Full text of "The Auk"
Old Series, ) Continuation of the
Vol. XXIX. ') Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. \ Vol. XXI
( New Series,
The Auk
a Uuartett? Sountal of iDtnittjologr
EDITOR
J. A. ALLEN
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR
FRANK M. CHAPMAN
VOLUME XXI
PUBLISHED BY
The American Ornithologists' Union
♦ ♦ ♦
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
Entered as second-class mail matter in the Post Office at Boston, Mass.
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CONTENTS OF VOLUME XXI.
NUMBER I.
Page.
In Memoriam : Thomas McIlwraith. By A. K. Fisher {with
portrait). ..........
On the Habits of the Laysan Albatross. By Walter K,
Fisher. (Plates II- VII.)
Nesting Habits of the Herodiones in Florida. By A. C
Bent. (Plates VIII and IX.) 20
Summer Birds of the Leech Lake Region, Minnesota. By
Edtnonde S. Currier. ......... 29
Bird Migration Phenomena in the Extreme Lower Missis-
sippi Valley. By Henry H. Kopman. .... 45
The Correct Name of the Pacific Dunlin. By S. A. Buturlin. 50
An Abnormal Bill of Melanerpes fortoricensis. By B. S.
Bow dish. (Plate XI) 53
Some Nova Scotia Birds. By Spencer Trotter. 55
The Exaltation of the Subspecies. By Jonathan Dwight, Jr.,
M. D 64
Yosemite Valley Birds. By O. Widmann. ..... 66
Twenty-first Congress of the American Ornithologists'
Union. By John H. Sage. 74
GENERAL NOTES.
White-winged Scoter in Colorado, 78 ; Occurrence of the Knot (Tringa
canutus) at San Diego, California, 78 ; A Sanderling with Hind
Toes, 79; Black-bellied Plover and Hudsonian Godwit on Long
Island, N. Y., 79; The Ani in Florida, 79; The Pileated Wood-
pecker in the District of Columbia, 79; Empidonax griseus
Brewst.=2?. canescens Salv. & Godm., 80; A Preoccupied Generic
Name, 80 ; Extension of the Breeding Range of the Prairie
Horned Lark (Otocoris alpestris praticola) to the Eastern Coast,
81 ; Black-backed Three-toed Woodpecker and Evening Grosbeak
at Wellfleet, Mass., 81 ; The Evening Grosbeak in Presque Isle
Co., Mich., 82; The Bachman Sparrow (Pencata aestivalis bach-
manii) in the Vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, 82 ; Kirtland's War-
bler (Dendroica kirtlandi) on the Coast of South Carolina, 83 ;
A Few Southern Michigan Notes, 84 ; Occurence of the Ruff
(Pavoncella pugnax) and Other Birds in Rhode Island, 85 ; The
Black-bellied Plover, Road-runner, and Black-throated Green
Warbler in Kansas, 85.
RECENT LITERATURE.
Walton's 'A Hermit's Wild Friends,' 87; Fisher's Birds of Laysan,
90; Jones's 'The Birds of Ohio,' 91 ; Anderson and Grinnell on
the Birds of the Siskiyou Mountains, California, 91 ; Sharpe's
' Hand List of the Genera and Species of Birds,' Volume IV, 92 ;
iv Contents of Vol Jim e XXI.
Ridgwayon New American Birds, 93; Nelson on New Birds from
Mexico, 93; Oberholser on a New Wren from Texas, 94; Hartert's
' Die Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna,' 94 ; ' The Avicultural Mag-
azine,' 95 ; Seth-Smith's Handbook of Parakeets, 96.
SUPPLEMENT.
Report of the A. O. U. Committee on the Protection of
North American Birds for the Year 1903. By William
Butcher. (Plates XII-XVII.) 97
218
NUMBER II.
Masked Bob-white (Cplinus ridgwayi). By Herbert Broxvn. 209
Curved-billed and Palmer's Thrashers. By Josiah H. Clark.
(Plate XVIII.) 214
San Clemente Island and its birds. By George F. Brenin-
ger
A List of Land Birds from Central and Southeastern
Washington. By Robert E. Snodgrass 223
Birds of Allegany and Garrett Counties, Western Mary-
land. By G. Eifrig. 234
The Obligations of the Student of Animal Behavior.
By William Morton Wheeler. . . . . . . .251
Unpublished Letters of John James Audubon and Spen-
cer F. Baird. By Ruthven Beane. . . . . . . 255
Nesting Habits of the Herodiones in Florida. By A. C. Bent.
(Plates XIX-XXI.) 259
The Rhythmical Song of the Wood Pewee. By Henry Oldys. 270
The Status of Melospiza lincolni striata Brewster. By Joseph
Grinnell. . . . . . . . . . . .274
GENERAL NOTES.
Holboell's Grebe at Niagara Falls, 276; Holboell's Grebe and the
White Pelican at St. Mary's, Georgia, 277 ; Another Ohio Record
for the Knot (Tringa cantetus), 277 ; The Red-backed Sandpiper
in Massachusetts in December, 277 ; Capture of Krider's Hawk
at St. Mary's, Georgia, 277 ; The Great Gray Owl near Boston,
278 ; The Pileated Woodpecker in Anne Arundel County, Md.,
278; Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus), a New Bird for
Colorado, 278; Another Abnormal Bill, 279; The Western
Meadowlark {Sturnella magna neglecta) in Southern Georgia,
280; The Evening Grosbeak near Quebec, Canada, 280; The
Pine Grosbeak on Long Island, N. Y., 280, 281 ; White-winged
Crossbill — A Correction, 281; The Lark Sparrow in Oneida
County, N. Y., 281 ; The Chewink in Winter at Ashland, Mass.,
282 ; Another Nest of the Philadelphia Vireo, 2S2; The Phila-
delphia Vireo, 283; A Winter Record for the Hermit Thrush
Contents of Volume XXI.
{Hylocichla guttata pallasii) in Eastern Massachusetts, 284 ; Two
Additions to the Bird Fauna of Kansas, 284; Mortality among
Young Birds, Due to Excessive Rains, 284 ; The Rapidity of
Wing-beats of Birds, 286 ; A Correction, 286 ; Audubon's Orni-
thological Biography, 286; Delaware Bird Notes, 286; Bird
Notes from Shelter Island, Long Island, N. Y., 287 ; Notes Con-
cerning Certain Birds of Long Island, N. Y., 287 ; British
Columbia Notes, 289; The Ipswich Sparrow, Kirtland's Warbler,
and Sprague's Pipit in Georgia, 291.
RECENT LITERATURE.
Coues's ' Key to North American Birds,' Fifth Edition, 292 ; Chap-
man's'Color Key to North American Birds,' 296; Dawson's 'The
Birds of Ohio,' 297 ; Mrs. Bailey's ' Handbook of Birds of the
Western United States,' Second Edition, 299; Mrs. Wheelock's
'Birds of California,' 299; Torrey's 'The Clerk of the Woods,'
300; Mrs. Miller's ' With the Birds in Maine,' 301 ; Kumlien and
Hollister's ' The Birds of Wisconsin,' 301 ; Silloway's ' The Birds
of Fergus County, Montana,' 302 ; Oberholser's ' Review of the
Wrens of the Genus Troglodytes, 303; Oberholser on the Amer-
ican Great Horned Owls, 304; Snodgrass and Heller on the
' Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago,' 305 ; Shufeldt on the
Osteology of the Halcyones and Limicoloe, 306 ; Evans's ' Turner
on Bird's,' 306; Recent Papers on Economic Ornithology, 307;
Audubon Societies in their Relation to the Farmer, 309 ; Sum-
mary of Game Laws tor 1903, 309.
NOTES AND NEWS.
Obituaries: Gurdon Trumbull, 310; Josiah Hooper, 311 J Lyman
S- Foster, 312. Ornithological Works in Prospect, 312.
NUMBER III.
The Biology of the Tyrannid^e with Respect to their
Systematic Arrangement. By Dr. H. von Ihering. . . 313
A Discussion of the Origin of Migration. By P. A. Taverner. 322
Extracts from an Unpublished Journal of John James Audu-
bon. By Ruthven Deane. ........ 334
The Effect of Altitude on Bird Migration. By Wells W.
Cook 338
Spring Migrations of 1903. By Elon Howard Eaton. . . 341
The Case of Megalestris vs. Catharacta. By J. A. Allen. . . 345
Additional Notes on the Birds of the Upper Pecos. By
Florence Merriam Bailey. ........ 349
The Origin and Distribution of the Chestnut-backed Chick-
adee. Joseph Grimiell. ........ 364
vi Contents of Volume XXI.
GENERAL NOTES.
Black-capped Petrel in New Hampshire, 383, PI. XXII; Holboell's
Grebe in Lancaster, Mass., 383 ; European Widgeon in Southern
California, 383 ; On the Evanescent Ground-tint of Woodcock's
Eggs, 384 ; How an Abnormal Growth of Bill was Caused, 384 ;
The Evening Grosbeak in Central New York in April, 385 ; The
Evening Grosbeak at Beverly, Mass., 385 ; Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Sparrow in North Dakota, 385; Henslow's Sparrow in Chester
County, Pa., 386; Henslow's Sparrow at Bethlehem, Pa. — A
Correction, 386 ; What has happened to the Martins? 387; Breed-
ing of Lawrence Warbler in New York City, 387; Myrtle War-
blers Wintering in Maine, 388 ; Phyllopsuestes versus Phyllosco-
flus, 390; Peculiar Nesting-site of the Bluebird in the Bermudas,
390; Dates of Nesting of Bermuda Birds, 391; Unusual Records
near Boston, Mass., 391 ; Scott Oriole, Gray Vireo and Phoebe
in Northeastern New Mexico, 392.
RECENT LITERATURE.
Hoffmann's 'Guide to the Birds of New England and Eastern New
York,' 393; Hornaday's 'The American Natural History,' 394;
The ' Baby Pathfinder to the Birds,' 395 ; Proceedings of the
Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, 396; Oddi's ' Manuale d'
Ornitologie ltaliana,' 396 ; Boardman's ' The Naturalist of the
Saint Croix,' 397 ; Pearson's ' Three Summers among the Birds
of Russian Lapland,' 398; Jacobs's 'The Haunts of the Golden-
winged Warbler,' 399 ; Scott on the Rearing of Wild Finches by
Foster-parents of other Species, 399 ; Scott on the Inheritance of
Song in Passerine Birds, 400 ; Rhoads on the Extinction of the
Dickcissel East of the Alleghanies, 401 ; Silloway's Additional
Notes on the Summer Birds of Flathead Lake, 401 ; Swarth on
the Birds of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, 401 ; Bartsch on
the Herons of the District of Columbia, 402; Nelson on New Birds
from Mexico, 403; Nelson's Revision of the North American
Mainland Species of Myiarckus, 403 ; Bangs on Birds from
Honduras, 404; McGregor on Philippine Birds, 404; Code of
Botanical Nomenclature, 404.
CORRESPONDENCE.
A Method of Obtaining a Temporary Stability of Names, 406.
NOTES AND NEWS.
Obituary : Edwin Sheppard, 407. Field Work of the Biological Sur-
vey, 407 ; The Thayer Expedition to Central America, 408 ;
American Museum of Natural History, 408; New Ornitholog-
ical Publieations, 409; Michigan Ornithological Club, 410;
Marking Young Birds, 410.
Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. . . 411
Contents of Volume XXI. vii
NUMBER IV.
A Fortnight on the Farallones. By Milton S. Ray. . . 425
Additions to Mitchell's List of the Summer Birds of San
Miguel County, New Mexico. By Florence Merriam Bailey. 443
A Preliminary List of the Birds of Leon County, Florida.
B v R. W Williams, Jr 449
Nesting Habits of the Woodpeckers and the Vultures of
Mississippi. By Charles R. Stockard ..... 463
The Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. By
Andrexv Allison. .......... 472
GENERAL NOTES.
Curlew Sandpiper in New Jersey, 485 ; Occurrence of the Spotted
Sandpiper in Kent, England, 485; Killdeers at Allen's Harbor,
R. I., 485 ; Note on the Generic Names Bellona, Ortkorhytichus,
CJirysolampis, and Eulampis, 485; On the Proper Name of the
Tody of Jamaica, 486 ; The Bobolink in Colorado, 486 ; Henslow's
Sparrow in Munroe County, Pa., 486 ; Breeding of the Dickcissel
in New Jersey, 487 ; Another Nest of Kirtland's Warbler, 487 ;
An Interesting Variation in Seiurus, 488 ; Warblers and Grapes,
489; The Raven in Southern New Hampshire, and Other Notes,
491.
RECENT LITERATURE.
The International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, 494 ; Cooke's
' Some New Facts about the Migration of Birds,' 501 ; G. M.
Allen's 'The Birds of New Hampshire,' 503; Todd's Birds of
Erie, Pa., 505 ; Hartert's, ' Die Vogel der Pal&arktischen Fauna,'
505 ; Kirtland's Warbler, 506 ; Forbush on the Destruction of
Birds by the Elements, 507; Judd's 'The Economic Value of the
Bobwhite,' 509; Elrod on Birds in Relation to Agriculture, 509.
NOTES AND NEWS.
Obituaries: John Fannin, 510; James M. Southwick, 511. Worthing-
ton Society for the Investigation of Bird Life, 511 ; Twenty-sec-
ond Congress of the American Ornithologists' Union, 512.
Index 513
Contents of Volume XXI iii
Officers, Committees, and Members of the American Orni-
thologists' Union ix
viii Contents of Volume XXI.
LIST OF PLATES.
Plate I. Portrait of Thomas Mcllwraith.
" II. Finale of Albatross Dance — The Duet.
" III. Fig. i, Rookery of Laysan Albatross ; Fig. 2, Near the Lagoon,
Laysan.
u IV. Fig. 1, A Corner in one of the Rookeries, Fig. 2, Among the
Laysan Albatrosses.
" V. Fig. 1, First stage in Dance, Fencing; Fig. 2, Second step in
Dance.
" VI. Fig. 1, Last stage in Dance — one singing, the other snapping
beak ; Fig. 2, Portrait of young Laysan Albatross.
" VII. Fig. 1, Young Albatross asking for Food; Fig. 2, old bird
starting to disgorge.
" VIII. Fig. 1, The Arrival of Breakfast ; Fig. 2, Diomedea nigripes
punishing strange young.
IX. Nest, Eggs, and Young of Roseate Spoonbill.
X. Nest and Eggs of White Ibis.
" XI. Bill of Portorican Woodpecker.
XII. Launch 'Audubon ' used by Warden in Southern Florida.
XIII. Bird Key, Florida, a protected Tern Colony.
XIV. Sooty Terns on Bird Key, Florida.
XV. Sooty Terns and young, Bird Key, Florida.
" XVI. Fig. 1, Puffins, Matinicus Rock, Maine; Fig. 2, Nest of
American Eider, Maine Coast.
" XVII. Fig. 1, Herring Gull, caught by foot in spruce stub, Great
Duck Island, Maine; Figs. 2 and 3, Black Giullemots, or
Sea Pigeons, on a protected Island in Maine.
" XVIII. Nest and Eggs of Curve-billed Thrasher.
" XIX. Young Great White Herons.
" XX. Nests of Louisiana Heron.
" XXI. Fig. 1, Little Blue Heron Rookery, Fig. 2, Nest and Eggs of
Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
" XXII. Black-capped Petrel.1
" XXIII. The Farallones, from the East.
" XXIV. Finger Rock, Farallones.
" XXV. Great Murre Cave, Farallones.
" XXVI. Gulls on WestfEnd, Farallones.
11 XXVII. Portion of the Brandt's Comorant Rookery, Farallones.
" XXVIII. Fig. 1, Rock Wren ; Fig. 2, Farallon Cormorant.
1 The date of capture given on the plate should be 1893 instead of 1896.
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OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES OF THE AMERICAN
ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 1903-1904.
1904
1 90-1
1904
1904
1904
1904
Ex-Presidents.
Expiration of Term.
Cory, Charles B., President November, 1904.
Batchelder, C. F., 1 TZ. e, .7 ,
' > Vice-Presidents " 1004.
Nelson, E. W., ' i y ^
Sage, John H., Secretary " 1904.
Dwight, Jonathan, Jr., Treasurer " 1904.
Additional Members of the Council.
Chapman, Frank M November, 1904
Deane, Ruthven
Dutcher, William.
Fisher, A. K
Richmond, Charles W
Roberts, Thomas S
Stone, Witmer
Allen, J. A
Brewster, William
Elliot, D. G
Merriam, C. Hart
Ridgway, Robert J
Editorial Staff of ' The Auk.'
Allen, J. A., Editor November, 1904.
Chapman, Frank M., Associate Editor " ^9°-\-
Committees.
Committee on Publications.
Cory, Charles B., C/iairman. Allen, J. A.
Sage, John H., Secretary. Chapman, Frank M.
Dwight, Jonathan, Jr.
Committee of Arrangements for the Meeting of 1904.
Cory, Charles B., Chairman. Batchelder, Charles F.
Sage, John H., Secretary. Bishop, Louis B.
Brewster, William.
Fellows.
FELLOWS, MEMBERS, AND ASSOCIATES OF THE
AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
OCTOBER, 1904.1
FELLOWS*
[Omission of date indicates a Founder. An * indicates a Life Fellow.]
Date of
Election.
Aldrich, Hon. Charles, Boone, Iowa —
Allen, Dr. J. A., Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City —
Anthony, A. W., 900 Thurman St., Portland, Ore 1895
Bangs, Outram, 240 Beacon St., Boston, Mass 1901
Barrows, Prof. W. B., Agricultural College, Mich 1883
Batchelder, Charles Foster, 7 Kirkland St., Cambridge, Mass ... —
Beal, F. E. L., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1901
Belding, Lyman, Stockton, Cal 18S3
Bicknell, Eugene P., 32 Nassau St., New York City —
Bishop, Dr. Louis B., 356 Orange St., New Haven, Conn 1901
*Brewster, William, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass .' . . . —
Brown, Nathan Clifford, 218 Middle St., Portland, Me —
• Chadbourne, Dr. Arthur P., 225 Marlborough St., Boston, Mass. . 1889
Chapman, Frank M., Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City 1888
Cooke, Prof. Wells W., 1328 12th St., N. W., Washington, D. C . . . . 1884
*Cory, Charles B., 160 Boylston St., Boston, Mass —
Deane, Ruthven, 504 N. State St., Chicago, 111. 18S3
Dutcher, William, 525 Manhattan Ave., New York City 1886
Dwight, Dr. Jonathan, Jr., 2 East 34th St., New York City 1886
Elliot, Daniel G., Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, 111 —
- Faxon, Dr. Walter, Mus. Comp. Zool., Cambridge, Mass 1896
Fisher, Dr. Albert K., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. . . —
Gill, Prof. Theodore N. , Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C. . . . 1883
Grinnell, Dr. George Bird, Audubon Park, New York City 1883
Grinnell, Joseph, 572 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, Cal 1901
Henshaw, Henry W., Hilo, Hawaiian Islands 1883
Lawrence, Newbold T., 51 Liberty St., New York City 1883
1 Fellows and Members of the Union, and Subscribers to ' The Auk ' are
requested to promptly notify Jonathan Dwight, Jr., Treasurer, 2 East
34th St., New York City, of any change of address.
Honorary Fellows. xi
Loomis, Leverett M., California Acad. Sci., San Francisco, Cal. . . 1892
Lucas, Frederic A., Museum Brooklyn Inst., Eastern Parkway,
Brooklyn, N. Y 1892
Mearns, Dr. Edgar A., U. S. A., War Dept., Washington, D. C —
Merriam, Dr. C. Hart, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. . . —
Nehrling, H., Palm Cottage, Gotha, Fla 1883
Nelson, E. W., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1883
Oberholser, Harry C, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C . . . 1902
Palmer, Dr. T. S., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1901
Palmer, William, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C 1898
Purdie, Henry A., 48 Bolyston St., Boston, Mass —
Richmond, Dr. Charles W , Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C- '1897
Ridgway, Prof. Robert, Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C —
Roberts, Dr. Thomas S., 1603 4th Ave., S., Minneapolis, Minn ... .1883
*Sage, John H., Portland, Conn 1883
Saunders, William E., 352 Clarence St., London, Ontario 1883
Shufeldt, Dr. Robert W., 471 W. 145th St., New York City —
Stejneger, Dr. Leonhard, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C 1884
Stone, Witmer, Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, Pa 1S92
Widmann, Otto, 5105 Morgan St., St. Louis, Mo 1884
HONORARY FELLOWS.
Berlepsch, Count Hans von, Schloss Berlepsch, per post, Gerten-
bach, Cassel, Germany 1890
Blanford, Dr. William T., 72 Bedford Gardens, Kensington,
London, W 1895
Bocage, Prof. J. V. Barboza du, Royal Museum, Lisbon 1883
Cabanis, Prof. Dr. Jean, Friedrichshagen, near Berlin 1^3
Dresser, Henry Eeles, 28 Queensborough Terrace, London, W. • 1883
Finsoh, Dr. Otto, 19^ Altewickring, Brunswick, Germany 1883
Giglioli, Dr. Henry Hillyer, Director Royal Zoological Museum,
Florence l^3
Hartert, Ernst, Zoological Museum, Tring, England 1902
Harvey-Brown, John A., Dunipace House, Larbert, Stirlingshire,
Scotland 1902
Hume, Allan Octavian, The Chalet, Kingswood Road, Upper Nor-
wood, London, S. E 1^3
Meyer, Dr. A. B., Director of the Royal Zool. Museum, Dresden 1900
Newton, Prof. Alfred, Magdalene College, Cambridge, England.. .1883
xii Corresponding- bellows.
Reichenow, Dr. Anton, Konigl. Mus. fiir Naturkunde, Invaliden
Str., 43, Berlin 1891
Salvadori, Prof. Count Tommaso, Royal Zool. Museum, Turin 1883
Saunders, Howard, 7 Radnor Place, Hyde Park, London, W 1884
Sclater, Dr. Philip Lutley, 3 Hanover Sq., London, W 1883
Sharpe, Dr. Richard Bowdler, British Museum (Natural History),
Cromwell Road, London, S. W 1883
Wallace, Prof. Alfred Russel, Broadstone, Wimborne, Dorset,
England 1883
CORRESPONDING FELLOWS.
Alfaro, Anastasio, San Jose, Costa Rica 1888
Arrigoni Degli Oddi, Count Dr. E., University of Padua, Italy. . . 1900
Blasius, Dr. Rudolph, Brunswick, Germany 1884
Blasius, Dr. Wilhelm, Brunswick, Germany 1884
Bryant, Walter E., Santa Rosa, Cal 1900
Buller, Sir Walter Lawry, 81 Eaton Terrace, London, S. W 1883
Bureau, Dr. Louis, Ecole de Medicine, Nantes, France 1884
Butler, Lieut. -Col. E. A., Plumton House, Bury St. Edmunds,
Suffolk, England 1884
Buttikofer, J., Zoological Gardens, Rotterdam, Holland 1886
Campbell, Archibald James, Melbourne, Australia 1902
Chamberlain, Montague, Cambridge, Mass 1901
Clarke, Wm. Eagle, Science and Art Museum, Edinburgh 1889
Collett, Prof. Robert, Zoological Museum, Christiania, Norway.. 1883
Dalgleish, John J., Brankston Grange, Bogside Station, Stirling-
shire, Scotland 1883
Dole, Sanford B., Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands 1888
Dubois, Dr. Alphonse, Museum Nat. History, Brussels 1884
Duges, Prof. Alfredo, Colegio del Estado, Guanajuato, Mexico. . . .1884
Echt, Adolph Bachofen von, Nussdorf, near Vienna 1883
Evans, Arthur H., 9 Harvey Road, Cambridge, England ^99
Fatio, Dr. Victor, Geneva, Switzerland 1884
Feilden, Lieut. -Col. H. W., West House, Wells, Norfolk, England. . 1884
Ferrari-Perez, Prof. Fernando, Naturalist Mexican Geol. Expl.
Commission, Pueblo, Mexico 1885
Freke, Percy Evans, 7 Limes Road, Folkstone, Kent, England 1883
Furbringer, Prof. Max, Director Anatom. Institute, University of
Heidelberg, Germany 1891
Gadow, Dr. Hans, Zoological Museum, Cambridge, England 1884
Girtanner, Dr. A., St. Galle, Switzerland 1S84
Godman, F. Du Cane, 10 Chandos Street, Cavendish Sq., London. . 1S83
Godwin-Austen, Lieut. -Col. H. H., Shalford House, Guilford, Eng-
land 1884
Goeldi, Dr. Emil A., Para, Brazil 1903
Corresponding Felloivs. xiii
Grandidier, Alfred, 6 Rond-Point des Champs Elysees, Paris. . . . 1883
Grant, William R. Ogilvie, 29 Elvaston Place, London, S. W.... 1899
Gurney, John Henry, Keswick Hall, Norwich, England 1883
Harting, James Edmund, Linnsean Society, Burlington House, Pic-
cadilly, London 1883
Hayek, Dr. Gustav von,* Vienna 1884
Hellmayr, Dr. E. C, Munich, Germany 1903
Henson, Harry V., Yokohama 1888
Hudson, William Henry, Tower House, St. Luke's Road, West-
bourne Park, London, W 1895
Ihring, Dr. Hermann von, Museu Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil 1902
Knudson, Valdemar, Kauai, Hawaiian Islands 1888
Krukenberg, Dr. E. F. W., Wtirzburg, Germany 1884
Kruper, Dr. Theobald J., University Museum, Athens, Greece 1884
Legge, William V., Cullenswood House, St. Mary's, Tasmania 1891
Leverkuhn, Dr. Paul, The Palace, Sophia, Bulgaria 1890
MacFarlane, Robert, Winnipeg, Manitoba 1886
Madarasz, Dr. Julius von, National Museum, Budapest, Hungary. . 1884
Menzbier, Dr. M., Imperial Society of Naturalists, Moscow 1884
Namiye, M., Tokio 1886
Nicholson, Francis, 84 Major St., Manchester, England 1884
North, Alfred J., Australian Museum, Sydney, New South
Wales 1902
Oates, Eugene William, i Carlton Gardens, Ealing, London, W. . 1884
Oustalet, Dr. Emile, Jardin des Plantes, 55 Rue de Buffon, Paris.. 1888
Palmen, Dr. J. A., Helsingfors, Finland 1883
Philippi, Dr. R. A., Santiago, Chili 1884
Pycraft, W. P., British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Cromwell Road, Lon-
don, S. W 1902
Ramsey, E. P., Sydney, New South Wales 1884
Ringer, Frederic, Nagasaki 1888
Rothschild, Hon. L. Walter, Zoological Museum, Tring, Eng-
land 1898
Schalow, Herman, 15 Schleswiger Ufer, Berlin, N. W 1884
Shelley, Capt. G. E., 39 Edgerton Gardens, South Kensington,
London, S. W., England 1884
Sucshkin, Dr. Peter, Imperial University, Moscow, Russia 1903
Theel, Dr. Hjalmar, University of Upsala, Upsala, Sweden 1884
Tristram, Rev. Canon H. B., The College, Durham, England 1884
Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, Victor Ritter von, Hallein, (Villa
Tannenhof), Salzburg, Austria 1884
Waterhouse, F. H., 3 Hanover Square, London, W 1889
Winge, Dr. Herluf, Copenhagen, Denmark 1903
Woodhouse, Dr. Samuel W., Philadelphia, Pa 1903
Worcester, Prof. Dean C, Manila, P.I 1903
Zeledon, Don Jose C., San Jose, Costa Rica 1884
xiv Members.
MEMBERS.
Allen, Francis H., 4 Park St., Boston, Mass 1901
Allison, Andrew, 630 Pine St., New Orleans, La 1902
Attwater, H. P., Box 697, Houston, Texas 1901
Bailey, Mrs. Vernon, 1834 Kalorama Ave., Washington, D. C 1901
Bailey, Vernon, 1834 Kalorama Ave., Washington, D. C 1901
Baily, William L., 421 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa 1901
Barbour, Prof. Erwin H., Sta. A., Lincoln, Nebraska 1903
Bartsch, Paul, Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C 1902
Beebe, C William, N. Y. Zoological Park, New York City 1903
Bent, Arthur C, Taunton, Mass 1902
Beyer, Prof. George E., Tulane Univ., New Orleans, La 1901
Bond, Frank, 1412 15th St., N. W., Washington, D. C 1901
Braislin, Dr. William C, 217 St. James Place, Brooklyn, N. Y 1902
Brown, Herbert, Yuma, Arizona 1901
Bruner, Prof. Lawrence, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb 1901
Bryan, William Alanson, Bishop Museum, Honolulu, H. 1 1901
Burns, Frank L., Berwvn, Pa 1901
Butler, Amos W., 52 Downey Ave., Irvington, Indianapolis, Ind-.i90i
Cherrie, George K., 27 Fairview Place, Brooklyn, N. Y 1901
Clark, Prof. Hubert Lyman, Olivet College, Olivet, Mich 1902
Daggett, Frank S., 341 Rialto Building, Chicago, 111 1901
Deane, Walter, 29 Brewster St., Cambridge, Mass 1901
Evermann, Prof. Barton W., Bureau of Fisheries, Washington,
D. C 1901
Fisher, Walter Kenrick, Palo Alto, Cal 1901
Fleming, James H., 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Ontario 1901
Forbush, Edward H., Wareham, Mass 1903
Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, 13 East Ave., Ithaca, N. Y 1901
Gault, Benjamin True, Glen Ellyn, 111 1903
Goldman, Edward Alfonso, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 1902
Hardy, Manly, Brewer, Maine 1901
Hoffmann, Ralph, Belmont, Mass 1901
Howell, Arthur H., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1902
Jeffries, William Augustus, Box 2013, Boston, Mass 1901
Job, Rev. Herbert K., Kent, Conn 1901
Jones, Lynds, 160 N. Professor St., Oberlin, Ohio 1901
Jordan, Prof. David Starr, Stanford University, Cal 1901
Judd, Dr. Sylvester D., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C-.-i9oi
Knowlton, F. H., U. S. Nat. Museum, Washington, D. C 1902
Mackay, George H., 114 State St., Boston, Mass 1901
Mailliard, John W., 307 Sansome St. , San Francisco, Cal 1901
Mailliard, Joseph, San Geronimo, Cal 1901
McGregor, Richard C, Philippine Museum, Manila, P. 1 1901
Miller, Mrs. Olive Thorne, 827 De Kalb Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y 1901
Associates. xv
Morris, George Spencer, Olney, Philadelphia, Pa J 903
Murdoch, John, 38 Whiting St., Roxbury, Mass 1901
Norton, Arthur H., Westbrook, Maine 1902
Osgood, Wilfred Hudson, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C • 1901
Pearson, T. Gilbert, Greensboro, N. C 1902
Pennock, Charles J., Kennett Square, Pa 1901
Preble, Edward A., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1901
Price, William W., Alta, Cal 1901
Ralph, Dr. William L., U. S. Nat. Museum, Washington, D. C...1901
Rathbun, Samuel F., 202 Marion Block, Seattle, Wash 1902
Rhoads, Samuel N., Audubon, N. J 1901
Rives. Dr. William C, 1723 I St., N. W., Washington, D. C 1901
Robinson, Capt. Wirt, U. S. A., Wingina, Va 1901
Seton, Ernest Thompson, Cos Cob, Conn 1901
Silloway, Perley Milton, Lewistown, Montana 1902
Snodgrass, Robert Evans, Stanford University, Cal 1903
Sornborger, Jewell D., ioi Hammond St., Cambridge, Mass 1901
Stephens, Frank, University and Fillmore Aves., San Diego, Cal.. 190 1
Strong, Dr. Reuben M., Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, 111 19°3
Thayer, Abbott H., Monadnock, N. H 1901
Todd, W. E. Clyde, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pa 1901
Torrey, Bradford, Wellesley Hills, Mass 1901
Townsend, Charles H., Aquarium, Battery Park, New York City. . 1901
Trotter, Dr. Spencer, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa 1901
Whitman, Prof. Charles Otis, Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, 111 1902
Wolcott, Dr. Robert H., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb I9°3
Wright, Mrs. Mabel Osgood, Fairfield, Conn 1901
ASSOCIATES.
Abbott, Clinton Gilbert, 153 W. 73rd St., New York City 1898
Adams, Emily Belle., 167 Maple St., Springfield, Mass 1900
Adams, C. Wallace, 947 Rhode Island Ave. N. W., Washington, D. C . 1901
Adams, Mrs. Emma S., 439 Elm St., Chicago, 111 1899
Aiken, Charles Edward Howard, 2 E. Iowa St., Colorado Springs,
Colo 1898
Allen, Clarence Jones, Box 528, Milwaukee, Wis 1899
Allen, Glover M., 16 Oxford St., Cambridge, Mass 1896
Allen, Walter Fox, 62 Prospect St., Trenton, N. J 1902
Ames, J. H., 96 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario 1895
•Anderson, Mrs. J. C, Englewood, N. J 1903
Angell, Walter A., 37 N. Main St., Providence, R.I 1901
Archibold, J. A., 84 Highland Ave., Buffalo, N. Y 1903
Arnold, Edward, 126 Van Buren St., Battle Creek, Mich 1894
Arnow, Isaac F., St. Marys, Ga 1903
xvi Associates.
Atkinson, Dr. Daniel Armstrong, Wilkinsburg, Pa
Atkinson, George E., Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Babson, W. A., South Orange, N. J
Bacon, Carrington C, Imboden, Ark
Bagg, Egbert, 424 Genesee St., Utica, N. Y
Bailey, Charles E., Manning Manse, N. Billerica, Mass
Bailey, Harold H., 54th St., Newport News, Va
Baird, Miss Lucy Hunter, 1708 Locust St., Philadelphia, Pa
Baird, Robert L., Oberlin, Ohio
Baker, Arthur Benoni, 1845 Lanier Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C.
Ball, Carleton R., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C
Ball, Miss Helen Augusta, 43 Laurel St., Worcester, Mass
Bancroft, Miss Harriet E., 159 N. Monroe Ave., Columbus,
Ohio
Bangs, Edward Appleton, 501 Pemberton Bldg., Boston, Mass. . . .
Barbour, Rev. Robert, 62 Walnut St., Montclair, N. J
Barbour, Thomas, 13 Conant Hall, Cambridge, Mass
Barbour, Mrs. William D., 235 Madison Ave., New York City. . . .
Barnard, Job, 1306 Rhode Island Ave., Washington, D. C
Barnes, Hon. R. Magoon, Lacon, 111
Baxter, George Strong, Jr., 17 William St., New York City
Beard, Daniel Carter, 204 Amity St., Flushing, N. Y
Beck, Rollo Howard, Berryessa, Cal
Beers, Henry W., 91 Denver Ave., Bridgeport, Conn
Bennetts, William J., 154 U. St. N. W., Washington, D. C
Benson, Frederick G., 845 Broad St., Newark, N. J
Bergtold, Dr. W. H., 1460 Clayton Ave., Denver, Colo
Berier, De Lagnel, Ridgwood, N. J
Biddle, Miss Emily Williams, 2201 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Bigelow, Edward F., Stamford, Conn
Bigelow, Henry Bryant, 251 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass-
Bigelow, Homer Lane, 511 Washington St., Boston, Mass
Bigelow, Joseph Smith, Jr., 251 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass.
Bignell, Mrs. Effie, 135 College Ave., New Brunswick, N. J
Blackwelder, Eliot, 10906 Prospect Ave., Morgan Park, 111
Blain, Alex. W., Jr., 131 Elmwood Ave., Detroit, Mich
Blake, Francis G., 57 Addington Road, Brookline, Mass
Blatchley, W. S-, 1725 Broadway, Indianapolis, Ind
Bloomfield, Mrs. C. C, 723 Main St. W., Jackson, Mich
Blunt, Miss Eliza Sinclair, Elizabethtown, N. Y
Boewe, Max, 15 King St., Taunton, Mass
Bohlman, Herman T., 46 Ninth St., N., Portland, Oregon
Bond, Harry L., Lakefield, Minn
Bowdish, B. S., 50 W. 98th St., New York City
Bowditch, Harold, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass
Bowles, John Hooper, 401 S. G St., Tacoma, Wash
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Associates. xvii
Bracken, Mrs. Henry Martyn, ioio Fourth St., S. E., Minne
apolis, Minn
Bradford, Mrs. Mary F., 3804 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, La. .
Bradford, Moses B. L., Concord, Mass
Bradlee, Thomas Stevenson, Somerset Club, Boston, Mass
Brandreth, Franklin, Ossining-on-Hudson, N. Y
Brennan, Charles F., Mount Carmel, 111
Breninger, George Frank, 560 N. 6th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona
Brewster, Edward Everett, 316 C. St., E., Iron Mountain, Mich.
Bridge, Mrs. Lidian E., 52 Wyman St., West Medford, Mass
Bright, Miss Anna L., Green Hill Farm, Overbrook, Pa
Brock, Dr. Henry Herbert, 687 Congress St., Portland, Me...
Brooks, Allan, Comox, B. C
Brooks, Rev. Earle Amos, Waverly, W. Va
Brooks, Clarence Morrison, 105 West St., Keene, N. H
Brown, Edward J., Lemon City, Florida
Brown, Hubert H., 70 Collier St., Toronto, Ontario
Brown, Stewardson, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa
Brown, Wilmot W. , Jr., 52 Trowbridge St., Cambridge, Mass
Brownson, W. H., Advertiser Office, Portland, Me
Bryant, Owen, 56 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass
Buck, Henry Robinson, Box 213, Hartford, Conn
Bumpus, Dr. Hermon C, Am. Mus. Natural History, New York City .
Burgess, John Kingsbury, Dedham, Mass
Burke, Wm. Bardwell, 130 Spring St., Rochester, N. Y
Burnett, Leonard E., Little Medicine, Wyo
Burnett, William L., 128 N. Sherwood St., Fort Collins, Colo. . . .
Burnham, John, Jackson , Mich
Burtch, Verdi, Branchport, N. Y
Burtis, Henry Mott, Babylon, N. Y
Buxbaum, Mrs. Clara E., 2305 Niles St., St. Joseph, Mich
Callender, James Phillips, 603 Springfield Ave., Summit, N. J..
Cameron, E. S., V. Ranch, Terry, Montana
Carleton, Cyrus, 69 Vinton St., Providence, R. I
Carpenter, Rev. Charles Knapp, Polo, 111
Carroll, James J., Camden, Texas
Cary, Merritt, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C
Case, Rev. Bert F., Middle Haddam, Conn
Case, Clifford M., 100 Ashley St., Hartford, Conn
Cash, Harry A., 37 N. Main St., Providence, R. I
Chamberlain, Chauncy W., 36 Lincoln St., Boston, Mass
Chapin, Prof. Angie Clara, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass. . .
Chase, Mrs. Agnes, 59 Florida Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C .
Childs, John Lewis, Floral Park, N. Y
Christy, Bayard H., 403 Frederick Ave., Sewicklej-, Pa
Chubb, Samuel H., 468 W. 153d St., New York City
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xviii Associates.
Clapp, Miss M. G. B., 163 East St., Pittsfield, Mass
Clark, Austin Hobart, 107 Audubon Road, Boston, Mass
Clark, Edward B., 341 Oak St., Chicago, 111
Clark, Josiah H., 238 Broadway, Paterson, N. J
Clarke, Dr. Charles K., Rockwood Hospital, Kingston, Ont. .. .
Clarke, Miss Harriet E., 9 Chestnut St., Worcester, Mass
Cleveland, Dr. Clement, 59 W. 38th St., New York City
Coale, Henry K., Highland Park, 111
Coggins, Herbert Leonard, 5025 McKean Ave., Germantown,
Philadelphia, Pa
Colburn, Albert E., P. O. Box 212, Santa Barbara, Cal
Cole, Roy Nall, Newnan, Ga
Colvin, Walter S., Osawatomie, Kansas
Comeau, Napoleon A., Godbout, Quebec
Comey, Arthur C, 54 Concord Ave., Cambridge, Mass
Commons, Mrs. Marie A., 2437 Park Ave., Minneapolis, Minn
Conant, Mrs. Martha W., 243 W. 98th St., New York City
Congdon, James W., 202 S. 9th St., La Crosse, Wis
Cook, Miss Lilian Gillette, 165 W. 82d St., New York City
Coolidge, John Templeton, 3RD, 114 Beacon St., Boston, Mass —
Coolidge, Philip Tripp, 17 Garfield St., Watertown, Mass
Cope, Alb an, Butler Hospital, Providence, R. I
Cope, Francis R., Jr., Dimock, Pa
Copeland, Dr. Ernest, 141 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis
Copeland, Manton, 40 Winthrop St., Taunton, Mass
Coues, Dr. William Pearce, 90 Charles St., Boston, Mass
Cox, Ulysses O., State Normal School, Mankato, Minn
Cram, R. J., 26 Hancock Ave., W., Detroit, Mich
Crandall, C. W., Woodside, N. Y
Crolius, Miss Anne A., 815 Carnegie Hall, New York City
Crone, John Valentine, 13 19 8th Ave., Greeley, Colo
Cummings, Miss Emma G., Kennard Road, Brookline, Mass
Currie, John D., 2006 Laurel Ave., Minneapolis, Minn
Currie, Rolla P., U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C
Currier, Edmonde Samuel, 607 S. J. St., Tacoma, Wash
Daniel, John W., Jr., 1794 Lanier Ave., Washington, D. C
Dart, Leslie O., 1603 4th Ave., S., Minneapolis, Minn
Davenport, Mrs. Elizabeth Braxton, 45 Green St., Brattleboro,
Vt
Davis, Miss Mary A., 26 W. 97th St., New York City
Davis, Stewart, Narragansett Pier, R. I
Davis, Walter R., 139 Park St., Newton, Mass
Davison, Donald B., 204 Prospect Park, Davenport, Iowa
Dawson, Rev. William Leon, 129 E. 7th Ave., Columbus, Ohio
Day, Chester Sessions, 280 Newbury St. , Boston, Mass
Day, Frank Miles, Mt. Airy Sta., Philadelphia, Pa
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Associates. xix
Dean, R. H., U. S. Weather Bureau, Lexington, Ky
Deane, George Clement, 80 Sparks St., Cambridge, Mass
Dearborn, Ned, Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, 111
De Haven, Isaac Norris, Ardmore, Pa
Derby, Richard, 3 E. 40th St., New York City
De Vine, J. L., 5478 Ellis Ave., Chicago, 111
Dewey, Dr. Charles A., 53 S. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, N. Y
Dewey, Miss Margaret, Great Barrington, Springfield, Mass
Dike, Archie C, Bristol, Vt
Dille, Frederick M., Longmont, Colo
Dionne, C. E., Laval Univ., Quebec
Dixon, James B., Escondido, Cal
Dixon, Frederick J., Elm Ave., Hackensack, N. J
Dobbin, William L., 7 Beverly St., Rochester, N. Y
Dodge, Charles W., Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y
Dodge, Fred Clinton, 125 Milk St., Boston, Mass
Dodge, Julian M., Wenham Depot, Mass
Doubleday, Mrs. Frank Nelson, hi E. 16th St., New York City. .
Dougherty, Col. William E., 253 Cadiz St., Dallas, Texas
Drowne, Frederick Peabody, 20 Benefit St., Providence, R. I
Dugmore, Arthur Radclyffe, Newfoundland, N. J
"Dull, Mrs. A. P. L., 211 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pa
Durfee, Owen, Box 125, Fall River, Mass
Dutcher, Dr. Basil Hicks, U. S. A., War Dept., Washington, D. C.
Dyche, Prof. L. L., Lawrence, Kansas
Dyke, Arthur Curtis, Bridgewater, Mass
Eastman, Harry D., Framingham, Mass
Eaton, Elon Howard, 209 Cutler Bldg., Rochester, N. Y
Eddy, Newell A., 615 N. Grant St., Bay City, Mich
Edgar, Newbold, 28 E. 39th St., New York City
Edson, John M., 2210 Victor St., Whatcom, Washington
Eiche, August, i 133 O St., Lincoln, Neb
Eifrig, Rev. Gustave, 210 Wilbrod St., Ottawa, Quebec
Elrod, Prof. M. J., 205 S. 5th St., Missoula, Montana
-Ely, Mrs. Theodore N., Bryn Mawr, Pa
Embody, George Charles, Bethel College, Russellville, Ky
Emerson, Guy, 685 Boylston St., Boston, Mass
Emlen, Arthur Cope, Awbury, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. . . .
-Emory, Mrs. Mary Dille, 156 Foundry St., Morgantown, W. Va. • • •
Eppinger^ Louis J., 516 Chene St., Detroit, Mich
Ericson, Lawrence, 155 Rogers Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y
Eustis, Richard Spelman, ii Wadsworth House, Cambridge,
Mass
Evans, Charles H., Townshend, Vt
Evans, Ernest Merwyn, Awbury, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa..
Evans, William B., 205 E. Central Ave., Moorestown, N. J
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xx Associates.
Everett, William M., 200 W. 99th St., New York City
- Everett, Miss Christabel M., 200 W. 99th St., New York City. • .
Farr, Marcus S., 12 Maple St., Princeton, N. J
""Farwell, Mrs. Ellen Drummond, Lake Forest, 111
n Farwell, Mrs. Francis Cooley, Lake Forest, 111
Faulks, Emory N. , Madison, N. J
Felger, Alva Howard, North Side High School, Denver, Colo. . . .
Fell, Miss Emma Trego, 1534 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa
Fernald, Robert Heywood, Washington Univ., St. Louis, Mo
Ferry, John Farwell, 50 State St., Albany, N. Y
Field, Edward Bronson, 981 Asylum Ave., Hartford, Conn
Field, Eugene Dwinell, 200 Beacon St., Hartford, Conn
— Finney, Mrs. William W., Churchville, Ind
"* Fisher, Miss Elizabeth Wilson, 1502 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa- . •
Fisher, William H., 1318 Bolton St., Baltimore, Md
Fisher, William Hubbell, Wiggins Block, Cincinnati, Ohio
Flanagan, John H., 392 Benefit St., Providence, R. I
" Fletcher, Mrs. Mary E., Ludlow, Vermont
Flint, Harry W., Yale National Bank, New Haven, Conn
Foote, Miss F. Huberta, 90 Locust Hill Ave., Yonkers, N. Y
Fordyce, Geo. L., 40 Lincoln Ave., Youngstown, Ohio
Fowler, Frederick Hall, Palo Alto, Cal
Fowler, Henry W., Acad. Nat. Sci., Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.
Fox, Dr. William H., 1826 Jefferson Place, Washington, D. C
Fraser, Donald, Johnstown, N. Y
Freeman, Miss Harriet E., 37 Union Park, Boston, Mass
Fuller, Charles Anthony, Sumner Road, Brookline, Mass
Gammell, Ives, 170 Hope St., Providence, R. I
Gano, Miss Laura, Richmond, Ind
Gardiner, Charles Barnes, Norwalk Natl. Bank, Norwalk, Ohio.
Gath, John, Torrington, Conn
Gaut, James H., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C
Germann, F. W., 214 S. Geneva St., Ithaca, N. Y
Gesner, Rev. Anthon T., Shattuck School, Faribault, Minn
Gilbert, Clarence H., Portland, Oregon
Gilman, Harris Hunt, Middlesex School, Concord, Mass
Gillet, Louis Bliss, North Wilbraham, Mass
Gleason, Rev. Herbert W., 83 Pinckney St., Boston, Mass
Goddard, F. N., 33 E. 50th St., New York City
Goodale, Dr. Joseph Lincoln, 397 Beacon St., Boston, Mass
Goss, Mrs. Aletta W., 5475 Ridgevvood Court, Chicago, 111
Gould, Henry, 648 Dundas St., London, Ontario
Gould, Joseph E., Lima, Ohio
Granger, Walter W., Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City
Greenough, Henry V., 48 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, Mass
Griffing, Moses Bowditch, Shelter Island Heights, N. "V
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Associates. xxi
Griffiths, Bartram W., 4024 Green St., Philadelphia, Pa
Hales, Henry, Ridgewood, N. J
Hall, Charles K., 54 Tweedle Bldg., Albany, N. Y
Hambleton, James Chase, 212 E. nth St., Columbus, Ohio
Hamfeldt, A., Morris, 111
Hamlin, George L., 16 Division St., Dan bury, Conn
Hankinson, Thomas Leroy, Charleston, 111
Hann, Herbert H., 700 Springfield Ave., Summit, N. J
Harriman, Miss Cornelia, 229 Madison Ave., New York City
""Harriman, Miss Mary, 229 Madison Ave., New York City
Harris, John Campbell, 119 S. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pa
Hartley, George Inness, 159 Grove St., Montclair, N. J
Harvey, Herbert A., 86 Boylston St., Bradford, Pa
Harvey, Miss Ruth Sawyer, Bond Hill, Ohio
Hathaway, Henry S., Box 498, Providence, R. I
Havemeyer, H . O., Jr., Mahwah , N.J
Hazard, Hon. R. G., Peace Dale, R. I
"""Head, Miss Anna, 2538 Channing Way, Berkeley, Cal
— Hecox, Miss Laura J. F., Light House Keeper, Santa Cruz, Cal
Hedges, Charles F., Box 24, Miles City, Montana
Heermance, Edgar Thornton, 364 Palisade Ave., Yonkers, N. Y. .
Heimstreet, Dr. T. B., 2217 15th St., Troy, N. Y
Helme, Arthur H., Millers Place, N. Y
Henderson, Judge Junius, Boulder, Colo
Hendrickson, W. F., 130 12th St., Long Island City, N. Y
Henninger, Rev. Walther F., 206 Jefferson St., Tiffin, Ohio
Higbee, Harry G., 13 Austin St., Hyde Park, Mass
Hill, James Haynes, Box 485, New London, Conn
— Hill, Mrs. Thomas R., 1825 Greene St., Philadelphia, Pa
Hindshaw, Henry Havelock, N. Y. State Museum, Albany, N. Y.
Hine, Prof. James Stewart, State Univ., Columbus, Ohio
Hine, Mrs. Jane L., Sedan, Ind
,—Hinton, Miss Susan McV., 41 W- 32d St., New York City
Hitchcock, Frank H., Dept. of Commerce and Labor, Washington,
D. C
Hodge, Prof. Clifton Fremont, Clark Univ., Worcester, Mass.
- Holden, Mrs. Emeline T., 13 E. 79th St., New York City
"^Holden, Mrs. Edwin B., 353 Riverside Drive, New York City. ...>..
Holland, Dr. William J., 5th and Bellefield Aves., Pittsburgh, Pa..
Hollister, Ned, Delavan, Wis
Hollister, Warren D., Care of Cont. Oil Co., Albuquerque, N. M.
Holmes, La Rue Klingle, Pine Grove Ave., Summit, N. J
-^-Hooker, Mrs. Charles Parker, 67 Chestnut St., Springfield, Mass.
Hornaday, W. T., N. Y. Zoological Park, New York City
— — Horton, Mrs. Frances B., 13 Brook St., Brattleboro, Vt
Howard, Ozora William, 853 S. Olive St., Los Angeles, Cal
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xxii Associates.
Howe, Carlton D., Essex Junction, Vt
Howe, Reginald Heber, Jr., Longwood, Brookline, Mass
Howes, Archie Milton, 1109 State St., Erie, Pa
Howland, Randolph H., 130 Grove St., Montclair, N. J
"Hubbard, Mrs. Sara A., 177 Woodruff Ave., Flatbush, N. Y
Hubel, Frederick C, 112 Alexandrine Ave., W., Detroit, Mich
Hughes, Dr. William E., 3945 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa
Hull, Walter B., Box 1234, Milwaukee, Wis
Hunn, John T. Sharpless, 1218 Prospect Ave., Plainfield, N. J
Hunt, Chreswell J., 1306 N. 53rd St., West Philadelphia, Pa
— Hunter, Miss Susan Morrison, 51 Hunter Ave., Newport, R. I. . . .
Hunter, W. D., Box 174, Victoria, Texas
-Hyde, Miss Hazel R., 45 Pine St., Waterbury, Conn
Ingalls, Charles E., East Templeton, Mass
Ingersoll, Albert M., 818 5th St., San Diego, Cal
Irving, John, 550 Park Av., New York City
Isham, C. B., 30 E. 63d St., New York City
Jackson, Thomas H., 343 E. Biddle St., West Chester, Pa
Jacobs, J. Warren, Waynesburg, Pa
Janney, Nathaniel E., 112 Drexel Bldg., Philadelphia, Pa
Jenkins, Hubert Oliver, Stanford University, Cal
Jesurun, Dr. Mortimer, Douglas, Wyoming
Johnson, Everett Edwin, East Hebron, Me
Johnson, Frank Edgar, 747 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N. Y
Johnson, James Howard, Bradford, N. H
Johnson, Walter Adams, i Rutherford Place, New York City
Johnson, William S., Boonville, N. Y
Jordan, A. H. B., Lowell, Wash
Judd, Elmer T., Cando, N. Dakota
Keays, James Edward, 328 St. George St., London, Ontario
Keim, Thomas Daniel, 405 Radcliffe St., Bristol, Pa
Kelker, William A., Box 114, Harrisburg, Pa
Kellogg. Prof. Vernon L., Stanford University, Cal
Kendall, Dr. William C., U. S. Fish Comra., Washington, D. C. .
Kennard, Frederic Hedge, Brookline, Mass
Keyser, Rev. Leander S., 108 Third St., Canal Dover, Ohio
King, George Gordon, 16 E. 84th St., New York City
King, Le Roy, 20 E. 84th St., New York City
Kirkwood, Frank C, 1811 Maryland Ave., Baltimore, Md
Knetsch, Robert, Nunda, 111
Knight, Ora Willis, 84 Forest Ave., Bangor, Me
Knolhoff, Ferdinand William, 28 Winans St., East Orange, N. J.
Knox, John C, 14 State St., Auburn, N. Y
Knox, John Cowing, Jackson , Minn
Kobbe, William H., 125 High St., New Haven, Conn
Koch, Prof. August, Williamsport, Pa
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Associates. xxiii
Kohn, Gustave, 136 Carondelet St., New Orleans, La
Kopman, Henry Hazlitt, 5509 Hurst St., New Orleans, La.
Lacey, Howard George, Kerrville, Texas
Lano, Albert, Aitkin, Minn
Lantz, Prof. David Ernest, Agl. Exper. Station, Manhattan, Kan. .
Larabee, Austin P. , Gardiner, Me
Larkin, Harry H., 237 North St., Buffalo, N. Y
-* Latimer, Miss Caroline P., 19 Pierpont St., Brooklyn, N. Y
Laurent, Philip, 31 E. Mt. Airy Ave., Philadelphia, Pa
Lee, Prof. Leslie Alexander, 3 Bath St., Brunswick, Me
— kLee, Miss Mary, 241 W. Seymour St., Germantown, Pa
Leutloff, Herman C. A., 626 E. 135th St., New York City
Levering, Thomas Henry, 3327 17th St., Washington, D. C
Leverson, Dr. Montague R., 81 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y-. .
Libby, Orin Grant, Grand Forks, N. Dakota
■""-Linn, Miss Henrietta, 2378 N. 42nd Court, Chicago, 111
— Linton, Miss M. J., 163 East St., Pittsfield, Mass
Lloyd, Andrew James, 308 Newbury St., Boston, Mass
Loom i s, John A., Mereta, Texas
Lord, Rev. William R., 9 Park St., Boston, Mass
Loring, J. Alden, Owego, New York
Loucks, William E., Care of J. K. Armsby Co., 134 Market St., San
Francisco, Cal
Lowe, Willoughby P., Okehampton, Devon, England
"•—Lyman, Miss Emily R., 121 N. 18th St., Philadelphia, Pa
MacDougall, George R., 131 W. 73rd St., New York City
Maher, J. E., Windsor Locks, Conn
Mann, James R., Arlington Heights, Mass
March, Prof. John Lewis, Union College, Schenectady, N. Y
Marrs, Mrs. Kingsmill, Maitland, Fla
Martin, Mrs. Maria Ross, Box 365, New Brunswick, N. J
Maddock, Miss Emeline, 2025 DeLancey PI., Philadelphia, Pa
Maitland, Robert L., 30 Broad St., New York City
Marsh, Daniel J., Springfield, Mass
Masterman, Elmer Ellsworth, New London, Ohio
Mathews, Miss Caroline, 41 Cool St., Waterville, Me
Maynard, Henry W., Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D, C. . . .
McAtee, Waldo Lee, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C
McClintock, Norman, Amberson Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa
McCook, Philip James, 32 E. 45th St., New York City
McEwen, Daniel C, 160 Stirling PI., Brooklyn, N. Y
McHatton, Dr. Henry, Macon, Ga
McIlhenny, Edward Avery, Avery's Island, La
McKechnie, Frederick Bridgham, Ponkapog, Mass
McLain, Robert Baird, cor. Market & 12th Sts., Wheeling, W. Va. .
McMillan, Mrs. Edith E., Gorham, N. H
886
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xxiv Associates.
McNulty, Henry A., Gen. Theol. Seminary, Chelsea Sq., N. Y. City. 1900
Mearns, Louis di Zerega, 313 S. Court St., Circleville, Ohio ^99
Meeker, Jesse C. A., 746 E. Main St., Bridgeport, Conn 1899
Merrill, Harry, Bangor, Maine 1883
Miller, Andrew James, 18 Washington St., Montgomery, Ala 1903
Miller, Frank M., 309 Hibernia Bank, New Orleans, La 1901
Miller, Gerrit Smith, Jr., U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C 18S6
Miller, Miss Mary Mann, 827 De Kalb Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y 1898
Miller, Waldron De Witt, 309 E. 7th St., Plainfield, N. J 1896
Mills, Harry C., Box 218, Unionville, Conn 1897
Mills, Prof. William C, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, 0 1900
Mitchell, Mrs. Mina Baker, Care of Plow Co., Chattanooga, Tenn.1898
Mitchell, Dr. Walton I., Metropolitan Hospital, Blackwells Island,
New York City 1 893
Montgomery, Thomas H., Jr., Univ. of Texas, Austin, Texas !§99
Moore, Robert Thomas, 67 Dana St., Cambridge, Mass 1898
Moore, William Henry, Scotch Lake, New Brunswick 1900
Morcom, G. Frean, Care of C. O. Davey, 18 Endsleigh Place, Ply-
mouth, England 1886
Morgan, Albert, Hartford Fire Insurance Co., Hartford, Conn. . . . 1903
Morris, Robert O., Springfield, Mass 1888
Morse, George W., Box 230, Ashley, Ind 1898
Morton, Dr. Howard McIlvain, 316 Clifton Av., Minneapolis, Minn .1900
Mjjmmery, Edward G., 24 E. Atwater St., Detroit, Mich 1902
Murphy, Dr. Eugene E., 444 Tellfair St., Augusta, Ga 1903
Myers, Miss Lucy F., "Brookside," Poughkeepsie, N. Y 1898
Nash, Herman W., Box 264, Pueblo, Colo 1892
Nelson, James Allen, Biol. Hall, Univ. of Pa., W. Philadelphia, Pa. 1898
Newman, Rev. Stephen M., 1818 M. St., N. W., Washington, D. C. .1898
Nicholas, Ross, Abington Bldg., Portland, Oregon 1901
Nichols, John Treadwell, 42 W. nth St., New York City 1901
Nichols, John M., 46 Spruce St., Portland, Me 1890
Nolte, Rev. Felix, St. Benedict's College, Atchison, Kan J903
Norris, J. Parker, 723 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa 1886
Norton, Arthur Henry Whiteley, Box 918, San Antonio, Texas- 1894
Nowell, John Rowland, Union College, Schenectady, N. Y 1897
O'Connor, Haldeman, 25 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pa 1S96
Ogden, Dr. Henry Vining, 141 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis 1897
Olcott, Theodore F. , Box 176, New Dorp, N. Y 1901
Oldys, Henry, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1896
Oliver, Daniel Leet, 701 Ridge Ave., Allegheny, Pa 1902
Oliver, Henry Kemble, 2 Newbury St., Boston, Mass 1900
O'Neil, Edward, Sewickley, Pa • • . 1893
Osburn, Raymond Carroll, Columbia Univ., Dep't. Z06L, New
York City 1899
Osburn, Rev. William, Belmont Ave., Station K, Cincinnati, O. . . . T890
Associates. xxy
\
Osgood, Henry W., Pittsfield, N. H
Owen, Miss Juliette Amelia, 306 N. 9th St., St. Joseph, Mo
Page, Mrs. Alice Wilson, Englewood, N. J
Paine, Augustus G., Jr., 311 W. 74th St., New York City
Palmer, Samuel Copeland, Swarthmore, Pa
Pardee, Dr. Lucius Crocker, Highland Park, 111
Parke, Louis T., 4038 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa
Patten, Mrs. Jeanie Mawry, 2212 R St. N. W., Washington, D. C.
Paulmier, Frederick Clark, State Museum, Albany, N. Y
Peabody, Rev. P. B., New Castle, Wyo
Peabody, William Rodman, 70 State St., Boston, Mass
Peavey, Robert W., 497 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y
Perry, Elton, i 10 Baylor St., Austin, Texas
Pettis, Miss Grace L., Museum Nat. Hist., Springfield, Mass
Phelps, Mrs. Anna Bardwell, Box 36, Northfield, Mass
Phillips, Alexander H., Princeton, N. J
Pierce, A. K., Renovo, Pa
Poe, Miss Margaretta, 1500 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md
Pomeroy, Harry Kirkland, Kalamazoo, Mich
Poole, Alfred D., 401 W. 7th St., Wilmington, Delaware
Porter, Louis H., Stamford, Conn
Praeger, William E., 5535 Monroe Ave., Chicago, 111
Proctor, Miss Mary A., Franklin Falls, N. H
Purdum, Dr. C. C, Tyler Bldg., Pawtucket, R. I
Purdy, James B., Plymouth, Mich
Rann, Mrs. Mary L., Manchester, Iowa
Raub, Dr. M. W., Board of Health, Lancaster, Pa
Rawson, Calvin Luther, Box 33, Norwich, Conn
Read, Albert M., i 140 15th St. N. W., Washington, D. C
Reagh, Dr. Arthur Lincoln, 39 Maple St., West Roxbury, Mass- . •
Redfield, Miss Elisa Whitney, Seal Harbor, Me
Redington, Alfred Poett, Box 66, Santa Barbara, Cal
Reed, J. Harris, Aldan, Pa
Reed, Hugh Daniel, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N. Y
Rehn, James A. G., Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa
Rhoads, Charles J., Bryn Mawr, Pa
Ribyn, Albert L., 219 E. Boston St., Michigan City, Ind
Richards, Miss Harriet E., 36 Longwood Ave., Brookline, Mass. . .
Richards, John Bion, Box 32, Fall River, Mass
Richardson, C. H., Jr., 435 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, Cal
Richardson, John Kendall, Wellesley Hills, Mass
Ricker, Everett Wilder, Box 5083, Boston, Mass
Ridgway, John L., Chevy Chase, Md
Riker, Clarence B., 48 Vesey St., New York City
Riley, Joseph H., Falls Church, Va
Ritchie, Sanford, Dover, Me
901
897
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886
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xxvi Associates.
Robbins, Reginald C, 373 Washington St., Boston, Mass 1901
Robins, Mrs. Edward 1148.21st St., Philadelphia, Pa 1895
Robinson, Anthony W., 409 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa 1903
Roberts, William Ely, Swarthpiore College, Swarthmore, Pa 1902
Robertson, Howard, Station A, Box 55, Los Angeles, Cal 1901
Roddy, Prof. H. Justin, State Normal School, Millersville, Pa 1891
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, Hyde Park, N. Y 1896
Roosevelt, Theodore, Jr., White House, Washington, D. C 1902
Rotzell, Dr. W. E., Narberth, Pa 1893
Rowland, Mrs. Alice Story, Public Library, Plainfield, N. J 1897
Rowley, John, Jr., Hastings-on-Hudson, N. Y 1889
Sabine, George K., Brookline, Mass 1903
Sage, Henry M., Care of H. S. Sage & Co., Albany, N. Y 1885
Sampson, Walter Behrnard, 921 N. Monroe St., Stockton, Cal. . . 1897
Samuel, John Hughes, 58 Church St., Toronto, Ontario 1902
Sand, Isabella Low, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N. Y 1902
Sands, Austin Ledyard, Greenough Place, Newport, R.I 1902
Sanford, Dr. Leonard C, 216 Crown St., New Haven, Conn 1902
Sargent, Harry Cleveland, Chocorua, N. H 1900
Savage, James, 134 Abbott St., Buffalo, N. Y 1895
Savage, Walter Giles, Monteer, Mo 1898
Schmitt, Dr. Joseph, Laval Univ., Quebec ••••.... 1901
Schmucker, Dr. S. C, 610 S. High St., West Chester, Pa 1903
Schoenebeck, August John, Kelley Brook, Wis 1898
Schurr, Prof. Theodore A., 164 Linden St., Pittsfield, Mass 1888
Schutze, Adolph E-, 2306 Guadalupe St., Austin, Texas 1903
Seale, Alvin, Bishop Museum, Honolulu, H.I 1900
Seiss, Covington Few, 1338 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, Pa... 1898
Severson, Henry P., Winneconne, Wis 1902
Shattuck, Edwin Harold, Granby, Conn 1898
Shaw, Holton A., 610 4th Ave., Grand Forks, N. Dakota 1898
Shaw, Louis Agassiz, Chestnut Hill, Mass 1901
Sheibley, S. B., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C 1903
Sherrill, W. E., Haskell, Texas 1896
Shields, George O., 23 W. 24th St., New York City 1897
Shoemaker, Frank H., Care of Gen. Auditor U. P. R. R. Co.,
Omaha, Neb 1895
Shrosbree, George, Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wis ^99
Silliman, Harper, 562 5th Ave., New York City 1902
Smith, Charles Piper, 2106 Central Ave., Indianapolis, Ind 1898
Smith, Rev. Francis Curtis, Boonville, N. Y 1903
Smith, Horace G., 2918 Lafayette St., Denver, Colo 1888
Smith, Dr. Hugh M., 1209 M St. N. W., Washington, D. C 1886
Smith, Louis Irvin, Jr., 3908 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa 1901
Smith, Philo W., 209 W. 6th St., St. Louis, Mo 1903
Smith, Robert Windsor, Kirkwood, Ga 1895
Associates. xxvii
Smith, Theodore H., 58 William St., New York City 1896
Smyth, Prof. Ellison A., Jr., Polytechnic Inst., Blacksburg, Va 1892
Snow, Prof. Francis H., Lawrence, Kan 1903
Snyder, Will Edwin, Beaver Dam, Wis 1895
Soelner, George W. H., 1513 Meridian St., N. W., Washington,
D. C 1903
Spaid, Prof. Arthur R., 1819 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, Del 1901
Spaulding, Fred B., Lancaster, N. H ^94
Spinney, Herbert L., Seguin Light Station, Popham Beach, Me. . .1900
Sprague, Lynn Tew, 16 W. 5th St., Jamestown, N. Y 1903
Sproull, Mrs. Grace H. , Greeley, Colo 1903
Stack, Frederick William, 824 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J 1900
Stanton, Prof. J. Y., Bates College, Lewiston, Me 18S3
Stebbins, Miss Fannie A., 480 Union St., Springfield, Mass 1903
Stephenson, Mrs. Louise McGown, Helena, Ark 1894
Stone, Clarence F., Branchport, N. Y 1903
Stone, Dwight D., R. F. D. 3, Owego, N. Y 1891
Sturtevant, Edward, St. George School, Newport, R. 1 1896
Styer, Mrs. Katharine R., Concordville, Pa 1903
Surber, Sherrard McClure, Taos, N. M 1902
Surface, Harvey Adam, Dept. of Agric, Harrisburg, Pa 1897
Swain, John Merton, Skowhegan, Me 1899
Swales, Bradshaw Hall, 46 Larned St., W., Detroit, Mich 1902
Swarth, Harry S., 356 Belden Ave., Chicago, 111 1900
Swezey, George, 61 Polk St., Newark, N. J 1901
Talley, Prof. Thomas Washington, Tuskegee, Ala 1896
Taverner, Percy A., 95 N. Grand Boulevard W., Detroit, Mich 1902
Taylor, Alexander O'Driscoll, 132 Bellevue Ave., Newport, R. L1888
Test, Dr. Frederick Cleveland, 4401 Indiana Ave., Chicago, 111.. 1892
Thayer, John Eliot, Lancaster, Mass 1898
Thomas, Miss Emily Hinds, Bryn Mawr, Pa 1901
Thompson, Miss Caroline Burling., W. Clapier St., Germantown,
Philadelphia, Pa 1900
Toppan, George L., 18 E. 23d St., New York City 1886
Townsend, Dr. Chas. Wendell, 76 Marlborough St., Boston, Mass.1901
Townsend, Wilmot, 3d Ave. and 75th St., Bay Ridge, N. Y 1894
Trotter, William Henry, 36 No. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa 1899
Tudbury, Warren C, 47 W. 126th St., New York City 1903
Tufts, La Roy Melville, Farmington, Me 1903
Turner, Howard M., 10 Francis Ave., Cambridge, Mass 1903
Tuttle, Dr. Carl, Berlin Heights, Ohio 1890
Tweedy, Edgar, 336 Main St., Danbury, Conn 1902
Underwood, William Lyman, Mass. Inst. Technology, Boston, Mass. 1900
Van Cortlandt, Miss Anne S., Croton-on-Hudson, N. Y 1885
Van Denburgh, Dr. John, 1626 Turk St., San Francisco, Cal 1893
Van Name, Willard Gibbs, 121 High St., New Haven, Conn 1900
xxvili Associates.
Van Norden, Warner Montagnie, Rye, New York 1899
Van Sant, Miss Elizabeth, 717 N. Y. Life Bldg., Omaha, Neb 1S96
Varick, Mrs. John B., 1015 Chestnut St., Manchester, N. H 1900
Vetter, Dr. Charles, 152 Second St., New York City 1898
Walcott, Frederick Collin, New York Mills, N. Y 1903
Wales, Edward H., Hyde Park, N. Y 1896
Walker, Dr. R. L., 355 Main St., Carnegie, Pa 1888
Wallace, Miss Louise Baird, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley,
Mass 1903
Walter, Herbert E., Lyndonville, Vt 1901
Walters, Frank, 7 W. 103d St., New York City . 1902
Warren, Dr. B. H., Box 245, Westchester, Pa 1885
Warren, Edward Royal, 20 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs,
Colo 1902
Watson, Miss Sarah R., Clapier St., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. 1900
Webster, Mrs. Mary P., 1025 5th St., S. E., Minneapolis, Minn 1900
Weir, J. Alden, i i E. i 2th St. , New York City 1899
Wells, Frank S., 916 Grant Ave., Plainfield, N. J 1902
Wentworth, Irving H., Matehuala, E. de S. L. P., Mexico 1900
West, James A., 706 S. Morris Ave., Bloomington, 111 1S96
West, Lewis H., Roslyn, N. Y 1887
Westfeldt, Gustaf Reinhold, Box 601, New Orleans, La 1902
Wetmore, Mrs. Helen H., 343 Lexington Ave., New York City. • • • 1902
Wheeler, Edmund Jacob, 84 Pequot Ave., New London, Conn .... 1898
Wheeler, John B., East Templeton, Mass ^97
Wheelock, Mrs. Irene G., 1040 Hinman Ave. , Evanston, 111 1902
Whitcomb, Mrs. Annabell C, 721 Franklin St., Milwaukee, Wis... 1897
White, Francis Beach, 6 Phillips Place, Cambridge, Mass 1891
White, George R., P. O. Dept., Ottawa, Quebec 1903
White, W. A., 158 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, N. Y 1902
Wickersham, Cornelius W., 5 Linden St., Cambridge, Mass 1902
Wicks, M. L., Jr., Hellman Block, Los Angeles, Cal 1890
Wilbur, Addison P., 4 Gibson St., Canandaigua, N. Y 1895
Wilcox, T. Ferdinand, i 15 W. 75th St., New York City 1895
Wilde, Mark L. C, 315 N. 5th St., Camden, N.J 1893
Willard, John Melville, Univ of California, San Francisco, Cal . 1902
Williams, J. Bickerton, 24 Ann St., Toronto, Ontario 1S89
Williams, Richard Ferdinand, Box 521, New York City 1902
Williams, Robert Statham, Botanical Gardens, NeAv York City. . 18S8
Williams, Robert White, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla 1900
Williams, W. J. B., Holland Patent, N. Y 1893
Williamson, E. B., Bluff ton, Ind 1900
Wilson, Sidney S., 310 S. nth St., St. Joseph, Mo 1S95
Winkenwerder, Hugo August, High School, Sheboygan, Wis 1900
Wisler, J. Jay, Columbia, Pa. 1903
Wolfe, William Edward, Wray, Colo 1900
Deceased Members. xxix
Wood, J. Claire, 179 17th St., Detroit, Mich 1902
Wood, Nelson R., Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C 1895
Woodcock, Arthur Roy, Corvallis, Oregon 1901
Woodruff, Edward Seymour, 14 E. 68th St., NeAv York City 1899
Woodruff, Lewis B., 14 E. 68th St., New York City 1886
Woodworth, Mrs. Nelly Hart, 41 Bank St., St. Albans, Vt 1894
Worthen, Charles K., Warsaw, 111 1891
Worthington, Willis W., Shelter Island Heights, N. Y 1889
Wright, Frank S., 51 Genesee St., Auburn, N. Y 1894
Wright, Horace Winslow, 82 Myrtle St., Boston, Mass 1902
Wright, Mrs. Jane Atherton, 2 Main St., Greenfield, Mass 1902
Wright, Sam, Conshohocken, Pa ^95
DECEASED MEMBERS.
Fellows.
Date of Death
Baird, Spencer Fullerton Aug. 19, 1887
Bendire, Charles E Feb. 4, 1897
Coues, Elliott Dec. 25, 1899
Goss, N. S March 10, 1891
Holder, Joseph B Feb. 28, 1888
Jeffries, John Amory March 26, 1892
McIl wraith, Thomas Jan. 31, 1903
Merrill, James C Oct. 27, 1902
Sennett, George Burritt March 1 8, 1900
Trumbull, Gurdon Dec. 28, 1903
Wheaton, John M Jan. 28, 1887
Honorary Fellows.
Burmeister, Hermann May 1 , 1892
Gatke, Heinrich Jan. 1, 1897
Gundlach, Juan March 14, 1896
Gurney, John Henry April 20, 1 890
Hartlaub, Gustav Nov. 20, 1900
Huxley, Thomas H June 29, 1895
Kraus, Ferdinand Sept. 15, 1890
Lawrence, George N Jan. 17, 1895
Milne-Edwards, Alphonse April 2 1 , 1900
xxx Deceased Members.
Parker, William Kitchen July 3, 1890
Pelzeln, August von Sept. 2, 1891
Salvin, Osbert June 1, 1898
Schlegel, Hermann Jan. 17, 1884
Seebohm, Henry Nov. 26, 1895
Taczanowski, Ladislas Jan. 17, 1890
Corresponding Fellows.
Altum, C. A Jan. 1,
Anderson, John Aug. 16,
Baldamus, Eduard Oct. 30,
Blakiston, Thomas W Oct. 15,
Bogdanow, Modest N March 4,
Cooper, James G July 19,
Cordeaux, John Aug. 1,
David, Armand Nov. 10,
Haast, Julius von Aug. 15,
Hargitt, Edward March 19,
Holub, Emu Feb. 21,
Homeyer, E. F. von May 31,
Layard, Edgar Leopold Jan. 1,
Lyttleton, Thomas, Lord Lilford June 17,
Marschall, A. F Oct. 1 1 ,
Malmgren, Anders Johan April 12,
Middendorff, Alexander Theodor von Jan. 28,
Mosjisovics, F. G. Hermann August Aug. 27,
Philippi, R. A Aug. —
Prejevalski, N . M Oct. 20,
Prentiss, D. Webster Nov. 19,
Pryer, Harry James Stovin Feb. 1 7,
Radde, Gustav Ferdinand
Schrenck, Leopold von Jan. 20,
Seleys-Longschamps, Edmond de Dec. 1 1 ,
Severtzow, N Feb. 8,
Stevenson, Henry Aug. 18,
Wharton, Henry T Sept. — ,
Members.
900
900
393
891
888
902
899
900
887
895
902
889
900
896
887
897
S94
897
904
887
899
888
903
894
900
885
888
895
Adams, Charles F May 20, 1S93
Allen, Charles Slover Oct. 15, 1S93
Atkins, H. A May 19, 1S85
Avery, William Cushman March 1 1, 1S94
Deceased Members. xxxi
Barlow, Chester Nov. 6
Baur , George June 25
Beckham, Charles Wickliffe June 8
Bill, Charles April —
Birtwell, Francis Joseph June 29
Boardman, George A Jan. 1 1
Bolles, Frank Jan. 10
Brackett, Foster H Jan. 5
Breese, William L Dec. 7
Brokaw, L. W Sept. 3
Brown, John Clifford Jan. 16
Browne, Francis Charles Jan. 9
Cairns, John S June 10
Call, Aubrey Brendon Nov. 20
Campbell, Robert Argyll April —
Canfield, J. B. Feb. 18
Carter, Edwin
Clark, John N Jan. 13
Colburn, W. W Oct. 1 7
COLLETT, ALONSO M Aug. 22
Corning, Erastus, Jr April 9,
Coe, W. W April 26
Daffin, Wm. H April 2 1
Dakin, John A Feb. 2 1
Dexter, Newton July 27
Elliott, S. Lowell Feb. 1 1
Fairbanks, Franklin April 24
Fannin, John June 20
Fowler, J. L July 1 1
Gesner, A. H April 30
Goss, Benjamin F July 6
Hatch, Jesse Maurice May 1
Hoadley, Frederic H Feb. 26
Hoopes, Josiah Jan. 16
Howland, John Snowdon Sept. 19
Ingersoll, Joseph Carleton Oct. 2
Jenks, John W. P Sept. 27
Jouy, Pierre Louis March 22
Knight, Wilbur Clinton July 8
Kumlien, Ludwig Dec. 4
KUMLIEN, THURE Aug. 5
Lawrence, Robert Hoe April 27
Linden, Charles Feb. 3
Mabbett, Gideon Aug. 15
Marble, Charles C Sept. 25
Marcy, Oliver March 19
[902
[898
[888
■897
[901
[901
[894
[900
:889
[897
901
[900
:9oi
:8Q7
[904
900
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c893
t885
1902
[900
[901
:889
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[904
:S99
395
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^895
1904
[885
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:888
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[900
[899
xxxii Deceased Members.
Maris, Willard Lorraine Dec. 1 1 , 1895
McKinlay, James Nov. 1, 1899
Mead, George S June 19, 1901
Minot, Henry Davis . Nov. 13, 1890
Morrell, Clarence Henry July 15, 1902
Nichols, Howard Gardner June 23, 1896
Nims, Lee March 12, 1903
Northrop, John I June 26, 1891
Park, Austin F Sept. 22,1 893
Ragsdale, George H March 25, 1895
Ready, George H March 20, 1903
Richardson, Jenness June 24, 1893
Selous, Percy Sherborn April 7, 1900
Slater, James H Feb. — , 1895
Slevin, Thomas Edwards Dec. 23, 1902
Small, Edgar A April 24, 1884
Smith, Clarence Albert May 6, 1896
Southwick, James M June 3, 1904
Stowe, W. H March — , 1895
Thorne, Platte M March 16, 1 897
Thurber, E. C Sept. 6, 1896
Vennor, Henry G June 8, 1884
Waters, Edward Stanley Dec. 26, 1902
Willard, Samuel Wells May 24, 1887
Wood, William Aug. 9, 1 885
Young, Curtis C July 30, 1902
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate I.
THE AU K :
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Vol. xxi. January, 1904. No. 1.
IN MEMORIAM: THOMAS McILWRAITH.1
Born 25th December, 1824. — Died 31st January, 1903.
BY A. K. FISHER.
With Portrait.
Since the last memorial address was delivered the American
Ornithologists' Union has lost two of its Fellows. Scarcely had
it recovered from the shock caused by the death of Doctor Merrill
when the sad announcement came that our venerable Canadian
Fellow, one of the Founders of the Union, Thomas Mcllwraith, had
passed away at his home in Hamilton. For a year or more there
had been a gradual breaking down of the system and while many
at a distance had no idea that he was seriously ill those close to
him felt assured that the final dissolution was inevitable, and it
came quietly and peacefully. Four sons and three daughters sur-
vive : Thomas F. Mcllwraith of Hamilton, H. P. Mcllwraith of
Newcastle, Penn., J. G. Mcllwraith of Anderson, Ind., Dr. K. C
Mcllwraith of Toronto, Mrs. Service of Detroit, Mrs. Holt of
Quebec, and Miss Jean Mcllwraith, the authoress. Another
daughter died in infancy, in 1864, and death did not again enter
1 An address delivered at the Twenty-first Congress of The American Orni-
thologists' Union, Philadelphia, Penn., Nov. 17, 1903.
2 A. K. Fisher, In Memoriam : Thomas Mcllwraith. | Tan
this happy household until 1901 when his good wife passed away
— a calamity from which he never fully recovered.
The genial influence of Mr. Mcllwraith's life has been associ-
ated with my own for many years. Early in the seventies, while
the nucleus of my natural history library was forming, there came
into my possession a paper entitled ' A list of Birds observed near
Hamilton, Canada West/ by Thomas Mcllwraith. This publica-
tion, although not exhaustive, for some reason appealed to me and
I often wondered about the personality of its author, then a stran-
ger. I was much impressed with his account of the capture of a
fine Eagle having the bleached and weathered skull of a weasel
attached to the skin of the throat by its locked teeth, and shared
the interest and surprise he must have experienced when this odd
memento of a former struggle came to his notice. Later when
this genial-hearted Scotch-Canadian came to New York in 1883 to
assist in organizing the American Ornithologists' Union, this early
association, simple as it was, had the effect of bringing us together
and soon paved the way to lasting friendship.
Mr. Mcllwraith was born in Newton, Ayrshire, Scotland, on
Christmas day, 1824, and therefore at the time of his death, Janu-
ary 31, 1903, was a little over 78 years old. Early in 1846, soon
after he became of age, he went to live in Edinburgh where he
remained for nearly three years completing his education and
fitting himself for the varied duties of life. At the end of this
period he returned to his native town to assume the management
of the gas works.
In October, 1853, he married Miss Mary Park, daughter of
Baillie Hugh Park, and sailing with his bride for America reached
Hamilton, Canada, on November 9. He was called to that city to
superintend the gas works, as manager of the corporation, and
served in that capacity until 187 1, when he bought the Commer-
cial Wharf with the coal and forwarding business connected with
it. He continued in this business until about ten years ago, when
he retired and was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas F. Mcll-
wraith. Besides being successful in private business, he held
prominent positions on the boards of directors of banks and insur-
ance companies, and was for many years president of the Mechanics
Institute. Mr. Mcllwraith was a Liberal in politics and in 1878
took an active part in municipal affairs, representing his ward in
Vol. XXI
1904
A. K. Fisher, In Memoriam : Thomas Mcllwraitk.
the city Council. He was a prominent member of the Central
Presbyterian Church of Hamilton. When the American Orni-
thologists' Union established the Committee on the Migration of
Birds he became a member and was appointed Superintendent of
the Ontario District, which position he held for a number of years.
In 1889 he was elected a member of the Council of the Union for
that year.
It is stated that his early interest in Canadian ornithology was
aroused by seeing some stuffed specimens, including a Flicker and
a Kingfisher, which had been brought from the Provinces to
Scotland. Although actively engaged in business enterprises of
various kinds he nevertheless was able to devote odd moments
to his favorite study of ornithology, and before he had been long
in Hamilton had formed quite an extensive collection of mounted
birds. This collection, which grew to be a representative one, is
said to have been made up of selected specimens and included
many birds that are very rare or no longer found in Ontario at the
present day.
Mr. Mcllwraith's home, 'Cairnbrae,' was situated on the shores
of the bay, and, surrounded as it was by extensive grounds filled
with trees and shrubbery, formed an ideal home for a student of
ornithology. It was a natural resting place for numerous migrants,
and there in the early morn or cool of evening he secured many
rare specimens with which to enrich his cabinet. There on May
16, 1884, he found the remains of a Yellow-breasted Chat, and thus
added a new bird to the list of Ontario species. But though
much of his material was drawn from this place, yet it must not be
understood that other collecting grounds were neglected because
they were less promising or more difficult of access, for he knew
every nook and corner of the surrounding country where the
rarest species might be found, and he did not hesitate to brave
exposure and fatigue in search of them. It was not until his
youngest son, Kennedy C. Mcll wraith, became interested in
ornithology and accompanied him in field excursions that the
collection of bird skins reached any considerable proportion.
Association with his young companion increased his enthusiasm
for collecting and made field excursions much more attractive to
him.
A A. K. Fisher, In Memoriam : Thomas Mclhvraith. I £^k
Mr. Mcllwraith evidently worked out his early ornithological
problems alone and had to depend largely on his own resources for
the identification of the specimens he was collecting and mounting.
His ' List of Birds of Hamilton, C. W.,' published in the Canadian
Journal, in July, i860, was arranged after the system of Audubon,
showing pretty conclusively that the personal aid and encourage-
ment of Professor Baird, that great man to whom so many natural-
ists are profoundly indebted, had not reached him, though he
probably had some of Professor Baird's publications in his library.
The absence of published records of the birds of Ontario, and of
ornithological companions did not discourage him, for with patient
observation and study he soon was able to outline a list which
served as a foundation for his later works. This experience,
coupled with his genial, friendly nature, made him ever anxious
to give encouragement and advice, and many there are who will
miss his long and instructive letters. My own correspondence
with him commenced in the winter of 1884. In the course of
time his letters came with a good deal of regularity and were
always interesting whether they related to field experiences, the
routine of everyday life or were more strictly personal in their
character. Our intercourse closed with a letter which I wrote
about a month before his death, for on the double anniversary of
Christmas and his birthday I rarely neglected to write to wish him
the compliments of the season. I afterwards heard through his
son that he was pleased when he received the letter but was too
indisposed to pen even a brief acknowledgment.
His style was always lucid and entertaining, whether in private
correspondence or in published papers, and it is much to be
regretted that his publications were not more numerous. His
earliest contribution to ornithological literature appeared in the
' Canadian Journal of Industry, Science and Art,' for July, i860,
under the title ' List of Birds observed in the vicinity of Hamilton,
C. W., arranged after the system of Audubon.' "The object,"
he says, "in preparing the following list, has been to afford such
information as may be of use, should inquiry at any future period
be made regarding the birds frequenting this part of the country.
In its present state, the list has been drawn up from observations
made during occasional excursions within a period of four years.
Vol. X
1904
XI~| A. K. Fisher, In Me mo Ha m : Thomas Mclhvraith.
Those who are acquainted with the subject will see that it is
necessarily incomplete ; but it will be easy to add the names of
such species as may yet be found. In order that the list may be
strictly local, no species has been mentioned which has not been
found within six miles of the city limits."
The list included 202 species, which speaks well for his ornitho-
logical activity during the four years prior to its appearance.
Many of the annotations are of interest from the standpoint of dis-
tribution and abundance forty years ago. Under the capture of
Lanins ludovicianus he says : " Two individuals shot in April, i860.
Not observed prior to that date." In a footnote he makes the
following statement : " It is possible that this may prove to be the
Colly rio excubitoroides of Baird, as, according to that author, L.
ludovicianus is found only in the South Atlantic and Gulf States ;
while C. excubitoroides has been gradually advancing from the west,
and might be expected to occur about this time. Without compar-
ing specimens, it is difficult to distinguish between the two."
It is of interest to note that the only trinomial appearing in the
list (in the case of the Lesser Scaup Duck) is written in the recent
approved style, without the interpolation of var., comma, or Greek
letter. In the 'Canadian Journal' for January (pp. 6-18) and
March, 186 1 (pp. 129-138), appeared 'Notes on the Birds
observed near Hamilton, C. W.' In these notes Mr. Mcllwraith
gives a most entertaining account of the birds found in the vicinity
of his home, treated in groups and prefaced by remarks on Wilson,
Audubon and the recent ornithological activity in the United
States.
The following extract relating to Grebes is of interest at the pres-
ent time : "In some parts of the European continent the skin of
the Grebe is much prized as trimming for ladies' dresses ; and in
olden time, when the fowling piece was a less perfect instrument
than at present, considerable difficulty was found in supplying the
demand, as the Grebe being a most expert diver, disappeared at
the first flash of the gun, and was under water ere the shot could
reach it. Since the invention of the percussion cap, however, they
are more readily killed, and were any of our Hamilton ladies desir-
ous of having a dozen or two of Grebes skins for trimming, I have
no doubt the birds would be forthcoming. At present there
6 A. K. Fisher, In Memoriam : Thomas Mcllvoraith. |~f uk
|_ j an .
being no demand for the skins, and the flesh being unsuitable for
the table, they are not much disturbed."
In 1866 he published in the ' Proceedings of the Essex Institute '
(Vol. V, pp. 79-96) an annotated ' List of Birds observed near
Hamilton, Canada West,' which included 241 species. This list
was prepared in the same careful manner as his previous papers,
and its wide distribution brought Mr. Mcllwraith more prominently
to the notice of leading ornithologists in the United States, with
many of whom he maintained a life-long correspondence that
proved of mutual benefit. A few notes followed in the ' Bulletin
of the Nuttall Ornithological Club,' Vol. VIII, pp. 143-147, in
'The Auk,' Vol. I, pp. 389, 395, and in the \ Canadian Sportsman
and Naturalist,' Vol. Ill, pp. 198-200, 207. Finally in 1887 he
published his most important work, ' The Birds of Ontario.' On
April 2, 1885, he had read before the Hamilton Association a
paper entitled ' On Birds and Bird Matters ' which was most
enthusiastically received and the Association at once requested
the privilege of publishing the communication with any additions
which he cared to furnish. Accepting the offer he promptly pre-
pared the manuscript, but delayed publication so that the new
arrangement of the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List,
then in press, might be adopted. In the twenty-one years that had
elapsed since the previous list was prepared 61 species of birds
had been added to the fauna of Ontario, making a total of 302 spe-
cies for the Province. This publication was so highly appreci-
ated, and the consequent demand for copies so great, that the
edition was speedily exhausted and a new one was of necessity
planned. Thus was evolved the enlarged and revised edition of
the 'Birds of Ontario,' covering 317 species, which appeared in
1894 and formed a most fitting and lasting monument.
A reviewer in ' The Auk ' speaks of this work as follows : "It
is with great pleasure that we welcome this valuable handbook,
revised to date, much enlarged, and in a dress more befitting its
scientific importance and popular interest. In place of the intro-
ductory essay ' On Birds and Bird Matters ' of the first edition, we
have here a few pages on the general subject, with special refer-
ence to migration, followed by a dozen pages of directions as to
how to collect and prepare specimens for the cabinet.
igJXIl A. K. Fisher, In Memoriam : Thomas Mcllwraith. *7
"The species treated number 317 as against 302 in the first edi-
tion, to which nearly 400 pages of the work are formally devoted,
giving about a page and a quarter to each species. The techni-
cal, descriptive portion of the text is printed in small type, the bio-
graphical in much larger type. The whole has evidently been
carefully revised, and much new matter added to the biographies,
which in many instances have been to a large extent rewritten, the
recent literature of the subject having been placed under contri-
bution. As the author himself says: 'In the present edition, it
has been my object to place on record, as far as possible, the
name of every bird that has been observed in Ontario ; to show
how the different species are distributed throughout the Province ;
and especially, to tell where they spend the breeding season. To
do this, I have had to refer to the notes of those who have visited
the remote homes of the birds, at points often far apart and not
easy of access, and to use their observations, published or other-
wise, when they tend to throw light on the history of the birds
observed in Ontario.' Credit is of course duly given for the infor-
mation thus obtained.
" As ornithologists well know, the author of the ' Birds of
Ontario ' is well equipped for his task, and, as would be expected,
has done his work well, the second edition being fully abreast of
the subject, the few faults of the first edition having been cor-
rected, and the more important recent discoveries in the field here
covered being duly incorporated. The text is illustrated with
numerous cuts, though none of them appear to be here for the
first time published. An excellent portrait of the author forms a
fitting frontispiece to the volume, which will doubtless prove a
boon to the bird lovers of Outario and adjoining Provinces and
States."
8 W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. [~f uk
LJan.
ON THE HABITS OF THE LAYSAN ALBATROSS.
BY WALTER K. FISHER, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA.
Plates II- VII
The magic name of Laysan x will ever bring to my mind the
picture of innumerable Albatrosses thickly scattered in reposeful
attitudes over a broad stretch of bare phosphate rock, near the
southern extremity of the islet. Here in years past the indefati-
gable Japanese laborers had scraped a plain quite free of all the
marketable phosphate rock, and had left about the borders several
piles of the valuable mineral. Since then the gonies have made
themselves at home, and have completely preempted the site.
From the top of one of these hillocks I spent odd breathing
moments, watching the life in this largest rookery of the island,
because even the slight advantage of fifteen feet would bring much
into view that before was hidden. We were agreed in calling this
the rookery, since here in a given space were more birds than
elsewhere on the island. And besides a very convenient road led
to it from Mr. Schlemmer's quarters. One might ask, "Why
mention the road ? " The Bonin Petrels (sEstrelata hypoleucd)
tunnel in the soft soil in countless numbers, and if one crosses
the upper slopes of the island he must walk at least one half mile
before gaining the solid ground near the lagoon. Nearly every
other step through this area will carry him abruptly into the sub-
terranean tunnels of these sobbing birds, and as one of our party
suggested the novelty quickly wears off in the midday sunshine.
So it happened we patronized the road, and our eager strolls often
either ended or began near the rookery, where also there was a
brackish water pond much frequented by curlews and ducks.
1 Although the notes which form the basis of this paper have already been
published in ' Birds of Laysan and the Leeward Islands, Hawaiian Group '
(U. S. Fish Commission Bulletin for 1903, pp. 1 to 39, plates 1 to 10), the
writer believes an account of the peculiar habits of the Albatross, with illus-
trative photographs, will be of interest to readers of ' The Auk.' For a short
note descriptive of Laysan and its bird life the reader is referred to the Octo-
ber, 1903, issue of this journal, page 384. Unless otherwise stated the plates
refer to Diomedea immutabilis Rothschild.
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Vo1'q^XI1 W< K- FlsHER> Habits of the Laysan Albatross.
1904 J
The Laysan Albatross (Diomedea immutabilis) , however, is dis-
tributed all over the island with the single exception of the sea
beaches, which on all sides saving the west are colonized by the
Black-footed Albatross (Z>. nigripes). The former species far
outnumbers nigripes, and if actually not the most numerous
inhabitant of the island is at any rate the most conspicuous and
interesting. The Laysan Gony, or ' Gooney ' as sailors pronounce
it, very evidently prefers the open to the bushy area, for the flat
plain surrounding the lagoon is its favorite habitat, and we found
.the young here in far the greatest numbers. This great colony
extended all the way around the lagoon, but certain portions were
more congested than others, as 'the rookery' for example, spoken
of above. Young immutabilis were also found sprinkled rather
thickly over the remainder of the island through the bushy grass
area, preempted by petrels, and they even affected the windy
slopes above the beaches. Only a very few nigripes, however,
were detected in the central portion of the island, and these of
course were widely scattered among immutabilis.
The rookeries present a very lively scene. At certain times of
day the greater number of the adults are off to sea fishing, but
there are always enough left at home to constitute about one third
of the total number, the remainder being the young. If these are
not disporting themselves in ridiculous attitudes, the old birds
form a sufficient diversion with their endless dance and song. In
Plate III, figure 1, a view is given looking over the rookery.
Most of the birds here are young, the old ones being away at sea.
Figure 2 is a characteristic scene on the shore of the lagoon, the
picture having been taken in the afternoon when most of the old
birds had returned from their morning's fishing. The dark area
to the left is covered with beautiful purplish-pink flowered Sesuvium
portulacastrum .
At the time of our visit the young were nearly four months old,
and were quite as heavy as the adults, although the permanent
feathering was present only on the lower parts. They were every-
where. My impression every time I crossed the petrel cities was
that each great tussock of grass harbored a young Gony in its
shadow, ready to dart forward and try the quality of my trousers.
Mr. R. H. Beck has suggested segments of stove pipe as an
effective armor in crowded bird colonies, especially as proof
IO W. K. Fisher, Habits of ike Laysati Albatross. \_Un
against boobies, and I am inclined to agree with him. If we
brushed too near the young Gonies they were quick to resent the
intrusion, and flew into a rage, leaned forward and snapped their
beaks rapidly in an attempt to strike terror to our hearts. Or
frequently they would waddle out of their shady retreat and
attack us, as it were, on our own ground, stumbling forward in
wabbly efforts to reach us. Sometimes they would trip up in a
petrel's hole or fall clumsily forward on their chins, and promptly
disgorge their breakfast at us. Unless my observation is lacking,
they always seemed to stumble preparatory to this fusillade, which
once delivered left them looking very dejected indeed, as hunger
is their chief trouble. Usually after the first paroxysm is over
one can stroke them with little danger of scratched hands. They
maintain a small fire of objection, with impotent nips, or try to
sidle off. But occasionally a youngster is fully aware of his
powers.
When undisturbed these absurd creatures sit for hours on their
heels with their feet tilted in air, gazing stupidly ahead, with
little intelligence in their stolid countenances. (Plate VI, Fig. 2.)
They are peaceable as a rule, but sometimes engage in mild squab-
bles with youthful neighbors. The shallow basin-like hollow in
which the egg is deposited is the young Albatross's home, and it
usually does not stray far, except on these little forays. But later
the same feeling of growing strength leads them to slowly fan their
wings from time to time. During a light shower we saw a consid-
erable colony thus engaged, the wave of motion passing far away,
as new companies caught the enthusiasm. The movements were
kept up for some minutes and proved a novel sight. I have seen
young birds collect dried grass and similar material, which hap-
pened to be within reach, and carefully cover the hollow in which
they were sitting, as if trying to form some sort of cushion.
A spirit of inquiry also sometimes leads the young Gony into
trouble. We found one buried to its neck in a collapsed petrel bur-
row, yet still living. From the condition of the surrounding soil
it was evident that the creature had been in this predicament for
some time, and had been faithfully tended by its parents. Nor
did it fancy being dug out, but objected most vigorously to our
interest. When finally restored to a normal position, it took a
The Auk, Vol. XXT.
Plate III.
Fig. i. ROOKERY OF LAYSAN ALBATROSS.
Fig. 2. NEAR THE LAGOON, LAYSAN.
Vol XXI
1904
W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. I I
better view of matters and began to preen its feathers. But even
with these vicissitudes, and the persecution of jealous mothers of
other young (to be related presently) they have few amusements
to vary the monotony of the long day, for in this topsy-turvy land
it is the grown-up folks who play while the young are grave and
demure.
The old birds received us at once on equal terms with any
feathered inhabitant of the island. They did not care a whit for
our presence, and continued their domestic occupations and
amusements as if we were part and parcel of the community.
They would not tolerate any familiarity, however, and if we
attempted to stroke their plumage they backed off with agility,
unless hindered by some obstructing grass tussock, when their
surprise was amusing to witness. They have a half-doubting
inquisitiveness, and if we sat quietly among them, they would
sooner or later walk up to examine us. (Plate IV, Fig. 2.)
One bird became greatly interested in the bright aluminum top to
my tripod, which it carefully examined from all sides. Finally it
tested the cap with its beak, and appeared much surprised, yet
pleased, with the jingling sound, repeating the experiment until
satisfied.
The old birds have an innate objection to idleness, and so for
their diversion they spend much time in a curious dance, or per-
haps more appropriately a 'cake-walk.' This game or whatever
one may wish to call it, very likely originated in past time during
the courting season, but it certainly has long since lost any such
significance. I believe the birds now practise these antics for the
pure fun they derive, and should anyone challenge my belief that
birds are capable of such a high degree of intelligence as to dis-
criminate so finely, I would be tempted to answer : " Go to Lay-
san and be convinced." Let us imagine we are on the island, and
can stop for a moment to watch a pair of Gonies close at hand.
We will have some difficulty in choosing, for from where we are
seated, among the grass, near the edge of the plain, we can
eisily count twenty-five couples hard at play. This is what we
see.
At first two birds approach one another, bowing profoundly and
stepping heavily. They swagger about each other, nodding and
12 W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. [fan
courtesying solemnly, then suddenly begin to fence a little, cross-
ing bills and whetting them together, sometimes with a whistling
sound, meanwhile pecking and dropping stiff little bows. (Plate
V, Fig. i.) All at once one lifts its closed wing and nibbles at
the feathers beneath, or rarely, if in a hurry, quickly turns its head.
The partner during this short performance, assumes a statuesque
pose, and either looks mechanically from side to side, or snaps its
bill loudly a few times. (Plate V, Fig. 2.) Then the first bird
(to the left of the picture) bows once, and pointing its head and
beak straight upward, rises on its toes, puffs out its breast, and
utters a prolonged, nasal, Ak-h-h-h, with a rapidly rising inflection,
and with a distinctly 'anserine ' and 'bovine' quality, quite diffi-
cult to describe. While this 'song' is being uttered the compan-
ion loudly and rapidly snaps its bill. (Plate VI, Fig. 1.) Often
both birds raise their heads in air as shown by Plate II, and either
one or both favor the appreciative audience with that ridiculous,
and indescribable bovine groan. When they have finished they
begin bowing to each other again, rapidly and alternately, and
presently repeat the performance, the birds reversing their role in
the game or not. In the most successful dances the movements
are executed in perfect unison, and this fact much enhances the
extraordinary effect. The pictures convey but a poor likeness of
the actual scene ; the wonderful sky and sunshine, the spotless
and shining plumages, the droll cries, and most important the
actual living presence of the splendid birds themselves. It is an
experience never to be forgotten.
There seems to be no very hard and fast lines to these antics,
but variations occur, and certain stages may be abbreviated or
prolonged to suit the whim of the individual. The majority of
cases, however, follows the sequence I have indicated. The
attention of the reader is called to the fact that Plate V, Figs. 1
and 2, together with Plate II, form a series, taken in rapid succes-
sion, of the same pair of individuals. Plate VI, Fig. 1, represent-
ing the more usual finale of the dance, is from a pair of birds very
near the above, and was taken a few moments later. The pair
represented in Plate II, after their splendid exhibition, as if having
knowingly done their best for me, quit entirely and walked delib-
erately away. It is possible that this figure represents the ' grand
finale ' of the whole performance, but I have only this observation
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate IV.
Fig. i. A CORNER IN ONE OF THE COLONIES.
Fig. 2. AMONG THE LAYSAN ALBATROSSES.
Vol. XXI
1904
W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. I 7
to offer. In the numerous other cases in which I saw both birds
* sing/ I do not remember whether they continued thereafter or
not.
It is very amusing to watch three engage in the dance, one
attempting to divide its attention between two. This ' odd ' bird
starts by bowing to the first partner, whom he suddenly forsakes
with a final deprecatory nod, and takes up the thread of the dance
with the second. The latter always seems ready to join in, since
he has been keeping up a sort of mark-time in the movements.
Thus the single one keeps switching back and forth, trying as it
were, to be on good terms with both partners at once. Three do
not keep this up very long, however, since the odd bird either
shows a preference for one of the partners and ignores the other
entirely, or walks off to seek a new acquaintance. But through-
out it all they are always exceedingly polite, and never lose their
temper in any way.
Occasionally while ' cake-walking ' one will lightly pick up a
straw or twig, and present it to the other, who does not accept
the gift, however, but thereupon returns the compliment, when
straws are promptly dropped, and all hands begin bowing and
walking about as if their very lives depended upon it.
Several times at this stage of affairs I have walked quietly
among a group of the busy creatures, and have begun to bow very
low, imitating as nearly as possible the manner of the Gonies.
They would all stop and gaze at me in astonishment, but recover-
ing their usual equanimity almost at once would gravely return
my bows and walk around me in puzzled sort of way, as if won-
dering what kind of a bird I might be. I thought of trying this
because in Rothschild's 'Avifauna of Laysan' (which we had
taken with us on the steamer * Albatross ') the following extract
is given from Kittlitz's notes on the birds of Laysan.
"When Herr Isenbeck met one he used to bow to it and the
Albatrosses were polite enough to answer, bowing and cackling.
This could easily be regarded as a fairy tale ; but considering that
these birds, which did not even fly away when approached, had
no reason to change their customs, it seems quite natural." 1
1 Extract from Avifauna of Laysan, etc., p. iii, (F. H. v. Kittlitz in :
Museum Senckenbergianum, I, pp. 117 et seq.)
1 4 W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. [jan*
I found that in most cases the birds would bow to me if they
were interrupted in their dance, or if they had very recently been
playing, but would not bow at all if accosted near their young, or
when standing idle. Unusual as this trait may appear it exempli-
fies again what extraordinary birds Albatrosses really are.
I saw the Black-footed Albatrosses (D. nigripes) rather seldom
engaged in the dance, and indeed they impress one as more mat-
ter-of-fact creatures. The only difference which was observed in
the ceremony as carried out by the two species, is that nigripes
spreads its wings slightly (the metacarpus or ' hand ' being folded
closed) when it lifts its head to utter the nasal song.
If we wander over the island on a moonlight night a strange
scene greets us. Nocturnal petrels and shearwaters are wide-
awake and are sobbing and yowling as if all the cats in a great
city had tuned up at once. Back and forth in the weird light
nutter shadowy forms, and from beneath our feet dozing young
Gonies bite at us in protest. Down by the lagoon where the
herbage is short we can see for some distance, and the ghostly
forms of Albatrosses shine out on all sides, busily bowing and
fencing, while the nasal sounds of revelry are borne to us from
far across the placid lagoon, and we know that in other parts of
the island the good work is still progressing. And so in the leis-
ure moments of the long summer days, and far into the night,
these pleasure-loving creatures seem to dance for the joy of danc-
ing and only work because they must.
But in their hours of toil they hie themselves off to sea, and
scour the waves for the elusive squid, which is a staple article of
diet for the larger members of the vast bird population, the gan-
nets, perhaps, excepted. About sunrise the main body of the
white company begins to return, and for several hours they strag-
gle in, tired but full, and seek their sleepy children, who are soon
very much awake. Although the Laysan Albatrosses undoubtedly
do a small part of their fishing during the day, I cannot help but
feel, from the nocturnal or crepuscular habits of their food — cer-
tain cephalopods — and the prevalent feeding hours, that the
major portion is done in the very early morning, perhaps from
just preceding dawn till light. I noted particularly during the
one day I was on the steamer, while she was dredging in the
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate VI.
Fig. i. LAST STAGE TN DANCE — ONE STNGING, THE OTHER SNAPPING BEAK.
Fig. 2. PORTRAIT OF YOUNG LAYSAN ALBATROSS.
Vol. XXI
1904
W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. I C
vicinity of Laysan, that very few Laysan Gonies were seen at sea
after about 9 a. m. That same day we sighted the island about 5
a. m., and when I arrived on deck about 5.30 I distinctly remem-
ber seeing many of the white species {immiitabilis) circling about
the vessel. Later in the morning immutabilis almost entirely dis-
appeared, but some nigripes remained with us all day. On the
following morning we landed and I had no further opportunity to
observe.
As Prof. C. C. Nutting, one of the naturalists of the expedition,
has said,1 "the most conservative estimate of the necessary food
supply yields almost incredible results. Cutting Mr. Schlemmer's
estimate [of the total number of albatrosses on the island] in two,
there would be 1,000,000 birds, and allowing only half a pound
a day for each, surely a minimum for these large, rapidly growing,
birds they would consume no less than 250 tons daily." From
rather extended observations on the feeding habits I would place
the quantity fed each young bird every morning at nearer one or
one and a half pounds of squid {Ommastrephes oualaniensis Less.,
O. sloanei Gray, and Onychoteuthis banksi Fer.2). I believe Prof.
Nutting's estimate of a million birds is not too great. Thus in
one day the Albatrosses alone would consume nearer 600 tons of
squid. Think of the amount all the shearwaters must consume,
and the tons of fish, large and small, eaten by boobies, frigate
birds, noddies, terns, and tropic birds !
As indicated above, breakfast may be ready almost anytime
during the early forenoon, for the mother does not invariably feed
the baby immediately on returning. However, when all is ready
she alights near the impatient and greedy child, who immediately
takes the initiative by waddling up and pecking or biting gently
at her beak. (Plate VII, Fig. 1.) This petitioning always takes
place, and acts perhaps as some sort of stimulus, for in a few
moments she stands up, and with head lowered and wings held
loosely at the sides (Plate VII, Fig. 2) regurgitates a bolus of
squids and oil. Just as she opens her beak, the young one who
has been standing ready, inserts its own crosswise, and skilfully
catches every morsel, which it bolts with evident relish. (Plate
1 Popular Science Monthly, Aug., 1903, p. 324.
2 Schauinsland : Drei Monate auf einer Koralleninsel, p. 92.
1 6 W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. lun
VIII, Fig. i). After the process is repeated at intervals of a few
minutes, some eight or ten times, the meal is over. The last two
or three ejections of this oily pabulum cost the Albatross consid-
erable muscular effort, and the last time nothing came but a lit-
tle oil and stomach juices. As Prof. Nutting aptly expressed it,
ashe pumped herself quite dry." The attention of the reader is
again called to the fact that this series of three pictures, illustrat-
ing the process of feeding, is taken from the same pair of birds.
This domestic duty was one of the common morning sights on
the island, and we had not been ashore but a few moments before
we witnessed it close to the lighthouse. The mother bird
seemed to take quite kindly to the circle of interested men, and
fed her offspring, as if it were the most natural thing in the world
to have an audience. In fact, I may mention in this connection
that the Albatrosses nest all around Mr. Schlemmer's door yard,
and from a little distance appear like unwieldy goslings before the
door-step. The petrels, also, burrow in front of the house, but of
course are not evident in the daytime ; and if one strolls out in
the wonderfully soft tropical moonlight, he can see the little fiddler
crabs scuttling here and there, resuming the work of ' autograph-
ing ' the white coral sand where the numerous finches, honey-
eaters, and rails have left off at sundown. Through the night
the island is nearly as lively as at sunrise.
After the Albatross has finished feeding, the young bird is not
at all backward in asking for more, but keeps on petitioning and
working its head back and forth as if suggesting to its mother a
further means of obtaining food. The old one now pecks back in
an annoyed manner, and if the baby still urges, she rises from her
sitting posture and walks off, usually to vent her morning ill humor
on some neighboring young. Often I have seen her dash over to
an inoffensive and unprotected ' Gonylet,' and give it a most unde-
served trouncing, mauling and ' wooling ' it in a pitiful manner.
The unfortunate thing never knows what to do, so it tries to peck
back, but is soon worsted, and cries in a plaintive squeak for
relief. After a while the ill-natured creature returns to its own
exacting offspring, sometimes to feed it again, or only to start off
for another strange baby. Although the Albatrosses are gentle
in their demeanor, this punishment is not carried on in a playful
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate V.
Fig. i. FIRST STAGE IN DANCE, FENCING.
Fir,. 2. SECOND STEP TN DANCE.
Vol. XXI
1904
W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. 17
spirit, but is a thoroughly ruffian-like proceeding. We were all
agreed that nigripes indulged in it rather more than i7nmutabilis,
and was likewise more savage. Dr. Gilbert observed a Black-
footed Albatross take in a circle of about twenty young immntabi-
lis and wool them soundly. Finally, however, the bully arrived
at a youngster whose parent, being unexpectedly near by, set upon
the persecutor with disastrous effect, and in the ensuing scrimmage
put ?iigripes completely to rout. Not a few of the young die as a
result of this treatment. I am just now at a loss to suggest an
explanation for the prevalence of such heartless behavior.
Near the forms or nests one not infrequently finds solid pellets,
disgorged by the Albatrosses, consisting entirely of squid beaks,
and the opaque lenses of the eyes. These lenses become very
brittle and amber-like under the action of the stomach juices, and
show a concentric structure. Candle-nuts, the large seed of Aleu-
rites molluccana, were found by Prof. Snyder in the interior of
the island and were almost undoubtedly ejected by Albatrosses.
As is well known, Albatrosses pick up all sorts of floating material,
and candle-nuts are frequently seen on the ocean, having been
swept to sea by mountain streams. The nearest trees are on
Kauai, about 700 miles east. This suggests a means by which
many hard floating seeds might be carried into the interior of
islands by albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, and frigate birds, and
thus obtain a foothold, whereas if swept ashore on barren rocks or
beaches they would stand little chance of ever germinating.
In large colonies of animals, it has always been something of a
problem how a parent is able to find its young among so many of
its kind. The voice is probably responsible in some cases, but
as birds are extremely keen of sight and evince a positive genius
for discriminating landmarks, I believe the Albatrosses must in
some way depend upon peculiarities in the surroundings of their
young. It is worthy of record, however, that the young often
' sing ' in a thin, high squeak, which is kept up continuously for
periods, and may be of service in guiding the parent, though I
could not distinguish the slightest individuality in tone. I do not
know whether they do this when the old birds are present, but
remember that very many were engaged in the cricket-like song
when we visited a populous colony late one moonlight night.
1 8 W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. ["fan*
I frequently saw the young sleeping, their eyes being tightly
closed and bill tucked under the wing, the usual bird fashion. At
night I was much surprised to walk up to the sleeping youngsters,
and see how they slumbered on oblivious to the various distractions
of their surroundings — the startled cries of terns, the Ah-h-frs of
Albatrosses, and caterwauling of shearwaters. The feeling of
absolute safety has evidently dulled that characteristic alertness,
which we are apt to associate with sleeping wild creatures. I
have even succeeded in sitting down beside them, without disturb-
ing their slumber, but when I at last patted their heads they very
suddenly came to, and the awakening was highly diverting. They
appeared confused for a moment, and would then back off most
rapidly, snapping the beak with remarkable speed. The old birds
seem to be wide awake at night, but about ten o'clock in the morn-
ing they frequently sleep near their young, with the bill and one
eye covered by the wing.
Albatrosses are inquisitive creatures, especially on the ocean.
Anything unusual will immediately attract them, and on land I
have had them come trotting up evidently actuated by some other
motive than the search for food. One day the dory, rather over-
loaded, was making for the beach through a choppy sea. Sud-
denly a wave curled aboard, and then the boat capsized, leaving
the occupants struggling in the water. A Gony at some distance
perceived the disturbance, and came flapping in great haste over
the waves, hoping perhaps for a tender morsel. It settled near
the plumpest member of the party, and swam about on a little tour
of inspection. The look of anticipation on the creature's face v/as
so unmistakable, that the carpenter at length became uneasy, and
exclaimed, " Can't you wait till I croak."
The Albatrosses live on Laysan nearly ten months of the year.
During the last days of October, before the winter storms set in,
the first vanguard of the mighty army appears, and for days they
continue to flock in from all points of the compass. Dr. H.
Schauinsland, who witnessed their advent, says that in exposed
places the island becomes literally white with the countless throng,
as if great snow-flakes had suddenly descended upon the scene.
So vast is the number of birds that many are obliged to be con-
tent with rather unsuitable nesting spots, while late-comers must
The Auk. Vol. XXI.
Plate VII.
Fig. i. YOUNG ALBATROSS ASKING FOR FOOD.
Fig 2 OLD BIRD STARTING TO DISGORGE,
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate VIII.
Fig. i. THE ARRIVAL OF BREAKFAST.
Fig. 2. DIOMEDEA NIGRIPES PUNISHING STRANGE YOUNG.
Vol. XXI
1904
W. K. Fisher, Habits of the Laysan Albatross. IQ
leave the overcrowded area. Loving couples defend their rights
against the tardy ones, and it is several days before all have set-
tled their respective claims.
The white Albatross lays one egg, on the ground, usually in a
slightly raised mound with a shallow basin in the top. We saw
numbers of these ' forms ' almost worn out by the young birds.
According to Mr. Max Schlemmer, the representative of the guano
company, the egg is laid about the middle of November. We
were of course out of season to secure any, although we saw
numerous spoiled ones half buried in the sand. The ground color
is usually dirty white, with irregular patches and spots of brown-
ish maroon at the larger end. Eggs of this type usually average
1 1 1.5 mm. in length by 62.5 mm. in width. There is another type,
very short and thick (100 mm. by 70), uniform brownish buff with-
out any markings whatever1. The young are not hatched until
February (Schlemmer) and then begin the six months of hard
work to feed the hungry babies. They grow slowly, for birds,
and it is not till the last of July that the most venturesome follow
their parents on short nights to sea. A few weeks later all are
on the wing, and with the old birds they scatter far and wide over
the Pacific. Then for two months at least they take a vacation,
as it were, before undertaking the cares of the next nesting season.
They have been found in their wanderings as far away as Myiake-
jima, Japan, and Guadelupe Island off Lower California. Besides
on Laysan, Dio?nedea immutabilis makes its home on Midway,
Lisiansky, French Frigate Shoal, Necker and Bird, and D. fiigripes
is likewise found on these islands, but very sparingly on the last
two.
After the Albatrosses leave Laysan the broad rookeries are bare,
and with the advent of the fall rains a fine grass springs up all
over the deserted cities, forming delicate verdure where recently
the ground was packed hard by busy feet. The ancestral home
is now bereft of its greatest attraction, and surely the face of the
island must seem entirely changed.
Mr. Dutcher in a recent article on the Herring Gull well says
that not even the most facile pen can describe the life and beauty
XI am indebted to Rothschild's 'Avifauna of Laysan,' p. 291, for this
description of the eggs.
20 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodio?ies. [f^
of a great bird colony. Thus in attempting to indicate something
of the life of the Albatross I have wholly failed to include the sub-
tile charm which reaches one through the soft tropical sky, the
salty breeze, the sparkling lights on waves, now green now pur-
plish, as they break on the coral reef ; and the wilder scenes in
the tossing surges that assail the eastern shore with booming roars
and clouds of flying spray ; and the darting, screaming multitude
of sea fowl gleaning their living prey from the tumult of waters,
or winging their certain way to the expectant nestlings. Every
sight and sound leaves a lasting impression, and yet, perhaps, it
will be the mystery of those myriads of sentient beings that will
linger when all else has been forgotten.
NESTING HABITS OF THE HERODIONES IN
FLORIDA.
BY A. C. BENT.
Plates IX and X.
During the past two seasons, April and May, 1902 and 1903,
I have had excellent opportunities to study the nesting habits of
all the species of this order known to nest within the limits of the
State of Florida, with the exception of the Glossy Ibises and the
Reddish Egret, the former being very rare in the regions visited,
and the latter being practically confined to the Florida Keys
where it is by no means common. The season of 1902 was spent
in Brevard County, at various points along the Indian River from
Titusville to Sebastian, and in the interior, among the marshes
and cypress swamps of the upper St. Johns River, this latter
locality proving most fruitful. The river at this point is spread
out over a marshy area about three miles wide with a narrow
open channel and a series of small lakes or ponds in the center.
Except in these open places the water is very shallow, from one
Vol. XXI"| Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodioms. 2 1
1904 J ' o i J " ■*■
to three feet deep, with a treacherous muddy bottom, making
wading impossible. The marsh consists of broad areas of saw
grass among which are numerous tortuous channels overgrown
with a rank growth of coarse yellow pond lilies, locally known as
' bonnets,' through which we had to navigate by laboriously
poling a shallow, pointed skiff. The channels are still further
choked by small floating islands, made up of bushes and rank
aquatic vegetation, which drift about more or less with the
changes of the wind. There are also many permanent islands
overgrown with willows which serve as rookeries for thousands
of Louisiana Herons, Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, and a few
Snowy, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Least
Bitterns, Red-winged Blackbirds and Boat-tailed Grackles nest
in the saw grass, Coots, Purple and Florida Gallinules, frequent
the 'bonnets,' and large flocks of White Ibises, Wood Ibises,
Cormorants and a few Glossy Ibises fly back and forth over the
marshes, especially at morning and evening.
The season of 1903 was spent in the extreme southern part
of the State, cruising in a small schooner from Miami to Cape
Sable, visiting nearly all of the keys and making several trips
inland to the southern edge of the everglades in Monroe County.
The whole of the Bay of Florida, from the outer keys to the
mainland, is extremely shallow, so that cruising in a boat drawing
more than three feet of water is out of the question ; I should say
that fully one half of the bay would average less than three feet
deep ; the bottom is covered with soft, slimy, whitish mud which
discolors the water and at certain times makes it quite opaque.
There are three types of keys in this region, mud keys, sand
keys, and coral keys. The mud keys are by far the commonest
type, the natural result of the prevailing conditions, and they are
constantly increasing in size and number. They owe their origin
and their increase to the agency of the red mangroves and their
long-tailed seeds, which float about until they find a foothold in
the mud where they germinate and grow to maturity, spreading
out from year to year over more and more territory until an incip-
ient key is formed. This incipient key is locally known as a
' bush,' having no dry land under it, the trees growing in water
from one to three feet deep. As the key grows older and dry
22 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. \P\m
land forms, the red mangroves in the centre are gradually replaced
by black mangroves.
On some of the largest, and probably the oldest, keys there are
dry, open areas overgrown with grasses and underbrush, the red
mangroves remaining only in a narrow strip around the shores.
There are very few sand keys, which are merely modified mud
keys, having beaches of coarse shelly sand replacing the man-
groves for portions of their shore line. Most of the outer and
lower keys are of coral formation ; they are the most picturesque,
the most interesting and the most tropical in appearance of all the
keys. They are but scantily covered with a thin, light soil, the
coral rock showing through it everywhere, but they generally
support a rich tropical vegetation, consisting of cocoanut palms,
tamarinds, sapadillos, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, pine-
apples, pawpaws, sisal and various cacti. On the larger keys the
edible fruits are largely cultivated by the native ' conchs ' and
negroes.
The mainland, for many miles into the interior, is low and
flat ; the lakes and streams are shallow and brackish ; and the
absence of any good drinking water, together with the omnipres-
ent swarms of mosquitoes, make collecting in the interior anything
but a pleasure. Red mangroves line the shores of all the lakes
and streams, and the forests consist mainly of black and white
' buttonwoods,' black mangroves and a few rubber trees. There
is a narrow strip of prairie along the southern coast of Monroe
County, between the muddy shore and the forest, and at Cape
Sable there is a long stretch of high, sandy beaches, these two
being the only habitable localities on the mainland.
I shall now take up the various species of the Order Hero-
diones, giving my experience with them, as I found them in
Florida, without attempting to describe their habits or distri-
bution elsewhere.
Ajaia ajaja. Roseate Spoonbill.
This beautiful species, which must be seen in life to be
appreciated, is confined, during the breeding season at least, to
the extreme southern portions of Florida. The Spoonbills are
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate IX.
Fig. i. NEST AND YOUNG OF ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
Fig. 2. NEST AND EGOS OF ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
VoIi' ?XI] Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 23
fairly abundant on the southern coasts of Florida during the
winter, feeding in large flocks in the shallows of the Bay of
Florida, in the muddy inlets along the shore, and in the shallow
lakes and sloughs in the interior. One of their favorite feeding
grounds is a large, so-called 'slough' near Cape Sable, but very
different in character from the typical western prairie slough.
This is apparently a submerged forest, killed by inundations
from the sea, the remains of which are still standing, tall dead
trees, many of them of large size, bare and bleached. During
the fall and early winter the slough' is full of water but at the time
we were there, in April, it was partially dry in spots, but mostly
soft and boggy, with sluggish streams and numerous shallow
muddy pools scattered through it, forming fine feeding grounds
for Spoonbills, Ibises and other water birds. There is another
favorite resort of the Spoonbills on one of the keys which has a
fair sized lake in the centre. Large flocks of ' Pink Curlews', as
they are called by the natives, had been seen almost daily
flying to and from this lake. Owing to this fact we were lead to
suppose that we might find a breeding rookery here, but a day's
search failed to reveal even a single bird. I am inclined to infer
that they come here only to feed in the shallow muddy waters of
the lake or to roost in the mangroves around it.
We found the Roseate Spoonbills breeding in only two localities,
in large mixed rookeries with several other species. The first
locality was a small island, not over two acres in extent, in the
centre of a large lake in the interior, Cuthbert Lake, about seven
miles back from the coast and almost on the edge of the everglades.
It was covered with a thick growth of black mangroves, mixed
with white ' buttonwoods' and a few black ' buttonwoods,' in
the centre and surrounded by a wide belt of red mangroves
growing in the mud and water up to three feet in depth.
As we approached the island an immense cloud of birds arose,
with a mighty roar of wings, and circled about us in a bewildering
mass. We estimated that there were at least 4000 birds nesting
on the island, principally White Ibises and Louisiana Herons,
with a great many Little Blue Herons, Anhingas and Florida
Cormorants, and a few American Egrets. But conspicuous
among them all was a little party of twelve Roseate Spoonbills ;
2 4 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. If
they perched for a few moments in the mangroves, their gorgeous
nuptial plumage showing to advantage against the dark green
foliage, then rose, gradually circling higher and higher, the sun
illuminating their delicately rose-colored wings, as with out-
stretched necks and legs they seemed to fade away into the sky.
We did not see them again that day.
Though we searched carefully and thoroughly, we found only
three of their nests. These were all built in red mangrove trees
on the edge of the water among the nests of the White Ibises ;
they were all on nearly horizontal branches, from 12 to 15 feet
from the ground, and were all similar in size and construction,
easily distinguishable from the others. They were larger than the
Ibises' nests or the smaller Herons' nests and about as large
as the Anhingas' nests, but more neatly made than the latter,
without the use of dead leaves, which are so characteristic of the
Snakebirds' nests ; they were well made of large sticks, deeply
hollowed and lined with strips of bark and water moss. One nest
contained only a single, heavily incubated egg, one a handsome
set of three eggs, and the other held two downy young, not
quite half grown.
The single egg has a dirty white ground color with only a few
irregular blotches of raw umber and mummy brown about the
larger end; it measures 2.58 by 1.72 inches, being somewhat
elongated ovate in shape. The set of three eggs have a pinkish,
creamy white ground color, more or less uniformly covered with
dashes and spots of lavender, purple and drab, over which spots
of various shades of brown are quite evenly distributed.
The eggs somewhat resemble those of the White Ibis, but can
always he easily distinguished by their larger size ; they will
average one quarter of an inch larger each way.
The two young, in the feeble, helpless stage, unable to stand as
yet, were curious looking birds, flabby and fat, with enormous
abdomens and soft duck-like bills ; their color, including bill, feet,
legs and entire skin, was a beautiful, deep, rich salmon pink ; they
were scantily covered with short white down which was insuffi-
cient to conceal the color of the skin ; the wing quills were well
started, but still in sheaths. The first plumage, acquired before
the young leave the nest, is mainly white with a slight suffusion
of pink under the wings and tail.
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate X.
Fig. i. NEST OF WHTTE TP.IS.
Fig. 2. NEST AND EGGS OF WHITE IBIS.
Vol. XXI
1904
Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodioues. 2 C
The principal breeding ground of the Roseate Spoonbills was
a great morass on the borders of Alligator Lake, a few miles back
from the coast near Cape Sable, where the mangrove islands in
which the birds were nesting were well protected by impenetrable
jungles of saw grass, treacherous mud holes, and apparently bot-
tomless creeks. The various members of the heron family were
nesting here in countless numbers, White Ibises, Roseate Spoon-
bills, Louisiana Herons, Snowy Herons, and American Egrets ;
one might toil here for many hours and never get beyond the sea
of nests and hosts of young birds in all stages of growth ; the
area was too vast and the traveling too difficult to arrive at any
reasonably accurate estimate of the numbers of birds breeding in
this great rookery. The Spoonbills were here in abundance and
had eggs and young in their nests in all stages, as well as fully
grown young climbing about in the trees. The old birds were
tamer here than at Cuthbert Lake, and even allowed themselves
to be photographed at a reasonable distance.
The Spoonbills will probably be the next to disappear from the
list of Florida water birds ; they are already much reduced in
numbers and restricted in habitat ; they are naturally shy and
their rookeries are easily broken up. Their plumage makes them
attractive marks for the tourist's gun, and they are killed by the
natives for food. But fortunately their breeding places are remote
and almost inaccessible ; and through the earnest efforts of the A.
O. U. wardens they are now protected. It is to be hoped that
adequate protection in the future will result in the preservation of
this unique and interesting species.
Guara alba. White Ibis.
The White Ibis, or ' White Curlew ' as it is called by the natives,
is universally abundant throughout all portions of Florida that I
have visited, but especially so in the southern portions of the
State. Both this and the preceding species are highly esteemed
by the natives as food ; the old birds are shot at all seasons and
the young are taken from the nests in large numbers.
The ' conchs ' and negroes of southern Florida also eat the
young of all the smaller herons and do not draw the line even at
young cormorants.
26 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. iTa?
On the upper St. Johns we saw large flocks of White Ibises
daily, flying to and from their feeding grounds at morning and at
evening ; we also found them feeding in large numbers in the
shallow pools in the cypress swamps, but we were not able to
locate any breeding rookeries in this region.
In Monroe County they were the most abundant species of the
order, breeding in immense colonies of countless thousands. We
found them on all the inland lakes and streams, feeding in the
shallow, muddy lakes and flying out ahead of us as we navigated
the narrow creeks.
The first breeding colony we found was in the Cuthbert Lake
rookery referred to above ; as we approached the little island the
Ibises arose in a great white cloud from the red mangroves and
circled about over our heads, uttering their peculiar grunting
notes of protest. We estimated that there were about iooo
Ibises in the colony. They soon settled down into the trees
again where we landed and were constantly peering at us through
the foliage while we were examining their nests.
The Ibises' nests occupied the intermediate belt, on the outer
edge of the larger trees on the dry land and on the inner edge of
the red mangroves over the mud and shallow water, the interior
of the island being occupied by the herons and the outer edge of
the mangroves by the cormorants.
The nests were rather closely grouped, at heights varying from
8 to 15 feet, on the horizontal branches of the mangroves, often
on very slender branches ; only a few were placed in the white
' button woods.' They were very carelessly and loosely made of
dry and green leaves of the mangroves, held together with a few
small sticks and lined with fresh green leaves. The nests are
probably added to as the eggs are laid or as incubation advances.
The nests which contained only one egg were very small, flimsy
structures, hardly large enough to hold the egg, often measuring
only 6 inches across, while those with three eggs were larger, 10
inches or more across, and better made. They generally lay four
or five eggs, and in sucjh cases have large and well built nests.
At the time of our visit, May 1, 1903, the Ibises in this rookery
were only just beginning to lay, as most of the nests contained
one or two eggs, none more than three, and all the eggs we col-
lected were fresh.
Vol. XXI
1904
Bent, Nesting- Habits of Florida Herodio?ies. 2 7
This was rather remarkable, considering that fifteen days later,
at Alligator Lake, where these Ibises were breeding in immense
numbers, they had young of all ages, many of them able to fly.
There are several very large breeding rookeries of White Ibises
on the lower west coast of Florida which we did not have time to
visit, but we were told by our guides that they are much larger
than any we had seen.
The eggs of the White Ibis are subject to great variation in size,
shape, and color, making a handsome series. The ground color
varies from pale blue to dull white or deep cream color. Some of
the eggs are nearly immaculate, with a few small spots or blotches
of various shades of brown. Some are boldly spotted or heavily
blotched with chestnut or chocolate brown, and some profusely
washed or stained with russet or burnt sienna. In shape they
vary from ovate to elongate ovate.
A series of six sets selected at random exhibit the following
measurements: length, 2.47 to 2.17; breadth, 1.61 to 1.47; aver-
age, 2.33 by 1.53 inches.
The White Ibises are so extremely abundant that there seems to
be but little danger of their extermination, at least for a long time
to come, in spite of the fact that they are shot in large numbers
by sportsmen and tourists, as well as by the residents for food.
Their rookeries are generally difficult of access, and they are not
sought after by the plume hunters.
Tantalus loculator. Wood Ibis.
This interesting species is fairly common in nearly all the fresh
water lakes and marshes in the interior of Florida, and, owing to
its large size and striking colors, is always conspicuous. During
the winter months it is abundant all along the Indian River, where
it may be seen in large flocks along the muddy shores feeding on
small Crustacea and batrachians ; its actions at such times are gro-
tesque and amusing as it dances along over the mud, beating the
ground with its feet to drive the little crabs from their holes. As
the breeding season approaches the Wood Ibises disappear from
their winter feeding grounds and resort to the cypress swamps in
the interior to breed. There are several small breeding rookeries
2o Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. \ y
Auk
an.
a few miles back from the coast along the Indian River in Brevard
County, where they nest in small cypress swamps.
In the big cypress swamps in the upper St. Johns region there
are more extensive rookeries. We saw the birds here frequently
flying to and from their rookeries, especially at morning and at
night, in long lines high in the air, alternately flapping their wings
or sailing, all in perfect unison, and all following their leader with
military precision. Their pure white plumage, contrasted with
their jet black remiges served to identify them at a long distance.
Sometimes we saw them sailing about in great circles high above
us, their necks and legs outstretched and their long wings motion-
less, giving a fine example of their wonderful wing power.
They were extremely wary, and, except in their breeding rook-
eries, they never came near us or allowed us to approach within
gunshot. Their nests were placed in the tops of the tallest
cypresses, and far out on the horizontal limbs, in the very heart
of the big cypress swamp. The trees here were the largest I have
ever seen, measuring six feet or more in diameter at the base,
tapering rapidly to about three feet in diameter, and then running
straight up at about that size for seventy-five or one hundred feet
to the first limb. The nests were practically inaccessible by any
means at our disposal, so we remained in ignorance as to their
contents.
In Monroe County we were more fortunate, as the absence of
cypress swamps in this region compelled the Wood Ibises to nest
in smaller trees. We found a small colony of Wood Ibises breed-
ing on an island in Bear Lake, about two miles back from the
coast. The birds were very shy, leaving the island when we were
about one hundred yards away, and not coming within gunshot
afterwards. There were about twenty nests in the tops of the
red mangroves, from twelve to fifteen feet from the ground ; they
were large nests, about three feet in diameter, made of large sticks,
very much like the nests of the larger herons, and were com-
pletely covered with excrement. All the nests held young birds
in various stages of growth, covered with white down ; only the
foreheads were naked. The bills were pale yellow, the eyes dark
and the feet pale flesh color. They were grotesque looking
objects, squawking loudly to be left alone. A party of Fish
Vol. XXI
1904
Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. 20
Crows made their lives miserable as long as their parents were
away.
The Wood Ibises are not in need of protection ; they are
extremely shy and wary and well able to take care of themselves ;
they are not sought after by the plume hunters and are useless
for food.
Plegadis autumnalis. Glossy Ibis.
I have very little to add to the life history of this species in
Florida where it is undoubtedly rare and of local distribution.
We saw a few Glossy Ibises flying over the marshes of the
upper St. Johns, but found no evidence of their breeding there.
The White-faced Glossy Ibis has been once recorded from this
vicinity near Lake Washington, where a female was shot on a
nest containing three eggs (see Brewster, Auk, III, 1886, p. 481).
We were unable to shoot any of the birds we saw and therefore
could not determine the species with certainty. In Monroe
County we saw only one flock of five birds flying over, high in the
air, at Lowes Lake near Cape Sable. Our guides told us that
they were rarely seen, and none of the guides with whom I corre-
sponded seemed to know them at all.
SUMMER BIRDS OF THE LEECH LAKE REGION,
MINNESOTA.
BY EDMONDE S. CURRIER.
In 1902 I was in this region from May 26 to June 10, and
again, in 1903, from May 22 to June 8. Almost the entire time
was devoted to the birds, particular attention being given to the
breeding species.
I made my headquarters in the little city of Walker during both
visits. In 1902 I was by myself the greater part of the time, but
?0 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. \\
k
an.
was accompanied frequently by my friend Mr. Thompson who,
although not particularly interested in birds, helped me in many
ways and was good company. In 1903 Mr. Phila W. Smith, Jr.,
of St. Louis was with me, and we lost little time. Mr. Smith is
an experienced field man, and being also energetic and tireless
we covered the immediate country around Walker thoroughly.
Our time was too limited to allow us to explore the entire lake
as we desired to do, so we confined ourselves to the western end.
The town of Walker is on Walker Bay, the latter forming the
western extension of Leech Lake proper. Walker Bay, itself, is
no inconsiderable body of water, as it is from ten to fifteen miles
in length, by one to three in width. Leech Lake is one of the
largest lakes in Minnesota and has over five hundred miles of
shore line. It is in the north-central part of the State, just north
of the 47th parallel, and between 940 and 950 west longitude —
not far from the source of the Mississippi.
The lake is a beautiful body of water, clear, cold, and pure,
with sandy shores and bottom, the former riprapped with great
granite boulders. Many beautiful forest-clad headlands project
out into the lake, forming protected bays of varying size. Several
small rivers, such as the Shinobie, Kabakona, Steamboat, and
Benedict, enter Walker Bay, carrying the surplus water from
numerous small lakes and ponds back in the hills. At the mouths
of these streams, and in places along their course, are marshes
of greater or less extent, with beds of wild rice and cane.
The Leech Lake Indian Reservation, occupied by the Pilger
tribe of the Chippewas, takes up the greater part of the lake and
surrounding country, and on their lands the forest is in its nat-
ural beauty. Where the land is not thus protected the destruc-
tive lumberman has left nothing but unsightly pine stumps and
mutilated standing trees ; and as this section was only cut over
from three to five years ago, nature has not had time to cover the
scars. In many places great fires have swept through in the
wake of the lumbermen leaving nothing but desolation. Some of
the places are so recently burned over that nothing green has
started from the crisp, ash covered ground, and such localities are
shunned by birds and insects.
Back from the lake is a succession of hills, with small lakes or
i o 1 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. ? I
'pot-holes ' between. On many of the larger hills are depressions,
some water-filled, forming lakes of several acres. Another pecu-
liarity of the country is the great number of boulders of different
sizes scattered haphazard over the landscape. The lake beds
and shores are strewn with them, they protrude from the marshes
and swamps, and are plentiful on the hilltops. In places they
are piled up as if they had drifted there.
In its primitive state the forest is heavy, the principal trees
being white, Norway and jack pines, balsam, cedar, tamarack,
hemlock, poplar, birch, sugar and soft maple, oak, linn, elm and
black ash. The hills become covered with birch and poplar after
the pines are cut away.
The low growth consists of black alder, hazel, wild raspberry,
currant and gooseberry. A wild rose is also numerous. The
ground in the clearings and old burns is carpeted with winter-
green, wild strawberry, and the abundant blueberry. The great
' brakes,' and more delicate species of ferns are in profusion every-
where.
The country is wild and new, and fences are few and far
between, as little land is under cultivation. The soil is very
sandy with much gravel, and looks unpromising.
i. Colymbus holboellii. Holbcell's Grebe. — A colony of from six
to ten pairs was found breeding in a bay formed by Minnesota Point in
both 1902 and 1903. In 1902 I saw the following nests, with contents as
stated : June 2, two nests, each containing one egg, and one nest contain-
ing six eggs ; June 10, three nests, containing four, five, and seven eggs
respectively. In 1903 we saw the following: May 31, two nests, each
with one egg, one with three, and another with four eggs ; May 24, two
nests, each with one egg, and two containing three eggs each.
One nest was high and dry on a muskrat house — a hollow in the side
of the house, and about ten inches above the water. The muskrat house
was in a patch of tall canes, growing in deep, open water, forming a small
island. The other nests were similar in situation, style of architecture,
and material used. They varied only in size, and this depended upon the
time the birds had been laying. Nests containing only one egg were
simply irregular piles or rafts of floating flags, soft and rotting, with the
egg often awash and covered with foam. In more advanced sets the nests
formed quite a mass of material, with a deep cup above water line. No
birds were seen on the nests, or leaving them, but in 1902 I saw one swim-
ming away from a patch of canes in open water that contained a nest.
3 2 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. [f^n
When there was but one egg in the nest this was left uncovered, but in
larger sets the eggs were at least partially covered, and in some cases
entirely so. The nests were all placed at the edge of deep and open water
so that the bird could dive directly from them.
In 1903 the birds were very quiet both times we were there, and kept
out of sight, or at a great distance. I think this was because they had
been disturbed, as nests containing eggs May 24 were either deserted or
contained fewer eggs when we visited them again on the 31st. The Indi-
ans have a village on Squaw Point, a few miles across the bay, and they
were seen paddling around these rice beds, and it may be that they take
the eggs. In 1902 I did not notice that any nests had been disturbed.
In 1902 they were very noisy both days I was in the vicinity, and
although wary and keeping at a distance, were constantly in sight in the
open waters between the rice beds and cane islands. They are much
given to short flights, resembling a loon while on the wing. In taking
wing they patter along the water like a coot. The cry is loon-like also,
and very striking. It begins with a shrill wail, drawn out, and ending
with more rapid notes, and can be heard a great distance over the water.
When at a distance they sit high upon the water like a duck, but with the
neck held stiffly at a right angle to the body, and the bill at a right angle
to the neck. When nearer they swim with the back awash or only the
head above the surface.
We did not see any other grebe around Leech Lake, and it was only in
this one place that this species was found.
2. Gavia imber. Loon. — Common, and seen every day on or about
Leech Lake, or flying overhead to or from the smaller lakes back in the
forest. Cry frequently heard. No nests seen either year.
3. Larus argentatus. Herring Gull. — Seen on Walker Bay on the
following dates in 1903: May 21, 24, 29, and 31. Not over two seen at
one time.
4. Larus franklinii. Franklin's Gull. — May 27, 1902, several were
flying over Walker Bay, and on the same date in 1903 we saw one at the
eastern end of the same water.
5. Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. — A white tern seen on Walker
Bay, May 30, 1903, was probably this species. It was not obtained.
6. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. — A colony of
perhaps 200 pairs was seen on the marsh extending along Minnesota
Point from Kabakona Bay out into the lake. They seemed to be in about
the same numbers in 1903 as in 1902. In the former year I found no nests
although I saw them carrying material, but this year we found them
breeding on the 6th of June. The nests almost invariably held three
eggs, most of them fresh, but some had been incubated for several days.
The nests were on little islands of moss, or occasionally on rafts of float-
ing grass. Some of them were quite deeply cupped and dry, others were
made of reeds and flags, on the beds of grass, and looked rather neat ; but
in some instances the eggs were half buried by their own weight in the
Vol. XXI
1904
Currier, Summer Birds, of Leech Lake, Minn. 77
wet slime, with only three or four short pieces of cane or reeds for a
nest. Not more than one nest was on the same bed, nor did we find two
nests near together.
The majority of the birds were in full plumage, but a few were much
mottled with light. The clamor made by their jerky cries, the harsh,
scolding of the Yellow-heads, and more vigorous protests of the Red-
wings, the cries of the Sora, and the 'jumping ' of the Bitterns, together
with frequent shouts from Holbcell's Grebe, made this marsh very inter-
esting.
7. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. American White Pelican. — June
6, 1902, I saw a flock of eight over Squaw Point flying towards the main
lake. None were seen by us in 1903.
8. Anas boschas. Mallard. — Seen in several places about Walker
Bay in both 1902 and 1903. June 6, 1903, I found a nest on Kabakona
marsh recently left by a brood. It was a hollow filled with down and egg
shells, between two ash stumps in rank grass, in a dry place on the marsh
and only a few yards from the railroad.
9. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — A pair heard and
seen at Minnesota Point June 6, 1902. None seen in 1903.
10. Aix sponsa. Wood Duck. — June 6, 1902, at Minnesota Point, a
pair flew around me in evident excitement. I suppose they had young
near by.
11. Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. — May 31, 1902, an old bird
with young was seen near the mouth of Steamboat River.
12. Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. — Common at every
point visited. No nests were seen in 1903, but June 6, 1902, I saw a nest
containing five eggs.
13. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — Common about the lake.
No nests seen.
14. Porzana Carolina. Sora Rail. — Abundant on all suitable marshes.
Many nests seen in 1903, one containing eighteen eggs, another seventeen.
The average number of a set seems to be about ten.
15. Steganopus tricolor. Wilson's Phalarope. — Common on the
rice beds at Minnesota Point in both 1902 and 1903. No nests seen.
16. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus. Long-billed Dowitcher. — One
was taken May 24, 1903, at Minnesota Point. It was standing on the
edge of a rice bed, near deep water, and allowed us to row within a few
yards, merely crouching down and showing little fear. As we were not
sure as to the bird's identity Mr. Smith shot it from the boat. It was a
beautiful bird in high plumage.
17. Actodromas minutilla. Least Sandpiper. — June 6, 1902, a
flock of ten or fifteen was feeding on the beach along Minnesota Point.
At the same place, May 24, 1903, another flock of about the same size
flew bv us.
18. Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated Sandpiper. — May 27, 1902,
one was seen along the beach near Walker. May 23, 1903, another was
flushed from a bog near the railroad above Walker.
-3 A Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. Man
19. Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. — June 10, 1902, one was seen on
the beach near the end of Minnesota Point. The wind was high at the
time, and I was rowing as close to the shore as possible to avoid it, and
the boat passed within a few feet of this bird. It seemed to be too busy
searching for food to notice me. May 24, 1903, another was seen near the
same place on the beach.
20. Bartramia longicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. — I saw but one ;
this was on June 9, 1902, on a small marsh near the mouth of Kabakona
Bay.
21. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — Abundant about the
lake shore. Two nests, each containing four eggs, were seen in 1903.
22. Oxyechus vociferus. Kildeer. — Common near the lake, par-
ticularly in the evening when they seemed to come from the interior to
feed.
23. iEgialitis semipalmata. Semipalmated Plover.— May 24, 1903,
one was seen on the beach near the end of Minnesota Point.
24. Arenaria morinella. Ruddy Turnstone. — May 24, 1903, one was
seen on the beach near the end of Minnesota Point. We passed in the
boat within a few yards of where it was busily engaged in turning over
pebbles and pieces of bark without flushing it. It stopped and looked at
us several times but did not seem timid.
25. Canachites canadensis canace. Canadian Spruce Grouse. — I
think I flushed one of these birds from a poplar wood on a hillside near
Walker, May 26, 1902, but we could find none in 1903, although we looked
particularly. The people there say that the "Spruce Hen" is only with
them in the winter, when it is common in the jack pine woods.
26. Bonasa umbellus togata. — Canadian Ruffed Grouse. — Com-
mon and tame about Walker. Heard drumming, or seen almost every
day. No nests seen. The people call them "Partridges," and they are
the chief game bird of that region.
27. Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — Several were seen both
years about Walker. June 9, 1902, a pair passed low over me at Kaba-
kona Bay, and May 27, 1903, three were in sight at one time over Shinobie
River. They are generally seen singly, and cannot be called common.
28. Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. — In 1902 I saw this bird on
almost every suitable marsh around the lake, but in 1903, strange to say,
we did not see a single one anywhere.
29. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — One seen May 27.
1902. In 1903 we saw several.
30. Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Hawk. — Several seen in both years
about the lake.
31. Buteo lineatus. Red-shouldered Hawk. — June 8, 1902, one
crossed the railroad so near me I could see it plainly. Several seen in
1903.
32. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. — May 27, 1903, a pair was
seen sitting, not far apart, on the extreme tops of two spire-like balsams
Vol. XXI
1904
Currier, Summer Buds of Leech Lake, Minn. 1C
t
on the Shinobie River. They acted very much at home and no doubt
had a nest not far away.
33. Falco sparverius. American Sparrow Hawk. — None seen
about Leech Lake in 1902, but in 1903 we could generally find one about
some old stubs two miles south of Walker, along the lake shore. Others
were also seen in 1903.
34. Syrnium varium. Barred Owl. — One was seen crossing an arm
of Walker Bay, at twilight, June 7, 1903. Two downy young were also
seen in captivity in Walker while we were there this year.
No other owl was seen or heard either year. I was told that Screech
Owls were often heard, but we were not fortunate enough to hear any.
The people say that the Snowy Owl visits them in the winter, some years
in numbers.
35. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Black-billed Cuckoo. — Fairly
common around Walker. First heard June 3, 1902, and May 25, 1903.
36. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. — Very abundant around
the lake, and seen near every body of water visited. Many nesting cavi-
ties seen.
37. Dryobates villosus leucomelas. Northern Hairy Woodpecker.
— -The Hairy Woodpecker of the Leech Lake region is very much larger
than the one I am familiar with in Iowa and Missouri, and I do not hesi-
tate to list it as D. v. leucomelas. Several nests full of noisy young were
found in both years.
38. Dryobates pubescens medianus. Downy Woodpecker. — Seen
frequently about Walker but nowhere nearly so common as in the wood-
lands of Iowa. Several nests seen in the two years.
39. Picoides arcticus. American Three-toed Woodpecker. — Two
fine males were seen along Shinobie River, May 27, 1903. We located
what we supposed was the nest of one of them, but not having climbers
along at the time and it being in an almost impassable pine stub, limb-
less, and charred by forest fires, we had to give it up. The cavity was
fifty feet, at least, from the ground in the main trunk and was plainly
new, and much worn about the entrance, where the birds in alighting had
brushed off the black. Rapping on the trunk failed to bring out the
female, but the nest was at such a height it would not be likely to.
The birds were very beautiful, with their black backs and yellow crowns.
They were both very busy as long as we saw them, lighting on a tree trunk
or snag they would work upwards, almost from the ground, frequently
giving a rather shrill cheep, cheep.
40. Sphyrapicus varius. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. — Quite
common in 1902, but not so many were seen in 1903. A nest containing
six fresh eggs was seen, May 31, 1902. This was about twelve feet from
the ground in the main trunk of a live poplar. We saw another nest
June 1, 1903, about 30 feet up, also in a poplar. The birds were about
this nest, but it was empty.
41. Ceophlceus pileatus abieticola. Northern Pileated Wood-
^6 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. flan
pecker. — I saw or heard none in 1902, but this was simply bad luck, as
in 1903 we heard three or four at different times around Walker, and May
22 Mr. Smith caught a glimpse of one as it left a snag on a hilltop.
Their work on stumps and snags was frequently seen, and several times
the quavering song was heard near at hand, but the trees were so close
together it was no trouble for the bird to remain hidden. There were at
least three pairs breeding within a few miles of Walker.
42. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Redheaded Woodpecker. —
A rare bird about Leech Lake. Only one was seen in 1902, on May 27,
near Walker. June 1, 1903, we saw one near the same place, and a few
days later saw it again.
43. Colaptes auratus luteus. Northern Flicker. — Could he called
fairly common. Several nests seen both years.
44. Antrostomus vociferus. Whip-poor-will. — I heard but one in
1902. This was on June 8, on the hillside back of Walker, and although
I was in the same locality several evenings after that 1 did not hear it
again. In 1903 I heard the first call in the evening of May 23. No more
were heard until the 26th, when two or three could be heard calling.
After that two or more were heard every evening.
45. Chordeiles virginianus. Nighthawk. — Very common in the
evenings over the lake. We saw four nests in 1903, on the cleared hills
back of Walker.
46. Chaetura pelagica. Chimney Swift. — Quite common about
Walker and frequently seen over the forests miles from the settlements.
Many must nest in hollow trees, as they do in the southern swamps,
because this region is very thinly settled. May 26, 1903, we found one
building a nest on the wall inside of a vacant shanty on Kabakona Bay.
Several were seen descending brick chimneys in the town of Walker, but
there certainly are not enough chimneys to go around in that locality.
47. Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. — A com-
mon bird about Walker. In greatest numbers during the last week in
May, showing that migrations were on then.
48. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Seldom out of sight along the
lake shores, and railways, and near the cabins of the settlers. Several
nests were seen both years.
49. Myiarchus crinitus. Crested Flycatcher. — Frequently seen
and heard. In 1902, first heard on May 27 ; in 1903. one on May 22.
No nests seen.
50. Sayornis phcebe. Phoebe. — A common bird around the lake
shores. 1 saw a nest containing five speckled eggs May 27, 1902.
51. Nuttallornis borealis. Olive-sided Flycatcher. — None seen
by me in 1902, but, May 30, 1903, the loud call of one attracted us to it in
a dry ravine back of Walker. We saw it, or others, in that vicinity for
several days, and June 7, the females seemed to have arrived, as we saw
two birds in pursuit of another. They were very active and noisy, and
would not allow a near approach. The cry is one of the wildest of all
Vol. XXI
1904
Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Mint/. 1*1
small bird calls, and is not to be confused with that of any other species,
at least in the Mississippi Valley.
