PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE [OWA ORNITHOLOGISTS 1 UNION 1 VOL. IX DECEMBER, 1939 [ NO. 4 | i I OFFICERS OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION President — 0. S. Thomas, Rock Rapids, Iowa Vice-President- — Ethan A. Hemsley, Dubuque, Iowa See’y-Treas. — Miss Kate E. LaMar, 1125 38th St., Des Moines, Iowa Editor — Fred J. Pierce, Winlhrop, Iowa Executive Council: Wilfred D. Crabb, Salix, Iowa Ivan L. Boyd, FI oris, Iowa B. 0. Wolden, Estherville, Iowa The Iowa Ornithologists' Union was organised at Ames, Iowa, February 28, j 1923., for the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re- t lations among Iowa bird students. The central design of the Union's official seal is the Eastern Goldfinch, designated | State Bird of Iowa in 1933. Publications of the Union; Mimeographed letters. 1923-1928; 'The Bulletin,' F 1929-1930 : ‘Iowa Bird Life,’ beginning 1031* SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Iowa, $1.00 a year {includes membership dues). Outside of Iowa, 50c a year. Special rate for all libraries, 50c a year. Single copies 25c each. (Keep the Editor informed of your correct address.) EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION OFFICE WINTHROP, IOWA Entered as second-class matter February 9. 1032, at the post office at Winthrop, Iowa, under the Act of March 3, 1879, 46 IOWA BIRD LIFE — IX, 1939 DUCK BROOD COUNTS IN IOWA DURING THU SUMMER- OF 193 5 1 By BERNARD V. TRAVIS- Investigations were conducted during July and August of 1935 to obtain data on the size of wild duck broods in Iowa. At this time, most of the ducklings were one-half to three-quarters grown, a few were smaller (still in the downy stage), and some were almost indis- tinguishable in size from the adults. No groups were recorded if the identification to species was doubtful. Similar data on duck broods have been reported by Errington and Bennett (1934) for Iowa and by Furniss (1935, 1938) for Canada, Most of the counts here recorded were made while the observer tramped around the margins of sloughs, potholes, and lakes, or waded out from shore. These actions caused the ducks to move away from the shore to open water where identifications and counts could be made with the aid of field glasses. Some observations were made from roads or from other points of vantage near the water. To avoid recording the brood more than once, only one trip was made around each water area. Because the dense escape cover on many ponds pre- vented accurate counts, the number of brooding ducks reported in this paper cannot be considered complete. There were more broods seen where the nesting cover was most abundant. Bennett (1938) recorded adults adopting and abandoning ducklings from day to day; thus the term “brood” may not have family sig- nificance. In this paper it refers to the group of ducklings with an adult at the time of observation. The term “shore line”, as used in this discussion, refers to the marginal nesting strip, and not to the water line. AREAS EXAMINED (1) Green’s Slough (285 acres), Clay County, More ducks with young were seen on this lake than on any other single body of water studied. Green's Slough, a long narrow body of water, was covered with a moderately heavy growth of sedges. The surrounding nesting area was restricted by overgrazed pastures and cultivated fields. Counts were made with little difficulty in the large extent of open water. The duckling groups were: Blue-winged Teal, 4, 5, 7, 6, 5, 8; Mallard, 3, 8, 9; Shoveler, 5, 7; Pintail, 8, 9; Ruddy, 2, 3, 5; and Redhead, 5, 3, 5, 2. (2) Mud Lake (1702 acres), Clay and Palo Alto Counties. About half of the shore line of this lake afforded very good nesting cover; the other half was bounded by roads and heavily grazed pasture land. Brood counts were easily obtained on about a third of the water area in the open water, but were difficult to make on the remainder which was covered by a heavy growth of sedges. The counts were: Blue- winged Teal, 8, 7, 4, 8, 7, 6, 3, 5; Shoveler, 6; Mallard, 7; Pintail, 5; Redhead, 1, 2, 4; and Ruddy, 7, G. (3) Shallow slough (46 acres) at the outlet of Elk Lake, Clay County. The pasture which provided nesting cover around three- fourths of the shove line was moderately grazed and contained many hummocks. Brood counts were not difficult to make as only a small portion of the water area was screened by a growth of sedges. The 1 Journal Paper No. J-677 of the Town Agricultural Experiment Station, Amen, Iowa, Project 4 9 ft. In co-operation with the P. S. Biological Survey, the American Wildlife Infinite, and the Iowa State Conservation (Jommissi on, ^Resigned Sept, t, 1935, to accept a position in the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. The illustrations used with this paper are from The Blue-winged Teal*, by Logan t T. Bennett tIP38). and ire reproduced through courtesy of the publishers, the Collegiate Press, Inc., Ames, Iowa. DUCK BROOD COUNTS IN IOWA 47 duckling counts were: Blue-winged Teal, 6, 8, 9, 6; Shoveler, 6, 4, 5; Pintail, 7 : Mallard, 7,9. _ * (4) South Twin Lake (590 acres), Calhoun County Because of the scarcity of nesting cover. North Twin Lake appeared to be almost destitute of breeding ducks. The south lake, more slough-like, was covered with a dense vegetation. Nesting cover might, therefore, be abundant along the wide shore line in dry seasons, but scarce in wet years when the lake was full. Because of the heavy vegetation, obser- vations could be made of only a few of the many ducklings present. The groups were: Blue-winged Teal, 10, 5, 5; Mallard, J, Shovelei, 7, 6; Pintail, 8. „ , . , 0 (5) A slough (5 acres) reaching from Deweys pasture into Pnt- chard’s pasture. Clay County. This was surrounded by an abundance of excellent nesting cover resulting from elimination of heavy grazing in Dewey’s pasture, an area owned by the State Conservation Com- mission. ' Counts of the broods are incomplete as the water was so densely covered with sedges that good observations were almost im- possible. The groups that could be accurately counted were: blue- winged Teal, 4, 8, 7, 3, 1: Shoveler, t>, 5, i; and Ruddy, 4. (6) A small slough (55 acres), northwest