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ne

Bird-Lore

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

EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Official Oroan of the Audubon Societies
AUDUBON DEPARTMENT EDITED BY

MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT

AND

WILLIAM DUTCHER
VOLUME VI— 1904

1qo7 5

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

HARRISBURG, PA., AND NEW YORK CITY

aes CopyRIGHT, 1904
ree ae _ By FRANK M.

INDEX TO

ARTICLES IN VOLUME VI

BY AUTHORS

Abbott, Clinton C., Christmas Census, 12.
Abraham, Henry W., Christmas Census,
16

Ainsworth, Sarah F., Christmas Census, 14.

Ames, G. M., A Pair of Wood Pewees,
168.

Antes, Frank T., Two Years for an
Oriole’s Nest, 134.

Archer, John, and Albert H. Wright,
Christmas Census, 11.

Arnold, Clarence M., Christmas Census,
10.

Austin, J. Harold, Christmas Census, 14.

Bailey, Florence Merriam, A Swallow and
Flycatcher Feud, 68

Bailey, Wm. L., Christmas Census, 13.

Barker, Samuel H., Christmas Census, 13.

Barnwell, C. L., Another Tame Vireo, 168.

Baynes, Ernest Harold, Christmas Census,
10.

Beebe, R. H., Photographs by, 60, 96, 121.

Beull, E. F., Christmas Census, 15.

Bickford, Mr. and Mrs. E. L., Christmas
Census, 17.

Bildersee, Isaac, Christmas Census, 12;
Notes on the Nesting of Lawrence’s
Warbler, 131; Bird Notes from the
Vicinity of New York City, 1904, 167 ;
The European Skylark near New York
City, 204.

Blain, Alexander W., Jr., Christmas Cen-
sus, 16.

Blake, Francis G., and Maurice C.,
Christmas Census, 9.

Blanchard, George G., Christmas Census,
8.

Bowen, Mrs. Carroll E., A Winter Mock-
ingbird, 67.

Brennan, Chas. F., Christmas Census, 15.

Bruen, Frank, R. W. Ford, F. H. Holme,
Newton Manross and Egbert Smith,
Christmas Census, 11.

Brodhead, S. B., A Venturesome Titmouse,
205.

Butler, Charlotte W., Christmas Census, ro.

Carter, Norman McLeod, Christmas Cen-

sus, II.
Caskey, R. C., Pine Grosbeaks in New
Jersey, 98

Chapman, F. M., Reviews by, 27, 30, 69,
FOU Iss ns6. LOO s 17Oy 171s .200, 207);
Editorials by, 32, 72, 103, 138, 172,
209; The Warbler Book, 61; Climatic
Variation in Color and Size of Song
Sparrows, 164; Young Flamingos, 193.

4

Chapman, Frank M., and Ernest Thomp-
son Seton. The Black Tern at Home,

re
Christensen, Abby W., Christmas Census,

10.

Christy, Bayard H., and Norman Mc-
Clintock, The Herring Gull on Lake
Superior, 86.

Clark, Josiah, A Plea for Bird Boxes, 66.

Cobb, Anna E., Christmas Census, ro.

Cobbs, Stanley, Christmas Census, ro.

Codman, J. S., Christmas Census, 9.

Comey, Arthur C., Christmas Census, 9.

Cooke, W. W., The Migration of War-
blers, 21, 57, 91, 130, 162, 199.

Crosby, Clifford, Christmas Census, 15.

Crosby, Maunsell S., Christmas Census, 11.

Dana, Elizabeth, A Lesson, 184.

Dean, R. H., Christmas Census, 15.

Dike, A. C., Christmas Census, 8.

Drummond, Mary, Secretary, Report of
Illinois Society, 176.

Dutcher, Wm., Editorials by, 34, 74, 105,
140, 174; The Snowy Heron, 37; The
Marsh Hawk, 77; The Red-shouldered
Hawk, 109; The American Sparrow
Hawk, 143; The Screech Owl, 177;
The Short-eared Owl, 217.

Dwight, Jonathan, Jr., Reviews by, 70,
TOM 7207.

Evans, William B., Christmas Census, 12.

Fair, Wm W.., Christmas Census, 13.
Fisher, A. K., Reviews by, 31, 102, 137,

208.
Ford, R. W. See Bruen, Frank.

Goodwin, S. H., Christmas Census, 17.
Gorman, Vincent E., Notes on the Birds
of February and March, 1902, 64.
Gorman, Vincent E., and Fred T. Mori-

son, Christmas Census, 12.
Graves, Edward W., Christmas Census, 15.
Griggs, Robert F., Photographs by, 125,

127.
Grinnell, Elizabeth, A Large Phoebe’s
Nest, 68.

Hales, Henry, An Unusual Nest of the
Cliff Swallow, 67; Cowbird and
White-eyed Vireo, 99; Mockingbirds
in New Jersey, 134.

Hankinson, T. L., Photograph by, 148.

Harman, Wm. Gray, Christmas Census, 14.

Harper, Francis, Christmas Census, 11.

( iil )

iv Index

Harvey, Gertrude Fay, A Visit to the Lake
Erie Terns, 122.

Herrick, Francis H., Red-eyed Vireos,
Awake and Asleep, 113.

Hill, J. Irving, Christmas Census, 10.

Hix, George E., Christmas Census, 12.

Hodge, C. T., A Summer with' the Blue-
birds, 41.

Horton, Frances B., Purple
Vermont, 167.

Horton, L S., Photographs by, 18, 129. ,

Horton, William C., Christmas Census, 8.

Howe, Carlton D., A Tame Ruffed Grouse,
82.

Holme, F. H. See Bruen, Frank.

Hunt, Chreswell J., Christmas Census, 13;
Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow—Differ-
ence in Feeding, 133.

Hunt, Richard M., Tree Swallows in a
Bird-box, 93.

Jackson, Thomas H., Christmas Census, 13.

Jacob, L. M., and A. A. Mickle, Christ-
mas Census, 12.

James, Francis A. P., Christmas Census, 9.

Johnson, Roswell H., Christmas Census, 17.

Johnson, Susan M., Christmas Census, 15.

King, Hervey W., Christmas Census, 8.
Larkin, Harry Hubbard, Christmas Cen-

sus, 8.
Lee, Charlotte E., Christmas Census, rr.

Lemmon, Isabella McC., A Blue Jay’
Household, 89; A Strenuous Screech
Owl, 133.

Lewis, Elta M., Christmas Census, 8.

Lewis, Evan, The Nesting Habits of the
White-tailed Ptarmigan in Colorado,
117; Photograph by, 161.

Manross, Newton. See Bruen, Frank.

Marshall, H. Herbert, Christmas Census, ro.

McClintock, Norman. See Christy, Bay-
ard H.

McColm, G. E., Photograph by, 56.

McConnell, Harry B., Christmas Census, 16.

McDaniel, Eugene L., Christmas Census, 14.

Metcalf, Zeno and C. L., Christmas Cen-
sus, 16.

Mickle, A. A. See Jacob, L. M.

Miller, Richard F., Christmas Census, 13.

Miller, W. De W., Reviews by, roo, 102,
136.

Morison, Fred IT’. See Gorman, Vincent E.

Morse, Susan M., King Cole; A Biog-

raphy, 155.
Norman, Charles, Christmas Census, 15.

Olmstead, Rett E , Christmas Census, 17;
The Whip-poor-will, 54.

Packard, W. H., and C. S. Van Deusen,
Christmas Census, 16.

Martins in

Palmer, Samuel C., Taming a Red-eyed
Vireo, 133. ;

Palmer, T. S., Reviews by, 31, 70, ror,
136, 207; Bird Protection Abroad,

36, 139.

Park, J. T’., Christmas Census, 14.

Patton, Jeanie Maury, Secretary, Report
of, 212.

Peake, Elmore Elliott, A Sensible Cardi-
nal, 205; Taming a Robin, 205.

Pepoon, H. S., Christmas Census, 16.

Porter, Harold E., Brirp-Lore’s Fifth
Christmas Bird Census, 202; and see
Rogers, Charles H.

Prime, Rev. Wendell, Bird-Life of a Swiss
City, 191.

Princehorn, A. L., Photograph by, 192.

Pring, Anita, Our ‘ Bobs,’ 166.

Roe, Mrs. F. W., Some Familiar Florida

Birds, 185.
Rogers, .Charles H., Christmas Census,
12.

Rogers, Charles H., and Harold E. Por-
ter, Christmas Census, 12.
Roosevelt, Theodore, Letters from, 147.

Saunders, A. A., Christmas Census, 11.

Saunders, Thomas. See Smith, Wilbur.

Scorgie, Helen C., and Elvira L., Christ-
mas Census, 9.

Seebold, J. E., Photograph by, 165.

Seeman, Ernest, Christmas Census, 14;
Balancing Robins, 204.

Seton, Ernest Thompson, How to Study a
Bird, 181.

Seton, Ernest Thompson, and Frank M.
Chapman, The Black Tern at Home,
I

Severson, Henry P., Christmas Census, 16.

Sherwood, George H., Report of the Cir-
culating Collections Loaned by the
American Museum of Natural History
to the Public Schools of New York
City, Dec. 1, 1903, to July 1, 1904,
201.

Sim, E. F. and Robert J., Christmas Cen-
sus, 16.

Smith, Egbert. See Bruen, Frank.

Smith, Wilbur, and Thomas Saunders,
Christmas Census, 11.

Squires, Karl B., Christmas Census, 11.

Stafford, Earle, October Bird Music, 153.

Stehman, Jacob, Christmas Census, 13.

Stone, Witmer, Reviews by, 71, 102, 137.

Street, Fletcher J., Christmas Census, 12.

Stupp, F. J., Christmas Census, 11.

Tabor, E. G., Photographs by, 53, 157; A
Woodcock at Home, 149.

Thayer, Gerald H., A Massachusetts Duck
Hawk Aery, 47; A Morning’s Bird-
List, 97.

Thompson, Caroline B., Christmas Cen-
sus, T4.

Index | V

Thomson, Harriet W., Christmas Census,
16.

Trafton, Gilbert H., Christmas Census, 12.

Turner, Orren W., Notes on Winter Birds,

25%

Van Deusen, C. S. See Packard, W. H.

Van Name, Williard G., Public Sentiment
and Bird Protection, 76.

Vredenburgh, Abbie, Purple Martins in
Illinois, 99.

INDEX TO

Allen’s ‘The Birds of New Hampshire,’
reviewed, 169.

Audubon Calendar, The, mentioned, 208.
Audubon Societies, Directory of State,
wai Le F
Audubon Societies, Reports of, 176, 212,

214.
Auk, The, reviewed, 70, ror, 171, 207.

Baldpate, 14.

Bartsch’s ‘ Notes on the Herons of the Dis-
trict of Columbia,’ reviewed, 170.

Bird Boxes, 66, 172.
Bird Census, Birp-Lore’s Christmas,
mentioned, 202 ; summary of, 203.
Bird Life, A Station for the Study of,
166.

Birp-Lore, Prospectus for 1905, 210.

Bird Protection, 33, 74, 76, 140, 173, 174;
abroad, 36, 99, 105, 139.

Birds, How to Study, 181; The Lodging
and Feeding of, 21r.

Bittern, American, 17; Least, 168.

Blackbird, Bicolored, 17; Brewer, 17;
European, 191; Red-winged, 10, 13,
14, 16, 17, 98, 154; Rusty, 154.

Bluebird, 10, 11, .12, 13, 14, 16, 41; fig-

ured, 42, 43, 44, 45, 98; Chestnut-
backed, 15; Western, 17.

Bobolink, 98.

Bob-white, 9, 11, 13, 16, 25, 97; Florida,
189.

Bruner, Walcott and Swenk’s ‘ A Prelimi-
nary Review of the Birds of Nebraska,’
reviewed, 207.

Bryan’s ‘A Monograph of Marcus Island,’
reviewed, 169.

Buflle-head, 9.

Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological
Club, reviewed, 71, 102, 137.

Bunting, Lark, 14; Painted, 188; Reed,

192.

Burroughs’ ‘The Literary Treatment of
Nature,’ mentioned, 172.

Bush-tit, California, 17.

Buzzard, Turkey, 13, 14, 15, 194.

‘By the Wayside,’ mentioned, 99.

Warren, E. R., Horned Larks in Colorado
Springs, Col., 6.
Way, W. Scott, Secretary,

Report of,

214.
Williamson, Addison, A Thieving Chebec,

134.

Wilson, Burtis H., Christmas Census, 15.
Wright, Albert H. See Archer, John.
Wright, Horace W., Christmas Census, 9.
Wright, M. O., Editorials by, 33, 73, 104,

Lye Qe.

CONTENTS

Canada, 30.

Cardinal.) 12) 135,145 15, 16, 205; Florida,
185, 186, 187; figured, 186; Gray-

tailed, 14.

Cassinia, reviewed, 69.

Catbird, 8, 12, 13, 98.

Cedarbird, 11, 14, 16, 98, 205.

Census, Christmas Bird, 8.

Chafhinch, 191.

Chat, Long-tailed, 23; Yellow-breasted,
23, 98; figured, facing r.

Chickadee, Black-capped, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 04515, £6, 17, 98, 254; Carolina,
13, 14, 15; Mountain, 17; Oregon,
17.

Circulating Collections, Report of, 201.

Climatic Variation in Song Sparrows,
164.

Colorado, 6, 117.

Condor, The, reviewed, 31, 70, 1o1, 136,
207.

Cook’s ‘ Some New Facts about the Migra-
tion of Birds,’ reviewed, 206.

Coues’ ‘ Key to North American Birds,’
reviewed, 27.

Council, Birp-Lore’s Advisory, 19.

Cowbird, 98, 99.

Creeper, Brown, 8, 9, 10, II, 12, 13, 15,
16, 17; Rocky Mountain, rq.

Crossbill, American, 9, 98, 154; White-
winged, 9, 98

Crow, American, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
Pee 163.17, 95, 0557 MEULed 50511573
Fish, 13, 98, 167.

Cuckoo, Black-billed, 97; Yellow-billed,

97-
Curlew, Long-billed, 168.

Dawson’s ‘ Birds of Ohio,’ reviewed, 69.

Destruction of Birds, 138.

District of Columbia, 212.

Dove, Ground, 14; Mourning, 14, 16, 97,
168.

Dresser’s ‘ The Eggs of the Birds of Eu-
rope,’ mentioned, 171.

Duck 125 145,155.07 lack, 9, 10; 10's
Scatip; 9, 11y 37 +" Wood, 52.

vi Index

Eagle, Bald, 13.
Egret, American, 103.
Emu, The, reviewed, ro2.

Farmers, Relation of Birds to, 72.
Finch, House, 17; Purple, 9, 13, 15, 16,
98, 154.

Flamingo, American, 138, 193, 209;

figured, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198. -

INDE TER HO TM TS, A WG) BO, GOW Ge,
97, 187; Red-shafted, 14, 17.

Florida, 103.

Flycatcher, Crested, 98; Green-crested,
167; Least, 98, 134; Yellow-bellied,
168.

Forbush’s ‘The Destruction of Birds by
the Elements in 1903-04,’ mentioned,

reid

4

Golden-eye, American, 8, 9, 10, 11.

Goldfinch, American, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 17, 98, 133, 154; Green-
backed, 17.

Grackle, Boat-tailed, 14; Bronzed, 9, 14,
Do Eurpley) 12. rshewan9 8).

Grebe, 11; Holbeell’s, 8; Horned, 9, 11;
Pied-billed, 14, 52.

Greenfinch, 191.

Grosbeak, Evening, 16, 17; Pine, 8, 9, 10,
Tk, 025) 14, 15) 17, 98, 154; Rose-
breasted, 98; Western evening, 17.

Grouse, Ruffed, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 47, 52,
81; figured, 82, 84, 85.

Gull, Great Black-backed, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13;
Herring, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 86,
168; figured, 87, 88; Ring-billed, 13,
16.

Hawk, Broad-winged, 14, 168; Cooper’s,
12, 13, 16, 168; Duck, 47, 168; Marsh,
LO, 135,05, 17, 705 uguredy 77> biceon,
10, 168; Red-shouldered, 15, 110;
figured, 109; Red-tailed, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17; Sharp-shinned, 9,
13, 14, 16; Sparrow, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15,
16, 144; figured, 143; Western Red-
tailed, 17.

Heron, Great Blue, 14, 204; Snowy, 38,
103; figured, 37.

Hoffmann’s ‘ A Guide to the Birds of New
England and Eastern New York,’ re-
viewed, roo.

Hornady’s ‘The American Natural His-
tory,’ reviewed, 135.

Hummingbird, Anna’s 17; Ruby-throated,
14, 98.

Illinois, 99.
Indigo-bird, 98, 204.

Jacobs’ ‘ The Haunts of the Golden-winged
Warbler,’ reviewed, 206.

Japan, 139.

Jay, Blue, 85.9, f0, 12) 12) 130 14g sero.
17, 475 50) 52, 69; Calitorniage 17 -

Florida Blue, 185, 186, 187; figured,
185; Pinon, 17; Rocky Mountain,
figured, 161; Texan, 14.

Jones’ ‘The Birds. of Ohio,’ reviewed,

30.

Journal of the Maine Ornithological Society,
reviewed, 71, 102.

Judd’s ‘ Birds of a Maryland Farm,’ re-
viewed, 30.

Junco, Intermediate, 17; Oregon, 17; Pink-
sided, 7; Slate-colored, 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15, 16 > edehuroers
17.

Kentucky, 168.

Kermond’s ‘ Catalogue of British Columbia
Birds,’ reviewed, 206.

Killdeer, 13, 14, 17.

Kingbird, 98.

Kingfisher, Belted, 14, 17, 47, 52.

Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14,15, 16, 154; Ruby-crowned, 13,
P5, 17 bsd

Kohlmeiser, 191.

Kumlien and Hollister’s ‘The Birds of
Wisconsin,’ reviewed, 30.

Lark, Desert Horned, 6; figured, 6, 7;

‘Horned, 6, 9, 13, 15; Pallid Horned,
14, 17; Prairie Horned, 15, 16.

Leucosticte, Gray-crowned, 7.

Loon, 8, 11; Red-throated, 8.

Louisiana, 166.

Macoun’s ‘ Catalogue of Canadian Birds,’
reviewed, 30.

Magpie, 17.

Maine, 168.

Mallard, -14.

Manitoba, tr.

Martin, Purple, 99, 167.

Maryland, 30.

Massachusetts, 8, 9, 10, 63, 93, 133.

Meadowlark, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 98,
204; Western, 14, 17.

Merganser, American, 2, 9, 10, II, 13;
Red-breasted, 10, 14.

Michigan, 86.

Miller’s ‘ With the Birds in Maine,’ re-
viewed, 69.

Mockingbird, 8, 13, 14, 15, 67, 134, 166,
185, 186; Western, 14.

Montana, 30.

Nature Books, editorial on, 32.

New Hampshire, 8, 97.

New Jersey, 64, 98, 99, 133, 134, 168.

New York, 98, 131, 134, 167.

New Zealand, 36.

Nighthawk, 52, 98; figured, 165.

North Carolina, 25.

Nuthatch, Red-breasted, 8, ro, 12, 13, 14,
16; Slender-billed, 17; White-breasted,
8, 9y TOMMIT, 12% 13, 145 Stone
98.

Index vii

Ohio, 30, 122.

Old Squaw, 8, 9, 11, 16.

Ontario, 8.

Oriole, Baltimore, 14, 98, 134; Orchard, 98.

Our Animal Friends, mentioned, 137.

Ovenbird, 14, 98.

Owl, Barred, 16; Dusky Horned, 17; EIf,
101; Great Horned, 15, 16, 17; Long-
Gared, figured, 18; Screech, 13, 15,
133, 178; figured, 177; Short-eared,
17, 218; figured, 217; Snowy, 10.

Paroquet, Carolina, 103.

Partridge, Scaled, 14.

Pearson, Prof. I’. Gilbert, mentioned, 210.

Pennsylvania, 133.

Pewee, Wood, 168; figured, 129.

Phalarope, Wilson’s, 1.

Pheasant, 11; Mongolian, 9.

Phoebe, 14, 98; Black, 17, 68; Say’s, 17,
68.

Pipit, American, 17, 168.
Ptarmigan, White-tailed, 117; figured, 118,
119, 120.

Rail, Sora, 168; Virginia, figured, 53.

Raven, American, 17.

Redpoll, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17; Greater, 8, 10.

Redstart, American, 98.

Red-tail, Western, 17.

Red -wing, San Diego, 17.

Reed’s ‘ North American Birds’ Eggs,’ re-
viewed, 135.

Richards’ and Cummings’ ‘ Baby Path-
finder to the Birds,’ reviewed, roo, 170.

Robin, American, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
Roose 2on, 205; Western, 15; 17.

Sandpiper, Solitary, figured, 148; Spotted,
204; figured, 96.

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 11, 15, 16.

Scoter, American, 9.

Scoter, White-winged, 8.

Scott’s ‘ Reports of the Princeton University
Expedition to Patagonia, 1896-1899.’
Vol. II. Ornithology, Part I, reviewed,
169; ‘ The Inheritance of Song in Pas-
serine Birds,’ reviewed, 171.

Seton’s ‘ Iwo Little Savages,’ reviewed, 30.

Shrike, 15; California, 17; Loggerhead, 14,
15; Northern, 9, 11, 12, 13; White-
rumped, 14, 17.

Shoveler, 11.

Silloway’s ‘The Birds of Fergus County,
Montana,’ reviewed, 30.

Siskin, Pine, 10, 98.

Skylark, European, 204.

Snipe, Wilson, rq.

Snodgrass and Heller’s ‘Papers from the
Hopkins-Stanford Galapagos Expedi-
tion, 1898-1899, XVI, Birds,’ reviewed,
169.

Snowflake, 11, 16.

Sparrow, Aleutian Song, 165; figured, 164;
Black-throated, 14; Chipping, 25, 98,

204; Desert Song, 165; figured, 164;
English, 15, 26, 204; Field, 13, 14,
98; Fox, 9, 10, 13, 14, 154; Gambel’s
White -crowned, 14, 17; Golden-
crowned, 17; Grasshopper, 98, 204;
Lincoln’s, 98, 167; Merrill Song, 17;
Mexican Song, 165; figured, 164;
Mountain Song, 14; Samuel’s Song,
17; Sooty Song, 165; figured, 164;
SOUS G79, 10,.11, 12,19, 04, Tse Toe
17, 98, 153, 164, 204; figured, 164;
Swamp, 10; Tree, 8,.9, 10, 11,°12; 13,
Td Selon ol. Taage 2h Sar; VeESpen, mds
98, 204; Western Vesper, 14; White-
crowned, 14, 168; White-throated, 8,
Cs pamerie i 8 ae tata gl-P

Starling, 12, 204.

Stone, Witmer, mentioned, 210.

Swallow, Barn, 68, 98, 204; Cliff, 67, 98;
Rough-winged, 98, 168; Tree, 93;
figured, 94.

Swarth’s ‘ Birds of the Huachuca Moun-
tains, Arizona,’ reviewed, 169.

Swift, Chimney, 98, 204; figured, rar.

Tanager, Scarlet, 98.
Teal, Blue-winged, 1, 14; Green-winged,

14.

Tern, Black, 1; figured, 2, 3, 4, 5; Com-
mon, 122; figured, 125; Least, 141.
Thrasher, Brown, 13, 14, 25, 98, 188; fig-

ured, 190.

Thrush, Dwarf Hermit, 17; Gray-cheeked,
Gs, 00S" Elermit, O.sar2, 14) sas
Olive-backed, 98; Varied, 17; Wil-
son’s, 98; Wood, 98.

Titmouse, Black-crested, 14; Plain, 17;
MWutteds 12,135) 04), 05,10, os, 205.

Todd’s ‘ The Birds of Erie and Presque
Isle, Erie County, Pennsylvania,’ re-
viewed, 169.

Towhee, 11, 13, 14, 25, 98; Californian,
17; Spurred, 17.

Trees, Protection of, 73.

Vermont, 8, 81, 167. ;

Vireo, Red-eyed, 98, 113, 133, 168; fig-
ured, 114, 115; Warbling, 98 ; White-
eyed, 98, 99; Yellow-throated, 98.

Vulture, Black, 14; Turkey, 13, 14, 15,
194.

Warbler, Audubon’s, 14, 17; Bay-breasted,
98, 162, 168; figured, facing 147;
Black and White, 98; Blackburnian,
98; Black -throated Blue, 98; Black-
throated Gray, 130; figured, facing
113; Black-throated Green, 57, 98;

figured, facing 58; Blue-winged,
91, 98, 138; figured, facing 81;
Book, The, mentioned, 61; Brews-

ter’s, figured, facing 81; Canadian,
59, 98; figured, facing 41; Cape May,
98; Chestnut-sided, 98, 163; figured,
facing 147; Golden-cheeked, 58; fig-

Vill Index

Warblers, continued —
ured, facing 58; Golden-winged, 92,
98, 168; figured, facing 81; Grace’s,
130; figured, facing 113 ; Hermit, 199;
figured, facing 181; Hooded, 22, 98 ;
figured, facing 1; Kentucky, 168;
Kirtland’s, 199; figured, facing 200;
Lawrence’s, 131, 138, 168; figured,

facing 81; Magnolia, 98, 200; fig-’

ured, facing 200; Mourning, 168;
Myrtle, 9, 10, 11, 14, 98; Nashville,
98, 168; Palm, 14; Parula, 14, 98;
Pileolated, 58; Pine, 21; figured, fac-
ing 22; Plates, mentioned, 209; Prai-
rie, 98; Red-faced, 24; figured, facing
22; Sycamore, 130; Townsend’s, 199;
figured, facing 181; Wilson’s, 58, 98;
figured, facing 41; Yellow, 134, 98;
Yellow-throated, 130; figured, facing

113.

Walker’s ‘Our Birds and their Nestlings,’
reviewed, 170.

Walter’s ‘Wild Birds in City Parks,’
mentioned, 137.

Water- Thrush, Grinnell’s, 14; Louisiana,
98; Northern, 98.

Waxwing, Bohemian, 17; Cedar, 11, 14,
16, 98, 205.

Weed’s ‘ Bird Life Stories,’ reviewed, 136.

Wheelock’s ‘Birds of California,’ re-
viewed, 69.

Whip-poor-will, 54; figured, 55.

Wilson Bulletin, reviewed, 31,102, 137, 208.

Winter Birds, 25.

Wisconsin, 30.

Woodcock, American, 149; figured, 150,
I51, 152.

Woe coeee Batchelder’s, 17; Californian,
17; Downy, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 97; figured, 192; Golden-
fronted, 14; Hairy, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 98; Pileated, 8, 16;
Red-bellied, 14, 15, 16, 187; figured,
188, 189; Red-headed, 15, 16, 25, 168;
Texan, 14.

Wren, Baird’s, 14; Carolina, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 168; House, 14, 66, 98;
Long-billed Marsh, 98; Winter, 10,
12) ig

Yellowhammer, 192.
Yellow-throat, Maryland, 98.

VOL. VI 20c. a Copy
JANUARY — FEBRUARY, 1904 ST wYeoar

i
Re bb 4
TT Won Py am ip
Tm) . me p
(Ui Pre rrreceeeet

toot

|
Dede tl hl

EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
BY

The Macmillan Companp

HARRISBURG, PA.

COPYRIGHT. 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

COPIES OF BIRD-LORE WANTED! We will give $1 each for the first 25 copies of BIRD -
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irp=- Lore

January-February, 1904

CONTENTS
GENERAL ARTICLES PAGE

FRONTISPIECE — HOODED WARBLER; YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT..... Bruce Florsfall .

THE BLACK TERN AT Home. Illustrated by F.M.C.... : :
Ernest Thompson Seton and Frank M Chapman . I

HORNED LARKS IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CoL. Illustrated by the author E. R. Warren. 6
THE CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS. Seventy-eight reports .... . PMA EAFED toe rie ons
THE PINE GROSBEAK AT WASHINGTON . eek ee 17
LONG-EARED OWL ON NEST Wi11H YoOuNG. Illustration by ....... a Err, Jalan? 5 ish

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

BirRD-LORE’S ADVISORY COUNCIL .. ae : ice eae i i eO
THE MIGRATION oF WARBLERS. Second Paper. Illustrated by Bruce Horsfall .W.W. Cooke. 21
A LETTER FROM PROFESSOR COOKE Nes seh ea Nn wee be wee ane 24
BiRD-OREVS COLORED) PIeAmhS imme) Geen eaee mn & ie, edie Bree 2 . 2
THE AUDUBON CALENDAR FOR I904.....-... 5 bow) my wh deg s coe iy oa te or reer

FOR YOUNG OBSERVERS

NOGESTON WINDER BIRDS. brIZesESSayen . 0 eae cinonn ens shat. \ Onten: WK. Dirgiaieaees
THE PRIZE ESSAY .. aiak aie Mie thes Wate Somat Se wespheae 26
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FirTH EDITION OF COUES’ KEY, WITH REPRODUCTIONS OF THE AUTHORS’ PROOFS OF THE
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County’; THE ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES p

EDITORIAL .. Sener Soa cay Ber So oekee ey et tan Syn de Nk ae Se a rn pa 32

AUDUBON DEPARTMENT . : 33

EpiTorRIaAL; NATIONAL COMMITTEE NoTes; BIRD PROTECI1ION ABRoaD, JII, NEW ZEALAND,
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EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 7. Illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes ad by photographs .
Witham Dutcher. 37

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As

rer

or . + +
vA Sel

|. HoopED WARBLER, MALE. eon
3. HoopED WARBLER, YouNG FEMALE.

Hoopep WARBLER, ADULT FEMALE.
4. YELLOW-BREASTED CuHat, ADULT.

Bird=- Lore

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

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Vol. VI

JANUARY — FEBRUARY, 1904 No. 1

The Black Tern at Home

By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON and FRANK M. CHAPMAN

With photographs from nature

“ ( \NRAIK —craik —craik!” screamed the old Black Tern, in anxious
® quavering note, as we crossed the low prairie to the particular
pond that she had consecrated by making her home on its

weedy waters.

The nest had been discovered on June 16, 1901, not far from our
camp, near Shoal Lake, Manitoba. A small knob of mud and water-
soaked vegetation was selected as a foundation on which to place the
nest of coarse reeds. At this time it contained one egg. On June 18
a second egg was laid and, without waiting for the usual complement of
three, incubation was begun.

At no time during this remarkable period of a bird’s year did the
Terns fail to resent intrusion on their haunts. The Blue-winged Teal
and Wilson’s Phalarope nesting in the long grasses on the border of the
slough fluttered from their eggs only when one seemed about to step
upon them, but the Tern sprang into the air and, with sharp screams, came
to meet us when we were thirty yards away.

On June 25, there occurred an unusually heavy fall of rain, raising the
water in the slough several inches and threatening to inundate the little
island. ~But the Terns saved their eggs from the flood by bringing fresh
nesting material and raising the height of their home; though whether the
action was performed with a definite object or was merely such a display of
the nest-building instinct as is not infrequently seen during incubation, it
is dificult to determine.

On July 5, after an incubation period, therefore, of seventeen days, the
first egg hatched. Three days later we visited the nest, expecting to see a
pair of downy young, but, to our surprise and disappointment, it was
deserted.’ Evidently, however, there was something not far away in which

BLACK TERN INCUBATING
June 29, 1901

BLACK TERN BROODING YOUNG
July 8, 1901

(2)

The Black Tern at Home 3

the Terns were greatly concerned. With piercing screams they darted at
us, once actually hitting Mr. Seton’s hat.

Search failing to reveal any sign of the young birds, the camera was left
to play detective. Focusing it on the empty nest and surrounding it with
‘ cat-tails,’ we attached some seventy feet of tubing and retired to the high
grasses of a neighboring dry bank. But we were not hidden from the
Tern. She hovered over us, shrieking her disgust with scarcely a pause,
turning her long beak to this side and that, as she brought each eye in turn
to bear. Finally, her craiks grew softer, and, fluttering over the nest, she
uttered a soft wheent—wheent—wheent, which probably meant to her down-

YOUNG BLACK TERNS IN NEST
July 8, 1901

ings “It’s all right; come back home now.” After half a minute of this
calling, she fluttered lower and dropped out of sight behind the reed barriers.
Apparently, there could be little doubt that with her voice she had conjured
the chicks back to the nest.

Acting on this belief, a dozen rapid strokes were given to the bicycle
pump at the end of the tube, and the Tern promptly flew up into the air,
uttering her loud craik—craik in a way that plainly showed something had
happened close by to alarm her, and thus plainly told us that the shutter on
the camera had been sprung. Instantly we rushed through the mud and
water to the nest, but only to find it as empty as before.

Inserting a fresh plate in the camera, we returned to our hiding-place.
Again the Tern scolded us vigorously, but after a while, as before, her fears
seemed to decrease; she gradually drew nearer to the nest and eventually
dropped lightly down into the reeds, evidently on it. After waiting a

BLACK TERN ATTACKING; HOVERING FOR THE DIVE
July 8, r90r

BLACK TERN ATTACKING;

AFTER THE DIVE, THE UPWARD SWING
Juiy 8, 1901

(4)

The Black Tern at Home 5

moment for her to settle herself, the bicycle pump was again used, and at
the twelfth plunge of the piston the Tern shot upward as though she were
blown from the end of the tube ! We accepted her action as an unfailing
indication that the shutter was properly released and once more splashed
quickly through the water to see what we might see; but only an empty
nest met our gaze, and we were as ignorant of the fate of the young Terns
as we had been in the beginning.

The continued anxiety of the parents, however, encouraged us to
continue our efforts to solve the mysterious disappearance of their chicks,
and, after several more attempts similar to those just related, we reached
the nest just in time to see the two little ones paddling away into the
surrounding reeds, like ducklings. [his caused us to believe that on
each occasion they had returned to the nest only to desert it again as
the old bird left them, but it was not until the plates were developed, a
month later, that we could really put together the whole story. Its
main facts are shown in the pictures which are here reproduced. One
pictures the Tern while incubating. A second pictures her brooding
her young after one of their enforced baths in the surrounding waters.
Comparison of these pictures shows the difference in the poses of the
bird during incubation and while brooding.

A third photograph reveals the two little Terns just as they had
climbed into the nest after their long swim for safety. Cold they must
have been and they are cuddling close together to keep each other
warm,—so close indeed that one may be seen to have his arm about his
brother’s or sister’s neck.

BLACK TERNS IN FLIGHT
July 6, 1901

Horned Larks in Colorado Springs, Colo.

By E. R. WARREN

With photographs from nature by the author

P NHE winter of 1902-3 was severe in Colorado, and during
January and February enough snow lay on the ground about
Colorado Springs to prevent the Horned Larks, which are

numerous on the plains, from finding their usual supply of seeds. Hunger
drove them into the city by thousands. Great flocks were on the
down-town streets, feeding on anything in the shape of grain they could
find, many being found about the grain- and feed-stores picking up the
waste grain. Many people threw out millet and other seeds for them, and
they soon learned to flock to those places.

In Alamo Park were two or three places about twelve feet in diameter
where seed was thrown to them, and when there was nothing there the
birds would be sitting about on the snow waiting. As soon as food was
thrown on one of these places it would at once be so covered by the birds
that not a bit of ground would be visible, only a mass of birds, fighting
and struggling incessantly and keeping up a continual chirping.

Next to our house, in the north part of the city, is a vacant lot which
was overgrown with weeds, and here the Larks came. I put millet out for
them at a place where I could conveniently watch from the library window,
and the birds soon found it. For several weeks they were about more or less
of the time. It was a good place to set the camera and many exposures were
made. But the birds are rather pugnacious and continually fighting, and it

HORNED LARKS IN COLORADO SPRINGS

(6)

Horned Larks in Colorado Springs, Col. 7

always seemed that no sooner did one get into a good pose at just the right
spot than another pitched into him and drove him away, or else he saw
another off to one side which needed a thrashing immediately, and away
he would go. Feathers would

often fly in these little conflicts, n ities
and I have seen partly crippled ae
birds which had been hurt in ce
this way. A one-legged bird Res fa is anes
came about for several days and (@meeume ee ig ee

had rather a hard time, for the
others invariably bullied him and
drove him away.

I watched the various flocks
closely for
other spe-
cies of birds
especially
Longspurs,
which _as-
sociate with
them on
the plains,

but the only
other bird seem
was a Gray-
crowned Leuco-
sticte, which was
feeding, on the
morning of Feb-
ruary 13, with
a small flock of
Larks, just after
a new fall of snow. This was
the second time I have seen
the species in town, the other
occasion being earlier in the
winter, when I saw a single
bird on the street.

Mr. C. E. Aiken tells me
that in the winter of 1871, I
think, there were large flocks
about the town, which was
founded only the summer before. I do not think they very often get so far
away from the mountains.

After the first of March the weather moderated, and the Larks, all of
which appeared to be Desert Horned Larks, began to disappear, going out
on the plains again.

HORNED LARK POSES

The Christmas Bird Census

cessful than any of the three which have preceded it. This fact is
best expressed by a statement of the number of reports received each
year since the Census was inaugurated. Thus, in 1900 twenty-five re-
ports were sent in, in 1901, thirty-four, in 1902, fifty-three, and in 1903,

Beane Fourth Christmas Bird Census was even more suc-

g

seventy -eight.

The area covered extends from Ontario, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Michigan and Wisconsin, south to Florida and Texas, west to California
and Washington; and the Census is interesting, not alone from the number
of reports made, but also because of the rather unusual character of their
contents. Pine Grosbeaks, which last year were not mentioned by a single
observer, are now reported from New Hampshire, Vermont and Michigan,
to as far south as Wernersville, Pennsylvania, and Kewanee, Illinois, and -
Redpolls are also included in a number of the lists received. A further
feature of the reports is the abundance of Chickadees noted.

Queenstown, Ontario, Canada, along River Road.—December 22; time, 11 A. M. to
12.30 P. M.; 1.30 P.M. to 5 P.M. Partly cloudy; ground bare, wind west to north-
west, strong; temp., 24°. Herring Gull, 35; American Merganser, 2; Golden-eye, 5;
Downy Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 3; Goldfinch, 3; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 4; Chickadee, 60; Total, 9 species, 123 individuals. —HArry HUBBARD LARKIN.

Wilton, N. H.—Time, 9.30 a. M. to 12 M. Cloudy; ground bare; wind west, light;
temp., 42°. Ruffed Grouse, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay, 7; American Crow,
2; Pine Grosbeak, 43; American Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 5; Junco, 7; Catbird,
1; Brown Creeper, 5; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chick-
adee, 11. Total, 13 species, 97 individuals. ‘The Catbird is evidently a ‘left-over.’ I
have seen the bird once before, about three weeks ago, feeding on frozen apples.— GEORGE
‘G. BLANCHARD.

Bethel, Vt.— December 24; time, 3 P. M. to 4.30 P.M. Heavy clouds, raining
slightly; ground mostly snow-covered, as it has been since November 24; temp., 36°.
From window overlooking a bird’s lunch counter. Blue Jay, 4; Pine Grosbeak, 3;
Goldfinch, 10; Chickadee, 7. Total, 4 species, 24 individuals.—ELTa M. Lewis.

Bristol, Vt.— Time, 9 A. M. to4 P.M. Cloudy; ground mostly bare; wind north-
west, light; temp., 32°. Ruffed Grouse, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Pileated Wood-
pecker, 1; Goldfinch, 31; Tree Sparrow, 45; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee,
6. Total, 7 species, 88 individuals. —A.C. Dike.

Brattleboro, Vt.—Time, 9 A. M. to 2.30 P. M. Cloudy; ground partly covered with
snow; wind south, light; temp., 43°. Downy Woodpecker, 2; White-throated Sparrow,
2; Tree Sparrow, 2; Brown Creeper, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 8; Red-breasted
Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 18; Golden Crowned Kinglet, 4. Total 8 species, 41 indiyid-
uals.—Wwm. C. Horron.

Nahant, Mass.— December 28; 9.30 to 3.30. Clear; snow on ground; wind north-
west, fresh; temp., 16°. Holbeell’s Grebe, 2; Loon, 2; Red-throated Loon, 1; Great
Black - backed Gull, 15; Herring Gull, 75; Red- breasted Merganser, 24; American
Golden-eye, 18; Old Squaw, 7; White-winged Scoter, 4; Crow, 30; Redpoll [| prob-
ably Greater], 1; Song Sparrow, 5; Mockingbird, 1; Chickadee, 7. Total, 14 species,
185 individuals.— Hervey W. KING. ,

(8)

The Christmas Bird Census AG

Moon Island and Squantum, Mass.— December 24; time, 9 A. M. to 2 P. M.
Cloudy; ground bare; wind southwest, light; temp., 36° to 47°. Horned Grebe, 13.
Black-backed Gull, 2; Herring Gull, 245; American Scaup Duck, 415; American
Golden - eye, 137; Buffle-head, 40; Old Squaw, 14; American Scoter, 18; Northern
Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 6: American Crow, 151; Meadowlark, 6 (several in
song); Tree Sparrow, 1; Song Sparrow, 4; Chickadee, 11; Robin, 1. Total, 16 species,
1,053 individuals.—Francis G. and Maurice C. BLAKE.

Nahant Beach, Mass.— December 26; time, 10.20 A. M. to 12.20 P. M. Cloudy;
snowing heavily; ground covered; wind northwest, very high; temp., 24° to 33°. Black-
backed Gulls, 5; Herring Gull, 71; Horned Lark, 11; American Crow, 16; Song
Sparrow, 1; Chickadee, 1. (The snow made it impossible to see out over the water. }
Total, 6 species, 105 individuals.—Francis G. and Maurice C. BLAKE.

Boston, Mass. (Charles River, the Back Bay Fens, Parkway, Olmstead Park,
Jamaica Pond and the Arnold Arboretum). December 28; time, 8.45 A. M. to3 P. M.
Clear; ground covered; wind west, brisk ; temp., 16°. Black-backed Gull, 7; Herring
Gull, 39; Black Duck, 6; American Golden-eye, 57; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 26; Blue Jay, ro; American Crow, 13; Pine Grosbeak, 3;
White - winged Crossbill, 3; American Goldfinch, 11; White -throated Sparrow, 8;
Tree Sparrow, 6; Junco, 13; Song Sparrow, 5; Northern Shrike, 1; Brown Creeper, 3 ;
Chickadee, 26; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 7. Total, 21 species, 240 individuals.—
Francis G. and Maurice C. BLAKE.

Boston, Mass. (From Harvard Bridge through the Back Bay Fens and Riverway,
Olmstead and Jamaica Parks and the Arnold Arboretum; six miles of the city park
system.) — December 24; 8.30 to 4. Cloudy; ground bare; wind southwest, light ;
temp., 39° to 47°. Great Black-backed Gull, 1; Herring Gull, 22; Black Duck, 116.
(six on Jamaica Pond); American Golden - eye, 172; Bob-white, 13; Sharp - shinned
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker,
21; Blue Jay, 7 ; Crow, 24; Pine Grosbeak, 12; Purple Finch, 2 ; Goldfinch, 11; White-
throated Sparrow, 10 (two insong); Junco, 21; Song Sparrow, 8; Fox Sparrow, 2; Myrtle
Warbler, 1; Brown Creeper, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 5; Chickadee, 44; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 4. Total, 24 species, 503 individuals. December 19. Northern
Shrike, 1; American Crossbill, 1; Tree Sparrow, 21; Hermit Thrush, 1; Robin, 1.—
Horace W. Wricut.

Forest Hill Station, Mass. (through the Arnold Arboretum, Faulkner and Weld
Farms to Chestnut Hill).—Time, 11.45 a. M. to 2.15 P.M. Sky overcast; wind light,
no snow on the ground; temp., 45°. Flicker, 1; Crow, 8; Tree Sparrow, 4; Junco, 143.
Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 10. Total, 7 species, 41
individuals.—J. S. CopMAN.

Cambridge, Mass., Fresh Pond.—December 26. Time, 9.50 A. M. to 11.30 A. M.
Clear, ground bare; wind southeast, medium; temp., 35°. Great Black-backed Gull, 2;
Herring Gull, 33; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 5; Tree Sparrow,
1; Song Sparrow, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 3; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 2. Total, 14 species, 52 individuals.—Francis A. P. JAMES.

Cambridge, Mass.—T ime, 9.10 A. M. to 12.10 P. M.; 3 P.M. to 4 P.M. Slight
southwest wind. Sky heavily overcast. Rain in the afternoon. Great Black-backed:
Gull, 8; Herring Gull, 600; American Merganser, 1; Black Duck, 42; Mongolian
Pheasant, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 2; Crow, 11; Gold-
finch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 46; Junco, 1; Song Sparrow, 6; Brown Creeper, 2 ; Chickadee,
14. Total, 15 species, 740 individuals. A Grackle was observed December 24.—HELEN
C. Scorcig and Extvira L. ScoraGie.

Cambridge, Mass., (past Fresh Pond through the Fresh Pond Marshes, over Ar-
lington Heights to Waverly) —Time, 8.40 A.M. to 12M. Cloudy; very light southwest

10 Bird - Lore

wind; temp., 42°. Herring Gull, 80; Black-backed Gull, 1; Merganser ( American
or Red-breasted), 1; Black Duck, 39; Golden-eye, x (all these on the Fresh Pond);
Bob-white, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 6 ;
Crow, 20; Blue Jay, 1; Red-winged Blackbird, 2 (in the Fresh Pond Marshes); Pine
Grosbeak, 2; Goldfinch, 2; Tree Sparrow, 20; Song Sparrow, 3; Brown Creeper, 2;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 30; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 25. Total, 21
species, 243 individuals. —ArTHuR C. Comey.

Elmwood, Mass.—Time, 8 A. M. to 12 M. Cloudy; ground bare; wind south-
west, light; temp., 40°. Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 7; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 9;
Meadowlark, 10; Goldfinch, 2; Tree Sparrow, 26; Junco, 12; Song Sparrow, 3;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 4o. Total, 11 species, 116 individuals.—
H. HERBERT MARSHALL.

Paxton, Mass.—Time, 10.45 A. M. to 12.30 P. M.- Cloudy, ground bare; wind
west, light; temp., 42°. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Pine Grosbeak, 21; Redpoll, 75; Tree
Sparrow, 1; Chickadee, 3. Total, 5 species, about ror individuals.—ABBy W.
CHRISTENSEN.

Stoneham, Mass.—Time, 12.30 to 2 Pp. M. Sky clouded, ground bare; calm;
temp., 40°. Herring Gull, 300; Black Duck, 200; Ruffed Grouse, 3; Downy Wood-
pecker, 2; Flicker, 1; Crow, 9; Blue Jay, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee,
ag. Total, 9 species, about 538 individuals.—ErnestT HAroL_p BAYNES.

Milton Hill, Norfolk County, Mass.—Time, 7 to 9 A. M. Cloudy, warm; wind
southwest, light; ground bare; temp., 42°. Herring Gull, 7; Snowy Owl, 1; Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 6; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 100; Pine Grosbeak, 2; Redpoll, 7;
‘Greater Redpoll, 2, in flock with preceding ; Goldfinch, 3; Pine Siskin, ro; Song Spar-
row, 6; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 30; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 20; Robin, 4. Total, 17 species 207 individuals.—STrANLEY Cosss.

Beverly, Mass.—December 24, 1903; 10 A. M. to 12 M. Cloudy; ground bare;
wind northwest by west, light; temp., 40°. Downy Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 8; Gold-
finch, 40; Flicker, 18 ; Tree Sparrow, 2; Song Sparrow, 1; Junco, 6; Myrtle Warbler,
2; Chickadee, 45; Brown Creeper, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 3; Pine Grosbeak, 41. Total, 13 species, 169 individuals.—CHARLOTTE W.
BUTLER.

Woonsocket, R. I.—December 26; 7 to 10 A. M. Cloudy; light snow squalls;
ground bare; wind north, light; temp., 30°. Blue Jay, 2; American Crow, 4; Gold-
finch, 5; Tree Sparrow, 12; Junco, 9; Song Sparrow, 1; Winter Wren, 1; Brown
Creeper, 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5. Total, 9 species, 40 individuals. —CLARENCE
M. ARNOLD.

Providence, R. I.—Dec. 24, 10.30 A. M. tor P. M. Overcast; ground bare; wind
south, in gusts; temp., 30°. Crow, 10; Blue Jay, 2; Meadowlark, 1; Swamp Sparrow,
4; Tree Sparrow, 25; Fox Sparrow, 2; Junco, 30; Goldfinch, 6; Chickadee, 12;
Bluebird, 1. Total, ro species, 93 individuals.—ANNA E. Coss.

Glocester, Providence Co., R. I.—Tuime, 8.30 A. M. to 12.30 P. M. Cloudy, rain-
ing at noon; ground bare; wind west, light; temp., 40°. Ruffed Grouse, 8; Downy
Woodpecker, 1; Blue Jay, 1; Tree Sparrow, 3; Myrtle Warbler (flock), 15; Chickadee,
8 Total, 6 species, 36 individuals. December 9, saw 3 Pine Grosbeaks. December 12, 13
and 15, saw 1 Robin, probably same individual. Flock of 40 or 50 Goldfinches seen fre-
quently.—J. IrRvinc Hitt.

Bristol, Conn.— December 25, 7 A. M. tor P.M.; December 26, 7A. M. to 9.30 A. M.
Ruffed Grouse, 9 ; Marsh Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Pigeon Hawk, 1; Sparrow
Hawk, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 6; Blue Jay, 29; Crow, 233 ;
Pine Grosbeak, 6; Goldfinch, 59; Tree Sparrow, 49; Junco, 9; Winter Wren, 1;
Brown Creeper, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 27; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee,

The Christmas Bird Census II

72; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 12; Bluebird, 3. Total, 20 species, 526 individuals.
December 23 a male Towhee was seen.— FRANK BRUEN, R. W. Foro, F. H. HOLME,
NeEwTon Manross and EGBERT SMITH.

Edgewood Park, New Haven, Conn.— Time, 9.45 A. M. to 1 P. M. Cloudy to
rainy; ground bare; wind northwest, light; temp., 39°. Crow, 5; Blue Jay,2; Song
Sparrow, 2; Northern Shrike, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 19. ‘Total,
6 species, 30 individuals.—A. A. SAUNDERS.

South Norwalk, Conn.— Distance covered, 8 miles. Cloudy, with rain; temp., 40°.
Grebe, 3; Loon, 3; Herring Gull, 193; Black Duck, 25; Shoveler, 175; Golden-eye,
_ 10; Old Squaw, 50; Downy Woodpecker, 11; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 10; Meadowlark, 29 ;
Junco, 46; Tree Sparrow, 51; Song Sparrow, 7; Chickadee, 16; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 7. Total, 16 species, 579 individuals. December 22 a Carolina Wren was seen.—
Wivsur SMITH (land-birds) and THOMAS SAUNDERS (water-birds).

Saranac Lake, N. Y.— Time, 9.30 A. M. to 11.30 A. M.; 12.30 P. M. to 1.45 P. M.
Cloudy ; wind westerly and gusty; ground covered with eighteen inches of snow; temp.,
20° to 24°. Pine Grosbeak, 17; Brown Creeper, 1; White- breasted Nuthatch, 2.
Total, 3 species, 20 individuals.—NoRMAN McLeop Carter.

Canandaigua, N. Y.—Time, 8.30 A. M. to12 M., 2 tog P.M. Cloudy; wind west,
strong in the morning, light in the afternoon, snow falling most of the time; temp., 27°.
Herring Gull, 1; American Scaup Duck, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Red-headed
Woodpecker, 1; Crow, about 200; Tree Sparrow, 11; Song Sparrow, 1; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 5; Chickadee, 21. Total, 9 species, 243 individuals.—FRANK I’. ANTES.

Auburn, N. Y.—Time, 9 A. M. to 2 Pp. M. Ground covered with snow, strong
northwest wind and snow falling heavily during forenoon; temp., 20°. Horned Grebe,
4; Herring Gull, 1; American Merganser, 3; American Golden-eye, 1; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 151; Tree Sparrow, 4; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 4. Total, 9 species, 170 individuals. —-F. J. Strupp.

Hilton, N. Y.—December 21; 9 A. M. to 12 M., 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. Ground covered
with snow; clear; wind not preceptible; temp., 31° to 33°. Pheasant (Phasianus torquatus),
1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Crow, 15; American Goldfinch, 20;
Snowflake, 200; Tree Sparrow, 50; Junco, 2; Song Sparrow, 2; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 9; Chickadee, 30; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 11. Total, 12 species, 348 indi-
viduals.—JoHN ARCHER and ALBERT H. WRIGHT.

Rhinebeck, N. Y.—Time, 8.45 to 9.45 A. M., and 2.15 to 4.15 P. M. Cloudy;
wind west, light; temp., 39°. Bob-white, 1; Ruffed Grouse, 3; Red-tailed Hawk, 1;
Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1 ; Blue Jay, 4; Crow, 8; Tree Sparrow,
2; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 14; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 1; Robin, 1. Total, 13 species, about 43 individuals.—MaAvunsELL S, CRrossBy.

Huntington, Long Island, N. Y.—December 24; 9 A. M. to12 M. Cloudy, ground
bare ; wind southeast, light; temp., 38°. Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 1; Yellow-
bellied Sapsucker, 1; Crow, 7; Blue Jay, 1; Meadowlark, 8; Goldfinch, 15; Tree
Sparrow, 4; Junco, 26; Song Sparrow, 2; Cedarbird, 4; Myrtle Warbler, 3; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 18; Robin, 4. Total, 15 species, roo individuals.—

CHARLOTTE E. LEE.
Greenport, L. I.—Time, 9.30 A. M. to 12 M. Raining, ground bare ; wind southwest,

light; temp., 53°. Herring Gull, 27; Black Duck, 48; Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Crow, 14; Meadowlark, 1; Pine Siskin, 6; Redpoll, 8; Song Sparrow, 4; Junco, 50;
Myrtle Warbler, 200; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 28; Robin, 1. Total,
13 species, about 380 individuals.—Karv B. SQuires.

College Point, N. Y.—Time, 10.30 A. M. to 1.30 P. M.; 3.40 P. M. tO 4.45 P. M.
Cloudy, rain in forenoon; ground bare; wind west, brisk; temp., 44°. Herring Gull,
3; Crow, 4; Meadowlark, 1; Junco, 10; Tree Sparrow, 12; Song Sparrow, 15;
Chickadee, 4. Total, 7 species, 49 individuals.—FRANCIS HARPER.

12 Bird - Lore

Rockaway Park Beach, L. I.—December 24, 1903; time, 10.25 A. M. to 2.30 P. M.
Weather cloudy; wind, brisk southwest ; ground without snow; Herring Gull, common all
along, with one flock of 90; Black-backed Gull, 7 ; Duck, species 4; Crow, 35; Meadow-
lark, 1; Tree Sparrow, several; Robin, r. Total, 7 species. —CuHarLes H. Rocers and
Harotp E. Porter. j

Central Park, New York City. — December 26, 12.25 P. M. to 3.45 P. M.
Weather, fine; wind, strong, west; ground covered with light and drifting snow ; temp.,
16° to 27°. Herring Gull, x flock of 60; Downy Woodpecker, 2; White-throated
Sparrow, 2; Song Sparrow, 2; Cardinal, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee,
8. Total, 7 species, 78 individuals. CHARLES H. ROGERS.

Central Park, New York City (north of 72d street).— Time, 11 A. M. to 1 P. M.
Light, southwest wind. Rain throughout; temp., 42°. Herring Gull, 1,100; Hairy
Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Starling, 3; White -throated Sparrow, 75;
Song Sparrow, 1; Cardinal, 4; Brown Creeper, 3; White- breasted Nuthatch, 6;
Chickadee, 25. Total, 10 species (exclusive of House Sparrows), about 1,222 individuals.
— CLINTon G. ABBoTT. :

Central Park, New York City.— 9.30 to 11. Wind moderate, southwest ; a heavy
rain most of the time; temp., 38°. Herring Gull, 1,200 (estimated) ; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Starling, 4; White-throated Sparrow, 11; Song
Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 2; Junco, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 22; Hermit
Thrush, 1. Total, rz species, 1,250 individuals.— Isaac BILDERSEE.

Central Park, New York City.— Time, 8.45 to 10.25 A. M. Cloudy, sprinkling part
of the time; light southwest wind; temp., 43°. Herring Gull, 500 (estimated);
Downy Woodpecker, 1; Starling, 3; White-throated Sparrow, 7; Song Sparrow, 1;
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 5; Hermit Thrush, 1. ‘Total, 8 species, about
519 individuals.— Georce E. Hix. |

Montclair, N. J.— Time, 8.30 A. M. tor P. M.; 2.30 P. M. to 5.30 P. M. Weather
cloudy, with light rain turning to snow; ground bare; wind northwest to south, light;
temp., 35°.. Cooper’s Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 71;
Purple Grackle, 1; Pine Grosbeak, 17; Goldfinch, 7; Tree Sparrow, 16; Junco, 400;
Song Sparrow, 3; Northern Shrike, 2; Carolina Wren, 2 (has been seen several times
since fall) ; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, 47; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 4; Robin, 1; Bluebird, 13. Total, 18 species, 600 individuals.—
VINCENT E. GorMAN and Frep T. Morison.

Passaic, N. J.—9 A.M. to11.30 A.M. Cloudy, raining part of the time; ground
bare ; wind southwest, light ; temp., 40°. Crow, 3; Song Sparrow, 3; Tree Sparrow, 4;
White-throated Sparrow, 3; Brown Creeper, 1; Chickadee, 2; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 1. Total, 7 species, 17 individuals.— GitBert H. TRAFTON.

Beverly, N. J.—December 26, 8 A. M. to 3.30 P. M. Snow flurries in the morning,
clear in the alternoon, ground bare ; wind southwest, changing to northwest, very strong;
average temp., 28°. Bob-white, 8; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 12;
Blue Jay, 1; Crow, 500; Goldfinch, 6; White-throated Sparrow, 50; Tree Sparrow, 20;
Junco, 200; Song Sparrow, 15; Cardinal, 13; White-breasted Nuthatch, 5; Red-
breasted Nuthatch, 1 ; Tufted Titmouse, 20; Chickadee, 32 ; Golden-crowned Kinglet,
7. Total, 16 species, 892 individuals.—J. FLETCHER STREET.

Moorestown, N. J.—Time, 9.30 A. M. to 12.30 P. M. Raining, ground bare ; wind
west, very light; temp., 40°. Blue Jay, 4; Crow, 12; White-throated Sparrow, 10;
Tree Sparrow, 4; Junco, 1; Song Sparrow, 15 (singing); Cardinal, 4; Catbird, 1x
(wing injured); Winter Wren, 4 (singing); Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2. Total, 1o
species, 57 individuals—L. M. Jacop and A. A. MICKLE.

Moorestown, Burlington County, N. J.— Time, 6.55 A. M. to 7.55 A. M. and 8.45
A.M. to 5.15 P.M. Weather, overcast, high clouds. At 7.50 A. M. light rain set in,

The Christmas Bird Census 13

continuing briskly till 2.18 p. M., when it slackened and ceased. Wind light, northwest;
ground bare of snow; temp., 38°. Bob-white, 4; Red-tailed Hawk, 5 ; Sparrow Hawk,
3; Downy Woodpecker, 10; Flicker, 3; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 50; Meadowlark, 19; Purple
Grackle, 2; Goldfinch, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 13; Tree Sparrow, 72; Junco,
114; Song Sparrow, 11 ; Cardinal, 10; Northern Shrike, 1; Catbird, 1 (with one drooping
wing; probably unable to migrate); Winter Wren, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 9; Black-capped Chickadee, 6; Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 2; Hermit Thrush, 1; Robin, 1. Total, 25 species, about 347 indi-
viduals.—WILLIAM B. Evans.

Newfield, Gloucester County, N. J.--Time, 2.20 P. M. to 4.40 P. M. Drizzling
rain, with slight mist; ground bare; no wind; temp., 38°. Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 2; Junco, 200; Tree Sparrow, 30; Song Sparrow, 3 ; Chickadee,
12; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1. Total, 8 species, about 252 individuals.—Wwmo. W.
Fair.

Wildwood, Cape May County, N. J. (Five-Mile Beach to Rio Grand and Anglesea
Junction).—December 27. Time, 7.30 A.M. to 4.30 P. M. Fair and cloudy; wind
southwest, heavy; temp., 8°. Black-backed Gull, 2 adults; Herring Gull, 100; Ring-
billed Gull, 2; Scaup Duck, 15; Killdeer, 2; Turkey Buzzard, 2; Marsh Hawk, 1;
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Bald Eagle, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1;
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 6; Horned Lark, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, 300; Red-
winged Blackbird, 1 young male; Meadowlark, 75; Purple Finch, 15; Goldfinch, 50;
White-throated Sparrow, 75; Tree Sparrow, 6; Field Sparrow, 2; Junco, 200; Song
Sparrow, 75; Fox Sparrow, 25; Towhee, 3 males, 1 female; Cardinal, 16; Myrtle
Warbler, 800; Mockingbird, 1; Brown Thrasher, 2; Carolina Wren, 15; White-breasted
Nuthatch, 4; Carolina Chickadee, 25; Hermit Thrush, 4; Robin, 150; Bluebird, 75.
Total, 37 species, 2,061 individuals.—Ww. L. Batty.

Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa.—Time, 9 A. M. to4.30 P. M. Cloudy, a steady
rain falling, clearing about 2 Pp. M.; ground bare; wind southwest, light; temp., 40°.
American Herring Gull, 2; American Merganser, 20; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Cooper’s
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 2; Crow, 50; White-
throated Sparrow, 4; Junco, 30; Song Sparrow, 14; Carolina Wren, 2; Winter Wren,
1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 8; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 4; Ruby-
crowned Kinglet, 1. (I am certain of this bird’s identity. I was within 6 feet of it and it
displayed its ruby crown- patch five or six times. It was in company with a Song Sparrow
exploring a weed patch and brush heap.) Total, 17 species, 144 individuals. On Decem-
ber 6, Cardinals, Crested Titmice and Brown Creepers were seen. ‘Today is the first time
that I have failed to find Cardinals in Fairmount Park.—CHRESWELL J. Hunr.

Wissinoming, Pa.— Dec. 23; 1 to4 Pp. M. Clear; wind west, moderate; temp., 45°.
Crow, 7; Tree Sparrow, 25; Junco, 1; Song Sparrow, 7; Fox Sparrow, 3; Cardinal,
2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 1; Winter Wren, heard. Total, ro
species, about 46 individuals. —RICHARD F. MILLER.

Near West Chester, Pa.—Cloudy, rain most of day; light southwest wind. Red-
tailed Hawk, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Crow, 50; Junco, 200; Tree Sparrow, 50;
Song Sparrow, 10; White-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, 5; Brown Creeper, 2.
Total, 9 species, 327 individuals.— THOMAS H. JACKSON.

Glenside, Pa.—Time, 11 A. M. to 12.30 P.M. Rainy; wind south, light; temp.,
43°. Sparrow Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Flicker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 1;
Crow, 50; Fish Crow, 1; Meadowlark, 7; Song Sparrow, 1; Junco, 12; Chickadee, 4.
Total, ro species, 81 individuals.—SamueL H. BARKER.

Rohrerstown, Pa.—Time, 2 to5 Pp. M. Cloudy; ground bare, except snow on north
side of hills; temp., 40°. Cooper’s Hawk 1; Screech Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2;

ith Bird - Lore

Downy Woodpecker, 5; Crow, 200; Tree Sparrow, 40; Junco, 30; Song Sparrow, 1;
Cardinal, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 18. Total, 11 species, about
300 individuals.—JAcoB STEHMAN.

Lansdowne, Pa.—Time, 7.45 A. M. to 8.30 A.M. Light rain; ground bare; wind
east, light; temp., 42°. Duck (Baldpate?), 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 12;
Goldfinch, 30; Vesper Sparrow, 1; White-throated Sparrow, 6; Field Sparrow, 6;
Junco, 6; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 2; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 4. Total, 11
species, 72 individuals.—J. Haroip AusTIN.

Wernersville, Paa—Time, 9.30 A. M. to11.30 A.M. Cloudy; patches of snow on
hillsides, low ground bare; wind southeast, light; temp., 40°. Downy Woodpecker, 2;
Blue Jay, 4; Crow, 25; Pine Grosbeak, 10; Goldfinch, 7; Tree Sparrow, 2; Junco, 70;
Song Sparrow, 2; Cardinal 6; Cedar Waxwing, 5; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chick-
adee, 4. Total, 12 species, 140 individuals.—Caro.LinE B. THOMpsoN.

Durham, N. C.—Time, 1 to 2.30 Pp. M. Weather, gray and rainy, rather warm.
Species observed; Turkey Vulture, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 5; Crow, 5; Gold-
finch, 15; White-throated Sparrow, t5; Field Sparrow, 50; Junco, 150; Song Sparrow,
75; Cardinal, 1; Carolina Wren, 7; Tufted Titmouse, 3; ‘Carolina Chickadee, 4 ;
Bluebird, 25; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1. ‘Total, 15 species, 358 individuals. —ERNEST
SEEMAN,

Atlanta, Ga.— Time, 10.30 A. M. to 3 P. M. Cloudy, rain in A. M.; ground bare;
wind north, light; temp., 54°. Killdeer, 3; Bob-white, 8; Mourning Dove, 5;
Turkey Vulture, 19; Broad-winged Hawk, 6; Sparrow Hawk, 4; Downy Woodpecker,
7; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 6; Meadowlark, 12; Blue Jay, 8; Crow, 7;
Red-winged Blackbird, 250; Purple Grackle, 3; Goldfinch, 9; White-throated Spar-
row, 3; Field Sparrow, 41; Junco, 22; Towhee, 5; Cardinal, 9; Cedar Waxwing, 18;
Logger-head Shrike, 1; Mockingbird, 3; Brown Thrasher, 2; House Wren, 8;
Tufted Titmouse, 9; Carolina Chickadee, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 33; Robin,
28; Bluebird, 15. Total, 30 species, about 556 individuals.— EuGENE L. McCDANIEL.

Miami, Florida.— December 26; time, 8.30 A. M. to 10.30 A. M.; temp., 81°. Ob-
served from March Cottage. Ground Dove, Turkey Buzzard, Black Vulture, Ruby-
throated Hummingbird, Phoebe, Fish Crow, Blue Jay, Boat-tailed Grackle, Baltimore
Oriole, Cardinal, Palm Warbler, Parula Warbler, Ovenbird. Total, 13 species.—
SARAH F. AINSWORTH.

Jackson, Miss.—Time, 2 to 3.30 Pp. M. Cloudy; temp., 52°. ‘Turkey Vulture, 7;
Black Vulture, 5 ; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Red-bellied Wood-
pecker, 2; Flicker, 4; Song Sparrow, 2; White-crowned Sparrow, 2; Fox Sparrow, 4;
Cardinal, 5; Myrtle Warbler, 15; Winter Wren, 1; Carolina Wren, 1; Thrasher, 2;
Mockingbird, -3 ; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Bluebird, 3. Total, 17 species, 61 indi-
viduals.— J. T’. Park.

Knickerbocker, Tom Green County, Texas.— December 22, 9 A. M. to 11.30 A. M.
and 3.30 P. M. to 5.30 P. M. Clear; ground bare; wind south, light; temp., 60°.
Pied-billed Grebe, 2; Red-breasted Merganser, 15; Mallard, 33; Green- and Blue-
winged Teal, 14; Great Blue Heron, 1; Wilson Snipe, 1; Killdeer, 2; Scaled Partridge,
11; Mourning Dove, 4; Black Vulture, 10; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 ; Red-tailed Hawk,
2; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 3; Texan Woodpecker, 3; Golden-fronted
Woodpecker, 7; Red-shafted Woodpecker, 8; Phoebe, 3; Pallid (?) Horned -Lark, 35 ;
Texan Jay, 3; Western Meadow-lark, 50; Bronzed Grackle, 20; (?) Goldfinch, 8;
Western Vesper Sparrow, 6; Gambel White-crowned Sparrow, 30; Black-throated Spar-
row, 2; Mountain Song Sparrow, 9; Gray-tailed Cardinal, 7; Lark Bunting, 35 ; Cedar
Waxwing (?), 6; White-rumped Shrike, 1; Audubon Warbler, 3; Grinnell Water-
Thrush, 1; Western Mockingbird, ro; Baird Wren, 3; Rocky Mountain Creeper, 1;
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Black - crested Titmouse, 4; Golden -crowned Kinglet, 6;

The Christmas Bird Census 15

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 4; Western Robin, 150; Chestnut-backed Bluebird, 8. Total,
44 species, 531 individuals.— WM. GRAy HARMAN.

La Grange, Missouri.— December 24; 9 A. M. to 1.30 P. M. Clearing after rainy
night, very muddy; wind northwest, brisk ; temp., 38°. Red-shouldered Hawk, 2;
Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 4; Blue Jay,
11; Crow, 4; Purple Finch, 3; Goldfinch, 16 ; Tree Sparrow, 20; Junco, 53; Cardinal, 6;
Shrike, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Tufted Titmouse, 8; Chickadee, 20. Total,
15 species, 157 individuals.—SusaANn M. JOHNSON.

Clearmont, Mo.—Time, 7.30 to 8 A. M., and 9.10 A. M. to 1.50 P. M. Cloudy at
start, clearing later, ground bare ; wind southwest. Red-tailed Hawk, 2; Marsh Hawk,
1; Great-horned Owl, 1; Screech Owl, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Red-bellied Wood-
pecker, 1; Crow, 330; Blue Jay, 5; Goldfinch, 1; Tree Sparrow, 75; Junco, 14; Car-
dinal, 1; Tufted Titmouse, 5; Chickadee, 27; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9 ; Brown
Creeper, 3. Total, 16 species, 486 individuals. -EDwarD W. GRAVES.

Cameron, Clinton County, Mo.—Time, 11 A. M. to 12.30 Pp. M. Sky cloudy and
overcast with driving, sleet-like snow; wind cold, from the northwest and blowing from,
about 35 miles to 4o miles ; temp., 26°. Downy Woodpecker, 2 ; Blue Jay, 6 ; Cardinal,
1; Junco, 12; Chickadee, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2. Total, 6 species, 25 indi-~
viduals. —CHARLES NORMAN.

Lexington, Ky.—Time, 7 to 8 A. M., 10 torr A. M., 3 to 4 P. M. Clear, ground bare ;.
wind west, fresh to brisk; temp., 35°. Sparrow Hawk, 3; Screech Owl (heard at even-
ing) 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Horned Lark, 11 ; American
Crow, 100 and more; Bronzed Grackle, 17, Tree Sparrow, 2; Song Sparrow, 10; Car-
dinal, 3; Mockingbird, 1; Carolina Wren, 2; Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 1 3.
Carolina Chickadee, 11; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3. Total, 16 species, 169 individuals
—R. H. DEan.

Mount Carmel, IJl.—December 22. Time, 8 A.M. to 11.30 A. M.; 2 P.M. to4P. M.
Clear; ground bare; light west wind; temp., 24°. Duck, about 125 (flying, and
too far away to make positive identification possible); Turkey Vulture, 1; Red-tailed
Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk, 4; Hairy Woodpecker, 8; Downy Woodpecker, 11; Yel~
low-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Red-headed Woodpecker, 16; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 12;
Flicker, 14; Prairie Horned Lark,13; Blue Jay, 23; Crow, 35; Meadowlark, about
60; Goldfinch, 26; Tree Sparrow, 75; Junco, 65; Song Sparrow, 5; Cardinal, 22;
Loggerhead Shrike, 2; Carolina Wren, 3; Bewick’s Wren, 1; Brown Creeper, 3;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 9; Tufted Titmouse, about 40; Chickadee, 22; Bluebird, 19.
Total, 27 species, about 616 individuals. December 26, 1 saw one Mockingbird.—Cua:.
F. BRENNAN.

Mount Carmel, I1l.—Time, sunrise until 2 p. M. Clear, temp., 35°. List of birds
visiting ‘lunch counter’ at house near center of town. Downy Woodpecker, 3; Hairy
Woodpecker, 1; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 9; Junco, 1;
Cardinal, 9; Carolina Wren, 2; Bewick’s Wren, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 5 ;
Black-capped Chickadee, 15; Carolina Chickadee, 4, and English Sparrows without
number.—E. F. BEuLL.

Kewanee, Ill.— Time, 7.30 A. M. to rr A. M. Snow; wind south; temp., 20°.
Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 3; Crow, 5; Pine Grosbeak, 8; Song Sparrow, 1;
Junco, 25; Cardinal, 2; Carolina Chickadee, 16; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1. Total,
9 species, 63 individuals.—CLiFFoRD CrRosBy.

Rock Island, Ill.—Time, 10 A. M. to 12.40 P. M. Snowing, ground bare when snow
began; wind southeast at 9 A. M., and northeast at 11.30, becoming a gale, with blinding
clouds of snow; temp., 23°. Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Red-
headed Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 10; Junco, 4; White-bellied Nuthatch, 3; Black-
capped Chickadee, 9. Total, 7 species, 31 individuals.— Burtis H. WILson.

16 Bird- Lore

Peoria, Ill.—Time, 10 A. M. to 12 M. Snow-storm at times blinding, two inches of
snow on ground; wind west, strong; temp., 20°. Downy Woodpecker, 3; Hairy
Woodpecker, 3; Prairie Horned Lark, 2; Crow, 2; Blue Jay, 6; Junco, 21; Tree Spar-
row, 52; Purple Finch, 4; Cardinal, 9 ; Carolina Wren, 1; Chickadee, 26; Tufted Tit-
mouse, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3. Total, 13 species, 134 individuals.—W. H.
PackarRD and C. S. VAN DEUSEN.

Evanston, Ill.—Time, 9 A. M.to r P.M. Snowing very hard, blinding at times ;
wind west, varying to northwest; temp., 15°; eight inches of snow on ground. Result of
five-mile tramp: Herring Gull (immature), 2; Old Squaw Duck, 100; Junco, 20; Red-
poll, 1; Chickadee, 12. Total, 5 species, 135 individuals —H. S. PEpoon.

Jefferson, Ashtabula County, Ohio.—Time, 8 a. M. to12 M., and2to4P.M. A
gray day, west wind or none; a little fine snow, fields mostly bare, frozen; woods with
crusty snow; temp., 22°. Ruffed Grouse, 2; Barred Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 1;
Hairy Woodpecker, 2 ; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Northern Pileated Woodpecker, 2; Red-
bellied Woodpecker, 1; Northern Flicker, 1; Blue Jay, 2; Tree Sparrow, 8; White-
breasted Nuthatch, 8; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 26. Total, 13 species,
59 individuals.—E. F., and Rogpert J. Sim.