52. Contopus virens. Wood Pewee. — Heard every day we were in
the woods about Walker.
53. Empidonax traillii. Traill* s Flycatcher. — Two seen and heard
in the low thicket along the shores of the lake, June 5, 1902. I heard the
low fizveet of another May 25. 1903, in the same place. The form here
may be referable to the northeastern form, E. t. alnorum, but we did not
procure any specimens.
54. Empidonax minimus. Least Flycatcher. — An abundant bird,
particularly in 1902. In that year, from May 26 to June 1, thev were the
most abundant bird, the ckebick, chebick being constantly heard during
daylight. They were not so numerous after June 1, but still could be
called abundant. In 1903 they did not appear in such numbers, but we
heard and saw them every day.
55. Otocoris alpestris praticola. Prairie Horned Lark. — I saw
but one of these birds in 1902, and in 1903 we saw none. The one seen
was near the Great Northern depot at Walker, June 5, after a shower.
It was soaring and in full song. The country in that section is not suit-
able for this bird, and to that fact no doubt is due its scarcity.
56. Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. — Frequently seen and heard, but
not in such numbers as further south.
I was told that the 'Camp-robber' (Perisoreus canadensis) appears
about Leech Lake in cold weather, but does not remain during the
summer.
57. Corvus americanus. American Crow. — Common everywhere
about the lake. Several occupied nests were seen both years. One pair
in particular had our sympathy. They had a nest full of young in a
scrub oak standing alone out on the marsh, where several pairs of King-
birds, and thousands of Redwings were breeding. Every time a Crow-
made a move it was pounced upon by from two to a dozen of the smaller
birds and forced to light for a time. The Yellow-heads would also join in
at times, but they were not so persistent. The Redwings seemed to be the
worst.
58. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. — Only one seen near Leech
Lake in the two years. This was on June 9, 1902, at Kabakona Bay, and
was a male in song.
59. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — Very common in the clearings and
along the railroads, but were in greatest numbers in the town of Walker
and vicinity, where they were in flocks of from 25 to 50, familiarly lighting
in the streets and roads. Eg^s of this bird were seen in nests of Melos-
fiiza cinerea melodia, Melospiza georgiana, Dendroica pensylvanica,
Seiurus aurocapillus and Wilsonia canadensis.
60. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. Yellow-headed Blackbird. —
Seen on all the marshes about Leech Lake, and there was a large colony
at Minnesota Point. The full plumaged male is a striking bird with his
3 8 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. [~fUk
abruptly contrasting colors, and the noise made by a colony of them,
when intruded upon, is rather exciting. The cries are rather unpleasant,
being harsh and grating, yet after one has been with them a little time
they do not seem out of tune with the wind's whistling over the grass and
through the canes. Many beautiful nests were seen, one in particular I
would have liked to have taken, but it contained young at the time. This
was in a patch of canes at the edge of open water and was unusually large.
What made it so handsome was that the bird had woven into the nest from
the top several long stalks of a species of fox-tail grass, leaving the heads
on, and five or six of these stood erect, plume like, around the edge of
the cup. The usual number of eggs in a nest was three or four, but we
saw one containing five.
61. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — Abundant
throughout that country. Every suitable place had its pair or colony. A
great many nests were examined. They usually contained four eggs or
young, often only three, and frequently five. In 1902 I saw one nest con-
taining six eggs, and this year two nests with the same number.
62. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — Common about the lake,
but not as many were seen in 1903 as in 1902. All the nests seen were
in birch trees.
63. Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. Bronzed Grackle. — Abundant in
the village of Walker and along the lake shores and in the marshes.
During the two years many nests were seen and they seem to vary consid-
erably in situation in that country. While the majority were open nests
placed in forks or crotches of limbs or trees, several seen in 1902 were in
cavities of trees and stubs. I found one nest in 1903 out on the open
marsh, with a colony of redwings. This nest was woven together in the
top of a clump of flags, and its weight had lowered it to Avithin a few
inches of the water. Its greater size than the near by redwings' nests
attracted my attention, and I went to it. The nest contained two young,
and two eggs on the point of hatching, and both grackles were there.
64. Carpodacus purpureus. Purple Finch. — Common in 1902, but
not so many were seen in 1903. Only one nest was seen in the two
years. This was placed near the extreme top of a very tall balsam, and
was found by Mr. Smith's seeing the female fly directly to the spot.
We then saw that she was building, and we watched her at work for some
time. This was on the 22 d of May. On May 30, after a hard climb,
Mr. Smith reached the nest, but it contained but one egg-
65. Loxia curvirostra minor. American Crossbill. — May 29, 1903,
while on a pine covered ridge on the Indian Reservation, near Kabakona
Bay, a new note attracted our attention to the top of a tall Norway pine.
Looking it up we found a party of three or four Crossbills industriously
at work amongst the cones at the ends of the branches. We watched them
for quite a while, they apparently giving us no thought. They were still
in this tree when we left them.
66. Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. — Common in all
places suited to the bird.
i *XI1 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. T.O
67. Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. — I found this bird not uncommon,
in parties of from 6 to 30, in the tamarack swamps in 1902. In 1903 we
did not see any. I have no doubt they bred there in 1902, as on the 8th
and 9th of June I saw several groups feeding near the ends of branches
of balsam trees. The whole flock seemed to keep up a twittering sort of
a conversation, and at times one would break into a low, rather sweet
song.
68. Poaecetes gramineus Vesper Sparrow. — In 1902 they seemed
to be rather scarce. That year I saw but one tiest ; this was on June 3,
and it contained three young. In 1903, we found them to be common
around Walker in the bare or cleared places, along the railroads or wagon
roads. This year we saw six nests, five containing four eggs each, and
one four young.
69. Zonotrichia albicollis. White-throated Sparrow. — Abundant
in the partially cleared country about Walker, and often heard in the
wilder forest regions.
We saw many nests containing from three to six eggs. May 31, 1903, 1
found one nest containing four newly hatched young, but this seemed to
be an unusually early pair. At that date most of the nests had incomplete
sets or the eggs were fresh. The nests were all much alike, being sunken
to the brim, and as a rule well hidden under brush or a rank growth of
ferns, plants, etc. Several were placed just at the foot of small white
pine shrubs and in such cases were completely concealed. There were
exceptional cases where the nest could be looked into without disturbing
any of the surroundings. One nest in particular, along a path, was in
plain sight with no concealment, but the owners had deserted it before
laying. There were other nests that were hard to find even after flushing
the bird. One I saw in 1902 was well under a dead tree top and I did not
find it until I had removed some of the brush. The bird does not flush
directly from the nest like the Vesper and Song Sparrows, but runs off
like a mouse.
70. Spizella socialis. Chipping Sparrow'. — Common about the
settlements, and along the railroads and wagon roads. Found with, but
not nearly so numerous as the next. Many nests found, usually placed
in small pine shrubs.
71. Spizella pallida. Clay-colored Sparrow. — A plentiful bird
in the brush land around Walker and along the railroads. It is a pretty
little sparrow, with a confiding manner, but an unpleasant song. They
were constant singers, too, while we were there, and it is one of the few
bird songs I have found disagreeable. It is a buzzing, rasping noise, a
little like the song of the cicada, but not so musical, and given with
much vigor. A friend who was with me part of the time in 1902, would
call the bird nothing but the "rasper," and I thought the name very
appropriate.
They inhabit much the same kind of a country as does £\ pusilla
further south, and they nest in much the same manner. As a rule the
zLO Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. jy"
k
an.
nests were placed within a few inches of the ground, and if a scrub white
pine bush was handy it would invariably be used. I have seen no nest
over three feet above the ground, and several were resting upon the
ground in a clump of wintergreen or other rank growth. The nest
resembles that of ^>. socialis in general style, but has less of the hair
lining so characteristic of that bird. As a rule 6". pallida uses a very
fine, light-colored wire grass for this purpose. The number of eggs was
usually four, sometimes only three, and only once did I see a nest contain-
ing five.
72. Melospiza cinerea melodia. Song Sparrow. — The most abun-
dant songster of that country. Found everywhere, but in greatest
numbers in and near the settlements. Common also on the marshes
with M. georgiatia and on the dry hillsides and in the 'burns1 with
6". pallida and Z. albicollis. Every cabin or shack had its pair near by,
and they were always within sight and hearing along the railroads.
73. Melospiza lincolnii. Lincoln's Sparrow. — This bird was first
seen on the marsh at Minnesota Point May 24, 1903. I heard it from the
boat as we approached land and noticed that the song was something I
had never heard before. The bird would allow quite a near approach, and
was in full song from the top of one of the small birch shrubs scattered
over the marsh. We spent an hour or so in the immediate vicinity trying
to flush his mate but without success. The bird was there when we left,
but upon another visit to the same place, May 31, he could not be found.
May 27, 1903, we found another in song in a similar locality; this one
also seemed attached to the place but was not seen there on May 31.
74. Melospiza georgiana. Swamp Sparrow. — Abundant on all the
marshes. A vigorous singer, but the song is lacking in sweetness and
is rather monotonous. Many nests were seen in the tussocks, usually con-
taining four or five eggs.
75. Passer domesticus. House Sparrow. — Common about the
streets of Walker.
76. Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Towhee. — Fairly common on the
cut-over hills back of Walker. Several nests seen in 1903 contained each
three or four young or eggs.
77. Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Giosbeak. — June 5,
1902, I heard one but saw none. In 1903 we found them fairly common.
78. Cyanospiza cyanea. Indigo Bunting. — Only one seen in the two
visits.
79. Piranga erythromelas. Scarlet Tanager. — Seen and heard fre-
quently both years.
80. Progne subis. Purple Martin. — Common about the settlements
and along the lake shores. At a distance from human habitations, they
were using cavities in stubs for nesting places. One oak stub in par-
ticular was in demand on Minnesota Point. It was standing by itself on
the lake shore, at a distance from other trees, and a pair of martins and a
flicker were battling for possession of a cavity, with a pair of Tree Swal-
lows flying around in a wistful manner.
Vol. XXI
1904
Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. A\
81. Tachycincta bicolor. Tree Swallow. — Seen about the ponds-
and smaller lakes near Walker and along the shores of Leech Lake. In
1903 we saw three cavities in use as nesting places. They were in stubs
standing at the edge of the water.
82. Riparia riparia. Bank Swallow. — An abundant bird about
Leech Lake.
83. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwlng. — A plentiful bird, but
much more numerous in 1902 than in 1903.
84. Vireo olivaceus. Red-eyed Vireo. — Abundant throughout that
region. It seems to be as numerous about Leech Lake as it is in Iowa
and Missouri, and certainly is one of the best distributed birds of the
Mississippi Valley.
85. Vireo gilvus. Warbling Vireo. — But one was seen near Walker.
This was May 27, 1902, when one appeared in song. Thirty or forty miles
southwest of Walker, I found them to be a common bird May 29, 1902,
and several were seen near Brainerd sixty miles south of Walker by Mr.
Smith May 21, 1903. In both localities the country is well cultivated.
86. Vireo solitarius. Blue-headed Vireo. — Several seen May 23,
1903, but could not find them later. Both sexes were represented.
87. Mniotilta varia. Black and White Warbler. — Common in
1902, and one of the most abundant of all warblers in 1903.
88. Helminthophila chrysoptera. Golden-winged Warbler. — May
22, 1903, I found one — a male in song — in a small swamp along the
railroad near Walker.
89. Helminthophila rubricapilla. Nashville Warbler. — We found
this species to be quite common. June 17, 1903, Mr. Smith flushed a
female from a nest containing five incubated eggs. The locality was a
small swamp along a brook near Walker, and the nest was sunken into a
hummock of moss near the foot of a balsam. A clump of Dalibarda,
growing just in front of the nest, completely hid the eggs from view
with its big leaves.
90. Compsothlypis americana usneae. Northern Parula War-
bler.— Found in every swamp where there were balsam and tamarack.
91. Dendroica tigrina. — Cape May Warbler. — But one seen. This
was on May 25, 1903, near Long Lake, southwest of Walker. It was with
a group of other warblers of which there was a great flight that morning.
93. Dendroica aestiva. Yellow Warbler. — One of the most nu-
merous of all the birds, keeping to the partially cleared hills and ' burns,'
with their thickets of hazel and alder. Many nests were seen.
94. Dendroica caerulescens. Black-throated Blue Warbler. —
First found May 22, 1903, and at a later date it was in the same place.
This was a male in song, and from his staying in the vicinity we supposed
there was a nest near, but we did not see it or the mate.
95. Dendroica maculosa. Magnolia Warbler. — One seen May 28,
1902, and several seen during our stay in 1903. During 1903 one male in
particular attracted our attention by his great beauty and sprightly song
A 2 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. fin
and movements. We saw him several times at the edge of a woodland
along a brook near Walker. The last day we were there, June 7, he was
still in the same place, and I have no doubt had a mate and nest in the
vicinity.
96. Dendroica pensylvanica. Chestnut-sided Warbler. — Perhaps
the most abundant member of the family. Found in all the alder and
hazel thickets, and around the clearings and in the 'burns.' Very tame
and pretty. Many nests seen contained from three to five eggs.
97. Dendroica striata. Black-poll Warbler. — Scarce in 1902, but
fairly common in 1903 throughout our stay. I have no doubt it breeds
there, although we saw no nests.
98. Dendroica dominica albilora. Sycamore Warbler. — This bird
was first seen May 26, 1903. Its song attracted us to the locality, and we
spent perhaps two hours watching him. During this time he moved
around slowly from one perch to another, constantly singing, often com-
ing down on the lower branches above us, where we could see him quite
well. The beautiful yellow throat, the triangular spot of black on the
side of the head and the white spot on the eyelid could plainly be seen.
This bird visited not over half a dozen trees while we were there, spend-
ing most of his time in an oak and a large white pine. June 1 we went
back to the same locality and found him there again, and he spent his
time in exactly the same trees. Once Mr. Smith saw him chase a bird,
perhaps his mate, off into the undergrowth, soon returning. We saw no
nest, but there must have been one at no great distance — we thought in
the white pine.
99. Dendroica vigorsii. Pine Warbler. — One of the common War-
blers around Leech Lake. In spite of this bird's abundance but one nest
was seen in the two years. This was placed in the tuft at the end of a
branch of a Norway pine and could not be seen from the ground even
after we knew where it was. If all were hidden like this it is not surpris-
ing we saw no more.
100. Seiurus aurocapillus. Oven-bird. — Seemingly as numerous on
the birch and poplar clad hillside about Leech Lake, as under the white
oaks and maples of Southern Iowa. Several beautiful nests were seen,
containing from three to five eggs each.
101. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — A common
bird about Walker. I had understood this species confined itself to wet
woodlands, as does the Kentucky Warbler of the South, but such is not
the case about Leech Lake. They were on the dry hillsides, about the
burns and clearings, and about the alder and hazel thickets. They inhab-
ited the same territory as Zonotrichia albicollis, Wilsonia canadensis,
Hylocichla fuscescetis, Dendroica cestiva and Dendroica pensylvanica.
Occasionally we saw them along old logging roads crossing the swamps,
but the greatest numbers were on the higher ground, seemingly prefer-
ring brush to timber.
I saw several nests both years and they are all much alike in construe-
Vol. XXII
1904
Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. A 7
tion and situation. They are placed like the Kentucky's, on the ground,
at the foot of a clump of rank growth, such as wintergreen, wild straw-
berry, wild currant, grass, etc., sometimes resting in the growth so that it
raises the nest a little from the ground as it grows. The nest is often in
plain view from one or more directions, its concealment depending more
upon its color and the leaves growing around it than upon any particular
care of the birds. The number of eggs laid seems to be four, as I saw
only one nest containing five.
102. Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. Western Yellow-throat. —
Very common in suitable places. The bird around Leech Lake may be
the newly recognized northern form G. t. brachidactyla, but we did not
take any of the birds.
103. Wilsonia canadensis. Canadian Warbler. — Quite common
on the partially cleared hillsides near Walker, and along the railroads.
They inhabit much the same country as the Mourning Warbler around
Leech Lake, but are more frequently found at the foot of the hills, along
the brooks, and at the edge of the damp places.
In 1902 I saw only two nests, but in 1903 I saw several. One nest seen
in 1902 was placed in a clump of long dead grass, and almost on the
ground after the manner of a Yellow-throat. This nest was in the middle
of an old road on the top of a low hill in brush land and was very differ-
ent in construction from those seen this year. It was composed entirely
of long dry grass, without any dead leaves, while those seen in 1903 were
built principally of large dead leaves. The other nests varied considerably
in situation, the most of them being several inches above the ground in
low growth — one at least ten inches up. One nest seen in 1903 was
placed on the ground at the side of a stock path in a dense growth of wild
currants and was the only one completely hidden. The number of eggs
laid was usually four and in only one case did I see five.
104. Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart. — Very common.
Several nests seen.
105. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — Fairly common along
the wooded lake shores and in the thickets around Walker. Several occu-
pied nests were seen containing from three to five eggs.
106. Toxostoma rufum. Brown Thrasher. — Not uncommon about
the thickets and clearings around Walker in 1903. In 1902 they were
scarce. Several nests seen, and all of them were sunken in the ground
after the manner of a Towhee's. In Iowa I have seen the nest thus placed,
but it is very unusual, and it is strange that the Leech Lake bird should
prefer such a situation, though there must be a reason.
107. Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Western House Wren. — Com-
mon alike about the settlements and in the woodlands along the lake
shores. Several occupied nests seen.
108. Cistothorus stellaris. Short-billed Marsh Wren. — Quite a
colony on the marsh around Kabakona Bay in 1902, but this was burned
over during the winter and this season (1903) we found but one male
A A Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake. Minn. |~^ uk
singing in the whole place. This year we found a small colony along
the Shinobie River, May 27. Several nests were seen, but only two
were occupied. One contained four and the other six delicate white eggs.
Like T. falustris, the males are great singers at their summer homes,
but the song is less pleasing. In the rank grass and sedge the bird would
be singing almost at one's knees and yet out of sight. Occasionally one
would mount to a higher perch to sing, after the manner of the Grass-
hopper Sparrow.
109. Telmatodytes palustris. Long-billed Marsh Wren. — Scattered
in single pairs amongst the cane beds about Minnesota Island. Several
nests seen but only one containing eggs. This was on the 2d of June*
1902, and there were six fresh eggs in the nest. A great singer with a
sweet voice.
no. Certhia familiaris americanus. Brown Creeper. — One seen
and heard in song, May 2$, 1903, at the edge of a small lake along the
Great Northern Railroad two miles west of Walker.
in. Sitta carolinensis. White-breasted Nuthatch. — Several were
seen both years, but it cannot be called a common bird about Leech Lake.
I was rather disappointed in not finding 51. canadensis, as I expected to
meet with it.
112. Parus atricapillus. Chickadee. — Frequently seen and heard
but not abundant.
113. Hylocichla fuscescens. Wilson's Thrush. — The abundant
thrush of the region.
We saw a great many nests containing three or four eggs, and one
containing five. The nests were placed on the ground, in a clump of
black alder near the ground where sprouts had shot out from a stump,
on top of low stumps, or four feet up in shrubbery. When the nests
were on the ground they were fairly well hidden, but several we saw were
placed on top of stumps in plain view, and at the side of paths. Many
of the eggs had small dots of brown scattered over them, and several were
freely freckled.
114. Hylocichla aliciae. Gray-cheeked Thrush. — Very abundant
in 1902, from May 26 to 29. None seen after the first of June and none
at all in 1903. While they were passing through in 1902 the low, pleas-
ant song reached one from dozens of places on all sides.
115. Hylocichla guttata pallasii. Hermit Thrush. — Rather rare
about Walker and more retiring than the Veerv. It seemed to prefer
the wilder forests and was very shy. We saw several nests containing
three or four eggs each. The nests were on the ground, or a few inches
from it, and wrere exactly like those of H. fuscescens. The eggs also
looked alike, those of this species being slightlv larger and a shade lighter
in color.
116. Merula migratoria. American Rohin. — Common about the
settlements and in clearings. Several occupied nests seen about Walker.
117. Sialia sialis. Bluebird. — Several pairs seen about Walker.
Thev were nesting in dead stubs about the clearing*.
Vol. XXI
1904
I KOPMAN, Bird Migration in the Lower Miss. Valley. A^
BIRD MIGRATION PHENOMENA IN THE EXTREME
LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
BY HENRY H. KOPMAN.
It can be imagined easily enough that to take up all the con-
siderations suggested in the title set to this article would be
beyond the possibilities of a single paper for ' The Auk.' My
intention is simply to pick out from among the general phenom-
ena of southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi bird migra-
tion those important facts to which the general attention of the
ornithological world has never been drawn. Aside from the
ornithologists of the Department of Agriculture, to which several
observers in this section have reported regularly every spring and
fall for the past ten years, scarcely any of our ornithologists are
acquainted with the striking peculiarities detected in bird migra-
tion in this latitude. One of the prominent tendencies, noted by
me in a former brief communication to ' The Auk ' (Vol. XX,
July, 1903, pp. 309, 310), is procrastination in spring migration.
A corresponding tendency is seemingly premature arrival in the
fall. Under the first head, a very striking case is that of the
three transient thrushes of this latitude, the Wilson's, the Gray-
cheeked, and the Olive-backed. The case of these birds comes
very readily to mind because it was only the past spring that I
settled an important phase of their migrations through Lower
Louisiana. Every spring for the past ten years, and not infre
quently in the fall, I have been puzzled by a querulous whistle, to
be heard, with few if any exceptions, in heavy night migrations
the latter part of April and the early part of May, and again the
latter part of September. As my knowledge of the conditions of
migration have grown I have attributed this note to several spe-
cies, each time discovering the impossibility of the suspected
bird being the author, until I hit upon the Yellow-breasted Chat
as the chief actor in the heavy migrations of the late spring and
of the middle fall. In this belief I rested with fair security, so
like the mellow whoort of the Chat was the oft repeated note of
the night migrations. My first record of this note was the night
of April 25, 1894. Heavy rains and an electric storm early in
A 6 Kopman, Bird Migration in the Lower Miss. Valley. [~£u
k
an.
the evening had made the conditions excellent for migration.
The tremulous whistle was caught up as frequently as the notes
of Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Sandpipers, Green Herons,
and Night Herons. More than nine years later, May 9, 1903, I
settled the mystery that had perplexed me more than any ques-
tion that had come up in my experience. I caught one of the
birds making the same note in the day-time. It was a Wilson's
Thrush. Of all the guesses I had made, I had been unsuspi-
cious of the thrushes. The abundance of the birds heard in
night migration had led me off the track. As a bird of the
woodland, the Wilson's Thrush is so retiring, and therefore seen
so infrequently that one would scarcely hit upon it as the inces-
santly heard migrant. Once I had heard the note, however, I won-
dered that I had not before recognized the famous whew or whoit
by which John Burroughs characterizes the voice of the Veery.
It was dumbfounding to think that while in all my ornithological
observations in this section I had never seen a score of Veeries
in the course of ten springs, I had heard countless hundreds.
Since the spring of 1897 I had known that both the Gray-cheeked
and Olive-backed, especially the former, might appear in astonish-
ing numbers as transients in late April and the first week of May.
In hedges, weedy places, and willow thickets in pastures and
other open places, I had seen scores of Gray-cheeked Thrushes in
a single day the early part of May, but the Wilson's Thrush had
been a consistent rarity. For the latter part of spring, in this sec-
tion, it may be stated as a general proposition that these three
transient thrushes will be found migrating together. I have come
across heavy waves of the Gray-cheeked and the Olive-backed on
various occasions the latter part of April and the early part of
May. Usually at the same times the note of the Veery may be
heard in night migration. The past spring I observed both the
Gray-cheeked and the Wilson's together in a thicket of willows
and hackberries between the new and the old levee at Audubon
Park, New Orleans. The birds were detained by a slight tempo-
rary fall in the temperature that first became apparent May 9.
I spent half a morning watching just these thrushes, and it was
after watching for some time that I first heard the note of the
Wilson's. The first day I could not see any of the Wilson's
i 04 1 Kopman, Bird Migration in the Lower Miss. Valley. A J
Thrushes as they made the note, but the next day one called as I
watched it through my glass. The Gray-cheeked were present
only the 9th and 10th, but I last observed the Wilson's in the
woods May 13, and the last were heard in night migration mid-
night of May 16. This is the latest the Wilson's Thrush has
ever been recorded in southern Louisiana, as the 10th of May is
the latest for the Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Olive-backed prob-
ably remains as late, but there is no later record than May 4.
As the abundance of these rarer thrushes is often a characteris-
tic feature of the late spring migration of this section, so the
absence of most of the less common Dendroicce is also characteris-
tic. When they do occur, however, it is almost entirely very late
in the season, as in the cases of the thrushes. The Black-throated
Blue Wrarbler is an exception to the latter statement. It is rare,
but of the two records of its occurrence of which I know, both
fell before the first of April. The Magnolia Warbler, however,
the Blackburnian, the Chestnut-sided, the Bay-breasted, and the
Black-throated Green, are usually seen, if at all, in the late spring.
At New Iberia, La., in the south central part of the State, where
the prairies begin to encroach, I have seen a female Bay-breasted
Warbler May 15. Strange enough, the weather at the time did
not show the usual fall in the temperature that accompanies, or,
perhaps, causes the tarrying of the spring travelers. A majority
of the few records for the occurrence of the Bay-breasted Warbler
at this latitude in spring occur between the 25th of April and the
10th of May. The appearance of the Redstart at New Orleans
and other points near it in spring occurs mostly at the same time.
With the Bay-breasted Warbler seen at New Iberia there was a
male Redstart. The Tennessee Warbler has recently been proved
to have the same propensity. The past spring the only Tennessee
Warblers I saw at New Orleans, and among the few of which I
have any spring records, were noted between April 26 and May 9.
Some were present almost every day of that period, and they
seemed to be lingering contentedly.
Outside of the Warblers and Thrushes, there are other species
that loiter unaccountably. For several years in succession the
American Pipit was seen in abundance at New Orleans as late as
the 20th of April. Small flocks would be seen even until the end
A.O Kopman, Bird Migration in the Lozver Miss. Valley- \ ^l,k
of the month and the last date has twice been set at May 2. The
Savanna Sparrow always remains until after the first of May, and
the last has been seen May 9. Like the Pipit, the Rusty Black-
bird has been seen as late as May 2, and small singing flocks have
been on hand at New Orleans until the very last week of April.
May 7, Andrew Allison has seen the last Water Thrush (Seiiirus
noveboracensis) at New Orleans. It was with a week's wave of
warblers, thrushes, and a sprinkling of a few other species, nota-
bly the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the White-crowned Sparrow.
The White-crowned Sparrows, four of which were seen May 1,
were the only ones I have ever observed at New Orleans, and the
only ones I have seen in this latitude in spring. Noted a month
after the latest date I should have expected to find them, these
birds have always seemed to me remarkable instances of the ten-
dency towards retarded migration. The greatest of all the loiterers
are the Waders. Almost no date is too late for some of the species,
and it is doubtful whether all individuals of certain of the species
believed to breed only in the far North ever leave the region of the
Gulf Coast in summer. At Cameron, La., on the southwest coast
of Louisiana, I saw four or five Sanderlings on the beach June 30,
last. While the return of the waders to the lower Mississippi val-
ley begins very early, I am hardly disposed to believe that these
birds were returning migrants. Whether there had been any at
Cameron earlier in June I was unable to know, as I had not been
there before. The earliness of the fall migration in southern
Louisiana and Mississippi, however, is remarkable. Pectoral,
Solitary and Bartramian Sandpipers are almost certain to be back
by the middle of July, and other species return in quick successive
order. From the nature of their flight, however, the early return
of the waders is to be expected, but how are we to explain the
presence of the Black-throated Green Warbler in southern Missis-
sippi July 30 ? In 1897 I took one on that date, during a very heavy
migration at Beauvoir, Miss., on the Gulf Coast. Redstarts,
Black-and-White, Cerulean, Yellow, and Prairie Warblers, which at
the most are very rare breeders in southern Mississippi, the Red-
start certainly not breeding that far south, appeared in considerable
numbers at the same time and some had appeared two weeks or
more before. Aug. 1 1 , the Water-Thrush (S. noveboracensis) fol-
Vol. XXI
1904
Kopman, Bird Migration in the Lower Miss. Valley. AQ
lowed. August 1 2 I took a specimen of the Golden-winged Warbler.
At Bay St. Louis, Miss., Andrew Allison has taken Blackburn's
Warbler, Aug. n. While it is not always the same species that
shows this unexpected tendency, it happens in one case or another
with too much frequency to be disposed of on the ground of fortuity.
It is obvious also that birds of about the same class have been
participant in the tendency. These early movements have been
known to include the rarer vireos also. In 1893, the Philadelphia
Vireo, which had appeared furtively during the last days of
July in a heavy growth of willows on the batture land of the Mis-
sissippi at Convent, La., forty miles up the river (west) from New
Orleans, appeared in astonishing abundance August 2. I took one
specimen, but there was no need of killing more, as the birds were
about me on all sides. In spring, during the time of abundance of
the Warbling Vireo, which is a common breeder along the Missis-
sippi in southern Louisiana, I have never seen the Philadelphia
Vireo, but beside the record just noted, I have several other rec-
ords of its occurrence in this section in fall, always later, however,
than on the above occasion. As for the Blue-headed Vireo, H. L.
Ballowe (now Dr. Ballowe), of Diamond, La., on the Mississippi
thirty miles south of New Orleans, sent me in 1893 a specimen of
this bird that he killed August 4. Taken all in all, this is prob-
ably the most remarkable of these early records. The Blue-headed
Vireo is a winter resident in the wet woods of southern Louisiana,
but it commonly appears only at the beginning of the winter. The
August record seems more in the nature of a ' freak ' record than
do any of the other records. A rare bird in this part of the South,
whose case, nevertheless, is very clearly indicated as that of a bird
preferring early fall migration, is the Olive-sided Flycatcher. In
1894 Mr. Ballowe sent me a specimen he had killed at Diamond,
August 31. Andrew Allison recorded the Olive-sided Flycatcher
at Bay St. Louis, August 29, 1902, and the present season I saw
one August 16, at Covington, La., like Bay St. Louis, in pine woods.
Covington is less than forty miles north of New Orleans.
One of the strange features of the early fall migration of this
latitude is that it is composed chiefly of those species that in spring
give little of their presence here, especially in the fertile alluvial
of the Mississippi delta. Such are the Yellow Warbler, the Red-
^O Buturlin, Correct Name of the Pacific Dunlin. Tfai^
start, the Black-and-White Warbler. The Yellow Warbler appears
at New Orleans from further north about the middle of July, and
by the last week of the month Yellow Warblers are present by
hundreds. Even when appearing in waves in the spring, the Yel-
low Warblers are always restricted in their numbers at that season.
As for the Black-and-White Warbler and the Redstart they are
rarities at New Orleans in spring. Not so after the first of August.
They are always to be found in reasonable numbers in the woods
after that date and sometimes in large numbers. The Tennessee
and Magnolia Warblers do not agree with the foregoing in being
particularly early fall migrants, but they do agree in being the most
abundant of our birds in the fall, and among the rarest in spring.
The time of their arrival in fall approximates September 20.
THE CORRECT NAME OF THE PACIFIC DUNLIN.
BY S. A. BUTURLIN.
When publishing, in 1902, Part I of my ' Limicolae of the Rus-
sian Empire,' it was not without much hesitation that I proposed
to give a new name to the Fantail Snipe of East Siberia,1 as
Vieillot's old one, Scolopax sakhalina, was a very suggestive one.
But Vieillot's ' Nouveau Dictionnaire ' was not to be found in
Russia (not even in the Academical Library), and as H. Seebohm,
R. B. Sharpe and others quote " Sc. sakhalina " invariably with
a " ? " , I preferred to give a new name to the East-Siberian
Snipe.
Through the extreme kindness of Mr. Charles W. Richmond,.
1 Scolopax {Galliuago) galiinago raddei nests from Yenesei eastward ; differs
from Sc. (G.) gallinago Linn, in having more white on the wing-lining and
axillaries ; the chest not so mottled with brown ; feathers of the upper parts
somewhat more mottled with rufous ; the sandy buff edges of the scapulars
and the feathers of the upper back much broader, some .08-. 16 inch broad ;.
pale central stripe along the crown also broader.
Vol. XXI
1904
Buturlin, Correct Name of the Pacific Dunlin. C I
of the U. S. National Museum, Washington, I received afterwards
(in litt.) a copy of Vieillot's description. As the work is rare ; it
is better to quote fully.
"La Becassine sakhaline, Scolopax sakkalina, VieilL, (pi. 85
d'un ouvrage russe publie par Sakhalin), se trouve en Russie.
Elle a le dessus de la tete, du cou, des ailes et de la queue d'un
fauve rougeatre varie d'un grand nombre de taches brunes ; le
tour du bee et la gorge blancs et bruns ; la poitrine de cette der-
niere couleur, mais uniforme ; les cote's du ventre, les plumes de
l'anus et le bord des grandes pennes alaires blancs ; le bee et les
pieds bruns." (Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., III. 18 16,
P- 359-)
"Breast uniformly brown" cannot possibly be intended for a
Fantail Snipe {Gall, gallinago Linn, or subsp.), and is a gross
exaggeration even for a Solitary Snipe (G. solitaria Hodgs. et.
subsp.). Amongst Palaearctic waders only to the Dunlin (Tringa
or Pelidna alpina Linn, et subsp.) the above description applies
better. The including of the Dunlin in one genus with snipes is
not to be wondered at, as Pallas (Zoogr., 1811, II, p. 176) did
the same.
Vieillot's description, however, is none too good, though plainly
referable to the Dunlin ; so it was necessary to inquire the source
of his information, " un ouvrage russe publie par Sakhalin."
Scientific books of Natural History or Travel previous to 181 6
(date of Vieillot's work) were rarely published in the Russian
language, but I tried in vain to trace Mr. Sakhalin, a name of a
Russian writer or artist quite as unknown to my friends as to
myself.
At last I thought of Gray's splendid work, and my friend
M. N. Michaylowsky has sent me the following quotation (from
St. Petersb. Akad. Library) from Gray's Gen. Birds, III, 1849, P-
283. " ?25- G. sakhalina (Vieill.) N. Diet. d'Hist Nat. iii, 359,
Krust. Voy. t. 86."
Here Vieillot's somewhat vague original quotation of a " Russian
work by Mr. Sakhalin " is rendered quite clear, as the name of
the gallant Captain Krusenstern, first Russian circumnavigator of
the Globe, is well known to all interesting themselves in Natural
Science. The copies of the original (Russian) edition of his
£^2 Buturlin, Correct Name of the Pacific Dunlin. Tf^
1 Voyage ' are very rare, but Mr. Af. Al. Illyne in St. Petersburg
most kindly sent me a copy.
The text (Russian) is in three small quarto volumes, issued,
Vol. I in 1809, Vol. II in 1810, and Vol. Ill in 1812. The first
two contain the Narrative of the voyage round the World in
1803, 4, 5 and 6, and the third contains some of the scientific
results. The botanical and zoological results were intended to
be published in Vol. IV (see Vol. Ill, pp. iii and iv), but unfor-
tunately it was never published. From pp. iv and 7 of Vol. I we
know that plates of natural history objects were drawn by Dr.
Tilesius of Leipsic, the naturalist of the expedition.
To the text is adjoined a big in-folio Atlas of XCVIII Plates,
issued in St. Petersburg in 18 14 and bearing the following title:
Atlas I zur | Reise um die Welt | unternommen auf Befehl | Seiner
Kaiserlichen Majestat | Alexander der Ersten | auf den Schiffen Nadeshda
und Neva | unter dem Commando | des Capitans von Krusenstern. | St.
Petersburg. | 1814.
Curiously enough, Gray must have quoted Tab. 86 by a lapsus
calami (or a typographical error), — as Vieillot also quoted Tab.
85 : Tab. LXXXV of Krusenstern's Atlas represents a Wagtail
(perhaps M. leucopsis Gould) and a Titmouse, and Tab. LXXXVI
is a bad figure, that I take for a young Heteractitis brevipes Vieill.
(it is termed " Tringa meleagris" on the plate, or " Die Braune
Weispunctierte Meerlerche ").
But Plate LXXXIV represents very well the type of Vieillot's
description ; it is a fairly accurate, natural size (I presume) figure
of the Pacific Dunlin in breeding dress, with the typical, for the
Pacific form, pure white band across the chest, above the black
patch. The wing is 121 mm. (4.76 inch) long, and the culmen
38.5 mm. (1.51 in.); in the right upper part of the Plate the
bill is drawn as seen from above and nearly 1.5 : 1 of the natural
size (55.5 mm.) ; the outlines are clearly those of the Dunlin bill,
only it is made too straight. The bird on the plate bears not
only a Russian name,1 but also " Tringa Variegata oder der Bunte
Sachalinische Strandlaufer " ; it is stated also that the plate is by
Dr. Tilesius (" Tilesius p : PetrotT sc : ").
indicating that the bird is from the island Saghalien.
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XI.
3- 4
BILL OF PORTORICAN WOODPECKER.
Figs, i and 3, deformed ; figs. 2 and 4, normal.
i o 1 Bowdish, Ab?iormal Bill of Melanerpes portoricensis. C 7
I am quite satisfied now, that Tringa alpina var. americana
Cassin, B. N. Amer., p. 719 (1858) , Pelidna pacifica Coues, Pr.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., p. 189 (1861), and the much earlier
Scolopax sakhalina Vieillot, N. Diet, d' Hist. Nat., Ill, p. 359
(181 6), are only synonyms of Tringa variegata Tilesius, Atlas
Krusenstern. Reis., PL LXXXIV (1814).
I think that Tilesius's name must be accepted for the Pacific
Dunlin,1 as Tringa variegata of Gmelin (Sys. Nat., I, p. 674,
1788) is not a Tringa at all, but (being a synonym of his Tringa
virgata, ibid.) a type of quite a distant genus of waders: Aphriza
Audubon (1839). But those who consider that Gmelin's Tringa
variegata invalidates Tilesius's name must accept Vieillot's name
and call the Pacific Dunlin Tringa {Pelidna) alpina sakhalina
(Vieill.).
I add to this note an accurate photograph (nearly 1 : 1.4 nat.
size) of Tilesius's Plate.
1903, Oct. 7,
Russia, Esthonia, Wesenberg.
AN ABNORMAL BILL OF MELANERPES
POP TORICENSIS.
BY B. S. BOWDISH.
Plate XI.
On June 27, 190 1, I shot a male Melanerpes portoricensis from
a tree in a coffee plantation on a hillside near Mayaguez, P. R.
The specimen is No. 177842 of the National Museum collection
and was loaned to me for the purpose of making illustrations and
measurements.
This bird, which was in company with an apparently quite nor-
1 And it should stand as Tringa {Pelidna) alpina variegata Tilesius, as it is
only subspecifically distinct. I must add, that I see no reasons for even sub-
generically dividing Dunlins, Knots, Purple and Curlew Sandpipers, etc.
54
Bowdish, Abnormal Bill of Melanerfies fiortoriccnsis.
TAuk
Ljan.
mal female, possessed a beak abnormally developed in a most
interesting manner. An injury near the base of the lower man-
dible, partially breaking it away, as a shot might do, seems to
have caused this growth.
The theory that I have evolved to account for it, is that as the
wound healed the edges contracted, warping the mandible toward
that side and tending to the corkscrew-shaped growth that the
mandible exhibits. The bird was debarred from hammering by
the weakened and misshapen bill, and the growth which normally
would have replaced wear, abnormally prolonged both mandibles,
though why the lower so much more than the upper I cannot
readily understand.
The measurements of this bill are : length of upper mandible,
(exposed culmen), 1.33 in.; lower mandible from symphysis, 1.85
in. ; width at base, .34 in.
The extent of the abnormal growth can be better appreciated
by a comparison of a table of measurements of bills of nine spec-
imens in my collection :
Lower mandible
1
Sex
Date.
Upper mandible.
(from symphysis).
Width.
?
Aug. 27
. 80 i n .
.50 in.
.30 in.
?
Dec. 1
.85 "
•57 " ■
.30 "
$
Aug. 25
.9S "
.60 "
■35 "
8
Sept. 6
1. 00 "
.62 "
T-. "
S
Jan. 31
1. 10 "
.70 "
•33 "
?
Sept. 25
1.96 "
.60 "
•34 "
S
Feb. 10
1. 10 "
.68 "
■35 "
?
Dec. 28
1.06 "
.72 "
•33 "
?
Aug. 14
1.02 "
.6s "
.36 "
This table shows the average length of the upper mandible to
be about 1.00 in.; length of lower mandible, .67 in.; and the
width of bill at base .^t,. Thus it will be seen that in the spec-
imen under consideration, while the width of the base of bill is
about normal, the upper mandible is a third of an inch longer
than the average, and the lower nearly three times the average of
these nine specimens.
The illustrations show very well the form of the beak. It will
be noticed that the lower mandible makes a half turn, so that
what should be its lower surface is, at the tip, the upper ; while
Vol.XXr Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. c;^
1904 j
slender it is not characteristically sharp pointed. The upper
mandible is much more curved than normally, probably from lack
of the support of the lower mandible, and in place of the normal
sharp, chisel-shaped point, the tip much more resembles that of
a snipe's bill.
Where the edges of the mandibles meet at the crossing they are
worn to a slight notch.
It would be interesting to know whether this bird subsisted
entirely on fruit and seeds, which normally form a large percent-
age of the food of the species, or whether it was fed by the mate,
with insects. Obviously this bill was not adapted to obtaining
insects for itself in the usual manner. Unfortunately the bird's
stomach when procured was empty. The stomach of the female
contained the remains of a dragonfly.
SOME NOVA SCOTIA BIRDS.
BY SPENCER TROTTER.
The peninsula of Nova Scotia has a ragged coast-line ; the land
is deeply invaded by the sea through many fiord-like inlets. Four
rocky headlands, scarred and worn, alternate with stretches of
sand and shingle ; bowlder-strewn ledges fringe the shores and
submarine banks reach far seaward. These sands seem to have
impressed the early French explorers who gave the name " Sable ,:
to the southern cape of the peninsula, as well as to a river and
also to a group of low islands which lie at some distance off the
eastern coast. The edge of the great Atlantic fog bank hovers
over these shores, and creeping in with the southerly wind wraps
the land in its gloomy mists, often for days at a time.
Back of this coast the voyager along the southern shores sees a
land of pointed trees — spruce and balsam fir — rising into a low
ridge that is succeeded inland by other similar ridges ; a vast,
unbroken stretch of evergreen wilderness from shore to shore
Cj6 Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. Man
across the peninsula, with wide savannas of sphagnum bog,
swampy jungles of alder and tamarack, rocky ' barrens ' covered
by a growth of dwarf blueberry, and here and there, in the hollows
between the ridges, the waters of a glacial lake. Many streams
head in the bogs on the low divides, their waters dark with the
leachings of the peat, and flow west toward the Bay of Fundy and
east into the long inlets of the Atlantic. They widen out into
lily-covered ponds where the moose wades and feeds, and in
places the ancient building of the beaver has blocked their course
with meadows. Each spring the salmon, running up from the
ocean to spawn, stem the rapids of these rivers and leap their
waterfalls, and the angler will find the brook trout from the foam
flecked pools of the lower reaches to the head streams far back in
the bogs.
Along the shores of the bays are the scattered settlements of a
fishing folk, hemmed in landward by the wilderness of evergreens.
Atone of these — the village of Barrington, just back of Cape
Sable Island — I spent the past three summers. It was mid-June
when we reached there and lilacs and horsechestnuts were in
bloom in the dooryards; a week or so later the air was sweet with
the blossoms of the May or English hawthorn, hedges of which
had been planted about some of the old houses. This renewal of
the spring was very pleasing to us who had come from the early
summer of southeastern Pennsylvania. Back in the woods we
traced the footprints of spring where the dainty twin flower
{Linncea) showed in patches of faint rosy bloom above the moss.
The dense thickets of Labrador tea {Ledum) and Rhodora, that
grew along the boggy waysides, were in blossom, and here and
there the chokeberry {Primus virginiana) showed its flowers. In
old clearings a profusion of wild strawberries were slowly ripening.
The white flowers of the bunchberry {Cor tins canadensis), the
chick weed wintergreen {Trientalis), and the two-leaved Solomon's
seal ( Unifolium) showed everywhere through the woods. The
undergrowth of this region, except where dense forests of balsam
fir had excluded sunlight, was for the most part made up of brake
{Pteris) , bayberry {Myrica), sheep laurel {Kalmia angustifolia),
and blueberry bushes ( Vaccinium ca?iadense and V. petinsyl-
vanicani) .
V°l9^4Xl] Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. 57
During these June days and through the first half of July the
land was ringing with bird songs. Along the village highway,
from every piece of garden shrubbery, every patch of swamp
tangle and thicket came the sweet, homely notes of Song Spar-
rows, Maryland Yellow-throats, and Summer Warblers. In the
woods back of the village the loud, clear whistle of the White-
throated Sparrow, calling Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody,
struck the keynote of all that was wild and delectable in these
solitudes. The song of the Olive-backed Thrush sounded far and
near over the tree tops and across clearings, while from all about
the woods came the dry, monotonous ditty of the Black-throated
Green Warbler. These three songs were the dominant notes of
the woodland. This is far from saying that other bird notes were
not appreciably present to the attentive ear. The rapid chipping
song of the Junco, the tiny tin trumpet of the Canada Nuthatch,
the wiry notes of the Hudsonian Chickadee, the screeching calls
of wandering Whiskey Jacks, to say nothing of the more familiar
notes of Robins, Flickers, and Crows, all these and others fell
upon the ear with more or less frequency, but back in the woods
from dawn to sunset, you were rarely if ever out of hearing of
some Peabody song, some Olive-backed Thrush, or some member
of the ubiquitous and tireless tribe of Vireos.
For several reasons I have not attempted to present the birds
of this interesting region in the form of a list of species. In the
first place I was only a casual observer of the birds during three
summers and only an indifferent collector during my third and
last sojourn. In the second place the bird fauna of the region is
already well known, and a list at the hands of one who took life
easy would necessarily be imperfect. What I have tried to do is
to record my impressions of the bird life as a whole and what
facts fell in my way that related to certain birds in particular.
The shores of Barrington Bay are largely tide -washed beaches
of coarse gravel, loose rocks, and bowlders covered with brown
rock weed. The ebbing tide lays bare extensive ' flats ' of eel
grass and exposes numerous ledges on which many harbor seals
gather to sun themselves. Here and there a bar of sand affords
a haunt for the restless flocks of shore birds, while the Herring
Gulls and the Terns settle in long rows on these sand strips at
^ 8 Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. If™
low water, their white breasts glistening in the sunlight. While
at Barrington I saw an occasional Black-backed Gull. Some years
before (1897) I visited a gull rookery at Cape Split where the
waters of the Bay of Fundy spread into the Basin of Minas, a
point much farther north than Barrington. Here the ' Coffin-
carrier ' was quite abundant and nested in the colonies of Herring
Gulls on the narrow basaltic edges of the high Cape wall. In the
clefts and crannies of this rocky wall many wild roses were in
bloom which added a charming effect to the scene. I saw the
two species feeding together ; a number of gulls would swim in a
wide circle, apparently ' rounding up ' their prey, while several
individuals in the center were actively engaged in diving after the
fish. When seemingly satisfied the divers would drop back into
the circle of swimmers and others would take their turn at diving
and feeding. As far as I have been able to learn this rookery at
Cape Split is one of the most southerly breeding places of the
great Black-backed Gull, which is at home with the Ice Gulls and
KiUiwakes of Baffin Bay.
The terns, or ' Mackerel Gulls,' as they are called by the fisher-
men, are reasonably abundant in Barrington Bay and probably
breed on the shingle and sand beaches of Cape Island. All that
I saw appeared to belong to the common species — Wilson's Tern.
The Black Duck was the only species of its kind that bred in
this part of Nova Scotia ; its favorite nesting haunts were the bogs
about lake shores and it was fairly abundant in these situations
during the early part of the summer.
One of the most conspicuous inhabitants of the tidal marshes,
that formed wide stretches of shore land in many places along the
bay, was the Willet. These birds nest on the inland border of the
marsh where the swampy undergrowth of woods met the salt grass.
I had no success in finding nests and was probably too late in the
season. Fully fledged young birds were about early in July ; one
of these was shot by my son with an air rifle. The old birds were
noisy and vigilant until midsummer, when they disappeared from
these haunts and in small flocks frequented the mud flats and
beaches at low water. Earlier in the summer, as we tramped
along the inner edge of the marsh, or skirted its outer edge in a
boat, the shrill pill-will-willet call was sure to greet us ; one or
Vol XXI
1Q04
Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. CO
more individuals would follow, hovering with dangling legs on
broad, outstretched wing, close at hand, or perched on some stake
or the top of a spruce tree, restless, uneasy, and vociferous until
we had gotten well away from the devoted spot.
Certain birds were remarkable for their scarcity, though abun-
dant enough in other sections of the country. I saw but few
Chimney Swifts during my three visits ; this is undoubtedly due to
the fact that most of the chimneys are small and are more or less
continually in use during the summer. The Kingbird, save in one
instance, was not observed about Barrington until the latter part
of the summer when it appeared sparingly in old fields bordering
the salt marshes and shores. In the extensive apple orchards
about the Basin of Minas I found these birds nesting in 1897 —
and they were fairly abundant. The majority of the Kingbird
population undoubtedly finds more congenial nesting sites in the
agricultural portions of the Province, and the birds appear in the
wilder tracts of the southern part only after the breeding season.
The same observations are true of the Bobolink. I found this
bird nesting abundantly in the lush grass meadows of the Habi-
tent that flows through an old Acadian dyke into the Basin of
Minas, but only saw one individual during my three summers'
stay at Barrington ; a male bird in changing plumage, which I
secured on July 30, 1903.
The only flycatcher aside from the Kingbird that I found at
Barrington was the Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii alnorum).
Most of the individuals seen were low down in the dense growth
of alders along a sparsely traveled road. The solicitous actions
of several of these birds on August 8 betrayed the nearness of
young. They kept well out of sight, only occasionally revealing
themselves on the edge of the alders and all the while uttering a
succession of piping chirps.
A small colony of Rusty Crackles frequented the inner edge of
a salt marsh and several individuals were seen on June 17, 1902,
in a fresh bog on Barrington River.
I had read Bradford Torrey's account of his hunt after Ravens
in the country about Highlands, among the mountains of western
North Carolina. I spent two summers at Highlands, and like Mr.
Torrey had no success in meeting with this interesting bird. But
60 Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. r^uk
LJan.
fortune changed when I visited Nova Scotia. Under date of July
ii, 1 90 1, is the following entry in my note book : "On the beach
of a small island [in Barrington Bay] saw four Ravens. They
were feeding on the head of a sheep. First heard the ' croak/
then saw the four large birds slowly take wing and flop heavily
across the bay toward the further shore." There was no mistaking
the ominous croak for the caw of a Crow. At first we thought it
was the hoarse bark of a seal on the outer reefs. The Ravens
took a direction quite different from that which the Crows took
when leaving this small island. The Crows were numerous all
about the bay and would fly to the nearest point of the main land,
but these Ravens steered for a wild tract of woodland on the far-
ther side of the bay which I afterwards learned was known to be
a haunt of the weird bird. During the following summer (1902)
I again heard the Raven's croak, several times, from the heavily
timbered ridges about the less frequented parts of Shelburne
Harbor.
Some northern members of the finch family were at home in
this evergreen wilderness ; birds which, until my visits to Nova
Scotia, I had never seen alive before. One of these was the
Pine Grosbeak.
All that I had read and heard from those who had observed
the bird during its occasional winter wanderings to more southern
latitudes led me to believe that it was almost foolishly tame and
unsuspicious. In its breeding grounds, however, I found it just
the reverse. The bird was far oftener heard than seen, and always
appeared shy. The clear, loud whistling song would sound for
long distances over the woods and open savannas. Every little
while during the day one or more of these birds would be singing
from the top of some tall spruce or fir. After delivering its song
for some time the bird, when undisturbed, would suddenly fly
down into the dense cover of the woods, but if suspicious of an
intruder into its haunts it would frequently fly a long distance
from the spot. Like the Goldfinch, the Pine Siskin, the Cross-
bills and others of its tribe, the Pine Grosbeak often utters its
whistling notes while on the wing At first I used to think of this
song as resembling that of the Goldfinch, only of greater magni-
tude, but later I came to recognize a quality in it that was
Vol. XXI
1904
Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. 6 1
strangely suggestive of the whistle of the Greater Yellowlegs
( Tot anus mela?ioleucus) .
From time to time we would fall in with wandering flocks of
Crossbills, the dipping flight and twittering notes on the wing call-
ing to mind the Goldfinch. They appeared to be exceedingly
irregular in their movements, disappearing from a locality for days
at a time. In the summer of 190 1 I saw them first on July 7, and
after that more or less frequently during my stay of three months.
I have seen those birds feeding in the public road like English
Sparrows. The past summer (1903) I did not see or hear Cross-
bills until the 13th of August. After that they appeared irregu-
larly. Many of the birds were young and a few individuals of the
White-winged species were mixed in with the flocks. The birds
seemed stupid in their tameness. I fired three or four times into
a flock that had settled in a black spruce, the birds busy shelling
the cones, without causing any disturbance to the majority, which
continued to feed unconcernedly. These flocks are eminently
restless, sweeping about over the tree tops with their constantly
uttered tweet-tweet.
Another finch of exceedingly irregular distribution locally was
the Pine Siskin. I frequently heard its canary-like song during
the latter part of the summer of 1901 and saw the birds a number
of times. In 1902 I saw several individuals on the 18th of June,
but never afterwards. Last summer the bird was conspicuous by
its absence in the neighborhood of Barrington, and was seen only
once, in the early part of September.
The Purple Finch was fairly abundant and its rolling carol was
one of the charming songs of these woodlands. At Bedford
Basin, near Halifax, N. S., where I spent one summer, this bird
frequented the neighborhood of houses, like its western cousin.
I have seen two males almost within hand reach of my window
trying to outrival each other in singing.
The Acadian Sharp-tailed Finch (Ammodramus caudacntiis sub-
virgatus) was an inhabitant of the tidal marshes about Barrington.
The bird's notes are like the noise made by sucking in through
the teeth, a wet sound that savors of the oozy marsh.
During the first two summers I had my mind set on finding Lin-
coln's Sparrow. It was not until last summer, however, that I
62 Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. \^
k
an.
came upon the bird. My wife and I had wandered far back in a
boggy savanna after blueberries — the largest berries I think I have
ever seen — and growing weary of picking I took up the gun and
began poking along the edge of a dense clump of bushes. Pres-
ently a bird showed itself and on being shot proved to be a young
male Lincoln's Sparrow. This was on August 29, and a day or
two later I secured another young individual in the same locality.
Whether the birds breed in this region I am not prepared to say.
The two individuals secured, though evidently not long out of the
nest, may have been migrants from farther North.
The Red-eyed and Solitary Yireos were the only two species
of their kind that I found about Barrington. The Hudson ian
Chickadee was common everywhere through the spruce and fir
woods and the Black-capped Chickadee was also fairly abundant,
though far less so than the Hudsonian species. Golden-crowned
Kinglets were frequently heard all through the summer, and Red-
breasted Nuthatches were about as common.
Among wood warblers the Black-throated Green, the Maryland
Yellow-throat, the Myrtle, and the Black and Yellow were by far
the most abundant; the Black and White Warbler and the Redstart
were not uncommon. The Chestnut-sided and the Yellow Palm
Warblers were also observed. The Oven-bird was oftener heard
than seen, and one Wilson's Black-capped Warbler was taken
toward the end of the summer. A pair of Nashville Warblers were
seen on the edge of an alder and tamarack swamp on the 27th of
July, and several others were heard at the same time ; one male was
secured.
The Cliff Swallows had established colonies under the eaves of
a number of the barns in the village. On my first visit I noticed a
rather odd departure in the housekeeping habits of the Tree
Swallows. A pair of these birds had taken up their residence in a
deserted Cliff Swallow's mud house on the lintel over a cottage
door. Probably the Cliff Swallows found communal life more to
their liking and deserted the solitary dwelling to join some nearby
colony.
Young Robins, just out of the nest and not yet able to fly, were
found on the 22nd of August, which struck me as rather a late
date for Robin fledglings. One cause of these delayed broods is-
Voli9o4XI] Trotter, Some Nova Scotia Birds. 6$
probably the great abundance of berries in the late summer on
which the young birds are fed.
The two species of the Hylocichla group of Thrushes which I
found in this part of Nova Scotia, presented some interesting facts
in local distribution. On the west side of Barrington Bay I found the
Olive-backed Thrush the predominant species, while on the eastern
side, the Hermit was the only one noticed. I cannot account for
this on any other ground than the tendency of individuals of the
same species to congregate in the same area. My observations
lead me to believe that the Olive-backed Thrush is the shyer of
the two. I saw the Hermit a number of times close to dwellings
and it seemed to choose the more open woodland tracts, while the
Olive-backed Thrush frequented the heavier growth along the edge
of clearings. I have approached quite close to the Hermit and
listened to his matchless song delivered from a fallen tree or stump
in the clearings at noon-day, but the Olive-backed Thrush was
always difficult to approach, and so far as my observations go, is a
much wilder bird in its habits. Its favorite post when singing is
near the top of some tall spruce or fir ; the bird diving into the
undergrowth on the slightest suspicion of an intruder.
The song of the Olive-backed Thrush seemed to me to be
inferior to that of the Hermit ; it starts out well but is finished in
a series of squeaky notes. My ear for music, however, is unculti-
vated and I am told by those who have a good ear that the Olive-
backed Thrush is really the better performer of the two. The
Hermit's song appealed to me as a sustained melody throughout ;
as though the musician had the ear to appreciate as well as the
power to express. Aside from their relative merits as musicians
both birds are charming songsters, voicing the very spirit of
wilderness solitudes.
The alarm notes of the two species are quite different. The
Olive-backed Thrush when disturbed utters a metallic note, short
and sharp, often ending in a curious rolling, querulous call. This
note is uttered constantly while the bird is fidgeting about in the
cover near by. I have several times mistaken these short pucking
notes of the Olive-backed Thrush for the alarm calls of the
Ruffed Grouse to her scattering brood. The alarm note of the
Hermit has a Catbird quality about it, lower pitched and less
64 Dwight, Exaltation of the Subspecies. [fan
metallic than that of the Olive-backed Thrush. On the 10th of
August I found a Hermit calling to her brood in the undergrowth
with a low cluck that was instantly changed to the alarm note
when my presence became known.
On the wooded slopes about Shelburne Harbor the Hermit
Thrush was apparently abundant. In the hush of the long twi-
light we would drift far out toward the edge of burnished water,
listening to the vesper strains of some late singer that came with
infinite sweetness out of the gathering gloom of the farther shore.
THE EXALTATION OF THE SUBSPECIES.
BY JONATHAN DWIGHT, JR., M. D.
Whatever may be the intrinsic worth of the subspecies, signs
are not wanting, at the present time, that its value, especially in
the domain of ornithology, is impaired by the undue prominence
which it has attained. Some of us hold it so close to the eye that
all fields beyond are obscured and the one near object becomes
not a part of ornithology but the aim and end of all our
research. Our efforts are so one-sided that minute variations of
dimension or color are magnified by their very proximity until
they afford foothold for the rising flood of names that threatens to
undermine the very foundations of trinomial nomenclature. It
seems to be forgotten that the subspecies is only a convenient rec-
ognition of geographical variation within the limits of the species.
Its rise began when the distribution of the species of many parts
of the globe had been thoroughly determined, and systematists
welcomed it as a new and useful outlet for activity. Since that
time down to the present, the dividing and re-dividing of old
species into geographical races or subspecies has gone on apace
— not as a matter of making two blades of grass grow where one
grew before but of splitting the one blade.
The luxuriant growth of the subspecies, while unquestionably
Vol. XXIJ D wight, Exaltation of the Subspecies. 65
due to numerous and complex causes, depends, in a large degree,
upon man's natural and proper desire to bestow names upon the
objects about him. Unfortunately the giving of a name, be it
ever so scientific, is hedged in by no prerequisites of scientific
training, and many have been the blunders committed through
ignorance and haste. We are, after all. only human, but one of
the greatest misfortunes that can befall is when a dim conception
of evolution leads us to confuse plasticity of a form to its environ-
ment with plasticity in our own brain. We must beware lest we
name that which exists only in our expectant mind. A subspecies
potential is a fact, a subspecies named, an opinion, for in giving a
name we express an opinion which may or may not fit the fact.
As a working hypothesis, it is convenient to consider the sub-
species as an incipient species, but to name every degree of
incipiency is pushing matters to a point where the name, by over-
shadowing the fact, ceases to be the convenient handle for which
it is primarily intended. The tail begins to wag the dog, and, in
the eyes of some, it really seems to be more important than the
dog.
Another, but less potent cause for the rise of the subspecies is
found in the unnecessary prominence accorded it in our books and
other publications. Wherever we turn we find it, to all appear-
ances, on equal terms with the full species. It is clothed in the
same type, while descriptions, measurements, synonymy and other
matters are displayed independently as if every name were of
equal value. No wonder the impression is created that the sub-
species is quite as important as the species and deserving of the
same treatment. WTe forget that, as names multiply, they lose in
definiteness of meaning, and that the standard by which races are
measured falls in direct proportion to the number of names
resulting from new campaigns over old ground. Ornithology, in
North America at least, is suffering from too many campaigns.
But, the mind of the young ornithologist is strongly influenced
by what his elders do, and if they make much of the subspecies
he is likely to do the same. Hence, if we expend so much effort
in seeking new lines of geographical cleavage, it is not inconceiv-
able that our successors may reduce our splinters to sawdust and
bestow a name upon each and every grain. It is to be hoped,
66 Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. I tan
however, that the limits of the human eye and of the vernier scale
will not be the only goal of the ornithologist, for true science does
not receive much uplifting from the mere renaming of a few
handfuls of skin and feathers. How well revision and renaming
have worked in the past, when species were the units, is shown by
the long array of synonyms that burden many a page. Synonymy
might fittingly be called the science of the blunders of our pre-
decessors, and we ourselves shall need deliverance from an intol-
erable load of names unless our fragile subspecific refinements are
woven of stronger threads. We discover and name trivialities
because we like to do it, and new names loom very large even if
they mean little. We confuse nomenclature and ornithology, for-
getful that names which should be the tools of the ornithologist
may easily become the playthings of the systematist. If the sub-
species be relegated to its proper place and held in proper per-
spective, we shall neither flounder in a flood of names nor fail to
perceive the opportunities which lie open before us. There is
more serious work on hand than the naming of subspecies if the
advance of ornithology is to keep pace with that of kindred
sciences.
YOSEMITE VALLEY BIRDS.
BY O. WIDMANN.
To demonstrate the efficacy of bird protection by exclusion of
firearms the Yosemite Valley is an excellent example. During a
short stay of three and a half days, from noon of May 21 to early
morning of May 25, 1903, fifty-seven species were noticed. The
valley is seven miles long by a width of one half to one mile, but
only a part of this area in the vicinity of the so-called village was
subjected to a close scrutiny, and no attempt was made to inves-
tigate the bird fauna of the surrounding higher regions.
Discovered in 185 1, the valley with its enclosing peaks was
granted by Congress in 1864 to the State of California on condi-
tion that it should be held as a " State Park for public use, resort
V°l *^4XI] Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. 6j
and recreation for all times." This carries with it the prohibition
of introducing firearms. From November till April shootists are
kept out by the deep snows, which make access to the valley dif-
ficult. When the season opens in spring a detachment of U. S.
cavalry assists the State guardian in the work of policing the park,
and the great number of birds speaks well for their efficiency. It
is not only the comparatively large number of species that sur-
prises the visitor, but still more so the great number of individuals
of many of these species, and their extraordinary tameness. From
the veranda, there called piazza, of the Sentinel Hotel annex I
could easily count from one to two dozen species any time of the
day, and among them such woodland birds as the Pileated Wood-
pecker and Hermit Thrush. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet had its
bulky nest on the very next tree, an old incense cedar (Libocedrus
deairrens), not more than thirty-five feet from the veranda and on
the side of the tree nearest to the house.
Not far from it a pair of Brown Creepers went in and out feed-
ing young in a nest only six feet from the ground under the bark
of another old Libocedrus. At one time a Green Towhee, a
Spurred Towhee, a White-crowned Sparrow and a Thick-billed
Fox Sparrow were feeding peacefully together on one square yard
of ground under the veranda, while half a dozen Juncos and Chip-
pies were also hopping about.
Part of this richness of the ornis may be attributable to weather
conditions, in so far as some of the birds may have been driven
down from the neighboring peaks by the snow which fell on the
day of our arrival, May 21, 1903. In fact, all forenoon, from
seven, when we started in the open stage from Wawona, till our
arrival at the Sentinel Hotel at noon, snow fell continually, some-
times at a lively rate, and mixed with hail on the highest point of
the stage route, said to be seven thousand feet above the sea.
The valley itself is only four thousand feet high, but the enclosing
peaks average four thousand feet higher and form with their
nearly vertical walls and magnificent waterfalls the sublime
grandeur for which the valley is deservedly world-renowned.
But while the lofty peaks and granite domes, the spiry pinnacles
and roaring cataracts make it grand and glorious beyond descrip-
tion, it is the rich organic life, the great variety of beautiful forms.
68 Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. ffu
k
an.
of trees and flowers, and the unusual tameness of the many birds,
which make this paradisaic spot particularly dear to our heart.
Those who expect to see only cold majestic grandeur are most
agreeably surprised to find in the heart of the Sierra such a gentle
garden spot, full of mellow sunshine, benevolent quiet, and bliss-
ful joy.
It took only one hour of sunshine to melt most of the snow in
the valley on the afternoon of May 21, and though the nights
during our stay were frosty, the days were mild and pleasant with
a maximum temperature of 6o° in the shade.
List of Birds Observed in Yosemite Valley.
1. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — Though the swift-run-
ning water of Merced River was of icy coldness, four Spotted Sandpipers
were busily engaged feeding at favorable spots along its banks.
2. Oreortyx pictus plumiferus. Mountain Partridge. — Seen only
in two places, but feathers found on the ground and some interwoven in
birds' nests show that they may be more numerous than it seems.
3. Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. — Daily seen on wing
or resting in high trees (yellow pines)in parties of 2 to 5. A flock of about
30 were disturbed at their roost near the Bridal Falls early on May 25.
4. Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — Only one seen, May 21.
5. Elanus leucurus. White-tailed Kite. — About 9 A.M. on May
24 a great commotion was heard in a clump of trees near the Yosemite
Falls, and presently a White-tailed Kite, chased by two Vireos, flew out
and across an opening into a tall yellow pine.
6. Accipiter velox rufilatus. Western Sharp-shinned Hawk. — One
(female) going slowly over the valley, 6.15 p. m. May 23.
7. Falco sparverius deserticolus. Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Twice
seen May 23, and again on the 25th.
8. Dryobates villosus hyloscopus. Cabanis Woodpecker. — Two
males seen May 22 and 24.
9. Dryobates pubescens turati. Willow Woodpecker. — Male and
female in two localities along Merced River, May 23.
10. Xenopicus albolarvatus. White-headed Woodpecker. — Only
one seen in the valley near Camp Currie, but several crossed our way
between the Yosemite and Wawona on the 25th.
11. Ceophlceus pileatus abieticola. Northern Pileated Wood
pecker. — Males and females seen in different localities.
12. Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi. California Woodpecker. —
One pair stationed not far from hotel.
Vol. XXIJ Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. 69
13. Colaptes cafer collaris. Red-shafted Flicker. — Often heard;
several present but rather shy.
14. Aeronautes melanoleucus. White-throated Swift. — Only two
seen, flying together over valley, May 24.
15. Stellula caliope. Caliope Hummingbird. — Quite numerous in
the valley ; conspicuous and excited ; on two occasions males went straight
up some sixty feet, there remained suspended at the same place for half a
minute, dropped down and rose again to repeat the performance ; also
seen to dart up from prominent station into the air, catch an insect and
return to same perch like a flycatcher.
16. Sayornis nigricans semiatra. Black Phcebe. — Only once met
with, near Pohono Bridge.
17. Contopus richardsoni richardsoni. Western Wood Pewee. —
One of the common sounds heard in the valley was the note of this bird,
perched high up in trees ; while feeding they were often low down near
the ground. A nest in a California black oak was nearly fifty feet above
the ground.
18. Empidonax difncilis. Western Flycatcher. — Among several
Empidonaces seen, this is the only one identified with certainty, while
among the others were probably Wright's Flycatcher.
19. Empidonax wrighti. Wright's Flycatcher. — Identification open
to doubt.
20. Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis. Blue-fronted Jay. — Pretty com-
mon, but rather quiet and retiring.
21. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus. Brewer Blackbird. — A small
troop was always on the meadow near the village.
22. Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus. Western Evening Gros-
beak.— One pair near hotel.
23. Carpodacus purpureus californicus. California Purple Finch.
24. Carpodacus cassini. Cassin Purple Finch.
25. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. House Finch.
This being my first acquaintance with the western Carfiodaci the iden-
tification of the different species gave me considerable trouble and my
notes on this genus are somewhat clouded, but it appeared to me that all
three species were present. On the 24th a female House Finch was busily
engaged building a nest in a maple near the hotel, while the mate indulged
in song flights.
26. Astragalinus tristis salicamans. Willow Goldfinch. — Only once
seen, May 21.
27. Astragalinus psaltria psaltria. Arkansas Goldfinch. — Four
together on the 21st.
28. Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. — Several pairs in immediate vicinity
of the hotel doing much singing and often hopping on the ground in the
street, so tame that they could almost be touched with the foot.
29. Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys. White-crowned Sparrow.
— Single individuals in half a dozen places, often in song, which does
not at all differ from that heard in the Mississippi Valley.
^O Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. ("fan*
30. Spizella socialis arizonae. Western Chipping Sparrow. —
Like the Robin, generally distributed and numerous.
31. Junco hyemalis thurberi. Sierra Junco. — Very numerous;
always a few together, sometimes as many as 20 to 30 on the ground
feeding in openings and on meadows.
32. Passerella iliaca megarhyncha. Thick-billed Fox Sparrow. —
Only once seen, May 21.
33. Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. — Apparently a
common breeder; several males singing all day at their stands.
34. Oreospiza chlorura. Green-tailed Towhee — In 6 or 7 places,
a diligent musician whose song reminded me strongly of Cko?idestes
gramma cus.
35. Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak. — The
most prominent of all songsters in the valley, where at least fifty individ-
uals were present, and females as well as males everywhere in sight ; two
males found singing on nests less than eight feet from ground.
36. Cyanospiza amcena. Lazuli Finch. — Three pairs were located;
song differed much individually ; one's song was remarkably like that of
the Indigo Bird, another's more like a Goldfinch's.
37. Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. — Quite abundant after
the 22d ; not only old males as before, but females and young of last year
of different patterns of coloration in small troops, singing and mating.
38. Tachycineta lepida. Violet-green Swallow. — When after the
frosty mornings the sun began to warm the valley half a dozen swallows
were hunting over the meadow behind the village or resting on the fence
wires for an hour or two On the afternoon of the 24th a large number
of swallows was seen, perhaps fifteen hundred feet above the valley,
hunting on the sunny side between Union and Glacier Points.
39. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Rough-winged Swallow. — Two
(probably a pair) hunting with Tachycineta over meadow, May 22.
40. Vireo gilvus swainsoni. Western Warbling Vireo. — One of
the common songsters, heard everywhere and often seen.
41. Vireo solitarius cassini. Cassin Vireo. — Almost as numerous
as the Warbling Vireo and nearly as musical; their pleasing song one of
the common sounds in the valley and the musicians themselves easily
detected.
42. Helminthophila rubricapilla gutturalis. Calaveras Warbler. —
With the Vireos and Yellow Warbler, one of the common songsters.
43. Dendroica aestiva morcomi. Western Yellow Warbler. —
Generally distributed and an industrious songster.
44. Dendroica auduboni. Audubon Warbler. — This is the only
warbler yet in troops of twenty and more, while single individuals and
pairs were scattered all over the valley. Two individuals were noticed
in which it required a good light to discover yellow traces on the white
throat, and thus could easily have been mistaken for D. coronata.
45. Dendroica nigrescens. Black-throated Gray Warbler. —
Vol.XXI-| Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds. 7 1
Quite a number of this beautiful warbler were at home in the valley ;
they were often seen, and their song, which varies much, was freely given.
46. Dendroica occidentalis. Hermit Warbler. — Only in two local-
ities ; a singing male and a female.
47. Geothlypis tolmiei. Tolmie Warbler. — The interesting song of
this warbler was heard at several places along Merced River and it did
not take long to see the bird itself, as it was not at all shy ; sometimes
their sharp alarm note betrayed them.
48. Wilsonia pusilla pileolata. Pileolated Warbler. — One of the
birds often seen and heard ; their song contributed not a little to the gen-
eral concert of the morning hours.
49. Cinclus mexicanus. American Dipper. — Returning from a
visit to the beautiful Cascade Falls at the lower end of the valley Dr. J.
A. Allen saw a dipper fly across Merced River and immediately thereafter
Mrs. Allen discovered the mossy nest on a big boulder in the river. No
others were noticed.
50. Catherpes mexicanus punctulatus. Dotted Canon Wren. — At
the foot of the Yosemite Falls, where giant boulders are piled mountain
high, a Canon Wren had his home and gave a performance in play and
song; another was heard on Coulterville Road near Pohona bridge.
51. Certhia familiaris zelotes. Sierra Creeper. — Often heard and
seen. Feeding young in nest under bark of Libocedrus.
52. Parus gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. — Generally distributed,
but rather quiet.
53. Regulus satrapa olivaceus. Western Golden-crowned King-
let.— In two localities; one at the foot of Eagle Peak had so much
black on its forehead, through and behind the eye, that it reminded me
of pictures of Audubon's cavieri.
54 Regulus calendula calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — A
breeder, and one of the most industrious songsters; its song louder, but
less sweet, than in the Mississippi Valley. From a distance some of its
notes resembled the whistle of the Tufted Tit.
55. Hylocichla aonalaschkae sequoiensis. Sierra Hermit Thrush.
— Numerous and singing toward evening. An imitation of its peculiar
whistling call-note never failed to attract one or more individuals, who
came within a few yards and remained there in plain view for a long
while.
56. Merula migratoria propinqua. Western Robin. — One of the
most conspicuous birds, not only near the village, but also in the forest
far from human habitations.
57. Sialia arctica. Mountain Bluebird. — At one place only; near
village on way to Mirror Lake.
I'n Wawona, where we made a halt of one day and from where
we visited the famous Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, the following
72
Widmann, Yosemite Valley Birds.
TAuk
LJan.
species were noted, some of them not found in the Yosemite
Valley. Wawona is twenty-six miles south of the Yosemite on
the south branch of Merced River in the high forest region. It
lies in the National Park and would be an excellent place for
birdlovers to stay a week or more; it has a very good hotel, in
fact a better one than the Sentinel Hotel in the Yosemite Vallev.
*2
3
*4
5
6
*7
8
io
ii
12
13
Birds Observed May 20 at Wawona.1
15. Zonotrichia leucophrys, male
1. Zenaidura macroura, one.
Ceryle alcyon, one.
Ceophlceus pileatus abieti-
cola, one.
Sphyrapicus varius daggetti,
male.
16. Spizella socialis arizonae,
several.
*i7. Melospizacinereaheermanni,
male in song.
Colaptes cafer collaris, one. * 18. Melospiza lincolni, male in
Sayornis nigricans semiatra, song.
19. Zamelodia melanocephala,
several in song ; also female.
20. Vireo gilvus swainsoni, male
in song.
21. Helminthophila rubricapilla
gutturalis, male singing.
22. Dendroica aestiva morcomi,
male singing.
23. Dendroica auduboni, male.
24. Troglodytes aedon aztecus,
male in song.
25. Certhia familiaris zelotes,
singing.
26. Merulamigratoriapropinqua,
several.
two.
Contopus borealis, one. (Also
at Maimi Mill.)
Contopus richardsoni, sev-
eral.
Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis,
several.
Scolecophagus cyanocepha-
lus, several.
Carpodacus cassini, 2 troops
of 10 and 12 birds.
Carpodacus mexicanus fron-
talis, one.
Astragalinus psaltria, one.
Ammodramus savanna alau-
dinus, two.
Birds seen in Mariposa Grove,2 May 20.
""i. Empidonax hammondi, one.
2. Junco hyemalis thurberi, a
few.
3. Vireo solitarius cassini, one
in song.
4. Dendroica auduboni, male
and female.
5. Dendroica occidentalis, male
in song.
6. Parus gambeli, one.
7. Regulus calendula, singing.
8. Hylocichla sequoiensis, very
tame.
9. Merula migr. propinqua, one.
/
1 Those marked * not seen in Yosemite.
2 Eight miles southeast of Wawona.
Voli'£XI] WidmaSn, Yosemite Valley Birds. 73
In descending from Wawona into the San Joaquin basin, by way
of Awahnee, the change in the flora and fauna from the forest
region through the arid chaparral into the cultivated land at the
base of the foohills is extremely interesting and would be well
worth a detailed description, but when traveling in the stage one
car only enjoy the most salient points, and much is lost through
unnecessary haste on the part of the driver.
Half way between Wawona and Raymond there lies in the
valley of the Fresno River, Awahnee, one of the stage company's
stopping stations, with a good hotel. Situated near the chaparral
region, but itself surrounded by cultivated fields and woodlands,
it seems to be a fine place for a few days of birding, but unfortu-
nately our time-table allowed only a short hour for dinner, May 25.
On the barn of the hotel was a lively colony of Petrochelidon luni-
frons, with fifty finished nests. A Screech owl, Megascops ash
bendirei, flew up from the ground and disappeared in a treehole
by the wayside.
In the brushy foothills a number of birds not seen in the high
forest region were more or less common, among them :
Lophortyx californicus valicolus. Valley Partridge. Very common.
Buteo borealis calurus. Western Redtail. Three on wing.
Tyrannus verticalis. Arkansas Flycatcher. Several.
Myiarchus cinerascens. Ash-throated Flycatcher. Several.
Aphelocoma californica. California Jay. Very common.
Melanerpes formicivorus bairdii. California Woodpecker. Very
common.
Progne subis. Several at Grub Gulch and along Fresno River.
Pipilo crissalis. California Towhee. A few.
Toxostoma redivivum. California Thrasher. A few.
At Raymond, May 25, 6. p. m.
Icterus bullocki.
Sturnella neglecta. In song.
Astragalinus lawrenci.
■*7 A Sage, Twenty-first Congress of the A. O. U. ("j
Auk
an.
TWENTY-FIRST CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN
ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
The Twenty-first Congress of the American Ornithologists'
Union convened in Philadelphia, Pa., Monday evening, Novem-
ber 16, 1903. The business meeting was held in the Council
Room, and the public sessions, commencing Tuesday, November
17, and lasting three days, were held in the lecture hall of the
Academy of Natural Sciences.
Business Session. — The meeting was called to order by the
President, Dr. C. Hart Merriam. Nineteen Fellows were present.
The Secretary stated that at the opening of the present Congress
the membership of the Union numbered 775, constituted as fol-
lows: Fellows, 47; Honorary Fellows, 18; Corresponding Fel-
lows, 61 ; Members, 63 ; Associates, 586.
During the year the Union lost sixty members, eight by death,
seventeen by resignation, and thirty-five for non-payment of dues.
The deceased members include one Fellow, one Corresponding
Fellow, one Member, and five Associates, as follows : Thomas
Mcllwraith,1 a Fellow, and one of the Founders of the Union, who
died in Hamilton, Ontario, January 31, 1903, in his 79th year;
Dr. Gustav F. R. von Radde,2 a Corresponding Fellow, who died
early in 1903 at Tiflis, Russia, in the 72d year of his age; John
N. Clark,3 a Member, who died in Saybrook, Conn., January 13,
1903, at the age of 72; and the following Associates: Ludwig
Kumlien,4 who died in Milton, Wis., Dec. 4, 1902, in his 50th
year; Edward S. Waters,5 who died at Holyoke, Mass., Dec. 27,
1902, aged 71; Thomas E. Slevin,6 who died in San Francisco,
Calif., Dec. 23, 1902, in his 32d year ; George H. Ready,7 who
1 For an obituary notice, see Auk, XX, p. 242 ; also Memorial Address in
the present number.
2 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, pp. 458, 459.
3 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, pp. 242, 243.
4 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, pp. 93, 94.
5 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, p. 243.
6 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, pp. 326, 327.
7 For an obituary notice, see Ibid., XX, p. 327.
Vol. XXI
1904
Sage, Twenty-first Congress of the A. O. U. *1 C
died in Santa Cruz, Calif., March 20, 1903, in his 45th year;
and Prof. Wilber C. Knight,1 who died at Laramie, Wyoming, July
28, 1903, in the 45th year of his age.
The report of the Treasurer showed the finances of the Union
to be in a satisfactory condition, much better than ever before.
Charles B. Cory was elected President ; Charles F. Batchelder
and E. W. Nelson. Vice-Presidents ; John H. Sage, Secretary ;
Jonathan D wight, Jr., Treasurer ; Frank M. Chapman, Ruthven
Deane, Witmer Stone, A. K. Fisher, Thos. S. Roberts, William
Dutcher, and C. W. Richmond, members of the Council.
Dr. Samuel W. Woodhouse, of Philadelphia, Pa. ; Prof. Dean C.
Worcester, of Manila, P. I.; Dr. E. C. Hellmayr, of Munich; Dr.
Emil A. Goeldi, of Para, Brazil ; Dr. Peter Sucshkin, of Moscow,
and Dr. Herluf Winge, of Copenhagen, were elected Correspond-
ing Fellows. One hundred and four Associates were elected, and
the following eight persons were elected to the class of Members,
namely : Prof. Erwin H. Barbour, of Lincoln, Nebraska ; C.
William Beebe, of New York City; Edward H. Forbush, of
Wareham, Mass.; Benjamin T. Gault, of Glen Ellyn, 111.; Geo.
Spencer Morris, of Philadelphia, Pa. ; Robert E. Snodgrass, of
Stanford University, Calif. ; Dr. Reuben M. Strong, of Chicago,
111. ; and Dr. Robert H. Wolcott, of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Drs. Allen, Dwight, Merriam and Richmond, and Messrs.
Brewster, Ridgway and Stone, were reelected ' Committee on
Classification and Nomenclature of North American Birds.'
Public Session. First Day. — The meeting was called to
order by Vice-President Batchelder. The papers read during the
morning session were as follows :
A Memorial Address on Thomas Mcllwraith, a Fellow, by
Dr. A. K. Fisher.
' Notes on the Bird Colonies of the California and Oregon
Coasts,' by Dr. T. S. Palmer.
' New Bird Studies in Old Delaware,' by Samuel N. Rhoads and
C. J. Pennock.
' Notes on the Protected Birds on the Maine Coast, with Rela-
tion to Certain Economic Questions,' by Arthur H. Norton. Read,
in the absence of the author, by Mr. Dutcher.
1 For an obituary notice, see Auk., XX, pp. 457, 458.
76 Sage, Twenty-first Congress of the A. O. U. [^aunk
'Two Neglected Ornithologists — John K. Townsend and Wil-
liam Gambel,' by Mr. Witmer Stone. Remarks followed by Dr.
Merriam and the Chair.
The papers of the afternoon session, all illustrated by lantern
slides, were :
' Exhibition of Lantern Slides of Young Raptorial Birds, photo-
graphed by Thomas H. Jackson, near West Chester, Pa.r
Explained by Mr. Stone.
' Views of Farallone Bird Life,' by Frank M. Chapman.
' The Bird Rookeries of Cape Sable and the Florida Keys,' by
the Rev. Herbert K. Job.
' A Winter Trip in Mexico,' by E. W. Nelson.
Second Day. — The meeting was called to order by Vice-President
Batchelder. The papers read during the morning session were :
' The ^Esthetic Sense in Birds,' by Henry Oldys.
' Nesting Habits of the Whip-poor-will,' by Miss Mary Mann
Miller. Remarks followed by Messrs. Beebe and Job and Mrs.
Styer.
' Some Nova Scotia Birds,' by Dr. Spencer Trotter. Remarks
followed by Prof. Cooke, Drs. Dwight and Merriam, and Messrs.
Todd, Rhoads, and Fleming.
' Some Variations among North American Thrushes,' by Dr.
Jonathan Dwight, Jr.
'Warbler Migration in the Spring of 1903,' by Prof. W. W.
Cooke. Remarks followed by Messrs. Baily, Rhoads, Brewster,
Job, Trotter, Powell, Dutcher, and the Chair.
' A Reply to Recent Strictures on American Biologists, ' by Dr.
Leonhard Stejneger.
The following papers — all illustrated by lantern slides — were
given at the afternoon session, viz. : ' Variations in the Speed of
Migration,' by Prof. W. W. Cooke.
' An Ornithological Excursion to the Pacific,' by Frank M.
Chapman.
' Bird Life on Laysan Island,' by Walter K. Fisher (presented,
in the absence of the author, by Dr. A. K. Fisher).
' Ten Days in North Dakota,' by Wm. L. Baily.
Third Day. — The meeting was called to order by Vice-Presi-
dent Nelson. Before proceeding to the reading of papers resolu-
Vol. XXI
1904
Sage, Tiventy-first Congress of the A. O. U. HH
tions were adopted thanking the Academy of Natural Sciences
for the use of a hall for a place of meeting for the Union, and for
other courtesies extended ; to the Local Committee and other
Philadelphia ornithologists for the cordial welcome and most gen-
erous hospitality shown visiting members and friends of the
Union, and to the Zoological Society of Philadelphia for its kind
invitation to visit the Gardens of the Society.
The following resolution of thanks to Dr. J. A. Allen for twenty
years' services as Editor of ' The Auk ' was passed :
"Whereas, for a period of twenty years Dr. J. A. Allen has
performed the laborious duties of Editor of ' The Auk,' the official
publication of the American Ornithologists' Union ; and
"Whereas, by reason of his ability and training as an Editor,
and his high standing as an ornithologist, he has brought ' The
Auk ' to the front rank among the ornithological publications of
the world ; be it
" Resolved, that the American Ornithologists' Union hereby
extends to Dr. Allen its appreciative and grateful thanks for his
services."
A resolution of thanks to William Dutcher, for many years
Treasurer of the Union, was also adopted :
"Resolved, that the thanks of the American Ornithologists'
Union be extended to Mr. William Dutcher for his long and
arduous services as Treasurer."
These resolutions will be engrossed and presented, respectively,
to Dr. Allen and Mr. Dutcher.
The following papers were read :
'The Exaltation of the Subspecies,' by Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr.
Remarks followed by Drs. Merriam and Stejneger, Messrs. Brew-
ster and Stone, and the Chair.
' Bird Life at Cape Charles, Va.,' by Geo. Spencer Morris.
' The Origin of Migration,' by P. A. Tavernier. In the absence
of the author it was read by Dr. Palmer. Remarks followed by
Dr. Trotter.
' Yosemite Valley Birds,' by Otto Widmann. Read by Dr.
Dwight in the absence of the author. Remarks followed by
Dr. Merriam.
The fifth paper ' Mortality among Young Birds due to Exces-
7 8 General Notes. [£J
sive Rains,' by B. S. Bowdish. Read by Mr. Stone, in the
absence of the author. Remarks followed by Messrs. Stone,
Coggins and Baily.
The papers of the afternoon session were : ' Some Birds of
Northern Chihuahua,' by Dr. W. E. Hughes.
' Collecting Permits : Their History, Objects and Restrictions/
by Dr. T. S. Palmer.
The following papers were read by title :
' Nesting Habits of Florida Herons,' by A. C. Bent.
' The Spring Migration of 1903 at Rochester, N. Y.,' by
E. H. Eaton.
' San Clemente Island and its Birds,' by Geo. F. Breninger.
' A Contribution to the Natural History of the Cuckoo,' by Dr.
M. R. Leverson.
As the concluding paper of the day, Mr. Wm. Dutcher, Chair-
man of the Committee on ' Protection of North American Birds,'
presented the report of his Committee for the previous year.
The next meeting of the Union will be held in Cambridge,
Mass., commencing November 28, 1904.
The Congress was most successful, the papers presented being
of a high order, and the attendance of members larger than ever
before.
Jno. H. Sage,
Secretary.
GENERAL NOTES.
White-winged Scoter in Colorado. — The undersigned takes this chance
to record the occurrence of another White-winged Scoter {Oidemia deg-
landi) in Colorado. The bird, a mature female, was given to the writer
by E. L. Bostwick of Denver, who secured the specimen Oct. 11, 1903, at
Loveland, Colo. This makes the ninth record, so far as the writer knows,
for Colorado. — W. H. Bergtoi.d, Denver, Colo.
Occurrence of the Knot {Tringa cafititus) at San Diego, California. —
Three specimens of the Knot, taken by Mr. H. W. Marsden, have recently
V0li'9£XI] General Notes. 79
come into my possession, and as the species is of comparative rarity on
the Pacific coast, its occurrence at San Diego seems worthy of record.
The three birds are in juvenal plumage, with a few feathers of the first
winter dress beginning to appear, and were obtained, a male and a female
October 7, and a female October 9, 1903. — Jonathan Dwight, Jr., M.D.r
New York City.
A Sanderling with Hind Toes. — On September n, 1903,1 obtained
from a gunner at Ipswich, Mass., a Sanderling (Calidris arenaria) which
had rudimentary hind toes. The bird was one of eleven shot in my pres-
ence out of a passing flock. None of the other birds secured had this
peculiarity. The hind toes are only about .05 of an inch in length and
have no claws but they were very noticeable in the fresh bird and are
equally so in the skin, which is now in the collection of Dr. Charles W.
Townsend of Boston. I suppose this to be a case of reversion, as the
ancestors of the Sanderling were doubtless four-toed sandpipers. —
Francis H. Allen, Boston, Mass.
Black-bellied Plover and Hudsonian Godwit on Long Island, N. Y. —
On July 1, 1903, while walking along the beach at Quogue, Long Island,
I shot a young Black-bellied Plover (C/iaradrius squatarola). It was
quite tame but in good condition. None have been taken here before
July 20, and they do not occur regularly until later.
On August 31, a flight of Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa hcemastica)
occurred. Many gunners shot a dozen or more. Such a flight of these
rare birds has not taken place within the memory of the oldest gunnersr
and they will probably not come again after their warm reception. — T. W.
Kobbe, New York City.
The Ani in Florida. — Mr. Thomas Barbour has sent me an Ani (Croto-
phaga ani) which he shot in Brevard County, Fla., during the winter of
1901. The bird was taken in either February, March or April ; the exact
date was lost. — Reginald Heber Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.
The Pileated Woodpecker in the District of Columbia. — On the 21st
of November, 1903, while hunting in a piece of woods adjacent to Mt.
Pleasant, a local name for a suburb lying just north of Washington, Mr.
H. J. Saers of this city secured a fine male specimen of Ceo-phloeus pileatus.
Subsequently it was learned through Mr. H. C. Oberholser that Mr. F. H.
Kent of the Biological Survey had seen an individual of this species, pre-
sumably the same bird, in approximately the same locality, on the 8th of
last August.
The capture of this wild, forest-loving bird so close to Washington is a
matter of considerable interest to local ornithologists, as it is somewhat
doubtful that this species has actually occurred within the limits of the
District, during the last forty-five years. Drs. Coues and Prentiss, in
80 General Notes. \_^
'Avifauna Columbiana,' state (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 26, 1883, p. 81) :
"It was rare in 1862, having already responded .... to the encroachment of
the city upon its favorite haunts The only one we remember to have
ever seen alive was in a piece of heavy timber known as ' Gales' Woods ' ;
but that was about 185701- 1858." They state further : " Mr. Shoemaker
informs us that one was seen a year or two ago," wmich was in 1881 or
1882. As there was no locality given with this last record, it is somewhat
difficult to say whether the bird recorded was seen within the District or
in the surrounding country, as the authors in listing the rarer species,
frequently gave records for the vicinity as well. However, giving the
record the benefit of the doubt, it is quite safe to assert that until the bird
forming the subject of this note made its appearance, the species had not
been observed for the past 21 or 22 years. — George W. H. Soelner,
Washington, D. C
Empidonax griseus Brewst. — E. canescens Salv. & Godm. — In the
* Biologia,' II, p. 79, March, 1889, Salvin and Godman described
Empidonax canescens from specimens taken at Mexicalcingo and vari-
ous other places near the City of Mexico.
In 'The Auk' for April of the same year (p. 87), Mr. Brewster described
Empidonax griseus from specimens taken at La Paz, Lowrer California.
The Biological Survey Collection contains specimens of canescens from
near the type locality in the Valley of Mexico which have recently been
compared with the type by Dr. Sharpe and his assistant, Mr. Chubb, of
the British Museum, and pronounced to be identical with it.
Before these specimens were sent for comparison with the type of
canescens they were compared by Mr. Brewster with the type of griseus
and pronounced to be indistinguishable. It follows, therefore, that griseus
and canescens apply to the same bird, and the latter name has a month's
priority.
The range of E. canescens extends from southern Puebla through the
Valley of Mexico north westerly to southern Sonora, and from Cape St.
Lucas north through Lower California into southern California. — E. W.
Nelson, Biological Survey, Washington D. C.
A Preoccupied Generic Name. — Mr. G. E. Shelley in Vol. Ill of his
* Birds of Africa' (London, 1902) founds a new genus Botha (to Louis
Botha) for a new species of Lark from the Orange River Colony, — Botha
difficilis. Nearly a century ago Rafinesque (Caratteri di Alcuni Nuovi
Generi, etc., 1810, p. 23) proposed the generic name Bothus for flounders
allied to the European turbot (Pleuronecles). As these two terms (Bothus
and Botha) are practically almost identical, it would be better to drop
Botha and take for this Lark another generic name, for instance Deivetia
(to Christian De Wet, another gallant Oranjestaat chief) . — S. A. Butur-
lin, Wesenberg, Esthonia, Russia.
VoK XXI1 General Notes. 8 1
1904 J ^ x
Extension of the Breeding Range of the Prairie Horned Lark (Otocoris
alpestris praticola) to the Eastern Coast. — On August 9, 1903, at Ipswich,
Mass., Mr. Ralph Hoffmann saw two adults of this species with a fully
grown young bird. Two days later, on August n, Mr. Thomas L.
Bradlee shot, at the same place, two young birds, both females, and saw
three other individuals. They were near a road in open fields not far
from the sea. Again two days later, on August 13, I secured a young
male of this species that was alone on the upper edge of Ipswich beach.
The specimens secured by Mr. Bradlee were examined by Dr. J.
Dwight, Jr., who stated in a letter to Mr. Bradlee that the birds "were
undoubtedly praticola " and "were in juvenal plumage, moulting into
first winter dress, only two or three primaries and a few rectrices remain-
ing. In this condition this species (or any sparrow7) does not and
probably can not migrate, so I have no doubt the birds were hatched near
where they were found."
My own bird may have been from another brood, as although it was
taken four days later, its plumage is more juvenal, being more spotted
above, and having 9 juvenal rectrices and 4 juvenal primaries, against
5 rectrices and 3 primaries in Mr. Bradlee's birds. It was taken three
miles from the first station.
The Prairie Horned Lark has been seen at Ipswich before in the fall
migrations, but this is the first time it has. been found there in the breed-
ing season. At last this enterprising bird in its progress eastward has
reached the sea. Formerly a bird of the western prairies, it was recorded
as breeding near Troy, N. Y., in 1881 (Park, Bull. N. O. C, VI, 1881, p.
177). Its first recorded breeding in New England was at Cornwall, Vt.,
in June, 1889 (C. H. Parkhill, O. & O., XIV, 1889, p. 87). In 1890 speci-
mens were secured in the breeding season in Williamstown and North
Adams, Mass., by Mr. Walter Faxon ( Faxon, Auk, IX, 1892, p. 202 ), and
a nest and eggs were found near Pittsfield by Mr. C. H. Buckingham
July 10, 1892 (Brewster, Auk, XI, 1894, p. 326).
In 1891 it was observed in June and July at Franconia, N. H. (Faxon,
Auk, IX, 1895, p. 202). The foregoing records are from Faxon and
Hoffmann on 'The Birds of Berkshire,' 1900, p. 138. They state that the
bird is a "rare summer resident at Williamstown, North Adams, Lanes-
boro, Pittsfield."
In 1899 the bird was found breeding as far east as Hubbardston in
Worcester County, Mass., Mr. Frederick Cunningham, Jr., in July of
that year "finding a nest with eggs from which the young were safely
reared" (Howe & Allen, ' The Birds of Mass.,' 1901, p. 81). — Charles W.
Townsend, M. D., Boston, Mass.
Black-backed Three-toed Woodpecker and Evening Grosbeak at Well-
fleet, Mass. — In the vicinity of Wellfleet, Cape Cod, December 5, I killed
a Black-backed Three-toed Woodpecker {Picoides arcticus), which is now
in Mr. William Brewster's collection, and saw an Evening Grosbeak
82 General Notes. \^
LJan.
(^Hesperiphona vespertz'ua). The Grosbeak was in the open near one or
more buildings. I saw it close enough to be sure of the identification. It
was a striking looking bird and could have been nothing else. Assuming-
it was the same individual all the time, it was very loath to leave the
vicinity. I thought it had left, and departed myself, but came back later
and found it again. I shot at it several times, but unfortunately did not
secure it. The white wing patches were perhaps its most striking feature.
It called (whistled) a great deal. — John Treadwjell Nichols, Cambridge,
Mass.
The Evening Grosbeak in Presque Isle Co., Mich. — Mr. O. S. Burton
of Millersburg, Presque Isle County, Mich., informs me that the Evening
Grosbeak (Hesperip/iona vespertina) has put in an appearance in consid-
erable numbers in his vicinity. These feed on the berries of the mountain
ash. It has been a number of years since this species has been reported to
me in the Lower Peninsular except an occasional bird. — Bradshaw H.
Swales, Detroit, Mick.
The Bachman Sparrow {Peuccea aestivalis backmanii) in the Vicinity of
Cincinnati, Ohio. — On April 25, 1901, as I strolled about Rose Hill — a
lately plotted subdivision of Avondale, Cincinnati, Ohio, and a region
favored by the birds from primeval times — I heard a song from a spar-
row, very sweet and unlike the songs of familiar resident or migrant spar-
rows. In the approaching dusk of evening it seemed to resemble a Field
Sparrow in size and general coloring, as the bird flitted along from one
low point to another, finally dropping into a bramble patch where the
dimming light made it useless to follow.
On April 27, 1901, at a place three to four miles from Rose Hill — also
a high, lightly wooded pasture, called Groesbeck Hill — a number of spar-
rows were singing similar songs to that heard on April 21. We were able
to approach and examine several from close range as they sat singing-
most varied strains — never twice alike in opening, general composition,
nor close of song, yet each repetition equally attractive. After careful
observations with an opera glass, I felt reasonably certain of the Bachman
Sparrow, heretofore on the hypothetical list for Ohio. It is one of the
dullest and most inconspicuously plumaged of the ' sparrowy ' arrayed
sparrows.
On May 3, 1901, I visited the vicinity of Rose Hill again and did not
fail to hear and see the Bachman in song. The opening notes of their
songs are frequently exquisite, indrawn strains, of the quality of the
Chickadee's daintiest phebe whistle, followed by a lower-pitched trill with
perhaps several Goldfinch-like notes introduced. The whole is superior
in quality, variations and a certain plaintive cadence to any sparrow song
I know.
The birds are quiet and with an almost passive manner. If undis-
turbed, they perch for a comparatively long interval on the same spot
VOi9?4XI] General Notes. 83
(preferably an open perch), lifting up their heads and voices in song,
sometimes running one song into another with scarce perceptible inter-
val between. One can approach very close to the bird — within three feet
and less — when they are settled in low situations, and they often rise
from almost under foot if you pass through their haunts in the long grass
or rank melilot. To escape, they will flit down into the grass and run
away. They will perch for singing as high as thirty feet, but the usual
situations are bushes and fences.
About Cincinnati, I am glad to say, this sweet-voiced sparrow is becom-
ing more abundant yearly. In the spring of this year (1903) I began
hearing them in full song April 18, and by May 1 met them in almost
every direction in the country, singing from rail fences, wayside thickets
and telegraph poles or wires. They especially abound in grass fields and
old pastures northeast of the city, where their notes seemed the most
familiar sounds, on the days I passed that way.
1 am indebted to Mr. W. L. Dawson of Columbus, Ohio, for securing
a specimen from near Rose Hill for me — a male in full song at the time
he was shot; and also thank Mr. Wm. Hubbell Fisher for making a care-
fully finished skin, and Dr. Josua Lindahl for preserving tongue and con-
tents of crop. — Laura Gang, Earlham Place, Richmond, Ind.
Kirtland's Warbler (Deudroica kirtlandi) on the Coast of South Caro-
lina.— On October 29, 1903, I shot near Mount Pleasant, S. C, a superb
specimen of Kirtland's Warbler from the top of a water oak tree about 40
feet from the ground.
It was about 11 a. m., when I heard a chirp which I thought was that of
a Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) and as it was a very late date for a
Prairie Warbler to be here I went in search of the bird.
The sound ceased entirely, but I kept looking into the water oak tree
and did not move far away. At last I saw a small bird near the top of the
tree behind a cluster of leaves, and when it moved it wagged its tail in a
most deliberate and studied manner. The tail seemed to be dispropor-
tionately long and the body altogether unsymmetrical in contour. I at
once realized that it was a Kirtland's Warbler — a bird that I had looked
for in vain for twenty years. The bird kept constantly behind a limb or
a cluster of leaves or twigs and remained in this position nearly all the
time I was watching it. At last it changed its position and with its
breast toward me I fired and found that I had secured a superb specimen
of this rare Warbler.
The specimen is a young male, and had not entirely completed the
moult, and was very fat. This bird makes the third specimen captured in
South Carolina, and, if I have read the record correctly, makes the third
specimen taken in the United States during the autumnal migration ;
while it is the latest fall record for the presence of the bird in the United
States by eighteen days.
84 General Notes. [^aunk
Previous to the capture of the bird heavy frosts were noted, and on the
day of the capture there had been a heavy frost. — Arthur T. Wayne,
Mount Pleasant, S. C.
A Few Southern Michigan Notes. — Vireo philadelphicus. Philadel-
phia Vireo. — I shot a finely marked male August 28, 1896, in St. Clair
County. This bird was feeding in a small piece of woodland with a num-
ber of Red-eyed Vireos. I am positive that several other Philadelphia
Vireos were present but as I obtained but one am not certain.
Cardinalis cardinalis. Cardinal. — On January 1, 1903, I observed two
birds at Belle Isle, the river park of Detroit. We have but few records of
this species here and these have been of birds seen in winter, with but
one exception.
Antrostomus vociferus. Whip-poor-will. — On October 5, 1903, I
flushed a late bird from a thick undergrowth at Belle Isle. This is the
latest date that I have ever recorded this species here.
Nyctala acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — A male of this species was shot
April 10, 1903, in the northeastern part of Detroit by R. E. Russell. He
presented the specimen to me, but it was too badly decomposed to save it.
This little owl is seldom seen here although this rarity may be more
apparent than a fact.
Bartramialongicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. — Mr. C. Stenton shot
a bird of this species east of the city October 20, 1902.
Olor columbianus. Whistling Swan. — Unusually abundant during
the past spring, especially at the St. Clair Flats. The first brought to
my attention was a bird shot in Macomb County, bordering Lake St.
Clair, by Ernest Ford. On March 14, while duck shooting at Bryant's,
near the Middle Channel of the Flats, I watched a flock of fifteen feeding
out in the lake. These were very wary anil could not be approached.
Various observers at the Flats reported to me large flocks being seen at
different localities, and several were secured by the hunters and sportsmen.
During April 1-10 several small flocks were reported to me. On April 17
I saw my last birds of the season — a small flock of eight feeding out in
the lake near Avery's.
Sterna tschegrava. Caspian Tern. — While in Charlevoix County,
bordering Lake Michigan, on August 16, 1903, I observed two of these
birds. They were perched on the rocks bordering the shore and allowed
a near approach. I watched them for some time through a Bausch and
Lomb binocular.
Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. — On October 17 and 18,
1903, I witnessed a very unusual sight, to me, with regard to this species.
Large numbers were migrating down the St. Clair River, the main body
consisting of immature birds. The flocks passed all day on the 17th and
were quite numerous on the 18th. Now and then a flock would remain
near where I was stationed to feed, giving me a fine chance to watch
them. With these birds were a few L. delawarensis.
Voixo£X1] General Notes. 85
Colymbus auritus. Horned Grebe. — Very abundant during- the
migrations during last fall and this spring. I first observed them October
18, 1902, near Fair Haven, on Lake St. Clair. In April, of this year, I
found them common in the Detroit River above the city. On the 27th
I saw about fifty birds, on May 4 about sixty. They were generally
unsuspicious and allowed a near approach. I saw the last May 10, twelve
birds. — Bradshaw H. Swales, Detroit, Mich.
Occurrence of the Ruff [Pavoncella pugnax) and Other Birds in Rhode
Island. — Larus atricilla. Laughing Gull. — I observed two birds of
this species on a marsh at Seaconnet Point on Aug. 24, 1903. One of the
birds was in adult plumage, but the other seemed immature. This spe-
cies is not often seen in Rhode Island, there being but one instance of its
capture in the State recorded in 'The Birds of Rhode Island' by Howe
and Sturtevant.
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. — A fine male of
this species was shot near Newport on July 30, 1903. It was just begin-
ning to lose the black plumage.
Ardetta exilis. Least Bittern. — A bird of this species was shot on
July 18, 1903, on a salt marsh near Newport. It is now in my collection.
The Least Bittern, although formerly common near Newport, seems to
have become rare during the last five years.
Micropalama himantopus. Stilt Sandpiper. — This species occurred
in greater numbers than usual near Newport in August and early
September, 1903. It seems to be a very irregular migrant, varying in
numbers from year to year.
Limosa haemastica. Hudsonian Godwit. — Eighteen 'Ring-tail
Marlins' were observed at Point Judith on August 30, 1903, and six were
shot. Three of these latter, which I obtained, proved to be adult birds,
two being males and one a female. They were changing into winter
plumage but still had many traces of the reddish summer plumage on the
breasts and flanks. The birds were seen during a severe northeast gale
and were easily approached as they stood huddled together in a pool of
water about five inches deep. This species is rare in Rhode Island, not
more than one or two being shot each year.
Pavoncella pugnax. Ruff. — An immature female of this species was
taken at Point Judith, R. I., on August 31, 1903, by a local gunner. I
obtained it of him and it is now in my collection. The bird, which was
flying alone, was shot over decoys. I believe this is the second record for
this bird in Rhode Island. — LeRoY King, Newport, R. T.
The Black-bellied Plover, Road-runner, and Black-throated Green
Warbler in Kansas. — I wish to restore to my 'Catalogue of the Birds
of Kansas' the Black-bellied Plover (Ckaradrius sqiiatarola). It was
omitted from my 5th edition (May, 1903) because I had no personal
86 General Notes. ["f J*
L Jan.
knowledge of the capture of this species in Kansas. On the 22d of May
I received from Dr. R. Matthews a mounted specimen from his own col-
lection. It was captured at Wichita in 1896 by Mr. Ed. Goldberg.
I am also almost ready to add to my list the Road-runner or Chaparral
Cock {Geococcyx calif ornicus). Additional evidence of its having been
" seen" is afforded by the statement of Prof. Chas. N. Gould of the Uni-
versity of Oklahoma, whom I met during a collecting expedition to south-
west Kansas in May and June of the present year. He says : "In the
summer of 1894 I saw a Chaparral Cock in the canons west of Ashland,
Clark Co., Kansas. In 1897 Dr. Lester F. Ward and I saw this bird at
Belvidere, Kiowa Co., Kansas. But a single specimen was seen in each
instance. The one at Belvidere was seen repeatedly in the evening,
remaining around camp for several days." And finally, the 'Kiowa Sig-
nal, ' published at Greensburg, Kiowa Co., Kansas, in July, 1903, gave an
account of the capture of a "chaparral or snake-killer" by W. H. Wilbur
of Kiowa township, who was said to have the bird in captivity. Letters
addressed both to the newspaper and to Mr. Wilbur have thus far failed
to elicit a reply.
Postscript. — Since sending the above to 'The Auk ' for publication I
have visited the ranch of Mr. W. H. Wilbur, in the southwest corner of
Kiowa County, Kansas, and have secured evidence of the capture in that
locality of a specimen of the Road-runner {Geococcyx californium* s).
The bird was found in the chicken yard of Mr. Wilbur one morning
during the last week of June, 1903. This yard is surrounded by a coarse
wire netting and the bird when discovered was making strenuous efforts
to find an opening for escape by running along the fence in search of
an opening. Mrs. Wilbur caught the bird with her hands and placed
it in a cracker box covered with an old stove grate. She fed it for two
weeks upon grasshoppers and other insects until, becoming weary of the
labor of providing its daily food, she turned it loose upon the prairie.
Mrs. Wilbur was with her brother, Mr. Oris Ham, when the latter shot a
specimen of the Road-runner on January 24, 1901, in Oklahoma, about
thirty-five miles south of the Kansas line. The wings and tail feathers
of this specimen were preserved so that the identification was entirely
satisfactory. The date of capture of the Kansas specimen indicates that
the species breeds in Kansas.
I wish also to put on record the capture, in Kansas, of a specimen of the
Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens). I received the
fragmentary skin of this specimen, which has been identified by Mr. J. A.
Allen, from Mr. F. F. Crevecoeur of Onaga, Kansas, who states that it
"was shot, as near as I can remember, in 1890 on French Creek, three
miles north of Onaga."
The addition of the three species thus reported, the Black-bellied Plover,
the Road-runner, and the Black-throated Green Warbler, increasesmy list
of birds personally known by me to have been captured in Kansas, to 345
species and varieties. — F. H. Snow, Lawrence, Mass.
VOli9$XI] Recent Literature. 87
RECENT LITERATURE.
Walton's ' A Hermit's Wild Friends.'' x — As a popular work on out-of
door 'wild things' this collection of well-intentioned sketches will doubt-
less meet with many admirers, being printed on heavy paper in large
type, with broad-margined pages embellished profusely with marginal
cuts, and copiously illustrated with full-page plates, many of them after
drawings by Fuertes, and others by Kennedy, with still others that
have seen previous service. It is written, however, with a know-it-all
cocksureness that only lack of knowledge ever prompts, and doubtless no
amount of proof of error in the author's statements would in the slightest
degree affect his attitude in the case. The author's "eighteen years of her-
mit life" in the woods on Cape Ann, Massachusetts, have given him
opportunity for intimate acquaintance with the birds, small mammals
and reptiles to be found in such localities, and he evidently knows them
well. It is therefore the greater pity that through his wealth of imagi-
nation and predilection for humanizing his birds and mice and squirrels he
should, perhaps unconsciously and therefore without dishonest motive,
so often turn his sketches into incredible natural history romances. It
would take too much space to itemize this general charge, but in the case
of ' Wabbles,' a male Song Sparrow, alleged to have lived in his imme-
diate neighborhood for u fourteen years" and "eleven years .... with his
second wife," we begin to wonder if the author knows the size of a No. 4
shot, a no inconsiderable pellet of lead he claims to have removed from
"the muscle of the wing-joint" of 'Wabbles' when he first made his
acquaintance. If he had been satisfied to call it a No. 10, or even a No.
8, it would take less imagination to conceive of its arrest by and lodg-
ment in "the muscle of the wing-joint" of a Song Sparrow. And we could
then have been better prepared to take a little stock in Wabbles's setting
up a little family singing school and teaching "his boys to sing the
mating-song of his species"; and also that on one tenth day of March,
twelve years before the close of the author's related association with
Wabbles, he might have "brought with him from the South a male
linnet," and that "a week later Mrs. Wabbles returned, and with her was
the mate of the linnet," in consequence of these four birds having "met
in the South," and because : "In the course of bird gossip either the lin-
nets or sparrows had announced that the summer home was on Cape
Ann." In this romance of Wabbles a series of events is narrated with
all the seriousness of positive knowledge, yet many of them are of such
1 A Hermit's Wild Friends, or Eighteen Years in the Woods. By Mason
A. Walton (The Hermit of Gloucester). Boston: Dana Estes and Company,
Publishers. "Published October, 1903." 8vo, pp. i-x, n-304, with numer-
ous full-page illustrations and text-cuts.
88 Recent Literature. v"
L Jar
k
an.
a nature as to be outside the realm of the least shadow of proof, and can
only rest on belief or on the promptings of the imagination.
This sample from the Hermit's repertoire is only one of many that
adorn his chapters ; indeed, it is a fair illustration of the general character
of the book. His dogmatism in the chapter on ' The Instinct of the Cow-
bird ' is only a further illustration of the cocksureness of ignorance.
Apropos of young Cowbirds flocking together, and with the older mem-
bers of their kind, in the fall, it is enough to quote : "I will say now, that
long before I had opportunity to study the bird, I did not believe it
possible for a young bird, by its own knowledge, to hunt up and associate
with birds of its kind." Any one approaching an intricate question with
this condition of mind can readily see, or imagine (perhaps unconsciously)
that he sees, just what he desires to see. So our Hermit finds no trouble
in solving, to his "belief," all the problems of the Cowbird question. It
appears, however, that his first young Cowbird "was big and black," and
he "thought it was a male. I made it a male," he says, "in my note-book.
While the bird was in the nest I fastened a bit of copper wire to its leg,
and the next spring when it returned, I found the bird was a female. I
saw her with another female, I think it was the mother, visiting birds'
nests. So the young Cowbird was educated to lay its eggs in other birds'
nests. Nesting is educational and not instinctive." That is his answer
to his question, "Why do young Cowbirds lay eggs in other birds' nests
instead of building nests for themselves? " First, young Cowbirds, as all
ornithologists know, but as many of Hermit's laj' readers may not know,
are brown and not black. Second, he saw his marked young Cowbird the
next year, which proved then to be a female, going about with another
female, presumed to be her mother, visiting other birds' nests and being
thus "educated "as to what to do with her eggs, when in the course of
natural events she should have eggs to dispose of! This is a sample of
the Hermit's evidence and of his wonderful logic.
'A Hermit's Wild Friends ' is not all bad; it has many delightfully
written pages, but it is so obviously permeated with romance that one
never knows when to take its pages seriously. It is noticed here not as a
contribution to natural history, but as an example of a class of so-called
'nature books' that is misleading hosts of credulous readers who are
unable to discriminate fact from fiction. Such books have thus a per-
nicious influence in giving wrong conceptions of the faculties and habits
of animals. Nor is such writing confined to books, but leaves its nauseous
trail over our magazines and newspapers. A fine example of this kind
of literature appeared recently in 'The Outlook,' entitled 'Animal Sur-
gery.'1 The surprise is that such reading matter should find place in so
1 Animal Surgery. By William J. Long. Author of "Beasts of the Field,"
"Secrets of the Woods," etc. The Outlook, Vol. LXXV, No. 2, Sept. 12,
1903, pp. 122-127.
V°l' £X1] Recent Literature. 89
intelligently conducted a journal. In this article is related a tale of two
female Eider Ducks seen in a freshwater pond, "acting queerly," dipping
their heads under water, etc., where the water was too deep for them to
be feeding. As darkness came on speedily the mystery of this curious
behavior could not be solved. A few weeks later, however, another bird
of this species, an old drake, was seen in the same pond acting in the
same queer way, and in this case the bird was shot, and found to have
been caught by the tongue by a large saltwater mussel. Counsel was
sought of an old fisherman, who had witnessed similar behavior by salt-
water ducks on a few occasions, but he had no explanation of it to offer.
On being shown the mussel taken from the drake's tongue, he said :
"Mussels of that kind won't live in fresh water." Then both Mr. Long
and the fisherman had an inspiration. The ducks caught by the tongue
by mussels repaired to freshwater ponds to kill the mussels by drowning
them ! On this single case was built at once a theory to explain why
saltwater ducks visit freshwater ponds and thrust their heads under water
in such a queer way. "I have," he adds, "seen three different eiders
practice this bit of surgery myself, and have heard of at least a dozen
more, all of the same species, that were seen in fresh water ponds or
rivers dipping their heads under water repeatedly." But in onlv one
case, according to his own showing, did he know that the bird had a
mussel on its tongue. The assumption is made that the case is proved,
and the questions are raised as to how a bird found out "that certain
mussels will drown in fresh-water," and "how do the other birds know it
now when the need arises unexpectedly"; but, strange to say, they are
left without an answer, — a golden opportunity neglected. Mr. Long
does not claim to know, even, "whether all the ducks have this wisdom,
or whether it is confined to a few rare birds."
The way in which a Woodcock proceeded to mend a broken leg is
detailed with great minuteness. As witnessed by Mr. Long, the bird
applied a bandage of clay and fibers of grass and rootlets with his bill to
the wounded member, and after it had hardened enough to suit him flut-
tered away and disappeared in the thick woods. This bit of clever sur-
gery was seen from "across a little stream," "too far away for me [him]
to be absolutely sure of what all his motions meant." But then, some years
afterward, Mr. Long, after examining hundreds of woodcock in the mar-
kets, at last "found one whose leg had at one time been broken by a shot
and then had perfectly healed. There were plain signs of dried mud at
the break; but that was also true of the other leg near the foot, which
only indicated that the bird had been feeding in a soft place." The final
proof came still later, through a lawyer friend of his who once upon a
time had shot a woodcock which had a lump of clay on its leg, on the
removal of which the leg was found to have been broken. The lawyer
did not see the woodcock apply the clay, as did Mr. Long in his first case,
nor was it suggested that the oozing fluids from the wound might cause
the clay or earth to adhere and harden in a perfectly natural way. So,
QO Recent Literature. [fUn
Mr. Long was now emboldened, "since proof is at hand" to relate his
observation, made so many years before, of how he saw a woodcock put
its broken leg in splints.
These are only samples of the deplorable kind of ' natural history '
writing that is now so rapidly coming into vogue, of which Mr. Walton's
'A Hermit's Wild Friends' and so much of Mr. Long's writings form
striking examples. An active imagination, a slight knowledge of the
subject considered, a clever knack at writing, a few pictures, make up the
necessary capital for any amount of natural history romancing, and from
the infliction of which upon the public publishers and editors seem to
interpose no relief, either through ignorance or the consideration that
such yarns meet with ready sale. — J. A. A.
Fisher's ' Birds of Laysan.' — In a paper of some forty pages, illustrated
with ten plates, Mr. Walter K. Fisher has given a very interesting account
of his ornithological work in the Laysan and Leeward Islands of the Haw-
aiian Group,1 which he visited in the summer of 1902, on the expedition
of the ' Albatross ' to Hawaiian waters for the purpose of deep-sea explo-
rations. Although the cruise lasted from March to August, there seems
to have been very little opportunity for on-shore work. The 'Albatross '
reached Laysan on May 16 and remained there till the 23d, during which
period Mr. Fisher, with Mr. J. O. Snyder, was detailed " to make observa-
tions on the bird life of the island and collect such specimens as seemed
desirable." Later brief stops were made at French Frigate Shoals, Necker
and Bird Islands, but a landing was made only at Necker. In 'The Auk '
for October, 1903 (pp. 384-397), Mr. Fisher gave an illustrated account of
the forms of bird life peculiar to Laysan, and has contributed to the pres-
ent number of this journal (pp. 8-20) a paper on the Laysan Albatross.
In the present official report some ten pages are devoted to the itinerary
of the trip, including a general account, with illustrations, of the islands
visited, and the more striking features of their bird life ; this is followed
by a systematic list of the 27 species observed, giving detailed accounts of
their manner of life on these remote islands. The paper is illustrated
with a colored plate of the Necker Island Tern (Procelstema saxatilis
Fisher) discovered on this trip, and 52 half-tones made up into nine plates.
It is thus an important contribution to the history of island bird life, and
especially to that of Laysan and the other islands visited. — J. A. A.
Jones's 'The Birds of Ohio.'2 — The first twenty-two pages of this
1 Birds of Laysan and the Leeward Islands, Hawaiian Group. By Walter
K. Fisher. U. S. Fish Commission Bulletin for 1903, pp. 1-39, pll. i-x.
Washington : Government Printing Office, 1903.
2 The Birds of Ohio. A Revised Catalogue. By Lynds Jones, M. Sc,
Oberlin College. Ohio State Academy of Science, Special Papers No. 6. 8vo,
pp. 141, with map. Oct. 15, 1903.
Vol/XXIl Recent Literature. Q]
1904 j y
extensively annotated catalogue of Ohio birds state the scope and pur-
pose of the paper, explain the terms used to indicate relative abundance,
give a rather detailed account of the topography and physical conditions
of the State, including a consideration of faunal areas, etc., and finally a
statement of the author's sources of information, with acknowledgments
to contributors for assistance. There is also a bibliography at the close
■of the list, giving five pages of titles of works and papers relating to the
birds of Ohio.
The list includes altogether 338 species, of which 299 are given as found
more or less regularly in the State, 15 as merely accidental visitors, and
4 as extinct, making 318 indigenous species as of actual record for the
State ; there are 2 introduced species, and a hypothetical list of 18 spe-
cies, the whole number being thus 338, as against 298 given by Dr.
Wheaton in 1882.
The annotations give the manner of occurrence of the species as regards
season and abundance, and their range within the State ; there is also
more or less reference to their economic status, there being generally a
paragraph under each family heading relating to the food, and often
a more detailed statement under many of the species. In addition to the
A. O. U. Check-List names are given the synonyms, both technical and
vernacular, of the species used in other works, and a reference to Dr.
Wheaton's catalogue.
"This catalogue," says the author, "is a revision of Dr. J. M. Wheaton's
catalogue issued in 1882 as a part of Volume IV of the Ohio Geological
Survey. An attempt has been made to draw comparisons between the
conditions prevailing then and now, especially as regards the bird life,
and to add such facts as further study and improved methods have
brought to light." In the Introduction, the changes in range of certain
species within the State are considered, in connection with the probable
invasion of the State by several species since Dr. Wheaton wrote. It is
needless to say that Professor Jones's ' Catalogue ' is a most trustworthy
and highly important contribution to Ohio ornithology, being based in
part upon special field work he has been able to conduct through a grant
by the Ohio State Academy of Sciences from the ' Emerson McMillin
Research Fund,' through which also the expense of publication was met.
-J. A. A.
Anderson and Grinnell on the Birds of the Siskiyou Mountains, Califor-
nia.1— This is a record of birds collected or observed by Mr. Anderson in
the extreme northwestern part of California between September 6, 1901,
and March 10, 1902, with "critical remarks on specimens and distribu-
1 Birds of Siskiyou Mountains, California: a Problem in Distribution. By
Malcolm P. Anderson and Joseph Grinnell. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences of
Philadelphia, 1903, pp. 4-15. April 17, 1903.
Q2 Recent Literature. \\tn
tion" by Mr. Grinnell. A couple of pages descriptive of the limits and
physical characteristics of the region, with a list of the trees, is followed by
an annotated list of 43 species of birds and a ' summary ' of the principal
points relating to their distribution. The list shows a mixture, at least in
winter, of humid coast forms and arid Sierran forms, the Siskiyou Moun-
tains being "evidently on the narrow line of mergence between the
humid coast fauna and the arid Sierran fauna." — J. A. A.
Sharpe's ' Hand List of the Genera and Species of Birds.' — Volume IV.
— Volume IV l continues the list of the Passeriformes, and includes the
families Timeliidae (with six subfamilies), Troglodytidae, Cinclidae, Mim-
idae, Turdidae (with nine subfamilies), Sylviidae, Vireonidae, Ampelidae,
Artamidae, Vangidae, Prionopidae, Aerocharidae (with a single species),
Laniidae, Paridae, Chamaeidae, Regulidae, Sittidae, and Certhiidae. A fifth
volume has been found necessary to complete the work, and its publication
is promised in the course of a few months.
The present volume is fully up to the high standard of its predecessors,
being in every sense fully up-to-date. As in previous volumes, the proof-
sheets have been revised by a considerable number of the leading orni-
thologists of Europe and America, and the author makes numerous
acknowledgments of indebtedness for suggestions thus received.
As regards American birds, it may be noted that Anorthura is retained
for the Winter Wrens, since "the only bird in Rennie's mind [when he
proposed the genus] was certainly the European Wren." "The arrangement
of the Turdinae, as here set forth, is founded on the scheme proposed by
Dr. Stejneger in 1883, with certain changes and modifications.... The
arrangement of the true Turdidae into Thrushes ( Turdus) and Blackbirds
{Merula) breaks down on close examination ; but a more prolonged study is
necessary before an arrangement, satisfactory to all ornithologists, can be
arrived at. . . . The distinctive characters between the genera Turdus and
Merula are very slight, and the difference in colour of the sexes in the lat-
ter genus is of no account. The proportion of the primary-quills empha-
sized by Dr. Stejneger is also an unstable character," etc. Just what is
the basis of Dr. Sharpe's present arrangement is not quite clear, nor are
the ieasons for some of the new associations and dissociations at all
evident. Between Tardus and Merula are interposed nearly a dozen other
XA Hand-List | of the | Genera and Species | of Birds. | [Nomenclator
Avium turn Fossilium | turn Viventium.] | By | R. Bowdler Sharpe, LL.I)., |
Assistant Keeper, Department of Zoology. | British Museum, j Volume IV. |
London : | Printed by Order of the Trustees. | Sold by | Longmans & Co., 39
Paternoster Row, E. C; | B. Quaritch, 15 Piccadilly, W. ; Dulau & Co., 37
Soho Square, W.; | Kegan Paul & Co., 43 Gerrard St., W.; | and at the | Brit-
ish Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, S.W. | 1903. | All rights
reserved. — 8vo. pp. i-xii, 1— 391 .
Vol. XXI J Recent Literature. 93
genera, while some of the species of these two groups are most certainly
much more nearly related to each other than they are to any of the inter-
posed groups. Our Robin group is allotted to Turdus, and forms the
•only American species of the genus, except T. rufitorques of Mexico and
Central America.
It seems like returning to the 'good old times ' to see such groups as the
Mimidse, Regulida?, Paridre, Certhiida, etc., installed again as full-fledged
families.
Parus is restricted to a group of Old World Titmice, the American spe-
cies hitherto referred to Parus being placed in Pfecile Kaup, except P.
gambeli, for which the new genus Poecilodes Bianchi (1902) is adopted.
The recent additions to the list of described forms are given at their face
value, with, however, references to adverse opinions when any such have
been made public. In short, the care, thoroughness and fairness of Dr.
Sharpe's great work will long render it a most invaluable aid to every
systematic ornithologist. — J. A. A.
Ridgway on New American Birds. — Mr. Ridgway, in preparing Part
III of his ' Birds of North and Middle America,1 has found it desirable to
describe a number of new genera, species, and subspecies.1 The new
genera comprise the following four genera of Swallows, as follows:
Alopochelidon, type, Hirundo fucata Temm. ; Orochelido?i, type, Petro-
chelido7i murina Cass. ; Diploc/ielidon, type, Hirundo melanoleuca Wied ;
Lamprochelidon, type, Hirundo enc/irysea Gosse. The new species and
subspecies, 29 in number, are mostly from Mexico and Central America,
but the following come within the scope of the A. O. U. Check-List: (1)
Budytes flavus alasceusis. Western Alaska; (2) Vireo kuttotti cognatus.
Cape district of Lower California ; (3) Vireo belli/' arizonce, western
Texas and Arizona ; (4) Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi, San Clemente and
Santa Margarita Islands, L. Cal. ; (5) Bceolophus iuomalus restrictus,
vicinity of San Francisco Bay, Cal. ; (6) B. i. murinus, northern Lower
California; (7) Psaltriparus minimus satura tits, Mount Vernon, Wash. ;
(8) Chamcea fasciata rufula, central coast region of California ; (9) Miss-
issippi Valley and Great Plains region, north to Alberta. — J. A. A.
Nelson on New Birds from Mexico. — The 13 new species and sub-
species here described2 were mainly collected by Messrs. Nelson and
Goldman in southwestern Mexico during the winter of 1902-03. They
1 Descriptions of New Genera, Species, and Subspecies of American Birds.
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI, pp. 105-113, Sept. 30, 1903.
Diagnoses of Nine New Forms of American Birds. Ibid., pp. 167-170,
Nov. 30, 1903.
2 Descriptions of New Birds from Southern Mexico. By E. W. Nelson.
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. XVI, pp. 1 51-160, Nov. 30, 1903.
Recent Literature. ["Auk
QA Recent Literature. j
an.
include a Quail-Dove, a Grouse (Dactylortyx), an Owl, 10 species of Pas-
serine birds, of which several are given the rank of full species. — J. A. A.
Oberholser on a New Wren from Texas. — Mr. Oberholser has
described \ the Long-billed Marsh Wren of eastern Texas and Louisiana
as Telmatodyies -palustris thryophilus, it differing from T. palustris in.
smaller size, paler and grayer coloration. — J. A. A.
Hartert's 'Die Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna.'2 — Mr. Hartert's
Birds of the Palaearctic Fauna is to comprise two volumes of about 650-
pages each, to be issued in ten parts, at four marks each, and to be com-
pleted during 1905. Part I consists of an introduction of twelve pages
and the first 112 pages of the text, and comprises the families Corvidae,
Sturnidse, Oreolidae, and the first part of the Fringillidae, numbering
altogether 184 species and subspecies. In the introduction the author
clearly defines his attitude as regards 'lumping' and ' splitting,' and on
various questions of nomenclature ; he takes Linnaeus at 1758, adheres
strictly to the rule of priority, and employs trinomials in the most
approved way for subspecies. These he recognizes with great liberality,
but displays much conservatism in respect to genera. For example,
under Acanthis he would combine Carduelis, Chrysoniitris, Linotat
Spinas, Astra galinus, and Hylocanthus, and similarly under Corvus
various allied groups that are often given generic rank. He emphatically
disapproves of the supposition that birds can change the color and
markings of their plumage without a renewal of the feathers, and in
other respects stands in the front rank of the new school.1
Passing now to the systematic portion of the work, the higher groups
are briefly characterized, and under the genera there are keys to the
species, but, generally, not to the subspecies ; there is no generic synon-
ymy, and the citations under the species and subspecies are restricted to
the first mention of the names adopted, and their synonyms. The
characters of the species are quite fully given, with a brief statement
of their geographical ranges, manner of nesting, character of the eggs,
etc., and under the subspecies their distinctive characteristics and
distribution.
The geographical scope of the work is sufficiently indicated by the title,
but the southern boundary of the Palaearctic Region is not very sharply
definable. In general terms the region includes all of Europe, northern
1 Descriptions of a New Telmatodyies. By Harry C. Oberholser. Proc.
Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI, pp. 149, 150, Nov. 12, 1903.
2 Die Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna. Systematische Ubersicht der in
Europa, Nord- Asian und der Mittelmeerregion vorkommenden Vogel. Von
Ernst Hartert. Heft. I. Mit 22 Abbildungen. Berlin. Verlag von R. Fried-
lander und Sohn. Ausgegeben in November 1903. Large 8vo, pp. i-xii,
t-i 12.
V0li' <SX1] Recent Literature. g$
Africa to the Sahara, and Asia south to northern Arabia and the Hima-
layas, and China to about the latitude of Pekin. A few North American
forms are included when they belong to circumpolar species, for the pur-
pose of completing the account of the group, as in Pica pica and the genus
Acanthis but not in the case of Corvus corax, although this species is cited
in the introduction as an example of this treatment. It is to be noted that
the name Jiamniea [Fringilla jlammea Linn.) is substituted for the familiar
linaria (F. linaria Linn.) for Acanthis linaria, on the basis of precedence
on the same page. Several subspecies are also here described for the
first time.
Although we have a recent popular manual on the birds of the same
region, the present work is to be most heartily welcomed as an exposition
of the subject from a technically up-to-date standpoint. — J. A. A.
'The Avicultural Magazine.' — 'The Avicultural Magazine'1 is the
journal of the Avicultural Society, which has for its object "The study of
foreign and British birds in freedom and captivity," exclusive of "Poul-
try, Pigeons and Canaries."
It is published monthly, forming an annual volume of about 450 pages,
with numerous colored and other plates, and also text figures. It is
devoted, as the name implies, largely to the habits and rearing of wild
birds in captivity, but contains also papers on birds observed in a state of
freedom ; the present volume including a series of illustrated popular
papers by Mr. J. Lewis Bonhote on birds observed by him in the Baha-
mas (already noticed in this journal, XX, 1903, p. 230); on ' Birds in
Towns,' by John Sergeant; 'The Late Rains and their effect on Bird
Life' (in England), by E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, etc. Besides the general
articles, there are departments for 'Reviews,' ' Bird Notes,' ' Correspond-
ence,' etc.
An interesting note from a bird-dealer on ' British Birds in New Zea-
land,' states that Goldfinches, Redpolls, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Hedge
Sparrows, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Yellow-hammers, Buntings, and Gray
Linnets, liberated some twenty-five years ago, have become very abundant
so that a catch of "fifteen dozen Goldfinches a day," or seventeen dozen
Redpolls, is easily made, while Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Hedge Spar-
rows may be had in "any quantity."
The magazine is largely taken up, as would be expected, with the
habits and care of birds in captivity. There are several very interesting
1 The I Avicultural Magazine, | being the Journal of | the Avicultural Society
for the Study of | Foreign and British Birds | in Freedom and Captivity. |
Edited by | D. Seth-Smith, F. Z. S., M. B. O. U. | New Series, Vol. I. | Nov-
ember, 1902 to October, 1903. | London: | R. H. Porter, | 7, Princes Street,
Cavendish Square, W. I 1903. — 8vo, pp. i-xx, 1-431, 32 pll. (12 colored)
and 18 text figures. Annual membership subscription, 10s.
o6 Recent Literature. f^J
k
an.
communications on the nesting habits of a number of species, and some
discussion under 'Instinct and Nest-building' of Wallace's theory that
young birds learn to make their nests because they have themselves been
reared in one, the experience of various contributions being to the effect
that birds in captivity nest ' true to type' when the conditions are favor-
able, regardless of whether reared in a typical nest of their own species
or not.
The magazine is evidently an authority in its own field, and an
invaluable medium of communication and bond of union between the
members of the Avicultural Society, which was founded in 1894, and has
shown substantial and steady growth. — J. A. A.
Seth-Smith's Handbook of Parrakeets.1 — Part VI, concluding this
excellent work,1 has been received, comprising pages 217-281, i-xx, and
three colored plates, representing five species. The scope of the work,
as defined by the author, is as follows : "Scientifically speaking, there is
no distinction between a ' Parrot' and a ' Parrakeet,' the latter word being
purely a popular term used for the smaller Parrots. It cannot be applied
to any particular family," or subfamily, nor to those species with long or
short tails. The gigantic Macaws are never called Parrakeets, but they
are closely related to the Conures, and possess the long tails that one
generally associates with Parrakeets. The title of this work, must,
therefore, be interpreted in the sense in which it is generally used by
aviculturists — that is, to mean the smaller Parrots, whether they possess
short tails or long, whether they have ordinary or filamented tongues."
The work, however, is not intended as a monograph of all the species,
but only of the imported species, or those known to the author to have
been imported. The number included in the present work is 131 species,
of which colored figures are given of 33, and text figures of 23, mostly
additional to those shown in the colored plates.
The general character of the work has already been given in our notice
of Parts I-V (Auk, XX, pp. 322, 323), and we need add little more than
to say that the author has provided for the large number of aviculturists
and others interested in this class of popular cage birds a manual giving
a large amount of interesting information concerning their habits and
distribution in a wild state, their proper treatment in confinement, descrip-
tions by which they may be easily identified, and very useful colored fig-
ures of many of them. — J. A. A.
1 Parrakeets. | A Handbook to the Imported Species. | [Vignette] By |
David Seth-Smith, M. B. O. U., F. Z. S. | With Twenty Coloured Plates and
other Illustrations. | London : | R. H. Porter, | 7, Prince's Street, Cavendish
Square, W. | 1903. — 8vo, pp. i-xx -f- 1-281, with 20 colored plates and num-
erous text-figures.
SUPPLEMENT.
REPORT OF THE A. O. U. COMMITTEE ON THE
PROTECTION OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS
FOR THE YEAR 1903.
BY WILLIAM DUTCHER, CHAIRMAN.
Plates XII-XVIII.
The Audubon Societies and the generous subscribers to the
Thayer Fund have every reason to congratulate themselves upon
the steady progress of bird protection work in the United States
during the past twelve months. The present outlook of the work
is like the intermittent notes of birds before the break of day, or
the first gleam of Heaven's amber in the eastern gray; if those
who are now working may not see the full meridian sunlight yet
the results of 1903 are an earnest of what we hope may be accom-
plished in th£ next decade. After all, it is honest love for our
work, honest sorrow for the ills which we see about us in the bird
world, honest work for the day that is present with us, and honest
hope for to-morrow that must govern our actions. When we rise
above the sordidness that so often hinders spiritual work, and learn
to believe that it is better sometimes to invest in deeds of mercy to
God's helpless creatures than it is to invest in the best of securities,
we will find that our works of love are better paying investments
and will bring us in something far higher and nobler. Our labors
will go forth to bless our country and make the world about us
fairer and better ; in addition it will react and make ourselves not
only happier but better, as we will realize that unselfish work is far
better than work for personal display or self aggrandizement.
The year's results have been so full of interest, have developed
so rapidly, and bid so fair to develop more rapidly in the future,
that it becomes necessary to make a very detailed report under the
head of each Commonwealth ; this is done in order that each soci-
ety may have a general idea of what each other society is doing,
and thus the strong, aggressive bodies become an example and
lesson to those that are not so successful ; new ideas of work are
08 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\^
also thus suggested. In this connection the work of the North
Carolina Society, in securing funds from their sustaining members,
is certainly commendable and is an object lesson of the greatest
force to other societies who complain of the difficulty in securing
funds for their work. If in a State that is comparatively poor,
331 sustaining members can be secured for the asking, what would
be the result of the same effort in the more wealthy and thickly
settled States ?
The activities of the past year have been confined to three
channels, as heretofore : Legislation, Warden Work, and Audubon
or Educational Work. The legislative branch has been particu-
larly successful, inasmuch as the A. O. U. model law has been
adopted in nine States, as follows : Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, and
Washington (see map).
Besides this, the influence of the National Committee was given
to the bettering of the game laws, in stopping spring shooting,
preventing sale and transportation of game, and in other direc-
tions. In five States we were unsuccessful in our efforts to im-
prove the non-game bird law ; the reasons for our failure are given
later under the heads of the following States, namely, California,
Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma Territory.
The Warden Work of the year was largely increased over that
of previous years and will be still further broadened during the
coming year, provided sufficient funds are furnished to enable the
National Committee to carry out its present plans.
Audubon and Educational Work go hand in hand and are
really the foundation of the great economic movement that is now
going on ; prohibitive laws and the actual guarding of breeding
birds by wardens are important, but unless these are upheld by a
moral sentiment in the public mind, the goal that we are aiming
at may never be reached :
" Books ! ' t is a dull and endless strife :
Come, hear the woodland Linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.
And hark ! how blithe the Throstle sings !
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the l'ght of things,
Let Nature be your teacher."
Vol. XXI
1904
DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection.
99
IOO Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. v"
Audubon societies are educating both adults and children ; it is
teach, teach, teach, both in the field and by libraries, pictures,
lectures, and every method to make the masses acquainted with
the bird in life. Day by day and year by year there is a steady
growth of sentiment in favor of bird protection ; this can be seen
on every hand. Unfortunately there are a few unsympathetic and
doubting people who say all this work is not necessary because the
fashion is changing and the use of birds' plumage is not very popu-
lar at the present time; this, however, we believe is not a fact.
The reason there is less plumage now used is simply because the
Audubon sentiment is increasing ; it is more difficult to obtain
wild birds' plumage ; protective laws are being passed in the
country ; and, as is reported by the Wisconsin Audubon Society,
milliners say it is impossible to sell a hat trimmed with wild birds'
plumage to the mother of a child who belongs to an Audubon soci-
ety, or who is taught in the school about birds.
During the year new Audubon societies have been organized in
the following States: Michigan, Georgia, North Dakota, and Colo-
rado, and it is found that there is a steady and persistent growth
of the Audubon movement in other localities (see map).
One of the greatest gains of the past year in educational lines
was the educational leaflets issued by the National Committee ;
these have been found to fill a long-felt want and are practical
methods of teaching not only the aesthetic but the economic value
of birds.
It is most unfortunate that these leaflets cannot be distributed
gratuitously; requests are made almost daily for them from schools
or individuals which cannot be met, and it dampens the ardor of
the inquirer when we cannot freely give them our literature with-
out charge.
Probably one of the most important advance movements in the
history of bird protection was the agreement made in April last
between the Millinery Merchants Protective Association, the New
York Audubon Society and the American Ornithologists' Union.
This agreement was concurred in by the Western Millinery Asso-
ciation, and has been so widely noticed in the press of the country
that it is unnecessary to do more than give the actual text of the
agreement.
Vol. XXI
1Q04
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. IOI
102 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |~fuk
Agreement between the Members of the Millinery Mer-
chants Protective Association of New York and the
Audubon Society of the State of New York.
The members of the Millinery Merchants Protective Association hereby
pledge themselves as follows :
To abstain from the importation, manufacture, purchase or sale of gulls,
terns, grebes, hummingbirds and song birds.
To publish monthly in the Millinery Trade Review a notice informing
the millinery trade in general that it is illegal to buy, sell or deal in gulls,
terns, grebes, hummingbirds or song birds, and that no means will be
spared to convict and punish all persons who continue to deal in the said
prohibited birds.
To notify the millinery trade by printed notices as to what plumage can
be legally used.
To mail printed notices to all dealers in raw materials, importers and
manufacturers of fancy feathers and to the millinery trade in general that
all violations of the law will be reported to the proper authorities.
It is further agreed on the part of the Millinery Merchants Protective
Association that on and after January i, 1904, the importation, manufac-
ture, purchase or sale of the plumage of egrets or herons and of American
pelicans of any species shall cease, and the said birds shall be added to the
list of prohibited species mentioned above.
It is understood and agreed that the restrictions referred to in this
agreement as to gulls, terns, grebes, herons and hummingbirds, shall
apply to the said birds irrespective of the country in which they may
have been killed or captured.
The Audubon Society of New York State on its part hereby agrees as
follows :
To endeavor to prevent all illegal interference on the part of game. ward-
ens with the millinery trade: to refrain from aiding the passage of any
legislation that has for its object restrictions against the importation, manu-
facture or sale of fancy feathers obtained from domesticated fowls or of the
plumage of foreign birds other than those specifically mentioned above.
It is agreed by each of the parties that this contract shall remain in
force for a period of three years from the date of its execution.
FOR THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF FOR THE MILLINERY MERCHANTS
NEW YORK. PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
Frank M. Chapman, George Legg, President,
Chairman of the Charles W. Farmer, Secretary.
Executive Committee .
The above agreement, is concurred in by the American Ornithologists'
Union.
William Dutcher,
Chairman Protection Committee.
Vol. XXI
igo4
] Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 103
This agreement, it is believed, is being lived up to by the
milliners with very few exceptions, a notable one being the refusal
of three firms in New York who are not members of the Associa-
tion, and who refuse to be governed by the agreement in respect
to the use of aigrettes.
The further use of the aigrette in the United States, therefore,
becomes a matter of ethics. The women who will not wear the
aigrette are upholding every good impulse and are living up to
the sentiment expressed by Coleridge :
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
On the other hand the women who still persist in wearing the
aigrette, no matter whether it was secured in this country or any
other, does so at the cost of a life taken in the cruellest possible
manner- The plume when worn is not an emblem of grace and
beauty, but is a badge of cruelty and inhumanity.
The National Committee offers the following suggestions for the
work of the coming year :
A decided and energetic effort must be made to prevent the use
of automatic guns. Birds and game are disappearing quite rapidly
enough by the use of the ordinary shot gun, but if the magazine
gun comes into general use, it simply multiplies enormously the
present means of destruction.
Every State should be urged to follow the example set by
Pennsylvania and Delaware in appointing an Honorary Consulting
Ornithologist; he may be connected with the Board of Agriculture
or with the Fish and Game Commission, and all matters relating
to the bird life of the State, or the laws governing the same, should
be referred to him for expert opinion. In every State may be
found ornithologists of note who would be willing to contribute
their services without compensation.
The Audubon societies should affiliate closely with the Humane
societies; many of these throughout the United States are now
I 04 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [j
rAuk
an.
doing excellent bird protection work, and as the objects of both
societies are in the main similar, the good work of the Humane
societies should be recognized.
Farmers' organizations should be encouraged (see Illinois) ;
if the owners of land will band together to prevent illegal shooting
upon their properties and thoroughly post and police their farms,
much illegal killing of both game and non-game birds will be the
result; this is especially important in localities adjacent to the
large cities where the foreign population is numerous. As many
of these people do not readily understand English, it is of the
utmost importance that warning notices printed in Italian, Polish,
and Scandinavian should be freely distributed in suburban local-
ities. Only fifteen States are without trespass laws as follows :
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Maine, Mary-
land, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South
Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.
In many of the States Sunday shooting is strictly prohibited ;
this gives absolute rest to bird life for one day in the week, and
the Audubon societies should see that this law is complied with ;
the twenty-one States and Territories that have no law prohibiting
Sunday shooting are, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and in these
Commonwealths such a law should be passed at once.
Another subject that should engage the attention of the Audu-
bon workers is, the feline hunter ; in other words, the house cat
run wild, for there is no doubt that millions of birds are killed in
the United States and Canada every year by cats. This is a sub-
ject that has never received the attention its importance warrants.
Most States provide for a license or tax on dogs, so that the num-
ber is kept within reasonable limits, and none are permitted to run
wild as cats do ; there is no good reason why a tax should not be
placed on cats.
The National Committee feel very strongly that all of the
Audubon societies should heartily support our organ ' Bird Lore/
This magazine is conducted with the sole purpose of educating
the public, especially the children of the country, about birds ;
i o I Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. IOC
nothing is admitted to its pages that is not scientifically correct,
and everything is presented in a popular and interesting manner.
It is always beautifully illustrated, and gives reviews of new bird
publications.
During the coming year each issue will furnish interesting news
regarding the work of the National Committee ; besides this, every
number will contain a new educational leaflet which will afterward
be printed as a ' separate ' for general distribution. The more
widely our magazine can be distributed the greater will be the
progress of our work.
During the past year the Committee has received in contribu-
tions for the various branches of work the sum of $3,756.85, which
has been expended with the greatest care and economy ; notwith-
standing this, at the close of the year, the Committee was con-
fronted with a deficit of $158.90.
It is absolutely necessary that the Committee should have at its
disposal for the year 1904 a sum not less than $5,000, and it is
desirable that even a larger amount should be provided by those
interested in the furtherance of this great economic work. The
Committee should be in a position to distribute its leaflets free,
otherwise its educational work will be seriously hampered.
The territory to be covered by wardens during the coming year
will be very much larger than heretofore. In addition it is of the
utmost importance that the National Committee shall be able to
send into the State of Louisiana at the next session of the Legisla-
ture some of its best speakers and most active bird protection
workers, in order to secure the passage of the A. O. U. model law.
For generations the indiscriminate slaughter of birds of all kinds
in Louisiana has been permitted; this must be shown to be waste-
ful and wrong.
A material increase in the Thayer Fund is earnestly urged upon
the thoughtful consideration of those who have so generously sup-
ported it in the past. If every one of our loyal friends will secure
an additional subscriber the necessary working fund can be
readily secured.
The Subcommittee on Foreign Relations present the following
report of its work for the past year.
Io6 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [fan
Philippine Islands. — A Committee was appointed at the last
annual meeting to take measures to prevent the use of the birds
of the Philippine Islands for commercial purposes.
A memorial was prepared and sent to the Honorable Secretary
of War, as follows :
Sir: —
At the Twentieth Congress of the American Ornithologists' Union,
held in Washington, D. C, November 17-20, 1902, the following preamble
and resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, During the past twenty years there has been an alarming
decrease in the wild birds of the world, and
Whereas, The said decrease has been largely occasioned by the use of
birds' plumage for millinery ornaments, and
Whereas, Scientific study of bird life by experts reveals the fact that
wild birds are of great economic value, and
Whereas, A systematic effort is now being made for the preservation of
wild bird life in this country as well as in foreign countries, therefore
Be it resolved, That a Committee of five Fellows of the American
Ornithologists' Union be appointed by the President, to take such action
as will best conserve all bird life.
In accordance with these resolutions the Committee respectfully invites
your attention to the importance of taking steps to prevent the export
from the Philippine Islands of game and birds, more especially of those
species wrhose plumage is used for millinery purposes. Laws prohibiting
export are considered indispensable in bird protection, and are now in
force in all but four or five States and Territories of the United States.
Such a law was also enacted by Congress in June, 1902, for the protection
of birds in Alaska.
At present there is an enormous demand for the plumage of birds used
by the millinery trade, and much of this plumage is obtained from birds
of the East Indies, Australia, and New Guinea. Birds are now protected
in most of the colonies of Australia, in India, and Burma ; steps have
been taken to protect certain species in British New Guinea; and within
the past year the export of birds and plumage from India has been
absolutely prohibited. Apparently in most countries of the Orient under
British rule efforts are being made to curtail the wholesale destruction of
birds for millinery purposes, and the enforcement of existing laws will
inevitably drive the plume hunter to new fields, including the Philippine
Islands. While it is not probable that many birds are now shipped from
the Philippines, it seems desirable to prohibit such export before the
plume trade has gained a foothold in the islands.
The Committee therefore respectfully requests your cooperation in this
matter, and also requests that the subject be brought to the attention of
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 07
the Philippine Commission with a view to taking such action as may
be possible to prevent the destruction of birds for export from the islands.
Respectfully,
Wm. Dutcher, Chas. W. Richmond,
Theodore S. Palmer, Ruthven Deane,
Frank M. Chapman.
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Action on the memorial was taken as per the following letters :
War Department,
Bureau of Insular Affairs,
Washington, D. C, February 9, 1903.
Gentlemen : —
By direction of the Secretary of War, I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication to him of January 31, setting forth
the preamble and resolutions adopted at the Twentieth Congress of the
American Ornithologists' Union.
You are respectfully informed that your communication has this day,
been transmitted to the Hon. William H. Taft, Civil Governor, Manila,
P. I.
Very respectfully,
Clarence R. Edwards,
Colonel, U. S. Army,
Chief of Bureau.
Department of the Interior,
Manila, June 24, 1903.
Sir : —
Replying to your letter of January 31, 1903, addressed to the Secretary
of War, a copy of which was forwarded to me, I beg to say that there will
be, in my judgment, no difficulty whatever in securing the adoption by
the Philippine Commission of legislation to insure the protection of
wild birds in the Philippine Islands.
There is at present, to the best of my knowledge and belief, no expor-
tation of bird skins from these Islands.
I should appreciate it if you would send any literature on this subject
which you have available.
Very respectfully,
Dean C. Worcester,
Secretary of the I?iterior.
New York, August 27, 1903.
Dear Sir : —
In response to your favor of June 24, I beg to enclose you herewith
Io8 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \P\X^
copies of game laws as follows : Two Acts of India; Two Acts of New
Zealand; and One Act of South Australia.
I also enclose a copy of the A. O. U. model law.
From all of this matter I think that you will be able to formulate a
good law for our Philippine possessions.
Very respectfully,
William Dutcher,
Chairman A. O. U. Committee on Protectio?z
of North American Birds.
From the tenor of the above correspondence it may be safely
concluded that the bird life of the Philippine Islands will never
be offered as a sacrifice on the altar of fashion or to the greed of
man.
Midway Islands. — The Midway Islands are a station of the
new Pacific Cable Company and belong to the United States.
They are the homes and breeding places of countless seabirds,
among them a species of pure white tern. Thousands of these
birds suddenly appeared in the millinery market about a year
since, under the trade name of ' Albinas ' and it was feared that
these terns would shortly be as nearly exterminated as were the
terns of the Atlantic coast.
The following correspondence shows what the Committee has
done to preserve these birds.
New York, July 2, 1903.