of Greens Slough, Clay County. This had an abundance of nesting cover at one end where a large meadow of native grasses was not cut until after the nesting season; the remainder of the shore line was moderately grazed. the water was almost entirely covered by a rank growth of sedges so that many broods could not be counted with sufficient accuracy to be re- corded. The counts were: Blue-winged Teal, 8, 5, 6, 4; Mallard, 7, 3; and Pintail, 7, ^ . „ _ , (7) Barringer’s Slough (1570 acres), Clay County. This slough had an abundance of nesting cover on about half of the shore line while the other half was closely grazed. The entire water area was so densely covered with sedges that many duck broods could not be accurately in ]> LAKE, CLAY COUNTY, IOWA "Brood counts were easily obtained on about a third of tho water a water, but were difficult to make on the remainder which was covered by of sedges." The marsh is used by thousands of Blue-winged Teal dump ca in the Open a heavy growth migration. 4S IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939 checked. The counts were; Blue-winged Teal, 7, 6, 5, 8; Ruddy, 6; and Redhead, 3, 2, (8) A slough (22 acres) near Shell Rock, Butler County. The grazed and sparsely wooded shore line provided poor nesting cover so there were only a few duck broods. Part of the water surface was covered with clumps of sedges. The brood counts obtained were: Blue-winged Teal, 7, 7, 6; and Pintail, 6, 5. (9) Smith’s Slough (255 acres), Clay County. Most of the shore line was heavily grazed and consequently not suitable for waterfowl nesting. Near by was a large alfalfa field in which nested a consider- able number of ducks. Wet weather in 1935 delayed “haying” suffi- ciently long to allow many of the young to hatch. In normal years earlier harvesting of this alfalfa is said to have destroyed many duck nests. Nearly all of the water was covered with a dense growth of sedges and only a few ducklings were seen. The following counts were made: Blue-winged Teal, 4, 4, 3; Mallard, 5, 6; and Pintail, 7. (10) Growing Pond (20 acres), Clay County. The dense growth of sedges permitted only a few counts. Nesting facilities were limited by cultivated fields, roadways, and pasture land. The counts were: Blue-winged Teal, 6, 5, 4; and Mallard, 6, 8. (11) A small body of water (3 acres) in Dewey’s pasture. Clay County. This impoundment harbored a few broods of clucks. Not all of them could be counted, however, because of the heavy growth of sedges. The nesting cover was excellent on all of the shore line. The following broods were counted: Blue-winged Teal, 7, 8; and Mallard, 8. (12) A pond (3 acres) in Pritchard’s pasture, Clay County. Nesting cover on all of the shore line was very poor because of the heavy graz- ing. About 300 yards from the pond, however, was excellent nesting cover in Dewey’s pasture. A fringe of sedges partially surrounded E/A K E AREA CONTAINING DENSE COVER Young ducks, spend daytime in open water near cover. In the picture is an old musk- rat house which was used as a roosting and resting place by both young and. adult ducks Pucks may be seen and counted in open water such us ibis; curly in the morning and in the evening. Photograph from the Ruthven vicinity. DUCK BROOD COUNTS IN IOWA 49 GOOD REARING COVER FOR DUCKS Tim is rivi j r bulrush and cat-tail, which provides excellent cover from predators, i rom the Ruthven vicinity. the water. The following brood counts were made: Blue-winged Teal, 7, 2, 8; and Shoveler, 5. (13) A small pond (1 acre) across the road from Pritchard’s past- ure, Clay County. The only escape cover was a considerable amount of tall grass around the margins of the pond to which the ducklings re- tired in time of danger. Nesting cover was good, but adjacent cultiva- tion limited its extent. Two broods of Blue-winged Teal numbering 9 and 3, respectively, were present. (14) Blackhawk Lake (957 acres), Sac County. Buildings and grazed pasture land surrounding the lake practically eliminated nesting cover for ducks, and there was virtually no escape cover on the water. Two broods of downy Blue-winged Teal ducklings (5, 6) were seen on this lake. (15) A small slough (4 acres) extending through a pasture on the east of Elk Lake, Clay County. Because of heavy grazing, nesting cover around the slough w r as merely fair. The only escape cover was a dense growth of tall grass around the water area. The broods ob- served were: Blue-winged Teal, 5; and Shoveler, 4. (16) Lost Island Lake (1260 acres), Clay and Palo Alto Counties. There was practically no escape cover for young birds on the water, and the surrounding roads, trees, and cultivated fields limited the nest- ing possibilities. Only one downy brood of 7 Shovelcrs was seen. (17) A small pothole (5 acres) in Dewey’s pasture, Clay County. Excellent nesting cover surrounded the pothole, and the water had a moderately dense cover of sedges. The lakelet harbored several duck broods but only one brood of 7 Shovelers was actually counted. SUMMARY In 1935, 107 broods of six species of wild ducks were counted in Iowa. The average number of ducklings in a brood for each of the species was: Blue-winged Teal, 5.9; Mallard, 6.8; Shoveler, 5.8; Pin- tail, 6.9 ; Ruddy, 4,7; and Redhead, 3.0. The author wishes to acknowledge the aid of Dr. Logan J. Bennett in the preparation of this paper, and also wishes to thank Dr. W. L. MeAtee for checking the manuscript. 50 IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939 Table 1* A Summary of the Brood Counts of Wild Ducks in Iowa During_the_ Summer of 1935. Species I Brood Total | Counts Duck- | lings j Aver- age Brood Small- 1 est Brood Larg- est Brood Percent- | ages of all young 3 No. i No. 1 No. i No. | No. Percent Blue-winged Teal ! 53 310 | 5.9 1 3 10 l 50.5 Ma.lard 1 14 1 95 1 6.8 1 3 9 15.5 Shoveller 1 15 1 87 | 5.8 J 4 7 | 14.2 Pintail 1 9 1 02 ] 6,9 ! 4 9 1 10.1 Ruddy 1 7 1 33 4.7 1 2 7 1 5.4 Redhead 1 9 1 27 1 3.0 t 1 5 | 4,4 Total 1 107 1 614 | 5.7 1 — 1 — 1 — ■ LITERATURE CITED Bennett, Logan J. 1938, The Blue-winged Teal, Its Ecology and Management Col- legiate Press, Inc., Ames, Iowa. Errington, P. L. and L. J. Bennett, 1934. Iowa Duck Studies. Trans. Twentieth Am. Game Conf., 249- 257. Furniss, 0. C. 1935. The Duck Situation in the Prince Albert District, Central Saskatchewan, Wilson Bull. XLVII; 111-119. 