 1937 edition, it is IOWA BIRD LIFE— XI, 1941 not a literal reprint, for <35 plates which appeared in the other book are omitted m this one. The Imperial Edition contains the 435 plates first published in the famous “Elephant Folio”. The 65 paintings which Audubon made on his Missouri River expedition in 1843, and at sub- sequent times, are not included in the present book. Otherwise the 1987 and 1941 editions have the same contents. There is a noticeable difference in the printing of the plates in the two editions. This is apparent in the shading of colors in the majority of the plates. We believe that in this detail we prefer the 1937 printing. The shades of red stand out conspicuously. We suspect that this must be charged to the European conflict, which has taken imported inks off the market and forced publishers to rely on domestic dyes. Considered from any angle, it is a beautiful book and a noteworthy printing achievement. With the ‘Birds of America’ now within reach of everyone, the circle of Audubon admirers will widen rapidly.- — F. J. P. MEMBERSHIP NEWS Ivan L. Boyd, formerly of Floris, Iowa, is now head of the biology department at Baker University, Baldwin, Kansas. Myrle L, Jones, who for the past two years was Chief Naturalist for the State Conservation Commission, is now Custodian of Waubonsie State Park, in Fremont County, Iowa. Editor Pierce, wife and daughter visited Mr. and Mrs. Jones in October and much enjoyed the rugged scenery and wild life in that corner of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dix, of Cedar Falls, visited their son, Lieut. Dix, and family, at Fort Custer, Michigan, in August. While in Michigan they drove through the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and saw many inter- esting species of shore birds and others. They had an Interesting visit with Dr. Miles Pirnie, At the 59th annual meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union, held at Denver, Colorado, September 1-6, 1941, Philip A. DuMont, formerly of Des Moines and now of Washington, D. C. p was elected to he class of “Members”. This group is limited to 150 names. Mr. DuMont is author of *A Revised List of the Birds of Iowa’ (1933), our last state list. His trips to study Iowa birds covered most of the state during his residence here, and he is well known to Iowa bird students. In the class of “Members” there are but three on the A. 0. U. roll who have residence in Iowa at present— Miss Althea R. Sherman, Dr. T. C. Stephens and Dr, Paul L. Errington. During the long history of the A. 0. U., a number of Iowans have attained ratings above the “Associate” entrance membership. Dr. Lynds Jones, Dr. Ira N. Gab- nelson and Charles Aldrich were elected to the rank of “Felk/ws”, which is the highest class, and these men were elected as “Members”; Dr. Rudolph M. Anderson, Dr, Paul Bartsch, Frank Bond, Wm. Alan- son Bryan, Geo. K. Cherrie, Wm. Leon Dawson, Donald R. Dickey, Barton W. Evermann, Junius Henderson and J. Eugene Law. The 1941 Christmas bird censuses taken in Iowa will be prepared for publication by the Editor of ‘Iowa Bird Life’ in the form which we have used for the past few years. We invite our members to send in their lists, and urge their careful study of those previously published so the lists will conform to the usual style. Birds should be listed in the A. 0. U. Check-list order, and the exact number seen should be given. A description of weather and ground conditions should be in- cluded, with exact hours of the trip, and the names of all observers who participate. NOTICE TO MEMBERS: Dues for 1942 are pavable January 1st, If you will send your dollar promptly, it will save the Union postage and the Secretary’s time in mailing notices. Dr. George Hendrickson, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa, is acting in the capacity of Secretary- Treasurer, and dues should be sent to him. We shall very much ap- preciate your co-operation in this matter.