Cadiz, Ohio.— Time, 9 A. M. to 12.30 P. M. and 2.30 P. M. to 4.30 P. M. Partly
cloudy ; ground covered with snow, and ice in sheltered places only; wind southwest,
moderate ; temp., 35°. Distance walked (as registered by pedometer), 13 miles. Ruffed
Grouse, 1; Mourning Dove, 1; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Cooper’s Hawk, 1; Red-
tailed Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 2; Great Horned Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 4;
Downy Woodpecker, 8; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 5; Blue Jay, 3; Tree Sparrow, 12;
Junco, 22; Song Sparrow, 3; Cardinal, 9; Carolina Wren, 3; White-breasted Nut-
hatch, 15; Tufted Titmouse, 39; Chickadee, 28; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Blue-
bird, 3. Total, 21 species, 164 individuals. —Harry B. MCCONNELL. y

McZena, Ohio.—December 24. Time, 8.504. M. to 1.50 P. M. Raining or snowing
all the time; ground bare except remains of snowdrifts; wind southwest, strong; very
disagreeable walking; temp., 39°. Bob-white, 10; Ruffed Grouse, 1; Mourning Dove,
24; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Sparrow Hawk (?), 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Wood-
pecker, 6; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Red-headed Woodpecker (heard); Red-bellied
Woodpecker, 2; Northern Flicker, 1; Prairie Horned Lark, 2; Blue Jay, 10; American
Goldfinch, 47; Tree Sparrow, 35; Junco, 24; Song Sparrow, 43; Cardinal, 6; Carolina
Wren, 2; Brown Creeper (heard) ; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9 ; Red-breasted Nuthatch,
1; Tufted Titmouse, 18; Chickadee, 3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1. Total, 25 species,
213 incividuals.— ZENO METCALF and C. L. METCALF.

Detroit River, Mich.—Time, 4 P. M. to 4.30 P. M. Snow-flurries, floating ice on
river; wind northwest; temp., 26°. Herring Gull, 5; Ring-billed Gull, 3. Total, 2
species, 8 individuals. ALEXANDER W. BLAIN, JR.

Port Sanilac, Mich.— December 26; time, 2.15 P. M. to 4.15 P. M. Clear; six to ten
inches of snow ; wind southwest, light; temp., 12°. Old Squaw (?), 18; Bob-white, 1 ;
‘Crow, 160; Pine Grosbeak, 2; Snowflake, 120; Chickadee, 1. Total, 6 species, 302
individuals. —HARRIET W. THOMSON.

Appleton, Wis.— Time, 9.30 to 11.30 A. M. Cloudy, light snow falling, ground
partly covered; wind northwest, light; temp. zero. Downy Woodpecker, 1; Prairie
Horned Lark, 2; Crow, 2; Blue Jay, 3; Cedar Waxwing, 6; White-breasted Nuthatch,
2; Chickadee, 5. Total, 7 species, 21 individuals. Henry W. ABRAHAM.

Winneconne, Wis.— December 24; time, 9 A. M. to 12 M.; I P. M. to 3 P. M.
Partly cloudy ; two or three inches of snow ; wind west, light; temp., 20°. Hairy Wood-
pecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 6; Blue Jay, 15; American Crow, 10; Red-winged
Blackbird, 1; Evening Grosbeak, 10; American Goldfinch, 1; Snowflake, 200; Tree
Sparrow, 20; White-breasted Nuthatch, 10; Chickadee, 10. Total, ri species, 285 in-

The Christmas Bird Census 17

dividuals. Pine Grosbeaks were seen in large numbers December 12, and a few Decem-
ber 19 and 26. Evening Grosbeaks have been very common since December 1. Brown,
Creepers, which are usually common all winter, I have been unable to find since Novem-
ber. The Red-winged Blackbird has been in the village all winter, although the tem-
perature has been as low as 24° below zero and the ground covered with snow since
November.— Henry P. SEVERSON.

Decorah, Iowa.— Time, 10 A. M. to 2.30. Wind northwest, strong; temp., zero.
Somewhat cloudy, though sun broke through occasionally. Great Horned Owl, 1; Red-
tailed Hawk, 1; Ruffed Grouse, 7; Crow, 5; Blue Jay, 6; Hairy Woodpecker, 1;
Goldfinch, 7; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 5. ‘Total, 9 species, 34 indi-
viduals. —Retr E. OLMSTEAD.

Provo City, Utah.— Time, 10.30 A. M. to 4.30 P. M. Slightly hazy, half inch of
snow; wind southwest, light; temp., 28°. Ducks, not identified, 3; Killdeer, 8; Gold-
finch, 40; Marsh Hawk, 5; Western Red-tail, 1; Marsh Owl, 3; Dusky-horned Owl,
1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Red-shafted Flicker, 15; Pallid-horned Lark, 46 ; Magpie,
37; American Raven, 2; Crow, 5; Pinon Jay, 2; Red-winged Blackbird, 203; Brewer
Blackbird, 97; Western Evening Grosbeak, 12;. House Finch, 30; Tree Sparrow, 40;
Intermediate Junco, 63; Pink-sided Junco, 34; Song Sparrow (Subsp., one in song),
20; Bohemian Waxwing, 10; White-rumped Shrike, 2; Mountain Chickadee, 13. Total,
25 species, 694 individuals.—S. H. Goopwin.

Napa, California.—Time, 11 A. M. to3 Pp. M. Clear, ground bare ; no wind ; temp.,
58°. American Bittern, 2; Killdeer, 1 ; Western Red-tail Hawk, 3; Belted Kingfisher,
1; Californian Woodpecker, 7; Red-shafted Flicker, 16; Anna’s Humming-bird, 1 ;
Say’s Phoebe, 1; Black Phoebe, 5; California Jay, 29; American Crow, 5; Bicolored
Blackbird, 4 ; Western Meadowlark, very numerous, 136 counted; Brewer’s Blackbird,
very numerous, 141 counted; House Finch, 11; Green-backed Goldfinch, 68 ; White-
crowned (Gambel’s) Sparrow, 6; Golden-crowned Sparrow, 15; Oregon Junco, 1;
Thurber’s Junco, 35 ; Samuel’s Song Sparrow (heard), 1; Spurred Towhee, 8 ; Califor-
nian Towhee, 20; California Shrike, 5; Audubon’s Warbler, 2; American Pipit, 32;
Plain Titmouse, 4; California Bush-tit, 31; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, ro; Dwarf Hermit
Thrush, 1; Western Robin, 4; Varied Thrush, 1; Western Bluebird, 2. Total, 33.
species, 609 individuals (at minimum estimate).—Mr. anp Mrs. E. L. Bickrorp.

Cheney, Wash.—Time, 9.45 A. M. to 1.30 P.M. Foggy, ground bare ; wind, east,
light; temp., 26°. Batchelder Woodpecker, 1; Black-billed Magpie, 3; San Diego
Red-wing, 34; Brewer Blackbird, 11; Redpoll, 29; Merrill Song Sparrow, 1; Slender-
billed Nuthatch, 2; Oregon Chickadee, 21 ; Mountain Chickadee, 1. Total, 9 species,
102 individuals.—RosweLL H. JOHNSON.

The Pine Grosbeak at Washington, D. C.

Since the matter on the preceding pages was put in type, we have
received a number of interesting censuses which we should have been glad
to print had they arrived in time for insertion in their proper places. We
must make room, however, for a record of the Pine Grosbeak at Wash-
ington, D. C. (the most southern point from which the species has been
recorded this season), by Mr. Thomas H. Levering, who writes that he
satisfactorily identified three individuals of this species, a short distance
outside the city limits, on November 26, 1903.

Copyright, hy I..S Horton
LONG-EARED OWL ON NEST WITH YOUNG
Photographed by L. S. Horton, at Hyde Hark, N. Y., May 17, 1903

The nest was in a maple tree about twenty-five feet from the ground. ‘The picture
was secured by fastening the camera in an ash, about six feet away, attaching sixty feet of
tubing, and on the return of the parent Owl, making a 20-second exposure. While the
camera was being removed the Owls vigorously attacked the intruder, coming to within
three feet of his head, or, alighting on a near-by limb, with ruffled feathers and drooping

wings, uttering a loud, cat-like mewing.

For Teachers and Students

Bird-Lore’s Advisory Council

names and addresses of the ornithologists forming BirD-LORE’s
‘Advisory Council,’ which were first published in BirD-LoreE
for February, 1900.

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

The success of the plan during the four years which it has been in
operation fully equals our expectations; and from both students and mem-
bers of the Council we have had very gratifying assurances of the happy
results attending our efforts to bring the specialist in touch with those who
appreciate the opportunity to avail themselves of his wider experience.
Not only do students appeal to the representative of their own State, but in
planning trips to other parts of the country the advice of the resident
Councilor as to the best localities for birds, etc., is often sought.

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

\ ‘ JITH some slight alterations and additions, we reprint below the

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

UNITED STATES AND TERRITORIES

Avaska.—Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C,
ARIZONA.—Herbert Brown, Yuma, Ariz.

CALIFORNIA.—Charles A. Keeler, Calif. Acad. Sciences, San Francisco, Calif.
Cotorapo.—Dr. W. H. Bergtold, 1460 Clayton Ave., Denver, Col.

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

DELAWARE.—C., J. Pennock, Kennett Square, Pa.

District oF Cotumsia.-—Dr. C. W. Richmond, U. S. Nat’! Mus., Washington, D. C.
FLoripA.—Frank M, Chapman, American Museum Natural History, New York City.
FLoripa, Western.—R. W. Williams, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.

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

Ittinois, Northern.—B. T. Gault, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

ILLINOIS, Southern.—Robert Ridgway, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.
InpIANA.—A. W. Butler, State House, Indianapolis, Ind.

INDIAN TERRITORY.—Prof. W. W. Cooke, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Wash-
Iowa.—C. R. Keyes, Mt. Vernon, Ia. [ington, D. C.
Kansas.—Prof. D. E. Lantz, Manhattan, Kan.

LoutsiaNA.—Prof. George E. Beyer, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.

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20 Bird - Lore

MaineE.—O. W. Knight, Bangor, Me.

Mary.Lanp.— F. C. Kirkwood, Box 364, Baltimore, Md.

MassacHusETTS.— William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass.

MicuiGAN.—Prof. W. B. Barrows, Agricultural College, Mich.

Minnesota.—Dr. f. S. Roberts, 1603 Fourth avenue south, Minneapolis, Minn.
MissourI.—O. Widmann, Old Orchard, Mo.

Montana.—Prof. J. M. Elrod, University of Montana, Missoula, Mont.
NeBRASKA.—Prof. E. H. Barbour, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.

Nevapa.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept.- of Agr., Washington, D. C.
New HampsHire.—Prof. C. M. Weed, State Agricultural College, Durham, N. H.
New JERSEY, Northern.—Frank M. Chapman, Am. Mus. Nat. History, New York City.
New Jersey, Southern.—Witmer Stone, Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.
New Mexico.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D.C.
New York, Eastern. —Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washing-
New York, Northern.—Egbert Bagg, 191 Genesee street, Utica, N. Y. [ton, D. C.
New York, Western.—E. H. Eaton, Canandaigua, N. Y. -

New York, Long Island.—William Dutcher, 525 Manhattan ave., New York City.
Nortu Daxota.—Prof. O. G. Libby, University, N. D.

NortH CArRoLina.—Prof. T. G. Pearson, Greensboro, N. C.

Ou10.--Prof. Lynds Jones, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.

OxtaHoma.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.
OrEGoN.—A. W. Anthony, 76134 Savier street, Portland, Ore. :
PENNSYLVANIA, Eastern.—Witmer Stone, Acad, Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.
PENNSYLVANIA, Western.—W. Clyde Todd, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburg, Pa.

Ruope Istanp.—J. M. Southwick, Museum Natural History, Roger Williams Park,
SourH CAROLINA.—Dr. Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga. [Providence, R. I.
Texas, Northern.—J. J. Carroll, Waco, Tex.

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

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

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

VirGINIA.—Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.

W AsHINGTON.—Samuel F. Rathbun, Seattle, Wash.

West VirGcinia.—Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.

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

Wyrominc.—Dr Mortimer Jesurun, Douglas, Wyo.

CANADA

British CoLumBiA.—John Fannin, Provincial Museum, Victoria, B. C.
ManirosBA.—Ernest Thompson Seton, 80 W. 4oth street, New York City.
New Brunswick.—Montague Chamberlain, 45 Milk street, Boston, Mass.
Nova ScotiA.—Harry Piers, Provincial Museum, Halifax, N. S.

Onrario, Eastern.—James H. Fleming, 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Ont.
OnTARIO, Western.—E. W. Saunders, London, Ont.

Quesec.—E. D. Wintle, 189 St. James street, Montreal, Can.

MEXICO

E. W. Nelson, Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

WEST INDIES

C. B. Cory, 160 Boylston street, Boston, Mass.

The Migration of Warblers

SECOND PAPER
Compiled by Professor W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data
in the Biological Survey

With drawings* by Louris AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALL

PINE WARBLER

HE Pine Warbler seems to be the only United States Warbler that
breeds at the southern limit of its range, so that its fall migration is a
desertion of the northern part of its summer home and a concentra-
tion in the southern portion. The winter home is about one-third the area
of the breeding range. The Pine Warbler is also the only Warbler breed-
ing in the United States, no individuals of which regularly leave the United
States in winter. The only records for this species outside of the United
States are of a single, probably accidental, occurrence just over the border-
line in Mexico, and of stragglers seen occasionally in the Bermudas.

SPRING MIGRATION

Atlantic Coast.—The species winters north to North Carolina and south-
ern Illinois and the records of spring migration from this winter home are
neither regular nor numerous, but the following notes on the arrival of the
first birds will give a fair idea of the general movement:

Lynchburg, Va., March 30, 1901; Washington, D. C., average April
3; Renova, Pa., April 18, 1894; Englewood, N. J., April 18, 1900; Port-
land, Conn., average April 17; Durham, N. H., average April 26; South-
western Maine, average April 20; Petitcodiac, N. B., May 19. 1887; Pic-
tou, N. S., May 19, 1894; North River, P. E. I., May 2, 1889.

Mississippi Valley. —Nashville, Tenn., March 24, 1902; Bowling Green,
Ky., April 20, 1902; Central Indiana, average April 25; Southwestern On-
tario, average May 4; Ottawa, Ont., average May 17; St. Louis, Mo.,
April 21, 1883, April 16, 1888; Southwestern Iowa, average April 27;
Lanesboro, Minn., average May 2; Aweme, Man., May 21, 1902. The
most northern known extension is to Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan.

FALL MIGRATION

The last Pine Warbler seen at Aweme, Man., in 1902, was on Septem-
ber 2; the average of the last seen in southwestern Maine, is September 25,
and the latest October 4, 1896. The earliest migrants reach Washington,
D. C., the last week in August, and the rear guard passes central Indiana
and Washington between October 10 and 20.

*The drawings are one-half natural size

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ai) Bird-Lore

HOODED WARBLER
SPRING MIGRATION

The winter home of the Hooded Warbler is in Central America from
Vera Cruz, Mex., to Panama, whence the species reaches the United States
by a flight across the Gulf of Mexico, avoiding the West Indies and (for the
most part) southern Florida.

PLace weir Aces ae
Atlantic Coast—

Northern Florida. .... 6 March 28 March 19, 1885
Southeastern Georgia Acie 3 April 4 | March 29, 1902
Atlanta, Ga. (mear) ..... . 9 Aprilio | April 3, 1902
Rialevorhy: sNiaiGim foe ie ect S2 14 April 18 | April 10, 1893
Asheville, N. C. (mear). . .. - tate, 7 Aprilrg | April 12, 1893
TéynchburoepVideie ess een , 4 April 29 April 23, 1900
Wiest Vaincintaitncie seta ae 7 April 17 April 20, 1891
Washington, D.C........ 3 May 2 | May 1, 1903
Englewood, N.J. ....... : cf May 4 May 2, 1897
Renovay Pals a pothesis veer: - 4 May 13 | May 10, rgor

Mississippi Valley— |
March 22 | March 73, 1897

New Orleans, als ay cusieonel wae ‘10

Southern Mississippi .... . 3 March 30 ,| March 22, 1902
elena, Arkect yo worssus ears ea 7 April 11 April 3, 1898
Bubanik: MK ya nn yet: ous nent, vas Gf April 14 | April 8, 1890
St. Louis, Mo... . . . SE Ma Se 6 April 23 | April 17, 1883
Centraleindianagy ees sacs cee 6 April 29 Ae abe RS 6
Keeokwksy Taki p)tcteeane tourer euerenctate 5 May 10 May 5, 1898

The Hooded Warbler has also been taken at Chicago, Ill., April 28,
1884, and May 3, 1895; at Grinnell, Ia., May 18, 1888, and once in south-
ern Minnesota. The Texas dates are at Refugio county, March 30, 1898,
March 13, 1899; San Antonio, March 31, 1890, April 7, 1894; Bee
county, April 3, 1886, April 10, 1887.

FALL MIGRATION

The fall migration is hardly in full swing before the latter part of Au- |
gust. The earliest dates at Key West, Fla., are August 30, 1887, and
August 19, 1889; at Truxillo, Honduras, September 26, 1887, and in
southeastern Nicaragua, September 24, 1892. “The bulk leave the northern
breeding-grounds by the middle of September and the last have been noted
at Renova, Pa., September 26, 1900, October 13, 1903; Beaver, Pa., Sep-
tember 25, 1890, October 3, 1891; Englewood, N. J., September 15,
1886; Washington, D. C., September 15, 1890; French Creek, W. Va.,
September 29, 1892; Lynchburg, Va., October 10, 1899; Raleigh, N. C.,
October 1, 1891; Asheville, N. C., September 20, 1890; Sedam, Ind.,
October 5, 1893; Brownville, Ind., October 20, 1884; Eubank, Ky., Sep-
tember 29, 1889; New Orleans, La., October 19, 1895 and 1897, October

—

Finz= WARELER, ADULT MALE. 2. PINE WARBLER, FEMALE.
3. RED-FACED WARBLER, ADULT MALE. 4. RED-FACED WARBLER, FEMALE.

The Migration of Warblers 23

25, 1899. The latest record for the United States is the — probably acci-
dental — occurrence of this species at Germantown, Pa., November 19,
1887.
CHAT

The summer home of the Chat extends fromthe Atlantic to the Pacific.
The species has been separated into an eastern and a western form, and in
the following tables, the notes for Colorado and the Pacific Coast refer to
the western form (Jcteria virens longicauda), the rest to the eastern (Jcteria

virens).
SPRING MIGRATION

No. of years’| Average date of Earliest date of
record spring arrival spring arrival

Atlantic Coast—

RMON Rea. ake ae ae eevee 8 3 April 17 April 14, 1902
Atlanta, Ga. (neaG)hes: 8 April 21 April 16, 1894, 1895
Southeastern South Carolina . 5 April 25 April 19, 1887
Raleigh, N.C... 16 April 23 April 18, 1888
Asheville, N. Cc. (near) . 6 April 26 April 21, 1891
Variety Mills, Vial. : 17 April 29 April 18, 1896
White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. 5 May 2 April 29, 1897
French Creek, W. SL ae 5 May 1 April 26, 1893 —_
Washington, D.C, 7 May 1 April 29, 1888
Beaver, Pa. ant 4 May 2 April 29, 1890
Berwin, Pa. 5 May 9 May 6, 1902
Renova, Pa 8 May 8 May 5, 1894, 1895
Englewood, N. Ps 7 May 9 May s5, 1886
Portland, Conn. Reet ath oe ee 4 May 13 May 8, 1894
Cambridge, ASS. «ered Sn e Sele lal wie eee May 15
Mississippi Valley —
New Orleans, La. 5 April 19 April 13, 1899
Southern Mississippi 5 April 18 April 17, 1890
Helena, Ark. 7 April 22 April 16, 1896
Eubank, Le II April 23 April 19, 1889
St. Louis, Mo. . 6 April 24 April 21, 1885
Brookville, Ind. BS Dn de Ser ae 6 April 30 April 26, 1886
PIERNOUKS NIIEM, ole ales Gale 8s 2: Se May 3, 1894
Ce ee a ee 3 May 16 May 10, 1897
Rockford, Ill. eas 5 May 17 May 12, 1889
ieotsuks says (.0 sic baa) Ses sk 10 May 3 April 28, 1896
REIMSDEEG, Lae lok se) tc. ante = May 1 April 26, 1897
Metta Ae acs hone ees Gateeabtes ae es 4 May 7 May 4, 1902
Grinnell, Ia. . ; 5 May 6 May 1, 1887
NovaCity, la. .7:, .-. 5 May 5 May 2, 1891
Western United States—
Fort Brown, Texas . . 4 March 30 March 26
San Antonio, Texas . 5 April ro April 5, 1890
Northern Texas 6 April 19 April 16, 1886
Onaga, Kans. . . II May 4 April 26, 1896
Southeastern Nebraska bs eer 7 May 6 April 29, 1886
Denver -Colo; acipee saydss tn Teach May 2 April 20, 1897
Southern California . . ee: Se 4 April 18 April 5, 1885
Central California 5 April 22 April 14, 1885
Oregon 5 May 14 May 4

Chelan, » Wash. ie aT - a Seth a May 28, 1896

2A Bird - Lore

FALL MIGRATION

The Chat migrates early. It deserts the northern limit of its range in
August and by the first of September few are left north of 39° latitude.
Some dates of the last noted are at Englewood, N. J., August 29, 1885;
Renova, Pa., September 21, 1897; Berwyn, Pa., September 2, 1898;
Washington, D. C., September 19, 1886; Raleigh, N. C., September 1,
1888; Brookville, Ind., September 7, 1886; Bicknell, Ind., September 27,
1894; Chicago, Ill., August 16, 1895; Hillsboro, Ia., September 4, 1898;
Onaga, Kan., September 21, 1897; New Orleans, La., September 12, —
1899; Bonham, Tex., September 20, 1889.

RED-FACED WARBLER

This species ranges from the highlands of Guatemala northward to
the mountains of New Mexico and southern Arizona. No migration
notes are available.

A Letter from Professor Cooke

Editor Bird-Lore:

Noticing the article in the last number of BrrpD-Lore on the migration of the Redstart,
one of your subscribers has kindly sent me the dates of arrival of this bird as noted by
him for fwenty-five consecutive years. I am not only grateful to him, but I shall greatly
appreciate any and all Warbler migration notes that your readers may contribute.

Weis W. Cooke.
Biological Survey, Washington, D. C.

Bird-Lore’s Colored Plates

We have received a great many letters cordially praising the first colored
plates in BiRD-LORE’s series of illustrations of the North American
Warblers. It has been quite impossible for us to acknowledge their receipt,
but we assure their writers that they are none the less welcome and that
we expect the remaining plates of the series will be even better than those
which have already appeared.

The Audubon Calendar for 1904

The Calendar for 1904 issued by the Massachusetts Audubon Society
is by far the most attractive of the series thus far prepared by this society.
It figures six species of Warblers, and the reverse of each plate is occupied
with descriptive text.

The calendar may be procured from the Massachusetts Society at the
Boston Society of Natural History.

For Doung Cbdservers

Notes on Winter Birds

PRIZE ESSAY

By ORREN W. TURNER (aged 14 years), Tarboro, N, C.

NE evening on Friday, December the eleventh, while strolling along
() on the edge of a wood, my attention was attracted by a flutter
almost under my feet and as I looked down a little Chipping Spar-
row which I had nearly stepped on, flew up. But he did not fly far, how-
ever, for | saw he was wounded. He tried to alight on a limb but he was
so weak that he could not sit upon the limb so he had to fly on the ground.
He made no resistance when I tried to catch him. When I began to
examine him to find his wound, he began to scream and flutter so I sat
down beside a stump so that I could examine him gently.

His screams had attracted many birds, for thirteen Partridges (Bob-
whites) came down beside the fence, and there were seven Jays, four
Brown Thrashers, eleven Towhees, sixteen Chipping Sparrows and about
twenty-five White-throated Sparrows or Peabody Birds, all of which began
to scream and scold at me.

I noticed a Red-headed Woodpecker which kept flying around me as if
trying to defend the stump or the Sparrow.

To my surprise | found a large dog-tick which had taken up his winter
quarters on Chippy’s neck and was eating his life away. When I pulled
the tick off, Chippy gave a cry and fainted away and I thought that he was
dead, but he slowly recovered.

While I was sitting beside the stump, I noticed that the latter had many
holes in it and one especially which was larger than the others, attracted
my attention. ‘The hole was about as big as a dollar and it had a piece of
oak bark stuck in it.

I thought I would examine the hole so I set Chippy under my hat.
By this time all the birds had quit the trees near me, but the Woodpecker
never ceased to make attacks at me. In the hole I found 58 acorns and
two hickorys so I searched the old stump over and in all I found 136 acorns
and three hickorys. Some of the acorns just fitted the holes and were
pegged tightly with pieces of bark. I put all of the acorns back just as I
found them and carried Chippy home.

I gave him some suet and oats and crumbs of bread and wrapped him up
in some cotton. In two days Chippy could fly a little way but I thought I
would keep him until he was perfectly strong.

On December 14, I returned to the old stump beside the wood and to

(25)

26 Bird - Lore

my surprise not an acorn or hickory could be found! I was very sorry to
think that I had made the Woodpecker move his acorns which he had
stored for winter. But three days later I returned to the stump and the
Woodpecker had replaced 63 of the acorns. About two days after I re-
turned to find 103 acorns and one hickory. I have found many stumps
with acorns in them but never before have I found so many in one stump.
I did not know that Red-heads ate hickorys but I think that he carried
them there for they were mixed in with the acorns.

As for Chippy, he is flying around with the English Sparrows but he
knows where to go when he is hungry and sleepy. Why he just goes to
his box where it is filled with oats, crumbs, suet and grass -seed. One
morning I set the box out on the piazza and Chippy brought an English
Sparrow with him to dine but as Mr. Sparrow was afraid to go in that slab
cage, Chippy brought him some crumbs and oats outside.

He is now well and strong and I hope he will continue to stay with me.

The Prize Essay

The prize for the best article on winter bird-life by a young observer
of fourteen years or under, has been awarded to Master Orren W. Turner,
of Tarboro, North Carolina, whose essay is printed in this number of
BirD-LorRE.

A Prize Offered

In order to encourage careful observation and description on the part
of our readers of fourteen years and under, we offer three prizes for the
best four- or five-hundred-word article on the bird-life of February. Let
each Young Observer keep a record of what he sees during this month and
on March 1 write his article and send it to the editor at Englewood, N. J.

The first prize offered is a book or books to the value of two dollars
and a half; the second, a book or books to the value of one dollar and a
half, and the third prize is a BIRD-LoreE Bird-Chart and a Field Identifi-
cation Blank.

Book Mews and MReviews

Key To NorTH AMERICAN BIrRDs .
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. Fifth
Edition, entirely revised. By ELLioTr
Cougs. Boston: Dana Estes & Co.,
1903. Iwo volumes, royal 8vo. xli+ 1152
pages, 747 black and white illustrations
in the text two full-page colored plates.

The fifth edition of this great work appears
in two volumes, but otherwise resembles in
form the second to fourth editions. The
Historical Preface and Part I, Field Orni-
thology, are evidently printed from the
plates used in former editions; Part II,
General Ornithology, is unchanged, save
for the addition of some material chiefly in
relation to the colors of feathers (pp. 88, 92),
in which we regret to see that the now
exploded theory of repigmentation of a
fully grown feather is given credence.

We cannot believe that Dr. Coues
intended this part of the Key to go to press
without at least some reference to the
numerous important contributions to our
knowledge of avian anatomy which have
been made since the text originally appeared
in 1884.

It is in Part III, Systematic Synopsis of
North American Birds, that the principal
changes from the old Key will be found.
This' appears to have been recast to con-
form in the main to the nomenclature of
the A. O. U. ‘Check-List’, but the order
of arrangement differs, the Thrushes
standing at the beginning instead of at the
end of the list.

There is additional general matter here,
as well as descriptions of forms not included
in earlier editions, and to these descriptions
are usually added the more important refer-
ences concerning the bird under considera-
tion—an exceedingly helpful feature.
There are also more common names given;
but where these are not in use, as they are
for certain wild-fowl, for example, it
would seem more desirable to ignore them

and give only the name appearing in the
A. (OF (Us “Check=Eist’?. The latter, it
may be noted, is often wanting, and we
miss also the A. O. U. serial numbers, the
absence of which will prove an
venience in a variety of ways.

It is in the illustrations that the new Key
will be found to differ most strikingly from
its predecessors. Not only are many of
those which have seen service in numerous
books very properly discarded, but a great
number of new cuts have been introduced.
These are, in the main, by Mr. Fuertes,
who made them especially for this work.
It is needless to say that they are spirited
and life-like pictures of the birds they
portray, and we wish we could say that they
had been adequately reproduced; but in
‘silhouetting’ or ‘routing out’ the half-
tone plate the outline of the bird has often
been marred, while the attempt to use half-
tones in the text on a soft-finish paper has
met with the usual failure. Comparison of
cuts from the old Nichols wood-engravings,
with their clear gradations and satisfactory
definition, with these muddy, clogged
half-tone prints illustrates only too forcibly
how impossible it is to get satisfactory
results from half-tones on anything but
coated or calendared paper.

The task of seeing these volumes through
the press fell to the lot of Mr, J. A. Farley,
and in view of the numerous difficulties
and complications which, of necessity, are
encountered in editing a posthumously
published manuscript, it must be said
that he has done his work remarkably well.
Slips there are here and there, as, for
example, the captions to cuts Nos. 461
and 684, in which the Sharp-shinned Hawk
and Marbled Murrelet are called respec-
tively “Pigeon Hawk” and “American
Herring Gull, Young.” But these are of
minor importance when one considers the
opportunities for error in printing a work
of this kind. Mr. Farley adds a table of
the additions to the list of North American

incon-

(27)

pap Sean ee 0 40 no i-ye ; Bes os Dee. a / ge
ee ee ot herd Wee Vee Ate S Wes a

A Magis tri ; orn ithotryy <2 Pr Preece, and hry
Cee oe Or Aw” Srkthfuk ape 2225 Mane tha Vda.

if

other ee oe Le tfc eB Ae oad bo ee

eg, Ladue Buen 3 Aftere” a) fa | attend BE.

Mat Se it wrt ( gave Forte vey pili, e ac eee
rs

porvepe ae Oratiuna 8 STEMATIC | SYNOPSIS

NORTE CANE: RICAN BIRDS

SoS -

i ANG Subclass I, AVES AEREZ, or INSESSORES.

AERLUL BIRDS, or PERCHERS.

Tire first and highest one of three primary divisions of the classy zleves, embrac-

= ing all existing birds down to the Geliiua.

The knee and part of the thigh are free from the body, and the leg is almost
always feathered to or beyond the tibio-tarsal joint. With rave exceptions, the
toes are all on the same level, and touch the support throughout; being thus fitted

. for grasping or perckiny. Tn other respects the members of this great group are too
5 OKs various to be defined by external characters, unless it be negativeiy, im the absence
—“~———_— = eee
of the features of the other Dye ae are Altrices. They are now usually divided
Freeh
Into fire Orders. of whieh the first is the @

Order PASSERES. [ Perchers Proper.

i The fect are perfectly adapted for grasping by the length and low insertion of
NY the hind toc, great power of opposing which to the front toes, and great mobility
: of which, are secured by separation. of its principal muscle from that that bends
the other tocs collectively. The hind toe is always present, and never turned for-
Ne oy sia DS tea heen ES ae jer>
*Nortic of the preseut Mexican Boundary; inclusive of Lower California, exclusive of Greenland

however, te fossil -lrekwopteryc (see Introd, a mefo- |

JAS commonly received. without recog

zoic bint, which probably alone represents a pr roup Saameres wlmitting which, ome high authorities

then divide all existing bivd~ ite two othe groups, 2atite (Ostriches). in Which the sternum has no
keel. and Cariide. ony other bivds. Ov Uns basis. our dees cérce would yepre-ent a srowp of less

t f value thay x sttbelas>. cand 1 < To be tilerstoe.. ats Using tis term provisionally, in weouyent tonal sense

Reproduction (slightly luced) i Dr. Goues? Brack ah page 6 of fife first (1872)

edition of his ‘Key to North American Birds.’ From the original in the possession of
Dr. J. A. Allen.

(28)

q
|

= TURDID¥,/ Annusnes. én 4.

7

whitish ; eyelids, postocular striped, 2 wing-bars and much edging of quills,
orange-brown ; bill dark, feet pale; @ and young, duller, browner, pectoral
bar obscure, ete. Size of the last. Pacifie slopes, N. Am.: accidental in
vega , N. J. and Long Island. Aun, (hyper see of
pl. 143; Bo. melas ee! NEVIUS.

*

y Spotted, not rbanalel: below vg (Sub-
genus Hylocgehiay aE a cami oem
} Upper parts not uniform in color. *

eG

Upper parts. tawny, shading into olive
on rp.

Wood Thrush. Under parts white,
barely or not bufl-tinted, marked with
large distinct dusky spots, middle of throat and belly only immaculate ; bill vr lew
dusky and yellowish; legs Hesh- color; 7-S long; wing 4-44, tail 5-34. cabs
Eastern United States.. Wuts., ; NuTT., 1, 943; AUuD., ili, 2¢
pl. 144; Bo., 212, MUSTELINUS.

t3——__ybpver parts ove, shading into rufous on rump_— pe Gack. tin,

1, 30; phe

f- Hermit Thrush. Cnder parts white, with slight buffy tint anteriorly i don
and olive shade on sides, breast and sides of throat thickly marked _witl jf duatey + §
pa lrstalarge distinct dusky spotsy~ About 7 long; wing 34, tail 23. Eastern (and os
3 Gp iain ‘Arctic) North ae Wizs., v, 95, but not his fig. 2 of pl. 45; Nurr. Bc pay
_ i, 546; Aun., iii, 29, pl. 146; Bo., 212, Rel 3 tte) os) PALILSS)

\

South-west United Ss.

Var. cudubon’, is entirely similar Qrather larger.

aes '
into Mexico. Bo., Rev. 16.

Var. nanus, is entirely similar f rather smaller. Rocky Mountains to Vous

Aub., iii, 32, pl. 147; Bo., 223; Bore Coor., 4
orn

if. tt Upper parts uniform in cofexi*
Meet ie parts olive. i fneedat : Dy
my. ;
Olive-backed Thrush. _ Under piurts white, olive-shad olive-shaded_on sides, thy fore 7 eS Ee Ae ae ee

arts and sides of head and eyelids— Stranely tinged \ tinged with bul¥, the breast:

thickly marked with large dusky-olive spots. oe He wing 34=
tail 29-3. North America, _exeept perhdptSouth- west U. TLSs,0% eA
45, f. 2, but not his description onip. 95); Boe 2lGs | . sWatnsonyi we
abiicad . a : =
pte Phased Similar 5 but Wadiont any buffy tint about Tead, por oe pre
yellowish rivg around eye; averaging a trifle larger, with longer, slenderer bt se cuit |

bill. Much the same distribution : D
17, «und Rev. 21

Upper parts tawny.

oc,
oper | Fake 2 : ; E =

a -

* Very young Virde of wi) Me species or Mare A above but these spots disappear the fret

ohn, 4 ae a le always cle stated

Eze. StemLar ae LES, NSE:
, aecfierConar, a" sgt, 20 ou. 1, 290; Pack. ‘216;; Coo. 8:

Cmte FeK a ip ees hem drvse 05 is Siva indy a:

Reproduction (slightly reduced! of Dr. Coues’ proof of page 72 of the first (1872)
edition of his ‘Key to North American Birds.’ From the original in the possesssion of
Dr. J. A. Allen.

30 Bird - Lore

birds and changes in nomenclature which
have been made since Dr. death
in 1899.

Coues’

It is unnecessary for us to offer general
comment on a work which we have before
characterized as, beyond comparison, “the
best known on general and _ systematic
ornithology ever published,” and we have
aimed here only to note the differences
between the last and the preceding editions.
—F. M. C.

Birps OF A MARYLAND FarM; A LOCAL
StuDY OF Economic ORNITHOLOGY. By
SyLVEsTER D. Jupp, Ph.D. Bull. No.
17, Div. Biological Survey, U. S. Dep’t
of Agriculture, Washington, 1902. 116
pages, 17 plates, 41 text-cuts.

Dr. Judd’s study of the food of birds on

a farm of 230 acres, of which 150 were

under cultivation, extended over a period of

seven years and is of unusual value, not
alone because of the results obtained, but

also as an admirable object-lesson in the -

methods of investigation employed by the
modern economic ornithologist. It has,
too, much ecologic interest purely as a con-
tribution to our knowledge of the economic
relations of birds to a definite environment.
It may well stand as a model for work of
this kind, and an examination of it will sug-
gest numerous lines of observation to stu-
dents of the food of birds. Particularly, we
would commend Dr. Judd’s fairness of
mind. He does not appear as a special
pleader for this bird or that, but evidently
presents his conclusions without attempting
to defend one bird and condemn another,
influenced by a preconceived fondness or
prejudice for the species in question.—

Be viene:

Two LitrLe SAVAGES: BEING THE ADVEN-
TURES OF Two Boys Wuo LIVED As
INDIANS AND Wuat THEY LEARNED.

With over 300 drawings. By ERNEST
THOMPSON SETON. 1903. Doubleday,
Page & Co. New York. 12mo0. 552
pages.

This is not a ‘bird book,’ although it
has much in it about birds, but it teaches
the lesson of the beauty of life out-of-doors,
of which the birds, after all, are only a
part, even if avery important one; and it is,
therefore, a book which should be considered

by every one who would lead the world to
that well of pure delight, of which the au-
thor writes so briefly but so eloquently in
his two-line preface.

Into this attractive volume Mr. Seton has
crowded the results of his years of experience
in the woods. It is, we believe, no secret
that the story is largely autobiographical,
and in reading it one realizes how well its
writer’s training has fitted him for the work
he has made his own.—F. M. C.

CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN Birps. Part II.
Birds of Prey, Woodpeckers, Flycatchers,
Crows, Jays and Blackbirds. By JOHN
Macoun, M.A., F.R.S.C. Geological
Survey of Canada. Ottawa, 1903. 8vo.
Pages i-iv + 219-413.

Tue Birps oF Onto. By Lynps JONEs,
M.Sc. (Oberlin College). Special Paper,
No. 6. Ohio State Academy of Science.
1903. 8vo. 241 pages, I map.

Tue Birps of Wisconsin. By L. Kum-
LIEN and N. Ho..isTer. Bull. Wis.
Nat. Hist. Soc., Vol. II (new series),
Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Publisled with the Co-
dperation of the Milwaukee Public Mu-
seum. 1903. 8vo. 143 pages, 8 half-
tone plates. :

Tue Birps oF Fercus County, MONTANA.
By P. M. SiLtoway. Bull. No. 1, Fer-
gus County Free High School, Lewis-
town, Mont. 1903. 8vo. 77 pages, 17
half-tone plates.

Here are four noteworthy contributions to
the literature of faunal ornithology. The
scope of Mr. Macoun’s work has been out-
lined in our notice of Part I (BirpD-
Lore, II, 125), and it is necessary only to say
here that the high standard of the first vol-
ume has been maintained. This important
publication will be concluded with Part
III, which is promised for the coming fall.

Professor Jones has been so long in close
touch with the birds and bird students of
Ohio, and is so directly responsible for much
of the interest in ornithology in that state,
that assuredly no one is better fitted than he
to write on the status of Ohio birds. It is,
consequently, almost needless to say that his
fully annotated list is thoroughly satisfac-
tory and workmanlike. It enumerates 322
species and subspecies as “ actually recorded
in the state.”

Book News

The list of the late Mr. Kumlien and of
Mr. Hollister includes 357 species and sub-
species, with more or less extended annota-
tions concerning their manner of occurrence
and dates of migration. It should prove a
most serviceable hand - list of Wisconsin
birds.

Mr. Silloway’s ‘ Birds of Fergus County,
Montana,’ is, in fact, a handbook of the
birds of this region. It gives information
in regard to the distribution, migration and
nesting of the birds treated, as well as brief
descriptions which should permit one to
identify them. Copies of this useful publi-
cation, we note, may be obtained by appli-
cation to the author at the Fergus County
High School, of Lewistown, Montana.
The trustees of this institution are thus to
be congratulated not only on publishing an
excellent treatise but on making it available
to the public without charge.—F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines

THE Conpor.— With the November-
December number ‘ The Condor’ com-
pletes its fifth year and, with one exception,
the largest volume in its history. The lead-
ing article is by E. W. Nelson and con-
tains an interesting series of ‘ Notes on the
Mexican Cormorant,’ made chiefly in the
vicinity of Lake Chapala, Mexico, and il-
lustrated with five half-tones. This Cormo-
rant seems to be chiefly a fresh- or brackish-
water species and ranges from Central
America north to southern Illinois. A
suggestive paper on ‘ The Use of Sentinels
by Valley Quail,’ by Williams, shows how
much still remains to be learned about the
habits of comparatively well-known birds.
“Notes on the Texan Jay’ are contributed
by Howard Lacy, and on ‘The Rocky
Mountain Screech Owl’ by W. L. Burnett.

Local lists are represented by the con-
cluding part of Osgood’s ‘List of Birds Ob-
served in Cochise County, Arizona,’ and
Anderson’sand Jenkin’s ‘ List of Birds from
the Santa Cruz Mts., California.’ The list
of birds peculiar to Santa Cruz Island is in-
creased by the description of a new species,
Vireo mailliardorum, Grinnell. Two pages
of ‘ Correspondence ’ are devoted to a con-
tinuance of the discussion of the bonding

and Reviews 31
feature of the A. O. U. Model law by Dr.
J. A. Allen, E. W. Nelson and the Editor.
An improvement has been made in the in-
dex, which has been consecutively paged
and prepared for binding at the end of the
volume, where it properly belongs; but no
table of contents or list of illustrations is
furnished with the title-page,—an omission
which we hope to see supplied in future
volumes.—T. S. P.

Witson Butvetin.— With Number 45
the ‘Wilson Bulletin’ completes the fifteenth
volume of a series which began soon after
the organization of the Wilson Chapter in
1888, and which includes a large amount
of valuable ornithological material.

In an editorial résumé the editor touches
on the value and pleasures of field work,
and suggests that any one having even a
limited chance for observation may make a
careful study of a few birds. He very prop-
erly expresses a wish that in these studies
the birds will be considered as such, and
not as beings possessed of human attributes
and motives. ‘This desire for reform is most
welcome and timely, judging from the in-
creasing number of misguided or designing
enthusiasts who are inclined to discover
human characteristics in birds and mam-
mals and who are filling the book-shelves
with misleading trash at the expense of
trustworthy and valuable material.

Lynds Jones, under the title of ‘A Bob-
white Covey,’ gives an interesting and val-
uable account of the formation of the
roosting circle of a covey of Bob-whites as
described by Robert J. Sim, of Jefferson,
Ohio. In ‘A List of Birds Seen in Franc-
onia, N. H., and Vicinity During August
and September 1903.’ H. E. Porter and
others noted 84 species of birds, 11 of
which were not mentioned by Faxon and
Allen in their paper in ‘The Auk’ of 1888.
These observers, however, recorded 13
species not found by the party in 1903.

Besides a number of general notes, this
issue of the ‘Bulletin ’ contains the follow-
ing short papers: ‘ Bachman Sparrow ’
selected from Dawson’s ‘ Birds of Ohio,’
‘A December Hermit Thrush,’ and ‘Black
Skimmers at Woods Holl, Mass.,’ by Lynds
Jones.—A. K. F.

32 Bird-Lore

Bird: Lore

A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY °

Vol. VI

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canadaand Mexico
twenty cents a number, oue dollar a year, post-
age paid.

Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, at
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, New
York City.

Price in all countries in the International Postal
Union, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar and
a quarter a year, postage paid.

Published February 1, 1904 No.1

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush ts Worth Two in the Hand

A Question of the Day

INTEREST in animals is now popularly
aroused by emphasizing our kinship with
the lower forms of life, and the man-
ifestations of animal instinct and _ of
human intelligence often so cl$sely resemble
one another that it requires an effort on
the part of the sympathetic but conscientious
student to avoid using his own mind as a
standard when attempting to interpret the
meaning of an animal’s actions.

In an increasing number of magazine ar-
ticles and so-called ‘nature’ books, the
effort to resist the temptation to write of
animals as though they were endowed with
the mind of man entire has clearly not been
made, and the result is a rapidly growing
mass of natural-history fiction presented in
the guise of fact.

While the writers of this class no doubt
awaken much interest in animal life, it is
not a healthy interest. It is based on false
premises and unwarranted assumptions.
Lacking the special training without which
even the best observers are not justified in
drawing conclusions, these writers enter the
dithcult field of comparative psychology and
in almost every paragraph confidently
put forward, as uncontrovertible facts, state-
ments about the habits of animals for

which there is absolutely no psychological

foundation.

Throughout the world of science today,
trained minds are patiently and skilfully
studying the animal mind. Thousands of
minute exhaustive experiments are being
made. Conclusions are drawn with the
utmost caution and are presented to the
world tentatively for criticism and as repre-
senting only a stage in our investigations of
the development of mind in animals.

Compare the careful studies and con-
servative statements of those fully equipped
investigators with the crude observations,
vague memories and unsubstantiated anec-
dotes of the various campers, hermits, pad—
dlers et al who are now posing as author-
ities on the habits of our birds and animals
and the nature of their mental attributes.
As a matter of fact, these pseudo-scientists
are about as well prepared to discuss the
problems of comparative psychology as the

‘average kodaker is to explain the chemistry

and optics of photography.

From the scientist’s point of view, the
greatest harm wrought by this unnatural
history is not only the wholly wrong 1m-
pression it conveys of our exact knowledge
of the animal mind, but the consequently
misguided efforts of students who have op-
portunity to make observations which might
be of great value. Accepting as true the
humanization of the animal, they study its
actions as they would those of a fellow-man,
and unconsciously attribute to them a
significance they are not kmozvm to possess.

The science of comparative psychology is
as yet in its infancy. It has need of the
services of every competent observer. Par-
ticularly in our study of the life-histories of
birds do we need an immense amount of
data before we may hope to penetrate the
workings of the bird-mind, and say with
some approach of confidence, ‘‘This is in-
stinct,’’ or ‘‘This is intelligence.’’ Do not,
therefore, let us rush ahead, led astray by
imaginative even if honest writers, but let
us be sure of one foothold before we make
the next step.

The true story of the activities of the
animal mind will be found to be marvel-
lous enough when once we know it.

a ee

The Audubon Docicties

‘You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird’s song.”

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER

Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should

be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn.

Reports, etc., designed for this department should be

sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

With names and addresses of their Secretaries

SPRANG CAPES PPI Ft o ate iets sa. clade cia ltiareis acataccia dis-alpataloid acd Bib isle acaas cide e.awie Mrs. GEORGE S. GAy, Redlands.
CANINES POTN oa td a7 oT ole lao Siaityn aie hahicaisicata'a wiole' dito wi De.c1eels.s oa aa ee see Mrs. MARTHA A. SHUTE, Denver.
Raa URN ENOTES Bette arate acatesiotatals <2 c. cie7s grainjcre e'sl2 sjalen' ale a.are'e.c.a.e.b eistwie'd Mrs. WILLIAM BROWN GLOVER, Fairfield.
MRS RANI Co Ohe aio dag ac clecwie a: caieia rae" 210 Sie © dia 000i d's she ate Mrs. Wo. S. HILLEs, Delamore Place, Wilmington.
Mistrct of Columbia... 2.2.0.2... s00.0006 0 Mrs. JOHN DEWHURST PATTEN, 2212 R street, Washington.
ESRI EASR OEM MRE atc tat Aaa aye cine pia 8 Pe ole, e ola ainahe ocieoae anpenh cack eaeren dd Mrs. I. VANDERPOOL, Maitland.
CET ONMPEE LPs te tS, ee Pe cha ala wav we be ee Wes oes Se otieelee PROFESSOR H. N. STARNES, of Experiment.
NNN AR ISIN tac ai No dip a'e e.oic, sialviscejece\e diasacin'e decane Miss MARY DRUMMOND, 208 West street, Wheaton.
SRE Oe ANA OER E RE wesc a Us a's ores, os,65a aie / elute 6) oicidie tie.dl& welate ewidle'aidlalage:s.a'vie's e'o.0.aié.e%s't W. W. Woo_en, Indianapolis.
NEARS SVFo Neonat a cle o's.) cvc ao stale cie's) oere claisre-+ ale cco Re a B'urcleicleeine eesjaiee e's eisinaule de Mrs. L. E. FELT, Keokuk.
(EE MERUTIC «35.452 ASS OS ODOR EC OAS nD COOL PSED DIOGRE Ine Oo raCmonnear Miss JULIET O. ALVEs, Henderson.
MANA TPNN EARN Eaters acy WiS a sip cise. a6: 2G 0%, 01d it. ninse'eseisie ale’ s Miss ANITA PRING, 1449 Arabella St., New Orleans.
SURAT RO SUF nef, SA ice NG vi cca'ure, sic vc tie ave WEES a's eee sores weet Mrs. C. B. TUTTLE, Fairfield.
WER AIRC cre soi 0 lately efore sinteis ds dis,aclevsioinere ei Miss ANNE WESTON WHITNEY, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.
Massachusetts.......... Miss HARRIET E. RICHARDS, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.
PEMOMGLEP EE yoo sears sats: s'o cao cieont es sa .0e Miss SARAH L. PUTNAM, 229 8th ave., S. E., Minneapolis.
WARRANTS See Beenie Sod adSGo eerie d doe tee poet AUGUST REESE, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.
PIERRE RIED A tcl eh aN cote Glance > rain, aechaiaiaoae Miss Joy HIGGINS, 544 South 30th street, Omaha.
DRE TIRIRTETR TAIL Siete iii caisis, aidcls icine ais We elves dcloib,e.avots owloie au .c'sidis' cree .o Mrs. F. W. BATCHELDER, Manchester.
LIVE Su UN SOS COS ESOD AE Gdn SEB RIE aaa Miss JULIA SCRIBNER, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.
LYS Sy oe ee Miss EMMA H. Lockwoop, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.
MEE AMAGEAECS INNER 8s 52 scsi ciciora Sivieneiane Bee Wicca Sere Cor ewesie dae ceedes T. GILBERT PEARSON, Greensboro.
DISSE ee Fete ct bacdce sc cécees Mrs. D. Z. MCCLELLAND, 820 West Ninth street, Cincinnati.
MISERIES poe ace hidic Teme Wik o aisle ele. 0 woke ab clove ais vibje so Sa wlelsis Mrs. ADELIA Hotcomgs, Enid.
REPAIR Ear, Cac oielcie ceed Sale eis b's we petawieeala Miss GERTRUDE METCALFE, 634 Williams ave., Portland.
LES ASE ie i Se ee Mrs. EDWARD RoBIns, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.
Rhode Island ............ SORA ORO TCO Pee Cree MARTHA R. CLARKE, 89 Brown street, Providence.
AAEM MT OITA AS Ae anata desde nade ace aa snensdpavevsacccoe Miss S. A. SMyTH, Legare street, Charleston.
PR OMROE Reser eV ST ea nets ke » cis wintaleV'o.0.8 wisisleieisvccie= sinker cian cease oi. < atom ~'aieie( ais Mrs. C. C, Conner, Ripley.
(GAIL: oelodsae ao GoD A GEE ROCCE DC ane ae aan Se a aeeeee Se Mrs. FLETCHER K. BARROWS, Brattleboro.
PNR ee IALER ME tr Acie terraces trate ere rata val teyarie ei eieteia 0 i ala wjeipinio ma\ci= Os Giese Wisin, oTeielieoroiaie Mrs. J. C. PLANT, Glencarlyn.
COAL TL UII: 20 a as ge ee eee ee aD Mrs. REUBEN G. THWAITES, 260 Langdon street, Madison.
RETENER ES RI a, SrA atta taiccip sro Se poled ee old vines babies eleleieoepe Mrs. N. R. DAvis, Cheyenne

“Keep on Pedaling!”

Ten years ago, when the world and his
wife were striving to master the vacillating
bicycle, the constant cry of the. perspiring
instructor who ran beside was, “Keep on
pedaling ; if you stop you’re a goner!”

This concise if inelegant advice applies to
many things besides wheeling—and espe-
cially to the work of bird protection. At
the present moment thirty-odd Audubon
Societies are more or less securely mounted
and started upon the right rozd; but if, in
addition to “keeping on pedaling,” they

do not look both right and left as well as
ahead, an upset will speedily follow.

We are all prone to overestimate the
importance of initial effort, whether it be in
mastering a horse, a wheel, or in organ-
izing a new movement. Of course, in
order to have a cooperative society there
must be organization, but the organization
should be regarded only as a platform upon
which the members may stand united to
work intelligently for reaching an end, not
as the end itself.

When you often hear some one say, “Oh,
yes, birds are being protected in our state,

(33)

34. Bird - Lore

there is nothing to worry about there; we
have just started an Audubon Society,” as if
a declaration was all that was necessary, you
will understand the necessity of the injunc-
tion to “keep on pedaling.”

As the societies have, for their motto,
The Protection of Birds, so, if they would
work with any hope of success, they must
stand upon one platform, Public Education,
and public education is something that is as
endless as the race itself. It is true that
public education in a general sense has
‘ obtained long enough in this country to be
regarded as an inalienable right; but until
the lesson of protection of all forms of
harmless and useful animal life is so well
learned as to become part of the heredity
of coming generations, any relaxing in
vigilance in the different branches of pro-
tection will be fatal to the whole cause ; and
for this reason every society should have
special committees ever on the watch for
pitfalls.

In every community there are people,
both men and women, equally interested in
the cause of protection, of widely different
intellectual gifts and degrees of tact; upon
the wise sifting and classifying of these may
depend the whole success of the local
organization.

The committee on Bird Study in Schools
should be composed of people of both sexes
who not only have a knowledge of the child-
mind, but of the amount of work already
obligatory in the different grades; then less
fault will be found with teachers for “not
showing interest” and greater results will
follow.

The Legislative Watch-Out Committee
should be composed of the shrewdest men
available, with a knowledge of state poli-
tics. If one is a lawyer all the better; he
may save the rest from running their heads
into legal nooses at times when they most
need them. A good committee of this sort
will often engage the interest of many men
who would otherwise see no work for them-
selves in an Audubon Society, not appre-
ciating the value of a promise “not to wear
the feathers of song-birds for decorative
purposes.”

On the other hand, a large mixed body—

drawn from widely different corners, the
more so the better, can be organized under
the head of Committee for the Posting of the
Laws. ‘This vast work cannot be done by a
few, and the work rivals in importance
the making of the laws themselves; but if
fifty or one hundred persons in each state
could be relied on to undertake the matter,
these in turn may employ local help until
the chain is complete. How much more
interesting would be the oftentimes per-
punctory annual meeting if these three
before-mentioned committees brought in full
reports!

One of the beauties of a progressive
country is that where everything moves
nothing can be fixed; it must either go for-
ward, backward, or drop out. Part’ of legal
prerogative is that any legislative session
may untie the knots made apparently firm
by another, so the Watch-Out Committee
must be never-ending.

As any legislative session may change
a law, so is the work of the Committee
on Posting Laws unending.

As it is to be hoped that children will
not cease to be born, so must the work of
the Educational Committee be unending.

As we hope that bird-life may never be
extinct, on our continent, at least, so must
the work of the Audubon Societies be
perpetual.

All cheer for 1904, good friends; hold
your handle-bars firmly, mind sharp —
legislative — curves, and, above all, “keep
on pedaling.”—M. O. W.

National Committee Notes
BY THE CHAIRMAN

Some persons seek work and some have
work thrust upon them; this is another case
of the lady or the tiger. We have an am-
bition, as chairman of the National Com-
mittee, to see our official organ, BirD-LORE,
increase its circulation from the present small
issue to at least 100,000 copies of each
number! When this happy time arrives
the propagandist can feel that the principles
of bird protection have taken firm root in
the hearts of the people and the ephemeral
stage has passed away forever. However,

The Audubon Societies 35

before this bright vista will be near enough
for us to enjoy it as a part of the present,
there is much hard work for all the bird
lovers and Audubonites, old or young, to
do. The question is, will the readers of
Birp-Lore sit idly by and wait for some
one else to till the fallow ground, or will
they do their own part in building up this
great structure? This is a serious matter
and one that should be taken to heart by
every one that loves nature. There is, asa
nucleus or foundation for this great move-
ment, forty organized Audubon Societies,
with nearly a hundred thousand members,
the larger part of which are children, who,
at the present time, can give but little fnan-
cial support, but are being taught the basic
principles of Audubon work. In a few
short years these children will be the men
and women who will support and carry on
the work that is now being initiated.

The importance and magnitude of Audu-
bon work warrants its being placed in a
position of permanence ; this can be accom-
plished quickly and easily by incorporation.
The act of incorporating is a simple matter,
and, as Audubon work is national in its
scope, it seems proper that the place of in-
corporation should be Washington, D. C.

The National Audubon Committee, com-
posed as it is of one delegate from each
regularly organized Audubon Society, will
then be in a position to appeal to the bird-
loving public for a much-needed endow-
ment fund. ‘This fund should be raised by
a popular subscription from bird lovers in all
parts of the country. No subscription will be
too large and none too small to be thank-
fully received. Objects no more worthy nor
half as economically important are endowed
with hundreds of thousands of dollars ; why
not the Audubon movement, which has for
its sole object the preservation of the wild
birds of the country ? Think of a birdless
world,—no song, no bright plumages, and
no check to insect pests! This is another
stone in our great building; Audubonites!
are you willing to help lift it in place? Let
the chairman hear from you with pertinent
suggestions and promises of aid. So much
for permanent work.

At the present time it is important that

every reader of Birp-Lore and every Au-
dubon Secretary and Local Secretary should
take immediate steps to create public senti-
ment against the use of the aigrette.
Educational Leaflet No. 7, which appears
in the present issue of Birp-Lore, gives all
the facts necessary to show how pressing the
matter is 1f the white Herons are not to be-
come exterminated. Let every woman who
is still willing to wear a Heron’s plume
have a personal appeal made to her better
nature; right must triumph in the end.
Spread this leaflet, with its appeal to mother-
hood, broadcast over the country. Colored
slides have been prepared of the five half-
tones in the leaflet, which will be sent on
application to all the societies that have
traveling bird lectures. These and the
leaflets will do much to reduce the sale of
aigrettes and stub plumes.

The second attempt to secure a satisfac-
tory non-game bird law in Louisiana has
just been defeated.

Owing to the scare occasioned by the
rapid march of the boll-weevil pest from
Mexico through Texas to the borders of
Louisiana, the Governor of the latter state
called a special session of the legislature
late in December to devise means for pre-
venting the boll-weevil scourge from
spreading into that commonwealth. Among
the plans discussed was a law to prevent
the killing or caging of birds.

A bill was prepared, introduced and was
adopted in the House of Delegates by a
vote of 73 to 9. To the very great credit
of the members, it is reported that the
speeches made in behalf of the bill were
very earnest in favor of bird protection.
The bill was defeated in the Senate by a
political trick.

Among the most active antogonists to the
passage of this much-needed legislation
were the representatives of the caged-bird
dealers. Bird lovers in Louisiana, and es-
pecially the cotton-planters, who have so
much at stake, should at once take active
steps to create public sentiment in the state
in order that at the next session of the legis-
lature the agricultural interests of the whole
state should not be set aside by the paltry
interests of less than half-a-dozen men who

36 Bird -

are engaged in caging valuable insectivorous
birds to export for their pecuniary gain.
Louisiana has over $140,000,000 invested in
agriculture; why should this enormous
moneyed interest be jeopardized by a few
men whose entire invested capital probably
does not amount to $10,000?

The New Jersey Audubon Society is
making a determined effort to prevent the
passage of a law permitting the killing of
Robins by fruit-growers, and calls for the
assistance of all bird-lovers.

The annual report of the Chairman of the.
National Committee is now ready for distri-
bution. It gives in detail the status of
Audubon work, legislation and warden
service in the United States. All the Au-
dubon Societies are urged to circulate this
report liberally, as it cannot fail to do good.
It is especially important that every local
secretary should have a copy at the earliest
possible date, in order that they may know
what is being done in other sections of the
country.—-W. D.

Bird Protection Abroad—III. New Zealand

By T. S, PALMER
(Concluded from Vol. V., No. 5. p. 174)

The amendments to the New Zealand
Act of 1880 are nearly all brief. In 1881
authority was given the colonial secretary to
issue permits to persons to destroy game in-
juring crops on their own lands. In 1884
rangers were granted the powers of con-
stables, with authority to seize guns, nets,
or any devices used in capturing game con-
trary to law. Under the Amendment Act
of 1886 all game is to be considered as im-
ported game without requiring proof of the
fact of importation. The Amendment Act
of 1889 prohibited the use of guns larger
than No. 10 bore, required licenses for sale
of native game, and a record of all sales of
game, fixed an open season for Godwits
during February, March and April, and
required acclimatization societies to file an-
nual statements of their accounts with the
colonial treasurer. The Amendment Act
of 1895 contained two important provisions:
one prohibiting the importation of any ani-
mal, bird, reptile, or insect without a per-

Lore

mit from the Minister of Agriculture, and
the other authorizing the Governor, on
recommendation of the colonial secretary, to
prohibit the sale of game or native game in
any district when necessary to prevent un-
due destruction of the species. In 1900 ex-
port of game was prohibited except under
permit from the colonial secretary, and
every third year, beginning with 1901, was
made a close season for the native Pigeon,
‘ Pukeko’ and ‘ Kaka,’ or native parrots of
the genus Nestor, one species of which, the
“Kea’ of the Maoris, has become well
known on account of its remarkable habit
of attacking sheep.

The object of presenting this array of
apparently uninteresting details is to furnish
not only a résumé of New Zealand game
legislation, but also to afford an opportunity
of comparing the game laws of the colony
with those of the United States. It must be
admitted that ‘The Animals’ Protection
Act of 1880’ was in advance of most of our
state laws of the same period, and, with its
heavy penalties and provision for rangers,
was more likely to be respected. It has
stood for twenty-three years with less change
than almost any of our state laws during the
same time, possibly on account of the broad
powers given to the Governor in modifying
the game list, shortening or closing the
open seasons, and prohibiting the sale of
game, which adapt the law to local condi-
tions and obviate the necessity for radical
amendments. It is interesting to note that
New Zealand prohibited the introduction of
injurious species twenty years earlier than
the United States, and required permits
from the Department of Agriculture for all
foreign animals and birds five years before
Congress adopted similar provisions in the
Lacey Act. Finally, in marked contrast
with our practice, she has found it advan-
tageous, in spite of her varied climatic con-
ditions, to have a uniform open season of
moderate length for all game instead of sea-
sons of varying length extending over eight
or nine months for different birds. Spring
shooting is thus done away with and more
effectual protection given to migratory shore-
birds and waterfowl than is possible under
our present laws.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF
AUDUBON SOCIETIES

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 7

THE SNOWY HERON

Order— Herodiones Family—<Ardeide
Genus—Egretta Species—Egretta candidissima

(37)

The Snowy Heron

By WILLIAM DUTCHER

Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies

Description—Snowy Heron (Egretta candidissima). There is no difference in the plumage of the sexes, both of
which are always pure white. Occipital (top of head),and jugular (lower throat) region with plumes. From the
interscapular region (between the shoulders) grow a large number of “aigrette ” plumes which extend to or beyond
the tail and, when in perfect condition, are recurved at tip; lores (front of eye), eyes and feet yellow. Bill black,
except at base, which is yellow; legs black, except ‘lower portion behind, which is yellow. The adults after the
breeding season and the immature birds do not have the ‘aigrette’ plumes. Length from tip of bill to end of tail
not including plumes, varies from twenty to twenty-seven inches.

The Snowy Heron always breeds in colonies. Nest, a closely built platform of sticks, in rushes, bushes or
trees in swamps. Eggs, three to five in number, of a light greenish blue color.

Distribution.—All of temperate and tropical. America between 41° north latitude on the Atlantic coast; 45°
north latitude on the Pacific coast, and 35° south latitude. After the breeding season, stragglers from the
southern states sometimes wander as far north as Nova Scotia and Ontario.

The American Egret (Herodias egretta) is almost twice the size of the Snowy Heron, its length being from
thirty-seven to forty-one inches; it is also pure white, and both sexes have during the breeding season only a large
number of interscapular plumes which extend beyond the tail. These plumes are straight, and not recurved as are
those of its smaller relative.

The White Herons of the other parts of the world are very similar to those found on the American continent,
even to the difference in size. Corresponding to the Snowy Heron in America. Garzetta garzetta is found in
southern Europe, across to China and Japan, south to the Burmese countries and the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon,
Philippine Islands, Malay Peninsula, and the whole of Africa. A second small form, Garzetta nigripes, is found
from Java throughout the Moluccas to Australia. The large forms, corresponding to the American Egret, are
Herodias alba of southern Europe, east to central Asia, and south to Africa, the Indian Peninsula and the Burmese
countries; and Herodias timoriensis, which is found from Japan and north China, south through the Malayan
Archipelago to Australia. t : ‘

The food of Herons consists of shrimp, small fish, aquatic insects, crayfish, and life found along the shores and
in swamps. Economically, so far as known, they are neutral or harmless, but may prove to be highly beneficial when
a scientific study of their food has been made.

The recent history of the White Herons is pathetic in the extreme, as it is a tale of per-
secution and rapid extermination. It was a sad day when fashion decreed that the nuptial
plumes of these birds should be worn as millinery ornaments. Feathers and scalps, rapine
and blood are the accompaniments of savage life, but better things are expected of
civilization.

It is hardly possible that any women of the present day are unacquainted with all the
horrible details of plume-hunting. The following pen picture of the horrors of the plume
trade, drawn by Prof. T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary of the North Carolina Audubon
Society, shows the work in all its bloody reality:

“In the tall bushes, growing in a secluded pond in a swamp, a small colony of Herons had their nesting home.

I accompanied a squirrel-hunter one day to the spot, and the scene which met our eyes was nota pleasant one. I had
expected to see some of the beautiful Herons about their nests, or standing on the trees near by, but not a living one
could be found, while here and there in the mud lay the lifeless forms of eight of the birds. They had been shot
down and the skin bearing the plumes stripped from their backs. Flies were busily at work, and they swarmed up
with hideous buzzings as we approached each spot where a victim lay. This was not the worst; in four of the
nests young orphan birds could be seen who were clamoring piteously for food which their dead parents could never
again bring tothem. A little one was discovered lying with its head and neck hanging out of the nest, happily
now past suffering. On higher ground the embers of a fire gave evidence of the plume-hunters’ camp.

The next spring I visited this nesting site, but found only the old nests fast falling to decay.

When man comes, slaughters and exterminates, Nature does not restore ”

This story of a single Florida colony is the story of what has happened in all of Florida,
the Gulf coast of the United States, along the Mexican and Central American coast, both
on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, and has extended into South America. From the enor-
mous numbers of Herons’ plumes that are annually sold in the London feather market
there is no doubt that plume-hunters are at work wherever the white Herons are found.

(38)

The Snowy Heron 39

That Herons are rapidly becoming scarce and more difhcult to obtain by the plume-
hunters. is shown by the difference in price in the raw material. Twenty years since, the
cost per ounce was only a few dollars, now it is more than quadrupled. In circulars
sent by New York feather dealers to plume-hunters in Florida during 1903, thirty-two
dollars per ounce was offered for fine plumes. This not only indicates the rapidly increas-
ing scarcity of the white Herons but also that some dealers are willing, in order to obtain
the plumes, to offer special inducements to hunters to violate laws enacted for the »pro-
tection of these birds.

The much-sought-after plumes are worn by the Herons only for a very limited period
during the year, that is, in the breeding season. Unfortunately, during that time the
Herons gather in colonies; whether this is for protection or is merely social is not known.
During the remainder of the year they are wild and wander over large districts, when it is
impossible for plume-hunters to kill them in quantities that would afford pecuniary returns.
However, during the breeding season the habits of these unfortunate birds change entirely,

“se

||
!

—

a
We,

“SCALP,’ OR RAW PLUMES FROM EGRET; THE PLUMES FROM BACK OF SNOWY
PLUMES AS “STUB’ PLUME OF HERON; THE ‘AIGRETTE’
TAKEN FROM BACK COMMERCE OR ‘OSPREY’ O
OF BIRD COMMERCE

and with the growth of the parental instinct they lose all sense of fear or wildness and the
hunter has little trouble in securing his victims. The death of the parent birds entails the
destruction of the helpless nestlings by the painful and lingering method of starvation.

Mr. Chapman says, in his ‘Birds of Eastern North America,’ “The destruction of these
birds is an unpleasant subject. It is a blot on Florida’s history.” The blood stain is not
on Florida alone but may be found in every part of the world. A few years more of reck-
less slaughter during the breeding season and the white Herons will be classed among the
extinct birds, the number of which is far too rapidly increasing.

Dealers often state that ‘ aigrettes’ are manufactured, but this is not so; man has never
yet been able to imitate successfully these beautiful plumes; all that are offered for sale
have been torn from the backs of the smaller white Herons. Even the stiff plumes, which
are known in the trade as ‘stubs,’ are not manufactured but are the plumes of the larger
species of white Herons.

Herons’ plumes are often sold as ‘ospreys’; this is simply another trade name used to
disguise the fact that they are Herons’ plumes: the ‘Osprey’ of science is the Fish Hawk,
which produces no plumes of any kind.

Both ‘aigrettes’ and ‘stubs’ are dyed various colors, especially black; however, no
matter what is the tint of the plume when offered for sale at the milliners’, its original color
when on the back of the Heron was white; the artificial color is merely in response to the
dictates of fashion.

40 Bird - Lore

It is conceded that the sale of aigrettes from American birds is prohibited, but it is
claimed that there are no laws that prevent the sale of imported goods. Granting that
this may be the case, how is the buyer to tell whether the goods are from American or
Old World Herons? The most expert ornithologists cannot separate the plumes after they
are taken from the birds.

The wearing of ‘aigrettes,’ or plumes from the white Herons, whether native or
foreign, has now become a question of ethics which every woman must decide for herself.
It matters not a whit where the plume comes from, the fact rermains the same that the
woman who wears one is party to a cruel wrong and the plume itself becomes a badge of
inliumanity and is no longer a thing of beauty.

HERON FROM WHICH PLUMES HAVE BEEN TORN

* Mark how the Mother lulls to slumber
Her new-born Babe with tend’rous love
And guards her treasure from above!”

-

The word Mother is the most sacred of all names, and motherhood is the closest of all
human ties. Oh, Mother! when you nestle your little one to your loving breast and look
into the eyes that reflect the mother-love shining from your own, do you not sometimes
think with an involuntary shudder of the sorrow and grief it would be were the child to be
taken from you? Or, still worse, if your tender care were to be removed from the helpless
infant? While this thought is still with you, extend it to the bird-mother, for she surely
has for her offspring the same tender love that you have for yours; she has the same
affection, the same willingness to face danger to protect what is to all mothers dearer than’
life itself. Oh, human mother! will you again wear for personal adornment a plume taken
from the dead body of a bird-mother, the plume that is the emblem of her married life as
the golden circlet is of your own, the plume that was taken from her bleeding body because
her motherhood was so strong that she was willing to give up life itself rather than abandon
her helpless infants! Whenever you are tempted in the future to wear a Heron’s plume,
think for a moment of your own motherhood, and spare the bird-mother and her little ones.

Study Points for Teachers and Students

Trace distribution of each speciesof white Heron on the map of the world. When are the plumes worn by the
Herons? Which species of Heron have recurved plumes? Which have straight plumes? How are Herons’
plumes procured for the millinery trade? Do the habits of Herons change at any period inthe year? In what
way?

For life history of the American White Herons, read “Audubon’s American Ornithological Biography”; for
cause of probable extermination of white Herons in America read “The Present Condition of Some of the Bird
Rockeries of the Gulf Coast of Florida,” by W. E. D. Scott, Auk, Vol. IV, pp. 135-144, 213-222, 273-284; also
"Stories of Bird Life,” by T. Gilbert Pearson.

MARCH — APRIL, 1904

7 US
yy ims wy

Las was

EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN //

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUDUBON SOCIEVIES

The Macmillan Company

HARRISBURG, PA.

COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

20c. a Copy
$1 a Year

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nine

Bird= Lore

March-April, 1904

CONTENTS
GENERAL ARTICLES '

FRONTISPIECE — WILSON'S WARBLER; CANADIAN WARBLER ... Louis Agassiz Fuerles .
A SUMMER WITH THE BLUEBIRDsS. Illustrated by the author osu Ga 10 Vea
A MASSACHUSETTS Duck Hawk AERY Gerald Ff. Thayer .
VIRGINIA RAIL ON NEsT. IIfustrated . one E. G. Tabor.
THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. Illustrated by the author ... Rett E Olmstead .
A NESTING Crow. Illustration G. E. McColm .

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
THE MIGRATION OF WARBLERS. ‘Third Paper. Illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuerles and
Bruce Horsfall Z W.W Cooke
BROWN THRASHER. Illustration... .... ae ) URSA ecoer
THE WARBLER Book Frank M Chapman .
BirD Lists OF MASSACHUSETTS AUDUBON SOCIETY
Books For SALE OR EXCHANGE

FOR YOUNG OBSERVERS

BIRDS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH
THE PRIZE COMPETITION

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY

A PLA FOR BirD Boxes, Josiah Clark; AN UNUSUAL NEST OF THE CLIFF SWALLOW, Henry
Hales; A WINTER MOCKING-BIRD, Mrs. Carroll E. Bowen, A LARGE PHa@sBeE’s NEST,
Elizabeth Grinnell; A SWALLOW AND ELYCATCHER FEuD, Florence Merriam Batley.

Ss.
WHEELOCK’S * BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA’; THE ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES, BOOK NEws.
’ bY

EDITORIAL ....-.-. : 72

73

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 8. [Illustrated by Lous Agassiz Fuertes. . Wiliam Dutcher. 77

x*x Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review, and exchanges should be
sent to the Editor at Englewood, New Jersey.

NOTICES TO SUBSCRIBERS

BIRD-LORE is published for the Audubon Societies on the first of every other month by the
Macmillan Co., at Crescent and Mulberry streets, Harrisburg, Pa., where all notices of change of ad-
dress, etc., should be sent.

Subscribers whose subscription expires with the present issue will find a properly dated
renewal blank in their magazine. In the event of a desire not to renew, the publishers would
greatly appreciate a postal to that effect.

4@-To subscribers whose subscription expired with the issue for December, 1903, and who have
as yet neither renewed their subscription nor, in response to our request, sent us a notice to discon-
tinue their magazine, the present number is sent in the belief that the matter of renewal has been
overlooked. We trust it will now receive prompt attention.