1938. The 1937 Waterfowl Season in the Prince Albert District, Central Saskatchewan. Wilson Bull. L; 17-27. JOHN KRIDETHS BOOK By FRED J. PIERCE During the first half of the 1870’s, Iowa was visited repeatedly by John Krider, a Philadelphia gunsmith, taxidermist and sportsman who also had inclinations toward ornithology. In 1879 Krider published his ( Forty Years Notes of a Field Ornithologist’, a small volume printed at Philadelphia. It contained about 100 pages and was bound in dark, reddish-brown cloth. Publication brought prompt and severe criticism which the book no doubt merited. Krider’s chief interests seem to have been hunting and collecting. The skins he collected were pre- served for mounting later, He was not scientific in his work nor methodical in keeping records. Facts, dates and places as presented in his book were evidently based on memory to a great extent, and after ten to forty years memory is not likely to be infallible. Despite its reputation for inaccuracies, the little volume contains a good deal of historical and ornithological interest. It is becoming a scarce col- lectors' item, not often obtainable. I was especially pleased when a copy came into my possession recently. In Krider’s forty-odd years of active collecting, during which he hunted over the United States as far west as Colorado and from Key West to the Bay of Bundy, his trips to Iowa seem to have left a dear impression upon his memory. We find continual mention of birds seen in the state of Iowa in his book. Although he visited various places in Iowa, most of his work was done in Winnebago County, and the Lake Mills vicinity was where he made many of his observations in that county. He visited Winnebago County in 1870, 1872, 1873, 1874 and 1875, according to the book. The primitive state of the country at that time is reflected in Krider’s statements regarding many birds. GENERAL NOTES 51 The Chimney Swallow (Swift) was found nesting in hollow trees, the Purple Marlin nested in hollow trees and stumps, and the Hummingbird (which he called a ‘‘beautiful little warbler") was very abundant “ow- ing to the vast quantity of wild flowers that grow upon the prairies." The author's name has been perpetuated in the name of Kinder s Hawk, which was named in his honor by his friend, Bernard A, Hoopes. The type specimen of this much-discussed form was secured in Winne- bago County. The author’s description of Krider’s Hawk seems worth quoting in its entirety (pp. 7-8): - , “It is called by Baird the white Red-tail. This bird I have found in Winnebago County, Iowa, in 1870. I first observed it flying at a distance, and at first took it for an albino, but seeing several of them in company together, was very anxious to procure one. They weie very shy, so much so that I could not get near them. As they feed on chickens and other birds, I was able to get one that was shot by Mr, Hill, a farmer in the county. It was shot near his barn while look- ing after his chickens or pigeons. The second specimen I saw in a different neighborhood, and approached it as I was riding by in a wagon, near sundown; the bird was watching a flock of Prairie Chickens. The third specimen I obtained in 1873, in the same county, and in 1874 I found in the same place quite a number, but could not get near them. I traced this bird as far west as Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where I procured two eggs; I found its nest on tall pines, and built of sticks, lined with grass and sheeps’ wool. The first two specimens are in the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, and the third is in my collection- — also the eggs. The bird was described and named by Bernard A, Hoopes, Esq, I obtained another very beautiful specimen in full plumage, from Winnebago Co., Iowa." He found the Hudsonian Godwit and the Whooping Crane nesting in Winnebago County. The Wild (Passenger) Pigeon he found nesting at Benson Grove, in that county, and at Clear Lake (1875). The Ruddy Turnstone, now a rare migrant, he saw "in great numbers." Less re- liable are his reports of the abundance of Connecticut and Golden- winged Warblers, and the Iowa nestings of the Black-throated Blue and Yellow Palm Warblers, and the White-throated Sparrow, as well as a few other birds he reported from this state. Over 300 species are listed in the book, which the author wrote when he was about 65 years of age. References to birds observed in Iowa are found through the entire volume. Bird names in those days were not stabilized, and a number of interesting names are listed. Perhaps the most peculiar of these is the Whip Tom Kelly, a bird with the scientific name of Vino altiloqinis. Krider died at Philadelphia in 1886, in his 74th year. His book with all its shortcomings contains nevertheless much valuable in- formation which cannot be overlooked when we study the early Iowa ornithology. GENERAL NOTES White Pelican in the Dubuque Region.— On September 4, 1939, Miss Kohl man, Mr. Johnson and T were much surprised to see a White Pelican alight on the water in front of us at 2ol!ieofTer’s Lake. The bird was near and the sun was just right, so that we observed all the markings. Two days later several Dubuque Bird Club members saw the same bird much farther out in the lake, but the view was satisfactory. September 21 was the last day on which the pelican was seen. At that time it was seen as a large white spot on the Wisconsin shore of the river. This single bird provides the only record of the White Pelican that the Dubuque Bird Club has. Older residents recall that small flocks of pelicans were seen here in former vears. Changing river conditions no doubt bring about changes in bird life. — -MRS. R, W. JOHNSON, Dubuque, Iowa. IOWA BIRD LIFE — IX, 1939 A > Egrets in Central Iowa. — We had reports of American Egrets in this locality as early as the middle of July, but I first sighted them on August 7, 1939, at a pond about five miles southeast of Woodward. The egrets, in numbers of from two to eight, were seen at the pond on August 7, 11, 18, 24. 