Hon. Wm. H. Moody,
Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir : —
I am informed that large numbers of seabirds breed and make their
home upon the Midway Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
As these islands are under the jurisdiction of your Department, I beg
in behalf of our Society that you will establish such rules and regulations
as will prevent the killing and taking of the resident birds for commercial
purposes, and also to prevent the taking of the eggs of the said birds dur-
ing the breeding season.
I am informed that the Japanese people have been in the habit of visit-
ing these islands for the purpose of killing birds for their plumage.
It is known that during the past few years enormous numbers of sea-
birds have been killed by the Japanese and have been shipped to the
Paris, London, and New York markets for millinery ornaments ; among
Vol. XX
1904
I Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. IOQ
these birds were great numbers of a very beautiful form of the tern
family known as Gygis alba.
Our Society is under many obligations to your Department for your
hearty cooperation in our work for the preservation of sea-birds, the
latest and one of the most notable instances being your order of April 24
in re the birds on the Dry Tortugas, Florida.
I am, with great respect, my dear Sir,
Very truly yours,
Wm. Dutcher,
Chairman.
Navy Department,
Washington, July 3, 1903.
Sir : —
Replying to your letter of the 2nd instant, requesting the establishment
of rules and regulations to prevent the killing and taking of the resident
birds of the Midway Islands for commercial purposes, and also to prevent
the taking of the eggs of said birds during the breeding season : I have
to inform you that your letter has been referred to the Commandant,
Naval Station, Hawaii, for report. Upon receipt of his report, the
Department will advise you more fully in the matter.
Very respectfully,
W. H. Moody,
Secretary.
Alabama. — There is great need of a new bird law in this State.
The present law, passed in 1899, seeks to protect quite a long list
of birds a portion of the year only, but it is practically valueless,
as the provisions of the act do not apply to 60 of the 66 counties
in the State. There is no session of the legislature until 1905.
There is no Audubon Society in the State, and so far as known no
bird students.
At the request of Mr. George W. Carver, Director Department
of Agriculture and Experiment Station, Tuskegee Normal and
Industrial Institute, a package of Educational Leaflets, Nos. 1 to
4, were sent for him to distribute at the Summer School.
Subsequently he wrote : " I have distributed them among our
teachers and they take to them most heartily. I am sure they will
do a great deal of good as each teacher will go into a community
that has not been touched by them. Trusting I can be of further
service to you in pushing this grand movement," etc.
IIO Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\\
k
an.
There is a great field for educational bird work in this State ;
will not some generous reader of this report furnish a fund that
will enable the National Committee to send to every teacher in
Alabama bird leaflets that will enable them to teach the children
in their charge the great economic value of the wild birds.
Arizona. — This territory has a very imperfect non-game bird
law, although it was passed as late as March, 1901. The next
session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
There is seemingly little interest taken in birds or bird protec-
tion.
Arkansas. — Legislation. — No change has been made in the
law, which is practically the A. O. U. model. The game laws
were improved by non-export and sale clauses. The next session
of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — There is no organized society in the State, but
a great deal of splendid work is accomplished by Mrs. Stephenson
of Helena, who is a member of the A. O. U. Protection Committee.
She writes :
"Since work of whatever kind is best measured by its results,
mine, which is mostly of a personal character, and too often un-
fruitful, seems hardly worth mentioning. However, as sponsor
for Arkansas something must be said.
"Pearly in the year, the game bills referred to above were pre-
sented to the legislature, and after many weeks passed. Later, it
was reported that U. S. Judge Trieber (Judge of the Eastern Dis-
trict of Arkansas) had been asked to declare this new law unconsti-
tutional, and that he had done so. In answer to that report he
wrote the following letter :
" ' In reply to your inquiry I would state that I made no decision
whatever in regard to the game law. An injunction was asked
from me, and to have me declare the game law of the State pro-
hibiting non-residents from hunting unconstitutional, but I declined
to do so, stating that perhaps some State Judge could be induced
to take that view, but in my opinion the law is constitutional.
Thereupon, Senator Clarke did apply to Judge Hughes in Critten-
den County, and he declared it unconstitutional. The only thing
Vol. XXI | Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I I T
I ever did was to grant an injunction, temporarily, to prevent the
so-called game wardens, which means the dead beats, acting as
constables and deputy constables in Crittenden County, from tres-
passing upon private lands for the purpose of annoying the negro
tenants, but that has been dismissed now for want of prosecution.
In my opinion, all game belongs to the State absolutely, and it has
a perfect right to prevent anybody from killing, catching, keeping,
buying or selling it, shipping or receiving it, and not only that, but
the State can allow its own citizens to kill it and still refuse non-
residents the same privilege. As to the wisdom of it, that is a
matter with which the courts have nothing to do, but if the State
expects to preserve any of the game there will have to be a more
stringent enforcement of the law than there is at present.
" ' As to the so-called sportsmen : In my opinion there is very
little difference between those residing in the State and those out
of the State; they enjoy sport because they can see blood. They
care nothing for game for the purpose of eating it, but it is consid-
ered a noble sport to kill helpless things ; all of which only tends
to show that our boasted civilization is a very thin veneering and
the least scratch takes it off.
" i With some men all you have to do is to yell " sport " ; with
others, "war"; and still others, "lynching"; but whatever it is
when you boil it down it is nothing but the wild animal that is in us/
"By constant watching and complaining when it is violated, I
have upheld the protective law for song birds, and am glad to say
there is a perceptible increase in their numbers in my field this
past year. All work outside has been done through letters and the
distribution of literature."
The following sentiment expressed in an editorial in the Helena
' Soliphone ' deserves wide publicity : " Let it be the unwritten law
of America that no gentleman will kill a non-game bird, and that
no lady will allow her hat to be decorated with the plumage of
the innocent warblers."
California. — Legislation. — There has been no change for the
better in the non-game bird law and no further effort can be made
until the next session of the legislature, which will be held in 1905.
In the interim, however, a strong public sentiment must be created
in favor of the A. O. U. model law. As proposed in the last
112 Dutcher, Report of Committee, on Bird Protection. |~^u
k
an.
annual report, an effort was made for a new law ; a bill was care-
fully prepared, and was introduced and favorably reported by the
Senate Fish and Game Committee. Owing to opposition from an
entirely unexpected quarter, one in fact that should have given
support rather than opposition to the bill, it was not pushed. It
was thought better not to have any legislation rather than an
unsatisfactory law.
Audubon work. — While no society has been formally organized,
a great amount of very valuable bird protection work is being done
by interested citizens. California is deeply indebted to Mrs.
Josephine Clifford McCrackin of Wrights, for her noble and praise-
worthy efforts to preserve the birds and trees of her State. One
of her friends writes: "This good woman, one of our earliest lit-
erary workers and a former associate of Bret Harte on the old
4 Overland Monthly,1 despite her age, has done our State more
good than a thousand prominent citizens. After having saved
several of our noblest groves of redwoods {Sequoia gigantea) by
having bills passed for their purchase by the State is now turning
her attention to the preservation of our beautiful song birds. Her
energy is tremendous and she carries through all she proposes to
do."
Mrs. McCrackin 's story of the ' Ladies Forest and Song Bird
Protective Association of Santa Cruz County ' is of so much inter-
est that it is given in some detail:
"This Association was organized in December, 1901, through
the efforts of Walter R. Welch, Deputy State Game Warden. His
successor, C. A. Reed, felt the same interest in the preservation of
song birds, and used his influence with the supervisors of this
county to make the ordinance protecting birds of some effect, and
as each member of our Association became at once an active
worker in the cause, the song birds soon returned to their former
haunts in the vicinity of Santa Cruz City. It is different in the
country, I am sorry to say, though a number of our members live
in my immediate neighborhood, in a grape and fruit-growing sec-
tion, and like myself are convinced that the cherry crop, for which
many song birds suffer death, is not in any measure made less by
the alleged depredations of the birds that are with us at the time
when cherries are ripe, yet the rancher, to his own detriment, with
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 113
the instinct of the savage, will persecute and kill every bird that
dares to make the county its home.
" From the very beginning our aim and object was to awaken
interest and find representation in the public schools, and I was
instructed to write individually to each teacher, 109 in number;
in most cases I received courteous assurances that kindness to all
God's helpless creatures was taught to the children in charge. In
the Parochial school, the 'Address to School Children,' which I
had wrritten, fell on such fruitful soil that a number of really
excellent, thoughtful essays were written by some of the pupils,
not one of whom had reached the age of fourteen. The public
schools evaded and avoided us, giving as a reason that the
teachers were already overburdened with studies. (Many of the
teachers, let me say, are members of our Association.) Game
Warden Reed had 500 copies of the address struck off, at his own
expense, and these have been distributed as far as they would go.
" The ' Pastime ' of San Francisco republished some of my
earlier articles from the ' Sentinel,' and its successor, 'Western
Field,' brought out an article of mine on the subject in its first
number.
"The ' Pacific Fruit World' of Los Angeles, readily consented
to publish a strong protest I wrote against the barbarous course,
pointed out by one contributor, to rid the country of the bird pest
to hang wide-mouthed bottles filled with poisoned water up in the
trees where the birds would come to quench their thirst.
"Later the ' Breeder and Sportsman,' San Francisco, published
two articles ' Save the Song Birds,' in the second of which I spoke
in the most uncomplimentary manner of women who still insist on
having our best friends, our greatest solace in our quiet country
homes, the song birds, tortured and murdered in order to wear
this badge of heartlessness on hat or bonnet.
" Having been asked by the Woman's Club of San Jose to speak
before the Alliance of Clubs on bird protection I gladly answered
the call, as it is most desirable to interest the ladies of Santa Clara
County, for the line of that county runs through this part of the
Santa Cruz Mountains, and we cannot protect birds in this county
when they can shoot across the line from the other county into
ours. We of Santa Cruz had made an appeal to the Santa Clara
II4 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. rfuk
supervisors to pass a protective ordinance in their county ; to
which they replied that such an ordinance had been passed in
1896. That it has been a dead letter so far is evident from the
fact that that last relic of barbarism, robin pot-pie, is still existent
in some households where they choose to believe that no protec-
tive ordinance was ever passed.
" What We Purpose to do in 1Q04.
" If my life is spared, and I am left in my position as President
of our Association, I will propose to the members a line of work
which shall have for its ultimate object the passing of a protective
law by the legislature of California. Our foremost aim must still
be the introduction of bird protection and bird study into the pub-
lic schools. Education is better than prohibition.
"We expect to make a Club effort at the next session of the
State legislature, and to work for the forming of a State Audubon
society, with one president, and 'secretaries for the different dis-
tricts or counties. So much for the State organization. At the
present time, or rather with the opening spring, our offorts will be
directed toward making it known, and felt, that there is a protec-
tive ordinance both in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, and
our association must prevail upon the ladies of San Jose, Santa
Clara County, to help us. Any person can be appointed Deputy
Game Warden without pay in this State ; the San Jose Woman's
Club will have some member so appointed ; I too M'ould seek a like
appointment in Santa Cruz county, and together we might succeed
in getting the supervisors to have notices printed, to be posted on
trees and fences, to the effect that a bird protecting ordinance was
in force in both counties.
" I shall make it my duty to write to the people in this State who
are interested in bird protection, as one as old as I may venture
on writing suggestions.
" Mr. Leonard Coates, an authority on fruit and fruit pests, is
our faithful ally, for he is a firm friend of the song bird and has
helped protect them.
" I am to address a few lines to the sportsmen who hold their
meeting at Paso Robles next month. All the more willingly do I
write to them since I wish to make a plea for the better protection
V°i o4XIl Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I I C
of Mourning Doves, killed off now in this portion of California at
a shameful rate. For quail too I will make a plea, though I would
hardly venture on this if I did not know that true sportsmen are
gentlemen, for I have the honor of being a member, the only lady-
member, of the California Game and Fish Protective Association.
"At present our Association numbers nearly fifty regular and
over twenty honorary members. We confer honorary membership
not only on those who have aided and are kindly disposed toward
us, but to those who are indifferent to the cause we sometimes pay
a like compliment. An honorary member of a ' bird society ' will
learn, after a while, to take just a little interest in birds, and see
that they are protected.
" Mr. Samuel Leaske, Trustee of the Carnegie Library, has
kindly promised that a space shall be set aside in the new library
building for our literature, and there will be a reading room for
children, where humane literature of every character will be
received and kept for the perusal of the little ones.
"The dues of our association are* merely nominal, 25 cents.
What we ask of our members is that they abstain from wearing
feathers on hats or bonnets except those of the ostrich or the
chicken, and that they induce their friends to use no other kinds."
Another devoted friend of the birds of California is Mr. W.
Scott Way of Pasadena, who is alive to his civic duties and writes
as follows : " I shall be very glad to take up, with other earnest
workers, the organization of an Audubon society. I have had the
thing in mind for some time. I will join anything or go into any-
thing, that is alive, for bird or game protection. I am in the
Pasadena Humane Society because it is working on broad lines,
and as the bird protection matter is left in my hands you may be
sure that that end of the work will not be neglected. I am also
working the local Farmers' Clubs for all there is in it in the way of
bird protection.
"There is much need of faithful, persistent work here in the way
of getting better bird and game laws, and in enforcing those we
have. There has been much unlawful shooting in this country
during the present month, and the protective association does not
seem to have done anything to check it. When the annual
meeting is held I expect to ' put up a fight ' for better things. In
Il6 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protect ion. |~A^
k
an.
the meantime, I am ready to take on any new work, that I can
possibly undertake, and if you can put me in communication with
the right persons I will gladly aid the formation of an Audubon
society.
" You will see by the enclosed clipping that I have a county
bird protection ordinance in course of preparation. Soon as the
local Farmers' Club acts* on it I will take it before the supervisors.
"Please send me ioo copies of your Flicker leaflet. I want
them for the next Farmers' Club meeting."
The California State Floral Society purchased for distribution
among its members and others 1,000 copies of the National Com-
mittee Educational Leaflets and its secretary writes: "Our
society most heartily approves of your method of education to
protect the valuable birds of the country."
Colorado. — Legislation. — During the last session of the legis-
lature the A. O. U. model law was adopted. The next session of
legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — A society was organized during the past year
and is now doing effective work. The juniors of the organization
have their own officers and manage their own business, with some
supervision and advice from the parent society, whose secretary
writes of the boys as follows :
" I am very proud of the boys and am confident that the work
they are doing will be of much benefit for the protection of the birds
of Colorado.
"Their meetings have been held once in two weeks, until lately
they have decided that it is best for them to meet weekly on account
of the large amount of work they have to do. There are visitors at
each session and much encouragement is given to the boys. Mrs.
Mackenzie, a prominent teacher of Wyoming, was in attendance at
the last two meetings to' gain information that would assist her in
organizing a like society at her home. Miss West of Pueblo, Col-
orado, a teacher of much influence in that city, spent an hour with
the juniors two weeks ago to secure advice that would enable her
to organize an Auxiliary.
"The juniors, which I so justly and proudly claim, have the State
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I I 7
organization, and have decided that all others must be auxiliaries
to theirs.
" It is a surprise and satisfaction to many who visit the boys
while they are in session to note the very intelligent manner in which
they handle parliamentary rules. It has required much of my time
to coach them in their work, but I am well satisfied, for they never
forget the advice once given.
" The secretary also contributes the following encouraging infor-
mation : ' If you have any literature to distribute free kindly send
some to Mr. Geo. J. Spear, Greely, Colorado. Mr. Spear is one of
the directors of our State organization, a prominent fruit grower
and nursery man, and has applied for the appointment of Deputy
Game Warden without pay, that he may prosecute parties in Gree-
ley who are killing robins.'
" I think I have written you of the Freemont County Audubon
Society, organized by the Hon. B. F. Rockafellow, which now
numbers considerably over 300 members. There are several aux-
iliaries organized in the State and all are doing good work."
Connecticut. — Legislation. — The A. O. U. model law is in
force. Next session of legislature, 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens employed by the Thayer Fund.
Audubon work. — The Connecticut Society is very active, espe-
cially along educational lines, as the following extract from the
Secretary's report shows :
"We have not a large number of new members to report; about
125 juniors, six teachers and eight other members, besides 700
associate members ; these sign a pledge and receive a button, but
do not pay or have a certificate. These members do not represent
the work of the society ; we have in circulation 70 sets of bird charts,
and 20 libraries, besides our three illustrated lectures and reading
cards. During the past year the society has spent for libraries,
bird charts and other educational work $170.28."
It is pleasing to note the growth of interest in bird protection and
allied subjects, as indicated by the proclamation of Governor
Chamberlain in setting apart May 1 as Arbor and Bird Day. He
says: "The importance of preserving and multiplying forest and
shade trees cannot be overestimated, and it is to be feared that we
do not fully appreciate the great advantages to be derived from tree
I I 8 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Iran
and plant culture. Many of the trees which beautify our grand
old State were planted by our fathers — let us, in our turn, plant
trees, in whose branches song birds may build their nests and
whose grateful shade coming generations will enjoy.
" I further request that the teachers in our schools endeavor to
stimulate their pupils to an interest in the study of ornithology.
It is surely an imperative duty to impress upon the boys and girls
of to-day the sinfulness of robbing birds' nests and snaring wild
birds. Such acts of wanton cruelty should not go unpunished/'
North and South Dakota. — Legislation. — Non-game bird
laws in both the Dakotas are lacking. A few birds are protected,
but the present statutes are entirely inadequate. The citizens of
these two States, which are so prolific of bird life, should awaken
to the necessity for their preservation. The next session of the
legislature will not be held until 1905.
Will not the press of these two great agricultural States in the
interim awaken the citizens to the value of birds to all classes of
agriculture ? The National Committee holds itself in readiness to
furnish information, on request, to the editors of the Dakotas,
regarding the economic value of birds.
Delaware. — Legislation. — No change in the bird law, the A.
O. U. model law being in force.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed under the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports as follows: "The
County Superintendent of schools, Mr. A. R. Spaid, gave his bird
lecture at Dover during July and succeeded in obtaining the names
of 25 teachers as members of the Audubon Society.
"Two arrests have been made during 1903 for shooting robins;
the fines and costs in each case amounting to over $10.00.
"The State Board of Agriculture has expressed its intention of
sending literature on birds to the teachers of the Delaware schools
and asks their cooperation in distributing it among the children.
"The Society has had copies of the bird laws of the State
placed in all the stations of the Delaware railroads, and in all the
post offices of those towns and villages where we have members,
and permission to post the laws could be obtained.
"Our Society thinks that constant agitation through the press
Vol. XXI
1904
] Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I IQ
should be its aim during 1904, and to strive to enroll children as
members. It has other work under consideration, but as no defi-
nite plan of action has yet been decided on it would be unwise
to present it in this report."
A most important and advanced step in bird protection work
has been taken in Delaware during the present year in the appoint-
ment by the State Board of Agriculture of an Honorary Consult-
ing Ornithologist. The selection of Mr. Charles D. Pennock, a
member of the American Ornithologists' Union, to this important
position gives assurance that the farmers who listen to his addresses
on birds will learn scientific facts of great value to them.
District of Columbia. — Legislation. — None. A. O. U. model
law in force.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports as follows :
"This Society was organized for the study and protection of
birds. Under the heading of study, the work accomplished has
been through lectures, monthly meetings for members, classes for
the instruction of teachers conducted by different ornithologists,
members of this Society, for which no charge is made. Fifty or
sixty teachers have been taught. In these classes illustrations are
made by means of bird skins owned by the Society. Classes for
popular instruction were held through the spring. These were
well patronized and created great enthusiasm, especially the out-
door classes, realizing for the treasury a considerable sum.
" Field meetings were held through April and May for members
and their friends, each personally conducted by two or three
trained ornithologists. Leading, as they did, through the beauti-
ful woods around Washington, so easy of access, to which was
added one water excursion, these meetings are said to be the
crowning pleasure of the year's work.
" For the protection of birds, examination of millinery stores has
been made by officers of the Society ; cooperation with the Audu-
bon Society of the State of Virginia, to secure the enactment of
an adequate law for that State ; cooperation with the game war-
dens of Montgomery County, Maryland, to all of whom copies of
our game laws were sent. Occasional examinations of the markets
and commission houses revealed no flagrant violation of game laws,
and no song birds offered for sale.
I 20 Dutcher, Report of Committeee on Bird Protection. ^
"Protection has been given to two breeding colonies of Night
Herons near the Eastern Branch of the Potomac. The existence
of breeding colonies so near the city of Washington is of great
interest. All sale of grebes in the market has been effectively
stopped. The sale of live native birds has been reduced to a
minimum. The laws for the protection of birds and game have
been generally well observed.
" The Audubon Society of the District of Columbia begins its
seventh year with renewed activity. The remarkable spread of
bird protection sentiment manifested in the greatly increased
interest in nature books and nature study, the rapid growth of
bird-protective legislation, and the organization of new societies
throughout the land, is both gratifying and stimulating. The
ready response of the people to organized effort clearly indicates
that energy and persistence are alone needed to awaken that
enthusiasm through which protection of the birds becomes an
assured fact. The District Society, which has so well borne its
part in the past, purposes to conduct a yet more vigorous cam-
paign during the coming year."
Florida. — Legislation. — The A. O. U. model law is still in
force, although it had a narrow escape from a serious amendment.
Fortunately through the vigilance and very active work of Mr. R.
W. Williams, Jr., the Florida member of the A. O. U. Protection
Committee, the amendment was killed in the Senate after it had
passed the House.
The amendment was known as House Bill No. 561 and was
introduced by Mr. McNamee of Hillsboro, as follows : " A bill to
be entitled an act to exclude that certain family of sea fowls called
the tern family from the provisions of all statutes forbidding the
killing of plumage birds and providing penalties for a violation for
said killing." It was referred to the Committee on Fisheries,
which reported it favorably. Mr. McNamee stated in his speech
for the measure in the House, that "these birds were a nuisance
to man and destroyed the fish industry in Florida ; that their pelts
were of commercial value and there is no reason why the citizens
of Florida should not be allowed to reduce them to money." He
also said : " No one knows from whence they come, they are only
with us a short time, and it is senseless to protect them." The bill
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i oo 1 1^UTCHER' Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 12 1
passed the House by a vote of 32 yeas to 26 nays. In the Senate
the bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee, on motion of
Senator Harris of Key West, where it remained when the legisla-
ture adjourned on June 5. This narrow escape forcibly empha-
sizes the fact that every legislative session must be closely watched
in order to prevent the assaults of the ignorant and perhaps the
venal. As there will not be another session of the legislature un-
til 1905, the present excellent bird law will remain unchanged
until then.
Warden work. — In the report for 1902 the Chairman urgently
recommended the purchase of a naphtha launch for the use of the
warden who has charge of the district at the extreme southern
part of the Florida Peninsula, and the thousands of Keys and
small islands in that section. The Executive Committee of the
Florida Audubon Society promptly took the matter in hand, with
the result that a special fund of $300 was raised, and a seaworthy
launch 23 feet long, with a 3 horse-power engine was specially
built and is now in daily use. The boat is capable of making
seven miles per hour, and has traveled hundreds of miles since it
went into commission shortly after May 1. The boat bears the
name of the great artist-naturalist ' Audubon,' and is the property
of the Florida Audubon Society and is loaned by them to the
National Committee for the use of warden Bradley, who is paid
for his services by the Thayer Fund.
Four paid wardens are employed in Florida. Paul Kroegel
has been placed in charge of the Pelican Island Reservation on
Indian River. As stated in the report for 1902, the Committee
thought it very important that this interesting island should be pur-
chased in order that perpetual protection should be given to the
colony of pelicans that had so long made it a breeding place. After
many months of effort and an expenditure of considerable money
in surveys and other necessary red-tape, an appeal was made to the
President of the United States, through the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, to have Pelican Island set aside as a public reservation.
President Roosevelt, with his well-known promptness in all matters
relating to the preservation of wild life, issued the following order:
122 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protectio?i . [ f"n
White House, March 14, 1903.
It is hereby ordered that Pelican Island in Indian River in section nine,
township thirty-one south, range thirty-nine east, State of Florida, be, and
it is hereby, reserved and set apart for the use of the Department of Agri-
culture as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.
(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt.
Pursuant to this order the Secretary of Agriculture appointed
as the Keeper of the reservation Mr. Paul Kroegel, the warden
employed by the Thayer Fund.
(Copy.)
April 4, 1903.
Mr. Paul Kroegel,
Sebastian, Florida.
Sir : —
Under an order signed by the President, on March 14, Pelican Island has
been reserved as a breeding-ground for native birds under the charge of the
Department of Agriculture. This island, as you are aware, has been under
the care of the Committee on Protection of Birds of the American Orni-
thologists' Union for the last two years. For the present the Committee
will cooperate with the Department in preserving the birds, and upon
recommendation of the Chairman of the Committee you have been
appointed as Warden in charge of the reservation.
No shooting will be allowed on the island or in the vicinity and no one
wTill be allowed to land on the island without permission from you or from
this department. Any infraction of this rule should be reported promptly
with a statement of your action. You should make every effort to make
the fact generally known that the object of establishing this reservation is
to preserve the pelicans, and you should strive to secure the cooperation
of the public so that the birds may be protected, not only on their breed-
ing grounds but also after they leave the island.
Respectfully,
(Signed) James Wilson,
Secretary.
Two large signs were painted and placed at the edge of the
island where all who approached could not fail to see them, the
signs reading as follows :
Vol. XXI I dUTCHERj Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 12 3
U. S. Department of Agriculture.
PELICAN ISLAND RESERVATION.
(Established by Executive Order, March 14, 1903.)
No Trespassing Allowed, nor Firearms Permitted on the Island.
The Birds Must Not Be Disturbed.
Persons Desiring to Land Must Obtain Permission From the
Warden at Sebastian.
By order of
James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.
The fact that this island is a reservation was advertised in the
local press and the result has been most satisfactory, as the
following report made by Mr. Kroegel shows :
Sebastian, Fla., Aug. 25, 1903.
Department of Agriculture, Biological Survey,
Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief of Division.
Dear Sir :
By request of Mr. William Dutcher, of the American Ornithologists'
Union, I beg to report that the nesting season on the Pelican Island Res-
ervation is now over. It has been one of the longest seasons known,
commencing Dec. 1st and ending July last. During the season there have
been between three and four thousand young birds raised, as near as I
could judge. I have endeavored to carry out the rules laid down for the
protection of the island to the best of my ability, and am glad to say that
I have been fairly successful in preventing trespassing. Of course the
amount at present available will not allow me to keep as close a watch on
the island as should be, but the mere fact that some one has the oversight
of the island is enough to prevent serious depredations. I will of course
keep an eye on the island until nesting starts again, so that what birds
remain near the island will not be molested.
Yours respectfully,
(Signed) P. Kroegel.
The following letter from Mr. C. W. Beebe, of the New York
Zoological Society, under date of New York City, Sept. 30, 1903,
confirms the report of Warden Kroegel. He says :
"Let me congratulate you on the success attending the protec-
tion of the Brown Pelicans at their breeding resort on Pelican
Island in the Indian River, Florida.
an.
I 2A Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I .ai
" I visited the Island in February of the present year and found
the warden alert, warning notices posted, and the birds fearless
and greatly increased in numbers, both on the island and espe-
cially in the neighboring overflow colonies."
Capt. C. G. Johnson, Keeper of the Sand Key Lighthouser
was re-employed for the past season. He reports that the three
species of terns breeding at his station had a most favorable sea-
son and that no eggs were taken nor old birds shot. From a
description of the three sizes of terns breeding on this Key, sent
to me by Mr. Johnson, I suspect that the one he calls "Kill-em-
Peters" must be the Least Tern {Sterna antillarum). They
numbered this year at the close of the season some 3,000 birds,
and it is therefore one of the largest colonies of this species
remaining in the United States, and is deserving of special pro-
tection, from the fact that on the Atlantic coast the Least Terns
more nearly approached extermination than any of the other
species.
That the large and important colonies of Noddy and Sooty
Terns breeding upon Bird and other Keys, in the Dry Tortugas,
should again have protection, application was made to the Honor-
able Secretary of the Navy for permission to establish a warden
on Bird Key. In compliance with this request the following
order was issued :
U. S. Naval Station,
Key West, Fla., April 24, 1903.
ORDER.
Bv direction of the Secretary of the Navy, and in deference to a request
by the Chairman of the Protection Committee, North American Birds,
American Ornithologists' Union, New York City, in the State of New
York, all persons connected with the Navy of the United States or the
Marine Corps, or citizens of the United States, temporarily in the vicinity
of each, any, or all of the islands, keys, or above-water shoals in the group
geographically called Dry Tortugas, are hereby prohibited from dis-
turbing, during the nesting period, any sea birds, such as sooty and noddy
terns, on the small island known as Bird Key; and all persons, whether
foreign or domestic, are hereby prohibited from taking eggs from any
non-domesticated birds from any of the islands, keys or shoals of the
Tortugas group. It must be understood that the molestation of birds by
•»
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Vol. XXI
1904
1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I2C
word or gesture, or by the use of any weapon, trap or missile, or device
whatever, is in violation of the law of the land, except at certain times
and under certain circumstances strictly defined by law.
(Signed) George A. Bickne*ll,
Captain U. S. IV., Commandant.
Thereupon Mr. VV. R. Burton was appointed special warden and
was directed to proceed to and remain on Bird Key.
The following letter of instructions was given the warden :
This is to certify that the bearer, Mr. W. R. Burton, is the duly author-
ized representative of the American Ornithologists' Union.
He is appointed by the said Society for the purpose of protecting the
birds that breed on the several keys in the Dry Tortugas.
The said warden, has the permission of the Hon. Secretary of the
Navy, to camp upon any of the keys or islands of the Dry Tortugas
for the purpose above stated.
The said warden is directed to report to the Commandant of the Naval
Station at Key West for transportation to the Tortugas and on his arrival
at the Tortugas is to report to Lieut. R. B. Sullivan, U. S. M. C, Com-
manding the Marine Barracks, Dry Tortugas, Florida.
The said warden, Mr. Burton, is instructed to enforce the law of the
State of Florida, which makes it a misdemeanor to take the eggs of any
breeding bird, or to disturb them in any manner, or to kill them at any
time.
The said warden will report his arrival at the Tortugas to the under-
signed by letter, and will follow such further instructions as he may
receive from time to time.
By order of the American Ornithologists' Union.
(Signed) William Dutcher,
Chair man of the Protection Committee.
Mr. Burton made the following interesting report at the close of
the season, July 15. when he left the Tortugas:
Dry Tortugas, July 15, 1903.
I arrived at Bird Key on June 19, in company with Mr. Herbert K.
Job; I found that the birds had been laying some time, and that some
eggs had been taken ; there were probably 200 eggs on the ground when
we arrived ; the birds continued to lay until as late as June 15, in consider-
able numbers. It was impossible to count the eggs on account of the
manner in which the Sooties lay ; they deposit their eggs on the ground
without any attempt to build a nest, and a great many lay on the open
beach without any cover of any kind, but the majority deposit their eggs
126 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I ^uk
under a clump of grass, weeds, or the cedar bushes with which the key is
nearly covered. Mr. Job and I estimated that there were about 3,600 of the
sooties and about 400 noddies, but as a great many eggs were deposited
after he left, I think there must have been at least 5,000 of the sooties and
600 noddies. There are no other birds that nest, although the man-o'-war
birds roost there; there were about 300 of them, but they do not molest
the gulls in any way, nor do they eat the eggs or young, as reported ;
the gulls easily drive them away when they wish, as they can whip the
man-o'-war birds easily. I did not see a single crow while I was at
Tortugas, nor are there any animals of any kind on Bird Key to eat the
eggs or young. The only enemy they seem to have are the sea and land-
crabs with which the island is infested ; they undoubtedly eat a great
many eggs.
The birds are partly protected by the efforts of Capt. Geo. A. Bicknell,
Commandant of the Naval Station at Key West, of which Tortugas is a
part ; he is a fine officer and has done everything he possibly could to
assist me in protecting the birds. An order was posted by his direction
at the Fort and the Key, prohibiting any one from landing without
special permission. If the terns are protected during the time that they
are laying and until the eggs hatch, they will increase very fast, as the
mortality is very small.
The birds arrive at the Key about the middle of April and leave from
August 15 to the first of September; I am told that they all leave at one
time and in the night. The eggs were all hatched on the date I left the
N Key, July 15.
Our fellow member, Rev. H. K. Job, who accompanied Mr.
Burton, supplements the statements of the warden in the following
letter :
I went with Mr. Burton, the new warden, to Bird Key, Dry Tortugas,
arriving there May 19. I was with him the first four days of his stay,
instructing him in scientific observation and in photography.
There are two species of birds breeding, the Sooty Tern and the Noddy.
The former are by far the more abundant, numbering, at a guess, five to
six thousand. Of the Noddies, I should say, there were hardly a thou-
sand. There were also some Man-o'-war Birds resorting to the key, but
not breeding.
At the time of our arrival, most of the Noddies had a fresh egg in each
nest, and perhaps about half the Sooty Terns had also a fresh egg.
Some eggs had already been taken, it was said, by a party. This, how-
ever, did no damage, for by the end of my stay, the 22nd, nearly all
seemed to have laid, and they were protected thereafter. No noddy had
more than one egg, and in only three of the Sooty Terns' nests, out of
thousands inspected, did I find as many as two.
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The nests of the Noddies possibly could be counted, being built upon
the bay cedar bushes, but to accurately count those(of the Sooties, on the
sand under this thicket, would be next to impossible.
The opportunities for bird-photography upon Bird Key are simply
amazing. The Noddies are perfectly fearless, and the Sooty Terns,
though more nervous, are yet very tame indeed. I could focus, even upon
the latter, on their nests, at a distance of only three or four feet.
As the warden will be able to make a more complete report, I will not
attempt to describe the habits of the birds.
Upon my return, stopping at Key West, I called upon Commandant
Bicknell, in command of the Naval Station. He was very kind, express-
ing sympathy and great interest in the work of bird protection, regret-
ting that many of the people of Florida seem "determined to make of
their beautiful State a lifeless, treeless desert as fast as they possibly can,"
and promised to do all in his power to prevent this sad issue.
I also made a tour through the Key West markets, and found one stand,
kept by a negro, where eggs of the Sooty Tern, locally called "Egg Bird,"
were on sale, at 15 cents a dozen. The man had only a few dozen on
hand, and said they were brought from the Bahamas.
During my short stay on Bird Key warden Burton stopped several
parties of marines from the fort in attempts to gather eggs, and was
doing his work faithfully and intelligently, entering into the spirit of it.
Bird lovers will profoundly sympathize with him in the tragic death of
his little son upon the lovely key, sacrificed in the cause of bird protection.
Respectfully submitted,
Herbert K. Job.
Our warden in Monroe County, Mr. G. M. Bradley, has been
continuously employed since the last report, during which time
he has cruised hundreds of miles along the coast and among the
keys where thousands of birds still breed. He has also patrolled
on foot the swamps where boats could not penetrate. On one
occasion he just escaped being bitten by a large cotton-mouth
moccasin snake. He has every part of the territory under his
care posted with warning notices and has watched and warned
many boat loads of cruising tourists and hunters. Many visits
have been made to the city and island of Key West, which is in
Monroe County, although it is over 70 miles from his home..
His excursions have extended as far north as Chokoloskee on the
border of Lee County, 60 miles away, and eastward his patrol has
extended to Key Largo. There is no doubt that it is well known
in all that district that a deputy sheriff is continually on the look-
out for game and bird law violations and the moral effect is excel-
I 2o Dutcher, Report of Co?nmittee on Bird Protection. X j
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lent. Prior to June all of the wardens' journeys were made in a
row or sailboat which was found to be too slow to be effective.
Since that date Mr. Bradley has been using the launch 'Audubon '
which was provided by the Florida Audubon Society. His move-
ments now are much more rapid and plume hunters could not
escape arrest should any come into his territory.
In May two members of the American Ornithologists' Union,
Messrs. H. K. Job and A. C. Bent, visited this section of Florida
to study and photograph birds and while there spent a great deal
of time with our warden. At the request of the Chairman they
reported on the condition of bird protection work in Monroe
County. The report is so interesting and valuable that it is
embodied herewith.
My Dear Mr. Dutcher : —
In response to your request we will try to briefly describe the conditions
as we found them, in southern Florida this spring. Under the guidance of
your wardens, Messrs. Guy M. Bradley and Wm. R. Burton, we visited and
inspected during April and May, quite thoroughly, nearly all the principal
rookeries in southern Monroe County, from Whitewater Bay and the ever-
glades southward to the coast, and on the mangrove keys from Cards
Sound to Indian Key and Cape Sable.
Our first trip, two miles inland to Bear Lake, served to locate a small
rookery of Wood Ibises, consisting of about 20 nests, from 12 to 15 feet up
in the tops of red mangroves, on a small island. The nests at this time,
April 27, all held young birds of various ages. In order to reach this rook-
ery Bradlev had to carry our canoe on his back for two miles through a
thick tangle of mangrove forest, which is enough to discourage the average
native nest robber.
It required three days of hard work to visit the big rookery at Cuthbert
Lake, which lies about seven miles inland, nearly on the edge of the ever-
glades, and can be reached only by laboriously poling and sculling a small
skiff through a chain of six lakes connected by narrow, tortuous creeks,
overgrown with a thick tangle of red mangroves. The rookery itself is a
mangrove island of less than two acres, on which we estimated that there
were at least 4000 birds nesting. About one half of the colony were Lou-
isiana Herons, of which fully three quarters had young of various ages on
May 1. The White Ibises of which we estimated that there were about
1,000, were just beginning to lay and had from one to three eggs in each
nest. There were about 600 Florida Cormorants, about 200 Anhingas, and
about 100 Little Blue Herons in the colony, all of which had nests with
eggs and with young. We counted 18 American Egrets, and found their
nests with eggs, as well as with young of various ages, some of which were
V°!'^XI1 Dutcher, Report of Committee, on Bird Protection. I2Q
nearly grown. We also counted 12 Roseate Spoonbills, as they left the
island, but found only three of their nests, two with eggs and one with two
young birds less than half grown. A small flock of Wood Ibises flew from
the rookery when we arrived, but we found none of their nests. A few
Everglade Kites came here to roost at night.
But even this great rookery was far surpassed by one discovered in an
almost impassable morass at Alligator Lake, about four miles inland from
near Cape Sable; the mangrove islands, on which the birds were nesting,
were well protected by impenetrable jungles of saw grass, treacherous mud
holes, and apparently bottomless creeks of soft mud. The various species
of the Heron family were nesting here in countless numbers, White Ibises,
Louisiana Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy Herons and American
Egrets ; there was a perfect sea of nests and hosts of young birds in all
stages of growth, most of them being hatched at this time, May 16; but
the area was too vast and the traveling too difficult to arrive at any accu-
rate estimate of their numbers or relative abundance. We were able to
spend but one afternoon in the actual rookery and could get to but a small
part of it. Wood Ibises were probably nesting beyond where we pene-
trated, and possibly other species.
Among the small rookeries we found a few things of special interest,
notably a small colony of half a dozen pairs of Great White Herons, nest-
ing on one of the smaller mangrove keys; the nests, on April 29, ail held
young birds, some just hatched and some fully grown.
These birds are common among the Keys and we frequently found
nests of this species and Ward's Heron from which the young had
flown. Both of these species are extremely wary and do not need much
protection.
On a large, partly sandy key we found a colony of Laughing Gulls pre-
paring to breed ; also a breeding colony of about 40 pairs of Least Terns,
a few Wilson's Plovers, and a few Black-necked Stilts, all of which had
fresh eggs on May 8.
A flock of about 100 Black Skimmers constantly frequented a flat, muddy
island in one of the bays, but we could find no evidence of their
breeding.
We made a special effort to locate the breeding grounds of the Man-o'-
War Birds, which were everywhere abundant among the Keys, but were
unsuccessful. We discovered several of their roosts, one of which con-
tained from 1,000 to 1,200 birds. We were forced to conclude that they do
not breed in this region at all or that the}' breed at a much earlier or a
later date.
In Southern Florida, as elsewhere, the plume hunters have done their
work thoroughly, but there is not much to be feared from them in the
future, simply because there are very few desirable plume birds left for them
to hunt. The American Egrets and Snowy Herons are so reduced in
numbers that it does not pay to hunt them. There are, however, a few of
these birds still left in nearly all of the less accessible rookeries, so that,
I ?0 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. fy
under adequate protection, they ought to increase sufficiently to partially
restock their former haunts.
The Louisiana and Little Blue Herons, particularly the former, are still
very abundant and as they are not sought after by plume hunters, they will
continue to hold their own for a long time to come.
The White Ibises are still very abundant, but as they are killed in large
numbers by gunners in the winter and the young are much sought after
by the natives for food, they need protection.
The Roseate Spoonbills are steadily decreasing in numbers from the same
cause and certainly need most stringent protection to save them from
extinction. Their breeding grounds are restricted to the most inaccessible
localities from which they can be very easily driven by persecution ; their
beautiful plumage makes them attractive prey for the sportsmen and
tourists.
You are certainly fortunate in your selection of wardens for the protec-
tion of this inaccessible region, and it would be hard to find better men
for this work than Messrs. Bradley and Burton. The rookeries are so
widely scattered and traveling is so difficult, either on land or water,
that it is almost impossible for two, or even three, men to cover this
whole region at all thoroughly. The native conchs and negroes, many of
whom are desperate characters, can, by watching the wardens' move-
ments, visit the rookeries with impunity and make wholesale depredations
on the young herons, ibises and even cormorants for food. Several expe-
ditions of this kind have already been broken up by the judicious employ-
ment of negro spies, who have kept the wardens informed.
The most effective work against the plume hunters can be done by
working against the purchasers of plumes, thus destroying the demand,
rather than against the hunters themselves, who are expert woodsmen
and very difficult to catch. All of the principal rookeries and roosts have
been thoroughly posted and whenever we went to explore a new one,
Bradlej' always carried a supply of warning notices, which he nailed to
trees or stakes in conspicuous places.
The natives are beginning to realize that the birds are to be protected,
and that the wardens are fearless men who are not to be trifled with.
The Bradleys have the reputation of being the best rifle shots in that
vicinity and they would not hesitate to shoot when necessary. The
Bradleys and Burton together would be more than a match for any party
they are likely to meet.
A power launch of light draft would aid them materially in moving
about quickly, as many days are wasted in trying to beat through the
narrow channels in a sail boat.
We sincerely hope that no efforts will be spared to thoroughly protect
these rapidly diminishing colonies of interesting water birds, some of
which are not to be found elsewmere within the limits of the United States.
Very truly yours,
A. C. Bent.
Herbert K. Job.
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 7 I
Andubo7i aud Educational Work. — The report of Mrs. Kingsmill
Marrs, Chairman of the Executive Committee, gives in detail the
activities of the Society for the past twelve months.
"I can report progress for the year in increasing membership
by which the work has spread into eleven new counties ; much
interest has been aroused in the State which we hope will help
the introduction of Nature Study, including bird study, in certain
grades of schools. This matter is left optional with County
Boards, but its adoption and incorporation in the " State Course
of Study " is a cause for congratulation considering the antagon-
istic attitude by many toward bird protection three years ago when
the society was founded.
" There should be no feeling of discouragement if our member-
ship does not increase as rapidly as like societies in other States.
Present membership, 656; gain in the year, 256. Leaflets dis-
tributed, 3,500.
" Warning notices sent out, 250 exclusive of those posted in post-
offices and those placed by courtesy of the Southern Express
Company in its offices. Local secretaries, 8. Massachusetts
Audubon Charts, 15, in charge of local secretaries who lend them
to schools. During the summer vacation several charts have been
retained for bird classes. Four prizes were given, at close of
school year in Orlando, to children of ten or twelve years for bird
chart compositions ; the list for competition was open to any
school using the chart, but few teachers interested their pupils,
fearing local prejudice against bird protection. We have 53
teachers as members ; 36 have joined the past year.
" Some 300 letters have been sent to members of the Legislature,
horticulturists, agriculturists, principals of schools and individuals,
with educational or statistical leaflets. Many articles have been
written on bird protection, bird study, and the value of birds to
farmers and fruit growers ; these have been published in the
' Times Union ' by the courtesy of the editor, Mr. Wilson, in
' The Agriculturist ' by Mr. Painter, and in ' The Southern School
and Home.' Frequent editorials, the value of which in reaching
homes where our leaflets might not, are greatly appreciated.
Money to the amount of $300 was chiefly subscribed by members
of the Society for building a naphtha launch for the use of the game
172 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |f n
warden in Monroe County. Contributions have also been given
by various members and friends of the Society to defray the salary
of the warden at Cape Sable from September to December, other-
wise a most efficient and valuable man could not have been kept
at his post, owing to lack of money in the Thayer Fund. A more
liberal support of the Thayer Fund is urged.
"The Florida State Federation of Women's Clubs have a sub-
committee for the preservation of birds, and its chairman, Mrs.
Graves, has done efficient work at Greencove Springs and Ormond,
our Society helping by leaflets, charts, etc.
Thanks are due to our vice-president, Mr. R. W. Williams, Jr.,
of Tallahassee, who has rendered our Society and the State most
efficient aid toward bird protection, and for the efforts of Mr. W. N.
Sheats, State Superintendent of Instruction, in behalf of '• Nature
Study for Schools,' whereby the introduction of bird study is now
a possibility."
Mr. R. W. Williams, Jr., the Florida member of the A. O. U.
Protection Committee, says: "The sentiment against the useless
slaughter of birds in my State is growing and I believe I foresee
an awakening to the true value of our avifauna. I was delighted
to receive information, a short time since, that ' bullbat ' shooting
had almost entirely ceased in my county. I wrote a very strong
letter of condemnation of the practise to an influential friend in
Tallahassee and requested him to use his utmost efforts to dis-
countenance the 'sport.' I was greatly pleased and gratified to
receive an assurance that he would do all in his power to discour-
age it. This, coming as it does from an old offender, is cheering.
"During the last session of our Legislature in April and May,
1903, persistent effort was made to exclude from protection the
terns. Through the earnest effort of Dr. DeWitt Webb, a repre-
sentative of St. Johns County, we were able to defeat the measure
in the Senate, notwithstanding its passage by the House. I would
be ungrateful if I did not also acknowledge with gratitude the
splendid service of Hon. W. Hunt Harris, the senator from Mon-
roe County, without whose assistance the bill might have passed
the Senate. The vote in the House was astonishingly encourag-
ing to those interested in bird protection, for, while the bill
passed that body, the minority vote nearly equalled that of the
V°l <^XI1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 1^3
majority. It demonstrates the lively interest that is taken in bird
protection, even by men who ordinarily would vote for a bill at the
request of a fellow legislator when doing so would in no way reflect
upon them in the eyes of their constituents.
"During the year a prosecution was instituted in Jacksonville
against a young man for removing some young mockingbirds
from their nest. The prosecution was based upon a mistaken set
of facts and was forthwith dismissed. The young man, instead
of removing the birds from the nest, was endeavoring to replace
them, a sudden gust of wind having dislodged them. This, too,
demonstrates some progress in protection.
"The Florida Audubon Society is very active and is accom-
plishing a great work in the right direction, i. e., educating the
people to the value of birds ; the time is not far distant when the
subject will form part of the school and college curriculum.
"Progress in this direction must be slow. Prejudices and
instincts of generations must be overcome ; all the signs, however,
are encouraging."
Georgia. — Legislation. — After a long, hard fight, extending
over three legislative seasons, the A. O. U. model bill became a
law by approval August 15, 1903, but by its own provisions does
not go into effect until January 1, 1904. In addition to the non-
game bird law the game law was greatly improved by materially
shortenimg the open seasons.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund, but during the coming season it is proposed to extend the
system on the Georgia coast to all localities where birds are found
breeding in colonies of such size as to warrant the necessary
expenditure.
Audubon work. — In June last Dr. E. E. Murphey, of Augusta,
wrote the Committee as follows : " Within the last few days I
have been approached by several of the most influential and prom-
inent people of our city in regard to inaugurating the Audubon
movement here. I believe that the time is ripe for us to do this
and trust that within a very few weeks you may shade Georgia on
your map."
Later a letter was received from Prof. Starnes, of the Experi-
ment Station, saying, "I shall endeavor to push matters on to a
I 1A Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\
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thorough organization. I am so greatly interested in the subject,
and feel so strongly the importance to the agricultural interests of
the State of a working Audubon Society, that I cannot cut adrift
until one is fairly underway. Do not conclude, therefore, that
nothing will be done in Georgia to further the cause, if we appear
somewhat inactive for a while. Our efforts shall now be directed
to getting the Mourning Dove transferred from the game list, and
the Meadowlark from the proscribed list to the protected list."
The above interests coalesced, resulting in the organization of
a society which already numbers among its members some of
Georgia's best and most public spirited citizens. There is a great
work for them to do which will need all the push and energy that
can be gathered together. One of the most important activities
of the Society will be to see that the provisions of the two new
bird and game laws shall be presented by the Judges of the Supe-
rior Courts to the Grand Juries at each regular term of said courts.
A second and no less important matter is to see that large num-
bers of the educational leaflets issued by the National Committee
are distributed throughout the State among the agriculturists, the
press, and especially among the schools, in order that the public
m ly be fully instructed regarding the great economic value of the
birds of Georgia.
Hawaii. — The following letter from Mr. Henry W. Henshaw,
a Fellow of the American Ornithologists1 Union, gives a clear and
interesting outline of bird matters in the Hawaiian Islands. He
says :
"Yours at hand. I framed a bill for the protection of the
island birds, which was practically an embodiment of the A. O. U.
model law. Unfortunately it failed of passage, being killed by the
sportsmen of Honolulu, or more particularly by one sportsman.
This was particularly exasperating, as in framing the statute I
kept specially in mind the needs of the sportsmen, well knowing
that without their approval it was hopeless to present the bill.
Had I been in Honolulu I have no doubt the bill would have
become a law, as it was probably through a misapprehension of
the facts that any opposition to the clauses affecting game birds
developed.
"I may attempt another bill, practically the same one. this
Vol. XXI
1904
I Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. I 7 C
session, but not unless I can be down there to explain away any
opposition. However, I must say that the passage of a law for
protection is not of so much importance in the islands as would
appear, simply because its provisions cannot be enforced. Game
wardens are quite out of the question. There is no money to pay
them, and practically very little game to preserve or to regulate
the shooting of. The small insectivorous birds, which it is of the
greatest importance to protect and preserve, all live in the remote
and dense, uninhabited forests, where surveillance is impossible.
Nevertheless the fact that there is a law with penalties for infrac-
tion is of itself a certain though insufficient protection, and can be
invoked in such extreme cases as the collection of birds for
millinery purposes.
"The most hopeless feature of the whole business is the
undoubted fact that Hawaiian birds are fast dying out from some
one obscure cause or from a combination of causes. There is
now, so far as I can ascertain, no indiscriminate killing of the
native birds, and very few are sacrificed by the leis hunters.
Under similar conditions our birds would increase fast enough,
but both large and small are disappearing and no one has sug-
gested an adequate cause. About five years ag° Perkins col-
lected in a certain locality in Kona, where he found three rare
species to be quite common while the commoner species were in
swarms. He says the locality was simply a bird Paradise. Last
year I visited the place, in which probably a gun has not been
fired since Perkins was there. Ten days of the most careful
search failed to discover a single individual of either of the three
species, and the common birds were anything but abundant. It
was a cattle range in Perkins's day and is now, and the only change
I was able to note was an abundance of the Mynah which in
Perkins's time was probably not there at all. v Yet the Mynah, so
far as I can see, does not meddle with the native birds.
"I have gone into this subject at some length in my recently
published 'Birds of the Hawaiian Islands,' though about all I say
is that I do not know anything about the matter.
" So it is a bit discouraging to try and frame laws for the pro-
tection of birds from men when, as a matter of fact, they require
to be protected from an unknown enemy rather than from man."
I? 6 Dutcher, Re fort of Committee on Bird Protection. \]r
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an.
Idaho. — Legislation. — The non-game birds of this State have
no legal protection whatever. Next session of the legislature,
1905.
Audubon work. — There is no organized society at the present
time, although quite recently the Committee received an inquiry
from a citizen in Weippe asking for information regarding
Audubon work and method of organization.
Illinois. — Legislation. — No change in the non-game bird law.
The A. O. U. model law is in force.
At the session of the legislature last winter the game laws were
amended so as to prohibit the shooting of Ruffed Grouse and
Prairie Chickens for four years. Another amendment prohibits
the sale of Illinois killed ducks, and limits the bag which any one
man may make in a day.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund. However, the State game wardens are very active and
there have been a number of prosecutions of men who have dis-
regarded the Prairie Chicken law. Fines were inflicted and a
salutary lesson taught. One Chicago millionnaire who went to the
scene of his shooting in an automobile was captured on the way
back with Woodcock in his possession. It was before the open-
ing of the season and the man was fined.
The small boy has been taught to respect the song bird in
Illinois. It is the Italian workman who is the worst offender.
He goes out Sunday and shoots everything in sight. Many of
these Italians have been caught and fined, but their fellow country-
men are slow to learn a lesson.
With the exception of one dealer, the bird sellers of Chicago
have ceased to traffic in native American birds. The one offender
was fined heavily at one time but he still plies his trade, though
he does it half secretly. It is more than probable that ere long a
means will be found to put an end to his illegal business.
Audubon work. — Mr. E. B. Clark, the Illinois member of the
A. O. U. Protection Committee, says: "The year in Illinois has
been marked by an increase of interest in the preservation of
bird life fully as great as in any year since the phenomenal change
in public sentiment regarding bird protection which took place a
few years ago. The agreement with the millinery manufacturers
Vol. XXI
1904
1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 1^7
is shown to have had excellent results. There is an almost utter
absence of gulls, terns and other protected birds from the hats
shown in the great stores where the women in Chicago and of
the country round about do the greater part of the purchasing.
" The gulls and terns have been unusually plentiful during the
fall migrations along the west coast of Lake Michigan. I have
seen more Bonaparte Gulls than during any season for twelve
years past.
"The protection situation in Illinois may be summarized under
the one word, progress."
The Secretary reports a rapidly growling interest in Audubon
work throughout the State, that the membership is increasing, and
that branches are being established in some of the larger cities,
although this special feature does not grow as rapidly as could be
hoped. Large numbers of leaflets have been distributed, 1500
having been sent to milliners in the State, 2000 to State Superin-
tendents of schools for teachers, and many to Farmers' Institutes,
for distribution. A generous and public-spirited woman, a mem-
ber of the society, presented 56 colored slides to illustrate a lecture
which is now in use and is making many friends for the birds.
The press of the State is giving material aid by the publication
of articles about birds ; bird charts are being placed in schools.
The Federation of Women's Clubs is helping, every club having
had at least one bird program, and many having had. special
meetings ; in Ravenswood the club members passed resolutions
strongly condemning the wearing of plumage.
Miss Drummond, the Secretary, from whose report the above
facts are gleaned, very pertinently quotes : " Plenty of people
wish well to any good cause but very few care to exert themselves
to help it. Some one ought to do it, so why not I ? "
The Farmers of Rockford Township have taken such a splendid
advance step in forming an association for controlling and regulat-
ing hunting on their farms that their Constitution and By-Laws
are given in full in the hope that the farmers of other States may
follow this most excellent example.
1^8 Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protectio?i. |~fuk
Constitution and By-Laws of the Rockford Township
Farmers' Association.
This Association is formed for the purpose of controlling and regulating
hunting on and over farms owned by or rented by us.
Article I — That the name of this Association shall be the Rockford
Township Farmers' Association.
Article II — The officers of the Association shall consist of a President,
Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall be elected annually
on the first Monday of December of each year by a majority of members
present.
Article III — The President shall preside at all meetings and upon
request in writing of five members shall call special meetings at any
time. The Vice-President, in the absence of the President, shall take the
chair.
The Secretary shall keep all records and any or all correspondence, shall
collect dues and other income.
The Treasurer shall receive from the Secretary all moneys of the Asso-
ciation, and shall pay out the same on warrant of the Secretary. He
shall make an annual statement which shall be verified by the books of
the Secretary.
Article IV. — This Constitution may be altered or amended at any
annual meeting or adjourned session thereof by a majority of members
present.
By-Latvs.
Article I. — Any farmer may become a member of this Association upon
payment of a fee of 75 cents to the Secretary.
Article II — Each member shall post in five or more conspicuous places,
notices prohibiting hunting or trespassing upon the premises.
Article III — Each member shall interview, as far as possible, any per-
son found hunting upon the premises, and if after the interview such per-
son persists in hunting, such member shall go before the nearest justice
of the peace or magistrate and cause to be issued a warrant for trespass
against the offending person.
Article IV. — Each member shall use especial effort to prevent hunting
on Sunday on his premises, as such hunting is particularly objectionable
to the members of this Association.
Article V. — Any member may grant any person well known to him
the privilege of hunting on his farm; provided, that he accompany
such person.
Article VI. — Each member shall use every effort to prevent the wan-
Vol Xin Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 39
ton destruction of birds, and promote the strict enforcement of the game
laws of the State of Illinois.
The Mayor and Council of the city of Evanston, appreciating
the economic and aesthetic value of birds in the parks and city
limits, passed a special ordinance prohibiting their molestation by
the use of firearms, slingshot, bow and arrow, pelting with stones
or otherwise, and also forbade the taking of eggs or nest under a
penalty of not less than five nor more than twenty dollars for each
offence.
The Governor, also, in his Arbor Day proclamation called the
attention of the citizens to the necessity for bird protection and
asked that exercises tending to show the value of birds be held in
connection with the tree exercises.
Indiana. — Legislation. — There has been no change in the non-
game bird law, the A. O. U. model being still in force. The next
session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary makes the following admirable
report of progress :
"1 have been in the thick of the work, troubling myself not at
all with the way what we accomplished might work up into a report ;
chiefly concerned in getting in what work I could in ways that
seemed to me most likely to count for the birds.
' Do you know Indiana ? It is admirably located to ' work
out ' the old Roman idea of development from a center in Aubu-
bon work, as in many other things, and so a story of Indianapolis
work serves as a sort of type story for a good many cities and
villages in the State.
"Here we have a strong Audubon Society ; not large in num-
bers, but large in accomplishment, considering the number.
Every one works; no one has to be entertained. We have a
number of open meetings in the year with interesting and timely
talks or papers. Aside from this the Society expends its effort
in two directions, work in the schools and in the press.
'The school work is very interesting. Every spring we muster
all our members capable of being used in this way, to give one or
1 40 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |Tk
more afternoons each week to the school work. Then we give
' bird talks ' in schools. The School Superintendent so arranges
that the talks work in with the nature study the pupils are doing
in their regular school routine. There were seven of us giving
talks last spring, and from chance meetings with them I find that
they all feel that this work among the pupils is of great value.
Pupils give close and intense attention to 'bird talks,' lasting from
thirty to forty-five minutes ; they stay after the talk, and school is
dismissed, to ask questions about the birds they have seen, nests
they have found. The teachers enjoy the work almost as much
as the pupils ; through this work a good deal is achieved for the
birds, but as one watches the interest and enthusiasm developed
by the boys and girls, one cannot but see that the study of the
birds does much for them. I was pushing my wheel along the
banks of a creek in one of the parks, when two boys came running
toward me and called as soon as within hailing distance to know
if I was not the lady who talked about the birds to school 38. As
soon as I said that I was they shouted 'Wait a minute; we'll
boost your wheel up that bank for you,' and they not only
' boosted ' the wheel but staid with me all afternoon, and I learned
while with them how very much the bird work does in the way of
broadening the horizon for these little ones who have so little of
opportunity and know so little how to use what they have. Some
of the teachers told me that the pupils had been impatient more
than a month for their ' bird lecturer.' As far as we can, the
State Society tries to have the bird talks given in the schools
throughout the State ; they were given in a good many schools
last year, other than Indianapolis schools, and will be given in
more next year.
" Prof. Amos W. Butler is one of our strong working members,
and as Secretary of the State Board of Charities is about the
State a good deal ; incidentally, he gets in touch with a good
many people interested in bird work and serves as a sort of Field
Secretary for the Audubon Society ; besides this, he starts, at
every opportunity, an interest where none exists.
"Besides the school work and the work of the various societies
and individuals we have attempted some work through the press.
The newspapers are glad to publish anything of interest we can
furnish them.
Vol. XXI"| £)UTCHERi Report of Committee on Bird Proteetion. 1 4- 1
"In the year just closing Mr. Woollen furnished a series of
papers regarding the birds and plants around Indianapolis. These
were so timed that they could be used in the nature study work in
the schools. I furnished a series of 'City Bird Sketches,' from
week to week, very simple and non-technical, written after talking
with some of the supervising principals, to make a sort of local
guide for the teachers and pupils of the birds to be found about
the city at the time. For instance, in January winter birds were
discussed; in February, ' Birding on Washington Street ' (Birds
of the Bonnets) ; late February, the Bluebird ; then the Robin
and Meadowlark.
"This newspaper work has proved of a good deal of value and
we are now planning to extend it through the State. We shall have
sketches in as many of the State papers as we can get the material
for, and also in at least one set of ' patent insides.' The only limit
to this sort of work is the getting people who can and will write
the sketches. Almost all our people are so busy that they think
they cannot take the time to write ; indeed, what Audubon work
is done in Indiana is done by busy people who have to slip it in
as best they may, with their regular work.
"The work in the schools receives such recognition that the city
librarian has agreed to add enough bird books to meet the demands
of the teachers and pupils, at least in part. This year the attend-
ants at the library tell me that the stock of bird books was only
a drop in the bucket, compared to the demand. I am now work-
ing out a list of books, numbers of copies of each needed, etc.
They agree that these books shall be in and ready for distribu-
tion by the time the spring nature work opens in the schools.
" I do not know how many societies we have in the State, but
the bird work, organized or not, is progressing. I had a report last
week from a bird club in Hanover. This week I am correspond-
ing with some of the teachers and newspaper people in Noblesville,
looking toward an organization among those interested in the
work there.
" I greatly regret that all I can give you now in the way of a
report is this inadequate and informal letter. Another time, with
the work in hand, I trust that I may be able to meet your require-
ments and send a report that can be properly so called."
I A 2 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Tv1"
k
an.
Iowa. — Legislation. — There will be a session of the legislature
in 1904, commencing in January, when an effort will be made to
have the A. O. U. model law adopted. Inasmuch as only a few
non-game birds are now protected, the passage of a new and com-
prehensive law is very important.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary of the Schaller Society reports
as follows : " As to our work : We have one illustrated lecture in the
field and have distributed many of the excellent educational leaflets
issued by the National Committee.
"Our proposed work for the coming winter will center in the
one object to get a bill passed in our Legislature prohibiting trap
shooting in our State.
" We would suggest and beg that the National Committee take
up the subject, and publish some literature upon the matter of live
bird shooting from traps, that could be used for distribution in
all States where the barbarous custom is not prohibited by law.
Nebraska passed such a law last winter and the ' sports ' all come
across the river and hold their shoots in our own State, at Council
Bluffs and Sioux City. I wish you would send me a strong argu-
ment to be put into a circular for distribution for our campaign."
There are indications that Audubon work will soon be greatly-
extended in Iowa by the organization of other societies, which may
be joined in a State body.
Kansas. — Legislation. — The non-game bird law is totally
inadequate as it only protects eight species and two of these may
be killed, provided the owner of an orchard is willing to say that
he thinks the said birds are harming his trees. An effort was
made by our fellow member, Prof. D. E. Lantz, to attach the main
features of the A. O. U. model law to a game bill that had already
been introduced. In this he was successful, but the bill was killed
owing to determined opposition to some of its other provisions.
The next session of the legislature will be in 1905.
Warden system'. — None employed.
Audubon work. — There is no society in the State, although there
is great need for one. Prof. Lantz wrote the National Committee
Feb. 12 that he was shipping daily from the laboratory of the Agri-
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 14-3
cultural Experiment Station nearly $200 worth of rodent poison
sold to the fanners at actual cost of the materials. This was used
to kill pocket gophers arid prairie dogs. There is certainly need
for educational work among the farmers of Kansas who permit and
probably themselves kill every hawk and owl they see, not knowing
that these birds live very largely upon the very rodents that they
buy poison to kill, at the rate of almost $200 per day. It would be
a far wiser and more economic movement to spend this daily sum
in bird literature to circulate in the rural districts in order that the
agriculturist may learn the good that the 354 species of Kansas
birds are doing for the farm interests. Let some of the bird lovers
of the State take this matter to heart and organize for the protec-
tion of the birds and the conservation of one of the most important
assets of the Commonwealth. The press should also take up this
matter, for Kansas is far behind some of her sister States whose
agricultural interests in no way compare with hers.
Kentucky. — Legislation. — The A. O. U. model law is in force.
The next session of the legislature will be in 1904.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The society is small and rather inactive.
However, there are some individuals in the State who are doing
excellent work for the birds. Mr. C. W. Wilson of Mayfield writes
as follows : " I am resolved to remain, or get in close touch with
your grand work, and to do at all times all I can for the protection
of our birds ; I want to be used. When our County Teachers
Institute convenes this summer I want to distribute some suitable
literature and get one of the teachers to make a talk on the sub-
ject. We must reach the children of Kentucky in the common
schools. I feel sure of this."
Mr. R. H. Dean of the U. S. Weather Office, State College,
writes: "I have been requested by the Dean of the State Normal
School to lecture before the school on birds. There are teachers
in the school from over the State generally, and such a lecture
properly prepared will no doubt do much good." Later he wrote :
"Much interest was taken in the talk and the pictures. It is my
intention to obtain as complete a set of bird slides as possible and
to repeat the lecture at intervals in this institution, State College,
and at other places."
I44 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \P\X^
Louisiana. — Legislation. — There was no session of the legis-
lature during 1903, but one will convene in May, 1904, when a
renewed and determined effort will be made to pass the A. O. U.
model law. It is vitally important that Louisiana should have the
very best of bird and game laws, so many of the northern birds
make this State their winter home. It is useless to try to pre-
serve birds at their breeding homes if they are to be wantonly
slaughtered at their winter homes.
Warde?i system. — None can be employed by the Thayer Fund,
although the extensive coast line, which is an ideal place for water
birds, should be systematically patrolled. Without legal backing
money spent for warden service is simply wasted.
Audubon work. — The report of the Executive Committee is
here given in full, as it is very interesting and complete:
"Work accomplished'by the Louisiana Society since the date of
incorporation, November 22, 1902. Giving due consideration to
the difficult conditions to be met in a fight for bird protection in
southeastern Louisiana, and especially at New Orleans, the Lou-
isiana Audubon Society may be allowed to feel some little satisfac-
tion over the work accomplished during the last year. In one
particular, the curtailment of the shooting of song birds under
fancy French names at certain seasons of the year, the Audubon
Society has had to face the prejudices and traditions of at least
five generations. The Wood Thrush, or Speckled Caille, the Cat-
bird, or Black Caille, the Tanagers (in fall plumage), or Yellow
Cailles, the Kingbird, or Black Grasset, and the Red-eyed Vireo,
or Green Grasset, have been the prey of many of the so-called
sportsmen of Louisiana, but particularly of New Orleans, since the
days of the first French establishments. As far as securing a pro-
hibition of this kind of shooting is concerned, so far the Audubon
Society has been unsuccessful. The ignorant interposition of the
local trappers of birds, and dealers in live birds, men whose inter-
ests are affected in the case of only a few species, has defeated
practically in toto the Audubon Society's efforts at restrictive legis-
lation. The same interests that defeated a bird protection bill
introduced at the 1902 session of the Louisiana General Assembly
by Mr. Frank M. Miller, now President of the Audubon Society,
prevented the passage of a city ordinance introduced before the
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee ou Bird Protection. 14^
City Council of New Orleans August 25, 1903, since the organiza-
tion of the Audubon Society. Protection for a host of insectivo-
rous birds could almost certainly have been secured in either case
had the Audubon Society been willing to compromise matters with
the bird dealers. The crux was the trapping of Cardinals and
Mockingbirds. The proposed bill in either case would have been
the A. O. U. model law, and as this prevented the killing and trap-
ping of any song or insectivorous bird whatsoever, the bird dealers
stepped in and used their influence to secure the substitution of a
bill drawn up in an ignorant and careless manner, and from the
very nature of the point of view of its framers, giving practically
no protection to song and insectivorous birds, except in the case
of the city ordinance, which prohibits the sale of all birds save a
few excepted species, for ornamental purposes. The few non-
game birds protected from the gunner are those that happen to be
the desiderata of the trappers. As these birds had to be men-
tioned to entrench the privileges of the trappers, it was no trouble
to mention that they should be protected from the gunners. The
assortment is, nevertheless, rather a peculiar one : Cardinal,
Mockingbird, Oriole, Bluebird, Nighthawk, and Whip-poor-will.
When the bird dealers drew up their law before the Louisiana leg-
islature, they appeared to throw in with the names of the cardinal
and the mockingbird, which are not to be molested except for
i domesticating purposes,' the names of a few other birds of which
they happened to think, so as to appear to be concerned in the
protection of the song and insectivorous birds of the State. In
the matter of general protection of non-game birds, the city ordi-
nance copies the State law.
" Though the actual results of legislation in favor of non-game
birds is small, the question has been thoroughly ventilated, and the
moment of the whole matter has been impressed on some part of
the population. Education as to bird protection has been secured
and their integrity and not the stock of their information will be at
fault if legislators before whom the question is brought in future
do not uphold the decision of enlightenment in half the States in
the Union.
"As to the protection of game, the society has been able to pur-
sue an active course, as the game laws of the State are more nearly
IA.G Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. fy
_Auk
an.
adequate for the conditions. Prosecutions for killing deer and
papabottes (Bartramian Sandpipers) out of season have been
secured, and a wholesome fear of violating such laws as do exist
has been easier to secure than the winning of councilmen and
legislators to the views of bird protectionists, or for that matter,
in getting them to take any view but a jocular one, and even in
some instances, any view but an unprincipled one.
" Five hundred appeals to the people of Louisiana have been
issued since last December, and the better part of them have been
circularized. A part of this appeal was published in ' Bird Lore T
shortly after the appeal was issued. To facilitate the observance
of the game law, the Society has issued ioo large cards giving the
closed seasons. These have been distributed to postmasters and
clerks of courts over the State. One hundred cards of the same
size offering a reward of $25.00 for the arrest and conviction of
anyone violating the non-game or game provisions of the State law
have also been issued.
" The Educational Leaflets received from the National Committee
have been distributed among the members. Local secretaries
have been appointed in several parts of the State. The member-
ship of the Society at present, including associates and life mem-
bers, is about eighty.
" Between the present time and the convening of the Louisiana
General Assembly for the session of 1904, the Audubon Society
will have a great work on its hands in bringing the question of bird
protection before the legislators of the State. From the work
along this line that has already been done, there will not be a great
deal of difficulty in convincing the law makers from the country
districts and from the smaller towns that bird protection is an
essential for any civilized community. There are no indications
that there will be any serious opposition from any part of the State
except the southeastern, and the interests of the other sections
properly aggregated will outweigh any combination of bird dealers,
market hunters, misguided ' sportsmen,' and corrupt and indiffer-
ent legislators.
" One pleasant feature of the work of the past year is that the
milliners of New Orleans have established with the Audubon Soci-
ety the same cordial relations as have been established between
i o I Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 147
the New York Society and the milliners of the metropolis. The
recently enacted law for bird protection in New Orleans carried its
one good feature, the prohibition of the use of birds for ornamental
purposes, to an absurd extreme, and as the law stood at first, mil-
liners could not even handle duck, goose or turkey feathers. With
the help of the Audubon Society the law was amended to protect
all native birds except the above species and the dove, which
practically means pigeon.
"Several considerations, including financial ones, have made it
impossible for the Louisiana Audubon Society to have a delegate
to represent it this year at the deliberations of the several Audubon
Societies convened in Philadelphia. The executive committee
trust, however, that by submitting the foregoing report they will
be able to expose the conditions in Louisiana almost as clearly as
if the committee were represented in the person of any of its
members."
Maine. — The non-game bird law is still satisfactory, no changes
having been made in it by the legislature of 1903. An effort will
be made to protect the beneficial hawks and owls as soon as pub-
lic opinion is educated sufficiently to warrant the movement. The
attention of the sportsmen of Maine is called to the fact that the
game laws give no protection whatever to any wild ducks except
" wood duck, black duck, gray duck and teal" ; all the other species
of the Anatidaeare left without legal protection : This is wrong and
should be remedied. The American Eider was formerly a common
breeder on the Maine coast but is yearly becoming more rare owing
to the fact that almost every set of eggs that is laid is at once taken
by some fisherman. Unless a law is passed making a close season
for a term of years, this splendid duck is doomed to extinction in
this State. The spring shooting of plover, snipe and sandpipers
should be abolished, as it is wrong in principle.
Warden syste?n. — The result of the work of the ten wardens
employed is very satisfactory, showing on their part great fidelity
to and an intelligent interest in the trust committed to them.
Mr. A. H. Norton, a member of the Union, at the request of the
Chairman, visited every portion of the coast and thoroughly
inspected the wardens' work. He states : " While all of the war-
dens were very kind and interested in the success of my inspection,
IA.S Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\£x
k
an.
I would like to make especial mention of Mr. Fred Rackliff, who
rendered gratuitously invaluable aid ; Capt. Hall of Matinicus Rock,
for making my stay there successful and pleasant ; Mr. Martin
Talmon and wife of the same place for entertainment and many
kindnesses ; Mr. and Mrs. Robinson of Libby Island for acts of
courtesy, and Capt. and Mrs. Small of Cross Island for entertain-
ment and aid- of much value. The work was indeed pleasant and
one in which I take great interest." The report of Mr. Norton is
so exhaustive and interesting that it is thought best to quote from
it very freely :
"On June 20, 1903, I paid a visit to the Night Heron colony in
Falmouth. This is on the main land, upon the estate of Gen. John
Marshall Brown, of Portland, which is his country home, known as
Thornhurst. This colony is within ten minutes' walk from a much
traveled town road, traversed by an electric car line. Under date
of Feb. 7, 1903, Gen. Brown wrote me that the birds have been in
his woods for twenty-five years, to his knowledge, where they have
been protected by him ; he thinks they occupy twenty acres.
" On the date of my visit the birds seemed to be enjoying secu-
rity; no evidence of shooting (which is the real danger threatening
the nesting species) was observed. The nests were built near the
tops of tall, slender pines and many of the young were large enough
to clamber from the nest out on the branches. The crows, which
were abundant, seem to destroy some of the eggs, as I found a
number of shells that clearly had been broken by these birds. I
visited the tern colony in charge of Mr. Cushman and found it in
good condition.
" Mr. G. E. Cushman, warden, has charge of the above men-
tioned colony, also of the tern colony on Bluff Island. He reports
an increase of six hundred terns during the season, and adds :
1 The eggs were so plenty one had to walk carefully to prevent
stepping upon them.'
" On June 30, I boarded at Portland the little packet ' Mineola '
for a trip of 65 miles east to Port Clyde. Passing the Outer Green
Island, six miles east of Portland, about half-a-dozen terns were
seen over the shore of the island, one of which was carrying fish.
The war manoeuvres on this coast this summer, it is to be feared,
may again cause these birds to abandon the place, as it is used as
a base for the targets for the heavy guns at the forts inshore.
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I4Q
"Whenever outside islands or ledges were passed in Casco and
Sheepscat Bays, flocks of from seventy-five to four hundred Herring-
Gulls were seen resting upon them, though none are known to breed
west of No-Mans-Land off Penobscot Bay.
"At Metinic, in a swamp well protected by undergrowth and
very difficult of penetration, fresh signs of Black Ducks were found,
and near the house of Mr. Snow, owner and warden, several nests
of Savanna Sparrows and Spotted Sandpipers were seen. He then
took me to Metinic Green Island, the home of thousands of terns,
the only Laughing Gulls now known to breed in Maine, and of a
good number of Sea Pigeons and a few Leach's Petrels. This is
one of the largest Tern colonies in Maine, vying with Machias
Seal Island for second rank to Matinicus Rock. A very large pro-
portion of these are the Arctic Tern but the Common Tern is in
good numbers. None of the young were yet large enough to fly
but were in well fledged condition, while many nests with eggs
were still to be found, and one had to walk with care to avoid
stepping on nest or young.
"The adults were very tame, and this applies also to the Sea
Pigeons and even the Laughing Gulls. Quite a number of the
Pigeon's nests were found but none had hatched.
Eight Laughing Gulls were counted at one time, and three nests
were found containing eggs. The colony was in an excellent con-
dition at the time of my visit. Mr. Snow had a notice posted
at each landing, and Metinic was well supplied with them. With
the protection now afforded it is to be expected that the Laughing
Gull, now nearly exterminated in Maine, may again become well
established.
"I then proceeded to Deer Isle as a base of operations in Pen-
obscot and Jerico Bays. Mr. Fred RacklifT, who is well acquainted
with the sea birds and their ways, and is a boatman of excellent
skill and judgment, most generously supplied a small boat and
outfit and accompanied me on this trip, making it possible to
cover much more satisfactorily than could have been done with a
sail boat, these bays of small and rough ledges.
"We visited in Jerico Bay, Southern Mark Island, on July 4.
Two Eider Ducks were seen to leave the shore. One nest was
found containing two eggs ; by placing one of these in a pool of
ICO Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. j j "
k
an.
water it was found to be nearly or quite fresh. An empty Black
Duck's nest was also found here.
"On the western point a colony of about 200 Common Terns
was found. These had been robbed of eggs, as two empty nests
to one with eggs were found, and no young were discovered.
"Mr. Rackliff visited this island last year and found that only
a few pairs were there then. On the same day we found at White
Ledges, locally called Way or Whale Ledge, an Eider Duck's nest
with four eggs, also two empty nests. We saw a small flock
feeding, which swam away, but four ducks with one drake
remained not far away, and were supposed to be birds making
this ledge their home. This small ledge is in two parts, each part
containing less than half an acre. The birds all breed on the
southern one, which is low ; it is covered with coarse gravel and
small pebbles, bound together with a small amount of turf, sup-
porting five or six species of sea plants.
"This is rapidly yielding before the storms of winter, and pos-
sibly one or two winters may close the history of this resort. With
the influence of protection there is much probability that the birds
will adopt one of the near islands or ledges as a breeding place ;
without this these ducks will no doubt leave the bay entirely, thus
reducing the number, already small, very seriously. Here we
found five gulls' nests, in one of which the eggs were just hatching.
"The l Three Ledges' just east of Fagg Island, where we
camped, and the Green Ledge, a little south of the three, where a
small number of terns were breeding last year, showed only two
or three empty nests ; it seemed reasonable to suppose the new
colony at Southern Mark Island was composed of the birds which
were here last year.
" On Saddle-back Ledge, where one or two pairs of Eider Ducks
are said to breed, we saw no ducks nor found any nest ; one or
two could easily have been overlooked. On the northern part of
this island we estimated the terns at 300, and on the southern part
at 100 ; some eggs had evidently been taken, but the condition was
better than at Southern Mark Island. Quite a number of young-
terns were found and the adults, though wilder than at Metinic
Green Island and Matinicus Rock, were less so than at Southern
Mark Island.
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XVI.
J6 ♦
Fig. i. PUFFINS, MATINICUS ROCK, MAINE.
.Most southerly breeding place on North Atlantic Coast.
Fig. 2. NEST OF AMERICAN EIDER DUCK, MAINE COAST.
Vol. XXI j Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I C I
"At Great Spoon Island we found only Petrels, Spotted Sand-
pipers, Song and Savanna Sparrows. At Little Spoon Island, we
found two pairs of terns and about four hundred adult gulls, which
had hatched well, and seemed to have suffered little or no dis-
turbance.
" Gulls were still breeding on the Black and the White Horse
Ledges, but no young were seen nor were any empty nests
observed. Cormorants were present but no nests were found.
" At Spirit Ledge no gulls nor terns were breeding, but we saw
four Eider Ducks and found three nests, the eggs in neither of
which seemed advanced in incubation, while one of them con-
tained an incomplete set of eggs. A few Sea Pigeons were
probably breeding, but it was impossible to find a nest.
" At Black Rock we found two gulls' nests with eggs, and four
Sea Pigeons were probably breeding.
" On Heron Island we found a colony of gulls numbering a
thousand or more. This colony was in excellent condition, very
few eggs being found. The gulls were tame and the young were
abundant. We found two Night Heron nests here, and it seems
likely that this bird may increase.
" At Haulibut Ledge about one hundred Common Terns were
breeding on the southeastern ledge. No young were seen. Here
we saw no Eider Ducks nor any nest, but Capt. Conary informed
me that notwithstanding the fact that none have bred here for a
few years, he discovered a nest this year with five eggs which he
believed would hatch. As I found the excrement of a brood of
young birds, not terns, in several spots under flat rocks on the
shore, there seems little doubt that this nest hatched as predicted.
"In concluding with Jericho Bay, I found that while the birds
seem to be shifting to some extent, they are also collecting into
better colonies for protection, and are increasing quite rapidly.
The Southern Island colony is practically a new one and probably
a permanent one. At both Saddle-back and Haulibut Ledge the
increase since your first report is gratifying.
"The same may be said of the Herring Gulls, i. <?., they are
uniting and increasing quite rapidly ; while decreasing on the
smaller ledges, for instance White Ledge, and disappearing from
Spirit Ledge, on Heron Island the increase is decided and grati-
1^2 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\
fying, the colony containing not far from a thousand adult gulls
against four hundred in your first report. (Cf. Auk, XVIII, p.
99-)
"The increase at Little Spoon Island is less decided, probably
owing to the fact that this is an outside island and suffered less
(than Heron Island) before protection became so well established.
"The few Eider Ducks here are the remnant of a once goodly
number breeding in this section. I think they are still robbed of
their eggs. Every effort must be made to save this noble duck as
a summer resident and breeder, not only for Maine but the
United States. If it could be possible to give the breeding colony
absolute protection for a few years we could reasonably expect a
good result, as has been shown by the gulls and terns. Though
this bird, within the memory of the present generation of middle-
aged men, bred from the western side of Penobscot Bay easterly
to the present location of the colony, and at several other places
east to Machias Bay, it is now reduced to the small number
breeding in Jericho Bay, and a colony on Old Man Island.
" With the exception of the extinction of the Masons Ledge and
Green Island colonies, the Sea Pigeons seem to suffer no moles-
tation. In this bay their nests are nearly inaccessible.
"Finishing the inspection of this bay July 13, we went to
Penobscot Bay to investigate the condition of the colonies under
the care of Capt. H. T. Ball of Eagle Island.
" Sheep Island was occupied by a colony of Fish Hawks which
had ten nests which I saw.
Colonies of Terns were found on Sloop Island and Channel
Rock on July 17. On Sloop Island fifty nests with eggs or young
were found ; probably 75 to 100 pairs breed here. On Channel
Rock, a small pinnacle-like ledge with grassy top, about fifty terns
were breeding. I was convinced that some eggs had been taken
from these islands. Notwithstanding these facts many small
young were seen, and the adults were moderately tame.
"At Bradburys Island it was impossible to get ashore without
finding one of the warning notices well placed. That the colony
of Herons had not been disturbed seemed certain. The luxuriant
undergrowth had not been trampled around the rookery, and we
found the Great Blue Herons pleasingly tame. A few young were
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Vol. XXI
ig04
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I C 2'
taking short flights from the nest, and most of them were well
grown. Every nest seen was clearly occupied. Here the birds
breed in a piece of woods extremely difficult of penetration by
reason of fallen logs and a dense undergrowth of shrubs and
weeds. In a two acre lot 20 nests were counted, and this was a
small section of the area, covered by the birds. Capt. Conary
informed me that a small colony of these birds had started
breeding upon White Island, owned by himself.
"July 18, 1903, we visited Great Duck Island, and it seems
needless to say that the colony was in excellent condition. Not a
nest containing eggs was seen. The adult gulls allowed one to
approach within 36 feet in some instances, and settled again as
soon as we had passed. The young ran before us like flocks of
hens, whenever we rounded a turn in the road. Mrs. Stanley,
wife of the warden, said, ' We had as soon any one would come
ashore and carry off one of our hens as to take one of the gulls.' n
Great Duck Island is probably the most ideal spot on the Atlan-
tic coast for a bird colony, as it is some distance from the main-
land. The birds all congregate at the southernmost end of the
island, where the Great Duck Lighthouse is located. The head-
keeper of the light is the warden and is deeply interested in the
welfare of the colony. He reports : "The area occupied by the
birds this year is materially larger than during 1902, and as near
as I can judge, about 3,000 young gulls were hatched and reached
maturity. In addition to the gulls some 2,000 Leach's Petrels
were also raised, besides numbers of several species of land birds.
The mortality among the adult and young gulls was quite heavy ;
the former were killed by being caught in brush or trees and the
latter principally by being dashed against the rocks by the heavy
surf. I estimate that not less than 500 gulls were killed by these
several causes."
There is also a large colony of Herring Gulls on Little Duck
Island, the increase of the colony in 1903 being about 1,300 birds.
The warden, Mr. D. Driscoll, reports that the birds were not
molested.
Resuming Mr. Norton's narrative : "On July 22 I was landed on
Matinicus Rock ; fog, heavy sea and wind combined to keep me
here until the 28th, giving ample time to observe this interesting
resort for birds.
I C A Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [^an
" The mortality of Terns at this rock, as at all other places in
Maine, has this year been very slight. Capt. Hall and his assis-
tants have observed that during a brief period of mortality, earlier
this year, the old birds were bringing very little food ashore.
" Capt. Hall has the esteem of his assistants, and they all take
a personal interest in the birds, and it is evident that the latter
receive absolute protection. They are almost without fear of man,
and I had an excellent opportunity to observe them at short range ;
large flocks could be gathered at the boat slip by use of fish livers
or anything that would float. As they alighted upon the rocks or
hovered close at hand, the field glasses made their identification as
Arctic Terns positive. It was only the day before I left the Rock
that a small number of Common Terns were found. These were
back of the beach on the inside of the northeast point. Many of
the young terns were on the wing, some being with their parents
as far away as Matinicus.
" Nearly all of the Sea Pigeons had young and were busy bring-
ing food ashore. This seemed to consist entirely of rock eels
( Gunnellus gunnel/us) .
" Four Puffins are here this year, an increase of one pair since
last year. These were so tame that I crept, mostly in open sight,
within thirty feet of them, focused my camera, and secured a pho-
tograph of the whole group. I did not see them carry fish ashore
and doubt if they had young at that time. Mr. Talmon, one of the
light-keepers, is sure that he had seen them carry food this year.
There being no mistake about this, it is my opinion that the young
died of some natural cause. Their nest, if they had one, had not
been discovered. It is much to be hoped that these birds shall
receive especial care, and none be taken for any purpose whatever
until a safe increase has occurred.
"It is interesting to note that six Laughing Gulls paid a tempo-
rary visit of a couple of days to the Rock this spring.
"On July 28, Mr. Martin Talmon of Matinicus Rock Light took
Capt. Mark Young and myself to No-Mans-Land. We were under
obligations to Capt. Hall for his naphtha boat on this occasion.
Capt. Young took much pains to show us about the island, and his
gulls. These latter were in their usual excellent condition, showing
the unmistakable evidences of unmolested birds. The young were
Voi. XXI
1904
Ditcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \ C C
everywhere to be found, often running before us in little flocks,
while the earliest ones, just beginning to fly, rose and circled over
the island or settled again a short distance away. Some were a
short distance from shore with the old birds. These were the first
young gulls seen on the wing. Capt. Young justly takes consid-
erable pride in the magnitude and good condition of this colony ;
he runs a gang of lobster traps around the island this summer, and
while attending to the business of fishing, pays almost daily visits
to the place. This constant oversight, coupled with his determina-
tion to protect the birds, insures them absolute security.
"A few Petrels were to be found breeding here. Colonies of
from 10 to 40 Sea Pigeons are on Green Ledge, east of Matinicus,
Two Bush, and Two Bush Ledge, between Matinicus and No-Mans-
Land. These have not been disturbed.
" July 29, from the steamer ' Frank Jones,' examination was made
of the colonies of Terns on Ship and the two Barge Islands. On
Ship Island a colony of some size, fully equal to that seen last
year, was observed, and on the Western Barge 50 to 75, while on
the Eastern Barge 20 or 30 were ashore, and rose as we passed
near their resort.
" This day was consumed in reaching Jonesport ; the following
one, July 30, was lost owing to a dense and persistent fog, my
boatman not being willing to go out. The next morning was clear
and an early start was made for Cone and other islands.
" Cone Island is the least satisfactory of all the colonies. Capt.
O. Cummings informed me upon my arrival at his station, that the
gulls have not bred well this year, but many use the island as
a resting place. This I found to be true. Indeed, only three or
four gulls acted as though they were breeding, by hovering over
the island and cackling at our approach. The ground was so
swampy that no nest was found. These were the only gulls ashore.
On the knolls, several different ones, on the sea beach and at cer-
tain wet places the quantity of freshly dropped feathers bore
indisputable evidence of the visits of gulls habitually. It was said
that these visits were made during the high water, at which time
the birds do less fishing than on the low water.
" I found the notices well posted. Capt. Cummings said that
the^only explanation he could offer for the few birds breeding was
I ^6 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [fan
that his station, which is one-half a statute mile (coast survey measure
by me) from their breeding ground has been receiving extensive
repairs, the carpenters making the usual noise of this trade. He
also stated that the foxes liberated there some time ago are dead.
This I could not verify. I was also told by him that about 200
gulls were breeding upon Flint Island, and about 100 terns on Pot
Rock; the former is quite a high, large island. I took considerable
pains to go here and land, and walk across the island and up on
its highest part, but no gulls were to be found at this time. Pot
Rock is very small, and landing was impossible, but by passing
near it, I am sure that no terns were breeding there. I found
Capt. Cummings very kind, obliging, and seemingly anxious to do
his duty to you. Yet his manner made me especially particular to
investigate each statement made by him.
"To summarize: There are practically no gulls breeding on
Cone Island this year, nor are there, so far as I now know, any
between the Duck Islands and Pulpit Rock. Many Gulls con-
tinue to rest on Cone Island.
"After visiting these places I directed our course to Egg Rock,
which was swept by sea during June, 1902, causing the terns to
abandon it ; a colony of several hundred terns is now re-estab-
lished. These I believe to be mostly Common Terns. This rock
is much exposed and surrounded by a shallow shore, and as the
sea was extremely rough I was not able to land ; leaving the
launch, I rowed in a small boat as near as possible and discharged
a gun. This caused all of the old birds to rise from the rock at
once, giving a view of the entire colony. This rock is but one
and a half miles from Capt. O. B. Hall's station and in open view
of it ; it is very well located for protection.
" Proceeding from here to Freemans Rock the same results
were experienced. No young terns were seen at sea in this sec-
tion of the coast nor indeed at Libby Island. The Freemans
Rock terns are largely Arctic Terns. In addition to the terns and
guillemots on this rock, terns on Egg Rock, and Black Ducks on
Great Wass Island, Capt. Hall has a colony of about a dozen Blue
Herons on Great Wass Island.
"July 31 I started from Jonesport for Cross Island, and all
colonies between these points. The sea had abated during the
Vol. XXI
1904
Ditcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. I S7
night, and with the assistance of Mr. Daniel French, warden and
deputy sheriff, a thoroughly skilful surf and boatman, I was able
to land on all rocks and islands where birds were breeding.
"Pulpit Rock was the first in the course. This at high water
forms two separate rocks, but at a little ebb tide the connection is
completed; nevertheless owing to the perpendicular walls of the
outer rocks one cannot reach its top from the inner one, but must
make a separate landing at a particular shelf, and even this is
done at some hazard in calm weather, and not at all in moderately
rough weather, hence the central part is seldom visited, judging
from appearances. The inner part is much easier to land upon
and I believe that some eggs have been taken from it. As we
approached about 50 Double-crested Cormorants rose from the
rocks and flew about for a few moments before leaving. A
thorough search of both parts of the rock revealed none of their
nests, and Mr. French said they had not been known to breed
there.
" A few Sea Pigeons breed here, fifteen old birds being seen
and one nest with young was discovered.
" While the gulls present were estimated at eight hundred to a
thousand, I think that comparatively few of the number breed, for
if they did one could not step upon these small rocks without
walking on the nests ; in reality the nests are quite scattering.
Almost all had hatched, and the young were hiding in clefts of
the rocks on the outer rock, which is the highest and largest, and
is devoid of all vascular plants. On the inner rock they also hid
in clefts, and under the vegetation, which was rather abundant.
Here we found two nests with eggs.
" Most of the young were nearly large enough to fly, and fre-
quently with startling screams leaped over the crags, using their
wings to break the fall, landing rather clumsily, but unharmed on
the covered rocks below.
" On the outer rocks the birds, I think, had been practically
unmolested and not seriously on the inner one. Probably the
number of gulls breeding is between two and three hundred. It
is five nautical miles from Libby Island Light and a little more
than ten from Crumple Island.
" Our next stopping place was the Brothers, two islands of high
I C8 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [f^
granite ledge covered with vegetable loam, and the decaying
remains of a spruce forest. At half tide, or even higher, they are
connected by a bar. On the western one possibly two pairs of
gulls were breeding, but the nests or young were not found. On
the eastern one a good sized colony of gulls was breeding, prob-
ably a thousand or more. The southern seaward side of this
island presents a perpendicular wall of granite nearly a hundred
feet in height, and many gulls breed in perfect security upon its
rifts and shelves. Many young were seen here nearly full grown,,
hiding upon the gray rocks where their colors were in harmony
with their surroundings. On the top of the island, among the
fallen logs and elsewhere, many nests were found ; quite a number
still contained eggs and some had clearly been robbed. I believe
that more eggs had been taken here than at any other gull colony
in Maine. Yet many young were also found, showing that the
egging had been sporadic. The birds were, on the whole, not
seriously interfered with and were tame. I also discovered that
some Petrels breed here.
"It is a fact of interest that as I walked over the top of the
western island a gull dashed many times at me, coming within
five or six feet of my head. Terns frequently do this but gulls
very seldom.
"Libby Island Light was next visited. We were directed to
North Libby Island where the terns breed. This is an excellent
island for their needs and probably iooo to 1500 terns of both
species are here. Mr. French who kept Libby Island light for
eleven years previous to 1895, and visited the place on this date,
the first time since leaving there, assured me that the increase
since that time is at least 75 per cent. The colony occupies the
entire eastern end of the island, which is a quarter of a mile wide,
while the length of their area is somewhat less. Most of the
young were fully fledged and sat upon the rocks of the shore,
flying as we approached ; a few small young and a few eggs were
also seen.
" From here we went to Cross Island, where I remained with
Capt. Small at the Life-saving station. He very kindly gave me
much aid in securing a boat for Machias Seal Island.
"As the next morning (August 2) afforded a 'good chance' to
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 1^9
go there, well knowing that it might be days before another oppor-
tunity came, we took an early start. When half way across two
young terns with their parents were seen at sea. When about four
and a half miles from the island the first Puffin was seen flying
homeward.
" Machias Seal Island consists of the island which bears the
name, containing about twenty acres, and Gull Rock, containing
about two acres. They are separated by a shallow passage, pass-
able to small boats at low water. Gull Rock lies a quarter of a
mile east of the northeast point of Seal Island. This is a low
granite ledge without soil, much seamed and cracked. The seams
in a few instances afforded nourishment for beach plantains and
Tissa marina. The rock is covered with a greenish yellow
lichen.
" This ledge is completely swept, it is said, by the sea during
heavy weather, and was swept during the rough weather experienced
July 31 while I was at Jonesport. Notwithstanding this statement
many young terns of various stages of growth were seen here, and
indeed the colony seemed to be in a good condition.
"These islands are little visited except by the lighthouse attend-
ants, and this rock is exempt from the causes which have acted on
Seal Island. This rock affords no opportunity for other birds to
breed.
"Machias Seal Island is also a low island with an abundance of
vegetable loam and is well clothed with herbage, chiefly grass.
The variety of plants is surprisingly small, and most of the charac-
teristic ones of the region are absent. It rises like an isolated hill-
top from the deep, submarine plain, and is swept on all sides by the
powerful tide current from the Bay of Fundy. Indeed, this current
is one of the potent factors to be considered in reaching the island,
for in a calm a craft is at its mercy, being borne onward as it hap-
pens to run.
"The island has no beaches, the only semblance to one being
strewn with angular blocks of granite. The southern and south-
western end is a mass of granite, presenting an impassable barrier
to the ocean's storms. This rises not more than forty feet above
sea level ; yet, though so fully exposed, the sea is never known to
have broken across the island, as it frequently does at Matin icus
Rock which is much higher.
l6o Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. f fan
" History shows that two centuries ago hundreds of seals resorted
here to rear their young.
"Of the birds the most interesting are the Puffins. These breed
in a pile or windrow of large angular blocks of granite, which have
the appearance of a sea wall. Doubtless the wall was formed by
the action of the sea during tempests of extreme violence, but at
ordinary times the sea does not come within two hundred yards of
it, and between it and the sea line grow grass and other land plants.
I am told by Mr. Everett Smith of Portland, who visited the island
about twenty years ago, and Mr. A. C. Bent of Taunton, Mass.,
that no Puffins breed elsewhere in the vicinity of Grand Manan.
This fact gives an additional interest to this colony and emphasizes
the importance of having it thoroughly protected.
"The Puffins are much tamer than Sea Pigeons and are
possessed of great curiosity, or, it might be said, they are less pru-
dent than Sea Pigeons. From the edge of the rocks where they
breed it is certain that their nesting will not be much interfered
with, but shooting the birds must be constantly guarded against.
" Inspection of the mass of rocks where they breed shows con-
siderable quantities of straw scattered in every passage to the bed
rock, dropped by the birds in building their nests. By watching
them go in and out to feed their young, one could easily see that
every opening of the wall leads to several nests, probably a nest at
the extremity of every passage. While 33 Puffins was the largest
number seen by me at one time, Mr. John Ganang, superintendent
of the masonry of the Lighthouse Department, who had spent
more than a week here in his official capacity, told me that three
hundred is the number resorting here. Mr. Ganang's statement I
considered entitled to confidence as I found him to be a gentleman
of candor, judgment and refinement, and with a fondness for birds
and plants.
"This indicates an increase in the number of Puffins during the
twenty years that have elapsed since Mr. Smith's visit, when sixty
was the number. But this is the natural outcome of the protection
afforded them by Captain Seeley, a protection which seems to have
been absolute.
" It was a most interesting spectacle to see the top of the wall
adorned by the above-mentioned 33 Puffins, resting here seemingly
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee 0;/ Bird Protection. ID I
and probably in social enjoyment before leaving for the fishing
grounds. They were more restless than Sea Pigeons and moved
about with an awkward walk, and frequently flapped their wings.
On leaving they went away from the island entirely, and for the
next three hours, had one arrived here only two or three would
have been observed.
"After the time mentioned one came from the sea and circled
about, then another and another, until ten were circling. In this
flight they passed over their nests and then circled towards the sea,
which limited the outer edge of the circle, then returning to repass
the nest, thus describing a perfect circle or, as Dr. Coues expressed
it, a 'wheel'. But frequently they took a course across the center
of the wheel, and described a letter S. Often as they passed over
the nest they uttered a deep sound, which though in several sylla-
bles had a resemblance to a groan issuing from the chest. I could
not determine whether each bird held several small fish in its bill,
or a squid with dangling arms. From the direction they came, the
northward, it would indicate that their feeding ground was in the
direction of Grand Manan channel and the course of the several I
have seen at sea supports the indication.
"Upon alighting they hurried without delay into the wall of
rocks, often two or three into the same opening, and with little
pause they reappeared and put out to sea. Hardly had these dis-
appeared when another party returned, and so onward ; they did
not arrive in these compact groups, but came singly and in pairs,
and being delayed by our proximity, gathered into flocks.
"Common and Arctic Terns evidently were the only terns
breeding here, and this year I did not see even the Sterna port-
landica phase of the latter. These birds occupy the entire island
for breeding, but have decreased since my last visit. Those
remaining were quite tame, and no dead ones were seen to indi-
cate shooting. The lightkeeper keeps a dog and a cat, and I was
told that the dog ate many eggs and the cat caught quite a num-
ber of birds. The wife of the assistant keeper told me that they
had killed their cat, owing to its destructiveness to the birds. I
asked the value of the dog, suggesting that we would be glad to
have it off the island. His answer was evasive, but he said he
would make provision to send it ashore. Owing to the lateness of
162 Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. Man.
the season and the delay incident to communicating with the shore
it is doubtful if this is done. If another year could be begun free
from such drawbacks it is probable that the birds would abun-
dantly prosper.
" Probably 3000 terns are still upon the two islands. As the
Seal Island is covered with grass the young are not easy to find,
and very few were seen ; some had already flown, as I saw them
at sea.
"The Light is supported by the Dominion Government and it
seems quite important to impress upon, not only the keepers of the
lights, but also the inspector of the district, the need of protecting
the birds here now. The keepers are furnished not only with
rations but drinking water from ashore, requiring frequent trips of
the supply vessel. The discipline is less strict than on our light-
house boats and the crews, in part at least, wander over the island
at will, and it was insinuated that the birds are the sufferers. I
posted three notices here and one on Gull Rock as you wished.
" This island is the location of some of the largest Petrel colo-
nies of Maine, the birds burrowing into the soft earth on every
part of the island. These had suffered some destruction, as the
wings of a number were seen near the buildings, no doubt having
been caught by the cat, as the burrows had not been disturbed.
"Owing to the distance of this place from any shelter, sailing
men are not willing to remain out over night, and indeed few are
willing even to go there except with perfect weather conditions.
"At five p. m. we started on our return, reaching Cross Island
at midnight. Curiously enough, the next day dawned calm, and
a trip to the Seal Island would have been impossible.
"This morning Capt. Small took me over to the Old Man
Island where we were able to land and examine the condition of
the gull colony. Everywhere among the trees the ground is
covered with a dense tangle of brambles and weeds making travel
very difficult. There were here no indications of any disturbance
of the gulls or their nests. The latter were placed along the shore
on the edge of the precipice and on shelves of the cliffs. Search
among the weeds showed many young concealed there. This
island is in direct view of Capt. Small's station.
"Capt. Small told me that a good-sized colony of Eider Ducks
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 6 3
breed here. On this particular morning (Aug. 3), none of the
birds were at the island, only one having been seen in the channel
half way across to Cross Island. The morning previous, how-
ever, as I sailed for Machias Seal Island, about a dozen females
were seen close to the shore of the Old Man, and flew about as
we passed it. It affords secure concealment for their nests, none
of which we saw. I was told by two other men, Capt. Fred Wal-
den of Cross Island, and Capt. Ackley of Cutter, neither having
any knowledge of Capt. Small's statement, that this duck breeds
on the Old Man. Unmolested ducks would have been hatched
some time previous to this visit, so no time was spent in looking
for their nests.
" On the same morning we visited the Double Headed Shot.
The outer one of these islands only is inhabited by the gulls, per-
haps fifty in number. This colony, although near Capt. Small's
station, is not increasing. My attention was attracted to the signs
of minks on this island, and as it is said that ground or beach
nesting birds cannot increase where these mammals exist, I was
led to account for the small number of gulls here through this
cause. It is to be expected that this island will be abandoned by
the birds in a short time.
"On August 8 I inspected the last colony, that at Bluff Island
in Saco Bay. This is a colony of Common Terns, probably num-
bering now nearly a thousand. Strattons Island, which is close at
hand, is not inhabited by the birds. These terns have long been
protected by the owner of the island, Mr. Jordan. Their feeding
grounds extend from near the Saco River to Cape Elizabeth, the
largest number resorting to the river mouths at the Scarborough
marshes. At the time of my visit large numbers of the young
were fishing here with their parents, and at low water they sat in
large numbers upon exposed sand spits. On the island some
young were just hatching, and all stages of growth were still to be
found. Quite a number of abandoned nests with faded eggs were
found. Haying operations were in progress and a number of dead
young were found which had been accidentally killed. Upon the
whole the colony was in good condition and the increase has been
a positive one.
"I took the opportunity of posting muslin warning notices on
all of the islands visited.
164 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Tv^
k
an.
" At one point I was told that gull shooting was still practised
at Eastport ; while waiting at Lubec for the steamer to Portland I
made a trip to Eastport, but I saw no shooting. The City Mar-
shall there was well acquainted with the law and assured me that
no shooting is done now. The conditions certainly are gratifying,
and it is the subject of general comment all along the coast that
the birds are much more numerous and tame than they have been
for years."
Mr. Norton has also prepared a special report on the ' Food of
Protected Birds on the Maine Coast,' which on account of its
great interest and importance is here subjoined in full.
" Notes on the Protected Birds on the Maine Coast with Relation
to Certain Economic Questions.
"The most important determination concerning the food of the
protected bird was the demonstration, in support of previous obser-
vations, that the Gulls and Terns are insectivorous to a considerably
greater extent than has generally been supposed.
" I have known for several years that the Common Tern feeds,
in this State, to a great extent upon the large winged ants which
swarm along the coast. Other insects often occurred in the
stomachs examined.
" The Arctic Terns were supposed to be more thoroughly piscivo-
rous, but the examination of six or seven stomachs last year
showed that they also eat ants to some extent. One of the four
stomachs examined this year was filled with adult moths belonging
to the Noctuidae.
"Wishing to preserve a series of young Herring Gulls, half a
dozen of different sizes were taken on Little Spoon Island. Upon
examining their stomachs it was found that this series, taken on
the low water, contained almost no fish, but all contained ants in
varying quantities, only one being full. The contents of this full
stomach was analyzed by Dr. Sylvester D. Judd of the Biological
Survey, with the following result: 1 bug, 12 carabid beetles, 1 click
beetle, 1 scarabaeid beetle, 1 cerambycid beetle, and 384 ants,
Camponotus pennsylvanicus. Dr. A. K. Fisher informs me that
' These insects are all neutral and of no great economic impor-
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 6^
tance.' However true this latter statement is generally, locally
the ants are regarded as injurious to the white spruce and fir
which compose the largest part of the arboreal flora of the coast
of Maine. While there is no proof that they kill the trees, they
quickly fill the dead trunks with their burrows and impair the
value of the wood for fuel. The fact that Gulls feed upon grass-
hoppers is variously attested at Matinicus.
" From the very complex conditions governing the habits of
marine animals, little of a positive nature can be derived from the
fishing habits of these voracious, almost omnivorous, birds.
" It is, however, stated by the United States Fish Commission
that the 'Gulls probably feed more upon herring food than herring
themselves.' (Cf. Moore, Rept. U. S. Fish Com., 1896, Appendix
9, p. 404.) It might with much truth be said enemies of the her-
ring. The squids, Loligo peali and Ommastrephes illecebrosus, are
acknowledged as the natural enemies of this fish. Both gulls and
terns feed upon squid, the extent undoubtedly being governed by
their abundance and the ease with which they are to be captured.
Both at Little Spoon Island and No-Mans-Land pieces of large
squid, Loligo peali, were seen in the nests of gulls, with the young
birds. Both at Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal Island, squids,
Ommastrephes illecebrosus, were found to enter into that of the Arc-
tic Tern. While these creatures are enemies of the herring, they
are an important article of bait for the fishermen, and enter to an
important extent into the diet of the codfish and pollock.
"While it is probable that the gulls do not seriously trouble lob-
ster fry, it is, on the other hand, clear that they render the lob-
ster fishery a service in destroying large quantities of sea urchins
at certain seasons. It is an acknowledged fact among lobstermen
that the lobster is partial to rocky bottoms well clothed with kelp
(Zaminaria), where hiding places are abundant amid protectively
colored surroundings.
"The herbivorous sea urchin {Strongylocentratus drobachiensis)
cleans the bottom of marine vegetation, to the detriment of the
lobster's interest. The Eider Duck and American Crow also feed
extensively in winter upon the echinoderms.
" It is by some claimed that the gulls are injurious to pasture, and
even that they kill the trees where they breed. Concerning the last
I 66 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Fird Protection. ["f^
statement, it is based upon imperfect observations, for while it is
true that the gulls seem to be very partial to areas of dead and
decaying wood lots, as they are at Little Spoon, Heron, Duck,
Otter and Brothers Islands, and also formerly Cone Island, it is
highly probable that they are attracted there by the security they
afford, and in no small degree by the abundance of insect food, as
I have just observed they use. On the other hand, it has clearly
been determined that the spruce is subject to the attacks of several
insects, to a serious extent. This matter has been made the sub-
ject of a bulletin by the United States Department of Agriculture
(Bulletin No. 28, Division of Entomology, 1901, N. S.).
" Not only are the lumber regions affected, but the islands as well;
two instances having fallen under my notice. One of these cases
was a tract of several acres of standing spruce on Metinic Island,
certainly not used by any sea-birds. The other one is the island
of Seguin, once heavily wooded but now, through the attack of an
insect, entirely devastated. Beyond the possibility of a question,
no birds were instrumental in this destruction. The other islands
named, where the gulls now breed, undoubtedly owe the death of
their timber to a similar cause and in no way to the birds.
" Here it might be emphasized that these dead trees are often
riddled by the large ants, which are eaten so extensively by the
gulls and terns.
"Concerning the question of the birds injuring the pasture, the
belief is based upon equally unscientific grounds. I have observed
that some of the islands having a surface soil composed of deposits
of drift, gravel and loam of varying coarseness, yield an abundant
return in hay or vegetables. As instances, I can mention Bluff,
Metinic, Metinic Green Islands, the two Green Islands east of
Metinic, parts of No-Mans Land, Matinicus, Seal and Libby
Islands. Of this list Bluff, Metinic Green, and Libby Islands are
now the homes of many terns, which cause no complaint from
sheep raisers on account of the pasture.
"Metinic Green Island, which has only three sheep, has a stand
of hay waist high, while Bluff Island returned a profitable harvest
of the same product this year.
"The two Green Islands formerly supported large colonies of
terns, wrhile the smaller one had, in former days, a colony of about
Vol. XXII
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. 1 67
50 Laughing Gulls. One of these has for many years been used
as a farm and the other as a pasture, but no complaint was ever
heard of this richly soiled island being injured by birds. Seal
Island was also similarly inhabited by terns, previous to the millin-
ery demand for their skins, but now is without birds, except
Petrels ; yet it has an abundance of grass and clover in spots.
" Certain other islands, as Otter Island, Great Spoon, Cone, and
the Brothers Islands, and a large part of Little Spoon Island, are
covered with a deep stratum (in some places certainly three feet
deep) of red vegetable loam, quite unproductive.
" As striking instances of the unproductiveness of the pure
vegetable loam, Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal Island are to
be mentioned. At Matinicus Rock successful gardening is con-
fined to three or four vegetables, cabbage, endive, parsnips, and
perhaps another, potatoes, beans, etc., dwarfing. In such crevices
and pockets as contain soil, it is wholly of the kind under con-
sideration.
" At Machias Seal Island the soil is quite similar, and similar
results were found until gravel from the ash heap was abundantly
supplied, when the conditions improved.
"The complaint against pasture damage was from Little Spoon
Island. This is an island of diversified conditions, forest or vege-
table loam, shallow gravel over ledges, and some profitable drift
loam. The pasture is not abundant, and the complaint is wrongly
placed upon the birds.
"In conclusion, Heron Island affords interesting conditions.
There the grass crop was good, but not equal to that of many
other islands. The flock of sheep was not equal to its pasturing
possibilities, much of the grass maturing and raising seed. It was
there very noticeable that the sheep fed very largely in the prox-
imity of the gulls' nests; that part of the island where fewest gulls
were breeding was little grazed by the sheep. There it was quite
evident that the gulls did not render the feed distasteful to the
sheep, as the latter could have abandoned the part of the island
where the birds were abundant."
Audubon work. — The Society was organized late in 1902 and
now has a membership of 200, scattered throughout the State.
One of its objects is " To cherish an interest in birds and encour-
I 68 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. y^^
age the study of Natural History/' It now has six local branches.
During the year large numbers of warning notices, furnished by
the National Committee, have been distributed. By the courtesy
of the Vice-President of the Maine Central R. R. Co. warning
notices were displayed in all of the steamers of the line and also
on the steamer ' Frank Jones ' of the Portland, Mt. Desert and
Machias Steamboat Co.
Massachusetts. — Legislation. — During the session of 1903
several improvements in the bird laws were made; herons and
bitterns are now protected and the possession of any such bird or
part thereof, whenever or wherever taken, shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding ten dollars for every bird or part thereof ; the
open season for snipe and plover is shortened six weeks in the
spring, shooting not being allowed after March 1. The anti-plum-
age wearing clause is made to include birds not heretofore pro-
tected. The legislative sessions are held annually.
Warden system. — One warden was employed on the Weepecket
Islands, who reports that the terns breeding there passed an undis-
turbed summer and made a normal increase. In this connection
it is a pleasure to refer to an article by Prof. Lynds Jones in ' The
Wilson Bulletin,' No. 44, September, 1903, pp. 94-100, entitled,
' The Terns of the Weepecket Islands, Massachusetts.' This
paper is a very valuable contribution to the life history of the
terns and confirms in every respect the report of warden Charles
O. Olsen.
Mr. George H. Mackay, who has so long and successfully pro-
tected the gulls and terns of the Muskegets, writes: "They have
enjoyed the same protection as heretofore, having been cared for
as usual. Both the Terns and Laughing Gulls have had a good
season and the latter especially show a very considerable increase.
I think, regarding bird protection as a whole, that we now have
the public pretty well on our side. It has taken some years to
accomplish it, but we are practically there. Little remains to be
done now in this State except to prohibit the sale during the close
season of shore, marsh, and beach birds taken outside the State."
At the suggestion of Mr. Mackay the special report of Mr.
Frederick A. Homer regarding the terns of Penikese Island is
appended in full. This report shows so conclusively what perfcet
i o 1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. l6o
protection will do for a colony of birds, and is so encouraging to
all bird lovers, that it is with pleasure the Committee gives it the
widest publicity :
New Bedford, Mass., Oct. 8, 1903.
Mr. George H. Mackay,
My Dear Sir : —
Yours of Sept. 30 at hand and noted.
This has indeed been an exceptional year for the terns of Penikese.
Their number seems to be increasing yearly, and all the people who have
had occasion to notice them say, as I do, that they have never seen so
many before. Having been disturbed but little during their breeding
season the result was an early hatch of great numbers and a very early
departure for their southern home. There have been no crippled young
this year, as we had no sheep, and we have had to destroy only about
half-a-dozen for damaged wings, etc.
A boatman of this city who displayed about a dozen eggs was arrested
and fined $20. He probably will not take any more eggs, and it will be a
warning to others.
The writer spends four or five days of each week at the island from
first of April to last of November, and there is hardly a person lands on
the island without his cognizance or permission, and there is no reason
why these birds should not increase rapidly. My observation leads me to
state that they do increase, and if they were not molested at the south,
where I understand they are captured in great numbers for their wings,
Penikese would not be large enough for them. I have noticed for the
past few years an increasing number nesting on the neighboring islands
and on the main land to the north of them.
Of course one must take some interest in these creatures who visit you
yearly whether you are willing or not, but I can see that in a few years,
unless we extend our cultivated land, we shall have more of them than we
care for; this is in the future, however.
My notes very carefully taken record the following :
May 7. — Early in the morning, weather cool and hazy with wind very
light from the east, the terns arrived in full force.
May 24. — The first egg was found by the writer.
June 25. — The first young tern was found.
July 14. — Some of the young could fly.
August 4. — The terns commenced to leave in small flocks.
Sept. 14. — They had deserted us entirely.
My brother and myself have had a very enjoyable season at the island
in spite of the rather unfavorable ^summer weather; now we are having
the weather of the year for our pleasure.
We have had no plover at the island yet, in fact very few shore birds
stopped here.
Yours, with kind regards,
(Signed) Fredk. A. Homer.
I^O Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Iran
Mr. Jno. E. Howland of Vineyard Haven, a true sportsman who
takes great interest in the protection of birds, writes: "We had
more Heath Hens on the Island the past fall than in any season
for fifteen years past. I was at the South Shore a number of
times, and should say unquestionably all gulls that summer with
us were more numerous than a year ago. I have never seen more
Laughing Gulls about than this year.
" Regarding the rookery of Night Herons, I am pleased to say
that, as far as I know, not a gun was fired or an egg taken. Our
club own both sides of this rookery and we hope to purchase this
piece; we have about four hundred acres in two plots. The
Heath-hen if let alone for a few years will be quite plenty. Quail
were more numerous than any season in ten years past."
Mr. Ralph Hoffmann, a member of the A. O. U. Protection
Committee, reports as follows : " The beneficial hawks and owls
are still outside the pale. We hope to do something for them this
winter.
" The question of further protection for shore birds is one that
has especial interest for the writer of this report. I should like
to see the open season for the big birds shortened, and the little
birds, including the Least, the Semipalmated, Bonaparte's, Solitary,
and Spotted Sandpipers, the two Ring-necks and the Sander-
ling, excluded from the list of game birds and protected through-
out the year. These confiding birds do not offer sport in the
sense in which the more wary birds are said to offer it, and a
community that is becoming steadily more interested in living
birds can put these birds to a better use than as food. I venture
to prophesy that it will at some future time seem as strange to us
to offer peep in the market as it does now to see sky-larks in the
French and Italian markets.
, "Capt. Collins has, as heretofore, seen to it that existing laws
for the protection of birds are well enforced."
Audubon work. — The report of the Society shows continued
and successful activity. " Since the last report the Society has
gained 346 members, making the total number of persons enrolled
5,708. There are now 116 local secretaries, covering 117 places.
"The work of distributing circulars, including a large number
of Educational Leaflets, has been carried on as extensively as last
Vol. XXI
1904
1 Dutcher, Report of Committee 011 Bird Protection. I 7 I
year, and a good number of copies of the laws have been posted.
Two illustrated, traveling lectures have been almost constantly
in use, and many expressions of appreciation have been received.
Four traveling libraries have been circulated continuously.
" All violations of law brought to the notice of the Society have
been reported to the State officers, the Fish and Game Com-
mission.
"There has been a good demand for the two bird charts pub-
lished by the Society, and a new calendar for 1904, is to be issued
this fall.
"The following meetings have been held: A course of six
lectures, by Mr. Frank M. Chapman ; a free lecture or public
meeting, by Mr. William Lyman Underwood, which was much
enjoyed ; and a field meeting, or bird walk, open to Associate
members, to which a few Junior members were invited.
"A suggestion received by us could, perhaps, be best carried
out by the National Committee, if it approved the plan, and I am
asked by our Directors to refer it to you for consideration, namely,
an exhibit at the World's Fair in St. Louis, in 1904. Such an
exhibit, if participated in by all, or by most of the societies, would
show something of the work that is being done, and open the eyes
of those who have not yet considered the subject. The leaflets
and specialties (such as our bird charts and calendars) published
by each society could be shown, and the addition of stuffed birds
from which the feathers most objected to are taken, together with
a few beautiful hats that are approved (with perhaps a few objec-
tionable ones as a contrast), would make it interesting and striking/'
Maryland. — Legislation. — The next session of the legislature
will commence in January, 1904, and an effort should be made to
amend the present law so it will follow more closely the A. O. U.
model law.
Two of the most valuable birds in the State, i. e., the Flicker
and Mourning Dove, do not receive full protection. This is a
short-sighted policy, as both are far more valuable as insect and
weed-seed destroyers than they are for food. The State Fish and
Game Protective Association should take this matter in hand and
urge the substitution of the A. O. U. model law for the present
statute.
I 7 2 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [y
rAuk
an.
Warden work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Society seems to have become moribund.
This is to be regretted, as the necessity for active protection and
educational work was never greater than at the present time, nor
was there ever a period in the history of bird protection when so
many people are ready to take an interest, if the matter is prop-
erly presented to them. The National Committee is small in
numbers and has so large a field to cover that it necessarily
depends upon local effort to accomplish local good.
Michigan. — Legislation. — As proposed in the last annual
report, an effort was made to amend very slightly Section 14,
Public Acts of 1 90 1. The amendment passed the House but was
not successful in the Senate, therefore the non-game bird law is
unchanged. The next session of the legislature will be in 1905.
Warden work. — One warden was employed to guard a very
large colony of Herring Gulls, which occupy a rocky island in the
northwestern part of Lake Superior, just south of the International
Boundary. These birds had an uninterrupted breeding season
and consequently a normal increase.
It was discovered that a taxidermist of Detroit was preparing
for millinery use gulls and terns contrary to law. The matter
was brought to the attention of the proper authorities, and they
interviewed the party, who did not deny the fact, but promised not
to offend any longer.
Audubon work. — During the present year the Michigan Orni-
thological Club was reorganized. One of its objects is the study
and protection of birds. It publishes a quarterly journal devoted
to birds and is thus doing a valuable educational work.
Minnesota. — Legislation. — During the session of 1903 the
A. O. U. model law was adopted. The next session of the legis-
lature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports: "During the year
several articles on care and protection of birds have been pub-
lished in our papers, upon request of the Society.
" A society has been organized by Mrs. Mary E. Lewis at
Grand Rapids, Minn.
Vol. XXI"]
1904
J Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 7 3"
"Mrs. J. B. Hudson, of Lake City, again exhibited her collec-
tion of birds' nests at the State Fair, while Mrs. Chas. W. Aker
exhibited weeds furnishing food for birds.
" Next year we hope to obtain slides for stereopticon lectures."
The Duluth Humane Society is taking an active interest in bird
protection and offers a reward of $10 for information which will
lead to the arrest and conviction of any person killing song birds
or robbing nests.
Mississippi. — Legislation. — Section 1134 of the Annotated
Code, 1892, protects three species of non-game birds, i. e., the
Mockingbird, Catbird and Thrush; all of the other valuable non-
game birds are without protection.
There is ample reason for the following editorial in ' The Meri-
dian (Miss.) State': "Bird protection is going to be made an
economic issue in every Southern State before many days, and
the army of sentimental advocates will be reinforced by the utili-
tarians, who, while caring nothing for the beauty of the feathered
songster or the music he makes, are very much alive to his useful-
ness in exterminating insects that kill crops, and are determined
to stay the hand of the snarer and wanton bird killer before it is
too late and the insects have taken possession of the land.
Wherever common sense prevails, this cause will find advocates,
and the 'State' would like to see bird protection made an issue in
Mississippi politics next year."
The next session of the legislature will commence in January,
1904, and it is the imperative duty of the members to pass the
A. O. U. model law, which has already been adopted by the fol-
lowing Southern States : Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ten-
nessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas.
South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are the
only Southern Coast States that give none or but little protection
to their valuable birds.
Missouri. — Legislation. — None was accomplished. Why the
effort for a satisfactory law was defeated is best told by officers of
the Audubon Society.
" And what of Missouri ? Solitary and alone she stands in her
humiliation and helplessness. Her general assembly has
adjourned with contemptuous indifference toward her needs in
I 74 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [~tuk
this regard, leaving the song birds of her forests, the game birds
of her fields and mountains, and the fish of her sparkling streams
at the mercy of the market hunter and the ruthless destroyer, the
patrons of cold storage warehouses, the trapper and the dynamiter,
all of whom may soon be expected to wipe out what little wild life
yet remains in the State, after the previous years of unbridled and
defiant slaughter.
"Why does Missouri occupy this unenviable position? For a
year or more the Secretary of this Society, assisted by the two
other members of its Executive Committee, has been laboriously
at work drafting and creating a bill which has been pronounced
nearly perfect by the judicial and expert authorities of other pro-
tected States, by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and by
various Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of Missouri. The
bill was submitted to the Joint Committee upon bird and game
legislation in the Senate and House at Jefferson City and, with a
few unimportant changes, adopted as their own. The two com-
mittees were not only satisfied with the bill, but were in a measure
enthusiastic over it. No doubts were expressed about its passage ;
but, in the meantime, delegations from the game dealers and
patrons of cold storage warehouses visited Jefferson City to
oppose the bill. Immediately after their departure enthusiasm
for the bill waned in the Senate, and when it was reported a furi-
ous onslaught was made upon it by a senator who led the opposi-
tion to a similar bill two years ago. The bill was loaded down
with injurious amendments, and sent back to the committee, where
it slept forever afterwards, despite the efforts of the Audubon
Society to have it reported ; the bill died with the session without
the Senate getting an opportunity for a final vote.
" In the House the bill was never reported, but remained in the
hands of the committee. It is unnecessary for us to make any
statement as to why the bill was not pushed in the Senate for he
who reads can understand.
"Gov. Dockery's request in a special message to the General
Assembly for effective game and bird legislation, the pleadings of
thousands of Missourians and the Press throughout the State to
enact better protective laws, were treated with the utmost con-
tempt and disregard by the joint committee on bird and game
legislation."
Vol. XXI j Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I >i C
Some further light is thrown on this matter by the St. Louis
'Star' in its edition of July i : " About the crudest thing perpe-
trated by the boodlers in the last Legislature was to defeat the bill
of the Audubon Society for the protection of the birds. Men
must be greedy indeed, when protection must be bought for the
feathered songsters."
The next session of legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens employed by the Thayer Fund.
Audubon work. — The officers of the Audubon Society, with
commendable pluck and nerve, say : " Notwithstanding the failure
to get legislation at the recent session, the Audubon Society does
not purpose to give up the fight. It believes the great majority of
the people of Missouri are in favor of bird, fish and game protec-
tion, and it further believes that their voice must finally be
heard."
Montana. — Legislation. — The non-game bird law is imperfect,
inadequate and not enforcible, as the penalty is altogether too
severe. The ordinary juryman will not convict when a penalty is
out of all proportion to the magnitude of the violation.
The next session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — There is no society in the State, and seemingly
little interest exhibited by the citizens, either in bird study or
protection.
The press of Montana should agitate the matter and enlist the
sympathy of the public in this important subject.
Nebraska. — Legislation. — No change in the non-game bird law.
At the last session of the legislature a law was passed prohibiting
pigeon shoots at traps. This excellent measure was the result of
the united efforts of the Nebraska Humane Society and the Omaha
Audubon Society.
The next session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed in this State.
Audubon work. — The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union is doing
excellent work in popularizing the study of birds in the State and
in uniting all the students in a Union that cannot help exerting a
good influence for bird protection. " At its last annual meeting the
1^6 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |~ j u
k
an.
Union elected enough new members to make the total present
membership reach the goodly number of nearly two hundred, and
it has also ratified all that has been done in connection with estab-
lishing an Audubon auxiliary in the State.
"The amount of bird protection sentiment which we found in
the State Legislature was something most gratifying. There are
three members of the present State Legislature who are members
of our Society.
"At the State Horticultural Society the sentiment in favor of
bird protection developed in the discussions was not only unani-
mous but surprisingly strong."
The Department of Public Instruction has issued a pamphlet for
the use of the schools of the State, entitled ' Special Day Programs/
among which is ' Bird Day '. Thirty-three pages of valuable orni-
thological matter is presented in a popular form that teachers can
use to advantage to interest and instruct the children.
An independent society has been organized in Omaha that has
been doing an aggressive work among the children. The Secretary
presents the following very interesting report :
"The Omaha Audubon Society was organized June 23, 1902.
In looking back over the fourteen months of the life of our Society,
the Secretary is more gratified than otherwise, not that we have
accomplished so very much, but that we are in a way now to do
much.
"Our energies so far have been expended upon the children;
and we consider our greatest accomplishment the enrolling of over
ten thousand junior members last spring. More than fifteen
thousand Audubon buttons were sold to school children in the
year. We have chosen the Meadowlark as our representative bird ;
and his friends are many in the State. We enjoy the enthusiastic
cooperation of the teachers, many of whom are numbered among
our members.
" During the year some thirty-five different schools were visited
by our President, Dr. Towne, and Vice-Presidents, Arthur Pearse
and Rev. John Williams. The children have taken up the work
with an enthusiasm very gratifying. We have gained the friendly
cooperation of the police and have printed over the signature of
the Chief of Police, warnings against the destruction of birds, their
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. I 77
nests and eggs. These warnings are posted in the parks, woods,
and all places frequented by birds. We discovered there was a
veritable egg collecting industry among boys ; this we reported
to the game warden and the police of the city, and it will be
stopped.
"We have no arrests to report, but a number of ' conversions ',
results of mild persuasion.
"We were instrumental in the passing of the Loomis bill pro-
hibiting live bird-trap shooting. Another bill of ours, prohibiting
the plucking of live birds or fowls, was passed and went into effect
the first of last July. We presented a resolution at the last general
meeting of the Woman's Club endorsing the action of the New
York Audubon Society and Millinery Merchants Protective Asso-
ciation, which was passed ; nearly all the women present pledged
themselves not to wear the plumage of any of the prohibited birds.
We are now trying to bring about an agreement with the retail
millinery trade of this city.
"This may look like a small year's work, but it was done by
busy people. We have been sorely hampered by lack of funds,
and for that reason, our distribution of circulars and literature has
been far from what we would have wished.
" We have great hopes for the coming year. We intend this
winter to extend our paying memberships and otherwise increase
our treasury that we may be able to carry out our plans for litera-
ture, tracts, etc. We are desirous of placing the charts of the
Massachusetts Society in our schools."
Nevada. — Legislation. — In some respects the non-game bird
law is good, but it needs to be made more comprehensive in
order to protect the beneficial hawks and owls, and doves at all
times instead of only a portion of the year. The next session of
the legislature convenes in 1905.
Warde?i system. — No wardens were employed. There are many
shallow lakes and tule marshes in Nevada where large numbers of
birds still breed. If the funds at the disposal of the Committee
during 1904 will permit the expenditure, wardens will be engaged
to protect the grebes, gulls, terns, ducks, avocets, herons, pelicans
and other water loving birds during the breeding season.
Audubon work. — No society has as yet been organized in this
State.
1^8 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [ fA"k
New Hampshire. — Legislation. — No change in law. A. O. U.
model law in force.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary submits the following resume :
"The work of the Audubon Society has been substantially a con-
tinuation of that of last year.
"The illustrated lecture entitled 'Our Personal Friends, the
Birds,' with the accompanying lantern, has been loaned to all who
applied for it. The circulating library has proved to be very wel-
come in the small town where books concerning birds are difficult
to obtain. Leaflets and circulars have been distributed at large.
Publications which have been specially in demand are Mr. Hoff-
mann's 'Help to Bird Study,' Miss Merriam's ' How Birds affect
Farm and Garden,' and Prof. Weed's ' Mission of the Birds.'
Other pamphlets issued by the Biological Survey and the A. O. U.
have proved to be of great interest. Special effort will be made
next year to circulate the series of Educational Leaflets published
under the auspices of the National Committee of Audubon
Societies.
"The Bird Charts are still in demand and have been supplied
free of cost to schools which were not in condition to purchase
them.
"The 'Outline of Bird Study,' prepared by our Society and
adopted by the school committee of Manchester, has been intro-
duced into several other cities and towns.
"The State Fish and Game Commission has cooperated with
us in the enforcement of the existing bird laws, which are in con-
formity with the A. O. U. model law. Fines have been imposed
by the commissioners. As there has been no appeal from their
action no cases have as yet come into court."
New Jersey. — Legislation. — The A. O. U. model is still in
force. During the legislative session of 1903 the clause in the
game law permitting the killing of Flickers for two months in the
year was repealed and spring shooting of snipe or shore birds was
stopped. These amendments were decidedly advance movements.
New Jersey will do well to follow the example of New York and
Virginia in stopping spring shooting of wild ducks and geese. It
i o 1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 79
is wrong in principle and wasteful to kill any game birds while
they are on their northward migration to their breeding homes.
Warden system. — Two wardens were employed and were visited
by Mr. W. D. W. Miller, a member of the x\. O. U., who makes
the following exhaustive report.
"Beach Haven. — On July 6 I arrived at the breeding grounds
below Beach Haven, which are under the protection of Captain
Rider of the United States Life Saving Station at this point.
Here I saw over one hundred Laughing Gulls flying about over
the grassy marshes where they breed. Noted less than half as
many terns. All of whom I inquired told me that the latter were
scarce. Clapper Rails were common. With Captain Rider I
searched for nests but was unable to find a single one of any kind.
The reason for our failure was, according to the Captain, that the
unusually high tides in June had swept away all the eggs and
young of the gulls and rails. Why we could find no nests of the
tern he was unable to say, as this bird nests on higher ground than
the others.
"Of other birds noted the most interesting was the Piping
Plover, and as there were two of these birds together it seems
probable that they were breeding. Ospreys are scarce here.
" Stone Harbor. — I arrived at Captain Ludlam's station at
Stone Harbor on July 7, and stayed until the 9th. I found this
warden greatly interested in the birds and their preservation, and
from all I could hear he had strictly protected the birds in his
vicinity. According to him the number of Clapper Rails which
started to breed had been very large this year and the gulls had
been of about the same abundance as the year before. The num-
ber of gulls' nests had been approximately three hundred, but all
of these, together with the young rails, had been completely
destroyed by the abnormally high tides of June 22 to 25.
"I saw several hundred gulls at one time over the breeding
marshes here. Found none of their nests, however. The captain
had been told that the gulls do not make a second attempt to breed
if their first set is destroyed, and he now believes this to be true,
for he had seen no signs of rebuilding since the tides had subsided
nearly two weeks before. Clapper Rails were heard commonly,
and with little effort we found two nests, containing six eggs each.
l8o Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [~tUk
Terns were very scarce here, apparently even more so than at
Beach Haven, for I saw not more than fifteen all told.
"I noted no Least Terns nor Black Skimmers at either locality
visited. Both species formerly occurred at these points.
" As being practically the only breeding grounds of Laughing
Gulls and Common Terns on the New Jersey coast at the present
time, it seems to me very desirable that the protection of these two>
colonies should be continued. The success of the terns largely
depends upon the prohibition of all spring shooting after they have
reached their breeding grounds. I was informed by Captain Lud-
lam that large numbers of terns arrived at his locality in the spring
but were driven away by the shooting, a very small number
remaining to breed. If spring shooting is stopped and the birds
rigorously protected the terns will undoubtedly increase in
numbers."
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports as follows: "The
Audubon Society has 566 members, the greater part of the new
ones being children. During the past year two leaflets have been
written by members of the Society. Altogether over 1,000 leaflets
have been sent out, and about 125 letters written.
"An effort will be made during the coming year to insure the
protection of Robins, and also to create more interest in birds
among the children in the State.
" Fifty-three towns and fifteen counties are represented in the
Society."
New Mexico. — Legislation. — The non-game bird law of this
State is fairly comprehensive and if properly enforced will protect
the birds. In addition, Sec. 3, of Chapter 51, Acts of 1899, gives
authority for any owner or lessee of lands to post his premises and
thus prevent any person shooting thereon. A violation of this
provision is a misdemeanor.
The next session of legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon Society. — There is none at present in the Territory.
New York. — Legislation. — No change was made in the non-
game bird law ; however, the game law was greatly improved by
the passage of a bill introduced by the Hon. Elon R. Brown abol-
Voliq*XIl Dutciier, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. l8l
ishing spring shooting of ducks and geese. These birds cannot
now be legally killed in New York State between January first and
September fifteenth. Other beneficial amendments were made
regarding possession, sale and transportation of woodcock, quail
and grouse.
Sessions of the legislature are held annually.
Warden system. — Three wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund to care for the breeding colonies of terns on the north and
south ends of Gardiner's Island and on Fisher's Island. The
latter colony suffered somewhat from the swarms of rats on the
island. The warden used poison to destroy them and in one day
found 47 dead ones near the nesting grounds. The south colony
on Gardiner's Island was flooded early in the season and many eggs
were destroyed, while the north colony was raided by a boat's crew
from the U. S. vessel 'Chesapeake', who took many eggs. Not-
withstanding these unfortunate incidents the birds made a fine
increase. During the southward migration in September larger
numbers of terns were seen on the New York coast than for many
years. In New York Harbor, as far up as the Jersey ferries, it
was not unusual to see a score or more of them while crossing the
Hudson River.
During the past year suits were commenced against two of the
large department stores of New York for having on sale protected
birds. In both cases the defendants settled by payment of a
nominal fine and the entire costs in the cases, thus establishing the
legal fact that protected birds cannot be sold for millinery orna-
ments in New York. These suits were started before the agree-
ment was made between the Millinery Merchants Protective
Association and the New York Audubon Society and the American
Ornithologists' Union.
In many parts of the State the farmers and sportsmen are organ-
izing associations for the protection of game and birds in their
several localities. These societies will be the means of doing a
great amount of real protective work.
The Chairman of the National Committee has suspected for
some time that illegal shipments of live native birds were being
made from the port of New York. This suspicion was verified
last spring when he caught a dealer, one G. Sebille, with a large
l82 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Ii^f
number of Bluebirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song and Savanna
Sparrows in his possession. The arrest of the dealer followed ;
he escaped from the State and is now a fugitive from justice.
Audubon work. — The Society is aggressively active, as its
report shows: "The Society has kept steadily at work during
the past year, but there is no gauge to measure the annual har-
vest. It is to be hoped that the seed sown may be of a perennial
nature.
"Immediately following the annual meeting last year in October,
1500 warning notices to dealers were sent out, calling the atten-
tion of the entire millinery and game trade of New York to the
law of the State for the protection of birds, and stating that the
New York Audubon Society would bring action in every case of
violation brought to its notice. The determined and dignified
stand thus taken was, undoubtedly, directly responsible for the
proposition made last spring by the wholesale milliners of New
York which resulted in the step, considered by many the most
important event in the history of bird protection, namely, the
agreement between the Millinery Merchants1 Protective Associa-
tion on the one hand, and the Audubon Society of the State of
New York on the other. The conditions of this agreement saves
our American song birds from the clutches of the millinery trade,
and banishes from the American market all gulls, terns, grebes,
hummingbirds, and after January, 1904, even the ' Bonnet Martyr/
the egret, for the term of three years.
"In addition to the ' Warning to Dealers,' this year the Society
has issued ' The Aigrette : Aji Appeal to Women,' by Mrs. May
Riley Smith.
" The Educational Leaflets issued by the National Committee,
of which we are sending out 10,000 copies, we find invaluable.
Would that every child in the State might own a set of them !
"The law posters have been more widely distributed this year
than ever. Finding that lack of sufficient appropriation would
prevent the Forest, Fish and Game Commission from complying
with our request that the law should be posted on all lands
belonging to the State, the Society furnished 1,000 muslin posters,
which the Commission placed throughout the Adirondack region.
The secretary of the Adirondack Guide Association was also sup-
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protectio?i. I 8^
plied with 100 muslin posters, which were scattered throughout
the Fulton Chain. In all nearly 4,000 posters have been distrib-
uted throughout the State by the Society.
"That the attempt to place them in all stations of the New
York Central R. R. system met with failure is a matter of regret.
"A large quantity of our literature was sent to the State Fair
at Syracuse.
"The total number of leaflets distributed during the year is over
18,000.
"A lecture by Miss Mary Mann Miller, especially adapted to
children, has been added to our lantern outfit. Not as many
applications for the use of the lantern and slides have been
received this year as might be wished, but we hope, by means of
this new lecture, to greatly increase the demand for them. The
outfit will be loaned to any responsible person in the State of New
York, who will comply with the conditions.
"The Society has given out many more sets of the colored wall
charts issued by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Besides
being loaned to school and club rooms, these charts have been
placed, in many instances, during the summer months, in public
libraries, thus keeping them constantly in use. Most gratifying
reports come to us of the pleasure they give and the interest in
bird study they arouse.
"Twelve new Local Secretaries have been appointed during the
year.
"The New York Society grows slowly ; the total membership is
4,207.
"Mr. Chapman kindly gave a lecture for the benefit of the
Society, at Delmonico's, which netted over $350. This financial
help enabled the Society to contribute $100 toward the funds of
the National Committee, and no money has been more gladly paid
out from the treasury of the New York Audubon Society.
"The marked increase in requests for lecturers that have come
to the Society during the year, indicates a strong advance in pop-
ular interest in bird study.
" ' The New York State Assembly of Mothers ' annually sends
for a report of the Society's work. This organization is one with
which it is most important to be affiliated.
1 8-1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. l~Auk
" A constant watch is kept at Albany upon all bills introduced
in the legislature, that no backward step shall be taken to disturb
the present law.
"Owing, undoubtedly, to the general circulation of the ' posters,'
many complaints of illegal shooting have been reported. In one
instance a farmer was charged with boasting of having shot 25
robins in one morning ; due steps were taken, the local warden
informed, and Audubon leaflets sent to the offender. A letter has
been received from the latter saying that he had been maligned,
that he realized now the value of the birds to agriculture ; whether
this change of opinion is due entirely to the higher education pro-
duced by reading Audubon leaflets, or comes from a salutary fear
of legal action on the part of the Society, the result is satisfactory,
in that the popping of the gun is diminished.
"The New York Society has lately run upon a rock which has
for a time wrecked our hopes in one community. A local secre-
tary had succeeded in attracting a little group of children and was
entering enthusiastically upon the work when a man appeared
shooting promiscuously, and telling the inhabitants the secretary
had no business to interfere with him, as he had a 'permit.' In
a short time the town was demoralized, and the secretary disheart-
ened. The matter ought to meet with the utter disapprobation of
all bird lovers, for it shows a serious danger which in its moral
effects might prove of even greater harm than ' murderous
millinery.'"
North Carolina. — Legislation. — During the last session of
the legislature a game and non-game bird law was enacted which
embodied all the main features of the A. O. U. model law. In
other respects the game law is far in advance of any law that has
ever before been in force in this State.
Warden system. — During the past breeding season three wardens
were employed, all of whom did effective and valuable service.
From their very frequent reports to Secretary Pearson of the
Audubon Society, under whose direction they worked, we have the
assurance that the coast breeding birds, such as gulls, terns, skim-
mers and snipe, have enjoyed a freedom from persecution that has
long been absent. The reports show a very material increase in
the bird life of the coast region. It is proposed, as far as the
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I^S
funds at the disposal of the National Committee will permit, to
continue the protection in order to save from destruction the water
birds that migrate from the north and winter on the North Carolina
coast. It seems unwise to preserve the bird life on the North
Atlantic coast if it is not to be cared for in its winter home. Of
one of the wardens Secretary Pearson says: "We must keep this
valuable man in our service. I have never met a man who knows
him who does not declare him an exceedingly strong and fine
character. I believe most profoundly that he is doing a grand
work in educating public sentiment in that coast country. "
The shallow sounds and water ways of the North Carolina coast
are so very extensive that it seems imperative that the chief warden
should be furnished with a good seaworthy power boat, in order to
move rapidly from place to place. The naphtha launch experiment
in Florida has proved so very successful that the National Com-
mittee feels warranted in urging the friends of bird protection to
make special contributions toward a fund for the immediate
purchase of two 25-foot naphtha launches, one for use in North
Carolina, and the second in Northampton and Accomac counties in
Virginia.
Audubon work. — - Audubon work is progressing finely in this
State. Some details are furnished by the Secretary: "The work
of the Audubon Society of North Carolina for the past year may
be summed up under four heads.
" First, the securing of legislation which extends protection to
the non-game birds, and gives the Audubon Society the power of
naming game wardens throughout the State.
" Second, Efforts to build up the membership of the Society.
" Third, The cultivation of a better sentiment throughout the
State for bird and game protection. To this end over fifty thou-
sand circulars have been distributed, articles prepared and pub-
lished in the press of the State, and the Secretary has given more
than thirty public lectures and talks on the subject. A junior
department has been established, with Mrs. W. C. A. Hammel, of
Greensboro, as Secretary.
"Fourth, The securing and paying of Bird and Game Wardens.
By the aid of the Thayer Fund three wardens were kept on the
coast the past summer with the result that about two thousand
I 86 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. j~ ^
Auk
an.
Wilson's Terns, Royal Terns and Black Skimmers were reared,
where heretofore probably not over one hundred have been reared
annually.
" Eighteen wardens with full police powers are now in the field.
Within the last four months these wardens have secured twenty-two
convictions for violations of the Bird and Game laws.
Regular members (annual fee, 25c.) . . . 350
Junior members ( u " 10c.) . . . 400
Sustaining members ( " " $5.00) . . . 331
Life members ($10.00, paid once) ... 25
Total . . 1 106"
Ohio. — Legislation. — No change in the law, the A. O. U.
model law being still in force. Next session of legislature, January,
1904.
One of the most important duties of the Audubon Society during
the coming legislative season will be to see that no amendments
are made to the present perfectly satisfactory non-game bird law.
Extreme vigilance and the examination of every game or bird bill
that is introduced is the only way to prevent adverse legislation.
The following item appeared in the 'Citizen' of October 30:
"Game Law Changes. The coming legislature will be asked to
repeal the dove clause in the game law." To offset the above the
Audubon Society should circulate freely throughout the State
Educational Leaflet No. 2, which conclusively proves that the dove
is one of the most valuable birds existing, as it is the greatest of
the weed-seed destroyers.
The narrow escapes in Florida and Wyoming should be an
object lesson to the Audubon societies in all the States that have
legislative sessions in 1904.
Warde?i work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund. However, those employed by the State are extremely active
and are enforcing the statutes.
Audubon work. — The comprehensive report of the Recording
Secretary is herewith submitted: "The Ohio Society has grown
rapidly during the past year, having now a membership of about
350, exclusive of junior members and of the chapters which have
this year been formed in Cleveland, Columbus and Home City(
Vol. XXI 1 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Io7
Increased attendance at our monthly meetings and the constantly
increasing demand for literature made on the Corresponding Sec-
retary indicate the growing influence and force of our work.
"One public meeting was held during the year, an illustrated
lecture by Mr. William Hubbell Fisher, the President of the Society,
on the ' Folk-lore of the Stork.' The lecture was preceded by a
few remarks on Audubon work, thus bringing the matter of bird
protection before many to whom it was a new subject.
"The lecture was well attended and greatly enjoyed, and its
results were seen immediately in the admission of many new mem-
bers, the formation of a branch society in a suburban town, and a
large influx of back dues from delinquent members. A small
admission fee was charged, and the proceeds considerably
increased the funds of the Society.
"In addition to Mr. Fisher's lecture, addresses at the monthly
meetings have been made. The public are always invited to the
meetings, at which the business is disposed of as quickly as pos-
sible in order to give time for the address, field notes, and general
discussion. The members of the Society give frequent talks in
the schools of Cincinnati and suburbs, and assisted the schools in
the celebration of Arbor Day by supplying speakers and sending
to each school a copy of a circular letter to be read in connection
with the exercises. A circular letter was also sent by the corre-
sponding Secretary to the various Teachers' Institutes held
throughout the State. The result was especially encouraging at
Trimble, Ohio, where the wish to form a branch society is
manifested.
"The warning notices furnished by the Thayer Fund have been
posted widely through the State, and a large amount of literature
has been distributed by the Corresponding Secretary. The
schools, especially in Hamilton County, work with us, and the
results are encouraging, though we constantly feel that the most
which we can do is much less than is needed for the work.
"The Cuvier Club of Cincinnati has worked with us on many
occasions, furnishing us with a meeting place, and doing splendid
work last year in the enforcement of the bird law. The A. O. U.
law has been a great satisfaction to all interested in bird protec-
tion, and milliners throughout the State have been successfully
prosecuted for its violation.
I 88 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection.
Auk
an.
"In the ensuing year the Society expects to continue the same
lines. We shall repeat and extend our aggressive work in the
schools. Most of the members of the central society are Cincin-
natians, but we hope this year to extend our work more widely
through the State and form more branch societies, which can
assist us in this. A law committee will be appointed to take
charge of all questions that may arise in the enforcement of the
bird laws."
Oklahoma Territory. — Legislation. — An effort was made to
pass the A. O. U. model law, but it was not successful, notwith-
standing it was advocated by some very earnest people.
The present law is worthless, but it cannot be improved until
the next session of the legislature, which will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed in this Territory,
owing to lack of legal backing.
Audubon work. — The Society is local and seemingly inactive ;
no reports or communications have been received recently from it
by the National Committee,
Oregon. — Legislation. — During the present year the A. O. U.
model law was adopted in this State. Fortunately for the pro-
tection Committee and the citizens of Oregon one of our members
is a resident. He took the legislative work in charge and without
any compensation except that which always is received by a per-
son who performs a civic duty, camped over four weeks at the
Capitol. His experiences, which are not strange to other mem-
bers of the Committee, are so instructive to the public, that they
are given in some detail : " The A. O. U. Bird bill passed the
lower house to-day (Feb. 4, 1903). This is my fourth week here
and I think the last, as the senate will not take so much time to
consider the bill. I had the bill all but passed but found that the
committee had cut it up so that its author would not know it. In
Section 7 they wished to include the crow among the prohibited
birds, to which I made no objection and told them to insert the
name after the English Sparrow but otherwise to let the section
remain unchanged ; a few moments before the bill was to come up
for final vote I learned the committee had also included "All kinds
of hawks, owls," and ending with the words " Passer domesticus n
as a kind of amen, to give an air of wisdom to the rest of the
iqo4XIl Butcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 8o
work, though the "English Sparrow" was the first bird mentioned
in the excluded list. My only recourse was to have the bill
referred again to the committee, and we began all over. To pre-
vent opposition from those bound to consider certain species
harmful, I revised the section and put in a clause legalizing the
killing of birds when in the act of catching domestic fowls or
destroying growing crops, throwing the burden of proof on the
defendant ; this pleased the committee and passed the bill."
Warden work. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The State Society still continues its activity T
especially along educational lines, as its report shows: "The A.
O. U. model bird law has passed the legislature this year and
Oregon is now one of the States whose bird laws are entirely sat-
isfactory. It is largely due to the efforts of Mr. Clarence Gilbert
and Mr. A. W. Anthony that this improvement has become
possible.
" A large number of notices have been placed throughout the
country giving a list of birds protected by the model law ; these
have proved particularly effective. During the occasional storms
along the coast towns the Alaska Thrush and Meadowlarks are
driven to the tide lands where formerly they were slaughtered in
great numbers. This year very few were killed, the Alaska
Thrush being seen in numbers about the homes.
"Six Bird Clubs are in active work in the State. In several of
these societies prizes have been offered to the school children for
the best essays on Oregon birds and their habits. The John Bur-
roughs Club of Portland offers an annual prize to all school chil-
dren of Oregon of the ninth grade for knowledge of native birds,
and has, within the past few weeks begun a regular department in
the ' Club Journal ' ; other literary work is also in progress.
" The State Society was this year handicapped in its work, but
hopes next year to carry out the following plan : to reach by per-
sonal correspondence the teachers of the rural districts, so widely
scattered throughout the State, and to offer special prizes to the
pupils for the best essays on personal observations of the birds.
The writer of the best essay is to receive a special prize.
" In regard to work in rural districts and small towns, it is sug-
I QO Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |~£^
k
an.
gested that the National Committee send to the country papers
from time to time short news items of interest relating to its work,
and request publication of same. We believe that especially in
small towns throughout the West such a course would be
beneficial."
Pennsylvania. — Legislation. — There has been no change in
the law ; the same doubt as to which non-game law is in force still
exists. This matter should be settled by a test case. The next
session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The report of the Secretary is as follows:
"There has been the usual increase in membership, and several
new local secretaries have started to work in towns that have here-
tofore had no members. Educational leaflets have been distrib-
uted and copies of the bird laws posted wherever it has been
possible.
" Miss Justice continues her good work with the traveling libra-
ries, and reports 14 libraries of 10 books each, which have been
sent to 1 1 counties during the year."
The society issued the following excellent circular of instruction
to its members : "The constable of each township or borough in
Pennsylvania is the person authorized by law to arrest violators of
the bird laws, and he must make a report under oath to the Court
of Quarter Sessions of his county at each term, of all violations
occurring in his township or brought to his notice.
" Members of the Audubon Society wishing to have violators of
the law arrested should bring the matter to the attention of the
constable of their township and see that he follows it and reports
on it as required. If he fails he should be reported to the Judge
of the Court. A constable failing in his duty can be prosecuted
and fined $50."
The National Committee commend this plan to the other Audu-
bon societies.
Prof. H. A. Surface, of the Pennsylvania Department of Agri-
culture, is doing a most excellent educational work. He is issuing
for free distribution in the State, monthly bulletins of the Division
of Zoology. These are filled with just the kind of scientific
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. IQ^
knowledge put in popular form that the citizens should have,
especially those that live in the rural districts, or are interested in
any branch of agriculture. It would be a very wise expenditure of
public money for every State to follow the example set by Pennsyl-
vania and Delaware.
Rhode Island. — Legislation. — There was no change in the
law at the session of the legislature. At the next session an effort
should be made to protect all the beneficial hawks and owls.