Complete sets of Volumes I, II, III, IV and V of ‘ Bird-Lore’ can still be supplied.

Every number of ‘Bird-Lore’ is as readable and valuable today as when it was issued,
and no bird-lover who is not already supplied can find a better investment than back vol-
umes of this magazine. Vols. I, III, IV and V are offered at the subscription price of $I each,
postpaid ; the price of Vol. II is $3.

Entered as second-class mail matter in the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa.

1. Wttson’s WARBLER, MALE. 3. CANADIAN WARBLER, ADULT MALE.
2. WILSON’s WARBLER, FEMALE. 4, CANADIAN WARBLER, ADULT FEMALE.
5. CANADIAN WARBLER, YOUNG FEMALE.

(ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.)

Et + alee

Bird= Lore

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

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

MARCH — APRIL, 1904 No. 2

A Summer With the Bluebirds

By C. F. HODGE, Clark University

With photographs from nature by the author

‘i NHE twenty-eighth of last March a Bluebird was seen in a cherry
tree over the study window. While he flitted down to the bird
bath and took a few sips of the water that had probably attracted

him to the spot, I quietly raised the window-sash and snapped a big meal-
worm far out onto the driveway. Scarcely had it touched.the ground when
two Bluebirds swooped down upon it. I had not seen the female before,
and in the fluttering scramble I failed to note which bird got the worm.
For a minute or two you may be sure the worms fell thick and fast and the
two birds apparently fought for every one. “They must have been famish-
ing, for they ate more than a dozen large mealworms apiece. At last the
female appeared to be satisfied and flew to a low branch of the cherry tree
and did not come down for the next worm. The male dropped for it,
however, but, instead of swallowing it, he flew to the side of his mate and
with a bewitching twinkle of one wing offered her the worm. She took it
from his bill; and this scene was repeated with the next three or four worms
until, when he offered her another, she touched it daintily with her bill as
if to say, ‘‘ They are delicious, but I really can’t eat any more,’’ and turned
her head away, and he swallowed the worm himself. This exquisite little
piece of bird etiquette was enacted five or six times, and then both bircs
flew away.

We christened the birds on the spot ‘Twinklewing’ and ‘ Bluet,’ but
feared lest we had seen the last of our new acquaintances as they drifted
out of sight among the tree-tops. Would they know enough to come back?

The question was answered within the hour by a soft flute-note from
the cherry tree. There they both were, evidently expecting another hail
of mealworms, nor were they disappointed. It was about eight o’clock
in the morning when my story began. I happened to be writing at my desk
all day and the scenes just described were repeated hourly until sundown,

42 Bird - Lore

except that the birds were not quite so ravenous after the first meal, and
by afternoon I was safe in discarding caution and could throw the .window
wide open with as much noise as possible. I took pains to let them see
into the large tin box swarming with worms as I held it in my hand
and picked them out and
tossed them down to the
ground. We were pretty
good friends by the close
of the first day.

My ideas are apt to
arrive by freight about
the morning after, or, I
am sure, I might have
been able to record that
wild Bluebirds could be

to feed on the

tamed

THE SECOND MORNING

window-sill in three hours’
time. However that may
be, next morning early
they were both there as
you see them in the pic-
ture, and the study win-
dow-sill remained their
dining-table until the first
brood left the nest on A FEW DAYS LATER

May twenty-eighth. ,

A few days later when I came home from the laboratory Mrs. Hodge
greeted me with: ‘‘ You can’t guess what happened this afternoon—Bluet
perched on my finger and fed from the hand.’’ After this it became the
pastime of the family to have Bluet feeding on the hand, and often she
would seem to linger to warm her toes. “Twinklewing never grew quite

A Summer With the Bluebirds 43

tame enough to alight on the hand, but he would come close enough to
pick the worms out of it.

Bluet and Twinklewing had found water and food, and there were about
twenty suitable houses within a stone’s throw. However, I wanted them
to nest closer to the window, and so made and put up a new house in the
cherry tree, just where I could study them to best advantage. I hardly
dared hope that they would go into it, there were so many other house
about. Very soon their desire for a home eclipsed even their appetite for
mealworms. They tried every house on the premises and might be gone—
presumably house-hunting —for a day
or two at atime. But at last, to my
delight, Bluet began carrying billfuls of
pine needles into my house in the
cherry tree. But then, when the nest
was finished, they seemed to pay no
attention to it for nearly a week. Soon
after that, however, there were five
blue eggs and Bluet was brooding, or—
as I thought— ought to ‘have been.
She was certainly off the nest more
than half the time in daylight, flying
about catching insects and enjoying her-
self generally. I was tempted to rate
her as a shiftless mother, and did not
believe that she would hatch a single
egg. She did spend her nights on the
nest and, after she had gone in and it
was beginning to grow dark, Twinkle-

wing would hang with his head in the THE HOME IN THE CHERRY TREE -
FIRST BROOD OF FIVE

nm

box for minutes at a time, while a
queer series of good-night squeaks could be heard. Then he would fly
away, and I could not discover where he slept.

I was glad to admit that Bluet knew more about hatching her eggs than
I did, for they all came out May eleventh and all grew to maturity. The
seventeenth day after hatching, the young ones sat for their pictures and
betook themselves to the tree-tops. I left the nest undisturbed, but, while
the parents continued to come to the window for worms, I did not see a
Bluebird pay the least attention to it for the rest of the season.

It would take a book to tell all the pleasure and entertainment and
opportunity for study they furnished. Several of my students worked their
laboratory periods recording the number of insects brought to the nest, but
the best students of all were the children, who daily had a story to tell of
the Bluebirds catching insects in the garden or taking their baths in the

44 Bird- Lore

fountain. The upshot of these observations was that they must have some
Bluebirds to catch the insects in their own gardens.

Without help or suggestion, a stick from the wood-pile and a discarded
bird-house were brought into requisition, toggled together with many
crippled nails, a hole dug and a house erected.

As if at bidding again, Bluebirds built in the new house. I am inclined
to think they were the same pair, but, as we had ceased to feed at the win-
dow-sill, I am not certain. “The brood of four hatched the seventeenth
of July and flew the second of August. How this brood happened to ap-
pear as you see them in the next pictures requires a word of explanation.

A cold driving rain-storm prevailed the entire day, and, as I went down
the path with my umbrella, I heard the note of a young Bluebird in dis-
tress. Wet and cold, he was perched on one of the lower branches of the
cherry tree, and as I passed under I stopped a moment to look him over,
when the most unexpected thing happened that has ever fallen to my lot.
He deliberately flitted from his perch to the shelter of my umbrella and
lighted in the hollow of my elbow. I took him into the house and fed him
with mealworms, giving him a warm place by the kitchen stove.

On my return an hour later, I found two Bluebirds in my day nursery,
and learned that the second little voyager had flown plump against our din-
ing-room window and had not knocked in vain. The other two were still
in the box—all but their wet little heads—crying loudly for food. I had not
seen a parent bird and did not see one about the nest the entire day. I
took some mealworms down and tried to feed them in the nest, but on my
approach they withdrew from the entrance and paid no heed to worms I
dangled in the doorway. I was about to leave them to their fate when an
idea happened to strike me at the right moment, and I gave the Bluebird
whistle. Instantly the entrance was occupied by two gaping mouths, which

THREE BIRDS IN THE HAND

ere

A Summer With the Bluebirds 45

I proceeded to fill. In this way I fed them two or three times during the
afternoon and at the last feeding led them out onto my hand and brought
them in to their fellows in the shoebox. Next day I tried to return the
young birds to their parents, but, while I saw the female on the deserted
box once, she
paid no atten-

tion to the nest -
lings and soon
flew off, never
to be seen again.

A month of
delightful bird

2" ‘a
@ 2%
*

4

P % : ow
~ ay , tng ¢ ey
ae Os I es |

ASLEEP

study followed. The
nestlings were tame as
kittens from the first,
and never showed the
least trace of fear or
wildness. We _ gave
them a room in the
kennel, and how they
learned to drink and
bathe and feed them-
selves is a story by
itself.

One sad incident I ought not to omit. In my series of feeding tests I
brought in a number of potato beetles and thoughtlessly dropped a large
larva into an open mouth before observing whether they would take them
of their own accord. I noticed then that they picked them up once apiece,
wiped their bills in disgust and declined to touch them again. Next
morning one of the birds was dead under the perch.

We liberated the birds—each with a tiny aluminum anklet, for pur-
poses of identification this spring—one bright morning in early September,
and feared we had seen the last of them as they flitted out of sight among
the tree-tops. I was glad, however, to see that they were actively catch-
ing insects among the branches, and since black cherries were ripe they

AWAKE !

46 Bird - Lore

could not lack for food. We saw little more of them that day, but next
morning at sunrise I was awakened by the flute notes of hungry young
Bluebirds. There they all were, clamoring for mealworms, and they all
came to the hand to feed. For about three weeks they remained in
the neighborhood, and a whistle or two would bring them down to our
hands. A young Chipping Sparrow, while it never came to feed, was
always seen with the Bluebirds. I had hopes that by feeding abun-
dantly I might be able to hold them through the winter and soon have a
colony of tame Bluebirds; but about September 20 they suddenly disap-
peared. I thought they had started on their long journey, but two weeks
later the three Bluebirds, with Chippy still in tow, came back, as it would
seem, to bid final adieu. “They all came to the hand as before, but meal-
worms seemed to have lost their attraction somewhat; for they, for the
first time, left some uneaten. Except for here and there a tell-tale feather,
they now looked like adult birds. Since that day we have neither seen nor
heard them, but we still cherish the hope that spring may bring them to us
again.

FEEDING THE ORPHANS

A Massachusetts Duck Hawk Aery
By GERALD H. THAYER

HE Duck Hawk, or American Peregrine Falcon, is uncommon
enough, so that the following account of a remarkably full and
satisfying experience with a nesting pair may be of some interest.
Mindful of taxidermists and egg-collectors, I shall refrain from
naming the exact location of the aery, which may be annually
reoccupied for many years to come if no unfortunate accident

happens to the grand old birds. Suffice it to say that it is in Berkshire
county Massachusetts, many miles from the two aeries recorded by Faxon

and Hoffman (Birds of Berkshire County, p. 41). In September, 1902, I

found two adult Duck Hawks haunting a certain rugged, craggy hill,

which towers above a well-watered and fertile intervale of the beautiful

Berkshire country. The more gently sloping sides of this hill are heavily

wooded, but the one on which the Hawks were found, being every-

where almost precipitously steep, supports only a meager growth of trees,
and, where not entirely denuded of soil, is covered mainly with blue-
berry bushes and brambles. It contains several sheer and even over-
hanging cliffs, unscalable by man without the aid of ropes, and in all
respects well suited to the nesting of such a lover of bold crags as the

Peregrine Falcon.

On the September morning when I discovered the birds here, they were
very wary, and took themselves off after a few gyrations over my head, well
out of gun-shot range. Nesting was, of course, long over for the year,
but I found ample signs that the hill was a habitual breeding-ground of
theirs. Almost all the shelves and ledges overtopping and bordering one of
the larger cliffs were strewn with feathers,—some fresh, some matted and
decomposed. Those of domestic Pigeons were much the commonest, but
there were also Ruffed Grouse, Flicker, Kingfisher, Blue Jay and hen
feathers.

Nearly eight months later, on -May 31, 1903, I again climbed the hill,
determined to find and reach the nest if it were humanly possible. To my
great delight, the Hawks were there, and with significantly altered de-
meanors. I was half-way up the steep hillside, picking my way between
precipices, before I heard or saw them; then the pair, mighty female
and smaller male, launched themselves, shrieking, into the air from the big-
gest and most distant cliff, and in a few seconds were wheeling over me,
with frantic cries, most menacingly near. The female was by far the
bolder of the two, coming nearer and staying longer than her mate; and
this difference in their characters proved to be constant, and at all times
most pronounced. From the field below I had espied a very suspicious-
looking white stain, on the border of the nearest high cliff, and this I now

(47)

48 Bird - Lore

tried to reach from above. —The Hawks had already desisted from their attack
and taken up their old position on the other cliff; but when I emerged
from a thicket, on the side of a chasm, and crawled hopefully out along the
sloping ledge to the last bit of safe ground in the direction of the white
stain, the female,—blue-backed and ruddy-breasted and superbly marked,
with tremendous yellow feet, flight of transcendent force and swiftness, and
ear-splitting, savage, raucous, incessant cries,—dashed across and assailed
me more violently than ever. She once came so near that I felt the wind
of her great wings on my face. But this sortie was as brief as it was bold,
and the bird soon rejoined her impassive mate on the distant cliff, leaving
me to grapple with the problem of reaching the suspected ledge below me.
Clutching a dead hemlock sapling which stood on the ultimate verge, I
leaned far out over emptiness (two hundred feet, more or less, above the
foot-hill field). There, seven feet below me, and off to one side, was the
dribbled bottom of the guano-heap. ‘The nest, if nest there was, could
not be seen because of a projecting rock. Having no rope, I stripped off
- my shirt and undershirt, twisted them together, tied one end to the base of
the hemlock, and, holding on for dear life, leaned out still further. But
lean and peer as I might, the back part of the cranny remained hidden, and
nothing could be seen of the nest. Sorely tantalized, I retreated, made a
long, laborious circuit through vilely dense brush and brambles, which con-
cealed numberless jagged rocks and treacherous holes, and climbed to the
highest accessible point below the guano-mark. But the nest was no
more visible from below than from above,—projecting rocks still cut off the
back of the cranny from my view. So, though the female’s furious attack
had firmly convinced me that I had found the nest, I gave up trying to
reach it, for the time, planning to return with a rope and a companion.
Before leaving the hill, however, I went over to investigate the other high
cliff, where the Hawks spent most of their time. “They were sitting there
as | approached the verge from above, and suddenly took wing, together, and
shot past me, with a great roar of vibrating quill-feathers, at such astound -
ing speed that I did not manage fairly to focus my eyes upon them. ‘They
appeared as two bow-bent, lightning-rapid streaks, and disappeared over
the hill’s further rim almost before my brain had interpreted the imperfect
message from my frustrated eyes. Again, a few minutes later, I saw beau-
tiful speed-feats performed by the male, as he and his mate were gyrating
high over the cliffs. They were floating about in the bright, keen air,
with the easy indolence that marks superlative power at rest; when, of a
sudden, the male made a sharper wing-movement, and was two hundred
yards away from his mate in the merest twinkling of an eye. Veering, he
then returned to her with even more dizzying swiftness; and this perfor-
mance was repeated several times. | His wings always ‘ sang’ on the back-
ward course, but never when he was going away. ‘This, and the greater

A Massachusetts Duck Hawk Aery 49

speed of the return, were doubtless owing to the fact that he always went
somewhat upward from the female.

In Norway, I have seen a still more wonderful sky-dance of two Pere-
grines. ‘The birds were fighting, high over the moors, and each step of the
headlong dance was about a quarter of a mile long.

To return.to the Berkshire Hawks. The notes of the sexes were
decidedly unlike. The screams of the male were weaker, with a different
inflection, and less constantly iterated, than his mate’s. Her common cry
was a single-noted, piercing, savage scream, susceptible of tolerably good
imitation by a man’s voice. Occasionally, and particularly when she had
been screaming incessantly for several minutes, her voice dropped to a much
lower note, and she uttered a deep, gruff barking, very much like the
coarsest note made by the Great Black-backed Gull on its breeding-
grounds. ‘This note might also be likened, in some of its variations, to the
‘honking’ of the domestic Goose, though having far less modulation.
Though the male’s voice was not so loud, he had, in addition to notes
much like the female’s, though less strenuous, a two-noted, half-whistling
call which she appeared to lack. In plumage the two birds were almost
precisely alike. Both had strong cheek-patterns, rock-blue backs, lightest
on the tail coverts and darkest on the head, with clearly-defined dusky
wave-bands, or marblings; both were very ruddy underneath, with almost
round black markings, except for the flanks, which were slaty-gray barred
with dusky; and both had bright yellow tarsi and feet, and yellow ceres.

I spent little time in examining the second cliff that day, feeling so con-
fident that the nest was on the other. ‘The birds were left undisturbed for
a few hours; but their troubles began anew early the next morning when
I returned to my task, with a competent companion and an inadequate rope.
We encountered many unexpected difficulties in reaching the guano-heap,
even with the rope, owing to the overhung and otherwise obstructive con-
formation of the cliff at that point. But at the end of two hours of
maneuvering, we managed to rig the rope for an ascent,—possible, but very
unpleasant. After a few false starts, I scrambled up. The nest was a
farce! Nothing but a shallow, empty pit in the rock-face topped the
guano-heap, which was revealed as merely the mark of one of the old birds’
favorite perches. Of these there proved to be several, equally conspicuously
branded, on the other cliff, to which we now turned our attention. For
there the nest must surely be. But no! We searched many a ledge and
cranny, with and without the aid of the rope, but found merely feeding-
places, littered with pigeon-feathers and daubed with excrement. Further-
more, the Hawks, which had once that day made a dash at us on the other
cliff, now flew quietly away, and seemed to take no further interest in us or
our proceedings. This was, of course, a very bad sign, which helped to
discourage us, and we went away disappointed and perplexed. Next morn-

50 Bird - Lore

ing I came again, alone, to try once more. One event of the preceding
day, of which I had taken little note at the time, gave me a good deal of
hope as I now scanned the hillside from below. ‘The female had sailed
down with a quarry to a place between the two cliffs, where from above I
could see nothing but trees, and a sound unlike her usual calling had
seemed to come from there after she had alighted. Knowing, however,
that the Falcons sometimes sat on,trees (I had seen one of them do it that
very morning), and seeing no rocks at the place, I had ignored the new-
note evidence as probably an error, and dismissed the matter for the time.
(There was no tree on the hillside which could have furnished a suitable
nesting cavity.) But now, looking from below, I was delighted to see an
isolated cliff of fair size underneath the place where the Hawk had seemed
to alight. I climbed toward this cliff with renewed hope, which was soon
increased by the mother’s appearing overhead and beginning a series of
frantic plunges toward me, in a more determined fashion than ever before.
When I tried to scale the cliff, which at that point was only about fifty feet
high above the steep, wooded slope, she hurled herself at me, wildly
screaming, in such a frenzy of passion that I half expected to have to fight
her. The noble great bird always checked herself, however, just before she
reached my head, and swerved aside, with a strong rustling of her sharp,
steely, marvelously wielded wings. The cliff itself proved unclimbable at
that point, so I scrambled up the steep, sapling-covered slope that bordered
it, and presently came out on the flat top of the rock-face, shaded by small
birches and hemlocks. "The mother was more furious than ever, and I
could not doubt that the nest was somewhere on the little cliff. Eagerly
peering over, I at once espied white down-feathers, gleaming through the
leaves of a birch; and in another second was feasting my sight on three
princely, dark-eyed young Peregrines, about four weeks old, with many
brown contour-feathers sticking through their milky fluff. Success at last!
Their ledge, for a wonder, was within easy reach from above, and I was
soon on it with them, deafened by ‘the redoubled screechings of the
anguished mother, and the concerted guinea-hen clatter of the youngsters.
Approached too closely, they threw themselves upon their backs, and fought
valiantly with bill and claws. Their feet were blue-gray and of ungainly
bigness, and their toes sometimes doubled up sideways under them as they
hobbled about.

The ledge, which was covered with the wreckage of hens, Chickens,
Pigeons, Flickers and Blue Jays, as well as with excrement “and pellets,
was about six feet long by three feet wide, and overlooked most of the hill-
side. It was entirely inaccessible from below, but the merest child’s play
to reach from above, being only about ten feet from the top, and shaded
by birch saplings which gave ample hand-hold for a descent. “There was
even one sapling growing on the ledge itself. No vestiges of true nest-

A Massachusetts Duck Hawk Aery 51

material were to be found on the littered ledge, and no egg-shells; bu’
these would inevitably have been trodden down and covered up. The
youngsters had their crops distended, and fresh, bloody dove-feathers under
their feet revealed the character of the food they contained. Their cries
were very like their mother’s, but weaker; and when they all screamed
together, as they did almost incessantly, the racket produced sounded, as
I have said, almost like the cackling of a flock of Guinea-fowl.

I made three subsequent visits to the nest, with several trusted com-
panions, all sworn to refrain from molesting the birds or revealing their
whereabouts to other people. We used up two rolls of kodak films on the
seated young and the attacking mother; but, owing to our inexperience,
and the fact that the sunlight was then deeply obscured by forest-fire
smoke, none of the pictures proved very good.

The parents were usually away hunting when we reached the aery in
the afternoon, and only once or twice did we see them at home together.
On one of these occasions we watched them angrily put to rout an unfor-
tunate Red-tailed Hawk, who had wandered too near their young. Sev-
eral times the female appeared over a farm-house three miles from her hill,
flying rapidly in the other direction; and I once saw her returning with
booty over the same route. This is in keeping with the habits of Falcons
as reported by other observers, who say that the birds do most of their
hunting at some distance from their aery, however plentiful the game in
its immediate vicinity. On Isola Rossa, a beautiful little bird-island off the
west coast of Sardinia (much resorted to, among other species, by the rare
Audouin’s Gull), my father and I found Peregrines breeding practically in
the midst of a large colony of Rock Doves, though the one we shot was
crammed full of Black Starlings (Sturnus unicolor), from the mainland.
But I have wandered from my narrative. On the single occasion when we
found the male alone on guard, he acted very timid, and hurried away, after
a few feeble circlings and squealings. Perhaps he went to seek his wife.
She, whenever she returned during one of our visits, began screeching in
the distance, having apparently detected us from afar, and hardly ever
ceased to fly back and forth past us and her charges, screaming furiously,
as long as we were in the region. When I sat on the ledge beside the
babies, photographing them, her agitation became so extreme that she very
nearly attacked me outright. It was a most majestic and pathetic spectacle.
More than once I felt the breath of her powerful wings upon my face, and
often she approached within five yards before swerving aside. Her huge
yellow feet were sometimes menacingly extended, and sometimes retracted,
as she hurtled back and forth beside the cliff. Omnce, after we had been
some time with the youngsters, the mother returned with a quarry, which
she quickly deposited on a rock high up the hillside, to be unencumbered
for her attack on the intruders. I went and found the thing,—which

52 Bird- Lore

proved to be a large white chicken, decapitated and eviscerated,—and
brought it to the young ones. Their crops were always full, and we
always found fresh feathers on the ledge. Twice or thrice they were
pigeon feathers, and once those of a brown hen or chicken. The whole
tale of species whose feathers I have found on this hill of pirates is as fol-
lows: Grebe (Dabchick) (not quite surely identified),, Wood Duck (also
not quite surely), Ruffed Grouse, hen, pigeon (their staple food), Night-
hawk, Kingfisher, Blue Jay, Flicker (commonest after pigeon), Sparrow
(not specifically identified) and Robin.

One thing more about these Hawks must be recounted,—my wonder-
fully close view of the father, which occurred in this wise: I was sitting,
very quiet, on the ground above and just out of sight of the youngsters,
who had entirely ceased their noise. Suddenly they began ‘ chirruping,’ in
anew and peculiar way, which I at once guessed must be an eager and
fearless greeting to one of the parents. But the seconds passed, and no
Hawk appeared overhead, while the chirruping continued unabated-
Crawling to the edge and peeping over, I rested my astonished and de-
lighted eyes, at the short range of about ten feet, on the neat blue head
of the male, who had quietly sailed.up from below, bringing provender.
An attempt to photograph him scared him away, but not before I had had
a splendid view of him, sitting fully exposed on the outer side of the ledge.
When he flew, he carried the quarry with him! Cool-headed but mistaken
daddy! He was afraid we would steal it,—and how different were our
real habits and intentions! We had fed the youngsters beef (which they
devoured greedily enough off the end of a stick, when it was shoved almost
into their blathering mouths), and we had even brought them from a
distant ledge the food captured by their mother!

My last visit to the aery was made on June 5. The young then showed |
almost as much brown as white, and had well-developed, banded tails.
One of my companions saw them about a week later, and reported them
as very nearly ready to fly.

And now for a few words of dissertation. In spite of the noble classical
associations which cling to the Peregrine, and its unquestioned preeminence
among the raptores, this bird is now officially ‘black-balled’ in America,
and people are urged to destroy it at every opportunity,—according to the
narrow, strictly utilitarian creed that all animals which detract in any
degree from man’s commercial gains must be exterminated. But does it
not rather seem as if a bird of such vast interest to the naturalists, the
poets, and all literate persons and lovers of life in general, ought to be
carefully pteserved, as an element of the intrinsic natural beauty of the
country ? We cannot blame the poor farmer for killing the individual
Hawk that devastates his dove-cote; but this is very different from waging
war upon the species at large. And, if only it could be arranged, how

A Massachusetts Duck Hawk Aery 53

gladly would those who care pay for all the damage done by Peregrines
each year in the New England and Middle States, in order to keep the few
remaining aeries tenanted! ‘True, the birds are not yet in imminent danger
of extermination—perhaps they are not much rarer than they always have
been—but think how scarce they are relatively to any of our other Hawks,
and how easily their few aeries in the civilized part of our country could be
abolished! Surely all true ornithologists should refrain from molesting
breeding pairs, whether for eggs or skins. Surely, too, all true ornitholo-
gists should be willing to spare them many Kingfishers and Jays and
Flickers and Robins; for the wide lands of New England harbor untold
myriads of these minor birds, while the known Falcon aeries of that same
region. could almost, figuratively speaking, be counted on ten fingers!

~The Peregrine Falcon:is, perhaps, the most highly specialized and
superlatively well-developed. flying organism on our planet today, combining
in a marvelous degree the highest powers.of speed and aérial adroitness with
massive, warlike strength. A powerful, wild, majestic, independent bird,
living on the choicest of clean, carnal food, plucked fresh from the air or
the surface of the waters, rearing its young in the nooks of dangerous
mountain cliffs, claiming all the open atmosphere as its domain, and fearing
neither beast that walks nor bird that flies, it is the very embodiment of
noble rapacity and lonely freedom. It has its legitimate and important
place in the great scheme of things; and by its extinction, if that should
ever occur, the world would be impoverished and dulled.

VIRGINIA RAIL ON NEST
Photographed by E. G. Tabor, Meridian, N. Y., May 23, 1903

The Whip-poor-will
By RETT E. OLMSTEAD

With photographs from nature by the author

T was June 25, 1903, that Mr. Topliff, County Superintendent of
Schools-Hook, Robert Hegner, and myself drove from Decorah,
Iowa, down the Upper Iowa river eight miles for a day’s outing.

It was a delightful day and the birds were astir everywhere. With note-
book in hand, the different species which we had actually identified during
the day numbered
fifty-two. Where
we camped for the

day we discovered
a Yellow - bellied
Sap-sucker’s nest
in the top of one
of the tallest trees,

WHIP-POOR-WILL’S EGGS
AND NEST

some 75 feet high. I had
never before seen this
bird nesting so high, and
made a note of it.
After our noon lunch
we were walking up the
river, some ten rods dis-
tant from the stream,
when we nearly stepped upon an old Whip-poor-will. No sooner had she
wabbled away, feigning lameness, than we discovered two eggs. For a few
minutes she flew about within a very few feet of us, but soon a little
farther, and finally disappeared. The sun was bright, but the foliage upon
the trees did not permit of a snapshot with the camera; consequently the
camera was placed a few feet from the nest and focused properly, a string
was attached to the shutter and I climbed a tree four rods away to await
the return of the old bird. An hour passed, and no return. Mr. Hegner
then relieved me and waited two hours without her returning. We then
made several exposures of the nest and eggs, one of which, made with a

NEWLY HATCHED WHIP -POOR- WILLS

ray-filter, is here shown.

(54)

The Whip - poor - will =

Nothing more was done or was the nest visited by me again until
July 4. The exact. location of the nest being known, I had hoped to be
able to make an exposure of the old bird upon the nest. Owing to the
darkness of the woods and the wildness of the old bird, I was not successful
in doing this when I first approached and found the old bird upon the nest.
She flew at once, and I beheld two little bunches of sulphur-yellow cuddled
in the spot from which she had flown. Some exposures were made of the
young, as shown in the cuts. Two half egg-shells were still in the nest.

Determined, if possible, to get a picture of the old bird, I set the camera
ten feet away, focused it upon the young and went away for our noon

WHIP-POOR-WILL ON NEST

lunch, being gone about an hour. Returning, I walked on as though
going by the nest but close enough to the camera so as to press the bulb.
The old bird was upon the nest, and in this way I obtained the picture as
shown in the cut. The old Whip-poor-will was looking directly at the
camera, and, as a result, is not easily seen in the picture. Never did we see
but the one Whip-poor-will about the nest. From the appearance of the
young, they could not have been more than a few days old. It was with diff-
culty that they were seen among the leaves when one was within even three
feet. And the old bird upon the nest could hardly be seen unless one knew
the exact spot where she sat. It was with great regret that I could not re-
main and study this household on up to maturity. The Whip-poor-wills
are plentiful in this section, but this is my first nest of this good bird.

““susuey “ulpyong “Wlo5 I~ “gq “5 Aq poydeisoioyg —
‘MOUD ONILSAN V

For Teachers and Students

The Migration of Warblers

THIRD PAPER

Compiled by Professor W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data
in the Biological Survey

ry
With drawings by Louis AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALL

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
|

No. of years’| Average date of | Earliest date of,

PLACE record spring arrival | spring arrival
Atlantic Coast— |
Raleigh, N.C. : 9 | March 27 March 22, 1898
Asheville, N.C. (near) . 4 | April 28 April 24, 1893
French Creek, W. Va. 4 | April 16 April ro, 1893
Washington, D. OU eh hae 5 | April 26 April 22, 1888
New Providence, N. J... . 7 | April 30 April 23, 1891
Englewood, N. J. . 6 April 30 April 25, 1901
Beaver, Pa. . . 6 April 30 April 25, 1891
Renova, Pa.. . 10 April 26 April 22, 1896
Alfred, NY. s:. 15 May 1 April 22, 1889
Ballston Spa, N.Y. 7 May 8 April 29, 1894
Portland, Conn. 6 | May 4 April 27, 1886
Hartford, Conn. - 7 | May 2 April 28, 1895
JP yayyiis rns. Sl aa en 4 | May 3 May 1, 1897
Central’ Massachusetts . .°.°%. .. ..| ° 13 | May 1 April 26, 1891
Southeastern Massachusetts ......, 12 | May 1 April 25, 1897
Northeastern Massachusetts ..... . 16 | May 1 April 24, 1897
ANG Olplige Vitec. ss 2.) 0) 6 | May 8 May 2, 1890
Stjohnsbuty,,Vt.-. ... . 6 May 9 May 5, 1900
Southern New Hampshire 7 May 3 April 30, 1903
Southern Maine... . 8 May 6 May 3, 1894
Montreal, Can. 4 May 11 May 7, 1891
Quebec, Can. : 9 May 10 May 6, 1900
Central Nova Scotia 4 May 13 May 10, 1896
Stasjonns NEB... 12 May 13 May 8, 1895
North River, P. E. [. 3 May 17 May 13, 1889
Mississippi Valley— | /

Mouth Rio Grande, Texas 7 March 22 March 18, 1880
San Antonio, Texas . . 4 March 24 March 13, 1880
Eubank, Ky. 4 April 11 April 9, 1894
Chicago, Ill. «.'. 12 May 1 April 27, 1900
Rockford, Ill. . . 5 May 3 April 28, 1889
Brookville, Ind. . 5 April 29 April 26, 1886
Waterloo, Ind. (near) 9 May 1 April 24, 1894
Petersburg, Mich. . 10 May 2 April 25, 1886
Battle Creek, Mich. . 6 May 3 April 28, 1885
Northern Michigan . . 2 May 23 May 20, 1899
Southern Ontario . ae 9 May 2 April 28, 1902
Parry Sound District, Ont. 8 May 6 May 3, 1896
Ottawa, Ont. ching 5 16 May 13 May 4, 1885
Southeastern Iowa 6 May 5 April 30, 1895
Lanesboro, Minn. 3 May 7 April 30, 1888
ANWREMNE, VANE te) oc. 8) var os May 13, 1898
Athabasco cake; 7 5 .-/)<..-

June 3, 1901

58 Bird - Lore

FALL MIGRATION

PLACE No. of years’ eens date of Latest date of last
record last one seen one seen

North wRivengb aie isha meant. 4 Sept. 5 September 13, 1890
St. John, N. B. KR Na Mea sae 6 Sept. 13 September 25, 1891
Southerny Maine v5 ay) eye eae oe 7 Sept. 27 October 2, 1898
Putchbung 3 Wasser el ee October 9, 1898
Portland, Conn... . EGE HaLS potest ek October 20, 1888
Southeastern New York.=. 9... 5 Oct. 4 October 15, 1887
Retiovay Pane) samme soi see enemas cee 7 Oct. 7 October 12, 1899
Germantown) Pas sy 6 2 6 a oe 5 Oct. 8 October 18, 1888
NWecinnewan, ID(s es als 6 6 blo oe October 20, 1890
Raleiohw iNet sis cee ee tegaeneee 5 Oct. 8 October 16, 1893
Ottaway Ones ta Ged A ale nse 7 Sept. 27 October 8, 1887
Chicago sly wee: it tote mca ety seminar 9 Sept. 27 October 12, 1894
Baba Say 4 carn crises eterey hick neice nes October 14, 1891
New: Orleans Wato-o5/ 202 Ss See oun October 28, 1899

GOLDEN -CHEEKED WARBLER

Arrived near San, Antonio, Tex., March 13, 1895, March 10, 1896,
March 9, 1897, March 13, 1898, March 14, 1900. Average, March 12.

WILSON’S WARBLER

Wilson’s Warbler has been separated into three subspecies, an eastern
form (Wilsonia pusilla) extending west to the great plains; a Rocky
Mountain form (Wilsonia pusilla pileolata), and a Pacific form (Wilsonia
pusilla chryseola) .

The range will be sufficient to indicate which form is intended in each
of the following notes: ;

PLACE No, of years’ Average date of Earliest date of
record spring arrival spring arrival
Atlantic Coast—
ReGen (Geib 5 lg io es Goa 5 oe May 1, 1885
Raleigh, N. C. Bee aKa nee 3 May 13 May 11, 1893
French Creek, W. Va. 2 May 10 May 9, 1893
Washington, Doi. 4 May 9 May 8, 1888
Englewood, N. J. 3 May 13 May 11, 1902
Beaver, Pa. . . 6 May 15 May 8, 1889
East Hartford, Conn. 7 May 13 May 10, 1894
Eastern Massachusetts ; 10 May 17 May 10, 1897
Southern New Hampshire. . e May 17 May 13, 1898
Southern New Brunswick. ...... 7 May 26 May 19, 1887
Godbout,(Qtie: 5. pa el enone June 3, 1884
iamiltonuRiver,.Que-s) 4 eee May 31
Mississippi Valley—

St. Louis, Mo. 5 May 5 April 29, 1885
Chicago, III. 9 May 14 May 10, 1902
Waterloo, Ind. 6 May 15 May 10, 1903
Southern Michigan ae. 8 May 17 May 11, 1888
Ottawa, Ont. 17 May 20 May 14, 1893

a sshleatgnbeatil

won

NE Jp

"ie

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, ADULT MALE. 4. GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER, ADULT MALE.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, ADULT FEMALE. 5. GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER, ADULT FEMALE
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, YOUNG FEMALE. 6.

GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER, YOUNG FEMALF.
ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.

The Migration of Warblers 59

WILSON WARBLER. continued.

PLACE eae eon nee ie 2
Western America—

Mouth Rio Grande, Tex. 2 April 28 April 26, 1878
Grinnell, Ia. 5 May 11 May 4, 1890
Lanesboro, Minn. 9 May 8 May 2, 1887
Elk River, Minn. 4 May 14 May 11, 1886
Aweme, Man... 4 May 15 May 12, 1898
Ft. Chippewyan, Ath. erie 2 May 26 May 23, 1901
BOMiery ATIZOMA i... eye we ko April 12, 1902
Movejdnce COlON 0... Seo ts ey we 2 May 12 May 11, 1889
AGredtsANIS sy VION.) os so ste + er ee 2 May 25 May 23, 1892
[cron Sy 2 EG) ee alee ie June 3, 1899
Central California . . eee es 4 March 30 March 23, 1889
Southwestern British Columbia... . 3 May 6 May 3, 1889

FALL MIGRATION

Some dates of the last one seen are at Newport, Ore., August 30,
1900; Berkeley, Cal., September 17, 1888; Columbia Falls, Mont., Septem -
ber 14, 1894; Cheyenne, Wyo., September 11, 1888; Cooney, N. Mex.,
October 9, 1889; Aweme, Man., average four years September 8; Lanes-
boro, Minn., average of four years September 20, latest September 25,
1887; Grinnell, Ia., average four years September 21, latest September
25, 1888; Ottawa, Ont., average four years September 19, latest Septem-
ber 29, 1890; Pictou, N. S., August 24, 1894; St. John, N. B., Sep-
tember 17, 1896, Renova, Pa., average six years, September 21, latest
September 30, 1895; Germantown, Pa., October 15, 1889.

CANADIAN WARBLER

PLACE No. of years’ Average date of Earliest date of
record spring arrival spring arrival
Atlantic Coast—

Asheville, N.C. (near). . 2 May 2 April 29, 1886
French Creek, W. Va. 4 May 9 May 4, 1893
Washington, D.C. ... 3 May 9 May 5, 1888
New Providence, N. J. . . 5 May 16 May 10, 1888
Englewood, N.J. .. . 3 May 15 May 13, 1899
Philadelphia, Pa. (near) 6 May 15 May 10, 1890
ISG AVEN ub diciepia wet Msi hss 5 May 5 May 3, 1899
Renova, Pai. 8 May 8 May 4, 1900
Southeastern New York . 9 May 20 May 11, 1890
Weoekport, Neves re... ia) ys |: 5 May 15 May 11, 1889
East Hartford, Conn... . 5 May 19 May 12, 1888
Eastern Massachusetts 12 May 14 | May 10, 1896
St. Johnsbury, Vt. . ay Me 4 May 21 May 16, 1900
Southern New Hampshire. . 8 May 18 May 13, 1902
Southern Maine jad (yee 6 May 19 May 15, 1897
Montreal, Can. .. 2 Bees eee May 28, 1891
Southern New Brunswick . . 7 May 28 May 22, 1886

60 Bird - Lore

CANADIAN WARBLER, continued

PLACE No of years] Average dat of | Bais date
Mississippi Valley—

San Antonio, Tex. . . 3 May 1 April 26, 1887
St. Louis : | 6 May 9 April 28, 1888
Chicago, Ill. . II May 15 May 11, 1897
Wiaterloos Tadeo nk iia wee eal 5 May 2 April 28, 1903
Reters burncwp Vii Chirk meee eer 8 May 13 May 10, 1894
Northern Michigan . . BN site rN 2 May 28 May 24, 1895
Listowel, Ont. . . Yah 9 May 4 April 30, 1899
Parry Sound District, Ont. 4 May 21 May 17, 1887
Ottawa, Ont. : : 14 May 21 May 15, 1888
Lanesboro, Minn. 9 May 19 May 14, 1891
Northern Minnesota 4 May 23 May 21, 1900
Aweme, Man... May 20, 1899

FALL MIGRATION

Some dates of the last seen are at Grand Rapids, Athabasca, August 20,
1901; Aweme, Man., August 30, 1901; Ottawa, Ont., September 5,
1890; Chicago, Ill., September 16, 1894; Waterloo, Ind., September 28,
1902; Petitcodiac, N. B., August 21, 1886; Pittsfield, Me., September
12, 1897; Amherst, Mass., September 29, 1891; Renova, Pa., average of
six years, August 14; Germantown, Pa., October 1, 1889; Englewood,
N. J., October 2, 1886; Bay St. Louis, Miss., October 15, 1899.

BROWN THRASHER
Photographed from nature by R. H. Beebe, Arcade, N. Y.

The Warbler Book

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

N Birp-Lore for December, 1903, the editor mentioned briefly a
I proposed book on the Warblers of North America, and requested
the aid of students of birds throughout the country in the preparation
of this volume. Continued study of our birds emphasizes the absolute
necessity for many observers if we are to have anything approaching
adequate biographies of even a single species. Habits should be affirmed
or denied only on the basis of abundant data; again, what proves true of a
species in one part of its range may be incorrect in another; and we need,
therefore, not only many observations from one place but from many places
throughout a bird’s range before we can write its life - history with an
approach to thoroughness.

Cooperation, therefore, is the watchword of the bird-study of to-day.
Instead of thinking that there is little left to learn, every bird student should
feel that it is his special privilege to add to our knowledge of birds in
nature. He may not make a novel or startling discovery, but he may
confirm some observation which has already been made, and that, as a
matter of fact, is second in value only to the original observation itself.
An act may be attributed to a species on the basis of a single observation:
but a habit, only after many observations.

The truth is, the best of our bird biographies tell the story of the
individual rather than of the species. Life is too short for a single student
to acquire a thorough knowledge of more than a few species of birds, and even
then his experience is apt to be limited to a small part of their range. In
the writer’s opinion, the bird biographies in Bendire’s ‘ Life History of
North American Birds’ are among the best if not the best of any which
have been written. This is not solely because of Major Bendire’s wide
field experience and powers of observation, but also because he secured the
cooperation of ornithologists throughout the country. It was not required
that they should be skilled in painting pen pictures of bird-life; facts, not
rhetorical flights, were wanted, and the result is one of the most satisfactory
books of reference of its kind.

There is an object-lesson for us here. In our enthusiastic appreciation
of the bird as a creature of rare grace and beauty, the final touch giving
life to woods and fields, let us not forget that as bird students we are here
more intimately concerned with the birds’ habits than with the part they
play as the ‘jewels of creation,’ when, with no loss of appreciation of the
esthetic side of bird-life, we may make our bird biographies a storehouse of
exact and detailed observations in regard to a bird’s distribution, migra-
tions, its manner of courting, singing, nest-building, incubating, caring for
its young, the relation between its structure and habit, etc.

(61)

62 Bird - Lore

Our proposed study of the Warblers, then, may follow somewhat the
lines just suggested. Stated more fully, it is requested that each bird on
which a report is made be treated as follows:

Name of the Species. —Give the A. O. U. common and scientific names
and any local name in current use.

Local Status. —Define the bird’s manner of occurrence, whether sum-
mer resident, transient visitant, etc. ; whether rare, common, or abundant, etc.

Migration.—Give the time of ‘arrival in the spring from the South, the
difference, if any, in the arrival of the sexes; the date when the species
attains its greatest numbers; if a transient or winter visitant; the date when
last observed. Give the date of departure of summer residents, of arrival
and departure of transients and winter residents from the North. (See
Binp-WoreE, Wk 1901, p. 27.)

Song.—Describe call-notes and song, and any especial significance (e.g.,
in courtship or as a means of communication) which may in your opinion
be attributed to them; any sexual difference in call-notes; whether female
is heard to sing; duration of song period; giving earliest and latest dates
when species is heard to sing; has it a second or fall song period; give
station usually chosen for delivery of song,—ground, tree, etc.; is there a
flight song? any seasonal variation in song? (See BirD-LorRE, III, p. 28;
Vivepan5Os)

Courtship.—Under this head note any obvious attempt by the male to
win the attention of the female through display of plumage or of vocal
powers.

Haunts.—Describe the character of the locality in which the species
is found most commonly. Is there any seasonal variation in haunts?

The Nesting Site.—Give exact location of site or sites in which nests
have been seen. Does either sex select the site? Is the same site ever used
again for asecond brood or in a subsequent year? (See BirD-Loreg, V,
Dose)

The Nest.—Describe materials and shape; is it built by female or male,
or both? Give time occupied in construction; date when finished.

The Eggs. —How long after the nest is completed is the first egg laid;
when is the set completed? How many eggs does it contain? When does
incubation begin; how long does it continue? Is it performed by the
female alone? If by both sexes, is there any regularity in their daily periods
of sitting? Is the sitting bird ever fed while on the nest?

The Young.—What is the appearance of the young at birth? If blind,
when do the eyes open? How long after hatching before the young birds
are fed? How are they fed? What is the nature of their food? Does the
food or manner of feeding change as the birds grow older? About how often
are the young birds fed at a given age? How is the nest kept in a sanitary
condition? At what age do the young have the nest; do they ever return

The Warbler Book 63

to it? How long after leaving the nest do the young birds remain under
the care of the parents? How do the parents endeavor to protect the
young? By scolding, direct attack, or feigning lame, etc. Have the
young any characteristic calls? Is more than one brood reared in a season?

The writer earnestly hopes that he will receive the active cooperation of
bird students in securing information regarding the habits of Warblers,
along the lines suggested above. Do not neglect sending your observations
because they are incomplete. Every fact will be welcomed and full credit
will be given for all material used. Let us make this book of the Warblers
a thoroughly representative and satisfactory piece of work, and lose no op-
portunity during the coming nesting season to add to our knowledge of
these birds.

Bird Lists of the Massachusetts Audubon Society

In order to encourage systematic observation on the part of its members,
the Massachusetts Audubon Society supplies them with check-lists of birds,
with blanks to fill in the locality and date at which the species noted was
seen or heard.

The best ten lists covering the period from January 1, 1903, to January
1, 1904, which have been returned to the secretary of the society, were
prepared by the following observers: Pupils Tarbell Grammar school, 92
species; Louise Howe, 94 species; Catharine Cravath Whitaker, 100 spe-
cies; James Lee Peters, 101 species; Samuel D. Robins, 107 species;
Lilian Cleveland, 117 species; Elizabeth S. Hill, 120 species; Richard M.
Hunt, 128 species; Isabel B. Holbrook, 132 species; Lilian E. Bridge, 156
species. All these lists are based on observations at several localities. The
highest number of birds recorded from one place is eighty by Edwin
Leonard, at Feeding Hills (Agawam). Mr. Leonard writes that all but
one of these were seen or heard on his own premises, mostly about his
house.

Books for sale or Exchange
FOR SALE

Studer’s ‘ Birds of North America,’ with one hundred nineteen colored
plates. E. G. Ives, Dorchester, Mass.

BACK NUMBERS OF ‘THE AUK’

I would like to dispose of all my early volumes and back numbers of
“The Auk’ (unbound and in good condition) at a very moderate price.

Rev. A. T. GEsNnER, Faribault, Minnesota.

For PWoung OObdservers

Notes on the Birds of February and March, 1902

PRIZE ESSAY

By VINCENT E. GORMAN (aged 14 years), Montclair, N. J.

De the winter and spring of each year it is my custom to take
short trips, generally into the rural district west of Orange Mountain,

New Jersey, to look for birds. On these journeys I carry an opera-
glass and a note-book, in which I record the number and kind of birds that
1 see.

My list for February, 1902, includes the Robin, Bluebird, Crow, Blue
Jay, Red-tailed and Marsh Hawks, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee,
Downy Woodpecker, Golden - crowned Kinglet, Goldfinch, Junco, and
the English Song, Chipping and Tree Sparrows.

I was rather disappointed not to find the Crossbill, Northern Shrike,
and other winter visitors, but the winter had been too mild, I think, for
them to venture so far south.

My first Robin was seen on Lincoln’s birthday, and a Bluebird showed
its patriotic colors a few days later. On February 20, a flock of Robins ap-
peared, on their northward journey. It seemed like spring to have these
neighbors back again, though the wind whistled past the telegraph wires
and the ground was covered with snow.

Toward the end of March the Robins became more numerous. On one
morning, between six and seven o’clock, I counted no less than 527 of
them, all flying north. A few days previous to this I saw 336 Crows.

This winter I learned that the Blue Jay is capable of making a number
of sounds other than its usual screams. While walking through the woods
one day I heard a noise similar to that produced by an unoiled grindstone.
I investigated, knowing that none of those implements were to be found in
that vicinity, and were surprised to find the squeaks made by a Blue Jay.

The Goldfinches were scarcely recognizable in their winter dress, but
when I drew near I could detect the yellow showing through the brown
feathers. I was interested in watching a small flock which had head-
quarters in an old field. These birds could distinguish between the care-
less walk of a passer-by and the cautious manner of a bird student. When
I approached stealthily they would rise and swing merrily to the other side of
the pasture, calling “ba-by/ ba-by/” as if to ridicule my endeavor to reach
them. If, however, I changed my tactics, and walked rapidly past, with
no attempt at concealment, they remained perfectly still.

A flock of Song Sparrows stayed through the winter, and seemed as

(64)

Notes on the Birds of February and March, 1902 65

cheerful and contented as ever. “They took up their abode in a thicket of
seed-bearing bushes which furnished them with food.

At first I was puzzled by the Tree Sparrow, not having seen it before:
I thought it some large kind of Chipping Sparrow, but a closer view, re-
vealing a small dark spot on the throat, and other characteristics, served to
change my opinion. While watching a flock of them in a meadow, I heard
their soft, sweet, twittering song.

At the end of March I was able to add to my list the Red - winged
Blackbird, Purple Grackle, Flicker, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron,
Meadow-lark, Phoebe, and the Field, Fox, and Vesper Sparrows.

The Purple Grackles came in tremendous flocks—in one I think there
must have been a million or so of birds. ‘The sound made by their chatter-
ing and the movement of so many wings resembled that made by the wind
rushing through the dried leaves of an oak.

I saw my first Fox Sparrows and Meadow-larks on March 8. Although
the Sparrows did not sing, I had an opportunity of seeing their peculiar
habit of scratching with both feet at once. “The flock contained seventeen
birds, besides three of their cousins, the Juncos. These little birds acted as
sentinels, one always being on guard, and whenever I approached too near
it would fly up, flirt its gray and white tail, give a sharp ‘chip/’ and the
whole flock would take the alarm. The Meadow-larks were busily explor-
ing a snowy corn-field for their dinners, now and then giving a shrill, pierc-
ing whistle.

In the Phcebe I had a good example of protective coloring. While in a
swampy piece of woodland, I saw a bird fly into some alder bushes, but on
investigation I could see nothing of it. For quite a while 1 examined the
bushes, until a Phoebe flew from its perch, secured a fly, and returned. It
had been sitting in plain view all the time, but, because its color blended so
well with that of other objects, I was unable to detect it.

Next year I hope to be more successful in my observations, but, in the
meantime, I intend to improve my knowledge of birds in every possible way,
and I advise other bird-students to do the same.

The Prize Competition

Prizes for the best three essays on February Bird-Life have been
awarded as follows : First prize, Anna D. White, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania;
second prize, Henry Darling, Rockland, Massachusetts; third prize, Carl
Lawrence, Groton, Massachusetts. Master Lawrence illustrates his article
with several photographs made by himself. ;

Potes from Fieln and Stuay

A Plea for Bird Boxes

The majority of birds build their nests
either in trees or on the ground, but we
have a few that excavate a hole in a live or
dead tree for their nest and also a few that
build in any hole in a tree, bird-box, or, in
fact, in ‘any crevice which is a foot above
the ground; and these are the birds for
whose use I wish to ask the people who
are interested in the increase of some of our
most beneficial birds to nail up some tin
cans or cigar-boxes in their orchards.

We have Audubon Societies all over our
country that are striving to protect and in-
crease bird life; they have had wonderful
success and with hard work have achieved
much, and these few words are written as
a suggestion to help along a good cause.

The farmers of today keep all their fruit
trees well trimmed, all dead wood cut out,
and all old trees, which are a paradise to
House Wrens, Bluebirds, Chickadees,
Great-crested Flycatchers, Purple Martins
and English Sparrows, are cut down and
replaced by young trees. Thus these birds
have hard work to find nesting sites, and I
believe their numbers are much restricted
by this cause. Take an average orchard
of about twenty-five trees; say there are five
cavities suitable for nests, which would be
very liberal, for in many orchards you
could not find one. If we start with a pair
of Wrens, which average seven young to a
nest and will raise two broods a year,
in one year we have eight pairs of birds
and only five suitable nesting sites. Eng-
lish Sparrows are gradually working from
the cities out into the country, and as they
do not migrate and use their nest for a roost
in the winter-time, they are not long in
finding these cavities in the trees; they
build in them, and when our Wrens, Blue-
birds and their less numerous companions
arrive from the South they find their nesting
site already occupied by Sparrows. Many
of these birds then hang around and do not

nest the whole season, and if this continues
it will much deplete our flocks of useful
farm birds. My suggestion now is to put
up bird-boxes for these birds. A tomato-
can makes a good home for a Wren or a
Bluebird. Bend the lid back, leaving a
small opening; also remember to put one
or two holes in the bottom so that it can-
not fill with rain and thus drown out the
birds, as often happens in cavities in trees,
and you have a very durable bird-house
which will last several years. These birds
as a class feed only on insects, bugs, cater-
pillars, etc., and farmers would find them
very useful in protecting their trees and
crops.

I do not think that English Sparrows
will nest in anything as small as a tomato
can, but if they do they may easily be kept
out by making the opening in the box or
can only one and one-eighth inches in diam-
eter. A Wren may easily get in and out of
this, but it would keep out the Bluebirds
with the Sparrows. Many farmers have
one or two bird-boxes near the house, but
they never think of erecting any in the
orchard.

I put up twenty cans and cigar-boxes last
year in an orchard, of which fourteen were
used, ten by Wrens and four by Bluebirds.
In the orchard I could find only one cavity ;
this was not used, as the birds that had
occupied it the previous season used a tin
can instead.

I believe many birds do not nest because
they do not find suitable nesting sites.
Birds return to the same nesting site year
after year, and it is very hard on them
if, when they come back, they find their
favorite tree cut down or, as often happens, _
that the nest is being used by English Spar-
rows. I do not contend, as some do, that the
English Sparrow drives all our native birds
away by fighting; he does it another way.
He takes possession of their nest in the win-
ter time when the owners are South, and when
they come back they are seldom able to

(66)

Notes from Field and Study 67

drive out the Sparrows, who by this time
generally have young in the nest. No one
can blame them for defending their eggs or
young against birds they have never seen
before. Nothing is too small for Wrens
to build in, and nothing too large; what-
ever they build in, they will fill up all waste
space with sticks. Tie up a paper bag, put
a hole-in the side and a Wren will use it
for anest. This shows how hard up they
are for nesting sites; so why can we not help
them out,—every one do a little?

In the vicinity of New York Bluebirds
begin to build the first week in April and
House Wrens the first week of May.

The boxes should be put up in March,
but I have had a box used which I put up
as late as June 1.—JosiAH CLARK.

An Unusual Nest of the Cliff Swallow

Many years ago a colony of Cliff Swal-
lows annually domiciled under the eaves of
a neighboring barn. Upon the introduc-
tion of the European House Sparrows, I
noticed that they occupied the old nests be-
fore the migrants arrived in spring, and
annoyed the Swallows so that they left in
despair. In 1901 and 1902 a colony of
Cliff Swallows built under the eaves of Mr.
Paul Fuller’s barn, in Wykoff, N. J., and
in 1902 they built in a barn at Saddle
River. In the latter place there was nothing
in the shape of a projection under the eaves,
to serve as a foundation fora nest. So the
birds had some failures in building. One
pair, with apparently more intelligence than
the rest, took advantage of a ledge which
did duty as weather strip over the top
edge of a wicket door, as here shown in a
photograph by Mr. Winfred Smith. After
the nest was deserted it was taken down and
presented to the American Museum of
Natural History. The distance from the
top of the ledge to under eaves is about
eighteen inches. This distance was reached
by building a cylinder tube of clay worked
up with short straw, and filled with straw
up to a height where it would just have
room enough to build the nest on top; all
of which was perfectly done, and the
birds had the happy satisfaction of rearing

their young on this ingenious construction.
Now it is evident that the pair of birds
surveyed the situation and built this re-
markable structure without any attempt
at a nest until they reached the desirable dis-
tance to construct their nest, so they could
reach the ceiling of the eave to fasten the
nest to. It seems to me to be a case of
adaptability for which an unreasoning in-
stinct does not satisfactorily account. —

HENRY HALEs, Ridgewood, N. J.

AN UNUSUAL NEST OF THE CLIFF SWALLOW

A Winter Mockingbird

This morning (Feb. 16, 1904) the ther-
mometer registers two degrees below zero,
and a Mockingbird has eaten several times
at his box against the house where I can
reach it from a window and keep the food in
order. He has been to this box every day
since December 5, many days procuring
from it all the food he has had—the snow
covering everything else. Many nights the
temperature has been several degrees below
zero and he has weathered it, to our amaze-

68 Bird-Lore

ment. He is extremely tame, comes many
times almost immediately after we call him.

This bird was first discovered in the
neighborhood the second week in July,
1903, bringing with him the most beautiful
song. He has been heard from every day
since and we have not known of his leaving
the block, which is about 800 feet long,
with a range of about 400 to 600 feet wide.
It has been my satisfaction to locate him
every day (except when out of town on a
short vacation).

He sang until late in November, sitting
on acedar hedge back of our house, pouring
forth every kind of bird note in a low strain,
lonely in its tone after all the other birds
had gone. Since then he has had a sharp
little call, like that of a Catbird, and has
given a few Thrush notes answering to our
call, but no song. He is having to eat the
food prepared for such birds, with carrot,
and, when the weather permits, he has
cooked squash, cranberry sauce, apple, meat
and potato; but the Mockingbird food is
the only thing that does not freeze solid, and
he is fond of it. .

We have had the coldest, hardest winter
known here for many years, and it certainly
is very wonderful that he has survived.—
Mrs. Carrot E. Bowen, Rochester, N. Y.

A Large Pheebe’s Nest

There is a suggestion in the picture of ‘A
Large Phoebe’s Nest’ on page 199 of No-
vember and December Bird-Lore. A Black
Phoebe built her nest in a cigar-box which
I had nailed under the eaves of the stable.
The top of the box was several inches be-
neath the sloping eaves directly above it.
She raised a brood in March, and, re-lining
the nest, again in July. Next year she
commenced operations in the same nest,
when a Linnet took possession in the ab-
‘sence of Phoebe. J.innet built an addition
to suit herself, continuing the nest straight
up, with the line of demarcation very plain
between the mud and lichens of Phoebe and
her own straws and cotton. Phoebe watched
her chance and took possession as soon as
the young Linnets had gone, building the
nest a little higher. Next year Linnet got it
first, and so she and Phcebe alternated until

seven stories rose above the original design.
The structure began to lean a little, and then
the Swallows took it and built out toward
the east their bottle nest. —The mud was too
heavy and the whole sky-scraper or, better,
eaves- scraper, tumbled to the ground.
Mr. Stone’s picture suggests three stories
nicely made. I have known the Linnets to
lay story after story in nests of their very
own year after year.—ELIZABETH GRINNELL,
Pasadena, California.

A Swallow and Flycatcher Feud

In a ranch-house snug against the foot-
hills in western Texas there lived for many
years an old Judge who was a good friend
of the birds. He never allowed any shoot-
ing on his premises, and when we were
there the trees and bushes around the house
were alive with birds, while his piazza was
possessed by a pair of the buff-breasted,
black-tailed Say’s Flycatchers, and several
families of the blue-coated Barn Swallows.

For three years the Flycatchers had been
contesting the ground with the Swallows.
To encourage the Swallows, the Judge had
nailed a piece of tin under two of the piazza
rafters, and the birds had shown their ap-
preciation of his kindness by promptly
building there; but, sad torelate, no sooner
had they finished the feather lining of the
nest than the Flycatcher fell upon them and
evicted them from their own premises.

At the time of our visit, Saya was se-
renely brooding six white eggs in the Barn
Swallow’s nest; but, not content with her
conquest, whenever the mood seized her she
would send the whole colony flying from
the piazza and light in a tree, snapping her
bill and shaking her tail with deplorable
gusto.

The old friend of the Swallows watched
the usurpers with disapproval, and ex-
claimed emphatically, “If they don’t quit
that monkey business I’ll have to stop it.
The Swallows were here first.” Then,
looking fondly at his favorites, he added,
with enthusiasm: “I havea string stretched
across the piazza, and they come and sing
to me while I read. I wouldn’t have them
disturbed for twenty dollars apiece.” —F Lor -
ENCE MERRIAM BAILEY, Washington, D.C.

Book APews

THE -Birps oF On1o. A complete scientific
and popular description of the 320 species
of birds found in the state, by WILLIAM
Leon Dawson, A.M., B.D., with intro-
duction and Analytical Keys, by Lynps
Jones, M.Sc. Illustrated by 80 plates
in color-photography and more than 200
original half-tones. Sold only by sub-

scription. Columbus. ‘The> Wheaton
Publishing Co. 1903. 4to. xlv+671
pages.

This volume should exert a marked and
far-reaching influence, not only on the study
of birds in Ohio, but on the general attitude
of the people of the state toward its feath-
ered inhabitants. The book’s real worth
will commend it to the student, its beauty
will claim the admiration of the bibliophile,
and its size alone will command the atten-
tion of that not small portion of the com-
munity whose measure of values is one of
dimensions.

The present, however, is a case of quality
as well as quantity. We are given keys to
orders, families and species; detailed de-
scriptions of plumage, with a special para-
graph for ‘‘Recognition Marks,’’ descrip-
tions also of nests and eggs, and a statement
of the ‘‘general’’ as well as Ohio range of
every species. Then follows biographical
matter, with very frequently a photograph
from nature of the bird or its nest, or its
characteristic haunts. Lack of space for-
bids detailed criticism, but we may say in
brief that the authors have given us the
most attractive and valuable work on the
ornithology of a single state which has yet
appeared.—F. M. C.

WITH THE Birps IN MAINE. By OLIVE
THORNE MILLER. Boston and New York:
Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 16mo.
ix + 300 pages.

We are very glad to welcome this new
volume of bird studies by Mrs. Miller.
There are few writers who have succeeded
so well in expressing the potentialities of
bird companionship; who so clearly voice

the pleasures of making friends with and
of the birds.

and Weviews

Some fifty species of birds receive greater
or less attention in this book, most of the
studies being made in Maine.—F. M. C.

CASSINIA: PROCEEDINGS OF THE DELAWARE
VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLuB, VII,
1903. 8vo. 88 pages.

The proceedings of this active organiza-
tion always contain much matter of general
ornithologic interest. In the present num-
ber, for example, the papers by Witmer
Stone or “John Kirk Townsend,” by S. N.
Rhoads on the disappearance of the Dick-
cissel from the Atlantic slope, by H. L.
Coggins on the travels and flight lines of
Crows in southeastern Pennsylvania and
the adjoining portions of New Jersey, and
by W. L. Baily on a night flight of birds
at Mt. Pocono, are not only unusually
readable but exceptionally valuable. There
are also contributions by Spencer Trotter,
‘The Red-headed Woodpecker as a Penn-
sylvania and New Jersey Bird,’ J. A. G.
Rehn, ‘ Notes on the Summer Birds of Le-
high Gap, Pennsylvania,’ and H. W. Fow-
ler, ‘Water Birds of the Middle Delaware
Valley.’ Mr. Stone presents a ‘ Report on the
Spring Migration of 1903,’ based on obser-
vation by numerous club members and others
living near Philadelphia, and there is an
‘ Abstract ’ of the proceedings of the club for
1903. It appears that the average attend-
ance of members for this period was twenty.
Is there any other local ornithological club
in the country with so good a record? If
not, why not?—F. M. C.

Birps OF CALIFORNIA: An introduction to
more than three hundred common birds
of the state and adjacent islands. By
IRENE GROSVENOR WHEELOCK. With
ten full-page plates and seventy-eight
drawings in the text by Bruce Horsfall.
Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co. 1904.
12mo. xxvili +578 pages.

This book is a noteworthy contribution
to the literature of ornithological biography.
The author states that “field notes begun in
1894. . . form the basis of the following
pages” and give a list of twenty localities

(69)

de

70 Bird- Lore

from the Colorado River and San Diego to
Mt. Shasta; from the Farallones to Tahoe,
at which she has pursued her studies of
birds chiefly during the nesting season.

The most important result attending her
observations on the life of the nest is
expressed in the statement “that the young
of all macrochires, woodpeckers, perching
birds, cuckoos, kingfishers, most birds’ of
prey, and many sea-birds are fed by regur-
gitation from the time of hatching through
a period varying in extent from three days
to four weeks, according to the species.”
The author adds: “Out of one hundred
and eighty cases recorded by the author,
in every imstance where the young were
hatched in a naked or semi-naked condi-
tion they were fed in this manner for at least
three days.”

Few American ornithologists, we imagine,
are familiar with the feeding habits while

in the nest of one hundred and eighty |

species of birds, and Mrs. Wheelock’s
evidently wide experience commands for
her observations the respectful consideration
of those who have not been privileged
to have her time and opportunities for
field work. .

Her biographies abound with interesting
and novel descriptions of the habits of birds.
The individual is sometimes made to stand
for the species, and it remains for students of
Californian bird-life to ascertain whether
many of the observations presented are nor-
mal or exceptional. The book should there-
fore prove a potent incentive to California
field workers, and assuredly noone who pro-
poses to study the habits of birds in the
West can afford to be without it.—F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines

Tue Auk.—The January number, while
bulky, is filled with good reading and is
well illustrated. The report of the A. O.
U. bird protection committee by William
Dutcher occupies over one-half of the 208
pages, and covers in detail the work of
legislatures, wardens and Audubon So-
cieties. Most gratifying results have been
effected with slender means, although the
details of this very long report almost

smother the facts which might have been
made more readily available by judicious
summarizing and tabulation.

W.K. Fisher has secured most interesting
pictures of the Albatrosses of Laysan Island,
where the clumsy birds bow and dance and
even apparently execute cakewalks. His
avi-biography of this immense nation of
strangely tame birds reads like the fairy
tale of an unknown land. A. C. Bent
writes on the ‘ Nesting Habits of the Hero-
diones of Florida,’ illustrating with phato-
graphs the nests and young of the Roseate
Spoonbill and White Ibis, while a good
portrait and sketch of the life of the late
Thomas MclIlwraith.is furnished by A. K.
Fisher. A couple of local lists deserve at-
tention; one by E. §S. Currier on the
“Summer Birds of the Leech Lake Region,
Minnesota,’ the other by O. Widmann on
‘Yosemite Valley Birds.’ The latter, al-
though an ‘opera-glass’ list, is accurate
and sets a standard for the possibilities of
this sort of observation.

There is an extremely readable article by
Spencer Trotter on ‘Some Nova Scotia
Birds,’ and one by H. H. Kopman on
bird migration near New Orleans. The
arrival of fall migrants in numbers early in
August bears out the testimony of other
observers, but whether these birds are all
adults, as has proved to be the case else-
where, is a matter for future investigation.
Other titles for the reader not already sur-
feited, are ‘ The Correct Name of the Pa-
cific Dunlin,’ by S. A. Buturlin; ‘An
Abnormal Bill of Melanerpes portoricensis,’
by B. S. Bowdish, and ‘ The Exaltation of
the Subspecies,’ by J. Dwight, Jr. Those
who have their ‘Auks’ bound without
covers should be warned that the back cover
contains ‘Publications Received,’ which
has heretofore been paged as a part of
‘Recent Literature.” This department,
by the way, opens with a timely and perti-
nent review of some of the stuff that the
rage for nature fiction has called forth.—
Jabs cs.

Tue Conpor. — The sixth volume of
‘The Condor’ opens without special an-
nouncement beyond the statement that the

Book News

record of the past year may be taken as a
guarantee of the standard for 1904. This
is certainly very satisfactory as far as illus-
trations are concerned, if the frontispiece of
the California Vulture from a drawing by
Fuertes and the half-tones from Beck’s
photographs of Galapagos Island birds are
samples of the ‘illustrations which are to
follow.

Under the title, ‘Afield at Flathead,’
Silloway contributes some interesting notes
on several birds, and reports on the condi-
tion of the colony of Holboell’s Grebes at
Swan Lake during the past summer. Mail-
liard publishes some important records sup-
plementary to Grinnell’s ‘Check List of
California Birds,’ and includes the first rec-
ord of the occurrence of the Rusty Black-
bird (Scolecophagus carolinus) in the state.
Swarth discusses the subspecies of Cactus
Wrens which have been recently described,
and also records the capture of a Scott’s
Oriole in the San Fernando Valley on
November 2, 1903. Under the name of
Regulus calendula cineraceus Grinnell de-
scribes the Ruby-crowned Kinglet from
Mt. Wilson, Los Angeles county, Cal., as
a new subspecies. The number closes with
a ‘Directory of Members of the Cooper
Ornithological Club,’ from which it appears
that the Club now has about 200 members
and since its organization has lost 13 mem-
bers by death.—T. S. P.

BULLETIN OF THE MICHIGAN ORNITHO-
LocicaAL CLus.—Four quarterly numbers of
the revived ‘ Michigan Bulletin’ have been
issued, completing Volume IV. These are

_ creditably edited and contain many valuable

contributions, relating mainly to the orni-
thology of the state which the Club repre-
sents.

Perhaps the most important paper in the
June number is that by Mr. A. B. Covert,
on ‘The Recent Capture of a Kirtland’s
Warbler in Michigan,’ and several supple-
mentary notes describing the discovery of
the nest and eggs of this rare bird by N. A.
Wood. In the September number, besides
several papers dealing with the nesting of
various birds in the state, we have an in-
teresting reminiscence by Mr. James B.

and Reviews 71
Purdy on ‘The Passenger Pigeon in the
Early Days of Michigan,’ in which he de-
scribes the methods of trapping these birds
in vogue during his boyhood.

In the December number of the Bulletin
Mr. J. Warren Jacobs contributes some
supplementary ‘ Purple Martin Notes,’ from
Waynesburg, Pa., while E. G. Mummery
writes of the ‘ Nesting of the White-breasted
Nuthatch,’ and Edw. Arnold on the Sand-
hill Crane. Numerous shorter notes testify
to the activity of the Club.—W. S.

JOURNAL OF THE MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL
SocieTy.— The January number marks the
beginning of Vol. VI, under the editorship
of Mr. J. Merton Swain. The Journal has
been largely devoted to local ornithology
and has increased in size and importance
since the organization of the Society. Mr.
A. H. Norton continues his ‘ Notes on
Maine Finches,’ while an account of the
eighth annual meeting of the Society, sev-
eral popular articles and some local notes
make up the number.

It would seem particularly desirable that
the various journals now issued by local
ornithological clubs should,— as they do in
a measure,— devote themselves exclusively
to the birds of their own or immediately ad-
joining states. They thus acquire a pecu-
liar value in our ornithological literature
and have a definite function to fulfil.—
WwW. S.

WE take pleasure in announcing that Mr.
Witmer Stone has joined Birp-Lore’s force
of reviewers.

Tue November, 1903, issue of the Bulle-
tin of the New York Public Library (VII,
11, pp. 407-446) contains a series of letters
written by Sir Charles Blagden to Sir
Joseph Banks, while the former, as an ofh-
cer in the British Navy, was stationed at
Charleston, Reedy Island, Delaware, New
York and Newport during the Revolution.
These letters contain much _ interesting
natural history material, and an annotated
list of specimens, chiefly of birds and fish
collected in Rhode Island, is of genuine
scientific value.

72 Bird - Lore

Bird- Lore

A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Vol. VI Published April 1. 1904 No. 2

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico
twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post-
age paid.

o.

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand

Durinc April and May the Editor ex-
pects to be afield, often beyond the reach of
mail, and he begs the indulgence of his
correspondents during this period.

Birds and Farmers

The investigations of economic ornitholo-
gists have so clearly established the value of
birds to the farmer that one might imagine
their labors ended with the publication in
easily accessible form of the results of their
work. ‘The average farmer, however, is the
most conservative of men. His knowledge
of agriculture has usually been gained by
the hard, expensive, practical experience of
many years. He is self-reliant and conse-
quently regards innovations in methods of
fertilizing, planting and tilling with more
or less distrust and adopts modern ideas
with caution. He is so constantly at war
with the elements and nature that he is apt
to believe that every living creature, from
man to grubs, is the farmer’s especial enemy.
A Cooper’s Hawk is seen capturing a
chicken and all Hawks are condemned;
Crows pull his corn and Robins eat his
cherries, and birds in general become grain
and fruit thieves.

Insects, furnished with an artificial food-
supply by certain crops, become so abun-
dant that it is difficult for him to believe that
birds are in any sense a check on the increase
of insect life. We recently heard a promi-
nent fruit-grower, president of a horticul-
tural society, state before a legislative com-

mittee that he didn’t believe birds were of
the slightest value to the fruit-grower, who,
in his opinion, would be just as well off if
there were no birds at all. He had to spray
anyway, and it would be just as easy to
spray a little more and let the birds go. He
unfortunately failed to say whether he would
extend his spraying operations to all vegeta-
tion subject to insect-attack, though it is
quite probable he would have been willing
to let the world take care of itself, provided
his orchard was preserved.

A writer in ‘The Rural New Yorker’
says, “ Farmers and fruit- growers surely have
the right to expect accurate information as
to the economical value of the wild birds
likely to be encountered on the farm, from
the many official investigators employed by
colleges and experiment stations; but the
actual status of certain species, according to
common observation, is widely at variance
with that assigned by writers and teachers
of ornithology.” A bird’s economic value,
however, is not to be ascertained by “com-
mon observation.” A very uncommon kind
of training is required to fit one properly to
study the food habits of birds and to learn
therefrom the place of the species in the eco-
nomics of nature and agriculture. Nor can
the best equipped observer hope to reach
satisfactory conclusions merely from obsery-
ing the bird out-of-doors. ‘This is an
important side of his work, but it must be
supplemented by detailed stomach analyses
wherein he avails himself of the services of
specialists in other departments of science—
entomology, botany, mammalogy, ete. Fur-
thermore, the investigators in this field are
not “many” but pitifully few, nor can we
hope that the subject will be adequately and
thoroughly studied until each state in the
Union realizes its importance, and takes the
steps needed to inaugurate a series of inves-
tigations. No individual, unaided, can con-.
duct successfully thorough studies of the food
of birds. If the farmers and fruit-growers,
therefore, will aid the economic ornithologist
he will be very glad to avail himself of their
assistance, and in the end they will be bene-
fitted by the researches to which he is devot-
ing his life and which are made in the
agriculturists’ interests.

The Audubon Docicties

“You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird’s song.’

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER

Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should

be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn.