26 and 31, and on September 3, On several of my visits to the pond Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Jones were with me, and we saw the egrets feeding in the water, flying over or near the pond, or alighting in the trees near by, sometimes at very close range. Early in September the pond dried up due to several weeks of hot weather, and the egrets moved on to more attractive feeding grounds.- — RICH- ARD A. GUTHRIE, Woodward, Iowa. Snake Climbs to Martin House. — On July 28, 1939, I noticed a dis- turbance in the Purple Martin house on the Hillculture Experimental Farm at Floris. I was very much surprised to find that a snake w T as coiled around the porch of the house. By the time I could get a ladder up the 20-foot pole of the house and kill the snake it had swallowed one young sparrow and two young martins. The reptile was approxi- mately four feet long, and although not positively identified, it was probably of the blue racer family. Apparently the snake's visit was too much for the martins as they left the next day.- — IVAN L. BOYD, Floris, Iowa. Feeding the Winter Birds,- — -For many years I have been feeding the winter birds. As a container for suet I use a wire toaster, and tie the long end securely to branch or trunk of tree so that the short side can be opened. A large chunk of suet is placed within and the clamp pulled down to hold it firmly in place. On the feeding-tray I use various seeds, nuts, popcorn, bread crumbs, etc. We have Blue Jay, Cardinal, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and of course numerous English Sparrows. Squirrels have become so numerous here they are a serious pest, eating suet and other food intended for birds. They are also driving our summer song birds away by eating their eggs. We do not have so many song birds in Vinton as we had a few years ago.— MRS. CORA W. KELLOGG, Vinton, Iowa. Birds Nesting in a Vinton Back-yard. ^At OUT home We have five lots fenced with chicken-tight wire. During the past summer 13 species of birds nested here to my knowledge, and I located 23 nests. My list of nesting birds is as follows; Robin, 4 pairs; Brown Thrasher, 2 pairs; House Wren, 3 pairs; Bronzed Crackle, 1 pair; Chipping Sparrow, 1 pair; Mourning Dove, 4 pairs; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 1 pair; Flicker, 1 pair; Red-headed Woodpecker, I pair; Catbird, 2 pairs; Crested Fly- catcher, 1 pair; Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1 pair; Indigo Bunting, 1 pair. These numbers do not include any nests of the second brood, I kept two feeders filled during the summer, and I believe these attracted many of the birds that nested here. After nesting was over I collected the Indigo Bunting’s nest. It had over half of the shell of a Cowbird's egg in it. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo feeds to a great extent on the tent caterpillar found on walnut trees. Last year I counted 19 trips for worms bv this bird in 30 minutes; on another occasion I counted 25 trips in 40 minutes. On May 30, four tiny Screech Owls appeared near our house. Later one died, but the others grew nicely and were seen quite often. I was unable to locate the nests of the Chickadee and White-breasted Nut- hatch, On June 10, six young nuthatches were being fed on crushed raw peanuts at one of the feeders. The parent birds returned with eight young three days later and were seen daily after that. A pair of Chickadees with seven young appeared on June 16, and they too stayed in the vicinity. As a rule, at least two pairs of Baltimore Orioles 1 GENERAL NOTES have nested at our home for the last ten years; only one pair was noted, early in the spring. One young oriole was found by Mother in our berry patch. As she started up this young bird a Brown Thrasher attempted to drive Mother away. The Mourning Dove seemed to be more abundant this year. Four pairs nested at our home, and 1 believe there were many more near by from the number of young birds about. One pair that nested just outside our door took over a deserted Robin’s nest only a few feet away and raised a second brood. There was a note of a like happening in a recent issue of ‘The Bluebird’, published in Missouri. T was much interested in a question in the July, 1939, issue of ‘Field Ornithology’ in regard to the number of eggs a Cowbird would lay in a season. A friend called me to the other side of Vinton on May 27 to identify a small bird nesting there. It was a Chipping Sparrow. The pair had first built in a small cedar tree. One egg was laid but the nest was deserted after a Cowbird had deposited two eggs. The Chippies then built a second nest in another cedar about 15 feet away, and at the time there were three well-feathered young. I have the nest with the Cowbird’s eggs. Both nests were about 20 inches from the ground. — WALTER L. BURK, Vinton, Iowa, Birds Seen at McGregor. — Between July 31 and August 8, 1939, observers at the National School of Wild Life Protection (“The Wild Life School”) at McGregor saw a total of 100 species of birds. All these birds were seen at least once in Iowa; some of them were also seen in Wisconsin. The territory included was the area around Mc- Gregor, Pike’s Peak State Park, and the Mississippi and Wisconsin River bottoms. Approximately 200 Wood Ducks were observed, and they had ap- parently been nesting in the region for there were young not yet able to fly. Eleven Plicated Woodpeckers were seen in the neighborhood of the Heights and Ridgewood. Six Eastern Ruffed Grouse were seen, and while the School was in session one grouse was killed when it flew into a window of a cottage. Other birds seen included the following: Red-legged Black Duck, 2; American Egret, 27; Blue-gray Gnalcatcher, 6; Duck Hawk, 1; Hooded Merganser, 1; Semipalmated Plover, 1; Scarlet Tanager, 6; Tufted Titmouse, 4; Turkey Vulture, 3; Black- throated Green Warbler, 1; Prothonotary Warbler, 5; Eastern Whip- poor-will, 1; and American Woodcock, 1. — JACK W. MUSGROVE, Des Moines, and MARY E. ROBERTS, Springdale, West Liberty, Iowa. (The complete list of birds seen during the 1939 session of the Wild Life School is given in tabulated form in the August 