Sessions of the legislature are held annually.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports: "The work of the
year has been confined to the regular work of the Board of Directors
and of the various committees. We have seven local secretaries
in the State. Our traveling lecture has been used in many places
and our library is constantly loaned. In Providence two lectures
have been given under the auspices of the society, ' The Bird Life
of Islands,' by Mr. Frank M. Chapman, and another by Mr. F.
Schuyler Mathews. We have assisted financially in placing bird
charts in the country schools of the State.
"A millinery committee has sent circulars to all the local milli-
ners, but it was thought best not to go on with the work when the
Board of Directors voted to concur in the action of the National
Committee and the Milliners' Protective Association.
"We have distributed Audubon literature throughout the year.
"For the coming year the Board of Directors feel strongly that
our work should be chiefly in the line of strengthening our own
Society by appointing more local secretaries, by securing new
members, and stimulating interest throughout the State. We have
been asked by the Bird Commissioners to assist them by securing
deputies in various towns. W7e are at present striving to find per-
sons ready to act in this capacity."
Later the Secretary wrote: " Since I sent the report of our Society
we have secured four new local secretaries in towns previously
without branches and have aided the Bird Commissioner in finding-
persons to act as deputies. Just at present there is a good deal of
interest in bird protection because of the wholesale slaughter of
Robins and other song birds by Italians."
IQ2 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [~^ur
k
an.
South Carolina. — Legislation. — The present law is unsatis-
factory in that it is not comprehensive. During the 1904 session
of the legislature an effort will be made to have the A. O. U.
model law passed. South Carolina is the only Atlantic Coast
State that has not adopted the model law. It is therefore very
important that this extensive gap in the coast line should be
closed, in order to fully protect all the existing breeding colonies
of sea birds.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund, nor can any money be used until legal protection is given
the sea birds ; as soon as this is done wardens will be secured to
see that the laws are properly enforced.
Audubon work. — The small society that formerly existed has
given no evidence of activity for a year or more ; however, the
press of the State shows an intelligent interest in bird protection.
The following editorial from the ' State ' of Columbia, of July 2,
is worthy of the careful consideration of the citizens: "With the
disappearance of bird life there has been a vast increase in
uncanny insects. Almost every fruit, vegetable, shrub and flower
has its own enemy, and gardeners are compelled to spend much
time and money in fighting them. The shade trees of Columbia
are dying rapidly and no one can or will check the disease.
Something must be done at once to arrest the further march of
destruction. A few thousand dollars a year, with the enforcement
of laws against animal pests and human marauders, may result in
the saving of millions of dollars to South Carolina. The respon-
sibility rests with the legislature, and it cannot be laughed away."
Tennessee. — Legislation. — During the session of 1903 the
A. O. U. model law was adopted. This admirable improvement
was due entirely to the devoted and energetic work of Senator
J. M. Graham, who introduced the bill in the Senate, assisted by
Representative Birdsong in the House.
The initial movement in this great work was made many months
before the legislature convened, by Senator Graham, who wrote to
the National Committee for information regarding good bird leg-
islation. From that day until the law went into effect he was
untiring in his labors to give legal protection to the birds of Ten-
nessee, thus conserving one of the best assets of the State. The
next session of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Vol.XXI"! Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. I Q?
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund. The State officials, however, are alive to their duties.
Mr. J. A. Acklen, State Game Warden, writes as follows: "The
enforcement of our laws for the protection of both game and non-
game birds is a difficult task in this State. I have labored for
years on the subject, and only succeeded in our last Legislature in
establishing the Department of Game, the whole expense of which
Department I am bearing out of my individual means. You may
judge from this as to how I feel on the subject."
Audubon work. — There is practically none done in the State at
the present time. The following editorial from ' The Nashville
American,' of March 19, is such excellent advice to farmers that
it is given in full in the hope that many thousands of the tillers of
the soil will read and follow its counsel : "A birdless land is a
dreary land ; where the silence is unbroken by the song of birds
there is loneliness that is oppressive. Imagine a farm without the
cheering presence and music of birds. Think of the fields and
woods barren of feathered songsters. They are well worth pro-
tecting and preserving on purely sentimental grounds, but aside
from sentiment they are worth protecting because of their great
value to the farmer and gardener and to nearly every tree and
flower that grows. They are as truly the friends of the farmer as
the seasons — the wind and the rain and the sunshine, the light
and warmth, the frost and dew, and all the elements of nature's
alchemy. He is a primitive farmer who does not appreciate the
value of birds."
Texas. — Legislation. — During the legislative session of 1903 a
game and bird law was adopted that is one of the best in force in
the United States. Section 2, which covers the non-game birds, is
the A. O. U. model. The radical change caused by the passage
of this most excellent and much needed legislation has caused a
flutter of organized opposition to the enforcement of the law by the
pothunters and market shooters, who are combining to test the
constitutionality of the law. On the other hand, the true and
enlightened sportsmen of the State, together with the bird lovers
and others who believe that birds have an economic value, are
prepared to defend the law and propose that it shall be upheld by
the best legal talent obtainable. That the Commonwealth owns
1 94 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. It",
the wild birds and animals found within its borders there is no
doubt, and consequently has full police powers over them, and can
say through the legislature when they can be killed and by whom,
or can say that they shall not be killed at all, as has just been pro-
vided in the case of the non-game birds. (See the opinion of
Judge Treiber, under Arkansas, antea, p. in.)
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund, owing to the fact that the new law did not go into effect
until after the breeding season was finished. In 1904 it is pro-
posed to carefully guard any and all of the colonies of coast birds
that are large enough to warrant the expenditure.
Audubon work. — There is one local society in the State ; how-
ever, there is a great and growing interest in bird protection which
must eventually result in the formation of a strong society. The
limits of the State are so large that it seems desirable that at least
four societies should be organized. The women's and farmers'
clubs are doing effective work in the study and protection of birds.
In this connection mention must again be made of the great ser-
vices rendered to the State of Texas by Prof. H. P. Attwater, a
member of the A. O. U., whose efforts were untiring to pass the
new game law, and to bring to the knowledge of the agricultural
folk of the State the true relation of birds to crops. Three thou-
sand warning notices were furnished by the Thayer Fund and sent
to Prof. Attwater, who has had them distributed throughout the
State. The officials of the Southern Pacific and the San Antonio
and Aransas Pass Railway Co., voluntarily offered to distribute
and display in all of their stations in Texas copies of the warning
notice. By this means a very wide distribution was given to the
provisions of the new game law. This important and public spirited
action should be followed by the officers of other railroad corpora-
tions, not only in Texas but throughout the United States.
Under the Federal Law, known as the Lacey Act, transportation
companies are liable for carrying illegally killed game and birds,
and therefore they should, as has been done by the above men-
tioned companies, make the game laws as widely known as possible,
especially those laws that seek to prevent market shooting and pot-
hunting for cold storage houses.
It is stated that the Mexican Boll WeeviK destroyed 940,000
Vol. XXI
1904
DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. IQS
bales of Texas cotton in 1902, and a much larger amount in 1903.
Is not this a reason for caring for Texas birds ?
Utah. — Legislation. — Although the non-game bird law was
passed as late as 1899, it is not at all satisfactory, only a portion
of the birds being given protection.
The agriculturists of the State, having the most direct monetary
interest in this subject, should take the matter up at the next ses-
sion of the legislature, which convenes in 1905.
Warden work. — No wardens were employed.
Audubon work. — There is no Audubon Society at present in
the State. The press from time to time calls the attention of the
citizens to the necessity for bird protection. The following
excerpt from an editorial in the ' Utah Herald,' Salt Lake, is
excellent :
" Protect the Birds. It is to be hoped that people who make a
practice of killing the birds will not need more than a warning to
induce them to desist. Should they continue, however, prosecu-
tions should be instituted and convictions secured wherever
possible. These birds are not fit for food. They serve a useful
purpose in the destruction of insects that destroy fruit, grain and
other necessary agricultural products, and they are entitled to the
full protection of the law."
Mr. John A. Widtsoe, Director of the Agricultural Experiment
Station at Logan, voices the true idea in the following words: "In
the arid States, where animal and plant life is less abundant than
in the humid States, it is very desirable to use every endeavor to
protect the animals as well as the plants that we possess."
Vermont. — Legislation. — The effort to pass the A. O. U.
model law during the 1902 session of the legislature was not suc-
cessful ; the present law in many respects is a good one.
Warden system. — No special wardens were employed.
Audubon work. — The Corresponding Secretary gives the fol-
lowing report of the year's work: "The year 1903 has brought
much encouragement to those interested in Audubon work in the
State. Membership has not increased as rapidly as we could
wish, but a sustained effort has been made to broaden the interest,
and encourage among all our people a living interest in the living
bird, for the enrichment of life from the aesthetic side.
I q6 Ditcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. |~ f Unk
"The subject of bird protection by the farmer, not legal protec-
tion, but individual protection, such as can result only from an
intelligent comprehension of the economic value of birds to our
agricultural interests, was ably presented by our member, Amos J.
Eaton, at the Dairymen's meetings held last winter under the
auspices of the State Board of Agriculture. No topic awakened
a deeper interest. Mr. Eaton had only the Massachusetts charts
for illustration. A lantern and slides would have been of great
value, and we earnestly hope financial aid may come to us in this
matter. Our wish is that this feature of the work may be extended
through the Granges of the State.
"We have had the hearty co-operation of our State Superinten-
dent of Education, Hon. Walter E. Ranger, who has also furnished
us with much valuable printed matter for distribution, which was
issued by the Board under his direction. The interest of bird
study is deepening in our schools. We number among our mem-
bers teachers in our normal schools, which will insure definite aid
to those soon to be enrolled among our teachers.
" During the month of August the interests of the Audubon
Society were presented at several of our summer schools, and met
with much intelligent appreciation. Nature work in its largest
sense, which means one's relations to the world about him, is the
growing idea underlying the world of our educators.
"We have now three libraries in circulation among our schools.
We place a copy of ' Bird Lore ' upon the table in the reading
room of our town library."
Virginia. — Legislation. — During the last session of the legis-
lature an excellent game law was adopted, including the main
features of the A. O. U. model; besides this, spring shooting of
snipe and shore birds was stopped, the open season for wild
fowl and upland game birds was materially shortened, and the
sale and export of game from the State was prohibited. For this
admirable legislation special mention is made of the intelligent
work of Senators Keezell, Halsey and Mcllwaine, and Delegates
Caton, Christian and Mathews, who were untiring in their efforts
to make the game laws of Virginia stand in the front rank of
modern and enlightened protective statutes. The next session of
the legislature will be held in 1904.
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 97
Warden work. — Eight wardens were employed, as usual, to
guard the very extensive series of breeding grounds in Northamp-
ton and Accomac Counties, which extend from the mouth of
Chesapeake Bay northward to the Maryland line. Warning
notices were prepared and were liberally posted throughout the
State. The new law unfortunately did not go into effect until
too late to prevent some egging ; however, the breeding birds
had a reasonably favorable season and some increase was made.
Before the next breeding season the public will have learned
about the law and the penalties for its violation, and the moral
effect will be good. The territory to be guarded is very large,
is distant from dwellings, and it is difficult to prevent egging, a
custom that has been followed by the bay men for generations.
There is urgent need for a naphtha launch, in order to have a
single warden who can move rapidly from place to place. The
warden should be appointed by the State authorities with full police
powers ; his compensation can be provided for by the Thayer
Fund. From the reports of wardens and several well-known
ornithologists who visited this territory during the past breeding
season there seems to have been little or no mortality from shoot-
ing the adult birds. The bird colonies above referred to suffered
an excessive mortality of young or unhatched eggs by reason
of some exceptional high tides during June. Such mortality must
be expected almost annually at breeding grounds that are at best
not over one or two feet above the normal high tide mark. A
severe and continued easterly storm on the Virginia coast brings
in a tide that usually covers all but the highest portions of the
beach and marshes. For this reason it is imperative that these
colonies of sea and marsh birds should be carefully watched and
protected from the raids of eggers and gunners.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports as follows : " The
Audubon Society of Virginia was organized Sept. 29, 1903, and
has distributed a large number of warning notices supplied by the
National Committee.
"A mass meeting of school children was held at Falls Church,
when the school was presented with the Massachusetts Audubon
Society Bird Charts.
"The Society is now planning to print copies of the game laws
Io8 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. [~j
rAuk
an.
in full for distribution throughout the State, and expects during
the coming year to establish a large number of local societies,
particular efforts being made to enlist the school children."
Washington. Legislation. — During the 1903 session of the
legislature the A. O. U. model law was adopted. The next ses-
sion of the legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — There is no society at present organized in
the State, although inquiries have been made by persons interested
in bird protection work in the schools which may result in one
being formed at no very distant day.
West Virginia. Legislation. — The present law is somewhat
uncertain in its terms, but until the adoption of the A. O. U.
model law can be secured, it will protect the valuable birds of
the State, if it is properly enforced. The next session of the
legislature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — There is no society of this name in the State,
although the West Virginia State Protective Association is
reported to be doing an excellent and aggressive work ; it has
not as yet become affiliated with the National Committee.
Wisconsin. — Legislation. — No change was made in the law;
the A. O. U. model law is in force. The next session of the legis-
lature will be held in 1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer
Fund.
Audubon work. — The Secretary reports as follows : " During
the year our Society has conducted the usual bird-study classes ;
the publication of its monthly magazine, ' By the Wayside,' has
been continued, as has the circulation of the Society's slides and
lecture; and the signing of an Audubon pledge by 1260 children
in our public schools has been secured.
" The only work at present planned for the coining year is that
of getting new lectures to send out with our slides. The school
children are now so interested in birds that it no longer seems
necessary to offer prizes for essays on birds. A milliner recently
Vol. xx r
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee ou Bird Protection. IQQ
said that she could no longer sell a hat with even a portion of a
bird on it to any woman who had a child in our public schools.
"We are hoping to be able to get some one prominent in orni-
thology to lecture at our annual meeting next spring.
"The membership is now 22,214."
Wyoming. — Legislation. — No change; the A. O. U. model law
is still in force. The next session of the legislature will be in
1905.
Warden system. — No wardens were employed under the
Thayer Fund.
Audubon work. — Eternal vigilance is the price of good bird
laws. How the Wyoming Audubon Society prevented the passage
of an outrageous amendment to the present perfect law is best
told by President F. E. Bond : " I learned from my home paper
that three gun clubs in Cheyenne had held a mass meeting and
adopted resolutions recommending amendment of a new game
bill then pending in the legislature. One of these resolutions
demanded that the Mourning Dove, which was protected by our
' model law ' of 190 1, be placed upon the list of game birds where
it might be shot for sport and the table. I at once wrote to the
Game and Fish Committee of both houses, the introducer of the
bill, some influential State senators, and the officers of the Audu-
bon Society, asking that the dove be let alone. My correspon-
dence arrived too late to accomplish anything in the House for
the bill had passed that body, with a dove slaughtering amend-
ment, before the letters arrived. However, our friends lost no
time when they understood the situation. They succeeded in
making quite a sortie on the ranks of the enemy. The Senate
struck out the obnoxious amendment and the House afterward
concurred without a fight. I think from the letters I received
that the protection people put up a good fight.
" We are glad that the model insectivorous and song bird law
of Wyoming is still intact and believe we can so maintain it
against all comers. The law is strengthened by every failure in
attempts to amend it.
" Some effort was made to amend the game bird law by making
the close season cover the months of spring migration, but this
failed, owing to the efforts of the gun clubs, and because no one
200 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. ["t^
was on the ground to lead the fight against them. The leaven is
working, however, and I should not be surprised if we were strong
enough to abolish spring shooting of water fowl in two years more.
At any rate we will try it with better hopes of success than we had
this year.
" Although no new Audubon societies were organized in Wyo-
ming in 1903, public sentiment favoring bird protection has
increased throughout the State.
"The effect of protection upon the wild birds could not be more
pronounced than in Cheyenne, except in a locality where birds,
under similar conditions, were more abundant. During the breed-
ing season a number of the common forms are gradually assuming
the aspect of indifference to man which is characteristic of the
common fowl and pigeon, fearlessly occupying boxes and coigns of
advantage about out-buildings, porches, etc., or nesting in the
trees and vines of the dooryard. Foraging about the lawns in the
immediate presence of the children of the household, is a daily
occupation of the Robins. It has been surprising to observe how
soon these common favorites respond to the laissez faire treatment
and show their confidence in immunity from molestation. The
fearlessness, one might almost say domesticity, of the Robins in
Cheyenne is a matter of common knowledge among the people
who are becoming pardonably proud of an uncommon condition,,
and jealously defend the law and doctrine which makes it
possible.
" The Wyoming Society offers no suggestion for future work of
the National Committee. Our population is sparse, and scattered
over an area of about 98,000 square miles, and we are not in
financial condition to offer aid to National work, although greatly
interested in it. No doubt that a wide circulation of the educa-
tional leaflets would greatly assist us in the formation of new
societies, but we are not now able to afford them in any considera-
ble quantities.
" I hope the time will come when the annual report of the-
National Committee on bird protection can be published in quan-
tity and given wide circulation through the Audubon Societies. It
would materially encourage and aid bird protectionists every-
where."
i 04 I Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 201
The Thayer Fund.
The Chairman submits the following statement of subscriptions
and disbursements for the fiscal year ending November 1, 1903, to
the correctness of which he certifies.
New York, Nov. i, 1903.
William Dutcher, Chairma?i,
In Account with Thayer Fund.
Balance brought forward from 1902
$143-77
Thayer, A. II.
Thayer, J. E.
Fay, Mrs. S. B.
Freer, C. L.
Hemenway, A.
Macy, Mrs. V. E.
Warren, Miss Cornelia
Stone, Mrs. E.J.
Dodge, W. E.
Warren, S. D.
Dodge, C. H.
Vanderbilt, G. W.
Fuertes, L. A.
Raymond, C. H.
Hecker, F.J.
Sage, Mrs. S. M.
Elliot, Mrs. M. L.
Osgood, Miss E. L.
Kennedy, Mrs. J. L.
Robbins, R. C.
Parker, E. L.
Eno, H. C.
Sharpe, Miss E. D.
Pinchot, Mrs. J. W.
Dorr, G. B.
Hoyt, F. R.
Crane, Miss C. L.
Shaw, Mrs. P. A.
Conn. Audubon Society
RECEIPTS.
Su b script io ns .
$1000.00
Watson, J. S.
20.00
500.00
Greene, Miss M. A.
20.00
200.00
Van Name,, W. G.
15.00
100.00
Smith, W. M. and wife
15.00
100.00
Parsons, Mrs. M. L.
10.00
50.00
Baird, Miss L. H.
10.00
50.00
Herrick, H.
10.00
50.00
Hicks, J. D.
10.00
50.00
Emery, Mrs. L. J.
10.00
50.00
Gelpcke, Miss A. C.
10.00
50.00
G wynne, E. A.
10.00
50.00
Wads worth, Mrs. W. A.
10.00
30.00
McEwen, D. C.
1000
25.00
Collins, Miss E.
10.00
25.00
Dickerman, W. B.
10.00
25.00
Gatter, E. A.
1 0.00
25 00
Shiras, G., 3rd.
10.00
25.00
Derby Peabody Club
7.00
25.00
Robbins, R. E.,
7.00
25.00
Varick, W. R.
5.00
25.00
Day, F. M.
5.00
25.00
Chamberlain, L. T.
5.00
25.00
Van Orden, Miss M. L.
5.00
25.00
Taylor, Mrs. L.
5.00
25.00
Thomas, Mrs. T.
5.00
25.00
Gray, Mrs. F. T.
5.00
20.00
Shattuck, G. C.
5.00
20 00
Howland, Miss 1.
5.00
20.00
Howland, Miss E.
5.00
202 Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection.
TAuk
LJan.
Holt, Mrs. H.
Brooks, S.
Nicoll, B.
Lord, Miss C.
Willis, Mrs. A.
Wheeler, S. H.
Cox, J. L.
Fairbanks, Mrs. E. C.
Students, Miss Baldwin's
school
Chafee, Z.
Bowman, E. A.
Duncan, A. B.
Ricketts, Miss J.
Hardy, Mrs. R.
Fairbanks Museum
Donaldson, J. J.
Weld, G. F.
5.00 Sand, Miss I. L.
5.00
5.00
5.00
500
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
19 contributions from
$3.60 to $1.00 each
Sale of Leaflets.
Nat' 1 Committee No. 2
11 a u ,
Ed. Leaflet No. 1
u
u
a
u
5
Protection Com. Reports
Florida Audubon Society
for payment of warden
" purchase of launch
Deficit
5.00
34.60
4-65
3**3
3403
3°-33
27.88
20.43
17.68
33-35
60.00
300.00
158.90
$391575
EXPENDITURES.
California. — Printing and bird book
Colorado. — Warning notices
Bird books for Junior Audubon Society
Connecticut. — Chairman, trav. expenses
District of Columbia. — Telegrams
Florida. — R. D. Hoyt, trav. expenses
J. O. Fries, exp. in re Pelican Island
" affidavits " "
Map ....
Express
Negatives
Telegrams
Signs, Pelican Island
Printing
Wardens, four .
Purchase of launch ' Audubon '
Expenses " "
Georgia. — Printing-
Printing and distributing 8,000 copies of Ag
Exp. Station Bulletin advocating model law
Telegrams
Express
Certified copy of law
ric
$2.85
$15.00
6.55
21-55
2.10
3-17
20.00
7.70
4-50
•50
2.15
1. 00
4.98
2.00
•
2.75
575 -oo
300.00
76.09
996.67
3905
48.00
3-59
•75
5-95
102.34
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. 202
Illinois. — Printing ......
Express ........
Telegram ........
Kansas. — D. E. Lantz, trav. exp. to Legislature .
Louisiana. — Express ......
Maine. — Wardens, eleven .....
A. H. Norton, trav. exp. inspecting breeding colo
nies ........
Warning notices ......
" " posting same, D. S. Conarj
Express ........
Telegrams .......
Massachusetts. — Warden, one
Express
688
1.25
.40
325.00
Michigan. — Printing
Express
Warden, one
Nebraska. — Express
Neiv Jersey. — Trav. exp. W. De W. Miller, inspecting
colonies .........
Ac. cost lantern at lecture .....
Chairman, trav. expenses .....
Telegram .........
Wardens, two . . . . .
New York. — Chairman, trav. expenses
E. Hicks, trav. expenses ......
Telegrams ........
Express .........
Sebille case in police court .....
Wardens, three .......
North Carolina. — Warning notices
Printing ........
T. G. Pearson, trav. expenses
Telegrams .......
Express ........
Wardens, three ........ 304.00
Ohio. — Express ........
Oregon. — A. W. Anthony, trav. exp. to Legislature
Pennsylvania. — Printing ......
Express .........
8-53
6.25
1.30
91.08
15.00
5.00
1.90
.60
438-58
30.00
6.15
36.15
8.25
.40
15.00
23-65
i-i5
7-45
7-5o
2.85
■50
4000
58.30
40.62
10.00
2.92
1.20
2.80
70.00
127-54
28.00
4°-75
66.30
2-33
•65
304.00
442.03
.85
32.20
1.50
.60
2.10
204
Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protectio
Tennessee. — T. G. Pearson's trav. exp. to Legislature
Express .....
Printing .....
Telegram .....
Texas. — Warning notices
Printing .....
Express .....
Telegrams ....
Vermont. — Printing
Express .....
Virginia. — Warning notices .
Charts .....
Express .....
Printing .....
Chairman, trav. exp. to Legislature
Telegrams ....
Wardens, eight ....
Wyoming. — Express
General Expenses of Committee.
Printing 100,000 educational leaflets and other leaflets
and circulars ....
Advertising .....
Postage ......
Protection Committee Reports (5000)
Slides for Audubon Societies
Clasp envelopes ....
Press clippings ....
Letter cases .....
Card cabinet and cards
Maps and Charts ....
Bird Drawings for educational leaflets
Express ......
Memorial to War Dep't in re Philippine Islands
Sundries ........
tec t ion.
rAuk
Ljan.
47-31
3.00
30.00
1.42
8l-7?
42.00
1 1 .50
1.40
1.20
56.10"
2-75
•35
3.IO.
28.00
2.40
•2.20
4-J3
43-58
3-7o
230 00
314.01
i-3S
606.82
•50
264.52
112.25
33-85
21.69
21.24
II. 17
8.85
2.25
54.00
2.71
7.00
5?>o
Audubon Society Subscriptions to Fund for Clerk Hire
Vermont .... $25.00 District of Columbia
Illinois
New Hampshire
Massachusetts .
Pennsylvania .
Oregon
Rhode Island .
25.00
Florida
25.00
Minnesota
100.00
New York
50.00
Connecticut
15.00
Ohio
10.00
North Carolina
Total
1152.15
3915-75
50.00
50.00
25.00
100.00
25.00
25.00
50.00
575.00.
Vol. XXI
1904
Dutcher, Re-port of Committee on Bird Protection. 20C
ENDOWMENT FUND FOR THE PROTECTION OF NORTH
AMERICAN BIRDS.
Total amount of Fund, November 1, 1902 . . 227.58
Interest earned . . . . . . . . .9.18
Total amount of Fund, November 1, 1903 . . $236.76
Deposited in Freestone Savings Bank of Portland, Connecticut, by
direction of Council of American Ornithologists' Union, incorporated
in 1888 at Washington, District of Columbia.
FORM OF BEQUEST.
I do hereby give and bequeath to "The American Ornithologists'
Union " of the City of Washington, District of Columbia, for the Endow-
ment Fund for the Protection of North American Birds,
dollars.
LIST OF COMMITTEES.
A. O. U. Protection Committee for 1904.
William Dutcher, Chairman, 525 Manhattan Ave., New York, N. Y.
Abbott H. Thayer, Monadnock, N. H.
Arthur H. Norton, Westbrook, Maine.
Ralph Hoffmann, Belmont, Mass.
James H. Hill, New London, Conn.
William L. Baily, Ardmore, Pa.
Frank C. Kirkwood, Baltimore, Md.
T. Gilbert Pearson, Greensboro, N. C.
Robert W. Williams, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.
Frank M. Miller, New Orleans, La.
Frank Bond, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey, Washington, D. C.
Edward B. Clark, Chicago, Ills.
Mrs. Louise McGown Stephenson, Helena, Arkansas.
H. P. Attwater, Houston, Texas.
A. W. Anthony, Portland, Oregon.
Subcommittee on Laws.
Theodore S. Palmer, M. D., Washington, D. C.
2o6 Dutcher, Report of Committee o?i Bird Protection. [~fuk
A. O. U. Committee on Foreign Relations.
#
William Dutcher, New York, N. Y.
Frank M. Chapman, New York, N. Y.
Charles W. Richmond, M. D., Washington, D. C.
Theodore S. Palmer, M. D., Washington, D. C.
Ruthven Deane, Chicago, Ills.
National Committee of Audubon Societies.
William Dutcher, Chairman, 525 Manhattan Avenue, New York.
Subcommittee on Relations with Millinery Trade.
Theodore S. Palmer, M. D., Washington, D. C.
Frank M. Chapman, New York, N. Y.
William Dutcher, New York, N. Y.
DIRECTORY OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES, 1904.
California. President, Albert K. Smiley, Redlands ; Secretary, Mrs.
George S. Gay, Redlands.
Colorado. President, W. G. Sprague, Denver ; Secretary, Mrs. M. A.
Shute, Capitol Bldg., Denver.
Connecticut. President, Mrs. M. O. Wright, Fairfield ; Secretary, Mrs.
W. B. Glover, Fairfield.
Delaxvare. President, A. D. Poole, cor. Seventh and West Sts., Wil-
mington ; Secretary, Mrs. W. S. Hilles, 904 Market St., Wilmington.
District of Columbia. President. Gen. G. M. Sternberg, U. S. A.,
Washington ; Secretary, Mrs. J. D. Patten, 2212 R St., Washington.
Florida. President, L. F. Dommerich, New York, N. Y. ; Secretary,
Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.
Georgia. President, Dr. Eugene E. Murphey, Augusta ; Secretary,
Prof. H. N. Starnes, Ga. Exp. Station, Experiment.
Illinois. President, Ruthven Deane, 504 No. State St., Chicago;
Secretary, Miss Mary Drummond, 208 West St., Wheaton.
Indiana. President, William Watson Woollen, Commercial Club,
Indianapolis; Secretary, Florence A. Howe, Hillside Av., Indianapolis.
Iozva. President, Mrs. James B. Diver, Keokuk; Secretary, Mrs. L.
E. Felt, 524 Concert St., Keokuk.
Schaller Audubon Society, Iowa. President, Mrs. H. A. McLaughlin,
Schaller ; Secretary, Miss J. E. Hamand, Schaller.
i o I Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird. Protection. 20'J
Kentucky. President, Mrs. Montgomery Merritt, Henderson ; Sec-
retary, Ingram Crockett, Henderson.
Louisiana. President, Frank M. Miller, 203 Hennon Bldg., New
Orleans ; Secretary, Miss Anita Pring, 1449 Arabella St., New Orleans.
Maine. President, Prof. A. L. Lane, Waterville ; Secretary, Mrs. C.
B. Tuttle, Waterville.
Massachusetts. President, William Brewster, Cambridge; Secre-
tary, Miss H. E. Richards, Society of Natural History, Boston.
Maryland. President, W. C. A. Hammel, State Normal School, Balti-
more; Secretary, Miss A. W. Whitney, 715 St. Paul St., Baltimore.
Michigan. President, ; Secretary, Alex. W. Blain, Jr., 131
Elmwood Av., Detroit.
Minnesota. President, John W. Taylor, St. Paul; Secretary, Miss S.
L. Putnam, 229 Eighth Av., S. E., Minneapolis.
Lake City Audubon Society, Minnesota. President, Mrs. G. F. Benson,
Lake City; Secretary, Mrs. C. A. Koch, Lake City.
Missouri. President, Walter J. Blakely, St. Louis ; Secretary,
August Reese, 2516 North 14th St., St. Louis.
Nebraska. President, Dr. Robert H. Wolcott, Lincoln ; Secretary,
Wilson Tout, Dunbar.
Nebraska, Omaha. President, Dr. L. R. Towne, Omaha; Secretary,
Miss Joy Higgins, 544 So. Thirtieth St., Omaha.
New Hampshire. President, Mrs. Arthur E. Clark, Manchester ;
Secretary, Mrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.
New York. President, Morris K. Jesup, New York; Secretary,
Miss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West 75th St., New York.
New Jersey. President, Alexander Gilbert, Plainfield ; Secretary,
Miss Julia S. Scribner, 510 E. Front St., Plainfield.
North Carolina. President, J. F. Jordan, Greensboro; Secretary, T.
Gilbert Pearson, Greensboro.
North Dakota. President, ; Secretary, Mrs. C M. Cooley, Grand
Forks.
Ohio. President, Wm. Hubbell Fisher, 13 Wiggins Block, Cincin-
nati; Secretary, Miss Gertrude Fay Harvey, Bond Hill.
Oklahoma. President, H. D. White, Enid; Secretary, Mrs. Adelia
Holcomb, Enid.
Oregon. President, E. W. Tallant, Astoria; Secretary, Mrs. J. E.
Gratke, Astoria.
Pennsylvania. President, Witmer Stone, Academjr of Natural Sci-
ences, Philadelphia; Secretary, Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South 21st
St., Philadelphia.
Rhode Island. President, Prof. Alpheus S. Packard, Brown Uni-
versity, Providence ; Secretary, Miss Martha R. Clarke, 89 Brown St.,
Providence.
South Carolina. President, Miss C. H. Poppenheim, 31 Meeting St.,
Charleston ; Secretary, Geo. S. Holmes, Charleston.
20o Dutcher, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. (ran
Te?messee. President, Prof. Charles A. Keffer, Univ. of Tenn.,
Knoxville; Secretary, Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.
Texas. President, Miss Millie Lamb, La Porte; Secretary, Miss
Hope Terhune, La Porte.
Vermont. President, Mrs. Frances B. Horton, Brattleboro ; Secre-
tary, Mrs. Fletcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.
Virginia. President, John B. Henderson, Jr., Washington, D. C. ;
Secretary, Mr. E. C. Hough, Falls church.
West Virginia (branch of Pennsylvania Society). President, Wither
Stone, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia; Secretary, Mrs. E.
Robins, 114 S. 21st St., Philadelphia.
Wisconsin. President, Prof. O. B. Zimmerman, 222 Charter St., Madi-
son ; Secretary, Mrs. R. G. Thwaites, 260 Langdon St., Madison.
Wyoming. President, Frank Bond, Cheyenne ; Secretary, Mrs. N. R.
Davis, 2216 Ferguson St., Cheyenne.
THE AUK:
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Vol. xxi. April, 1904. No. 2.
MASKED BOB-WHITE (COLINUS RIDGWAYI).
BY HERBERT BROWN.
One of the rare, if not the rarest, native birds in Arizona to-day
is the Masked Bob-white {Colirius ridgwayi). It is not only rare
in Arizona but also in the Mexican State of Sonora, the original
habitat of the bird. For the past several years it has been safe-
guarded by law in this Territory, but unfortunately there are none
left to protect.
I have been told by men who were familiar with the Sonoite and
Santa Cruz valleys, in the early sixties, that these birds were then
common thereabouts. I have also been told that "in early days"
they were plentiful in Ramsey's Canon in the Huachucas, and also
on the Babacomori, a valley intervening between the Huachuca
and Harshaw ranges. I remember hearing of them being there
in 1 88 1, but did not see them. Some ten years ago a market
collector worked the Ramsey Canon country and reported that he
had not only taken the bird but an egg also. That he did these
things I am extremely doubtful. To say positively that he did
not would be to bump against a serious proposition, but he so
warped the truth concerning other alleged remarkable finds that
the late Major Bendire, one of the most honorable of men, upon
the discovery of attempted fraud, refused further to examine mate-
rial sent him by the party in question. I am, however, of the
belief that these birds were in the canon when white men first
2IO Brown, Masked Bob-white. T^ril
entered that section of country, and it is possible that a few were
still there on the discovery of the Tombstone and Harshaw mines,
but if so they were speedily trodden out of existence by the inrush
of fortune hunters. I mention this Ramsey Canon business for the
purpose of establishing the eastern boundary line of their former
habitat in Arizona.
Prior to 1870, but just when I cannot now say, Major Bendire,
then a Lieutenant of Cavalry, was stationed at Camp Buchannon,
on the Sonoite, almost in the very heart of the country where the
Bob-whites used to be, but, oddly enough, he did not see or hear
them. At that time the valley was heavily grassed and the Apache
Indians notoriously bad, a combination that prevented the most
sanguine naturalist from getting too close to the ground without
taking big chances of permanently slipping under it. For many
years Indians, grass, and birds have been gone. The Santa Cruz,
to the south and west of the Sonoite, is wider and was more heavily
brushed. Those conditions gave the birds a better chance for life
and for years they held tenaciously on. Six or seven years ago I
was told by a ranchman, living near Calabasas, that a small bunch
of Bob-white Quail had shortly before entered his barnyard and
that he had killed six of them at one shot. It was a grievous
thing to do, but the man did not know that he was wiping out of
existence the last remnant of a native Arizona game bird. Later
I heard of the remaining few having been occasionally seen, but
for several years now no word has come of them.
I never found them west of the Baboquivari Mountains, and from
my knowledge of the country thereabouts I am inclined to fix the
eastern slope of that range as their western limit. Between that
and Ramsey's Canon, in the Huachucas, is a distance of nearly
one hundred miles. Their deepest point of penetration into the
Territory was probably not more than fifty miles, and that was
down the Baboquavari or Altar valley.
In Sonora, Mexico, where I first met with the bird, it was known
as Perdice, a name equally misapplied to Cyrtonyx tnontezumce.
Just why it, or in fact either of these birds, should have been so
termed I do not know, but think it was probably a localism used
by the rancheros to distinguish it from Codornice, by which two
other species of quail were commonly known. It is not easy to
Vol. XXIJ Brown, Masked Bob-white. 211
describe the feelings of myself and American companions when
we first heard the call bob white. It was startling and unexpected,
and that night nearly every man in camp had some reminiscence
to tell of Bob-white and his boyhood days. Just that simple call
made many a hardy man heart-sick and homesick. It was to us
Americans the one homelike thing in all Sonora, and we felt thou-
sands of miles nearer to our dear old homes in the then far distant
States. The omnipresent hope of "striking it rich" has made
life's burden light to many a weary man, and when the ' Perdice '
made its sweet call only those who have been similarly circum-
stanced can appreciate it as we did. Then, though but a young
man, I had spread my blankets over much of the frontier West,
and no one felt that letter from home more than I did. This I
know has but little to do with the subject at issue, but I wish to
show my familiarity with the bird at the time its identity was later
called into question. True, I believed it to be Ortyx virgia?iianus,
"the Bob-white of the States," the same bird I had known as a
boy in West Virginia, and as such I called attention to its being in
Arizona.
In the spring of 1884 a man by name of Andrews, then living in
the foothills of the eastern slope of the Barboquivaris, brought me
a pair of these quail to Tucson. As I was on the point of leaving
town for a business trip through the Territory I took the birds to
the office of a friend and he promised to make them up as best he
could for me. I then wrote a note to ' The Citizen,' a newspaper
with which I was connected, stating that a pair of Bob-white Quail
had been brought in, and so on. This note was subsequently
republished in 'Forest and Stream,' where it was seen by Mr.
Robert Ridgway, of Washington. He replied that there was no
such thing as a Bob-white in Arizona and that the writer of ' The
Citizen ' article had probably mistaken some other well known
form of quail for them. On being advised of this by Dr. Geo.
Bird Grinnell, editor of ' Forest and Stream,' I went to my friend
for the skins he had promised to make for me. To my regret
I learned that the birds had been allowed to spoil and were then
thrown out. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately as it turned out
afterwards, portions of the birds were still to be had. These,
through the kindness of Dr. Grinnell, were sent to Mr. Ridgway-
212 Brown, Masked Bob-white. \ k^\
and were by him identified as Ortyx grays oni, a Mexican species
found in the neighborhood of Mazatlan. He expressed surprise
at the bird being in Arizona. For my own collection I at once
procured another pair. These latter birds were seen, examined,
and commented on by W. E. D. Scott, E. W. Nelson, F. Stephens,
and H. W. Henshaw, none of whom, with the exception of Scott,
questioned the correctness of Mr. Ridgway's identification.
Scott's remark was, after he had examined the birds a number of
times, " I think they ought to be further inquired into," or words to
that effect. Stephens was then in the country collecting for Mr.
Brewster, of Cambridge, Mass. When in Sonora, just south of
the Arizona line, he killed a male. On his return to Tucson we
compared it with my specimens and found it to be the same bird.
Mr. Stephens did not see the fragmentary skins that were sent to
Mr. Ridgway through Dr. Grinnell, as stated erroneously by Prof.
J. A. Allen in his very excellent article on ' The Masked Bob-
white of Arizona, and its Allies,' l but he saw and compared his
bird with a pair of perfect skins then in possession of the writer.
Later, Stephens sent his bird to Mr. Brewster, by whom it was
described as a new bird and named in honor of Mr. Ridgway ;
hence we have Colinus ridgwayi.
It was never my good fortune to see an egg of this bird. When
the late Major Bendire was stationed at Camp Buchannon, he
found a broken shell of what he then judged to have been the egg
of an Ortyx. The Ramsey Canon collector, elsewhere referred to,
claimed to have taken an egg from the body of the bird he said
he had killed, but as his one story rests on no better foundation
than the other it can be taken for what it is worth. About 1885,
I think, I offered to Mexican vaqueros, riding the Sasabe Flat and
Altar Valley ranges, one dollar per egg for the first nest of Bob-
white eggs found for me. Word was subsequently sent to me that
a nest containing six eggs had been found on the mesa near the
mouth of Thomas Canon, on the eastern side of the Baboquivari
Mountains. Unfortunately these precious things were lost through
the cupidity of the finders whose expectations ran to more eggs,
but while waiting for the increase the nest was robbed of the eggs
1 Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. I, No. 7, 1886, pp. 273-290.
Vol. XXI
1904
Brown, Masked Bob-white. 2 I 7
that were then in it. I was, however, notified of the find, but
when I reached there I found only an empty nest, a bowl-shaped
depression in a bunch of mountain grass. I have regretted many
times that I did not dig up the "situation " and take it home with
me, but I did not then dream of their future rarity. The eggs had
undoubtedly been taken by some reptile or animal, as no broken
shells were found to indicate that they had hatched. Later I
offered five dollars for the first egg of a Bob-w^hite brought to me.
I received a quail egg from a party by the name of Sturgis, then
living at La Osa, a few miles north of the Mexican line. He
claimed to have personally taken the egg from the nest and knew
it to be that of a Bob-white. Although I had my misgivings I
paid the money and then sent the egg to Major Bendire for exam-
ination. He reported it to be nothing more than a very pale egg
of a Callipella squamata. I then wrote to friends in Sonora, but
they never succeeded in getting me the much coveted egg.
The causes leading to the extermination of the Arizona Masked
Bob-white {Colhms ridgwayf) are due to the overstocking of the
country with cattle, supplemented by several rainless years. This
combination practically stripped the country bare of vegetation. Of
their range the Colinus occupied only certain restricted portions,
and when their food and shelter had been trodden out of existence
by thousands of hunger-dying stock, there was nothing left for
poor little Bob-white to do but go out with them. As the condi-
tions in Sonora were similar to those in Arizona, birds and cattle
suffered in common. The Arizona Bob-white would have thriven
well in an agricultural country, in brushy fence corners, tangled
thickets and weed-covered fields, but such things were not to be
had in their habitat. Unless a few can still be found on the
upper Santa Cruz we can, in truth, bid them a final good-bye.
214 Clark, Curved-billed and Palmer's Thrashers. lAriJ
CURVED-BILLED AND PALMER'S THRASHERS.
BY JOSIAH H. CLARK.
The following is a comparison of the measurements of the eggs
of the Curved-billed Thrasher (Harporhynchus curvirostris) from
Ramos, State of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where the elevation is
about 8,000 feet, with those of Palmer's Thrasher {Harporhynchus
curvirostris palmeri) from El Plomo, Sonora, Mexico, where the
elevation is about 1,200 feet.
Having been located as a mining engineer in the above men-
tioned localities, I had the opportunity of making a study of these
birds. I am aware that the same variety of birds under dif-
ferent conditions of altitude or latitude will vary both as to the
time of nesting and the number of eggs to a set. So that two
men may describe the nesting habits of a bird, and though they
may agree as to the composition and position of the nest, they
will give a different average for the number of eggs to the set,
the date of nesting, and their measurements.
For example, Mr. G. B. Sennett says the Curved-billed Thrasher
along the Rio Grande in Texas commences to breed in March
and lays four eggs. Mr. Charles J. Maynard says that it lays
four or five.
I examined over one hundred nests of this bird during the
years 1899 and 1900 and in all only three times were there more
than three eggs, and these were, one nest with four young, and
two nests with four eggs each. For Ramos I would say that the
average was less than three, also their earliest nesting in May.
The reason that the birds do not nest earlier is because April and
May are the hottest months of the year in this locality, and there
is not so much for the birds to eat ; the rains begin in June. An
example of late nesting at Ramos is the Scaled Partridge. The
natives tell me it never nests before the middle of July. I found
nests of fresh eggs August 1 and August 25. From this it shows
how important it is not to rely too much on facts from any one
locality, but as these two localities are especially favored by these
birds, and as they outnumber all other birds almost two to one, I
could not help comparing them, and I would like very much for
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XVIII
Fig. i. NEST AND EGGS OF CURVED-BILLED THRASHER. Typical nest in a Nopalo Cactus.]
Fig. 2. NEST OF CURVED-BILLED THRASHER. Typical next in Cholla Cactus.
Vol. XXI j Clark, Curved-billed a?id Palmers Thrashers. 2 I C
1904 j J
any one who may have notes on these birds further north to com-
pare them with the following.
Although these localities are separated by over eight hundred
miles, the climate is the same and the country looks the same ; in
both cases we have a few mountains between which lie immense
mesas and valleys which are mostly timberless and waterless, but
covered with a curious growth of cacti in which the birds nest.
The cacti of each place are different with the exception of the
cholla, which is common in both places, and singularly enough it
is the most common nesting site.
The new nest of both birds is generally near the old one, usually
in the same cactus, and sometimes the old nest made over.
Sometimes the nest is completed two or three weeks before the
eggs are laid. Then again, if the nest and eggs are taken the
birds will have another nest and eggs in from twelve to fifteen
days, and the new nest is usually about fifty feet from the one
taken, but if the first nest is not disturbed the new nest will usu-
ally be about five feet from the old one.
The nests of both birds are the same, made of thorny twigs ;
in fact, nothing grows there without thorns on it, so they can get
nothing else. These sticks are six to ten inches long, and form
the outside of the nest, which is lined with wire grasses ; some-
times horse hair is used in place of the grass, or with it. The
nests are externally about ten inches in diameter and eight inches
deep ; internally about three and one-half inches, both in diameter
and depth.
These birds are common permanent residents of these respec-
tive places and may be seen in pairs throughout the year, using
their old nest for a roost.
The following sets do not represent average sets, but I have
selected them to show the range in measurements.
Following are the measurements in millimeters of ten sets of
the Curved-billed Thrasher.
30.83 X 19.05 29.45 x 19.20
29.05 x 19.52 28.03 x 19-75
29.30 x 19.65 28.40 x 19.33
27.95X19.46 27.48 X I9-71
4 33-5o X 2!. 08 32.12X21.54
Set No. 6
30.95 X 19-05
9
29.81 X 19.00
" 27
29.80 X 19.45
57
28.29 X 19.45
2l6
Clark, Curved-billed and Palmer' 's Thrashers. Ia "l
Set No. i
26.82 X 19.98
26.21 X 20.46
24.26 X 19.62
3
28.72 X 20.65
28.40 X 20.47
28.IOX 20.68
32
28.95 X 19.90
28.67 X 20.13
28.52 X 19.94
39
30.57 X 20.64
30.13X20.73
29.85 X 20.33
29.69 X 20.23
54
28.08 X 21.05
28.03 X 20.75
26.63 X 20.38
The average size of 158 eggs is 28.97 x 20.37 millimeters.
Of the above sets, numbers 6, 9, 27 and 57 were laid by the
same bird, numbers 6 and 27 were from one nest and numbers 9
and 57 from another nest.
This shows how these birds retain the same nest from year to
year. The dates were No. 6, May 28, 1899; No. 9, June 11,
1899; No. 27, May 19, 1900; No. 57 June 5, 1900. Though
the dimensions of these four sets vary, the color and markings of
all are the same. This fact has often been mentioned in regard
to Hawk eggs taken from the same nest on consecutive years.
Following are averages taken from fifty-eight sets, taken during
two years. Average number of eggs, 2.72. Average height of
nest from ground. 3.9 feet. Of these nests, forty were in cholla
cactus, sixteen in nopalo cactus, and two in palma trees.
My earliest and latest records for fresh eggs were May 17 and
July 2. The first brood is hatched about June 1 and leaves the
nest in twelve days. The second nest is usually built by this time
and the eggs are deposited shortly after.
On May 28, 1899, I found a nest with four young about two
days old. This same pair of birds on June 11 had a new nest
with three eggs. The male bird assists in incubation and also in
care of the young.
Following are the measurements in millimeters of ten sets of
Palmer's Thrasher.
Set No. 4
28.78 X 19.07
28.46 X 18.97
27.57 X 18.91
u
18
29.20 X 1927
29.16 X 19-61
28.56 X 19.40
u
27
28.85 X 19.69
28.27 X 19.25
26.67 x 19-54
u
7
29.91 X 20.69
29.20 X 21.13
a
12
30.71 X 20.44
30.32 X 20.43
29.19 X 20.63
a
l3
30.95 X 19-82
30.85 X 19.82
a
i7
28.13 X 19.60
26.14 x 19.23
u
19
30.78 X 20.52
30.52 X 20.45
30.00 X 20.20
a
22
32.60 X 20.00
«
24
28.76 X 19.80
27-33 X 19-66
27.32 X 19-35
The average size of 79 eggs is 28.68x20.05 millimeters.
Vol. XXI
1904
Clark, Curved-billed and Palmer's Thrashers. 2.\h]
Of the above sets, numbers 4, 18 and 27 were laid by the same
bird, a new nest being built for each set. The dates were March
14, 1898; March 30, 1898; and April 19, 1898.
The similarity of these nine eggs is very striking, and they dif-
fer a little in shape, which is elongate ovate, from all the other
eggs.
Following are the averages taken from thirty-one sets. Average
number of eggs in a set, 2.55. Average height of nest from
ground, 4.2 feet. Of these nests twenty-seven were in cholla
cactus, three in sibiri cactus, and one in palo verde tree. My
earliest record for eggs was March 1, and most birds were nest-
ing by March 14, and the second set is laid about April 20.
Generally the spots or specks are more thickly sprinkled on the
eggs of the Curved-billed than those of Palmer's and the ground
color is a little darker. But the description of one will do for the
other.
The shape of the eggs varies a great deal, from ovate to elon-
gate, or elliptical ovate.
The ground color is generally light bluish green, sometimes
light green, bluish white or grayish white, minutely specked or
spotted with cinnamon brown and lavender. In some eggs the
markings are like fine pin points. The less the number of spots
the larger they are. Usually there are not as many spots at the
small end, and the spots are uniform over the middle and large
end of the egg. In some eggs most of the spots are at the large
end and in very few we have a wreath. In some the spots are
so faint that they can just barely be seen. In no case are the
markings so thickly sprinkled as in the average egg of the Brown
Thrasher.
2 1 8 Breninger, San Clemente Island Birds. |~A^rii
SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND AND ITS BIRDS.
BY GEORGE F. BRENINGER.
San Clemente Island lies fifty miles to the south from San
Pedro, California, well out on the broad bosom of the Pacific.
Midway is Catalina Island, that noted summer resort ; and to the
west, seventy-five miles from San Pedro, is San Nicholas. These
islands, though distant by at least one hundred miles from Santa
Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands, are known collectively
as the Santa Barbara group. It is but reasonable that they bear
considerable affinity one with another in their flora and fauna, and
while this is true in a way, there are instances quite to the con-
trary.
Geologically speaking these islands are the exposed tops of
mountains, a sunken chain that ran parallel with the Coast Range.
San Clemente Island, of which this paper treats, has an altitude
of nearly 3000 feet, and a length of twenty-three miles by five
miles wide. Frost is unknown, and in consequence vegetation
grows rank most of the year.
Early in February of the present year (1903) I was instructed by
the curator of the ornithological department of the Field Columbian
Museum to make a collection of the birds on San Clemente and
visit the other islands if possible. In accordance therewith I
secured passage on a 33-foot gasoline schooner that made period-
ical trips to the island in quest of fish.
The length of my stay was guaged accordingly. On the island
accommodations were secured with the man in charge of the San
Clemente Wool Company's sheep. This man and his wife are the
only inhabitants of the island, apart from a Chinese camp whose
occupants remain on the island only during certain periods of
fishing. The island is one of great interest alike to the ornitholo-
gist, botanist, and student of pre-historic man.
I found the rocky, surf -beaten shore tenanted by thousands of
Black-bellied Plovers (Squatarola squatarold) in winter dress, and
Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala). A number of each
were taken but proved so excessively fat that it was thought best
to use the limited time on better material. The gulls found about
i ^X*l Breninger, San Clemente Island Birds. 2 I Q
the island were the Western Gull (Zarus occidentalis), Heermann's
Gull (Zarus heermanni), California Gull (Zarus californicus), and
the Glaucous-winged Gull (Zarus glaucescens). The few individ-
uals seen of Zarus glaucescens were immature birds. Those seen
of Zarus californicus were migrating northward in small bunches.
I had hoped to learn something of the nesting of Zarus heermanni
on the island, but in this I was disappointed. My host, who had
spent most of fifteen years on the island, often found pleasure,
from his solitary occupation, in noting the time different birds
laid eggs. Z. heermanni has never been known to nest on the
island. Z. occidentalis is the only one that brings forth its young
there.
Out in the channel several lone individuals of the Black-
vented Shearwater (Puffinus gavia) were seen skimming the swells.
None were seen near land. A few California Pelicans (Pelecanus
californicus) were seen among a number of Cormorants (Phala-
crocorax penicillatus and P. pelagic us resplende?is) . Both of the
cormorants nested on the island, but the pelicans are said to nest
on some of the other islands. While rowing around the north
end of the island my host pointed out to me nests of Fish Hawks
(Pandion haliaetus car o linens is), Bald Eagles (Haliceetus leucoceph-
alus), and Ravens (Corvus corax sinuatus), built on some pro-
jecting ledge or hole in the seawall. Our objective point, that
morning, was a large rock, a mile distant from the end of the
island, where my host said there was an eagle's nest, and at that
date there should be eggs. As we neared the rock the huge nest,
with a white head protruding, was outlined against the sky. Great
seas broke about this time-worn mass of granite. A landing
can be made only in calm weather. After the force of three or
four swells had been broken, the boat was run up to the rock, and
I jumped ashore and hastened upward while my man pulled the
boat away to save it from being broken. The nest held two eggs,
which were taken, but the one parent shot at was lost, falling in
the surf or on the end of the island. Rough seas prevented a land-
ing being made.
Up on a hillside, among green grass, my host pointed out
another eagle's nest. The accumulation of years' repairing of the
old nest had given it such height that a man standing by its side
2 20 Breninger, San Clemente Island Birds. CA^ril
could not see into the cavity. There were no indications of the
occupancy of this nest. Very old birds prove vicious antagonists.
A pair of eagles had used two nests alternately, one on each side
of a deep gorge. As they have used one or the other during the
past fifteen years they were known to be old birds, with a bad record.
One season, at sheep-shearing time, one of the employees of the
Wool Company, fresh from a land where there were no eagles,
essayed to ride to the edge of the barranca and have a look at the
young eagles. From above the old eagle swooped with unerring
aim, and it was fortunate the grasp was not deeper, as with angry
screams she flew away with his hat, dropping it into the sea. It
was with this same eagle I was dealing. My man had gone down
after the eggs, and while I was giving some minor directions, in an
unguarded moment, a little dog that had followed from the house
ran with a pitiful whine under my legs and curled up there in mor-
tal terror. I had sat down on the ground, perhaps on account of
proximity to the edge of the abyss and at the same time to have
'full swing ' at rapid shooting. A moment after the dog had taken
refuge an eagle came within a foot of striking me in the face with
its wing. My gun came to my shoulder instantly. Bang ! and a
fine white-headed bird lay dying at the bottom of the barranca.
The female, too, was secured.
Ravens (Corvus corax sinuatus) were numerous about the island ;
thirty-eight were seen circling over a small interior valley at one
time. It was yet too early for eggs, though nests of previous
years were seen along the seawall and in the side of the barran-
cas. At one place seven nests were seen in a space of less than
one hundred yards. Even in this unfrequented spot the raven
maintains his time-honored trait of the preservation of its kind
by placing its nest in inaccessible places. Although shy birds at
all times, curiosity gets the best of them now and then, and for
this reason I brought away two fine skins.
One Western Red-tailed Hawk {Buteo borealis calurus) and a
pair of Duck Hawks (Falco per egr inns anatuni) were seen, and a
male of the Duck Hawk was secured. White-throated Swifts
{Aeronautes melanoleucus) were seen darting up and down some
of the deep canons. Hummingbirds were also detected, but the
species could not be determined while in flight.
Vol. XXI"j Breninger, San Cleme?ite Island Birds. 221
1904 J " ■" •*
Particular interest attaches itself to many of the land birds.
Centuries of isolation has developed habits and features quite dif-
ferent from the same species or closely related forms of the main-
land. From association with most of the geographical races of
Melospiza I have learned to frame Song Sparrows in the same
scene with rippling brooks, moist meadows, and tule-bordered
lagoons. Over the whole length and breadth of San Clemente
Island there is no fresh water, except what may gather after a
rainfall in the rock basins at the bottoms of the washes. There is
absolutely no swamp ground, yet Song Sparrows are there in
thousands, from the shores to the highest point of the island, feed-
ing and nesting among the bushes of the hillsides, along with
Bell's Sparrow (Amphispiza belli). On the mainland Bell's Spar-
row marks the other extreme, making its home on the dry sage-
covered mesas. Another departure is that of the San Clemente
Wren (Thryomanes leucop/irys), a numerous bird on the island,
where it nests in the holes and crevices of the rocks. I am
inclined to believe it also places its nest amid the protective arms
of the prickly pear. T. bewickii spilurus and T. b. leucogaster, two
closely allied forms of the mainland, both nest in holes in trees.
The change is probably due to the conditions, for on most of the
island there are no trees.
The same is true of Carpodacus, the form inhabiting the island
being known as Carpodacus frontalis cle7nent<z. The sheep-sheds
at the ranch were lined with nests of this bird, old and new, and
at that early date I took several sets of four and five eggs. There
were some nests built among the spiny leaves of the prickly pear,
but by far the greater number were built in holes in the rocky
wall of the sea. A pair built their nest in the interstices between
the sticks of an eagle's nest. There were at the time of my visit
no eggs in the finch's nest, though the eagle's nest was tenanted.
The question naturally arises, does this species pass back and
forth from the mainland to the island?
To a bird having the power of flight, as in Carpodacus, this is
not at all impossible. On clear days Catalina Island is clearly
visible from the mainland, only twenty-five miles away, while the
channel between Catalina and San Clemente is but twenty-two
miles wide. The House Finch nest built in an eagle's nest, of
2 22 Breninger, San Clemettte Island Birds. \ a^
which mention was made, was on a rock a mile from the island.
These birds when disturbed flew without hesitation direct to the
island. At Monterey, Cal., I have seen Robins (Mcrula migra-
toria propinqua), and Rufous Hummingbirds, in their northward
movement leave the land at Point Pinos, flying directly out to sea,
crossing the bay. Later while out three miles from shore, I saw
Hummingbirds pass at the rate of one every five minutes. The
distance from Point Pinos on the south to Point Santa Cruz, the
north side of the bay, is thirty miles. While the migration of
Carpodacus from the mainland to the nearer islands is possible,
I think it very improbable. Migration is prompted largely by
meteorological changes and food supply. On San Clemente
Island food is abundant and the weather conditions are much the
same the year round and whatever migratory instinct the House
Finches ever possessed has been lost.
The Horned Lark, set apart as Otocoris alpestris insularis, a
common bird on the island, is the most intensely colored variety
of this species I have ever taken. The same is true of the Bur-
rowing Owl {Speotyto cunicularia hypogcea) found on the island.
Specimens compared with some from San Pedro, shows the island
bird to be much darker.
One solitary Mountain Plover {Podasocys tnontana) was seen and
taken. My host told me they wintered on the island in incredi-
ble numbers. Flocks of Sanderling (Ca/idris arenaria), and a few
Hudsonian Curlew (Nttmenius hudsonicus) were seen on the beaches.
Black Oyster-catchers (Hcematopus bachmani) were said to inhabit
the island, but I was not favored with a glimpse of these "birds
with redlegs," as they are known to the fishermen.
I am at a loss to account for the mortality among the Auklets
{Ptychoramphus aleuticus) frequenting the water about the island.
Along the shores and on the water dead Auklets were seen every-
where. Eagles and Duck Hawks fed on those that were not yet
dead, while ravens and gulls fed by day on the dead that were
thrown up among the rocks, and the foxes foraged over the same
ground at night.
A flock of Meadowlarks (SturneHa magna neglectd) was encoun-
tered well up toward the top of the island. These were resident
and bred on the island. Contrary to the habits of most birds that
V°iqo4XIJ Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. 2 2 2
are never molested by man, it was absolutely impossible to
approach these birds except by stealth. I met the birds each
morning, and as many times tried to secure a specimen ; one
hundred to two hundred yards was the nearest approach per-
mitted before they resorted to flight. One was finally secured
by taking advantage of a board fence that crossed the island and
some intervening bushes ; creeping forward as far as was safe
without being seen, a 75-yard shot with No. 5 shot secured the
long sought for bird.
Rock Wrens (Salfiinctes obsoletus) were fairly numerous but dif-
fered in no way from the same species on the mainland. A pair
of Large-billed Sparrows (Passercuhis rostratus) were seen in a
patch of salt grass and one of the two secured. Black Phcebes
(Sayornis nigricans) Say's Phoebe (Sayomis say a) were both pres-
ent, probably migrants from the mainland.
Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos leucopterus) breeds sparingly
on the island, perhaps less than a half dozen pairs. Only one
was seen and taken. One shrike (Lanius) was seen but not taken.
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was seen at different times,
but always alone.
A LIST OF LAND BIRDS FROM CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON.
BY ROBERT E. SNODGRASS.
The list of birds here given is the ornithological result of a
collecting expedition sent into the field during the summer of
1903 by the Washington Agricultural College. The expedition
started from Pullman and, going westward through Connell and
across the White Bluffs Ferry on the Columbia River as far as the
town, of North Yakima, traversed the southern part of Whitman
County, the southeastern corner of Adams County, Franklin
County, the extreme south end of Douglas County, and the north-
2 2z|. Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. \ t^\
eastern part of Yakima County. Returning it crossed the central
and southeastern part of Yakima County, Walla Walla, Columbia
and Garfield Counties, and the southeastern part of Whitman
County, coming by way of Prosser, Wallula Ferry on the Colum-
bia River, Walla Walla, Bolles, Dayton, Pomeroy and Almota
Ferry on the Snake River.
The collectors were Mr. C. V. Burke, Mr. E. A. MacKay, Mr.
E. Crawford, and the writer. Specimens were obtained of nearly
all the birds recorded.
The area covered embraces several very different sorts of
country. It is all, geologically, a part of the great Columbia lava
sheet, but climatic and altitudinal conditions have formed two very
distinct biological zones.
The eastern part of Whitman County is a rich wheat-growing
section having a comparatively heavy-rainfall and an altitude of
2000 feet or more. It is treeless, except in the canons, and its
original predominant vegetation was bunch-grass (several species
of Agropyroti) which grew luxuriantly everywhere. A character-
istic member of the fauna is the extremely abundant Columbian
Ground Squirrel (Citellus columbianus) , and one of the commonest
birds in the summer time is the Catbird. As one goes west the
climate becomes dryer and a small stunted sage-brush replaces the
bunch-grass. The large Columbian Ground Squirrel abruptly dis-
appears and a smaller, grayer species (C. townsendi) takes its place.
One is here on the transition area between the narrow fertile strip
along the eastern border of the State and the great arid region of
the middle part.
Franklin County is excessively arid. The eastern half is partly
under cultivation, large tracts being ploughed and planted to
wheat. Water, however, is so scarce that the farmers have to haul
all that they use from the few wells and springs that occur. Many
have to go ten and twelve miles for their water, transporting it in
large wagon tanks. The country about the town of Connell pre-
sents a scene of utter desolation. During the summer there is no
solid ground anywhere — all is dust ; there is not a green thing
in sight and scarcely a stump of anything that ever was green.
The dried-up sage-brush is only a few inches high. Most of the
country west of Connell is still an unbroken desert. The sage-
i *X 1 Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. 22 £
brush here is larger, however, and growing with it is considerable
bunch-grass, so that this region does not look quite so desolate as
the Connell district. Twelve miles west of Connell on the road
to White Bluffs Ferry — a distance of nearly thirty miles — there
is a spring located in a deep coulee. This is the only water to be
had until one gets to the Columbia River. West of this spring
the country is covered with sand that has drifted east from the
river, and which has buried and obliterated almost every plant
form except what sage-brush has been able to continually push up
through it. The sand becomes deeper as one approaches the
river, but several miles inland it has drifted up into great dunes.
The sand, together with the lack of water, makes a journey across
this region an extremely hard one on horses. Bird and insect life
is almost absent. Occasionally one meets with a few Horned
Larks or Sage Sparrows and now and then a Meadowlark.
Rather frequently the Pigmy Horned Toad (Phrynosoma doug-
lassii) and a small lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) are seen. Near
the Columbia also another lizard ( Uta stansburiand) occurs.
Along the banks of the Columbia at White Bluffs there is no
more fertility than farther inland. A few scattered willows grow
close to the water. Birds, however, are more abundant. Besides
the Sage Sparrows, Horned Larks, and Meadowlarks, there occur
here Sage Hens in abundance, Mourning Doves, Sparrow Hawks,
a few Burrowing Owls, many Magpies, numerous Nighthawks, a
few Kingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds,
many Shrikes, and a few Rock Wrens along the cliffs facing the
river.
Yakima County is more diversified. High hills form the divide
between the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. These hills contain
almost no water and support the ordinary desert fauna and flora.
The narrow Yakima valley, however, is very fertile and, in the
neighborhood of North Yakima, the country is covered with large
groves of trees — principally cotton woods. This region is also
extensively irrigated and, hence, presents a striking contrast to the
region east of it. Although there is a rich bird-fauna here, one
is surprised at the absence of a number of common birds. For
example, during nine days of collecting, from July 4 to 13, we
saw no Owls, Horned Larks, Orioles, Vesper Sparrows, Tanagers,
2 26 Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. ["^ril
Shrikes, or Bluebirds. On the other hand, one bird, the Ash-
throated Flycatcher, occurs here but was observed nowhere else
in the State. The Yakima Ground Squirrel {Citellus mollis yaki-
mensis) is not numerous but is characteristic of the Yakima River
region.
South of the North Yakima country trees are less abundant
along the river, and the fertile country forms only a narrow strip
through the sage-brush. A small gray chipmunk {Eutamias
pictus) and the lizard Uta stansburiana are common.
At Prosser we left the Yakima Valley and, after ascending the
bluffs south of the town, came out upon the high plateau known as
the " Horse Heaven " country. This is a most arid region occu-
pying the area east of the Yakima Indian Reservation and south
of the Yakima River. Bunch-grass grows amongst the sage-brush
(whence probably the name of " Horse Heaven " ), but the country
is almost devoid of water. From one well, operated by a company,
water is sold to the settlers for miles around. Others haul water
ten or fifteen miles out of the Yakima Canon ! We traversed
" Horse Heaven " from Prosser to Wallula Ferry, and here crossed
the Columbia into Walla Walla County. On both sides of the
river from White Bluffs Ferry to Wallula Ferry the country presents
the same desolateness as it does farther inland. Just below Wal-
lula the Columbia enters a deep, walled canon of basalt.
The western part of Walla Walla County is the same sort of
desert as the region west of the river. The surface is formed
mostly of a fine, white, chalky tufa deposit. This same tufa for-
mation occurs all along the Yakima Valley south of North Yakima
interbedded between layers of basalt. Narrow, horizontal beds of
it also give the white appearance to the cliffs on the Columbia
known as White Bluffs. For about fifteen miles up the Walla
Walla River from Wallula the sage-brush prevails. Only along
the narrow river bottom are there a few trees and bushes. Here
also are a few small alfalfa fields and orchards. Birds are
extremely scarce — no Sage Sparrows or Sage Thrashers were
seen on this part of the desert.
Near the city of Walla Walla, however, one comes again into
the wheat-growing region where water can be obtained by means
of wells, and where Citellus columbianus flourishes. From here
V°iqo4XIJ Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. 22 7
eastward moisture and fertility rapidly increase. Groves of trees
fringe both the Walla Walla River and the Touchet Creek and
all the hills are covered with flourishing wheat fields. In all of
the arid region wheat grows from a few inches to a foot in height.
The Walla Walla wheat-growing country is said to have been orig-
inally clothed with bunch-grass. From Bolles to Dayton the nar-
row canon of the Touchet supports a thick growth of trees and
underbrush. Outside of the canon the country is treeless and
covered with wheat-fields.
From Dayton on through Columbia and Garfield Counties the
surface is cut by extremely deep canons through which the Tucan-
non, Pataha and Deadmans streams flow northwest into the Snake
River. This country is also treeless, except in the canons, and
the higher parts are covered with bunch-grass, much of it still
unbroken. In the canons, however, one descends again upon the
Upper Sonoran desert forms. The canon of the Snake River is
an enormous gorge about 2000 feet deep. Its climate is much
warmer and more arid than that of the surrounding country, so
that within two or three miles one can descend from one biological
zone into another very distinctly different one.
On crossing the Snake River from the south and coming into
the elevated region of the Palouse River one is again within the
country of the Catbird. The abrupt contrast between the pro-
ductivity of this country and of that to the west and south is most
striking, and shows the great superiority of the Palouse region as
a wheat-growing country. The fauna and flora are also richer
and more varied, and a list of the birds would show a greater
number of species here than occur anywhere in the arid parts.
The following list does not include the Palouse region species.
1. Pedicecetes phasianellus columbianus. Columbian Sharp-tailed
Grouse. — Not seen in any of the sage-brush region of Franklin or Yakima
Counties; abundant along the Touchet Creek in Walla Walla County ; a
few seen in Garfield County.
2. Centrocercus urophasianus. Sage Hen. — This species occurs
throughout the entire sage-brush area of central Washington. It was
found especially abundant on the sandy desert region along the White
Bluffs of the Columbia River in the southern end of Douglas County.
3. Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — Common almost every-
where ; observed throughout Whitman, Franklin, Yakima, and Walla
Walla counties.
2 28 Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washing-ton. L April
4. Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — A few seen in Franklin
County, about North Yakima in Yakima County, and in Walla Walla
County.
5. Buteo borealis calurus. Western Red-tail. — Common every-
where throughout the eastern central and southeastern parts of the State.
6. Falco mexicanus. Prairie Falcon. — Found rather common at
Almota along the bluffs of the Snake River Canon.
7. Falco sparverius phalcena. Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Common
everywhere.
8. Megascops asio macfarlanei. MacFarlane's Screech Owl. —
Two immature specimens taken on the Touchet Creek near Bolles in the
eastern part of Walla Walla County, but the species was not seen else-
where.
9. Bubo virginianus lagophonus. Western Horned Owl. — Several
seen at White Bluffs on the Columbia River, southern Douglas County.
10. Speotyto cunicularia hypogsea. Burrowing Owl. — Extremely
abundant in the southwestern part of Whitman County; occurs all the
way across Franklin County ; comparatively scarce in Yakima and Walla
Walla Counties.
11. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. — Occurs along nearly all
streams. Observed on the Columbia, Yakima, and Walla Walla Rivers,
and on the Touchet Creek.
12. Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii. Gairdner's Woodpecker. —
Common in the trees along the Yakima River at North Yakima.
13. Asyndesmus torquatus. Lewis's Woodpecker. — Extremely
abundant in the groves of trees along the Yakima and Walla Walla
Rivers and the Touchet Creek.
14. Colaptes cafer collaris. Red-shafted Flicker. — Found wher-
ever trees occur.
15. Chordeiles virginianus henryi. Western Nighthawk. — Com-
mon everywhere throughout Whitman, Franklin, Yakima, and Walla
Walla Counties. In the more desert places, such as at White Bluffs on
the Columbia River and in the dry "Horse Heaven " country in southern
Yakima County, it has the habit of flying about a great deal at all times
of the day. It was not observed to do this nearly so much in the less arid
or tree-covered regions about North Yakima and along the Touchet Creek
in Walla Walla County, or in the more humid region of Columbia, Gar-
field, and Whitman Counties.
16. Trochilus alexandri. Black-chinned Hummingbird. — Common
at North Yakima. No other species of Hummingbird seen anywhere.
17. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Common almost everywhere
throughout Whitman, Franklin, Yakima, Walla Walla, Columbia, and
Garfield Counties.
18. Tyrannus verticalis. Arkansas Kingbird. — This species is
much more local in its distribution than the last. It is abundant in Whit-
man, Garfield, and Columbia Counties, but very rare about North Yakima,
Vol. XXI
1904
Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. 2 2Q
and in the "Horse Heaven" country of Yakima County. It was found
rather numerous in the Yakima valley south of Toppenish, and a number
were observed between Wallula and Walla Walla in Walla Walla County,,
but about Bolles none were seen.
19. Myiarchus cinerascens. Ash-throated Flycatcher. — This
species was found only along the Yakima River; several specimens were
secured at North Yakima. It was not common, however, and has not
been reported from any other part of the State.
20. Sayornis saya. Say's Phcebe. — Common everywhere east of the
Columbia, and north of the Snake River. Very rare in Yakima County
— one individual seen near the station of Satus in the Yakima River val-
ley. Common also in Garfield County between Pomeroy and Alnota
Ferry. It is curious that this bird should be so scarce in the fertile and
wooded country along the Yakima River and yet be found all over the
desert region east of the Columbia River. Elsewhere it does not shun
trees.
21. Empidonax difficilis. Western Flycatcher. — Common in all
suitable country where there are at least a few trees. Observed at North
Yakima; along the Walla Walla River; on the Touchet Creek; in
Columbia and Garfield Counties, especially in the deep canons of the
Tucannon, Pataha and Deadmans streams ; and found very abundant at
Almota in the Snake River Canon.
22. Otocoris alpestris merrilli. Dusky Horned Lark. — Abundant
everywhere; the prevailing bird in nearly all desert places; no matter
how arid and desolate a region may be the larks are sure to be there, even
when other birds are almost entirely absent. Found especially numerous
on the sand and sage-brush covered region east of White Bluffs, in the
excessively arid "Horse Heaven" country of Yakima County, and in
.Garfield and Columbia counties.
23. Pica pica hudsonica. American Magpie. — Common in all of the
lower or wooded parts of the region traversed. Abundant along the
Columbia River at White Bluffs; in the trees along the Yakima River at
North Yakima ; along the Walla Walla and Touchet streams ; and in the
deep canons of the Tucannon Creek and Snake River.
24. Corvus americanus. American Crow. — Not found abundant
anywhere. A few small bands and single individuals seen at North
Yakima and in Walla Walla Count}'.
25. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — Common in Whitman County. A
few seen in Yakima and Walla Walla Counties.
26. Agelaius phceniceus neutralis. San Diego Red-wing? — Lack-
ing material from other localities for comparison, the writer cannot state
definitely to what variety the Red-wing of the inland Northwest belongs.
It is not very abundant anywhere in the central or southeastern parts of
the State since marshes and swamps are scarce. A few, however, occur
in congenial places.
27. Sturnella magna neglecta. Western Meadowlark. — Common
everywhere in all kinds of country.
2^0 Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. TA^ril
28. Icterus bullocki. Bullock's Oriole. — Scarce over all the region
traversed. None were seen anywhere in the open, sage-brush desert areas,
nor were any met with in the fertile, tree-covered country about North
Yakima. Several individuals were seen farther south in the Yakima
valley at Prosser. A few also occur in the strips of trees and brush along
the Walla Walla and Touchet streams in Walla Walla County. Common
in eastern Whitman County.
29. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus. Brewer's Blackbird. — Abun-
dant almost everywhere, except in sage-brush regions where there is no
near access to water.
30. Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. — This species is
common in Whitman and Garfield Counties, but it is almost rare in the
arid regions to the west. A few were seen at North Yakima and in Walla
Walla County.
31. Pocecetes gramineus confinis. Western Vesper Sparrow. — The
distribution of this bird in the central parts of the State is rather curious.
It is abundant throughout all the sage-brush country of Lincoln County
and the northern half of Douglas County from the edge of the timber
west of Spokane to Waterville. Here it is the predominant bird of the
sage-brush and wheat fields. To the south, however, in Franklin, Yakima,
and Walla Walla Counties, we did not meet with it, and the Chipping
Sparrow was the predominant bird. In Whitman and Garfield Counties
both of these species are common field birds.
32. Chondestes grammacus strigatus. Western Lark Sparrow. —
A common bird in Whitman, Garfield, and Walla Walla Counties, and a
few individuals were seen at North Yakima in Yakima County. Generally
it avoids the dryer desert regions.
33. Spizella socialis arizonae. Western Chipping Sparrow. —
Abundant over all the region traversed : in the tree-covered country
about North Yakima and along the Walla Walla and Touchet streams of
Walla Walla County; on the sage brush deserts of Franklin and Yakima
Counties ; and on the bunch-grass or wheat regions of Columbia, Garfield,
and Whitman Counties. Very rare in the northern half of the desert
regions of the central part of the State. None were seen last summer
during a trip through Lincoln County and the Grand Coulee region of
Douglas County.
34. Spizella breweri. Brewer's Sparrow. — This bird has, very curi-
ously, almost the same distribution over the desert region of the State
as has the Vesper Sparrow. In Lincoln and northern Douglas Counties
the two invariably associate together. In Franklin and Yakima Counties,
where the Vesper Sparrow is apparently absent, Brewer's Sparrow is very
rare. We obtained one specimen of the latter at North Yakima and saw-
one or two small birds at White Bluffs that appeared to be this species.
On our way east from Wallula, through the southern tier of counties,
we came upon the Vesper Sparrow again in Garfield County and, simul-
taneously with it, we found Brewer's Sparrow.
Vol. XXI
1904
Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. 2 3 1
35. Amphispiza belli nevadensis. Sage Sparrow. — In going west
through Franklin County we first came upon this bird just a little to the
east of Connell. One is here, also, well within the arid desert region.
West of Connell the Sage Sparrow became the predominant Fringillid of
the sage-brush. The Horned Larks outnumber them everywhere, but the
latter are numerous everywhere else as well and are, hence, in no way
characteristic of the desert. In Yakima County we found the Sage Spar-
rows abundant all the way from White Bluffs Ferry on the Columbia to
the cultivated parts about North Yakima. Here they were absent. To
the south again, across the "Horse Heaven" arid country and in the west-
ern half of Walla Walla County, they prevailed everywhere. During the
previous summer we found this bird between Adrian and Ephrata on the
Great Northern Railway and about Loop Lake in the southern end of the
Grand Coulee but nowhere to the north of here. Hence, their range
northward is not coincident with the extent of the desert.
During the summer the Sage Sparrow is a very quiet bird. None were
heard singing and the only sound they uttered was a low peet-Wke note.
They generally associate in small flocks composed of both adult and imma-
ture birds. The food consists of seeds and insects.
36. Melospiza cinerea montana. Mountain Song Sparrow. — There
appears to be only one form of Song Sparrow occupying the entire east-
ern, southeastern and central part of the State. Comparisons of a large
number of specimens from Whitman, Lincoln, Douglas, Yakima, and
Walla Walla Counties show an absolute uniformity of color and propor-
tions in the specimens from all the localities.
Abundant in Whitman County; absent on desert regions ; extremely
numerous about North Yakima; a few along the Walla Walla and
Touchet streams in Walla Walla County.
37. Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. — A few Black
Towhees occur about North Yakima, and a few were found in the thickets
along the Touchet Creek in Walla Walla County. The same form
occurs in eastern Whitman County, along the Snake River, and along
the Clearwater River in Idaho. Comparison with specimens from other
localities shows that the eastern and central Washington form is probably
P. m. megalonyx.
38. Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak. — Com-
mon at North Yakima, less abundant in Walla Walla County, common
in eastern Whitman County and in the Snake River canon at Almota.
39. Cyanospiza amcena. Lazuli Bunting. — Common everywhere
except in arid sage-brush regions.
40. Piranga ludoviciana. Louisiana Tanager. — Rare on all the
region traversed. One specimen obtained at Prosser in Yakima County
and another at Bolles in Walla Walla County.
41. Petrochelidon lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. — Common wherever
swallows occur.
42. Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow. — Occurs almost every-
where but is less abundant than the last.
2^2 Snodgrass, Land Birds of Central Washington. |a ril
43. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing. — Common at North
Yakima but not seen elsewhere.
44. Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides. White-rumped Shrike. —
Occurs on all arid sage-brush country. Extremely numerous on the very
desolate desert to the east of White Bluff on the Columbia River. Scarce
in the fertile and cultivated country about North Yakima.
45. Vireo olivaceous. Red-eyed Vireo. — Found along the Touchet
Creek in Walla Walla County and in the Snake River canon at Almota.
Neither seen nor heard at North Yakima.
46. Vireo solitarius cassinii. Cassin's Vireo. — Found only at North
Yakima, and not common there.
47. Dendroica sestiva. Yellow Warbler. — Common in all suitable
places — never seen on open desert country.
48. Geothlypis tolmiei. Macgillivray's Warbler. — Found at North
Yakima, and at Bolles on the Touchet Creek in Walla Walla County.
Not common at either locality and always found in dense thickets.
49. Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. Western Yellow-throat. —
Abundant at North Yakima.
50. Icteria virens longicauda. Long-tailed Chat. — Occurs in all
suitable localities in the central and southeastern parts of the State.
Excessively abundant about North Yakima. Almost everywhere else
they are extremely shy and retiring, but here they continually exposed
themselves and sat openly in the trees while singing. Their notes were
the most numerous of all bird sounds heard.
51. Oroscoptes montanus. Sage Thrasher. — Not observed on the
desert of Franklin County, but rather numerous on the west side of the
Columbia River between White Bluffs and North Yakima, especially on
the Yakima side of the divide. A very few inhabit the tree-covered area
along the Yakima River near North Yakima. Numerous in the arid
"Horse Heaven" country of southern Yakima County. None observed
in the desert western part of Walla Walla County. None heard singing
anywhere.
52. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — Common in the eastern
part of Whitman County, but not observed in any of the other counties
traversed.
53. Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. — Common in all deep canons
and in rocky places. Observed at White Bluffs on the Columbia River,
in the canon of the Tucannon Creek in Columbia County, in similar
canons in Garfield County, and in abundance in the Snake River canon at
Almota.
54. Catherpes mexicanus punctulatus. Dotted Canon Wren. —
One specimen taken at Almota in the Snake River canon. Only one
other individual seen here. It occurs also at Wananai Ferry a few miles
farther up the river. Not observed elsewhere.
55. Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Western House Wren. — Rather
common at North Yakima where four specimens were taken. Not
1004 J Snodgrass, Land Birds, of Central Washington. 27 7
observed elsewhere on the trip, although a House Wren occurs in the
eastern part of Whitman County. The three adult specimens are very
pale grayish-brown above and, hence, probably belong to the variety
aztecus rather than to parkmanii.
56. Parus atricapillus occidentalis. Oregon Chickadee. — Common
everywhere in trees and bushes along streams. Taken at North Yakima
and at Bolles.
The specimens appear to belong to the variety occidentalis rather than
to septentrionalis. The tail is equal to the wing or is slightly shorter.
Fall specimens taken at Pullman in Whitman County have the back a
brownish olive-gray, the sides and flanks widely and strongly shaded with
brownish, the white being reduced to a small median area on the breast
and upper part of the belly; tail feathers without whitish terminal mar-
gins. Compared with specimens of P. a. septentrionalis from Colorado
they are decidedly darker above and more fulvous on the sides. The
summer specimens are in poor and ragged plumage.
57. Hylocichla ustulata. Russet-backed Thrush. — Excessively
abundant in the groves and thickets along the Yakima River near North
Yakima. Their clear, loud, ringing, metallic notes to be heard everywhere
and at all times from early in the morning until late in the evening. A
common song resembled rhya-cka-veel'-ya, rhy a-cha-veeV-ya. The bird
itself was much less frequently seen than heard. They were extremely
wary and always kept themselves concealed in a thick bush or densely-
leaved tree. They seemed always to know just when they were discoveredr
for invariably when one had just about located a bird after long looking
the latter would suddenly but quietly dart out of its concealment to some
other bush or tree some distance off. The same form occurs at Pullman
in eastern Whitman County, and this is probably the thrush commonly
met with in any part of the State.
58. Merula migratoria propinqua. Western Robin. — Occurs every-
where except in desert regions. Common at North Yakima, especially
amongst the trees in town ; rather scarce in Walla Walla County.
234 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. \ t^%.
BIRDS OF ALLEGANY AND GARRETT COUNTIES,
WESTERN MARYLAND.1
BY G. EIFRIG.
The topography and physiography of the two westernmost
counties of Maryland are very complex and interesting, and
accordingly the faunal and floral life-zones and areas are cor-
respondingly complex and interesting. The lowest point that I
can find on the beautiful maps lately published by the Maryland
Geological Survey is 500 feet above sea level. This is in the
extreme southeastern corner of Allegany County, on the Potomac
River, and is the only point so low in the section under considera-
tion. From this the elevation rises at many places very rapidly to
2500-3000 feet and attains the greatest height, 3400 feet, on the
summit of the Great Backbone Mountain in the southwest corner
of Garrett County and of the State. Cumberland is 800 feet,
Frostburg, both in Allegany County, 2000 feet, rising rapidly to
the top of the Big Savage Mountain, on whose side it lies, to 3000
feet. Oakland, Accident, and Finzel, Garrett County, lie in the
broad glades and basin between the high ridges, all being 2400
to 2600 feet in elevation. These higher ridges, such as the
Backbone, Big and Little Savage, Negro, Meadow, and Dan's
Mountains, the last with Dan's Rock, from which a sublime view
is to be had, are 2800 to 3400 feet high.
The lower parts, of which Garrett County has next to none, are
in the Upper Austral or Carolinian life-zone, as is plainly to be
seen by birds like the Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren,
and Bluebird being permanent residents, and by trees like the
tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sassafras (S. sassafras), dog-
wood (Cornus florida), and black gum (JVyssa sylvatica). The
1 Since Maryland is very narrow in its western part, being at Cumberland
only five miles, and as many of these observations have been made along the
two boundaries of the State — the Potomac River on the one side and the
Mason and Dixon line on the other — and have been frequently corroborated
on the other side of each, this list holds good also for the adjoining part of
West Virginia and for Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
V°lg£X1] Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 235
hills and mountains from about 1500 feet upwards, except some
southern mountain sides, and about all of Garrett County, are in
the Alleghanian division of the Transition zone, characterized by
an intermingling and overlapping of northern and southern types
of the fauna and flora. The tops of the highest mountains, those
in the neighborhood of 3000 feet, contain a strong admixture of
high Transition and even Boreal species. This is especially evi-
dent in the sphagnum, alder, and cranberry swamps on the tops
of some of these mountains and in the small depressions between
them, e. g., in the one between the Big and Little Savage Moun-
tains, near Finzel, Garrett County, or the one on top of Negro
Mountain near Accident, at both of which places I have fre-
quently been. There are also some dark, virgin tracts of fine
tall spruce and hemlock here, soon to be desecrated by the ax,
where Boreal conditions of fauna and flora exist. In such places
may be found, of birds, the Carolina Snowbird {/unco hy emails
carolinensis), Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius), Magnolia War-
bler (Dendroica maculosa), Canadian Warbler (Wilsonia cana-
densis), Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadeiisis), and the Hermit
Thrush (Hylocichla guttata pallasii) ; of mammals, the Redbacked
Mouse (Evotomys gapperi), Canadian White-footed Mouse (Pero-
myscus canadensis), and Varying Hare (Lepus americanus virgini-
anus) ; of "trees and other plants, the tamarack (Larix lariciana),
black spruce (Picea mariana), golden club (Orontium aquaticum),
cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpo?i), wild calla {Calla palustris),
gentian (Gentiana angustifolia), etc.1
Thus, while it may in general be said, that the fauna of Alle-
gany County is a mixture of Carolinian and Transition, and that
of Garrett County Transition, high Transition, and even Boreal, yet
these zones and areas overlap, intergrade, and run into each other
in a most surprising and very interesting way. Tongues of Caro-
linian fauna and flora run into the Transition and Boreal belts.
1 For some of these statements, notably for those on mammals, I am
partly indebted to an excellent paper in the Maryland Geological Survey
Report on Allegany County, entitled: 'The Fauna and Flora,' etc., 'The
Summer Birds of Western Maryland,' by C. Hart Merriam and Edward A.
Preble.
236 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. [A^ril
especially along the creeks and rivers ; e. g., the Louisiana Water-
Thrush (Seiurus motacilla) follows up the water courses into the
domain of the Water-Thrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), and the
Catbird is found side by side with the Alder Flycatcher, Carolina
Junco, and Hermit Thrush. On the other hand, tongues of the
Transition zone extend far into the Carolinian, as, e. g., the Chest-
nut-sided and Golden-winged Warblers (Dendroica pennsy/vaniea,
Helminthophila chrysoptera) bred quite plentifully this year right
near Cumberland, and plants like the clammy azalea (Azalea vis-
eosa), turk's cap lily (Lilium super bum), Maia?ithemum canadense,
etc., follow rivers and cool northern mountain sides far down, where
they do not seem to belong. I can recommend Oakland, and the
glade district of Garrett County in general, as a veritable natura-
lists' paradise, as it is also a place where coolness reigns in sum-
mer and pure, delicious, ozone-laden air is found in abundance.
There many beautiful and some rare plants flower in profusion ;
for instance, the wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum), the turk's cap
lily (Z. superbum), and the meadow lily (Z. canadensis) can be
found at the end of July, blooming side by side, and while hearing
or seeing the Magnolia, Cerulean, Blackburnian, Black-throated
Blue and Green Warblers, Wilson's and Hermit Thrushes, and the
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, one may pluck, if he likes, indian-pipe
{Mo?iotropa uniflora), sweet pine-sap (Hypopitys hypopitys), rattle-
snake plantain (Goody era pubescens), purple and green habenarias,
or three orchids blooming simultaneously (Cypripedium aeau/e,
pubescens, and parvifloruni) .
As to the following list of birds, I wish to bespeak reliability for
it. All of the species mentioned, excepting fifteen, can be seen
in my collections of either mounted specimens or skins or in both,
and about half of those fifteen species I saw in the flesh in some-
one else's possession. I have seen a few more species than those
mentioned, but since I could not take them and they must be con-
sidered rare or accidental visitants here, I did not include them in
the list. A few species I mention on the authority of others, but
they are such as undoubtedly occur here and every sportsman
knows, but there being some room for doubt, I have marked them
as uncertain.
Of literature on the birds of this region, I know of two sources
Vol. XXI
1904
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryla?id. 2 77
only, one being: ' A List of the Birds of Maryland,' etc., by F. C.
Kirkwood, Baltimore, Md., 1895, which, however, contains but
little available material for this section, since Mr. Kirkwood spent
only a few days here, June 5-14, 1895, and had no correspondent
here. Then there is the excellent treatise by C. Hart Merriam
and Edward A. Preble of the Biological Survey, U. S. Department
of Agriculture, of whom the latter was detailed to work over this
section for the Maryland Geological Survey. He spent some
weeks here in May, June, and July, 1899, and that he worked very
thoroughly is attested by his fine list of 100 species, which, how-
ever, he had to call ' Summer Birds,' on account of the season of
the year, in which his stay here fell.
The dates I have given under the several species are not the
only ones I have for them, but merely characteristic or somewhat
unusual ones.
Permanent Residents.
1. Colinus virginianus. Bob-white. — Some years ago, I am told, this
species was nearly or quite exterminated by severe and adverse winter con-
ditions, whereupon local sportsmen imported and liberated about 100
pairs, and now they are plentiful again at most points.
2. Bonasa umbellus. Ruffed Grouse. — Still common in spite of
the persistent hunting. I encountered many families this spring (1903)
on the wooded ridges and hillsides, whereas in Pennsylvania I rarely
flush one. The farmers there ascribe this to the fact, that no bounty is
paid any longer for foxes, etc., which is done this side of the Mason and
Dixon line.
3. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. Wild Turkey. — Well able to keep
his own on the long, densely-wooded and sometimes almost inaccessible
ridges. Many are sold in the local market in winter.
4. Buteo platypterus. Broad-winged Hawk. — Not common.
5. Syrnium varium. Barred Owl. — Seems to be about as common
as the next species. Occasionally one is shot in the city.
6. Megascops asio. Screech Owl. — Not as common as in other
States, since there is a bounty paid here for all hawks and owls, still it is
not scarce. Both color phases occur.
7. Bubo virginianus. Great Horned Owl. — Common over the
whole territory. They are often caught in traps by farmers and brought
alive to the city.
8. Dryobates villosus. Hairy Woodpecker. — Abundant in migra-
tion, rather rare otherwise.
238
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. \ t^
LApril
9. Dryobates pubescens medianus. Downy Woodpecker. — Very
abundant some days during migration (Oct. 24, 1900), otherwise about
as rare or common as the preceding species.
10. Ceophlceus pileatus. Pileated Woodpecker. — Rare, except in
some of the higher parts. Locally called Indian Hen and sold as a game
bird in Cumberland. April 19, 1903, I watched a pair for a long while at
Accident. They were feeding on the ground and often hopped or flew
against a stump or decayed tree as though hiding there what they found.
Took one August 1. 1901, at the same place.
11. Otocoris alpestris praticola. Prairie Horned Lark. — Many
flocks on hills and roads about Cumberland in winter, often together with
Tree Sparrows, Juncos, etc. Breeds in the higher parts.
12. Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. — Common in the higher parts all
the year, scarce during summer in lower parts.
13. Corvus corax principalis. Raven. — A colony of about twenty-five
pairs nest in the cliffs at Rocky Gap, six miles east of Cumberland.
Mr. Preble notes a pair nesting in a large hemlock near Finzel, Garrett
County, May 15, 1903; saw a pair chasing each other on Will's Mountain,
giving vent to notes like the loud howling, whining and barking of a
large dog, sounds I would not have expected from any bird. Saw the
same pair often.
14. Corvus americanus. Crow. — Very abundant; form large colonies
in winter, which roost at certain places for weeks, on the wooded hillsides
near the city.
15. Astragalinus tristis. Goldfinch. — In large flocks all the year
except July and August, when they are in pairs.
16. Junco hyemalis carolinensis. Carolina Snowbird. — Breeds in
numbers in the highest parts of Garrett County; in winter seen in lower
parts also.
17. Melospiza cinerea melodia. Song Sparrow. — Very abundant at
all times. Seem to winter also in higher parts.
18. Cardinalis cardinalis. Cardinal. — Very abundant in lower parts,
a few also in higher. In winter they are in flocks about Cumberland,
and in places are as plentiful as Juncos.
19. Thryothorus ludovicianus. Carolina Wren. — This cheerful
whistler can be heard along large and small water courses any day of the
year, cold or warm, rain or shine. Common in lower parts only.
20. Sitta carolinensis. White-breasted Nuthatch. — Abundant in
winter in lower parts, scarcer in the higher; in summer the opposite is
true.
21. Sitta canadensis. Red-breasted Nuthatch. — Not common
during winter in lower parts. "A small flock of these birds, evidently a
family, was seen on the branches of a tall dead tree, in the deep woods
near Bittinger. It was also seen near Finzel about the middle of May,,
where it was doubtless breeding." (Preble.) On account of this record
I give it as permanent resident.
Vol. XXI
1904
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 2 39
22. Baeolophus bicolor. Tufted Titmouse. — Common at all times
and over the whole territory.
23. Parus atricapillus. Chickadee. — Equally abundant in both
counties, summer and winter. Many seem to approach P. carolinensisf
but all my skins were pronounced P. atricapillus by Mr. Ridgway.
24. Parus carolinensis. Carolina Chickadee. — Mr. Kirkwood says:
"On Dan's Mountain, June 6, '95, young were in the nest of the only pair
seen."
25. Sialia sialis. Bluebird. — An abundant summer resident over
the whole area, and in the lower parts, at least around Cumberland, many
brave the inclemencies of the generally not very harsh winter. They may
be seen any bright day in January or February, even if rather cold, in
most of the small sheltered valleys about the city. Oct. 24, 1900, hun-
dreds were in the clearing adjoining Allegany Grove.
Irregularly or nearly Permanent Residents, or of Uncertain
Status.
26. Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe. — Abundant during migra-
tion and apparently must sometimes breed. I have dates from April 10
(1901) to May 21 (1903), and Mr. Kirkwood gives them for Cumberland
from Feb. 28 to June.
27. Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — Common in both
counties. March 15 to Dec. 6, on which latter date a flock of about 30
was seen in a field.
28. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — The most common of
the hawks, probably because it is able to escape the hawk-hunters, that
shoot hawks and owls to secure the 50 cents bounty foolishly paid in
Allegany County for each hawk and owl. Breeds in the hills of Cumber-
land; took two full-grown young Aug. 3, 1900.
29. Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Hawk. — In spite of the bounty act,
it may be heard or seen now and then. Many are caught in traps put up
by farmers on poles, of both this and the next species.
30. Buteo lineatus. Red-shouldered Hawk. — Rarer than preceding
species, but may be met with over the whole territory. Dates: Jan. 27r
Feb. 17, 1900; July 1, 1901 ; May 8, 1902. Mr. Preble noted a noisy pair
near Finzel, and others near Grantsville and Bittinger, all in Garrett
County.
31. Falco sparverius. Sparrow Hawk. — Not common in lower parts,
common in higher ; I observed several families near Accident each sum-
mer. Abundant during migration at Cumberland. I have two winter
dates: Dec. 23, 1899, and a male taken at Lonaconing Feb. 15, 1902.
I suppose the preceding four species should be classed as permanent
residents, but since I have no winter dates for them, excepting the last
two, I thought it safer to place them here.
2A.O Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. \t*%.
32. Nyctala acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — The only record I have for
this is July 6, 1903, when a full-grown young one in good condition and
plumage was brought to me alive. It had been caught in a tree in the
city.
33. Carpodacus purpureus. Purple Finch. — I do not know whether
to class this as a migrant, a permanent resident, or a winter resident, as
witness the following dates: Nov. 11, 1899; Feb. 10, 1900 (big flock);
Feb. 24, 1900; Mar. 11, 1900; April 24, 1900; Nov. 23, 1901 ; Dec. 6, 1901 ;
Jan. 15, 1902; Feb. 15, 1902; May 6, 1902; April 6 and 11, 1903; and on
July 27, 1903, while in an alder swamp along Bear Creek, near Accident, a
fine male flew into the top of an alder bush before me, and looked and
acted as though he was fully at home there and thought I had no business
intruding. To make the identification sure I took him.
34. Certhia familiaris americana. Brown Creeper. — I would class
this as a winter resident, having dates from Oct. 19 (1902) to April 28
{1900), were it not for the fact that Mr. Preble took a female in heavy
hemlock woods near Bittinger, Garrett Count}', on June 28, 1899. This
renders its status doubtful.
35. Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned Kinglet. — The dates I have
for this species also makes its status doubtful. Some of these dates are :
Jan. 15 and 27 (1902, 1900); Feb. 15 (1902); April 7 and 12 (1900, 1902);
May 1 (1901) ; May 23 (1903). This last specimen was seen and taken at
Cumberland, in full song. Aug. 7 (1901); Oct. 5, 19, 27 (1900, 1901);
Nov. 16 (1901) ; Dec. 6 (1902), etc.
36. Merula migratona. Robin. — Large flocks of this bird staj late
into November and return end of February. A few stay all winter in
favored localities.
Summer Residents.
37. Aix sponsa. Wood Duck. — A scarce breeder but a common
migrant. March 18 to April 8, 1901 ; Sept. 5, 1901, etc.
38. Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. — Not common.
March 30 (1901) to Sep. 16 (1899). June 30, 1902, a full-grown one was
brought to me.
39. Ardetta exilis. Least Bittern. — Rare; two dates only — May
30, and Aug. 26, 1901.
40. Ardea herodias. Blue Heron. — A somewhat familiar figure
along the creeks; scarce in the higher parts.
41. Butorides virescens. Green Heron. — Not rare, at least in lower
parts.
42. Philohela minor. Woodcock. — Common resident over both
counties. It stays so late and comes so early, that it may almost
be counted a permanent resident.
43. Bartramia longicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. — Common in
V°igo4XIl Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 2\\
migration, not so common as a breeder, perhaps on account of the lack
of large meadows. Found a pair at Vale Summit (alt. 2000 ft.) on May
30, 1902 ; May 21, 1903, I found nine or ten pairs at the so called Swamp
Ponds, on the other side of the Potomac River, and the same number
July 13, the young having undoubtedly been drowned or killed by the
heavy rains of this season.
44. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — Abundant over the
whole region, at all large and small watercourses, ponds and waterholes.
45. Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. — Common in both high and
low parts. Stays late and comes early, like the Woodcock. About Octo-
ber 1 they come to town in numbers and stay along Will's Creek until
Nov. 22 (1902).
46. Cathartes aura. Turkey Buzzard. — Cannot be called common,
nor rare. A pair evidently nests each year on Will's Mountain, near
Cumberland, and several pairs at Rocky Gap, with the Ravens.
47. Accipiter cooperi. Cooper's Hawk. — Rather scarce. A young
one, full grown, was brought to me at Accident July 22, 1903, and Mr.
Preble notes one near Swanton.
48. Coccyzus americanus. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. — Not rare in
both counties.
49. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Black-billed Cuckoo. — In lower
parts during migration only, and then not common. Breeds in higher
parts.
50. Ceryle alcyon. Kingfisher. — -Common in all parts. Dates:
Mar. 25 (1902) to Sept. 28 (1901). On Aug. 26, 1901, one was killed by
flying against a telegraph wire in the city.
51. Sphyrapicus varius. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. — Not uncom-
mon, notably in higher parts. Dates : April 6 (1903) to Oct. 24 (1900).
On April 20, 1903, the woods were full of them at Accident.
52. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker. — Has
become rather rare in the lower parts, although a pair breeds here and
there, but very abundant in the higher parts, where there are many ' dead-
enings.' Dates: April 17 (1903, Accident) to Sept. 15 (1899).
53. Colaptes auratus. Flicker. — Common over the whole area ;
especially abundant in higher parts and during migration, when the
black gum and other trees entice him to stay long and in large numbers.
Dates: Mar. 1 (1902) to Nov. 15 (1902). Its numbers are increasing
around Cumberland.
54. Antrostomus vociferus. Whip-poor-will. — Evenly distributed
over the whole territory; plentiful in some parts. Dates: April 21
(1902) to Sept. 14 (1899).
55. Chordeiles virginianus. Nighthawk. — Not as common as last
species, except during the last week in August, when they appear in large
numbers, flying over the house-tops after insect food. Dates : May 3
(1902) to Sept. 2 (1903).
56. Chaetura pelagica. Chimney Swift. — Common breeder over
2A 2 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. ["April
the whole region. They can be seen in vast numbers over Centre Street
Public School, darting out of and into the capacious chimney. Dates :
April 16 (1901) to Aug. 27 (1903).
57. Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. — Common
over the whole area.
58. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Not common at Cumberland,
plentiful in the higher parts.
59. Myiarchus crinitus. Great Crested Flycatcher. — Not com-
mon, except locally.
60. Sayornis phcebe. Phozbe. — Common in all parts, from Mar. 11
(1902) to Oct. 19 (1902).
61. Contopus virens. Wood Pewee. — Common. May 3 (1902) to
Oct. 19 (1901).
62. Empidonax alnorum. Alder Flycatcher. — Although I have
looked high and low for this species in the alder-swamps, for hours at a
time, I have not had the good fortune to see it, at least well enough to
positively identify it. But Mr. Preble saw it and took it in the same and
similar localities, June 3 and 4, 1899.
63. Empidonax minimus. Least Flycatcher. — Common as a
migrant, but much rarer as a breeder, in both the low and high parts.
Dates : April 30 (1903) to Sept. 14 (1899).
64. Corvus ossifragus. Fish Crow. — I saw what I took to be a pair
of this species March 21 and May 21, 1903. Am familiar with their
appearance and note from several visits to Washington, where they are
plentiful in the parks.
65. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. — More of a migrant than
breeder. Saw five or six on May 21, 1903, and Mr. Preble found them at
Grantsville, June 23, 1899 ; am also told that they breed, some years, in
the large meadows near Frostburg, which is very probable.
66. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — Not very common, except in migra-
tion ; Nov. 3, 1901, thousands of this species, together with Redwings and
Grackles, covered the fields along Eavitts Creek. March 22 (1901) is the
earliest date I have.
67. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — Abundant in
suitable places over whole area. March 14 is my earliest date.
68. Sturnella magna. Meadowlark. — Of uniform abundance over
the whole area from Mar. 1 (1902) to Oct. 23 (1901). May 21, 1903, two
nests with five eggs in each.
69. Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. — Not common except some
days in spring migration. Nearly absent from the higher parts in sum-
mer.
70. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — Common over the whole
area. Earliest date, April 27, 1902.
71. Quiscalus quiscula. Purple Grackle. — Plentiful everywhere
from March 14 (1903) to Nov. 3 (1901). All that I have taken seem to
belong to this eastern species, none to the western.
Vol. XXI'
1904 .
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 2A.7
72. Pocecetes gramineus. Vesper Sparrow. — Very common breeder
in higher parts, from 2000 ft. up. In Cumberland they can be seen only
in migration and now and then a stray one in summer.
73. Coturniculus savannarum passerinus. Grasshopper Sparrow.
— Very common, especially in the higher parts, from May 1 (1902) to
Sept. 5 (1901), but most disappear before the end of August.
74. Chondestes grammacus. Lark Sparrow. — Know of only one
colony, which I found July 23, 1901, four miles from Accident, Garrett
County. This year (1903) I visited the same place, and after much search-
ing found only one bird ; there may have been more near by.
75. Spizella socialis. Chipping Sparrow. — Very abundant every-
where. Appears to be becoming also a bird of the woods, for I find nests
in the middle of second growth woods. March 21 (1903) to Nov. 1 (1901).
76. Spizella pusilla. Field Sparrow. — Same as 6". socialis. March
21 (1903) to Nov. 4 (1899). May 10, 1901, nest with five eggs on ground;
May 21, 1902, nest, one foot high in laurel bush, with three young and one
egg-
77. Melospiza georgiana. Swamp Sparrow. — Not rare where con-
ditions are favorable; Mar. 30 (1901) to Oct. 3 (1901).
78. Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Towhee ; Chewink. — One of the most
abundant birds here, especially in the thickets of scrub-oak, etc., with
which large parts of the hills and mountains are covered. In September
and October hundreds, if not thousands, are to be seen. Dates : April 22
(1900) to Oct. 28 (1899).
79. Zamelodia ludoviciana. Red-breasted Grosbeak. — Rare in
lower parts, even in migration ; rather common breeder on higher
ground, from 2000 feet up.
80. Cyanospiza cyanea. Indigo Bunting. — Common, more so in
lower than higher parts, from beginning of May till Oct. 15 (1902). In
fall they associate in flocks with the Song Sparrows in the bushes along
rivers and creeks.
81. Piranga erythromelas. Scarlet Tanager. — Common, especially
on wooded tops of mountains. May 1 (1903) to Sept. 27 (1902).
82. Piranga rubra. Summer Tanager. — Saw and heard this fine
whistler only once, July 1, 1901.
83. Progne subis. Purple Martin. — Common over the whole area,
often in middle of cities, where martin-houses are put up. April 2 to
Aug. 27, 1903. Usually, however, they come a few days later and depart
several days earlier than this year.
84. Petrochelidon lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. — Common where-
ever it can build its nest.
85. Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow. — Like the last species,
abundant, especially in farming districts. April 12 (1901) to Aug. 14
(1903), at which latter date hundreds of this and the preceding and fol-
lowing species were assembled in the bushes on a small island in the
lake at Mt. Lake Park, Garrett County, evidently preparatory to going
south.
244 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. [Aril
86. Riparia riparia. Bank Swallow. — Not as common as the preced-
ing species.
87. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Rough-winged Swallow — More
common than the Bank Swallow, but not as common as the Barn
Swallow.
88. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedarbird. — Very abundant over the whole
area. Mar. 24 (1900) to Oct. 19 (i9oi-'o2), at which latter dates the woods
were full of old and young. Its numbers seem to be increasing from year
to year.
89. Vireo olivaceus. Red-eyed Vireo. — One of the commonest
summer birds. May 2 (1902) to Sept. 4 (1901).
90. Vireo gilvus. Warbling Vireo. — Not common. Earliest date,
April 26, 1902.
91. Vireo flavifrons. Yellow-throated Vireo. — Not common,
except in migration. May 30, 1902, nest, fifteen feet up in a small oak,
female sitting.
92. Vireo solitarius. Blue-headed Vireo. — While I have found this
species only as a migrant (May 8, 1902, many; May 15, 1902; Oct. 12,
1901 ; Oct. 19, 1902), Mr. Preble has found it a rather common resident at
Finzel, Grantsville, Bittinger, Kearney, Swanton, and Dan's Mountain.
This was in June, 1899; so there can be no doubt that it is a breeder in
the higher parts.
93. Mniotilta varia. Black and White Warbler. — Common at
all points. May 1 to Sept. 22 (1900).
94. Helmitherus vermivorus. Worm-eating .Warbler. — To be
found in proper locations in both counties. May 8 (1902) to Sept. 20
(1900).
95. Helminthophila chrysoptera. Golden-winged Warbler. — An
abundant migrant and becoming a common breeder, also in lower parts.
During migration (from May 2 on) they prefer to sit on dead saplings to
utter their monotonous tsee, tsee, tsee. Quite a number bred this year on
Will's Mountain, Cumberland, where I saw old and young out of nest on
June 19; also at Frostburg, July 17- It frequents the same places as the
Towhee.
96. Compsothlypis americana. Parula Warbler. — Rare as a breeder
and migrant.
97. Dendroica aestiva. Yellow Warbler. — Abundant as a migrant,
not so abundant as a breeder in low parts and still less in high parts.
Still it cannot be called rare anywhere. In Cumberland they seem to dis-
appear about the end of July. April 23 (1902) to July 31 (1902).
98. Dendroica caerulescens. Black-throated Blue Warbler. —
Abundant migrant, notably in fall. In spring it, together with its com-
panion, D. virens, seems to skip the lower parts and fly directly to high
ground. There it is a very abundant breeder and its note, dill, dill, dill,
tree, rapid and ascending, is heard into August. Other notes are : a
shrill tssee, tssee ; and dee deree' di. Dates: May 16 (1903) to Sept. 28
(1901).
Vol. XXI
1904
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 2zl£
99. Dendroica maculosa. Magnolia Warbler. — Fairly numerous
migrant and breeder; the latter in high parts only. May 18 (1901) to
Oct. 19 (1902). Song : irree deree' di, not so loud as that of D. ccerulescefis.
100. Dendroica rara. Cerulean Warbler. — Of about the same
frequency as the preceding species, only they are much more in evidence
during the spring migration and breed as low as Cumberland. This
species seems to be extending its breeding area. I found them numerous
near here June 19, 1903, when their song — ree, ree, reer (last note high)
— could be heard frequently. They seem to disappear, however, as soon
as their young can fly away. Dates: May 2 (1902) to July 19 (1901,
Accident).
101. Dendroica pensylvanica. Chestnut-sided Warbler. — Seems
to frequent the same places as the Golden-winged Warbler, but is much
more common over the whole region, breeding from 2000 feet up. It
stays in low thickets of oak, laurel, locust, etc. Dates: May 2 (1902) to
Sept. 21 (1901).
102. Dendroica blackburniae. Blackburnian Warbler. — Com-
mon migrant and breeder in higher parts ; fall migration seems to be
chiefly of birds of the year. May 3 (1902) to Sept. 24 (1900).
103. Dendroica virens. Black-throated Green Warbler. — This
apparently inseparable companion of D. ccerulescens is generally to be
seen in the same places and numbers and at the same time as that species,
only it frequents the trees rather than underbrush. April 20, 1903, I saw
and heard it on Negro Mountain, near Accident, where there was yet no
sign of opening vegetation, whereas here at Cumberland, I saw none till
May. My latest date for it is Oct. 19.
104. Dendroica vigorsii. Pine Warbler. — Very common in migra-
tion, especially the young in fall. It nests very sparingly. Dates :
March 20 (1903) to Oct. 19 (1900).
105. Dendroica discolor. Prairie Warbler. — Common breeder in
low land, not in high. Its queer note can be heard from May 2 ; after the
end of June it is no longer in evidence.
106. Seiurus aurocapillus. Ovenbird. — One of the most common
birds in low parts ; not nearly so common in higher parts. May 1 (1900)
to Sept. 29 (1899).
107. Seiurus noveboracensis. Water-Thrush. — I have so far found
only one in migration (May 16, 1903) and one in its breeding places in
high ground (July 17, 1903), but Mr. Preble reports it fairly common
about Finzel, June, 1899, when every stream had a pair or two.
108. Seiurus motacilla. Louisiana Water-Thrush. — Rather com-
mon throughout the range; more so in the Carolinian parts of it. April
7 (1900) to July 30 (1902). After the end of July they are not to be seen.
109. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat.- — Perhaps
the most abundant warbler here, even in the high alder and sphagnum
swamps. April 26 to Sept 12 (1902).
no. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — Common in scrubby
246
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. La rU
underbrush over the whole area, but more common in lower than higher
parts. The earliest date I have is Maj 2 (1902).
in. Wilsonia mitrata. Hooded Warbler. — Rather common over
the whole area, but more so in the lower parts. Its penetrating song —
pea'ry, pea'ry pie'ak, or sharp call-note, tsink — can be heard on most hill-
sides about Cumberland. Dates: May 2 (1902) to Aug. 14 (1901), at
which latter date I saw a full family.
112. Wilsonia canadensis. Canadian Warbler. — Common mi-
grant, and more common breeder in high parts. It seems to be fond of
rhododendron thickets. They arrive at Cumberland about May 8.
113. Setophaga ruticilla. Redstart. — Common throughout the
region, locally abundant. May 1 (1900) to Sept. 20 (1902).
114. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — Abundant throughout,
even in high alder-swamps. April 28 (1900) to Sept. 29 (1900).
115. Toxostoma rufum. Brown Thrasher. — Almost as common as
the preceding. April 19(1902) to Oct. 12 (1901). April 18, 1903, there
were some at Accident, although there were none at Cumberland till
several days later.
116. Thryomanes bewickii. — Bewick's Wren. — Common in the
whole section. Mar. 12 (1901) to Oct. 19 (1902).
117. Troglodytes aedon. House Wren. — Common throughout the
section. Arrives beginning of May; latest date I have is Oct. 19 (1902).
118. Polioptila caerulea. Blue-gray Gnat-catcher. — Strange to
say, this species is very rare here; I have two dates only: May 27, 1900,
and May 18, 1901.
119. Hylocichla mustelina. Wood Thrush. — Very common over the
whole section. May 1 (1900) to Sept. 3 (1901).
120. Hylocichla fuscescens. Wilson's Thrush. — While this species
breeds plentifully at Frostburg, 11 miles from here, I have never yet been
able to see or take it here in migration. May 23, and June 16, 1903, there
were many in full song on Savage Mt., near Finzel.
121. Hylocichla guttata pallasii. Hermit Thrush. — Have been able
to see this only once in migration here at Cumberland, whereas they are
common in high ground. April 20, 1903, I saw about a hundred on
Negro Mountain but not one here, before or after that date. The latest
date is Oct. 19, 1902.
Migrants.
122. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — Common in
migration even in the city, on Will's Creek, where two were caught alive,
Oct. 8, 1901. Dates: Mar. 18 (1901) to April 20 (1903, Accident) and
Sept. 18 (1900) to Oct. 8 (1901).
123. Merganser serrator. Red-breasted Merganser. — Have only
one date for this, Dec. 23, 1901.
V0li'9$XI] Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 247
124. Lophodytes cucullatus. Hooded Merganser. — Rare. A
female specimen was shot on the Potomac, March 16, 1901.
125. Anas boschas. Mallard. — This can be seen now and then all
winter, so that it may perhaps be classed as a winter resident. Nov. 11
(1902) to May 23 (1901). May 13, 190 1, a big flock was on the Potomac.
126. Anas obscura. Black Duck. — This is seen mostly with the
Mallard, same places and times. April 24, 1903, there was a big flock on
the Potomac. Jan. 17, 1903, I watched five at a distance of ten feet
feeding in a hole in the ice near the bank.
127. Mareca americana. Baldpate. — Scarce; only one date, April
8, 190 1.
128. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — Plentiful in April ;
have no dates for fall migration.
129. Dafila acuta. Pintail. — One is shot now and then. Got a
male March 21, 1902.
130. Aythya marila. American Scaup Duck. — Plentiful in spring
migration, April 8 to May 24 (1901). May 13, 1901, about thirty were
swimming on the Potomac, and May 22 a fine one was seen all day
within the city limits.
131. Aythya affinis. Lesser Scaup Duck. — Rare. April 8, 1901.
132. ? Clangula clangula americana. Golden-eye. — Hunters tell me
that they take this species now and then, which is very probable. I think
all species of ducks that frequent Chesapeake Bay come here occa-
sionally, if not regularly.
133. Charitonetta albeola. Bufflehead. — Rather common migrant.
Dec. 19, 1901, one killed itself by flying against a telegraph pole in the
city. April 8, 1901 and 1902 ; March 21, 1902.
134. Harelda hyemalis. Old-sqijaw. Rare. Dec. 19, 1900, one was
brought to me that had been killed with a stone on Eavitt's Creek.
135. Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. — Common in spring
migration.
136. Porzana Carolina. Sora. — May 23 and 30, 1901, I found very
many at the "Swamp Ponds," but they were not there in summer. Are
here again Sept. 5 (1901) to Oct. 3 (1901).
137. Totanus flavipes. Yellow-legs. — Not rare during migration.
138. Helodromas solitarius. Solitary Sandpiper. — This species,
locally called Black Snipe, is shot much during migration. I am almost
certain, however, that it breeds in the high parts, since I saw a pair of
what I took to be this species July 25, 1903, at Friendsville, Garrett Co.
At Cumberland I have taken it as late as May 23 (1901), and again
Aug. 31 (1901).
139. Empidonax acadicus. Acadian Flycatcher. — Seems to be a
rare migrant in lower parts. I have only one date, Sept. 3, 1901. It may
also be a rare breeder, since Mr. Preble saw one at Oldtown in June.
140. Scoleocophagus carolinus. Rusty Blackbird. — A migrant
that I have never found common. Spring dates: April n, (1903) to
April 26 (1901) ; fall : Nov. 22 and 23, (1901) ; snow on last date.
248 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. ["a^S
141. Zonotrichia leucophrys. White-crowned Sparrow. — A rather
rare migrant. These are all the dates I have for Cumberland : April 26,
1901, two pairs ; May 2 and 7, 1902; May 4 and 13, 1903; and Oct. 12,
1901. No records for the higher sections.
142. Zonotrichia albicollis. — White-throated Sparrow. — Common
Mar. 21 (1903) to May 2 (1900), and Sept. 25 (1900) to Oct. 25 (1902).
143. Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln's Sparrow. — Rare migrant; I
took one Oct. 19, 1900.
144. Passerella iliaca. Fox Sparrow. — Not as common as Z. albi-
collis, yet by no means rare. March 14 (1901) to April 6 (1903), and
Oct. 27 (1900) to Nov. 4 (1900).
145. Vireo philadelphicus. Philadelphia Vireo. — Very rare ; took
one May 8, 1901, when there was a big bird wave on Will's Mountain,
Cumberland.
146. Helminthophila ruficapilla. Nashville Warbler. — I saw none
of this species until May 3, 1902, when Will's Mountain was full of them.
147. Helminthophila peregrina. Tennessee Warbler. — The only
date I have for this rare species is May 6, 1901, when Mr. V. Laney
took one for me.
148. Dendroica tigrina. Cape May Warbler. — Numerous in fall
migration. Sept. 21 (1900) to Oct. 27 (1900), mostly young. May 21,
1902, is the only spring date I have.
149. Dendroica coronata. Myrtle Warbler. — Scarce; have
two dates only : May 5, 1900, and Oct. 25, 1900.
150. Dendroica castanea. Bay-breasted Warbler. — Rare; saw
one May 8, 1902, and another May 17, 1902.
151. Dendroica striata. Black-poll Warbler. — Plentiful on certain
days during migration. It is a late comer in spring; May 16, 1903, and
May 18, 1901, the woods were full of them. In fall, Oct. 2, to Oct. 19 ;
only young ones seem to come through here. This year (1903) some
lingered at Cumberland till May 21.
152. Dendroica palmarum. Palm Warbler. — Very rare; saw and
took one only, May 3, 1902.
153. Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky Warbler. — Very rare here,
while it was a common breeder at my former home near Pittsburg, Pa.
Have two dates only, Sept. 22 and 29, 1899.
154. Wilsonia pusilla. Wilson's Warbler. — Rather scarce. Sept.
4 (1901) to Sept. 21 (1900). No spring dates.
155. Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — I believe this
comes near to being a winter resident, if it not actually is one. Kinglets
may be seen all winter, mostly R. satra-pa to be sure, but undoubtedly
there are some of this species with them. Oct. 19 (1900) to May 3 (1902).
156. Hylocichla alicise. — Gray-checked Thrush. — Rare. Sept. 15
(1902) to Oct. 6 (1900). No spring dates.
157. Hylocichla ustulatus swainsonii. Olive-backed Thrush. —
Common only in fall migration. Sept. 9 (1901) to Oct. 6 (1900). It is
then colored red inside and outside with the juice of the pokeberry.
Vol. XXI"
1904 .
Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. 24O
Winter Residents.
158. Gavia imber. Loon. — A few stay around here all winter, if the
river is not frozen over, which is not often. April 10, 1901, an extraordi-
narily large one was taken; it measured 39 in. from tip of bill to end of
toe, 34 in. from bill to end of tail. April 9, 1902, one was swimming on
the Potomac within the city limits, above the dam for the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal, enjoying himself dodging bullets and stones of foolish
people.
159. Merganser americanus. American Merganser. — Can be seen
throughout the winter, if the river is not frozen over. Dates I have
extend from Feb. 7 (1903) to April 8 (1902).
160. Spizella monticola. Tree Sparrow. — Common from Nov. 16
(1901) to April 12 (1902).
161. Junco hyemalis. Snowbird ; Junco. — Very abundant, Oct. 12
(1901) to April 21 (1903). Dec. 14, 1900 and April 17, 1903, also common
at Accident.
162. Troglodytes hiemalis. — Winter Wren. — Not common. Sept.
21 (1901) to April 8 (1901 ).
This looks like a small list of winter residents, but when the permanent
and occasionally permanent residents are added to it, it becomes plain
that bird life is not at all rare here in winter, at least around Cumberland.
Accidental and Erratic Visitants.
163. Gavia lumme. Red-throated Loon. — On Dec. 19, 1900, one
was brought to town and kept in a box in front of a store for some days,
that had landed on the ground and been unable to take wing again.
164. Larus argentatus. Herring Gull. — One or more are seen now
and then after hard storms. On April 21, 1901, e. g., about six were
flying over the river with about fifty of the next species.
165. Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. — Seen now and then
after storms, as, e. g, April 21-24, :901 5 at tne same time a pair were
taken at Accident on a little fish pond. April 8, 1902, 25-30 were over the
Swamp Ponds.
166. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. — Observed
only one so far, May 30, 1901.
167. ? Nettion carolinense. Green-winged Teal. — Mr. McKee of
Cumberland tells me that he took one some years ago.
168. Olor columbianus. Whistling Swan. — Saw the feet of several
nailed against a building, that Mr. Goss had taken a year or two before.
On Dec. 16, 1902, the papers reported that a swan measuring 6 ft. 10 in.
from tip to tip, had been shot near Oakland, Garrett Co.
169. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned Night Heron.
250 Eifrig, Birds of Western Maryland. ["April
— On May 5, 1901, Mr. Baker shot a young one of this species. This
points to it being at least a rare summer resident.
170. Fulica americana. Coot. — April 25, 1903, a female was shot on
Will's Creek, in the middle of the city (Cumberland).
171. Phalaropus lobatus. Northern Phalarope. — May 23, 1901,
Mr. V. Laney took one for me at the Swamp Ponds, and said he saw
another one like it in its "company.
172.? Ectopistes migratorius. Passenger Pigeon. — This region was
formerly one of its favorite haunts, there being an immense roost near
Oakland, Garrett Co. Farmers and others that know them well from
former times, tell me that they now see small flocks of from 2-12 occa-
sionally. I think I saw five on Keyser's Ridge July 19, 1901, and a pair
on Savage Mountain, July 17, 1903.
173. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — This is a not uncom-
mon resident in the mountain fastnesses of West Virginia and occasion-
ally one is seen and taken at or near Cumberland. On Sept. 17, 1902, a
young one was captured alive while fighting with a Wild Turkey, on
Knobley Mountain across the river.
174. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. Osprey. — Now and then seen
over the river and fish ponds, e. g., April 22, 1901 and April 19, 1903.
175. Nyctea nyctea. Snow\ Owl. — One is seen or taken now and
then by hunters. Mr. McKee shot one Nov. 25, 1901.
176. Centurus carolinus. Red-bellied Woodpecker. — I have never
seen this species here, but one was brought to me Dec. 29, 1900, that had
been shot on Iron Mountain, this county. There were then said to be
several more there.
177. Loxia curvirostra minor. American Crossbill. — Saw five or
six Feb. 5, 1902 ; took a pair out of about 25 Feb. 28, 1902 ; saw one in
company of Snowbirds Jan. 17, 1903.
178. Acanthis linaria. Redpoll. Observed a flock of eight at a dis-
tance of twenty feet through a glass Dec. 6, 1901 (Auk, XIX, p. 212).
179. Passerina nivalis. Snowflake. — Saw this species only on two
days : Nov. 16, 1901, and Feb. 8, 1902 (Auk, XIX, p. 212).
180. Lanius ludovicianus. Loggerhead Shrike. — Despite diligent
searching for this species, in the kind of places I know it frequents in
other localities, I have found it only once, March 30, 1901, at the Swamp
Ponds.
Vol. XXI "J Wheeler, The Study of Animal Behavior. 2 £ I
THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE STUDENT OF ANIMAL
BEHAVIOR.
BY WILLIAM MORTON WHEELER.
It is well known that every common or conspicuous animal,
like every eminent human personage, is destined sooner or later
to become the nucleus of a myth-nimbus. An innate love of the
marvellous stirs our fancy to invest all creatures with extraordinary
powers, till we learn, with Lessing, that "it is the greatest of
miracles that the real miracles can and must become such every
day occurrences." This nimbus of myth is not entirely the work
of the ignorant and child-like observer. The savant himself, from
the days of Aristotle and Pliny down to the present era of
abounding ' nature-books,' has contributed not a little to the hero-
worship of animals.
In view of these conditions, the student of any science of animal
behavior or comparative psychology worthy of the name, has a
two-fold duty to perform. This is both destructive and con-
structive ; destructive, in so far as he is compelled to submit
traditions concerning animals to searching and depurative criti-
cism ; constructive, in so far as he is obliged to rebuild our knowl-
edge of animal behavior on the securer foundations of careful
observation and experiment. Destructive criticism, especially of
the thorough-going kind which seems to be provoked by the now
fashionable methods of studying animal behavior, is not a very
agreeable undertaking. The scientific critic, if he is noticed at
all, will be described as 'technical,' ' dry-as-dust,' and ' colorless '
by those who are incapable of appreciating the beauty and interest
attaching to the simplest of Nature's activities, but feel compelled
to create wonders, like the child who lies for the sake of producing
an impression on the too stolid adults of his environment. A
moment's reflection, however, will show that until all that has been
claimed for the behavior of animals has been tried as by fire, till
it has been passed through the hot alembic of scientific criticism
and the metal of truth has been separated from the slag of fiction,
it shall form no part of enduring knowledge.
Not less laborious than the destructive are the constructive
2C2 Wheeler, The Study of Animal Behavior. \ &*%.
efforts of the comparative psychologist, involving as they neces-
sarily must, the endless drudgery of observation and experiment
to establish the simplest facts. The kind of training required in
such work is not necessarily given by any term of years spent in
camping in the American forests, nor in the arrogant conviction of
surpassing one's fellow men in keenness of insight into the animal
mind. No such conviction necessarily carries with it a grain of
authority. There is no short-cut to a knowledge of animal
behavior in the sense of a trajectory which o'er-leaps a humble
and diligent apprenticeship in the methods of correct observation
and reflection. In no science is it more true than in comparative
psychology that "every man shall not go to Corinth."
There are a few simple considerations which, the objective
student of animal behavior must constantly bear in mind. A
moment's reflection shows that all we can really perceive of animal
behavior is certain movements of the creatures in time and space.
As soon as we attempt to assign causes to these movements we at
once pass into the province of pure inference. This, of course,
holds good also of human actions, but in this case we are at least
dealing with organisms essentially like ourselves in structure and
development. All animals, however, differ more or less widely
from man. They have neither the power of concealing nor of
revealing their mental processes, by means of speech, and,
although their actions are, in a sense, frank and undisguised, and
often resemble human actions which we have learned to associate
with certain feelings, volitions and thoughts, we can never do more
than infer a similar association in animals, since we are forever
debarred from knowing what is actually taking place in the animal
mind. It follows, therefore, that we can have no such thing as an
animal psychology or science of animal behavior, unless we accept
these inferences from analogy as a valid scientific method. Thus
the science resolves itself into a critical treatment and testing of
these inferences. And it is just here that the tendencies of the
true and the false students of animal behavior diverge. The
latter, consciously or unconsciously, construe the predicament of
our inability to know what is going on in the animal mind, into a
license for all kinds of fancies and a safeguard for unremitting
malobservation.
Vol. XXI
1904
Wheeler, The Study of Animal Behavior. 2 C 2
The conscientious student, however, is not without a means of
circumventing, so to speak, all these tactics of the pseudopsycholo-
gist. He can apply another principle within easy reach, namely
"Occam's razor": "Complicated explanations are inadmissible
when simpler ones will suffice." We are not, for example, to
accept human reasoning as an explanation of any animal behavior,
till simpler processes, like instinct and associative memory, have
been tried and found wanting. At the present time all cool-headed
students are unanimous in the opinion that animals show no evi-
dences of being able to form abstract concepts, much less to con-
struct judgments and draw conclusions from them after the manner
of reasoning human beings. In so far as they are not instinctive
those animal actions which are commonly attributed to reason
may be completely or almost completely explained as the result of
associative memory (association of ideas), or at most as an exercise
of what has been called the " practical judgment." All of these
processes, however, are much simpler than human ratiocination.1
The fact that in man the reasoning powers are the latest to
develop and, in cases of mental disease, the first to disintegrate,
leaving nearly intact the emotional and volitional processes, indi-
cates that the reason has been a late acquisition during the history
of animal life. It may well be peculiarly human. And while it is
1 Interesting treatment of this and many other subjects relating to animal
behavior will be found in the following important works : C. Lloyd Morgan's
' Habit and Instinct ' and ' Comparative Psychology ' ; W. Wundt's ' Lectures
on the Human and Animal Mind'; L. T. Hobhouse's ' Mind in Evolution' ;
A. Forel's ' Psychic Powers of Ants, etc' (translated in 'The Monist', 1903-
1904) ; J. Loeb's Physiology of the Brain'; H. Driesch's ' Die Seele als ele-
mentarer Naturfaktor' (not yet translated); E. Wasmann's 'Instinct and
Intelligence.' The works of Morgan, Wundt, Hobhouse and Forel deserve
the first rank on account of their sanity and philosophical breadth of view.
Loeb's work is remarkable on account of its original and destructive criticism.
Driesch's work is noteworthy for its highly, not to say ultra-, objective method.
Wasmann's work abounds in keen and instructive criticism of the humanizing
school of animal psychologists. He is an advocate of the mediaeval psychol-
ogy of the church. Although his persistent efforts to crush the facts of modern
psychology into the Procrustean bed of scholastic definition and terminology
will certainly not meet with general approval, his above mentioned work as
well as his numerous papers on the behavior of ants, etc., contain many valu-
able observations.
2^zL Wheeler, The Study of Animal Behavior. \ &*%.
assuredly a matter of importance to determine whether rudiments
of reason exist among animals, and to study this wonderful power
in its incipient stages, it is equally true that the comparative psy-
chologist may lay too much stress on the intellectualistic aspects of
the animal mind. Of far greater importance is the study of those
processes which lie at the very foundation of our own, as they do
of the animal's mental constitution, namely, the feelings and the
will, and their manifestations in instinct. Nor should it be forgot-
ten that to reason is itself, in a sense, instinctive. It is probable,
therefore, that the science of animal behavior will, in the future,
lay less stress on the rationalistic side and more on the more pro-
found and no less wonderful phenomena. To this great value of
the study of instinct the philosopher Schelling bears witness when
he says : " The phenomena of animal instinct are of the greatest
importance to every thinking man — they are the true touch-stone
of a genuine philosophy."
In view of the preceding statements, it is not surprising that the
study of animal behavior has passed out of the anecdotal stage.
This fact seems not to be realized by many of the authors of
" nature-books " in this country. At the present time the animal
anecdote is admissible only in works of art, like the fable, the ani-
mal epic or the animal idyll, or for the purposes of destructive crit-
icism. In other words, its chief scientific use is negatively didactic,
or for the purpose of illustrating how not to study and describe
animal behavior.1
The constructive work of the student of animal behavior is not
completed with the accumulation of knowledge in conformity with
true criteria. He may be expected to present the truths thus
acquired in clear and attractive form for the purpose of encourag-
ing others to continue the great work in this limitless field of
observation and experiment. Few authors have been able to do
1 Those who cannot repress a feeling of disappointment on learning that
there is no evidence to show that animals can reason like themselves, may
find consolation in the fact that the very naivete- of animals — their limitations
and stupidity, humanly speaking — is a fact of great interest and beauty.
Who will deny that the very absence of the reasoning and reflective powers
enters very largely into our aesthetic appreciation of the actions of our domes-
tic animals and of our own children ?
V°iqo4XIJ Deane, Letters of Audubon and Baird. 2CC
this and avoid the pitfalls of malobservation on the one hand and
those of poetic distortion on the other. Among the few may be
mentioned Maurice Maeterlinck in his ' Life of the Bee ' and Jules
Fabre in the eight incomparable volumes of his ' Souvenirs Ento-
mologiques.' Unfortunately only a single volume of the latter's
work has been translated into English, and even the original is far
too little known and appreciated. Those who are feeding the
American public with false animal psychology done up in tinselled
English interspersed with seductive half-tones, would do well to
study the methods whereby the young Belgian mystic and the aged
French observer contrive to satisfy the reader's aesthetic sense
without departing from the truths of rigid observation and experi-
ment. While it is not given to all to succeed like these, it is cer-
tainly possible for any one to repress a striving for aesthetic effect
at the expense of truth.
UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON
AND SPENCER F. BAIRD.
BY RUTHVEN DEANE.
The following correspondence between John James Audubon,
at the age of sixty-two years, and Spencer F. Baird, a young man
of nineteen years, cannot fail to be of interest to the readers of
' The Auk.' The letters are of peculiar interest, as they touch
upon Audubon's proposed trip to the Missouri River and of
Baird's great desire to accompany him, and show the deep interest
and affection each held for the other, though there was a dif-
ference of forty-three years in their ages.
The original letter from Baird has come into my possession
through the generosity of Miss M. R. Audubon, and I am under
great obligation to Miss Lucy H. Baird for a copy of the original
Audubon letter and recommendation, which she found among her
father's correspondence.
256 Deane, Letters of Audubon and Baird. X P^%.
Baird to Audubon.
Washington, July 27, 1842.
My Dear Mr. Audubon.
After making several unsuccessful efforts to get a second sight
of you day before yesterday, I was obliged to give up the attempt
in despair. I went to the Capitol at half past twelve and
wandered over the whole building, Library, Senate Chamber and
House, without being able to see or hear anything of your
excellency. In the evening as in the morning I was again at
Fuller's x without avail, went up the street, listened a while to the
Circus music, came back, you were in bed.
One thing I wanted to ask you about, was respecting your pro-
posed trip next spring. In the first place the expense. The
Pennsylvanians have been all so much affected by the derange-
ments in the Currency of our state, stocks, banks, etc., that when
in former years dollars were thrown away, cents are now carefully
looked to. Nothing would delight me more than to go, if I can
afford it. Next what preparation would I have to make to fit
myself to accompany you. The journey ought to be a sort of
" Humboldt & Bonpland " one, for the purpose of increasing the
general sum of knowledge in every department of science, physical
as well as natural. Will you please write and tell me all about the
matter, route &c. If there is anything I can do for you here, do
not hesitate to command me. It would require a good many
drafts on me to wipe off the heavy load of obligation I am under
to you for your kindness to me in New York, by sympathy and
assistance in more ways than one. I have influential friends and
relations here who, if occasion demands, may forward some of
your views. By the by, a gentleman asked me yesterday several
particulars about your proposed work, as to time of commence-
ment, finishing and probable cost, intimating at the same time an
intention of becoming a subscriber. Will you enable me to give
him some information on the subject.
1 The old City Hotel kept by A. Fuller and known as "Fuller's," situated
at the northwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourteenth St., where
the Willard Hotel now stands.
Vol. XXI"| Deane, Letters of An dub art and Baird. 2^7
I have spent my time since I have been here principally
between the Treasury Building and the Patent Office. I have a
strong desire to spend a few months among the collections of the
Exploring Expedition,1 with the privilege of overhauling the arti-
cles. This my uncle Mr. Penrose,2 solicitor of the Treasury, says
I will be enabled to do by being connected in some way with the
corps to be employed under act of Congress the ensuing winter.
He says that if I could get a note from Mr. Audubon intimating
in general terms, that from his knowledge of my qualifications, I
would make a competent assistant to those gentlemen already
engaged, that there would not be much trouble about the matter.
Will you do me the favor to write something or other to this effect
which he may use for this purpose. A few lines from you will be
of more avail with the Secretary of Navy, or State, than a whole
folio would be from anybody else. Will you ask Major Le Conte
to send me a few of those very fine steel pins, tightly packed up,
directed to me in an enclosure to Chas. B. Penrose, Solicitor of
the Treasury, Washington, D. C. With my best respects to
Mrs. Audubon and all your family, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Spencer F. Baird.
P. S. Please address anything to me under cover to Chas.
B. Penrose.
Audubon to Baird.
New York, July 30, 1842.
My Dear Young Friend, —
Your letter of the 27th Inst, reached me yesterday. I am
truly vexed that I should have missed you at the Library or the
Congress Chambers, where I went (perhaps too late) between 3
United States Exploring Expedition, during the years 1838-42. Under
command of Charles Wilkes, U. S. N.
2 Charles B. Penrose of Pennsylvania, Solicitor of the Treasury from 1841
to 1845, appointed to office by President William H. Harrison.
2^8 Deane, Letters of Audubon and Baird. [a r^l
and 4 o'clock of the afternoon, having been detained at the differ-
ent Departments of State where it was my duty to call, preparatory
to next coming Great Western Journey.
Now it proves by your letter that you feel favorably disposed to
accompany me on this long-thought-of and contemplated Tour,
and wish me to give you some idea of the expenses, attached to
such an undertaking ; but to this question I am quite unable to
reply at present, although I may do so in a few weeks, and which
I shall do, provided you write to me again on the subject.
I have no very particular desire to embark as deep in the Cause
of Science as the great Humboldt has done, and that, simply
because I am too poor in pecuniary means and too incompetent;
but I wish nevertheless to attempt to open the Eyes of naturalists
to Riches untold, and facts hitherto untold. The portions of the
country through which it is my intention to pass, never having
been trodden by white Man previously.
I have some very strong doubts whether the results of the
Antarctic Expedition will be published for some time yet ; for,
alas, our Government has not the means, at present, of paying
some half a Million of Dollars to produce publications such as
they should publish, and connected with the vast stores of Infor-
mation, collected by so many Scientific Men in no less than Four
Years of Constant Toil and privation, and which ought to come to
the World of Science at least as brightly as the brightest rays of
the Orb of Day during the Midsummer Solstice. O, my dear
young friend, that I did possess the wealth of the Emperor of
Russia, or of the King of the French ; then, indeed, I would
address the Congress of our Country, ask of them to throw open
these stores of Natural Curiosities, and to Give away Copies of
the invaluable Works thus produced to every Scientific Institution
throughout our Country and throughout the World.
As you however appear desirous to present my thoughts of your
capabilities as one of the assistants in that Stupendous undertak-
ing, I send you enclosed what I hope most sincerely may prove
beneficial for such purposes.
Now as you have been kind enough to offer me your services
at Washington, I ask you to call upon Mr. Cushing, M. P., of
Massachusetts, and to ask him to have the goodness to forward
Vol"*XI~] Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 259
me the Letter promised me by the president of the U. S., for, as I
have not yet had it, I somewhat fear that it has been missent.
Write to me at once, and believe me,
Your friend, John J. Audubon.
Audubon's Recommendation of Baird.
New York, July 30, 1842.
Knowing, as I do, Spencer F. Baird, Esq., as a Young Gentle-
man well qualified to assist in the arrangement, description, etc. of
the specimens of Natural History brought home by the Exploring
Expedition, and deposited in the National Institute at Washington
City for the purpose of being published and thereby rendered
useful to the world of Science ; I take great pleasure in recom-
mending him as a most worthy, intelligent, and industrious student
of Nature, both in the field and in the museum, and I would feel
great satisfaction in hearing that our Government had employed
him in this national and important undertaking.
John J. Audubon.
NESTING HABITS OF THE HERODIONES
IN FLORIDA.
BY A. C. BENT.
Plates XIX-XXI.
{Concluded from p. 2(p.)
Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern.
This species seems to be sparingly but generally distributed
throughout the fresh water marshes of Florida, where it undoubt-
edly breeds. We did not find any of its nests but, as we spent
very little time in suitable localities, this is not strange. We
flushed a few American Bitterns from the saw-grass marshes on
260 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. |A ril
the St. Johns River and from similar locations on Merritts Island.
It probably nests in the saw-grass with its small relative, the
Least Bittern, where its nest must be securely hidden.
In Monroe County, where there are practically no fresh water
marshes south of the everglades, we failed to see an individual of
either species of Bittern.
Ardetta exilis. Least Bittern.
We found this little Bittern a common resident in all suitable
localities — fresh water marshes — in Florida that we visited. It
is so shy and retiring in its habits and so hard to flush that we
undoubtedly overlooked it many times ; if we had spent more
time in exploring the saw-grass sloughs we should probably have
found it very abundant. None of the birds that we saw seemed
to be referable to Cory's Bittern.
We found nests containing fresh eggs in the St. Johns marshes
on April 18 and 22 and on Merritts Island on April 26, 1902,
four nests in all. The nests were all built in tall, thick tussocks
of fine grass, higher than a man's head, growing in saw-grass
sloughs. The nests were merely crude platforms of straws,
measuring about 7 by 4 or 7 by 5 inches, well concealed in the
centers of the tussocks and from 24 to 30 inches above the
ground or water ; they were exceedingly frail structures, barely
able to hold the four bluish white eggs. Boat-tailed Grackles
generally frequent the same localities as the Least Bitterns. In a
small slough, about 30 yards square, on Merritts Island we found
two nests of the Bitterns and five nests of the Grackles.
Ardea occidentalis. Great White Heron.
Since the days of the illustrious Audubon very little has been
written about this magnificent Heron, the grandest, the hand-
somest, and the shyest of its tribe. Its range within the United
States is confined to the extreme southern coast of Florida and
the mangrove keys, where it is really abundant and forms a
striking feature in the landscape. It is no uncommon sight to see
ten or twelve of these great birds standing in the shallow water
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XIX.
Fig. i. GREAT WHITE HERON, HALF-GROWN YOUNG.
Fig. 2. GREAT YVHUF HERON, FULL-GROWN YOUNG.
Vol. XXI
1904
Bent; Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 26 1
around the shores of some small estuary, patiently awaiting the
approach of their prey, as motionless as white marble statues.
When not fishing they may be seen perched on the outer branches
of the mangroves, their pure white plumage standing out in
marked contrast against the dark foliage, making them very
conspicuous even at a great distance.
It is utterly useless to attempt to approach them at such times,
for their eyesight, as well as their hearing, is very acute ; they are
extremely shy and will fly at the sight of an approaching boat half
a mile away. It is almost as difficult to approach them on land,
even under the cover of the mangroves, where the slightest noise
will send them flying away croaking hoarsely. Only once was I
able to outwit them, on one of their favorite roosting keys, where,
after stalking them fruitlessly for several hours, I finally concealed
myself among some thick underbrush and awaited their return ;
I was rewarded by securing two fine specimens as they flew over
on their way to their evening roost. In all their movements they
are deliberate and dignified ; in flight they are slow, direct and
powerful, with steady strokes of their great wings, the head drawn
in upon the shoulders- and the long legs stretched out straight
behind.
On several of the Keys we found empty nests of large Herons,
some of which were probably referable to this species, but we
found only one of their breeding colonies. This was on one of the
Oyster Keys where on April 29 we discovered a small rookery of
half a dozen pairs of Great White Herons and one or two pairs of
Ward's Herons. The key was very small, less than an acre in
extent, of the mud key type with a little dry land in the centre,
overgrown with a thick tangle of underbrush ; the usual strip of
red mangroves occupied the whole of one end of the island where
we nearly overlooked the little colony of nests which were all
grouped about a small inlet or bay. The Herons had all left the
island, silently and unobserved, long before we landed, and an
occasional glimpse of a great white bird in the distance was all we
saw of the parents of the helpless young, whose identity fortu-
nately was beyond question. A Ward's Heron flew over us within
gunshot, but the Great White Herons never came anywhere near
it.
262 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. |~A^ril
There were four nests of the Great White Heron, all on the outer
ends of the horizontal branches of the mangroves, over the water
and from 10 to 20 feet above it. The nests, much resembling
those of the Great Blue Heron, were large flat platforms of large
sticks, smoothly lined with coarse twigs and dry mangrove leaves.
The only one that I measured was about 35 by 28 inches outside,
and the inner cavity about 15 inches in diameter. This nest con-
tained two eggs and one young bird, just hatched, covered with
white hair-like down. A nest near by held two young, about one
quarter grown, and one addled egg. Another nest contained three
young birds, about half grown, pure white and very pugnacious ;
they bristled up their plumage, squawked and snapped their bills
vigorously, while their throats were vibrating rapidly as if panting
from fear or excitement ; sometimes they would lie on their sides
as if completely exhausted, panting rapidly all the time. They
objected decidedly to having their picture taken and refused to
pose at all gracefully.
The most interesting nest of all was about twenty feet up on the
outer end of a leaning red mangrove and the two large white birds
in it could be plainly seen from the ground ; they were nearly fully
grown, fully feathered and pure white all over, almost indistin-
guishable from adults. When I climbed the tree one of them
stood up in the nest and posed gracefully in dignified silence, while
I took as many photographs as I cared to of the beautiful picture.
The eggs of the Great White Heron are not distinguishable
from those of the Ward's Heron in size, shape or color, though
they are somewhat larger than those of the Great Blue Heron ;
the only two I collected measured 2.67 by 1.84 and 2.60 by
1.8 1 inches ; they are of the usual heron's egg color, pale greenish
blue. But the young are always distinguishable by their pure
white color from the day they are hatched.
The Great White Herons are well able to take care of them-
selves, as they are very difficult to shoot and not in demand for
millinery purposes. Their rookeries are small and too much
scattered to offer much temptation to nest robbing negroes.
Voli' ?XI] Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 263
Ardea herodias wardi. Ward's Heron.
The southern representative of the Great Blue Heron is one of
the characteristic birds of Florida and for so large a bird is decid-
edly abundant ; especially so along the Indian River where it is
usually the first of the Herons to be seen ; as the train runs along
close to the river, just above Titusville, the shore seems to be
lined with Ward's Herons, standing like sentinels at frequent
intervals or flapping lazily away for a short distance ; sometimes
one will scale along on motionless wings close to the water until
it can drop its long legs down and alight on some favorite bar.
While fishing it stands quite motionless for a long time, waiting
for its prey with dignified patience, well becoming the largest
member of its group. In general habits it closely resembles its
northern relative, but it is not so shy as the Great Blue and not
nearly as difficult to stalk as the Great White Heron.
I believe the Ward's Heron is evenly distributed all over the
State of Florida and is everywhere common. We found them
breeding in small willow hammocks on the prairies of the interior
and in the larger willows along the St. Johns River, where nests
with newly hatched young were found on April 21. The nests
were bulky affairs, made of large sticks about like those of the
Great Blue Heron, and were placed in the largest willows, about
10 or 12 feet from the ground. They do not nest in colonies
here, or elsewhere that I have observed them, but the nests are
scattered about singly or in disconnected groups. The young are
grotesque and homely, being but scantily covered with filamentous
down of a dirty grayish color.
In Monroe County we found them breeding with the Great
White Herons in small numbers and we saw them or their empty
nests on many of the keys. Here their nests were built in the red
mangroves or on the tops of bushes, never more than half a
dozen or so in a group. We found only one occupied nest in this
region, which on April 29 contained two small young; the nest
was about 25 feet up in a red mangrove in the Great White
Heron colony. Both of these large Herons are early breeders
and, as we generally saw both species together, it was impossible
to identify the many nests from which the young had flown.
2bA. Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiofies. [~A^riI
Probably the young learn to fly soon after leaving the nest, for we
found no young birds in the trees about any of the nests, as we
did with all of the smaller Herons.
Herodias egretta. American Egret.
This beautiful plume bird is, I am sorry to say, fast becoming a
rare bird in Florida, though it still occurs in small numbers all
through the interior of the State. It is by no means wary, is so
strongly attached to its home and is so courageous in the defence
of its young that it has been an easy matter for the plume hunters
to annihilate rookery after rookery. In Brevard County we visited
two localities, small cypress swamps, where the year before large
breeding rookeries of Egrets existed, but not an occupied nest
was to be seen and only two or three scattering birds flying off in
the distance. On the upper St. Johns we saw a few American
Egrets but found no nests. It is known here as the "big white
heron " and can be distinguished at a distance from the Snowy or
Little Blue Herons by its slower and heavier flight. Undoubtedly
a few Egrets still breed in this region in the rookeries with other
species.
In Monroe County we found the American Egrets breeding
sparingly in the large rookeries with the White Ibises and the
smaller Herons. Among the 4000 birds at the Cuthbert rookery
we counted 18 American Egrets and found seven nests. The
birds were very tame, constantly alighting in the trees near us,
and we could easily have killed as many as we wanted, but the
A. O. U. warden, Mr. G. M. Bradley, who acted as our guide, was
so solicitous for their welfare that we refrained from shooting a
single bird ; one wounded bird, unable to fly, was the only speci-
men we obtained. Most of the nests were in the low red man-
groves over the water, but one was near the top of a black
mangrove on a horizontal branch 15 feet from the ground.
The nests were about as large as Night Heron's, loosely and
poorly made of coarse sticks and not as smoothly lined as most
Heron's nests. Three of the nests held eggs, one set of two and
two sets of three, of the typical color, light greenish blue varying
in intensity. The other nests had young of various ages, from
Vol. XXI
1904
Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 26^
one quarter to two thirds grown, covered with pure white down
until the white plumage appears.
The young were very precocious, even when half grown, leaving
the nest at the slightest provocation and climbing nimbly over the
surrounding branches ; it was surprising to see how fast and how
far they could travel without falling ; they were so lively that it
was a difficult matter to photograph them successfully.
I cannot too strongly urge the necessity of protecting this
species and its smaller relative, the Snowy Heron, if they are to
be saved from utter extinction. These two are the principal suf-
ferers from the destructive persecution of the plume hunters ; but,
fortunately for them, they are now so rare everywhere, except in
the most inaccessible localities, that it hardly pays to hunt them ;
though an increased demand for aigrettes at higher prices might
prove disastrous. Under adequate protection, with a thorough
posting of the rookeries and with strict enforcement of the very
good laws now in force, there are probably enough Egrets left to
partially restock their former haunts.
Egretta candidissima. Snowy Heron.
What I have already said about the disappearance of the Egrets
is also true of this species. Although once very abundant all
through Florida it has now been nearly exterminated, com-
paratively speaking, but I am hopeful enough to think that the
work of destruction has been checked in time to save this beauti-
ful species from extinction. There are still a few Snowy Herons
left in the big rookeries of the upper St. Johns, and a number of
them still breed in the more inaccessible rookeries of the Cape
Sable region. In the former locality we spent all of one day and
part of another in the largest of the rookeries at Braddock Lake,
where hundreds of Louisiana Herons and many Little Blue
Herons were breeding, trying to identify the nests of the various
species among which were a few Snowy Herons. We were
unable to determine how many of this species were nesting there
and I succeeded in positively identifying only two nests of the
Snowy Heron. This rookery was on a small muddy island, in
266 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. ["^wii
the middle of the great marsh, covered with a thick growth of
small willows from 12 to 15 feet high.
Although all three species of Herons were very tame, alighting
on the trees all about us, they were very careful not to settle down
on to any of the nests within sight of us ; it was only by lying for
hours carefully hidden under some thick clumps of large ferns that
I was able to satisfactorily identify a few nests. The first nest of
Snowy Herons, containing four eggs, was placed 8 feet up in a
slender willow and was merely a flimsy platform of small sticks.