Reports, etc., designed for this department should be

Sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

With names and addresses of their Secretaries

Pt

MAL EAE SRE RAE FeO acc rae ie Coie eee a SisjaisareSKicle hte oin'e co ole he clo aicep rele Mrs. GEORGE S. Gay, Redlands.
UN ES YSEI ARNO RET en stacavg SN Neo 19 F0 so AoA o aor nre Sos had o aataletie TO cetanes! Poms Mrs. MARTHA A. SHUTE, Denver.
BRENNA EERE N DRS ee wi ch tes ard yiie's & ais acs oye’s were ea rere A efaio's ben ie cen eats Mrs. WILLIAM BROWN GLOVER, Fairfield.
MES GUC coueiints? Sn GO ROn aE a gen aGee aa oat tne erseae Mrs. Ws. S. HILLEs, Delamore Place, Wilmington.
PRIMITACE GOL, COMM DIA Af. vcs cise csceensscise Mrs. JOHN DEWHURST PATTEN, 2212 R street, Washington.
RMCANNEL MU eMC CRC Cae os) Seco cain cic clea lee ace cls Waaie ale s whic Siwibe clad naslov oie nieces Mrs. I. VANDERPOOL, Maitland.
RRS Me AR aiset lea eas cocci he! «\ 1 Vays: <Juie Sissel srganclowiavieRisle vajucis aide ee PROFESSOR H. N. STARNES, of Experiment.
RARE RAN CEES O Ca raket rat re Pee)/a:a'aYo fetes oe, 2,0: 21sle, > wlereia cte's/e,0 dieiela's Miss MARY DRUMMOND, 208 West street, Wheaton.
NEMA ARIEL EMME ret TALS ST ioc evase 2s [0a o!al presace.vie% el sicia ei siaselavele ajers ols’ s)a.c lam ania ve ealee tips W. W. WooL_en, Indianapolis.
Sur ee SE teats. oie dre h(a asia oleiaicce ea sowie sei aos be eee aie povidecloe ae Mrs. L. E. Fett, Keokuk.
RICE AED Oa shale orate oe haroicis Fhe: actates a dS aes ood derdeld eek meee Miss JULIET O. ALveEs, Henderson.
“EERSTE ae) 0 ae a a Miss ANITA PRING, 1449 Arabella St., New Orleans.
MEENA MIE eres ste a) cfocw fala Sas NG S neisie vin aoe oe eeicce celdias buses awe sete cacaios Mrs. C. B. TUTTLE, Fairfield.
UL EREA CRE re yeahs ps cinic seta oxeveis Miss ANNE WESTON WHITNEY, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.
Massachusetts.......... Miss HARRIET E, RICHARDS, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.
RARITIO MRS sc tooo eo chios cle be bs seclsaiae e's Miss SARAH L, PUTNAM, 229 8th ave., S. E., Minneapolis.
OI al Soul te a ne 7 er oe eee AUGUST REESE, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.
UDP SELEIOD hs Se eager Sate ee Miss Joy HIGGINS, 544 South 3oth street, Omaha.
Se IE REREXI LIS ELITO CS obec Riciacace acs ehelere w widiclge aeie alsin alese tisiese'etaiee one Mrs. F. W. BATCHELDER, Manchester.
“Lays LEEGAY 8 ee SE ee ie oe ie eee Miss JULIA SCRIBNER, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.
Cp SYGS 1 Miss Emma H. Lockwoop, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.
BU ESUILAMUSPAL ES LENS EVO feo ahere (5s S)s nie) <4 cha nicherainieio carats <iaaveie's: Wacale kt Asofotwiensielels. <(eiclane T. GILBERT PEARSON, Greensboro.
DUE CREE ee AS oy het crane bs os Solel Se ea Mrs. D. Z. MCCLELLAND, 820 West Ninth street, Cincinnati.
BR ARICERETER DE Soh ake ali ars fares da absyst'eclave ists lorem wlvis/a\aseibie.s a's s'e ACER bible Se be ele aisle Mrs. ADELIA HoLcomp, Enid.
CUTE, Le Miss GERTRUDE METCALFE, 634 Williams ave., Portland,
BIBS MAUMILINE | ice lok Socks ocen Mrs. EDWARD ROBINS, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.
Rhode Island ’............ is apc tc varaiaysaratanb Sichave oop marae is aise MARTHA R. CLARKE, 89 Brown street, Providence.
SSR RS HEAL TA TE er CO ait eat SUR osiciok ai ager eeu hae waeeee Miss S. A. SMyTH, Legare street, Charleston.
SRM NAR SCs NESE Rae VS ecto rateh atare Aa die ole, orvicte Jovessie, eiaerele &:iatelejarstaieie’o treinlais wieiteraisiabiareiaa.¢ Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.
RSNA Eero araie (oie aera aie =. dd, e noi e oe clea wleiviciele dialed Saieistelte oeioue ewes Mrs. FLETCHER K. BARROwS, Brattleboro.
ra aN EAP Oe oo on ba” ie ic cial igi cca GiRiE asain de arw ie tSciste Oheeoh w Beate Mrs. J. C. PLANT, Glencarlyn.
OWA TVTICTE ged ae a ann el tn Mrs. REUBEN G. THWAITES, 260 Langdon street, Madison.
SADT USAINLY DORRIT g te, siclcis, tre elcinie Gate aioe cine t< AWGlesieiciewisejbeniacelaees sales 6 Sure Mrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne

A Word to the Wise Concerning
Trees, Etc.

In many of the various reform movements
it is not always a question of what to do,
but what to let alone. In our efforts to give
the native birds all the legal protection
possible we must remember that we can in
no way coerce the birds themselves to remain
in given localities, if we by our zeal for so-
called agricultural thrift and village im-
provement render those places unsuitable
for bird residence.

The farming population in general has
always had a fatal habit of going out in the

between seasons of sowing and reaping and
doing direful things in lanes and along field
edges with stub scythe and bush-hook, two
instruments that, to my mind, should be
proscribed by law; but lately a new element
has entered the field, —the amateur who buys
up the old farm, in a sightly location, for a
summer home, and this class is now legion.

This biped usually has some sense of the
picturesque, and yet the first thing he does
is to hire a stupid Slav to “clean up” the
underbrush while he is formulating his
plans. Now take it the year round, under-
brush, i.e., briers, bushes of all sorts, from
the spreading juniper growing beneath the

(73)

74 Bitd -

height of forest trees, up through alders,
bayberry, barberry, dogwoods, white
birches, cedars, to choke- and black cherries
of tree size, is of greater importance to
bird-life than the forest trees themselves.
Yet the man who will rightly hesitate
to fell a decrepit elm because it harbors
the Baltimore Oriole or a Robin or two in
high crotches, will thoughtlessly order the
wholesale clearing of some brush lot with its
pointed cedars, through which perhaps a
little water-course wends its way, and in so
doing dislodge the homes of a bevy of
Yellow-throats, Chats, Indigo-birds,
Thrashers, Catbirds, Redwings, etc., be-
sides drying up the water-course and fatally
interfering with the cover and food-supply
of our winter residents, even including the
game-birds.

We make resolutions every time that spring
retouches us with its magic and the spirit
of forestry whispers to plant more trees
to shade our water-courses, more trees
to intervene between ourselves and the sun,
more trees to yield shelter and food to the
birds, in foliage, fruit, and bark crevices;
and it is good to plant, but better yet to
refrain from destroying. ‘The tree or bush
we plant may or may not be suitable to the
location and grow, that which we destroy
has already proved itself by flourishing, and
we may judge of its merit by experience.
Also the responsibility of replanting and
introducing perhaps new species of wild
fruits into a locality is almost as great as
that of importing new species of birds.
For instance, the black wild-cherry (Prunus
serotina) of the middle states, growing in
bushy clumps when headed back, but, left
alone, growing to be a large tree, is a fashion-
able summer resort for birds of high and
low degree for six weeks or so, when they
collect from far and wide to take a course of
its fruit in all states of ripeness and unripe-
ness.

One would naturally think it a tree to be
planted freely in time of need, even as the
birds themselves sow it freely, via the un-
digested stones of the cherries they swallow.
Instead of which, it isa species doubly to be
avoided. In the first place, it harbors the
unsightly nest of the tent-caterpillar, one of

Lore

the greatest blots on the wayside landscape,
and, secondly, it is highly dangerous to
a cattle-grazing country or for the home
pasture, as the leaves eaten when withered,
owing to the prussic acid in them, will de-
stroy cattle by a sort of paralysis of the
lungs, and as the species is prone to be
wind-broken on slight provocation, the ex-
tent of its mischief can be easily estimated.

Alders for screening, the flowering dog-
wood and magnolias (whose berries are be-
loved of the Hermit Thrush), grape-vines,
black currants, and the hardiest varieties of
raspberries and blackberries are all safe things
to plant near tumble-down walls if there is
a sufficient depth of soil. The white-flow-
ering elder, with its flat clusters of rich
juicy berries, will flourish in any damp spot,
as will also the winterberry (I/ex verticil-
lata), while the Chinese honeysuckle and
the Virginia creeper should be scattered
broadcast for the sake of their berries.

One tree there is that should be regarded
as a thing sacred, like the oak, and equally
protected —the red Cedar, which, like the
red man himself, retreats before cultivation
and is almost unplantable. Its closely
twigged branches make it impervious to
storm and offer a fine winter roost, and its
purplish berries with the hoary bloom yield
living rations when all below is frozen and
inaccessible—nay more, when laid low by
storms its very broken branches are in
themselves a city of refuge. To a fallen
cedar top, meshed with vines and lying
near a tumble-down wall of an empty farm,
was I in debt last year for the joy of having
a pair of Carolina Wrens and their two
broods for neighbors. But alas! what will
happen if the new purchaser of the land
‘improves’ his back fence >—M. O. W.

National Committee Notes
By THE CHAIRMAN

“Or what man is there of you, whom, if
his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone?” ‘Two months since, the Chairman
asked for promises of aid in the important
matter of incorporation of the National
Audubon Committee, in order that it might
be in a position to appeal to the public for

an

The Audubon Societies 45

a permanent endowment fund. Not a sug-
gestion or helpful word has been received.
Is not this giving a stone when bread was
asked ? Bird-protection work has only just
commenced, and the several societies must
not consider their duty done if they look
well after their local interests ; there is the
broader field of national work that must be
carried on by the joint efforts of each so-
ciety ; the strong must help the weak. The
Heron Leaflet, Educational Leaflet No. 7,
has been called for from unexpected quar-
ters. The Millinery Merchants’ Protective
Association asked for 500 copies, to be dis-
tributed among its members, and a promi-
nent wholesale millinery firm in Ohio sent for
1,000 copies, which they volunteered to dis-
tribute among theircustomers. The British
Society for the Protection of Birds sent for
2,500 copies, as they desired to send one to
each subscriber to their organ, “ Bird Notes
and News.” ‘The press noticed this leaflet
more freely than any other publication ever
issued by the National Committee, some
papers publishing the entire text, with an
illustration.

The suggestion of the National Commit-
tee that the children of the country feed the
birds during the severe winter weather was
sent out as a news item by the Associated
Press, and undoubtedly was the direct means
of saving thousands of birds.

Legislative matters are in a ferment at the
present time. In Rhode Island a bill has
been introduced to prohibit the sale of
Ruffed Grouse and also to make the close
season for shore-birds from January 1 to
July 15, thus preventing the wasteful prac-
tice of spring shooting.

In New Jersey the bill to permit the kill-
ing of Robins, Highholders, Catbirds and
Meadowlarks was defeated by an almost
unanimous vote. In Virginia an effort is
being made to repeal the anti-spring-shoot-
ing law for shore- birds passed in 1903 ;
also, totake protection from Doves, Hawks,
Owls and the Nighthawk. The result is
still doubtful, notwithstanding the efforts of
the National Committee and several sena-
tors and delegates who worked so faithfully
last year for the passage of the excellent law
now in force in Virginia. In South Caro-

lina a bill was introduced following the
A. O. U. model law, but was adversely re-
ported by the Committee on Agriculture
to whom it was referred. They recom-
mended “that it be not passed, as it was too
sweeping.” It is evident that a large
amount of education is needed in South
Carolina when an agricultural committee
refuses to recommend a was
especially intended to benefit the farmer
and protect their interests.

In Mississippi a non-game-bird bill was
introduced and was almost unanimously
passed in the House of Delegates. It is
now before the Senate and will probably
become a law, as Goy. A. H. Longino, in
his annual message to the Legislature, rec-
ommended “that a law be passed _pro-
tecting from slaughter all birds, except
game - birds, throughout the entire year.”
In Iowa the model law is before the Legis-
lature, but its adoption is somewhat doubt-
ful, although the State Audubon Society
and the National Committee are doing all
that is possible to push it. A bill to pre-
vent trap-shooting of tame Pigeons was
passed and is now a law.

Truly the Audubon Societies have much
educational work still to do. The millen-
nium period of bird - protection is still far
distant, especially the phase connected with
legislation.

Audubon work is progressing finely. In
Maine the Ornithological Society has just
appointed a committee of five members who
desire to place their state in the front rank
of bird protectors and lovers. In Colorado
a second Junior Audubon Society was or-
ganized February 22, with over 340 charter
members. This is excellent work, and the
National Committee recommended that the
several state societies push this branch
more diligently. In Alabama there is every
probability that an Audubon Society will
be organized in a short time. In Michigan,
also, active steps are being taken by the
Ornithological Society to advance Audubon
methods, and to thatend Mr. T. Jefferson
Butler has been elected the Audubon Secre-
tary. A society will, undoubtedly, be or-
ganized in California before the next issue
of Birp-Lore. Funds for the work of the

law which

76 Bird - Lore

National Committee are coming in rather
slowly. However, the wardens will all be
re-engaged for the coming breeding season,
trusting that before pay-day is reached
the necessary money for wages will be in
hand. Mayhap some person will read these
lines who will be touched by our necessities
and will give the initial $10,000 to start the
permanent endowment fund.—W.D. =:

Public Sentiment and Bird Protection

Though it is not yet true of some of the
southern states, it is probably no exaggera-
tion to say that in nearly all the rest of the
union the people who favor bird- protection
laws that will really preserve our useful
and harmless species of birds and animals,
and not simply postpone a little their final
extinction, now greatly outnumber those
who oppose them, and that they could
have their own way if they would insist
upon it.

Market gunners and plume hunters, those
who make a special business of dealing in
game, the semi-professional sportsman who
spends all his time in shooting, are but an
insignificant portion of our population, but
they are doing most of the harm.

They make their desires known, they ex-
press their opinions, and use their influence
and money to be allowed to continue their
destructive work. For the future they care
nothing ; they would willingly shoot the
last Wild Turkey or Wood-duck for sport
or for sale. They want their fun, and their
agreeable way of making a living by de-
‘stroying and selling the game which is the
property of the whole body of citizens of
their respective states.

That the determination and activity of
this small minority is able to make futile the
work of the far more numerous class which
is opposed to them, is due to the indifference
and negligence of the latter, not to a lack
of power to assert its rights and protect its
property.

Assuming that you take a personal interest
in bird protection, do you realize that it is
the duty of those so interested not to hide
their opinions and desires under a_ bushel
but to make them known and felt? They

will be surprised to find how many people
will agree with them. How can those in-
trusted with the making and enforcement of
our laws know what the opinion of the pub-
lic really is about a matter where only one
side, and that a small minority, make them-
selves heard? Most of us do not wish, in
fact most of us are not in a position where
we can afford to lose the good will of those
about us by undue activity in criticizing or
making complaints. We do not always
need to. Wecan do as much good, or often
more, by encouraging or helping those who
are doing well, as by finding fault with
those who are not.

Is there any society in your town or state
which is working for bird protection? If
so, have you taken interest enough to join
it? Probably you are not so situated that
you can take an active part in their work,
but every name, even an obscure one, added
to their membership list encourages and in-
creases the influence of those who can and
do work. They are meeting with much
opposition, and, what is still worse, indif-
ference, and they need all the backing up
that we can give them.

Have you a representative in your district
who works hard for better game-laws, or
would work for them if he thought the
people wanted them, or a game-warden who
is diligent and courageous? If so, you may
be sure that many people are doing their
best to make trouble for him. Does he know
that he has your approval and sympathy,
and do you ever call the attention of others
to his good work? Is it not likely that a
word of thanks or encouragement, if you
know them, or a note of a few lines express-
ing your appreciation of their services, even
from a stranger, would do more good than
ten times the amount of complaint and criti-
cism directed against people who are prob-
ably indifferent to it?

We should not forget that each of us is,
according to law, a part owner of the birds
which are being exterminated for the amuse-
ment and gain of a comparatively few indi-
viduals, and that, as in the case with
property of other kinds, we must either
provide for their preservation or Jose them
entirely.— WILLARD G. VAN NAME.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF
AUDUBON SOCIETIES

THE MARSH HAWK

Order—Raptores Suborder— Falcones

Family —Falconide Genus — Circus
Species — Circus hudsonius

(77)

The Marsh Hawk

By WILLIAM DUTCHER

Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies
DESCRIPTION

Adult Male.—General appearance above bluish gray, darker on hindneck and lower
back. Terminal half of long wing feathers almost black. ‘Tail bluish, with seven or
eight blackish bands; all except two-central feathers with much white. Under parts,
throat and upper breast ash-gray; all of balance white, quite profusely decorated with
light brown dashes, lines and heart-shaped spots.

Adult Female.—General appearance above dark brown, some feathers with large whitish
or light cinnamon-brown spots; tail brownish, broadly barred with blackish and very pale
cinnamon. Under parts of body whitish, profusely marked with very large shaft streaks of
pale hair-brown on breast and cinnamon-brown on lower belly and thighs. Under parts
of wings and tail very broadly barred with whitish. e

Immature.—Somewhat similar to female but darker above and under parts almost en-
tirely rich rufous, streaked with black on upper breast and flanks. Bars in tail cinnamon
instead of whitish.

Size.—Male, from end of bill to tip of tail about 19 to 20 inches; female is much
larger, 22 to 24 inches. Both sexes have black bills and claws and yellowish or flesh-
colored legs and feet.

Distinguishing Marks.—The owl-like disk of short feathers about face; the very long
tail; the very conspicuous patch of white feathers at base of tail, which show distinctly
when flying; the slow, deliberate manner of flight, which is usually close to the ground.

Nest.—Always placed on ground in marsh, meadow or prairie, in high grass, rushes,
or at foot of bush. It is made of dry grasses, reinforced by small sticks, and is lined with
a few feathers.

Eggs.—Usually from four to six in number, of a pale greenish or bluish white color,
usually unmarked, although some are blotched or spotted with pale buff or brownish.

Distribution.—The Marsh Hawk inhabits all of North America, breeding from the
south Atlantic States as far north as Alaska and the Hudson Bay region. It winters
from about 40 degrees north latitude as far south as Panama.

Nore.—The description of the adult female given above is from a more than usually
interesting specimen. It bears three labels, one of them being in the handwriting of John
James Audubon, as follows: “Female, June 23/43 Fort Union.” The second label, reads,
"Coll. of G. N. Lawrence, Circus hudsonicus, ¥, b.38”; on the reverse of this label in the
handwriting of Mr. Lawrence, is “ Presented by V. G. Audubon from the collection of J. J.
Audubon, ¢, Missouri.” The third label is that of the American Museum of Natural
History. Although this specimen was prepared over sixty years ago, it is in a fine state of
preservation.

This Hawk is commonly known by three popular names, each of which
relates to a special characteristic of the bird. Marsh Hawk, because it is
found about marshes, meadows or prairies; Mouse Hawk, from its fond-
ness for these small but destructive vermin, and Harrier, from its habit of
continually hunting or ravaging the homes of small mammals. It is one of
the most useful and valuable of all the Hawks, and the agriculturist
should under no circumstances ever permit one to be killed on his premises.
No person can fail to recognize the Marsh Hawk on sight, from its very
peculiar slow wing-beats, its proximity to the ground either in marsh or

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The Marsh Hawk 79

meadow; its long wings and tail, and especially the large white patch at the
base of the tail above. There is certainly no excuse for killing the Marsh
Hawk because of mistaken identity. All of the data regarding the food of
this species of Hawk shows that it lives very largely upon a class of rodents,
that do the farmers and fruit-growers of the country incalculable damage
in destroying forage crops, and especially in eating the bark from young
orchard trees and thus killing them. At a recent meeting of horticulturists
in New Jersey, one of the members present stated that during the present
winter, owing to the deep snows, mice and rabbits had damaged his
orchards to the extent of $2,000. In Kansas rodents are a scourge so
great that

“Since January, 1902, the demand for poison has continued steady, and large quanti-
ties have been sold, especially for the destruction of prairie-dogs and pocket-gophers. Up
to the present time there has been consumed about twelve hundred pounds of ‘strychnine
and over half a ton of potassium cyanide in manufacturing poison. From 600,000 to
700,000 acres of land, formerly infested with prairie dogs, have been entirely reclaimed,
while a partial destruction of them has been accomplished over a much larger area. The
destruction of pocket-gophers has been accomplished over many small and widely scattered
areas, including some of the best alfalfa ranches in the state. This work, however, has
thus far not extended over sufficiently large areas to be permanent; further and united

efforts only will produce results which will prevent loss to alfalfa growers from the
presence of this pest.” (From Press Bulletin, No. 130, Kansas State Agl. College.)

Kansas, like many other states, gives no protection whatever to Hawks,
although scientific research shows them to be immensely valuable aids in killing
rodents. Poisons cost the farmer money, besides labor in distributing, and
then do good only if the rodent eats the bait; on the other hand, the
Marsh Hawk is always hungry, and during the long hours of daylight is
incessantly coursing back and forth hunting for food. It works continu-
ously without pay, and deserves legal protection as well as the care of every
person who tills the soil. The contents of 124 stomachs examined by the
Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, shows that
45 per cent had been feeding on mice, 18 per cent on other small mammals,
18 per cent on reptiles, frogs and insects, and a low percentage on poultry
and small birds. Dr. A. K. Fisher, who wrote the exhaustive and valuable
report quoted from above, says:

“Although this Hawk occasionally carries off poultry and game-birds, its economic
value as a destroyer of mammal pests is so great that its slight irregularities should be par-
doned. Unfortunately, however, the farmer and sportsman shoot it down at sight, regard-
less or ignorant of the fact that it preserves an immense quantity of grain, thousands of
fruit trees and innumerable nests of game-birds by destroying the vermin which eat the
grain, girdle the trees, and devour the eggs and young of the birds. The Marsh Hawk
is unquestionably one of the most beneficial as it is one of our most abundant Hawks, and
its presence and increase should be encouraged in every way possible, not only by protect-
ing it by law, but by disseminating a knowledge of the benefits it confers. It is probably
the most active and determined foe of meadow-mice and ground-squirrels, destroying

80 Bird - Lore

greater numbers of these pests than any other species; and this fact alone should entitle it
to protection, even if it destroyed no other injurious animals.”

Only fourteen states protect the Marsh Hawk; thirty-five states and
territories permit it to be killed at any time. In the British Provinces,
Manitoba is the only one giving protection. The ignorance regarding
hawks and the prejudice concerning them is forcibly illustrated by the action
of Virginia, which in 1903 passed a law protecting all the beneficial Hawks
and Owls, but without waiting to give the statute a fair test repealed the
same in 1904. In Ohio the present legislature is considering a bill offer-
ing bounties on “Chicken Hawks.” This, of course, means, should the
bill become a law, that all Hawks will be killed for the bounty, and the
farmers of the state will be taxed for funds with which to pay pot hunters
and others for the heads of birds that are of great value to agriculture.

In 1885 Pennsylvania passed. a bounty or scalp act which was shortly
afterward repealed, as it was found to be most disastrous in its effect.
Over $60,000 was paid the first year for bounties. Among other reasons
urged for a repeal of the law was the following: ‘Officers were imposed
upon and bounties were illegally drawn.” ‘It encouraged a certain class to
follow hunting as a means of livelihood, to the exclusion of other labor.”
“It is burdensome and inimical to the best interests of the farming com-
munity, and a useless expenditure of county money.”

Does not this show a lamentable degree of ignorance on the part of
those who should be the most interested in the protection of Hawks?
Every farmer in North America who reads this leaflet should at once com-
mence a campaign of education among his fellow workers, and should make
it a prominent plank in his political platform that all the beneficial Hawks
should have legal protection. Farmers! Do not expect your neighbor to
do his duty until you have done your own.

Study Points for Teachers and Students

Where is this Hawk found in summer? In winter? Where does 4o degrees north
latitude cross the continent ? What is the most striking difference in plumage of the adults ?
How does young differ? What is the most striking distinguishing mark to be seen when
flying ? What are popular names? Why given? Why is this Hawk so beneficial? De-
scribe the small mammals it eats. What damage do they do? Which of them are found
where you live? What other pests does this Hawk eat? Can you give any personal
reasons why this Hawk should be protected ?

For much valuable information regarding the Marsh Hawk, study the following: Ben-
dire’s ‘ Life Histories of North American Birds,’ Fisher’s ‘ Hawks and Owls of the United
States,’ also Fisher’s ‘ Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the Farmer.’ This latter
is a pamphlet issued for free distribution by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Additional copies of this leaflet may be procured of William Dutcher, chairman, 525
Manhattan Ave., New York City.

— 20c. a Copy
OL. Vi MAY —JUNE, 1904 $i oven

Var iis

Ip _—

EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUDUBON SOCIEYI

The Macmillan Compatiy tren |r
HARRISBURC, PA. i

COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN R Weber

Bird= Lore

May-June, 1904

GENERAL ARTICLES PAGE
FRONTISPIECE — BLUE-WINGED, GOLDEN-WINGED, BREWSTER'S, AND LAWRENCE’S WARBI.ERS
Louis Agassiz Fuertes .

A TAME RUFFED GROUSE. Illustrated ..............0..06 2

THE HERRING GULL ON LAKE SuPERIOR. Illustrated .
Bayard H Christy and Norman McClintock. 86

A BLUE JAY HOUSEHOLD .. ae See eis SLAs EON fabs ane Rete Isabella McC. Lemmon. 89

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

THE MIGRATION OF WARBLERS. Fourth Paper. Illustrated by ZLours Agassiz Fuertes and
BRUCE FTOV SHAUL, Sate POR Ey SAS Peacoat ae, eC Se eg W. W. Cooke gt

FOR YOUNG OBSERVERS

TREE SWALLOWS IN A BIRD-BOX. Illustrated ....:.....2..... Richard M. Hunt 93
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Illustration ..... wo» « Ke. Beebe. 06

NOTES FROM “FIELD “AND STUDY 6. 2 clo. 2 oe ee ee RO?

A MornInc's Birn-List, Gerald H. Thayer; NOTES FROM IN AND NEAR NEw York, Charles
HT Rogers; PINE GROSBEAKS IN NEw JERSEY, &. C. Caskey; PURPLE MARTINS IN ILLI-
NoIS, Abbie Vredenburgh ; COWBIRD AND WHITE-EYED V1REO, Henry Hales; BIRD PRO-
TECTION IN GREAT BRITAIN; ‘By THE WAYSIDE.’

BOOK NEW /'S: AND REVIEW'S). 2-555. rcs ee ee ool 100

HOFFMANN’S * GUIDE TO THE BIRDS IN NEW ENGLAND AND EASTE RN NEW YorK’; RICH-
ARDS’ AND CUMMINGS’ ‘BABY PATHFINDER TO THE BIRDS’; THE ORNITHOLOGICAL

MAGAZINES
EDITORIAL, 2 Retire ee Reenter) ones 1 eh re * le ctw She 0ap 2a, one en 103
AUDUBONUDEPARTMENT: 938) i250 se ei a a Ste ss te sk, ae ic 104

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 9, [llustrated by Zouts Agasstz Fuertes . . William Dutcher . 109

«*, Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review, and exchanges should be
sent to the Editor at Englewood, Neu Jersey.

NOTICES TO SUBSCRIBERS

BIRD-LORE is published for the Audubon Societies on the first of every other month by the
Macmillan Co., at Crescent and Mulberry streets, Harrisburg, Pa., where all notices of change of ad-
dress, etc., should be sent.

Subscribers whose subscription expires with the present issue will find a properly dated
renewal blank in their magazine. In the event of a desire not to renew, the publishers would
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83-To subscribers whose subscription expired with the issue for December, 1903, and who have
as yet neither renewed their subscription nor, in response to our request, sent us a notice to discon-
tinue their magazine, the present number is sent in the belief that the matter of Se has been
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Complete sets of Volumes I, II, III, IV and V of ‘Bird-Lore’ can still be supplied.

Every number of ‘ Bird-Lore’ is as readable and valuable today as when it was issued,
and no bird-lover who is not already supplied can find a better investment than back vol-
umes of this magazine. Vols. I, III, IV and V are offered at the subscription price of $I each,
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Entered as second-class mail] matter in the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa.

a ee ae ae

V4 2. Zicer7rs

1. BLUE-wINGED WARBLER, MALE. 4. BREWSTER 'S WARBLER, MALE.
2. BLUE-wWINGED WARBLER, FEMALE. 5. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, MALE.
3. LAWRENCE’S WARBLER, MALE. 6. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, FEMALE.

(ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.)

ek -

WBird= Lore

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

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

ss = = ——— ——

Vol. VI May — JUNE, 1904 No. 3

A Tame Ruffed Grouse *

By CARLTON D. HOWE

With photographs from nature

\ ‘ JHILE at my home in Newfane, Vermont, last summer, reports
came to me that a farmer in the neighborhood had upon his farm
a Ruffed Grouse that was comparatively tame. Of course, being
interested in this report, I interviewed Mr. Rand, the farmer, and received
from him the following facts: In August, 1902, while picking blackberries,
he discovered a flock of seven young Grouse about half grown. They
remained near by, within twenty or thirty feet, for an hour or so, showing
little evidence of fear. The parent bird was not seen.

About the first of the next October, while Mr. Rand was picking
apples, he was surprised to see a Ruffed Grouse walk out of the bushes
and come up under the tree where he was at work. ‘The bird did not
appear afraid, but much interested in what the farmer was doing, walking
around him and observing him from all sides, finally hopping on the wall,
as if to superintend the apple-gathering. The bird stayed with the farmer
at least two hours, and when he went away he left it under the tree.

In the following spring, while working in the field, Mr. Rand noticed
a Grouse following his farm-wagon. The bird was undoubtedly his old
friend, seeking to renew the acquaintance of the preceding fall. The
Grouse followed the wagon, perhaps fifty rods, until she came in sight of
the farm buildings, where she stopped and waited for the wagon to come
back again, and then accompanied the team down to the field. The
Grouse repeated this performance for several weeks. In fact, almost every
time the farm-wagon made its appearance in the field, the bird was on
hand to escort the team back and forth.

As the Grouse continued to grow less shy, Mr. Rand conceived the
idea of making her tamer by offering her food and talking to her. The
bird very seldom ate any of the different kinds of food which he offered her.

* Read before the third annual meeting of the Vermont Bird Club, January 22, 1904.

82 Bird - Lore

Only once did she deign to take a few kernels of corn into her mouth. By
much coaxing, he finally succeeded in touching the bird. After that the
Grouse showed very little fear. When Mr. Rand called ‘“Chickee,”
“Chickee,” the bird would come out of the woods and sit upon his knee.
From his knee she would fly to his shoulder, and then to the ground.
The bird would repeat this perform-
ance a half dozen times, clucking
contentedly the while.

One day Mr. Rand brought the
Grouse to my home, a distance of
three miles, to have photographs
taken of it. To make sure she
would not get away, he attached a
long cord to the bird’s leg; which
precaution, however, was not neces-
sary, as the Grouse showed little
fear among strangers. The accom-
panying picture shows the Grouse
resting confidingly in his hands.
Our bird upon this day made many
new acquaintances, for every one
was interested and wished to expe-
rience the novelty of holding a live
Ruffed Grouse, a bird so proverbially
shy and wild, in his hand. At least
thirty people handled the Grouse
before the farmer returned the bird
to her native home in the woods.

A week or so afterwards, my
brother and I, accompanied by Mr.
Rand, visited the haunts of the
Grouse for the purpose of taking
photographs of the bird in her native
habitat. Mr. Rand said at this time
that he had not seen the bird since
he had taken her to the village; so
we were anxious to learn how such familiar treatment had affected her. Mr.
Rand called “Chickee,” “Chickee,” but no answering “Quit,” “Quit,”
came from the woods, as heretofore at his call. Then we made a systematic
search of the woods, each one calling, “Chickee,” ‘“Chickee,” but of no
avail. We searched again and continued to search and call for over an hour,
but no Grouse made her appearance. Surely, the bird must have resented
the familiar treatment in her journey to the village and have gone to join the

A RUFFED GROUSE AND HER PROTECTOR

A Tame Ruffed Grouse 83

wild members of her species. Disappointed, we were about to give up the
search, when suddenly the familiar “Quit” was heard. The bird was seen
coming slowly toward us. We tried in vain to coax the Grouse into the
open field, but she was more shy than usual and kept at a distance.
Finally, after much coaxing, the bird came within a few feet of us, but she
would not allow herself to be handled. Exposures were made, but they
were unsuccessful on account of the extreme shyness of the bird and
because of the underbrush. Once she came within ten feet of me, stood
gazing intently at me a few moments and then walked slowly away.
Surely the Grouse did resent being taken to town and a too close acquaint -
anceship with strangers. The bird has learned something from experience,
and does not wish to be treated in that way a second time.

A number of weeks afterwards, my brother and Mr. Rand again visited
the haunts of the Grouse, going through the same process as described
above, calling ‘‘Chickee,” “Chickee,” and searching the thicket. In about
fifteen minutes they discovered that the Grouse was following them, her
presence being detected by a responsive cluck from the bird and by the
sound of her walking in the leaves. At first she was rather wary, not
allowing them to get nearer than a rod. As they advanced the Grouse
would retreat, and, upon their retreating, she would come up to the original
point. Mr. Rand took a stick and rustled in the leaves. This attracted
her curiosity and as he retreated she advanced. ‘They got her within ten
feet of the edge of the thicket, and several exposures were made of the bird
at that place. It was very hard to get her out into the open. They
stripped choke-cherries from the overhanging bushes and fed them to her.
These she ate readily. Finally, after a half hour’s coaxing, she came out
into the open space, where my brother took several snap-shots of her;
each one being nearer than the preceding, she all the time becoming
more familiar in her attitude toward them. After my brother had exposed
the last plate, the Grouse came up to the camera and pecked the tripod
and camera case lying near. At this point a Hawk flew past overhead and
the bird darted back into the thicket. After twenty minutes of coaxing
they got her out again to the edge of the brush, but she would come no
farther. Finally, Mr. Rand picked her up and brought her out. She
resented being handled, but still did not run away when he put her on the
ground. At this point a third man came on the scene, but the Grouse
appeared to take no notice of him. Mr. Rand held out his hand and the
bird backed slowly away, still facing him. She was backing up a steep
incline and so could not move very fast. He thrust his hand under her
feet and she stepped into it. Here was a Ruffed Grouse, said to be
untamable, standing in a man’s hand, and all of my brother’s plates were
exposed !