11, 1939, number (Vol. I, No. 9) of ‘Pike’s Peak Nature Notes’, mimeographed leaflet issued by the State Conservation Commission and distributed to visitors at the McGregor Area State Park, — Editor). Robin Homesites in and Around a Coal-yard. During the past eight years the writer has followed the nesting activities of Robins in and ebout the coal-yard and cement block plant, and has come across some novel nesting sites, to say the least. One year a pair of birds built a nest on the top of a large I-beam, which is the last remaining vestige of the first electrified elevated railroad built in the United States. Another year a nest was built among the wires running into a huge electric transformer. Three nests have been built in the thick wood- bine tangle which has grown up on the front fence of the yard. In another year the Robins built a nest on a steel frame of an abandoned concrete block machine, which had been set out back of the shop. The young in this nest were destroyed by a stray cat. Two other nests have been built in an open-sided building which is used for summer truck storage. One nest was located in an upper corner of the scale-house, where 54 IOWA BIRD LIFE- — IX, 1939 trucks were being weighed at frequent intervals. This year the first brood was raised in a nest built on the top of a post out in the middle of the coal-yard. The prize pair, however, were the ones which built their nest on a removable screen in our coal conveyor. It just hap- pened that this machine was used almost daily and necessitated the removal of the nest each time. The drivers carefully lifted down the screen and laid it on the ground. After they were through with the unloader the nest was replaced. This happened often during several weeks, and it was surprising how the birds stuck to their home. The eggs finally hatched, but the hot sun was too much for the young and only one survived to reach maturity. — WM, YOUNG WORTH, Sioux City, Iowa. Mourning Doves and Other Birds at Boone. —We have had much pleasure in watching young Mourning Doves that have been reared in our yard. Last year something happened to one of the last pair of dove twins to grow up in our yard. The remaining dove spent much time near our water basin bird bath. During the past summer one small dove acted very similar to last year's lone dove, and we believed it was the same bird. Apparently it was unmated, although it tried to be friendly with other doves in the yard, even with Robins, Catbirds and Brown Thrashers. The dove was always very tame and would allow me to approach within three feet. Other than roosting in our elm tree beside a pair of 1939 dove twins, this bird seemed to have no other associates until a banded gray racing pigeon came to our yard. This pigeon remained here for a number of weeks, and spent much time at the water and ground feeding-station, where it fed, rested and sunned its feathers. The wild dove seemed to hold some attraction for the pigeon, and the two were seen together on many occasions. The pigeon roosted in our garage a night or two, and was once seen inside a new feeding-box on which my husband was working. Last spring one of the first Robins to come to our vard discovered the suet-rack, and from that time on until his untimely death he was eating suet at the rack every few minutes. Too much protein evi- dently made his feathers non-resistant to the spring rains. His coat soon became water-soaked and gummed together, and he moped around a few' days and died. His mate succeeded in raising one of their brood. For six or seven winters a Red-bellied Woodpecker has made several visits a day to out suet-rack. Last spring he brought a mate for the first time.— MRS. WM. BUZBY, Boone, Iowa. Prairie Falcon Records. — During October, 1939, I had three records of the Prairie Falcon in northwestern Iowa, One bird was found dead by State Conservation Officer C. C. Lille, on the State Game Refuge at Lake View, Sac County; it was mounted by him and is now in his collection. Another was seen by me, October 16, on Lizard Creek, south of Gilmore City in Pocahontas County. The third was killed by a -luck hunter at Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, October 23. — JAMES R. HARLAN, Alta, Iowa. Horned Lark, Red-head. — Injured birds often do not live when brought home and nursed. We caught a Prairie Horned Lark with an injured wing on January 9, 1938. He was given plenty of food and water and the freedom of a vacant room. He ate ravenously at all times. In four days he was flying, and we banded and released him on January 22. I observed a pair of nesting Red-headed Woodpeckers catching, on the wing, 172 insects in one hour. During this hour ten trips were made to the nest.— M. L. JONES, PRESIDENT'S LETTER DO American Magpie in Butler County, — My father called my attention to a bird on the evening- of November 9, 1939, It was a Magpie. The light was getting poor since it was nearly 6 p. m., but I could easily see the distinctly long tail and the prominent markings on the wings when the bird flew. My father and his hired man said they had seen the Magpie in our grove about three times during the previous two weeks. As far as I know, this bird has not been reported in Butler County previously, though several times in the past five years people have described birds to me, seen within the county, that must have been this species. Our farm is two miles north of New Hartford, and approximately nine miles from Janesville (in Bremer County) where these birds have been reported nesting in 1937 and 1938 (see ‘Iowa Bird Life', VII, p. 34; VIII, p. 56; IX, pp. 10-11). This bird seen in Butler County was probably one of the Janesville Magpies. — EMMETT FOLDERBOER, New Hartford, Iowa. The Pugnacity of a Bluebird. — The beauty of the Bluebird has been lauded in poetry, prose and paintings, but I have never read any ac- counts of the pugnacity of this bird. For several years we have had Bluebirds nesting in our back-yard. They always seemed to choose the box the English Sparrows liked best, but I have yet to see the sparrows win out (of course, we helped the Bluebirds somewhat). From the time the nesting site was chosen by the Bluebirds, not