The second nest held five eggs and was located only 5 feet up in
a leaning willow ; it was made of larger sticks and lined with fine
twigs. Neither the nests nor the eggs of the Snowy Heron are in
any way distinguishable, so far as I could determine, from those
of either the Louisiana or the Little Blue Herons. It is necessary
to see the bird actually sitting on the nest to make identifi-
cation sure ; even then young Little Blue Herons in the white
phase are liable to lead to confusion and it is necessary to
see the black legs and yellow feet or the graceful plumes of the
Snowy Heron. We did not see any Snowy Herons anywhere
except in the breeding rookeries and even there they were very
shy.
Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis. Louisiana Heron.
This beautiful and graceful little Heron is by far the most
abundant of its family in all sections of Florida that I have
visited. Fortunately its beauty is not expressed in plumes, hence
it has escaped the merciless persecution of the plume hunters ;
but it is not without plumes, such as they are, which may lead to
its destruction when the white aigrette supply is exhausted. Like
all the small Herons its flight is light, rapid and graceful, the head
drawn in upon the shoulders and the legs stretched out behind.
While fishing it stands erect and motionless until some small
fish swims within reach, when it crouches down close to the water,
takes a few rapid steps forward and darts out its sharp bill like a
flash, usually catching the fish near the surface.
We found the Louisiana Heron breeding very abundantly on
the upper St. Johns; sometimes they were in rookeries by them-
The Auk, Vol. XXI
Plate*XX.
Fig. i. NKST OF LOUISIANA HERON.
Fk;. 2. NEST OF LOUISIANA HERJN.
Vol. XXI~| Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 267
selves and sometimes in company with Little Blue and Snowy
Herons, where all the nests held eggs during the latter part of
April. In the big rookery at Braddock Lake, referred to above,
the Louisiana Herons occupied all the central portions of the
rookery, forcing the other species into the outskirts. Their nests
were built in the willows in every available spot and at every
height from 2 to 12 feet above the ground, often several nests in
the same tree ; they were neatly and well made of small sticks
and smoothly lined with fine twigs. Most of the nests contained
four or five eggs and one held six. The eggs were practically
indistinguishable in size, shape or color from those of the Little
Blue or Snowy Herons.
As evidence that they do not always live in perfect harmony
with their neighbors, I saw, while lying concealed in the rookery,
a Louisiana Heron alight on a Little Blue Heron's nest and
deliberately poke the eggs out on to the ground, with her bill, one
after another ; the owner of the nest did not appear during the
process. All of the smaller Herons suffer from the depredations
of the Fish Crows which are constantly sneaking about in all the
rookeries ready to pounce upon and devour, or fly away with the
eggs as soon as the owners give them a chance.
In Monroe County we found the Louisiana Herons everywhere
abundant, breeding in all the inland rookeries as well as on many
of the mangrove keys. At the Cuthbert rookery they formed at
least half of the colony, where we estimated that there were about
2000 of them. Here they occupied the centre of the rookery
filling all the trees with nests, most of them from 6 to 1 2 feet from
the ground in the black and red mangroves, a few being in the
'buttonwoods.' At the time of our visit, on May 1, fully three
quarters of the nests contained young birds of various ages. The
young bird is covered at first with dark gray filamentous down ;
the down on the head soon forms a prominent upright tuft of
wood brown hairlike filaments, giving the young bird a very
curious expression ; later on, as the bird attains its growth, it
begins to assume the white breast plumage of the adult, starting
as a narrow line down the centre of the breast and neck. When
about two thirds grown the young begin climbing out of the nests
and along the branches of the trees ; they are quite expert at this
268 Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. \ £*%.
and can cling on quite tenaciously with their big awkward feet
and bills. But they often pay a severe penalty for their precocity
by falling and becoming entangled. Their parents seem unable
to help them in such predicaments, as we saw a number of their
dead bodies hanging by one foot from the edges of the nests.
Florida cserulea. Little Blue Heron.
Next in abundance to the Louisiana Heron comes the Little
Blue, with which it is intimately associated and practically identical
in distribution. Both species have escaped destruction by the
plume hunters, for the same reason, the lack of marketable
plumes, and they are very much alike in general habits. They
fish in the shallow waters along the shores of the Indian River
and in most of the small pond holes in the interior. They are
very active while fishing, walking about constantly but standing
erect occasionally and darting straight down upon their prey.
Birds in the blue phase predominated, but we saw a great many
in the white phase even in the breeding rookeries.
On the upper St. Johns we found them breeding commonly on
the willow islands with the Louisiana Herons, but never in
rookeries by themselves. So far as we could judge, from what
few nests we were able to identify and by watching them rise from
their nests as we approached the rookeries, the Little Blues
always nested in the smaller willows on the outer edges of the
islands. The nests were usually placed very low down, mostly
from 2 to 4 feet from the ground, in small trees or bushes or on
the lower branches. Their nests and eggs were practically indis-
tinguishable from those of the other small Herons and positive
identification was difficult, as they were very shy about alighting
on their nests, though tame enough in other respects.
In Monroe County we saw Little Blue Herons feeding in all the
shallow estuaries and lakes and found them breeding in the big
rookeries with other species. Their nests here also were confined
to the outskirts of the rookeries where they were bunched
together in compact groups. We did not find them breeding on
any of the keys.
There is little danger, under the protection now afforded them,
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XXI.
Fig. i. LITTLE BLUE HERON ROOKERY.
Fig. 2. NEST AND EGGS OF YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.
Vol. XXI
1904
Bknt, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 2DQ
that either this or the preceding species will be exterminated for
many years to come, though the young are taken from the nests
for food by the natives of southern Florida.
Butorides virescens. Green Heron.
The status of this widely distributed species is about the same
in Florida as elsewhere throughout its range. It is nowhere
abundant but evenly distributed in all suitable localities. We
found scattering pairs of Green Herons breeding on Merritts
Island and in the interior of Brevard County, nesting in little
clumps of willows about the small pond holes. A few were seen
on the upper St. Johns and a few in Monroe County, among the
keys as well as along the streams in the interior. Among the
hosts of other interesting species we paid but little attention to
the Green Herons and noticed nothing new about their nesting
habits, which are practically the same here as elsewhere.
Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned
Night Heron.
I shall not prolong this paper with an account of this well
known species. It is enough to say that we found it nearly every-
where that we went. A few Black-crowned Night Herons were
breeding in the rookeries with other species on the St. Johns
River, one or two pairs in almost every rookery. In Monroe
County it was fairly common in the interior. We started a flock
of about 75 birds off one of the keys where they probably had a
fair sized breeding colony, though we did not have time to explore
it.
Nyctanassa violacea. Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
This handsome Heron was nowhere very common in the
regions we visited, though, I believe, in certain sections it is quite
abundant. In its full breeding plumage it is a striking and con-
2^0 Oldys, Song of the Wood Pexuee. X £*%.
spicuous bird. It is by no means shy, especially near its nest,
where it will stand in the top of the nearest tree silently watching
the intruder.
There were one or two pairs of these birds in nearly every
rookery on the St. Johns, but in spite of our efforts, we succeeded
in finding only two of their nests, both on April 21.
The first nest was on the outer edge of the rookery on a leaning
willow and only four feet above the water. It measured 20 by 16
inches, was made of large sticks and lined with fine twigs; the
five eggs in it were on the point of hatching, some of them already
pipped, so we contented ourselves with photographing it while the
bird was flying about anxiously. The second nest was within a
few yards of a Ward's Heron's nest, these two being the only
nests in the vicinity ; it contained two eggs and two young birds,
scantily covered with grayish down ; it was placed 8 feet from the
ground in a small willow, near the end of a long narrow island.
In Monroe County we saw a few Yellow-crowned Night Herons
on the inland streams, both young and adult birds, but found
no nests.
Although not much in demand for its plumes, it is so tame and
unsuspicious that it should be protected, especially from the
natives among whom both of the Night Herons are highly
esteemed as food.
THE RHYTHMICAL SONG OF THE WOOD PEWEE.
BY HENRY OLDYS.
The usual phrases of the Wood Pewee are well known. The
bird sings so persistently through the summer, when most birds
are silent, that its melancholy rising and falling tones are familiar
to all that frequent the woods during the milder season. But that
these detached phrases are combined into a rhythmical song,
uttered during the twilight hours of morning and evening, is a
fact that seems generally to have escaped observation.
I first heard this interesting utterance in 1894, and not again,
Vol. xxii
1904 J
Oldys, Song of the Wood Pewee.
271
although I was carefully listening for its repetition, until 1899,
five years later. Every year since 1899 I have heard it with
growing frequency, until now it is one of the ordinary bird songs
of spring and summer.
The song is remarkable in that it is constructed in the form of
the ballad of human music. I have elsewhere shown the signifi-
cance of this fact,1 and will not repeat the deductions to which
it gives rise ; but it may be well here to explain the identity of
construction.
The arrangement of the ordinary ballad frequently consists of a
musical theme for the first line, an answering theme for the second
line that leaves the musical satisfaction suspended, a repetition of
the first theme for the third line, and a repetition of the second
theme, either exactly or in general character, but ending with the
keynote, for the fourth line. An example will make this clear.
Let us analyze the first four lines of ' 'Way Down upon the
S'wanee River.'
Note the symmetrical repetition of phrases, giving a pleasing
balance to the composition. Observe also that the note marked
1st theme.
^ — . — 0 — ^ — 9. — #J_^ ! ^_J
2d, or answering theme.
=±
-sf-
S
1st theme repeated.
1 — G-
a
11
2d theme repeated (in
character)*
*fr
3EEE
b
a that ends the second line does not satisfy the musical sense,
but leaves the listener in suspense, with the expectation of more
to follow ; but the note marked b at the end of the fourth line is
the keynote, and is completely satisfying ; there may be more to
the song, as in the case of the example quoted, but it is not
necessary that there should be. The effect is as though a semi-
colon, a colon, a semicolon, and a period were placed at the ends
of the respective lines.
1 Harper's Magazine, August, 1902, pp. 477-478.
272
Oldys, Song of the Wood Pewee.
r Auk
LApril
The Wood Pewee's continuous song is governed by the same
principles. As I first heard it, it was rendered as follows :
m
1st theme. Answering theme. 1st theme 2d theme repeated
repeated. (in character).
108. _*_ _(2- ~.fz m jgl. -9- _|C_
—1 y — I 1- 1 h-
l
t
1=
£=$
-(2-
£ 7
1
a
The notes marked a and b, the closing notes of the second and
fourth lines, have the same character as those in the corresponding
positions in the human ballad given.
In the many times I have heard this song there have been
numerous variations, such as
92.
t^m=
£—
/T\
f
mi
in which the third line and the passing note in the first line are
omitted ;
100.
-!*- S7\ -#"- -h-l*- rrs +--,-1*-/"^ -l*-(— I*- fs
-I*- /T\ -I — --F- /TS -F- 4 iTs H — _ -F-
-=»-*-
t
tP=*:^
-t=«=-
=*-*--
ta=
3-*
Ft
/T\
F3R
in which an extra set of the first and second themes is given ;
:fc
-£-
:^Vf^=^===F^"E== =^te==gp"E
-k-r
S=±=t=£ZIf
1
in which the last line ends with the second of the scale, instead
of with the tonic or keynote (metronome number not taken) ;
96.
• -*-
r^TOT^^
=fc
-**i —
•P
CH=*=i
Vol. XXI
1904
Oldys, Song of the Wood Petvee.
almost identical with the preceding example ;
J — 80.
273
Hi
w&=*=^-
a very melodious song, one of three that were heard simultaneously;
= 84.
£
f£
p
1C.
i
in which the repetition of the first phrase is omitted — pitch a
shade flatter than E ; final note very lightly touched, the stress
falling on the preceding F#; and
in which the tempo is somewhat more strenuous than in the pre-
ceding examples.
In addition to these and other variations that have come under
my personal observation, there is a very peculiar one reported to
me by Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr. A Wood Pewee near his home
in Alexandria County, Va., occasionally rendered the rhythmical
song in a much higher key and in what Mr. Miller calls a falsetto
voice — very light and high.
The song is usually sung over and over in strict time and with-
out pause between verses. I have known it to continue for fifteen
or twenty minutes at a time. It is usually preceded, and often
followed, by the ordinary detached phrases. According to my
experience it is never sung after dark, though the usual song may
frequently be heard through the night, but seems to be confined
almost entirely to dawn and dusk. It is not peculiar to any
particular season during the Wood Pewee's stay with us, as I
have noted it from shortly after the bird's arrival in spring to
at least as late as September 7.
In closing this brief account I would call attention to the
2 74 Grinnell, Status of Melospiza lincolni striata. \ AAuH
LApril
remarkable fact — perhaps a joke on us — that a bird which we
have classed outside the ranks of the singers proper should deliver
a song that judged by our own musical standards takes higher
technical rank than any other known example of bird music.
THE STATUS OF MELOSPIZA LINCOLNI STRIATA
BREWSTER.
BY JOSEPH GRINNELL.
Melospiza lincolni striata Brewster.
Melospiza lincolni striata Brewster, Auk VI, April 1889, 89 (original
description, based on September birds from Comox, B. C.). — Chapman,
Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Ill, 1890, 148 ("standing doubtful").—
Rhoads, Auk X, Jan. 1893, 21 (characters not considered good). —
Rhoads, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1893, 51 (characters considered "slight
and variable "). — McGregor, Condor, II, March 1900, 35 (skins from Red-
wood City, San Geronimo, St. Helena, and Battle Creek, California). —
Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif. No. 3, June 1902, 57 (winter visitant in Cal-
ifornia "south through the coast belt to the San Francisco Bay region ").
— Brewster, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., XLI, Sept. 1902, 150 (specimen from
Victoria Mountains, L. Cal. ; "I see no reason why the existence of inter-
mediate specimens, such as those to which Mr. Chapman calls attention,
should be necessarily prejudicial to the recognition of the form as a sub-
species, although its standing cannot perhaps be regarded as assured until
its breeding-grounds are definitely known, and fully mature birds in sum-
mer plumage have been examined.").
Melospiza /««C(?/«//* Grinnell, Auk, XV, April 1898, 128 (found breed-
ing at Sitka, Alaska, and a juvenile one-third grown secured; Mr. Brew-
ster comments on an adult bird submitted to him as follows: "Your
Lincoln's Sparrow from Sitka, Alaska, agrees closely with my types of
M. c. [sic] striata in respect to the streaking of the upper parts, but it is
less olivaceous and the buffy is less rich and deep. Making due allowance
for seasonal and individual variation, I should think it not improbable
that it may represent the breeding plumage of striata, but it would be of
course unsafe to assume this positively on the strength of a single speci-
men." [Mr. Brewster's wise but cautiously-made conjectures have proven
correct]). — Ridgway, Bds. N. & Mid. Am. I, 1901, 382 {striata doubtfully
synonvmized under Melospiza lincolnii).
Vol. XXI
1904
Grinnell, Status of Melospiza lincolni striata. 2 7 S
As shown by the above references, the validity of a Northwest
Coast race of Melospiza lincolni has been as often doubted as
affirmed. Ever since I began the systematic study of west-
coast birds, this question has particularly interested me, and I
have seldom neglected an opportunity to secure relevant specimens
or information. As a result there is now at hand material which
clearly demonstrates the existence of the form striata, as described
fifteen years ago by Mr. Brewster.
It seems that heretofore breeding birds have been wanting; but
fine specimens, now available, from Sitka and Wrangel show the
summer habitat of striata to be the Sitkan District, of Nelson, in
southeastern Alaska. A sharply defined winter habitat, also, is
constituted by the humid coast belt of California (San Francisco
Bay Region, Santa Cruz and Northern Humid Coast Districts, as
mapped in Pacific Coast Avifauna Number 3). Melospiza lin-
colni lincolni occurs commonly in other parts of California in win-
ter and especially during migration, and a few breed in the Sierras.
But Melospiza lincolni striata seems to be the only form wintering
in the above indicated habitat, and does not regularly move beyond
its limits. These statements are drawn from about forty-five skins
of both forms examined from California. Mr. McGregor has
recorded a specimen of striata from Battle Creek, while Mr. Brew-
ster refers a single skin from Lower California to the same form ;
but these may be considered exceptional. I may here remark that
I have so far failed to find a really satisfactory " intermediate,"
though alleged cases have been recorded. Mr. Brewster's type
was a male in fresh fall plumage (Comox, B. C, Sept. 8). His
painstaking and detailed description applies precisely to a speci-
men (o*, No. 5016 Coll. J. G. ; Pacific Grove, Monterey County,
California; Dec. 26, 1901) which is selected as being representa-
tive of my winter series. The summer plumage of striata (£ ad.
No. 5341 Coll. J. G. ; Wrangel, Alaska; June 25, 1902 ; collected
by M. P. Anderson) differs from the winter plumage in greater
conspicuousness of black markings, and in paleness and restriction
of buffy suffusion, both evidently due to abrasion and slight fading.
Compared with lincolni of equally worn plumage the upper parts of
summer striata are much more broadly black-streaked, the olive
edgings worn to such narrowness that the black predominates ;
276
General Notes.
T Auk
L April
pectoral and lateral streaking also broader ; central tail-feathers
with much broader shaft-streaks. Briefly, color-differences are pro-
nounced, and as far as present material goes, constant at all sea-
sons.
The small size of striata is an especially good character, as
shown by the accompanying table of measurements (in inches)
made from selected specimens. Decreased wing and tail lengths
seem to be an accompaniment of shorter yearly migration, here, as
in Hylocichla guttata verecunda, Regulus calendula grinnelli and
Hesperocichla nczvia nczvia, of corresponding summer and winter
distribution.
ATelosfiiza lincolni striata.
No.
Coll. J. G.
Wing
Tail
c?
4616
Palo Alto, Cal.
March 29, '01
2.25
2.25
$
5016
Pacific Grove, Cal.
Dec. 26, '01
2-37
2-37
$
5341
Wrangel, Alaska
June 25, '02
2-35
2-35
<■>
455 1
Palo Alto, Cal.
Jan. 19, 'oi
2.22
2.28
?
4552
it it a
a u <<
2.23
2-35
¥
4989
a a a
Dec. 20, '01
2.25
2.28
V
364i
San Geronimo, Cal.
Sept. 15, '98
2.26
2-35
V
1 179
Sitka, Alaska
June 25, '96
2.22
2.22
Melospiza lincolni lincolni.
Wing
Tail
Average of 7 $ $ from So. Cal
2.5O
2.40
2.52
2.42
GENERAL NOTES.
Holbcell's Grebe at Niagara Falls. — While on a trip to Niagara Falls
this past fall (Sept. 20, 1903) in company with Mr. Frederick C. Hubel, I
picked up a fine specimen (ad. $) of HolboelTs Grebe (Colymbus kolbcellii)
on the Canadian side just opposite the American Falls. Upon question-
ing the proprietor of a curio shop, a few leet from the spot, he informed
me that he shot the bird early that same morning swimming out in the
Voli*£XI] General Notes. 2JJ
rapids. Personal examination proved that the grebe had been dead only
a few hours. — Alexander W. Blain, Jr., Detroit, Mich.
Holbcell's Grebe and the White Pelican at St. Mary's Georgia. — On
February 18, 1904, I shot a Holboell's Grebe (Colymbus kolbcellii) in the
mouth of Cumberland River, only about one mile from Florida waters.
Mr. Chapman in his 'Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America'
(the latest authority I have) gives South Carolina as the southern limit
of its range.
During the fall migrations (1903), three American White Pelicans
(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) were taken within a radius of twenty miles of
this place — one in the St. Marys River opposite Kings Ferry, Fla.; one
in the Satilla River, about Satilla Bluff, and one at Stafford Plantation
on Cumberland Island. All three, I believe, were in such an exhausted
condition that they were taken alive. — Isaac F. Arnow, St. Marys, Ga.
Another Ohio Record for the Knot (Tringa canutus). — Authentic
records for the occurrence of this bird in Ohio are few and far between.
It gives me great pleasure to add at least one more record. While going
over a small lot of Sandpipers and Plovers in the museum of Heidelberg
University, I came across a specimen of this bird, shot in the spring of
1894 on the banks of the Sandusky River, here at Tiffin. — W. F. Hennin-
ger, Tiffin, Ohio.
The Red-backed Sandpiper in Massachusetts in December. — Mr.
George C Shattuck gave me a Red-backed Sandpiper {Pelidna alpina
pacifica) which he shot on Barnstable Neck, Mass., on December 23, 1903.
It was in company with another of its kind. — Reginald Heber Howe,
Jr., Concord, Mass.
Capture of Krider's Hawk at St. Marys, Georgia. — I take pleasure in
recording the capture of a male Krider's Hawk {Buteo borealis kriderii)
in the extreme southeastern corner of Georgia on February 3, 1904.
In the winter of 1901-02 Mr. A. H. Helnn, of Miller Place, N. Y., and 1
were hunting on Point Peter, a Government reservation a few miles down
the river from this place, and saw two apparently very light colored Red-
tailed Hawks but failed to get a shot at them. He remarked that they
looked as light as Krider's Hawk. This winter I found that one at
least was there again and I made several trips there trying to get a shot,
but while I would see him on every occasion he was too wary for me to
get what I considered a sure shot, and I would take no chances at him.
On February 3, 1 decided I would try him again. Just before reaching my
landing place, and while just opposite his haunt, I saw a hawk coming
across from the Florida side of the river and scarcely had time to throw
down my oars and get a suitable shell in my gun when he was abreast of
me. I shot and he fell in the river about 100 feet astern. I found him
278
General Notes. [A^f
to be the hawk I was looking for, and a beauty, and I have added him to
my modest collection of skins. He was evidently living high on Clapper
Rails, as he had one in his stomach and another freshly eaten in his crop.
— Isaac F. Arnow, St. Marys, Ga.
The Great Gray Owl near Boston. — On February 7 of this year I saw
a Great Gray Owl {Scotiaptex nebulosa) in Dedham, Mass. I was
attracted to the spot by a great clamor of Crows and soon found my bird
perched on a low limb of a white pine in open mixed woods. It held in
its claws a dead and partly eaten crow, which when it was finally dropped
by the owl in flight, I found to lack the head and fore part of body and
the viscera. The owl seemed perfectly fearless of me, but showed ner-
vousness when the crows cawed near by, and followed with its eyes the
flight of the single crows that flew over its tree from time to time. I
drove it about from tree to tree with snowballs. It flew low and always
took a rather low perch, — from ten to twenty feet from the ground, and
usually on a large branch of a pine tree, near the trunk, though twice it
alighted on the very top of a red cedar. I could get as near as the height
of its perch permitted and was frequently within twenty feet of it during
the hour or two that I spent in its company. — Francis H. Allen,
Boston, A/ass.
The Pileated Woodpecker in Anne Arundel County, Md. — Upon read-
ing the note of Mr. George W. H. Soelner in 'The Auk' for January,
1904, recording the Pileated Woodpecker {Ceofthloeus pileatus) in the
District of Columbia, it put me in mind of a record I made November 25,
1896.
As I was crossing a field bordering some low swampy woodland along
Rogue Harbor Creek, I heard the familiar note of this species, and look-
ing up saw one with its broad sweeping flight almost directly over my
head, about fifty feet up. This locality was on the line of the Annapolis,
Baltimore and Washington R. R., about midway between Odenton and
Patuxent.
For the last twenty years, I have found this species to be fairly common
while on shooting trips in Somerset County, Maryland, during the
months of November, December, and January, always counting upon
seeing one or two each day, but on my last trip of ten days' duration, in
December, 1903, I neither saw nor heard a single bird. — William H.
Fisher, Baltimore, Md.
Whip-poor-will (Antroslomus vociferus), a New Bird for Colorado. — A
specimen of this species was found nearly dead in an orchard at Fort
Collins, Colorado, about September 14, 1903, by Mrs. R. J. Tenny, who
presented it to the Agricultural College. It was given to me for identi-
fication and mounting, and after its preparation was sent to Washington
for more positive determination, where it was pronounced to be Antros-
Vol. XXI]
1904 J
General Notes.
279
tomus vociferus, thus adding another species to the list of Colorado birds.
At least it is not given in Professor Cooke's list, nor in Mrs. Bailey's
' Birds of the Western United States.' The specimen was in good plum-
age, but greatly emaciated, although I found no signs of its having been
injured. — L. E. Burnett, Taxidermist and Collector, State Agricultural
College, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Another Abnormal Bill. — The character of the malformed bill sub-
mitted by Mr. B. S. Bowdish in the last number of ' The Auk' seems a
common type in abnormalities of that kind. I have in my possession
the head of a Crow (Corvus americanus) afflicted with the same kind of
malformation. In this case, however, the upper mandible is bent com-
pletely down and around so as to point over the bird's shoulder. The
lower mandible is not so greatly elongated as in Mr. Bowdish's speci-
men, however, but the notches he speaks of where the mandibles cross
Malformed Bill of Crow (Corvus americanus). Nat. size.
are very deep. There is no sign of injury to account for the peculiar
growth.
It raises an interesting conjecture in regard to the winter and early
spring food supply of these birds. It was killed early in March near
Port Huron, Mich., 1901, and was evidently starving to death when the
shot gun put it out of misery. Its plumage, however, was in good shape,
not quite as glossy perhaps as some, but it was quite evident that the
bird did not suffer from lack of food at the time of its last moult. What
food it could have lived upon during the winter is a subject for specula-
tion. It was an impossibility to pick up anything from the ground with
such a bill, and whatever its diet was during the winter, it could not be
found in the more northern ranges in early spring. — P. A. Taverner,
Chicago, III.
280 General Notes. [a^HI
The Western Meadowlark (Stumella magna neglecta) in Southern
Georgia. — In a small series of Meadowlark s from Southeastern Georgia,
I find three or four that appear to approach the western form neglecta.
One specimen, a female, taken March 16, 1903, at ' Mush Bluff ' (about
four miles from St. Marys), is a typical neglecta, and is apparently indis-
tinguishable from specimens of this bird taken in North Dakota. — *j.\, H.
Helme, Miller Place, N. T.
The Evening Grosbeak near Quebec, Canada. — On the 24th of Nov-
ember, 1903, four specimens of the Evening Grosbeak {Hespert'pkona ves-
fertina) were brought to me — three males and a female. They were
killed in the woods in the vicinity of Quebec. Later, about the end of
January, 1904, five others, of which one was a female, were shot in the
same neighborhood. To my knowledge these are, with the exception of
one killed in 1890, the only specimens ever met with here. — C. E.
Dionne, Quebec, Can.
The Pine Grosbeak on Long Island, N. Y. — It is so rarely that Long
Island is favored with the presence of the Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enu-
cleator canadensis) that their occurrence here in considerable numbers
during the past winter is worthy of record. During the last twenty five
years there have been few winters that I have not spent considerable time
in the field at this place, but I have never been able to meet with this bird,
to be certain of its identity, until the past winter. I have heard of a few
instances of its occurrence on Long Island in former years, as at Miller
Place, Cold Spring, Middle Island, and Terryville. At Miller Place, on
November 26, 1903, three Grosbeaks were noted in an orchard near my
house, and later a red male was seen flying westward. I was told of a
"flock of Butcher Birds " that were seen here about a week prior to this
date. From the description given me I have little doubt that they were
Pine Grosbeaks. While perched on the top of a tree, and in their undu-
lating flight, they bear a strong resemblance to shrikes, and if seen singly
by one unfamiliar with them might readily be mistaken for these birds.
From November 13 to 25, I was away from home and cannot tell at what
time they began to arrive. I am inclined to think that some birds I
heard early in the month were Grosbeaks, but I was not then familiar with
their notes and did not recognize them. November 27, I left Miller Place
and did not have another opportunity to look for them until December 4,
when I met with a small flock in a cedar grove not far from my house.
In this grove, from this time on until about the middle of February,
Grosbeaks could be found in varying numbers. The last one was seen
on February 28. On February 1 and 6 they were more plentiful than at
any other time, and appeared to be migrating. Not more than two per
cent were in the red plumage. Their food consisted almost entirely of the
seeds of the red cedar. The seeds were nearly always crushed before
they were swallowed, only the inner portions of the seeds being eaten.
Vol. XX
1904
I General Notes. 2oI
Occasionally a few would come into the orchaH and pick among the
frozen apples left on the trees. While feeding they were very gentle and
I had no difficulty in catching several in a small scoop-net, made of fine
wire, attached to a pole. Four that I have in a large cage are very fond
of sunflower and hemp seeds. They will eat canary and rape seed but
prefer chat of the sunflower. Millet seed they will not eat if they can get
anj other food. They appear to have four distinct sets of notes, — a low
querulous note uttered while feeding ; another, somewhat resembling that
of the Goldfinch, uttered both on the wing and while sitting in the trees;
and a longer drawn whistle that reminds one of a Cedar-bird. This
appears to be their usual call-note when restless and alarmed. Several
times I heard an attempt at a song, consisting of three or four finch-like
notes. During the winter I met with a few Grosbeaks at Rocky Point,
and heard of their presence at several other places on Long Island. —
A. H. Helme, Miller Place, N. 2'.
The Pine Grosbeak on Long Island, N. Y. — After years of waiting I
am at last able to positively record this species on Long Island. Three
specimens were seen at Southold, February 2, 1904, by Mrs. A. F. Lowerre
who is an unusually careful observer. Her report is as follows: "Tues-
day morning I saw three birds in a neighbor's honeysuckle. Took my
opera glass and went close to study them. Found they were Pine Gros-
beaks, either all females or young male birds. There were no carmine-red
adult males to be seen. I never saw or heard of them here before."
February 12 Mrs. Lowerre wrote: "I saw the three grosbeaks again
yesterday ; the only places they seem to visit are the honeysuckle vines. "
Subsequently Mrs. Lowerre reports that she did not see the grosbeaks
after February 11.
All Giraud says of them is : "In the autumn of 1827, large flocks of pine
grosbeaks visited Long Island .... Since that period until the present
year (1844), I have not seen or heard of its occurring on Long Island." —
William Dutcher, Netv York City.
White-winged Crossbill — A Correction. — Mr. Spicer of Goodrich r
Genesee Co., Mich., has requested me to correct a misleading record
attributed to him by Professor Cook in his k Birds of Michigan,' p. 108.
Cook quotes him as finding the White-winged Crossbill breeding at Good-
rich, Mich., but the note in question (O. & O., 1889, p. 43) refers to the
American Goldfinch. Unfortunately this record is quoted in my recent
'List of the Birds of Southeastern Michigan' (Bull. Mich. Ornith. Club,
IV, 38) and is very misleading as to the southern breeding range of
Loxia leucoptera. — Bradshaw A. Swales, Detroit, Mick.
The Lark Sparrow in Oneida County, N. Y. — June 13, 1903, in the
extreme northeastern corner of this county, I saw, and positively identi-
fied, a Lark Sparrow {Ckondestes grammacus). A week later I visited
282 General Notes. X_&%
the same locality, but failed to get a glimpse of the bird again. This, I
believe, is the first record of the occurrence of the species in this State,
outside of Long Island. — W. S. Johnson, Boonville, Oneida County,
N. Y.
A Chewink in Winter at Ashland, Mass. — On December 29, 1903, at
Ashland, Middlesex, Co., Massachusetts, I had the good fortune to run
across a male Chewink (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). He was trying to find
food in the snow-covered road, and was so tame that I approached within
a few feet before he flew off to some nearby shrubbery. I watched him
closely for some time to see whether he was injured, and so unable to
migrate, — but he seemed, on the contrary, very active. He uttered the
usual call-note once or twice. — Roger N. Baldwin, Cambridge, Mass.
Another Nest of the Philadelphia Vireo. — I was very much interested
in William Brewster's paper relative to Vireo philadelphicus, owing to the
fact of having personally found an occupied nest of the species. With a
view to helping along the good cause by one more step toward establish-
ing the average nesting site I take the liberty of submitting my experi-
ence. The exact date is not known, but it was during a sojourn in Lee-
lanau County, Michigan, extending from the 12th to the 21st of August,
1890 At that particular point the rocks arose from the water edge of
Traverse Bay, on an angle of 45 degrees, until a height of 30 feet was
attained; then came a level stretch of three to four hundred yards densely
covered with blackberry bushes, and terminating at the base of a perpen-
dicular bluff about fifteen feet high. The top of this bluff was covered
with a second growth of poplar that in turn margined a forest of large
white pine trees. We ran a survey line through this poplar belt and it
was here I discovered the nest, and quite accidentally, as I was not look-
ing for nests so late in the season. The nest was suspended from the
horizontal crotch of a poplar branch which overhung the bluff, but was
not more than five feet higher than the bluff top, and I could easily reach
into it. In shape, size and construction it resembled the establishment
of Vireo olivaceus but the exterior was thickly covered with curly pieces of
silvery white poplar bark, suggesting, at a short distance, the structure of
V. Jiavifrons. The male was not seen, but the female was in evidence
and fearless, often approaching to within four or five feet of me. The
species was recognized at first glance, indeed, it cannot be mistaken by
anyone who has handled the skins. The nest contained two young, but
as I reached for them they fluttered out and flew about fifty yards before
striking the level of the berry bushes below. This find cannot, of course,
be considered strictly authentic, as the birds were not secured, but person-
ally I am as positive of the identity as of that of the Passer domesticus
that perched upon the window sill a few moments ago. — J. Claire
Wood, Detroit, Michigan.
V°ig?XI] General Notes. 283
The Philadelphia Vireo. — Mr. William Brewster's article on this vireo
in 'The Auk,' 1903, pp. 369-376, is very full and interesting, but at the
same time throws discredit and lack of accuracy on other observers. For
example, I am absolutely certain that the nest I took at Lansdowne, Ont.,
in 1895, was not a Red-eyed Vireo's ; at the same time I am as positive as
it is possible to be without having the bird in hand that it belonged to the
Philadelphia Vireo.
Mr. Brewster assumes that I do not know the Red-eyed Vireo. I prob-
ably know it as well as he does ; as it is a very common bird in Ontario,
and not a year passes but that I see its nest. This year, for example,
I found a nest in a small maple. I watched the birds closely to be sure
of the species, and noted the habits of the pair. This pair was very shy
and retiring, whereas the pair of vireos I noted at Lansdowne, in 1895,
were demonstrative and noisy. The location was very different as was
the finish of the nest, the latter being smaller and not so well finished off
and adjusted as the first. I knew from the location my birds were not
Warbling Vireos, for which the location was not adapted, — a rough pas-
ture field with swampy places grown up with willow, spruce, etc., and
in the drier places, poplar, and no large woods near.
A characteristic of my nest was the presence of shreds of birch bark,
which as there were no birch trees near, must have been brought from
some distance. I am quite satisfied, in spite of Mr. Brewster's strictures,
with my nest and its identification, which was a careful one, just as he no
doubt feels satisfied that he has the first authentic nest and eggs of that
species on record.
With regard to the yellow shading of the breast, Mr. Brewster must
know that the intensity of coloring in both vireos and warblers is a very
uncertain element. — C. J. Young, Sharbot Lake, Ontario, Can.
A Winter Record for the Hermit Thrush ( Hylocichla guttata fallasii)
in Eastern Massachusetts. — This species is sufficiently rare in winter in
Massachusetts to make it of interest to record one seen by the writers in
Longwood, Brookline, Mass., January 1, 1904. The bird was not at all
shy, and was observed for several minutes within a distance of a few feet,
so that its identification was easily determined. It was hopping about in
a clump of trees and bushes at the edge of a small pond, now and then
uttering its characteristic chuck.
Another Hermit Thrush, or possibly the same one, was observed at
Chesnut Hill, Mass., on January 8, 1904. It was watched for several min-
utes while it was picking at a small crust of bread which lay on the snow.
As the two localities mentioned are at least three miles apart, it is impos-
sible to, tell whether this was the same bird as the one seen on January
1 or not. Messrs. Howe and Allen in their 'Birds of Massachusetts,' p.
95, give only three winter records for the Hermit Thrush for this State. —
Francis G. and Maurice C. Blake, Brookline, Mass.
284
General Notes. \_t%
Two Additions to the Bird Fauna of Kansas. — I wish to record the
addition of two species to the bird fauna of Kansas. They are as follows :
1. Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus). — A young male was
captured along the Kansas River near Lawrence on October 10, 1898, by
Banks Brown. The specimen was mounted by Leverett A. Adams and is
now in the museum of the University of Kansas. This species not hav-
ing been previously reported as "seen "or "likely to occur in Kansas"
is an absolute addition to our avifauna.
2. White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera). This species was
inserted in my first editions of ' The Birds of Kansas,' in 1872, on the
authority of Dr. T. M. Brewer, and was omitted from my fifth edition
(May, 1903) because its occurrence in Kansas had not been verified by
actual captures. I am glad to report two recent captures. The first was
that of an adult male in fall plumage, shot by Leverett A. Adams near
Lawrence, in Douglas County, November 4, 1899. This specimen,
mounted by E. D. Bunker, is now in the museum of the University of
Kansas. The second capture was that of a young male, taken at Hays
City in western Kansas, September 15, 1902, by C. W. Miller, who has
the specimen in his own collection.
These two additions, together with the three recorded in the January
number of 'The Auk,' increase to 347 the number of species and varieties
of birds personally known to me as occurring in Kansas. — F. H. Snow,
Larvrence, Kan.
Mortality Among Young Birds, Due to Excessive Rains. — During the
summer of 1903, prolonged dry and warm weather, lasting through the
greater part of May and the first week of June, was followed by an exces-
sive rainfall. From June 6 to 14, inclusive, I was at Demarest, N. J., and
from the evidence that there came under my notice, I became convinced
that the mortality among young birds in the nest was far beyond normal,
owing to the heavy rains which so closely succeeded each other.
Wishing to see how extensive this abnormal mortality might be, I wrote
to some thirty ornithologists in various sections of New York, Pennsyl-
vania, and New Jersey, inquiring regarding this subject. To a number
who furnished interesting information, I am greatly indebted, as well as
to others who courteously replied to my queries, stating that they were
unable to furnish any information on the subject.
The deductions which may be gathered from the data thus collected are,
first, that there was, at least in some sections, an unusually heavy mor-
tality among young birds as a result of exposure, cold, and in some cases
drowning, due to heavy rains, as well as an unusually large number of
nests with eggs which were deserted because of the eggs becoming wet
and chilled ; second, it would appear that in other sections such mortality
was not evident. This may be due to the difference in the predominating
species of the different localities, or to difference in environment of nests,
in the sections covered by the observers so reporting.
Vol.XXH General Notes. 28 C
1904 J o
A few examples of cases coming under my notice at Demarest, are as
follows : on June 7 a Field Sparrow's nest was found in a weed clump in
a meadow, containing three young. On the 13th three lifeless, water-
soaked bodies lay in the nest, which the birds would have left in a few-
days. On June 11 a Kingbird's nest was found just completed, and this
nest was subsequently deserted by the birds before any eggs had been
laid, apparently as a result of its continued soaked condition. On the
same date, and in the same orchard I examined a Bluebird's nest, in a
knot-hole in an apple limb, their second nest for the season, and contain-
ing at this time four eggs. On July 4 I visited this nest again, and the
wet, decaying, and deserted eggs were still in the nest, which had evi-
dently been partly filled with water.
On June 13 I photographed a nest of four young Chipping Sparrows,
in a grapevine, close to a house. The situation of this nest seemed ideal
for withstanding the weather, a number of large leaves sheltering it very
well. The young were then almost ready to leave the nest. On the
morning of the 15th, following a day and night of hard rain, these birds
were found dead.
Mr. S. H. Chubb, of this city, reported to me a case on Staten Island, of
the drowning out of a family of young of the Tufted Titmouse.
Mr. S. N. Rhoads wrote me that though he could not doubt that there
had been an unusual mortality among young birds owing to the heavy
rains, he had not, in his limited field work, seen any evidence of it. Mr.
William B. Burke, writing from Rochester, N. Y., said that this subject
had been brought up at a meeting of the Ornithological Club, and that
the consensus of opinion was "that there had been no perceptible loss
among young birds as a result of excessive rains in this region." He
added that living adjacent to a ninety acre beech wood, he had seen no
evidence of unusual mortality among young birds, and that friends from
Canada reported that there was no apparent loss there.
Mr. Josiah H. Clark, of Paterson, N. J., reported that at Crystal Lake
the prolonged rains flooded a Bluebird's nest in a hole in a stump, caus-
ing the birds to desert the four eggs that the nest contained. He also
cited the case of a House Wren's nest which had been flooded and
deserted in the same manner.
Mr. T. H. Jackson, of West Chester, Pa., writes : "Although I kept no
record, I noticed that a great many nests were broken up by the cold
rains during the early summer of 1903. Approximately I should say at
least fifty percent among the smaller species failed to mature in the nests.
Am sorry I can not give you more accurate information."
Mr. John Lewis Childs, of Floral Park, N. Y., writes that on Long
Island he had been unable to find any evidence of unusual mortality
among young birds. He further adds, however : "At a recent visit with
John Burroughs up the Hudson Valley, 1 learned that he had examined a
great many nests this fall, and in a large number of them found the
remains of young birds, and he is of the opinion that large numbers of
nestlings died, perhaps as high as twenty-five percent."
286 General Notes. [^
I have in the past fifteen years examined a very considerable number
of nests, and it has been my experience that normally it is an unusual
thing to find dead young in the nest. I should say that each such find
the past season was so much evidence indicating an unusual mortality,
and I am of the opinion that could such data all be gathered, it would be
found that the effect of the unusual season of 1903 on bird life was very
marked. — B. S. Bowdish, New 2'ork City.
The Rapidity of the Wing-Beats of Birds. — Attention may well be
directed to a neglected phase of the problem of flight, for while foreign
observers have devised graphical methods for measuring wing movements
too swift for discernment by the human eye, little or nothing is known
about our birds of slow flight, in which it is possible to count the wing-
beats. On several occasions, I have had opportunity for watching
Herring Gulls {Larus argentatus) following in the wake of a steamboat
running at the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour, and on calm days I
find the wing-beats in this species average about one hundred and eighty
to the minute. Varying conditions make difficult even such simple
observations as these ; but the cooperation of many observers in this
almost untouched field may some day furnish valuable data. Laboratory
experiments abroad, with harnessed birds, show that the wing-beats of a
Sparrow are 780 a minute, of a Duck, 540, of a Pigeon, 480, and so on,,
while at home we only know that wings are too swift for most cameras.
The subject is a large one and I merely wish to stimulate interest in it, by
thus lightly touching upon it. — Jonathan Dwight, Jr., M. D., Nexv-
York City.
A Correction. — In 'The Auk,' Vol. XIX, No. 3, July, 1902, p. 331, in
the first line, "Faxon and Allen" should read Faxon and Hoffmann. —
Reginald Heber Howe, Concord, Mass.
Audubon's ' Ornithological Biography.' — I have just purchased a copy-
of the above work, the first volume of which bears the imprint,
Philadelphia : | Judah Dobson, Agent, 108 Chestnut Street ; | and |
H. H. Porter, Literary Rooms, 121 Chestnut Street. | MDCCCXXXI.
Coues's Bibliography makes no mention of this imprint, nor can I find
another set the first volume of which bears such a one. — Reginald
Heber Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.
Delaware Bird Notes. — A hasty visit to Lewes, Del. — Cape Henlopen.
on February 5, 1904, admitting of but an hour's walk across the frozen
marsh and barely into the cedars and pines bordering the ocean sufficed
to note the following, amongst the species: — Myrtle Warblers, numer-
ous ; Robins and Bluebirds, abundant ; several Savannah Sparrows, a
flock of 18 Snow Buntings, one Catbird, a single Brown-headed Nut-
hatch, and two Red-breasted Nuthatches. — C. J. Pennock, Kennett
Square, Pa.
Vol;*XI] General Notes. 287
Bird Notes from Shelter Island, Long Island, N. Y. — Lesser Scaup
Duck {Ay thy a affinis). — This duck has been noted in this vicinity several
times in midsummer. A specimen was shot by a friend of mine on Aug.
18 of last year (1903). A pair were seen by Dr. Braislin and myself at
Napeague Harbor on June 20, 1902. None of these were crippled birds,
and all possessed normal powers of flight, so that their failure to migrate
with their fellows was surely owing to no physical disability.
Wilson's Warbler {Wilsonia pustlla). — A specimen was taken on
August 22, 1903, — the earliest I have ever observed it in the autumnal
migration.
Water Thrushes (Seiurus noveboracensis) arrived on the same date
as the last.
Willet (Symphemia semipalmata). — A single specimen was taken
Aug. 22. This bird has become very rare in this vicinity of late vears.
Maryland Yellowthroat (Geothlypts trtckas). — A fine male of this
species was noted and watched for some time on November 13, 1903.
His late stay was owing, no doubt, to the congenial surroundings, formed
by a thick growth of a species of wild honeysuckle, covering the ground
and low bushes in a sheltered spot, remaining green late in the winter,
and containing many warm and sunny sheltered nooks.
Pine Grosbeak {Pinicola enucleator). — A few of these rare visitors
from the north have been about this winter. A single one was seen
November 28, 1903. I received a pair to mount, shot on Dec. 22, the
male in the full red-washed plumage, the female gray. They were found
feeding around a garbage heap near the back door of a dwelling house,
and were very tame. Two more were seen near the same place, but not
taken, on January 3, 1904.
Hermit Thrush {Hylocichla guttata pallasii). — Very scarce during
their usual migration dates. For some unaccountable reason their move-
ments to the south seem to have been postponed so long that, by the advent
of severe weather, many of them came to grief. A single specimen was
noted on Nov. 13, 1903; next seen on Dec. 26, and again on Dec. 31.
The weather was then very cold, the ground covered with snow, and the
specimens were in an emaciated condition. The last chapter in the
tragedy was revealed by a specimen found under the edge of a sheltering
embankment, frozen to death, on January 5, 1904. The ground was then
covered with snow, about a foot deep on the level, and traveling was very
hard, so that I covered only a small section of country during my obser-
vations, but, judging by the several instances in which I noted the birds,
many hundreds must have perished, in the aggregate. — Willis W.
Worthington, Shelter Island Heights, N. Y.
Notes Concerning Certain Birds of Long Island, N. Y. — Puffinus
borealis. Mr. Andrew Chichester shot two birds {$ and $) of this spe-
cies on the ocean some distance off Fire Island Inlet, on Oct. 4, 1902, and
sent them to me in the flesh.
Cathartes aura. Mr. Robt. Peavey, who killed the two specimens of
288 General Notes. \_t?x\\
this species before recorded by me, shot two additional specimens, one of
which he has presented to the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts
and Sciences.
Anas obscura rubripes. Soon after the publication of Mr. William
Brewster's description of this newly defined subspecies I made inquiries
regarding the presence of a Black Duck on Long Island answering the
description of rubripes. I found that the difference in external character-
istics was sufficient to have attracted the notice of certain sportsmen and
baymen. Mr. Brewster found that the red-legged form is well known to
baymen in Massachusetts and that it is regarded by them as a distinct
variety of the Black Duck. I find substantially the same facts to apply
on Long Island. In answer to my request, from one of whom I had
made inquiries, that specimens of this variety of Black Duck be furnished
me, I received a few days later two fine specimens answering in every
respect to Mr. Brewster's description. This subspecies is, therefore, here-
with definitely recorded for Long Island.
Anas penelope. A specimen of the European Widgeon was killed on
Gardiner's Island, Feb. 5, 1902, by Hiram Miller, of Springs. The cap-
ture of this bird was reported to me by Mr. Ivan C. By ram, a taxidermist
of Sag Harbor, who mounted the bird and who identified it. To meet the
question of possible error in identification I requested and received from
Mr. Miller the following description: "Wing patch green; longer wing
feathers and tail dark brown; head and neck chestnut shading to buff on
forehead; breast gray shading to white belly; under tail-coverts black;
legs and feet dusky lead." He adds : "There was another killed the
autumn before I killed mine here, and another this autumn here." He
states that the specimen in question was killed from a large flock of
Baldpates.
Aythya vallisneria. The Canvas-back is sufficiently rare on Long
Island to be worthy of record. It is perhaps unnecessary to say that
the not infrequent reports of large flocks of Canvas-backs on Long
Island sent from gunning resorts to the daily press, with the evident
desire of attracting the city sportsmen thither, may safely be set down
to the presence of its near relative, the Red-head. I have never interro-
gated a reliable Long Island gunner, bayman or guide, who had ever
observed a flock of any considerable number of Canvas-backs on Long
Island. Abundant as this bird is on the Chesapeake, its rarity on Long
Island is very firmly established. Mr. Andrew Chichester, a veteran
gunner of Amity ville, sent me a pair {$ and ? ) of fine, fresh birds shot
by his son Arthur at that place, March, 1903.
Chen hyperborea nivalis. A Goose ($ im.) sent in the flesh, by Mr.
Ivan C. Byram of Sag Harbor, was shot Nov. 18, 1903, at Noyac, a hamlet
three miles west of Sag Harbor, by Cornelius Bennett. I refer the bird
to C. hyperborea nivalis, since it more nearly approaches the description
of the immature of this species than that of C. ca^rulescens in the same
stage of plumage.
V0li9£XI] General Notes. 289
As the bird represents an interesting phase of plumage the following
details are given : Top of head and back of neck slaty black shading to
lighter on sides and in front except some of the feathers of the fore neck
which are dark like the former. The tips of some of the (new) dark
feathers of this region are whitish. Back, grayish blue, the tips of these
broad feathers edged with gray. Lower back and rump and upper tail-
coverts white. Wing-coverts grayish blue to fuscous and edged with
white. Tail fuscous gray, edged broadly with white. Chin, sides of
head, neck, breast and belly washed with bright ochraceous buff, most
deeply so on the head. Length, 29.50; wing, 16.25 \ tail, 5.50 ; bill, 2.50 ;
tarsus, 3.12.
Crymophilus fulicarius. Three Red Phalaropes (females) which struck
the Montauk Point Light were picked up at the foot of the tower, Nov.
27, 1902, by Capt. James J. Scott, the Keeper of the Lighthouse, and
kindly forwarded to me.
Numenius borealis. A bird of this species {$) was shot at Rockaway
Beach Sept. 14, 1902, by Mr. Robt. L. Peavey of Brooklyn and is now in
his collection of mounted birds, and has been examined by the writer.
Mr. W. F. Hendrickson in a recent communication to Mr. William
Dutcher referred to a strange bird which was shot from a flock of about
fifteen as they were passing along the beach, near Zach's Inlet Life
Saving Station on August 29, 1903. From the description furnished
Mr. Dutcher was inclined to believe the bird one of this species and
referred the matter to me for investigation. The captain of the life
saving crew, Philip K. Chichester, who saw the bird, is certain the bird
was an "English Fute," that is, an Eskimo Curlew. The life-saver is an
old-time gunner who in former times saw the bird in much greater num-
bers than it is now known to occur anywhere. There seems to me no
reasonable doubt that this bird, which unfortunately was promptly
plucked and eaten, was also a specimen of the Eskimo Curlew.
Sturnus vulgaris. As a fulfillment of predictions that the Starling
would gradually widen its range on Long Island, it is perhaps worth
while to note that a specimen has been taken as far east as Hicksville.
Mr. Lott, a taxidermist of Freeport, informed me that a bird strange to
him had been sent for mounting, with a report that it had been shot at
Hicksville. On examining the specimen I found it to be a Starling. —
William C. Braislin, M U., Brooklyn, N. Y.
British Columbia Notes. — The following records were made at Comox,
Vancouver Island, B. C, during the latter part of 1903 and early part of
1904.
Larus barrovianus. Point Barrow Gull. — I shot an immature
specimen of this gull in Comox bay, on the 15th December, the first
record for the Province.
Sterna hirundo. Common Tern. Two adults taken on the 24th Sep-
tember by Lieutenant E. N. Carver, R. N.
Branta bernicla. Brant. — On the 13th December I noticed a bunch of
29O General Notes. \k"%
six Brant that kept separate from the large numbers of Black Brant in
Comox harbor ; after a hard bit of work I managed to kill one of them,
which proved to be an adult female of the Atlantic species. The others
were undoubtedly an old male and three young of the same species as
they all looked very light colored. The specimen secured is in everyway
typical bernicla, with interrupted collar, and sharply defined black breast,
against the pale grayish lower surface. It was very fat.
I have since found that the Eastern Brant is a fairly common migrant
on the Pacific Coast. Since shooting the first specimen, I have killed
seven others, and have seen a number of small bands that, as a rule, keep
separate from the Black Brant.
I should say about eight percent of the Brant in Comox bay are the
Eastern species. Only once have I killed both species out of the same
flock. There seems to be no tendency to intergradation, unless the unit-
ing of the neck patches in one bernicla might be so considered. This
was an adult male, in all other respects typical bernicla, and the collar was
barely united by the slightest white tipping.
Actodromas acuminata. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. — On the 4th
October I saw a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper with three Pectoral Sandpipers
near the mouth of Campbell River. I had no gun, so was unable to
secure it, but as I was within four yards, was able to identify it with
certainty. It was a young of the year with white supercilium and throat,
and warm buffy, slightly streaked jugulum.
Pelidna alpina. Dunlin. — Atypical Dunlin taken the 5th December
out of a small troop of pacijica. This is a bird of the year with a few
feathers of first plumage left in upper parts. The crown and foreneck
are much more conspicuously streaked than in pacijica, the pectoral
band being nearly as heavily streaked as in maculata. Measurements
taken in the flesh: — $ , Length, 7.75 ; wing, 4.60; culmen, 1.35.
Charadrius dominicus fulvus. — Pacific Golden Plover. — Whether
typical dominicus occurs on the Pacific coast is doubtful, but I have never
before taken such absolutely typical fulvus as some that I collected here
on and after the 3rd November. These are bright enough for the Euro-
pean species and I almost expected to find the axillars white. Two taken
the 4th November had already acquired some of the feathers of the
summer plumage on the mantle ; these are broadly margined, not
spotted, with bright yellow.
Falco islandus. White Gyrfalcon. — A fine adult female White
Gyrfalcon was brought to me on the 4th December. It had been killed
by a boy with a 22 rifle.
Falco peregrinus anatum. Duck Hawk. — So far this is the only
species of Peregrine I have been able fo secure here. I expected pealei
to be the common form on Vancouver Is; nd.
Nucifraga columbiana. Clark's Crow. — I shot an adult female here
on the 18th February. This is a very rare straggler to Vancouver.
Vireo huttoni obscurus. Anthony's Vireo. — This vireo evidently
Vol/*XI] General Notes. 29 1
winters here, as I took a specimen the 4th December. In life it is
impossible to distinguish it from a Rubycrest, and like that bird associates
with flocks of Chestnut-backed Tits. — Allan Brooks, Comox, Van-
couver Island, B. C.
The Ipswich Sparrow, Kirtland's Warbler, and Sprague's Pipit in
Georgia. — Along the eastern shore of Cumberland Island, Georgia, are
long stretches of sand flats and dunes covered with a scattering growth of
beach-grass. On April 14, 1903, in one of these spots, about two miles
south of the inlet separating Cumberland Island from Little Cumberland
Island, I flushed and shot an Ipswich Sparrow (Passerculus princeps). It
proved to be a female, very fat, and had not quite completed its spring
moult. This I believe is the most southern point from which this species
has been reported, and the date (April 14) is rather late to find this bird
so far from its summer home.
On April 12, 1902, I shot a female Kirtland's Warbler (Dendroica kirt-
landi'i) from a small water oak standing near the border of an old field at
the north end of Cumberland Island. Its large size at once attracted
my attention, as it leisurely and silently hopped about among the
branches.
On January 16, 1903, near the north end of Cumberland Island, I flushed
a small light colored bird that I suspected to be Sprague's Pipit (Antkus
spragueii). It flew but a short distance, but upon my attempting to
approach it at once took flight, and joining a Common Pipit that chanced
to be passing at the time was soon lost to view. Its mate somewhat
resembled that of the Common Pipit, yet was readily distinguishable
from it. Jan. 19, I again found it in the same locality and shot it, thus
confirming my conclusions as to its identity. My next opportunity to
look for these birds was March 27, when I found three and secured two of
them. From this time until April 3, several more were noted and six
specimens secured. They were all found singly among the short grass on
the dry sandy flats between the marsh and the ocean, and did not appear
to mingle with the Common Pipits, which were common in the vicinity.
I did not see any perform the towering flight which is said to be so char-
acteristic of this species. Nine specimens in all were taken on the follow-
ing dates: January 19, one ; March 27, two ; March 28, three; March 30,
two; April 3, one. All were females, and with the exception of the one
taken January 19, were in the prenuptial moult. — A. H. Helme, Miller
Place, N. Y.
2Q2 Recent Literature. ["April
RECENT LITERATURE.
Coues's ' Key to North American Birds,' Fifth Edition.1 — " The present
work constitutes the completion of Dr. Cones' life-long labors on behalf
of the science of ornithology In preparing it for publication the
publishers have suffered extraordinary expense, difficulty, and delay by
the loss of Dr. Coues1 assistance in tbe proof-reading and illustrating of
the book. The manuscript was finished but shortly before his death, and
though fortunately complete in this form, was left in such shape as to
present almost insuperable difficulties to the compositor or proof-reader,
who lacked the author's direction and supervision " (Publisher's Preface,
p. iii).
About four years elapsed between the death of Dr. Coues and the appear-
ance of the Fifth Edition of the ' Key.' Doubtless if Dr. Coues had lived
to see the work through the press, and it could thus have received his
final touches in the proof, it would not have been materially different from
what it is at present, but it must have undergone many slight modifica-
tions, and have been left fully abreast of the subject, instead of four years
behind, as now. The publishers, under the circumstances, were most for-
tunate in securing the services of Mr. J. A. Farley, to superintend the
carrying of the work through the press, and their acknowledgment of
their own and the reader's indebtedness to the "painstaking care,....
scholarly zeal and conscientious spirit of fidelity and accuracy" with
which he performed the task, is most certainly a deserved tribute to his
editorial skill and care.
1 Key | to | North American Birds. | Containing a concise account of every
species of Living and Fossil | Bird at present | known from the Continent
north of the Mexican and United States Boundary, inclusive of Greenland and
Lower California. | With which are incorporated | General Ornithology : | an
outline of the Structure and Classification of Birds; | and | Field Ornithology,
| a Manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving Birds. | The Fifth Edition,
| (entirely revised) | exhibiting the Nomenclature of the American Ornitholo-
gists' Union, and including | descriptions of additional species. | In Two Vol-
umes. | Volume I. | By Elliott Coues, A. M., M. D., Ph. D., | Late Captain
and Assistant Surgeon U. S. Army and Secretary U. S. Geological Survey;
Vice-President of the American | Ornithologists' Union, and Chairman of the
Committee on the Classification and Nomenclature of North American Birds ;
| Foreign Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ; Corresponding Mem-
ber of the Zoological Society | of London ; Member of the National Academy
of Sciences, of the Faculty of the National | Medical College, of the Philo-
sophical and Biological Societies of Washington. | Profusely illustrated. |
[Vignette.] Boston: | Dana Estes and Company. | 1903. — Roy. 8vo, Vol. I,
pp. i-xli -f- 1-535, col. frontispiece, portrait of author, and text figs. 1-353;
Vol. II, pp. i-vi -f- 537-1152, col. frontispiece, and text figs. 354-747.
Vol. XXI j Recent Literature. 293
The ' Key ' was first brought out in 1872 (1st ed.) ; a revised and greatly
enlarged edition (2d. ed.) appeared in 1884, so different from the first as
to be essentially a new work. There was a reissue of this, printed from
the same plates (3d. ed.), in 1887, with the addition of an Appendix; and
another reprint from the same plates (4th ed.) in 1890, with the addition
of a second Appendix. The present (5th) edition (Dec. 1903), with the
systematic portion rewritten and greatly augmented, is thus in reality
only the second revised edition of the original ' Key' first issued in 1872.
The last edition is so radically different from the second and subsequent
reprints that it is practically a new work. While the plan and general
make-up are the same, and while Part I, ' Field Ornithology,' and the
greater part of Part II, ' General Ornithology,' are textually the same,
Part III, the ' Systematic Synopsis,' constituting the main body of the
work, is wholly rewritten and greatly enlarged; the classification and
arrangement are somewhat altered, and the nomenclature is revolutionized,
to conform with that of the A. O. U. Check-List, the author, when nec-
essary, often waiving his own opinions and preferences for the sake of
conformity with the Check-List. The change in the number and charac-
ter of the illustrations is also conspicuous, many of those used in the
earlier editions having been discarded and hundreds of new ones added,
most of them drawn expressly for the work by Mr. Fuertes, the general
excellence of which is thus sufficiently assured. In consequence of the
addition of about 250 pages of new matter, the ' Key ' now appears in two
volumes (continuously paged) instead of one, which, from the point of
convenience for the user, is greatly to be regretted. If the same weight
of paper had been used as in the 2d~4th editions the increase in bulk, in a
book already so large, would not have been a material disadvantage,
and would have been more than offset by the convenience of having the
index always at hand instead of at the end of a second volume.
Volume I opens with a new frontispiece, a beautifully colored plate of
the Starling, by Fuertes, in place of the former colored illustration of the
4 Anatomy of the Pigeon.' The ' Publisher's Preface ' is followed by the
prefaces to the fourth and third editions, and the ' Historical Preface '
(pp. xi-xxx, which includes the preface to the second — 1884 — edition),
all naturally without change. Next stands the contents, followed by a
portrait of the author, and Mr. D. G. Elliot's memorial address, both from
'The Auk' for January, 1901. Part I, 'Field Ornithology' (pp. 1-58),
is reprinted without change. In Part II, 'General Ornithology' (pp. $9-
241), the first forty-four pages have been reset, to admit of various minor
changes, partly for literary improvement, partly for needed changes in
technical names, and partly for the insertion of some six pages of wholly
new matter, including a characteristic paragraph (p. 80) on the A. O. U.
Code of Nomenclature. Pages 82-89, the section on 'The Feathers or
Plumage,' have been rewritten and much new matter added, while pp. 92-
94 are also mostly new, and include about two pages of new text on
4 Aptosochromatism,' much of which is positively erroneous and had bet-
294 Recent Literature. [a^HI
ter have been omitted. Dr. Coues invented the term ' aptosochromatism,'
and was peculiarly sensitive to criticism of its significance and use, as
from time to time defined and applied by him, he finally looking upon
such criticism almost as a personal grievance. This new exploitation of
the subject abounds in positive misstatements and erroneous inferences.
Pages 113-235 are apparently from the original plates, without change.
The 'Artificial Keys' and 'Tabular View' (pp. 236-241) have been recast
and considerably modified, through changes in the names of groups and
the admission of one new order, 6 new suborders, 7 new families, and the
reduction of the subfamilies from 77 to 71, through the raising of 6 sub-
families to the grade of families. This of course implies considerable
change in the classification followed in Part III, in comparison with pre-
vious editions.
Part III, ' Systematic Synopsis of North American Birds,' has been
rewritten and greatly altered, not only through the admission in their
proper sequence of the many species and subspecies added to the North
American list of birds during the sixteen years between 1884 and 1900, but
through many changes in classification and nomenclature involving the
status of subgeneric and generic groups, as well as the status and relation-
ships of the higher groups. As an illustration of the general character
of these changes, we may take the family Turdidse. In the 1884, and
later editions down to the present, it included six subfamilies, as follows :
Turdime, Miminse, Cinclinse, Saxicolinae, Regulinte, and Polioptilinae.
In the present edition the Turdidae include the two subfamilies Turdinse
(= Turdime, 1884), and Myiadestime, formerly placed under Ampelidae ;
while, of the other subfamilies, Miminse is transferred to the Troglody-
tid?e ; Cinclinae is raised to the rank of a family ; Saxicolime is merged in
Turdime; Regulinse and Polioptilince are placed in a separate family
Sylviidas. There are other similar changes in other families of the
Passeres, involving new associations of groups. Among changes of
names, it may be noted that Sylvicolida? now becomes Mniotillidae, —
only one among many changes in the names of higher groups, including
those of all grades from subfamily to order.
To continue the comparison further, all of the species included in the
Turdinse of the earlier editions were placed under the single genus Turdus,
divided into the three subgenera Turdus, Merula, and Hesperocichla. In
the present edition Merula, Hesperocichla, Turdus, and Flylocichla stand
as full genera, and Saxicola, Sialia, and Cyanecula are transferred from
other associations to the Turdinae. The species and subspecies formerly
placed under Turdus are now distributed among four genera, and the
number and status of the species and subspecies are in conformity with
the A. O. U. Check-List as it stood at the time the revision of the manu-
script for the new ' Key ' was completed.
When the 1884 ' Key ' was published there was no A. O. U. • Check-
List of North American Birds,' nor any A. O. U. ' Code of Nomenclature.'
It therefore reflected the close of a preceding period in the history of
Voli9^XI] Recent Literature. 295
North American ornithology ; and unfortunately continued to do so, as
regards both classification and nomenclature, until the publication of the
present revised edition. It is therefore gratifying to find how closely this
new edition of a work that has done so much for the younger generation
of ornithologists accords in both these features with the latest edition of
the Check-List and its supplements down to the year 1S99. There are
discrepancies here and there between the two in the matter of higher
groups — as under the 'Order Picarias,' for example — and occasionally
in the recognition and designation of species and subspecies, but they are
surprisingly few, in view of the author's declared independence in matters
of expert opinion. (See Preface to the third edition, p. ix of the present
work.) Apparently very few forms recognized by the A. O. U. Com-
mittee prior to 1900 are here omitted, while many the Committee had
declined to recognize, or had not yet passed upon, are also admitted. A
large number of groups rated by the A. O. U. Committee, down to the
year 1900, as subgenera are given full generic rank, including not only
those thus raised by the Committee itself in 1903, but others, many of
which the Committee will doubtless soon accord the rank of genera. A
few subgenera additional to those of the A. O. U. Check-List are also rec-
ognized, of which four appear to be new, namely : Stellerocitta (p. 495), a
subgenus of Cyanocitta for the Steller's Jay group ; Sieberocitta (p. 499)
as a subgenus of Aphelocoma for the Arizona Jay group ; Dilopholieus
(p. 963) and Viguacarbo (p. 965) as subgenera of Phalacrocorax for, respec-
tively, the Double-crested Cormorant and the Mexican Cormorant.
In respect to matters of nomenclature, and recent additions to the list
of North American birds, the new ' Key' has been brought down to date
through Mr. Farley's carefully prepared 'Appendix' (pp. 1145—1152), in
which he has given all the additions made in the Tenth, Eleventh, and
Twelfth Supplements to the Check-List (July, 1901-July, 1903), and
arranged, in parallel columns, all changes from the nomenclature of the
' Key ' made by the A. O. U. Committee since Dr. Coues finished his
work on the manuscript.
The additions in the text of Part III, aside from those above noted,
'consist in the amplification of many of the diagnoses ; many essential
modifications in the statement of ranges, in conformity with our increased
knowledge of such matters ; the addition of bibliographical references,
and much critical and historical comment on questions of nomenclature
— matters almost wholly excluded from former editions; the addition of
many — perhaps too many — vernacular synonyms; and the more
elaborate and often greatly extended characterizations of the higher
groups. These are considered from the point of view of the birds of the
world, and the relationships of their different components are stated with
masterly clearness and comprehensiveness. In illustration of this the
' Order Picarige ' may be especially cited, where (pp. 537-543) the group as
a whole and its subdivisions are considered at length. Although he
retains the group, he says: "I have no faith whatever in the integrity of
296
Recent Literature. IA ril
any such grouping as ' Picarise ' implies; but if I should break up this
conventional assemblage, I should not know what to do with the frag-
ments ; . . . . The A. O. U. ignores the major group, and presents instead
three orders — Coccyges, Pici, and Macrochires. With this procedure I
have no quarrel, as the three are precisely coincident with my three
suborders, Cuculiformes, Piciformes, and Cypseliformes."
Part IV, ' Systematic Synopsis of the Fossil Birds of North America'
(pp. 1087-1097), brings this important feature of the work also down to
the close of the. year 1899. An index of 48 pages, three columns to the
page, completes this masterpiece of mature ornithological work, which
alone would long keep green the memory of its gifted author.
In the way of criticism, we note with some surprise the fact that the
matter relating to the general anatomy of birds is left as published in
1884, notwithstanding the many important contributions to the subject
since that date. We cannot help feeling that if Dr. Coues had lived to
carry the new ' Key ' through the press this part of the work would also
have received due revision at his hands. In regard to the publishers'
share in the work, they have certainly been liberal in their expenditure
for illustrations, but unfortunately the paper selected for the work is
poorly adapted for the reproduction of half-tones in the text, and many of
Mr. Fuertes's beautiful drawings have suffered sadly in the printing.
Also, as already said, it is a decided inconvenience to have the 'Key'
issued as a two-volume work, and it is to be hoped that when the next
edition is called for it will be found practicable to use both a lighter-
weight and a smoother-finished paper, so as to give greater sharpness to
the half-tones and at the same time render it practicable to issue the work
in a single volume. If the two volume form should seem necessary, it
would be a great convenience to have the index inserted in both volumes.
In regard to the ' Key ' itself, it is a well-known and an old favorite,
whose thirty years of practical usefulness have won for it unstinted and
well-merited praise, and in its new form will prove for many years to
come a boon alike to the amateur and the professional student of North
American birds. The ' Key ' of 1872 was an innovation and an experi-
ment in ornithological literature ; its practicability was evident from the
outset, and it proved to be the forerunner of almost numberless succes-
sors of ' key' manuals in various departments of zoology. The author's
final revison of this greatest of his many contributions to ornithological
literature will make a new generation of bird students his debtors and
admirers. — J. A. A.
Chapman's 'Color Key to North American Birds.'1 — The sole pur-
pose of the present book, according to the author, is "the identification of
'Color Key to | North American Birds | By | Frank M. Chapman | Associ-
ate Curator of Ornithology and Mammalogy | in the American Museum of
Vol. XXII Recefit Literature. 297
the bird in the bush," — that is, to assist the many who aspire to a knowl-
edge of the names of the wild birds they see about them, but who are
deprived of access to specimens. For this purpose tinted figures, giving
in color those markings which most quickly catch the eye, are given on
the margin of the pages opposite the descriptions, which latter are brief,
giving only the most prominent characteristics of the species and sub-
species, and (in smaller type) a concise statement of their ranges, without
biographical matter. A short introduction tells ' How to learn a Bird's
Name ' and ' How Birds are Named,' followed by a 'Synopsis of Orders
and Families of North American Birds ' (pp. 9-40), illustrated with figures
of bills, feet, heads, etc., mostly life-size. Then follows the ' Color
Key ' to the species (pp. 41-255), with full length colored figures in the
text. The orders are arranged in the sequence of the A. O. U. Check-
List, but the species within the orders have been grouped according
to their color markings, for convenience of illustration. Each species,
however, is designated by the A. O. U. number, and at the close of the
' Key ' is a ' Systematic Table' (pp. 257-289), giving the classification and
nomenclature of the A. O. U. Check-List, including both the common and
the scientific names. The drawings are in every way creditable, but the
coloring is not put forth as giving "perfect reproductions of every shade
and tint of the plumage of the species, but aims to present a bird's charac-
teristic colors as they appear when seen at a distance." The author and
the artist are both to be congratulated on the very satisfactory manner in
which they have performed their respective tasks, whereby the student of
' birds in the bush ' has been presented with seemingly as efficient an aid
as can readily be conceived. The paper and presswork, however, are not
satisfactory, and it is hoped will be materially improved in the later
editions, for which there will most surely be demand. — J. A. A.
Dawson's 'The Birds of Ohio.' — The title-page1 of this excellent work
Natural History | Author of u Handbook of Birds of Eastern North Amer-
ica," I "Bird-Life," Etc. | With Upward of 800 Drawings | by | Chester A.
Reed, B. S. | New York | Doubleday, Page & Company | 1903. — 8vo, pp.
vi-f-312, colored frontispiece, and about 800 text cuts, the greater part
colored.
1 The Birds of Ohio | a complete, scientific and | popular Description of the
320 Species of Birds | found in the State | By | William Leon Dawson, A. M.,
B. D. I With Introduction and Analytical Keys | by | Lynds Jones, M. Sc. |
Instructor in Zoology in Oberlin College. | Illustrated by 80 plates in color-
photography, and more than 200 | original half-tones, showing the favorite
haunts of the | birds, flocking, feeding, nesting, etc., from photo- | graphs
taken by the author and others. | Sold only by subscription | Columbus | The
Wheaton Publishing Co. | 1903 | All rights reserved. — 4to, pp. i-xlvi +1-671,
80 three-color process plates and 200 -j- half-tone text cuts. Author's edition,
1000 numbered autograph copies, full morocco, full gilt.
298
Recent Literature. |~A^rii
very fully and correctly indicates its general character — a copiously illus-
trated, scientifically trustworthy popular manual of the birds of Ohio,
with analytical keys, and colored figures of eighty species. The scope of
the work "is strictly Ohioan," and the birds are described "as any one in
Ohio might see them," although something is generally said of their
habits and range as found outside of Ohio. The nomenclature is that
of the A. O. U. Check-List and its supplements, down to the last of the
series, but the order of sequence is reversed, the Passeres, and of these
the Raven, being placed at the head of the list and the Loons at the end.
The number of species authentically recorded for the State, and hence
here formally treated, is 320 ; descriptions are given of 13 others,
"believed to occur or to have occurred in Ohio," forming a ' hypothetical
list'; which is followed by a "conjectural list " of 13 more, reported from
adjacent States and supposed, with good reason, to occur "at least casu-
ally." Many of these will doubtless be added, sooner or later, to the
birds of the State on the evidence of actual capture within its borders.
Following the author's preface and the introduction are the analytical
keys, prepared by Professor Lynds Jones, of the orders, families and
species, occupying pp. xxiii to xlv. The main text gives a short descrip-
tion, in small type, of each species, including its nest and eggs, and its
range, both within and outside of the State, and, in larger type, a short,
well prepared biographical account, having special reference to the spe-
cies as a bird of Ohio. The volume closes with three appendices, the first
two of which consist respectively of the ' hypothetical1 and ' conjectural '
lists already mentioned, while the third, ' Appendix C ' (pp. 647-660), gives
migration tables "for the approximate latitudes of Cincinnati, Columbus
and Cleveland." These are arranged in the order of the A. O. U. Check-
List, and are based partly on the author's own observations and partly on
those of other well known observers, as Henninger, Jones, Wheaton, and
Mosely, as duly explained. There is also a good index.
As regards plan, literary execution, typography and general make-up,
Dawson's ' The Birds of Ohio ' is an exceptionally attractive volume and
is entitled to high praise as a trustworthy popular manual of the birds
of the region to which it relates. There is, however, one disappointing-
feature, and that is the character of the colored plates, for which the three-
color process is not wholly to blame. When we state that they are a selec-
tion of eighty of the best of a series of some two hundred or more that
were available, and that this series was originally published in a Chicago
bird magazine, variously known at different times as 'Birds,' 'Birds and
Nature,' etc., and also already used elsewhere as book illustrations, most
bird students will be sufficiently aware of their character without further
comment. While the greater part, and perhaps all, of those used in the
present volume are sufficiently approximate to nature to be serviceable as
an aid in identifying the species represented, very few of them are pleas-
ing, owing mainly to the bad mounting of the specimens selected for
photographing. Such illustrations may be accepted as perhaps much
Vol. XXII Recent Literature. 2QQ
better than none; and we fancy that this fact, and their comparatively
small cost, accounts for their presence in a book worthy of a far better
accompaniment. The half-tones in the text, on the other hand, are for
the most part well reproduced, well selected, and appropriate to the text,
giving characteristic views of the haunts of many species, as well of many
nesting sites, nests and eggs, and of living birds. — J. A. A.
Mrs. Bailey's ' Handbook of Birds of the Western United States,'
Second Edition. — The "second edition, revised"1 differs from the first
mainly through a revision of the matter relating to the Horned Larks
(genus Otocoris, pp. 266-269), which has been rewritten and brought down
to date, and the addition of Addenda (pp. 486-488) giving a list of the
alterations in the names of western birds made by the Nomenclature
Committee of the A. O. U. since the publication of the first edition in
1902, and also correcting the few omissions and errors of the first edition
that could not readily be made in the text. The generous commendation
given the work in our notice of the first edition need not be here repeated.
The early call for a second edition shows that the work is appreciated and
meets a real need. — J. A. A.
Mrs. Wheelock's ' Birds of California.1 2 — In this attempt to provide a
non-technical manual of three hundred of the commoner birds of Califor-
nia the author has attained a high degree of success, and has also pro-
duced a work of much permanent value on account of the many original
field observations, which add to the sum of our knowledge of the life his-
tories of many of the species considered. As to the plan of the work :
"Keys have been avoided and a simple classification, according to habitat
or color, substituted," following a plan used by a previous author, here
adopted and commended. Under the head of 'Contents,' the species are
enumerated under the English names of the A. O. U. Check-List, beginning
with the k Water Birds,' which are grouped into sections according to their
haunts, followed by 'Land Birds,' grouped as (1) 'Upland Game Birds,'
(2) ' Birds of Prey,' and (3) ' Common Land Birds in Color Groups,'
which latter are divided, on the basis of color, into eight minor groups.
The species are arranged in the same incongruous order in the text, but
are designated by the A. O. U. Check-List numbers and names, both tech-
1 For collation and review of the first edition see Auk, XX, 1903, pp. 76-78.
2 Birds of California | An Introduction | to more than Three Hundred
Common | Birds of the State and Adjacent | Islands | With a Supplementary
List of rare migrants, accidental | visitants, and hypothetical subspecies | By
Irene Grosvenor Wheelock | author of " Nestlings of Forest and Marsh " |
With ten full-page plates and seventy-eight drawings | in the text by Bruce
Horsfall | [Vignette] Chicago | A. C. McClurg & Co. | 1904 — Sm. 8vo, pp.
xxviii -f- 578, 10 half-tone plates, 78 text figures.
^OO Recent Literature. \k%.
nical and vernacular. The descriptions are in small type and very brief,
giving only the most characteristic features, the geographical distribu-
tion, breeding range and season, and nest and eggs. Then follows, in
larger type, a short, well-written biography of the species. No original-
ity, of course, is claimed for the technical descriptions, and many of the
biographies of the water birds, and of some others, are compiled, and
often in part quoted, with due credit, from previous authors. But a large
proportion of the land birds have come within the personal experience of
the writer, whose researches, begun in 1894, have extended throughout a
large part of the State, and hence her biographies are based on original
observations and contain much new information. The work closes with
a briefly annotated 'Supplementary List' of the species and subspecies
thus far recorded from California in addition to the three hundred form-
ally treated, the list being compiled from authentic and accredited sources.
In the introduction the author makes some generalizations respecting
the feeding habits of young birds that are to a large extent new and some-
what surprising ; their confirmation or disproval opens up an interesting
field of research. She says : "Long and careful study of the feeding habits
of young birds in California and the Eastern United States has led the
author to make some statements which may incur the criticism of orni-
thologists who have not given especial attention to the subject. For
instance, — that the young of all macrochires, woodpeckers, perching birds,
cuckoos, kingfishers, most birds of prey, and many seabirds are fed by
regurgitation from the time of hatching through a period varying in
extent from three days to four weehs, according to the species. . . . Out of
one hundred and eighty cases recorded by the author, in every instance
where the young were hatched in a naked or semi-naked condition they
were fed in this manner for at least three days. In some instances the
food was digested, wholly or in part ; in others it was probably swal-
lowed merely for convenience in carrying, and was regurgitated in an
undigested condition." A few specific instances are cited here in illustra-
tion, and many others are given in the biographies.
Mrs. Wheelock*s manual is in several ways noteworthy, and should
prove most welcome to would-be bird students of the Pacific coast, and of
interest to ornithologists in search of fresh information on the life histo-
ries of California birds. — J. A. A.
Torrey's 'The Clerk of the Woods.'1 — The thirty-two short essays
here brought together received previous simultaneous publication in the
'Evening Transcript' of Boston and the 'Mail and Express1 of New
York. Those familiar with the author's previous books do not need to
'The Clerk | of the Woods | By | Bradford Torrey | . . . . | Boston and
New York | Houghton, Mifflin and Company | The Riverside Press, Cam-
bridge I 1903 — i6mo., pp. i-viii, 1-280. $110 net, postage extra.
V°!'<£XI] Recent Literature. 3OI
be told that they will find in 'The Clerk of the Woods' a series of out-
of-door sketches of literary merit, and well adapted to furnish enter-
tainment, as well as much information, to lovers of nature who enjoy
what might be rather commonplace incidents and observations to the
trained field naturalist when given the literary flavor Mr. Torrey is so
skilful in imparting. The chapter entitled' Popular Woodpeckers' tells
at length of the nesting of a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers in New-
ton, Mass., and incidentally pleasantly emphasizes the great popular inter-
est in birds and their protection that has so happily of late been shown
by the general public. It is a good commentary on the faithful work of
the Audubon Societies. The chapters run through the year, from May
to May, and include a record of trips to the seashore as well as inland,
and while recording little that is new as natural history, serve to awaken
pleasant reminiscences, or to incite the desire for future excursions to
fields and woodlands to commune with Nature through "her visible
forms." —J. A. A.
Mrs. Miller's ' With the Birds in Maine.'1 — The studies recorded in the
fifteen chapters composing the present book were made, with two excep-
tions, in Maine, and are based on the experiences of the author during
ten summers spent in different parts of the State. The localities include
several points along the coast, and others situated far in the interior, so
that shore birds, marsh birds, and the characteristic birds of the wood-
lands come within the purview of the work, the general character of which
is suggested by such chapter titles as ' On the Coast of Maine,' ' Upon the
Wood Road,' ' Mysteries of the Marsh,' ' In a Log Camp,' 'The Wiles of
Warblers,' ' Flycatcher Vagaries,' etc. The table of contents includes
the names of birds especially mentioned, and there is a good index.
The book is written in the author's well-known agreeable style and its
perusal will doubtless give pleasure to the many bird lovers who like
detailed accounts of field experiences with birds. — J. A. A.
Kumlien and Hollister's ' The Birds of Wisconsin.'2 — Respecting the
present list the authors state : " We have made no attempt at descriptions
of birds, nor have we gone to any length in discussing their habits. Our
whole aim and object has simply been to bring our knowledge of Wiscon-
1 With the Birds | in Maine | By | Olive Thorne Miller | [Vignette] Boston
and New York | Houghton, Mifflin and Company [ The Riverside Press,
Cambridge | 1904 — i6mo., pp. ix-f-300. $1.10 net.
2The Birds of Wisconsin. By L. Kumlien and N. Hollister. Bulletin of
the Wisconsin Natural History Society, Vol. Ill (N. S.), Nos. 1-3, Jan.,
April, and July, 1903, pp. i-iv, 1-143, with 8 half tone plates. Published
with the cooperation of the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Public
Museum.
3O2 Recent Literature. [April
sin ornithology, as regards occurrence and abundance, up to date, and to
present a carefully compiled list of all those species and subspecies which
have positively been known to occur within the limits of the State at any
time, with as exact, simple, reliable and accurate an account of such occur-
rence as possible." " Starting in 1899, with a list of 365 species and sub-
species that had been recorded from, or were supposed to have occurred
at some time within the State, the number has fallen away from time to
time, until now we recognize but 357 in all, that we believe are really
entitled to a place, and are therefore embraced in the list proper of the
present paper."
The list proper is followed by a 'Hypothetical List' of 21 species.
Several of these have been attributed to the State, but on what the authors
consider unsatisfactory evidence. In several cases, if not in most, their
occurrence in the State is not improbable, and therefore the rigid conserva-
tism that has led the authors to exclude them, and thus draw a sharp line
between the known and the unknown, is to be emphatically commended.
Specimens difficult of determination appear to have often been referred
to experts for identification. Thus a number of western forms, included
on the basis of one or two specimens taken in the State, rest on the author-
ity of Mr. Brewster, as Emfiidonax traillii, Junco montanus, Hylocichla
ustulatus almce, etc.
Among the half-tone plates is one showing ' Nest and Eggs of Blue-
winged X Nashville Warbler,' with a statement in the text of the evidence
for the belief in this alleged strange parentage. It is also stated that the
Short-eared Owl is destructive " to smaller birds during the breeding sea-
son," and a list of some thirty species is given of victims identified from
wing and tail feathers taken from a mass of such debris on which a
family of young owls was resting.
It is only necessary to add that the list is liberally and judiciously anno-
tated, that the authors appear to have strictly adhered to the plan outlined
in the foregoing extracts from their prefatory note, and have thus given to
the public a resume of Wisconsin ornithology entitled to take its place, for
accuracy and authoritativeness, in the front rank of local lists. The paper
is well printed, and exceptionally free from typographical errors, notwith-
standing the lamented death of the senior author, Mr. Kumlien, before the
manuscript was completed, and the absence of the junior author, Mr. Hol-
lister, in Alaska while the paper was passing through the press. — J. A. A.
Silloway's ' The Birds of Fergus County, Montana.'1 — Fergus County,
1 The Birds of Fergus County, Montana. By P. M. Silloway, Member of the
American Ornithologists' Union, Author of Sketches of Some Common Birds,
Summer Birds of Flathead Lake, etc. Bulletin No. 1, Fergus County Free
High School, Lewistown, Mont., 1903. 8vo, pp. yy, 17 half-tone plates and
map.
Vol/g*XIJ Recent Literature. 303
in central Montana, is varied in its physical features, its western portion
including several outlying spurs of the Rocky Mountains, with also two
rather isolated groups of mountains, the Judith and Moccasins, in its
central portion, while the eastern half is plains and ' bad lands.' The
elevation varies from three thousand to eight thousand feet. The bird
fauna is correspondingly varied, consisting of the usual species of the
northern plains region, with a mixture of alpine forms that extend east-
ward from the Rocky Mountains.
The present list numbers 179 species, divided into: "Residents, 30
species ; summer residents, 101 species; migrants, 31 species; winter
residents or visitors, 13 species ; other visitors, 4 species."
The list is based partly on the author's observations made during several
years' residence in the county, and partly on the published records of
other observers. 'A Partial Bibliography of Montana Birds' occupies
three pages preceding the list, l and there are two pages descriptive of
the topography and boundaries of the county. In addition to the usual
annotations, a short description (usually of two to four lines) is given of
each species, for the convenience of "teachers and others interested in
nature study." In many instances, in the case of the lesser known west-
ern species, much original biographical matter is included. The large
number of half-tones are from photographs of living birds, by Mr. E. R.
Warren of Colorado Springs, and of nests and eggs, by Prof. M. J. Elrod
of the University of Montana. An interesting feature of the work is its
publication as a special 'Bulletin' by the Board of Trustees of the Fergus
County Free High School, of which Mr. Silloway is the Principal, appar-
ently for free distribution to those interested, and as a part of the educa-
tive mission of the school. The list, while not presumed to be complete,
is believed to be as nearly so as present information will permit, and will
serve as an excellent basis for further investigation. — J. A. A.
Oberholser's ' Review of the Wrens of the Genus Troglodytes.' 2 — The
strictly American genus Troglodytes, as here defined, includes not only
the species usually heretofore referred to it, but also many West Indian
forms which have been commonly referred to Thryopkilus. The one
exception of exclusion is the Troglodytes broivni Bangs, from the
mountains of Chiriqui, Panama, which is made the type of a new
genus Thryorchilus. Thirty-seven forms are recognized, of which 18
are given the vank of species, and 19 that of subspecies, three of the
latter being described as new. The status and nomenclature of the North
1 By a curious typographical error Coues is uniformly entered as "Coues,
Elliott B.," though the name is elsewhere correctly given. Also, on p. 36,
Melanerpes " erythrophthalmus" is evidently a lapsus for erythrocephalus.
2 A Review of the Wrens of the Genus Troglodytes. By Harry C. Ober-
holser, Assistant Ornithologist, Department of Agriculture. Proc. U. S. Nat.
Mus., Vol. XXVII, No. 1354, pp. 197-210, with map. Feb., 1904.
304 Recent Literature. T^ril
American forms remains unchanged. The group ranges from southern
Canada to Cape Horn, including the West Indies. — J. A. A.
Oberholser on the American Great Horned Owls.1 — Mr. Oberholser
considers the Great Horned Owls of America — North, Central, and
South — as all referable to a single species, which he regards as divisible
into 16 subspecies, of which 7 are restricted to Mexico, Central America,
and South America, the remaining 11 coming within the limits of the A.
0. U. Check-List — an increase of 4 over the number hitherto recognized
in the Check-List. He follows Mr. Stone (Auk, XX, 1903, pp. 272-276)
in adopting Asio in place of Bubo for the name of the genus, and takes
the name magellanicus in place of virginianus for the species, the former
having one page precedence over the latter in Gmelin's ' Systema
Naturie,' where both names were originally given. Both names have
heretofore been in current use, but the forms to which they were given
have generally been held to be specifically distinct. Now that it is found
necessary to unite them, magellanicus becomes, unfortunately, the cor-
rect name for the group, thus replacing the long familiar designation
virginianus for the North American forms. Mr. Oberholser' s revision
is based on an examination of "more than 200 specimens, representing
all but one of the American forms." The North American forms recog-
nized are the following :
1. Asio magellanicus pallescens (Stone). "Western Texas to southeast-
ern California ; south to northern Mexico."
2. Asio magellanicus pacijicus (Cassin). "California, except the south-
eastern part and the northern and central coast districts ; extending
northward to Fort Klamath, Oregon, eastward to San Francisco
Mountains, Arizona."
3. Asio magellanicus elachistus (Brewster). "Southern Lower Cali-
fornia."
4. Asio magellanicus icelus Oberholser. "Coast of California, north of
about 350 north latitude."
5. Asio magellanicus lagopkonus Oberholser. "Washington and north-
ern Oregon (excepting the coast region), with Idaho ; north through
eastern and Central British Columbia to Cook Inlet and the interior
of Alaska."
6. Asio magellanicus saturatus (Ridgway). "Pacific coast region, from
Washington (and probably at least northern Oregon) north to south-
ern Alaska."
7. Asio magellanicus ieterocnemis Oherholser. "Labrador, including
at least the north coast of the Territory of Ungava."
1 A Revision of the American Great Horned Owls. By Harry C. Oberholser,
Assistant Ornithologist, Department of Agriculture. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. ,
Vol. XXVII, No. 1352, pp. 177-192. Feb. 1904.
Vo1i'q^XI] Recent Literature. 305
8. Asio magellanicus virginiauus (Gmelin). "Southern Canada and
eastern United States, west to Ontario, Wisconsin, Iowa, and eastern
Texas; accidental in Ireland."
9. Asio magellanicus algistus Oberholser. "Northwest coast region of
Alaska."
10. Asio magellanicus occidentalis (Stone). "Western United States,
from Minnesota and Kansas to Nevada, southeastern Oregon, Utah,
and Montana; south in winter to Iowa."
11. Asio magellanicus ivapacuthu (Gmelin). "Northern Canada, from
Hudson Bay to the Valley of the Mackenzie River; south in winter
to the northern United States, from Idaho to Wisconsin." — J. A. A.
Snodgrass and Heller on the ' Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago.1 x
— This new revision of the birds of the Galapagos Archipelago recognizes
80 species and 30 additional subspecies. The synonymy, and the biblio-
graphical references that refer especially to the Galapagos, are given for
each, with its range, and especially its distribution and manner of occur-
rence in the Archipelago, together with biographical observations, often
extended, notes on the color of the naked parts, etc., and many tables of
measurements of large series of specimens. The authors follow rather
closely the nomenclature of Rothschild and Hartert, using trinomials for
insular forms when their variations overlap, "regardless of the possi-
bility or impossibility of their interbreeding." The Geospiza group,
sometimes separated into four or more genera, is treated as a genus with
three subgenera. Six different phases of plumage are described, and
denominated ' stages,' and numbered I to VI; three of these are found to
coincide with the differences in the form of the bill, on which the sub-
generic groups have been principally based, while the other three are
immature phases characterizing young birds, shared unequally by the
members of the several subgenera. The discussion of this group, with
the voluminous but important notes on habits, song, etc., occupies 75
pages, or nearly one half of the entire memoir.
Although Snodgrass and Heller have described (in previous papers) a
number of new species and subspecies from the Galapagos, the number
of forms (no) now recognized exceeds by two only the number given by
Rothschild and Hartert in 1899,2 quite a number of the 14 added by these
authors being here reduced to synonyms.
1 Papers from the Hopkins-Stanford Galapagos Expedition, 1 898-1 899.
XVI. Birds. By Robert Evans Snodgrass and Edmund Heller. Proc.
Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. V, pp. 231-372. Jan. 28, 1904.
2 For a notice of Rothschild and Hartert's ' Review of the Ornithology of
the Galapagos Islands,' see Auk, XVII, July, 1900, pp. 300-303; for a notice
of Ridgway's 'Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago' see ibid., XIV, July,
l897, PP- 329> 33°-
3°6
Rece?it Literature. [ April
This is the third extended memoir on Galapagos Islands birds pub-
lished within the last seven years, each based on extensive material, and
each marking an important advance in our knowledge of this peculiarly
interesting ornis. In the memoir now under review there is no reference
to previous work in the same field, beyond the bibliographical citations
under the species and in the general text. Some reference to the general
history of the subject, and some statement of their opportunities and
resources, and of the results reached, would have been a good addition to
this important contribution to the literature of Galapagan ornithology. —
J. A. A.
Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Halcyones and Limicolse. — In the
' American Naturalist ' for October, 1903, Dr. Shufeldt devotes con-
siderable space to a consideration of the Kingfishers,1 with reference to
their osteology and systematic position. It is in the main an amplifica-
tion of his paper on the ' Osteology of Ceryle alcyon,'1 published in 1884
(Journ. Anat. and Phys., XVIII, 18S4, pp. 279-294, pi. xiv), with the
same illustrations, here reproduced in half-tone. The structure of this
species is compared with allied forms, but not much new light is thrown
upon the relationships of the group, nor is any very positive opinion
advanced as to its nearest affinities, though believed by the author to be
most nearly related to the Galbulidse, an opinion shared by previous writ-
ers on the subject.
Respecting his paper on the osteology of the Limicolse,2 his own
opinion is to the effect that "it is probably the most extensive contribu-
tion to the osteology and taxonomy of the Limicolse that has appeared
from the pen of any writer on the subject up to the present time." The
1 skeletology ' of each of the principal types is described in considerable
detail, the paper closing with a synopsis of their leading osteological
characters, and a review of their affinities. The Limicolse are regarded
as a suborder of the Charadriiformes, and are divided into eight families,
which correspond to those adopted in the A. O. U. Check-List, except
that the subfamily Arenariinse of the Check-List is given the rank of a
family. — J. A. A.
Evans's ' Turner on Birds.' ;i — This is a republication, with translation
1 On the Osteology and Systematic Position of the Kingfishers. (Halcyones.)
By R. W. Shufeldt. Amer. Nat., Vol. XXXVII, Oct. 1903, pp. 697-725,
figs. 1-3.
2 Osteology of the Limicolae, By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. Ann. Carnegie
Mus., Vol. II, 1903, pp. 15-70, pi. i, and 27 text figures.
3Turner on Birds: | a short and succinct history | of the | principal birds
noticed by Pliny and Aristotle, | first published by | Doctor William Turner,
1544. I Edited, with Introduction, Translation, Notes, and Appendix, | by |
A. H. Evans, M. A. | Clare College, Cambridge. | Cambridge: | At the
University Press | 1903 — 8vo, pp. i-xviii, 1 1. (transcript of original title page)
+ PP- 1-223.
Vol. XX
1904
I Recent Literature. 3 0^7
and notes, of one of the most noteworthy early publications on birds,
and has thus not only a peculiar interest, but is full of suggestive and
interesting information, bearing especially upon the origin and early use
of many of the present technical names of birds. Of this work, the
translator tells us : " Turner's object in writing the present treatise is
fully set forth in his' Epistola Nuncupatoria ' prefixed to it. While
attempting to determine the principal kinds of birds named by Aristotle
and Pliny, he has added notes from his own experience on some species
which had come under his own observation, and in so doing he has
produced the first book on Birds which treats them in anything like a
modern scientific spirit and not from the medical point of view adopted
by nearly all his predecessors ; nor is it too much to say that almost every
page bears witness to a personal knowledge of the subject, which would
be distinctly creditable even to a modern ornithologist."
Turner was one of the most learned men of his time. The date of his
birth is not given ; he graduated a B. A. from the University of Cam-
bridge, of which he was elected a fellow in 1530. He was a zealous
student of botany, and in 1538 published a work on plants, and later
others on the same subject. He traveled extensively on the continent,
where he met and became a personal friend of Gesner, to whose ' Historia
Animalium ' he made contributions. He was, first of all, a religious
reformer, and, "his scientific work apart, nearly the whole of Turner's
life was spent in religious controversy." In the dedication of his book
on 'The History of Birds' (mentioned above) to the then Prince of
Wales, he says, in it "I have placed for your pleasure the Greek, German,
and British names side by side with the Latin " ; and he proposed, under
certain conditions, to "bring to the light of day a further edition of this
little book with figures of the birds, their habits, and curative properties,
as well as another book on plants."
It is hard to characterize the peculiar interest this "little book"
has for the present day bird student ; but not least of course is the
antiquarian, from its curious revelations of the beginnings of modern
knowledge of birds, the conjectures that prevailed in place of positive
information, and the early application of many names now so differently
employed in technical nomenclature. The editor and translator, seconded
by the Syndics of the University Press, has opened to the general reader
a previously inaccessible and practically sealed book of unusual interest,
for which service we owe a debt of gratitude. — J. A. A.
Recent Papers on Economic Ornithology. — In 'Birds of a Maryland
farm ' 1 Dr. Judd has presented us with a study of local conditions as pre-
1 Birds of a Maryland Farm, A Local Study of Economic Ornithology. By
Sylvester D. Judd, Ph. D., Assistant, Biological Survey. U. S. Department
of Agriculture. Division of Biological Survey — Bulletin No. 17, Washing-
ton, 1902. 8vo, pp. 116, with 17 half-tone plates and 41 text figures.
3o8
Recent Literature. f April
sented at the Bryan farm, at Marshall, Md., situated about fifteen miles
south of Washington. The farm contains about 230 acres, of which 150
are cultivated and 80 are in woodland. A study of the food habits of the
birds was continued at frequent intervals from July 30, 1895, to July 24,
1902, including every month of the year except January. The method of
investigating the food of birds by examination of the contents of
stomachs, says Dr. Judd, in which the material has been collected from
all parts of the United States, may give misleading results ; "the relation
of birds to a certain locality or particular farm cannot always be exactly
tested by conclusions drawn from a large range of territory. The exact
damage to crops is not revealed by stomach examination. A bird may
have punctured several grapes in each of a hundred clusters and yet
betray to the microscope no sign of its vicious habits," etc. In the
present paper Dr. Judd gives us in detail the methods and results of his
work on a Maryland farm, and here attempts "to determine whether
a given species is, on the whole, helpful or harmful to the farm in
question." The principal species are reported upon in detail, with finally
a general statement of his conclusions as to what birds are really injurious,
what beneficial or neutral, and the manner in which their food habits
affect the question of their utility.
' Two Years with the Birds on a Farm,' by Mr. Edward H. Forbush,1
recounts observations made by him on a farm in Wareham, Mass., and is
a valuable contribution to the subject of economic ornithology. The
ways in which certain birds are useful to the farmer are stated with
convincing detail, and the reprehensible traits of some others are not
concealed, especially the nest-robbing proclivities of crows, jays, and
crow blackbirds. While the crows and jays are useful as insect destroy-
ers, they are held to be "very largely responsible for the decrease of the
smaller birds."
' Boll Weevils and Birds ' is an address delivered by Prof. H. P.
Attwater 2 at the Texas Cotton Growers' Association Convention held at
Dallas, Texas, Nov. 6, 1903. It is an earnest appeal for the legal pro-
tection of birds in Texas for the aid they render in checking the increase
of noxious insects, including the cotton boll weevil. The address is
published and given free distribution by the Passenger Department of
the Southern Pacific Railroad.
1 Two Years with the Birds on a Farm. Lecture by Edward Howe Forbush,
Ornithologist, Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, delivered at the
public winter meeting of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture at
North Adams, Dec. 2, 1902. Reprinted from Fiftieth Ann. Rep. Mass. State
Board of Agriculture. 8vo, pp. 53, with 8 half-tone plates, and 6 text figures.
2 Boll Weevils and Birds. Address by Prof. H. P. Attwater, Industrial
Agent Southern Pacific, at the Second Annual Convention of the Texas
Cotton Growers' Association, Dallas, Texas, Nov. 6, 1903. 8vo. pp. 11.
Vol. XXII Recent Literature. 309
'Audubon Societies in their Relation to the Farmer.' — In a paper of
about a dozen pages,1 with the above title, Mr. Oldys has given a clear
and succinct account of the Audubon Societies and their work. After
referring briefly to the economic value of birds, and to the causes that
have operated to effect their decrease, he proceeds to an account of the
Audubon Societies, beginning with the first national movement in 1886,
and the reawakening of bird protection sentiment in 1896, resulting in
the founding of some thirty societies with, in 1902, a joint membership
of 65,000. Their purposes and methods of work are detailed and a
resume is given of the results of their efforts, with finally a statement of
' The Farmer's Interest in Bird Protection,' or, rather, of why he should
be interested in it. — J. A. A.
Summary of Game Laws for 1903.2 — This presents, in a brief form for
ready reference, "the provisions of the various State laws which primarily
form the basis of the Lacey act and which govern the trade in game,
namely, those relating to close seasons, licenses, shipment, and sale."
The scope of the summary includes the United States and Canada, and it
being necessary to condense as much as possible, the matter is mostly
presented in tabular form, and in a series of maps. The tabulated matter
shows: (1) the close seasons for game in the United States and Canada
(pp. 9-19); (2) export of game prohibited by State laws (pp. 22-26);
(3) restrictions on sale of game (pp. 32-35) ; licenses for hunting game
(pp. 37-40) ; (5) close seasons for game in the United States and Canada,
by States and Provinces (pp. 44-48) ; (6) close seasons for game under
County laws (pp. 48-53) ; summary of the principal restrictions by non-
residents (pp. 53-56). Five maps show which States and Provinces
(1) require nonresidents to obtain hunting licenses, and the amount of
the license fee; (2) which prohibit export of game; (3) which permit
export of game for propagation; (4) which prohibit sale of game at all
times ; (5) which limit the amount of game that may be killed. All the
States, except Kentucky and Mississippi, have some kind of a nonexport
law, varying in scope in respect to the kinds of game thus protected.
All the States and Territories now prohibit the export of quail, except four,
in one of which no quail occur, and in two of which there is no nonex-
port law; in the other, several counties prohibit such export. "Nearly
1 Audubon Societies in their Relation to the Farmer. By Henry Oldys,
Assistant Biologist, Biological Survey. Yearbook of Department of Agricul-
ture for 1902, pp. 205-218, with 2 plates and 2 text figures.
2 Game Laws for 1903. A Summary of the Provisions relating to Seasons,
Shipment, Sale, and Licenses. By T. S. Palmer, Henry Oldys, and R. W.
Williams, Jr., Assistants, Biological Survey. U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture, Farmers' Bulletin No. 180. Washington: Government Printing Office,
1903. 8vo, pp. 56.
3IO Notes and News. [jtpla
every State in which Prairie Chickens occur now has a nonexport law, the
effect of which, combined with sale restrictions, is to make the sale of
Prairie Chickens illegal outside of their normal range." Only fourteen
States and Alaska permit the export of game intended for propagation;
only six of these States are east of the Mississippi River. "Thirty-four
States and Territories and most of the Provinces of Canada now prohibit
the sale of all or certain kinds of game at all seasons." The Ruffed
Grouse cannot be legally sold in eleven States and three Provinces. A
steady increase in the prohibitions against the sale of game has continued
during the last three years, and the general outlook is hopeful for the
preservation of most kinds of game animals and birds, many of which
were so recently threatened with speedy extermination. This Bulletin
gives a most interesting and valuable summary of the present status of
game protection in the United States and Canada. — J. A. A.
NOTES AND NEWS.
Gurdon Trumbull, a Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union,
died at his home in Hartford, Conn., Dec. 28, 1903, in his sixty-third year,
being the last of three brothers, each of whom was distinguished in his
own way, Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull, the philologist, and Rev. H. Clay
Trumbull, a well known editor and writer.
He was born in Stonington, Conn., May 5, 1841, and early in life
showed a natural fondness for art. He studied under various teachers in
Hartford and also with James M. Hart in New York, progressed rapidly
and soon became prominent as a painter of fish, his principal pictures in
that line being 'Over the Fall,' 'A Plunge for Life,' and 'A Critical
Moment.' These were extensively copied, and many chromos were made
that had a large sale. Perhaps the best of his smaller pieces — a perfect
gem — was a painting of the common sun fish.
While always a lover of nature, and for many years an ardent sports-
man, he later in life became especially interested in ornithology. He
wrote 'Names and Portraits of Birds which Interest Gunners, with
Descriptions in Language Understanded of the People,' published by
Harper & Brothers in 1888. He contributed to ' Forest and Stream ' for
Dec. 11, 1890, a notable paper on the 'American Woodcock,' which con-
tained the first record of a bird's power to curve the upper mandible, and to
4 The Auk' in 1892 and 1893 (Vol. IX, pp. 153-160, and Vol. X, pp. 165-
176) two articles on ' Our Scoters,' giving careful and detailed descriptions
of the species from fresh specimens.
V°l'9o^XI] Notes and Ne™s' 311
Mr. Trumbull was an enthusiastic collector, and an excellent judge of
china, and his cabinet contained some of the choicest specimens extant.
About his last art work was the illustrating of the book written by his
sister, Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson, 'The China Hunter's Club,' pub-
lished in 1898.
,He was deeply interested in the welfare of the lower animals and wrote
much on humane subjects. Although seldom seen at the Annual Con-
gress of the Union he always had the best interests of the Society at heart.
He was of a quiet, retiring disposition and highly esteemed in the com-
munity in which he resided. In his death "the world lost a man who
daily made it better." — J. H. S.
Josiah Hoopes, an Associate of the American Ornithologists' Union,
died at his home, Westchester, Pennsylvania, on January 16, 1904, in the
seventy-second year of his age. Although not a contributor to ornitholog-
ical literature, Mr. Hoopes was from boyhood deeply interested in birds
and was ever ready to aid any investigator by drawing upon his store of
notes or specimens. In early life he was associated with several of the
ornithologists of the Philadelphia Academy, notably Cassin, Turnbull,
and Bernard Hoopes; and took much interest in the institution. Later
he began the formation of a collection of eggs and skins of North Ameri-
can land birds. Of the latter he accepted only first class specimens, and
in particulars of arrangement, labelling, etc., his collection was a model
of neatness. A special room was added to his house for the reception of
his ornithological treasures and cases were prepared to accommodate a
series of every species and subspecies in the A. O. U. list. The great
majority of these were secured, and Mr. Hoopes's greatest delight was to
show to visitors of kindred tastes his beautiful specimens. Some years
ago this collection, numbering nearly 8000 skins, was purchased by the
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and the specimens have since
been used in many investigations.
Mr. Hoopes was born in Westchester, November 9, 1832, the son of
Pierce and Sarah A. Hoopes. He was educated in Philadelphia, where
his family resided during his boyhood, and in 1850 returned to West-
chester. He had always been deeply interested in botany and deciding
to make this his business he opened in 1853 a small greenhouse, which
to-day has grown into one of the largest nursery establishments in the
United States, under the firm name of Hoopes Brothers and Thomas.
Mr. Hoopes spent some time in travel, visiting the various botanic gar-
dens of Europe, and contributed numerous articles to horticultural
journals, besides writing the 'Book of Evergreens.' He was a member
of the Society of Friends and one of the leading citizens of his native
town, ever as ready to aid in public work as in furthering the studies in
which he was interested.
? I 2 Notes and News. \_k%.
The influence of such men as Josiah Hoopes in advancing scientific
work is hard to estimate, and all Pennsylvania bird students have lost a
staunch supporter, while to those who knew him personally he will ever
be remembered as a generous host and a true friend. — W. S.
Lyman S. Foster, for a time an Active Member of the American Orni-
thologists' Union, died of pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital, New York
City, January 6, 1904. Mr. Foster was born at Gloucester, Mass., Novem-
ber 25, 1843, but the greater part of his life was spent in New York City,
as a stationer and dealer in natural history books, and from 1886 to 1900
he was the authorized agent of the A. O. U. for the sale of its publica-
tions and the distribution of 'The Auk.' He took an active interest in
ornithology, and from time to time contributed short papers on North
American birds to various natural history publications, including 'The
Auk,' and the ' Abstract of Proceedings ' of the Linnsean Society of New
York, of which society he was for some years treasurer. His principal
contribution to ornithological literature is a minutely detailed bibliog-
raphy of the ornithological writings of the late George N. Lawrence,
published in 1892, forming No. IV of the series of ' Bibliographies of
American Naturalists,' issued by the U. S. National Museum.
A proposed general work on birds, in large quarto, with plain or
colored plates, as may be required, is announced, to be prepared by a
"Committee composed of the best Ornithologists of the World." Each
family will be published separately, with separate pagination, and will
include synoptical tables and descriptions of the genera, species and sub-
species, references to the original descriptions, the synonymy, and geo-
graphical distribution. The work will be published entirely in English,
and the drawings will be by Keulemans. A specimen part, on the
Eurylsemidoe, by E. Hartert, of the Zoological Museum of Tring, has
been issued, and will be sent for inspection, post free, on application.
This sample part shows that the work will prove of great convenience
and value as a technical synopsis of the birds of the world. Subscrip-
tions will be received only for the complete work, on the basis of 4 cts.
per page of text, 30 cts. per plain plate, and 60 cts. per colored plate.
Subscriptions should be addressed to P. Wytsman, 108, Boulevard du
Nord, Bruxelles, Belgium. The New York agents are G. E. Stechert,
and Westermann & Co.
Mr. Frank M. Chapman requests the cooperation of ornithologists in
the preparation of a proposed work on the Warblers of North America.
Information in regard to those phases of the life-history of these birds on
which observations are particularly desired will be gladly furnished by
Mr. Chapman, who may be addressed at the American Museum of Natural
History, New York City.
THE AUK:
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Vol. xxi. July, 1904. No. 3
THE BIOLOGY OF THE TYRANNID^E WITH
RESPECT TO THEIR SYSTEMATIC
ARRANGEMENT.
BY DR. H. VON IHERING.
The systematic arrangement of animals is usually based on
morphological characters only, but biological observations may
often give us precious hints which may help us to settle difficult
questions in this respect. Considering that the present systematic
arrangement of the genera belonging to the great family of
Tyrannidae is far from being a satisfactory one, I have thought
it useful to study in a comparative way the biology of the members
of this family.
Of the four subfamilies accepted according to the classification
of Mr. Sclater, at least one seems to be unnatural as well as
regards morphological as biological characters ; that is to say, the
Platyrhynchinse.
In my paper on eggs and nests of Brazilian birds (Revista do
Museu Paulista, IV, 1899, p. 226)1 described the nest and eggs
of Platyrhy7ichns mystaceus and expressed my surprise at their
great difference when compared with the nests and eggs of the
allied genera. Having obtained this year an authentic nest of this
species I am able to state that as regards the first described nest
there was a mistake. The nest of the above mentioned species of
Platyrhynchus, which will be fully described in Vol. V of the
2 I A. Von Ihering, Biology of the Tyrannidce. ("july
1 Revista do Museu Paulista,' is purse-shaped and suspended at
the extremity of a branch. It has a round opening in the middle
protected by a shelter above. I have quite similar nests of Todi-
rostrum cinereum, Orchilus auricularis, Hemitriccus diops, and of
different species of Euscarthmus. The same form of nest is,
therefore, common to the genera Platyrhynchus, Todirostrum, Eus-
carthmns and Orchilus. Moreover, the eggs of the members of all
these genera are yellowish white or brownish with very fine points
on the larger end.
On the other hand the nests of Serphophaga are placed among
the diverging boughs of a branch and are cup-shaped, while the
eggs are of a uniform yellowish white. Of the same type are the
nests and eggs of Anceretes and Hapalocercus. The nest of
Phylloscartes ventralis, however, as Mr. Krone assured me, has
one wall of the nest elongated above and recurved, forming a
somewhat globular, domed structure.
A form of nest like that of Serphophaga is found in the genera
E/ainea and Phyllomyias, and in other Elaineinae, among which,
however, occurs also a second form of nest. This form is illus-
trated by the nest of Ornithion obsoletum which I have recently
examined. It is of a pear-shaped form, similar to that of Euscarth-
mus, but not suspended from the top of a twig but fixed at differ-
ent points on the branches.
Euler has described the nest of this species differently, but the
nest observed by him, which was much hidden between masses of
Tillandsia, was not probably of a normal form. Besides, O. obso-
letum does not occur in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, where the spe-
cies is represented by O. cinerascens (Wied), which, in opposition
to Mr. Allen, I do not doubt is identical with O. imberbe Scl. A
similar nest is built by Mionectes rufiventris (Licht.), as has been
observed by Mr. Krone.
The nest of Omithion forms the transition between that of
Serphophaga and that of Euscarthmus. We may be justified to
assume that such an artificial and wonderful construction as the
nest of Euscarthmus is not the work of free invention but is to be
considered as the result of development from a previous form of
nest. We have but to suppose the nest of Ornithion% instead of
being fixed on various branches successively, to be placed on one
Vol. XXIj yON jHERINGj Biology of the Tyratitiidce. 3IC
branch only and we have the suspended nest of Euscarthmus. A
very remarkable form of suspended nest among the Tyrannidae
occurs in the genus Rhynchocydus, but I believe it to be nothing
more than an extreme modification of the Euscarthmine nest type.
In this respect it is remarkable that the much bristled and flat-
tened bill of Rhynchocydus is very like that of P/atyrhynchus, and
quite different from that of the typical Elainece.
Although the predominant form of nest among the Tyrannidae
is certainly the cup-shaped one, we meet also with very different
structures in this family. Covered nests occur in the genera
Phylloscartes, Arundinico/a, Pitangus, and Myiozetetes, leading us
on to the nest of Ornithion above described, and to the suspended
nests of Euscarthmus and Rhynchocydus. According to Euler
Myiobius barbatus has a suspended, purse-shaped nest, while the
nest of Myiobius ncevius is cup-shaped, but is fixed suspended
within the fork of two diverging branches in the manner typical
of the nests of Thamnophilus and other Formicariidae. On the
other hand we find nests of very slight structure made of a small
number of slender sticks and roots in the genera Tyrannus, Empi-
donomus, Myiodynastes, Megarhynchus, and others. These nests
are extremely flat and apparently not well suited to retain the eggs
in safety.
Among the Taeniopterinae, inhabitants of the open plains, there
are species which breed in holes in banks, as is said to be the case
in Argentina with Tcenioptera nengeta by Mr. Hudson, while in
Brazil this species builds its nest on trees. The species of Copu-
rus and Machetornis breed in holes of trees, as also does Tce?iiop-
tera irupero. The last-named species likes to appropriate the large
covered mud-nests of Eur/iarius, and Machetornis prefers the
large thorny nests of Atlumbius. Thus we see among the Tyran-
nidae the most different forms of nest structures represented.
In general the nests of species that inhabit the woods are well
built, and covered carefully with dry plant material in order to
be well hidden. Some of them, such as that of Elainea, are true
masterpieces of art, being generally ornamented externally with
pieces of lichen carefully fixed on by spiders' webs. On the other
hand, the Taeniopterinae and Tyrannidae, inhabitants of the pam-
pas and campos, contrary to what would be expected, take little
3 1 6 Von Ihering, Biology of the Tyrannidce. V\v\
care to hide their nests. Everyone would suppose that these
birds should prefer to build their nests under cover of the grass
and form simple structures of dried grass, as do the species of
Sycalis, Ammodromus, Pmbernagra, Emberizoides and other
Fringillidae of the campos. Except, however, in the genus
Alectrurus, I do not know any other example among the Tyranni-
dae of this form of nesting. In general these birds are not very
careful to hide their nests. On the contrary the large species of
Tyranninae, and the species of the allied genera Myiozetetes and
Pitangus, seem to prefer to place their nests on isolated trees, as
much exposed as possible. This custom corresponds well with
the bold characters of these birds.
Taking a general view of the eggs of Tyrannidae, we find a uni-
formity in coloration which is in strong contrast to the variety of
forms of their nests. The eggs in this family, as a rule, are white
or cream-white with reddish brown spots at the larger end. These
spots are small and pointed in the Euscarthminae, while they are
obsolete in the buff eggs of the Serphophaginae. The occurrence
of pure white eggs is limited to the genera Copurus, Arundinicola,
and a few others. In the genus Muscivora the ground color is
somewhat dark brownish. The eggs of the genus Myiarchus are
remarkable for the elongated form of the numerous red-brown
spots.
If we compare the color of the eggs with the mode of con-
struction of the nests no pronounced correlation is to be found.
Uniformly white or cream-colored eggs exist in the genera Copurus
and Arundinicola, which are deposited in covered nests, while the
similar eggs of the Serphophaginae are laid in open nests. The
eggs of the Euscarthminae, though deposited in closed nests are
adorned with numerous red spots, while those of Myiozetetes and
Pitangus, which are laid in closed and domed-shaped nests, have
the same large, reddish brown spots as those of the genera Tyran-
nus, Milvulus, and others, the nests of which are wholly open.
Similar cases prevail in the eggs of other South American birds.
In this respect the example of the American Gallinae is instructive,
for while as regards the careless construction of the nest no differ-
ence is noticeable, the eggs of the Brazilian representatives of
the Gallinae are white, while those of the Crypturi are distin-
V°!g?4XI] VoN Iheringi Biology of the Tyrannidce. \ I y
guished by the most brilliant colors of brown, red, blue, and green.
It is true that the Pici, Psittaci, and other birds that lay their eggs
in hollow trees, all have white eggs, but eggs of the same color
are found also in the open nests of the Trochilidae and of the
Columbae. Returning to the Tyrannidae we find the egg of Mache-
tortiis rixosa wholly different from those of the true Taeniopterinae,
and resembling in its numerous, large, somewhat elongated brown-
ish spots the eggs of the genera Empidonomus and Myiarchus,
especially those of the latter. These facts throw doubt on the
correctness of the generally accepted systematic position of Mache-
tornis. So far as regards the egg of Tyrannus aurantioatronotatus
Lafr. & D'Orb., it belongs to the genus Tyrannus and not to
E7?ipidonomus.
These differences, therefore, cannot be explained by the so-
called law of 'natural selection,' but bear relations to the genetic
affinities and the inner movements which, independently of the
supposed ' natural selection,' determined the individual variation
as well as the phylogenetic development of the organisms.
After what I have stated it is evident that the systematic
arrangement of the Tyrannidae in its present form can only be
considered as provisional, and it may be well altered when a gen-
eral anatomical study of the whole group has been made. At
present the systematic sections are only based on a restricted
number of external characters, principally on the form of the
tarsi, feet and bills. These characters are in intimate connection
with the manner of life. In this way we are exposed to the
danger of confounding essential typical characters with adaptive
ones. I think that such a mistake took place on the occasion of
the formation of the subfamily Taeniopterinae. This section
embraces forms with strong feet, strong and elongated tarsi, and
slender elongated bills, characters which seem to result from the
life on the ground on the pampas and campos, which these birds
inhabit.
In general this subfamily may be considered a very natural
one. The predominant colors of the species are gray, white, and
black. These colors are not common in the family Tyrannidae as
a whole, and they are evidently to be considered as being acquired
characters and not of a phylogenetic value. This is proved by
"2 I 8 Von Ihering, Biology of the Tyrannidce. \jv^
the fact that in the species of Cnipolegus, Lichenops, and others in
which the males are wholly black, the females and young are of a
brownish color or have a spotted plumage. Among the more or
less similar members usually placed in this subfamily two mono-
typic genera are completely different in their coloration, namely,
Sisopygis and Machetornis, which in my opinion do not belong to
this subfamily, but to the Elaineinae. Machetornis seems to me to
be allied to Pitangus, and Sisopygis to Mionectes, Capsiempis, and
similar genera. While Machetor?iis, at least in its mode of life,
resembles the Taeniopterinae, Sisopygis inhabits the woods like the
Elaineinae.
That the Platyrhynchinae really consist of two different subfam-
ilies, Euscarthminae and Serphophaginae, we have shown above.
With the biological differences correspond such important morpho-
logical ones, principally those of the form of the bill, that the
separation here proposed will probably be accepted as being
naturally founded.
In order to obtain a natural classification of the Tyrannidae it
is necessary to get an idea of the phylogenetic development of
the family. In this respect the Tyranninae, judging from their
large dimensions and their large, somewhat depressed bills, do not
represent the original form, but, as I think, an extreme branch of
the family. Other specialized branches are found in the Euscarth-
minae and Taeniopterinae. The latter offer not only a coloring
somewhat uncommon in this family, but also cases of decided
sexual dimorphism, which evidently represents a specialization
acquired within the subfamily.
Excluding from the Elaineinae the Pitanginae — large birds with
strong bills that biologically much approximate to true Tyranninae
— the Elaineinae evidently represent the group most nearly allied
to the ancestors of the Tyrannidae. These forms are also those
which have the nearest relations with the Pipridae. Strongly
developed syndactylism, which is one of the characters distinguish-
ing the latter, is also very remarkable in many genera of the
Elaineinae, as for example in the genus Tyranniscus.
Among the Pipridae the same fact is observable as in the Tyran-
nidae, namely, that sexual dimorphism in coloration exists only in
the more highly organized forms. In the subfamily of Piprinae
iqo4 1 ^r°N IHERING^ Biology of tke Tyrannidce. 3*9
the very striking and beautiful coloration is found only in the
adult males, while the females and young males retain uniform
olive colors, and it is also only among the adult males that we
meet with such abnormal characters as enlarged stems of the pri-
maries and secondaries, erect frontal feathers, and elongated tail-
feathers, while the Ptilochlorinae resemble the Elaineinae not only
in coloration, but also in the rather small and bristled bill. These
facts induce us to conclude that the Pipridae and Tyrannidae have
descended from a common ancestral form, the nearest relatives of
which are the Elaineinae among the Tyrannidae with the Ptilochlo-
rinae among the Pipridae. The common ancestors must have been
birds of small size, with pronounced syndactylism of the outer
toes, with rather small, somewhat compressed and bristled bill,
and of uniform olive color. The frequent occurrence of a yellow
coronal patch among the Pipridae as well as the Tyrannidae leads
us to suppose that this ornament may have been transferred from
the common ancestors, which were inhabitants of the woods.
From the Elaineine branch of the Tyrannidae originated, besides
the Euscarthminae and Serphophaginae, whose biological conditions
are nearly the same, two great sections of inhabitants of the
campos, mostly large-sized birds, the Taeniopterinae and the Pit-
angine-Tyranninae.
With these general results the geographical distribution accords.
As is generally the case with the wood-inhabiting birds, the dis-
tribution of the Elaineinae of Brazil is a somewhat restricted one.
While a number of species are distributed through the forest region
of Brasil, only a few range through Guiana and Central America
to Mexico. The Euscarthminae in this respect also do not diverge
much from the Elaineinae, but the Serphophaginae, preferring
open plains and river banks, do occur not only in the campos
but the majority of them is restricted to the Andine Region.
These two groups of campos inhabiting Tyrannidae are wholly
different not only in their way of life but also in their geographical
distribution.
The habits of the Taeniopterinae are terrestrial. They run on
the ground and have in relation therewith elongated tarsi and
strong ambulatorial feet, seeking their insect food on the ground.
They inhabit the pampas and the campos of central Brazil, being
2 20 Von Ihering, Biology of the Tyrannidce. Ijulv
represented in the littoral zone by but few species. On the other
hand, many species and genera are adapted to live in the Andes,
where they occur from Patagonia to Colombia, but no species of
these Andine forms passes into Mexico and Texas. For this rea-
son I think it to be right to separate the genus Sayornis from the
Taeniopterinae, and to unite it to the Tyranninae, in the society of
which it is found in North America and from which it does not
differ regarding its biology.
The Pitanginae and Tyranninae, on the contrary, are of very wide
geographical distribution. Though preferring the campos, they
avoid the treeless plains. They are not ground-walkers, but cap-
ture insects as they fly like Flycatchers. They are very active,
courageous birds of large size and good flight, and their geograph-
ical distribution therefore, as a rule, is very wide, some of them
occurring from Argentina to North America. Among the seventy-
eight species of Tyrannidae living in the State of S. Paulo forty-
three belong to the Elaineinae and the allied groups of arboreal
life, and of these ten, or 23 per cent, have a relatively wide geo-
graphical distribution. Among the six Pitanginae only the two
species of Co?iopias and Sirystes are restricted to Brazil, while the
species of Legatus, Myiozetetes, Pitangus, and Myiodynastes are
represented even in the southern parts of North America by the
same species or by little different local races. Among the sixteen
Tyranninae of S. Paulo all have a very extensive geographical
distribution except Blacicus cinereus (Spix) and Tyr annus albo-
gularis Burm., so that more than 80 per cent of the Pitanginae
and Tyranninae of S. Paulo have very wide geographical
distribution.
These facts of geographical distribution show us that the only
system of nomemclature well applicable to the discussion of zoo-
geographical problems is the trinomial.
The use of binomials as employed in the excellent Hand-list of
Dr. Bowdler Sharpe may be more advantageous for collection
purposes, but it combines in a very inconvenient manner well-
defined species with local races. Such facts as the vast distribu-
tion of Pitangus sulphuratus (L.) and Myiozetetes similis (Spix)
are completely hidden by the use of binomial nomenclature.
It is also among these birds that we meet true migratory forms,
Vol. XXI
1904
Von Ihering, Biology of the Tyrannidce. X2\
so far as such exist among the Tyrannidae. This fact is in inti-
mate relation with the special biological conditions of the campos.
No migratory birds at all exist among the wood-inhabiting Tyran-
nidae, nor among the Pipridae, Formicariidae and other families of
the forests.
True migratory birds are scarcely represented in South America
and are essentially restricted to two families of insectivorous birds,
the Hirundinidae and the Tyrannidae. In South Brazil, from Rio
Grande to S. Paulo, I have observed migratory habits in the fol-
lowing species: —
Myiodynastes solitarius (Vieill.). Tyrannus melancholicus Vieill.
Pyrocephalus rubineus (Bodd.). Muscivora tyrannus (L.).
As I am preparing a paper on this subject to be published in
' Aquila ' I will not discuss it in the present paper. It is evident,
however, from the preceding deductions, that in biological respects
the family of Tyrannidae is one of the most interesting of the
Neotropical Avifauna, strongly contrasting with the uniformity
which in this regard prevails in most of the other characteristic
families.
Although the object of this essay was only to refer to some
general biological features and habits common to certain sub-
families I nevertheless think it useful to give briefly the results
of my observations, as they may be of service to a subsequent
worker who will undertake the necessary systematic revision of
the family Tyrannidae. They are as follows :
(1) The Taeniopterinae represent a very natural systematic
group but as usually arranged include some strange elements,
such as Sayornis, Sisopygis, and probably Machetomis, which
should be removed to other subfamilies.
(2) The Platyrhynchinae of the systematic arrangement of Mr.
Sclater contain two quite different sections, the Euscarthminae
and the Serphophaginae.
(3) The Elaineinae contain some aberrant forms which should
be removed to other subfamilies. For example, the genus Rhyn-
chocydus should go to the Euscarthminae, and the genera Legatus,
Myiozetetes, Conopias, Pitangus, Sirystes and Myiodynastes should
form a subfamily, Pitanginae, a section which biologically is inti-
3 22 Taverner, The Origin of Migration. ["july
mately related to the Tyranninae, while morphologically it is
intermediate between the latter and the Elaineinae.
(4) The Tyranninae form a natural section with which perhaps
the Pitanginae should be united.
5". Paulo, Brazil, g Nov., 1Q03.
A DISCUSSION OF THE ORIGIN OF MIGRATION.
BY P. A. TAVERNER.
One of the first, if not the very first, phenomena of animate
nature to be noticed by primeval man, must have been that of
migration ; and from that day to this it has been, to a greater or
less extent, a subject of great interest to students. In the present
day it has been approached from many different sides, and
though many points have been pretty well cleared up, others are
still enveloped in a haze through which the fundamental princi-
ples are but barely visible, while others still remain shrouded in
a dense, impenetrable cloud of mystery.
The methods by which birds find their way to far distant points,
the manner of their migrations, etc., lie without the scope of this
paper, and will not be referred to here. Upon these points we
all await the publication of the results of the investigations now in
progress, when probably many obscure points will be cleared up.
Migration consists of two movements, one in the spring, away
from the winter station ; and the other in the fall, towards it again.
The reason of the latter is self-evident. There is a lack of food.
If they did not return in the fall they would perish of hunger, if
not of cold. From general observations, it seems as if the former
had a larger influence than the latter, and it is the northward
movement that needs explanation. Why should a bird leave a
warm land of plenty to journey to a country but half recovered
from the frozen embraces of an arctic climate ? It seems
Vol. XXI
1004
Taverner, The Origin of Migration. 3^3
improbable that the birds themselves realize why they migrate, or
what benefits are to be thus gained or enemies escaped. When
the proper season comes, "the spirit moves them," and they go or
come, as the case may be. However instinctive their habit
may now be, there must have been a time when migrations were
intelligent movements, intended to escape some danger or secure
some advantage; and through generations of repetition they have
become fixed into hereditary habits, closely with reproduction and
reproductive seasons. In time the two habits became so inter-
dependent that the awakening of the sexual desires sympathetic-
ally affected the migratory instincts and caused restlessness and
a desire that was only to be satisfied by the accomplishment of
the same long journey that their progenitors had taken for
generations.
Of the many theories that have been advanced to explain this
question, I will mention a few that seem the most important and
the most generally received. While advancing nothing abso-
lutely new, I wish to call attention to one factor in the question
that has not, in my estimation, been given its due importance,
nor has it been recognized, as far as I am aware, that therein lie
possibilities probably capable of producing all the phenomena of
migrations as we now see them. Of this, more anon.
There is a theory extant, supported by W. K. Brooks in his
' Foundations of Zoology ' that has received a considerable
amount of attention. This ascribes migration to a desire to
find nesting sites secure from arboreal Mammalia and Reptilia.
This supposes, and perhaps correctly so, that the northern nest-
ing stations are safer from these enemies than the tropical ones;
though any one familiar with our northern woods, and acquainted
with our ubiquitous red squirrel, may have good grounds for
doubting the general statement, as far as it relates to mammals,
at least.
There are certain facts of distribution, however, that this theory
fails to explain, and which seem, indeed, to be in direct antago-
nism to it. Typical instances of this can be seen in the distribu-
tion and ranges of the families of Cuckoos and Doves. Also the
occurrence of such an elaborate and careful nest builder as the
Baltimore Oriole, as far north as the Transition fauna. Surely,
^2A Taverner, The Origin of Migration. \_U^
such a nest as this bird builds would be as secure from these
enemies in the heart of the tropical forests as in the temperate
ones. Therefore, safe nesting sites could not be the object of
their migrating, — unless the peculiar form of nest was evolved
after the migratory habit had been formed. This, however, does
not seem to have been the case. Such a likeness is exhibited in
the forms of the nests throughout the whole family, that we are
forced to conclude that this type of nest was used by the common
ancestor of Icterus, which must have been before the Baltimore
Oriole became migratory.
The cuckoos and doves above mentioned, are notoriously care-
less nesters, and under this hypothesis, we would expect that
migration would have been forced upon the whole of these fami-
lies, or at least upon a considerable number of the species com-
posing them. Contrary to this, we find that these are peculiarly
tropical and subtropical families, and but a very small percentage
of them ever get up into northern latitudes.
It may be held that the above cases are exceptions, caused by
varying local conditions, but it still remains to be proved that the
generality of tropical nesters take any greater nesting precautions
than northern ones of the same class, as would assuredly be the
case if the above were the correct solution of the problem.
Furthermore, there are grave reasons, to which I will refer later,
for doubting that inadequate nesting habits could ever be the
cause of migrations.
A second theory, advanced under the auspices of Mr. Chas.
Dixon, refers the movement to a natural desire of the individuals
of a species to disperse during the breeding season, and draws
attention to the fact that the bird population is more scattered
during the breeding season than at other times. He utterly
refutes the idea that adverse circumstances of either food, tem-
perature, or enemies can force a bird to change its range, and
cites instances of the Great Auk, Labrador Duck, and other spe-
cies that have suffered extermination rather than forsake their
accustomed habitat. Mr. Dixon evidently regards this dispersal
as effecting a reduction in the density of the population. It
certainly does result in this among the adult inhabitants, but it
is open to question if we assume that the total population is
Vol. XXI j Taverner, The Origin of Migration. 325
thus affected. His conclusion is apparently based upon the well
known and indisputable fact that birds are harder to find during
the breeding season than at other times. It must, however, be
remembered that for each pair of breeding birds observed, there is
somewhere about a nest full of young that are not seen at all.
These young are of as much economic importance in reckoning
population as the adults, and as such must be taken into consid-
eration. On the whole, I doubt very much whether the bird pop-
ulation in the breeding season is any less per given unit of territory
than at other times.
That migration is caused by a natural dispersal of the adults
during the breeding season must be admitted. But this is beg-
ging the question. Migration is a dispersal ; and conversely, this
dispersal, as it manifests itself, is migration. The author fails to
explain the cause of the natural dispersal. The object of this
scattering may be seclusion, either for privacy or safety. If for
privacy, it seems to defeat its own ends when such birds as the
herons, swallows, and like gregarious n esters congregate in great
communities to perform their marital duties. If safety is sought,
it presupposes that all the safe nesting sites are monopolized by
other species and the migrants are crowded out.
In our own country, we can readily see that but an infinitesimal
fraction of possible sites are thus occupied. How rare it is for a
nesting place to be used a second time by different individuals, —
except in the case of woodpeckers' holes, where it is obvious that
the supply is limited, — any field worker knows. If desirable
forked branches, etc., were at such a high premium, this would
occur frequently. If, then, the above is true in our own country,
how much more must it be true in the tropical stations, where,
though the population of both birds and their enemies is greatly
increased, the luxuriant vegetation affords an infinitely greater
number of desirable sites for nesting. Crowding in this sense
seems impossible.
That individual birds cannot be driven from what they regard
as their proper stations, may possibly be admitted ; but that spe-
cies cannot (when the adverse changes in surroundings take place
gradually enough), is absurd. As far as I am aware, there are
three principal ways by which geographical distribution can be
226 Taverner, The Origin of Migration. ft"14
effected. One is the sudden irruption of a species, when it sud-
denly appears in numbers in a territory where it had been either
extremely rare, or entirely absent. Examples of this are to be
seen in the sudden occurrence of the Sand Grouse in Europe in
1888; the appearance of great flocks of Brunnich's Murre on
Lakes Ontario and Erie, 1894-97, and the great movements
occasionally noted in Lemmings. Of the underlying causes of
these strange migrations, whether they are due to inner psycho-
logical or outer physical phenomena, we are ignorant. These
strange overflows seem so erratic and abnormal in the light that
invasions of this kind do not succeed in forming permanent settle-
ments on the new grounds, that it would be reckless at present, to
use them as a basis for theorizing, until all other means fail.
The second method is by a force exerted from within an estab-
lished range ; and the third, an attractive one acting from with-
out. These two, however antagonistic as they may superficially
seem, are, at root, one and the same. They are both caused by
differences in the desirability of two stations. One is caused by
a decrease in the desirability of a present, and the other by an
increase of the same quality in an adjoining territory. They are
but ratios of desirability, and can both be expressed by fractions
whose values depend upon the relative, not the numerical size of
their terms. If, then, attraction is but a phase of driving, and
birds cannot be driven from their haunts, we are forced to discard
all our present theories of geographical distribution and return to
that of special creation, or found our science upon the unknown
quantities of general irruption probably caused by psychological
disturbances of whose origin and intent we are ignorant.
Ranges can be, have been, and in the course of time, must many
times have been, changed by necessity when the changes in con-
ditions occur slowly enough so that, though individuals may not,
the whole species might have advanced or retreated. In this
same manner, we know that even our forests have migrated back
and forth across the continent before the face of the glacial ice,
climbed mountains and descended valleys, though each individual
tree or plant remained rooted for life to the spot where it origi-
nally sprouted. If plants can and have done this, I see no reason
why birds could not also, as even in the most extreme case of local
Vol. XXI
1904
Taverner, The Origin of Migration. 3^7
attachment, a bird can never be as firmly fixed to its station as
trees and plants are to theirs.
The cases of extermination cited are where the changes had
come too suddenly, or where the species had become stereotyped
or inflexible in habits and structure by too long and great success
under peculiar conditions, and so lacked the elasticity of nature
necessary to modify itself and its life to slight changes of
environment.
A. R. Wallace has outlined another idea on the subject. He
suggests, in ' Island Life,' that the migrants are in search of soft-
bodied insects suitable for nestlings ; that, as the season advances
in the tropics, it becomes dryer and dryer, and such insects soon
disappear. According to this view, it seems at first sight to be a
seeking after food of a certain quality. Reduced to its lowest
terms however, it appears as a very different matter, namely, a
question of quantity. It is admitted that, even in the tropics,
there is at least a short season when there are insects of a suitable
quality for nestlings. That this season is long enough to raise
birds, is evident, for many species closely related to our migrants
successfully nest and raise their broods there. If all birds bred
there at this same period, there would be suitable food there and
migrations would be unnecessary. That they do not, is an indica-
tion that some other factor enters into the question, and it seems
very probable that all birds breeding contemporaneously would
exhaust the supply of such food. The question, then, is one of
quantity more than quality.
It may be objected that each species requires its own special
food at the critical nesting period, which may not be obtainable
everywhere. Now, if there is any truth in our present evolution-
ary theory, great changes in food habits have occurred in all our
species. But the new food supply must, in each and every case,
have occurred before the habits and structure for utilizing it
appeared. Therefore, food habits could never have originated
migrations, though migration undoubtedly has had a great influ-
ence in modifying food habits.
It must be remembered also, that migration is a dangerous
undertaking to a race. A journey covering thousands of miles,
to be performed against innumerable enemies, both personal and
328 Taverner, The Origin of Migration. [ju\'
elementary, into a country just recovering from the rigors of winter,
is a very hazardous solution of any problem. Especially must
this have been true in the early days of the habit, when the races
were much less adequately provided with hereditary experience
and structure necessary for its successful conclusion. In this
light, it seems highly improbable that anything short of the stern-
est necessity would favor the development of a habit so fraught
with danger to the individuals of a species ; and that, if any less
hazardous solution were possible, it would have been taken advan-
tage of.
The great diversity of food and nesting habits exhibited by
closely allied species, shows how easily, comparatively speaking,
these habits are modified. Therefore, if any peculiar nesting or
food requirements menaced the welfare of tropical residents to the
extent that must have been necessary to produce migration, it is
reasonable to suppose these habits would have been altered to
suit surroundings long before such a dangerous habit as migra-
tion could have been adopted.
The natural inference is that the problem was something that
could be solved in no less hazardous way. For it would be much
easier for birds to learn to build woven pensile nests at the end of
long slender branches, or to adopt food that closely allied species
found acceptable, than to create all the elaborate instincts, powers
and structures necessary to enable them to traverse great stretches
of country unguided, and in the face of meteorological disturb-
ances, new enemies, strange foods, and all the dangers attendant
upon migration. These grounds, then, alone seem sufficient to
discredit any such phenomena as the foregoing, as prime causes
in the origination of this habit.
The one cause that seems adequate to produce such great
results, is that one which ultimately rules the whole animate world
— the sufficiency of the food supply. Admitting that in the trop-
ics there is, at any time, or more especially during the migration
seasons, a lack of, or a severe struggle for food, and we have a
necessity sufficiently imperative to cause the origin of any habit
that it is possible to form. Mr. J. A. Allen, and others, have
shown that the usual struggle for existence, always and every-
where intensely severe, is sufficient to cause an overflow into an
V°igo4XIJ Taverner, The Origin of Migration. 329
adjoining area whenever that area assumes conditions favorable
for the support of an increased population. The return of spring
causes the favorable conditions in the north, and the spring migra-
tion is the evidence of the overflow. The approach of winter influ-
ences life in the same manner, but the overflow, or migration is in
the opposite direction.
Mr. Allen has very aptly applied the saying that " Nature abhors
a vacuum," and suggests that migration is the only manner in
which a zoological vacuum, in a country whose life-supporting
capacity is a regularly fluctuating quantity, can be filled by non-
hibernating animals.
That this view is correct, I do not think can be doubted, but
there is another factor in the case that does not seem to have
been generally perceived, — a fact that strengthens the foregoing
reasoning manifold. True, Mr. Newton, in his ' Dictionary of
Birds ' has suggested it, but without apparently perceiving what
a powerful factor it must prove in the case. I refer to the effect
of the large increase of life in the breeding season, in an already
thickly populated country, such as the southern stations must be
just previous to the spring migration, coincident with the opening
up for settlement of a vast adjoining and practically unoccupied
territory, by the seasonal recession of the winter ice cap. Under
the "Law of Malthus" we find a country to the south of us, popu-
lated to its fullest extent during the winter. Spring comes, and
nearly every pair of birds has a nest full of young, requiring
great quantities of food. The food demand must be increased to
many times what it was before. There would, of course, be an
increase in this food supply, due to the influence of spring, but it
would not be in proportion to the demand. This inadequacy of
the food supply is brought home to us very clearly if we reflect
upon the fact that it takes the whole northern hemisphere to sup-
port the species in the summer that all through the winter were
confined to a very limited territory ; and that even then, during
the time of greatest dispersal and food supply, the competition is
always keen. Considering, then, that this great increase in popu-
lation happens contemporaneously with an equal growth of the
food producing territory due to the return of spring, it does not
seem at all wonderful that the birds should migrate to utilize a
l^O Taverner, The Origin of Migration. \J\^\
plentiful food supply and escape death by the causes attendant
upon the evils of insufficient nourishment.
Migration, if the outcome of these phenomena, probably would
have originated in the following manner. In the beginning of the
breeding season, the competition would originate in the areas
containing the earliest breeders, and would be severest in the
most productive districts. Here the strongest species would soon
drive out the weaker ones and the later breeders, which, having
no parental ties to bind them to any one locality, would be more
easily forced to leave than those already possessing nests — all
other things, of course, being equal. These species, driven away,
would encroach on others, forcing them out, in their turn, to tres-
pass upon a wider circle of species. Thus the pressure arising
from the congestion originating probably in the center of the win-
ter residential area, would be felt to the farthest points of the
populated territory. Any stringency of food supply invariably
causes greater exertions on the part of the inhabitants, and hence'
wider ranging; and the slightest increase in sustaining power of
adjoining lands would be immediately found and taken advantage
of. As these species moved into the new country, their places
would be quickly taken by those behind, and as the congestion
was relieved, the impelling force would be constantly reinforced
by the nesting of the later breeders as the season progressed.
The increase of population and life-supporting area would pro-
ceed regularly and evenly, so that the pressure would never exceed
the relief. This nice balance would, of course, have been secured
according to the laws of survival of the fittest — undesirable forms
that would disturb the equilibrium, being either modified or elimi-
nated.
Thus each species, crowded on by those behind, and enticed by
the advance of those in front, would proceed onward until their
own particular station had been reached. This point would be
determined by one or more of several factors. The most obvious
of these would be the failure of their particular food, the arrival
of their nesting season, and the absence of superior competitors.
When a species had reached this stage in its own particular migra-
tion, it would settle down and nest, and from then, to the end of
its nidification period, would be fixed, and by its own increase
Vol. XXI
1904
Taverner, The Origin of Migration. 3^1
aid in driving forward those that had not yet found suitable con-
ditions for nesting.
In the incipiency of the migration habit, the individual move-
ments would be small, perhaps originating in a pair of birds
discovering an unexpected store of food on the side of a hill
opposite their usual haunts. The birds that were bred here
would find their way back the next year with greater ease than
their parents did originally, and would be in a position to make
further advances to the hill beyond. So each year, as the glacial
ice receded, the territory suited for summer occupancy would be
slightly enlarged, and the birds would each succeeding year,
during the period of greatest stress, find sustenance a little to the
northward of the preceding season's uttermost range.
The migratory movements and the differentiations of the
breeding season are so closely connected that it is difficult to
determine which originated first. Migration would delay breeding
in the species that showed the slightest inclination towards the
habit ; and conversely, a delayed breeding season would actively
assist the evolution of migration. The origination of both may
have been simultaneous, though it is hard to imagine a time when
some slight traces of migration would not have been beneficial to
the races. At any rate, their effects would have been cumulative,
each increasing and fixing the others. Once started, then, either
or both would be rendered more and more pronounced, through
natural selection, until the extreme limit profitable for each
species was reached.
The gradual extension of the extreme summer range, as the
glacial ice cap retreated, would most probably have been by
means of the younger individuals, or birds in their first breeding
season, of each species, as these would be weaker, and more easily
driven than the older ones that would have become more attached
to their local habitats. It seems universally true that young
birds do not often return to breed in the immediate vicinity of the
place where they are raised. There is a dispersing influence of
some sort at work here. It is said that the older ones drive their
offspring away from their hunting grounds when those offspring
are able to take care of themselves. I cannot say from actual
experience that they do this, but it seems so advantageous a
•2? 2 Taverner, 7V/<? Origin of Migration. Xj\\L
uk
ly
habit that its development is not only possible but very probable,
and just what the student of evolution would expect.
This scattering of the younger individuals, however it was
brought about, would then favor the extension of the migration
range by the ones thus driven to wander from their accustomed
haunts. As further substantiation of this, it is to be noticed that
birds found far from their natural haunts are usually immature
specimens.
A young bird on its first spring migration, would naturally
return to the familiar place where it was raised. Being driven
away from here, it would wander about until it found a suitable
location for its own breeding — perhaps a mile, perhaps two, may-
be less, away from its original home. The succeeding years,
it would return to this new haunt, and the range of the species
could be extended by its offspring. Thus, each bird would follow
the route taken by its parents, and thus each point on a migration
route would indicate the place that was once the ultimate goal of
the migrations of its ancestors.
Migrations to true oceanic islands are more difficult to explain
along these lines, but I do not think that they invalidate the
reasoning in any way. Migrating birds certainly have wonderful,
and as yet mysterious, senses of location and direction, and it is
not too much to say that a bird, once it has traveled a certain
journey, is usually able to find its way over the same path again.
A pair of birds have only to be storm-blown to one of these
isolated spots, breed there, and return with its progeny, to start a
tendency in their offspring to migrate to the same place again.
As long as the least tendency to an advantageous migration were
started, natural selection would confirm, increase, and fix the
habit firmly ; and along with this, the new senses, structures and
habits necessary to their accomplishment. It is unlikely, however,
that this type of migration could be started until after certain
powers and senses had been developed by migrations to other
localities. They must, therefore, be regarded as secondary move-
ments originally, though in some cases they have become now the
prime or only migrations of the species by the extermination of all
those individuals that adhered to the original routes.
The return movement in the fall is the same thing, nearly, as
VoliootXIl Taverner, The Origin of Migration. ^33
the spring migration, but reversed. The shortage in food, how-
ever, is not caused, except indirectly, when the first migrants
encroach upon those below them, by the increase of population,
but by the direct failure of the food supply. It is perfectly
evident that certain species must return south again, or stay and
surely starve. The total population, however, of any area, cannot
permanently remain greater than the number that can be sustained
through the season of least food supply. During the height of
the breeding season, there are many more birds than can be
carried through the winter in the restricted southern stations, and
if they are to return there again, the excess must be got rid of.
Many of them are killed off at a very tender age — probably the
great majority of them fail to survive the fledgling stage. Many
more, young and inexperienced, must perish when first they leave
the protecting influence of the parent's care. Others are bat-
tered about by the storms and destroyed by the perils incident to
the fall migration. The few surplus that remain are subjected to
a stricter and stricter process of selection as they reach more con-
gested areas ; and, in the end, the total population fits into its
place in the winter quarters, to the extreme limit of the sup-
porting powers of the land.
These migrations, in their earliest stages, must then have
originated in a conscious seeking for food — not special food, but
any food that would support them. Accidental wanderings taught
them where to find it, and experience suggested their return there
on the first approach of a stringency in the food supplies. In
course of time, the movement became habitual, and generations
of repetition rendered it instinctive. Instinct, having the same
relation to judgment as automatic machinery has to ordinary
mechanism, would be favored through natural selection ; and as
the birds acquired the peculiar powers necessary, migrations
assumed all the varied phenomena that they exhibit to-day.
334 Deane, Unpublished Extracts from Audubon's Journal. Llulv
EXTRACTS FROM AN UNPUBLISHED JOURNAL OF
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON.
BY RUTHVEN DEANE.
The Journal from which these extracts are taken, covers the
period from October 12, 1820, to December 30, 182 1. This
would have been included in ' Audubon and his Journals ' but un-
fortunately it did not fall into the hands of the author until more
than a year after this work had been completed and published.
I am under many obligations to Miss M. R. Audubon for the
privilege of publishing fourteen days of this diary, covering dates
between October 12, 1820, and November 25, 182 1. As there is
now but little unpublished Auduboniana, excepting family letters,
this portion of the Journal is of peculiar interest. It shows that
period of the great naturalist's life, eleven years before the publi-
cation of the first volume of his ' Ornithological Biography,' when,
without money and living where his talents were not appreciated,
he was making a fight in which few could have conquered under
similar conditions. To fully appreciate the ' Birds of America '
one must read the early life of the author.
From Audubon's Journal.
Oct. 12th, 1820 (On the Ohio). Shot an Autumnal Warbler1
as Mr. A. Wilson is pleased to designate the young of the Yellow
rumped Warbler ; this was a young male in beautiful plumage for
the season, and I drew it, as I feel perfectly convinced Mr. Wilson
has made an error in presenting the bird as a new species.
1 As is well known, Wilson's Autumnal Warbler {Sylvia autumnalis) is
the Bay-breasted Warbler {Dendroica castaned) or the Black-poll Warbler
{Dendroica striata), according to different authors, in first winter plumage,
while Audubon, detecting the fact that it was a young bird of a known spe-
cies, failed to identify it correctly. This was not at all strange, for at that
early date much had to be learned of the immature plumages of our birds.
I have good cause to state that some people are too ready to call Audubon
careless when it was not carelessness but ignorance, which was perfectly natu-
ral and excusable in those days, and which he had neither time nor opportu-
nity to correct until later.
°iqo4 J Dkane, Unpublished Extracts from Audubon's Journal. 3 3 S
Oct. 14th, 1820. We returned to our boat with a Wild Turkey,
a Telltale Godwit and a Hermit Thrush which was too much torn
to make a drawing of it ; this was the first time I had met with
this bird and I felt particularly mortified at its condition.
Nov. 2nd, 1820. Floated down slowly within two miles of Hen-
derson, I can scarcely conceive that I stayed there eight years
and passed therein comfortably, for it is undoubtedly on the poor-
est spot in the country, according to my present opinion.
Nov. 3rd, 1820. We left our harbor at daybreak and passed
Henderson about sunrise. I looked on the Mill1 perhaps for the
last time, and with thoughts that made my blood almost run cold,
bid it an eternal farewell.
Nov. 23rd, 1820. I saw two large Eagle's Nests, one of them
I remembered seeing as I went to New Orleans eighteen months
ago. It had been worked upon, and no doubt young were raised
in it. It is in a large cypress tree not very high, made of very
large dead sticks, and about eight feet in diameter.
New Orleans, Jan. 12th, 18 21. Early this morning I met an
Italian painter at the theatre. I took him to N. Berthoud's2
rooms and showed him the drawing of the White-headed Eagle.
He was much pleased took me to his painting apartment at the
theatre, then to the Directors, who very roughly offered me $100
per month to paint with Monsieur lTtalien. I believe really now
that my talents must be poor.
Jan. 13th, 1821. I rose up early tormented by many disagree-
able thoughts, again nearly without a cent, in a bustling city where
no one cares a fig for a man in my situation. I walked to Jarvis 3
the portrait painter and showed him some of my drawings. He
leaned down, and examined them minutely, but never said they
were good or bad ; merely that when he drew an Eagle he made
it resemble a Lion, and covered it with yellow feathers, or rather
hair, not feathers, curious speech. Some people entered and
1 The Grist Mill erected by Audubon and Bakewell was completed in 181 7
and still stands as a part of and adjoining the warehouse of Mr. David Clark,
and is used for the storage of leaf tobacco.