A week after this another visit was made to the Grouse. This time

84 Bird- Lore

the bird was found without much difficulty. She was shy at first, but after
some coaxing she became on intimate terms with the men. The camera
was focused on a stone in an opening, and Mr. Rand coaxed the bird upon
it, when the bulb was pressed. The bird was much more tractable than on
previous days, as she came close to the men. The Grouse kept close watch
of the movements of Mr. Rand’s hands, following them with her head.

~~~... Thus he could get her into almost any position he wished. Exposures

en

—_

\ : : :
were made of front, side, and back views. Repeating the process described

A TAME RUFFED GROUSE
Note the open mouth and drooped wings; see text

above, Mr. Rand got her to stand on his hand again. In this position snap-
shots were taken of the bird. Although exposed so of a second with the
full stop, the movement of her wings in keeping her balance resulted in
only a confused blur on the negative.

The pictures were taken on a hot day in August and the unusual exer-
cise and excitement fatigued the Grouse. She lolled like a thirsty hen in
the barnyard, and some of the photographs represent her in this condition.

This Grouse is a female, but she evidently did not rear a brood last
spring, as Mr. Rand says he saw her oftenest during the breeding season
and there were no evidences of the bird having a nest or young.

The woods which the Grouse frequents are composed of a marginal
growth of willow, alder, ash and maple, not more than ten rods wide,
along asmall stream. On the other side is a cultivated field. Less than

A Tame Ruffed Grouse 85

one hundred rods away is an extensive forest where the bird could range for

miles, yet she apparently chooses to limit her range to a few acres. A
much-traveled highway passes within ten rods; indeed, the woods border

the highway for some distance. ‘The bird is frequently seen by travelers.

In fact, on one occasion, she was picked up by two ladies passing in a

carriage and was taken to a neighboring farmhouse. ‘This confidence in | jee
human beings may some day lead to her death. To guard against this,
however, Mr. Rand has conspicuously posted her haunts, and his wishes —
were respected by the sportsmen, for she lived through the open hunting
season, being last seen on December 10.

Now, the question naturally arises, why is this bird so tame ? She ap-
pears to be a normal, well-developed bird, bright and active in every way.
Aside from her tameness, there is nothing in her appearance or actions that
differs, so far as we could observe, from other individuals of her species.
Why, then, did this particular Grouse forsake her fellows and the heredi-
tary tendencies of countless generations of wild birds, to place herself on
such intimate terms with man ?

—

RUFFED GROUSE POSES

‘ A GULL ISLAND

The Herring Gull on Lake Superior

By BAYARD H. CHRISTY and NORMAN McCLiINTQCK

With photographs from nature by the authors

4 NHE Herring Gull is the common Gull of our northern coasts, lakes
and rivers. South of Maine, northern New York and the Great
Lake region, the Herring Gull is usually seen in winter only.
Therefore it is characterized in some southern localities as Winter Gull,
in contradistinction to the Summer or Laughing Gull.

A large colony of Herring Gulls now breeds undisturbed upon an in-
accessible small group of about half a dozen granitic islands, extending east
and west, and lying some two or three miles off the south shore of Lake
Superior. The larger islands of the group rise two hundred to three hundred |
feet above the lake and are wooded. [he smaller islands, which are the
most easterly, are mere low crags that are broken and seamed. All the
islands are heavily glaciated. 4

Upon July 22, 1903, we visited one of these smaller islands, which is
about one hundred yards long, less than half as wide and scarcely twenty
feet high. The vegetation is limited to lichens, grasses and small plants,
which find but scant rooting in the crannies. Here the accompanying
photographs were taken, excepting that of the flying Gulls, which was ob-
tained on the St. Mary’s river.

From a distance, the island was seen to be dotted white with several
hundred of these beautiful Gulls, which rose as we approached and,
screaming constantly, kept circling overhead, while we remained.

Upon our landing, a number of young Gulls, unable to fly, went
scrambling and tumbling down the rocks, and swam several hundred yards
out into the lake, to where a number of the old birds had settled down.
Occasionally, one of the parent birds, whose young we disturbed, would
swoop down close to our heads.

We found a dozen or twenty nests, which were placed wherever a broad
level surface afforded a site upon the higher portions of the rocks.

These nests were composed of dried grass and pine needles and a few

(86)

The Herring Gull on Lake Superior 87

old feathers. Each contained about a peck of material, formed into a low
heap, with a shallow bowl-shaped bed in the top, six or eight inches
across.

The nesting season was past, but we found some half dozen addled
eggs. Judging from these, there were two types, which we would charac-
terize as a gray-green and a gray-brown. ‘They approximated in size and
form an ordinary hen’s egg.

As we climbed up the rocks, the young Gulls that did not swim away
sought refuge by hiding; and so closely did they blend with the color and

|
’
p

HERRING GULL’S NEST AND TWO YOUNG GULLS

tone of the rocks that they were scarcely discernable, even at a distance of
but a few feet.

With heads down and bills invariably thrust into the farthest corners,
they crouched in the crannies. The appearance of these little Gulls, thus
huddled down, strongly suggested kittens.

They were covered with a soft, fur-like down, in color grayish white,
indistinctly mottled with black. The markings on the head are much more
sharply defined than on the body. The eye is black and the expression
alert. The feet, like a puppy’s, are much too large for the body, and the
whole effect is comical. We found these small Gulls usually in pairs, and
judged therefrom that each family kept to itself.

A curious instinct of self-defence—to disgust its enemies—was invari-

88 Bird - Lore

ably resorted to, by each young Gull that we picked up and set upon its
feet. The bird first voided a large quantity of ill-smelling offal; then, after
some gaping and wrenching of the neck, disgorged a cropful of half-
digested fish, after which it would scramble away to find another hiding-
place.

Amongst the old birds flying about, very few dark-colored young were
seen.

The day of our visit was cloudless and still; the heat was intense; and
this, with the stench of addled eggs, decaying fish and excrement dropped
by the young and by the old birds circling overhead, together with the
swarm of minute flies present everywhere, made the place as unpleasant as
it was interesting.

As we passed other islands of the group, we saw a number of young
Gulls swimming in the shelter-of the rocks and attended by the parent
birds. These were doubtless the more mature young, which had taken to
the water upon our approach. TA wane vf

oes a

HERRING GULLS

A Blue Jay Household

By ISABELLA McC. LEMMON

URING the spring of 1903, an unusually favorable opportunity was
afforded me for observing the nesting of a pair of Blue Jays. The
birds often come about our lawn at Englewood, N. J., especially

during the leafless months, attracted from the near-by woods by the many
evergreens, and it was not a great surprise when, early in April, a pair was
seen near the house evidently nest-hunting. But, to my astonishment,
the tree chosen was a spruce that stands so close to the house that some of
its branches brush against the building.

On April 10, the foundation of the nest was discovered near the end of
one of the lowest branches of this tree, within easy reach from the ground
and about ten feet from a small porch. At this time it consisted of a hand-
ful of twigs and numberless pieces of string, but later softer materials were
brought, and the lining was of fine rootlets.

Most of the work was done early in the morning, for after human life
became fully awake the birds were too wary to visit their tree very freely;
but some interesting incidents were observed from the house, and once or
twice something very like reasoning was exhibited: on one occasion the
bird alighted on a long, low branch of another spruce and walked out to-
ward a piece of string which was caught among the end twigs. The
branch sank lower and lower under the added weight until it rested on the
ground; at this point the Jay seemed to think better work could be done
from the more solid basis, and hopped off. Naturally the branch rose at
once, leaving the bird to regard it with an expression of utter astonish-
ment; then it flew up once more, again walked out to the end, and from
there untangled the string.

The nest was a long time in building, and the first egg was laid on
April 29, another appearing each day until May 3, making five in all, but
sitting evidently began on May 2. _ By this time the bird had grown so
much less timid that we could use the néar-by steps with perfect freedom—
once I walked under the tree, almost under the nest itself, without fright -
ening her away.

On May 19, four of the young Jays were out, and the remaining egg
hatched the next day. Of course they grew with great rapidity, and by
the 27th their eyes were partly open; on June 2 I first saw them trim-
ming their feathers, which by this time showed decided color,—grayish on
the back of the head, blue and white on the wings, etc. On the evening
of that date I also found that they were no longer brooded at night; they
more than filled the nest now, and regarded passers-by with evident
suspicion.

On June 3, I kept a record of the number of times food was brought

(89)

90 Bird- Lore

the young birds during the afternoon, and, wishing to see how it was
carried, took up my position on the steps near the nest. In a short time
one of the parents alighted in the tree, but discovered me in an instant and
gave two low calls, the familiar ‘tu-reé/’ of doubt and caution, and
another of three notes with the accent on the first. At the sound the
young birds at once set up their chatter, but the parent left the tree and
not until the fourth attempt did she venture to feed them. But I had seen
how the food was carried: in the mouth, apparently under the tongue, for
the throat just below the bill bulged out almost like a pouch, though it did
not seem to interfere with her voice. [his was at 12.40 o’clock, and I
then returned to the house to watch through the shutter of a convenient
window. It was 1.45 when the chattering of the young announced the
return of the old bird, and after she had disposed of her mouthful of food
She crossed over to the branches near the steps and carefully assured herself
that the intruder was no longer there. I use the feminine, believing that
the female did the greater part, if not all of the feeding, for, though I never
could detect any difference in the coloring of the two birds, one seemed less
timid, and only once did I see the two approaching the nest together; if
the male had been assisting he surely would have chanced there occa-
sionally at about the same time as his mate.

During the rest of that afternoon the feeding times were as follows:
2.02, 2.30, 2.55, 3-25, 4, 4.12, 4.22 (I wondered if the nest of some un-
willing Thrush or Robin had not furnished the last three mouthfuls), 5.10,
6, 7.20. Probably I missed one feeding between 6 and 7.20, having been
away from the window at that time.

Three days later the young all left the nest, but remained in the neigh-
borhood for several days, their voices becoming daily more like the parents’,
and on June I2 we saw them for the last time.

For Teachers and Students

The Migration of Warblers

FOURTH PAPER

Compiled by Professor W. W. Cook, Chiefly from Data
in the Biological Survey

With drawings by Louts AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALL

The earliest arrivals of this species noted in the United States are at
New Orleans, La., March 22, 1898, and on the Tortugas, Fla., March

23, 1890.

Atlantic Coast—

Shelby, Ala. ..
Washington, D. ce

SPRING

New Providence, N. ae

Englewood, N. J.
Beaver, Pa...
Berwyn, Pas

Southeastern New York :

Portland, Conn.
Framingham, Mass.

Mississippi Valley —
Eubank, Ky. sae
St-ttouis, Wo... .. .
Brookville, Ind. . .
Rockford, Ill. .
Petersburg, Mich.
Grinnell, Ia.
Lanesboro, Minn.

The last.one noted at Lanesboro, Minn., was on September 1, 1889,
but the southern part of the breeding-ground is not deserted until early

in October.

BLUE- WINGED WARBLER

MIGRATION

No. of years’| Average date of
record spring arrival

7 May 7
8 May 4
3 May 3
if 7
5 4
3 2

May
May
May 1

April 14
April 22
April 26
May 6

Wm Ans 0O

May 4
May 14

a+

FALL MIGRATION

(91)

Earliest date of
spring arrival

April 4, 1898
April 26, 1891
May 3, 1891
May 2, 1902
May 2, 1891
May 3, 1900
May 2, 1900
May 2, 1902
May 13, 1896

April 10, 1893
April 17, 1883
April 17, 1896
May 2, 1890
May 10, 1897
April 28, 1888
May 7, 1895

92 Bird - Lore

GOLDEN -WINGED WARBLER

SPRING MIGRATION

: ears’| Average date of Earliest date of
PLACE Ne eee Hae arrival spring arrival
Atlantic Coast — |

Rising Mawny Gas, oe we ee oo lee April 11, 1885
Asheville NG Cases fore a teetee panies OMe April 22, 1893
French Creek, W. Va. . 4 May 2 April 30, 1893

Washington, D.C. . 3 May 3 May 2, 1890
Beaver, pba. een. 3 April 30 | April 24, 1902
Waynesburg, Pa. 3 April 30 April 26, 1896

Portland, Conn... .. 18 May 12 May 3, 1896

West Roxbury, Mass. 5 May 9 May 4, 1891

Framingham, Mass. 10 May 10 May 8, 1895

Mississippi Valley —

St. Louis, Mo... . 6 May 1 April 26, 1888
Keokuk, Ia.. . 4 April 30 April 22, 1894
Waterloo, Ind. . 6 April 30 April 27, 1896
Petersburg, Mich. . . 10 May 4 April 25, 1886
Livonia, Mich. 5 May 7 May ‘5, 1897
SouthernsOntarioly =. 5 eee 8 May 6 May 2, 1900
Kanesboro, Minn =. "soe one. | May 8, 1887
BlkORiver Minne). Sos che te ‘ | May 12, 1888°

FALL MIGRATION

A fall migrant has been seen at New Orleans, La., as early as July 23,
1898, and one was taken on the northern coast of South America, Sep-
tember 6, showing that the Golden- winged Warbler is among the early
migrants. The last ones seen were noted at Lanesboro, Minn., Septem-
ber 8, 1889; Livonia, Mich., September 21, 1891; Chicago, Ill., Septem-
ber 25, 1895; Englewood, N. J., September 2, 1886; French Creek,
W. Va., September 15, 1892; Chester county, S. C., September 22, 1887,
and New Orleans, La., September 21, 1897.

For Doung Obdservers

Tree Swallows in a Bird-box

By RICHARD M. HUNT, Winchester, Mass.

Illustrated by the author

ARLY in the spring of 1902, before any migrants had ventured north,
Ry I placed a bird-box in a maple tree not far from my window, hoping
to get a pair of Bluebirds to stay, a little later on. A pair of Blue-
birds came, indeed, but they paid no attention to the snug home in the
maple tree—until it was too late; for, about the first of May, a pair of
Tree Swallows were seen circling about the box, and plainly announcing
their intention to take possession, by giving continual utterance to their
joyful, gurgling twitters. Just now, however, the Bluebirds began to dis-
pute the Swallows’ right to the box, to their sorrow, for the Swallows
trounced them soundly.

Now the Swallows began to build, but soon began to encounter diffi-
culties in the shape of English Sparrows. These little scoundrels would
seize the opportunity, when the Swallows were away, to pull the carefully
made nest from the box and scatter it in all directions. One day a Sparrow
was caught in the act. He had just entered the Swallows’ house, when he
was seen by one of the real owners. The Swallow went inside also, and I
could hear a loud squawking there. Finally the Swallow appeared, tail first,
dragging the Sparrow by the nape of the neck. When outside, the Swal-
low shook that Sparrow as a dog shakes a rat, and dropped him at the foot
of the tree! The defeated tramp limped away, and, I have good reason
to believe, never troubled the Swallows again. In fact, the Swallows were
never troubled seriously again by any bird. They were the true owners of
their home, and deserved to be.

Now the Tree Swallows settled down seriously, raised their brood, and
departed before July.

Early on the morning of March 27, 1903, I was returning from my
usual before-breakfast bird-walk. As I approached my house, I thought I
heard a familiar sound—a joyful, gurgling twitter. I glanced at the long-
deserted bird-box, and there were apparently my Tree Swallows. They had
safely sustained the long migration, and here they were, the undisputed
masters of the box.

For about three weeks after their arrival they could be seen perching
near the box, or flying about it, although, for some reason, they would
never enter it.

On April 17, they were seen to enter their box several times, and also

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94 Bird - Lore

to investigate two other boxes which I had placed near by. May 21, an-
another pair of Swallows took one of the new boxes.

From April 17 to May 7, the Swallows were near their box all the
time, but were never seen to enter.

On May 8, came the first signs of building. Straw and feathers were
the chief materials used for building. To procure these materials the
Swallows lit upon the ground, where they were exceedingly clumsy, resting
upon their long wings. i

On" May 21, the Swallows had become more quiet, which led me to
believe that eggs were in the nest. ‘To verify my belief I tapped the tree,
and out flew a Swallow. Now I knew that there were eggs.

ah

TREE SWALLOWS AT HOME

Then, for several days, more than one of the Swallows was rarely seen.
On June 3, however, the birds were flying merrily about, and I could hear
the young squealing in the box. The old birds were now kept busy getting
food for their hungry young.

On the morning of June 16, six young Swallows were seen in the door-
way of the box, taking their first peep at the outside world. They now
had to be fed much oftener. Here is a record of the number of times the
young were fed, for about thirty minutes, which serves as a fair example
of the number of times they were fed all day long: Fed once at 3.25, 3.37,
3.39 and 3.40; twice at 3.44 and once at 3.59. It then began to rain,
and the Swallows went inside until it stopped, when they resumed as
before. On this same day, a little later, two of the young fell out of the
box, and I replaced them.

On June 17, I began to take some photographs of the box. While do-

Tree Swallows in a Bird-box 95

ing this, I discovered one of the young perched upon a twig on the ground.
I focused the camera upon him and snapped it. All the while, the two
parents and two other pairs of Swallows, who came from I don’t know
where, were swooping just above the youngster’s head. Finally, without
any warning, the young one spread his wings and was instantly borne up-
ward in a screaming, flapping mass of old birds, who prevented his falling.
Over the pond they went, now back over the box again, and finally down
the street; the youngster flew better as he flew farther, and before he was
through he was able to flap along nearly as well as his father. ‘Thus did
the first of the Swallow brood learn to fly.

It rained all that night, and June 18 dawned cold and wet. As I looked
out of the window I saw a soft gray thing under the box. Upon investi-
gating | found it to be a young Swallow, cold and stiff. Poor little chap;
he had fallen from his nest at dawn, and died of the damp and wet. I
picked him up. He was a pretty little fellow,—soft gray, with a collar of
the same, and a white throat and belly.

My photographs were not successful, but I kept taking new ones each
day, a few of which were fairly good. As I had never tried bird-photog-
raphy before, I made many sad mistakes.

My Swallows, however, were very tame and seemed to put the utmost
confidence in me, even when I placed the camera on prolonged tripods, at
a distance of four feet from the box. The birds would feed their young
within a yard of my face without hesitating. Twice, when the Swallows
were especially irritable or anxious concerning their young, they would
swoop at my head so close that it made me duck. As they whizzed by me
they would give an angry ‘click,’ half vocal, and half made by snapping the
bill.

The other notes of the Swallows are a rasping, harsh, alarm note,
sounding like, ‘ skee-kee-kee-skee-hee-hee,’ etc.; the joyful twitter already
mentioned, and a low, contented gurgle, always given when the bird is
perching. Sometimes, as a parent bird swoops through the door of the
house, it utters an indescribable note, sounding more like ‘ sch/eik’ than
anything else.

The young would now sit in the doorway all day long, waiting to be
fed. As one of the parents approached them, instantly the soft gray mass
in the doorway would change into flaming orange as each wide mouth was
opened. The parent bird would thrust a mass of flies down one of the
eager throats, and then rise into the air again until another mouthful of
flies was caught. It was comical to watch the contortions of the young
one trying to swallow the huge mouthful, but he always did it, and opened
up again as wide as any of his brothers.

On June 19, I noticed that the daring young one who had learned to
fly a few days before was back in the box again.

96 . Bird-Lore

For some days now my Swallows had been having visitors to their box.
These Swallows would often come to the maple tree, perhaps to make a
call. One especially I could always distinguish, for she was a dull brown
color, and not at all green and shiny. She would come quite often, and,
clinging onto the door of the box, would gaze curiously at the young ones,
who evidently knew she was not their father or mother, for they never
opened their mouths to her for food. Once a strange Swallow came and fed
the young ones. ;

On June 20, all five of the young were still at the door of the box.
This was the last day I saw my Swallows. The two old ones were perched
upon the maple, with the morning sun shining upon their beautiful green-
ish blue backs and snowy white breasts. “The next day I went away.

I returned on July 3 and the box was vacant.

M f : hk F
¥ | Fe ‘ ni Sie —— a ae es
SPOTTED SANDPIPER

Photographed from nature by R. H. Beebe, Arcade, N. Y.

Potes from Field and Htuop

A Morning’s Bird-List

As is well known, the spring of rg00 was
an extraordinary bird-season in southern
New England and the Middle States.
Many usually rare species among the north-
ward migrants became decidedly common;
while, in addition to this, there was a re-
markable dallying of northern winter visi-
tants far south of their normal limits. The
result, particularly within the northern
border of the Carolinian zone, was a most
extraordinary conglomeration of birds, the
like of which will probably not be seen
again for many years.

Mr. Louis A. Fuertes and I had the
good fortune to spend most of that spring
together, in a particularly favorable locality,
at Scarboro, on the east shore of the Hud-
son river, thirty miles above New York.
This place, which is part of the ground
made historic for ornithologists by the re-
searches of Dr. Fisher, had the peculiar
advantage of being within the overlap of
the newly settled Carolinian and the loiter-
ing boreal birds, and at the same time full
in the track of the great northward migra-
tion of Canadian species. A better posi-
tion for studying the incongruities of the
season could hardly have been chosen. In
the rich, luxuriant spring of that warm,
alluvial land, where already in mid-May
the landscape wore the garb’ of summer,
and the southern birds, such as Kentucky,
Hooded, Blue-winged, Prairie and Worm-
eating Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats,
Louisiana Water-Thrushes, Orchard Ori-
oles, Acadian Flycatchers, etc., were set-
tled on their breeding - grounds, it was
indeed strange to hear the soft, chattering
call and clear ‘ bleat’ of White-winged
Crossbills, which still climbed about our
Norway spruces, in twos and threes. Two
at least and I think three of these birds
were still in the region when I left on May
29. Furthermore, they were to all intents
and purposes sett/ed in the Norway spruces

about my home, rarely straying from them,
and had been in this chronic state for
weeks, so that they doubtless lingered on
well into June at least. There is no reason
to believe, however, the birds were nesting.
Red Crossbills and Siskins were also pres-
ent throughout May, and Redpoll Linnets
were seen on April 29.

Altogether we found over a hundred and
forty species within two or three miles of
sur house, in the course of two months.
Thirty-two of these were Warblers,—all’
the Warblers normally possible to the re-
gion, with the exception of the Orange-
crowned, Connecticut, Cerulean, Brewster’s.
and Kirtland’s,—birds so unlikely to occur
there at that season as to be hardly worth
considering in this connection. Thirty of
these Warblers were found on the small
homestead described below.

The appended list of eighty species seem
on a single forenoon gives an idea of the
wonderful diversity and richness of the tem-
porary avifauna. With very few excep-
tions, these birds were all found on a single
hillside homestead of about six acres, con-
taining grass-land, bushes and brambles,
as well as many fruit and evergreen trees.
Our only excursion beyond these limits was.
a walk across lots to the river, a distance of
half a mile, and only two or three species
(among them the Rough-winged Swallow)
were added by this trip. Fuertes and I
were almost constantly together, so that we
had scarcely any advantages over a single
observer. Considering the limitations of
time and area, this list seems to be a very
large one. Extending our field half a mile
to the eastward would have added at least
four species, among them the Kentucky and
Worm-eating Warblers. Notice that the
list consists almost wholly of the smaller
passerine birds, and does not include even
a single Hawk.

May 12, 1900. Bob-white, Mourning
Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed
Cuckoo, Downy Woodpecker, Flicker,

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98

Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-
throated Hummingbird, Kingbird, Crested
Flycatcher, Phoebe, Least Flycatcher, Blue
Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Bobo-
link, Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird,
Meadowlark, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore
Oriole, Purple Grackle, Purple Finch,
American Crossbill, White-winged Cross-
bill, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin,
Vesper Sparrow, Yellow-winged Sparrow;
Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, ‘Towhee,
Rose - breasted Grosbeak, Indigo - bird,
Scarlet Tanager, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swal-
low, Rough-winged Swallow, Cedar-bird,
Red-eye1 Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-
throated Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black
and White Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler,
Golden-winged Warbler, Nashville War-

bler, Parula Warbler, Cape May Warbler, -

Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue
Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black
and Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided War-
bler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackburnian
Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler,
Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Water-
Thrush, Louisiana Water- Thrush, Mary-
land Yellow-throat Warbler, Yellow-
breasted Chat, Wilson’s Warbler, Cana-
dian Warbler, American Redstart, Catbird,
Brown Thrasher, House Wren, White-
breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee, Wood
Thrush, Wilson’s Thrush, Gray-cheeked
Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, American
Robin, Bluebird.—Geratp H. THuHayer,
Monadnock, N. H.

Notes from in and near New York

Hairy Woopprecker. A male and a
female spent this past winter in the Ramble,
Central Park, and they or others have been
seen in the north end woods. ‘This is the
first time in the four years I have been in
New York that I have known this species
to winter here.

PINE GROSBEAK. I was shown two, in
gray plumage, in Central Park, November
12, 1903, and had excellent views before
they flew. About three minutes later I
found three (different ?) individuals in the

same place, also gray. At Nordhoff, Ber-

Bird -

Lore

gen County, N. J., on January 9, I saw
three Grosbeaks, two of them splendid
adult males.

Pine SIskIN. October 1903, I saw
one Siskin feeding with several other spe-
cies of its family, in Central Park, on the
wall of the smaller reservoir.

FIELD SPARROW. In Bronx Park, at
Pelham avenue, where it crosses the Bronx
river, I saw one individual on January 17,
feeding with Tree and Song Sparrows.

HoopED WarBLER. November 8, 1903,
six weeks later than the date for departure
given in Mr. Chapman’s ‘Handbook,’ I
saw an adult male at Grantwood, Bergen
county, N. J.

WILSON’s WARBLER. I saw one in Cen-
tral Park, on October 31, 1903. My dates
for this and the next species were each a
month later than those given in the “ Hand-
book.’

LONG-BILLED MarsH WREN. I saw one
of these Wrens at Moresmere, Bergen
county, N. J., on November 8, 1903, and
another on the 21st.—CHARLES H. ROGERS,
New York City.

II,

Pine Grosbeaks in New Jersey

Pine Grosbeaks were first seen here on
Christmas Day, their first appearance since
February, 1897; I next saw them the first
Sunday of the new year, and since then
have seen literally hundreds of them. It
has been no unusual thing to see as many
as four or five flocks of from six to twenty
individuals in the course of an afternoon’s
walk. ‘They have been seen in every part
of town, and many people have been sure
that a large flock of Robins was wintering
in their cedars. Since the middle of Feb-
ruary I have not seen so many, generally a
single one, or sometimes two. The propor-
tion of red to gray ones has been one to five
or six.

For several weeks after their arrival their
food seemed to consist of the fruit of the
mountain ash and honeysuckle berries, and
while the berries lasted they were daily
visitors to porches where honeysuckles are
found. Lately they have been feeding on
tree-buds, especially those of the English

ie

Notes from Field and Study 99

maple and the larch; of the latter they ate
not only the buds, but even the bark of the
smaller, more tender branches.

I saw an occasional one as late as March
21, and hope that observers have made
careful notes of their latest appearance.

During this exceptionally severe winter,
I have seen, in addition to the very com-
mon winter birds, Tufted Titmice, King-
fishers, Bluebirds and Winter Wrens.
Brown Creepers have been unusually abun-
dant, as were Red-breasted Nuthatches
during late fall and early winter. Redpolls
and Snowflakes have been reported, but I
have not been so fortunate as to see them.
On the other hand, some of our regular
winter birds, Song Sparrows, Golden-
crowned Kinglets and Flickers, seemed
entirely to disappear for a time.—R. C.
Caskey, Morristown, N. J.

Purple Martins in Illinois

In the fall number of Birp-Lore I saw
an account of great destruction to Purple
Martins last summer, all through the East,
and one especially in which all the young
of a large colony were destroyed by rains.

It may be interesting to your readers to
know that I observed fourteen pairs which,
as far as I knew, raised all their young
successfully this summer (1903). When
they gathered for migration the sky about
the Martin house was dark with birds. —
ABBIE VREDENBURGH, Curran, III.

Cowbird and White-eyed Vireo

Having heard some conjectures and in-
quiries of the treatment of the young in
nests when shared by the young Cow-
birds, the following observations may
prove of interest. A pair of White-eyed
Vireos had a nest in an apple tree in
my orchard, about eight feet from the
ground. I found that it contained a young
Cowbird and one young Vireo. The Cow-
bird, of course, was much the larger.
When the Cowbird was half-grown it left
the nest by being disturbed. For the first
three days after the Cowbird left the nest,
the old birds fed both the Cowbird and
Vireo in the nest, but on the fourth the

little Vireo died, apparently from neglect.
By this time the Cowbird was able to fly
and meet the foster-parents, which it did so
persistently before they could get near the
nest, that it seemed to take all the food the
old birds could procure, and they apparently
could not satisfy the Cowbird and nestling
too. The Cowbird this time
bigger than its foster - parents. — HENRY
Hates, Ridgewood, N. J.

was by

Bird Protection in Great Pritain

The British Admiralty have lately taken
a step in regard to bird protection which we
might well emulate in this country. It is
reported in English ‘Country Life’ as
follows:

‘‘ Amongst the things that we pretend to
do, and leave most carefully undone, must
be numbered the protection of wild birds.
There are Acts enough in the Statute Book,
it is true, and they can be produced at any
time for purposes of annoyance, but they
are entirely ineffective as a means for the
preservation of our wild birds, and especially
of sea-birds. It is a notorious fact that
any one who wishes it, and is willing to pay
the price, may have Gulls’ eggs for his
breakfast during the whole of the breeding
season, or, if he be on collecting bent, he
may, for a price varying with the rarity of
the bird, obtain clutches of all our disap-
pearing species. Under these circumstances,
it is a matter for congratulation that the
Admiralty has sanctioned the codperation
of the coastguard in carrying out the provi-
sions of the Wild Birds’ Protection Act.
There are 677 coastguard stations on the
coast, and the mere knowledge that each
coastguardsman has power to interfere with
the destruction of wild birds or their nests,
ought to act as a check upon the depreda-
tions that are constantly taking place.’’

‘By the Wayside’

With the May issue of this progressive
little magazine, Miss Ruth Marshall, of the
Ryan High School, Appleton, Wis., as-
sumes the editorship. An especial effort will
be made to increase the magazine’s value to
nature-study teachers.

Book Mews and Meviews

A GUIDE TO THE Birps OF NEW ENGLAND
AND EASTERN NEW YORK, containing a
key for each season and short descriptions
of over two hundred and fifty species, with
particular reference 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. Boston and New
York: Houghton, Miffin & Co. The
Riverside Press, Cambridge. 1904. 12mo.
xlil-+ 357 pages.

So many books designed to aid beginners
in identifying the birds of the northeastern
United States have appeared in the last fif-
teen years that, before opening this new
‘ Guide,’ one might well be pardoned for
believing it superfluous. A glance through
its pages, however, will be enough to con-
vince one that this is not the case.

This work treats ef practically all the’

species of New England birds exclusive of
accidental] visitants and very rare, irregular
stragglers. Short introductory chapters are
given on ‘ Birds and their Seasons,’ ‘ Mi-
gration,’ ‘ Distribution’ (accompanied by
a map of the region covered, showing the
life zones), ‘Hints for Field Work’ and
“How to Usethe Keys.’ In the latter the
number of possibilities is narrowed by giv-
ing separate keys for winter, summer and
autumn, and one for each of the spring
months.

In the body of the book we find family
headings, under which are summarized the
distribution and abundance of the species
and the prominent family characteristics.
The order now usually followed is reversed,
this book beginning with the Thrushes and
ending with the Grebes.

An average of about a page is devoted to
each species. Following the description of
the bird’s plumage, the nest and eggs are
briefly described. The first large type para-
graph gives the status of the species in the
region covered,—its abundance, distribu-
tion, time of occurrence and haunts. The
notes, habits and appearance of the bird in
the field are then described, with the one
object of identification in view. Mention is

made of all species which might be mis-
taken by the beginner for the one under
consideration, and the differences between
them are fully discussed. This is the part of
the work which will be of greatest assistance
to the student. Frequent cross-references
facilitate efforts at identification.

The book is illustrated by four full-page
plates by Fuertes and numerous cuts in the
text, most of them showing the head or head
and forepart-of body. An appendix gives _
‘Lists of birds breeding in the three life
zones of New England and eastern New
York,’ and a list of books of reference.

It is our opinion that for beginners in the
restricted region covered by this book it will
prove to be the most helpful of any manual
yet published for the identification of birds
in the feld.—W. DE W. M.

BasBy PATHFINDER TO THE Birps: A Pocket
Guide to One Hundred and Ten Land
Birds of New England, with Blank Pages
for Notes. By Harriet E. RICHARDS
and EmMMa G. CUMMINGS, members of
American Ornithologists’ Union. Illus-
trated. W. A. Butterfield, Publisher,
59 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. 1904.
125 leaves. 214 x 4% inches.

The object and scope of this tiny booklet
are described in the following extract from
the preface: “This little guide has been
prepared primarily for New England, but
should be of service in New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. Birds of prey,
game- and water-birds are not included.
The descriptions are based on the general
appearance of adult birds as seen in the
field. The small size and blank pages for
notes commend the book for use out-of-
doors, to be supplemented at home with
reference to more elaborate works.”

One hundred and ten of the commoner New
England land-birds, from the Cuckoos to
the Thrushes, are described. Each species
occupies a page, the reverse side of the leaf
being left blank for field notes. The larger
families are preceded by a few remarks on
the family characteristics.

Description of plumage is followed by

(100)

Book News

brief notes on haunts, habits, food, abun-
dance and time of arrival. The last two
have reference to the species in Massachu-
setts. Notes, nest and breeding range in
New England are treated in a few words
under separate headings. About one-fourth
of the species are represented by small out-
line illustrations. —W. DeW. M.

The Ornithological Magazines

THe Aux.—A timely criticism of ‘ nature-
books’ attracts our attention in the April
‘Auk.’ W.M. Wheeler, writing on ‘ The
Obligations of the Student of Animal Be-
havior,’ says, that “all we can really per-
ceive of animal behavior is certain move-
ments 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.” Here is food
for reflection which may not be altogether
palatable for some who have wielded the
pen of late years in combining science and
fiction. H. Oldys, writing on ‘ The Rhyth-
mical Song of the Wood Pewee,’ considers
it as taking “higher technical rank than
any other known example of bird music.”
His reduction of it to musical notation is,
however, like all attempts of this kind, emi-
nently unsatisfactory for any one who has
ever heard the bird.

A.C. Bent continues his article on the
“Nesting Habits of the Herodiones_ in
Florida,’ showing admirable photographs
that evidently represent much expenditure
of energy in the taking. On the whole,
the Herons protected from the plume-
hunters would not seem to be in immediate
danger of extermination. Not so, the
Masked Bob-white of Arizona, which,
according to H. Brown, survives only in
Mexico, although not persecuted for feathers.
The title ‘Curve-billed and Palmer’s
Thrashers,’ by ). H. Clark, is misleading,
for the paper deals only with the nests and
eggs of these two birds. It is illustrated.

The perennial local list is much in evi-
dence, one by R. E. Snodgrass, on birds of
the state of Washington, one by G. Eifrig,
on those of western Maryland, and one by
G. F. Breninger, on those of San Clemente

and Reviews 101
Island, California. The status of the
western form of Lincoln’s Sparrow is dis-
cussed by J. Grinnell; there are valuable
reviews—one on that classic of North Ameri-
can ornithology, Coues’ ‘Key to North
American Birds ’—and the general notes are
numerous.—J. D., Jr.

THe Conpor.—The opening article in
the March-April number of ‘The Condor’
contains an interesting description of the
habits of ‘Two Oregon Warblers,’ by W.
L. Finley, and is illustrated by reproduc-
tions of five striking photographs by Bohl-
man, showing the Black-throated Gray
Warbler and the Western Yellow Throat
feeding their young. A brief account of
the ‘ Nesting Habits of the Black-headed
Grosbeak’ is contributed by Anna Head,
and a description of ‘A Sandhill Crane’s
Nest’ in Gunnison county, Colorado, by
E.R. Warren.

Under the title ‘ Destruction of Birds by
Wires,’ Emerson describes the havoc
wrought among the smaller shore birds by
two telephone wires strung across the marsh
near Haywards, Cal., at a height just sufh-
cient to catch the flocks of Sandpipers and
Phalaropes passing from the feeding-
grounds in one pond to another. Forty
dead birds were picked up in one day and
thirty the next.

Notes on 49 species of ‘ Midwinter Birds
at Palm Springs, California,’ are given by
Grinnell, who calls attention to this locality
as probably one of the best in the state for
observing the migration of land-birds. The
status of ‘ The Elf Owl in California’ is
firmly established by Herbert Brown, who
describes the finding of two nests with eggs
at Duncan Flats, about 25 miles north of
Yuma, in May, 1903. This interesting
species, first described from a specimen col-
lected at Fort Mohave, Ariz., in 1861,
seems to be limited in its distribution in
Arizona and California by the range of the
giant cactus, which is found on the west
side of the Colorado river at only a few
points. The first part of a paper entitled
“Nevada Notes,’ based on _ observations
made along the Humboldt river in the sum-
mer of 1903, is contributed by W. C.

102

Hanna. In one of the brief notes ‘ From
Field and Study,’ Dille records two sets of
eggs of the Flammulated Screech Owl and
one of the Evening Grosbeak, found in
Estes Park, Colo., in June, 1903, a descrip-
tion of which is promised for a future
number. ;

The series of portraits of eastern orni-

thologists begun last year is continued in.

this number by a portrait and brief summary
of the work of E. W. Nelson, ‘our authority
on Mexican birds.’—T. S. P.

BULLETIN OF THE MICHIGAN ORNITHO-
LOGICAL CLuB.— The March number comes
to us much improved in typography, with a
new cover and increased number of pages.
It is almost entirely devoted to two articles
on Kirtland’s Warbler, which contain prob-
ably more information relative to this rare
bird than all previous literature combined.

Norman A. Wood writes on the ‘ Discovery

of the Breeding Area of Kirtland’s Warbler,’
with a list of the specimens of this bird
secured or observed in Michigan. Chas.
C. Adams follows with an article on ‘ The
Migration Route of Kirtland’s Warbler,’
which contains much of interest. A num-
ber of local field notes testify to the activity
of the Club.—W. S.

JOURNAL OF THE MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL
SocieTy.—The April number contains a
long article on ‘Man’s Relation to the
Lower Animals’ by Prof. J. Y. Stanton.
‘Contributions to the Life History of the
Yellow Palm Warbler,’ by O. W. Knight,
is the first of a promised series of papers on
the Warblers of Maine, to be prepared by
various members of the Society. A. H.
Norton continues his ‘ Notes on the Finches
of Maine.’ A. C. Dike treats of ‘ Attract-
ing Birds in Winter,’ and G. D. Libby
writes on the ‘Woodcock.’ Numerous

local notes make up an excellent number.—
W.S.

WILSON BuLLETIN.—No. 46 of the ‘ Wil-
son Bulletin,’ which has appeared since our
last review, contains the following articles
and short notes: ‘ The Cerulean Warbler,’
Lynds Jones; ‘ Partial List of Summer Birds

Bird -

Lore

of Holderness, N. H.,” A. C. Comey; ‘ The
Larks of Germany,’ W. F. Henninger ;
“The Marsh Wren’s Midnight Song,’ C. J.
Hunt; * A Double Nest of Red-eyed Vireo,’
Lynds Jones; ‘The Clock Factory,’ Ester
Craigmile; ‘ The New Year Bird Census’; —
“A Disastrous Trip,’ W. F. Henninger;
‘ An Improvident King Bird,’ Lynds Jones;
‘The May Horizon’; ‘A Door-yard List
of Birds,’ R. Le Baird. Prof. Lynds Jones
points out that the Cerulean Warbler, in-
stead of being a rare breeder, is, on the
contrary, not uncommon in almost any part
of Ohio where conditions are at all favorable.
Mr. Comey in his list of the birds of Hol-
derness includes 91 species, 87 of which are
summer residents. The 65 species recorded
from the same locality by Mr. Faxon (* Auk,’
V) are indicated by a star. The illustra-
tion of the double Vireo’s nest is interesting
in showing the two structures equally com-
plete, placed side by side on diverging twigs,
and each containing eggs The New Year
Bird Census, which was carried on in about
twenty localities, demonstrates how difficult
it is to secure long lists of birds during win-
tery weather, since 28 species was the highest
record made, and five observers only saw
upwards of 20 species.—A. K. F.

Tue Emu.—The April number of ‘ The
Emu’ completes the third volume of this
valuable quarterly. ‘The frontispiece de-
picts in colors two hitherto unfigured species
of Honey-eaters. Among other interesting
articles is one by Alex. Wm. Milligan, de-
scribing a trip to the Wongan Hills, west-
ern Australia, illustrated by several half-
tones, one of which shows on old egg-mound
of the Mallee-fowl.

In an article on ‘ Birds Occurring in the
Region of the Northwest Cape,’ by Thomas
Carter, is an amusing account of a tame
Straw-necked Ibis which became great
friends with a young kangaroo dog, engag-
ing with it in play, preening its fur and
guarding it when asleep. We are glad to
learn that the Lieutenant-Governor of New
Guinea has issued an order prohibiting the
destruction of Rirds of Paradise, ‘‘ in most
portions of the possessions, so that they may
not become extinct.’’—W. DeW. M.

tae

Editorials

Bird: Lore

A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

No. 3

Vol. VI Published June 1. 1904

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canadaand Mexico
twenty cents a number, oue dollar a year, post-
age paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush ts Worth Two in the Hand

A Letter From Florida

The editor has just completed a tour of
observation through parts of Florida, in the
results of which, so far as they affect the
future of bird protection in the state, Birp-
Lore’s readers may be interested.

The region passed through extends from
Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee and thence
to the east coast at Sebastian. The Kis-
simmee river trip is made very comfortably
by boat, two days being required to reach
Bassinger from Kissimmee. The remainder
of the trip was made by wagon, camps
being made by the way.

After passing through the lakes and
reaching the Kissimmee river, one voyages
through a vast marsh. The river is narrow,
barely wide enough in places for the pas-
sage of the quaint little steamer; birds are
abundant, and there is doubtless no journey
in Florida, if indeed there is in the United
States, where the tourist can see so many
kinds of birds to such advantage.

Seven days were passed encamped near
the heavily forested north shore of Okee-
chobee, and three days were consumed in
driving thence to the east coast. No oppor-
tunity was lost to acquire information con-
cerning the plume-bearing Herons and
Paroquets, which once thronged this region,
and it is probable that a fairly correct idea
of the status of these birds was obtained.
The ‘ Plume bird,’ or Snowy Heron, is prac-
tically extinct. Not one was observed or

103

reported. The White Egret exists in small
numbers; not more than a dozen birds
were seen and only a single rookery was
heard of. This was said to have been
formed in the upper St. John district, about
sixteen miles west of Sebastian. News of
its formation was accompanied by the state-
ment that it had been ‘‘ shot out.’’ This,
it may be added, in the writer’s opinion, is
the certain fate of every rookery of aigrette-
bearing Herons, unless an armed warden
be detailed to guard it day and night.

No law will ever prevent robbery, if the
temptation to thieve be sufficiently great;
and with Herons’ plumes worth twice their
weight in gold, there are hundreds of ex-
plumers waiting to loot any rookery which
becomes large enough to make the returns
worth the risk of prosecution.

Paroquets are apparently very
though it will probably be years before the
species becomes extinct. Only twelve indi-
viduals were observed, and diligent inquiry
showed that the species has greatly de-
creased in the past ten years,—though no
cause for this diminution is evident.

Reaching Indian river at Sebastian, Peli-
can island was visited and found to have
been wholly deserted by the birds, not a
Pelican old or young being seen. Six hun-
dred and fifty nests were found on two
small neighboring islands. These were al}
occupied in January, when Warden Kroegel
reports that a heavy norther raised the water
and flooded all the ground nests, while
many of the young birds which escaped
drowning were starved, the parents being
evidently unable to provide for them. The
old birds are now scattered along the coast,
and it is not probable that any further at-
tempt will be made to nest this year.

Subsequently the site of a Wood Ibis
rookery at the head of the Sebastian river
was visited. Four years ago, the writer
found it occupied by several hundred pairs of
birds, and nesting with them were White
Herons and Water Turkeys. Today the
great cypresses do not support one occupied
nest, and we now turn toward the Keys, in
the hope of finding some isolated place
where primeval conditions still exist.—
Miami, Florida, May 2, 1904.

rare,

The Audubon Docieties

“You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird’s song.”’

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER

Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should
'be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn. Reports, etc., designed for this department should be
sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

With names and addresses of their Secretaries

Califormiazsoccs sees tc csan ci seve\eva. al entaneroteralelsrsraneremie sis erie verarc ters tare eae le eigmteceerees W. Scott Way, Pasadena.
WOlorad 01st See er cio a Te ee Re ORS IETS ERT Son Mrs. MarTHA A. SHUTE, Denver.
ConnectiCut i225.) ds hats cies cates bein eetaea mee eoreee Mrs. WILLIAM BROWN GLOVER, Fairfield.
Delaware so. cjaes cae sees s motes aialetoers ase lcreteieeie Mrs. Wm. S. HILLeEs, Delamore Place, Wilmington.
District of Columbia .....................: Mrs. JOHN DEWHURST PATTEN, 2212 R street, Washington.
Tal heya (s Ehren Secon SALE iin aeRO NR ANC Mere ina Co a east ta se is Mrs. I. VANDERPOOL, Maitland.
MGEOTPIA so clonnesenu eee aes aco naielas digis te rad eran hae sie Se PROFESSOR H. N. STARNES, of Experiment.
Win ols ee 5 Soto ica soeweisiore a ois tae fats cravat Garale oe tetera Miss MARY DRUMMOND, 208 West street, Wheaton.
Indiana’s,. 62ers aoe ao se neenvaeia kaon eae Sei eee cao FLORENCE A. Howe, Hillside Ave., Indiamapolis.
OW Bie ated iSiore SoS RTS ae HS eT eee C oe WRT TOUR RCo oe ae Mrs. W. F. Parrott, Waterloo.
Rentuckysoesnieen,/ agents caialaeeteiaac aaa eee aaa Ae CR eae a Ree Miss JULIET O. ALvEs, Henderson,
Wouisiana\. icf csessuicctcaces ealenncacmccnits ce memenanes Miss ANITA PRING, 1682 Peters ave., New Orleans.
Maine) os S25 So Ge ae Se OE BES Oe ie Oa EW ELT ISS ae hIaTG Siete Rigs eee Mrs. C. B. TuTTLE, Fairfield.
Maryland tse ono cao eeistee Miss ANNE WESTON WHITNEY, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.
Massachusetts ............. Miss JESSIE E. KIMBALL, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.
IMCS aN 2's! )o m5 sie aisias goes ssc a seme bereliciars JEFFERSON BUTLER, Suite 79, Home Bank Building, Detroit.
Minriesota sie ge aire ioe wisynkns cate isione oltalnais crs lore ais atelals Miss JESSIE WHITMAN, 2356 Bayless ave., St. Paul.
MINS DUI Ron ee Coa eee eens AuGusT REESE, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.
Nebraska) o25,. cases ct ene silsinvcabiers cits cena nea ae crete agen Miss Joy Hiceins, 544 South goth street, Omaha.
New Hampshire..............2..00ccecceuceeeceeeceeeeeeesssess MRS. F. W. BATCHELDER, Manchester.
New, Jerse yise i .s.scen ec coc ee ene eres Miss JULIA SCRIBNER, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.
New) York cscs sence ccc.eioen Miss Emma H. Lockwoop, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.
Worth 'Carolinasc ois ok ica new cen he gle acorns ive aha sateieie a iatstmraveiete aarti eTee Ps T. GILBERT PEARSON, Greensboro.
WNOrth Dakota eis canis cae oe eA oie erta an aah Sires See eretete Pesake iainene tee etch Mrs. C.M Coo.ey, Grand Forks.
Qhiae eee ese ee ee eae Mrs. D. Z. MCCLELLAND, 820 West Ninth street, Cincinnati.
OkMahoma ve Ge ee eee RE ea ees IR shane Mrs. ADELIA Hotcoms, Enid.
ST iy £0) 0 PN re fia eA eT Set Sea gn Reg of Bear A. W. ANTHONY (Pres’t), 900 Thurman street, Portland.
Pennsylvania...................... Mrs. EDWARD ROBINS, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.
Rhode Island............ aeetadeiars ehavelel Ute tote tere Gre tateiaiet eras Mrs. H. T. GRANT, 187 Bowen street, Providence.
SouthiGarolinarsse cers es scones soe astante areseietet Miss S. A. SMyTH, Legare street, Charleston.
TREmre see 282 oi oa ie Nae so ee Ee FE SE a eee eee Mrs. C. C. CONNER, Ripley.
TEXAS wiacc.0 aie o)e ah iais 5 ys ie snes see Reis avis ge hae Re OeaTe cheioe merce ieee Miss Hope TERHUNE, La Porte.
Vermont) ss .sccc sosoc een bree ae Sele oe toe ae eee eae eRe Mrs. FLETCHER K. BARROws, Brattleboro.
VARIN ee is ee aw OA es ate oh ick Saaloio UTS aon ale ca alc ose epee ats eee Mr. E. C. HouGu, Falls Church.
WS Commins oo. Sorercelestarsioeiarclat aletersierse ue Mrs. REUBEN G. THWAITES, 260 Langdon street, Madison.
WYOMING saben hee enc OREN aate aki mec Eo eee eee eRe Mrs. CorDELIA CHIVINGTON, Cheyenne.

deliberately, perverted truth and brought
not only the contempt of the honest upon
themselves, but, worse yet, have caused
much ridicule to be cast upon the entire

Upon the Necessity of Accuracy

Not content with a field of action so broad
that it would seem sufficient for even the

ambition of his Satanic majesty—the Father
of Lies has, of late years been invading the
realms of nature, and, clad in seductive and
apparently harmless garb, offered, alack !
fatal temptation to walkers in the wood
paths, who, either for love of mental adven-
ture or pushed by the spirit of greed, have
sometimes obliviously, but in many cases

class of writers who are popularizing natural
history and the life out-of-doors.

To do this today, when the stress of life
makes the contemplation of the world of
nature a necessary counterbalance, is not
only foolish but a crime, indeed, because it
destroys values and puts a false standard
before the eyes of the very children that it

( 104)

The Audubon Societies

professes to teach. It is like teaching a
child the outlines of the great events of his-
tory through sensational novels and then ex-
pecting him to be content with a subsequent
course of dignified history. After the lurid
envelopment of an overheated imagination,
the truth, however wonderful in itself, must
seem cold and bare indeed.

In all nature work, and especially in in-
vestigations relating to birds and their pro-
tection, should the greatest accuracy be
maintained. Any sportsman will testify
that to overshoot the mark is generally to
scatter shot further afield than to undershoot ;
and thus sentimental exaggeration, toward
which there is at present such a pitiful rush

by many who, knowing better, persist in

using its methods to win their willing and
ignorant audience (and the ignorant are
often in the majority), will ere long be a
spent force.

To paraphrase a truism—The truth of
nature thrown to earth by the lack of men-
tal balance among a few authors will surely
rise again, but we do not wish any of our
zealous bird protectionists to be found
among those victims meshed in war who
cannot rise, even upon the wings of their
own imagination, in the company of truth,

M. O. W.

National Committee Notes

By THE CHAIRMAN

To emphasize the necessity of incorpora-
tion, which has been brought to the atten-
tion of the Audubon members in the last
two issues of Birp-Lore, it is only neces-
sary to present the following letter:

AUDUBON SOCIETY OF AMERICA

New York, N. Y. April 21, 1904

“Kindly send me your exact corporate
name for the purposes of a bequest. I sup-
pose you have some descriptive pamphlet
which contains it, and I ask for as early an
answer as possible.”

This letter shows that the work of the
Audubon Societies and the continual agita-
tion of the subject of bird protection by let-
ters, leaflets and newspaper articles is com-
mencing to bear fruit; it is an important
economic subject which must attract the

105

attention of philanthropic people who will
finally endow the National Committee with
a sufficiently large sum to guarantee the
continuance of all branches of Audubon
work.

A prominent attorney in New York City
has volunteered his services and is now
looking into the matter of incorporation ;
i.e., whether it will be better to incorpo-
rate in Washington or in New York City;
the former being the national center, whereas
the latter is the financial metropolis. It is
probable that before the August issue of
Birp-Lore is published the Committee can
announce that the physical act of incorpora-
tion has been completed, when it will be
necessary to call the attention of citizens
throughout the country to the fact that the
National Committee of Audubon Societies
has a legal status and can hold real estate
or other property in the nature of a perma-
nent endowment to carry on the work of
bird protection in perpetuity.

This being the year when most biennial
legislatures do not meet,—this branch
of committee work has not been so ardu-
ous; although at times it has been of
rather a strenuous nature, and the result in
a number of states has been of a very de-
cidedly retrograde character, showing how
important it is that the work of bird protec-
tion shall be placed upon a permanent basis.
If the education of the public is not per-
sisted in, all of the results accomplished in
the past few years can be wiped out in a
shorter time than it took the milliners’
agents to almost exterminate the Terns of
the Atlantic coast,—and this every bird-
lover knows was done in about two years.

In Massachusetts the legislature is strug-
gling with a bill to protect the Hawks and
Owls; whether the members can overcome
the ingrained prejudices of generations re-
garding these two classes of birds is still
uncertain,

In the adjoining state of Rhode Island
the legislature has retreated so far into the
dark ages that they have actually passed a
law providing a bounty on Hawks, Owls
and Crows, notwithstanding the united
efforts of the sportsmen’s clubs and the
Audubon Society to prevent its passage.

106

The disastrous experience’ of Pennsylvania
and some other states that adopted bounty
laws did not serve as a warning to Rhode
Island. Fortunately the taxpayers of a
‘commonwealth always insist on the speedy
repeal of bounty laws as soon as the exces-
sive cost is realized.

How men who claim to be intelligent, or
to represent the best interests of a commu-
nity, can pass a law to pay a bounty for de-
stroying beneficial birds is past under-
standing; it is parallel with a great deal of
the legislation of the present day, which is
often harmful, largely unnecessary and un-
warranted, and, in many instances, uncon-
stitutional.

In New York state a determined effort to
repeal the law preventing spring shooting
of water-fowl was finally defeated; this
was only done, however, after the most
active resistance on the part of the orni-
thologists and other scientific men of the
state, and the sportsmen’s associations; it
was a small section, Long Island, against
the balance of the state. That the result of
this law will work for good there is abso-
lutely no doubt, as the Long Island waters,
which are one of the great resting-places of
water-fowl during the northward migra-
tion, are now protected after the first of
January.

From Maine it is reported to the Com-
mittee that the Eider Ducks are being shot
by the fishermen, notwithstanding all the
attempts that are made to protect the few re-
maining birds. There are probably not over
roo pairs of Eider Ducks that still breed in
the state of Maine, and it seems as though all
public spirit and pride were lost when men
are selfish enough to wish to kill the very last
pair of birds breeding in their state, instead
of trying to foster and protect them, for the
‘benefit and enjoyment of descendants. Such
ideas may be too Utopian for the ordinary
‘man or woman, but it is necessary for the
Audubon Societies to spread them broad-
cast if birds are to be preserved for our
children and grandchildren.

In New Jersey a second bill was intro-
duced to permit the killing of Robins by
fruit-growers ; this bill was defeated by as
Jarge a vote as was the first bill.

Bind:

Lore

For three years the Audubon Society and
allthe decent sentiment of the state of New
Jersey endeavored to pass a law to prevent
the shooting of Pigeons over traps; various
influences, not decent but very potent, de-
feated the bill for two years; the third at-
tempt was made this year, and the history of
this legislation is so peculiar and so inter-
esting that it is given in detail as a warning
to legislators who do not respect public ~
opinion and as an encouragement to Audu-
bon workers.

After the bill was introduced it was sent
to the Fish and Game Committee of the
House, and, notwithstanding all the efforts
to move it from that committee, it was held
until a short time before the close of the
session, when petitions began to flow into
the legislature in such numbers, demanding
that the bill be brought on the floor of the
House, in order that it might be acted upon,
that the committee dared not withstand pub-

“lic opinion, and the bill was passed by a

very large majority. Unfortunately, only
five days of the session remained when the
bill was sent from the House to the Senate;
it was there referred to the Committee on
Miscellaneous Business, and the same tactics
were employed to defeat the bill that had
been employed in the House; it was not re-
ported-out of the committee and the legis-
lature adjourned without the Senate having
an opportunity of acting on this bill which
had been passed almost unanimously in the
House.

The feeling of indignation was so strong
in the state, as voiced by the press, that
Governor Murphy felt compelled to put the
taxpayers of the state to the expense of a
special and extra session of the legislature
in order to consider what was known as the
Pigeon Bill. Even at the special session of
the legislature there was one legislator who
had the effrontery to try and kill the bill;
however, it was passed in a few moments,
after having been three years before the
legislature. This shows how the ordinary
politician respects a thoroughly aroused
public opinion. The work of the Audubon
Societies is primarily to arouse such public
opinion, both by education and organiza-
tion, so there will always be a demand for

The Audubon Societies

beneficial laws and their enforcement. This
same legislative body at the request of a
few selfishly interested sportsmen repealed
the law of 1903, stopping the spring shoot-
ing of Shore Birds or Snipe. The bill was
so ingeniously drawn that these birds may
be shot whenever they can be found in the
state, the close season being so arranged
that it covers the period when the birds are
not found in the state. Governor Murphy
approved the bill, notwithstanding the fact
that its retrograde and harmful character
was pointed out to him by well-known
ornithologists. His act was one more nail
in the coffin of this class of birds, which are
rapidly disappearing, owing to the wasteful
and sinful practice of shooting them while
on their migration to the breeding-grounds.

Virginia also took a retrograde step by
repealing the law of 1903, giving protection
to the Hawks and Owls; these unfortunate
but entirely beneficial birds were placed in
the excepted class.

The legislature also added to the excepted
birds Wilson’s Snipe and the Knot, com-
monly known asthe Robin-snipe. An at-
tempt was made to exempt all of the Bay
Birds or Snipe from protection, but a few of
the legislators who have always shown a
very decided and intelligent interest in the
preservation of the birds of their common-
wealth made so strenuous a fight that the
law protecting Snipe in the spring of the
year was not repealed except so far as it
applied to Wilson’s and the Robin-snipe.

The model introduced in the
legislature of Iowa, but it was not adopted,
although the secretary of the Schaller So-
ciety, Miss Hamand, spent three weeks at
the Capitol at the request of the National
Committee, endeavoring to have this bill
and an anti-pigeon shooting bill passed.
The committee to whom the model law bill
was referred reported adversely upon it on
the ground that the bill was too drastic. It
is a singular commentary on the intelligence
of a committee that it can report a bill as
too drastic that is drawn solely in the in-
terest of agriculture; a political bill might
be considered too drastic, but a bill for the
preservation of birds, which are the greatest
check nature provides for keeping down the

law was

107

myriads of insect pests that are always work -
ing against the interests of the farmer, can-
not be made too strong; it is a case where
men are called upon to act on a matter they
know nothing of and are either too careless
or indifferent, or give too little time intelli-
gently to study the subject themselves, and
who, for some reason, are unwilling to ac-
cept the statements made by scientists who
are competent to give them expert advice.

Fortunately the anti-pigeon shooting bill
was passed, so that Iowa now has stopped
this barbarous sport, and has thus removed
a stain from her good name.

In Ohio, the mass of citizens stood idly by
and
sportsmen insist upon the passage of a bill

let a handful of the lowest class of

removing protection from a bird as abso-
lutely beneficial as the Dove. The legis-
lator who introduced this bill came from
Darke county.
between the name of the county and this

What a happy coincidence
legislation : Darke, dark—either way you
spell the word the significance 1s the same.

The introducer of the bill stated that he
had no apology to offer, and that he could
see no reason why the state of Ohio should
fatten Doves that the people in the South
might shoot them in the fall. This shows
the importance of a uniform and strong sen-
timent throughout the whole country for the
protection of non-game birds ; it also illus-
trates very forcibly the influence that the
action of the citizens of one state have over
those of another state.

It is sincerely hoped that the better class
of sportsmen in Ohio were not a party to
this legislation and will not participate in
the wasteful practice of killing as harmless,
innocent and valuable a bird as the Dove.

Unfortunately ten days were added to the
open season for shooting wild fowl in the
spring; this is a backward step, much to be
regretted, and not at all in line with the
best sentiment of the present time. A bill
permitting the trapping and caging of Car-
dinals was also introduced, but was fortu-
nately defeated, although only by the nar-
row margin of two votes.

In Mississippi the model law was adopted,
and that commonwealth now has the honor
of having joined those states that are taking

108

an intelligent interest in the preservation of
their birds ; even the beneficial Hawks are
protected, although the unfortunate Owls
were not included in the list of protected
birds.

The legislative fight is now on in the
state of Louisiana, the session having com-
menced on the rst of May, when bills for
the protection of the game and none-game
birds were introduced.

A great deal of splendid preparatory work
has been done by the Louisiana Audubon
Society which should, and it is hoped will,
accomplish the passage of the bills; how-
ever, a most determined fight may be ex-
pected, as it is found that there is a class of
sportsmen and bird epicures who are object-
ing to any law that will not permit them to
kill “nice, fat Robins, Catbirds, Wood
Thrushes and Red-eyed Vireos.” ‘These
birds have so long been sold in the markets
of New Orleans for the “pot” or “toasting

fork” that it is hard for some people to relin- .

quish this privilege; further, the cage-bird
dealers, i.e., those who want to capture
and ship out of the state, to foreign coun-
tries, Mockingbirds, Cardinals, Nonpareils
and Indigo Buntings, will join forces and
try to defeat bird legislation. However, the
decent sentiment of the state is. becoming
aroused, as they see staring them in the face
the fate of Texas with its boll-weevil
scourge.

If Louisiana passes the model law this
year every coastwise state of the United
States will have adopted the law with the
exception of South Carolina, Alabama and
California; and it must be said to the
credit of Alabama, what cannot be said for
South Carolina and California, that no at-
tempt has ever been made by the Committee
to have the model law adopted.

Warden service has been arranged for the
present year in all of the localities covered
at the last breeding season, and in addition
the Committee are protecting the breeding
Water Birds in the lake region of Oregon,
in cooperation with Mr. J. W. Baker,
Game and Forestry Warden.

The Committee is pleased to report that
the Navy Department has directed the Su-

Bird -

Lore

perintendent of the Cable Company at
Midway Island to prevent the destruction of
the birds of that island.

It is pleasant to confirm the statement
made in March Birp-Loreg, that an Audu-
bon Society would be at work in Cali-
fornia before the June issue was published ;
on March 25 the organization was accom-
plished at Pasadena; it is exceedingly active
and will exert a great influence at the next
session of the legislature. ‘he plan proposed
is to establish local or county societies
throughout the state, each with its own off-
cers, and also to organize a state federation
which will become a part of the National
Committee. The work of organizing addi-
tional societies is going on rapidly under the
guidance of Mr. W. Scott Way, secretary,
who is proving himself to be a first-class
leader; he is being ably seconded by the
trenchant pen of the friend of birds and
forests, Mrs. McCrackin, of Wrights.

Educational work is progressing satis-
factorily ; the South Carolina Audubon
Society is thoroughly awakened to the im-
portance of educating the people of their
state so that at the next session of the
legislature a demand will be made for a
satisfactory bird-law. In Michigan the
Audubon Society is making great strides
and will undoubtedly be able to have the
model law adopted at the next session of
the legislature.

The demands for the educational leaflets
of the Committee are greater every day,
especially from state and county superin-
tendents, teachers and libraries. It is
greatly to be regretted that the National
Committee is not in a financial position to
make a systematic and determined effort to
place our educational leaflets in every public
school in the country.

The demand for the Snowy Heron or
aigrette leaflet still continues’ very large,
and it was only a few days since that a
request was received from the Royal Botani-
cal Society of London for a complete set of
the educational publications of the National
Committee for display in the educational
pavilion of the Grand Horticultural Exhibi-
tion to be held in June.—W. D.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AUDUBON
SOCIETIES

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 9

eS

THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
Family—Falconide

Order— Raptores Suborder—Falcones
Genus— Buteo Species—Buteo lineatus

The Red-Shouldered Hawk

BY WILLIAM DUTCHER

, Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies

DESCRIPTION

Adults.—Upper parts dark fuscous-brown, each feather edged with rusty, except on lower back, which is without
edging ; wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts barred and tipped with white; throat rusty white, streaked with
blackish; rest of under parts bright rusty, varying greatly in shade, all feathers either spotted or barred with white,
the bars being more pronounced on the belly; some specimens show considerable black on breast or belly, princi-
pally as shaft-lines; wing with the four outer primaries (wing quills) notched, that is, abruptly narrowed near end,
all barred with black and white; shoulder of wing deep rich rusty or chestnut, this being a conspicuous distin-
guishing mark, giving one of the common names of the species, Red-shouldered Hawk, tail crossed by four or five
white bars and with white tip; under side of tail feathers gray instead of black; feet yellow, claws black; bill black,
bare skin at base of bill (cere) yellow.

Young.—Upper parts like adult, except being less rusty and not quite so dark; under parts whitish, tinged
with buff, deeper on thighs, profusely marked with large dark brown spots on breast and belly; thighs plain or with
very small spots; wing without white barring of adult; base of primaries pale cinnamon, whitish on inner side of
feather; tail grayish brown, faintly barred, showing more or less rusty near base of feathers, with some broken white
bars on under side of feathers.

Florida Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus alleni). Adults of this form of the Red-shouldered Hawk are
much smaller than those of the typical species, and can be distinguished by the grayish white head, which lacks
rufous, the decidedly grayish upper parts and the paler buff and faintly barred under parts. The shoulders, how-
ever, are the characteristic rusty or chestnut, but not quite so marked as in Jineatus proper. The young of this race
cannot be distinguished except by smaller size and locality where found (see note on distribution).

Red-bellied Hawk (Buteo lineatus elegans). Adults: Lower parts much brighter and deeper reddish brown than
in B. lineatus; upper parts brighter and clearer black and white, except on the head, which shows much more
rusty. The characteristic red shoulder patch present.

Size.—The male Red-shouldered Hawk (Jineatus) varies in length, 17.50 to 19.50 inches from tip of bill to end
of tail; female is much larger, varying from 19 to 22 inches. The Florida Red-shouldered Hawk (alleni) is much
smaller than true Jineatus, while the Red-bellied Hawk (elegans) is almost as large as lineatus. Note that the females
of all the Hawks and Owls, commonly known as Birds of Prey, are much larger than the males.

Nest.—The nest of Jineatus is built of sticks and is lined with strips of bark of various kinds, sometimes ever-
green twigs, dry grass, dead roots and feathers; it is placed at an average height of fifty feet from the ground, gen-
erally in a deciduous tree, although sometimes in a pine. Al//eni usually nests in pines and sometimes in cypress
trees, while elegans builds in cottonwoods, oaks, giant cactus, pines, etc., sometimes not more than ten feet from the
ground. 2

Eggs of lineatus and elegans.—Two to six in number, the average set being white to pale yellow, more or less
heavily smeared, blotched and spotted with different shades of brown, fawn color, vinaceous buff and pearl gray, and
showing an almost endless variety of patterns.

Distribution.—B. lineatus inhabits all of eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia and southern Canada;
west to Texas and the great plains; typical alleni is found only on the Florida peninsula; elegans is found on the
Pacific coast from British Columbia south to Lower California; also from western Texas to the Pacific.

The generic name of this hawk, Buteo, a buzzard, is of very ancient origin, being
mentioned in the writings of Pliny ; its specific name is from /inea, a line, referring to
the streaking of the plumage. The western form e/egans, meaning elegant, probably
refers to the beauty and special brightness of its feathers, while the southern form is
named in honor of Dr. J. A. Allen, the well-known ornithological student and
writer. There are twelve species and subspecies of Buteos in North America, four of
which belong to the Red-tailed Hawk group, and three to the Red-shouldered family.
Without a single exception the Buteos are valuable aids to the agriculturist, as will be
shown in detail later. As a class they are rather heavy, deliberate fliers, much given to
soaring in circles at a great height. At other times they are prone to select some point of
observation on a dead limb in the tree districts, or a knoll in the prairie regions, where
they will remain in perfect repose for a long period, seemingly asleep ; however, any
attempt to approach them by an observer quickly shows that they are alert and watchful.
Unfortunately, the harmless and beneficial Hawks of the Buteo tribe are the scapegoats of
all that is bad in the Hawk family and are made to suffer for most of the sins that a

(110)

The Red-Shouldered Hawk Ii

very small leaven of facts, magnified by the prejudice and ignorance of ages, has swollen:
to a very mountain of crime. Without reason they are called “Chicken-hawk” and.
“ Hen-hawk,” simply because a farmer from time to time may miss from his flock of barn-
yard fowl a pullet or hen, or may find their scattered feathers where a tragedy has.
occurred. ‘The farmer does not for a moment consider that this crime may have been com-
mitted by a fox, skunk, mink, weasel, cat or some other carnivorous animal, but at once-
_ attributes it to a Hawk, and immediately registers a vow to kill every Hawk that he sees
without reflecting that by so doing he may be killing one of his best friends.

Farmers are not the only persons who have a prejudice against Hawks, for it is unfor-
tunately too true that a large percentage of sportsmen attribute the rapidly diminishing
numbers of game-birds to Hawks, and consequently never fail to kill one when an oppor-
tunity occurs. ‘There is really very little doubt but that an increase in the number of
Hawks of the Buteo class would result in an increase of game-birds, as the Hawks would
reduce the number of small predaceous mammals that are so destructive to the young of
game-birds.

It is certainly a very short-sighted policy on the part of any one to condemn Hawks on
hearsay evidence; in human affairs no court will permit the admission of this kind of testi-
mony, and why should it be considered when birds are on trial? The proper method to
judge of the good or evil that Hawks do is to consider the results of a thorough and scien-
tific investigation of the food of a large number of Hawks collected from widely separated
sections of the country and at all seasons of the year. Under certain circumstances an
individual Hawk may be guilty of doing harm owing to his particular surroundings, but
that is no reason for condemning all Hawks, any more than it would be for charging with
crime every citizen in a village because one misguided individual was caught robbing
the bank.

The subject of the economic status of Hawks is one of great importance, and the agri-
culturist who is not willing to carefully examine all of the evidence presented certainly is
not living up to the advanced ideas of the twentieth century, but is still groping in dark--
ness. [he wide-awake farmer investigates every problem that will enable him to increase
his products a pound or a bushel. If it can be proved that Hawks destroy enormous
quantities of insects and vermin that are known to be a serious menace to agriculture,
should they not be protected as valuable auxiliaries to this industry, which is by far the
most important and valuable of all that engage the attention of man. It is purposed to
present to the farmers of the country as rapidly as possible a series of illustrated leaflets
giving the true economic status of the Hawks of North America, and it is hoped that
every person who reads the series will carefully weigh the evidence furnished, and if it is
shown by unimpeachable scientific facts that the species treated of is of value, let the
farmer not only protect the Hawk in question but insist that his neighbors shall do likewise.

The following evidence regarding Red-shouldered Hawks is taken from the report of
the Ornithologist of the State Board of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, 1890:

“In my examinations of 57 of these hawks [red-shouldered| which have been captured in Pennsylvania, 43 had
been eating field-mice, some few other small quadrupeds, grasshoppers and insects, mostly beetles; nine revealed
frogs and insects; two, small birds, remains of small mammals and a few beetles; two, snakes and portions of frogs.
The gizzard of one bird contained a few hairs of a field-mouse and some long black hair which appeared very much
like that of askunk. The bird on dissection gave a very decided odor of skunk. In two of these hawks, shot in
Florida, I found in one, portions of a small catfish, and in the other, remains of a small mammal and some few coleop-
terous insects (beetles).”

In 1893 the United States Department of Agriculture presented the following results
of stomach examinations:
The stomachs of 220 Red-shouldered Hawks were examined, of which only 3

contained poultry; this is only about 114 per cent of the total number examined,.
showing how very little harm this species of Hawk does to the farmers’ chickens; 12-

112 Bird-Lore

‘stomachs contained parts of small birds; 102 stomachs contained mice of different species;
40 others contained small mammals; reptiles were found in 20 stomachs, and batrachians
in 39—i.e., frogs, etc.; 92 contained insects; 16, spiders; 7, crawfish; 1, earth-worms;
2, offal; 3, fish; while 14 were empty at the time of examination. This evidence, which
is indisputable, shows not only the harmless character of these birds, but it also shows most
emphatically that they are of the greatest benefit to agriculturists, as nearly 50 per cent of
them had been eating mice, which are very destructive to the farmers’ crops and trees.

In the same report the following statements are made, which are additional evidence
emphasizing very forcibly the fact that the Red-shouldered Hawks deserve protection:

“A correspondent of the Department of Agriculture, resident in Owego, Tioga county, New York, states that a
pair of Red-shouldered Hawks reared their young for two years in a small swampy piece of wood about 50 rods from ~
.a poultry farm containing 800 young chickens and 400 ducks, and the keeper stated that he had never seen a Hawk
attempt to catch one.”

These Hawks, as shown by the stomach examinations, feed on insects to a consider-
able degree, and the report further states: ;

“ Among the insects which are destroyed in considerable numbers may be mentioned grasshoppers, crickets and
-various kinds of beetles and caterpillars. Even in December and early January, when apparently all insect life is in
a dormant state, specimens of the Red-shouldered Hawk are found whose stomachs are filled with one or more
-species of these insects.”

The writer of the Government report, Dr. Fisher, concludes by saying:

“To sum up, the food of this Hawk consists of at least 65 per cent of small rodents, which are very injurious to
-the farmer, and less than 2 per cent of poultry. It seems hardly necessary to more than mention this fact to an intelli-
gent person to convince them of the folly and short-sightedness of destroying this valuable bird, and of the necessity
of fostering and protecting it in the farm lands and orchards.”

Dryden says, “The field-mouse builds her garner under ground,” but the stores with
which it is filled are stolen from the farmers’ crops. Every farmer knows the enormous
number of these small rodents that can be found in acorn field at the time of husking,
and although each mouse destroys but a small amount of grain or other vegetable matter,
yet the aggregate amount that is lost on every acre must amount toa great deal in the.
-course of a year on a farm of one hundred acres. These small mammals are numerous in
‘species and are very prolific, and if their numbers were not kept in check by the so-called
Birds of Prey they would soon become a serious menace to agriculture. If the farmers of
the country could have a Pied Piper of Hamelin to rid them of their rodent pests they might
not need the aid of Hawks, but Browning’s weird creation cannot be summoned in this
matter-of-fact age. The Buteo family will serve the farmer as well today as the Pied
‘Piper served the storied Brunswickers.

“And, whether they pipe us free from rats or from mice,
If we’ve promised them aught, let us keep our promise ! ”

The only promise that the farmer has to give the Hawks for the valuable service they
‘give him is that they shall be protected at all times, and shall be permitted to build a home
and occupy it in peace; surely this is a small recompense for such inestimable service.

Study Points for Teachers and Students

Trace distribution of each race on map. Which kind is found in your locality? Does it remain with you in
winter? What is the distinctive plumage feature which suggests name ? Describe as many as possible of the ver-
ymin destroyed by this Hawk. Describe the differences between carnivorous animals and rodents. How many spe-
cies of each have you in your locality ? Send to the Committee any personal reasons you may have for protecting
this Hawk. Who was Pliny? Dryden? Browning? When did they live and write ?

For valuable information regarding the Red-shouldered Hawks, consult the reference-books named in Leaflet
‘No. 8, Marsh Hawk.

Additional copies of this leaflet may be procured of William Dutcher, chairman, 525 Manhattan avenue,
New York City.

J JULY — AUGUST, 1904

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EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

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20c. a Copy
$1 a Year

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PUBLISHED FOR THE AUDUBON Socrkeries
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The Pacmillan Company “4

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HARRISBURG, PA. eral Magee

COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

PBird= Lore

July-August, 1904

CONTENTS
GENERAL ARTICLES PAGE

FRONTISPIECE — YELLOW-THROATED, GRACE’S, AND BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS . . .-
Louis Agassiz Fuertes .

RED-EYED VIREOS, AWAKE AND ASLEEP. Illustrated by the author. . . Francis H. Herrick. 113
THe NESTING HABITS OF THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN IN COLORADO. Illustrated by the
DUET See ey Re RE Se ee eh moe ey ORS GR. tet tre tetera dias enn ee Evan Lewis. 117
GepivieS\adnaes UNTO ar ce Sean lo Ave asAt obo be Se Pe vals /syqAN 5 Wei
A Visit TO THE LAKE ERIE TERNS. Illustrated by ..... .. . 6. WRoberE PD. Gris aes
WOODEREWEE ONG NESiion SUS btaltdOTluen sie ie lcumleata Meine gen emncire Mel tage cier ies EL. S. -Hoxtom anes

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
THE MIGRATION oF WARBLERS. Fifth Paper. Illustrated by Louts Agassiz Fuertes and

IBEUCERELOVS (Claman aa ueietion Ble Graiten tise euro eNe oe W.W. Cooke 130
NotTeES ON THE NESTING OF LAWRENCE’S WARBLER ...-.....-.-- - Tsaac Bildersee 13%
NOTES BRON BIEED AND) STUDY 9255. orc een ee 2 133

A STRENUOUS SCREECH OWL, Jsabella McC Lemmon; GOLDFINCH AND TREE SPARROW,
Chreswell J. Hunt; TAMING A RED-EYED VIRbO, Samuel C. Palmer; MOCKING-BIRDS IN
New Jersey, Henry Hales; A VHIEVING CHEBEC, Addison Williamson; Ywo YEARS FOR
AN ORIOLE’S Nest, Frank T. Antes.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS .....-..- «+ +s. ETN EE OM is 3 USTRe
HornabDay's ‘ AMERICAN NaturAL History’; R&eEp'’s ‘NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS’ EGGS’ ;

Werb s ‘Brrp LIFE STORIES’; THE ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES; BOOK NEWS.
MDITORIALS 220s ee OS i aes se Ae ESE OU tach le ela st -ekle) bo ees) a a 139

AUDUBON DEPARTMENT 140

BirD PROTECTION ABROAD, IV—Japan, 7 S. Palmer; NATIONAL COMMITTEE NOTES.

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 10. Illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes . . William Dutcher . 143

x*x Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review, and exchanges should be
sent to the Editor at Englewood, New Jersey.

NOTICES TO SUBSCRIBERS

BIRD-LORE is published for the Audubon Societies on the first of every other month by the
Macmillan Co., at Crescent and Mulberry streets, Harrisburg, Pa., where all notices of change of ad-
dress, etc., should be sent.

Subscribers whose subscription expires with the present issue will find a properly dated
renewal blank in their magazine. In the event of a desire not to renew, the publishers would

greatly appreciate a postal to that effect.

#@FTo subscribers whose subscription expired with the issue for December, 1903, and who have
as yet neither renewed their subscription nor, in response to our request, Sent us a notice to discon-
tinue their magazine, the present number is sent in the belief that the matter of renewal has been
overlooked. We trust it will now receive prompt attention. .

Complete sets of Volumes I, II, III, IV and V of ‘ Bird-Lore’ can still be supplied.

Every number of ‘Bird-Lore’ is as readable and valuable today as when it was issued,
and no bird lover who is not already supplied can find a better investment than back vol-
umes of this magazine. Vols. I, III, IV and V are offered at the subscription price of $I each,
postpaid ; the price of Vol. II is $3.

Entered as second-class mail matter in the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa.

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2.
3.

Ka. heriles.

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, MALE. 4. GRACE’S WARBLER, FEMALE.
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, FEMALE. 5. BLAcK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, MALE.
Grace's WARBLER, MALE. 6. BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, FEMALE.

‘ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.

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Bird= Lore

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

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
Vol. VI JuLy — AuGUST, 1904 No. 4

Red-eyed Vireos, Awake and Asleep

By FRANCIS H. HERRICK

With photographs from nature by the author

HOUGH commonly shy and retiring, wild birds are not always dif-
5% ficult to approach, and one is often reminded of their marked
individuality by finding a pair which are comparatively tame. “The
female, to be sure, usually displays the greater confidence, at least within
the magnetic influence of nest and young.

This was the case with the Red-eyed Vireos, whose nest was discovered
by-the sharp eyes of a child four years old, in a maple tree beside a house
and close to a well-trodden path. The child had made no mistake, for there
on the nest sat the mother-bird. When we saw her half rise to her feet
every little while, and with head depressed examine something with eager
attention, then we knew there were young birds, for it was the twenty-
eighth of June. By the aid of a mirror we were soon watching three little
Vireos, which had just emerged from their shells. The old bird would
follow closely every movement of the pole, and flit off quietly only when
the glass nearly touched her head.

For four days the mother brooded almost continuously. She would sit
for ten or fifteen minutes, go off without a sound, and in a moment return
warbling to the twig, bringing a gray caterpillar or a snow-white moth;
then we noticed the cocoons and green larve of insects, spiders, and, later,
small dragon-flies. As she hopped along the slender spray and stood erect
over her nest, three delicate heads on skinny necks were quickly upraised,
trembling like tuning forks, presenting as many yellow targets to the aim
of the parent, who tucked deep into the throat of each the destined food.
After examining and cleaning the nest, brooding was again resumed. Life
seemed to move in an orderly routine like clockwork, varied, to be sure, by
casual events, such as the approach of the male or a change in the weather.
The eyes began to open on the fourth day, when the first faint cheeps of
the young were audible at a aistance of a few feet.

TTA Bird - Lore

The male sang much, but seldom fed his young. Whenever he did
descend with food he was inclined to linger at the nest, and block the
path of his more active mate, who was eager to brood. With querulous
notes the impatient female would then peck and pull at his neck-feathers,
until he seemed to take the hint, and move away.

On the day following there was a steady downpour of rain until mid-
afternoon, but, to our surprise, the brooding was frequently interrupted.
Once we noticed that, as the male approached with an insect, the female

FEMALE RED-EYED VIREO INSERTING FOOD INTO THE THROAT OF
A YOUNG BIRD

began to twitter and shake her wings. ‘Thus, division of labor sometimes
reaches this stage; the little hen broods, while the cock purveys the food.
At other times when the male announced his presence, the female would
utter a rolling chirp, and with vibrating wings retire before her mate, who
performed the routine duties of feeding, but seldom entered the nest.
Again she would give chase with drooping and quivering wings, as if to
take the insect from him, but in this she did not succeed. Such actions
are commonly witnessed, during the period of sexual activity, in many birds,
and their meaning is not far to seek. The noisy celebration of the Fourth

Red-eyed Vireos, Awake ‘and -Asleep 115

did not disturb the tranquillity of these little workers, who would not even
wince when a cannon firecracker was exploded in the street below.
When the young Vireos were a week old I began to watch their nest-
ing habits at night more closely, and found that, while the male apparently
roosted near by, the female invariably slept on the nest. At from fifteen to
twenty minutes after sundown she was regularly at her post, and even at

THE BIRD SHOWN IN PRECEDING PICTURE, ASLEEP ON HER NEST

Photographed after sundown with exposure of five minutes, July 5, 7.05-7.10 P.M. The head turned to the left
side (and directed to the right of the picture), is buried up to the eyes in the feathers of the back

this hour usually fast asleep. So profound, indeed, were her slumbers,
that I could often enclose her in my hand and stroke her feathers without
awaking her. She slept with her head twisted back and buried deep in the
feathers between the shoulders. An apparently- headless trunk or a little
ball of feathers was all that could be seen, and the only motion discern -
ible came from the regular pulsations of breathing.

In this manner the mother apparently passed the night, unless disturbed.
When aroused by a ruder movement of the hand, she would peck feebly
at a raised finger, but if not further molested the eyes would gradually

116 - Bird-Lore

close. and the heavy head turning slowly on its axis settle down on the soft
cushion again. If actually driven off she would return in a second, and
in another moment would be fast asleep.

On a quiet evening, just after sundown, the camera was mounted on a
suitable platform, and two photographs were made of this sleeping bird
without awaking her. In the first the plate was exposed for five and in
the second for twenty minutes, both yielding good prints, allowing for the
regular movements of respiration.

The sleeping habits of birds do not appear to have received much at-
tention, and are often difficult to observe. That they vary not only in differ-
ent species, but with the season and other conditions is obvious. When
not breeding, many of the smaller perching birds seek the dense coverts or
foliage, which afford protection from cold as well as from enemies. Grouse