a sparrow was allowed in the vicinity. Last May (in Pomeroy) we witnessed an amusing bout between the Bluebird and a Lincoln's Sparrow. Mrs. Bluebird was on the nest at the time and Mr. Bluebird was never very far away. On the ground near the post that held the nesting box was a bird bath. The Lincoln's Sparrow was having a good time splattering water when suddenly the Bluebird descended on him. We had seen this happen before with English Sparrows and the victim usually flew away in great haste, but not so this Lincoln’s Sparrow. Sometimes he seems to like running nstead of flying, and this time he chose to run under a bush on the side opposite the Bluebird. Mr. Bluebird took a sudden dive for that side of the bush, but the Lincoln's Sparrow was by that time on the nfher side. This performance was repeated many times. Finally Mr. Bluebird peeped into the box to assure himself that Mrs. Bluebird was all right and then flew to a tree near by. After several minutes he tried again to get the Lincoln’s Sparrow out in the open, but with no better results. Several minutes later the sparrow decided the fun was over and flew away to another spot in the garden, — M. L. JONES, Ames, Iowa. PRESIDENT'S LETTER: "THE DUTY OF EACH MEMBER” Every member of the Union should realize that the organization is his or her Union. Its value is the aggregate of the usefulness of the "dividual members. The duty to make the Union worth while and effective is the duty of each member. If any member has not tried to secure a new member or has failed to send in notes for ‘Iowa Bird Life’, he should correct that situation at once. We need members in every part of Iowa, Our magazine is a clearing-house of information for the members. Give others the benefit of your interesting observations. Your notes will be published when there is space, if not in the next issue after they are received. The Editor’s work is difficult at best, and without ample material for the magazine that difficulty is greatly increased. Let us all be contributors! — 0, $. THOMAS, President, Iowa Ornith- o’ogists' Union. IOWA BIRD LIFE’ — IX, 1939 56 NECROLOGY Ml'S, W. M. Woodward died at her home at Independence, Iowa, September 18, 1939, after a sudden heart attack. She was born, Flor- ence Louise Phelps, at Kil bourn, Wisconsin, September 19, 1869, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. W. B. Phelps. She came to Independence with her parents in 1870. Her education was gained at the Aledo high school and Lake Forest seminary, Illinois. For a number of years she taught in the grade schools at Independence. In this city she spent most of her life. The grounds of the Woodward home, on the banks of the Wapsipinicon River in Independence, were turned info an at- tractive bird sanctuary and Mr. and Mrs. Woodward spent much time in its development. Mrs. Woodward became a member of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union in 1929. She attended several conventions of the Union; her last one was the Cedar Falls convention in 1937. We quote a paragraph from the Independence ‘Bulletin-Journal’: "Mrs. Woodward lived a life of genuine service, a life of doing good, of making others happy, a life of genuine Christianity. . . . She and her husband were great lovers of the out of doors, and in former years spent most of the summer months at their cottage upriver. An ardent student of bird life, she became an authority on birds, knew the many species of birds hereabouts. We shall never forget the time we visited the Woodward home and saw a Mourning Dove that had been injured and which Mrs. Woodward had found and taken home to care for; the appreciative bird followed her about the rooms. . . . All will long re- member her cheerful, friendly greeting, her sincerity, her constant aim to bring happiness to others. . . Mrs. Walter M. Rosen, wife of the former President of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union, died at Boone, Iowa, September 22, 1939, Mrs. Rosen was not a member of our organization, but accompanied her husband at many of our conventions and was well known to many of us. She was born in Sweden on March 18, 1880, and came to this country when about two years of age. Early in 1935 she was critically injured in an automobile accident, the effects from which she never fully recovered. This tribute is from an Ogden, Iowa, newspaper: "Mrs, Rosen loved her home and won the respect of a wide circle of friends. Her home, her family, her gardens, her friends and her church contrived together to form a character which was outstanding in every respect.” RECENT BIRD BOOKS BIRDS OF CANADA, by P. A. Taverner (David McKay Co., S. Wash. Square, Philadelphia, Pa., 1938; cloth, pp. i-iv+1-445, 87 colored pis. & 488 text cuts; price, $4). The Introduction states that “ ‘Birds of Canada' has been written to awaken and stimulate an interest, both aesthetic and practical, in the study of Canadian birds; to suggest the sentimental, scientific, and economic value of that study; to ass’st in the identification of native species; to furnish the economist with a ready means of determining bird friend from bird foe so that he may act intelligently towards them and in the best interests of himself and the country at large . . . .” The author is a foremost ornithologist, and his book is an authoritative work of unquestioned accuracy. An earlier book on the birds of Canada by this author was first pub- lished in two parts, treating the birds of eastern and western Canada, respectively. In 1934 it was revised and the two parts were consoli- dated into one volume, which was published in Canada. The present edition of the well-known work has been printed in the United States, and is now accessible to manv bird students who did not obtain the Canadian edition. It is a book that we can heartily recommend to all bird students, and especially to those living in the northern tiers of states which lie contiguous to the region covered by the book, MEMBERSHIP ROLL 5f AH the birds known to occur in Canada are listed. The description of each species includes notes on size, color, distinctive characters, fielc] marks, nesting and distribution, followed by a paragraph