2 Nicholas Augustus Berthoud, brother-in-law of Audubon.
3 John Wesley Jarvis, a self-taught portrait painter, who lived in New
Orleans, Louisiana, in 1820-1821. Born 1780, died 1834.
33^ Deane, Unpublished Extracts from Audubon's Journal. Lhliv
were so well pleased with my Eagle that they praised it, and Jarvis
rudely whistled. I called him aside while Joseph [Mason]1 rolled
up my papers, and told him I had heard he required assistance to
finish his portraits, i.e., clothing and ground, and added that I
had received good lessons from excellent masters. He asked me
to come the next day and he would talk about it.
Jan. 14th, 1821. Called on Jarvis and did some work for him,
but was but poorly paid, and found him so discourteous I shall
not go again.
March 31st, 1821. I have spent my time these three days
more at thinking than anything else, and often indeed have I
thought my head very heavy. This morning I waited on Mr. Gor-
don2 with a wish to receive from him an amendment to my letter
to the President for all in my head is the Pacific expedition. I
called on Mr. Vanderlyn,3 the historical painter with my port
folio, to show him some of my birds, with a view to ask him for a
few lines of recommendation. He examined them attentively and
called them handsomely done, but being far from possessing any
knowledge of Ornithology or Natural History, I was quite satis-
fied he was no judge, but of their being better or worse shaded.
Yet he spoke of. the beautiful coloring and good positions, and
told me he would with pleasure give me a certificate of his having
inspected them. Are all men of talents fools and rude naturally,
or intentionally? I cannot assert, but have often thought they
were one or the other.
April gth, 1821. Saw many birds of which I made a list, there
are thirty-three. To see these in their haunts I was since half
past two o'clock this morning until five this afternoon, wading
often to my middle through the swamps, and then walking through
the thickest woods I believe I have ever seen. Here is my list :
1 Joseph Mason, son of a gentleman in Cincinnati, Ohio, of whom Audu-
bon writes in his Journal: "October 12, 1820. Left Cincinnati today with
Capt. Cummings and Joseph Mason, a youth about 18 years of age, he is
intended as a companion and friend as well as a pupil." He remained with
Audubon until July, 1822.
2 Alexander Gordon, a Scotchman, who married Ann Bakewell, youngest
sister of Mrs. John James Audubon.
3 John Vanderlyn, an historic painter, born 1776, died 23 September, 1852.
Vol. XXI
1904
Deane, Unpublished Extracts from Audubon 's Journal. 3^7
Mocking Birds, Orchard Orioles, Painted Buntings, Maryland
Yellow-throats, Marsh Wrens, Water Crake, White-crowned Bunt-
ings, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, Turtle Doves, Tell-tale
Godwits, Solitary Snipes, Bartram Snipes, Comorants, Sprig-tail
Ducks, Purple Grackles, Blue Yellow-backed Warblers, Cardi-
nal Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Large-crested Flycatchers,
White-eyed Flycatchers, Nighthawks, Turkey Buzzards, Carrion
Crows, Common Gulls, Carolina Wrens, Partridges, Cliff Swallow,
Barn Swallow, Green-blue Swallow,1 White-bellied Swallow, Bank
Swallow, besides a species of Heron new to me, and to all the
hunters here. I killed it near Lake Barataria. I have drawn it
in an awkward position.
Aug. 21st, 1821. Watched all night by the dead body of a
friend of Mrs. Percy2; he was not known to me and had literally
drunk himself to an everlasting sleep. Peace to his soul. I made
a good sketch of his head as a present for his poor wife. On
such occasions time flies very slow indeed, so much so that it
looked as if it stood still, like the Hawk that poises over its prey.
Nov. 2nd, 1821. Finished my drawings of the Crested Hawk,^
which proved a female. How rare the bird is I may not say be-
ing the only specimen I have ever seen, though I once before
found some tail feathers of another killed by a squatter on the
Ohio, which tail feathers having been kept compared exactly with
these of the present bird.
Nov. 10th, 1821. Continue my close application to my orni-
thology, writing every day from morning until night, omitting no
observation, correcting, re-arranging from my notes and measure-
ments, and posting up ; particularly all my land birds. The great
many errors I found in the work of Wilson astonished me. I try
to speak of them with care, and as seldom as possible, knowing
1 In 'Birds of America,' 8vo, Vol. I, 1840, p. 176, we read "Green-blue
or White-bellied Swallow, Hirundo viridis, Wils. Amer. Orn. Vol. Ill, p. 44."
This shows that Audubon knew that these names referred to the same spe-
cies and the enumerating of both in this list was evidently unintentional,
though written at an earlier date.
2 Mrs. Charles Percy of Bayou Sara, Louisiana, in whose home Audubon's
wife lived while he was abroad from 1826 to 1830.
3 No previous mention of this Hawk is recorded in this Journal.
338 Cooke, Eject of Altitude on Bird Migration. \av\
the good wish of that man, the hurry he was in, and the vast many
heresay accounts he depended on.
Nov. 25th, 1821. Since I left Cincinnati I have finished 62
drawings of birds and plants, 3 quadrupeds, 2 snakes, fifty por-
traits of all sorts, and the large one of Father Antonio, besides
giving many lessons and I have made out to send money to my
wife sufficient for her and my Kentucky lads, and to live in hum-
ble comfort with only my talents and industry, without one cent
to begin on.
THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON BIRD MIGRATION.
BY WELLS W. COOKE.
Surrounded by mountains, Asheville, North Carolina, is situ-
ated in the valley of the French Broad River, at an altitude of two
thousand feet. Directly east is Raleigh, at about three hundred
feet above ocean level. This difference in altitude causes quite a
difference in the climate of the two places; the average tempera-
ture at Raleigh is about 6o° F., while at Asheville it is five degrees
colder. The former is in the Austro-riparian life zone, the latter
at the extreme upper limit of the Carolinian. A difference in the
avifauna naturally follows these variations in climate. The higher
altitude of Asheville prevents some birds from occurring there that
are found in summer at Raleigh. Among these may be mentioned
the Chuck-wilPs-widow, Blue Grosbeak, and the Prothonotary War-
bler. In a larger number of cases, birds remain through the winter
at Raleigh that are seldom if ever found at Asheville during this
season. Examples of this class are the Swamp Sparrow, Chewink,
Brown Thrasher, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. These all appear
at Asheville as spring migrants.
A few mountain-loving species are regular visitors at Asheville,
but occur as rare stragglers only at Raleigh. The Baltimore
Oriole is a striking example, and the same preference is shown by
the Olive-sided Flycatcher and the Blackburnian Warbler.
Vol. XXI j Cooke, Effect of Altitude on Bird Migration. 339
As would be expected, spring migration is, on the whole, later
at Asheville than at Raleigh, and the voluminous records of the
Biological Survey furnish data for a quite exact statement of the
amount of variation in the times of arrival at the two places.
The late J. S. Cairns sent migration notes for the years 1890 to
1894, inclusive, from the town of Weaverville, ten miles distant
from Asheville ; Minot Davis recorded the dates of arrival of the
birds at Asheville in 1899, and W. M. Rackett the same data for
1902 at Weaverville. These seven years of observation furnish a
satisfactory basis for estimating the average dates of arrival in
this district. From C. S. Brimley, at Raleigh, the Biological
Survey has received a very full report on migration for eighteen
years, from 1885, the whole forming, probably, the largest amount
of migration data ever recorded by one person at any one locality
in the United States. With this amount of material at command,
the movements. of the birds at Raleigh can be ascertained with
great accuracy.
Twenty-one species of common birds arrive in the spring at
Raleigh, on the average, 3.6 days earlier than at Asheville, or one
day earlier for each 1.40 F. that Raleigh is warmer than Asheville.
Most of these birds were migrating during April, and for this
month the temperature of the two localities differs scarcely four
degrees. Therefore, it can be said that with reference to these
two localities spring migration is delayed one day for each degree
of cold. This relation, of course, would not hold good for other
localities, though the migration between Raleigh and Washington
is not much different. During April Raleigh averages six degrees
warmer than Washington, and the birds average eight days in
making the journey of the two hundred miles between the two
places, or one and a third days for each degree of temperature.
The trip from St. Louis to St. Paul is performed at a rate of about
a day and a half for each degree of difference in temperature.
These statements are the averages of such widely differing
quantities that they cannot be used to ascertain even approxi-
mately the time that any particular species requires in its passage
from one locality to another.
The following dates show how greatly the different species vary
in the time of their arrival at the two places, Raleigh and
Asheville.
34°
Cooke, Effect of Altitude on Bird Migration.
TAuk
Ljuly
Species.
Black and White Warbler
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Parula Warbler .
Rough-winged Swallow
Summer Warbler
Whip-poor-will
Ovenbird
Red-eyed Vireo .
Yellow-throated Vireo
Kingbird
Wood Thrush
Ruby-throated Hummer
Great Crested Flycatcher
Hooded Warbler
Summer Tanager
Catbird
Wood PewTee
Chat .
Indigo Bird • .
Black-poll Warbler
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Average
Average of the first seen.
Raleigh.
March 26
" 26
April 9
11
13
14
" 15
" 15
" 17
17
18
18
18
" 20
" 20
" 24
" 24
28
May 3
" -.
April 17
Asheville.
April 2
March 28
April 16
14
15
18
20
26
21
24
19
u
a
u
it
a
a
a
a
u
a
a
a
a
a
u
20
20
2 2
20
29
26
" 30
May 5
A
April 21
Difference.
Days.
3-6
In addition there are three species that move much more
slowly ; the Yellow-throated Warbler appears at Raleigh March
26 and is not seen at Asheville until April 21, a difference of 26
days. The corresponding dates for the Maryland Yellow-throat
are March 30 and April 18, a difference of 19 days. For the
White-eyed Vireo the times of arrival are April 2 and April 15, a
difference of 13 days. These three are all early migrants, and it
is true in general that the earlier a species moves northward in
the spring the slower will be its average daily advance. All three
find near Asheville their highest extension into the mountains, and
it is possible that this fact may account for their delayed arrival.
Though when birds are migrating in a level country the opposite
is true, — they migrate more rapidly as they approach the northern
limit of their range.
The most interesting phase of the comparison of migration at
the two localities is connected with the time of arrival of the
following species:
Vol. XXI]
1904 J
Eaton, Spring Bird Migration, 1903.
341
Species.
Average of the first seen.
Difference.
Raleigh.
Asheville.
Days.
Solitary Vireo ....
Worm-eating Warbler
Scarlet Tanager.
Black -throated Blue Warbler .
Rose-breasted Grosbeak .
March 26
April 24
" 28
" 28
May 2
March 10
April 20
" 20
" 24
" 23
16
4
8
4
9
Each of these species appears at Asheville, in the mountains,
before being seen at Raleigh, on the plains. The probable expla-
nation of this anomaly is that each of these species breeds com-
monly at Asheville, and rarely or never at Raleigh. There is
here a striking and unexpected exemplification of the rule that the
southernmost breed i?ig birds constitute the van in spring migration.
While the present sum of knowledge is not sufficient to warrant
the statement that this rule is universal, and very likely further
investigation will show some exceptions, yet the above facts furnish
strong evidence in its favor.
SPRING BIRD MIGRATIONS OF 1903.
BY ELON HOWARD EATON.
Bird migration is a very elusive subject. At least we have
found it so in western New York, after trying for years to deter-
mine its times and seasons, bird routes and isopiptoses, causes and
results. Even if one could be everywhere all the while at the same
time, it would be difficult to run down the last factor in this com-
plex problem. Meanwhile we are after facts.
The writer has been greatly disappointed to find how imperfect
are the records of observers in determining the presence of a bird
at any given station, rendering it almost impossible to draw cor-
rectly the lines of simultaneous arrival. Consequently at Roches-
1^.2 Eaton, Spring Bird Migration, 1903. j~A^k
ter we have taken the observations of several workers at the same
time, and thereby seek to determine the true time of arrival and
degree of abundance of each species. It is quite surprising at our
weekly meetings to learn that some common bird has been in the
environs of the city for four or five days, perhaps, before many of
us have seen it at all. By comparing and verifying observations
we get much closer to the real facts.
Without burdening any one with a mass of detail, we wish to
present some of the conclusions which have been reached as the
result of observations made near Rochester during the spring of
1903.
First, regarding the yearly migration of hawks, it has been con-
firmed that an incredible number of these birds pass each spring
along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and move toward the
east over the country south of the lake, evidently making their way,
around its eastern end, toward the north. The height of the mi-
gration occurs during the latter part of April and the first week in
May. The birds are mostly Sharp-shinned and Broad-winged
Hawks. A sprinkling of Marsh and Pigeon Hawks is always pres-
ent, but surprisingly few of the Cooper's Hawk when its general
abundance in many parts of the State is considered. It also seems
unusual, at a time when Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks are
nesting in western New York, to see many of these species also,
soaring high in the air and wheeling towrard the east. This is not
like the spring soaring of the Buteos over their nesting woods.
Many are often seen together or in the same field of view and, as
far as I have noticed on these occasions, they are absolutely silent,
and when one party has passed off the scene another appears going
in the same direction. Thus there is a constant whirling stream
passing over, sometimes during the greater part of the day. When
the wind is high the Hawks fly low, with less circling. The Sharp-
shinned species flies lowest of all, and even in calm fair days, when
Buteos are circling almost out of sight, this hawk moves mostly
within gunshot. One morning at least one hundred of these birds
passed over a single observer within two hours, and on another
occasion we saw twenty-five of this species lying in one pile back
of the little hotel on Buck Pond, where the proprietor had been
trying his marksmanship after breakfast.
Vol. XXI
1904
Eaton, Spring Bird Migration, 1903. 343
The writer was surprised to learn how many of these migrants
are Broad-winged Hawks, but they were certainly a conspicuous
part of the procession, from the 21st of April to the 17th of May.
We were again reminded of this fact while spending the month of
August near Lake Restoule in Canada, where the Sharp-shinned
and Broad-winged Hawks were the commonest of the family.
None of this latter species breeds about Rochester, and it is either
of irregular distribution or much more a bird of the Northern For-
ests than we had previously supposed.
During the spring of 1903 there was a striking scarcity of some
birds which are usually very common at our station. Among this
number may be placed all warblers with the exception of the
Myrtle Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Redstart.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was not more than one-fourth as
abundant as in the preceding year ; the White-throated Sparrow
much less abundant than usual, and the Baltimore Oriole was, per-
haps, sparingly represented.
Among the birds which were noted as unusually common were
the Crested Flycatcher, Phcebe, Purple Finch, Junco, Indigo Bird,
Yellow-throated Vireo, House Wren, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, and Bluebird. The last-named species was certainly three
times as abundant as in any spring since 1895. As many as
twenty-seven of these birds were noticed in a single flock during
the latter part of March. Their notes were everywhere heard
along the roadside as one journeyed about the country.
The most peculiar feature of the spring migration of 1903 was
the striking manner in which the general relationship between
weather and bird waves was illustrated. During the third week
in March a remarkably warm wave brought us the Phcebe and the
Great Blue Heron on the 20th, at least a full week ahead of time ;
while the Robins, Bluebirds, Grackles, Blackbirds, and Meadow-
larks, which had first appeared early in the month, became very
common. Then as April progressed the season seemed to halt
and falter. Although the average temperature was as high as
usual, there was no decided warm wave. The early flowers came
on in due time, but the leaving out of the trees was slow. April
29th found the shadbush just coming into bloom. On May 10 the
foliage of the maples was about half out. Beeches, hornbeams,
344 Eaton, Spring Bird Migration, igoj. [julv
and ash trees were just bursting the leaf buds. On May 12 apple
orchards were in the height of bloom. But no great migration
wave had reached us. Nearly all the May migrants were from
four to nine days behind time. Twenty-five observers from the
Bird Section of the Rochester Academy of Science were scouring
the fields and groves, eager to make a full record of the migrations
at our station. The birds did not escape us unless they did it at
night. The nearest thing to a migration wave came on the 3rd of
May when forty-eight species of birds, including five species of
warblers, were seen by a single observer. These species were not
all new arrivals, but many of them were. A southerly wind had
prevailed throughout the preceding day and evening, but ended in
cool, lowering weather. Two nights before ice had frozen one-
fourth of an inch in thickness.
In 1902 the greatest bird wave of the season likewise occurred
on the 3rd of May, when the same observer above referred to re-
corded seventy-five species of birds, including nineteen species of
warblers. That, however, was a perfect day, warm and sunny, fol-
lowing a low cyclonic center moving from the southwest and cul-
minating in a shower during the night. During the warbler season
of 1903 there was no decided southwest cyclonic storm and no
remarkable warbler wave. All concomitants of the season con-
spired to retard and dissipate any wave of migrants in early May.
No warm southwest wind swept them upon us. The gradual
unfolding of the leaves furnished no sudden opportunities of shel-
ter and insect food. The nights, being uniformly clear and free
from storms, did not compel the migrating hosts to halt in our
territory. The northern species which came to us were only those
which were induced to stop for rest and food as they leisurely pur-
sued the journey toward their breeding grounds. The result of
all of these causes was a gradual and uninterrupted stream of mi-
gration with little dash and rush and concentration.
These facts tend to show that the shyer, foliage inhabiting birds
travel largely on the crests of warm waves advancing from the
south, and as in western New York these waves usually come from
the southwest, it is undoubtedly true that our birds mostly come
from that direction. It is not true that birds migrate o?ily with the
aid of favoring winds ; nor when the weather gets warm enough to
V°! 04XI1 Allen, Megalestris vs. Catharacta. UC
be grateful to their sensibilities ; nor at night, coming to the earth
when the rain or storm overtakes them ; nor when a certain kind
of food first makes its appearance. Nevertheless all these factors
doubtless enter into the problem. Certainly there is a sudden in-
crease of foliage-hunting insects when the leaves unfold. The foli-
age unfolds when the heat, moisture, and sunshine become favorable.
Insectivorus, foliage-inhabiting birds would show little adaptation
to their environments if they did not attend the feast spread for
them. The food, protection, and grateful temperature are there all
at the same time. The birds are there also as sure as the unfold-
ing of leaves follows the advent of springtime, and the increase of
insects accompanies the unfolding of the leaves, and the predacious
insects the development of their prey. Thus natural selection
has finally evolved a large number of species of birds with migra-
tory habits.
THE CASE OF MEGALESTRIS VS. CATHARACTA.
BY J. A. ALLEN.
It is claimed by Mr. Franz Poche in the ' Ornithologische
Monatsberichte ' for February, 1904 (Jahrg. XII, No. 2, p. 23),
that the name Catharacta Briinnich, 1764, should replace Megales-
tris Bonaparte, 1856, on the ground of priority, and that Briin-
nich's name should be orthographically improved to stand as
Catarracta. As this name has, by different authors, been used
for several different groups and spelled in many different ways,
its history has, in the present connection, considerable interest.
It appears to have been first used, in what may be considered a
generic sense, by the pre-Linnaean author Moehring in 1752, and
in a subsequent edition of his work issued by Nozeman and Vos-
maer in 1758. There is necessarily no reference in either edition
of Moehring's work to the tenth edition of Linnoeus's ' Systema
Naturae,' even the second edition being essentially prior to the
beginning of the binomial system. Also, Moehring was not a bi-
7J.6 Allen, Megalestris vs. Catharacta. [""jill*
nomialist. His form of the word was Cataractes, and it was used
for the genus of Guillemots now currently known as Uria.
It was next employed by Brisson in 1760, as Catarractes,
for the ' Gorfou ' {Phaethon demersus Linn.), a Penguin, now
known as Catarractes chrysocome ; and this constitutes the only
tenable application of the name. In 1764 the same word, in
the form Catharacta, was used in a generic sense by Brunnich
for the Skuas. He refers in a footnote to the fact that Brisson
had previously made use of the name as a generic designation
for Phaetho7i demursus Linn. (= Catarractes chrysocome auct., but
which should stand as Catarractes demursus ex Linn.1), but
adopts it, notwithstanding, for the Skua Gull because he thinks
the name as used by the old authors referred to this bird. It-
should be noted that he renders Brisson's name, in this connec-
tion, with an //, — Catharractes, — further evidence that the two
names are simply variants of the same word, the Cataracta of
Pliny. The following is a list of some of the variants of it which
have been used by different systematic writers :
Cataracta Retzius, 1800; Bonap., 1838, 1856, etc.
Catarracta Pallas, 181 1; Leach, 1819; Poche, 1904.
Catharacta Brunnich, 1764.
Catharractes Brunnich, 1764.
Cataractes Moehring, 1752; Fleming, 1819; Gray, 1841.
Catarractes Brisson, 1760; Gray, 1846; Bryant, 1861.
Catarhactes Brandt, 1847.
Catarrachtes Hombr. & Jacq., 1841 ; Ogilvie-Grant, 1898.
As to the generic name of the Skuas, it cannot be Cataracta,
nor Catarracta, nor Cataractes, nor Catharacta, each of which has
been used for them, as all are preoccupied by Catarractes Brisson,
which also has several variants, for a genus of Penguins ; all are
merely variants of an original Cataracta used by Pliny and other
early authors for some apparently unidentifiable large oceanic bird.
Catharacta Brunnich, were it otherwise tenable, is a synonym
1 The name demersus appears to have been rejected for this species on
account of a previous Diomedea demersa Linn. = Spheniscus demersus auct.
mod. ; but as Phaethon demersus Linn, and Diomedea demersa Linn, refer to
species belonging to different genera, there is no reason why the specific
name demersa is not tenable for both.
Vol. XXI
1904
Allen, Megalestris vs. Catharacta. 347
of Stercorarius Brisson, which he intended it to replace, as shown
by his citation of Brisson, although he included in it the Skua
Gull, left in Larus by Brisson. His first species is Catharacta
skua, and his second, C. cepphus, which he figured, including
structural details, which thus renders it properly the type of
Catharacta}
Brisson (1764) founded the genus Stercorarius for the Jaegers,
but left the Skuas in Larus. Illiger in 181 1 proposed Lestris for
the Jaegers and Skuas, citing both Catharacta Briinnich and Ster-
corarius Brisson, but recent authorities agree in considering Les-
tris a synonym of Stercorarius. Coues in 1863 adopted the name
Buphagus for the Skuas, taking it from Moehring, 1752, but sub-
sequently abandoned it, Moehring's names being pre-Linnaean
and hence not available.
The first tenable generic name for the Skua Gulls is thus Mega-
lestris Bonaparte, 1856, as now currently recognized.
The case of Megalestris vs. Catharacta temptingly offers a text
for further remarks on general questions here involved. Catha-
racta presents a good example of the results of emendation, for
whether used as a generic name for Penguins, Guillemots, or
Skuas, the word occurs in several forms in each case, while the
same form is found applied to more than one of the generic
groups, the form employed varying with the preferences of the
authors using the word. The forms Catharacta, Cataracta, Catar-
racta, Cataractes, and Catarhactes have, for example, all been ap-
plied to the Skuas, and also catarrhactes in a specific sense. As
cases like this are frequent in zoological nomenclature, it is mani-
festly best to employ only the original form, even if faulty, and to
apply the rule of priority to the forms of names as well as to the
names themselves. Further, it is emphatically evident that of
variants of the same word only the form having priority should be
available, while all the others should be rejected.
^he ' Code of Botanical Nomenclature,' prepared by a Nomenclature Com-
mission of the Botanical Club of the American Association for the Advance-
ment of Science, has been published since this article was sent to the printer
(see notice of this Code in 'Recent Literature'), in which, under Canon 15,
which deals with the selection of a nomenclatorial type of a genus or subgenus,
it is provided : " (b) A figured species is to be selected [as the type] rather
than an unfigured species in the same work."
"2,4.8 Allen, Megalestris vs. Catharacta. Chli*
On* the other hand, names closely similar in form but known to
be different etymologically and in significance, as Pints and Pica,
Simia and Simias, should be accepted, but knowingly to add to
the list of such names must be considered highly undesirable.
Such cases are fortunately few, and afford no support for the re-
cently proffered ' one-letter ' rule, which would admit any number
of literal variants of the same word, even where they fall not only
into the same class of animals but even into the same family, as
sometimes happens. Even the most strenuous supporters of this
innovation are compelled to admit exceptions to its uniform appli-
cation ; and among those who accept it in a modified sense there
is lack of agreement as to where the limit should be placed. The
' one-letter ' rule would not only admit variants due to gender end-
ings {cf Poche, /. c.1), but to different connecting vowels in com-
pound words, the use or non-use of the aspirate in certain classes
of words of Greek origin, the use of / or //, r or rr in many words,
the use interchangeably of i and y, etc. Some who reject differ-
ences in gender endings as insufficient differentiation, like Chlo-
rurus and Chlorura, admit differentiation due to the use of a
different connecting vowel, as in Contopus and Contipas. It seems
therefore more conducive to uniformity to maintain the usages of
the A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature in treating as homo-
nyms all variants of the same word, as is generally the custom
among naturalists at large, and also exclude emendations, and
take names as first proposed by their originators, even if some-
times obviously faulty in construction, and extend, as already said,
the rule of priority to the forms of names as well as to the names
themselves.
1 Many cases can be cited where the same generic name has been used in
all three genders by the same author in the same work or paper, or in differ-
ent papers within a short period of time. On this point see Palmer (Index
Gen. Mamm., 1904, p. 28) on the case of Pogonias. See also the same author
(/. c, p. 23) on ' emendations.'
V°!9£XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 349
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE
UPPER PECOS.
BY FLORENCE MERRIAM BAILEY.1
In 1883 Mr. H. W. Henshaw and Mr. E. W. Nelson spent
three months in New Mexico, on the Upper Pecos River which
cuts through the southern end of the Rocky Mountains between
the desert valley of the Rio Grande on the west and the high
plains of the Rocky Mountain plateau on the east. Their camp,
which, as Mr. Henshaw says, was the focus of their operations,
was only a few miles north of a road that is now being made
across the mountains connecting Santa Fe and Las Vegas. The
bird notes taken during their stay were published in ' The Auk '
under the title, 'List of Birds observed in Summer and Fall on
the Upper Pecos River, New Mexico,'2 but as their observations
were restricted to an area of five square miles, more extended
work in the region was left, as Mr. Henshaw explains, for "the
labors of future investigators."
While engaged in Biological Survey work last summer, Mr.
Bailey and I crossed from the Staked Plains to the southern end
of the Rocky Mountains and spent six weeks on the Pecos Forest
Reserve, following the Pecos Canon through the section covered
by Mr. Henshaw's notes (his camp was located at 7800 feet),
packing up the mountains to the actual sources of the river, and
climbing to the summits of Pecos Baldy, and the Truchas Peaks
which, at an altitude of over 13,300 feet, mark the vertical faunal
terminus of the region. As we entered the Pecos Canon from the
south on July 11, and after working up to the peaks left it again
on August 24, we did not see the later migrants recorded by
Mr. Henshaw, and since the bird work was only a part of the
general biological work to be done, we, in turn, had to leave much
to 'future investigators.' The species that we added to Mr.
Henshaw's list were mainly Upper Sonoran foothill birds or those
1 Published with the permission of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief of the
Biological Survey.
* ' The Auk, ' II, 1885, pp. 326-333 ; III, 1886, pp. 73-80.
3 CO Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. \_Hly
of the Hudsonian and Alpine zones found on or near the peaks.
By reason of our more extended vertical work we were able to
throw new light on the distribution of the species noted by Mr.
Henshaw, fixing altitudes, and in some instances correcting
inferences.
As the mountains are pointed with peaks reaching up to twelve
or thirteen thousand feet, they attract abundant rains and are
supplied with innumerable glacial lakes and streams, and con-
sequently afford a rich vegetation and a wealth of insect life,
which, in turn, support a numerically rich avifauna. Vertically
the mountains offer congenial homes for a wide range of species,
as they include, from the foothills to the peaks, the Upper
Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, Hudsonian, and Alpine zones,
with their characteristic trees from low pinones and junipers
through yellow pines, spruces and firs, dwarf timberline pines and
firs, dwarf willows fruiting at three inches, and finally on the
peaks, dense mats of arctic plants. Correlated with the floral
zones the birds range from Upper Sonoran Pifion Jays to Alpine
Pipits and, in rare instances, Ptarmigan. Species like the Vesper
Sparrow and Horned Lark, unusual mountain birds, find suitable
homes on the broad, treeless, grassy mesas that, lying above ten
thousand feet, extend for miles along the range, for, at this
southern end the range is already beginning to broaden out into
the Rocky Mountain plateau.
The exact locality covered by our list of birds is the core of the
extreme southern end of the Rocky Mountains, that is, the north
and south section drained by the Pecos River, specifically from
the source of the Pecos at the foot of the Truchas Peaks south-
ward to the mouth of the Pecos Canon at the village of Pecos. To
this is added an east and west section seven miles along the foot-
hills on the lower edge of the Transition zone, from Pecos to
Glorieta, where the Glorieta divide, on the Santa Fe' R. R.,
separates the drainage of the Rio Grande from that of the Pecos
River.
The foothill notes in the list that follows were made before
entering the mountains, while the mountain list was made, as
stated above, between July n and August 24, 1903.
Voli'<^4XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 35 I
Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — Two families of young were
found at 8000 feet in the Transition zone where Mr. Henshaw found
breeding birds. One brood left the nest on July 15, the other probably a
week later. An adult male in beautiful, fresh winter plumage was shot
on August 15 by the lake at the foot of Pecos Baldy, at 11,600 feet, and
another, August 24, on the Pecos at 7200 feet.
Dendragapus obscurus. Dusky Grouse. — Grouse were found through-
out the Canadian and Hudsonian zones, but the total number seen by our
party during the month that we were in their country was only eleven
cocks, nine hens, and six small broods of young. As the birds are sup-
posed to lay from seven to ten eggs and the number of young attributed
to four out of the six broods seen was respectively one, two, three, and
four, we surmised that the severe mountain hailstorms had depleted the
families. Near our camp at the foot of Pecos Bald}', Mr. Bailey discov-
ered a winter roosting tree of the grouse. The tree was on a sheltered part
of the wooded slope and was so densely branched that after a prolonged
rain the ground beneath was perfectly dry. The earth was strewn with
winter droppings, composed entirely of leaves of conifers. Conifer
needles had also been eaten by three of the grouse that were taken, under
our collecting permit, in July and August, but at this season the birds
were living principally on such fresh food as strawberries, bearberries
{Arctostaphylos uvaursa), shepherdia berries, flowers of the lupine and
paint brush, seeds, green leaves, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, and other
insects. One crop contained twenty-seven strawberries, twenty-eight
bearberries, and twelve shepherdia berries, besides flowers, leaves, and
insects, while the accompanying gizzard was filled with seeds, green
leaves, and insects.
Lagopus leucurus altipetens. Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan.
— A cattleman and one of the range riders of the Reserve both reported
having seen a few ptarmigan in previous seasons on the highest peaks,
but although Pecos Baldy (12,600 feet) was climbed seven times by differ-
ent members of our party and Truchas (13,300 feet) three times, our
anxious search for the birds Avas not rewarded. It must be said, however,
that on several of our ascents the wind was blowing a gale that would
have driven most birds to cover. As this is the extreme southern limit
of the Alpine zone in the Rocky Mountain system, and as there is a break
of approximately thirty or forty miles in the Hudsonian zone between
the high peaks of the Pecos Mountains and the Taos Mountains thirty or
forty miles farther north, the range sweeping down to 9300 feet in the
lower Canadian zone at Taos Pass, it is hardly to be expected that ptar-
migan would be abundant on this isolated southern extremity of the
range. There are, however, undoubtedly a few of the birds on the south-
ernmost of the high peaks. At the southern end of the gap in the Hud-
sonian zone, the game warden told us, eleven years ago he found two
of the ptarmigan near Mora Pass at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet.
We did not succeed in finding any of the birds, however, even in the Taos
352 Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. \\$l
Mountains north of the pass, but, convinced that they must be there, Mr.
Bailey, on leaving an assistant, McClure Surber, to collect in the region
during the winter months, gave him special instructions to hunt for
ptarmigan. The last of January Mr. Surber made a two days' snowshoe
trip around the high peaks in the neighborhood of Gold Hill, where the
snow had thawed and frozen until, as he said, "the surface crust was
more slippery than ice." Here he finally discovered a flock of ptarmigan.
One of the birds separated itself from the flock and led him up near the
top of the peak, to about 12,500 feet he thought, when it lit within
shooting distance. In describing it Mr. Surber says, "I was standing
on an ice-covered boulder and just as I got a bead on it one of my feet
slipped and in trying to save myself I dropped my gun. For a wonder
the bird did n't fly, but my gun was about thirty feet below me and I
didn't dare wait to get it. So pulling my revolver I fired and killed the
ptarmigan." The specimen which, as Mr. Surber remarks, is a "good one
in spite of the bullet," is a male in beautiful winter plumage and is now
in the Biological Survey collection substantiating the previously vague
reports of ptarmigan in New Mexico.
Meleagris gallopavo merriami. Merriam Turkey. — For Colorado,
Mr. Drew gives the breeding range of the turkey as 7000 feet, but in Mr.
Mitchell's list of the birds of San Miguel County, New Mexico, he states
that they are "common from 8000 feet to timberline." In the Pecos
Mountains we were told that they were still common at 11,000 feet, but
by the time we reached that altitude, as the game warden explained, they
were probably on their way down the mountains. At all events, only
four were seen by our party. Mr. Vilas, a cattleman of the country, told
us that in the fall they go down to the nut pine and juniper mesas in the
Glorieta region and, gathering at the few springs that furnish drinking
places, are shot by wagon loads by the Mexicans. The only specimen we
obtained was taken July 27 at over 11,000 feet. Its crop and gizzard held
mainly grasshoppers and crickets, but also grass seed, mariposa lily buds,
and strawberries, while its gizzard contained in addition a few beetles.
Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. — Mr. Henshaw found the
pigeons feeding on elderberries and acorns, but in the scarcity of acorns
last summer there were few pigeons. Less than a dozen were seen by us
in the mountains, though it must be said that we did not do much work
in their section. All but two of those seen were at about 10,000 feet on
the upper edge of the Transition zone, the others being at 11,400 feet,
evidently only flying over. The only specimen secured had nothing but
insects, mainly grasshoppers, in its gizzard.
Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — The unmistakable voices of
Mourning Doves were heard at Glorieta on July 8.
Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — Mr. Henshaw reported the Vul-
ture as common, but we saw only a few of the birds, and most of these at
11,000 feet, when the mammalogists were running a line of meat-baited
traps.
V0li'£XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 353
Accipiter cooped. Cooper Hawk. — One was seen near Glorieta on
Jul j 4 flying with a small mammal in its claws.
Buteo borealis calurus. Western Red-Tail. — Red-tailed Buteos were
seen about our camps at 8000 and 11,000 feet.
Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. — Several eagles were observed
over the highest peaks. A young one was seen soaring over Pecos Baldy
August 18, the white base of its tail showing brilliantly in the sun.
Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — Two or three Bald Eagles
were reported at about 8000 feet on the Pecos August 20.
Falco mexicanus. Prairie Falcon. — A Falcon that Mr. Bailey took
to be the Prairie was seen August 14 beating up against a storm, attempt-
ing to round the peak of Pecos Baldy.
Falco sparverius phalcena. Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Near Glorieta
a pair of Sparrow Hawks were feeding young inside a cottonwood knot-
hole on July 8. Of the few individuals noted in the mountains one was
seen August 11 flying over Truchas Peak (13,300 feet) and another Au-
gust 13 flying over Pecos Baldy (12,600 feet). Twice the hawks were seen
disputing with Clarke Crows, once at our Hudsonian camp when the hawk
and nutcracker took turns chasing each other out of camp.
Bubo virginianus pallescens. Western Horned Owl. — The remains
of a Horned Owl were found near Glorieta and the birds were heard at
8000 and 11,000 feet, while a feather of one was found halfway up the
peak of Pecos Baldy.
Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. — Mr. Henshaw states that although
several kingfishers were seen along the Pecos in the fall they did not
breed in the locality, but we found them on the Pecos July 11 and 16 at
an altitude of about 7800 and 8000 feet.
Dryobates villosus monticola. Rocky Mountain Hairy Wood-
pecker.— Hairy Woodpeckers were noted at different altitudes, from 7400
feet on the lower edge of the Transition zone to 11,600 feet in the Hud-
sonian zone. The gizzard of a young male shot was full of hard-bodied
insects. At 1 1,600 feet on August 15 a family of grown young were going
about feeding themselves, calling and drumming. In watching them
the red crown patches of the young were so conspicuous as they turned
their heads in pecking at the bark that they suggested a possible advan-
tage as recognition marks. Does a parent coming with grubs distinguish
its son from its mate a tree away by the red crown? It is certainly a con-
venient mark from the foot of the tree.
Picoides arcticus dorsalis. Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker. — A
pair of Three-toed Woodpeckers were feeding young about our Hudsonian
camp at 11,600 feet August 14. An old male and one of the brood were
seen on the same tree, the young one picking about for itself while its
parent dug larvce out of the live bark and fed them to it. A young Dryo-
bates flew down while they were enjoying the meal and finally succeeded
in driving them off, although they scolded angrily as they went. The
stomachs of two adults and one young were full of the larvae of tree
insects.
354 Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. [£j»k
Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis. Red-naped Sapsucker. — Nuchalis was
seen on the Pecos in the Transition zone at 8000 feet.
Sphyrapicus thyroideus. Williamson Sapsucker. — A pair of thyroi-
deus, collected at about 8000 feet, had their stomachs full of ants. The
highest altitude at which the birds were seen was 9500 feet.
Melanerpes formicivorus. Ant-eating Woodpecker. — A single indi-
vidual was reported near Glorieta about July 8.
Colaptes cafer collaris. Red-shafted Flicker. — Flickers were fairly
common in the mountains from 7400 to 11,600 feet, where we found a pair
feeding young nearly ready to fly on August 16. The adults were then
calling vociferously. At 11,000 feet an old bird was feeding full grown
young, out of the nest, August 6. At 13,000 feet, in a protected timberline
alcove on the south side of Truchas, a flicker was seen on August 11 with
a party of migrants.
Phalsenoptilus nuttallii. Poor-will. — A Poor-will was heard at dusk
near Glorieta early in July.
Chordeiles virginianus henryi. Western Nighthawk. — Nighthawks
were heard booming near Glorieta about July 8.
Aeronautes melanoleucus. White-throated Swift. — A single swift
was seen flying over the top of Pecos Baldy on July 31. In San Miguel
County, Mr. Mitchell says, it is "not common." "Breeds in cliffs during
May from 8000 feet to timberline."
Selasphorus platycercus. Broad-tailed Hummingbird. — The Broad-
tail was fairly common from 7000 feet at Glorieta to 11,600 feet at the foot
of Pecos Baldy, where numbers were seen as late as August 16. Others
were noted the second week in August flying over the saddle of Pecos
Baldy at 12,000 feet, at timberline on Truchas at 12,300 feet, and going
over the peak of Baldy at 12,600 feet. The throat of one shot was full of
honey and long-tailed, wasp-like insects. On August 25 two young platy-
cercus were taken from a flock of hummingbirds three miles south of Pecos
in the juniper and pinon pine belt.
Selasphorus rufus. Rufous Hummingbird. — The large numbers of
hummingbirds recorded by Mr. Henshaw were absent from the section of
the mountains that we visited. On July 25 we made an eight mile horse-
back trip to secure a pair that Mr. Bailey had located at some flowering
spirea and holodiscus bushes at 10,200 feet. Later on we found the birds
as high as 12,600 feet, above timberline, on Truchas Peak, and saw one
flash across the saddle of Baldy at 12,000 feet. The species does not occur
at all in Mr. Mitchell's list of the birds of San Miguel County, which in-
dicates at least that it is not abundant on the east slope of the range in
this region. The only large gathering of hummingbirds that we encoun-
tered was on August 25 at the southern base of the mountains, three miles
south of Pecos. Here a patch of thistles in the bottom of a dry wash had
attracted about thirty hummingbirds of various species. As they were
nearly all females or young we could not tell what they were, but there
was one adult male rufus, and young of platycercus and calliope were both
taken.
V°lg£XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 355
Stellula calliope. Calliope Hummingbird. — Two specimens were se-
cured during the summer, one at 11,000 feet on August 8, and one three
miles south of Pecos on August 25.
Tyrannus vociferans. Cassin Kingbird. — Reports of vociferans were
brought us by McClure Surber from Glorieta on July 8, and from 8000
feet on August 19.
Myiarchus cinerascens. Ash-throated Flycatcher. — In the juniper
belt near Glorieta Myiarchus was found about July 8.
Sayornis saya. Say Phosbe. — On August 14 Mr. Bailey found a Say
Phoebe on an open ridge at 12,000 feet, where Afyadestes, Anthus, and
Otocoris had been found previously. At Glorieta one had been seen
around an adobe about July 8.
Nuttallornis borealis. Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Nuttallornis was
found in the Canadian and Hudsonian zones from Willow Creek at 7800
feet to the foot of Pecos Baldy at 11,600 feet, its familiar call often coming
from the tip of a picea spire.
Contopus richardsonii. Western Wood Pewee. — Richardsonii was
seen in the Transition zone from 7000 to 8000 feet.
Empidonax difncilis. Western Flycatcher. — Common from 8000
to 11,000 feet, evidently breeding at 11,000 feet on July 15. Mr. Henshaw
saw young accompanied by the parents July 19, and on Jack Creek, at
11,000 feet, Mr. Bailey found a nest containing four young on August 5.
Otocoris alpestris leucolaema. Desert Horned Lark. — At least half
a dozen Horned Larks, among them full grown young, were found with
a band of Pipits on a broad open slope at 12,000 feet. They were dis-
covered on July 28, on our first visit to timberline, and found in the same
place a number of times afterwards. Two specimens were secured which
Mr. Oberholser identified as leucolcema.
Pica pica hudsonia. Black-billed Magpie. — Four magpies and
three or four ravens were seen August 6 sitting on a corral on the open
mesa at 10,400 feet. The carcass of a cow was evidently the attraction
and the ravens were trying to drive off the magpies when discovered.
On being disturbed the birds all flew off down into the timber.
Cyanocitta stelleri diademata. Long-crested Jay. — Cyanocitta was
found from the lower edge of the Transition zone yellow pines through
the firs and spruces of the Canadian zone, but at 11,000 feet it was largely
replaced by Perisoreus. At 7000 feet, near Glorieta, about July 8, a
family of six were seen going around together. At 8000 feet, on July 16,
an old jay brought its brood into the bushes on the edge of camp,
running out into the grass a few yards from our tent to pick strawberries
for them. On August 21, at the same altitude, we found another pair of
jays going about with their young.
Aphelocoma woodhousei. Woodhouse Jay. — On the Pecos zvood-
housei was found as high as 7000 feet, for although the cold slopes of the
canon walls are pineclad at this altitude, the warm slopes are covered
with Upper Sonoran junipers and nut pines.
356
Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. \P\^
Ljuly
Perisoreus canadensis capitalis. Rocky Mountain Jay. — Perisoreus
was common from 11,000 to 11,600 feet. At n,ooofeet a family of young
was found out of the nest on July 23, and on August 4 a full grown young
one was caught in a meat trap. Two old birds were also caught in traps
baited for martins and foxes, although the traps were partly covered up
in the daytime to protect the jays. At this camp the birds stopped only
as they went by and did not come within several rods of camp. When
we moved up to the foot of Pecos Baldy, however, camping among the
dwarf spruces of the Hudsonian zone, the jays flocked around us, joining
us at meals with characteristic fearlessness. The only wild food that we
saw them eat was toadstool. On our way down the mountains, August
17, we found Perisoreus as low as io,Soo feet, near the junction of the
Canadian and Transition zones.
Corvus corax sinuatus. American Raven. — A family of ravens was
seen near Glorieta July 10, and another at the foot of Pecos Baldy, 11,600
feet, on July 23. Other ravens were seen flying over the peak. At our
11,000 foot camp sinuatus, like the jays and vultures, was attracted by the
line of meat baited traps, going so far as to spring some of them and take
the bait.
Corvus americanus. Crow. — -Although Mr. Henshaw thought the
Crows did not breed at this altitude, a few were seen on the Pecos near
El Macho, at 7200 feet, and on July 16 two or three families were noted
five or six miles above El Macho at about 7600 feet, squawking young
being led about by their parents.
Nucifraga columbiana. Clarke Nutcracker. — At our Canadian
zone camp a few nutcrackers stopped in the treetops to inspect us in
passing, but at our Hudsonian camp they came familiarly for food with
the Rocky Mountain Jays. While not so tame as Perisoreus they would
come within two or three rods of us. They abounded at this level and
frequented the dwarf pines near timber^ine above us. One of the birds
wras seen shooting down over the top of Pecos Baldy in characteristic
fashion. In the woods two of the nutcrackers were seen by Mr. Bailey
running up and down a log bordered by blooming larkspurs, chasing
sphynx moths that were feeding from the flowers. The moths were
darting about and Mr. Bailey did not see any caught. On leaving the
mountains in August we found the nutcrackers in the pines as low
as 8000 feet, and in rounding the south end of the range, on the way to
Las Vegas, the last of August we saw a few scattered individuals as low as
6000 feet in the pinon pine and juniper belt.
Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus. Pinon Jay. — At 7000 feet, on the
upper edge of the Upper Sonoran zone, a large flock of Pinon Jays was
seen flying high overhead on August 11, and on August 12 a flock of six
or eight wanderers was found feeding on the ground at timberline, 12,300
feet, on the side of Truchas Peak.
Sternella magna neglecta. Western Meadowlark. — Mr. Mitchell
says the meadowlark breeds as high as 8000 feet in San Miguel County,
V°iq£XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 357
but we saw it last a few miles north of Pecos, as in following up the Pecos
Canon there were no suitable breeding grounds for it.
Hesperiphona vespertina montana. Western Evening Grosbeak.
— Along the Pecos at about 8000 feet Evening Grosbeaks were found
near the middle of July going about in flocks and feeding on the ground
around roadside springs. The birds, as we inferred from their actions
and as their stomach contents proved, were eating small insects which
they picked up from the surface of the ground or dug up from under
roots or stones. When first discovered they were so tame that we could
get within a few feet of them. In a flock of twenty or thirty males only
two females were seen. In going up the mountains we found a few pairs
at about ten thousand feet near the junction of the Transition and
Canadian zones. On our return down the mountains in August only one
or two individuals were noted where the large flocks had congregated in
July, and as grosbeak voices were heard below Pecos we inferred that the
birds had gone down into the juniper and pinon pine country to gather
berries.
Pinicola enucleator montana. Rocky Mountain Pine Grosbeak. —
Two pairs of Pine Grosbeaks were seen in the Canadian and Hudsonian
zones, and one family with grown young was found by Mr. Bailey on
August 14 near the Truchas lakes at the head of the Pecos River
at 12,000 feet. Both adult and young were taken. The crop and giz-
zard of the young were stuffed full of small white oval seeds, while the
stomach of the adult contained the same seeds with the addition of a
few spruce needles, a spruce flower, and a small green caterpillar.
Carpodacus cassini. Cassin Finch. — In a flock of Evening Grosbeaks
feeding at a spring on July 15, we discovered a solitary male Cassin
Finch, the only one seen during the season.
Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. House Finch. — In Colorado the
House Finch breeds up to 8000 feet, but on the east side of the Las Vegas
range Mr. Mitchell did not find it "to any great extent"; in the Pecos
Mountains Mr. Henshaw did not find it at all, and we saw it only at the
base of the range between Pecos and Glorieta.
Loxia curvirostra bendirei. Bendire Crossbill. — At 11,000 feet the
crossbills were common, flying about among the cone-laden spruce tops
and, hunger appeased, stopping to sing their quaint, pleasing song. At
11,600 feet they were occasionally heard flying over, and on our way
down the Pecos, August 21 and 22, they were seen at 8000 feet and again
at 7400 feet.
Astragalinus psaltria. Arkansas Goldfinch. — Goldfinches were
found in the cottonwoods at Glorieta July 7.
Spinus pinus. Pine Finch. — Siskins were seen from 7500 to 11,600 feet,
but they were most abundant at 11,000 feet, where they were constantly
singing and flying about in small squads, which were probably families.
On August 17, as we came down the mountains, a family of young was
found out of the nest at 10,400 feet.
35 S Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. [^Ujk
Pocecetes gramineus confinis. Western Vesper Sparrow. — Mr.
Henshaw secured a single individual which, he says, "was doubtless
merely a migrant which had strayed from its proper territory lower down
on the plains." The broad grassy mesas of the upper parts of the moun-
tains, however, are ideal breeding grounds for the Vesper Sparrow, and
on one of these meadows, at 10,400 feet, the birds were found singing a
number of times between July 25 and August 17, one being taken on
July 25. In Colorado the Vesper Sparrow breeds commonly to 9000 feet,,
and sometimes up to 12,000 feet.
Coturniculus bairdii. Baird Sparrow. — On August 11 Mr. Bailey
took a Baird Sparrow on one of the open mesas near timberline. Others
were secured September 2 on the high plains north of Las Vegas.
Zonotrichia leucophrys. White-crowned Sparrow. — Mr. Henshaw
states that the White-crown is "present only as a rare migrant, it being
too far south for the species to breed." Of course it is now known that
the breeding range extends, as Mr. Ridgway gives it, "southward to New
Mexico and Arizona (San Francisco Mountains)," but had Mr. Henshaw
visited the higher levels of the Pecos Mountains he would have extended
the range himself, for he would have found the birds abundant breeders
there. As in the Sierra, leucophrys is one of the commonest and most
characteristic birds of the Hudsonian zone. The birds were singing up
to timberline on Pecos Baldy as late as the middle of August, and the
willows at the base of the peak were alive with them. A molting adult
was found carrying food on August 8. In the willows bordering Jack
Creek, at 1 1,000 feet, a nest contained one egg and two young nearly ready
to leave the nest on July 27. In watching the parent birds I was struck
by their use of their crest. We had been told of a bird with a white
crown and I found that when wanting to attract attention, to draw one
from the nest, leucophrys often spreads its crown so wide that the black
bordering stripes might easily be overlooked, the white then serving as a
good recognition mark. But, on the other hand, when the birds wanted
to steal unobserved through the willows to the nest, they lowered the
crown so flat that the black and white lines were of almost equal width.
Spizella socialis arizonae. Western Chipping Sparrow. — Mr. Hen-
shaw found arizonce "an abundant summer resident " of the Transition
zone, and we found a nest with nearly grown young at Glorieta July 8,
and found the birds common at 11,000 feet, where young, out of the nest,
were being fed on July 23. The sparrows were fairly common in the
Hudsonian zone the second week in August, and were seen August 11 at
timberline, 11,300 feet, on the south side of Truchas.
Junco dorsalis. Red-backed Junco. — A single specimen of dorsalis
was taken at 8000 feet on July 13. It was taken near a nest from which
we had flushed a Junco the day before.
Junco caniceps. Gray-headed Junco. — Juncos were breeding abun-
dantly at 11,000 feet, nests being found everywhere in the open. On July
22 a nest was found containing partly feathered young ; on July 24 one
vol. xxr
1904
Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 3S9
nest of three eggs, and two broods out of the nest were found ; on July 25
young were seen going about with their parents ; on July 30 a nest was
found with one egg and newly hatched young ; on July 31 a nest of four
eggs was discovered ; on August 6 an old bird was seen feeding young in
a tree ; August 7 a nest was found with four eggs, and on August 15 an
old Junco was seen collecting food. All of the nests were on the ground,
completely hidden by tufts of grass or bunches of weeds, being discov-
ered only by flushing the brooding bird. When the Junco is not flashing
its white tail feathers its rufous back may well serve its relatives as a
recognition mark, especially in the dull light on the edges of clearings
where other small birds gather.
Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln Sparrow. — This was the only Melospiza
found in the mountains, although we were on the lookout for Montana,
and in San Miguel County Mr. Mitchell says it breeds from 7000 to 9000
feet. Mr. Henshaw says that lincolni "evidently does not occur in sum-
mer," but we found it breeding in the higher parts of the mountains,
both on Jack Creek at 11,000 feet, and by the lake at the foot of Pecos
Baldy at 11,600 feet. Young were being fed out of the nest at 11,000 feet
on July 29.
Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. — Mr. Henshaw
found only one or two pairs of megalonyx and we saw the bird only once
or twice in the mountains, but found it fairly common in the foothills
between Pecos and Santa Fe on the lower edge of the Transition zone.
Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus. Canon Towhee. — Mesoleucus is one of the
common canon birds of the Upper Sonoran juniper and nut pine belt and
follows its zone up the Pecos to its limit at 7200 feet.
Oreospiza chlorura. Green-tailed Towhee. — We obtained a single
specimen of chlorura on July 13 at 8000 feet, and Mr. Henshaw found one
brood and saw a few migrants.
Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak. — A male gros-
beak was taken July 15 at 8000 feet, one was seen July 20 at 8700 feet, and
a female was obtained at about 10,000 feet, near the upper limit of the
Transition zone.
Guiraca caerulea lazula. Western Blue Grosbeak. — A Blue Gros-
beak was reported on August 6 about eight miles north of Pecos in the
Upper Sonoran zone. Another was seen earlier in the season between
Glorieta and Pecos.
Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. — At 8000 feet we found a
pair of tanagers feeding young on the edge of camp July 16. The song
and call notes were constantly in our ears. When the female was away
the male would sit on a branch and call pit-ic, pit-ic, pit-ic by the half
hour. He would call in the same way when hunting for food, moving
slowly and quietly over the cottonwood branches. The female often gave
a three syllabled call of pit-er-ick, pit-er-ick. A nestling that I suc-
ceeded in catching in my hand, much to the temporary distress of the old
birds, was, as Mr. Ridgway says, marked much like the female. Its upper
36°
Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. \ ^k
LJuly
parts were olivaceous and the wings were crossed by two yellowish bars.
The throat, but not the chest, was streaked, and the belly was whitish, its
median line and the under tail coverts being bright yellow. Tanagers
were seen on July 19 at 8700 feet and July 25 at 10,200 feet, on the upper
edge of the Transition zone. Before this they had been found in the foot-
hills between Santa F^ and Glorieta. On August 27 we saw one as low
as 6350 feet at the foot of the pine-covered Bernal mesa.
Progne subis. Purple Martin. — Martins were found near Glorieta
July 10.
Petrochelidon lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. — Seen between Glorieta
and Pecos on July 4.
Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. — At 7200 feet Barn Swallows
were seen on August 24, and they were common about Mexican adobes at
the base of the mountains during the summer.
Tachycineta thalassina lepida. Northern Violet-green Swallow. —
Tachyci7ieta was found from near Glorieta at the base of the mountains
up to 11,000 feet, but was most abundant at 8700 feet. Near Glorieta on
July 10 we found the Violet-greens nesting in cottonwoods ; at 8700 feet
on July 19 they were evidently breeding in crevices in the rocks, flying
about the brow of a cliff in great numbers ; and on July 25 we found a
large community of them breeding in an aspen grove on the mesa at
10,300 feet. A grown young was secured in this place on August 14.
Mr. Henshaw found the swallows principally in the pine woods.
Vireo gilvus swainsoni. Western Warbling Vireo. — At Glorieta
the Warbling Vireo was singing in the cottonwoods on July 7, and at
8000 feet one was singing and carrying food on July 15. Others were
found as high as 10,300 feet in the poplars on the mesa.
Vireo solitarius plumbeus. Plumbeous Vireo. — Mr. Henshaw speaks
of plumbeus as "rather common in summer," being "almost exclusively
restricted to the pines"; but we found it only on the lower edge of the
pine belt at the base of the mountains in a cotton wood grove near Glorieta.
Helminthophila virginise. Virginia Warbler. — Mr. Henshaw was
surprised at the absence of the Virginia Warbler, which "breeds abun-
dantly in middle Colorado," and suggested that "it may possibly summer
in the foothills." That this is the case we proved by taking a specimen
on July 10 near Glorieta on the lower edge of the Transition zone.
Helminthophila celata. Orange-crowned Warbler. — Taken at about
8000 feet on the Pecos July 16.
Helminthophila celata lutescens. Lutescent Warbler. — Taken at
8000 feet on August 19.
Dendroica auduboni. Audubon Warbler. — These warblers were found
from 7000 to 11,600 feet, where, on August 12, they were going about in
fall flocks of Juncos, Kinglets, and Warblers.
Geothlypis tolmiei. Macgillivray Warbler. — Mr. Henshaw, while
expecting to find tohniei breeding, saw it only as a migrant late in August^
but we secured a specimen on July 15 on a branch of the Pecos at 8000
feet, so it doubtless breeds in the vicinity.
y0li9£XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 36 1
Wilsonia pusilla pileolata. Pileolated Warbler. — Mr. Henshaw
says, "So far as we could ascertain, this bird did not breed in the locality,"
but higher up the mountains, at 11,000 feet, on July 23, we found it feed-
ing young in the willows along Jack Creek. The parent bird was, at the
time, in the middle of its molt. When we came down the mountain the
latter part of August we found pileolata in the alders along the streams in
the same surprising numbers that Mr. Henshaw had noted.
Anthus pensilvanicus. Pipit. — Instead of the Ptarmigan and Leucos-
ticte that we had hoped to discover on the peaks, we found the Pipit, the
one Alpine bird. This was not surprising, as the snow had melted back
to small patches on the cold slopes in time to give it an open breeding
ground. From a little below timberline we found the birds ranging to
the highest peaks, actually encountering them in a fierce wind within fifty
feet of the summit of Truchas, at an altitude of 13,250 feet. From the top
of Pecos Baldy another day I discovered, high in the air, a Sparrow Hawk
pursued by a Pipit. As this was on the thirteenth of August the Pipit
was probably guarding his brood, for we had found young being fed as
late as July 28. The breeding ground where we discovered them was a
broad grassy slope, an ancient ' burn ' near timberline where Otocoris was
going about with grown young. Some of the Pipits had food in their
bills and they did individually what they do in flocks after the breeding
season, — rose from the ground, flew out and circled back, uttering their
plaintive cheep. In this case they often lit on old gray stumps and logs.
On July 31 we found the birds on both sides of the knifeblade rocky ridge
connecting the east and west peaks of Pecos Baldy flying about cheeping,
blown by the wind, and lighting on the rocks and tipping their tails ; but
though they acted most suspiciously, we did not succeed in finding nests
or young.
Cinclus mexicanus. Water Ouzel. — The Ouzel was seen on the
Pecos from 7200 to 8700 feet in July and August. At 8700 feet we left the
Pecos, following up Jack Creek to the foot of Pecos Baldy. This stream
probably had too few cascades to suit the ouzels, but on the north slope of
Baldy, at 10,000 feet, Mr. Bailey again encountered them. The gizzard of
one collected was full of small insects.
Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. — Mr. Mitchell says that the Rock
Wrens breed "most commonly from 8000 feet down, and although a few
individuals were seen by us in the mountains, one being met at 12,550
feet, fifty feet from the top of Pecos Baldy we missed the friendly little
fellows in the high country, for they had met us at every turn along the
sandstone of the low country.
Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Aztec Wren. — On July 10 we found two
wren nests in holes in cottonwoods at our Glorieta camp, and on July 14,
at 8000 feet, were shown a family of nearly fledged young which the chil-
dren of the range rider had rescued from a snake that climbed to its nest.
On August 9, wrens were singing at 11,600 feet.
Certhia familiaris montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. — Young
36:
Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. [jui*
creepers were seen at 11,600 feet on August 14 and 16, and one was taken
at 8000 feet on August 18.
Sitta carolinensis nelsoni. Rocky Mountain Nuthatch. — Ingoing
about the mountains we thought a number of times that we detected the
notes of nelsoni at a distance, and we were doubtless right, for Mr. Hen-
shaw found them breeding abundantly in the pines. They were, more-
over, taken at our Glorieta camp on the lower edge of the yellow pines as
well as on pineclad mesas on the plains.
Sitta pygmaea. Pygmy Nuthatch. — During July and August the
Pygmy was found throughout the limits of the Transition zone from 7400
to 9800 feet.
Baeolophus inornatus griseus. Gray Titmouse. — As griseus is a
common bird of the pinon pine and juniper belt and was found in the
Glorieta region, it would doubtless have been found on the Upper Sonoran
slopes of the Pecos canon had we stopped to work them.
Parus atricapillus septentrionalis. Long-tailed Chickadee. — A family
of nine were seen August 17 at 8000 feet, and one was taken at about 10,500
feet. Its gizzard was filled with minute eggs and some insects.
Parus gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. — While septentrionalis was
seen only twice, gambeli was common at Glorieta and on the mountains
in the Canadian and Hudsonian zones.
Psaltriparus plumbeus. Lead-colored Bush-Tit. — Like Bazolophus,
a typical bird of the juniper and nut pine country, Psaltriparus was found
in the Glorieta foothills, and was undoubtedly on the Upper Sonoran slopes
of the Pecos Canon.
Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned Kinglet. — A young satrapa in
pinfeathers was taken July 31 on Pecos Baldy. As this gives a breeding
record it makes a long southward extension of the breeding range.
Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — On July 21, when we
camped in the spruces at 11,000 feet, the Kinglets were in the height of
their song, their cheery round being heard all through the day as they
made their circuits of the spruce tops above camp. By August 1 their
songs were much less in evidence, probably for good family reasons. By
August 9 their songs were so rarely heard as to be notable, and before we
left the foot of Pecos Baldy, August 17, the young were flying about quite
independently.
Myadestes townsendii. Townsend Solitaire. — A pair of Myadestes
was seen about July 15 at 8000 feet, and a grown young one was shot July
28 at 11,000 feet. On the same day a nest with four fairly fresh eggs was
found at 12,000 feet. The nest was on the same grassy ridge where Anthus
and Otocoris were flying about. As we rode along on horseback the bird
flew from under an old gray log at our feet, and on dismounting we found
the nest on the ground roofed over by a cavity burned in the log just about
large enough to give head space to the Solitaire. The nest was made wholly
of grass and weed stems and lined with fine grass. On the side of Pecos
Baldy Myadestes was seen above 12,000 feet, and on Truchas above timber-
Voli?4XI] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 363
line on straggling dwarf spruces at 12,600 feet. At our Hudsonian zone
camp at 11,600 feet we saw a number of the birds up to the time of our
departure, on August 17. On our way down the mountains we found it as
low as Sooo feet, whether having bred there or having come down after
the cold storms we could only surmise.
Hylocichla guttata auduboni. Audubon Hermit Thrush. — When we
camped in the spruces at 11,000 feet Hermit Thrushes were singing in
chorus in such unusual numbers that we called the place Hylocichla Camp,
but by August 1 the thrushes had almost stopped singing. On July 23
we found a young bird out of the nest, and from that time on encountered
bob-tailed young in the woods until August 15, just before our departure
for the lowlands. The stomach of a thrush shot contained insects and a
few berry seeds, probably strawberry.
Merula migratoria propinqua. Western Robin. — Mr. Henshaw says
the Robin "was not detected breeding, although it probably summers
here." During our stay the birds were found from Pecos to the foot of
Pecos Baldy. At 8000 feet, on July 15, we found young being fed out of
the nest ; on July 16 we found a pair just about finishing a nest; on July
23 a nest was seen with eggs at 11,000 feet; on August 20, young were
found being fed in the nest at 8000 feet. On August 16, at 11,000 feet, we
saw a tailless old bird in the midst of its molt.
Sialia mexicana bairdi. Chestnut-backed Bluebird. — On July 10
bairdi was found nesting in a cottonwood near Glorieta. In the moun-
tains it was seen as high as 10,200 feet.
Sialia arctica. Mountain Bluebird. — Mr. Henshaw says, "Appar-
ently the Sialia arctica does not breed here"; but Mr. Mitchell gives it
as breeding "up to 9000 feet" on the east of the range, and we found it
common at Glorieta July 8 and on the open mesa at 10,300 feet, where
we found a nest in an aspen on July 25. At the same time families of
young and old were going about together up at n,ooofeet. By August
5, numbers of Bluebirds, with Flickers, Chipping Sparrows, and Juncos
were wandering about in families, the woods as well as the meadows being
filled with birds. On August 11 we found a flock of the Bluebirds writh
Chipping Sparrows and Flickers at 12,300 feet, on a protected slope in the
dwarf evergreens of timberline on the south side of Truchas.
364 Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. [*Mk
THE ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHEST-
NUT-BACKED CHICKADEE.
BY JOSEPH GRINNELL.
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Pants rufescens) is a boreal
species of peculiarly limited distribution. It is almost exclusively
confined to the humid Pacific Coast region of North America,
within which it is the most abundant, and in many places the only,
member of the genus Pants present. We find it characteristically
at home within the densest coniferous forests, or along their edges,
where there is much shade and an even temperature.
The range of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is nearly two
thousand miles long north and south, extending from a little north
of Sitka, Alaska, to some forty miles below Monterey, California.
(See Map I.) But its width is very narrow, only within the confines
of Oregon and Washington exceeding one hundred miles and else-
where usually much less, save for one or two isolated interior colo-
nies to be mentioned later.
The influences determining this queer-shaped distribution area
may be safely assumed to be atmospheric humidity, with asso-
ciated floral conditions. For this habitat coincides quite accu-
rately with the narrow coastal belt of excessive cloudy weather and
rainfall.
The specific character distinguishing Partis rufescens from all
other American chickadees is the color of the back, which is an
intense rusty brown approaching chestnut. It is of common note
that the most evident effects of similar climatic conditions on
other animals is a corresponding intensification of browns, espe-
cially dorsally. We may therefore consider the Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, as indicated by its chief specific character, to be a prod-
uct exclusively of the peculiar isohumic area to which we find it
confined.
Parus rufescens, from Sitka to Monterey, has a chestnut-colored
back. And from Sitka to Point Arena, between which we find the
extremest humidity, another conspicuous character is uniform, —
the color of the sides, which are also deep rusty brown. But from
Point Arena south to San Francisco Bay (Marin District), these
Vol. XXI J Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. 365
lateral brown areas suddenly weaken to pale rusty ; while from
San Francisco south past Monterey (Santa Cruz District), adult
birds have the sides pure smoke gray without a trace of rusty.
(See Map II.)
The species thus presents geographic variation within itself, and
three distinguishable forms have been named, respectively, the
Chestnut-sided Chickadee {Paries rufescens rufescens), the Marin
Chickadee {Parus rufescens neglectus) ,and the Santa Cruz Chicka-
dee {Parus rufescens barlowi). But all three subspecies are unmis-
takably the Chestnut-backed Chickadee {Parus rufescens). (For
detailed descriptions, distribution and synonymy see beyond.)
This southward paling of the lateral feather tracts seems to be
parallel to the relative decrease in the humidity of the regions
occupied. But still, even the Santa Cruz District with its gray-
sided barlowi has very much greater rainfall and cloudiness than
regions immediately to the southward and interiorly. The too
abrupt aridification with accompanying sudden floral changes
apparently forms the present barrier to further distribution in
these directions.
The paling of the sides in the southern bird seems to be a sec-
ondary condition, as I hope to show further on by age comparisons.
We can reasonably infer that Parus rufescens rufescens was the
ancestral form from which Parus rufescens neglectus and then Parus
rufescens barlowi successively arose through exodus distally from
its point of differentiation further north, where the faunal condi-
tions were doubtless then as now most effective.
First, as to the origin of the species, Parus rufescens. Can we
find a chickadee now occupying a faunal area which can be con-
sidered as nearer the common ancestral form than rufescens now is ?
An affirmative answer seems plausible when we come to consider
Parus liudsonicus, which occupies the interior of Alaska and Brit-
ish Columbia east to Labrador and Nova Scotia. This wide-
ranging boreal species also affects coniferous forests, and according
to my own experience possesses life habits quite similar to those of
Parus rufescens ; in fact to me indistinguishable. The latter differs
from Parus liudsonicus in smaller size and particularly in shortness
of tail. The color areas on the two species are coextensive, but
the colors themselves are different in intensity. The top of the
366
Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee.
TAuk
Ljuly
Mont*r«y
Map I.
( Dotted area = range of Parus rufescens . )
Vol. xxq
1904 J
Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee.
367
P„*t Artn.0.
>escens
P. r. Yutacens x «ej/«cf«s^
P. r. xegUctus
V r. 0 a r /o (v «
■ record stations
Map II. RANGES IN CALIFORNIA OF THE RACES OF PARUS RUFESCENS-
3 68 Grinnell, Chest?iut-backed Chickadee. Vy^
head in hudsonicus is broccoli brown, while in rufescens it is dark
hair brown. The back of hudsonicus is pale grayish olive brown,
while in rufescens it is chestnut brown. The sides and flanks of
hudsonicus are rather pale hazel brown, while in rufescens they are
deep hazel brown approaching chestnut. Otherwise the two spe-
cies look practically alike.
These differences are just those we find so commonly in two
conspecific representatives, one occupying an arid habitat, the
other a comparatively more humid one. Indeed we can find
exactly parallel cases in certain other bird races occupying the
same two regions as the chickadees in question, but which as yet
are not disconnected by intermediates, and in which the degree of
difference is not so great. (For example, Melospiza lincolni lin-
colni and Melospiza faicobii striata, and Regulus calendula calendula
and Regulus calendula grinnelli.) It is the same story, of intensi-
fication of browns and decrease in size under the conditions of a
moist climate.
As to the greater relative decrease in length of tail in rufescens,
it may be suggested that it is an observed rule among the Paridae
(and in some other birds of similar habits, though not without
exception) that those species which habitually forage highest
above the ground in the foliage of tall trees possess the relatively
shortest tails, while conversely those which haunt low thick trees
or underbrush exhibit the greatest caudal development. (For
example, Psaltriparus and Chamcea.) These conditions doubtless
bear some definite relation to mode of flight. The shorter the
flights the slower they are, and therefore the greater must be the
tail surface distally in furnishing sufficient opposition to the air to
direct or arrest flight. At any rate, rufescens haunts much higher
and more open trees than hudso?iicus.
It seems to me reasonable to suppose that Parus hudsonicus
approaches closely the common ancestral form. Its wide range,
which, if we take the Old World Parus ductus of such close resem-
blance as conspecific, is almost holarctic, favors this idea. At
some early period there may have been no representative of Parus
in the Northwest Coast belt. By a process of invasion of indi-
viduals of the hypothetical stock form (which we may call Parus
pre-hudsonicus) from the adjacent region, and their subsequent
ida?1] Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. 3^0
gradual response to the new set of environmental factors, a geo-
graphical race became differentiated which might have then been
properly called Par us pre-kudsonicus rufescens.
Unfortunately this process, which I believe to be constantly
going on among all animals, is so slow that its actual operation
under natural conditions has so far defied direct observation and
measurement during a man's lifetime. But it seems quite logical
to consider the natural process identical with that under ' arti-
ficial ' conditions, where the rate is readily perceptible.
We seem warranted in considering all observed living forms,
including ' species,' and completely isolated (insular) as well as
intergrading ' races ' as just a momentary glimpse, so to speak, of
a tree-like branchwork slowly rising through time, some of the
limbs ramifying freely and rapidly, others growing slenderly with-
out offshoots, but all advancing continually, though changing in
outward appearance at different rates ; only we at our brief glance
can see but a horizontal section, that is, only the set of tips of this
otherwise ancestral tree.
Accepting this standpoint as the most reasonable hypothesis yet
presented, and moreover not at variance with our facts, I feel justi-
fied in judging of the methods of ramification and progress through
time from observation of the existing set of ' tips ' (== species and
subspecies). Among these, from the nature of the case, we should
be able to recognize various stages in the process of species forma-
tion, and from these judiciously selected steps demonstrate the
completed stairway which leads up from the very incipiency of
differentiation (as impossible of ultimate detection by us as the
vanishing point) to the complete separation of two distinct species.
The steps are of course really infinite in number, like the points
in a geometrical line ; the transition proceeds gradually without a
break.
In tracing the hypothetical lines of development of the chick-
adees, I do not feel guilty of bold speculation ; for I am only
attempting to express in a selected case what is to me clearly
evidenced from a survey of bird races in general.
As has already been asserted, Parus rufescens doubtless arose
as a geographical race of Parus pre-hudso?iicus. It is now called
a 'species' because intermediates have dropped out; in other
'X'lO Grinnell, Chesttiut-backed Chickadee. \P\^\
words, the divarication is now wholly complete and there are two
separate twigs. The area of intermediate faunal conditions be-
tween the humid coast belt and the arid interior region of British
Columbia and Alaska is very narrow, consisting, in places per-
sonally traversed by me, of but a few miles over a mountain ridge.
This very narrowness of the area of faunal mergence probably
accounts for the lack of intermediates at the present day between
hudsonicus and rafescens.
The center of distribution of any animal is where the greatest
rate of increase is. The greatest rate of reproduction is presum-
ably where the species finds itself best adapted to its environment;
and this is also where the death rate is least, unless an enemy
rapidly multiplies so as to become a serious check. In a wide-
ranging species, or one that is rapidly spreading over a region of
varying climatic and associated conditions, sub-centers of distri-
bution will arise at points which prove to be more favorable, in
point of food supply and minimum of enemies, than intervening
areas. From each of these new centers of distribution there will
be a yearly radiating flow of individuals into the adjacent country,
so as to escape intra-competition at any one point.
Such centers of distribution will obviously, as time goes on, har-
bor only locally pure-bred individuals, for foreign individuals will
not stem the tide of population from season to season slowly
emigrating. This will amount to operative isolation and allow of
the time necessary for the impress, by local factors of environment,
of incipient characters, which, through cumulative inheritance as
the element of time further increases, become to us perceptible
and characterize this set of individuals as a geographical race or
' subspecies.'
Let us suppose that descendants from the interior Partes pre-
hudsonicus from season to season pushed their way further and
further into the primaeval coast belt until the latter supported a
vigorous colony. The coastal humidity was very likely at that
time but slightly greater than that of the interior, having gradually
increased through slow shifting of ocean currents or other causes,
so that the faunal boundary was not so abrupt and did not then as
now constitute a formidable barrier to invasion.
Faunal conditions are without doubt undergoing constant alter-
Vol. XXI j GriiSnell, Chestnut-bached Chickadee. 37 I
ation. Endemic animals must adaptively respond or else be exter-
minated or restricted to the places where faunal change is slowest.
The possibility at once presents itself of Parus pre-hudsonicus
having been already native of the coast before the latter became
faunally distinct from the interior. But in either case the original
populating of the region must have been through invasion from
elsewhere, as effected by shifting climatic conditions.
At any rate a center of distribution must have arisen in the new
region of different faunal conditions. Just as quick as the new
colony began to reproduce fast enough to furnish a return flow of
individuals the immigration of individuals bearing the inherited
stock characters from the parent region would be checked. This
would mean that the new colony would become a new center of
differentiation because of the isolation thus afforded. (As to what
brings about the acquisition or change of innate characters, whether
by natural selection or some other more direct cause, we need not
here try to discuss.)
As the dissemination of individuals to prevent congestion of
population will be continually away from the centers of distribu-
tion, it follows that the characters newly acquired at the centers
where the rate of differentiation is greatest will be constantly car-
ried away from those centers. If the region of intermediate faunal
conditions were narrow, as in the present case, individuals bearing
the inherited characters impressed by their separate areas of differ-
entiation would from generation to generation invade toward each
other until intermediates would be swamped, or there might be an
unfit strip left between where neither would flourish. This might
be bridged over by hybrids for a while. But the specific charac-
ters becoming strengthened by time would make hybridization less
and less likely to take place, and there would result the two dis-
tinct species as we now know them.
In the case of Parus rufescefis and Parus hudsonicus there seems
to be now a narrow hiatus between the two. At least I can find
no record of the two species having been found in the same local-
ity. The narrowness of the region of intermediate faunal condi-
tions may therefore be considered as the reason why we do not
find connecting links between hudsonicus and rufesce?is at the pres-
ent time. For the amount of difference between these two chicka
372 Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. [f^
dees does not strike me as any greater than, for instance, between
Melospiza cinerea tnontana and Melospiza cinerea rufina, between
which there is continuous distribution and free interosculation.
But we cannot expect any two species of birds or other animals to
present the same degrees of differentiation in the same length of
time or under the same conditions, much less under different con-
ditions. For in no two animals is the physical organization in all
respects exactly the same.
In a given aggregation of individuals constituting a new colony
a certain amount of time is necessary for the set of environmental
factors to become operative in bringing about new inheritable
characters to a degree perceptible to us. Then the inherited
effects of invasion and crossbreeding from season to season from
the adjacent parent center of differentiation will be evidenced less
and less, as time elapses, as the distance from this center increases.
The offspring of successively further removed unions will, of course,
inherit to a less and less degree the distinctive characters of the
ancestral stock on one side and more and more of the incipient
ones on the other.
If, now, the distance is great enough to permit of the time re-
quired for adaptive manifestations to become innate, then we would
find new characters making their appearance distally nearest the
new center of differentiation. If the distance were too short we
would not find new characters showing themselves because they
would be constantly crowded down by the influx of the old. The
time factor may therefore be reduced by the intervention of an
impassable barrier. As an instance we find three (and there are
probably two other) insular forms of the Song Sparrow within a
limited distance among the Santa Barbara Islands, while through
the same distance on the adjacent mainland there is but one. Or
in the case of continuous distribution the time element may be
comparatively lessened by the great distance between the range
limits, and it may be still further decreased as these limits lie in
faunal areas of more emphatically different nature. The Horned
Larks as well as Song Sparrows furnish us several good examples
of the latter two rules.
It is isolation, either by barriers or by sufficient distance to more
than counterbalance inheritance from the opposite type, that seems
Vol. XXI~j Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. 3/3
to me to be the absolutely essential condition for the differentia-
tion of two species, at least in birds.
A strong argument in support of this conviction is that we never
find two ' subspecies' breeding in the samefaunal area, and no two
closely similar species, except as can be plainly accounted for by
the invasion of one of them from a separate center of differentia-
tion in an adjacent faunal area. An appropriate instance in illus-
tration of the latter is the occurrence together in the Siskiyou
Mountains of northern California of the brown Parus rufescens of
the wet coastal fauna and the gray Parus ga?nbeli of the arid
Sierran fauna. (See Anderson & Grinnell, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc.
Phila., 1903, p. 13.) The Siskiyou Mountains occupy a line of
mergence between the two faunae, and the two respectively repre-
sentative chickadees have evidently extended their ranges toward
each other until now over this one small area they occupy com-
mon ground. Several parallel cases could be cited ; their signifi-
cance seems obvious.
We come now to consider the origin of the races of Parus
rufescens. In a species of recent arrival into a new region (by
invasion from a neighboring faunal area), as it adapts itself better
and better to its new surroundings, granted the absence of closely
related or sharply competing forms, its numbers will rapidly
increase. This means that there will be increased competition
within the species itself, on account of limited food supply. The
alternative results are either starvation for less vigorous indi-
viduals during recurring seasons of unusual food scarcity, or dis-
semination over a larger area. In a way the first might be
considered as beneficial in the long run, as doubtless leading to
the elimination of the weaker ; such a process evidently does take
place to a greater or less degree all the time, and is important for
the betterment of the race. But as a matter of observation Nature
first resorts to all sorts of devices to ensure the spreading of indi-
viduals over all inhabitable regions ; in other words, the extremest
intra-competition does not ensue until after further dissemination
is impossible. In birds we find a trait evidently developed on
purpose to bring about scattering of individuals. This is the
autumnal ' mad impulse ' which occurs just after the complete
annual moult, when both birds-of-the-year and adults are in the
7 J A. GRINNELL, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. \^\
best physical condition, and just before the stress of winter food
shortage. Even in the most sedentary of birds, in which no other
trace of a migratory instinct is discernible, this fall season of
unrest is plainly in evidence. I may suggest not unreasonably
that autumnal migration may have had its origin in such a trait as
this, the return movement in the spring becoming a necessary
sequence. (See Loomis, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sc, 3rd Series, Zool-
ogy, II, Dec, 1900, 352.) It is a matter of abundant observation
that autumn is the season when we find the most unlooked-for
stragglers far out of their normal range, and when sober, stay-at-
home birds, like Pipilo crissalis and the chickadees, wander far
from the native haunts where they so closely confine themselves
the rest of the year. It is also the experience of collectors that
the greatest number of these stragglers are birds-of-the-year,
which thus, obeying the ' mad impulse,' are led away from their
birthplace into new country, where they may take up their per-
manent abode, and be less likely to compete with their parents
or others of their kind. Then, too, crossbreeding of distantly
related individuals is more likely. The records of the Santa Cruz
Chickadee outside of its regular breeding range are all of August
to October dates (Haywards, Gilroy, San Jose, etc.).
Thus, as above indicated, by the occupancy of new territory the
number of individuals which can be supported will correspond-
ingly grow. Hence a vigorous colony will spread out along lines
of least resistance, being hindered by slight faunal changes, but
completely checked only by topographic or abrupt climatic barriers.
Parus hudsonicus and its near relative Parus rufescens are boreal
species, the former inhabiting the Hudsonian Zone and the latter
a certain portion of the Canadian. It seems reasonable to suppose
that rufescens differentiated in the northern part of the humid coast
belt, which has been called the Sitkan District. This is a faunal
subdivision of the Canadian Zone, and its northern part approxi-
mates more closely Hudsonian conditions than southerly. Grant-
ing that the early center of differentiation and distribution of Parus
pre-hudsonicus rufescens was in the northern part of the Sitkan
District, then the route of emigration would be confined to the
narrow southward extension of that faunal area. The habitat of
Parus rufescens thus gradually acquired the long north and south
Vol. XXI "J Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. 37 S
linear appearance as shown at this day. But when the pioneer
invaders at the south reached the vicinity of Point Arena, they
met with somewhat changed temperature and consequent floral
conditions, but not so abrupt as to constitute a permanent barrier.
Doubtless the progress of invasion was retarded until adaptive
modifications evolved, which correlatively allowed of further inva-
sion, until the abrupt limits of the Santa Cruz District were
reached.
San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate seem to now form a
pretty effectual barrier between neglectus on the north and barlowi
on the south. At least, among the large number of skins examined
by me with this point in view, I can find none from one side that
can be confidently determined as being identical with the race on
the other. Neither chickadee has been found east of the bay, nor
anywhere nearly so far from the coast belt, except for one record
of a specimen taken in the fall at Haywards. This has been
reexamined and proved to be barlowi, as was to be expected from
its contiguity. However, the Golden Gate is so narrow that an
occasional crossing may take place. This was more probable
formerly, when the redwood timber grew up to the Gate on both
sides. Heermann in 1853 recorded the species from " San Fran-
cisco." But now, I think, the bird is unknown for several miles
on either side of the Gate. Doubtless this barrier accounts in
part for the origin of the distinct form barlowi within so short a
distance.
As to the distance to which a species may invade, we can surmise
that, topography permitting, theoretically there is no limit so long
as adaptive modifications continually take place. The geographic
variation in Melospiza may be called to attention as an extreme
illustration. But practically, in the case of Parus rufescens bar-
lowi, much further invasion is improbable, because in adjoining
areas are already firmly established members of the same family
(Bceolophus, Psaltriparus, Chamced) thoroughly adapted to prevail-
ing food conditions. No one of these could probably be successfully
competed against by a foreigner. Every animal tends to increase
at a geometric ratio, and is checked only by limit of food supply.
It is only by adaptations to different sorts of food, or modes of
food getting, that more than one species can occupy the same
376
Grinnell, Ckestnut-backed Chickadee.
TAuk
Ljuly
igo4XI") Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Xl*l
locality. Two species of approximately the same food habits are
not likely to remain long evenly balanced in numbers in the
same region. One will crowd out the other ; the one longest
exposed to local conditions, and hence best fitted, though ever so
slightly, will survive, to the exclusion of any less favored would-be
invader. However, should some new contingency arise, placing
the native species at a disadvantage, such as the introduction of
new plants, then there might be a fair chance for a neighboring
species to gain a foothold, even ultimately crowding out the native
form. For example, several pairs of the Santa Cruz Chickadee
have taken up their permanent abode in the coniferous portion of
the Arboretum at Stanford University, while the Plain Titmouse
prevails in the live oaks of the surrounding valley.
In accordance with the above outlined theories of distribution
it is easy to account for isolated breeding colonies, such as that
of Panes rufescens rufescens in northern Idaho (Fort Sherman and
Cceur d'Alene Mountains). Fall stragglers, wandering unusually
far and finding themselves suddenly amid familiar conditions,
would tarry there to breed, and with the continuance of a favor-
able state of affairs, and with no serious competition, might soon
result in a well-established colony, itself a center of distribution.
The record of ?-ufescens from Mt. Shasta (July 14) seems to have
been based on a lone straggler, for the species has not been found
there since. (For references and localities see beyond.)
As has become a generally accepted idea, the young plumages
of birds, if different at all from those of the adults, present a gen-
eralized type of coloration ; or, to express it in another way, the
young more nearly resemble recent ancestral conditions. The
familiar examples of the spotted, thrush-like plumage of the young
robin and the streaked, sparrow-like plumage of young towhees
and juncos are cases in point. Accepting this phylogenetic
significance of ontogeny, we find the chickadees giving some
interesting illustrations.
Although the adult of barlowi has the sides pure smoke-gray,
the juvenal plumage possesses pale rusty sides. This points
towards a rusty sided ancestor like neglectus. This also agrees
perfectly with the distributional evidence of origin. The adult of
neglectus has pale rusty sides ; the young also has rusty sides, but
378
Grinnell, Chestnut-bached Chickadee.
TAuk
Ljuly
somewhat darker than in the corresponding age of barlowi, and
moreover is more nearly like the ju venal plumage of rufesce?is.
But the sides in adult rufescens are deep brown, almost chestnut,
while the young has much paler, merely dark rusty sides. And
what is most significant is that the young of rufescens and hud-
sonicus are much nearer alike than are the adults, the former
having only very slightly darker rusty on the flanks. The young
of hudsonicus in respect to intensity of browns almost exactly
equal the adults of the same species, showing that the present
coloration is of very long standing, and offering further evidence
that hudsonicus is nearest the common stock form of all the chicka-
dees under consideration. Juvenal characters, resembling ancestral
conditions, lag behind the newer acquired adult characters.
To repeat : The young of barlowi has the sides paler rusty
than neglectus, neglectus slightly paler than rufescens, but rufescens
has the sides slightly more rusty than hudsonicus, a sequence
which accords well with the present theories of origin. (See
Map III.)
Measurements (in Inches and Millimeters) of the Races of
Par us rufescens.
Parus rufescens rufescens.
Parus rufescens neglectus.
Panes rufescens barlowi.
Wing.
Tail.
Wing.
Tail.
Wing.
Tail.
( max.
2.50 (63)
2-33 (59)
(max.
5* av-
2.38 (60)
2.21 (56)
(max.
2.50(63)
2.36 (59)
&& ( min.
a. 42 (61)
2^8 (56)
2-35 (59)
2-17 (55)
25 Jav.
2.42 (61)
2.26 (57)
2.38 (60)
2.08 (53)
0 a (min.
2.30(58)
2-07 (53)
c?cf (min.
2-32 (59)
2.19(56)
( max.
2.41 (61)
2.21 (56)
(max.
2.28(58)
2.16(55)
( max.
2.45 (62)
2-24 (57)
9 9 av.'
+ ( min.
2.28(58)
2-10(53)
p5o av.
* + ( min.
2-24 (57)
2.12 (54)
10 < av.
V V ( min.
2.30(58)
2-13 (54)
2-15(55)
2.03 (52)
2.21 (56)
2.08 (53)
2.22 (56)
2.05 (52)
Vol. XXI"]
1904 J
Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee.
379
Comparative Coloration 1 of the Races of Parus rufescens.
Pants rufescens rufescens
Parus rufescens neglectus.
Parus rufescens barlowi.
(cf ad.; No. 5623, Coll. J.
G. ; Seiad Valley, Siskiyou
Mountains, California; Dec.
12,1901; collected by M. P«
Anderson.)
Top of head and hind neck
dark seal brown ; ocular
stripe sooty.
Mantle chestnut, inclining
slightly toward hazel ;
rump the same.
Sides of head and neck white,
forming a wedge-shaped
patch from bill to shoulder.
Chin and throat dark seal
brown.
Sides and flanks chestnut,
inclining slightly toward
hazel.
Wings and tail fuscous, pale-
edged.
(cf ad.; No. 5624, Coll. J.
G. ; San Geronimo, Marin
County, California; Feb.
13, 1902; collected by J.
& J. W. Mailliard.)
Top of head and hind neck
dark seal brown ; ocular
stripe sooty.
Mantle chestnut, inclining to-
ward hazel; rump slightly
paler.
Sides of head and neck white,
forming a wedge-shaped
patch from bill to shoulder.
Chin and throat dark seal
brown, very slightly paler.
Sides and flanks pale hazel.
Wings and tail fuscous, pale-
edged.
(cf ad.; No. 4425, Coll. J.
G-; Stevens Creek Cafion>
Santa Clara Co., California ;
Oct. 13, 1900; collected by
J. Grinnell. [Type.])
Top of head and hind neck
dark seal brown, very slight-
ly paler; ocular stripe sooty.
Mantle chestnut, inclining
strongly toward hazel ;
rump paling to clay color.
Sides of head and neck white,
forming a wedge-shaped
patch from bill to shoulder.
Chin and throat dark seal
brown, very slightly paler.
Sides and flanks pure smoke
gray.
Wings and tail fuscous, pale-
edged.
(c? juv. ; No. 1194, Coll. J.
G.; Sitka, Alaska; June
26, 1896; collected by J.
Grinnell.)
Similar to adult, but :
Top of head and hind neck
dark hair brown.
Mantle burnt umber; rump
inclining toward hazel.
Chin and throat dull seal
brown.
Sides and flanks dark hazel.
(cf juv.; No. 5625, Coll. J.
G.; San Geronimo, Marin
Co., Cal. ; June 30, 1903 ;
J. & J. W. Mailliard.)
Similar to adult, but :
Top of head and hind neck
dark hair brown.
Mantle dull burnt umber;
rump slightly paler.
Chin and throat dull seal
brown.
Sides and flanks pale hazel.
(cf juv.; No. 4684, Coll. J.
G. ; Palo Alto, Santa Clara
Co., Cal.; May 11, 1901 ;
collected by J. Grinnell.)
Similar to adult, but:
Top of head and hind neck
dark hair brown.
Mantle pale burnt umber,
merging into pure hazel on
the rump.
Chin and throat dull seal
brown.
Sides and flanks very pale
tawny.
1 Color names taken from Ridgway's ' Nomenclature of Colors.1
38o
Grinnell, Chestnut-backed Chickadee. IT 1
Localities of Occurrence.
Parus rufescens rufescens.
Specimens examined. — Sitka, Alaska. British Columbia: Mt. Leh-
man; North Saavich, Vancouver Id. Fort Canbj, Wash. Oregon:
Cedar Mill, Washington Co. ; Salem ; Butteville ; Upper Klamath Lake.
California: Siskiyou Mts. ; Eureka; Healdsburg ; Mt. St. Helena.
Other stations (mostly from published records). — Alaska: Juneau;
Portage Bay ; Lituya Bay ; Haines; Skaguay ; Glacier. Queen Charlotte
Ids., B.C. Washington: Seattle; Ft. Steilacoom ; Ft. Vancouver;
Gray's Harbor ; Cape Disappointment; Stehekine Valley, Okanogan Co.
Idaho: Coeur d'Alene Mts. ; Ft. Sherman. Oregon: Wilbur; Yakina
Bay; Dayton; Sheridan; Portland; Corvallis ; Clatsop Co. California:
Cahto, Mendocino Co. ; west base Mt. Shasta.
Partis rufescens neglectus.
Specimens examined (all from California). — Marin County: San
Geronimo ; Nicasio ; Fairfax. Sonoma County: Sebastopol (interme-
diate, toward rufescens) ; Cazadero (intermediate, toward rufescens).
Record station. — Ukiah, Mendocino Co.
Parus rufescens barlowi.
Specimens examined (all from California). — San Mateo County: San
Mateo ; King Mt. ; Woodside ; Pescadero Cr. ; La Honda. Santa Clara
County: Palo Alto; Stanford University ; Stevens Creek Canon ; Gilroy.
Alameda County: Haywards; Alvarado. Monterey County: Monterey;
Pacific Grove ; Carmel Bay.
Other stations (from published records). — San Francisco. Santa Cruz
County: Boulder Creek; Santa Cruz; Saratoga; Watsonville. Little
Sur River, Monterey Co.
Synonymy.
Parus rufescens rufescens.
Parus rufescens Townsend, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. VII, 1837, 190
(orig. descr. ; "Inhabits the forests of the Columbia river "). — Audubon,
Orn. Biog. IV, 1838,371. — Townsend, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. VIII,
1839, 152. — Audubon, Synopsis, 1839, So. — Nuttall, Man. Orn. I, 1840,
267, part (notes and habits). — Audubon, Bds. Am. 1841, 158, pi. 129. —
Cassin, Bds. Cal. & Tex., 1S53, iS.— Baird, Pac. R. R. Rep. IX, 185S,
394, part (Ft. Vancouver; etc.). — Cooper & Suckley, Pac. R. R. Rep.
XII, i860, Zool. Rep., 194 (Ft. Steilacoom). — "Sclater, Cat. Am. Bds.,
1861, 14, No. 86." — Baird, Rev. Am. Bds., Aug. 1864,83, part. — Brown,
V°I *^XI] Grinnell, Chestnut-bached Chickadee. 38 1
Ibis, 2nd Ser. IV, Oct. 1868, 421 (Vancouver Id.). — Gray, Hand-list Bds.
I, 1869, 232 (" sitchensis, Kittl."). — Cooper, Am. Nat. Ill, April 1869, 75
("dense forests of the higher Coeur d'Alene Mountains"). — Dall &
Bannister, Trans. Chicago Ac. Sc. I, 1869, 280 (Sitka). — Cooper, Orn.
Cal. I, 1870, 47, part. — Coues, Key, 1872, 81. — Coues, Bds. Northwest,
1874, 22. — Baird, Brewer & Ridgway. Hist. N. Am. Bds. I, 1874, 104.
— Ridgway, Proc. U. S. N. M. I, March 1879, 395. — Ridgway, Proc. U. S.
N. M. I, May 1879, 486 (synonymy). — Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv.
1879, 288.— Ridgway, Proc. U. S. N. M. Ill, Aug. 1880, 169.— Gadow,
Cat. Bds. British Mus. VIII, 1883, 34, part (Upper Klamath Lake; etc.).
— Hartlaub, Journ. fiir Orn. XXI, July 1883, 266 (Portage Bay, Alaska,
Dec.-Feb.). — Anthony, Auk, III, April 1886, 171 (Washington Co.,
Oregon, breeding). — Nelson, Rep. Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska, 1887, 214
(Lituya Bay ; etc.). — Townsend, Proc. U. S. N. M. X, 1887, 229 (coast of
Humboldt Co. ; Mt. Shasta, west base, 1 spec, July 14). — Coues, Key,
1890, 267. — Belding, Land Bds. Pac. Dist. Sept. 1890, 242 (Wilbur, Ore-
gon ; etc.). — Chapman, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Ill, Sept. 1890, 153
(coast of British Columbia). — Swallow, Auk, VIII, Oct. 1891, 397
(Clatsop Co., Oregon). — Lawrence, Auk, IX, Jan. 1892, 47 (Gray's Har-
bor, Wash.). — Rhoads, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., 1893, 58. — McGregor,
Nidologist, IV, Sept. 1896,8 (Cahto, Mendocino Co., Cal.). — Merrill,
Auk, XV, Jan. 1898, 21 (Ft. Sherman, Idaho, resident; specimens,
according to Brewster, identical in every respect with skins from coast of
British Columbia). — Grinnell, Auk, XV, April 1898, 130 (Sitka, Alaska,
breeding). — Kobbe, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, I, Sept. 1899,84 (Cape Dis-
appointment, Wash., nesting habits; etc.). — Merriam, N. Am. Fauna
No. 16, Oct. 1899, 132. — Kobbe, Auk, XVII, Oct. 1900, 357. — Bishop, N.
Am. Fauna No. 19, Oct. 1900, 93 (Alaska: Haines, Skaguay, and Glacier).
— Grinnell, Condor, II, Nov. 1900,127. — Fisher, Condor, II, Nov.
1900, 138 (Mt. St. Helena). — Fisher, Condor, III, July 1901, 91. —
Dawson, Auk, XVIII, Oct. 1901, 403 (Stehekine Valley, Okanogan Co.,
Wash.). — Osgood, N. Am. Fauna No. 21, 1901, 50 (Queen Charlotte
Ids., B. C). — Woodcock, Bull. 68, Oregon Agr. Exp. Sta., Jan. 1902,93
(Oregon: YakinaBay; Dayton; Sheridan; Salem; Portland ; Corvallis).
— Rathbun, Auk, XIX, April 1902, 140 (Seattle, Wash., breeding). —
Fisher, Condor, IV, Nov. 1902, 135. — Bailey, Handbook Bds., Nov.
1902, 459.
Poccila rufescens Bonaparte, Conspectus Avium, I, 1850, 230.
Parus rufescens rufescens Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif. No. 3, June 1902,
71. — Anderson & Grinnell, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., Jan. 1903, 13
(Siskiyou Mts., Cal.).
Parus rufescens neglectus.
Parus rufescens Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, Jan. 1878, 20
(Nicasio).
182 Grinnell, Chest?iut-backed Chickadee. LTulv
Parus rufescens, p. neglectus Ridgway, Proc. U. S. N. M. I, May 1879,
485 (orig. descr. ; type locality not indicated, but later determined to be
Nicasio).
Parus rufescens neglectus Allen, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, V, April 1880,
89.— Ridgway, Proc. U. S. N. M. Ill, Sept. 1880, 169, 215.— A. O. U.
Checklist, 1886, 336, part?. — Ridgway, Man. N.Am. Bds., 1887, 564,
part. — Belding, Land Bds. Pac. Uist., Sept. 1890, 242, part (Ukiah ;
Sebastopol ; etc.). — Coues, Key, 1890, 267, part ?. — Mailliard, Condor,
II, May 1900, 67 (Marin County). — Grinnell, Condor, II, Nov. 1900,
127. — Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif. No. 3, June 1902, 71.
Parus rufescens barlowi.
Parus rufescens Nuttall Man. Orn. I, 1840, 268, part ("Upper Cali-
fornia" ). — Gambel, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., Feb. 1847, 155 (Monterey).
— Gambel, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., 2nd Ser. I, Dec. 1847, 36. — Herr-
mann, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., 2nd Ser. II, Jan. 1853, 264 (San Fran-
cisco, breeding). — Baird, Pac. R. R. Rep. IX, 1858, 394, part. — Heermann,
Pac. R. R. Rep. X, 1859, 42. — Cooper, Pac. R. R. Rep. XII, 1S60, 194,
part. — Baird, Rev. Am. Bds., Aug. 1864, 83, part. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I,
1870, 47, part. — Baird, Brewer & Ridgway, Hist. N. Am. Bds. I, 1874,
104; III, 502, part (Santa Cruz, breeding). — Gadow, Cat. Bds. VIII,
1883, 34, part.
Parus rufescens neglectus Skirm, Orn. & Ool. IX, Dec. 1884, 149
(Santa Cruz). — Ridgway, Man. N. Am. Bds. 1887, 564, part. — Davie,
Nests and Eggs N. Am. Bds. 4th Ed., 1889, 421. — Belding, Land Bds.
Pac. Dist. Sept. 1890, 242, part. — Fisher, N. Am. Fauna No. 7, May 1893,
140 (Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz County). — A. O. U. Checklist, 2nd Ed.,
1895, 310, part ?. — Van Denburgh, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil., April 1898,
218 (Santa Cruz County: Saratoga to Boulder; Watson ville). — Van
Denburgh, Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. XXXVIII, Nov. 1899, 178 (Palo Alto).
Emerson, Condor, II, Jan. 1900, 19 (Haywards). — Ray, Osprey, V, Oct.
1900, 7 (Little Sur R., Monterey Co.). — Bailey, Handbook Bds., Nov.
1902, 459, part?.
Parus rufescens barlorui Grinnell, Condor II, Nov. 1900, 127 (orig.
descr.; type from Stevens Creek Canon, Santa Clara Co., Cal.). —
Allen, Auk, XVIII, April 1901, 178. — McGregor, Pac. Coast Avif. No.
2, May 1901, 20. — Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif. No. 3, June 1902, 71. —
Fisher, Bailey's Handbook Bds., Nov. 1902, lvi (Santa Cruz Mts.). —
A. O. U. Committee, 12th Sup., Auk, XX, July 1903, 359. — Anderson &
Jenkins, Condor, V, Nov. 1903, 155 (La Honda, San Mateo Co.).
Parus barloxvi Grinnell, Condor, IV, Nov. 1902, 127 (Little Sur R.,
Monterey Co.).
The Auk, Vol. XXI,
Plate XXII,
BLACK-CAPPED PETREL.
Taken at Pittsfield, N. II.. Aug. 30, 1896.
V0li'g£XI] General Notes. 383
GENERAL NOTES.
Black-capped Petrel in New Hampshire. — Recently Mr. Henry W.
Osgood sent me a photograph (see Plate XXII) of a Black-capped Petrel
(sEslrelata hasitata) taken at Pittsfield, N. H., August 30, 1893, but not
hitherto recorded.1 The locality of capture is forty miles from the sea.
The specimen was a male, and fell, in an exhausted condition, near Mr.
Osgood's home. Its stomach was empty. This is the first record of the
species for New Hampshire, though previously reported from Vermont.
This straggler from tropical seas has the following North American
records: (1) Near Indian River, Florida, winter of 1846 (Lawrence, Ann.
Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, IV, p. 475). (2) Quoque, Long Island, N. Y.,
July, 1850 (Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, V, 1852, p. 220).
(3) Blacksburg, Va., Aug. 30, 1893 (Smyth, Auk, X, 1893, p. 361). (4)
Oneida Lake, N. Y., Aug. 28, 1893 (Bagg, Auk, XI, 1894, 162). (5)
Toronto, Canada, Oct. 30, 1893 (Mcllwraith, Birds of Ontario, 1894, p.
414). (6) Vermont, place and date not recorded (Allen, Auk, XI, 1894, p.
241). (7) New Paltz, Ulster Co., N. Y., Jan. 26, 1895 (Foster, Auk, XII,
1895, p. 179). (8) Cincinnati, Ohio (two specimens), Oct. 5, 1898 (Lin-
dahl, Auk, XVI, 1899, p. 75). (9) Augusta, Ky., Oct. 4, 1898 (Lindahl,
Auk, XVI, 1899, p. 75). (10) The New Hampshire specimen recorded
above — ten records, eleven specimens. — J. A. Allen, Am. Mus. Nat.
Hist., New York City.
Holbcell's Grebe in Lancaster, Mass. — A live Holbcell's Grebe {Colym-
bus holboellii), a young male, was found in Lancaster, Mass., February 15,
1904, by one of the local sportsmen and given to me. It did not seem
injured in the least, and lived in confinement for nine days. It was found
in a marshy meadow near the main street, near several houses. — John E.
Thayer, Lancaster, Mass.
European Widgeon in Southern California. — A male European Wid-
1 Since this note was sent to the printer I have received a copy of Mr.
Glover M. Allen's ' A list of the Birds of New Hampshire' (Proc. Manchester
Institute of Arts and Sciences, IV, Pt. 1, pp. 23-222), in which (p. 69) occurs
the following: "A single specimen was captured at Pittsfield, in Merrimack
County, in August, 1893, anc^ beyond an anonymous paragraph in the Boston
Sunday Herald ('93), appears not to have been recorded. The bird is now in
the mounted collection of Mr. William Brewster, No. 46,076, catalogued
under date of August 30, 1893. Doubtless the bird was blown up the coast
by the tropical hurricane of the last week of August in that year," with also
Nos. 3, 4, and 6 of the' above list.
In a letter just received Mr. Osgood confirms Mr. Allen's statement that the
New Hampshire specimen, recorded above, is now in Mr. Brewster's collection.
384
General Notes. \j^
geon {Mareca fenelope) was shot by C. H. Mears, February 16, 1904, on
the Pasadena Duck Club preserves at Bixby, Los Angeles County, Cali-
fornia. The specimen is now owned by Joseph Welsh of Pasadena, who
kindly turned it over to me for examination and permitted the present
record. The bird is in full plumage, and closely resembles the usual
male Baldpate in all respects except the head and neck, which are almost
uniform chestnut in color. The top of the head, from base of upper
mandible to occiput, is plain white, slightly rusty anteriorly. The throat
is largely blackish, while minute arrowheads of black dot the cheeks and
loral regions. Back of the eye the chestnut ground color is overlaid by
numerous flecks of metallic green. This bird was a novelty to local
sportsmen, who at first took it for a hybrid of some sort. "Redhead X
Baldpate" was suggested. — Joseph Grinnell, Pasadena, Cal.
On the Evanescent Ground-tint of Woodcock's Eggs. — My dog stood
a Woodcock (Pkilokela minor) on its nest, containing four perfectly fresh
eggs, April 10th of this year. The peculiarity of these eggs was their
very dark coloration, the ground tint being slightly darker even than the
dead oak leaves that surrounded and composed the nest. On comparing
the eggs the next day with the series in the U. S. National Museum, in
conjunction with Dr. Ralph, we could find no eggs that were anywhere
near as dark ; in fact, they were darker even than the darkest eggs of
Gallinago delicata, and we were congratulating ourselves on adding an
unique set to the collection, when after a week's duration, in moth-proof
museum cases, one egg faded out to the usual Woodcock ground tint, fol-
lowed in a day or so by the other eggs. Now I would like to ask the
readers of ' The Auk' if freshly laid eggs of the Woodcock are always so
dark, fading out during incubation or without it? — J. H. Riley, Washing-
ton, D. C.
How an Abnormal Growth of Bill was Caused. — The articles by Mr.
B. S. Bowdish and Mr. P. A. Taverner in the last two numbers of ' The
Auk' on abnormal bills call to mind an incident that happened several
years ago and resulted in a somewhat similar growth.
A young friend of mine took an acquaintance to visit a Flicker's (Co-
laftes auratus) nest which he had discovered. The nestlings were then
only two or three days old. The boy put his hand into the nesting cavity
and lifted out one of the young birds by the bill. In so doing he some-
how twisted the mandibles. On another visit to the nest the young birds
were found to be well feathered and almost ready to shift for themselves.
The injured bill had grown in the twisted shape and the mandibles wrere
now crossed very similar to those of the Crossbill {Loxia curvirostra
minor). The bird was otherwise in as good condition as the others, but
of course the parents were still feeding them, and the specimen was not-
seen after leaving the nest. — Chreswell J. Hunt, Philadelphia, Pa.
V°!9o^XI] General Notes. 385
The Evening Grosbeak in Central New York in April. — On April 11
a neighbor described to me two birds which she had seen in the fruit
trees in her yard so accurately that I had no doubt that she had seen a
pair of Evening Grosbeaks {Hesfieriphona vespertina). A later search
failed to reveal them that day, however, but on the following day I was
sent for, and on nearing the place heard their curious notes, and had no
difficulty in finding the birds. They were quite tame, and I watched
them for a long time. They spent most of the time on the ground or in
the lower branches of the trees, and the male in particular seemed very
partial to the shriveled and discolored apples that lay on the ground or
clung to the branches. Whether he ate the pulp or the seeds I could not
tell positively.
In the winter of 1901-02 these birds were quite common here, but I have
since had no report of them until the present instance, and I was sur-
prised to see them here this year after the spring had broken and all
the early birds were starting their nesting. — Louis Agassiz Fuertes,,
Ithaca, N. Y.
The Evening Grosbeak at Beverly, Mass. — In the winter of 1889-1890
there was a great incursion of the Evening Grosbeak (Hesperipkona
vespertina) to Massachusetts, a number of specimens being taken at Box-
ford and Lynn. This was considered the most interesting flight of birds
ever recorded in the State. Most of the specimens secured were placed in
the Peabody Academy of Science at Salem. I believe the species has not
been seen since then until Wednesday, March 23, 1904, when I came upon
a flock of five of them. They were in a willow tree along with some
Robins and Rusty Grackles. The Robins and Grackles flew when I passed
under the tree, but these birds remained, and to my surprise I discovered
that they were the Evening Grosbeak. They wrere much scattered, and I
fired at one old male which I secured. They flew perhaps an eighth of a
mile before alighting again. I followed and secured two more, a
young male and a female. They were all fine birds, in good condition,
and their stomachs were well filled with buds and seed. They have been
purchased by Mr. John E. Thayer of Lancaster, Mass. ; two of them will
be placed in the collection of the Boston Society of Natural History and
the other retained for his own collection. — C. Emerson Brown,
Beverly, Mass.
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow in North Dakota — On June 12, 1902,
while dragging with a long rope, over low prairie land near a small
slough, I flushed a little sparrow from a heavy tangled growth of grass.
The spot was marked and upon returning an hour later the bird was
again started from the grass nearby. A careful search ended fruitlessly ;
I then retired a short distance and waited about fifteen minutes. The
next time I approached the spot on a run and the bird fluttered from the
grass at my very feet, only to drop into the grass a few yards away, as she
3 86
General Xotes. rAu,k
LJuly
hnd done before. I began searching over every inch of ground and after
half an hour's work I found a tiny nest sunken on a level with the
ground, which was so well concealed by its small size and the thick clump
of grass in which it was located that I could not remove my eyes without
again having to search for it. The structure was four inches in depth
and well arched over at the top, resembling nothing more than a tiny
burrow; so dark was the interior of the nest that the eggs could not be
discerned until the surrounding growth had been displaced. This nest
was composed of fine grasses, very compactly woven, and the walls were
thick and strong. Incubation was far advanced in the five eggs which it
contained, the ground color of which was grayish white thickly and
uniformly marked with specks of light brown.
I found it no easy matter to obtain the bird, as it never flew for more
than a few yards without dropping into the grass, and only took wing
when almost trampled upon. At last, however, I secured the bird with a
snap shot when it took a longer flight than usual. The bird proved
beyond all question to belong to Ammodramus nelsoni, and the bird,
nest and eggs are now in the collection of Dr. H. B. Bishop. Few sets,
if any, of this sparrow have been taken within the limits of the United
States, though Arnold and Raine have taken sets in Canada. The set
described above was taken near Devils Lake City, X. D. — Charles
W. Bownak, Devils Lake. X. D.
Henslow's Sparrow in Chester County, Pa. — On April 25, 1904, I shot
a male Henslow's Sparrow {A?nmodramns hensloivii) at Cupola, Chester
Co., Pa. There were some six pairs of these sparrows in an overgrown,
upland field. They ran under the matted grass like meadow mice and it
was almost impossible to flush them, but their weak, two-syllabled notes
could be heard on every side. On another visit to the locality, on May 8,
only a single bird was seen and on May 22 they seemed to have entirely
deserted the spot, as none were to be found. — Chresweli. J. Hunt,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Henslow's Sparrow at Bethlehem, Pa. — A Correction. — In view of
the recent occurrences of Henslow's Sparrow {Ammodramus henslo-wii) in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it seems desirable to call attention to an
erroneous record furnished to Dr. B. H. Warren and first published in his
Birds of Pennsylvania.' On p. 236 he says: "Nests have been taken in
our state by Dr. Detwiller of Bethlehem and Mr. Roddy of Millersville."
In mv ' Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.' after correspond-
ing with both gentlemen, I published more explicit data concerning the
dates and localities of these nests.
Subsequently a portion of the late Dr. Detwiller's collection came into
possession of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and among other speci-
mens are two birds labeled " Coturniculus hensloivi. Bethlehem, June,
Voi£XI] General Notes. 387
1883, shot after procuring three sets of eggs." Further comment is
hardly necessary when I state that hoth birds are Baird's Sparrow (Cot-
urniculus bairdii), the "male" being an adult, the "female" a juvenal
specimen. From the peculiar make-up of the skins I have no hesitation
in saying that they were taken by Mr. Krider on a trip which he took to
North Dakota with Dr. W. L. Abbott in 188 1. Dr. Detwiller obtained
many specimens from Krider. — Witmer Stone, Academy 0/ Natural
Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.
What has happened to the Martins ? — Last summer the Martins
(Progne subis) were suddenly either destroyed or driven away from their
boxes in this town where for many years they have been domiciled. I
watched interestedly for their arrival this spring, and was delighted on
May 8, 1904, to see one about their old homes ; but my delight has been
short-lived, as the one lone bird disappeared and no others have come-
Does it mean that the largest Concord colony I know of, where for many
years at least fifteen pairs have nested, is wiped out? I would like to
know if other New England towns have so mysteriously lost their Mar-
tins. — Reginald Heber Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.
Breeding of Lawrence Warbler in New York City. — It is with
pleasure that I am able to place on record some notes of the breeding of
Lawrence Warbler {Helminthophila Iwwrencei). This is, I believe, the
twelfth individual of this species to be recorded, and the first instance of
its breeding, the other eleven birds being migrants.
The discovery of the nest was first made by Dr. Wiegmann early in
June of the present year, and many of the following notes are from his
observations.
Occurrence. — On May 15, 1903, Dr. Wiegmann observed a Lawrence
Warbler in the New York Zoological Park, and on June 6 of last year I
made a note of this species in my journal, but the glimpse I had of the
bird was so brief that I then recorded the identification as not sufficiently
certain for publication. The bird was first observed in the Park on May
18 of this year, and almost every day thereafter until June 16.
Plumage. — The individual Lawrence Warbler under consideration was
exactly like the type specimen of Herrick as described in Ridgway's
'Birds of North and Middle America' (U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. No. 50,
Part II, p. 452) except that the gular patch of black extended over the
entire chin. The bird was in finest plumage, the markings of the throat
and lores being jet black. The wing bars were white with just a tinge of
yellow when seen in a favorable light at short range.
Habitat. — The bird's breeding place in the Zoological Park was in an
open hardwood growth, near one of the Society's buildings, hardly a
stone's throw7 from the Bird House.
Song. — This resembled very closely the dreamy zree-e-e, zzvee-e-e-e of
the Blue-winged Warbler (H. finus). An acute ear, however, could
388 General Notes. [^
detect that the first phrase was a typical c/irysoptera syllable, while the
second was a perfect pinus syllable, thus: s/iree-e-e, zwee-e-e-e, the first
syllable penetrating and somewhat harsh, the second long-drawn, dreamy
and wheezy.
Habits. — Very similar to pinus. The male Lawrence Warbler was
mated with a typical female Blue-winged Warbler. The nest was placed
on the ground among a thick layer of dead leaves, and was arched over
and almost concealed from view by sweet-brier vines. It was a well-made
cup of dried leaves lined with strips of cedar bark. On June 13 there
were six vigorous young birds in the nest, all in the typical nestling
plumage of H. pinus, showing no traces of the black markings of H.
lawrencei. Within five minutes after our arrival, both parents appeared,
carrying mouthfuls of green cut-worms. The birds were very tame,
allowing us to approach within eight feet without showing fear. At
other times the birds were within a yard of the observer. Both parents
kept up the sharp chips of warning to the young. The young birds left
the nest in safety on June 16, and though search has been since made,
they have not again been observed.
It is hoped that this interesting and rare species, whether it be a hybrid
or, as I half suspect, a species in the process of making, will make the
Zoological Park its home for a third year. It has seemed to us that when
the identification is as certain as in this instance, the interests of science
may best be served by permitting the bird to breed unmolested, rather
than by simply adding a twelfth skin to our collections, and by so doing,
put an end to all hope of future observations of the bird or its offspring.
I wish that ornithologists would do likewise more often in the case of
extra-limital records of species where the identification of the living bird
is certain. — C William Beebe, Curator of Or?iithology, New York
Zoological Park.
Myrtle Warblers Wintering in Maine. — Several years ago there was
some comment in ' The Auk ' with reference to a claim that Myrtle
Warblers had been found wintering in this State. Under title of 'The
Yellow-rumped Warbler Wintering in Maine,' Dr. Joseph L. Goodale
reported the capture of two of these birds from a flock of six at Pine
Point, Me., Jan. 1, 1SS5 (Auk, Vol. II, p. 216). Mr. Nathan Clifford
Brown later expressed a doubt that these Pine Point birds tarried in
Maine throughout the season, implying that it was a time of unusually
severe cold (Auk, Vol. II, p. 307).
I am now able to establish by reliable evidence the wintering in Maine
the past winter of a flock of three to six Myrtle Warblers. The season,
it should be remembered, was more severe than usual, the thermometer
being near the zero mark morning after morning through January, when
the birds were found. Jan. 10, 1904, I walked to Pond Cove, Cape Eliza-
beth, the snow being about two feet deep and the day severely cold.
There I saw several birds flying about the trees near the road, but I did
Vol/*XI] General Notes. 389
not at that time succeed in fully identifying them, the snow being deep
and I was not suitably dressed for wading. Jan. 17, 1904, equipped for
any depth of snow, I went to the same locality for the purpose of
ascertaining if possible what the birds were. They were found in the
same general locality and identified fully as Myrtle Warblers. I saw
three at that time. They were living in the edge of evergreen woods and
were found feeding on a weedy slope a hundred feet from the shore of
Casco Bay. The principal growth here was the bayberry or wax myrtle,
and the birds were observed feeding in these bushes. Jan. 24, 1904, I
took with me to the place J. F. Fanning, Esq., and J. W. Leathers, Esq.,
of Portland, both members of the Maine Ornithological Society and both
experienced observers. The identity of the Myrtle Warblers was fully
confirmed by them. Three and perhaps four of the birds were seen at
this time. Jan. 31, 1904, I took with me Mr. Leathers and Mr. Arthur H.
Norton, of Westbrook, the latter the leading ornithologist of this locality,
whose contributions to 'The Auk' are familiar to all its readers. The
birds were again fully identified and it was made almost certain that
there were four in the flock. Feb. 7, 1904, I again visited the place and
found the birds still there, but could not count more than three. Feb.
14, 1904, in company with Mr. Planning and Mr. Leathers, I saw one
Myrtle Warbler at Cumberland, fully ten miles from Pond Cove. This
one was near a large growth of wax myrtle bushes. I did not visit Pond
Cove again until Feb. 28, 1904. At this time it was raining and no
Myrtle Warblers were seen. March 6, 1904, I was again at Pond Cove
but saw no warblers. March 13, 1904, Mr. Fanning, Mr. Leathers and I
visited Pond Cove and found the Myrtle Warblers in the same place as
on previous visits. This time six of them were seen in the air at the
same time, as they flew up from the wax myrtle bushes at our approach,
and were again identified beyond a doubt by all three of us.
Two Robins wintered in this same locality, being seen on four or five
visits through January to March. A Song Sparrow was also seen here in
January and one on March 13. All these birds apparently found plenty
of food during the very cold weather and all thrived on the fare they
secured from the sunny slope on which they spent the greater part of the
time.
The winter was the severest for at least twenty-five years, as evidenced
by the freezing of the whole of Casco Bay inside the islands. From 300
to 500 Black Ducks were driven into the inner harbor by the closing of
their usual feeding grounds among the islands. They congregated near
Martin's Point bridge on the Falmouth shore and for several weeks staid
within two hundred yards of the bridge, flying up at the approach of the
electric cars which cross the bridge every fifteen minutes. They suffered
to some extent for food, and corn and other things were thrown on the
flats for them by kind-hearted persons, who thought the birds were liable
to starve. Not one of them died, as a matter of fact, except a few whose
death was doubtless due to flying against the wires which pass over the
3 go General Notes. [juW
bridge. They staid until the ice began to leave the bay, objects of great
curiosity to hundreds of persons who went there for the purpose of
seeing so unusual a sight. — W. H. Brownson, Portland, Me.
Phyllopseustes versus Phylloscopus. — In a recent connection (Hand
List Gen. and Spec. Birds, IV, 1903, p. 358), Dr. Sharpe very properly
calls attention to the fact that Phyllopseustes is untenable as the generic
name of the group of willow (or leaf) warblers to which it has been more
or less frequently applied. The proper designation is Phylloscopus Boie
(Isis, 1826, p. 972), as Dr. Sharpe has shown (loc. cit.), for in both the
supposed earlier references to Phyllopseustes, or Phyllopseuste (Meyer,
V6g. Liv. u. Esthlands, 1S15, p. 122; ibid., Taschenb. Deutsch. Vogel,
III, 1822, p. 95), the name is employed not in a generic sense but as a
plural group heading, and is spelled " Phyllopseusta?" The generic name
Phyllopseustes, however, has for long stood in the American Ornitholo-
gists' Union Check-List ; and the present writer, in suggesting to Dr.
Sharpe the propriety of using this name in place of Phylloscopus, did so
without considering the necessity of verifying the original reference, but
relying upon the presumed correctness of the Check-List. Now, how-
ever, the ghost of Phyllopseustes having been finally laid, Phylloscopus
may rest undismayed in possession of its own.
The only willow warbler occurring in North America — Phyllopseustes
borealis (Blasius) of the A. O. U. Check-List (1895, p. 313) — is, as many
authors have contended, generically different from Phylloscopus, and
should be called Acanthopneuste borealis (Blasius). — Harry C. Ober-
HOLSER, Washington, D. C.
Peculiar Nesting-site of the Bluebird in the Bermudas. — On June 28,
1903, I found a Bluebird (Sialia sialis) at Hungary Bay in Bermuda.
Unlike any that I had ever seen, it was built of grass and weeds, rather
bulky, and placed on the branch of a cedar tree about fifteen feet from
the ground, and several feet out from the trunk of the tree. It contained
one fresh egg which undoubtedly belonged to a second set. Both birds
were present and showed considerable anxiety when I looked at the nest.
All the Bluebirds in Bermuda do not build nests in this manner, for I
saw one which was discovered by Mr. A. H. Clark in the capstan of an
old wreck (that was about July 10, and the nest contained three nearly
fledged voung).
Major Wedderburn in Jones's ' Naturalist in Bermuda ' states that the
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker {Sphyrapicus varius) bred in Bermuda
occasionally and that many palmetto trees were bored by them, but I saw
no woodpecker holes, and there were very few palmettos in the neighbor-
hood of the nest at Hungary Bay. The lack, or scarcity of woodpecker
holes is probably what induced the birds to build a nest placed on a
branch of the only common tree.
I have looked up the nesting habits of the Bluebird in a number of
VOli9?4XI] General Notes. 39 1
books and have seen no reference to its building a nest such as I have
described. — Owen Bryant, Cambridge, Afass.
Dates of Nesting of Bermuda Birds. — As little has been published in
regard to nesting habits of Bermuda birds the following observations
may prove interesting. I was not there to find birds' eggs and only an
insignificant part of my time was spent at it, so the data are few.
English Sparrow (Passer domesticus). June 27, 1903. Flatts. Two
nests with young; 1 nest with 5 eggs, incubated; 2 nests with 4 eggs,
incubated.
Cat Bird {Galeoscoptes carolinensis). June 28, 1903. Hungary Bay.
One nest with 3 eggs, incubated.
July 8, 1903. Flatts. One nest with three fresh eggs. All the nests I
found were in bushes 3-10 feet from ground. (Nests the same as in New
England.)
Yellow-billed Tropic Bird {Phaethon Jiavirostris). June 30, 1903,
Castle Island. One nest with fresh egg ; several nests with downy
young, about 6 in. long.
June 10. Harrington Sound. One nest with incubated egg ; several
nests with half grown young. All were in holes in rock. One was a
mere depression in a flat rock; others 2 to 4 feet deep.
Cardinal Bird. (Cardinalis cardinalis). July 8. Flatts. One nest
with three eggs, nearly hatched. In the top of a rather small cedar tree
about 20 feet up. It was high enough to be quite conspicuous. The
bird called my attention to it by squeaking.
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduclis). June 29. Trunk Island.
Saw one of the old birds fly on to the nest, which was empty but
apparently finished.
July 6. The same nest contained 4 fresh eggs. It was in a cedar tree,
about 25 feet up, on a horizontal branch 6 or 7 feet from the trunk. It
was made mostly of yellow down and looked very much like the nest of
our Yellow-bird. — Owen Bryant, Cambridge, Mass.
Unusual Records near Boston, Mass. — During the last winter and
spring a number of uncommon birds have come under our notice, and
although none of them are rare, they may be worthy of record.
Larus Philadelphia. One was seen flying over the Charles River near
the Harvard Bridge, May 14, 1904.
Sula bassana. A single bird was observed April 8, 1904, off Lynn
Beach.
Mareca americana. One spent April 17, 1904, on the Chestnut Hill
Reservoir, Brighton, in company with two Black Ducks.
Aythya marila. A flock estimated to number about six hundred
wintered about Moon Island. We have not found them wintering at any
other point in Boston Bay.
392 General Notes. [^Jk
Chairtonetta albeola. A small flock remained at Moon Island, Boston
Bay, during the winter.
Gallinago delicata. A pair spent the past severe winter along a small
brook in the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
iEgialitis vocifera. Two were observed in the Middlesex Fells, Mass.,
on April 6, 1904.
Nyctea nyctea. One was seen March 5, 1904, at Squantum, Mass.
Acanthis lmaria. A flock of ten Redpolls and one Goldfinch was
observed in the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass., February 13,
1904. On March 2, 1904, a flock containing one Redpoll and thirteen
Pine Finches was recorded in Brookline, Mass.
Mimus polyglottos. One passed the winter in Jamaica Plain, Mass.
We last recorded it on April 6, 1904.
Hylocichla guttata pallasii. Observed on January 1, 1904, in Brook-
line, Mass., and January 8, 1904, at Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Auk, Vol. XXI,
p. 283). — Francis G. and Maurice C. Blake, Brookline, Mass.
Scott Oriole, Gray Vireo, and Phoebe in Northeastern New Mexico. —
Icterus parisorum was found during the breeding season last summer on
both sides of the thirty-fifth parallel, a little west of the one hundred and
fourth meridian, which is an extension of its range from southern New
Mexico. On May 26 one was seen in some box elders on the Pecos River
a few miles from Santa Rosa, south of the thirty-fifth parallel, and on
May 28 another was noted in a canon in the same locality. Near Montoya,
at the base of the northernmost point of the Staked Plains, north of the
thirty-fifth parallel, in the middle of June a pair of the birds were going
about among the junipers, and the song of the male was heard continually.
Vireo vicinior was also found in the junipers at Montoya, which is an
extension of range from Western Texas. Only one specimen was taken
but vireos, apparently of the same species, were abundant in the junipers,
singing loudly throughout the day. A vireo nest with three newly
hatched young was found on June 15. The nest was made principally
of shreds of bark, apparently the soft juniper bark, and, unlike ordinary
vireo nests, was unadorned.
Sayomis phccbe is hardly a bird that one would look for in the arid plains
region of New Mexico, but in the canons breaking down from the plains
to the Pecos River exist conditions that are far from those of arid plains.
Near Santa Rosa, from our juniper and cactus-covered camp ground, we
climbed down into one of these box canons that boasted numerous water
pools, fresh green cottonwoods, willows, woodbine, grapevines, and one
patch of cat-tails, in which a warbler that we took for a female Yellow-
throat hid away at our approach. Here, in a niche of rock over a water
pool we found a pair of phcebes feeding young in the nest on May 29,
and the brooding bird was so tame that she let us photograph her at a
distance of ten feet, so that her light chin shows to advantage. Her mate
Vol. xxn d . r ..
I9o4 Recent Literature. 3Q3
meanwhile calle.d phce'-be from a tree near by, dishing his tail and sweep-
ing out after insects.
Other phoebes were seen about the same time in the vicinity. One,
which was apparently catching insects for its young, was seen around
one of the deep pools on the outskirts of Santa Rosa. The conditions
in these places are so favorable that it would indeed seem strange if
wanderers through the region were not occasionally tempted to stop. —
Florence Merriam Bailey, Washington, D. C.
RECENT LITERATURE.
Hoffmann's ' Guide to the Birds of New England and Eastern New
York.' 1 — Happy the beginner into whose hands this little volume falls!
for his first impressions of bird life, whatever else may betide, will never
have to be unlearned. Here is a refreshing book that sets a new standard
for similar guides while putting to shame many of greater pretensions.
Mr. Hoffmann's long experience as a field observer and his ready grasp
of the needs of the beginner have enabled him to season his pages with
much that is not only crisply original but, at the same time, is of very
practical application in identifying birds afield. We are told in a tew
words what open eyes may see out-of-doors. The preliminary chapters
are concise, the keys, entirely for field identification, are arranged for
every month in the year, and the bulk of the volume is devoted to snap-
shot pen pictures of over two hundred and fifty familiar species of New
England birds. The rarities are omitted, but so true to life are these
snap shots that I am sure many of us can almost hear the songs and notes
familiar to our ears and see the characteristic markings and motions so
faithfully portrayed. One of the chief charms of the book is its uniform-
ity. No species is slighted, and the care with which the author dwells
upon diagnostic details of plumages, actions, and songs has perhaps never
1 A Guide to the | Birds of New England | and | Eastern New York | Con-
taining a Key for each Season and short | Descriptions of over two hundred
and | fifty Species with particular Refer- | ence to their Appearance | in the
Field | By | Ralph Hoffmann | Member of the American Ornithologists' Union
| With four full-page plates by Louis | Agassiz Fuertes and nearly | one hun-
dred cuts in | the text j [vignette] | Boston and New York | Houghton, Mifflin
and Company | The Riverside Press, Cambridge | 1904. — i2mo, pp. i-xiii,
+ i~3575 pll- iv, cuts in text. $1.50.
394 Recent Literature. \}\\
uk
ly
been equalled. We cannot but feel regret that so much has been com-
pressed into so little space, for this part of his work will appeal strongly
to many besides the novice. The latter will revel, or very likely flounder
in the keys which are certainly extremely ingenious ; still the inherent
disregard of birds for classification is not entirely overcome. It will
strike some that the measurements have been given with a superfluous
minuteness that will only tend to confuse the beginner. Why not tell
him the Phoebe is 7 inches long rather than '6.99'? and the added or
subtracted hundredths of an inch here and there would have made the
keys look less like time-tables. Otherwise, the descriptive details, as far
as they go, are admirable and it is a pleasure to turn pages which are so
filled with morsels of useful information that we could wish for bigger
bites. Four illustrations by Mr. Fuertes and numerous appropriate wood-
cuts add life to the pages, which are neatly and clearly printed. Even the
cover is attractive and no one will begrudge the sooty Chimney Swift his
gilded body, for ever since in ' Citizen Bird' Dr. Coues and Mrs. Wright
perched him on the telegraph wires, we must expect some conventional
liberties to be taken with this ' spruce cone with wings.' It is to be hoped
Mr. Hoffmann's book will have the warm reception of which it is so
deserving, and he himself is to be congratulated on having employed his
pen to such good purpose. — J. D., Jr.
Hornaday's 'The American Natural History.'1 — This very useful
work is intended to bridge the "chasm that is wide and deep " between
"the 'scientific' zoology, suitable only for students in the higher colleges
and universities "and "the ' nature-study ' books of the grammar schools."
It is not a manual of the vertebrate zoology of North America, as it
attempts to treat only "about three hundred important and well chosen
species of animals," of which a number are exotic, selected to fill in
important gaps in the general system of vertebrate life. It is systematic
in arrangement, beginning with the highest class, or mammals, and
ending with the lampreys and lancelets. There is a general introduction
of about eight pages (pp. xix-xxv), explanatory of classification, nomen-
clature, and other technicalities, all very useful and pertinent, and
including a timely warning notice against the present tendency "to
idealize the higher animals, to ascribe to them intelligence and reasoning
1 The American | Natural History | A Foundation of useful Knowledge
of I the Higher Animals of North America | By | William T. Hornaday |
Director of the New York Zoological Park; Author of | "Two Years in the
Jungle," etc. J Illustrated by 227 original drawings by Beard, Rungius, |
Sawyer, and others, 116 photographs, chiefly by Sanborn, | Keller, and
Underwood, and numerous charts and maps | Charles Scribners Sons | New
York, MCMIV — 8vo, pp. xv +449, numerous full-page half-tones and text
cuts, including maps and charts. $3.50, postage extra.
V°!*9^XI] Recent Literature. 395
powers which thej do not possess, and in some instances to 'observe'
wonderful manifestations that take place chiefly in the imagination of
the beholder." To mammals are assigned 170 pages, to birds 140, to rep-
tiles 43, to amphibians, 12, to fishes 75. The information given is well
chosen and well apportioned, the more important or more interesting
groups being selected for fuller treatment in comparison with those of
less popular interest. The nomenclature, particularly of the mammals,
is well up to date, for which the author acknowledges his indebtedness
to the influence and kind assistance of Dr. T. S. Palmer. In general only
a few prominent species are mentioned, as examples of their kin, but in
this way a large amount of very useful information is attractively pre-
sented. The illustrations are abundant, and for the most part excellent
for their purpose. The work has a characteristic personality, and an off-
hand and emphatic way of putting things that will prove attractive to
many readers and less pleasing to others. There is a tendency to
sweeping declarations that a little more care or thoughtfulness on the
author's part would have rendered less open to criticism, as the
statement regarding the pouch for the young in marsupials, the reader
being left to infer that it is characteristic of all members of the order.
Neither are his confessions respecting his lack of knowledge of the vocal
powers of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Rose-breasted Grosbeak credit-
able to his powers of observation as an ornithologist ; and what shall we
say of the lapsus whereby he tells his readers that "The Order Machro-
chires means literally ' odd ones.'"
But notwithstanding an occasional indiscretion Mr. Hornaday's ' The
American Natural History' is a valuable and helpful book that well fills
a hitherto serious gap in our popular natural history literature, treating
as it does, in a general and very helpful way, the vertebrates of North
America in the compass of a single volume. — J. A. A.
The 'Baby Pathfinder to the Birds.' — "This little guide1 has been
prepared primarily," the authors state, "for New England, but should be
of service in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania." It is restricted to
land birds, and mostly to the Passeres, and gives in a few lines the "gen-
eral appearance of adult birds as seen in the field," and a few words about
the song, nest, and breeding range of each of the no species treated. Its
small size renders it a convenient booklet for the pocket, and it should
prove a convenient and helpful vade mecum for the student when afield,
-J. A. A.
1 Baby Pathfinder to the Birds | Illustrated | A Pocket Guide to One Hun-
dred and Ten Land Birds of New England | with blank pages for Notes | By
Harriet E. Richards and Emma G. Cummings | Members of American Orni-
thologists' Union | — | W. A. Butterfield, Publisher, 59 Bromfield St., Boston,
Mass. J 1904 — 125 leaves, printed on one side; type-bed \\ X 3k in.
396
Recent Literature. ItuIv
Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. — The
present number of ' Cassinia' 1 forms volume VII of the Proceedings of
the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, and consists as usual of papers
relating to the ornithology of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and an
abstract of the proceedings of the Club, published under the editorship of
Mr. Witmer Stone. The first article is an appreciative biographical
sketch of John Kirk Towensend, by Mr. Stone, with a portrait. Other
papers are : ' The Red-headed Woodpecker as a Pennsylvania and New
Jersey Bird,' by Spencer Trotter ; 'Notes on the Summer Birds of Lehigh
Gap, Pennsylvania,' by James A. G. Rehn, an annotated list of 50
species; ' Exit the Dickcissel — a Remarkable Case of Local Extinction,'
by Samuel N. Rhoads (noticed below, p. 401) ; ' Crow Roosts and Flight
Lines in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey,' by Herbert L.
Coggins (with map) ; ' Water Birds of the Middle Delaware Valley,' by
Henry W. Fowler (notes on about 60 species) ; ' A Remarkable Night
Migration at Mt. Pocono, Pa.,' by William L. Baily ; 'Report on the
Spring Migration of 1903,' compiled by Witmer Stone; also 'Abstract of
the Proceedings' of the Club for 1903 ; ' City Ornithology,' ' Bird Club
Notes,' and list of officers and members. — J. A. A.
Oddi's ' Manuale d'Ornitologia Italiana.'2 — In a compact volume
(5X3I in.) of about 1100 pages Count Oddi has presented us with a most
excellent manual of Italian ornithology, fully up to the modern standard
of ornithological handbooks. It is profusely illustrated, some 400 text
cuts being from original designs made expressly for the work. About
125 pages treat of the generalities of the subject, as the external structure,
molt, migration, geographical distribution, nidification, classification,
etc., and form Part I; Part II, consisting of about 900 pages, and forming
the systematic part, gives descriptions and short biographies of the 473
species and subspecies constituting the Italian avifauna. The classifica-
tion is not modern, beginning with the ' Accipitres ' and ending with the
1 Pygopodes,' but the work aopears to have been prepared with care, and
must place Italian bird students under a debt of gratitude to its talented
author. — J. A. A.
1 Cassinia, A Bird Annual. Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho-
logical Club of Philadelphia, 1903. Roy. 8vo. pp. 88, frontispiece, and
several half-tone plates and maps. 50 cents.
2 Manuali Hoepli | — | Manuale | di | Ornithologia Italiana j — | Elenco
descrittivo | degli | Uccelli stazionari o di passaggio | finora osservati in
Italia I Del | Conte Dott. E. Arrigona Degli Oddi | Libero Docente di
Zoologia nella Regia Universita di Padova, | Membro del Comitato Ornito-
logico Internazionale, etc. | Con 36 tavole | e 401 incisioni nel testo da
disegni originali | [vignette] Ulrico Hoepli | Editore-Librario della Real
Casa I Milano | 1904 — 5X3? in., pp. 1-160, i-viii, 1 -{-90S, 36 half-tone plates
and 401 text cuts. Lire 15.
V°i1'<JXI] Recent Literature. 397
Boardman's 'The Naturalist of the Saint Croix.'1 — ' The Auk 'for April,
1901 (XVIII, p. 219), contained a brief notice of the late Mr. George A.
Boardman, for many years an Associate Member of the American Orni-
thologists' Union, having been elected in 1883, at the founding of the
Union. In the present volume we have a detailed memoir, including
extracts from his correspondence, with letters from several prominent
ornithologists to him. The memoir gives first an account of the Board-
man ancestry, followed by a description of the valley of the St. Croix
River, the business interests of which he did so much to develop, and
which was the principal scene of his natural history work. Then fol-
lows, in separate chapters, an account of his business and domestic life,
his work as a naturalist, the closing years at his home at Calais, a
description of the Boardman collection, some of the scientific results of
his life work, and further chapters on his personal characteristics, testi-
monials of appreciation from prominent naturalists, and extracts from
his correspondence. The book concludes with lists of the vertebrates of
the St. Croix vallev, and short extracts from Mr. Boardman's natural
history writings, in illustration of their character.
Mr. Boardman was "one of the pioneer field naturalists of the United
States," an intimate friend of Baird, Brewer, Lawrence, and other orni-
thologists who haved "passed on," and of others who still remain, to
whom collectively this memoir "is respectfully and lovingly dedicated."
Between the Baird and Boardman families there was close intimacy for
many years, which terminated only with the death of Professor Baird.
Mr. Boardman had very scanty school advantages, but became a very
successful business man, and possessed personal traits that endeared him
to a wide circle of friends. As a lumber merchant and lumber manu-
facturer he quite early in life acquired a competence, and was thus able
to devote his later years to field work in natural history and to travel.
He visited California, spent seventeen winters in Florida, and several
seasons in Minnesota. The history of his life is here judiciously and
simply told, and forms a narrative so replete with personal incident as to
be little short of fascinating, especially to those who knew Mr. Boardman
personally and his naturalist friends here mentioned ; and also to all
those of kindred tastes and sympathies. It is a record of personal history
well worthy of the permanent form here given, containing, as it does,
much of special interest relating to the natural history, and especially the
ornithology, of Maine and Florida in times now long past. There are a
1 The I Naturalist | of the Saint Croix | Memoir of | George A. Boardman
I A selection from his correspondence | and published writings, notices of
friends | and contemporaries with his | List of the Birds of Maine and New
Brunswick | By | Samuel Lane Boardman, M. S. | University of Maine,
Honorary, 1899 | Bangor | Privately printed | 1903 — 8vo, pp. xv+311, and
25 pll. (Edition, 500 copies, for private distribution.)
398
Recetit Literature.
TAuk
LJuly
few errors in the rendering of personal names, as Dr. Heemann for Dr.
Heermann, and Dr. Holden for Dr. Holder, due doubtless to obscure
manuscripts ; and the lists of mammals, fishes and reptiles are marred by
serious typographical errors. But these are slight defects in a work
otherwise exceedingly creditable. The twenty-five plates give facsimiles
of letters from Baird, Sclater and Dresser ; several portraits of the sub-
ject of the memoir, of his wife, of Baird, Dr. William Wood, Henry E.
Dresser, and Charles Hallock; views of the Boardman residences at
Milltown and Calais, interior views of his Bird Museum at Calais, etc.
Boardman's list of ' St. Croix Birds,' originally published in 1862, and
thus forming one of the earliest local bird lists of the United States,
was republished and brought down to date in the Calais ' Weekly Times '
in 1899 and 1900 ; this revised list is here republished (pp. 300-316),
"without change" except to substitute the A. O. U. nomenclature for the
obsolete nomenclature of forty years ago, previously employed on both
occasions. It numbers 274 species, briefly annotated. The 'Natural His-
tory Sketches ' would have increased interest had the date and place of
publication been added, as has been done in the case of the ' Minor Notes
on Natural History.' — J. A. A.
Pearson's ' Three Summers among the Birds of Russian Lapland.' —
This is a narrative of three1 ornithological expeditions to Russian Lap-
land, made respectively in 1S99, 1901, and 1903. Various points along
the coast were visited, considerable time being spent near the mouth of
the Ukanskce River, and a trip was made southward from Kola into the
interior. The preface gives a brief notice of previous ornithological
explorations of the region and of published accounts of them, including
his own journey in 1895, recounted in ' Beyond Petsora Eastward.' The
observations made during the three journeys take the form of a daily
record of the author's experiences and thus have a setting and a freshness
that would be lost in a more formal method of presentation ; there being,
however, only the briefest summary by species (Appendix I), recourse
must be had to the index to find all that has been recorded of any partic-
ular bird. But the narrative is not lacking in interest, aside from its
ornithological bearings, while the conditions of bird life in this dreary
region are thus brought graphically before the reader. Thus, under date
of June 2, 1899, at Devkin Bay, we read : "Near the house were fifteen to
twenty Shore-Larks {Otocorys alpestris), feeding on a small piece of
uncovered ground ; while two White Wagtails flitted about from doorstep
1 Three Summers among | the Birds of j Russian Lapland | By | Henry J.
Pearson | author of "Beyond Petsora Eastward" | With History of | Saint
Triphon's Monastery | and Appendices j London | R. H. Porter | 7 Princes
Street, Cavendish Square, W. | 1904 — 8vo, pp. i-xvi-f-1-216, 6S half-tone
plates, and map.
Vol. XXI
1904
Recent Literature. 3QQ
to water-trough as tame as London sparrows. The first Merganser
{Mergus serrator) we had seen this year rose near the shore as we rowed
in from the ship. Except these and a stray Herring-Gull the place was a
desert to-daj as far as bird-life was concerned. We could hardly expect
it to be otherwise when the whole country, except the Shore-Larks' patch,
was buried under two or three feet of snow ! And this on the 2nd of
June."
The first three chapters (pp. 1-169) contain the narrative of the three
expeditions; the fourth (pp. 170-192) gives a history of Saint Triphon's
Monastery, founded about 1532; Appendix I (pp. 192-201) is a tabular
list of 182 species of birds observed by the author and others, the table
giving twelve different stations. A second appendix (pp. 202-209) relates
to food and equipment, giving not only lists of foods, clothing, imple-
ments, etc., required, but much practical advice as to outfit and camp
arrangements. Of the 68 excellent half-tone plates, about one third are
ornithological, the rest being views of the country and its Lapp inhabi-
tants and their mode of life. — J. A. A.
Jacobs's ' The Haunts of the Golden-winged Warbler.' — In this small
brochure1 Mr. Jacobs gives the results of his studies of the Golden-winged
Warbler (Helmintkop/iila chrysoptera), which he has found to be a com-
mon breeding bird at Wainsburg, Pa., where he has made it the subject
of special observation for the last dozen years or more. He describes in
detail and illustrates its favorite haunts, and its nest and eggs. Its
nesting habits and eggs are very fully described ; in nineteen nests the
number of eggs ranged from three to six, the prevailing number being
four. The period of incubation appears to be about ten days, and in ten
days more the young are able to leave the nest. — J. A. A.
Scott on the Rearing of Wild Finches by Foster-parents of other Spe-
cies.'2— Experiments were made by placing the eggs of Song Sparrows
(Melospiza melodia), Field Sparrows {Spizella pitsi/la), Yellow-winged
Sparrows {Cotumiculus savannarum passerinus), Cowbirds {Molothrus
ater), and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzi-oorus) under canaries, by which
they were hatched and the young carefully nursed. In the case of the
young Song Sparrows, though solicitously attended by the hen canary,
1 Gleanings No. III. The Haunts of the Golden-winged Warbler.
(Helminthophila chrysoptera.) With Notes on Migration, Nest-building,
Song, Food, Young, Eggs, etc. Illustrated. By J. Warren Jacobs, Waynes-
burg, Pa., Independent Printing Company. 1904. Svo. pp. 30, 5 half-tone
plates and a color chart.
2 An Account of Some Experiments in Rearing Wild Finches by Foster-
parent Birds. By W. E. U. Scott, Science, N. S., Vol. XIX, No. 483, pp.
551-554, April 1, 1904.
A.OO Recent Literature. [july
they soon began to weaken and died when about six days old, when they
"were just beginning to show feathers." Young Field Sparrows and two
Cowbirds hatched and tended in the same way, lived for only a few days ;
similar experiments with Bobolinks and Yellow-winged Sparrows had a
similar ending. In each case the foster-parents were faithful to their
charges. "To briefly summarize the work I have described in some
detail," says Mr. Scott, "forty-one different eggs of wild birds, represent-
ing six species, and three young birds already hatched, form the aggre-
gate of individuals dealt with. All of the forty-one eggs were fertile, and
were hatched by the foster-parents. This is suggestive in regard to the
propagating powers of wild birds, and though not conclusive, indicates a
much higher percentage of fertility in the eggs laid by them than obtains
in song birds when caged, or semi-domesticated. None of the young
which were hatched from these eggs reached a greater age than seven
days which would seem to indicate that the food supplied by the foster-
parents, which was the same on which they raised their own offspring,
was of a kind so different from that used by wild birds in rearing their
young, that it proved inadequate, I also believe that the nest lining was
of a character so unlike that of the nests natural to the foster-chicks, that
it prejudiced their development and growth."
Evidently canary-bird food is not a good substitute for the large pro-
portion of insect food our wild passerine birds are known to furnish for
the sustenance of their nestlings. — J. A. A.
Scott on ' The Inheritance of Song in Passerine Birds.' — In a recent
paper in ' Science,' Mr. W. E. D. Scott presents some interesting observa-
tions on the inheritance of song in hand-reared Bobolinks and Red-
winged Blackbirds.1 The birds were kept where it was believed they
could not hear the song of their own species, but were allowed to hear
the songs of many other birds. In the case of the Bobolinks, there was
no resemblance, either in the call-notes or the song, to any sounds
uttered by wild bobolinks; the call-notes of the Redwings resemble those
of the wild birds, but the song "seems to be made up of a composite
jumble wherein robin and thrush-like notes of great clearness and vol-
ume predominate." This is rather surprising when we consider how per-
sistent are the call-notes and the general character of songs in wild birds,
both in time and space, as exemplified throughout large genera, and
even among species of allied genera, as in certain genera of Thrushes,
Flycatchers, Bobwhites, etc. — J. A. A.
1 The Inheritance of Song in Passerine Birds. Remarks and Observations
on the Song of hand-reared Bobolinks and Red-winged Blackbirds {Doli-
chonyx oryzivorous and Agelaius phceniceiis). By W. E. D. Scott. Science,
N. S., Vol. XIX, No. 473, P- I54» Jan- 22> 1904.
V°!9^XI] Recent Literature. 4OI
Rhoads on the Extinction of the Dickcissel East of the Alleghanies.1 —
The Black-throated Bunting, or Dickcissel {Euspiza americana), for-
merly ranged along the Atlantic coast, at least in small numbers, from
South Carolina to Maine, and at many points within the area was locally
common. Mr. Rhoads here gives good reason for now proclaiming it
"a bird of the past," throughout this extensive area. Altogether there
is little or nothing to suggest a satisfactory explanation of this decadence.
Mr. Rhoads inclines to the belief that the birds have been induced to
change their range and join the Mississippi Valley stock, and that they
were not exterminated in their former haunts. Whatever the cause, they
have certainly gradually and almost wholly disappeared in the East within
the last fifty years, — from Massachusetts, Connecticut and eastern New
York prior to or soon after 1880, and there appears to be no record of
their occurrence in New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania since 1890. Mr.
Rhoads has thus done well to gather up and place collectively on record
the history of its decline and disappearance from the Atlantic seaboard,
especially as much of the evidence he has here presented was previously
unpublished. — J. A. A.
Silloway's Additional Notes on the Summer Birds of Flathead Lake.2
— As stated in the introduction, the present notes relate to the birds
observed at Swan Lake during the first three weeks of June, 1902, and
serve as a supplement to his former paper entitled ' The Summer Birds
of Flathead Lake' (see Auk, XIX, 1902, p. 216). The paper is divided
into three parts, entitled, respectively, ' Oological Notes' (pp. 295-300),
1 Notes on New Birds ' (pp. 301-333), and 4 List of Birds ' (pp. 304-308).
Under the first heading interesting notes are given on the breeding
habits of about twenty species ; under the second about a dozen species
are added to the previous list ; the third division is a briefly annotated
list of the summer birds of the Flathead Lake region, numbering one
hundred and thirty-seven species, and including all the species thus far
noted. The five half-tone plates illustrate the physical features sur-
rounding Swan Lake. — J. A. A.
Swarth on the Birds of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.3 — The
1 Exit the Dickcissel — a remarkable Case of Local Extinction. By
Samuel N. Rhoads. 8vo. pp 12. Reprinted from Cassinia, 1903, pp. 17-28,
repaged, and without indication of its original place of publication.
2 Additional Notes to Summer Birds of Flathead Lake, with special ref-
erence to Swan Lake. By Perley Milton Silloway. With introduction by
Morton J. Elrod. Bulletin University of Montana, Biol. Series No. 6, 8vo, pp.
289-308, pll. liii-lvii, 1903.
3 Birds of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona. By Harry S. Swarth. Pacific
Coast Avifauna No. 4. Cooper Ornithological Club of California. Los
Angeles, California. Published by the Club, April 15, 1904. — Large 8vo,
pp. 70.
A02 Recent Literature. [fxd
Huachuca Mountains form a well-wooded range, extending for about
fortv miles in a northeast-southwest direction, in the southeastern cor-
ner of Arizona, their southern extremity extending across the boundary
into Mexico. The base leyel is about 4500 feet, and the higher central
peaks rise to an altitude of about 10,000 feet. These mountains have
often been visited by collectors, but hitherto little has been published on
the birds of the region. The results here recorded are based on three
trips made by Mr. Swarth, respectively, in 1S96 (April 25 to July 20), in
1902 (March 29 to September 5), and in 1903 (February 17 to May 30).
On the first expedition he was accompanied by Messrs. W. B. Judson,
H. G. Rising, and O. W. Howard, and the season was spent in Ramsey
Canon; in 1902 he was again accompanied by Mr. Howard, but in 1903
he was unaccompanied. "Almost all the collecting was done on the
east side of the mountains, in the seven canyons from Tanner to Ash
Canyon, by far the best part of the range, ornithologically considered."
The basis of the present paper is a collection of about 2500 skins, collected
personally b}' Mr. Swarth, and the field notes made therewith. An intro-
duction of three pages, descriptive of the physical features of the region,
is followed by a systematic list of the species, one hundred and ninety-
five in number. The annotations range from a few lines to a couple of
pages for each species, according to their interest, amounting in some
cases to quite full biographies.
Mr. Swarth believes that Melancrpes formicivorus aculeatus Mearns is
entitled to recognition as a subspecies, and that Phal(E?iofttilus ?i?(ttalli
nitidus is probably only a color phase of nutialli. — J. A. A.