are sometimes found enclosed in light snow; Quail huddle in dense covies
on the ground, where they pass the night; birds of prey, like Hawks and
Eagles, sleep at odd intervals by day or night, with the head buried in
the feathers of the back. The diurnal sleep of Owls and Goatsuckers is
more readily observed. The male Robin has been known to pass the night
at a long distance from its nest. In a community of the great Herring
Gull, which knows no repose by day or night, the old birds take frequent
naps at all hours, and either while on the perch or the nest. This Gull
will occasionally doze with head drawn in and eyes closed, but usually
conceals its head in its feathers like a Hawk or Vireo. But, if at the such
times, the Gull is dull of sight, its hearing is keen, for at an alarm it will
suddenly throw up its head and with outstretched neck scream loud enough
to be heard for half a mile. Some of the Pheasants sleep with the head
either drawn in on shortened neck, or turned back and concealed. So far
as I have observed, the same bird always turns its head to the same side in
sleep, and this seems to follow as a matter of course from the force of
habit.

When we analyze the tameness of such a bird as the Vireo just de-
scribed, we must recognize two elements which enter into the problem
in varying degrees,— the sum of its daily experiences and the strength of
its instincts, — both of which are subject to constant variation. In this in-
stance the strength of the brooding and other parental instincts undoubt-
edly tended to allay the temporary sense of fear and to increase the
apparent tameness observed. One cannot help feeling that such profound —
sleep could not conduce, in the long run, to great length of life in either —
parent or offspring.

This nest was not disturbed beyond removing some obstructing leaves,
and was not watched beyond the tenth day, when the wing-quills were
growing apace. We were glad to learn, however, that the brood was safely
reared, and we hope it made a good passage southward in the fall.

The Nesting Habits of the White-tailed
Ptarmigan in Colorado

By EVAN LEWIS

With photographs from nature by the author

REVIOUS to starting out to hunt the nest of the Rocky Mountain
P or White-tailed Ptarmigan in 1890, I had never been in their sum-
mer haunts in the nesting season. Having been referred to a man in
Denver who claimed to have hunted Ptarmigan at all seasons of the year,
he told me there would be no difficulty in discovering their nests if in a
region where they were found in any number. He said they always nest
among the small willows that grow anywhere above timber-line.

As I had seen flocks of over five hundred Ptarmigan at one time on
Mount Evans and around Chicago Lakes, that was the ground selected for
hunting them. Instead of finding them in flocks, only single pairs were to be
seen and in many cases one male or one female. When a male bird was
flushed it usually rose with the scream or whistle peculiar to this species.
The cry was usually taken up by another male within hearing and in a short
time the birds were fighting and chasing each other till one was driven back
to hisown grounds. The females were seen only near nightfall, either feeding
on insects that had fallen during the day on the large snowfields or on the
young shoots of alpine clover. ‘This feeding, if on clover, was kept up till
it was too dark to follow the bird to its nest; if on insects, the bird usually
made a number of quite prolonged flights which carried it safely beyond
observation.

On June 18 a nest was found, the bird merely leaving the nest as the
foot was about to fall on it, and in less than fifteen seconds was again cov-
ering her eggs. [he nest was a mere hollow in the ground that looked
like the work of the bird -herself. A little dried grass and a few feathers
was all that kept bird and eggs from resting on bare ground. Contrary to
expectations, there was not a willow within one hundred feet. One or two
gnarled pinon trees stood. about fifty feet away. The nest was not round
but elliptical in form, and the bird never went on the nest except the long
way of the ellipse, sitting facing either the east or the west.

The search was then renewed and continued till July 7, but on entirely
different ground, as the willows were avoided. The result was two old
nests of the preceding year, with the egg-shells still in the nest. One of
these was on a very small bunch of grass more than half way to the top of
what is known as Mount Goliah, just east of Lower Chicago Lake, in a
rather deep wash for that mountain; the grass spot was just out of the way
of the water. In this case no willows were nearer than two thousand feet.
The other old nest was on the same slope of the mountain, about half a
mile farther north.

(117)

The Nesting Habits of the White-tailed Ptarmigan 119

In 1892, learning that a photograph of this bird on its nest was in de-
mand, I spent another month in the search. Only old nests were found.
One of these was under some rocks but on the grass. It was in one of the
places where the sun melted the snow off, while the rock kept it from falling
there. The search was continued one month every year, but no nests
containing eggs were found till 1901.

At that time I was carrying a small camera and taking photographs of
all kinds of nests that came in my way while looking for Ptarmigan. I had

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN ON NEST

started south from Echo Lake, through the timber, toward the top of the
mountain. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen carrying moss and its nest
_ discovered and tree marked.

On reaching timber-line a Junco was seen building, and a search was
made for a loose stone to mark the spot for a photograph when the set was
complete. In the search I was just about to put my hand on a Ptarmi-
gan when I saw what it was. I then made two exposures with the small
camera and left the camera on top of a large rock to mark the spot, the
nest being three steps and one foot due south from the mark. I went to the
cabin at the lake and got the large camera and tripod. When I returned I
took three rather shorter steps, as I supposed, and looked for the bird or its

120 Bird - Lore

nest. For ten minutes I looked over the ground foot by foot. I could not
believe my own eyes that the bird was not there, yet I could not see her.
At last I was about to return to the mark and step the ground over again,
when a reflection from the bird’s eye showed her to me just one foot from
where I was standing.

The camera was set up and several exposures were made. One of the
resulting photographs was reproduced as a frontispiece to BIRD-LORE.
(Vol. III, December, 1901.) The eggs, six in number, were also pho-
tographed.

This nest, like the one found in 1890, was elliptical in shape, but the
bird would go on her nest only from the east and always sat with her head
to the west. The bird would return within a few feet of her nest and then
dart suddenly at the head or the hand of one handling her eggs. There were
no willows near the nest, and the eggs, six in number, were partly incu-
bated when discovered June 21.

In 1902 I was in California during the nesting season of the Ptarmi-
gan, but last year a nest was found on July 5 by Mrs. Douthwaite, of
La Fayette, Colo., on James’ Peak, near Loch Lomond, containing seven
eggs. This bird was frightened from her nest by dogs and threw a num-
ber of her eggs out and down over the rocks, where they were broken and
were found to be incubated almost to hatching.

This nest was also elliptical in shape and the bird always sat facing the
east. A number of dead willow twigs and grass had evidently been carried
together by the bird herself to make this nest. Unlike the other two I
have seen with bird on nest, this bird was not so well concealed by her

surroundings and, as shown in
_ the accompanying photographs,
was plainly visible.

Altogether I have seen three
nests containing bird and eggs
and four complete sets of eggs,
besides over twenty old nests con-
taining only the last year’s egg-
shells and a few feathers; and

knowledge of their nesting habits,
this much .I claim — that they
never nest in the willows but in

TAR C eh the open, depending on their
color for protection ; that they remain sitting till nearly or actually touched
by the human foot or hand ;. that they place their nest differently in differ -
ent seasons owing to the amount of snow, and that different individuals
vary in the season of nesting, as I have seen young birds full-grown and on

while I must confess but little.

ey oe

The Nesting Habits of the White-tailed Ptarmigan 121

same day (August 5, 1900) I saw chicks half-grown and others apparently
just hatched. The photograph of the chick was one of those seen that
date. [his chick was held on the hand till the camera was focused and
exposure made. It went about three feet toward the old one and then
stopped to feed before going farther. The old bird showed more fight
after the young one had safely returned to her than while we were hold-
ing and photographing it. “he conduct of both adult and young, unless
alarmed, is about the same in the presence of men as that of ordinary do-
mestic fowls. Their food in summer-time is insects and young grass or
clover, in winter-time willow or birch buds. During the molt of August
and September some birds are too weak to fly and can be caught, and they
must often become the prey of foxes and coyotes at that season.

CHIMNEY SWIFT

Photographed from life, by R. H. Beebe, Arcade, N. Y., July, 1903

A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns

By GERTRUDE FAY HARVEY

With photographs from nature by ROBERT F. GRIGGS

EN and Chickens, or, to speak more definitely, Old Hen, Big
H Chicken, Little Chicken and Chick, form an insignificant group
of islands in western Lake, Erie. [hey are quite devoid of at-
traction to all save the naturalist, a fact for which he is duly grateful.
Old Hen contains several acres of ground, is fairly well wooded, and
has a boat-landing and a farm-house which is occupied during the sum-
mer season. The Chickens are barren gravel piles in the midst of the
water, offering neither food nor shelter to any living thing. They are
the home of the Terns, for whom a mere resting-place is sufficient, and
who find on these stones the things most needed—seclusion and freedom
from pursuit. These Terns, known as the Common or Wilson’s Tern,
Or more picturesquely, Sea Swallow, are of the same species as those
which frequent the Atlantic coast.

Terns, unlike Gulls, which are seldom seen except in open waters,
haunt the shores and bays, and are familiar to all who visit the lake-
cities and islands. They soar slowly over the water at the side of ex-
cursion boats, often with bills directed downward, watching for their prey.
Suddenly one descends, thrusts its bill into the crest of the wave and
rises in an easy gliding curve—unsuccessful. Judging from the number
of attempts the birds make before capturing one fish, their way of life
must be difficult indeed. They perch on the poles where fishermen
spread their nets; they travel tirelessly back and forth and around, singly
or in groups, one of the loveliest and most distinctive features of our
lake scenery. The glistening pearly feathers and wide-extended wings,
the red of bills and feet, the sharp contrast between the shining black
of crown and neck and the shining white of throat and breast, attract
the attention of the most careless observer. They live entirely on small
fish, and are as harmless as Hummingbirds. Like Hummingbirds, too,
they have been sacrificed chiefly to the plume-hunter’s greed and women’s
thoughtlessness. The dainty birds are very effective as ornaments; and
what do the women know, or the plume-hunters either, of the gentle-
ness, beauty and charm of the wild, living Tern ?

Birds like these, which find their food and make their homes away
from the haunts of men, seem peculiarly at the mercy of an invader
when tracked to their homes. Their eggs and young are on the open
ground. The parent birds, panic-stricken by the strangeness of the
attack, hover helplessly about, merely uttering their distressful cries. A
single Catbird will make a brave fight for her young. Several together
are afraid of nothing on earth. These thousands of Terns, with strong

(122)

~

A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns 123

wings and powerful beaks, are utterly helpless. The seclusion of their
existence seems to have left them incapable of dealing with an outside
element. ~

A year ago I visited the nests on Little Chicken Island. At that time
we found a few young birds and a great number of eggs. Most of the
young birds were not more than a few days old, and often a chick would
be in the nest with unhatched eggs. This year our visit was made just
three days later, but the nesting season was much farther advanced. On
both occasions I was one of a party from the Ohio Lake Laboratory at
Sandusky.

The little party who visited Hen and Chickens last July consisted of
two women with opera-glasses and note-books, and three men with
botanical cases and camera,—a very harmless, sunburned, unconventional
company. We made our start from Put-in-Bay, one of the most pictur-
esque islands of the lake, and famous as the scene of Perry’s victory.
Our launch was engaged the evening before, so that we were ready for
an early start. At six o'clock we were on hand, eating a picnic break-
fast on the boat landing. At seven our engineer appeared, and, an hour
and a half later, we landed on ‘‘ Old Hen,’’ delighted to reach firm land
after a ten-mile ride in the trough of the waves.

This island is at a considerable distance from any other of its size, and
is in itself an interesting study. Tame pigs and chickens seemed at first
the only inhabitants. Sheep, rabbits and a perfectly fearless fox-squirrel
were next discovered. Ring-necked Pheasants, Marsh and Crow Black-
birds, Kingbirds, Olive-sided Flycatchers and Pewees, Red-eyed Vireos,
Song Sparrows, and Sandpipers seemed to constitute the whole bird stock
of the place. The island is rocky, mostly covered with soil heavy enough
to sustain large trees, but exposed about the shore, where wild flowers and
mosses flourish in the clefts. Great masses of rock have broken away from
the mainland and slipped down, leaving narrow fissures in which the water
plays with a gurgling, slapping sound. In some places the industrious
waves have brought quantities of pebbles and heaped them up between the
masses of granite, forming a sort of beach. Sandpipers dodged in and out
among the rocks as we followed them and then reappeared, walking on the
pebbles at the water’s edge.

A skiff was secured from the boat-house, and at ten the party set out
for Little Chicken. From a distance we noticed several Terns flying over
the island. As we approached, the birds rose from it in a cloud, scattered,
returned, and hung over our heads, screaming and circling wildly about.
We landed cautiously, fearful of stepping on the eggs or young birds which
lay everywhere on the stones. The island is a mass of boulders, many of
them hardly larger than a man’s fist. Its whole surface, above the usual
high-water line, is used for nesting. Where drifted sea-weed or chips are

124 Bird- Lore

available, the birds utilize them as a bed for the eggs, otherwise they lay
them on the bare rock. The nests are often only a foot apart, the eggs
inconspicuous, and it required the greatest care to avoid treading on them.
The eggs were in sittings of two or three, rarely four, buff or ashy with
spots of lilac and brown. At the time of our visit, July twenty-fifth, most
of the eggs were hatched and we found great numbers of young birds, vary-
ing from newly hatched chicks to full-grown birds that ran quickly away
and disappeared. The little birds either snuggled out of sight among the
stones or ran to cover.

Many young birds lay dead on the stones among the nests, victims, per-
haps, of family feuds or lost to their parents and dead of starvation. They
could not have fallen from the nest, as land-birds do, nor could they have
been trodden on by heavy-footed animals, the presence of which Mr.
Chapman suggests may explain the great number of dead young among the
Terns which he visited on Penikese Island.

One of the women, covered over with gray cambric, crouched down
among the boulders; the other, similarly draped, hid among some scrubby
‘willows which grew along one shore. The photographer retired to the far
end of the island and the other men rowed away, promising to return for
us in the afternoon.

Before long the birds began to return, first the young and then the
adults, most of the latter with fishes in their bills, minnows about three
inches long being the usual catch. It took a long time for them to settle,
nor did they do so confidently during our whole stay of four hours. The
island was soon covered with birds, but the flock above seemed as large
and as noisy as ever. They would drop down, hover over their nests, per-
haps touch the stones, and then rise again screaming and resume their
whirling, distracted flight. Again and again this happened before the birds
gained courage to alight. As the flock sank lower and more of the birds
settled on the ground, I distinguished two calls,—one harsh, shrill, com-
plaining, the other low, clucking. Many of the birds carrying fish uttered
this call, and on alighting ran about as though looking for their hungry
families. Within each of those hundreds of mother-birds, to the spectator
as like each other as so many leaves or pebbles, raged the conflict between
terror and mother-love. In many cases love triumphed and brought the
trembling birds to the very feet of the invaders.

Near my station under the willows lay a large log, under which I knew
that at least three little Terns were hiding. Presently one of the birds
flew down, hovered for a moment with upward slanting wings and dangling
legs, and then dropped to the ground. It carried a fish and advanced
toward the log, calling softly. She was within about twelve feet, and I
could clearly see the delicate tinting of her wings, and her full bright eyes.
One of the little birds ran toward her with gaping bill. She turned and

ok

A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns oe

walked away, and the disappointed youngster ran back under the log.
Again she advanced and a second bird ran out, also to be refused. Then
she arose and joined the noisy flock above. Presently she or another came
back and repeated the performance. From the testimony of the other
watchers, this scene was enacted again and again in different parts of the
island. Did the mother change her mind at the last moment, and decide
that it was unsafe to bring her little ones into the open and feed them in
the time of disturbance, or did she find that they were not her own? In
the latter case, the little ones, who plainly expected to be fed, are less dis-
criminating than the parents, or perhaps they merely recognized the food.
I did not see any birds actually fed, though a great many old Terns walk-
ing about with laden beaks were visible from my hiding place, and in many
cases they seemed to dispose of their prey before taking flight.

THE TERNS LEAVING THE ISLAND

The photographer, however, was more fortunate. On his end of the
island there was very little cover, and half a dozenchicks were caught in
the open and remained in plain view. To these the old birds came with
food, and after many false starts and many retreats, they succeeded in find -
ing the right chicks, disposed of their burdens and flew away. This seems
to indicate that the bird under my observation was unable to find her own
young, as timidity would have had more effect in the open than in the
more sheltered position. One case related by the photographer was very
comical. A mother hunting for her little chick invariably went too close
to a full-grown ‘squab.’ (When just hatched they resemble young
chickens, but at this stage they are much like young pigeons.) This greedy
fellow made a dive for the minnow and succeeded in catching hold of it.
The old bird tried to rise and carry it out of reach, but the squab had firm
hold and after much flapping and struggling she yielded and went away for

126 Bird- Lore

another. The poor birds seem to have as hard work satisfactorily SEES
of their catch as they have making it in the first place.

The great number of the birds and their exact similarity and quick
movements made individual observation difficult, unless the bird was very
close at hand. Exceedingly graceful in the air, with an enormous spread of
wing, on land the Tern ishandsome but ungraceful, appearing much too
heavy for his slight feet. At the moment of alighting he is beautiful; once
on the ground, he moves with a weak, uneven gait. Hundreds of these
jerking,waddling figures crossing and recrossing in the field of vision give
little chance of studying any one bird.

The willows under which I was hiding grew at one side of the island.on
a shelving shore, along which some half-grown birds were wading. A Least
Sandpiper, the only alien we saw in the colony of Terns, lingered in the shal-
lows for a while. Farther out there was almost constantly a flock of Terns
swimming about in the water. Most of them were young birds, distin-
guished from the adults by less brilliant coloring of bills and feet and by
brownish tints in the pearl gray of the body. These birds would occasion-
ally swim to shore and waddle up and down on the pebbles for a while and
then go back to the water. The presence of this large flock of swimming
birds explained the sudden disappearance of most of the full-grown young
soon after our coming to the island. Incapable of sustained flight, if indeed
they could fly at all, the birds ran to the water and escaped. Many of them
returned and settled down after we had been hidden awhile. Evidently the
birds are strong swimmers long before they can fly. Perhaps in the course
of evolution the birds’ ancestors were swimmers before they were flyers —
and the life history of the individual follows the same order. These birds
paddled about serenely, close together, like a flock of Ducks.

From the report of other observers who have made a longer visit to the
Tern islands, the birds keep up their noise incessantly, even though there
be no one in sight. So we had no hope that the whole flock would become
quiet. By noon, however, the birds were fairly well settled, and at a little
distance. I could see crowds of adult birds walking about or crouching among
their little ones. Now and then a flock would rise, adding their cries to the
tumult overhead, and we knew that the photographer was moving his
camera. His task was a difficult one. He had brought a long piece of
tubing, thinking to hide at a distance and take pictures in peace, but the
birds, which were somewhat afraid of him, were in deadly terror of the
camera, and preferred the man to the machine. The young birds, protected
by their coloring, at first remained motionless, seemingly unfrightened. On
being touched or moved, however, so that they knew they were discovered,
they scurried away, to hide under stones or driftwood, and nothing could
induce them to come out and face the camera.

There are two methods of self-protection in universal use among animals

ee

A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns [24

too young or too weak to fight; one is hiding, the other running away.
Both of these schemes were practiced very skilfully by the little Terns.
When we first landed we saw many of the half-grown birds making off, and
in a few minutes the island seemed almost deserted. Many of the larger
ones had taken to the water; but when we looked closely under stones and
amongst the rubbish we found, to our surprise, that the place was still
swarming with birds. Every plant had a chick at its root, and under
logs and overhanging rocks there were sometimes a dozen. ‘The hiding
places of the chicks are generally close to the nests. ‘These are often

NEST AND EGGS OF COMMON TERN

on windrows of driftwood or rubbish, with whose colors their brownish
speckled down blends perfectly.

The older birds run away from the nests and hide among thestones,
which match their developing feathers better than the debris. It may be
observed here that while the newly hatched birds match the nests, and
the half-grown ones the stones, as they grow older and gain power of
flight, the protective coloring is lost entirely, and the adult is a creature
of beautiful and striking contrasts. Of the ‘squabs,’ many play the
trick of the Ostrich, sticking its head into sand. If they can find a
cover for their heads, they are content to have the rest of the body in
full view. The one photographed was so confident of his safety that it
was only with much vigorous prodding that he could be dragged out.
Many ‘freeze in their tracks’ without trying to conceal themselves at

128 Bird - Lore

all. One of these was killed by having the tripod leg set down upon
it. Another was photographed as he rested between two rocks in the
water. Every wave lifted him and tossed him against the stone; but he
lay absolutely still, with his eye on the invader. Another crawled under
a shelving rock, where every wave splashed over him. He looked like a
hen caught in a thunder-shower, and must have been very uncomfor-
table: but henever budged. These birds were not quiet merely in the
sense of being relaxed; they were holding still, with every muscle rigid.
The photographer had an experience which illustrates this: One of the
birds floating in front of the camera was carried by the water out of
the field. The photographer took him by the beak and steered him
back into position. He did this repeatedly, and said that the bird held
its neck so stiff that it seemed like moving a wooden decoy. He even
declared that he could have picked the creature up by the bill and held
it out straight and stiff. As he did not try the latter experiment, it is
possible that the bird would have remonstrated. The muscular effort
involved must, of course, be very great; and one wonders how the birds
can maintain it for such a length of time. When finally aroused, how-
ever, they are like the chicks,— very. active. The one held in the hand
to be photographed fought fiercely with his strong beak and flapped his
long wings vigorously until he was released, when he flew away at a
great rate.

The day was warm, the heat reflected from the rocks oppressive,
the stinging flies troublesome — but we were all surprised and disappointed
when the rising of all the birds from the island announced a fresh arrival,
and the grating of a boat on the pebbles told us that our friends had
come for us. We tried a few farewell shots at some protesting chicks,
but succeeded in getting only blurs, indicating their hurried departure from
the field of action. Then we climbed into the boat and pushed off.
As we looked back from a distance, the whirling, shrieking cloud sank
lower, and the Terns, fully reassured for the first time since our arrival
in the morning, went back to their homes and their little ones.

We had chosen to watch a few birds closely rather than have a briefer
view of a great number. During our stay the other members of the party
had visited Big Chicken and ChickIsland. Big Chicken has several good -
sized trees and a fisherman’s hut. On this island were reported Terns in
greater numbers than on Little Chicken and very many Black Terns with
the others. The Black Tern is asmaller and less timid birds It nests in
marshes, and its presence in flocks with the common Tern is hard to explain.
It is usually seen about the shores and lowlands and is said to feed entirely
on the insects which abound in such places. We had often noticed them
flying with the Common Tern over the water, but were surprised to find
them here in mid-lake in such numbers.

A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns 129

Chick Island, the explorers informed us, had no nests upon it, but was
entirely occupied by Herring Gulls, which were perchingon it as close as
they could stand. One gentleman carried a great handful of Gulls’ feathers
which he had picked up on the rocks.

On our return journey the launch passed near the other island. From
Big Chicken a flock of birds, like that from the island we had visited, rose
and scattered, filling the air with their shrieks. The most amusing and novel
spectacle was Chick Island, which was almost covered by Herring Gulls.
We did not approach near enough to alarm them, but watched through our
glasses the sedate and pompous birds, standing almost erect upon the rocks.
The Gull is much heavier and less graceful than the Tern, and the contrast
is even stronger between the birds resting than on the wing. They are
also much larger and darker in color. There they stood, ranged in rows one
behind the other, soberly clad in drab and brown, apparently assembled for
educational or religious exercises. Possibly they use the islet as a roosting
place at night and had come early to secure choice accommodations. Or
perhaps they are not absolutely tireless on the wing and spend part of their
time resting and digesting their food. I have often seen them in the even-
ing flying over the lake when it was so dark that their forms were barely
distinguishable from the water. It was about half-past four that afternoon
when we passed the island. We watched the almost motionless birds till
they were no longed visible against the gray background of the rocks, and
we did not solve the riddle.

Copyright, by I.. S. Horton

WOOD PEWEE ON NEST
Photographed from nature, by L. S, Horton, at Hyde Park, N. Y., July, 1903. The nest was in an
apple tree, seven feet from the ground

For Teachers and Students

The Migration of Warblers
FIFTH PAPER
Compiled by Professor W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data

in the Biological Survey

With drawings by Louis AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALL

, —_ tT / } <

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

Wintering abundantly in southern Florida and sparingly north to South
Carolina, but little can be said of the migration of the Yellow-throated
Warbler in the Gulf States. The northward movement begins early in
March and the average date of arrival for fifteen years at Raleigh, N. C.,
is March 26, earliest March 13, 1890; the average at Asheville, N. C., for
four years is April 21, the earliest April 13, 1893.

The Yellow-throated Warbler is one of the very earliest fall migrants,
beginning its southward movement before the middle of summer and reach -
ing Cuba the latter part of July. The last noted at Washington, D. C.,
was September 4, 1890; at Raleigh, N. C., September 17, 1886, and
many migrants continue to pass through Florida during the whole month
of October.

SYCAMORE WARBLER

This Mississippi Valley form of the Yellow-throated Warbler arrives on
the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico about March 10, and spends a
month in moving slowly north to St. Louis, Mo. Centrai Indiana is
reached about the middle of April, and the average date of arrival for ten
years at Petersburg, Michigan, is April 21.

The southward migration begins so early that the Sycamore Warbler
appears in Guatemala by the middle of August. The last do not leave
Indiana and Missouri until October.

GRACE’S WARBLER

Grace’s Warbler spends the winter in northern Mexico and breeds
north to La Plata county, Colorado, but the only migration record I have
is of its arrival April 27, 1902, in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona.

BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER

The species enters southern California the first week in April and
reaches southern British Columbia the third week in the month. The

(130)

Notes on the Nesting of the Lawrence’s Warbler 131

earliest dates in southern Arizona and southern New Mexico are included
between April 6 and April 9, while the species appears in the northern por-
tion of its range in Colorado early in May.

The last do not leave central California until the first week in October
and do not desert the state until after the middle of the month.

Notes on the Nesting of the Lawrence’s Warbler

By ISAAC BILDERSEE

N May 15, 1903, Dr. Wm. Wiegmann observed a Lawrence’s War-
() bler (Helminthophila lawrencii) in Bronx Park, New York City, but
did not see the bird again that year. On May 18, 1904, he again
observed an individual of this species in the same locality. It was carrying
nesting material. On June 6, the bird was observed carrying green larve,
presumably to its young. On June 8, Dr. Wiegmann and I observed the
bird at various times during about five hours. Its song, which is described
elsewhere in this article, was first heard by us on that day.

On June 10, I remained for about seven hours near the place where we
had seen this rare Warbler, but I could not find our bird. I had seen a
female Blue-winged Warbler fly into a certain thicket of catbrier and sec-
ond-growth of dogwood several times during the day, and, in order to con-
firm suspicions that I had formed, I concealed myself among some near- by
bushes and waited. At the end of half an hour I was rewarded by seeing
the Blue-winged Warbler fly in with food, accompanied by the Lawrence’s
Warbler. The female immediately dropped to the ground, while the
Lawrence’s Warbler stayed in the vicinity (at times less than ten feet from
me). After five minutes the Blue-winged Warbler flew away, the
Lawrence’s Warbler taking her place on the ground. “The Lawrence’s
Warbler waited until the Blue-winged returned and then flew away
with her. It was by this time too dark for further observations. On
June 12, in company with Mr. Waldron Dewitt Miller, of the American
Museum of Natural History, I paid another visit to the vicinity. In less
than five minutes we found the nest, which contained six fledglings, evi-
dently about a week old. The young could not, at that time, be dis-
tinguished from the fledglings of either the Golden-winged or Blue-winged
Warblers. Mr. Miller and I observed the birds during the remainder of
the morning. The parent birds paid frequent visits to the nest, averaging
about five minutes between their trips. The female stayed on or near the
nest for about eight minutes each time, the male, or Lawrence’s Warbler
staying only about three minutes.

On June 13, the young were perceptibly advanced. At this time the

132 Bird - Lore

remiges and greater coverts were fairly well developed. On June 14, I
could see that traces of yellow were present on the breast. The middle
of the belly and the jugulum were still bare. “The wings showed well-de-
fined white bars. On June 18, Dr. Wiegmann and I made a thorough
search of the vicinity, but found no trace of the parent birds, the nest or
the young. The day before this, Dr. Wiegmann had seen the nest in
place, but empty, except for some undried excrement, and frequent visits
to the vicinity have been of no avail.

The nest was placed on the ground (not in a depression). It was at
the foot of a goldenrod (Solidago) beneath the tip of a spray of beech and
in a tangle of catbrier and second-growth of dogwood. In the imme-
diate vicinity were beech, red cedar, pin-oak and chestnut trees. The nest
was covered with a few dried beech leaves that may have fallen from the
tree above. It was a typical Blue-winged Warbler’s nest and was arranged
in concentric layers, the inner layer being composed of red cedar shreds,
the outer layer consisting of dried black oak leaves.

Three different songs were noted, all, of course, being given by the
male, as follows:

(a) Shre’-e-e, zwe-e-e-e, the first syllable like that of the song of the
Golden-winged Warbler, the second like that of the song of the Blue-
wing. This was the song most frequently heard.

(b) Shree-e, shree, shree, shree, the typical song of the Golden- winged
Warbler.

(c) Chip-a-chip-a-chip-a-shree. The first phrase of this song is exactly
like the song heard during the second song period of the Blue-winged
Warbler, the second being a typical Golden-wing syllable.

Besides these three songs we heard a sharp call-note—tz7p — and a thin
scolding note when we came too near the nest.

I append a description of the Lawrence Warbler: Above bright olive-
yellow, brighter on occiput, becoming golden yellow on forehead and front
half of crown; chest, breast, and fore-abdomen pale yellow (paler than in
a female Blue-wing), obscurely mottled with dusky; crissum and under
tail-coverts white; a broad patch on the side of the face occupigs the entire
auricular region; a broad triangular black patch occupies the gular and
jugular region and the chin; this patch is terminated by a very convex pos-
terior border which almost joins with the auricular patch; a yellowish white
malar stripe separates the two black patches; wings dusky, tinged with
slate, and, in some lights, with a bluish tinge; greater wing-coverts edged
with white, producing two conspicuous, parallel wing-bars; tail dusky,
each of the two outer feathers (on each side) broadly marked with white,
the third feather on each being merely tipped with that color.

It will be seen that this bird differs in several particulars from the speci-
men figured in the last number of BIRD-LORE.

Potes from PJield and Study

A Strenuous Screech Owl

During the summer of 1903 my feeling for
Screech Owls underwent a decided change,
a large degree of respect being added to the
fondness already felt for the species. It was
all due to a family of five young ones which
were discovered one day late in May,
perched along a branch about thirty feet
above the carriage drive. The parents were
near and furnished good examples of the two
extremes of color, one being decidedly gray,
the other as rusty as a Thrasher. The
youngsters were about evenly divided as to
color; and how comical they were as they
craned their necks to look down with those
big yellow-rimmed eyes, or hunched up
their shoulders till the heads were literally
buried among the soft feathers!

All] the afternoon they sat there in the sun
scarcely changing their position, though the
old birds had shifted; but about seven
o'clock the familiar quavering call aroused
them. The rusty parent appeared presently,
and by short flights and many low calls—
both the usual tremulous note and a soft
‘coo coo coo coo,’ that reminded me of the
Mourning Dove—persuaded the little ones
to leave their perches. But as it grew
darker the rusty Owl began to object to my
presence, flying past with loud cracking of
the bill and sometimes a sharp ‘yow yow/’
and finally struck me on the side of the head
a soft enough blow save for the pair of claws
that seized scalp with a grip that made
me sympathize with any mouse they might
fasten upon. ‘The bird was gone in an in-
stant, but I had no desire to prolong the
experience.

A few weeks later the same family, pre-
sumably, moved into some trees near the
house, and any one who approached that
quarter after dusk was likely to hear many
bill-crackings and angry, snarling notes, as
the old bird—always, so far as I could judge,
the rusty one—-swooped past the intruder.
At first we often replied to the calls, but

this made the rusty Owl so furious that it
several times darted under the roof of the
piazza and past our heads, and at last was
emboldened to make another personal at-
tack, this time slightly breaking the skin
of the victim.. The danger to eyes was too
great, and all our calling was stopped.
After that the birds made no trouble beyond
angry notes and snapping, and by August
even these ceased.—IsaBELLA McC. Lem-
MON, Englewood, N. J.

Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow—
Difference in Feeding

I noticed last winter a marked differ-
ence in the manner in which the Goldfinch
and Tree Sparrow procure the seeds of the
evening primrose when feeding upon the
stalks sticking above the snow. The
Goldfinch flies to the cluster of seed-capsules
at the top of a stalk, and clings there while
it extracts the seeds with its bill. The Tree
Sparrow, on the other hand, alights upon
the stalk and shakes it vigorously—making
the seed rattle—until it has shaken out a
number of the seeds, when it drops down to
the snow and picks them up.—CHRESWELL
J. Hunt, Philadelphia, Pa.

Taming a Red-eyed Vireo

While walking through the yard of Har-
vard University, Cambridge, last summer,
my wife and I noticed, at the foot of some
shrubbery near Appleton Chapel, a young
Red-eyed Vireo in the early stages of learn-
ing to fly. Just above our heads, in the
drooping boughs of one of those fine old
elms, was the parent bird with food for its
fledgling. To our surprise, before we
could move away it dropped down into the
bushes and fed the little fellow. Anxious to
see how close the old bird would venture,
we placed the young bird higher up in the
bushes and took our stand close by. On
her return the old bird did not hesitate, but
within a few feet of us and

came deliy-

(133)

134

ered her dainty morsel. Then, by placing
the young bird on the forefinger and holding
it in the bushes, we succeeded in persuading
the mother to feed her young several times.
To find out how much courage she would
develop, my wife held the young bird on her
hand several yards from the bushes and en-
tirely clear of them. When the old bird
came back, the first time her heart failed Ker
and she hovered about us and then flew
back to the elm. As we remained quietly,
though there were many passing along the
walk, she fluttered about and finally fed her
young. This was repeated several times,
usually with considerablescolding. Though
we could not induce her to light on the
hand, lack of time prevented us from carry-
ing our trials any further. The fearless-
ness of the bird was surprising to us, never
before having had such confidence shown us
by aparent bird. We felt confident that with
patient effort the mother would have lighted
on our hands and fed her offspring. The
amount of courage she did show, however,
is worthy of note.—SamueL C. PALMER,
Swarthmore, Pa.

Mockingbirds in New Jersey

In the middle of the month of November,
1902, I saw a Mockingbird in the garden
of a neighbor, who told me that it had been
around for several days and had been
noticed by other neighbors. I watched him
for some time and might have let the inci-
dent pass had I not been told by Mr. Kim-
ball C. Atwood, of Oradel, N. J., that he
saw a Mocking-bird feeding on the berries
of a vine overhanging his piazza, early in
January, 1903. The bird appeared cold and
hungry. He put out a squirrel’s cage with
food; the bird entered and was caught. He
was transferred to a Mocking-bird cage and
given tempting food, but became very rest-
less; he evidently had not been reared in
confinement. A few weeks later, while Mr.
Atwood was in Florida, and hearing the
songs of the free Mockers, the captive bird
died. The question arises, Was this the same
Mockingbird I saw five miles farther west
a few weeks before, or was it one of a nest
that had been reared here? A pair of Mock-

Bird -

Lore

ingbirds bred near here, where the Home of
Incurables now stands, some twenty years
ago, but I heard nothing of them after that
summer.—HENRY HALES, Ridgewood, N. F.

A Thieving Chebec

On June 2, I found, in a small maple sap-
ling by the side of a brook, a Yellow
Warbler’s nest containing four eggs. The
mother-bird did not seem to object to my
looking into her nest, but when I had with-
drawn a short distance she began to chirp
angrily. ‘Turning around, I saw _ the
cause of her trouble. A Chebec, or Least
Flycatcher, flew to the side of the nest, and
hovering on its wings began to pluck out
some of the building material.

The poor Yellow Warbler, that had spent
so much time and pains upon her cozy
home, succeeded in driving him away, but
not until he had stolen nearly all he could

“carry in his bill.

It seems very probable to me that the
Chebec was building somewhere a nest of
its own and so counted itself very fortunate
(until it was driven away by the Yellow
Warbler) in finding so much easily pro-
cured material.—ADDISON WILLIAMSON.

Two Years for an Oriole’s Nest

For many years the Baltimore Orioles
have nested in the elms about our house.
Whether it is the same pair each year or not
I cannot say, but I am inclined to think it is.

Two years ago they did not build near us
as usual, so I was glad to find them at work
in 1903, On a nest quite near the house.
My pleasure, however, was short-lived, as.
the nest was deserted before it was half
completed, and the birds disappeared from
the neighborhood. About the middle of
May, 1904, while looking at this unfinished
nest, I saw a female Oriole fly into it and
pick at it here and there, while her bril-
liantly colored mate flew down close to her
and acted as though he wanted to help; but
I have never yet seen a male Oriole working
on a nest,—perhaps Madam objects. Since:
that time she has worked steadily, and now
(May 23) the nest looks nearly finished. —
FRANK IT. ANTES, Canandaigua, N. Y.

Book Pews and Meviews

THE AMERICAN NaTuRAL History: A
Foundation of Useful Knowledge of the
Higher Animals of North America. By
WiiiAM T.. Hornapay. Illustrated by
227 original drawings by Beard, Rungius,
Sawyer and others; 116 photographs,
chiefly by Sanborn, Keller and Under-
wood, and numerous maps and charts.
Charles Scribner’s Sons. New York.
1904. Royal 8vo. xxv -+ 449 pages.

This handsome volume treats of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians and_ fishes.
One hundred and forty-one pages are de-
voted to birds, some one hundred and eighty
North American and a few extra - limital
species being dealt with. Lack of space has
evidently forced the exclusion of such com-
mon species as Wilson’s and the Hermit
Thrushes, the Field and Chipping Spar-
rows, and other equally familiar birds, but,
doubtless, enough are included to form the
“foundation” the author has in view, for a
broader knowledge of ornithology. A
foundation, however, should have no weak
places, and before this book passes to the
succeeding editions we sincerely trust it will
reach, it deserves a careful technical revi-
sion. The statements, for example, that
“ Alaska is yet to be heard from” in regard
to Song Sparrows, that the Chuck-will’s-
Widow replaces the Nighthawk in the
South, that the Black Skimmer “on our
shores is a visitor of great rarity,” and others
equally incorrect, have no place in a work
of this kind.

Song being the bird’s most attractive
characteristic, it is to be regretted that in a
volume destined to have so wide a circula-
tion as the one under consideration, fuller
justice has not been paid to the musical
powersof birds. The Bobolink, forexample,
is declared to be merely “a very acceptable
singer”; the Chat, it is said, “hasno regular
song,” no mention whatever is made of the
vocal powers of such musical species as the
Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole and
Goldfinch, the song of the Ruby - crowned
Kinglet, the author states, has “quite
escaped” him, and since he does not re-

member ever having heard the Rose-breasted
Grosbeak sing, he concludes that it can be
“no great singer, not more than third-rate,
at thembests ss ee!

Perhaps, however, after all, descriptions
‘of a bird’s song may best be left to the
bird itself, and Mr. Hornaday was wise in
permitting the birds to deal with this subject
while he pleads their right to the protection
their great economic value to man should
win them. Bird protection is, indeed, the
text of many an eloquent sermon in this
volume, and here Mr. Hornaday lays the
stones of his foundation with no uncertain
hand. With equal force he writes of recent
imaginative, so-called ‘nature books,’ and
his condemnation of this insidious type of
literature should be taken to heart by every
would-be naturalist.

No small part of the value of the portion
of this book relating to birds is due to its
numerous and generally excellent illustra-
tions. Nearly one hundred of these are by
Edmund J. Sawyer, whose work clearly en-
titles him to a place in the front rank of
American bird artists. — F. M. C.

NorTH AMERICAN Birps’ Ecos, by CHESTER
A. Reep, B.S. Illustrating the eggs of
nearly every species of North American
birds. New York. Doubleday, Page &
Company. 1904. 8vo. 356 pages.
This book will be welcomed by every

bird student as a handy work of reference

on the nests and eggs of North American
birds. Every species and subspecies found
in North America north of Mexico is in-
cluded. The classification and nomencla-
ture is that of the American Ornithologists’

Union’s Check- List.

The account of each species is headed by
its ‘range.’ In most cases the distinguish -
ing points of the bird are then briefly stated
and frequently short notes on food or habits
are added. Here may be mentioned the in-
genious use of small marginal figures of the
birds which give an idea of their appearance
to one not familiar with them. The book

(135)

136

has thus a broader scope than is indicated
by its title.

The descriptions of the nests and eggs are
of a rather general character, not always as
definite and full as might be desired. The
data of many of the eggs figured is also
given.

The illustrations are the most important
features of the work. The egg of almost
every species is figured, natural size, and
the ground color of the egg is indicated in
brackets beneath it. Among the rarer eggs
shown are those of the Carolina Paroquet,
Solitary Sandpiper and Great Auk.

In addition, there are eighty-five illustra-
tions (fifty of them full-page), reproduced
from photographs of nests, most of them
with eggs, others with parent or young.
Many of these have appeared before in vari-
ous publications and a considerable number
are the work of the author. For the most
part, they are very satisfactory. Among the
most effective may be mentioned those of the
Loggerhead Shrike, Redstart, Woodcock,
Grasshopper Sparrow, Ruby-throated Hum-
mingbird, Long-eared Owl and Red-eyed
Vireo,—all but the first two showing the old
bird sitting on nest.

In the preface the author gives excellent
advice to young bird-students, condemning
the indiscriminate collecting of eggs and
advocating the study of the live bird and
the use of the camera for photographing
nests.— W. DEW. M.

BirpD Lire Stories: Compiled from the
writings of Audubon, Bendire, Nuttall
and Wilson, by CLARENCE Moores
WEED. Book I, Rand, McNally & Com-
pany, Chicago, New York, London.
With the very worthy object of supplying

teachers with readable and accurate biog-

raphies of our common birds, Professor

Weed has wisely gone to writers who loved

truth no less than birds. Twenty-four

Species are included in the present volume,

and each is illustrated by a coloritype of

mounted birds.

The bibliophile will doubtless not ap-
prove of the modification of the ‘ language
and punctuation’ of the text of the authors
quoted from without any indication what-
ever of the changes made by the compiler,

Bird-Lore

and it is to be hoped that in the future vo -
umes of this series, which are announced,
this difhculty will have been overcome.
a) Me WML (Ge

The Ornithological Magazines.

Tue Conpor.—The May-June number of
‘The Condor’ contains four general articles
of more than usual interest. Under the
title of ‘The Home Life of a Buccaneer,’
W. K. Fisher gives an interesting account
of the habits of the Man-o’-War Bird on
Laysan Island, describing the peculiar
actions of the male and the inflation of his
brilliant red gular sac during the mating
season. The Man-o’-War Bird is almost
incapable of walking on land but is per-
fectly at home in the air, so much so that it
even drinks while on the wing. Emerson’s
article on the Farallone Islands gives the
results of a visit to the wonderful bird
rookery on the California coast in the sum-
mer of 1903, and compares the conditions
with those which existed at the time of a
previous visit in 1887. As might be expected,
many changes were found to have taken
place and some of the colonies had disap-
peared during the intervening sixteen years.
We can scarcely have too many papers of
this kind containing detailed studies of
localities or breeding resorts of special in-
terest, but what is especially needed are
series of photographs of particular nesting
colonies, or definite points, for comparison
with similar views of the same spots in the
future. Such photographs would bring
out more clearly than any description pos-
sibly can, the changes which occur after
the lapse of a few years.

Mrs. Bailey describes the nesting habits
of the Rock Wren in New Mexico, and calls
attention to the number of stones found in

the nests or arranged like walks in front. —
Several of the twelve nests examined in 1903

contained a Jarge number of stones, and one
had 260 stones, none less than half an inch
in length. The question naturally suggests
itself, ‘‘ How general is the Salpinction use
of stones, and what proportion of nests
have the walks leading away from them ?”’
Price contributes notes on birds found in

Book News

midwinter in the High Sierra, and enume-
rates nine species which are resident at that
season. Iwo other papers complete the list
of general articles: under the title ‘Explan-
atory,’ Belding gives some unpublished notes
collected nearly twenty years ago, during
the preparation of his ‘Land Birds of the
Pacific District’; and Hanna concludes his
brief remarks on Nevada Birds. Among
the notes ‘From Field and Study,’ W. K.
Fisher records the interesting fact that
in March, rgo4, several Black-footed Al-
batrosses were observed executing their
peculiar dance on the surface of the water
about roo miles at sea off San Diego, Cal.
This interesting performance was first fully
described in Fisher’s ‘Birds of Laysan
Island,’ and in his article in ‘ The Auk’
for January 1904, pp, r1-14.—T. S. P.

Witson BuLteTin.— The contents of
‘Wilson Bulletin’ No. 47, which has
appeared since our last review, is as follows:
‘Some Birds of Olympia, Wash.’, J. M.
Keck; ‘All Day with the Birds,’ ‘Ober-
lin all Day with the Birds,’ Lynds Jones;
‘An All-Day Bird Study,’ B. H. Wilson;
“The Song of the Dickcissel,’ P. M. Sil-
loway; ‘Spring Migration in Lorain
County, Ohio, 1904,’ Lynds Jones, and ‘A
Door-yard List from Morton Park, III.,’
O. M. Schantz.

J. M. Keck includes 117 species in his
list of the birds of Olympia, Wash., which
is the result of occasional observations during
the period between September 1 and May s.
In connection with this paper it might be of
interest to consult that of S. F. Rathbone,
who has studied the birds of Seattle ( Auk,
1902, pp. 131-141), a locality situated a lit-
tle to the northward on the sound. The
migration during the past spring was of
unusual interest, since vast numbers of
species, far in excess of average seasons,
swept northward over the country during
the second and third weeks of May. As a
consequence, most observers who were in
the field for the purpose of being ‘all day
with the birds’ were fortunate in seeing
large numbers. The most remarkable list
on account of the length, and one which
any single observer will have difficulty in

and Reviews

Bor

equaling, is that of Lynds Jones, who, be-
tween 3:30A.M. and 6:30 P.M. on May g,
identified 128 species in the
Oberlin, Ohio. With the possible exception
of Southern Illinois and the Lower Hudson
Valley, we know of no other locality where
such a list could be formed.—A. K. F.

BULLETIN OF THE MICHIGAN ORNITHO-
LOGICAL CLuB.—In the June number of the
Bulletin, B. H. Swales completes his ‘ List
of the Land Birds of Southeastern Michi-
gan,’ recording 165 species in all. Other
papers are ‘Some Notes on the Life History
of the American Redstart,’ by J. C. Wood,
and ‘ Birds in Decoration,’ A. H. Griffith.
There are numerous notes of interest from
field and museum, while a page is devoted
to the work of the Michigan Audubon
Society. An editorial announces the prepa-
ration, by Prof. W. B. Barrows, of a mew
list of the birds of Michigan.—W. S.

vicinity of

’

Book News

‘The Destruction of Birds by the Ele-
ments in 1903 — 04,’ by Edward Howe
Forbush, occupies pages 457-503 of the
Fifty-first Annual Report of the Massachu-
setts State Board of Agriculture. It con-
tains a large amount of valuable data, mos¢
of which, but for Mr. Forbush’s well-di-
rected efforts, would have escaped permanent
record.

In the ‘ Bulletin’ of the New York Zoo-
logical Society (No. 14, July, 1904), under
the heading ‘A Dangerous Exponent of
Nature,’ Mr. W. T. Hornaday, Director of
the Society, characterizes Mr. William J.
Long as “the most visionary writer who has
ever appeared before the American public
in the guise of a naturalist.”

‘Our Animal Friends’ continues to pub-
lish many articles of special interest to bird
students. The July number of this maga-
zine contains several bird drawings, by
Robert J. Sim, which deserve more than
passing commendation.

A revised and enlarged edition of Wal-
ters’ ‘ Wild Birds in City Parks’ has been
issued by the publisher, A. W. Mumford.
It is announced that 8,500 copies of this
useful work have been printed.

138

Bird- Lore

A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Vol. VI Published August 1, 1904 No. 4

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico
twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post-
age paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand

THE editor begs the indulgence of corre-
spondents and contributors whose communi-
cations, owing to an absence from which
he has only recently returned, have remained
long unacknowledged.

In this connection it may not be out of

place to add a postscript to the letter to BirD-
Lore written from Miami, Florida, May 2,
(Birp-Lore, May-June, p. 103). After
some discouraging experiences in the Okee-
chobee and Indian River regions, it may
be remembered that we turned toward the
Florida Keys with the hope of finding in
these more remote districts some place which
has escaped the plume-hunter’s attention.
But, alas! Warden Bradley, who had
sailed from Flamingo to Miami to meet us,
brought only the most unpromising account
of the birds in the county under his care.
Plumers had looted the great Cuthbert Rook-
ery, killing most of the aigrette-bearing
Herons, and other species which it was espe-
cially desired to see were not to be found.
In the meantime news concerning Fla-
mingoes was received, which required an
early departure for the Bahamas; and since
the especial object of our trip south was to
study the almost unknown nesting-habits of
these remarkable birds, we lost no time in
setting sail for their headquarters. The
uncertainties of cruising in these waters at
this season is indicated by the fact that
twelve days were required to make a four
days’ voyage. Nor did we at once discover
the object of our search. Indeed, a month

Bird- Lore

had passed before the birds were actually
found. This time, however, we were suc-
cessful beyond our most ardent expecta-
tions.
graphing and-studying so wild a bird as the
Flamingo were overcome with surprising
ease, and, in the end, aseries of photographs
was secured which we believe will illustrate
in detail the home-life of this species.

SCOFFERS at the necessity for accuracy in
nature study, who say that so long as an in-
terest is aroused in life out-of doors the means
employed is quite immaterial, would, we
trust, have a new conception of the respon-
sibilities of those who seek to lead their
fellows afield, rather than astray, after
reading Mrs. Wright’s admirable editorial
on this subject in the last number of Birp-
Lore. In our opinion it would make an
Audubon leaflet which could be used to
great advantage.

Amonc the notes on Warblers which have
been sent, us and of which we will make due
acknowledgement in a later issue, none have
exceeded in interest and scientific value those
by Mr. Isaac Bildersee on the nesting habits
of Lawrence’s Warbler, published in this
issue of BirD-Lore. Indeed, we may add
that the observations therein recorded are
among the most definite and satisfactory of
any concerning the puzzling relationships
of Brewster’s and Lawrence’s Warblers
with which we are familiar.

Reference to the colored figures of all the
birds involved, which were published in the
last issue of Birp-Lore, will enable the
student to whom specimens are not accessible
readily to compare their color characters and
at the same time to comprehend more clearly

the various theories which have been ad- —

vanced to explain the status of Brewster’s
and Lawrence’s Warblers.

Observations made at a later date than
those given by Mr. Bildersee, by Mr. Miller
and others, left little room for doubt that
all the six progeny of the Lawrence’s and
Blue-winged Warbler showed only the
characters of the female parent, that is the
Blue-wing. Even admitting the truth of
this belief, however, it does not follow that
the union of the birds was not true hybridism.

The difficulties incident to photo-

Pee TE

BE ae cee

/

ete NE Re ee i Es Seb > ogee pe ne ee

Mapai a

vs

The Audubon Hocieties

‘You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird’s song.”’

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER
Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should

be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn.

Reports, etc., designed for this department should be

sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

Bird Protection Abroad—IV. Japan
By T.S. PALMER

In previous papers of this series attention
has been called to the bird- protective meas-
ures in force in three important British pos-
sessions of the Old World: India, South
Australia and New Zealand.* By way of
contrast it may be interesting to present an
outline of the regulations adopted in Japan,
a country which is not only attracting much
attention at the present time but one which
in recent years has been an important source
of supply for certain birds used in the
millinery trade.

The Japanese Empire comprises nearly
4,000 islands, which extend from 22° to 50°
north latitude. Omitting Formosa, which
has only recently been acquired, the four
principal islands are Kiushu, Shikoku,
Hondo, and Yesso or Hokkaido. These
islands are situated between 31° and 46°,
thus corresponding in latitude to the Pacific
coast of America from the Gulf of California
to the Columbia River. Their combined
area equals approximately that of Montana,
or of New England and the Middle States
exclusive of Pennsylvania. Their topog-
raphy is varied, and the diverse conditions
existing at elevations between sea-level and
over 12,000 feet, together with the extent in
latitude, readily account for the variety in
bird life. The birds are, however, still im-
perfectly known and the distribution of many
of the species remains to be worked out.

The general game-law of Japan recog-
nizes two main groups of birds, those which
may be hunted during an open season and
those which are protected throughout the
year. These groups correspond to our
game birds and non-game birds. For the
first group two seasons are fixed: For
Pheasants in general, Kiji, and Copper

* See BIRD-LORE, V, pp. 37, 105, 173, 1903; VI, p.
36, 1904.

Pheasants, Yamadori, the close season ex-
tends from March 1 to October 31 ; for the
other game birds it extends from April 16
to October 14, except on Yesso, where it
is one month shorter —from April 16 to
September 14. Thus six or seven months
are allowed for hunting the following birds:
Bulbuls, Hiya; Gray Starlings, Mukudort ;
Larks, Hibari; Shrikes, Mozu,; Ptarmi-
gan, Raicho; Quail, Uzura,; Hazel Grouse,
Ezoyamadori, Doves and Pigeons, Hato ;
and Snipe and Woodcock, Shigi.

The birds which are protected throughout
the year, and consequently of most interest
in this connection, the following :
Cranes, Tsuru; Swallows, except Martins,
Tsubame ; Marsh Tit, Kogara ; Coal Tit,
Higara ; Great Tit, Shijukara ; Nuthatch,
Gojukara; Long-tailed Tit, Enaga ;
Eastern Gold-crest, Kikuitadaki; Fan-
tailed Warbler, Sekka; Willow Warbler,
Mushikui; Japanese Blue Flycatcher, Ruri;
Flycatchers, Hitaki,; Paradise Flycatcher,

are

Sankocho; Wagtails, Sekirei; Wrens,
Misosazai; Little Cuckoo, Hototogisu ;
Cuckoo, Kakko,; Goatsucker, Yotaka ;

Scops Owl, Mimizuku; Ural Owl, Fukuro;
Siberian Black Kite, Tobi; and Common
Buzzard, Kusotobi.
take, buy or sell the eggs or young of any
of these birds.

The Japanese game-law contains some
admirable features which are found in some

It is also unlawful to

of our state laws and which it would be
advantageous for us to make more general.
Thus explosives, poisons, spring guns,
pitfalls and dangerous traps are not to be
used in capturing game; shooting between
sunset and sunrise is prohibited ; per-
mission must be obtained to hunt on culti-
vated or enclosed lands belonging to another
person; no hunting is allowed in the Im-
perial preserves, along public roads, in
public parks, in cemeteries, or within the

(139)

140

precincts of shrines and temples; and shoot-
ing may be prohibited within certain limits
by the governor of a prefecture, if he deems
it necessary to take such action.

Licenses are required to trap or shoot, and
these licenses must be carried by the owner
when in the field, must be returned to the
authorities who granted them within thirty
days after the date of expiration, and dre
subject to inspection by police, gendarmes,
forest officers, or the chief of a city, town
or village. Two series of licenses are in
use : 4, for capture of live birds or game
with nets, lime rope or lime twigs, and
B, for shooting. Each series is issued in
three colors, for three different classes of
persons, determined by the amount of taxes
paid by the holder. First-class licenses
(buff) are issued upon payment of 20 yen
($10) to persons paying not less than 100
yen income tax, 500 yen land tax, or 150
yen business tax; second-class licenses
(green) are issued upon payment of 10 yen
($5) to persons paying not less than 3 yen
income tax, 30 yen land tax, or 20 yen busi-
Third-class licenses (red) are
issued to persons not belonging to either the
first or the second class. The same rates
apply to any members of the holder’s family.

It will be noticed that although the law
protects a number of birds, and among
them several Hawks and Owls, it extends

ness tax.

no protection whatever to Grebes, Gulls,
Terns, Ducks, Geese or other water-birds
or to many of the land-birds. Two species
which are conspicuous in millinery trim-
mings, the White Tern and the Japanese
Waxwing, are apparently unprotected. If
the list of protected species were extended to
include these and some others, and provi-
sions were added covering export of birds
or feathers and sale of

plumage, Japan would have a law which,

possession and

properly enforced, ought to accomplish its
object of effectively protecting both game-
and other birds.

National Committee Notes
By THE CHAIRMAN
A statesman once said that a country could
not be prosperous or happy unless it had a
public debt, as otherwise the people would

_National Committee.

Bird- Lore

not be interested in the welfare of the state.
If this be the correct standard, the National
Committee has every reason for congratula-
tion, as, notwithstanding the utmost efforts
of the Chairman, along the line of scrimping
and saving, a big deficit at the end of the
fiscal year is staring him in the face. War-
dens must be paid, according to agreement;
the educational leaflets should not be dis-
continued, but all this costs money, and the
outgo for some time has been larger than the
income, and the balance on hand of the
Thayer Fund has been growing less and less.
This is our public debt, and how can the
Audubon members and the readers of BirD-
Lore be happy and contented unless they
personally take the matter of finance to heart?
The hundred thousand Audubon members
in the United States can, with very little in-
dividual exertion, secure one dollar each to-
ward the permanent endowment of the
There are thousands
of persons who simply need the work of the
Audubon Societies brought to their attention
in order that they may become liberal sup-
porters of it. Will not the junior Audubon
members, everywhere, start at once a popuiar
subscription of small amounts, to be placed
in the permanent endowment fund? How
proud and happy every junior will be in
after-life to know that he took part in the
initial movement to endow and thus perpet-
uate the work of the Audubon Societies!

By a letter vote, which was almost unani-
mous, it has been decided to incorporate the
National. Committee in the State of New
York. The corporate name, * National,”
will indicate the scope of the work. The
corporation laws of New York State do not
make it necessary for more than one of the
trustees and members of the Committee to
reside in that state. The act of incorpora-
tion has not been completed as yet, owing
to the time it has taken to determine the
state in which to incorporate; however, sub-
stantial progress has been made.

Glorious news from Louisiana! The
model law for non-game birds will be in force
in that state on and after August 9! Look
back! Two years since, the effort for good
bird-legislation was defeated, and today the
state has the best non-game bird-law in the

Pee ~ ae ay

ei See er ee - <

The Audubon Societies

United States; for the bill submitted by the
Audubon Society was the result of all of the
legislative experience since Audubon work
began. How was this result obtained ?
Simply by the strenuous efforts of good men
and women throughout the state who im-
mediately, after the defeat of rg02, started a
campaign of education. When the citizens
of a commonwealth learn the value of bird
life, the demand for its protection is a natural
sequence. How powerful this force can be
is illustrated by the following bit of what is
now history. House Bill No. 103 was a
“* Proposed Law for the Protection of Non-
Game Birds. An Act for the Protection of
Birds other than Game Birds and their
Nests, and to Provide for the Punishment
of Violations Thereof. Drafted and pub-
lished by the Audubon Society of Lou-
isiana.” The bill was sent to a Committee
and it was by them reported back to the
House, amended in Section 7, relating to
the trafic in live birds. It was the last de-
spairing effort of the cage-bird dealers to
perpetuate their cruel and wasteful trade.
The House did not approve of this amend-
ment, signifying its disapproval by a vote of
82 to 2. It immediately passed the bill as
originally offered, by the same vote. June
24 the Senate passed the bill without a dis-
senting vote, and on June 29 the Governor
officially notified the General Assembly that
he had signed House Bill No. 103. It takes
but a few words to tell this story to the bird-
loving public, but it took months of time
ana much hard labor on the part of the
President of the Audubon Society and his
co-workers to accomplish the result, which
could not have been secured without the great
aid given by Mr. Page Baker, managing
editor of the ‘ Times-Democrat,’ who
gave the most efficient help through the edi-
torial and news columns of his paper. The
thanks of al] bird-loving people are due for
such a high standard of civics. The pas-
sage of the model law in Louisiana is the cap-
stone in the arch of legal protection in the
United States, as it enables the Committee
to prevent the sale and trafhe in all parts of
the country of such species as Mockingbirds,
Cardinals, Nonpareils and Indigo-Buntings,
through the enforcement of ‘The Lacey

141

Act.’ A few weeks since the Chairman
visited the store of a bird dealer in New
York, and in one large cage saw not less than
sixty Mockingbirds, some of them so young
that when the cage was approached the poor
birds hopped to the wire netting fluttering
their wings and opening their mouths to be
fed. As nine-tenths of all the native cage-
birds offered for sale in the United States were
trapped or stolen from nests in Louisiana,
the ofhcers and members of the several State
Audubon Societies need have no hesitancy
in bringing action against cage-bird dealers
who persist in the trade; however, it will be
prudent in all cases to submit the facts to the
Chairman for advice as to how to proceed
legally in the matter.

In Massachusetts the effort to obtain pro-
tection for the beneficial Hawks and Owls
was unsuccessful. The chairman of the Fish
and Game Committee advised the introducer
of the bill “that the Committee favored it,
but thought it had no chance with the
House.” He suggested, therefore, that it
be laid aside for consideration at the next
session, and in the meantime an educational
campaign be conducted with the members
and the rural districts. The sessions of
the Legislature in Massachusetts being an-
nual, another effort for this very desirable
legislation can be made early in 1905, and
in the interim the advice of the Fish and
Game Committee can be followed by the
Audubon Society. The large number of
local secretaries representing the Society
should render this special educational work
very easy of accomplishment. Notwithstand -
ing all efforts to protect the Least Terns
breeding on Martha’s Vineyard, the colony
seems destined to be gradually exterminated
by egging. A visit to Katama Beach by a
resident of the Island, who is a warm friend
of bird protection and who freely gives his
services, revealed the fact that some vandals
had visited the breeding-ground and, as far
as could be judged by the empty nests, had
illegally taken not less than 300 eggs. The
Committee at once published in the ‘ Vine-
yard Gazette’ an offer of a reward of $25
for evidence that would convict the egg
thieves.

The splendid legislative work of Mr.

142 Bird-Lore

George H. Mackay, of Massachusetts, de-
serves special mention, inasmuch as, single-
handed, he has been the means of securing
the adoption of laws the influence of which
reaches far beyond the borders of his own
state. Among them is the section relating
to shore and marsh birds
which reads as follows: “Whoever buys,
sells, exposes for sale or has in possession
any of the birds named in and protected by
sections five or seven of this chapter, during
the time within which the taking or killing
thereof is prohibited, whenever or wherever
the aforesaid birds may have been taken or
killed, shall be punished by a fine of ten
dollars for each bird.”

That this beneficent law has been the
means of saving the lives of thousands of
shore-birds during the spring migration of
1904 is proved by the following: Dr. L. B.
Bishop states: “Capt. E. Z. Gould, the
chief market hunter of shore-birds in Dare
county, N. C., writes me that the new
Massachusetts law preventing the sale of
spring-shot shore-birds has made him give
up shooting this spring. In addition to his
own gun, he had four men shooting for him
in the spring of 1902.” Mr. Mackay
writes: “You canadd to the Gould episode
from North Carolina another from New
Jersey. W.E. Horner & Co., of West
Creek, large shippers of spring birds, wrote to
a firm of game dealers in Boston asking how
many birds the firm could handle this spring.
The reply was that they could not handle
any, owing to the new law. Undoubt-
edly this law affected many other por-
tions of the country; market hunters will
not kill birds that they cannot sell or dispose
of. The sportsmen of the country certainly
owe to Mr. Mackay a debt of gratitude for
this admirable legislation, which will do
much to perpetuate the fast-disappearing
shore- and marsh-birds.

A short tour of inspection along the Vir-
ginia coast was taken by the Chairman early
in July, the details of which will be given
in the annual report of the Committee; for
the present it is only necessary to state that
the most determined and watchful guardian -
ship will be necessary for a long period to
prevent the gradual but sure disappearance

( Limicolz ) ,

of the marsh- and beach-breeding birds of
that section.

Mr. William Alanson Bryan, Curator of
Birds of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
of Honolulu, H. I., has been in the States
for some months on professional work. While
he was in New York City a conference was
held with the Chairman, with the result
that Mr. Bryan will return to his home
thoroughly enthused with the idea of estab-
lishing a Hawaiian Audubon Society, which

will. not only undertake to protect the birds

of the Island of Oahu, but of all the islands
of the Hawaiian group, and in addition
such of the other Oceanic Islands as are
under the jurisdiction of the United States.
To that end he will prepare a detailed
statement of the conditions which obtain at
the several islands, with the needs for protec-
tion and with suggestions as to means to
prevent the extinction of certain island forms
of birds which have already become exceed -
ingly rare. His report will be addressed
to the Chief Executive of the United States,
President Roosevelt, trusting that his great
interest for bird preservation will cause him
to direct the report into the proper channels
for governmental aid. In this connection it
is suggested that the British and German
Societies for the Protection of Birds ask
their respective Governments to give protec-
tion to the birds indigenous to the Polyne-
sian Islands severally belonging to them.
Mr. Bryan states that there is a Japanese
corporation which is now actively engaged
in collecting sea-birds’ plumage for the
Berlin, Paris and London feather markets.

Rev. W. R. Lord, of Massachusetts, on
the invitation of a number of bird-lovers in
Washington, visited in June that far-off
northwestern state. During the month he
was there he delivered many lectures and
gave bird talks to a large number of teachers,
scholars and the general public, with the
result that great interest in bird pro-
tection was aroused. Mr. Lord writes that
undoubtedly a little later in the season an
Audubon Society will be formally launched
in Washington. On his way home Mr. Lord
stopped at Detroit, Michigan, and gave an
illustrated bird talk in that city under the
auspices of the Michigan Audubon Society.

Mirena: ties

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AUDUBON
SOCIETIES

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 10

THE AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK

Order — Raptores Suborder — Falcones Family — Falconida-

Genus —- Falco Species— Falco sparverius

The American Sparrow Hawk

By WILLIAM DUTCHER

Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies

DESCRIPTION

Adult Male.— General aspect above bright rufous; top of head bluish slate with rufous crown patch, which
waries very greatly in size in different individuals; a series of large black patches commences under eyes and ex-
tends to back of neck; back barred with black, in some birds profusely, others very slightly; sub-terminal broad
band of black on tail, followed by white tip; outer feathers of tail and sometimes others marked with black and
white, showing conspicuously from below; wing, upper part bluish, more or less spotted or barred with black,
long quill feathers black, inner web barred with white, showing conspicuously from underneath; under parts
varying from almost white to deep buff, more or less spotted, with black on sides and belly; throat white.

Adult Female.—General appearance above rufous, very heavily barred with black; head like that of male, show-
ing similar individual variation; wing, long quill feathers, black spotted on upper surface with rufous, but show-
ing silvery, barred with black, from below; underneath, whitish, heavily streaked with brown, varying in shade

from pale to very dark.
The variation in the pattern of plumage of the Sparrow Hawks is very remarkable, making it extremely dif-

ficult to accurately describe the species. In a large series of specimens, hardly any two birds are exactly alike

in detail.
Immature.— Plumage very similar to adults, the sexes being distinguishable as soon as the young are able

to fly.
Size.— Male, from end of bill to end of tail varies from 8.75 to 10.50 inches; the female is larger, varying

from g.50 to 12 inches.
Nest.—Is in a cavity of some kind; a hole in a tree, either natural or the work of some Woodpecker, and,

where trees are not available, a hole in a sandstone cliff or in a clay bank.

Eggs.— Usually from three to five, which vary in color from clear white to buff or cream; spotted, blotched,
marbled, or sprinkled with shades of walnut brown, chestnut, cinnamon, rufous and ochraceous in varying pat-
terns. ‘“Scarcely any two sets are exactly alike.” (Bendire.)

Distribution.—The Sparrow Hawk is found in all parts of North America, from Great Slave Lake southward to
northern South America. West of the Rocky Mountains a slightly different species is recognized, known as the
Desert Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius phalena), and in Lower California is still another species, called St. Lucas
Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius insularis); however, for the purposes of this leaflet, which is issued to call at-
tention to the economic value of the Sparrow Hawks, but one species is described. The actual difference between
he three species is so very slight that only the most expert and critical ornithologist can observe it; the lay-
man can see no difference in the plumages, and as the habits of all are the same, and all deserve protection,
consideration as separate subspecies is not necessary at this time.

The Sparrow Hawk is the smallest of the North American Hawks, and is also our most
beautiful species, as well as being one of the most beneficial. Its name is singularly inap-
propriate, as it in no way resembles a Sparrow in form or habits, nor does it eat them to
any serious extent. If it could be renamed at the present time, it might very properly be
called the Grasshopper Hawk, because it destroys such enormous quantities of these destruc-
tive insects. The only species that the Sparrow Hawk can be confused with is the Pigeon
Hawk or the Sharp-shinned Hawk. While it is always somewhat difficult to recognize some
birds while flying, or even while at rest, yet it may be done by a careful observer, and it
should be done in the case of the Sparrow Hawk because of its great worth and entire lack
of harmful qualities.

The large amount of chestnut color on the back and tail of both sexes of the Sparrow
Hawk is a strong distinguishing mark, the Pigeon Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk being
much darker.

Below, the Sparrow Hawk presents a much lighter effect than the two other species,
which are heavily barred or streaked underneath. The length of the wings is another very
marked point of difference in the Sparrow Hawks. When the Sparrow Hawk is perched
with wings folded they reach nearly to the end of the tail, while the wings of the Sharp-
shinned Hawk fall far short of it. The flight of these small Hawks differs quite materi-
ally, the Sparrow Hawk being much given to hovering in the open, when it will drop to

(144)

a

i ee

The American Sparrow Hawk 145

the ground with a not very rapid motion and seize its humble game of a grasshopper and
fly back to a perch and eat it.

The Pigeon Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk make a few rapid wing-strokes and then
sail for some distance. The Sparrow Hawk hunts and perches in open places, while the
Sharp-shinned Hawk confines itself to the woods and thickets, perching in a tree where it
may be hidden. ‘The note of the Sparrow Hawk is ‘ Killee, killee, killee,’ which once
heard will always serve to distinguish this species from the two others with which it may
be confounded.

Another very excellent means of identification of the Sparrow Hawk, if seen at or near
its nesting site, is the location of the nest; if it is in a hole of any kind it is almost sure to
belong to a Sparrow Hawk, while if it is a nest built of sticks and other material in the
branches of a tree it is equally sure to be the nest of a'Pigeon or Sharp-shinned Hawk.

As the Pigeon Hawk is not often found breeding within the limits of the United States,
the tree nest, if found south of the Canadian border, will very likely be that of the Sharp-
shinned Hawk.

These several distinguishing marks are given with the earnest hope that farmers, sports-
men and others who, in the past, have killed all Hawks, will in the future spare the Spar-
row Hawk, owing to its great value to agriculture. When in doubt regarding the identity
of a small Hawk, give the benefit of the doubt to the Hawk, and refrain from killing it, for
you may thus spare a valuable bird, belonging toa species that during every twelve months
renders service to the agricultural industry of the country that is far beyond computation,
but if measured in dollars and cents would reach to very high figures.

This appeal for protection of the Sparrow Hawks, and the statements as to their value,
would be worthless if they could not be supported by facts.

In the exhaustive report on this species, made in 1893, by Dr. A. K. Fisher, of the United
States Department of Agriculture, will be found indisputable facts that prove the absolute
value of this Hawk as a grasshopper- and rodent-destroyer, and, on the other hand, will
show how little harm it does. 5

Three hundred and twenty stomachs were examined, which had been,collected in widely
separated parts of the country, and in all seasons of the year. In only one stomach was
found remains of a game-bird; (it also contained 29 insects). ‘This fact shows that the
sportsmen have no excuse for killing a Sparrow Hawk, as it certainly does not molest game-
birds. Fifty-three stomachs contained remains of other birds, the species being one that lived
on or very near the ground. In almost every instance the stomachs of these 53 Hawks contained,
in addition, insects or rodents of some kind. Eighty-nine birds had been eating mice of
some species, while 24 Hawks had been eating other mammals, reptiles or batrachians. Two
hundred and fifteen birds had been eating insects of various kinds, largely grasshoppers,
crickets, beetles, caterpillars, etc. A stomach of a Hawk collected at Lockport, N. Y., in
August, contained 30 crickets; another, collected In Dakota county, Nebraska, in July,
Contained a gopher and 38 insects; another, from Cedar county, Nebraska, in August,
contained 35 grasshoppers, 24 crickets, 1 dragon-fly and 2 spiders; a West Virginia bird
had eaten 25 grasshoppers, ro katydids and ro crickets; an Alabama bird, late in Novem-
ber, had eaten 25 grasshoppers, 5 crickets and 2 larva; while another, in February, had
eaten a cotton rat.

Dr. Fisher summarizes as follows: ‘“ The subject of the food of this Hawk is one of
great interest, and, considered in its economic bearings, is one that should be carefully
studied. The Sparrow Hawk is almost exclusively insectivorous, except when insect food is
dificult to obtain. In localities were grasshoppers and crickets are abundant these
Hawks congregate, often in moderate-sized flocks, and gorge themselves continuously.
Rarely do they touch any other form of food until either by the advancing season or other
natural causes the grasshopper crop is so lessened that their hunger cannot be appeased
without undue exertion. Then other kinds of insects and other forms of life contribute to

146 Bird- Lore

their fare; and beetles, spiders, mice, shrews, small snakes, lizards, or even birds may be
required to bring up the balance.

“In some places in the West and South telegraph poles pass for miles through treeless
plains and savaanas. For lack of better perches, the Sparrow Hawks often use these poles
for resting places, from which they make short trips to pick.up a grasshopper or mouse,
which they carry back to their perch. At times, when grasshoppers are abundant, such a
line of poles is pretty well occupied by these Hawks. In the vicinity of Washington, D.C.,
remarkable as it may appear to those who have not interested themselves specially in the
matter, it is the exception not to find erasshoppers or crickets in the stomachs of the ° par-
row Hawks, even when killed during the months of January and February, unless the
eround is covered with snow. It is wonderful how the birds can discover the half-con-
cealed, semi-dormant insects, which in color so closely resemble the ground or dry grass.
Whether they are attracted by a slight movement, or distinguish the form of their prey as it
sits motionless, is difficult to prove, but in any case the acuteness of their vision is of a char-
acter which we are unable to appreciate.

‘Feeding on insects so exclusively as they do, it is to be presumed that they destroy a
considerable number of beneficial kinds, as well as spiders, which they find in the same lo-
calities as the grasshoppers. However, examination of their stomach contents shows the
number to be so small, compared with that of the noxious species, that it is hardly worth
considering.

Tn the spring, when new ground or meadow is broken by the plow, they often become
very tame if not molested. They fly down, even alighting under the very horses for an in-
stant in their endeavor to capture an unearthed mouse or insect.”

Stucy Points for Teachers and Students

Where is this Hawk found? Does it remain in your locality in winter? If not found in your locality in
winter, when does it arrive in the spring? When does it leave in the fall? Is it rare or abundant in your

section? What harm to agriculture is done by grasshoppers? By crickets? By mice and other rodents ? How

can you distinguish the Sparrow Hawks from Pigeon Hawks and Sharp -shinned Hawks? Give some reasons,

based on your personal observations, why the Sparrow Hawk should be protected.

For valuable information regarding the Sparrow Hawks, consult the reference books
named in LeaHet No. 8, Marsh Hawk.

Additional copies of this leaflet may be procured of William Dutcher, chairman,

525 Manhattan avenue, New York city.

a Se ae i
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VOL. vI 20c. a Cop
SEPTEMBER — OCTOBER, 1904 $1 a Year '

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My. Mi EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

PUBLISHED FOR Ce peng alec SOCIETIES

The Macmillan Compatty, Musou

HARRISBURG, PA.

NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN R Weber

:

Bird-Lore for December will contain an article by Ernest Thompson Seton
on ‘How to Study a Bird.’

Bird= Lore

September - October, 1904

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES PAGE
FRONTISPIECE — BAY-BREASTED AND CHESTNUT-SIDED WaRBLERS .... . . Bruce Horsfall.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AND BIRD PROTECTION .........-.--. Blo s ene 147
SOLITARY SANDPIPER. Illustration iar SE MRCn ace al sor aie rea T. L. Hankinson. 148
A Woopcock at Home, Illustrated by the author......... 2 ey EB G0 OTA
OcTOBER BrrRD Music ; eNO Pee ALO NS Soe ee -o Earle Stafford . 153
KINGAGOLE A BIOGRAPH yas llUISticaltieciesmtjee) -imeume) es/e tit airmen sas Susan M. Morse 155
RocKY MounTAIn JAy. Illustration ......... cos) valle te als usta che ) | eU Cpe ere eto i

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS a
THE MIGRATION OF WARBLERS. Sixth Paper. Illustrated by -Louzs Agassiz Fuertes and

Bruce Horsfall eae) ars eS nea W. W. Cooke 162

CLIMATIC VARIATION IN COLOR AND SIZE OF SONG SPARROWS. Illustrated .......
Frank M Chapman. i64 :
NIGE@HAWICION: NIESa a Lllistraltiomie ee vet ele coos eon ieee Se by . J. & Seebold . 165

NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY aie eee tins Ade whee : ; . 166
A STATION FOR THE STUDY OF BIRD-LIFE; OuR ‘ Bors’ Anita Pring; BirD NOTES FROM
THE VICINITY OF NEW York City, 1904, /saac Bildersee; ANOTHER TAME VIREO,
C. L. Barnwell; A PAtR OF Woop PEWEES, G. AJ. Alves.
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THE PRINCETON-PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION; THE HOPXINS-STANFORD GALAPAGOS EXPEDI- :
TION; BRYAWN’S ‘MONOGRAPH OF Marcus ISLAND’; ALLEN’S ‘BIRDS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’; ;
SWARTH’S, “BIRDS OF THE HuacHuCcA Mountains’; Topp’s ‘BIRDS OF ERIK’; ‘ BABY !
PATHFINDER TO THE BtRbs’; ‘OuR BIRDS AND THEIR NESTLINGS’; ‘THE HERONS OF THE
Distrret oF CoL_uMB1A’; SCOTT ON BikDS’ SONG; THE ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES;

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EDITORS 5 on 22 2518 Wily Nahen aims feud sree renin et peed cet feta oar eae corp ae naa Si 7 sts 172

AUDUBON DEPARTMENT . re sere. ae eae oe . Ls) wpe ere! 173
EpitoriAL; NATIONAL COMMITTEE Nores; REPORT OF ILLINOIS SOCIETY.

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 11.

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een -

1.
De
3.

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, MALé.

Bay-BREASTED WARBLER, FEMALE.

BAY-PREASTED WARBLER, YOUNG.
ONE-HALF

4. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, MALE.
5. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, FEMALE.
6. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, YOUNG.

NATURAL SIZE.

PBird=- Lore

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

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Vol. VI SEPTEMBER — OCTOBER, 1904 No. 5

President Roosevelt and Bird Protection

Birp-Lore does not propose to enter the political field, but effective bird protection is so
dependent upon proper legislation, particularly federal legislation, that it seems
desirable at this time to reprint two letters written to the Editor of this magazine by
the President of the United States when he was Governor of the state of New York,
and published, respectively, in our issues for April, 1899, and June, 1900. The letters
follow.— Ep.

My dear Mr. Chapman:

I need hardly say how heartily I sympathize with the purposes of the
Audubon Society. I would like to see all harmless wild things, but espe-
cially all birds, protected in every way. I do not understand how any man
or woman who really loves nature can fail to try to exert all influence in
support of such objects as those of the Audubon Society.

Spring would not be spring without bird songs, any more than it would
be spring without buds and flowers, and I only wish that besides protecting

_ the songsters, the birds of the grove, the orchard, the garden and the

meadow, we could also protect the birds of the seashore and of the
wilderness.

The Loon ought to be, and, under wise legislation could be, a feature
of every Adirondack lake; Ospreys, as every one knows, can be made the
tamest of the tame, and Terns should be as plentiful along our shores as
Swallows around our barns.

A Tanager or a Cardinal makes a point of glowing beauty in the green
woods, and the Cardinal among the white snows.

When the Bluebirds were so nearly destroyed by the severe winter a
few seasons ago, the loss was like the loss of an old friend, or at least like
the burning down of a familiar and dearly loved house. How immensely
it would add to our forests if only the great Logcock were still found
among them !

The destruction of the Wild Pigeon and the Carolina Paroquet has
meant a loss as severe as if the Catskills or the Palisades were taken away.

148 Bird - Lore

When I hear of the destruction of a species I feel just as if all the works of
some great writer had perished ; as if we had lost all instead of only part of
Polybius or Livy. Very truly yours,

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

My dear Mr. Chapman:

* 3 > Tt was the greatest pleasure to sign the Hallock bill. Let me

take this chance of writing a word to you in behalf of the work of your
Society. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of its educational
effects. Half, and more than half, the beauty of the woods and fields is
gone when they lose the harmless wild things, while, if we could only ever
get our people to the point of taking a universal and thoroughly intelligent
interest in the preservation of game-birds and fish, the result would be an
important addition to our food supply. Ultimately, people are sure to
realize that to kill off all game-birds and net out all fish streams is not much
more sensible than it would be to kill off all our milch cows and brood
mares. As for the birds that are the special object of the preservation of
your Society, we should keep them just as we keep trees. They add im-
measurably to the wholesome beauty of life.

Faithfully yours,
(Signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

SOLITARY SANDPIPER
From nature, by T. L. Hankinson. Axton, Adirondacks, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1899

A Woodcock at Home

By E. G. TABOR

With photographs from nature by the author

OR some time it has been the
desire of the writer to make
photographs of the bird, nest

and eggs of the American Wood-
cock. Consequently, when a friend
wrote me that he had found a nest
containing four eggs I was more
than pleased, and Tuesday, May 17,