or two on general habits and economic status. The Canadian avi-fauna is so much like our own this is an excellent reference book for a great many of our birds* On almost every page pen sketches by the author point out prominent details of plumage or recognition marks to be looked for in the field. There are introductory sections relating to classification, geographical races, nomenclature, migration, protecting and attracting birds; but the student will find the book of greatest value as a reference source. Much interesting reading will be found through the book. The re- viewer was much interested in the discussion as to the varied plumages of the Red-tailed Hawk, The author of the book is undecided as to whether Krider’s Hawk and Harlan's Hawk are merely albinistic and melanistic forms of the Red-tail or are entitled to full sub-specific rank. The colored plates, most of them very accurate, are by Allan Brooks and F. C. Hennessey, with the former contributing the larger number. Two colored pictures are printed on each plate — 173 pictures on the 87 plates, The page size is by 9 % inches, while the colored figures are about 314 by 2% inches; it seems that the size of the latter could easily have been increased. A number of modern bird books publish plates without any margin at all so that the birds may be shown at maximum size. The plates in the book do not “tie in" with the text. They are inserted many pages from the descriptions of the birds they depict, in many cases 65 to S5 pages separating them. This is an in- convenience to the reader, though not the fault of the author. It must be charged to modern machine methods in book-making. ‘Birds of Canada’ will be found a valuable adjunct to any collection of bird books. — -F. J. P. MEMBERSHIP ROLL OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION* CHARTER MEMBERS (1923) Anderson, Mrs. S., Ogden Bailey, Mrs. Mary L., Sioux City Banning, R, H., Cresco Rattell, Mrs. F. L., Ames Bennett, Walter W., Los Angeles, Calif. Hall, Fred H., Ottumwa Hoick, J, H., Spirit Lake Kinnaird, Mrs, W. A., West Des Moines Mills, Wier R., Pierson Palas, Arthur J., Postville Pierce, Fred J., Winthrop Rosen, Walter M., Odgen Ross, Julia E., Cosmos, Minn. Sherman, Miss Althea R,, National Stephens. Dr. T. C., Sioux City Trewin, Mrs. C. B., Dubuque Wendelburg, Mrs. Toni R., Des Moines Wolden, B. 0., Estherville ^Complete to November 10, 1030. Year of joining the Union follows the name of earh member. All cities be appreciated. are within Iowa unless otherwise i DISTRIBUTION IN IOWA BY noted. Corrections in the COUNTIES Adair, 1 Di's Moines, 8 Lyon, 3 Allamakee, 2 Dickinson, 6 Marshall, 2 Benton. 29 Dubuque, 10 Monona, 1 Black Hawk, 17 Emmet, 3 Muscatine, l Boone, -4 Floyd, l O'Brien, 2 Bremer, 1 Grundy, 2 Plymouth, 1 Buchanan, 2 Hamilton, 1 Polk, 1(3 Buena Vista, 1 Hardin. 1 Pottawattamie, 2 Butler, 1 Howard, 1 Sac. 1 Carroll, 1 Jasper, 1 Scott, 3 Cass, 1 Jefferson, 3 Story, 9 Cerro Gordo. 2 Johnson, 2 Tama, 1 Chickasaw, 1 .Tones, 1 Wapello, 2 Clayton, 3 Keokuk, 1 Washington, 2 Crawford, 1 Lee. L Webster, I Davis, 1 Linn, 11 Woodbury, 7 58 IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939 MEMBERS Allert, Oscar P., McGregor, 1929 Baker, Walter, Ottumwa, 1939 Bartlett, Wesley H,, Primghar, ’35 Becker, Miss Hilda, Davenport, ’26 Beckwith, Miss Alma, Atlantic, ’39 Bennett, Dr. Logan J., State Col- lege, Pa., 1934 Biel, Miss Stella, Vinton, 1938 Binsfield, Mrs. Ruth M., Des Moines, 1939 B irk el and, Henry, Roland, 1933 Bliese, John, Waterloo, 1935 Bordner, Mrs. Robt. L, Hudson, '29 Bosnia, Rev, D. E., Baxter, 1934 Boyd, Ivan, Floris, 1937 Burk, Walter L., Vinton, 1931 Buz by, Mr. and Mrs. Wm, Boone, 1932 and 1929 Carrier, Miss Margot, Vinton, '38 Chadbourne, Dr. T. L., Vinton, ’38 Clark, Mrs. Ella L., Burlington, ’25 Copp, Miss C. Esther, Cedar Rapids, 1933 Crabb, Wilfred D., Salix, 1937 Culver, Carl, Vinton, 1938 Cummings, Frank, Vinton, 1938 Cunningham, Miss Harriet A., Anamosa, 1937 Dales, Mrs. Marie, Sioux City, ’29 Davis, Roy H,, Vinton, 1938 DeLong, Mrs. W. C., Sigourney, '39 Denny, E. G., Washington, 1938 Dix, Mrs. Ray S., Cedar Falls, ’35 Dole, J. Wilbur, Fairfield, 1929 Dowden, Dr. E. H., Vinton, 1938 Downing, Glenn R., Monona, 1938 Dragoo, Lavina, Cedar Rapids, ’29 Dubuque Bird Club, Dubuque, '33 DuMont, Mrs, Janet, Des Moines, 1927 DuMont, Philip A., Arlington, Va., 1924 Eastman, Mrs. E, P., Burlington, 1929 Edgar, Mrs, G. P., Burlington, ’39 Edwards, Dale, Vinton, 1938 Errington, Dr. Paul L., Ames, '32 Faulkner, Geo. 0., Waterloo, 1931 Ficke, Mrs. C. A , Davenport, 1929 Flodin, Mrs. C. C., Cedar Rapids, 1931 Frankel, Mrs. Henry, Des Moines, 1925 Franklin, J, B., Vinton, 1938 Gaffin, Myrtle, Cedar Falls, 1938 G aval as, Nick, Vinton, 1938 Graesing, Mr. and Mrs. Howard, Spirit Lake, 1939 Grant, Dr. Martin L., Cedar Falls, 1937 Haas, H. D., Le Mars, 1939 I-Iallowell, Miss Loraine, Waterloo, 1932 Ham, Miss Edith D,, Dyersville, ’39 Hanson, Mrs. Ernest W., Burling- ton, 1936 Harlan, James R., Alta, 1934 Hartman, John C., Waterloo, 1939 Hathorn, Glen M., Cedar Rapids, 1934 Hays, R. M., Waterloo, 1939 Hemsley, Ethan A., Dubuque, '36 Hendrickson, Dr. and Mrs. Geo, 0., Ames, 1931 and 1933 Hermann, Henry, Dubuque, 1939 Hite, Charles, Vinton, 1938 Jefferies, James, Vinton, 1938 Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. R. W., Du- buque, 1939 and 1927 Jones, Myrle L., Ames, 1931 Junkin, Paul S., Fairfield, 1929 Keck, Dr. Warren N., Cedar Rapids, 1936 Kellogg, Mrs. Cora W., Vinton, ’38 Kent, Mrs, Wm., Nashua, 1932 King, Mrs. Helen G., Grundy Center, 1933 Klinker, Mrs. P. J., Denison, 1937 Knight, Dr. Harry H., Ames, 1933 Knoop, Miss Pearl, Marble Rock, 1937 Kohlman, Miss Margaret, Dubuque, 1937 Kresensky, Raymond, Des Moines, 1938 Kruse, M. P., Vinton, 1938 LaForce, Mrs. Edith F., Burling- ton, 1939 LaGrange, Bob, Vinton, 1938 LaMar, Miss Kate E., Des Moines, 1927 Lille, C. C., Lake View, 1939 Loban, Miss Myra E., Waterloo, '38 Loban, Miss R. Lucile, Waterloo, 1938 Ludeman, Mrs. Geo. R., Mason City, 1939 Mac Martin, Mrs. W. G., Tania, '32 Maxwell, Miss Lillian, Waterloo, 1938 McCabe, Miss Olivia, Des Moines, 1932 McDonald, Malcolm, Fairfield, ’35 McDonald, Miss Mary H., Du- buque, 1937 McElroy, Mrs. Geo. D., Vinton, '38 McElrov, Mrs. J. W., Burlington, 1939 Melcher, Rev. M. C., Central City, 1939 MEMBERSHIP ROLL 59 Meltvedt, Burton W., Paullina, '31 Meyers, Mrs. Jennie R., Grundy Center, 1934 Miller, Mrs. Grace Potter, Ackley, 1937 Mote, Mr. and Mrs. G. A., Mar- shalltown, 1929 Murley, Miss Margaret, Sumner, 1937 Musgrove, Jack W., Des Moines, 1938 Myers, Mrs. Len, Waterloo, 1939 Nichols, Harvey L., Waterloo, r 29 0 it, Ellison, Waukon, 1935 Osher, Mrs. J. B., Estherville, ’39 Peasley, Mrs. H. R., Des Moines, 1934 Petranek, Mr. and Mrs. E. J., Cedar Rapids, 1931 Pierce, Mrs. John M., Winthrop, ’32 Polderboer. Emmett, New Hart- ford, 1937 Pollock, George, Vinton, 1938 Port, Glenn A., Vinton. 