Bartsch on the Herons of the District of Columbia.1 — Nine species of
Herons have been recorded from within the District of Columbia, eight
of which are of regular occurrence. The Black-crowned Night Heron is
the most abundant, of which there are three breeding colonies within the
District and another just outside its borders. A detailed and very
interesting account of these colonies occupies the greater part of the
paper. Two of them were carefully investigated in 1902, and an estimate
made of their population, from which it appears that probably eighty-
eight young were raised that season in the smaller colony and very nearly
four hundred in the other. The Little Blue Heron is also numerous, in
company with which may often be seen the Snowy Heron and the Ameri-
can Egret. Next to the Night Heron, the Little Green Heron is the
most abundant breeder. Four of the seven half-tone plates illustrate the
nesting haunts, eggs, and young of the Night Heron, one shows different
stages of the young of the Green Heron, and one (with six figures) the
1 Notes on the Herons of the District of Columbia. By Paul Bartsch.
Smithsonian Misc. Collections, Vol. XLV, pp. 104-111, pll. xxxiii-xxxviii.
(Dated "Dec. 9, 1903," but published two months or more later.)
V°!9^4XI] Recent Literature. 403
roosting and feeding places of the Little Blue Heron and American
Egret, etc. — J. A. A.
Nelson on New Birds from Mexico. — Ten of the thirteen species and
subspecies here described1 were obtained by Mr. Nelson and his assistant
Mr. Goldman during their expedition to southwestern Mexico in the
winter of 1902-03, mostly in the States of Guerrero and Michoacan. In
most cases the new forms are based on good series of specimens, and
several of them seem quite strongly differentiated from their nearest
known allies. — J. A. A.
Nelson's ' Revision of the North American Mainland Species of
Myiarchus.'2 — The present paper covers the species of the genus
Myiarchus occurring north of the Isthmus of Panama, including those
of Cozumel Island and the Tres Marias Islands. Nine species are recog-
nized, with ten additional subspecies, of which three of the latter, belong-
ing to the lawrencei group, are described as new. In his introductory
remarks Mr. Nelson calls attention to the evanescent character of the
brighter or more intense colors of the freshly acquired plumage. "This
extreme intensity of coloration [of the fresh plumage] quickly passes into
a duller condition which continues with but little change through the
winter months. In spring the colors gradually fade or become bleached
by the sun until in the breeding season the original shades of greenish,
olive and gray of the back and the yellow of the under parts are almost
lost in the dingy browns and yellows of the frayed plumage." He also
calls attention to the wide range of variation in the extent of the dusky
pattern of the tail feathers, the non-recognition of which has led to the
recording of M. nuttingi as a bird of southern Arizona, the supposed
Arizona specimens of nuttingi proving to be merely females of M.
ciuerascens. Mr. Nelson, however, adds to the United States list Myiar-
chus crinitus residuus Howe, based on Florida specimens, on the ground
of a slight average difference in the length of the bill. This separation
had previously been made, on exactly the same basis, by Mr. Bangs and
rejected by the A. O. U. Committee as too unimportant for recognition
in nomenclature.
Mr. Nelson discusses at some length the old case of Tyrannula mexi-
cana Kaup vs. Myiarchus cooper i Baird, without reaching a positive con-
clusion, but gives his reasons for believing that Tyrannula mexicana =
Tyrannula ciuerascens Lawrence, and that the present Myiarchus mexi-
1 Descriptions of New Birds from Southern Mexico. By E. W. Nelson.
Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. XVI, pp. 151-160, Nov. 30, 1903.
2 Revision of the North American Mainland Species of Myiarcfms. By E.
\V. Nelson. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. XVII, pp. 21-30, March io,
1904.
404 Recent Literature. \\u\
canus of the A. O. U. Check-List should stand as Myiarchus cooperi
Baird.— J. A. A.
Bangs on Birds from Honduras. — This is a report on a collection of
birds and mammals made by W. W. Brown, Jr., on the coast of Honduras,
at Ceiba and Yaruca, in January and February, 1902. The list of birds
numbers 126 species and subspecies, of which four are described as new.
The annotations consist of a statement of the number of specimens of
each and the localities. About one fifth of the species recorded are North
American migrants. — J. A. A.
McGregor on Philippine Birds.2 — This is the second paper (see Auk,
XX, 319) in the series of reports on the zoological collections made for
the Philippine Museum, and contains a list of all the identified species
collected or observed on a number of expeditions to Benguet Province,
Luzon, and to the islands of Lubang, Mindoro, Verde, Cuyo, Aguataya,
and Cagayaucillo. The islands and their faunal relationships are briefly
described, followed by notes on the rarer species and descriptions of
previously unknown plumages, forming an annotated list of about 40
species, and about 270 species are recorded from new localities. Pericro-
cotus novus Wardlaw Ramsey, previously almost unknown, is described
at length, including old and young of both sexes. — J. A. A.
Code of Botanical Nomenclature. — The May number of the ' Bulletin
of the Torrey Botanical Club ' (Vol. XXXI, No. 5, May, 1904, pp. 249-290)
contains anew ' Code of Botanical Nomenclature,' prepared by the ' Mem-
bers and Alternates of the Nomenclature Commission,' appointed by the
Botanical Club of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science at a meeting held in Washington, D. C, January 2, 1903. This
commission consists of twenty-three members, all prominent American
botanists. It appears to have accomplished the task assigned it in a most
satisfactory manner, the Code now presented being concise, comprehen
sive, and explicit. The Commission "has carefully considered all the
principles involved, and has tested the application of the principles to all
kinds of cases." It is published in English, French, and German, the
English version occupying only 13 pages (pp. 249-261). It has been
prepared as a substitute for the Paris Code of 1867, which was found not
satisfactorily adaptable to present conditions. It thus bears much the
same relation to this code that the A. O. U. Code does to the Stricklandian
1 Birds and Mammals from Honduras. By Outram Bangs. Bull. Mus.
Comp. Zool., Vol. XXXIX, No. 6, pp. 141-159, July, 1903.
. 2 Birds from Benguet Province, Luzon, and from the Islands of Lubang,
Mindoro, Cuyo, and Cagayaucillo. By Richard C. McGregor. Bulletin of
the Philippine Museum, No. 3, Jan. 30, 1904, pp. 16.
V°!9^XI] Recent Literature. 405
Code of the British Association, published in 1865. An effort will be
made to secure the adoption of this new Botanical Code by the Interna-
tional Botanical Congress to be held in Vienna in 1905.
The Code consists of three parts, 'Principles,' 'Canons,' 'Orthography
and Citation.' Part II, Canons, is divided into five ' sections,' as follows :
I, Categories of Classification ; II, Formation of Names; III, Publication
of Names ; IV, Application of Names ; V, Rejection of Names. This
Code does not depart essentially in any way from the A. O. U. Code, but
it is on some points fuller and more explicit, and at the same time more
concise. But the A. O. U. Code was a pioneer in innovations which
have now become very generally accepted, but which then required argu-
ment and extended illustration.
Under 'Rejection of Names' (under Canon 16) it is stated: "Similar
names are to be treated as homonyms only when they are mere variations
in the spelling of the same word " ; thus implying the converse, that of
mere variants of a name, only the form having priority is tenable.
In Part III, under 'Orthography,' is the following: "The original
orthography of names is to be maintained, except in the following cases ;
the change not to affect priority, {a) Manifest typographical errors may
be corrected. Examples. — Scoria Raf. is a misprint for Hicoria ; Rumhora
Raddi is a misprint for Rumohra, named for K. von Rumohr." Other
provisions require specific and subspecific names to agree in gender with
their generic names ; generic names derived from persons should take
the feminine form, and should be changed, if formed otherwise ; as,
Eippius, Kantius, etc., to be changed to Lippia, Jvantia, etc. Also names
proposed in works in which v and / were used as vowels, or u and /as
consonants, should be corrected to agree with modern usage, as " Eitony.
mus, not Evonymus" "Jtingia, not Iungia" etc.
Provision is made for a few points not covered by the A. O. U. Code ;
but the principles and spirit of this Code are so closely followed that it is
exceedingly gratifying to see the work of the A. O. U. Committee, pub-
lished twenty years ago, so fully endorsed by an able commission of
American botanists. — J. A. A.
J_o6 Correspondence. W^A
CORRESPONDENCE.
A Method of Obtaining a Temporary Stability of Names.
To the Editors of 'The Auk':
Dear Sirs: — It is within the power of the A. O. U. Committee on
Nomenclature to mitigate, temporarily at least, the inconvenience of fre-
quent changing of names and by a simple method to which the most
hardened nomenclatural sinner can hardly object. It is by issuing a
Check-List once every ten years without the intervening supplements
which now so soon make it a thing of shreds and patches even for those
who find time to post up their copies. The Check-List mirrors the Com-
mittee's approval of certain names and there are many earnest workers
who have use for them, but workmen obliged to change their tools too
often are not likely to do the best work, especially when the new tools are
no better than the old. The latest name is a matter of concern to a very
few, an available name is of great use to many. The proposed periods of
quiet with distinct times of changes are not incompatible with advance,
for facts do not alter with the years and too much change only creates
confusion and clogs advance. If, then, a species has for fifty years rested
in one genus nobody except the disturber of its rest need be in a hurry to
put it in another, nor does a name buried a hundred years in an old vol-
ume suffer impairment if allowed to slumber a few years longer, more or
less. So to, in the matter of new races, prompt ruling seems undesirable,
for it makes them neither better nor worse, and time alone, with further
investigation, is required to bring out their real value.
This is no reflection on the good work the Committee has done, but I
believe all its judicial thunder might better be saved up for big periodical
explosions rather than for small frequent ones. A Check-List in 1910
and at the end of each succeeding decade would disturb no vital principle
and such a course might add further dignity and force to the decisions.
It seems to me that this is often enough to furnish a new set of tools and
I think that there would be less complaint of the instability of nomencla-
ture if the Committee would not rule out or adopt a Check-List name
except at stated intervals.
I remain,
Yours very truly,
Jonathan Dwight, Jr.
volI9*xl] Notes and Ne™s' 407
NOTES AND NEWS.
Edwin Shepparu, for a number of years an Associate of the American
Ornithologists' Union, died at Philadelphia, April 7, 1904, at an advanced
age. Mr. Sheppard was an artist and worked for many years at the
Academy of Natural Sciences making illustrations for various scientific
works. Birds were his special delight and many familiar cuts are the
results of his labors, as for instance the text figures in Baird, Brewer
and Ridgway's ' History of North American Birds,' Mr. D. G. Elliot's
volumes on ' Shore Birds,' " Ducks, Geese," etc. Dr. Coues once said
of him that he had drawn "more and better figures of American birds
tban any living artist," which was doubtless true at the time, but his
drawing, while accurate in detail, will not compare with the work of the
modern school, who study the live bird rather than the stuffed specimen.
Mr. Sheppard was a native of Richmond, Va., and came north in early
life to study art. At the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in the
Confederate army and at the close of the war returned to Philadelphia
where he resided for the rest of his life.
He was a true type of the southern gentleman and a warm friend of
both the bird and the ornithologist. — W. S.
From the Report of the Chief of the Division of the Biological Sur-
vey, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, for the year 1903 (Ann. Rep. Dept. of Agri-
culture, 1903, pp. 483-495) we learn that field work in connection with
the study of the geographic distribution of mammals, birds, and plants
was carried on in 1903 along the western slopes and foothills of the
Sierra Nevada and in the Coast Ranges in California, under the imme-
diate supervision of Dr. Merriam ; in various parts of Texas and New
Mexico, under Mr. Vernon Baily ; in southern Mexico, by Messrs. Nelson
and Goldman ; in Alaska, under Mr. W. H. Osgood, and in the Barren
Grounds near the Arctic coast by Mr. E. A. Preble. In most of these
regions field work will be continued during 1904. Investigations in
Economic Ornithology were continued as usual by Prof. Beal and Dr.
Judd ; and the work of game protection, under Dr. Palmer, has been
successfully carried on, with most important results. The completion of
"a bibliography of works relating to the occurrence of North American
birds south of the United States" has been completed, and "all of the
migration material collected in the past nineteen years has been over-
hauled, rearranged, and catalogued to date, so that it is now readily
accessible." It is also announced that bulletins will be published during
1904 on ' Migration of North American Warblers,' and on ' Migration
and Protection of Shore Birds.' A report on a biological survey of Texas
is well advanced toward publication.
Through the generosity of Mr. John E. Thayer, of Lancaster, Mass.r
408
Notes and News. \^u\
Mr. W. W. Brown, Jr., has been sent on an expedition to Central Amer-
ica, mainly in the interest of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at
Harvard College, the expedition to be known as ' The John E. Thayer
Expedition of 1904-1905.' Mr. Brown, already so well known for his
excellent work in tropical America for the Messrs. O. and E. A. Bangs,
will make collections in all departments of natural history, as circum-
stances may favor, but will give special attention to vertebrates, and pri-
marily to birds and mammals. With the exception of a portion of the
birds, the material will all be presented to the Museum of Comparative
Zoology, and will form the basis of a series of papers to be published in
its 'Bulletin.' Mr. Brown started for his new field of labor in February,
going first to the Pearl Islands in the Bay of Panama, which are great
breeding resorts for various sea birds. He has thus far been very suc-
cessful, having already sent to Cambridge ten large cases as the result of
his work at the Pearl Islands.
Such munificence in the interest of science is worthy of the highest
recognition, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Thayer's excellent example
will be frequently emulated by other men amply provided with means for
the promotion of scientific investigation, but who too often fail to appre-
ciate the opportunities thus offered for not only advancing science but for
raising an enviable and long-enduring monument to themselves.
Friends of the American Museum of Natural History having gener-
ously provided means for the construction of additional groups of char-
acteristic North American birds, a number of such groups are now under
construction at the Museum or have recently been installed, the latter
including three California groups, representing the Yellow-billed Mag-
pie, the newly described Sierra Dusky Grouse, and the California Part-
ridge. A large California group is under way, which will later call for
detailed mention. In order to secure groups representing species now
rapidly approaching extinction, Mr. Chapman was sent to Florida early
in March last to secure, if possible, materials for Carolina Paroquet and
Ivory-billed Woodpecker groups. Although a few birds were found no
nests were discovered, and the attempt to secure satisfactory materials
for these groups proved a failure. From Florida Mr. Chapman went to
the Bahamas in search of Flamingoes, and after some discouraging expe-
riences succeeded in locating the rookeries ; and the latest reports from
him indicate that he has been successful in securing the necessary mate-
rial for a fine group of these beautiful birds.
In this connection it may be stated that during the past year the ornith-
ological collection at the American Museum has been increased by the
addition, by purchase and through Museum expeditions, of about 13,000
birds, including the well-known Sennett Collection, which for many years
has, through deposit, formed apart of the Museum's resources. Recently
Dr. Dwight has transferred his collection, numbering about 8000 speci-
mens, to the Museum for storage and use, thus still further increasing the
ornithological resources of the Museum.
VolgoX4XI] Notes and Nezvs. 409
The writing of so-called ' nature books ' by a certain class of romancers
has of late attracted the serious attention of naturalists who deplore the
rapid development of this class of light literature, for the reason that
many otherwise intelligent people who happen to know little of natural
history are misled into taking such books as those recently put forth by
William J. Long and Mason A. Walton at their face value and as veritable
records of bona fide observations by competent naturalists, even school
superintendents and school teachers of good standing innocently giving
them their endorsement as proper ' nature books ' for school use.
Several writers in ' Science ' have recently taken up the matter, with
especial reference to the writings of William J. Long. In ' Science ' for
Feb. 26, 1904, Prof. William Morton Wheeler, under the title 'Woodcock
Surgery,' gave a critical and rather sarcastic analysis of Mr. Long's now
famous article 'Animal Surgery' published in 'The Outlook' for Septem-
ber 12, 1903 (see Auk, Jan, 1904, pp. S8-90) ; and in ' Science' for March
4, 1904, Mr. Frank M. Chapman published a paper entitled 'The Case of
William J. Long,' in which he quoted at length from a defense of Mr.
Long published some time previously in the 'Evening Transcript' of
Boston, and also some of Mr. Long's own ' confessions ' as to his methods
and aims as given in some of his books, — his "efforts to reveal 'a vast
realm of nature outside of the realm of science ' in ' ideas above and
beyond the world of facts ! ' "
In 'Science ' for April 22, 1904, Mr. William Harper Davis, a compara-
tive psychologist of Columbia University, reviewed the discussion from
the psycologist's standpoint, dwelling with some particularity upon "Mr.
Long's gullibility," to whom he refers, after citing passages from his
books, as "a confessed intellectual anarchist." The discussion is con-
tinued at still greater length by Mr. Long's rejoinder to his critics in
' Science ' for May 13, 1904, in which, through the intervention of the
editor, Mr. Long has the last word. Under the title ' Science, Nature
and Criticism ' Mr. Long makes the best of sundry indiscretions of his
critics, and with an injured innocence air proceeds to produce various
affidavits in proof of statements in his 'Animal Surgery ' article, which
show that there is "certainly warrant for believing that the woodcock
sets his own broken leg," and also "that the habit is more common and
widespread than [he] supposed possible when [he] published [his] own
observations." Through good tact and skill he has made the best of his
opportunities for defense and maybe able to convince incompetent judges
that he is an innocent victim of persecution, and that his statements have
been met with "dogmatic denials mixed with considerable error and mis-
representation " rather than by candid objections and some knowledge
on the part of his critics.
An important work entitled ' The Geese of the Old World ' is announced
for early issue by subscription by Mr. Rowland Ward (166 Piccadilly,
London). The work will be prepared by Sergius Alpheraky, Correspond-
41 0 Notes and News. [^
ing Member of the Imperial Academy of Science of St. Petersburg, and
illustrated with 24 colored plates by F. W. Frohavvk, and a frontispiece
by Dr. Suschkin depicting a Goose scene in Siberia. The subject will be
treated both from a scientific and the sportsman's standpoint, and will treat
fully of the habits, nesting, and geographical distribution of the species
and subspecies. Subscription price, £2 126 net.
At the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Ornithological Club, held at
Ann Arbor April 2, the following officers were elected for the ensuing
year: President, Prof. Walter B. Barrows, Agricultural College; First
Vice-President, Prof. A. H. Griffith, Detroit Museum of Art ; Vice-Presi-
dents, Norman A. Wood, Ann Arbor, and Jas. B. Purdy, Plymouth ; Sec-
retary, Bradshavv H. Swales, Detroit ; Treasurer, Chas. E. Wisner, Detroit ;
Editor-in-chief, Alex. W. Blain, Detroit ; Associates, Prof. Walter B. Bar-
rows and J. Claire Wood.
With a view to obtaining positive evidence of the return of birds
to the place of their birth, or otherwise, as the case may be, Mr. P. A.
Taverner, of 95 North Grand Boulevard, W.. Detroit, Michigan, pro-
poses to attach small aluminum bands to the tarsus of young birds, in the
hope that some of the birds thus tagged may afterward fall into the hands
of ornithologists and be reported. The tag, for the sake of brevity of
address, will be inscribed "Notify The Auk, N. Y.," to which any such
discoveries should be reported for publication.
A national association of wild animal photographers is being formed
for the purpose of promoting the new form popularly known as "camera
hunting." It is hoped that this organization will be an effective means
of discouraging the unnecessary slaughter of American birds and other
wild animals. All interested should write to Mr. Leroy Melville Tufts,
Field Station, Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Farmington,
Maine.
V0li9£XI] Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check- List. 411
THIRTEENTH SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN
ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION CHECK-LIST OF
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.1
At a session of the A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature held
in Washington in April, 1904, the following rulings were adopted.
Departures from the nomenclature of the Check-List due to the
adoption by authors of the 12th instead of the 10th edition of
Linnseus's ' Systema Naturae,' and those which are merely expres-
sive of personal preference or opinion, without the presentation of
new evidence, were not considered as requiring the formal reaffir-
mation of the Committee's previous rulings in such cases.
Owing to the limited time at the Committee's disposal, and the
absence of the requisite material, many cases were deferred for
later action. In view of the present large number of these it was
decided to refer as many of them as possible to subcommittees for
investigation, with instructions to report thereon to the full Com-
mittee at its next session, which it is hoped can be so planned that
both time and material will be available to enable the Committee
to dispose of practically all of the cases then awaiting action.
In preparing the present Supplement it has been deemed advis-
able to omit the secondary references to species and subspecies,
together with the concordance and geographical ranges, and also
the list of deferred cases.
f J. A. Allen, Chairman.
Charles W. Richmond, Secretary.
William Brewster.
Committee. \ Jonathan D wight, Jr.
C. Hart Merriam.
Robert Ridgway.
Witmer Stone.
1 Five Supplements have been issued since the publication of the Second
Edition of the Check-List in 1895, as follows :
Eighth Supplement, Auk, XIV, Jan., 1897, pp. 1 17-135.
Ninth Supplement, Auk, XVI, Jan., 1899, pp. 97-133.
Tenth Supplement, Auk, XVIII, July, 1901, pp. 295-320.
Eleventh Supplement, Auk, XIX, July, 1902, pp. 315-342.
Twelfth Supplement, Auk, XX, July, 1903, pp. 331-368.
412 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. [f^
I. ADDITIONS TO THE CHECK-LIST AND ACCEPTED
CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE.1
Genus ENICONETTA Gray. This becomes
Genus POLYSTICTA Eyton.
Polysticta Eyton, Catal. Brit. Birds, 1836, 58. Type, Anas
s teller i Pallas.
Eniconetta was proposed by Gray, to replace Polysticta Eyton,
on the ground that the latter name was preoccupied by Polysticte
Smith (1836). Eyton's Polysticta has, however, two or three
months' priority over Polysticte Smith {cf. Richmond, Proc. Biol.
Soc. Wash., XVI, 1903, 128). Steller's Duck thus becomes
157. Polysticta stelleri (Pallas).
243a. Pelidna alpina pacifica (Coues). An earlier name is
found in
243a. Pelidna alpina sakhalina (Vieillot).
Scolopax sakhalina Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., Ill,
1816, 359 {cf. Buturlin, Auk, 1904, 53).
297c. Dendragapus obscurus sierrae Chapman.
Sierra Grouse.
Dendragapus obscurus sierrce. Chapman, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H.,
XX, April 25, 1904, 159.
Geog. Dist. — California (forested portions of Transition and
Boreal zones), north to Fort Klamath, Oregon.
Genus NYCTALA Brehm. This becomes
Genus CRYPTOGLAUX Richmond.
1 Including also eliminations from the Check-List.
Voli'9£XIJ Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 413
Cryptoglaux Richmond, Auk, XVIII, April, 1901, 193.
Type, Strix tengmalmi Gmelin.
Nos. 371, 372, and 372^ will thus stand as
371. Cryptoglaux tengmalmi richardsoni (Bonaparte).
372. Cryptoglaux acadica (Gmelin).
372a. Cryptoglaux acadica scotaea (Osgood).
454a. Myiarchus cinerascens nuttingi (Ridgway). The
specimens recorded from Arizona, on the basis of which this
species was introduced into the Check-List, are found to be
female examples of M. cinerascens (cf. Nelson, Proc. Biol.
Soc. Wash., XVII, 1904, 35). No. 454^ is therefore to be
eliminated from the list.
458a. Sayornis nigricans semiatra (Vigors) . This proves
to be indistinguishable from S. nigricans (Swainson) {cf.
Brewster, Bull. Mus. Comp. Z06L, XLI, 1902, 119), and is
to be removed from the list.
469.1. Empidonax griseus Brewster. This is found to be
equivalent to E. canescens Salvin & Godman, which has
priority (cf. Nelson, Auk, 1904, 80). Hence:
469.1. Empidonax canescens Salvin & Godman.
Empidonax canescens Salvin & Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer.,
Aves, II, Feb., 1889, 79.
488. Corvus americanus Audubon. An earlier name for the
American Crow is found in
488. Corvus brachyrhynchos C. L. Brehm.
Corvus brachyrhynchos C. L. Brehm, Beitr. zur Vogelkunde,
II, 1822, 56 (cf. Richmond, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI,
i9°3> I25)-
4I4 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check- List. [£|jk
The Florida Crow thus becomes :
488a. Corvus brachyrhynchos pascuus (Coues).
49Sf/. Agelaius phoeniceus richmondi Nelson.
Vera Cruz Red-wing.
Agelaius phoeniceus richmondi Nelson, Auk, XIV, Jan., 1897,
Geog. Dist. — Coast region and lower Rio Grande Valley of
Texas, south through eastern Mexico to Yucatan, eastern Nicaragua
and eastern Costa Rica.
508. Icterus audubonii Giraud. This becomes a subspecies
of Icterus melanocephalus (Wagler) , and will stand as
503. Icterus melanocephalus audubonii (Giraud). (Cf.
Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. II, 1902, 282.)
Genus SCOLECOPHAGrUS Swainson. This name is pre-
occupied, and must give place to
Genus EUPHAGUS Cassin.
Euphagus Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. (for 1866),
1867, 413. Type, Psarocolius cya?iocephaIus Wagler. (Cf.
Richmond, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI, 1903, 128.)
The following alterations become necessary in Nos. 509 and
510:
509. Euphagus carolinus (Muller).
510. Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler).
530a. Astragalinus psaltria hesperophilus Oberholser.
Green-backed Goldfinch.
Astragalinus psaltria hesperophilus Oberholser, Proc. Biol.
Soc. Wash., XVI, Sept. 30, 1903, 116.
Voli9?4XI] Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 415
Geog. Dist. — Southwestern United States and northwestern
Mexico, from California and Lower California to Utah, Arizona,
and extreme southwestern New Mexico.
530&. Astragalinus psaltria niexicanus (Swainson). This
is found to be equivalent to A. psaltria (cf. Oberholser,
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI, 1903, 115), and should be
expunged from the Check-List.
544&. Passerculus rostratus halophilus (McGregor).
This is to be eliminated from the Check-List as equivalent
to P. rostratus guttatus, in summer plumage. (Cf Brewster,
Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., XLI, 1902, 139.)
591c?. Pipilo fuscus carolae McGregor. This alleged form
is to be eliminated, as indistinguishable from P. fuscus crissalis
(cf. editorial note, Condor, 1901, 108; and McGregor, Pac.
Coast Avifauna, No. 2, 1901, 15).
612a. Petrochelidon lunifrons tachina Oberholser.
Lesser Cliff Swallow.
Petrochelidon lunifrons tachina Oberholser, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Wash., XVI, Feb. 21, 1903, 15.
Geog. Dist. — Southwestern Texas, south into eastern Mexico
to Vera Cruz.
612.2. Petrochelidon melanogastra (Swainson). Found to
be only subspecifically distinct from P. lunifrons, hence :
612&. Petrochelidon lunifrons melanogastra (Swainson).
(Cf Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. Ill, 51, in
press.)
Subfamily PTILIOGrONATIN.ffi. This becomes
Family PTILIOGONATID-ffi. Silky Flycatchers. (Cf
Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. I, 1901, 21.)
416 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check- List. [^
622rf. Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi Ridgway.
San Clemente Shrike.
Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,
XVI, 1903, 108.
Geog. Dist. — San Clemente Island, California.
6226. Lanius ludovicianus migrans W. Palmer.
Migrant Shrike.
Lanius ludovicianus migrans W. Palmer, Auk, XV, July, 1898,
248.
Geog. Dist. — Eastern Canada and eastern United States, west
to Minnesota ; south to the Carolinas, Tennessee, and lower Miss-
issippi valley. Breeds chiefly in the northern parts of its range,
migrating south in winter.
649. Compsothlypis nigrilora (Coues). This becomes a
subspecies of C. pitiayumi (Vieillot). (Cf. Ridgway, Bull.
U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. II, 1902, 490), viz. :
649. Compsothlypis pitiayumi nigrilora (Coues).
658. Dendroica rara (Wilson) . This becomes
658. Dendroica cerulea (Wilson).
Sylvia cerulea Wilson, Amer. Orn., II, 18 10, 141, pi. xviir
% 5-
The name rara was orginally adopted in the Check-List on the
assumption that Sylvia ccerulea Latham was a primary reference ;
it, however, proves to be merely Motacilla ccerulea Linnaeus, placed
in the genus Sylvia. As the spirit of the ' Code ' (Canon XXXIII)
is to ignore cases of this character (cf. Allen, Auk, 1903, 216),
and previous rulings of the Committee have been on these lines,
it follows that the name cerulea must be restored.
Voi'9*XI] Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 417
[692.] Basileuterus culicivorus (Lichtenstein). Becomes
[692.] Basileuterus culicivorus brasherii (Giraud).
Brasher's Warbler.
Muscicapa brasierii (err. typ.) Giraud, Sixteen Species
Texan Birds, 1841, 25, pi. vi, fig. 2.
Geog. Dist. — Northeastern Mexico. Texas ?
B. culicivorus occurs from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. {Cf.
Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. II, 1902, 755.)
696. Budytes flavus leucostriatus (Homeyer). This
becomes
696. Budytes flavus alascensis Ridgway.
Alaskan Yellow "Wagtail.
Budytes flavus alascensis Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,
XVI, Sept. 30, 1903, 105.
Geog. Dist. — Western Alaska, in summer, south in winter into
eastern Asia.
The true B. flavus leucostriatus is confined to the Old World.
Subfamily MIMIN-ZE. Thrashers, etc. This becomes
Family MIMID-SB. Thrashers, Mockingbirds, etc. {Cf.
Ridgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. I, 1901, 23.)
713. Heleodytes brunneicapillus (Lafr.). This is replaced
by .
713. Heleodytes brunneicapillus couesi (Sharpe).
Campy lor hynchus couesi Sharpe, Catal. Birds Brit. Mus., VIr
1881, 196.
H. brunneicapillus (Lafr.) is restricted to western Mexico*
{cf. Mearns, Auk, 1902, 142).
41 8 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. [^
'725 c?. Telmatodytes palustris iliacus Ridgway.
Telmatodytes palustris iliacus Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Wash., XVI, Sept. 30, 1903, no.
Geog. Dist. — Mississippi Valley and Great Plains region, north
to Alberta, east to Indiana, south in migration over the greater part
of Mexico (except northwestern portion), and along Gulf coast to
western Florida; occasionally to middle and southern Atlantic
coast.
725.1. Telmatodytes marianae (Scott). Reduction to the
rank of a subspecies becomes necessary through intergrada-
tion with T. palustris :
7256. Telmatodytes palustris marianae (Scott). {Cf.
Oberholser, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVI, 1903, 149.)
Subfamily SITTINiE. Nuthatches. This is raised to fam-
ily rank:
Family SITTID.ffi. Nuthatches. {Cf Ridgway, Bull. U. S.
Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. I, 1901, 22.)
733c. Bseolophus inornatus restrictus Ridgway.
San Francisco Titmouse.
Bceolophus inornatus restrictus Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Wash., XVI, Sept. 30, 1903, 109.
Geog. Dist. — Vicinity of San Francisco Bay, California.
735c. Par us atricapillus turneri Ridgway.
Turners Chickadee.
Parus atricapillus turneri Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,
II, April 10, 1884, 89.
Geog. Dist. — Alaska, north and west of Cook Inlet. {Cf.
Hellmayr, Tierreich, Lief. 18, 1903, 56.)
Vol. XXI
1904
Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 4*9
Subfamily CHAM.51INJE3. This is raised to family rank, to
include the single genus Chamcea (cf. Coues, Key, 1903,
266), and should stand after No. 746.7, as:
Family CHAM-ZBID-ffi. Wren-Tits.
744.1. Psaltriparus santaritae Ridgway. This is found to
be equivalent to P. melanotis lloydi, and should be eliminated
from the Check-List. (Cf. Oberholser, Auk, 1903, 199.)
745. Psaltriparus lloydi Sennett. Intergradation has been
shown to occur between lloydi and melanotis, hence the fol-
lowing change becomes necessary :
745. Psaltriparus melanotis lloydi (Sennett) .
Genus PHYLLOPSEUSTES Meyer. Becomes
Genus ACANTHOPNEUSTE J. H. Blasius.
Acanthopneuste}. H. Blasius, Naumannia, 1858, 313. Type,
Phyllopneuste borealis J. H. Blasius. (Cf Sharpe, Hand-
List, IV, 1903, 216; Oberholser, Auk, XXI, 1904, 390.)
No. 747 thus becomes
747. Acanthopneuste borealis (J. H. Blasius).
750. Regulus obscurus (Ridgway). This becomes
7496. Regulus calendula obscurus Ridgway. (Cf Hell-
mayr, Tierreich, Lief. 18, 1903, 15.)
II. PROPOSED CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE AND
SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES REJECTED.
9. G-avia arctica (Linn.eus) vs. G. pacifica (cf Grant,
Catal. Birds Brit. Mus., XXVI, 1898, 495). Mr. Grant's
42O Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. [^
inference, from negative evidence, that G. arctica does not
occur in North America is erroneous, and there is hence no
necessity for eliminating No. 9 from the Check-List.
Aythya vs. Nyroca (cf. Howe, Suppl. Birds Rhode
Island, 1903, 9). No change is necessary here; the
reasons offered for the proposed change are insufficient.
{Cf nth Suppl., Auk, XIX, 1902, 332.)
224. Steganopus tricolor Vieillot vs. S.glacialis {cf. Coues,
Key, 1903, 795). No change is thought to be advisable, as
the name glacialis is of doubtful application.
Genus PHILOHELA Gray vs. Microptera {cf Poche, Ornith.
Monatsb., 1904, 23). Microptera of Nuttall (1834) is pre-
occupied by Micropterus Lesson (183 i), leaving Philohela as
the earliest available generic name for the American Wood-
cock.
810. Meleagris gallopavo merriami Nelson vs. M. g.
intermedia {cf. Grant, Ibis, 1902, 235). The Committee
has again examined series of Turkeys from Texas, Arizona,
and Mexico, and finds no reason for reversing its former
decision.
318. Leptotila fulviventris brachyptera (Salvadori) vs.
L. bracJiyptera {cf. Godman, Biologia Centr.-Am., Aves, III,
1902, 259). The two forms are found to intergrade, and
no change is required.
328. Elanus leucurus (Vieillot) vs. E. glaucus (Barton) {cf.
Coues, Key, 1903, 656). No changes is necessary, as Falco
glaucus Barton probably refers to the Marsh Hawk, but is
not with certainty identifiable. {Cf. 9th Suppl., Auk, XIX,
1899, 131.)
407a. Melanerpes formicivorus angustifrons Baird vs.
M. angustifrons {cf Brewster, Bull. Mus. Comp. Z06L, XLI,
Vol. XXI
1904
Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 42 I
1902, 105). A trinomial appears best to express the status
of this form, although actual intergradation is difficult to
prove. No change is deemed desirable at this time.
425. Aeronautes melanoleucus vs. A. saxatilis {cf Coues,
Key, 1903, 557).
The name saxatilis was originally rejected on account of insuffi-
ciency of description ; no change appears to be necessary.
Myiarchus crinitus residuus Howe, Contr. Amer. Orn., I,
1902, 30. {Cf. Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XVII, 30,
March 10, 1994.)
Rejected, as being too close to M. crinitus.
Subgenus Empidias Cabanis {cf. Coues, Key, 1903, 522).
Not considered worthy of recognition.
456. Sayornis phcebe (Latham) vs. Empidias phcebe {cj.
Coues, Key, 1903, 525). No change is required.
Subgenus Mitrephaties Coues {cf. Coues, Key, 1903, 532).
Mitrephanes was originally applied to a group of extra-limital
species, and Nos. 470 and 470^7 of the Check-List have
been erroneously referred to it.
491. Nucifraga Columbiana (Wilson) vs. Picicorvus colum-
bianus {cf. Coues, Key, 1903, 490). This case was decided
at a former meeting of the Committee, and no further action
is considered necessary.
Subfamilies Sturnellince, Agelceince, Icterince, and Quiscalince {cj.
Coues, Key, 1903, 464). These proposed subfamilies of the
Icteridae adopted in the ' Key,' seem distinct enough when
North American members of the family alone are considered,
but they merge into each other through the many intermedi-
ate links in tropical America.
422 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. \^
Auk
ly
Icterus spurius affinis (Lawrence) {cf Coues, Key, 1903,
477)-
This is considered inseparable from /. spurius and not worthy
of recognition.
Genus ASTRAGALINUS Cabanis vs. Acanthis {cf Hartert,
Vdg. Pal. Fauna, 1903, 66). In the opinion of the Com-
mittee Astragalinus is sufficiently distinct generically from
Acanthis.
Centronyx, subgenus of Cotumiculus, vs. Centronyx, sub-
genus of Passerculus {cf. Coues, Key, 1903,403). The
question of the status of Centronyx was carefully considered
by the Committee last year {cf. Twelfth Supplement, Auk,
1903, 349), and no change appears to be necessary.
Genus COTURNICULUS Bonaparte vs. Coturtiiculus, sub-
genus of Ammodramus {cf Coues, Key, 1903, 403, 408).
The status of Coturniculus was also decided at a recent meet-
ing of the Committee {cf. Twelfth Supplement, Auk, 1903,
349)-
Genus OREOSPIZA Ridgway vs. Chlorura {cf Poche, Ornith.
Monatsb., 1904, 25-26). There is no necessity for a change,
as Chlorura Sclater is preoccupied by Ch/orurus Swainson.
588^. Pipilo maculatus atratus Ridgway vs. P. m. megalonyx
{cf. Grinnell, Condor, 1902, 23). No change is deemed
advisable in this case.
Subgenus Kieneria Bonaparte {cf. Coues, Key, 1903, 460).
This is used by the late Dr. Coues as a subgenus for the
Brown Towhees, but is properly a synonym of the extralimital
genus Melozone) and as such does not require consideration
here.
Genus Chrysocantor Maynard {cf. Bangs, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.,
XXXIX, 1903, 153). This is rejected as being based upon
color characters alone.
Vol. XXI
1904
Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check-List. 42^
Dendroica (Estiva breivsteri Grinnell, Condor, 1903, 72.
Not accepted, the characters ascribed being too slight for
recognition in the Check-List.
Heleodytes brunneicapillus anthonyi Mearns (Auk, 1902, 143).
This is considered to be the same as H. b. couesi {cf.
Swarth, Condor, 1904, 17-19), and is therefore rejected.
Catherpes mexicanus polioptilus Oberholser, Auk, 1903, 197.
Rejected, as not sufficiently distinct from C. mexicanus
albifrons.
Genus TROGLODYTES Vieillot vs. Paulomagus Howe {cf
Howe, Suppl. Birds R. I., 1903, 22). Paulomagus is pro-
posed as a new generic name for the House Wrens. The
Committee has already decided that Troglodytes refers to the
House Wrens ; hence Paulomagus is superfluous.
Genus OLBIORCHILUS Oberholser vs. Anorthura Rennie
{cf. Sharpe, Hand-List, IV, 1903, 91). Anorthura is an
exact equivalent of Troglodytes, embracing the House Wrens
only, leaving Olbiorchilus as the first name applicable to the
Winter Wrens.
Cistothorus palustris dissaeptus Bangs, Auk, 1902, 352. This
is rejected as being equivalent to Telmatodytes palustris.
Mr. Bangs distinguished two forms, but through inad-
vertence renamed T. palustris ; the other has since been
described as T.p. iliac us.
Sitta pus ilia caniceps Bangs {cf. Hellmayr, Tierreich, Lief.
18, 1903, 190). This was rejected at an earlier meeting
of the Committee {cf Ninth Supplement, Auk, 1899, 131).
Genus PSALTRIPARUS Bonaparte vs. ALgithalos Hermann
(cf Hellmayr, Tierreich, Lief. 18, 1903, 108). These two
genera are held by the Committee to be perfectly distinct.
Auriparus vs. Anthoscopus {cf Hellmayr, Tierreich, Lief. 18,
1903, 125). No change seems warranted.
424 Thirteenth Supplement to the A. O. U. Check- List. [Auuk
Subgenus Phyllobasileus Cabanis {cf. Coues, Key, 1903, 262).
This is not considered sufficiently distinct from Regulus to
be recognized in the Check-List.
Genus Ixoreus Bonaparte vs. Hesperocichla Baird {cf. Sclater,
Ibis, 1903, 142). No change in this case is considered nec-
essary. While Bonaparte may have mistaken a South
American species of Tce?iioptera for Turd us ncevius Gmelin,
he distinctly states his new genus Ixoreus to be based upon
" Turrfus ncevius, Gm."
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THE AUK:
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Vol. xxi. October, 1904. No. 4.
A FORTNIGHT ON THE FARALLONES.
BY MILTON S. RAY.
A dusky group of naked, stony peaks on the horizon, set in a
summer sea against a cloud-strewn sky, was our first view of the
Farallon Islands, near noon on May 27, 1904. Charles A. Love,
Oluf J. Heinemann and the writer had left San Francisco at seven
o'clock in the morning on the trim little seventeen-ton gasoline
schooner ' Jennie Griffin,' which makes bi-weekly trips. As we
neared the islands birds became more and more numerous ; bands
of cormorants, strung out in Indian file, passed us, and flocks of
murres dove or splattered over the water from the ship's side.
With a retinue of cackling gulls above us or trailing in our wake,
we entered, at half past one, the picturesque harbor, walled in by
towering cliffs, rocky arches and jagged islets, prosaically named
Fisherman's Bay. Amid the rising clouds of bird life, startled
by our whistle, we dropped anchor, and after a short row ashore
and a flat-car ride of half a mile, drawn by the famous island
mule, ' Patti,' we arrived at Stone House, a comfortable two-story
structure of spotless white, of which we were given possession.
With all the eagerness that characterizes the naturalist in new
territory we partook of a hasty lunch and set forth to explore the
greatest of western bird rookeries.
After the discovery of gold in 1849 the fast increasing com-
merce of the ' Bay City ' necessitated the installation of a light-
house on these islands, as they lie due off the harbor. The
A 26 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. Toct^
light is of the first order and the most important on the coast, and
is zealously tended by the four keepers from sunset to sunrise, in
three-hour watches. The light tower is perched on the summit of
the islands and is reached by a winding path that zigzags along
the steep bluffs. When the heavy gales blow the keepers are
often forced to crawl on hands and knees in the unsheltered
places. Their homes, two two-story frame buildings, are on the
level tract on the south side, and with Stone House, numerous
outbuildings and the fog-station, have the appearance of a small
hamlet. The wireless telegraphy station and Weather Bureau
observatory, with its varied appliances for registering the atmos-
pheric conditions, are situated on the Jordan, a third of a mile
distant. Mr. E. C. Hobbs, the head official, very kindly allowed
us the use of his dark room at will.
The resident population at present numbers twenty, more or less
increased by visitors, and the register shows a strange assemblage
of names — Greek fishermen, pilots, government inspectors, artists
who have ventured out here to portray on canvas the wild beauty
of these strange islands, and hosts of photographers whose views
innumerable lie on the head-keeper's parlor table. Among these,
in a class by themselves, were some by the late Chester Barlow,
and, likewise distinctive, a number of inimitable bird-sketches
by Louis A. Fuertes, who made a recent visit.
The islands lie about thirty miles west of San Francisco, and
are divided into two groups. The North Farallones, or North
Rocks as the islanders term them, lie seven miles to the north-
west and, compared with the main group, are small and unimpor-
tant. Midway between lies lonely little ' Four Mile Rock,' also
known by the misleading title of the ' Middle Farallon.' The
southern cluster comprises South Farallon, the main island, Sea
Lion Islet, Finger and Arch Rocks, easily reached by planks,
and Saddle Rock and Sugar Loaf by boat, besides a number of
minor islets. (Plates XXIII and XXIV.)
South Farallon, or Southeast Farallon as it is also called, is a
mile long, from a quarter to a half a mile or more wide, and three
and a half miles in circumference. A rocky backbone runs the
entire length, more or less broken by gorges and by a narrow sea-
stream, the ' Jordan,' which separates a portion known as West
The Auk, Vol. XXI
Plate XXIV.
FINGER ROCK.
V°1'^XI] Rky, Fortnight on the Farallones. 427
End, and which has been recently spanned by a substantial bridge.
The highest points are Light Tower Peak, 345 feet elevation, on
the east, and Main Top, 225 feet, on the west. The slope from
the ridge to the water's edge is in places so precipitous as to pre-
clude foothold, in others running out into broad rocky or grass
covered flats, with now and then a sandy beach. The tireless
waves have hewn all manner of curious caves, arches, fjords and
basins in the rocky shore. There are caves inland as well, one
extending far under Light Tower Peak. The base rock of the
islands is a dark, rather soft granite, except Sugar Loaf, which' is
a mass of conglomerate. The soil, in some places of consider-
able depth, though confined to the more level slopes, is guano
mixed more or less with granite sand, which latter, with broken
shells, forms the beaches.
Rain is the only potable water, and is caught in a broad cement
shed and stored in cool reservoirs and tanks. A spring of amber
colored mineral water bubbles up within a few feet of the break-
ers, which has the remarkable flavor of unsweetened lemonade.
A superficial examination showed the principal mineral ingredi-
ents to be sulphates of alumina and iron.
With the exception of a grove of twenty Monterey cypress
trees in a protected situation the vegetation is limited to several
varieties of clinging weeds, viscid rock-flowers, moss and the
hardy grass which clothes some of the flats and slopes. The sur-
rounding islets are all precipitous with little or no plant life.
The climate is rather cool, with frequent high winds. The first
seven days of our stay the weather varied from clear to cloudy,
with little wind and a calm sea, in fact perfect weather. June 3 a
strong northwest wind sprung up, with a maximum velocity of
fifty-two miles an hour on the level and close to seventy on
the peak. During the next two days we again had pleasant
weather, and then on June 6 and 7 the wind blew from twenty-
eight to forty-two miles an hour, but moderated more or less the
last four days of our stay. We had fog but one night, June 1,
when five hundredths of an inch of moisture fell, and our sleep
was punctuated by the fierce blasts of the steam fog-whistle.
Except on the lee side, the high winds prevented good results
with the camera, but as these were only occasional we had but
little difficulty in taking our six dozen pictures.
A 2 8 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. ["oct*
Mammal life is not unrepresented on these sea islands. Great
bellowing herds of ponderous sea lions make their home on
Saddle Rock and Sugar Loaf, and whether floundering clumsily
up and down the rocky slopes or moving quietly along the shore
line, these huge amphibians were a continual study. According
to the residents the young sea lions have a strong aversion to
water and frequently wander far inland on the main island. Rab-
bits, said to be of Australian breed, abound on South Farallon.
They inhabit burrows on the hillsides and when surprised often
scamper, in their hurried efforts to hide, into some small nook or
crevice from where they can be pulled out by the hand.
The following is a list of the breeding birds observed :
i. Lunda cirrhata. Tufted Puffin.
To see that most curious bird, the puffin, with its massive bill
and the yellow curls that adorn its head, in its summer home is
alone well worth the island trip. We first encountered this brown-
ish, short-tailed species of bat-like flight on the day of our arrival,
just off the harbor, and from its striking features we were able to
identify it at a glance. We found them nesting abundantly over
nearly the entire island, from the sea level to the crest, and at
Puffin Slope, between North Landing and Tower Point, the hill-
side is simply honeycombed with their burrows ; I have counted
as many as forty-three birds sitting on the rocks about the
entrances. There is also another large colony on the slope oppo-
site Murre Rocks, on West End. The holes ran in from one to
five feet, some being dug in the soil among the rocks while others
were natural cavities in the cliffs and ledges or under boulders.
A number were unlined, but most of them were scantily lined,
and in a few the single egg was partly buried in a heap of weeds.
During our visit we found both fresh and partly incubated eggs,
the former predominating. The majority were but very faintly
marked, and those wreathed with jerky lines of lilac and tan
were rare exceptions. All eggs except those just laid were more
or less discolored by contact with the damp soil and other sur-
rounding material.
Its white face and light colored bill rendered the puffin easily
i 04 J Ray, Fortnight on the Far allo?ies. 4-2Q
distinguishable in the semi-dark burrows. Some birds took flight
on our approach, while others left the egg and crawled further
back in the tunnel, offering no resistance ; but the majority
refused to stir and sat quiet and motionless, although that keen-
edged tool, their beak, was ever active, and not until I attempted
to reach an egg did I fully appreciate its formidableness. If a
stick or other object is thrust within its reach it hangs on with the
tenacity of a bulldog, only letting go when its mouth is pried
open. On West End, one day, I beheld two puffins so vigorously
battling that they were oblivious to my presence ; and Mr. Cane
informed me that he once saw two birds begin fighting in the air,
above the light tower, and they continued to fight while descend-
ing, and even after they reached the water.
On one occasion I chased a rabbit to a burrow among the
rocks, but the animal had scarcely entered when out it quickly
jumped. I looked in and there, sentinel-like, stood the puffin
on guard with a bill full of 'bunnie's' fur.
The statement that "they are among the most noisy of the sea
birds, always screaming while out on the rocks and constantly
growling while in their burrows," * I consider erroneous as we
found the puffin a very quiet bird. Although the ' sea parrot,' as
this species is also called, is a good flier and can rise from the
ground with ease, yet when the heavy winds were blowing I
noticed scores crouching fiat on the rocks. On foot this bird is
about as ungainly as most of its tribe and has a ridiculous strad-
dling gait.
2. Ptychoramphus aleuticus. Cassin's Auklet.
One might visit the Farallones in the daytime and unless he
investigated their nesting haunts or hiding places, would never
know that either the trim, white-breasted auklet or the sooty swal-
low-like petrels existed on the islands. The nest of the auklet
was the first nest we found, as they were common about Stone
House, whence we sallied forth on our initial trip, as they were
almost everywhere. The single white egg, with a faint greenish
1 Nests and Eggs of North American Birds, p. 9.
A'XO Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. \ofx
cast, is laid in burrows in the guano from one to four feet in
depth, or at like distances in nooks and crannies of the rocks and
cliffs, with rarely any lining, and at all elevations above the sea.
The eggs, like those of the preceding species, become much soiled
by their surroundings. On our arrival fresh or nearly fresh eggs
were the rule and young the exception, while on our departure it
was the reverse.
According to my experience this species, when robbed, does
not lay again. When pulled off the nest a sticky reddish substance
exudes from the bill of the parent, which is no doubt semi-digested
food for the young. When released the auklet would frequently
run back to the nest while others would fly rapidly out to sea. The
young are covered with black down. During the latter part of our
stay I found many of the larger young birds alone in the burrows,
both parents being away, evidently foraging.
When the islands are wrapped in the darkness of night, the
lofty pinnacles of the ridge rise like towers above a battlement,
and from their highest point the strong light from the light tower
streams across the sky and far cut to sea. And now, when all
the other birds have retired to roost and the great rookeries are
silent, in from the sea and out from their burrows the auklets
come by thousands, and with the petrels begin their nightly labor.
By the light of a lantern the air and ground seem black with swift
moving figures, and their strange yet not unmusical cries mingle
into a mighty chorus which, coming out from the darkness, has a
weird effect.
3. Cepphus columba. Pigeon Guillemot.
The guillemot is a trim little bird, resembling a pigeon in size,
form and plumage, but it lacks the latter's grace on land, moving
over the rocks in a clumsy, fiat-footed fashion. These birds
became more abundant every day during our stay, but they did
not begin to lay until the end of the first week in June. We found
well incubated single eggs as well as pairs ; hence incubation
must really have begun although the majority of all the eggs we
found were fresh. The nests, merely pebble-lined slight hollows,
were located under projecting ledges, boulders, or in spaces
Voli'^XI] Ray' Fortnight on the Farallones. 43 I
between piles of rocks where they could be seen not infrequently
from above. I also noticed a number of pairs nesting under the
wooden platform that overhangs the rocks at North Landing. It
is usually several days after laying the first egg before the bird
lays the second.
Although more wary than most other island species, on several
occasions we caught sitting birds on the nest. In fact, firearms
are seldom necessary to secure specimens on the Farallones, and
then only a rifle should be used, for, according to the head light-
keeper, Mr. Cane, nothing frightens the birds on the island like
the report of a shotgun, and when it is discharged in a rookery
creates a panic. The cry of the guillemot is a peculiar feeble
hiss-like whistle, almost inaudible amid the roar of the mighty
breakers that come tearing up against the flat, low-lying shore
rocks where these birds congregate in numbers.
4 . Uria troile californica. California Murre.
The murre not only outnumbers all other species on the islands,
but all of them combined. On May 28 we found what the head
keeper said was the first egg of the season, and he also stated
that the birds commenced laying about ten days later than usual
this year. Later on eggs became more and more numerous, and
during the last week of our stay we noted them everywhere.
The largest rookeries on the main island are in Great Murre
Cave and at Tower Point, on East End, on the rocky shelves and
terraces below Main Top Peak, and on the dizzy sides, from sea
to summit, of the Great Arch, the natural bridge par excellence,
on West End. The birds also breed abundantly all along the
ridge and in the numberless grottoes along the seashore, while the
surrounding islets are covered with them in countless thousands.
Great Murre Cave, which runs in from the ocean on Shubrick
Point, with its vast bird population, is a wonder to behold. All
ledges and projections, as well as the cave floor, were murre-cov-
ered, and on our approach the great colony became a scene of
animation, with a vast nodding of dusky heads and a ringing con-
cert of gurgling cries. The birds, at first in tens and then in
twenties, flew out, or by sprawling and flapping over the rocks and
A 72 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. \o^\
into the foaming surf, thus gained the open sea (see Plate XXV).
Some were terribly thrown about in the breakers but apparently
received little injury. On our entrance the main body took flight,
with a mighty roar of wings, and so close did they fill the cave
that it behooved us to get behind boulders to prevent being struck
by them. Many birds still remained in the cave, retreating deep
into the branching recesses or, sheep-like, huddled into the cor-
ners, where they could be picked up by the hand. The multitudes
which took wing would wait, scattered over the water about a
quarter of a mile from shore, until the commotion was over and
would then come trooping back to the cave.
The murre when caught is by no means a peaceable captive, as
anyone who has come in range of its strong, sharp-pointed bill
will testify. The closeness of the tiny feathers on the head and
neck have the appearance of, and feel to the touch like, a piece of
satin. It is a most ungainly bird on land ; if put to flight when on
some abrupt eminence they can usually gain sufficient momentum
to continue ; otherwise they scramble, with the aid of their wings,
clumsily over the land and boulders, and in their endeavor to
hurry frequently strike with force against the rocks.
From my own observations I do not think that in a battle royal
the gull with its hooked bill has any advantage over the murre
with its stiletto-like weapon, but succeeds in its high-handed rob-
bery by better control of wing and foot and overwhelming num-
bers. The gulls swoop down when the murres have been flushed
from their eggs and secure the booty, or a number by harassing
a single bird simultaneously from all sides finally start the
egg a rolling. It is amusing to see a bob-tailed, erect, soldier-like
murre with an egg between its legs and a single swaggering gull
endeavoring to secure it. Every time the gull cranes its neck for-
ward for the egg the murre also bends with a vicious snap of its
bill, which the gull is wise to dodge ; and thus the birds will keep
salaaming, like two polite Japanese, until another gull comes to aid
its fellow or, unaided, the bird gives up the attempt. The cave
colonies are the only ones where the murres are secure from per-
secution by these bird-pirates.
The murre's egg is admirably adapted for the situations in
which it is laid, as its pear-shaped form prevents its rolling except
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XXV
GREAT MURRE CAVE.
Vol. XX
1904
I Ray, Fortnight 071 the Farallones. 433
in a circle, and the extremely hard shell permits of much rough
usage. We found eggs almost everywhere — in inland caves, along
the rocky ridges, in damp sea grottoes and on low-lying shore rocks
— with no sign of a nest, and in places where one would marvel at
their perilous position. On the islands where an unlimited series
can be seen, with an endless variation in colors and markings,
some very grotesque looking specimens can be found, and on
some the strange scrawls have a remarkably close resemblance to
figures and other designs. The two most easily separable types,
those of white and greenish ground color, seem about equal in
abundance. Cinnamon colored eggs were rather scarce, and
those of pure spotless white were but very rarely seen.
Mr. Cane states that the birds depart in September, leaving
with the young at night, returning to the islands in December.
Although the day of professional egging has passed, the islands
still ring with accounts of the egg-carrying feats and hair-raising
exploits in which, latterly, the light-house crew took the principal
part, and which netted them a neat income. An egger's outfit
consisted of a blouse-like ' egg shirt,' which, drawn tightly
around the waist, held the eggs, often as many as eighteen dozen
or more ; a pair of ' egging shoes ' with soles made of braided
rope and tops of canvas, which are still used by the islanders for
climbing steep rocks ; and lastly a long coil of stout rope for use
in the more dangerous places. Two lives have been lost in this
risky trade and minor accidents were common. One egger fell of!
Saddle Rock with a shirt full of eggs and would have sunk with
the weight had he not had the presence of mind to begin breaking
them on striking the water. When the season started the main
and adjacent islands, including Sugar Loaf and Saddle Rock,
were gone over and all the murre's eggs in reach destroyed, thus
insuring only fresh ones. This and the regular egging days, when
the great colonies were flushed, were red-letter days for the rapa-
cious gulls who followed the eggers about in noisy flocks. Mr.
Cane stated that on mornings when a late start was made the gulls
would become impatient and start a reign of terror in the murre
rookeries by themselves. The available territory was divided
into two sections, each being worked every other day. There still
remain on the island stone sheds where the eggs were stored,
434 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. To"^
secure from the pillaging gulls, and from which they were shoveled
out into the hold of small schooners or fishing boats without
packing. Although the great Farallon supply is now cut off, the
eggs still find their way, in limited quantities, to the city markets
from the rookery at Point Pedro, in the adjacent county of San
Mateo.
5. Larus occidentalis. Western Gull.
The gulls are the virtual rulers of bird-dom on the Farallones, and
that they live on the best the islands afford those suffering sub-
jects, the murres, cormorants and rabbits, will testify. I felt but
little compunction when taking their eggs, for it seemed but just
retribution. When a nest was disturbed in the main breeding
grounds the parents would set up a loud cry in which the sur-
rounding flocks would join until it became almost universal and
continuous. Some of the more pugnacious birds would dart down
at our heads, swerving upward at the last moment.
While this bird builds in colonies, so to speak, they are not like
those of the cormorant or murre. There is always fighting room
between the nests and only the aggregations near Shell Beach,
Indian Head, and at Guano Slope on West End, and about Tower
Point on East End, could well deserve this term. Besides these
places we found them breeding in scattered congregations all
along the rocky terrace west of the Jordan, from the shore to the
highest points. On the east, in addition to the rookery at Tower
Point, we observed a dozen isolated nests at Bull Head Point, near
Arch Rock, and about half that number right at the Weather
Bureau observatory, where, rewarded for their confidence in man,
they brooded unmolested. The great mass of driftwood, thrown
up by winter storms, was a favorite spot in the Shell Beach Rook-
ery. We did not, however, observe any of these birds nesting off
the main island. (Plate XXVI.)
While they are somewhat wary, many allowed us to come quite
close before rising from their nests. The latter are placed in nat-
ural basin-like hollows among the rocks, by which they are par-
tially sheltered, although some were in the most open and windy
situations. The nest is a bulky structure, composed of various dry
A
w
H
en
W
o
Vol. XXI J Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. 435
island weeds and grasses, and has about as much claim to ingenuity
as those of most sea birds. They vary little in size, averaging
thirteen inches across, the cavity being eight inches by four deep.
About many of them I noticed small heaps of ejected fish bones.
When we arrived nearly all the nests held fresh eggs, and on our
departure many young were pipping the shell and several had
emerged. We found the eggs, when boiled, to be indistinguish-
able in flavor from those of the chicken, and they usually formed
some part of the daily fare during our two weeks' stay. There
being four keepers with their families on the island, the gull colo-
nies have been divided into four routes, visited every other day.
These routes are all on the flats or gradual slopes, those on the
rugged ridges being left undisturbed. Only single eggs are taken,
nests containing more being left, and the average yield of a route
is seventy-five eggs. After being repeatedly robbed the birds
continue laying until finally they become content to hatch a pair
or a single egg, although three is the full set, and in this way the
laying season gradually comes to a close, which it was nearing
when we left, as we found numerous singles in which incubation
was far advanced.
But even when the gulls begin to set their troubles are not over,
for, later, many of the 'squabs,' which have the fatality to taste
like chicken, find their way into various fricassees and potpies to
grace the table of the Farallonians. According to the keepers
but few gull eggs ever reached the city markets in the old ' egg-
times,' and personally I do not remember ever seeing them on
sale. The shells, compared with those of the murre, are frail and
would not stand shipment ' murre style.'
Mr. Cane found a white and almost unspotted gull's egg the
first week in June, and Charles Love of our party collected on
June 11 a pair, of which one is light pearl and the other greenish
clay, and both are but faintly marked. Runts of various sizes
were not uncommon. We found the markings to vary from fine
scrawls or small spots to great blotches, some of which covered
half the side of the egg. Specimens with light and dark ground
colors were frequently found in the same set, as well as those with
the different styles of markings. Although the gulls seldom eat
the eggs of their own kind, on several occasions I noticed them
d.'lS Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. To"^
doing it, especially when the egg had been knocked out of the
nest.
Only three or four gulls in immature mottled dress were seen,
and when the great flocks on West End would rise and hover
above us in their uniform snowy plumage, in the bright sunlight,
it was an inspiring sight.
6. Oceanodroma leucorhoa. Leach's Petrel.
Although found some years ago on the island by Mr. Leverett
M. Loomis, and doubtless breeding there in limited numbers, we
failed to find them, although we might have, perhaps, had we
cornea month later.
7. Oceanodroma homochroa. Ashy Petrel.
We saw little of the petrels except at night, when they fluttered
about, or on our daily rambles when we spied their dark form in
some narrow crevice in the ledges or rock fences. On being
lifted in the hand a dark oily fluid would drip from their beaks,
and when released these birds, with the form and wavy flight of a
swallow, would make for the open sea. We noticed a number of
these dainty little birds which had been killed by striking the tele-
phone and telegraph wires on the island.
The petrels were evidently late in breeding this year, for
although we made a thorough search and found many roosting
birds, we secured no eggs except those of last year, in which the
contents had dried.
8. Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus. Farallon
Cormorant.
We first visited the Main Top Rookery, the only one of this
species on the Farallones, on the morning of May 29. After a
hard climb, about the hardest on the islands, with all our photo-
graphic apparatus, we saw the rookery just above us, below the
peak. As we came up a strange and never-to-be-forgotten sight
greeted our eyes. All about on the weed nests on the jutting rocks
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Vol. XXI
1904
Ray, Fortnight o?/ the Farallones. 437
and boulders sat the angered cormorants with open bills, pul-
sating throats and ruffled feathers, shaking their snake-like necks
back and forth and uttering hoarse guttural, wheezy croaks, and
only leaving the nests when we were within arm's reach of it.
The parents were easily identified by the bright yellow gular sac,
and the young, which most of the nests contained, were inky-
skinned creatures, with little in their favor, wobbling helplessly
about the nests and barking like little puppies. On our last visit
most of them were covered with sooty down and looked more pre-
sentable. The eggs, three or four in number, were nearly all well
advanced in incubation, although we got several fresh sets ; they
had the appearance of being finely spotted, on account of the
numerous fly specks.
The weed nests (Plate XXVII, Fig. 2) were like those of the gull
but much larger and shallower, measuring twenty inches across,
the cavity being nine in width and three in depth. I counted but
forty-seven nests in the colony, which shows that the number of
these birds, now the least abundant cormorant on the islands, is
continually decreasing. On subsequent visits we noticed the birds
did not re-lay in the nests from which we had taken eggs. The
gulls did not molest the eggs and young in this rookery, for the
reason the old birds did not give them a chance, they settling
back on the nest as soon as we passed it. While it was interest-
ing to watch these avian snakes in their summer home, the decay
ing remains of numerous fish about the colony and the swarms of
seal-flies rendered it a pleasant place to be away from.
9. Phalacrocorax penicillatus. Brandt's Cormorant.
Brandt's Cormorant is the commonest and biggest species of
the island cormorants. Besides the large rookery on the more
gradual slopes on the north side below Main Top Ridge, extend-
ing from near the water to well up the hillside, there are large col-
onies nesting on Saddle Rock and Sugar Loaf. We gained our
first view of the rookery on West End when we crossed the ridge
on the morning of May 30. Right below us, with scarcely foot-
space between the nests, was the great city of cormorants. (Plate
XXVII.) I counted 156 nests; on June 3 they had increased to
187, and they were still building. The weeds that trail over the
Z|_3 8 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. \oa
rocks form most of the nest material, and these become more or
less dry by the end of May and are easily detached by the birds ;
in fact a strong wind will frequently rip up a whole mat-like bed.
In make and size the nests of this species are like those of the pre-
ceding. I noticed considerable sea moss among the nest material,
which is undoubtedly uprooted by the birds themselves, but it
was not in such variety as I had been led to believe. Quar-
rels over nest material were of frequent occurrence among the
birds of the rookery, but the most arrant robbers came from the
settlement on Sugar Loaf, where the weeds do not grow. It was
a queer sight to see one of these great lumbering-flighted cormo-
rants come flapping into the colony, and after some opposition
succeed and go awkwardly sailing off with a long stringing bunch
of weeds.
After our first inspection we did not approach close to the
rookery for the reason that the birds were just laying and were
easily put to flight, upon which hordes of screaming gulls would
settle down and make off with the eggs, some breaking one after
another through pure meanness without touching the contents,
while others would devour the egg (less the shell) in the nest
without taking the trouble to fly, and by the time the cormorants
returned not an egg remained. From the nests on the outskirts
we took several sets of four eggs. This species, like the other
two varieties, is easily recognized, even at a distance, from its
nuptial plumage, the most conspicuous adornments being a dark
blue gular sac and small bunches of thread-like feathers hang-
ing from the sides of the neck.
All day long the great rookery was a scene of activity ; every-
where the ponderous clumsy birds, using to the best of their
ability what skill nature had endowed them with, were fashion-
ing their weed-homes, while scores of setting birds ever and anon
would rise to stretch their stiffened wings or to greet their mates
returning fish-laden from the sea.
10. Phalacrocorax pelagicus resplendens. Baird's
Cormorant.
Baird's Cormorant, by its small size, sleek plumage, and con-
spicuous white flanks, was easily separated from the other mem-
Vol. XXI
1904
Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. 4-39
bers of the family on the isles. These birds are remarkably adept
in clinging to the almost perpendicular cliffs, where on some slight
projection or hollow they will place their weed nest, some por-
tion of which frequently extends over the edge. Most were in
situations that to think of reaching would take one's breath away,
and always brought to mind the use of long dangling ropes or
gigantic ladders to bring these unwilling specimens to the cabinet.
We were, however, able to reach a number of those in the more
accessible places. Although a more or less solitary species we
found quite a colony, with about twenty nests, along the precipitous
rocky divide on the south side of West End. In many places on
the main island and adjoining islets groups of several nests
together were common, but a large number of them were isolated.
The nests were built in the usual cormorant style, a little smaller
and deeper than those of the other two species. The day we
came the birds were guarding their homes, evidently fearing
usurpation by their own kind, for in all that we could see no eggs
had yet been laid, and up to the time we left they were still on
duty on the eggless nests. Many of the latter were completed,
while others were being built, either over the remains of a last
year's structure or anew. When constructing a nest one bird
would bring the weeds while its sitting mate would place them,
although at times both birds would take a hand in the work, which
seemed to progress with marvelous slowness.
11. Lophortyx californicus californicus. California
Partridge.
According to Mr. Cyrus J. Cane, the present head keeper, sev-
eral of these birds were on the island for a period of seven years
and built their nests among the grass on the flats. One in par-
ticular struck up a great friendship with one of the hens and
would roost by its side in the chicken house.
12. Corvus corax sinuatus. American Raven.
For many years a pair of these birds nested in a trough-like
aperture in Raven Cliff, but since these were shot last year, on
ZJ.AO Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. |~Octk
account of their depredations on the island hennery, no birds of
this species, according to the lighthouse crew, have been seen.
13. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. House Finch.
It was a surprise to us on arising the second day, to hear the
loud cheerful whistle of the House Finch perched on the peaked
roof of our dwelling, for somehow during the excitement of our
first day among the great bird shows we had overlooked the
presence of this species, several pairs of which, for the first time,
were nesting here and challenging the Rock Wren's long-defended
title of being the island's only song bird. Were it not for the
grove of friendly evergreens, where these birds would have nested
is a puzzle. One nest, which held five eggs in May, was closely
made of island grass, with an occasional feather intermixed, and
lined with bits of string, cotton and mule hair. We noted another
nest with a like complement just before we left.
14. Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren.
The fluffy little Rock Wren, whether rummaging among the
boulders or delivering its cheery song from its granite perch, was
a constant companion on our daily travels, except west of the
Jordan where I noted it as scarce. Had it not been for the telltale
shells and stones which lined the pathways to the nests they would
have been difficult to find, for the birds usually slip off unseen
and make a great fuss at a safe distance to mislead the searcher.
Whether the nest was in a niche in the cliffs, beneath a rock fence,
or under a granite ledge cropping out above the surface, it was
always placed among rocks firmly embedded and never amid
the loose rocks that lay scattered about on the top of the ground.
We found in all, including those of the year which had been
deserted, and those of the previous season, about twenty nests.
On the 3d of June I excavated with a pick a winding cavity
that ran to a nest below a solid granite ledge near the Weather
Bureau station and which the children had been unable to reach.
In nests of this sort considerable care must be taken, as flying
bits of stone or falling debris are liable to destroy the eggs.
The Auk, Vol. XXI.
Plate XXVIIL
Fig. i. ROCK WREN.
Fig. 2. FARALLON CORMORANT.
V0li ^XI] Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. 44 1
This nest held seven eggs in which incubation had made a slight
start. It was made of excelsior packing and lined with thread-
like grass and mule hair with small bits of cotton about the brim,
and had the usual accumulation of stones and shells leading to it.
Mr. Love found a nest the same day under a stone wall near
Stone House, with a like complement. Most of the birds, how-
ever, had young in or out of the nest, and Ernest Wenthars, a
promising young bird student, says they start nest-building early
in March, for he has noticed eggs in the latter part, and must
raise two if not three broods in a season. As many of the nests,
however, are robbed by urchins the breeding season is unnaturally
extended, for the birds will not lay in a fresh nest which has been
disturbed nor re-lay in one from which the eggs have been taken,
but will rebuild in a new situation. On the 10th of June I found
two of these late nests in the course of construction. We also
found the percentage of infertile eggs to be heavy, for in every
nest with young we noted one or two addled eggs. The wrens
were very tame and when we were tunneling the home of some
auklet they would be at our elbow peering among the upturned
rocks for some tasty morsel, and one morning one of these birds
entered our kitchen ; we caught it, and after we had photographed
it we set it at liberty.- (Plate XXVIII, Fig. 1.)
Perhaps of all its nesting localities the favorite was under the
rock foundation of the railway which flourishes under the pre-
sumptious title of the ' Farallon Midland.' In fact, in their
enthusiastic endeavor to unearth Salpinctian dwellings, some
recent ornithological visitors threatened to seriously undermine
the roadbed until stopped by head-keeper Cane.
By far the most elaborate nest I found was in the rear of
Stone House ; it ran in the earth among the rocks of a rock fence.
A shelf-like stone at the entrance formed a sort of veranda, and
this the birds had literally covered, as well as the main corridor
leading to the nest. I noticed the pavement was equally deep
under the nest, and that all the tiny nooks and crevices on the
way were filled. I carefully counted all the stones and other
material in this earthern burrow between the bare granite boul-
ders, and as it was situated two feet up in the wall the birds had
undoubtedly brought all of them. The strange assortment of
d.A.2 Ray, Fortnight on the Farallones. \^ft
articles would do credit to some fabled jackdaw, and consists
as follows :
Safety pins
.
i
Pieces of plaster (from walls
of
Pieces of wire
.
2
house)
4
" " a pair of
scissors
2
Pieces of shingles (some
as
" " zinc (from
i old bat-
large as 2 in. x 3 in.)
12
teries)
IC
Bits of abalone shells
9
Fish hooks
2
" " mussel "
20
Pieces of glass
2
Rusty nails
106
" " leather
.
I
Bits of flat rusty iron
227
Copper tacks .
4
Small granite stones (very
rej
jr_
Pieces of limestone like that in
ular in size)
492
caves
.
2
Bones (rabbit, fish and bir
d)
769
Also considerable dislocated nesting material, as weed stems, grass, etc.
The birds in this case had easy access to all the little bits of
material that accumulate around dwellings ; but even then, what
a vast amount of patience and labor, as well as perception, it
required to find and transport the 1665 listed objects, to say
nothing of building the nest itself ! This was composed of the
bird's favorite substance, excelsior packing, together with a
few weeds and grasses and bits of cotton and rabbit fur tucked in
decoratively here and there, and measured 5J inches over all,
while the cavity was 3 inches across by 1^ inches deep.
Of all the nests we noted, in no case did we see one where the
birds did not, to a greater or less degree, exercise their strange
habit of paving the pathway. While various theories have been
advanced to account for it, one cause, which seems to me to more
nearly hit the mark is the desire to overcome dampness. Those
nests with earthen floors, of varying moistness, have much more
pretentious stone walks than cliff-nests which are comparatively
dry, although it is true that about the latter there is generally but
little space for the wrens to cover. But perhaps the best argument
in support of this theory is that the birds before building the nest
first line the passage, as I found that stones were equally deep
below completed nests, and I also noticed that nests in the first
stages of construction had the stone-ways already finished.
Voli' ?XI] Bailey, Slimmer Birds of San Miguel County, TV. M. 4.43
ADDITIONS TO MITCHELL'S LIST OF THE SUMMER
BIRDS OF SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.1
BY FLORENCE MERRIAM BAILEY.2
In the course of our Biological Survey work in the summer of
1903, when on our way from the Staked Plains to the southern
Rocky Mountains in June, and afterwards in rounding the south-
ern end of the mountains and following up the eastern side of the
range in July and August, Mr. Bailey and I spent nearly two
months in San Miguel County, crossing a large part of its terri-
tory. From the Staked Plains we drove north almost half way
across the county to the Canadian River, where we were only
about twenty-five miles from the eastern boundary of the county,
when we turned west, crossing to the extreme western boundary,
between Pecos and Glorieta. Through the northwest corner of
the county we made two sections, following north into Mora
County on the Pecos River Forest Reserve, and after our return
to Pecos making another north and south section, driving from
Bernal up through Las Vegas and across the northern line of
San Miguel into Mora County.
In this way we worked the most marked types of country that
the county affords, crossing the plains, climbing the mesas that,
in the breaking down of the Rocky Mountain plateau are left as
river-cut blocks on the plains, following along the rich fertile bot-
toms and narrow canons of the Pecos River, and exploring the
mountains of the county on the way to the head of the Pecos.
The plains and mesas of the northeastern part of the county,
however, we did not visit at all, and work in that section should
be done to complete the county records.
In the breeding season the birds of the treeless plains which
we crossed in the south central part of the county were Horned
Larks and Meadowlarks. the Meadowlarks being found only in
1 The Summer Birds of San Miguel County, New Mexico. By Walton I .
Mitchell. Auk, Vol. XV, 1898, pp. 306-311.
2 Published with the permission of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief of
Biological Survey.
444 Bailey, Summer Birds of San Miguel County, A". M. ["oct*
depressions on the plains where there was moisture. In the
higher reaches of the juniper and nut pine — Upper Sonoran —
section, some of the characteristic birds were Pinon and Wood-
house Jays, Western Lark Sparrows, Canon Towhees, Gray Tit-
mice, and Lead-colored Bush-tits. In going from the Staked
Plains northwest toward the Rocky Mountains, the mesas rising
from the plains grew successively higher, and Transition zone
yellow pines were reported to us as far east as Pablo Montoya
Grant. The first that we saw were in the central part of the
county, on the top of Mesa del Agua de la Yegua, which reaches
an altitude of 7000 feet, rising 1000 feet from the juniper plain.
With the pines we found many of the birds that usually penetrate
the Transition zone, including the Long-crested Jay, Lewis Wood-
pecker, the Western Wood Pewee, Western Chipping Sparrow,
Grace Warbler, and the Rocky Mountain and Pygmy Nut-
hatches. In the southwestern part of the county the cultivated
bottom lands of the Pecos afforded such birds as the Kingbird,
San Diego Redwing, Black-headed Grosbeak, Arkansas Goldfinch,
Yellow Warbler, and Long-tailed Chat. The extreme northwestern
part of the county takes in the southeastern end of the Rocky
Mountains and part of the upper Pecos River. This Dr. Mitchell
writes me he did not explore, his mountain work being confined
to the "eastern drainage of the Vegas ranges." Most of the
mountain birds were found by him, however, on the eastern side
of the range. Those which we found on the Pecos within the
county included such species as the Dusky Grouse, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Merriam Turkey, Clark Crow, Mountain Chickadee,
Solitaire, and Chestnut-backed and Mountain Bluebirds. As the
San Miguel County line apparently crosses the mountains of the
Upper Pecos at about 10,500 feet, I have not listed species such
as the Gray-headed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, and Audubon Hermit Thrush, which we found at 11,000
feet, although there are peaks east of the Pecos that we did not
visit which reach as high as 11,500 feet, on which these birds
probably occur, and all of the species of course belong to San
Miguel County as migrants, passing through it on their way to
and from the higher parts of the mountains.
As we entered the county too late to find the spring migrants
Vol. XXI
1904
I Bailey, Summer Birds of San Miguel County, N. M. A A C
and left it too early to see most of the fall migrants, we recorded
mainly resident birds. To Dr. Mitchell's list of eighty-five species
we added fifty-six species from actual records within the county
lines, and four others from inference, as they breed five hundred
feet above and must descend to migrate. As Dr. Mitchell's work
was done, as he explains, "in spare moments and on Sundays,"
and as our work was done, of necessity, largely in passing, more
thorough work in the region, especially during the migrations,
would doubtless furnish additional species as well as much inter-
esting material. In going over the following list it should be
borne in mind that no work was done, either by Dr. Mitchell or
ourselves in the northern part of the county, east of the line
between Las Vegas and Mora, and that the high mesas east of
Mesa del Agua de la Yegua, if carefully worked, would probably
give eastward extensions of range to the mountain birds of the
county.
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. — Several seen
August 31 on a pond near Las Vegas.
Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — A pair were seen June 20
on a pond on the plains west of Mesa Rica. Dr. Mitchell says that the
Blue-wing while common in migration "does not remain to breed," but
several pairs were seen June 2 on a pond at Santa Rosa about forty miles
southwest of Mesa Rica, and three full grown young were shot on Black
Lake, in Colfax County, September 9.
Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — Seen July 2, along the Pecos
at Ribera.
Phalaropus lobatus. Northern Phalarope. — One seen August 31 in
the gray winter plumage, on a pond near Las Vegas.
Steganopus tricolor. Wilson Phalarope. — A flock seen August 31
about a pond near Las Vegas.
Actodromas bairdi. Baird Sandpiper. — Seen August 29 to 30 near
Las Vegas along a small creek in a field, and one taken September 2 at a
pond on the plains twelve miles north of Las Vegas.
Actodromas minutilla. Least Sandpiper. — Seen August 29 to 31
along the stony bottom of a small creek near Las Vegas.
Totanus flavipes. Lesser Yellow-legs. — Several seen August 31 on
a pond near Las Vegas.
Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus. Western Solitary Sand-
piper.— Several found August 29 to 31 along a meadow creek near Las
Vegas.
Numenius longirostris. Long-billed Curlew. — Three pairs were
44-6 Bailey, Summer Birds of San Miguel County, N. M. [n^
seen on the plains June 20, one with three half grown whitish downy
young. On June 22, two or three pairs were found driving a lobo from
their nesting ground.
Callipepla squamata. Scaled Partridge. — Common in the juniper
and pinon pine belt across the southern part of the county as far north as
Ribera.
Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. — A few were seen on the
Upper Pecos.1
Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — One seen August 28 near
Las Vegas.
Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — Seen at 8000 feet in the
Pecos Mountains.
Bubo virginianus pallescens. Western Horned Owl. — Heard in the
Pecos Mountains, and at Solitario on the eastern foothills.
Asyndesmus torquatus. Lewis Woodpecker. — Seen June 25 at about
6500 feet in the yellow pines on the Mesa del Agua de la Yegua, and on
September 4, in the pines near Solitario Peak.
Selasphorus rufus. Rufous Hummingbird. — At Pecos, at the south
base of the Rocky Mountains, on August 25, an adult male rufus was
seen, doubtless on its way down from the mountains. On August 29
another was seen a few miles north of Las Vegas.
Stellula calliope. Calliope Hummingbird. — On the western border
of the count}-, three miles south of Pecos, a Calliope Hummingbird was
taken August 25.
Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Though apparently unrecorded from
New Mexico, Kingbirds were found on the Pecos River in two localities.
Between La Cuesta and Sena on June 30 we saw them over the cultivated
fields and orchards of the bottom lands. At Ribera on July 2, when we
were camped in the junipers above the Mexican corn fields, a Raven
(Corvus sinuatus) stole into the junipers apparently in search of a brood
of nestling robins. The cries of the old robin attracted a kingbird which
flew in protesting vociferously, and gave chase so hotly that the raven
beat a hasty retreat. While neither the plains, the deserts, nor the moun-
tains offer attractions to kingbirds, this section of the Pecos River, with
its rich bottom lands which have been cultivated for centuries by the
Mexicans of the old pueblos, affords ideal breeding grounds for the birds,
and had it not been for the absence of naturalists their presence would
doubtless have been discovered long since.
Tyrannus vociferans. Cassin Kingbird. — Common. Often seen
with T. verticalis.
Myiarchus cinerascens. Ash-throated Flycatcher. — Myiarchus
was a common bird of the junipers in the southern part of the county in
1 Additional Notes on the Birds of the Upper Pecos. Auk, Vol. XXI,
1904, pp. 349-363-
Voli" ?"XI] Bailey, Summer Birds of San Miguel County, N. M. 447
June. It was also seen, June 25, at about 6500 feet in the yellow pines on
top of Mesa del Agua de la Yegua.
Nuttallornis borealis. Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Found in the
Pecos Mountains.
Contopus richardsonii. Western Wood Pewee. — Near the Cana-
dian River on June 21, richardsonii was found brooding eggs in a hack-
berry. Pewees were also seen June 25, at about 6000 feet on the side of
Mesa del Agua de la Yegua, and on August 26 at Ribera on the Pecos.
Otocoris alpestris occidentalis. Montezuma Horned Lark. — A form
of Otocoris, identified as occidentalis by Mr. Oberholser, was common
on the dryest part of the plains in the south central part of the country.
Corvus brachyrhynchos. Crow. — Seen along the Pecos from El Macho
to Riberia, at Old Bernal, and near Solitario Peak north of Las Vegas.
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. Yellow-headed Blackbird. —
Eight were seen on August 29 a mile north of Las Vegas.
Hesperiphona vespertina montana. Western Evening Grosbeak. —
Flocks and a few pairs were found in the Pecos Mountains.
Carpodacus cassini. Cassin Finch. — One seen July 15 in the Pecos
Mountains.
Loxia curvirostra bendirei. Bendire Crossbill. — Common at 11,000
feet in the Pecos Mountains and seen August 21 at 8000 feet.
Spinus pinus. Pine Finch. — Common in the Pecos Mountains.
Passer domesticus. English Sparrow. — Dr. Mitchell states that at
Las Vegas "the House Finch takes the place of the English Sparrow,
which is conspicuously absent," but in its rapid movement westward the
sparrow has now thoroughly established itself in New Mexico, and was
found by us not only on the line of the railroad at Santa Rosa, San
Miguel, and Las Vegas, but at the remote Mexican adobe towns of Sapello
and Taos.
Coturniculus bairdii. Baird Sparrow. — One taken September 2 in
the tall grass bordering a pond on the plains, twelve miles north of Las
Vegas.
Spizella pallida. Clay-colored Sparrow. — Common the last of
August in the fields north of Las Vegas.
Spizella breweri. Brewer Sparrow. — Flocks were seen the last of
August in the fields and along the fences north of Las Vegas.
Amphispiza bilineata deserticola. Desert Sparrow. — Seen June 24
in the southern part of the county as far up as Rio Concha. Seen July 7
at Santa Fe. These records help fill out the borderline of the range of
the species.
Peucaea cassini. Cassin Sparrow. — Seen June 28 singing in the
mesquite near Cabra Spring, in the south central part of the county.
Aimophila ruficeps scottii. Scott Sparrow. — One was taken June
25 in the Upper Sonoran zone at about 6000 feet, on the side of Mesa del
Agua de la Yegua. This is a northward extension of range from western
Texas.
44-8 Bailey, Summer Birds of San Miguel County, N. M. lOct
Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. — Common June 25
in the scrub live oak and pines on the top of Mesa del Agua de la Yegua,
and also in the juniper belt west of Pecos.
Guiraca caerulea lazula. Western Blue Grosbeak. — Seen July 2
and 11, and August 26, in the junipers between Ribera and Glorieta.
Calamospiza melanocorys. Lark Bunting. — A male was seen June
24 on the plains between Lopazville and Cabra Springs in the central
part of the county. If this was a breeding record it would extend the
breeding range southward from Colorado. From August 29 to September
1, a mile north of Las Vegas, small flocks were frequently seen passing
over, and numbers were flushed from the fences.
Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. — Found in the yellow
pines in the Pecos Mountains and their foothills in the breeding season,
and one was found at the foot of Bernal Mesa on August 27.
Piranga hepatica. Hepatic Tanager. — Found in the yellow pines
of mesa tops — on June 25, a pair on Mesa del Agua de la Yegua, and
August 27, two males and two or three females on Bernal Mesa. The
Mesa del Agua record is a slight extension of range.
Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow. — Seen frequently about Mex-
ican adobes. One was found June 29 nesting under the eaves of a house
at Gallinas Springs.
Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides. White-rumped Shrike. — A
shrike was seen on June 20 at its nest in a forestiera tree by the Rio
Concha in the central part of the county. On September 1, two were
seen on telegraph poles a few miles north of Las Vegas.
Vireo gilvus swainsoni. Western Warbling Vireo. — Found breed-
ing in the Pecos Mountains.
Helminthophila celata. Orange-crowned Warbler. — Taken in the
Pecos Mountains in Jul}'.
Helminthophila celata lutescens. Lutescent Warbler. — Taken in
the Pecos Mountains in August.
Dendroica nigrescens. Black-throated Gray Warbler. — One
taken three miles south of Pecos, July 3, when singing among the nut
pines and junipers.
Geothlypis tolmiei. Macgillivray Warbler. — Taken in the Pecos
Mountains July 15.
Icteria virens longicauda. Long-tailed Chat. — Seen June 30 to July
2 in the Pecos bottoms from La Cuesta to Ribera.
Wilsonia pusilla pileolata. Pileolated Warbler. — Found in the
Pecos Mountains.
Oroscoptes montanus. Sage Thrasher. — Two seen August 27 in
the junipers near Ribera.
Mimus polyglottos leucopterus. Western Mockingbird. — Found in
the Lower Sonoran zone in the south central part of the county. A nest
containing young was found June 26 in a cactus tree {Opuntia arborescens)
along the Concha.
Vol. xxr
1Q04
Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 449
Bseolophus inornatus griseus. Gray Titmouse. — Common in the
juniper and pinon pines of the Upper Sonoran zone.
Parus atricapillus septentrionalis. Long-tailed Chickadee. — Found
in the Pecos Mountains.
Psaltriparus plumbeus. Lead-colored Bush-tit. — Fairly common
in the junipers. On the side of Mesa del Agua de la Yegua it was found
as high as 6500 feet.
A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE BIRDS OF LEON
COUNTY, FLORIDA.
BY R. W. WILLIAMS, JR.
The present list is the result of spare moments devoted to
ornithology since the summer of 1896. I had hoped, ere this, to
present a more complete and satisfactory catalogue of the birds
of my county, but the extensive field has proved too broad for
the limited time I could give to the subject. I intend this as a
basis for future work and publish it now in the hope that it may
be of some value to workers in geographic distribution.
It will be noticed that many species, particularly of the
Mniotiltidae, which occur in the peninsula are not recorded here
and I feel safe in asserting that they do not come to my part of
Florida. They may pass over during migration but continue
their course uninterruptedly to some other portion of the State.
A few ducks which undoubtedly occur have escaped me. Some
of the Limicolge are not recorded, but that they occasionally visit
the county there can be no doubt. I have here recorded only
those species about which there could arise no question ; have
carefully eliminated inferences without strong evidence to support
them, and where necessary have given the authority upon which I
rely. The list has been annotated as briefly as was consistent
with accuracy and a fair presentation of the subject.
A word about the topography and climate was considered
advisable, and though very general, it is hoped will convey an
idea of the country.
A^O Williams, Birds of Leon County, Ma. ["o"^
Leon County is one of the northern tier of counties, bounded
on the north by Georgia. It occupies almost a central position
between the eastern and western extremities of the State.
Tallahassee, the county seat and capital of the State, lies almost
midway between Jacksonville and Pensacola, being 165 miles
west of the former and 210 miles east of the latter. Forty miles
south lies the Gulf of Mexico.
We generally have an abundance of rain at all seasons. A
drought of about a month's duration may occur at any season.
A few sporadic days in winter are apt to be severe, but are
soon followed by springlike, balmy weather.
The northern half of the county is fertile and rolling, everywhere
dotted with sheets of water of varying size, from Lake Jackson,
12 miles long, to the smallest mud holes. Innumerable streams
dissect the county. The lakes and larger ponds provide suitable
haunts for large numbers of water-fowl and their marshes are feed-
ing grounds for several species, notably the Snipe (Gallinagd).
The southern half is flat, sandy, and sterile. Cypress swamps
occur throughout this region, furnishing favorite nesting places
for Herons and Anhingas.
The vegetation is varied. That of the northern half of the
county is rich in variety and luxuriance, presenting some of the
most beautiful scenery in the South.
Oaks of several species, draped with Spanish moss, hickories,
sweet gums, magnolias, and pines of the more attractive sort,
constitute the forest trees, and everywhere interspersed among
these are found the dogwood, sassafras and holly, aside from the
plethora of minor shrubbery. That of the southern half is very
different, the characteristic trees being the ever present pine and
a species of scrub oak we call black-jack, just such vegetation as
one would expect to find in such soil. Everywhere throughout
these great pineries will be found the palmetto in great abundance.
All this interminable monotony is, however, now and then relieved
by the appearance of a small tract of fairly fertile soil, supporting
a vegetation characteristic of the northern part of the county. An
occasional pond is met with, around which will be found clusters
of sweet gums and water oaks. As might be expected from the
foregoing, the greatest abundance of bird life occurs in the north-
ern half of the county.
Vol. XXI
1904
Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. AZ I
At some future time I hope to contribute to ornithological
literature a complete list of the birds of my county, with a detailed
account of the climate and topography. For the present the
foregoing brief notice must suffice.
1. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — Common resident,
retiring to smaller and more secluded ponds in spring, where they remain
throughout the nesting season.
2. Anhinga anhinga. Anhinga. — Rather common summer resident
in suitable localities, nesting in cypress swamps and feeding in the shal-
low ponds in the vicinity. I have found eggs as early as April 13 and
as late as June 16, the latter date indicating disaster to the first set. Have
no record of occurrence in winter, though it is probable that it may be
found sparingly.
3. Lophodytes cucullatus. Hooded Merganser. — Rather common
winter resident, found in the lakes and larger ponds.
4. Anas boschas. Mallard. — Common winter resident, frequenting
the lakes and larger ponds, occasionally met with in smaller bodies of
water.
5. Mareca americana. Baldpate. — Winter resident, occurring only
in small numbers and chiefly confined to the larger lakes.
6. Nettion carolinensis. Green-winged Teal. — Common winter
resident.
7. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — Common winter
resident.
8. Spatula clypeata. Shoveller. — Winter resident, in limited num-
bers.
9. Dafila acuta. Pintail. — Winter resident of more or less abun-
dance.
10. Aix sponsa. Wood Duck. — Resident, but not abundant.
11. Aythya marila. American Scaup Duck. — Common winter resi-
dent, found in company with affinis and collar is.
12. Aythya affinis. Lesser Scaup Duck. — Common winter resident.
One of the most abundant of all ducks.
13. Aythya collaris. Ring-necked Duck. — Common winter resi-
dent. The most abundant of the Anatidse.
14. Harelda hyemalis. Old-squaw. — Rare winter resident. I have
one specimen.
15. Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. — Rare winter visitant.
16. Tantalus loculator. Wood Ibis. — A summer resident of more or
less abundance, frequenting the shores of lakes and ponds. I have no
doubt that their nests may be found in some of the remote cypress
swamps of the county. They are gregarious.
17. Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. — Fairly common
winter resident, frequenting the grassy shores and shallow pools of the
larger lakes, sometimes found in the vicinity of the smaller ponds.
45 2 Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. [~^uk
18. Ardetta exilis. Least Bittern. Formerly quite abundant in
spring and summer, nesting in bushes and weeds in and around small
ponds. From some unaccountable cause they have almost entirely dis-
appeared from the county.
19. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — Rather a common resi-
dent, nesting in the cypress swamps. Very wary at all times. I have
been unable to determine the status of this heron, as I have failed to take
a specimen. It is possible that it should be referred to the subspecies
wardi.
20. Herodias egretta. American Egret. — Rare summer resident. I
found a nest and young on April 24, 1901, in a small cypress swamp
three miles west of Tallahassee.
21. Egretta candidissima. Snowy Heron. — Common summer resi-
dent, nesting in the cypress swamps in conjunction with F. cceridea.
22. Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis. Louisiana Heron. — Summer res-
ident of more or less abundance. Occurs in large numbers on the Gulf
coast of the county just south of us.
23. Florida casrulea. Little Blue Heron. — Common summer resi-
dent, arriving in the last of February. Becomes common about March
15. Nests in cypress swamps. I have seen no less than one hundred
nests in a single group of small cypress trees.
24. Butorides virescens. Green Heron. — Common summer resi-
dent, nesting in almost any locality where a supply of water may be
found. Very solitary in its habits.
25. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned Night Heron.
— Summer resident. Nests in cypress swamps, often in the rookeries of
Little Blue and Snowy Herons, but usually in higher situations. Have
found eggs about to hatch on April 13 (1895).
26. Rallus elegans. King Rail. — Rather common resident, more
often heard than seen. It nests in the tangled masses of aquatic vegeta-
tion.
27. Rallus virginianus. Virginia Rail. — An uncommon winter
resident.
28. Porzana Carolina. Sora. — Rather common winter resident; dif-
ficult to flush from its haunts of tangled weeds in the marshes of the
lakes and ponds.
29. Ionornis martinica. Purple Gallinule. — Common resident.
Nests in the smaller grassy ponds and bayous of the large lakes.
30. Gallinula galeata. Florida Gallinule. — Common resident.
Nests in same localities as the preceding.
31. Fulica americana. American Coot. — Common winter resident.
Occurs in enormous numbers on Lakes Jackson andlamonia. They are
shot by the negroes for food.
32. Philohela minor. American Woodcock. — Occurs throughout the
year in limited numbers. Flushed one in a thicket on the marsh. August
30, 190 1.
Vol. XXI j Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. zj.53
33. Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe. — Common winter resident,
frequenting almost any marshy locality. Occurs in great abundance on
the marshes of our lakes and larger ponds during the spring migration.
I have even found them feeding on the hillsides in very wet weather.
Large numbers are annually shot by hunters. Gallinago is easy prey in
the south where their flight is less erratic and not so swift as I am
informed that it is in the north. A friend of mine killed sixty odd in a
single day's shooting on Lake Jackson a few winters ago. They are less
abundant than formerly. They leave the State about April 15, and I have
an arrival record of October 3 (1901).
34. Helodromas solitarius. Solitary Sandpiper. — Occurs spar-
ingly in the early spring, frequenting marshy land wherever it may be
found. Shot one and saw a few others on March 25, 1901.
35. Bartramia longicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. — An occasional
winter visitor in very wet weather ; usually occurs in the spring. Shot
one and saw about five others on March 25, 1901. They are extremely
wary and difficult to approach.
36. Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. — Very common winter and early
spring resident, occurring sparingly throughout the year. Indifferent in
its tastes for locality, for you are as likely to find it on high and dry lands
as on the marshes. It is very active during the hours of darkness.
Forms an object of sport for the younger nimrods. I have one record of
its nesting in the county. A set of four eggs was taken several years
ago by a friend.
37. Colinus virginianus. Bob-white. — Common resident. Our birds
approach more nearly the common form, but are considerably darker,
especially in the region of the head. It is quite probable that Jioridanus
may be found in the southern part of the county. Some of the finest
' quail ' shooting in this country is still to be had in Leon County.
38. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. Wild Turkey. — Resident; form-
erly common, now restricted to wilder portions of the county.
39. Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — Common resident.
Much more abundant in winter. Nests usually in pines. Large numbers
are annually killed for sport and food. Its flesh is held in high estimation.
40. Columbigallina passerina terrestris. Ground Dove. — Resident.
Formerly abundant at all times, now, from some unaccountable reason,
exceedingly rare at any time. Its total disappearance for the space of
twelve months in very recent years is one of the mysteries of Leon County
ornithology. Latterly it has returned in very limited numbers.
41. Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — Common resident. Fre-
quents the city in larger numbers than Catharista and is more nearly
domesticated. It performs valuable sanitary functions, ridding our yards
and streets of much offal and excrementitious substances. It is exempt
from even the recklessness of boys and enjoys immunity from danger
everywhere. Though as common as the following species, its nests are
seldom found.
454 Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. ["oct*
42. Catharista urubu. Black Vulture. — Common resident. Of
retiring habits during the nesting season, which begins as early as Feb-
ruary 20. Less frequently seen in the city than Cathartes, though it will
be found in large numbers during winter, roosting in the tall moribund
red oaks so abundant in Tallahassee. It is impossible for one to divest
himself of the gloomy effect such a sight produces upon his senses. The
sable pall stands out in bold relief against the clear, moonlit sky and the
assemblage seems one of chief mourners at some august funeral. It is
likewise exempt from the devastating hand of man.
43. Elanoides forficatus. Swallow-tailed Kite. — Of occasional
occurrence in the spring, either singly or in flocks. I have no record of
its nesting.
44. Ictinia mississippiensis. Mississippi Kite. — Of irregular occur-
rence in spring. Never present, so far as I am able to determine, except
in 'flights,' lasting usually only long enough to accomplish a leisurely
journey across the county. While so travelling they are invariably
engaged in most graceful and complex evolutions. Notwithstanding
the assertion that they occur only in flights of short duration in spring,
I feel obliged to refer to a single egg sent a few years since to the National
Museum for identification and pronounced to be the egg of an Ictinia.
I have not seen the egg recently. It was found in a nest, about 30 feet
up in a pine, near a public highway, by my friend Gilman J. Winthrop,
and is now in our joint collection at his home in Tallahassee. This
establishes a nesting record for the species in Leon County, but it is cer-
tain that the bird is a very infrequent summer resident.
45. Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. — Rather common winter resi-
dent, usually seen flying over old well-weeded fields in pursuit of its
humble prey.
46. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Resident. I have no
nesting records.
47. Accipiter cooperii. Cooper's Hawk. — Common resident. Nests
usually placed in a pine. Very troublesome around the poultry yard.
48. Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Hawk. — Common resident.
49. Buteo lineatus alleni. Florida Red-shouldered Hawk. — Com-
mon resident. Have been unable to determine its exact status.
50. Buteo platypterus. Broad-winged Hawk. — Common resident.
Fresh eggs are found about May 1.
51. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — Resident in limited
numbers. One set of two eggs was taken December 22, 1896, by my
friend Winthrop.
52. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. — Rare migrant, so far as
known. Have taken one, October 12, 1901.
53. Falco sparverius. American Sparrow Hawk. — Common resi-
dent.
54. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. American Osprey. — Found spar-
ingly throughout the year. One nested on an island in Lake Iamonia a
few years since.
Vol. XXI
1904
Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 4SS
55. Strix pratincola. American Barn Owl. — Rather common resi-
dent, nesting as early as December 10 (1901). I have found nests in the
large red oaks within the city limits.
56. Syrnium varium alleni. Florida Barred Owl. — Resident, in
some abundance.
57. Megascops asio floridanus. Florida Screech Owl. — Common
resident. Begins nidification by April 1.
58. Bubo virginianus. Great Horned Owl. — Rather common resi-
dent.
59. Coccyzus americanus. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. — Common sum-
mer resident, nesting in diverse situations. Is fond of trees along pub-
lic highways for nesting sites. Fresh eggs have been taken on August
11 (1900). I have a set of six eggs.
60. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Black-billed Cuckoo. — Occurs
sparingly in summer. One record of its nesting.
61. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. — Rather common summer
resident and occurs sparingly in winter.
62. Campephilus principalis. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. — Form-
erly a fairly common resident, now restricted to dense forests and cypress
swamps, if it occurs at all. A few have been killed in the last 15 years
and one of our citizens wore a pair of mandibles as a watch-charm, taken
from a bird he shot about seven years ago.
63. Dryobates villosus audubonii. Southern Hairy Woodpecker.
— Rare resident.
64. Dryobates pubescens. Downy Woodpecker. — Common resi-
dent.
65. Sphyrapicus varius. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. — Rather com-
mon-winter resident.
66. Ceophlceus pileatus. Pileated Woodpecker. — Resident ; con-
fined to the larger tracts of woodland. More common in southern part of
the county.
67. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker. — Com-
mon summer, and less abundant winter, resident. The commonest wood-
pecker in the county. Found usually in the forests of decaying pines so
abundant throughout the county.
68. Centurus carolinus. Red-bellied Woodpecker. — Common resi-
dent. Shows a preference for dead portions of living trees for nesting
site.
69. Colaptes auratus. Flicker. — Common resident. Not so much
sought after as an article of food as formerly.
70. Antrostomus carolinensis. Chuck-wills-widow. — Common sum-
mer resident, arriving about April 1 ; occasionally seen in winter, but not
of constant occurrence. My friend Winthrop saw one December 28,
1903.
71. Antrostomus vociferus. Whip-poor-will. — Rare at any season.
The onlv authentic record of its occurrence, if indeed it is a valid record,
456
Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. Loct
rests upon a set of eggs taken several years ago by one of the numerous
juvenile egg collectors in Tallahassee. I saw the eggs then and com-
mented upon their very small size and expressed the belief that they
could not be those of carolinensis. I am confirmed in my conviction that
the set was one of this species. I have never seen the bird nor heard its
notes.
72. Chordeiles virginianus. Nighthawk. — Common summer resi-
dent, though its nest is not frequently found. I have never taken its
eggs. During the spring it is retiring and seldom seen, but later in the
season it begins to emerge from its seclusion and in large numbers scours
the air from 5 o'clock till after nightfall. Often seen early in the morn-
ing by those of more energetic habits than the writer. This bird fur-
nishes sport for those persons devoted to the gun and enormous numbers
have been slaughtered annually for years past. While they are primarily
shot for ' sport, ' their flesh is held in high regard, and I can testify to
their delightful flavor while I deprecate the sacrifice. As would be ex-
pected, they have greatly decreased in numbers in the last five years.
Public sentiment has not yet stamped its disapproval on this worse than
useless destruction.
73. Chaetura pelagica. Chimney Swift. — Common summer resident.
Arrives about March 28. Records for arrival for three years are : 1901,
March 26; 1902, March 27 ; 1903, March 28. They remain long after the
bulk of summer residents have gone. Of late years they have suffered
reverses in procuring available nesting sites on account of their own bad
manners. I have known of some costly carpets almost wholly ruined by
them. After the nesting season they collect in enormous numbers every
evening, circle over and dive into certain attractive chimneys, loosen the
soot in their fluttering and precipitate the black matter into the room
below. The result is apparent. This has necessitated the resort to wire
netting over the tops of most of our chimneys and the birds must soon
return to their ancient custom of nesting in old trees or abandon our
county. I deprecate the day when such a cheerful little visitor must
avaunt.
74. Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. — A sum-
mer resident, very retiring during the nesting time. Have only one
record of its nest and eggs.
75. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Common summer resident,
arriving about April 1 ; gregarious during late summer and very silent.
Records of arrival for four years are : 1900, March 27 ; 1901, March 25 ;
1902, March 30; 1903, April 3.
76. Myiarchus crinitus. Crested Flycatcher. — Common summer
resident, arriving about April 1. Records of arrival for three years are:
1901, March 31 ; 1902. March 30; 1903, April 4.
77. Sayornis phcebe. Phcebe. — Common winter resident. Found
them common October 11, 1901, and they were still present March 25,
1902. Never occurs in summer.
V°]q^XI] Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 4 c 7
78. Contopus virens. Wood Pewee. — Migrant. Never abundant.
Took one in my yard September 4, 1901.
79. Empidonax flaviventris. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. — Rare
migrant in fall. Collected one October 11, 1901.
80. Empidonax traillii alnorum. Alder Flycatcher. — Rare migrant.
Collected one August 6, 1900.
81. Pyrocephalus rubineus mexicanus. Vermilion Flycatcher. —
On March 25, 1901,1 shot an adult J", three miles east of Tallahassee.
The bird was in excellent condition and seemed perfectly at home on
smaller bushes and a wire fence around Lake Lafayette. The specimen
is now in the Smithsonian Institution collection of birds. For notice of
the capture see Auk, XVIII, 273.
82. Cyanocitta cristata florincola. Florida Blue Jay. — Very common
resident; begins nesting by April 1 and continues till late in August.
83. Corvus brachyrhynchos. American Crow. — Common resident.
84. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. — Migrant. Very erratic,
occurring at irregular intervals during spring. Sometimes lingers sev-
eral days to feed on the oats and millet. When present they are very
numerous.
85. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — Exists now in vivid recollection only.
The bird was common in Leon County up to 1893, smce which time I
have never seen a single specimen, although I have made every effort to
find it. Its disappearance is one of the mysteries of ornithology and a
parallel case to the "Disappearance of the Dickcissel from the District of
Columbia."
86. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — Common resi-
dent, more numerous in summer. Highly gregarious in winter, feeding
in the tall weeds of old cornfields. The male assumes the plumage of the
female at this season.
87. Sturnella magna. Meadowlark. — Common resident. Very
retiring in the nesting season.
88. Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. — Common summer resident.
Record first arrival, a male, of 1902 on March 23. Begins to nest very
soon after arrival. Pear groves are favorite nesting places for them. I
have seen many nests in a radius of three acres. They are very fond of
the long, pendant clusters of Spanish moss hanging in such graceful
festoons from our large water and live oaks for nesting sites. Before
they leave in late summer or early fall they become very retiring and
quiet.
89. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — A rare migrant. I shot
one, a female, in our yard on March 3, 1902.
90. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty Blackbird. — Migrant in spring.
Occasionally seen following the ploughmen, gleaning what food it can
from the newly turned soil.
91. Quiscalus quiscula aglseus. Florida Grackle. — Common sum-
mer resident, arriving in February.
45»
Williams, Birds of Leon Cou?ity, Fla. fort*
92. Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. — Common winter
resident, the male arriving in and retaining the plumage of the female.
93. Pocecetes gramineus. Vesper Sparrow. — Common winter resi-
dent. It is the most abundant sparrow with us, likely to be seen in any
locality, but its favorite haunts are the old cotton fields. On January 22,
1902, I shot an albino specimen. This bird was entirely white. They
were still with us on April 13, 1902.
94. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. Savanna Sparrow. — Of
infrequent winter occurrence. I have only one record.
95. Coturniculus savannarum passerinus. Grasshopper Sparrow.
— Common winter resident; remains in small numbers late in spring.
One record as late as April 27 (1902).
96. Zonotrichia albicollis. White-throated Sparrow. — Very com-
mon winter resident. A dooryard bird of fascinating demeanor and
confiding habits. They congregate in large flocks in April, preparatory
to leaving. The latest record of their presence is May 3 (1903), when I
saw two.
97. Spizella socialis. Chipping Sparrow. — Common winter resi-
dent.
98. Spizella pusilla. Field Sparrow. — Common winter resident.
99. Peucsea aestivalis bachmanii. Bachman's Sparrow. — Common
winter resident. Usually flushed close to one's foot, from dense broom-
sedge undergrowth in pine thickets. As soon as flushed it flies to the
higher branches and sits there in a rigid posture with an expression of
terrified emotions. It is rather a solitary bird.
100. Melospiza cinerea melodia. Song Sparrow. — Winter resident,
of less abundance than several other sparrows. It does not sing with us.
101. Melospiza georgiana. Swamp Sparrow. — Common winter resi-
dent, remaining, sometimes, late in spring. It frequents high broom-
sedge fields as readily as it does the weedy marsh.
102. Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Towhee. — Resident. Common in
winter, not nearly so abundant in summer.
103. Pipilo erythrophthalmus alleni. White-eyed Towhee. — Not so
abundant as the preceding. Do not believe it occurs in summer.
104. Cardinalis cardinalis. Cardinal. — Common resident.
105. Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. — Of very
infrequent occurrence. Recorded once by my friend Winthrop. I have
never seen it.
106. Guiraca cserulea. Blue Grosbeak. — Summer resident, but not
abundant. The only nest I have ever seen was on June 14, 1903. It con-
tained four half-grown young.
107. Cyanospiza cyanea. Indigo Bunting. — Migrant. Passes through
the county irregularly in spring. Never abundant.
108. Cyanospiza ciris. Painted Bunting. — The appearance of this
bird in Tallahassee in the latter part of April, 1901, is very little less
remarkable than the disappearance of the Cowbird about 1893. So far as
Vol. xxr
1904
Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 4S9
I have observed or learned, the bird has made its appearance in my
county but once. On the 23rd of April, 1901, I was summoned to the
home of a lady friend to identify for her certain little birds which had
lately made her back yard a temporary home. Arriving there late in the
evening I found a number of these birds quietly feeding in the grass of
her lawn. Though I had not before seen the species, it was no difficult
task to identify them. She said they had been there for four days. I did
not find them elsewhere, and they disappeared in a few days as mysteri-
ously as they had come. I was told by reliable citizens of Apalachicola
that the birds were such a pest there at this time that the people of the
city were obliged, in their opinion, to protect their gardens by resort to
the gun. I can account for this unusual occurrence of the bird in
northern Florida upon one hypothesis only. Just at this time a fearful
storm raged on the Gulf coast just to the south of Tallahassee. Many
vessels were wrecked, and houses destroyed in one of the seacoast towns.
Much of the wind and some of the rain reached my county. This may
have driven the birds inland during their migration.
109. Piranga erythromelas. Scarlet Tanager. — I have but one
record of its occurrence in the county.
no. Piranga rubra. Summer Tanager. — A common summer resi-
dent ; nests abundantly. Arrives about March 30. After the nesting sea-
son and before leaving in the fall they become very recluse.
in. Progne subis. Purple Martin. — Common summer resident,
arriving in some numbers by February 15. Records for arrival for three
years: 1901, Feb. 20, 2 males; 1902, Feb. 14, 3, 2 males, 1 female; 1903,
Feb. 8, 2. Those that come first remain. They are well established in
their summer quarters by the middle of March. I always erect for them
a house in our backyard and one of the pleasantest features of the long
summer is the cheerful note of this bird. They begin to quit their nest-
ing places about the middle of June, when they betake themselves and
their young to the topmost branches of the tallest oaks, there to remain
till the young are able to shift for themselves. They leave the county
about the middle of July, but occasionally large flocks may be seen pass-
ing over till the middle of September. My latest record is September 27
(1901).
112. Iridoprocne bicolor. Tree Swallow. — Migrant, occurring at
irregular intervals, remaining only a few days. My records are : 1900,
April 29 and May 5 ; 1902, March 30; 1903, March 26.
113. Riparia riparia. Bank Swallow. — So far as I can learn it is a
migrant only, visiting the county in spring and late summer. I have
seen it in numbers on April 16 (1900) and August 28 (1901). It is said to
nest abundantly at St. Marks.
114. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing. — Common winter resi-
dent, prolonging its stay late into the spring. Arrives very irregularly,
sometimes in October and again not until a month and a half later. My
earliest record of appearance is October 19 (1901), the latest May 8 (1903).
46
O Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. \Jcft
They feed extensively on the berries of mistletoe, wild olive {Prunus) and
China tree. Sometimes found in company with bluebirds and often
feeds with robins.
115. Lanius ludovicianus. Loggerhead Shrike. — Common resi-
dent.
116. Vireo olivaceus. Red-eyed Vireo. — I cannot regard this bird
as anything else than a rare resident. I have never found its eggs, but
have seen an old nest. It probably passes further south in winter, my
latest record being October 10.
117. Vireo fiavifrons. Yellow-throated Vireo. — Rare migrant;
one record only, October 15, 1900.
118. Vireo noveboracensis. White-eyed Vireo. — Perhaps resident,
though I have no summer record for the county. I found it in Franklin
County, near the Gulf coast, in July and August, 1901. It is not a com-
mon bird in winter.
119. Mniotilta varia. Black and White Warbler. — Winter resi-
dent, but not common. Arrives in August, remains till April. My earli-
est and latest records are August 5 (1896) and March 31 (1901).
120. Protonotaria citrea. Prothonotary Warbler. — Summer resi-
dent, but not common. I have taken two sets of eggs, the last April 29,
1899. In both cases the nest was in a cypress swamp.
121. Helminthophila bachmanii. Bachman's Warbler. — Only one
record. I took this specimen on August 4, 1900.
122. Compsothlypis americana. Parula Warbler. — So far as I
have been able to discover, this is a migrant only. I found it quite
abundant on August 6, 1896, and in March, 1903. I have no records for
any other month, though it is probable that it occurs in September and
April.1
123. Dendroica aestiva. Yellow Warbler. — I believe this is a
migrant only, although I found it rather common in Franklin County
between July 20 and August 1, 1901. It is not resident with us in winter.
124. Dendroica coronata. Myrtle Warbler. — Common winter resi-
dent ; one of the commonest birds we have. Spends much of its time on
the ground ; almost a terrestrial bird in Leon County. It moults before
leaving for the north in spring.
125. Dendroica dominica. Yellow-throated Warbler — Common
summer resident ; nests early. As I have a record for January 3 (1901), it
is probable that the bird is a resident.
120. Dendroica vigorsii. Pine Warbler. — Resident; more abundant
in winter.
127. Dendroica palmarum. Palm Warbler. — Winter resident, spend-
ing most of its time on the ground.
1 Since writing the above I have discovered evidence that quite conclusively
proves that this species nests in the county. I collected two specimens, one
undoubtedly young of the year, on July 23, 1904.
Vol. XXlj Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 46 1
128. Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea. Yellow Palm Warbler. —
Winter resident; rather common; found associated with the preceding.
129. Dendroica discolor. Prairie Warbler. — Migrant. I have no
record except for August. Found it rather common on James Island, in
Franklin County, between July 20 and August 1, 1901.
130. Seiurus aurocapillus. Oven-bird. — Rare migrant. Have seen
but one, March 2, 1902.
131. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Common
resident, nesting around marshes and ponds, retiring to high land in
winter; it is a common hedge-row bird at this season.
132. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — Summer resident;
not common. A few nests have been found.
133. Wilsonia mitrata. Hooded Warbler. — Migrant; never abun-
dant. I have no record of its occurrence between April 13 and July 16,
and no winter record.
134. Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart. — Migrant; lingers
a short time in fall. My earliest record is August 28, 1901, when I saw
two males. Saw another in Franklin County on September 21, 1901.
135. Anthus pensilvanicus. American Pipit. — Probably a winter
resident in small numbers. I have never seen it. It has been taken once
and seen several times by Winthrop.
136. Mimus polyglottos. Mockingbird. — Common resident.
137. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — Winter resident, but not
common. Remains as late in spring as April 27 (1901).
138. Toxostoma rufum. Brown Thrasher. — Common resident.
139. Thryothorus ludovicianus. Carolina Wren. — Common resi-
dent.
140. Thryomanes bewickii. Bewick's Wren. — Rather common win-
ter resident.
141. Troglodytes aedon. House Wren. — Common winter resident.
142. Olbiorchilus hiemalis. Winter Wren. — Winter resident, in
small numbers.
143. Cistothorus stellaris. Short-billed Marsh Wren. — Rather
common winter resident.
144. Certhia familiaris americanus. Brown Creeper. — Have never
seen it. There is one record of its occurrence. This one flew into the
house of a friend and was captured.
145. Sitta pusilla. Brown-headed Nuthatch. — Resident, not com-
mon. Have taken two sets of eggs.
146. Baeolophus bicolor. Tufted Titmouse. — Rather common resi-
dent.
147. Parus carolinensis. Carolina Chickadee. — Common resi-
dent.
148. Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Common win-
ter resident; may pass further south for a brief period.
149. Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — Common winter
resident.
A 62 Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. \ott
150. Polioptila cserulea. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. — Summer resi-
dent.
151. Hylocichla mustelina. Wood Thrush. — Rare migrant in spring.
152. Hylocichla guttata pallasii. Hermit Thrush. — Common win-
ter resident. They seem to be distributed, two or three to each piece of
woodland.
153. Merula migratoria. Robin. — Common winter resident. Feeds
extensively on the berries of China tree, dogwood and olive tree {Prunus).
Large numbers of them are frequently seen feeding on the recently
burned marshes of the large lakes and ponds. The bird's bill has changed
to black before it reaches our borders. They reach northern Florida
about November 1, and are not common till the 20th. By April 15 they
have disappeared. The Legislature has placed them on the game list.
154. Sialia sialis. Bluebird. — Common resident. In the past two
years its numbers have been appreciablj' augmented and it seems now on
the road to recovery from the disastrous winters of 1894 and 1899.
Addenda.
This article was prepared in the spring of 1904 from notes
which I then had with me in Washington. Since its completion I
have returned to my home and in the brief space of a month, in
the midst of other duties, added two species to the list.
155. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — One heard during the
early part of the night of August 5, 1904. Much rain had fallen for sev-
eral days and the streets were running with water. The bird was feeding
in the street in front of our yard. Its characteristic notes could be
plainly heard when it shifted its position from one side of the street to
the other.
156. Seiurus motacilla. Louisiana Water-Thrush. — First record of
the species was made on July 23, 1904, when I saw one and heard another.
io I Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. 463
NESTING HABITS OF THE WOODPECKERS AND
THE VULTURES IN MISSISSIPPI.
BY CHARLES R. STOCKARD.
Observations on the nesting and laying of the Woodpeckers
(Picidae) and the Vultures (Cathartidae) have shown several very
interesting phenomena. The following will be an effort to bring
out the rather peculiar and often unexpected actions on the part
of these birds without any attempt to go into detail or record the
many familiar nesting habits that are well known to all ornitholo-
gists. The notes are taken entirely from my data that were made
while collecting and observing in the field in the east central and
southwest portions of Mississippi.
Ceophloeus pileatus. Pileated Woodpecker. — This bird
has become rare in many parts of Mississippi but is still rather
common in certain portions. During three seasons seventeen
nests were watched in Adams County. In the vicinity where
observations were made every small woods had its pair of these
large woodpeckers. The individuals of this species seemed to
occupy very small feeding areas. Of the seven nests that were
found in 1902 five pairs of the birds were located in their respec-
tive woods during the previous December and January. When-
ever a pair was once seen feeding in a wood during the winter the
same pair could always be found very close to that place. At the
beginning of the nesting season they would invariably make their
burrow in some dead but sound tree near the edge of the brake.
From continued observation it appeared certain that whenever a
pair were found in a small wood during the winter they were sure
to nest there the following spring.
The burrow is very large and requires in most cases about one
month for construction, being commenced in this locality about
the latter part of February. But it was found very difficult to
note the exact length of time consumed in burrowing, as the birds
try so many parts of the same tree before striking one to suit their
taste. The nest tree and other dead trees close at hand were
often scarred from top to bottom. In two cases they began a
nest, then seemed to start one in another place, and then returned
464 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. lot
to the former and completed it. Of course it may be that the first
attempt was a definite site and they only tapped about in other
places to feed. But it is very certain that they did no work on
the nest hole for a space of several days after it had been worked
for two or three days continuously. It was a rather difficult
matter also to decide when the burrow was complete. In some
cases this seemed to be when laying began. Again nests were
found complete, and one could be certain that it was not worked
further, though laying did not begin for an entire week.
The birds were very shy and would usually leave the nest the
moment the tree was rapped with the hand or a stick. The
birds flew completely out of sight into the woods not to appear
again until the intruder was well away from the nest tree. Only
one pair was observed that had their nest in a dead tree which
stood in an open field at least sixty or seventy yards from the
wood. The female in this case flew about the nest tree and lit
once on the upper part and again just over the nest hole while a
person was in the act of climbing the tree. This was by far the
most daring bird seen and, as mentioned above, because of the
isolation of the tree, her burrow was unusually exposed for this
species.
In the spring of [901 my first observations were made in
Adams County. Four pairs were located in February just as
they were selecting nesting sites. It was then expected that they
would continue laying after the first set was removed, as most
other members of the family will do. It was also thought that
some sets would contain five or six eggs, as many writers claim
for this bird. The first nest, a burrow twenty-five feet from the
ground in an old sycamore stump, contained one egg on March
22 ; March 26 it contained three, and on April 1, when the set
was removed, it consisted of four slightly incubated eggs. The
burrow was left undisturbed until May 14, when it was also taken
by being sawed off from above and below the cavity. The bird
had undoubtedly deserted it as soon as she found her eggs gone.
The pair staid in this wood for the remainder of the season but
did not attempt to construct a second burrow.
The next set was taken April 7 and contained only three eggs
that had been incubated about one week. This nest, being rather
Vol. XXI J Sxqckard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. 4-^5
difficult to reach, had not been disturbed previous to this occasion.
Again the burrow was deserted, no second one was constructed,
and the birds remained for the rest of the season in this same
wood where every suitable tree could be watched. Another set
of four eggs was taken on April 8, and the conduct of the birds
was much the same. The fourth, a set of four eggs, was allowed
to hatch, and the parents were as shy after the nest contained
young as they had been before. They would disappear whenever
the nest was visited and would not return until the intruder was
away. When I would leave and conceal myself some distance
away the birds would return within less than two minutes, fly to
the hole, peer in, and finding all safe, would again fly away.
But when the observer after leaving the burrow remained in the
open about thirty yards from the nest tree, at least ten or fifteen
minutes would pass before the birds would come within sight ;
then they would immediately turn and fly back without approach-
ing the nest. They had evidently hidden themselves in the wood
and watched the actions about the nest and came back only when
they felt that danger was past. Later observations showed that
this was an unusually shy pair.
In 1902 seven pairs were found. Four of these seven laid sets
of four eggs each, two pairs gave sets of three each, and one pair
had a set of only two eggs. These are the smallest sets that I
have known from a woodpecker. Five is about the usual number
of eggs for the family in Mississippi. In the seven cases the
nests were all in similar localities, the burrows little different in
size and other particulars, and the nesting habits of the birds
much as those cited above.
Five pairs were located during December, 1902, and January,
1903. Four of these pairs were birds that had been watched in
their respective woods the previous season. They all nested in
the same brakes during the spring of 1903. On March 18 an-
other pair was located in the act of preparing the burrow. These
six nests had four sets of four eggs each, one set of only three
eggs, and one containing five eggs, the only set of five found in
seventeen nests. Four of these sets were hatched. The two
pairs from which the eggs were taken did not lay a second set nor
build another nest, though as usual they remained in the same
wood throughout the season.
A.66 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. |Oct
I was always unable to observe this locality from about the
middle of June until the first of October, but feel sure that these
birds did not construct new nests during the summer. Further,
on careful searches, no additional pileated burrows were to be
seen in the fall, though the birds were still present. As mentioned
above it was noted that the same pair would nest in its wood of
the former year. In four instances, all of which had lost their
eggs the year before, the birds built their new burrows in their
several woods within a distance of about one quarter of a mile
from the previous nest site. These four are the only cases which
were watched with special care. As the birds confine themselves
so closely to a given district, and as each piece of woodland is
more or less distant from another, the birds are rather easy to
keep located. The Flicker, Red-headed, and Red-bellied Wood-
peckers of this vicinity also have the habit of nesting repeatedly
near the same site after it is once chosen.
Centurus carolinus. Red-bellied Woodpecker. — I have
found this woodpecker to be a most interesting bird to observe on
account of its remarkable ability for persistent laying. In the
spring of 1900 a nest of this species was located in a dead Cot-
tonwood tree which stood in an open pasture. The nest was a
burrow fifteen inches deep with a perfectly circular entrance
about forty feet above the ground. A set of five eggs was taken
from it on April 24. The entrance being small it was found
necessary to cut it larger so as to admit my hand. Twenty-three
days later the same nest contained a second set of five eggs,
slightly incubated. The enlarging of the entrance evidently had
had no ill effect except for the fact that the burrow had been
deepened several inches, probably to prevent an extra amount of
light on the floor of the nest. These birds seem to gauge the
depth of their excavations more by the amount of light admitted
than from any instinct to dig a certain distance. For example,
burrows that had their entrance just below a limb or were situated
in shady woods were noticed, as a rule, to be shallower than those
located in exposed fields or on the sunny side of the tree. The
second set mentioned above was taken May 17 and on returning
nine days later, May 26, a third set of five eggs was in the same
nest. The fact that this set followed the second so much closer
Vol. XXI | Sxqckard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. 4^7
than the second did the first may be explained by the fact that no
additional deepening of the burrow had taken place this time, and
the second set had become slightly incubated before it was ob-
served. The third set was removed, and on my return June 2,
only seven days later, the nest contained a fourth set, consisting
of only four eggs. This set was allowed to hatch .and the four
young woodpeckers were seen in the nest on June 24, when they
appeared to be several days old. The nest had then contained
four sets with a total of nineteen eggs within the one season of
1900. It appears certain from the following considerations that
all nineteen eggs were laid by the same female. The nest tree
was rather isolated and there was only one pair of Red-bellied
Woodpeckers to be seen in the immediate vicinity during that
spring. Also I had seen many of these birds nesting for several
years and had not seen one using a second-hand burrow, and feel
sure that if they should select one a nest with its entrance so
mutilated would not be chosen. The most conclusive evidence
is that the eggs of the third set had very much thinner shells than
those of the other two sets, or than normal eggs of this species.
The size and shape of the eggs were about the same in all of
these sets, though it might have been expected that the later eggs
would have been smaller.
On several occasions two sets have been seen from the same
pair during one season, but I have only in the one case followed
it out to the extent recorded above. In Mississippi the second
set was always placed in the same burrow that had contained the
first, though these birds are recorded from different localities by
other observers as digging a new burrow for the second set after
the first eggs had been removed.
Colaptes auratus. Flicker. — It is a well known fact that
Flickers will continue laying for some time if the eggs are repeat-
edly removed from the nest. Thirty-four is the largest number
that I have been able to secure from one bird. This seems insig-
nificant when compared to the string of eggs obtained from a
Flicker by Phillips in 1883 (Auk, IV, p. 346). He succeeded
in making his bird lay seventy-one eggs in seventy-three days by
starting with two and continually removing one, leaving the other
as a k nest egg^
468 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. [net
In 1900 a Flicker's actions under very peculiar conditions were
observed. On April 18 a burrow of a Flicker containing only one
fresh egg was found. The egg was not disturbed. When visit-
ing the nest again on April 28 a flying squirrel was found in
possession. On my arrival the bird was at the entrance of the
burrow peering in at the intruder. It was supposed that the
squirrel was eating the eggs, but on examining the nest it was
found to contain one spoilt egg. The squirrel had then proba-
bly been in possession for the ten days since the nest was ob-
served, so the bird had been unable to enter and lay ; thus only
the one egg was present, and not having been properly cared for
had spoilt. The Flicker must then have remained about her
nest for this length of time, and as soon as the squirrel was re-
moved she again took charge. On visiting the nest May 5, seven
days later, it contained seven fresh eggs and the old one that had
been left. Thus she had laid an egg each day since getting back
to her burrow. The eggs were removed to see if she would con-
tinue laying, but she did not. This was undoubtedly a case of
discontinuous laying unless she had dropped her eggs on the
ground while the squirrel was occupying the nest. It seems
strange that she did not produce the second set, for although she
may have laid every day only seventeen eggs could have been
dropped, which is far short of the Flicker's ability in many cases.
This is the third instance, while watching twenty-eight pairs of
these birds, of a failure to lay a second set in the same nest after
the first had been removed. The Flicker was found, in this sec-
tion, to dig a new burrow each season, and was not seen to use an
old burrow or a natural cavity for nesting. Several pairs were,
however, observed nesting in the roof crevices of attics.
Dryobates pubescens. Downy Woodpecker. — Several
nests of this species were observed, the birds being rather com-
mon in the State. No observations were made on their second
laying, but the nesting sites were found to be very similar. One
or two burrows were seen in almost horizontal branches with
their entrance on the lower side, so that the cavities were practi-
cally parallel to the ground. The earliest complete set was found
April 20, 1900; fresh eggs were not found after May 18.
Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker.
iQo4 J Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. 4&Q
— Many cases were noted of the second set in the same burrow
from this woodpecker when the first eggs of the season had been
removed. Careful observations were not made to find whether
the laying would continue after the second set had been taken.
The Red-head was found to begin laying later in the season
than any other member of the family. May 12, 1901, was the
earliest full set seen, and fresh eggs have been found as late as
June 14. This species was also found to excavate a new nest
each season, and was not seen to take an old burrow, though
many were often to be had in the same tree.
Catharista urubu. Black Vulture. — The Black Vulture
was found depositing her egg in more widely different situations
than any other bird observed. The favorite site was a large hol-
low log, or a tree having a huge hollow base with an opening only
a few feet up, so that the female might be able to jump out of the
nest. Below are the conditions in which this species was found
depositing its eggs :
One pair for three seasons nested in a large hollow sycamore
log that lay across a small stream and served as a ' foot log ' for a
little-used path in a swampy wood. At least three people a day
must have walked over the log as the Vulture sat calmly on her
eggs. After the three years the log was not observed further.
This situation was rather noisy for a bird so retiring in its nesting
habits. March 16, 1901, a set of two eggs was found lying on
the bare ground under a large tree that had been uprooted and
had fallen so that its trunk made an angle of about fifteen degrees
to the earth. The eggs were placed below this trunk, which was
four and one half feet above them, and thus the slanting sun rays
could have fallen upon the spot but for the heavy foliage of the
wood. March 19, 1902, two sets of two eggs each were found on
the naked ground in a dense cane thicket which formed the under-
brush on a thickly wooded slope. Many vultures were evidently
laying here as large numbers of them were in the trees overhead.
But the thicket was so dense that it was next to impossible to get
about to find the eggs.
March 23, 1902, a vulture's nest was seen in a very queer loca-
tion. This was in a cave in the side of a steep clay bank which
bordered a creek. The entrance to the cave was about seven feet
zL70 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. lot
wide, it ran back six feet, and the top was two and one half feet
above the floor. The two eggs lay in the back of this cave. It
was claimed that the place had been occupied by this pair and
their young reared in it for many seasons.
March 29, 1902, a Black Vulture's nest was found situated
about sixty feet up in a huge poplar tree which stood in a cotton
field that had been cleared for five years. In the crotch of this
tree there was a large hollow running down about three feet and
slightly sheltered above by the inclination of one of the limbs that
formed the crotch. The eggs were deposited on the floor of this
hollow. This was the only nest of this species that was observed
more than a few feet from the ground. It is probable that the
birds occupied this tree while it stood in the woods and when the
land was cleared in 1897 the tree, being a large one, was deadened
and left standing and the birds continued to use it as a nesting
site.
I had now seen it well demonstrated that Vultures did use the
same nest season after season even though the eggs were taken
the previous year. But in the years 1901, 1902 and 1903 very
interesting data were obtained relating to this phenomenon.
March 16, 1901, I was directed to a hollow gum tree in which
a Black Vulture was said to have reared its young for several
years. The bird flew from the nest and exposed two eggs, which
were taken and found to be in an advanced state of incubation.
In December, 1901, and January, 1902, the tree was visited and
the hollow was seen to be littered with fresh excrement and pos-
sessed a characteristic odor. It was evident that the birds fre-
quented the place, and probably roosted there. March 8, 1902,
she laid the first egg of the new set. This must have been two or
three weeks later than her first egg of 1901 ; the much colder
winter may have caused the delay. The second egg was laid on
the nth, three days later, and then the set of fresh eggs was taken
from the nest. April 19, thirty-nine days after, on visiting the
nest the vulture flew off and the hollow was found to contain an-
other set of two eggs, which were taken and proved to be incu-
bated about two weeks. This was the only case actually observed
of the Black Vulture's laying a second set in one season. In
December and January of the following winter the tree was visited
V°iqo4X J Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. A>1 \
but appeared deserted ; no excrement or other signs of the birds
were to be seen. Several trips were made to the nest the follow-
ing spring, 1903, but it was unoccupied. In March, 1904, the
nest was found still vacant. From this action it was concluded
that the birds had been rearing a second set each season after the
first had been removed, and so were finally successful and con-
tinued to use the site the following year ; but now when the sec-
ond attempt was thwarted they deserted the nest entirely.
One may be certain that the same female laid the sets of con-
secutive years, as the eggs of one nest are always almost exactly
alike in size, shape and markings ; while the eggs of different
nests show most striking varieties and thus make beautiful series
for color variation.
Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — This species in Misv
sissippi lays much later in the season than the Black Vulture.
Fresh eggs were found on April 25, 1902, and March 21, 1898,
was the earliest set seen. Its nesting sites have, in only the few
cases observed, been found very constant, being confined in three
instances to the hollows of fallen logs, and in two others to the
hollows in large stumps. Only five of its nests were seen and in
four of these the birds nested for consecutive seasons just as the
Black Vulture was found to do. In the southern part of the State
the Black is much commoner than the Turkey Vulture, but in the
east central portion they appear in about equal numbers.
47 2 Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. \jo^
THE BIRDS OF WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH,
LOUISIANA.
BY ANDREW ALLISON.
A faunal or floral list of any locality, based on observations
covering a limited space of time, is, after all, liable only to such
objections as may be urged against anything finite. Nothing is
complete ; therefore I need not apologize at too great length for
the small size of the list given in this article. The ground is suffi-
ciently well covered by the statement that my observations in
West Baton Rouge Parish extended over the period between
November i, 1902, and July 1, 1903; comparing these results
with those obtained under similar conditions at New Orleans,
some differences of interest were easily discernible, and I now
present a synopsis of the notes written during the specified period.
The Parish of West Baton Rouge lies on the right bank of the
Mississippi River, about eighty miles northwest of New Orleans,
in latitude between 300 and 310 north, longitude between 910 and
920 west. The surface is generally perfectly level, and the soil is
largely a black fertile alluvium ; where crevasses have more or
less recently occurred, a covering of silt, commonly known as river
sand, has been deposited ; and where this reaches its maximum
thickness, a slightly rolling character is given to the surface.
The cultivation of sugar-cane has necessitated the clearing of
the forests for some distance back from the river, which, for most
of the length of the parish, runs close to the line of levees. In
some places, however, a flood plain has been formed outside of
the levee, varying in width up to a maximum of three miles ; this
formation is covered with a thick growth of willow {Salix lo?igi-
folici) and cottonwood {Populus deltoides) ; and even where the plain
is but a very few years old, the growth, here of cottonwood, there
of willow, is very thick. In the older parts of the plain, honey
locust {Gleditsia triacanthos), pecan {Hicoria pecaii), deciduous
holly {Ilex decidua), and some other species, are mingled with the
cottonwoods, and the poison ivy {Rhus radicans) clings to almost
every tree. The willows disappear as the ground rises.
It would be tedious and useless to enumerate the herbs that
V°!'*XI] Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 473
make the margins of the fields and ditches more interesting to the
botanist than to the agriculturist ; but of the shrubs and trees
something further should be said. Beginning at the levee, and
going toward the woods, one traverses sugar-cane fields defined
by drainage ditches, along which the common elder {Sambucus
canadensis) is a characteristic shrub, often affording nesting sites
to Red-winged Blackbirds. Tall hedges of Osage orange {Toxylon
pomiferuni) often form the boundary lines between one plantation
and another, and these are rendered at once more impenetrable
to man and more habitable for birds by a growth of blackberry
{Rubu sargutus) and bamboo or cat-brier {Smilax bona-nox et
pseudo china). Everywhere along the highroads and fences are
dense hedges, sometimes of many hundred yards in length, of the
Cherokee rose {Rosa lcevigata)\ there is no plant more charac-
teristic of the lower Louisiana fertile alluvial regions than is this
rose.
There is much undergrowth in many of the small tracts of
woodland encountered before one reaches the primeval swamp
stretching behind all as interminable as the river running before;
this is mainly bamboo, blackberry, switch-cane or cane-reed
{Arundinaria tecta), Ampelopsis cordata, and supple-jack {Berche-
mia scandens) . This last, with the bamboos, also climbs high, as
do the trumpet-flower {Tecoma radicans) and the cross-vine
(Bignonia cnccigerd) . Poison ivy {Rhus radicans) is common
everywhere, and its fruit is an important article of avian diet.
The smaller trees and shrubs are haw {Cratcegus arborescens),
deciduous holly {Ilex decidnd) , and cornel {Cornus stricta) ;
above these rise Cottonwood {Populus deltoides), water oak
{Quercus nigra), sweet gum {Liquidambar styraciflua), honey
locust {Gleditsia triacanthos), sycamore {Platanus Occident a lis),
hackberry {Celtis mississippiensis) , maple {Acer drunimondii), and
ash-leaved maple or box elder {Acer negundo).
In the deep swamp, though this is fringed with a heavy under-
growth, shrubs and vines are hardly present; Spanish moss
{Tillandsia usneoides) hangs abundantly from the trees, of which
the principal species are : ash {Fraxinus lanceolata), water oak
{Quercus nigra), red oak {Quercus rubra), cypress {Taxodium
distichum), and tupelo {Nyssa aquatica).
474 Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. Toct^
Certain parts of the parish, some miles back from the river,
present an abruptly undulating surface ; these regions are drained
by small sluggish streams. The presence of water hickory
{Hicoria aquatica) along these streams, and the local occurrence
of certain dry-ground plants not found in the less well-drained
swamps, such as hackberry, and the various shrubs and vines
making up a heavy undergrowth, give a more or less definite
regional value to the topographical characters.
With this hasty sketch of the parish and its floral characteristics
completed, I shall proceed to the main part of this article — the
annotated list of its birds.
i. Larus atricilla. Laughing Gull.
2. Larus delawarensis. Ring-billed Gull.
To both these species, undoubtedly, belonged the few gulls that passed
up and down the river between Nov. 14, 1902, and March 7, 1903. I was
unable positively to identify these birds in any case, for a gull in mid-
channel of a mighty river is an ambiguous object.
3. Anhinga anhinga. Anhinga. — A not uncommon breeder in certain
localities. Probably resident; but I saw none until March 20, 1903, when
a single male passed over at Lobdell. Early in June I found the species
breeding in the swampy wooded end of a lake on the grounds of the
Louisiana State University, in East Baton Rouge Parish, and also in the
deeper swamps of that vicinity; and later (June 29), I saw a male, evi-
dently of a breeding pair, on a heavily-wooded tract outside of the levee
on the right bank of the river.
4. Aythya collaris. Ring-necked Duck. — The species composing
most of the flocks noted passing southward in November, and those com-
monly seen on the river during the winter. Probably the last of these
were reported to me on March 18, 1903 ; some ducks were reported after
this date, but they were probably teal.
5. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — Like most of the
water birds observed, this species is rather insufficiently authenticated. In
the dusk of Nov. 12, 1902, a flock of small ducks passed me that I referred
to this species. Owing to the fact that it is usually common in migration
in April, I also refer to it a trio reported to me on April 11, 1903. What
ducks may have passed besides these two species is indeterminate.
6. Anser albifrons gambeli. American White-fronted Goose. — A
flock of about fifty, headed toward the north, made a noisy stay of a few
minutes in the fog and rain of March 27, 1903. Their clamor was con-
tinuous ; they settled first in the bare sugar-cane fields, then rose, flew
over the levee, and sat for a few minutes on the water.
7. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — It is hard to trace the
V°!'?XI] Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 475
connection of this heron with this locality; it was present in November,
1902, its habits being noticeably crepuscular and nocturnal, at the ponds
on the batture, as all land lying outside the levee is called. On January
29, 1903, I recorded its return ; but from that date forward I have no
records.
8. Florida caerulea. Little Blue Heron. — The date of arrival of
this species was very late ; I saw none until April 20, 1903, when about
twenty passed up the river. Apparently some heronries are nearLobdell
— the base of my operations — for late in June I found many birds, all
but one in white plumage, a few miles west of that point. They had
probably bred in inaccessible parts of the wide, wooded batture.
9. Butorides virescens. Green Heron. — Locally an uncommon
species. I saw the first birds flying northward at dusk on April 2, 1903 ;
I had thought, however, that I recognized the note in night migration on
March 29. After this I had no proof of its presence in the vicinity until
there came to my ears, on June 23, 1903, the cry of the Green Heron in
the extensive swamps across the river from Lobdell.
10. Nyctanassa violacea. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. — A
common spring migrant after March 22, 1903. According to many
reports there are large heronries of the species not many miles west of
Lobdell, and it is much too common a practice to despoil these heronries
of the ' squabs,' or half-fledged young, to be used as food.
11. Rallus elegans. King Rail. — An individual of this species was
taken alive by a settler in the swamp, and accurately described to me. I
was unable to get the date of the capture. I thought I heard the cry of
another on the night of June 20, 1903.
12. Philohela minor. American Woodcock. — During the winter I
spent in this parish, Woodcock were said to be abundant on the left bank
of the river (East Baton Rouge Parish) and it is safe to record the species
as a winter resident also in West Baton Rouge Parish.
13. Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe. — Uncommon; it was the
first bird — possibly omitting Ardea herodias — to show migrational
activity. Two were seen Feb. 3, 1903, and another on Feb. 15 ; these
were the only records.
14. Actodromas maculata. Pectoral Sandpiper. — A fairly common
spring migrant ; present in some numbers on March 19, 1903, and seen
again on March 22.
15. Actodromas minutilla. Least Sandpiper. — A late spring
migrant ; noted in small numbers from May 12 to May 25, 1903.
The river, falling after its spring rise — of almost unprecedented extent
in the season of 1903 — leaves on the batture a deposit of rich silt, and
these mud-flats are most favorable to the presence of limicoline birds ;
here were seen Least, White-rumped, Semipalmated, and Spotted Sand-
pipers, and Semipalmated and Killdeer Plovers.
16. Actodromas fuscicollis. White-rumped Sandpiper. — A flock of
about fifty appeared in the mud-flats May 14, 1903, and by May 17, the
476
Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. fort*
Loct.
last day of their stay, it had decreased to twenty. The sound of the
feeding flock was remarkably similar to that made by a larger number of
Pipits.
17. Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated Sandpiper. — Appeared May
14, 1903, and was present intermittently until May 28. Not in large num-
bers at any time.
18. Bartramia longicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. — A rather com-
mon spring migrant, preferring here, as everywhere, the fields to the
mud-flats. First seen March 19, 1903 ; last seen May 15.
19. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — This is the only Sand-
piper breeding in this locality, and the last to leave in the fall. The first
arrived March 31, in 1903, and I saw two on Nov. 5, 1902.
20. Squatarola squatarola. Black-bellied Plover. — There seems
no doubt that to this species is referable a plover seen with Killdeers on
Nov. 2, 1902. Its notes also pointed to this conclusion.
21. Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. — A common and most charac-
teristic winter resident; one can hardly get beyond reach of its cries by
day, except by going far back from the river ; and even at night it often
utters querulous, restless notes.
The winter residentsjeft, in 1903, before the middle of March; but the
species undoubtedly breeds not far away, probably to the northeast; for
its presence was reported to me in the late summer, after my departure.
One was present, but did not mix with the other waders, May 14-15,
1903.
22. /Egialitis semipalmata. Semipalmated Plover. — A few present
May 15, 1903, on the mud-flats with the sandpipers.
23. Colinus virginianus. Bob-white. — A common resident.
24. Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — A common resident.
Very gregarious from my arrival on Nov. 1 (and doubtless a month pre-
vious to that date), until February. The first record of the song is
Feb. 21.
25. Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — A very common resident.
26. Catharista urubu. Black Vulture. — Perhaps three times as
abundant as the preceding.
27. Ictinia mississippiensis. Mississippi Kite. — A not uncommon
breeder, arriving late. The date of arrival in 1903 was May 9.
28. Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. — A fairly common winter resi-
dent; last seen Mar. 31, 1903.
[28.1. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — I noted this species
in December, 1897, on the campus of the Louisiana State University, in
East Baton Rouge Parish ; but I have no records from the right bank of
the river.]
29. Accipiter cooperi. Cooper's Hawk. — Probably in some degree
resident; but I noted it only as a rather infrequent winter resident.
30. Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Hawk. — A fairly common winter
resident ; last seen March 17, 1903.
V°!'*XI1 Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 477
31. Buteo borealis harlani. Harlan's Hawk. — I saw this species only
on March 12 and 16, 1903, while on the way to and from New Orleans ;
on these dates it was not uncommon. But from Port Allen, Lobdell, and
the districts west of these points, it was not recorded.
32. Buteo lineatus. Red-shouldered Hawk. — Possibly both this
form and B. I. alleni were present ; certainly B. I. lineatus was. I found
it a common resident, beginning to nest in January.
33. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. American Rough-legged
Hawk. — On two successive days — April 6 and 7, 1903 — I saw at some
distance, beating over the fields, a large, light brown hawk which could
not have been anything but this species.
34. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. — A not uncommon winter
resident.
35. Falco sparverius. American Sparrow Hawk. — A very common
winter resident, subsisting very largely on grasshoppers. I saw more
after March 30, 1903. In common with certain others, this species regards
latitude less than other considerations in its choice of breeding-places ;
in sandy or clayey regions, wooded with conifers (Pinus tceda, P. australis,
et P. cubensis), it remains throughout the year in latitudes lower than that
of this parish.
36. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. American Osprey. — 1 saw a
single one sailing up the river May 15, 1903.
37. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — I saw this species only
once ; this individual I flushed from a grassy ditch in a canefield, on
March 26, 1903. Subsequently I found remains of another.
38. Syrnium varium. Barred Owl. — Writing to Dr. Fisher, of the
Biological Survey, for definite information as to the distribution of Buteo
lineatus alleni and Syrnium varium alleni, I was informed that it was Mr.
Ridgway's opinion that typical specimens could not be found outside of
the Florida peninsula. Therefore I refer the owls of this region to 6\ v.
varium. This species is resident, and rather common in the deep swamp.
The swamps on the left bank of the river being denser, it is more com-
mon there.
39. Megascops asio fioridanus. Florida Screech Owl. — A very
common resident in suitable localities — copses, and thick hedge-rows
containing trees. Very difficult to see, but very often heard.
40. Coccyzus americanus. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. — A common
summer resident ; in 1903 it was very late in arriving in this parish,
though not abnormally so at New Orleans. None were present until May
8, but the next day the species was fairly common.
41. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. — Remarkably uncommon.
None present during the winter, and one on March 28, 1903, and another
on April 5, were the only individuals I saw.
42. Dryobates villosus audubonii. Southern Hairy Woodpecker. —
A common resident.
43. Dryobates pubescens. Downy Woodpecker. — I have recorded
478
Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. foc^
LOct.
this bird as common in only one spot, — a thin wood of willow and Cot-
tonwood, in a recent deposit of silt on the batture, about six miles above
Lobdell.
44. Sphyrapicus varius. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. — A rather
common winter resident ; not observed after March 7, 1903.
45. Ceophlceus pileatus. Pileated Woodpecker. — Fairly common,
and resident, in the deep swamps.
46. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker. — A
common resident in suitable places, such as clearings containing large
dead trees, and groves of large trees near houses.
47. Centurus carolinus. Red-bellied Woodpecker. — Rather com-
mon everywhere in winter ; retiring to the deeper swamps to breed.
48. Colaptes auratus. Flicker. — Common in winter, increasing in
numbers in March. I saw none after March 28, 1903.
49. Antrostomus carolinensis. Chuck-will's-widow. — Doubtless
breeds in the drier parts of the parish ; I observed it at intervals after
April 18, 1903, but saw none later than May 9.
50. Chordeiles virginianus. Nighthawk. — Of this form, undoubtedly,
were the transients observed in late April and early May. I first noted the
species April 22, 1903. After the middle of May very few nighthawks
were observed, though a casual trip showed them to be abundant in East
Baton Rouge Parish early in June. Perhaps these breeding birds were
C. v. ckafimani.
51. Chaetura pelagica. Chimney Swift. — An abundant summer resi-
dent; the first were seen March 26, 1903.
52. Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. — Abundant
as a migrant, and common in summer. The first — a male, as usual —
was observed April 3.
53. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — Common in spring, much less
so in summer. First seen April 4.
54. Myiarchus crinitus. Crested Flycatcher. — A fairly common
summer resident, arriving, in 1903, on April 11. This, like very many of
my other dates, is very late, according to New Orleans standard, which
set the date of arrival at about March 26 (in 1903, March 28).
55. Sayornis phcebe. Phcebe. — A common winter resident; the last
left about the middle of March.
56. Contopus virens. Wood Pewee. — Fairly common as a summer
resident ; the first was noted April 14.
57. Empidonax virescens. Green-crested Flycatcher. — A common
summer resident ; the commonest of all the flycatchers observed. First
observed April 11.
58. Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. — A common resident.
59. Corvus brachyrhynchos. American Crow. — A common summer
resident.
60. Corvus ossifragus. Fish Crow. — Infrequent early in the winter;
common, however, in February, and remaining to breed on the wooded
battures.
Vo1' *XI] Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 479
61. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. — A flock of about fifty was
present from April 30 to May 2, 1903. The males were in almost perfect
plumage, and in fine voice. I shall quote here from my note-book :
"Presently I heard Chink, chink I and the Bobolinks began to rise from
the weeds, a few at a time; they were of both sexes, and the males were
in the beautiful nuptial plumage. . . . Considering the striking character of
their coloration, their concealment was admirable. . . . Evidently they were
feeding on the ripe seeds of Senecio lobatus and Sonchus asper, and the
stomach I examined contained the seeds of Ch&rophyllum tainturierii, I
think, besides fragments of beetles. Suddenly one of the males began to
sing, and soon the concert was glorious."
62. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — A common resident.
63. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — It seems to me
probable that to this form are referable the blackbirds of this parish ; they
are unquestionably larger than breeding birds from the Mississippi coast
and the region about New Orleans. They breed in small colonies among
the shrubbery and thick weeds on the banks of the cane-field ditches.
The species is resident, but a great influx from the southeast began on
January 7, 1903 ; these were mostly transient, however, and the majority
probably passed northward, though doubtless many returned to the coast
marshes to breed. It therefore appears probable that in winter both A. p.
phceniceus and A. p. jloridanus are to be found here.
64. Sturnella magna argutula. Southern Meadowlark. — A com-
mon resident.
65. Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. — The most abundant sum-
mer bird of this region. The adult males began to arrive April 1 — ten
days later than at New Orleans in the same season — and were common
by April 5 ; on April 8 I saw the first females and immature males, and
from this time on the birds were very abundant. On a day in May I
counted thirty-one nests in a single homestead, where nearly all the trees
were recently planted and still small. The song is unfailing all day long,
from five in the morning to six, and sometimes later, in the evening.
66. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — An uncommon summer
resident ; indeed, the only proof I have to offer of its being a breeder
here is furnished by two nests found during the winter. Both of these
were in cottonwoods on the batture ; I knocked down one and satisfied
myself of its identity. This species is of very local distribution in Lou-
isiana in summer, being known to breed, I believe, only in East and West
Feliciana and East and West Baton Rouge Parishes. I noted the first
migrant in 1903 on April 20.
67. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty Blackbird. — Very common in the
late winter, entering largely into the composition of all the motley flocks
of blackbirds. It is late to arrive in the fall ; I saw none before Novem-
ber 17. At New Orleans it is usually very late to leave in spring, but
here I saw none after March.
68. Quiscalus quiscula. Purple Grackle. — More or less typical of
480
Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. for^
LOct.
this form are all the grackles breeding in this locality. Mr. F. M. Chap-
man pronounced this verdict upon a series which I collected for him.
The birds are less frequent in winter ; in their breeding habits they are
gregarious to a considerable extent.
69. Quiscalus quiscula seneus. Bronzed Grackle. — Winter resident,
or at least it is a regular winter visitor. Some of the breeding specimens
closely approach it, but are distinctly referable to the preceding. I took a
typical example on January 24, 1903.
70. Pocecetes gramineus. Vesper Sparrow. — An uncommon winter
resident. The last was seen March 20, 1903.
71. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. Savanna Sparrow. — A
common winter resident, becoming very abundant in spring. By the
middle of April the maximum abundance is reached, and from this time
on for nearly two weeks very many are present, singing often from trees
and fences. After the last of April, as a rule, few are seen ; but in 1903
the species was locally common until May 2, and the last lingered until
May 15.