1904, found me on the _ ground
armed with my ‘ Premo’ and a good
supply of Seed’s fastest plates.

The nest was situated in a
swampy corner of a field planted
with corn, only six feet from the
open, on a slightly raised portion of
the ground. This corner was over-
grown with black ash, soft maple.
tag alders and ferns, mingled with
poison ivy and equally poisonous
mosquitoes.

Photograph No. 1 was taken
with single lens, the camera stand-
ing in the field; all the others were
made with the regular lens. Photo-
graph No. 2 was taken after moving
the camera so as to get a side view.
Number 3, of the nest and eggs, I
obtained next, but not until I had
touched the bird twice with my
hand to flush her off the nest; and,
wishing her the best of success in her strenuous duties, I then went away
from the place. Returning on Friday, May 20, just to see how matters
were progressing, I was delighted to find awaiting me what you discover in
photograph No. 4. I then withdrew, and two hours later I approached the
nest again, only to find that all the young had left it. I tried to locate them,
and, although I crawled all over the patch and looked in every nook and
corner, behind and under every leaf and bush, I was unable to find the par-
ent or the young. Quite disappointed, I went out of the place to a fence-

* of eel ane

WOODCOCK’S NEST AND EGGS

(149)

150 Bird- Lore

post and unchained ‘ Bob,’ a liver-colored pointer, who in his eagerness to
join in the search had almost whined his life away.

We went back, and, in less time than it takes to tell it, a Woodcock flushed
not eighteen inches from where I had just
crawled! Photograph No. 5 shows what I
found there. The young birds were then
about two rods from the nest, and:must have

remained exactly in this position for at least
a half-hour, as I took the dog back to his

No. 1.

FRONT VIEW
OF SAME
BIRD.

No. 2. WOODCOCK ON NEST

post, got the camera in position and took photograph No. 5 very hastily,
then settled down and made two more exposures with great deliberation,
so as to be sure of the matter. Afterwards I sat down, lighted a cigar

A Woodcock at Home 151

and smoked out some of the mosquitoes, listened to the cluck of the
mother and a little later discovered her coming back through the tangle,
never approaching near enough for a snap-shot, but all the while uttering
her calls. Presently I heard a very tiny, plaintive and long-drawn-out

a a4 / @e ar’

‘ hy ° \ ~
a Ne
‘a vA y! : a

e-e-p, and soon one of my
little ones had gone, and

in less than two minutes
all had disappeared.

I tried every way after
that to get a photograph of
her and the young together,
but this I now believe was

A

\wrv

TWO HOURS
LATER THAN
THE LOWER
PICTURE

No. 4. YOUNG WOODCOCK IN NEST. HATCHED PRECEDING NIGHT

impossible, as she would not come nearer than ten feet of them, always
calling them to her, nor could I get nearer than that to them when all
were together. With reluctance I abandoned the attempt and left the
place, trusting that I might be able to get something at a future day.

On Saturday, May 28, the young now being about nine days old, I

152 Bird-Lore

again visited the place to see if I could discover them, being careful to take
Bob with me. In about ten minutes we found them, and photograph No.
6“was taken as hastily as possible. A minute afterward they had all slipped
away. ;

A week later, June 4, I worked the place over carefully with Bob, but
failed to find a single Woodcock. “Fwenty rods away, however, we flushed

TAKEN ABOUT
THIRTY SECONDS
LATER THAN THE
LOWER PICTURE.

The center bird
skulked away half a
minute later, and was
almost immediately
followed by the others.

No. 6. YOUNG WOODCOCK, NINE DAYS OLD

Showing the position in which left by the mother when flushed. They held this
position about three minutes

an old bird from a small clump of berry bushes, but could not find any
others either young or old.

The first time I flushed the old bird from the young, after they left the
nest, she flew only about a rod, fell all in a heap as if wounded, and made a
noise with her wings like a Ruffed Grouse when commencing to drum, at
the same time uttering a sound expressed best by the word ‘twut.’ This

October Bird Music 153

she continued to do as long as I was near the young. She slipped around
to the side and tried to attract my attention and get me away from the
place where the young were; all this time they lay perfectly still, with their
eyes nearly closed, as may be seen by referring to photograph No. 5. They
did not stick their heads under foliage or leaves, as young Grouse do when
hiding, but simply dropped flat with bill extended, as seen in the photographs.
However, if one was touched or moved, as soon as freed it ran away about
three feet, dropped to the ground for an instant and repeated this per-
formance until out of sight.

At my second visit, the young lay only until all was quiet, then rose up
and skulked away; the old bird did not twut except just as she flew up,
but simply feigned injury at first and then sneaked to cover.

October Bird Music

By EARLE STAFFORD

CTOBER, as regards the birds, may be justly termed an unmusical
month. Not only have most of the songsters departed, but very
few of the remaining ones favor us with their voices. Even at this

time, however, when the first frosts whiten the meadows at sunrise, and
the oak woods are in dull splendor, snatches of welcome melody may be
heard to cheer the heart.

There is no bird, I believe, that is utterly silent during the month.
The call-notes are necessary means of communication, throughout any
season, but the song—that expression of an emotion not fully understood—
is seldom heard from many of the birds, either residents or migrants. The
Hermit Thrush, silent, dignified, passes through with scarce a word. He
mounts from the dry leaves of a thicket to a swaying branch, and quietly
observes us, perhaps giving a low chuck, as an indication of his annoyance.
How different, too, the familiar Song Sparrow now skulking shyly among
the weeds, from the same merry herald of spring! The season has affected
his character, and when he does occasionally rise from his retreat and give his
familiar ditty, or, as a substitute, a prolonged warble, it appears to be for his
own consolation rather than for the pleasure of the world. The jolly Tree
Sparrows arriving in the middle of the month are of a different mood; the
drifting leaves and the biting north wind cause them no sorrow, while the
fields and gardens are bountiful with a rich repast. No wonder October is
a month of Finches. In company with the Tree Sparrows are Juncos,
White-throats and Song Sparrows, and they spend the clear days among
the thicket and goldenrod patches, busy with the multitude of seeds which
nature has spread for them. The Tree Sparrows have a social jingling

154 Bird - Lore

twitter, remarkably pleasing, and suggestive of winter days, and not in-
frequently a White-throat will join the chorus with his silvery tremolo,
given in a tenderness not suggested by the clear, brave whistle of summer.
His common note, though, is a sharp ¢see-ep, not- unlike the call of the
Brown Creeper.

The month is mainly one of concert music. In the swamps the Rusty
Blackbirds carry on a pleasant bubbling undercurrent of quaint melody,
which always brings to my mind a squeaky wheelbarrow pushed along by
the edge of a noisy brook. With them are lingering Redwings, who rarely
utter their rich songs ; it is remarkable how many pleasant memories this
simple phrase will recall. Goldfinches im large parties ripple among the
asters. [hey have a perpetual overflow of sweet notes, which, heard from
half a hundred, is wonderfully effective. The Purple Finch alights on a
savin top to drop several rich, sweet measures, and then is off again till his
flinty 7p is lost in the distance.

If the year is one when the country is invaded by northern birds, the
plaintive whistles of Pine Grosbeaks, and the 4zmp notes of Crossbills will
be constantly falling from overhead, or mingling with the calls of Chicka-
dees and Kinglets among the spruces, where the birds are busy with the
evergreen seeds. [he fresh ‘phoebe’ call of the Chickadee is a heart-
warming bit of song, which I think may be heard every month in the year.

A not infrequent and thoroughly enjoyable surprise is to hear the song
of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet during the month. It is not nearly so
perfect as in spring; indeed the little fellow seems never to reach the
beautiful climax of his song. WHe starts with all his vigorous preliminary
chattering, gets to perfection his purring ripples, but, sadly, seems incapable
of giving the final hert-her-wee notes. I have heard but one Kinglet who
omitted this valuable addition in the spring. Certainly his musical educa-
tion -had been shamefully neglected.

But the most wonderful singer of the month is the Fox Sparrow. Or-
dinarily, he may be said to be silent in fall, except for his call-notes, but
when there is a large migration of the handsome birds we may often enjoy
the thrill of their clear, mellow, sadly sweet songs from the midst of some
bare thicket.

King Cole: A Biography

By SUSAN M. MORSE

ING COLE was only a common Crow, but a bird of such sagacity

K that I feel a true account of him and his doings would be interest -

ing in these pages. He was a Canadian by birth and was brought

home in a big boy’s cap, one holiday afternoon, to his three sisters —I being

one of them. Our brother had found the little fellow entangled in a pile
of dead brushwood, where he had probably been deserted by his family.

Our big brother advised a worm diet for our charge, so we selected a
corner behind the barn, where the mould was soft and rich and abounded
in worms, and King Cole very soon learned to know the spot. He had the
oddest way of going to the place. Wherever he happened to be at the time,
whether near or far, he would start up quite suddenly, alert, as if struck
with the idea of being hungry. Recovering himself quickly, off he would
fly scolding and screaming at the top of his voice for some one to come and
turn up the worms for him. As he grew older he was able to forage for
himself, but he always did so distinctly under protest. He much preferred
having the worms unearthed for him, and would sit on a rail near by and
scream himself hoarse in order to attract our attention. If one of us did
~ not soon appear, he would stalk around the corner to look for us. If no
one was in sight (to tease him, we would often hide), back he would flounce,
scolding all the time, and set to work himself with an air of deep disgust, as
though he thought himself very hardly used. If one of us arrived at this
stage of the proceedings, he would fly to us, flapping his wings and snapping
his beak in a passion, and by muttering, croaking and screaming express his
entire disapproval of our treatment of him. On our taking up the spade, his
protest would subside into little mollified grunts and caws of anticipa-
tion. This change in his voice was almost articulate, and most expressive.
He would watch eagerly for the worms, skipping warily around the spade to
avoid the earth, and when he saw one would pounce upon it, gobbling and
screaming at the same time, making the most outrageous noise imaginable.

In a few weeks King Cole was a full-grown Crow and as large
and glossy a one as you could wish to see. To keep him at home we
were obliged to clip his wings, and it was only when his feathers grew again
and we neglected clipping them afresh that he began those flights abroad
that got him in such bad repute among the neighbors. King Cole’s tricks
were without number — his mischief endless — his curiosity boundless. A
tied-up paper parcel was a prize he dearly loved to come upon. He would
deftly untie the string with his beak and strip off the wrappings in less than
no time, and his peepings and peerings at the contents were a caution to see.
Anything with a cover into which he could not pry was pain and grief to
him. I have watched him sit for an hour on the top of a covered tobacco

(155)

156 Bird - Lore

jar, hardly big enough to hold him, and run his beak around the crack of the
lid, vainly trying to open it.

The trick I found the hardest to forgive him was the destruction of some
of my house plants. With great pains I had constructed a flower-stand I
had seen described in some magazine, the basis of the affair being, I think, an
old wash-stand and a couple of tin basins. It was fearfully and wonderfully
made and I was vastly proud of it. Fancy my feelings when I came in one
day and found everything a complete wreck, and King Cole seated on the
top of all, surveying his work of destruction and talking softly to himself
with an air of complete satisfaction. He had pulled up every geranium
plant, stripped off all the leaves, and had laid the stalks in regular rows on
the window-sill. The little yellow blossoms of a trailing plant were scattered
far and wide about the room, some even on the mantel and the book-shelves,
so that he must have carried them in his beak and laid them there; not a
single blossom was left on the plant, and it had been very full of bloom.
When the villain saw me, he gave a scream of fright and, scrambling out of
the debris, flew out of the window and away, and did not return for several
days.

We owned a clever little rat-terrier called ‘Nettle,’ at that time, but, com-
pared with the wisdom of King Cole, Nettle’s sagacity sank into insignifi-
cance. ‘To tease her and a melancholy old cat who was then ten, and who
lived to be seventeen years old, whom we called ‘Mawther Gummidge,’ was
King Cole’s greatest delight. He always went to work in precisely the
same way. He would waylay Mawther, and, ambling gravely after her, nip her

daintily on the joint of one of her hind legs. Mawther had learned to protect .

her caudal appendage from these rear attacks, so he was forced to open
hostilities upon her leg. She was usually too deeply sunk in apathy to take
to her heels at once and put herself beyond his reach, but would turn upon
him with a look of deep reproach, whereupon he would rush violently at her
nose. To protect that weather-beaten feature, poor Mawther would quickly
turn about again, and so would catch it once more on the leg, only this time
the tweak would be a hard one. This had the effect of rousing her meek
spirit, and a very one-sided combat would follow, Puss getting much the worst
of the battle. After putting her to rout, King Cole would fly upon the win-
dow-sill and mock his retiring foe by as good an imitation of her ‘meows’
as he was able to give. In time he became a very fair mimic; he could
‘cluck’ like a hen, gabble and hiss like geese, and if several people were
talking together in his hearing he would retire to another room and there
imitate them by uttering a succession of guttural sounds in different notes
precisely like the voices of two or more persons conversing in low tones.
Nettle and King Cole were the best of friends, and, when the Crow was
not in his mischievous mood, they would play together by the hour. Nettle
bore his teasing more good-naturedly than did the misanthropic Mawther,

ee la a Eke hs eit A Re ee i es i eta a A nt a incl ma a Ng * li NO

King Cole: A Biography 157

but was often obliged to defend herself, nevertheless. The little dog might
often be seen running about with the Crow balanced cleverly on her back.
She would carry him in this way all over the farm. Sometimes her little
curled-over tail with a tempting tuft of hair at the end would prove too
much for King Cole, and the ungrateful rascal would stretch out his head
and slyly tweak it. To dislodge him Nettle would promptly roll over, but

YOUNG CROW

From nature, by E. G. Tabor

was no sooner on her feet again than the Crow would be in his place and
ready for another tweak. I suppose I have seen this absurd performance
repeated a dozen times before Nettle could make her escape.

The Crow was a most incorrigible thief, and made way with any number
of trinkets, etc., during his lifetime, many of which we never found. Like
the Magpie, which I believe is a first cousin to the Crow, he would steal, and
hide in all sorts of places, any bright-colored or sparkling thing that took

158 Bird - Lore

his fancy. Sometimes he would bury his finds, at other times drop them down
a crack, chink or knot-hole in the floor—anywhere, in fact, where he could
frequently go and peep at them, always doing so with the greatest air of se-
crecy. I remember the first collection we came across. We were playing
one day near a pile of wood, when Nettle, who was basking in the sun and
playing idly with the Crow, suddenly jumped up and began sniffing near
where two projecting logs next the side of the outhouse made a dark little
corner. As soon as King Cole noticed this he flew into the greatest state of
excitement ; he flounced on the dog’s back, scolding and screaming, and tried
to drive her away. Finding violence of no avail, he tried coaxing. Sprawling
on the ground before her, he stuck one leg awkwardly out, in a manner
which usually proved irresistible to Nettle, to tempt her toa frolic. However,
even this failed to draw her off the scent, and she went on sniffing until she
ran her head quite under the ends of the logs. King Cole now evidently
gave up all for lost, for, with the light of a desperate resolve gleaming in his
eye, he bundled himself, with screams of rage, between the dog’s feet, into
where her shoulders could not pass. Scratching and burrowing with his
beak, he unearthed presently a collection of crusts of bread, bones, bits of
glass bottles, scraps of scarlet cloth, buttons, a broken knife-blade, and any
number of pieces of buckwheat cakes. Determined that Nettle should not
profit by her find, he fell upon the scraps of food and gobbled them up so fast
that he very nearly choked himself to death. When Nettle was gotten away,
there stood King Cole with a bit of griddle-cake crosswise in his beak,
gasping for breath,—the very personification of selfish greed. Before night
he had carried off all his treasures and hidden them afresh.

One day Meg was sitting at the open window sewing some buttons on
her boots. She put her thimble down for a moment, and King Cole,
who had been sitting on the low branch of a tree near by and crooning
in an absent-minded sort of way to himself, suddenly dropped from his perch
and pounced upon the thimble. He then flew to the ground with it,
where he stood jabbering away, and looking saucily at Meg, first with
one eye and then with the other. Out of consideration for my sister’s
stockinged feet, I ran to get the thimble. Just as I put my hand out
for it, off he flew with it again—this time to the garden palings, where
he laid it carelessly on the top of a post, and turned to gaze abstractedly
across the field as if he had dismissed all thoughts of the thimble from
his wicked little mind. He even sidled some distance away from the
post, so that I was quite deceived into thinking he meant to give it up.
Not a bit of it! The moment my hand went out for it, like a flash of
lightning he snatched it up and was off with it again. This was too
much for my sister at the window. ‘“QOh, you stupid!” she cried, an
sallied forth, bootless, but full of confidence in her own powers. I can
laugh, to this day, when I think of that chase! Before it ended, poor

King Cole: A Biography 159

Meg’s temper and her stockings were of about the same hue — decidedly
black. He led her over acres of land, through a plowed field of soft,
black soil, into which she plunged, regardless of her white stockings.
Then on through an oat stubble, where poor Meg fairly danced in agony ;
over any number of snake-fences with blackberry hedges on either side,
not to speak of the various stone piles he selected as his stopping places.
At each attempt to get the thimble from him, the little -rascal allowed
her to all but close her hand upon it. Never once did he snap it up
until the very last moment.

After a while, she, learning something from the tactics of her enemy,
changed hers, and tried the plan of knocking him away from the thimble
with a long fence-rail; but he invariably got to it first, no matter how
quickly she dropped the rail, and made a dash for the thimble. Next
she tried the ruse of walking past him with studied unconcern, and
returning with a rush. She even went so far as to pretend to go to
sleep, her head a yard from the disputed property, and her hand ready
for the clutch—but for each and all of her manceuvers he was fully
prepared, and it seemed to me, who watched proceedings from a distance,
that the victory was to be with the little black Crow, who did look such
a tiny creature beside my tall sister of twelve years of age. You will
never guess how it ended! King Cole’s manner of surrender was worthy
of him. After leading poor exasperated Meg nearly back to the house
again, he flew to the branch of a tree, the thimble held in the tip of
his beak, and sat there eyeing her as she stood below, impotently
threatening and hurling sticks and stones at him. Presently he tilted
deliberately forward and dropped the thimble at her feet, sat up very
straight, cocked his head on one side and muttered soothingly, saying as
plainly as Crow could: “ There, little girl, there’s your thimble; I am
done with it.”

One of the Crow’s favorite tricks, and his funniest, was to drop suddenly
into a flock of strange fowls, whenever he came across any in the fields or
barn-vards about (our own hens and he were the best of friends) and when,
in a fright, they would disperse, he would affect to start and look about him,
as much as to say “ Dear me! how isit I find myself alone?” I have watched
him do this many times, and the little by-play was always the same, and
most amusing.

The terror of his life were his wild kinsmen, who soon found him out
in his adopted home. They cordially hated him, and when they managed to
catch him far from home without a protector would attack him savagely.
More than once the men working in the fields saved him only just in time
from being picked to death. Sometimes as many as four or five wild Crows
would pursue him, clamoring loudly, almost to the house door, or to within
a few yards of us if we were in the fields. I think, when one considers the

160 Bird- Lore

extremely wild nature of the common Crow, this is very remarkable. I

remember once sitting at an open window, and hearing the peculiar cry King
Cole always gave when frightened. He presently swooped in at the window
with a wild Crow in full chase— who actually only turned back when I
sprang up and waved my hands — positively ‘shooing’ him away. I was
as badly frightened as King Cole, who meanwhile lost no time in scrambling
beneath the sofa—for the stranger was a big, fierce fellow with glittering
black eyes, and was snapping his great beak furiously.

When he finally beat a retreat, it was only to a tree not more than
twenty feet from the house, where he stayed for some time, watching the
window and clamoring angrily.

King Cole was very fond of going with us into the woods or fields to
gather berries, and the way he would keep his weather eye open for his
enemies was a caution. If he sighted one, in the distance, or heard a ‘caw’
overhead, he would come scrambling to us and creep under our pinafores,
with little crooning utterances. From this safe retreat, he would poke his
head cautiously out to rake the sky, first with one eye and then with the
other, in search of his foes.

I remember a very funny thing that happened one day. We were
gathering strawberries, and there was an old woman some distance from us
picking away industriously — her wide-brimmed straw hat covering her shoul-
ders. A bird’s-eye view must have shown little else than hat, I fancy. I
don’t know what King Cole thought it was, but he dropped straight upon
it with a couple of ear-piercing ‘ caws,’ and over the old body went with a
smothered howl of terror. Afraid to move, she lay stiffly with her feet
half way up the side of a little knoll, her hands before her eyes fearing to
behold the monster from the sky. We ran to help her up, explaining, and,
when we got her on her feet, found she had fallen on her basket of berries,
and her light-colored calico dress was stained with their juice, from her
head to her heels, a sight to behold !_ We looked about for the author of
the mischief, and there he was! Snuggled beneath the hat as quiet as a
mouse, hoping, no doubt, to hide until the trouble blew over. We got the
worst of it in the end, however, and were obliged to beat a hasty retreat,
with King Cole wrapped up in Meg’s apron to save him from the wrath of
the assaulted one, who gave us avery plain piece of her mind about keeping
“sich creeters araound ”’!

Before long, we began to hear a great many complaints of our pet. One
neighbor declared he had come in her window one morning and flown off
with her tooth-brush; another, that she had found him in her kitchen
with his legs embedded in a batch of bread-dough, which she had put
to rise by the fire. Had she not been a tender-hearted soul, he would
have met his death then and there. However, it was not long after this
that he disappeared, and, though we looked and inquired everywhere, it

eee

King Cole: A Biography 161

was a long time before we learned the cause and manner of his taking
off. At last a friend confessed to us that a neighbor of hers who had
suffered many a time from the raids of King Cole upon her chicken-yard,
one day found him beneath the high valanced bed in her room worrying
a little chicken he had driven in from the yard. The woman declared
that her patience then and there came to an end, and so she summoned
her husband to the scene. He brought his gun and put an end to our
poor King Cole’s life.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAY

From nature, by Evan Lewis, at Idaho Springs, Colo.

For Teachers and Students

The Migration of Warblers

SIXTH PAPER

Compiled by Professor W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data

in the Biological Survey

With drawings by Louris AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALL

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER

SPRING MIGRATION

PLACE

Atlantic Coast —

Chester County, S.C...

Washington, D.C. .
RenovowPa eee.
Southeastern New York

Central Massachusetts .

Southern Maine. .
St-sjobn wy Ne Bees
Montreal, Can. . .
Picton, N.S...

Mississippi Valley —
St. Louis, Mo. . .
Morgan Park, III.
Brookville, Ind. . .
Petersburg, Mich. .
Southern Ontario .. .
Ottawa, Ont. .
Aweme, Man.

No. of years’ Average date of
record spring arrival

May 13
May 13
May 8
May 16
May 18
May 21
May 23

WNDNROMN DW

May 7
May 5
May 8
May 13
May 12
May 17
May 16

Lon

4
WO AWN+

Earliest date of
spring arrival

May 5, 1888
May 9, 1903
May 11, 1897
May 3, 1899
May 8, 1895

May 15, 1889
May 19, 1891
May 23, 1895

May 3, 1883
May 2, 1900
May 2, 1884
May Io, 1893
May 6, 1889
May 11, 1886
May 13, 1899

FALL MIGRATION

No. of years’ Average date of

eC record last one seen
Ottaway Onts yy en iia 3 September 8
St Johny Nib er
Glen Ellyn, Ill... y September 18
Germantown, Pa.. . 3 September 28

Latest date of last
one seen

September 16, 1888
September 1, 1890
October 4, 1897
October 19, 1885

(162)

—

PLACE

The Migration of Warblers

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER

SPRING MIGRATION

No. of years’

record

Average date of
spring arrival

Atlantic Coast —

Suwanee River, Fla.
Atlanta, Ga. (near)

Asheville, N. C. (near) ; 3

Raleigh, ac:

French Creek, Ww. Va.

Washington, Dec.
Beaver, Pa. ... .
Renovo, Pa.

Southeastern New: York

Portland, Conn.
Boston, Mass.
Lewiston, Me.
Montreal, Can.

Seoichiiake, NB... .

Halifax, N. S.

Mississippi Valley —
Southern Texas .

Shell Mound, Miss.

Peot.ilouis, Mo... .
Brookville, Ind. . .
Chicago, Ill... .
Petersburg, Mich.
Listowel, Ont.

Parry Sound District, Ont. t

Ottawa, os
Grinnell,

eon. ha. ‘
Elk River, Minn. . .
Aweme, Man.

- _
DD COL ALONE NW OO

April 28
April 26
April 28

FALL MIGRATION

PLACE

Lanesboro, Minn. .
Ottawa, Ont... .
Glen Ellyn, Ill.

St. John, N. B.
Beaver, Pa.

Berwyn: Pa. 3 5...
New Orleans, La.. .

record

4
5
6

No of years’

Average date of
last one seen

163.

Earliest date of
spring arrival

April ro,
April 17,
April 22,
April 27,
April 30,
April 30, 1891
May 1, 1902
April 30, 1901
2, 1899
1887
1897
1899
1889
1897
1895

1892
1896
1902
1886
1890

April 17, 1890:
April 15, 1892
April 27, 1883

May 2, 1881

May 2, 1896

April 28, 1889
May 2, 1900
May 8, 1889
May 8, 1895
May 1, 1887
May 4, 1890
May 7, 1887
May 18, 1897

Latest date of last
one seen

September 8
August 23
September 19

September 23.

September 15, 1889
September 12, 1885
September 26, 1895
September 10, 1895
October 1, 1890
October 8, 1891
October 10, 1896

2 Ww

DISTRIBUTION OF SONG SPARROWS

Photographed from an exhibit in the American Museum of Natural History. Published by permission from the
American Museum Journal

Climatic Variation in Color and Size of Song Sparrows

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

the first exhibit of several designed to illustrate variation in the color

and size of birds due to climatic agencies. It includes the leading

types of Song Sparrows, a species which is particularly susceptible to the

influences of its environment, no less than twenty climatic varieties, geo-
graphical races, or subspecies of this wide-ranging bird being known.

East of the Rocky Mountains, in a region where climatic conditions are

quite uniform, only one well-marked subspecies of Song Sparrow is found ;

(164)

fi ee American Museum of Natural History has lately placed on view

Climatic Variation in Color and Size of Song Sparrows 165

but west of the Rocky Mountains, where there are widely varying climatic
conditions, sixteen subspecies of Song Sparrow are known, twelve of them
from California alone.

There is a striking relation between the colors of the various races and
the aridity and the humidity of the areas they inhabit. Thus the palest-
colored race, the Desert Song Sparrow (No. 5, on the accompanying illus-
tration), Melospiza cinerea fallax inhabits the most arid portion of North
America, the desert region of Nevada, Arizona and southeastern California,
where the annual rainfall averages about six inches; while the darkest -col-
ored race, the Sooty Song Sparrow (No. 2, Melospiza cinerea rufina) , inhabits
the most humid portion of North America, the coast region of British
Columbia and southern Alaska, where the annual rainfall may reach one
hundred and twenty-five inches.

Note that, in obedience to the law that animals increase in size toward
the north, the largest race, the Aleutian Song Sparrow (No. 1, Melospiza
cinerea cinerea ), is the most northern, and, the smallest race, the Mexican
Song Sparrow (No. 6, Melospiza cinerea mexicana ), is the most southern.

Between the lightest and the darkest, the smallest and the largest Song
Sparrows, however, there is complete intergradation in accordance with the
change in the conditions which affect their color and size.

NIGHTHAWK ON NEST

From nature, by J. E. Seebold, Carlisle, Pa.

Potes from Jield and Stunp

A Station for the Study of Bird Life

Articles of Incorporation have just been
drawn looking to the establishment, 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, Pennsylvania,
the necessary buildings and equipment.

The Worthington Society will have for
its purpose the consideration 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, which it is proposed
by the liberality of the foundation to make
continuous and exhaustive in the hope of
reaching conclusive results.

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 individual, with a
daily record, brief or elaborate, as exigen-
cies may require, much will be learned
regarding ratters 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 mois-
ture, and to food. How rapid a change in
appearance can be effected by a new environ-
ment or a new set of conditions?

V. Heredity. What general character-
istics are transmitted ? Are acquired char-
acteristics 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 develop-
ment of intelligence.

XI. The possibility of breeding insectivo-
rous and other beneficial kinds of birds, to
re-stock a given region or to imcrease
native birds, as has been done in the case
of fish, by the United States Fish Com-
mission.

A temporary laboratory and aviary is
being equipped, and preliminary work will
begin with the instalment of a large
number of native and foreign birds early in
September. Mr. Worthington has _ pro-
cured the services of Mr. William E. D.
Scott, Curator of the Department of Orni-
thology at Princeton University, as Direc-
tor of the proposed work. Mr. Bruce
Horsfall has been engaged as chief assistant
and artist. ‘The corps of assistants and
workers will be increased as the plans of
the Worthington Society develop.

Our ‘ Bobs’

A few years since, on a Louisiana sugar
plantation, a Mockingbird, about a week
old, in some way fell from its nest, and
would have been a prey for cats had not a
bird-lover who had been paying daily visits
to the nest found the little fellow who had
met with the accident. The bird was
brought into the house, and was at once
installed as a member of the family, and
treated to all the care and attention one
would give a baby. A nest was made in
the cage, and the young mocker was fed on
bread and milk. He soon learned his meal
hours, and would peep most lustily for some
of his admirers to come and take him out of

(166)

Notes from Field and Study

his cage and feed him. Then he would be
put back and go to sleep.

When he was three weeks old his diet was
changed to worms and flies. Soon he was
able to make exertions to pick up his food,
and when he had secured a fly or other
morsel, he would give a joyous little note of
triumph, as much as to say, “ See what I can
do!” Ashe grew older, one of his peculiari-
ties was that while he liked to run and hop
all over you, you must not touch him, for, if
you did, he would fly to an empty chair, to
the railing, or to some other perch, and then
scold you for your presumption. His master
taught ‘Bobs,’ as the bird was called, a
peculiar note which the master gave when-
ever he came about the house. Bobs was
still only a learner in flight, however, and
he ventured no very great distances. He
would go down into the garden in pursuit
of his food. The door of his cage was left
open and he went in and out as he pleased.

The big birds were very jealous of this
little fellow, and he, in a spirit of defiance,

would go out and dare them, whereupon
they would come after him. But Bobs
knew that there was always safety to be had
in retreat to the house and in shrieking as
loudly as possible so as to attract the atten-
tion of some one of the household, and thus
bring a protector to his assistance.

The house was surrounded by magnificent
oaks. Bobs was given his first lessons in
flight in the trees nearest the house. As he
became more venturesome, he made longer
flights of his own accord, but never passed
the house without giving his peculiar call.
It was also his habit to come to the porch
about five o’clock in the afternoon, when the
family were sitting there. Then the fun
began forhim. He would pick at the shoe-
strings and struggle with them, pull out hair-
pins, or walk over the book one was reading
if no notice was taken of him.

Poor little Bobs had many enemies of
his own kind, for Mockingbirds are known
to be great fighters, and jealous of human
interference as well, always trying to kill
domesticated birds. One day when he was
several months old he went away as usual,
giving his signal as he passed the house,
but he never returned, much to the great

167

grief of his friends and admirers. His
rescuer went out among the trees in search
of the missing pet, calling the bird by name,
so well known to the little fellow, and giv-
ing the peculiar whistle also, to either of
which Bobs had answered readily before.
But now there was no response. Either the
odds had been too great for him, or he had
found a congenial mate and had gone back
to the life of the birds. —Anira Princ,
New Orleans, La.

Purple Martins in Vermont

In the October, 1903, number of Birp-
Lore, I wrote of the disaster our Purple
Martins had met with during the long, cold
rain in June, in the loss of all their young.
At that time we asked ourselves, ‘* Will the
Martins return next spring and take up their
abode in the Castle again? ’’ The question
has been answered by a few Martins that
came tothe Castle thisspring. Three males
came April 25, and lingered about the house,
apparently waiting for the arrival of females.
About May 1, one female came, but the
males could not induce her to remain but a
few hours. Once after that she came to the
house for a short interval. She seemed to
see the scenes of last year’s horror, and after
uttering a few pitious cries she flew away.

The three males remained several days
calling and looking for mates to come, but
invain. May 1s, the Castle was silent, and
no Martins have come to stay with us this
year. We regret to think that our large
Colony has gone, and there is no hope of
getting them back this year; but we trust we
may be more fortunate another year.

Through Birp-Lore we wish to ask the
persons who reported the loss of their Mar-
tins during last year’s long, cold rain, if the
birds returned this spring, and are breeding
in the same houses ?>—FRANCES B. Horton,
Brattleboro, Vt.

Bird Notes from the Vicinity of New
York City, 1904

Central Park.—April 30 and 31. Green-
crested Flycatcher; May 1 and 8, Fish
Crow; May 6 and 13, Lincoln’s Sparrow—
observed continually for more than an hour

168

and a half, at times at a distance of less
than ten feet ; May 6, 7 and 14, Golden-
winged Warbler; May 10, 14, 15 and 21,
Nashville Warbler,— heard singing on the
first two occasions; May 10, 14 and 15, Bay-
breasted Warbler; May 10, Mourning
Dove; May 10 and 14, Gray -cheeked
Thrush ; May 13, Red-headed Wood-
pecker, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, White-
crowned Sparrow; May 28, Mourning
Warbler.

Near Leonia, N. J.—April 17, Pigeon
Hawk, Duck Hawk, American Pipit ;
August 21, Sora Rail.

Near Grantwood, N. J.—May 15, Yel-
low-bellied Flycatcher ; July ro, Tufted
Titmouse.

Near Englewood, N. J. (Woodland
avenue and Mountain road).-—July 10,
Kentucky Warbler, Carolina Wren.

Bronx Park.—June 8, Cooper’s Hawk ;
June 10, Broad-winged Hawk, Lawrence’s
Warbler. (See this volume of Birp-LoreE,
p. 131.)

Coney Island (Manhattan Beach).—June
19 and 23, Least Bittern.

Long Beach, L. I.—July 24, Long-billed
Curlew. Two Long-billed Curlews flew
by me at a distance of about forty feet and
at an altitude of about fifteen feet. When
I first saw them they were flying directly
toward me, but my presence caused them
to swerve slightly from the original line of
their flight. The weather at the time was
very stormy—very heavy rain accompanied
by a violent southeast wind; July 31, Rough-
winged Swallow, Herring Gull.— Isaac
BILDERSEE, New York City.

Vireo

In ‘Notes from Field and Study’ of
August Birp-Lorg, I noticed Mr. S. C.
Palmer’s account of Tame Vireos. One day
last summer I saw a young Red-eyed Vireo
sitting on the edge of its nest, about ten feet
from the ground. Touching the tree with
my hand, the young bird fluttered down to
the earth: At that moment the mother-bird
returned with food. Wishing to test her
courage, I sat down on the ground with my

Another Tame

legs apart, and placed the young one be- ©

tween. After flying around a few times, the

Bird- Lore

female perched on my shoe and fed the young
bird; and afterwards she perched on my leg,
just below the knee. I have no doubt that
she would, in time, have fed her offspring
if I had put him in my hand. But after she
had fed him from my leg, I put the young
one ona branch, and left him to his mother’s
care, as both were frightened.—C. L. BARN-
WELL, Bar Harbor, Maine.

A Pair of Wood Pewees

‘ Mr. Henry Hales’ interesting account of
the intelligence of a pair of Cliff Swallows
in the construction of their nest, recalls to
my mind an incident which came under my
observation, showing not only considerable
apparent reasoning power in birds, but
much paternal devotion as well.

In the heated summer of r1gor, a pair of
Wood Pewees built their nest near the end
of a limb of an oak tree in our lawn. The
nest happened to be so situated that for
about two hours of the hottest portion of the
day the sun shone directly upon it. Dur- —
ing those hours, one of the birds—my wife
said of course it was the mother, and I pre-
sume she was right—was always found
above the nest with wings extended, so as
to shade the little ones from the sun. The
sun-was usually so intense that we almost
always found the bird with open mouth
panting in the sun. The punishment must
have been very severe, and the sacrifice made
by the bird would have done honor to a
mother of the human race. But the special
point is, the action of the bird could not
have been prompted by instinct, as I have
never seen or heard of a similar instance
with birds. The bird must have reasoned
that the heat of the direct rays of the sun
would destroy her young, and she took that
means to preserve them. In the words of
Mr. Hales, ‘‘It seems to me to be a case
for which an unreasoning instinct does not
sufficiently account.’’—G. M. ALves, Hen-
derson, Ky.

[The action noted by our correspondent
is probably not uncommon. Herrick’s ad-
mirable ‘Home - Life of Birds’ contains
photographs of three spectes shading their
young with half-spread wings.—Ep. ]

al

Book Pews and Reviews

REPORTS OF THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
EXPEDITIONS TO PATAGONIA, 1896-1899.
Vol II. OrnirHotocy, PartI. RHEIDA-
SPHENISCID®. By WILLIAM EARL DopGE

ScoTT, associated with R. BowpLéerR
SHARPE. 4to, pages I-112, numerous
text cuts.

This handsome work, when completed,
will evidently be an exhaustive treatise on
the ornithology of the region to which it
relates. With each species there is given a
full synonymy, detailed description of plu-
mage, one or more pen-and-ink drawings,
usually of the head; a statement of its geo-
graphical range, list of specimens secured by
the expedition, discussion of relationships,
and remarks on habits. It is to be hoped
that the succeeding parts will appear with-
out undue delay. The absence of a pref-
atory note, descriptive of the labors and
personnel of the expedition, of the area cov-
ered and extent of collections secured is to
be regretted. Possibly this will be sup-
plied Jater.—F. M. C.

A Mownocraru oF Marcus Istanp. By
Wm. ALANSON Bryan. Occasional Pa-
pers, Bernice Pauahi, Bishop Museum,
II, 1, 1903, pages 77-139; Birds, pages
95-116; map and half-tones. Honolulu,
1903.

Marcus Island is a small coral islet some
2,400 miles from Honolulu and 1,200 miles
southeast of Yokohama. Mr. Bryan reached
it July 30, 1902, and passed a week in the

study of its formation and life. Eighteen
species of birds, all sea-birds, most of
which were breeding, were found. Several

species of Terns were exceedingly abundant
ana a small colony of Japanese has settled
on the island, to secure skins of these birds
for millinery purposes. Of the Sooty Tern
alone, Mr. Bryan tells us, “not less than
50,000 birds” are slaughtered during the
six months from March to September.
Fortunately, since his visit, the island has
become an American possession and the
birds, thanks to the efforts of the Chair-
man of our National Committee, will re-

(169)

ceive much needed protection. Surely all
bird - lovers should be expansionists !

Mr. Bryan’s description gives us a clear
idea of the character of the island, while
his graphic notes on its bird-life not only
make capital reading but add not a little to
our knowledge of the species treated.—
Bi Mis:

PAPERS FROM THE HopkiINs— STANFORD
GALAPAGOS EXPEDITION, 1898-1899.
XVI. Birds. By Ropert Evans §nop-

GRASS and EDMUND HELLER.
231-372.

8vo, pages

In this admirable book, also, we miss an
introduction which would inform us of the
conditions under which the authors worked,
actual time devoted to collecting, islands
explored, etc. For the work itself we have
only the highest praise. None of the many
naturalists who have visited this faunally
remarkable group of islands appears to have
made so close a study of its bird-life as the
present authors. With a biological training
which prepared them to appreciate the sig-
nificance of the many facts in distribution
and habits which came under their observa-
tion, their notes are of the highest impor-
tance to the student of the relationships of
Galapagos birds, as well as to the general
subject of evolution by environment. —

Be MianGs

Tue Birps of New HAmPSHIRE. By
GLovER MorritL ALLEN. Proc. Man-
chester Inst. of Arts and Sciences. IV.
1902. 8vo, pages 19-222.

Birps oF THE Huacuuca Moun rains, Ari-
zona. By Harry S. SwarTH. Pacific
Coast Avifauna No. 4, Cooper Orn.
Club, Los Angeles, Calif. 1904. Royal
8vo, pages I-70.

Tue Birps oF ErigE AND PRESQUE ISLE, Erie
County, Pennsylvania. By W. E. CLYDE
Topp. Annals Carnegie Museum, II.
1904. Pages 481-596, 1 map, 3 half-tones
Here are three authoritative faunal lists

which will doubtless long remain the stand-

170

-ard publications on the birds of their
respective regions. Mr. Swarth’s list is
based largely on observations made by him-
self between April 25 and July 20, 1896;
March 29 and September 5, 1902, and Feb-
tuary 17 and May 30, 1903. His list of
195 species he believes to represent fairly
the resident and summer resident birds, and
thinks that further field work would’ add
some migrants and an occasional straggler.
It contains no less than eleven of our seven-
‘teen Humming-birds. His annotations are
-often extended, a page or more frequently
being devoted to a single species.

Mr. Allen summarizes our knowledge
of the distributional of Vermont
birds. He lists 283 species as having been
positively ascertained to occur in the state,
and in this connection comments on the

status

necessity for care in identification, saying,
“The trained naturalist, who appreciates
at what pains facts are determined, is con-
tent to leave unrecorded that of which he is
in doubt. Of much greater value is it to
establish one new fact in the life-history of
-a common bird than to record the accidental
presence of a species far from its normal
range,” a remark which should be taken
to heart by every student of birds with an
opera-glass. Mr. Allen, in addition to an
exceptionally well-annotated list, presents an
interesting historical introduction, a copious
bibliography, and, what is too often lacking
from local lists, an index. It is satisfactory to
observe that the author has followed the
A. O. U. ‘Check-List’ in nomenclature
and classification rather than the inconve-
nient system employed in ‘The Birds of
Massachusetts,’ of which he was joint author.
Mr. Todd also gives us a paper contain-
ing al] the information available concerning
the bird-life of the area under consideration.
He enumerates 237 species, with extended
annotations, a descriptive introduction and
bibliography. The reviewer notes with
surprise that the Dickcissel is admitted to
the list on the authority of only a single ob-
server. While visiting the late George B.
Sennett at Erie during the last of May and
first of June, 1890, he observed at least six
individuals of this species which were evi-
dently breeding near the city.—F. M. C.

Bird - Lore 4

BasBy PATHFINDER TO THE BirpDs. By
HarrieT E. RiIcHARDS and EMMA G.
Cummincs. W. A. Butterfield, Boston.
1904. Oblong, 64mo. 1-125 pages,
numerous outline cuts in text.

This pocket booklet treats of 110 common
eastern birds, giving with each one a descrip-
tion of plumage, characteristic habits, notes,
nesting site and breeding range. At least
one species of each family is figured. Every
other page is blank and is designed for field
memoranda, a fact which, in connection with
the book’s small size, should commend its
use as a field book where more bulky vol-
umes would be out of place.

Both authors have had extended experi-
ence in studying birds through an opera-
glass, and are, therefore, specially fitted to
administer to those who would name birds
in nature.—F. M.C.

Our BirRDS AND THEIR NESTLINGS. By
MarGaret Coutson WALKER. Ameri-
can Book Company. 12mo. 1-208 pages,
14 colored plates, numerous half-tones.

This book seems admirably adapted for
the use of the primary teacher who would
arouse in her pupils an interest in our com-
mon birds.

Twenty common birds are dealt with bio-
graphically. Stories and poems concerning
them are interspersed at intervals.

Fourteen coloritypes from mounted birds
facilitate identification, and, with numerous
photographs of nests, eggs and young birds,
chiefly by Herrick and Dugmore, should
hold the child’s interest and stimulate its
curiosity. We note that in republishing
Ernest Seton’s verses, ‘ The Myth of the
Song Sparrow,’ the author has failed to say
that they originally appeared in Birp-Lore.
—F.M.C.

NoTES ON THE HERONS OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
sonian Miscell. Colls.
ington, 1903.

Vol. XL. Wash-

Nine species of Herons have been recorded
from the District of Columbia, four of them
as breeding, and Mr. Bartsch here tells of
the status of these birds and gives us the re-
sults of his experiences with them. Specially
interesting are his studies on a colony of

By Paut BartscH. Smith-~

-

a en

Book News

Black-crowned Night Herons, with numerous
illustrations, and his photographs of Little
Blue Herons and American Egrets, the
former of which, in immature or white
plumage, appear to be surprisingly common
about Washington in the late summer.—
Prov...

THE INHERITANCE OF SONG IN PASSERINE
Birps. By W. E. D.Scorr. Science, June

24, 1904, p. 957; August 26, 1904,p. 282.

Mr. Scott here presents another of his
careful studies of individual birds with par-
ticular relation to the inheritance of song.
The species treated are the Rose-breasted
Grosbeak and Meadowlark, broods of both
of which were reared by hand isolated from
other birds of their kind. The details of
Mr. Scott’s observations are exceedingly in-
teresting, and his papers should be consulted
by those interested in the subject of inheri-
tance of nest-building ability as well as of
song. Here we have only space to say that
neither Grosbeaks nor Meadowlarks devel-
oped the song of their species, but were
both influenced by the notes of other species
within their hearing; the former by an In-
dian Bulbul, the seng of which they ac-
quired so exactly that it was difficult “to
tell which species was singing,” the latter
by the European Blackbird.

Students of the molt in birds, in reading
Mr. Scott’s statement that he is “strongly
inclined to the opinion that there is a

' physical change in the feather itself, which

alters its appearance so far as color is con-
cerned,” will wish that he would give at
length the grounds on which this opinion is
based.—F. M. C.

The Ornithological Magazines

THe Avuk.—‘ The Auk’ for July fur-
nishes an unusual amount of profitable
reading, and those of a speculative turn of
mind will enjoy ‘A Discussion of the
Origin of Migration’ by P. A. Taverner,
as well as ‘The Origin and Distribution
of the Chestnut-backed, Chickadee’ by J.
Grinnell. It is Mr. Taverner’s theory,
perhaps not altogether a new one, that
migration originated because certain areas,
already fully peopled with birds, overflowed

and Reviews

171

when, with the advent of the nesting season
these’ areas failed to afford an adequate food
supply for the additional young birds.
This was the cause of spring migration, and
diminution of food in the fall gradually
drove the overfow back into winter quar-
ters, limited by the supporting powers of the
land. Mr. Grinnell’s article is perhaps the
most serious of its kind yet offered by a
biological ornithologist of the modern
school. The Chestnut-backed and the Hud-
sonian Titmouse are here derived from a
common ancestor, of which each was a geo-
graphical race until isolation took place.
The former now appears to have further
differentiated into three races, and all of
these hypothetical derivations are nicely
shown by a map. The reader should re-
member, however, that with a corner-stone
of hypothesis, a structure of graceful pro-
portions may be more fanciful than real.

A classification of the Tyrannidz accord-
ing to anatomical and other biological
characters is advocated by H. Von Ihering,
and J. A. Allen illustrates the follies of
synonymy by the word ‘Catharacta’ spelled
in eight different ways. In lighter vein are
extracts from an unpublished journal of
Audubon’s by R. Deane, while W. W.
Cooke and E. H. Eaton furnish some notes
on migration. An annotated list of the
birds of the upper Pecos River, New
Mexico, is written in Mrs. F. M. Bailey’s
pleasant style, but we regret to see ‘Baird
Sparrow,’ ‘Virginia Warbler,’ etc., ad-
mitted to the ‘Auk’ instead of the posses-
sive case being used. Evolution may some
day eliminate the ‘s’ as unfit, but except
in geography it is still customary to write
English as ‘she is wrote.’

A thirteenth supplement to the A. O. U.
Check-List closes the magazine, in which
other matters of interest will be found be-
sides the ones touched upon so briefly.—

JESDE sr.

Book News

Mr. H. E. Dresser has issued a prospec-
tus of his forthcoming work on ‘The Eggs
of the Birds of Europe,’ details of which
may be obtained from the author at 3 Han-
over Square, London, W.

72

Bird: Lore.

A Bi-monthly Magazine
‘Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Vol. VI Published October 1, 1904 No. 5

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico
‘twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post-
age paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush 1s Worth Two in the Hand

We have before remarked that effective
bird protection means not only preventing
the decrease of birds but taking measures
which will result in their increase. We con-

sequently are glad to respond to a general

demand for information in regard to suitable
types of bird ‘boxes’ or houses. It is pro-
posed to devote a large part of an early
number of Brrp-Lore to this subject, and
we ask the assistance of our readers in secur-
ing photographs of bird homes which they
have found to meet the demands of various
bird tenants.

In the “Atlantic Monthly’ for July John
Burroughs discusses in a logical and con-
vincing way ‘The Literary Treatment of
Nature.’ The article should be read, and
read carefully, by every one interested in the
popular presentation of natural history sub-
jects. The literary naturalist should have
as much regard for facts as his scientific
brother. It is in his presentation of them
that he will depart from the formal and
stereotyped methods or science.

The technical scientist addresses co-labor-
ers in a similar field. At the outset he is
assured of their attention and comprehen-
sion. A place of publication is provided
in the Proceedings of learned Societies or
Bulletins of Museums. He is not subject
to editorial dictation nor under the slightest
obligation to make himself interesting. He
clothes his statements in the language of

Bird- Lore

science, a garb well designed to disguise
the most attractive form.

The literary naturalist, on the other hand,
must primarily be interesting. This is an
editorial requirement. He writes for publi-
cations whose existence depends on the
pecuniary support they receive from the
public. His articles must help sell the
medium in which they appear. Now the
literary naturalist may command the public
ear in a variety of ways. He may be an
unusually keen student of nature whose ac-
counts of what he has observed, though
simple in form, are readable because of their
inherent merit. He may see no better than
the rest of us but possess descriptive powers
which, as Mr. Burroughs says, will enlist
our sympathies and arouse our enthusiasm
by so presenting his facts that their relation
to our lives is emphasized. Or he may
‘interpret’. what he has seen or heard.
Such interpretation, as Mr. Burroughs
clearly points out, is not a scientific explan-
ation, demonstration or hypothesis. It is
not expressed in the vocabulary of science
but in terms of his own personality,— an
interpretation of self. So Mr. Burroughs
temarks, “ What do Ruskin’s writings upon
nature interpret? They interpret Ruskin” ;
and in the same issue of the ‘Atlantic’
the comment is strikingly verified by Ruskin
himself, who in a letter to Charles Eliot
Norton, writes, “When I am happy, a
sparrow’s chirp is delicious to me. But it

is not the chirp that makes me happy but I~

that make 7¢ sweet.”

Unfortunately, the desire to treat natural
history subjects successfully in a literary
way does not always lead to its fulfilment.
The power to enjoy and appreciate does not
imply the power to express. Hence the
many manuscripts descriptive of experiences
afield which fail to convey to the reader one
thrill of the joy the writer labors fruitlessly
to share with him. He lacks the power to
transmute his pleasure into pleasure-giving
words and sentences; he cannot interpret.

It is left to him, however, to see. If he
cannot place an old fact in a new light, per-
haps he can discover a new fact, when the
world and consequently the editor will ever

' be ready to listen to him.

ene

The Audubon Societies

“You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird's song.’

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER

Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should

be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn.

Reports, etc., designed for this department should be

Sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

With names and addresses of their Secretaries

SMNMER ERTS SAMOS et eye seats cc. (Ges arcia'ctc'=(wie araleS a:d\a-e alotdteiars cto 'wrcielaye « Seldiemieid bee eleeae week W. Scorr Way, Pasadena.
ea TRANS T EMNTE a aioli faces (ote ain Pajarg vale; > 1 (co) olace; hace gph ateiaia ora ale, atnva-visie win. ee Sais Mrs. MARTHA A. SHUTE, Denver.
PIRPCUION Gem ciate cicdieis ic itie ds) dle atic hinisieee'eculsecs wastedeueewues's Mrs. WILLIAM BROWN GLOoveR, Fairfield.
RUMANIA Moa Sealy cies c eicjeniciclin.e'ee co 0s ewe cciowiwsecy Mrs. Wo. S. HILLEs, Delamore Place, Wilmington.
District of Columbia .....................-- Mrs. JOHN DEWHURST PATTEN, 2212 R street, Washington.
LENSE EE OMNES aS cols ie (alyo cieit'=.o:s.c/0 saw visa 'vale dca ale ee eiseeneameee seme Mrs. I. VANDERPOOL, Maitland.
CSTE Pears iaicleyalarcics ahlc c's 6 sites veel cowed ceeceesioceatcene PROFESSOR H. N. STARNES, of Experiment.
RM NRERED NEO Retat os iets hia cic sie,e%e d's a's ie os cts -eisjels sie vieiielscuses Miss MARY DRUMMOND, 208 West street, Wheaton.
Daie MTA ic ach: orcisico'ae oatoawele sac eveedee eats FLORENCE A. Howe, Hillside Ave., Indianapolis.
eae aN ea tte cate) al cioicigic\c\araicis sie's'e sieieiv.s|e o.ein'e.s sie estame cis Svisie vie paeiets do Mrs. W. F. ParrotrT, Waterloo.
ee RE RR go oictoiersiclcinlaid iaicic ayais cias's's «le viele ies s'ecielvie ou siec/e ote Miss JuLiET O. ALvEs, Henderson.
BPS ENMLEREN LOE fc Teclsco.2i «vnc ocisweicSele vaegaes cscs cise Miss ANITA PRING, 1682 Peters ave., New Orleans.
Ne NN OE RE eS ors or aes ciaje are cd cafes ase-e| valcieiarnres aitioie si esta deme nwicicss Mrs. C. B. TuTTLe, Fairfield.
BRAMAN te cileicralels in levers Ds veii'e/eciee Sinisa oe Miss ANNE WESTON WHITNEY, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.
Massachusetts............. Miss JESSIE E. KIMBALL, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.
BONNE EX EMER SN Pett teva e 5, Cc) a'c=isisiolsisvsicle ccc uriee JEFFERSON BUTLER, Suite 79, Home Bank Building, Detroit.
BURRITO MOM TeAP MERE er atc 2 os weve os elcls Sleleisies.09 Secale se vows Miss JESSIE WHITMAN, 2356 Bayless ave., St. Paul.
UNA MESEA RMT acisjateinicicinn\niele(aisivis/e s,s o18iaie'd oie\e stvlaers Aucust REESE, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.
Rees FYC MMI oa Ns ia cskgaecbiivode sve sewucce Miss Joy HicGrns, 544 South 3oth street, Omaha.

New Hampshire
New Jersey.................

Paper se he Mrs. F. W. BATCHELDER, Manchester.
atts siclaiateetaeieis Miss JULIA SCRIBNER, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.

ly CM (0) 3 Miss Emma H. Lockwoop, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.
EME RLAMOOATISINER NCE clo, cu c's) a/c .ore o'c aie die ic siciacies 63 cules sow aa sicmuiyoes sue erie T. GILBERT PEARSON, Greensboro.
PS Sre MM REDELES CAME H eae cee oe fc dla cie jals's cesiicseeris ad eee tens adscies Miss Ev1zABETH L AppotT, Grand Forks,
BORER SCM eee ee ool 52 foieiw vs) ciara eves ciara’ ie’ Mrs. D. Z. MCCLELLAND, 820 West Ninth street, Cincinnati.
ATCA OT oreo a8 eins w sraisidiowtarels Sathic: Seatedewinaie's singe sleraia ess mesa tajave's Mrs. ADELIA Hotcoms, Enid.
BORE OMe eaiyc cs os Sac cis sjediensecictcascdce estos A. W. ANTHONY (Pres’t), 900 Thurman street, Portland.
MIP UTIS GI VAIN Gs w:c!c:cicie ce ciala cis ci sseie 686 Mrs. EDWARD Ropsins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.
Rhode Island............ eR erate acs seals oe Mrs. H. T. GRANT, 187 Bowen street, Providence.
sR E RSIS AER VNISI Peters yew clos, 5 ajareo-cisin a nas nicbrs nie/ai6' p< dla.sie'erwin/eia's Miss S. A. SMyTH, Legare street, Charleston.
PIRIME RAE Eee eee oles craic cco e Bleeee bajeidaSdlatabe clots eee epimele ces Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.
ae ENTE He ia ints a Saas hus ts oic ok ai. arvts n.nivicie we kia Sous piesa bseCnpieene Miss Hopk TERHUNE, La Porte.
MNS EREION KS Cite tett ctatsinteletcyere re cia vitre;e aleiee/aisie'wis 3/4)/0,s1a'e'e esleiaidie dies kiwie ae Mrs. FLETCHER K. BARROwsS, Brattleboro.
Maes PMO Petia ee yah cte'c oreo clits iietelayn = b/s ie'e ave viv alesis [s/6'slapsie/bieeinislee veel wis Mr. E. C. HouGu, Falls Church.
SMR MCSIEU MTN SE 9.2 ars7 15,2 ele aievav.buslcie view ciecels e'siere o's Mrs. REUBEN G. THWAITES, 260 Langdon street, Madison.
MS EINISA eRe aetna ap cicle: ksesyo le os sic @ dio'sin sidieteleio Rs nieas cea voueeas cee Mrs. CorDELIA CHIVINGTON, Cheyenne:

Conscience and the Game Laws

It is all very well, the passing of adequate
laws for the protection of game-birds, but
the conscience of the average sportsman is
such a complex organization that its cogs
invariably slip or fail to move altogether
when called upon to recognize certain sub-
clauses of the very laws that he has labored
to have passed.

The man who would rightly consider it a
heinous crime against sport to shoot a bird

the evening before the day of open season,
to snare game, or even in season to shoot
the summer-hatched flocks of immature or
‘bumblebee’ quail, will not for a moment
hesitate to ship game from a state that pro-
hibits the practice, or carry game from the
southern states that have a prolonged season
into states where the season has long since
closed.

The fact that he is oftentimes violating
federal as well as state law moves him not
at all. Into his trunk, steadied by his

(173)

174

clothing, go the birds; into his grip, a few
more; large-sized cigar boxes are used for
conveniently expressing half a dozen quail
to a friend, or perhaps a starch, or even
larger grocery box may be utilized. This
accusation is not based upon speculation,
for I know half a dozen sportsmen who dis-
pose of the game they kill inthis way quite as
a matter of course, as if they considered the
non-transportation clause as applying only
to the market hunter who sells his game.

They sell game, they, the thoroughbred
sportsmen? Never! they merely use it as
courtesy coin to pay off little social debts to
their friends, and especially their friends’
Wives.

And these wives ?>— bigoted Audubonites
some of them, too, who even have ethical
qualms about using geese-feather pillows—
do they decline to receive these smuggled
birds and become parties of the second part
by eating them? Not a bit of it.
worse of the whole matter is that the law
cannot cope with the breach of itself at all
unless game custom-houses could be estab-
lished at ali state lines, which is of course
an impossibility. Yet in this, as in many
other differences between the law and the
lady, no greater aid can be had in the work-
ing out of justice than that which comes
from the lady herself. The woman who
teaches her children humanity and to keep
their fingers out of nests, and banishes for-
bidden plumes from her head-gear, must go
a step further and refuse to accept as a gift
game either out of season or shipped against
the law, just as she would refuse to buy smug-
gled goods, even if it robs her table of one
of the attractions that as a good housewife
she greatly covets.—M. O. W.

National Committee Notes
By THE CHAIRMAN

The matter of incorporation progresses
slowly, but surely. The charter, constitu-
tion and by-laws are being prepared very
carefully, necessarily by means of corres-
pondence, which entails delay ; however,
it is better to be a little slow in the begin-
ning than to make haste and mistakes.

It has been decided to substitute the word

The:

Bird - Lore

“ Association” for “Committee” in our
title, because the former word more clearly
expresses the relation of the central body to
the several state societies, the American
Ornithologists’ Union and the supporting
public. In addition, our attorney states
that the substitution will simplify the act of
incorporation, as it will render unnecessary
considerable advertising which would have
to be done in case the present title were
continued. ‘

-The Chairman dislikes to be compelled
to revert to the subject of money so often,
but a deficit of over $300 at the present
writing, for which he is personally respon-
sible, causes considerable worry and uneasi-
ness. Certainly among the readers of
Birp-Lore there should be some who are
willing to share this burden.

It is gratifying to learn that the Republic
of Mexico is awakening to the value of bird
life to agriculture. Her Commission of Agri-
culture is distributing literature, forming
ornithological leagues and revising state
laws for bird protection. Dr. A. Meraz,
of the Commission, has requested the privi-
lege of using the electros of the illustrations
of our Educational Leaflets in its publi-
cations. In response to this request, a
complete set of electros have been shipped
to him. As so many of our birds either
winter in or pass through Mexico during
the migration seasons, it is very pleasant
to be able to thus establish international
relations for the protection of birds. It is
hoped that such relations may some day
be established with the Central and South
American countries, in order that plume-
hunting may be stopped there, thus cutting
off one of the sources of supply for the
London feather trade. This is the only
method by which the beautiful Humming-
birds and the few remaining American
White Herons can be saved.

In the May-June number of Brrp-LoRE
mention was made that the Navy Depart-
ment, at the request of the Committee, had
directed that the birds on Midway Island, a
Pacific cable station, should be protected.
That this order is being carried out the

. following newspaper item proves: “ A cable-

gram has been received from Lieut. C. S.

The Audubon Societies

Owen, commanding the detachment of ma-
rines at Midway Island, the landing point
of the Pacific cable, stating that the em-
ployees of the cable company have threatened
to leave the island by the next steamer if the
order of the department prohibiting them
from carrying firearms and shooting the
beautiful birds of the island is enforced.
The department’s reply to this cablegram
was that the order was to be rigidly en-
forced, as the officials here are determined
to put a stop to the carnage of these birds of
plumage.”

California is still making great strides,
new local branches being rapidly organized.
Secretary Way writes: “I believe we will
get 1,000 junior members in Pasadena.
The letters I am getting from children, and
the interest they are showing in this work,
is decidedly encouraging.” Mr. Way con-
ducts a department in the ‘ Pacific Fruit
World,’ a paper of wide circulation,
through which he has an opportunity to
plead the cause of bird protection in a very
forcible manner.

In addition to the above, the Society is
making a determined effort to preserve the
Mourning Dove. Large numbers of Edu-
cational Leaflets No. 2 are being circulated,
also a special leaflet entitled ‘Save the
Nesting Doves’ has been prepared by the
California Society and is being used with
good results. This aggressive fight to pro-
tect this beautiful and useful bird is
strengthening the California Audubon So-
ciety and is bringing it prominently before
the public. An active, aggressive and pro-
gressive society is like a two-edged sword,
cuts both ways,— helps itself and weakens
the opposition. Such work is commended
to some of the other societies who seem
somewhat lethargic.

Some large colonies of sea-birds breeding
on the Oregon coast have been brought to the
attention of the Committee, also certain acts
of vandalism committed there. Steps have
been taken to prevent such occurrences in
the future, through the codperation of Mr.
J. W. Baker, State Game Warden. De-
tails of the above will be given in the annual
report, and it is hoped that it may be accom-
panied by some interesting photographs.

175

The North Dakota Audubon Society has
commenced a very active campaign for state
work. It has in progress an extremely im-
portant movement, the details of the suc-
cessful completion of which may be given
in the near future, certainly in the annual
report. It is of such a character that pub-
licity at the present time might delay or
defeat the project.

In North Carolina the citizens will soon
learn that the Audubon Society is a force,
for it has, since its organization, conducted
fifty successful prosecutions for violation of
the bird- and game-laws.

One thousand warning notices, containing
the new state bird- and game-laws and also
the provisions of the Lacey Act (Federal
Law), have been sent to Louisiana for
distribution. Frank M, Miller, President
of the Louisiana Audubon Society, reports
that during the past season five thousand
eggs were destroyed at one time, at a breed-
ing-ground on the Gulf Coast. This was
done in order that fresh eggs could be col-
lected subsequently. Mr. Miller, during
the coming winter, will have a complete
survey of the Louisiana coast made in order
to locate all of the breeding-grounds, so that
complete protection by wardens may be
given in 1905.

The Committee has long felt that inas-
much as all the warning notices prepared,
and sent for distribution to the several state
Audubon Societies, contained, in addition to
the State Law, the Federal Law or Lacey
Act, there should be no objection to having
them displayed prominently in post-offices.
Application for such permission was made
to the Post-ofice Department, and the same
has been granted. A facsimile of the order
has been prepared and will be furnished to
any of the Audubon Societies that desire to
place notices in the post-offices of their
state, provided the said warning notice is in
the form detailed above.

Two thousand five hundred copies of an
‘Open Letter to Clergymen’ have been
sent to the religious and secular press of the
country, and it is being published widely.
The letter refers mainly to the use of the
aigrette and the rights of birds as citizens.
In this connection a pleasing incident has

176

come to the attention of the Committee.
In a parish leaflet issued by a Massachu-
setts church is the following quotation from
Educational Leaflet No. 7: “The wearing
of aigrettes or plumes from the White Heron
has now become a question of ethics, which
every woman must decide for herself. It
matters not a whit where the plume comes
from,—the fact remains that the woman
who wears one is party to a cruel wrong,
and the plume, itself, becomes a badge of
inhumanity.” Will not the clergymen of
the country follow this excellent lead?
Certainly human beings will be held re-
sponsible for all acts of cruelty to even the
most humble of God’s creatures.—W. D.

The Illinois Society

As a foreword to this report it is perhaps
best to state that it covers the time between

the annual meeting of 1903—March 28—.

and that of r904—April 23—and thus, in a
few items, overlaps the last report published
in Birp-Lore.

With the courtesy due to those rare crea-
tures that ‘never lie,’ our figures must speak
first. Our membership has been increased
by the addition of 60 adult and 1,573 junior
members, making the total number joining
since our organization April 1, 1897, 1,035
adults and 15,059 juniors, atotal of 16,094.
We have sent out 7,060 leaflets, nearly all
being the publications of the National Com-
mittee, Mr. Dutcher’s report for the A. O.
U. Bird Protection Committee and the
National Committee leaflets being sent to
all our active and associate members. ‘The
secretary has received about 500 letters rep-
resenting nearly half of our 102 counties,
and extending from Galena, in the extreme
northwest, to Massac county, in the extreme
south of the state. Our receipts from mem-
bers’ dues, etc., amounted to $232.76, and
our expenses were $225.61. As we began
last year with a balance of $57.16, we were
able to begin this year with one of $64.31,
a sum that must rapidly decrease in response
to the constantly increasing demands upon us.

As to increase these demands, which
represent increase of interest, is our reason
for being, we must rejoice in this evidence

Bird -

Lore

of success, while we long for the means to
meet the demands more generously. The
Junior Department, under the leadership of
Mrs. W. M. Scudder, is developing in
many directions, and is, of course, the most
encouraging feature of our work. The
teachers of our schools are, in many cases,
doing most satisfactory work, to which the
children are responding bravely.

Our first legal Bird Day, under the law
passed in 1903, was kept this spring, and,
through the kindness of the State Superin-
tendent of Schools, Mr. Alfred Bayliss, the
Audubon Society, through its secretary,
was allowed space to present the cause of the
birds to the teachers in the excellent Arbor
and Bird Day Annual issued by the state.

The usual public meetings have been
held in the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
At the one in November an interesting illus-
trated address on the ‘ Water Birds in the
Chicago District,’ was given by Mr. Ger-
ard Allen Abbott, while the annual meet-
ing in April gave us the great pleasure of
listening to Mrs. Irene Grosvenor Whee-
lock’s charming talk on the ‘ Birds of the
Farallones.’

The illustrated lecture belonging to the
society has been on the road almost con-
stantly since February, and is one of our
best workers. Our two libraries are slowly
winning their way, though far less popular
than their more attractive co-worker. ‘Lhe
work done by our small band of faithful
secretaries—may their tribe increase ! —de-
serves special praise. Lacon, Galena,
Henry, Princeton, Quincy, Belvidere, Mo-
line, Ravenswood, Streator, Bristol, all
should have honorable mention. At the
annual meeting it was decided to form a
committee on new members, this committee
to be made up of persons not on the Board
of Directors. The good results of this ac-
tion are already proving its wisdom.

That we need for the future more
workers, more help, is a twice- and thrice-
told tale, but that we do need them is also
the proof that the work of the past years has
at least laid the foundations for the ‘bird
house’ we are trying to build for the little

_ feathered workmen of our state.

Mary DrRuMMOND, Secretary.

a ate

{

:
}

)

:

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AUDUBON
SOCIETIES

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 11

Seco bis agiarte Gaseres,

THE SCREECH OWL

Order — Raptores Family — Bubonide

Genus —- Megascops Species — Megascops asio.

The Screech Owl

By WILLIAM DUTCHER

Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies

DESCRIPTION

Adult Male and Female.—The Screech Owls are dichromatic, i. e., having or producing two colors. Red
phase: General aspect above bright rufous, generously streaked with shaft-lines of black; in some individuals the
shaft-lines on the head are replaced by black spots. The scapular feathers show considerable white; there is also
more or less white in some individuals above the eyes. Underneath: base color is white, overlaid with rufous, gen-
erally in bars; there is also considerable black in quite a pronounced half-collar; heavy black shaft-lines on breast,
smaller ones and feather tips on flanks and belly. The legs 4nd feet are feathered nearly to the end of the toes.
Bill is horn color, almost hidden by feathers and bristles. Eyes are very large, bright yellow in color. Gray
phase: General appearance above brownish gray; the markings of black and white are almost identical with those
on individuals in the red phase. Underneath: gray and white profusely marked with black shaft-lines and narrow
black or brown bars; wings and tail in both color phases are barred; ear tufts are erectile and are about one inch
long: entire plumage is very soft and fluffy in texture; there is no seasonal change in color of plumage.

Young.—Entire plumage is regularly barred with gray or white; shaft-lines are entirely absent.

Size.—Varies from 7.50 to 10 inches in length from tip of bill to end of tail, the female being slightly the larger
of the sexes.

Nest.—Is nearly always in a natural cavity in a tree or in a deserted Woodpecker’s hole, although occasionally
aests may be found in boxes nailed to trees, or in dark corners of barns, out-buildings, etc.

Eggs —From four to five in a set; pure white in color, and somewhat glossy.

Distribution.— The Screech Owl (Megascops asio), A. O. U. Check List No. 373, breeds wherever it is found;
its habitat extends throughout temperate North America, east of the rooth meridian, between the parallels of 32 and
49 degrees of north latitude. Several subspecies and closely allied species have been described, which extends the
range of the Megascops Owls over nearly all of the balance of western North America, from Sitka, Alaska, on the
north, to Guatemala on the south. The differences between these geographical races and allied species are very
slight, being mostly variations in size or color, A difference of one-half an inch in the measurement of a wing, or a
slightly grayer, or brighter rufous tinge on under side or upper parts, or slightly heavier shaft lines or not quite so
many of them, are sufficient warrant to describe and name a new race. These are immaterial facts for the farmer,
teacher or child; it is enough for them to know that all of these numerous sub-divisions are, after all, Screech Owls.

In humid localities Owls have a rather darker plumage, while the reverse obtains in
arid places. The habits of all these Owls are the same, every member of the family being
of the very greatest economic value.

The farmer or student when studying the Screech Owls must always bear in mind the
two phases of color—red and gray. A bird of one color may be mated with a bird of
another color, and their young may all be of one color, either red or gray, or the parents
may be of one color and the young of mixed colors. However, no matter what the phase
of color is, no person can mistake a Screech Owl for any other species of Owl. The only
other species that might possibly be confounded with them is the Sawwhet Owl, which
lacks ear-tufts, is brown, and does not have black shaft-lines. The Pigmy and Elf Owls,
of the West, are very much smaller than the smallest of the Screech Owls, being not larger
than a Thrush. A family of birds of such wide distribution naturally has several common
names. The Screech Owl is often known as the Red Owl or Mottled Owl, probably
derived from its plumage, or Shivering Owl, undoubtedly derived from its notes, and
Little Horned Owl, from its ear-tufts, and Cat Owl, evidently from the shape of the head,

In the East, Screech Owls are very fond of living in apple orchards, especially if the
trees have been neglected and are decaying, thus furnishing holes in which the Owls may
breed or hide. The farmer who is so fortunate as to have a pair or more of Screech Owls
attach themselves to his orchard, should consider himself especially favored, for the good
that they will do him by keeping in subjection the mice pest is beyond calculation. A
very intelligent farmer living in Seneca county, New York, informed the writer that mice
and rabbits, principally the former, had in one winter (1899-1900) killed every tree in a
five-acre peach orchard. The trees were girdled a few inches from the ground by these

(178)

The Screech Owl 179

rodents. The value of his 800 bearing trees was not less than $2,000. In this case
would it not have been more economical for the owner to have encouraged Owls and other
so-called birds of prey, that live largely on mice and rabbits, to remain on his premises,
even though a chicken might have to be sacrificed occasionally? It is probably a fact that
Screech Owls remain mated during life, and, as they are non-migratory, if they once be-
come attached to a locality, they are apt to remain there, unless they are harassed and
driven away or their home tree is destroyed, and they are compelled to seek another, in
which case they do not move any great distance.

For this reason they are doubly of value to the agriculturist, as they are his helpers dur-
ing the entire year. Their prey, the mice, are yearly tenants, and the farmer who is wise
will give the Screech Owl] on his acres a perpetual free lease.

Another feature in the life-history of the Screech Owl, that makes it doubly valuable,
is that it is nocturnal in its habits and hunts for food at night when all the other birds are
at rest. It thus complements the day work of the rodent-eating Hawks,—Nature in her
wisdom thus providing a continuous check on the four-footed vermin of the ground.

Although the Screech Owls are nocturnal by choice, yet they have no difhculty in see-
ing in the daytime, although they then seem stupid and are not at all alert and wide-
awake as they are after sundown.

During the daytime they hide in holes in trees, or in some secluded place in the foli-
age, to escape observation. Should they be discovered they are apt to be mobbed by other
birds, especially Jays. This fact must have been well known to the ancients, for Aris-
totle recorded it over three centuries before the Christian Era, in the following words:
“The Noctuze, Cicumz and the rest, which cannot see by day, obtain their food by seek-
ing it at night: and yet they do not do this all night long, only at eventide and dawn.
They hunt, moreover, mice, lizards and scorpions, and small beasts of the like kind.
All other birds flock round the Noctua, or, as men say, ‘admire,’ and flying at it buffet
it. Wherefore this being its nature, fowlers catch with it many and different kinds of

ittle birds.”

The Owls are supposed by many superstitious people to be birds of bad omen; this
probably arises in the case of the Screech Owl from its weird, tremulous, shivering, wail-
ing, whistling note. To the writer there is a singular and fascinating attraction in its
notes, which are heard in the dusk of early nightfall, especially when its shadowy form is
noiselessly flitting by like a huge night-flying moth, which can only be seen as it crosses a
background of fast-fading western light, the last faint beams of a sun far down below the
horizon,

The homes of Owls may often be discovered from the pellets of undigested food, bones,
fur, etc., disgorged by the birds.

While the life-history of the Screech Owl family is interesting, yet their economic status
is the important fact which needs wide publicity. All scientific writers and students of
the food habits of this species of Ow! join in pronouncing it to be one of the most benefi-
cial and least harmful of all birds. In addition to the great number of rodents it destroys,
it also eats enormous quantities of noxious insects. In the First Annual Report of the
United States Entomological Commission (1877) it is stated: “The injury by the Rocky
Mountain locust to the agriculture, and, as a consequence, to the general welfare of the
States and Territories west of the Mississippi, has been so great during the years 1873-6
as to create a very general feeling among the people that steps should be taken by Con-
gress looking to a mitigation of an evil which had assumed national importance.” On p.
119 of the report it substantiates the above statement by actual figures, showing that in the
four corn-growing states of Kansas, Nebraska, lowa and Missouri, in 1874, the loss by
locusts was 142,942,800 bushels, with a money value, at 28 cents per bushel, of
$40,000,000. An examination of the stomach contents of eight Screech Owls (p. 42,
appendix II) taken at that time in Nebraska disclosed the fact that they had eaten just

180 Bird - Lore

prior to their capture, 219 locusts and 247 other insects, besides two mice. One of the
Owls had eaten a small bird, but it had also eaten 32 locusts and 8 other insects.

Mr. George C. Jones, of Fairfield County, Connecticut, says: ‘‘I think the smaller
species of Owls feed upon the cutworm to some extent. I have found cutworms in the
stomach of the common Screech Owl. The fact that both the cutworms and the Owls are
nocturnal leads me to believe that the Owls, of all the birds, are the most efficient extermi-
nators of this formidable pest and should on this account receive protection. ‘The farmers
here are large growers of tobacco, and the damage done by the cutworm to the young
plants and the labor of resetting forced upon the growers is almost incalculable. I believe
that if our native Owls were as plenty as some other species of birds the ravages of ue
destructive worm would be much less than at present.”’ ,

Dr. A. K. Fisher, in his report on the Screeeh Owl (Bull. No. 3, Div. of Ornithology,
U.S. Dept. Agl.) says: “Their economic relations are of the greatest importance, particu-
larly on account of the abundance of the species in many of the farming districts, and who-
ever destroys them through ignorance or prejudice should be severely condemned.”

In his summary of the results of the examination of the stomach contents of 255 Screech
Owls, he gives the following valuable facts: 1 contained poultry; 38, other birds; how-
ever, many of these were English Sparrows, the well-known introduced pest; 91 had been
eating mice; 11, other mammals; roo, insects; 32 had been eating an assorted diet of
lizards, fish, spiders, crawfish, scorpions, etc., and 43 stomachs were empty.

This brief outline of the life-history and economic value of the Screech Owls is pre-
sented to the farmers, fruit-growers and school children of the country, with the hope that
it will create in them a desire to study and protect this very valuable and interesting class
of birds.

Study Points for Teachers and Students

Trace distribution of the Screech Owls on the map. Relate some of the life-history of
the Screech Owls from your own observations. Describe breeding places you have found.
If in a tree, what kind? What is the botanical name of the tree? Give your own reasons
why Screech Owls should be protected. Who was Aristotle? Tell something interest-
ing about him.

For additional valuable information regarding the Screech Owls, consult the reference
books named in leaflet No. 8, also ‘First. Annual Report of the United States Entomo-
logical Commission Relating to the Rocky Mountain Locust,” Government Printing Office,
Washington, D. C.

|
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$1 a Year

0. 6 NOVEMBER — DECEMBER, 1904 Be. «Sa

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EDITED BY

FRANK M. CHAPMAN

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUDUBON SOCIE?VIES

The Macmillan Company

HARRISBURG, PA.

NEW YORK LONDON

Bird-Lore for February will be a Bird-House Number. It will also contain the results :
of the Christmas Bird Census and two Colored Warbler plates 4}

r 1.
Hird- Lore
Novermber-December, 1904 | .

CONTENTS

GENERAL ARTICLES PAGE
FRONTISPIECE — HERMIT AND TOWNSEND’S WARBLERS ...... Louis Agassiz Fuertes . ’
How tro StuDy A BIRD .... 8 a Nay oe Ste . L£rnest Thompson Seton. 181
A LESSON state re onde ae Sahay PRET Rok Elizabeth Dana. 184
SoME FAMILIAR FLORIDA Birps. Illustrated by the author. .... . Mrs F.W Roe. 185
BirD-LIFE oF A Swiss City. . Beiierets ie eels _... .Rev Wendell Prime. 191
Downy WooppPEckKER. Illustration. . . inn ihe, BAe Renee hoo A.L. Princehorn 192 |
YOUNG FLaMINGOS Illustrated by the author ......... .... Frank M Chapman 193 :

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

THE MIGRATION OF WARBLERS. Seventh Paper. Illustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes and P
IBM GE MELOFS {01a ae age ni anaes ; 5 W.W. Cooke 199 7

MAGNOLIA AND KIRTLAND’S WARBLERS. Full-page iu color Bruce Horsfall. Facing 199
REPORT OF THE CIRCULATING Col.LECTIONS LOANED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATU-
RAL HISTORY 10 THE PUBILIC SCHOOLS OF NEW YorRK CITY , 2 SO
Birp-LorReE’s FIFTH CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS ........ SRR ce cis. 5) oe 202 ,
NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY PS ee oe ee ae : Pees, rem eae ‘ 3 204

BALANCING RopiIns, Ernest Seaman: THE EUROPEAN SKYLARK NEAR NEW York City,
Tsaac Bildersee; A VENTURESOME Trrmousk, S. R. Brodhead, A SENSIBLE CARDINAL,
Elmore Elliott Peake ; TAMING A ROBIN Elmore Elliott Peake.

BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS .....-.-..- seielns ies) Gna ayo Coe tnellns hale a ae NESS a a rr 206

Jacoss’ ‘HauNTS OF THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER’; COoKE’s ‘NEW Facts ABouT THE
MIGRATION OF BIRDS’; ‘THE BIRDS OF NEBRASKA’; ‘CATALOGUE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Birps’; THE ORNITHGLOGICAL MAGAZINES; AUDUBON CALENDAR.

EDITORIAL so) noe ee MAGE Pes hs Tene a a ab, See a 2. 209
BIRD-LORESFORTICNs aes at eae Seah ne ee eke er 210
AUDUBON DEPARTMENT . RP x i Oe 10g Atte soe sions arr

EpIToRIAL; REPORTS OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND CALIFORNIA SOCIETIES (illustrated).

FOR YOUNG OBSERVERS .. ey Ce RR EON a Ce PIT SUN OUrara ay ololc ot 215
EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 12. ;
THE SHORT-EARED OWL. Illustrated by Louts Agassiz Fuertes..... . Wiliam Dutcher. 217 |

x*, Manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review, and exchanges should be i
sent to the Editor, at Englewood, Nea Jersey. i

———————— SSS }

SPECIAL REQUEST TO SUBSCRIBERS |

:
4
If your subscription to BirD-LORE expires with this issue, you will find a pink renewal blank
placed in your copy of the magazine. fe
We hope you will endorse our efforts to make the next volume of BirRD-Lor® better than any of
the six which have preceded it by renewing Now.

On receipt of your renewal we will send you the Seton Shrike picture, which should be considered
due notification of the entry of your subscription. —* i"
If you can no longer codperate with us in this practical manner, we reluctantly ask the favor of

a notice to discontinue your magazine.

Entered as second-class mail matter in the Post Office at Harrisburg, Pa.

1. Hermit WARBLER, MALE. 3. HERMIT WARBLER, YOUNG.
2. HERMIT WARBLER, FEMALE. 4. TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, MALE.
5. TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, FEMALE.

ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.

Bird=- Lore

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Vol. VI NOVEMBER — DECEMBER, 1904 No. 6

How to Study a Bird

By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON

DEFINITE plan is so helpful, that long ago I devised a formal

scheme of bird study. ‘This was published in 1887, and again, in

1899, in ‘ The Osprey,’ but it has been so much modified since that
I venture to bring it again to the notice of bird students. I have always
felt that the “real history of a bird is its life history. The deepest inter-
est attaches to everything that reveals the little mind, however feebly it may
be developed, which lies behind the feathers.” So says the celebrated Eng-
lish ornithologist, Seebohm, and I am very sure that there is no lack of
bird-lovers to re-echo the sentiment. ‘The first two questions about a new
bird—‘'What do you call it ?” and ‘Where did you get it?”—are of very
great importance, and of such a nature that they insist on first notice;
but, having settled them, as we now have, sufficiently for the purposes of
the ordinary observer in eastern America, we are brought face to face with
what is, after all, of chief interest, the great question of the “little mind.”

I am satisfied that a harvest of profit and pleasure awaits any one who
will try to fill out this schedule for any one bird; taking, preferably, the one
he knows best and adding to his own information all that he can gather
from outside sources.

In the present schedule I have purposely omitted the anatomical studies
that were prominent in the original. This is not done because I think less
of anatomical studies and of collectors’ work than formerly. I still believe
that one important fact is worth many small birds, but the time has gone
by when adequate good can result from ordinary collecting in well-known
regions. The experts of our museums are the only ones who should be
allowed to collect bird-skins today. It is safe to say they will not abuse
the privilege. Knowing the value of birds, as they do, better than any other
class of men, they are not likely to take the life of a Sparrow, even, without
a very sufficient justification.

The headings and questions here given are limited by the knowledge

182 Bird - Lore

and theories of the writer; but it is nearly certain that any one faithfully
following their lead will stumble on clues which, properly followed, will
guide him to new ideas and unexpected light. Such has ever been the
experience of those who have blindly but earnestly groped after the truth.

THE STUDY OUTLINE

Spring Migration.—Give earliest appearance, etc.; state whether in
flocks or singly, the species by itself or associated with congeners or wholly
different species, males in advance or both sexes together, by day or by
night ; crossing a lake or skirting its shores; flying high or low. Record
in full the weather at the time of observation, also date, locality, moon,
etc. Does the bird hide or return southward during the late spring storms?

2. Habitat.—Is it found in dry uplands, dense forests or marshes, or
does it manifest a preference for the vicinity of water, or especially of run-
ning water? Can any reason be assigned for its choice of locality?

3. Voice of the Male.—Song and variations of the same ; height from
ground when singing ; time of day ; alarm notes, song periods, song flight,
song by night ; influence of the weather.

Voice of the Female.—Song, if any, and full particulars, as above.

5. Voice of the Young.— Has the young in first plumage a song charac-
teristic of that period, as have some other species, and does this song
resemble that of others of the genus in corresponding plumage ?

6. Care of Young.— What devices do the parents use to protect the
young ? .

7. Habits.—What’are its peculiar tricks of attitude, motion and expres-
sion? Does it hop or run? Is its flight ever undulatory, like that of many
of its relatives ? Is it nocturnal or aquatic at all? Does it ever wade for
food, swim or dive to escape its enemies? Does it indulge in any sort
of play, especially in a social way ? Does it enter holes or burrows’? How
is it affected by loud sounds ?

8. Coaperation.— Do two or more individuals, mates or otherwise, ever
unite to do something beyond the strength of one, as catch prey, break
down stalks, move nesting material, resist an intruder ?

g. Mimicry.—Do they mimic songs of other birds or other sonnet Do
they ever imitate birds of prey, to drive away intruders ?

10. Signals.—Can they distinguish the danger signals of other birds ?
What signals do they use besides vocal sounds? Do they tap with the
beaks, wings or feet, or slap the water as a signal? Have they special
night signals ? How do they communicate with each other generally, by
sounds or signs? Have they recognition signals ?

Senses.—Is their power of smell noticeable? Do they rely on their
eyes most ?

How to Study a Bird 183

12. Yools.—Are they ever known to use a tool, that is, a stub, a stone
or other foreign object, to help the beak or claws ?

13. Success in Life.—Can it hold out against the English Sparrow? If