193S Price, C. W,, Spirit Lake, 1939 Roberts, Dr. and Mrs. F. L. R,, Spirit Lake, 1924 and 1926 Roberts, Miss Mary Elaine, West Liberty, 1938 Runkel, Sylvan T., Greenfield, f 35 Schramm, Frank H., Burlington, 1934 Scott, Thomas G., Ames, 1937 Serbousek, Miss Lillian, Cedar Rapids, 1931 Siegel, Jack, Vinton, 1938 Smouse, C. D., Vinton, 1939 Spicher, Elmer, Vinton, 1938 Stebbins, Mrs. Sue L., Mason City, 1938 Stiles, Bruce F,, Council Bluff's, ’37 Strickland, J. W., Jr., Mt. Vernon, 1938 Struck, Dr. K. H., Davenport, ’29 Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. 0. S., Rock Rapids, 1929 Thornburg. Mrs. Ross J., Des Moines, 1937 Tobin, John, Vinton, 1938 Tobin, Louis P., Vinton, 1938 Tompkins, Laura, Rock Rapids, ’39 Tonkin, Mr. and Mrs. Geo., Des Moines, 1938 Troeger, Miss Frieda, Des Moines, 1936 Urice, Ka Del, Vinton, 1938 Weber, Alois John. Keokuk, 1929 Wilharm, Wanda M., Waterloo, ’38 Wilier, Herb, Vinton, 1938 Winter, Miss Ella June, Carroll, ’24 Wolden, Mrs. B. 0., Estherville, ’39 Wood ho use, R. F., Vinton, 1938 Wyth, J. G., Cedar Falls, 1932 Youngworth, Wm., Sioux City, ’26 Zurawski, Mrs. Arnold, Burling- ton, 1936 SUBSCRIBERS Austin, Dr. O. L.. Tuckahoe, N. Y., 1931 Bishop, Dr. Louis B., Pasadena, Calif., 1934 Cruttenden, John R., Quincv III 1939 Currier, Ed. S,, Portland, Ore. s "34 Edge, Mrs. C. N., New York, N. Y.. 1931 Ellis, Ralph, Jr., Berkeley, Calif., 1933 Ganier, Albert F., Nashville, Tenn., 1931 Guion, Geo. Seth, New Orleans, La., 1933 Hicks, Dr. Lawrence E., Columbus Ohio, 1938 Jenson, Mrs. A. R., Clarks Grove, Minn., 1934 (New members Iowa; Richard A. Jones, Miss Dorothy, Kansas City, Mo., 1934 Oberholser, Dr. H. C., Washington, D. C., 1932 Pettingill, Dr. O. S., Northfield, Minn., 1937 Rich, Dr. Guy C., Hollywood, Calif., 1931 Roberts, Dr. T. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 1931 Sherwood, Jack W., Salinas, Calif., 1936 Stoner, Dr. Dayton, Albany, N, Y,, 1937 VosBurgh, Geo. W. H., Columbus, Wis. f 1938 Walters, Don L., Independence, Mo., 1939 Youngs, Miss Sarah, Fountain Grove, Mo., 1938 enrolled since November 10: John L. Cole, Nevada, Guthrie, Woodward, Iowa.) IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939 .60 LIBRARIES AND EXCHANGES CALIFORNIA: Cooper Ornithological Club, Buena Park. DIST. OF COLUMBIA: Bureau of Biological Survey; Library, Smith- sonian Institution; Library, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture; U. S, Dept, of the Interior. FLORIDA: Florida Audubon Society, Daytona Beach, GEORGIA: Georgia Ornithological Society, Emory University. ILLINOIS: Illinois Audubon Society, Chicago; Library, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; ‘Nature Notes', Peoria; ‘The Oologist , Lacon. . INDIANA: Indiana Audubon Society, Noblesville; University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame. IOWA: Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque; Historical, Me- morial & Art Dept, of Iowa, Des Moines; Iowa Academy of Science Ames; Library, Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls; Kendall Young Library, Webster City; Lincoln High School, Vinton; Public Library, Cedar Rapids; Public Library, Council Bluffs, Public Library, Des Moines; Public Library, Fort Dodge; Public Library, Onawa; Public Library, Sioux City; Public Library, Vinton; Public Library. Washing- ton; State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City; University of Iowa Library, Iowa City. , LOUISIANA: Dept, of Conservation of Louisiana, New Orleans. MASSACHUSETTS: American Ornithologists' Union, Cambridge; Boston Society of Natural History, Boston; Northeastern Bird-Banding Association, Boston. MICHIGAN : Michigan Audubon Society, Grand Rapids; Wilson Club Library, Ann Arbor. MINNESOTA: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union, Minneapolis. MISSOURI: Audubon Society of Missouri, Lebanon. NEBRASKA: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Lincoln. NEW YORK: American Museum of Natural History, New York City; Library, Roosevelt Wild Life Station, Syracuse; National Associ- ation of Audubon Societies, New York City. OHIO: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland. PENNSYLVANIA: Audubon Society of the Sewickley Valley, Se- wickley; ‘Biological Abstracts', University of Penn,, Philadelphia. TENNESSEE: Tennessee Ornithological Society, Memphis. WASHINGTON: Pacific Northwest Bird and Mammal Society, Spo- kane. WEST VIRGINIA; ‘Field Ornithology’, Mt. Lookout. WISCONSIN: Wisconsin Society of Ornithology, Madison. CANADA: McGill University Library, Montreal. TO OUR MEMBERS Membership dues for 1940 are payable January 1st. We wish to remind you that those who send in their dues promptly save the Sec- retary-Treasurer time and postage in sending notices, as well as sim- plify bookkeeping during the early part of the year. Send your dollar to Miss Kate LaMar, 1125 38th St., Des Moines. We had a fine convention at Spirit Lake last May, and a successful year in general. Another fine convention at Dubuque next May is in prospect. We have had the addition of a number of new members, but there have been losses of old members who allowed their member- ship to lapse. There is work to be done in securing new members and • n building a larger, better state bird organization. We shall appre- ciate the help of every member in this work. Send your Christmas bird census to the Editor. The censuses will be published in tabulated form in our next issue.