72. Coturniculus savannarum passerinus. Grasshopper Sparrow.
— Probably an uncommon breeder, though I observed none later than
May 2. The first arrived — or was seen, for this may be a winter resident
also — on April 4.
73. Coturniculus leconteii. Leconte's Sparrow. — I saw no birds
that I could positively identify as this species until April 7, 1903, when I
took one and saw three others ; after this I noted them at intervals until
April 25.
74. Zonotrichia albicollis. White-throated Sparrow. — An abun-
dant winter resident ; last seen April 26.
75. Spizella pusilla. Field Sparrow. — Abundant in East Baton
Rouge Parish, but of singularly restricted distribution in the parish
under consideration. I first heard its song on April 5, 1903 — though it
is doubtless resident — and from that time until the end of my stay I was
always sure of finding it fairly common — but only in the spot where I
first heard it. At no time did I see or hear a single individual four hun-
dred yards from the metropolis of the species, — a cleared pasture grown
up again in bushy young plants of honey-locust and bounded by fields
and hedges.
76. Melospiza georgiana. Swamp Sparrow. — An abundant winter
resident; frequenting mainly thickets and hedge-rows, but spreading also
into the grassy fields, where, in the ditches, according to my note-book,
"These birds behaved most strangely; I could hear them creeping under
the matted grass, squeaking like mice, and often splashing through the
water like little musk-rats." The last were seen May 2, 1903.
77. Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Towhee. — A rather common winter
resident; less common in summer.
78. Cardinalis cardinalis magnirostris. Louisiana Cardinal. — Mr.
Outram Bangs (Proc. N. Eng. Zool. Club, Vol. IV, pp. 5-7) has founded, on
Vol. XXI
1904
1 Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 48 1
the basis of twelve specimens collected by me in West Baton Rouge Par-
ish, the subspecies named above. This is in accordance with the opinion
expressed by Mr. Ridgway (U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. No. 50, Part I, p. 641) :
"The bill is, in fact, decidedly larger in these Louisiana birds than in any
other specimens from the United States east of Arizona, and I have little
doubt that it will eventually become necessary to separate the Louisiana
bird as a different subspecies." The bird is an extremely abundant
resident.
79. Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. — A rare
spring migrant; I saw one feeding on the fruit of the wild mulberry
(Morus rubra) on May 2, 1903.
80. Guiraca cserulea. Blue Grosbeak. — Probably breeds rarely; it
is an uncommon spring migrant, and I saw none before May 2, which
date is abnormally late for its arrival.
81. Cyanospiza cyanea. Indigo Bunting. — An abundant spring
migrant, a much less common breeder. First seen April 14.
82. Cyanospiza ciris. Painted Bunting. — Avery common breeder,
first seen on April 11. The conditions affecting this species and the pre-
ceding are reversed in East Baton Rouge Parish, where the Indigo Bunt-
ing is a much more conspicuous summer bird.
83. Spiza americana. Dickcissel. — A rather common late spring
migrant, first seen April 30. It is uncommon as a breeder, and at least in
the territory between Lobdell and Port Allen, appears to be confined to
the small area occupied by Spizella pusilla.
84. Piranga erythromelas. Scarlet Tanager. — A rather uncommon
spring migrant, present in 1903 from April 25 to May 9.
85. Piranga rubra. Summer Tanager. — A common breeder ; first
seen April 1 1.
86. Progne subis. Purple Martin. — An abundant breeder ; here, as
everywhere in Louisiana and Mississippi, a very early arrival. The first
— "males, as usual — were seen Feb. 17. Young and old began to gather
into summer flocks about May 15.
87. Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow. — Common in spring,
but does not remain to breed. First seen April 4 ; last seen May 27.
88. Iridoprogne bicolor. Tree Swallow. — This species appears not
to be present here in winter, though a trip to New Orleans in late De-
cember revealed its presence there. I saw none here after the first of
December. The first spring migrants appeared on Feb. 27, and the last
left May 2.
89. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Rough-winged Swallow. — A spas-
modically abundant summer resident, always appearing to be in migra-
tion. First seen March 23, and present in rather small numbers until
late in May ; after that it was nearly absent until the middle of June,
when many began to pass westward ; and the majority of those seen after
this were moving westward up the river, in straggling flocks.
90. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing. — Perhaps it would be
48:
Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge. Parish, La. \*\V\'
LJuly
unsafe to say, after one season's observations on this erratic bird, that it
is a very uncommon winter resident. I found it so, however, since I saw
it but once during the winter ; but a few were present March 7, and May
2—9 they were feeding on mulberries.
91. Lanius ludovicianus. Loggerhead Shrike. — A common winter
resident, dwindling almost to rarity in summer.
92. Vireo olivaceus. Red-eyed Vireo. — A common summer resident ;
first seen March 28.
93. Vireo gilvus. Warbling Vireo. — A rather common summer
resident, restricted almost entirely, in its choice of nesting sites, to
groves near dwellings. First observed April 9.
94. Vireo solitarius. Blue-headed Vireo. — Only one record, and
that a somewhat doubtful one ; the record in question was obtained Dec.
6, 1902. It is a regular winter resident near New Orleans.
[94.1. Vireo flavifrons. Yellow-throated Vireo. — Early in June
Mr. H. H. Kopman and I observed this species on two consecutive days
in East Baton Rouge Parish ; on the second occasion we found young
being fed by the parents.]
95. Vireo noveboracensis. White-eyed Vireo. — I did not observe
this species during the winter, though it is almost invariably noted at
least once in each winter at New Orleans. It was first noted March 7, and
proved to be a very common summer resident.
96. Protonotaria citrea. Prothonotary Warbler. — A common
breeder ; first seen April 25.
It is in the movements of the warblers that I find most disparity
between my records for the spring of 1903, and those of Mr. H. H. Kop-
man made at New Orleans in the same season. The species now under
consideration arrived at the latter station nearly a month in advance of
my west Baton Rouge Parish record, and Wilsonia mitrata was common
at New Orleans by March 20, while it did not appear at my station until
April 25! On the other hand, Icteria virens appeared here April 11, two
days earlier than it had ever been recorded at New Orleans! With such
contradictory records as these, and only one season's observations from
this parish to go upon, no satisfactory comparison can be made ; and a
certain amount of emphasis must be laid upon the fact, stated to me by
Mr. W. W. Cooke, of the Biological Survey, that the migrations of war-
blers in the spring of 1903 were remarkably irregular.
97. Helmitheros vermivorus. Worm-eating Warbler. — Seen only
once — April 11. Possibly breeds.
98. Helminthophila bachmanii. Bachman's Warbler. — I have one
record of this rare warbler ; I saw one on May 9, in a thick wood with
rank undergrowth.
99. Helminthophila celata. Orange-crowned Warbler. — An un-
common winter resident ; one taken Jan. 17, 1902, and another seen Jan.
22.
100. Compsothlypis americana ramalinse. Western Parula War-
Voli'?XI] Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 4.83
bler. — A common summer resident; first noted March 7 (at New
Orleans March 11). Undoubtedly C. a. usnea? is often present in migra-
tion, and to distinguish the two forms in recording arrival and departure
dates is almost impossible ; but I am quite sure that a fine male I saw on
March 17 was of the latter form; the large size was very apparent.
101. Dendroica aestiva. Yellow Warbler. — Not common during
the spring of 1903 (first noted at New Orleans April 14, that date being
unusually late) ; I thought often that I heard it, but it eluded me until
May 2. After this I saw it occasionally and finally supposed that May
17 had brought the last. But a singing male on June 16 seems sufficient
evidence that this warbler breeds in the parish, as it is known to do in St.
Tammany Parish (Beyer, Proc. La. Soc. Nat., 1897-99 (reP- 1900) p. 38).
102. Dendroica coronata. Myrtle Warbler. — An abundant winter
resident. The last was seen in the city of Baton Rouge, on the left bank
of the river, on April 19 (April 27, New Orleans).
103. Dendroica virens. Black-throated Green Warbler. — Seen
only once, May 9 (transient at New Orleans, April 26-27).
104. Dendroica discolor. Prairie Warbler. — lam almost positive
that an elusive warbler seen on April 17 was of this species ; behavior
and appearance alike pointed to this conclusion.
105. Seiurus aurocapillus. Oven-bird. — One seen May 9.
106. Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky Warbler. — A common sum-
mer resident. First seen April 11, and common from that date.
107. Geothlypis trichas ignota. Southern Yellow-throat. — Com-
mon and resident.
108. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — An abundant summer
resident; first seen April n. Loquacious to an extent that makes its
presence known wherever it occurs ; this is one of the most characteristic
breeding birds of the region.
109. Wilsonia mitrata. Hooded Warbler. — A common summer
resident, but not nearly so widespread as about New Orleans. First seen
April 25 (common at New Orleans, March 21).
no. Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart. — Only one seen,
April 25 (transient at New Orleans, April 26-27).
in. Anthus pensilvanicus. American Pipit. — A common winter
resident; last seen May 2. It is fond of feeding at the water's edge, and
often covers the levee for many yards with busy flocks.
112. Anthus spragueii. Sprague's Pipit. — I saw three on the batture
at Lobdell, Nov. 3, 1902. It is an uncommon, but not irregular, winter
resident at New Orleans.
113. Mimus polyglottos. Mockingbird. — A very common resident.
I first heard the song on Jan. 17, and singing was general by Feb. 15.
114. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — A fairly common spring
migrant; I noted one, singing a little, on April 25, and some were present
at intervals after this until May n; they fed much on the wild mulber-
ries.
484
Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. l~Ortk
LOct.
115. Toxostoma rufum. Brown Thrasher. — A fairly common win-
ter resident. It possibly breeds, though I saw none after April 13.
116. Thryothorus ludovicianus. Carolina Wren. — A very common
resident.
117. Thryomanes bewickii. Bewick's Wren. — A rather common
winter resident. In February and early March the song is very frequent
and delightful ; I saw none after March 9.
118. Troglodytes aedon. House Wren. — A rather uncommon winter
resident. Last seen April 18.
1 19. Olbiorchilus hiemalis. Winter Wren. — Saw one March 7, 1903.
120. Cistothorus stellaris. Short-billed Marsh Wren. — Winter
resident; an interesting species, frequenting hedge-rows and heavily
grass-clad ditch-banks. In one of the latter situations I took a specimen
as late as May 12.
121. Baeolophus bicolor. Tufted Titmouse. — Not common, notice-
ably less so than at New Orleans. Resident.
122. Parus carolinensis. Carolina Chickadee. — Rather uncommon
in winter, and even less conspicuous in summer.
123. Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned Kinglet. — A common win-
ter resident. Last seen March 7, when it was in song.
124. Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — A common win.
ter resident ; much more persistent than the preceding. The last were
seen April 25.
125. Polioptila caerulea. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. — Resident; not
infrequent in winter, common in summer.
126. Hylocichla mustelina. Wood Thrush. — A fairly common sum-
mer resident ; much less so, however, than in East Baton Rouge Parish.
First noted April 7.
127. Hylocichla fuscescens. Wilson's Thrush. — I found this species
fairly common on May 9, 1903.
128. Hylocichla aliciae. Gray-cheeked Thrush. — Common on May 9.
[128.1. Hylocichla guttata pallasii. Hermit Thrush. — I am not cer-
tain thaj my records of this species are authentic; I wrote them down
without hesitation ; but as they were based only on the notes — the famil-
iar cluck, — and as I afterwards detected cardinals uttering a similar note,
I must question their validity.]
129. Merula migratoria. American Robin. — Uncommon until March
7, the last day on which I saw the species; on that occasion I "found
myself in the midst of a great flock of perhaps three hundred all ' singing
and murmuring in their feastful mirth,' some on the ground, some in
trees, and all making as much noise as so many blackbirds " (note-book).
130. Sialia sialis. Bluebird. — Resident in the upper (western) parts
of the parish; it appears remarkably local in its distribution, and occurs
near Lobdell only as a transient. Common where it breeds.
V°!9£XI] General Notes. 485
GENERAL NOTES.
Curlew Sandpiper in New Jersey. — On July 29, 1904, a friend shot at
Long Beach, Barnegat Bay, N. J., a strange sandpiper. It was forwarded
to me, but unfortunately, the weather being exceedingly warm, the bird
was spoiled beyond the possibility of skinning when I received it. I
recognized it at once as Erolia ferrtiginea, evidently an adult male in full
plumage. The rufous color of the breast and throat was very deep and
rich. I have never seen any sandpiper, not even of this species, so highly
and beautifully colored. I have the specimen preserved in alcohol. — John
Lewis Childs, Floral Park, N. Y.
Occurrence of the Spotted Sandpiper in Kent, England. — It may be of
interest to readers of 'The Auk' to learn that two examples, a male and a
female, of the Spotted Sandpiper (Totanus macularius), were shot in
Romney Marsh, Kent, on May 5, 1904. I had the pleasure of handling
them in the flesh while they were still in fresh condition. The birds were
exhibited at a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club on May 18,
1904 (cf. J. L. Bonhote, Bull. B. O. C, Vol. XIV, pp. 84, 85.)— W. Ruskin
Butterfield, St. Leonards-on-Sea, England.
Killdeers at Allen's Harbor, R. I. — From August 16, 1904, until Sep-
tember 11, I stayed at Allen's or Quiduessett Harbor, North Kingston,
R. I., five miles east of East Greenwich. There I found in an open closely
cattle-cropped field a flock of about a dozen Killdeers (Oxyechus vociferus).
They inhabited this field where doubtless they bred, making frequent
visits to the salt marshes about the harbor. Mourning Doves were com-
mon with them, visiting the cornfields instead of the marshes. A trust-
worthy farmer tells me that they have bred in the pasture for years
commonly. He has often seen their young. — Reginald Heber Howe,
Jr., Concord, Mass.
Note on the Generic Names Bellona, Orthorhynchus, Chrysolampis,
and Eulampis. — Bellona Mulsant and Verreaux (Mem. Cherb. XII, 1866,
219) is preoccupied by Bellona Reichenbach (Natiirl. Syst. Vogel, '1852,
p. xxx) for a fossil. It may be renamed Microlyssa, with Trochilus
exilis Gmelin as the type. Orthorhy?ichtis Lacepede (Tabl. Oiseaux, i799i
9) which has sometimes been used for the above genus cannot stand, as
no type was specified by the author and the diagnosis is not diagnostic.
Froriep (Dumeril's Analyt. Zool. 1806, 47) gives Trochilus minimus
and mosquitus of Linnaeus under the genus Orthorhynchus and is appar-
ently the first author to include any species under this term, though the
name had previously been used by several authors. If we take Trochilus
minimus Linn, as the type of Brisson's genus Mellisuga it would leave
Trochilus mosquittis Linn, as the type of Orthorhynchus.
486
General Notes. [£jj
Boie (Isis, 1831, 546) gave five species under his genus Chrysolamflis, as
follows : 1. Troch. moschitus Linn., 2. elatus Gm., 3. cyanomelas
Gm., 4. guianensis Gm., 5. carbunculus Gm. Now Nos. 2, 4,
and 5 are synonyms of No. 1, and No. 3 is a synonym of Trochilus
jugalaris Linn., and as it has been shown above that Trochilus moschitus
(or mosquitus) Linn, is the type of Orthorhynchus it leaves Trochilus
jugularis Linn, as the type of Chrysolampis Boie.
Boie (Isis, 1831, 547) gave four species under his genus Eulampis, as
follows : 1. Tr. violaceus Gm., 2. jugularis Linn., 3. auratus
, 4. niger P. Max. Nos. 1 and 3 are synonyms of No. 2, and as
that is already the type of Chrysolampis it leaves Trochilus niger P. Max.
as the type of Eulampis Boie. — J. H. Riley, Washington, D. C.
On the Proper Name of the Tody of Jamaica. — Linnaeus in the 10th
edition of the ' Systema Naturae,' p. 116, named the Jamaican Tody,
[Alcedo] Todus. In the 12th edition of the same work, p. 178. when he
instituted the genus, Todus, he renamed it, [Todus] viridis, the name it
has since gone under, but in view of the above fact it should be known in
the future as Todus todus by those zoologists who regard the 10th edition
of the ' Systema Naturae ' as the starting point of zoological nomencla-
ture.— J. H. Riley, Washington, D. C.
The Bobolink in Colorado. — In his bulletin on Birds of Colorado
Professor Cooke notes five records of the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzi-
vorus) in the State, including eight birds in all, and in his second supple-
ment gives two more records of one bird each. Other records may now
be added. One bird was taken at Boulder about two years ago by Mr. L.
C Bragg, the specimen bearing no date and no record having been made
of it. One was seen by the writer east of Boulder on July 9, 1903. One
was reported on the University campus at Boulder by Dr. J. R. Brackett,.
on Julj' 30, 1903. Ten males and several females were seen by the writer
and Mr. H. F. Watts in marshy ground just east of Boulder on May 24,
1904, and about the same number on May 30 and 31. I was accompanied
on the last trip by Professor C. Juday. I have heard rumors of their
occurrence here before, and am inclined to suspect that they may be
found in a restricted area every year. — Junius Henderson, Boulder,
Colorado.
Henslow's Sparrow in Munroe County, Pa. — While on a walk with
Wm. J. Sewill, between Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, Monroe Co.,.
Pa., May 29 of this year, I heard the note of Henslow's Sparrow (Coturni-
culus hensloivii) and upon investigation at least two pairs were found.
They were in a field, well up on the mountain just above Henryville, act-
ing as usual and uttering their che-ticks from time to time. — William
L. Baily, Philadelphia, Pa.
VOi9?4XI] General Notes. 487
Breeding of the Dickcissel in New Jersey. — On July 3, 1904, while
passing along a country road near Plainfield, New Jersey, I heard an
unfamiliar and very unmusical song coming across the field. It soon
ceased but before I had started on again it suddenly came down from
almost over my head with such distinctness that I guessed the singer's
name and, looking up, saw a Dickcissel {Spiza americana) perched on a
telegraph wire above. After singing for a while, during which I had an
excellent view of him through my glass, he flew back over the field. As
he was evidently at home I decided to make the most of my opportunity,
so spent the greater part of the day there. To my great satisfaction I
soon found that the Dickcissel had a mate. She was shy and most of the
time kept well hidden in the grass. The male sang persistently from
three widely separated perches on as many sides of the field, — the lower
branches of a large black walnut, the top of an apple tree and the tele-
graph wires over the road. The field in which the birds were located was
a grass field of mixed timothy and red-top with considerable red clover in
parts and with a sprinkling of fleabane and black-eyed susans.
On the following day I visited the place with three ornithological
friends. We saw both the old birds and in addition were delighted to
find two young birds, one of which I secured. This specimen is a female
in juvenal plumage with the first feathers of the winter plumage begin-
ning to appear. The wings are not full grown and the tail is less than two-
thirds of the full length. There cannot, of course, be the slightest doubt
that these young birds were bred in this locality. Neither of the parents
were taken, and it is hoped that they will return next year. As I had
passed this field many times in the last few years it is unlikely that any
Dickcissels nested in it before this season.
Mr. S. N. Rhoads allows me to state that he believes a specimen or two
of this species was taken near Philadelphia this spring. As these are the
first records for New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania since 1890, they
evidently indicate a tendency of the Dickcissels to return to their old
haunts. The breeding record is the first for New Jersey or eastern Penn-
sylvania since 1879, although a few pairs doubtless bred as late as 1881.
It is also apparently the first record for the entire Atlantic coast plain
since 1884, when the species is recorded as breeding at Chester, South
Carolina. There is little doubt, however, that the bird observed by Dr. J.
Dwight, Jr., at Kingston, New York, on June 5, 1896, was breeding.
Mr. Rhoads wishes me to state that he has made a careful comparison
of eastern and western Dickcissels without finding the slightest differ-
ence between them. — W. De W. Miller, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New
York City.
Another Nest of Kirtland's Warbler. — On June 15, 1904, I found Den-
droica kirtlandi in full song and breeding in Oscoda County, Northern
Michigan. I took both parents, the nest, and four fresh eggs. The nest
486
General Notes. [£jj
Boie (Isis, 1831, 546) gave five species under his genus Chrysolampis, as
follows : 1. Troch. moschitus Linn., 2. elatus Gm., 3. cyanomelas
Gm., 4. guici7iensis Gm., 5. carbunculus Gm. Now Nos. 2, 4,
and 5 are synonyms of No. 1, and No. 3 is a synonym of Trochilus
jugularis Linn., and as it has been shown above that Trochilus ?noschitus
(or mosquitus) Linn, is the type of Orthorhynchus it leaves Trochilus
jugularis Linn, as the type of Chrysolampis Boie.
Boie (Isis, 1831, 547) gave four species under his genus Eulampis, as
follows: 1. Tr. violaceus Gm., 2. jugularis Linn., 3. auratus
, 4. niger P. Max. Nos. 1 and 3 are synonyms of No. 2, and as
that is already the type of Chrysolampis it leaves Trochilus niger P. Max.
as the type of Eulampis Boie. — J. H. Riley, Washington, D. C.
On the Proper Name of the Tody of Jamaica. — Linnaeus in the 10th
edition of the ' Systema Naturae,' p. 116, named the Jamaican Tody,
[Alcedo] Todus. In the 12th edition of the same work, p. 178. when he
instituted the genus, Todus, he renamed it, \_Todus] viridis, the name it
has since gone under, but in view of the above fact it should be known in
the future as Todus todus by those zoologists who regard the 10th edition
of the ' Systema Naturae ' as the starting point of zoological nomencla-
ture. — J. H. Riley, Washington, D. C.
The Bobolink in Colorado. — In his bulletin on Birds of Colorado
Professor Cooke notes five records of the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzi-
vorus) in the State, including eight birds in all, and in his second supple-
ment gives two more records of one bird each. Other records may now
be added. One bird was taken at Boulder about two years ago by Mr. L.
C. Bragg, the specimen bearing no date and no record having been made
of it. One was seen by the writer east of Boulder on July 9, 1903. One
was reported on the University campus at Boulder by Dr. J. R. Brackett,.
on Jul}' 30, 1903. Ten males and several females were seen by the writer
and Mr. H. F. Watts in marshy ground just east of Boulder on May 24,
1904, and about the same number on May 30 and 31. I was accompanied
on the last trip by Professor C. Juday. I have heard rumors of their
occurrence here before, and am inclined to suspect that they may be
found in a restricted area every year. — Junius Henderson, Boulder,
Colorado.
Henslow's Sparrow in Munroe County, Pa. — While on a walk with
Wm. J. Sewill, between Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, Monroe Co.,
Pa., May 29 of this year, I heard the note of Henslow's Sparrow {Coturni-
culus henslowii) and upon investigation at least two pairs were found.
They were in a field, well up on the mountain just above Henryville, act-
ing as usual and uttering their c^e-//c^5 from time to time. — William
L. Baily, Philadelphia, Pa.
VOiq?XI] General Notes. 487
Breeding of the Dickcissel in New Jersey. — On July 3, 1904, while
passing along a country road near Plainfield, New Jersey, I heard an
unfamiliar and very unmusical song coming across the field. It soon
ceased but before I had started on again it suddenly came down from
almost over my head with such distinctness that I guessed the singer's
name and, looking up, saw a Dickcissel (Spiza americana) perched on a
telegraph wire above. After singing for a while, during which I had an
excellent view of him through my glass, he flew back over the field. As
he was evidently at home I decided to make the most of my opportunity,
so spent the greater part of the day there. To my great satisfaction I
soon found that the Dickcissel had a mate. She was shy and most of the
time kept well hidden in the grass. The male sang persistently from
three widely separated perches on as many sides of the field, — the lower
branches of a large black walnut, the top of an apple tree and the tele-
graph wires over the road. The field in which the birds were located was
a grass field of mixed timothy and red-top with considerable red clover in
parts and with a sprinkling of fleabane and black-eyed susans.
On the following day I visited the place with three ornithological
friends. We saw both the old birds and in addition were delighted to
find two young birds, one of which I secured. This specimen is a female
in juvenal plumage with the first feathers of the winter plumage begin-
ning to appear. The wings are not full grown and the tail is less than two-
thirds of the full length. There cannot, of course, be the slightest doubt
that these young birds were bred in this locality. Neither of the parents
were taken, and it is hoped that they will return next year. As I had
passed this field many times in the last few years it is unlikely that any
Dickcissels nested in it before this season.
Mr. S. N. Rhoads allows me to state that he believes a specimen or two
of this species was taken near Philadelphia this spring. As these are the
first records for New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania since 1890, they
evidently indicate a tendency of the Dickcissels to return to their old
haunts. The breeding record is the first for New Jersey or eastern Penn-
sylvania since 1879, although a few pairs doubtless bred as late as 1881.
It is also apparently the first record for the entire Atlantic coast plain
since 1884, when the species is recorded as breeding at Chester, South
Carolina. There is little doubt, however, that the bird observed by Dr. J.
Dwight, Jr., at Kingston, New York, on June 5, 1896, was breeding.
Mr. Rhoads wishes me to state that he has made a careful comparison
of eastern and western Dickcissels without finding the slightest differ-
ence between them. — W. De W. Miller, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Netv
York City.
Another Nest of Kirtland's Warbler. — On June 15, 1904, I found Den-
droica kirtlandi in full song and breeding in Oscoda County, Northern
Michigan. I took both parents, the nest, and four fresh eggs. The nest
49O General Notes. f*£j*
From an examination of the grapes preserved, as well as from the inves-
tigation of the stomach contents, it was seen that no pulp nor seeds were
taken. The grapes show simple openings made by the thrusts, or larger
rents due to the drying in consequence of the original wounds. No seeds
were disturbed and the pulp had dried down around them in a hard mass.
Thus it is shown that grapes cannot be included in the food of the Cape
May or Tennessee Warblers.
Some of the openings, triangular in shape, have a strip of grape-skin
extending across near the base, showing that the bird thrust its open
beak into the fruit, probably in an effort to quench an impelling thirst.
In the present instance, thirst seems plainly to be the motive for attack.
This might be averted entirely by the presence of a bountiful supply of
water.
In the arbor under observation, which was a small one, scarcely a
grape and not a cluster was missed. The damage, however, was incon-
siderable as the birds did not commence to use their appropriated share
of the crop until the owner had taken all he desired. However, they
might not be thus considerate at all times, but the chances are that in the
majority of cases the injury, on account of the late time at which it is
done, would be very small.
Prof. King found plant-lice and small heteropterous insects in stomachs
of the Tennessee Warbler, and Prof. B. H. Warren reports the food of
the Cape May to be larvae, flies, plant-lice and small beetles.
The results of the investigation of the stomach contents of birds
taken at the time of the observations noted above, follow : Cape May
Warbler (one specimen), 8 Typlocyba comes, an especial pest of the
grape, "an exceedingly abundant and destructive " jassid ; 3 Aphodius
inquinatus and one Carabid, kinds which may be considered neutral eco-
nomically, but, in case of a departure from their ordinary diet, would on
account of vegetarian tendencies become injurious ; 1 Drasterias sp.
(click-beetle), 1 tortoise-beetle, 1 flea-beetle {Haltica chalybea), all
injurious beetles, the last of which is a particular enemy of the grape,
which "appears on the vine in early spring and bores into and scoops
out the unopened buds, sometimes so completely as to kill the vine to the
roots," and later in the season in both larval and adult stages feeds upon
the foliage, and if abundant "leaves little but the larger veins"; 1 Notoxus
sp., a weevil, with all the undesirability characteristic of the creatures
bearing that name ; 2 ants, harmful, if for no other reason than harboring
plant lice; and a vespoidean hymenapteron (wasp) of neutral signifi-
cance.
Tennessee Warbler (one specimen), Tyfihlocyba comes (1) again, and
another jassid or leaf hopper; 6 caterpillars which were doing all in
their power to eat up the leaves remaining on the vines ; 2 Lycosidae
(spiders) ; a bug (Corizus), another weevil, and one parasitic hymenop-
teron.
This last item is the only portion of the food of these two individuals-
V0li9?4XI] General Notes. 49 1
that could have served man better outside of a bird, and it constituted
on^7 5% °f the contents of one stomach, or only one-fortieth or one-
fiftieth of the food of the two. Otherwise the insects eaten were either
neutral or potentially or actually harmful. A great per cent of the whole
was in the last class, and some of the species eaten are tremendously
injurious to grape culture.
The feeding habits of the birds may, from the present knowledge, be
declared practically entirely beneficial. In return it seems not too much
to expect that we should without complaint furnish, for a few days in the
year, the drink to wash the great numbers of our insect enemies down to
their destruction ; and to consider these two little fellows as among the
worthiest as they are among the prettiest of our warbler friends. — W. F.
McAtee, Washington, D. C.
The Raven in Southern New Hampshire, and Other Notes. — On the
afternoon of July 4, 1903, while all the land was dim with fire-cracker
smoke, a solitary Raven, coming who-knows-whence and going who-
knows-whither, wandered over the rocky ridge of Mount Monadnock,
in southwestern New Hampshire. I was sitting outside my camp, mid-
way of the mountain ridge, and several times dimly heard the wanderer's
gruff, inarticulate croak, without recognizing it. In Norway or Sardinia,
where I have known Corvns corax familiarly, this sound would have
been instantly intelligible to me; but here, in the Massachusetts hill
country of southernmost New Hampshire, unvisited by ravens for many
a year, I was slow to grasp its meaning. Two companions were sitting
near me, and I credited them with having facetiously uttered the ribald
grunts. Nor did these companions at once arouse my interest by exclaim-
ing : "See that crow over there ! " I could n't see him without moving,
and sat still. But a peculiar and vaguely familiar heavy 'swishing' of
wings, coupled with the news that the crow was persistently hovering
over our provisions, brought me to my feet to have a look at the bird
myself. Stepping around the cabin I beheld, not a crow, but a big, dingy
raven, heavy-headed, huge-beaked, and deeply emarginate-winged. He
was raspingly beating the air, thirty feet above my outspread provisions
and cooking utensils, and scarcely ten paces from where I stood.
Just so I have seen the European Raven flopping about over our vul-
ture-baiting donkey carcass, in the hot fields of Sardinia, — hour-long,
day after day. The scene was vividly recalled to me by this strayed
carrion-biter of the North American wilderness. He was so strangely
unsuspicious that he not only did not veer off when I appeared around
the corner, but actually let me walk almost directly under him before he
showed symptoms of alarm, and remitted his scrutiny of the victual-
strewn ground. Then he started away to the northward along the moun-
tain ridge, flying rather slowly and laboriously, with but little sailing,
and presently disappeared behind a rocky knoll, on the northwest side of
the mountain.
4C)2 General Notes. \_oS^
Later that same afternoon, at Dublin, near Monadnock's northern base,
ray sister saw some crows persecuting a larger bird, which looked to her
somewhat like a hawk, but was entirely black. Probably this was my
raven again. Where this raven came from no one can say, but it is cer-
tain that he had wandered far, and must wander far again to find country
in which he could feel at home.
Strangely enough, he looked like a young bird, in the almost brownish
dullness and sheenlessness of his plumage. But it is scarcely possible
that he was a bird of the jrear, considering the date — July 4.
Almost every summer I find Yellow-bellied Flycatchers — one pair at
least — breeding in a forest swamp close under the northern base of
Monadnock, at an altitude of about 1400 feet. I found them first about
six years ago, and my most recent records are 1902 and 1903 (June and
July). This year (1904) I haven't looked for them. The morass in which
they live extends over fifty or more acres, and is atypical north New
England forest bog, wet and cool and mossy; full of sphagnum, pitcher-
plants, creeping snowberry {Chiogenes), etc. The trees, mainly water-
stunted spruces and balsams, are bearded heavily with usnea moss, in
which many Northern Parula Warblers build their nests. All the more
boreal warblers of the region breed here in unusual abundance, and
among them are always one or two pairs of Northern Water-Thrushes.
I believe this is the only positive breeding record for the Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher south of the White Mountains, and it is possible that
the bird does not summer anywhere in the intervening ninety or a hun-
dred miles. Monadnock is to a noteworthy extent a Canadian or semi-
Hudsonian zone ' island.' But there is a narrow ribbon of very similar
country straggling northward from it, as is proved by the distribution
of certain birds. The Olive-backed Thrush, for instance, which nests
commonly in the spruce woods high up on the mountain, occurs also, as
a less common summer resident, at its northern base, and at various fur-
ther points directly northward. The valley-ward extension of this thrush's
breeding range here actually overlaps the upward extension of the Wood
Thrush, though these species are both rare at their line of meeting, and
are probably never to be found actually together, since the Olive-backed
sticks to conifers and the Wood Thrush favors deciduous groves.
Birds representing the Hudsonian and birds representing the Carolin-
ian border of the Transition zone breed at almost the same altitude
within the limits of a single town (Dublin) at the north side of Monad-
nock. For the Hudsonian member we have the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
(perhaps as fair a case as Bicknell's Thrush, which Massachusetts bird
men delight to call Hudsonian), and for the Carolinio-transitional Hens-
low's Sparrow and the Short-billed Marsh Wren. The sparrow is very
rare in Dublin, though common in the lower and more alluvial meadows
eight miles to the northeast (Hancock and Bennington). Mr. Hoffmann
finds it a rare breeder in the Alstead Hills, abovit twenty miles northwest
of Dublin. There also, both he and I have found the Yellow winged
Sparrow breeding.
Vol.XXI-J General Notes. 493
As for the Short-billed Marsh Wrens, I have for two successive sum-
mers (1902 and 1903), found a single pair in a big, marshy brook-meadow
on the eastern side of the Dublin ridge (the western slope of the Peter-
boro valley water-shed). This marsh lies in the upper border of a large
extent of fertile meadow-country, very different from the Canadian belt
north of Monadnock, which includes the Yellow-bellies' swamp ; although
the wrens' breeding place is only about two hundred feet lower than the
flycatchers'. Bitterns are common in the Marsh Wrens' swamp, and one
or two pairs of Black Ducks and thrice as many Wood Ducks still nest
along the stream which feeds it. Owing to the deplorable New Hamp-
shire law which permits the shooting of Wood Ducks and Upland
Plovers after August 1, our scanty remnants of these two much-decimated
species are in yearly danger of annihilation. I speak for the Monadnock
region only. The Upland Plover {Bartramia) still breeds here and there
near Monadnock, both in meadows and in upland pastures, but its num-
bers have been greviously reduced.
Northern Pileated Woodpeckers are tolerably common on and near
Monadnock, and they seem to be increasing rather than falling off. In
1902 my father and I found a Pileated's nest, seventy feet up in a dead
yellow birch stump. The three or four young left the nest about
June 12.
The summer avifauna of the Monadnock region is really unusually
rich for north-central New England. In one early summer season I have
found one hundred and six breeding species on the north side of the
mountain, all but two or three of them within the limits of the town of
Dublin.
The remarkably bitter winter of i903~'04 was fully heralded in New
England by a copious and early influx of northern birds, as everyone
remembers. At Monadnock the warning was exceedingly pronounced.
On October 6, I found a Hudson Bay Titmouse low down on the north
side of the mountain, in a band of Chickadees. The little fellow, who
revealed himself to me by his notes, responded vehemently to my
'squeaking,' and flitted about within a few yards of my head, so that I
had a perfect chance to inspect him.
Pine Grosbeaks appeared on October 18, and were at once abundant,
continuing so throughout the autumn and early winter (I left the region
in December). Snow Buntings appeared on the same day, and large
flocks of Redpoll Linnets arrived a few weeks later. Siskins and both
kinds of Crossbills were also more or less common through the last half
of the autumn.
During a long and heavy northeasterly storm, which ended on October
12 or 13, Dublin Pond was visited by at least eight kinds of sea-birds ;
namely, the three species of Scoters, a Herring Gull, a Phalarope (prob-
ably the Northern, — we did not shoot it), the Red-throated Loon, and
the Horned and Holbcell's Grebes. Of the Black Scoters there came at
least a hundred, mainly in one big flock ; of the White-winged about
494 Recent Literature. ["oct*
twenty ; of the Surf not more than ten, and of the Red-throated Loons
a single pair. The Grebes were in small scattered companies, numbering
in all about twenty Horned and twelve or fifteen Holbcell's, all in dingy
winter plumage. We shot a few of the Holbcell's, and found them to
vary much in size, and in the length and color of the bill, but scarcely at
all in plumage. Both kinds of Grebes lingered on the lake for several
days, after the other refugees had gone. On one morning near the end
of the storm (Oct. 12), all the Ducks and Grebes and the two Divers were
together, — in our little mountain pond-hole barehy more than a mile long.
— Gerald H. Thayer, Monadnock, N. H.
RECENT LITERATURE.
The International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. — The first
annual issue of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, com-
prising the literature of the year 1901, consists of a volume for each of
the seventeen branches of Science into which scientific literature is
divided for the purposes of the Catalogue. These branches are indicated
by the letters A to R, Zoology being branch ' N ' of the series. A copy
of Volume N1 having been officially sent to 'The Auk' for review, we
have endeavored to give it the careful consideration its great importance
demands.
The ' International Catalogue of Scientific Literature ' is an outgrowth
of the well-known ' Catalogue of Scientific Papers ' published by the
Royal Society of London, which in twelve large quarto volumes covers
the period 1 800-1883. A Catalogue covering the period 1884-1900 is now
in preparation, to be issued under the same auspices. These volumes
give only the titles of papers, but a subject index to the first series,
" which will serve as a key to these volumes and also form an independ-
ent record, is in an advanced state of preparation."
The possibility of preparing a complete index of current scientific liter-
ature, to include subject indexes as well as titles of papers, began to be
considered by the Royal Society in the year 1893. As it was apparent
that the resources of the Society were inadequate for such an undertak-
1 International Catalogue | of | Scientific Literature | First Annual Issue
I N I Zoology I — I Published for the International Council | by the | Royal
Society of London | London : | Harrison and Sons, 45, St. Martin's Lane | —
France: Gauthier-Villars, Paris | Germany: Gustav Fischer, Jena | — | Vol.
XVII : 1904 (February) — 8vo, Pt. I, Authors1 Catalogue, pp. xvi + 368 ; Pt.
II, Subject Catalogue, pp. 369-1528.
V0li9?4XI] Recent Literature. 495
ing, international cooperation seemed necessary, and was sought. The
proposition met with such general approval that steps were soon taken to
secure an International Conference of Delegates to be appointed by the
different Governments. Such a Conference was held in London, July
14-17, 1896, and was attended by delegates from twenty-one countries.
The plan adopted provided for the collecting of the material by local
organizations established for the purpose in the various countries, the
final editing and publishing of the Catalogue to be entrusted to a Central
International Bureau, under the direction of an International Council.
It was agreed to establish the Central Bureau in London. Schedules of
classification were later prepared by this International Committee, and
submitted to»a second International Conference held in London October
11-13, 1898. The schedules and principles of classification reported by
the Committee were adopted, and the settlement of final details of the
schedules was referred to a Provisional International Committee. This
Committee met in London August 1-5, 1899. The financial part of the
undertaking was also adjusted, and the Royal Society was "requested to
organize a Central Bureau, and to do all necessary work, so that the
preparation of the Catalogue might be commenced in 1901." A third
International Conference was held in London in June, 1900, and the final
details for the publication of the Catalogue by the Royal Society were
definitely arranged.
The supreme control of the Catalogue is vested in an International
Convention, which is to meet "in London in 1905, in 1910, and every
tenth year afterwards, to reconsider, and, if necessary, to revise the
regulations for carrying out the work of the Catalogue," etc. "The
materials out of which the Catalogue is formed are to be furnished by
Regional Bureaus." These have been established to the number of
thirty. "Each complete annual issue of the Catalogue is to consist of
seventeen volumes, the set to be sold to the public for £18 " ; the price of
individual volumes will vary according to their size, "from about ten to
thirty-nine shillings."
Having thus given a brief history of the inception and progress of the
work, we will proceed to a consideration of Volume N, covering the lit-
erature of Zoology for the year 1901, premising, however, that the depart-
ment of ornithology will be taken as- a criterion of the work. The volume
consists of two parts, which may be bound separately or together, three
title-pages being furnished, and the pagination being continuous. Part
I consists of about 380 pages, of which the Preface (briefly summarized
above) occupies eight (vii-xv), and the explanatory introduction and an
index (repeated in four languages) about 80, followed by an 'Authors'
Catalogue ' of 259 pages (pp. 109-36S). This includes about 6000 titles,
arranged alphabetically by authors. The titles are each followed by
"Registration numbers " in brackets, these varying from one to four or
more, according to the nature of the paper.
Part II, consisting of 1151 pages, contains the 'Subject Catalogue,' a
496
Recent Literature. q"
list of the journals cited, with their abbreviated titles (pp. 1485-1512), and
the ' Topographical Classification,' the latter in four languages (pp. 15 13—
1528). All titles given in Part I are here reprinted, classified according
to subject matter, and alphabetically arranged by authors under each di-
vision. These divisions are grouped under (1) ' Comprehensive Zoology,'
and (2) ' Special Zoology.' Special Zoology is divided into 29 sections,
with the following 8 subdivisions under each section : Comprehensive
and General Works; Structure; Physiology; Development; Ethology;
yEtiology; Geography; Taxonomy and Systematic. Each subdivision
is designated by a four-figure registration number.
The classification here adopted has been the subject of more or less un-
favorable criticism ; the principal objection to it, however, seems to be
that it is different from any of those previously employed, and is there-
fore to this extent inconvenient without any obvious advantage in the
innovations. To some extent the present Catalogue is a duplication of
work already being well done, and the only reason for its existence would
seem to be that it should be more nearly complete and more satisfactorily
arranged than any of those which occupy the same field.
In order to test its completeness reference was first made to a publica-
tion near at hand — the ' Bulletin ' of the American Museum of Natural
History for the year 1901, which resulted in the surprising discovery that
of 22 zoological articles contained in that volume the titles of only 16
appear in the zoological volume of the International Catalogue, more
than one third having been omitted. This is the gravest case of omission
thus far noticed, but a small percentage of omission has been found in
every case where a test has been made, the omissions often including
some of the most important papers in the volumes examined. Only the
general articles of 'The Auk ' are listed, the scores of (often important)
minor articles being omitted, though uniformly entered in the other cur-
rent bibliographies.
Under Aves we find no reference to the journal ' Aquila,' nor is it
listed in the general list of journals at the end of the volume ; titles of
important papers in the leading ornithological journals are often omitted,
while the minor journals are either very imperfectly indexed or wholly
ignored. In the case of authors, of 14 papers by R. B. Sharpe listed in
the Zoological Record only 2 appear fn the International Catalogue ; even
his ' Hand-List of the Genera and Species of Birds,1 of which Vol. Ill
appeared in 1901, is not mentioned. Stark's 'The Birds of South Africa,'
of which Vol. II appeared in 1901, is omitted, as is Ridgway's ' Birds of
North and Middle America,' of which Part I came out in 1901 ; nor is
there any mention of any of Mr. Ridgway's papers for that year. Du-
bois's 'Synopsis Avium,' of which four fasciculi were issued in 1901, is
also absent ; and so on through a long list of works and papers by promi-
nent authors, too numerous to be enumerated here.
Turning to the ' List of New Genera and Species,' it is found that the
same incompleteness is conspicuous ; in the families Fringillidae, Icteridae,
Voli'9^XI] Recent Literature. 497
and Corvidge, for example, one fourth to one third of the new genera, new
species, and new subspecies are omitted, and the titles of the papers in
which they are described are also absent from the general list of titles.
As another test, it is found that under Anatidre there are 39 references in
the Zoological Record and 52 under Anseres (' special ') in Vol. N of the
International Catalogue ; but of these 24 relate to a single work — Finn's
' How to know the Indian Ducks ' — overlooked in making up the Z. R.;
excluding this work leaves the comparison as 39 in Z. R. against 28
in I. C. In the latter a titmouse {Pcecile salicaria bianchi) is included
under Anseres and omitted under Paridas. Further, there are only 3
references in the I. C. under Icteridae against 16 in Z. R., with the con-
sequent omission in the I. C. of 2 new genera and 12 new species and
subspecies.
Turning now to ' Geographical Distribution,' and taking Africa (with
Madagascar) for comparison with the ' Ethiopian Region ' in the Z. R., we
find 16 titles under each, but of these 32 titles 12 of those in the Z. R. are
not in the I. C, and 11 of those in the I. C. are not in the Z. R. under
'Ethiopian Region,' but several of them occur in the Z. R. list of titles.
Several of the I. C. titles are only remotely pertinent to the subject under
which they are ranged. The space occupied by the 16 references under
Africa in the I. C. is nearly a full page ; in the Z. R. only 4 lines, consist-
ing merely of cross-references to the list of titles.
In the section Aves, as in the other sections, the titles of papers relating
to its subject are reprinted from the general list of titles in Part I, and
here segregated in alphabetic order. They are again reprinted in full
under each of the various subheadings of Aves to which they may relate,
necessitating their repetition from three to six or eight times, at great
expenditure of both space and funds. The subdivisions under the section
Aves are very numerous, as follows : —
Comparative and General Works, divided into : General, Treatises,
Economics, Technique, History, Biography, Bibliography, the last three
collectively forming one division.
Structure, divided into : General, Comparative Anatomy, Special Anat-
omy and Histology, Nervous System and Organs of Sense, Osteology,
Alimentary System, Circulatory and Respiratory Organs, Urogenital Sys-
tem, Special External Characters, Organs of Uncertain Nature.
Physiology, divided into : General, Production of Caste, Function of
Special Structures, Metabolism, Physiological Chemistry, Environmental
Effects.
Development, divided into : General, Ogenesis and Ovum, Embryology,
Postembryonic Ontogeny, Changes during Life.
Ethology, divided into : General, Habits, Migration, Hibernation,
Parental Relations, Sexual Relations, Oviposition, Voice, Luminosity,
Pelagic Animals, Instinct, Psychology, Parasitism, Colour and Habits,
Defensive Processes, Resemblances, Utility and Harmfulness.
Variation and ^Etiology, divided into : General, Substantive Varia-
49 8
Recent Literature. fo t
tion, Teratological Variation, Bionomic Variation, Statistical Variation,
Mathematical Variation, Crosses and Hybrids, Evolution.
Geographical Distribution, divided into : General, The Earth as a
Whole, Scandinavia, Russia in Europe, German Empire, Holland, British
Islands, France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Balkan
Peninsula, Mediterranean and Islands, Baltic and Islands, Asia, Asiatic
Russia, China and Dependencies, British India, Malay Peninsula and
Archipelago, Baluchistan, Asiatic Turkey and Arabia, Africa, Mediter-
ranean States, N. E. Africa, The Soudan, West Africa, Congo State and
Angola, East Africa, South Africa, Madagascar, North America, Alaska,
Canadian Dominion West, Canadian Dominion East, United States, N. E.
United States, S. E. United States, W. United States, Central and South
America, Mexico, West Indian Islands, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador,
Peru, Argentina and Uraguay and Paraguay, Australasia, New Guinea and
Islands from Wallace's Line, Australia, Queensland, New South Wales,
Victoria, West Australia, New Zealand, Arctic, Arctic Ocean, Islands
North of Europe and Asia, Atlantic, North Atlantic Ocean, Canaries,
Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde (these four as one division), Pacific, Behr-
ing Sea and Islands, Sandwich Islands, Ladrone, Pelevv, Caroline and
Marshall Groups, with other Islands N. of Equator and W. of 1800,
Galapagos Islands, Antarctic, Islands to Southward and Southeast of New
Zealand.
Taxonomy and Systematic, divided into : General, Casuarii, ^Epyor-
nithes, Pygopodes, Impennes, Tubinares, Steganopodes, Herodiones,
Anseres, Alectorides, Fulicarise, Limicolae, Gavioe, Alcse, Pterocletes, Col-
umnar, Accipitres, Crypturi, Galli, Coccyges, Psittaci, Coracias, Striges,
Anisodactylce, Caprimulgi, Cypseli, Heterodactylas, Pici, Passeres. The
titles under each of these groups are divided into General and Special,
except in the case of Passeres, where the titles are arranged under the
headings of families, and again subdivided under General and Special.
Under Special the matter is arranged alphabetically by genera, the tech-
nical name being the title, followed by the name of the author in heavy
type, and the reference. Then follows the ' List of New Genera and
Species.'
This system of minute classification is, to a degree, a convenience, at
the cost, however, of much space and the multi-reprinting of many of
the titles,1 and renders almost unnecessary the annotation of titles of
papers of a mixed or more or less general character. The distribution of
titles under these numerous subdivisions is quite open to criticism, and
even the utility of many of the subdivisions may be questioned, but lack
of space forbids more than a brief illustration of these general state-
1 Thus the title of Buturlin's paper on the Wild Geese of the Russian
Realm is entered in full no less than seven times, instead of once, with
cross-references under Anseres and the Faunistic divisions.
VolIg*XI] Recent Literature. 499
ments. Under the division ' History, Biography, Bibliography' of ' Com-
prehensive and General Works ' are only five titles, one of which is
bibliographical, three are biographical, and the fifth might be placed
under both history and biography ; while under ' General ' of the same
division, which has 73 titles, four or five should be assigned to bibliogra-
phy, or at least repeated there (under the ' system ' provided), while a large
proportion of them should go exclusively under the various geographic
subheadings or under migration, or should at least be repeated there,
but are not ; while one (the journal ' Psyche ') belongs to Entomology and
not to Ornithology at all, there being no reference to birds at any of the
several pages cited. In the general list of titles (only a small proportion
of those that should be listed) are to be found the titles of a considerable
number of biographical papers that are not entered under ' Biography.'
Furthermore, there is no division for Bird Protection, which has grown
to be an important subject the world over, and is surely ornithological.
A few titles are included among the 73 under 'General,' but only a very
small proportion of the literature of the subject is covered by them.
William Dutcher's important report on the Protection of Gulls and Terns
is cited in the general list of titles, but not under ' Economics ' nor under
Gavise, under both of which it should be entered; and so on in almost
numberless cases.
Our examination of Volume N of the International Catalogue has led
to a rather careful examination of current works of a similar character,
and therefrom have arisen many surprises. No specialist can make use of
3.ny of them without soon becoming aware of their many shortcomings,
particularly their many and serious sins of omission. Only the literature
of ornithology for the year 1901 was taken into consideration in this
connection. The International Catalogue is found to contain about 950
titles, against about 850 in the Zoological Record for this period. But
fully one half of the former are not contained in the latter, while one
fourth of those in the latter are not in the former. The two together
contain about 1200 different titles, of which one half are lacking in one or
the other, and of which less than one half are found in both works. The
Cams and Field ' Bibliographia Zoologica ' for the years 1901 and 1902
(Vols. VI and VII) contain about the same number of ornithological titles
for the year 1901 as are contained in Vol. N of the International Cata-
logue, but among them are many not given in either the Zoological
Record or the International Catalogue. The card system of Field's ' Con-
cilium Bibliographicum,' — based, so far as author's titles go, on the ' Bib-
liographia Zoologica,' — renders it too difficult to critically compare the
ornithological titles for 1901 with the other current bibliographies, but it
is evident that the ' Concilium ' contains many important titles that are
omitted from both the others, and must therefore lack many that the
others contain. As, however, the entries relating to any given year
extend usually over several years in the gathering and publication, it is
quite certain that the number of ornithological titles above assigned to
COO Recent Literature. [oct*
the Field system is much too small, since it includes a conspicuously large
number not in either of the others. As regards the comparative utility
of these several bibliographies, it must be conceded that thus far the ' Con-
cilium Bibliographicum ' stands — in view of the explanatory annotations
on the Concilium cards, and the broader scope and relatively greater
completeness of this system, — in the first rank of modern zoological
bibliographies, and that it has earned, and should receive, sufficient sup-
port to guarantee its permanence.
From the examinations made in this connection it is evident that the
ornithological literature for the year 1901 consists of not less than 1500
titles that are properly citable in bibliography; and, taking the four for-
mal bibliographies for that year collectively, probably nearly all have
been gathered in, but no one of them shows the degree of completeness
that should be attained. Doubtless perfection in a field so difficult to
entirely compass is beyond the possibility of attainment, owing to the
virtual impossibility of bringing together all of the widely scattered and
often obscurely published works and papers relating to the subject.
The defective handling of Volume N, so far as its incompleteness is
concerned, is apparently not chargeable to any one of the Regional Bureaus,
since the defect is widely distributed, and apparently general. Neither is
it the fault of the system of the work, but to the carelessness of individ-
ual workers to whom the regional work has been assigned. The intended
scope of the work seems ample, judging by the character of the publi-
cations cited, but probably, in addition to much carelessness, a wide range
of individual judgment is exercised on the part of the original gatherers
of the material, as regards papers that are considered citable. Doubtless
we may safely hope that the character of the Catalogue will improve as
the work progresses, and especially as it is stated that "Any portion of
the literature of 1901 which may not have been dealt with in the first
annual issue will be included in the corresponding volumes of the second
annual issue of the Catalogue."
The method of citing the place of publication of the individual papers
is so definite and satisfactory that no improvement can be suggested, but
some changes might be made that would greatly facilitate the use of the
Catalogue. The registration numbers and other arbitrary signs are doubt-
less indispensable, but it is too much to expect that the casual user of the
work can always carry in mind their significance ; and even were this prac-
ticable some other page headings, in a volume of over a thousand pages,
than the sectional numbers, which mean nothing until the system has
been mastered, and the specialist has memorized those that relate to his
own field, would be of great convenience. The subject matter of each
page can easily be indicated in the page heading. Thus if, in Aves, instead
of simply the numbers 5803, 5S07, 5815, etc., at the outer top corner of
the first seventy pages there were added Aves : Titles ; Aves : General
Works; Aves: Structure; Aves: Physiology, and so on, it would save
the user much time in turning these seventy pages to find some particular
Voli"g?4XI] Recent Literature. ^OI
division of the subject matter embraced therein. And then for the next
thirty pages, if, instead of merely 5831, there were added the name of the
group, as Aves : Casuarii ; Aves: Anseres; Aves : Passeres, etc., it would
certainly save the average user much vexation of spirit. To further facil-
itate use there should also be a separate index for each 'branch' under
4 Special Zoology,' — one for birds, another for mammals, and so on
through the 29 sections, giving page references to each of the subdivi-
sions of the subject matter. The indexes should be placed at the end
of the sections, so that in this way each section would begin on an odd
page instead of in the middle of a column, as now, without any marked
break to catch the eye. — J. A. A.
Cooke's ' Some New Facts about the Migration of Birds.'1 — Professor
Cooke's 'new facts' are presented under the following subheadings (1)
4 Introduction ' ; (2) ' Causes of Migration ' ; (3) ' How do Birds find their
Way ? ; (4) ' Casualties during Migration ' , (5) ' Distance of Migration ' ;
(6) ' Routes of Migration ' ; (7) ' Are Birds Exhausted by a Long Flight ? '
(8) Relative Position during Migration'; (9) ' Relation of Migration and
Temperature'; (10) 'Variation in the Speed of Migration'; (11) 'The
Unknown.' The 'Introduction' states briefly the present resources of
the Biological Survey for investigations of the migration of North
American birds, after nearly twenty years spent in the accumulation of
data. As to causes of migration, the author states: "The broad state-
ment can be made that the beginnings of migration ages ago were
intimately connected with periodic changes in the food supply, but this
motive is at present so intermingled with others unknown, or but imper-
fectly known, that migration movements seem now to bear little relation
to the abundance or absence of food."
Under ' How do Birds find their way ?' he admits that "among day
migrants sight is probably the principal guide," and that it "undoubtedly
plays a part in guiding the night journeys also"; but he believes they
also possess a power, whatever its nature, that "may be called a sense of
direction," which serves to guide them unerringly over ocean wastes. He
further says: "A favorite belief ot many American ornithologists is
that coast lines, mountain chains, and especially the courses of the
larger rivers and their tributaries, form well-marked highways along
which birds return to previous nesting sites." That many birds reared
in Indiana, Illinois, and elsewhere to the northwestward visit South Caro-
lina and Georgia in their fall migration has, however, long been known.
"The truth seems to be," he affirms, "that birds pay little attention to
1 Some New Facts about the Migration of Birds. By Wells M. Cooke,
Assistant Biological Survey. Yearbook U. S. Depart. Agriculture for 1903,
PP- 37I-386-
C02 Recent Literature. \*pf\
natural physical highways, except when large bodies of water force them
to deviate from the desired course." It does not follow, however, that
because all the birds of a district do not concentrate and move in masses
along river valleys and coast lines that they are not guided in their
courses by the prominent features of the landscape, even in the case of
those species which pass from the upper Mississippi Valley to the coast
of South Carolina and Georgia. Nor is it true that river valleys, etc.,
do not form favorite migration routes for many species of birds. So
far as our acquaintance with the literature of the subject goes, it is not
the "favorite belief," etc., that the prominent physical features of the
continent "form well-marked highways" along which migratory birds
travel, but merely constitute the landmarks by which their journeys are
guided.
Under ' Routes of Migration ' much new information is presented, the
direct outcome of the author's investigations. He specifies several routes
by which North American birds reach northern South America. The
first is by Florida, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Of 50 New England species that pursue this route the greater part do
not pass beyond Porto Rico. "Only adventurers out of some 6 species
gain the South American mainland by completing the island chain." A
more direct route is by Florida, Cuba, and Jamaica, taken by about 60 spe-
cies, of which about half stop in Cuba, the rest passing on to Jamaica,
while only about 10 of these leave Jamaica to cross the 500-mile stretch
of open water to reach South America. Of these the Bobolink is so con-
spicuous by its numbers, in comparison with its fellow travellers, "that
the passage across the Caribbean Sea from Cuba to South America may
with propriety be called ' bobolink route.' "
The main highway to South America is from northwestern Florida
across the Gulf of Mexico over a sea course of 700 miles. The Cuba-
Yucatan route, formerly supposed to be a favorite one, involving only a
100-mile sea flight, Mr. Cooke affirms is taken by only "a few swallows,
some shore birds, and an occasional land bird storm-driven from its
intended course, while over the Gulf route, night after night, for nearly
eight months in the year, myriads of hardy migrants wing their way
through the darkness toward an unseen destination." Still further west,
the birds of the Plains and Rocky Mountains which choose Mexico and
Central America for their winter home reach these countries by a lei-
surely land journey. It would be interesting to know to what extent some
of these generalizations rest on negative evidence, for stations along the
eastern coast of Mexico, including Yucatan, where observations have been
made bearing on the migration of birds are certainly few and far between,
and cover only short periods.
An interesting feature of the paper is the account of the migration
routes of the Golden Plover, illustrated by a map showing the breeding
area of the species and its two very distinct routes of migration — a direct
sea course in the autumn, from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, and the interior
Vol XXin Recent Literature. cot
spring route, which crosses North America almost centrally from the
coast of Texas to the Arctic Barren Grounds.
Most important of the ' new facts ' are the statistics given under ' migra-
tion and temperature,1 and under ' variations in the speed of migration'
over different portions of the continent, in accordance with the change in
the direction of the isotherms. The explanation given of the increase in
the distance of daily travel after passing the northern boundary of the
United States of such birds as visit Alaska and that portion of the
Dominion of Canada west of the Makenzie Valley, is eminently reason-
able and satisfactory. The subject is clearly illustrated by means of a
map showing the ' Speed of the Robin in Migration,' which indicates not
only the acceleration of the progress of the Robin as it advances north-
ward, but also the position of the isotherm of 350 at monthly periods from
January 15 to June 15.
Finally, ' The Unknown ' ! Among the chief mysteries that await solu-
tion are the winter haunts of the Chimney Swifts, which disappear from
our ken the moment they leave the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico
in the fall until they reappear there the last week in March; another
equally deep mystery is the winter whereabouts of the Bank Swallow..
The route of the Cliff Swallow from Brazil to California, and how the
Red-eyed Vireo reaches southern British Columbia at the same time it
reaches Nebraska, and before they have appeared in any of the interven-
ing country, are among the problems, says Mr. Cooke, " that continually
vex and fascinate the investigator." It is certainly encouraging to see the
"mystery of mysteries" of the old Gatkean and allied points of view
dwindling to such small proportions in the eyes of modern investigators
who trust to facts rather than to figments of the imagination in their
attempts to elucidate the problems of migration. — J. A. A.
G. M. Allen's 'The Birds of New Hampshire.'1 — In this excellent
paper of 200 pages, an attempt has been made, says the author, "to bring
together a list of the species of birds known to have occurred within the
State of New Hampshire during historic times, together with a general
account of their distribution, faunal position, times of migration, and, in
the case of the rarer species, a detailed list of the known instances of
occurrence." While published records have been utilized, "a consider-
able body of unpublished facts relative to the birds of the State is here
included," partly based on the author's own observations and partly on
those of other ornithologists who have made generous contributions from
their notes, and for which due acknowledgments are made. "The
sequence of names and their spelling," the author states, ' ' are strictly
1 The Birds of New Hampshire. By Glover Morrill Allen. Proc. Man-
chester Institute of Arts and Sciences, Vol. IV, Pt. I, 1902 (1903), pp. 23-
222. Published about June 15, 1904.
COA Recent Literature. \*o\
those of the American Ornithologists' Union, instead of those used by
Mr. R. H. Howe, Jr., and myself in the ' Birds of Massachusetts ' \cf.
1 Auk,' XVIII, July, 1901, p. 278]," since " it is believed that the use of the
order more commonly adopted will make the list more convenient as a
working basis for more complete catalogues." The list now given is
considered as only a preliminary one, to be further perfected, especially in
respect to the water birds.
Ten pages are devoted to a review of the literature of the subject, in-
cluding a literal reprint of Jeremy Belknap's list of New Hampshire
birds, published in 1792, in the third volume of his ' History of New
Hampshire,' with pertinent comment and the equivalent modern names
of the identifiable species, — all but about seven or eight out of a total of
130 names. A resume is given of the later contributions to New Hamp-
shire ornithology, together with a bibliography (pp. 194-204), numbering
about 150 titles.
A discussion of 'The Faunal Areas of New Hampshire ' occupies about
eighteen pages (pp. 36-53). This includes a short account of the topog-
raphy of the State, and an attempt to define in considerable detail the life
zones. These include (1) the upper austral (= Carolinian Fauna), which,
however, does not really reach New Hampshire, and is only suggested by
a few sporadic instances of the occurrence of two or three ' upper austral'
species; (2) the transition (= Alleghanian Fauna), which occupies the
river valleys up to 600 feet, and under favorable local conditions up to
1500 feet, and the low area along the coast; (3) the Canadian (= Canadian
Fauna), which includes a large part of the forested portions of the State ;
(4) the Hudsonian (= Hudsonian Fauna), limited to a few small isolated
areas in the extreme northern part of the State, but, so far as known, not
inhabited by any strictly Hudsonian species of birds; (5) the 'arctic-
alpine,' restricted to the treeless barren summits of the highest peaks of
the White Mountains, and also without any distinctively arctic species of
birds. In describing and defining the limits of these several faunal areas
the characteristic species of plants, mammals, and reptiles, as well as of
birds, inhabiting them are mentioned, and much interesting information
is incidentally included respecting the extension of the ranges of a num-
ber of birds through the clearing away by man of the heavy primeval
forest.
There are also (pp. 54-61) extended remarks on certain phases of bird
migration in the State, especially on the periodic incursions of the Red
Crossbill and the White-winged Crossbill.
The very fully annotated list (pp. 62-186) includes 283 species, of which
29 are added in a postscript on the basis of a paper by Mr. Ned Dearborn
on the ' Birds of Durham and Vicinity,' which appeared while Mr. Allen's
paper was passing through the press. The annotations give, in many
instances, the distribution of species of local occurrence in the State in
considerable detail, in addition to the usual notes on the ' manner of
occurrence,' dates of migration, etc. An elaborate index, giving refer-
Voli'<^XI] Recent Literature. J 05
ences to the plants and animals as well as to the birds, fittingly closes
this excellent paper. — J. A. A.
Todd's Birds of Erie, Pa.1 — The field covered by the present list is lim-
ited to the ' Peninsula,' or Presque Isle, Presque Isle Bay, and the lake shore
plain and its environs within about four miles of the city of Erie, or an
area about six miles long and four miles wide. It is based primarily on
observations and collections made by Mr. Todd, assisted by Mr. W. W.
Worthington, during the periods March 21-May 31, and August 20-
November 20, 1900, in the interest of the Carnegie Museum at Pitts-
burgh, Pa., the collections numbering nearly one thousand specimens,
and on notes and collections made by Mr. Todd during several previous
and subsequent visits to the locality. The notes of other observers are
also used, as those of Mr. Ralph B. Simpson and others, on the birds of
Erie, and also the collections made here during a number of years by the
late George B. Sennett. There is thus a good basis for the exposition of
the bird fauna of this interesting locality, which Mr. Todd appears to
have fully utilized. An introduction of nearly twenty pages deals with
the geographical position and physical features of the locality, and with
the general character of the avifauna, and a summary of the manner of
occurrence of the 237 species thus far recorded from this limited area.
Then follows a very fully annotated list of the species, numbered con-
secutively from 1 to 237, with the inclusion, in smaller type and unnum-
bered, some 50 species that may be considered as of probable occurrence,
with references to their nearest records of capture. Of the 237 species of
known occurrence, 18 are classed as permanent residents, 88 as summer
residents, 25 as winter visitants, 95 as transient visitants, 11 as accidental
visitants. There is a map of the locality, and three half-tone plates, giv-
ing views of characteristic portions.
The list as a whole shows careful, detailed, and conscientious work,
and thus adds another to the number of critical local lists, whose value as
an accurate record of present conditions will only increase with the lapse
of time. — J. A. A.
Hartert's 'Die Vogel der Palaarktischen Fauna.' — Part II 2 of this
excellent and invaluable work has recently appeared, completing the
1 The Birds of Erie and Presque Isle, Erie County, Pennsylvania. By W.
E. Clyde Todd. Annals of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. II, 1904, pp. 481-
596, pll, xvi-xix. August 1, 1904.
2Die Vogel | der palaarktischen Fauna. | Systematische Uebersicht | der |
in Europa, Nord Asien und der Mittelmeerregion | vorkommenden Vogel. j
Von I Dr. Ernst Hartert | Heft II. | Seite 113-240. | Mit 22 Abbildungen.
I — I Berlin. | Verlag von R. Friedlander und Sohn. | Ausgegeben im Juni
1904.
So6
Recent Literature. q~£
Fringillidse and covering part of the Alaudidae, comprising the species
numbered 185 to 394. It well merits the high praise accorded Part I, already
noticed,1 maintaining of course the same characteristics as regards scope
and method of treatment. The present brochure includes 80 species and
130 additional subspecies, of which 20 of the latter are described as new,
and many others are indicated as new and given consecutive numbers but
are not formally named. As the number of forms treated is 210, about
ten per cent of the whole are characterized as new. Of the genus Loxia
three species are recognized, with eight additional subspecies, exclusive
of four North American forms mentioned in footnotes, making fifteen
recognized forms in all. These include three new subspecies of the L.
curvirostra group, — one from Spain, one from Scotland, and another
from England. In place of L. curvirostra minor for the common Red
Crossbill of northeastern North America Mr. Hartert adopts L. curviros-
tra americana (Wilson, 181 1), americana Wilson having forty-two years'
priority over minor Brehm (1853) ; but a previous Loxia americana
(Gmelin I789)~renders Wilson's name untenable.
In the account of the Alaudidae Otocoris is not yet reached, but in some
of the other genera of the family there is a striking array of subspecies,
Galerida cristata having twenty-one (plus three doubtful), and G. thekla?
eight, and a number of other species of the family have each six to
eight or more, indicating the unusual plasticity of the family. — J. A. A.
Kirtland's Warbler. — Two papers have recently appeared dealing with
this rare warbler, one of which, by Prof. Charles C. Adams,*2 treats of its.
migration route, the other, by Mr. Norman A. Wood,3 of its breeding
area. As stated by Mr. Adams : "During the past year more has been
added to our knowledge of this bird than during all of the preceding
fifty-three years which have elapsed since its discovery." Mr. Adams
confines his paper to a consideration of the spring migration records, the
species wintering in the Bahamas and breeding in northern Michigan.
Dr. L. Stejneger is quoted on the importance of determining the route of
this warbler, and the light its discovery would throw upon the problem
of "the road by which in past ages part of our fauna entered their pres-
ent habitat" (Am. Nat., Vol. XXXIII, 1899, p. 68, in a review of Butler's
' Birds of Indiana'). Professor Adams considers first, and^at some length,
the migration routes and breeding area of the Prothonotary Warbler,
taking Louck's paper on this species (Bull. Illinois State Lab. Nat. Hist.,
IV, 1895, pp. 10-38, and Osprey, II, 1898, pp. 99, in, 129, ) as the basis of
1For notice of Part I, see Auk XXI, 1904, pp. 94, 95.
2 The Migration Route of Kirtland's Warbler. By Chas. C. Adams. Bull.
Michigan Orn. Club, Vol. V, pp. 14-21, March, 1904.
3 Discovery of the Breeding Area of Kirtland's Warbler. By Norman A.
Wood. Bull. Michigan Orn. Club, Vol. V, pp. 3-13, March, 1904.
J
VoIi9?4XI] Recent Literature. 507
comparison, and the map of the breeding area here given is an adaptation
of Louck's map. "The map of the breeding area is," he says, "also a map
showing the path of the spring migration, and also, in all probability,
the path by which the species has found its way to its present breeding
area since the Ice Age." He then compares the distribution of Kirtland's
Warbler with that of the Prothonotary, presenting a similar map of its
migration records, from about the mouth of the Ohio River northward.
He finds that the birds on leaving the Bahamas reach Florida and South
Carolina during the latter half of April and early part of May, and
assumes that they pass west by way of the Pine Barrens to the Missis-
sippi; they occur in the Mississippi and Ohio drainage basins during
May, reaching their breeding grounds in Oscoda and Crawford Counties,
Michigan, early in June. He is, however, unable to "understand the
South Carolina records." As the extreme east and west records are
respectively Toronto and Minneapolis, "it suggests that the breeding
area may be extensive." He adds a map showing "lines of glacial drain-
age or shore lines, to show the relations of those topographic features to
bird migration routes." If Kirtland's Warbler was one of the "early spe-
cies to push north, it is but natural that it should follow such highways,
as it is along such valleys and shore lines, at that time, that the vegeta-
tion would make its most rapid extension northward." The latter part of
the paper is thus suggestive, but adds little in the way of positive infor-
mation.
Mr. Wood relates in detail his experiences in pursuit of the breeding
place of this warbler, his discovery of its haunts, and the long and care-
ful search for its nest, finally rewarded by the discovery of two nests, one
of which, found July 8, contained a perfect egg and two young birds
about ten days old; the other nest, found July 9, contained five young,
also about ten days old. An attempt to rear the young naturally failed.
Five adult males and three adult females were taken, in addition to the
nests, egg, and seven nestlings. The song and the habits of the birds as
observed in their breeding haunts are minutely described, and descrip-
tions and half-tone illustrations are given of the egg and nests, of the
sites where the nests were found, and of the mounted group of these
birds now in the Museum of the University of Michigan, prepared by
Mr. Wood from the materials obtained on this expedition. Although
preliminary notices of these discoveries have been published, this paper
forms the most important contribution thus far made to the history of
the species, which is at last removed from the small list of North Ameri-
can birds whose nests and eggs and breeding habits still remain un-
known.— J. A. A.
Forbush on the Destruction of Birds by the Elements.1 — After some
1 The Destruction of Birds by the Elements in 1903-04. Special Report.
By Edward Howe Forbush, Ornithologist to the State Board of Agriculture.
Fifty-first Ann. Rep. Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, pp. 457-503.
5o8
Recent Literature. foct
general statements about the destruction of birds by the elements Mr.
Forbush gives the results of his investigations in relation to the effect of
the remarkable weather of May and June, 1903, upon bird life in Massa-
chusetts and adjoining States. An almost unprecedented drought pre-
vailed from the middle of April till the 6th of June, followed by three
weeks of almost unparalleled rainfall, with periods of excessively low
temperature. The scarcity of insects due to the drought appears to have
been responsible for the starvation of the young of many insectivorous
birds, and apparently also of some of the old birds. But the abnormal
and severe weather of June proved far more disastrous. The heavy
storms blew down many of the nests, with their eggs or young, of the
tree-nesting species, while ground- and bush-nesting species had their
nests submerged or so drenched with rain as to cause the complete
destruction of their contents or their desertion by the parent birds.
The inundation of low-lying lands, and the rise of streams and ponds,
drowned out or destroyed not only the nests of marsh-breeding birds, but
those of blackbirds and sparrows, of various species, at many localities
where their nests became submerged, while the cold rains often destroyed
the young birds where the nesting-sites were above the reach of the
floods, and in many instances the parent birds seem to have succumbed
to the inclemency of the weather. While these conditions were fortu-
nately not general throughout the State, they occurred at so many locali-
ties that the effect was disastrous to bird life. The swallows and swifts
appear to have been the worst sufferers, the old birds, as well as the
young, dying at some localities in vast numbers from cold and starvation,
owing to the absence of insect food directly caused by the severe weather
conditions. The almost complete extinction of whole colonies of Mar-
tins, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, and Chimney Swifts is recorded
from several localities within the storm areas of heaviest precipitation.
The winter following this unfavorable summer — that of 1903-04 —
proved of almost unequalled severity in NewEngland. January was one of
the severest months on record in eastern Massachusetts, both for lowness
of temperature and amount of snowfall, and February was almost equally
severe. According to Mr. Forbush's observations at Wareham and else-
where in the State, the birds suffered greatly from the intense cold, and
many evidently perished. While, for obvious reasons, not many dead
birds were found, there was gradually a great reduction in their numbers
at many localities, and it is believed by Mr. Forbush, and by other observ-
ers quoted by him, that the birds died, in some cases from the excessive
cold, in others from lack of food. Crows, and perhaps certain individuals
of other species, appear to have left the colder portions of New England
for more southern points.
Mr. Forbush closes his sadly interesting report with some suggestions
as to the measures that may be taken for protecting birds and increasing
their numbers, especially through providing them with food and shelter
during winter, and in checking their illegal slaughter. The author has
V0li9?4XI] Recent Literature. 509
expended a great deal of time and labor in bringing together the facts
here presented, which he has secured in large part through the issue of
circulars to some two hundred correspondents requesting information on
the points at issue. — J. A. A.
Judd's ' The Economic Value of the Bobwhite.' — In a paper of about
ten pages Dr. Judd 1 treats of the economic value of the Bobwhite ( Colinus
virginianus} as (1) a weed and insect destroyer, (2) an article of food,
(3) an object of sport. The food report is based on field observations and
an examination of 801 stomachs, collected in every month of the year and
over a wide extent of country — from Canada to Florida and Texas.
The Bobwhite is found to be preeminently a seed-eater, over fifty per cent
of its food consisting of seeds, of which the seeds of weeds constitute the
bulk. On a very conservative basis " the total consumption of weed seed
by Bobwhites from September 1 to April 30 in Virginia amounts to 573
tons." From May to August nearly one third of the Bobwhite's food is
found to be insects, which is made up largely of such injurious species as
the potato beetle, cucumber beetle, squash bugs, chinch bugs, cotton-boll
weevils, various kinds of destructive caterpillars, grasshoppers, etc. It
eats very little grain, and this is mainly gathered from stubble fields, and
it never, apparently, destroys sprouting grain, like the Crow, various
Blackbirds, etc., nor is it, like the Rutted Grouse, destructive to any
harmful extent to leaves and buds. The importance of the Bobwhite as
an article of food, and also as an object of sport, is dwelt upon at some
length, and it is pointed out that it is possible for farmers to derive a con-
siderable revenue from sportsmen by promoting its increase for purposes
of sport. " It is believed," he says, " that if suitably managed, some
farms of from 500 to 1000 acres would yield a better revenue from Bob-
whites than from poultry." More stringent and more uniform legal pro-
vision is recommended for its preservation and increase. The paper
closes with a list of seeds, fruits, insects, etc., eaten by the Bobwhite, and
is illustrated by a colored plate, by Fuertes, of a Bobwhite in a potato
field catching potato beetles. The utility of the Bobwhite as a weed
destroyer is especially emphasized. — J. A. A.
Elrod on Birds in Relation to Agriculture. — In this paper of some
twenty pages, illustrated with several plates of representative birds, Pro-
fessor Elrod2 summarizes some of the results of recent investigations of
1 The Economic Value of the Bobwhite. By Sylvester D. Judd, Ph. D.,
Assistant in Ornithology. Yearbook of Depart, of Agriculture for 1903, pp.
193-204, pi. xvi.
2 The Relation of Birds to Agriculture. By Morton J. Elrod, University of
Montana. Second Ann. Rep. Montana State Board of Farmers' Institutes,
pp. 173-190, with 8 pll. University of Montana, Missoula, Mont., 1904.
5 I O Notes and Nexus. \q*\.
the food of birds, with special reference to the importance of better pro-
tection for birds in the State of Montana. A useful list of the principal
recent publications on economic ornithology is appended as a partial
bibliography of the subject. This timely paper should be of great inter-
est and service to the farmers and fruit-growers of Montana. — J. A. A.
NOTES AND NEWS.
Mr. John Fannin, a Member of the American Ornithologists' Union,
died at his home at Victoria, British Columbia, June 20, 1904. From
'Forest and Stream' (issue of July 9, 1904) we learn that "Mr. Fannin
was born in the backwoods of Kempville, Ontario, where he passed his
boyhood." In 1862, attracted by the news of the discovery of gold in the
Caribou district of British Columbia, he joined a party of miners "which
proposed to make on foot the journey across the great plains and the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast." The party set out from Fort
Garry (now Winnipeg), then a frontier settlement, and after four months
of difficulties and hardships reached the Fraser River. For nearly ten
years he prospected and mined in different parts of the Province, finding
himself as poor financially at the end of the period as when he begun, but
with a wealth of useful experience, and an intimate acquaintance with the
country, later utilized in the service of the Canadian Government. About
twenty-five years ago he settled on the banks of Burrard Inlet, near the
present town of New Westminster. "Mr. Fannin had always had a deep
love for nature, and here he settled down and began its systematic study,
though at first with little knowledge and almost without books. Here
.... without assistance, he taught himself most of the birds and mammals
of the region .... As time went on, his fame as a naturalist spread
throughout British Columbia, and when, about sixteen years ago, the
Provincial Museum was established at Victoria, Mr. Fannin was made its
curator. ... His services were heartily appreciated by the Government,
which in 1895 sent him to Europe and to the United States to study the
workings of modern museums." He unselfishly and unceasingly devoted
his time and strength to the increase and arrangement of the collections
under his charge. His principal contribution to ornithological literature
is his ' Check List of British Columbia Birds,' published at Victoria, B. C,
in 1891 (cf. Auk, IX, 1892, p. 65). He also contributed a few notes on
British Columbia birds to 'The Auk,' and was a correspondent of ' Forest
and Stream,' and other natural history journals. He was elected an
Associate of the A. O. U. in 188S, and a member in 1901.
VolXXI] Notes and News. CI I
1904 j o
Mr. James Mortimer Southwick, an Associate of the American Orni-
thologists' Union, died at his home in Providence, R. I., June 3, 1904, at
the age of 58 years, having been born in Newburyport, Mass., July 10,
1846. He was educated in the public schools of that place, and at the age
of sixteen went to Providence, where for many years he was in the dry
goods business. In 18S3 he started a natural history business, in com-
pany with Mr. Fred T. Jencks, under the well-known firm name of South-
wick and Jencks, and later, on the retirement of Mr. Jencks, continued the
business for some time alone. In connection with the sale of natural
history books and specimens, the firm published a monthly journal entitled
"Random Notes on Natural History' (3 vols., 1884-86), which contained
many important notes and articles, relating largely to the natural history
of Rhode Island, many of them contributed by authors who are now well-
known specialists in their respective lines of study. In 1896 he disposed
of his natural history business to accept the position of Curator of the
Natural History Museum at Roger Williams Park, Providence, R. I.,
which position he held at the time of his death. As Curator he worked
indefatigably, and at times against great discouragements. He succeeded,
however, in bringing together a nearly complete collection of the birds of
Rhode Island, which in installation and arrangement, including labeling,
is a model that may well be followed in other local museums. The results
here shown are due to his own untiring efforts and to his earnest solicita-
tions in behalf of the museum. At the time of his death he was Vice-
President of the Rhode Island Audubon Society and of the Franklin
Society of Providence. He was Bate Entomologist for several years, and
was for two years Secretary of the Tree Protection Society, and a member
of the Horticultural Society. He was the first to discover the presence of
the Gypsy moth in Providence, and did much to aid in the extermination
of this and such other destructive insect pests as the elm leaf beetle and
the San Jose scale insect from the city in which he lived.
It was his endeavor to make the museum a means of useful instruction
to the public, and he often gave lectures on natural history subjects in his
own and neighboring cities, and greatly assisted the teachers of nature
study in the public schools. His ornithological publications are not
extensive, consisting of various notes on the rarer birds of Rhode Island.
From early life his interest in natural history was intense, and he has
left in the Roger Williams Park Museum an enduring record of con-
scientious work.
Articles of incorporation have just been drawn looking to the estab-
lishment on a permanent foundation of the ' Worthington Society for the
Investigation of Bird Life.' The founder, Mr. Charles C. Worthington,
will erect and endow, on his estate at Shawnee, Monroe County, Penn-
sylvania, the necessary buildings and equipment.
The Worthington Society will have for its purpose the consideration
5 I 2 Notes and News. \ott.
of bird life as it is found in nature, and will also have many birds under
confinement for study and experiment.
The following is a summary of the chief topics that will present an
immediate field for experimentation.
I. The study and consideration of a bird as an individual. It is believed
that by means of observation carried through the entire life of the indi-
vidual, with a daily record, brief or elaborate, as exigencies may require,
much will be learned regarding matters that are now obscure. Facts,
such as growth, habits, health, temper, etc. will be daily reported.
II. The study of the occurrence, extent, nature and cause of variations
in different representatives of the same species.
III. Changes in color and appearance correlating with age, sex and
season.
IV. Changes in color and appearance due to light, heat, presence or
absence of moisture, and to food. How rapid a change in appearance
can be affected by a new environment or a new set of conditions?
V. Heredity. What general characteristics are transmitted ? Are
acquired characteristics transmitted? The consideration of atavism,
prepotency and telegony.
VI. Experiments in breeding. Hybridity and the fertility of hybrids.
The possibility of establishing a new physiological species.
VII. Experiments in change of color due to moult.
VIII. Adaptability. The plasticity of animals. How great a factor is
this in domesticating new kinds of animals?
IX. The leisure of animals. How is this acquired? Being acquired,
how is this employed?
X. Instinct, habit, and the development of intelligence.
XI. The possibility of breeding insectivorous and other beneficial kinds
of birds to re-stock a given region or to increase native birds, as has been
done in the case of fish, by the United States Fish Commission.
A temporary laboratory and aviary is being equipped, and preliminary
work will begin with the installment of a large number of native and
foreign birds early in September. Mr. Worthington has procured the
services of Mr. William E. D. Scott, Curator of the Department of
Ornithology at Princeton University, as Director of the proposed work.
Mr. Bruce Horsfall has been engaged as chief assistant and artist.
The Twenty-second Annual Congress of the American Ornithol-
ogists' Union will be held in Cambridge, Mass., beginning on the evening
of Monday, November 28, 1904. The evening session will be for the elec-
tion of officers and members and for the transaction of routine business.
Tuesday and the following days the sessions will be for the presentation
and discussion of scientific papers, and will be open to the public. Mem-
bers intending to present communications are requested to forward the
titles of their papers to the Secretary, Mr. John H. Sage, Portland, Conn.,
so as to reach him not later than November 25.
INDEX TO VOLUME XXI.
[New generic, specific and subspecific names are printed in heavy-faced type.]
Acanthis linaria, 95, 392, 250.
flammea, 95.
Acanthopneuste, 419.
borealis, 390, 419.
Accipiter cooperi, 241, 353, 454,
476.
velox, 34, 239, 446, 454, 476.
velox rufilatus, 68.
Actitis macularia, 34, 68, 24:, 351,
462, 476, 485.
Actodromas acuminata, 290.
bairdii, 445.
fuscicollis, 475.
maculata, 475.
minutilla, 33, 445, 475.
Adams, Chas. C, notice of his
* The Migration Route of Kirt-
land's Warbler,' 506.
yEgialitis semipalmata, 34, 476.
vocifera, 392.
^Egithalos, 423.
Aeronautes melanoleucus, 69, 220,
354' 42i-
saxatilis, 421.
^Estrelata hasitata, 383.
hypoleuca, 8.
Agelseinge, 421.
Agelaius phceniceus, 38, 242, 400,
457, 479-
phoeniceus floridanus, 479.
phceniceus neutralis, 229.
phoeniceus richmondi, 414.
Aimophila ruficeps scottii, 447.
Aix sponsa, 33, 240, 451.
Ajaia ajaja, 22-25.
Albatross, Black-footed, 9, 14, 17.
Laysan, 8-20.
Alcedo todus, 486.
Alectrurus, 316.
Allen, Francis H*., a Sanderling
with hind toes, 79 ; the Great
Gray Owl near Boston, 278.
Allen, Glover Morrill, notice of his
'The Birds of New Hampshire,'
503-
Allen, J. A., the case of Megales-
iris vs. Catharacta, 345-348 ;
Black-capped Petrel in New
Hampshire, 383.
Allison, Andrew, the birds of West
Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana,
472-484.
Alopochelidon, 93.
American Museum of Natural His-
tory, ornithological accessions,
408.
American Ornithologists' Union,
Twenty-first Congress, Secre-
tary's Report, 74-78; Report of
Committee on the Protection of
North American Birds, 97-208 ;
Thirteenth Supplement to Check-
List of North American Birds,
411-424.
Ammodramus, 422.
caudacutus subvirgatus, 61.
henslowii, 386.
nelsoni, 386.
savanna alaudinus, 72.
Ampelis cedrorum, 41, 232, 244, 459,
481.
Amphispiza belli, 221.
belli nevadensis, 231.
bilineata deserticola, 427.
Anseretes, 314.
Anas boschas, 33, 247, 451.
obscura, 247.
obscura rubripes, 288.
penelope, 288.
stelleri, 412.
Anderson, Malcolm P., and Joseph
Grinnell, notice of their ' Birds
of Siskiyou Mountains, Califor-
nia,' 91.
Anhinga, 128, 451, 474.
Anhinga anhinga, 451, 474.
Ani, 79.
Anorthura, 92, 423.
Anser albifrons gambeli, 474.
Anthus pensilvanicus, 361 , 461, 483.
spraguei, 291, 483. \ ,
Antrostomus carolinensis, 455, 478.
vociferus, 36, 84, 241, 278,
455-
5H
Index.
TAuk
|_Oct.
Aphelocoma californica, 73.
woodhousei, 355.
Aquila chrysaetos, 353.
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johan-
nis, 477.
Ardea herodias, 33, 223, 240, 445,
452 H 74-
herodias wardi, 263.
occidentalis, 260-262.
Ardetta exilis, 85, 240, 260, 452.
Arenaria inelanocephala, 218.
morinella, 34.
Arnold, Edward, another nest of
Kirtland's Warbler, 487.
Arnow, Isaac F., Holbcell's Grebe
and the White Pelican at St.
Mary's, Georgia, 277 ; capture of
Krider's Hawk at St. Mary's
Georgia, 277.
Arrigona degli Oddi, E., notice of
his ' Manuale d'Ornitologia Ital-
iana,' 396.
Arundinicola, 315, 316.
Asio accipitrinus, 477.
magellanicus, 304.
magellanicus algistus, 305.
magellanicus elachistus, 304.
magellanicus heterocnemis,
304-
magellanicus icelus, 304.
magellanicus lagophonus,
304-
magellanicus occidentalis,
3°5-
magellanicus pacificus, 304.
magellanicus pallescens, 304.
magellanicus saturatus, 304.
magellanicus virginianus,
305-
magellanicus wapacuthu,
305-
Association of Wild Animal Pho-
tographers, proposed, 410.
Astragalinus lawrencei, 73.
psaltria, 69, 72, 357, 415.
psaltria hesperophilus, 414.
psaltria mexicanus, 415.
tristis, 38, 230, 238,458.
tristis salicamans, 69.
Asyndesmus torquatus, 228, 446.
Attwater, H. P., notice of his ' Boll
Weevils and Birds,' 308.
Audubon, John James, unpublished
letters of, 257-259 ; extracts from
unpublished journal of, 334-338.
Audubon Societies, report on work
of, 97-208 ; map of States hav-
ing, 99 ; in relation to the farmer,
309-
Auklet, Cassin's, 222, 429.
Auriparus, 423.
Avicultural Magazine, Vol. I, N. S.,
notice of, 95.
Aythia, 420.
affinis, 247, 287, 451.
collaris, 451, 474.
marila, 247, 391, 451.
vallisneria, 288.
B^eolophus bicolor, 239, 461, 484.
inornatus griseus, 362, 448.
inornatus murinus, 93.
inornatus restrictus, 93, 418.
Bailey, Florence Merriam, notice of
her ' Handbook of Birds of the
Western United States,' second
edition, 299; additional notes on
the birds of the Upper Pecos,
349-363 ; Scott Oriole, Gray
Vireo, and Phoebe in northeast-
ern New Mexico, 392 ; additions
to Mitchell's list of 'The Sum-
mer Birds of San Miguel, New
Mexico,' 443-449.
Baily, William L., Henslow's Spar-
row in Munroe County, Pa., 486.
Baird, Spencer F., unpublished let-
ter of, 256.
Baldpate, 247, 291, 451.
Baldwin, Roger N., a Chewink in
winter at Ashland, Mass., 2S2.
Bangs, Outram, notice of his paper
on birds from Honduras, 404.
Bartramia longicauda, 34, 84, 240,
453, 477, 493-
Bartsch, Paul, notice of his 'Notes
on the Herons of the District of
Columbia,' 402.
Basileuterus culicivorus, 417.
culicivorus brasheri, 417.
Becassine sakhaline, 51.
Beebe, C. William, breeding of
Lawrence Warbler in New York
City, 387.
Bellona, 485.
Bent, A. C, nesting habits of the
Florida Herodiones, 20-29, 259~
270.
Bent, A. C, and H. K. Job, report
on bird protection in Monroe Co.,
Fla., 128-130. •
Bergtold, W. H., White-winged
Scoter in Colorado, 78.
Vol. XXII
1904 J
Index.
5'5
Biological Survey, ornithological
work of, in 1903, 407.
Bird, Egg, 127.
Indigo, 340, 343.
Man-o'-War, 126, 129.
Yellow-billed Tropic, 391.
Bird protection in North America,
report on, for 1903, 97-208.
Bittern, American, 33, 240, 259, 451,
493-
Least, 85, 240, 260, 452.
Blacicus cinereus, 320.
Blackbird, Brewer's, 69, 230.
Red-winged, 38, 242, 457, 479.
Rust j, 48, 247, 457, 478.
San Diego Red-winged, 229.
Yellow-headed, 37, 447.
Blain, Alexander W., Jr., Holboell's
Grebe at Niagara Falls, 276.
Blake, Francis G-, and Maurice C,
a winter record for the Hermit
Thrush (Hylocichla guttata fial-
lasii) in Eastern Massachusetts,
283; unusual records near Boston,
Mass., 391.
Bluebird, 44, 145, 239, 285, 287, 343,
390, 484.
Chestnut-backed, 363, 444.
Mountain, 71, 363, 444.
Boardman, George A., memoir of,
noticed, 397.
Boardman, Samuel Lane, notice of
his ' The Naturalist of the St.
Croix,' a memoir of George A.
Boardman, 397.
Bobolink, 37, 59, 242, 457, 479, 486,
502.
Bob-white, 237, 453, 476, 509.
Masked, 209-213.
Bonasa umbellus, 237.
umbellus togata, 34.
Botaurus lentiginosis, 33, 259, 451.
Botha, 80.
difficilis, 80.
Bothus, 80.
Bowdish, B. S., an abnormal bill of
Afelanerpes portorice?isis, 53-55;
mortality among young birds,
due to excessive rains, 284.
Bownan, Charles W., Nelson's
Sharp-tailed Sparrow in North
Dakota, 385.
Braislin, William C, notes on cer-
tain birds of Long Island, N. Y.,
287-289.
Brant, 2S9.
Branta bernicla, 289.
canadensis, 33, 247, 451.
Breninger, George F., San Clem-
ente Island and its birds, 218-223.
Brooks, Allan, British Columbia
notes, 289-291.
Brown, C. Emerson, the Evening
Grosbeak at Beverly, Mass., 385.
Brown, Herbert, Masked Bob-white
(Colinus ridgwayi), 209-213.
Brownson, W. H., Myrtle Warblers
wintering in Maine, 388-390.
Bryant, Owen, peculiar nesting-
site of the Bluebird in the Ber-
mudas, 390; dates of nesting of
Bermuda birds, 391.
Bubo virginianus, 237, 455.
virginianus lagophonus, 228.
virginianus pallescens, 353.
Budytes flavus alascensis, 93, 417.
flavus leucostriatus, 417.
Bufflehead, 247.
Bunting, Indigo, 40, 46, 243, 340,
458, 481.
Lazuli, 231.
Painted, 458, 481.
Snow, 286, 493.
Buphagus, 347.
Burnett, L. E., Whip-poor-will
{Antrostomus vocijerus), a new
bird for Colorado, 278.
Burton, W. R., report by, on bird
protection in Florida, 125.
Bush-Tit, Lead-colored, 362, 444,
449-
Buteo boreahs, 34, 239, 454, 476.
borealis calurus, 73, 220, 228,
353-
borealis harlani,477.
borealis krideri, 277.
lineatus, 34, 239,477.
lineatus alleni, 454.
platypterus, 237, 454.
Butorides virescens, 240, 269, 452,
475-
Butterfield, W. Ruskin, the Spotted
Sandpiper in Kent, England, 485.
Buturlin, S. A., the correct name
of the Pacific Dunlin, 50-53 ; a
preoccupied generic name, 80.
Buzzard, Turkey, 241.
Caille, Black, 144.
Speckled, 144.
Calamospiza melanocorys, 448.
Calidris arenaria, 34, 79, 222.
Callipepla squamata, 446.
Campephilus principalis, 455.
Campylorhynchus couesi, 417.
Canachites canadensis canace, 34.
5i6
Index.
TAuk
Loct.
Canvas-back, 288.
Capsiempis, 318.
Cardinal, 84, 145, 238, 391, 458.
Louisiana, 480.
Cardinalis cardinalis, 84, 238, 91,
458.
cardinalis magnirostris, 480.
Carduelis carduelis, 391.
Carpodacus cassini, 69, 357, 447.
frontalis elemental, 221.
mexicanus frontalis, 69, 357,
440.
purpureus, 38, 240.
purpureus californicus, 69.
Cassinia, for 1903, noticed, 396.
Cataracta, 346, 347.
Cataractes, 346, 347.
Catarhactes, 346, 347.
Catarracta, 345, 346, 347.
Catarrachtes, 346.
Catarractes, 346.
chrjsocome, 346.
demursus, 346.
Catbird, 43, 144, 232, 246, 286, 340,
391,461, 483.
Catharacta, 345, 347.
cepphus, 347.
skua, 347.
Catharista urubu, 454, 470, 476.
Catharractes, 346.
Cathartes aura, 34, 228, 241, 352,
453> 47 1> 476.
Catherpes mexicanus polioptilus,
423-
mexicanus punctulatus, 71,
232.
Cedarbird, 244.
Centrocercus urophasianus, 227.
Centronvx, 422.
Centurus carolinus, 250, 4^, 466,
478.
Ceophloeus pileatus, 238, 278, 455,
463, 478.
pileatus abieticolus, 35, 68,
72, 79-
Cepphus columba, 430.
Certhia familiaris americanus, 44,
240, 461.
familiaris montana, 361.
familiaris zelotes, 71, 72.
Cervle alcyon, 35, 72, 228, 241, 306,
353. 455 > 477-
Chaetura pelagica, 36, 241, 456,
478.
Chamsea fasciata rufula, 93.
Chamaeidoe, 419.
Chamoeime, 419.
Chapman, Frank M., notice of his
' Color Key to North American
Birds,' 296; notice of his orni-
thological expedition to Florida
and the Bahamas, 408.
Charadrius dominicus fulvus, 290.
squatarola, 79, 85.
Charitonetta albeola, 247, 392.
Chat, Yellow-breasted, 3, 45, 245,
340,461, 483.
Long tailed, 232, 444, 448.
Chen hyperborea nivalis, 28S.
Chewink, 243, 282, 338.
Chickadee, Black-capped, 44, 62,.
239* 493-
Carolina, 239, 461, 484.
Chestnut-backed, 364-382.
Chestnut-sided, 365.
Hudsonian, 57, 62, 493.
Long-tailed, 362, 449.
Marin, 365.
Mountain, 71, 362, 444.
Oregon, 233.
Santa Cruz, 365, 374.
Turner's 418.
Chicken, Prairie, 136.
Childs, John Lewis, Curlew Sand-
piper in New Jersey, 485.
Chlorura, 422.
Chlorurus, 422.
Chondestes grammacus, 243, 281.
grammacus strigatus, 230.
Chordeiles virginianus, 36, 241,.
456, 478.
virginianus chapmani, 478.
virginianus henryi, 228, 354.
Chrotophaga ani, 79.
Chrysocantor, 422.
Chrysolampis, 485.
Chuck-will's-widow, 338, 455, 478.
Cinclus mexicanus, 7*1 361.
Circus hudsonius, 34, 454, 476.
Cistothorus palustris dissaeptusr
423-
stellaris, 43, 461, 484.
Clangula clangula americana, 247.
Clark, Josiah, H., Curve-billed and
Palmer's Thrashers, 214-217.
Cnipolegus, 318.
Coccyzus americanus, 241, 455,
477-
erythrophthalmus, 35, 241,
455-
Cock, Chaparral, 86.
Code of Botanical Nomenclature,
notice of, 404.
Colaptes auratus, 241, 384, 455r
467, 478.
auratus luteus, 36.
Vol. XXI "I
1904 J
Index.
5*7
Colaptes cafer collaris, 69, 72, 228,
354-
Colinus ridgwayi, 209-213.
virginianus, 237, 453, 476,
509-
virginianus floridanus, 453.
Collyrio excubitoroides, 5.
Columba fasciata, 68, 352, 446.
Columbigallina passerina terres-
ti-is, 453.
Colymbus auritus, 85.
holboellii, 31, 276, 277, 383.
Compsothlypis americana, 244, 460.
americana ramalinae, 482.
americana usneae, 41.
nigrilora, 416.
pitiayuma nigrilora, 416.
Conopias, 320, 321.
Contipus, 34S.
Contopus, 348.
borealis, 72.
richardsoni, 69, 72, 355, 447.
virens, 37, 242, 457,47*8.
Cooke, Wells W., the effect of alti-
tude on bird migration, 338-341 ;
notice of his ' Some New Facts
about the Migration of Birds,'
501.
Coot, American, 250, 452.
Copurus, 315, 316.
Cormorant, Baird's, 219, 438.
Brandt's, 219, 437.
Double-crested, 151, 295.
Farallon, 436.
Florida, 128.
Mexican, 295.
Corvus americanus, 37, 229, 238,
279> 356, 4:3-
brachyrhynchos, 413, 447,
457, 478.
brachyrhynchos pascuus,4i4-
corax principalis, 238, 491.
corax sinuatus, 219, 220, 356,
439-
ossifragus, 242, 478.
Coturniculus, 422.
bairdii, 358, 387, 447.
henslowii, 487.
lecontei, 480.
savannarum passerinus, 243,
399, 458, 48°'
Coues, Elliott, review of his ' Key
to North American Birds,' fifth
edition, 292-296.
Cowbird, 37. 88, 229, 242,457,479.
Creeper, Brown, 44, 67, 240, 461.
Rocky Mountain, 361.
Sierra, 71.
Crossbill, American, 38, 61, 250,
493, 504.
Bendire's, 357, 447.
White-winged, 61, 281, 284,
493' 504-
Crow, American, 37, 57, 229, 238,
279. 356, 447, 457, 478-
Clark's, 290, 356, 444.
Fish, 242, 478.
Crymophilus fuiicarius, 289.
Cryptoglaux, 412.
acadica, 413.
acadica scotsea, 413.
tengmalmi richardsoni, 413.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 35, 241, 455.
Yellow-billed, 241, 340, 455,
. 477-
Cummings, Emma G., see Rich-
ards, Harriet E.
Curlew, Eskimo, 289.
Hudsonian, 222.
Long-billed, 445.
Currrier, Edmonde S., summer
birds of the Leech Lake region,
Minnesota, 29-44.
Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus, 356.
Cyanocitta cristata, 37, 238, 478.
cristata florincola, 457.
stelleri diademata, 355.
stelleri frontalis, 69, 72.
Cyanospiza amcena, 70, 231.
ciris, 458, 481.
cyanea, 40, 243, 458, 481.
Cyrtonyx montezumae, 40.
Dafila acuta, 247, 451.
Dawson, William Leon, notice of
his 'The Birds of Ohio,' 297-299.
Deane, Ruthven, unpublished let-
ters of John James Audubon and
Spencer F. Baird, 255-259; ex-
tracts from an unpublished jour-
nal of John James Audubon, 334-
338.
Delaware Valley Ornithological
Club, Proceedings of, noticed,
396.
Dendragopus obscurus, 351.
obscurus sierrae, 412.
Dendroica sestiva, 41, 232, 244, 460,
483-
sestiva brewsteri, 423.
aestiva morcomi, 70, 72.
auduboni, 70, 72, 360.
blackburniae, 245.
caerulea, 416.
casrulescens, 41, 244.
castanea, 248.
5*8
Index.
TAuk
LOct.
Dendroica cerulea, 416.
coronata, 248, 388, 460, 483.
discolor, 245, 461, 483.
dominica, 460.
dominica albilora, 42.
kirtlandi, S3, 291, 487, 506.
maculosa, 41, 235, 245.
nigrescens, 70, 448.
occidentalis, 71, 72.
palmarum, 248, 460.
palmarum hypochrysea, 461.
pennsylvanica, 42, 236, 245.
rara, 245, 416.
striata, 248.
tigrina, 41, 248, 489.
vigorsi, 41, 245, 460.
virens, 86, 245, 483.
Dewetia, 80.
Dickcissel, 401, 481, 4S7.
Dilopholieus, 295.
Diomedea demersa, 346.
immutabilis, 8-20.
nigripes, 9, 14, 19.
Dionne, C E., the Evening Gros-
beak near Quebec, Canada, 280.
Diplochelidon, 93.
Dolichonyx oryzivorus, 37, 242,399,
400, 457, 479, 486.
Dove, Ground, 453.
Mourning, 68, 171, 227, 239,
352> 453^ 476.
Dovvitcher, Long-billed, 33.
Dryobates pubescens, 455, 468,477.
pubescens- gairdneri, 228.
pubescens medianus, 35,
238.
pubescens turati, 68.
villosus, 237.
villosus auduboni, 455, 477.
villosus hyloscopus, 68.
villosus leucomelas, 35.
villosus monticola, 353.
Duck, American Scaup, 247, 451.
Black, 58, 149, 156, 247, 288,
493-
Buffelhead, 247, 392.
Canvas-back, 288.
Eider, 149, 150, 151, 152, 162.
Goldeneye, 247.
Lesser Scaup, 247, 287, 451.
Old-squaw, 247.
Pintail, 247.
Red-legged Black, 288.
Ring-necked, 451, 474.
Wood, 33, 240, 451, 493.
Dunlin, 290.
Dutcher, William, report of the
A. O. U. Committee on the Pro-
tection of North American Birds
for the year 1903, 97-208 ; the
Pine Grosbeak on Long Island,
N. Y., 281.
Dwight, Jonathan, Jr., the exalta-
tion of the subspecies, 64-66 ;
occurrence of the Knot {Tringa
canutus) at San Diego, Califor-
nia, 78 ; the rapidity of the wing-
beats of birds, 286 ; a method of
obtaining temporary stability in
names, 406.
Eagle, Bald, 219, 250, 446, 454.
Golden, 353.
Eaton, Elon Howard, spring bird
migrations of 1903,341-345.
Ectopistes migratorius, 250.
Egret, American, 128, 129,264, 402 „
452-
Egretta candidissima, 261, 452.
Eider, American, 147.
Eifrig, G., birds of Alleghany and
Garrett Counties, western Mary-
land, 234-250.
Elainea, 314, 315.
Elaineinae, 318, 321.
Elanus glaucus, 420.
leucurus, 68, 420.
Elanoides forficatus, 454.
Elrod, Morton J., notice of his
'The Relation of Birds to Agri-
culture,' 509.
Empidias, 421.
phcebe, 421.
Empidonax acadicus, 247.
alnorum, 242.
canescens, 80, 413.
difficilis, 69, 229, 355.
flaviventris, 457.
griseus, 80, 413.
hammondi, 72.
minimus, 37, 242.
traillii, 37, 302.
traillii alnorum, 59, 457.
virescens, 478.
wrighti, 69.
Empidonomus, 315, 317.
Eniconetta, 412.
Ereunetes pusillus, 33, 476.
Erolia ferruginea, 485.
Eulampis, 485, 486.
Euphagus, 414.
carolinus, 414, 457? 479-
cyanocephalus, 414.
Euscarthminoe, 316, 318, 321.
Vol. XX1"|
1904 J
Index.
5J9
Euscarthmus, 314.
Euspiza americana, 401.
Evans, A. H., notice of his ' Turner
on Birds,' 306.
Falco columbarius, 34, 454, 477.
glaucus, 420.
islandus, 290.
mexicanus, 220, 290.
sparverius, 35, 239, 454, 477.
sparverius deserticolus, 68.
sparverius phaloena, 228, 353.
Falcon, Prairie, '228, 353.
Fannin, John, obituary of, 510.
Finch, Acadian Sharp-tailed, 61.
California Purple, 69.
Cassin's Purple, 69, 240, 357,
447-
House, 69, 357, 440.
Lazuli, 70.
Pine, 357, 392,447-
Purple, 38, 61, 343.
San Clemente House, 221.
Sharp-tailed,
Fisher, A. K., In Memoriam,
Thomas Mcllwraith, 1-7.
Fisher, Walter K., on the habits of
the Laysan Albatross, 8-20;
notice of his Birds of Laysan and
the Leeward Islands,' 90.
Fisher, William H., the Pileated
Woodpecker in Anne Arundel
County, Md., 278.
Flicker, 171, 241, 384, 455, 467, 478.
Northern, 36, 57.
Red-shafted, 69, 228, 354.
Florida caerulea, 268, 452, 475.
Flycatcher, Acadian, 247.
Alder, 59, 242, 457.
Arkansas, 73.
Ash-throated, 73, 229, 355, 447.
Crested, 36, 456, 478.
Great Crested, 242, 340, 343.
Green-crested, 478.
Least, 37, 242.
Olive-sided, 36, 49, 338, 355,
-147-
Traill's, 37.
Vermilion, 457.
Western, 69, 229, 355.
Wright's, 69.
Yellow-bellied, 457, 492.
Forbush, Edward Howe, notice of
his ' Two Years with the Birds
on a Farm,' 308; notice of his
' The Destruction of Birds by the
Elements in 1903-04,' 507.
Foster, Lyman S., obituary of, 312.
Fringilla flammea, 95.
linaria, 95.
Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, the Evening
Grosbeak in Central New York
in April, 385.
Fulica americana, 250, 452.
Fute, English, 289.
Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 43,.
232, 246, 391, 461, 483.
Gallinago delicata, 239, 391, 4^3,
475-
Gallinula galeata, 452.
Gallinule, Florida, 452.
Purple, 452.
Game laws, summary of, for 1903,
3°9-
Gannet, 391.
Gano, Laura, the Bachman Sparrow
{Peuccea cestivalis backmanii) in
the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio*,
82.
Gavia arctica, 419.
imber, 32, 249.
lumme, 249.
Geococcyx californianus, 86.
Geothlypis formosa, 248, 483.
Philadelphia, 42.
tolmiei, 71, 232, 360, 448.
trichas, 245, 287, 461.
trichas ignota, 483.
trichas occidentalis, 43, 232.
Gnat-catcher, Blue-gray, 246, 340,.
462, 484.
Godwit, Hudsonian, 79, 85.
Goldeneye, 247.
Goldfinch, American, 38, 230, 238,
458.
Arkansas, 69, 357, 444.
European, 391.
Green-backed, 414.
Willow, 69.
Goose, American White-fronted,
474-
Canada, 33, 451.
Greater Snow, 288.
Gorfou, 346.
Grackle, Bronzed, 38, 480.
Florida, 457.
Purple, 242, 479.
Rusty, 58, 457, 479.
Grasset, Black, 144.
Green, 144.
Grebe, Holboell's, 31, 276, 277, 383,.
493- n
Horned, 85, 493.
520
Index.
TAuk
LOct.
Grebe, Pied-billed, 246, 451.
Grinnell, Joseph, the status of Melo-
sfiiza lincolni striata Brewster,
274-276 ; the origin and distribu-
tion of the Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, 364-382; European
Widgeon in Southern California,
383. See also Anderson, Mal-
colm P.
Grosbeak, Black-headed, 70, 231,
359' 444-
Blue, 338, 458, 481.
Evening, 81, 82, 280, 385.
Pine, 60, 280, 281, 287, 493.
Rocky Mountain Pine, 357.
Rose-breasted, 40, 48, 243, 341,
458, 481.
Western Blue, 359, 448.
Western Evening, 69, 357,
447-
Grouse, Canadian Ruffed, 34.
Canadian Spruce, 34.
Columbian Sharp-tailed, 227.
Dusky, 351, 444.
Ruffed, 136, 237.
Sierra, 408, 412.
Guara alba, 25-27.
Guillemot, Pigeon, 430.
Guiraca caerulea, 458, 481.
cserulea lazula, 359, 448.
Gull, Black-backed, 58. '
Bonaparte's, 84, 137, 249, 391.
California, 219
Franklin's, 32.
Glaucous-winged, 219.
Heermann's 219.
Herring, 32, 57, 149, 151, 153,
163, 249, 286, 493.
Ice, 58.
Laughing, 85, 129, 149, 154,
179, 474-
Mackerel, 58.
Point Barrow, 289.
Ring-billed, 474.
Skua, 347.
Western, 219, 434-436.
Gygis alba, 109.
Gyrfalcon, White, 290.
H.ematopus bachmani, 222.
Haliaeetus leucocephalus, 219, 250,
353> 446> 454-
Hapalocercus, 314.
Harelda hyemalis, 247, 451.
Harporhynchus curvirostris, 214-
217.
curvirostris palmeri, 214-217.
Hartert, Ernst, notice of his 'Die
Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna,'
Heft I, 94 ; ibid., Heft II, 505.
Hawk, American Rough-legged,
477-
American Sparrow, 35, 4154,
477-
Broad-winged, 237, 342, 343,
454-
Cooper's, 241, 342, 353, 454,
476.
Desert Sparrow, 68, 228, 353.
Duck, 220, 290.
Fish, 152, 219, 250.
Florida Red-shouldered, 454.
Harlan's, 477.
Krider's, 277.
Marsh, 34, 342, 454, 476.
Pigeon, 34, 342, 454, 477.
Red-shouldered, 34, 239, 342,
477-
Red-tailed, 34, 239, 342, 454,
476.
Sharp-shinned, 34, 239, 342,
343, 446> 454» 476-
Sparrow, 239.
Western Red-tailed, 220, 228,
353-
Western Sharp-shinned, 68.
Heleodytes brunneicapillus, 417.
brunneicapillus anthonyi,
423-
brunneicapillus couesi, 417.
Heller, Edmund, see Snodgrass,
Robert E.
Helme, A. H., the Western Mead-
owlark (Stur?iella magna neg-
lecta) in southern Georgia, 280 ;
the Pine Grosbeak on Long
Island, N. Y., 280; the Ipswich
Sparrow, Kirtland's Warbler,
and Sprague's Pipit in Georgia,
291.
Helminthophila bachmani, 460,
482.
celata, 360, 448, 482.
celata lutescens, 360, 448.
chrysoptera, 236, 244, 399.
lawrencei, 387.
peregrina, 24S, 489.
pinus, 388.
rubricapilla, 248.
rubricapilla gutturalis, 70, 72.
virginise, 360.
Helmitheros vermivorus, 244, 482.
Helodromas solitarius, 247, 453.
solitarius cinnamomeus, 445.
vol. xxn
1904 J
Index.
521
Hemitriccus diops, 314.
Henderson, Junius, the Bobolink
in Colorado, 486.
Henninger, W. F., another Ohio
record for the Knot (Tri'nga can-
utus), 277.
Hen, Sage, 227.
Henshaw, Henry W., report on
bird protection in Hawaii, 134.
Herodias egretta, 264, 452.
Heron, Black-crowned Night, 249,
269, 402, 452.
Great Blue, 33, 156, 223, 240,
343' 445. 452> 474-
Great White, 129, 260-262.
Green, 46, 240, 269, 402, 452,
474-
Little Blue, 128, 129, 268,
402, 452, 475.
Louisiana, 128, 129, 130, 266-
268, 452.
Night, 46, 148. 170.
Snowj, 129, 265, 402, 452.
Ward's, 129, 263.
Yellow-crowned Night, 269,
475-
Hesperiphona vespertina, 82, 280,
385-
vespertina montana, 357,
447-
Heteractitis brevipes, 52.
Hirundo erythrogaster, 231, 243,
360, 448, 481.
euchrysea, 93.
fucata, 93.
viridis, 337.
Hoffmann, Ralph, notice of his
' Guide to the Birds of New
England and Eastern New York,'
393-
Hollister, N., see Kumlien, L.
Homer, Fred. A., report on the
Terns of Penikese Island, 169.
Hoopes, Josiah, obituary of, 311.
Hornaday, W. T., notice of his
' The American Natural History,'
394-
Howe, Reginald Heber, Jr., the Am
in Florida, 79 ; the Red-backed
Sandpiper in Massachusetts in
December, 277 ; a correction, 286 ;
Audubon's 'Ornithological Biog-
raphy,' 286 ; what has happened
to the Martins ? 387 ; Killdeers
at Allen's Harbor, R. I., 485.
Hummingbird, Black-chinned, 228.
Broad-tailed, 354.
Hummingbird, Caliope, 69, 355, 446.
Ruby-throated, 36, 340, 342,
456, 478.
Rufous, 354, 446.
Hunt, Chreswell J., how an ab-
normal growth of bill was
caused, 384; Henslow's Sparrow
in Chester County, Pa., 386.
Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis, 266-
268, 452.
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamen-
sis, 32, 85, 249, 445.
Hylocichla aliciae, 44, 248, 483.
aonalaschka? sequoiensis, 71,
72.
fuscescens, 44, 246, 483.
guttata auduboni, 363.
guttata pallasi, 44, 235, 246,
283,287, 392, 462, 484.
mustelina, 246, 462,483.
sequoiensis, 72.
ustulata, 233.
ustulata swainsonii, 248.
ustulata almge, 302.
Ibis, Glossy, 21, 29.
White, 25-27, 128, 130.
Wood, 27-29, 128, 451.
Icteria virens, 245, 461, 483.
virens longicauda, 232, 448.
Icterinse, 421.
Icterus auduboni, 414.
bullocki, 73, 230.
galbula, 38, 242, 457, 479.
melanocephalus, 414.
melanocephalus audubonii,
414.
spurius, 457 ,479.
spurius affinis, 422.
Ictinia mississippiensis, 454, 476.
Ihering, H. von, the biology of the
Tyrannidse with respect to their
systematic arrangement, 313-322.
International Catalogue of Scien-
tific Literature, review of zoologi-
cal volume for 1901,494-501.
Ionornis martinica, 452.
Iridoprocne bicolor, 459, 481.
Ixoreus, 424.
Jack, Whiskey, 57.
Jacobs, J. Warren, notice of his
'The Haunts of the Golden-
winged Warbler,' 399.
Jaeger, Parasitic, 284.
Jay, Arizona, 29^
Blue, 37, 238, 478.
522
Index.
TAuk
LOct.
Jay, Blue-fronted, 69.
California, 73.
Florida Blue, 457.
Long-crested, 355, 444.
Pinon, 356, 444.
Rocky Mountain, 356.
Steller's, 295.
Wood ho use's 355, 444.
Job, H. K., report on protection of
birds at Dry Tortugas, 126. See
also Bent, A. C.
Johnson, W. S., the Lark Sparrow
in Oneida County, N. Y., 281.
Jones, Lynds, notice of his ' Birds
of Ohio,' 90.
Judd, Sylvester D., notice of his
' Birds of a Maryland Farm,' 307 ;
notice of his 'The Economic
Value of the Bobwhite,' 509.
Junco caniceps, 358.
dorsalis, 358.
hyemalis, 249.
hyenralis carolinensis, 23c;,
238.
hyemalis thurberi, 70, 72.
montanus, 302.
Junco, 57, 249, 343.
Carolina, 238.
Gray-headed, 358, 444.
Red-backed, 358.
Sierra, 70.
Kieneria, 422.
Killdeer, 34, 241, 392, 453, 476, 485.
King, Le Roy, occurrence of the
Ruff [Pavoncella fiugnax) and
other birds in Rhode Island, 85.
Kingbird, 36, 59, 144, 228,242, 285,
340, 446, 456, 478.
Arkansas, 228.
Cassin's, 355, 446.
Kingfisher, Belted, 35, 228, 241,
353' 455- 477-
Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 62, 240,
362, 461.
Ruby-crowned, 67, 71, 248,
338»343> 362> 444' 461' 484-
Western Golden-crowned, 71,
484.
Kite, Everglade, 129.
Mississippi, 454, 476.
Swallow-tailed, 454.
White-tailed, 68.
Knot, 78, 277.
Kobbe\ T. W., Black-bellied Plover
and Hudsonian Godwit on Long
Island, N. Y., 79.
Kopman, Henry H., bird migration
phenomena in the extreme Lower
Mississippi Valley, 45-50.
Kumlien, L., and N. Hollister,
notice of their ' The Birds of Wis-
consin,' 301.
Lagopus leucurus altipetens, 351.
Lamprochelidon, 93.
Lanius ludovicianus, 5, 250, 460,
482.
ludovicianus excubitorides,
232, 448.
ludovicianus mearnsi, 93,
416.
ludovicianus migrans, 416.
Lark, Dusky Horned, 229, 355.
Island Horned, 222.
Montezuma Horned, 447.
Prairie Horned, 37, 81, 238.
Larus argentatus, 32, 249, 286.
atricilla, 8^, 474.
barrovianus, 289.
californicus, 219.
franklini, 32.
glaucescens, 219.
heermanni, 219.
occidentalis, 219, 434-436.
Philadelphia, 84, 249, 391.
Legatus, 320, 321.
Leptotilabrachyptera, 420.
fulviventris brach yptera, 420.
Lestris, 347.
Lichenops, 318.
Limosa hasmastica, 79, 85.
Linnet, Redpoll, 493.
Long, William J., review of his
article 'Animal Surgery,' 88; no-
tice of criticisms of his books in
' Science,' 409.
Loon, 32, 249.
Red-throated, 249, 493.
Lophodytes cucullatus, 247, 451.
Lophortyx californicus, 439.
californicus vallicolus, 73.
Loxia curvirostra america^a, 506.
curvirostra bendirei, 357, 447.
curvirostra minor, 38, 250,
506.
leucoptera, 281, 284.
Lunda cirrhata, 428.
Maciietornis, 315, 318.
rixosus, 317.
Macrorhamphus scolopaceus, 33.
Magpie, American, 229.
Black-billed, 355.
Vol. xxr
1904 .
Judex.
S23
Magpie, Yellow-billed, 408.
Mallard, 33, 247, 451.
Mareca americana, 247, 391, 451.
penelope, 384.
Martin, Purple, 40, 243, 360, 387,
459, 481, 508.
McAtee, W. F., an interesting vari-
ation in Seiurus, 488 ; Warblers
and grapes, 489.
McGregor, Richard C, notice of
his paper on Philippine birds,
404.
Mcllwraith, Thomas, memorial
address on, 1-7.
Meadowlark, 242, 457.
Southern, 479.
Western, 222, 229, 280, 356,
448.
Meerlerche, Braune Weispuncti-
erte, 52.
Megalestris, 345-347.
Megarhynchus, 315.
Megascops asio, 237.
asio bendirei, 73.
asio floridanus, 455, 477.
asio macfarlanei, 228.
Melanerpes angustifrons, 420.
erythrocephalus, 36, 241, 303,
455, 468,478.
erythrophthalmus, 303.
formicivorus, 354.
formicivorus aculeatus, 402.
formicivorus angustifrons,
420.
formicivorus bairdi, 68, 73.
portoricensis, 53.
Meleagris gallopavo merriami, 352,
420.
gallopavo silvestris, 237, 453.
Melospiza cinerea melodia, 238, 458.
cinerea montana, 231.
georgiana, 243, 458, 480.
lincolni, 248, 274-276, 359.
lincolni striata, 274-276.
melodia, 399.
Merganser americanus, 249.
serrator, 246.
Merganser, American, 249.
Hooded, 247, 451.
Red-breasted, 246.
Mergus serrator, 399.
Merula migratoria, 44, 240, 462, 484.
migratoria propinqua, 71, 72,
222, 233, 363.
Michigan Ornithological Club, offi-
cers of, 410.
Microlyssa, 485.
Micropalama himantopus, 85.
Microptera, 420.
Micropterus, 420.
Miller, Olive Thorne, notice of her
4 With the Birds in Maine,' 301.
Miller, W. D. W., report on bird
protection in New Jersey, 179;
breeding of the Dickcissel in
New Jersey, 487.
Millinery Merchants Protective
Association, agreement with be-
tween New York Audubon Soci-
ety and American Ornithologists'
Union, 101-103.
Milvulus, 316.
Mimidae, 417.
Miminse, 417.
Mimus polvglottos, 392, 461, 483.
polyglottos leucoptera, 223,
448.
Mionectes rufiventris, 314.
Mitrephanes, 421.
Mniotilta varia, 244, 460.
Mockingbird, 145, 392, 461, 483.
Western, 223.
Molothrus ater, 37, 229, 242, 399,
457, 479-
Motacilla caerulea, 416.
Murre, California, 431-434.
Muscicapa brasierii, 417.
Muscivora, 316.
tyrannus, 321.
Myadestes townsendii, 362.
Myiarchus, 316.
cinerascens, 73, 229, 355, 413,
446.
cinerascens nuttingi, 413.
cooperi, 403, 456.
crinitus, 36, 242, 478.
crinitus residuus, 403, 421.
mexicanus, 403.
nuttingi, 403.
Myiobius barbatus, 315.
naevius, 315.
Myiodynastes, 315, 321.
solitarius, 321.
Myiozetetes, 315, 316, 320, 321.
similis, 320.
Nelson, E. W., Empidonax griseus,
Brewster = E. canescens Salv. &
Godm., 80 ; notice of his papers
on new species of Mexican birds,
93 ; notice of his ' Revision of the
North American Mainland Spe-
cies of Myiarckusf 403; notice
of his ' Descriptions of New Birds
from Southern Mexico,' 403.
Nettion carolinense, 249, 451.
5H
Index.
TAuk
LOct.
Nichols, John Treadwell, Black-
backed Three-toed Woodpecker
and Evening Grosbeak at Well-
fleet, Mass., 81.
Nighthawk, 36, 145, 241, 456, 478.
Western, 228, 354.
Norton, A. H., report on bird pro-
tection in Maine, 147-164 ; notes
on the protected birds on the
Maine coast with relation to cer-
tain economic questions, 164-
167.
Nucifraga Columbiana, 290, 356,
421.
Numenius borealis, 289.
hudsonicus, 222.
longirostris, 445.
Nutcracker, Clark's, 356.
Nuthatch, Brown-headed, 286, 461.
Canada, 57.
Pigmy* 362> 444-
Red-breasted, 238, 2S6.
Rocky Mountain, 361, 444.
White-breasted, 44, 238.
Nuttallornis borealis, 36, 355, 447.
Nyctala, 412.
acadica, 84, 240.
Nyctanassa violacea, 269, 475.
Nyctea nyctea, 250, 392.
Nycticorax nycticorax nsevius, 249,
269, 452.
Nyroca, 420.
Oberholser, Harry C, notice of
his description of a new Telma-
todytes from Texas, 94 ; notice of
his ' Review of the Wrens of the
genus Troglodytes^ 303 ; notice
of his 'A Revision of the Amer-
ican Great Horned Owls,' 304;
Phylloftseuste vs. P/iylloscopus,
390-
Oceanodroma homochroa, 436.
leucorhoa, 436.
Oddi, see Arrigoni degli Oddi, E.
Oidemia deglandi, 78.
Olbiorchilus, 423.
hiemalis, 461, 484.
Old-squaw, 247, 451.
Oldys, Henry, the rhythmical song
of the Wood Pewee, 270-274 ;
notice of his 'Audubon Societies
in their Relation to the Farmer,'
309. See also Palmer, T. S.
Olor columbianus, 84, 249.
Orchilus auricularis, 314.
Oreochelidon, 93.
Oreortyx pictus plumiferus, 68.
Oreospiza, 422.
chlorura, 70, 359.
Oriole, Baltimore, 38, 342, 338, 457,
479-
Bullock's 73, 230.
Orchard, 242, 457, 479.
Scott's 392.
Ornithion cinerascens, 314.
imberbe, 314.
obsoletum, 314.
Oroscoptes montanus, 232, 448.
Orthorhynchus, 485,
Osprey, 250, 454, 477.
Otocoris alpestris, 398.
alpestris insularis, 222.
alpestris leucolaema, 355.
alpestris merrilli, 229.
alpestris occidentalis, 447.
alpestris praticola, 37, 81, 238.
Ouzel, Water, 361.
Oven-bird, 42, 245, 340, 461, 483.
Owl, American Barn, 455.
Barred, 35, 237, 477.
Burrowing, 222, 228.
Florida Barred, 455.
Florida Screech, 455.
Great Gray, 278.
Great Horned, 237, 455.
MacFarlane's Screech, 228,
477-
Saw-whet, 84, 240.
Screech, 237.
Short-eared, 477.
Snowy, 392.
Western Horned, 228, 353,
446.
Oyster-catcher, Black, 222.
Oxyechus vociferus, 34, 241, 453,
476, 485.
Palmer, T. S., and Henry Oldys
and R. W. Williams, Jr., notice
of their Summary of ' Game Laws
for 1903/309.
Pandion haliaetus carolinensis, 219,
250. 454. 477-
Partridge, California, 408, 439.
Mountain, 68.
Scaled, 446.
Valley, 73.
Parus atricapillus, 44, 239.
atricapillus occidentalis, 233.
atricapillus septentrionalis,
362, 448.
atricapillus turneri, 418.
carolinensis, 239, 461, 484.
Vol. XXI "I
1904 J
Index.
525
Parus gambeli, 71, 72, 93, 362, 373.
hudsonicus, 365, 37.1, 376.
pre-hudsonicus, 368-371.
pre-hudsonicus rufescens,
369> 374, 376-
rufescens, 364-382.
rutescens barlowi, 365, 367,
375> 378-382.
rufescens neglectus, 365, 367,
376, 378-381.
rutescens rufescens, 365, 376,
377-38o.
Passerculus princeps, 291.
rostratus, 223.
rostratus guttatus,4i5.
rostratus halophilus, 415.
sandwichensis savanna, 4^8,
480.
Passer domesticus, 391, 447.
Passerella iliaca, 248.
iliaca megarhyncha, 70.
Passerina nivalis, 250.
Paulomaugus, 423.
Pavoncella pugnax, 85.
Pearson, Henry J., notice of his
'Three Summers among the
Birds of Russian Lapland,' 398.
Pedicecetes phasianellus columbi-
anus, 227.
Pelecanus californicus, 219.
erythrorhynchos, 33, 277.
Pelican, American White, 33.
Brown, 123.
California, 219.
Pelidna alpina, 290.
alpina pacifica, 277, 290, 412.
alpina sakhalina, 412.
Pennock, C. J., Delaware bird
notes, 286.
Pericrocotus novus, 404.
Perisoreus canadensis capitalis, 356.
Petrel, Ashy, 436.
Black-capped, 383.
Bonin, 8.
Leach's, 149, 153, 436.
Petrochelidon lunifrons, 73, 231,
243, 360.
lunifrons melanogastra, 415.
lunifrons tachina, 415.
melanogastra, 415.
murina, 93.
Peucaea aestivalis bachmanii, 82,
458.
cassini, 447.
Pewee, Wood, 37, 242, 270-274, 340,
457, 478.
Western Wood, 69, 355, 444,
447-
Phaethon dermersus, 346.
liavirostris, 391.
Phalacrocorax dilophus albocilia-
tus, 436.
pelagicus resplendens, 219,
438.
penicillatus, 219, 437.
Phalaenophila nuttalli, 354.
nuttalli nitidus, 401.
Phalarope, Northern, 250, 445, 493.
Red, 289.
Wilson's, 33, 445.
Phalaropus lobatus, 250, 445.
Philohela, 420.
minor, 240, 384, 452, 47^.
Phoebe, 36, 242, 343, 392, 456, 478.
Black, 69, 223.
Say's, 229, 355.
Phyllobasileus, 424.
Phvllomyas, 314.
Phyllopseustes, 390. 419.
borealis, 390, 419.
Phylloscartes, 315.
ventralis, 314.
Phylloscopus, 390.
Pica pica hudsonica, 229, 355.
Picicorvus columbianus, 421.
Picoides arcticus, 35, 81.
arcticus dorsalis, 353.
Pigeon, Band-tailed, 68, 352, 444,
446.
Passenger, 250.
Sea, 149, 152, 155, 161.
Pinicola eneucleator, 287.
eneucleator canadensis, 280,
281.
eneucleator montana, 357.
Pintail, 247, 451.
Pipilo crissalis, 73.
erythrophthalmus, 243, 282,
458, 480.
erythrophthalmus alleni,
458.
fuscus carolae, 415.
fuscus crissalis, 415.
fuscus mesoleucus, 359.
maculatus atratus, 422.
maculatus megalonyx, 70,
23 J> 359, 448.
Pipit, American, 47, 277, 361, 461,
483-
Sprague's 291, 483.
Piprinae, 318.
Piranga erythromelas, 243, 459, 481.
hepatica, 448.
ludoviciana, 70, 231, 359, 448.
rubra, 243, 459,481.
Pitanginae, 318.
526
Index.
TAuk
LOct.
Pitangus, 315, 316, 318.
sulphuratus, 320.
Platyrhynchinae, 318, 321.
Platyrhrynchus mystaceus, 313.
Plegadis autumnalis, 29.
Plover, Black-bellied, 79, 85, 218, 476.
Golden, 502.
Killdeer, 34.
Mountain, 222.
Pacific Golden, 290.
Semipalmated, 34, 476.
Upland, 493.
Wilson's, 129.
Podasocys montanus, 222.
Podilymbus podiceps, 246, 451.
Pceciloides, 93.
Polioptila crerulea, 246, 462, 480.
Poljsticta, 412.
stelleri, 412.
Pooecetes gramineus, 39, 243, 458,
480.
gramineus confinis, 230, 358.
Poor-will, 354.
Porzana Carolina, 33, 247, 452.
Procelsterna saxatilis, 90.
Progne subis, 73, 243, 360, 387, 459,
481.
Protonotaria citrea, 460, 4S2.
Psaltriparus, 423.
lloydi, 419.
melanotis lloydi, 419.
minimus saturatus, 93.
plumbeus, 362, 448.
santaritae, 419.
Psarocolius cyanocephalus, 414.
Ptarmigan, Southern White-tailed,
35i-
Ptiliogonatidse, 415.
Ptiliogonatinse, 415.
Ptychoramphus aleuticus, 222, 429.
Puffin, 160.
Tufted, 428.
Puffinus borealis, 287.
Pyrocephalus rubineus, 321.
rubineus mexicanus, 457.
QLTERqyEDULA discors, 33, 247, 445,
~ 451* 474'
Quiscalinse, 421.
Quiscalus quiscula, 242, 457, 479.
quiscula aneus, 38, 480.
Rail, Clapper 179.
King, 452, 475.
Sora, 33, 247, 452.
Virginia, 452.
Rallus elegans, 452, 475.
Rallus, virginianus, 452.
Raven, 59, 219, 220, 238, 356, 439,
491.
Ray, Milton S., a fortnight on the
Farallones, 425-442.
Redpoll, 250, 392, 493.
Redstart, American, 43, 47, 49, 62,
246> 343' 46l» 483-
Redtail, Western, 73, 228.
Red-wing, San Diego, 229, 444.
Vera Cruz, 414.
Regulus calendula, 71, 72, 248, 362,
461, 484.
calendula obscurus, 419.
obscurus, 419.
satrapa, 240, 362, 461, 484.
satrapa olivaceus, 71.
Rhoads, Samuel N., notice of his
' Exit the Dickcissel,1 etc., 401.
Rhynchocyclus, 315.
Richards, Harriet E., and Emma G.
Cummings, notice of their ' Baby
Pathfinder to the Birds,' 395.
Ridgway, R., notice of papers by, on
new genera and species of Amer-
ican birds, 93.
Riley, J. H., on the evanescent
ground-tint of Woodcock's eggs,
384 ; note on the generic names
Bellona, Orthorhynchus, Chryso-
lamftis, and Eiilampis, 485 ; the
proper name of the Tody of Ja-
maica, 486.
Riparia riparia, 244, 459.
Road-runner, 85.
Robin, American, 44, 57, 62, 240,
462, 484, 491, 503.
Western, 71, 222, 233, 363.
Ruff, 85.
Sage, John H., Twenty-first Con-
gress of the American Ornithol-
ogists' Union, 74-78.
Salpinctes obsoletus, 223, 232, 361,
440-442.
Sanderling, 34, 48, 79, 170, 222.
Sandpiper, Baird's, 445.
Bartramian, 34, 48, 84, 146,
24°' 45 3 > 476> 493-
Bonaparte's 170.
Curlew, 485.
Least, 33, 170,445,475.
Pectoral, 475.
Red-backed, 277.
Semipalmated, 33, 170, 476.
Sharp-tailed, 290.
Solitary, 48, 170, 247, 453.
Vol. XXI"]
1904 J
Index.
527
Sandpiper, Spotted, 33, 68, 149, 170,
2 4°' 35i, 462>476, 485.
Stilt, 85.
Western Solitary, 445.
White-rumped, 475.
Sapsucker, Red-naped, 354.
Williamson's, 354.
Yellow-bellied, 241, 343, 455,
478.
Sayornis, 320, 321.
nigricans, 223, 413.
nigricans semiatra, 69, 72,
4!3-
phcebe, 36, 223, 242, 392, 456,
478.
saya, 223, 229, 355.
Scolecophagus carolinus, 247.
cyanocephalus, 69, 72, 230.
Scolopax gallinago raddei, 50.
sakhalina, 50, 51, 53, 412.
Scoter, Black, 493.
Surf, 494.
White-winged, 78, 493.
Scotiaptex nebulosa, 27S.
Scott, W. E. D., notice of his 'Ac-
count of rearing Wild Finches
by Foster-parent Birds,' 399 ;
notice of his paper on ' The In-
heritance of Song in Passerine
Birds,' 400.
Seiurus aurocapillus, 42, 2415, 461,
483-
motacilla, 236, 245, 462.
noveboracensis, 48, 236, 245,
287.
noveboracensis notabilis, 488.
Selasphorus platycercus, 354.
rufus, 354, 446.
Serpophaga, 314.
Serpophaginse, 316, 348, 321.
Seth-Smith, David, notice of his
'Parrakeats,' 96.
Setophaga ruticilla, 43, 246, 461,
483.
Sharpe, R. Bovvdler, notice of his
' Hand-List of the Genera and
Species of Birds,' Volume IV,
92.
Shearwater, Black-vented, 219.
Cory's, 287.
Sheppard, Edwin, obituary of, 407.
Shoveller, 451.
Shrike, Loggerhead, 250, 460, 482.
migrant, 416.
San Clemente, 466.
White-rumped, 232, 448.
Shufeldt, R. W., notice of papers
by, on the osteology of the Hal-
cyones and Limicolye, 306.
Sialia arctica, 71, 362.
mexicana bairdi, 363.
sialis, 44, 239, 390, 462, 484.
Sieberocitta, 2915.
Silloway, P. M.', notice of his 'The
Birds of Fergus County, Mon-
tana,' 302 ; notice of his 'Addi-
tional Notes on the Birds of
Flathead Lake,' 401.
Sirystes, 320, 321.
Siskin, Pine, 39, 61, 69, 357, 493.
Sisopygis, 318, 321.
Sitta canadensis, 235, 238.
carolinensis, 44, 238.
carolinensis nelsoni, 362.
pusilla, 461.
pygmaea, 362.
Sittidae, 418.
Sittinse, 418.
Skimmer, Black, 129, 180.
Snipe, Wilson's 239, 392, 453, 475.
Snodgrass, Robert E., a list of land
birds from central and southeast-
ern Washington, 223-233.
Snodgrass, Robert E., and Edmund
Heller, notice of their 'Birds of
the Galapagos Archipelago,' 30^.
Snow, F. H., the Black-bellied
Plover, Road-runner, and Black-
throated Green Warbler in Kan-
sas, 85 ; two additions to the
bird fauna of Kansas, 284.
Snowbird, 249.
Carolina, 238.
Snowflake, 250.
Soelner, George W. H., the Pileated
Woodpecker in the District of
Columbia, 79.
Solitaire, Townsend's, 362, 444.
Sora, 247, 452.
Southwick, James M., obituary of,
Sparrow, Bachman's, 83, 458.
Baird's,358, 447.
Bell's, 221.
Brewer's, 230,447, 458.
Cassin's, 447.
Chipping, 39, 243, 285.
Clay-colored, 39, 447.
Desert, 447.
English, 391, 447.
Field, 243, 285, 458, 486.
Fox, 248.
Grasshopper, 243, 458, 480.
Henslow's, 386, 486, 492.
S28
hid ex.
TAuk
LOct.
Sparrow, House, 40.
Ipswich, 291.
Large-billed, 223.
Lark, 243, 281.
Leconte's, 480.
Lincoln's, 40, 61, 248, 358.
Mountain Song, 231.
Nelson's Sharp-tailed, 385.
Sage, 231.
San Clemente Song, 221.
Savanna, 48, 149, 151, 286,
458, 480.
Scott's, 447.
Song, 40, 57, 87, 151, 238, 458.
Swamp, 40, 48, 243, 338, 458,
480.
Thick-billed Fox, 67, 70.
Tree, 249.
Vesper, 39, 243, 480.
Western Chipping, 70, 230,
358> 444-
Western Lark, 230, 444.
Western Vesper, 230, 358.
White-crowned, 48, 67, 69,
248> 358> 444-
White-throated, 39, 57, 248,
458, 480.
Yellow-winged, 492.
Spatula clypeata, 451.
Speotjto cunicularia hvpogzea, 222,
228.
Spheniscus dernersus, 346.
Sphyrapicus thyroides, 354.
varius, 35, 241, 478.
varius daggetti. 72.
varius nuchalis, 354.
Spinus pinus, 39, 69, 357, 447.
Spiza americana, 481, 487.
Spizella breweri, 230, 447.
monticola, 249.
pallida, 39, 447.
pusilla, 243, 458, 480.
socialis, 39, 243, 458.
socialis arizonse, 70, 72, 230,
358.
Spoonbill, Roseate, 22-25, 129, 130.
Squatarola squatarola, 218, 476.
Starling, 289.
Steganopus glacialis, 420.
tricolor, 33, 420, 445.
Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 70, 244,
481.
Stellerocitta, 295.
Stellula caliope, 69, 355, 446.
Stercorarius, 347.
parasiticus, 284.
Sterna antillarum, 124.
Sterna forsteri, 32.
hirundo, 289.
tschegrava, 84.
Stilt, Black-necked, 129.
Stockhard, Charles E., nesting
habits of the Woodpeckers and
the Vultures in Mississippi, 463-
471.
Stone, Witmer, Henslow's Sparrow
at Bethlehem, Pa., — a correction,
386.
Strandlaufer, Bunte Sachalinsche,
52.
Strix pratincola, 455.
tengmalmi, 413.
Sturnella magna, 242, 457.
magna argutula, 479.
magna neglecta, 222, 229,
280, 356.
neglecta, 73.
Sturnellime, 421.
Sturnus vulgaris, 289.
Sula bassana, 391.
Swales, Bradshaw H., Evening
Grosbeak in Presque Isle Co.,
Mich., 82 ; a few Southern Mich-
igan notes, 84 ; White-winged
Crossbill, a correction, 281.
Swallow, Bank, 41, 244, 459, 503.
Barn, 231, 243, 360, 448, 481,
508.
Blue-green, 337.
Cliff, 62, 231, 243, 360, 503.
Lesser Cliff, 415.
Northern Violet-green, 360.
Rough-winged, 70, 244, 340,
481.
Tree, 41, 62, 459, 481, 508.
Violet-green, 70.
White-bellied, 337.
Swan, Whistling, 84, 249.
Swarth, Harry S., notice of his
' Birds of the Huachuca Moun-
tains, Arizona,' 401.
Swift, Chimney, 36. 59, 241, 456,
478, 503, 508.
White-throated, 69, 220, 354.
Sylvia autumnalis, 334.
ccerulea, 416.
Symphemia semipalmata, 287.
Syrnium varium, 35, 237, 477.
varium alleni, 455.
Tachycincta thalassina lepida, 360.
Toenioptera irupero, 315.
nengeta, 315.
Taeniopterinae, 315, 318, 321.
Vol. XXI]
1904 J
Index.
529
Tanager, Hepatic, 448.
Louisiana, 231.
Scarlet, 40, 243, 341, 458, 481.
Summer, 243, 341,459, 481.
Western, 70, 359, 448.
Tantalus loculator, 27-29, 451.
Taverner, P. A., another abnormal
bill, 279; a discussion of the
origin of migration, 322-333 ;
tagging young birds, 410.
Teal, Blue-winged, 33, 247, 445,
45 J> 474-
Green-winged, 249, 451.
Telmatodytes marianae, 417.
palustris, 44, 423.
palustris iliacus, 418, 423.
palustris marianae, 418.
palustris thryophilus, 418.
Tern, Arctic, 149, 156, 161.
Black, 32, 85; 249, 445.
Caspian, 84.
Common, 149, 150, 151, 156,
161, 163, 164, 169, 180, 289.
Forster's 32.
Least, 124, 180.
Necker Island, 90.
Noddy, 126.
Sootv, 126.
Wilson's, 58.
Thayer Fund for bird protection,
report on, 97-208.
Thayer, Gerald H., the Raven in
southern New Hampshire, and
other notes, 491-494.
Thayer, John !£., Holbcell's Grebe
in Lancaster, Mass., 383 ; notice
of his ornithological expedition
to Central America, 407.
Thrasher, Brown, 43, 246, 338, 461,
484.
California, 73.
Curved-billed, 214-217.
Palmer's 214-217.
Sage, 232, 448.
Thrush, Audubon's Hermit, 363,
444.
Gray-checked, 44, 45~47,
248, 484.
Hermit, 44, 63, 67, 246, 283,
287, 392, 484.
Olive-backed, 45, 46, 57, 63,
248, 492.
Russet-backed, 233.
Sierra Hermit, 71.
Water, see Water-Thrush.
Wilson's, 44 45-47, 246, 484.
Wood, 144, 246, 340, 462,
484, 492.
Thryomanes bewickii, 26, 461, 481.
bewickii leucogaster, 221.
bewickii spilurus, 221.
leucogaster, 221.
Thryorchilus, 303.
Thryothorus ludovicianus, 238,461,
484.
Titmouse, Gray, 362, 444, 44 .
Hudson Bay, 493.
San Francisco, 418.
Tufted, 239, 285, 461, 484.
Todd, W. E. Clyde, notice of his
'The Birds of Erie and Presque
Isle, Erie County, Pennsylvania,'
505-
Todirostrum cinereum, 314.
Todus todus, 486.
viridis, 486.
Tody, Jamaican, 486.
Torrey, Bradford, notice of his
'The Clerk of the Woods,' 300.
Totanus flavipes, 247, 445.
melanoleucus, 61.
macularius, 485.
Towhee, 40, 243, 458, 480.
California, 73.
Canon, 359, 444.
Green, 67.
Green-tailed, 70, 359.
Spurred, 67, 70, 231, 359'
448.
White-eyed, 459.
Townsend, Charles W, extension
of the breeding range of the
Prairie Horned Lark {Otocoris
alpestris praticola) to the East-
ern Coast, 81.
Toxostoma redivivum, 73.
rufum, 43, 246, 461, 484.
Tringa alpina var. americana, 53.
alpina sakhalina, 53.
alpina variegata, 53.
canutus, 78, 277.
meleagris, 52.
variegata, 53.
virgata, 53.
Trochilus alexandri, 228.
auratus, 486.
carbunculus, 486.
colubris, 36, 242, 456, 478.
cyanomelas, 486.
elatus, 486.
exilis, 485.
guianensis, 486.
jugularis, 486.
minimus, 486.
moschitus, 486.
mosquitus, 485, 486.
53°
I?idex.
TAuk
LOct.
Trochilus niger, 486.
violaceus, 486.
Troglodytes, 423.
aedon, 246, 461, 484.
aedon aztecus, 43, 232, 361.
brovvni, 303.
hiemalis, 249.
Trotter, Spencer, some Nova Scotia
birds, 55-64.
Trumbull, Gurdon, obituary of, 310.
Turdus naevius, 424.
Turkey? Merriam's, 352, 444.
Wild, 237, 453.
Turnstone, Black, 218.
Ruddy, 34.
Tyrannida;, biology of, 312-322.
Tyrannina;, 318.
Tjrahniscus, 318.
Tyrannula cinerascens, 403.
mexicanus, 403.
Tyrannus, 315.
albogularis, 320.
aurantioatronotatus, 317.
melancholicus, 321.
tjrannus, 36, 228, 242, 446,
456, 478.
verticalis, 73, 228, 446.
vociferans, 355, 446.
Uria troile calif ornica, 431-434.
Vireo belli arizonae, 93.
flavifrons, 244, 460, 482.
gilvus, 244, 482.
gilvus swainsoni, 70, 72, 448.
huttoni cognatus, 93.
huttoni obscurus, 290.
noveboracensis, 460, 482.
olivaceus, 232, 244, 460, 482.
philadelphicus, 84, 248, 282.
solitarius, 235, 244, 482.
solitarius cassini, 70, 72, 232.
solitarius plumbeus, 360.
vicinior, 392.
Vireo, Anthony's, 290.
•Blue-headed, 41, 49, 244, 482.
Cassin's, 70, 232.
Gray, 392.
Philadelphia, 49, 84, 248, 282,
283.
Plumbeous, 360.
Red-eyed, 41, 62, 144,232,244,
^ 34°5 46o> 48a> 503-
Solitary, 62, 341.
Warbling, 41, 49, 244, 482.
Western Warbling, 70, 360,
448.
Vireo, White-eyed, 340, 460, 482.
Yellow-throated, 244, 340, 343,
460, 482.
Vulture, Black, 454, 469-471, 476.
Turkey, 34, 228, 241, 287, 352,
453>47i, 476.
Wagtail, Alaskan Yellow, 417.
Walton, Mason A., review of his
'A Hermit's Wild Friends,' 87-
90.
Warbler, Audubon's, 70, 360.
Autumnal, 334.
Bachman's, 460, 482.
Bay-breasted, 47, 248.
Black-and-white, 41, 48, 50,
62, 244, 340, 460.
Black-and-yellow, 62.
Blackburnian. 47, 49, 24s,
338.
Black-poll, 42, 248, 340.
Black-throated Blue, 41, 47,
244> 341-
Black-throated Gray, 70, 448.
Black-throated Green, 47, 48,
57, 62, 85, 245,483.
Blue-winged, 388.
Brasher's, 417.
Calaveras, 70.
Canadian, 42, 446.
Cape May, 41, 248, 489.
Cerulean, 48, 245.
Chestnut-sided, 42, 47, 62,
245-
Golden-winged, 41, 49, 244, ,
399-
Grace's, 444.
Hermit, 71.
Hooded, 246, 340, 461, 483.
Kentucky, 248, 483.
Kirtland's, 83, 291, 487, 506.
Lawrence's, 387.
Lutescent, 360, 448.
Macgillavray's, 232, 360, 448.
Magnolia, 41, 47. 50, 245.
Mourning, 42, 343.
Myrtle, 62, 248, 286, 343, 38S,
460, 483.
Nashville, 41, 62, 248.
Northern Parula, 41, 492.
Orange-crowned, 360, 448,
482.
Palm, 248, 460.
Parula, 244, 340, 460.
Pileolated, 71, 361, 44S.
Pine, 42, 245, 460.
Prairie, 48, 245, 461, 483.
Vol. XXI"]
1904 J
Index.
531
Warbler, Prothonotory, 388, 460,
482.
Summer, 57, 340.
Sycamore, 42.
Tennessee, 47, 50, 248, 489.
Tolmie, 71.
Virginia, 360.
Western Parula, 482.
Western Yellow, 70.
Wilson's, 287.
Wilson's Black-capped, 62,
248.
Worm-eating, 244, 341, 482.
Yellow, 41, 46, 48, 49, 50, 232,
244> 343' 444' 46°-
Yellow Palm, 62, 461, 483.
Yellow-throated, 340, 460.
Water-Thrush, Louisiana, 245, 462.
Northern, 48, 245, 287, 492.
Waxwing, Cedar, 41, 232, 459, 481.
Wajme, Arthur T., Kirtland's
Warbler {Dendroica kirtla?idi)
on the coast of South Carolina,
83-
Wheeler, William Morton, the obli-
gations of the student of animal
behavior, 251-255.
Wheelock, Irene Grosvenor, notice
of her 'Birds of California,' 299.
Whip-poor-will, 36, 84, 145, 241,
278, 340, 455.
Widgeon, European, 288, 383.
Widmann, O., Yosemite Valley
birds, 66-73.
Willet, 58, 287.
Williams, R. W., Jr., a preliminary
list of the birds of Leon County,
Florida, 449-462.
Wilsonia canadensis, 43, 235, 246.
mitrata, 246, 461, 483.
pusilla, 248, 287.
pusilla pileolata, 71, 361, 448.
Wood, J. Claire, another nest of
the Philadelphia Vireo, 282.
Wood, Norman A., notice of his
' Discovery of the Breeding Area
of Kirtland's Warbler, 506.
Woodcock, American, 89, 240, 384,
452, 475-
Woodpecker, Alpine Three-toed,
353-
American Three-toed, 35.
Ant-eating, 354.
Black-backed Three-toed, 81.
Cabanis's, 68.
California, 68.
Downy, 35, 238, 455, 468, 477.
Gairdner's 228.
Woodpecker, Hairy, 237.
Ivory-billed, 455.
Lewis's, 228, 444, 446.
Northern Hairy, 35.
Northern Pileated, 35, 68,
493-
Pileated, 67, 79, 238,278, 455,
463-466, 478.
Porto Rican, 53-55.
Red-bellied, 2c;o, 4^, 466,
478.
Red-headed, 36, 241, 301, 4^,
478.
Rocky Mountain Hairy, 353.
Southern Hairy, 455, 477.
White-headed, 68.
Willow, 68.
Worthington Society for the In1
vestigation of Bird Life, found-
ing of, 511.
Worthington, Willis W., bird notes
from Shelter Island, Long Island,
N. Y., 287.
Wren, Aztec, 361.
Bewick's, 246, 461, 484.
Carolina, 238, 461, 484
Dotted Canon, 71, 232.
House, 246, 343, 461, 484.
Long-billed Marsh, 44.
Rock, 223, 232, 361, 440-442.
San Clemente, 221.
Short-billed Marsh, 43, 461,
484, 492, 493.
Western House, 43, 232.
Winter, 249, 343, 461, 484.
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus,
37' 447-
Xenopicus albolarvatus, 68.
Yellow-legs, 61, 247.
Lesser, 445.
Yellow-throat, Maryland, 57, 245,
287, 340, 461.
Southern, 483.
Western, 43, 232.
Young, C. J., the Philadelphia
Vireo, 283.
Zamelodia ludoviciana, 243, 4^8,
481.
melanocephala, 70, 231, 359.
Zenaidura macroura, 72, 227, 239,
352, 453. 476.
Zonotrichia albicollis, 39, 248, 4^8,
480.
leucophrys, 69, 72, 248, 358.
n
y
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