so, what is its peculiar strength? Is the species increasing or not with
civilization ? How does it adapt itself to changing conditions, such as
deforesting, increasing human population ?

14. Summer Roosts.— Does it form summer roosts? If so, does it use
these in common with other species ?

15. Constancy.— Does the same pair return each year to the same local -
ity? This can be settled only by marking them in some way.

16. Food.— Does it feed on the wing, under water, on tree-tops, by
night ? Does it regurgitate pellets 2? Does it distinguish poisonous plants
and insects? Does it teach its young to do so? Does it feed the young
by regurgitation ? Does its food change with time of life? Does it eat
food that would poison another species ? Do certain foods influence the
bird’s color ? Does it store up food ? Does it treat special foods in special
ways, thus, put very hard seeds to soak, or remove the stings of wasps, or
the wings of moths ? Does it take food with it claws ?

17. Plumage.—Particularize each specimen in form, color and measure-
ment, noting difference of sex, season, age, moult and locality. Thus, do
heavily marked specimens characterize a certain locality? and so on. Do
young or old moult first ?. Do sick or healthy moult first ?

18. Mating.—Note fully any courtship observed, with maneuvers of
both birds or competitions with rivals; is it ever polygamous or polyan-
drous ? Do the same birds remain paired throughout the season, or for
more than one season ?

19. Nesting.— Which of the pair selects the nesting site ? Give full
particulars of construction, materials, proximity to the ground and to the
_ water, of each nest; preserving, photographing or sketching the same, and
observing whether covered over or approached by a covered way. Does it
shape the nest with bill, claws or breast ? Does it line the nest with its
own feathers? Does it show preference for any kind of lining or building
material ? Does it ever evidently go a long way to get certain material
while others are close at hand? Is the same nest ever used twice ? How
does it clean the nest while in use ? Does it use mud for building ? Does
it steal nesting material from other birds ?

20. Eggs.—Give details of laying, time between each oviposition, varia-
tion of the eggs in size and color, stating whether those first laid are large
or more heavily marked than those laid later; are the eggs turned daily,
and, if so, by which bird ? Is the first clutch of eggs more numerous than
others of that season ? Are young birds more prolific than older ones ?

21. Broods.— Number per season; average of each? Are later broods
less? How long is each cared for by the parents? Is the female first to

184 Bird- Lore

desert her charge? Do the first-hatched little ones of the brood help their
younger brothers in any way ?

22. Cowbird Parasitism.—Is the bird ever imposed on by the Cowbird?
Particularize each case observed, or does any other species ever lay in this
bird’s nest? Is the species ever guilty of parasitism of this kind, or does it
ever act dishonestly in getting a living?

23. Crime.—Have the old ones: been known to kill the young by acci-
dent or for reason? Or to kill congeners, or to make serious blunders or to
suicide, and, if so, how? Or to kill the young of other birds?

24. Young.—Give in full their habits, food, plumage, comparing them
with their parents and with their near congeners. Are they ever fed from
the crop of the parents? How old are they when first fed? How old
when eyes open? Is there any evidence of a late summer northward
migration among them ?

25. Relatives.—What are their nearest congeners ? Compare them in
range, local habitat, changes of plumage, etc.

26. Competitors.—With what species do they most actively come into
competition in the struggle for life, and how do they try to overcome
them?

27. Natural Enemies. —Enumerate predatory birds, mammals, reptiles,
insects, etc. Also meteorological phenomena, and means employed to
combat, elude or withstand in each case.

28. Friends.—Have you observed any peculiar friendships formed, as
with birds of other kinds, beasts or man?

29. Disease.—What are the diseases the species is subject to? What
disease predominates ? Since all the individuals are killed in some way, it
being improbable that any die of old age, what cause of death is the chief
one,—weather, disease or birds of prey ? What means do they take to keep
themselves clean and get rid of insect parasites ?

30. dge.—What age does the species attain ? What is the proof of
this ?
31. Full Migration.—Particularize as in spring migration, giving latest
appearance. Does it arrive in the spring singly and go in the fall in flocks ?
Is it ever a winter resident here? In the fall, when leaving us, does it
obviously await the full moon, as do some species, or does it await the arrival
of other species whose train it follows ?

A LESSON

“Thank! Thank!” Said Nuthatch, overhead.
I looked around with opened eyes
At gorgeous earth and glowing skies.

“Thank! Thank! indeed,” I softly said.
—ELIZABETH Dana.

Some Familiar Florida Birds

By MRS. F. W. ROE

With photographs by the author

T our winter home in Florida, on the Halifax river, food for both
hard- and soft-billed birds is kept the year round on trees, the
ground, and on one veranda, where water for their bathing is kept

also; and in this way we have gradually attracted many varieties, and have
been able to study them while only a few feet from us. Close to one
window of the cottage is a large live-oak, where Cardinals, Mocking-
birds, Woodpeckers, Blue Jays and numerous Warblers, and other species,
can be seen at almost any hour of the day; and it is on this tree, also, that

FLORIDA BLUE JAYS

a Brown Thrasher has made his nightly home during the past two winters.
As the wife of an officer of the Regular Army, I have had an exceptional
opportunity for the cultivation of the “seeing eye” in many states and
territories, and I have found the birds of Florida not only more beautiful,
but far more attractive and lovable, than those to be seen north or west.

The young Mocking-bird rarely sings after the first cold winds in the
fall; therefore, very few northerners know how beautiful the natural song of
this bird is, or how perfect the technique, before he has learned to imitate
other birds, and has turned his own exquisite aria into a rag-time pot-
pourri of the notes of his neighbors. And only a favored few of those who
remain late in the season hear the delightful song of the female Florida

(185)

186 Bird - Lore

Cardinal, as this dainty little lady condescends to sing only in the spring, and
not then, except when alone and her surroundings perfectly quiet. Her
song is very low and sweet, but in exact imitation of the far-reaching flute-
like notes of her handsome mate. ‘Then, there is that little clown, the
Florida Blue Jay, with his merry Kris-krinkle ; how many bird students
have been so fortunate as to hear the charming song this little fellow
sometimes warbles, in between naps, on warm drowsy afternoons in spring ?

None of these feathered
friends has ever built nests
on our trees, the Mocking-
birds and Cardinals preferring
orange groves and Cherokee

rose bushes, and the
others the tangled
growth of the hum-
mocks; but nearly all
of them brought their
young families to us
last May, as soon as
they could fly. The
first to appear was
that of OWFespet
Mocking-birds, con-
sisting of the two
old birds and four young. The father of this family has made his home,
during the past three winters, on an oak that is very near my bedroom
windows, leaving us for only a short time in the spring, during the nest-
ing season. Many a skirmish have I witnessed between him and the Blue
Jays, when the latter have gone to his tree on chilly winter mornings, to
catch the first warm rays of the rising sun; and I have noticed that in
these battles, the Mocking-bird was invariably victorious, often driving
away as many as four Blue Jays at one time. Like all Mocking-birds, he

FLORIDA CARDINALS

Upper figure, male; lower figure, female

Some Familiar Florida Birds 187

is rather pugnacious, and shows a decided dislike to the migrants, par-
ticularly the Robins, not one of which will he permit to remain in the yard.
He is a remarkably fine singer, and imitates almost any bird that sings or
calls, in that part of the state.

Next came several families of Florida Cardinal Grosbeaks, the young
birds distinguishable by their very dark bills, totally unlike the pink bills of
the old birds, and which gave them a most comical appearance. The young
males had at first only a few red feathers in cap and breast, to mark them
from their olive sisters. [he Cardinals feed on the ground quite as often
as on the trees, always picking out the wheat from the food, consisting
mostly of grain and oat-flakes, which I scatter around for Quail, Tow-
hees and Ground Doves. We have counted fifteen of these little beauties
on our lawn in one flock, each one busily engaged in cracking grains of
wheat.

There were three families of Florida Blue Jays with tis at one time, and
the plaintive cries of the young birds could be heard from all directions.
We were greatly surprised at the length of time—over one week—these
fluffy little creatures remained quietly on their own special tree without
attempting to do more than hop from branch to branch, and also at the
perfectly noiseless and unobtrusive flitting about of the old birds. The
Florida Blue Jay is smaller than the northern, and has less white on wing
coverts and tail. He is more inclined to be sociable, also.

At one end of our cottage is a large, outside brick chimney that
extends up through a projecting roof, and on the chimney, under the roof,
two Flickers have roosted, or rather hung, every night during the past two
winters, a bird on each side, leaving us only in the spring, when they, too,
were attending to household affairs. “They showed their appreciation of
our hospitality, however, by bringing us four beautiful young Flickers very
early one May morning, and which were evidently just from the nest.
When I saw them first, they were resting close together on a pile of
coquina rock just at the edge of the river, a queer place it seemed, too, for
these shy ‘high-hole’ birds of the woods. Their cry of three notes was
most peculiar, and unmistakable after having once been heard. One little
bird would set up a shrill pipe, and wag his head from side to side, when
instantly the other would do likewise—then there would be a silence for a
few seconds, then a repetition of the piping and wagging. I tried to steal
out, hoping to get a snap-shot picture of them, but they were too wary,
and flew away.

Decidedly the most fascinating of all the young birds which came to us
was a male Red-bellied Woodpecker, the parents of which can be seen in
accompanying photographs. It was exceedingly amusing to watch the
bright eyes of this dear little fellow, as he closely followed his father from
tree to tree, and to see how very conscious he was of his own importance.

188 Bird- Lore

When he first came, the top of his head was nearly white, which made
him look bald by the side of his red-headed parent, but after a day or so
the bright scarlet feathers began to appear, and looked like drops of blood
on the white. As soon as he could provide for himself, the father ceased
to notice him, and began to show around another young one, a timid little
female. During all this time, the mother was not seen once, and we con-
cluded that she was looking after other young members of the family.
The Brown Thrasher came regularly for his supper just before dark,
and his threatening scold could be heard some time before he would appear

MALE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

at this favorite feeding-place. I have often seen him on the ground in
between some orange trees in our yard, ‘thrashing’ the sand from side to
side with his long bill, until his head and back would be covered with dust.
Many an hour did I wait before I could obtain even a snap-shot of this
most tantalizing bird, and then, at the last, how vexatious it was to have
him hide his lovely long tail behind the moss, as one can see by the photo-
graph. In my estimation, Chapman does not ‘do justice to the glorious
song of this bird. Its notes are so varied, so full of volume, the long inhter-
vening pauses giving an expression of great dignity. In the early spring it
sings the same notes very low, making a melody that is inexpressibly sweet,
but which can be heard only when very near them.

Dozens of other and smaller birds come to us, some daily, others only
occasionally, the daintiest of all, perhaps, being the little Painted Bunting,

i ee ee ee

Some Familiar Florida Birds 189

in his gorgeous coat of red, blue, lemon and black. A pair of Quail made
us almost daily visits for several winters, and frequently sat upon some rustic
chairs which adorned our lawn. ‘This close environment of these exceed -
ingly shy birds made known to us several characteristics of the species
which are not, I think, generally known. One day, the cock stalked
inquiringly into the grounds, and soon came upon the food which I had
just scattered about. At once he began to pick it up with great gusto,

FEMALE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

when suddenly he stopped and stood erect. Then, looking about him, he
saw an oak tree which had been bent over by heavy winds at quite an acute
angle. Running rapidly to the foot of this tree, he walked up the inclined
trunk, until he was at least ten feet from the ground. There he stopped,
and uttered a very peculiar whistle. It was not the hoh-white with
ascending accent, but the white alone, the accent sharply descending. A
party of friends sat with me on one of the verandas, and, as we watched
him, we wondered what would happen next. He repeated the call several
times, when suddenly there was a whirr and a rustle of leaves, as his mate,
on the wing, shot in through some oleander and guava bushes, and landed,
with a bit of a run, right upon the scattered food, and at once began eating

190 Bird-Lore

rapidly. The cock, however, did not see her, and continued the call.
Shortly wearying, he walked leisurely down the tree, with a most dejected
air, and directed his course to the food, when suddenly he espied his feeding
mate. He halted, stretched his neck to its uttermost length upwards, and
gazed upon his greedy spouse as though he could not believe his eyes, and
then, darting to her through the intervening grass, began feeding close to
her side, with a most satished and affectionate demeanor. We had not
previously known that these birds, when left to their own pretty manner-
isms, and not unceasingly terrorized by the insatiable hunter, would sit and
sun themselves on chairs near a veranda where numerous peoples at talking.
Neither did we know that, after finding desirable and exceptional food, they
would forgo their individual hunger, until they had called to them a less
fortunate mate, and, above all, that they had a peculiar and little used
whistle for this summons, and that they would seek an altitude to make it
the more effective. Some of the observers of this little love scene between
the Quail had hunted them, with dog and gun, many seasons, in many
places; but I am positive that, in the future, this sport, if indulged in by
them at all, will give far less pleasure, because of their having been with us
in Florida that spring afternoon on the banks of the Halifax.

BROWN THRASHER

Bird-Life of a Swiss City

By REV. WENDELL PRIME

S Brrp-Lore’s work relates to the protection, as well as the study of
A birds, 1 am encouraged to send you a few lines in regard to the
way in which the birds fare in Zurich, the largest, and in some
respects the most important, city in Switzerland. Since the first of the
year I have occupied a room on the first floor of a house in one of
the most frequented residence quarters of the city. Observing the pro-
vision made for the birds by many of my neighbors, I fastened to the
railing of the veranda, upon which a glass door opens, a small, open
bird-house. In this ] placed a dish with bread-crumbs and another with
water. I also fastened to one of the veranda posts a “food-giver,”
which is a stick about one foot long from which are suspended, by short
cords, a wooden cup containing bird-seed, a net-work box containing
walnut-kernels, and the half-shell of a walnut containing suet. Im-
mediately my restaurant attracted numerous customers, especially Spar-
rows, which are not so pugnacious as their American relatives. They
did not prevent numbers of Chaffinches or Beechfinks (Fringilla calebs)
from having their daily share of the spoils. These beautiful birds, by
their color and song, are a continual joy in the streets and_ parks
and gardens. But the most important visitor at the bird-house, from
the very beginning of the year, was the Blackbird or Amsel ( Turdus
merula), a black Thrush, about the size of our Robin and a much finer
singer. His presence was respected by the smaller birds, but he was not
intolerant. Though he occupied pretty much all the best part of the
little house, the others were able to feed at the sides and corners. At
the “food-giver,” only a few feet distant, I had a totally different
company. For many weeks it was patronized exclusively by the Meiser,
the relatives of our Chickadees and Tits, of which half a dozen species
are common in middle Europe. My visitors were the Kohlmeiser (Parus
major), about the size of our Chickadees, but with much beauty of
varied color. Alighting on the edge of the seed-cup, they clean it out
to the very bottom. Alighting on the stick, with two or three twitches
of the beak they pull up the net-work bag and, holding it with the
feet on the stick, they hammer like Woodpeckers at the walnut-kernels.
In the same way they reach the suspended shell with suet, but they use
this only occasionally. In the latter part of March, the ‘“food-giver”
became the resort of another visitor, the Grinfink (Fringilla chloris).
They had no difficulty in managing the seed-cup or the walnut-bag.
Sometimes two pairs would be at work at the “food-giver” at the
same time. They are the only birds, except Meiser, which have
made any attempt to use it. All these five kinds of birds continued

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192 Bird- Lore

their daily visits throughout the entire spring and summer. Beechfinks
and Amsels were less frequent as the season advanced, and now rarely
come to the veranda, though they are still numerous in the neighbor-
hood.

Besides these, I have had a few occasional visitors, the most con-
spicuous being the Goldammer (Emberiza citrinella), his clothing being
mainly yellow. His calls were during the winter, when I saw him often
on the street feeding with the Sparrows. In May the city and vicinity
were invaded by a vast army of Reed Buntings or Rohrammers ( Emberiza
schoeniclus). They fraternized with the Sparrows in making the bird-
house as clean as an empty pantry. [hey made no attempt to use the
“food-giver,” which seems precisely adapted to their habit of swinging
on swaying plants and branches. Sometimes, when I open the door
in the early morning, I find the food untouched and a cat on or near
the veranda. ‘This, however, seldom happens, for the cats know I keep
a supply of stones with which to pelt them at every opportunity.

Many other birds than these I have mentioned are characteristic of
the city in their season. Appliances for the feeding and nesting of
different kinds of birds are for sale in the shops. Children are taught
to know and love the birds, as well as other natural objects. No legis-
lation can do so much for the attraction and preservation of the birds
as that love for them which makes the entire community interested
in their welfare and happiness.

DOWNY WOODPECKER
Photographed from nature, by A. L. Princehorn

~~ ~ses

Young Flamingos

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

With photographs by the author

N the current number of © The
I Century’ the writer has re-
counted, at greater length than
was possible in BirD-LORE, his
studies in a Bahaman Flamingo col-
ony made in June, 1904. For the
circumstances attending this remark-
able experience, the reader is referred
to ‘The Century’; here it is pro-
posed to add certain details in regard
to the habits and plumages of young
Flamingos.

Although Flamingos are said to
lay one or two eggs, my experience
leads me to believe that they rarely,
if ever, lay more than one; only two
of the 1,500 to 2,000 occupied nests
seen by me contained two eggs; all
the others held one egg each, and it
seems not improbable that the two
eggs in one nest were laid by differ-
ent birds, though, of course, it is

HEAD OF FLAMINGO ABOUT TWO WEEKS OLD, possible that they may have repre-

SHOWING THE BEGINNING OF THE CURVE IN sented twins.
THE MANDIBLE.

There appears to be some varia-
ation in the time of the nesting season of Flamingos in the western Bahamas,
but, under normal conditions, eggs are evidently laid the first week in May.

In the colony where my studies were made a few newly hatched young
birds were seen by a negro scout on June 1. Two weeks later there were
hundreds of them.

The period of incubation is not known, so far as I am aware, but it
doubtless is not far from twenty-eight days. When the egg was pipped, the
parent bird was seen turning it in the nest so that the opening would be
uppermost.

When the young Flamingo emerges from the egg he appears to be
covered with stringy white hairs, which, in drying, release downy plumules,
and at the end of a few hours he is thickly covered with soft, dense down,
usually grayish on the back and snowy white everywhere else. His legs
and bill are flesh-pink, his eyes brown-black.

~

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194 Bird- Lore

At this age the young Flamingo is nearly as active as a newly hatched
Wild Duck. Chicks whose plumage was not yet dry and which, therefore,
were not more than an hour or two old, crawled to the edge of the nest at
my approach and dropped over its side in an ill-judged effort to escape.

This early development of the sense of fear in birds whose nesting-sites
usually exempt them from the attack of marauding animals, was surprising
and is not readily accounted for. So far as I observed, at this early age
these Flamingos had two enemies— floods and Turkey Buzzards. The
former, as I learned from two sad experiences, often bring disaster to the

YOUNG FLAMINGO RETURNING TO THE NEST

egg and the newly hatched chick ; the latter; in view of the comparative
scarcity of food for scavenging birds in the Bahamas, find a Flamingo colony
especially attractive, and, although I did not see them attack a young
Flamingo, the chorus of protests which arose from the parent birds when-
ever a Buzzard sailed over the rookery was sufficient to arouse suspicions.

The first Flamingo rookery which I visited had been destroyed by rain
three days before my arrival. The second colony discovered, and the one
in which my studies were made, was also flooded, and at the time of my de-
parture some nests were submerged and all were surrounded by water.
Under these conditions eggs, of course, are ruined and very young chicks,
like the one shown in the photograph, are doubtless drowned. Chicks over
a day old can probably escape by swimming.

The young Flamingo remains in the nest three or four days. Should

THE GROWTH OF FLAMINGOS

The approximate ages of the birds shown in the accompanying plate are: (1) One day;
(3) two months; (4) four months; (5) adult.

From mounted specimens in the American Museum of Natural History

(2) one month;

196 Bird - Lore

he be forced to leave it during this period he evidently can find his way
back. An accompanying photograph shows a chick climbing up into its
nest with the aid of bill and wings. This nest was within ten feet of my
blind, and on my approach the chick jumped out and ran away. After I
had concealed myself the parent returned and, apparently in response to its
calls, the young one appeared, and was soon snugly nestling beneath the
maternal or paternal wing. ;

While in the nest, the chick, as described in ‘ The Century’ article, is
fed first by regurgitation, taking its food drop by drop from the tip of the

NEWLY HATCHED FLAMINGO IN A PARTLY FLOODED NEST, AN EXHAUSTED YOUNG BIRD,
WHICH HAD LEFT THE NEST, AND A PIPPED EGG

parent’s bill, and it also eats the shell of the egg from which it was hatched ;

this apparently is an invariable rule. Even after leaving the nest the chick

is still fed for a time by the parent, which doubtless also induces it to pick

up a living of its own.

It is an exceedingly interesting fact that the bill of the young Flamingo
is straight and wholly unlike the singular, bent bill of the adult. Signs of
a Roman nose, so to speak, first appear when the chick is about two weeks
old, and at this time he begins to feed after the manner of adults. That is,
the upper mandible is held almost parallel with the ground, and even pressed
into the muddy bottoms on which the birds feed. It is then moved rapidly
and sends a jet of water through the. bill which washes away the sand or
mud taken in with the food. Like the old bird, the young one now often

Young Flamingos 197

treads water or dances when feeding, to float its food off the bottom so that
it can be more readily secured.

A curious habit of some young birds which I brought with me for pur-
poses of study, consisted of an apparent attempt to feed one another. An
accompanying photograph depicts two birds in the act, and renders further
description unnecessary. At such times the birds uttered a rattling cluck
which was heard on no other occasion.

The note of very young birds is a puppy-like barking. This is soon fol-
lowed by a kind of squealing whistle, and this, in turn, by a chirruping crow
which persists until the bird is at least two months old. The whistling
note was the characteristic one at the time of which I write, and, under

YOUNG FLAMINGOS IN A FLOODED ROOKERY

proper conditions, the chorus of young birds could be plainly heard, day or
night, at my tent a mile away. As the snowy natal down of the Flamingo
chick increases in length it becomes much grayer, while the bill and feet
change to lead-color. At the age of five or six weeks this down is pushed
further outward by the second plumage, which first appears upon the
shoulders. This second plumage is grayish brown streaked with black
above, the under parts being much paler. The wing-coverts and under
parts are delicately tinted with pink. This plumage is followed by the
plumage of the adult, which is evidently acquired in late autumn or early
winter, since, with one exception, all the several thousand birds I saw in
May and June were in full plumage.

It is when the young Flamingo is in the second, or brown, plumage, and
before he has acquired the power of flight, that he is most harassed by his
unnatural but worst enemy—the Bahaman negro. The birds still remain

198 Bird - Lore

in or about the rookery, where the
negroes capture them by running
them down or by the use of a long
rope. With aman at either end of
such a rope, a group of birds is
partly surrounded and driven over
the muddy ‘Swash’ toward the
negroes’ boat. Gradually they
are rounded up and forced into
shallow water, where they may
be caught with comparative ease.
They are then thrown into the
hold of the boat and taken alive
to the nearest settlement, where
they readily command a good
price. Some young Flamingos

ne en ee ae

usually reach Nassau each year.

OF THE ADULT

If the negro should not desire to
sell his prey, it is killed and placed in brine.

Probably no known Flamingo rookery in the Bahamas escapes these
disastrous visitations, and we have here, doubtless, the chief cause for the
continued decrease of these splendid birds. Fortunately, I am glad to say,
a representation of the requirements of the case to the acting-governor of
the Bahamas seems likely to be followed by the passage of a law designed
to afford Flamingos much-needed protection.

a Ma And et it te Re Se

Fa a i ge tA aT

YOUNG FLAMINGOS FEEDING EACH OTHER

1. MAGNOLIA WARBLER, MALE. 3. MAGNOLIA WARBLER, YOUNG AND ADULT IN FALL.
2. MAGNOLIA WARBLER, FEMALE. 4. KiIRTLAND’S WARBLER, MALE.
5. KIRTLAND’S WARBLER, FEMALE.

ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.

For Teachers and Students

The Migration of Warblers
SEVENTH PAPER
Compiled by Professor W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data

in the Biological Survey

With drawings by Lours AGASSIZ FUERTES and BRUCE HORSFALI
HERMIT WARBLER

ROM its winter home in Mexico and Guatemala, the Hermit Warbler
Fk enters the United States in April, being reported from Oracle, Ari-
zona, April 12, 1899, and the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, April
9, 1902. Records of the first birds seen in California are Campo, April 27,
1877, and Julian, April 25, 1884. A Hermit Warbler was noted at Burrard
Inlet, British Columbia, April 20, 1885.
In the fall the species has been noted as late as September 22, in Ari-
zona, and October 9g, in California.

TOWNSEND’S WARBLER

Townsend's Warbler winters principally in southern Mexico and Gua-
temala; a few sometimes remain, at this season, as far north as southern
California. Migrants from Mexico begin to enter California, April 14 to
20. The earliest noted in 1888, at Chilliwack, B. C., was on May 19,
but the usual date of arrival is probably several days earlier, for the average
date of the first birds seen during five years at Columbia Falls, Mont., is
May 7, varying from May 4, 1897, to May 11, 1896. First arrivals have
been noted on April 9 in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona; Loveland,
Colo., May 11, 1889, and from Great Falls, Mont., May 28, 1890.

KIRTLAND’S WARBLER

This, the rarest of American Warblers, has been taken at West Jupiter,
Fla., April 19 and 27; St. Helena Island, S..C., April 27 and May 3;
St. Louis, Mo., Mav 8; Wabash, Ind., May 4 and 7; near Chicago, IIl.,
May 7; Rockford, Ill., May 25; Lake Koshkonong, Wis., May 24;
Cleveland, Ohio, May 4, 12, 13 and 15; Ann Arbor, Mich., May 14, 15,
16 and 18; Battle Creek, Mich., May 11; Toronto, Ont., May 16; Min-
neapolis, Minn., May 13; Mackinac Island, Mich., May 21.

In the fall it has been noted at Fort Myer, Va., September 25, and at
Chester, S. C., October 11.

The nest of this species was first discovered by Mr. Norman A. Wood
in Oscoda county, Mich., July 8, 1903. (See Bull., Mich. Orn. Club, v,
1904, pp. 3-13.)

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200 Bird - Lore

MAGNOLIA WARBLER
SPRING MIGRATION

No. of years’ Average date of Earliest date of
PLACE ‘ : 2 z
record spring arrival spring arrival

Atlantic Coast —

Atlanta “Gar (neat) .-/-) aveaa eee netics April 25 April 20, 1900

Washington, D.C. . | 4 April 30 April 22, 1891 —

Beaver, Pa. ... 5 May 5 May 2, 1899

Renovo, Par: im 8 May 7 May 2, 1903

Ballston Spa, N. Vii. aM aera 5 May 9 May 4, 1891

Hartford. s(Conny \. os yee eer eal 6 May 10 May 9, 1892

Central Massachusetts... . 9 May 11 May 4, 1890

Southern Maine. . 6 May 10 May 6, 1899

Quebec, Can. 6 May 9 May 4, 1900

St. John, N. B. 9 May 16 May 10, 1895

Godbout, Que. . 2 May 22 May 21, 1884

North River, P. ELT. 4 May 26 May 23, 1887

Mississippi Valley —

Lower Rio Grande, Tex. April 20, 1887

New Orleans and icine 5 May 3 April 26, 1903

St. Bouisy Mor se iain es icy 7 May 4 May 3, 1883

Morgan Park, Tp a hte Seca 6 May 6 May <1, 1895 .

Rockford, III. : eC aNGars we 5 May 7 May 5, 1888 .

Northern Ohio Sea oe 6 May 8 May 4, 1895 .

Southern Wisconsin. . ..... II’ May 10 May 7, 1897 ;

Southern Michigan ........ II May 11 May 3, 1902

Southern Ontario . . : oe 15 May 11 May 4, 1902

Parry Sound District, Ontacn II May 13 May 6, 1895

Ottawa, Ont... . are 19 May 13 May 8, 1896

Lanesboro, IMGT ee oracle aera 8 May 9 May 6, 1888

Aweme, VET eae or oiane te Oleg 6 May 16 May 11, 1900

Qu’ Appelie, Assa. . May 18, 1899

Chippewyan, Atha. . May 23, 1901

Simpson, Mack. May 23, 1860

Denver, Colo. as May 10, 1897

Santa Barbara, Cal.. . May 15, 1897 ;
FALL MIGRATION )

record first one seen one seen

PLACE No of years’ Average date of | Earliest date of first
|
|

Lanesboro, Minn. . . | August 12, 1887

Glen Ellyn, Ill. 6 August 22 | August 12, 1896
Englewood, N. J. 3 August 23 August 16, 1887

~ Washington, D. C. 4 August 22 | August 16, 1886 ~
Raleigh, N.C... : 3 September 13 September 11, 1889,
New Orleans and vicinity : 4 September 19 | September 13, 1899

PLACE No. of years’| *Average date of | Latest date of first
record last one seen one seen

Aweme, Mian ).0's ul ate i ee September 17, 1900
Ottawa, Ont.. . 3 September 17 | September 19, 1895
Glen Ellyn, ie 3 7 September 29 | October 9, 1894
North River, B. E. I... 4 August 21 September 8, 1890
St sonnrINe bare omnie 4 September 3 September 7, 1890
Beaver, Pa. costar erat 5 September 24 | October 3, 1891
Renovo; Past: ...<l eens 6 September 26 | October 5, 1902
Washington, D. C. : 4 October 2 October 10,
New Orleans and vicinity 4 October 24: November 1, 1895

* Heading omitted

Report of the Circulating Collections Loaned by the American
Museum of Natural History to the Public Schools of
New York City, December 1, 1903, to July 1, 1904

By GEORGE H. SHERWOOD

Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Zodlogy

P | NHE work of providing the public schools with collections to assist in
nature study, which was begun in December, 1903, has been con-
tinued through the school year. In this period of six months, over

one hundred collections have been in circulation, and have been used in

one hundred schools in Greater New York. They have been delivered to
schools in the boroughs of Manhattan, the Rronx, Brooklyn and Richmond.

For general information we have kept a record of the itinerary of each
collection, and the number of pupils that have studied it in each school.

These numbers are furnished by the principals over their signature. The

records show that our collections were studied by the following number

of pupils: —

PUPILS

: fSpring.. ... . « 42,227

ASIEGSS) = 6 «co \ Fall Ais Sy) Pegg Gey ae Con ees ang ee 96,594
Insects es Spe tre ae igh 7” aN vole Pease ma! SAU Or
ISK SP eB) Aten Yew sash aoe eelie a, Ge See. CR Ag eee te LOLS
Tena GMMe MET irene cael Us! Ganges bo aun one Ae bl a Os teres haan LOCOGE
MOT ADS 6k ee Sirus ay inde rere a aie Eten ee Tae
Stamistie.) . 0 2) u Mic cee ad ; : Seah 2 Pee
Sponges. . Ma reich et BNP bens hls Se Wen Et aoa OS

MGtAl ENT rN 3) toca & PEER cay tx tice Mn eee ee TS TOT EOTA

Thus, in the six months that our collections have been in circulation
they have been studied by 167,973 pupils. Their usefulness is attested by
the many letters of thanks and appreciation which we have received from
teachers and pupils, with the earnest request that the Museum continue
this work the coming year.

The way in which the collections have been utilized in the schools is
shown by the following extracts from teachers’ letters :—

In one school: ‘The birds were used for nature lessons, and in con-
nection with oral language, writing dictation, color and drawing lessons.”

From another school comes this report: “I should say that on the
average, 1,000 children have observed and examined the specimens. Miss
O’Brien has been giving a short lecture before the school on the different
specimens and started with the crustacea. Her talk is given weekly, and
the specimens are put right into the children’s hands, and are passed so
each child can see for itself. She talks to eleven assembled classes, making
an average of about 500 or 600 children. The teachers then have short
compositions written in their class-rooms upon Miss O’Brien’s talk, and in

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202 Bird - Lore

the lower classes an oral review is made. She has lectured on crustacea,
starfishes, sea urchins, sponges and corals.”

The birds and insects are in great demand, as the study of them is re-
quired in several grades. [here are forty collections of the former, con-
sisting of five birds each and representing twenty species of our more
common birds.

The entire expense of providing the collections and of delivering them
at the schools, as well as that of transferring them from one school to
another, is borne by the Museum.

Use of the collections in the vacation schools.—The usefulness of our cir-
culating collections is shown by the demand for them in the vacation
schools during the summer. In the latter part of July requests were
received from a number of the nature-study teachers in the vacation
schools, asking if we could loan them material for their work. Thirty-three
schools were supplied with collections of birds, and ten schools with col-
lections of insects. The collections of birds, in the four weeks which they
were retained at the schools, were studied by 15,224 children; the collec-
tions of insects by 7,000 children, making a total of 22,224. Thus more
than two-thirds of the vacation schools in the city were using our
collections.

The total number of children that studied the collections from De-
cember I, 1903, to September 1, 1904, was 190,197.

Bird-Lore’s Fifth Christmas Bird Census

- NHE plan of reporting one’s observations afield on Christmas Day
has met with such cordial and practical endorsement by bird students
throughout the country that BirRD-LORE’s Christmas Bird Census

may now be considered a fixed event, which increases in interest as the

accumulating records give additional material for comparison.

One of BirD-LorReE’s readers, Mr. Harold E. Porter, has very kindly
compiled the appended summary of the data contained in the four preceding
censuses. Reference to the February, 1901, 1902, 1903, or 1904, num-
ber of BiRD-LORE will acquaint one with the nature of the report of the
day’s hunt which we desire; but to those to whom none of these issues is
available we may explain that such reports should be headed by a brief state-
ment of the character of the weather, whether clear, cloudy, rainy, etc.,
whether the ground is bare or snow-covered, the direction and force of the
wind, the temperature at the time of starting, the hour of starting and of
returning. Then should be given, in the order of the A. O. U. ‘ Check-

Bird-Lore’s Fifth Christmas Bird Census 203
List,’ a list of the species seen, with exactly, or approximately, the number
of individuals of each species recorded.
follows:
Yonkers, N. Y. Time, 8 A.M. to 12 M.
temperature 38°. Herring Gull, 75:
JAmMes GATES.

A record should read, therefore, as

Clear; ground bare; wind west, light;
Total,— species,— individuals. —

These records will be published in the February issue of BirD-Lore,
and it is particularly requested that they be sent the editor (at Englewood,
N. J.) not later than December 28.

SUMMARY OF BIRD-LORE’S CHRISTMAS CENSUSES

| |
| 1900 | 1901 |

/ 1902 1903
Total No. of lists 2I5 34 53 78
Total No. of hunters | 26 I 59 87
‘Total percent of men 77% 80% 90% 90%
Species seen . . 96 I 133 167
Best record 36 (Cal.) 24(N.J.) 38( Mass.) 44 ( ex.)
Lowest record 3) (NSE) 5 eee) o(P.E.I) 2(Mich.)
Warmest +60/Conn.)| 70a.) 40(S.C.) +81 (Fla. )
Coldest . . : +16(Wis.) | +32(N.Y.) —r (Ill.) o (Wis. )
Most time. . . |8hrs.,45 min. |rohrs.,ro min, 12hrs.,18 min. |g hrs., 30 min.
Least time. F 30 min. tr hr., 30 min. 2 hrs. 30 min.
Average time .|/3hrs.,25 min. |3hrs.,45 min. (3hrs.,gomin. [3 hrs., 35 min.
No. of states, etc., |

represented . 14 12 19 24
Most lists from eo Penga(s)— ste. Now. Cee) Mass. (10) Mass. ( 14)
Most frequent species. Chickadee,g2% |Song Spar., 85 %| Crow, 62% Chickadee, 73 %
Second species. . Crow, 88% Crow, 79% Tree Spar., 61% / Tree Spar., 69%

For one year, 1900, the total number of species recorded was 96. For
two years the score was 118, for three 168, and for four 229.

Of this list one was a liberated cage bird, two accidental, and three in-
troduced species (Starling, Pheasant and European Goldfinch).

It is interesting to note that Mr. William B. Evans has, on three

occasions, scored the greatest time record, and that in one of these
years, 1901, he secured the best list.
hunting is also notable.

The increase in the per cent of men

It is gratifying to notice that scarcely a dozen records have been ac-
corded a “?.” This certainly shows that the birds are closely enough per-
ceived to make satisfactory identification of about 99 per cent of them.—
HAROLD E. PorRTER.

A BIRD-HOUSE NUMBER

The next issue of BiRD-LORE will be largely devoted to the subject of
bird-houses. Notes and photographs relating to this important phase of
bird protection should reach us not later than December 15.

Potes from Pied and Study

Balancing Robins

Perhaps the following observations on a-
Robin’s methods of balancing will be of
interest to the readers of BirD-LorE. On
February 21, 1904, a heavy sleet fell, and
by the afternoon everything was so coated
with ice that many of the birds found it a
hard matter to secure food. ‘Three or four
hundred Robins came into the barnyard in
search of food. A persimmon tree that
stood near the granary where I was con-
cealed, seemed to be the center of attack.
Usually between twenty-five and fifty Robins
were in this tree at once, eating the fruit
and calling an occasional loud pip, or
piep.

The branches of this tree were so laden
with ice that the birds could not easily
secure a foothold, and were continually
slipping and tumbling about. I was con-
cealed within a few yards of the tree and
had a good opportunity to observe the
many different methods used for maintain-
ing a balance. When a Robin first flew into
the tree he usually held both wings high
over his back until he had gained a firm
position, and the tail also was usually spread
wide to aid him. When in danger of fall-
ing the wings were often raised only slightly
and the tail spread about half-way, until the
balance had been regained. Sometimes a
coated persimmon was just out of reach, and
then the bird would crane his neck out until
in imminent danger of tumbling headlong.
Then, as quick as a flash, he would thrust
out a wing, and I saw them even stand in
this position balancing with one wing until
they were either satished that the fruit was
not to be had or had secured it. The left
and right wings were both seen to be used
in this operation. The tail was sometimes
used in conjunction with one or both wings,
being wholly or partly spread and usually
pumped up and down. As an extreme
measure, when nearly falling headlong, I
have seen the Robin thrust out one wing on
the side of his body that was lowest, and

bring it quickly forward until it was nearly
on a level with his head.

Often one of the ice-coated branches
would fall, and it was amusing to see the
Robin who was perched thereon pick him-
self up, so to speak, in mid air. When
the crackling of the branch was heard the
birds usually flew away, but soon returned
and were as busy as before. A small flock
of Cedar Waxwings was engaged in the
same pursuit, but I did not see one of them
fall or balance himself, probably because of
their lighter weight and because they were
not so clumsy as the Robins.—ERNEST SEE-
MAN, Greensboro, N. C.

The European Skylark near New York
City

On July 22 and 2g, of this year, I had
the opportunity of seeing and hearing Sky-
larks within an hour’s journey of New
York City. The birds were seen in and
over extensive fields of timothy, clover, red-
top and sorrel, situated about one and one-
half miles northwest of Canarsie, L. I.
Other birds of the immediate vicinity were
Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows and
Meadowlarks, all of which breed abun-
dantly, a pair of Great Blue Herons, a pair
of Sparrow-hawks, besides a few Spotted
Sandpipers, Indigo Buntings, Barn Swal-
lows, English Sparrows and Starlings, and
numerous Song Sparrows, Swifts and Chip-
ping Sparrows.

Skylarks were heard singing almost con-
tinually, although the singer was frequently
not in sight. The song must be heard to
be appreciated. The bird rises from a low
perch and, ascending in a very irregular
spiral, pours forth a medley of notes remind-
ing one at times of the Canary, Long-
billed Marsh Wren, Bobolink and Gold-
finch! The descent is much quicker than
the ascent—a few turns in the spiral and
then the bird rapidly descends on closed
wings until within a few feet of the ground,
when it spreads its wings and, after sailing

(204)

i

ee ee ea

oe

~<

MP HeD hms een

Notes from Field and Study

a few feet, alights. Just before it descends
the bird utters, in rapid repetition, a series
of notes that are almost an exact imitation
of the call of the Spotted Sandpiper. One
individual was observed singing while on
the ground.

It was observed that the length of the
bird’s flights varied from one-half of one
minute to more than three minutes. In
England, it is said, when the sky is clear
the bird will remain in the air for twenty
minutes at a time.—Isaac BILDERSEE, Nea
York City.

A Venturesome Titmouse

I have been greatly surprised at the recent
* performances of a Tufted Titmouse, locally
called Tomtit. For several days he was
noticed to be disturbing the slumbers of the
house-dog (a long-haired Shepherd )—flying
around him, and following him to the porch.
When the dog was fast asleep the bird would
make a dive at him, with sufficient force to
awaken and irritate the dog. We did not
immediately understand that it was the dog’s
hair that the bird wanted.

A member of the household followed the
pair of Tomtits to a little ravine back of the
house, where the trees are closely entwined
with wild grape-vines—hoping to get a look
at the nesting place,— making herself as
inconspicuous and unmovable as possible.
The Tomtit soon observed her and began
to fly around her, lit several times on her
shoulder, and finally gave several vigorous
pulls at her hair. Yesterday two members
of the household went to the spot and seated
themselves some distance apart. The Tom-
tit soon appeared to recognize the brown
costume and brown hair of his former visi-
tor, boldly approached, lit on the young
woman’s back (she insists it was the same
bird), braced himself, put back his head (so
says the companion), and pulled with all
his might at her back hair, which he suc-
ceeded in partially pulling down. —S. B.
BropHEaD, Spring Station, Ky.

A Sensible Cardinal

A pair of Cardinals built this spring in a
honeysuckle at the side of a neighbor’s

- that the eggs were hopelessly chilled.

205

porch. The first egg was not laid until
April 17, two weeks after the nest
finished, owing to the belated spring, I sup-
pose. The second and third eggs were laid
on the following two days. On the 2oth,
the day after the third egg was laid, a heavy
snow fell, beginning early in the morning
and continuing until noon. The female
retained her place on the nest until about

was

ten o’clock, when either hunger or the unu-
sual atmospheric conditions caused her to
leave it. When she returned, perhaps fif-
teen minutes later, the nest was full of snow,
to the brim. She exhibited signs of distress
and began to eat the snow, greedily, to get
rid of it. Occasionally she got on to the
nest, as if to press the snow out. By even-
ing, between eating and melting the snow
with the heat of her body, the nest was clear
again. After this long submergence in snow
and snow-water, we all supposed, of course,
The
mother-bird differed with us, however, and
continued to incubate; and on May 1 one
egg hatched. —EtmMore ELLioTT PEAKE,
Salem, Ill.

Taming a Robin

A Robin built this spring in an apple-
tree of a neighbor’s, about six feet from the
ground. When first approached she would
quietly leave the nest, but after a few trials
of this kind she resolutely stuck to her post.
If touched she would shrink to the further
edge and peck at one’s fingers. Eventually,
however, she ceased to show fear, and
would tamely allow herself to be stroked.
Later, when the eggs were hatched, she
would sit on the edge of the nest while I
fed earthworms to the young, and would
occasionally reach out for one herself. She
would sit for fifteen minutes at a time on
the edge of the nest and allow me to stroke
either back or breast, and even to extend
her wing its full length. Moreover, any
stranger could take the same liberties. The
male, however, looked with a disapproving
eye on these familiarities, and kept at a
distance. Such tameness may not be unu-
sual, but it never came under my observa-
tion before. —EtmMore ELLiorr PEAKE,
Salem, Ill.

Book Fews and Meviews

THE HAUNTS OF THE GOLDEN - WINGED
WARBLER. By J. WARREN JACOBS.
Gleanings No. III. Waynesburg, Pa:
8 vo. Ills. 32 pages.

An especial interest is attached to Mr.
Jacobs’ bird studies. They constitute the
best answer to the local ornithologist’s
query, “What shall I do?” with which we
are familiar. In by far the larger number
of cases when the resident ornithologist has
published a list of the birds of his region,
his subsequent contributions to knowledge
consist of an occasional record of the occur-
rence of some rare or unexpected bird.
This is all useful and interesting as far as
it goes, even if it does not go very far, but,
instead of being the end, it should be the
beginning of one’s studies of bird-life.

There remain a thousand subjects for in-
vestigation, so many, indeed, that we gen-
erally miss all our opportunities by failing
to concentrate on one of them. Mr. Jacobs,
however, is an exception. He has selected
a field for research and devoted himself to
it for several years. As a result he has
given us the best account of a Martin
colony which has as yet been published
(see Birp-Lore, V, p. 31), and he now
issues the most complete biography of the
Golden-winged Warbler extant.

It does not follow that Mr. Jacobs has
enjoyed unusual opportunities for research.
His success is due rather to persistent effort
definitely directed; and it is perfectly safe
to say that the same amount of attention
intelligently devoted to the study of even
the commonest species will yield equally
valuable returns.

Mr. Jacobs treats at length of the haunts
of the Golden-wing, its migration, socia-
bility, nest-building, eggs, song, food and
young in so interesting and satisfactory a
manner that we commend his work to all
students who propose to join with us in the
preparation of our projected work on War-
blers. In only one particular would we
urge them not to follow his example. Do
not rob the bird of its eggs, and at the same

timey ourselves of an opportunity to study its
home-life. With but few exceptions our
collections contain sufficiently large series
of Warblers’ eggs to permit of an adequate
description of their color, shape and size.

The value and novelty of Mr. Jacobs’
paper consists not in his descriptions of the
color and markings of the Golden-wing’s
eggs, but in his account of its habits; and we
cannot but feel that the latter would have
been better if his series of eggs had been
smaller.—F. M. C.

SOME New Facts ABOUT THE MIGRATION
OF Birps. By W. W. Cooke. Year-
book of the Department of Agriculture for

1903, pages 371-386.

Professor Cooke has not only devoted

‘many years to the study of bird migration

in the field, but as an assistant in the Bio-
logical Survey he has access to an un-
equaled amount of migration data, as the
readers of Brrp-Lore have good reason to
know. His contributions, therefore, to the
literature of bird migration have an especial
value. ‘he present paper is of such con-
centrated interest that we feel tempted to
follow the example of ‘The Condor’ and
reprint it in full; but we content ourselves
by urging our readers to secure a copy of
the September—October ‘ Condor’ in which
it appeared.

The causes, casualties, distances, routes,
and speed of migration, how birds find their
way, the relation of migration to tempera-
ture, and other significant phases of the
subject are treated, and indicate the char-
acter of the paper.

“The beginnings of migration, ages
ago,” Professor Cooke writes, “were in-
timately connected with periodic changes in
food supply, but this motive is at present so
intermingled with others unknown, or but
imperfectly known, that migration move-
ments seem now to bear little relation to the
abundance or absence of food.” He be-
lieves in the existence of a “sense of direc-
tion,” and states that “it is probable that

(206)

Book News

this faculty is exercised during migration.”
He repudiates the current.belief that coast
lines, mountain chains, and river courses
form well-marked highways of migration,
and says, “the truth seems to be that
birds pay little attention to natural physical
highways, except when large bodies of
water force them to deviate from the desired
course.” The existence of a much - fre-
quented migratory route from Florida to
Cuba, and thence westward to Yucatan, is
denied, it being stated that, as a matter of
fact, most birds cross the Gulf of Mexico
directly to Yucatan and Mexico.

Particularly valuable is that portion of
Professor Cooke’s paper devoted to the vari-
ations in the speed of migration, in which it
is shown that with certain species “the
speed increases as the birds move northward,
because the advance of the seasons is more
rapid in the northern interior than on and
near the southern coast.”

In regard to the alleged disappearance of
the Chimney Swift after leaving the shores
of the Gulf States, the British Museum
Catalogue (xvi, p. 481) lists specimens of
this species from Jalapa,
Guatemala.—F. M. C.

Yucatan and

A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE BiRDS OF
NEBRASKA. With Synopses. By Law-
RENCE BRUNER, ROBERT H.WALCoTT and
Myron H. Swenk. 8vo. 125 pages.
Klopp & Bartlett Co., Omaha, Neb.

This list becomes at once the authorita-
tive, standard faunal paper on Nebraska
birds. The annotations are detailed and
satisfactorily definite, while the introduction
of analytical keys makes the work, in a
measure, a text-book from which one may
learn not only a bird’s status but its name.
. Professor Bruner’s introductory paper on
‘Birds in Relation to Agriculture and
Horticulture,’ gives due prominence to this
side of ornithological research, and empha-
sizes the importance of the work of economic
ornithologists. —F. M. C.

CATALOGUE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRDs.
By Francis KERMONDE. Provincial Mu-
seum, Victoria, B. C. 8vo. 69 pages.

This paper will replace Fannin’s ‘Check -
List of British Columbia Birds,’ to which

and Reviews 207
it adds 24 species, making a total of 363
species and subspecies which have now

been recorded from British Columbia.—
Bev Ce

The Ornithological Magazines

THe Auk.—The October ‘Auk’ opens
with a sketch of ‘A Fortnight on the Farra-
lones’ by Milton S. Ray, and, although this
bird colony has been the theme of many
another pen, Mr. Ray’s delightful descrip-
tions and striking photographs are a wel-
come addition to the literature of the island.

Some additions to Mitchell’s list of birds
of New Mexico are made by Florence M.
Bailey, and the balance of the magazine is
devoted to birds of the South. Mr. R. W.
Williams presents ‘A Preliminary List of
the Birds of Leon County, Florida,’ Chas.
R. Stockard writes on the ‘Nesting Habits
of the Woodpeckers and Vultures of Mis-
sissippi,’ and Andrew Allison offers an
annotated list of ‘The Birds of West Baton
Rouge Parish, Louisiana.’

We notice that Mr. Williams states that
the male Red-winged Blackbird assumes, in
winter, the plumage of the female. He
has evidently mistaken the young males for
females and not seen the black adults with
the red shoulder-patches. This raises the
question, Where have the adults betaken
themselves,? for they are certainly conspic-
uous enough not to escape notice.

Notes, reviews and index carry the total
number of pages for the year up to 531, the
largest volume ever put in the hands of
members of the A. O. U. The year 1903
will be memorable for the first discovery, in
Michigan, of the nest of Kirtland’s War-
bler, to which reference is made at page 506.
It is to be regretted that the original record
did not find its way into the ‘Auk,’ but at
page 487 Edward Arnold records from the
same locality another nest taken in 1904.—

| (et Dee hes

THe Conpor.—Since our last review two
numbers of ‘The Condor’ have appeared,
both replete with interesting notes and news.
In the July - August number Mrs. Bailey
describes her experience with ‘A Dusky
Grouse and Her Brood in New Mexico,’

208 Bird -

Walter K. Fisher writes of ‘Three Boobies
Interviewed’ on Laysan Island, M. French
Gilman gives an account of the habits of
“The Leconte Thrasher’ from observations
made along the western edge of the Colorado
Desert in California, and Adolph E.
Schutze describes the ‘Nesting Habits of
the Caracara in Texas.’ Under the title

* About the Utah Gull,’ Rev. S. H. Good-’

win calls attention to the confusion of names
under which the California Gull (Larus
californicus) has been referred to by writers
on Utah birds. Mention should also be
made of a paper by Loye H. Miller, who
contributes an annotated list of about sev-
enty species of birds observed in the John
Day region of Oregon in 1899. The illus-
trations comprise a frontispiece and eleven
half-tone text figures.

Nearly one-half of the September-Octo-
ber number is devoted to Professor W. W.
Cooke’s interesting paper on ‘Some New
Facts about the Migration of Birds,’ re-
printed from the Year-book of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture for 1903. Rev. S. H.
Goodwin describes a visit to a colony of
‘Pelicans Nesting at Utah Lake,’ but omits
to mention the year—an unfortunate over-
sight in view of the statement that this was
the first time the birds had nested at this
place. Two hundred or more young birds
were found, but only a few eggs. A. W.
Johnson contributes ‘Notes on Unusual
Nesting Sites of the Pacific Yellow-throat,’
and W. L. Finley a short paper on ‘ The
Lutescent Warbler in Oregon.’ Emerson
comments on several reported instances of
birds caring for broken legs or wings, and
C. H. Richardson, Jr., presents a briefly
annotated ‘List of Summer Birds of the
Pinte Mountains, California.’

The series of portraits of naturalists is
continued with excellent likenesses of Harry
C. Oberholser, in the July number, and of
Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey in the Sep-
tember number.—T. S. P.

Witson BuLLetTin.—No. 48 of ‘ Wilson
Bulletin * contains the following articles:
“Notes on the Holbcell Grebe,’ by R. J.
Sim; ‘An Ornithological Reconnoissance
of the Grand Reservoir, Ohio, in 1904,’ by

Lore

W. F. Henninger; ‘July Fourth Censo-
Horizons, 1904,’ Lynds Jones; ‘ Spring
Migration Along Lake Erie’s Shore,’ by R.
J. Sim; ‘ Additions to the List of the Win-
ter Birds of Wayne County, Mich.,’ by B
H. Swales; ‘Some Barn Swallow Nests,

“ by C. J. Hunt; ‘Lawrence Warbler Breed-

ing in Bronx Park, New York City,’ by G.
E. Hix; ‘An Addition to the Birds of
Ohio,’ by Lynds Jones; ‘All Day With
the Birds,’ Lynds Jones, and ‘ Some Needed
Work,’ Lynds Jones. Mr, Sim records
some very interesting and valuable observa-
tions in relation to the habits and actions
of a captive Holbcell Grebe, which he was
fortunate in having the opportunity to study
for a considerable length of time. The va-
rious characteristic attitudes and movements
of the bird while feeding, drinking, bath-
ing, preening, sleeping, swimming, diving,
standing and walking, as well as the effect
of curiosity, fear and other mental impres-
sions upon it, were carefully noted. Lynds
Jones makes some timely suggestions in
‘All Day With the Birds’ and ‘Some
Needed Work’ in connection with bird
study in the field. Any one who has had
occasion to go beyond his own observations
and experiences in search of facts touching
on the life histories of birds has learned
how little can be gleaned from the books on
the every-day habits of our common birds.
Although it is desirable to work out and
describe new species and subspecies where
they really exist, it would seem more com-
mendable, however, if a greater number of
our ornithologists devoted their energies to
gathering facts relating to the habits of well-
known forms and to leave the arduous task
of species-building toits advocates.—A.K.F.

The Audubon Calendar

The Massachusetts Audubon Society Au-
dubon Calendar for 1905 consists of six large
plates of Warblers with descriptive text on
the back of each plate. The price of the
Calendar is 60 cents, postpaid. Special rates
will be given to Audubon Societies ordering
twelve or more Calendars. Address orders
to the Secretary of the Society, care of the
Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.

. wwe

0 Se i ye mer ip a

Editorials

BHird- Lore

A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN
Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Price in the United States, Canadaand Mexico
twenty cents a number, one dollar a year. post-
age paid.

COPYRIGHTED, 1904, BY FRANK M, CHAPMAN

Bird-Lore’s Motto:
A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand

THE most exacting critics of a magazine
illustration are undoubtedly the artist whose
drawing it reproduces and the author whose
text it accompanies. It is natural, there-
fore, that, among the many commendations
of our colored Warbler plates, which we
have received during the past year, the fol-
lowing from Mr. Fuertes and _ Professor
Cooke have afforded us the most pleasure
and satisfaction : :

“TI have been surprised and gratified by
the success you have achieved in reproducing
the Warbler plates. I should not have sup-
posed it possible to represent so accurately
the delicate buff and chestnut tones found
in some of the female and young plumages,
even with more colors at your disposal. The
results are, however, more than merely
satisfactory, and I think you are to be con-
gratulated for having devised so adequate a
means of giving us reliable pictures of our
Warblers in all their important plumages.

Very sincerely yours,
Louis AGassiz FUERTES.”

“You are setting a new mark for those
striving to get the best possible bird pic-
tures. hese Warbler plates are easily the
best things in the line I have ever seen, and
a person would have to be pretty blind that
could not identify a Warbler from
them. They have the combination, so
hard to secure, of artistic excellence and
scientific accuracy. Yours truly,

WeELLs W. Cooke.”

209
THE success which has attended the ef-
forts of the American Museum of Natural
History to make its collections of practical
value to the teachers of New York City by
supplying them with specimens, as reported
in this number of Birp-Lore, suggests the
adoption of a similar plan by other museums
As far as
birds are concerned, possibly the Audubon

and natural history societies.
Societies might add small traveling bird
collections to their circulating lectures and
libraries.

Doubtless ornithologists throughout the
country would donate specimens for an ob-
ject of this nature, and the plan could, there-
fore, be carried out not only without entailing
the destruction of a single bird, but it would
bring into use numbers of specimens which,
having been studied, are now lying idle in
cabinet drawers.

For class-room use, at least in the lower
grades, the birds, in our opinion, should be
mounted. Wholly aside from the greater
educational value of the mounted bird, a
bird-skin too closely resembles a dead bird
to make it desirable teaching material for
children. ‘Che mounted bird, on the con-
trary, to the imaginative child mind, stands
for the living creature, and is as much more
effective than a drawing in creat’ng a defi-
nite, realistic impression, as a doll is better
than a doll’s picture.

WHILE the uneducated natives of the
countries in which Flamingos nest still gen-
erally believe that, when incubating, Fla-
mingos straddle their nests with a leg dang-
ling on each side, we had supposed that
among naturalists, at least, this question
was settled years ago.

We learn, however, from the October
‘Ibis’ that M. F. de Chapel, who observed
Flamingos’ nests in southern France in
June, 1904, “gives measurements of the
nests and the parent birds, from which he
draws the conclusion that the latter sit with
one leg on each side of the nest, as equilib-
rium would otherwise be impossible.” Ref-
erence tothe photograph on page 194 of this
issue of Birp-Lore and to others in ‘The
Century’ for this month, showing hundreds
of sitting birds, will emphasize the danger

of “drawing conclusions.”

210 . Bird-Lore

BIRD-LORE FOR 1905

Birp-Lore believes in expansion. It
wishes to become not only a better, but a
larger magazine. Many inviting opportu-
“nities for improvement and development,
valuable communications, interesting photo-
graphs, are of necessity refused, and the

publication of accepted contributions is,

often long delayed all for the same old, tire-
some reason ‘lack of space’—an excuse
infinitely more irritating to us than to those
to whom we are obliged to make it. We
most earnestly hope, however, that Birp-
Lore will be found worthy of sufficient sup-
port to permit us to carry out our plans for
the coming year.

Pror. IT. GILBERT PEarsON, of the Nor-
mal College at Greensboro, North Carolina,
who has been so remarkably successful in
Audubon work in the South, has assumed
the editorship of the Young Observer’s De-
partment, and under his care we are assured
that this department can be made extremely
attractive and stimulating to Brrp-Lore’s
younger readers.

Mr. WITMER STONE, whose post as
Conservator in the Academy of Sciences in
Philadelphia, the cradle of American orni-
thology, is perhaps responsible for his un-
usually keen and sympathetic insight into
the lives of early American ornithologists,
will contribute to Birp-Lore during the
coming year a_ series of biographical
sketches of these pioneer bird students.
Illustrations for these articles will be sup-
plied by Mr. Ruthven Deane, who has
kindly placed his unrivaled collection of
ornithologists’ portraits at BirRD-LORE’s
disposal for this purpose.

Tue February issue of Birp- Lore, as
we have previoulsy announced, will be
largely devoted to articles on Bird Houses.

This number will also contain the results
of the Christmas Bird Census and the list of
prominent ornithologists, composing Birp-
Lore’s Advisory Council, who have con-
sented to aid bird students throughout the
country with information and advice.

In succeeding issues we expect to present
a paper by John Burroughs on ‘ Birds in
Books’ and also contributions from Brad-

ford Torrey and Ernest Thompson Seton.

Prof. William Morton Wheeler has
written a most interesting article on the
structure of birds’ wings, which, among
other illustrations, will contain a restoration

_ of the Archzopteryx by Charles R. Knight,

and C. William Beebe will tell us of his
experiences last winter in Mexico.

Our files are overflowing with photo-
graphs awaiting publication, and some of
them are of unusual interest, notably those
of dozens of Cormorants nesting in a single
tree.in North Carolina, by T. Gilbert Pear-
son, and a unique set recording the growth
of a bird, day by day, by E. R. Warren.

BirD-Lore’s attempt to provide good,
reliable colored plates of birds has not only
been pronounced an artistic and _ scientific
success, but it has brought that measure of
practical endorsement which ensures the con-
tinuance of this popular feature. All the
Warblers plates have been drawn, and we
trust that circumstances will warrant our
placing enough plates in each number of
Birp-Lore to complete the series in the
next volume.

We paiticularly want to give Mr.
Dutcher colored plates for his Educational
Leaflets. Already widely used, they would
have an éven greater educational value if
colored figures of the birds of which they
treat were included in each number.

Ir is also our ardent desire to publish
Mr. Dutcher’s Annual Report as Chairman
of the National Committee of Audubon
Societies in Birp-Lore. This important
document gives in detail, state by state, the
work for bird protection during the year.
Reports from the wardens employed, infor-
mation concerning legislative, educational
and other allied matters are set forth at
length, and the report is not only of present
interest but is valuable for reference. A
single number of this report is double the
size of Birp-Lore, but we hope that during
the present month our subscribers will vote
so unanimously in favor of its publication
that we may include it in our February
issue. May we add that you will find a
pink ballot placed in this number of Birp-
Lore. Vote early ! :

The Audubon Docieties

“ You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird’s song.”

Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER

Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should

be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn.

Reports, etc., designed for this department should be

sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.

DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES

With names and addresses of their Secretaries

Ma RINCSRRRIBO Pts s Fe = Rios wiaisiayeraiclsis sacs aie (= eS. wisyeek yis.e gt clea aire > ciein'e elaee hares cESe naea W. Scorr Way, Pasadena.
RE SRRARRER ESE ere Preto ie Nace eines ergrec a a ahha alate oot wid.a wind ai desta estates Mrs. MARTHA A. SHUTE, Denver.
PUTTS ISS So SS Oana te Ss aac ne i ae SA Mrs. WILLIAM BRown GLoveRr, Fairfield
MUM PNNRR ART Ofer cath oS wyai'nlol (Sie levee cn oat SE ard Gare celelde he we Mrs. Wo. S. HILLES, Delamore Place, Wilmington.
Eplerrict Of Coltimbia (i. 06.05 occ ences v0 Mrs. JOHN DEWHURST PATTEN, 2212 R street, Washington.
RSE LES eM San Wa (COS Sle ai ee Sen Na kaleeuG a maienn ae vise Mate eeale aes Mrs. I. VANDERPOOL, Maitland.
MORNE EUW S)> .tos1o ticle, «5 Svre Ca tlb BaG ona eraldcoiaresleareeers PROFESSOR H. N. STARNES, of Experiment.
MUTRRSUS RRA Seat Rs CM ot cts etaia(is ira aes ale Sip cin teid/aieiw eele a decals) apace Miss MARY DRUMMOND, 208 West street, Wheaton.
CTT 3 cA es Al el IR A a FLORENCE A. Howe, Hillside Ave., Indianapolis.
ee en oes mg hot ayo im c aratarcinialie stantoh ee aude nidigieeeinie wae siggoeanianeadeten Mrs. W. F. Parrott, Waterlov.
MEIER GI MEM eM De Gictr rie Lista cuttin Parse ome ele be By writes e's teintan nannies Miss JuLiEtT O. ALvEs, Henderson.
1. EVIE OTE. 5-40 PR pe Soe ad Miss ANITA PRING, 1682 Peters ave., New Orleans.
MMU NT ME Wha setec a SD ARYe ors sicies 1S eso es id Syalctsio's ale Gare Siniia ere wraleie eae ieee ws Mrs. C. B. TuTTLE, Fairfield.
FOALS CA era ratetstal, sjs.c sive" fists aiciaicias Gistse wave Miss ANNE WESTON WHITNEY, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.
Massachusetts .............. Miss JESSIE E. KIMBALL, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.
Peat ARRPeRIMeryalsii, so-so << stati sinc sacoata nae ces JEFFERSON BUTLER, Suite 79, Home Bank Building, Detroit.
Minnesota................. hits Boca sen cece deen Miss JESSIE WHITMAN, 2356 Bayless ave., St. Paul.
COLI Oats 2 Rs a ene a i ae AuGust REESE, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.
MOMMEBI SAMI IRIE en a ose tis ic cas maine ad cesitio merece ate cearan Miss Joy H1GGINs, 544 South 30th street, Omaha.
MAPOUREA MATS POMEL ioe a lac wesw ncen's spe sae Saae ne nee s's Semele Mrs. F. W. BATCHELDER, Manchester.
IIB EG leartie cao acisiele stp viv Soe Se eplasaane Miss JULIA SCRIBNER, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.
NO CO ee Miss Emma H. Locxwoop, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.
SORES AMUN SRE HIATT ERs ars. « viaiaiclo no SASL Geile mies wisecele e cigh'a Gi cise sistas wraPe'a.wiels T. GILBERT PEARSON, Greensboro.
BUUSRMIMIPNUICOLA Ny toil ws ra = cyovslsls/aisvaiele was Vinis, sistecs bjeseimrarsis aces aleleiete%e Miss EvrzABETH L Assott, Grand Forks.
RREN NC ore erro eyes aie djcivwis alslevera’s se-troaig,ecieels Mrs. D. Z. MCCLELLAND, 820 West Ninth street, Cincinnati.
RaPCLsa ELDER RUPEE scr o's CE Ta are Seo oie ae nicly Hintebia sean ada vase piwewealte Mrs. ADELIA Hotcoms, Enid.
MRRMaRSAIN TOPE Rete a a, tre kc raiesave, deere acclaja cree Sauels A. W. ANTHONY (Pres’t), 900 Thurman street, Portland.
HO eo ee eee Mrs. EDWARD Rosins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.
Rhode Island............ eee a NS Sonate oee acts Mrs. H. ‘. GRANT, 187 Bowen street, Providence.
RSCeATONSE COETERTINNNEND Saye, Zoos, A ava 2 ssa¥a ars’ sidsaroe wala bere kis aie sieimr a = sess be Miss S. A. SMYTH, Legare street, Charleston.
THAT TCC SAAC Oe be SRE aaa Re Mi hag er eR or CaS ee eee nea Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.
SAMAR STONE Se SASS ciel ance sia, Se ab Selle E 5.tua cinieladlelsialaele'e aie Os ete Miss Hope TERHUNE, La Porte.
MIRREN EATER ori cic coed ome aeeeiat celnwaaentasaaceees Mrs. FLETCHER K. BARROWS, Brattleboro.
WUT So cae be teen ee a SOL SS PE SO eee Mr. E. C. HouGu, Falls Church.
RUE MCRINES EITM oo oe ee ora ratce wre guteto ee Mrs. REUBEN G. THWAITES, 260 Langdon street, Madison.
RSPSATER ORDO tne ees SS Ph ae draiSeld nine sinmee sole ras Mrs. CorRDELIA CHIVINGTON, Cheyenne.

The Lodging and Feeding of Birds

While it is to be hoped that the coming
winter may be less severe than the last, in all
but the southern states winter at best is a
period of hardship for the birds, and not
alone for the species that gather about dwel-
ings, making a direct appeal to one’s
sympathies; but for the game-birds no less,
while these last are more apt to be neglected
because we of necessity see less of them.

It would be well if the secretary of each
State Audubon Society could issue a post-

card giving concise directions for feeding to
all local secretaries and members who are
school teachers, for in this way a chain of
feeding stations can be established through-
out the country.

This matter of feeding is not the careless
affair that it seems; but in order to be effec-
tive must be conducted systematically and
intelligently.

A random scattering of crumbs is not
feeding birds in general; but English
Sparrows in particular. Discrimination
must be used, and an edged-shelf (perforated

(211)

212 Bird - Lore

so as to allow water to drain off) placed
high enough from the ground to be out of
cat-range, to hold the food. As an addi-
tional precaution, a few nails may be driven
at a downward angle of 45° into the post,
tree, or building upon which it rests.

This shelf should be spread with crumbs,
sweepings of granary or hay-loft, cracked

corn, nuts, and pounded dog-biscuits, while

upright twigs of a near-by tree should be
sharpened close to the trunk to hold the
lumps of suet craved by all insect-eaters like
the Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees
and Brown Creepers.

Protected boxes in the south side of brush-
heaps or in the center of the stacks of corn-
stalks left standing in fields, kept supplied
with grain-sweepings or cracked corn, will
make a vast difference with the Ruffed
Grouse and in the Quail flocks the next
spring; and if the gentleman farmer can be
persuaded to sow even one-quarter of an
acre of buckwheat, and leave the shocks
standing to be so many field lunch-counters
for the hungry game-birds that furnish him
with autumnal sport, another important step
will be taken on the road of Bird Protection.

Once let a community get in the habit of
feeding its winter birds, and it will gain a
good reputation among them, and surprising
results will ensue.

Winter housing is of necessity on a differ-
ent plan from the providing of family quar-
ters for the nesting season. Cover, not
privacy, is the one thing needful, and shelter
from the wind is the first consideration.

On the trunk of the old apple tree that
holds my bird lunch-counter a board has
been fastened against which a flat-backed
lantern is hung nightly. The lantern frame
being of tin, aslight heat is imparted to the
board, but merely enough to take the chill
from it. Several winters ago I discovered
that Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers,
evidently attracted by the warmth, made
their bedroom in the nooks between this
flat board and the rounding side of the tree,
the rough bark giving them a firm grip;
while Chickadees and Juncos have been
found roosting in the cow-barn just above
the cattle, where the air was tempered by
their warm breaths.

As an experiment I have tried utilizing
boxes the size that contain one hundred
pounds of laundry soap. On the front of the
box a rough hood is fastened with a drop
equal to half the height of the box, and

_ perches are placed across three-fourths of

the way up, with pegs like stairs placed at
intervals from the bottom upward. These
boxes were placed in sheltered places, under
the leaves of a low building, etc.

The first season they were unoccupied, but
for two years, feathers and droppings show
how, well they have been appreciated by
birds of many kinds and sizes, and this
season I am thatching two of them with straw
to make the shelter more snug and attractive.

Spring is the best time for setting up
winter houses, and winter the season for
preparing nesting houses, as a certain amount
of “weathering” is necessary to remove all
suspicion from the bird’s mind, which
appears to be ultra-conservative and averse
to newness. Above all, avoid the use of
strong-smelling paints, and if you cannot
obtain old weathered boards for your lodg-
ing house, be content with a dull green or
brown shingle stain mot of the creosote
variety.--M. O. W.

Report of the Audubon Society of the
District of Columbia for 1903-4

Commencing with October 17, 1903, a
millinery exhibit was held at the Raleigh
Hotel, attracting many strangers as well as
residents. A bad, rainy day was against us,
but, in spite of that, the show was a success.
This was followed by an autumn water-
party to the Great Falls of the Potomac.
The day was beautiful, and birds and hu-
mans were both happy. November ro, a
reception for members of the society and
their friends was held at the Washington
Club. Charts, literature and some good

music added to the social pleasure of the,

evening.

Regular meetings of the society were held
through the winter as follows:
December 8, 1903.—IIlustrated lecture, ‘A

Naturalist in Mexico.’ Speaker, Mr. E. W. ©

Nelson.
January 20, 1904.—Annual Meeting, Re-
port of the secretary and the treasurer. Lec-

& Co

Crandall

J

Photographed by C.

SOCIETY

AUDUBON

CALIFORNIA

THE

MEETING OF

FIELD

\

214 Bird - Lore

ture—' A Trip into Florida,’ illustrated
with the most beautiful lantern-slides.
Speaker, the Rev. Herbert K. Job. This
lecture was delivered before a very full
house and created the greatest admiration
and enthusiasm.

February 9.—Regular meeting. Pro- ~

gram: ‘ Birds in Song ’—Miss Given. Se-
lected poems read by Miss E. V. Brown.,
‘Birds in Prose ’—Mrs. Wallace Radcliffe.
Informal notes by members.

March 8.—Regular meeting. Topic—
‘Bird Protective Legislation and Methods

of Enforcement, with special reference to

the District of Columbia,’ Dr. T. S.
Palmer.

April 12.—Two lectures were given at
this meeting. One on ‘ Migration,’ by Pro-
fessor W. W. Cooke. The second by Mr.
Henry Oldys and called ‘In Nature’s Do-
mains.’’ This was most interestingly illus-
trated by bird notes and calls.

In April began our field meetings and
bird classes. Four outdoor meetings were
held, two in April and two in May.

April 8, we began our class for bird
study. The subjects for these classes were:
“General Study of Birds: derivation, clas-
sification, etc.’; ‘ Distribution and Migra-
tion’; ‘Economic Value, Nests and Eggs’;
‘Bird Songs and Dances.’
interested about sixty persons and were
most ably conducted by Mr. Henry Oldys.

Our season closed with these lectures,
and we all feel that last year was our
most successful period since the society was
organized.

This year we have an illustrated lecture
of our very own, from which we hope for
further good results. The program of last
year proved such a success that it is prob-
able the same ideas will be called into use,
varying only in detail and subjects for lec-
tures and study.

JEANIE Maury PATTEN, Secretary.

First Annual Meeting of the California
Audubon Society

The first annual meeting of the California
Audubon Society was held in a grove at
Altadena, a beautiful suburb of Pasadena,

These classes

on June 4, 1904, the organization at that
date being but little more than two months
old.

There was a large attendance of members
who enjoyed a delightful day beneath the
trees. The program included an address of
welcome by the President, Dr. Garrett
Newkirk; an interesting talk on ‘ Our Pro-
tected Birds,’ by Professor Joseph Grinnell;
recitations by Catherine Pierce Wheat and
Marcia Coolidge; an address by Dr. E. L.
Conger, and appropriate remarks by a num-
ber of members and visitors.

Letters of greeting and congratulation
were read from Olive Thorne Miller, Wil-
liam Dutcher, Charles Keeler and Dr.
William Rogers Lord. Promised letters
from Mabel Osgood Wright and Florence
Merriam Bailey were delayed in the mails
and did not reach the secretary in time for
the meeting. They were read, however, at
a special meeting of the society a few weeks
later and received with great interest and
pleasure.

The report of the Secretary, submitted at
the meeting, was very satisfactory and en-
couraging. It showed that the society had
already accomplished much good in the way
of bird protection and was gaining rapidly
in members and influence. A county ordi-
nance prohibiting all shooting on the public
roads had been secured, a large number of
warning notices and cards containing bird-
and game-laws had been posted or distrib-
uted, cases of nest-robbing were under
investigation and there had been one con-
viction for violation of the game-laws.

The California Audubon Society is mak-
ing splendid headway. . There are now
four senior and five junior sections, with a
total membership of about six hundred.
Public sentiment has been aroused, espe-
cially in the interest of the protection of the
Mourning Dove, and the society is receiving
messages of good-will and offers of assist-
ance from friends of the birds in all parts of
the state.

The local societies will soon federate as a
state organization, which will be prepared
to urge the ‘ Model Law’ at the legislative
session of 1905.

W. Scott Way, Secretary.

Nigiiey Sema ager waite eg a a es ages Eg tebe? Cag tents

For Doung COdservers

Edited by T. GILBERT PEARSON
Address all communications for this Department to the Editor, at Greensboro, N. C.

A PERSON who has never fed the wild birds has missed a pleasure

which can come in no other way. It is such a joy to give happiness

to nature’s untamed creatures that any one who can do so is the
loser if he does not avail himself of the opportunity. In winter this can
be done, probably, in no better way than by providing them with food
when the natural store is low.

After the frosty nights of autumn have destroyed or put to sleep the
great hordes of insect life in the fields and woods, and the snows have come
and covered the seeds of the grasses and of all. but the tallest weeds, there
are many little hungry mouths in the land. ‘The difficulty of finding suffi-
cient food is often increased by the numbing effect of the fierce gales which
sweep through the forests or the chilling damp from a biting sleet. These
are the times of all others when food should be placed where the birds can
reach it. Usually they will show their hearty appreciation by eating liberally
of the supply.

On another page Mrs. Wright suggests some of the methods she has
employed in feeding birds. There are so many ways of doing the same thing,
however, that it would be helpful to learn how some of our Young Observers
feed the birds. It would also be interesting to know the names of the
feathered guests who come to the banquet spread for them.

We should, therefore, like to publish in the next number of BIRD-LORE
some experiences of persons who have given food to wild birds in winter
and watched them while feeding.

Three prizes are offered to the boys and girls of fourteen years or under,
who send the best letter of three hundred to four hundred words on ‘ Feed-
ing Birds in Winter.’ ‘The prizes will be a bird book or books to the value
of $2.50 for the first prize, $2 for the second prize, and $1.50 for the third
prize.

The letters should be sent to the Editor of this department, at Greens-
boro, North Carolina, not later than January 1, 1905, in order that the
prize-winners may be announced in February BiRD-LoRE.—T. G. P.

A Birds’ Christmas Tree
By ELVA L. BASCOM
| are readers of BiRD-LORE will be interested in hearing of a

birds’ Christmas tree that added to the holiday pleasure of a house-
hold, as well as to that of its bird neighbors. The charming idea
was carried out last Christmas by a family living just outside Poughkeepsie,

(215)

216 Bird-Lore

and a large lawn with shrubbery and trees contributed to its success. The
tree was placed on the roof of a veranda and fastened to the narrow strip
dividing a large double window, so that it was easily seen from the room.
Festoons of pumpkin-seed strings took the place of popcorn, suet was tied
to the branches in many places, and small berry-baskets, securely fastened,
contained sunflower and hemp seeds and barberries. Loosely woven cord
bags, resembling the traditional stocking, were filled with cracked nuts,
which the birds reached through the interstices. On all the trees and
shrubs around the house suet and bones were tied.

Birds were not lacking to enjoy such a royal feast. [he tree was never
without gusets, though morning and late afternoon brought the largest
number, and the lawn was a popular resort. The company was composed

of Chickadees, Juncos, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Brown Creepers,.

Golden-crowned Kinglets,-Blue Jays, Tree Sparrows, Pine Grosbeaks (in
full plumage) and White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches. The Chickadees
were the tamest, though one Red-breasted Nuthatch fed from his hostess’
hand. One day the birds were honored with a visit from Mr. Burroughs,
who came across the river to enjoy their Christmas cheer.

While such a tree might be impracticable in a city home, some features
of it would no doubt be successful in attracting more worthy visitors than
the English Sparrows.

Incidents of Bird Life

By GEORGE H. GILBERT (aged 11), Northampton, Mass.

NE day when I was sent to shake rugs; the market-man drove up,
() and gave me a piece of suet for the birds. I took it and went out
to a hemlock tree about seventeen feet from the house, and waited.
Very soon a Nuthatch came and began to eat the suet which I held in my
hand. Then another came to the suet, and both ate right-there until they
were scared by the milk-man.
Another day, a little later, as I was coming from school, the path led by
a tree where there was a Chickadee. I had a piece of bread in my pocket;
so I took it in my hand, and stood still. Very soon the Chickadee lit on
my finger and ate the bread. I was sorry that I did not have more, and
when I got back with another crumb the little fellow had flown away.
One Sunday, not long ago, we had at the suet and cracked corn: 5
Juncos, 2 Nuthatches, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Goldfinches, 4 or 5 Chick-
adees, 3 Tree Sparrows, 3 Blue Jays and 2 Red Squirrels, all out there in
ten minutes.

Dee ip ete segs we a ae

“Se te og.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AUDUBON
SOCIETIES

EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 12

wr

Denise am

THE SHORT-EARED OWL
Order — Raptores Family — Bubonide

Genus — Asia Species — Asio accipitrinus

The Short-eared Owl

By WILLIAM DUTCHER

Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies

DESCRIPTION

Adult Male and Female.— General aspect above black and ochraceous mixed, each feather having a dark
center with an edging or other marks of ochraceous’ the females averaging considerably darker than the males,
both the black and ochraceous being more intense. Wings and tail dark brown, above barred with ochraceous
of varying shades, the under surface of both being very markedly lighter in color. Underparts varying from
almost white in the male to deep ochraceous in the female; streaked broadly on breast, and narrowly on abdo-
men and flanks, with dark brown. Face with a large white or very pale buff ruff and large black rings about
eyes; bill and claws almost black; toes feathered to base of claws: eyes large and bright yellow in color.

Sixe.— Varies from 13.80 to 16.75 inches from tip of bill to end of tail.

Nest.— Is always on the ground, hidden in a tall bunch of grass or weeds, in a slight hollow not over two
inches in depth. The lining of the nest is a few feathers and a small quantity of dead grass.

Eggs.— Usually from four to seven in number, white in color, usually with a faint creamy tint (Bendire).

The distribution of the Short-eared Owl is so extended that it may
properly be considered one of the most cosmopolitan of all species of birds.
It is found in nearly all parts of the Western Hemisphere, except portions
of the West Indies; and it also inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere, except
Australia. In the United States it breeds northward from about latitude 39
degrees. This species is more migratory in its habits than most of the other
Owls; sometimes being found in quite large bodies, especially on the south-
ward migration after the breeding season is over.

If all birds were named from some prominent characteristic, this species
of Owl might properly be called the Marsh Owl, as it shuns the wooded
districts, and is found almost exclusively in the open country — marshes,
meadows, savannas, and beaches along the coast. While these Owls
commonly hunt for food at night, yet they are very much more diurnal
in their habits than most of the other species of Owls; and it is no
uncommon occurrence to see Short-eared Owls coursing over a meadow
in the daytime, especially if it is somewhat cloudy or dark, or is early
or late in the day. When not hunting, they remain hidden in the tall
grass or weeds, from which they will not flush very easily.

Economically, the Short-eared Owl is of the utmost value and deserves
the most rigid protection. All of the evidence obtainable regarding this
species indicates that its food consists almost exclusively of noxious animals,
with some insects. Referring to Bulletin No. 3, United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, it is stated : “Fully 75 per cent of the stomachs exam-
ined contain mice. The remains of as many as six of these little mammals
were found in one stomach, and several contained three or four each. Of
the other mammals which this Owl feeds upon may be mentioned shrews,
gophers, and sometimes small rabbits. In one specimen a pellet ready for
regurgitation contained ten nearly perfect skulls of shrews.” The same
character of testimony comes from both Europe and Asia, for in Yarrell’s

(218)

Oi ae Gali eal Neigh sa ai

The Short-Eared Owl 219

‘ British Birds’ it is stated “that when plagues of mice occur Owls throng to
the spot, rendering the greatest service in extirpating the pests.”” Undoubt-
edly the Short-eared Owls prey to a very limited extent upon small birds;
but the percentage of harm is so small, when compared with the good
the Owls do, that it should not be taken into account. Their regular
and principal food is noxious mammals, with some beetles, locusts and other
insects, and an occasional bird. It is a very well-authenticated fact that in
large game-preserves, where Hawks and Owls are shot to the point of
extermination, the inevitable result is an abnormal increase in rats and mice,
even to the extent of a plague.

On one occasion the writer kept a Short-eared Owl in captivity for
about a month, in order to study its habits. It was confined in a large box
with a wire front, at first in the open air and, subsequently, in a light cellar.
Every effort was made to tame its wildness, by handling it with the greatest
gentleness and never approaching it abruptly. No measure of success
attended the effort; on the contrary, the Owl seemed to grow wilder and

more excitable when approached. A visitor was always saluted with a series.

of violent hisses, accompanied by a ruffling of the feathers over the whole
body. ‘The hisses were often followed by a violent snapping of the man-
dibles, which was continued for some time, especially if food were not given.
If the visit were in the daytime, the exhibitions of fear or temper were much
more violent than at night. This may be accounted for from the fact that
at night the Owl was dazzled by a bright light being held within a few
inches of the cage. If the light were moved from end to end of the cage
the eyes of the Owl always followed it, thus showing that the light was a

much stronger attraction than the visitor; however, the light was by no means.

so absorbing that it prevented the Owl from seizing food when presented,
if hungry ; if not hungry, no attention would be paid to anything but the
flame. If food were seized it was merely held by the claws until the light
was removed. It was also one of the Owl’s habits to hold surplus food
with one foot when its hunger was satisfied. On a number of occasions a
surfeit of house-mice was offered, but the Owl would not eat to exceed
more than three mice at one time.

Once the process of disgorging a pellet was observed. The Owl was about
to be fed, when it commenced a series of contortions which seemed to’ in-
volve the whole body. Three of these movements or contortions took place,
then a pellet was thrown from the Owl’s mouth. It was nearly two inches
long, and about three-quarters of an inch at its greatest diameter. It was
covered with a slimy substance which made it very slippery. The pellet
dried quickly, when no trace of any greasy substance was found, and it is
therefore probable that the lubricating matter must be lodged in the throat
and stomach of the Owl and is only used in small quantities on the sur-
face of the pellet, not being mixed with the whole mass.

a

220 Bird - Lore

The feeding habits of Asio were very interesting and repaid the labor of
securing his daily fare of mice, which was the favorite food; raw beef or
other meat was refused unless the Owl were very hungry. At first only
such food was taken as was thrown into the cage, and then only when the
Owl was left alone; but after about ten days’ captivity, food was taken from
the hand, if the bird were very hungry, but not otherwise. —The Owl would
look at the proffered meal, first with one eye and then with the other, and
finally with a stroke, as quick as a flash of lightning, would catch the food
with a foot, usually the left one, but never with the bill; almost instantly
the food would be transferred from the foot to the bill. The two move-
ments were sometimes so quickly made that it was impossible to follow
them with the eye. Mice, no matter how large, were invariably swallowed
whole, tail first. Before eating an English Sparrow a portion of the
plumage was removed; first the large feathers of the wings and tail were
pulled out, together with some from the back. All the smaller and softer
feathers were swallowed. The head was eaten first, followed by the soft
portions of the body and finally the breast and wings. All the bones were
swallowed, as well as the legs and feet..

An attempt was made to associate a Screech Owl in the same cage with
the Short-eared Owl, but it proved decidedly unsuccessful and it was impos-
sible to determine which of the two Owls was the most frightened. [he
Screech Owl crouched in one corner of the cage and uttered a series of low
whistles, while the larger bird jumped from end to end of the cage in a
frantic manner, hissing and snapping its bill. Peace and quietness was main-
tained only by a separation of the thoroughly frightened Owls. Shortly
after this both Owls were taken at night to a clump of pines in Central
Park, New York City, where they were liberated, and the last seen of them
was their shadowy forms disappearing in the dim light of the stars twinkling
through the arches of the grove.

Study Points for Teachers and Students

Trace distribution of the Short-eared Owls on the map. Give some of the life-history of Short-eared Owls based
on your own observations. What are Shrews? Gophers? What is the meaning of Ochraceous ? Cosmopolitan ?
Diurnal ? Regurgitation? Mandibles?

For additional valuable information regarding the Short-eared Owls, consult the ref-
erence books named in Leaflet No. 8, also Observations on Owls, with Particular Regard
to their Feeding Habits,” American Naturalist, July, 1899.

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